: , , . Indias largest online platform for original and exclusive shows, ALTBalaji announces the release of its first Bengali regional show #ALTBalajiOriginal Dhimaner Dinkaal. Directed by Saugata Nandi, the digital show will have celebrated Bengali talents in the lead including Saswata Chatterjee, Sreelekha Mitra, Khoraj Mukherjee and Sudipta Banerjee. Dhimaner Dinkaal is story of an ordinary man who lives a life of simplicity away from the madness of technology and internet. The show will explore how his life takes an unexpected turn when he is forced into embracing the new world of technology. ALTBalaji is the #1 repository of exclusive and original digital content in Indian languages today. After launching with 6 Hindi and a Tamil show, we continue our commitment to Indian Language shows with Dhimaner Dinkaal, our Bengali show starring Saswata Chatterjee. Dhimaner Dinkaal is the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. We are confident that this will be a favourite for Bengalis in and out of India. said Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO, ALTBalaji. Film Kahaani famed actor Saswata Chatterjee plays the lead role of a simple man Dhiman in Dhimaner Dinkaal. Dhiman is confined to his old habits; he still believes that internet and modern technology are just a farce in third world countries. Dhiman lives in a contrasting world where his wifes and daughters lives are dominated by internet but he prefers to breathe in a space devoid of technology. What happens when he is forced into the digital world? When his life turns upside down because a stranger enters via social media, will he be able to maintain his sanity? Heres the first look poster of the show; we cant wait for the audience to get on board to discover the extraordinary journey of our hero Dhiman. Lynn de Souzas Social Access Communications has launched a white paper on communication for marketing social progress, titled The Good Force: Gears of Communication. Wheels of Change. The white paper draws vastly from the firms four years of hands-on experience working in the social development sector. Lynn de Souza, Founder, Social Access Communications, remarked, In the four years of working in the social sector, supporting causes as diverse as economic literacy to environmental protection, from water rights to women duties, from children who are abused to children who drive change, we have come across one definitive binding factor: Good will always prevail. Men and women who work tirelessly to make the world a better place must be encouraged, ironically by using the same systems and processes that are used to empower markets. The Good Force is our attempt to put together our learnings and experiences in a document that will be read chiefly by the marketing world, because we believe both worlds need each other to learn from, integrate, support and grow together. Social Access Communications a first-of-its-kind communications firm for the Not-for-Profit sector explores in detail the role that communication plays in leap-frogging philanthropic success and achieving impact at scale. Through keen observation of Indias emerging philanthropic movements and intense conversations with the change-makers behind them, Social Access aims to present a model for movement-building, using communication and #thegoodforce as key to quantum positive social change. Nisha Ghanshani, author of The Good Force: Gears of Communication. Wheels of Change, said, The highest, most noblest form of communication is that which affects mankind and effects change. The Good Force is that power indeed. Designed by Seema Arolkar, The Good Force features insights from noted change-makers like Dr Anish Andheria, Crispino Lobo, Kiran Bir Sethi, Vanessa DSouza, Shalabh Sahai and Stalin Dayanand. To mark the launch, Social Access hosted a curated interactive session on Marketing for Social Progress in Delhi on July 21, 2017, led by inspirational change-maker speakers like Sushant Dash, Regional President - India, Tata Global Beverages, and Jeroninio Almeida, Founder, iCongo, Rex & Karmaveer Awards. A similar session will be held in Mumbai on July 28, which will host noted philanthropist Luis Miranda, Chairman, Centre For Civil Society, and Safeena Husain, Founder and Executive Director, Educate Girls, at 6.15 pm at the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai. The session will discuss the role of communication and movement building in social progress, how one can market social firms and the challenges therein. The white paper was launched at the annual BW Businessworld Marketing Whitebook 2017-18 in Delhi on July 21. SANTIAGO, Chile, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CORPORACION NACIONAL DEL COBRE DE CHILE (the "Company" or "CODELCO") announced today that it has commenced (i) an offer to purchase for cash (the "Any and All Tender Offer") any and all of its outstanding 7.500% Notes due 2019, 3.750% Notes due 2020 and 3.875% Notes due 2021 (collectively, the "Any and All Tender Notes") and (ii) an offer to purchase for cash (the "Maximum Tender Offer") up to the Aggregate Maximum Principal Amount (as defined below) of its outstanding 3.000% Notes due 2022, 4.500% Notes due 2023 and 4.500% Notes due 2025 (collectively, the "Maximum Tender Offer Notes" and, together with the Any and All Notes, the "Securities"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated July 25, 2017 and the related Letter of Transmittal and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (the "Offer to Purchase"). The Any and All Tender Offer The following table summarizes the material pricing terms for the Any and All Tender Offer: Title of Security CUSIP and ISIN Numbers Principal Amount Outstanding Fixed Spread (bps) Reference U.S. Treasury Security Bloomberg Reference Page Hypothetical Any and All Total Consideration (Per U.S. $1,000 principal amount) a) 7.500% Notes Due 2019 CUSIP: 21987BAM0 P3143NAJ3 ISIN: US21987BAM00 USP3143NAJ39 U.S.$600,000,000 25 1.250% U.S. Treasury Notes due June 2019 PX1 $1,084.31 3.750% Notes Due 2020 CUSIP: 21987BAN8 P3143NAM6 ISIN: US21987BAN82 USP3143NAM67 U.S.$1,000,000,000 38 1.500% U.S. Treasury Notes due July 2020 PX1 $1,058.29 3.875% Notes Due 2021 CUSIP: 21987BAP3 P3143NAN4 ISIN: US21987BAP31 USP3143NAN41 U.S.$1,150,000,000 60 1.750% U.S. Treasury Notes due June 2022 PX1 $1,058.26 The Any and All Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 P.M., New York City Time, on July 31, 2017, (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Any and All Expiration Time"). Unless the Any and All Tender Offer is earlier terminated or withdrawn by the Company, holders who validly tender Any and All Notes at or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City Time, on July 31, 2017 will be eligible to receive the Any and All Total Consideration (as described below). Any and All Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City Time, on July 31, 2017 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Any and All Withdrawal Deadline") but not thereafter. The "Any and All Total Consideration" offered per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of each series of Any and All Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Any and All Tender Offer will be determined by the Dealer Managers based on a spread over the reference US Treasury Security, as set forth in the table above, in accordance with standard market practice as of 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 31, 2017 (unless such time is extended). Payment for the Any and All Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase will be made either on the date referred to as the "Any and All Settlement Date" or on the date referred to as the "Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date," as applicable. The Any and All Settlement Date for the Any and All Notes will be promptly following the Any and All Expiration Date. It is anticipated that the Any and All Settlement Date for the Any and All Notes will be on or around August 1, 2017, the first business day after the Any and All Expiration Date. As described more fully in the Offer to Purchase, the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date in respect of Any and All Notes with respect to which a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery is delivered at or prior to the Any and All Expiration Date (to the extent that such Any and All Notes are not delivered prior to the Any and All Expiration Date) that are accepted by the Company for purchase in the Any and All Tender Offer is expected to be on or around August 3, 2017, the third business day after the Any and All Expiration Date. The Maximum Tender Offer The following table summarizes the material pricing terms for the Maximum Tender Offer: Title of Security CUSIP and ISIN Numbers Principal Amount Outstanding Acceptance Priority level Early Tender Payment (Per U.S. $1,000 principal amount) Fixed Spread (bps) Reference U.S. Treasury Security Bloomberg Reference Page Hypothetical MTO Total Consideration (Per U.S. $1,000 principal amount) 3.000% Notes Due 2022 CUSIP: 21987BAQ1 P3143NAP9 ISIN: US21987BAQ14 USP3143NAP98 U.S.$1,250,000,000 1 U.S. $30 95 1.750% U.S. Treasury Notes due June 2022 PX1 $1,010.31 4.500% Notes Due 2023 CUSIP: 21987BAS7 P3143NAR5 ISIN: US21987BAS79 USP3143NAR54 U.S.$750,000,000 2 U.S. $30 1120 1.750% U.S. Treasury Notes due June 2022 PX1 $1,080.55 4.500% Notes Due 2025 CUSIP: 21987B AV0 P3143N AW4 ISIN: US21987BAV09 USP3143NAW40 U.S.$2,000,000,000 3 U.S.$ 30 1120 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due May 2027 PX1 $1,073.30 The "Aggregate Maximum Principal Amount" with respect to the Maximum Tender Offer is U.S.$2,750,000,000 less the aggregate principal amount of the Any and All Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Any and All Tender Offer. The Aggregate Maximum Principal Amount will not be determined until the aggregate principal amount of the Any and All Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Any and All Tender Offer is determined. If all of the outstanding Any and All Notes are validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Any and All Tender Offer, no tenders of the Maximum Tender Offer Notes pursuant to the Maximum Tender Offer will be accepted for purchase unless the Aggregate Maximum Principal Amount is increased. As further described in the Offer to Purchase, the Company will accept for purchase validly tendered Maximum Tender Offer Notes in the order of the related "Acceptance Priority Level" set forth in the table above, beginning at the lowest numerical value first, provided that Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered at or before the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase in priority to Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, even if such Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date have a higher Acceptance Priority Level. In addition, for a series that is being prorated, tenders of Maximum Tender Offer Notes made with an Allocation Identifier Code will be given priority over tenders of Maximum Tender Offer Notes having the same Acceptance Priority Level but made without an Allocation Identifier Code. Maximum Tender Offer Notes of a series may be subject to proration if the aggregate principal amount of the Maximum Tender Offer Notes of such series validly tendered and not validly withdrawn would cause the Aggregate Maximum Principal Amount to be exceeded, as further described in the Offer to Purchase. The Maximum Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 P.M., New York City Time, on August 21, 2017, (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Maximum Tender Expiration Date"). Maximum Tender Offer Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City Time, on August 7, 2017 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Maximum Tender Offer Withdrawal Deadline") but not thereafter. Holders of each series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered prior to or at 5:00 P.M., New York City Time, on August 7, 2017 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Date") and that are accepted for purchase will receive an amount determined by the Dealer Managers based on a spread over the reference US Treasury Security, as set forth in the table above, in accordance with standard market practice as of 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 7, 2017 (unless such time is extended) (the "MTO Total Consideration"). The MTO Total Consideration with respect to each series of Maximum Tender Offer Notes so calculated includes an "Early Tender Payment" equal to the applicable amount set forth in the table above under the heading "Early Tender Payment." Holders of Maximum Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but prior to or at the Maximum Tender Expiration Date and that are accepted for purchase will receive in cash the MTO Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Payment. Payment for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date and that are accepted for purchase may be made, at the Company's option, on the date referred to as the "Maximum Tender Early Settlement Date." The Maximum Tender Early Settlement Date, if it occurs, will be promptly following the Early Tender Date in respect of such Maximum Tender Offer. It is anticipated that the Maximum Tender Early Settlement Date, if it occurs, will be on or around August 8, 2017, the first business day after the Early Tender Date. If the Maximum Tender Early Settlement Date occurs, payment for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date and prior to or at the Maximum Tender Expiration Date and that are accepted for purchase will be made on the date referred to as the "Maximum Tender Final Settlement Date." If no Maximum Tender Early Settlement Date occurs, then payment for all the Maximum Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered at any time prior to the Expiration Date and that are accepted for purchase will be made on the Maximum Tender Final Settlement Date. The Maximum Tender Final Settlement Date will be promptly following the Maximum Tender Expiration Date in respect of the Maximum Tender Offer. It is anticipated that the Maximum Tender Final Settlement Date for the Maximum Tender Offer Notes will be on or around August 22, 2017, the first business day after the Maximum Tender Expiration Date. Additional Information The Company's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to any of the Tender Offers is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, the receipt by the Company of proceeds from a proposed issuance of securities, generating net proceeds in an amount that is sufficient to effect the repurchase of the Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offers, including the payment of any premiums, accrued interest (as described below), additional amounts (as described below), if any, and costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith. In addition to the applicable consideration described above, all holders of Securities accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase from the applicable last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable settlement date. In addition, to the extent that payment of the applicable consideration described above is subject to a Chilean withholding tax for certain holders of Securities, the Company will increase the amount of the payment by such additional amounts as are necessary in order for the payment such holders receive, net of the Chilean tax, to equal the amount that would have been received by such holders in the absence of such withholding. The obligation of the Company to so increase the amount of such payment with respect to the Securities of any series is subject to the specific exceptions and limitations on the obligation to pay "Additional Amounts" set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the applicable indenture related to such series of Securities. The Hypothetical Any and All Total Consideration and Hypothetical MTO Total Consideration in the tables above are based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security for that series as of 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 24, 2017. The information provided in the above tables is for illustrative purposes only. CODELCO makes no representation with respect to the actual consideration that may be paid, and such amounts may be greater or less than those shown in the above tables depending on the yield of the applicable Reference U.S. Treasury Security as of the applicable price determination time. The actual Any and All Total Consideration and the MTO Total Consideration will be based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security for that series as of the applicable price determination time. The Hypothetical Any and All Total Consideration and Hypothetical MTO Total Consideration exclude accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities accepted for purchase. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. are the Dealer Managers for the Tender Offers. Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been appointed as the tender agent and information agent for the Tender Offers. Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. at (212) 525-5552 (collect) or (888) 472-2456 (toll-free), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at 1 (212) 8347279 (collect) or (866) 8462874 (toll-free), Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated at (646) 8558988 (collect) or (888) 2920070 (toll-free) and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. at (212) 405-7481 (collect) or (877) 744-4532 (toll-free). The Offer to Purchase will be distributed to holders of Securities promptly. Holders who would like additional copies of the Offer to Purchase may contact the information agent, Global Bondholder Services Corporation, by calling toll-free at (866)-924-2200 (banks and brokers may call collect at (212) 430-3774) or visit http://www.gbsc-usa.com/Codelco/. This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Tender Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. The Tender Offers do not constitute, and the Offer to Purchase may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not permitted by law or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "estimate", "plan" and similar expressions are generally intend to identify forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer to Purchase. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corporacion-nacional-del-cobre-de-chile-announces-tender-offers-for-any-and-all-of-its-7500-notes-due-2019-3750-notes-due-2020-and-3875-notes-due-2021-and-up-to-an-aggregate-maximum-principal-amount-of-its-3000-notes-due--300493562.html SOURCE Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile The upcoming Nokia 2 has allegedly passed through the benchmarking website Geekbench, where some of its hardware characteristics seem to have been exposed. The smartphones name, codename, or model number have not been revealed, and the benchmarking tool refers to the device by the placeholder name Unknown Heart. Having said that, theres no guarantee that this new entry in Geekbenchs database is the Nokia 2, but there are speculations that Finnish manufacturer HMD Global is currently testing the Nokia 2 in the popular benchmarking tool ahead of an eventual market release before the end of the year. According to Geekbench, the alleged Nokia 2 is powered by a Qualcomm-made processor housing four CPU cores clocked at up to 1.27GHz. Previous reports have suggested that the Nokia 2 may be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 system-on-chip (SoC), however seeing how the processor exceeds the 1.1GHz limit of the aforementioned chipset, there is a possibility that the device may be powered by the second version of the chip released a year later in 2015, namely the Snapdragon 212 housing four ARM Cortex-A7 cores clocked at up to 1.3 GHz. Other details revealed by the benchmarking tool include 1GB of RAM and the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. As far as benchmark performance is concerned, the alleged Nokia 2 managed to score 422 points in the single-core test, 1,146 points in the multi-core benchmarks, and between 750 to 850 points in various memory tests. Previous rumors have also suggested that the Nokia 2 will house a 5-inch display, presumably featuring a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The Nokia 2 is supposed to be the Finnish companys entry-level Android-powered smartphone for this year, and according to a previous report based on some statements from HMD Globals Marketing Director, the Nokia 2 should be announced within the next few months along with the Nokia 7 and Nokia 8. Given the market segment to which it belongs, the Nokia 2 should carry a budget-friendly price tag and will almost certainly lack some features usually found on contemporary mid-range smartphones, such as a fingerprint scanner. Its also expected to be the first Android-powered Nokia smartphone to make use of on-screen navigation buttons, unlike the recently released Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and the Nokia 6. A new leak may have just revealed Samsungs choice of branding for the companys next ruggedized flagship, the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Samsung has chosen to go with a pretty standard design that readily follows from past branding associated with the active variants of the companys flagship. The leaked branding which has been included below appears to typed out using Samsungs typical sans-serif font, with Samsung placed above the device name itself in all-caps. As has usually been the case with Samsung branding, the companys name takes the secondary role to the device brand and is spelled out in a significantly smaller font size. While the news may not be too exciting for many, it is important to bear in mind that this leak is at least as suspect as any other. There are plenty of places to download Samsungs official fonts and fonts that adequately imitate those on the internet. From there, a mock-up design could be made with relative ease, even for those with very little experience with design, that matches previous branding choices made by the tech giant. So this particular leak could be the real deal or it could be just another fake. As to the device itself, Samsungs up-and-coming Galaxy S8 Active has reportedly already passed through the FCC as of June, where it was listed under the FCC number A3LSMG892A with the model designation SM-G892A. The FCC listing seems to confirm at least some of the expected features for the handset, with a diagram showing a backplate for the device that appears heavily modified for durability. Samsung also mistakenly leaked the Galaxy S8 Active early that same month. The as-yet-unreleased flagship is expected to bear almost all of the things that made the original Galaxy S8 attractive plus some added bonuses. Aside from the notable absence of gorgeous Infinity Display, which will be replaced by a standard flat display for durability, the Active version will come with a battery that is 1,000 mAh bigger than the 3,000 mAh battery found inside the standard Galaxy S8. It will also be ruggedized to MIL STD-810G military standards. That means dust and particulates, as well as water, will have a much harder time infiltrating the device to do damage. The European Union has reiterated its demand for Google, Facebook, and Twitter to revise their respective proposals for user terms of service so that those terms comply with the regulatory framework on the Old Continent. The proposed user terms were submitted to EU authorities by the internet giants in March, though the regulators rejected the proposals at that time due to a lack of measures that guarantee those companies operate in line with consumer protection laws in Europe. Last month, through letters sent to the firms, the EU regulators gave the three companies until July 20 to introduce improvements to their proposed changes to terms of service and until September to implement those proposed changes, according to a new report. With the EU now increasing the pressure for those companies to take the necessary steps to uphold consumer protection policies in the region, updates on this case should follow shortly. When the EU first asked Google, Facebook, and Twitter in March to amend their user terms, the regulators also threatened to impose penalties on those companies if they fail to comply, marking EUs growing dissatisfaction over how the U.S. social media giants operate. Industry watchers claim two of the companies have already submitted the revised terms while one of them has yet to complete its amended proposals. Authorities on the Old Continent primarily want the companies to change their proposals for the procedures on removing illegal content from their sites, as well as terms that limit the liability of those companies and the provisions that allow them to independently remove user content from their platforms. The latest development in the case marks just one of the many regulatory battles these companies are facing in the region. This March, the EU had charged Facebook with deliberately providing deceptive information related to its acquisition of instant messaging app WhatsApp in 2014. More recently, the EU said it was planning to take legal action to compel Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to sanction illegal content including hate speech, violent content, and fake news shared via their platforms, though the bloc has yet to provide an update on that particular matter. Verizon is now pushing out an update to all Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus units on its network which will reportedly add Daydream support to both smartphones. This update will hence allow both devices to work with Googles Daydream View VR headset. While Samsung already has its own Gear VR headset which is compatible with its flagship devices, the South Korean original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is apparently also looking to cater to customers who would rather purchase Googles Daydream View for any reason. The two platforms also boast exclusive content, so users may want to purchase both VR headsets. T-mobile is also pushing a similar update to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus on its network, but users have reported that the Daydream platform is still unable to run on the devices following the update. In addition, the package which comes with the software version NRD90M.G950USQU1AQG4 also brings along the July Android Security Patch. On top of that, owners of either smartphone may now turn off the on-screen navigation bar, thus being able to use the Infinity Display in its entirety. This feature can be toggled on and off by heading to the Navigation Bar Settings menu. Once enabled, users may swipe up to view the navigation bar, but it will disappear after a while. The latest update also allows users to send animated GIFs during phone calls, though Profile Sharing has to be enabled via the settings in the Contacts app in order for this feature to work. Verizon is pushing the package to all eligible smartphones as an Over-The-Air (OTA) update, so it may take a few days before it reaches all units. Users will receive a system prompt to download and install the update if it is already available in their territory. However, you may also manually check for the update by heading to the Settings app, navigating to About Phone, selecting System Updates and then Check for Updates. If the package is indeed ready for your device, the system will prompt you to download it following this course of action. Verizon recommends users to be connected to a Wi-Fi network and have a fully charged phone before proceeding with the installation. HMD Global, the Finnish company that currently designs and sells Nokia-branded smartphones, will likely launch its flagship product on August 16. The device, which is rumored to be marketed as the Nokia 8, will be the first premium Nokia handset since HMD Global took over the brand. The information regarding the likely launch date came from an invitation sent out by the manufacturer to members of the press. While the invitation did not mention anything specific about the flagship, the manufacturer did note that the event will showcase a milestone for Nokia-branded devices. Even though the manufacturer has yet to unveil the Nokia 8 to the public, numerous leaks and renders have already provided a number of indications regarding the phones specifications. The smartphone will reportedly have a home button and capacitive navigation buttons below the display, with the home button likely housing a fingerprint scanner. The device is said to sport a 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440. The back of the phone will apparently house two vertically arranged rear cameras with a dual-LED flash and heart rate monitor beneath them. Both of the rear cameras will be of the 13-megapixel variety, with the imaging module itself being manufactured by Carl Zeiss. Previous reports have stated that the Nokia 8 will be available in blue, steel/silver, gold/blue, and gold/copper color choices. The rumored internal hardware of the Nokia 8 suggests that the handset is poised to compete with flagship offerings from other Android OEMs. The handset is reportedly powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset from Qualcomm, which is equipped with eight 64-bit cores. The chipset also includes the Adreno 540 GPU, whereas the handset will have either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB of internal flash storage. Consumers will also likely be able to connect the handset to two networks at once since it will have a dual-SIM card slot, previous reports have indicated. Software-wise, the Nokia 8 will launch with Android 7.1.1 Nougat thats expected to be similar to the vanilla version of the OS. HMD is expected to launch several variants of its upcoming high-end smartphone intended for different regions, with the device itself being rumored to hit the market by September. Google updated its Trusted Contacts Android app with support for Google Maps and a number of other features earlier this week. The Mountain View, California-based Internet giant started rolling out the latest build of Trusted Contacts on Monday and the new software version should soon be available for download from the Google Play Store in all parts of the world. The newly introduced support for Google Maps allows you to share your location with one or more of your Trusted Contacts on a permanent basis. This functionality goes both ways, as youll be able to see the location of your contacts just like theyll be able to locate you. The feature seemingly builds on limited Google Maps integration that the app already boasted since its late 2016 launch and the functionality now works in a smoother manner. The same framework also allows you to instantly share your location with all contacts or request access to locations of individual contacts. Another notable addition introduced with the Trusted Contacts build 1.5 is the presence of custom timeouts that you can now modify to define how long should Googles service wait before providing your contacts with your whereabouts. Up until now, the app would automatically send your coordinates if you didnt respond to a location request in five minutes, though youre now presented with four more options of modifying that behavior; you can set the app to send your coordinates after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and an hour of inactivity, in addition to completely eliminating the time limit for location requests and disclosing your whereabouts as soon as one of your verified contacts asks for them. The latter option essentially turns Trusted Contacts into a real-time location pinging app and consequently makes it much more useful for certain demographics like parents of young children. The setting is still of the system-wide variety, though Alphabets subsidiary may allow users to set specific timeouts for individual contacts in the future. The latest version of Trusted Contacts can be downloaded by following the Google Play Store banner beneath this writing. Just like before, the service is still compatible with all smartphones running Android Jelly Bean and later versions of the mobile operating system. After an agreement deal made with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Mercedes-Benz tried the pickup market with its own version of the European Nissan Navara. That was the X-Class. On the outside, the general look was just like a Mercedes-Benz, with the proper front grille and the three-pointed-star on it. Viewed from the side, the body shape looked very similar to the Nissan Navara. The doors and the bed were the same. Inside the cabin, there were more differences. The X-Class kept most of a Mercedes-Benz inside features, including the COMMAND infotainment system and the 7" screen, with the regular controls for it located between the front seats, on the center console. An option for an 8.4" screen as the one in the V-Class was offered. The instrument cluster was clearly from a Mercedes-Benz, but some of the buttons, such as those for the climate control or the traction system, were straight from a Navara. The X-Class came in three trim levels and, while the base (Pure) model featured black plastic bumpers and 17" steel wheels, the top model (Power) was better equipped with 18" light-alloy wheels and an option for 19". The X-Class was offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. That was offered by the Mercedes-Benz, as part of the deal. The man advantage of the X-Class over other pickups from the market was the rear coil-spring suspension, that made the car more comfortable despite the rear axle. EV Coming courtesy of Automotive News , Japanese publication Chunichi Shimbun reports that Toyota intends to make solid-state batteries viable for production for the reasons mentioned above, and then some. Better driving range and reduced charging time are other potential benefits of treading on this path, although the road to production reality is long and winding.As per the report, the 2022 Toyotathats expected to adopt solid-state battery technology will ride on an all-new platform. Chunichi Shimbun doesnt cite any official source, and Toyota has refused to comment on future products. However, spokesperson Kayo Doi mentioned that Toyota intends to commercialize all-solid-state batteries by the early 2020s. BMW is developing solid-state batteries of its own, with the Bavarian automaker expecting to bring the technology to market sometime in the next 10 years. The stakes are high, and Toyota knows it all too well. In the meantime, the most powerful Japanese automaker in the world intends to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon with a conventional EV in 2019.The most recent of reports suggest the 2019 Toyota EV will be derived from the C-HR crossover (pictured). Production is expected to be handled in China, and just like the Tesla Model 3 and 2018 Nissan Leaf, the yet-unnamed model will draw up its get-up-and-go from a conventional lithium-ion battery.It wont be easy for Toyota, which is the world leader in hybrids, PHEVs, and fuel-cell vehicles, to add electric vehicles to its stable. An effort has been made in this direction, though, with president Akio Toyoda named the head honcho of the companys newly-formed electric vehicle division On a different note, can you imagine where Tesla will be in 2022? Moving the Cafe Foundations annual symposium to Oshkosh was a success, executive director Yolanka Wulff told AVweb this week, and the event will return to the same venue next year. The symposium was previously held in California, but Cafe tried the move, reasoning that since most of their attendees also go to AirVenture, an Oshkosh site would make it easier for them to do both in one trip. The event was held at the University of Wisconsin Alumni Conference Center, just 10 minutes from the EAA grounds, on Saturday and Sunday. This year, EAAs Innovation Committee attended the event, and Wulff said they plan to continue discussions to find ways Cafe and EAA can work together to benefit both groups. The meeting, with about 20 speakers, focused on urban air mobility. It was a good lens to focus the conference, Wulff said. We talked about emissions, noise, public acceptance, safety, fuel efficiency, autonomy, airspace management and urban planning, all the things weve been talking about for a long time. Speakers at the symposium reported on emerging technologies and markets in electric propulsion and the challenges the industry is facing. For the first time, the meeting had an investor panel, with two speakers from investment firms that focus on aerospace. Wulff also said Cafe is looking into expanding its role into testing and evaluating and reporting on the new technologies. Well be looking at that over the next year, how that would work and how it would be useful, Wulff said. Jack Pelton, chairman of EAA, says AirVenture 2017, the 65th edition and the 48th consecutive show held at Whitman Regional in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is likely to be the biggest ever. Last year, the show reached a new attendance record, but a modest oneup 1% over 2015. This year, advance purchase tickets are up 12% over last year, and aircraft parking was 85% full by Sunday night, said Pelton. Over 8,000 aircraft had already arrived by the time of the Monday news conference. Unusually lovely weather may be playing a role in robust attendance. Forecasts all week call for highs in the high 70s to low 80s. Pelton expressed considerable excitement for the 50th anniversary reunion of the Apollo astronauts. (The number of years depends on exactly what you take to be the start of the Apollo program.) Some of the surviving Apollo astronauts have taken to calling this their final reunion, according to Pelton, who seemed to briefly hold back tears describing the event. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, the 40th anniversary of the Christen Eagle, and the 90th anniversary of Lindbergs Atlantic crossing, all to be honored at the show. Pelton also bragged about work done on the airport grounds in the off-season. Repeat AirVenture alumni will note improvements to the Theater in the Woods, a homebuilt meeting area inspired by the Triple Tree Airport and a new Quonset hut for the Warbird Area. A considerable portion of Peltons remarks and questions from the media were dedicated to concerns over ATC privatization, which continue to loom over the show. 25 July 2017 17:45 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The Armenian troops have again committed a provocation against Azerbaijani Armed Forces. They used combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the line of contact of troops located in the territory of the Tartar region, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on July 25. The handicraft made device stuffed with incendiary substance, explosives and metal elements was dropped to the positions of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces, ultimately injuring soldier Babakishiyev Muraz Kamal oglu. The soldier was delivered to the hospital and currently his life is not in danger. "The National Army takes measures to stop the Armenian provocation," the Defense Ministry said. Armenia uses UAVs against Azerbaijan from time to time. Last time, Azerbaijani Armed Forces destroyed an Armenian UAV over the Azerbaijani positions in the Tartar direction of the front. Moreover, this year the Azerbaijani Army destroyed Armenian UAVs near Agdam and Tovuz regions and the Talish village in March, February and January. Today, it is obvious that by such provocations Armenia tries to hinder the peace talks over the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Although Azerbaijan is long ready to resolve the problem, the Armenian side prefers to continue shelling of the Azerbaijani troops and villages rather than coming to the negotiating table. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 13:42 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) agreed for the larger part on the draft Common Aviation Area Agreement. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov made the remarks in an interview with Trend. He noted that this is a rather complicated technical project, but at the same time it has its political and economic component. I think the dynamics of the talks on this document provide an opportunity to make optimistic conclusions about its prospects, Isgandarov added. Brussels hosted the second round of negotiations on signing of an EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement on July 4-5. A delegation led by Director of the countrys State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov represented Azerbaijan in the negotiations. Moreover, the delegation included employees of the State Civil Aviation Administration and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Belgium, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry. The remarks and proposals of the Azerbaijani side were discussed, and a number of issues were clarified. The sides signed a protocol following the meeting. The Ambassador stressed that the third round of the negotiations on the draft Common Aviation Area Agreement is planned to be held in Baku in October. It is expected that the final version of the agreement will be prepared at the meeting in Baku. Further, the Ambassador touched upon the Belgian-Azerbaijani relations. He went on to say that today, the political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Belgium is at a high level, which was evidenced by the meeting of King Philippe of Belgium with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Brussels during a visit at the invitation of the European Councils President Donald Tusk. Isgandarov emphasized that the two countries have great potential for the development of economic cooperation. The diplomat added that Azerbaijan expects greater involvement of European companies in the implementation of transport corridor projects in the country, further adding that along with the energy cooperation, Azerbaijan is also interested in attracting Belgian investments in other spheres of the economy. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Belgium amounted to $31.435 million in January-June 2017, increasing by $873,180 or 2.9 percent, as compared to the same period of 2016, according to Azerbaijans State Statistics Committee. Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation that was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999. The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today. The EU is Azerbaijans major trade partner. This 28-member-states union with a total population of more than 500 million people is Azerbaijan's biggest economic partner accounting for the countrys 38 percent of foreign trade share. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 16:30 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova The State Committee on Property Issues held next auction of privatization on July 25, following which 25 state properties were privatized in Azerbaijan. Seven of the sold objects are small state enterprises, 11 non-residential areas and 7 vehicles. Two small state enterprises and nine non-residential areas were privatized in Baku, five small state enterprises and two non-residential areas were privatized in other cities and regions of the country. State properties privatized in the capital city are located in the Binagadi, Yasamal, Nizami, Khatai and Narimanov regions. In order to protect state property and effectively manage it in the new economic realities, President of Azerbaijan signed a decree on May 19, 2016. Under the decree, the acceleration of the state property privatization process has been defined as an important direction of the economic policy. The portal for privatization privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country. The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as develop the business environment of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the State Committee on Property Issues held the first electronic auction on July 4. The "electronic auction" service, which is available on the website privatization.az, combines the privatization procedure of vehicles and equipment. In the future, it will be possible to privatize small state enterprises and facilities, joint-stock companies through electronic auction. Now, the corresponding work in programming is being implemented. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 16:33 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijan is working on the creation of 38 agrarian parks, the total cost of which is 207 million manats ($121.7 million). Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev made the remarks at an expanded meeting of the ministry's board, dedicated to the results of the first half of 2017. The Minister stressed that the agro-parks are being created in Samukh, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Shabran, Salyan, Shamakhi, Fizuli, Jalilabad and Ismayilly districts, to the establishment of which the National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) allocated 76.1 million manats ($44.7 million). He went on to say that currently, 14 modern livestock complexes with total area of 37,300 square meters are being built in 12 regions of the country, 24 large grain farms with total area of 120,300 hectares in 17 regions, 32 large farms with a total area of 44,000 square meters in 20 regions. Addressing the meeting Mustafayev noted that in just 6 months the NFES issued concessional loans in the amount of 63.3 million manats ($37.2 million) to 690 entrepreneurs, adding that investment projects, which will be implemented at the expense of these funds, will help to open more than 2,300 new jobs. To date, more than 33,500 entrepreneurs received concessional loans in the amount of more than 2 billion manats ($1.2 billion). Moreover, the government created mechanisms to support competitive production, such as issuance of document of investment incentives. Azerbaijani 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. Minister stressed that to date173 documents of investment incentives have been issued for implementation of projects worth 1.6 billion manats ($940.5 million) and added that thanks to this projects 11,000 people will be employed Moreover,1.3 million manats ($764.2 million) have been returned to Azerbaijani exporters since early 2017, and 200.4 million manats ($117.8 million) in 2016 as part of the program on the refund of a part of expenditures for the export of non-oil products, the minister added. 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. Further he spoke about creation of Industrial Zones in Aghdam, Aghstafa and Gazakh regions of the republic. Currently, work is underway on creating two industrial zones in Azerbaijans Masally and Neftchala districts. The minister noted that 3 enterprises already operate in the Neftchala Industrial Zone and other six enterprises are planned to start operating in 2017. The design work, he said, has already been completed in the Masally Industrial Zone and the creation of infrastructure will begin soon. There is very high interest in this Industrial Zone, and as of now, 33 projects worth over 33 million manats ($19.4 million), which can be implemented in the industrial zone, have been presented to the Economy Ministry. Along with Industrial Zones, five industrial parks have been created in Azerbaijan: Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, Balakhani, Garadagh, Mingachevir and Pirallahi Industrial Parks. Investors, engaged in industrial parks, are exempted from the value added tax (VAT), customs duties, as well as contributions on compulsory state social insurance to seven years. 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. Further Mustafayev stressed that Azerbaijani companies will take part in a tender for the construction of a gas pipeline in Pakistan, adding that preliminary agreement was reached on the results of the export mission to Pakistan, which was held this year. In total, within the promotion of the Made in Azerbaijan brand 8 export missions were organized to China, the UAE, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. In addition, within the framework of export missions, Azerbaijan has already concluded agreements on the supply of wine to China, apple and pomegranate juice in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Malaysia, industrial paints in Kazakhstan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 13:59 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova "Sara" detective movie by Elvin Ahmadov will be screened at YARAT Contemporary Art Space on July 28. The detective story revolves around a young woman who lost her husband and is chased by criminals who are trying to murder her. Saras father-in-law is concerned with her security and hires a professional body guard who is also a martial arts master... The full-length movie will be shown in Azerbaijani language. YARAT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to nurturing an understanding of contemporary art in Azerbaijan and to creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally. Based in Baku, YARAT (meaning CREATE in Azerbaijani) was founded by Aida Mahmudova in 2011. It realizes its mission through an on-going program of exhibitions, education events and festivals. YARAT facilitates exchange between local and international artistic networks, including foundations, galleries and museums. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 16:43 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan's young artist Arzu Khalilova has presented art project "Sublimation" inspired by the world end. The supposition around the nearing end of life on the Earth is the very question of global concern throughout the world. Many people are wondering whether there the end to the world and opinions differ dramatically in this regard. . In her artworks, Arzu does not create a picture of the end of the world, but shows sublimation of living beings. As a defence mechanism, sublimation is the channeling of unacceptable feelings into more acceptable ones. In psychology, it's a defense mechanism where that transforms energy into creativity. "Everything new and extraordinary inspires me," she says. "The main direction in which I work is graphics, I am very fascinated by this genre because it is modern and very diverse. It is difficult to imagine the sphere of human life, where today graphic images are not used. Even in the digital space there are always new items of the next graphic editors, which once again confirms the relevance of this genre." Arzu considers herself a representative of the modern trend in the visual arts. "I do not reject the classical school at the same time, because this is the basis of the basics, but life continues, and the world that is now changing and developing with lightning-fast speed," she added. Arzu studied at European Lyceum in Baku, Washington High School in Missouri USA, and Glion University of Higher Education in Switzerland Her father is the famous artist Azad Khalilov, and her brother Rauf is a filmmaker and composer of electronic music. Arzu taught drawing lessons to children in Arts Council Azerbaijan. In 2005, at the age of 12, Arzu played a starring role of Rauf Khalilov's "Universal Game" short film. In 2007, the movie was presented at the 52nd International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. In 2010, she played in the movie "Stability", filmed by her brother. Arzu played her role behind the scenes, voicing in English. In 2012, movie was presented at the 65th Cannes Film Festival. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 13:12 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Armenian foreign ministers visit to the occupied Azerbaijani Kalbajar region under the pretext of participating at a religious ceremony Gandzasar 777 is another example of how Armenia politicizes the falsification of history and religion at the state level, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on July 24. On July 23, the Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian visited an event in the Ganjasar temple in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Armenians have long tried to misappropriate the temple, claiming its allegedly Armenian, while the temple dates back to the ancient state of Caucasian Albania, which was located in the territories of present-day Azerbaijan. I would like to remind Armenias FM that the Albanian-Christian temple, located in the Kalbajar region occupied by Armenian armed forces, is called Ganjasar, but not Gandzasar, and it has nothing to do with the Armenian Orthodox Church, said Hajiyev, adding that this has been proved by Azerbaijan and foreign historians. The architecture and composition of the temple complex and sculpture elements confirm the temples belonging to the architecture of Caucasian Albania, said Hajiyev, adding that the pseudo-Armenian historiography is unable to explain the difference between the Ganjasar temple and an Armenian church. Spokesman noted that in general, Armenias appropriation of Islamic and Christian temples belonging to the Azerbaijani people is a grave violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions. Participation of the Armenian FM at the event once again demonstrates that Armenia is not interested in a peaceful settlement of the [Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict and tries to strengthen the status quo, continuing the occupation of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent regions, Hajiyev said. Today, Armenia wants to justify its claims to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and therefore is engaged in misappropriation of tangible and intangible heritage of Azerbaijan. Moreover, Armenians destroyed almost all cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in the occupied lands. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian aggressors destroyed 1,200 historical and architectural monuments of Azerbaijan, looted 27 museums, over 100,000 items were exported to Armenia. In addition, the Armenian occupiers destroyed 152 religious monuments and 62 mosques, 4.6 million books in 927 libraries, including the Holy Quran and rare Islamic manuscripts. It is obvious that all these actions of Armenian aggressors are aimed at misleading the international community about the real history of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 14:57 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The Russian Embassy in Baku refused to comment on the decision taken by the Azerbaijani court with regard to Alexander Lapshin, a citizen of Russia. "The Russian Embassy does not consider itself entitled to comment on the decision of the Azerbaijani court," press attache of the Embassy Denis Apashkin told RIA Novosti on July 25. The Russian Embassy in Baku will provide the necessary assistance to Alexander Lapshin, citizen of Russia and Israel arrested in Azerbaijan, if he requests the transfer Apashkin added. Last week, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes sentenced the blogger Lapshin to three years of imprisonment on charges of his illegal visits to the Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani lands and a criminal conspiracy with the Armenians living there. The Embassy is in contact with Lapshins lawyer and family. The Embassy will continue to participate in the protection of Lapshins rights within its competence, said Apashkin. Commenting on the possible extradition of Lapshin to Russia, the press attache said that Russia and Azerbaijan have an agreement to transfer convicted persons to serve their sentence in the country of their citizenship. If Lapshin wants to take the opportunity provided for by this agreement, the Embassy will provide him with all necessary assistance, Apashkin said. Earlier, Lapshins lawyer Eduard Chernin told Trend that the issue of his extradition is not on the agenda, as it is impossible as long as the court decision doesnt come into force. Blogger Lapshin violated Azerbaijani laws on state border in April, 2011 and October, 2012. Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin paid a number of visits to Azerbaijans occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016. The blogger was arrested in Minsk in late 2016 and transferred to Baku in February 2017. By the decision of the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, Lapshin will serve his three-year sentence in a general regime colony. Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's black list. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Important regional and international issues were on the agenda of the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin, as they met in Sochi on July 21. The meeting was not announced previously, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported about it at the last moment. In diplomacy it is accepted so that if the meeting is not announced, it means that it is planned to meet briefly in connection with some important issues. It is past a long time since Putin and Aliyev met last time, what means many questions have accumulated in bilateral relations. The subject of these discussions was not only bilateral relations, but also the complex of the geopolitical situation in the region and its assessment in a global context. Baku and Moscow have many joint plans for the future, said President Putin, expressing his satisfaction to have the opportunity to discuss both the bilateral relations and the situation in the region. The situation in the region is complex. I hope that our meeting today will allow us to find ways of solving all difficult problems, he said. The very genre of the working meeting involved discussing a certain specific issue or issues for receiving or transmitting information and sharing assessments. The need for such contact appears only when there is mutual interest and a need to make an agreed decision. It turns out that there is a situation that calls for personal intervention of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia. But what is the situation? There is no answer to this question, since the parties did not make explanatory statements following the results of the talks. Analyzing the activities of Russian diplomacy in the Transcaucasian direction, it can be concluded that Moscow began to pay increased attention to the problems of security and stability in this region, as there is a real danger of systemic transfer of conflict from the Middle East to Transcaucasia. Some experts claim that Azerbaijan's cooperation with Russia can solve many economic, political, regional and geopolitical issues. The heads of state certainly considered the issues of the international agenda, in particular coordinated possible actions of Moscow and Baku on resolving the Syrian problem, where Russia is one of the main players and Azerbaijan is an observer. Another important topic of the talks was the development of cooperation in trilateral formats, such as Azerbaijan-Russia-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran, which became even closer recently, aiming to provide serious support to regional development. The level of personal communication between the heads of the two states allows them to just meet unexpectedly, as it was on Friday evening during Russian leaders vacation in Sochi, and discuss the agenda of bilateral relations as effectively as possible. This fact largely determines the level and quality of relations between the two states, which are currently at the highest level. Of course, we will also talk about how the bilateral relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation are developing. We have a great deal of works and joint projects for the future, said the Russian leader. President Aliyev, for his part, expressed his confidence that the meeting will give a good impetus to the development of friendly relations. We meet on a regular basis. These meetings give a good impetus to the development of our bilateral relations, which successfully continue. We are satisfied with the level, high level of our relations. We enjoy active cooperation in political, trade and economic, humanitarian areas. There are good prospects in the fields of transport and energy. Our relations are multifaceted, and cover almost all areas of our life. Of course, we need to regularly conduct consultations on important issues regional affairs, global politics, bilateral relations and the strengthening of security in our region, noted the Azerbaijani president. No doubt, the main topic of the discussions between the two neighboring leaders was the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in view of the latest incident occurred in 400 meters from the frontline, when residents of the Alkhanly village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and her granddaughter Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed as result of Armenian provocation. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan are under the control of the Armenian military and separatists since a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Negotiations lasting for over 20 years have brought little progress in resolving the conflict, though a fragile truce has been in place. Russia is one of the important co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group established to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the main force in the region, and an important partner for Azerbaijan. The northern neighbor is simply more active than other co-chairing countries such as France and the U. S., thats why Azerbaijan is increasing the pressure. Thus, Baku and Moscow once again made it clear that the strategic character of friendly and good-neighborly relations between the two countries is unshakable. Modern relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are a great example of strategic partnership, when the positions of the two countries coincide on most of the key issues. Moreover, these relations are even stronger given the fact that they are based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. The legal framework of relations between the two countries includes more than 200 interstate, intergovernmental and interregional agreements. In addition, the economic factor is also important, as Russia is one of the main trade partners of Azerbaijan, and the development of mechanisms for regional cooperation in the trilateral format generally provides for the same approaches of the two countries to many issues. The presidents' meeting in Sochi is of crucial importance in terms of discussing the bilateral and regional issues, and searching the ways of addressing the current complex problems in the region. Proceeding from Moscow's actions, Baku places certain hopes on Russia not only as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the country, geographically and historically closely connected with the South Caucasus, but also as a strategic partner, relations with which have been tested over time. 25 July 2017 09:59 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the construction of Zire-Turkan highway. Under the presidential order, three million manats is allocated from the Presidential Contingency Fund for the construction of the highway, which connects two residential areas with the total population of 24,000 people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 12:42 (UTC+04:00) By Trend A cybercriminal, who stole more than 3.7 million manats from one of Azerbaijans commercial banks, has been caught and extradited to Azerbaijan, said the country's State Security Service. Foreign national Danila Dorin, who stole the funds, was arrested in Spain on July 23 and then extradited to Azerbaijan, according to the message. Dorin is a member of the cybercrime group that was stealing money from ATMs and the accounts not only in the Azerbaijani banks, but also in banks of other countries, said the message. A criminal case has been initiated under articles 177.3.2 (theft with causing major damage) and 273.4 (illegal interference in a computer system or computer information) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Other group members have already been identified and investigation is currently ongoing, according to the message. The State Security Service said it will provide legal assistance to law enforcement agencies of the countries where the group committed similar cybercrimes. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 15:12 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov An Introductory briefing on security measures, organization and procedure for the international contest Sea Cup-2017 as well as a meeting of the Judicial Commission were held at the Azerbaijan Naval Forces headquarters on July 24. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported that during the event, the commission reviewed previously approved Regulation of the competition, and heard the proposals of the parties on additional changes and organizational issues. The meeting also clarified a list of Judicial Commission and the time of the inspection of the places where the episodes will be held. Berths, training facilities and other training centers, are fully prepared for conducting the Sea Cup-2017 competition at a high level, the Defense Ministry noted. On July 22 and 23, the delegations of the Iranian, Kazakh and Russian Navies arrived at the Baku port to take part in the competition. The contest, to be held in the territorial waters of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea on August 1-11, will consist of three stages, including Artillery firings, Ship damage control and rescue training, and Maritime training. Meanwhile, a delegation of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces departed for Moscow on July 24 to participate in the competitions Tank Biathlon and Field Kitchen to be conducted as part of the International Army Games-2017. Another group of Azerbaijani servicemen will leave for Kazakhstan in the coming days to take part in the competitions Sniper line and Masters of artillery fire. The Sea Cup is held in the framework of the International Army Games. The competition has become a modern form of military training. Last year, Azerbaijan successfully performed in the Army Games held in Russia. Participating in the contests Tank biathlon and Caspian Cup of the international military competition, representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces became the winners of various stages in both categories. Azerbaijani military seamen ranked second at the Caspian Cup 2016 and were awarded with special medals. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00) Director of Security Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Nir Ben Moshe has visited Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Internal Affairs. He met with officials of the ministry to discuss prospects for developing cooperation between the law-enforcement bodies of the two countries, Azertac reported. Ben Moshe was informed of reforms conducted in Azerbaijan in the field of law-enforcement, adoption of police-related laws meeting European standards, as well as the ministry`s accomplishments in combating crime. He was also informed of the occupation of Azerbaijan`s lands by the Armenian armed forces. Ben Moshe hailed tolerance towards representatives of different cultures, ethnicities and religions in Azerbaijan. He expressed his confidence that cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Israeli law-enforcement authorities will continue to develop. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 17:28 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Next consultations on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Georgia will be held in autumn in Tbilisi, a diplomatic source told Trend on July 25. During the consultations, the sides are expected to consider the issues of the state border crossing and to continue discussions on the disputed sections. Both Azerbaijan and Georgia intend to complete negotiations on delimitation of the state border this year. The previous meeting of the Commission took place in April this year in Baku. Earlier, two countries foreign ministries stated the need to complete this process. The Chairman of the State Commission for delimitation and demarcation of state border with Georgia from the Azerbaijani side is the Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov. The length of the state border between Azerbaijan and Georgia is 480 kilometers. State Commissions of the two countries have already agreed on the most part of the borderline. Various sources state that 66-70 percent of the borderline is already agreed. Earlier Azerbaijan and Russia completed the delimitation of state border. Currently, the countries hold discussions on demarcation. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 14:46 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Ministers from the OPEC and other non-OPEC producers met in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on July 24. The ministerial committee on monitoring the fulfillment of the agreement on the reduction of oil production in OPEC + countries, following the results of the fourth meeting held for the first time in St. Petersburg, announced the results of the transaction for the first half of 2017, having estimated its level at 98 percent, according to RIA Novosti. The ministerial committee includes representatives of Venezuela, Kuwait, Algeria, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Secretary General of OPEC Mohammed Barkindo. OPEC and other oil producing countries reduced oil production by 351 million barrels in January-June, according to the committee. Energy Minister of Russia Alexander Novak said that the full implementation of obligations by the countries of the transaction will withdraw from the market about 200,000 barrels of oil per day. Thus, despite the high level of commitment to the agreement, the committee encourages all participants to implementation of the transaction by 100 percent. The ministerial committee will continue to cooperate with all parties individually, especially those, whose level does not yet correspond to the agreements, the statement says. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih, in turn, suggested participants in the deal take into account export data when monitoring the implementation of the Vienna agreement, explaining this by the fact that the data on oil exports sometimes do not match the data on its production. The sides also mentioned situation in Libya and Nigeria, which currently enjoys the privileged right not to limit production under the Vienna agreement in connection with attacks by military groups on oil and gas facilities of these countries. In order to clarify the situation, representatives of Libya and Nigeria were invited to the Technical Committee on July 22 and presented their plans for oil production. Earlier, Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu stated that Nigeria would support limiting its oil production to a stable level of 1.8 million barrels per day against the current 1.7 million barrels per day. Following the meeting of the ministerial committee Khalid Al-Falih stressed that the OPEC and non-OPEC members will continue to support the process of restoring oil production in Libya and Nigeria. OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017. The parties decided to extend the production adjustments for a further period of nine months, in May 2017. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 11:11 (UTC+04:00) By Trend In 1H17, 97,579 real estate properties were sold to foreigners in Turkey, which is 8.1 percent less compared to the same period of 2016, says a report of the Turkish Statistical Institute. Istanbul ranks first and Ankara ranks second in real estate sales to foreigners. Foreigners purchased 17,970 properties (18.4 percent of total sales) in Istanbul and 10,160 properties (10.4 percent of total sales) in Ankara in 1H17, according to the report. The Turkish city of Izmir ranks third foreigners bought 6,034 real estate properties (6.2 percent of total sales) in the city in 1H17. Citizens of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait bought 1,645, 1,517 and 798 properties, respectively, in Turkey in the reporting period. Azerbaijani citizens bought 333 properties in Turkey in 1H17, said the report. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 13:28 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Turkey sees no reason for concern from the U.S. in connection with the Ankara-Moscow talks on the purchase of Russian S-400 air missile defense system, RIA Novosti reported. "Why would it be worrying? Every country needs to take certain measures for its own security," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara on July 25. The statement was made only a day after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces Joseph Dunford said that Turkey's purchase of the S-400 complexes from Russia would cause concern in Washington. How many times have we talked with America, but it did not work there, so whether we like it or not, we began making plans about the S-400 SAM. Our interested departments are negotiating, and this step will be taken," he added. Erdogan also noted that negotiations on the missile system had been "largely" completed. Previously, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Kozhin noted that Moscow sees no obstacles to the delivery of the S-400 to Turkey in connection with its membership in NATO. In early June, General Director of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said that Russia and Turkey agreed on all technical issues on the conclusion of a contract for the supply of Ankara S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. The S-400 is Russia's next-generation air defense system, carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at a short-to-extremely-long range. The weapon is capable of tracking and destroying all existing aerial targets, including ballistics and cruise missiles. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 15:28 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva The recent decision of Arab countries to add new people and entities to the blacklist for links with Qatar will less likely result in prompt Gulf crisis resolution, which is considered to be a number one priority for the international community. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have added nine entities and nine individuals to their individual ban lists because of alleged links to Qatar. Earlier, these four countries have already put 59 people and 12 organizations on blacklists for financing terrorism and receiving support from Qatar. The Arab countries promised that the list of people and organizations supporting terrorism will be updated. The list has been replenished by entities from Libya and Yemen, as well as individuals from Qatar, Yemen and Kuwait, who have direct and indirect links to Qatari authorities. Saudi-led block has accused the listed individuals of assisting the terrorist groups Jabhat al Nusra and Al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain in June cut off diplomatic relations, severed air, land and sea links with Qatar, accusing the latter of supporting terrorism, and ordered Qatari citizens to leave their countries within two weeks. In early July, the 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. Doha refused to fulfill these requirements calling the list unrealistic and not actionable. On July 19, Saudi-led block reduced the list of requirements for Qatar and urged Doha to commit to six common 'principles' on combating "extremism" and "terrorism", and to negotiate a plan with specific measures to implement them without a specific time-frame. These principles include commitment to combat extremism and terrorism in all their forms and to prevent their financing, suspending all acts of provocation and speeches inciting hatred or violence, full compliance with the Riyadh Agreement of 2013, adherence to all the outcomes of the Arab Islamic American Summit held in May 2017, and refraining from interference in the internal affairs of states. Currently, Kuwait acts as the main mediator in the crisis. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 17:14 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Iran has set up a commission to take required measures against the sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Islamic Republics ballistic missile development, Trend reported. Reformist MP Soheila Jelodarzadeh said that Iran is not after retaliation and it merely looks for justice but if the super powers put forward excessive demands the nation would take the necessary measures by all means. She further added that the parliamentary commission is currently planning to deal with possible situation regarding the new sanctions. Earlier, the United States brought 18 organizations and individuals to the list of sanctions on Iran's missile program. In particular, the list of sanctions included two Iranian organizations that the U.S. believes are involved in the ballistic missile program, seven organizations and five private individuals supporting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite component of the Armed Forces, as well as a "criminal organization, two Iranian businessmen and a company that organized the theft of American and Western computer programs." U.S. accuses Iran of support for Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Palestinian Jihad, "threats to Israel and stability in the Middle East," support for Syrian authorities and Husit rebels in Yemen. Tehran condemned Washington's sanctions, saying that it would impose retaliatory sanctions against American individuals and companies. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives is voting today, on July 25, to impose new sanctions against Iran and Russia as well as North Korea. Earlier, Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on the legislation which "would limit any potential effort by Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow." Since the signing historical Iranian nuclear deal in 2015, the U.S. has retained sanctions against Iran on the missile program, human rights and on suspicion that Tehran sponsors terrorism. Currently, presidential administration is reviewing policy on Iran, not only looking at Tehran's compliance with the nuclear deal but also its behavior in the region. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 July 2017 17:41 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Turkey will not abandon the purchase of S-400 Triumph air defense systems from Russia and nobody should be concerned about it, Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying July 25. Erdogan said the US is not concerned about Greeces using the S-400 system, so why should be the US concerned about Ankaras purchasing S-400. Turkey and Russia have already signed an agreement on the purchase of S-400 Triumph system and Ankara will receive it, Erdogan said. Fikri Isik, Turkeys former defense minister, said earlier, it will be impossible to integrate Russian S-400 Triumph into the NATO system. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Most Bizarre Things Doctors Have Removed From Humans; #3 Is Shocking! Pulse oi-Syeda Farah Most of the doctors love their profession, as they find some of the cases to be quite amusing, while there are a few rare cases as well that can completely creep them out instantly. These are the cases where doctors get to see the most unexpected things while operating on someone and in a few cases you'll be shocked to know what they found inside the human body. We've made a list of some of the most bizarre things that have been found in humans. You May Also Like To Read: Horrifying Things Found In Humans From inserting themselves with foreign objects to having mushrooms growing inside the body, there are many bizarre things that people have done and we're sure this list will simply creep you out. So, check out the list of things that people have found inside their bodies. 27 Contact Lens! A 67-year-old woman has had 27 contact lenses removed from one eye. Apparently, the discovery was made when the woman had visited a hospital in the West Midlands for her routine cataract surgery. Doctors claimed that around 17 contact lenses were stuck together when it was discovered, while the patient was totally unaware of it. She thought her previous discomfort was just a part of old age and dry eye. 40 Knives! Surgeons in India had removed around 40 metal knives from a patient who spent two months swallowing them. This unnamed 42-year-old man had an "uncontrollable urge" to eat knives and visited the doctor complaining of stomach ache. The doctors found folded, unfolded, rusted and broken knives in the man's stomach. Image Source 200 Stones! Doctors spent six hours removing over 200 stones from a woman's gallbladder and liver, some of them were of the size of small eggs. The woman had been experiencing abdominal pain for over a decade. She was earlier advised to undergo a surgery, but since she was scared to get operated, she ignored the advice and the end result was this! Image Source 7-cm Mushrooms! A woman had to get mushrooms removed from her stomach after they began to grow inside of her. Doctors had apparently shared a gruesome footage of the fungi that had lodged itself inside the woman's gut, some of which had grown up to 7cm long! Live Fish! An unknown man had apparently put two live pond fish into his anus and was rushed to the hospital, after one of the fish swam up into his intestines. He was drunk at the time of insertion, was rushed to the hospital with signs of a high temperature, low blood pressure and severe stomach pain. GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 10:13 [IST] The driver of a sweltering tractor-trailer found packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio has been charged over the deaths of 10 of his passengers and could face the death penalty over the hellish journey. In outlining their immigrant-smuggling case against James Matthew Bradley Jr, federal prosecutors depicted the trailer as pitch-black, crammed with around 90 people or more by some estimates, and so suffocatingly hot that one passenger said they took turns breathing through a hole and pounding on the walls to get the drivers attention. Bradley, from Clearwater, Florida, appeared in federal court on charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. The 60-year-old did not enter a plea or say anything in court about what happened. Bradley was assigned a public defender and ordered held for another hearing on Thursday. Over the weekend, authorities discovered eight bodies inside the crowded 18-wheeler parked in the summer heat, and two more victims died in hospital. Officials feared the death toll could rise because nearly 20 others rescued from the rig were in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. Bradley told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. He said he did not realise people were inside until he parked and got out to relieve himself. After hearing banging and shaking, he opened the door and was "surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground", according to the complaint. Bradley was quoted as telling investigators that he knew the trailer refrigeration system did not work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. He also said he did not call emergency services, even though he knew at least one passenger was dead. The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation of Schaller, Iowa. UPDATE: A tenth victim has died at the hospital after being trapped in truck found outside San Antonio Walmart https://t.co/WhbZe2SQj6 pic.twitter.com/e3uDOdJ3oK Fox News (@FoxNews) July 24, 2017 President Brian Pyle said that he had sold the truck to a man in Mexico and that Bradley was an independent contractor who was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. "Im absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. Its shocking. Im sorry my name was on it," Mr Pyle said, referring to the truck. He said he had no idea why Bradley took the looping route he described to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo, Texas - which would have been out of his way if he were travelling directly to Brownsville - to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 240 kilometres (150 miles) north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. "I just cant believe it. Im stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this," said Bradleys fiancee, Darnisha Rose, of Louisville, Kentucky. "He helps people, he doesnt hurt people." She said Bradley told her he had no idea how the immigrants got into his trailer. One of the passengers told investigators that he was in a group of 24 people who had been in a "stash house" in Laredo for 11 days before being taken to the tractor-trailer. A passenger told investigators that he and others crossed into the US by raft, paying smugglers 12,500 Mexican pesos (540). They were then put aboard the truck to be taken to San Antonio, according to the criminal complaint. The man said he was supposed to pay the smugglers 5,500 dollars (4,200) once he got there. He said that those in the truck were given no water or food and that the immigrants soon began to struggle to breathe and started passing out. Raw: Vigil in San Antonio for truck victims. Death toll has just reached 10. https://t.co/ztp6RzX747 pic.twitter.com/U1tNeWrgqS USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 24, 2017 At least some of those in the truck were from Mexico and Guatemala, according to diplomats from the two countries. Latin Americans who enter the United States illegally often rely on smuggling networks to guide them across the border by foot or raft, put them in safe houses and then give them rides to their destination in the US. "Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you theres going to be many more people were looking for to prosecute," said Thomas Homan, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The tragedy came to light after a person from the truck approached a Walmart employee and asked for water late on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning after a day in which the temperature had climbed over 100F (37.7C), police said. The employee gave the person water and then called police. In one of the worst smuggling-by-truck tragedies on record in the US, 19 immigrants locked inside a stifling rig died in Victoria, Texas, in 2003. The driver was sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison. Activists blamed federal and Texas authorities hard-line immigration policies for contributing to the latest deaths by forcing immigrants to take greater risks to reach the US. "These tragedies are compounded when its incredibly dangerous and incredibly expensive and we push migration into the hands of illicit actors," immigration activist Bob Libal said. 9 Migrants Die After Being Crammed into Sweltering Truck on Journey to U.S. https://t.co/kBB8YswzbZ #SanAntonio pic.twitter.com/36VHejqA1S Democracy Now! 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Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently approved UGC (online courses) Regulations, 2018. The higher education institutions are now eligible to offer certificate, diploma and degree programs online. According to the sources, institutes can offer courses which are already being offered in regular classes or through distance programs. MBA has become the most common and deemed degrees to advance in the corporate world. It is very difficult for many of us, specifically working professionals, to pursue MBA by taking regular classes due to time constraints. Hence, correspondence MBA has come to the limelight, which is providing great flexibility to working executives. MBA in distance mode is also encouraged because of the other key benefits - cost effective, industry relevant curriculum and the fact that it is approved by regulatory bodies. If you are the one aiming for MBA in distance mode, there are hundreds of institutes across the country that offer a wide range of programs with specialisations. However, not all the institutes that offer these programs hold good value. Here are the top 10 institutes in India that offer distance learning courses in MBA programs. 1. NMIMS Global Access School For Continuing Education (NGA-SCE) NGA-SCE stands proud at the first position amongst institutes that offer PG diploma, diploma and certificate programs in management. The programs are approved by UGC-DEB and are widely accepted in the corporate world. The university, which has around seven regional centres across the country, has designed the courses to fulfil the diverse needs of working professionals and fresh graduates. For more information, click NGA-SCE. 2. Symbiosis Centre For Distance Learning (SCDL) Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) is one of the largest autonomous distance learning education institutes in India. It offers postgraduate diploma, diploma and certificate programs across industrial sectors including business management, international business, banking and finance, supply chain management, customer relationship management and much more. For more information, click SCDL. 3. Institute Of Management Technology, Centre For Distance Learning (IMT-CDL) IMT-CDL offers a wide spectrum of management and information technology programmes. The curriculum is constantly updated to be in touch with the dynamic global and Indian environment. UGC has recognised IMT-CDL to offer various postgraduate management programmes through distance education mode. For further information, click IMT-CDL. 4. Sikkim Manipal University Directorate of Distance Education SMU-DE is an ISO 9001:2000 certified university that offers distance education programs in many disciplines. All programs offered by Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education are recognised by DEC. Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) is the result of a unique partnership between the Government of Sikkim and Manipal Education. For further information, click SMU-DE. 5. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Indira Gandhi National Open University is the world's largest open universities in terms of the number of students enrolled. It was founded in 1985 & currently serves more than 35 lakh students worldwide. For further information, click IGNOU. 6. Prin LN Welingkar Institute Of Management The institute established in 1977 is a part of the prestigious S. P. Mandali, Pune, with two sprawling campuses in Mumbai and Bengaluru. It offers a wide range of PGDM courses such as business design, retail management, rural management, health care management, media & entertainment and international business. For further information, click Prin LN Welingkar Institute of Management. 7. ICFAI Business School ICFAI is a group of institutions consisting of recognised universities, a deemed-to-be university and several institutions likely to be recognised as universities. The institutions aim to provide the best quality education in business management, technology and law. For further information, click ICFAI business school. 8. Amity University Amity Directorate of Distance and Online Education (ADDOE) has been providing world-class distance education to thousands of students and working professionals across India. Amity has been ranked the no. 1 institute for distance learning by the prestigious B-school Ranking Survey. For further information, click Amity University. 9. Annamalai University Annamalai University offers more than 500 different distance study programs. It also offers distance education in many postgraduate programs like hotel management and catering technology programmes, retail management, twinning programme, programmes on health science and much more. All the programs of study offered by the Directorate of Distance Education have the approval of the Distance Education Council, New Delhi. For further information, visit Annamalai University. 10. MIT School of Distance Education MIT School of Distance Education (MITSDE) is part of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology. The courses are completely flexible and provide an innovative online platform for assignments and examinations. The institute offers diploma, postgraduate diploma and PGDBA courses in the fields such as marketing management, finance, HR, operations, information technology, supply chain management, risk and insurance management, retail management, material management and more. For further information, visit MITSDE. 1. Indian Institute Of Technology, Madras According to the NIRF score laid down by the MHRD, IIT Madras tops the list. Established in 1959, it is one of the oldest IITs in the country. It was accredited a weightage of 90.04 in 2022. The institution has an exceptional placement record, with most of its graduates making it to the top MNCs of the world. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Madras 2. Indian Institute Of Technology, Delhi Established in 1961, this institution has a positional advantage when it comes to chalking out the placements. The institution has a lot of new and unconventional courses on offer as well. Its weightage stands at 88.12 in NIRF 2022.. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi 3. Indian Institute Of Technology, Bombay This IIT stands at the second place according to the HRD ministry's list that ranks colleges in order of their placement and other facilities. It has a weightage of 83.96 in NIRF 2022. The fee structure stands at Rs 3 lakh per year for an undergraduate course and Rs 1.5 lakh per year for that of a postgraduate degree. These figures stand consistent for all the seven IITs in this list. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay 4. Indian Institute Of Technology, Kanpur Established in 1959, this college holds the record for having the most number of consecutive 100% placement records by any institution in the country. The MHRD has accredited it a weightage of 82.56 in NIRF 2022 Rankings. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur 5.Indian Institute Of Technology, Kharagpur Being the oldest IIT, this institution was set-up way back in 1951. With a lot of foreign manpower being invested in setting up this centre of excellence, it was aimed that this institution would provide quality engineers who would contribute to the development of the nation. Today, sixty-five years down the line, the placement scene in the college assures us that this is what it has been doing all through the decades. According to MHRD, the weightage of this institution stands at 78.89 in NIRF 2022.. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur 6. Indian Institute Of Technology, Roorkee Comparatively newer than other IITs in the list of top colleges, this IIT was established only in 2001. Because of its fresh nature, this institution offers a number of brand new courses that are unconventional in nature. The placement scene is also pretty good here. The Ministry of Education has given it a weightage of 76.7 in NIRF 2022.. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 7. Indian Institute Of Technology, Guwahati The only institution from the northeastern part of the country to feature in this list of top 10 engineering colleges of the county is IIT Guwahati. This IIT has played a commendable role in bringing education to the fingertips of people from this deprived region. Thanks to the quality of teaching here, more and more companies are being attracted to this institution and the placement scene is improving by the day. The score of this college is 72.98 in NIRF Rankings of Best Engineering Institutions. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati 8. National Institute Of Technology, Tiruchirappalli With the total fee structure being about Rs 6 lakh for a four-year course, this institution has been producing quality engineers for decades now. Its Ministry of Education score stands at 69.17 in NIRF. With the college achieving above 90% placements for the last ten years (including the years of recession), it established its foothold as one of the top engineering colleges of this country. Every year more than 100 companies visit the campus to recruit students. Visit Us At: National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 9. Indian Institute Of Technology, Hyderabad Being one of the newest IITs on the list, it has a score of 68.03 in NIRF 2022. This institution was established in 2008 and has some of the best infrastructure and laboratories in the country. Considering that only five batches have graduated so far, it will not be too far-fetched to say that as the years go by, the institution is only expected to rise higher in the list. The fee structure of this college is same as that of any other IIT. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad 10. National Institute Of Technology, Surathkal Karnataka Having an MHRD score of 66.04 in NIRF 2022, this institution is pretty old and has a legacy to tell. The average package of students graduating out of this college stands at Rs 4 lakh per annum. The average semester-wise fee here is Rs 30,000. Visit Us At: National Insititute of Technology, Surathkal 11. Jadavpur University, Kolkata With a NIRF 2022 score of 65.68, this college has a very good placement scenario. The student intake of this institution is low. Last year, the average placement was 85 out of 90 students for each batch of students. The NIRF statistics making it one of the second best engineering college in West Bengal. The fee for a four-year course here is a mere Rs 10, 000. Visit Us At: Jadavpur University, Kolkata 12. Vellore Institute Of Technology, Vellore This is a private institution and is graced with many companies; PayPal, SAP Labs, Honeywell and Siemens being some of the many companies that visit the campus. With a student strength going up to thousands, the average salary package is Rs 4, 24,000. The fee structure for a four-year course is somewhere close to Rs 7 lakh. The Ministry of Education score of this institution is 65.53 in NIRF 2022. Visit Us At: Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 13. Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Indian Institute of Technology, BHU is one of the best engineering colleges that is run by the government. The NIRF 2022 score for this college is 63.51. Most of the students who graduate from this institution land themselves with jobs even before they leave the threshold of the institution. The fee structure here is around 1 Lakh per semester. This is one of the oldest universities in India. BHU is mainly know for it's innovations. 14. Indian Institute Of Technology, Dhanbad This was previously known as the Indian School of Mines and was recently given the status of an IIT. Thus, the fee structure of this college is same as that of any other IIT. This is another college that defies the general misconception that placement is the privilege of the students from Computer Science and Electronics backgrounds. The Ministry of Education score for this college is 63.5 in NIRF 2022. Visit Us At:Indian Institute Of Technology, Dhanbad 15. National Institute Of Technology, Rourkela One of the more economic NITs in the country, the fee structure at NIT Rourkela is a little less than Rs 3 lakh for the entire course. The very high placement rate of this college owes its origin to the fact that there is a dedicated team that is responsible for training the students to excel at industry standards even before they are made to sit for the campus recruitment process. The NIRF 2022 score of this college is 62.36. Visit Us At: National Insititute of Technology, Rourkela 16. Indian Institute Of Technology, Indore The fee structure here is at par with the other IITs. What sets this institution apart is the fact that all the students of this coveted institution undergo internships in firms like D.E. SHAW, Goldman Sachs, Google, Amazon, etc. A number of them end up getting pre-placement offers from the companies that they have interned for. All this culminates in the institution having a very good placement scene altogether. The NIRF 2022 score of this college stands at 61.68, making it one of the top 25 engineering colleges of the country. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology, Indore 17. Anna University, Chennai This institution has a modest fee structure of Rs 26, 000 per year (this does not include hostel and examination fee). With the highest student compensation going all the way up to Rs 12 lakhs per year, and over 3000 students participating in the campus drives, this college is indeed one of the top 10 engineering colleges of the country. The score of this college is 61.41 in NIRF 2022. Visit Us At: Anna University, Chennai 18. Institute Of Chemical Technology, Mumbai Defying popular believes that placement in engineering colleges is an exclusive privilege of the students belonging to Computer Science or Electronics, this institute that offers exclusively degrees in Chemical Engineering is able to place its students in PSUs, like BPCL and ONGC, with a package of above Rs 10 lakh per year. The fee structure here is Rs 2.77 lakh for the entire course. The NIRF 2022 score here is 61.4. Visit Us At: Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai 19 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-disciplinary, research-intensive, private university, accredited with the highest possible 'A++' grade by NAAC. It offers more than 250 UG, PG, and Ph.D. programs in Engineering, Management, and Medical Sciences including Ayurveda, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Agriculture Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences. It stands at the rank of 141 in BRICS Rankings 2020 and 168th in QS World University Rankings. The NIRF 2022 score for this college is 60.92. 20. Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi The National Institute of Technology, Mandi provides the academic activities teaching, learning and research are carried out in 3 orthogonal but complementary structures. The institute stands at the rank of 20 with the score of 60.43 in NIRF 2022. 21. National Institute of Technology Warangal National Institute of Technology, Warangal (Deemed University) , formerly known as Regional Engineering College, was established in 1959. Today there are more than 100 laboratories. In the national ranking, the NIRF 2022 score for NITW is 60.0. The main mission of the college is to provide quality education to develop innovative, entrepreneurial and ethical future professionals fit for globally competitive environment. 22. Indian Institute Of Technology, Ropar Located in Punjab, this IIT has some of the best facilities for conducting advance scientific research. The placement scene here is pretty commendable with over 90% of the students getting a job in one or the other top-rated firms. The fee structure is similar to that of other IITs. The NIRF 2022 score for this college is 59.16. Visit Us At: Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar 23. IIT Gandhinagar IIT Gandhinagar was founded in 2008 and is located in Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat on the banks of river Sabarmati. All the UG and PG programs are blended with deep technical coursework with hands-on learning through projects here in the premier institution of Gujarat. The NIRF 2022 score for IIT-G is 58.27. Newly build campus home all the basic infrastructure as well as advance centers required for the tech education. 24. S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology SRM Institute of Science and Technology is one of the top ranking universities in India with over 52,000 full time students and more than 3200 faculty across all the campuses. The NIRF 2022 ranking score for SRM is 58.02. 25. Amity University The Amity University has been established by an act of State Legislature and recognized by University Grants Commission (UGC) through the Act of State Legislature. The institution is at the rank of 25 in India with the score 57.73 in NIRF 2022. 26. Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Established in 1920, Jamia Millia Institute is producing high quality talent every year. The institution is at the rank of 26 with the score of 57.51 in NIRF 2022. 27. Siksha O Anusandhan Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University or SOA Deemed to be University is situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This year the institution got the score of 57.48 in NIRF and standing at the rank of 27 in all over India. 28. Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab is top ranked NAAC 'A+' grade Indian private institute with an experience of 6 decade. With the score of 57.18 by NIRF 2022, it has 16 centre of excellence for the students. In 2018, it had signed an institutional agreement with Israel's Tel Aviv University (TAU), covering research, teaching and student exchange between both institutions. 29. Birla Institute Of Science And Technology, Pilani The fees for an undergraduate course in this institution stands at Rs 2 lakh. The placement process is very well organised with the college offering two cycles of opportunities to its students every year. The average student compensation package stands at Rs 4 lakhs per year. The score of this institution in the Ministry of Education rankings is 56.9 in NIRF 2022. Visit Us At: Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 30.Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur This was earlier known as the Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur. Being a government college, the fee structure here is pretty modest. In addition to this, for students who cannot afford the same, there are special tuition fee waiver schemes. In fact, SC and ST candidates pursuing their engineering in this institute do not have to pay any fees. The placement scene in this institution is pretty commendable. The MHRD rating for this institution is 56.2. Visit Us At: Indian Institute Of Engineering Science And Technology, Shibpur New Data from Swaziland Show Global Efforts are Helping to Control the HIV Epidemic New results from the Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS 2) show not only how far weve come, but what we must do next to achieve HIV epidemic control. The U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFARpdf iconexternal icon), CDC, and ICAPpdf iconexternal icon at Columbia University released new findings from the Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS2) at the 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Scienceexternal icon. The results show remarkable national progress in Swaziland, a country with the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world as of 2015, and provide clear evidence that global efforts are helping control the HIV epidemic. The new results reveal that between 2011 and 2016: The rate of new HIV infections in Swaziland were cut nearly in half, and National rates of HIV viral load suppression doubled This is a dramatic change for a country where, in 2011, almost 1 in 3 adults was living with the virus. SHIMS2 is a Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA). PHIA are complex, national household surveys that directly measure progress toward global HIV targets. They also shine a light on the specific populations and geographic areas that require urgent attention and services. The Swaziland findings add to Population-based HIV Impact Assessments (PHIA) survey results from other PEPFAR-supported countries Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe which were released in December 2016 and also indicate tremendous progress toward controlling the epidemic. Working side-by-side with Ministries of Health, other U.S. government agencies, and ICAP at Columbia University, DGHT experts are lending expertise in epidemiology, laboratory science, and program services to help partners design, implement, and evaluate PHIA surveys. CDCs role in implementing PHIAs are part of our commitment to a data-driven approach aimed at saving lives, maximizing U.S. investments and building countries sustainability. As a result of these efforts, we are contributing to the long-term stability of other nations, which makes the world a safer place for all of us. Bundeskartellamt: low number of suppliers in Germanys cement sector ICR Newsroom By 25 July 2017 The German competition authority, Bundeskartellamt, has complained about the low number of suppliers in the German cement industry. Therefore, we will continue to deal intensively with this industry and, for example, examine suspicious corporate interdependencies and, if necessary, dissolve them, said Andreas Mundt, chairman of the Board. According to the agency, the industry is spending more than EUR5bn annually. Since the launch of the sectoral investigation at the end of 2013, 24 industrial associations had been voluntarily disbanded by industry. Published under AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more . The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE. This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment. What Were the Origins of the NYSE? Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement. An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds. However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds. Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865. What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE? As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends. However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for. An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange. What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE? The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet: The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO). Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice. At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1. How are Trades Executed on the NYSE? For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading. However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange. How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment? Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position. Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to. The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange. Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades. As Charlie Gard's parents end legal challenge, who can we trust when it comes to life and death? Now that the parents of the terminally ill baby Charlie Gard have ended their legal challenge to take him to the US for experimental treatment, it is time to reflect a little on this terribly sad case. For while everyone involved, including those offering outsider commentaries, are united in grief and feels desperately sorry for Chris Gard and Connie Yates, the debate surrounding their child was always deeply polarised and as is increasingly typical utterly binary. This was always ultimately a question of trust. Who gets to make decisions? On the one hand, you had Pope Francis and Donald Trump leading the emotional reaction to Charlie's fate, hoping against hope that something could be done to prolong the baby's life by bringing him to the US or even the Vatican. They were supported by a range of Christian voices including Franklin Graham, who attacked the UK's so-called 'socialised medicine', and a pro-life US pastor with a history of publicity stunts, Patrick Mahoney, who flew from Washington to London earlier this month to act as self-appointed spokesman for Charlie's parents. On the other hand were the medical 'experts' who are increasingly the target of suspicion in contemporary western culture, as is demonstrated by the issuing of death threats to staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital [GOSH]. It is, apparently, ever more fashionable not to trust doctors. Yet there was something ruefully authoritative about the statement issued this week by GOSH, which itself accused an American doctor, Michio Hirano, of giving the Charlie's parents false hope. Hirano travelled to London last week to examine Charlie for the first time and discuss the case with GOSH doctors. In a statement read out at the High Court, Katie Gollop QC said that the hospital hoped that those, like Hirano, who 'have provided the opinions that have so sustained Charlie's parents, their hopes and thus this protracted litigation with its many consequences, will also find much upon which to reflect'. The hospital said that Hirano had a financial interest in the Nucleoside Bypass Therapy [NBT] that he had said could help Charlie. The hospital had hoped that Hirano would be able to give Charlie's family renewed optimism, but said it had listened to his evidence to the court with 'increasing surprise and disappointment'. The statement said: 'On 13 July he stated that not only had he not visited the hospital to examine Charlie but in addition, he had not read Charlie's contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlie's brain imaging or read all of the second opinions about Charlie's condition (obtained from experts all of whom had taken the opportunity to examine him and consider his records) or even read the Judge's decision made on 11 April. 'Further, GOSH was concerned to hear the professor state, for the first time, whilst in the witness box, that he retains a financial interest in some of the NBT compounds he proposed prescribing for Charlie. 'Devastatingly, the information obtained since 13 July gives no cause for optimism. 'Rather, it confirms that whilst NBT may well assist others in the future, it cannot and could not have assisted Charlie.' The respected medical expert Lord Winston, who is professor of science and society at Imperial College London, said that GOSH staff have just as much knowledge of Charlie's condition as other doctors across the world. He told Sky News: 'I have looked up Dr Hirano and what he has written the fact of the matter is that they have not published details which show that they clearly could have changed this boy's life and the prognosis of the disease. 'I have to say it was rather wicked to give the parents the idea that somehow had this baby been treated earlier it would have made a difference. That is not our experience with this disease.' Meanwhile the judge in the case, Mr Justice Francis, paid tribute, like GOSH, to Charlie's parents and said that no-one could comprehend their agony and no parents could have done more. In his powerful judgment, he said that last week's MRI scans had shown 'Charlie has no muscle at all' on parts of his body and was 'beyond help'. The judge also decried the 'absurd notion which has appeared in recent days that Charlie has been a prisoner of the National Health Service', calling it 'the antithesis of the truth'. He added: 'In this country children have rights independent of their parents' but added that it was, tragically, now in Charlie's best interests to die. Charlie's parents' statement suggested that they are reconciled with the fact that their child will now die, and that they would discuss with GOSH the best way to move forward. 'We are struggling to find any comfort or peace with all this, but one thing that does give us the slightest bit of comfort, is that we truly believe that Charlie may have been too special for this cruel world,' Connie Yates said. 'We are now going to spend our last precious moments with our son Charlie, who unfortunately won't make his first birthday in just under two weeks' time, and we would ask that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time.' While there are iniquitous, rampantly secular elements behind campaigns on issues such as assisted dying, it is important to accept that people die. It is all, simply, terribly sad. But in the end, when it comes to the question of who to trust, the evidence is surely that Great Ormond Street Hospital was right all along. Evangelical leaders pray over Donald Trump during visit to the White House A group of evangelical leaders prayed over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance as well. Following a meeting hosted by the Office of Public Liaison on Monday, the evangelical leaders met with President Trump and administration officials in the Oval Office. Johnnie Moore, the president of the KAIROS Company who was present at the prayer meeting, snapped a photo of the laying of hands on Trump that is garnering immense attention on social media. In a statement emailed to The Christian Post, Moore described the event as "a very special moment but it was also not an unusual one." "Various ones of us have prayed with him many times and have been praying for him for a long time ... We believe we are a praying nation, and we begin by praying for our leaders," stated Moore. "As you know, most evangelicals believe it's a sacred responsibility to pray for the president, and this is very much in our tradition as Americans who once took and sometimes still do take this responsibility seriously." Moore also noted that while he and the other evangelical leaders had prayed for former President Barack Obama, "it's different with President Trump." "When we are praying for President Trump we are praying within the context of a real relationship, of true friendship," continued Moore, calling it "a visit among friends." "Evangelicals feel the door to the White House is as open as it has ever been before, even compared to Reagan according to several that were there whose career began back then." When he first declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015, Trump's relationship with evangelicals was a tenuous one. Many prominent evangelical leaders endorsed other Republican candidates, especially U.S. Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas. However, after securing the Republican nomination and since taking office, Trump's support among evangelicals has grown and remains steady despite his controversies. Moore is not the only evangelical leader to see the Trump administration as offering unprecedented welcome for evangelicals. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, told CP in an interview in May that there has "been no American president in history who has reached out to evangelicals to the extent that President Trump has done." "People would be surprised at how many believers there are in the Trump Administration. Very dedicated Christians," said Jeffress. Evangelical leaders rally around Jared Kushner as he is questioned over Russia election meddling Evangelical leaders are rallying around Donald Trump's son-in-law, the senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, as he meets with congressional leaders investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. In a co-ordinated effort, Christian leaders, including the Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr, have been releasing statements voicing their support for Kushner as he spends two days being interviewed by congressional investigators on Capitol Hill. 'I've known Jared for many years. He's a man of integrity, character, and a great, personal friend,' said Paula White, a gospel preacher who prayed at Trump's inauguration. '(E)nough-is-enough,' she added. In a statement released yesterday, Falwell Jr. blasted the 'endless attempts by the media to keep the fake Russia collusion story alive solely to obstruct the president's agenda'. He added: 'In Jared Kushner, they've picked the wrong fight. I don't know a more competent person. He is brilliant and he is a man of the highest integrity.' The South Carolina Pastor and Trump ally Mark Burns said that Kushner, who is an orthodox Jew, acted as a liaison to the religious community. 'Jared has been a huge instrument in giving us access to the White House. So this is just us showing our love and support back to him for what he has done for our faith-based community,' said Burns. The statements were reportedly coordinated by Johnnie Moore, an evangelical activist from California, who recently attended a faith outreach meeting at the White House and tweeted a photograph of Christian leaders surrounding the president, their heads bowed in prayer. 'We've all had it,' said Moore, who sent a note on Monday morning to fellow faith leaders asking if they wanted to comment on Kushner. He said of the White House: 'We didn't ask permission. They didn't even know we were doing it. For us it was personal.' It was well documented that in the November election, Trump won some 80 per cent of the white evangelical vote. A Pew Research Center survey marking his first 100 days in office found three-fourths of white evangelicals approved of his performance as president, against thirty-nine per cent of the general public. Kushner told Senate investigators yesterday that he had no part in any Kremlin attempt to meddle in the US election despite having met Russians four times last year. 'All of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign,' Kushner later told reporters outside the White House. 'I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did.' Kushner, 36, met Senate Intelligence Committee staff behind closed doors for about two hours. Two sources with knowledge of what Kushner said told Reuters that the session was pleasant and conversational. In an 11-page written statement Kushner made public before the meeting, the real estate businessman portrayed himself as new to politics when he became a top adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign. The letter was his fullest account to date of contacts with Russian officials. A businessman married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, Kushner has rarely spoken in public since his father-in-law launched his presidential campaign in mid-2015. 'I am not a person who has sought the spotlight,' he wrote in the letter. Trump prevailed over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in November 2016 because he ran a 'smarter campaign' and to suggest otherwise 'ridicules those who voted for him', Kushner said at the White House. He took no questions. The congressional committee is one of several investigating the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, engaged in a hacking and propaganda campaign to try to tilt the November election in Trump's favour. Russia denies the accusation and Trump denies his campaign colluded with Moscow. Additional reporting by Reuters. Evangelical Word of Faith church 'siphoned young slave labourers from Brazil,' AP investigation finds The controversial Word of Faith Fellowship used its two church branches in Brazil to siphon young labourers on tourist and student visas to its 35-acre compound in rural Spindale, North Carolina, to work as 'slaves', an investigation by the Associated Press (AP) has found. The 'slave pipeline' was used by the secretive evangelical church despite US law requiring that visitors on tourist visas are prohibited from performing work for which people would normally be compensated. Those on student visas are allowed some work, under circumstances that were not met at the Word of Faith Fellowship. Some 16 Brazilian former members told the AP they were forced to work, often for no pay, and physically or verbally assaulted. One of those was Andre Oliveira, who answered the call to leave his Word of Faith Fellowship congregation in Brazil to move to the mother church in North Carolina at the age of 18, when his passport and money were confiscated by church leaders, supposedly for safekeeping. Oliveira said he was forced to work 15 hours a day, first cleaning warehouses for the church and later toiling at businesses owned by senior ministers. He said that any deviation from the rules risked the wrath of church leaders, ranging from beatings to shaming from the pulpit. 'They trafficked us up here. They knew what they were doing,' Oliveira said. 'They needed labour and we were cheap labour -- hell, free labour.' He added: 'They kept us as slaves. We were expendable. We meant nothing to them. Nothing. How can you do that to people -- claim you love them and then beat them in the name of God?' The Brazilians often spoke little English when they arrived. Many had their passports seized. According to the AP investigation, many males worked in construction, while many females worked as babysitters and in the church's school. One ex-congregant from Brazil told the AP that she was only 12 when she was first put to work. The revelations of forced labour are the latest exposing years of abuse at the Word of Faith Fellowship. Based on documents, recordings and interviews with 43 former members, AP reported in February that congregants were regularly punched, smacked and choked in an effort to 'purify' sinners. A separate, previous report outlined how congregants were ordered by church leaders to lie to authorities investigating reports of abuse. But the church has rarely been sanctioned since it was founded in 1979 by the sect leader Jane Whaley, a former maths teacher, and her husband Sam. Under Jane Whaley's leadership, the Word of Faith Fellowship grew to around 750 congregants in North Carolina and a total of nearly 2,000 members in its churches in Brazil and Ghana and its affiliations in Sweden, Scotland and other countries. Brazil is the biggest source of foreign labour and Whaley and her top lieutenants visit the Brazilian outposts several times per year, AP found. Another former member, Thiago Silva, said that, then aged 18, he was excited when he boarded a plane in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte to fly to a Word of Faith youth seminar in North Carolina in 2001. He soon learned, however, that there would be 'no happiness'. Silva, now 34, added: 'Brazilians came here for labour. I'm telling you, that's it...There's no free will. There's Jane's will.' Former members alerted the authorities on at least one occasion, according to the investigation. In 2014, three ex-congregants told an assistant US attorney that the Brazilians were being forced to work for no pay, according to a recording obtained by AP. 'And do they beat up the Brazilians?' asked Jill Rose, now the US attorney in Charlotte. 'Most definitely,' one of the former congregants responded. Another said that ministers 'mostly bring them up here for free work'. The former members said that Rose she never responded when they repeatedly tried to contact her in the months after the meeting. Rose declined to comment, as did representatives of the Word of Faith Fellowship. Godfulness: What the Church can learn from a new (but old) kind of meditation 'Mindfulness' is a popular practice in contemporary culture. It's a type of meditation which focuses on self-awareness and still reflection on the world around you, reported by many to be a boon to mental health. A new Christian book puts a theological spin on the notion: Godfulness: A Step-by-step Guide to Bible Meditation, bills itself as a 'guide to Bible mindfulness'. Christian Today spoke with author Derek Leaf, the leader of the Christian discipleship ministry The Navigators UK about the new perspective of Godfulness, and its challenge to the contemporary Church. Leaf describes the origins of his book: 'it started with a bit of frustration over whenever I heard Christians talk about the meaning of life, they all went to the Westminster confession of faith "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever". 'It's a good answer...but I thought, doesn't the Bible have something to say about this? Over the years I was praying through St Paul's prayers, which are for different people in different situations...I began to realise that Paul was praying from a distance, he didn't know people's situations that well...he was praying strategically, about what was of eternal significance in their lives, and thus what has true meaning to life. 'If we're living the way he's praying for them that is what God is looking for.' There began a six-year project to try and communicate the heart of St Paul's prayers. When he decided the book couldn't just be 'Derek's reflections', he added real-life testimonies to 'ground' the theology. 'It started as trying find the purpose of life...and ended as a book about meditating on Scripture.' Leaf doesn't have much to say about the secular practice of mindfulness, though he's aware it's a 'controversial word at the moment'. But his book appears to take its themes of awareness and simply centre them around God's word. Among various creative suggestions for Bible reading, Leaf invokes the practice of Lectio Divina (Latin for 'divine reading'), a medieval type of meditation that invites slow prayer and reflection around Scripture, drawing one into deeper communion with God. As Leaf describes it, Lectio Divina involves 'reading through a passage several times, honing down on what you think God is speaking to you...what was it that particularly captured you? Pray into that thought...follow how it develops.' It's one approach, but Leaf is wary of implying that any one path of devotion is the only way Christians can relate to God. To those struggling to find an awareness of God, he says that 'usually, there's a kind a kind of vogue' about how Christians should engage with God, but won't actually connect with everyone. Subsequently people feel 'excluded...they hear stories of great encounter, and have no connection, I would encourage people to explore different ways of engaging with God. This is one approach.' Some Christians Leaf knows have never had a tangible 'experience of God...they faithfully walk with him, they read the Bible and seek to put it in to practice and they're some of the most godly people I know. 'So I would not get too caught up in the experience. God works with people in different ways. We need a big enough sense of what he's doing to embrace and welcome all such people.' Leaf sums up Godfulness: 'Bible meditation is more than just a hobby. It can be a life-changing exercise. Meditating on God's Word becomes a divine partnership! He shows you his heart and then, as you pray about what he has shown, your heart is changed.' What could the Church learn from Godfulness? 'I see two directions', Leaf says. 'One is encouraging people to meditate and put into practice God's word. I'm hopeful that people see how their lives can be transformed.' As the popular evangelist J John writes in his commendation of the book, the pace of modern life means that 'Bible reading in particular has become something that is done poorly, if at all. We slot our time with God's Word into spare moments and, reading the text with speed, fail to feed on it properly. It's hardly surprising that spiritual malnourishment has reached epidemic proportions.' Godfulness is a response to that 'epidemic'. Leaf adds: 'The other direction would be looking at what is really important to God. In the evangelical world, we tend to have a thought that what we value most are forms of worship, evangelism, outward forms of the Christian life. What surprised me looking at Paul's prayers is that those things were almost absent...what he was lifting up was the values of God's work in us. 'How do we express faith, take hold of the promises of God, the hope he sets before us, and how do we live all that out in love?' Leaf hopes this book will point to 'bigger sense of what God is at work doing...Christian fruitfulness is much bigger than "how many people have you spoken to, what have you done?"' He concludes: 'It's a different perspective on life'. Godfulness is out now in print and digital versions. For more information, click here. You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter Hispanic Church leader condemns deportation of LA minister: 'We should deport pushers, not pastors' The arrest and looming deportation of US evangelical pastor has stirred up outrage and fear in the Los Angeles latino community. Latino leader Rev Samuel Rodriguez has condemned the move, saying 'We should deport pushers, not pastors'. Rev Noe Carias leads an Assemblies of God evangelical church near Echo Park, Los Angeles, but was arrested during an appointment with an immigration officer on Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times. Carias, a Guatemalan native, was deported in 1993 after entering the US illegally; he later returned to the US, ignoring a second deportation order in 1995. His lawyer, Noemi Ramirez, said that after two one-year stays allowed in 2015 and 2016, a third stay was denied earlier this year. Officials were now deporting him 'because of his '95 decision', Ramirez said. Carias' wife Victoria Carias said: 'He's a good man, he's a pastor, he's been a good citizen. He's never done anything wrong. The only thing he did was come here illegally.' The couple, who met and married in the US, have two children, both US citizens, and will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Ramirez reported an immigration officer as saying: 'Sorry, he's deportable.... We've removed people even if they have [deportation orders] since the '80s.'' The high-profile voice of Hispanic-evangelical leader Rev Samuel Rodriguez has raised his voice in support of Carias, saying he was 'dismayed' at the news. Rodriguez, who is the President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) and who read Scripture at Trump's inauguration, said in a statement: 'Time and again, President Trump has stated his priority would be to deport violent criminals, drug dealers, human traffickers and gang members. Pastor Carias is the very opposite of that description. We should deport pushers, not pastors. 'We have worked tirelessly with the White House and the Trump Administration precisely in order to avoid this kind of result. To deport any immigrant whose life is so deeply connected to the United States and whose family is comprised of US citizens is an assault on the sanctity of life and the sacredness of the family. We cannot and must not allow families to be ripped apart by an immigration system that is attempting to make up for any real or perceived inadequacies of our past enforcement policies.' He added: 'Reconnecting Pastor Carias with his family and church community is now the priority of the NHCLC and I will personally work with the Trump Administration and other appropriate authorities to rescind his deportation order with hopes no other family is forced to endure such unnecessary heartbreak. Please pray for our political leaders as well as our enforcement officers that they would act justly and compassionately and that we would find a swift conclusion to this case.' Is Justin Bieber quitting world tour to start his own church? New reports suggest that Justin Bieber cancelled his third worldwide tour Purpose in order to refocus on faith and start his own church. A 'world exclusive' from Australia's Today Extra reported that 'I am led to believe that the real reason he's come off the road is because he wants to reconnect with his faith and maybe even planning to start his own Church,' according to The New Zealand Herald. They added: 'Whether he's looking at teaming up with [Hillsong] ... or starting his own church, we're not quite sure ... That's the word from an inside source.' Bieber is well established with the Hillsong megachurch movement; popular Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz joined Bieber on his Purpose tour, while Bieber has spoken at Hillsong conferences about his Christian faith and quotes their worship lyrics on social media. The cancellation of Bieber's tour was announced yesterday. The official statement read: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances, Justin Bieber will cancel the remainder of the Purpose World Tour concerts. Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. He thanks his fans for the incredible experience of the Purpose World Tour over last 18 months. 'He is grateful and honoured to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across 6 continents during this run. However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates.' Bieber has made more evangelical declarations of his faith in recent months. At Ariana Grande's One Love Manchester concert in June, reflecting on the tragedy that had provoked the tribute event, he told the crowd: 'I'm not going to let go of hope. I'm not going to let go of love. 'I'm not going to let go of God. Put your hand up if you're not going to let go. God is good in the midst of the darkness. God is good in the midst of the evil. God is in the midst, no matter what's happening in the world, God is in the midst and he loves you and he's here for you.' Islamist militants from Somalia raid homes asking for ID cards; anyone found to be a Christian was shot Seven Christian men were left dead after a killing spree by radical Islamist militants in several villages in eastern Kenya earlier this month. Radical Islamist militants belonging to a group called al-Shabaab carried out a string of attacks in Lamu County, in the east of the country between July 5 and July 8, according to International Christian Concern. In addition to the Christian victims, ICC said three police officers were killed in the raids of three separate villages. The police officers were killed during the raid on Pandanguo village on July 5, where ICC says 200 militants rampaged looting homes and the local dispensary as well as the police station where the officers were based. Then on July 8, some of the militants attacked the neighboring villages of Jima and Poromoko where witnesses said they went door to door. It was in these villages that the seven Christian men were killed. ICC said Christian families from the villages have been evacuated to a church in Witu town for their protection. Pastor Henry Divayo said there were more than 200 people receiving care in his church but he expected the number to increase as more areas are evacuated after the spree of violence. He said Christians, especially Christian farmers, living in Lamu County have been specifically targeted by al-Shabaab group. The militants 'were asking the villagers to produce their identification cards and if you were found to be a Christian you would be shot or slaughtered,' he said. He said the attacks highlighted a need for more police officers to be stationed at churches, schools and hospitals. 'The government has been in the forefront in giving security to churches but a lot more needs to be done,' said Pastor Divayo. al-Shabaab is actually a Somalia-based group but ICC said it has been targeting Christians over the border in Kenya in retaliation for the Kenyan government's attempts to end its reign of terror. On April 2, 2015, 148 Christian students were killed in a terrible attack on Garrisa University. More recently, the terror group killed 48 in Mpeketoni, Lamu County. According to ICC, it killed those who were not able to recite verses from the Quran. ICC's regional manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, pleaded with the Kenyan government to get a grip on the situation along the border where al-Shabaab is 'thriving.' 'We hope that Kenya's government can take effective action to rid Kenya of these terrorist actions,' he said. Islamist militants in Kenya went house to house killing Christians Seven Christians have been killed in Kenya by al-Shabaab militants, according to International Christian Concern. The killings took place earlier this month in three separate villages. Three policemen were killed in the first raid, when 200 militants attacked Pandanguo village in Lamu county. Three days later 15 of them returned and attacked the villages of Jima and Poromoko. Locals contacted by ICC said they went from door to door and killed the Christian men. The Christian families have been evacuated and are staying at a church in the nearby Witu town. The church's head pastor, Henry Divayo, said the attackers had been targeting Christians living in Lamu County especially farmers in the interior areas where small-scale agriculture thrives. The militants had been asking the villagers to produce their identification cards. 'If you were found to be a Christian you would be shot or slaughtered,' he said. He explained that victims had been evacuated to camps where food and security is provided by government and the Kenya Red Cross. 'We are hosting more than 200 people in our church and we expect the number to increase as more families are evacuated from Boni Forest,' he said. 'The government has been in the forefront in giving security to churches but a lot more needs to be done,' Divayo continued. 'We need more well equipped police officers in churches, schools and hospitals.' Al-Shabaab is based in Somalia but has raided Kenyan villages across the border. It was also responsible for the attack on Garissa University in April 2015 where 148 Christian students were killed. ICC's Regional Manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, said: 'The Kenyan government must provide safety and stability to all of its people. They must end al-Shabaab's reign of terror that has been thriving on the border with Somalia. We pray for the families of the deceased and for peace to come to a region that has seen such violence towards Christians. We hope that Kenya's government can take effective action to rid Kenya of these terrorist actions.' Israel removes metal detectors from Jerusalem mosque following bloody clashes; Palestine demands further repeal Israel has removed metal detectors from the historic al-Asqa mosque in Jerusalem after days of violence and protest over the holy site, but Palestinians have rejected the new security measures. Recent days have seen the bloodiest clash between Palestinians and Israelis in years, in response to Israeli security surrounding the historic al-Asqa mosque at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City. Divisions began after gun violence in the area on July 14 saw two Israeli police guards and three Palestinians killed. Israeli forces initially closed access to the mosque, making traditional Islamic Friday prayer at the site impossible, and closing the site for the first time in decades. They later opened it with precise security measures, allowing only men over 50 and women of any age, with metal detectors and searches of anyone regarded suspicious. Palestinians called for a 'day of rage' on Friday when Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said metal detectors would not be removed from the site. Violent clashes on Friday and Saturday saw the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians, and prompted a session of the UN Security Council to address the crisis. Today Israel has removed metal detector gates in favour of CCTV cameras, a decision made by Netanyahu's security cabinet this morning after hours of deliberation. On Sunday a similar deliberation had declared that devices would stay put. However, Palestinians have said the security measures are still unacceptable. Many Palestinians perceive any such measures as a foreign imposition and an Israeli attempt to control an Islamic centre in Jerusalem. While the sacred Islamic city of Mecca uses metal detectors for security, such measures do not carry the divisive subtext of being an Israeli imposition on a Palestinian site. 'We reject all obstacles that hinder freedom of worship and we demand the return to the situation where things stood before July 14,' Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah told his cabinet in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Waqf, the religious body that runs Muslim sites in the Al-Aqsa compound, said worshippers would continue to stay away from the area and pray in the streets outside instead. A Sunday shooting at the Israeli embassy in Jordan on saw an Israeli security guard attacked and two Jordanians killed. Jordan's King Abdullah has also called for a return to the status quo active before July 14. Israel's security cabinet also this morning announced 100 million shekels ($28 million) would be allocated for additional policing resources over the next six months. Known to Muslims as the Haram-ash Sharif, the Temple Mount is one of the most important religious sites in the world, and has been venerated for millennia. Within it, the al-Asqa mosque is the third-most sacred site in the Muslim religion. Additional reporting by Reuters New Anglican cracks emerge as rebel clergy group condemns 'tragic developments' on sexuality issues Rebel conservative Anglican clergy have condemned the general synod for failing in its duties and allowing 'tragic developments' when it voted to condemn so-called gay 'conversion therapy' and to consider liturgical support to Christians who 'transition' from one gender to another. The 21 signatories to the statement, published on the Anglican Ink website, state that 'we, as some of those committed to the renewal of biblical and orthodox Anglicanism have already started to meet, on behalf of our fellow Anglicans, to discuss how to ensure a faithful ecclesial future'. Referring to the votes passed at synod in York earlier this month, the statement says: 'Many will share our dismay at the recent decisions...and the pursuing principles, values and practices contrary to Holy Scripture and church Tradition. 'Given the persistent failure of the majority of the House of Bishops to fulfil the God-given duties which they have sworn to discharge these tragic developments were, sadly, not wholly unexpected. 'Accordingly, and in preparation for such eventualities we, as some of those committed to the renewal of biblical and orthodox Anglicanism have already started to meet, on behalf of our fellow Anglicans, to discuss how to ensure a faithful ecclesial future. We now wish that we have done so to be more widely known. 'Our number is drawn from bishops, clergy and laity, from across Great Britain and from a breadth of traditions. Much more importantly, however, we meet joyfully united by a shared endorsement of the terms of the Jerusalem Declaration [a 'doctrinal confession' signed by members of the conservative GAFCON group in 2008]. 'We will meet again, as planned and with external facilitation, mediation and episcopal advice, in October. It is our intention to welcome on that occasion an even greater diversity of contributors.' The signatories include Dr Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to the Queen, the leading evangelical Susie Leafe, who is director of the conservative group Reform, Rt Rev Andy Lines, ACNA Bishop with Special Mission, James Paice, a trustee of the Southwark Good Stewards Trust and Andrew Symes, the executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream. Ashenden told Christian Today he was concerned about 'a change of culture as regards sexual ethics' and an 'unfaithful and secularised' form of Anglicanism. He also accused bishops of reneging on their duties to stand up for the Christian faith. Ashenden said: 'I signed this document because that I believe despite Archbishop Welby's promises that he does not plan to oversee any formal change of doctrine, it is intended that there should be a change of culture as regards sexual ethics, abandoning those the Church should be committed to and replacing them with others that are in complete opposition to both Scripture and dominical teaching. If anyone had any doubt about this before the last General Synod, there can be no doubt about it now. It becomes a bit of casuistry to say that there are no plans to change formal doctrine while encouraging change in liturgy and culture. 'The Bishops of the Church of England who voted almost unanimously in favour of these changes have reneged on their primary responsibility to defend and articulate the Christian faith. That leaves a vacuum of episcopal oversight that will need to be addressed. I look forward to working with others to remedy that in a way that will lead to a renewed faithful Anglicanism in this country in contrast to an unfaithful and secularised one.' Leafe told Christian Today: 'My desire is that those that share those concerns meet together, learn from one another and work out how best to ensure faithful Anglican ministry in the UK in the future. As the statement says it is important that others know that this is happening so that they can join us in the task and help shape that future.' The motions that provoked the document were one from Jayne Ozanne, asking for synod to agree with psychiatric medical opinion on the harm done by 'conversion therapy', and another from Blackburn Diocese proposed by Chris Newlands asking that the Church affirm its welcome of transgender people, and that the House of Bishops 'consider whether it might prepare liturgy' for such a welcome. The new document comes after Leafe earlier this month wrote a paper warning that the future of the Church is imperiled and that 'God's word was mocked openly' at synod. Her paper came after Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the leader of the Anglican Church in Nigeria, slammed the synod for 'false teaching' and warned that it is in 'grave spiritual danger'. Leafe wrote: 'Again and again, both the decisions made, and the manner in which they were made, showed scant regard for Scripture or the traditions of the Church. Instead, members were asked to base their decisions on emotional stories or the impact of secular headlines. 'More worryingly, perhaps, was the atmosphere of the chamber; God's word was mocked openly and decisions were made lightly, with arrogant laughter. As one member put it: "God is not mocked. The laughter and lack of respect for those who bravely gave the alternate case was beyond words. Bruised, battered, bullied, betrayed, bewildered."' In May, a blueprint for schism seen by Christian Today revealed extensive plans by conservative evangelicals to form a rival Anglican structure to the Church of England in the UK. The proposals, born out of concerns about liberal teachings on homosexuality, included suggestions for a new synod, new liturgy, an appointments system for new bishops, new church canons and new statements of belief. The document was leaked to Christian Today after one conservative church in Newcastle went ahead and made one of its clergy a bishop. Rev Jonathan Pryke, of Jesmond Parish Church, was consecrated by the presiding bishop of a renegade Anglican faction in South Africa outside the authority of the Church of England. The developments come after GAFCON, a grouping of conservative Anglicans around the world which is set to meet next year, announced plans for a 'missionary bishop' to oversee parishes in the UK discontented with their more liberal local bishop. One of the signatories of the new document, James Paice, told Christian Today: 'I think we are seeing a redrawing of the Anglican landscape in the UK. This has already begun in Scotland, and it's happening in England. People are looking for other routes for ordination. Where leadership is lacking leadership abhors a vacuum you will find other leadership rising up.' Paice pointed to a recent civil partnership between two female clergy which took place at Southwark Cathedral earlier this month as one of the factors which provoked him into signing the new document. However, the document came under criticism from Ian Paul, the conservative theologian and a member of the Archbishop's Council. After writing a recent lengthy blog post attacking the synod for putting emotion before theology, Paul told Christian Today that the new statement was 'incorrect'. He said: 'Synod has not crossed any lineand that is the heart of the problem. Both motions were couched in purely pastoral terms, and do not formally change anything in the C of E. It is the salami-slice approach of those who want to see change, and the wording of the motions made it difficult for anyone to disagree do you support abusing people? Do you want to make anyone unwelcome?' Paul added that unlike the signatories of the new document, he did not subscribe to GAFCON'S Jerusalem Declaration. Meanwhile the Anglican Bishop in Europe, Robert Innes, pointed out on his own blog that the synod did not change doctrine and will not in the future. 'Neither vote changes the church's doctrine and those fearful that orthodox teaching is slipping should be reassured that the membership of the current House of Bishops makes the prospect of doctrinal change remote,' he wrote. Queen's former chaplain leads rebel Anglican group threatening to split Church over sexuality issues The Queen's former chaplain, Gavin Ashenden, is leading a group of rebel conservative clergy which is threatening to break away from the Church of England over sexuality issues. In a letter published in today's Daily Telegraph, the group of 23 warns of the prospect of a 'declaration of independence' from vicars who feel that those with traditional views are being 'marginalised' by the Church's leadership. They claim that decisions by the General Synod the Church of England's equivalent to a parliament have caused 'great concern' among Anglicans. They write: 'There are times, particularly in the face of social disintegration, when it is the duty of the Church to be counter-cultural.' The letter adds that the 'booing of traditionalists' and the 'personal abuse' that they endured at the synod had 'deepened mistrust' between the two camps. Other signatories of the letter include former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, and the head of Christian Concern, Andrea Williams. The letter tells the Church of England to brace for a 'revolt in the form of an independence movement' unless there is a change of direction. It concludes by raising the prospect of a split in the Church of England, similar to that which took place in the North American Anglican church. Ashenden told the Telegraph that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was 'under notice'. He said: 'This is a warning that the Archbishop is under notice that unless he leads the Church in a way that remains consistent with the values and authority of the Bible, as opposed to progressive secularism, he will risk some kind of revolt in the form of an independence movement.' A Church spokesman said: 'Synod often debates controversial issues and members can sometimes disagree strongly with each other. That is the nature of debate.' Ashenden this morning told Christian Today: 'The Church of England is doing the splits as it is led in an increasingly progressive and secular direction over gender issues. It is mistaking being kind and compassionate for discipleship. We should always be kind and compassionate, but by giving people what God wants them to have , not what they want Him to want them to have. 'This is not so much about sex, or gender, as about obedience and integrity. It is, as usual for Christians, the struggle between the zeitgeist, the spirit of the age, and the Holy Spirit. If the Church of England continues down this road of accommodation with the practice of gay marriage it will lead to there being two kind of Anglicans in this country. One group who keep faith with the teaching of Christ and the Scriptures, offering the kindness and compassion of faithfulness to God, and one who keep faith with secularism, and also offer kindness and compassion, but of a shallower kind that does not carry people closer to God.' The Telegraph letter comes after 21 conservative Anglican clergy separately condemned the general synod for allowing 'tragic developments' when it voted to condemn so-called gay 'conversion therapy' and to consider liturgical support to Christians who 'transition' from one gender to another. The statement, reported last week by Christian Today, said that 'we, as some of those committed to the renewal of biblical and orthodox Anglicanism have already started to meet, on behalf of our fellow Anglicans, to discuss how to ensure a faithful ecclesial future'. Referring to the votes passed at synod in York earlier this month, the statement says: 'Many will share our dismay at the recent decisions...and the pursuing principles, values and practices contrary to Holy Scripture and church Tradition. 'Given the persistent failure of the majority of the House of Bishops to fulfil the God-given duties which they have sworn to discharge these tragic developments were, sadly, not wholly unexpected. 'Accordingly, and in preparation for such eventualities we, as some of those committed to the renewal of biblical and orthodox Anglicanism have already started to meet, on behalf of our fellow Anglicans, to discuss how to ensure a faithful ecclesial future. We now wish that we have done so to be more widely known. '...We will meet again, as planned and with external facilitation, mediation and episcopal advice, in October. It is our intention to welcome on that occasion an even greater diversity of contributors.' The signatories included Ashenden, the leading evangelical Susie Leafe, who is director of the conservative group Reform, Rt Rev Andy Lines, ACNA Bishop with Special Mission, James Paice, a trustee of the Southwark Good Stewards Trust and Andrew Symes, the executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream. Ashenden last week told Christian Today he was concerned about 'a change of culture as regards sexual ethics' and an 'unfaithful and secularised' form of Anglicanism. He also accused bishops of reneging on their duties to stand up for the Christian faith. Ashenden said: 'I signed this document because that I believe despite Archbishop Welby's promises that he does not plan to oversee any formal change of doctrine, it is intended that there should be a change of culture as regards sexual ethics, abandoning those the Church should be committed to and replacing them with others that are in complete opposition to both Scripture and dominical teaching. If anyone had any doubt about this before the last General Synod, there can be no doubt about it now. It becomes a bit of casuistry to say that there are no plans to change formal doctrine while encouraging change in liturgy and culture. 'The Bishops of the Church of England who voted almost unanimously in favour of these changes have reneged on their primary responsibility to defend and articulate the Christian faith. That leaves a vacuum of episcopal oversight that will need to be addressed. I look forward to working with others to remedy that in a way that will lead to a renewed faithful Anglicanism in this country in contrast to an unfaithful and secularised one.' Trump's relationship with Putin 'will help save human lives,' says leading Russian Orthodox bishop Donald Trump's recent meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin 'will help save human lives', according to the head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion called the meeting between Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the G20 in Hamburg last week 'a road to the future' and praised the ceasefire in southern Syria that has apparently resulted from it. 'Any attempt to... meet face to face and discuss problems that had been discussed only in distance is a road to the future, which we have to follow. It is very good that the meeting was held, that two presidents looked each other in the eye and listened to each other. We see its immediate result - it is ceasefire in Syria. It is very serious as it will help save human lives,' he told the Church and the World program on Rossiya-24 television channel. Bishop Hilarion further expressed hope that the meeting will help to develop joint initiatives between the two countries and be the start of a long term process which would result in better understanding between Russia and the US. Trump has been surrounded by controversy over his relations with Putin's Russia, after US intelligence suggesting that Russia was involved in intervening in last year's US presidential contest. Trump claimed last week that because he pursues American interests first, Putin would have preferred Hillary Clinton to have won the contest. Trump told the veteran conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson: 'We are the most powerful country in the world and we are getting more and more powerful because I'm a big military person. As an example, if Hillary had won, our military would be decimated. That's why I say, why would he want me? Because from day one I wanted a strong military, he doesn't want to see that.' Trump continued: 'He wants what's good for Russia and I want what's good for the United States. And I think in a case like Syria where we can get together, do a ceasefire, and there are many other cases where getting along can be a very positive thing, but always Putin is going to want Russia and Trump is going to want the United States and that's the way it is...There are many things that I do that are the exact opposite of what he [Putin] would want.' However, Trump added that he got along 'very, very well' with Putin. Vatican shuts down fountains amid Italy drought, in line with Pope Francis' environment teachings Amid a prolonged drought across many parts of Italy, the Vatican is shutting off its famous fountains in a move described by officials as being in line with Pope Francis's teachings and emphasis on the environment. The Pope's spokesperson and Vatican Radio said the decision was consistent with Francis's ecological fears outlined in his 2015 encyclical, which denounced wasteful practices and highlighted the importance of clean drinking water. The ongoing drought, which began with the third-driest spring in Italy in 60 years, has so-far hit two-thirds of farmland and has cost Italian agriculture some 2bn ($2.3bn; 1.8bn). All one hundred fountains at the Vatican, including two Baroque masterpieces, will be switched off. The Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke told Reuters that it was the first time anyone could remember this happening, and that the move was the Vatican's way of showing solidarity with Rome during the emergency. 'This decision is very much in line with the Pope's thinking on ecology: you can't waste and sometimes you have to be willing to make a sacrifice,' Burke added. Vatican Radio said that the Pope's Laudato Si encyclical 'recalls how the habit of wasting and throwing away things has reached unheard-of levels, while clean drinking water represents a matter of primary importance because it is indispensable for human life and for supporting ecosystems on land and sea'. In Rome, where later this week city authorities will decide whether to introduce drastic water rationing, some of the city's famed drinking fountains have already been shut off. There has been lower-than-average rainfall in the capital over the past two years. Meanwhile, a state of emergency was earlier declared in two northern provinces of the country. Earlier this month in southern Italy, hundreds of people were evacuated as fire-fighters battled wildfires. Dairy farmers and those growing olives, tomatoes and wine grapes are among the most affected, the farmers' association Coldiretti has warned, amid fears that poor harvests could push prices up. Victory for campaigners as US judge blocks attempt to deport Iraqi Christians A federal judge in Michigan halted on Monday the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals from the United States, the latest legal victory for the Iraqi nationals facing deportation in a closely watched case. US District Judge Mark Goldsmith granted a preliminary injunction requested by American Civil Liberties Union lawyers, who argued the immigrants would face persecution in Iraq because they are considered ethnic and religious minorities there. Goldsmith said the injunction provides detainees time to challenge their removal in federal courts. He said many of them faced 'a feverish search for legal assistance' after their deportation orders were unexpectedly resurrected by the US government after several years. Goldsmith wrote, in his 34-page opinion and order, the extra time assures 'that those who might be subjected to grave harm and possible death are not cast out of this country before having their day in court.' The decision effectively means no Iraqi nationals can be deported from the United States for several months. It was not immediately known whether the US government would appeal. A representative for the US Attorney's Office in Detroit was not immediately available for comment. There are 1,444 Iraqi nationals who have final deportation orders against them in the US, although only about 199 of them were detained in June as part of a nationwide sweep by immigration authorities. The ACLU sued on June 15 to halt the deportations, arguing the Iraqis could face persecution, torture, or death because many were Chaldean Catholics, Sunni Muslims, or Iraqi Kurds and that the groups were recognised as targets of ill-treatment in Iraq. 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, the US government said. Goldsmith sided with the ACLU, expanding on June 26 an earlier stay which only protected 114 detainees from the Detroit area to the broader class of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals nationwide. Goldsmith's Monday decision came hours before that injunction was set to expire. The ACLU argued many Iraqi detainees have had difficulty obtaining critical government documents needed to file deportation order appeals, and also that the government has transferred many detainees to facilities in different parts of the country, separating them from their lawyers and families. Under Goldsmith's ruling, immigration authorities must provide the ACLU with bi-weekly reports about each Iraqi that include where they are detained. On Friday, a federal prosecutor told Goldsmith his injunction was not necessary because many of the detainees were appealing final deportation orders through immigration court. The roundup of Iraqis in the Detroit area followed Iraq's agreement to accept deportees as part of a deal that removed the country from Trump's revised temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries. Some of those affected came to the United States as children and committed their crimes decades ago but were allowed to stay because Iraq previously declined to issue travel documents for them. That changed after the two governments came to the agreement in March. Why we must open them every day: our 5-point plan to save Britain's churches The UK has around 42,000 Christian places of worship. They are a unique combination of architecture, history and faith and a vital and much loved part of our heritage. In England, 45 per cent of all Grade I Listed Buildings are churches and cathedrals. Last year, 57 per cent of British adults said they had visited a church, chapel or meeting house to attend a religious service, a community event or as a tourist or visitor. The facts speak for themselves it is clear that churches are important places in the lives of many British people, providing a physical space for spirituality, reflection, celebration, exploration. So, earlier this year, I was dismayed when the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced that it was to stop its Grants for Places of Worship programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The decision means that, for the first time since 1977, no ring-fenced public funding will be available to protect our church and chapel buildings. HLF general grants will still be available for places of worship to bid for, but they will be competing with other, often better resourced, organisations. A real concern is that poorer churches will find it so much harder to access essential funding. And religious denominations which regard a church as solely a sacred space may find it almost impossible to meet the HLF criteria for community use. It is not too late for the HLF to reverse this decision. Such a decision would have the support of the main Christian denominations, and the support of the public. A new opinion poll carried out in June 2017 for the NCT by ComRes showed that out of 11 categories, cathedrals and churches were ranked by the British public as the second most important type of historic building that should be protected for future generations. Ranking only after castles, cathedrals and churches were regarded as more important than even royal palaces or country houses. While I would very much welcome a decision to return to ring-fenced funding, the impact of the HLF decision has brought home to me all too clearly the dangers of relying too much on funding from the state and state run bodies. So, in our new Annual Review, I have set out a five point plan to help secure the future of the UK's church buildings. The main features are: 1. Prioritise the maintenance of church buildings. It is generally much more cost-effective to look after historic churches through regular maintenance rather than having to undertake often expensive structural repairs because the condition of a building has been allowed to deteriorate. Resources and the funding paradigm should therefore move away from repair and replacement to maintenance and conservation. New ways should also be found to help the volunteers who look after church buildings to keep them in good repair. For example, our new 'MaintenanceBooker' website, launched in February 2017, shows that new technology can make it easier to get professional help to maintain church buildings. 2. Help more churches become centres for the community. Many churches want to do more to open their buildings to their local community and be used as venues for the arts, leisure, social action and other community activities and even host public services such as post offices, libraries and GP surgeries. For example, two years ago the first ever main-branch post office set within a church in the UK opened up at St James's Church in West Hampstead, London That's why our grants programme funds the installation of modern facilities, such as toilets and kitchens, allowing churches to become community hubs. This helps to strengthen local economies and also builds social cohesion. 3. Put churches firmly on the visitor and tourist map. Churches, chapels and meeting houses are treasure houses of heritage and history and much more should be done to help them attract visitors. The National Churches Trust's 'ExploreChurches' website provides the UK with a high quality website for church visitors and tourism. Closer co-operation between partners in the tourism, heritage and church sectors would help bring many more people into churches. This is a form of soft evangelisation. But attracting visitors also brings with it additional income through donations and gift purchases. 4. Create a one-stop shop for churches applying for funding for repairs and maintenance. The UK's churches will always require funding from a variety of sources to pay for repairs, maintenance and new facilities. But churches seeking funding have to navigate a ridiculously complex web of grant-giving trusts, foundations and heritage organisations to access the money they need. The church heritage sector should start work now on streamlining the grant application process, possibly through creating a funding portal. This would allow churches to submit one application to reach as many potential funders as possible. 5. Open church buildings every day. Church buildings need to be open every day so the public can enjoy their beauty, history and sense of prayerfulness. There is still a widespread view that churches need to be kept locked to prevent theft or vandalism. But an open church can often be safer as the local community then becomes more engaged with the building. Vital role in the life of our nation As the National Churches Trust moves into its second decade, taking forward the work of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, we will further develop our five point plan in partnership with those involved in looking after church buildings at the national, denominational and local level. Too many of the UK's churches, chapels and meeting houses are still fighting a battle against the ravages of time. We need to make sure they get the support, maintenance, funding and repairs that are essential in ensuring they can continue to play a vital role in the life and well-being of people and our nation for many, many years to come. Luke March has served as Chairman of the National Churches Trust since 2012. He is also a Lay Canon on the Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral. Educated in Eastbourne and Durham University where he read Law and Politics, he has been on the Council of St John's College Durham since 2008. For more information visit www.nationalchurchestrust.org. Follow on Twitter @natchurchtrust Every year in the United States, more than 600,000 prisoners wind up released from state and federal correctional institutions. According to the Justice Department, 67 percent of these ex-offenders get arrested within three years for committing a new crime. The federal government has sought for decades to solve the problem of recidivism by funding programs intended to lead ex-offenders to employmenta key factor in avoiding a return to crimeand analyzing their effectiveness. During 197174, for example, the Living Insurance for Ex-Prisoners (LIFE) initiative gave ex-offenders in the Baltimore area weekly income supports and help in finding jobs. The Job Training and Partnership Act of 1982 tried vocational exploration and job shadowing. In 1994, Opportunity to Succeed provided job-placement assistance for criminally involved individuals with substance abuse problems in Kansas City, New York, Oakland, St. Louis, and Tampa. In the late 1990s, the Job Corps began providing vocational and educational preparation coupled with job placement services. Yet studies have shown little success for these projects in getting former offenders into long-term employmentand keeping them out of jail. The accumulation of evidence during the past half-century indicates that ex-offender job placement programs are not effective in reducing recidivism, wrote Marilyn Moses of the National Institute of Justice, the in-house think tank for the Justice Department, in a 2012 review of eight federally funded programs of this kind. Government efforts in this area may have fared so poorly because its not the governments problem to fix, as Brandon Chrostowski, a 36-year-old chef, puts it. Since the beginning of time, it has been the people who move society. In 2007, Chrostowskiwho formerly worked in some of the worlds finest restaurants, including Charlie Trotters in Chicago and Le Cirque in New York Cityfounded the EDWINS (for education wins, Chrostowski has said) Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland to lead ex-prisoners into the culinary trades. A combination training course, restaurant, dormitory, and job-placement enterprise, EDWINS is doing what those federally funded initiatives have failed to doreliably place the graduates of its six-month program into jobs, many for the first time in their lives. EDWINS operates its own dormitory for participants and some alumni; its curriculum includes a required seminar on French wines. Some 73 percent of its 150 graduates have found and kept jobs in one of the 60 Cleveland restaurants eager to hire those trained in the institutes eponymous four-star French restaurant. EDWINSs recidivism rate: 1.3 percent. In Manhattans East Harlem neighborhood, Mark Goldsmiths Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) recruits participants while theyre still behind bars at New York Citys forbidding Rikers Island jail complex. The group then corresponds with applicants, sometimes for years, as they serve out their sentences. GOSO offers everything from mock job interviews to classes in how to build a business (first step: take a job at the kind of business youd like to be in). Now in its 13th year of operation, GOSO also holds discussion groups on what it means to be a good father40 percent of its participants, many as young as 16, already have children. Of the 4,000 enrollees, mostly men, in its Job Readiness Program, 65 percent have finished, and three-quarters of those are now employed or in school. EDWINS and GOSO exemplify the vitality and variety of American civil society in finding new approaches to persistent social problems. After years of government failure in addressing these problems, independent nonprofits offer a more promising path forward. The mission is challenging. For potential employers, newly released ex-offenders often have an unattractive profile, to put it mildly. Releasees may face a number of employment barriers to their return to society, notes Moses, including inadequate educational attainment, insufficient or outdated skills, a spotty or nonexistent work history, undesirable physical appearance (e.g., missing teeth, tattoos), drug addiction or other health impairments, few soft skills, economically disadvantaged communities with few available jobs, and a criminal record. Ex-offenders, with their deep, multiple, and varied problems, arent a group easily helped by the kinds of across-the-board approaches typical of government. By their nature, public programs seek to serve what Moses calls large client volume and to show their effectiveness through strong data collection. But former prisoners require more individualized attention. Some need help finding housing; others may need treatment for drug problems or legal aid to manage child-support payments. Because of the personal nature of this work, intermediaries play a vital role. Rufus Hill of East Cleveland lived in correctional facilities almost nonstop between the ages of 13 and 25first in a juvenile detention center, and then in Ohios Marion Correctional Institution. When he did return briefly to East Cleveland, best known for its high crime and political corruption, he recalls feeling behind, unfamiliar with a changing world. You feel inferior. Other people are more advanced; you feel you cant compete. Soon enough, he was in trouble, or, as he puts it bluntly today: Id sell drugs and rob people. He never managed to stay out of prison for longer than six months. Coming home in 2015 from his most recent jail stint, Hill fell into a depression. I figured Id die in the streets, he says. There wasnt no future. I had accepted that. Its not that he hadnt tried government-supported programs. The people there really didnt give two Fs about you. Theyre only there because politicians have to have programs that make it look like theyre doing something. He stayed in halfway houses that were not even habitable. The staff was mainly focused on addiction, when for me, the first and foremost thing was getting a job. At 27, Hill landed his first legal jobas a busboy at the Music Box Supper Club, in Clevelands Flats nightlife district. A job, he once thought, was something for suckers. He credits EDWINS with changing his viewand his life. Enrollees in GOSO tend to feel the same way about what the organization has done for them. Participants must sign contracts promising to complete high school; GOSO runs its own New York Cityapproved alternative high school inside Rikers. Applicants can join, by writing an essay, before theyre released from jail or prison. I am a very bright kid but let the love of fast money and peer pressure take me down and get into trouble, wrote Allen, a Rikers inmate and high school dropout, late last year. I believe GOSO can help me by keeping me focused and active so I wouldnt be in the streets looking for something to do. They can also help me get a good job so I wont have to be hustling to make ends meet. At least, Ill be working legit. GOSOs programs director, Sarah Blanco, meets every new applicant. Many tell her that the absence of a father was a key to their choosing crime. They say, `If I had a father whod told me to get off the streets, I wouldnt have done the things I did. Though their focuses differ, the organizations have much in common, including being founded and shaped by strong individual leaders, whose values continue to influence them. At 19, Chrostowski had already made many of the wrong choices a young man could make, and he was facing jail timeuntil a sympathetic judge assigned him instead to job training with a local chef. The move transformed his life, and he went on to a successful career as a high-end New York City chef. After hearing about Clevelands high crime and low high school graduation rate, he relocated to a gritty part of the city, where hed never lived, to start EDWINS. GOSO founder Goldsmith, a retired cosmetics-industry executive, volunteered for the New York public schools principal for a day initiative and was assigned to the jail high school on Rikers Island. He sensed that his corporate experience might help him reach inmates, many of whom had worked in illegal businesses. Both organizations incorporate an understanding that those released from prison face a range of obstaclesfrom the psychological to the bureaucratic. EDWINS ensures that participants have cleared up old traffic violations so that they that can get or keep a drivers licenseoften essential to getting and keeping jobs in Cleveland. The group also requires participants to take classes in ethics and culinary math. GOSO hands out MetroCards so that enrollees can get to the community-college classes and paid internships in which it helps them enroll. Both at Rikers and in classrooms at GOSOs East Harlem office, Goldsmith talks with participants not just about how to land a job but also how to climb a career ladder. Among his suggestions is that of finding a Horatio Alger route to upward mobility: take a job as a building janitor, move up to become a superintendent, befriend wealthy residentsand recruit them to buy the building across the street and include you as a partner! Both programs also require training in soft skillshow to look people in the eye, say, or present well in an interview. Goldsmith runs mock job interviews, in which he asks his students why theyd been behind bars. Wrong answer: I was framed. Right answer: I made some serious mistakes when I was young but thats not who I am anymore. This is what Im like today and why you should hire me. Passing muster with Goldsmith is effectively the final exam in GOSOs Adolescent Job Readiness Curriculum. Both organizations emphasize employmentor, at GOSO, acceptance at a two-year college as another positive step. In many cases, theyre helping men whove never held any legal job. Neither group is starry-eyed. At GOSO, the goal is not the Ivy League or even a four-year college; in fact, the organization will help with applications only for community colleges. At EDWINS, the aim is not to make everyone a top chef but to prepare them for useful work. Both groups focus on jobs that some might deride as dead-endmaintenance work, busing tableswith the goal of helping members of the underclass join the working class. Lynn Feemster found himself observing EDWINS founder Chrostowski as he managed the details, including the accounting, of the EDWINS French restaurant, a major source of the organizations revenues. (It supports all but $400,000 of a $1.5 million budget.) Feemsterwhod done more than eight years in Illinois prisons for drug traffickinghas gone on to run his own gourmet food cart (it started as a hot-dog truck) and win contracts from a major local employer. EDWINS gave me a vision of starting my own business, he says. The same holds true for Ty Egler, whose business plans dont focus on the restaurant business directly but on providing a niche laundry service for it. Its not just about cooking, says one participant. Its about your well-being, about every aspect: courts, health, health insurance, a place to stay. They want to know if youre still involved in street activity. When someone else cares about you, then you start to care about yourself. GOSO has had some success persuading judges to divert young offenders to its supervision. Thats how Brooklyn-bred Joseph avoided what might have been a five-year sentence (he did not specify the crime) and instead completed a business program, first at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx, and then at Baruch College, where he gained a bachelors degree. Today, he earns $60,000 a year as an office-buildings managerand has his sights set on an MBA. Failure remains a real possibility for enrollees. At EDWINS, of 330 applicants accepted, only 150 have completed the program. Angry outbursts, drug-use relapses, and skipping classes are among the factors that can get someone booted out. At GOSO, absenteeism from classes can bring the same result. Such tough love sets down rules that one must abide by, just as employees must do in the working world. This emphasis on standards is very different from most government job-training programs, which judge success merely by how many enrollees get through them. That incentive structure could have the perverse result of just pushing ex-offenders through and demanding nothing of them, worries Max Kenner, founder of the Bard Prison Initiative, which organizes college-level education behind bars and tracks what happens to releasees as they enroll in reentry initiatives. Kenner also fears that government emphasis on scalefinding a model program and then expanding itis misplaced. Ive come to have a deep belief in there being a diversity of programs for our graduates, he says. Its the innovators who show whats possible. In Kenners view, groups such as EDWINS and GOSO offer something beyond training or education: an invitation to become part of a community. Each organization serves as a sort of family that one can report accomplishments to and earn praise from. For his part, Rufus Hillraised without his father, whod fallen into drugs and drink before he was bornsees EDWINS as a collection of people who care about him, something hed seldom experienced before. Theyll always be there for you. It makes me feel valued. Another advantage is funding independence. Both EDWINS and GOSO rely for funding on dozens of private donors, individuals, and foundationsin contrast with government-supported programs, far narrower not only in their approach but also in their funding base. Chrostowski cherishes his organizations independence from government money, with all the strings that come attached to it. The government has too many limits. We have a limitless philosophy and anything is possible. This breeds a totally different culture where if a problem arises, it gets solved aggressively. We are not beholden to anyone, avoiding anything that may hold us back. Had EDWINS relied on federal funding, for instance, the same types of grants could not fund job training and housing; Chrostowski can use his donors funds for both, or other, purposes. And he relies, of course, on the significant profits from the restaurant, located in Clevelands legendary Shaker Square; reviewers rate it as one of the citys best. Getting Out and Staying Out and EDWINS Restaurant and Leadership Institute are small planets in a large galaxy of programslocal, state, and federaldealing with the challenge of integrating ex-offenders into working life. The desire to scale them up is understandable but should perhaps be resisted. One can imagine a limited role for the federal governmentone in which, for instance, parole and probation officers, or judges, make referrals to programs of this kind, even as they remain independent and continue to rely on private donors. Even in this limited scenario, however, the organizational independence so vital to the programs success could be compromised. It may be that, in order to give people like Brandon Chrostowski and Mark Goldsmith room to flourish, wed do best to leave them aloneand hope that others will be inspired to emulate them. Top Photo: Hot-dog vendor Lynn Oudie Feemster is a graduate of EDWINS Institute, a Cleveland-based culinary-training program for the formerly incarcerated. (LISA DEJONG) A great interview is one of the journalists most powerful tools. It can be informative, entertaining, thoughtful. For the next five weeks, the Columbia Journalism Review and MaximumFun.org will broadcast conversations with some of the worlds greatest interviewers. Hosted by NPRs Jesse Thorn, the podcast, called The Turnaround, will examine the science and art of journalism. This episode features Reggie Osse, the host of The Combat Jack Show and founding partner of the Loud Speakers Podcast network. An edited transcript is below. THE ACCIDENTAL INTERVIEWER Jesse: Why on earth would you decide to go into this field? When you have skills! Reggie: Well, you know, it wasnt planned. I think I mentioned this to you before. I totally burned out in the music industry. Initially, I was a fine arts major. So I always craved being in a creative setting or creative surrounding. I got burned out, dude. And when I got burned out, I just stopped doing everything. It was literally a meltdown, and the only thing I could do at the time was start blogging about my experiences in the music industry. I started off with this insanely profound, but evil, genius blogger by the name of Byron Crawford, and then shortly after I started my own blog The Daily Mathematics. I would just write stories about my adventures with Diddy and Jay-Z and Damon Dash and Russell Simmons. And unbeknownst to me, Im just writing and throwing these stories into this bottomless pit. But it starts resonating online, particularly with the hip-hop bloggers and with the hip hop audience. Then my blog became a thing, and Combat Jack became a name. So about after three or four years of writing, I got approached to host my own online radio show. I held off for about a year because that definitely was not my thing. Like 05 to 09 was kind of this golden age with regard to hip-hop blogs, and I felt that age was kind of dying off. I was like, Listen, I have nothing to lose. I dont have an audience. I mean just try it. So I started the Combat Jack Show on a whim in August of 2010. And then I found out that I liked it, you know? It wasnt initially like an interview show as much as it was me and my gang. Dallas Penn was my co-host. We would just talk;we just sit around and talk, caca all night. You know what I mean? And this thing started catching a buzz, we started getting interviews. Our first guest was the late, great, Sean Price. And then Just Blaze, The Premiers, EPMDs, the Redmansthe caliber of our guests really just started improving, and then it became my career. So it was like about a year and a half after I started doing this online radio thing, and we had since been putting recordings on iTunes podcast. I didnt even know what the hell a podcast was until like a year and a half after I started this thing, Jesse. So it was all fortuitous. Thats been the story of my life.Ive been this wanderer. I dont have a plan, Ill fall into it. Itll be great. Ill thrive in it, and then I look for the next thing. Jesse: When you started the show, what was your model? I heard you reference Howard Stern at one point. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Reggie: My model was Howard Stern. Like his interviewing skills right now are just, its so compelling. His subjects can be somebody that I really dont give a damn about, and he pulls the most interesting stories out of them. And then I become interested in his subjects. So, Howard Stern was a huge influence on me because I was like, I want to be able to talk to anybody and make this thing engaging to anyone listening. Of course, Star and Buc Wild from the Hot 97 heydays. Because those guys are just so irreverent, and we have never seen anything that irreverent in hip-hop before. Also just, going back to the old school days of urban radio and Frankie Crocker on WBLS. He was a master disc jockey. But he also was brave enough to transcend or break through barriers. So like, if say urban radio only played black music, hed play in a funky Rolling Stones record or Mick Jagger or whatever. And his thing was always, Lets break convention. So those three were my main inspirations with regards to the Combat Jack Show. Jesse: One of the things that I think is different about your show, but that is similar to what Stern does, is that because you have over 7,000 people in the studio with you at any given time, you can be the dad a little bit, you know? You can be the straight man. You can be the, I-went-to-Cornell guy. And at any moment one of the other 22 people co-hosting your show with you can ask a totally impertinent question that you couldnt necessarily have asked, being a dad. Reggie: Right. Jesse: Its because theres six people in there, and everybodys got a voice. Reggie: Of course. Ive kind of moved away from that model because now the format really is one-on-one. It really is just the interview. But initially it was definitely capturing that zoo-like atmosphere that Howard became so famous, with regard to crafting his show. BEING AN INSIDER Jesse: So you lived through these times in hip hop, and it was your life and career. Im sure theres a lot that youd just know about these people. But what did you learn when you started doing interviews? What didnt you expect? Reggie: I didnt expect people to open up to me the way that they do. I think the reason why they do is because they dont view me as an outsider, or a shock jock thats trying to find red meat on them. I really want to have a dialogue with these people. And what works in my favor is about 50 to 60 percent of my subjects or my guests, Ive had experience with them in the music industry. Some of these guys, at least 20 percent of them, were my former clients. So we had the same type of conversations 20 years ago that were having now. These private, real, intimate conversations where theyre trusting me with either their business or the issues with regard to their livespersonal stories that they never told anyone. A good attorney is almost like a great therapist, and I kind of envision my show as being therapy for my guests. A good attorney is almost like a great therapist, and I kind of envision my show as being therapy for my guests. A WIDER AUDIENCE Jesse: Do you think of yourself as making your show for people who are hip-hop heads? Reggie: No. I make my show for people that are interested in hearing a great story, and once again this is the aspect of Stern that I copy. I dont know who Stern designs his show to be listened to. But everyone listens to Stern, like from every segment of Americana. You know what I mean? And even if you dont give a shit about hip hop, if you hear an amazing story youll be captivated. I find that a lot of my audience, now that Im kind of experiencing this burst in terms of listenership, come from everywhere, Jesse. Its the story, man. Jesse: Do you feel like part of your responsibility as the host is to give some context for understanding for those stories? Reggie: No, I leave that to my audience. Im working on a new project right now with Gimlet and Spotify called Mogul: The Life and Death of Chris Lighty. Its a six-episode series on the life and death of Chris Lighty, who is the super famous, super successful executive in the music industry. And then four years ago, he died, and it was ruled a suicide. But I find working with Gimlet that I do have to create context for a wider audience. And thats something new that Im learning right now. But for the Combat Jack Show, you jump in it. Jesse: Im sorry, Reggie. You said you have to create a context for a whiter audience? Reggie: Wider. W-I-D-E-R. [Laughs] But yes, actually, a wider audience. ASKING UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS Jesse: What is the thing that youre nervous to ask about? Whats the thing that youre uncomfortable asking about? Reggie: Im usually nervous about the salacious questions like, Hey you were blasting your wife last week on Instagram or your ex-wife. Or, Hey did this You know the questions that our most beloved shock jocks jump into. Those are the ones that Im very nervous about asking because thats not my show and thats not the type of person I am. Im not trying to find that Ah-ha moment. Im not looking for the red meat. Im looking for the heart and soul, not the the stuff that everybody runs to. Im not looking for the headline. I feel its kind of insulting and disrespectful for someone to trust me, and then I go into those moments now. Sometimes I have to because sometimes those stories or those incidents in their lives are part of what makes them who they are. But I always feel uncomfortable about going towards those very personal, embarrassing moments in someones career. But sometimes I have to, you know what I mean? Jesse: What was a time that you felt like you had to ask something that you were uncomfortable asking? Reggie: DJ Mister Cee. Who was a legendary DJ, who was a DJ for Big Daddy Kane, discovered Jay-Z, discovered the Notorious B.I.G. A couple of years ago, he makes headlines, busted for soliciting on the street a transsexual. And then it happened again. It was just a big dramatic moment in New York hip hop radio where he was being interviewed on-air and hes crying. It was just so painful. I got him to be a guest, and I talked about the legendary era, Big Daddy Kanes era, what is it like mentoring a young Jay-Z, and what is it like discovering a young Notorious B.I.G. And then, can we talk about this incident. You know? That was the elephant in the room. But fortunately enough for me, Mister Cee knew thats why he came on the show, and he wanted to come on the show. Because if there was anyone else that he would trust his story withhis story and those incidents in his lifeit would be me. STRUCTURING THE INTERVIEW Reggie: The blueprint is the narrative of someones life. But 9 out of 10, we get caught up in the waves of whats going on currently in current issues. I mean, its almost impossible right now to stick to the script with regards to someones life in this political climate that were living in. So I find a lot of my interviews of late shift from, Whats your story? to like, Whats your views? and What do you feel about this current administration? Black Lives Matter has been such an important theme over the past three or four years on my show. Or just Whats going on with the North Dakota pipeline? And so I find a lot of fodder for my interviews to be based on whats happening currently and how that affects my guests individual life. So it varies, you know? Its very difficult to stick to the script when we live in such amazingly interesting times. HIP HOP & JOURNALISM Jesse: What in mainstream journalism about hip hop makes you cringe? When theres a story about hip hop on on 60 Minutes or in the New York Post or whatever? Reggie: I would say more like the Pitchforks and the Noiseys. I would say when it really does feel like the interviewer is someone thats on safari. Jesse: Right. Reggie: And case in pointwhat is this guys name from Chicago? Crazy thugged out rapper, where this guy had warrants, and he had a troubled past? Jesse: You talking about Chief Keef? Reggie: Chief Keef. They got him on camera, like smoking weed. I think even like brandished a gun or something like that, and it led to his re-incarceration. But it was really because this guy is a spectacle, and lets just hype up every aspect of his life thats a spectacle for clicks. I just think that kind of culture vulture, that kind of like journalists on safari aspect. It makes me cringe. Because my thing is like, Well, Chief Keef. What are some of your issues? And youve been shot and what led to that? Im trying to make them cry, dude. Im trying to be the rap Oprah. Im trying to make them cry, dude. Im trying to be the rap Oprah. Jesse: I dont remember the demographic numbers for NPR exactly but like a big chunk of my audience is old, white people. And so the question for me is, especially as a guy who is so audibly and apparently a white coastal elitist, how do I include those people [hip-hop artists] without being an anthropologist? Without presenting what Im doing as though Ive just returned from some foreign shore? Reggie: Im fortunate that being of the culture, and based on my base listenership, I dont have to worry about that. And so Im able to just jump into the meat of the real issues and real questions. I dont have to explain. Its not arrogance as much as its pride in my culture and wanting to protect my culture and wanting to be one of those people of the culture that curates the culture. I dont give a fuck about those that really dont understand the culture. Black people have been in this country for 400 years, and it seems as if white America has been studying us for 400 years, and they still dont get us. So if this were a class in college, a lot of white people will get an F in Humanities 101 man. STAR POWER Jesse: What is the thing that you wish you knew when you started doing this series seven years ago that you had to learn? Reggie: I wish I knew back then not to be intimidated by someones star quality. Because that would throw me off a lot, in my early days. I mean of course you learn through action and experience. But coming in from that perspective, youre looking at your subject less as a human and more as a thing. You know youre looking at them as a star. So youre asking them the typical star questions, but I wish I knew that then. Its not really knowing as much as also being comfortable. You know what I mean? The Turnaround is available on MaximumFun.org. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts to get new episodes as they become available. Photo Courtesy The Combat Jack Show Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review. watch now Oil prices extended gains after closing at a seven-week high on Tuesday after an industry group reported a huge drop in U.S. crude stockpiles. U.S. crude inventories fell by 10.2 million barrels in the week ending July 21 to 487 million, the American Petroleum Institute reported, compared with expectations for a decrease of 2.6 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration releases official government data on Wednesday morning. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were up $2.11, or 4.6 percent, to $48.45 a barrel by 4:42 p.m. ET. They climbed $1.55, or 3.3 percent, to end Tuesday's session at $47.89, its best closing level since June 7. Global benchmark Brent crude for September delivery was up $2.11, or 4.3 percent, at $50.71 a barrel, after touching a seven-week intraday high in Tuesday's session. watch now Oil prices rose after Saudi Arabia pledged to curb exports next month and OPEC called on several members to boost compliance with output cuts. At a meeting in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Monday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers discussed extending their deal to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) beyond March 2018 if necessary. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih added his country would limit its crude exports to 6.6 million bpd in August, almost 1 million bpd below levels of a year ago. Nigeria voluntarily agreed to join the deal by capping or cutting its output from 1.8 million bpd, once it stabilizes at that level. Nigeria, which has been producing 1.7 million bpd recently, had been exempt from the output cuts. In a sign that production from the OPEC member remains susceptible to disruptions, Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary said on Monday that it had shut its 180,000 bpd Trans Niger pipeline because of a leak on July 21. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said an additional 200,000 bpd of oil could be removed from the market if there is 100 percent compliance with the OPEC-led deal. "In our view ... these meetings were aimed at saving face and diverting the market's attention away from Iraq's poor compliance, shale's resilience and Libya's and Nigeria's markedly higher output," Barclays said. watch now 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. The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AFD.TECH, AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. 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KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. 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Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. 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Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda , Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Avieco, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, BRIDGEi2i, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. 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Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, ClearEdge Partners, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Ergo, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Founders Intelligence, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Headspring, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision LLC, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Olympus Systems Corporation, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. 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Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, T.A. Cook, TXF LLC, Tambourine, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis AG, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zestgroup, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut. Read More Ecopetrol S.A. operates as an integrated energy company. The company operates through four segments: Exploration and Production; Transport and Logistics; Refining, Petrochemical and Biofuels; and Electric Power Transmission and Toll Roads Concessions. It engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas; transportation of crude oil, motor fuels, fuel oil, and other refined products, including diesel, jet, and biofuels; processing and refining crude oil; distribution of natural gas and LPG; sale of refined and petrochemical products; supplying of electric power transmission services; design, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of road and energy infrastructure projects; and supplying of information technology and telecommunications services. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 9,127 kilometers of crude oil and multi-purpose pipelines. It also produces and commercializes polypropylene resins and compounds, and masterbatches; and offers industrial service sales to customers and specialized management services. It has operations in Colombia, the United States, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, South America, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos and changed its name to Ecopetrol S.A. in June 2003. Ecopetrol S.A. was incorporated in 1948 and is based in Bogota, Colombia. Christopher Howarth is a senior researcher working in the House of Commons. Prior to this he worked for Open Europe, as a Conservative Foreign Affairs Adviser and senior researcher to a Shadow Europe Minister. The UK has, by accident or design, followed a policy of economic growth driven by migration-fuelled population growth. EU free movement supplemented by a taxpayer subsidy for employers to take on low paid workers in-work benefits has been a dominant feature of our economy for the last 15 years. So all established companies that have a secure market benefit from a growing economy, while those who find it easier to import skills rather than invest in domestic skills or automation get a double benefit. Whether individual domestic workers and taxpayers have benefited is another question. It should therefore be no surprise that organisations who represent these companies the CBI, the IoD and so on are now in panic mode at the prospect of the withdrawal of their cheap labour drug. These addicts are playing for time, clinging to an EU free movement transition as a heroin addict clings to methadone. But their shrill cravings should be resisted. There is no bad time to reduce immigration. Just as there is no bad time to leave the EU. So what might be being considered? The papers have recently been full of stories about transitional measures to allow for the continuance of EU free movement post Brexit. The Guardian claimed last week that Free movement may go on until 2023 while the Times claimed on the same day that borders will remain open for two years after Brexit (i.e: 2021). As this site pointed out on Saturday, no agreement within Cabinet has been reached. And from these stories, it is unclear exactly what is being discussed. There are, as always with Brexit, a number of options. a) Full EU reciprocal free movement continues as a legal obligation This would entail the Article 50 EU/UK agreement subjecting the UK to a legal obligation to continue the status quo of free movement for either two years post-Brexit (as suggested by Michael Gove) or for years according to that Guardian story. This could be on the same basis as now, with all the ECJ case law imperfections regarding criminal records, dependants and welfare. b) The UK decides a new sector-specific domestic policy When the UK leaves the EU in 2019, it will be free to set up its own immigration system. The UK could expand its existing scheme of work permits for non EU state,s but supplement it with a special temporary scheme for EU workers. This could include a targeting of particular industry sectors that are the most unprepared for a reduction in migration, as well as sectors such as seasonal agricultural workers, for which there was a scheme predating the UKs EU membership. c) Will the EU citizens who arrive in a transition period gain permanent rights to stay? In its offer to the EU regarding EU citizens, the Government has proposed a date of somewhere between March 2017 and March 2019 as a cut-off date on which to give EU citizens already in the UK permanent rights. Those with five years residency would get automatic leave to stay, while those with less than 5 years would be allowed to stay to gain the additional years. If the UK decided to keep free movement for an extended period, would it also extend the cut-off dates? Implementing or transitioning to what exactly? You may ask why the Cabinet is discussing a transition before it has agreed what we are transitioning to? We do not know yet what, if any, agreements will be agreed with the EU regarding trade and withdrawal. It is therefore impossible to agree any transitional agreement with the EU at this point. This leads to the conclusion that what is being discussed internally is simply keeping our present immigration policy after we leave the EU. So is the Cabinet negotiating with itself a UK policy based on keeping EU free movement for a period, in order to assuage the UK business lobby? If it has, both sides have missed a wider point. What the Government needs to do now is give a clear sense of direction. There is cross-party agreement that free movement within the context of EU membership should end. There is no question of staying within the jurisdiction of what would be a foreign court. UK business will need to adapt so they should start now and put their effort into Government policy towards domestic skills and investment rather than delaying the inevitable. Michael Forsyth, who chairs a Lords Committee looking into this issue, has summed the situation up well: Some firms will need to raise wages to attract domestic workers. In other sectors, where migrant workers may not easily be replaced by domestic workers, firms will need to change their business models or increase capital investment in automated processes. None of this is the end of the world; quite the opposite. The Remain campaigns Project Fear was ludicrously based on the alarm (for big businesses) that labour costs wages to you and me would rise. That is not a bad thing. Nor is investment in automation and rising competitiveness. We have two years to implement a domestic tailored immigration policy that benefits UK Citizens; two years to put in place the necessary administrative measures. Business and government should not waste time asking for extensions and complaining the task is too big for them but get on with it now. We will replace the unfair and ineffective inclusivity rules that prevent the establishment of new Roman Catholic schools, instead requiring new faith schools to prove that parents of other faiths and none would be prepared to send their children to that school. So declared the Conservative Manifesto, which was no surprise. Theresa May had explained the reasoning behind the proposal in a major speech on schools last September. Britain has a long history of faith schools delivering outstanding education. They already account for around a third of all mainstream schools in England. They are popular with parents and significantly more likely than other schools to be rated by Ofsted as Good or Outstanding. I believe we should confidently promote them and the role they play in a diverse school system. Yet for Catholic schools in particular there are barriers in their way. When a faith-designated Free School is oversubscribed, it must limit the number of pupils it selects on the basis of faith to 50 per cent. The intention is to improve the diversity of the schools intake but in practice it has little impact on many Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu schools because they tend not to appeal to parents of other faiths. So despite the best intentions, the rule is failing in its objective to promote integration. But it does prevent new Catholic schools opening, because the Catholic Church believes it contravenes its own rules for a Catholic Bishop not to prioritise the admission of Catholic pupils. This is especially frustrating because existing Catholic schools are more ethnically diverse than other faith schools, more likely to be located in deprived communities, more likely to be rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, and there is growing demand for them. So we will remove this 50 per cent rule to allow the growth in capacity that Catholic schools can offer. Instead we will consult on a new set of much more effective requirements to ensure that faith schools are properly inclusive and make sure their pupils mix with children of other faiths and backgrounds. Yet we read yesterday that the Government may drop the plan. Elsewhere, we also read that it may allow people to change their gender legally without a doctors diagnosis. In other words, Ministers may permit continued discrimination, as they see it, against the rights of Catholic children while barring continued discrimination, as they see it, against the rights of transgendered people. This site passes no comment this morning on the merits of either case, other than to point out that the juxtaposition confirmed the muddle that the Conservative Party has got itself into about equalities policy. A glance back at history helps to explain why. Two of the three most prominent anti-discrimination measures were promoted by Labour governments (the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act), and the third promoted by a Conservative one (the Disability Discrimination Act. Read Andrew Gimsons interview with William Hague, who masterminded the measure, here). These were then rolled, together with other anti-discrimination laws, into the Equalities Act of 2006 (updated by another equalities act in 2010). The aim of the law was no longer merely to prevent discrimination; it became to promote equality. This was signalled by the rolling together of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission into the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Same-sex marriage then followed under the Cameron Government. It is more than fair to say that the impetus for equalities policy (rather than mere anti-discrimination measures) has come mostly from the Left. Conservative responses have tended to divide into denouncing each proposal as politically correct nonsense, or embracing them with an enthusiastic me, too-ism. Neither approach has been distinguished by intellectual rigour. What sort of equality does the Conservative Party support? Equality before the law? Equality of opportunity? Equality of outcome? An equality of esteem? A snappy summary would be: answer has come there none. Which should it favour? What does it believe should happen when protected characteristics clash? These were defined under the 2010 Act as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. But there is no hierarchy of rights: politicians ducked establishing one, and threw the whole business into the lap of the courts. And what does it think about having a select committee in place to cover Women and Equalitieswhile another finds in an enquiry that the most-underperforming group in schools is British boys (and white ones at that)? According to Lord Ashcrofts survey of 14,000 people on election day, 67 per cent of 18-24 years olds voted Labour, with that total falling only to 58 per cent among 24-35 year olds. There is broad agreement across the Conservative family that one of the reasons for this Tory failure is that, for too long, the Party has failed to make the case for conservatism. And conservatism cannot have intellectual no-go areas. Equalities policy is part of the territory it must explore and occupy. Party Conference takes place in scarcely more than two months. Theresa May and other Ministers need to spell out at it what they plan to do put that case to a new generation of young people. They should, for example, encourage the setting up of a modern equivalent of Swinton College. Someone needs to take charge of the push. The best-qualified and most senior Minister is Michael Gove, but he is busy elsewhere. Perhaps Jesse Norman could do it. The wise old owls of the Conservative Parliamentary Party will murmur that the whole business is best avoided. Maybe. But let them not complain if theyre saddled in due course with, say, a policy on transgendered people that they dont particularly care for. The Sunday Times reports today that upcoming equality reforms will include provisions for adults to be able to change their gender legally without a doctors diagnosis. The article goes on to explain that, in future, people are expected to be required only to make a statutory declaration that they intend to live in the acquired gender until death. In the current climate, this controversial announcement seems reasonably unsurprising. Anger over the rates of BBC pay continues to centre on the seeming disparity between its male and female stars remuneration. The transgender bathroom has become a mainstay of American politics. Universities here and abroad are increasingly categorised as the home of heated debate and non-debate on gender politics. And the recent general election result has forced the Conservative Party to recognise an urgent need to attract the support of younger voters, who are generally taken to be more socially liberal. It is clear, therefore, why the government might be keen to be seen to be addressing transgender rights. The issue is not simple, however, and todays announcement will not be the end of it in terms of the potential legal and practical repercussions of such a reform, the deeper questions in need of discussion, and the governments engagement with this area. Indeed, a closer reading of this mornings reportage reveals that the headline does not relate to new legislation, but rather discloses proposals from a consultation on the Gender Recognition Bill, to be published in the autumn. It is unlikely that such proposals will be embraced by the socially conservative wing of the Conservative Party, and it is worth remembering that when David Cameron pushed for Equal Marriage, it was from a considerably stronger political position. Perhaps, therefore, it would be sensible to view this mornings news more as a poll-boosting sweetener than a settled promise. Questions will continue to arise from the increasing demand for focus on such topics, however. What are the best ways to help those struggling with identity issues? To what extent are LGTB people unfairly treated in this country? When is such treatment a question of rights? How do we answer those feminists and others claiming that to treat gender as a personal choice is to detract from the equality progress of the twentieth century? Is the halfway house of the transgender lavatory offensive in its refusal to recognise a persons gender identity as male or female? How should prisons, hospitals, and schools address such issues? Is it right to treat women 50 per cent of the population as a demographic group? In times of legal parity, is there ever a place for positive discrimination? Equality reformers face these questions, and more. Vancouver, Canada By now youve heard the news that Canadian credit unions will no longer be allowed to use the B word to describe what they do. An advisory issued on June 30 by the federal Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions takes a strict interpretation of the Bank Act. Based on this interpretation, the federal government could lay criminal charges against any credit union that uses the term bank, banker or banking. Heres an excerpt from a response from the Canadian Credit Union Association: Provincially regulated, credit unions have operated in Canada since 1908 and have evolved to provide the same lending, deposit-taking and wealth management services as federally chartered banks. They have the sameor higherdeposit protection as banks, and operate in 380 communities that are not locally served by Canadas largest banks. And credit unions have used the verb bank and the term banking to describe what they do, without penalty, for years with the tacit support of federal officials. Why now? The largest credit unions in Canada have grown to a significant size and a new federal charter is enabling some of the largest credit unions to pursue a national expansion strategy. Plus, with the advent of so many non-bank, unregulated fintech startups hitting the market, the big banks, lead by the Canadian Bankers Association, have lobbied hard to OSFI to enforce the rules. Unfortunately, credit unions are lumped into the non-bank category even though they are regulated. Co-located in Phoenix this October, CUNA Technology Council Conference and CUNA Operations & Member Experience Council Conference are a truly one-of-a-kind chance for professionals in credit union technology, operations, sales, security and service to connect with peers and discover ways to innovate in their roles. People attend these conferences for so many different reasons, but when Im asked by colleagues why they should attend, I refer to what I like to call The Five Ts. Trends So much is changing in the credit union movement right now that its hard to process all of it while its happening. Fortunately, these conferences let professionals pause, step back and critically evaluate the latest developments in the industry. Payments systems. Member service. Cybersecurity. Sales management. Topics like these with real impact on credit unions and their capacity to succeed are the focus of the conferences expert-led breakout sessions. Talks Bookending the conference are speakers with unique, unconventional perspectives on what it means to succeed in 2017. Jason Dorsey, millennial expert, and best-selling author, will kick off the conference with a keynote address about bridging the gap between the different generations (Millennials, Gen X-ers, baby boomers) on your credit unions staff. Closing the conference is magician and entrepreneur Vinh Giang, whose closing keynote will use the metaphor of illusions to show how perspective is key to overcoming personal and professional challenges. Talent Both CUNA Technology Council and CUNA Operations & Member Experience Council will present their annual awards at their respective conferences, giving attendees the opportunity to hear real-life stories of excellence in their field and honor professionals who have pushed boundaries. Learn more about the Excellence in Technology Awards. Learn more about the CUNA Operations & Member Experience Council Awards. Transformation Vendors are one of the great drivers of innovation in the credit union movement, inventing new technologies (and leveraging existing ones) to help credit unions achieve their goals. Youll see this firsthand in the conferences Speed Round competition, where vendors have just five minutes each to demonstrate a new product before a live audience, who will vote to decide which product has the greatest potential business impact for credit unions. The Networking From a networking perspective, theres nothing quite like these conferences. What other event puts CIOs, branch managers, IT directors and sales executives in one place? The possibilities of connectivity are incredible, and attendees are eager to meet new professionals. The bottom line is that these conferences represent an incredible opportunity, so let me suggest a final T: Take advantage of it. CUNA Technology Council Conference and CUNA Operations & Member Experience Council Conference will be held October 1-4, 2017, in Phoenix. To learn more and register, please visit cunacouncils.org/techopssconference. Jackie Buchanan has led Genisys Credit Union through substantial growth during her seven years as CEO of the $2.1 billion asset institution in Auburn Hills, Mich. She recently discussed her technology background with Credit Union Magazine. CU Mag: How does your technology background benefit you as a CEO? Buchanan: Ive always said that the credit union is a technology company because technology touches everything we do. As a CEO, Ive always been able to see how important technology is for us and how important it is to invest in it. It helps me in making the right decisions when considering whether to partner or develop a project in-house. Its also difficult to fool me and tell me something cant be done. Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement parts, and industrial parts and materials. It operates through Automotive Parts Group and Industrial Parts Group segments. The company distributes automotive replacement parts for hybrid and electric vehicles, trucks, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, farm vehicles, small engines, farm equipment, marine equipment, and heavy duty equipment; and accessory and supply items used by various automotive aftermarket customers, such as repair shops, service stations, fleet operators, automobile and truck dealers, leasing companies, bus and truck lines, mass merchandisers, farms, industrial concerns, and individuals. It also distributes industrial replacement parts and related supplies, such as bearings, mechanical and electrical power transmission products, industrial automation and robotics, hoses, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial and safety supplies, and material handling products for original equipment manufacturer, as well as maintenance, repair, and operation customers in equipment and machinery, food and beverage, forest product, primary metal, pulp and paper, mining, automotive, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, power generation, alternative energy, governments, transportation, ports, and other industries. In addition, the company provides various services and repairs comprising gearbox and fluid power and process pump assembly and repair, hydraulic drive shaft repair, electrical panel assembly and repair, hose and gasket manufacture and assembly, and other value-added services. It operates in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Indonesia, and Singapore. The company was incorporated in 1928 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. Virgin Mobile and Vodacom are among the firms that have expressed an interest in acquiring 9mobile. Formerly known as Etisalat Nigeria, the operator has rebranded after the UAE-based Etisalat Group scrapped its management agreement with the unit in June, relinquishing its 45% stake in the Nigerian operator to a trustee. The parent firm dropped its support after Etisalat Nigeria failed to reach a deal with its creditors to restructure its $1.2 billion debt following missed payments. Following its recent rebrand as 9mobile, the operator has announced that it is open to new investors. Among the interested parties is Bua Group, a Nigerian company with a presence across several sectors. Virgin and Vodacom are also looking to deliver memoranda of interest to the consortium of banks which is receiving bids. A number of former executives at MTN Nigeria are reportedly lending their support to Virgin Mobiles bid, since it has offered to stand the balance of 9mobiles $1.2 billion debt, which it owes to 13 financial institutions. Another factor in their support is likely the longstanding rivalry between MTN and Vodacom. Virgin is aiming to upgrade all of the operators cell sites to 3G or 4G, which would be a significant development since most Nigerian cell sites are currently 2G. 9mobiles market share is around 13%, placing it behind MTN, Glo Mobile and Airtel. West Africa-focused explorer Kodal Minerals has completed a major reverse circulation drilling programme at the Bougoni lithium project in southern Mali. Completed in June, the RC programme reported assay results for drill hole KLRC055 at an intersection of 7m at 1.52% Li2O from 79m depth. Previous drillings at the prospect had shown higher grades, with the lowest from its previous efforts being 1.54% Li2O and highest being 1.80% Li2O. The drill hole, located at the eastern end of the Ngoualana prospect, confirms further opportunities along the eastern expansion, with drilling set to continue at the end of the wet season in southern Mali. Processing has begun on the core from the five diamond drill holes at Ngoualana, with samples being selected for additional metallurgical testing. Ground geophysical surveys, designed to test if the structures hosting the mineralised pegmatite veins can be detected and delineated are underway to aide in future drill targeting. As of BST 0900 shares were down 10.14% to 0.31p The Ifo's business climate index rose to 116 from 115.2 the month before, beating expectations for a reading of 114.9 and hitting a new record high for the third month in a row. The current assessment index printed at 125.4 from 124.2 in June, surpassing expectations for a drop to 123.8. Meanwhile, the expectations index advanced to 107.3 in July from 106.8, coming in ahead of forecasts of 106.5. Clemens Fuest, president of the Ifo Institute, said: "Companies satisfaction with their current business situation reached its highest level since Germanys reunification. Their short-term business outlook also improved. Germanys economy is powering ahead." Jennifer McKeown, chief European economist at Capital Economics, said: "Julys rise in German Ifo business sentiment suggests that the economy has been encouragingly resilient to a stronger euro and hints of QE tapering so far." She said the increase in the headline business climate indicator was particularly surprising after data on Monday revealed a dip in the composite PMI. "The Ifo index is now at a new record high and, on past form, it appears consistent with a sharp rise in annual GDP growth to 4% or more, from Q1s rate of 1.7%. Both the expectations and current conditions indices increased. "There are good reasons not to take this at face value. The Ifo has been too optimistic for a few months now, pointing to a pick-up in GDP growth which hasnt materialised. And while the PMI is not a perfect indicator either, it points to a slight slowdown in the quarterly pace of growth from Q1s 0.6%. On balance, we believe the message from the hard data that Q2 will be very strong, but we suspect that growth will slow a bit thereafter." Onshore windfarms could be built in the UK for the same cost as new gas power stations and nearly half as much as that of the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, new analysis of the sector has shown. Windfarm technology has become so inexpensive that developers could deliver turbines for a price of power so low that it would effectively be subsidy-free in terms of the impact on household energy bills, professional services firm Arup. EDF, the largely state owned French utility company was awarded the Hinkley contract at 92.50 per megawatt hour, roughly twice the price of wholesale electricity. However, Arup's report stated that windfarms could deliver electricity for just 50-55 per megawatt hour over 15 years. Chief operating officer of Arup, Keith Anderson, told the Guardian that onshore wind could help Britain meet its climate targets, as it was proven in its ability to be easily delivered , and was "phenomenally competitive" in terms of pricing. If you want to control the cost of energy, and deliver energy to consumers and to businesses across the UK at the most competitive price, why would you not want to use this technology? This report demonstrates its at the leading edge of efficiency, he said. The government banned onshore windfarms from competing for subsidies and imposed several new planning hurdles back in 2015, something ScottishPower, who commissioned the study, hopes to persuade the government to reconsider. Many industry insiders saw the Tory manifesto as a softening of the party's position regarding onshore wind. Although it stated that the party did not believe in "more large-scale onshore wind power" for England, it did not mention Wales or Scotland, which are listed as some of the most effective sites. Unilever could soon receive a bid for its spreads division in the realms of 6bn from private equity firms Clayton Dubilier & Rice and Bain Capital, according to a report on Tuesday. Last week, chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly, said that he was confident that there would be, "a lot of excitement" around the spreads division, which the consumer goods giant put on the block in April as it rejected a 115bn takeover from Kraft Heinz. In late 2014, the group separated the spreads arm from its wider food division into a standalone unit. When it announced results last week, the company said preparations to auction the division were well under way, but the CD&R and Bain partnership is thought to be the first notable consortium to come forward, according to a report from Sky News. Chief executive Paul Polman said the group expected to be able to make an announcement on the future of its spreads business "towards the end of this year". Bain, which was the company that plucked Worldpay from the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2010, did not have any comment to make on the matter, nor did CDR. Lorrds committee says British farmers will face pressure from cheap imports Britain's food hygiene and animal welfare standards could come under threat from Brexit, an all-party House of Lords committee said on Tuesday. A day after International Trade Secretary dismissed safety concerns during a trip to Washington over the possibility of chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef being exported to the UK. Both products are banned under EU rules, but the committee said once the UK left the bloc British farmers would face stiff competition from cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Therefore, the government's wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards, it added. "The UK has some of the highest farm animal welfare standards in the world and UK producers are rightly proud of those. We see no reason why Brexit should diminish those, as long as the government is aware of the challenges ahead and acts accordingly. FOX CHALLENGED TO EAT CHICKEN Fox, a leading proponent of Brexit, came under fire during his trip to say explicitly whether the UK was prepared to lift its ban on the treated chickens. As it started to overshadow his trip with headlines of, the Trade Secretary was challenged to eat a chlorine-washed chicken on live television. "Fox challenged to eat chicken" headlines were soon up and running. In a debate which should be about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation and the increased prosperity of both the UK, the US and our trading partners, the complexities of those...the British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end-stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. I say no more than that, he said. The British Poultry Council said it rejected the idea of chlorine-washed chickens imports as part of a makeweight in trade negotiations with the US. Exporting a crucial food sector such as British poultry meat will undermine the UKs 'farm to fork' approach and the high welfare standards practised up and down the country. This will be a betrayal to our farmers and will throw away British farming, the council said in a statement. Its chief executive, Richard Griffiths, said any compromise on standards will not be tolerated. A secure post-Brexit deal must be about Britains future food security and safety. This is a matter of our reputation on the global stage. In Brussels, Fox's remarks that any chicken deal would be an insignificant detail drew a harsh response. Gianni Pittella, leader of the socialist group in the European parliament, said: Im sure British citizens will be enthusiastic to go from the EU high standard control over chicken and food to the chlorinated, full of hormones, US chicken." It is just a further indigestible gift from Tories and their Brexit. Luckily for British citizens, UK wont be allowed to strike new free trade agreements as long as the Brexit process has not reached a conclusion, the Guardian quoted him as saying. This news reinforces why the EU will eventually need to have checks and controls on goods coming from the UK. We wont accept a race to the bottom on standards. A EU senior official also told the newspaper that Brussels had been surprised by the lack of knowledge shown by senior British politicians in their approach to the negotiations. He added that while the UK was likely to avoid tariffs on many goods under any free trade deal with the EU, the apparent openness of London to lower standards below those of the bloc would significantly hinder trade in the future. If we look at goods the most important thing about is not tariffs, it is all the rules around it, the official said. That is why we invented the single market which is about having one set of rules instead of 28 set of rules. Tariffs in a way are not that difficult. I think we will find a way of avoiding tariffs in the future. When the stated aim is to make your own laws, not have the same controls, then we need to have checks. Then any good that travels from one market to another will have to undergo checks to see that it is legal to go on the market. Venture capital firm Draper Esprit reported strong financial growth for the year ended 31 March and an announcement of hiring a new team. The company made 33.2m of profits before tax and saw their portfolio value boosted by 43% to 112.7m in 2017 compared to 107m in 2016. The FTSE SmallCap-listed group also invested across the group in 13 new and existing portfolio companies, including Graphcore, LifeSum, PushDoctor, Resolver, Perkbox, Realeyes, Clavis, Clue, RavenPack and Podpoint. The company also boasted that significant cash realisations of 42m generated an uplift in value of 24.4m. Just over 37m of these cash proceeds, according to the group, were deployed in the period into the next generation of opportunities and to further support their existing portfolio. Net assets, including goodwill, also increased by 17% to 150.7m. In terms of development, Draper announced that an experienced team were hired to become next generation of investment professionals to lead the business into the next stage with six hires across London and Ireland, taking the total investment team to 14. The company revealed 0.37 bad debt provision from nil in 2016. Post year end, the group continued to raise additional capital for new and existing shareholders, with 160m additional capital raised across the group post year end, comprising 100m raised from new and existing shareholders in the plc, 25m across the EIS and VCT funds and further 35m for secondary deals, the board stated. WASHINGTON - The US International Trade Commission has now started anti-dumping duty investigations into imports of low melt polyester staple fibre from the Republic of Korea and Taiwan. The investigations are based on petitions filed by Nan Ya Plastics Corporation and are expected to determine whether imports of low melt PSF from Korea and Taiwan are being dumped in the US market at "less than fair value." The estimated dumping margins alleged by the petitioner for Korea and Taiwan are 39.24 to 52.23 per cent and 28.47 to 73.21 per cent. The most important thing we can do today as conscious consumers, farmers and food workers is to regenerate public health, the environment and climate stability. We can do this most readily by moving away from industrial, GMO and factory-farm food toward an organic, pasture-based, soil-regenerative, humane, carbon-sequestering and climate-friendly agriculture system. Whats standing in the way of this life-or-death transformation? Rampant greenwashing. The proliferation of $90 billion worth of fraudulently labeled or advertised natural and socially responsible food products in the U.S. confuses even the most well-intentioned of consumers and lures them away from purchasing genuine organic or grass-fed products. Perhaps no company personifies greenwashing more than Vermont-based Ben & Jerrys. Ben & Jerrys historya start-up launched by two affable hippies, from a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermontis legendary. Despite selling out to Unilever in April 2000, the brands handlers have preserved its quirky, homespun image and masterfully convinced consumers that Ben & Jerrys has never strayed from its mission: to make the world a better place. As the New York Times reported, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) recently sent samples of Ben and Jerrys top-selling ice cream brands to an independent testing lab for analysis. Ten out of 11 samples tested positive for Roundup (glyphosate and AMPA) herbicide contamination So much for making the world a better place. Compare the Ben & Jerrys test results with the results of our testing of organic brands, brands that use organic milk from farms that are actually making the world a better place. Three out of four nationally distributed organic ice cream brands tested negative for Roundup contamination (only Whole Foods 365 brand was contaminated). A History of Stalling on Organic Twenty-four years ago, anti-GMO food activists, including the Pure Food Campaign (OCAs predecessor), successfully pressured Ben & Jerrys and a number of other leading dairies to prohibit the use of Americas first genetically engineered food product, Monsantos recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). Now marketed by drug giant Elanco (Eli Lilly), rBGH is linked to increased risk of human breast and colon cancer, a greater use of antibiotics in animal feed, and damage to cows health. Several groups, including the OCA, subsequently asked Ben & Jerrys to move beyond just prohibiting their dairy cows from being injected with rBGH. We asked them to go 100 percent organic, which would have required the company to ban its dairy suppliers from feeding their cows GMO corn and grain, and to use only organic ingredients in its flavors. But even before Ben & Jerrys was bought out by Unilever, company founder Ben Cohen told Vermont Food activist Michael Colby that Ben & Jerrys was not going to transition to organic because it wouldnt allow them to maximize profits. Since 1994, Ben & Jerrys, the $1.5-billion-per-year flagship brand of the second-largest multinational food corporation in the world, Unilever (annual sales $60 billion), has cashed in big time on its rBGH-free policy, advertising its brand, over and over again, as all natural, GMO-free, fair trade, climate-just and socially responsible. Despite repeated calls from consumer groups to stop advertising its ice-cream as natural or all natural, given that it is derived from cows raised almost exclusively on GMO corn forage (grown with Roundup Ready, neonic- and BT-spliced seeds), laced with non-organic ingredients, sprayed heavily with Roundup and other pesticides, Ben & Jerrys continues to greenwash and lie. The company recently described its mission as: To make, distribute and sell the finest quality and euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment. After more than a decade of dodging consumer, farmer, animal welfare, environmental and farmworker pleas to stop greenwashing and to equitably source its milk from cows grazing on organic pasture, Ben & Jerrys continues to stall. Instead, Ben & Jerrys sources its milk from St. Albans, a 400-farmer dairy co-op that is increasingly dominated by large factory farm-type dairy operations. To feed their cows, farmers routinely spray tons of pesticides, including Roundup, atrazine and metolachlor, on fields of GMO corn grown from neonic-coated and BT toxin seeds. They also apply tons of soil-killing, climate-disrupting nitrogen fertilizers that pollute Vermonts streams, rivers and lakes. Petitions and protests calling for Ben & Jerrys to stop its suppliers from exploiting farmworkers, confining dairy cows and driving small dairy farmers into bankruptcy, have produced nothing more than vague promises of respecting the Earth and supporting rural economic justice. Enough is enough. Vermont and national public interest organizations have lost our patience. Its time for Unilever and Ben & Jerrys to move beyond greenwashing to decisive action. Its time for Ben & Jerrys to announce it will immediately begin transitioning to 100-percent organic. Otherwise conscious consumers have no choice but to launch a national and, if necessary, international protest campaign and boycott. Vermont Activists Demand Major Changes From Ben and Jerrys Regeneration Vermont, a broad-based coalition of consumers and farmers, has repeatedly asked Ben & Jerrys and Unilever to sign a six-point pledge to go 100-percent organic over a three-year transition period. Heres what the groups want Ben & Jerrys to pledge: 1. A transition away from GMO crops and toxic pesticides/fertilizers and toward regenerative organic agricultural methods. 2. Fair wages for farmers, including premiums based on regeneration benchmarks and assistance in the transition toward regenerative methods. 3. Economic justice for farm workers, fair and livable wages, decent housing and social and cultural dignity. 4. Adoption of climate remediation techniques, beginning with an emphasis on healthy soils and cover-cropping for carbon sequestration and erosion control. 5. Humane treatment of farm animals, a phase-out of confinement dairies and a transition back to grassland grazing and grass-based feed for ruminants. 6. Cleaning up and protecting our watersheds, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and groundwater. A Trail of Toxins Recent reports published by Regeneration Vermont reveal that Ben & Jerrys suppliers, and Vermont and U.S. (non-organic) dairy farmers in general, have gone backward, rather than forward over the past 15 years in terms of environmental sustainability, food safety, nutrition, greenhouse gas pollution, water pollution, animal welfare, farmworker justice and preservation of family farms. Chemical fertilizer use has also almost doubled in Vermont since GMOs began to dominate the market 15 years ago. So much for Monsantos claims that GMO crops would reduce the use of toxic pesticides and water-polluting and climate-destabilizing nitrogen fertilizers. Not to mention Ben & Jerrys claim that it is non-GMO and environmentally responsible. Among Regeneration Vermonts finding are the following: An astounding 97 percent of Vermonts field corn, the major component of a non-organic dairy cows diet, is now GMO (Roundup Ready, Bt-spliced, neonic seeds). This is the highest percentage of any state in the U.S. Herbicide use has increased more than 100 percent-per-acre in Vermont since Monsantos GMO corn came on the market, with recent heavy use of atrazine, metholachlor, simazine, pendimethlin, glyphosate (Roundup), acetochlor, dicamba and alachlor. As Regeneration Vermont states in its report: Regulators have determined that five of these eight most used herbicides [in Vermont] are possible or probable human carcinogens, the remaining three are suspected carcinogens. Seven of the eight are possible or probable endocrine disruptors (the other one is a suspected to be an endocrine disruptor). All eight have been determined by regulators and academics to cause birth or developmental defects and contaminate drinking water and public waters with dangerous chemicals that have long-term persistence. Atrazine, simazine, acetachlor and alachlor have lost their registration in the EU, and are effectively banned. The Threat of #DirtyDairy and Factory Farms Millions of health-minded Americans, especially parents of young children, now understand that cheap, non-organic, genetically engineered, industrial and factory farm food is hazardous. Not only does chemical- and energy-intensive factory farming destroy the environment, destabilize the climate, impoverish rural communities, exploit farm workers, inflict unnecessary cruelty on farm animals, and contaminate the water supply, but the end product itself is inevitably contaminated and inferior in nutritional terms, in this case in comparison to 100 percent grass-fed and organic milk and dairy. Americas green-minded consumers understand that industrial agriculture poses a terminal threat to the environment and climate stability. A highly conscious and passionate segment of the population is beginning to understand that converting to non-chemical, non-genetically engineered, energy-efficient, carbon-sequestering organic/regenerative farming practices and drastically reducing food miles by re-localizing the food chain, are essential preconditions for stabilizing our out-of-control climate and preparing our families and communities for future energy and resource shortages. A critical mass of the global grassrootsconsumers, farmers, activistsnow realize that unless we act quickly, global warming and climate chaos will soon severely disrupt industrial agriculture and long-distance food transportation, leading to massive crop failures, food shortages, famine, war and pestilence. Even more alarming, accelerating levels of greenhouse gases will soon push global warming to a tipping point that will melt the polar icecaps and possibly unleash a cataclysmic discharge of climate-destabilizing methane, now sequestered in the fragile arctic tundra. Thanks to this growing consumer awarenessand four decades of hard workthe organic community has built up a $50-billion certified organic and $5-billion 100 percent grass-fed food and products sector that prohibits the use of genetic engineering and pesticides. The rapidly expanding organic products sector now constitutes more than 5 percent of total retail grocery sales (and 15 percent of fruits and vegetables), with an annual growth rate of 10-15 percent. Even taking into account a sluggish economy, the organic market, if we eliminate greenwashing and labeling fraud, could conceivably reach a tipping point of 20 percent of grocery sales in 2020. The Myth of Natural Remains a Threat As impressive as this $55 billion Organic and Grass-fed Alternative is, it remains overshadowed by an additional $90 billion in annual spending by consumers on products, such as B&Js, fraudulently marketed as natural, gmo-free, free range or sustainable. Consumer surveys indicate that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that natural products are almost organic, yet at the same time, much cheaper; the majority believes that all natural actually means that it is better than organics. Ben & Jerrys is not the only brand greenwashing its products and impeding the growth of organic, 100 percent grass-fed and regenerative foods. But it is certainly among the most shameless. In fact, all these natural, all-natural and sustainable products are neither backed up by rules and regulations, nor a third-party certifier. Most natural or conventional productswhether produce, dairy or canned or frozen goodsare produced on large industrial farms or in processing plants that are highly polluting, chemical-intensive and energy-intensive. Perhaps fraudulently labeled natural foods such as Ben & Jerrys wouldnt matter so much if we were living in normal times, with a relatively healthy population, environment and climate. Conventional products sold as natural or nearly organic would be just one more example of chicanery or unethical business practices. But we are not living in normal times. Demanding that fake natural brands and producers, such as Ben & Jerrys, make the transition to organic is a matter of life or death. Were tired of pleading and politely asking Ben & Jerrys, Unilever and other greenwashers to please change their ways. Its time to step up the pressure. Please join the growing boycott of Ben & Jerrys ice-cream by signing this petition and by volunteering to join a local campaign team in your local community. Ronnie Cummins is the international director of the Organic Consumers Association. By Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins A recent series of articles by a Washington Post reporter could have some consumers questioning the value of the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) organic seal. But are a few bad eggs representative of an entire industry? Consumers are all for cracking down on the fraudulent few who, with the help of Big Food, big retail chains and questionable certifiers give organics a bad name. But they also want stronger standards, and better enforcementnot a plan to weaken standards to accommodate Factory Farm Organic. The Washington Post exposed a couple of companies, certified organic, that dont strictly adhere to organic standards. The Post and others also recently reported on what one lawmaker, who serves on a key USDA committee, called uncertainty and dysfunction at the National Organic Standards Board. All these reports are troubling on multiple levels, especially to consumers who rely on the USDA organic seal to help them avoid pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), synthetic ingredients, and foods produced using methods that degenerate soil health and pollute the environment. (Its important to note that none of these reports address the biggest marketing and labeling fraud of them allproducts sold as natural, all natural and 100% natural, a $90-billion industry that eclipses the $50-billion certified organic industry). What can consumers do to ensure that the certified organic products they buy meet existing organic standards? And how do we, as consumers, fight back against efforts to weaken those standards? The short answers: One, there are about 25,000 honest organic local and regional producers, vs. a handful of big brands, mostly national, who flout the rules. (Most Factory Farm Organic companies sell their products, and provide private-label products, for big retail chains like Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Krogers and others). Two, if consumers want stronger, not weaker organic standards, we need to demand them. Bad Actors Hurt Consumers and Legitimate Organic Producers Over the past several months, the Washington Post has reported the following: Egglands Best eggs, marketed as certified organic by Herbrucks Poultry Ranch, come from hens that never go outside. (Even before the Posts expose, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) had called for a boycott of Egglands Best eggs). Aurora Organic Dairy, which supplies organic milk to Walmart, Costco and other major retailers, doesnt adhere to organic standards that require cows to be outdoors daily during the growing season. (OCA, Cornucopia Institute and other groups have been demanding better policing of Aurora Dairy for more than a decade). Some organic soy and corn imports arent actually organic. Some organic foods contain a synthetic oil brewed in industrial vats of algae. Stories like these erode consumer confidence in the organic seal. When consumers give up on organic, legitimate organic farmers and producers lose sales, too. But thats only the part of the problem. By cutting corners on organic standards, big producers can sell at lower pricesthat puts the smaller, local and regional organic producers who dont have big contracts with big retailers, and who must charge more because they actually follow organic standards to letter, at a competitive disadvantage in the market. In some cases, it puts them out of business. The Washington Posts Peter Whoriskey recently interviewed Amish organic dairy farmers who are struggling to compete against companies like Aurora, which the farmers say, dont deserve the organic label. The Post reported: Over the past year, the price of wholesale organic milk sold by Kalona [Iowa] farms has dropped by more than 33 percent. Some of their milkas much as 15 percent of itis 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. After the Washington Post ran its April 30 expose on Aurora, Liz Bawden, an organic dairy farmer in New York and president of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance and member of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association board wrote: A consumer reads Why Your Organic Milk May Not Be Organic on the front page of their newspaper. That might be the end consumer for the milk from my farm. And that person is sitting in front of a bowl of cornflakes wondering if she has been scammed all this time. Just a little doubt that the organic seal may not mean what she thought it meant. That is real damage to my farm and family income. Boycott the Organic Imposters Consumers choose organic for many reasons. At the top of the list health. Consumers believe food that doesnt contain pesticides, genetically modified organisms and synthetic/artificial ingredients, all of which are largely prohibited under USDA organic standards, is better for their own health. That said, many consumers have an expanded list of reasons for buying organic, which include concern about the environment, animal welfare, fair trade and the desire to support local farms, and farmers committed to building healthy, rich soil capable of drawing down and sequestering carbon. Its naturally discouraging to read articles that sow doubt about whether a certified organic product meets your expectations. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the chances of ending up with an organic carton of milk or eggs produced by an organic imposter. Boycott large, national brands. As demand grows for organics, Big Food is scooping up smaller organic brands. In most cases, nothing good comes this for consumers, as large corporations apply the economies of scale theory and ultimately skimp wherever they can on quality and production. As a general rule of thumb, the big playerslike Aurora Dairy and Herbrucks Farm (Egglands Best)dont play by the rules. Steer clear of private-label organics. Its easy to identify the bad actors when they market products under their own names. But when it comes to private-label organics (think Safeways O Organic, Costcos Kirkland, Walmarts Great Value), its not readily apparent who is producing those products for big retail chains. We know that Aurora, which doesnt market any milk under its own name, supplies organic milk to Walmart, Costco and Safeway. But in general, lack of transparency in the organic private label arena is a huge problem, one industry consultant told us. Most big retailers are complicit in organic fraud. The best strategy is avoidance. Check the codes on your milk carton. In her response to the Posts story on Aurora, Bawden told consumers how to avoid milk produced by Aurora Dairy by checking the code on the carton. If you find the number 08-29, youll know that the milk comes from a plant that processes milk from Aurora Dairy. You can look up all the milk carton codes on the Where is my milk from? website. Do your homework. It would be great if you could rely entirely on the USDA organic seal. But given what we know about the weak links in that otherwise valuable chain, it pays to research. Googling brand names is one way to find informationbut dont rely on company websites, which are often loaded with false claims. Visit the Cornucopia Institutes website, where youll find organic dairy, eggs and other products scored according to various criteria. Pay attention to who certified your milk or eggs as organic. In addition to the USDA organic seal, certified organic products must list, on package, the name of the independent body that certified the product to organic standards. Theres an argument to be made that certifiers should be held accountable for certifying products that dont adhere to organic standards. Until that happens, avoid certifiers like Quality Assurance International and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which certify Aurora Dairy. Some of the more reliable certifiers include Oregon Tilth, Pennsylvania Certified Organic and California Certified Organic Farmers. For a complete list of organic certifiers, consult this list. Buy local. Theres a lot to be said for getting to know, and for supporting, your local organic farmers. They are more likely to follow organic standards, partly out of dedication, and partly to protect their own reputation within their communities. Heres some advice for identifying local authentic and ethical farmers. Report suspected fraud. If you think a brand is violating organic standards, or falsely advertising/labeling a product natural, all natural or 100% natural, email us at fraud@organicconsumers.org. Consumers Will Have to Help Protect Organic Standards Organic Consumers Association was founded, in 1998, when the USDA was writing the very first set of organic standards, as required under the Organic Foods Production Act. The policy writers wanted irradiation to be allowed in organic. And sewage sludge. And GMOs. We fought successfully to keep them out. Since then weve had to go to battle with every administration since over the integrity and enforcement of organic standards. The Clinton administration tried to get GMOs into organic. The Bush administration made it easier to get synthetics into organic. The Obama administration made it harder to get synthetics out of organic. It didnt help any that in 2005, Congress passed a law that made it a lot easier for the largest food companies to create organic versions of their factory farm and processed foods. Now those companies are stepping up their game, threatening to make changes to the Organic Foods Production Act and the National Organic Standards Board. that could weaken organic standards beyond recognition. Why now? Two reasons. One, as consumer demand for organic products grows, Big Food is buying up organic brands. This gives them a seat at the organic policymaking table, where, naturally, they are hard at work to lower standards in order to raise profit margins. And two, they smell opportunity. The Trump administration has made its position on regulations clear: more industry involvement, more concern for corporate profits, and less concern for consumer rights, public health, the environment. Congress needs to hear from consumersoften, and in large numbersthat we want stronger, not weaker organic standards. Standards that support small, authentic producers. Putting it in Perspective Organic isnt perfect. The standards arent perfect. The enforcement process isnt perfect. And some of the players are downright crooked. That said, consumers can by and large trust all organic produce. And if theyre willing to do a little homework, they can identify the producers in the organic processed food arena who abide by the rules. To put things in perspective, compare the $50-billion organic industry with the $90-billion natural industry. No standards. No ethics. And the clear intention to increase sales by falsely claiming that products that contain all manner of unnatural substances, including pesticides, synthetic ingredientseven drugsare the healthy choice. So lets keep policing the organic industry, exposing the fraud, working for stronger standards and better enforcement of those standards. But lets be just as vigilant about exposing the Myth of Natural and cracking down on what is arguably the biggest food marketing scam in the history of advertising. Katherine Paul is associate director of the Organic Consumers Association. Ronnie Cummins is international director of the Organic Consumers Association. Bridgewater looks to become a regional nightlife hub in western PA Bridgewater bars offer patrons a nightlife experience that is unique from any other in western Pennsylvania Researchers from Genethon, the AFM-Telethon laboratory, Inserm (UMR 1089, Nantes) and the University of London (Royal Holloway) demonstrated the efficacy of an innovative gene therapy in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Indeed, after injecting microdystrophin (a "shortened" version of the dystrophin gene) via a drug vector, the researchers managed to restore muscle strength and stabilise the clinical symptoms in dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A first. This work, published today in Nature Communications, has been achieved thanks to donations from the French Telethon. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare progressive genetic disorder involving all the muscles of the body, and affects 1 in 5,000 boys. It is the most common neuromuscular disorder in children. It is associated with abnormalities in the DMD gene, which encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for proper muscle function. This gene is one of the largest in our genome (2.3 million base pairs, of which over 11,000 are coding). Because of this size, it is technically impossible to insert the entire DNA for dystrophin into a viral vector (or even the 11,000 coding base pairs alone), as is usually done for gene therapy. To meet this challenge, teams at Genethon developed, in collaboration with a team at Royal Holloway University of London led by Pr. Dickson, and produced, a gene therapy drug combining an AAV-type viral vector with a shortened version of the dystrophin gene (approximately 4,000 base pairs), allowing the production of a functional protein. Dr Le Guiner's team tested this innovative treatment in 12 dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. By injecting this microdystrophin intravenously, and hence into the whole body of the dogs, the researchers observed that dystrophin expression returned to a high level, and muscle function was significantly restored, with stabilisation of the clinical symptoms observed for over 2 years following injection of the drug (see video). No immunosuppressive treatment was administered beforehand, and no side-effects were observed. Some Golden Retrievers develop Duchenne muscular dystrophy naturally. The successful treatment of these dogs, which show the same clinical symptoms as children with this disease, and are of a similar weight, is a decisive step toward developing the same treatment in children. "This preclinical study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of microdystrophin, and makes it possible to consider developing a clinical trial in patients. Indeed, this is the first time that it has been possible to treat the whole body of a large-sized animal with this protein. Moreover, this innovative approach allows treatment of all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, regardless of the genetic mutation responsible," says Caroline Le Guiner, the main author of this study. "This is tremendously exciting progress towards a gene therapy for DMD. The studies in GRMD dogs have been spectacular and exceeded our expectations. My team has worked for many years to optimise a gene therapy medicine for DMD, and now the quite outstanding work of colleagues in France, in Genethon, in Nantes and in Paris has taken us close to clinical trials in DMD patients. I pay thanks also to the amazing and steadfast support of this research by AFM-Telethon and MDUK (Muscular Dystrophy UK) which has been essential to this achievement." commented George Dickson. For Frederic Revah, Chief Executive Officer of Genethon: "For the first time, researchers obtained a systemic therapeutic effect on a neuromuscular disease in dogs using microdystrophin, and without immunosuppressive treatment. This highly complex cutting edge technology has been developed as part of an exceptional collaborative effort between Genethon and academic teams from Britain and France. Now our bioproduction experts have the task of producing a sufficient quantity of these new drug vectors, under GMP conditions, for the clinical trial." "This new evidence of the efficacy of gene therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy strengthens the therapeutic arsenal developed (exon skipping, CRISPR Cas-9, pharmacogenetics, etc.), and the first results are there. We need to forge ahead to complete the final phase and transform these scientific advances into drugs for children," emphasises Serge Braun, Scientific Director of AFM-Telethon. ### Publication: Long-term microdystrophin gene therapy is effective in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy Caroline Le Guiner1,2,*, Laurent Servais3, Marie Montus2, Thibaut Larcher4, Bodvael, Fraysse1, Sophie Moullec5, Marine Allais1, Virginie Francois1, Maeva Dutilleul4, Alberto Malerba6, Taeyoung Koo6, Jean-Laurent Thibaut7,8, Beatrice Matot7, Marie Devaux1, Johanne Le Duff1, Jack-Yves Deschamps5, Ines Barthelemy8,9, Stephane Blot8,9, Isabelle Testault10, Karim Wahbi11, Stephane Ederhy12, Samia Martin2, Philippe Veron2, Christophe Georger2, Takis Athanasopoulos6,13,14, Carole Masurier2, Federico Mingozzi2, Pierre Carlier7, Bernard Gjata2, Jean-Yves Hogrel15, Oumeya Adjali1, Fulvio Mavilio2, Thomas Voit16,#,* Philippe Moullier1,17,#,*, George Dickson6, Nature communications, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms16105 Affiliations: 1Atlantic Gene Therapies, INSERM UMR 1089, Universite de Nantes, CHU de Nantes, IRS2, Nantes Biotech, 22, bd Benoni Goullin, 44200 Nantes, France ; 2 Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'Internationale, 91000 Evry, France ; 3 Institute I-Motion, Hopital Armand Trousseau, 26 avenue du Dr A. Netter, 75571 Paris, France ; 4 Atlantic Gene Therapies, INRA UMR 703, ONIRIS, La Chantrerie, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France ; 5 Atlantic Gene Therapies, Centre de Boisbonne, ONIRIS, La Chantrerie, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France ; 6 School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW200EX, UK ; 7 Institut de Myologie, Laboratoire RMN, AIM & CEA, 47 bd de l'Hopital, 75013 Paris, France ; 8 Universite Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire d'Alfort, 7 avenue du General de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France ; 9 INSERM U955-E10 Biology of the NeuroMuscular System, Faculte de medecine, 8 rue du General Sarrail, 94000 Creteil, France ; 10 Centre Hospitalier Veterinaire Atlantia, 22 rue Rene; Viviani, Nantes, France ; 11 Service de cardiologie, AP-HP, Cochin Hospital - Universite Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris ; Cite; - Institut de Myologie, Reference Center for Muscle Diseases, 27 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, Paris, France ; 12 Service de cardiologie, hopital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP, 184 rue du Faubourg St Antoine, Paris, France ; 13 Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK ; 14 Current Address: Cell & Gene Therapy Discovery Research (CGTDR), Platform Technology & Sciences (PTS), 5S100(06) GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK 15 Institut de Myologie, Neuromuscular Physiology and Evaluation Laboratory, 47 bd de l'Hopital, 75013 Paris, France ; 16 NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health / Great Ormond Street, Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK About Genethon Genethon, located in Evry, France, is a non-profit R&D organisation dedicated to the development of biotherapies for orphan genetic diseases, from research to clinical validation. Genethon is specialized in the discovery and development of gene therapy drugs and has multiple ongoing programs at clinical, preclinical and research stage for neuromuscular, blood, immune system, liver and eye diseases. Discover Genethon's pipeline: http://www.genethon.fr/produits/ About AFM-Telethon The French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM) federates patients with neuromuscular diseases and their parents. Thanks mostly to donations from France's annual Telethon (92.7 million euros in 2016), the AFM-Telethon has become a major player in biomedical research for rare diseases in France and worldwide. It currently supports 34 clinical trials for genetic diseases affecting the eye, blood, brain, immune system and neuromuscular system. Thanks to its Genethon research lab, the AFM-Telethon stands out through its unique ability to produce and test its own gene-based medicines. About Inserm Founded in 1964, the French National Institute of Health and Medical research (Inserm) is a public science and technology institute, jointly supervised by the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Inserm is the only French public research institute to focus entirely on human health with nearly 15000 researchers, engineers, technicians, post-doctoral students and more than 300 laboratories. The mission of its scientists is to study all diseases, from the most common to the rarest. Inserm is a member of Aviesan*, the French National Alliance for Life Sciences and Health founded in 2009. Inserm UMR 1089, the Nantes gene therapy laboratory, conducts translational research programs to develop and evaluate gene therapy products for the treatment of rare genetic diseases (especially for diseases of the neuromuscular system and retina), before proceeding to clinical trials. Other founding members of Aviesan : CEA, CNRS, CHRU, CPU, INRA, INRIA, Inserm, Institut Pasteur, IRD Access to the Inserm press room // Follow Inserm on Twitter : @Inserm_EN Press contacts Stephanie Bardon / Ellia Foucard-Tiab - 33 0)1 69 47 12 78 / 25 64 - presse@afm-telethon.fr WASHINGTON (July 25, 2017) --The American College of Cardiology (ACC), working with prominent hospitals in central and eastern China, is launching a series of educational forums for physicians on valvular heart disease prevention, diagnosis and management. The educational forums will address the growing burden of valvular heart disease in China, particularly for underserved patients that face barriers to health care services. The trainings provide a comprehensive overview regarding the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of the common manifestations of valvular heart disease and focus on the latest updates to international guidelines-based patient care. The forums will also seek to improve coordination between different health care specialists who may treat patients with indications of valvular heart disease, including internists, general cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Valvular heart disease specialists from the ACC will join local Chinese speakers for lecture-style presentations and interactive discussions based on case studies. The program, supported by Edwards Lifesciences Foundation's Every Heartbeat Matters initiative, aims to reach hundreds of health care professionals in Kunming, Yunnan Province; Wuhan, Hubei Province; and Fuzhou, Fujian Province and support their efforts to offer high-quality, readily accessible care for patients from underserved communities that may be at risk for developing valvular heart disease. In addition to the educational forums for clinicians, ACC presenters will be distributing patient education materials for each hospital to use with patients to ensure they have the latest information regarding risk factors and lifestyle modification strategies for valvular heart disease. "We are committed to working with our colleagues in China to implement this program in a way that achieves maximum impact for underserved patients in these areas and furthers the ACC's mission to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve patient care on a global scale," said Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC, president of the American College of Cardiology. "By directly working with clinicians where they live and practice, we are aiming to change the culture around treating and preventing heart disease in China." "We have identified China as one of our focus regions for Every Heartbeat Matters because of the many underserved people suffering from heart valve disease in this country," said Amanda C. Fowler, Executive Director, Global Corporate Giving for Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. "By partnering with the ACC to provide expert clinical education, we believe we can exponentially increase our impact on patients and build-up sustainable high-quality care for the people of this region." ### About The American College of Cardiology The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org. About Edwards Lifesciences Foundation and Every Heartbeat Matters Edwards Lifesciences Foundation focuses on supporting underserved heart valve and critically ill patients, as well as strengthening the communities in which Edwards employees live and work through gifts to non-profit organizations all around the world. The foundation's signature charitable initiative, Every Heartbeat Matters, has a specific pursuit of impacting the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people by 2020. Additional information can be found at http://www.everyheartbeatmatters.org. St. Paul, Minn. (July 2017)--While beneficial microbes are becoming a more common tool in agriculture, their effectiveness in the field is severely blunted thanks to real-world environmental stressors like heat and drought, competition with other microbes, and interactions with the host plant. Such factors can reduce the treatment's effectiveness or even drive the microbe to extinction. Adding to these challenges: the development of new beneficial microbes and microbiome-related treatments has been slow. Because the pool of microbial taxa found in the soil is so large and diverse, it is hard to isolate the most beneficial ones for study. Through a new Phytobiomes journal review paper, titled "Translating Phytobiomes from Theory to Practice: Ecological and Evolutionary Considerations," Drs. Christine Hawkes and Elise Connor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas propose applying ecological theories to improve the process of microbial technology development. "Most plant microbiome studies in agriculture are divorced from ecological mechanisms," says Hawkes. "We argue that if we can identify the underlying ecological mechanisms, these can provide a roadmap to improve the development and application of successful microbiome treatments." Using endophytic fungi to illustrate, Hawkes and Connor discuss the integration of ecological and evolutionary niche theory in plant microbiome studies to help with the development and implementation of microbiome treatments. They specifically discuss: Applying processes such as niche partitioning to limit competitive interactions and maximize persistence, priority effects to allow establishment before resident taxa, storage effects that take advantage of temporal variation in niche availability, and others. How these niche processes can serve as both impediments or opportunities for the establishment and persistence of microbiome treatments in the field. The barriers to implementing niche-based microbiome treatments, including the potential role for neutral processes, technological issues, and scaling of inoculum production. "By considering the niche when designing treatments, we can increase treatment effectiveness and persistence," said Hawkes. "Ideally, identification of the most important mechanisms will allow us to assemble treatment communities that are robust, difficult to invade, and provide consistent benefits despite environmental fluctuations." Hawkes also points out a major benefit of research on microbiome treatments: They may one day help move growers toward more sustainable, low-input agriculture by using plant-microbe interactions as opposed to chemical additives. "We are entering a new era of microbiome discovery that has the potential to change the way we grow crops for food and fuel," said Hawkes. "This article provides a new perspective on how to do that, considering microbial ecological interactions with the host, other microbes, and the environment." ### About Phytobiomes Phytobiomes is a fully open access, transdisciplinary journal of sustainable plant productivity published by The American Phytopathological Society. Phytobiomes publishes original research about organisms and communities and their interaction with plants in any ecosystem. It also provides an international platform for fundamental, translational, and integrated research that accomplishes the overarching objective of offering a new vision for agriculture in which sustainable crop productivity is achieved through a systems-level understanding of the diverse interacting components of the phytobiome. These components include plant pathogens, insects, soil, microbes, weeds, biochemistry, climate, and many others. Follow us on Twitter @PhytobiomesJ. Boston, Mass. -- Drug-releasing devices that reside in the stomach for extended periods of time make it easier for patients to receive their full course of treatment. Instead of having to take a pill every day for a long period of time, a drug-delivery vehicle that slowly releases individual doses of medication could be administered once but provide medication for weeks or months. Swallowable drug delivery systems are typically made of tough plastics such as thermoplastics or thermosets, but these materials present safety concerns in that they can cause physical obstructions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and are difficult to remove in the case of an allergic reaction. Instead, hydrogels, which are softer and potentially more biocompatible, are an appealing alternative for gastric resident systems. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research created a novel hydrogel material. The hydrogel is tough and triggerable, meaning it can withstand the forces of the GI environment and can be triggered to dissolve using an external stimulus. "A lot of our work is centered on the concept of making it easier for patients to take their medications. A triggerable, tough hydrogel allows us to create systems that can easily deliver drugs over long periods of time while simultaneously addressing several of the chief safety concerns of these types of devices," said corresponding author Carlo "Gio" Traverso, MB, PhD, of the Division of Gastroenterology at BWH. Hydrogels are appealing for a number of reasons. They are mainly composed of water so they can shrink in their dry state to become small enough to swallow, and then can expand and swell in the stomach to avoid passing into the small intestine. They can also be loaded with medicine and release it in a controlled manner. However, the challenge with classic hydrogels is that they are relatively weak. The gastric cavity experiences significant forces associated with contractions of the stomach, so the new hydrogels need to be tough enough to withstand the strain. Hydrogels are composed of a "net" of polymer chains. To toughen them up, the researchers created a double network hydrogel composed of two interwoven polymer nets. The next step was to make these hydrogels dissolvable in case the drug-delivery system needed to be removed quickly. They designed the hydrogel to be triggered to dissolve if the biocompatible agents EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and GSH (glutathione) are consumed. The combination of EDTA and GSH can quickly break down the cross-links holding the two polymer nets together. The researchers tested the tough, triggerable hydrogels in a large animal model which demonstrated the potential of this material. "This material represents one of the first examples of a triggerable, tough hydrogel and could thus be used in many different applications such as supporting stem cell growth in the lab or in bariatric medicine," said Traverso. The next step in their research will be additional pre-clinical studies to further test the safety and stress resistance of the hydrogels before they can be used in people. "We are really excited about the development of this new family of hydrogels and their potential to permit numerous new medical applications," says Robert Langer, Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Robert Langer ### This research was funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health as well as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation under the auspices of the Max Planck Research Award which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Paper cited: Liu, J et al. "Triggerable Tough Hydrogels for Gastric Resident Dosage Forms." Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00144-z Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 4.2 million annual patient visits and nearly 46,000 inpatient stays, is the largest birthing center in Massachusetts and employs nearly 16,000 people. The Brigham's medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Brigham Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, more than 3,000 researchers, including physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $666 million in funding. For the last 25 years, BWH ranked second in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among independent hospitals. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative as well as the TIMI Study Group, one of the premier cardiovascular clinical trials groups. For more information, resources and to follow us on social media, please visit BWH's online newsroom. Around 1% of flowering plants are parasites. Some of these parasites can survive without host plants while others cannot. The former are called facultative parasites and the latter obligate parasites. Based on their photosynthetic capability, parasites can be classified as either hemiparasites (those that perform photosynthesis) or holoparasites (those that do not). Compared with normal autotrophic plants, plant parasites have unique physiological and ecological characteristics, as well as unique evolutionary histories. Many holoparasites exhibit special morphologies. For example, the root parasites Orobanche spp. (broomrapes) have no leaves and lack chlorophyll. Although the morphology of parasitic plants varies, they all use a special organ, the haustorium, to attach to hosts, penetrate host tissues, and extract water and nutrients. Cuscuta spp. (dodder) is a plant parasite that connects to the vasculature of host plants to extract water, nutrients, and even macromolecules. It is the only parasitic plant in the family Convolvulaceae, and is closely related to the morning glory and sweet potato. Dodders are leafless and rootless throughout their lifecycle, totally depending on host plants to survive. Whether hosts and dodders have any exchange of signaling molecules was previously unknown. Like other parasites, it is generally believed that dodders are harmful to hosts. A research team led by Prof. WU Jianqiang, a scientist at the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KIB/CAS) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany, discovered that when a host plant is attacked by insects, dodders can transmit signals to other dodder-connected hosts, which then activate defense responses. As a result of the induced defense responses in these dodder-connected host plants, insects grew smaller than on hosts whose dodder-connected neighboring plants were not attacked by insects. Importantly, the researchers also revealed that mobile signals transmitted by dodders are ancient and well conserved. Jasmonic acid (a plant hormone) plays an important role in generating these signals; such signals are produced very rapidly and can travel through a dodder network at least one meter long. This is the first time that dodders have been found to transmit inter-plant signaling. This discovery shows that, in addition to damaging hosts, dodders also transmit ecologically meaningful information among host plants. This research has been published in PNAS online in an article entitled "Stem parasitic plant Cuscuta australis (dodder) transfers herbivory-induced signals among plants". ### This work was primarily supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Max Planck Partner Group Program, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. A team of researchers has developed a faster and easier way to make sulfur-containing polymers that will lower the cost of large-scale production. The achievement, published in Nature Chemistry and Angewandte Chemie, opens the door to creating new products from this class of polymers while producing far less hazardous waste. The researchers' reaction technique, dubbed SuFEx for sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange, combined with a newly identified class of catalysts that speed up the reactions, could be used to make everything from water bottles and mobile phone cases to medical devices and bulletproof glass. When a useful molecule is discovered, there are few reactions that chemists can use that are simple and efficient enough to meet the industrial production requirements for cost-effectively scaling up. In 2001, Nobel laureate K. Barry Sharpless introduced a new concept to organic chemistry known as "click chemistry," describing a suite of controllable, highly reactive reactions that are high-yielding and require little to no purification. Following nature's example, click reactions follow simple protocols, use readily available starting materials, and work under mild reaction conditions with benign starting reagents. Click chemistry has become a valuable tool for generating large libraries of potentially useful compounds as industries look to discover new drugs and materials. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (Berkeley Lab) Molecular Foundry, a facility that specializes in nanoscale science, worked with a team led by Sharpless and Peng Wu, professors at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). The team created long chains of linked sulfur-containing molecules, termed polysulfates and polysulfonates, using a SuFEx click reaction. "Click chemistry is a powerful tool for materials discovery, but synthetic chemists are often not well-equipped to characterize the polymers they create," said Yi Liu, director of the Organic Synthesis facility at the Molecular Foundry. "We can provide a broad spectrum of expertise and instrumentation that can expand the scope and impact of their research." The SuFEx reaction, introduced as a new family of click reactions in 2014, reliably and quickly creates new chemical bonds, connecting compounds together with sulfates or sulfonates. While polysulfates have shown great potential as competitors to polycarbonates (strong plastics used for eyewear lenses and water bottles, for example), they have been rarely used for industrial applications due to a lack of reliable and easily scalable synthetic processes. To overcome the challenges of mass-manufacturing polysulfates and polysulfonates, the TSRI team explored various catalysts and starting reagents to optimize the SuFEx reaction. They relied on their collaborators at the Molecular Foundry to assess physical properties and determine if the newly created polymers were thermally stable products. Polymers are assembled from smaller molecules - like stringing a repeating pattern of beads on a necklace. In creating a polysulfonate "necklace" with SuFEx, the researchers identified ethenesulfonyl fluoride-amine/aniline and bisphenol ether as good "beads" to use and found that using bifluoride salt as a catalyst made the previously slow reaction "click" into action. Researchers found that the high efficiency of the reaction results in a remarkable 99 percent conversion, from starting reactants to products, in less than an hour. Researchers found that the new reaction requires 100 to 1,000 times less catalyst than other known methods, resulting in significantly less hazardous waste. Bifluoride salts are also much less corrosive than previously used catalysts, allowing for a wider range of starting substrate "beads," which researchers said they hope could lead to its adoption for a range of industrial processes. "There are many new polymers that haven't been widely used by industry before," said Liu. "By reducing waste and improving product purity, we lower the cost and make this reaction much more industry friendly." The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science User Facility that provides free access to state of the art equipment and multidisciplinary expertise in nanoscale science to visiting scientists from all over the world. ### This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Chinese Natural Science Foundation, and the Jiangsu Province Office of Education in China. For more about click chemistry: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2012/04/09/exciting-new-field-of-bioorthogonal-chemistry-owes-a-debt-to-curiosity-driven-research-from-previous-eras/ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. The incarcerated population -- both those currently in prison and those who have been released -- are more susceptible to heart disease than the rest of the country's population. And what we know about the factors that play into this is extremely limited, according to researchers. Although one out of every 10 prisoners report having been diagnosed with a heart-related problem, there are few studies that actually look into the imprisoned population or what happens to them after their release. "In many ways this population has been invisible to public health and the healthcare system, despite its many needs," said Ana Diez Roux, MD, PhD, dean of Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health. Diez Roux chaired an NHLBI panel on incarceration and cardiovascular disease that formed the basis for a set of recommendations recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The report -- whose lead author was Emily Wang, MD, of Yale University's School of Medicine -- identified gaps in knowledge we have about cardiovascular disease and the 13 million Americans who make up our incarcerated and released population. It also highlighted areas where further studies could better shine a light on factors and potential disease prevention strategies. "The normalcy of incarceration in this country in certain communities, and the disproportionate incarceration of individuals of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds, makes understanding the health risks of incarceration critical to improving health disparities" Wang said. Black individuals' incarceration rates are six times higher than whites for prisons, with probation rates three times as high. In fact, some numbers indicate that black men have a one in three chance of being incarcerated at some point in their life, with Latinos' chance standing at one in six. Those numbers are important because these same groups experience significant disparities in health care and access. "Many individuals who are incarcerated are disadvantaged in many ways before they go to prison," Diez Roux said. "This adversely affects their health in many ways. And the prison environment itself can have major health impacts." And the prison environment's impact can stretch into the future, because as Wang points out, "90 to 95 percent of individuals who are incarcerated will ultimately be released." With this in mind, Wang, Diez Roux and the study team identified many factors that could be studied to better understand and prevent cardiovascular disease in this population. One such area is how prisoners receive care and treatment in prison versus how it's acquired after incarceration. "When patients are incarcerated, the medical system of care is often very passive," Wang said. "For instance, patients often have to make a line in the morning to receive their medications, where a nurse hands them their pills, checks to see if they have swallowed it, and then they return for the same thing in the evening." The need to take action to acquire care or treatment, along with any personal choices that could be made about that care, are extremely limited in prison. "So when these prisoners are released, many find it difficult to manage their high blood pressure or diabetes, since they didn't have to do much of anything when incarcerated," Wang said. "We may need to address self-efficacy and bolster self-management skills when an individual is incarcerated to improve health outcomes when they are released." Actual incarceration, itself, is a stressor that may lead to coping behaviors like smoking or prompt conditions such as depression. Getting a better look at the relationship between stress and incarcerated people is fertile ground for a study, the team determined in their review. Substance use, such as alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine, is typically higher in incarcerated and released populations, as are HIV and Hepatitis C. Those factors play into cardiovascular disease risk and are understudied in this population, as well. And government and institutional policies regarding the management of all of these risk factors is one more area that presents opportunities for study, especially since "the post-release experience may be associated with changes in cardiovascular disease risk due to socioeconomic disadvantages" resulting from having a criminal record, according to the research team. Overall, Diez Roux points out that improving understanding in this population is an important public health issue stretching well beyond prisons and prisoners. "Because the incarcerated population is so large, and many prisoners re-enter the community at some point, protecting their health in the long run and ensuring that they have adequate health care during the transition is critical," she said. "This isn't just important for the ex-prisoners themselves, but also for their families and the communities that they re-enter, which also benefit from improved health and support in the re-entry population." ### WASHINGTON, DC (July, 25, 2017) -- A ten-fold increase in some types of bacteria living under the foreskin can increase a man's risk of HIV infection by up to 63 percent, according to a new study out today by researchers at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University (GW). This study, which was published in the journal mBio, shows for the first time that penile bacteria may be a previously unrecognized risk factor for HIV infection in men. In addition, the researchers suggest that this risk factor may be sexually transmissible. Earlier studies have linked the human microbiome -- that is, the collection of microbes living in and on the human body -- to a variety of health conditions, but little is known about the role of the penile microbiome as it relates to men's health. By examining the collection of bacteria living under the foreskin of men who either went on to become infected by HIV or remained HIV-negative, the researchers showed a connection between the amount of anaerobes -- bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environments -- and an increased risk of becoming infected by HIV. "This study is the first to suggest that the bacteria colonizing the penis can be an independent risk factor for HIV in men," says Cindy Liu, MD, MPH, PhD, first-author of the paper and an Assistant Research Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Milken Institute SPH. "Having more oxygen-intolerant bacteria was associated with increased HIV risk." Liu also serves as the chief medical officer of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at Milken Institute SPH. The researchers conducted this study using penile swabs collected from uncircumcised heterosexual men in Rakai, Uganda during a large, two-year clinical study. During the study, 46 men became infected with HIV (cases). To better understand how the penile microbiome differed between men who did and did not become HIV-infected during the trial, 136 men who remained HIV-uninfected during the two-year trial (controls) were also studied. Using molecular methods, researchers measured the abundance of penile bacteria living under the foreskin. They found that a ten-fold increase in four anaerobic bacteria -- Prevotella, Dialister, Finegoldia and Peptoniphilus -- correlated to a 54 to 63 percent increase in HIV risk. One potential way that the penile microbiome can increase HIV risk is by triggering production of immune factors that lure HIV target cells to the penis. The researchers found that having higher amounts of penile anaerobes was associated with higher production of biochemicals, called cytokines, capable of recruiting immune cells. "Immune cells are HIV's gateway to the human body. Our study suggests that some bacteria are triggering biochemical alarms that draw immune cells to the penis where they are more easily infected by HIV. With other pathogens this would be a good thing, because the immune cells could help fight infection, but in the case of HIV, it does just the opposite." says Lance Price, PhD, co-senior author and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Milken Institute SPH. The researchers hope that this study, and others like it, may lead to novel ways to protect both men and women from HIV infection. For example, it may be possible to selectively reduce the amount of anaerobic bacteria on the genitalia and thereby decrease immune cell recruitment and HIV infection. "All the work that we do is aimed at finding effective strategies to reduce HIV transmission. This work helps us understand how medical male circumcision reduces HIV-infection in men and points towards novel interventions to decrease HIV risk in the future," says Rupert Kaul, an infectious disease physician and the study's senior immunologist and a Professor at the University of Toronto. ### The study, "Penile anaerobic dysbiosis as a risk factor for HIV infection," was published July 25, 2017 in the scientific journal mBio. It was a multi-institution and international collaboration that included the Milken Institute SPH, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (Flagstaff, AZ), School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), Rakai Health Sciences Program (Entebbe, Uganda), Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) and the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada). Funding for this study was provided by from the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. About Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University: Established in July 1997 as the School of Public Health and Health Services, Milken Institute School of Public Health is the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,900 students from 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 50 countries pursue undergraduate, graduate and doctoral-level degrees in public health. The school also offers an online Master of Public Health, MPH@GW, and an online Executive Master of Health Administration, MHA@GW, which allow students to pursue their degree from anywhere in the world. Brain stimulation could be used to treat cognitive deficits frequently associated with schizophrenia, according to a new study from King's College London. There is currently a lack of effective treatments and an urgent need for new interventions to address these problems in short-term memory and decision making, which are often severely impaired in people with schizophrenia. This can make it difficult for them to ade-quately plan, sustain necessary focus and attention, and remember information, which has a significant impact on day-to-day life. These so-called cognitive deficits are not addressed by current antipsychotic medications, which only treat more widely recognised symptoms such as delusions and hallucina-tions. Researchers are therefore increasingly looking towards novel interventions and 'neuromodulation' has emerged as a promising new technique that can physically alter and improve the brain's functioning. In the study, published today in Brain, the researchers set out to use one particular form of neuromodulation - transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - to see if they could undo some of these cognitive deficits in 28 people with schizophrenia. tDCS applies a small, painless electrical current across the brain through two electrodes applied to the scalp. Previous research has shown that this can improve the 'plasticity' of brain cells, making them more amenable to new inputs or training; in other words, it may make it eas-ier for the brain to learn. The researchers applied tDCS with tasks which specifically tapped into 'working memory' and 'executive functioning': the principle was that 'training' the brain in regions that are typically poorly performing in schizophrenia would be enhanced by the brain stimulation technique. An improvement in cognitive performance was seen in those who had tDCS (and not in participants who received a 'sham' intervention), but only 24 hours after the brain stimulation was applied. This suggests that any changes in the brain and brain cells induced by neuromodulation may take some time to occur. The researchers also ran brain imaging analyses to determine what was happening in the brain as these changes occurred. They found that tDCS was linked with changes in brain activity in regions associated with working memory and executive functioning, as well as in the cerebellum, a part of the brain increasingly recognised as important in learning. Although an early study into neuromodulation and schizophrenia, this research is the first to suggest that tDCS could improve cognitive performance by changing activity in the brain. The study had a relatively limited sample size, so a larger, randomised controlled trial is now required to replicate these findings. Dr Natasza Orlov, first author from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, said: 'It's critical that we address some of the cognitive deficits seen in people with schizophrenia, as these determine how people do in real world settings, such as work and relationships. Anything that could positively address these could be incredibly helpful to our patients and their families.' Professor Sukhwinder Shergill, senior author from the IoPPN at King's College London, said: 'Our study is the first of its kind and confirms that tDCS may help with some aspects of cognitive deterioration in patients with schizophrenia. Given the lack of treatments in this area, this is enormously important. Our brain imaging data is also helping to under-stand how this is happening, which will support future research in this field.' ### MANHATTAN, KANSAS -- A large international team of researchers -- including Kansas State University scientists -- is turning to tiny particles to address big questions about dark matter, black holes and the origins of the universe. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or DUNE, aims to answer these questions by detecting and studying neutrinos. Friday, July 21, marked the construction groundbreaking of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, which will house DUNE. The neutrino facility will send particles 800 miles through the earth from Chicago to a mile-deep detector in South Dakota. Kansas State University researchers are involved in the organization of the project and are developing the experiment's high-voltage system. "On the national level, DUNE is the highest-priority project in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of High Energy Physics," said Tim Bolton, professor of physics. "It's important for us to engage with the international science community on groundbreaking projects like this." Bolton is serving on the leadership team that is organizing the experiment and Glenn Horton-Smith, professor of physics, is helping to develop the experiment's high-voltage system. Both Bolton and Horton-Smith are experts in experimental high energy and particle physics and have been involved since the early planning phases of DUNE. Other university researchers involved include Ajib Paudel, doctoral student in physics, Nepal; Heng-ye Liao, postdoctoral fellow in physics; and the Electronics Design Laboratory, led by engineers Tim Sobering and Russell Taylor. "This project lets us chart unexplored areas," Horton-Smith said. "We can gain knowledge in fundamental physics as well as the early universe." DUNE is a large international collaboration of about 1,000 scientists and engineers from 30 countries. DUNE's Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility involves two U.S. facilities: The U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois will send a beam of neutrinos 800 miles through the earth to the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. During the 10-year construction process, workers will excavate more than 800,000 tons of rock to create huge underground caverns for enormous particle detectors, which will enable researchers to study and understand neutrinos. Neutrinos are the most abundant matter particles in the universe, yet very little is known about their role in the evolution of the universe. Scientists will study the interactions neutrinos make with argon atoms to learn more about these elusive yet abundant particles. Kansas State University researchers are developing the high-voltage system for the detector at Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. The four-story detector will be nearly a mile underground and filled with liquid argon. The university researchers have designed a system that safely manages and distributes voltages of more than 100,000 volts and creates an equal electric field between the two large electrodes that make up the detector. The university researchers also have been involved in the construction of the high-voltage system, which has to be folded to fit into a small space and then unfolded while still maintaining electrical connections. "It's like building a ship in a bottle," Horton-Smith said. "It has involved a lot of engineering and physics to make sure that this design maintains a reliable connection during the construction process." To prepare for DUNE, the researchers are participating in a smaller prototype test currently being assembled at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, near Geneva. The university physicists have been involved in the design, testing, delivery and production of the high-voltage system for the prototype. The team will analyze prototype data and make design improvements before installing the real high-voltage system at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility during the later construction stages. When the neutrino facility is up and running, Bolton, Horton-Smith and the other university researchers hope that scientists learn more about the relationship between matter and antimatter. While everything is made of matter, its opposite partner -- antimatter -- is very rare and can only be created by high-energy physics. The DUNE research may help address a major physics puzzle: Why is the universe made of all matter when it could be an equal mixture of matter and antimatter? "It's a huge puzzle in understanding how the rules of physics apply to the very large scale," Bolton said. "This project is a long-term investment, but there are many benefits as you learn more about the fundamental ways that nature works." ### The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science in conjunction with CERN, the European laboratory for high energy physics, and international partners from 30 countries. Textbooks tell us that, in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses, the host plant supplies its fungal symbionts solely with sugars, in return for inorganic nutrients. New findings by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers now show that lipids are also on the menu. More than 80% of all land plants live in so-called arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses with fungi that colonize their root systems. The fungi take up inorganic nutrients from the soil -- mainly phosphate and nitrogen -- and pass them on to the plant. According to the prevailing view, the host provides its benefactors with energy-rich organic compounds -- specifically carbohydrates -- in return for this service. The research group of LMU biologist Caroline Gutjahr, in collaboration with research groups led by Peter Dormann (Bonn University), Wolfgang Eisenreich (Technical University of Munich) and her LMU colleague Martin Parniske, has now shown that the plant contributes more than just sugars to the relationship: It also delivers essential lipids to its fungal partner. The new findings appear in the prestigious online journal eLife. Lipids, i.e. fatty acids and their derivatives, are indispensable for the formation of biological membranes and also serve as energy storage compounds. As such, they are crucial for the survival of all organisms. "However, recent work has shown that at least some of the fungal partners in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses lack the genes for enzymes involved in the major pathway of lipid biosynthesis, and are therefore unable to produce certain essential fatty acids," Gutjahr explains. "In our study, we used two mutant strains of the model plant Lotus japonicus to investigate whether the host plant actively makes up for this deficiency." L. japonicus is a member of the Leguminosae, the plant family to which clover, peas, beans and lentils also belong. Each of the mutants isolated by Gutjahr's team is defective in a gene that plays an important role in the synthesis of fatty acids and phospholipid biosynthesis. Strikingly, these strains harbor significantly lower amounts of mycorrhizal fungal colonization than their wild-type counterparts. In particular, the highly branched tree-like fungal structures, called arbuscules, normally found inside cells of the host root -- which are required for nutrient exchange - remain underdeveloped. Comparative analyses of the range of fatty acids and lipids present in the infected roots of the wild-type and mutant hosts revealed that certain fungus-specific fatty acids are either missing or their levels are drastically reduced in the colonized roots of mutant L. japonicus strains. "This suggested that fungal symbionts that colonize plants which are deficient in lipid biosynthesis suffer from a lack of essential lipids," says Andreas Keymer, a PhD student in Gutjahr's group and first author of the new study. Subsequent labeling experiments using the stable carbon isotope 13C demonstrated that wild-type L. japonicus hosts indeed directly provide the fungus with the required lipids. In other words, these are not synthesized by the fungus from the carbon skeletons of the sugars delivered by the host. The researchers assume that the fungus utilizes the lipids from the plant primarily for the rapid growth of the extensive and highly ramified hyphal networks outside the root it uses for the uptake of minerals from the soil. Also spore formation requires large amounts of these compounds probably because the spores need to store lots of lipids to support new germination and growth of fungal filaments (hyphae) that first need to reach a new root before they have access to plant lipids again. Gutjahr and her team will now focus on elucidating how the lipids synthesized by the plant are transported to the symbiont. "In addition, it is also important to determine the ratio of sugars and lipids made available to the fungus," she says. Since lipid synthesis is more costly than carbohydrate production, this parameter has a bearing on the total amount of energy invested by the plant in the maintenance of the symbiosis. A better understanding of the role of lipid biosynthesis in this type of symbiosis could therefore help to select host plants that can make optimal use of their relationship with their fungal partners, which can be a benefit to sustainable agriculture. ### Bacteria has a formidable enemy in Wonpil Im. As researchers race against bacteria's growing resistance to antibiotics, Im is fighting back by accelerating knowledge about how antibiotics permeate bacterial membranes and target it for destruction. His weapon: computational biophysics. Im, Presidential Endowed Chair in Health and Professor of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering at Lehigh University, is a pioneer in the development of new computer-aided biophysics methods. Biophysics aims to examine the processes in biological systems using the laws of physics and its measurement methods. He has been integral to the development of CHARMM-GUI an open-source tool that enables researchers throughout the world to generate simulations of complex biomolecular systems more simply and more precisely than previously possible. The National Science Foundation's Advances in Bio Informatics program is providing funding support for the maintenance and expansion of the web-based interface. On June 29, 2017, Im was awarded a prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award by the Humboldt Foundation to support his antibiotic research with two collaborators from Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany: Dr. Ulrich Kleinekathofer, Professor in Theoretical Physics, and biophysicist Prof. Dr. Mathias Winterhalter. The project will use computational biophysics to model bacterial membrane channels and the transport of molecules, in particular antibiotic molecules, by proteins. Im will use a specialized CHARMM-GUI module to build a simulation of Gram-negative bacteria's complex outer membrane. "With the foundation awarding only 20 Bessel Research Awards each year, the award is evidence of Wonpil's accomplishments in the field and his international colleagues' eagerness to work with him," said Alan J. Snyder, Lehigh's vice president and associate provost for research and graduate studies. Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics than Gram-positive bacteria because of their impenetrable cell wall made up of both an inner and outer membrane. Diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria include cholera, typhoid, meningitis and various kinds of gastrointestinal distresses, including Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli. "The work we are doing is aligned with one of the top drug development priorities identified by the European Commission's 'New Drugs for Bad Bugs' initiative: translocation, which focuses on understanding the molecular basis of bacterial cell wall permeability. Of particular concern is how antibiotic substances are transported across bacterial cell walls into the pathogens with the help of highly specialized transport proteins," says Im. "We don't really know the mechanics of how molecules penetrate the outer bacterial membrane. By understanding this process thoroughly, researchers could more easily predict what kinds of molecular structures could target specific bacterial proteins and kill the cell." Im's group recently figured out how to use lipopolysaccharide, a simple phospholipid, to mimic the outer membrane of E. coli. It was the first major step for his lab to simulate a Gram-negative pathogen for drug discovery. Im's CHARMM-GUI can model lipopolysaccharide structures' various bacteria in less than 10 minutes. Im's ultimate goal is to model complex biomolecular systems that will further scientific understanding of the structure and functions of 10 different superbugs. CHARMM-GUI is designed to advance such understanding. "I hope that widespread access to this free graphical user interface will enable researchers worldwide to model any number of bacterial cells efficiently, pushing the boundaries of our modeling capabilities and leading to a greater understanding of how these complex systems actually work." ### Aging black men are at much greater risk of dying prematurely of colorectal cancer than any other group in the United States, and are less likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed at an early stage of the disease. Now a new study finds that patients who enrolled for screening through patient navigator programs at local barbershops were twice as likely to get screened for colorectal cancer. The new clinical trial was led by the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health and published recently in the American Journal of Public Health. It is the first, say the authors, to evaluate patient navigation--in which healthcare staff guide patients toward colorectal cancer screening in a timely fashion--in a familiar community setting. Unlike the newly published MISTER B study (the Multi-intervention study to Improve colorectal cancer Screening and To Enhance Risk reduction in Black men), most prior studies of programs that link black men to patient navigators for colon cancer prevention have based themselves at clinics. Specifically, the researchers found that participants who received help from the navigators in MISTER B were twice as likely to get screened as those who did not receive a patient navigator. "Black men are less likely than the general population to be insured and to have a personal doctor, which is why we went beyond the clinic and to the community," said Joseph Ravenell, MD, MPH, the principal investigator of the study and associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone's Center for Healthful Behavior Change. "Barbershops in particular hold special appeal for community-based intervention trials, are popular forums for open conversation, and could be leveraged to lessen the death rate from colorectal cancer in black men." How the MISTER B Study Was Conducted From late 2009 to late 2013, community health workers visited 111 interested barbershops in all five boroughs of New York City and screened 4,025 black male customers or nearby residents aged 50 or older for eligibility based on whether they were up-to-date for colorectal screening. The study then enrolled 731 men in one of three groups. The first group was paired with a patient navigator who helped them address barriers to setting up a colorectal screening. These included a lack of insurance coverage and a lack of knowledge about the need for screening, available options, and screening locations. The second group, which was the control group, received motivational interviewing intervention for blood pressure control by a trained counselor. The third group received both interventions. Researchers then reviewed health education materials published by the American Cancer Society addressing colorectal cancer screening and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on high blood pressure self-management with all participants. Those randomized to the patient navigation intervention received follow-up phone calls from patient navigators within two weeks and then periodically over the course of six months to help them schedule a colonoscopy, or choose another type of screening for colorectal cancer. Participants who preferred fecal immunochemical test screening were sent a kit and instructions by mail, and received follow-up calls from the navigator to confirm the testing. Six months after enrollment, 17.5 percent of men who were enrolled in the patient navigation arm, and 17.8 percent of men who got both patient navigation and motivational interviewing were screened for colorectal cancer, compared to 8.4 percent of those who got no extra support for colorectal cancer screening. The participants faced several challenges in getting adequate healthcare, according to study findings. Only 60 percent had a personal physician, and only 40 percent had received a checkup within the past year. Many were uninsured and had low health literacy. The median salary was $16,726--an income low enough in New York City to make someone eligible for housing assistance. Almost one-third had less than a high school education, and nearly one-half were unemployed. "Although previous studies have shown that patient navigation improves colorectal cancer screening among ethnic minorities in clinical settings, our study is the first of this scale to look at a community approach," said Helen Cole, DrPH, first author and a former project coordinator at NYU Langone, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques in Barcelona, Spain. "These findings add to the growing body of evidence that healthcare systems should expand their work in trusted community spaces to reach those who might not be seen in a clinical setting." ### Along with Dr. Ravenell and Dr. Cole, the study authors were Hayley Thompson, PhD, of the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program in Communication and Behavioral Oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute; Marilyn White, MD, and Ruth Browne, PhD, of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH, and Scott Braithwaite, MD, MS, of the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine; Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH, of the Departments of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; and Carla Boutin-Foster, MD, MS, of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluative Sciences at Weill Cornell Medical Center. WASHINGTON -- An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) demonstrated that monolayer 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) -- atomically thin semiconductors -- undergo a change from semiconductor-to-metallic phase when exposed to airborne chemical vapors. The team validated optical and electronic evidence of the phase transition and how the behavior can be used to create an entirely new class of chemical vapor sensors. This new class of instruments are potentially more sensitive than current state-of-the-art models, and selective to specific nerve agents and explosive compounds which are of great concern on today's battlefields. Since the discovery in 2004-2005 that single monolayer films of TMDs can be isolated from bulk materials due to the weak interlayer bonding of atoms, known as van der Waals bonding, these materials continue to reveal new and remarkable behaviors and properties. "These materials are extremely promising for chemical vapor sensing applications because the inherent few-atom-thickness of the material greatly enhances their sensitivity to even the smallest surface disturbance," said Dr. Adam L. Friedman, research physicist, Material Science and Technology Division. "Apart from the immediate interest to basic research, as this particular method of creating of phase transition in TMDs has never been observed or explored before, it has great potential application in a new type of phase-based, multifunctional chemical vapor sensor." Monolayer TMDs offer possible advances in technology over current material models, which pave the way for inexpensive, flexible, high-performance devices that exploit their unique surface-dominated functionality. Chemically abbreviated as MX2, where M is a transition metal and X is a chalocogen, the monolayer TMDs include insulators, semiconductors, metals and other types of materials, and include a variety of properties not observed in their bulk material equivalents. Certain films respond selectively through a charge transfer process to a class of analytes that includes nerve agents, such as venomous agent X (VX), A microscopic quantity of analyte lying on the surface of the TMD acts as an electron donor and local reducing agent, which measurably affects the conductance of the film. The NRL team hypothesized that certain strong electron donor chemical analytes, like those relevant for sensing certain nerve agents and explosives, can also provide enough charge transfer to the TMD to achieve a phase change. To test their hypothesis, the researchers exposed monolayer TMD films to strong electron donor chemical vapor analytes and monitored them for their conductance and optical response. They found that the conductance response of their devices ceased after moderate exposure and the overall magnitude of the conductance abruptly increased significantly that moment, which signaled a phase change. The optical response also corroborated a phase change. Friedman said, "We assembled an exceptionally large data set that included multiple methods of measuring these types of films and concluded that the behavior that we observed is not due to doping and is most likely due to partial, localized phase changes in the areas of the TMD film where weakly adsorbed analyte transfers charge to the lattice." This newly discovered behavior opens up an entirely new possibility for low-power, flexible, versatile chemical vapor sensor devices. If the phase transition can be harnessed to directly sense strong electron donor analytes it will create an entirely new chemical vapor-sensing model. It will allow passive-type optical measurements to be combined with, or used separately from, active conductance measurements to identify analyte vapors all with the same device and be used as the operating mechanism for a new method to identify chemical compounds and the presence of dangerous vapor. Previous studies of similar diffusionless phase changes have shown speeds in the nanosecond range, and the envisioned devices will also be fast, which will exceed the state-of-the art in detection speed. Because the amount of charge necessary to induce a phase change in each TMD material is different, a suite of concurrently sensing TMD materials will allow various strength electron donors/acceptors to be detected and even identified with the necessary redundancy to minimize error. Due to their low space requirements and expense, these sensors can also easily be combined with current sensors to create an even more versatile instrument for current Department of Defense (DoD) platforms. ### The research team includes Drs. Adam L. Friedman and Aubrey T. Hanbicki of the Materials Science and Technology Division and Drs. F. Keith Perkins, Glenn G. Jernigan, James C. Culbertson, and Paul M. Campbell of the Electronics Science and Technology Division. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) provided funding for the research and the results are reported in the June 2017 issue of Nature Publishing Group's Scientific Reports (DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-04224-4) and in a provisional patent. Researchers built model with a fundamental tradeoff of policing tactics in mind Combing through stop and frisk data, researchers highlight vast racial disparities Paper studies model based on confrontational proactive policing methods EVANSTON, Ill. --- Citizens depend on police to provide public safety while maintaining the trust of the community. How can democratic societies balance these two, often conflicting, aims -- given citizens' often divergent views over basic tenets of criminal justice policy? In a newly published article, Northwestern University economist Charles F. Manski and his co-author, Carnegie Mellon University criminologist Daniel S. Nagin, outline a "formal model of optimal policing" that can be used to resolve tensions between public safety and community trust -- and that also can help a public that is prone to privileging one over the other, depending on the circumstances, to keep both in mind. "In our view, dispassionate evaluation of policing tactics is the best way to both honor and achieve the sometimes conflicting objectives of crime-control policy in a democratic society," the authors wrote. Nagin and Manski, the Board of Trustees Professor in Economics and a fellow with Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research, aimed to create a cost-benefit model that expresses the social benefits and costs of proactive crime-prevention strategies. They built their model with a fundamental tradeoff of policing tactics in mind: How much does a tactic reduce crime and how much does it interfere with innocent people's lives? And how much does it have a disproportionate impact across racial and ethnic groups? While police use many tactics to prevent crime, from actively arresting suspects to passively stationing a driverless patrol car in a high-crime area, the authors investigate those that involve direct interaction with the public. Taking the example of the widely used confrontational tactic of "stop, question, and frisk" (SQF), an investigative procedure where an officer stops and questions an individual and then searches him or her, the researchers assume that such confrontational police tactics deter crime but also invade individual privacy the more they are used. In the case of Chicago, they find that rates of violent crime, which had been steadily decreasing since 2003, began increasing in 2016. Homicide rates increased by 54 percent over 2015, mainly in the city's poor, mostly African-American neighborhoods. Manski and Nagin's model suggests that the choice of a police response should be attuned to the reason behind this upsurge in violence. If it is, as some claim, due to an increase in gang violence, then their model suggests that an increase in the use of SQF might help lower homicide rates. In this case, they conjecture that the benefits of more intense police tactics might outweigh the costs of such enforcement on innocents. If, however, one attributes the increase in homicides to decreased non-confrontational police presence in these same neighborhoods following protests in the wake of the 2014 Laquan McDonald shooting, then a different solution should apply. In this case, they suggest that the police should return to their previous levels of presence in the community without enhancing their use of confrontational tactics. Combing through data on the use of SQF in New York City, Manski and Nagin also highlight vast racial disparities. Of the nearly 5 million police stops that took place in the city between 2002 and 2013, 88 percent were "innocent," where no arrest or summons took place. Within these, one sees wide racial, ethnic and age disparities. In particular, young black men accounted for nearly 25 percent of all innocent stops, yet they represented less than 2 percent of the city's population. Manski and Nagin point out in the article that what constitutes an "optimal solution" across all demographic groups might result in groups of winners and losers, as the "net benefits of reduced victimization minus enforcement cost experienced" for a particular group are either positive or negative. "It seems likely that older people and whites have been net beneficiaries," Manski said, citing an example. "Young black males who did not commit crimes but were relatively often subjected to confrontational tactics may have been made worse off on net." Manski also underscored that to start, he and Nagin deliberately constructed a simple model that isolated a specific crime in a specific neighborhood, but they will seek to generalize their model to contend with the more complex reality of multiple criminal acts, locations and potential interactions. "An essential task to make the model more useful for analyzing confrontational policing tactics is to better assess how the members of our democratic society weigh the benefits in crime reduction relative to the costs in intrusion on privacy," Manski said. "Assessing benefits, costs, and disparate racial impacts of confrontational proactive policing" published July 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ### New insights into causes of cachexia in cancer patients "Our goal is to know more about what happens in cancer patients who develop rapid and severe weight loss," says Geir Bjrky, a professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Doctors have known about this serious complication affecting cancer patients for a long time. The ancient Greeks called it cachexia, meaning "bad condition." Many cancer patients develop cachexia. An estimated 20 to 30 per cent of those with the condition may die of it and not from their tumors. For many of these cancer patients, reduced food intake cannot explain the weight loss and it cannot be reversed by eating more. The results from this research have recently been published in the journal Nature Science Report, and the researchers hope these results can help affected patients. Inflammation is a factor Since cachexia is a serious condition common in cancer patients and as a "side effect" of many other life-threatening diseases, researchers have been trying to find the underlying causes in order to develop possible treatment. Although cachexia has long been recognized as an adverse effect of cancer, medical doctors and researchers still don't fully understand what is happening in these patients, Bjrky says. Based on numerous and varied studies, we know that this disturbance in the body's metabolism is due to systemic inflammatory reactions. In cancer patients, it is known that cancer cells or tumors trigger this immune response, because the condition can disappear if the tumor is removed. Unfortunately, tumors often cannot be removed, and researchers would like to find other strategies to prevent this wasting condition from developing in the first place. Muscles disappear Cachexia is characterized by a specific type of weight loss where muscle mass breaks down. This muscle loss can occur with or without a loss of fat. In normal weight reduction, fat degrades before muscle proteins do. Bjrky's research has therefore specifically addressed two questions: First, what substances do cancer cells or tumors secrete that trigger muscle mass loss? And second, what process is activated in the muscle that causes muscle mass loss? Since researchers haven't known which process was being triggered, it has been challenging to determine the stimulating factor or factors. Two processes Two main processes break down proteins in our body's cells: proteasomes and lysosomes. Proteasomes are small tubes containing enzymes. Single proteins can be unfolded and threaded down into the proteasomes like strands from a ball of yarn. The protein strand is then cut into small pieces (peptides) and single amino acids that are released from the tube and reused. The capacity of this destruction system appears to be limited. Lysosomes, by contrast, have a great capacity to degrade biomolecules, both materials taken up from the cell's outer surface and from inside the cells. Lysosomes are small spherical vesicles inside our cells that are full of digestive enzymes. Several hundred of these small digestive vesicles can exist inside each cell. Lysosome membranes need to be intact so that the digestive enzymes don't leak out. When lysosomes degrade components from the inside the cell, the process is called autophagy, or "self-devouring." Attacks itself Bjrky and his colleagues' hypothesis was that the loss of muscle mass in cachexia patients was due to increased cell autophagy. This hypothesis would mean that the accelerated autophagy should come from factors that the cancer cells or tumours secrete and that distribute throughout the body. After analyzing blood samples from several hundred cancer patients and healthy donors, the researchers found that the blood samples from cancer patients can contain autophagic stimuling compounds that may be associated with weight loss in patients. Cultured cancer cells were found to do the same thing - they secreted compounds that stimulated autophagy in other cells, including muscle cells. Then researchers discovered that the cancer cells were also secreting the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and that this factor itself accelerates autophagy in other cells. The experiments also showed that a special form of IL-6 signalling can induce autophagy in many different cells in the body. May be important for treatment The findings may be important for future treatment of cancer patients affected by weight loss, because new drugs are available that can block uncontrolled IL-6 signalling between cells in the body. Alternatively, the results suggest that weight loss can be reduced by autophagy inhibitors like chloroquine, which has long been used to treat malaria. ### NTNU's Centre for Molecular Inflammation Research and the university's Faculty of Natural Sciences led the research for this study in close collaboration with researchers and clinicians from St. Olavs Hospital, Haukeland University Hospital/UiB, Edinburgh and Switzerland. The study also used tests from the Nord-Trndelag Health Study (HUNT), and collaborated closely with researchers in the international pharmaceutical company Novartis in Basel. Reference: Cancer cachexia associates with a systemic autophagy-inducing activity mimicked by cancer cell-derived IL-6 trans-signaling. Kristine Pettersen, Sonja Andersen, Simone Degen, Valentina Tadini, Joel Grosjean, Shinji Hatakeyama, Almaz N. Tesfahun, Siver Moestue, Jana Kim, Unni Nonstad, Pal R. Romundstad, Frank Skorpen, Sveinung Srhaug, Tore Amundsen, Bjrn H. Grnberg, Florian Strasser, Nathan Stephens, Dag Hoem, Anders Molven, Stein Kaasa, Kenneth Fearon, Carsten Jacobi & Geir Bjrky. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 2046 (2017) doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02088-2 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02088-2 Scientists from Princeton University's Department of Molecular Biology have successfully tested a cell-culture system that will allow researchers to perform laboratory-based studies of long-term hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. The technique, which is described in a paper published July 25 in the journal Nature Communications, will aid the study of viral persistence and accelerate the development of antiviral drugs to cure chronic hepatitis B, a condition that affects over 250 million people worldwide and can cause severe liver disease, including liver cancer. HBV specifically infects the liver by binding to a protein called sodium-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) that is only present on the surface of liver cells. Once inside the cell, HBV hijacks its host's cellular machinery to convert the virus's DNA into a stable "mini-chromosome." This allows the virus to establish persistent, long-term infections that can ultimately cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The World Health Organization estimates that 600,000 people die every year as a result of HBV infection. Researchers have so far failed to develop drugs that can cure chronic HBV infections, partly because they have not been able to study the long-term infection of liver cells grown in the laboratory. Liver cells--also known as hepatocytes--lose their function within days of being isolated from donor livers, preventing researchers from studying anything other than the acute stage of HBV infection. Hepatocytes can be maintained for longer when they are co-cultured with other, supportive cells. "In previous studies using hepatocytes and cells known as fibroblasts grown on micro-patterned surfaces, HBV infections worked with only a few donors, and infection lasted for no longer than 14-19 days and required the suppression of antiviral cell signaling pathways, which poses problems for studying host-cell responses to HBV and for antiviral drug testing," said Alexander Ploss, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University. Dr. Ploss and colleagues at Princeton and the Hurel Corporation, led by graduate student Benjamin Winer, tested a different system, in which primary human hepatocytes are co-cultured with non-parenchymal stromal cells, which are cells that support the function of the parenchymal hepatocytes in the liver. When plated in collagen-coated labware, the co-cultures self-assemble into liver-like structures. These self-assembling liver-like cultures could be persistently infected with HBV for over 30 days, without the aid of antiviral signaling inhibitors. Moreover, the system worked with hepatocytes grown from a variety of donors and with viruses isolated from chronically-infected patients, which are harder to work with than lab-grown strains of HBV. "The establishment of a co-culturing system of human primary hepatocytes and non-parenchymal stromal cells for extended HBV infection is a valuable addition to the armamentarium of cell culture model systems for the study of HBV biology and therapeutic development, which has been hampered by a relative lack of efficient infectious cell culture systems," said T. Jake Liang, a senior investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, who was not involved in the research. Ploss and colleagues were able to scale down their co-culture infections to volumes as small as a few hundred microliters. This will be important for future high-throughput screens for anti-HBV drug candidates. As a proof-of-principle for these screens, the researchers found that they could block HBV infections in their co-culture system using drugs that either prevent the virus' entry into hepatocytes or inhibit a viral enzyme that is essential for the virus' replication. "The platform presented here may aid the identification and testing of novel therapeutic regimens," Ploss said. ### This study is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R21AI117213 to Alexander Ploss and R37GM086868 to Tom W. Muir), a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Award for Investigators in Pathogenesis (to Alexander Ploss) and funds from Princeton University (to Alexander Ploss). Benjamin Y. Winer is a recipient of F31 NIH/NRSA Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral awarded from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Felix Wojcik is supported by a German Research Foundation (DFG) postdoctoral fellowship. The study, "Long-term hepatitis B infection in a scalable hepatic co-culture system," by Benjamin Y. Winer, Tiffany S. Huang, Eitan Pludwinski, Brigitte Heller, Felix Wojcik, Gabriel E. Lipkowitz, Amit Parekh, Cheul Cho, Anil Shrirao, Tom W. Muir, Eric Novik, Alexander Ploss, was published in Nature Communications on July 25, 2017. Arlington, Va. - July 25, 2017 - An overwhelming majority of Americans (86%) agree that health care professionals should discuss clinical trials with patients diagnosed with a disease as part of their standard of care, according to a new national public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America. And three-quarters of respondents (75%) agree that taking part in clinical trials is as valuable to our health care system as giving blood. But Americans are split on whether it's important for everyone to take part in a clinical trial if they are asked -- 44% agree while 45% disagree and 12% are not sure. A higher percentage (74%) said they would participate if they are asked by someone they trust. Eighty-percent of respondents say they have heard of a clinical trial, but only 18% say they or someone in their family has ever participated in one. More than half (55%) say individuals do not participate because of lack of awareness and information, followed by "too risky" (43%), lack of information about the process (41%), and lack of trust (38%). Nearly two-thirds (64%) say a doctor or health care provider is a reliable source for clinical trial information. Americans say doctors and other health care providers (44%), followed by the government (23%) have the greatest responsibility in educating the public about clinical trials, but a strong majority (74%) say neither their doctor nor other health care professional has ever talked to them about medical research. A plurality of Americans (44%) agree that clinical trial participation should be a routine health behavior, whether healthy or ill, similar to getting an annual checkup with a health care provider. Men are significantly more likely to say participation should be routine (48%) than do women (39%). A larger percentage of 18 - 29 year olds (53%) and 30 -- 49 year olds (48%) agree compared to those 50 - 64 (38%) and 65 and above (34%). The findings reveal a positive shift in public attitudes about clinical trials since a similar comprehensive survey was commissioned in 2013 by Research!America and partners. In the current survey, 37% of Americans say they would 'very likely' participate in a clinical trial if their doctor recommended, an 11% increase from 2013. Eighty-four percent are willing to share personal health information, assuming that appropriate privacy protections are in place, so researchers can better understand diseases and develop new ways to prevent, treat and cure them, a 10% increase, and 82% say they would share information to advance medical research, a 9% increase. When asked how much you admire people who volunteer for clinical trials, 46% said 'a great deal,' a 9% boost. "More and more Americans appear to recognize the value of clinical trials - a very positive sign, but stubborn barriers to participation remain in place" said Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America. "Development of incentives to drive more discussions between patients and health care professionals about the importance of participating in trials could encourage both ill and healthy individuals to view this as a routine health behavior." The results also indicate a willingness to tap into digital platforms for data sharing. A majority (72%) say they are likely to use technology such as apps, phones and monitoring devices to share their personal health data for clinical research. And nearly half (47%) say they like having clinical trial information/data/results delivered through their phone. A strong majority (88%) agree that participants should have access to results of clinical trials. "We are pleased to have joined with Research!America in commissioning this important survey," said Doug Peddicord, executive director of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), "and gratified that the public's knowledge of and attitudes toward clinical trials have moved in positive directions since 2013. The option to participate in a clinical trial, when appropriate, should be a routine part of the health care encounter and ACRO will continue to work with Research!America and others to spread that message to doctors and patients alike." The survey contains significant insights on factors important to clinical trial participation including competence and reputation of people or the institution conducting the research (91%); closely followed by opportunity to improve your own health and understanding potential risks and benefits (90%); whether you would have medical bills covered if you had an injury from the study (89%); the opportunity to improve the health of others (87%); having an expert guide you through the clinical trials process and the location of the clinical trial is easily accessible (86%). Among other findings: Ninety-percent agree that clinical trials are important to advancing science; and 87% agree clinical trials are important to improving our nation's health. More than half (53%) say the federal government should provide tax incentives to companies to encourage them to conduct clinical trials in the U.S. rather than in other countries. Nearly half (46%) say they are concerned that most medications approved by FDA for use in America are tested in other countries as well as in the U.S. - 38% say they are not concerned and 16% say they are not sure. The nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults was conducted by Zogby Analytics for Research!America and the Association of Clinical Research Organizations in July 2017. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points. To view the survey, click here. ### About Research!America surveys Research!America began commissioning surveys in 1992 in an effort to understand public support for medical, health and scientific research. The results of Research!America's surveys have proven invaluable to our alliance of member organizations and, in turn, to the fulfillment of our mission to make research to improve health a higher national priority. In response to growing usage and demand, Research!America has expanded its portfolio, which includes state, national and issue-specific polling. http://www.researchamerica.org. About Research!America Research!America is the nation's largest nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit http://www.researchamerica.org. Almost 1.2 million violent crimes - homicide, sexual assault, assault, and robbery - were committed in the United States in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. A new study has found that violent crime changes youth's sleep patterns the night immediately following the crime and changes patterns of the stress hormone cortisol the following day. Both may then disrupt academic performance in students. The study was conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, New York University, and DePaul University. It appears in the journal Child Development. "Past research has found a link between violent crimes and performance on tests, but researchers haven't been able to say why crime affects academic performance," explains Jennifer A. Heissel, a PhD graduate in human development and sociology at Northwestern University, who led the study. "Both sleep and cortisol are connected to the ability to learn and perform academic tasks; our study identifies a pathway by which violent crime may get under the skin to affect academic performance." The study did so by examining the causal pathways involved with sleep and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates the body's response to stress. Researchers tracked the sleep and stress hormones of 82 youth (ages 11 to 18) in a large Midwestern city who attended public schools that were racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse. The students filled out daily diaries over four days, wore activity-tracking watches that measured sleep, and had their saliva tested three times a day to check for cortisol. Researchers also collected information on all the violent crimes reported to the police in the city during the study, including which youth had a violent crime occur in his or her neighborhood. For each youth, researchers compared the students' sleep on the nights following a violent crime to their sleep on nights when there were no violent crimes committed nearby. They also compared students' stress hormones (cortisol) on days following a violent crime to their stress hormones on days when there were no violent crimes committed nearby. Among the findings: Youth went to sleep later on nights when a violent crime occurred near their home, often resulting in fewer total hours of sleep. In addition, the increase in youth's cortisol levels the morning after a crime occurred nearby the day before was larger than on mornings following no crime the previous day, a pattern that previous research suggests might reflect the body's anticipation of more stress the day following a crime. The changes in sleep and cortisol were largest when the crime committed the previous day was homicide, moderate for assault and sexual assault, and nonexistent for robbery. "The results of our research have several implications for policy," suggests Emma Adam, professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University, who also conducted the study. "They provide a link between violent crime and several mechanisms known to affect cognitive performance. They also may help explain why some low-income youth living in high-risk neighborhoods sleep less than higher-income youth. And they suggest that although programs to reduce violent crime may be the best policy solution, schools could also provide students with programs or methods to cope with their response to stressful events like nearby violent crimes." ### The study was supported by the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University and the National Institutes of Health. Summarized from Child Development, Violence and Vigilance: The Acute Effects of Community Violent Crime on Sleep and Cortisol by Heissel, JA (Northwestern University), Sharkey, PT (New York University), Torrats-Espinosa, G (New York University), Grant, K (DePaul University), and Adam, EK (Northwestern University). Copyright 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved. Meta-analysis finds that among men from North America, Europe and Australia, sperm concentration has declined more than 50 percent in less than 40 years, pointing to impaired male health and decreasing fertility In the first systematic review and meta-analysis of trends in sperm count, researchers from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report a significant decline in sperm concentration and total sperm count among men from Western countries. The study [under embargo until July 25 at 1 pm EDT] is published today in Human Reproduction Update, the leading journal in the fields of Reproductive Biology and Obstetrics & Gynecology. By screening 7,500 studies and conducting a meta-regression analysis on 185 studies between 1973 and 2011, the researchers found a 52.4 percent decline in sperm concentration, and a 59.3 percent decline in total sperm count, among men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who were not selected based on their fertility status. In contrast, no significant decline was seen in South America, Asia and Africa, where far fewer studies have been conducted. The study also indicates the rate of decline among Western men is not decreasing: the slope was steep and significant even when analysis was restricted to studies with sample collection between 1996 and 2011. The research was led by Dr. Hagai Levine, Head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, with Dr. Shanna H Swan, Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and an international team of researchers from Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Spain and the United States. While declines in sperm count have been reported since 1992, the question has remained controversial because of limitations in past studies. However, the current study uses a broader scope and rigorous meta-regression methods, conservatively addresses the reliability of study estimates, and controls for factors that might help explain the decline such as age, abstinence time, and selection of the study population. "Given the importance of sperm counts for male fertility and human health, this study is an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count, with the goal of prevention," said Dr. Hagai Levine, the lead author and Head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine. The findings have important public health implications. First, these data demonstrate that the proportion of men with sperm counts below the threshold for subfertility or infertility is increasing. Moreover, given the findings from recent studies that reduced sperm count is related to increased morbidity and mortality, the ongoing decline points to serious risks to male fertility and health. "Decreasing sperm count has been of great concern since it was first reported twenty-five years ago. This definitive study shows, for the first time, that this decline is strong and continuing. The fact that the decline is seen in Western countries strongly suggests that chemicals in commerce are playing a causal role in this trend," Dr. Shanna H Swan, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. While the current study did not examine causes of the observed declines, sperm count has previously been plausibly associated with environmental and lifestyle influences, including prenatal chemical exposure, adult pesticide exposure, smoking, stress and obesity. Therefore, sperm count may sensitively reflect the impact of the modern environment on male health across the lifespan and serve as a "canary in the coal mine" signaling broader risks to male health. ### The Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine is the first school of public health in Israel and one of five schools within the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine. Since 1961, both in Israel and internationally, the Braun School, which is APHEA accredited, has improved the physical, mental and social well-being of populations, trained a public health workforce for the challenges of today and the future, conducted public health research, and made an impact on health services and policy. The School's renowned International Master's in Public Health (IMPH) program prepares graduates to take up key positions as leaders and teachers of public health in their home countries. Researchers who participated in this study are affiliated with Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and the Hebrew University Center of Excellence in Agriculture and Environmental Health, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, and Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; University Department of Growth and Reproduction, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Physiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil; Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Murcia School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. July 25, 2017 (PARIS) -- A new study has shown that infusion of a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) in virally suppressed, early treated volunteers was associated with a modestly delayed rebound of HIV after interruption of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study, the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate this effect of VRC01, was led by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre. MHRP presented findings from the study today at the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Paris, France. The study, called RV397, is part of a portfolio of MHRP's HIV remission research that seeks to find treatments to suppress the virus without a need for lifelong ART. Researchers evaluated the use of VRC01 in a small cohort of Thai men who were diagnosed and initiated ART within the first month of HIV infection, and who had been virally suppressed for about three years. "This is the first time that the VRC01 antibody has been evaluated in people who started ART during acute HIV infection," said Dr. Trevor Crowell, the MHRP research physician who presented the findings. "We hypothesized that VRC01 might be more effective at suppressing HIV in the bloodstream of these volunteers than had been observed in people who started ART during the chronic phase of infection. These volunteers had a smaller HIV reservoir and less viral diversity, meaning they were less likely to have pre-existing resistance to the antibody." Thirteen volunteers with undetectable viral loads were randomized into an intervention group that received VRC01, a broadly neutralizing antibody that inhibits multiple strains of HIV by adhering to the CD4 binding site on the virus. Five volunteers were randomized into a placebo group. Volunteers received infusions at the time of ART interruption and every three weeks thereafter, up to 24 weeks. If virus was detected in their blood, the infusions were stopped and ART restarted. There was a delay in viral load rebound in people who received VRC01, which occurred at a median of 26 days versus 14 days in the placebo group. Seventeen of the 18 volunteers experienced viral rebound and reinitiated ART. One participant who received VRC01 was virally suppressed for 42 weeks post-treatment interruption, however within the last few days his viral load has become detectable. "Although the delayed time to viral load rebound with VRC01 seen here is likely not clinically significant, it taught us two important lessons," said Dr. Jintanat Ananworanich, Associate Director for Therapeutics Research at MHRP. "It provides the basis for future studies in early treated people with combination bNAbs of higher potency, and we can now investigate the samples from this study to identify factors that might have contributed to the delay in rebound." This is one of several functional cure studies MHRP is conducting in its acute infection cohort, RV254/SEARCH010, which is a collaboration with the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre to identify acutely infected individuals and place them onto ART immediately. Researchers have found that this very early initiation of ART results in immune restoration and a very small or undetectable reservoir of HIV DNA. ### IAS Oral Abstract Tuesday, July 25, 2:30-4:00 pm: Dr. Trevor Crowell, "HIV-Specific Broadly-Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody, VRC01, Minimally Impacts Time to Viral Rebound Following Treatment Interruption in Virologically-Suppressed, HIV-Infected Participants who Initiated Antiretroviral Therapy during Acute HIV Infection" Funding This work was supported by a cooperative agreement (W81XWH-07-2-0067) between the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). This research was also funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. About MHRP The U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research conducts research to develop an effective HIV vaccine and integrates prevention, treatment, diagnosis and monitoring as part of a global effort to protect troops and reduce the impact of HIV worldwide. MHRP has six clinical research sites in the US, Africa and Asia. The program successfully collaborates on HIV prevention care and treatment services, funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with African militaries and in the communities where it conducts research. For more information, visit http://www.hivresearch.org or find MHRP on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/hivresearch, and Twitter at @MHRPInfo. A new discovery by University of Bristol scientists helps to explain how cells which surround blood vessels, called pericytes, stimulate new blood vessels to grow with the hormone 'leptin' playing a key role. Leptin is produced by fat cells which helps to regulate energy balance in the body by inhibiting the appetite. This study, described in Scientific Reports, may have important implications for the treatment of heart attacks and also for cancer, the two main killers in the UK. The growth of new blood vessels, called 'angiogenesis', is an important process occurring both in health and disease. It is involved in the repair of tissues following injury but also has an essential role in the growth and spread of cancer. The Heart Research UK-funded project studied how pericytes encourage the growth of new blood vessels and the role of leptin, and provides important new information about the mechanisms involved. One of the current treatments for heart attack is coronary artery bypass surgery. This uses blood vessels from the leg, or elsewhere in the body, to bypass the blocked artery and improve blood flow to the heart muscle. This is invasive and major surgery, with a long recovery time. In the longer term, these findings may help in the development of an alternative treatment to major surgery for heart attack patients. Importantly, the team found that pericytes produced 40-times more leptin when exposed to low levels of oxygen and that this continued until oxygen levels returned to normal. This may help tissues to build more blood vessels to increase blood flow and oxygen supply. Together with other findings, the research shows that leptin has several important actions which encourage new blood vessel growth in areas where tissues are deprived of oxygen. In most cases, a heart attack is when a coronary artery becomes blocked and the resulting lack of blood supply to the heart muscle can lead to a damaged heart. Professor Madeddu's team has shown that by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels, pericytes have the potential to restore blood supply to damaged heart muscle after a heart attack. Paolo Madeddu, Professor of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine from the School of Clinical Sciences, who leads the project at the Bristol Heart Institute, said: "This new discovery could have important implications for the treatment of heart attacks, which is when a main coronary artery gets blocked, but also cancer. These results reveal a new signalling mechanism that may have a far-reaching and significant impact on cardiovascular regenerative medicine. "Increasing leptin in pericytes in a damaged heart might help it to heal faster, whereas blocking the production of leptin in cancerous pericytes might starve the tumour of nutrients and force it to shrink." Barbara Harpham, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, added: "This translational research project is a good example of research that aims to benefit patients as soon as possible. Professor Madeddu and the team have made some important new discoveries. Understanding more about the processes involved may help pave the way for the development of new treatments for heart attacks which could replace coronary bypass operations." Paper: 'The adipokine leptin modulates adventitial pericyte functions by autocrine and paracrine signalling' by Paolo Madeddu et al in Scientific Reports ### The close juxtaposition of the ocean and the mountains in Santa Barbara makes for beautiful views -- but when it comes to wildfires, it can also spell danger. In the past decade, the area has experienced seven major fires on both sides of the Santa Ynez Mountains, including the Whittier fire that started July 8. In fact, say UC Santa Barbara researchers, the region epitomizes one of the worst wildfire hazard scenarios affecting a highly populated area along the West Coast of the United States. A significant portion of the city's population resides in mountain areas near canyons and passes, making them particularly vulnerable to fires during extreme weather conditions such as rapid warming and decreased relative humidity. The accompaniment of frequent gusty downslope winds called sundowners are known to exacerbate wildfires. To evaluate urban wildfire patterns and resilience strategies, a group from UCSB's Earth Research Institute (ERI) and Department of Geography has recently been awarded a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant. "The project's main goals are to improve existing fire-weather forecast methods, increase resilience and reduce the socioeconomic impact of wildfires," explained principal investigator (PI) and ERI researcher Leila Carvalho, a professor in UCSB's Department of Geography. "We will integrate atmospheric, fire-spread and transportation models to enhance the current understanding of extreme fire weather regimes and wildfire behavior in the wildland-urban interface." Co-PI Charles Jones has been studying regional climate for nearly two decades. "We know the basic mechanism of the sundowner winds, but they are heavily influenced by topography," said Jones, a UCSB geography professor and an ERI researcher. "Sometimes you have sundowner winds in Santa Barbara but not in Refugio up the coast, and vice versa. We want to understand these spatial variabilities in high resolution and use what we learn to run fire models and develop statistics of high-potential fire spread." Transportation modeling in this project will be conducted by UCSB geography professors Rick Church and Alan Murray. Over the years, many UCSB scientists and students have studied various aspects of wildfire regimes, including analyses of before-and-after airborne remote-sensing data from the area's 2016 Sherpa fire. That includes Dar Roberts. To his mind, there is no doubt that this most recent spate of fires is the result of California's 2012-16 drought, which is ongoing in Santa Barbara County and environs. As UCSB PI of the Southern California Wildfire Hazard Center, he develops wildfire fuel maps and maps live fuel moisture using remote sensing. "Generally Santa Barbara is known for having a fairly low fire frequency," said Roberts, a professor in UCSB's Department of Geography and an ERI researcher. "But the number of fires in the past decade seems anomalously high to me." When the Whittier fire began earlier this month, its onset was captured by cameras atop Santa Ynez peak. The five-camera array is the beginning of what will one day become Alert Central Coast, the state's third such alert system initiated by UC San Diego's High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN), which began as a communications system for seismic monitoring. Alert Central Coast will be modeled on UCSD's Alert SoCal and University of Nevada Reno's Alert Tahoe, two multihazard networks with dozens of cameras spread across multiple peaks. "We're not just talking about earthquakes; we're talking about fire and weather," said Jamison Steidl, a research seismologist at ERI. "We already had a link from Santa Ynez peak to UCSB's Sedgwick Reserve, so this location was a logical place to start." To further fire research at UCSB, Carvalho will also be conducting a pilot field campaign that will launch instruments to measure what happens in the atmosphere from the ground up to 15 kilometers from Earth. "Our ultimate goal with these projects is to create a better understanding that will also help authorities to make their own decisions," Carvalho said. "That includes better planning for the city, where it's going to grow and what future evacuation strategies will be." ### Comets that take more than 200 years to make one revolution around the sun are notoriously difficult to study. Because they spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many "long-period comets" will never approach the sun in a person's lifetime. In fact, those that travel inward from the Oort Cloud--a group of icy bodies beginning roughly 300 billion kilometers away from the sun--can have periods of thousands or even millions of years. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft has delivered new insights about these distant wanderers. A team of astronomers led by James Bauer, a research professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted. The researchers also found that long-period comets are, on average, nearly twice as large as "Jupiter family" comets, whose orbits are shaped by Jupiter's gravity and have periods of less than 20 years. The findings were published July 14, 2017, in The Astronomical Journal. "The number of comets speaks to the amount of material left over from the solar system's formation," Bauer said. "We now know that there are more relatively large chunks of ancient material coming from the Oort Cloud than we thought." The Oort Cloud is too distant to be seen by current telescopes, but is thought to be a spherical distribution of small icy bodies at the outermost edge of the solar system. The density of comets within it is low, so the odds of comets colliding within it are low. Long-period comets that WISE observed probably got kicked out of the Oort Cloud millions of years ago. The observations were carried out in 2010 during the spacecraft's primary mission, before it was renamed NEOWISE and reactivated to target near-Earth objects (NEOs) in 2013. "Our study is a rare look at objects perturbed out of the Oort Cloud," said Amy Mainzer, a co-author of the study based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and principal investigator of the NEOWISE mission. "They are the most pristine examples of what the solar system was like when it formed." Astronomers already had broader estimates of how many long-period and Jupiter family comets are in our solar system, but had no good way of measuring the sizes of long-period comets. This is because the cloud of gas and dust that surrounds each comet--known as a coma--appears hazy in images and obscures the comet's nucleus. By using WISE data that shows the infrared glow of the coma, the scientists were able to "subtract" the coma from each comet and estimate the size of the nucleus. The data came from WISE observations of 164 cometary bodies--including 95 Jupiter family comets and 56 long-period comets. The results reinforce the idea that comets that pass by the sun more frequently tend to be smaller than those spending much more time away from the sun. That is because Jupiter family comets get more heat exposure, which causes volatile substances like water to sublimate and drag away other material from the comet's surface as well. "Our results mean there's an evolutionary difference between Jupiter family and long-period comets," Bauer said. The existence of so many more long-period comets than predicted suggests that more of them have likely impacted planets, delivering icy materials from the outer reaches of the solar system. Researchers also found clustered orbits among the long-period comets they studied, suggesting there could have been larger bodies that broke apart to form these groups. The results will be important for assessing the likelihood of comets impacting our solar system's planets, including Earth. "Comets travel much faster than asteroids, and some of them are very big," Mainzer said. "Studies like this will help us define what kind of hazard long-period comets may pose." NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, managed and operated WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. The NEOWISE project is funded by the Near-Earth Object Observation Program, now part of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The spacecraft was put into hibernation mode in 2011 after twice scanning the entire sky, thereby completing its main objectives. In September 2013, WISE was reactivated, renamed NEOWISE and assigned a new mission to assist NASA's efforts to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. ### This press release was adapted from text provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This research was supported by NASA (Award No. NNA09DA77A). The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of this organization. The research paper, "Debiasing the NEOWISE Cryogenic Mission Comet Populations," James Bauer, Tommy Grav, Yanga Fernandez, Amy Mainzer, Emily Kramer, Joseph Masiero, Timothy Spahr, Carolyn Nugent, Rachel Stevenson, Karen Meech, Roc Cutri, Carey Lisse, Russell Walker, John Dailey, Joshua Rosser, Phillip Krings, Kinjal Ruecker, Edward Wright and the NEOWISE Team, was published in The Astronomical Journal on July 14, 2017. Media Relations Contacts: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Elizabeth Landau, 818-354-6425, elizabeth.landau@jpl.nasa.gov University of Maryland: Matthew Wright, 301-405-9267, mewright@umd.edu University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences 2300 Symons Hall College Park, MD 20742 http://www.cmns.umd.edu @UMDscience About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 7,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $150 million. Tuesday, July 25, 2017 After losing my publically traded company, I returned to a university to obtain a graduate degree in Organization Development. One of the first questions posed to us students (most of us out of undergraduate school for at least 10 years) was, Let me assist you by sharing my own path of discovery. At times, to my chagrin and resignation, Lord Tennysons mandate, Change is the great certainty, became my baseline philosophy pertaining to transformational change. It was my starting point and, admittedly, with occasional adjournments and abjections, rings true to this day. From a literary perspective, I gained temperamental insights throughout the years. For instance, in a state of futility and humor, author Thomas McGuane admits, I consider the wonder of the things that befall me, convinced that my life was the best omelet you can make with a chain saw. Also, personally and spiritually, I have been counseled and mentored to embrace change. The corn parable espoused by Jesus Christ, that a seed must fall into the ground and die in order to bring forth fruit, and the Buddha koan, die before you die, resonate and encourage me. I realized there is deeper meaning and purpose to transformation. There is an end game, both for oneself and ones organization. Psychologically, I was grounded by behavioral science and personality theory, in order to receive a Master of Science degree. Psychologist Alfred Adler said, Our behavior is determined by our perception of what we hope to achieve in the future, not what we have done or what has been done to us in the past. Also, over the years I gradually discovered that most individuals committed to personal growth realize there is a decrease in their own egocentricity. Usually, humility and vulnerability are evidenced attributes of servant leadership. Shifting to a business paradigm, former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and business author Noel M. Tichy exclaimed with deliberation, control your destiny or someone else will. Adapt or die is another battle cry purported by strategy experts, leveraging off the fearful consequences of doing nothing as opposed to calculated risk-taking. PricewaterhouseCoopers annually publishes business survey results, predictably concluding that CEOs continue to struggle at balancing long- and short-term priorities. Usually, long-term planning/visioning gets the short end of the stick. As a change consultant, once fully engaged, I assist the CEO in sorting out priorities and timelines. Focusing on the long term, invariably a change strategy is discussed, framed and adopted. I share a simple yet powerful formula created by David Gleicher and simplified by Kathleen Dannemiller and slightly modified and interpreted by myself. Kathie was the sponsor for my masters degree at the American University, Washington, DC, and became a mentor and friend. Gleicher Dannemiller Quinlan Change Framework: C=DxVxF>R C= Change (Transformation: To replace one thing with another) D= Dissatisfaction with the current state (discomfort, pain, crisis) V= Vision for the future (what is preferred as opposed to predicted) F= First steps (deliberate/cognitive actions to obtain the vision) R= Resistance to change (obstacles, restraints, personal and organizational defensive routines) Multiplying the three variables DxVxF creates the critical mass and momentum greater than (>) the resistance (R), propelling the organization to a new state or level (C). The art form is to utilize the variables (levers) deftly and with integrity. When and how to use them takes practice. Also required is incorporating external factors, such as industry trends, competitor analysis, and customers expectations, to combat insular thinking. Going on three decades, I have found most CEOs and organizations are nudged or forced to change because of dissatisfaction (D). Also, I have learned to overcome personal and organizational resistance to change (R), the CEO has to be willing to move out of invincibility and a fixed mindset and into vulnerability and a growth mindset. In doing so, he or she becomes a co-learner open to ideas and feedback owns mistakes, and dialogues for betterment. Such behaviors begin to erode defensive routines and dilute the fear of failure. I have further concluded that a strong bias to forward prospective thinking (V) is a vital antidote to the resistance (R) and to change (C). Many attempt first steps (F) and short-term fixes but these initiatives die out and usually go to the flavor of the month graveyard. Some companies are galvanized by a strategic vision (V) yet have not fully integrated dissatisfaction (D) and first steps (F). When I was invited up to the remote Managalas Plateau of Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, the farmers were burning their coffee beans, protesting exorbitantly low or no payments received for their work. They demonstrated this not only in a fire but also a staged drama theater where the women were weeping for their husbands. So began a seven-year foray to help those 2,400 farmers. That dissatisfaction (D) brought them much pain. Integrating vision (V) and first steps (F) led them to changes (C), resulting in extraordinary increases in farm-gate prices for their coffee beans, besides creating brand awareness in the global marketplace. Ultimately, the inertia (loss of hope), obstacles (no vehicles and pulping machines) and restraints (corrupt politicians and terrible roads) comprising this Gordian knot, labeled resistance (R), were overcome. https://vimeo.com/taubada/review/221130722/29adf9af22 What variable today is the driving force to propel change for you? What variable moves your organization off the status quo and propels itself to change? What would be the sequence of the variables for effective change to take place for yourself and your organization? Take some time to think through your answers. Jot them down, and then predict what the responses would be for your executive team before you solicit their input. How accurate will you be? What is the formula for change for yourself and for your company today? Such a theory may expose your own personal and organizational blind spots. Remember, transformational change is largely imperceptible when you are in it. Ask any caterpillar. A change theory could be the compass you need to guide you to the future and be a light on your path of discovery. About John Quinlan Management consultant John Quinlan, founder and president of Growth Strategies Global, provides leading-edge strategic planning and growth consulting services integrating Family Firm Advisory Services; Executive Development; Organizational Change Management, and Strategic Planning. Quinlan operates from a unique philosophy that balances his broad range of experiences in upper management with tested management consulting practices underpinned by behavioral science knowledge. In his debut book, Tau Bada: The Quest and Memoir of a Vulnerable Man, he takes the reader on an extraordinary adventure promulgated by one motorcycle ride through a remote mountain valley in Colorado. It led to living in a secluded village nestled in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea and building a certified organic coffee business with over 2,400 tribal farmers. Learn more about Quinlans consulting approach at www.GrowthStrategiesGlobal.com, contact him at johnquinlan@growthstrategiesglobal.com or 313-704-0059, follow him on @johnequinlan and check his blog at http://www.taubada.com/blog/. Place Your Advert Register or sign in to advertise your job A new report published today has reported on early findings of the impact of the Glastir land management scheme and long term trends in the Welsh countryside. The study, from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), shows evidence from over fifty indicators collected in a major field survey campaign. Glastir is the sustainable land management scheme, through which the Welsh Government offers financial support to farmers and land managers. The study suggests there have been improvements in the Welsh countryside for people and nature over the last 30-40 years. The report found there are two to three times more indicators improving (26-30%) than declining (8-14%) in the short and long term, with the remaining 60% showing no change. Stability in wildlife diversity The report shows that success has been seen in the improvement of blanket bogs over the last two decades which has been the focus of so much restoration action. Improvement has also been seen in stream water quality. There is now overall stability in bird diversity and specialist butterfly species, with improvements in woodland and upland breeding bird populations. Overall, plant species richness and those indicative of good condition are stable or improving in woodland, open habitat and improved land. More public rights of way are now easy to use. Concerns Remaining areas of concern are that under half of Historic Environment Features are under some type of threat. Another concern is that 35% priority bird species remain in decline, and only a minority of ponds are in good ecological condition. Soil quality is generally stable, but with some early warning signs of some potential problems which need to be monitored going forward. The Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme was commissioned to measure its success, providing government with early feedback as to its likely performance and a baseline for future assessments. Combating climate change To assess the effect of entry into the scheme on farmer actions, a survey of 600 farmers was carried out. The results show 54% of farmers in the Glastir scheme, compared to 37% outside, are taking action to combat climate change. More actions by farmers in scheme are also taking place to improve diversification and efficiency. Modelling work to explore the benefits of these actions suggest more concerted and targeted action is needed to meet the targets set by the Welsh Government for the sustainable use of natural resources. However, the field survey suggests land which has come into the scheme has more characteristics thought to help make land more resilient to disturbances and stress. In a bid to help young farmers work more safely on All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Honda is offering a free training course to 25,000 young farmers. The farmers are all members of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) across England and Wales. The new training session was announced today (Tuesday 25 July) during Farm Safety Week at the Royal Welsh Show. The courses will offer potentially life-saving advice to young farmers a necessity when the latest HSE statistics, released this week, show agriculture has the poorest fatal injury rate of any other industry in Great Britain. The free, informative Honda ATV maintenance training session will be offered to all of NFYFCs 624 Young Farmers Clubs from October to January and will cover topics such as: How an ATV gearbox or engine works What the tyre pressure should be and why its important What should be checked regularly to ensure the machine is safe. 'Safety is very important' Steve Morris, Head of Power Products, Honda (UK), said: These fun and informative sessions are aimed at educating members on ATV maintenance and safety and were delighted to be working with NFYFC on this project. Safety is very important to Honda and a properly maintained ATV is a step in the right direction to ensure safe usage. Honda offer free EASI Rider Courses with every purchase of a new Honda ATV and strongly recommend wearing the relevant safety kit including helmet and gloves. To reinforce our safety message and to support Farm Safety Week we are also offering a complimentary Rider Safety Pack, consisting of a helmet and pair of gloves with every ATV or Pioneer sold from 24 July through to 24 August 2017. A new report has warned of the potential increase in cheaper, lower standard food imports to the UK which could put British farmers at a competitive disadvantage. The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has today (25 July) published its report Brexit: farm animal welfare The Committee warned that a potential increase in imports from countries operating lower farm animal welfare standards could undermine UK producers after Brexit. The Committee heard evidence that the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. The Governments wish for the UK to become a global leader in free trade is not necessarily compatible with its desire to maintain high animal welfare standards, the report warned. The demand for high-welfare products is ultimately driven by whether consumers prioritise purchasing those products, at added cost, rather than buying cheaper, lower-welfare products. The Committee found that consumers are not always aware of the difference between production systems or willing to pay a higher price for premium welfare products. Chlorinated chicken The report is released at a time when the UK Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox is about to embark on a trip to the US to pave way for potential trade deals. In the US, the government permits such practices as chlorinated chicken, which consists of dipping meat into chlorinated water to prevent microbial contamination. In America, they argue that it is standard procedure which protects millions of consumers. Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox is about to visit US to talk up a potential trade deal But this practice is banned in the EU, which fears the practice could actually worsen safety standards. However, the farming industry in the US is expected to push for agriculture to be included in any food deal. It has insisted that Britain must come into line with the US. The alarming prospect sparked criticism from the National Farmers Union (NFU), which warned that public trust in the high quality of British food was at stake. The Committee said this could exacerbate the challenge to UK farmers' competitiveness arising from a potential increase in cheaper imports produced to lower welfare standards. 'Overwhelming reliance' The report also examined whether the UK will have access to the staff needed on farms and in abattoirs after Brexit. The report found that there is an 'overwhelming' reliance on non-UK EU citizens to fill crucial official veterinary positions in the UK, whilst the agricultural sector employs significant numbers of temporary and permanent farm workers. Indeed, the British Veterinary Association has repeatedly highlighted the fact that non-British EU veterinary surgeons are 'critical' to the UK veterinary workforce. About 80,000 seasonal workers a year pick and process British fruit and veg. Industry body British Summer Fruits has said that labour shortages are now the worst seen since 2004, and that fruits and salad could 'soar' by up to 50% if the UK cannot gain access to EU workers after Brexit. The Committee called on the Government to ensure that the industry is able to retain or recruit qualified staff to fill these roles post-Brexit. 'Undeniable concern' Lord Teverson, Chairman of the EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, said: The UK has some of the highest farm animal welfare standards in the world and UK producers are rightly proud of those. We see no reason why Brexit should diminish those, as long as the Government is aware of the challenges ahead and acts accordingly. We heard evidence of undeniable concern that opening up the UK market to free global trade poses a number of issues. As we said in our last report, Brexit: agriculture, the Government may find it hard to reconcile its free trade ambitions with its commendable desire for preserving high farm animal welfare standards. We heard overwhelming support for farm animal welfare standards to be maintained or improved. To help achieve that, we urge the Government to secure the inclusion of high farm animal welfare standards in any free trade agreements it negotiates after Brexit. Whilst Brexit provides the UK with the unique opportunity to review and potentially improve farm animal welfare standards, the Government will need to consider the effect of increasing standards on the competitiveness of UK producers as well the future trading relationship with the EU. Dick Stapleton has been honoured this years Holstein UK Lifetime Achievement Award for providing the UK with top Holstein cattle shows with welfare at the heart of them all. Presented by the Holstein UK trustees, the award pinpoints an individual who has provided outstanding service to the Holstein breed. The award is presented to a farmer, herdsman or any other person involved with Holstein Friesian breed. The 2017 winner is an individual who has been incremental to shows and sales throughout his career spending many summers away from home during show season, setting up, manning, and managing events. Dick Stapleton of Market Drayton, Shropshire has thus been honoured this years Lifetime Achievement Award. Holstein UK said Mr Stapleton is 'the backbone' of setting up Holstein shows at a national and regional level he is also an honorary life member of the Western Holstein Club. Holstein UK said: "From saw dust to sashes he ensures all is in place for great events and with cattle welfare at the heart of every show design and build, Dick is the man who brings the infrastructural coordination together to ensure events run smoothly, efficiently, and safely." 'Promote the breed' To receive this award the nominee must have at least 20 years service to the breed. Nominator, John Edge, said: Dicks endless enthusiasm for the black and white breed has been an integral part of his life. From his very early days working in Lincolnshire at Kesteven Agricultural College, progressing to Messrs Newtown at Saltby, through semen seller at CBS, and ultimately a Field Development Officer with Holstein UK, he has never ceased to promote the breed to anyone who would listen. His FDO work on the grading up scheme provided an ideal opportunity for him to dispense his knowledge to the younger generation. Throughout his life long association with the breed Dick has always been approachable and helpful, and he is a real credit to our industry. Influential Dicks long involvement with Breed Society Shows started at the North Western Dairy Show at Bingley Hall. There, he took control of all infrastructure issues, and continues to the present day, where his expertise is relied upon at the UK Dairy Day in Telford and the All-Breed Calf Show at Malvern. In his role as Field Officer for Holstein UK, Dick organised whole herd grade ups, encouraged breeders to show for the first time and was influential in helping commercial breeders become pedigree. Graham Dimelow, Chairman of the Western Holstein Club adds: In recent years, during my Chairmanship of the Western Holstein Club, Dick has been present and always interested in the welfare of the club and its members. I have always felt that when I need advice, Dick is someone that I can naturally turn to. I cannot think of a more obviously deserving recipient for the Lifetime Achievement Award as Dick has indeed devoted his life to the breed and the Society. Dick Stapleton Award Holstein UK said Dicks encouragement of the younger generation has 'always shone through'. Therefore, every year the Dick Stapleton Award is presented to a Holstein Young Breeder (HYB) member for their commitment, passion, and involvement towards their club. Andrew Birkle, Chairman of Holstein UK concludes: In recognition of Dicks contribution to the breed, Holstein UK is extremely thrilled to present him with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. Dicks drive, determination and commitment to Holstein cattle and the Society has been remarkable and he really is a shining example to aspiring members and breeders. As a characteristically modest man who is always willing to help and share knowledge, Holstein UK would like to congratulate and applaud his success. Producers see losses increase to 26-28 per pig, estimates show The first presentation of an experimental Study Abroad course is complete, with Ferris State University students and faculty expressing great satisfaction with Social Work 390, International Engagement in Haiti, offered by that College of Arts, Sciences and Education department. Assistant Professor Rita Walters said eight students, and Social Work Associate Professor Dawn Fox, joined her on a 10-day exploration of Haitian culture, education, health care and history, June 9-18. We brought in guest speakers, prior to our starting the Study Abroad experience, so our participants would have an understanding of what they would find in Jacmel and other areas of Haiti, Walters said. About the only thing we hope to change is the timing of our visit, as by touring this region in mid-June, we dealt with some very hot days. Walters worked with Unique Helping Hands International, a nonprofit organization based in Florida, to arrange their tour of health care and government facilities, as well as parochial schools and a mission house operated by the Daughters of Mary. Students also toured a Haitian university and completed approximately 20 hours of direct service learning with school children. A final report is being developed, which will recommend continuing with the second year of this experimental course, Walters said. We have great hopes that the Academic Senate will approve SWCK 390 becoming a Study Abroad course. Taylor Sheeley, one of the eight students who traveled with Walters to Haiti, is entering her final semester before graduating from the Social Work program. She described her Study Abroad experience as life-changing. I am struck by the kindness of the people and their thankfulness for everything we could offer or do for them, Sheeley said. It makes me consider what I can do, for the good of others, with everything that I have. Sheeley, of Fountain, Michigan, said she and other classmates were well informed about what Haiti would present in terms of socio-economic conditions, but they had not anticipated the natural beauty they discovered in the countrys rural areas. As we went around, we were struck by the mountains that separated these towns, Sheeley said. They were certainly different than the climbing hills around West Michigan. Since we were traveling by bus, some trips took longer than expected, due to changing road conditions, which meant we took the long way around to complete our travels. Sheeley said her Study Abroad experience has caused her to give greater consideration for her career plans, which included returning to northwest Lower Michigan to begin her career. I cant wait to go back to Haiti, Sheeley said. It has changed my perspective on what I might do with my degree. I am now considering pursuit of a Doctorate of Social Work, so that I might become a medical social worker. Walters has submitted a report to the Department of Social Work on the Study Abroad class, and is thankful to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for their support of this effort, along with the Office of International Education. The OIE has welcomed us, for a presentation on our trip to Haiti, Walters said. We are glad to share what we learned there with any interested group on campus. PHOTO CAPTION: Assistant professor of Social Work Rita Walters meets with students of a parochial school, during Ferris State Universitys first offering of an experimental Study Abroad class, Social Work 390, International Engagement in Haiti. Walters led a group of eight students and a fellow faculty member from June 9-18. Aishwarya Rai With Aaradhya Aishwarya and Aaradhya, who were vacationing in New York, returned to Mumbai recently. The Shutterbugs Went Crazy After Seeing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan As usual, the photographers made full use of this opportunity and started clicking Aishwarya, Aaradhya and Vrinda Rai's pictures like crazy. Aaradhya Too Got Scared For the first time, Aaradhya Bachchan too got scared after seeing such a hullabaloo at the Mumbai airport. When Aishwarya Got Irritated After some time, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan got really irritated with the photographers. But Why... Even after posing for them, they did not stop taking her pictures and were continuously clicking her, even when she reached her car. When Aishwarya Said Stop It Now! After seeing this behaviour, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said in a stern voice, 'Bas kariye ab'. She Shouted Enough! But when the flash lights did not stop, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shouted enough! Remember When Aishwarya's Mother Got Hurt At The Airport? In the past too, a similar thing had happened when a photographer had injured Aishwarya Rai's mother while taking their pictures. Aaradhya Had Started Crying Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's little bundle of joy had got so scared of it that she had started crying. Aishwarya Increased Her Security Post That Event Reportedly, after that shocking incident Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had increased the security around her. iVOOMi launches Juice and Pebble series power banks in India News oi -Chandrika The power banks from the Pebble series will be available in 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh battery capacities. Chinese brand iVOOMi has just announced the launch of a new category of smartphone accessories; Power Bank in India. There are three variants of power banks under its two series; Juice and Pebble. They are priced at Rs.1259, Rs.1399, and Rs.1959 and will be exclusively available on Flipkart prices at Rs.899, Rs. 999 and Rs.1399 respectively. The power banks from the Pebble series will be available in 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh battery capacities. The IV-PBP20K1 model packs a high quality polymer battery with the massive capacity of 20,000mAh, while the IV-PBP15K1 comes with a 10,000mAH battery. Both the power banks come in a Classical Black color. You can charge multiple devices with their USB ports. Coming to the Juice series, the IV-PBL13K1 has a huge battery capacity of 13,000mAh, which will ensure your phone never goes out of charge. Juice series holds high-quality lithium battery with dual USB output for multiple charging devices. The powerbank from the Juice series is available in Black and Silver colors. "2017 has been a year of success of iVOOMi in the Indian Market. After witnessing substantial growth contributed by Smartphone segment launched by us in the first quarter, we are glad to introduce a new product line to the portfolio of value for money products for our customers," said Mr. Ashwin Bhandari, CEO, iVOOMi India while commenting on the launch. He Further added, "The next 12 months will be a time to watch out for iVOOMi as we launch an array of innovative and disruptive products through online channels." Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Beijing : Amid a dragging stand-off on the border between the two Asian giants, China on Monday warned India not to underestimate the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and reiterated that Indian troops should pull back from the Dokalam area. Shaking a mountain is easy but shaking the PLA is hard, ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a briefing, adding that its ability to defend China`s territory and sovereignty had constantly strengthened. The official statement comes after a Chinese daily on June 21 warned India to be ready for war and lose even its own territory if it did not pull back troops. New Delhi and Beijing have been engaged in the standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction since June 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 the Dragon claims it as part of its Donglang region. In the wake of an Army face-off and chill in ties with India over Dokalam stand-off, the Chinese media outlets have been issuing provoking statements. Amid the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the Dokalam area, the PLA also conducted live-fire exercises in Tibet. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will visit Beijing to attend the BRICS NSAs meeting on July 27-28. India has said Beijings 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 Indian Army is ready for a long haul in holding onto its position in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction, notwithstanding China ratcheting up rhetoric against India demanding pulling back of its troops. The Indian soldiers deployed in the disputed area have pitched in tents, in an indication that they are unlikely to retreat unless there was reciprocity from Chinas PLA personnel in ending the face-off at an altitude of around 10,000 feet in the Sikkim section. A steady line of supplies is being maintained for the soldiers at the site, official sources said, signalling that Indian Army is not going to wilt under any pressure from China. Source : Zee News Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown (35 S. 7th St.) announces the appointment of Katie Jude as Director of Human Resources. Katie brings 10 years of human resources experience to the hotel team. After graduating with from the University of Central Florida in 2008 with a degree in Hospitality Management, Jude began her career in human resources with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, holding positions as Human Resources Generalist and Recruitment Manager in both Florida and Massachusetts. In 2011, she served as the Talent Development Lead for Univita Health in Eden Prairie, Minnesota before returning to the hotel world in 2012 to become the Director of Human Resources with Aimbridge Hospitality, Embassy Suites. From there, Jude helped to open Radisson Blu Mall of America as the Human Resources Manager and was later promoted to the Director of Human Resources. She worked at Radisson Blu Mall of America from December 2012 through September 2015, until she moved back to the healthcare industry and served as Human Resources Generalist for Gillette Childrens Specialty Healthcare. Most recently, Jude was the Director of Human Resources for Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Hotel from February 2016 through June 2017. Judes role as Director of Human Resources at Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown includes overseeing all functions of employee relations, talent acquisition, training and development and basic benefits administration for the property. She is currently enrolled in Concordia Universitys Masters program for Human Resources Management and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2018. Karisma Hotels & Resorts, an award-winning luxury hotel collection which owns and manages properties in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, today announces the appointment of Juan Pablo Franky as Chief Executive Officer in South America. Bringing with him more than 20 years of industry experience, Franky will spearhead expansion of Karismas renowned brands into Latin America along with operations and sales across South America, starting with the opening of a new office in Bogota, Colombia. In his new role, Franky will concentrate on commercial development in Latin America of Karismas award-winning properties across all its renowned brands, including El Dorado Spa Resorts, Azul Beach Resorts, Generations Resorts, Karisma Villas, Allure Hotels, Hidden Beach Resort, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, Karisma Hotels Adriatic and the new Margaritaville, an All-Inclusive Experience, by Karisma. Karismas existing Allure Hotels in Colombia Cartagenas Allure BonBon and Allure Chocolate, and Armenias Allure Cafe Macawa and Aroma Macawa have been extremely successful. Allure Chocolat Hotel by Karisma finalized an expansion in spring 2017 to meet rising demand. Franky will leverage the boutique properties popularity among leisure and business travelers seeking chic, city hotels to further grow Allure Hotels presence in Colombia and beyond. As Chief Executive Officer of Karisma Hotels & Resorts in South America, Franky will also open the companys first South American office, which will be staffed by a strong on-site sales team in Bogota and a network of sales representatives across the continent. Under his tutelage, the team will cultivate distribution channels as the company grows within these markets. Franky will develop and execute upon Karismas overall operations strategy for South America as well. Franky has an impressive background including two decades of leadership for some of South Americas most respected hospitality companies. Previously, Franky spent 10 years with Decameron Hotels, overseeing a portfolio comprised of Radisson Hotels, W Hotels & Resorts, and Aloft Hotels. As vice president of commercial operations, he optimized revenue streams and exceeded sales goals. He also served as vice president of development and investment. In this role, Franky created and executed upon Decamerons expansion plan while leading contracting, financing and construction of new hotels. Prior, Franky was president of Global Hotels Corporation and vice president of commercial operations for Aerorepublica-Copa. Lodging Interactive, an award winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, predicts that the way hotels engage with consumers online is about to change and that hoteliers can expects total disruption ahead. Online consumer engagement disruption is a good thing for hoteliers who want to increase their website direct bookings and minimize their OTA contributions. "The progression towards live chat services for hotels is natural and expected. Consumers have already become accustomed to communicating with their banks, cable companies and cell phone providers via online live chat," stated DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive's Founder & President. "Consumers like that live chat offers mobile convenience and the fact that they get to control when to initiate the conversation. Live chat empowers the consumer to control the time and place of their choosing to get questions answered; no waiting on telephone hold or 24 to 48 hours for an email reply." Automated chat bots are not as impactful as many have predicted they would be within the travel and hospitality industries. According to the recent report, Are Bots Worth The Bother?, published by EyeforTravel Ltd, a mere 15% of hotel companies are offering booking assistance on Facebook Messenger. The report also stated that 29% of hotels take between 24 hours and one week to respond on Facebook Messenger. For an industry built on providing hospitality to customers, the response time is disappointing. Mike Slone, Chief Experience Officer at Travelaer stated, "The small percentage of travel bots that are live don't impact the customer journey in a meaningful way, are gimmicky and don't fit into an overall digital strategy. Customer service is the most demanded feature, no commerce." As live chat technology providers continue to enter the marketplace, the latest being Apple's Business Chat powered by its iMessage services launching with iOS 11 this fall, hotel operators will need to consider how hotel live chat services will play into their overall digital customer service and website sales strategies. Hoteliers will need to come to grips that human powered live chat is coming and that the "train has left the station" on this one, there is no going back. "Social media platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) and Twitter all provide human live chat service technology platforms. And with Apple about to launch its iMessage Business Chat, there is no doubt that the consumer's appetite for immediate, live chat engagement with a human is here to stay," added Vallauri. So, what are the operational challenges hoteliers will face in this new world of real-time engagement? For over a year Lodging Interactive has been providing CoMMingle Live Chat service for hotels, and it has experienced the same challenges hoteliers will experience when deciding to launch their own hotel's live chat service. Challenges include: Selecting the right live chat technology platform that can scale with hotel chat volume and is secure. Live chat coverage 7-days a week requires the hiring of approximately 8-10 agents to cover operational shifts and agent time off/vacations. The cost of hiring, salary and health benefits can be upwards of $42,000 per live chat agent. Initial and ongoing training expenses for every live chat agent. Continual motivation and retaining live chat agents. Scheduling of live chat agents to ensure prompt, real-time engagement with customers. Consumers expect real-time responses within 3 minutes or less. "Clearly, for any hotel managing a live chat operation on property is no small feat. With staff budgets contracting and the escalating costs of health benefits, it becomes challenging to show management how a property based live chat team makes any ROI sense," said Vallauri. "Lodging Interactive has made the substantial infrastructure investments and we're committed to providing the hospitality industry's premier fully managed live chat service." Lodging Interactive, through its CoMMingle Live Chat Service, offers 7-day a week live chat services coverage. U.S.A. based live chat agents are all employed by Lodging Interactive and are fully trained to fully understand the unique attributes of the hotel customers they serve. For more information please visit: www.LiveChatForHotels.com or call us on 877-291-4411 extension 701. About Lodging Interactive Since 2001 Lodging Interactive has been a leading provider of digital marketing services to the hospitality industry. Customers include select service, full-service branded properties, and independent luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. Lodging Interactive is the parent company of CoMMingle, the Company's social media marketing and reputation management division which serves hundreds of hotels, restaurants, spas, and management companies. The Company also provides subscription-based website development and digital marketing services through its HotelSiteXPRESS offering. The service is based on a "pay-as-you-go' model and requires no capital investment on the part of the hotel. Lodging Interactive is an HSMAI Adrian Award winner and has won awards from the International Academy of Visual Arts, Interactive Media Awards, Horizon Interactive Awards, Web Marketing Association, Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, and Travel Weekly's Magellan Awards have recognized Lodging Interactive as an industry leader. For more information, please contact [email protected], 877-291-4411 ext. 704, or visit the company's website LodgingInteractive.com. DJ Vallauri President & Founder +1 877 291 4411 Dusseldorf, Germany trivago has now made over 5 billion room rates visible to hoteliers around the world. With its new Rate Insights feature, trivago grants hoteliers access to an unbiased and comprehensive set of data on traveler demand and competitor prices, enabling them to compare room rates from over 250 booking sites as well as official hotel websites on a single dashboard. Through Rate Insights, which is part of the complete metasearch marketing solution trivago Hotel Manager PRO, trivago is empowering hoteliers to establish competitive pricing strategies. trivago Business Intelligence data reveals that independent hotels visible on trivago have on average 8,000 rates online a year. Johannes Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director at trivago, said: "We understood how difficult it is for hoteliers to find, monitor, and analyze competitor room rates across hundreds of booking sites." He added: "We were quick to realize that the price comparison data we provide to travelers is equally valuable for hoteliers. Therefore, we created a rate shopper that gives hoteliers easy and actionable access to this data, as well as data on traveler search volume that reveals fluctuations in demand. No other rate shopper has this combination of data in this amount and with this granularity." Instead of gathering data from just a few booking sites, Rate Insights aggregates rates from over 250 websites and makes it easy for hoteliers to compare them by room type and other variables. It also enables hoteliers to respond quickly to changes in the market and anticipate what upcoming local events can be leveraged to boost RevPAR. Hoteliers overcome the time-consuming challenge of monitoring the market, their competitors' prices, and their own. They know when and by how much to adjust their direct rates and all those listed with OTA partners to stay competitive online. "With the Rate Insights feature we're able to see our competitors' prices and position ourselves in the market. And the statistics are beneficial when there are sudden changes in the market and we need to adapt accordingly." Maximilian Kaufmann, Managing Director, Hotel Alte Krone, Kleinwalsertal, Austria Utilizing data is becoming more and more crucial in making decisions that will lay the foundation for future success. By displaying its rate and traveler demand data on a single dashboard with simple analytics, trivago has made it easier for hoteliers to access, understand, and act on data to increase their competitiveness online. For more information: http://hotelmanager-blog.trivago.com/en-us/rate-insights About trivago Hotel Manager & Rate Insights trivago is reinventing the way hoteliers connect with travelers online via trivago Hotel Manager. With 1.4 billion visits per year to 55 localized websites available in 33 languages, trivago is a leading hotel metasearch for travelers around the world. As of June 30, 2017, there are already over 300,000 hoteliers across the globe using the metasearch marketing platform to build a unique hotel profile so they can boost their ranking on trivago and drive direct bookings on their own website. trivago Hotel Manager currently operates in ten languages across 21 localized platforms. Rate Insights is available with trivago Hotel Manager PRO, the full solution that provides hoteliers with additional analytics and promotional tools to help them be more competitive online and stand out in search results. To find out more, visit www.trivago.com/hotelmanager/pro About trivago Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany, trivago is a global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels. trivago's mission is to "be the traveler's first and independent source of information for finding the ideal hotel at the lowest rate." As of September 30, 2016, trivago's global hotel search platform offered access to approximately 1.3 million hotels in over 190 countries. trivago's platform can be accessed globally via 55 localized websites and apps in 33 languages. Andrea Ricciarelli Global B2B Content Marketing & Global PR Lead View source Stockholm July 25, 2017 Bristol, UK-based property developer, Urban Creation, has successfully implemented the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access solution at two of its new student accommodation sites. The Manor House and Charlotte's Rise, historic buildings converted by Urban Creation into stylish student residences, are now offering secure and convenient access through ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access and VingCard Signature RFID door locks, allowing tenants to gain entry to their rooms and suites with a quick swipe of their mobile device. Urban Creation turned to ASSA ABLOY Hospitality's innovative technologies to create a unique and streamlined experience for its student residents, making it the first company in Bristol to launch the technology within a student accommodation. An added convenience for both residents and property managers is that check-in is immediate upon the start of each student's lease through the mobile access app, and the app automatically checks them out at an agreed-upon time at the end of the lease. "We are always looking for clever new ways to improve the experience of tenants in our properties and we think this will help to make their stay a smooth one," said Jonathan Brecknell, director and owner of Urban Creation. "The move chimes with our ethos of creating homes that are both stylish and practical to live in, paying careful attention to all the little details that make a home a home from clever storage space to logical layouts." ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access not only streamlines the check-in and check-out process, but also removes the risk of student residents losing physical room keys, which is a security risk and creates added costs for replacing keys and door locks. If the student's phone is lost or stolen, the key can easily be removed from the mobile app remotely to prevent unauthorized entry. Additionally, The VingCard Signature RFID door locks offer the two properties state-of-the-art security, through powerful and innovative anti-cloning features that prevent unauthorized access. For more information about ASSA ABLOY Hospitality and its comprehensive line of locking solutions, please visit www.assaabloyhospitality.com. About ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions is dedicated to reimagining how people move through their world. Our expertise in customer journey mapping, innovation and service design leads to the invention of new security solutions that create value for our clients and exceptional experiences for end users. For the hospitality market, these solutions include integrated software systems, mobile access and location solutions designed to help our customers enhance the hotel guest experience, while improving operational efficiency. In order to provide best-in-class customer service, we offer support in more than 166 countries. For more information, please visit assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Andrea Mane President, Plan A PR & Marketing 407-905-0608 How should hotels be reaching out to potential customers? When it comes to distribution channels, the discussion should never just be limited to the hotel's relationship with online travel agencies or OTAs. In our view, hotels should deploy strategies with the right mix of information to allow potential customers to make informed choices. In addition, hoteliers should leverage services offered by indirect channels to win over business from their competitors. For many hotels, managing distribution channels is currently more of an administrative task than a strategic necessity. Most hotels add distribution channels opportunistically, as and when they come along. Once a distribution channel is up and running whether it be via an OTA or a global distribution system (GDS) hoteliers allocate the number of rooms and manage pricing, plus monitor bookings and pay commissions. However, given the evolving nature of the distribution landscape, smart hoteliers need to switch from an administrative function to leverage channels actively to maximize online visibility and expand market share. Here are some suggestions: Winning strategies to bring in new customers | By Elisa Chan and Meng-Mei (Maggie) Chen Photo by EHL 1. Distribution channels connect hoteliers to markets Smart hoteliers see distribution channels as a means to connect to markets they can't reach on their own. By offering a wide selection of accommodation choices and technology infrastructure, GDSs create markets consisting of travel agents and travel managers, while OTAs attract individual travelers. For instance, Trivago attracts travelers who focus on price comparisons and HotelTonight attracts last-minute mobile travelers, while CTrip is the largest Chinese OTA. Hoteliers could strategically expand target segments by working with indirect channels such as these. Cost is an important factor when it comes to selecting distribution channels, but it should not be the only criterion. Hoteliers must also consider the distribution channels' own markets, their ability to bring in business within high-need periods, and their ability to provide information about markets and competitors. Winning strategies to bring in new customers | By Elisa Chan and Meng-Mei (Maggie) Chen Photo by EHL 2. Leverage services offered by indirect channels Some indirect channels provide market intelligence as part of their services. For example, Expedia Partner Central (EPC) provides performance indicators, such as revenue booked and earned, the tracking of bookings which went to competitors, and benchmarking of performance against competitors and the market in general, etc. Such market intelligence reports are available in real-time and free up hoteliers from laborious data collection so they can spend more time on decision-making. In addition, Expedia also provides back-of-house technology support to hoteliers. EPC already offers mobile solutions to connect customers to hoteliers before, during, and after their stays. This March, EPC announced it would offer a sentiment analysis tool, Guest Review Insights, to hotel partners. More importantly, EPC also offers a revenue management tool, Rev+, which allows hoteliers to set prices based on their competitors' pricing as well as market demand, according to Ait Voncke, Vice President of Expedia EMEA. Rev+ features a 'market demand score' so that hoteliers can estimate demand based on data from the Expedia network, with a 'price calendar' for hoteliers to benchmark their prices against those of their competitors. These services require no capital investment and could potentially reduce the level of technology investment for independent hotels. 3. Expand market share by winning over customers from competitors on indirect channels Taking EPC's report as an example, hoteliers could track the amount of business lost to competitors. When hoteliers are equipped with this level of insight, they could conduct case-by-case and trend analyses and, over time, improve their products by enhancing their value proposition. Hoteliers may find different competitive sets on a range of channels and would need to develop strategies for each channel to win business from their competitors. Some hoteliers may wonder if winning over their competitors' business is a good idea, due to the commissions involved. Yet, the alternative is to lose business to your competitors. Since hotel customers are price sensitive, to increase hotel revenues hoteliers prefer building up strong demand before raising prices. When hotels continuously win over customers on indirect channels, they will be more confident about raising room prices and improving revenues. In this regard, indirect channels which offer hotels greater flexibility in promoting their properties on their platforms have added value for hoteliers. Channels which allow hotels to tailor their offerings whether featuring different amenities and facilities, according to market trends and target segment, as well as different room types and packages can help hoteliers differentiate their product from those of their competitors on the same platforms. Winning strategies to bring in new customers | By Elisa Chan and Meng-Mei (Maggie) Chen Photo by EHL 4. Don't forget local demand generators Most hotels rely on search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click internet advertising, emails, and retargeting to boost demand because many travelers use search engines and social media to find hotels. But the big spenders in branding and advertising a destination are really local companies, universities, government, non-governmental organizations, and tourist attractions. These tourism demand generators take a long-term perspective in their marketing efforts and could provide referrals for potential customers who come to the destination or the surrounding neighborhood for business or leisure activities. 5. Make sure your direct channels are always ready for business When designing and implementing a distribution strategy, hoteliers should keep two issues in mind: Firstly, the cost of customer acquisition is part of the nature of this business. Before the advent of the internet, hotel distribution channel choices included tour operators, travel agencies, GDSs, reservation services and, to some extent, franchises. Hoteliers use distribution channels to reach potential customers, and pay commissions in return. With the introduction of the internet, hoteliers still leverage distribution channels, but are also able to use new channels such as brand.com, OTAs, and search engines. When new channels refer customers to brand.com or process bookings, they demand compensation just like traditional channels. The cost of customer acquisition will remain a cost of doing business. Secondly, attributing the right credits to the right channels is still work-in-progress. Travelers use a variety of information sources to search, compare, and book accommodation. Identifying the information sources used by those looking for a hotel during the buying process and granting the right credits to these channels are critical for marketers to deploy their distribution strategies effectively and allocate marketing resources accordingly. Yet the data required to develop the attribution model are spread among different channels as outlined below. Property management systems (PMSs) track reservations made through brand.com, phone calls, OTAs, GDSs, etc. However, this information does not reveal the sources used by travelers. For example, most hoteliers would agree on the influence of Tripadvisor reviews on their hotel businesses, but the platform does not appear on most hotel PMSs as a source of bookings. Focusing on the current measured booking contributors may neglect other important channels used by potential customers. On the other hand, Google Analytics helps hoteliers track the sites that sent most of their web traffic, as well as the sites their visitors went on to. Nevertheless, Google Analytics does not have information of the search volumes of a hotel and its competitors on indirect channels, such as OTAs or GDSs. Relying only on Google Analytics without referring to search data on indirect channels may ignore the contribution they have made. To develop an attribution model, hoteliers need data from PMSs, Google Analytics, as well as indirect channels. Although there are many discussions about attribution models, the perfect model is still work-in-progress. Hoteliers need to be aware of the potential bias caused by incomplete data and of the risk of not paying enough attention to some distribution channels. EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Zero Net Emissions - Zero Waste to Landfill - Zero Net Operating Impact on Forests & Habitat Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that the Company will aggressively pursue a comprehensive sustainability commitment, called "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint". This ambitious undertaking, announced to employees at a companywide event today, commits to zero net emissions by 2030, zero waste to landfill by 2030 and zero net operating impact to forests and habitat. "Everything we do at Vail Resorts is driven by the spectacular natural surroundings where our employees, guests and communities live, work and play. The environment is our business, and we have a special obligation to protect it," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. "As a growing global company so deeply connected to the outdoors, we are making a commitment to address our most pressing global environmental challenge and protect our local communities and natural resources. Through improved business practices, capital investment and continued innovation and environmental stewardship, we are setting a goal of achieving a zero net operating footprint by 2030. With our 'Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint', Vail Resorts is both doing the right thing for the environment and for our business." "It's the leadership of companies like Vail Resorts that recognize that this is good business and good for the environment that will truly make a difference in the world," said Carl Pope, co-author of Climate of Hope and former head of the Sierra Club. "We will combat climate change through commitments such as this and others from cities, municipalities and companies across the country." Inspired by Whistler Blackcomb's environmental commitment, the Company intends to go beyond setting a partial emissions reduction target by executing on a more expansive and ambitious plan. "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" comprises three pillars: emissions, waste, and forests and habitats, with a thoughtful approach to each that was developed in consultation with leading sustainability experts in the industry. Zero net emissions by 2030 Vail Resorts will achieve net zero emissions in its operations by 2030 through the following initiatives: Reducing the Company's electricity and natural gas use by another 15 percent in addition to the 19 percent already achieved by improving operating practices and investing $25 million in innovative, energy-saving projects, such as low-energy snowmaking equipment, green building design and construction, and more efficient grooming practices and equipment. Since 2008, Vail Resorts has implemented an aggressive plan to reduce its electricity and natural gas use and has already achieved a 19 percent reduction, after adjusting for acquisitions and new business locations. Purchasing 100 percent renewable energy equivalent to Vail Resorts' total electrical energy use and working with utilities and local, regional and national governments to bring more renewable energy to the grids where the Company operates its resorts. The Company is already a member of Ceres Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy as well as RE100, a global collaborative initiative of influential companies committed to using 100 percent renewable electricity. Investing in programs such as tree planting to offset the use of other types of energy (e.g., gasoline and diesel). Engaging with the Company's vendors and suppliers to identify and collaborate on opportunities for them to reduce their emissions and environmental impact. Providing resort guests with information and opportunities for them to reduce or offset their carbon footprint. Sharing the Company's progress in achieving its "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" goals in an annual sustainability report following the fiscal year ending July 2018, which will follow the Global Reporting Initiative's standard. Vail Resorts intends to achieve a 50 percent reduction in its net emissions by 2025, based on 2016 levels. Zero waste to landfill by 2030 Vail Resorts plans to achieve its 2030 goal of "zero waste to landfill" by diverting 100 percent of the waste from its operations to more sustainable pathways. Currently at a 40 percent waste diversion rate across its entire operations, the Company has set its sights on an interim target of diverting 50 percent of its waste by 2020. Vail Resorts plans to achieve this goal by: Improving its recycling and composting program. Engaging with vendors to reduce packaging and to source recyclable and compostable products. Working with local resort communities to increase options for reuse and diversion. Increasing awareness and engagement with employees and guests through signage, labeling and training. Zero net operating impact to forests and wildlife habitat To protect the spectacular mountain landscapes in which Vail Resorts operates, the Company commits to the following initiatives: Minimizing or eliminating the impact of any future resort development. Planting or restoring an acre of forest for every acre of forest displaced by the Company's operations, with the goal of achieving improved species and age diversity, resulting in healthier, more resilient forests. Continuing and expanding Vail Resorts' existing commitments to partner with and fund local organizations focused on the health of forests, habitat and wildlife. In 2016, for example, the Company contributed more than $1 million to 50 environmental stewardship projects through direct grants, the Company's $1 guest donation initiative, and the 1% for the Forest commitment, made in partnership with the National Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. Vail Resorts' "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" will enable resort guests visiting Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe in Vermont; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan and its more than 30,000 employees the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment and resources without leaving an impact. For more information about Vail Resorts' "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint", visit www.epicpromise.com/zerofootprint. We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector New Delhi, July 25 (IBNS): The Opposition on Tuesday morning was seen to protest at Gandhi statue inside the Parliament against Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's suspension of six Congress MPs for misconduct in the lower house. On Monday, Mahajan suspended six Congress MPs from Lok Sabha for five days over their misconduct. The Speaker suspended the lawmakers after they tore official papers and threw them at the chair and disrupted proceedings when the House was discussing the Bofors case and the recent incidents of mob lynching and cow vigilantism. Mahajan said she was constrained to bar for five days the MPs - Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M K Raghavan- for "undermining the chair's dignity." "The entire country should watch this...Show it, let them watch," the Speaker said. Opposition members trooped into the well shouting slogans and flung pieces of paper toward the treasury benches and the House chair. In condemnation, the treasury benches shouted "shame, shame". Congress president Sonia Gandhi was in the House. Speaking about Tuesday's protest, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told NDTV: "It is a normal practice whenever you are not allowed to speak. Instead of allowing them to speak in the House, they were expelled for a week." Azad said the BJP was even more worse as a opposition party when the UPA was in power. "BJP was even more worse in ten years (ten years of UPA regim)," he said, countering the allegations of misconduct in the House. Trinamool Congress was also seen to share the stage of protest with the Congress. Supporting the Congress' move, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told NDTV: "Lynching is an important issue. Opposition wanted to discuss but they were not allowed. Instead they were suspended. It appears to be too harsh." Image: Facebook page of Ghulam Nabi Azad (@GhulamNabiAzadINC) Guwahati, July 25 (IBNS): Security forces gunned down one hardcore militant belonging to NDFS-S in Assam's Kokrajhar district in the early hours on Tuesday, officials said. According to the reports, based on intelligence input, army and police had launched a joint operation at Natun Bashbari area in the BTAD district on Monday night. "When the troops reached the remote area, the militants hidden in the area started firing. During the gun battle, a hardcore militant was killed on the spot," a top police official said. Other militants managed to escape. Security forces recovered one AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade and a large quantity of ammunition from the encounter spot. The slain militant is yet to be identified. The area has been cordoned off and combing operation launched. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) New Delhi, Jul 25 (IBNS) : Acclaimed scientist, academic and higher education reformer Professor Yash Pal died in Noida on Tuesday, reports said. He was 90. A physicist of international repute, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan, in 2013. Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said : "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist & academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education." Pal began his career at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. To pursue his PhD, Pal went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in United States and completed it in the year 1958 after which he again returned to the Tata Institute, where he remained until 1983. Pal made significant contributions to bring reforms in education and in the study of cosmic rays, astrophysics, and high-energy physics, among other things. He was appointed in several schools and higher education reforms committees by the Government, according to The Times of India. He was also the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 2007 to 2012. The human resources development ministry in 2009 set up a committee on higher education naming after him, the Yash Pal Committee, which Yash Pal chaired, to reform higher education in the country. he was the first Director of Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad and was awarded the Kalinga Prize by UNESCO for the popularisation of science in 2009. Pal also served as the Chief Consultant of the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) between 1983 and 84 and also acted as the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, from 1984 to 1986. Srinagar, Jul 25 (IBNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was present at the Srinagar International Airport to bid farewell to the 420 Haj pilgrims who left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. While interacting with the 'hajis', CM wished them well, and smooth performance of Manasik-i-Hajj. The pilgrims reciprocated the good wishes and showered her with prayers. All flights scheduled for Haj will operate directly from Srinagar Airport to Madina Munawara. Officials said two direct flights carrying 840 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir to Saudi Arabia will operate daily from Tuesday till August 5. This year, 8,106 pilgrims are scheduled to perform the holiest Muslim pilgrimage of Haj from Jammu and Kashmir. Two assistants, especially trained by the Haj committee, are accompanying the pilgrims in each flight. (Reporting by Saleem Qadri) Chennai, Jul 25 (IBNS) : The Madras High Court on Tuesday made compulsory recital of 'Vande Mataram' in schools, government offices, private entities and industries in Tamil Nadu, reports said. A single-judge bench of Justice M V Muralidharan said the national anthem must be sung at least once a week in schools either on Monday or Friday and once a month in offices. The judge said, "If people feel it is difficult to sing the song in Bengali or in Sanskrit, steps can be taken to translate the song in Tamil." He said the court hopes and trusts that this order shall be taken in the right spirit and also implemented in letter and spirit. The issue came up in the court after a person, K Veeramani filed a petition stating that he had failed to clear the written test for the post of BT Assistant as he answered that the song was written in Bengali. According to the petitioner, he was awarded 89 marks as against the minimum eligibility mark of 90 for the post and he lost the opportunity. The petitioner said he found that he had lost the one mark for answering a question on the language of 'Vande Mataram'. He claimed that he had read in many books where it was stated that the song was originally written in Bengali, alleging that the Teachers Recruitment Board was wrong in negating his right answer. The judge directed the Advocate General to find out the right answer and the AG on July 13 clarified that the original language of 'Vande Mataram' was Sanskrit but written in Bengali script. The judge said the government must include Veeramani in the teacher selection process. Image: www.celebritiesgallery.in New Delhi, July 25 (IBNS): Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday claimed that India has "admitted" that its soldiers crossed into the Chinese territory, media reports said. The Chinese Minister has demanded that Delhi must "conscientiously withdraw" its troops that moved across the border in Sikkim early in June. China asked India on Monday not to nurture "illusory thinking" about the Chinese army's ability and immediately withdraw its troops from the Doka La border, Xinhua news agency reported. The warning issued comes amid a heightened tension in the relationship between the two countries following a standoff at the disputed Doka La plateau at the next to Sikkim at the India-China-Bhutan border tri-junction. According to China, Indian troops have crossed into its territory to obstruct work on a road. Bhutan also lays claim on the region and India considers the Chinese activities in the region a threat to its own security. India had said it warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications. New York, July 25 (Just Earth News): While no one expects an overnight transition to democracy in Myanmar, there has to be real progress on human rights, an independent United Nations expert on Monday said, highlighting reported killings, tortures, and an aongoing humanitarian crisisa for the Rohingya people and other minorities. In a statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee accused national authorities of presiding over a worsening security and human rights situation in the country. Lee said she catalogued a list of concerns during her 12 day visit to the country, which was held at the invitation of the Government, which also included the use of human shields by security forces and deaths in custody. I am disappointed to see the tactics applied by the previous Government still being used, said Lee, who wrapped up her visit on 21 July. We are told not to expect Myanmar to transition into a democracy overnight that it needs time and space, she continued. But in the same way, Myanmar should not expect to have its close scrutiny removed or its special monitoring mechanisms dismantled overnight. This cannot happen until there is real and discernible progress on human rights. The independent expert also raised concern about the situation of the Rohingya people, and said that State protection and security extend not only to the Rakhine but also the Muslim communities. 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. Lee said she was particularly dismayed to learn that the situation in northern Shan State was deteriorating, with reports of more conflict, alleged rights violations by security forces and armed groups, and inadequate assistance for civilians. There have been numerous reports of killings, torture, even the use of human shields by the armed forces, allegedly in some cases accompanied by threats of further violence if incidents are reported, said Lee. The Special Rapporteur, who visited Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw as well as parts of Rakhine, Shan and Kayin States, said she had been astonished at Government attempts to limit her activities and movements. The Special Rapporteur also highlighted the confiscation of land to create so-called Special Economic Zones, where land has been confiscated but some farmers still have to pay tax on it. Lee will present a full report on her visit to the UN General Assembly in October 2017. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Image: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre Source: www.justearthnews.com New York, July 25 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres condemned on Monday's bomb attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul, warning that attacks on civilians may constitute a war crime. In a statement from his spokesperson, Guterres expressed his deepest sympathy to the families of those killed, and reaffirmed the UN's solidarity with the people and Government. He also stressed that the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime. Also on Monday, a senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called the attack cowardly. I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians, said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in the Ghulayee Dawa Khan area of Kabul, which killed more than 20 civilians and injured more than 40, the UN Assistance Mission (UNAMA) said. The attackers targeted a bus carrying civil servants to work during morning rush hour in the city. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilians casualties this year, according to UNAMA's midyear report on civilian protection released last week. On Monday's attack came amid planned commemorations for the 23 July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which killed and injured hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last year's attack through dialogue, not violence, said Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. Photo UNAMA/Fardin Waezi Source: www.justearthnews.com Native women suffer from the second-highest homicide rate in the United States, according to the first report of its kind. Between 2003 and 2014, 240 American Indian and Alaska Native women were victims of homicide in 18 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . While the figure accounted for a small percentage of murders during that time, it translated to a rate of 4.3 per 100,000 population. The rate was surpassed by just one other racial or ethnic group, the CDC said on Friday. But just barely. "Non-Hispanic black and American Indian/Alaska Native women experienced the highest rates of homicide (4.4 and 4.3 per 100,000 population, respectively)," the report stated. The report also showed that most Native victims of homicide are young. According to the data, 36.3 percent were between the ages of 18 and 29. And it confirmed what tribal advocates have been telling Congress for years before they secured passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013. Nearly half, or 46.6 percent, of Native victims were murdered by an intimate partner, the CDC said. Of intimate partner violence, 81.5 percent of Native victims were murdered by a current partner while 12.0 percent were murdered by a past partner. Arguments, jealousy and recent acts of violence preceded the homicide in two-thirds of the incidents, according to the report. "Homicides occur in women of all ages and among all races/ethnicities, but young, racial/ethnic minority women are disproportionately affected," the report stated. "Over half of female homicides for which circumstances were known were related to intimate partner violence (IPV)." The report is the first with specific data on the prevalence of homicide for women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as the potential causes.Yet it only offers a glimpse of the problem -- between 2003 and 2014, just 18 states provided the information needed to show how many Native women were murdered within their borders. Of the states that participate in National Violent Death Reporting System , a number are home to significant Native populations, including Alaska, California, New Mexico and Oklahoma. But other important states like Montana and South Dakota, where high-profile cases of missing and murdered Native women have made the news, do not currently submit their data. "The racial/ethnic differences in female homicide underscore the importance of targeting prevention and intervention efforts to populations at disproportionately high risk," the report stated. "Addressing violence will require an integrated response that considers the influence of larger community and societal factors that make violence more likely to occur." The CDC's report comes as Native women return to Capitol Hill to address another pressing issue. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is taking testimony this week on human trafficking, a situation where data been deemed inadequate as well. According to the Government Accountability Office , federal agencies are failing to collect data on Native trafficking victims. As a result, it's not possible to determine the full extent of the problem. "In certain circumstances, state or tribal law enforcement may have jurisdiction to investigate crimes in Indian country; therefore, these figures likely do not represent the total number of human trafficking-related cases in Indian country," the GAO wrote in the April report "Also, considering that human trafficking is known to be an underreported crime, it is unlikely that these figures, or any other investigative or prosecutorial data, represent the full extent to which human trafficking is occurring in Indian country," the report continued. Of the four agencies with investigative and prosecutorial powers in Indian Country, only the Bureau of Indian Affairs always collects data on the tribal affiliation of a trafficking victim, the GAO said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Department of Homeland Security and the network of U.S. Attorneys across the nation either fail to collect the same information or only do so in limited circumstances, according to the report. In a second report on the issue, the GAO said 27 of 132 tribal law enforcement agencies (LEA) that responded to a survey initiated human trafficking investigations between 2014 to 2016. Of 61 major city agencies, 6 started similar investigations. "Tribal and major city LEA respondents indicated that unreported incidents and victims' reluctance to participate in investigations are barriers to identifying and investigating human trafficking in Indian country or of Native Americans," the July report stated. "Nearly half of tribal LEA respondents believe that more human trafficking is occurring in their jurisdictions than is reported." MS. GRETTA L. GOODWIN, PH.D. Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues U.S. Government Accountability Office Washington, DC MR. TRACY TOULOU Director, Office of Tribal Justice U.S. Department of Justice Washington, DC MR. JASON THOMPSON Acting Deputy Director Justice Services Bureau of Indian Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, DC MS. NICOLE MATTHEWS Executive Director Minnesota Indian Womens Sexual Assault Coalition St. Paul, MN MS. ALISON E. KEAR Executive Director Covenant House Alaska Anchorage, AK Wednesday's hearing takes place at 2:30pm and will be webcast. The witness list follows: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Homicides of Adult Women and the Role of Intimate Partner Violence United States, 20032014 (July 21, 2017) Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice: Oversight Hearing on The GAO Reports on Human Trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Natives in the United States. (July 26, 2017) Government Accountability Office Reports: Action Needed to Identify the Number of Native American Victims Receiving Federally-funded Services (April 6, 2017) nformation on Cases in Indian Country or that Involved Native Americans (July 24, 2017) Join the Conversation Related Stories The Cherokee Nation is defending its right to pursue drug companies and drug stores for flooding its homeland with prescription opioids. Documents filed in federal court on Friday detail the impacts of opioids sold within Cherokee territory in northeastern Oklahoma. From newborns with addictions to rising crime rates, the tribe's health and welfare is at risk, attorneys wrote. "The opioid epidemic has taken a particularly heartbreaking toll on Cherokee children," attorneys for the tribe told the court. "According to the executive director of the Nations Indian Child Welfare office, there has been 'a steady increase' in adults abusing opioid drugs and whose children, as a result of that drug abuse, have come through the ICW system.'" The documents were filed in federal court because the drug companies and drug stores are refusing to submit to the tribe's jurisdiction. They have requested a preliminary injunction to prevent the Cherokee Nation court system from moving forward with a lawsuit filed by the tribe in April. Generally, tribal courts lack jurisdiction over non-Indian entities. But the U.S. Supreme Court , in a decision known as Montana v. United States , recognized an exception in situations where the "political integrity, the economic security, or the health or welfare" of a tribe is threatened. "This epidemic has affected every facet of our society: our economy, our hospitals, our schools and our homes," Chief Bill John Baker wrote in an opinion published in The Oklahoman last week. "Our children are especially threatened by the epidemic, putting the very future of the Cherokee Nation at risk." The exception, however, has been difficult for tribes to assert and the Supreme Court failed to provide guidance on the issue last year when it deadlocked on Dollar General Corporation v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians . The eight justices were unable to reach a decision in the closely watched jurisdiction case. Turtle Talk has posted documents from the federal court case, McKesson Corp. v. Hembree The tribal court case is Cherokee Nation v. McKesson Corp . The defendants include major retailers CVS, Walgreens and Wal-mart, which operate pharmacies on tribal territory. The other defendants are the three largest drug distributors in the United States. Read More on the Story: Cherokee Nation: 107 opioid pills per adult were sold in tribe's district in 2015 (The Oklahoman 7/24) Drug Crisis Rattles Cherokee Nation, With More Children Born Addicted to Opioids and Moved into Foster Homes (Newsweek 7/24) Drug firms knew opiates were being abused on Cherokee reservations but did nothing, lawsuit alleges (ABA Journal 7/24) Notes from the Chief: Bill John Baker: Fighting for justice for our people (The Oklahoman 7/22) Related Stories Join the Conversation San Francisco Mime Troupe: Walls Date: Saturday, July 29, 2017 Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Event Type: Concert/Show Organizer/Author: SJ Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services Email: Phone: 415-285-1717 Location Details: Saint James Park St. James Street and 3rd Street San Jose, CA 95112 The San Francisco Mime Troupe 58th season presents "Walls" , which asks the question "How can a nation of immigrants declare war on immigration? The answer: FEAR! L. Mary Jones (Velina Brown) knows all about fear. As a top agent for I.C.E. - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - she knows how to stoke fear to keep her country safe. Fear of people like Bahdoon Samakab (Rotimi Agbabiaka), a Somali refugee escaping oppression, fear of Cliodhna Aghabullogue (Lizzie Calogero), an Irish woman yearning to be American, and fear of Zaniyah Nahuatl (Marilet Martinez), whose family comes from... here. As a foreigner in a land her people have worked for thousands of years suddenly Zaniyah is a criminal, an illegal, a "bad hombre." What part of herself will this American give up to pass as "American?" Will she? Can she? Should she? Can someone leave part of themselves behind without losing their mind? And is it better or worse that she crossed the border to find Agent L. Mary Jones - the woman she loves? Music begins at 2:30 pm Show starts at 3 pm Ticket info: FREE (donation) In Person Smooth Civil-Military Relations Should Be The Goal Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and senior military officials during the NLD government inauguration day in March 2016. / The Irrawaddy Kyaw Zwa Moe: Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said at an event at Yangons Sedona Hotel on July 9 that there were no civil-military relations in the democratic era and that the militarys commander-in-chief was the same as the level of director-general according to [state] protocol. The military then released two statements asking the government to take action against U Phyo Min Thein. One of the statements said that U Phyo Min Theins reckless and confrontational comments could damage national reconciliation; and that he could cause difficulties for the long-term process that the government, people, and military needed to continually work and improve on. The military used to hold complete power prior to having an elected government. What is your assessment of civil-military relations in our country? Ko Ye: That was a personal remark. But as he is Yangons chief minister, people questioned if his words represented the government. NLD [National League for Democracy] spokesperson U Nyan Win said that these remarks were nothing serious. In a political transition especially from a military dictatorship like in our country the military still maintains considerable power. What is worse is that that power is guaranteed by the Constitution. Under such circumstances, there is a testing of strength between the two sides in civil-military relations. It happens not only in our country, but also in other countries that undergo transition. For example, in Brazil, the military still maintains power but there is also an elected civilian government called the democradura. While the government is still a hybrid regime, such a remark by a civilian minister can rock civil-military relations. KZM: Even before the election, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi exercised extra caution in talking about the military. Mostly, she said that her father founded the Tatmadaw [Myanmar Army] and she wanted it to become a respected and reliable army of the people. Lately, she has avoided saying things that could cause controversy. As you have said, it is important to have smooth relations between the two sides. The government cant take aggressive actions and risk upsetting the military. What actions do you think Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will take? KY: If there is an elected government along with another institution that maintains a strong grip on power, there will be tension now and in the future. But I think that the civilian government will be able to handle this based on its strength, ambition and strategy. KZM: Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said that the military commander-in-chief was the same as the level of director-general, but according to state protocol, the commander-in-chief is ranked eighth in the line of succession. What he claimed was wrong. Did he say this because he didnt understand or was he being confrontational? YN: U Phyo Min Thein said that there are no civil-military relations in democracies. As far as Im concerned, civil-military relations exist in every country. In countries like the US, scholars still have to study civil-military relations to what extent the civilian government can control the army, and to what extent the army resists the control of the civilian government. Scholars also point out that the military, although it is an institution of civil servants, is different from other civil servant institutions by nature. You cant describe military leaders according to state protocol. Whats more, civil-military relations are more sensitive in countries like ours. Politicians should consider this comprehensively and move carefully for a smooth transition. KZM: Whether we like it or not, the Tatmadaw has considerable power. There is an exclusive chapter for it under the title of Defense Services in the [military-drafted] 2008 Constitution. Other constitutions might not have such a chapter. It is not strange, as the military held the power in the past. Military leaders view the military as being founded by patriots during the struggle for independence. They see the institution as patriotic and take pride in it. Politicians need to handle this shrewdly. KY: The Tatmadaw was born along with the struggle for independence. Tatmadaw leaders refer to it as a patriotic institution formed by hardcore politicians. But then, our country entered into civil war. Countries that face civil war tend to focus on securitization. Security became the countrys top priority. Before independence, there was a slogan that said that independence was first, democracy was second and socialism was third. In 1958, the caretaker government designed state ideologies, and the concept changed then. Stability and peace became the top priority, followed by democracy and a socialist economy. Stability and security rose to the forefront. The defense budget also increased. In 1962, the military staged a coup and the situation then changed from securitization to militarization. As militarization increased, as in the case of Indonesia, the military adopted the concept that it must also assume the responsibility for politics and social economics, as well as defense. Later, there was indoctrination in the political ideology that the Tatmadaw would play the leading role in politics. In the early days of the coup, U Ne Win always said that the Tatmadaw would not hold power for long. But that changed, and the provision that the Tatmadaw would play a leading role was added to the Constitution. KZM: Gen Ne Win seized power with the coup in 1962, and then went to a civilian administration according to the 1974 Constitution. But the problem was that the civilian administration was formed with former generals and the ideology didnt change. It seemed that only the uniforms changed. The 2011 [quasi-civilian] government was the same. Ex-general U Thein Sein took power of the civil administration and his government was also full of former generals. KY: The Tatmadaw has maintained a strong political ideology during successive periods that the country is under its guardianship. This is a major challenge to full civilianization. I believe that the most important aspect of civil-military relations is that the civilian [government] must be able to control the military. How? Democratically, according to a scholar. And civilian politicians must accept that democratic way. Smooth civil-military relations should be their goal. But both civilian politicians and the Tatmadaw need to think about how to realize that vision. Only then, will a full democracy be created. KZM: As you have said, the countrys politics are in a delicate state, and there is every possibility of a U-turn or setbacks. No doubt, the elected politicians need to be judicious. The political liberation process started in 2011, and it is fair to say that its success depends greatly on military leaderships willingness to allow democratic transformation. What is your assessment of the current military leaders? KY: Studying the civil-military relations of other countries, I found that not only does the civilian [government] push for change; the military once a democratic transition is underway also tries to introduce changes that match the transition. For example, in Indonesia, after the fall of Suharto in 1998, the Indonesian army started to think about how to change. In a democratic transition, both sides have to think about how to introduce democratic changes without causing tension. Rather than the civilian [government] forcibly pushing it, the military needs to make changes incrementally and voluntarily. Also, the current military leaders are working to establish a standard army and they are expanding their international ties. In April, [army chief] Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing visited Austria and Germany; last month, Russia; and recently, India. They are trying to improve the militarys image. But the civil war is still ongoing. And the military has deep-seated distrust in civilian politicians. They have concerns about their ability to protect state stability and security. We can see the military trying to enhance its image while deepening trust with the civilian government at the same time. KZM: So, speaking of the military enhancing its image, the Tatmadaw founded by Gen Aung San had a good reputation prior to the countrys independence. But the military has gotten a bad name at times, and it shouldnt forget this if it wants to improve its image. Military leaders know this. The military staged a coup in 1962, which was followed by a military administration. Then there were protests in 1988, followed by a crackdown on protestors and another military administration. There was increased militarization over the years, and the country and the world said that there had been considerable human rights violations committed by the military. If military leaders want to win the respect of the people, as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said, it seems they have to take constructive actions. Do you think that could work? KY: While the military wants to enhance its image and restore its dignity, it is not willing to make radical reforms only gradual ones. This is contradictory. The idea of limited reforms and the idea of improving its image are in conflict. We need to think about to what extent the military leaders are willing to change. On the other hand, civilian politicians need to raise their political capital and political capacity to restore democratic civil-military relations. The other side [the military] wants to enhance its image, but it also has concerns about reforms, so it has only made limited reforms. The government has political capacity given to it by the election. But, partly because of its short time in office to date, it has not shown a strong performance yet. KZM: I see people in our country locked in a situation that they find difficult to break out of, which is that the military is a strong institution guaranteed by the Constitution. The Constitution granted it a full political role at the national level. Then, an elected government emerged. People fully support the civil administration, but the reality is that the military still holds the power. And the government wants the military to go back to the barracks. According to famous Chinese philosopher and military general Sun Tzu, the ultimate destination of civil-military relations is civilian control of the military. The civilian government will have complete control of the country, and the military is only meant for State defense. But in the case of our country, it seems we have yet a long way to go to reach this stage. KY: Yes, I agree. The military said at the Union Peace Conference under U Thein Seins government that it would try to achieve peace within three to five years. It also signaled that it would quit politics after permanent peace was achieved. Now Ive noticed that its message has changed a bit. It is difficult for the government to build peace within one term; peace is a long process. It will take more than three or five years. We will have to wait a while for political institutions to have complete control of the military in civil-military relations. KZM: We are talking about control, which military leaders wont like or accept. As far as Im concerned, the most important thing is smooth relations and mutual understanding between the two sides. Chief Minister U Phyo Min Theins remarks caused controversy. Both sides need to exercise restraint in the interest of the people. Thank you, Ko Ye! Burma Mandalay Court Rejects Lawsuit Against 2008 Constitution The five groups legal adviser U Aung Thura speaks to the media outside the Mandalay high court on Tuesday. / Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy MANDALAY The Mandalay Region high court refused to accept a lawsuit on Tuesday in which five organizations urged the government to declare the 2008 Constitution illegal. A spokesperson from the court told The Irrawaddy that the case goes beyond their mandate. The judge said the case is beyond the Union judiciary, so it is unacceptable. The file was returned to the complainants, said U Myint Soe, spokesperson and director general of the regional high court. Fifteen complainants from the Association of Elected Lawmakers from the 1990 General Elections, the United National Democratic Organization, the Farmers Union, the Human Rights Violations Investigation Committee and the Karen Womens Organization, said they would continue to push the lawsuit forward by submitting it to the Union high court in Naypyidaw. The coalition pointed to the large gap in population statistics from the 2008 Constitution to the 2014 national census, which they said voids the military-drafted charter. According to the 2008 Constitution, the countrys population was 57 million, but according to the 2014 national census, conducted in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund, the population of Myanmar is 51 million. A Constitution is vital for the country. If we are still accepting the illegal and inappropriate Constitution, it is not good for the future of the country, so we are trying to abolish it and write a new one, said U Aung Thura, the five groups legal adviser. We wonder why the courts are so ignorant of the rights of the citizens. Since they refused to accept the case, we will move forward in order to make this happen, whatever steps it may take, he added. Submitting the complaint to the divisional high court in Mandalay is the second attempt by the groups to call on the government to label the 2008 Constitution as illegal. The organizations first went to Naypyidaw in early July to file a lawsuit at the Dekkhinathiri District Court. Burma Monsoon Season Tourism Sees Increase in Arrivals Tourists visit Bagan. / The Irrawaddy YANGON With the introduction of the Green Season campaign for Myanmars low-traffic tourist season beginning in April, the number of foreign visitors to the country has increased, and trips to Buddhist archaeological site Bagan continue all year round. Tourism has increased 10 percent compared to the first six months of 2016, in which 511,278 visitors came to the country; in 2017 that number was 562,848. The data has been collected from the international arrival departments of the countrys three main international airportsYangon, Mandalay and Naypyitawaccording to the Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF). The high season for tourism in Myanmar runs from October to March, so industry stakeholders have been pushing for greater numbers of visitors during the annual monsoonwhich has been dubbed the green seasonfrom late April to mid October to fill gaps in arrivals. According to representatives from the MTF, the best places to go during this time are Bagan and Mandalay in central Myanmar and Inle Lake in Nyaung Shwe (Yawnghwe) Township in southern Shan State, which receives less rainfall than Yangon. The tourist arrivals in rainy [monsoon] season tend to be lower. It was because of a long-term perception among the tourists that they could not visit Myanmar in the monsoon season, said Daw May Myat Mon Win, the deputy chairperson of the MTF, who leads tourism marketing. Actually, the best time to visit Bagan is in the monsoon season, as it is more beautiful and green, she said. The arrival statistics from January to June show interesting figures, she said, as there are increases, as of June 2017, of tourists from particular countries: Thailand, China, Singapore, France, Germany, Switzerland, and India. Thai tourists make up the greatest number of visitors, with more than 110,000 people coming to Myanmar between January and June, followed by Chinese, of whom around 70,000 came during the same period this year. These figures do not count foreigners who arrive through the border checkpoints, MTF noted, as they said they cannot distinguish them as coming to Myanmar for tourism or business. Daw May Myat Mon Win said she is positive that the future of Myanmar tourism will improve, as they are promoting travel within the country for both foreign and domestic visitors. Among the 10 Asean countries, Myanmar stood in second-to-last place for the number of international arrivals, but the nation has seen a boom in domestic tourism. We are also hoping more domestic tourists will come to these emerging tourist destinations, as it is also a way of sustaining our tourism industry, Daw May Myat Mon Win said. In Bagan, there are also health services available for tourists, provided by the Myanmar Tourist Healthcare Association (MTHA), for outreach support and primary and emergency healthcare. According to Dr. Kyaw Zin Win, chairman of MTHA, some 50 foreigners and 700 locals have taken advantage of the services in the clinic, which is currently only available in Bagan, but the MTHA continues to provide health services in other destinations, he told The Irrawaddy. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (MOHT) works with the MTFwhich also collaborates with 11 other associations including the MTHA and the Myanmar Tour Guides Associationfor the sustainable development of the tourism sector. The director of the MOHT said Myanmar will also develop a package tour between Cambodias Angkor Wat and Myanmars Bagan later this year under the slogan: Angkor-Bagan: two ancient capitals, one destination. A memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the action plan is being developed for signing in September, said U Hla Myint, director of tourism promotion from the MOHT. Bagan, which hosts around 300,000 visitors annually, has a smaller number of visitors than Angkor Wat, which is known to receive more than one million people. We hope with the development of this package tour, we will have gained more visitors in Bagan, said U Hla Myint. New Ecotourism Sites to Open The MOHT has aimed to increase the number of tourists in the country during the 2017-2018 period, and has initiated the further development of ecotourism projects, as well as community-based tourism initiatives and marine tourism. Myanmar currently has 21 ecotourism sites, which include 16 existing sites and a handful of underdeveloped ones, as well as 13 community-based tourism projects in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe, and Yangon regions and Shan, Karenni and Kachin states. Marine tourism is also available on the Myeik archipelago. Myanmar will open its new ecotourism site, near Oaktwin and Pauk Khaung townships, in the Bago Yoma forest at the end of July. The Bago Yoma ecotourism site is located near the No. 43 mile marker on the Yangon-Mandalay highway road. Tourists can explore the local area, which is home to ethnic Karen cultures, as well as trek, ride elephants or look for different species of birds. When it is opened on July 29, tourists will be able to stay at the new hotelthe Bago Yoma Eco resortdeveloped by a local company, Phyo Si Thu. The area can be accessed through Pyay (Prome) or the Taungoo road, and around two days is a sufficient timeframe for the visitors, added U Myint Htwe, the director of public relations and the information department under the MOHT. Burma State Counselor, KBC Discuss Kachin IDP Issues State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi greets KBC leaders at the NRPC in Naypyitaw. / Myanmar State Counselors Office / Facebook YANGON Myanmars State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) held talks on the resettlement and schooling of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and children in Kachin State on Monday in Naypyitaw. We discussed the implementation of pilot projects jointly by the KIO [Kachin Independence Organization] government and the NLD [National League for Democracy] government, as well as the resettlement of IDPs to places where clashes are unlikely, KBC secretary Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson told The Irrawaddy. We also discussed schooling for displaced children and the free shipment of relief supplies, he added. The hour and a half discussion between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and KBC leaders took place at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center in Naypyitaw, and was the first meeting of its kind between the two parties. More than 100,000 people have been displaced in Kachin State since new clashes broke out between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of KIO, after a ceasefire between the sides failed in 2011. Around 50,000 of them have taken refuge in areas controlled by the KIA. Churches play a key role in assisting the displaced population and the KBC is the main provider of food and relief supplies for IDPs in the region. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the government would cooperate with the KBC in helping Kachin IDPs through the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, according to Dr. Hkalam Samson. We particularly discussed schooling for children in KIO-controlled areas. The KBC has a big role to play in realizing the agreements reached with the government, he said. Besides IDPs, the talks also focused on the elimination of drugs as well as barriers to peace in Kachin State. KBC leaders reported on drug production in areas controlled by the Border Guard Force (BGF) in Kachin State, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in response, said that the government was working to formulate a new law on drug eradication and would cooperate with the KBC in enforcing that law. KBC leaders urged Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to work earnestly to put an end to military assaults in Kachin State, saying that Myanmar Army assaults were the only reason for ongoing clashes in the state. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi replied that the government was not in a position to exercise direct control over the Myanmar Army, and there was only formal communication between the two sides, said Dr. Hkalam Samson. According to a statement released by the State Counselors Office, the KBC also provided recommendations for the peace process and the two sides discussed the nationwide ceasefire agreement. According to Dr. Hkalam Samson, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi suggested holding further talks with the KBC. KBC leaders urged her to bring about peace and a federal Union. They added that the meeting with the state counselor was productive for Kachin IDPs. Also present at the meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were the Union minister of the State Counselors Office U Kyaw Tint Swe, chairman of the Peace Commission Dr. Tin Myo Win, Union minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye, and the 12-member KBC delegation led by its chairman along with Dr. Hkalam Samson. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Commentary Is U Wirathu Poking a Paper Tiger? U Wirathu / The Irrawaddy For more than a week, Myanmar ultranationalist monk U Wirathu has been defying government orders to take down Ma Ba Tha signposts in Mandalay, where he remains a leading member of the ultranationalist group. On July 15, the governments deadline for removal of any Ma Ba Tha billboards, he said in a video post: We cant take them down even for a while, as the dignity, power and integrity of the Ma Ba Tha monks and patriots is behind those signposts. We will protect them with our lives. It came across as an open challenge to the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, after the administration delivered its last warning on the eve of the deadline, saying, if the order is not followed, the government will take action, and that a refusal to comply could affect the countrys stability. The authorities should not turn a blind eye to the issue as that could potentially create an even worse image of the state of rule of law in the country, making the current government appear as a paper tiger in the eyes of the public. It is perhaps strange that out of hundreds of Ma Ba Tha subchapters across the country, only followers in Mandalay and Karen State have dared to challenge the signpost order. Even the chairman at Ma Ba Tha (Central) in Yangon agreed in writing to adhere to the rule, and removed the signs in question. It rebranded itself Buddha Dhamma Parahita Foundation before the deadline. Senior monks from the Ma Ba Tha headquarters said the decisions made by those in Mandalay and Karen states were individual and did not reflect the beliefs of the movements leadership. They could be correct, as U Wirathu declared he had officially resigned from Ma Ba Tha (Central) on May 28, after the rebranding. He stated that his activities and speeches have nothing to do with the Yangon-based foundation. Zwekabin Sayadaw, the chairman of Karen States Ma Ba Tha, asked on June 11 that Ma Ba Tha be left alone. We have four armed groups [that have to strike a peace deal with the government] here. If needed, we will use them, he said. Contrary to U Wirathu, the Sayadaw is not infamous for hate speech against other faiths. It remains to be seen how the government will take action against U Wirathu this time. Since last year, the NLD government has begun to crack down Ma Ba Tha and U Wirathu systematically. When the state monks authorityMa Ha Naannounced that Ma Ba Tha was not a lawful association in July 2016, it was a significant blow. Since their establishment in 2013, the association and its members, including U Wirathu, had never been questioned by police, let alone arrested for hate speech against Muslims. The previous U Thein Sein government arguably ignored them, despite a series of incidents of deadly communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims. It is believed that U Wirathu and other firebrand monks from Ma Ba Tha are partly responsible for the tension and violence, and they are the one who give a bad name to the compassionate Buddhism that much of the country believes in. Since the governments denouncement, Ma Ba Tha has been keeping a lower profile, dedicating more time to humanitarian relief for Buddhists and their education efforts. But U Wirathu is yet defiant in the face of government orders. In March, he was banned from preaching for one year due to his criticism of the current government, religious hate speech put forward at a Dhamma talk, and praise on Facebook of suspects involved in the assassination of NLD legal adviser U Ko Ni. Despite the ban, he appeared onstage with a recording of a past speech playing in the background, and his mouth sealed shut with tape in what he called a silent sermon. The latest rebellion is his refusal to take down Ma Ba Tha signposts in Mandalay. It is very evident that the government has been taking calculated measures to punish U Wirathu. At the moment, they appear to be weighing the consequences of further action, including division among the Sangha, or widespread criticism from his supporters nationwide. Despite all the obstacles, the government should not hesitate to proceed if the nationalist monk fails to follow the existing order. They have warned that he will be charged under the monastic association law, which dictates a term of imprisonment from six months to three years. This course of action would send a shock wave amongst nationalists across the country. On the other hand, the move will be welcomed heartily among the Buddhist community who have despised him for spouting hate, instigating unrest and damaging the religion. It will also serve as a serious warning to those who defy such orders, and might even prod nationalists to learn a bit more about how to be good Buddhists. Australia is reportedly putting pressure on the Solomon Islands to withdraw from the Project Honiara undersea cable project after the contract was awarded to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. The Island Sun newspaper reported that officials had said that Australia had cited security concerns to justify its actions. Huawei was banned from obtaining any contracts for Australia's NBN in 2012. Reports at the time said the Attorney-General's department had blocked the company's participation based on advice from ASIO. The decision to exclude Huawei was taken even though influential Coalition and Labor figures, including Alexander Downer and John Brumby, lobbied on behalf of the Chinese firm. It was also made despite objections from some Coalition MPs, including the then shadow communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull. The Project Honiara undersea cable project is expected to improve the capacity of the local telco, Our Telekom, to handle domestic and international calls. The Solomon Islands and Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding a few weeks ago but now the start of work is expected to be delayed after Australia intervened. The newspaper said that the Australian opposition to Huawei implementing the project had been conveyed to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare by ASIS director-general Nick Warner. Warner was said to have spoken to Sogavare when he visited the Solomons in June in connection with the end of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands on 29 June. The message conveyed was that if the Solomon Islands proceeded with the project, then Australia would be forced to withdraw the licence for landing rights in Sydney. The newspaper said that Warner had made it clear that any other supplier than Huawei was acceptable. It said that Sogavare's chief of staff, Robson Djokovich, had indicated that he was not aware of any official statement from either country. National security concerns of the Australian Government about the integrity of their NBN is public knowledge and not a new issue to all stakeholders of the Submarine Cable Project, Djokovich was reported to have said, referring to the exclusion of Huawei from NBN contracts. Huawei was contacted for comment; the company responded: "We don't have any comment to make." HPs new Envy 13 is a value packed, Intel 7th generation, Core i5 or i7 notebook that is a step above the HP Pavilion and other value sub-brands. It also comes in both 13 and 15 models and with a choice of clamshell or x360 style hinges. HP loves to make different models and customisation of models/chassis within models hence the HP Envy 13 sent for review, model number 13-AD038TU, part number 2FL17PA, is not on HP Australias website. But it is at retailer Harvey Norman Australia so all I am saying is that you may find other models, part numbers or even discontinued 2016 models that may result in a cheaper or dearer unit. That is fine caveat emptor if you know what you are buying. So, the review is more about the new Envy 13 chassis and we will leave any variations to you. The unit A 45W AC 19.5V/2.31A charger and wall cable USB-C to HDMI adaptor Thats it no faux leather sleeve or dongles. Initial impressions are thin but a little heavy at 1.32kg sorry, I have been reviewing the excellent HP x2 Spectre Hybrid that at 760g for the table and 1.13kg all up seems feather light. Still, it costs a lot more and Envy is about prestige without the Spectre price. The first thing you'll notice it that is a lot more premium-looking Ultrabook than last years model, with narrower screen bezels, wider keyboard, enhanced speakers and an attractive grille, and more of the other design changes seen for many of the 2017 models they are sexier! Note the 2017 model has keys and the screen right to the edge the older models have larger bezels and keyboard surrounds so that means a 13.3 screen in a 12 chassis. Specifications Model Review: HP Envy 13-ad038tu, part number 2FL17PA Note: Core i3 available (no part number) and Core i7-7500U part number 2FL25PA. Optional NVIDIA MX150 graphics as well and possible 4K display models Display 13.3, 1920 x 1080, 16:9, 166 ppi IPS WLED (includes White LED plus RGB) Edge-to-edge glass, multitouch enabled Processor Intel Core i5-7200U, 2.5/3.1GHz, 2 core/4 thread Graphics Intel HD Graphics 620 RAM 8GB-LPDDR3-1866 SSD 256GB, PCIe, NVMe, M.2 microSD Yes (size unspecified) Wireless Intel 8265, AC, 2x2, MIMO, Wi-Di Bluetooth 4.2 Keyboard Full size, chiclet, 1.5mm/60g throw Large glass touchpad with up to four finger gestures No fingerprint reader Audio 4 x Bang & Olufsen tuned, up-firing and down firing speakers with HP Audio boost HP Web camera Dual array mics Ports 2 x USB-C, Gen 1, 5Gbps, DisplayPort 1.2 Interchangeable - power delivery upstream (charging tablet) and downstream (charges devices) 2 x USB-A 3.1 (one with sleep and charge) 1 x 3.5mm combo audio 1 x microSD Dimensions 30.54 x 21.56 x 1.39 cm Weight 1.32 kg Battery 53.6 WHr Claimed up to 10 hours Charger 45W, 19.5V/2.31A Colour Cast and milled Magnesium and Aluminium alloy - polished and burnished OS Windows 10 Home HP Apps HP 3D DriveGuard; HP Audio Switch; HP Documentation; HP ePrint; HP JumpStart; HP Orbit; HP Recovery Manager; HP Support Assistant; HP Sure Connect Missing Windows Hello or Fingerprint sign in Price i5 as reviewed - $1799 at Harvey Norman i7 16/512GB - $2,399 on HP site Screen It is a good, competent, HD, IPS panel using HPs WLED (white LED backlight) like that used on the x2 Spectre. And like the Spectre, it gives a whiter screen but a slightly cooler colour gamut. What I really liked was the narrow bezels and it was a very responsive touch screen. Brightness is fine for office lighting, but a little washed out in direct sunlight. The screen is easy to lift and the 135 hinge allows it to lift the base off the table for more cooling. Audio/webcam/microphones The front B&O tuned L+R speakers are up-firing from in front of the screen and the other two are down firing from the bottom of the chassis. Volume is good around 70dB but the speakers lack bass response, being focused on the high range vocals. You can adjust the sound using the B&O app but it makes a little difference every preset is essentially 100% bass and variations on mid and treble. B&O know these speakers' weakness. It does a much better job of providing a clean, 20Hz-20kHz feed via the 3.5mm headphone and Bluetooth. The mic array has basic noise cancellation and can be tuned to your voice or multiple voices. The 720p @30fps web cam is wide angle (good for huddles) but induces a little too much noise even in office light (500 lumens). Keyboard/trackpad It is a good, rock solid, chiclet style with 1.5mm throw, 60g actuation and no key bounce. In typing tests, I achieved 89% of the accuracy of a Logitech G610 mechanical keyboard and that is good. The trackpad allows almost a full sweep to move the cursor from top right to bottom left not as good as the x2 Spectre, but not too bad. Note there is no fingerprint reader as shown in the image below. Performance The i5-7200U is an older 7th generation Intel Core CPU launched Q3, 2016. It features in so many notebooks and all they perform the same Passmark is 4695 for i5-7200U and 5239 for the i7-7500U. Intel HD Graphics 620 is fine for office, browsing and movies but it is not a gaming machine. Wi-Fi AC is via an entry-level Intel 7265 dual band chip that supports up to 867Mbps in 2 x 2 MIMO. In tests, I achieved from 170Mbps to 260MBps from a D-Link AC5300 MU-MIMO router approximately 20 metres away through a cement floor. This is lower than expected so let's put it downt to early drivers. The SSD is a Toshiba THNSN5256GPUK 256GB M.2 2280 SSD NVMe PCIe. Read/write was about 400/300Mbps although the technical specs suggest it Is capable of 1500/980Mbps. External read to a Samsung T3 SSD via USB-C 5Gbps 447Mbps. Again competent but could be higher. Overall it is above the performance of 2016 models and commensurate with the price paid. Battery HP variously claims somewhere between 10 and 14 hours depending on use, processor etc. In an HD video loop at 50% screen brightness (aircraft/night time viewing), it lasted 10 hours. In general office use at 75% screen is lasted about eight hours. Recharging was slow I suspect the 45W charger trying to charge a 53.6WHr battery is the issue. It took nearly three hours from 0 to 100% and during the hard work parts of the test it was flat out keeping up with battery drain. Pros If you like a clamshell this is very nice but I am leaning to the Envy or Spectre x360 design. Reasonably light at 1.3kg a 13.3 screen in a 12 chassis. Premium finishes exudes quality and metal chassis is a bonus. Good keyboard and average trackpad. Cons Web cam shows too much noise even in office lighting. While usign a 7th generation CPU these are earlier models later models have more power. Battery life is OK but charge time is a little long. Unable to charge with a standard USB-C 5V/3A charger (yet it has USB-C ports so these are for charging docks). Summary The Envy brand is for those who aspire to something a little better they will buy the premium XL version of a Camry every time knowing they get a reliable car with a few extra bells and whistles. That is how I feel about the Envy 13 it has some better parts, but under the skin it is still a consumer grade notebook a kind of premium economy and there is nothing wrong with that for short haul. If you have the money, spring for the excellent HP Spectre x2 or x360 and then you will be flying business class you get better, later processors, more performance and they are a delight to use. But for what it is, it is totally competent and part of HPs new breed of better-looking notebooks. A good third-party video is below Chinese authorities in the western province of Xinjiang have issued instructions to residents to install spyware on their mobile devices. The rule is in place only in Xinjiang which has a large population of Uighurs who are Muslims. The existence of the order was revealed by Radio Free Asia. Xinjiang has a history of social unrest with mass-scale riots taking place eight years ago. The app in question, known as Jingwang, apparently searches mobile devices for files that match those on an official blacklist. It is said to "automatically detect terrorist and illegal religious videos, images, e-books and electronic documents that may be present on the device. Chinese authorities are reportedly checking people at checkpoints to see if they have installed the application as they were ordered to. According to a report in Infosecurity Magazine, a group of Kazakh women were arrested after their conversations on WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging platform, were monitored and deemed illegal. China regularly cracks down on Internet freedoms, with one of the latest orders being a January fiat to make all VPNs not approved by the government illegal. Xinjiang authorities have reportedly told all citizens and business owners to provide their ID cards, mobile phones, external drives, laptops, and any media storage to local police for registration and scanning by 1 August. Apple chief executive Tim Cook has committed to building three big manufacturing plants in the US, according to US President Donald Trump. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said Cook had promised him that Apple would build three big plants, beautiful plants", but did not specify where or when the plants would be built. Apple has about 80,000 employees in the US and the company says it supports about two million jobs in all. Last year, during the presidential campaign, Apple was criticised by Trump for outsourcing its manufacturing to factories in China. After the election, Trump told Time magazine that he wanted Apple to build a great plant, your biggest and your best, even if its only a foot bigger than some place in China". The WSJ said that a small proportion of Apple's products are made in the US on contract. Flex makes Mac computers in Austin, Texas, and Quanta Computer makes Macs in Fremont, California. However, most Apple products are assembled in China, mainly by Foxconn Technology, which makes the iPhone and a number of other products. Trump also said that Foxconn had plans to build a big plant in the US and was thinking of locating it in Wisconsin. Second-quarter profits have been affected at Google and its parent company Alphabet, with the hefty European Union fine levied on the search giant and traffic acquisition costs being two factors responsible. Alphabet's second-quarter profit came in at US$3.52 billion compared to US$4.88 billion in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Revenue was US$26.01 billion, which exceeded the forecasts by analysts, according to The Wall Street Journal. In June, the European Commission announced that it was levying a fine of 2.42 billion (US$2.7 billion) on Google for alleged abuse of its search engine dominance to give its own comparison shopping service an advantage. Google paid out US$5.1 billion in traffic acquisition costs for the quarter, a rise of 28% compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year. These costs are paid to other companies for sending users to ads on Google's network; as an example, it pays Apple when iPhone users use Google search. This was the first time in five years that the rise of these costs had been more than the growth in revenue. Paid clicks, the frequency with which Google users click on ads, rose by 52% year-on-year. But advertisers paid 23% less for each click on an ad. There may be more EU fines to come, with reports that the EC is contemplating another record fine against the search behemoth over how it pays and limits mobile phone providers who use its Android mobile operating system and Play Store. A third investigation, into Google's Adsense advertising service, may also bring a fine; the EC is said to have made a preliminary determination that Google has abused its dominant position. The second-quarter results indicate that the hiccup in March, when several prominent advertisers pulled their ads, after they were reported to be appearing on YouTube videos that contained racist, terrorist and anti-Semitic content, did not affect the flow of money into Alphabet's coffers. A new stream of revenue for the quarter was from Google's cloud services which grew by 42% to US$3.09 billion. Google has said that revenue from this part of its business could one day exceed what it receives from advertising which comprised 88% of the US$90.27 billion it took in last financial year. A staggering 87% of all smartphones sold in China in Q2, 2017, came from Chinese makers, leaving Apple and Samsung with the rest. According to Counterpoints Market Monitor service, smartphones shipments in China grew 3% annually during Q2 2017 (Apr-Jun), the second consecutive quarter of annual growth. Apple experienced a 0.3% drop to 8.2% and Samsung a 4% drop to 3%. While Apples drop is a result of anticipation of the iPhone 8 (Chinese lucky number) Samsungs fall is more about the very late release of the Galaxy S8 and Plus delayed until 25 May and followed by severe stock shortages in June. These are special versions with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 6/128GB of RAM/storage. Counterpoint Market Monitor research director James Yan said, During Q2, the Chinese market showed a positive uptick in demand as well as supply. June seasonally is a strong month for China as it is usually buoyed by portfolio upgrades from major brands such as Huawei, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi. These top four Chinese brands now capture 69% of the market and have raced ahead of international and other local brands with expansive distribution reach and exciting portfolio. Huawei was the number one brand with a 20.2% share, mainly due to the new P10 and P10 Plus these captured the lion's share of the flagship market taking sales from Apple and Samsung. The BBK-owned OPPO, vivo and OnePlus all increased marketshare on the back of their mass-mid-range phones providing close to flagship specifications for a lower cost. OPPO was number two at 18.8% and vivo number three at 17%. Between them 40% of the market was shared by the three brands. Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak said, OPPO and vivo grew significantly over last year with strong performance in the mass-mid-tier with A/Y series as well as with F/R and V/X series respectively in the mid-high-tier. Each of the series is well positioned in growth segments catering for demand from tier-1 cities to tier-4 towns. But it is not all roses a 3% growth year-on-year means that, We are nearing the time where the days of easy growth are over for Huawei, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi in China. The competitive landscape is converging as all the top four Chinese brands have reached a steady and dominant position in a very slow growing market. The race for the top two spots is always up for grabs as one misstep can push a brand easily two spots behind, said Counterpoint industry analyst Neil Shah. He was referring to the comeback of Xiaomi from the declining spiral. An interesting figure is the Other makers at 19.8% (down from 27.2% year-on-year). BBK-owned One Plus commands about 4.2% and the other significant player is Lenovo with its Motorola, Zuk and Lenovo brands. Lenovo has stated that it wants to be at least the number two brand in China and number three brand globally. It will focus its smartphone business on the Motorola brand. To do this we must make Motorola for everyone and we will do it by offering Pure Android, models addressing the whole market, and supply the quality and reliability our brand has been built on, Sridhar Ramaswamy, director of Marketing Asia Pacific, said in June. BBK appears to be following HPs lead in an extraordinary turnaround over the past few years. HP chief executive Dion Weilser has said, The real trick in this business is to segment the market, segment again, and when you've done that do it one more time. Figure out where the pockets of growth are going to be, where the heat map is going to take you. First off the rank is OPPO that has focused quality and value products for export markets like Australia as well as Chinese Tier one and two cities. Next is vivo, that is producing value-packed phones and covering markets like India as well as tier three and four Chinese cities. OnePlus is the maverick, offering experimental designs and selling far and wide to enthusiasts. Between them they have 40% of the Chinese market, are in the top five in every country they export to, and occupy number two rank among smartphone makers, shipping 56.7 million smartphones in Q1, 2017, just behind Samsung. iTWire has reviewed the OPPO A77 that is priced at $449. It has also reviewed the Motorola Z2 Play which sells for $699. VMware has appointed Mathew Chamley as its ANZ director of systems engineering. "Matt's experience leading a number of large corporations through their own digital transformation enables us to better work with our customers to drive results. We are thrilled to welcome Matt to our team," said vice-president and managing director Alister Dias. Chamley joined VMware from PwC, where he was head of IT services for Australia. He previously worked at Woolworths as head of infrastructure, at Cochlear as director of IT infrastructure services, at Webfirm as regional general manager, and at Be.interactive in several positions culminating in the post of chief information officer. Earlier in his career, he was IT operations manager at Australian Kitchen Industries, technology integration manager at Vodafone, and served in the army, reaching the rank of captain. Chamley attended the Royal Military College Duntroon, and the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. US local government agencies across the country are continuing to use software from Kaspersky Lab even though the federal government removed the company from a list of approved software suppliers for two government-wide purchasing contracts that are used to buy technology services. The federal move came amid accusations, since last year, that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. At the time of the federal move, a General Services Administration spokeswoman was quoted as saying: "GSAs priorities are to ensure the integrity and security of US government systems and networks and evaluate products and services available on our contracts using supply chain risk management processes. Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly said that it has no ties to the Russian government and offered to provide the source code of its products for review to prove that there are no malicious instructions therein. However, it has been pointed out that in one case, Kaspersky Labwith regard to the spying charges levelled against it. The fact that a source code review is unlikely to prove anything has also beenby a tech expert. A report in the Baltimore Post said in the weeks since the GSA order, Kaspersky software had been found on government computers in places from Portland, Oregon, to Fayetteville, Georgia. In the latter location, an official said there was an annual contract to use the software. It also said that checks with the Bureau of Prisons and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, both federal agencies, resulted in the response that more time was needed to find if Kaspersky products were still being used within the agencies. It quoted John Morrisson, systems manager for the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services, as saying: "We use it, and I think it works well. I dont have any problems, and we dont have any viruses. And its doing the job I require of it. He added that the concerns about Kaspersky Lab products were speculative, but that he would junk the software if specific vulnerabilities were pointed out to him. Kaspersky software is set to be used on a public school wireless network in Picayune, Mississippi. The report said network administrator Jason Wheat was unaware of the GSAs decision and had not been warned by the state to avoid the company's products. But, he said he was not bothered because the Social Security numbers of employees were stored on a separate server. The Portland city administration uses Kaspersky software along with other anti-virus software. Connecticuts public defender said that as of early 2016 its office had hundreds of computers running Kaspersky software. And San Marcos in Texas approved a US$92,744 contract for Kaspersky software in June, with a spokesman saying that the software had been used for many years and the licence renewal took place before the GSA issued its order. There has been a warning from a Russian minister earlier this month that any "unilateral political sanctions" by the US against Russian companies could prompt a response from Moscow. ServiceNow is hosting a unique event at the Technology in Government conference in Canberra, August 1-2, open to anyone keen to collaborate, compete and create innovative IT solutions for the public sector. You dont have to be a ServiceNow user or have experience using the ServiceNow platform there will be experts in attendance to help along the way. Participants will gain free entry to the conference and are welcome to join the complimentary networking drinks on Tuesday evening, August 1. Attendees can attend and work as a team, join a team on arrival, or participate individually. After 7 hours of creating, one team or individual will be crowned the winner. Those interested in attending can register here. WHY ATTEND? This is a great event to educate a yourself on the power of the ServiceNow platform, raise awareness across other areas of the organisation and stimulate activity to solve real challenges. It also brings together individuals and teams who would not normally collaborate or are bound by the barriers of time, distance and function. HOW IT HAPPENS ? A single day event where participants are exposed to the platform, come together to build innovative applications and solutions, all with support from ServiceNow Gurus. The event is driven by you and your colleagues, with support from a core team who are experienced drivers of successful hackathons. FREE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNMENT SUMMITS ON 2 AUGUST 2017 After completing the Hackathon on Tuesday 1 August, attendees are welcome to join the Technology in Government Summits on Wednesday 2 August 2017. Delegates can choose from four focus areas of their choice: Secure Government, Citizen Experience, Future Services and ICT Procurement. See agenda here. Event Details: Tuesday 1st August 09:00 - 16:00 Hackathon by ServiceNow (Room Location: Ballroom) 17:00 - 18:00 Networking Drinks. Winners will be announced at 5:45pm towards the end of networking drinks. Wednesday 2nd August 08:50 - 16:00 Technology in Government Summits (see agenda here) Discover the New Generation Compute Experience from HPE Live video webcast Experience the worlds most secure industry standard servers from HPE. Thursday, 27 July 2017 10.30 A.M IST | 1.00 P.M. SGT | 1.00 P.M. HKT | 3.00 P.M. AEST Register Now Witness the unveiling of the new-generation compute capabilities from HPE powered by HPE ProLiant Gen10 the worlds most secure industry standard servers designed to protect your business and help you achieve ultimate scale and agility. Join Paul Haverfield and Mark Read as they reveal how the only custom-designed secure silicon chip, enhanced agility solutions and flexible payment models from HPE can help you define your right mix of hybrid IT. During this webinar, get an insight on how you can: 1. Simplify server operations 2. Accelerate data-centric applications 3. Automate application deployment 4. Optimise performance 5. Reduce security risks with the HPE Secure Compute Lifecycle 6. Find your right mix of Hybrid IT, and pay only for what you use Webinar Details: Date: 27th July 2017, Thursday Time: 10:30 A.M. IST | 1:00 P.M. SGT | 1:00 P.M. HKT | 3:00 P.M. AEST Duration: 45 minutes Register Now Spots are limited, so register today! We look forward to seeing you at the webinar. Meet our presenters Paul Haverfield Chief Technology Officer, Data Centre & Hybrid Cloud, APJ region, Hewlett Packard Enterprise As the CTO for HPE Data Centre and Hybrid Cloud technologies in the APJ region, Paul is responsible for promoting and educating customers, analysts and media on the core aspects of data centre compute and storage technologies, trends and best practices. He has more than 30 years of experience in IT, and has held roles in both IT vendor and end-user organisations. Mark Read Director, Category Management, Data Centre & Hybrid Cloud, APJ region, Hewlett Packard Enterprise With over 23 years of experience as a senior regional technology leader across industry giants, Mark is uniquely poised to lead a team responsible for developing and promoting the compelling HPE Data Centre & Hybrid Cloud solution portfolio. Across the APJ region, Mark works with internal and external stakeholders to educate, inform and empower teams on building solutions that reduce costs and risks, and increase productivity and service levels. Learn more about HPE Data Centre Infrastructure Solutions. Based on new silicon root of trust technology and other comprehensive security features, verified by InfusionPoints. HPE respects your privacy. If you would like to discontinue receiving emails from HPE regarding special offers and information, please unsubscribe here. For more information regarding HPE privacy policies and practices, please visit our Privacy Statement or write to us at: HPE Privacy Mailbox, 11445 Compaq Center Drive W., Mailstop 040307, Houston, TX 77070, ATTN: HPE Privacy Mailbox (Countries to add their respective privacy statements). Copyright 2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. Optus is set to complete the shutdown of its 2G network and turn off 2G services across Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania. The final shutdown on 1 August will come after 2G services being turned off across the Northern Territory and Western Australia in April. Optus says as 2G capabilities become eclipsed by 3G and 4G network technologies, the closure will allow it to review options to re-allocate some of the spectrum to improve customer experience and mobile services and also investigate emerging technologies such as 5G. Virgin Mobile and Optus Wholesale service providers using the 2G GSM network will be affected by the shutdown. Dennis Wong, managing director of networks at Optus, says the telcos priority throughout the shutdown process has been to ensure 2G customers are prepared for the change and have the right level of support to allow for a smooth transition to our 3G and 4G services. There is no doubt that the 2G network, which was first established in 1993, played an important role in our network, particularly when we were first establishing ourselves across Australia," he said. Nearly 25 years on, and our customer levels using the 2G mobile network have significantly decreased as greater smartphone usage and advances in 4G technologies drive customer preferences for mobile data and faster speeds. This was the right time for us to close the 2G network." Wong directed customers to an Optus Yes crowd blog for more information on the 2G shutdown. NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow says the company, which is rolling out Australia's national broadband network, has an image problem, but has ruled out any imminent pricing changes. Morrow told the Australian Financial Review that any changes could include a means whereby dissatisfied customers could have a better idea about the kind of service they could expect. He said a review of the pricing model was underway. On Monday, iTWire carried two reports, wherein a number of technical experts pointed out that switching to a full-fibre rollout for the remainder of the network would cost about as much as moving from the current FttN technology to FttDP. NBN Co was asked for its response to this, and other suggestions, shortly after the reports were published. The company has not responded to iTWire's invitation until now. Morrow said: "We have to take it seriously, it is causing reputational damage and it does need to get fixed and we are committed to working with the industry to get it fixed." Bill Morrow: "NBN Co has an image problem." He said a review could mean that customers were assured of a minimum level of service so that they knew what was possible when they subscribed to a given level of service. "What we are considering, and we are in consultation, is looking at a restructuring of the pricing mechanism," Morrow said. "I am sympathetic with the many smaller retailers, in particular, who say I am stuck in this price war and I can't step up and raise my price to the end users. "So, we are thinking can we restructure the CVC (Connectivity Virtual Circuit charge) and the AVC (monthly access charge) to have a minimum assurance of a certain quality of product ... do we introduce a media streaming product?" This is not the first time Morrow has made such promises. About a month ago, he made similar statements to the same newspaper. Morrow denied that the CVC charge was resulting in slow speeds, with retail service providers buying less bandwidth than to provide customers with acceptable speeds. "Most of the marketing attention is on price, not what kind of speed you are going to get," he said, claiming that three-quarters of those who had signed up did not what speed tier they had selected. Instead, he blamed the slow speeds on a "land grab phenomenon where retailers are chasing market share and classically during a land grab phase you get more discussion on price and less discussion about quality". Update, 26 July: Reacting to Morrow's statements, Labor's shadow communications spokesperson Michelle Rowland said: "(Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbulls failed multi-technology mix has infused an enormous amount of long-term cost and complexity into the NBN. "If we take a 10-, 20- or 30-year view of the current NBN it is clear the multi-technology mix does not pass the economics test it costs more to maintain, it delivers a poorer consumer experience, it will waste billions in upgrade costs that could be avoided, it is more exposed to mobile competition, and it infuses an enormous amount of systems and migration complexity into the NBN project. None of these costs are reflected in the $49 billion price tag. "These twin failures... in engineering and economics are forcing NBN Co to try and move the revenue needle on a second-rate product. There is a Mexican stand-off taking place over price all the while consumers are stranded in the middle and no one is listening to them." Reddit Email 51 Shares By Molly Wallace | ( Waging Nonviolence / Peace Science Digest) | Contrary to widespread stereotypes regarding the nature of Palestinian resistance, there has long been a tradition of unarmed civil resistance against Israeli occupation a tradition renewed with Israels construction of the so-called separation barrier (a.k.a. apartheid wall [Palestinians] or security fence [Israelis]) that separates many West Bank Palestinian villages from their lands and livelihoods. Israeli and international activists frequently join Palestinians during anti-wall protests and actions, with a steady flow of new activists coming and going through the West Bank on a weekly or monthly basis. How does this in-flow/out-flow of diverse activists shape the possibilities for anti-occupation activism? In particular, how are identities and the various forms of power and privilege that accompany them negotiated in the effort to create a coordinated civil resistance movement? Andreas Hackl addresses these questions in his article, An Orchestra of Civil Resistance, in the April 2016 issue of Peace & Change. Hackl carried out ethnographic research during 2009 in Bilin, a village that has sustained weekly anti-wall/occupation protests since 2005, observing and participating in the Palestinian-led transnational struggle there. Using the metaphor of a musical orchestra, he describes the coordination of activists with diverse identities who combine their unique abilities to create one powerful performance. Hackl argues that it is precisely this diversity and the unique forms of privilege enjoyed by different identities that enables activists to fulfill different functions and the movement to sustain itself. Although the transient status of many activists and the varieties of privilege they experience can set limits to the creation of a common activist identity, activists are united by a common purpose, embodied in the weekly protests performed for a wider (media) audience. For Palestinians, the struggle is existential. As expressed by one Palestinian activist Hackl interviewed, the community, in response to Israeli confiscation of agricultural land and olive trees, started a nonviolent demonstration against the wall and the settlements because it threatened our life. As Hackl shows, this struggle has become profoundly entwined with the life stories of Palestinians, many of whom have family members who have or have themselves spent time in Israeli jails for various forms of resistance. Parents pass the commitment to struggle down to their children, and simply continuing the struggle becomes an end in itself. Palestinians distinctive forms of power include the direction of the movement itself, decisions about whom to invite to join them and how, and, when needed, the authority to rein in stone-throwing among community members. In contrast to Palestinian activists, for whom resistance is a necessity, international activists, according to Hackl, have the luxury of choosing to join the resistance movement, some even seeing their participation as a way to engage in a more meaningful vacation than usual. Nonetheless, Hackl notes that their presence is valuable, due in large part to their distinct forms of privilege. First, internationals use the privilege stemming from their citizenship to be a protective presence at demonstrations. One Palestinian activist notes that when Israeli soldiers see internationals, Israelis and cameras in the demonstrations, they change, apparently stopping their use of live bullets. International activists also have a low vulnerability to Israeli military prosecution, unlike Palestinians who are at risk for arbitrary arrest and other forms of repression. Second, internationals use the privilege of their mobility their ease crossing international borders to publicize the Palestinian cause to their home countries and elsewhere. Finally, internationals have greater freedom to stay on the ground in Palestinian communities for weeks at a time than Israeli activists do, many of whom have daily responsibilities to attend to back in Israel. Yet Israelis also have distinct privileges and capacities compared to both Palestinian and international activists. Most importantly, Hackl finds that they have the insider status and hence moral authority to directly challenge Israeli soldiers who are carrying out the occupation in their name. They also have the ability to take cases to Israeli court and, like internationals, are less vulnerable to arbitrary punishment. Israeli activists can also use their identity as part of the opponent group to act as ambassadors, changing perceptions among Palestinians (and internationals), while also breaking down narratives within their own communities that legitimize separation and make Palestinians into the enemy. Their very presence can begin to transform the relationship between at least some Palestinians and Israelis. According to Hackl, however, these acts of boundary-crossing solidarity are not always easy for Israelis, as crossing over can signify a break with Israeli identity and community, which can be as difficult and painful as it is necessary. In short, Hackl argues, the diversity found in these temporary multinational groupings of activists in the West Bank is the very condition upon which the sustainability and power of the anti-occupation/wall movement is built. Rather than glossing over the various forms of privilege present among these diverse identities, the movement is best served by recognizing and putting these privileges to good use through the divergent functions that different groups of activists can fulfill in the struggle for Palestinian freedom. Contemporary relevance With the Israeli occupation in its 50th year and a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine as elusive as ever, drawing attention to Palestinian civil resistance publicizes the daily injustices faced by Palestinians living under occupation, while also challenging the widespread assumption that Palestinian resistance is overwhelmingly violent. The more knowledge there is of such movements and especially of Israeli activist participation in these movements the more space opens up for Israelis and others to demand justice for Palestinians and to put pressure on the Israeli government to change its policies. Beyond the Palestinian case, this research is valuable for helping us think through the complexities of engaging in activism across lines of difference, especially in situations of extreme power imbalance, privilege and oppression. What does it mean to be an ally in a nonviolent struggle, to act in solidarity with those whose lives are more directly affected by the issue of concern than ones own life might be? How do activists of a more privileged identity balance the desire to participate and help with the desire to not become so centrally involved that they coopt the movement or reinstate forms of domination that already characterize their relationships with the marginalized group they are trying to assist? This research points to an approach that stresses the importance of movement leadership staying in the hands of those most directly affected (in this case Palestinians), while also insisting on openness and transparency when it comes to acknowledging the privileges enjoyed by allies of the movement and how these can be put to use. Practical implications As the go-to example of the cycles of violence phenomenon, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not going to be resolved with either side employing ever-greater levels of violence against the other. Rather, if there is a path to peace with justice, it includes sustained Palestinian nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation with the participation of Israeli peace activists, whose very presence and cooperation with Palestinian activists breaks down monolithic enemy images of either side and puts ever greater pressure on the Israeli government. With the adoption of widespread and disciplined nonviolent resistance, justifications for violent defense and occupation become harder for Israel to maintain, and space opens up for a broader array of more effective solutions. While it should continue to be the role of Palestinian activists to lead such movements, Israeli and international activists should continue to support and publicize them, participating as requested. More broadly, activists should engage in self-reflection about their own identities and their relationship to structures of power before participating in any such movement, especially one focused on the concerns of a group in a more marginalized position vis-a-vis their own identities. Such self-reflection may include uncomfortable questions about how you might benefit daily in certain ways from the system that simultaneously oppresses members of the other group. Accordingly, how can your way of participating in a movement confront rather than reinforce the patterns of privilege and oppression that already exist between these identity groups? A few considerations include following the lead of those in the affected community, listening more than talking (and being mindful of the air-time you take up in strategizing sessions), asking how to be most useful, acknowledging privilege and being prepared for discomfort, and being open to what you can learn from others. To subscribe or download the full special issue on nonviolent resistance, which includes additional resources for each article, visit their website. Published in collaboration with the Peace Science Digest, which summarizes and reflects on current academic research in the field of peace and conflict studies. Molly Wallace is Contributing Editor at the Peace Science Digest and Visiting Scholar in Portland State Universitys Conflict Resolution Program. Her new book, Security without Weapons: Rethinking Violence, Nonviolent Action, and Civilian Protection, explores nonviolent alternatives for civilian protection in war zonesand particularly the unarmed civilian peacekeeping work of Nonviolent Peaceforce in Sri Lanka. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science at Brown University and previously taught in the International Affairs and Political Science Programs at the University of New Hampshire and Brown University. Via Waging Nonviolence - Related video added by Juan Cole: France 24 English: Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Is a non-violent approach possible? Reddit Email 305 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | On Sunday in Amman, the capital of Jordan, two workers arrived at the Israeli Embassy in the tony Rabiyeh neighborhood. One of them attacked the Israeli security guard with a screwdriver, lightly injuring him. The guard appears to have shot his assailant. Somehow the buildings landlord also ended up dead. The attack at the Israeli Embassy came after a week of building tension in the region over the Aqsa Mosque on the temple mount. First, three Palestinian-Israeli gunmen staged an attack at the mosque on July 14, killing two Druze guards. Then the Israeli government announced that they would put metal detectors at the Aqsa Mosque. That move, seen as a form of desecration of the holy site, provoked big demonstrations and late last week several Palestinians at rallies were shot dead by Israeli police. 8 people are dead over the weekend. On Friday Jordanians staged demonstrations in Amman. This sort of thing can weaken and disrupt the Jordanian government, which has a peace treaty with Israel. The 2009 Israeli attack on Gaza provoked huge demonstrations in Tunisia, establishing networks of protesters and expertise in mobilizing that were deployed in 2010-2011 to make the Tunisian Revolution. Cooler heads are urging Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reconsider the metal detectors, which are causing more deaths than they might prevent. Israel captured East Jerusalem and the Palestinian West Bank in 1967 and has pursued an aggressive colonization policy that has aimed at emptying East Jerusalem of Palestinians and surrounding the remaining families and cutting them off from the West Bank. The Palestinians are under martial law and ruled by the Israeli military in one of the worlds last truly colonial enclaves, deprived of most basic human rights (including to their own property). Ultimately, Israeli officials hope to ethnically cleanse the 2.4 million Palestinians from the West Bank and replace them with Israeli colonizers. These actions are illegal in international law. Moreover, if you try to steal everything over decades from 2.5 million people while subjecting them to foreign military occupation, there is likely to be trouble over it. The temple mount is where Israeli Jews allege the old Temple of Solomon was, but it was torn down by the Chaldeans or Neo-Babylonians in 587 BCE. Then the Iranian Achaemenid Empire of Cyrus the Great and his successors let the Jews rebuild the temple. It lasted until the revolt of 66-70 CE, a little over thirty years after Jesus crucifixion, against the Roman Empire. The Romans tore down the second temple in 70 CE and expelled Jews from Jerusalem, renaming it Aelia Capitolina and constructing huge temples all over the place to Jupiter and Venus, making it a pagan city until the 300s. After the Roman Empire turned Christian under Constantine and his successors, they continued the formal ban on Jews in Jerusalem and made it a Christian city. Briefly, in 614-629, it was ruled by Sasanian Iran. Then the Roman Empire recovered it under Heraclius for a few years until it fell to the Muslim Arabs in 637. Muslims ruled Jerusalem for most of the succeeding 1,281 years, with a hiatus during the Crusades. For Jews and Christians, it is natural to associate Jerusalem with Jews, and sure it has been intimately intertwined with Jewish spirituality. But the city existed for millennia before there were any Jews, having been a Canaanite settlement dedicated to the god Shalem. And it wasnt actually ruled by Jews for all that long (Egypt, Iran, Rome and the Muslims also ruled it). Jerusalem is the third holiest city in Islam and Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad spiritually journeyed there and ascended into heaven from the temple mount. Muslims have for centuries been stopping off in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage (ziyarah) before or after the Hajj or major pilgrimage. The Aqsa Mosque is extremely important for Muslim spirituality. After Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, Jewish millenarians began dreaming of tearing down the Aqsa Mosque and replacing it with the Third Temple. Your own personal security is wrought up with this issue. Ambassador Peter Galbraith once observed Iraq in 2006 that the most successful terrorist strike in modern times killed no one. Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia blew up the Golden Dome or Askariya Shrine in Samarra, which is holy to Shiite Muslims. This insult to religious feelings during holy days set off a Sunni-Shiite civil war that by summer of 2006 was killing 3000 people a month and which led the Shiites to ethnically cleanse the capital of Baghdad of Sunni Muslims. That civil war in turn laid some of the foundation for the embrace in 2014 by Iraqs Sunni Arabs of ISIL, and their virtual secession from the country. Religious shrines are not ordinary spaces. Most Western journalists, academics and military officers are secular-minded and cannot imagine the passions provoked by attacks on holy sites. And the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the Big Kahuna of sensitive world religious sites. This is a place that could set off decades of violence and inflame the passions of 1.6 billion Muslims. In fact, the Israeli military occupation of East Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque was cited by Usama Bin Laden as one of the three reasons for which al-Qaeda destroyed the World Trade Center, which killed nearly 3000 Americans. - Related video: Reddit Email 329 Shares By Geoff Coventry | (Otherwords.org) | A fully privatized system can never adequately provision the nation. The Republicans have big plans for health care in this country: to eliminate coverage for millions of Americans while delivering a big tax cut to the rich. As someone who stands to benefit from that tax cut, let me just say: I dont need it, and I dont want it. No tax cut is worth excluding millions of Americans from the health services they need. Any new health care legislation should be focused on providing the best available health services for all Americans, not deliberately putting them out of reach. And yet, this is exactly what the twin monstrosities that came out of the House and Senate would have done. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the House bill wouldve left 23 million Americans uncovered by 2026. The Senate version was only a shade better, leaving 22 million people out. Those bills were nonstarters with the public the party was forced to pull them, along with any immediate plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). This Republican-majority Congress has shown their cards: They favor less coverage for workers and the elderly and lower taxes for the wealthy. Republicans in both chambers claim theyre doing this to support freedom and choice for the American people. They say the free market is the only way to provide Americans with access to affordable health care. They claim deregulation will help drive down health costs. Well, for starters, so-called free markets are unicorns fanciful creatures with magical powers that dont exist in the real world. All markets are designed; they dont emerge spontaneously from nature. We form, structure, regulate, and enforce markets through policy and institutions which reflect private and public interests. When it comes to health care, were talking about something closer to a natural monopoly like electricity, not an industry like autos or breakfast cereals. Everyone needs basic medical services on a regular basis, and we need to make sure the same quality is available to everyone even in hard to reach or low-income areas. This will always require some form of direct government funding of services, especially with respect to primary care. Failing to do so means were not serious about the goal of quality care for all Americans. This doesnt necessarily mean an entirely government-run system theres plenty of room for private medical practices and businesses to provide the spectrum of services we need. But it does mean some degree of public funding is essential. A fully privatized system can never adequately provision the nation. Rural communities dont have adequate medical facilities and staff. Underdeveloped urban communities suffer from the same lack of basic resources, and their residents often dont have the ability or time to travel to other locations. Republican leaders claim they want affordable access to quality health care for all Americans, but all of their proposals have focused on lowering taxes on businesses and the rich, regardless of the very real cost in terms of human life. Its a false choice, and the effects will be cruel. A healthy nation is a prosperous nation. This is primarily a challenge of real resources and the distribution of those resources, not of money. Congress can and should authorize any necessary funding to achieve the stated public goal simply by appropriating the funds. This includes designing a system that will ensure there are enough facilities, doctors, nurses, specialists, transportation systems, and all the other elements of quality care in close proximity to all who need it at any level of need and ability to pay. Members of the House and Senate were put there by the voters and have an obligation to fight for and protect all of their constituents, not just the ones wealthy enough to bankroll their campaigns. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 25, 2017) - Thor Explorations Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:THX) ("Thor" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of a 2,000 metre RC drilling program (the "2017 RC Program") on its Douta Project in south-east Senegal. Thor has previously carried out significant exploration programs on its Douta Project, which included soil geochemistry, trenching, ground geophysics, RAB and diamond drilling campaigns that culminated in the announcement of the "Makosa" greenfield discovery by Thor on February 6, 2013. Bedrock Mineralisation was confirmed in each hole over a 2.6 km strike length within a high grade shear vein system. Mineralisation remains open at depth and to the northeast and southwest along strike. Numerous additional areas along the shear zone have been identified as follow-up targets. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated, "Whilst the Segilola Gold Project in Nigeria continues to be our main focus, the Douta Project remains a highly prospective project that can deliver significant value to Thor's shareholders through its advancement. Following up on our previous exploration success at Douta demonstrates our commitment to advancing this project, which is located in a significantly gold-endowed Birimian Greenstone belt terrain that is host to the nearby Sabodala Complex (5.4moz) and Massawa (4.4moz) gold deposits. We look forward to completing the program and releasing the results over the next couple of months." About the Douta Project The Douta Project is a gold exploration permit that covers an area of 103 km2 and is located within the Kenieba inlier, eastern Senegal. The Makosa Gold Discovery is a discovery located on one of a number of soil anomalies within a 13 km long zone of mineralisation parallel to the Main Transcurrent Shear Zone. The Makosa Prospect was prioritised by Thor as an analogue to Randgold's Massawa project, located approximately 5km to the west. The 2017 RC Drilling Program The 2017 RC Program consists of a total of 24 proposed drill holes for 2,000 metres. It has been designed to target two parallel mineralized zones with the objective of defining continuity of gold mineralisation. The 2017 Program has a particular focus on targeting the high-grade gold zones, which are hosted within shear zones containing boudinaged quartz veins with fine grained pyrite and arsenopyrite. The 2017 RC Program is also designed to test previously identified second order structures. QUALIFIED PERSON The above information has been prepared under the supervision of Alfred Gillman (Fellow AusIMM, CP), who is designated as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approves the content of this news release. He has also reviewed QA/QC, sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information. About Thor Thor Explorations Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Thor holds a 100% interest in the Segilola Gold Project located in Osun State Nigeria, a 70% interest in the Douta Gold Project located in south-eastern Senegal, and a 49% interest in the Bongui and Legue gold permits located in Hounde greenstone belt, south west Burkina Faso. Thor trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "THX". CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE MKT: UEC, the "Company" or "UEC") is pleased to announce that the Company is extending the drilling campaign on its Burke Hollow in-situ recovery ("ISR") uranium project into early September with an additional estimated 30 holes to be drilled. Drilling commenced on April 3 this year with initial plans to drill up to 100 delineation and exploration holes through the year. As of July 21, a total of 94 holes have been successfully completed for a total of 40,420 feet of drilling with each hole having an average depth of 430 feet. Andy Kurrus, the Company's VP of Resource Development stated, "The Burke Hollow project continues to develop and expand as a classic South Texas Goliad Formation model. We are very excited about the drilling results to date, and anticipate continuing resource growth throughout the multiple roll fronts present on the property. The 2017 drilling campaign has been the most successful to date in terms of efficiency, budget and results." The two main objectives of this campaign are to complete the exploration and delineation drilling phase of two closely-related Goliad Formation uranium trends which will constitute Burke Hollow Production Area 1, and to further extend and expand these open-ended trends within Burke Hollow. These trends had earlier been proven to extend over a distance of 1.7 miles, northwest to southeast, during four previous UEC drilling campaigns beginning in 2012. Based on the recent drilling results to date, the mineralized trends have now been explored and delineated over a distance of four miles, still showing additional extension potential and strong mineralization. Infill delineation drilling continues as required in order to develop the Production Area 1 monitoring plan. The following table provides a detailed summary of the drilling results for 34 of the 94 test holes that exceeded 0.3 grade-thickness (GT) uranium cutoff and averaged 0.067% U3O8: Burke Hollow 2017 Drill Holes 0.3 GT Well ID Depth(ft) Thickness (ft)** Average Grade eU3O8 (%) Average GT (0.02 Cutoff) Depth(ft) Thickness (ft)** Average Grade pU3O8 (%)* Average GT (0.02 Cutoff) DEF Sand Unit 220.5-346.5 363.5 17.5 0.042 0.726 356.0 30.0 0.083 2.491 3.4 Lower B 234.0-337.5 399.0 3.0 0.030 0.094 396.5 11.5 0.054 0.618 6.6 Lower B 238.0-337.5 387.5 4.0 0.028 0.111 387.5 9.5 0.042 0.398 3.6 Lower B 238.0-335.5 384.0 2.5 0.029 0.073 382.0 6.0 0.061 0.365 5.0 Lower B 230.0-342.5 374.5 5.0 0.310 0.156 373.5 5.0 0.098 0.492 3.2 Lower B " 384.0 6.5 0.029 0.192 385.5 5.0 0.110 0.548 2.9 Lower B 235.0-335.5 383.5 5.5 0.042 0.230 383.5 7.0 0.094 0.660 2.9 Lower B 235.0-333.9 392.0 17.0 0.014 0.245 390.0 17.5 0.027 0.469 1.9 Lower B 231.5-340.5 386.5 2.0 0.024 0.047 384.0 6.5 0.059 0.381 8.1 Lower B 226.0-339.5 369.5 15.0 0.032 0.486 367.5 12.5 0.034 0.431 0.9 Lower B 229.5-341.0 379.0 19.5 0.017 0.330 369.0 18.5 0.020 0.372 1.1 Lower B 246.0-330.0 387.5 11.5 0.012 0.141 386.5 18.5 0.020 0.372 2.6 Lower B 220.0-347.5 373.0 16.5 0.017 0.277 369.5 24.5 0.025 0.623 2.2 Lower B 222.5-345.0 362.0 19.5 0.016 0.304 361.0 23.5 0.020 0.470 1.5 Lower B 217.5-358.5 367.5 6.5 0.045 0.290 367.0 7.5 0.153 1.147 4.0 Lower B 225.5-339.5 370.0 3.5 0.029 0.101 369.0 9.0 0.090 0.806 8.0 Lower B 229.5-340.5 375.5 14.5 0.024 0.344 374.0 11.5 0.035 0.408 1.2 Lower B 218.5-354.5 369.0 9.5 0.020 0.195 366.0 14.5 0.030 0.438 2.2 Lower B 220.0-348.0 380.0 9.5 0.034 0.321 381.0 9.0 0.060 0.541 1.7 Lower B 228.0-339.0 385.0 10.5 0.029 0.303 383.5 13.5 0.089 1.202 4.0 Lower B 234.0-340.5 394.5 8.5 0.033 0.282 397.0 5.5 0.063 0.348 1.2 Lower B 221.0-343.5 387.0 7.0 0.051 0.354 387.5 7.5 0.070 0.523 1.5 Lower B 221.5-346.0 366.0 10.0 0.060 0.600 374.5 5.0 0.060 0.449 0.7 Lower B 223.0-344.0 388.0 8.0 0.029 0.230 388.0 8.5 0.061 0.517 2.2 Lower B 218.5-357.0 366.5 7.5 0.029 0.216 364.5 11.5 0.047 0.539 2.5 Lower B 227.0-342.5 373.5 5.5 0.039 0.212 374.5 5.0 0.096 0.480 2.3 Lower B " 382.5 5.0 0.036 0.178 382.0 4.5 0.077 0.346 1.9 Lower B 227.0-339.5 368.0 5.0 0.025 0.127 375.0 6.0 0.066 0.396 3.1 Lower B 229.5-343.0 379.5 12.0 0.039 0.469 380.0 6.5 0.058 0.377 0.8 Lower B " 392.5 4.0 0.027 0.108 393.5 3.0 0.052 0.156 1.4 Lower B 220.0-350.5 365.0 11.0 0.061 0.672 363.0 8.5 0.063 0.535 0.8 Lower B 213.0-368.5 367.0 15.5 0.049 0.761 362.5 13.0 0.078 1.010 1.3 Lower B 216.5-361.0 378.5 5.0 0.051 0.256 378.5 3.5 0.093 0.327 1.3 Lower B 212.8-370.5 378.0 4.0 0.024 0.097 377.0 5.5 0.070 0.384 4.0 Lower B 216.0-360.5 370.0 6.5 0.053 0.345 369.0 7.0 0.143 0.999 2.9 Lower B 213.0-374.5 373.0 13.0 0.058 0.755 374.5 8.5 0.091 0.850 1.1 Lower B 213.3-366.4 367.5 10.5 0.043 0.449 366.5 12.5 0.091 1.135 2.5 Lower B Averages 377.6 9.1 0.041 0.299 376.8 10.3 0.067 0.611 2.7 Lower B *All grade values are based on Prompt Fission Neutron ("PFN") logging and denoted by pU3O8 **Rounded to nearest tenth of a foot Along with the drilling results listed in the referenced table, the remaining 60 drill holes include 10 holes that had GT values ranging from 0.2 0.3 GT based on PFN data. These intercepts had an average thickness of 6.3 feet with an average grade of 0.034 %pU3O8, for an average GT value of 0.237. The data also includes 8 holes that logged GT values ranging from 0.1-0.2 GT based on PFN data. These intercepts displayed an average thickness of 5.3' with an average grade of 0.033 % pU3O8 with an average GT of 0.148 in the mineralized Sand. The remaining 42 holes from this campaign range from barren to an average GT of 0.1. The anomalous zones average 9.5 feet in thickness. Based on the positive results to date, the Company's geological team is extending the drilling program into early September. An additional estimated 30 holes will be drilled, including at least two core holes to support further ISR leaching analysis. The Burke Hollow project continues to develop as the Company's flagship uranium project in South Texas. The Goliad mineralization trends follow the outline of an anticlinal structure which has produced abundant natural gas and oil from multiple underlying formations. Several miles of potential mineralized trend length remain only lightly explored to date. The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101 and was reviewed by Clyde L. Yancey, P.G., Vice President-Exploration for the Company, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. About Uranium Energy Corp. Uranium Energy Corp. is a U.S.-based uranium mining and exploration company. The Company's fully-licensed Hobson Processing Facility is central to all of its projects in South Texas, including the Palangana ISR mine, the permitted Goliad ISR project and the development-stage Burke Hollow ISR project. Additionally, the Company controls a pipeline of advanced-stage projects in Arizona, Colorado and Paraguay. The Company's operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 25, 2017) - Kaizen Discovery Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KZD) today provided an update on its exploration program at the Pinaya Copper-Gold Project in Peru. The company now has completed a detailed geological mapping program over a significant portion of the highly-prospective Pinaya Copper-Gold Project. The mapping, led by Gustavo Zulliger, Kaizen's Vice President, Exploration, has identified a new, high-priority target - Pedro 2000 - that the company plans to test during its 2017 Pinaya drilling program. The 2017 drilling program, which will consist of approximately 4,000 metres, is awaiting receipt of formal permission to initiate activities from the Peruvian Minister of Energy and Mines. Based on the latest dialogue with government officials, the company remains confident that the drilling program will be completed as planned this year. Approximately 3,000 metres of drilling will be focused on the expansion of the Pinaya Mineral Resource area, where recent re-logging of core drilled by previous operators has identified compelling resource expansion opportunities along strike to the north (the Antana target area) and south of the defined Mineral Resource area. An additional 1,000 metres of drilling is planned to test new targets to the east of the current resource, including the Pedro 2000 target (Figure 1). Recent site visits have identified outcropping potassic-altered quartz diorite porphyry carrying chalcopyrite-bearing, early-stage "A" type veining, which coincides with anomalous values of copper and gold in soils as well as ground-magnetic and chargeability anomalies. The Pedro 2000 target has never been drill tested. Figure 1: Resistivity cross-section (west to east) through the Pinaya Mineral Resource area to the Pedro 2000 target As per the terms of the April 2016 strategic financing agreement with ITOCHU Corporation, Kaizen's partner on the Pinaya Project, ITOCHU is scheduled to make its third and final payment of C$1.25 million to Kaizen Peru Holdings Ltd. - the indirect holder of the Pinaya Project - after all permits, licences and authorizations necessary to commence exploration drilling activities have been received. The C$1.25 million payment to fund exploration for the Pinaya Project will increase ITOCHU's ownership in Kaizen Peru Holdings to 20% from its current level of 10%. About Kaizen Discovery Kaizen is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company with exploration projects in Peru and Canada. More information on Kaizen is available at www.kaizendiscovery.com. Qualified person Kaizen's Chief Operating Officer, Mark Gibson, PrNatSci, is the Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed, approved and is responsible for the scientific and technical information presented in this news release. VANCOUVER, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: MRZ, "Mirasol") is pleased to report that the Company has expanded its claims holdings at the Odin copper project in the prolific Oligocene age copper belt of northern Chile from 900 ha to over 5,660 ha securing significant extensions to the district scale alteration system previously reported at the project. The Odin project is located (figure 1) 35 km north of BHP's giant La Escondida copper mine giving Odin key operational advantages in infrastructure and access. Odin is localised at the intersection of the Domeyko fault system, a continental scale structure that has influenced emplacement of a number of giant Oligocene age porphyry deposits in Chile and parallel structures to the trans-orogen Archibarca structure. This structural setting is analogous to that of the nearby Escondida copper district. Stephen Nano, Mirasol's CEO commented: "Mirasol now controls a significant claims package at Odin, an area that hosts a compelling conceptual porphyry Cu target, along trend for one of the world's premier copper mines. Early exploration results have increased the prospectivity of the project and suggest the potential to develop further targets at the property." Odin is centred on a large alteration system that is evident from the Companys Landsat 8 alteration processing (figure 2). Field follow-up with ground based alteration mineralogy measurements and geochemical sampling has defined a previously untested conceptual porphyry target (see news release March 2, 2017) concealed beneath a geochemically barren alteration lithocap at Odin. Recent staking of new claims has significantly expanded the area of alteration controlled by Mirasol at the Odin project from the original 2.6 to 6.5 sq kms. Systematic field exploration will determine if the recently staked claims could potentially host additional porphyry copper targets. Mirasol has expanded reconnaissance rock chip sampling outward from the original Odin target into the new claims. Initial results have returned encouraging Cu + Mo + Au assays (figure 3) from narrow structures that may vector toward new conceptual targets at the project. Detailed analysis of the satellite base alteration processing suggests zoning patterns that could indicate higher temperature centres within the larger alteration system. These areas will be the focus of future exploration. The Odin Project was staked as part of Mirasol's Chilean copper strategy aimed at building a portfolio of high quality copper projects in the world class northern Chile copper belt. Mirasol has received strong interest in Odin and the recently announced porphyry targets at Rubi project adjacent to the Giant El Salvador copper district. Mirasol is actively seeking joint venture partners to drill test and develop these projects. Corporate Rebranding Mirasol is pleased to announce the launch of its new website and corporate branding. To follow the Odin story, please visit www.mirasolresources.com Stephen Nano, President and CEO of Mirasol, has approved the technical content of this news release and is a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101. Quality Assurance/Quality Control of the Odin exploration program: All exploration on the project was supervised by Mirasol CEO Stephen C. Nano, who is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mirasol applies industry standard exploration sampling methodologies and techniques. All geochemical rock and drill samples are collected under the supervision of the company's geologists in accordance with industry practice. Geochemical assays are obtained and reported under a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Samples are dispatched to an ISO 9001:2008 accredited laboratory in Chile for analysis. Assay results from surface rock, channel, trench, and drill core samples may be higher, lower or similar to results obtained from surface samples due to surficial oxidation and enrichment processes or due to natural geological grade variations in the primary mineralization. By Ko Dong-hwan Ja Song-nam / Korea Times file The United States government deliberately delayed extending the visa of the North Korean envoy to the United Nations, possibly out of malice toward the rogue state, according to a Japanese news report. The U.S. government, which manages visa extension affairs for the U.N. in New York, extended Ja Song-nam's visa on July 14. The day before, Ja complained at an unofficial meeting at the U.N. about the U.S. government having delayed extending his visa since he applied for an extension in March. His visa expired in May. Ja told Japanese news agency Kyodo the U.S. government "didn't provide a single explanation why the process took so long." He said he saw the delay as "an act of aggression." Ja has been North Korea's permanent representative to the U.N. since February 2014. By Kim Se-jeong An appeals court in Seoul ruled in favor of a bisexual asylum seeker, Sunday, recognizing her as a refugee. The court viewed the asylum seeker's fear of persecution in Uganda, her home country, as legitimate. A lower court turned down her request earlier. "We view that with her sexual identity, it would be difficult for her to carry on her daily routine anywhere in Uganda," according to the court ruling quoted by a local daily. "Knowing her sexual identity, the government in Uganda is likely to press criminal charges against her. If the fear of persecution affects your freedom, it can already be persecution." The ruling came almost 10 days after the highest court in Korea ruled against an Egyptian asylum seeker who claimed his homosexuality could endanger his life, if sent back home. In Uganda, homosexuality is illegal. According to the 2014 law, homosexual, bisexual and transgendered men and women can be sentenced to death. Under mounting pressure, the country's Constitutional Court challenged the law, but it did little to dilute the anti-homosexual sentiment in the African country. The woman in the spotlight, whose name was undisclosed, 28, fled Uganda in February 2014 and filed for refugee status in Korea two months later. She said her bisexuality was denounced by her mother who reported her to the police. She said she had been detained by the police because of her sexual identity and raped by police officers. Her two interviews with refugee officers were unsuccessful. She filed for a special round of interviews with the Ministry of Justice, which also turned her down saying her fear for persecution wasn't sufficient. The Seoul Administrative Court also ruled against her, citing the same reason. By Frank Ching The disputed Sino-Indian border, long a source of intermittent clashes, is once again the focus of a confrontation that sees Chinese and Indian troops facing off, this time in an area claimed by Bhutan. Interestingly, China's territorial claim to the contested area rests on an 1890 treaty, the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet. At the time, Sikkim was a British protectorate and India was a British colony. Today, Sikkim is part of an independent India. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge and yet China pins its claim on this relatively ancient treaty. The latest conflict began after a PLA construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to upgrade or extend a dirt road. An Indian account of the incident said: "It is our understanding that a Royal Bhutan Army patrol attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity." This was followed by the intervention of Indian troops, triggering a stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the first time on territory not claimed by India. According to China, "the area where the construction activities are underway is totally under the jurisdiction of China because it is completely located on the Chinese side of the China-Bhutan customary line." China demands the withdrawal of Indian troops. On June 30, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman asserted that "the boundary convention signed in 1890 explicitly stipulates that Mount Gipmochi is the junction of China, India and Bhutan, and Doklam is situated on the Chinese side of the China-India and China-Bhutan boundaries." It is interesting that China should put so much emphasis on this 1890 treaty, especially since, on the same day, the foreign ministry spokesman referred to another treaty with Britain, the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, signed in 1984, as a "historical document that no longer has any realistic meaning." The Chinese announcement was made despite the fact that the Joint Declaration spells out policies regarding Hong Kong for 50 years beyond 1997 and says, "The Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the People's Republic of China agree to implement the preceding declarations and the Annexes to this Joint Declaration." So, on one hand, a treaty that is meant to run at least until 2047 is already irrelevant, while one signed in 1890, when the world was very different, is still binding. China is picking carefully and unilaterally which treaties it considers relevant. Actually, the 1890 treaty is by no means clear. While the treaty says that the line between Sikkim and Tibet "commences at Mount Gipmochi on the Bhutan frontier," it also says that the boundary "shall be the crest of the mountain range separating the waters" that flow southward into Sikkim and northward into Tibet. Unfortunately for China, Mount Gipmochi is not at "the crest of the mountain range separating the waters." That location, it turns out, is Batang La. M.Taylor Fravel, an expert on China's border issues, explained the problem. "The convention contains a contradiction that allows each side to claim it supports its own position," he said. "Article 1 states that the border begins at Mount Gimpochi, roughly 3 km south of the Chinese road and the western point of the Jampheri Ridge. Article 1 also states that the boundary will follow the watershed. Unfortunately, however, Mount Gimpochi is not the start of the watershed, and the convention did not explain how to square this circle." "Sometime between 1907 and 1913," he said, "Britain published a map of the area showing the border starting at Batang La, 6 km north of Mount Gimpochi, effectively changing the terms of the convention." So, if Gimpochi is the starting point, Doklam is in China but if Batang La is the real starting point, then Doklam is in Bhutan and China has no right to build a road there. India says that it reached agreement with China in 2012 that "the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalized in consultation with the concerned countries." China is silent on this agreement. But this is excellent moment for the two countries to consult Bhutan on the tri-junction boundary point. Bhutan needs to act on its own behalf rather than relying on India. Other countries, very much including Britain, should speak up. Once Bhutan decides to talk to China directly, the world will see this as a David versus Goliath situation, with puny Bhutan resisting a domineering neighbor used to getting its way. This is a better scenario than a faceoff between two giants. Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based journalist. Contact frank.ching@gmail.com. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to use your powers of deductive reasoning or would that be inductive reasoning? What's the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning? During the scientific process, deductive reasoning is used to reach a logical and true conclusion. Another type of reasoning, inductive, is also commonly used. People often confuse deductive reasoning with inductive reasoning; however, important distinctions separate these two pathways to a logical conclusion. What is deductive reasoning? Deductive reasoning, also known as deduction, is a basic form of reasoning. It starts out with a general statement, or hypothesis, and examines the possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion, according to Norman Herr (opens in new tab), a professor of secondary education at California State University in Northridge The scientific method uses deduction to test hypotheses and theories, which predict certain outcomes if they are correct, said Dr. Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller (opens in new tab), a researcher and professor emerita at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "We go from the general the theory to the specific the observations," Wassertheil-Smoller told Live Science. In deductive reasoning there is a first premise, then a second premise and finally an inference (a conclusion based on reasoning and evidence). A common form of deductive reasoning is the syllogism, in which two statements a major premise and a minor premise together reach a logical conclusion. For example, the major premise "Every A is B" could be followed by the minor premise, "This C is A." Those statements would lead to the conclusion "This C is B." Syllogisms are considered a good way to test deductive reasoning to make sure the argument is valid. Image 1 of 3 Here's how deductive reasoning works. For the conclusion to be correct, the hypothesis must be sound. (Image credit: Shutterstock) It's true, this is a spider. (Image credit: Shutterstock) And since all spiders have 8 legs, this one must have 8 legs. This is an example of deductive reasoning which is valid because the initial premise is true. (Image credit: Shutterstock) For example, "All spiders have eight legs. A tarantula is a spider. Therefore, tarantulas have eight legs." For deductive reasoning to be sound, the hypothesis must be correct. It is assumed that the statements, "All spiders have eight legs" and "a tarantula is a spider" are true. Therefore, the conclusion is logical and true. In deductive reasoning, if something is true of a class of things in general, it is also true for all members of that class. Deductive conclusions are reliable provided the premises are true, according to Herr. The argument, "All bald men are grandfathers. Harold is bald. Therefore, Harold is a grandfather," is valid logically, but it is untrue because the original premise is false. A woodcut engraving of Sherlock Holmes examining clues with his friend Dr. Watson. The famous detective was all about deductive reasoning and known for saying: "'Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth." (Image credit: Art illustration by Sidney Paget, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle/Getty) (opens in new tab) What is inductive reasoning Inductive reasoning moves from observation, to generalization to theory. (Image credit: designer491/Getty) While deductive reasoning begins with a premise that is proven through observations, inductive reasoning extracts a likely (but not certain) premise from specific and limited observations. There is data, and then conclusions are drawn from the data; this is called inductive logic, according to the University of Illinois (opens in new tab) in Springfield. "In inductive inference, we go from the specific to the general. We make many observations, discern a pattern, make a generalization, and infer an explanation or a theory," Wassertheil-Smoller told Live Science. "In science, there is a constant interplay between inductive inference (based on observations) and deductive inference (based on theory), until we get closer and closer to the 'truth,' which we can only approach but not ascertain with complete certainty." In other words, the reliability of a conclusion made with inductive logic depends on the completeness of the observations. For instance, let's say that you have a bag of coins; you pull three coins from the bag, and each coin is a penny. Using inductive logic, you might then propose that all of the coins in the bag are pennies."Even though all of the initial observations that each coin taken from the bag was a penny are correct, inductive reasoning does not guarantee that the conclusion will be true. Here's another example: "Penguins are birds. Penguins can't fly. Therefore, all birds can't fly." The conclusion does not follow logically from the statements. Nevertheless, inductive reasoning has its place in the scientific method , and scientists use it to form hypotheses and theories . Deductive reasoning then allows them to apply the theories to specific situations. Deductive reasoning examples Here are some examples of deductive reasoning: Major premise: All mammals have backbones. Minor premise: Humans are mammals. Conclusion: Humans have backbones. Major premise: All birds lay eggs. Minor premise: Pigeons are birds. Conclusion: Pigeons lay eggs. Major premise: All plants perform photosynthesis. Minor premise: A cactus is a plant. Conclusion: A cactus performs photosynthesis. Deductive reasoning moves from a general statement to a reach a specific logical conclusion. In this case, if all plants use photosynthesis, and cacti are plants, then all cacti use photosynthesis is a valid example of deductive reasoning. (Image credit: mikroman6/Getty) Inductive reasoning examples Here are some examples of inductive reasoning: Data: I see fireflies in my backyard every summer. Hypothesis: This summer, I will probably see fireflies in my backyard. Data: I tend to catch colds when people around me are sick. Hypothesis: Colds are infectious. Data: Every dog I meet is friendly. Hypothesis: Most dogs are usually friendly. If every dog you meet is friendly, it is reasonable to form the hypothesis that most dogs are usually friendly. This is an example of inductive reasoning. (Image credit: Sally Anscombe/Getty) What is abductive reasoning Another form of scientific reasoning that diverges from inductive and deductive reasoning is abductive. Abductive reasoning usually starts with an obviously incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the likeliest possible explanation for the data, a (opens in new tab) ccording to Butte College (opens in new tab) in Oroville, California. It is based on making and testing hypotheses using the best information available. It often entails making an educated guess after observing a phenomenon for which there is no clear explanation. For example, a person walks into their living room and finds torn-up papers all over the floor. The person's dog has been alone in the apartment all day. The person concludes that the dog tore up the papers because it is the most likely scenario. It's possible that a family member with a key to the apartment destroyed the papers, or it may have been done by the landlord, but the dog theory is the most likely conclusion. Abductive reasoning is useful for forming hypotheses to be tested. Abductive reasoning is often used by doctors who make a diagnosis based on test results, and by jurors who make decisions based on the evidence presented to them. Additional resources Uranium is a radioactive metal central to one of the most devastating acts of war in history. On Aug. 6, 1945, a 10-foot-long (3 meters) bomb fell from the sky over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Less than a minute later, everything within a mile of the bomb's detonation was obliterated. A massive firestorm rapidly destroyed miles more, killing tens of thousands of people. This was the first-ever use of an atomic bomb in warfare, and it wouldn't have been possible without uranium. This radioactive metal is unique in that one of its isotopes, uranium-235, is the only naturally occurring isotope capable of sustaining a nuclear fission reaction. (An isotope is a version of the element with a differing number of neutrons in its nucleus.) To understand uranium, it's important to understand radioactivity. Uranium is naturally radioactive: Its nucleus is unstable, so the element is in a constant state of decay, seeking a more stable arrangement. In fact, uranium was the element that made the discovery of radioactivity possible. In 1897, French physicist Henri Becquerel left some uranium salts on a photographic plate as part of some research on how light influenced these salts. To his surprise, the plate fogged up, indicating some sort of emissions from the uranium salts. Becquerel shared a Nobel Prize with Marie and Pierre Curie in 1903 for the discovery. What are the properties of uranium? According to the Jefferson National Linear Accelerator Laboratory (opens in new tab), the properties of uranium are: Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 92 Atomic symbol (on the Periodic Table of Elements): U Atomic weight (average mass of the atom): 238.02891 Density: 18.95 grams per cubic centimeter Phase at room temperature: Solid Melting point: 2,075 degrees Fahrenheit (1,135 degrees Celsius) Boiling point: 7,468 F (4,131 C) Number of isotopes (atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons): 16, 3 naturally occurring Most common isotopes: U-234 (0.0054% natural abundance), U-235 (0.7204% natural abundance), U-238 (99.2742% natural abundance) History of uranium Martin Heinrich Klaproth, a German chemist, discovered uranium in 1789, although it had been known about since at least A.D. 79, when uranium oxide was being used as a coloring agent for ceramic glazes and in glass, according to Chemicool (opens in new tab). Klaproth discovered the element in the mineral pitchblende, which at the time was thought to be a zinc and iron ore. The mineral was dissolved in nitric acid, and then potash (potassium salts) was added to the remaining yellow precipitate. Klaproth concluded that he had discovered a new element when the reaction between the potash and precipitate didn't follow any reactions of known elements. His discovery turned out to be uranium oxide and not pure uranium as he had originally believed. Art deco molded green uranium glass lit by UV light on a table. The uranium glows green with fluorescence. In normal light the glass has a green tint, but does not glow. (Image credit: Peter Chow UK via Shutterstock) According to the Los Alamos National Laboratory (opens in new tab), Klaproth named the new element after the recently discovered planet Uranus, which was named for the Greek god of the sky. Eugene-Melchior Peligot, a French chemist, isolated pure uranium in 1841 by heating uranium tetrachloride with potassium. Uranium was found to be radioactive in 1896 by Antoine H. Becquerel, a French physicist. Becquerel had left a sample of uranium on top of an unexposed photographic plate, which became cloudy. He concluded it was giving off invisible rays, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry (opens in new tab). This was the first instance that radioactivity had been studied and opened up a new field of science. Marie Curie, a Polish scientist, coined the term radioactivity shortly after Becquerel's discovery, and with Pierre Curie, a French scientist, continued the research to discover other radioactive elements, such as polonium and radium, and their properties. Power and war The universe's uranium formed 6.6 billion years ago in supernovae, according to the World Nuclear Association (opens in new tab). It is all over the planet, and makes up about 2 to 4 parts per million of most rocks. It is 48th among the most abundant elements found in natural crustal rock, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (opens in new tab), and is 40 times more abundant than silver. Though uranium is highly associated with radioactivity, its rate of decay is so low that this element is actually not one of the more radioactive ones out there. Uranium-238 has a half-life of an incredible 4.5 billion years. Uranium-235 has a half-life of just over 700 million years. Uranium-234 has a half-life of 245,500 years, but it occurs only indirectly from the decay of U-238. The strangest isotope of uranium is Uranium-214, created in 2021 at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou, China . Uranium-214 can only be made in artificial circumstances researchers hit tungsten samples with argon lasers and has a half-life of a mere half a millisecond. In comparison, the most radioactive element is polonium. It has a half-life of a mere 138 days. Still, uranium has explosive potential, thanks to its ability to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. U-235 is "fissile," meaning that its nucleus can be split by thermal neutrons neutrons with the same energy as their ambient surroundings. Here's how it works, according to the World Nuclear Association: The nucleus of a U-235 atom has 143 neutrons. When a free neutron bumps into the atom, it splits the nucleus, throwing off additional neutrons, which can then zing into the nuclei of nearby U-235 atoms, creating a self-sustaining cascade of nuclear fission. The fission events each generate heat. In a nuclear reactor, this heat is used to boil water, creating steam that turns a turbine to generate power, and the reaction is controlled by materials such as cadmium or boron, which can absorb extra neutrons to take them out of the reaction chain. The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. (Image credit: SuperStock via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) In a fission bomb like the one that destroyed Hiroshima, the reaction goes supercritical. What this means is that the fission occurs at an ever-increasing rate. These supercritical reactions release massive amounts of energy: The blast that destroyed Hiroshima had the power of an estimated 15 kilotons of TNT, all created with less than a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of uranium undergoing fission. To make uranium fission more efficient, nuclear engineers enrich it. Natural uranium is only about 0.7% U-235, the fissile isotope. The rest is U-238. To increase the proportion of U-235, engineers either gasify the uranium to separate out the isotopes or use centrifuges. According to the World Nuclear Association, most enriched uranium for nuclear power plants is made up of between 3% and 5% U-235. On the other end of the scale is depleted uranium, which is used for tank armor and to make bullets. Depleted uranium is what's left over after enriched uranium is spent at a power plant. It's about 40% less radioactive than natural uranium, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (opens in new tab). This depleted uranium is only dangerous if it is inhaled, ingested or enters the body in a shooting or explosion. Facts about uranium Only 1.38% of the uranium in the "Little Boy" bomb that destroyed Hiroshima underwent fission, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation (opens in new tab) . The bomb contained about 140 pounds (64 kg) of uranium total. . The bomb contained about 140 pounds (64 kg) of uranium total. The "Little Boy" bomb detonated 1,670 feet (509 meters) above Hiroshima and left only the frames of a few reinforced concrete buildings standing in the mile radius around Ground Zero, according to a 1980 Defense Nuclear Agency report (opens in new tab) . Firestorms destroyed everything within a 4.4-mile radius (7 kilometers) of the blast. . Firestorms destroyed everything within a 4.4-mile radius (7 kilometers) of the blast. The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years (opens in new tab) . It decays into radium-226, which in turn decays into radon-222. Radon-222 becomes polonium-210, which finally decays into a stable nuclide, lead. . It decays into radium-226, which in turn decays into radon-222. Radon-222 becomes polonium-210, which finally decays into a stable nuclide, lead. Marie Curie, who worked with uranium to discover several even more radioactive elements (polonium and radium), likely succumbed to the radiation exposure involved in her work. She died in 1934 of aplastic anemia, a red blood cell deficiency probably caused by radiation damage to her bone marrow. Pure uranium is a silvery metal that quickly oxidizes in air. Uranium is sometimes used to color glass, which glows greenish-yellow under black light but not because of radioactivity (the glass is only the tiniest bit radioactive). According to Collectors Weekly (opens in new tab) , the fluorescence is due to the UV light exciting the uranyl compound in the glass, causing it to give off photons as it settles back down. , the fluorescence is due to the UV light exciting the uranyl compound in the glass, causing it to give off photons as it settles back down. Yellowcake is solid uranium oxide. This is the form in which uranium is commonly sold before it is enriched. Uranium is mined in 20 countries, with over half coming from Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia, Niger, Russia and Namibia, according to the World Nuclear Association (opens in new tab) . . According to Lenntech (opens in new tab) , all humans and animals are naturally exposed to minute amounts of uranium from food, water, soil and air. For the most part, the general population can safely ignore the amounts that are ingested, except if they live near hazardous waste sites, mines, or if crops are grown in contaminated soil or watered with contaminated water. Current research on uranium Given its importance in nuclear fuel, researchers are keenly interested in how uranium functions particularly during a meltdown. Meltdowns occur when the cooling systems around a reactor fail and the heat generated by the fission reactions in the reactor core melts the fuel. This happened during the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, resulting in a radioactive blob dubbed "the Elephant's foot." Understanding how nuclear fuels act when they melt is crucial for nuclear engineers building containment vessels, said John Parise, a chemist and mineralogist at Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory. At Chernobyl, this so-called "elephant's foot" is a solid mass of melted nuclear fuel mixed with concrete, sand and core sealing material that the fuel had melted through. The blob is located in a basement area under the original location of the plant's core. (Image credit: Universal History Archive / Getty Images) In November 2014, Parise and colleagues from Argonne National Lab and other institutions published a paper in the journal Science (opens in new tab) that elucidated the inner workings of melted uranium dioxide, a major component of nuclear fuel, for the first time. Uranium dioxide doesn't melt until temperatures top 5,432 F (3,000 C), so it's hard to measure what happens when the material goes liquid, Parise told Live Science there's just no container tough enough. "The solution to that is we heat a ball of uranium dioxide from the top with a carbon dioxide laser, and this ball is levitated on a gas stream," Parise said. "You have this ball of material levitating on the gas stream, so you don't need a container." The researchers then beam X-rays through the uranium dioxide bubble and measure the scattering of those x-rays with a detector. The angle of scatter reveals the structure of the atoms inside the uranium dioxide. The researchers found that in solid uranium dioxide, the atoms are arranged like a series of cubes alternating with empty space in a gridlike pattern, with eight atoms of oxygen surrounding each uranium atom. As the material approaches its melting point, the oxygens go "crazy," Argonne National Laboratory researcher Lawrie Skinner said in a video about the results (opens in new tab). The oxygen atoms begin to move around, filling empty space and bopping from one uranium atom to another. Finally, when the material melts, the structure resembles a Salvador Dali painting as the cubes turn into disordered polyhedrals. At this point, Parise said, the number of oxygen atoms around each uranium atom known as the coordination number drops from eight to about seven (some uranium atoms have six oxygens surrounding them, and some have seven, making for an average of 6.7 oxygens per uranium). Knowing this number makes it possible to model how uranium dioxide will act at these high temperatures, Parise said. The next step is to add more complexity. Nuclear cores aren't just uranium dioxide, he said. They also include materials like zirconium and whatever is used to shield the inside of the reactor. The research team now plans to add these materials to see how the material's reaction changes. "You need to know how the pure uranium dioxide liquid behaves so that when you start looking at the effects of little additives, you can see what are the differences?" Parise said. The vast majority of uranium is used for power, usually in controlled nuclear reactions. The leftover waste, depleted uranium, can be recycled to harness other types of power, such as the power of the sun. A 2017 patent (opens in new tab) by Igor Usov and Milan Sykora, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, discusses using the depleted uranium from nuclear reactions to create solar cells. The authors wrote that depleted uranium oxide was abundant and cheap as leftovers of the nuclear fuel enrichment process and could be optimized for use as solar cells by controlling the thickness, uranium/oxygen ratio, crystallinity, and doping. Uranium dioxide is an excellent semiconductor, according to a 2000 paper (opens in new tab) by Thomas Meek at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and could potentially be an improvement for certain uses over the traditional uses of silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide. At room temperature, uranium oxide would give the highest possible solar-cell efficiency when compared with the traditional elements and compounds for the same use. Additional reporting by Rachel Ross, Live Science Contributor. Additional resources For more on the basics of uranium and how the Department of Energy handles this element, see Argonne National Laboratory's page of uranium quick facts (opens in new tab). The World Nuclear Association maintains a factsheet on uranium (opens in new tab) as well as statistics on where uranium is mined, produced and stockpiled (opens in new tab). Images of uranium (opens in new tab) can be found at images-of-elements.com. For an in-depth exploration about how one radioactive rock changed the course of history, read Tom Zoellner's " Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World (opens in new tab)" (Penguin Books, 2010). Bibliography Skinner, L.B., et al. "Molten uranium dioxide structure and dynamics," Science, Vol. 21, No. 346, Nov., 21, 2014. DOI: 10.1126/science.1259709 (opens in new tab) " Backgrounder on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident (opens in new tab)." U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Updated March 1, 2022. Annunciation to the Shepherds (Image credit: Taddeo Gaddi) For hundreds of years, artists have incorporated the spectacular sight of an eclipse into their paintings. This 14th-century fresco by Taddeo Gaddi, found in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, depicts an angel announcing the birth of the baby Jesus to shepherds during an eclipse. A letter attributed to Gaddi, written between 1338 and 1348, suggests he suffered severe eye damage from looking directly at the sun during an eclipse, according to a study published in 2002 in the journal Meteorics and Planetary Science. "For from days not long past I have suffered, and stillsuffer, from an unendurable infirmity of the eyes, whichhas been occasioned by my own folly. For while, thisyear, the Sun was in eclipse I looked at the Sun itselffor a long period of time, and hence the infirmity," he wrote in the letter. Crucifixion (Image credit: Giusto de Menabuoi) This fresco in the Padua Baptistery a religious building near the Piazza del Duomo cathedral in Padua, Italy, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist portrays the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during an eclipse, painted by Giusto de Menabuoi, circa 1378. Crowds of onlookers stand around and the Virgin Mary has fainted. As was the tradition in crucifixion scenes from this era, the sun is to the left of the Christ figure, while the moon is on the right. Menabuoi depicted the moon with "the red glow of a lunar eclipse," while the sun appears "cool and pale," according to a study published online August 2016 in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Le Christ Mort Sur la Croix (Image credit: Philippe de Champaigne) This oil painting by Philippe de Champaigne, painted in 1655, depicts the crucifixion of Christ during an eclipse the partially-obscured sun is visible behind the rocky hill, on the painting's left side. "One sees the degree to which solar eclipses were the perfect choice for illustrating the traumatic light described in the Gospel," researchers reported in a study published online August 2016 in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers (Image credit: Antoine Caron/J. Paul Getty Museum) An oil painting from the 1570s likely inspired by the 1571 total solar eclipse shows Dionysius preaching the Christian message of salvation to a group of pagan Greek philosophers, while astronomers gather in the town square, beneath the shadowed sun. Eclipse of the Sun (Image credit: George Grosz/The Hecksher Museum of Art) George Grosz's surrealist-influenced oil painting, which he painted in 1926, lambasted the power and greed of Germany's governing military and bureaucrats in the 1920s. The solar eclipse branded with a dollar sign represented the anticipated collapse of the unstable Weimar Republic, according to the Princeton University Art Museum. Eclipse (Image credit: Carl Schmitt/Catholic Education Resource Center) Twentieth-century American artist Carl Schmitt often incorporated dark clouds ringed with light into his paintings, according to an essay published in 2007 by his son Carl Schmitt Jr., in the literary magazine "Dappled Things." "The small eclipse shown in the painting, to the Virgin's left, serves as a sign for the eclipse of the Incarnation," Schmitt wrote in the essay. The Elevation of the Cross (Image credit: Peter Paul Rubens) In 1610, Rubens portrayed the raising of Christ on the cross in a triptych a three-paneled display which can be found at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium. The panel on the right shows the solar eclipse, though in traditional crucifixion scenes, painters placed the sun to the left of the Christ figure, according to a study published online August 2016 in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Lovers' deception (Image credit: Raffaello Sanzio) This fresco, painted in 1518 or 1519 by Renaissance artist Raphael and his workshop, is located in the Vatican Palace in Rome, Italy. The totality of a solar eclipse accompanies a biblical scene described in Genesis 26:8, when Isaac and Rebecca husband and wife, but pretending to be siblings steal a lovers' meeting, and are secretly observed by King Abimelech, ruler of the Philistines. The cosmic inspiration for the eclipse in the painting was an annular eclipse in which the moon passes in front of the sun but a ring of light is still visible on June 8, 1518, but Raphael chose to depict a total eclipse as a metaphor for the lovers' deception, the Princeton University Art Museum reported in a description of the painting. Portrait of Ramon Gomez de la Serna (Image credit: Diego Rivera) Mexican artist Diego Rivera painted this Cubist-inspired portrait of Spanish writer Ramon Gomez de la Serna in 1915, placing a total solar eclipse squarely in the poet's eye. "This is a tribute to both the poet's own references to eclipses ("after the eclipse the Moon washes its face to clean up the soot") and that the artist was himself an aficionado, famously rushing onto the roof of the Detroit Institute of Art (while painting his famous murals) in order to witness a partial eclipse," according to a study published online August 2016 in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. The painting is currently on display at the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Vision of St. Benedict (Image credit: Cosmas Damian Asam/Jay Pasachoff) Painted in 1735, this artwork depicts St. Benedict experiencing a vision during a total solar eclipse, likely inspired by the eclipse that took place May 22, 1724, the Princeton Art Museum reported. The oil painting also shows the solar corona the aura of plasma around the sun and the so-called "diamond ring effect," when light around the rim of the sun is fragmented by the moon's rocky landscape, according to NASA. A child in South Africa who was born with HIV has been virtually free of the virus for nearly nine years now and didn't take anti-HIV drugs for most of that time, according to a new report of the case. The child was treated with HIV medications early in life, but has not received anti-HIV drugs for eight and a half years, according to the researchers, who reported the case today (July 24) at an international AIDS conference in Paris. The researchers hope that by studying this child, they may gain a better understanding of how a person's body can, in some cases, control HIV without the use of daily drugs. Such further research may potentially lead to new, long-acting treatments for the disease. [27 Devastating Infectious Diseases] "Further study is needed to learn how to induce long-term HIV remission in infected babies," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said in a statement. "However, this new case strengthens our hope that by treating HIV-infected children for a brief period beginning in infancy, we may be able to spare them the burden of life-long therapy" and the health consequences of long-term HIV infection, Fauci said. The South African child was diagnosed with HIV in 2007 at 32 days old. The child was enrolled in a study, funded by NIAID, that aimed to test the effects of early HIV treatment. Children in the study were randomly assigned to receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs either immediately after their HIV diagnosis, or only once they showed symptoms of the disease. The child in the new report received ART drugs immediately after diagnosis and continued receiving them for 40 weeks. After the treatment stopped, the researchers could no longer detect HIV in the child's blood; and follow-up tests showed that the child remained healthy and HIV-free in the years following the treatment. When the child was nine and a half years old, the researchers conducted rigorous testing to determine if HIV was present anywhere in the child's body. They used very sensitive test, and found that a tiny proportion of the child's immune cells contained the virus, but the virus was dormant. The researchers otherwise found no evidence of HIV standard tests could not detect the virus and the child had no symptoms. This isn't the first time that early HIV treatment has led to apparent remission in a child. In 2013, researchers reported the case of a baby born with HIV in Mississippi who was treated with anti-HIV drugs just 30 hours after birth. In that case, the baby remained apparently HIV-free for more than two years without drug treatment, until the virus reappeared in her blood. In 2015, researchers in France reported the case of an HIV-positive child who began treatment at 3 months of age, but later stopped treatment and remained HIV-free more than 11 years later. It's not exactly clear why some children may be able to live so long without needing ongoing HIV treatment. It's thought that early treatment with anti-HIV drugs may prevent the virus from establishing reservoirs, or "hiding places," in the body, which allow the virus to reemerge when treatment stops. It's also likely that the South African child has other, innate factors that contributed to that person's HIV remission, the researchers said. Among the 143 infants who received the same treatment 40 weeks of ART immediately after diagnosis the average length of remission was about 30 weeks, according to the Washington Post. Some children in the study were in remission for more than two years, but no others went as long as the 8.5 years that was seen in the current case. "By further studying the child, we may expand our understanding of how the immune system controls HIV replication," said study co-author Caroline Tiemessen, head of cell biology at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is currently conducting a trial to test whether giving ART to HIV-infected babies within 48 hours of birth leads to long-term control of the virus after treatment is stopped. Original article on Live Science. Scientists have found that a "ghost" lineage of archaic human may have interbred with the ancestors of modern humans in what is now sub-Saharan Africa around 200,000 years ago. A protein that helps make human spit slimy reveals signs that the ancestors of modern humans interbred with an extinct human lineage that was an even more distant relation than Neanderthals, a new study finds. The ancestors of modern humans once shared the world with ancient human lineages such as the Neanderthals, the closest extinct relatives of modern humans, as well as the Denisovans, which might have once roamed a vast range stretching from Siberia to Southeast Asia. In previous research, DNA extracted from fossilized bones and teeth of Neanderthals and Denisovans has revealed that the ancestors of modern humans interbred with both of these groups. Previous research also suggested that the ancestors of modern humans may have interbred with other human lineages not known from the fossil record. For example, a 2011 study analyzing modern human DNA found that the species may have bred with a now-extinct lineage of humanity before leaving Africa. [Denisovan Gallery: Tracing the Genetics of Human Ancestors] Now, researchers suggest that a "ghost" lineage of ancient humans may have contributed the DNA for a protein called mucin-7 found in the saliva of modern humans living in sub-Saharan Africa today. "About 5 to 7 percent of every population in sub-Saharan Africa has this divergent protein," said Omer Gokcumen, study co-senior author of the new study and an evolutionary genomicist at the University at Buffalo in New York. Slimy saliva The scientists were investigating mucin-7 in order to learn more about its role in human health. This molecule helps give saliva its slimy consistency and binds onto microbes, potentially helping rid the body of dangerous germs. The researchers examined copies of the gene for mucin-7 the gene is called MUC7 in more than 2,500 modern human genomes. The scientists found that a number of genomes from sub-Saharan Africa possessed a version of the MUC7 gene that was wildly different from versions found in other modern humans. In fact, the Neanderthal and Denisovan versions of this gene more closely resembled those of other modern humans than this outlier did. The researchers suggested the most plausible explanation for this mysterious version of the MUC7 gene is that it came from what they called a "ghost" lineage that is, one that scientists have not found the fossils of yet. "We were not looking for this discovery we essentially stumbled onto it," Gokcumen told Live Science. That this variant is so widespread across Africa suggests that it may have entered the modern human gene pool before the ancestors of modern humans separated into different regions across that continent, Gokcumen said. Given the usual rate at which genes mutate during the course of time, the researchers estimated the interbreeding event with this mystery lineage "may have happened about 200,000 years ago, but this lineage separated from the ancestors of modern humans maybe 500,000 years or 1 million years ago," Gokcumen added. Mouth microbes The scientists said they aren't sure how the variants of this protein might differ in function. "We do know that MUC7 has two major functions," said study co-senior author Stefan Ruhl, an oral biologist also at the University at Buffalo. "One is helping to lubricate the oral cavity for eating and swallowing, and the other, and this may be more important, is to let good microbes stay in the body and sort out the undesirable ones." An analysis of mouth, skin, stool and other biological samples from 130 people revealed that different versions of MUC7 were strongly associated with different oral microbiomes the collections of microbes within the mouth. "This suggests that MUC7 is interacting with the oral microbiome and plays a role in terms of viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi," Ruhl told Live Science. "On the other hand, we haven't ruled out that it may play a role in lubrication say, when it comes to environmental conditions such as dryness of the air." Future research can explore when and where this interbreeding happened, "and if it happened just once or multiple times," Gokcumen said. The scientists detailed their findings online July 21 in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. Original article on Live Science. In March, Anne Bentley, curator of art and artifacts at the Massachusetts Historical Society, received a pivotal text from her boss: "The sword is in the house." Bentley rushed to the table where the weapon was laid out, but she didn't need to look closely. From even about 5 feet (1.5 meters) away, she said to her boss, "'Brenda, this is the sword.' It's got an aura," Bentley told Live Science. "You just know." The sword in question belonged to Col. Robert Gould Shaw, head of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first Civil War unit in the North made up of African-American soldiers from the U.S. and Canada. The historic weapon was recently donated to the Massachusetts Historical Society. [10 Epic Battles that Changed History] "I'm retiring next year, and bar none, after 44 years at the Mass[achusetts] Historical Society, this is the most significant item that's crossed my desk, as an artifact," Bentley said. Dennis Fiori, president of the Massachusetts Historical Society, called it a "remarkable discovery," and said the artifact is "the holy grail of Civil War swords." The artifact is more than just a sword. It also served as a beacon that the 54th Regiment followed into the July 18, 1863, assault on Fort Wagner, in South Carolina the gleaming blade pointed the soldiers' way through the smoky chaos of battle. What's more, the sword stands as a symbol for the crucial role African-American soldiers played in helping the Union win the war. Even Abraham Lincoln, although initially opposed to allowing African-American men to enlist, acknowledged after the Civil War that the Union's victory hinged on the support of African-American soldiers. This sword is on display at the Massachusetts Historical Society. (Image credit: Stuart C. Mowbray Photography) But the sword has been something of an elusive prize after changing hands many times across generations. When Shaw died from a shot to the chest at the Fort Wagner battle, his sword was confiscated by the Confederate army. It then disappeared until the end of the war, two years later, when the Union Army Gen. Charles Jackson Paine got a tip about the sword, Bentley told Live Science. In 1865, Paine had paused in front of a house for lunch with his brigade on his way to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he was stationed. Someone came out to see if any of the African-American soldiers had been with Shaw at Fort Wagner. Shaw's sword from that battle, the unnamed person said, was in a neighboring house of a former Confederate officer. Once Paine arrived in Goldsboro, he sent a group of soldiers to the house to collect the sword. Thankfully for the Shaw family, when the soldiers arrived, only the servants were home. The servants allowed the men into the house, and they found the sword and returned it to Paine, who, in turn, sent it to Shaw's parents in New York, said Bentley. The sword was then passed down through the generations from Shaw's sister, traveling in boxes from attic to attic. In 2013, Shaw's descendants, siblings Robert Shaw and Mary Minturn Wood, donated what they thought was the colonel's Fort Wagner sword to the Massachusetts Historical Society. But it was the wrong sword. That sword was the one Col. Shaw used in the 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry at the Battle of Antietam, according toBentley. It turned out, however, that this mistake led Bentley to explain the Fort Wagner sword's distinguishing characteristics: It was an English sword with Shaw's initials RGS on the blade. The sword the siblings donated was an American sword and was missing the initials. Fast-forward to this year, when Shaw and Wood were preparing to sell their parents' retirement house in Hamilton, Massachusetts. They collected the last items from the attic and laid out on the kitchen table the five swords the family had from other generations of family members, when, according to Bentley, one of the swords caught Wood's eye. It didn't have a scabbard, and it looked particularly old. Wood and her brother's moment of discovery came when, with the help of a magnifying glass, they were able to read the rusted-over initials: RGS. "This one's not going to the tag sale," Wood joked, according to Bentley. The historic sword went on public display at the Massachusetts Historical Society on July 18, exactly 154 years after Shaw used it to guide soldiers through the historic battle at Fort Wagner. Original article on Live Science. The HemAcure Consortium, consisting of three European academic institutions, an enterprise for quality management and Ontario-based clinical stage regenerative medicine Company, Sernova Corp, reported significant scientific progress achieved in the development of a first in world personalized regenerative medicine therapy for the treatment of Hemophilia A patients. The therapy being developed by international scientific Consortium members is to treat severe Hemophilia A, a serious genetic bleeding disorder caused by missing or defective clotting factor VIII in the blood stream. This therapy consists of Sernovas implanted Cell Pouch(TM) device transplanted with therapeutic cells, corrected to produce Factor VIII at a level sufficient to significantly reduce the side effects of the disease and improve patient quality of life. Sernova is developing medical technologies for the treatment of chronic debilitating metabolic diseases such as diabetes, blood disorders including hemophilia and other diseases treated through replacement of proteins or hormones missing or in short supply within the body. The companys Cell Pouch, is an implantable medical device and therapeutic cells (donor, xenogeneic or stem cell derived therapeutic cells) which then release proteins and/or hormones as required. The main objective of the HemAcure project is to develop and refine the tools and technologies for a novel ex vivo prepared cell based therapy within Sernovas prevascularized Cell Pouch to treat this bleeding disorder that should ultimately lead to improved quality of life of the patients. We are thrilled with the approval by the European Union of the next stage of funding for the HemAcure program based on our quality interim report. This is a strong validation of the Consortiums dedication and teamwork and the importance of this regenerative medicine approach, said Dr. Joris Braspenning, HemAcure Program Coordinator. The international HemAcure Consortium team members are pleased with the ground breaking scientific advances achieved at this point and are on track for this regenerative medicine solution to advance into human clinical evaluation, remarked Dr. Philip Toleikis, Sernova President and CEO. Toleikis added, Sernovas Cell Pouch platform technologies are achieving important world first milestones in both diabetes and now hemophilia, two significant clinical indications which are being disrupted by its regenerative medicine approach aimed at significantly improving patient quality of life. In summary, the following ground-breaking developments have been achieved by the Consortium: A reliable procedure has been implemented to isolate and maintain required endothelial cells from a sample of the patients blood. has been implemented to isolate and maintain required endothelial cells from a sample of the patients blood. Using a novel gene correction process, the cells have been corrected and tuned to reliably produce the required Factor VIII to treat Hemophilia A. and tuned to reliably produce the required Factor VIII to treat Hemophilia A. The cells have been successfully scaled up to achieve the required therapeutic number, and cryopreserved for shipping and future transplant into the implanted Cell Pouch. to achieve the required therapeutic number, and cryopreserved for shipping and future transplant into the implanted Cell Pouch. A preliminary study confirmed survival of the Factor VIII corrected human cells injected into the hemophilia model, achieving sustained therapeutic Factor VIII levels. This preliminary work is being used to aid in dosing of these cells in the Cell Pouch. injected into the hemophilia model, achieving sustained therapeutic Factor VIII levels. This preliminary work is being used to aid in dosing of these cells in the Cell Pouch. Safe Cell Pouch surgical implant and cell transplant procedures have been developed in the hemophilia A model in preparation for use in hemophilia patients. in the hemophilia A model in preparation for use in hemophilia patients. Development of Cell Pouch vascularized tissue chambers suitable for Factor VIII producing cell transplant has been demonstrated in the hemophilia A model , expected to mimic the predicted findings in human patients. , expected to mimic the predicted findings in human patients. In combination, this work is in preparation for safety and efficacy studies of the human hemophilia corrected Factor VIII producing cells in the Cell Pouch in a preclinical model of hemophilia. This combination of advances by the HemAcure team represents a first in world achievement towards developing a regenerative medicine therapy for the treatment of severe hemophilia A patients. In this regard, these fundamental advancements have set the stage for further optimization and implementation of cell production processes under controlled GMP conditions, stated Martin Zierau, IMS member consortium team leader responsible for coordination of GMP processes. With Factor VIII corrected cells, studies are ongoing to optimize cell dosing within the Cell Pouch and for study of safety and efficacy of hemophilia corrected Factor VIII cells in the hemophilia model. These studies are in support of the current extensive regulatory package already assembled for the Cell Pouch in anticipation of human clinical evaluation of the Cell Pouch with hemophilia corrected Factor VIII producing cells. The project has received funding from the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 667421. The consortium members include the University Hospital Wuerzburg (Coordinating Institute), Germany, IMS Integrierte Management, Heppenheim, Germany, Universita del Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom, ARTTIC International Management Services, Munich, Germany and Sernova Corp., London, Ontario, Canada. Sernova has developed its proprietary highly innovative Cell Pouch technologies for the placement and long-term survival and function of immune protected therapeutic cells. It has proven to be safe and efficacious in multiple small and large animal preclinical models and has demonstrated safety alone and with therapeutic cells in a clinical trial in humans for another therapeutic indication. The company believes the Cell Pouch platform is the first such patented technology proven to become incorporated with blood vessel enriched tissue-forming tissue chambers without fibrosis for the placement and long-term survival and function of immune protected therapeutic cells. About Hemophilia A People with Hemophilia have prolonged abnormal bleeding as a result of trauma. Hemophilia A, also called factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency is the most common form of Hemophilia and is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective FVIII, a blood clotting protein. Severe hemophilia occurs in about 60% of cases where the deficiency of FVIII is less than 1% of normal blood concentration. While it is passed down from parents to children, about 1/3 of cases are caused by a spontaneous change in the gene. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hemophilia occurs in about 1 in 5,000 births. If the prolonged bleeding occurs in the brain of a person with hemophilia, it can be fatal. Prolonged bleeding in joints can cause inflammatory responses and permanent joint damage. Approximately 20,000 people in the United States and 10,000 in Europe have the moderate or severe form of hemophilia A, as well as approximately 2,500 in Canada. All races and ethnic groups are equally affected by hemophilia A. Though there is no cure for the disease, it can be controlled with regular infusions of recombinant clotting FVIII. Annual costs for the treatment of the disease for each patient may range from $60,000 to $260,000 US for a total cost of between $2-5B per year in North America and Europe. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly 80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020). It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. The project is funded as part of societal challenges personalizing health and care in a specific call about innovative treatments and technologies. New therapies, such as gene or cell therapies, often require technological innovation in the form of development of specific component tools and techniques such as isolation and multiplication of a cell or development of a scaffold, delivery of the therapy to the patient and for following-up the effect of the therapy in the patient. In particular, achieving therapeutic scale production and GMP standards at reasonable cost is often underestimated. The European Union aims to improve the development of advanced methods and devices for targeted and controlled delivery, and to bring these innovative treatments to the patient. by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, July 24, 2017 Some employees at a Wisconsin company are going to have chips implanted into them. The company, Three Square Market (32M), announced that it is offering implanted chip technology to all of its employees beginning Aug. 1. Employees who want them will be implanted with an RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room, log in to computers, open doors and use the copy machine. The company is expecting more than 50 employees to be voluntarily chipped by BioHax International from Sweden. This is believed to be the first employee-chipping programming in the U.S. Companies in Sweden, Belgium and Australia have been implanting chips into people for some time. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Nevada introduced a bill that would make it a felony to require someone to be implanted with a chip, which could be a radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) chip, as I wrote about here at the time (State Moves To Outlaw Putting Chips In People). RFID chips use electromagnetic fields to identify electronically stored information. The chips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted between the thumb and forefinger. They use NFC technology like that used for contactless mobile payments. Micro markets, also known as the break room market, are essentially mini convenience stores located in the employee break room using self-checkout kiosks. Wisconsin-based 32M sells micro market technology and operates more than 2,000 kiosks in 20 countries. One of the reasons for the chip implantations is that 32M wants to have first-hand knowledge of the technology, since they market technology for companies micro markets. If a company wants the ability, we can say we have it, Tony Danna, vice president of international sales at 32M, told me. As in other implementations, no employees will be forced to get the chips implanted. We have RFID wrist bands and RFID rings as well, said Danna, who said while some employees will opt not to have the chips, no one is adamantly against the idea. Its not trackable and anyone can pop it out, like a splinter. The chips, which retail for about $300, have to be within six inches of an NFC terminal to work, Danna said. Credit card information also can be stored on the chip, much like it is linked to phone chips for mobile payments. Eventually this technology will become standardized, allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit and all purchasing opportunities, stated 32M CEO Todd Westby. To launch the program, employees will be chipped at a chip party at 32Ms River Falls headquarters next week. Our CEO and his whole family are going to get them, said Danna. by Tobi Elkin @tobielkin, July 25, 2017 Global analytics firm Media iQ on Tuesday named Rebecca Mahony its first chief marketing officer (CMO) and a member of its board. Mahony, most recently the CMO of outstream advertising provider Teads, will oversee Media iQs global marketing initiatives. She'll work on increasing brand awareness and building a marketing community within Media iQ. As a board member, Mahony will also serve as a sponsor for WiQ, a Media IQ initiative that empowers women and promotes diversity in the workplace. Her previous marketing and communications positions included digital director at OMD International and head of digital marketing at NetJets. The company also said Paul Silver, its COO, will relocate to New York from its London headquarters, a a bid to keep the product and tech teams across London and India aligned with the companys efforts in North America. by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, July 25, 2017 Interpublic reported a 1.7% decline in revenue for the second quarter to $1.88 billion. Organic revenue growth was just 0.4%. Operating income fell 8% to $224.5 million and net income plummeted 40% to $94.7 million. A number of factors contributed to what CEO Michael Roth acknowledged was a disappointing quarter. The firm cited unfavorable currency fluctuations, losses on the sale of some non-strategic agency assets, less-than-anticipated client spending and the effects of some client losses, including Fiat, TD Bank, Sprint and USAA. Roth told analysts and investors on a call Tuesday morning that the company is still targeting full-year organic growth of 3% to 4% albeit on the low end of that range. To achieve that, Roth said, will take a combination of rigid cost controls, already being put in place (and including some staff count reductions) and greater spending by its major clients in the second half of the year. As youd expect, we have intensified our plans to bring expenses fully in line with revenue in the second half, he said. advertisement advertisement Roth also noted that if the company does not achieve 3% organic growth, he still believes that the full-year company goal of expanding its operating profit margin to 12.5% (an improvement 0.5%) is attainable. We have just completed the mid-year update with our agency leadership teams and the tone and substance of those business reviews says that these goals remain achievable, said Roth. Roth said the company was not relying on new business prospects to achieve company performance targets. Rather, he added, he believes big clients will spend more in the second half. He said they have to if they expect to maintain market share and grow their business. Major project work should also pick up in the next two quarters, Roth said, based largely on conclusions reached with leadership teams for the mid-year update. A number of projects anticipated in the first half did not materialize. Roth also said that the firm is not as pessimistic about the U.S. economy as others. The U.S. economy is fine, he said. This is not 2008 or anything like it. He said he thought that some consumer goods companies were over reacting in their spending cuts so far this year amid worries about the economy. Those cuts accounted for about .8% of the revenue hit that IPG experienced in the quarter. In addition to the economy, consumer goods clients are dealing with issues such as challenger brands and private-label offerings. Clients have to focus on their brands, he said, and figure out how to generate more consumer support for them. Thats where we can help, he added pointing to the investments the firm has made in data and consumer insights. Roth said Mediabrands and McCann were both bright spots in terms of performance so far this year. The companys PR business was disappointing in Q2 although Roth said he believes that performance was an anomaly. The second half should reflect a stronger pipeline in these project-base businesses. Roth also downplayed the competitive impact of consultancies, which he said remain largely at the periphery of our commercial markets. First-half revenue, impacted by similar factors was down 0.6% to $3.64 billion. Organic revenue growth for the half was 1.5%. By comparison last week Omnicom reported 3.5% organic growth for the second quarter and 3.9% growth for the first half. Publicis Groupe, also reporting last week, posted 0.8% second-quarter organic growth and 0.2% growth for the half. By region, IPG in the U.S. posted 0.7% organic growth in the second quarter, while international regions as a whole were flat. The UK was up 1.9% while continental Europe showed a decline of 2.5%. IPG shares were down about 11% to $22.78 in mid-day trading on news of the Q2 results. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 25, 2017 Canada's highest court recently upheld a controversial order requiring Google to remove certain results from its worldwide search listings. Now, Google is asking a federal judge to rule that that the Canadian order is unenforceable in the U.S. "Without a declaration from a United States court that enforcement of the Canadian order in the U.S. is unlawful, Google believes that Equustek will continue to pursue enforcement of the Canadian order," the company writes in a complaint filed Monday in San Jose, California. "Google now seeks a declaration from this court that will protect its rights." The battle over the search results dates to 2012, when technology company Equustek asked a judge in British Columbia to order Google to remove search results for Datalink Technologies -- which allegedly stole trade secrets from Equustek and engaged in counterfeiting. advertisement advertisement The Canadian issued a worldwide injunction prohibiting Google from displaying search results for Datalink. That order was upheld last month by Canada's Supreme Court. The digital rights groups Electronic Frontier Foundation, which weighed in on Google's side, criticized the Canadian court's ruling. "The courts decision will likely embolden other countries to try to enforce their own speech-restricting laws on the Internet, to the detriment of all users," the EFF wrote. "Its not difficult to see repressive regimes such as China or Iran use the ruling to order Google to de-index sites they object to, creating a worldwide hecklers veto." Google argues in its new court papers that enforcing the Canadian court's order in the U.S. would violate free speech principles. Among other arguments, Google says that the First Amendment prohibits injunctions that are not "narrowly tailored" to achieve a substantial interest. "The existence of the Datalink websites is, and remains, a matter of public record," Google writes. "Equustek cannot show that it has no alternatives available other than enjoining Googles search results outside of Canada." Google adds that Equustek has not sought injunctions against other search engines and social media sites and has not stopped Amazon from selling Datalink products. Google also argues that the order shouldn't be enforced because it's "repugnant" to public policy in the U.S. "The ... standard applied by the Supreme Court of Canada did not come close to satisfying well-settled United States law for imposing injunctions," Google writes. "The Canadian court placed the burden on Google, a non-party, to disprove Equusteks rights in every country outside of Canada, rather on Equustek, the plaintiff in the action, to prove its entitlement to removal of search results in each country in which it sought removal," Google writes. "Moreover, the Canadian standard took no account of the 'public interest' at all." While Google says it's trying to protect the company's rights, it's uncertain how this lawsuit will do so, according to Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman. That's because even if Google prevails, it's not clear that a victory in the U.S. would prevent a Canadian court from holding the company in contempt, Goldman says. "There could still be Canadian enforcement actions that would not be governed by U.S. law," he says. The Florida Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case filed by Richard DeLisle who claims that his mesothelioma was caused by asbestos in cigarette filters and other products. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Crane Co. were the manufacturers accused of causing the exposure with asbestos in the gaskets they produced. DeLisle also stated the R.J. Reynolds (formerly Kent) filters he smoked in the 1950s had asbestos as well. Kent was the most well-known developer of asbestos-based cigarette filters. In the 1950s, the manufacturer used crocidolite asbestosone of the most deadly forms of of the mineralin its patented Micronite filter. Crocidolite asbestos is made up of microscopic needles so every time a smoker inhaled, the needles bore into lung tissue, causing chronic inflammation that oncology researchers now believe result in cellular mutations that lead to cancer and mesothelioma. According to a variety of studies over the last two decades, cigarette smoking does not lead to mesothelioma, but cigarette smokers who are exposed to asbestos are about 50 to 84 times more likely to develop asbestos-related lung cancer. While mesothelioma cancer can have a lengthy latency period, with most cases being diagnosed 30 years or more after the initial exposure, once developed, it can be extremely aggressive. DeLisle won $8 million when he took his case to Broward County. Then the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the manufacturers last year determining the testimonies of three of DeLisles expert witnesses were not supposed to be admitted to court. Florida has a number of state laws related to asbestos, including air quality regulations, asbestos removal programs, and asbestos litigation. For example, in 2005, upon feeling pressure due to the number of asbestos-related lawsuits that had been filed in the state, the Florida legislature passed the Asbestos and Silica Compensation Fairness Act (ASCFA) with the intention of reducing the amount of litigation being brought into state courts. Its still the primary law regulating asbestos litigation in Florida. Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis, and Peggy Quince voted to accept the case. Justices Charles Canady, Rick Polston, and Alan Lawson were against it. A date has not yet been set for oral arguments. Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. Ghanaian comedy star, Derrick Kobena Bonney popularly known as DKB has blamed a section of the Ghanaian media over a 'beef' between him and Kumawood Movie star and Comedian, Kwaku Manu over comments he made on follow the ladder challenge. According to DKB, he had an interviewe about three month ago on Nhyira FM concerning the ladder challenge, in an attempt to answer a question pose to him by a presenter on why he followed the ladder but did not climbed it as others did. DKB revealed on Bryt FM's Joy Dadi Showbiz Arena last Saturday. "The word is fellow the ladder not climb the ladder so those who climbed the ladder in the follow the ladder challenge are block heads" he answered. ANTECEDENTS Follow the ladder to Heaven, a song originally composed by Nigerian songstress Agnes Iro about 10 years ago, but suddenly gained so much attention on social media couple of months ago. The hype of the song which was seen as raising the fortunes of the song has rather turned to be a major challenge, apparently making fun of the poor quality of the video. Social media was flooded with different versions of videos to the song in a #FollowtheLadderChallenge, most of which evoke so much creativity and humor by celebrities, especially in Ghana. Moreover, the presenter told me that Kwaku Manu and Kwadwo Nkansah popularly known as Lil Win took part in the fellow the ladder challenge but the climbed it. And I said that, Kwaku Manu and Lil Win does not know anything and what they did was totally wrong. And I also said that, Kwaku Manu has establish school and he is not educated so he should enroll himself in his own school but it was all a joke I was even laughing and the presenter twisted what he said to get story out of it. He said. "Since then Kwaku Manu and Lil Win are not in good terms with me", he told host of the show Okley Solomon. I do not blame Kwaku Manu and Lil Win for their attitude towards me but I blame the presenter and I regret granting that interview. He added that, he is ever ready to apologize to Kwaku Manu and Lil Win. Popular Ghanaian actor Wayoosi has started counting his blessings after years of acting movies. The Kumawood star on the latest episode of Celebrity Ride With Zionfelix disclosed that he was not interested in acting because most of the stars he knew before he joined the trade were not rich. According to him, he wanted to focus on his arts instead of jumping from one set to the other and die a pauper. The renowned actor real name Joseph Nana Osei Kofi told Zionfelix, host of the show that hes been proven wrong after he joined the movie industry. He made it clear that the Kumawood movie industry fetches money and it has contributed to his high standard of living. Mr Osei naming some benefits he has gained after attaining fame said his USA visa acquisition was very easy even though his invitation had expired. Wayoosi continued that he owns three cars, a house and a pub in Kumasi. Watch Wayoosi On Celebrity Ride With Zionfelix below: 25.07.2017 LISTEN Shatta Michy, wife of dance hall artiste Shatta Wale is unfazed by plans by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to demolish her pub at East Legon in Accra. The Diamond Pub and Grill is among other structures lying within the East Legon Green Belt zone which have been earmarked for demolition by the assembly. In a Facebook post, Shatta Michy describes the assembly's decision to pull down her pub within a week as a major contributor to joblessness in Ghana. It's only in Ghana that a young lady would try to do something for herself, encourage other young ladies to do same no matter how small and she ends up being fought from all angles. Stronger forever, she wrote on Facebook. Michy added that all these trials and challenges will not stop her from achieving her goals in life and she intends to inspire other young ladies with her works. I'm 24, I have my businesses, my education, my wonderful family, and I'm grinding still, there's money to be made on these streets and nothing will stop me and my fellow young ladies who are willing to make it out here. You can't break me. Try something else, she stated. About four months ago, the young showbiz personality and wife of dance hall colossus Shatta Wale was ridiculed for putting up a container pub. Her critics said the container pub was unbecoming of her status. Shatta Michy who got married to Shatta Wale few years ago was recently featured on her husband's 'Tempo,' one of the hit songs in the country at present. By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonlne.com/Ghana Sam Kofi Mills, son of late Prof John Evans Atta Mills has said he is curious to know what killed his father five years ago on July 24. According to him, neither he nor the family of the late president is aware of the cause of death. At the fifth anniversary ceremony of his fathers passing, young Mills told journalists that: If someone approached me or if some sort of investigation might have to be done to find out, of course I will champion the course because he is my father and I want to know. I still dont know [the cause of his death], the hospital never gave the family any autopsy report to show that this and this was the cause of why he passed away, so, I dont think any member of my family will be able to give evidence of how President Mills passed away, he said at the Asomdwee Park where the commemorative anniversary was held on Monday. His position differs from that of his uncle, Samuel Atta Mills, who is the younger brother of Prof Mills. The MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem constituency, also on Monday, said that those clamouring to know the cause of death of the late president are opportunistic people. In his estimation, well-meaning Ghanaians including the true family members of the late president are not asking to know what killed him and so wondered why people who are remote from the family keep pushing for that. According to him, those interested in what killed the late president need that information for opportunistic political purposes. For him, everything should not be about NPP and NDC, it is not going to help us, lets think as Ghanaians. He told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FMs Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, July 24 that: Im his blood brother, same mother and same father but Im not asking for that [cause of death]. So, who are the family requesting for that? Those who are his brothers and sisters are not asking for that. Those who are his extended family members in Cape Coast are not asking for that. It is just a few opportunistic people who are asking for this; who claim they are family. How are they family members? How far removed are they? Mr Mills asked. We all have extended family in other areas who feel that this is the cocoa season and then they need to get involved in whatever they are sharing; there is nothing to share. Actual family is not asking for this; anybody can get up and claim that they are a family member, Mr Atta Mills emphasised. A 21-year-old girl died on Saturday after the Ashongman Community Hospital in Accra refused to give her blood, even though she is a blood donor. According to Adolf Lawson, father of the level 300 student of the Catholic University, doctors at the Ghana Atomic Energy Hospital, where his daughter was on admission, directed him to the Ashongman Community Hospital to purchase blood for his sick daughter, since they did not have the essential fluid at their facility. He said he went to the Ashongman community hospital with his daughter's blood donation card, in the hope that the body fluid will be given to him at a reduced cost, but that was not the case. The Atomic hospital officials told me to go to the Ashongman community hospital for the blood since they did not have it. I then decided to go with my daughter's blood donation card and my own card as well, since some privileges are extended to donors who are in need of blood. I got to the hospital and the lab technician told me that he could not reduce the blood cost of GHC340 even though I was a donor. But I did not have that much on me, the distressed father told StarrFMonline.com Monday. He continued: I begged the young man and even showed him proof that I have donated blood at their facility before, but he still insisted that until I am able to afford the cost, he cannot give me the blood. He subsequently directed me to the Amasaman hospital. I got there and there was no blood. I decided to go to the Achimota hospital where by the grace of God, I was able to procure the blood at a reduced rate of GHC120 because I showed them the blood donation cards. Unfortunately, when I returned to the Atomic Energy hospital my daughter had died. Reacting to the incident, the general manager for the Ashongman Community Hospital, Storms Wells, admitted that the hospital could not give the deceased's father the needed blood because he could not afford it. It is true; he was here with the blood donation cards and requested that we gave him the blood for free, on the account that he was a donor. But the truth is, we do not give blood on that account. We purchase the blood from the blood bank and so we do not give it out for free, he recounted. Meanwhile, the director of the national blood bank, Stephen Addai, who expressed regret over the incident, told StarrFmonline.com that all efforts should have been made by the Ashongman Community Hospital to assist the father of the girl, regardless of his financial status, since he is a donor. As a rule, priority is given to blood donors. Even though the product cannot be given for free, donors are given a special privilege. And in this case, the hospital should have provided the needed assistance to the father; it's unfortunate that this had to happen. -Starrfmonline Khartoum (AFP) - Only 30 percent of $1.4 billion aid needed in 2017 for refugees fleeing the conflict in South Sudan has been raised, a UN official said Monday, raising fears of aid cuts. Nearly two million South Sudanese have fled, and tens of thousands have been killed, since the country descended into civil war nearly four years ago. In May, the United Nations said it needed $1.4 billion this year alone to help people who have sought refuge in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. But on Monday a senior UN official told AFP that so far only 30 percent of this amount had been raised. "The shortfall is 70 percent and we are already in the middle of the year," said Arnauld Akodjenou, UN regional coordinator on South Sudanese refugees. He said the crisis had been further aggravated by "famine and diseases" in parts of the world's youngest country. Aid groups have denounced a "man-made" famine caused by the conflict in South Sudan that has also disrupted agriculture, sent prices soaring and cut off aid agencies from some of the worst-hit areas. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, and the civil war erupted in December 2013 in a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. Akodjenou said there were fears that aid agencies might even have to cut food aid to refugees if the funding shortfall continues. "Now we have the facility to provide food to those who are in South Sudan from here (in Sudan), but the level of food is so low that we cannot" provide them what they need, he told AFP in Khartoum. In recent months Khartoum has opened several "human corridors" to deliver aid directly from Sudan to areas of South Sudan, a move praised by UN and US officials. Around 403,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan since the war began, the UN says, about 39 percent of them in 2017. Akodjenou said international donors must acknowledge the "tragic situation", or "mass starvation" among refugees cannot be ruled out. While a political solution was urgently needed to stop the violence in South Sudan, he said the United Nations also needed to "receive resources to tackle the situation of refugees and IDPs (internally displaced people)". The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei has accused the Deputy Chair of Operations, Amadu Sulley of persistently effecting illegal vote transfers from his office on the Voter management system. Charlotte Osei, who believes this is in clear breach of the law and operational policies of the Commission is insisting such actions have major implications for the integrity of the work of the Commission and constitutes abuse of office. Mrs. Osei made this revelation in her response to a petition by employees of EC calling for her removal. Her response which was filed by her Lawyer, Thadeaus Sory also made other damning allegations against Mr. Sulley including a claim that the latter illegally bagged 6 million from political parties. The Deputy Chair Operations collected above funds six million Ghana cedis in cash from political parties for the organization of party primaries without recourse to the structures of the Commission, without the involvement of the finance department of the Commission. Political party primaries were treated as a private commercial project by the Deputy Chair Operation with funds paid directly into the personal accounts of key staff for functions to be performed for party primaries She has vowed to order a full scale investigation into the conduct of Mr. Sulley and other Commissioners believed to be flouting rules governing the Commission. EC Deputy Chair 'illegally' signed over GHC40m contract Meanwhile Mrs Osei has accused deputy Chairperson of the Commission of i llegally signing contracts worth over GHC 40 million without her approval. It is worth pointing out, that while the Chairperson is persistently accused of arrogance and taking unilateral decisions, there is ample evidence of extreme arrogance, ineptitude and blatant breaches of the law by the deputy Chairpersons. The Deputy Chairperson F/A has signed contracts worth over GHS40m without knowledge and authorization of the Chairperson between July-September 2015, she said. She further stated that payments were also made on these contracts in excess of her approval limits and again, without the knowledge and authorization of the Chairperson. This, according to the EC Chairperson is illegal, criminal and a breach of the policies of the Commission and the laws of Ghana. The Deputy Chair Ops has persistently effected illegal vote transfers from his office on the Voter management System in clear breach of the law and operational policies of the Commission. Such actions have major implications for the integrity of the work of the Commission and constitute abuse of office. By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana The whole week I was part of a Panafrican conference in Accra, as a volunteer. It was a joy working together with the people of the African Studies department of the University of Ghana. In the beginning I was freaking out, not used to the academic world anymore I was finding myself a bit stressed and tired everyday. I was used to the villafelife in Ashanti region. Even though I was reading books, the intellectual stimulation at the conference was kind of challenging again. Things were also completely different structured to what I was used to. It was a good lesson in letting go, as normally I have the tendency of taking over to do it more efficiently. It was an amazing experience to be surrounded by the global African family: people from a lot of different African countries and from the diaspora (Barbados, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica). I saw a lot of different hairstyles, ways to dress and jewelry that inspired me. But most of all I saw very beautiful, proud and intellectual people, who were and are seeing the importance of coming together, of bonding and learning from each other. And Nkrumah, Sankara, Lumumba They were present in every talk. They were there. I was surprised that I found myself crying at the opening ceremony on monday. The first day of a whole week yet to come. Different people were giving little speeches but it was the key note speaker, Hilary Beckles, who really moved my heart. He talked about the enslaved Africans and how they tried to resist and about the revolutions that took place in the Carribean and South America. At a certain moment he told us that one time the British minister Cameron came to Jamaica, the land where his forefathers enslaved people and took land. There was a conversation held about reparations there, Jamaicans wanting justice for what happened to them. The way Cameron reacted tells us exactly how deep things are rooted. He said: yes, slavery was an awful thing, but its time yall get over it. While Beckles was telling this, I could not stop my tears. Not any recognition of the suffering of the Jamaican people. Not any recognition of the incredible giant privileges this minister was having BECAUSE of slavery, standing there as a rich man I could feel the struggle was real and that we are indeed members of a global family, able to support each other. Because even if our culture might be different, our race is the same. We are the human race. Part of the human race but experiencing similar things because of our African roots. It takes unification to feel youre not alone and to stand strong. The way how Beckles could make statements, the way he could explain history so simple, the way he was fighting for a people that suffered and is still suffering. We need more of these figures. But I know they are out there. Just because of who he is, he is capable of putting seeds in peoples brains, he is capable of bringing the core points of awareness to our minds. And as the struggle is real and in many parts the same, it reminds me of Belgium. When I told some people a lot of Belgians dont know who Lumumba is, they were shocked. It shows how much important information is kept away, to know the true colonial past and therefore also the present. It reminded me also of Belgium in another way, because for some people it still seems to be difficult to take people of African descent seriously, to listen to them. To listen to them for real. African people are having a voice. But it takes someone who is eager to listen, to be heared. Many stereotypes, convinctions and judgments are preventing real listening. And fear of giving in privileges is creating strong resistance to true equality. We need open minds that are willing to change and reflect about themselves. For me it was heartwarming to hear about the precolonial African life again. I am reading about it, but it gives so much strenght to talk about it with people. It makes it a true experience. Like my soul re-lives. A sister at the conference reminded me of what Mutabaruka once said: slavery is not part of African history, it interrupted African history. We are not and never were slaves, we were enslaved. Its difficult to explain to white people why all this is so comforting. Lets say that this conference was food for my soul, its reinforcing me in a way I even couldnt imagine myself. And Im so grateful for that. It has to do with knowing my real roots -the real knowledge of my roots, not the knowledge Ive been told or kept from- and the strenght that lies in there. And knowing that therefore, the strenght also lies in me. Knowing about the precolonial ways of living, the living of our ancestors: their architecture, their healthy food, their medicine, their calender and alignment with the stars, their way of calculating and communicating, their living with rhythm and through rhythm (knowing it as the vibration of life), their traditional way of education, of justice, the prominent role of women, the strong women that fought against colonial forces and kept their pride, the importance of family and community, their knowledge of nature, And seeing images of strong African men and women of different tribes, seeing kings that couldnt be kings without their strong queens at their side, seeing so much gold -poured out of the African soil, seeing drawings and reconstructions of how towns were build in alignment with the universe (fractals) and created out of great mathematical thinking It makes you think, doesnt it? It makes you think how one-sided our information sources are. And how that, basically, creates our imaginary and therefore our life. If we grow up without having this knowledge or imaginary, without legit information about history/herstory, it creates our identity, our way of being and behaving in a certain way. I can see this in white societies where people of African descent are still not treated equally by the system, arent present in the publical platforms or spaces, arent taken seriously or listened to. And white people who are ignorant or not wanting to change it. Of course its not all that black and white. There are always people who are open in their mind and willing to listen or to change, but a few individuals is not enough. A few individuals wont break the system. It takes the unification of more individuals to change. I also see this in black societies, where people tend to forget their own roots and have their memory starting from colonization. And that brings me to education. All this could change with education, but as long as our school systems are still based on strong colonial influences, it takes strong adults in the environment of children and youth to decolonize their minds. During one of the evenings of the conference, I started talking with some young Ivorians. A bit later there were more Ivorians And Burkinabe coming to have the discussion with us. As we were standing there in a circle, an Ivorian history professor also joined us. I was really enjoying this. These young Ivorians were conscious in a very energetic way. And they were good speakers. Also, the professor, the elder of the group, was transmitting so much knowledge. I was experiencing real African tradition, knowledge was transmitted orally by an elder. Something so powerful but forgotton. Learning from the elders, the more experienced ones in life, the wise ones. Only the baobab tree was missing. But the spirit was so alive. I think we should try to create more of these spaces and moments, where we can learn from each other and from the elders. There is an African saying that when an old man dies, a whole library dies with him. There lies so much truth in this. I truely believe we would all feel more free if we educate ourselves, decolonize our minds and strive for justice for everyone. Even the one with privileges can never feel completely free if they know that at the same time their privileges are giving other people a difficult or unfair life. It would be true healing to change what needs to be changed or even better: build what needs to be build The closure of the week was incredible. Eating and dancing together with all the participants, speakers, professors who attended the conference. It was giving me so much joy to dance aside a professor shaking her hips or to see some speakers move in a way Id never expected. Dancing on the nice rhythms together was bonding. We understood at that moment, that creating unity and connection not only comes with intellectual work, but also happens while dancing together and having fun. I believing in building, constructing, creating. I believe in this more than ever. I believe in building the African community-the global family, awakening young souls, connecting, studying and learning from each other, instead of bashing what we hate. It takes some courage and power to overcome. Its a learning process to overcome emotions that arise out of injustice. But I believe that the spirit that comes with building the new with positive intention is one of the strongest. Its creation energy, its Light. And where there is Light, Darkness cannot be. Originating at mixedsoulsociety.com 25.07.2017 LISTEN It is high time the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, revitalises the Ghana Food Production Corporation [GFPC] and Ghana Food Distribution Corporation [GFDC]. The revitalization of these institutions will enable the ministry of agriculture to successfully carry out the grow food for job national exercise. If the president revitalises these two institutions, it will create a central production and marketing scheme to buy farmers products that will pave way for middlemen to exploit hard working farmers, thereby making them not to operate at a loss. If Ghana is to become self sufficient in food production and also succeed in attracting more youth to farming, then priority attention have to be given to seeking a solution to post harvest losses and marketing problems facing farmers which these two institutions will successfully take care of. Let us commend the government for the numerous interventions and loan facilities in particular that it had put in place to facilitate the work of Ghanaian farmers and to make the sector attractive. The ministry of food and agriculture should also carry out sustained education programmes to enlighten farmers more about food marketing, post harvest losses and existence of various schemes and how farmers could assess such facilities. Farmers could also eschew the tendency of conducting their farming ventures on individual basis and begin to adopt the practice of forming groups and co-operatives. In pursuance of their ventures as farming co-operatives would also enhance their capacity to increase their output. Every five minutes a child dies as the result of violence, according to a new report from UNICEF U.K. The report also shows that the vast majority of children are killed outside warzones and physical, sexual and emotional abuse is wide spread, with millions of children unsafe in their homes, schools and communities. It has it that in Canada, 14 percent of high school students were bullied online or through text messages, in U.K. 17,000 plus children were taken into care after suffering abuse or neglect in 2013, 27,200 girls suffered genital mutilation in Egypt, more than 10,000 children were killed in the Syrian conflict-an average of 10 a day and 20 percent of girls aged 15-19 were married before the age of 15 in Bangladesh. According to the UNICEF U.K. report, in Haiti almost 1 in 5 girls were raped in the capital during rebellion of 2004/2005, 67 percent of 10 to 14 year olds were bullied in schools in Argentina, 1 in 6 young men who had sex before they were 18 were either forced or coerced in Uganda and 1 in 10 parents say its appropriate to use canes to punish a child in Australia. UNICEF report further made mention of countries such as South Africa, Uganda and India where children are in danger at home, at school and in their communities respectively. The report revealed that in South Africa, 33 percent of children murdered occurred at home, 70 percent of girls murdered were under 10 years old killed by parents or relatives. In Uganda, 58 percent of girls who were beaten reported it to their teachers whiles 27 percent of 13 to 15 years old reported being bullied in 30 days. It further revealed that India recorded 56 percent in institutional care report being slapped, kicked or beaten with an object, 13 percent in institutional care report being forced to touch private body parts, 67 percent on the streets reported being slapped, kicked or beaten with an object and last but not the least 18 percent on the streets report being forced to touch private body parts. 25.07.2017 LISTEN I am afraid, the apparent malicious gossips surrounding the mysterious death of President Mills will linger on, so long as the cause of death has been kept away from the good people of Ghana. I will, however, venture to suggest that we solemnly invoke our instinct for tact and diplomacy and keep empathising with the late Mills family for their never ending pain over the unfortunate death, while we venture to pin together the apparent straddled jigsaw. I was extremely depressed in spirits after listening to the son of the late Mills, Mr Sam Kofi Mills, who poured his heart out in a recent brief video about the secrecy surrounding the cause of the late Mills death. I must admit, though, it is somewhat dreary and unfortunate to keep visiting the sudden and bizarre death of former President Mills. But then again, it benefits no one, when we all keep quiet whilst the NDC apparatchiks are claiming perquisite to righteousness over the sudden demise of President Mills. To be quite honest,the late Mills family dont have to endure all the political inebriations and insobrieties over their departed loved one. But then again, it would be a worthwhile if the good people of Ghana knew what actually happened to former President Mills on that fateful day. I ask: What are they hiding from the good people of Ghana? It would be recalled that on Wednesday 14 September 2016, whilst addressing voters at Cape Coast, the PPP presidential candidatein the 2016 election, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, had this to say: the NDC cannot pretend to be sad about the death of the president and at the same time jubilate over something they said was the reason why they won the 2012 elections (See: NDC leaders jubilated over Mills death-Nduom; myjoyonline.com, 15/09/2016). Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom lamented: Mills was our kinsman and he became the president. Some people criticized and attacked him until he died. Unsurprisingly, however, subsequent to Dr Papa Kwesi Nduoms candid pronouncement, he was virulently attacked by the NDC apparatchiks, most notably, the NDC National organiser, Kofi Adams and the Central Regional chairman of the party, Allotey Jacobs. Unfortunately, Kofi Adams went berserk and replied discourteously: there is something fundamentally and intellectually wrong with Dr Nduom to go out there and be saying some of these things he is reported to have. How on earth will you be happy over someones death (See: Something is wrong with Nduom-Kofi Adams; ultimatefmonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 16/09/2016). Allotey Jacobs also proceededangrily: I am very disappointed in Papa Kwesi Nduom for those remarks made against Mills and the NDC. If he continues with those childish remarks, we will chase him out from the region (See: I will chase Nduom out of Central Region-Jacobs; adomonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 16/09/2016). Allotey Jacobs further retorted angrily: Papa [Kwesi Nduom] should apologize to the NDC and the people of the Central Region because we think he is making fun of us else the people of Central Region will not accept him. It would however appear that both Kofi Adams and Allotey Jacobs need help with their apparent dementia,or selective amnesia. For if that was not the case, Kofi Adams and Allotey Jacobs would have recalled that,their party founder J. J. Rawlings,had previously claimed that the death of President John Mills in 2012 was a life saver for the ruling National Democratic Congress (See- Rawlings: Mills death saved NDC ; starrfmonline.com, 18/03/2016). The fact of the matter is that Papa Kwesi Nduom was rightly reiterating how the late Mills was vilified by his own party members. Take, for instance, back then, the disgruntled people like Kofi Adams and his minions formed an opposition group called Friends of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (FONKAR) with a view to unsettling President Mills and his government. Indeed, Kofi Adams and the other contumacious members of FONKAR stuck to their guns and needlessly vilified the late Mills until his unfortunate death. Do you remember Kofi Adams secret tape in which he vowed to unsettle former President Mills until he (Mills) loses the presidency? Papa Kwesi Nduom continued: And some of the NDC people themselves thanked God that Mills died, is that not strange?And after his death they came back here to tell us to replace him with another person from the Central region". I couldnt agree more with Papa Kwesi Nduom on this one. Indeed, it would appear that the NDC apparatchiks benefited from the sudden death of President Mills. Ex-President Mahama for instance, strangely pronounced after the unfortunate death of President Mills: God in his own wisdom has taken the old man, Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle. Speaking to GHONEs Nana Aba Anamoah in an exclusive interview, Mr Rawlings said the NDC was in a terrible state under the Professor. If God hadnt invited him, and I am saying it again; NDC would have been in opposition in 2012. It was terrible, the climate was really bad for us; we all knew about it, we were just keeping quiet. It was his departure that gave NDC a saving grace, he stated. Isnt it therefore ironic that people like Kofi Adams and Allotey Jacobs would turn a blind eye to their party founders chilling revelation over their jubilations on former President Mills death, but would rather choose to attack Papa Kwesi Nduom , whose only crime was to stand on the shoulders of the NDC Party insiders like Rawlings to expand on the arguments surrounding the bizarre death of the late Mills? As a matter of fact, any reflective thinker like Papa Kwesi Nduom will no doubt infer from the NDC founders claims that you lots were happy to see the late Mills go. If we engage in deductive reasoning on former President Rawlingss apparent chilling revelations, the inference we could draw is that the NDC apparatchiks were happy over the late mills death. For if nothing at all, former President Rawlings boldly asserted that all the NDC apparatchiks were extremely worried over the late Mills fitness and did not have any hope whatsoever on his chances of securing a second term in office. In the view of former President John Rawlings, the NDC would have been languishing in opposition if the professor had not died. Interestingly, however, back then, a lot of NDC executives supported former President Rawlingss sensational revelations on the late mills fitness and their concerns about his chances of securing a second term in office. Take, for example, the embattled Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bismark Tawiah Boateng, claimed that his party made a 'mistake' by presenting the late John Evans Atta Mills for the 2008 elections (See: Mills was a mistake president-NDC chairman; ghanaweb.com/adomonline.com, 19/10/2015). According to him, the party knew very well that the late President, who died some months to the 2012 general elections, was ill and could not perform the hefty task required of a President but yet presented him just to win power. Sometimes, I wonder why Mills became the president because it was a total mistake allowing him to run for president and subsequently dying because of ill health...," he said. In sum, the good people of Ghana have every right to know all the facts about former President Mills death, until then, we will keep dissecting the vineyard news on the late Mills untimely departure. K. Badu, UK. Baker McKenzies latest quarterly Cross-border M&A Index shows that there were 17 inbound M&A deals in Africa in the second quarter (Q2) of 2017. The 17 inbound deals reflect a 48% drop from 33 deals in Q2 2016. On a quarter-by-quarter basis, inbound deal volume also dropped - by 45% - from 31 deals in Q1 2017. The total deal value for inbound deals amounted to USD 780 million, decreasing by 83% year-on-year and 88% on a quarter-by-quarter basis. The second quarter of 2016 saw USD 4.54 billion worth of deals. In the first quarter of 2017 USD 6.38 billion worth of inbound deals were concluded in Africa. Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg explains, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in South Africa has decreased and this will continue until the local investment climate stabilises. Due to the credit ratings downgrades, the cost of raising capital for acquisitions has become more expensive, making deals more difficult. In addition, the Rand has been one of the most volatile currencies in 2017 and this volatility has suppressed deal appetite. "These factors, combined with recent political instability and uncertainty, have resulted in a perception in the market of increased risks of doing business in South Africa. Global players are finding more attractive investment destinations elsewhere. "Further, almost half the continents M&A activity flows through South Africa, so recent South African developments have had a negative knock-on effect in Africa. Political uncertainty in other jurisdictions on the continent, such as the current election in Kenya, has also made investors wary of African deal making in the short term, although we expect this to change once stability returns to the region. The top target industry by volume and value in Africa was mining, which accounted for 23% of total deal count and USD 312 million or 40% of total value. In terms of outlook for the mining sector in South Africa, van der Merwe says there is widespread agreement that the Mining Charter in its present form will severely impact the mining sector in South Africa. In addition, the recent proposal, published in the South African Government Gazette for comment, regarding a possible moratorium on mining and prospecting rights and the granting of applications in terms of section 11 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act is cause for concern. If these measure come into effect, they will have a detrimental impact on transactions in the South African mining space. Looking at the technology sector, the M&A Index showed no inbound technology deals in Africa in second quarter of 2017. This is in comparison to the global results, which noted a high volume of technology deals in the first half of 2017. Globally, besides H1 2016, the number of cross-border technology deals was higher in H1 2017 than in any post-crisis half-year period. Van der Merwe explains, "Africa has several technology hubs, including one in Cape Town, South Africa and the development of technology in the banking and finance sector, for mass usage on the continent, is well advanced. A positive explanation for there being no inbound deals in this sector in Q2 2017, is that this is not due to lack of IT development in Africa, to the contrary, but because IT companies are structuring their operations in a way that allows them to enter into partnerships offshore and bring their operations into Africa through licencing arrangements. The Index shows that South Africa was the top target country for inbound deals by volume and value, accounting for 29% of total deal count and USD 422 million or 54% of total value in Africa. The top investing country by volume was Australia with three deals or 18% of total count. China deals had the highest overall value at USD 324 million or 42% of total. It is surprising that Australia was the highest inbound investor country by deal volume as one would expect it to be China or India. Australia is a resource-based economy, with the knowledge, know-how and asset base to attach to opportunities in Africa, so it does make sense that they would be investing heavily in African businesses, notes van der Merwe. Asia Pacific and the European Union were tied as top investing regions by volume, each accounting for 35% of total deal count. By value, Asia Pacific outpaced the rest with USD 487 million or 62% of total. Cross border outbound deals painted a more positive picture. There were 15 cross border outbound deals in Africa for the second quarter of 2017, a decrease of 12% on a year-on-year basis, but an increase of 67% from the previous quarter. The second quarter of 2016 saw 17 outbound deals, while the first quarter of 2017 saw nine outbound deals. The total deal value, USD 1.52 billion, fell by 28% from USD 2.1 billion in Q2 2016, but more than doubled on a quarter by quarter basis from USD 665 million in Q1 2017. Technology tied with Business Services was a top target industry for Africas outbound deals by volume with a total of three deals for the quarter (20% of total). In terms of deal value, the Financial Services sector led slightly with USD 535 million or 35% of total deals. Technology deals came in close second, accounting for USD 510 million or 33% of total outbound deals from Africa. An increase in development in African telecoms industries, as well as the opportunities presented by a rapidly developing financial services sector, remain key drivers of outbound investment activity in Africa. The growing financial services sector has also seen domestic banks make significant investments in technology, including in offshore companies. As discussed, the increase in outbound deals in the technology sector also points to African technology companies looking to base their local operations offshore, he notes. The Index also shows that South Africa outperformed other African bidders by volume and value for outbound deals, with eight deals (53% of total) amounting to USD 821 million (54% of total). Top target regions for outbound deals were EU and Asia Pacific by volume, each with 40% share of total. The top target country from Africa by volume was India, with three deals accounting for 20% of total deal count. The Global report is available here: https://dkf1ato8y5dsg.cloudfront.net/uploads/6/11/baker-mckenzie-global-ma-index-q2-2017.pdf Young adults are struggling with social media addiction far more than previously thought, researchers have warned. The more time young adults use social media, the more likely they are to be depressed, according to new research findings from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. They say social media sites could be fueling internet addiction, a proposed psychiatric condition closely associated with depression. The findings could guide clinical and public health interventions to tackle depression, forecast to become the leading cause of disability in highcountries by 2030. Because social media has become such an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the balance to be struck in encountering potential use, while redirecting from problematic use, said Brian Primack, director of Pitts Center for Research on Media, Technology and health. It may be that people who already are depressed are turning to social media to fill a void, said lead author Lui Yi Lin of the University of Pittsburgh. Mrs. Lin said exposure to social media may also cause depression, which could then intern fuel more use of social media. She warned exposure to highly idealised representations of peers on Social Media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives. MENTAL HEALTHBOMB STEPHEN A.QUAYE [PAGE 2] The research also found engaging in activities of little meaning on social media may give a feeling of time wasted that negatively influences mood. It could be fueling internet addiction, a proposed psychiatric condition closely associated with depression. Spending more time on social media may increase the risk of exposure to cyber bullying or other similar negative interactions, which can cause feelings of depression she said. The research, funded by the National Institute of Health, was published online and scheduled for April 1, 2016 of the journal Depression and Anxiety. It was the first large nationally representative study to examine associations between use of a broad range of social media outlets and depression. Previous studies on the subject have yielded mixed results, been limited by small or localized samples, and focused primarily on one specific social media platform, rather than the broad range often used by young adults. In 2014, Dr. Primack and his colleagues sampled 1,787 United States of America [U.S.A] adults ages 19 through 32, using questionnaires to determine social media use and an established depression assessment tool. The questionnaire asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms at the time: Face book YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snap chat, Reddit, Tublr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. On average the participants used social media a total of 61 minutes per a day and visited various social media accounts 30 times per week. More than a quarter of the participants were classified as having high indicators of depression. There were significant and linear associations between social media use and depression whether social media use measured in terms of total time spent or frequency of visits. For example compared with those who checked least frequently, participants who reported most frequently checking social media throughout the week had 2.7 times the likelihood of depression. Similarly, compared to peers who spent less time on social media, participants who spent the most total time on social media throughout the day had 1.7 times the risk of depression. The researchers stated that other factors that may contribute to depression including age, sex, race, ethnicity, relationship status, living situation, household income and educational level. 25.07.2017 LISTEN Bankyease (W/R),July 22,GNA-The Director of the Takoradi Bible College(TBC),Prof. Dr.Owusu Asiamah, on Saturday entreated leaders of the flock to revive the evangelical fervour that characterized the early church and restore Christendom to its former glory. He, therefore, charged men of God to lead the crusade to expose and correct any form of adulteration in Biblical doctrines. Prof.Dr..Asiamah who is also the Founder of the College,made the call at the maiden graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Bible College at Bankyease in the Western Region. In all,27 men who had undergone a-three-year diploma intensive programme in 34 courses and scored 80% and above,with two 2 distinctions,were presented with certificates to commence work in the various churches. The overall best student who also had distinction, was Mr.Dominic Akesseh received a cheque for GHC1,500, for being the best academic and most disciplined student. Prof.Dr.Asiamah urged the graduands to be steadfast in the word of God and fight against the kingdom of satan. He used the occasion to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Takoradi Central Church of Church for supporting the graduands to enjoy free tuition during their course and urged the church to assist to train preachers to advance the great commission. Prof.Dr.Asiamah reminded them that at a time many charlatans had invaded Christendom,it behooves the preacher men to stand out and eschew all forms of unrighteousness and ungodliness and restore sanity in Christendom. He appealed to them to keep the doctrines of the church in purity and sanctity to edify the body of Jesus Christ. "As you go out there to preach,do not sacrifice the mission of the church on the altar of greed,avarice and self-centredness which have engulfed the christian community but help to weed out the false prophets",he admonished. Prof.Dr.Asiamah advised the graduands not to sow dissenting views among their brethren but work harmoniously with other leaders of the flock. An Elder at the Ojai Church of Christ in California,who was the Guest Speaker,Mr.Jim Short, charged the graduands to preach the word of God to the world and asked the church especially women,to provide material support to them to advance the kingdom of God. He also asked the church to pray for ministers of the gospel and urged Christians to search for the truth as a hidden treasure. Mr.Short it was their bounden duty as ministers of the gospel to preach to transform lives by helping the world to thread on the path of righteousness and holiness. He asked men of God to to be faithful and serve their congregation and proclaim the truth in all circumstances. A preacher man at the Adakope Church of Christ who was the Guest of Honour,Mr.Godson Tetteh Dayi asked the graduands to preach the wisdom of God but not the wisdom of men. He reminded them that "all faithful preachers are seen according to their life style,teachings and encouragement given to their congregation". Mr.Dayi exhorted the ministers to do away with fear and fill their heart with love and preach sound doctrines to their congregation. The Prefect of the College,Mr.John Mensah said they have been well-equipped from the intensive training at the school and outreach preaching to serve in the Lord's vineyard. He said their doors were open to all churches that were ready to absorb them to offer ministerial service on permanent basis to help expand God's kingdom. Mr.Mensah appealed to authorities at the college to integrate Sign and French language into the curriculum and assign lecturers to students to facilitate their practical ministries. 25.07.2017 LISTEN A very comprehensive document titled, BOSTGATE SCANDAL: Open Letter to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana stated that it is however suspicious why Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) knowingly dealt with persons without legitimate standing or capacity, indicating that the process of sale was neither competitive nor transparent and too suspicious. Many Ghanaians would have thought that indeed if the contamination occurred as a result of human error, certainly heads should have rolled on the chopping board without the bereft of any touch of human feelings for bleeding the state of about GHc7million. Its unfortunate, even after the BNI cleared BOST of any wrongdoing, there were no arrangement to recall all contaminated fuel on the market after reports had it that some pumps were selling the dirty fuel. The engine of vehicles will knockdown and innocent lives will perish when they come into contact with the dirty fuel. Product Getting to the Market I am not advancing cession of jibes and gag-monger criticisms but evidence from aggregating contestations by energy think tanks, CSOs and experts as well as political opponents was that Ghanaians were fed up to the back tooth given the potential for flare up in the sale of the 5million contaminated fuel to an unlicensed company. The anonymous document, BOSTGATE SCANDAL: Open Letter to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana provides a technical background and true explanation on the activities and operations of BOST by way of exposing the factors that led to the contamination and sale of the product referred to as off-spec. It also confirms that Zupoil and Movenpiina have possibly misled Ghana by their false representations. The document indicated that a contamination of diesel by petrol moderates first and foremost, the density of the composite product as well as the Initial Boiling Point (IBP). The key specifications to look out for in a situation like this are the densities and IBP. Changes in densities are a function of blending. This implies that to increase density you mix existing products with products of higher density and to reduce density, you mix existing products with products of lower densities. This relationship is typically linear in that if you take one litre of a product with a density of 800kg/m3 and you mix it with another litre of a product of 1000 density, you will get 2 litres of a composite product of 900kg/m3. (1lt r x 800) + (1lt r x 1000)= 900 2 In the case of the IBP, the relationship in blending is not linear but unique subject to the chemical composition of both products. As a result, if you blend a litre of a product of an IBP of 100 with another product of an IBP of 200 you will not get an IBP of 150. ( 1lt r x 100) + (1lt r x 200) =150 2 To ascertain whether the quality of products found in ZUPOIL were the same as the products lifted from the BOST tank, the NPA commissioned a test of the product at Zupoil and at BOST. Three samples were taken from ZUPOIL in three different tanks and one sample taken from the BOST tank with the contaminated products. These were tested at the ToR and Intertek laboratories. To ascertain whether the quality of products found in ZUPOIL were the same as the products lifted from the BOST tank, the NPA commissioned a test of the product at ZUPOIL and at BOST. Three samples were taken from ZUPOIL in three different tanks and one sample taken from the BOST tank with the contaminated products. These were tested at the ToR and Intertek laboratories and the results were gathered. However note that the density standard for diesel is 820 kg/m3 (min) to 850 kg/m3 and minimum IBP expected in 160. The results indicate that the original contaminated products lifted from BOST at a density of 806.9 has been blended by Zupoil with heavier diesel to yield higher densities observed in sample Zupoil 1, 2 and 3. The document indicated that when blending occurs, volume increases (additional products are introduced to mix the existing products). The NPA in its reports indicated it was unable to account for about 55 or 47 thousand litres during its first search. This indicates that there were no surplus volumes. The above results yield a sample average density of 819.25 kg/m3. Assuming Zupoil accessed the heaviest allowable diesel of 850 kg/m3 density to blend the products in its custody, it will require about 189,165 litres to achieve the density in point above. If the quality accessed by Zupoil was 840 kg/m3, it would have required a minimum 280,329 litres. If no products were released to market, the NPA would have observed a minimum 471,ooo ltrs + 189,165 = 751,329 ltrs. NPA observed a total volume of 471,000 ltrs in Zupoils facility and not the minimum expected of 751,329ltrs. This confirms the release of the contaminated products to the market. It also confirms that Zupoil and Movenpiina have possibly misled Ghana by their false representations. Inferring from the above, about 200,000 thousand to 300,000 litres of contaminated products have surely been released to the market. This is a fact and known in truth by the relevant authorities. Anyone with ears on the ground in Tema is aware of yards in which these products were traded. The products were nicknamed Abolobo. If the President is unaware, then he either has an incompetent intelligence system or he is being clearly lied to. It emphasised that any reference to the consistency of the IBP as argument against any claim of product release to the market is ill informed and moot because the IBP as indicated earlier is not linear. The Illegal Transaction of BOST The NPA ACT 691 is very clear on this matter. Section 11 (I) of Act 691 states that A person shall not engage in a business or commercial activity in the downstream industry unless that person has been granted a licence for that purpose by the Board. It has been argued that there are no licensed waste oil processing companies. This is untrue. Glasbrown Ltd and Batcco Investments are duly licensed with the NPA to operate as waste oil processing companies. They have been in operation for over 3years. Movenpiina Energy and Zupoil were both reported to have no license to engage in any activity in the downstream petroleum sector. BOST was alleged to have engaged in illegal transactions with Movenpiina and Zupoil who were not actually licensed by the National Petroleum Authority. How BOST got Exposed Institute of Energy Security first got the hint and quickly drew the attention of the public to attempt by BOST to sell contaminated fuel to some oil marketing companies. The development comes months after the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) uncovered a syndicate of companies involved in the illegal sale of petroleum products at the countrys ports. The Principal Research Analyst at the Institute of Energy Security (IES), Richmond Rockson told Citi fm that the move must be stopped to save consumers from the harmful effects of the unwholesome product. He stated that For BOST to be selling this quantity to individuals at that amount is just unfortunate; government should not be seen as leading the way when it comes to selling contaminated fuel unto the market. If BOST is to be selling the product at a cost of 2.50 per litre, then we would be talking about 12 million cedis but we understand it is being sold at 1 cedi per litre so we realize the amount of money that Ghana is losing. The situation further got heightened when a statement by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) also pointed that this action by BOST raises the fundamental concern as to whether BOST should be allowed to be trading and import off-spec products into Ghana. ACEP indicated that the recurrent scandals that have emerged from the activities of the company in recent past demands that the government takes a critical look at focusing BOST on its strategic mandate of keeping stocks as a national security assert for protecting consumers against manipulation and unforeseen shortfalls. It added that BOST has failed to demonstrated care for the consumer in this case and the ministry of Energy will have to step in immediately to ensure that the NPA raises the bar in its regulatory function to guarantee the protection of consumers. ACEP however called on NPA to activate the needed sanctions for the Movenpiina and Zupoil for participating in the industry without license to send the signal to illegal operators in the industry but failed to yield results. The faces behind Movenpiina and Zupoil remain a mystery as many attempts to trace the beneficial owners have proven futile. Watch this space as yours truly brings you highlights on this development in the next episode on BOST and NPA inconsistencies. The Writer Is A Development Journalist Holds B.A In Public Relations & Advertising (B.A) The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International has observed with grave concern the allegations and counter allegations made amongst the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Mrs. Charlotte Osei and her two deputies; Alhaji Amadu Sulley, Deputy Chairperson (Operations) and Madam Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, Deputy Chairperson (Corporate Services). The Commission is responsible for the conduct of elections in Ghana, which is the most important tenet of our democratic dispensation. The most crucial quality required of the Commission in exercising its mandate is a very high level of integrity. It appears the current impasse affects the very core of this nonnegotiable quality and GII wishes to call on the government through the relevant state agencies, to take swift action to ensure that appropriate and thorough investigations are conducted into these matters. This is the only way to halt any further degeneration of the integrity of the Commission and restore public confidence in the organisation. Though several issues have come to the fore as a result of these allegations that require investigations, GII is specifically calling for thorough investigations into the matters bothering on abuse of office and corruption. Specific mention can be made of the following allegations: i. The Involvement of the two Deputy Chairpersons of the Commission in procurement irregularities in May 2015 involving $22.3 and $16.4m for the purchase of BVDs ii. The Deputy Chairperson signing contracts worth over GHS40m without requisite approval and authorization. iii. The Deputy Chairperson collection of GHC6m (Six million Ghana cedis) from political parties for the conduct of party primaries without recourse to the structures of the Electoral Commission iv. The illegal vote transfers on the Voter management System by the Deputy Chairperson in charge of Operations Furthermore, GII calls on the office of the President to update Ghanaians on the status of the petition received from the concerned staff of the Commission on the Chairperson, Mrs. Charlotte Osei. GII also wish to commend EOCO for commencing investigations into earlier allegations. Finally, GII wants to appeal to politicians to desist from the politicization of these matters and allow due process to be followed in order not to undermine the importance of the Commission in Ghanas democratic process. Signed: Linda Ofori-Kwafo Executive Director Difficult as it may be for some to imagine, let us try to imagine this anyway. Imagine that you have won the chance to own any city of your choice absolutely, but without any other human being to confuse you! You will be alone with all that you find in your chosen city; banks, aeroplanes, ships, mansions, vehicles, businesses, radio/tv stations, farms, etc. To run or maintain them will however be by yourself because there will be no other human being with you, and you will not get the chance to contact any other person anywhere else! How long can you enjoy/endure this? Those who would not choose this situation should start appreciating the human being better than money/wealth/worldly things. Because as said before, one's money is worth but little, if anything at all, without the human backing. If humans do not provide goods and services to exchange with your money, the money is only a beautifully designed paper or metal. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE VERY WIDELY ACCEPTED AS INDISPENSABLE IN THE LIVES OF ANY HUMAN BEING. SIMILARLY MONEY HAS ALSO BEEN THE BEST MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. As practical and appropriate as this mindset is, it is however important to evaluate them at this stage where the system has reached a level which could be considered mature, in order to have a better perspective of life. The truth is that Science is the study of nature/creation, and Technology is the practical application of science. This in effect means that Science has been possible because of the existence of nature. In this respect can one not appreciate the superiority of Nature (humans, fauna and flora) over Science and its close companion Technology? Money, the most sought-after thing in the whole world has also gained its deserved recognition and widespread use, owing to its practical convenience. Closely attached to money are the material things money buys, also referred to as wealth. As a reminder, these material things and money itself kept for immediate or future use have value only when there are products/services to buy. These products and services are also provided by humans only; so between the makers of these products and the products, which of them is superior to the other? The inordinate quest for wealth these days, particularly in our youth makes this understanding important. This is because the converse is true; ie that the wrecthed and anti-social lifestyle of your neighbor will make you lose your wealth. The cases of corruption at various levels as are being unraveled in Ghana recently, ritual murders, Galamsey prospecting that destroys water bodies and farms are but a few examples of where this money-craze is taking Ghanaians. What is the sense in having the whole artificial world that increases your health problems whereas a prudent management would give you both better health and prosperity! 25.07.2017 LISTEN The Leader of Grace and Truth Temple, based at Nungua-Accra, Prophet Louis A. Melchisedec, has expressed concerns over the spate of marital problems in the country, explaining that it is a contributing factor to the problems in the nation. In a special message to the nation, Prophet Melchisedec observed that, peace in marriages would ensure that Ghanaians focus on matters of national interest and do execute their duties well. There are many people who are married but are not enjoying their marriages as God originally instituted. This at times makes the yet-to-be married more scared because of what they see others go through, he observed. He expressed regret over the fact that, though God has provided the keys to solving marital problems, Children of God lack and have refused to deploy the keys. The reason(s) why there are many divorces in recent times is because Children of God lack and have refused to deploy the keys which will help their marriages to become successful, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hosea 4:6, he stated. To address the issue, the Church is organizing its 7th edition of the annual marital summit dubbed BREAKING MARITAL SPELLS, a programme geared towards educating, strengthening marital bonds, empowering the married and the yet-to-be married through the word of God. He disclosed that the programme is slated to start on Monday 28th August and will end on Sunday 3rd September 2017 at the Grace and Truth Temple Nungua, behind the Danpong Pharmacy and it is on the theme, WINNING MARITAL BATTLES He further noted that people are using their own knowledge and understanding instead of allowing God to direct their marriages, citing the example in the Bible of Jesus at the wedding ceremony in Canaan, where his presence saved the marriage from disgrace and shame. This means that marriages without the presence of the Holy Spirit will not work because Jesus is the solution.( John 2:1-10), he revealed. Prophet Louis says the challenges many people encounter in marriages include barrenness, lack of trust, unforgiveness, financial problem, misunderstanding, individual affirmed characters and attitudes among others, hinting that some of the keys to successful marriage are prayer and wisdom. Some of these challenges in marriages can be solved by prayers while others are just by the application of wisdom or both in some cases. Extending an invitation to all and sundry, he implored Ghanaians to join the church in prayer for marriages in the country, especially on the Special All Night Service on Friday 1st September 2017. The speakers on the program include Bishop Joseph Annang(Ghana), Pastor Godfrey Homela(South Africa), Pastor Solomon Okyere-Keelson(Ghana) and the host, Prophet Louis A. Melchisedec(Ghana). Prophet Louis acknowledged Asjob, Eventcomm, Efodaavi, ACC Radio, Obolon Fruit Juice, Crystallite Services, Incredible Logistics, Vellum Enterprise and E-ComTV as partners for Breaking Marital Spells 2017. Some women groups in the Northern Region led by Constituency womens organizers of the governing New Patriotic Party are calling for investigations into the recent recruitment exercise under the Ghana school feeding program. According to the women, one Hajia Safia Mohammed who is purported to be from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection had asked some women to pay Gh 100.00 for forms so that they would be enrolled onto the program. At a press conference, the Bimbilla Constituency Womens Organiser, Madam Abdulia Fati said the mode of recruitment had the tendency to thwart the program because of the lack of transparency. Madam Fati said the issues, if not addressed on time will go a long way to affect the partys chances of being retained in the next general elections. The Tamale Central Constituency Margret Bawa who also addressed the press conference, accused the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Madam Otiko Djaba of manipulating the appointment process. She questioned why the minister advertised for recruitment in the dailies without waiting for the proper structures to be put in place. She wondered why the recruitment has been done when national and regional coordinators are yet to be appointed. Madam Margret was also unhappy with the role being played by Hajia Safia in the whole recruitment process and queried why she did not consult the party before recruiting. She believed some persons were taking advantage of government's delay in appointing national and regional coordinators to extort monies from people. She called on the minister to withdraw all adverts on vacancies of school feeding program until the president appoints regional and national coordinators to manage the program. She also wants a committee to investigate Hajia Safia, a suspended deputy northern regional womens organizer for alleged extortion of money from women groups in the name of assisting them to find jobs under the program. Meanwhile the Northern Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party Sule Salifu who joined the women later at the press conference said the party in the region was in support of the calls by the women for an investigation into the programme. Mr Sule Salifu said he is prepared to lead a protest and defend the interest of the women in the region. The Regional Secretary said even though the women played an instrumental role in the campaign of the party only three have been appointed as DCEs therefore the Ghana School Feeding is the only avenue they can use as a party to support them. We must compensate them with real packages and I think that Ghana School Feeding Programme is one, Mr. Salifu added. He alleged that when the NDC took power in 2008 all NPP workers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme were sacked by the NDC and must be restored now that the party is back in power. The NPP regional sectary called on government to immediately appoint the coordinators so that the benefits can trickle down to the women as well. All attempts to get in touch with the Gender Minister for a response, failed. Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, who is alleged to have signed contracts without proper authorisation has refuted the allegations, insisting that she breached no regulations. Mrs Opoku Amankwaas rebuttal is the latest twist in the thickening internal row at the Electoral Commission (EC), Ghanas independent elections management body. Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, had accused her deputy of signing huge contracts without proper authorisation in a bid to drive home suggestions that an impeachment petition against her by some yet-to-identified staff at the Commission is being orchestrated by persons averse to her clampdown on corruption. The EC Chairperson had said, The Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Services has signed contracts worth over GH40m without the knowledge and authorisation of the chairperson between July and September 2015. Payments were also made on these contracts in excess of her approval limits and again, without the knowledge and authorisation of the chairperson. This is illegal, criminal and a breach of the policies of the commission and the laws of Ghana." However, Mrs Amanwaa denies any wrongdoing, arguing that her actions were sanctioned by existing conventions at the EC. As a matter of principle and convention, the Chair of the Commissions Entity Tender Committee (ETC) signs award of contract letters. As a result, the contracts under reference had already been approved by the Entity Tender Committee (ETC) which I was the chair. These contracts had been evaluated, reviewed and approved before the Commission gave the Chairperson of the ETC the mandate to sign. The contracts were in respect of procurement of election materials for the District Assembly elections. I was therefore in an official capacity to sign those contracts and so did I. It is important to underscore that the processes leading to the signing of these contracts had been concluded prior to her taking over as the Chair of the ETC, the Deputy EC Chair for Corporate Services responds. She adds that subsequent to Mrs Oseis assumption as the Chair of the Entity Tender Committee (ETC), she ceased to sign contracts on behalf of the Commission. She stressed that the Commission was not built around the Chairperson and therefore, Charlotte Oseis insatiable quest to seek exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of the Commission defeats the logic of contemporary corporate practice. Election is time-bound and action-packed; therefore, failure to sign contracts timeously has the potential of putting the election calendar at peril. Given the fact that the Chairperson recluse herself from office without informing the deputies, there were few occasions I had to sign contracts in her continuing absence. This was done to ensure that the 2016 General Elections were not in jeopardy. This allegation is therefore frivolous, unmeritorious and borne out of bad faith, she said. Long-standing bad blood There has always been tension between Charlotte Osei and her deputy since Mrs Osei was appointed to Chair the Electoral Commission by former President John Mahama in 2015. Georgina Opoku Amankwaa and Charlotte Osei both worked at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) until Mrs Amankwaa replaced Mr Kwadwo Safo Kantanka in 2013 as Deputy EC Chair in charge of Corporate Services. However, Mrs. Oseis appointment as the substantive Chair in 2015 would seem a by-pass of a position that should have gone to the Mrs Amankwaa who had been working at the Commission two years prior to Mrs Ose's appointment. But the feud escalated after the Mrs Osei asked her deputy to proceed on leave her her alleged involvment in a missing GH480,000 endowment cash for EC staff. Anti-graft agency, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is investigating the issue, albeit a fierce challenge by counsel for Mrs Amankwaa, Mr. Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, over the directive that his client proceeds on leave. Incidentally, Mr Opoku Agyemang is also the counsel fronting for the nameless petitioners calling for the impeachment of the EC boss. War path Following the allegations against her, Mrs Osei has been on a war path against Mrs Amankwaa and another of her six deputies, Mr Amadu Sulley, accusing the two of administrative incompetence and blatant breaches of financial regulations. Charlotte Osei in a response to the petition by the faceless staff at the EC also accused her deputy in charge of Finance and Administration, Amadu Sulley, of keeping GH6 million from political parties without the knowledge of the finance department of the Commission. Mr Sulley is said to have used party primaries as a "private commercial project". Political party primaries were treated as a private commercial project by the Deputy Chairperson in charge of operations, with funds paid directly into the personal accounts of key staff for functions to be performed for party primaries. An internal audit report highlighting widespread malfeasance in the conduct of party primaries under the supervision of the Deputy Chairperson, Operations is attached and marked CO28A. This situation cannot be allowed to continue, Mrs Osei had said. Mr Sulley has also denied the allegations. Worrying situation Governance think tank, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) has called for a bipartisan Parliament probe into the intensifying row at the Commission. CDD Executive Director, Franklin Oduro, believes a Parliamentary probe may prove a credible fix to the worrying situation at the Commission. He said the contest of allegations reflects inherent problems with election administration in general. He said if these allegations are not investigated they will remain a damning blot on the integrity of the Electoral Commission and undermine the way it operates. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected] Sydney (AFP) - Britain's Serious Fraud Office has opened an investigation into mining giant Rio Tinto for "suspected corruption" surrounding the development of the world's biggest untapped iron-ore deposit in Guinea. Plans to mine the massive Simandou iron ore deposits -- a US$20-billion project deep in the remote interior of the poor west African country -- have been mired in legal disputes and political upheaval for years. Rio Tinto reported itself to regulators last November after conducting an internal probe into US$10.5 million in payments made over the project. In a statement late Monday, Britain's fraud investigators said: "The SFO has opened an investigation into suspected corruption in the conduct of business in the Republic of Guinea by the Rio Tinto group, its employees and others associated with it." Rio told AFP Tuesday it would "fully co-operate with the Serious Fraud Office and any other relevant authorities, as it has done since it self-reported in November 2016". The Australian Federal Police confirmed it was also investigating the Guinea allegations and that Rio was co-operating. Rio Tinto first secured exploration rights to Simandou in 1997. In 2014, it sealed a US$20 billion deal with a Chinese consortium led by state-run aluminium group Chinalco to develop Simandou, which would have been Africa's biggest-ever mining and infrastructure venture. Rio launched its internal investigation after becoming aware last August of email correspondence from 2011 relating to the payments "made to a consultant providing advisory services" for the project. In October last year Rio announced the sale of its 46.6 percent holding to Chinalco, which previously held a 41.3 percent stake in the project. A month later, it notified US, British and Australian regulators of its internal investigation. The Anglo-Australian firm is listed on both London and Sydney's stock exchanges. The world's second-largest miner also fired two executives -- energy and minerals head Alan Davies and legal affairs chief Debra Valentine -- following its probe. The miner's shares fell 0.24 percent to Aus$62.47 in mid-day trading Tuesday in Sydney. The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) has described the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Liberia, which reversed the National Elections Commission (NEC) disbarment of the vice presidential candidacies of Mr. Harrison Karnwea of the Liberty Party and Amb. Jeremiah Sulunteh of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) from participating in the 2017 general and presidential elections for violating the National Code of Conduct, as a sad development in Liberias quest for adherence to the rule of law. ALJA said if Liberia is to achieve national development, peace, and tranquility, then, the need for compliance with the rule of law by all Liberians cannot be overstated; adding, "No Liberian regardless of political or social connection is above the laws of Liberia." The Association said the rule of law lays the foundation for continued peace, stability, and national development in any society. "The future of any country that allows its citizens to arrogate laws unto themselves with impunity is doomed", the Association emphasized. ALJA in a press release issued on Monday, July 24, 2017, said the Supreme Courts opinion delivered on Thursday, July 20, 2017, following a hearing conducted into separate complaints filed a week ago by vice presidential hopefuls, Karnwea and Sulunteh, respectively against the NEC for banning them from participating in the 2017 election for violating Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of the National Code of Conduct, was more political than legal. The NEC on July 7, 2017 issued rejection letters to Mr. Karnwea and Amb. Sulunteh for violating the National Code of Conduct. The diaspora based Liberian press corps, said although they are not lawyers, they strongly believe the Courts ruling which overturned the NEC's decision for what it calls "procedural error" has done more harm to the Commission in its effort of ensuring free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Liberia than good. ALJA said the ruling has literary eroded the authority of the NEC in the execution of its statutory duties. ALJA said besides undermining the authority of the NEC in the performance of its duties, the Supreme Court's ruling further emboldened selfish politicians in violating Liberia's electoral laws with immunity; adding, "The Supreme Court has open a floodgate for the filing of more selfish driven complaints against the NEC by politicians and political parties." The Association said the ruling sets a bad precedent and it has nullified the efficacy of the National Code of Conduct, which the Court on March third of this year paradoxically upheld as a law of the country when it ruled in the Serena Mappy Polson versus the Republic of Liberia case when she challenged the constitutionality of the Code of Conduct. The Association said it finds it incomprehensible that a critical time like this in the history of Liberia, the Supreme Court opted to put Mr. Kanwea and Amb. Sulunteh on a pedestal for wrong doing after admitting that they violated Sections 5.1. and 5.2 of the Code of Conduct, but their violations especially that of Mr. Karnwea was not "grievous" as claimed by the National Elections Commission. ALJA said while it respects the authority of the Supreme Court, it however, begs to differ with the Court on how it handled the Karnwea and Sulunteh complaints filed against the NEC. The Association maintained Mr. Karnwea and Amb. Sulunteh intentionally broke the electoral laws of Liberia and they should have been held liable for their willful and intentional actions instead of giving them pats on the back as done by the Supreme Court. Mr. Karnwea, former Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), resigned in March 2017 while Mr. Jeremiah Sulunteh tour of duty as Liberias Ambassador to the United States, Mexico, and Canada ended in December 2016. The Liberian government in 2014 enacted into law a National Code of Conduct for public officials and civil servants. Section 5.1 and 5.2 of the Code of Conduct provides that "All officials appointed by the President of the Republic of Liberia shall not (a) Engage in political activities, canvass or contest for elected offices (b) Use government facilities, equipment or resources in support of parties or political activities. The Code further states that such persons cannot (c) Serve on a campaign team of any political party, or the campaigns of any independent candidate. Moreover, Section 5.2 says "Wherein any person in the category stated in section 5.1 desires to canvass or contests for an elective public position, the following shall apply:(a) Any Minister, Deputy Minister, Director-General, Managing Director and Superintendent appointed by the President pursuant to article 56 (a ) of the Constitution and a Managing Director appointed by a Board of Director, who desires to contest for public elective office shall resign said post at least two years prior to the date of such public election. (b) Any other official appointed by the President, who holds a tenured position and desires to contest for public elective office shall resign said post three years prior to the date of such public election. Commenting on the Supreme Court's claim which states that "the NEC made serious error in that Mr. Karnwea's rejection letter was single handedly signed by the Chairman instead of everyone on the Board of Commissioners", ALJA said it is baffled by the objection raised by the Supreme Court. The Association said the NEC has seven commissioners, but the Supreme Courts proposition for every commissioner to sign disqualification letters before they are considered legal and enforceable runs contrary to the tradition of the Commission. ALJA maintained that such proposition creates unnecessary bureaucracy because the Chairman is the official spokesman of the Commission. Section 2.10 of the Liberia New Election Laws, captioned: Duties of Chairman and Co-chairman, which provides that, The Chairman of the Commission shall have the following special duties and functions: a) Be the official head and spokesman of the Commission; (b) Presides over all meetings and hearings of elections contests; (c) For the purpose of expediting the hearings and determination of all election offenses; and other business of the Commission shall apportion the Republic into five (5) administrative areas and assign a commissioner to an area who shall, in consultation with the Commissioner...direct and supervise all election activities in his area of assignment including the hearing and determination of election offenses arising there from which determination, having been previously approved by the Commission shall be final; (d) Controls, supervises and directs the administrative operation of the office of the Commission and in consultation with the Commissioners, takes such corrective administrative measures for the smooth and effective operation of the Commission." ALJA said it wonders why the Supreme Court did not raise the same objection to the reported unilateralism of the NEC Chairman, Jerome Korkoya, when he single handedly signed the Commission's rejection letter, which disqualified Assistant Minister, Abu Kamara, of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from contesting as a candidate for the Montserrado County electoral District number 15 representative seat for being in violation of Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of the Code of Conduct. On July 11, 2017, the Supreme Court conducted a hearing into a writ of prohibition filed against the NEC by Mr. Kamara for the wrongful disqualification of his candidacy. ALJA said instead of the challenging the legality of the NEC rejection of Assistant Minister Kamara, the Court in unison sanctioned the Commissions action and reaffirmed the constitutionality of the Code of Conduct by dismissing Mr. Kamara complaint for the lack of legal justification. ALJA noted that Mr. Karnwea and Amb.Suluteh's complaints filed against the NEC for disqualifying them from participating in the election was a litmus test for the Supreme Court and Liberia as a whole in standing in defense of the rule of regardless of political or social connections, but regrettable the Court failed miserably in meeting the expectation. Meanwhile, ALJA says although Section 5. 2(a) and (b) of the Code of Conduct are hash and punitive, unless they are repealed through a legal process, they are legal and constitutional; and they must be respected and heeded to by all Liberians. The Association said unless the law is undone legally, no amount of political or judicial arm twisting will stop it from biting its violators. Signed: _______________ Gardea V. Woodson Secretary General Cell: 610-212-1935 Approved: _____________ Moses D. Sandy National President Cell: 302-494-4688 The Member of Parliament [MP] for the Tano North Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, Hon. Freda Prempeh properly known as (OBAA NOAA) over the weekend, has cut the sod for the commencement of construction of an ultra-modern office for the Tano North Constituency of the New Patriotic Party at Duayaw-Nkwanta. Speaking to Sunyani based radio Metro 90.5FM, The MP who is also the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing said the project will cost about GH350.000 (3.5 billion). She said the facility would have a conference room, kitchen, toilet, offices and stores which would be rented and profits made would be used to run the party office. As you have prayed and support me for the appointed as Deputy Minister for Works and Housing by President Nana Addo, what I can do to thank Tano North constituency is to build ultra modern office complex for you she told residents of Tano North. According to Mrs. Freda Prempeh, the funding for the facility is from my own pocket, I will make sure that the contractor will use our local materials, in order to reduce the cost and also employ people in the constituency to work on the facility. Hon. Prempeh expressed appreciation to the NPP council of elders, patrons, coordinators, polling station and constituency executives and all members and supporters in the area for their hard work which helped the NPP to regain power in the Election 2016. She commended the paramount chief of Duayaw Nkwanta, Nana Boakye Tromo III and members of Duayaw Nkwanta traditional council for readily releasing land for the construction. Mrs Prempeh indicated that more than 100 youth in the area had been engaged under the National Youth Employment programme and a lot more would soon be engaged. She said almost all the communities in the constituency had benefited from a number of development projects within the past eight years, saying they included extension of electricity and construction of mechanised boreholes. Other projects, the MP said were streetlights, construction of durbar grounds, classroom blocks, toilet and sanitary facilities, donations of motorbikes, medical devices, and computers and other educational materials and renovation of health centres. She donated 100 bags of cement and GH2,000.00 to the St. John of God Catholic Church towards a building project being undertaken by the parish. Government would soon establish bricks and tiles factory at Tanoso in the Tano North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.On completion, the facility which is under the governments One-District, One-Factory project would create direct and indirect employments for more than 1,000 youth in the District she stated . Mrs Freda Prempeh, the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, said 27 acres of land had been acquired and walled for the project. She said government had completed negotiation with an Italian company to supply modern machines and equipment to be installed by the close of the year. Chief linguist of the Omanhene of Duayaw Nkwanta, Nana Boakye Tromo III, Nana Nana Krobea Asante Owusu, expressed profound gratitude to Mrs Prempeh for great works and the love she have shown to good people of Tano North constituency. We the Duayaw Nkwanta traditional council have seen and experienced your numerous interventions and can never ever say that you have done nothing for us. Hon. Freda Prempeh for all you have done and keep doing for us the least we can do is to continue support your Government to succeed and to assure you of our blessings" he added. Hon. Keep improves our livelihoods with you massive development you are doing for the constituency, we wish you God's blessings and protection he concluded. 25.07.2017 LISTEN A 30-year-old man is in the grips of the Aflao Police in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region for allegedly killing his mother and injuring three others including his 80-year-old father. Johnny Ahiamadzi, last Friday at about 10pm reportedly went on a butchering spree at the Aflao suburb of Huimegah, where he inflicted deep machete wounds on the father in an apparent move to kill him. A policeman together with an informant who rushed to the scene upon hearing of the incident was also not spared, as the law enforcement officer had his left wrist severely slashed by the suspect, who later fled the scene. He was, however, arrested the next day after news broke that a woman, said to be his mother was also hacked to death. The Volta Regional Police commander, ACP Nana Asomah Hinneh, who confirmed the bizarre incident to Starr news, said the suspect confessed to committing the act because his parents were witches. Police had information that, one Johnny Ahiamadzi was fighting his father, [so we] rushed to the house and met the man in a pool of blood, apparently Johnny has butchered the father and in an attempt to rescue the man, the suspect slashed the wrist of the constable and the one who came to report the case. Later we heard a woman was butchered somewhere, we went and picked the woman and fortunately for us Johnny came back to the house and he was arrested. He confessed trying to kill the father because he was a wizard and whiles he was walking away, he met the woman who he claimed was also a witch, so he butchered her too, the Police chief narrated. He added that the injured persons are responding to treatment at the Aflao Government hospital while the body of the deceased has also been deposited at the morgue, as investigations continue into the incident. The incident, which has left many Aflao residents in utter shock and dismay, comes barely a week after a trader was also murdered in her shop at Akatsi. No arrest has been made yet in that regard. Private legal practitioner Maxwell Opoku Agyeman will regret leading staff of the Electoral Commission to petition the president for the removal of their chair Mrs Charlotte Osei, fellow legal practitioner Joe Debrah has said. According to him, Mr Agyeman has a long-standing relationship with Mrs Osei, a relationship that started in 1989 during their studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana, therefore, leading the petitioners to remove her was disappointing. Mrs Osei has been accused by her staff of fraud and financial malfeasance. They have petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo for her removal. Mr Debrah told Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Tuesday, July 25 that: Maxwell Opoku Agyeman, Charlotte Osei and I are a family, we have about 30 years of relationship. We all met at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana in 1989 and formed a study group. We formed the study group right from the first year with a few other guys such as Yoni Kulendi. We also formed part of the Class of 94 and so apart from being schoolmates, we were study mates. We eat together, we chat and we do almost everything together and we have been doing that right from 1989 through the faculty days to the law school. Fortunately, Charlotte and Maxwell also went to the same school in Canada at the same time, and, so, I became disappointed when I heard that Maxwell was the one leading the impeachment against Charlotte. I am disappointed but of course he, just as everybody, has the right to make his own choices in life. But everybody among this fraternity is first of all disappointed that he chose to take up this case. The signal that it sends out is that he cannot be trusted by friends. It means after 30 years of being a brother, he can lead a course for my license to be revoked and that is dangerous. He could have asked a different lawyer to handle this matter because of the relationship he has with Charlotte Osei, Mr Debrah said. Accra, July 24, GNA - Three issues are of paramount c0ncern to me in this short piece. These are justice, fairness and inclusiveness. I believe that without these, progress in curbing the various forms of mob action cannot be sustained. Access to justice is the hallmark of a civilised society. And it is the cornerstone on which the entire society is built. The Chief Justice Madam Sophia Akuffo did explain at her recent hearing that 'justice delayed is justice denied' and ' justice hurried' as it is for instance perpetuated by a mob, may be 'justice buried'. And this case justice has not been served and lessons may never be learned. More so the Chief Justice did explain that 'mob action' is different from 'mob justice'. As very often, mob action on a suspect, is not justice served for all parties involved. Again for me, in order to attain fairness in justice delivery, justice should not be perceived as being done, but should be actually seen done, and all parties should be adequately represented in the proceedings. And the outcome of the proceedings could be tested again assuming a party in the deliberation is unsatisfied with the initial outcome. This means our legal institutions should be adequately funded for the speedy and efficient adjudication of all cases before them. As in many cases, the absence of the efficient and speedy adjudication of cases, has led to the perception that justice is not being served as expected. And this is a concern to be tackled by the entire society. And what does "access to justice" mean, if a fully funded legal aid system is limited in its functions. Should we still keep dreaming of such notions whereas we can adequately fund it and actualise our expectations? These are some of the questions I have asked various personalities including lawyers and security experts, since the gruesome murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama. For me the growing perception that justice is not speedily and fairly served is one of the reasons leading to the rising incidence of mob justice in many communities. And if this claim cannot hold to be true, then the legal institutions should help clear the misconception. And the national consensus in the very important fight against illegal small scale mining (Galamsay) should not prevent those affected from accessing any form of legal aid should the need arise. Access to justice, in this regard, means being treated fairly and within the expectations of the law even though the act committed is an illegality. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi in his insightful article 'Implications of mob justice practice amongst communities in Ghana', said the root cause of mob action is amongst others the distrust in the legal and security authorities, hence the need for awareness creation on our human rights, improving our justice and the police accountability measures, and resourcing the police for them to effectively carry out their mandate. The onerous responsibility of the National Commission for Civic Education cannot be understated in its effort to develop meaningful strategies in educating the public on various concerns affecting the society. But it equally needs more funding with regards to fighting the rising incidence of mob action. Inclusiveness; and for me- every member of the public- we all need to stay vigilant in the effort to prevent the incidence of mob action or mob justice. We all need to become alive to our civic responsibilities and help prevent such unfortunate occurrences from taking place in our communities. GNA By Benjamin Hallo, GNA In June 2015, President John Mahama - the then President of the Republic of Ghana was in accordance with Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution, appointed Mrs. Charlotte Osei as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Charlotte Osei's appointment as EC Boss was welcomed with range of questions and criticisms. Many Ghanaians questioned her level of competence because she added nothing new to NCCE where she previously chaired before her appointment as EC Boss. Others also questioned her credibility as Ghanaian and her neutrality to chair the Electoral Commission since her alliance to the NDC was known to them. Among the many who was against her appointment as EC Boss is Ghana's former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. However, with the support of the NDC - the then majority, she passed through vetting to become the EC Boss. Mrs. Charlotte Osei is another "hell of a bold character" drown in a "dead goat syndrome". Mrs. Charlotte Osei is a physically beautiful lady full of pride and arrogance. She was appointed by John Mahama - a man who publicly declared the dead goat syndrome in him and whose high level of incompetence devastated the trust Ghanaians have in him hence showed him a gargantuan exit in the 2016 elections. If Mrs. Charlotte Osei was appointed by John Mahama, then one will not be wrong to say that " birds of a feather flock together ". The traits in Ghana's one term president - John Mahama which led to his shameful defeat in the 2016 elections can be found in Mrs. Charlotte Osei. According to Madam Georgina Opoku Amankwa - one of the deputies to Charlotte Osei, Charlotte Osei wanted to rig the 2016 elections in favour of a political party but they resisted. "Madam Charlotte Osei is a dangerous character. It was her dangerous machinations that we resisted. We are accused of insubordination and arrogance because we condemned her secret meetings with some politicians to rig the December elections. We resisted being part of a conspiracy she hatched to alter results in favor of some political parties. I personally told her bluntly to abandon such moves and let the process be fair and transparent. Her announcement that only 42% turned out to vote in December was part of the conspiracy to alter results. All her deputies were unanimous that we would not support her to steal the mandate of the Ghanaian people. She is not fit for the job". According to Madam Georgina Opoku Amankwa, Mrs. Charlotte Osei's earlier plan was to rig the elections in favour of the NDC. This is in confirmation of claims made by the Assin South MP - Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong that "Mrs. Charlotte Osei has assured John Mahama a victory in the 2016 elections". Many Ghanaians lashed Hon. Kennedy Agyapong on his constant critique of Mrs. Charlotte Osei. A Year and months down the lane, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong has been vindicated. The quick response by the minority (NDC) in defense and support of Mrs. Charlotte Osei against the petition brought to the President of the Republic tells Ghanaians that the NDC has a greater interest in Charlotte Osei's position as EC Boss. Things fall apart According to Mrs. Charlotte Osei, her deputy - Mr. Amadu Sulley illegally took Gh6 million from political parties. Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has also been vindicated here. As good question to ask is; so Mrs. Charlotte Osei knew this, why didn't she reveal it till a petition was brought against her outfit? Perhaps, she was eying a greater share of the Gh6 million. I pray the EOCO and other State Institutions who are and will be conducting investigation into the petition to do a clean job. The NDC must also stay away from the case if they have no interest in Charlotte Osei's position as EC Boss. The law must function as it's supposed to. No Short Cut To Heaven. Nana Ofori Kissi Ratina Atiwa Writer. Rwanda will welcome World Travel Awards for the first time, with the Africa Gala Ceremony 2017 set to take place in the countrys thriving capital, Kigali, on 10th October. Spanning several valley and hillsides, Kigali renowned for its cleanliness and warm hospitality is arguably one of the most attractive African capitals. Its ideal location, slap bang in the centre of Rwanda, also makes it an ideal base for exploration. World Travel Awards President and Founder, Graham Cooke, said: It will be an honour for the World Travel Awards to visit Rwanda for the first time, later this year. The heart of Africa, Rwanda has become rightfully known for its spectacular scenery think thundering waterfalls, towering mountains and virgin rainforests and rare wildlife. This is a fantastic opportunity for Rwanda to claim its rightful place as Africas rising star. World Travel Awards Africa Gala Ceremony 2017 will take place at the five star Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre which features the first convention centre in Rwanda with room for up to 5,000 delegates alongside the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and AviaDev Africa (10-12 October). The leading hotel investment conference that connects business leaders from the international and local markets, driving investment into tourism projects, infrastructure and hotel development across Africa, AHIF ( www.africa-conference.com) is attended by the highest calibre international hotel investors of any conference in Africa. Meanwhile AviaDev Africa ( www.aviationdevelop.com) is a unique event bringing together airports, airlines, governments, industry suppliers and tourism authorities to determine the future air connectivity and infrastructure development of Africa. The event provides an opportunity for the aviation and hotel development communities to share intelligence on their future plans, catalysing tourism development on the continent. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman, Bench Events, said: Im delighted that the World Travel Awards has chosen to hold its Africa ceremony on the main stage at AHIF. The combination of AHIF for hotel investment, AviaDev for aviation route planning and the WTA for excellence in travel, all happening at the same time and in the same place, is bound to focus more attention on the importance of a successful travel and hospitality industry to the economic future of Africa and that has to be a good thing. Voting for the World Travel Awards Africa Gala Ceremony concludes on the 21st August 2017, with more information here: www.worldtravelawards.com/vote A full list of nominees can be seen here: www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees/2017/africa By Ivan Ssenabulya: The National NRM League for people with disabilities has condemned the National NRM chairman for failing to meet his promises of meeting them. The group was in Mukono, accusing president Museveni who is the party Chairperson for not campaigning for the flag bearers. The group lead by the NRM Chairman for people with disabilities Gabriel Kato claim to have moved the whole country seeking support from the party for candidates whose victory was nullified. Positions to be voted for are the Parliamentary representatives for disabled people in Northern and Western regions. These people were brought from Lugogo claiming that they were dumped in Mukono where theyve to set off proceed to Jinja for the voting today. However the party spokesperson Rogers Mulindwa, met these People admitting the mistake but calling for calm that their grievances will be looked into. Lagos (AFP) - Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell said Tuesday it has shut down a key crude supply pipeline in Nigeria's restive south because of a leak. Shell subsidiary the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) said the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) was shut on July 21 at B-Dere in Ogoniland. "Efforts are ongoing for a joint investigation visit to determine the cause of the leak and repair of the pipeline," the company said in a statement. The volume of production shut-in was not disclosed. The TNP feeds the Bonny Light export terminal, which has a production capacity of 225,000 barrels per day of oil. Militants and oil thieves in the region have repeatedly attacked the pipeline. Community unrest forced Shell to quit oil production in Ogoniland in 1993 but the company still runs a network of pipelines criss-crossing the area. A spokesman for the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) pressure group said it was not responsible for the latest shutdown. "We are not involved in the incident we only heard about it. Our position however remains that Shell is not welcome on our land," Fegalo Nsuke told AFP. He called on Shell to address the issues of environmental degradation, neglect, injustice and under-development before considering the resumption of production in Ogoniland. "If they want our oil, they have to take care of the people," he added. MOSOP founder Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed with eight other activists by Nigeria's then-military government in November 1995 on trumped-up murder charges at a secret trial. Many believed his conviction was politically motivated because of his opposition to Shell's presence in Ogoniland, where there have been repeated oil spills. In 2015, Shell agreed to pay 55 million ($72 million, 61 million euros) in compensation to more than 15,500 people in Ogoniland and agreed to start a clean-up of two major spills. Participants of Citi FM's Big July Get Away on Tuesday had the experience of their lifetime cruising on the beautiful Indian Ocean. The trip which began on Sunday saw 38 participants fly from Accra to Mauritius via South Africa. They are currently lodging at the plush Ravenela Attitude hotel where they will spend four nights. While there, the participants will embark on tours of some other scenic places in Mauritius. The team will, after four nights at Mauritius, fly to South Africa to tour some more exciting places in that country. The trip will end on Sunday, July 30, 2017. BigJulyGetAway is a Citi FM initiative in partnership with South African Airways. By: citifmonline.com/Ghana The Kemal Ataturk Project has organised a two-day health screening exercise for head potters, popularly known as Kayayei in Accra. The program, which was organised in partnership with the Sulemana Memorial Hospital based at Mamobi, saw the disadvantages-girls screened for various diseases. A senior nurse at the hospital who supervises the screening, Mrs Elizabeth Apedu, disclosed that suspected cases of malaria were identified among those who were screened. She called on public and private enterprises to support programs to insecticide and clean environs populated by Kayayeis as a way of destroying mosquito breeding grounds. A foster-mother of the Kayayeis, Madam Margaret Abosey, counselled the girls on the dangers of engaging in pre-marital sex that leads to teenage pregnancy. Speaking through a translator, she said to the girls "you should consider your situation on the street, and not listen to any man who is trying to deceive you". "Carrying a pregnancy is difficult, let alone being a Kayayei". Sanitary pads were distributed to the girls and they were educated on how properly use the pads. The founder of Kunata Voluntary Organization, the NGO that operates the Kemal Ataturk Project, Mr. Yahaya Alhassan, said the Ataturk facility would be located in the community of Fu at Salaga in the Northern Region, and would give needy girls purposeful education, which is part of the organisation's programs to stem-tide the movement of girls down south. The program is also to enhance the growing relationship between Ghana and Turkey. Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) (AFP) - An elephant that gave tourist rides in the Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls trampled his professional handler to death, the local tour operators' association said Tuesday. Enock Kufandanda, 50, was killed on Saturday by a bull elephant called "Mbanje" ("marijuana" in the local Shona language). Parks and wildlife authority rangers shot and killed the elephant, reported to be about 30 years old, soon after it charged and killed Kufandanda. "We confirm the sad incident, the third in the last 10 years," Clement Mukwasi, of the Employers' Association of Tourism and Safari Operators, told AFP. "The profession of elephant handling is a high risk one." He added that elephants can "keep grudges" that lead to attacks. Witnesses told local media that they heard screams and found the dead body badly damaged. The World Animal Protection action group said in a statement that the incident was "another sad reminder that elephants are wild animals and should not be ridden." Two years ago, a curio-seller was trampled to death by an elephant which had strayed into a shopping centre in Victoria Falls, on the border with Zambia. 25.07.2017 LISTEN Former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan allegedly superintended over corruption while in office, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has accused. Corruption within EC was there before Charlotte Osei assumed office as chairperson, he alleged. I will not lay the allegations alone on the doorstep of Madam Charlotte Osei and her two deputies for the perceived corruption emanating today, he said. I could remember that the immediate past chairman of the Commission couldnt account for money used to conduct an election in a particular year when he appeared before us some time ago, the Suame lawmaker recollected. I will say we should investigate both the past and present malfeasance that has happened earlier under both chairpersons , admonishing Members of Parliament should sit up. The embattled chairperson of the Commission, Madam Osei has been accused of single-handedly renegotiating a contract with a vendor worth $ 21,999,592 immediately she took office from her predecessor contrary to the Public Procurement Law. Concerned Staff of the Commission therefore have petitioned the President Akufo-Addo for her removal if fond culpable of the twenty-eight allegations leveled against her. Madam Charlotte Osei in her response to the allegations in the petition brought against her has also accused her two deputies Georgina Opoku Amankwah and Amadu Sulley of financial malfeasance currently under investigations by the Economic and Orgarnised Crime Office (EOCO). She alleged Deputy Chair Operations, collected funds six million Ghana cedis in cash from political parties for the organization of party primaries without recourse to the Commission, without involvement of finance department of the Commission. There are various reasons that may prompt you to relocate. It may be an inter or intrastate relocation. Whatever the case may be, you should know that the culture will be different from what you are used to. Hence, you do not want to fall short of their way of life especially if you are relocating to a culturally and religiously sensitive location like Northern Nigeria. There are some actions that you can take to ensure that your cultural transition is as smooth as possible. Jumia Travel , the leading online travel agency shares some of them. Learn the local language One of the easiest ways to blend into a new culture is to learn how to speak the local language. Doing this will make it simple for you to network, conduct business and integrate yourself into your local community. Join local expat communities Once you have arrived at your new destination, you will most likely make new friends with the people that you come across along the way. It is better to join an expat community because you will receive reliable advice based on the experiences they have garnered living with the people. Join the landlord association Another way to settle into a new culture is by joining the landlord association. You can find friends as well as network. This said, ensure that you make them know that just moved into the community. Seek out colleagues If you are being relocated for work purposes, it is not out of place for you to request that your organisation put you in contact with employees who are already working at where you are relocating. Just make sure you contact the person before you move. Do your research Doing a bit of research is important before relocating to a new location, city or community. And, an essential part of this is understanding your new culture. Thus, research ahead of time and ensure that you are aware of things such as the local cuisine, festivals, holidays, dress codes, prevalent religions and spiritual beliefs. Mr. Kusi Boafo 25.07.2017 LISTEN Governance Expert and Economist, Mr. Kusi Boafo, has asked Ghanaian electorates to limit their demands on politicians since too much and unnecessary demands on them could push them into corrupt practices that has tendency of jeopardizing the countrys young democracy. Mr. Kusi Boafo told Space FMs Morning Flight 877show host, Dickson Smith on Monday that, the corrupt nature of some politicians is being aided by the electorates who voted them into power. He said the electorates have over hyped politicians in the country for far too long. The economist said many of the electorates are charlatans who put pressure on politicians to deliver. Reacting to governance expert and Dean of Faculty of Management Studies at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Professor Albert Punis assertion that governance is becoming too lucrative and attracting charlatans on SPACE FM , Mr. Boafo admitted that there are charlatans in the political system, but blamed it on the electorates. According to him, the way and manner the electorates invite politicians to their funerals, weddings, church annual harvests , and seeking favors from them, coupled with other social demands, compel politiciansto overstretch their finances which ultimately force them to seek funds from else where He said governance is becoming lucrative, attracting charlatans because of lack of jobs for the university graduates in the country. Mr. Boafo stated that as far as the country is practicing a young democracy, charlatan politicians would remain in the system and was optimistic that the bad ones would be weeded out as our democracy grows. He charged politicians, especially those aspiring to become Members of Parliament, to develop themselves well in a particular area, like anti-corruption , Child Rights Advocacy, Environment or Local Government, for them to contribute meaningfully to any debate on the floor of parliament. The governance expert said it would be a serious problem and a waste of tax payers money on a minister who does not fit to be appointed to that area. He said the electorates would punish that government who fails woefully to appoint the right and competent persons to ministerial positions. One of Ghanas enviable politician and aspiring National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Mr. David Kankam Boadu have made a mark of commitment by participating in a cleanup exercise organized by Music Addict Group (MAG). The cleanup exercise was organized yesterday and led by Justice Golomeke a.k.a Aramene, a young talented musician who was nominated during this years Big Six Concert organized by Label Beatshop Ghana. As part of preparations towards his Album launch on July 30, 2017, Aramene decided to mobilize his group (MAG), fans; friends and concerned citizens, to embark on what he regard "as exercise protect your health and keep Ghana clean". The cleanup exercise which received massive turnout was organized around the environs of Tesano Songo and Santana Market. Speaking at the climax of the exercise, Mr. David Kankam Boadu congratulated the young enthusiastic gathering for recognizing the need to play a critical role towards the safety of the environment. According to him, the exercise was deeply rooted in line with governments commitment towards making Accra the cleanness city in West Africa. CEO of Beatshop Ghana, Mr. Amoasah Emmanuel, couldnt hide his excitement when he remarked, "it is uncommon to find political Stewarts identifying easily with the grassroot in a manner in which Mr. Boadu did. Your sense of humility is a quality that needs no question and must be emulated by all and sundry. " He expressed profound gratitude to the aspiring National Chairman for demonstrating leadership by coming to participate in the exercise. He also thanked the Ayawaso West District Zoomlion Manager Mr. James Aboagye, who assisted the team with tools and personnel from the company. Img-20170723-wa0005 Img-20170724-wa0003 Paris (AFP) - Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj holds French-brokered talks Tuesday with Khalifa Haftar, the rival military commander who controls the east, to try to end the chaos in the conflict-ridden country. French President Emmanuel Macron has organised the talks but his office has stressed that it has modest expectations of the meeting to be held in a chateau just outside Paris. The aim is to persuade the two sides to at least outline a roadmap for an end to a conflict that has plunged the oil-rich country into chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. The two leaders will be asked to agree to a ceasefire among other commitments, a French diplomatic source told AFP. Macron will welcome Sarraj and Haftar before the newly appointed UN envoy for Libya, Ghassam Salame, chairs the talks, but the French president will make a statement at the end of the day. It is the second time that Sarraj and Haftar have met in the space of three months after they held talks in Abu Dhabi in May. That meeting made little progress. Battle for control Dozens of armed groups have vied for control in Libya in the power vacuum created by Kadhafi's fall. Self-styled Libyan National Army's chief Khalifa Haftar (L) is due to meet Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in a chateau outside Paris Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA), despite support from the United Nations, has sought to unify powerful factions, but has struggled to assert its authority since it began work in Tripoli in March 2016. A rival administration based in Libya's remote east -- with which Haftar is allied -- refuses to recognise the GNA. Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month. Another diplomatic source involved in the talks said there was scepticism about whether the military strongman was prepared to share power in Libya. "We have to hope that when he signs something, he will keep his word," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil in Libya, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month Human traffickers have exploited the chaos to boost their lucrative but deadly trade, and Libya has this year become the main springboard for migrants seeking to reach Europe in often flimsy and overloaded boats. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage from Libya, with 85,000 arriving on the shores of Italy, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 2,360 people have drowned this year attempting to make the journey, the IOM says. Sarraj this month laid out a new political calendar, scheduling presidential and parliamentary elections for March 2018. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Le Monde newspaper in June that Libya was "a priority" for Macron and said there was "a security risk because of the trafficking of all kinds, including humans" from Libya. The veteran Le Drian has made a regional tour to drum up support for an end to the Libyan crisis, appealing in particular to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates for assistance. 25.07.2017 LISTEN International specialist digital learning firm Atlas Knowledge has increased its number of partner companies in Africa to almost 30% of its total partner network following the Aberdeen-headquartered firms first ever series of overseas workshops which were held across the region. Atlas Channel Partner Management team travelled to Ghana and South Africa for a series of sessions with training providers to discuss becoming distribution partners, making valuable connections that resulted in seven new companies coming on board. Channel partners have access to Atlas range of more than 2,500 courses, covering safety critical industry sectors. These include chemical processing, electrical disciplines, oil and gas operations, travel and security. It means 59 out of its 204 distribution partners and invigilation centres worldwide are now in Africa, a key region for skills, learning and development in safety critical industries. These companies travelled from countries across Africa for the workshops and are involved in the energy, education, and health and safety sectors. They will support the integration of Atlas suite of eLearning courses at a local level. As part of the workshops there were presentations on Atlas learning management software, product demonstrations and knowledge sharing sessions. Atlas gained valuable insight into the key challenges affecting their in-country partners which has since enabled them to further refine their service offering. Atlas channel partner manager, Lesley Wallace, said: Were very proud of our relationship building in Africa and although the primary aim of the visit was to support our existing channel partners in Ghana and South Africa, it was really encouraging to make so many new contacts in person and establish new business opportunities. We found there is a real appetite from companies wanting to utilise our safety critical digital learning expertise, that we are renowned for delivering across the world. Ghana was especially busy and we know our eLearning courses are having a positive impact in major cities including Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi. In South Africa, we held meetings with standards bodies in Cape Town with the South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the South African Oil and Gas Alliance (SAOGA) to explore how our courses could be made more widely available. David Dake, team lead at Ghana-based training provider Work Health and Safety Organisation (WHSO), said: We are dedicated to partnering with the best training providers to support our customers to reduce operational risk. We know Atlas Knowledge can help us to maintain the highest standards of quality in our courses. The International Minimum Industry Safety Training (IMIST) course is one of the most in-demand in Africa. By Judith Atim: The Uganda Local Governments Association has issued a statement condemning the recent conduct of some of its members who poured water on the minister of justice and constitutional Affairs Maj General Kahinda Otafiire. On Saturday, the Association which brings together all the district and lower local governments in Uganda held a consultative meeting at the Mandela National Stadium Namboole, with Gen. Otafiire invited as chief guest. However, some of the members became agitated because they claimed they were expecting the president as chief guest and not Gen Otafiire. They then forced him off the stage and poured water on him. In a statement signed by George Mutabaazi, the president of the Uganda Local Government Association who is also the Chairperson Lwengo District Local government, the body says it deeply regrets the conduct of its members. They have also denounced reports that the meeting had been called to discuss purported plans to amend article 102(b) of the constitution to lift the presidential age limit. It maintains that they are nonpartisan and that the said meeting was constituted as a platform to provide a voice and advocate for the strengthening of the role of Local Government leaders for purposes of attaining the objectives of Vision 2040 and a middle income status by 2020. Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission Georgina Opoku Amankwah has denied issuing any statement in response to criminal allegations leveled against her by her boss, Charlotte Osei. Her disclaimer, the deputy commissioner pointed to efforts by "mischief makers" to drag her into a media war at the commission. Social media is awash with a statement captions "Georgina Opoku Amankwah respond to Charlotte Osei" "Madam Charlotte Osei is a dangerous character. It was her dangerous machinations that we resisted. "We are accused of insubordination and arrogance because we condemned her secret meetings with some politicians to rig the December elections. We resisted being part of a conspiracy she hatched to alter results in favor of some political parties. I personally told her bluntly to abandon such moves and let the process be fair and transparent". "Her announcement that only 42% turned out to vote in December was part of the conspiracy to alter results. All her deputies were unanimous that we would not support her to steal the mandate of the Ghanaian people. She is not fit for the job" But the deputy in a statement she signed emphasised, she is not the author of the above statement. She insists she has desisted from any media encounter since a full-blown out row at the commission between the chair Charlotte Osei and some of her staff who want her out. Charlotte Osei's response to her accusers escalated the controversy by roping in two deputies , Amadu Sulley in charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku Amankwah in charge of Corporate Services. Georgina in particular has been accused of signing contracts worth over GH40m without the knowledge and authorisation of the chairperson But the deputy commissioner says she has refused to respond to the allegations because she is determined to preserve the sanctity of the sole constitutional body charged to organise elections. She noted in her statement that there has been negative publications against her since May. Georgina Amakwah was asked to proceed on leave on July 6 after EOCO named her in investigations to find missing ghc480,000 of the staff endowment fund. The lawyer expressed hope that she would be afforded an appropriate opportunity to respond to the claims. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected] Bamako (AFP) - A Malian activist whose fierce criticism of politicians and religious figures on YouTube has made him a cult figure, survived an assassination attempt on Tuesday, his family told AFP. "Marshall Madou", real name Madou Kante, was driving in the capital Bamako around 1 am when a gunman fired several bullets at him, according to a family member. "The bullets hit him mostly in the chest. He is in hospital," the family member told AFP, requesting anonymity. Malian media published images of Kante shirtless and standing upright in hospital, with dressings covering his chest and upper right arm. Kante took part in protests this month organised by opponents of a constitutional referendum framed by the government as an important step towards enshrining a peace deal in the national charter. Critics say the referendum, which has been indefinitely delayed to cool tensions following massive protests, is a tool for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to consolidate his own power, especially by giving him the right to appoint senators. But Kante has made many enemies with his popular show the "Madou Ka Journal", notably attacking corruption and nepotism in Mali. One of his close associates, Oumar Diakite, told AFP he would not "accuse anyone without proof". Government sources said several ministers had visited him at his bedside, and he remained in hospital on Tuesday. President Akufo-Addo is under intense pressure to initiate a thorough probe into unfolding scandal at the Electoral Commission (EC). Joy News has learnt, forces within the New Patriotic Party, other political parties and civil society groups want the President to take steps to restore public confidence in the EC which has been embroiled a media war among some commissioners. There have been a string of serious allegations from members of the commission against each other. The EC chairperson Charlotte Osei has accused the deputy commissioner in charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley for bagging some 6 million from political parties without the knowledge of the finance department of the Commission. He has denied as has another deputy commissioner Georgina Amankwah who has been accused by Charlotte Osei of illegally signing contracts worth GHC40m. Charlotte Osei also stands accused by some section of the staff who have triggered a process to have her impeached. The Presidents campaign manager in the 2016 elections, Peter Mac Manu, suggested that the president should call for a multi-dimensional or quasi-judiciary body to investigate things that are coming out. General Secretary, Mutala Mohammed, of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) also said we all know their credibility and sanctity is soiled. He added that there is a need for all these commissioners to step aside for an independent commission to be set to investigate into the allegations and tell the public whether it has merit or not. He also stated that the investigation will help redeem the lost credibility of the commission. The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Lawson, also said the party is just observing how events are unfolding. Meanwhile the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) is calling for a cease fire and has also requested for an investigation into the matter. The national coordinator of CODEO, Albert Arhin, also a former Director of Operations at the Electoral Commission said in the next few weeks or months, there should be a civil probe into all these allegations. The President has already received a petition demanding the removal of the chairperson of the EC and is expected to forward it to the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo who will determine whether the claims are worth investigating. Story by Ghana | myjoyonline.com | Nasiba Yakubu | [Intern] | [email protected] Paris (AFP) - The two principal rivals in conflict-ridden Libya, who are to hold French-brokered talks Tuesday near Paris, are committed to a ceasefire and elections "as soon as possible", said a draft talks statement. The statement says Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar, the rival military commander who controls the east of the conflict-ridden country, also commit to hold presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible. French officials at the talks stressed that the document was one of several working versions being circulated ahead of the meeting. The 10-point version seen by AFP also says that only a political solution can end the crisis and it backs the Skhirat Agreement, agreed in 2015 with UN backing, as the basis for a political process in Libya. The aim of Tuesday's talks is to persuade the two sides to at least outline a roadmap for an end to a conflict that has plunged the oil-rich country into chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's president has said he is recovering from illness and that he expects to return from treatment in London once doctors give the go-ahead, his office said on Tuesday. Muhammadu Buhari has been on indefinite medical leave in the British capital since May 7 and until Sunday had not been seen, sparking a flurry of rumours he was dying or even dead. His office at the weekend published a photograph of the 74-year-old head of state meeting a delegation of state governors at Nigeria's diplomatic residence in London. Now, his office said Buhari sent a letter on Monday to his counterpart in Guinea, Alpha Conde, thanking him for his call last week for national prayers for his recovery. "Your Excellency (Conde) will be pleased to hear that I am making good progress and as soon as doctors advise I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery," it read. Buhari has been dogged by speculation about his health since mid-2016, when he first went to London for treatment of what the presidency said was a persistent ear infection. He then spent nearly two months in London in January and February and said on his return in early March that he had "never been so ill". The exact nature of his condition has not been disclosed and he has appeared faltering and thin. His main opponents in the 2015 election that brought him to power claimed he had prostate cancer. Buhari denied the claim. The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office of president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in 2010 after months of treatment abroad. Buhari and his advisors have sought to avoid the political paralysis that accompanied Yar'Adua's absence by officially handing over powers to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. But that has also sparked manoeuvrings for power, given long-standing tensions between Nigeria's Muslim-majority north and the Christian-dominated south. Politicians are already jostling for position to succeed Buhari at the next election in 2019 on the assumption he will not stand for a second term. INTRODUCTION The Alliance for Accountable Governance(AFAG) has noted with great discomfort the content of a petition submitted to the Presidentlevelling serious allegations of misbehaviour, incompetence, cronyism and corruption against the Chairperson of the ElectoralCommission(EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei. We have also noted the response of the Chairperson of the EC, especially the allegations ofcorruption, diversion of public funds into private accounts, financial malfeasance and the like. EOCO INVESTIGATIONS The raging public controversy started when the EC Chairperson caused the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) toinvestigate some officials of the Electoral Commission over the loss of GHC 480,000 Cedis from the Commissions Endowment Fund. As part of the investigations, the officials including the Commissions Deputy Chairperson in charge of Finance and Administration,Georgina Opoku Amankwah were directed to proceed on leave. PETITION AGAINST CHARLOTTE OSEI Few days after the EOCO investigations were made public, Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, acting as the lawyer for some unnamedworkers of the Electoral Commission submitted a petition to the President of the Republic of Ghana under Article 146 of the 1992Constitution for the removal of Mrs Charlotte Osei as Chairperson for the Electoral Commission. In the 29-point petition, it was allegedthat Mrs Osei single handedly renegotiated the contract with the vendor without the involvement of the members of the Commission,not even the deputies. She then awarded the contract to the tune of $21,999,592 without going through tender contrary to the PublicProcurement Act. The Chairperson then re-awarded these contracts without approval from the Commission. It was further alleged thatMrs. Osei "compromised the independence and neutrality of the Commission by arranging for 2015 V8 Land Cruiser with registrationWR 2291-15 from the office of the President for use as an official vehicle without going through the procurement process or recourse tothe Commission." The aggrieved workers also alleged that Mrs Osei "unilaterally awarded a contract to the tune of GHS 3.9 million fordemarcation and partitioning of the said office complex without recourse to the Commission" and "engaged in cronyism" by "awardinganother contract to the tune of $14,310,961 (United State Dollars) to her cronies for the construction of Pre-Fabricated District officeswithout recourse to the Commission. CHARLOTTE OSEI FIRES BACK A few days ago, the Chairperson of the EC put out in the media a 15-page response to the allegations contained in the petition. In herresponse, she also levelled serious allegations bothering on criminality against her two deputies. In her response 6, she alleged that"the two Deputy Chairpersons signed two contracts with STL on 6 May 2015 for $22.3 (BVR) and $16.4m (BVD) respectively (copiesattached and marked "CO6A). Letters were written to PPA on 15 May 2015 (copies attached and marked CO6B) seeking permission forsole sourcing AFTER the contracts had been signed. The contracts contained no price break down and were signed against the 2016budget of the Commission which was unknown at the time and not even presented to Parliament for approval. The procurementdepartment of the Commission had no knowledge of the execution of the contracts (Please see CO6C attached). The Chairpersoninformed the Deputy Chairpersons of the many breaches of law in connection with these contracts. The Deputy Chair Ops confirmedthe illegalities in an email and also confessed his lack of knowledge of procurement processes (please see CO6D attached). TheChairperson abrogated the contracts in August 2015 and requested the Finance department to renegotiate with STL and rectify thecontract award process. Upon receipt of the consent of the PPA to sole sourcing, she engaged consultants to advise the Commissionon the real needs of the Commission regarding the BVR contract and review the proposals submitted by STL. The Consultantsconfirmed that the Commission should spend a maximum of $7.2m (attached as CO6E). The Chairperson signed a new contract withSTL for the BVR services for the 2016 elections for $3.9m (attached as CO6F) Interestingly, STL has not complained about the abrogation of the contracts. It is amazing that persons, who schemed to cause loss tothe state, flout procurement laws with impunity, can then accuse another of acting illegally. When the first contracts were signed, no onein the Commission was involved in the negotiations. Quite surprisingly, it is now alleged that their involvement would have resulted inbetter pricing for the Commission. She further alleged that the Deputy Chairperson Operations collected funds above GHS6m (Sixmillion Ghana Cedis) in cash from some political parties for the organization of party primaries without recourse to the structures of theCommission and without the involvement of the finance department of the Commission. Political party primaries were treated as aprivate commercial project by the Deputy Chairperson Ops, with funds paid directly into the personal accounts of key staff for functionsto be performed for party primaries." AMADU SULLEY DENIES A Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations at the Electoral Commission, Amadu Sulley, has denied the allegations against him.He told the media "I want to assure you that it's not true. I have all the documents, and I am going for legal advice". Our Concerns The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) is troubled by the accusations and counter accusations bedevilling theElectoral Commission. The Electoral Commission is a sacred democratic institution. The Electoral Commission of Ghana hasso far played a critical role in our democratic journey since the beginning of the Fourth Republic. It is an institution whichthrives on public integrity. It is a body that requires public confidence, support and credibility in the discharge of its work. Theraging controversy has generated massive public outcry and interest. Despite the fact that the 1992 Constitution per Article 46 grants independence to the Electoral Commission, the sameConstitution grants the President the power under Article 278 to set up a Commission of Enquiry in any public interest matter. We recognise that the petition presented by the unnamed workers has started a removal process under Article 146. However,we believe that the nature of the allegations and counter allegations cannot end with the removal or otherwise of the ElectoralCommission Chairperson. As a sacred democratic institution, AFAG is by this press conference calling on the President to set up a Commission ofEnquiry into the entire affairs of the Electoral Commission. According to the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Asare vs.Attorney General, the good Justices ruled that the President had powers to commission an enquiry to ascertain the truth orotherwise on all issues that bother on the public interest. There is no doubt that this raging controversy at the ElectoralCommission has generated huge public interest which requires a Presidential Commission of Enquiry. We are also calling forfull state media coverage of the proceedings of the proposed Commission of Enquiry. It is our belief that with the Commission of Enquiry, the truth surrounding the allegations and counter allegations will beunearthed. This will restore credibility and public confidence in the Electoral Commission. Finally, we will caution government to diligently draft the terms of reference and the sort of immunities to grant to witnesses,noting further that justice delayed is justice denied. Mr President, the people of Ghana, want you to act now. Some of the NPP delegates being screened during the party's conference in Kumasi Ashanti regional delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have benefitted from a free health screening exercise to boost their health. The party's delegates, including the old and young, were thoroughly screened for sugar and pressure levels, among other ailments. The free health screening exercise was organised by the NPP Medical Team in Kumasi during the annual NPP Ashanti regional delegates' conference, held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). For some years now, the group has been organising free health screening exercises for NPP members to help bolster their health. Fred Okyere, Head of Pharmaceuticals, NPP Medical Team, said the free health screening exercises is their widow's mite to help the NPP and its members. According to him, his group played pivotal roles in improving the health needs of NPP members, especially during the electioneering period. Mr Okyere mentioned that the group also educates the NPP members to live healthy lifestyles. He stressed the need for the NPP members and Ghanaians in general to stay healthy and contribute towards national transformation. Mr Okyere proposed that the citizenry should regularly exercise their bodies so as to stay healthy at all times. He also entreated the populace to avoid excessive drinking of alcohol and also engage in activities so as to beat stress. FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi Stephen Ntim 25.07.2017 LISTEN Stephen Ayesu Ntim, former National First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Ghana Lands Commission. The Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare communicated the appointment to Mr Ntim in a letter dated July 18, 2017. I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally for your appointment. Kindly indicate your acceptance or others of this appointment. Thank you, the letter said. Repealed Law Surprisingly, the letter announcing the appointment, a copy of which has been seen by Graphic Online quoted a repealed law. The Chief of Staff used the repealed 1994 Act instead of the Lands Commission Act, 2008, Act 767. The letter stated Pursuant to Section 5 (1) of the Lands Commission Act, 1994 (Act 483), the President of the Republic of Ghana in consultation with the Council of State hereby appoints you as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Ghana Lands Commission. However, the Chairman and other members of the Commission are appointed under section 8 of the Lands Commission Act, 2008, Act 767 but the 1994 Act cites Section 5. This means that there is no appointment and the letter will have to be withdrawn and corrected. You cannot appoint on nothing, a legal expert emphasised. Mr Stephen Ntim has contested twice for the position of National Chairman of the NPP but has not been successful. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to declare commenced, the Tamale segment of the 2017 Hajj operations on 10th August date when the first batch of prospective pilgrims from the Northern parts of the country would be airlifted to Saudi Arabia. The Tamale airlift is considered a significant feat and therefore dear to the heart of the Vice President who has, time without number, implored the Ghana Hajj Board to ensure it is offered all the support so it is smoothly conducted. The Vice President has demanded equal smoothness for the Accra operation which would commence on 17th August soon after the exhaustion of the six flights from Tamale. He has charged the IT department headed by Dr. Mohammed Sani-Abdulai to use the leverage; the appropriate software to ensure that the nightmare of sleeping for nights at the Hajj Village is eliminated. In that direction, the IT chief has assured that when he is done with an ongoing data entry process, the much touted alert system that would enable critical information such as departure dates to prospective pilgrims be sent, would be activated. It is a novelty that would eliminate once and for all the nuisance of prospective pilgrims sleeping for nights on end not knowing when they would be flying. In a related development, Deputy Communications Director Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq has posted a successful report for the Wa health screening exercise after joining Dr. Seidu Zakari Head of the Medical Unit of the board for the exercise a few days ago. Hundreds of prospective pilgrims thronged the regional library in the city to take part in the exercise which is one of the novelties initiated by the Health Department to improve the quality of medical delivery to the Ghanaian pilgrims this year. Addressing the prospective pilgrims, Dr Seidu Zakaria, enumerated the areas of screening. These included blood pressure, blood group, and sugar level. Others were hepatitis B, malaria parasites, and body mass index. He explained that the screening was to ascertain the medical history of each pilgrim and to enable his Department constitute a competent team, procure appropriate drugs, and assemble relevant equipment for effective medical delivery in the forthcoming Hajj. General clinics, an emergency team, door-to-door medical team, and a gerontology unit to cater for the aged were other interventions he mentioned as part of strategies to offer better services to Ghanaian pilgrims in the Holy Land. In addition, Dr. Zakaria stated, our pilgrims would enjoy health education on exercise, nutrition, regular medical check-up, and hand washing techniques. He commended the prospective pilgrims for what he called their high sense of discipline during the exercise. The Deputy Communications Director, appealed to the prospective pilgrims to cooperate with the Health Department and contribute to the success of the exercise. According to him, the screening is not to harass anybody but to maximize the chances of everybody to be healthy enough for a comfortable Hajj. Marzuq, who doubles as an Islamic Scholar, advised the prospective pilgrims to use the forthcoming Hajj as an opportunity of attitudinal change for the benefit of society. By A.R. Gomda Derek Laryea receives his award from Ursula Owusu-Erkuful, Minister of Communications Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Telecoms has been adjudged the Young ICT Ambassador at the 7th Ghana Information Technology and Telecoms Awards for his contributions to the telecom industry. Derek Laryea was the Head of Research and Communications at the Telecom Chamber. He took over the daily running of the Chamber following the exit of the first CEO, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo. The award, according to the organisers, took cognizance of the role played by Mr. Laryea, who before joining the Chamber worked as a Reputation Research Administrator of Scancom (MTN) Ghana, where he was actively involved in the coordination, implementation and evaluation of MTN's community-based projects and social marketing campaigns. Over the last five years, he has been with the Telecoms Chamber, he has been an active member within the telecoms industry, negotiating and helping to direct telecommunications policy, legislation and regulation, and pursuing research towards the development of telecommunications in Ghana. Mr. Laryea currently serves as the Taxation Working Group Head for the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) an NGO, which is lobbying governments to facilitate improvement in ICT policies/regulations that will enable the private sector to be incentivized to help spread internet coverage for use by all at affordability rate. Mr. Laryea, who holds a Masters in Financial Management from Coventry (UK), is currently a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD) and a Regulatory Impact Assessment Professional. The awards recognized the efforts by individuals and institutions playing an outstanding role within the Telecoms and the broader information technology industry. The ceremony, which had MTN picking up 10 awards, the biggest haul of the night, was powered by InstinctWave. The awards represent the most respected accolade in the industry, celebrating excellence in innovation, product development and service delivery. This year, the awards expanded to recognize various government agencies deploying ICT to improve service delivery at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Bank of Ghana (BoG), among others. According to Akin Naphtal CEO of InstinctWave, More categories were created for government ministries agency and department to promote and reward government efforts on digitization of the economy. Myjoyonline The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, has strongly warned all criminally-minded persons who think officers of the Ghana Police Service can be subjected to attacks to rethink. He said the police respect the law and due process and would not keep mute over senseless killings of officers in uniform as well as baseless attacks on police posts and stations. I have charged my commanders to deal ruthlessly with anyone who henceforth, dares to wage senseless attacks on any police officer, he pointed out. The IGP underscored, My officers and men of the service will not be cowed to allow lawlessness take over this country that we all cherish as ours. Mr Asante-Apeatu noted that law-abiding citizens of the country want to live in peace as they struggle each day to make ends meet. These decent and law-abiding persons are the majority and we have their full support, he asserted. Mr David Asante Apeatu made these remarks at the graduation ceremony of 618 recruits at the Tesano Police Training School in Accra. The graduands had gone through intensive basic training in policing. The recruits were the pioneers to be trained in child friendly policing initiative, which the service has adopted as one of its strategic priorities. In recent times, some personnel of the service had come under unprovoked attacks by some miscreants in society. Some gallant cops, including Constable Daniel Owusu, an officer attached to the Tesano Community Policing Unit, and others were killed by criminals. To the graduands, Mr Asante-Apeatu said policing progression is not easy for myriad of reasons. You must be mentally prepared for the task ahead. You will be confronted with varied challenges, including indecision and wrong judgement as well, he reminded them. He urged them to be abreast with contemporary issues on general knowledge on policing tactics. The Best in Academics Award was given to General Recruit Goka Gideon. The Good Conduct Award went to Patricia Dufie while Bernice Addai was awarded Best Mask Woman. For the Best in Drill, the award was given to Stephen Kweku Nyame while Jennifer Yayera Dabo took the Child Friendly Policing Award. The overall Best Recruit was Vincent Kofi McCarty. ( [email protected] ) BY Linda Tenyah-Ayettey A two-day Investment Clinic to educate members of the general public on available investment opportunities and the principle of wealth creation has been held in Accra. The clinic which brought together over 500 petty traders, students and professionals from all sectors, espoused on the relevance and need for investment by all. Organizers of the event, McOttley Capital Limited, engaged the public in hours of investment tips and knowledge in Dzorwulu, Accra. The Operations Manager of McOttley Capital, Mr. Hilary Lomotey said, "Prudent investment is the key to wealth creation and the relevant information is needed to make the right investment choices hence our decision to educate the general public. McOttley Capital is committed to creating the avenue to inform and empower individuals, corporate and government organizations on services and products available to them and how their financial ambitions can be achieved. Isaac Adams, one of the attendees expressed his pleasure and said I am excited I came for this clinic to gain the information on how my monthly savings can be grown to substantial wealth. I have signed onto the investment packages and Im positive of my financial growth thanks to the McOttley Team. McOttley Capital is Ghanas fastest growing new investment bank which provides services in investment Banking, Asset Management, Professional Retirement and Pension Fund management. It has branches in across the country including Tamale, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Tarkwa and Obuasi. Paris (AFP) - The two main rivals in conflict-ridden Libya are committed to a ceasefire and holding elections "as soon as possible", according to a draft statement released ahead of French-brokered talks Tuesday. The communique says Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who controls the remote east of the vast country, accept that only a political solution can end the crisis. Diplomatic sources said the two sides had agreed on a joint statement but that the text being circulated was not the final version. The 10-point version seen by AFP says the ceasefire would not apply to counter-terrorism efforts. It also says the two sides are committed to developing the rule of law. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has made Libya one of his foreign policy priorities, has organised the meeting and while officials admit they have modest expectations, they say it sends a "strong signal". French officials are aiming to persuade the two sides to agree on a roadmap to end a conflict that has plunged the oil-rich country into chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. The newly appointed UN envoy for Libya, Ghassam Salame, was to chair the talks, but Macron was to make a statement at the end. It is the second time that Sarraj and Haftar have met in the space of three months after they held talks in Abu Dhabi in May. That meeting made little progress. Battle for control Dozens of armed groups have vied for control in Libya in the power vacuum created by Kadhafi's fall. Self-styled Libyan National Army's chief Khalifa Haftar (L) is due to meet Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in a chateau outside Paris Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) has sought to unify powerful factions, but despite support from the United Nations has struggled to assert its authority since it began work in Tripoli in March 2016. A rival administration based in Libya's remote east -- with which Haftar is allied -- refuses to recognise Sarraj's government. Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month. Another diplomatic source involved in the talks said there was scepticism about whether the military strongman was prepared to share power. "We have to hope that when he signs something, he will keep his word," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Human Rights Watch said it was watching the talks closely after a video appeared on social media this week showing the execution of 20 blindfolded people in orange jumpsuits, reportedly by members of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Haftar. Eric Goldstein, Middle East and North Africa deputy director for Human Rights Watch said, if confirmed, the executions were "yet another manifestation of how (the LNA's members) are taking the law into their own hands in the absence of accountability and rule of law". The rights group called for those accused to be removed from active duty and held accountable if found guilty. Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil in Libya, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month Human traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya to boost their lucrative but deadly trade, and the country has this year become the main springboard for migrants seeking to reach Europe in often flimsy and overloaded boats. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage from Libya, with 85,000 arriving on the shores of Italy, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 2,360 people have drowned this year attempting to make the journey, the IOM says. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 25 July 2017 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- African Fashion International (AFI), owner and operator of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2017 (MBFWJ 2017), is celebrating a decade of African excellence with an exciting line-up of African designers preparing to introduce their Spring/Summer collections, at a new venue. "We have collaborated with African fashion design royalty to offer a world-class spectacular of refined African apparel and accessories at the newly built Mall of Africa to commemorate 10 years of providing the perfect platform for the continent's best designers to showcase their collections," says Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, AFI Founder and CEO. "We are also delighted to welcome collections from young designers who are making waves in the fashion world, with the overall programme sure to grab the attention of media, industry experts and fashionistas alike," she says. Designers making their debut at MBFWJ 2017 include Sheria Ngowi from Tanzania, Chidinma Obairi from Nigeria and Vizuvlgvds from the United States, with Fashion Week favourites returning to the runways including: * David Tlale * Fabiani * Gavin Rajah * Haute Baso * Khosi Nkosi * KL Tsotetsi * KLUK CGDT * Leigh Schubert * Marianne Fassler * Orapeleng Modutle Style Avenue * Quiteria & George * Ruff Tung * Sheria Ngowi * Spero * Stefania Morland * Thula Sindi * TN Collective Mall of Africa, one of the largest malls in Africa, is conveniently located for easy access from OR Tambo International Airport, and boasts over 300 shops with a vast array of the most loved and respected local and international fashion brands under one roof. Spacious grounds, modern infrastructure and safe parking make it the ideal location for one of the most anticipated events on the African continent's social and fashion calendars. Nicola van Kan, Event Manager for Mall of Africa, says, "We are extremely proud to host such a renowned and extravagant affair, and management looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with African Fashion International." "We are delighted to welcome designers from across the continent and further afield who appreciate the value of showing their collections to the discerning Johannesburg market," says Dr Moloi-Motsepe. "This event attracts the attention of local and international audiences, from young and aspiring creatives to affluent consumers who spend their disposable income in the luxury and fashion space. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the continent to revel in this curated showcase of Africa's best established and emerging designers on this world-class platform." Residents of Mafi Zongo Electoral Area in the Central Tongu District have petitioned President Akuffo-Addo over what they say is poor electricity connectivity in the area. In a petition signed by about 50 leaders of the 12 communities in the electoral area which has a population of 5000 people, the residents claimed the Self Help Project that extended electricity to the majority of the communities in 2005 was done poorly. Due to the poor execution of the project, there is also frequent low power outages which normally damage the appliances of the few households using electricity, the five paged document said. The petition was forwarded to the presidents office by the Assembly member Julius Karl Fieve and copied to the Senior Minister, Energy Minister, Volta Regional Minister, among others. The residents are also asking the president to intervene and ensure four of the communities without electricity are connected to the national grid immediately. Below is the full petition Dear Mr. President, PETITION BY CITIZENS OF MAFI ZONGO ELECTORAL AREA ON POOR ELECTRICITY CONNECTION IN THE AREA. We the citizens of the Mafi Zongo Electoral Area in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region-Ghana in exercise of our sovereignty as a people under Article 1(1) of the 1992 Constitution, and in further exercise of our collective resolve to champion the development of our communities and Ghana as a whole, do humbly petition your Excellent Office as follows: BACKGROUND The Mafi Zongo Electoral Area consists of twelve (12) communities with a total population of over 5000 (according to the 2010 Housing and Population Census) and is located in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, Ghana. These Communities are Mafi Zongo, Mafi Amerika, Mafi Avukpo (Mexico), Mafi Manase, Mafi Adiekpe, Mafi Adiekpe Korfedeke, Mafi Mataheko, Mafi Akukorkpo, Mafi Seva, Mafi Agbadzikofe, Mafi Wudzrolo and Mafi Sitorlukorfe. OUR CONCERNS Six communities in the Electoral Area benefited from Governments of Ghana Self- Help Electrification Project (SHEP) in 2005. These Communities are Mafi Zongo, Mafi Amerika, Mafi Manase, Mafi Adiekpe, Mafi Seva and Mafi Agbadzikorfe. The communities bought the low tension poles that were used in transmitting the electricity themselves, and provided free labour in the erection of both the high tension and low tension poles. The communities provided free accommodation for the workers who came to site and provided all the necessary support to make the work a success. The communities sank a lot of money into the project but by the end of work in 2010, it was clear that the contractor had done a very poor job. Majority of the low tension poles have only single phase instead of the three phases some areas deserve. Some poles even though erected, are not connected. For example, the Mafi Zongo Community bought 93 low tension poles from IPALCO, Ho at the time but only 53 were connected leaving 40 to rot. Low tension poles were not extended to major parts of the various communities. Majority of the houses in the communities do not still have electricity meters even though low tension poles were erected close to their homes and houses. In response to the cry of the community members after some media platforms took up the issue, the Electricity Company Ghana provided about 200 meters to some households in 2016. These meters were not enough and currently, more people still live in darkness. About 80% of the households in the communities still live in darkness even though they are on record to have been connected to the national electricity grid. Due to the poor execution of the project, there is also frequent low power outages which normally damage the appliances of the few households using electricity. UNCONNECTED COMMUNITIES Some communities such as Mafi Avukorfe (Mexico), Mafi Akukorkpo, Mafi Adiekpe Korfedeke and Mafi Mataheko were not part of the Self-Help Project and therefore are not connected to the National Electricity Grid. The people in those communities still live in total darkness, 60 years after Ghanas Independence. The education of children from those communities is thus badly affected as they are unable to do their home assignments neither are they able to learn at Home. The electricity challenge is seriously affecting the lives of people in the Electoral Area and the general infrastructure and socio-economic development of the communities. All appeals to successive governments to rectify the situation has proven futile. OUR APPEAL We are therefore petitioning you, Mr. President, to come to the aid of the communities by directing the necessary Ministry or Agency to immediately do the following: Correct all the electricity challenges in communities in the Mafi Zongo Electoral Area of the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, Ghana. Re-connect all the communities in the Electoral Area to the National Electricity Grid. Connect the remaining communities which are still in total darkness to the National Grid Having pledged to provide equal access to opportunities to ALL no matter the race, colour, creed, ethnicity, religion among others we count on your Excellent Office to come to our aid. Thank you and God Bless our Homeland Ghana. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com In recent times there appears to be a growing school of thought that our public health facilities are ailing mainly due to poor managerial hands. In particular doctors, who invariably are the institutional heads, have come under attack for poor management and leadership skills. In defense of the recent removal of the medical director of the Ridge hospital, the minister of health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu alluded to his belief that the doctors are collapsing our hospitals in an interview on an Accra-based radio station. In deed many watchers of the health sector believe that this perception accounts for the exclusion of doctors from the presidents three-man ministerial team for the health ministry, much against global trend where the health ministry tends to be headed by a medical doctor. Is this perception backed by evidence? Would our health facilities fare better if they were headed by non-medics? Are there any particular benefits in our tradition of maintaining doctors as heads of public health institutions? These among others are the questions this piece seeks to discuss relying on available evidence as well as the writers experience in the arena of healthcare management. Those who believe doctors are poor managers often point to reported incidents in individual health facilities as examples to buttress their point. The poverty of that kind of argument is evident in the fact that so many other doctors have distinguished themselves and continue to do so in public sector management and leadership. In the private sector many doctors have built international standard hospitals right here in Ghana from scratch. The current practice in these parts of the world where doctors serve as heads of healthcare institutions has been proven to be a sound one and in line with modern management science taught and practice. The theory of expert leadership espoused by contemporary management scientists is one new concept that favours this kind of arrangement. In her book Socrates in the boardroom published in 2009, Amanda Goodall PhD clearly demonstrates that knowledge-based institutions perform better when managed by experts in that area. She argues, for instance that a research institution is better off with a consummate researcher at the helm rather than a career administrator. Similarly a university lecturer is best suited to be the head of that institution than a management expert. In a more recent study Amanda Goodall established an association between doctors leadership and the performance of the top hospitals in the United States of America. In other words a hospital is likely to perform better when it is headed by a doctor than when it is not! This work was published in a number of scientific journals and also in the July 10, 2011 issue of the renowned Forbes Magazine. It also formed the basis for an article in the New York Times on the 7th of July 2011 titled should hospitals be run by doctors? Similar findings have been made locally. In April 2014 Dr Jehu-Appiah and her team published in an online magazine their findings when they compared the technical efficiencies of the various categories of health facilities in Ghana. What stood out in this survey was that quasi-governmental hospitals (all headed by doctors) and public hospitals (all headed by doctors) performed considerably better than mission hospitals (mostly headed by non doctors). It is evident from the above discussion that doctors do not make worse managers as compared to other professional groupings and that the converse may actually true. But are there particular advantages derived by our fledgling healthcare system by this arrangement where doctors are the heads? My answer is yes. Consider the following points: Most doctors in the peripheries work around the clock and usually request no compensation for the extra hours beyond the 40 hour week. The reason mostly is that the younger doctor sees his/her senior (who usually is head of the hospital) working round the clock for free and often feels bound to follow suit. This altruistic posture is likely to change when the head is a regular non-clinician manager a situation that could adversely affect the cost and quality of healthcare services. There are many health facilities in deprived and rural communities that have highly qualified medics at post solely because the doctor there relishes the opportunity given him/her to lead. Such communities would lose these valuable skilled hands if the arrangement was different. A main reason why doctors strikes in this country have tended not to be as effective as they should be is the fact that the medical directors/superintendents are bound to stay on as heads of facilities even during industrial disputes. This is necessary in the current volatile health labour market! So there you have it. Doctors are not necessarily worse managers than any other persons. If anything at all, the healthcare system is better because they are at the helm of affairs! I have not argued that doctors management styles and outcomes have been beyond reproach at all times. Like in all aspects of human endeavour medics in management require the institutional arrangements, resources and orientation to succeed. These, in my view are the ingredients lacking in our health institutions and not just who the head is. Author Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil Medical Superintent New Tafo Govt Hospital It is the beginning of 2016 and Ghana is on tenterhooks. An election is coming up and we are not certain if the country can stand together to see the end of the year when we can vote and have a say whether we retain a Mahama government or usher in a new NPP government with Nana Addo at the helm All we know is there is a series of corruption allegations and we are accusing everyone of committing one grievous sin or the other. Of course, in the mix are all the corrupt elements that have in the previous seven years gotten away with cover-ups and sideswiping by persons in positions whose job has now degenerated into one of uncertainty of tenure. The NDC have become belligerent and the insults are flying left and center, backside covering is the order of the day. But nothing is more significant than the challenges we face with the Electoral Commission and the posture of the EC Chairperson, who has been accused of all kinds of immoral issues, even suggestions that she is in bed, literally, with the President of the day. These are worrying times. We lurch from one day to the next filing cases in court to pressure the Commission to do its job and guarantee the integrity of the voters register. The roll numbers are uncertain, names are being bumped off the list, sudden fines are being imposed and some of the smaller political parties are clearly at a gross disadvantage. For the dominant political parties, there is no fear that they will be sidelined, even those who have not filed their annual returns as required by the election laws. They neither fear the Commission nor Parliament in this regard, because neither party can afford to tip the cart to any degree in favour of the opponent. So roll on December 7 and before we get there we have done everything under the sun to prove that we have a completely bloated register with padded names in all the regions. But our biggest fear is that somehow the election will be rigged to retain the NDC Government. As we struggle and pile up points against the ruling party, the electorate are calmed to remain resolute and not accept gift tokens of any sort and if they are so inclined, please go ahead, but keep your vote true and unwavering. And so we went on day after day, until we voted on the 7th of December and then welcomed the dissipated cacophony just hoping that we had done enough as a nation to maintain our sanity and preserve the one thing our democracy has shorn. We will stay a peace loving nation and keep the light glowing in a place known for its fighting and chaos after an election, power sharing arrangements at the behest of the incumbent bent on retaining a lie of destruction should we dare announce an exit and hand over to another. Then the results. A resounding victory for integrity and a small miracle that Ghanaians had finally understood that a message for stability and continuity is squarely in their hands and must be protected even in the face of extreme odds biased towards incumbency. Now see what we have in our mix. The persons we put in place to safeguard the electoral process are fingering each other, incriminating themselves and destroying the facade of integrity they pretended to promote. Charlotte Osei and her deputies are fighting a media war on frivolity. These childish charges for removal of office by a group of persons, unknown, unmentioned but pointed at by the Chairperson herself only serves to justify what Ghanaians believed in all through 2016. This group of officers were up to no good. But were we looking up the wrong stairway to democracy? While we were fighting to keep the electoral roll disinfected, they were looking at the loopholes in the procurement process and awarding contracts beyond their purview. This is what Charlotte Osei and her team are telling us. Their focus was on the jockeying for position in an Institution clearly locked in a power struggle to retain positions and if possible, do each other in wherever necessary. But I feel betrayed. I relied on the processes and structures we have in place to safeguard the integrity of our democracy, and see how easy it is to bastardize the whole set up. The President promoted a young and elegant upstart above the heads of persons who might have been more reliable and their disaffection with processes and management ability pushed us all for a period of a year and maybe more, to the point where we even started to think civil war. But that was not their agenda. Theirs was to ensure that a better path would be cleared so they could run rampage over all the administration and rake in what they knew was available. We were in total darkness as we blindly sought true democracy and dedication to duty from a staff that was totally diverted from what was proper. In the end, we might find out what is the real truth when an impeachment process kicks in and we are able to push the prosecutors to get to the bottom of it all. Why do we have persons in authority who we trust will abide by the rules and ensure that processes, painfully laid down will be followed and our hard earned taxes will be preserved and used for the good of the people of this country? I have to say this is a week when I doff my hat to Parliament. Two weeks or so ago I came under a barrage of a media circus when I was recommended for contempt of Parliament. That case has not been decided yet, but I need to say that right is proper when it is the truth and I find it very rewarding that Parliament decided to postpone the Independent Prosecutor's Bill and allow more time to make it a better law with more input from citizens. It is a lesson in how to do things properly and what is expected from the legislature, that bills and contracts brought before the House need time to be read through and corrected so we don't have a Towing Law that gives all the roadside levies to a single person whose business processes are already questionable not only in Ghana but also in other parts of Africa. It is time for us to strengthen this fight against the corruption elements. Time for the minority NDC to stop making frivolous statements and negating the gains we are making, with particularly the economy and development. This fight we are in is not so much about the rules and laws we can pass, it is about economic stability and creating a better life for all of us who want to stay in this country and see it become a better place to live in. We need institutional heads to stay the course and do what is right without dictates from politicians. We need the institutional heads to commit to the people of Ghana and not to each other and the loot they can share. We have to get out of this cesspit of corruption and stop betraying the confidence citizens have reposed in our big men and women because we want to trust that they have our future at heart. Maybe we need to impeach some persons in order to drive this message home. Ghana. Aha a y d papa. Alius valde week advenio. Another great week to come. By Sydney Casely-Hayford, [email protected] Abuja (AFP) - Hundreds of young Nigerians marched on the country's parliament on Tuesday, calling for lawmakers to remove age barriers on political posts, including the presidency. Nigeria's 1999 constitution stipulates that the president has to be at least 40, while senators and state governors have to be aged 35 or above. But with an increasingly young demographic in Africa's most populous nation and a majority of voters (55.4 percent) in the 18-35 age group, the restriction is seen as unfair. About 500 protesters, wearing white T-shirts and brandishing placards proclaiming "#NotTooYoungToRun", marched two kilometres (1.5 miles) to the National Assembly. A sit-in was planned outside the parliament building until lawmakers vote on a constitutional amendment to lower the age. Protest leader Samson Itodo said they needed a two-thirds majority in the 109-seat senate and the 360-seat House of Representatives to vote in their favour. "For us, we are saying remove the age limit completely. If you are eligible to vote, you should be eligible to run for office," he told AFP. "That is full franchise. But what we currently enjoy is partial franchise." Nigeria's current head of state is President Muhammadu Buhari, a 74-year-old former military ruler who has been out of the country on indefinite medical leave since May 7. Buhari's age is not an exception in Africa, where many elderly presidents remain in power, including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, who is still president at the age of 93. Itodo said Nigeria had a "youthful population" so it was crucial young people were more involved in the political process. Hamzat Lawal, from the NotTooYoungToRun group, said the campaign was about equal opportunity and improving good governance. "If they (lawmakers) don't vote today, let us sleep at the National Assembly so that they know that we are serious that young people count," he added. "We must ensure that this legislation sees the light of the day." Senator Dino Melaye, representing members of the upper and lower chambers of parliament, promised protesters the issue had been given careful attention. "There is already a proposal that will be debated between today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) in the National Assembly in the ongoing constitutional amendment," he said. "The age qualification for the presidency has been reduced from 40 to 35 while the ages for state governorship has been reduced from 35 to 30. "House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly have been reduced from 30 to 25. This is the proposal that we are going to debate." The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has challenged President Akufo Addo to publicly state how he intends to handle the petition that against the head of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei. Per the constitution, the President is supposed to forward such an impeachment petition to the Judicial Council, headed by the Chief Justice, which has the responsibility of finding grounds of stated misbehavior, incompetence or inability to perform her functions. Several days after the presidency received the petition, there's no communication yet on the matter. Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Director of GII, Linda Ofori Kwafo said given the public interest in the matter, the President must act soon. I think it is about time that Ghanaians get to know exactly what steps the President intends to take because if you make reference to Article 146 of the 1992 constitution, we know that when the President receives petitions of this nature, there is the right procedure for him to follow and till date, if we have not heard anything from the office of the President , we in the Civil Society Organisations, concerned about these issues are a bit worried. I think we should get to hear from him as soon as practicable so we know which direction to take, she said. The Electoral Commission (EC) has been in the news after some employees of the Commission petitioned the President to remove their Chairperson, Charlotte Osei. This compelled Madam Osei to respond to allegations against her in a 15 page response in which she made some damning allegations against the Deputy Chair of Operations , Amadu Sulley and her Deputy , Georgina Opoku Amankwa among others. Among the allegations included a claim that Amadu Sulley bagged some GHC 6 million from political parties and illegally transferring votes. A deputy Chairperson of the commission in-charge of Corporate Services, Georgina Opoku Amankwah in countering Ms Oseis allegations said her boss is unfit to head the EC. In my view, the chairperson rather lacks the requisite managerial skills in public administration. This needs no elucidation since the current leadership style is publicly evident, Mrs. Amankwah stated in a 25-point response to the Council of State concerning claims of corruption and recalcitrance made against her. By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @EfeAnsah Chairman of the National Peace Council Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante has said calls for the commissioners of the Electoral Commission to step aside following mud-slinging among themselves are premature. The Chairman of the Council said stepping aside is "jumping the gun". There is a leadership crisis at the electoral management body. What began as a petition from some staff demanding the impeachment of the chair Charlotte Osei has blown out into a full media war. The accused, Charlotte Osei has fought back roping in two of her deputy commissioners in allegations some of which border on crime. One of the commissioners, Georgina Opoku Amankwah, a lawyer, has also responded extensively to claims by the chair. Photo: Commissioners, Amadu Sulley in charge of Operations, Chairperson Charlotte Osei and Georgina Amankwah The unprecedented fracas at the commission has prompted calls for the commissioners to step aside to allow for full-scale investigations into the allegations. Before the chaos began, one of the commissioners, Georgina Opoku Amankwah was asked to proceed on leave to allow investigations into a separate matter of a missing GHC480,000. Stepping in, the National Peace Council chair Rev. Emmanuel Asante has asked the commissioners to cease fire. "I will plead with them...they should stop this trial in the media," he said on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Tuesday. "They have stated their case and they should allow due process to take place". The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is reportedly investigating the original petition by some anonymous staff calling for the impeachment of Charlotte Osei. President Akufo-Addo who has also received the petition which may be forwarded (if that has not been done already) to the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo as prescribed by law. He said if, after investigations, it is appropriate that the commissioners step aside then "let it be." Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante who is also the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana also pleaded with political parties not to "add fuel to the fire" at the EC. Ghana Integrity Initiative's Linda Ofori has expressed surprise at the revelations at the Electoral Commission. She agreed with Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante that the step-aside calls are premature. She said the nature of the allegations which include illegal voter transfers, procurement violations, awarding of contracts to cronies and the abuse of office are "damaging enough" to the image of the commission. Linda Ofori expressed worry that the Presidency is yet to react to the row which is entering Day She, however, believes the content of the responses from the Chair and deputy commissioner Georgina Opoku Amankwah suggests the relationship between the chair and her commissioners is damaged beyond repair. "It will be very surprising when all is said and done and due process has been followed that we will have the two of them still at the commission and still working together effectively," she said. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected] Telecom companies are taking customer service a notch higher by making available Relationship Managers for their high-end customers just as in the banking sector. Vodafone is the latest to launch such a service dubbed Vodafone Black Concept. Launching the product in Accra, Chief Executive of Vodafone, Yolanda Cuba noted Vodafones pedigree as a technology company and telecommunication services provider is unquestionable, and that is the basis for the promise that Vodafone Black represents. Vodafone Black is expected to change the way customers are engaged anytime there is an encounter. She said it was first to understand the needs, preferences and desires of men and women who enjoy exclusivity; who enjoy the finer things in life. Through the various interactions the company had on the journey of innovation, it arrived at the Vodafone Black proposition, which is an invitation-only executive club, offering exclusive experiences to customers like. Vodafone Black commits to deliver specially designed offers that will allow customers to do a lot of things. The National Service Secretariat (NSS) has blamed the chaotic incident recorded at the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) annex, opposite the Elwak Stadium, on the refusal of prospective service personnel to follow laid down procedures. As Monday progressed, reports and images of military personnel beating persons massed up to register emerged online to some public outrage. A lady reportedly suffered serious injury and bled profusely when a military officer hit her head with a stick in a bid to control the agitated persons massed up for a phase of the NSS registration. Responding to these developments on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Public Relations Officer at the NSS, Ambrose Enstiwah Jnr if the service personnel recognize the fact that there are laid down procedures and they will follow them and some of them would not want to circumvent the process, we would not have experienced what we experienced yesterday. The situation could have been avoided, Mr. Enstiwah said, but people wanted to do things in their own way and naturally, you would have others who would resist and this is what caused some of this confusion. He, however, said he had spoken to the prospective service persons and expressed hope that having talked to them, they will follow the process today and we would not experience what we experienced yesterday. Mr. Enstiwah added that the NSS was performing an audit of what happened with the registration and will strive to make things better. The 2017 registration process national service personnel has seen the usual accounts of prospective personnel queuing up at dawn to register for the mandatory service. Some of the persons who spoke to Citi News lamented that they began queuing at about 5:00am on Monday, but at daybreak, the military personnel asked them to re-form the queue which resulted in some confusion and an attempt to restore calm by the military led to a stampede. Those affected by the Monday morning chaos were personnel who have been posted to serve within Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) and La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA). By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana While digital is a transformation process in Europe, Africa is digital by nature Mobile first and customer expectations will drive innovation Allianzs focus in Africa: leveraging global strength and digital insights to grow market share Johannesburg, Munich, July 24, 2017: Oliver Bate, CEO of Allianz SE, today opened the 44th annual Insurance Conference in Sun City, South Africa, with a keynote address on the conference theme "Disrupt, Debate, Deliver". In his speech, Bate addressed the profound transformation of the insurance industry wrought by digitalization. In todays fast changing world, its critical to innovate quickly and to change course rapidly if necessary. The insurance industry, like other customer service industries, is transforming because of the all-encompassing impact of digitalization on our lives. Customers have new expectations, a growing number of disruptors are taking the stage and new megatrends, such as artificial intelligence (AI), voice-based smart assistants (i.e. Alexa), telematics, wearables and drones are fundamentally changing the traditional insurance model. We are completely rethinking the way we serve our customers, not least because of the competition posed by disruptors from the fin-/insuretech space, who have an impressive facility with mobile technology and analytics. Todays customers will choose a product primarily because its easy to use, transparent in terms of price and quality, and personalized and because its available to them via the digital channels they want it from. Digital comes naturally to African customers While traditional markets, such as Europe, are struggling with their digital transformation process, Africa is digital by nature. Mobile is the fastest growing sector and innovation enabler on the continent with an expected 1.2 billion African subscribers by 2018. By leveraging the internet and mobile penetration, African countries can leapfrog innovation. African customers will rightfully demand and drive insurance innovation in Africa as they expect offerings and channels to be fully digitalized. This, and the fact that rules and regulations are favorable for innovation in financial services, puts Africa in a great position to become the digital insurance leader of the future. A Single Digital Agenda to meet disruption To transform Allianz into a truly customer-centric, digital by default company, the Group established a Single Digital Agenda. Allianz is spending over 700 million ($800 million) annually on shaping and orchestrating the digitalization of its 127-year-old business. The Single Digital Agenda is a portfolio of change initiatives built on five pillars, the cornerstone being the Allianz Global Digital Factory, a place where experts from all parts of the company rethink customer journeys from our various business segments and make them globally scalable. The second is Global Digital Partnerships to foster collaboration with tech and sharing economy companies. The third is Digital Pure Play, the conception of 100% digital insurance and assistance offerings. The fourth is Advanced Business Analytics with the aim to increase customer satisfaction and the effectiveness of the business. And the fifth is Allianz X, a fund and incubator, for which the company has set aside 430 million ($500 million) over the next four years. The fund invests in promising start-ups that are part of ecosystems relevant to the business, such as connected property, connected mobility, health, asset and wealth management. In Africa, where the Group is already present in 16 countries, Allianz will focus its digital activities on increasing customer reach in key growing markets, where insurance penetration is still low, and efficiency in markets with higher penetration. Insurance companies have much to offer to the African economy. Digitalization allows us to gain considerably better insights into our individual and institutional customers and thereby to better serve their needs. We believe deeply in Africas huge long-term growth potential and we will leverage our global footprint and extensive expertise to strengthen our market position and to attract African talent, Bate said in closing. Allianz in Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Togo Former Deputy Minister for Power John Jinapor has condemned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for its about-turn on the $510 million Ameri deal. According to him, the deal was sent to parliament and NPP legislators were part of the approval, so it was strange for the same group to start claiming government had been shortchanged after the NPP took over power. For him, the decision can only be a political move. Even parliament agreed and it was both Majority and Minority. When we sent it, both sides of the house admitted that we were doing the right thing. I believe if we were cheating the state, the NPP, who were the Minority at the time, would not agree. They spoke favourably about this project and we all agreed, he told Kwadwo Asare-Baffour Acheampong on Asempa FMs Ekosii Sen on Tuesday July 25. As a minister you take a decision based on the information available before you and you make the best decision possible and that is what Dr Donkor did, so Im surprised some people are making a U-turn because of politics. The house of a former technical advisor at the Energy Ministry, Francis Gyata, has also been raided by personnel of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in connection with investigations into the $510million AMERI deal. The raid at Mr Gyatas home comes a day after a similar raid at the home of former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor on the dawn of Monday July 24 in relation to the same investigation. Mr Jinapor, who is not enthused about the raid of the homes of those officials, wondered why government had embarked on such a move. What has changed when you have all the information from Dr Donkor? Why then do you raid his house and claim that you were seeking information to the extent that his cell phone too is being seized? he added. A former Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has strongly expressed that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is better off with John Dramani Mahama as its flag bearer heading into the next election. In response to a question by Moro Awudu, host of Class FMs Executive Breakfast Show, on Tuesday July 25 whether former President John Dramani Mahama, who lost to the New Patriotic Partys Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 elections should be brought back, Dr Ayine said: Of course! He added: Any day I think that JM is the best for NDC. Dr Ayine is of the strong belief that the party can reclaim all the parliamentary seats it lost in the Northern Region in the last election. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga East emphasised: Im very sure we will get all of them back in 2020. He said the signs are clear as people are regretting having voted based upon promises of heaven on earth and they are not seeing. The nurses in Zuarungu Training School call me all the time and they tell me they were deceived The NDC is going through reforms to ensure the recommendations of the Professor Kwesi Botchwey committee, which investigated the causes of the partys loss in the last elections, are implemented to help the party regain power in 2020. Addis Ababa (AFP) - Shops closed their doors in Addis Ababa's largest market on Tuesday in protest at a recent hike in business taxes, bringing anger over the policy to the nation's capital. Small businesses receiving their annual assessments have found themselves taxed at rates up to four times higher than in previous years. That is according to residents of two towns outside Addis Ababa where strikes started earlier this month. Both towns are in Oromia, where violent anti-government protests broke out in 2015 that were only quelled when a nationwide state of emergency was imposed last October. Since then, Oromia has mostly been at peace, but this week's strike is one of the first instance of widespread, organised resistance against the government since the emergency decree. Shops and bus companies in the Oromia town of Incinni closed for three days last week in protest of the tax hike, a local resident told AFP on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Protesters who marched from a market to the district administration to demand the levies be decreased were turned back by security forces, the resident added. They are "angry because the tax promulgation is unfair, and scared to protest because if they do a shooting might occur," the resident said. Businesses also closed in Ambo, a flashpoint during the 2015-2016 unrest, a resident there said. Federal police officers in the town threatened shopkeepers who weren't open during business hours. On Tuesday, an AFP reporter said a minority of shops in the capital's largest market Mercato hadn't opened, and some striking shopkeepers said they had received letters threatening consequences if they did not come to work. Many merchants declined to speak in detail about the strike for fear of government retaliation, and around 10 plainclothes security officers forced an AFP reporter to leave Mercato. The strike comes at a sensitive time for Africa's second most-populous nation, still under emergency rule. The government has denied raising taxes, with Fasika Belay, a spokesman for the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA), saying that perhaps businesses are "confused" on how levies are calculated. Gaborone (Botswana) (AFP) - Botswana on Tuesday confirmed it will allow the Dalai Lama to visit next month as "a foreign dignitary" in the face of China's fierce opposition to the Tibetan spiritual leader. Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist campaigning for Tibetan independence and consistently condemns foreign governments who welcome him. Botswana Foreign Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi told lawmakers that the visit was "purely private" but added that the Dalai Lama would be granted the status of a foreign dignitary. She did not confirm a government announcement last week that he would meet President Ian Khama, which prompted a stern response from Beijing. However the president will "extend basic courtesies for Dalai Lama" and the government protocol office "is charged with the responsibility to facilitate foreign dignitaries... this includes Dalai Lama," the foreign minister said. Venson-Moitoi also said in a parliamentary answer that "the principle of non-interference in the international affairs of other countries is at the core of China's foreign policy". "We therefore expect... China to respect our sovereign decision on this matter." The Tibetan leader, who lives in exile in India, is due to speak at the three-day "Mind and Life Dialogue" conference in Botswana's capital Gaborone on August 19. Venson-Moitoi expressed the hope that the visit would not "diminish the existing strong bonds" between the two countries. China is a key investor across Africa and the continent's largest trade partner and in Botswana it has helped build coal-fired power plants, road networks, bridges and schools. The Dalai Lama says he is seeking more autonomy for Tibet rather than outright independence. 25.07.2017 LISTEN The painful death of a third-year student of the Catholic University last Saturday, has exposed a systemic failure in the administration of healthcare. The 21-year-old voluntary blood donor was admitted to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) Hospital in the Ga East Municipality for an undisclosed ailment and needed three pints of blood to survive. Medical authorities gave her father, Adolf Lawson, also a voluntary donor, a request form to go to The Community Hospital (TCH), Ashongman, for the body fluid. Authorities there could not help because they had limited stock which had already been cross-matched for patients who had been sent to the theatre for surgery. A statement signed by TCH Assistant General Manager, Storms Wells and copied to Myjoyonline.com Monday said: "On the 22nd of July 2017, a gentleman approached our Laboratory with a request from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Hospital for three pints of blood". "He presented a Blood Donor Certificate to justify why the request must be prioritised. Unfortunately for us, we had only a few pints of blood already cross-matched for theatre patients," the TCH statement said. Mr. Lawson was subsequently directed to Government facilities at Amasaman, Achimota or Korle-Bu. He managed to get the needed quantity from the Achimota Hospital but at a cost of GHE140. Desperate to save his daughters life, Mr. Lawson disclosed on the Dwaso NsEm Morning Show on Adom FM Tuesday, July 25, 2017, he had to borrow GHE100 from the taxi driver who took him there to make up for the fee being demanded by the Achimota Hospital authorities. He got back to the GAEC Hospital only to be informed that his daughter had passed on. This heart-wrenching incident ignited the debate as to whether it is worth responding to calls for volunteers to donate blood to stock the National Blood Bank, when the donor does not enjoy any privilege or preferential treatment in time of need. Volunteers donating blood at a Joy FM organised blood bonation campaign Public Relations Officer at the National Blood Transfusion Service, Stephen Adei Baah said anybody requiring blood from their bank is charged a processing fee not less than GHE85 and additional GHE15 for cross-matching. This means one would have to pay not less than GHE100 to procure blood from the National bank at Korle-Bu. The absence of a law regulating their operations also means medical facilities, whether government owned or privately owned, are at liberty to charge any amount deemed reasonable for processing blood in their stock. The only privilege the donors enjoy, according to Mr. Baah is that the Service will do everything possible to ensure the donor gets the blood needed. But the processing fee would still have to be paid even including staff at the Blood Bank. He said they were forced to increase the processing fee which used to be GHE25 in order to generate funds to support their operations since government support is not forthcoming as it used to. According to him, even the blood bags used for storing the fluid, is not available for them at the Central Medical Stores, hence the decision to increase the processing fee to raise revenue internally to finance the supply of the bags and other accessories. The National Blood Service, Ghana is an agency under the Ghana Ministry of Health. The mandate of the National Blood Service, Ghana is to ensure an effective and coordinated national approach to the provision of safe, adequate and efficacious, blood and blood products, making it timely, accessible and affordable to all patients requiring blood transfusion therapy in both public and private health care institutions in the country. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy Hon. Freddy Blay (right) Regional Chairman, Ibrahim Mutala(middle) John Boadu(left) The Acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Hon. Fredy Blay has assured that, the ruling NPP, will do what will benefit all Ghanaians and will not be divisive on party lines, as leading members of the National Democratic Congress want Ghanaians to believe. According to him, the Nana Akufo-Addo led government will not deny people opportunities, development projects or services because they are not members of the New Patriotic Party, adding, we are all citizens of this country and so the government will attend to community and peoples needs based on assessment and not on party lines. The National Chairman stressed. Hon. Blay was addressing members and functionaries of the New Patriotic Party at the Upper East Regional Delegates Congress in Bolgatanga. Members of his entourage included, acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, Council of State member, Alhaji Yirimia, Deputy National Director of the National Youth Employment Agency, Ibrahim Bashiru and Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Navrongo Central, Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda. The Acting National Chairman was worried over an issue raised by Hon. Kofi Adda, and called on all party members, functionaries and supporters in the region, to calm down and agree to work together in peace. Even when we were in opposition we worked hard and won power. Now we are in power, we should rather be more united than before, so that the 2020 campaign will be easier. In opposition we won three seats, now that we are in power, we should be able to have more. The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Adda called on the National Executive of the New Patriotic Party to desist from giving audience to people who always ran to them from the regions to tell bad stories about appointees and functions in the regions and constituencies. If you keep listening to them and act upon their falsehoods, you will be doing a great deservice to the Party at the grassroots.These practices are not helping to unite the Party at the grassroots and has to stop, if we want people to commit themselves to the course of the Party in 2020 Campaign. As though by design, the Navrongo Central Member of Parliament re-echoed a silent plea that had been going round the Congress venue and even the region from some Parliamentary Candidates. National Chairman, the Party has to find a way to engage or support Parliamentary Candidates in the just ended 2016 Elections, to also recover the loss. Some of these people sold their properties and invested in the Partys campaign and lost their bid, but the Party won. It is not fair to ignore them because some people say they cannot work with them. Hon. Adda noted. Soon after the speeches were made, the Delegates expected the Financial Statement Report and the way forward, as well as the regions proposed Constitutional Amendment to be read for endorsement, but Delegates had to scarter because of a long delay in presenting the Financial Statement. At the end, just a hand full of Delegate stayed to listen to the Financial Statement Report. Some delegate who left the venue in anger, told the Daily Guide that, they suspected that, their Regional Executives delibrately caused the delay so that, people will leave and will not have the opportunity to scrutinise the Report. The National Chairman and his entourage are expected to be in the Eastern Region to join the Regional Congress on Wednesday July 26, 2017. A section of the Delegates Hon. Freddy Blay being interviewed From: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga A scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has discovered a local plant for cheaper production of Omega-3 eggs called Designer eggs. Dr. Jacob Alhassan Hamidu of the Department of Animal Science, KNUST says the discovery could also produce the eggs at cheaper cost. We have identified a plant in Ghana which can be used for the enrichment and make the production of the eggs cheaper, he said. He was speaking at a community school open day and outreach at Appiadu-Kokoben, in Kumasi. Dr. Hamidu is the brain behind theOmega-3Eggs Project in Ghana. In 2014, He received 112,000.00 Canadian dollars funding from the Grand Challenges Canada, which supports bold ideas with big impact innovations by scientists in both low and middle income countries. Dr. Hamidu presently uses flax seed oil which contains high levels of the alpha linoliec acid, one of the Omega 3 fatty acids, substances essential for brain development. It also has potential to help reduce cardiovascular diseases in adults. He aspires to make the designer eggs more accessible, especially, to rural children. Dr.Hamidu wants government to incorporate Omega-3 eggs into the School Feeding Programme. He says such a move will provide jobs along the poultry value chain. Under the School Feeding Programme government can make it compulsory that every child should consume an egg a day and therefore engage farmers from crops to poultry, he advocated. We have Planting for Food and Jobs; the government can say raising chicken for food in producing eggs, this will go a long way to reduce poverty, he added. Dr. Hamidu says he is looking forward for funding to expand egg production from the local plant and advocates government to take on such a challenge. Paris (AFP) - The two main rivals in conflict-ridden Libya agreed Tuesday to a ceasefire and committed to holding elections that French President Emmanuel Macron said would take place in spring 2018. Macron said Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar, the military commander based in the east of the vast country, had shown "historic courage" in talks outside Paris. "Today Prime Minister Sarraj and General Haftar can become the symbols of national unity and the commitment to reconciliation and peace," the French president said after hosting the meeting. Libya has plunged into chaos since the overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 with dozens of armed factions filling the power vacuum. Haftar has refused to recognise the authority of Sarraj's Government of National Authority (GNA), based in the capital Tripoli. In Tuesday's talks, the two leaders accepted that only a political solution can end the crisis, starting with a ceasefire. In a 10-point statement released after the meeting, the two leaders said: "We commit to a ceasefire and to refrain from any use of armed force for any purpose that does not strictly constitute counter-terrorism." They also say the two sides are committed to "building the rule of law", and integrating fighters into "lawful military forces". The meeting went further than talks in Abu Dhabi in May which ended without either side backing any commitments, but huge obstacles remain. The key challenge to restoring stability is to set up a unified central government with a single army and police force. 'Peace essential for Europe' Dozens of armed groups have vied for control in Libya in the power vacuum created by the 2011 fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi Macron said bringing peace to Libya was essential for Europe to end the flow of refugees through the Mediterranean. "If we do not succeed in this process, the consequences on our countries will be direct in terms of the terrorist threat and the migratory effects that such a failure would have," the French leader said. Libya also needed stability to prevent jihadist groups launching attacks from its soil, Macron said, praising both sides for "important military successes" against jihadist groups. Although the communique did not stipulate a date for elections, Macron said Sarraj and Haftar had "struck an agreement to hold elections next spring". Sarraj had "done everything... to launch the construction of a Libyan state armed with effective and respected institutions", he said. But a "new impetus" had been needed because "political divisions and military rivalries threaten to reduce these efforts to nothing", he said. France, under then president Nicolas Sarkozy, was one of the Western nations that pushed hardest for the NATO air strikes that hastened Kadhafi's demise. Former US president Barack Obama was highly critical of that intervention in Libya. Jihadists have profited from the turmoil, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month. There was some scepticism from diplomats involved in the talks about whether the military strongman was prepared to share power. "We have to hope that when he signs something, he will keep his word," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Human Rights Watch said it was watching the talks closely after a video appeared on social media this week showing the execution of 20 blindfolded and handcuffed people in orange jumpsuits, reportedly by members of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Haftar. Eric Goldstein, Middle East and North Africa deputy director for Human Rights Watch said, if confirmed, the executions were "yet another manifestation of how (the LNA's members) are taking the law into their own hands in the absence of accountability and rule of law". The rights group called for those accused to be removed from active duty and held accountable if found guilty. High human cost Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil in Libya, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month Human traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya to boost their lucrative but deadly trade, and the country has this year become the main springboard for migrants seeking to reach Europe in often flimsy and overloaded boats. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage from Libya, with 85,000 arriving on the shores of Italy, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 2,360 people have drowned this year attempting to make the journey, the IOM says. Rescuers said Tuesday they had discovered 11 bodies including those of pregnant women in a dinghy off the Libyan coast. Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill amending the constitution to give the president sweeping powers to appoint the country's top judges without consulting any other institution. If passed into law, the bill will give Robert Mugabe the sole responsiblity to appoint the chief justice and their deputy. Under the 2013 constitution, the president could only appoint a chief justice from individuals recommended by the judicial services commission and after public interviews of the candidates. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who heads Zimbabwe's parliament, hailed the adoption of the bill. Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party enjoys a majority in the 270-seat legislature. A total of 182 lawmakers voted in favour of the changes that tinker with the country's constitution, which was adopted in a 2013 referendum after being put together by the ruling and opposition parties under a power-sharing government. "This is what democracy is all about, where those who disagree are given the opportunity to air their views," Mnangagwa said in an address to lawmakers after the law change was announced. The opposition and civil society had expressed concern that the amendment would compromise and weaken the judiciary. 25.07.2017 LISTEN The Vice President has assured family of the police officer who was shot and killed last two weeks during a car snatching incident at La Paz, of government support. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia told the relatives, we will be very supportive throughout the process, the funeral [and] everything. He told the family at a meeting held at the Tesano Community Policing Center, the President was saddened by the news about the death of the officer. It is with a heavy heart [because] he was performing his duties until he met his very untimely death, the Vice President said. Constable Daniel Owusu was shot and killed on July 13 when he tried to stop two armed robbers from their operation at La Paz in Accra. His colleague Constable Djibril Alhassan was also shot but he survived. After a tip-off, the police reportedly arrested some suspects from their hideouts in connection with the attack. The widow of the deceased officer has appealed to government to give her husband a state funeral as was accorded late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama. The soldier was murdered by some residents at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region last month. Meeting family members of the fallen officer two weeks after the tragedy, Dr Bawumia told them the country is not going to forget about them. Know that you are a member of the whole entire police familywe are not going to leave you alone, the Vice President said. Dr Bawumia conveyed to the family, the condolences of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Police Council and the entire members of government. "We cannot explain why things like this happen, I know your pain is very deep [but] the state is not going to forget about you," the Vice President added. Dr Bawumia was accompanied by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu and other government officials. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers The Inspector- General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris has announced that the Nigerian Police will soon begin a consistent war against copyright infringement in Nigeria because of the damage piracy is doing to the nations economy. The IG was speaking in his Abuja office when the Minister of Information & Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, led a powerful delegation of the Nigerian creative industry to meet with the Inspector-General of Police on Monday, July 24, 2017. Before the IG, the Minister recreated the horrors that Nigerian musicians, movie makers, authors and publishers are going through as a result of the debilitating piracy in the country and the harm it is doing to the national economy. He called on the IG to set up special mobile police squads across the country that will continuously deal pirates a deadly blow and force them out of business. The Inspector-General there and then nominated two Deputy Inspectors-General to immediately meet with stakeholders in the creative industry and key agencies of government to give him an action plan to take on the pirates across the country without delay. Speaking at the meeting with the I.G., COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, a tireless fighter against the infringement of the rights of creative people said that the nature of wealth in the world has changed and for the national economy to thrive, everyone in Nigerian needs to understand that respect for intellectual property rights is central to the economic growth of any nation in the new knowledge economy. Sacramento Capitol Building View Photos Sacramento, CA Governor Jerry Brown vetoed two bills authored by Mother Lode Republican Frank Bigelow, related to using armories as homeless shelters and donating old instructional materials. AB 431 and AB 446 were approved in both the Assembly and Senate. The first bill, AB 431, calls for making state-owned militia armories generally available to municipalities for use as temporary shelters for homeless residents from October 15 through April 15 each year. In vetoing the legislation, Brown calls using armories for that purpose a worthy goal, but feels the bill is unnecessary because current law already allows cities and counties to use an armory within its jurisdiction as a temporary shelter. To make sure existing law is understood, Brown says he will direct the Military Department to place on its website information that all localities can request state militia armories to be temporarily used as a shelter for the homeless. The second bill, AB 446, would allow local school boards, or the state board of education, to donate obsolete materials to individuals in adjoining states. Brown argues that current law already allows for the donating of materials to public agencies in other states, and those agencies in turn have the ability to donate materials to individuals in their states. Yesterday the Governor signed 33 bills, and vetoed only four. Two of the bills signed were also authored by Bigelow. One is related to creating a joint powers agreement with El Dorado County related to nonprofit hospitals, and the other is related to how the board is set up of the California Tahoe Conservancy. Mental health in Nigeria has been a major topic of many conversations. While the rest of the world deals with the issues accordingly, Nigerian officials keep averting their gaze from this problem. This neglect to address the problem with mental health is causing the growth in the number of people suffering from various mental disorders. Why is that so? What is happening to mental health in Nigeria? Find out in this article. What is mental health? Before going into detail about mental health in Nigeria, it is useful to remember the definition of the term. Mental health is usually defined as the state of psychological and emotional well-being and the absence of mental disorders. For the longest time, such mental disorders as anxiety or depression were not considered severe enough for treatment. Usually, only mental states that were dangerous for the individual and their surroundings (like schizophrenia) were treated, although poorly. People with mental illnesses were dehumanized and neglected. Over time, the importance of mental health became apparent, which is why more and more countries work on implementing new health policies that cover mental health. In Nigeria, however, the situation is not so bright. There is still a lot of stigma around mental illnesses, so people hesitate before seeking professional help. Apart from that, mental health is not given enough recognition and funding from the government. That makes it almost impossible for people with mental issues to receive help. More on this below. Nigerian mental health policy Mental health policy in Nigeria is a big issue for the country. Despite a seemingly adequate 2013 bill on Mental Health Act, the country still operates using the outdated 1991 mental health policy. Even though the existing policy covers promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and advocacy for mental disorders, none of these things properly function. The bright example of that is that there are still people who believe that mental disorders are the work of the devil. The absence of proper education and advocacy on mental health leads to ignorance and stigma around mental illnesses. The new policy was meant to provide equal access to mental health care facilities to all Nigerians. It was also supposed to introduce educational programs, protect the rights of the mentally ill and minimize the stigma and discrimination on the grounds of mental disorders. For more than 13 years, this policy has been lying on some dusty shelf and nobody paid attention to it. Many psychiatrists appealed to Nigerian government with pleas to implement the new policy, but to no avail. Mental health is not part of primary health care in Nigeria. However, it might even be for the best, as Nigerian primary health care is severely understaffed and underfunded. Nevertheless, less then 3% of budget funds go to mental health facilities. This sum certainly does not cover the necessary expenditures. Mental health in Nigeria in numbers READ ALSO: Trace the history of primary health care in Nigeria There is very little credible research on mental health in Nigeria. However, the numbers are startling. The latest data available is from WHOs 2014 Mental Health Atlas. According to that data, the situation with mental health in Nigeria is downright terrifying. Here is why: The report states that there are only eight (8!) mental hospitals in Nigeria. And we are talking about a country with more than 180 million people! There are also 36 psychiatric units in regular hospitals, but it is still not nearly enough for such a large population. For 100,000 people there is less than one mental health worker. This number is absolutely ridiculous compared to, for example, Polands 40 mental health workers per 100,000 people and United States 125 workers. In addition, most of them lack the necessary qualifications to deal with mental issues. 100% of all the mental patients were admitted involuntarily. This, to us, seems to be simply outrageous. Also, 100% were staying in the hospitals for less than a year. Many serious mental disorders cannot be remedied in such short terms. The report also states that, in total, there were 8,640 patients treated for their mental ilnesses. However, many health experts claim that more than 10% of Nigerian population suffer from at least one mental disorder. One of these experts is the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, Rahman Lawal. Along with many others, he estimates that around 20 million people of Nigerias population suffer from mental issues. As to whether the number of cases of mental illnesses in Nigeria is growing or not, many state that yes, it is indeed growing. This can be said about the whole world, as from 1990 till 2013, the amount of people suffering from mental disorders grew from approximately 416 million to 615 million documented cases. As we have said before, there is little research on mental health in Nigeria, so it is hard to trace a definite trend. However, the number of people with mental issues have undoubtedly grown, according to Femi Olugbile, who used to be Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Oyewole Adeoye, the National Coordinator of Mental Health Awareness Foundation of Nigeria, has supported this claim. In conclusion, it is safe to say that the situation with mental health in Nigeria is absolutely drastic. Mental health news are, unfortunately, rather disappointing. Health care delivery system in Nigeria does not work the way it is supposed to. Many people do not have any access to mental health facilities, neither they know much about mental health in general. Lack of rehabilitation centres in Nigeria, understaffed hospitals that are not able to handle the patients properly and general stigma around the subject of mental illnesses negatively affect people that are in need of qualified help. The number of mentally ill Nigerians is growing and will continue to grow until something is done. We hope that the situation will change in the foreseeable future. READ ALSO: Difference between guidance and counselling Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: The former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode in this fresh piece reacts to the recent visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in London by some of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Fani-Kayode also said the president's diner with the governor was propped as he was 'sitting like a stuffed mannequin'. The picture of a handful of APC Governors and President Muhammadu Buhari, which was purportedly taken in London yesterday, is old and fake. I have been reliably informed that they were taken during Ramadan in Abuja some time back and not yesterday in London. Quite apart from that even though the picture was meant to have been taken in London curiously all the drinks on the table are Nigerian products and Nigerian-made. Did the Governors take all those drinks along with them to London when they went to see the President? Is Buhari not coming home again anytime soon? Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and some government officials recently told us that he would be back on the 28th of July which is just a few days away. Why the need for the APC Governors to "visit" him in far away London if he will be back in Nigeria in a few days? READ ALSO: BREAKING: APC governors and leaders meet with Buhari in London (photos) What was the purpose and point of this fake photo-shoot and this strange breakfast meeting? What was the purpose and objective of this monumental fraud and deceit? Whatever the answers may be to these questions the curtain must be brought down on what can only be described as a puerile and nauseating conspiracy. This crazy and noxious charade just has to stop. We do not wish the President dead but we have a right to know the truth. As a matter of fact we demand to know that truth because, as he once said himself, he "belongs to us all". For those who still believe that the meeting actually took place there are some nagging questions that need to be answered. For example why were the Nigerian and foreign media not allowed to cover the proceedings and participate in this celebrated photo-soot and merry London feast? Why did the Villa press corps not take one of their own camera men to London and make a short video of this "historic" event? READ ALSO: Buhari photo: Mixed reactions from Nigerians (Read what they are saying) Why was were the whole proceedings shrouded in so much secrecy? Why is it that only one picture was taken? Why were more pictures not shot? Why was Buhari not put on audio tape and interviewed whilst he was with his celebrated and important guests? Why did he not offer a few words of hope and encouragement to the Nigerian people to ease the tension that has been generated in the land by his prolonged absence? How can they expect us to take Governor Rochas Okorocha's word for anything without any solid proof or evidence to back those words up or give them a measure of veracity or credibility? I for one would not believe a word that a man like Rochas tells me. If he told me that it was day outside I would have to assume that it was night. It is that bad. Again why did Buhari not shake anyone's hands during the photo-shoot? Why did he not get up from his chair, say "cheese" and give us a big Daura smile? Why was he just sitting there like a stuffed mannequin who really did not know where he was and who he was interacting with? READ ALSO: Fulani herdsmen: Community blocks Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway over alleged herdsmen invasion Is it not obvious that he can no longer function properly? Why all the tall tales that he is getting much better? Is it not clear that he is simply being stuffed with and pumped up by a dangerous cocktail of steriods? Is it not obvious that he is suffering from an extreme form of dementia? Is it not clear that even if he were to be brought back to Nigeria tomorrow he could no longer function properly and lead the nation? Is it not obvious that he is barely lucid and that he is little better than a zombie? Where is the shame in admitting these truths and prevailing on him to resign in order for him to be able to go home to Daura and take care of his health. Better still he could resign and be taken to Prophet T.B. Joshua's Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos for prayer, deliverance and healing. I assure you that it works. Those who truly love Mr. President and care for him ought to advise him to take one of these two options. Yet sadly few will do so. The bitter truth is that we have become the laughing stock of the entire civilised world since this shameless charade began. A nation of 180 million people whose President has gone missing and who have no idea where he is, what is wrong with him or what the prognosis for his condition is. The situation is shameful and bizarre. Worse still we have a media that is so fawning in its attitude when it comes to the Federal Government and that is so easily intimidated that they simply refuse to ask the right questions about this matter or undertake to carry out the necessary investigations with a view to establishing the truth. READ ALSO: 700 suspected cultists, 38 armed bandits arrested in Anambra This is the greatest tragedy of all and it results in total impunity on the part of the government because the media is not prepared to keep them on their toes. Yet it doesn't stop there. We have a Senate with 109 distinguished and able Senators and a House of Representatives with over 300 honorable legislators and yet not one of them has the fortitude or guts to call for the resignation of this ailing man who is clearly no longer well enough to lead our nation. The following questions must be answered: are the Nigerian people under a blinding and binding spell? Is this the unholy work of vodoo-merchants, witch-doctors and necromancers? Have our people been bound up and charmed by these broom-loving APC wizards and witches? The truth is that God is watching this charade and He is not mocked. No matter what anyone says or does His will shall be done, His counsel shall stand, His purpose shall be established and His name shall be glorified in this situation and in our nation. Nigeria is too important, too big and too good to be subjected to such malevolent indignities and infantile rubbish. She is too blessed and advanced a nation to be manipulated by a faceless little cabal of power-hungry, godless, self-seeking, evil, callous and bloodthirsty men. We as a people deserve far better than that and we ought to demand much more. Buhari is not a King with divine rights and neither is he God. He is a human being like you and I and, just like us, blood runs through his veins. He is not immortal and he is not infallible. He is mortal and he is fallible. He is not indispensable. Like all human beings, he is dispensable. With or without him Nigeria shall go on and our nation shall survive. In any case whether he comes back alive or not is not the point and neither is it the relevant question. The relevant point and question is whether he can continue to function as President if and when he does come back and, based on the information at my disposal, it is very clear to me that he will not be able to do so. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The truth is that if and when he does come back, he will come back as a shell of his former self. This is sad, pitiful and tragic but the sooner we come to terms with it the better it is for us all. This is a man that I have been reliably informed has lost his memory, his powers of speech, his recollection of events and his ability to perform even the most basic mental and physical functions. A man in such a condition can hardly be described as being fit to rule this great nation. The morbid obsession with retaining power at all costs which has afflicted those in the Presidency that Mrs. Aisha Buhari has graphically described as the "hyenas and jackals" coupled with their insidious attempt to institutionalize what I have described elsewhere as "corspsocracy" (the ruler-ship of the living by the dead) in the body politic of our nation must cease forthwith. Nigerians are gracious, kind, long-suffering, resilient, loving, patient and compassionate people who wish the best for their President but that does not mean that they should be taken for granted, taken for a ride or treated like fools. They are not children and they are not stupid. It is time for this horrendous madness and hideous nightmare to stop! It is time for Buhari's seat to be declared vacant and it is time for Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to fully take over and be sworn in as the new and substantive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Watch this Legit.ng video on President Buhari's absence: Source: Legit.ng - Fourteen political parties have supported the call for Nigeria's restructuring - The parties under the Coalition for New Nigeria are determined to set a new path for the country - The national chairman said the coalition would engage in a integrated fight against corruption No fewer than 14 political parties on the platform of the Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) have expressed support for the restructuring of the country. CNNs national chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, who addressed journalists on Monday in Abuja, said the coalition was determined to chart a new course for Nigeria. READ ALSO: Arewa spokesperson reveals what will happen after October 1 quit notice to Igbo people in the north According to him, CNN is committed to the unity, indivisibility and progress of Nigeria. He said that the vision of the coalition was a new Nigeria that would be secure and prosperous through effective governance. Our goal will be to create jobs for all those who want to work and economic opportunity for all want to achieve. Our immediate task will be to strive to heal the wounds of the past through reclamation, reconciliation and reformation. We are committed to the economic, political and internal restructuring of Nigeria as well as empowering of our youths, women and persons with disability through well-articulated policies toward a better Nigeria, he said. Abdulsalam said CNN would engage in a holistic fight against corruption with the sole aim of abolishing hunger and poverty. The national chairman said that CNN looked forward to a government that would undertake economic renovation and reforms capable of transforming the country into a leading industrial giant. The 14 political parties in the coalition are: 1. Labour Party 2. National Action Council 3. Democratic Peoples Congress 4. Progressive Peoples Alliance 5. People for Democratic Change 6. Democratic Alternative. 7. Better Nigeria Progressive Party 8. Action Alliance 9. United Democratic Party 10. Peoples Party of Nigeria 11. Advanced Congress of Democrats 12. Young Democratic Party 13. Mega Progressive Peoples Party 14. African Democratic Congress In a previous report by Legit.ng, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bernhard Schlagheck, said his country will support a more united and prosperous Nigeria devoid of wrangling. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Schlagheck spoke during an interactive session with the leadership of the Enugu state chapter of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, in Enugu on Monday, July 24. The ambassador also said that the Federal Republic of Germany had confidence in Nigerias ability to deal decently with the call for the restructuring of the country for a more equitable nation. Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians speaking about the issue of restructuring: Source: Legit.ng - The NSA, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.), selects six PDP governors to have lunch with President Buhari in London - Four governors selected for the trip are from the south-south, south-east, north-west and south-west respectively, while two others are from the north-east and north-central - The trip has been confirmed by a governor who is not among those travelling to see the president The office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has selected six governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London. READ ALSO: Arewa spokesperson reveals what will happen after October 1 quit notice to Igbo people in the north The Punch reports that the NSA, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.), selected the six governors from the six geo-political zones of the country. Four governors selected for the trip are from the south-south, south-east, north-west and south-west respectively, while two others are from the north-east and north-central. Listed among the six governors are Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi). The governors are expected to have lunch with the president before returning to the country on Wednesday, July 26. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app The scheduled visit has come as a surprise to a governor who is not among those travelling to see Buhari. The governor who did not want his name mentioned stated that those chosen for the journey were picked outside what he described as the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF). He however noted that had the secretariat and the governors been contacted, the governors would have picked at least one of the PDP governors that had been critical of the Buhari. He said: Our colleagues are going to London to see the President. But Im not happy that someone like the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, or his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is not on the delegation. Though there are PDP governors on the delegation, we know ourselves and also know those we know are truly part of the opposition and those close to the ruling All Progressives Congress. The governors had been directed to be at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, tomorrow (Tuesday). From there, they will fly to the United Kingdom. Another governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the trip. He said the idea was suggested by some APC governors. Meanwhile, the London visit of the PDP governors is coming shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, July 23, received a delegation of All Progressive Congress (APC) governors at the Abuja House, in London. Legit.ng gathered that the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the president was very cheerful and has not lost any bit of his sense of humour. In a telephone conversation with Femi Adesina, the president's media adviser, following the meeting of the APC governors and leaders with President Buhari, he said the president was delighted to receive the delegation and asked each governor about affairs in his state. Governor Okorocha said the party delegation spent more than an hour with President Buhari over lunch, and it was very clear from the discussions that he followed developments at home very closely. In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about President Buharis absence away from the country for so long. Source: Legit.ng - Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has attacked former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode - Okorocha lambasted Fani-Kayode for calling the APC governor's photo with Buhari fake - He accused Fani-Kayode of feeding off his father's name Governor Rochas Okorocha has lambasted former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for referring to President Muhammadu Buhari's photo with APC governors as fake. Recall that Legit.ng recently reported a visit to the ailing President Buhari in London by All Progressive Congress governors and leaders. The picture of the visit has since caused a lot of uproar with members of opposition party like Fani-Kayode calling the picture fake and doctored. Okorocha while reacting to Fani-Kayode's allegation that the picture with the president was doctored said, he has no time to respond to a 'spoilt-child'. READ ALSO: Arewa spokesperson reveals what will happen after October 1 quit notice to Igbo people in the north Okorocha, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: The guy (Fani-Kayode) is a spoilt child, one of those whose parents over pampered they hardly talk like human beings. "Apart from somebody who went into government, he is not known for doing business. I wonder if he has ever worked and all of a sudden he had political appointment. He has nothing else to brandish apart from the fathers name. Remove his fathers name; I dont think he is a human being. Rochas grew from the scratch. By the grace of God and hard work, he is where he is today. But that one apart from coming to politics what else does he have to brandish? PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has selected six governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London. The NSA, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.), selected the six governors from the six geo-political zones of the country. Four governors selected for the trip are from the south-south, south-east, north-west and south-west respectively, while two others are from the north-east and north-central. Watch Legit.ng TV of what Nigerians have to say about President Buhari's absence from the country: Source: Legit.ng - Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha has denied claims that Igbos in Nigeria are being marginalized - Okorocha said he will continue to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari despite his ill-health - He also said that President Muhammadu Buhari despite ill-health is doing very well The Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha has denied claims that Igbos in Nigeria are being marginalized. Speaking to BBC in an interview on Monday, July 24, Okorocha said he will continue to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari despite his ill-health. The governor further added that the president is doing well and will return to Nigeria in two weeks. READ ALSO: Fayose, Wike excluded as presidency selects 6 PDP governors to visit Buhari in London Okorocha said: "He's very very ok, believe me he's very ok. The Buhari I met yesterday is very sound and in high spirit." But you know, whatever it takes, he might be coming back again (to London) from time to time for his medical checks and all that. But I think he's in high spirits. He will perform his duty as a president definitely." Okorocha stated firmly. READ ALSO: I dont think he is a human being - Governor Okorocha blasts Fani-Kayode Legit.ng earlier reported that the Imo Governor said President Buhari will return to Nigeria within the next two weeks. Okorocha also said the president was keeping tabs with all the happenings in the country despite the fact the Yemi Osinbajo functions as the Acting President. Okorocha who visited President Buhari in London alongside other All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and leaders said the president is totally engaged in discussions concerning Nigeria's politics. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He also said the president inquired from all the governors present how their states were faring. You can watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians reacting to President Buharis absence for so long: Source: Legit.ng - Three policemen have lost their job over their involvement in illegal arrest and extortion of money from some people at Ijede-Ikorodu area of Lagos state - Abayomi Shogunle, the officer in charge of Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), said policemen were found guilty and dismissed - Shogunle said policemen including one ASP Bayo Obadia who led the team were apprehended by his team Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris have dismissed three policemen for illegal arrest, extortion of money from three people in Ijede-Ikorodu area of Lagos state. The dismissed policemen; AP.No 136005 Inspr. Okelue Nkemeonye, F/No. 355897 Sgt. Braimoh Sunday and F/No. 359928 Sgt. Yusuf Olukoga were attached to Area Command of the state, The Nation reports. Legit.ng gathered that the officers who were armed pretended to be Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) assaulted the victims and collected N200, 000 from them before they were released. The dismissed three police officers Photo credit: Nigerian police READ ALSO: 6 PDP governors to visit President Buhari in London This was made known in a statement released by Abayomi Shogunle, the officer in charge of Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) in Abuja on Monday, July 24. Shogunle said that investigations revealed that the policemen collected N90,000 through ATM withdrawal and N110,000 through mobile bank money transfer to a third party account provided by the policemen. According to Shogunle, the officers were found guilty and dismissed after they appeared at Orderly Room trial at the Zone Two Command Headquarters, Onikan-Yaba, Lagos. He said the Adjudicating officer found them quilty on two charges of offence against discipline as provided for in paragraphs C (ii) Corrupt Practices and E (iii) Discreditable Conduct of the First Schedule of Police Act and Regulations Cap. P19. Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. On the part of the complaint, he said: I went to the bank this morning to deposit money to a Companys account but there was no network so i deposited the money into my personal account to do the transfer to the account later. When I came out of the bank, a car packed full of some SARS policemen wearing black cloth with anti-robbery squad written at the back. I was told to enter the vehicle with a gun pointed at me. They collected my mobile phone and asked me what I do for a living, I told them that I had just finished my youth service and I am living with my brother and I pointed my brothers shop for them to stop by and see him because he was the one that sent me to the bank, they refused to wait and they did not allow me to pick my calls and call out.'' The complaint further reads: I received an alert on my phone with the money I went to deposit. They searched my phone and on seeing the alert, they labelled me a yahoo boy and told me that I would pay them N1Million. One of them slapped me, they drove us around places in Ikorodu, Ijede, Gberigbe, Ibeshe, Igbe, Ikpakodo, Itaelewa, Agric and first gate harassing people, moving them in the car and collecting huge amount from them. They collected N50,000.00 from me but I noticed that each junctions that we reached, people were hailing their leader by his nickname (OJ. Ojewunmi). And one by name Austin slapped me. They picked me up around 9am and dropped me 6pm in the evening after collecting money from me. They also used my account to collect money from the guys that I met in the car and used my ATM to withdraw from them Shogunle said his team was dispatched to Ikorodu where all the three dismissed policemen including AP No. 98199 ASP Bayo Obadia who led the team were apprehended. He said preliminary investigation by the Unit revealed that all the allegations contained in the complaint sent via WhatsApp message actually happened. Also the four police officers who were armed on the day of the incident falsely paraded themselves as operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) despite not being posted to SARS by police authorities. The dismissed three police officers Photo credit: Nigerian police PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Investigation also showed that the officers extorted a total sum of N200,000 from the young men who they tagged Yahoo Yahoo Boys, the money was force from them via N90,000 ATM withdrawal and N110,000 mobile bank money transfer to a third party account provided by the policemen. All the extorted N200,000 was recovered by the PCRRU Investigators. All the arrested officers, witnesses and recovered exhibits including the N200,000 cash and printed bank statement of account were handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Lagos for further detailed investigation and necessary disciplinary measures. The approval of the punishment of dismissal from service as recommended by the Adjudicating officer is part of the outcome of the disciplinary measures Shogunle said. On his part, the IGP said Unit should assure members of the public that all allegations of professional misconduct would be reported against any police officer. He said such cases would be treated in line with relevant laws and in keeping to the Change Begins With Me Champaign of the federal government. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Nigeria Police Force dismissed four police officers attached to Ijebu-Ode Area Command in Ogun state for alleged bribery scandal. Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of Nigeria many parents whether would support their children to join the Nigeria Police Force for obvious reasons: Source: Legit.ng - Several areas of the north-east have been ravaged in recent times by the scourge of Boko Haram, and the rebuilding plan is set to refurbish these areas - To this effect, a meeting was chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja with relevant stakeholders including the governor of Borno state and other top government officials - The rebuilding plan known will cover infrastructural development, security arrangement, health services etc. of various affected towns in the north-east region - The welfare of Internally Displaced Persons who would be expected to return to newly constructed homes, is also a top priority of the project The acting president Yemi Osinbajo on Monday July 24, announced that the federal government would soon kick off the implementation for a north-east rebuilding plan. The announcement was made via the official twitter handle of the acting president, @ProfOsinbajo. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu's move against Anambra election suffers setback The tweets read: The FG will soon kick-off the implementation of a comprehensive rebuilding plan for the North-east areas that were ravaged in recent years. We will commence with Bama LGA including several towns in an Initiative that will construct 3000 new homes, 10 police stations,18 schools... Health Centers, recruitment of 1500 local hunters as Agro rangers, among others. The FG will contribute 67% to the Bama Initiative while Borno State will contribute 33%. Legit.ng notes that as a follow-up on this, Osinbajo held a meeting later in the day with the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, and other stakeholders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The governors senior special assistant on new media, I.A. Ningi, shared the news via his twitter page, @Sharksawn. See his tweets: To this effect, a statement was also released by Laolu Akande, the senior special assistant to the acting president on media and publicity. It read in part: "Under the Bama Initiative covering towns such Bama, Banki, Gulumba Gara and others, the Federal Government in partnership with the Borno State government is expected to carry out actual re-construction of houses for the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as provide infrastructure such as roads for Bama town and adjoining communities. The Initiative will also see to the kitting and deployment of thousands of police officers and officers of the National Security, Civil Defence Corps who are expected to be trained for the special task. Equally, 20 doctors, 100 nurses and other relevant health officers are to be recruited to provide essential health services for the town, in addition to employment of teachers who will be deployed to 18 new schools to be constructed in the areas. Road re-construction projects are also featured under the Bama Initiative which is now under exploration, including the re-habilitation of Maiduguri-Bama-Daral Jamal-Banki road network. The welfare of returnees is also a major priority of the plan, ensuring a comprehensive support programme for IDPs as they return. It is expected that the implementation of the plan will kick-off in weeks. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, May 3, approved $250 million soft loan for the development of the north-east region of Nigeria which has been ravaged by insurgency. The council approved a soft loan of $150 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and $100 million from African Development Finance (ADF) for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI). Also, a grant of five million Euros was approved to finance an Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme in five different states in the region. Watch this Legit.ng TV video asking if Osinbajo is a better president than Buhari: Source: Legit.ng - The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu has declared that Igbo will remain in Nigeria - Kanu also noted that Igbo would not vacate the north despite quit notice threat issued by Arewa youth - He said that secession from Nigeria did not imply that Igbo must leave the North or other part of the country The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday July 24, said Igbo must not vacate the North, or any other part of the country, as a condition for the actualisation of the agitation for Biafra. The Punch reports that the IPOB leader spoke in an interview with some journalists in Enugu, where he received awards from a number of pan-Igbo groups, including the Igbo Women Assembly, the Eastern Consultative Assembly and the Igbo Students Union. Legit.ng gathered that Kanu noted while reacting to the quit notice issued to Igbo in the North by a coalition of Arewa youths, secession from Nigeria did not imply that Igbo must leave the North, or other part of the country as suggested by the ultimatum issued by the northern youths. READ ALSO: Six PDP governors to visit President Buhari in London He said: You are aware that Scotland is seeking to leave the United Kingdom? Are you remotely implying that every person from Scotland, who lives in England, should now return to Scotland? Britain just left the EU. Are you now implying that every British citizen in the EU should come back to Britain in order to finalise that process of extraction of Britain from the EU? Kanu noted that what he described as poor education was responsible for the impression that Igbo must leave other parts of Nigeria in the event of the actualisation of Biafra. The Biafran agitator added that he would not take issue with the Arewa youths, who he described as inconsequential. Kanu, nonetheless, warned that Igbo, who resided in the North, were doing so at their own peril. According to him, Igbo resident in the North are sacrificial lambs who could be killed at any moment. Asked if Igbo in the North should ignore the notice to quit, the IPOB leader stated, It is up to them. They have been in the North, and they (northerners) have been killing us (Igbo) since 1945. If you choose to live in the North, you choose to be a sacrificial lamb because one day, they will kill you. It is a choice they have made and they will have to live with it. Kanu insisted that the governorship poll in Anambra state, scheduled to hold on November 18, 2017, would not hold unless the Federal Government acceded to pro-Biafran agitators demand for a referendum. Asked if he was not bothered that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had overruled his call for the boycott of the poll, Kanu said he was in charge of the people 100 per cent. He added: No, Im not (bothered) because the people are with us. We control the people 100 per cent and come Anambra, on the 18th of November, 2017; the whole world will be amazed. Although he said he was certain that the people of Anambra would boycott the election, Kanu said IPOB did not intend to stop anybody who decided to vote. We are entirely peaceful. We are not stopping anyone from voting. If you want to vote, you can go and vote. We are democrats, he said. Kanu added that the planned referendum would, once and for all, settle the debate between Biafra and restructuring. The IPOB leader said: We are calling for a referendum so that the people can actually decide, once and for all, what they want, for themselves; not anybody deciding for them. I have not argued Biafra from the standpoint of absolutism. I am not saying you must vote for Biafra. I am asking the powers that be in Nigeria to allow the people to determine for themselves. Reacting to his bail conditions, the IPOB leader said the court, which barred him from granting interviews, could not stop him from speaking. He said: I am not giving an interview, I am responding to the question you asked me. The judge is a very learned fellow. She cannot stop me from speaking. Earlier, Kanu had assured a delegation of the Igbo Women Assembly, led by Mrs. Maria Okwor that the menace posed by Fulani herdsmen in parts of the South-East would come to an end before the end of the year. He equally told members of the Igbo Students Union, who honoured him with the title of Light of the People, to join IPOB and propagate the struggle for Biafra on the social media. Meanwhile, IPOB, on Monday July 24, alleged that some top politicians were plotting to kill Kanu, its leader, and other principal officers of the group. It said huge amount of money and political patronages had been offered to certain people to execute the plot. In a statement by the groups Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said any attack on Kanu would radicalise the Biafra struggle in a manner nobody could stop. The group named certain governors, an elder statesman, a socio-cultural organisation, a security chief and a religious head as some of those masterminding the plot. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app The statement added, But we promise them that any attack on Nnamdi Kanu or assassination attempt will radicalise the struggle for Biafran independence to the point which no one can contain. We are reminding those evil plotters that if anything happens to our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been using non-violent methods for Biafran liberation since the inception of IPOB, that they will experience what they have not seen before since the creation of the contraption called Nigeria by the British. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Nnamdi Kanu who stormed Ebonyi state on Monday July 24, was massively received by supporters and members of the group. 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 - A pressure group Concerned Nigerians has restated its resolve to embark on nationwide protest over Buharis health - The group had given August 7 ultimatum for Buhari to return to work as President of Nigeria - President Muhammadu Buhari had left for London since May 7 on medical vacation A pressure group, Concerned Nigerians, on Monday July 23 said it was prepared to carry out its earlier threat to embark on a nationwide protest and occupy the National Assembly as from August 7, if President Muhammadu Buhari failed to resume work as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Punch reports that the organisation said it had started mobilising Nigerians at home and abroad to ensure the realisation of its demand for information on the health status of the President. READ ALSO: We wont go with the north If Nigeria breaks up - Danfulani Legit.ng gathered that CNs protest threat is contained in a statement by its convener, Deji Adeyanju and Secretary, John Danfulani. The statement read, The media was agog with the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari with leaders of his political party and some selected state governors. You will recall that President Muhammadu Buhari left the country since May 7 and has remained in London, United Kingdom, attending to an undisclosed ailment at the expense of taxpayers money. It will be 90 days on August 6 since the President left Nigeria. In line with our earlier ultimatum given to the president to return to the country and resume work on or before the 90th day of his departure from the country on medical tourism to the United Kingdom, we have commenced the process of mobilising Nigerians to ensure we demand accountability on the health status of the President and activate Section 144 to declare him incapacitated and declare his seat vacant. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has selected six governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London. In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about President Buharis absence away from the country for so long: Source: Legit.ng Legit.ng gathered that a Nigerian pastor based in Netherlands, David Steven, allegedly pushed his wife down the stairs, causing her several injuries. Pastor David Steven of the Champions Victory's Center Ministry aka Holyfire Revival Ministries in Netherlands, is currently facing a backlash from social media users. According to reports, Steven may have pushed his wife Vicky, down the stairs of their home, causing her some really painful injuries including bruises to the face and a broken arm. Even as people called him out for 'trying to kill' his wife of 3 years, he however denied laying his hands on her. Replying some people who called him out, he said "the woman na lion" Vicky's husband claims she fell down the stairs, contrary to reports that he threw her down. Photo: Facebook/Izon Ebi READ ALSO: Man beats up wife because 'pastor said she's a witch' One of the Facebook users who called him out, Queengirl Nadia Francis, said: "The pastor in Netherland who pushed his wife from upstairs has something to say. After you nearly kill her you one come talk say na mistake." See pictures of the pastor's wife sporting her injuries below: Steven's wife Vicky, sustained several injuries to her face. Photo: Facebook/Izon Ebi Vicky broke her hand when she reportedly fell off the stairs. Photo: Facebook/Izon Ebi READ ALSO: Nigerian pastor spotted beating his wife in public, while neighbours watch See pictures of them as a loved up couple below: The pastor denied pushing his wife down the stairs. Photo: Facebook/David Steven Husband and wife when the going was good. Photo: Facebook/David Steven READ ALSO: Husband and pastors beat wife in church Denying the allegations that he may have pushed his wife, Steven took to Facebook to make several live videos, where he claimed that what she got was vengeance from God. See the videos below: Na wa o! Meanwhile, watch this video to see when it's okay to leave an abusive relationship: Source: Legit.ng - The Nigerian Senate is considering reducing the minimum age for the office of president to 35 - There are also 32 other proposed amendments to the 1999 constitution of Nigeria - The report on constitution amendment bill was presented on Tuesday, July 25, by the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu The 1999 Nigerian constitution is about to receive a huge face-lift. On Tuesday, July 25, the Senate received a 33-item report on the fourth alteration of the constitution. The report which calls for huge changes in the constitution was presented by the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu. One major change being proposed is the alteration bill which seems to be in tandem with the not too young to run movement in Nigeria, seeking improved access for the Nigerian youth in government. The bill now proposes 35 as the minimum age for the office of the President and being elected to the Senate; and 25 for the House of Representatives. According to Premium Times, other amendments included in the 33-item list are: 1. Reducing the powers of the federal government in the exclusive legislative list 2. Financial autonomy for local government and state legislature 3. Downward review of the minimum age for elective public officers, among others. 4. Devolution of power to the states. 5. The bill also seeks constitutional provision to compel president and governors to submit list of ministers and commissioners respectively, with portfolios and 35 per cent affirmative action for women, within 30 days of inauguration. 6. The bill also seeks to ensure that minister for the Federal Capital Territory is appointed from one of the six area councils that constitute Abuja, so that that FCT will be represented in the Federal Executive Council. 7. In seeking autonomy for local government areas, it proposes that only democratically elected councils can directly receive allocations from the federation accounts. In effect, the bill intends to abrogate state-LG joint-account system. READ ALSO: JUST IN: 57 newly elected Lagos chairmen sworn in (photos) 8. Also, the bill proposes that anyone who has been sworn in as president or governor to complete the term of the elected president or governor cannot do more than a single term. 9. The bill also seeks to obligate the president to address a joint session of the National Assembly once every year on the state of the nation, and also seeks to expand the National Council of State to include the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives. In the circumstance of unelected council, the bill calls for no allocation to such local council. However, Foster Ogola, a PDP senator from Bayelsa complained saying: This issue that concerns my own people is excluded, while making an argument for true federalism and economic restructuring so that everybody can control his resources. Also, an APC senator from Kebbi, Adamu Aliero, asked the Senate to step down the item on devolution of power, because it was wrong to give state more powers without greater share of the national revenue. On 35% affirmative action for women Danjuma Goje said: In some states, you can get many women professors and technocrats, but in some states, you cannot. He also said that the Senate should allow the lawmakers to make further consultations before voting on the provision for affirmative action for women. But Binta Masi, of APC Adamawa, countered Mr Goje, urging his colleagues to sustain the item in the alteration bill. Senator Dino Melaye of APC Kogi, added a proposal that the Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct local government elections. READ ALSO: Senate finally passes Peace Corps bill for assent by Acting President Osinbajo How do we speak of local government autonomy, without addressing the foundation? he asked. The Senate is expected to vote on each of the proposals from Wednesday, July 26, though Kabiru Marafa, APC Zamfara, and Mr Goje demanded further consultations with their constituents before taking decision. Meanwhile, 'The Not Too Young To Run' movement has commended speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara for reaffirming his commitment to the passage of the Not Too Young to Run bill. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV The Not Too Young To Run bill has been a subject of discuss recently seeks to remove the age limits in the requirement for Running for elective office as stated in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended. Watch this Legit.ng video as PDP women speak on the state of the nation: Source: Legit.ng - Seven governors left Nigeria to meet with President Buhari in London - The governors who were selected by the NGF will meet the president on Wednesday, July 26 - The governors were selected to reflect all the geo-political zone of the country Seven governors have been selected to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in London on Wednesday, July 26. The governors departed Nigeria on Tuesday, July 25 and will meet with Buhari by 3pm on Wednesday. READ ALSO: I am making progress - Buhari writes AU from London about his ailment The visit was confirmed by Garba Shehu who is the senior special adviser to President Buhari on media and publicity. Abdulaziz Yari who is the governor of Zamfara state and the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum will lead the delegation that will meet with the president. The governors were selected to reflect all the geo-political zone of the country. Source: Twitter, @dawisu The six other governors were selected to represent the geo-political zones of the country. They are: 1. Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) 2. Umar Ganduje (Kano) 3. Kashim Shettima (Borno) 4. Samuel Ortom (Benue) The governors were selected to reflect all the geo-political zone of the country. Source: Twitter, @dawisu 5. Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) 6. Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) Shehu was asked why Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti was not selected as one of the governors to meet with the president and he revealed that the selection was done by the NGF and not the federal government. The governors' visit is a goodwill visit and nothing more Source: Twitter, @dawisu PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app He said: The visit is a goodwill visit and there is nothing more than that. They will leave tonight, arrive tomorrow and meet President Buhari by 3pm tomorrow. Asked why President Buhari had not addressed the nation but chose to receive delegates, he said: It is a question of what he prefers and if he opts for address option, he will do so. Legit.ng had reported that the scheduled visit came as a surprise to a governor who is not among those travelling to see Buhari. The governors were selected to reflect all the geo-political zone of the country. Source: Twitter, @dawisu The governor who did not want his name mentioned stated that those chosen for the journey were picked outside what he described as the NGF. He however noted that had the secretariat and the governors been contacted, the governors would have picked at least one of the PDP governors that had been critical of the Buhari. Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians speaking about President Buhari's imminent return: Source: Legit.ng - A top university in the UK has urged her former students who are Africans to come back home for the purpose of developing their countries - The vice chancellor of the institution posited that it is imperative to utilize the close ties with the UK institution for massive developments - Consequently, the provost of Federal College of Agriculture Akure, a former student of the institution bagged outstanding leadership award and appointed Board of Trustees (BOT) member of the alumni association The University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, has urged her former students in Africa to come back home and impact their countries and humanity at large positively with the skills acquired from the institution. The vice chancellor, Prof. Geoff Layer, reiterated this during the alumni dinner and award nite last weekend at Sheraton Hotel and Towers Abuja, expressing confidence in their capabilities. READ ALSO: Official: 7 governors off to London to meet President Buhari in London (List) Layer, who was represented by the regional head, West and Central Africa, Mr. Dare Ojo, said it was imperative to utilize the close ties with the UK institution for massive developments. Dr Samson Adeola Odedina, an alumni of the UK institution and provost of Federal College of Agriculture Akure got outstanding leadership award. Photo credit: Akingboye Seun Though the institution noted the difference between the two continents that might want to discourage them from coming back home, he stressed that the greatest service they could render is to make it better for coming generations. He added that six of the alumni members, who have distinguished themselves in their various endeavours as worthy ambassadors of the university were selected for honour to propel them do more and encourage others. The association conducted its first election as Mr. Chima Victor Kalu emerged the president, while the Provost of Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA), Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina got Outstanding Leadership Award and appointed Board of Trustees (BOT) member. Odedina, who acquired a Post Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Education at the institution 26 years ago, formerly Wolverhampton Polytechnic, mentioned the significant roles performed by the foreign education. He emphasized that the skills acquired on agricultural value chain greatly helped to enrich and sharpen his career, enabling him pass it on to generation of Young Farmers in Nigeria. The Provost hinged this on his renowned innovations on Bio-fortified Vitamin A maize and cassava, foreign and local partnerships under the Switzerland Government supported Capacity Building for Agricultural Education in Nigeria (CBAEN). Reenacting foreign experience in Nigeria, he said FECA has been able to sustain "learn and earn" job opportunities for its students, train thousand of young farmers in agro-villages and secondary school students. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV These expertise, according to him, earned the college a leading agricultural training institution in Africa, currently embarking on 2-week FADAMA Graduate Unemployed Youth Support (FADAMA GUYS) training in Akure. "This collaboration has produced the first ever curriculum for value chain students in Nigeria; and the curriculum has been approved by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for use in value chain studies in all polytechnics and colleges of agriculture in Nigeria." Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that for many Nigerians, the dream is to travel outside the country and then miss the country from abroad. Emigrating is almost like the goal for many, especially to European countries. There are of course many reasons why this is the case, below are some of the most important: The hope of increased income especially for skilled workers is a big reason most people make the move. The income difference between Nigeria and the developed European countries is so large, many are willing to uproot their families to better their economic status. Watch this Legit.ng video on the state of Nigeria: Source: Legit.ng - Nigeria's Customs Service boss, Col. Hamid Ali, has issued a directive to ensure free flow of goods in the country - The directive came after a major initiative of the Ease of Doing Business initiatives of the federal government - Col. Ali directed the immediate removal of illegal Customs check-points across the country Col. Hamid Ali, (rtd) the Comptroller-General of Customs, has directed the immediate removal of all illegal Customs check-points, across the country. He issued the directive which was contained in a circular on Monday, July 24, in Abuja, through Mr A.A. Dangaladima, the acting deputy comptroller of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation. This directive was as a result of the mandate by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) which aims to make doing business easier for the private sector. According to Vanguard, the directive states that any check-point beyond 40 kilometers from the border would be deemed illegal. READ ALSO: Senate laments high rate of smuggling in Nigeria The 40 km radius applies only to the borders. Consequently, there should be no check-points with the ports, it stated. Also Information Patrols beyond that point should not last more than 24 hours at any given time. The directive also said that only two check-points at Agbara and Gbaji are approved along the Lagos-Badagry-Seme Road. Zonal Coordinators, Comptrollers FOUs, CACs CIU and other units were warned that they would be held responsible for flouting the directive. The CGC is be expected to give a status update on its implementation at the next meeting of the PEBEC on August 15. READ ALSO: Nigeria Customs officially launches e-auction platform where seized items would be sold Acting President Yemi Osinbajo recently issued some executive orders on the timely clearance of goods at ports and the removal of obstacles to free movement of goods and people across the country. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV Legit.ng earlier reported that Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, July 24, announced that the federal government would soon kick off the implementation for a north-east rebuilding plan. The announcement was made via the official twitter handle of the acting president, @ProfOsinbajo. Watch this Legit.ng video of Nigerians speaking on restructuring of the nation below: Source: Legit.ng - The Lagos state government has announced an outbreak of acute diarrhoea in what can be termed a cholera disease - The state has experienced the outbreak of the disease in some local government area of the state - Two people have been confirmed dead out of the 27 reported cases The Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, on Tuesday July 25, confirmed that two deaths had been recorded from the 27 cases line-listed in acute diarrhoea disease in some local government areas. Idris, alongside his counterpart from the Ministry of Information, Mr Steve Ayorinde, made this known at a joint news conference in Lagos. READ ALSO: Official: 7 governors off to London to meet President Buhari in London (List) He said that the upsurge of acute diarrhoea cases was the aftermath of flooding experienced by residents in some parts of the state following heavy rainfall in the last few days. The council areas where the diarrhoea disease was recorded were Shomolu, Oshodi-Isolo and Surulere. Idris said that the state government had put some measures in place to check the spread of the disease. According to him, six of the cases were reported in Shomolu, two in Oshodi-Isolo and 14 in Surulere council area. Idris said that acute diarrhoea disease with or without vomiting was caused by a bacteria disease transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with infective faeces. The commissioner appealed to Lagos residents to imbibe proper hygiene including, handwashing, washing of fruits and vegetables before eating. He also advised them to boil water from unsafe sources before drinking and always ensure that they cover their foods and water all the time. In his remarks, Ayorinde appealed to the mass media to help sensitise the residents, especially the young ones, on the danger of playing inside the flood water. Ayorinde said that the state government would roll out a new set of sensitisation on the social media in addition to the ones already being aired on the conventional media. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng has however decided to refresh your knowledge about the infection, its symptoms, prevention and treatment. Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Meanwhile, watch this Legit.ng video on the recent flood incident in Lekki area of Lagos state. Source: Legit.ng - Governor Rochas Okorocha has described himself as a detribalised Nigerian who has benefitted from the country's union - The governor said if 10 million Nigerians endorse him, he will contest for presidency - He noted that the north gave him education while the west empowered him Governor Rochas Okorocha has declared that he will not be running for the presidency in 2019 if President Muhammadu Buhari chooses to seek for re-election. Vanguard reports that the Imo state governor also said even if the president chooses not to run, he would still not seek the position unless 10 million Nigerians endorse him. Okorocha gave these conditions in Owerri, the Imo State capital, when he addressed a youth delegates from all the geo-political zones in the country. READ ALSO: 7 governors off to meet President Buhari in London He said he was in politics not for the sake of greed but for selfless reasons. He noted that although he had Igbo parentage, he was a detribalised Nigerian who had benefitted from the countrys union. He said: I will not run in 2019 if President Muhammadu Buhari will be running. Even at that, I will not also run at any given time unless 10 million Nigerians endorse me. May I remind all of you that my joy this evening has no bounds for the singular fact that the Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, northern minorities, western and eastern minorities, Muslims and Christians and others can sit down in a roundtable and speak like members of one family. If only for this, my mission for this nation is today achieved. I am an Igbo man with Igbo parentage. I was born and raised in the north. The north gave me education, guaranteed my childhood, even when I was not worthy to be called anybody in this world. I did all my schooling - primary, secondary and tertiary - in the northern part of this country. I finished and needed to be successful and wealthy. My encounter with someone from the South-West gave me the financial empowerment. So you can see that in my person, I have no choice whatsoever but to be a detribalized Nigerian, having been born of Igbo parentage, raised up by the North and empowered by the West. Nigeria remains my constituency. Most of you may not know that I am not in politics for self-aggrandizement or as a means to seek livelihood. I am in this job for the glory of the job, not for the profit and for the honour of this job, not for the wealth in it. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app I believe that one day it will become a manifest truth that somebody somewhere really cared for this nation. In my quiet time have I gone through lamentations, thinking about our nation and particularly. So is the youth of Nigeria, believe me, if our youths are not alright, our nation can never be alright. Meanwhile, the presidency countered a claim by Governor Okorocha that Buhari will return from London in two weeks. Okorocha reportedly said this after he led other governors to visit Buhari who has been in London for months following an undisclosed ailment. The presidency, according to Punch, said there was no fixed date for Buharis return to Nigeria. Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians revealing who they will vote for if they have the option of Buhari or Governor Fayose: Source: Legit.ng - A popular prophet from the east has predicted that acting president Osinbajo will soon be sworn in as president - The prophet however noted that the presidency of Osinbajo will face serious battle from all sides - He also claimed that former vice president Atiku has been anointed to take over in 2019 Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi of the King of Kings Deliverance ministry, Agbons, Ulepa Ntezi, Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi state insisted God showed him acting president professor Yemi Osibanjo being sworn in as president of Nigeria. Chukwudi made this know to newsmen in Ebonyi. He stated that the swearing in will happen very soon, but cautioned that Osinbajo will be battled from all fronts by very dark forces, who will ensure that he leaves office in 2019, and that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been anointed to take over power from Osinbajo. READ ALSO: Official: 7 governors off to meet President Buhari in London (List) "I saw Buhari saying that he is no more in charge. Then I saw Osinbajo being sworn in. But the opposition is just too much. He can only last till 2019. He should battle very well not to be removed from office before then. This is not the first time I am saying that Buhari will not pilot Nigeria into 2019, and this is not the first time I am being shown Atiku as the next president. It's over three years now that Atiku was first reveled to me". "Buhari has handed over power spiritually to Osinbajo. He cannot return to power, in case anyone is expecting him. So says the Lord, Onye Ruo Uka Ohu Nanya", he said, apparently referring to a title conferred on him by his kinsmen, meaning 'Doubters will behold the Truth'. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng had reported that 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. Which of the ministers in the Muhammadu Buhari government do you think should be sacked? Have your say after watching this video: Source: Legit.ng - Some oil workers were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno state - They were sent on an oil exploration mission in the state - Some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force who accompanied the workers were feared dead - The kidnapped oil workers have however regained their freedom Seven persons kidnapped by Boko Haram on Tuesday, July 25, have regained their freedom. NAIJ.com had reported that some oil explorers hired by NNPC were kidnapped by Boko Haram alongside their security aides. In a report by Premium Times, seven of the abducted persons have been freed after a rescue-mission embarked upon by a joint force of soldiers and local security personnel. Zanna Modu, the council chairman of Magumeri local government area of Borno state told newsmen that the rescue mission was effected on Wednesday July 26. According to him, the troops rescued four Civilian-JTF members, two NNPC personnel and a staff of the University of Maiduguri. Legit.ng had initially reported that many people are feared dead following an attack by Boko Haram terrorists on oil exploration workers around Jibi village situated between Magumeri and Gubio local government areas of Borno state. Vanguard reports that the incident occurred on Tuesday, July 25 when the oil workers who were working for a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were ambushed by the terrorists. READ ALSO: Rochas Okorocha gives 2 conditions for contesting for presidency in 2019 It was reported that some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force who accompanied them were also feared dead. Top politicians in the region on the condition of anonymity confirmed the attack. Meanwhile, four Boko Haram suspects including a father and son affiliated with the group were arrested by some soldiers in conjunction with vigilantes at Kurnari village and Nayinawa in Yobe state. The army spokesperson, Brig-Gen Sani Usman, in a statement on Tuesday, July 25, stated that the insurgents were arrested on Monday, July 24, by troops of 233 Battalion, 27 task force brigade of Operation Lafiya Dole with the assistance of vigilantes who were on routine patrol. General Usman gave the names of the suspects as Bukar Waziri, aged 25 years and Mammade Lawan, aged 20 years, from Buk, while the father and son, Muhammadu Damina, aged 40 years and Isah Muhammadu aged 15 years, were from Talala. Watch a Legit.ng TV video below on an operation against Boko Haram: Source: Legit.ng On Tuesday, July 25, 7 governors were selected to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in London on Wednesday, July 26. Legit.ng reported that the governors will depart the country on Tuesday, July 25 and will meet with Buhari by 3pm on Wednesday. Below are some facts to know about the visit to President Buhari. 1. Fayose's absence Explaining why Ekiti state governor was not among those selected, the presidency exonerated itself from the selection of the seven governors that were chosen to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London, saying that the selection was handled by the governors forum. 2. Absence of media and journalists in delegation The presidency also said that the non inclusion of the media team especially television or newspapers could be to save money. READ ALSO: Igbos are not marginalized - Governor Okorocha 3. Date of Buhari's return The media team of the presidency has said that it is only the medical team of President Buhari who have been with him since May 7 that can determine when the President would return to Nigeria. 4. Timing of the visit Femi Adesina explained the reason for the visit against the backdrop that it had been reported that President Buhari was recuperating, he said it was the best time for the president to receive visitors as he was recovering. READ ALSO: What I know about Buhari's health based on my recent conversation with the presidency - Chinonso Obasi 5. What was discussed at the meeting? The president's media aide spoke on what was being discussed both at the earlier meetings and the just concluded ones about the Niger Delta agreements and Osinbajo: Next week there is going to be a follow up meeting between the Acting President and the PANDEF. You will recalled that last November the President has held a meeting with the leaders of PANDEF where issues of Niger Delta development was discussed in which the Acting President embarked on the visit to the states of the Niger Delta. "And since then the president asked that an inter-ministerial committee be composed led by the Vice President to look at all the issues, specifically using the PANDEF demand as the take off point." At the first meeting, Legit.ng gathered that the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the president was very cheerful and has not lost any bit of his sense of humour. In a telephone conversation with Femi Adesina, the president's media adviser, following the meeting of the APC governors and leaders with President Buhari, he said the president was delighted to receive the delegation and asked each governor about affairs in his state. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV Governor Okorocha said the party delegation spent more than an hour with President Buhari over lunch, and it was very clear from the discussions that he followed developments at home very closely. Watch this Legit.ng video on what Nigerians have to say about President Buhari's continued absence: Source: Legit.ng Omega-3 supplement restrictions in Indonesia have been reversed following pressure from the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) and the local trade body, Asosiasi Pengusaha Suplemen Keshatan Indonesia (APSKI). The original restrictions from Badan Pom, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control in Indonesia, required supplements with more than 300mg of EPA/DHA to have a health claim and to include warnings for consumers. Jade Mitchell-Ross is joined by Dr Harry Rice, Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at GOED, to discuss the restrictions and recent reversal. Hear more about global omega-3 use in this podcast with Dr Nils Hoem of Aker BioMarine and read this blog post from Katrin Berntsen about the Omega-3 Index Project. Hear us talk with Prof Philip Calder about the almost endless health benefits of omega-3s in this podcast. Hear us discuss the omega-3 category with Peter Clough, honorary secretary of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, in this podcast. Read this blog post for an overview of omega-3 health benefits and read this blog post all about the future for the omega-3 category. The three homes maintained by the West Salem Historical Society will be decorated in vintage holiday style Saturday as the West Salem Historical Society hosts its second annual Christmas in July event. There will be Christmas trees and appropriate decorations at all three places: The Hamlin Garland Homestead, the Palmer-Gullickson Octagon House and the Palmer-Lewis Octagon House. People can go through the homes as they wish, and there will be refreshments, said society president Errol Kindschy. While the event is free, there will be a bake sale at the Palmer-Gulickson house and donations are accepted at each location. We arent able to show these homes at Christmas because they arent heated, so thats why we do this now, Kindschy said Since there are new things at all three houses this isnt so much a moneymaker as it is a way to get people to stop in who havent been here in a while. Hopefully theyll like what they see and come back later for a real tour. An example of new items the Garland home will have on display is memorabilia from the Chicago & Northwestern railroad depot that used to be an integral part of West Salem life. Among the items recently acquired are a baggage cart, a bench and the sign that told people what time the next train would be arriving or leaving. Meanwhile, at the Palmer-Lewis home historical society members have recreated a vintage childs bedroom. Theres also a model farm that was built by Doug Pfaff. The barn even has miniature stanchions for the cows, Kindschy said. It (the model) is very delicate and really worthwhile to see. In addition to the Christmas festivities there will be a Read-at-Thon at the Hamlin Garland Homestead beginning at 9 a.m. Its the fifth Read-a-thon weve donewe usually do them in July or August, Kindschy said. This year the book to be read aloud is Garlands Boys Life on the Prairie. It should take 18 or so readers about nine hours to read the entire thing. It covers the period of Garlands life from about the age of seven until around eighteen, Kindschy said. People can stop in any time, hear whats being read, have refreshments and then go on to the other two houses. Kindschy added that all three homes are air-conditioned so if the temperature turns out to be 80 or 90 degrees warmer that it would be on Dec. 25, that shouldnt be a problem. The Holmen Area Fire District Association Board took immediate action last week to replace a non-functioning generator after the fire station lost power during the storms. Assistant Chief Bill Bulawa told the board during its regular July 20 meeting that the fire station was one of the buildings on a section of the power grid that lost power during the severe weather that hit the Coulee Region July 19 and 20. The building, along with several nearby homes, were without power from 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to 3 p.m. Thursday. The lack of power meant the fire station was without computers and phones and the bay doors were inoperable. Of all the buildings in the area that needed a generator its this one, and it doesnt have one, said board member Jerome Pedretti. The department has been trying to keep the aging generator going, but its reached the end of its lifespan. When a company comes in and says, Were not going to work on it anymore because we dont have the parts, I kind of think its time to replace it, said Bulawa. Board member Chuck Olson told the rest of the board he believed a new generator qualified as a capital purchase. The three fire district member municipalities, village of Holmen and the towns of Holland and Onalaska, contribute funds annually to the fire districts capital expenditure account. I dont think theres a reason to continue to put it off, said Olson. We cant effectively operate this fire department without a generator. As the boards clerk/treasurer, Olson informed the other board members the departments capital expenditure account had enough funds to cover the cost of buying a new generator. Bulawa reported Kish Electric was willing to honor a year-old quote for a generator to provide emergency power to the fire station. He recommended the board purchase an adequately sized commercial generator thats capable of producing 38kw of power at a quoted price of $22,000. The quote includes time and materials to get the generator connected to the fire station. Holmen Area Fire Department Chief Paul Menches urged board to develop a strategy for the future of the fire station. Its time to sit down and really look at what we need to do with this station, said Menches. What are we going to do with this station? We cant look like this five years from now. The fire station was built in 1980, and the equipment bay was extended in 2000. Since becoming fire chief last year, Menches has been working with staff and firefighters to upgrade the departments equipment as well as expand its roster. Theres a lot of open space, but its not functional administratively and especially with the newer fleet coming on board, said Menches. I dont want to put a lot of money into a building by piecemealing it. A new station should be considered; a major renovation could be pricey as well. The board did not take any action. Rescue squad Menches reported he submitted a grant application to the ALM Charities Grant program for funds to help with the purchase of a new rescue squad. The board approved the purchase of the squad at its June meeting. It also OKed the sale of the departments 1995 mini pumper with the proceeds from the sale to go toward the purchase of the rescue squad. The ALM Charities Grant program was created by Mathy Construction and its affiliates to provide funding for community projects. The theme of this years grant cycle is Honoring those who serve. The fire department will be notified sometime in August whether it will receive the grant. Mutual aid A crew from the HAFD provided mutual aid July 19 to the Galesville Fire Department fighting an apartment fire. We have received praise for their performance, said Menches. Galesville FD has become a great mutual aid partner. Birds of prey descended upon the La Crescent-Hokah Elementary School Cafeteria Thursday when the world of raptors was explored by library patrons. A red-tailed hawk, an American kestrel and a barred owl enjoyed their lunch of frozen rat in front of their audience thanks to the La Crescent Public Librarys partnership with Southeastern Libraries Cooperating and their legacy program funded by Minnesotas Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. La Crescent Public Library has many summer programs including story time on Tuesdays and event programming on Thursdays. Programming ends when the La Crescent-Hokah school year begins. Animals are always popular, La Crescent Public Library Director LaVonne Beach said. The idea is to introduce families and kids to new ideas that they can pursue on their own. The raptorsthe official name for birds that hunt and eat other animals were joined by their handler, graduate naturalist Carly Crowley of the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. Raptor presentations are important, because people get to see the birds up close and learn about them in a personal setting. It helps clear up a lot of misconceptions, she said. Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center is a nonprofit based out of Lanesboro, Minnesota. The group is dedicated to educating adults and children about nature and the environment. There are four birds at the center, all of which were rescued from the side of the road or households where they were treated as pets. I wish people knew about how few raptors survive to their first year of life, Crowley said. A lot of the reasons have to do with humanswhether they are hit by a car or the use of chemicals in their environment. The center focuses on in-house presentations but will also travel to help educate. Along with the presentation of the three birds, the program was filled with raptor facts to excite the audienceif humans had eyes the same size as owls, human eyes would be the size of grapefruits and some hawks and owls can shoot their poop up to 10-feet-away. My favorite was the falcon because it was the smallest, said attendee 9-year-old Olivia Ristau. Crowley taught the attendees about the anatomy of raptors and had a couple kids feed the red-tailed hawk two dead rats. The center does not name the birds so people do not look at the wild animals as pets, but that doesnt stop kids from enjoying them. I liked all of the birds, said four-year-old Mara Kastenschmidt. Mara attended the program with her grandmother, Jean Kastenschmidt. I thought it would be a good program for my granddaughter, Jean said. She likes nature. It was interesting to learn more about raptors. Debbie Oliver, grandmother to six-year Evan Oliver and four-year-old Jaxsen Oliver, also regularly attends the librarys Thursday programming. We go to a lot of the programs, she said. They enjoy it. We came because we saw it advertised at the library. Evan and Jaxsen had never seen a hawk, falcon or owl in real life before. I really liked the owl, Evan said. We all know that experience is important. Experience is important in business, experience is important in farming and experience is important in our personal lives as well. Consider this: At the G20 Summit last week an American diplomatic team met with a Russian diplomatic team for a scheduled 30-minute meeting that lasted more than two hours. The Russian team consisted of: Vladimir Putin 17 years president or prime minister, former chief officer of the KGB, the Russian spy agency, with 42 years experience in the agency. Sergey Lavrov 13 years foreign minister, 10 years Russian United Nations representative. Lavrov has more than 45 years experience in foreign policy. The American team consisted of: Donald Trump president six months, no government or foreign policy experience. Extensive business dealings with Russian business entities. Rex Tillerson secretary of state six months, no government or foreign policy experience. Extensive business dealings with Russian business entities. Awarded the Order of Friendship commendation from Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Russian Foreign Relations Committee, called the talks a "breakthrough" and political leaders in Russia were celebrating. That says it all. God help us. Kevin Kelleher Houston One of Wisconsins premier mountain bike races is in jeopardy because of extensive damage to the Hixon Forest trails in La Crosse. The Hixon Forest Epic, slated for Aug. 6, has a 50 percent chance of happening, said Josh Blum, trail crew leader with the Outdoor Recreation Alliance, which built and maintains the Upper Hixon multi-use trails. Blum estimates fixing the Upper Hixon trails will cost $200,000 in volunteer hours and contractor help. In a damage assessment based on July 20 volunteer reconnaissance, he reported that all trails had erosion, which mostly exposed tree roots. Some left holes and blowouts. Many downed trees and branches litter the trails as well. Some trails are beyond repair and will need to be rerouted, he wrote. Among the extensive damage, however, a single trail holds the key for the Epic. Theres one trail that shares the link from the top to the bottom, and without that link that pretty much cuts an 8-mile course down to a 4-mile course, Blum said. If we can do something to get that link put back together, then well be back in business. Otherwise we are going to have to do a modified course up on top. Blum will meet Thursday with Jay Odegaard and Robbie Young, of the La Crosse Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, at Hixon Forest to assess the situation. I think everybody is optimistic that we can do something, but at the same time we have to be realistic about what we have to offer, Blum said. To offer a sub-par course would not be good. The parks department runs the race, which is the eighth event in the Wisconsin Off Road Series. It will make the call on whether to cancel it. Its the No. 1 mountain biking race in the state right now, said Steve Carlyon, department director. So if we cant do it right, we may either try to postpone it or just have it again next year. We want people to come here and have a good experience, not come here and walk away saying, Thats a terrible system of trails. Volunteers got to work assessing the damage on Saturday, Blum said. The area was still too wet to begin repairs. On Monday evening, they returned to do what they could. All work so far has been done by volunteers. The damage has taken a toll on them, Blum said, but theyre resilient. Well be back at it before you know it, Blum said. It will just take a lot of effort, but thats what we do. Anthony Scaramuccis rollout as Donald Trumps new communications director received mainly good reviews. He is, as any White House job in the current administration requires, a skilled sycophant. His on-air abjection including a Sunday talk show apology for past disloyalty made directly into the camera smacks of self-criticism during Chinas Cultural Revolution. But comrade Scaramucci does have a knack for being aggressive without being angry. And he is good on TV, which means hell play a starring roll in Trumps main obsession. His intention in choosing Scaramucci was clear from the announcement. We have accomplished so much, said Trump in his statement, and we are being given credit for so little. Scaramuccis calling is to be a more effective harvester of credit. This staff change is probably a good thing for the president. It also reveals a complete blindness about the true source of his administrations current struggles. Who can look at the wreck of the White House bitterly divided, dysfunctional and hemorrhaging leaks and think a better communications approach is the answer? Who can look at the wreck of Trumps agenda stymied in spite of Republican control of the House and Senate and think the real problem is insufficient credit-taking on television? I could name half a dozen White House jobs that more urgently needed new blood including the chief of staff than communications director. Jobs in the press department are what the press and the president mainly see. But obvious problems are not always the most urgent. To be fair, the idea that words are always the real problem is not unique to the Trump administration. I saw the same communications fallacy in my White House experience during George W. Bushs presidency. It is typical for politicians and party officials to believe that the fault lies, not in themselves, but in their flacks. As head of presidential speechwriting, I heard more than my share of if only. If only the administration would make such-and-such a point, the Katrina mess could be put behind us. If only the president said some magic words suggested language attached the erosion in support for the Iraq War would be reversed. If only the president were to give 60 speeches in 60 days on Social Security reform, Americans would finally understand the problem and our plan would pass. We actually tried that last one in 2005. The trip was carefully designed to pressure gettable Democratic senators. Bush was loose, informed and effective. And the plan never even got out of committee. We did not have a communications problem. We had a reality problem as we did with Katrina and Iraq. In such cases, hiring a new head of speechwriting would probably not have helped. The Trump administrations reality problem is a historically unpopular president, pushing historically unpopular legislation (at least on health care), in a historically divided party, to a historically polarized country. Hiring a new head of communications will not fundamentally alter this state of affairs. Words generally cannot improve facts on the ground, but they do have the power to complicate them. Part of the reason Trump is, from his perspective, given credit for so little is that so little has been accomplished. But another part is the insanely high expectations that Trumps own words have created. Youre going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost, he promised. Its going to be so easy. Tax reform benefiting the middle class would come in the first 100 days. He would build an impenetrable physical wall across the continent and the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such a wall. There would be a package spurring a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending. Middle East peace is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. And further: I will give you everything and achieve every dream you ever dreamed for your country. The president would probably not be politically comfortable in fulfilling some of my dreams. But even more generally, this is what happens when a politician promises the world while knowing so little about how it actually works. Trumps greatest need is not someone who will defend him on TV. It is an administration capable of even the baby steps of governing defining a positive, realistic agenda and selling it to Congress, starting with ones own party. Trump does not have a communications problem; he has a leadership problem. MADISON As speculation swirls around whether Foxconn Technology Group will plant a flag in Wisconsin, a recurring question is: Can the state produce the 10,000 workers the company will need over time? The answer is a qualified yes, even at a time when Wisconsin is dealing with a predicted shortage of workers. The first reason for workforce optimism is the size and scope of the states higher education system, which produces about 75,200 graduates and certificate holders per year. That total includes about 36,000 University of Wisconsin System graduates, 25,400 Wisconsin Technical College System graduates or certificate holders, and 13,800 graduates of Wisconsins two-dozen private colleges and universities. While other employers statewide are competing for that young talent and more, a significant number of graduates dont always find the jobs they want and wind up looking outside Wisconsins borders. The prospect of well-compensated jobs at home may entice many more to stay put upon graduation. Moreover, the bulk of Wisconsins higher education system is clustered in the states southern and southeast regions. Those are regions where electronics giant Foxconn may build a plant, assuming Wisconsin remains on the companys short list of prospective U.S. sites. The Milwaukee-Racine-Kenosha region alone is home to four UW System campuses, with UW-Whitewater just outside those three counties. The region is also served by four tech college districts with nine campuses and a dozen private colleges and universities. Proximity is an advantage for Wisconsin in the Foxconn competition, as so many of our institutions public and private are in the southeast part of the state, said Ray Cross, president of the UW System. The key will be to build a close relationship with our (campuses) so opportunities for employment and internships are identified before students graduate. While the states unemployment rate is hovering near a 17-year low of just over 3 percent, there are a significant number of workers who are under-employed, based on several measures produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Three of the most relevant are the bureaus U-4, U-5 and U-6 rates, which are generally described as discouraged workers. These include people who are not in the labor force but who want and are available for work. They are not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the past four weeks, believing no jobs were available for them. Wisconsins U-4 and U-5 rates are 3.9 and 4.3 percent, respectively, based on a period that included the first quarter of 2017. The U-6 category also includes what the bureau describes as involuntary part-time workers, or people who would work full-time if they could get the hours. That expands the pool to 7.7 percent of the Wisconsin workforce. Other sources of talent include the thousands of Wisconsin natives or Wisconsin-educated people who no longer live here but who would actively consider moving back for the right job. Surveys over time have confirmed that people who leave Wisconsin for opportunities elsewhere would return and stay if they could land a job that paid competitively. Existing employers in Wisconsin might get nervous at the prospect of paying more to keep workers they already have, but a Foxconn presence in the state would likely lead to wage and salary competition. Thats something most workers wouldnt mind, however. Finally, theres the reality that many of the workers to be hired by Foxconn over time are not people who have any previous ties to Wisconsin. If the plant winds up in southeast Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Chicagoland will be a source of talent. Because Foxconn is one of the worlds largest companies with about 1 million employees, expect an influx of people from outside the United States. Wisconsins legal immigration rate is about one-third the national average. Wisconsin can supply or attract the 10,000 workers Foxconn would need over time. Higher education systems will need to double down on producing well-trained graduates in a timely manner. The state must welcome in-migration, not only from other states but other nations. The under-employed will get a chance to move up the career ladder. An unofficial come home to Wisconsin message will find its way into the snail mail, e-mail and social networks of working-age people who once lived here. If Foxconn comes to Wisconsin, skilled workers here and elsewhere will find their way to its doors. From Paul Craig Roberts Website Mushroom Cloud Disaster (Image by maxpixel.freegreatpict...) Details DMCA Are you ready to die? You and I are going to die and not from old age, because our fellow Americans are so stupid, ignorant, and brainwashed that they believe the lies that are leading us to our certain destruction. This is what the Atomic Scientists tell us. And they are right. Can you comprehend the absurdity? President Trump is under full-scale attack from the military/security complex, the US presstitute media, the Democratic Party, and from many Republicans, such as Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham and Republican Senator from Arizona John McCain simply because President Trump wants to reduce the dangerous tensions between the two major nuclear powers. What explains the total lack of concern for their own lives on the part of the populations in South Carolina and Arizona who send to the Senate and keep sending to the Senate two morons determined to provoke war between the US and Russia? It should send shivers up your spine that you can ask this same question about all 50 states, and almost all congressional districts. You can ask the same question about the bordello known as "the American media." There will be no one alive to post or to read the headlines of the war that they are helping to promote. The United States and the rest of the world with it along with all life on earth are being sent to their graves by the total failure of American leadership. What is wrong with Americans that they cannot understand that any "leader" who provokes war with a major nuclear power should be instantly institutionalized as criminally insane? Why do Americans sit night after night in front of the TV absorbing lies that commit them beyond all doubt to their deaths? America has failed itself and the world. Article originally published in the Baltimore Afro-American By Robert Weiner and Paula Hong Five officers are now being disciplined internally for Freddie Gray's handling, "rough ride" and death. Also this year, Baltimore has retrofitted vehicles to keep people strapped in and filmed in the vans as a way to stop rough rides. There are new rules blocking hazardous driving where police purposely bounce prisoners around. But the work is nowhere near complete to end the disgraceful practice that captured the nation's attention in a justifiably negative way after Freddie Gray's death in 2015. There still needs to be an outright ban of so-called rough rides. Everyone remembers that the courts last year did not convict any of the police involved in the ride that ended in Gray's death . They found no "legal basis" to convict. A law outright banning rough rides could have brought a totally different outcome. Senator Cardin (D-MD) said last year that he is interested in the possibility of federal legislation as well as what happens on a state and local level. Protests in the city after Gray's death on April 19, 2015, preceded state legislators' hearings. However, the State Senate's Judicial Proceedings Committee voted against a bill outright banning the practice on March 11, 2016 on a 5-5-tie. Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin reported the proposal violated the committee's way of "debating bills on legal merits." Rough rides are a form of police brutality. Suspects are helplessly tied, then forced through what sometimes ends up being over an hour of searing physical torture. The suspect is violently thrown around in the back of a police van being driven through sharp turns and bumpy roads often for extra distance for no reason. 27-year-old Christine Abbott received $95,000 in October of 2015 after the city of Baltimore agreed she had been "grabbed, thrown onto the ground" and "handcuffed" into a police van which she recalled was "manically [driven] to the police station. An officer admitted he "did not strap or harness" Abbott to the van. The recent proposed ban would have required Baltimore police officers to securely fasten all detainees with seat belts and impose a $10,000 fine if any detainee proved injured during the rides. City Councilman Brandon Scott stated in January 2016 that "There is no doubt that we must change the way we transport prisoners." Since then, Baltimore has released upwards of 23 improved vehicles, all with at least 4 cameras which officers can use to monitor certain behavior. On May 19 this year, the five officers involved with the Freddie Gray case were all charged internally by Howard and Montgomery police and could lose their jobs or receive other discipline. Despite all five officers' attorney Michael E. Davey's report that "the officers are being convicted of violation of policy and procedure" the charges leave many of the officers' colleagues and citizens of Baltimore on both sides of the issue angry. The legislation would provide clarity. {The Huffington Post} reported that there continue to be, "no local, state or federal lawmakers [that] have banned police from using unnecessary deadly force" by all police drivers with whipping speeds and turns that would hurt passengers. Additionally, there needs to be a mandate for providing immediate health care if needed, as should have been the case with Freddie Gray. President Obama publicly recognized that Gray may have had his spine snapped by police even before his horrific ride finished him off. When the idea of banning rough rides was first brought up in June 19, 2015, the president of the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, Vince Canales, said that rough rides should be decided "case by case." Seriously? No ban of this inhumane practice? Four Star General Barry McCaffrey, the Iraq hero who has seen the worst abuses of war, told us that banning the practice is so obvious, "I don't even know why we are talking about this." McCaffrey is 100% right. It's time to move that tie vote forward to ban "rough rides" outright, directly and clearly. The issue is a national one. Just this month, Detroit was sued by a "rough ride" victim. Baltimore can be a national model for improving police rides-- but this should be a matter of law, not discretion and discipline because someone happens to be caught. Robert Weiner is a former White House Drug Control Policy spokesman, senior aide to Congressmen John Conyers and Charles Rangel, and US Drug Czars Lee Brown and Barry McCaffrey. Paula Hong is criminal justice policy analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change. See original here By Mark Sumner Donald Trump's State Department deserves to be abbreviated to State Dept., because it is. From the moment he landed at the White House, Trump began showing diplomats the door. Whether he was convinced that understanding history, intentional law, and diplomatic skills were something that wouldn't be needed in his regime of best-dealmakers-ever, or he was simply worried that everyone at State was contaminated with Hillary Clinton cooties, Trump emptied the department and never got around to filling slots that had previously been regarded as critical. That's left official secretary of state and Friend of Russia Rex Tillerson with a lot of space to rattle around, and plenty of time to contemplate being back on his horse ranch (he's the Texas-based CEO of an oil company, of course he has a horse ranch). And with White House communications turning over and Donald Trump running over the Justice Department, one of the things Rex is contemplating is running for the doors. "Among those who viewed the President's public rebuke of Sessions as unprofessional, according to several sources, is Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon-Mobil CEO. "Tillerson has a growing list of differences with the White House, including a new debate over Iran policy and personnel. His frustration is hardly a secret and it has spilled out publicly at times. But friends sense a change of late." The press keeps acting as if Trump's press secretary has a difficult job, but really, communications at the Trump White House consist of simply pretending that whatever Trump said makes sense. Tillerson, on the other hand, has to convince foreign leaders that Trump's flip-flopping, backstabbing, and shifting collection of vengeance-based priorities provide some kind of basis for international relations. Tillerson had been hoping to gut out another six months before waving farewell, but ... "Two sources who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity over the weekend said they would not be surprised if there was a 'Rexit' from Foggy Bottom sooner that that." One year with the State Department would normally be barely enough time to scratch the surface of the complex, delicate process needed for international negotiations and the dense web of existing relationships. But one year with Donald Trump is a lifetime. With the stream of people who are already shaking the faux-gold dust off their feet, and Trump's inability to select candidates for positions that haven't proven their loyalty through years of being his footstool, the president is actually following up on his goal of shrinking government -- because no one wants to work for him. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaking on overturning Obama care So what's the latest political maneuverings over on Capitol Hill? Ah yes the Republican led Senate considering the health care overhaul of the Affordable Health Care Act otherwise known as Obama care. The Republican cretins led by Senator Mitch McConnell haven't been able to come up with a plan that could be enacted as a few in their ranks aren't going along with the shenanigans. But one shouldn't worry. Regardless of whether something does get passed be rest assured of one thing. The private health companies will continue their stranglehold on health care in this country. According to a 2014 report [1] it's the most expensive in the world. Among 11 industrialized countries the US ranked last in health care outcomes which included Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K. and the US. Of course a single payer Medicare type system would cover everyone, pre-conditions included. It would be cheaper drastically reducing administrative overhead costs exacted by the private health care companies, relieve employers from taking on the health care burden of their employees thereby making them more competitive and streamline the system between patient, his doctor and the government. That won't happen because advocates of a single payer system has never been allowed to sit at the table. Prior to the current imbroglio in the Senate the last time a health care overhaul was discussed was in 2009 in a Senate Finance Committee hearing room chaired by Senator Max Baucus D. MT. who prior to the hearing had single payer advocates forcibly removed from the room when they requested a seat at the table-thereby leaving only representatives from Big Pharma, private health insurers, HMO's and hospital management. So it's a no brainer while other industrialized countries have a national health care system we don't. No the private health care lobby has made sure of that demonizing single payer saying you won't be able to choose your doctor, they'll be long waiting times and the chief bugaboo it's "socialized" medicine-which rhymes with Communism. Yet a most recent poll [2] revealed 44% to 36% of voters back a single payer health care system, But the so called peoples representatives in the Congress don't care about such polls because the private health insurance lobby-along with other big money special interests-underwrite the campaigns of these "legislators" so it doesn't take much imagination to realize who benefits when any laws are passed. It's certainly not the people. Whether it's health care or the financial system, defense spending to the environment or any of the other myriad issues and problems facing this country, the entrenched corporate lobbyists and special interests hold sway; the peoples representatives just stooges doing the bidding of those who underwrite their campaigns. The current political fixation on Trump is a misguided enterprise. He's just the latest manifestation of an electoral process become so completely corrupt and rotten it's hard to imagine us getting out of this morass. It's beyond reform. There's no other way to put it. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Health care reform proponent (Image by ragesoss) Details DMCA In its attack on Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act or ACA) the Republican Party is wallowing in a mess of its own making. Out of willful ignorance and dishonesty, the GOP promised the impossible: to reduce government subsidies while lowering individual premiums and preserving what most Americans like in Obamacare (e.g. ending discrimination against the seriously ill and reducing the number of uninsured). The conservative core of the GOP just 'knows' deep down that government should keep its distance from health care (as it should from all markets). Members of the so-called Freedom Caucus and their Senate allies rejected the recent House and Senate healthcare bills as "Obamacare Lite" because the bills contained vestiges of ACA taxes, subsidies and regulations. FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy organization with ties to the Tea Party and the Koch brothers, is about to send to Republican senators who don't vote for repeal of Obamacare a "Freedom Traitor Award" along with a bust of Benedict Arnold. Before Trump became President, the House Republican majority repeatedly voted to repeal the ACA. Repeal has been central to the GOP election campaigns for Congress and the presidency. Yet, now that their party controls the federal government, many Republicans are afraid to act, and the right is furious. Ben Shapiro, a prominent conservative ideologue, put it this way in a recent National Review article : "Herein lies the problem. Republicans are afraid of actually standing for conservative principle when it comes to policy. Here is the conservative policy take on health insurance: A free market guarantees the highest-quality, lowest-price service in any market." Tax credits, government-sponsored risk pools and health-savings accounts are all "government-run form[s] of social engineering." Shapiro's "free market" is the Arcadia of American conservatives, a place where people are busy fulfilling themselves by exchanging goods and services. It's a utopia in which all transactions are win-win, since each party freely chooses to participate. It's a happy hunting ground for vigorous entrepreneurs freed from the regulatory yoke of what Steve Bannon calls "the administrative state." In this laissez-faire utopia, government doesn't confiscate hard-earned riches to fund the health and well-being of less productive citizens. Lured by the prospect of immense profit, investors will enable entrepreneurs to do what Trump calls "beautiful things" for the masses, including what Shapiro would describe as "highest-quality, lowest-price" medical care. Free markets can do the same for all kinds of so-called public services such as education and water. To see the dystopia lurking in this laissez-faire fantasy, let's start with a question: why don't we treat police protection as just one more commodity to be bought and sold in a market, as Shapiro and the Freedom Caucus want for health care? The answer is that under the 5th and 14th amendments to the U.S. constitution, the federal and state government must provide everyone equal protection under the law. That protection includes enforcement of the law by agencies such as the police (and courts). Whether I'm rich or poor, a celebrity or an unknown, if someone has battered, defrauded or stolen from me, the state is obliged to investigate the crime and deal with the perpetrator. This protective function also requires a court system that affords equal protection to the perpetrator as well. Law enforcement and the court system are very costly services essential to public life, and funded by tax revenue. They are not commodities that people could be free to buy or not, in various forms and quantities from competing vendors. Police protection is insurance against the peril of harms that can be done by criminals. Some people may never be victims of a serious crime, but no one would ever want to go without the protection. It's an insurance that only government can provide. That's why we have the 5th and 14th amendments, and why everyone pays for this public service through taxes. Health insurance is a protection against a range of harms, many of which are life-threatening or cause much suffering and pain and which require levels of care well beyond the means of ordinary people. Every citizen is vulnerable to ill health just as they are to crime. Just as we each need the help of police and courts to cope with crime, so we each need the help of skilled professionals and costly facilities to deal with serious medical afflictions. Yet Republicans are against treating health insurance as a public service like police protection and the court system. Instead, they want it to be a commodity that people are free to buy or not, in forms and quantities they can afford from competing for-profit vendors. Although Republicans accept that every citizen is equally entitled to protection against crime, they believe that we should be divided into different risk pools, different levels of protection against health perils according to our ability to pay. In a free-market, health insurance companies make their profits by denying claims whenever their complicated rules permit, and by not insuring vulnerable people. If police protection were like this, then police would want to reduce coverage of neighborhoods with crime problems. The equal protection afforded by publicly funded police and courts is an example of solidarity, an essential virtue in a healthy and prosperous society. Solidarity is social unity and cohesion based on the interdependence of all its members. According equal protection to all implies that we recognize in each other an equal dignity as citizens. Introduction: Trump has a new Communications Director, a man with no experience in directing political communications. Whether or not he is willing to and capable of learning how, that's neither here nor there. For he has a boss who has not the foggiest notion of what the Presidency is and shows neither willingness nor capability to learn. This column is about a few of problems that that has led to for Trump. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scaramouche (Italian, Scaramucci) was originally a stock clown character in Italian Commedia dell'Arte. "The role combined characteristics of the zanni (servant) and the Capitano(masked henchman)." He was known for being totally loyal to his master. How appropriate then, for President Trump's new communications director, who has absolutely no experience in the role, to be named Anthony Scaramucci. Although several years back he filleted Trump in public, he now has pledged total loyalty to Trump, rather than to the reporting of Trump-related news and information. (Interesting fact: I'm not the only one who has referenced Scaramouche in the Scaramucci context. According to Wikipedia, his appointment sent Scaramouche searches up by 8185% [and that's before I did my search]). We will come back to the "loyalty" issue and Trump at the end of the column. At any rate, as any readers of my columns know I have been addicted to "Trump-stuff" for some years now, beginning back in 2011 when, apparently actually thinking about running for President, Trump established his base theme, racism, by signing on very heavy-handedly to the "Birtherism-conspiracy" against Obama. (See my 2017 column, "A Trump Retrospective" for a review of my columns[and some tweets] up until then, and my OpEdNews "Author's Page" for the roster since then.) (Image by Steven Jonas) Details DMCA As any reader of OpEdNews and just about any other political medium of the time knows, Trump is getting into more and trouble. Here's a random sampling, not in any particular order. He is at war with his hand-picked Attorney General (full name) Jefferson Davis P.G.T Beauregard Sessions. (By the way, I just learned that P.G.T Beauregard was the Confederate General who organized the Confederate States of America's army at the First Battle of Bull Run. The Union side had so considered the coming battle to be a walk for the Union, with a subsequent march straight to Richmond, that pro-Union Washington Society members came out with picnic baskets to watch it. Beauregard and the CSA General who would become "Stonewall" Jackson, held off the poorly organized and poorly led Union troops that day. In the end, Union forces did not reach Richmond until four years later.) Sessions, with an appropriate name for a far right-wing Republican with a record of racism, was the first U.S. Senator to support Trump in the primaries. Of course, former loyalty/support has never meant anything to Trump, so why start now? Many are asking why Sessions doesn't resign and/or why Trump doesn't just fire him. As to the former, Sessions represents a far-right segment of the U.S. ruling class, which has probably told him to remain just where he is, to have someone on site when and if the walls do come crashing down. Why won't Trump fire him? Likely because Sessions, who was in there very early, has just too much "stuff" on Trump and likely on his boys as well. (Of course, I could be wrong about this, and a Sessions firing/resignation could happen anyway.) There is of course the ever-deepening Mueller probe. There are of course many on the Right who think that there is nothing to it, that it is a "witch-hunt," that it is a product of something called the "Deep State" to get rid of Trump. Certain people on the Left agree. (The "Deep State" is a useful concept for both Left and Right. But both miss the point that the components of they call the "Deep Sate" do not operate independently. They operate, perhaps not in unison, and perhaps not with an always unifying purpose, but at the behest of the ruling class, directly and/or indirectly. Yes, "state" is the correct term, for the State is always under the control in one way or another, of the economically dominant sector of the ruling class. The point is that the "Deep State," in the Intelligence Community, is not an independent operator.) Without getting into the ins-and-outs, and the arguments on both sides as to whether a) Russia interfered and b) the Trumpites colluded with such an effort, if there were nothing there why would Trump be fighting so hard to undermine the Mueller probe? Politically, he may or may not be able to fire Mueller. But he and his legal team are working night and day to undermine Mueller's credibility so that any negative findings (which, from what is known so far there is sure to be) can be attacked and discredited. Then there is the fact that under Trump's leadership the Republicans have accomplished nothing legislatively. That of course could be turned around if Mitch McConnell, is able to apply enough pressure (of all kinds, from goodies to political threats) to the few wavering Repub. Senators to get the hypocritical, kick-the-can-down-road, Obama-care repeal passed. That would be a totally negative "achievement," but the Trumpites would laud it anyway. (By the way, did you know that under the leadership of its "business first-doctoring second" Secretary Tom Price, the Department of Health and Human Services is using funds that were intended to promote the Affordable Care Act instead to produce anti-ACA You Tube features?) HOWEVER, Trump has had major achievements in deregulation and changing the whole nature of various government programs, from what's going on at the Environmental Protection Administration (which is fast becoming the Environmental Destruction Administration) to the Department of Education (which now has as its principal role the destruction of public education) to the Department of the Interior which is working hard on opening up public lands to private, for-profit exploitation of various kinds, to having the head of the Treasury Department task force looking at revising banking regulations being the former chief lobbyist for the large banks. The ruling class wanted Trump elected for two primary reasons: to destroy as many government regulations protecting the public as quickly as possible and to cut taxes on the wealthy and the large corporations. The former is going like gangbusters. The latter, well, if the Repubs. can accomplish repeal of the ACA, which is, as is well-known, really a huge tax cut for the wealthy managed at the expense of the poor, that will be going like gangbusters as well. BUT, the pressure is building on Trump. The "Russia Thing," despite what his defenders on both the Left and the Right say, just won't go away. It is tightening, perhaps not a noose around his neck, but certainly a belt around his ever-expanding tum. Numbers of rats have already left the sinking ship. It is getting to the point where there are almost as many lawyers representing various persons and factions around the White House as there are White House staff. And by all accounts, many of those are at each other's throats. For me, certainly a leftist-through-and-through, the clincher that it is real is that Trump has been fighting the probes (not only Mueller's but the House and Senate committee ones as well) with increasing ferocity, from the beginning. As noted, if he had nothing to hide he should have wanted the probes to be done and over with. That's the giveaway. Plus of course, the whole Pardons Thing." The long-time Christian-Rightist attorney Jay Sekulow may say that the subject hasn't been broached in the White House (for which statement he was taken apart by Chris Wallace on Fox"News" of all places), but of course it has. (Such anti-Trump sentiments from certain elements of Fox"News" plus some anti-Trump writings in The Wall Street Journal may well indicate that Rupert Murdoch has finally had enough of Trump. They certainly seem to think that there is "something there" on "Russia-gate," and they are hardly part of the "Deep State.") So, what does this (and lots of other stuff of which readers of columns like this one will be well aware) all tell us? Well it tells me that Trump is going to resign. He will do it in a blaze of fire and brimstone. He is will do it in a blaze of "I'm being prevented at every turn, thwarted at every opportunity, from serving you the people who elected me." He will of course blame everyone but himself, probably casting stones equally at Republicans as well as Democrats. After all, in one of his tweets about the failure (so far, as of this writing) of the Senate to pass ACA-repeal, he complained about their lack of "loyalty." He implied that since he is the leader of the Party, Senators should do what he says. Which brings us to a so far little-noticed point. To me, this sounds like the "Fuehrerprinzip" of Nazi Germany. "The State has one leader, and it is I. It is to the "I" that you owe your loyalty, and obedience." Combined with the previously discussed "Triumph of the Will," we would be moving onto vary dangerous ground. "But he would no longer be President," you might say. Yes, but I then predict that with Steve Bannon more firmly glued to his side than ever, he would go on to establish a clearly fascist (although they wouldn't use that term yet) Far Right-Wing Party, bringing much of his present white supremacist/xenophobic/Islamophobic/Christian-Rightist base along with him. (And he is courting the latter of the fearsome foursome evermore vigorously.) But more on that subject anon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS is a Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine at StonyBrookMedicine (NY) and author/co-author/editor/co-editor of over 35 books. In addition to his position on OpEdNews as a "Trusted Author," he is a Deputy Editor, Politics, for The Greanville Post; a Contributor for American Politics to The Planetary Movement ;a contributor to the "Writing for Godot" section of Reader Supported News; and a contributor to From The G-Man .Furthermore, he is a (very) occasional contributor to BuzzFlash Commentary Headlines and The Harder Stuff. He is also a triathlete (35 seasons, over 250 multi-sport races). Precipice of Choice Surrender or Resurrection of Unity (Image by Akemi Ohira) Details DMCA How far are we willing to be dumbed-down by dummies allowed above the law, to not recall? How far are we willing to let those caked in the mud of yellow journalism, to be left behind, exposed only to a Sinclair Group POV? Ignorance is bliss, but no more excuse than, the devil made me do it. What undercuts an informed electorate? Is it the invasion of dishonest reporting by a new low in Conservative broadcasting, or Liberal neglect? What if Democrats are more for equal access for all, in education, in opportunity and under the law? Shall America believe Stanley Milgram, or adopt Nuremberg defense? With the boss abused spice gone out of SNL, is Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a law-abiding shield protecting Mueller from the malice aforethought dictated through a banking mooch mugger? Following the soulless, who are the real tax dodgers, draining the public trust, ignoring diminishing infrastructure and suppressing the votes of the oppressed, we become their clones, do we not? There is little security and less comfort in a season of extreme forest fires, tornadoes, floods and political chaos in the heat of the night, unless we make peace with the truth about our pattern of indulgencies in injustice, vainglory, over-zealous hero worship, gun violence and acquitting those who live by it -- though sometimes forgiven, targeted too often off camera. For family and friends, a snatched life is never forgotten: July 20, 2017: Australian Justine Damond, shot to death in Minneapolis by policeman June 12, 1994: Around the clock coverage of O. J. Simpson tried and acquitted for the duel murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman -- paroled July 2017. May 13, 1985: Philadelphia Police, dropped makeshift bomb on 6221 Osage Avenue to end political opposition organization known as, The Move. July 23, 1967: A police raid on an unlicensed, after-hours bar morphs into five days and nights of one of the deadliest riots in American history. Can our Democratic Republic corrode into anarchy? If we allow propagandists shouting the most outrageous excuses for a free pass: He's 'Just New to This,' give him a chance -- yes, we won't need an Alaskan house look-out for foreign missiles. Freedom of thought and Liberty to peacefully assemble, are as freely sacrificed, as taken at liberty. People distracted by imagined fears and legitimate concerns are most vulnerable to secret keepers seeking public power over private citizens -- imposing beliefs by distorting public systems of communication. What if getting ahead of Father Time is more nation building than following the deep-pocketed money trail? What if the Repeal and Replace Healthcare voting debacle is up for debate, for national distraction? Thankfully most Americans can discern truth from fiction, and recognize the difference from a self-assured sense of direction, and being led by a self-aggrandizing Pinocchio. Nonetheless, if we continually allow Trumpsters to be excused by a Republican Congress fearful of its anti-Obama Base polling at 80%, then we are following terrorized political cowards, even as they violate sacred oaths and restrict those with limited access to the truth that would free them from the terrorism of money laundering . Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Donald Trump uses backdrops formed by crowds of boy scouts or soldiers. Progressive Democrats use documents called #People'sPlatform endorsed by numerous quasi-grassroots organizations. Neither remotely approaches the far more desirable governance that one would get using direct democracy, governance by opinion poll. The reason for the pretense of populism is clear: people are wiser, even laboring under today's relentless sewer of propaganda, than any contingent in either mega-party. There is little doubt we'd do better with representatives selected at random than with those we've elected. The #People'sPlatform is a purely partisan document that asks only Democrats in Congress to do anything. And it asks them to do only what a significant number of them already want to at least pretend to want to do. Of course, as a minority, if they do all act as desired nothing whatsoever will happen. To seem serious and practical, the #People'sPlatform pushes only agenda items for which there are already bills in Congress, but because the Senate is so relentlessly horrible, they are not items for which there is legislation in the Senate. The House bills promoted are good ones: single-payer (always a Democratic favorite when the Republicans are in the majority), college tuition, minimum wage, abortion, automatic voter registration, ending prison privatization, taxing financial transactions. The bills do not go nearly far enough on college, wages, election rights, decarceration, or taxation. They are not what activists should be organizing around; they are what legislators should fall back on if they can't do better. Then there is climate chaos, one of the twin monsters facing us, and the #People'sPlatform couldn't find a bill, so just hung up a "Coming Soon!" sign. Then there is militarism, the other monster facing us, and the #People'sPlatform predictably takes no notice, never mentions the existence of 96% of humanity, never gives a nod to 54% -- soon possibly to be 59% -- of the spending Congress decides on each year. Of the several wars going, which would the "people" like to end? Who knows! Should the booming weapons trade continue to destroy distant places? I guess so. On the topic of militarism, as it happens, there is no shortage of bills. H.R. 1666 would end the U.S. war on Afghanistan. The bill has 13 cosponsors, 8 of them Democrats, but perhaps suffers the fatal flaw of having a Republican author. If the goal is to end the war, it's a great vehicle, but if the goal is a years-long election campaign for Democrats, it's deeply deficient. Yet there are dozens of other bills to choose from. H.R. 2668 would scale back nuclear weaponry. And the cosponsors are all Democrats. What's wrong with that one? Or how about H.R. 608 which would require the United States to stop arming terrorists in Syria, something Trump just claimed he was going to do anyway. Why not make it law? Or draft an ideal bill and declare that it is "Coming Soon!" as done with climate chaos. And then impose that demand on Republicans and Democrats alike. That's what independent people would do if they got organized and had a platform. Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Rob Kall's Bottom-Up weaves together the many strands of new thinking about how to use decentralized, non-hierarchical approaches to solve crucial social and economic problems. Bottom-Up presents a tapestry of ideas and examples that can inspire and guide readers." Peter Plastrik, coauthor of Connecting to Change the World: Harnessing the Power of Networks for Social Impact Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. From The Nation The United States Senate is an undemocratic institution. Just do the math: Progressive California Senator Kamala Harris was elected in 2016 with 7,542,753 votes. Yet her vote on issues such as health-care reform counts for no more than that of conservative Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, who was elected in 2014 with 121,554 votes. This is an absurd imbalance. In fact, the only thing that would make it more absurd would be if voters were removed from the equation altogether. Say "hello" to the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, the corporate-funded project to impose a top-down right-wing agenda on the states. ALEC is considering whether to adopt a new piece of "model legislation" that proposes to do away with an elected Senate. The idea of reversing 104 years of representative democracy and returning to the bad old days when senators were chosen via backroom deals between wealthy campaign donors, corporate lobbyists, and crooked legislators, is not new. The John Birch Society peddled the proposal decades ago. But with the rise of the "Tea Party" movement, the notion moved into the conservative mainstream. Then -- Texas Governor Rick Perry argued in 2012 that the direct election of senators "took the states out of the process." Several Republican senators apparently agree, with Utah Senator Mike Lee referring to the 17th Amendment as "a mistake" and Arizona Senator Jeff Flake saying, "I think it's better as it reinforces the notion of federalism to have senators appointed by state legislatures." What was once a fringe fantasy is being taken ever more seriously by conservative strategists. Last year, ALEC published an article by a so-called "subject matter expert" arguing that the popular election of senators is "disenfranchising the States." The article made an old-school states' rights argument for taking the power to choose senators away from the people and giving it to the politicians who sit in state legislatures. Click Here to Read Whole Article bees at work (Image by Christopher Calder) Details DMCA Biofuel farming is helping mankind kill off the bees at an alarming rate. A third of America's honeybee colonies died last year, and bees are dying in mass numbers all over the world, not just in America. Two new studies, "Country-specific effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honey bees and wild bees," and "Chronic exposure to neonicotinoids reduces honey bee health near corn crops," were published in the journal Science. The dual studies addressed the alarming worldwide death of bees and found that neonicotinoid pesticides kill bees in mass numbers, and that bees are exposed to more pesticides than previously thought, for longer periods of time than previously thought, and at greater distances from sprayed cropland than previously thought. The global bee population decline was not a news story until the United States and other nations dedicated large amounts of farmland to biofuel production. Bees face many deadly threats, so why are we adding to their death toll with counterproductive energy policies that bring the world nothing but hunger and environmental damage? The equation is simple and straightforward; more biofuel farming equals more pesticide use, which equals more dead bees. The United States uses massive amounts of pesticides on all of its biofuel crops, from corn, to soybeans, to rapeseed, and so does Brazil and all of the other nations engaged in biofuel farming. With over 50 million acres of land dedicated to biofuel production in the USA, and over 155 million acres of land used for biofuel farming worldwide, and all those acres acting as death traps for bees, the impact on the world bee population is obviously tremendous. Our government does not want to admit to the unnecessary mass slaughter of bees because our politicians want to promote biofuels in order to win the farm belt vote. With so many guilty people responsible for the global biofuel disaster, from politicians and environmentalists, to farmers and distillers, to the news organizations who actively campaigned for biofuels, there are few people interested in exposing the ugly truth. Bee in flight (Image by Noah Kall) Details DMCA Global biofuel farming has raised the cost of fertilizer, farmland, and food all over the world. Malnutrition is the world's #1 cause of avoidable premature death, and the #1 cause of avoidable mental retardation in children. Biofuels kill through malnutrition and related illness, not through bullets and bombs. Those deaths are not reported by our media because biofuels are a diffuse crime. The bodies of the poor who died from high food prices are scattered all over the Third World, and their families do not have lawyers. America currently uses well over 40% of its corn crop to manufacture ethanol for fuel, but that ethanol satisfies just 5% of U.S. transportation energy. Ethanol contains one third less energy per gallon than gasoline, so ethanol mandates lower our miles per gallon while increasing engine repair bills. Biofuel production is eroding away the last remaining half of America's prime Midwest topsoil at an alarming rate. In America, topsoil is being lost ten times faster than it is being replenished. What will our grandchildren eat when all of our topsoil is gone? Biofuel farming is also speeding the depletion of the world's finite supplies of phosphates needed to make fertilizer. Ask yourself, in this overpopulated world with limited agricultural resources, was it a good idea to make cars and trucks our competitors for food? Why is it more "green" to drill the human food supply for energy than Alaska? Biofuels increase water pollution, aggravate water shortages, accelerate deforestation, and are inherently energy inefficient because their manufacture requires large amounts of fossil fuels to produce. The bottom line is that biofuel production is indefensible by any measure and amounts to an unnecessary war on the human food supply and our own children. Exposure to pesticides has been shown to lower IQ in children while reducing verbal skills and cognition. There is no significant consumer demand for biofuels, which have always been a government mandated energy scheme. It should be noted that during the 2016 election campaign, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump endorsed continued biofuel mandates. Was their enthusiastic support driven by scientific facts, or by their desire to win the farm belt vote and the Iowa Caucus? Biofuels have become an entrenched big business with a powerful political lobbying organization. Only an intense voter revolt can end the global biofuel disaster. From Paul Craig Roberts Website US intelligence services, the Democratic Party, some Republicans including members of President Trump's own government, and the presstitute US media are conspiring against American democracy and the President of the United States. We know this from a public letter to Trump published today, July 24, 2017, on consortiumnews.com by Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. See it here. Unlike the CIA, NSA, and FBI, the veteran intelligence professionals performed forensic investigations. They found conclusive evidence that the alleged "Guccifer 2.0" July 5, 2016 intrusion into the DNC server [these are the emails that show the DNC working for Hillary against Sanders] was not hacked but leaked. The leaked documents were copied onto an external storage device and doctored with a cut-and-paste job to implicate Russia as having hacked the documents. In other words, the alleged hack was instead a copy from the inside that was subsequently doctored to reflect Russian origin. The veteran intelligence professionals surmise that this was done in order to focus attention away from the embarrassing content of the emails, placing attention instead on "Russian interference in the US presidential election." As I see it, the success of this false and orchestrated story of Russian hacking, for which not a scrap of evidence exists, revealed to the military/security complex the opportunity to remove Trump and thus protect the oversized budget and power of the military/security complex that is threatened by Trump's intention to normalize relations with Russia. It revealed to the Hillary forces the opportunity to vindicate themselves with the argument that Russia stole the election for Trump. It revealed to Israel the opportunity to put an end to Trump's withdrawal of US interference in the Middle East, thus enabling Israel to continue to use the US military to clear away obstacles to Israeli expansion. It provided the presstitutes, who hate Trump and "the deplorables" who elected him, with a headline story for months and months to be followed in their expectations with the story of Trump's removal from the presidency. The retired intelligence professionals are too circumspect to tell President Trump outright that a conspiracy is underway to remove him from office whether by impeachment or assassination by a right-wing "lone nut" enraged at the traitorous president, but this does seem to be the message between the lines. As I have provided the link to the letter, you can read it and come to your own conclusion. In the world of scotch whisky, the term single malt has a very special meaning, one that is often revered (perhaps to a fault) by both those in and out of the know. For better or for worse, the term has become synonymous with quality. The reverence attached to it is sort of silly; there are many fine blended scotch whiskies as well. But the distinction associated with being known as a single malt persists. The coffee world has its own special signifiers as well. One of these is single origin coffee, something you can purchase from many high-end coffee shops and premium roasters. Its a term that has a certain amount of cache as well, but what does it really mean? I talked to representatives from several different coffee companies about it to determine exactly how much value we should give to the term single origin, what its real meaning is, and what difference it makes as far as the flavor in your cup. What exactly is single origin coffee? Single origin is insisting that the producers and terroir of the coffee drive the sale, not the roaster, says Charlie Habegger, Blue Bottle Coffees green coffee buyer. Its a broad term that sellers use for coffees of an intentionally specific place that are meant to evoke a sense of place through flavor. According to Habegger, the place in question can be many things a farming cooperative, a particular plot or farm, or even a specific period of picking the coffee beans. Illy master barista Giorgio Milos and Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. founder Jordan Karcher have thoughts on what the term refers to as well. The simplest way to define the term is coffee beans that come from a specific country (Ethiopia, Brazil, Costa Rica, etc.), says Milos. The region can range from a country (i.e. single origin Ethiopian) to a sub-appellation (i.e single origin Ethiopian Yirgacheffe), and all the way down to a single lot on a farm, explains Karcher (whose company gives 20% of its earnings away to dog charities). How does single origin translate to quality, the way in which the coffee is sourced, and pricing? Its a complicated answer to a multi-faceted question, but what it boils down to is that just because coffee is called single origin doesnt necessarily mean that its of a higher quality. As in any food industry, the product (coffee in this case) could be high or low quality, according on the agriculture practices and the after-harvesting processes, says Milos. An important point is that by calling a coffee single origin, the understanding is that there will be some level of transparency as to where the coffee was grown and how it was processed. Regarding price, you tend to pay a premium for single origin coffees, says Karcher, as most boutique roasters who offer single origin beans do so with the intent to provide the best representation of coffee from a specific region, farm, etc. Blue Bottles Habegger likens the process of a coffee company sourcing single origin coffee to being able to inspect every berry in a basket of strawberries for quality. Imagine making one small bowl of only the ripest, reddest, softest strawberries, he says. You might get something dramatically sweeter, floral, or more syrupy tasting than the average. You could avoid a lower denominator by isolating only the most compelling, successful strawberries. And for the people interested in connecting with something selective like this, this would be worth a much higher price. The same goes for coffee. So is single origin coffee better than a blend? Karcher talks about what he calls single origin loyalists, people who think blends are inferior, but he believes that the two categories serve different purposes. For the blend, we are focusing on creating a consistent, multi-dimensional coffee experience, he says. With single origin coffee, we focus on emphasizing flavors and characteristics offered by the appellation (and processing method) itself. Habegger describes how blends have traditionally been the most popular product in the marketplace as coffee was for a long time a commodity instead of a luxury. Traditionally, the act of blending allowed companies to mask flaws, keep their products consistent, and keep prices balanced for large volumes over long periods of time, he says. But Blue Bottle treats its blends with the same respect it would give to a single origin coffee, as the company highlights the skills of both its roasters and cuppers. Blends begin as a creative idea and a way to celebrate a particular theme or flavor set in coffee, and then we seek out the exact terroirs and producers that are providing this year after year and partner with them. Also, a blend is going to be made better by the quality of components that are used in it. If high quality single origin coffee is used in the blend, the resulting product will be tastier and of a higher caliber. Unfortunately, many coffee roasters use mediocre-low quality beans for their blends. Thats why people think that a single origin is better quality, says Illys Milos. Coffee lovers tend to get the same coffee (a blend they like that has a consistent taste) regularly, and try something new (single origin) on occasion. Single origin coffee is not consistent; like in wine, every season is different and the product is different as well. Of course, the best way to understand the nuances of single origin coffee is to try it. So here are some recommendations of single origin coffee from each of these purveyors to try for yourself. Sumatra Takengon Mahara is a microlot from the Mahara coop in Aceh where we buy coffee for the blends. I was visiting them last year and the coffee we were drinking on the farms was spectacular, and I found out a small group had decided to pick more selectively as an experiment. We penciled out a business plan that afternoon for a picking schedule to get enough coffee of this technique for Blue Bottle to sell. The result was shipped in the same container with our all-coop lot that is currently in Giant Steps and Bella Donovan (blends). The Mahara microlot is sold separately. Myanmar Shan State Kyauk Kuu Pyin is a coffee produced by one very small village in southern Shan State. Their coffee this year was distinctly tart and tangy, and were air-shipping a small amount to the US direct from Myanmar so we can serve it months ahead of the rest of our shipment. This will be a first taste of Burmese coffee for almost every one of our customers, which makes me very happy, because it is wonderful. Costa Rica Regulo de Rivas is a single-family farm in Rivas, near San Isidro de El General, Costa Rica. Blue Bottle has bought from the Urena family for three years now, and they pick, process, and mill all entirely on their own small family land. We will sample each individual plot from the farm, all with different elevations and varieties of coffee, and will combine plots together for the best possible representation of their farm. Then they mill and blend on the property, pack the container, and it ships directly to us. And we often have far less than a full container to ship, but we happily pay the extra cost because it allows them to work completely independently of other exporters, and not have to agonize over possible delays during harvest time. Their coffee is caramel-y and juicy in tactile with some lovely tropical fruit notes.Charlie Habegger Illy has a line of nine different single origin coffees that represent the nine ingredients of the legendary illy blend. The single origin coffees provide coffee lovers with a better understanding of how a blend is created and illy achieves the distinctive taste and flavor profile of its proprietary blend. The most popular single origin is the one from Brazil Cerrado Mineiro. It is also the one we recommend for cold brew preparation. Its beautiful dark chocolate notes are highlighted by the cold preparation. My favorite of the nine single origin is the Guatemala Huehuetenango for its sweetness, caramel/honey notes and a clean sweet after taste. The most distinct out of all nine is Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for its harmony of aromas with jasmine and lavender floral notes.Giorgio Milos Our line of single origin coffee ranges from full-bodied, savory beans from Papua New Guinea, to crisp beans from Ethiopia. During the warm summer months, Im a sucker for the bright, floral notes of an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe pour-over. On a slow Saturday morning, I cant pass up a French press of our single origin Mexican Chiapas. The bean has incredible natural sweetness, complimented by hints of milk chocolate and cherry. We currently offer five single origin coffees (Mexican Chiapas, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Papua New Guinea, Colombia, and Peru), and each will provide a unique sipping experience.Jordan Karcher Let's do this. We're up here. Back up in the air of course. Doesn't look steep. But it is! Feel the berm! Up again. Where to now? Gap time. One last gap. In his latest video, Jeff finds some unique inspiration at a neighborhood garage sale, with a handy guide book to riding Vancouver Island ("Get in the Van! Vancouver Island that is!" Insider tips to discover Canada's Second Most Populated Island After The Island of Montreal by Bike"). Fly into the sunny shores, and check through the list of things to do, and best places to visit, in one of the most special places in British Columbia, Canada.Like any trip worth remembering, be sure to take only photos (and video!), and leave only tire prints.Let's look at a few photos from the trip. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 16:09:48 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 653 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 The growing beauty products market has been increasing the demand for value-enriched cosmetics. The market is flooded with various cosmetic chemicals. Cosmetic chemicals are the basic ingredients found in cosmetic products including soap, shampoo, lipstick, mascara, deodorants and other beauty products (excluding the products listed under therapeutic goods). At present, various cosmetic business enterprises use more than 5000 different chemical compositions to offer selected cosmetic products. Based on its end use applications, cosmetic chemical have been further divided into surfactants, emollients, conditioning polymers, and UV absorbers. These chemical-based products contain preservatives which hinder microbial growth and thereby offer longer shell life to the cosmetics. In addition, these chemicals contain a variety of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, herbs, hormones, and fragrances. This vast range of cosmetic chemicals allows business cosmetics to deliver different types of cosmetics in the market, thereby offering a vibrant market to cosmetic industries.Their use is widely found in personal care products. A wide range of applications ranging from anti-ageing cream to shampoo is driving the cosmetic chemical market to its zenith. Companies these days are focusing on organic grade cosmetic chemicals as they are considered to be a healthier option when compared to commodity surfactants and petroleum oils. The cosmetic chemicals market has been segmented into skin care products, make up products, hair care products and fragrance products. Among all its market segments, cleaning agents and foaming agents are the enduse applications that account for the largest percentage of the market. Skin care products accounted for 31% of global cosmetic market in year 2013. Though cosmetic chemicals offer many options to formulate cosmetics depending on different skin types, the market is shifting towards natural surfactants primarily because of the rising safety concerns of sulfate-based surfactants.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-as-31 Globally, North America is the largest market for cosmetic product consumption. It accounted for 21.2% of global market share in 2012. USA with US$ 54.89 billion in 2012 is the biggest cosmetic market. However, with the rising dominance of non-western beauty culture in Eastern region, the market share is set to shift towards ASEAN region. Ethnic and cultural diversity in APAC, and particularly in ASEAN region,are driving the cosmetics market vertically upwards. Growing consumer class in ASEAN region from 67 million population to 125 million population by 2025 will offer a lucrative market for various business cosmetic business channels. A large consumer base, ample natural resources, availability of cheap labor and easing of policies such as FDI by government, are the main driving factors for the cosmetic chemicals market in ASEAN markets.In the ASEAN region, the cosmetic market has been witnessing a double digit growth every 5 years. GDP at the constant price shows a vertically upwards trend in these regions. The rise in the middle class population in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Philippines is the major driving factor for the growth of this sector, while in Malaysia and Singapore, wealthy segments contribute largely to it. Skin care products are set to witness exponential growth in the ASEAN market, thereby offering lucrative business opportunities in the cosmetic chemicals market.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-as-31 There is a flood of suppliers in cosmetic chemicals which results in a fragmented market. However, the demand for premium personal care products has led to consolidation of the market, thus leading to high competitiveness among the dominant players in this market. The prominent players of cosmetic chemicals market include Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Givaudan SA, Merck KGaA, Shell Chemical and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.With the new emerging markets such as ASEAN, BRIC, and MEA, the future seems optimistic for cosmetic chemicals companies. Together, these regions offer a large market owing to the high population of youth in the age group of 15-39 years. Though the market seems promising in the long run, companies have to spend lump sum amounts on R&D to comply with the governments regulatory demands. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 12:55:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 385 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Aztec Minerals Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, BC (FSCWire) - Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSX Venture:AZT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Aztec Minerals Commences Exploration Program at Cervantes PropertyTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Aztec Minerals Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Aztec Minerals Corp.Source: Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSX Venture: AZT)Date: July 25, 2017Time: 6:55 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Aztec Minerals Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 16:15:57 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 898 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Energy harvesting, one of the most promising technologies to address the energy crises without altering the existing energy sources, is foreseen to witness staggering demand and innovation in the near future. The process of energy harvesting harnesses the power of ambient energy to use later in varied applications. With growing use of ambient energy and advent of the energy harvesting technology, the energy harvesting market is currently heading at a considerable pace globally.FMI extensive research indicates that the global energy harvesting market is anticipated to gain momentum and grow at a double-digit CAGR by 2020 end. A number of newly innovated efficient energy applications and widespread acceptance of renewable energy sources are expected to play a vital role in the growth of the global energy harvesting market during the forecast period 2014-2020.Key Drivers: Energy Harvesting MarketDuring the past decade, there has been growing demand for safe, power efficient, and enduring systems, which require minimum or no maintenance. This is a major driver of market growth, expected to continue pushing the demand for devices based on the energy harvesting technology. Growing applications of the energy harvesting technology in building and home automation is another key driver to the market growth.Moreover, industrial WSN demand energy harvesting on a large scale, which is expected to continue during the forecast period as well. The green energy trend is effectively governing the market, while favourable initiatives by various governments are also boosting the market on a global level.Abundance of renewable energy sources, including tidal, wind, and ocean energy provide a dependable platform for the innovation of energy harvesting applications. This is also an influential factor contributing to the growth of market.Key Restraints to Market GrowthThe technology based on energy harvesting is typically used off-grid or on-demand. However, both of these usage patterns possess some technological complexities, which may restrict the widespread demand for energy harvesting devices in the market. Another deterring factor includes inadequate awareness among consumers about the availability and usage of the devices based on harvested energy.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-58 Moreover, relatively higher initial costs associated with these devices are expected to curtail the growth of the market globally. The energy harvesting technology generates lower current, which makes it incompatible for the application in all types of energy domains.Global Energy Harvesting Market: SegmentationFMIs research on the global energy harvesting market provides a six-year forecast, segmenting the market on the basis of different energy sources/fields, applications, and geography.On the basis of different energy sources/fields, the energy harvesting market is segmented into radiation (solar, electromagnetic, and light), mechanical (fluid, elastic, kinetic, and potential), chemical (battery, fuel cells, and phase change), nuclear, magnetic, electric, thermal, and gravitational. Among these, electric and magnetic fields form the most common source for harvesting energy.Based on the application, the energy harvesting market is segmented as wireless sensor network (WSN), consumer electronics, industrial, building, bicycle dynamo, military and aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and others (research, animals, and farming). Among these, consumer electronics, including mobile phones, wrist watches, calculators, and piezoelectric gas lighters cover the maximum share of the global energy harvesting market, followed by military and aerospace-based applications. However, building and home automation is the fastest growing application segment in the energy harvesting sector. Energy harvesting is also an integral part in a wireless sensor network (WSN) these days.According to the geography, the energy harvesting market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Among these, Americas are projected to remain the dominating markets in 2016, with a significant market share. However, Europe will be the fastest growing market, owing to burgeoning promotion and investments by The European Commission in R&D of energy harvesting and storage devices. North America and Asia Pacific will also account for remarkable market shares by 2020 end. In North America, the U.S. will dominate, whereas in APAC, Japan will reportedly contribute the largest share to the total energy harvesting market revenues.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-58 Notable Market TrendsBuilding and infrastructure, automation of lighting, security, and electronics at homes, and WSNs for bridges include some of the most sought after applications of energy harvesting since the past few years.The use of mmWave (millimetre wave) for 5G cellular networks has been a popular trend of wireless energy harvesting.The market is expected to gain traction from growing application of energy harvesting in wearable devices and mobile phones.Energy harvesting is estimated to find increasing applications in automobile industry in the near future.The advent of nanotechnology has offered ample of growth opportunities to the energy harvesting market. Since nanotechnology helps manufacturing of compact-sized devices, the emergence of portable devices based on energy harvesting technology is the most likely occurrence in the market.Key Players: Global Energy Harvesting MarketSome of the prominent players competing in the industry include ABB Limited, Arveni, Enocean, Fujitsu, Cypress Semiconductor Corp., Green Peak Technologies, Honeywell International, Inc., Levant Power Corporation, Marlow Industries, Inc., Microchip Technology, Inc., MicroGen Systems, Maxim Integrated, G24 Innovations Limited, Texas Instruments Inc., and STMicroelectronics.Other notable players include Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Siemens AG, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Mide Technology Corporation, Laird Plc., Lord Microstrain, EnOcean GmbH, Cymbet Corporation, POWERleap, Inc., Schneider Electric, Linear Technology, Microstrain, and Micropelt. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 14:00:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 393 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Sunvest Minerals Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Sunvest Minerals Corp. (TSX Venture:SSS). has issued a press release with the following headline:Evening Star Drilling Returns Up To 7.45% CopperTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Sunvest Minerals Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Sunvest Minerals Corp.Source: Sunvest Minerals Corp. (TSX Venture: SSS, WKN: A2AFZ5, ISIN: CA86804N1069)Date: July 25, 2017Time: 8:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Sunvest Minerals Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 16:19:49 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 628 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Bio composites or green composites are formed by a biopolymer matrix and reinforcement of natural fibres. Someare degradable materials, but this is rare.Increasing concerns for the environment is a major driver of the bio composite market. Need for green composites is driven by depleting natural resources like crude oil (crude oil is a major component of non-bio composites), focus on reducing environmental pollution levels and utilization of agricultural waste. Natural fibres used in bio composites include natural fibres like Jute,wood flour, sugarcane bagasse, oil palm fibre,rice husk etc.Natural fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites have gained popularity for commercial use in the automotive industry. The advantages of natural fibres over manmade glass fibre include reduced cost, low density, distinct mechanical properties, less energy consumption etc. Automakers are currently shifting towards bio composites as natural fibres like hempare tougher than steel and is also cost-effective in terms of production. Bio composites are also used in the construction and marine sectors as it is easily mouldable and rigid in nature.In terms of revenue, the global polymer market was estimated to be US$ 250 billion in 2013. Projections suggest that the market will reach US$450 billion by 2025. On the other hand, globalmarket of bio-based polymer is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% - 11.5%. Increase in demand for bio composites is expected from regions of Asia Pacific, due to increasing construction, manufacturing and automotive sectors. Asia-Pacific is also estimated to be the largest automotive composite market with total share of around 43% globally. Asia-Pacific is turning into a hub for bio composite manufactures and is expected to report a high demand for bio composites over the coming years.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-77 Commercial and residential construction industry in APAC is flourishing and bio composite is preffered for manufacturing are used industry is assured to play a major role in it due to increasing environmental concerns, stringent government regulations and as a social responsibility.The key players in the market are divided into two groups which are bio composite manufacturers and bio composite suppliers. The main producers of natural fibre composites in the market are Flexform Technologies, Technaro GmbH, Procotex S.A. Corporation NV and Greengran B.V. The prominent suppliersof natural fibre composites are Stemergy, Bast Fibers, LLC and Crailar.Many companies offering bio composites are aggressively trying to enhance their product portfolio to meet customer requirements and explore untapped markets. The bio composite market in APAC is highly fragmented and existing players try to develop partnership agreements amongst themselves and with smaller companies.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-ap-77 After a decade of extraordinary developments with regard to artificial fibres, bio composites have garnered high interest from the automotive sector, especially for interior and exteriors of automobiles. Social concerns, depleting carbon resources and ecological regulations have initiated the search for new products and processes that are environment friendly. The combination of natural fibres and composites can reduce dependence on petroleum-based composite material. Bio composites could ultimately replace petroleum-based composite material in various applications areas such as automotive and construction. This could also offer new manufacturing and environmental benefits. Increasing use of bio composites can help maintain CO2 balance in Earths atmosphere. Awareness with regard to the environment and new government regulations like CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), new national and state emission standards will catalyze increased research for eco-friendly products in the application industry. As bio composites are produced from renewable sources such as wood pulp, jute fibers, cellulose fiber etc., it is imperative that the cost of raw materials will be stable in coming years. In addition to this high volume production of bio composites will also minimize the production cost, thus market prices of bio composites. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 17:35:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 393 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Gungnir Resources Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSX Venture:GUG). has issued a press release with the following headline:Gungnir Provides an Exploration Update and Plans for 2017To view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Gungnir Resources Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Gungnir Resources Inc.Source: Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSX Venture: GUG, WKN: A116WL, ISIN: CA40281L1094)Date: July 25, 2017Time: 11:35 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Gungnir Resources Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 00:29:32 Press Information NZ Vino 230 Pacific Street, Santa Monica, 90405, California, US NZ Vino Information (844) 569-9463 email https://nzvino.com/ # 359 Words 230 Pacific Street, Santa Monica, 90405, California, USInformation(844) 569-9463 New Zealand can genuinely lay claim to some of the best wines on earth, and with over 700 wineries, New Zealand produces a vast range of diverse wine styles. The range of conditions, climates, and soils is huge, and many of these wines produced here are exceptional. However, few people outside of New Zealand know about them.Graham Painter of NZ Vino, has found the opportunities to be promising for Syrah, Chardonnay, and Cabernet-led blends, and credits Sauvignon Blanc and the Marlborough region in particular for the awareness of New Zealands potential for fine wines, in a clean environment with multiple terroirs and micro-climates. Add to that a dedication within New Zealand to indigenous ferments, natural farming techniques, and minimal intervention, plus a heightened cultural awareness globally about New Zealand, and non-Sauv Blanc wines emerge as a noteworthy market opportunity.Cathy Huyghes Wednesday Night Wine group, spotlights everyday consumer opinions about wines from a particular theme. The tastings make no claim to comprehensive study or analysis, which relaxes participants and opens the door to fun, casual exploration.Everyday wine consumers, aside from a certain loyalty to wines that they know and enjoy, are also curious to find new, fresh options especially if they are familiar enough. That familiar enough quality was never more apparent than at the Wednesday Night Wine Group, tasting wines from New Zealand that are not Sauvignon Blanc. Each of these wines is part of the NZ Vino portfolio, which are sold direct-to-consumer in the U.S.Cameron Douglas, MS curates an online selection, for NZ Vino, of the best New Zealand wines that you can buy. In the US, 85% of New Zealand wine sold is Sauvignon Blanc and most of that is entry-level wine that lacks the subtlety and complexity of our finer wines. To address the problem, Graham Painter formed NZ Vino to introduce his US friends, and other wine lovers, to some of the best wines theyd never heard of.Anyone who has travelled to New Zealand can attest to the unbelievable variety and quality of our wines, so to find out more please visit the website at https://nzvino.com/ Egg and Egg Products Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 10:58:06 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 436 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.com3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Products which are obtained from different blends and components of eggs and are ready for human consumption are known as egg products. Egg products can partly be complemented by additives or some other food products. They can be found in different forms such as concentrated, crystallized, deep-frozen, liquid, solid, and frozen with a shelf life of three weeks.About 70% of the eggs are mainly produce in the economies of China, India, U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, and France. In which 36% of the eggs are produce in China and about 11% in Latin America. There are different types of eggs products available in the market which includes pasteurized liquid egg, pasteurized liquid yolk, pasteurized liquid white, dehydrated white, dehydrated egg, hardboiled egg, dehydrated yolk, and ready-cooked meals with egg as their main ingredient.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-217 As egg and egg products offers a source of protein to the consumers with the slightest environment impact is the major factor driving the growth of the market. Technology changes, government regulations are some of the factors contributing to the growth of the market. As the industry is continuously changing due to rising demand, increasing consumption and production of egg and egg products and technology advancement the market has huge growth opportunities in future. But, the insignificant growth in the international trade with some exceptions can act as a restraint for the market.Some of the key players of the market are Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., Land O'Lakes, Inc., Noble Foods Ltd, Tyson Foods, Inc., and Ningbo Jiangbei Dexi Foods Co. Ltd.This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product type and distribution channels.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRequest For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-217 Regional analysis includesNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificJapanMiddle East and AfricaThe report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Browse Full Report@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/egg-products-market Food Enzymes Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 10:59:13 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 368 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.com3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Enzymes are the protein produced by live cells which helps in the chemical reactions without being itself changed. Enzymes are used in food processing for various purposes such as to enhance nutritive value, to produce desirable aromas and flavors and mainly to control food appearance and texture.Food processing industry is presently the largest user of industrial enzymes acquiring almost around 40% of the USD 400 million markets. Enzymes such as amylase is used in making of high fructose corn syrup, rennet another type of food enzyme are used in cheese making, proteases are used as meat tenderizer, and pullulanase are used in making of lite beer. The North America and Europe are the market leader but in future demand is expected to be more from the markets of Asia Pacific regions for food enzymes.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-223 One of the major factors driving the growth of the food enzymes are their use in the industry for fermentation. Other factors such as their high performance and the environment benefit associated with it also contributing in the growth of the market. In future, immobilized enzymes are expected to replace the batch fermentations for producing non-nutritive sweetener, amino acids, aspartic acid and tryptophan. In addition, immobilization of rennet can increase the process of developing innovative methods in the fermentation of dairy industry.Novozymes is the market leader in the food enzymes market occupying major share of the market. Some of the other major players of the food enzymes markets are Danisco, DSM and AB Enzymes.This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product type and distribution channels.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-223 The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificJapanMiddle East and AfricaBrowse Full Report@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/food-enzymes-market PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 16:17:51 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 640 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Waterproofing chemicals are a specific set of products that protect the structural integrity of buildings from water penetration. Excess water penetration in buildings can shorten theirlife span, thus leading to electrical, metal and health hazards. Waterproofing chemicals increase the shelf life of concretes and offer durability to infrastructures when applied to the exterior of a foundation system. These functions lower the maintenance cost of buildings. Rise in construction cost and raw material are the driving factors for the waterproofing industry.Polyurethane, elastomeric coatings, expanded polyethylene, polysulphide sealants, and acrylic polymer are some of the important waterproofing chemicals. These chemicals are available in liquid, solid, and slurry form. Waterproofing chemicals are further segmented into sheet membranes and liquid applied systems. The enduse segments are residential, commercial, and industrial infrastructure development.With the construction chemical market contributing 9% of global GDP, waterproofing chemical market is set to accelerate itsgrowth in emerging economies including China and India.With easy availability of raw material and major projects lined up for boosting infrastructure investment, asia pacific is the most profitable market for waterproofing industries. With 26% market share China has overtaken USA in terms of volume. China along with India and other important asia pacific region contributes to half of the global waterproofing market. Asia pacific will see a massive rise in infrastructure owing to Chinas main focus on infrastructure under its 12th Five Year Plan and the Make in India concept driven by the Indian government. With construction companies flourishing in India due to the rise in skyscrapers and malls, the waterproofing chemical market will gain substantial momentum in the near future. Malaysia is the next potential market for waterproofing chemicalsin the asia pacific region. Malaysian government has allocated US$ 23 billion to boost its infrastructure. These potential market will give steady momentum to waterproofing chemicals.Europe is the second largest market for waterproofing chemicals. It accounts for nearly one-fourth of the total market share by volume. Europe possesses monumental heritage buildings which need quality care. Also, being an industrialised region, Western Europe will be a profitable destination for waterproofing chemical industries.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-71 North America is the third most profitable destination for chemical industries. This market stumbled after the 21st century economic crisis. Since then it has been witnessing a slow recovery in waterproofing industries. High rise skyscrapers and technological advancement will fuel the growth momentum of waterproofing industries in coming years in this region. Chemical industries and marine industries are the other major sectors which will escalate the demand for waterproofing chemicals.Analysing the profitable trend, this market is set to witness key mergers and acquisitions of small and medium-sized enterprises(SME) companies by big business enterprises.Latin America is the third most profitable destination for waterproofing chemicals market. Being the next Olympic destination and a key member of BRICS, many new infrastructure investmentshave been lined up in Brazil. This will fuel growth inthe waterproofing chemical market. Though, Latin America will be a major destination for chemical industries in near future, CAGR growth will be moderate in comparison to the asia pacific and European markets.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-ap-71 BASF, SIKA AG, Forsoc, and Pidlite are the major players in waterproofing chemicals segment.With major companies investing 3% of their sales revenue in R&D, this market is set to flourish in emerging economies. The demand for eco-friendly chemicals is further accelerating the waterborne coatings market. Rising population in China and India are the other key drivers for this industry. With low cost and less sophisticated technologies,liquid applied membranes in the waterproofing chemical segment will witness a massive rise among developing economies. Low awareness levels, lack of skilled labour, and inconsistent export policies in some of the major emerging economies will be the major causes of concern among chemical industries. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 16:12:37 Press Information Future market insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 888 Words Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Connected cars are considered to be the future of automobile industry. In addition to wireless LAN devices, connected cars have active safety solutions and automated driver assistance systems. Enabling car owners to connect with all the connectivity devices that are inside and in the vicinity of cars, connected cars also assure to maintain safe distance between cars on roads.These cars also allow drivers to mechanically monitor cars performance and physical condition. The connected car technology can also be used to connect to cars through smartphones or other mobile devices.Research indicates that the market for connected cars, after 2010, has been growing in a nascent stage each year. Providing a wide range of opportunities to automotive and telecom industries, as well as consumers, the market is anticipated to gain mass penetration and witness substantial growth in the near future.Europe, which is currently the second largest market for connected cars, is estimated to outpace North America and create the largest market by 2020 end. Rising demand for vehicle safety and security will continue to be a key driver for market growth.Europe Connected Cars Market: Key DriversIncreasing demand for electric vehicles from European consumers is playing a crucial role in boosting the market for connected cars. Moreover, the market is predicted to gain traction due to widespread adoption of mobile and wireless technologies.Some governments within EU are introducing various regulations and initiatives regarding vehicles safety, which could be a favourable move for connected car manufacturers and dealers. In addition, availability of advanced telecom and road infrastructure will also continue to fuel the European market for connected cars.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-44 Key RestraintsWhile the connected car technology and smartphone technology are conjoint in this industry, the difference in their lifecycles is significant. Car development is a five-year cycle but the smartphone is developed within a much shorter time span. This is expected to act as a major restraint for connected cars in tandem with smartphone technology.Moreover, car manufacturers will need long-term, compatible mobile partners, which is currently a challenge.A recent survey concluded that many consumers from the U.K., Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, and Italy are concerned about the lack of standards across connected car manufacturers. This is anticipated to be a major barrier in the market.Research reflects significant reluctance among consumers about data privacy and digital safety. A sizeable consumer population still prefers to personalise their cars web connection via smartphones USB or Bluetooth, rather than buying a connected car with built-in options. This is another factor that could be a major roadblock to market.Furthermore, many people are not yet ready to pay separately for embedded car connection, which is foreseen to be a setback for the market in Europe.Segmentation: Europe Connected Cars MarketFMIs research on the European market for connected cars provides a six-year forecast, segmenting the market on the basis of technology, hardware, service, and application.On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into long-term evolution (LTE), Wi-Fi, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), and others.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-44 The hardware segment is further segmented as processor, sensor, CPU, memory device, and wireless and cellular module.Based on the service, the market is segmented into original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) services, connected services, after-market services, and other services (e.g. safety services).According to the application, the market is segmented as telematics, navigation, safety and security, infotainment, and communications. However, the safety and security segment is expected to outperform all the segments, followed by infotainment, which is said to record the fastest growth in the European connected cars market.Europe Estimated to Surpass the Current Market Leader, North AmericaThe EU has always been highly supportive in promoting the connected car technology. The European CEN and ETSI have set certain standards for cooperative intelligence transport systems (ITS), as per the demand from the European Commission for safer, more efficient, and more sustainable transport. The latest standards make it mandatory for manufacturers to equip each car model with a GPS system and 3G/4G connectivity. Moreover, the technology is expected to interconnect drivers with automakers, dealers, and auto repair shops. This has been a major breakthrough for the connected cars market in Europe.Influential Trends in the Connected Cars MarketComplete smartphone integration, teen drivers monitoring, digital dashboards, GPS navigation systems with travel guidance, and self-driving (driverless cars) technology are the most notable trends in the connected cars industry, in Europe and globally.In the recent past, Volvo has launched a corporate initiative, according to which self-driving cars and autonomous driving features will be in market in the near future. The companys Drive Me Project in 2017 also featured 100 self-driving Volvos on public roads.Key Players: European Connected Cars MarketKey players in the European connected cars market include Apple, Inc., Airbiquity, Inc., BayerischeMotorenWerke AG (BMW), Delphi Automotive LLP, Ford Motor Company, Microsoft Corporation, TATA Consultancy Services Ltd., Toyota Motors Corp., Verizon Communications, Inc., and AT&T, Inc.Major car manufacturers have already started taking efforts toward smartphone integration to cater to connectivity demand from consumers. Since several companies from telecom and software verticals are rapidly entering the connected cars market, OEMs are expected to concentrate on strengthening their hold in the market. PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-25 13:00:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 394 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Theralase Technologies Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture:TLT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Theralase Achieves Exploratory Endpoint of Efficacy for Anti-Cancer TechnologyTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Theralase Technologies Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Theralase Technologies Inc.Source: Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture: TLT, ISIN: CA88337V1004, WKN: A0DLB7, OTCQX: TLTFF)Date: July 25, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Theralase Technologies Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) 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. Backroads Pledges $40,000 in Matching Grant Funds during July Fundraising Campaign Contact Brooke Slezak ***@brookeslezak.com Brooke Slezak End -- Backroads, the world's leading active travel company, and World Bicycle Relief are joining forces again during the month of July to help deliver the power of bicycles to students in need. With a generous match grant of $40,000, Backroads encourages others to contribute to World Bicycle Relief's July fundraising campaign,, and help reach the goal of providing 3,200 bicycles for the next generation of students in Zambia.Over four million children live in poverty in Zambia and more than 375,000 children in rural regions are not enrolled in school. Many factors contribute to children not attending school. For rural students, a common and significant barrier to accessing education is distance; students often face long, exhausting walks over difficult terrain. For girl students, who are also required to perform hours of domestic chores in the morning, a long walk proves even more challenging. Students often arrive late and tired and academic performance suffers, if they manage to stay in school at all.Backroads' match grant to World Bicycle Relief will have a direct and immediate impact on the lives of students in Zambia. A 2012 Education Report highlighted that access to a high quality bicycle dramatically changes educational outcomes; students with bikes increase attendance by 28% and increase academic performance by 59%."Backroads' involvement with World Bicycle Relief parallels our efforts to promote the bike, not only as a recreational tool, but also as a powerful agent of change for students in rural developing regions worldwide," said Backroads Founder and President, Tom Hale. "Supporting World Bicycle Relief's July campaign speaks to the core of what we believe in as a company."World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 50,000 bicycles to students in Zambia since 2009.will support World Bicycle Relief's continued commitment to provide more bicycles and brighter futures for the next generation of Zambian students."Together, we can go further," says Katie Bolling, Development Director of World Bicycle Relief. "That's the power of our relationship with Backroads. We're truly grateful that Backroads not only believes in our work, but has committed to real change by putting bikes in the hands of students who need them most."Learn more aboutand how your gift can go twice as far thanks to the generosity of Backroads here:Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been in business for more than 38 years. The company hosts thousands of guests, 75% of whom are repeat guests or referrals from past guests, in hundreds of locations across the globe. Backroads is a founding member of the Adventure Collection. For more information, please visit www.backroads.com ( http://www.backroads.com/% 22%20%5Ct%20% 22_blank ) or calldaily, 6 am - 6 pm, Pacific time.Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief mobilizes people through The Power of Bicycles. World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by distributing specially designed, high-quality bicycles through philanthropic and social enterprise programs. These purpose-designed bicycles are built to withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas. Entrepreneurs use the bicycles to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and improve their academic performance. And health care workers visit more patients in less time, providing better, more consistent care. World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training field mechanics to service the bicycles. To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 350,000 bicycles and trained over 1,700 field mechanics in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. World Bicycle Relief is a registered nonprofit in the USA, Canada, U.K., Germany and Australia, and has assembly facilities in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Angola.For more information, please visit: http://worldbicyclerelief.orgFollow us @PowerOfBicycles and Like us at facebook.com/worldbicyclereliefBrooke Slezakbrooke@brookeslezak.compress@worldbicyclerelief.orgMobile: 917.689.6024Liz EinbinderLiz_Einbinder@Backroads.com510-292-2753 Wilmington, Delaware, residents can find affordable dentures and dental implants in West Chester, PA. By: Affordable Dental Solutions Affordable dental implants and dentures aren't a far drive from Wilmington, DE. Contact Jamie Jaskolka ***@affordabledentalsolutions.com Jamie Jaskolka End -- Whether residents of Wilmington, Delaware, need dental implants or dentures, affordable dental care is closeby thanks to Affordable Dental Solutions (ADS) in nearby West Chester, PA.Dental implants in West Chester start at only $2,000 and include both the abutment and crown, which add a finished look to a patient's new smile.In addition, both full and partial dentures can be found close to the Wilmington area. Full dentures are only $495/arch and partial dentures are only $595/arch."Although our prices are low," explains Dr. Michelle Bernreuther, implants professional at ADS in West Chester, "our dental implants, dentures, and other solutions are of the highest quality."The new location in West Chester, the fourth location of ADS in Eastern Pennsylvania, is conveniently located only forty minutes from Wilmington, Delaware. Wilmington residents looking for missing tooth solutions should request an appointment today: http://wilmingtonimplants.com/ About Affordable Dental Solutions: Based in Eastern Pennsylvania, Affordable Dental Solutions is a provider of full dentistry services. For nearly a decade, Affordable Dental Solutions has offered patients procedures such as dental implants, crowns, and dentures at rates much lower than area competitors by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and by negotiating discounts with implant manufacturing companies. Learn more at http://wilmingtonimplants.com/ Encartele will deliver inmate telephone services to the county By: Blair County, Pennsylvania Contact Encartele Brianna Glendinning- Media Distribution Strategist ***@encartele.net EncarteleBrianna Glendinning-Media Distribution Strategist End --Encartele Inc., a technology company focusing on the corrections industry, announced today that they were awarded a bid by Blair County, Pennsylvania to provide inmate telephone services to the Blair County Prison.After visiting neighboring Bedford County to see Encartele's IceNet inmate phone system, Prison Warden Michael Johnston and Deputy Warden Abbie Tate felt that Encartele could best service the county.In addition, Encartele offered multiple solutions to issues the county was facing. The first being installing CidNET kiosks in pods, allowing for inmates to submit forms digitally. They also offered a solution to the county's outdated Jail Management System at no cost, which includes annual maintenance and support. This gives administration the ability to quickly verify guard checks and virtually eliminate paper. Blair county will also be installing Cellcast, a content broadcasting solution, in their lobby, as well as all cell blocks, this technology will aid in distributing pertinent information throughout the facility.Deputy Warden Abbie Tate comments: "We recently switched inmate phone providers to Encartele and could not be more pleased. Not only is the Encartele IceNet system very easy to manage and use, but it provides our county with a way to share reports and monitor information through their web-based software. Another feature associated with the Encartele system is a monthly service visit to maintain equipment and address problems. Encartele has been a pleasure to work with thus far and we look forward to growing our relationship with them."Encartele President Scott Moreland comments: "We're very excited to have Blair County, Pennsylvania join the Encartele family. We strive to provide the most advanced corrections technology to the industry and are very pleased to be able to bring that product and service to Blair County for many years to come."Encartele Inc. ( https://www.encartele.net/ ) is a technology company based in La Vista, Nebraska specializing in a suite of products, which are revolutionizing the corrections industry. As a pioneer of content broadcasting with their product Cellcast, Encartele is changing the way content is distributed to the corrections sector. Brazil's largest b2b trade portal and china's premiere professional cross-border e-commerce services company create joint venture to facilitate and grow b2b trade between china and brazil. Contact B2Brazil .com John Gardiner ***@b2brazil.com B2Brazil .comJohn Gardiner End -- B2Brazil Servicos Interativos Ltda. and B2Brazil LLC (together, "B2Brazil") and Dalian Manna Enterprise Service Co. ("Manna") have signed a joint venture agreement for the purpose of facilitating and supporting B2B trade transactions between Brazilian and Chinese enterprises. B2Brazil operates Brazil's largest B2B trade portal, having registered more than 30,000 buyers and sellers comprised primarily of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). China is Brazil's largest trading partner and B2Brazil's largest source of non-Brazilian members. The purpose of the joint venture is to create an offline B2B Trade Center that will facilitate, support and grow the online flow of transactions between Chinese and Brazilian companies.The B2B Trade Center will be operated through B2Brazil's Sao Paulo Head Office. SMEs encounter multiple barriers in participating in online B2B trade including language, cultural and legal barriers, and need help in order to overcome these barriers. The main function of the B2B Trade Center will be to facilitate and support this online deal flow to close and effectuate transactions through offline services, including assistance with communications, contracts, financing, logistics and so forth. Apart from this, the B2B Trade Center will also provide trade services such as product sourcing, matchmaking, supporting sales trips, and inspection services on a case-by-case basis. The goal is to help Brazilian companies grow their business in China and to help Chinese companies grow their business in Brazil."We are connecting many Brazilian and Chinese companies together online to buy and sell products, however, some companies need more than just an online connection", said John Gardiner, the Director of International at B2Brazil. "The B2B Trade Center will complement our leading online service by helping companies who meet online to close their deals offline.""The B2B Trade Center will benefit both Brazilian and Chinese SMEs", said Alexandre Martins, the Director of Brazil at B2Brazil. "We will help Brazilian sellers to close their transactions with Chinese buyers and will have the support of our partner Manna to help navigate business with China.""Entering into this joint venture for Brazil fits our expansion strategy," said Frank Sun, the Managing Director of Manna. "Brazil is a very important country for Chinese enterprises and now we can facilitate Chinese trade from both China and from Brazil."About B2BrazilB2Brazil ( https://b2brazil.com ) is a leading marketplace focused on promoting business-to-business (or B2B) contacts and transactions between Brazilian companies and companies in the rest of the world. B2Brazil is the solution for firms wishing to expand their business in an effective and efficient manner, increasing international sales and prospecting global clients. The core business is an important facilitator of trade between Brazil and the world through its multi-lingual online directories and marketplaces in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese. Member-company hotsites are published in the four languages and communications between buyers and sellers are automatically translated. Buyers from 200 countries use B2Brazil.com's services to obtain product and company information to help them buy, sell and source products and services.About MannaManna (www.mannaren.com)is a distinguished cross-border e-commerce service provider of whole industry chain, which based on cross-border e-commerce parks operation and took advantages of international E-logistics platform and cross-border e-commerce comprehensive service platform to provide online\offline integrated solutions. By now, the company is operating several cross-border e-commerce parks as well as online platform officially put into use in these multiple provinces by serving over ten thousand enterprises. Manna gradually set up cross-border e-commerce ecosystem according to needs of the enterprises. Effectively combine offline park operation, logistics, warehousing, international exhibitions, business matchmaking, and talent training with online cross-border e-commerce B2B/B2C international channels matching, logistics service, customs clearance service, tax refund service, financial service for Chinese enterprises "Go Outside" and international business "Came Inside" to provide one-stop convenient and efficient integrated service. End -- Traveling in Turkey is definitely a relief, especially for younger people after traveling through Europe this summer. Turkey is a vast country covering an area 783,356 square kilometers to the southeast of Europe. It is a country where a couple could get by on $100 per day. This includes eating delicious food, accommodation, internal and public transportation, as well as any tickets you may need to access historical and natural sites.On a budget, backpackers are advised to use a guidebook rather than a guide and to craft a relaxed itinerary flexible to take on last minute changes. And planning to visit ancient, historical sites in Turkey's beautiful countryside will surely leave a lasting impression.Visit the ancient city of Aspendos, the modern town of Belkis, and its magnificent Roman theatre, built during the reign of the legendary Marcus Aurelius between 161 AD and 180 AD. Having not lost any of its original splendor, it is one of the world's best examples of a well-preserved Roman theatre. On Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast, the site is forty-seven kilometers away from Antalya.Then move onto Cappadocia, an area in Central Anatolia best known for its moon-like landscape, underground cities, caves and houses carved in the rocks. The valley, canyon, hills and unusual rock formation were created by the erosion from rain and winds over millions of years.Travelers can literally live in a cave while exploring this amazing destination. There is nowhere on Earth quite like Cappadocia. Visitors usually arrive at sunrise (from an overnight bus) and are met with unique views of this mystical landscape. The whole area can be explored on foot with the use of a map.In keeping to a budget, one of the best places to spend time and have a world of things to do and see, is Istanbul. It is probably the most exciting city in Turkey and is jam-packed with ancient sites and wonderful experiences for backpackers.The city has great street food and an old authentic charm mixed with modern architecture. Travelers can get their hands on outstanding food usually served in heaping portions for as little as $4 per person. Mouth-watering kababs and donair kababs can be eaten from hundreds of street-stands across the city.Balk-ekmek, which literally means 'fish-bread,' is a sandwich composed of grilled mackerel, onions, tomato, and lettuce. The best Balik-ekmek are typically served from mobile grills along the Bosphorus, beside Galata Bridge.While in Taksim Square, the dilli kasarl tost sandwich is legendary. Essentially a grilled cheese sandwich enhanced with slices of beef tongue, mass consumption of the sandwich usually happens around the Beyoglu area.And anywhere is Istanbul, 'boza,' which is made from crushed millet, boiled and strained then fermented and ultimately garnished with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas, is very traditional and filling. Popularized during the Ottoman period, boza is sold by mobile vendors and from small shops or cafes.Turkish baths, or Hamams, can come in very handy at the end of a long day roaming the labyrinth-like narrow streets of Istanbul. To relax and unwind a little, venture into one of the many hamams around the city and get a scrub down, bathe in scalding hot water and chat to the locals enjoying their daily hamam trip. Hamams span back over 1,500 years and have become cultural centers for people to meet and interact.And staying in hostels or guesthouses in Istanbul is the backpacker's best bet. With rooms going for $40 to $50 per night, many travelers choose to share a room to keep to their daily budget. Flagship Event Launches September 28 at the Carlisle Fairgrounds Fall Carlisle Contact Michael Garland ***@carlisleevents.com Michael Garland End -- As the 2017 season winds down for Carlisle Events, the team in America's Automotive Hometown, Carlisle, Pennsylvania is turning its attention to their next to last event of the year; Fall Carlisle. Fall Carlisle is a five-day swap meet at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds that also includes a car corral and in conjunction with Carlisle Auctions, a three-day collector and classic car auction at the neighboring Carlisle Expo Center. This event is massive, so big in fact that nearly every inch of the 150 acres that Carlisle Events owns is filled with something automotive related. 8,100 vending spaces sell out and nearly 100,000 guests travel to Carlisle from around the world to eat, breath and live all things all things automotive.Fall Carlisle 2017 runs September 27-October 1, with the auction spanning September 28-30. The thrill of the hunt is on display throughout as guests buy, sell and trade from sun up until sun down. As the guests scour the grounds, not only is there an unmatched level of camaraderie in place, there's a bit of a competition too. See, everyone is shopping for that hard to find item and the first one to it wins, so as you can imagine, it's a bit competitive at Carlisle each spring and fall event. This also goes for cars and trucks that are for sale by owner within the car corral. Some of the best deals are found at the most unsuspecting of times.If buying and selling isn't what brings a person to Carlisle, maybe it's the chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones or get an education via FREE on stage seminars. Back by popular demand is Steve Mercurio of Pro Metal Shop. Steve is an expert fabricator and offers hands on, FREE seminars on the stage to help guests who have DIY projects on going or upcoming.The automotive side of Fall Carlisle isn't the only popular attraction. There are non-automotive options too, including a massive food court with additional vendors located about the grounds and the Women's Oasis. The Oasis, or home away from chrome, is a large tent filled with kitchen must-haves, candles, jewelry, arts, crafts and more.Along with the vendors who bring cars and parts to sell, Fall Carlisle also features a massive Manufacturers Midway that includes some of the biggest brand names within the hobby. Confirmed to date for the midway are the AACA Museum, AMSOIL, ClassicCars.com, CPI Truck, Meguiar's, Woodward Fabrications, Flowmaster, Edelbrock, Hagerty Insurance, More Than Tires and many more great companies who recognize the value of vending at Carlisle.Finally, Fall Carlisle also includes a three-day collector car auction presented by Carlisle Auctions at the neighboring Carlisle Expo Center. Complete details about the auction are available by calling 717-960-6400 or on the web at www.CarlisleAuctions.com , while Fall Carlisle details are available at www.CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855. LPP once again decided to expand its office in the Waterside building. It is their second expansion in Gdansk. This time, the tenant leased an additional 450 sq m. Knight Frank, sole agent and property manager, acted on behalf of the property owner, the Deka Immobilien fund, in the leasing [] When the Mall of Switzerland, developed by Freo, opens on 8th November 2017, the fashion label Original Marines is moving into the Mall, thus celebrating its entry into the Swiss market. The Italian company, which designs and produces clothing and accessories for children, is a winning addition to the already [] If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. With India and Pakistan as newly installed members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, China is likely to face an increasing amount of divisiveness within a regional economic and security organization accustomed to extreme comity and cooperative discussions. India's entry could especially frustrate Beijing because of rising geopolitical competition between the Asian giants and different approaches to counterterrorism. Beijing may not have even wanted India to join the SCO. Russia first proposed India as a member, likely in part to complement bilateral economic and security engagement, but mainly to constrain China's growing influence in the organization. Russia is increasingly concerned that post-Soviet SCO members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are drifting too far into China's geostrategic orbit. For example, it is well known that Moscow has long delayed implementing Chinese initiatives that would enable Beijing to reap greater benefits from regional trade, including establishing an SCO regional trade agreement and bank. As China gains more clout in Central Asia, Moscow may welcome New Delhi by its side to occasionally strengthen Russia's hand at slowing or opposing Chinese initiatives. Indeed, during a recent visit to Moscow, Modi said, India and Russia have always been together on international issues. Going forward, this strategy is likely to pay big dividends. New Delhi has a major hang-up related to the activities of its archrival Pakistan sponsored by Beijing at the 2015 SCO summit to balance Moscow's support of India and continues to be highly critical of China's so-called all-weather friendship with Islamabad. In May, New Delhi refused to send a delegation to Beijing's widely publicized Belt and Road Initiative summit, which was aimed at increasing trade and infrastructure connectivity between China and Eurasian countries. According to an official Indian statement, the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was not being pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. Indian opposition stems from the plan to build the corridor through the disputed Kashmir region and to link it to the strategically positioned Pakistani port of Gwadar, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue again during his acceptance speech at the SCO summit last month. New Delhi likely will continue to criticize the corridor in the context of the SCO because, as a full member, India has the right to protest developments that do not serve the interests of all SCO members. The SCO also offers another public stage for India to constantly question the intent behind China's exceptionally close ties to Pakistan. India-Pakistan tensions also occasionally flare up, and Beijing may have to brace for either side to use the SCO as a platform to criticize the other. In the absence of a major incident, Beijing has admirably handled the delicacy of this situation. When asked in early June whether SCO membership would positively impact India-Pakistan relations, China spokesperson Hua Chunying said: I see the journalist from Pakistan sit[s] right here, while journalists from India sit over there. Maybe someday you can sit closer to each other. Additionally, the Chinese military's unofficial mouthpiece, Global Times, published an op-ed suggesting that SCO membership for India and Pakistan would lead to positive bilateral developments. Even if that is overly optimistic, it would set the right tone as the organization forges ahead. But the odds are against China's desired outcome. Beijing needs to look no farther than South Asia for a cautionary tale. In this region, both India and Pakistan are members of the multilateral grouping known as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. New Delhi, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan, boycotted last year's summit in Islamabad because it believed Pakistan was behind a terrorist attack on an Indian army base. Even with an official ban on discussing bilateral issues in its proceedings, SAARC has been perennially hobbled by the intrusion of India-Pakistan grievances. Beijing can probably keep its close friend Islamabad in line at the SCO, but this likely won't be the case with New Delhi. Another major issue for the SCO to contend with is the security of Afghanistan. An integral component of the organization is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, aimed at combating China's three evils terrorism, extremism, and separatism. India, however, is likely to reliably and reasonably highlight the contradiction between China's stated anti-terrorism goals and the reality of its policy. Most notably, Beijing has consistently looked the other way as Pakistani intelligence services continue to support terrorist groups in Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Moreover, because India is particularly close to the Afghan government, it could seek to sponsor Afghanistan to move from observer status toward full SCO membership. This would give India even greater strength in the group and could bolster Russia's position as well. Lingering border disputes and fierce geostrategic competition in South Asia between China and India is likely to temper any cooperation Beijing might hope to achieve with New Delhi in the SCO. The unfolding Doklam dispute where Chinese and Indian troops are in a standoff is just the latest example of tense relations at multiple points along their land border. Mutual suspicions in the maritime domain persist as well, with the Indian government recently shoring up its position in the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar island chain to counter the perceived Chinese string of pearls strategy aimed at establishing access to naval ports throughout the Indian Ocean that could be militarily advantageous in a conflict. Such mutual suspicions will likely impact SCO discussions, perhaps in unpredictable ways. Although India may be an unwelcome addition and irritant to Beijing at the SCO, China does not necessarily need the SCO to achieve its regional objectives. From its announcement in 2001, the SCO gave Beijing a productive way to engage neighbors still dominated by Moscow. But today, China's economic and military strength makes it far more formidable on its own a point that is only magnified as Russian influence simultaneously recedes. For instance, even though India rejected Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative overture, China remains India's top trading partner and a critical market for all Central and South Asian states, leaving them with few other appealing options. India's entry into the SCO, however, could put Beijing in the awkward position of highlighting the organization's value, while increasingly working around or outside of it. Outright failure of the SCO would be unacceptable for China because of its central role in establishing the forum. Regardless of the bickering between countries that may break out, Beijing can be expected to make yet another show of the importance of the SCO, with all of the usual pomp and circumstance, at the next summit in June 2018. China as host makes this outcome even more likely. Derek Grossman is a senior defense analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. He formerly served at the Defense Intelligence Agency as the daily intelligence briefer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon. This commentary originally appeared on The Diplomat on July 24, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, having cast a deciding vote Tuesday to open debate on an as-yet-undefined bill to repeal and potentially replace former President Barack Obamas health care law, said his vote advances the debate about what should replace the law, also known as Obamacare. Johnsons vote carried considerable suspense. He represented the 50th vote on whether to begin debate, and unlike other senators, Johnson did not say in advance how he would vote. The yes votes cast by Johnson and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., allowed the measure to advance to Vice President Mike Pence, who broke a 50-50 tie to pass the motion. Johnson, speaking to reporters after Tuesdays vote, acknowledged that Senate Republicans have yet to agree on what should replace Obamacare. All Senate Democrats, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, voted against Tuesdays motion and staunchly oppose repealing the law. Two members of the GOP joined the Democrats in dissent: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. But had Johnson voted no, the mess that is Obamacare wouldve remained in place, he said. Weve got to keep the process going. The vote was a potential turning point for Johnson, who wavered on or flatly opposed previous Senate GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare. But details of the actual measure on which Senate Republicans will vote remained unknown Tuesday afternoon. Reports suggested they could vote on various measures to only repeal parts of Obamacare or also replace it. Johnson said Senate GOP leaders talked to him about taking up an amended version of the Senate GOP health care bill previously considered in the chamber, which would include Sen. Ted Cruzs consumer freedom amendment. That amendment would allow insurers to sell primarily to young and healthy Americans stripped-down health insurance plans that dont meet Obamacare coverage requirements, so long as they offer at least one other coverage plan that does. Supporters say the Cruz amendment would drive down health insurance premiums; critics and many nonpartisan voices say it would drive up the cost of coverage for older, sicker Americans. Johnson said hes pushing to make affordable health insurance legal again, and to save traditional Medicaid for the elderly and disabled. Moments before casting the vote, Johnson chatted on the Senate floor with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in what some reporters described as a visibly tense exchange. I just wanted to convey to (McConnell) that I wanted to be a positive influence on getting as good a bill as possible, Johnson said. Costa Rica may be forced to delay the analogue switch-off as the Ministry of Science and Technology has been affected by a major budget cut. The switch-off, which was to be the second to take place in Latin America, after Mexico, was scheduled for 15 December. However, it now faces a delay as the ministry has said that it will be impossible to secure DTT-ready receptors for all families and put the necessary advertising campaigns in place.According to local media, the main problem is for the 30% of people who have no pay-TV subscription, whose TV access depends entirely on free-to-air (FTA) TV, and who have not acquired the necessary technology to receive a digital signal.We have to be sure that people are ready to complete the switchover and, if not, we have to reconsider the conditions initially established. We cannot permit ourselves to have unconnected citizens, said Edwin Estrada, Vice Minister for Telecoms.This is the second DTT delay announced in Latin America this year, after Ecuador said at the beginning of the year that it was impossible to carry the switch-off in the country . So far, only Mexico has successfully completed the digital TV switchover. Mobile virtual network aggregator x-Mobility is partnering with TVPlayer to add TV streaming to its voice, text and data services for brands that wish to become mobile providers. Any current or future MVNO is will be able to offer its customers live, catch-up or on-demand TV broadcasts from 100 channels, including feeds from free-to-air UK TV channels BBC One, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Dave.We are seeing increasing demand for the bundling of TV with mobile services, said Frank Bow, chief commercial officer of TVPlayer . By partnering with x-Mobility, more consumers in the UK will be able to watch live TV across a variety of mobile devices.Shanks Kulam, co-founder and CMO of x-Mobility, added: First and foremost, x-Mobility is a mobile enabler for brands. We dont just stop at traditional voice, text and data services. TV streaming was always the obvious next step, and now it is in the mix, we can help brands make their bespoke communications services more compelling than ever. Telestream has integrated the Netflix Photon Java code for easy compliance testing within the latest version of the Vidchecker automated quality control (QC) system. Photon is the open source Java code provided by Netflix for parsing, interpreting and validating constituent files that make an interoperable master package (IMP) of content for submission to Netflix.Targeting broadcasters, caption and OTT service providers, production facilities and post houses, Vidchecker 7.2 speeds up compliance testing for all Netflix submissions; rather than using Netflixs rudimentary and time-consuming command line interface, contributors can test for proper IMF packaging using the automated QC capabilities central to Vidchecker, including the automatic creation of output reports.With Vidchecker 7.2, report data can be used in decision-making programs within Telestream Vantage workflows. Furthermore, Vidchecker now provides sophisticated workflow enhancement capabilities including HDR QC testing as a standard feature.The rapid evolution of Netflix has proved to be a major business driver for enterprises worldwide, so anything that simplifies and speeds up content contribution to the platform is good news for many organisations, said Paul Turner, vice president, Enterprise Products, Telestream . Vidchecker is an elegant QC solution and its close integration of both Netflix Photon and Vantage means that Telestream customers have a real advantage in contributing fully compliant content to Netflix. An Afghan official says the Taliban has seized control of a district in southeastern Afghanistan, the third to fall to the militants in as many days. The Talibans apparent capture of Jani Khel district in Paktia Province, along the porous border with Pakistan, came after days of heavy fighting. Sardar Khan Malangzoi, head of the provincial council, told Germany's dpa news agency that the district fell early on July 25 after fierce gunbattles with government forces in the district center. But a spokesman for the provincial police chief said that security forces still controlled the district center but were under attack. Malangozi said the Taliban torched the district governor's compound, the police headquarters, and a health clinic. He said both sides suffered heavy casualties. In a statement, the Taliban claimed it had captured the district. On July 23, the Taliban seized control of Taywara district in central Ghor Province and Kohistan district in northern Faryab Province. Based on reporting by dpa and Tolo News An Afghan media watchdog says at least 10 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in the first half of 2017, a 35 percent surge over last year. The Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC), an independent watchdog, said in a new report issued July 25 that the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) extremist group were responsible for most of the "direct and indirect" attacks on media workers in Afghanistan. "In the first six months of 2017, 73 cases of violence against journalists were recorded, including 10 cases of killings, 19 beatings, and 12 injured," the report said. The report said the violence included killing, beating, inflicting injury and humiliation, intimidation, and detention of journalists. "Insurgent groups in provinces threaten journalists to self-censorship by telling them to either broadcast what they want or shut down their stations," Najib Sharifi, the director of AJSC, told a press conference in Kabul on July 25. Sharifi said Afghan government security forces or government-affiliated individuals accounted for 46 percent of violence against journalists. 2016 was the deadliest year for journalists in Afghanistan, with at least 13 media workers killed -- 10 by the Taliban according to the AJSC. Based on reporting by AFP and Tolo News The White House on November 12 hailed Russias withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson as an "extraordinary victory" for Ukraine. "It does look as though the Ukrainians have just won an extraordinary victory where the one regional capital that Russia had seized in this war is now back under a Ukrainian flag -- and that is quite a remarkable thing," national-security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters as he accompanied President Joe Biden to the ASEAN summit in Cambodia. 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. Sullivan spoke hours after 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. Separately, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on November 12 that Moscow's "strategic failure" in Kherson will sow doubt among the Russian public about the point of the war in Ukraine. "Russia's announced withdrawal from Kherson marks another strategic failure for them. In February, Russia failed to take any of its major objectives except Kherson," Wallace said in a statement. "Now with that also being surrendered, ordinary people of Russia must surely ask themselves: 'What was it all for?'" Video posted online showed people on the streets, flying Ukraine's national flag and chanting as Ukrainian troops arrived in the city. Photos circulating on social media on November 12 showed Ukrainian activists removing memorial plaques put up by the occupation authorities the Kremlin installed to run the Kherson region. "We are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after Ukraine's recovery of Kherson. Speaking at the summit in Cambodia on November 12, Kuleba said that reclaiming the city was "quite an exercise. I understand that everyone wants this war to end as soon as possible. We are definitely the ones who want that more than anyone else," Kuleba said during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the summit. Sullivan said that the Russian retreat would have "broader strategic implications," including relieving the longer-term threat by Russia to other southern Ukrainian cities, such as Odesa. "It's a big moment, and it's due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies," Sullivan said. Asked about reports that the Biden administration has started to press Zelenskiy to explore negotiations with Moscow, Sullivan said that Russia, not Ukraine, was the side that has to decide whether or not to go to the table. "This whole notion, I think, in the Western press of, 'When's Ukraine going to negotiate?' misses the underlying fundamentals," Sullivan said. 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. Russia, he added, continues to make "outlandish claims" about its self-declared annexations of Ukrainian lands, even as it retreats from Ukrainian counterattacks. "Ultimately, at a 30,000-foot level, Ukraine is the party of peace in this conflict and Russia is the party of war. Russia invaded Ukraine. If Russia chose to stop fighting in Ukraine and left, it would be the end of the war. If Ukraine chose to stop fighting and give up, it would be the end of Ukraine," he said. "In that context, our position remains the same as it has been and fundamentally is in close consultation and support of President Zelenskiy, he said. The Ukrainian military said on November 12 that it had carried out stabilization measures near Kherson following the end of the eight-month Russian occupation. In a regular social media update, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said the Russians were fortifying their battle lines on the river's eastern bank after abandoning the capital. About 70 percent of the Kherson region remains under Russian control. With reporting by AFP In a small Armenian village, members of the Russian-speaking Molokan community practice their faith and work the land as they have for hundreds of years. These "spiritual Christians" are the descendants of a sect that was exiled from tsarist Russia for rejecting some Orthodox beliefs. (RFE/RL's Armenian Service/Current Time) Azerbaijan's State Security Service (DTX) says it has arrested suspected members of an international hacking group who stole millions of dollars from banks, including in the former Soviet republic. In its statement on July 25, the DTX said the group was suspected of hacking into the computer system of an Azerbaijani bank and stealing more than 3.7 million manats ($2 million). The DTX named one of the suspects as Danila Konstantinovich Dorin, who was said to be detained in Barcelona, Spain, and extradited to Azerbaijan on July 23. Dorins nationality was not disclosed. The DTX did not disclose the names of the alleged members of the group who were arrested. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? We may be about to find out. Because it is becoming increasingly clear that the Kremlin is about to double down on its efforts to destabilize and dominate Ukraine. In the past day alone, according to Ukrainian press reports, pro-Moscow separatists have launched no less than 27 attacks in the Donbas. Additionally, Russia just increased its troop presence on Ukraine's border, amassing three divisions of motorized rifle troops capable of conducting rapid offensive operations. Last month, two Ukrainian military intelligence officers were assassinated. And, of course, last week, the pro-Moscow separatist leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko called for Ukraine to be replaced with a new state called Malorossia, with its capital in Donetsk. Now, individually, all these things look like business as usual in a war that has dragged on for more than three years. But when you connect these dots, they seem to point to a coordinated and multipronged campaign. According to SBU chief Vasyl Hrytsak, in a meeting of top Russian officials in May, Vladimir Putin criticized efforts to destabilize Ukraine and ordered "a reset of the ruling regime" in Kyiv. And now that reset appears to be under way. After three years of war, after three years of Ukrainian society becoming increasingly and irreversibly pro-Western and surprisingly resilient, Russia is still not ready to give up its efforts to dominate a country that simply does not want to be dominated. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Russia to pay 6,000 euros ($6,990) in compensation to a man convicted of involvement in Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov's killing. The court ruled on July 25 that Moscow must pay compensate Temirlan Eskerkhanov, who complained about the conditions of his pretrial arrest, the conditions of his transport in the convoy cell, and the lack of a speedy review of the grounds of his detention. The ECHR rejected the complaints made by brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashevs, who were also convicted of involvement in Nemtsov's killing. Nemtsov, a reformist former first deputy prime minister who was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and Kremlin-installed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, was shot from behind on a bridge just outside the Kremlin in February 2015. A Russian court on July 13 sentenced Eskerkhanov, the Gubashev brothers, and two other men, all from Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, to jail terms ranging from 11 to 20 years over Nemtsovs killing. Relatives and former associates of Nemtsov claim the killing was ordered at a higher level and said justice would only be served when the real masterminds are identified and prosecuted. The lawyers for Nemtsovs family said on July 21 that they had appealed against the verdicts and sentences of the five men and called for the case to be reexamined as the "assassination of a state or public figure." Nemtsov was a lawmaker in the region of Yaroslavl and a co-chairman of the PARNAS political party at the time of his killing. ASTANA -- Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry says six Kazakh students have been detained by police in Egypt. Ministry spokesman Anuar Zhainaqov said on July 25 that talks with Egyptian officials were under way to determine the reason for the detentions. Zhainaqov said earlier that Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry had formally requested help from authorities in Egypt to locate the six young Kazakh men, who were studying Arabic and lived together in a Cairo apartment. He said the students stopped communicating with their families on July 20. Zhainaqov said the students were not thought to be Islamic extremists. Kazakhstan says hundreds of its citizens have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq in recent years. BRUSSELS -- When it comes to Europe's energy security and dependence on Russia for natural gas, Brussels has a message in mind for Washington: don't make our business your business. This has become evident as the European Commission awaits word from Washington on the fate of a bill that would introduce new, sweeping sanctions against Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election that brought President Donald Trump to the White House. Agreement on the wording of a revised bill, which was reportedly altered to address European concerns by lessening the potential impact on a pet gas-pipeline project, was recently reached by a group of bipartisan negotiators representing both houses of Congress, and announced by Congressional Democrats on July 22. A European Commission source familiar with the executive body's concerns but not authorized to speak on the matter told RFE/RL that the EU is "increasingly confident that the new legislation will contain provisions or assurances that protects the EU's energy interests." But as the bill awaits a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is expected to pass the measure on July 25, EU commissioners are watching closely -- ready to retaliate, if necessary, to protect businesses and Brussels' ability to forge its own energy policies with Russia without U.S. interference or attempts to muscle in as an energy supplier. The 28 EU commissioners are planning to discuss the issue on July 26, the day after the U.S. House vote, with an eye on having a response in hand should the bill pass the Senate and eventually be signed by President Trump. Another European Commission source, speaking on the same conditions of anonymity, suggested that the "EU simply will take note of the vote in the House of Representatives, but wait with any real measures until the bill is signed by the president, whenever he intends to do so." Bone Of Contention Natural-gas supplies are a bone of contention within the EU itself, with some (mainly Central and Eastern European) members decrying an over-reliance on Russian imports and calling for greater diversification of supply. The new sanctions have prompted concerns within Europe over how the legislation -- which would give the U.S. president the authority to impose sanctions against any companies that aid Russian export pipeline projects -- might affect European suppliers for the proposed Nord Stream 2 project, a contentious extension of a Brussels-backed pipeline that supplies Western Europe with Russian gas. Trump, meanwhile, traveled recently to Eastern Europe to promote U.S. supplies as a means of countering European reliance on Russian natural gas. "If one of you need energy, just give us a call," Trump told a July 6 meeting in Warsaw that was held to discuss the "Three Seas Initiative" -- a Croatian-Polish project that aims to boost cooperation, including in the sphere of energy, among 12 Russian-gas reliant EU states in the vicinity of the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black seas. Trump's comments have fed a growing suspicion among some European countries that Washington sees the proposed sanctions as a way to open up a European market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped across the Atlantic. Christian Egenhofer, who works as a senior fellow and energy expert with the Brussels-based think-tank CEPS, explains that the U.S. State Department had long expressed worries that over-reliance on Russian/Gazprom gas could create a security issue for Europe. "The argument is that once you are having higher reliance it makes it more difficult to impose sanctions in case something goes wrong," he said. "The new twist is now that it was linked recently to this possibility to carve out a market for U.S. gas which would come in the form of LNG." Judy Dempsey, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, is even blunter in her assessment of how the European Commission and some European countries such as Germany and Austria perceive the prospect of new sanctions. "They see this as a blatant attempt to use the sanctions to weaken European companies and get in to make up for the shortfall if, indeed, the Russian gas imports are drastically reduced because of these measures," Dempsey said. "As it is, the Americans have been very active in trying to export liquefied natural gas to Europe and [are] looking for a huge chance now, especially since shale gas is coming online." 'Detrimental Impacts' Brussels views Nord Stream II, which would bring Russian gas to Germany by way of undersea pipelines, circumventing the Baltic states and Poland, as a way to ensure the continued provision of cheap natural gas. But the bipartisan U.S. bill singles out Nord Stream 2 as having "detrimental impacts on the European Union's energy security, gas market development in Central and Eastern Europe, and energy reforms in Ukraine," a view that is in line with concerns expressed by some EU members but not shared by the bloc overall. A European Commission impact assessment of an earlier version of the proposed sanctions determined that Nord Stream 2 would be a high-profile target, but that such sanctions could also potentially affect maintenance work on other pipelines in former Soviet Union states as well as other sanctions-complying EU-Russia business in a number of fields, such as mining and the transport sector. The EU's working relationship with Gazprom also comes into play here. Since finding that the Russian energy giant broke EU antitrust rules in 2015 by "pursuing an overall strategy to partition Central and Eastern European gas markets," Gazprom has worked hard to get back on good terms with Brussels. Earlier this year, it offered commitments that, according to the European Commission, would "enable the free flow of gas in Central and Eastern Europe at competitive prices." It these warmer relations, on the EU's terms, that some European companies want to take advantage of, according to Dempsey. "Gazprom knows that it now has to deal with the [European Commission] more and more. And in some ways, Gazprom's behavior has improved a little," she told RFE/RL on July 25. "There is no doubt about this and energy experts say this. But, you know, if a French company or a particular German company can get cheaper gas now from Russia and not just because of the lower gas prices but because Russia needs to sell gas, then in some ways the Europeans are in the driving seat." Essentially, now that the EU appears to have gained control of its working relationship with Gazprom, it doesn't want to see the United States muck things up. Earlier concerns expressed by European energy companies, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and the German and Austrian governments, appear to have been addressed in the revision of the bill by rewording it to note that the U.S. president could introduce the sanctions "in coordination with allies of the United States." That compromise appears to have fallen short of fully assuaging the European Union, and over the last few days the bloc's mission in Washington has worked intensively to lobby Congress ahead of the House vote. European Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas on 24 July confirmed that the European Union was "activating all diplomatic channels to address these concerns [stemming] from these U.S. measures with our U.S. counterparts." Schinas added that "we in the European Union will have an interest in this discussion and we expect this interest to be addressed in the ongoing pre-legislative process." It the EU fails to get such assurances, it can consider a number of measures in response to the U.S. legislation, including enacting its own laws to nullify the new U.S. sanctions, or filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO). An EU diplomat familiar with trade issues who wasn't authorized to speak on the record told RFE/RL that a WTO complaint could lead to tariffs on U.S goods, especially in the energy sector, but that the whole process "would take many months with a lot of legal wrangling." Nuclear Option A final, nuclear, option would be bans on doing business with certain, unspecified U.S companies. But this would need the agreement of all 28 EU member states, something that at this moment looks improbable as several European countries are keen on maintaining good trade relations with the United States. Ultimately, any response will carefully weigh past good cooperation with the United States against current European interests. A diplomat from a Western EU member state, speaking to RFE/RL off the record, said that when international sanctions were first imposed against Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014, Washington and Brussels worked "hand in hand" on all measures to ensure that neither side would "exploit market opportunities previously enjoyed by the other side." President Trump vowed during his recent trip to Poland that "the United States will never use energy to coerce your nations," but also said "we cannot allow others to do so." Considering the concerns that Washington might be sticking its nozzle in Europe's gas business, one diplomat from an Eastern EU member appeared to yearn for the way things used to be done between Brussels and Washington. "While we are against Nord Stream 2, 100 percent, we also recognize that it is very important that the EU and U.S. cooperate when it comes to sanctions," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the current dispute. "That has always been the case before and that is why this new bill can be troubling." 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 A well-known Iranian television personality has been accused of hypocrisy after images of her in which she is not adhering to the country's Islamic dress code surfaced online. Presenter turned actress Azadeh Namdari has for years promoted compliance with the hijab, which in Iran refers to Islamic dress that covers the hair and body. In particular she has touted the wearing of the black chador, a garment that covers women from head to toe, leaving the face exposed. In a 2014 interview, she said she was proud to be a chadori, an expression used in Iran to refer to women who choose to wear the chador, which has been praised by conservatives as offering women the best protection. Women's dress has been heavily scrutinized in the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution, when adherence to an Islamic dress code became compulsory. The dress code dictates that women's hair and body must be covered in public. According to the Islamic rules, women are not required to wear the hijab when at home and among close relatives. Morality police launch regular crackdowns on those who are not fully respecting rules relating to the hijab. "You have to believe to be a chadori. [Otherwise] you'll be exposed," she said in the interview with the hard-line Vatan-e Emruz daily. "Thank God that I went on air, I was a chadori. I felt safe and I felt respected. All of these are blessings that the chador has brought me," Namdari said in the interview. "I apologize for saying that, but I'm more beautiful with this chador," she added in the front-page interview. On Instagram she often posted pictures of herself wearing a black chador. During a recent trip to Geneva she posted a photo of herself wearing her black chador outside the United Nations Office. But leaked images, apparently from the same trip, showed her not only without the chador, but with hair exposed while wearing a jumpsuit outdoors. The images prompted a backlash, with many Internet users accusing her of deceit and telling lies. Namdari has responded to her critics by claiming that her head covering had slipped away for a second, and noting that she was among close relatives. "I apologize to my friends, to those who have been surprised and have paused after seeing these images. I just want to give them a brief explanation: I was with my relatives in a green location," she says in a video posted online. She then appears to suggest that her head scarf fell briefly as she was pushing her 10-month-old baby in a stroller. The online attacks against her have continued, nevertheless. "It's your issue if you're a chadori or not. But telling people something and doing something else is [wrong]," a comment on Twitter said. "Our problem with Azadeh Namdari is that she lied. Whether she respects the hijab or not is not our business, but her lies are an insult to the people, " a Twitter user said while posting pictures of the presenter with and without the hijab side by side. "Namdari is the perfect symbol of the Islamic republic, the republic of hypocrisy where officials chant 'Death To America' while sending their kids to study in the U.S.," wrote one Facebook user in a comment. Namdari has accused those who posted her photos online of invading her privacy. But Internet users have said that the park in which she apparently was photographed without her head-covering is a public space. They've also said that compulsory Islamic dress is not a private issue in Iran. "The hijab has never been a private issue. It is always in all societies a social and political issue," wrote prominent women's rights activist Asieh Amini on her Facebook page. "But most importantly than whether the hijab is private or not, is the issue of lies," Amini wrote with the hashtags No To The Hijab and No To Lies. "Promoting something that we don't believe in and using all media and public facilities to promote that lie." Over the past three decades, Iranian authorities have used media campaigns, force, and harassment to push women to respect the hijab, while depriving them of the right to choose what they wear and how they appear in public. State-controlled television has been among the major tools used by Iranian authorities to promote compliance with compulsory Islamic dress. ASTANA -- Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has formally requested the help of authorities in Egypt to find six Kazakh students believed to be missing in Cairo. The ministry said on July 25 that the six students were studying Arabic and lived in one apartment in the Egyptian capital. Foreign Ministry spokesman Anuar Zhainaqov said the students stopped communicating with their families on July 20. Zhainaqov said the students were not followers of extremist Islamist ideology. Kazakhstan says hundreds of its citizens have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq in the past several years. SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- The former chairwoman of Kazakhstan's defunct Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, Larisa Kharkova, has been sentenced on embezzlement charges to four years of "freedom limitation" -- a suspended sentence with parole-like restrictions. A court in Kazakhstan's southern city of Shymkent on July 25 found Kharkova guilty of embezzling the confederation's finances. The court sentenced her the same day. The court also ordered the confiscation of Kharkova's property and barred her from running for official managerial posts for five years. Kharkova pleaded not guilty. She has said the case against her was politically motivated. The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions was closed on January 4 after a court ruled it failed to meet a registration deadline. Confederation members say attempts to renew their registration were impeded by local officials. Two union leaders at the Oil Construction Company (OCC) in Kazakhstan's western region of Manghystau were arrested in January after hundreds of OCC workers went on a two-week hunger strike to protest the confederation's closure. Union leader Amin Eleusinov was later sentenced to two years in prison, and Nurbek Qushaqbaev to 2 1/2 years, on charges of embezzlement and instigating an illegal strike. Amnesty International condemned Qushaqbaev's conviction, calling it part of the "destruction of the independent trade union movement in Kazakhstan." Oil and gas revenues are crucial to Kazakhstan's economy and budget. Oil and gas revenues are crucial to Kazakhstan's economy and budget and President Nursultan Nazarbaev's government tolerates little dissent. Kyrgyzstan's president said his country has been threatened by other unspecified nations for its decision to host a U.S. air base for nearly 13 years. In comments to reporters on July 24, Almazbek Atambaev did not say which countries had made the threats, but he said that was one of the main reasons he pushed for the base's closure in 2014. "Several countries openly told me that, if necessary, we'll fire rockets at the U.S. jets," Atambaev said. "They said, 'Your people will suffer.'" The base at the Manas airport, outside the capital, Bishkek, began hosting U.S. troops in 2001 as part of the U.S. campaign in nearby Afghanistan. The facility, which served as a transit point for personnel and equipment, was welcomed by Kyrgyzstan, which received millions of dollars in revenue, and backed by Russia, which has long considered Central Asia part of its traditional sphere of influence. But that support waned as ties between Moscow and Washington chilled, particularly after the so-called "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine as well as in Kyrgyzstan, where President Askar Askaev was driven from power in 2005. Atambaev won the presidency in 2011 and he vowed to shutter the base. Two years after taking office, he ratified a new, 15-year deal to lease another base to Russia, and Moscow wrote off $500 million of Kyrgyz debt. The last U.S. military personnel left Manas in 2014. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service A Macedonian court has rejected a request to place former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and four other officials in pretrial custody ahead of their trial on election fraud charges. The Appeals Court confirmed the ruling on its website on July 25. On July 3, a court ordered that passports be seized from Gruevski and the four other officials in his conservative party, including two former cabinet ministers, in connection with a major wiretapping scandal. The order was announced after Gruevski and the former ministers of the interior and transportation, Gordana Jankuloska and Mile Janakieski, were indicted for allegedly violating election campaign finance rules and related offenses in a special prosecutor's probe into illegal wiretapping. The special prosecutor made a plea to the court to place them in pretrial custody, claiming the defendants might flee the country or influence witnesses during their trials. The court also rejected a request by the defendants to be given their passports back. Their trial is expected to begin in September or October. Gruevski denies wrongdoing and blames foreign spies. KEMEROVO, Russia -- Police in the Siberian city of Kemerovo have dispersed a rally being held in support of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is bidding to run in next years presidential election. Police briefly detained several activists and dismantled a campaign stand giving out posters and Russian national flags on July 25. The activists say they had requested permission to hold the rally, but with no answer from the local authorities they assumed permission had been granted. On July 12, police in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk confiscated the computers in Navalny's local election headquarters, saying his national campaign chief, Leonid Volkov, was suspected of copyright infringement and creating a computer virus. The search came a day after police detained and questioned Navalny's Krasnoyarsk coordinator, Ruslan Rudenko, and confiscated printed campaign materials. Dozens of Navalnys campaign workers have been detained in Moscow and other cities over recent weeks. An annticorruption blogger, Navalny is actively campaigning for the March 2018 presidential election, in which President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to seek and win a fourth term. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on July 25 to cement sanctions against Russia into law and curb President Donald Trump's authority to ease those sanctions. Despite objecting to the bill's limits on presidential powers previously, the White House did not immediately signal that Trump would veto the bill but rather said Trump would wait to see what legislation finally clears Congress. Different versions of the bill have passed both the House and Senate with far more than the two-thirds margin needed to overcome a veto. House members backed the bill's tough new sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea on July 25 by 419-3, with strong support from Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Though a similar bill passed the Senate with 98 votes last month, Senate leaders could not say when they will act on the House version of the bill. Some senators reportedly have objected to the House's inclusion of sanctions against North Korea, which were not part of the original Senate bill. The White House after the House vote said Trump hasn't decided whether to sign the legislation but appeared to soften previous objections to the bill's requirement that Congress review any presidential decision to ease sanctions against Russia. "The president supports tough sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Russia," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who added that the "White House is reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the presidents desk." An overwhelming majority of House members saw the legislation as a way to register their displeasure with Russia's alleged attempts to interfere in last year's presidential election as well as its aggression in Ukraine and Syria. "It is well past time that we forcibly respond," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (Republican-California). "Left unchecked, Russia is sure to continue its aggression." House Speaker Paul Ryan (Republican-Wisconsin) said the sanctions package "tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe." Even members of Trump's Republican party saw the bill as a mild rebuff of what they saw as overly eager overtures to improve relations with Russia. Trump's "rhetoric toward the Russians has been far too accommodating and conciliatory, up to this point," said Representative Charlie Dent (Republican- Pennsylvania). "Russian behavior has been atrocious," he said. "They deserve these enhanced sanctions. Relations with Russia will improve when Russian behavior changes and they start to fall back into the family of nations." Under the bill, Trump is required to send Congress a report explaining why he wants to suspend or terminate any of the bill's sanctions on Russia. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to decide whether to allow him to act. The sanctions bill has drawn criticism from European Union allies, who have warned it could end up penalizing European firms that work with Russia on joint energy projects like the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea. House leaders said they tweaked language in the bill to try to address those concerns, but it was not clear whether they had succeeded in doing so. The bill's sanctions on North Korea bar ships owned by Pyongyang or by countries that refuse to comply with UN sanctions against North Korea from operating in American waters or docking at U.S. ports. Goods produced by North Korea's forced labor would be prohibited from entering the United States. The sanctions against Iran impose mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran's ballistic-missile program and anyone who does business with them. The measure would designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization and enforce an arms embargo against Iran. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Russia's Federation Council has approved a bill that would prohibit the use of Internet proxy services -- including virtual private networks, or VPNs. The bill approved on July 25 would also ban the anonymous use of mobile messaging services. The bill was adopted in its final reading by the lower house of the parliament, the State Duma, on July 21. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into the law. If signed by the president, the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2018. That is less than three months before a presidential election in which Putin is widely expected to seek and win a new six-year term. Under the bill, Internet providers would be ordered to block websites that offer VPNs and other proxy services. Russians frequently use such websites to access blocked content by routing connections through servers abroad. The legislation also would require messenger apps to verify users through their phone numbers and to send out compulsory text messages from government agencies on request. Lawmakers who promoted the bill said it is needed to prevent the spread of extremist material and ideas. Critics say Putin's government often uses that justification to suppress political dissent. Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and Meduza WASHINGTON -- A second luxury Los Angeles mansion formerly owned by Mikhail Lesin, the former Russian press minister who was found dead in a Washington hotel room two years ago, has been put up for sale. The pending sale of the 1,200-square-meter mansion, located in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, is the latest wrinkle in the mystery surrounding Lesin, who was an influential Kremlin insider until falling out of favor sometime in 2012 or 2013. Gibson International, a California-based luxury real estate broker, listed the home this week at an asking price of $23 million. Another Los Angeles mansion owned by Lesin, which went up for sale in January for $29 million, was still listed on another broker's website as of July 25. The listings were first reported by a Los Angeles real estate website called the Real Deal. The two homes were bought in 2009 by a corporation Lesin set up called Dastel. Those purchases drew the scrutiny of U.S. law enforcement in December 2014 when U.S. Senator Roger Wicker asked the Justice Department to investigate whether the purchase of the homes violated U.S. money-laundering laws. Dastel's registered owner was later changed, with Lesin's son, Anton, taking over. He has run a successful movie financing business in Hollywood for several years, providing backing to Hollywood films starring Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro. Anton Lessine, who spells his name slightly differently than his father, could not be immediately reached for comment. In the early 2000s, in the first years of Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration, Lesin served as press minister, where he helped to consolidate Kremlin control over the country's main television networks, including NTV. He later spearheaded the creation of a media holding company for the natural-gas giant Gazprom and oversaw the creation of the state-funded satellite channel called Russia Today, now known as RT. Much of Lesin's wealth came from a private company he set up in the 1990s to sell television advertising on Russia's then-exploding television-advertising market. That company, called Video International, or VI, was later acquired by Yury Kovalchuk, the main shareholder of Bank Rossia, which has been closely linked to the Kremlin. 'Blunt-Force Injuries' Lesin's body was found in the Dupont Circle Hotel, just a few blocks from the White House, on November 5, 2015, two days after he had been expected to attend a dinner at the Kennan Institute, a Washington think tank specializing in Russia research. The institute's dinner honored, among others, Pyotr Aven, a leading executive with Alfa Bank who had been responsible for obtaining an invitation for Lesin. Aven later cast doubt on speculation that Lesin had been murdered. Lesin had also sought an invitation to a private dinner for Aven at the Atlantic Council the following night, November 4, but officials at the Atlantic Council declined the request. After an investigation lasting nearly a year, the U.S. Attorney's office for Washington, D.C., and city police announced in October 2016 that Lesin's death was an accident, attributing it to "falls" that left him with "blunt -force injuries" after drinking heavily for several days. He was 57. In April 2016, a luxury motor yacht that belonged to Lesin was sold by a Florida-based yacht brokerage. Although the boat had been listed at a price in the region of $40 million, the brokerage declined to give details of the purchase, saying only that it was an "impressively fast sale." Lawyers for two Kyrgyz-born brothers charged in a deadly bombing on a St. Petersburg subway train in April have asked Russian authorities to investigate their clients' claims that they were tortured at a "secret jail" outside Moscow. The suspects, Akram and Abror Azimov, claim they were subjected to electric shocks, simulated drowning, and beatings at the facility allegedly used by Russia's powerful Federal Security Service (FSB), according to an appeal to federal authorities filed by their lawyers earlier this month. "All of the torture was accompanied not only by dictated testimony, but also threats of reprisals against [his] children and wife," Olga Dinze, the lawyer for Akram Azimov, said of her client in an interview with RFE/RLs Russian Service. Dinze's husband, lawyer Dmitry Dinze, is representing Abror Azimov in the case. She said that they had not yet received a reply to their July 7 appeal to the Russian Prosecutor-Generals Office, a copy of which has been seen by RFE/RL. The allegation that the suspects were tortured at a so-called FSB black site near Moscow was first reported on July 24 by the Russian news site Republic.ru, which said other terror suspects in Russia previously claimed that they faced similar abuses in a facility resembling that described by the Azimov brothers. The FSB did not publicly comment on the allegations, and its press office could not immediately be reached by telephone on July 25. An e-mailed inquiry by RFE/RL went unanswered. Investigators say a 22-year-old suicide bomber named Akbarjon Jalilov carried out the April 3 attack in St. Petersburg that killed 15 people and injured 45 others. Like Jalilov, the Azimov brothers are ethnic-Uzbek Russian citizens born in Kyrgyzstan. The FSB said Abror Azimov, 26, was detained on April 17 and accused of having "trained the suicide attacker." But the appeal from the brothers' lawyers claims Abror was detained a day after the subway bombing and held for nearly two weeks in the "secret jail" prior to that announcement. News of Akrams arrest came on April 19, when officials from the Russian Investigative Committee said he had been apprehended in Moscow and that he was armed with a hand grenade at the time of his arrest. Russian news agencies broadcast footage provided by authorities showing what they described as Azimov's arrest. The video shows a man sitting at a bus stop being roughly detained by men wearing FSB jackets. WATCH: FSB Officers Arrest Akram Azimov (natural sound) But Akrams mother told RFE/RL two days after the April 19 announcement that he had been taken away by Kyrgyz security officers on April 15 from a hospital in the city of Osh, where he was being treated after surgery. A staff member at the Osh hospital confirmed to RFE/RL that Akram had undergone sinus surgery at the facility and that several men wearing civilian clothing had taken him away after handcuffing him on April 15. In their appeal to prosecutors, the brothers lawyers allege that Akram was taken directly from Moscows Domodedovo Airport to the purported "secret" facility and tortured for several days prior to the official announcement of his arrest. Olga Dinze claimed in her interview with RFE/RL that the video showing Akram's alleged detention was staged. Abror, who authorities say organized the attack, was allegedly subjected to torture for more than three days, including electrical shocks to his genitals, according to the appeal by the lawyers. Both men provided testimony that they believed would end the alleged abuses, the document claims. Earlier this month, a Moscow court ordered their clients to remain in custody until mid-September. Several other suspected accomplices, also of Central Asian origin, are in custody as well. With reporting by RFE/RLs Russian and Kyrgyz Services, Republic.ru, and Interfax Russias energy minister has called on oil producers to show greater discipline in adhering to agreed-upon output cuts designed to raise the price of oil. "Despite the high level of compliance with [the production] agreement, we insist on all countries fulfilling their obligations 100 percent," Aleksandr Novak said on July 24 after a meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC partners in St. Petersburg. Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and several other producers outside OPEC joined Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and other cartel members in a November 2015 agreement to cut global production in an effort to boost lagging prices. After initial success, oil prices have fallen below $50 a barrel in recent weeks, hit by concerns of higher production in the United States, which was not part of the deal, and ramped-up output from other countries. Following the July 24 meeting, Novak said that "some countries are not yet fully implementing" the production cuts, aimed at reducing total output by 1.8 million barrels a day. A joint statement stated there was "room for improvement by some participating producing countries." It called for all of them to "promptly reach full conformity." OPEC members Libya and Nigeria have been exempted from the cuts because of the countries political and economic instability. Nigeria agreed during the meetings to join the agreement as soon as its production reaches 1.8 million barrels a day from the current 1.7 million. Libyan output would continue to be exempt, officials said, as its production was unlikely to exceed 1 million barrels in the near future. Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says his country must resolve its differences with its former province of Kosovo to establish a permanent solution to benefit the entire region. Vucic said in an opinion article published in the Blic newspaper that "it is important now, more than ever, that we all find an answer together." "That [answer] should be permanent, rule out conflict as an option, and benefit everyone in this region," he said. Vucic has in the past called for international discussions to resolve matters related to the future of its relations with Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by 114 countries but not by Belgrade. Kosovo, which has a majority Albanian ethnic population, is supported by the West. Serbia is a traditional ally of Russia, but Vucic has attempted to balance relations between Moscow, the European Union, and the United States. Kosovo and Serbia have both expressed hopes of joining the EU and have agreed to talks sponsored by the bloc on normalizing ties. However, many Serbian nationalists oppose EU membership and are pushing for closer ties to Russia and do not want to recognize Kosovo as independent. In his opinion piece, Vucic, a former extreme nationalist, said that "we must at least try to resolve the Kosovo knot and not hide and leave the toughest burden to our children." Kosovar Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj praised Vucic's desires to resolve relations between Belgrade and Pristina. "Breaking the silence and accepting the truth about independence and sovereigntywould open up the path for societal reconciliation, regional cooperation, European integration, and international affirmation," Hoxhaj told BIRN. Based on reporting by AP, BIRN, and BalkanInsight U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "disappointed" with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and said "time will tell" when asked about his future. The comments came during a joint news conference at the White House with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on July 25. Trump said that Sessions needed to be tougher on stopping leaks from U.S. intelligence agencies. (AP) The Crawford County Sheriffs Department reported two accidents on Sunday. The first accident was reported at 4:14 p.m., when two motorcycles collided on Hwy. 35. Thomas Licht, age 51, of Prairie du Chien, was operating a motorcycle north on Hwy. 35, when second motorcycle operated by Roger Herman, age 68, of Mason City, Iowa, made a left turn in front of Licht. Both Licht and Herman received minor injuries and were transported to the Prairie du Chien hospital for treatment. Herman was cited for failure to yield while making a left turn. Both motorcycles were towed from the scene. At 10:41 p.m., a Soldiers Grove man was arrested following a one-vehicle accident, without injuries, on New Well Road, in the village of Soldiers Grove. Dallas M. Hershberger, age 18, was operating a vehicle westbound on New Well Road, when the vehicle left the road, struck a post and re-entered the road before crashing in a ditch. Hershberger was not injured in the crash, but the vehicle sustained severe damage. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Crawford County Jail for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (first offense) and was also cited for operating left of the center line. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee late on July 25 withdrew its subpoena compelling President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, to testify, saying he has begun cooperating. Manafort earlier in the day was served a subpoena to appear before the committee in public on July 26, but the subpoena was retracted when he agreed to start providing the committee with documents that might shed light on the committee's investigation into alleged Russian interference in last year's presidential election, committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (Republican-Iowa) said. The committee is now negotiating with Manafort over a possible "transcribed interview" in place of public testimony, Grassley said. Manafort, who had business ties with ousted pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, is at the center of several Washington investigations into possible ties between Russia and Trump's campaign. "It's important that he and other witnesses continue to work with this committee as it fulfills its oversight responsibility," Grassley said with ranking Democratic committee member Dianne Feinstein in a joint statement. "As we've said before, we intend to get the answers that we need, one way or the other. Cooperation from witnesses is always the preferred route, but this agreement does not prejudice the committee's right to compel his testimony in the future." Manafort stepped down as Trump's election campaign chief in August 2016 after revelations in Kyiv that he had received large payments linked to Ukraine's former pro-Russian government. Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner returned to Capitol Hill for a second day of private meetings on July 25. His talks with U.S. lawmakers involved a closed-door conversation with members of the House Intelligence Committee. Both Manafort and Kushner have faced scrutiny about attending a June 2016 meeting with Russian officials at the Trump Tower in New York because it was described in e-mails to the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., as part of a Russian government effort to aid Trump's presidential campaign. On July 24, Kushner answered questions from staff on the Senate's intelligence panel about his contacts with Russian officials. Kushner acknowledged four meetings with Russians during and after Trump's presidential election campaign but insisted he had "nothing to hide -- saying "all of my actions were proper." With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. A trio of Italians who joined Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 are all still at large -- although the net has closed on other foreign militants. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service) PARIS -- The new U.S. special envoy for efforts to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Kurt Volker, says Washington is considering sending Kyiv weapons to help government forces defend themselves against Russia-backed separatists. Providing lethal defensive weapons would allow Kyiv to "defend itself if Russia were to take further steps against Ukrainian territory," Volker told Current Time TV in an interview in Paris on July 25. "Russia says it won't do that and isn't doing that, so then there should be no risk to anybody, if that's the case," said Volker, who was appointed on July 7 and visited towns near the front lines in eastern Ukraine on July 23. President Donald Trump's administration "is now reviewing where the Obama administration left it, considering whether we should provide defensive arms to Ukraine or not," he said. "So that's the state of play." Volker said he did not think arming Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons would "provoke Russia to do more than they are already doing, and it also isn't going to change any kind of balance that way." "I hear these arguments that it's somehow provocative to Russia or that it's going to embolden Ukraine to attack. These are just flat out wrong," Volker told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America (VOA). "First off, Russia is already in Ukraine, they are already heavily armed," he said. "There are more Russian tanks in there than [tanks] in Western Europe combined. It is a large, large military presence." But the Kremlin said any decision to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons would set back peace efforts and raise tensions. "We have already said more than once that any action which escalates tension...and further aggravates the already complicated situation will only move us further and further away from the moment of settling this internal issue of Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters on July 25. Ukrainian leaders have urged the United States to send weapons and have asked, in particular, for portable Javelin antitank missiles, which soldiers in the conflict say are needed to fend of attacks from tanks and self-propelled artillery. After a Moscow-friendly president was pushed from power in February 2014 by massive pro-European protests, Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and fomented separatism in eastern Ukraine. The ensuing war between Russia-backed forces and the government has killed more than 10,000 people since Aril 2014 and persisted despite a pact known as Minsk II, a February 2015 agreement on a cease-fire and steps to resolve the conflict. Volker said that ending the fighting will require agreement by all sides on two major principles -- the "territorial integrity of Ukraine, security of all the people" -- and a change in Russia's approach. He suggested the United States is stepping up its efforts. "What we need to do is bring this to a higher strategic level -- getting more U.S. involvement and engagement, which is partly why I was named; getting Germany and France, the partners in the Normandy process...and, frankly, getting Russia to make a different strategic choice -- that it wants to solve this conflict too." "If the issue here is the safety and security of all of the people -- Russian speakers, Ukrainian speakers -- this conflict is not providing that; this conflict is killing that," he said. "And so we've got to do a better job of stopping the conflict, getting the forces out, and then providing a basis of governance going forward." Progress toward implementation of Minsk II has been slow, and fighting has flared up in recent weeks. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on July 20 that eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded amid intense shelling in the previous 24 hours, one of the highest tolls in months. "We see as many as 1,500 or more cease-fire violations every night," Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told Current Time in the interview in Paris. "So this is a very hot conflict that's going on and it has a terrible cost." Sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union have not prompted Russia to abandon its support for the separatists or fulfil its commitments under Minsk II. Volker said that is "not a reason to reverse course -- it's a reason to think about what else we can do to get to a point where we can actually solve this." He also said that Washington and its allies needed to increase their information campaign to counter what he described as Russian "propaganda." "We need to be...making clear that the Ukrainian people are suffering, making clear that people in the Donbas are suffering, they are cut off from services and supplies from the rest of Ukraine, from Kyiv, they are being blocked by the armed groups that are there led by Russia," Volker said. With reporting by Reuters and Christopher Miller A federal judge in Michigan has indefinitely halted the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals detained in immigration sweeps throughout the United States last month. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith on July 24 granted a preliminary injunction requested by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for the Iraqis, many of whom are Christians. The ACLU contended that the immigrants would face persecution in Iraq because they are considered ethnic and religious minorities in the conflict-torn Middle East country. The injunction will allow the Iraqis to stay in the United States while they challenge their deportations in immigration courts based on the risks they face in their home country. About 230 of the Iraqis are being held in custody, while the remaining 1,200 are not currently locked up. In his 34-page opinion, Goldsmith said the extra time assures "that those who might be subjected to grave harm and possible death are not cast out of this country before having their day in court." Based on reporting by AP and Reuters U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker has told Current Time TV that the White House is considering providing "defensive arms" to Ukraine. Speaking in Paris on July 25, he said such a move would enable Ukraine to defend itself "if Russia were to take further steps against Ukrainian territory." Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Back in February an Indian Space Research Organization rocket deployed over a hundred miniature spacecraft into Earth orbit. This constituted the largest stream of petite satellites, called CubeSats, ever dispensed into space courtesy of a single heave-ho boosterbut not by much. Seventy more are slated to hitch a ride onboard a Russian rocket later this week. In launches large and small, on the order of 700 CubeSats have made their way into space since the late 1990s, and the pace is picking up. CubeSats are a distinctively low-cost class of nanosatellite that can weigh less than three pounds and come in a standard size and shape. The average CubeSat size is "one unit" or "1U" measuring 10 X 10 X 10 centimeters, but can be upsized to 1.5, 2, 3, 6 or even 12U. This flexibility makes CubeSats a bargain compared with full-size satellites, with a wide range of costs. For instance, a simple CubeSat built by students or hobbyists might cost roughly $50,000 whereas more advanced projects from professional aerospace companies can range from $250,000 up to $2 million. A CubeSat's utility in space seems limited only by its size and the imagination of its designers and usersgovernments, universities and private companies increasingly rely on them for everything from broadband remote monitoring of Earth to performing on-orbit science experiments as well as test-flying novel propulsion and communications technologies. [CubeSats: Tiny, Versatile Spacecraft Explained (Infographic)] As the number of CubeSats and other orbiting nanosatellites continues to rise, so too do debates about their most important effects: Are CubeSats really the vital educational, scientific and technological tools that their staunchest proponents insist they are or are they mere indulgent toys irresponsibly adding to the menacing shell of litter already encircling the planet? It is already a well-known mess. Orbital debris is the term for any object in Earth orbit that no longer serves a useful function. This clutter of the commons is a mix of dead spacecraft, spent rocket stages, steel bolts, paint chips and even frozen bits of nuclear reactor coolant. A hypervelocity run-in with space rubbish can take out or cripple an expensive satellite or even threaten the safety of a vehicle's crew. Significant Impact A recent study led by Hugh Lewis, an aerospace engineer at the University of Southampton in England, reports the growth of small satellite traffic is expected to have a "significant impact" on the space environment. "From my perspective, there are two sides to the storyat least," Lewis says. "CubeSats are being launched in greater numbers partly because they represent a cost-effective solution to an engineering or commercial problem. In particular, there are growing demands for Earth observation data and communications, which can be met through the use of CubeSats at relatively low cost. The challenge for regulators is to develop and apply rules that enable these services and benefits to be realized in a sustainable manner. I think it is fair to say that this is not an easy task." Lewis's study suggested a need to consider additional space debris mitigation guidelines for CubeSats. Under an international agreement called the "25-year rule" countries acknowledge they should not launch objects whose life span in Earth orbit will go beyond 25 years after their mission concludes. Compliance, however, is voluntary; countries can choose to implement it (or not) for launch vehicles lifting off from their territories. The U.S. government does not approve any launch violating the 25-year deorbit rule. For U.S.-launched CubeSats, this usually means placing them in an elliptical or low-altitude orbit from which they will drift downward and burn in the atmosphere after seven years or less. But the big picturefor both big-time and small-time space playersis there is no enforcement of this rule. Evidence from the past decade has shown satellite operators to have a "patchy record" of compliance, at best. The study advises that enforcement could help mitigate the impact of small satellites on the space environmentbut the researchers add a caveat: Imposing restrictions on small satellite missions might inhibit creativity and perhaps have a cost impact that could derail the commercial viability of missions. [Worst Space Debris Events of All Time] Sustainable Environment CubeSats have proliferated because of their low cost, says Holger Krag, head of the European Space Agency's Space Debris Office based in Germany. Krag adds, however, this is not a problem as long as everyone follows space debris mitigation guidelines like the 25-year rule. "Our simulations have shown that even [an] increased amount of CubeSats can be absorbed by the environment if launched into low-enough orbits," Krag says. "Of course, there is a natural limit to this, which has not been quantified as yet, and increased traffic in low altitude means more interference with the operations of the International Space Station." NASA and the international community are concerned about the environmental damage CubeSats could cause, says Don Kessler, a retired NASA senior scientist whose name will forever be enshrined in the pantheon of space junk specialists. In 1978 Kessler detailed how debris-creating satellite collisions and explosions in orbit could kick off a chain reaction that exponentially increases the amount of space junk whirling around the planet. Such a "Kessler syndrome" could easily render spaceflight too hazardous to conduct. Kessler says CubeSats' small size is a plus, because they simply contain less material that could be transformed into spacecraft-threatening debris. But this is offset by other factors including their great numbers and their limited reliability and maneuverability. Their proliferation may require new mitigation rules, particularly because some might be too small to be adequately tracked from the ground. "The services they could provide at a low price are positive attributes," he says. "But they also represent a new challenge to maintaining a sustainable environment." On one hand, the spacecraft community is aware of these challenges and is attempting to address them. On the other, "my additional concern is that the modeling of the large constellations of CubeSats is inadequate," he adds, referring to computer simulations used to predict and analyze potential technical problems. Although at least one model includes space junk items as small as one centimeter, most long-term models predict growth only in the 10-centimeter and larger category, Kessler explains. "However, CubeSats are highly vulnerable to much smaller debris, with collisions resulting in even more nontrackable debris and potentially contributing to cascading within the constellation as well as with any nearby large constellation." Kessler notes he has already voiced his concern over this issue. [Watching a Spacecraft Wreck Tumble Through Space] Challenges Ahead There has been a noteworthy increase in the use of CubeSats and other small satellites for a variety of space missions, says George Nield, associate administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. And for good reason, Nield says: because of their lower costs, CubeSats offer a major opportunity for increased innovation. They can fly more frequently and for less money to hone novel concepts, potentially unlocking new products, services, customers and markets faster and cheaper than any traditional satellite system. "However, it is important to note that there are several challenges that need to be addressed in order to take full advantage of those potential benefits," he suggests. "For example, because of their size the satellites themselves can be difficult to track, and they are frequently not maneuverable. At the same time, because they are intentionally designed to be low in cost, most of these satellites have limited or no redundancy and only marginal reliability." As a result, many of these systems become orbital debris shortly after they are launched, he says. "If we want to be responsible stewards of the space environment," he adds, "we need to think about how we can enable these systems to operate in space while ensuring that they do not become hazards to other space operators." Nield points out that some ideas already exist for minimizing debris risks from the proliferation of CubeSats, such as: Encouraging the use of orbital altitudes and inclinations that decrease the chance of collisions with the International Space Station and other high-value facilities. Identifying the best methods for reducing CubeSat orbital lifetimes. Adding beacons, transponders or corner reflectors to each spacecraft so they become easier to track. IDing Sats CubeSats offer a number of challenges, says Brian Weeden, a former officer in the U.S. Air Force with a focus on space security and current director of program planning for the Secure World Foundation. First, CubeSats are now relatively hard to track and conclusively identify. Often deployed in clusters, most lack distinguishing features and have limited or no maneuverability to actively avoid collisions, Weeden explains. Moreover, CubeSat operators may have little to no experience with using satellites, he continues, noting some CubeSats are being launched by countries that may not have much national regulation or oversight in place. He thinks the identification challenge is more pressing than the tracking onealthough the two are interlinked. A 10-centimeter CubeSat is trackable with existing sensor networks, he says, "but if you dump dozens of them out at the same time, it can be really tough to tell which one is which." Several ways to establish satellite "ID tags" have been proposed, Weeden says, but he is unaware of any effort to assess which ones are the most effective or to develop them into working solutions. "I'm skeptical of getting much progress from the government side in the near term," he says. "The zeitgeist in Congress and the [Pres. Donald] Trump administration right now is all about getting rid of regulations and reducing the size of government. In fact, there have been prominent members of Congress openly questioning whether the U.S. government needed to provide any regulation of space activities at all." That said, Weeden adds that the CubeSat and commercial space community seems to be taking these issues seriously. This community includes CubeSat operators who are "keen to be responsible space actors," he says. Game Changing T. S. Kelso, a senior research astrodynamicist for Analytical Graphics' Center for Space Standards and Innovation, views CubeSats as a positive development especially in encouraging university participation and stimulating creativity. "And I think some of the 'big data' applications have the potential to be truly game-changing for our society," he adds. Kelso notes that the creators of the CubeSat standard chose the 10-centimeter unit size based largely on what the community understood the Pentagon's Space Surveillance Network could trackbecause knowing a satellite's location is key to using it. "Unfortunately, the Department of Defense resistance to discussing capabilities and pointing out the difficulties of tracking objects of this size has left us in a situation where this is still a challenge," he says. When that challenge is combined with projects that deploy 30 or more CubeSats, "trying to associate observations with tracks and generate good orbits becomes even more difficult," Kelso explains. It can take military space watchers weeks to sort out each CubeSat's orbit, he says, and failure to be able to track and identify objects can prevent operators from being able to perform key activation tasks and result in the loss of a satellite. "Unfortunately, most operators are unaware and unprepared for this problem, since they believe that the U.S. has it 'all under control.' They often don't understand the problem until after launch when they are scrambling for help," he says. "The community needs to be informed of this challenge, and then work together to find creative ways to address it. And the U.S. governmentor even nongovernmental entities that operate large networks of satellitesmight want to fund use of a solution to prevent these educational tools from simply adding to the debris population." For now CubeSats' popularity is clearly on the upswing. First used as teaching tools and for technology demonstrations, their utility to perform more complex science duties and serve as the backbone of commercial services is gaining traction. What remains to be seen is whether or not their proliferation adds to the heavenly headache of dealing with the escalating hazard of Earth-orbiting debris. This article was first published at ScientificAmerican.com. ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved. Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news. For decades physicists have sought signs of misbehaving particles evidence of subtle cracks in the "Standard Model:" of particle physics, the dominant theory describing the most fundamental building blocks of our universe. Although the Standard Model has proved strikingly accurate, scientists have long known some adjustments will be needed. Now, as a recent review paper (opens in new tab) in Nature documents, experimenters have started seeing suggestions of particles flouting the theory but they're not quite the violations theorists were looking for. The evidence comes from electrons and their more massive cousins, muons and tau leptons. According to the Standard Model, these three particles should behave like differently sized but otherwise identical triplets. But three experiments have produced growing evidence including results announced in just the last few months that the particles react differently to some as-yet mysterious influence. The findings are not yet conclusive, but if they hold up, "it would be a complete revolution," says California Institute of Technology theorist Mark Wise. Tantalizing Signs A shake-up in the Standard Model would be huge. This theory has formed the bedrock of particle physics research since it was fleshed out in the late 20th century. It carves the universe into twelve elementary particles that make up all matter, plus 'force-carrier' particles that transmit the fundamental forces of nature. (For instance, particles exert electrical or magnetic forces by exchanging transient photons.) Despite its successes, however, the Standard Model predicts nothing that would explain gravity or the dark matter thought to invisibly inhabit space. To marry particle physics with these larger-scale observations, theorists have proposed all manner of "new physics" matter or forces beyond the Standard Model's menagerie. But most experiments have stubbornly upheld the theory with impressive fidelity, finding no evidence of the hypothesized particles or forces. [What the Higgs Is Going on with Mass?] Since 2012, though, signs of particle misbehavior have started emerging from a less-explored corner of the Standard Model: a pattern called "lepton universality." Here "lepton" refers to the class of particles including electrons, muons and taus. The Standard Model predicts these three species should commune with one another and other particles in exactly the same way except for differences attributable to their unique masses a commonality of behavior that accounts for the second term in lepton universality. The first lepton surprise showed up in results announced in 2012 from the BaBar experiment at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, Calif. BaBars particle accelerator rammed together electrons and their antimatter equivalents, known as positrons. The collisions produced many composite particles that were heavy but unstable: They acted like absurdly radioactive uranium atoms, lasting just fractions of a nanosecond before decaying into smaller and smaller particles. The final products spewed out into the accelerator's detectors, allowing scientists to reconstruct the chain of particle decays. If the Standard Model is right, two of the types of decays examined by the BaBar team should produce taus just 25 to 30 percent as often as electrons, which are lighter and thus easier to make. But that is not what the team saw. Taus were far more common than they should have been, hinting at a difference between taus and electrons beyond their masses. BaBar's result was just the beginning. Two other experiments, the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland and the Belle experiment at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in Japan, studied the same decays and published similar results in 2015. Belle, like BaBar, collides electrons and positrons. But LHCb collides protons with other protons at much higher energies, and uses different methods to detect the products. Those differences make it harder to wave away the results as experimental mistakes, bolstering the prospect that the anomaly is real. Furthermore, LHCb has also found signs of lepton universality violation in another type of lepton-producing decay, and several months ago it announced possible deviations in yet a fourth decay type. Just last month it reported a similar disparity between electrons and muons (rather than taus) in a related decay. All these converging lines of evidence make an increasingly compelling case that something is systematically fishy. "If [the deviations] turn out to be real," says BaBar spokesperson and University of Victoria professor Michael Roney, "it would be kind of weird if they weren't related." A Revolution If It's Real If the various leptons really behave differently, the only explanation would be some previously unrecognized force. Under the Standard Model, larger particles decay into leptons (and other products) via the "weak force," the same force that causes radioactive decay. But the weak force treats all leptons equally. If more taus are coming out than the weak force should produce, then some unknown force, associated with some undiscovered attendant force-carrier particle, must be breaking down the larger particles in a way that favors taus. Finding such a force would be as fundamental as the discovery of electromagnetism, albeit with much less effect on our daily lives. "It does actually constitute, with little exaggeration, a revolution in physics," says Hassan Jawahery, a University of Maryland, College Park, physicist and a member of the LHCb collaboration. Because the implications would be so dramatic, physicists will demand overwhelming evidence a burden the experimenters are well aware of. Greg Ciezarek, lead author on the Nature review and a postdoctoral researcher at Nikhef National Institute for Subatomic Physics in Amsterdam, says lepton universality violations "would be in the territory of making extraordinary claims," which, as the adage goes, require extraordinary evidence. Roney sums up the skepticism: "You don't bet against the Standard Model." The evidence to date is not insubstantial. Combining all the data, the probability that the tau/electron deviations are just statistical flukes now stands at about one in 10,000. For any everyday question, that would more than suffice. But particle physicists are a skeptical bunch; the community will not consider a discovery confirmed until there's just a one-in-3.5-million chance of a false alarm. As some "chronologically more advanced" scientists can attest, theyve been burned before, says Zoltan Ligeti, a professor of theoretical physics at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "We have seen similar fluctuations in the past that have come and gone." The evidence is even harder to swallow given how far lepton universality is from theorists' expectations of where cracks in the Standard Model might show up. "There's sort of a story line that the theorists tell," Wise says, and "this isn't in the story line." What's worse, the proposed explanations for the leptons' behavior seem ad hoc and unsatisfying. "The kind of models that can fit theanomalies don't really do anything else at first sight," Ligeti says. "For example, they don't get you any closer to understanding what dark matter might be." Still, he adds, "nature tells us how nature is." Physicists are increasingly taking note of the violations' continued persistence, and proposing new theoretical explanations. Experimentalists and theorists alike are also looking to reduce existing measurements' uncertainties. Ultimately, the biggest revelations will come when LHCb and the next version of Belle produce more data. Physicists are optimistic that within about five years not only will we know whether the effect is real, we will have an explanation for it. "If there is a new [force-carrier] particle," says Svjetlana Fajfer, a theorist at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, "[it] should have a mass in reach of LHC," meaning the collider should be able to produce and identify such a particle. For some theorists, that testability is a big draw. "That makes it actually exciting, because if I do something, it can be proven right or wrong," Ligeti says. "One way or another, the case will become clear." To teach students about the upcoming total solar eclipse, teachers in southern Illinois have been creating multidisciplinary lesson plans. Shown here, an art project teaches students about the science of the sun. This Expert Voices column was written by Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Cindy Hepp and Meteicha Green, who are all public school teachers and members of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) 2017 Total Eclipse Education and Outreach Committee. On Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. from Oregon to South Carolina; Carbondale, Illinois, lies close to the point of greatest duration of the eclipse, and SIUC will host a major eclipse festival. As educators, when we heard about the total solar eclipse that will cross the continental U.S. on Aug. 21, we realized that we were in the privileged position to help our students learn about and experience a phenomenon that rarely occurs in our backyard! A total solar eclipse last crossed the entire continental United States in 1918. Because the 2017 eclipse will pass right over Southern Illinois on its journey across the country, those of us who live here are in one of THE best places to be on Aug. 21, 2017. We learned that others would travel hundreds, even thousands of miles to witness this spectacular event. [6 of the Best Places to See the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017] We decided to help our students become eclipse experts so they would be able to educate their families and their communities about what to expect and how to prepare. We created a six-strategy plan to implement between Aug. 22, 2016, and Aug. 21, 2017. If you are an educator who hasn't yet taught eclipse-related concepts to your students, it's not too late. The eclipse is still four weeks away, and you can use the eclipse as the introduction to your lessons rather than the grand finale. Students in southern Illinois observe the sun with solar viewing glasses, ahead of the total solar eclipse that will cross this part of the country on Aug. 21, 2017 (Image credit: Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Murphysboro Middle School) Strategy No. 1: Start early and revisit the topic often. A suggestion that helped shape our curriculum plans came during the annual Science in the South (Teachers) Conference at SIUC. Pamela Gay of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific pointed out that we should take advantage of the entire 2016-2017 school year to educate and prepare our students for the event. We decided to set a goal to incorporate lessons about the eclipse and related topics on or around the 21st of each month leading up to the big event a kind of countdown. By teaching some aspect of the eclipse phenomenon each month, we would keep students engaged and excited. We felt that this was the best way to kindle their enthusiasm as well as reinforce and build on previously learned concepts, as opposed to simply teaching a single unit or lesson on it, then setting the topic aside until the week before the eclipse. But in order to revisit the topic each month, educators would have to get creative about how to get kids engaged in different aspects of eclipse science. Two local schools Trico Elementary School and Murphysboro Middle School that both fall inside the path of totality, kicked off the 2016 school year with help from NASA's Lunar and Meteorite Sample Disc Program, which lends out samples of meteorites and real lunar rocks (protected inside clear plastic discs). One of our teachers had received training at Johnson Space Center in Houston and was certified to borrow the priceless discs and share them with our students. Students use physical models to understand the relationship between the motions and paths of the sun, moon and Earth. (Image credit: Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Murphysboro Middle School) The students were fascinated with the idea that they were holding rocks from the moon. This experience piqued their interest in all things NASA and space. As they began to learn about the history of the Apollo missions, they were fascinated with the launches, splashdowns (which many had never heard of) and crew members. Thus, a cross-curricular teachable moment presented itself, and we incorporated the history of the space missions and sample collection and curation into the eclipse lessons and encouraged students to conduct additional research as well. A primary focus for each of us was to help students understand, develop and internalize a working model of the Earth-sun-moon relationship, including how these three bodies move relative to one another and influence each other. Fully understanding the relationship requires hands-on activities, repetition and student engagement. We incorporated many activities into our eclipse lesson plans, including: Plot out the Thousand-Yard Model of the solar system. Create models of the moon eclipsing the sun. Make observations then collect and analyze data of changing shadow lengths that arise as the result of the motion of the Earth. Create detailed physical models of the Earth, the sun and the moon with comparisons of their structures and effects on one another. Chart the changing appearance of the moon in the sky over multiple nights and re-create the phases with illustrations and Oreo cookies. Model eclipses with objects of various sizes and distances to understand how eclipses occur. Each of these activities helped students internalize the concepts of patterns in nature, systems and system models, and the Earth-sun-moon model. We purposefully incorporated different disciplines such as art and geography, in addition to science into our eclipse activities, thus accommodating the diverse strengths and interests of our various students. For example, some students created beautiful eclipse art based on what they anticipated seeing next August. After viewing many photographs and videos of total solar eclipses, and listening to eclipse experts describe the experience of seeing one live, students selected the eclipse phase they thought would be most fascinating. Many of the participating schools filled the hallways with galleries of eclipse art showing the totality phase (with amazing coronas), diamond ring phases and the partial eclipse phases in which the moon seems to be eating away at the sun. A student works on an eclipse-themed art project. (Image credit: Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Murphysboro Middle School) Middle school and high school art instructors in Murphysboro District 186 and Trico District 176 embraced this idea and incorporated solar eclipse art into their student art fairs and competitions. Murphysboro Middle School Art Club students entered an eclipse-focused art competition sponsored by the American Association of University Women at SIUC. Art students in Trico High School and Murphysboro Elementary held an eclipse logo contest, incorporating a glow-in-the-dark element, and the winning design was printed on the schools official eclipse T-shirt. Another multidisciplinary activity, "Who Will See Totality?" combined science, math, writing and geography skills as students recruited people living inside the path of totality to participate in an eclipse-glasses trade. Trico fifth grade students emailed a large number of people who are located within the path of totality. The students requested that the recipient of the email mail a pair of eclipse glasses to our school. (Many cities have ordered custom eclipse glasses that say the name of the town on the side; many local organizations are also doing this.) In return, the students would mail a pair of our custom eclipse glasses back to the email recipient. As the glasses arrives, students uses GPS to find the exact location of the sender and mark those locations on a large paper U.S. map with pins and the eclipse glasses, to show "Who Gets to See Totality?" We also placed utmost importance on helping students understand the importance of wearing the appropriate eye-covering when viewing the sun at any time. Thanks to Bob Baer of the physics department at SIU Carbondale and Michelle Nichols of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, students had plenty of solar-viewing glasses to practice with, and teachers had sound advice about how to convey this information. Both Baer and Nichols generously gave their time to small groups of students who conducted video interviews with the two experts about the total solar eclipse experience, and how to watch it safely. With the students, we made pinhole viewers and eclipse-viewing cards that can be used for solar observations on the day of the eclipse. [Don't Let an Old Myth Prevent Your Child from Seeing the Solar Eclipse] Strategy No. 2: Reach out to the experts and teach our students that one of the most valuable life skills is knowing how and where to find answers. We incorporated this strategy many times as we planned monthly space science lessons. We have each been teaching for many years and felt quite comfortable in the lesson planning and pedagogy, but we aren't scientists or space science experts. The last thing we wanted to do was to reinforce or teach bad science, or reinforce misconceptions. So, we reached out to the experts, many of whom graciously gave us their time and expertise to help our students. We are so appreciative of NASA and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for their amazing, fully vetted lessons, resources and safety information. Baer and Nichols both helped educate us about the eclipse and provided excellent information for our students as well. An activity involving Oreo cookies helps educate students about the upcoming total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Murphysboro Middle School) Strategy No. 3: Collaborate. We started a website to simplify the sharing of ideas and resources and to learn from other educators interested in teaching students about the eclipse. With a zero-dollar budget, but an interest in bringing like-minded educators together, we created a simple site in the summer of 2016 to supplement the SIU Carbondale Eclipse Teacher Resources website. This site allowed us to share our ideas by posting eclipse-related activities and lessons, including those shared by other educators, and help non-science teachers understand that the eclipse offers something for every discipline. We also posted pictures of students engaged in eclipse activities. The website provided a platform for connecting via email with other teachers to announce regional workshops and upcoming webinars that they might find helpful. Through various conferences and our Southern Illinois Schools Eclipse Planning website, we met many other educators, scout leaders, park rangers and librarians, who were interested in reaching out to schools and communities to generate excitement about the upcoming eclipse. School and public librarians have focused on displays, books and a summer reading challenge with eclipse themes. We continue to share ideas and resources. Teachers in southern Illinois have been engaging librarians and other educators to teach kids about the total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Julie Wittenborn-Sikorski, Murphysboro Middle School) Strategy No. 4: Educate our communities and families. Many outreach/informational experiences have been made available to parents and community members in addition to students. We distributed fliers with safe viewing instructions and suggested websites to visit, along with order forms for solar-viewing glasses. The excitement about the coming eclipse prompted us to write a grant to purchase a StarLab inflatable planetarium dome and projection system that is shared by our school districts and larger communities. Having the planetarium available to use with students in our rural schools has been a fantastic opportunity. We set it up at special school event evenings to share space science information with the families of our students. Educators in Southern Illinois are using a Starlab inflatable astronomy dome to teach students and members of the community about the total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Cindy Hepp, Trico Elementary School) Trico hosted a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) night which included sessions on eclipse education, the StarLab dome and a student-created space science art gallery, among other STEAM activities. This event won recognition from the state of Illinois' Lead, Focus, Connect Conference. Carruthers School in Murphysboro began an astronomy club for elementary students. Teachers there also wrote a grant to purchase a telescope for students to use. The club hosts weekly "Telescope Tuesday" events that are open to all! [Eclipse Party! 13 Solar Eclipse Celebrations Across the U.S] Strategy No. 5: Get more people involved. In addition to encouraging teachers in our schools to incorporate the eclipse into their lesson plans, we have shared what we are doing via informational presentations at local libraries and various conferences. We have presented at the Noyce Midwest Regional Conference held at Kennedy Space Center, SIUC's Science in the South Conference, the Illinois State I-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Conference, the 2016 Annual Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference, the Cedarhurst PBS Kids Star Party and a neighboring school districts summer school program. Our school districts have purchased certified safe solar-viewing glasses to give to all students and staff members and have made additional pairs of the school-district-themed glasses available for purchase to others in the community. Local business people, including a local optometrist, volunteered to make financial donations to help offset the cost of providing free glasses to our students. Preparation of our students as "Eclipse Ambassadors" will come into play on the day of the eclipse because some of the students will be watching the eclipse from home with their families and neighbors. For example, because of its proximity to Carbondale and major highway intersections in the area, the Murphysboro School District administration decided not to have school on Eclipse Day, citing significant traffic and heat concerns for bused students. So, the forethought to include lessons on the eclipse throughout the previous year will be advantageous to our students. Teachers will only need to review and emphasize safe viewing practices with our students in the few days they will be in school before the eclipse. Students at Carruthers Elementary School get a hands-on lesson about the total solar eclipse. (Image credit: Meteicha Green, Carruthers Elementary School) Trico, on the other hand, is in a more rural area of Southern Illinois where traffic is not anticipated to be an issue. The school will be in session there, and teachers have been planning an Eclipsapalooza for the school and the community. Trico elementary, junior high and high school teachers have gone above and beyond to hold fund-raising events to offset the costs of the day's events and custom shirts. Eclipsapalooza will include a broad range of indoor and outdoor activities, including solar observations, space-themed foods, StarLab sessions, cultural eclipse stories by a professional storyteller and writing activities so people can keep a journal about this amazing experience. One of the activities we are most excited about aside from experiencing totality, of course is creating kindergarten-through-fifth-grade-level time capsules on Aug. 21. On April 8, 2024, when the next total solar eclipse crosses right through our location again, our current K-5 students will be sixth to 11th graders and will return to open the capsules with the new elementary students. Strategy No. 6: Maintain the excitement of the eclipse and help propel students into science careers and hobbies. No matter how thoroughly we have prepared our students and ourselves, experiencing totality will undoubtedly be more amazing than we could have imagined. The upcoming eclipse has generated incredible interest in space, physics, astronomy and space exploration, and Eclipse Daywill likely leave an indelible impression on all who are fortunate enough to experience it. We realize that this may be a defining moment in the lives of some of our students, helping steer them toward a lifelong passion for space science or a related field. As educators, we would love nothing more than to learn, that years from now, some of our current students have gone on to make space science their life's work. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. After 16 months of testing technologies that can detect the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves, the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft shut down on Tuesday (July 18), the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany announced. LISA Pathfinder a proof-of-concept mission launched by the European Space Agency was turned off as planned as its mission came to an end. The spacecraft will continue to circle the sun in a parking orbit as the agency turns its attention to newer missions. The mission didn't study gravitational waves directly, but instead tested out new technologies for a 2034 follow-up mission, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), which will detect and accurately measure those space-time ripples. [Gallery: The Search for Gravitational Waves] "When we were in contact with LISA Pathfinder [Tuesday] evening for the last time and said goodbye to the satellite, it was a unique and emotional moment," Karsten Danzmann, Max Planck Institute director and Lisa Pathfinder co-investigator, said in a statement. LISA Pathfinder has demonstrated the technology needed for a gravitational-wave observatory in space. (Image credit: C. Carreau/ESA) "This mission has been outstanding," said Paul McNamara, LISA Pathfinder project scientist, in a new YouTube video released by ESA. "From the operations to the hardware to the development, it's just been a wonderful mission." They key testing technology on LISA Pathfinder consisted of two gold-platinum cubes, each weighing 4.3 lbs. (2 kilograms) and measuring about 1.8 inches (4.6 centimeters) in diameter. The cubes were suspended inside the spacecraft, and a laser measured the distance between them nominally 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) for changes in their orientation, distance and position. "We can determine the distance of the two free-falling test masses to less than the diameter of a single atom," Gerhard Heinzel, leader of the Interferometry in Space research group at Max Planck, said in a 2016 statement. In 2016, LISA Pathfinder's cubes achieved a near perfect free fall in space, which demonstrated that scientists could precisely control the cubes' positions for future gravitational wave hunts. LISA, slated to launch in 2034, will consist of three satellites positioned in a triangle, with each satellite about 1.55 million miles (2.5 million kilometers) from each other about six times the distance to the moon. The proposed LISA mission will detect gravitational waves in space using a trio of satellites that employ lasers to measure the changes in their relative distance caused by gravitational waves. (Image credit: C. Henze/AEI/MM/exozet; GW simulation: NASA) Each spacecraft will have a similar technology to LISA Pathfinder's cubes, called a "free-falling mass," nested inside. Gravitational waves will distort the spacecraft's distances to each other by only a trillionth of a meter, requiring precise measurements. Gravitational waves, ripples in space-time first theorized by Albert Einstein a century ago, are produced by large events in space such as supernova explosions, or the mergers of black holes. Black-hole mergers have been detected several times by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consortium, which operates detectors in Washington state and Louisiana. However, LIGO and other ground-based detectors and can see only some kinds of gravitational waves. It takes a space-based observatory to avoid interference from seismic activity and other distortions on Earth. LISA will detect lower-frequency waves than those found by LIGO, focusing on events such as supermassive black hole collisions. "We're looking for the universe vibrating from these mergers, these big, big events," McNamara added in the video. "It's something you can never, ever do on the ground. So LIGO would never be able to see the events that we see with LISA." Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Reacting to news of the extreme sentences imposed by the Moroccan authorities against a group of Saharawi activists (which include life imprisonment), the President of the World Peace Council, Socorro Gomes, has issued a statement this Sunday (23) to strongly reject the persecution of the activists and to call for the end of the occupation of Western Sahara by the Kingdom of Morocco. The entire trial had been rejected by various entities that dennounced its arbitrariness and the ill-treatment suffered by the prisoners. Read Socorro Gomes statement below: We denounce the false trial of the Saharawi prisoners; Free Western Sahara! We have received the extremely serious news of the conviction of Saharawi activists of the Gdeim Izik group by the Kingdom of Morocco and their sentencing to severe punishment up to life imprisonment. We join the movements in solidarity with the Saharawi people in the struggle for their liberation from the Moroccan occupation in condemnation, in the strongest terms, and strongly rejection of the criminal process against the activists, who are persecuted for defending Western Saharas self-determination! The World Peace Council has supported and expressed its solidarity with the brave combatants for the liberation of the Western Sahara, which has been occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco for more than 40 years since Spain, a colonial power and administrator, withdrew from the territory in the 1970s. Therefore, the penalty imposed by the Moroccan authorities, first through a military court and later through a civil court, who announced similar sentences, is unacceptable and must be rejected by all governments and social movements in the strongest terms! Either in a peaceful protest camp organized in 2010 with more than 20,000 people, as well as on the streets of occupied Western Sahara, on a day-to-day basis, numerous human rights and freedom defenders are dragged to suffer torture and other ill-treatment, such as those denounced by the newly convicted activists, in a case that several international observers have denounced as irregular. The decolonization of Western Sahara must be carried out immediately, with the realization of the referendum promised in 1991, so that the Saharawi people can exercise their right to self-determination. The maintenance of a brutal occupation through human rights violations committed on a daily basis needs to be exposed! The Kingdom of Morocco relies on the connivance and complicity of allies such as France, Spain, the USA and Saudi Arabia, without which it could not continue to maintain an entire people under humiliation, imprisonment, torture, or exile. We demand the liberation of the Saharawi political prisoners and the liberation of the Western Sahara, now! Socorro Gomes President of the World Peace Council (SPS) 062/090 https://cebrapaz.org.br/2017/07/24/president-of-the-world-peace-council-rejects-the-sentences-imposed-by-morocco-against-saharawi-activists/ A woman has admitted killing her fiance by tampering with his kayak before he drowned during an excursion on the Hudson river in New York state. Angelika Graswald had been charged with secretly removing a drain plug from Vincent Viafores kayak and then watching him die after he capsized in the river north of the Big Apple. It was allegedly part of a plot to collect on his $250,000 (192,000) life insurance policy. The Latvian nationals lawyer had said the death was an accident, caused by high waves, cold water and alcohol. The lawyer claimed police investigators had coerced her into blaming herself for the death during a lengthy interrogation. Graswald, 37, who had been facing murder and manslaughter charges, had been in custody awaiting trial. She appeared at Orange County court in Goshen, New York. Kayak plot: Angelika Graswald and Vincent Viafore Today district attorney David Hoovler said Graswald, of Poughkeepsie, New York, had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. He said she admitted causing Mr Viafores death on April 19, 2015, by removing the plug from his kayak, knowing he was not wearing a life vest or wetsuit and the water was dangerous and cold. Criminally negligent homicide carries a punishment of up to four years in jail. She will be sentenced in November. Guilty plea: Angelika Graswald appears in court / AP She had told police she wanted to be free from his sex demands and threesome desires, according to earlier court hearings. At Graswalds arraignment in 2015, assistant district attorney Julie Mohl said: She felt trapped, and it was her only way out, adding that Graswald later confessed that it felt good knowing he would die. The body of 46-year-old Mr Viafore was found three weeks after he disappeared by a fisherman near the US Military Academy at West Point, about 40 miles north of New York City. The couple had gone kayaking near Bannerman Castle on the Hudson. Prosecutors had described how Grawald called 911 for help after her fiance disappeared. She told a local TV news programme after the incident, I just saw him flip, right in front of me. She had said she was unable to save him when he capsized. She was rescued from the water by another boater and treated for hypothermia. Mr Viafore was a construction manager and Graswald came to the US when she was 20, taking a job as an au pair.Friends of the victim spoke of her odd behaviour in the aftermath. She seemed to be relishing the attention that she was getting, longtime friend Steven Hammond said. D onald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner today dramatically revealed details of contacts with a Russian ambassador, a Russian banker and a Russian lawyer before the controversial Republican moved into the White House. Ahead of being grilled by a Senate panel, senior White House adviser Mr Kushner issued an 11-page statement denying collusion with any Russians during the US election campaign and the presidential transition period after Mr Trumps victory. He also rejected claims that he had sought to set up a secret back channel to Moscow. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government, he said before appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. However, some of the revelations in the statement will inevitably raise fresh questions over the Trump campaigns alleged links to Russia which has been accused of trying to sway the election against Democrat Hillary Clinton, a claim the Kremlin denies. Mr Kushner, 36, who is married to Mr Trumps daughter Ivanka, said he had perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives. They were: In April 2016, he met the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, before a foreign policy speech by Mr Trump. Mr Kushner said he could not recall two alleged phone calls with Mr Kislyak between April and November. In June 2016, he went to a meeting in Trump Tower after being asked to do so by his brother-in-law Donald Trump Jr. Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was at the meeting and is alleged to have had some dirt on Mrs Clinton. Mr Kushner said when he arrived late, a ban on US adoptions of Russian children was being discussed. He says he decided the meeting was a waste of time and that he texted an assistant to call him so he could leave it. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign..I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted, Kushners statement says. After the election on December 1, 2016, Mr Kushner met the Russian ambassador again at Trump Tower, attended by General Michael Flynn who briefly became Mr Trumps national security adviser. Mr Kushner said Mr Kislyak stressed he wanted to address US policy in Syria and wanted to convey information from what he called his generals and asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct a conversation. The statement says: General Flynn or I explained that there were no such lines... and I asked if they had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use where they would be comfortable transmitting the information they wanted to relay to General Flynn. The Ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration. Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a secret back channel. On December 13, Mr Kushner met banker Sergey Gorkov who was said by the ambassador to have a direct line to Russian president Vladimir Putin. The meeting lasted 25 minutes. He said that he was friendly with President Putin, expressed disappointment with U.S.-Russia relations under President Obama and hopes for a better relationship in the future, explains Mr Kushner. There were no specific policies discussed. We had no discussion about the sanctions imposed by the Obama Administration. At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind. The Senate, along with the House and a special counsel, are all investigating Russian alleged interference in the election. Meanwhile, Mr Trump today lashed out at members of his own Republican Party for doing very little to protect him. The outburst came as US lawmakers stepped up their investigation into alleged ties between his election campaign and Russia. It was set to delve into the presidents own family and the highest echelons of the White House. Its very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President, Mr Trump tweeted. In a second message he added: As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians. Washington sources say that Capitol Hill hearings focusing on a controversial meeting between Mr Trumps inner circle and a Russian lawyer will take place this week against a backdrop of a White House under a siege mentality with the president distrustful of even some of his closest aides and intent on going on the offensive against anyone he feels is threatening him. His son, Donald Trump Jr, has also come under fire for striking a deal with a congressional committee to keep his version of the meeting with the Kremlin-linked lawyer under wraps at a private session. The secrecy row blew up after Senator Al Franken insisted the presidents eldest son should be grilled under oath on his Russian connections at Wednesdays planned public hearing. Mr Trump Jr and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort were due to appear in front of an open Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday to answer questions about the Trump Tower meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. But they reached a compromise with committee chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat member Dianne Feinstein this weekend, agreeing to be interviewed and turn over any documents relating to the June 2016 meeting as long as they did so in private. Opponents pounced on the meeting as evidence that Mr Trump Jr was willing to collude with the Russian government to get incriminating information to help his fathers presidential campaign and influence the election. It is illegal under US election law for a campaign to receive a contribution from a foreign government or national. After details of the meeting were revealed by the New York Times, Mr Trump Jr claimed that no meaningful information emerged and he insisted that his father was kept in the dark about the rendezvous itself and the arrangements leading up to it. W hether running, walking, climbing or cycling, a summer spent outdoors requires a robust arsenal of kit. Ultra marathon runner and endurance athlete Fergus Scholes tests out the best. Salomon Quest Origins 2 GTX Walking Boots This boot only receives rave reviews, and straight out of the box theyll offer a super comfortable ride. Although not the lightest weight walking boot out there, given the extensive list of functionality they offer - fantastic support, traction, water resistance, great durability, leather upper lining theyre a great bet which will be at home in any conditions. 175, Salomon, Buy it now Fjall Raven Kaipak 28 Backpack The top quality Swedish brand Fjall Raven delivers a fantastic backpack, perfect for a day hike or activities out in the mountains. Its super robust, comfortable, has a great ventilation system, and made from recycled polyester and organic cotton, so a great choice if you like to make a more considered purchase. 120, Fjall Raven, Buy it now Leki Micro Trail Pro Nordic Walking Poles Leki makes some of the best poles going, and this small, slender and lightweight carbon Nordic walking style model comes as a top recommendation for hikes in the mountains. They also double up ideally for trail running, so theyre super versatile too. Splitting down into 4 segments means they have a pack size from just 34cm, so they can easily fit in a suitcase or strap onto your daypack. 135, Leki, Buy it now Mammut Runbold WB Hooded Jacket This soft shell jacket offers breathability, weather protection and durability, and makes for the ultimate outer layer to have for a day in the mountains, where the weather can change quickly. Weighing just 177grams and packing to a super small size, you wont have to worry about any excess weight or taking precious space in your backpack. 120, Mammut, Buy it now Columbia Titan Ice Short Sleeve Shirt Constructed from the advanced Omni-Freeze fabric, this shirt will wick away any sweat, and be a great versatile base layer for all activities. 28, Columbia Sportswear, Buy it now Norrona bitihorn Lightweight Shorts From this fantastic Norwegian brand, these shorts are Norronas lightweight option; quick drying and very breathable. Theyll work for hiking, trekking and even trail running along with a host of other multi-sport summer activities in the mountains. 79, Norrona, Buy it now Falke TK4 Trekking Sock Utilising a 3 layer merino wool mix, this premium German brand delivers a super capable hiking sock with great cushioning and breathability. 24, Falke, Buy it now Smith Lowdown Sunglasses These lifestyle orientated shades are lightweight and robust, and they boast the new ChromaPop polarized lens technology transmitting the highest levels of colour and clarity a necessity as your altitude increases. 139, Smith Optics, Buy it now HydroFlask Wide Mouth Water Bottle A really nice sized and tactile insulated bottle, this is perfect for keeping your morning coffee warm or keeping an ice cold drink cool whilst out in the mountains. This option has a flip top lid with wide neck making it simple to drink from and easy to clean. 22, Snow and Rock, Buy it now Goal Zero Flip 20 Recharger This backpack essential will charge up your smart phone twice. The build quality from Goal Zero is second to none, so you cant go wrong with this. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe In the east the battle for the city of Raqqa is now into its seventh week with American supported SDF forces doing nearly all the fighting. At this point the SDF has taken nearly half the city but has had to slow down the advance because the ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) resistance is more organized and determined, especially in the Old City. ISIL made the most effort to fortify and defend the city center, where there are more historical sites that are still intact and ISIL knows the attackers will be eager to preserve. American Special Forces confirm that SDF has the remaining ISIL forces surrounded and the Kurdish led rebels continue to advance on all sides. The U.S. Special Forces, who have operated with Kurds in Iraq for 25 years and the Syrian Kurds for over five years, also report that the ISIL fighters still in Raqqa are more frequently using civilians (or even wives and children ISIL men) as human shields. This makes it more difficult to call in air strikes when you are trying to avoid civilian casualties. At this point most of the fighting in Syria is taking place in Raqqa and a few other hot spots (Idlib province, killing and outside Aleppo, the Lebanese border and near the Israeli border. Losses And Holdings Nationwide the fighting is killing about 2,000 people a month this year, about the same as it has for the last 24 months. But while in 2015 Syrian losses were 50 percent more than in neighboring Iraq each month, now they about twice what they are in Iraq. Since 2011 the fighting in Syria has killed about 340,000. Some 33 percent of the dead are civilians while 35 percent are Syrian security forces and pro-government irregulars (local militias and foreign volunteers) and 32 percent various rebel factions (many killed fighting other rebels). About half the rebel dead belonged to ISIL. The secular rebels and al Nusra want the Assads gone and Iran has 24,000 fighters in Syria to make sure that does not happen. Some 62 percent of the Iranian forces are Shia mercenaries from Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. Another 35 percent are Hezbollah (Lebanese Shia) and the rest are Iranian trainers and technical advisors. The Syrian armed forces have about 200,000 men on the payroll but most are not effective for offensive operations (thats what Hezbollah and Iranian mercenaries are for) and useful mainly to provide local security. Russia has a few thousand military and contractor personnel in Syria providing the Assads with air, intel and logistical support. This plays a major role in keeping the Syrian army and air force operational, if nothing else. Between August 2016 and March 2017 Turkish forces took control of over 2,000 square kilometers of Syrian territory along the Turkish border. The Turks declared their ground operation in Syria completed in April. About fifty of the thousand or so Turkish troops in Syria died during this operation which left over a thousand ISIL men dead or captured. While the official goal of the Turks is to join in the international effort to destroy ISIL they are mainly in Syria to limit the presence of Syrian Kurdish rebels bear the Turkish border. Thus the Turks believed their forces have killed about 500 Kurdish rebels in Syria, most of the, members of the Turkish PKK or the similar Syrian YPG. The Turkish safe zone has attracted about 230,000 Syrian refugees. This is what the Turks wanted because they already have about three million Syrian refugees in Turkey. With the ISIL forces in Raqqa now trapped there ISIL has apparently (according to chatter, prisoner statements and so on) ordered foreign members to stay in Syria (and Iraq) because it is too difficult to get out of the area just now and rather than lose a lot of these foreign fighters to border guards and numerous other security checks between Syria and home (especially if it is in the West) ISIL advises them to stay where they are, keep fighting and see what develops. Some of the foreigners are ignoring orders, shaving their beards and seeking to get out as innocent civilians. Currently the Assad government controls about 70 percent of the remaining Syrian population, although a lot of it is actually occupied by foreign allies (Turkey, Iran and Russia). About a quarter of the 2011 population, almost all of them anti-Assad Sunnis, have fled the country and probably will not return to an Iran dominated Syria. The Sunnis are still a majority, just a much smaller one. The rebels, (mostly the Kurd led SDF) control about a quarter of the population and ISIL controls about 20 percent of the land areas (mostly in the largely desert eastern Syria) but only about five percent of the population. The Assads control only about a third of the country, making it easier for them to protect and patrol the population they control. The Assads have the coast and the two largest cities (Damascus and Aleppo). To The Victors Go More Reasons To Keep Fighting With ISIL gone the only thing left to fight over is how much of Syria will a post-war Syrian government control. Turkey wants to control most of the northern border, as least the parts that border Turkey. The control is currently disputed by the Syrian Kurds, who want to control northeastern Syria (their ancestral homeland) and at least have access to the rest of the northern border, if not control of smaller border areas that were traditionally mostly Kurdish. Iran wants free access to southern Syria, especially the main roads from Iraq to southern Lebanon and areas along the Israeli border. Russia has a lease on a naval base on the Syrian coast and wants to hold onto that. Israel is openly hostile to a permanent Iranian presence in Syria and Turkey quietly agrees with that. Russia agrees with Turkey and Israel on this but does not say so (much) in public. Yet Turkey and Russia also back the Assads and coordinate their military operations with Iran. The Sunni Arab states are more open in opposing Iranian plans here. Despite all that Iran is determined to have a land route from Iran to Lebanon and military installations in post-war Syria. Israel has made it clear that it will, and can, make sure that does not happen. Turkey and Russia recognize that Israel is not only the stronger military power here but also has the most at stake. For decades has called for the destruction of Israel and that does not sit well with Turkey and Russia because both nations have had clashes with aggressive Iranian ambitions over the past few centuries. Iran already has got the Assads agreeing to a long-term lease on one of the recently recaptured airbases in central Syria. Iran would pay to rebuild the base and would be free to use it without Syrian interference. Iran is seeking a similar deal for a port on the Mediterranean coast. Iran has also been seeking 5,000 Shia mercenaries for the post-war Iranian controlled force to guard the airbase and port as well as operations on the Israeli border. Israel knows that Iran wants to establish a pro-Iranian militia in Syria similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Assads know this would mean they would have to share power in Syria with Iran. Most Syrians dont care for this, just as most Lebanese dont care for the Hezbollah presence since the 1980s. No one, including Russia, Turkey and Israel, want another Hezbollah established in Syria. Iran will not back down on this and that has damaged their relationships with their allies. July 24, 2017: In the west, on the Lebanese border, Hezbollah forces have been, for nearly a week, pushing Syrian rebel groups (mainly factions associated with al Qaeda or ISIL) out of areas they have controlled for years. Hezbollah is apparently going to clear Syrian rebels out of all Lebanese border areas. For the five years Syrian rebels have been a menacing, and often murderous presence on the border and eliminating that will win Hezbollah a lot of good will with Lebanese in general. July 23, 2017: In the east the SDF continues its offensive against ISIL in the Raqqa. No one else is apparently able to join in the offensive. Syrian forces are southwest of Raqqa moving towards where the borders of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces meet. The Assad forces are more intent on seizing oil wells and other economic assets ISIL has been occupying for several years. The Assad forces are not close enough have any impact on the fighting in Raqqa city. Apparently Russia and Iran will insist that Raqqa be turned over to the Assad government once SDF has taken it. That will be a difficult situation since the Americans and other foreign powers backed the SDF in order to overthrow the Assad government. In the north (Idlib province, west of Aleppo and bordering Turkey) a car bomb exploded in the provincial capital (Idlib city) killing eleven people, nine of them belonging to a rebel faction allied with al Qaeda. This came after two days of heavy fighting between Ahrar al Sham (formerly a faction of Tahir al Sham) and Tahir al Sham. Since March Tahir al Sham has been fighting to gain control over all of Idlib province and now it has pushed Ahrar al Sham and their pro-Turkish allies out of Idlib city and much of the surrounding area. Idlib province is one area that is still largely controlled by rebels but the rebels are mostly Islamic terrorist groups and that means they have a hard time determining who is in charge. Ahrar al Sham is trying to convince the Turks and the Americans that their battle is with the Syrian government, not other rebels. Al Qaeda pretends to do that but has not been convincing. In Syria the main al Qaeda presence is Tahir al Sham, which is still the largest rebel coalition and composed mainly of Islamic terrorist groups. In January it expanded to include four new member groups and adopted a new name; Tahir al Sham. This is the second name change since July 2016 when the Al Nusra rebel coalition renounced any connection with al Qaeda, adopted a new name (Jabhat Fatah al Sham) and declared it was now simply a Syrian rebel group which, like most Syrian rebel organizations, was full of devout Moslems who really wanted to become recognized by the United States as cooperative (and not to be bombed). But the Americans still considered al Nusra an ally of ISIL or, at the very least, still friendly with al Qaeda. Some al Qaeda leaders have admitted publicly that the al Nusra split was temporary. Until early 2016 al Nusra was allied with ISIL but that alliance was always temporary because ISIL wanted to eventually absorb al Nusra. The two groups put that battle off to deal with the Assad government first. Even before mid-2016 al Nusra tried to distance itself from ISIL and began openly fighting ISIL in places like Aleppo. As recently as late 2016 more than half the Sunni Islamic terrorist rebels belonged to groups hostile to ISIL and most of these are controlled or allied with the al Qaeda affiliated al Nusra/Jabhat Fatah rebels. July 22, 2017: In the south (the Ghouta suburbs 15 kilometers east of Damascus) the rebels agreed to another ceasefire to allow for supplies to get in. This is one of the last rebel strongholds around Damascus and was the scene of the chemical weapons attack in 2013. The Ghouta area is controlled by over 10,000 armed rebels and still contains about 350,000 civilians. There are about six rebel groups in Ghouta most of them Islamic terror groups divided between those associated with al Qaeada and the rest supported by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil states. These factions have spent a lot of time fighting, or feuding, with each other. This has tied down a lot of Assad forces to keep an eye on them and the rebels will cooperate in defending the area if attacked. Within a few days of the peace deal Russian military police had established about a dozen checkpoints in the Ghouta area and that was as much to reassure the people in the area that Russian and Syrian air strikes would not return but to also monitor movements of known rebels. July 19, 2017: Turkey allowed the publication of NATO secrets, in this case the location of ten American places in northern Syria where American troops are operating from including the number of American (and in two cases French) troops in each location. As a NATO member revealing this information this is a serious violation of NATO rules. The Turks justify it by accusing the Americans of supplying weapons to the SDF rebels which end up being used inside Turkey by the PKK separatist rebels to kill Turks. The U.S. asks for proof and the Turks have been unable to provide it. At first the Turkish government denied responsibility for the leaks and blamed it on the Turkish media outlet operating independently. Since that outlet was government controlled that excuse was quietly dropped. Turkish language media openly said the leaked secrets were in retaliation for American support of the Kurdish rebels in Syria, particularly the SDA, whose largest components is the YPG (Syrian separatist Kurds). About the same time the Turkish leaks came out it was revealed that the United States had decided in June to reduce (and revise) support it had provided since 2013 for the FSA (Free Syrian Army). In 2011 FSA was one of the first Syrian rebel groups to appear and one of the few openly secular ones. It quickly gained support from Gulf oil states who supplied cash, guns and other aid via Jordan and Turkey. But the FSA suffered from corruption (as did all rebels in Syria) and the shift towards Islamic radical rebel groups. At first this was mainly al Qaeda/al Nusra but by 2013 even more radical ISIL appeared and FSA had a harder and harder time recruiting and holding territory. By 2015 FSA was believed doomed but the groups held on, largely because of the American, Turkish and Arab support. In northern Syria FSA units have allied themselves with Turkey and is apparently one reason the U.S. is cutting support. July 17, 2017: In Lebanon he government banned demonstrations by the 1.5 million Syrian refugees. These demonstrations were to take place on the 18th to protest government efforts to shut down illegal activities in the refugee camps. Russia and the United States made it clear that they agreed with Israeli concerns about Iran setting up bases in Syria and Lebanon. This is another way of saying Russia and the U.S. will not try to block Israeli attacks against Iranian forces getting too close to the Israeli border or Iranian efforts to establish new facilities in Syria and Lebanon. In other words, nothing has changed and Iran has been officially reminded that they are on their own when they threaten Israel. Meanwhile Russia reminds the Syrian government that Iran intends to control a post-war Syria and attempt to turn it into a Shia majority nation (via forced conversions and expulsions of stubborn Sunnis). That would make the Assads totally dependent on and subservient to Iran, something that most Assad supporters are not in favor of. But defying Iran does not appear to be a practical option because the most effective troops the Assads have are the 20,000 or so Iranian supplied Shia mercenaries. Kurdish intelligence officials in Iraq and Syria agree that ISIL founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is apparently still alive and probably operating out of a new ISIL headquarters south of Raqqa. The Kurds, who have decades of experience dealing with Islamic terrorist leaders like Baghdadi have one of the best informant networks in both Iraq and Syria and U.S. intel analysts consider the Kurds a very reliable source. July 16, 2017: In the south two mortar shells were fired at the Russian embassy compound in Damascus. One shell fell within the embassy compound and exploded causing some material damage. The other shell landed outside the compound, as did several others apparently aimed at nearby residential neighborhoods. At least seven civilians were wounded by this. These embassy attacks have happened several times since 2011. The Syrian government is believed to be responsible for some of these attacks, at least the ones that took place when there were no rebels reported close enough to have done so. At this time there are still some rebels within mortar range of this part of Damascus. July 11, 2017: Another Russian soldier was killed in Syria. An army officer, advising Assad forces, died of wounds received from a mortar shell. Russian casualties in Syria remain low with nearly all the fatalities suffered by highly trained troops advising the Syrians or special operations personnel carrying out recon or other intel gathering missions. By the Russian official count the latest death makes 32 Russians killed in Syria since mid-2015. The actual number is believed to be 30-80 percent higher because of the growing use of Russian military contractors, who are not, for record keeping purposes, members of the Russian military. The Syrian war effort, despite the low number of Russian casualties, is not popular with most Russians who see Assad and most other Middle Eastern governments (especially former Soviet allies) as losers. July 5, 2017: ISIL appears to have ordered its remaining forces out of Aleppo city and the surrounding province. In southern Russia three Tu-95 heavy bombers took off from a base (Engels) on the Volga River and flew southwest until the bombers were within about 900 kilometers of central Syria and launched at least six Kh-101 cruise missiles (are similar to the U.S. Tomahawk) at rebel targets near Hama. July 4, 2017: In the east SDF forces breached the wall surrounding the Old City area in the center of the Raqqa. Elsewhere i n Syria the United States, Russia and Jordan began implementing a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" they had worked out days earlier to keep the Assad, rebel and Iranian forces from advancing towards the Israeli border and southwestern Syria in general. This ceasefire mainly means no airstrikes in the area, especially none by U.S. or Russian aircraft which have been providing most of the air support for the rebels and the Assads. This ceasefire will be monitored from the air (manned and UAV aircraft as well as satellites) and a Russian military police battalion will man checkpoints. The Assads and some of the rebels have agreed to this but Iran has been evasive while ISIL and some other rebel groups have ignored ceasefires in general. Iran did agree to halt the advance of the troops it controls (mainly Shia mercenaries from Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere). Israel expects Iran to violate this ceasefire one way or another even though the Israelis made it clear that Hezbollah forces showing up on their Syrian border was considered a major threat and would be dealt with accordingly. July 3, 2017: The Syrian Army declared a temporary truce along its southern border, to try and persuade rebels fighting down there to participate in the peace talks being held in Kazakhstan. None of the rebels are willing to attend and only Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Assad government show up and make deals no one pays much attention to. July 2, 2017: In Damascus Islamic terrorists sought to carry out five suicide bombings. Three were successful, killing about twenty people but two of the bombers were intercepted and killed. July 1, 2017: In the south Assad forces on the Israeli border fired two shells into Israel where they caused no damage. Israeli troops usually find that these incidents are accidents but warn the Assad forces across the border that retaliation was always an option if there was any suspicion that an incident was deliberate. In this case Israeli artillery did fire back at the source of the weapon that fired the shell from the Syrian side. At least 18 shells, mostly from mortars, have landed in Israel this way in the last week. Israeli forces responded several times (with artillery and airstrikes). June 30, 2017: Despite UN chemical weapons investigators confirming (in a recently completed study) Syrian use of nerve gas against civilians on April 4th, Russia continues to deny that Syria had any chemical weapons and these accusations are lies designed to embarrass Russia (which proposed the 2013 deal that was to eliminate all the Assad chemical weapons.) Russia again insisted someone else provided the nerve gas and made the attack that killed 90 civilians. In Lebanon the army raided refugee camps near the Syrian border and arrested 350 Syrian refugees suspected of supporting Syrian rebels, Islamic terrorists or gangsters operating out of these camps. During the raids there was some resistance, including five suicide bombers (who only managed to kill one civilian in addition to themselves). Seven soldiers were wounded by refugees during the raids, three of them by one of the suicide bombers. June 29, 2017: In the east SDF fighters seized control of two villages on the Euphrates River and in doing so cut off the last escape route from Raqqa. Up until now ISIL could move their people between the city and other ISIL bases in the desert or towns in nearby Deir Ezzor province. Being surrounded forces ISIL to either try to fight their way out of Raqqa or stay and fight to the death. There are about 100,000 people in Raqqa at this point, most of them civilians. Syrian rebel groups announced that ISIL founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead but would not provide details. As recently as June 16th Russia still claimed that it had used an airstrike to kill Baghdadi on May 28th. June 28, 2017: In the south a mortar shell fired from Syria landed in Israel (Golan Heights) near a village. There were no injuries or damage and Israeli artillery fired on the Syrian army position from which the mortar fire came. Further west, on the Lebanese border with Israel, Hezbollah erected Hezbollah and Iranian flags along the border along with signs that said We are coming. June 27, 2017: In the northwest (the Turkish border, north of Aleppo) cross border firing between Turkish troops and YPG Kurds in Syria resumed. The Turks said it was defensive because they had noticed YPG assembling men near the border and fired on the area with artillery to prevent a YPG attack on Turkey. YPG had never crossed the border and attacked Turkey in the past and were massing forces to deal with a situation in Syria near the town of Azaz. The Turkish troops in Syria, and their FSA allies, have been trying to force Kurdish fighters out of Azaz and the nearby town of Afrin but have so far failed. Azaz has been frequently fought over since 2013. The battles involved al Nusra and ISIL forces as well as the Syrian Army and FSA (secular) and U.S. supported SDF rebels. Now the Turks are involved and have become a major supporters of the FSA rebels in the area. There have been clashes between the YPG and FSA rebels in the past, even though both groups have long been supported by the Americans. These hostilities were basically the outgrowth of personal disputes between leaders of some YPG and FSA groups. The U.S. sees the Turkish attitude here of being more about domestic Turkish politics (where an unpopular pro-Islamic government is trying to create an external threat to distract Turks from the dislike for their own government). As a result of the recent incidents the Americans announced they would not require Syrian Kurds, especially the YPG, to return American weapons once ISIL was defeated. The U.S. had earlier said it would get the weapons, as a gesture to the Turks. But now the Americans see Turkish hostility towards the Syrian Kurds as having nothing to do with reality and actually hurting the campaign against ISIL (which Turkey wants destroyed) and the Assads (which the Turks are less hostile towards). June 26, 2017: In the south several mortar shells fired from Syria landed in Israel (Golan Heights) and several hours later Israel fired back at where the mortar fire came from. This was the third day in a row this has happened. Sometimes it is small unguided rockets that land on the Israeli side of the border. So far there have been no injuries and little damage from all this stray fire from Syria. There was also some stray fire from Syria landing near a UN peacekeeper outpost in the Golan Heights. This rarely happens as there is nothing to be gained by Syrian Army or rebels firing on the UN positions. Israelis came over to help with the investigation and concluded that this really was accidental fire, aided by a brush fire in a nearby minefield that set off one or two mines. That could be misinterpreted as mortar fire. But the Israeli radars in the area detect mortar shells and noted none were detected coming at the UN post, despite the explosions. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group on Tuesday announced an incremental update to the USB standard that'll enable faster transmission of data across existing cables. USB hosts and devices were originally designed as single-lane solutions but as bandwidth demands increased, it became increasingly apparent that something would need to be done to scale performance. That's why multi-lane support was built into USB Type-C cables. With the USB 3.2 specification, new hosts and devices can be designed as multi-lane solutions to take advantage of the extra lanes. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which is comprised of Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics, ST Microelectronics and Texas Instruments, notes that new devices can support up to two lanes of 5 Gbps or two lanes of 10 Gbps operation. A USB 3.2 host connected to a USB 3.2 storage device, for example, will now be capable of data transfers of over 2 GB/sec. With two 10 Gbps lanes, performance is effectively doubled versus what is possible today. Just to reiterate, because existing USB Type-C cables already support multi-lane operation, no new cables are needed to realize the faster speeds. What's more, the USB 3.2 spec will remain compatible with USB 3.0 and earlier devices. The USB 3.2 specification is currently going through a final draft review phase. A formal release is expected ahead of the USB Developer Days North America event scheduled for September. CHICAGO, July 25, 2017 -- In an ongoing effort by Turtle Wax to explore innovative new partnerships, the leading name in car care has joined forces with "America's Favorite Sponge" for its first co-branding deal. The passionate product developers at Turtle Wax and Scrub Daddy have combined their automotive and cleaning expertise to deliver an easy-to-use and effective solution for a variety of consumer needs in the car and around the home. Turtle Wax products are renowned in the auto care space, and Scrub Daddy has already made a name for itself for versatility in home cleaning. The partnership allows both brands to explore new territory through the development of the Turtle Wax M.A.X. Power Hand Cleaning Sponges powered by Scrub Daddy. "The new M.A.X. Power Hand Cleaning Sponges deliver on two of Turtle Wax's core principles: that new products must be innovative and solution-driven for the consumer," said Daren Herbert, Chief Marketing Officer at Turtle Wax. "The partnership with Scrub Daddy is part of our ongoing strategy to forge new co-branding and licensing partnerships to help Turtle Wax shine in new ways in the auto care space, as well as around the home." The sponge is inspired by the customizable cleaning power of Turtle Wax M.A.X.-Power Car Wash and uses Scrub Daddy's FlexTexture technology. The ergonomic design helps clean every inch of the hand and finger nails, plus can be used for exterior and non-porous interior auto surfaces, and even works on a variety of tasks around the house. "Working with a legacy brand like Turtle Wax that shares our passion for innovation is what made this partnership such a great fit," said Aaron Krause, Chief Executive Officer of Scrub Daddy. "Both companies have an entrepreneurial DNA that was channeled to develop the M.A.X. Power Hand Cleaning Sponges and we know consumers will enjoy finding new ways to use this product." The car care brand has 70 years of experience developing automotive solutions, and is exploring licensing and co-branding deals with companies that will expand its offering into new markets. While the iconic brand is considering lending its name to a cross-category assortment of products, only those that can stand up to Turtle Wax's standards of innovation and quality will move forward into development. Turtle Wax M.A.X. Power Hand Cleaning Sponges powered by Scrub Daddy are available in packs of three on Amazon now, and can be found in select retailers starting late July, 2017. For more information about Turtle Wax, visit www.TurtleWax.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest and greatest from the brand. About Turtle Wax For more than 70 years, Turtle Wax has been a leader in the car care industry, formulating innovative product lines to meet the ever-changing needs of both car enthusiasts and the automotive industry. With humble roots in Chicago, Ill., Turtle Wax continues to be a family-owned and operated business with sales in more than 90 countries. Give your car the best in shine and protection with Turtle Wax. For more information visit www.TurtleWax.com or follow Turtle Wax on Facebook and Twitter. Dana Incorporated provides power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for vehicles and machinery in North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in four segments: Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems, and Power Technologies. The Light Vehicle Drive Systems segment offers axles, driveshafts, e-axles, electrodynamic and drivetrain components, and transmissions, as well as electric, hybrid, and ICE products for light trucks, sport and crossover utility vehicles, vans, and passenger cars. The Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems segment provides axles, driveshafts, e-axles, e-transmissions, electrodynamic and drivetrain components, and electric vehicle integration services, as well as software as a service for medium and heavy duty trucks, buses, and specialty vehicles. The Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems segment offers axles, driveshafts, transmissions, planetary hub drives, e-axles and e-drives, and helical and bevel-helical gearboxes, as well as electrodynamic, hydraulic, and drivetrain components for construction, earth moving, agricultural, mining, forestry, material handling, and industrial stationary markets. The Power Technologies segment offers gaskets and sealing, cover modules, heat shields, thermal management, e-thermal management, cooling, and bipolar fuel cell plates products for light vehicle, medium/heavy vehicle, and off-highway markets. The company was formerly known as Dana Holding Corporation and changed its name to Dana Incorporated in August 2016. Dana Incorporated was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Maumee, Ohio. Marc Jacobs Coconut Eye Primer. Photo: Courtesy of Marc Jacobs It takes a certain level of skill to surprise a beauty editor on the subject of makeup or skin care. This is never more obvious than at an industry event to celebrate a product launch. Did you know that you need to apply body lotion immediately after a shower to adequately moisturize your skin? a brand rep asks as they kick off a presentation. (Yes, I did.) Are you aware that sun exposure is the leading cause of visible aging? (Im more than aware.) Did you know that people actually contour their boobs? (Dont get me started.) Leave it to Michael Ashton Adeles makeup artist and winged-eyeliner wizard for a decade to introduce me to something Id yet to consider. We were discussing eye-shadow primers when he told me that he likes to dab a little underneath eyes to boost the staying power of under-eye concealers. Dusting powder on top of concealer can cause creasing, he told me. Prepping concealer with a primer first does not. Subsequent Googling showed me that this technique isnt exactly under the radar (Smashbox and e.l.f both sell primers specifically for under-eyes), but since Ashton demonstrated it to me with Marc Jacobss Coconut Eye Primer, I thought I should be consistent. Marc Jacobss primer is a bit like most eye-shadow primers heavy on silicones but an injection of coconut oil whisks the texture into a creamy state. The formula is tinted, like a shade of khaki, but as you rub the primer into skin the color fades to translucence. I havent used an eye cream for some time now (I am very sorry, Linda Wells), but maybe this coconut gizmo is good enough to fulfill the role. After all, it makes my skin feel smooth! And soft! And from the first time I applied it under my concealer, my concealer hasnt creased (or melted) at all. Using the primer for its intended purpose on top of eyelids and underneath eye shadow the story follows a similar narrative. Powder and cream eye shadows wont pill when brushed on top of the primer. My eyelids are oily and hooded, which means eye shadows have an hour-long shelf-life before they settle into my lids crease. However, this primer hinders shadow-creasing for about six hours not nothing given the construction of my face. A dumb little thing that I also love is that the primer vaguely smells of coconut. That it performs the task of curtailing creasing is one thing. That it reminds me of a tasty snack is a luxury all on its own. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. Bill de Blasio. Photo: 2016 Getty Images Getting married during an outdoor ceremony in Prospect Park on a sunny day sure sounds lovely (and sweaty). But in the case of New York mayor Bill de Blasios 1994 nuptials to Chirlane McCray, guests allegedly spent an hour and a half wondering if the politician was even going to show up, as he was reportedly late to his own wedding. As Page Six reports, de Blasios former friend and current foe Sal Albanese who is challenging him in the Democratic primary recently told radio host (and Guardian Angels founder) Curtis Sliwa that he was among the dozens of guests stuck waiting for the long-sideburns aficionado that day. There was no shade. My wife was furious, and kept nudging me. She almost got me to leave, Albanese said, per Page Six. Albanese claims he also overheard two of de Blasios aunts who were sitting behind him and his wife, Lorraine, at the nuptials complaining about the whole thing in Italian (as translated by Albanese). Bill was a jerk as a kid, and he continues to be a jerk today, the aunts reportedly said. Of course, the whole story came from a politician vying for de Blasios position, so perhaps we should take it with a grain of salt. But if its true, it certainly does not bode well for the MTA. Its a late June day, and the cast and crew of Insecure have taken over El Compadre, a kitschy Mexican restaurant in Hollywood, to film a scene for the finale episode of season two. Extras are milling about in their holding pen, eager to play the part of human ornament in the background or the why is that guy making that face guy. Jay Ellis, the actor who plays Lawrence, is lounging in a directors chair. I havent been on many TV sets, but I can tell this one is better than average, and its not just because of the presence of Ellis. This set is more than just a set; its a place where Black Girl Magic has burst free from the internet and become a living, breathing, joyous, multiheaded organism. While I sit waiting for Yvonne Orji to finish a run-through of todays scene, I take in my environment. Im surrounded by the coolest black women Ive ever been in a room with. Melina Matsoukas, the shows executive producer and director, passes through the monitor bay; shes in overalls and looks really good in them, an achievement almost more impressive than directing a hit show. The conversation a writer and the props master are having about a glass of water might actually be funnier than the joke theyre trying to execute. A producer named Deniese Davis introduces herself to me, notes that we have the same last name, and jokes that we could be related. (Sister-sisters, not sistahs, but we could also be sistahs, she says.) The shows creator and star Issa Rae pops by and everyone loves her skinny, tan chinos (she isnt sure about them). Then Kerry Washington quietly walks in to observe; shes shadowing Matsoukas. I want to ask everyone where they got their braids done, where theyre going to happy hour after work, and whether I can come. The room is pulsing with creativity and vitality and friendship and success. It is alive! It is ecstatic! It is black as hell! Everything thats on display right now black women being black, being friends, being themselves, problem-solving, riffing on pop culture, ogling Jay Ellis makes Insecure what it is. The show blew open how black women and their lives are portrayed on-screen, and the character of Molly Carter, best friend of Issa Dee (played by Rae) and resident single girl, is one of the main reasons why. While Issa grapples with a stale long-term relationship and stalled career, Molly has a dream job at a law firm and an endless parade of suitors, who she manages to alienate in her pursuit of a romantic fantasy. Lovelorn career lady is a standard rom-com archetype, of course, but rarely is a black woman the one having the wine-soaked breakdown. And the person responsible for the heart and humor that buoy Mollys neuroses is Yvonne Orji a devout Christian, Chris Rockapproved stand-up comedian, and the fastest talker Ive ever met, whos also about to dominate the second season. Narciso Rodriguez one-sleeve crepe gown, $3,495 at Neiman Marcus. Photo: Andrew Michael Casey. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Orji finishes marking the scene and getting notes from showrunner Prentice Penny, then shuffles over to me in her costume for the day: a sleek, blunt lob wig, a sharp yellow blazer, white jeans, and a few delicate rings spread across her fingers. Except for the fact that her outfit ends in a pair of crappy white bathroom slippers (shes sitting during the scene), its a quintessential Molly look. Hey, Jay! Jay! Am I like Molly? Orji calls over to Ellis, as we begin discussing her character. I dont want to get involved! he protests. But okay, you always look amazing. Youre a great friend. Youre a great support system and a great person to call for advice. Its real talk. Molly does that for Issa. Molly is sort of bad and bougie, says Orji. In contrast to bougie forerunners like Hilary Banks (from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), though, we get to see Molly code-switch, moving seamlessly between her super-white law firm and a club night. Orjis warmth and humor keep the character grounded. With her great taste and great wigs, Molly could have seemed like a snob, but shes played by an actress who still lives with a roommate and buys peanuts from the 99-cent store. And, also unlike Molly, Orji doesnt date much. Thats in part because she doesnt really like dating, but she says its also because shes being realistic; shes not the chick everyone would want to date, she says. Im not smashing. Im not naive. I know its 2017. Chanel Cashmere Coat, $6,000 at 15 E. 57th St.; (212) 355-5050. Photo: Andrew Michael Casey. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Orji was raised Catholic and remains a faithful Christian (her Twitter bio reads Jesus and I roll tight); shes also a virgin. During her first semester at George Washington University, she was 17 and had a boyfriend she fully intended to sleep with on December 2, her 18th birthday. (I was counting down the days, she says. I expected rose petals.) But then she went to a Bible study where she met Lindsay March, a beautiful 25-year-old minister who called God Daddy and was saving herself for marriage. Orji found that the idea of sacrificing something for Jesus spoke to her. March was gorgeous and she was willingly saying no. I mean, its easy when you ugly, Orji says. She made the choice, and it stirred in me. I was like, I want to be so in tune with God. I always say I have been bamboozled by Jesus, because at the time, I was like, I better get married at 25. And now Im 33. Im in too deep. She does have a potential at the moment. Were just talking with a purpose, she says. I think there is this narrative that if you are a black woman and you are strong and you are educated, its like, Good luck getting a black man. I believe in the equal and opposite: If I exist, there is an equal and opposite version of me, and so however long I have to wait, and wherever he happens to be, well find it. Sometimes its like, Jesus, where he at? But there are 8 billion people on earth and I havent been to every Whole Foods yet. Left: The Row jacket, price upon request; The Row pant, $6,990; all available at 17 East 71st Street; (212) 755-2017. Gap scoop-neck tank top, $17 at Gap. Sergio Rossi SR1 chalk leather sabot, $695 at Sergio Rossi. Right: Stella McCartney tie print Virginia dress, $4495 at 929 Madison Avenue; (212) 249-8783. Photo: Andrew Michael Casey. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Before Insecure, the Nigerian-born actress thought shed go into a more immigrant-family-approved career, such as becoming a doctor. (She got her masters in public health at George Washington.) She discovered comedy when she entered a campus beauty pageant as a favor to the organizer, and wound up performing a five-minute set about her family. She loved it and, more important, she felt it was what God wanted her to do. So in 2009 she moved to New York to pursue stand-up. Eventually, she landed a job in the writers room of Love That Girl!, then launched First Gen, a web series riffing on her own life. First Gen got her an audition for Insecure. When she was cast, nobody working on the show had any idea about her faith. And since Molly is such a sexual person, taking the role required a lot of conversations about how Orji could play the part without compromising her beliefs. I talked to everyone about where the character was going, she says. Shes not just having arbitrary sex; shes trying to figure it out. She wants to be in a relationship. But sometimes she just does it, because there exists Molly the liberated woman. And so, for me, it was just finding the humanity within her. Orji talks through the choreography of her sex scenes with the executive producers. But sometimes I watch and Im like, Whoa! That looks a little too real! She laughs an enormous, inviting laugh that makes several people turn to see what the joke is. Orji identifies first and foremost as a stand-up comedian. This summer, while on break from the show, she headlined a clean-comedy festival in Dallas. (Orji doesnt curse she subs in Shonda Rhimes! for shit! or talk about sex in her acts.) She also opened for Chris Rock on the Atlanta stops for his Total Blackout tour. She got a 22-inch weave for the occasion, got on stage sittin on dubs, and killed it with a 20-minute set. When I was done, hes waiting there backstage with his arms folded and is like, Youre good! You got the stuff, she reports, using her best Chris Rock voice which is actually quite good. Now that people know me as Molly, people dont know I do stand-up, she says. People are surprised I do comedy! And Im like, Guys, thats all I have been doing. For, like, forever. Shes also an unparalleled improviser on set, says Matsoukas, who tells me that it was Orjis comic spirit above all that got her the role. The mariachi band starts up and Yvonne is called back to the set. Its getting toward the end of the day, which means there is a lot of CUT! and ROLL BACK! and weird hand gestures and flubbed lines. Todays scene is small but crucial: It sets up a turning point for Molly in her career (an even bigger plotline this season), and maybe also her frustrating love life. Orji says this season is about evolution for Molly: Theres therapy and about four or five different wigs, so you know shes going through some changes, Orji jokes. Shes going to be discovering what her issues are and how she can deal with it, she says. Molly is the character no one wants to admit they relate to, even if everyone can. Orji remembers a Twitter poll during the first season that (in keeping with Insecures status as a black millennial Sex and the City) asked viewers, Are you an Issa or a Molly? Everyone was like, Im like Molly at work. But my friend is Molly, and Im trying to stage an intervention and tell her to watch [Insecure], Orji says. People are so conflicted that they might be like Molly. It says you might need some help. But Mollys struggle is what Orji appreciates about the character. Molly is not perfect and we allow her to be not perfect, she explains. Listen, I am sure that theres a day that Oprah will wake up and feel like something is wrong in her life. Im sure Michelle Obama wakes up and thinks, For the past eight years Ive been one of the strongest black people in the world, but she has days when she might wake up, like, Gosh, what is happening right now? As strong as we are, we have our moments. My mama is an African woman who had four kids and was a nurse for 25 years, and she had her moments. Ive seen her cry. I think thats the refreshing and scary thing about a character like Molly: Its like, Oh God, yes, Ive been there. Dries Van Noten white cotton shirt, $310; Dries Van Noten black wool jacket, $1,925; Dries Van Noten black wool pant, $740, all available at 611 Fifth Avenue; (212) 753-4000. Roger Vivier zip Polly loafer, $875 at Roger Vivier. Photo: Andrew Michael Casey. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Lead image credits: 3.1 Phillip Lim cinched boucle coat with sherpa collar, $1,495 at 48 Great Jones Street; (212) 334-1160. Photos by Andrew M. Casey, styled by Rebecca Ramsey. Hair by Sherrita Cole, makeup by Drini. Senior Photo Editor: Biel Parklee. Photography Assistant: Matt Summers. Styling Assistant: Sarah Kinsumba. Hot dad Jim Acosta. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TBS Just when you thought the bitter divides in our country had become too deep, the partisan attacks too vicious, Washington has now been unified by one powerful, inalienable truth: Jim Acosta, senior White House correspondent for CNN, is a sex god. According to Page Six, since splitting from his wife of 24 years earlier this year, the handsome Cuban-American has been embracing the single life in Washington D.C., and women have been flocking to [him]. Oh la la! A friend lives in his building and [has seen] him with different women, one White House colleague said. Other sources revealed that Acosta was quite popular on the recent presidential trip to Saudi Arabia, which makes sense, because who could resist getting a little riled up after seeing that orb in action. Even the president, it seems, is not immune to Acostas charms. During a press conference last year, the president interrupted one of Acostas questions to say: Excuse me, excuse me, Ive watched you on TV. Youre a real beauty, a phrase which sounded sarcastic at the time, but in light of Acostas emergence as a veritable Beltway Casanova, may have have been more earnest than previously imagined. Does this mean Acosta will formally unseat Anderson Cooper as CNNs premier silver fox? Will John King be forced to hand over his beloved touchscreens to a man with more pepper in his salt-and-pepper hair? Will Jeff Zucker ever release Wolf Blitzer from the soundstage where he keeps him chained 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Only time will tell. She was found by her roommate in the hallway of their split-level bungalow at 1911 Pinehurst Road in the Hollywood Hills at approximately 9 a.m. and pronounced dead by paramedics at 9:28, February 22, 2001. Her body was faceup on the carpeting near the entrance to their bathroom, and when Jen opened the front door that morning and saw her from across the room, she at first thought it was some sort of practical joke. Ashley was known for her occasional put-ons and tricks, but as Jen got closer, it was impossible to miss all the blood. It was trailing from Ashleys nose and mouth and matted in her hair. It had drenched the green terry-cloth robe she was wearing as well as the blue tank top that was stretched around her torso and the shorts that were bunched around her thighs. It covered her arms, legs, and hands with a sickening sheen, nearly obscuring the bracelet tattoo she had around her left ankle. It had turned the carpet around her body a dark, angry red. An external examination of the body revealed 47 stab wounds, 12 of which were later deemed fatal. Defense wounds were also observed on her right forearm and hands. Ashleys neck organs had suffered extensive trauma, and her windpipe and right artery had been cut in two. Bloody shoe prints were noted in the house entryway. The official report from the deputy medical examiner wouldnt be filed for another two weeks, but the manner of death was obvious: homicide. She was officially identified at approximately 11 p.m. via DOJ fingerprints as Ashley Ellerin, of Los Altos, California. An hour later, a local police sergeant was sent to notify her parents. It took another five days for the news to reach me. We sat around the kitchen table, my parents and I, with the paper between us. The story had made the front page of The Bernardsville News, below the pictures from the latest hospital benefit and an article on deer population control. I read it while they stared at me. I was just under two months out of college; in a few weeks Id turn 22, just as she had been when she was killed. Former Peapack Resident Murdered in Los Angeles, the headline read. The article quoted a family friend someone I had never heard of who said Ashley had recently transferred from UCLA to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and called her an accomplished pianist and a talented artist. I wanted to tell my parents what I knew about Ashley, but I didnt know how. I felt detached, numb. I wondered if my parents expected some sort of emotional display from me and how theyd handle it if I produced one, or if I didnt. Should I cry? Should I drop my head into my hands and wait for my mother to say something? Should I excuse myself ? Nothing seemed appropriate, so instead I stayed silent. I wanted to tell my parents what I knew about Ashley, but I didnt know how. I wanted to tell them the things that would shock them, scare them, and cause them to shake their heads and go silent. I wanted to unburden myself and push them up against the limits of their parental aptitudes. But maybe it wasnt my place to share. They could find out from someone else, or maybe not at all, or perhaps thered be another occasion to talk about it when things werent so fresh. I would wait this time. There were still a million questions yet to be answered. I knew I had secrets about Ashley I was quite certain she had told few others, but I still didnt know what had happened to my oldest friend at the end. So what did I really know, anyway? Carolyn and Ashley at a piano recital in 1988. Photo: Courtesy of Carolyn Murnick The first time we wore matching outfits, in elementary school, it was black stirrup pants, a plain white sweatshirt, red socks, and black sneakers, midway into the fall of fourth grade. We discussed it on the phone the night before, weighing the merits of all the different articles of clothing we had in common and what could be combined with what. It was exciting to show up for school the next day and watch our teachers and other kids make the connection, both of us beaming as heads moved from one of us to the other. We were displaying our link to each other for everyone to see, like wedding bands. For our first piano recital, we chose dresses that were the lightest shade of pink. Mine was cotton and hers was silk, but when we sat side by side on the bench to play our duet from a book called The Pleasure of Your Company, the colors matched perfectly. Later on, we graduated to just matching color palettes, not always actual clothes. For the first day of fifth grade picture day we agreed upon red and black. It felt like one of the most confident days of my life. We spent time with other girls, occasionally, even trying it as a trio for part of our fifth grade year with a new girl named Jill. There were hangouts and a few adventures, but the triangle dynamic never quite took. Ashley and I couldnt help that we had more secrets, more sleepovers, and more affection between us to leave any substantial room for anyone else. By 2004, I still had no idea whod killed her, and it seemed as if no one else did, either. There had been no news reports and no word from her family, and no one from our town had any information. I would Google her name every month or so, and when I got access to LexisNexis through work, I looked her up there, too. In the spring, something weird came up. Suddenly my searches about Ashley brought pages upon pages of celebrity gossip sites. They were in a variety of languages, German, Spanish, French it was initially hard to make sense of what was the actual news and what was part of the internets circular game of telephone. I finally traced the story back to something originally reported by the celebrity weekly In Touch. In the piece, Ashleys family talked to the press for the first time since the murder, revealing anguish and frustration at the lack of movement in the case, and some of it was directed at Ashton Kutcher. Apparently Ashley and Ashton had had some sort of relationship, and they were even supposed to be going out on the night of her death. Ashton wasnt nearly as famous in 2001, when Ashley died, as he is now, but still this news landed with a bit of reverb. I wasnt entirely shocked, however. I had seen Ashleys power over men firsthand in New York the last weekend we had spent together before she died, and I knew that her circle in L.A. had encompassed plenty of model /actor types. But that guy? How did they know each other? What had gone on between them? Did Ashton know her from her secret life, or was it something more innocent? The issue was a few weeks off the stands, but I managed to find a copy through a friend who worked in ad sales for the publisher. He left it for me in a manila envelope at the front desk of his office in midtown, like contraband. In Touch Weeklys May 24, 2004, issue. Photo: Courtesy of In Touch Ashton Kutchers TRAGIC NIGHT read the cover line. Looking at it made me feel annoyed. Poor, poor, rich, gorgeous, living celebrity Ashton. Did any readers actually feel empathy for him? The story inside was a doozy. I learned that Ashley and Ashton had met through friends, and they were set to attend some Grammy Awards after-parties that night. Ashton had arrived at her house around 10 p.m. but had gotten no answer when he knocked on the door. He went around to the side of the house to try to look through the windows and saw red stains on the carpeting he apparently later told police he thought was spilled red wine. She was a very special girl, the magazine said Ashton told a reporter at the time of her death. How odd to see Ashley reduced to a footnote to someone elses meteoric rise. She was not the story people cared about here. There were two nearly full-page pictures of Ashton in the three-page story and three smaller ones of Ashley. There was one where Ashton had stubble and an unbuttoned collared shirt; the other was a cleaner-cut image where he wore a suit and smiled with teeth. Ashton, pictured at a New York fashion show exactly one week before Ashleys brutal murder, read the caption. I imagined some preteen girl somewhere in middle America cutting out the pictures to tack them up on her bedroom wall, the border of the page with Ashleys face falling to the floor. How odd to see Ashley reduced to a footnote to someone elses meteoric rise. She was not the story people cared about here; to this magazines audience, she existed only in reference to Ashton, a sad blip on his bio, his tragic missed encounter with a beautiful young woman on the night she was murdered. I hated it. But then again, part of me understood; in my head things had taken on a similar refashioning: In my own search for answers, the story of Ashley had also become a story about me. I wasnt just letting her go quietly into the annals of my past. I wasnt just content to remember her and accept the things I couldnt change. I was digging. And grasping. But why? We lost touch, as had happened with so many other people so many times before. How exactly had it happened? Gradually, then suddenly, but also in fits and starts, confusions and forgotten birthdays, faded memories and rituals. The scales tipping toward more important moments lived among other people in other places in other rooms far away from each other. Ashley and her family had moved to California in 1993, during our sophomore year of high school. Her leaving didnt hit me as hard as it might have, since I myself had already left for a girls school in the next town and then for boarding school in New Hampshire. Ashley Ellerin (left) and Carolyn Murnick. Photo: Courtesy of Carolyn Murnick I had heard stories from our mutual friends back in New Jersey about what Ashley was up to, and they made me wary. Wait, she tried what drug? And, like, she felt okay about hooking up with a guy that much older? How did that even work? The physical distance, however, and the fact that I wasnt around to see any of it, compartmentalized things in my mind. That stuff might go on, I would think, but that wasnt the real Ashley. I couldnt quite picture or relate to what she was doing offstage, so it didnt quite feel relevant to me or to us. As 9-year-olds Ashley and I had been an offbeat pair. Wed talked alike, dressed alike, and crafted our own hair accessories out of Koosh balls and Trivial Pursuit pieces. I might have gotten better grades, but the real dividing factors, the social signifiers drugs, sex, male attention were still years ahead of us. So were the other intangibles that amplify self-consciousness in girls, the little things that twist the way you look at a friends choices and really, they could hardly be called choices at that age into a tacit judgment on your own. In our last weekend together, the intangibles were front and center. Ashley had come to visit me at college in New York, and I put her up on my pull-out couch in my dingy railroad apartment. We hadnt seen each other in what must have been three years, that gap between the end of high school and the middle of college when most of my other teenage friendships had slowly become obsolete. Taking stock of her after our long hug hello, Id had to squint my eyes to register some point of recognition. Ashley was tan, toned, and feral. She wore leggings as pants and had glitter dusted across her temples and collarbones. She talked fast and unselfconsciously, moving through the crowd with a physical ease not unlike that of a dancer or a celebrity. Her apparent confidence, the on-ness she had about her, immediately made me feel almost tired in comparison. On our walk from the subway across 110th Street toward my apartment, she told me that her part-time job at Sephora was just something she held on to so her parents would stay off her back. Actually, she was spending more of her time and making a lot more money at a strip club, working bachelor parties and pole dancing for tips; occasionally there were arrangements that happened in hotels, too. She relayed the information with the same casual remove she had used to give the waiter her order at lunch: The chopped chicken salad, no onions, honey-mustard dressing on the side. You had to have a manicure and pedicure every week, she was saying, which was kind of a drag, but even a tiny chip in your nail polish could ruin the fantasy. She usually did light colors or French; once she had put baby blue on her toes and it hadnt gone over well. Tanning too religiously. Men expected you to be a certain way, and attempting to work around that was more trouble than it was worth. I tried to appear blase, to take it in stride, but what I really felt was utter confusion. Was I angry at her? Was she telling me this to brag? Should I be wearing my concerned hat now, or would that be unfairly judgmental? I hadnt yet seen any comparable life developments in a friend and didnt know what it all meant, for either of us or the two of us. Maybe this was good, cool, right To each her own? You go, girl? and I was the one with a problem, a prude. Did everything make sense now, or did it all make even less sense than before? We rounded the corner onto Amsterdam Avenue. Ashleys confessions were picking up speed actors, crystal meth, the lease to her car being paid for by some guy in his 50s, how much she charged for an hour. She talked of martinis and pills and being on top during sex; the guys always told you they wanted you to go as slow as possible, but she still found ways to get through it quickly. It was almost as if she needed to get everything out before we entered my apartment, an unmasking in public so we could be on the same page in private. I tried not to stare, but I couldnt stop myself. What I felt looking at her: What happened, how did it happen, and can I have some too? Getting ready to go out that night, Ashley paced back and forth in my apartment from the bathroom to her suitcase splayed open on my bed. She wore nothing but a black thong. She looked outstanding. No one with that kind of body aspirational, curvy, golden had ever before been naked in my apartment, stalking the railroad hallway as if in some defiant erotic runway show. I tried not to stare, but I couldnt stop myself. What I felt looking at her: What happened, how did it happen, and can I have some too? I wondered what she thought looking at me: curly hair, platform boots, nowhere near comfortable in my own skin. I sometimes stared into my closet with its racks of cheap denim and cotton T-shirts and wished for sequins and silk shorts, plus a whole new life and body to go with them. I wondered if Ashley saw her former self in me, the self before shed woken up before shed gotten it. It could be so many different things, it seemed: sex appeal, mercenary pride, the way the world worked. I took Ashley to Port Authority on her last day in town. Shed be catching a bus to her grandparents in Pennsylvania, and after that who knew? She was still next to me on the C train, but already I was taking stock of the aftermath: The girl Id used to paint pictures and play piano duets with was now a stripper and an escort. I felt as though my self-esteem were at an all-time low. There was still glitter on my bathroom tile. The train pulled into her stop. I stood up, and we hugged in the middle of the car, right before she slipped out of the closing doors. I figured I would sort it out at some point: how I felt, what to do about it, where this would leave things with us. Soon Id feel better about myself, back to normal, perhaps, or just different but okay. Then we could come together again and Id marvel at how much stronger Id feel around her. Ashley was Ashley and I was myself, and we could still maybe hang out and not have everything in common anymore and it wouldnt have to feel as if everything were falling apart. At some point, yes, that was how it would work. The phone rang. I didnt pick it up on the first ring. Or the second. Or the third. Her voice came through on my answering machine while I was lying in bed in the middle of the afternoon. Hey, sweetie! How are you? Oh my god, this actor flew me out to the set in Toronto, so Im just on a layover on my way back. It was her voice, sounding warm and haughty at the same time. I looked out the window through the airshaft across to where my answering machine sat on the other side. I listened to her words come out, electronically processed, chirpy. There was a chance to answer there was another one I could get up now, and fling myself around the corner, and grab the phone. I could make it. I could pull it together. Or I could just call back Anyway, thats about it for me. Call me back! All right, then. Never mind. Id get her another time perhaps maybe I didnt know. Eight months later she was dead and I was reading about it in the paper, trying to convince myself that it didnt matter to me as much as it did. I knew that I had just about let her go in the months leading up to things and it was impossible to know if we would have found our way back together. It would take me years to reconcile that one complicated grief, I had heard it called. It was what happened when you hadnt cried at least not yet and you hadnt gotten depressed, but you still couldnt move on, either. Why is my needle stuck in childhood? asked Maurice Sendak. I guess thats where my heart is. I felt something similar. It was all the whys and hows that had gotten Ashley from age 9 to 22 that weighed on me, almost more than the loss. How had we ended up in such different places? The loss itself left me numb, because part of me felt as if I had already lost her before she died. I had let her go or she had slipped away, off to a place where I couldnt join her: a place of body glitter and body shots, favors from men with agendas, Hollywood, strip clubs. Maybe because she had seemed almost unrecognizable to me the last time we had been together, it was hard to understand exactly who I was mourning. Was it the girl I had jumped across rivers and rocks with while shouting a made-up language into the summer air? Or was it that tanned, jaded cipher, the not-quite-a-woman who navigated the world using male desire as a compass? I wasnt an investigator or a lawyer or even Ashleys closest party partner at the time of her death, but I knew there was a lot more to learn about what had happened to my childhood best friend. And I knew that somehow, someday, I needed to learn it. Adapted from the book The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder by Carolyn Murnick. Copyright 2017 by Carolyn Murnick. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, NY. All rights reserved. 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 OTTAWAWashington state is exploring whether Canadas new infrastructure bank could help finance a multibillion-dollar proposal for high-speed rail between Vancouver and the U.S. northwest. The Trudeau governments soon-to-be-launched, $35-billion infrastructure bank will seek to use public funds as leverage to attract billions more in private investment for major infrastructure projects, such as bridges, transit systems and rail lines. The legislative blueprint for the infrastructure bank also allows for the use of public money to help bankroll projects in Canada or partly in Canada, provided theres a financial benefit and a physical connection to the country. The state of Washington has taken notice. Its looking at the infrastructure bank as a potential financing option for a long-discussed high-speed rail connection between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, says one of the governors senior policy advisers. Charles Knutson, an adviser for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, said Ottawas infrastructure bank will be analyzed as a financing option in an ongoing feasibility study for the rail proposal. Earlier this year, Inslee committed $1 million (U.S.) towards a cost-benefit analysis of the ultra high-speed rail line that would see trains run at speeds of at least 400 km/h. The final report is due in December. Weve heard from some of our Canadian counterparts that thats a tool that we could explore and were open to looking into that further, Knutson told The Canadian Press in an interview. The fact that it is something that could support cross-border projects seems to be a good match, but wed need to know more. He added that the cost-benefit analysis will provide a better sense of the scope of the project and help determine what kinds of financing options would be available. The high-speed rail link has support from political leaders in the region and from the business community, including high-tech giant Microsoft. They see it as part of a broader plan to deepen regional economic ties and contribute to a Seattle-Vancouver technology network dubbed the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. Knutson, who attended a meeting between Inslee and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in May, said they discussed the potential benefits of the high-speed rail project, including construction jobs, better workforce mobility and reduced road traffic. They both expressed their support for ultra high-speed rail that could improve connectivity, help grow business opportunities on both sides of the border, he said. They talked about how this is an idea thats time has come. Knutson said he doesnt specifically recall hearing the infrastructure bank come up during the discussion, but noted other Canadian leaders have spoken about it with Inslee. A spokesperson for Amarjeet Sohi, Canadas infrastructure minister, said the proposed Portland-Vancouver rail line would be legally eligible under the banks legislation. But ultimately any decision to move forward with assessing the project for a potential investment will be the banks to make, Brook Simpson wrote in an email. The bank is central to the Trudeau governments economic growth strategy. Its committed more than $180 billion for new projects over the next 11 years and, as part of the effort, its hoping to further boost investments with a lift from private cash. But in order to attract private capital, the projects will have to be designed to generate steady, reliable returns for investors through revenue streams such as user fees. Sohi has argued the bank will be a tool to fund infrastructure projects that may not otherwise be built, or projects that public or private bodies cant afford on their own. The infrastructure bank has also been a source of controversy. The government has faced heavy criticism about the bank, including allegations that argue it will put the priorities of wealthy investors ahead of Canadian taxpayers, who will be stuck assuming too much of the risk. Political rivals have warned that the Crown corporation will likely force Canadians to pay twice for their infrastructure first via the public treasury and then through user fees that will generate corporate profits. The Liberals also faced repeated calls to slow down its plan to create the bank amid concerns Ottawa was rushing through the legislation to create the bank without proper parliamentary scrutiny. Read more about: SHARE: Samsung, a large Korean company, makes popular electronic products and household appliances at a reasonable price. I often work with Samsung to resolve consumer problems that may crop up in the first years of ownership. Here are a few recent stories. Phones memory conks out Terry Webb bought an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime phone online from Costco in June 2016. Within 11 months, it developed memory problems, causing some apps not to work. Attempts to fix the phone over a four-week period came to nothing. When the phone wouldnt start up at all, Samsung agreed to replace it. However, Webb was told she had to supply the phones IMEI number. This is a unique 15-digit code used by mobile service providers to authorize a phone in the network. You can find the IMEI number by checking the phones settings or entering *#06# on the call screen assuming the phone still works. Webbs phone wasnt working. Samsung told her to find the IMEI number on her Costco receipt. But Costco said it didnt put the number on its receipts. Webb kept calling and writing to Costco and Samsung, asking about the missing IMEI number. She never got a reply, but only a request to visit another service centre. This will be the sixth trip Samsung has sent me on to get my phone fixed or replaced, Webb said. I contacted both Costco and Samsung on June 21. Two weeks later, Costco spokesperson Ron Damiani told me the file had been closed. Costco gave me a refund for the phone and bonus dollars for all of my trouble, Webb reported. Samsung offered me a new phone after Costco came through, but I had purchased one (not a Samsung). Glass stove cracks Jack Tang found his Samsung glass cook-top stove developed a crack just over three years after he bought it. Nothing was dropped on the cook-top and the crack formed by itself, Tang said. A typical stove would last 10 years. No matter how I explained my story, Samsung kept insisting the warranty didnt cover physical damage. How can a top-of-the-line appliance last only three years? My research shows its about $500 to replace the cook top. For $500, Samsung is losing so much more on potential future sales. Samsung reviewed Tangs file after I intervened. It sent a technician to inspect his unit, followed by a free replacement of his glass stove top. Fridge leaks water Angela Forgione had a Samsung twin-cooling French door refrigerator, purchased in September 2015. She found water pooling inside the crisper drawer, spilling down onto the base and freezing. Samsung sent a technician, who used a drying device to defrost the ice. He also offered her an upgrade that would cost $272. Forgione decided to keep fighting after finding a CBC Marketplace clip from 2015 featuring a woman with the same fridge model as hers and the same problem. When I posted my scenario on Facebook, I also had several people respond to me, saying they were in the exact same situation. Im so frustrated I could spit, she said. Samsung spokesperson Jennifer Groh said the service department would reach out to the customer right away. When I checked back with Forgione, she had received a refund for the $126 repair bill and a promise from Samsung to install the upgrade free of charge. Washer leaves residue Kitty Sudworth had a Samsung washing machine, still under warranty, that was leaving a white residue on the clothes. After trying to diagnose the problem by phone, Samsung sent a technician to her home. He did not know how to solve the problem, but suggested doing an extra rinse. This doesnt help, she said. Spokesperson Groh said the customer was advised that the machine was working properly. Its meant to use less water to save energy. The technician provided recommendations to the customer to use the extra rinse feature and to use less soap to prevent this issue from happening again, she said. Sudworth said shed followed Samsungs instructions and always got the same result. She never exceeded the maximum amount of soap indicated by the machines soap filler. An online magazine called The Spruce points out that high-efficiency washing machines both top-loading and front-loading use much less water during the wash and rinse cycles. Using too much detergent can leave residue on clothes, The Spruce said, adding that using more than two teaspoons of detergent with high-efficiency machines can result in streaks. My advice: Major appliances should work properly and last for years. You have to push manufacturers to live up to their legal warranties, which are more generous than the restricted warranties they offer. Ellen Rosemans column runs each week in Smart Money (eroseman@thestar.ca ). Read more about: SHARE: Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches By Tony Kushner, directed by Marianne Elliott. Part 2: Perestroika broadcast on July 27. Cineplex.com or ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk Tickets sold out for this revival of Tony Kushners landmark 1990s play at Londons National Theatre before it opened in May. If you want to know what the buzz is about, performances are being streamed to selected cinemas and arts venues worldwide, including a number of GTA Cineplexes. Angels in America became an international talking point when it premiered because of its wildly ambitious form (two plays that together run over seven hours; Im reviewing the first half, Millennium Approaches) and topical content. Its set in the mid-1980s in the context of the emerging AIDS crisis and the full bloom of Reagans politics, weaving polemical speeches channelling the blister (and long-windedness) of George Bernard Shaw and passages of magic realism into a melodramatic plot structure. It won many awards, including the Pulitzer. The question for today is continued relevance: while AIDS has become a global pandemic, it is no longer represents the immediate and politicized health crisis in the West (and in particular in New York, where the play is set) that it did when first written. Another element, however, feels unsettlingly of the moment: One of Kushners most gutsy imaginative strokes was to make one of his characters the real-life political fixer Roy Cohn, who we now know was a mentor of Donald Trump a background fact that creates a topical bridge between the plays time and our own. America has discovered itself, says Roys naive, tortured protege Joe Pitt, early in the play. Its sacred position among nations. And people arent ashamed like they used to be. This is a great thing. The truth restored. This Reaganite rhetoric is directly echoed in todays Trumpism, prompting consideration of the current regime not as a state of exception but as the extension of a current of America-first individualism. What is most striking about the play today is the characters overriding sense of crisis and despair. Jewish intellectual Louis (James McArdle) is wracked with guilt because he cant handle his AIDS-infected partner Priors (Andrew Garfield)s suffering, and eventually bolts (a move that plays into the perils-of-individualism theme). The lies at the core of Joe (Russell Tovey) and Harpers (Denise Gough) marriage are revealed as she pops Valium in wee fistfuls and he takes ever-longer walks in Central Park. And Roy (Nathan Lane) rages behind the scenes at his doctor about his own AIDS diagnosis: Roy Cohn is not a homosexual. Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man . . . who f---s around with guys. The prime reason to see this new production in any form live or mediatized is the performances. Garfield (Spider-Man, Hacksaw Ridge) puts it all on the line as Prior: Initially the characterization is self-consciously camp to the point of being distracting, but Garfield quickly brings the audience inside the characters agonized struggle to cope with this unknown, terrifying disease (My troubles are lesion, he puns archly to Louis, pointing to his first Kaposis sarcoma). The Irish actress Gough, a rising star in London theatre, is equally superb as Harper, whose despair at her failing marriage (and the pills) send her on increasingly wild hallucinations which are played as realistically onstage as domestic scenes. Tovey (Being Human) is perfectly cast as the earnest, rules-following Republican Mormon Joe: his journey of sexual self-discovery provides a strong emotional backbone. The beloved American actor Lane (The Good Wife, The Producers) is always, to some extent, playing himself, but this lends richness and terror to his portrayal of Cohn: hes quirkily likeable at first, but when he unleashes rage at Joe in a final scene, its terrifying. The Scottish actor McArdle is the only one who seems a bit miscast, straining to deliver Louiss neurotic qualities. He comes into his own in the extended scene with Priors ex Belize (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, wonderful) which allows us to measure the distance weve come (or not) over the past 25 years in understanding what politically correct means. It is difficult, seeing this production on screen, to grasp what director Marianne Elliott and designer Ian MacNeil are getting at with his set design. Scenes are played on a series of small, revolving island platforms that look threadbare; behind and above this Paule Constables lights fleetingly reveal an arched ceiling, perhaps suggesting this is all happening in a church or historic building. Because the cameras are almost always trained closely on actors bodies and faces, we cant get the bigger picture, and its frustrating. Varietys Matt Trueman suggests that the design in this first half is self-consciously dated and that the concept only pays off in the second half, Perestroika. All the more reason to go along this Thursday and complete the set (both will have encore broadcasts next month). SHARE: Ontarios legal regulator has been stymied for months in trying to investigate high-profile personal injury lawyer Jeremy Diamond, the Law Society Tribunal has been told. Documents filed as part of a disciplinary hearing for Diamond on Monday reveal that since October, the lawyer has been under investigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada for allegedly failing to adequately inform clients about referral fees, charging unreasonable referral fees, engaging in improper/misleading advertising and failing to properly supervise his staff. But for months, Diamond failed to hand over documents showing the amounts of referral fees coming into his firm, in addition to numerous other financial documents requested by the law society, according to affidavits filed by a society investigator and forensic auditor. Lawyers are self-regulated in Ontario and must turn over financial details about their practices to the law society when requested. That brought Diamond to a hearing Monday at the tribunal on University Ave. to face allegations that he didnt co-operate with a law society investigation that began in October and is ongoing. In May, the law society said that in addition to not co-operating with its investigation, Diamond failed to maintain required financial records an allegation that was withdrawn after the lawyer provided the requested information. The law society alleges that it took 10 months and considerable effort including four separate letters to compel Diamond to provide it with documents detailing his referral fee operation since October 2013, including a complete listing of all referral fees received and paid, dates of payments and where the money was coming from. Last year, The Star investigated the practice of receiving fees for referring out would-be clients of Jeremy Diamond A Star investigation published in December found that the Diamond & Diamond firm had for many years been attracting thousands of would-be clients and then referring cases out to other lawyers in return for sometimes hefty fees. The Star found that clients were often unaware of the referrals and associated fees. Diamond & Diamond has told the Star that it has a growing roster of lawyers who handle cases in house. Diamond & Diamonds marketing, which has included women in tight T-shirts and ads above urinals at the Air Canada Centre, has raised the ire of the law society, clients and some lawyers. At Mondays hearing, law society lawyer Nisha Dhanoa argued that the societys October 2016 request for information was abundantly clear and if any confusion existed, it was resolved by early 2017 when the society explained in more detail the records it required. She told the hearing that it wasnt until June, after the law society alleged professional misconduct, that Diamond handed over financial information that got to the heart of what the society wanted. It was no mystery what the law society was looking for, Dhanoa said. She told the hearing that Diamond initially told the law society he did not keep the kinds of records it was seeking. However, she said that changed in the spring when Diamond said he kept a form of the required information. She said that Diamonds contradiction in answers demonstrates that he wasnt acting in good faith. Read more: Jeremy Diamond is the face of personal injury law but he's never tried a case Jeremy Diamond faces professional misconduct probe Dhanoa also pointed out that Diamond had a professional obligation to keep books and records in a format dictated by the law society and should have been able to provide them when asked. Diamonds lawyers, Robert Centa and Kris Borg-Olivier, told the hearing their client didnt try to hide anything, and didnt fully understand what the law society was asking for until early April. Once Diamond understood, he complied with the law societys request and turned over the requested information and documents, the lawyers argued. His lawyers said the investigation was complex, unique and interconnected with other investigations into two other lawyers at the firm Jeremy Diamonds wife, Sandra Zisckind, and her brother, Isaac Zisckind. (The law society is keeping details of these investigations confidential.) The lawyers argued that the investigation into Diamond was constantly evolving, as were the demands of the law society. There may have been a failure to communicate. There was not a failure to co-operate, Centa told the hearing. This was a complicated investigation and it may have taken more time than the law society wanted. There was no attempt to hide anything. All of the information was put forward, he said. At the conclusion of Mondays hearing, Law Society Tribunal adjudicator Raj Anand said youve given me lots to think about and reserved his decision. The law society could not say when a decision would be made. SHARE: EDMONTONCaucus members from Alberta's two conservative parties got together for the first time Monday, but one Progressive Conservative bowed out before the joint meeting even took place. Richard Starke, legislature member for Vermilion-Lloydminster, said he has not been happy with policy direction under PC Leader Jason Kenney and has no faith that will change under the new United Conservative Party. Members of the Opposition Wildrose party and the Progressive Conservatives voted in a landslide on the weekend to join forces ahead of the next election set for 2019. The new party must still be registered with Elections Alberta. Read more: Albertas right unites as Wildrose, Progressive Conservatives vote to merge parties "The tone and the direction and the statements of the (PC) party are not consistent with what I believe to progressive conservatism," Starke said in an interview. "It's demonstrating a hardness in its attitude toward a number of issues, and a level of partisanship that I don't think is constructive, and I don't think is helpful for the people of Alberta." He cited Kenney's comments earlier this year on gay-straight alliances in schools. Gay straight alliances are student-organized support networks to help LGBTQ students feel welcome. Kenney had said that schools should inform parents if their children join an alliance as long as it doesn't put the child at risk. Critics said that would effectively out a child and could put them at harm of family estrangement or worse. "As far as I'm concerned (the GSA legislation) is there to protect vulnerable students and to be ambiguous as to whether schools would be informing parents is a fundamental problem," said Starke. He said he was also concerned that Kenney did not attend Pride events last month. Starke went in his place. Starke, a two-term member of the legislature, ran and lost against Kenney for the PC party leadership on a platform of social progressivism. He said he has concerns with Kenney's management style and focused on a promise Kenney made after his leadership win in March. Kenney promised the PC executive to strike a committee that would advise the bargaining team that ultimately brokered a merger with the Opposition Wildrose led by Brian Jean, Starke said. "I wanted to be on that committee and I was told I would be on that committee. That committee never met and was never constituted." That underscored a lack of interest in competing viewpoints, suggested Starke, who added he will stay on to sit in the legislature as the lone PC member. Elections Alberta said he will be allowed to do so unless the PC party officially deregisters. The PC brand is to be legally subsumed by the new party and member Mike Ellis said Starke's status isn't clear. Kenney's team declined to comment. On Monday afternoon, 22 members of the Wildrose and the seven remaining Tories held a joint meeting near the legislature and selected Wildrose house leader Nathan Cooper as interim leader until a permanent one is selected Oct. 28. Other positions and critic portfolios are to be set in the days to come, Cooper said. Asked about Starke's decision, Cooper noted that policies are not set, but will be hashed out and voted on by the membership. "I hope he will think about that in the days to come." Jean, Kenney and conservative strategist Doug Schweitzer have already indicated they will run in the leadership race. Jean made it official at an announcement Monday in Airdrie, Alta., and said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday to announce details of his plan "to create a new Alberta Advantage." Read more about: SHARE: Premier Kathleen Wynne is headed to the Far East on a trade mission. Wynne will be the first premier in Ontario history to visit Vietnam in an official capacity. She will lead a trade delegation to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi at the tail end of her third mission to China since 2014. This business mission will build on our productive partnerships with China, while opening up new opportunities for collaboration, the premier said Tuesday at the Toronto office of Nanoleaf, a green technology company that will participate in the trade trip. Two-way trade between Ontario and fast-growing Vietnam has tripled to $3 billion annually in the past five years. In China, Wynne will be in Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, meeting with business and government officials. The focus of the two-week trip, which begins Nov. 23, will be on science and technology, medicine and the agri-food sector. Wynnes mission will likely be her final trade push before the June 7, 2018 election. Since taking office in February 2013, she has also visited India, Israel, Japan, South Korea and many U.S. states in a bid to attract investment to the province. SHARE: What a rare thing has been mutiny in Bountiful. Understandable, though, for those raised, coerced and married into a fiercely patriarchal breakaway Mormon cult that functions as little more than an insular matrix for the sex trafficking of child brides by lecherous polygamous husbands. While the boys dont forget the lost boys are driven away by self-anointed bishops, dirty old men who wont abide the threat posed by young males. Jane Oler daughter at the time of the churchs presiding elder and wedded off at the relatively advanced age of 18 in 1975 did not, ultimately, tolerate it. Not after 27 years of marriage to Winston Blackmore, during which her husband took 24 more wives. She got away in 2003, leaving husband, faith and polygamous community behind. In April, Jane Blackmore testified in court against both her former husband and her brother. I told him I am feeling a heavy responsibility for the number of children and the number of wives in this family that need care and support, the mother of seven said from the stand. I just felt a huge weight of responsibility for children and for them to get what they needed. Five months earlier, shed also appeared as a witness in another trial involving members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She testified about how, as a teenager, shed been told that her marriage to Blackmore had been deemed by the churchs prophet and it was to take place the very next morning. I felt like I had been sucker-punched. I felt like I was going to throw up. Read more: Im guilty of living my religion, says B.C. former bishop found guilty of polygamy In that trial, last winter, Brandon Blackmore (Winstons cousin) and his wife Emily Gail Blackmore were convicted of taking a 13-year-old girl from B.C. to Utah removing her from Canada for sexual purposes and witnessing the childs marriage to Warren Jeffs, 49-year-old prophet of the Church. Jeffs already had more than 80 wives. They are to be sentenced in August. Their co-accused, James Oler, was acquitted, now under appeal. This is what they do to girls, groomed to obedience pimp them to greybeards as an article of faith. And while that is not remotely uncommon in several faiths that permit underage and plural marriage, it is forbidden under Canadian law which recognizes only one wife at a time. Yet for decades this has been going on under our noses, in Bountiful, B.C., with the law sorely inept at putting a stop to it, at protecting vulnerable girls and, yes, those ostracized boys. Despite a 2011 ruling by the B.C. Supreme Court a hearing I covered firmly declaring that the Criminal Code section banning polygamy did not violate religious rights; that the harmful effects of polygamy physical and sexual abuse, incest, child brides, the subjugation of women and the expulsion from the community of young men outweighed any claims to freedom of religion. This week, in Cranbrook, B.C., Justice Sheri Ann Donegan found Winston Blackmore and co-accused James Oler guilty of practicing polygamy, or what the defendants righteously describe as celestial marriages, in accordance with the rules made up out of cultish whole cloth of the FLDS, a sect that has been long disavowed by the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), which outlawed polygamy in 1904. Donegan praised Jane Blackmores testimony as highly credible. There was nothing contrived or rehearsed in her answers, the judge noted, as reported by The Canadian Press. She was impartial. Winston Blackmore, unapologetic and unbowed, was listed on the indictment as having 148 children, three of whom have been born since the evidentiary part of the trial concluded. For James Oler, four wives were listed on the indictment with a fifth added during the trial. The number of children hes fathered is unknown. The two men are facing up to five years in prison. Thats it a five-year maximum, not for their twisted beliefs but for their degenerate actions. They wear it proudly, self-righteously. Mr. Blackmore . . . would not deny his faith in his 2009 statement to police, Donegan stated. He spoke openly about his practice of polygamy. Both men were charged in 2014, for the second time, with practicing polygamy. The law has been chasing them and other FLDS adherents for two decades, with little to show for it. Blackmores lawyer already told the court he would launch a constitutional challenge if his client was found guilty. Indeed, this is a matter which deserves to be decided once and for all at the Supreme Court of Canada level and not left to trial judges to apply the 2011 B.C. ruling. For more than a century before that judgment, polygamy had been legally prohibited yet few charges were ever laid. The law might occasionally go after an individual but it clearly doesnt know what to do when an entire community coalesces around a polygamous canon and makes bishops out of bigamists. In Canada the law doesnt care how many adults choose to shack up together, nor should authorities pursue such matters. It will be interesting, however, if plural marriage by FLDS members or, say, Muslims, where men are permitted to take up to four wives in many formally Islamic countries will again be challenged as a breach of constitutional religious rights. There was a news story recently of a same-sex married couple who want a third party to their union recognized as a lawful spouse. We turn ourselves inside-out to respect differences but I dont think we understand where were going and unintended consequences. Girls forced into marriage, their husbands chosen for them, a practice which extends far beyond the Bountiful whack-jobs and devout Muslims. Sexual abuse by any other name, cloaked as quack religion. Sexual trafficking of minors. And all the inside-Bountiful proscriptions that strip girls of every fundamental right this country holds sacred under the rubric of obedience. If Omar Khadr, a self-professed (if latterly renounced) Al Qaeda disciple can be awarded $10 million for Canadas alleged complicity in the violation of his rights while imprisoned and tortured at Guantanamo, then surely the government owes compensation to the Bountiful victims. If someone can please go in there and identify them. If we can all please recognize sexism and child abuse for what it is instead of weaseling out to religious doctrine, from the Catholic Church to the charlatan FLDS pulpit. Because we have allowed Bountiful to exist. Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. SHARE: Mayor John Tory says a secret report to the police services board on the beating of Dafonte Miller, in which an off-duty police officer and his brother are charged, is cause for concern and called the incident deeply troubling. I am concerned at some of what Ive read, Tory told reporters Tuesday of a report provided to members of the police services board. There are a number of unanswered questions which remain with respect to the process that was or was not followed here in terms of the notification of the SIU. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), a police oversight agency, has charged Michael Theriault, a Toronto police officer, and his brother Christian Theriault in the assault of the 19-year-old man with a metal pipe in December. Read more: Alleged victims family speaks out after Toronto cop charged with assault Millers injuries are so severe his eye will need to be surgically removed, his familys lawyer Julian Falconer said earlier. Michael Theriault was off duty when the assault occurred in Whitby. Durham Region Police, who responded to the scene in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, charged Miller with weapon and drug charges. Court officials earlier told the Star the alleged weapon was a pole. It was Falconer, not Durham or Toronto police, who alerted the SIU to Millers injuries in April. All charges against Miller were dropped in May. Following an SIU investigation, both Theriaults have been charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and public mischief. The allegations have not yet been tested in court. Their father, John Theriault, is a detective who has served more than 30 years with Toronto Police and currently works in the professional standards unit, which deals with officer misconduct, Falconer told the Star. The provincial Police Services Act dictates that a police service must notify the SIU immediately of any incident that falls under their mandate, including cases of serious injuries involving officers. Tory told reporters there is a short report before the police board outlining what has occurred to date. The board meets Thursday, when Tory said the report is expected to be discussed behind closed doors. There is no mention of the case on the public agenda, and it is unclear if it will be addressed during the public session of the meeting. Falconer told the Star he can understand why the service has to be able to debrief its board in private. But then one hopes that that process becomes less opaque and that they understand the importance of answering serious questions, he said. At its heart, the board has a responsibility to do proper oversight . . . This is a policy question: Is this a police service run amok when one of their own a son of one of their own, two sons of one of their own does wrong or is this a situation where theyre going to be accountable? Much of the information concerning SIU investigations is kept secret. But reporting by the Stars Wendy Gillis found a dozen recent cases where the SIU director says the Toronto Police appear to have failed to co-operate with investigators, including delays in reporting serious injuries to the watchdog. Following a Star campaign for transparency and public pressure, some internal reports, though at times heavily redacted, were released in the high-profile police shooting death of Toronto man Andrew Loku in which no one was charged. That included a report required by law from the police chief to the police board on matters arising from an SIU investigation. The board promised to consider releasing future internal reports. The contents and author of the report before the board Thursday are unknown. Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash said he couldnt discuss confidential board matters. The question remains if Chief Mark Saunders will address Millers case publicly at the board. Pugash said, if asked to do so by the board, I dare say he will. On his regular call-in show on CP24 Tuesday night, Saunders said he couldnt speak to the case, but he defended his service on the reporting process, saying it was determined that the incident involving an off-duty officer didnt meet the threshold to report to the SIU despite the SIU determining charges were warranted. Saunders specifically noted reporting requirements concerning off-duty officers and whether they identify themselves as officers or display any police-issued equipment at the time of the incident. But Durham police were the responding officers, not Toronto police, who appear to have been involved after the fact. Its unclear why Toronto police would have been involved at all if it was unknown that one of their officers was involved. When you read the instruction on when it fits within the mandate, it didnt fit with this particular occurrence. Saunders said. This wasnt taken lightly. There was no overlooking, there was nothing nefarious, there was no coverup. Acting police board chair Councillor Chin Lee told the Star that because it concerns a personnel issue, he couldnt discuss the report or provide any details about it. Lee said he was kind of surprised the mayor mentioned it at all. Tory said he couldnt speak to specifics of the case as it now makes its way through the legal system. Toronto police officers, all of them, are expected as most of them do all of the time to adhere to a very high standard of conduct. Whether theyre on duty or off duty, theyre representatives of Toronto and of the Toronto Police Service. He said he remains concerned about anti-Black racism in the city, adding the facts of the assault on Miller are still unclear. I dont really understand how any of this cannot be labelled as anti-Blackness. I dont know if the mayor is paying attention, said Black Lives Matter co-founder Pascale Diverlus. This is the person that was attacked, obviously attacked, right? And they are the person that is charged. How the assault on Miller was reported, Diverlus said, shows promises made about greater accountability surrounding police-involved incidents have not resulted in meaningful change. What other incidents have been brushed aside? she asked. How many more people do we not know about? SHARE: Lawyer Caryma Sad was always taught that legal counsel shouldnt address the media. But her new client one she sought out herself after reading about his file has demanded her candour. So Sad is ready to be an open-book. The case of Michael Storms, a 35-year old charged with forcible confinement and uttering threats in relation to a hostage-taking on June 28, has been on my radar since the get-go, Sad said. After reading reports of the incident, and dog-earring any follow-ups, the 28-year-old University of Ottawa graduate started to notice a couple of intersections where her life overlapped with Storms. Sad has a Muslim background. Storms is a Muslim convert. And the question of national security has peaked Sads interest since law school. In a phone-call to the Star on June 28, Storms alleged that hes been under RCMP and CSIS surveillance for decades. Between all of those factors, I decided, whats the harm? Sad said. She reached out to Storms and asked to meet at the Detention Centre, where hes been held while searching for a lawyer. Storms has been marked by the courts for mental health assessment, and Sad said he presented valid arguments during their meeting. As a criminal lawyer, she said she has experience working with clients with mental health issues. The major departure from Sads average client has been Storms insistence on documenting his case. Obviously he has a story that he wants publicized, Sad said. Storms has insisted the publication ban be waived for his file. So its a balancing act really, between respecting what he wants out of the process, and making sure its done above board and correctly, Sad said. She believes that her clients case is not just about the events of June 28th that occurred at an Eglinton West massage parlour, but also about an alleged investigation by Canadian authorities. I wont go too much into this, but there is some evidence that he has been on the CSIS RCMP radar, and it reached a breaking point, Sad said. SHARE: First there was take a penny, leave a penny. Then the idea of providing a communal space for people to share items proliferated in other formats. Little Free Libraries began appearing, where neighbours exchange books for free by dropping them off in small house-shaped boxes all over the city. Melissa Castanheira, a Humewood resident, always liked the idea of sharing books this way, but it wasnt until she got wind of the Little Free Pantry idea that she was really inspired. Of course I think books are amazing . . . but they dont fill up tummies, she said. I saw a video on my feed on Facebook and thought, I want one, I need to do one. Just like their library cousins, Little Free Pantries are small, elevated boxes put up by anyone wishing to participate. The owners of the pantries encourage donations of non-perishable canned goods and toiletries, and invite those in need to come by and pick something up. Castanheira and her husband dug a hole in their front yard, near Oakwood Ave. and Vaughan Rd., to install their own Little Free Pantry last week, and neighbours have already begun donating goods. Castanheira believes the pantry is the first of its kind in Toronto, and shes sure that the idea will spread quickly. Most of my neighbours are very happy and they thought this is a great project and they need to help, Castanheira said. She likes the fact that the pantry is completely free and accessible to those in her neighbourhood anyone who has need of it can just walk by and grab something, no strings attached. This concept is good in that manner that you dont have to talk to anyone about it, you dont need to go through that hard process of saying Im starving or my familys starving, Castanheira said. Some neighbours were nervous about the idea, while others warned Castanheira that her property could become susceptible to break-ins by people looking for more items. I think this is a great idea hopefully it does not attract the wrong people, one Facebook user said of Castanheiras project. Though she understands their worries, Castanheira said she is undeterred, and that she trusts her neighbours. People that live in a walkable distance from you are going to be honest and good because they are inside their own neighbourhood, she said. She added that she hopes people do see her Little Free Pantry as an invitation for neighbourly help. I hope that if somebody is really in need that they can come and knock on my door and ask for a hot meal, she said. The idea was piloted by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Ark., last year. The organization subsequently put out a website instructing people on how to build and monitor their own. The single Little Free Pantry is little. Lots of Little Free Pantries might be big. Duplicate freely, the projects website reads. Editors note: This story has been updated from a previously published version to fix the spelling of Melissa Castanheiras name. SHARE: Custodians of safety with a few bad apples? Or institutional oppressors who are above the law? One is a Law & Order view of the police, in which they are essentially a force of good. Individual officers may struggle with internal demons, but they ultimately prevail in their quest to keep society safe. This would be the perspective of those who find the system works for them, who believe all it needs is you to be law abiding. Perched on the opposite end is the view in which the police are armed thugs with the means to oppress by any means necessary those deemed undesirable, whether because of class, race, religion, skin colour, ability, legal status or sexual orientation. This would be the perspective of those who find their existence criminalized. The recent developments in the vicious assault of Whitby teen Dafonte Miller allegedly by off-duty Toronto policeman Michael Theriault is a call for serious reckoning of the role of police in our society. The account by Julian Falconer, Millers lawyer, is chilling: Miller and his friends were walking on the street at 3 a.m. toward a friends house, when they were jumped. His friends were able to escape. Miller couldnt. He was savagely beaten with a steel pipe. Durham police showed up in numbers. They didnt take any witness statements. They didnt ascertain if the off-duty cop was drunk. They didnt even call the SIU that is supposed to investigate incidents of serious harm or death in cases involving the police, on- or off-duty. No, they arrested Miller, and charged him with theft under $5,000, two counts of assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon and possession related to marijuana. Is it not the role of the police to keep our streets safe enough for us to walk on them at night? Or is our much-vaunted freedom only available to those deemed worth protecting? It was Falconer who called the SIU. On July 18, the SIU charged Theriault with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and public mischief. He has been suspended with pay. Two days later, the SIU laid the same charges against Christian Theriault the cops brother, Falconer says. The charges against Miller have been withdrawn. There are many instances of police overstepping the mark. The brutality they displayed during the G20 summit in Toronto. Their use of excessive force toward people suffering mental illness; Toronto police officer James Forcillos multiple bullets that killed Sammy Yatim, Constable Andrew Doyles bullets that killed Andrew Loku. The casual cruelty Brantford Police Staff Sgt. Cheney Venn inflicted upon Philip Alafe, who was struggling with sickle cell anemia, depression, anxiety. The complicity of the RCMP in tearing Indigenous children away from their own homes to abusive residential schools. The incarceration rates for Indigenous and Black people that are disproportionate to their populations and the criminalization of people from both groups in ways white people and those with proximity to whiteness are not. The dismal record of arrests for rape and convictions in assault cases. You would have to be wilfully obtuse to not see a pattern of deep-rooted dysfunctionality in our police services. None of this even addresses issues of workplace sexual harassment within the RCMP for which their commissioner tearfully apologized. Another time, Bob Paulson admitted to a group of First Nations leaders there were racists in his organization. I dont want them to be in my police force. No, sir. The few bad apples argument does not hold any more. Acknowledging some officers are racists conveniently reduces the problem to a level of individual accountability and absolves the institution of its systemic biases against the already marginalized. Is it surprising then that people from those groups dont come forward with information for police? After a Scarborough house party shooting on the weekend that left two people dead and one in hospital, police said they were struggling to find witnesses. Weve had very little co-operation from people, police Det. Rob North told reporters. Did people not have much to say because they were in shock processing what had happened? Were they defiantly refusing to speak? We dont know. The next day police shot off another loaded term. The victims were known to police. Were they known because theyve been involved in illegal activities as the term implies? Or were they known because they were stopped on the street for doing nothing wrong and had their information documented? We dont know. Yet, Toronto police operate on a $1-billion plus budget with some of it sliced off for community engagement. Its as if one hand tries to build relations with the very people the other hand crushes. If the Dafonte Miller case came to the surface its because a high-profile lawyer got the SIU involved, leading to a police officer being charged, and that became newsworthy enough for the media to cover. When establishments close ranks they present daunting layers of opacity that require Herculean efforts to dent. How many such incidents with varying degrees of violence take place far from the public eye will warrant a guess based on your trust in the police. None of this means there arent noble individual police officers who are good human beings, highly skilled and perseverant in the pursuit of justice. What the last few years have shown, however, is the institution of police is not a good system with a few bad apples. Its a rotten system with a few good eggs. Whom does this institution serve, whom does it protect and who is it accountable to? Unfortunately, the answers are clear: The privileged, itself and no one. Shree Paradkar tackles issues of race and gender. You can follow her @shreeparadkar SHARE: JERUSALEMIsrael began removing metal detectors from entrances to a major Jerusalem shrine early Tuesday morning to defuse a crisis over the site that angered the Muslim world and triggered some of the worst Israeli-Palestinian clashes in years. The Israeli security Cabinet had met for a second straight day Monday to find an alternative to the metal detectors, which were installed following a deadly Palestinian attack at the holy site. Associated Press photos showed a worker dismantling one of the devices at Lions Gate before 2:00 a.m. local time. Read more: Israel Embassy shooting in Jordan complicates Jerusalem shrine crisis Israel installs new security cameras at Jerusalem holy site as clashes continue over shrine Israeli troops in West Bank put on high alert after stabbing, unrest The Security Cabinet accepted the recommendation of all of the security bodies to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies (smart checks) and other measures instead of metal detectors, Israel announced Tuesday morning. It said the measure will ensure the security of visitors and worshippers at the holy site and in Jerusalems Old City. It added that police will increase its forces in the area until the new security measures are in place. Israeli media earlier reported high resolution cameras capable of detecting hidden objects would be deployed. Israel erected the metal detectors after Arab gunmen killed two policemen from inside the shrine, holy to Muslims and Jews, earlier this month. The move incensed the Muslim world and triggered violence. The fate of the site is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Even the smallest perceived change to delicate arrangements pertaining to the site sparks tensions. Just a few hours earlier, Israel and Jordan resolved a diplomatic standoff after a day of high-level negotiations that ended with the evacuation of Israeli Embassy staff from their base in Jordan to Israel. The crisis had been triggered by a shooting Sunday in which an Israeli embassy guard killed two Jordanians after one attacked him with a screwdriver. Jordan initially said the guard could only leave after an investigation, while Israel said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity. The crisis was resolved after a phone call late Monday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordans King Abdullah II. Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site which is also holy to Jews. Israeli ministers reportedly considered the installation of sophisticated, high-resolution cameras and increased police deployments as a replacement for the metal detectors. The cameras would be installed in Jerusalems Old City where the shrine is located. Media reports had said the emerging deal could see the embassy security guard released in exchange for the removal of the metal detectors. The 37-acre walled compound in Jerusalem is the third holiest site of Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is also the holiest site of Judaism, revered as the place where biblical Temples once stood. Netanyahu and Jordans king discuss the shrine in their phone call, Jordans state news agency Petra said. The king stressed the need to remove the measures taken by the Israeli side since the recent crisis broke out and to agree on steps that would prevent another escalation in the future, Petra said. Earlier, the head of Israels domestic Shin Bet security agency had met with officials in Jordan to resolve the crisis, the worst between the two countries in recent years. Jordan and Israel have a peace agreement and share security interests, but frequently disagree over policies at the shrine. Netanyahus office said the Israeli-Jordanian contacts were conducted in an atmosphere of co-operation. As part of intensifying diplomatic efforts, President Donald Trumps Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday. It was a high-level, on-the-ground attempt by the Trump administration to end the standoff between Israel and the Muslim world. I thank President Trump for directing Jared Kushner and dispatching Jason Greenblatt to help with our efforts to bring the Israeli embassy staff home quickly. I thank King Abdullah as well for our close co-operation, said Netanyahu. Muslim leaders alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the site under the guise of security by installing the metal detectors, a claim Israel has denied. The tensions have led to mass prayer protests and deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel has said the metal detectors are a needed security measure to prevent future attacks. At one of the gates to the shrine, Israel set up metal railings of the type typically used for crowd control, to create orderly lines. A media report has suggested that such railings could be part of a compromise that would enable the removal of the metal detectors. Netanyahus government faced growing domestic criticism in recent days, with some commentators saying it made hasty decisions affecting the most volatile spot of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the United Nations, Mideast envoy Nikolay Mladenov warned of an escalation if the crisis over the metal detectors isnt resolved by the time of Muslim prayers Friday. He told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council behind closed doors Monday that it is critically important that the status quo which has been in place at the site since 1967 is preserved. Israel captured the shrine, along with East Jerusalem and other territories, in the 1967 war. Since then, Muslims have administered the shrine, with Jews allowed to visit, but not to pray there. Meanwhile, Jordans Public Security Directorate said it had concluded an investigation of the Israeli Embassy shooting which took place Sunday evening in a residential building used by embassy staff. The security agency said the incident began when two Jordanians arrived at the building to set up bedroom furniture, including the son of the owner the furniture store, later identified as 17-year-old Mohammed Jawawdeh. It said a verbal dispute erupted between the son of the owner and the embassy employee because of a delay in delivering the furniture. The argument took place in the presence of the landlord and a doorman, the agency said. The son of the owner attacked the Israeli diplomat and injured him, the statement said. It said the Israeli fired toward the teen, injuring him, and also struck the landlord who was standing nearby. The two Jordanians died of their injuries at a hospital. Earlier Monday, al-Jawawdehs father, Zakariah, had called for an investigation, saying his son deserves justice. It was not clear if the findings of the security agency will satisfy him. SHARE: CINCINNATIA judge in Cincinnati on Monday dismissed the charges against a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop, after a county prosecutor declined to pursue a third murder trial in the case. Hamilton County Judge Leslie Ghiz declined to acquit former University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing in the shooting of Sam DuBose, but she dismissed the murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in a way that blocks retrial on those counts. Its sort of a note of finality, which is what we were looking for, although we still have the potential for a federal civil rights investigation, defence attorney Stewart Mathews said afterward. Two juries couldnt reach unanimous agreement on the state charges, leading to mistrials. County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he felt badly about dropping the case but had concluded that he wouldnt be able to get a jury to convict Tensing. Tensing, now 27, shot the 43-year-old DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015. The shooting is among numerous cases nationwide that have called attention to how police deal with blacks, and it highlights the challenges prosecutors face in getting jurors to convict police officers for shooting when they say theyre under threat. Tensing, who was fired after the shooting, testified at both trials and said he feared he was going to be dragged or run over as DuBose drove away. An expert hired by prosecutors said his frame-by-frame analysis of Tensings body camera video showed Tensing wasnt being dragged by the car. DuBoses family and civil rights groups wanted a third trial. The family also was disappointed with the formal dismissal of the state charges, because it means those charges cant be brought again, DuBoses sister, Terina Allen, said. The family now hopes federal authorities reviewing the case will determine that DuBoses civil rights were violated and will prosecute Tensing. We want them to give Sam some kind of justice, Allen said. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said authorities will review evidence from the state court trials to assess whether there are possible federal civil rights offences that might warrant prosecution. Mathews said Monday that he hadnt been contacted by federal authorities. The university reached a $5.3 million settlement with DuBoses family, including free undergraduate tuition for his 13 children. Later Monday evening, a group of fewer than two dozen people walked quietly across an Ohio River bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport, Kentucky, to show their support for Tensing. They were followed by about 40 counterprotesters holding signs and chanting justice for DuBose. A few police officers monitored the events, but no problems were reported. SHARE: WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump bragged about his election victory, insulted Hillary Clinton, attacked the fake news, told bizarre stories, said untrue things. In other words, it was a typical Trump rally. Except he was speaking to children. Read more: Donald Trumps Boy Scouts speech was unlike anything else in 80 years of presidential tradition: Analysis END Trumps attacks on Sessions, Mueller raise concerns about authoritarian tactics Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Sessions, AP sources say Trump appeared Monday evening at the 19th National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. Speaking to some 40,000 people, most of whom were boys under 18, Trump departed from his prepared text, which was a conventional tribute to the value of scouting, and delivered a rambling address reminiscent of his famous monologues from the 2016 campaign. The speech left pundits aghast. Below, the 17 most remarkable moments: 1) He began by insulting the media: Tonight, we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, DC youve been hearing about with the fake news. He added: Boy, youve got a lot of people here. The press will say its about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people. 2) He said hell: Instead, were going to talk about success. About how all of you amazing young Scouts can achieve your dreams. What to think of what Ive been thinking about you want to achieve your dreams. I said, Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? 3) He spoke of the Washington cesspool: You know, I go to Washington and I see all these politicians, and I see the swamp and its not a good place. In fact today I said, We ought to change it from the word swamp to the word cesspool or perhaps to the word sewer, but its not good. Not good. 4) He falsely claimed the fake media wouldnt report the size of the crowd: By the way what do you think the chances are that this incredible massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One per cent or zero? The fake media will say President Trump spoke and you know what this is President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today. Thats some, that is some crowd. Fake media. Fake news. 5) He falsely suggested the media wouldnt show the crowd on television: Some of you here tonight might even have camped out in this yard when Mike (Pence) was the governor of Indiana, but the scouting was very, very important. And by the way, where are our Indiana scouts tonight? I wonder if the television cameras will follow you. They dont like doing that when they see these massive crowds. They dont like doing that. 6) He called the Affordable Care Act horrible: Secretary Tom Price is also here. Today Dr. Price still lives the Scout oath, helping to keep millions of Americans strong and healthy as our Secretary of Health and Human Services. Hes doing a great job and hopefully hes going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known as Obamacare thats really hurting us. 7) He mock-threatened to fire his health secretary: By the way, are you going to get the votes? He better get em. He better get em. Oh, he better. Otherwise Ill say Tom, youre fired. 8) He accidentally said sex: Each of these leaders will tell you that their road to American sex. And you have to understandtheir American success 9) He jabbed at predecessor Barack Obama: By the way, just a question: did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree? And well be back. Well be back. The answers no, but well be back. 10) He told a meandering five-minute story about developer William Levitt: He sold his company for a tremendous amount of money and he went out and bought a big yacht and he had a very interesting life. I wont go any more than that because youre Boy Scouts, Im not going to tell you what he did should I tell you? Should I tell you? Oh, youre Boy Scouts, but you know life, you know life. He continued: What happened is he bought back his company and he bought back a lot of empty landand in the end he failed and he failed badly. He lost all of his money, he went personally bankrupt, and he was now much older. And I saw him at a cocktail party. And it was very sad. Because the hottest people in New York were at this party. It was the party of Steve Ross. Steve Ross, he was one of the great people. He came and 11) He bragged about his election victory: Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said, these dishonest people, where they said, There is no path to victory for Donald Trump. He continued: Do you remember that incredible night with the maps. And the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue. And that map was so red it was unbelievable, and they didnt know what to say. 12) He falsely claimed it is harder to win the Electoral College for Republicans than for Democrats: We have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College. Popular vote is much easier. 13) He mocked Hillary Clintons campaign strategy: Michigan came in. And we worked hard there. You know, my opponent didnt work hard there. Because she was told, she was told she was going to win Michigan. 14) He disparaged opinion polls: The polls, thats also fake news. Theyre fake polls. 15) He suggested children voted for him: So I have to tell you. What we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again. 16) He falsely claimed he had produced the best jobs report in 16 years: We had the best jobs report in 16 years. 17) He promised to bring back Merry Christmas: Under the Trump administration, youll be saying Merry Christmas again when you go shopping. Believe me. Merry Christmas. Theyve been downplaying that little beautiful phrase. Youre going to be saying Merry Christmas again, folks. SHARE: WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as he continues to rage against Sessions decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation. The presidents anger again bubbled into public view Monday as he referred to Sessions in a tweet as beleaguered. Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. They demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. What is clear is that Trump remains furious that the attorney general recused himself from the investigations. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Trump tweeted Monday. His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, travelled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. Trumps intensifying criticism has fuelled speculation that Sessions may resign even if Trump opts not to fire him. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Trump were to fire Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It could also raise the spectre of Trump asking Rosenstein or whomever he appoints to fill the position to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trumps campaign. The name of one longtime Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was floated Monday as a possible replacement for Sessions, but a person who recently spoke to the former New York City mayor said that Giuliani had not been approached about the position. Giuliani told CNN on Monday that he did not want the post and would have recused himself had he been in Sessions position. Read more: Trumps attacks on Sessions, Mueller raise concerns about authoritarian tactics The 17 most jaw-dropping moments of Donald Trumps speech to Boy Scouts Trump pushes his fellow Republicans to support health-care overhaul The presidents tweet about the former Alabama senator comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, said that Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump has seethed about Sessions decision for months, viewing it as disloyal arguably the most grievous offence in the presidents mind and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. His fury has been fanned by several close confidants including his son Donald Trump Jr, who is also ensnared in the Russia probe who are angry that Sessions made his decision. Trump and Sessions conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent. Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. Sessions was in the West Wing on Monday but did not meet with the president, according to deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, said that the president, with his criticisms of Sessions, was simply venting and being honest about his feelings. But that doesnt mean hes going to do anything, Gingrich said. Still, he said the presidents comments would have repercussions when it comes to staff morale. Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team, Gingrich said. Sessions and Trump used to be close, sharing both a friendship and an ideology. Sessions risked his reputation when he became the first U.S. senator to endorse the celebrity businessman and his early backing gave Trump legitimacy, especially among the hard-line anti-immigration forces that bolstered his candidacy. Several of Sessions top aides now server in top administration posts, including Stephen Miller, the architect of several of Trumps signature proposals, including the travel ban and tough immigration policy. After Trumps public rebuke last week, Sessions seemed determined to keep doing the job he said goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself. Im totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way, Sessions said last week. Armand DeKeyser, who worked closely with Sessions and became his chief of staff in the Senate, said he did not see the attorney general as someone who would easily cave to criticism, even from the president. If Jeff thinks he is in an untenable position and cannot be an effective leader, I believe he would leave, DeKeyser said. But I dont think hes reached that point. But Anthony Scaramucci, the presidents new communications director, said that its time for Trump and Sessions to hash out a resolution, regardless of what they decide. My own personal opinion, I think theyve got to have a meeting and have a reconciliation one way or another. You know what I mean? Either stay or go, one way or another, he said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONOn Monday morning, the president of the United States urged his attorney general to investigate his election opponent. It was a remarkable breach of democratic norms. It barely made news. Donald Trump has spent so long attacking the institutions and traditions underpinning Americas political system that some of his new attacks no longer receive widespread attention. But they are increasing in frequency and gravity, renewing concerns about what scholars call democratic backsliding. Read more:Jared Kushner says he did not collude with Russia after closed-door interview Trumps tweeted advice Monday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys [sic] crimes & Russia relations? was only the latest part of a wide-ranging recent effort to undermine the people and entities he perceives as threats. Sessions. Special counsel Robert Mueller. The Congressional Budget Office. The electoral system. The news media. All have been disparaged by the president over the past seven days. Read the lates news on U.S. President Donald Trump Trumps critics warn of a pressing threat to the rule of law. Matthew Miller, chief spokesman for the Department of Justice during the Obama administration, said he sees a worrisome public complacency about Trump acts that he believes are reminiscent of a banana republic strongman. The president has done so many things that crossed the red line with respect to the rule of law that people just get kind of used to it, Miller said, invoking the tale of the frog who does not notice he is being boiled to death in gradually warming water. Firing the FBI director (James Comey), attacking the AG because he recused himself as he was required to do by the rules, openly speculating about prosecuting your political opponent these are all the types of things that are dangerous warning signs, Miller said. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a New York University professor who studies authoritarianism, said Trump is operating from an authoritarian playbook. She said she fears he will pay even less heed to democratic traditions if he faces a deeper crisis. Its very alarming, because hes escalating all of the things hes been doing, she said. And what unites all these manoeuvres is his back is increasingly against the wall. Perhaps Trumps most serious threat in the past week was to Mueller, who is probing any links between Trumps campaign and the Russian government. In a New York Times interview last week, Trump alleged that Mueller was compromised by conflicts, and he warned the respected former FBI director not to probe the Trump familys financial dealings unrelated to Russia. Trump also complained that Sessions had recused himself from the Russia probe, thus allowing the deputy attorney general to hire the special counsel. The pair of remarks led to a new round of speculation that Trump would find a way to fire Mueller. Such a move would trigger a Washington cataclysm, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer told ABC, and represent a severe breach of the rule of law. Sources told the Associated Press on Monday that Trump had spoken to advisers about terminating Sessions, which would make it easier for him to terminate Mueller. House Speaker Paul Ryan defended Mueller on Monday, saying the former George W. Bush appointee is a Republican who was appointed by a Republican. Other Republicans have warned Trump against a firing, with homeland security committee chairman Michael McCaul promising a tremendous backlash. On Saturday, Trump floated the possibility of another way to avoid accountability: issuing pre-emptive pardons of himself and his aides. He tweeted: While all agree the U.S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS. There is not, in fact, a consensus that the president has the power to pardon himself. Trump made at least four other mentions of fake news over the course of the week. The media, though, was not the only independent source of information to draw his ire. His administration continued assailing the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, saying in a White House tweet Thursday that its conclusions on health care simply cant be trusted. The day prior, Trump stopped by a meeting of a voter fraud commission launched as a result of his false claim that millions of people voted illegally in 2016. Once again, he claimed, baselessly, that the election was compromised saying people saw irregularities having to do with very large numbers of people in certain states. What hes doing with the media gets the most attention, but its a larger strategy, Ben-Ghiat said. This is at the core of this authoritarian playbook, where you sow the seeds of uncertainty around everything to build the idea that you cant know the truth. Trump raised eyebrows again on Saturday with an unusual public suggestion that Republican lawmakers owe him fealty. Its very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President, he wrote on Twitter. He sees loyalty as a personal matter not to American institutions, rule of law, the Constitution and traditions, Robert Zoellick, the former World Bank chief and senior official in both Bush administrations, told CNBC. Trump did announce that he was giving up one particular attempt to convince people to question the truth. For the entirety of his campaign, Trump called the low U.S. unemployment rate a hoax. He said Wednesday that he has changed his mind. I said for a long time, they dont matter. But now I accept those numbers very proudly, he said. I say they do matter. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONThe Republican-led House pushed toward approval of a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that bars U.S. President Donald Trump from easing the penalties without first getting permission from Congress, a demand that could imperil his bid for better relations with Moscow. Lawmakers on Tuesday are expected to overwhelmingly pass the popular bill, which aims to punish Moscow with new financial sanctions for its meddling in the presidential election and military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. The sanctions package also would slap penalties on Iran and North Korea. The Senate is expected to act soon after that and the measure could be sent to Trump before Congress breaks for its August recess. Both chambers are positioned to approve the bill by veto-proof margins. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump Trump hasnt threatened to reject the bill, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other senior administration officials had objected to a mandated congressional review should the president attempt to ease or lift the sanctions on Russia. Theyve argued it would infringe on the presidents executive authority and tie his hands as he explores avenues of communication and co-operation between the two former Cold War foes. But Trumps persistent overtures to Russia pushed lawmakers to include the sanctions review. Many lawmakers view Russia as the nations top strategic adversary and believe additional sanctions will allow the U.S. to operate from a position of strength in any negotiations with Moscow. Trumps rhetoric toward the Russians has been far too accommodating and conciliatory, up to this point, said Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. Russian behaviour has been atrocious, Dent said. They deserve these enhanced sanctions. Relations with Russia will improve when Russian behaviour changes and they start to fall back into the family of nations. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Congress is uncomfortable with any rapprochement with Moscow without getting some things for it. But he said the legislation isnt intended to be a message to Trump. Were sending a message to Moscow, Kinzinger said. But if the president had any intention of trying to give Vladimir Putin what he wants on certain areas, I think hell think twice about it. Heavy support for the bill from Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate has effectively scuttled the potential for Trump to derail the legislation. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated Sunday the president would sign the sanctions bill. But on Monday, Sanders said Trump is going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like. The president very much supports sanctions on those countries but at the same time wants to be sure we get good deals, she told reporters on Air Force One. Those two things are very important. Signing a bill that penalizes Russia in part for interfering in 2016 campaign would mark a significant shift for Trump. Hes repeatedly cast doubt on the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia sought to tip the election in his favour. Hes blasted as a witch hunt investigations into the extent of Russias interference and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. Read more: Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chair, turns over notes on Trump Jr.s meeting with Russian lawyer Jared Kushner meets with House intelligence officials in second day of interviews Trump publicly calls Jeff Sessions position weak, privately asks about firing him According to the bill, Trump is required to send Congress a report explaining why he wants to suspend or terminate a particular set of the sanctions on Russia. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to decide whether to allow the move or reject it. The North Korea-related sanctions bar ships owned by the reclusive nation or by countries that refuse to comply with U.N. resolutions against Pyongyang from operating in American waters or docking at U.S. ports. Goods produced by North Koreas forced labour would be prohibited from entering the United States. The sanctions package also imposes mandatory penalties on people involved in Irans ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. The measure would apply terrorism sanctions to the countrys Revolutionary Guards and enforce an arms embargo. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it is well past time to respond with meaningful action to the threats posed to the U.S. by the three countries. A version of the sanctions legislation that only addressed Russia and Iran cleared the Senate nearly six weeks ago with 98 votes. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the speed with which the Senate will move may depend on how many questions senators have about the North Korea section of the bill. Theres no real daylight between us, Corker said of the House and Senate. But when you get down to the final throes, members want to weigh in. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONTwo key members of U.S. President Donald Trumps presidential campaign met Tuesday with congressional investigators probing Russias interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump associates. Trumps son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner returned to Capitol Hill for a second day of private meetings, this time for a closed-door conversation with lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee. Kushner on Monday answered questions from staff on the Senates intelligence panel, acknowledging four meetings with Russians during and after Trumps victorious White House bid and insisting he had nothing to hide. He emerged smiling to publicly declare, All of my actions were proper. Separately, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with bipartisan staff of the Senate intelligence committee and answered their questions fully, his spokesman, Jason Maloni, said. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump Manaforts discussion with the committee staff was confined to his recollection of a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower, according to two people familiar with the interview. Both demanded anonymity to discuss details because the interview occurred behind closed doors. Manafort also turned over his contemporaneous notes documenting the meeting, one said. The other person said Manafort has agreed to additional interviews with the Senate intelligence committee staff on other topics. Those meetings havent yet been scheduled. Both Manafort and Kushner have faced scrutiny about attending the Trump Tower meeting because it was described in emails to Donald Trump Jr. as part of a Russian government effort to aid Trumps presidential campaign. A quiet insider who generally avoids the spotlight, Kushner is the first top Trump lieutenant to be quizzed by the congressional investigators probing Russias meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Hours before the Senate meeting, Kushner released an 11-page statement that was billed as his remarks to both the Senate and House committees. In it, he acknowledged his Russian contacts during the campaign and then the following weeks, in which he served as a liaison between the transition and foreign governments. He described each contact as either insignificant or routine and he said the meetings, along with several others, were omitted from his security clearance form because of an aides error. Kushner cast himself as a political novice learning in real time to juggle thousands of meetings and interactions in a fast-paced campaign. Let me be very clear, Kushner said afterward in a rare public statement at the White House. I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. Kushners statement was the first detailed defence from a campaign insider responding to the controversy that has all but consumed the first six months of Trumps presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia sought to tip the 2016 campaign in Trumps favour. Congressional committees, as well as a Justice Department special counsel, are investigating whether Trump associates co-ordinated with Russia in that effort and whether the president has sought to hamper the investigations. Read more: Jared Kushner says he did not collude with Russia after closed-door interview Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr. to testify in Senate committees amid Russia investigation Russian lawyer who met Trump Jr. is ready to testify before U.S. Senate Kushner said he will continue to co-operate as I have nothing to hide. Trump watched on TV as Kushner made his appearance outside the West Wing and thought Jared did a great job, said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She said his House testimony on Tuesday would show what a hoax this entire thing is. Trump also took aim at the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, California Rep. Adam Schiff, calling him sleazy in a tweet and saying he spends all of his time on television. Schiff said on CBSs Face the Nation Sunday that he has a great many questions for Kushner. Schiff responded Monday by tweeting that Trump watches TV too often and his comments and actions are beneath the dignity of the office. In issuing the subpoena for Manafort, the Senate Judiciary panel leaders said they had been unable to reach agreement with Manafort on the terms of a private and voluntary interview with staff. In addition, the committee was withdrawing a separate subpoena issued for the co-founder of a research firm behind a dossier of allegations about Trump and his ties to Russia. Instead, Glenn Simpson has agreed to a private interview, according to a person familiar with the conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity Kushner, in his statement for the two intelligence committees, provided for the first time his recollection of a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who was said to have damaging information about Trumps Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Emails released this month show that the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., accepted the meeting with the idea that he would receive information as part of a Russian government effort to help Trumps campaign. But Kushner said he hadnt seen those emails until recently shown them by his lawyers. He called the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya such a waste of time that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. He says he arrived late and when he heard the lawyer discussing the issue of international adoptions, he texted his assistant to call him out. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign; there was no follow-up to the meeting that I am aware of; I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted, he said. Kushner also confirmed earlier media reports that he had suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities to set up secure communications between Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who would become Trumps national security adviser, and Russian officials. But he disputed that it was an effort to establish a secret back channel. His statement describes a December meeting with Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in which Kushner and Kislyak discussed establishing a secure line for the Trump transition team and Moscow to communicate about policy in Syria. Kushner said that when Kislyak asked if there was a secure way for him to provide information from his generals, Kushner suggested using facilities at the Russian Embassy. The ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration. Nothing else occurred, the statement said. Kushner said he never proposed an ongoing secret form of communication. As for his application for a security clearance, Kushner said his form was submitted prematurely due to a miscommunication with his assistant, who had believed the document was complete. He said he mistakenly omitted all of his foreign contacts, not just his meetings with Russians, and has worked in the past six months with the FBI to correct the record. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONPaul Manafort, a top campaign aide to U.S. President Donald Trump, took notes at a meeting with a Russian lawyer that he attended during the presidential campaign, and has agreed to turn over the document to the Senate investigators. Manafort submitted the documents to the Senate intelligence committee in advance of appearing behind closed doors to answer questions from committee staff, said a person familiar with the investigation of the Trump campaigns interactions with Russia. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump The notes could provide a key contemporaneous account of a meeting that has emerged as a key focal point of investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 campaign by both Congress and Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Manaforts submission comes as he has engaged in intense negotiations with congressional committees about how and when to provide testimony. A person familiar with those talks said Manafort is now expected to meet with the Senate intelligence committee either on Tuesday or Wednesday. A person familiar with negotiations between the Senate Judiciary Committee and Manafort says the panel has dropped a subpoena that sought to compel his public testimony this week. The person says Manafort won't testify during a public hearing Wednesday after he and the committee reached an agreement to continue negotiating the terms of his co-operation. The person demanded anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. A spokesperson for Manafort did not immediately respond. Emails sent to Donald Trump Jr., the presidents son, before the meeting show he agreed to meet with Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, after being told she was a Russian government lawyer, bearing damaging information about Trumps opponent Hillary Clinton that was being shared as part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign. Manaforts notes could provide information about what, exactly, was said at the meeting and how participants responded. Manafort, who would be named the campaigns chairperson days after the June 9, 2016, meeting, attended at Trump Jr.s request, as did Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner. In a statement Monday, Kushner said he has found an email he sent an assistant during the meeting, requesting that he be called on his cellphone to provide an excuse to leave early. In an initial statement as the New York Times prepared to report that the meeting had taken place, Trump Jr. had said it was primarily about the issue of the adoption of Russian children by American families. The Russian government halted such adoptions in retaliation for a U.S. law passed in 2012 which blacklisted top Russian officials over alleged human rights abuses. Later, he acknowledged that Veselnitskaya had first described information she believed could be damaging to Democrats, but has called that information vague and ambiguous. Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian American lobbyist who also attended the meeting, has said that Veselnitskaya left behind documents describing the information. Manaforts notes could shed more light on the information she provided and what happened to the documents she brought to the session. Read more about: SHARE: BERLINThe suspect in a chainsaw attack on a health insurers office in Switzerland that left five people wounded was caught on Tuesday after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis was arrested in Thalwil, some 45 kilometres from the scene of Monday mornings attack in Schaffhausen, police said. The lakeside town is in Zurich canton (state), Schaffhausens southern neighbour. Police issued a brief statement announcing the arrest but said they would give no further details before a news conference scheduled in Schaffhausen on Wednesday. Read more: Man with chainsaw injures 5 in northern Swiss city, police launch manhunt Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Wrousis, whom they described as aggressive and psychologically unstable. They said the 50-year-old has two previous convictions for weapons offences and no fixed residence. Wrousis is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company at their office in Schaffhausens old town. One of them was seriously hurt, though the injuries were not considered life-threatening. Authorities say Wrousis, a client of health insurer CSS, targeted the agency, although a motive remains unclear. Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. All but one of the five have left the hospital. In recent weeks, Wrousis was seen several times in forests just south of Schaffhausen. Police found a minivan he was believed to have been driving shortly after the attack, and searched the region near the German border with helicopters and sniffer dogs. On Tuesday, they urged people to exercise caution when in the areas forests as long as the suspect remained at large. As the manhunt continued, the insurance company said it was keeping its offices in Schaffhausen and five other nearby towns closed for now in view of yesterdays attack. Police had described Wrousis as potentially dangerous and warned he might be armed. They also published several photos of the suspect, one of them taken shortly before the attack. It showed a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag. SHARE: Last week, the Ontario Superior Court overturned the conviction of Mustafa Ururyar, the man accused of sexually assaulting a fellow PhD student, Mandi Gray, in January 2015. For Gray, the decision means that a painful chapter in her life cannot come to an end. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, she explained why our criminal justice system failed her: Im disturbed by the entire system. You wont be believed, there is no one to support you, and it will be a brutalizing process. The evidence is clear. Many survivors of sexual violence experience the criminal justice system with the intense public scrutiny and victim blaming that often come with it as causing them further trauma. In May, the House of Commons passed a bill requiring prospective judges to undergo training in sexual assault law. In June, the House of Commons proposed new legislation to modernize the criminal law so survivors are treated with more compassion and respect. Read more: Overturned verdict in Mandi Gray sex assault trial affects all parties, lawyer says Judge overturns incomprehensible conviction of Mustafa Uruyar for alleged sex assault of Mandi Gray Original trial that convicted Mustafa Ururyar of sexual assault was a baffling spectacle: DiManno These efforts do not go far enough. We need to fundamentally rethink the way that the law handles sexual violence. To do that, we should start by asking survivors what justice means to them. For some survivors, justice means reporting their assaults to police. It means participating in a criminal trial process that protects them. But for other survivors, justice means repairing the harm caused by the offenders actions through healing and reintegration. It means holding the offender accountable through voluntary measures that engage the community and prevent future crime. It means understanding sexual violence as the product of complex systemic forces that impact different groups differently. It means working together with offenders to promote gender equality in our society. The criminal justice system cannot meet all of these needs. For one, the criminal courts are limited by the types of remedies they can order. A harsh sentence cannot promise that survivors will find closure or that offenders will be rehabilitated. There are additional restrictions on who can participate in a criminal trial, with family, friends, and community members not taking an active role unless they appear as witnesses. This prevents opportunities for public engagement and social support for survivors. Given the limitations of the system, survivors should be given access to meaningful alternatives to criminal justice so they can make an informed choice about which process is right for them. One option is restorative justice, which is increasingly being offered in sexual violence cases across the country. Restorative justice begins with a screening procedure to determine what steps are necessary to conduct the process safely and effectively. After that, a qualified facilitator brings together the survivor, the offender, and community members who will participate in a discussion about the harm that was caused by the offenders actions. The emphasis is on direct communication, building empathy, and forging an agreement about how to move forward. Early research shows that the method works to reduce recidivism and promote cultural change. Some critics have resisted the use of restorative justice in sexual violence cases. They argue that it is not tough enough on crime and that it sacrifices public accountability in the name of private peace. I agree that alternatives to criminal justice should not be used in every case. But it is also clear that the goals of the system conflict with the interests of many survivors. Last week, Mandi Gray gave an interview in which she was asked about the use of restorative justice. She said, I dont think [jail] will rehabilitate the man who assaulted me, but unfortunately there are few options available to those who experience sexual assault. Restorative justice may be good for some, but not all. It really depends on the objectives of the individuals involved. Alternatives to criminal justice are underfunded in Canada. The government should support ongoing efforts to research their use in sexual violence cases and, where possible, make them available to survivors. On the local level, universities should revise their campus sexual violence policies to provide the option of addressing complaints through restorative justice. Education about the different approaches should be a priority. Justice means more than punishment. Survivors should be empowered with the choice to pursue whatever justice means to them under law. Daniel Del Gobbo is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholar at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. He writes and teaches about dispute resolution, equality law, and access to justice in Canada. SHARE: French Minister of Action and Public Accounts Gerald Darmanin said France will proceed in appealing a recent French court decision ruling Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Free Report Google won't have to pay $1.3 billion in taxes based both on the necessity for the country's finances and on a "matter of principle," French finance news site LesEchos reported. Darmanin said the current decision favors the "form" over the "substance," arguing the place of signature of a contract prevails over where the contract was generated, prepared, negotiated and executed. In this case, Darmanin said the French administrative court ruled that the fact the contracts were signed in Ireland was more important than whom the contract dealt with -- the French people. France plans to "defend the opposite point of view" in appellate court. "Our objective is to collect the revenues corresponding to the real activity of Google in France," Darmanin said. But Darmanin is not looking for drawn out litigation, saying it's best for the French government to "have a good deal" with Google. But he thinks the relationship must "work in both directions." Alphabet stock traded slightly up mid-afternoon. Alphabet is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells GOOGL? Learn more now. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: McKesson Corp. (MCK) - Get Free Report will face some opposition at its annual shareholder meeting this Wednesday, July 26 from an unconventional activist investor -- a labor union. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters not only plans to attend the shareholder meeting, but will also hold a protest outside the meeting's doors with the intent to shed some light on McKesson's position in the opioid crisis and "demand accountability for its role in fueling the epidemic", according to the union's most recent press release. Protesters will hold signs reading "McKesson CEO Makes a Killing as America Drowns in Opioids." "Inside, we'll be pressing the company, outside there will be a protest," said Michael Pryce-Jones, Senior Governance Analyst at Teamsters. "We feel that this is a corporate governance issue that has impacted the opioid crisis." The union, a long-term shareholder of McKesson, is calling for reform in the company's governance and executive pay system. Earlier in July, Teamsters sent a letter to McKesson shareholders urging for a vote in favor of the union's independent chair proposal and against the company's executive pay proposal. The independent chair proposal would separate the chairman position from the CEO position whereas the executive pay proposal would re-structure the company's compensation plan. The Teamsters said pay plan would not sufficiently link executive pay to performance. The union has some high-profile allies in the campaign, proxy advisory services Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass, Lewis & Co. both reiterated Teamsters' sentiment in their own recommendations. ISS believes that the company's compliance program "should be closely monitored" and also believe that shareholders would "benefit from stronger independent board oversight." Glass Lewis issued McKesson a "D" grade in the company's pay-for-performance model. In a report obtained by The Deal, Glass, Lewis said McKesson's "management of product governance issues is considered sub-standard, as demonstrated mainly by its lack of oversight regarding opioid prescriptions. In addition, there is no evidence that McKesson has implemented a board-level committee to oversee [environmental and social risks] or that it links environmental and social targets to executive remuneration." Glass, Lewis also recommended that shareholders vote against the reelection of McKesson director Bryant, who also serves as executive chair of Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Free Report and on the board of Columbia Sportswear Co. (COLM) - Get Free Report . The advisory service said Bryant serves on too many boards. McKesson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's shares rose 82 cents to $166.74 Monday. According to Teamsters' General Secretary-Treasuer Ken Hall, McKesson should be held accountable for their role in fueling the opioid crisis. "McKesson's failed oversight of prescription opioid distribution not only contributed to the rapid spread of this deadly epidemic -it has created significant financial and reputations risk for shareholders," Hall wrote in a statement sent to TheStreet. "There must be accountability for McKesson's poor performance on this critical issue. It's a matter of life and death." McKesson is the largest drug distributor in the United States and has a hand in dispensing a third of all medications in North America. In 2015, the United States Department of Justice announced a $150 million settlement with McKesson for the company's failure to report a suspiciously large amount of opioid orders. A lawsuit is brewing in West Virginia, one of the states hit hardest by the epidemic that is seeking billions in damages. Over a five-year period, McKesson in junction with Cardinal Health (CAH) - Get Free Report and AmerisourceBergan Corp. (ABC) - Get Free Report , shipped enough doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone to provide 235 pills per person throughout the entire state. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) - Get Free Report and CVS Health Corp. (CVS) - Get Free Report are also named in the lawsuit. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: I Tuesday, July 25, 2017 As readers of this blog well know, I am a huge fan of and advocate for transparency in bar discipline matters. When courts walk the walk (many just talk the talk), I applaud. Ohio deserves a long and sustained standing ovation for its new online docket feature to matters pending before its Board of Professional Conduct. As this example located in a single click demonstrates, the reader can get access to the case status, parties and counsel, charges and answer, identity of hearing panels and relevant orders and notices. This laudable effort puts Ohio in competition with North Carolina as the most transparent disciplinary system in the United States. An article in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics by my former student Jacquelyn Desch provides an excellent analysis of disciplinary transparency in the United States. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/07/as-readers-of-this-blog-well-known-i-am-a-huge-fan-of-and-advocate-for-transparency-in-bar-discipline-matters-when-court-w.html It's hard to seriously complain about Alphabet Inc./Google's (GOOGL) - Get Free Report second-quarter earnings report, which in most respects was pretty solid. But one can take issue with a couple of details, and with shares up over 25% on the year going into earnings, those details are enough to spark some profit-taking. On a GAAP basis, Google reported Q2 revenue of $26.01 billion (up 21% annually) and EPS of $5.01, beating consensus analyst estimates of $25.64 billion and $4.44. If one backs out the $2.7 billion fine (set to be appealed) EU regulators recently imposed over the integration of Google Shopping ads within search results, EPS was $8.90, above an $8.36 consensus. Nonetheless, Class C shares (GOOGL) fell 2.9% in after-hours trading to $969.00. Apparently the main culprit behind this selloff: After backing out traffic acquisition costs (TAC - ad revenue-sharing payments to partners), revenue totaled $20.9 billion, up 19% and roughly even with consensus estimates. TAC totaled $5.09 billion, up 28% and soundly above a $4.74 billion consensus. Due to mobile ad revenue-sharing payments -- made to Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Get Free Report, Android OEMs and carriers, among others -- TAC equaled 11% of revenue on Google's sites and apps, up from 9% a year ago. For ad sales on third-party sites and apps, it rose to 72% of revenue from 70%, thanks partly to a shift in ad sales towards programmatic (automated) ad campaigns. Neither of these trends is likely to go away anytime soon, given the momentum surrounding mobile and programmatic ad spending. There's also some risk that the changes the EU is demanding to Google's Android app bundling policies -- among other things, regulators want Google to stop denying access to the Play Store if OEMs don't make Google the default search engine on their devices -- could increase TAC, by giving OEMs more leverage in negotiations. The TAC concerns are overshadowing another phenomenal quarter of ad click/impression growth fueled by mobile search and (to a lesser degree) YouTube's momentum. "Paid clicks" rose 52% annually, outpacing Q1's 44% growth thanks to an eye-popping 61% increase on Google properties. Growth on non-Google properties, pressured some by Facebook Inc.'s (FB) - Get Free Report ad momentum, was 9%. Jim Cramer and the AAP team hold positions in Alphabet, Apple and Facebook for their Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells GOOGL, AAPL or FB? Learn more now. Google's efforts to create effective mobile ad formats that take up a lot of screen real estate, such as Google Shopping ads, app install ads and Expanded Text Ads, have much to do with the paid click growth. As do things like efforts to track the impact of online ads on offline sales, successful outreaches to local and small businesses and the use of machine learning to predict how an advertiser's campaign will perform. As far as YouTube goes, Google is also benefiting from viewing growth -- users now watch over 60 minutes per day on average on mobile devices, and watch time on TV sets nearly doubled annually in Q2 -- as well as the popularity of ad formats such as its 6-second Bumper ads. And looking more broadly, one can't also ignore the degree to which Google and Facebook keep taking online ad share from smaller players like clockwork. The paid click growth was partly offset by a 23% drop in ad prices (cost per click, or CPC), larger than Q1's 19% drop. Just as they've been boosting paid clicks, YouTube and mobile search ad growth have been depressing CPC. In addition, though reporting strong Google search ad spending growth overall, ad services firm Merkle reports CPCs for search keywords featuring a marketer's own brand name were pressured in Q2 by a Google algorithm change. The "Google Other" reporting segment, which covers things like Google Play, cloud apps and services, and sales of Google-branded hardware, saw revenue rise 42% to $3.09 billion (15% of ex-TAC revenue). Though Pixel phone sales have apparently slowed ahead of an expected fall refresh, cloud momentum remains very strong, as big investments to improve the Google Cloud Platform's (GCP) feature set, geographic reach and corporate sales pay off. On the earnings call, CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned that the number of $500,000-plus deals recorded by GCP, the #3 player in the public cloud services market behind Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, tripled annually. He also indicated enterprise adoption rates for the G Suite (formerly Google Apps) have been growing. Google's spending remains elevated, but more or less in line with what has been expected. Operating expenses grew 18% to $8.8 billion, thanks to heavy R&D hiring and a change in how Google times its annual stock grants. Cost of revenue (excluding TAC) rose 27% to $5.3 billion due to data center investments, YouTube content payments and Pixel hardware costs. Those data center investments also led capital spending to rise 32% to $2.8 billion. The "Other Bets" reporting segment, which features businesses such as Nest, Waymo (self-driving cars), Google Fiber, Verily (life sciences) and Calico (anti-aging drugs), remains a cash sinkhole. It produced a Q2 operating loss of $772 million on revenue of $248 million. Though those figures are respectively improved from $855 million and $185 million a year ago, Other Bets is still likely a ways off from turning a profit (maybe when Waymo's self-driving systems finally see mass adoption?). But such losses have been telegraphed for a while, and are unlikely to shock many investors. On the whole, Google delivered yet another report showing that the powerful trends allowing it to post sales growth in the 20% range even as its GAAP revenue nears $100 billion are still very much in place. But the costs of obtaining that sales growth proved a little higher than expected, and at current levels, that's enough to trigger some selling. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: Citigroup (C) - Get Free Report will host investors Tuesday for the first time since the financial crisis, Reuters reported. Four weeks after the Federal Reserve told Citigroup it could begin trimming extra capital it built up following the financial crisis, the fourth-largest U.S. bank is hosting 250 analysts and investors in New York and anyone who wants to listen over the internet. "Citi's restructuring is over and, given our latest capital plan and improving business performance, this is the right time to talk about our path to growth and higher returns," Citigroup said. Citi had $1.82 trillion in assets at the end of June, down from $2.2 trillion the last time it had an investor day in May 2008. CEO Mike Corbat said he'll "go into a lot more detail" at Tuesday's meeting about how the bank will reach its goal of achieving a 10% return on tangible common equity by 2019. Profits for the first half of 2017 were at about a 8.2% return on tangible common equity. Citi stock traded up over 2% premarket. Citigroup is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells C? Learn more now. Watch More with TheStreet: The head of Alphabet's Google (GOOGL) - Get Free Report unit's Canada operations, Sam Sebastian, has left the company to become president and CEO of Pelmorex Corp., Reuters says. Sebastian was in the position since 2014 and oversaw the expansion of Google Canada's engineering hub in Ontario and helped to build Google's artificial intelligence technology expertise in the country. Google is currently looking to replace Sebastian, but for now the interim replacement will be Sabrina Geremia, who has been working for the company for a decade. Don't miss these top stories on TheStreet: Dollar General Corporation, a discount retailer, provides various merchandise products in the southern, southwestern, Midwestern, and eastern United States. It offers consumable products, including paper and cleaning products, such as paper towels, bath tissues, paper dinnerware, trash and storage bags, disinfectants, and laundry products; packaged food comprising cereals, pasta, canned soups, fruits and vegetables, condiments, spices, sugar, and flour; and perishables that include milk, eggs, bread, refrigerated and frozen food, beer, and wine. The company's consumable products also comprise snacks, such as candies, cookies, crackers, salty snacks, and carbonated beverages; health and beauty products, including over-the-counter medicines and personal care products, such as soaps, body washes, shampoos, cosmetics, and dental hygiene and foot care products; pet supplies and pet food; and tobacco products. In addition, it offers seasonal products comprising holiday items, toys, batteries, small electronics, greeting cards, stationery, prepaid phones and accessories, gardening supplies, hardware, and automotive and home office supplies; and home products that include kitchen supplies, cookware, small appliances, light bulbs, storage containers, frames, candles, craft supplies and kitchen, and bed and bath soft goods. Further, the company provides apparel, which comprise casual everyday apparel for infants, toddlers, girls, boys, women, and men, as well as socks, underwear, disposable diapers, shoes, and accessories. As of February 25, 2022, it operated 18,190 stores in 47 states in the United States. The company was formerly known as J.L. Turner & Son, Inc. and changed its name to Dollar General Corporation in 1968. Dollar General Corporation was founded in 1939 and is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Lear Corporation designs, develops, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and supplies automotive seating, and electrical distribution systems and related components for automotive original equipment manufacturers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Its Seating segment offers seat systems, seat subsystems, keyseat components, seat trim covers, seat mechanisms, seat foams, and headrests, as well as surface materials, such as leather and fabric for automobiles and light trucks, compact cars, pick-up trucks, and sport utility vehicles. The company's E-Systems segment provides electrical distribution and connection systems that route electrical signals and networks; and manage electrical power within the vehicle for various powertrains. This segment's products comprise wire harnesses, terminals and connectors, engineered components, and junction boxes; electronic system products, including body domain control modules, smart and passive junction boxes, gateway and communication modules, integrated power modules, and high voltage switching and power control systems. It also offers software and connected services comprising Xevo Market, an in-vehicle commerce and service platform; and software and services for the cloud, vehicles, and mobile devices. In addition, this segment provides cybersecurity software; advanced vehicle positioning for automated and autonomous driving applications; and short-range communication and cellular protocols for vehicle connectivity. It offers its products and services under the XEVO, GUILFORD, EAGLE OTTAWA, ConfigurE+, INTUTM, LEAR CONNEXUSTM, EXO, JOURNEYWARE, ProTec, SMART JUNCTION BOX, STRUCSURE, AVENTINO, and TeXstyle brands. Lear Corporation was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Here's how many have already voted. Also, there are more observers than one county knows what to do with. Oman's Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) is set to start building solar parking lots within its premises starting from next month in co-ordination with Jacobs International Engineering Consultancy (JIEC), said a report. An Oman-based international consultant, JIEC provides key services including engineering design, procurement, project and construction management across the sultanate in the fields of oil and gas, buildings, infrastructure and utilities, marine and environmental sustainability. The installation of photovoltaic cells at SQUs car-park will be done in two phases, according to Oman Observer. In Phase One, the parking lot at College of Engineering will be covered with a RO108,000 ($279,576) funding from Jacobs International Engineering Consultancy, it stated. A total of 324 units of PV modules will be installed for the 82 kW project which is expected to reduce carbon emission by 82.6 tons per year. Once the project gets completed, the SQU will be able to produce electricity that will offset part of the university's peak demand in addition to the avoided cost of using the conventional shading structures, said the report. The main contractor for the project is Nafath Renewable Energy, it added. The Overseas Highway links Florida's mainland with Key West, and some tourists drive straight through the chain without exploring until they g Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) has been awarded the Project Finance Deal of the year (2016) award by Trade and Export Finance (TXF) for its Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) project finance deal. The award ceremony was held at the Export and Project Finance Global Conference in Venice, Italy, a report in Times of Oman said quoting a company release. This award comes to reaffirm Orpics strong presence as one of the fast growing downstream companies in the region. The hard work, commitment and dedication that the team has showed to the financing of LPIC project is, without a doubt, a source of pride for Orpic, said Nazar Al Lawati, chief financial officer (CFO). The $6.4-billion LPIC project is a transformational project that will improve Orpics product mix and business model, double its profit and support the development of a downstream plastics industry in Oman, the report said. The project is expected to increase the production of plastic products by more than one million tonnes, which will increase the company's total production of plastics to 1.5 million tonnes of polyethylene and polypropylene. Oman-based National Business Centre (NBC), which is part of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), has signed incubation deals with two Omani companies, said a report. NBC aims to be the premier platform to supporting and developing Omani entrepreneurs. The two companies that have signed the agreement are Muscat Statistical Consulting and Fourth Domain for Geophysical Consulting, added the Times of Oman report. The two companies will benefit from the services and incentives provided by the centre to support the countrys entrepreneurs, it said. Established in 2013, Muscat Statistical Consulting seeks to provide professional and high quality statistical consulting services, based on scientific curricula studied and competent national experiences. The second company, Fourth Domain for Geophysical Consulting, is the first Omani company to specialise in geophysical consultancy. Established by Sultan Qaboos University graduates, the company was founded with the aim to provide a variety of services in consulting and carrying out scientific research in engineering geophysics and its environmental applications. More than 200 exhibiting companies and over thousands of visitors are expected to take part in the fourth edition of Middle East Process Engineering Conference & Exhibition (Mepec), being held later this year in Bahrain. The event will be held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain under the theme Sustainable growth through process innovation & downstream integration. It will run from October 9 to 11 at the Bahrain International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Mepec is organised by the Saudi Arabian Section of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (SAS-AIChE) and co-organised by the Middle East Energy Events with support from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in collaboration with NOGA. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, on his continued support of Mepec since 2011. Mepec has affirmed itself as a global forum in the oil and gas sector in the Middle East and served as a high-level platform for the exchange of knowledge, views and expertise among specialists, engineers and technicians from many national, regional and international oil companies. Shaikh Mohammed also expressed his great satisfaction for the Kingdom of Bahrain to embrace Mepec for the fourth consecutive time, a conference which has gained reputation and prestige all over the Middle East, as well as a high turnout and participation by leading national and international companies and institutions working in the field of oil and gas. Moreover, Mepec is a platform for specialists to meet many of the major specialized international companies and benefit from the best practices and modern technologies in addition to the best engineering solutions to enhance work efficiency. The conference will include an extensive programme that has been designed and reviewed by a specialized team of global competence in the field of engineering. The conference focuses on four main topics that revolve around process design and development, process excellence, sustainability and downstream integration for value creation. This editions goal is to highlight the shifting industrys priorities in the region. Major meetings and sessions will simultaneously be held to discuss scientific research and practical experiences of speakers and executives in oil companies and other related firms. Mepec also focuses on key industry initiatives aimed at driving innovation and nurturing youth by hosting the ChemME, a platform that lets graduates network with industry leaders, the AIChE Middle East Regional Chem-E-Car competition that challenge university student to design and develop a car that is powered by a chemical reaction and the Innovation and Commercialization Zone, a platform devoted to start-ups to showcase their innovations to a dedicated process engineering audience. Additionally, alongside the conference, a Leadership Excellence for Women Award and Symposium (LEWAS 2017) will be held to honour and celebrate women who demonstrate innovation, leadership, and talent both in business and academic sectors of the Oil and Gas industry. There are five award categories dedicated to women and one each for a male champion and an organization that has been ambassadors of women diversity in the industry. This year, the show anticipates reaching over 3,500 participants, 200 exhibiting companies and over thousands of visitors over the three-day event. TradeArabia News Service - As has become his usual social media activity, Moses Kuria took to social media to mock Raila Odinga - He mocked him on the fact that he debated himself as he went ahead to grade his 'competitors'- Amollo and Odinga - However, NASA supports turned on him and burnt him at the stake The Presidential Debate was held on Monday, July 24, at the Catholic University of East Africa. National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga showed up for the second debate for candidates whod scored more than 5% in opinion polls, but his opponent, Jubilees President Uhuru Kenyatta, did not show up. This gave Raila 90 minutes of uninterrupted talk time, but as he carried on, vocal Jubilee Member of Parliament for Gatundu South, Moses Kuria, took to social media to mock the opposition leader. READ ALSO: Mr Kenyarra and 10 other hilarious jokes on independent presidential candidate Kavinga Kaluyu Raila showed up for the debate at CUEA as President Uhuru opted to ignore it. Photo: NTV. READ ALSO: Raila shows up for radio interview dressed in Jubilee's colours but quickly corrects the mistake I have to admit Raila is doing well on #Checkpoint and #AMLiveNTV, Kuria fired the first salvo. These are interview talk shows on KTN and NTV respectively, as Kuria implied the debate was a personal interview designed to give Raila his 15 minutes of fame. As if that was not enough, he went ahead to mock Raila for debating himself, going ahead to grade him and his opponents. READ ALSO: See how Jeff Koinange brought Thika Road to a standstill as he made his way to Kasarani for the IAAF World Under-18 Athletics A screenshot of Moses Kuria's post on Facebook on Monday, July 24. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE For his two posts, he incurred the wrath of opposition supporters who also expressed their displeasure after President Uhuru Kenyatta gave the debate a wide berth: Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria. Photo: Daily Nation. READ ALSO: Controversy as boy, 13, marries his 13-year-old pregnant girlfriend President Uhuru and Raila Odinga are the two main candidates to watch on August 8. Photo: Daily Nation. READ ALSO: Uhuru's daughter enjoys night next to Lilian Muli Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Watch Uhuru reveal his preferred politician between Sonko and Peter Kenneth below: Source: TUKO.co.ke - KDF soldiers have inflicted heavy casualties on al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia - The militants had ambushed the Kenyan soldiers by detonating a remote controlled bomb - Several KDF armored vehicles were also destroyed during the fighting Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers on Monday, July 24, engaged al-Shabaab militants in heavy fighting in Somalia. TUKO.co.ke has learnt that militants had ambushed the Kenyan soldiers in outskirts of Bardere district in Gedo region. The militants are reported to have detonated a remote controlled bomb targeting the Kenyan soldiers. READ ALSO: Raila breathes fire as he defends the Kenyatta and Odinga families KDF soldiers in Somalia. Photo: Radio Shabelle. READ ALSO: Kikuyu MP explains why Uhuru could not face Raila in the presidential debate KDF responded with heavy gunfire against the militants with reports indicating several of them died in the attack. KDF also suffered damage to several of its armored vehicles which had been targeted by the bomb. Its not clear yet how many al-Shabaab militants were killed during the attack as the Kenyan government is yet to release a statement. READ ALSO: 4 dangerous al-Shabaab men executed near Kenyan border KDF responded with heavy gunfire against the militants with reports indicating several of them died in the attack. Photo: Long War Journal. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE Al-Shabaab has lost vast amounts of its territory to Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Amisom forces in Southern and Central Somalia. The militant group has carried out several devastating attacks in Kenya which has claimed hundreds of lives. In January 2017, the militants attacked a KDF camp in Kulbiyow in a dawn attack that left several Kenyans dead. In 2015, the militant group launched a deadly assault on Garissa University College. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Watch President Uhuru reveal his preferred politician between Sonko and Peter Kenneth: Source: TUKO.co.ke - Uhuru plans to hold 40 radio interviews after missing the much hyped televised Presidential Debate - He will also hold over 200 campaign meetings in counties around the country ahead of the August 8 polls - Uhuru will hold his final meetings in Nairobi on August 6 just 48 hours to the elections After snubbing the much hyped Presidential Debate, a move which angered many Kenyans, President Uhuru Kenyatta has laid down a plan to redeem his name. In an attempt to satiate his followers, Uhuru now plans to hold dozens of radio interviews 13 days to the General election. According to a statement from State House, the president will hold interviews in 40 radio stations in an attempt to reach out to voters. Uhuru will give interviews in 40 radio stations after skipping presidential debate. READ ALSO: What Raila Odinga would do to Anne Waiguru if he was Uhuru Kenyatta "The President, who has also already given interviews to 14 radio stations, is due to speak to at least 40 more, directly reaching Kenyans on his Action Plan for Kenyas future. He will also engage with Kenyas youth through platforms they are familiar with, said Spokesman Manoah Esipisu. Uhuru was bashed by a huge section of Kenyans after he failed to turn up for a televised debate between him and NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga on Monday July 24. Uhuru will also hold hundreds of rallies in various counties ahead of the hotly contested August 8 elections. READ ALSO: Kikuyu MP explains why Uhuru could not face Raila in the presidential debate Raila attended the Presidential Debate alone. READ ALSO: NASA supporters attack Moses Kuria after he mocked Raila's performance at the Presidential Debate Beginning Tuesday July 25, the president will have an intense 12-day tour around the country with his last campaign events to be held in Nairobi on August 6, 48 hours before elections, State House said. These meet-the-people visits will see the President traverse 30 counties, making stops at more than 200 campaign stops. Deputy President William Ruto, will be visiting dozens of counties as well, making another 200 campaign stops, added Esipisu. During the campaign tours, Uhuru will also hold one-on-one meetings with Kenyans at business premises, farms, and markets. READ ALSO: Uhuru to take the fight to Raila's home turf of Siaya, but he has been warned Uhuru has already given interview to 14 radio stations. Uhurus odyssey will take him to the counties of Nyeri, Muranga, Marsabit, Samburu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, and Kajiado. He will also transverse Nakuru, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nairobi, Bomet, Kericho, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kisii, Nyamira, Nandi, Garissa, Migori and Uasin Gishu counties. Uhuru reveals who he prefers between Sonko and Kenneth Source: TUKO.co.ke - President Uhuru has disclosed another reason why he failed to show up and debate Raila Odinga - He said Raila pretends to be a saint when being watched but a politician who divides communities wen no one is watching -Uhuru's excuse adds to the growing list of excuses from the Jubilee camp on his failure to participate in the debate - Other reasons include the moderators' political affiliations, the timing and the format of the debates, and that no one formally invited UhuRuto to participate President Uhuru Kenyatta led the Jubilee campaign team to Nyeri and Muranga counties on Tuesday, July 24. While in Nyeri county, he held a rally at Kiriti Stadium in Mukurweini, where he finally addressed his absence at the television debates organized by Debates Kenya Limited where he was set to face off with National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga. President Uhuru failed to show up at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa where the presidential debate was broadcast live on all major television and radio stations. By close of the debate, it is reported that 8.5 million people had tuned in to watch. READ ALSO: Uhuru to take the fight to Raila's home turf of Siaya, but he has been warned... Uhuru on the campaign trail in Mt Kenya region on Tuesday, July 25. Photo: Facebook, Uhuru Kenyatta. READ ALSO: Where Uhuru was as the debate was going on(photos) He changes his script when he is being watched by Kenyans but during his campaigns, he divides communities. No wonder I could not debate him. I did not go because it was a waste of time and I had nothing to debate with Raila, said Uhuru as quoted in the Daily Nation. Uhurus accusations could stem from utterances Raila made during a past opposition rally in Kajiiado county where he called on the Maa community to stop selling their land to outsiders, insisting that foreigners should return to their homes and buy land there. Uhurue explanation is about the third excuse from the Jubilee camp on why he failed to show up to the debates. READ ALSO: James Kilonzo shot dead by gangsters Raila Odinga showed up at the presidential debate on Monday, July 24, and had uninterrupted 90 minutes talk time. Uhuru was a no show. Photo: NTV. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE The first batch of reasons was their disagreement with the debate organisers over the timing and format of the debate. Jubilee claimed Uhurus schedule had already been set and could not be rescheduled to accommodate the debate. The second batch of excuses was that the Office of the President had issues with the moderators picked to coordinate the debate. According to prior TUKO reports, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwa claimed Linus Kaikai and Joe Ageyo had ties to the Odingas in one way or another and failed to disclose this to Kenyans. READ ALSO: TV presenter surprises Kenyans after removing her wig live on TV(photos) Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa. Photo: Daily Nation. READ ALSO: Rare form as Raila Odinga defends the Kenyatta family at the Presidential Debate Linus sought nomination to vie for the Kilgoris parliamentary seat in 2007 on an ODM ticket and Joe Ageyo studied in Norway after receiving a scholarship from the Jaramogi Oginga Foundation. Said Ichungwa. However, Raila Odinga showed up, laid out his agenda and policies, answered questions on his time in government over the past few decades, as Kenyans flooded social media to vent against Uhuru and congratulate Raila on possibly swaying undecided voters to his side. The August 8 election is scheduled to take place in 13 days. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Watch President Uhuru reveal his preferred politician between Sonko and Peter Kenneth below: Source: TUKO.co.ke - Uhuru has blasted the media for attempting to intimidate him for failing to appear for the Presidential Debate - Uhuru claimed the media is supporting NASA and helping it to discredit him - Uhuru failed to appear for the debate on Monday July 24 President Uhuru Kenyatta does not regret having let down the media by missing the Presidential Debate. Uhuru who was blasted by both media commentators and Kenyans online for snubbing the debate with NASAs Raila Odinga said he will not allow the media to intimidate him. "Some people in the media think they can intimidate people, votes are not in the media but with the people of Kenya," said Uhuru who plans to hold 40 radio interviews in the coming days in an attempt to compensate for missing the discourse. READ ALSO: 7 extremely rib-cracking photos that only Kenyans who have been to a kibanda can relate READ ALSO: Uhuru to give interviews in 40 radio stations after skipping presidential debate The president was due to go head to head with Raila on Monday July 24 in a televised debate but he was no show. He added that he did not fear the media at all adding that the real votes are with people out there and not on national TV. I don't fear that media is not supporting me. Even in 2013 they did not and I won.They can continue insulting me day in day out, but I don't care.I am more concerned about the 40 million (Kenyans) and not what the newspapers write about me, added Uhuru on Tuesday July 25. READ ALSO: NASA tricked Uhuru into skipping presidential debate and Kalonzo Musyoka explains how READ ALSO: Agree that you were misadvised - Millie Odhiambo tells Uhuru While some argued that Uhuru had lost some chunk of his followers 14 days to the election, the president remained confident that his track record was speaking for him. We have been giving people electricity in their homes so that they can be able to watch TV in the first place and importantly be able to do business, we have been issuing title deeds in villages and listening to people and delivering water to them that is what matters and counts to the great people of Kenya," said Uhuru. Source: TUKO.co.ke Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The President General of the NUGFW and NATUC, James Lambert says, too many people in the cou The US authorities are actively reviewing whether to send weapons to Ukraine so that to help fighting against Russian-backed militants. New US special representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker stated this in an interview with BBC. According to him, arming Ukrainian government forces could change Moscow's approach At the same time, Volker doesnt consider such a move to be provocative. "Defensive weapons, ones that would allow Ukraine to defend itself, and to take out tanks for example, would actually to help to stop Russia threatening Ukraine .I 'm not again predicting where we go on this, that's a matter for further discussion and decision, but I think that argument that it would be provocative to Russia or emboldening of Ukraine is just getting it backwards, Volker said. iy The Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine and the experts from Argentina plan to develop a program on the introduction of modern technologies in the agricultural sector: precision farming, minimum tillage systems and biotechnologies. This is reported by the press service of the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine. "Despite our achievements in the agricultural exports, we have an acute need to work towards increasing productivity in Ukraine's agriculture. We will also develop technologies that will enable us to improve the chain of production, processing and export," said Olha Trofimtseva, Deputy Agrarian Policy and Food Minister of Ukraine. The Ukrainian side is interested in creating joint projects with the Argentinean partners and in sharing experience, especially on the issues of public-private partnership, models for creating effective sectoral networks and adapting agrarian production to climate change. Ukraines Agrarian Policy Ministry notes that the Argentinean representatives suggest creating jointly with Ukraine the modern and effective agriculture business models with an emphasis on small and medium-sized producers. ol Ukraine is a foreign policy priority of the United Kingdom. British Ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough said this during a press conference on board of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan, which entered Odesa port on Monday with the Turkish Navy frigate Yildirim. "Ukraine is our foreign policy priority as your security is the security of Europe, our security," the press service of the Defence Ministry of Ukraine quotes the Ambassador as saying. Ambassador Gough expressed the hope that such visits would continue to be held in the future. "In my opinion, this is a sign of cooperation between our countries, which shows support from Britain," she said. As reported, the ships of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 consisting of the UK Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan and the Turkish frigate Yildrim will stay in the port of Odesa on July 24-27. The US and Turkish military sailors will conduct joint trainings with the personnel of the Ukrainian Navy. At the end of the visit, the military sailors will conduct PASSEX type trainings in the Black Sea. ol The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered the first judgment in the complaint against Ukraine related to the loss of governmental control over the part of Luhansk region territory. The Court found no violation of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case Khlebik v. Ukraine. The text of the judgment is available on ECHRs website. The complaint was filed by prisoner Oleksandr Khlebik, who is serving a sentence on several criminal charges, including banditry and armed robbery. He was sentenced to eight years and nine months imprisonment by one of the courts in Luhansk region in April 2013. He remained detained in Starobilsk remand prison, awaiting examination of his appeal, located in the part of the Luhansk region controlled by the Ukrainian Government. However, his case file remained with the Court of Appeal, in Luhansk, which is not under Government control. When the Court of Appeal was relocated to Sieverodonetsk, in the Government-controlled area, Khlebik complained about the delay in the examination of his appeal. He was told that the appeal court could not examine his case as his file was blocked in Luhansk. Khlebik complained about the Ukrainian authorities failure to enact legislation allowing for his appeal to be effectively examined. The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 18 December 2015. The Court unanimously concluded that the Ukrainian authorities had done all in their power under the circumstances to address Khlebiks situation. The Court also welcomed other initiatives the Ukrainian authorities had taken, in particular their requests for assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross in facilitating the recovery of files located in the territory not under their control and a legislative proposal intended to facilitate examination of appeals in situations where part of a case file remained unavailable. This case became the first for the ECHR to study the complaint related to Ukraine's loss of governmental control over the occupied territories. ol U.S. President Donald Trump in a tweet on Tuesday said that Ukraine attempted to sabotage his 2016 election campaign in favor of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G., Trump wrote. Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 25 2017 . In his next tweet, President Trump accused current Attorney General Jeff Sessions of taking a very weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 25 2017 . At the same time, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States denied the allegations. "The Ukrainian Embassy has never coordinated the work with the Democratic National Committee on compromising materials," the embassy stressed. iy President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has dismissed Viktor Nazarenko as Head of Ukraines State Border Guard Service and appointed him as presidential adviser. President Poroshenko stated this during a speech in the Administration of the State Border Guard Service on Tuesday, July 25, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "I, as President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, received a letter of resignation from Head of the State Border Guard Service, Colonel-General Viktor Nazarenko because of a health reason," said Poroshenko. The President also said he signed decrees on his dismissal. At the same time, he appointed Nazarenko as a presidential adviser, and signed the relevant document. iy DJIBOUTI, 23 July 2017 World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake met President Ismail Omar Guelleh today and discussed United Nations cooperation with Djibouti. The UN chiefs discussed their commitment to support the Government to accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and Djiboutis key role in responding to humanitarian crises in the region. The country has made significant progress to improve peoples health, particularly among children and women. Under-five and maternal mortality have been cut by half in the last two decades. Equitable and efficient health programs are essential, especially reinforcing Universal Health Coverage and intensifying the fight against possible epidemics, such as cholera, by effective surveillance and preparedness, said WHOs Dr. Tedros. Lake said UNICEF and the two other organizations would support Djiboutis efforts to reach the SDGs, focusing on malnutrition, particularly among children, health and access to safe water and sanitation. Here in Djibouti and everywhere, investing in nutrition is one of the most cost-effective ways governments can protect childrens lives and futures -- and support the long-term growth of their societies, he said. This means working together across sectors -- including health, water, hygiene and sanitation, agriculture and even social protection -- to reach every child at risk. We encourage Djibouti to join the Scaling Up Nutrition movement -- and join the growing global movement to end malnutrition in all its forms. WFP head Beasley praised the strategic and central role played by the Republic of Djibouti in helping the UN respond to humanitarian crises in the region, including the crisis in Yemen. The delivery of food, vaccines, drugs and other life-saving assistance to address emergencies depend on the logistics facilities that Djibouti offers to UN agencies, Beasley said. Djibouti plays and will continue to play a key role in providing vital logistics for responses to both emergencies and development needs. They also discussed a new UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022 to be submitted shortly for approval by Djibouti. It aims for greater synergy and complementarity among UN agencies, funds and programmes to support Government efforts and increase the multiplier effect of contributions to development. ### Formula 2 racer Nobuharu Matsushita will test for the Sauber team in next weeks post Hungarian Grand Prix test, his first experience in a Formula 1 car. 23-year-old Matsushita, who currently drives for ART Grand Prix in the F2 feeder series, will drive the Sauber C36 on the Wednesday of the test, being joined by Gustav Malja on the Tuesday. He said: When I was four years old, I was fascinated by Michael Schumacher watching him racing in Formula 1. Since then, my dream was to become a Formula 1 driver. I am very excited about my first Formula 1 test and hope it will be a productive day for the team and myself. Newly installed team principal, Frederic Vasseur said: He deserves the experience of his first test in a Formula 1 car. Ever since his debut in Formula 2 with ART Grand Prix, I have been following his progress closely, and have watched him advance his performance from year to year. Test comes as Honda engine deal in question Matsushita is a Honda protege. He was given the ART drive when Honda returned to F1 in 2015, in partnership with McLaren. For 2018, a deal has been struck between Sauber and Honda for the engine manufacturer to supply current-spec engines to the Swiss team. However, that deal was pushed through by former boss Monisha Kaltenborn, who has left the team, and Honda are reportedly concerned at the manner in which this was done. New team principal Vasseur faces the question of persuading Honda to commit to the deal, or finding an alternate supply. Frederic Vasseur is the new team principal at Sauber, and must persuade Honda not the abandon the engine supply deal. (Image Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Matsushita is in his third season on F2, having joined the series then known as GP2 in 2015. He was team-mate to the dominant Stoffel Vandoorne and finished in ninth overall. In 2016, he finished in 11th place in the standings and currently sits in seventh. He has also won Japanese Formula 3 and Formula Challenge Japan. Williams have announced that Italian Formula 2 driver, Luca Ghiotto will make his Formula 1 debut with the team, in next week's two-day test following the Hungarian Grand Prix. Ghiotto, who races for Russian Time in F2, will partner Felipe Massa in the FW40 at the Hungaroring. F1 teams are required by the Sporting Regulations to assign two of the four days of in-season testing to a driver who has completed no more than two Grand Prix. In the Bahrain test, the team ran long-time F1 test driver Gary Paffett, meaning that one of the days in this test, had to be allocated to a young driver. "A special moment" Ghiotto, who currently sits fifth in the F2 standings with 86 points and three podiums, said: "A big thanks to Williams for this opportunity. I think the first F1 test for any driver is a special moment, and to do it with such an historic team is even better so I'm really excited. "Of course, I need to focus on the F2 weekend beforehand, but I'm really looking forward to the test and I really hope it goes well." Deputy Team Principal, Claire Williams said: "Our team has a strong record of for developing young talent, and we always enjoy seeing young drivers getting opportunities to demonstrate their ability. "I look forward to seeing how he performs in the car next month." Ghiotto will drive the FW40 alongside Felipe Massa. (Image Credit: Marco Canoniero/Getty Images) Proven record in the junior formulae After graduating from karting and Formula Renault 3.5 in 2014, Ghiotto made his GP3 debut at Spa of that year, taking pole. In 2015, he took five wins and five poles but finished second to Esteban Ocon with 245 points. He then stepped up to GP2, as it was then known, for 2016 and took his maiden victory in the Sprint race in Sepang, Malaysia on his way to a 111 point haul and eighth place in the standings for the Trident team. Political observers in Cambodia have said that King Norodom Sihanmonis decision to leave the country for a health checkup was timed to avoid signing controversial amendments to the political parties law. The planned amendments, which would ban the opposition from associating with its former leader, Sam Rainsy, were due to be passed on Tuesday. In March, the law was amended to block people with criminal convictions from leading political parties, leading Rainsy, who was convicted years ago for defamation, to resign from the Cambodia National Rescue Party. King Sihamoni also left the country as the previous set of amendments were due to be passed in a move seen as a deliberate move to keep his signature off the controversial legislation. Meas Ny, a political analyst, however, said we have no idea how the king perceives the amendments, but once the amendments are signed and put into practice, it will lead to constitutional conflict. Ou Virak, founder of the Future Forum think tank, said the Kings departure could be intended to avoid signing the legislation, but the move would have no effect on the adoption of the law as in his absence the changes would be signed off on by a member of the constitutional council. The Constitutional Council has an essential role. If one does not trust the constitutional council, there is no need to form one, he said. Oum Daravuth, royal spokesperson, could not be reached. The Constitutional Council will meet to pass the amendments on Tuesday. Prime Minister Hun Sen has donated $50,000 towards a memorial for the slain political commentator Kem Ley, who was gunned down last year in a daylight killing that is widely seen as a political assassination. The donation was made to Kem Rithisith, Leys brother, and will go towards to construction of a $170,000 marble stupa in honor of the political critic. Earlier in the year, Rithisith accepted another donation from the premier, of $10,000, to cover debts incurred as a result of the one-year anniversary of Leys death on July 10. An outspoken political analyst, Ley aired his criticisms of Cambodias elite openly and often, leading many to doubt the official account of his death and point the finger to senior officials. He was shot execution-style at a Phnom Penh gas station and a single suspect, Oeut Ang, who claimed he killed Ley over an outstanding debt and was later sentenced for murder. Rithisith said he accepted the money from Hun Sen despite continuing to campaign for justice for his brother because it was offered in a religious way. The recent donation was handed over on Saturday by Lim Cheavutha, executive director of the pro-government Fresh News website. It was not immediately clear why Cheavutha was selected as an intermediary, but he said Hun Sen made the decision to offer the donation after Fresh News published a report quoting Rithisith speaking about the lack of funding for the one-year anniversary expenses. I think its a very good deed, because their family faces financial shortages, Cheavutha said. Meanwhile, civil society groups and activists continue to campaign for a fresh investigation into Leys killing. But Chin Malin, justice spokesman, said the official investigation had not yet concluded. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court and the authorities are expanding investigation procedures to search for other relevant people, he said.Venerable Buth Buntenh and Tim Malay, former members of the commission of Kem Leys funeral ceremony, could not be reached for comment on Monday. However, Sao Kosal, a former member of the group that organized Leys funeral, said he welcomed the donation from Hun Sen, adding: What the people want is not money, but what they want is transparency in searching for the real killer. This will clear up the doubts of the public. Countries with few health-management resources are prone to periodic outbreaks of insect-borne diseases affecting both people and livestock. One of the best ways to reduce the impact is timely vaccination and eradication of insects. But how to tell when an outbreak might occur? VOAs George Putic spoke with a scientist from Kenya who is using satellites to predict future outbreaks. A prominent former Afghan insurgent leader Tuesday said 30,000 of his countrymen are fighting in Syria and Iraq. "Afghans are being trained to fight at home and abroad, said Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, while addressing tribal elders in Kabul. The controversial warlords Hizb-e-Islami faction recently concluded a peace deal with the Afghan government to end insurgent activities and pave the way for Hekmatyar to come out of years of hiding. Hekmatyar would not discuss the source of his information on the number of Afghans fighting abroad, but suggested they are doing so only to feed their poverty-stricken families. Today, you have 30,000 Afghans fighting in Iraq and Syria. God knows better how many of them have been killed, Hekmatyar said. Decades of conflict and poverty have forced Afghans to abandon their country and travel across the globe in search of livelihood. Millions of Afghans continue to live in neighboring Pakistan and Iran while conflict continues to uproot thousands in Afghanistan. Lately, some displaced families have found the battlefields in Syria and Iraq as a source of income because of Iran. Iran Some refugees in Iran, mainly Shi'ite Hazara Afghans, are reportedly being recruited and trained to fight alongside President Bashar al-Assads forces in Syria. An estimated 3 million Afghans are in Iran, including about 2 million undocumented refugees. According to media reports, it is the undocumented refugees whom Iran's Revolutionary Guards exploit and recruit to raise militias fighting in Syria. Reports also say that in return, the volunteers displaced families are offered legal status in addition to getting hundreds of dollars in monthly salaries. The potential fighters are told they are being sent on a sacred mission of defending holy shrines and Islam. During parliamentary sessions, Afghan lawmakers have repeatedly urged their government to take up the issue with Iran to stop the exploitation of refugees. Government officials rarely comment on the issue and maintain that Kabul is in contact with Tehran. Ten journalists have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year in militant attacks plotted by the Taliban and Islamic State loyalists, a media monitoring group said. Violence during the first six months of 2017 also wounded 12 journalists, the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) said in a report released Tuesday in Kabul. The group's head, Najib Sharifi, told reporters it documented 73 cases of violence against journalists, a 35 percent increase compared to the first six months of 2016. The violence included killing, beating, injury, humiliation, intimidation and detention of journalists, he added. Those killed have either been directly targeted by terrorist groups or lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks, noted Sharifi. The media organization says that IS-plotted violence and threats against journalists have particularly increased in eastern Afghanistan, where the terrorist group has a strong presence. In this zone, the majority of media organizations and journalists practically live under the threat of the ISKP group, AJSC warned, using the local acronym for the Syria-based terrorist group. An attack on state-run Radio Television-Afghanistan, or RTA, in May killed four employees, while a massive truck bombing in the vicinity of the German embassy in Kabul also that month claimed the lives of four journalists in the line of duty, according to the report. One-hundred-and-50 other people were killed. A March attack against the parliament in the capital city killed two journalists. AJSC noted, however, individuals affiliated with the Afghan government, or security forces, have also been responsible for 46 percent of all the instances of violence against journalists since the beginning of the year. The violence carried out by the government officials is mostly committed because of revelations by journalists of illegal activities of these government-affiliated individuals and institutions, the report said. It praised steps the Afghan government has taken to improve the security of journalists, including establishment of a Joint Committee for the Security and Safety of Journalists, but lamented that weak implementation has not produced desired outcomes. The report also noted rising insecurity and a worsening threat environment" in Afghanistan have also led to a notable decrease in the number of female journalists working in media organizations, with none working in at least 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. The reduction or absence of female media members, AJSC warned, has undermined coverage of women-related problems. The increase in violence in Afghanistan is evident in a recent United Nations report that says armed conflict has killed more than 1,600 civilians in the first six months of 2017. Following a lack of agreement at the U.S. China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue in Washington last week, analysts say they expect the Trump administration to impose stiff penalties on Chinese steel and other imports. They are also predicting the U.S. might go a step further and start questioning some of the rules of the World Trade Organization, which it regards as being unduly favorable to Beijing. "It appears that not much was accomplished. Negotiations were deadlocked," said Charles W. Boustany Jr., a retired U.S. Congressman and Counselor at The National Bureau of Asian Research. "I believe the Trump Administration is intent on imposing tariffs and other restrictions on steel imports". The dialogue mechanism was created last April after talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping as a means to resolve old sticking points, including a huge trade imbalance of $347 billion that favors Beijing. But the first meeting, which was co-chaired by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, merely helps to highlight the stiff differences between the two sides. At the heart of the differences were Chinese steel exports and the massive trade deficit. The U.S. feels cheap steel exports are resulting in job losses, a view echoed regularly in Europe. Boustany said the Trump administration would impose controls on steel imports using national security as the reason. Similar views are being expressed by several experts. " I do expect in some point in the near future for the Trump administration to impose penalties on steel imports from China and perhaps a few other countries justifying those limits on national security grounds," Scott Kennedy, Deputy Director, Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Washington based Center for Strategic & International Studies, said. Rejecting WTO rules He said the U.S. government may go further and start reviewing its commitment to some rules of the World Trade Organization. "I think during the last five years, Chinas economic policies, the level of innovation by the government in different industries, its promotion of high-tech in a discriminatory way has widened the gap between Chinese practices and its commitments (to WTO). And given China's size, that had a big affect on the global economy, including on the U.S. and its high-tech industries," he said. Kennedy also said, I think that has generated anxiety and doubts in the United States about the WTOs rules and whether those rules were good enough to constrain Chinese trade practices. After the talks, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said the world's two biggest economies need to cooperate and warned that confrontation will immediately damage the interests of both. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin blamed the trade gap between the two countries on Chinese government intervention in its economy. Trump's surprise "The Chinese basically wanted to bring Trump and his team back on the mainstream of U.S.-China bilateral dialogue on economic and trade cooperation the way it used to be during the Obama period. Even Bush did the same thing," said Sourabh Gupta, Institute for China - America Studies in Washington. Trump came with so much radicalism on trade issues that they just want to maintain a workable format, which is productive and result oriented. Trump's approach to trade has completely thrown China's long-term economic plans off the rails, analysts said. Beijing is not being helped with signs of rising protectionism in Europe. I think the Chinese side has been somewhat surprised by the toughness of the Trump administration, particularly on White House priority areas like trade (steel) and North Korea, Paul T. Haenle, Director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, said. China recently began importing U.S. beef and took other measures to placate Washington. But these items are not enough to placate the new administration in Washington, Haenle said. "The new U.S. administration has come away with a more realistic sense of the limits of Chinese cooperation, particularly in the lead up to the 19th Party Congress," he said. Analysts said the ruling Communist Party is unlikely to make too many concessions and appear weak in its negotiations with Washington ahead of the crucial Communist Party meeting later this year. Australia continues to dispute claims made by the United Nations that it has reached a deal to resettle refugees being held on two remote Pacific detention centers on its soil. Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said Monday the agency had reached an agreement with Canberra that it would help 1,250 asylum seekers currently being held in Papua New Guinea and Nauru resettle in the United States, with "the clear understanding" that "vulnerable refugees" with close family ties in Australia would be allowed to enter there. But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters Tuesday the government's policy about people attempting to reach Australia by boat has been "clear and consistent" -- they will be sent to either Papua New Guinea or Nauru and never resettled in Australia. Bishop's statement echoed those made Monday by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who denied that such a deal had been reached. The policy was implemented in 2013 under Turnbull's predecessor, Tony Abbott. The initiative to resettle the 1,250 asylum seekers in the U.S. was reached late last year between Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then-President Barack Obama. Obama's successor, Donald Trump, says he will honor the agreement, despite denouncing it as a "dumb deal" in a tweet posted in February. New Zealand will be one of the first nations Britain will strike a trade deal with once it formally leaves the European Union -- a promise made Tuesday by visiting British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson held talks in Wellington with Prime Minister Bill English on the second day of his two-day visit to Britain's former colony. Britain's chief diplomat insisted that New Zealand would not be negatively affected once Brexit is a done deal. "I'll say this until I'm blue in the face," Johnson affirmed, "Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world." Johnson said New Zealand is "at or near the very front of the queue" of nations willing and ready to reach a bilateral trade pact with London. China is defending last weekend's encounter between two of its fighter jets and a U.S. military surveillance plane over the East China Sea. U.S. military officials say one of two Chinese J-10 fighters flew under a U.S. Navy EP-3 plane at a high rate of speed Sunday, then slowed down and pulled up directly in front of the plane, forcing the crew to take evasive action to prevent a collision. One of the Chinese jets was armed. The U.S. plane was conducting a surveillance mission in international waters 80 nautical miles, or 150 kilometers, from the Chinese city of Qingdao when the incident occurred. On its website Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said the action of the two fighter pilots was "legal, necessary and professional." The ministry called on the U.S. to end the "unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly" surveillance flights. The flights have "threatened China's national security, damaged Sino-U.S. sea and air military safety" and risks the lives of pilots on both sides, it said. Such incidents are common around China's coastline. In May, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. plane designed to detect radiation as it flew over international waters. In 2001, the crew of a U.S. spy plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Hainan Island after it collided with a Chinese jet fighter. The fighter pilot was killed in the incident. China detained the U.S. crew for 10 days. In spite of an earlier denial, the Chinese government has tightened its grip on the Internet, stepping up efforts against netizens access to unsupervised connections, including those via virtual private networks (VPNs) halfway through its 14-month-long crackdown nationwide. VPNs are third-party services that help bypass the so-called Great Firewall, installed by state censors to filter traffic between Chinese and overseas servers and block banned websites such as Google, Twitter and scores of international news media, including VOA. Some local services have been brought offline, some VPN apps no longer work, and the authorities are targeting other specific VPN providers, Charlie Smith, a co-founder of Greatfire.org, said in an emailed reply to VOA. The anti-censorship groups earlier report showed that China blocked 135 of the worlds top 1,000 websites. VPN crackdown Following the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologys announcement in January to clean up unsanctioned VPNs, the authorities were reported to have required the countrys three largest telecommunication firms China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom to shut down what they call illegal networks by February 1. Guangzhou Huoyun Information Technology Ltd., which operates in around 20 cities across China, was also said to have received a directive from the authorities to start blocking services beginning last Tuesday. Yet the ministry on July 12 denied it has issued any such notice, accusing foreign media of having reported falsely. The object of the new regulation is those unauthorized enterprises and individuals who havent got the license to use VPNs As for those foreign trade enterprises and multinational companies [which] need to get access to cross-border network, they can rent VPNs from those authorized carriers, the ministry reiterated, according to local media. Negative impact The tightening move, however, has triggered worries and harsh criticism from online users and expatriates in China, as well as the countrys top-tier academics and researchers, some of whom say their work and competitiveness will be negatively impacted if they are cut off from the outside world. While some find government-approved carriers acceptable, other users say they cant possibly seek such carriers to get around the governments great firewall. Michael Qiao, formerly a journalism professor from Beijing Foreign Studies University, said he hasnt been able to access free-of-charge VPNs over the past month and one of his two paid VPN services has also ceased to work. Qiao speculated that the recent tightening may have something to do with the enactment of Chinas Cybersecurity Law in June, increased traffic to fugitive tycoon Guo Wenguis Twitter postings or the upcoming 19th party congress. The Xi administration has long promoted the concept of cyberspace sovereignty control of Chinas own digital space. Overall, Qiao finds the governments long-term trend to stifle Internet freedom a violation of basic civil rights. Its within [everyones] fundamental human rights to have access to information and communications. Some researchers or intellectuals may argue that their access to information shouldnt be as restricted as ordinary people. Thatll be an act of discrimination. Its not right, he said. Cat and mouse game He added that Beijing cant possibly win the cat and mouse game, as the precedent of the countrys ban on private satellite dishes has shown. But Greatfire.orgs Smith isnt as optimistic. This is a cat and mouse game until the cat gets tired and decides to eat the mouse, and at the moment I can hear Xi Jinpings large round belly starting to grumble, he said. Qiao said the all-out ban aims to consolidate Xis grip on power while the country risks a brain drain, which will hurt its intellectual creativity and future technological and international trade development. Already, Freedom House, a U.S.-based democracy and human rights non-profit group, has branded China as the worlds worst abuser of Internet freedom. Online complaints While lodging complaints over the governments abuse of internet freedom, many online users took to social media to seek help. On Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like microblogging platform, a user asked for pointers to VPNs that still work since he has problem connecting many of his usual VPNs. If I tell you here, those VPNs will soon cease to work, one replied while another said jokingly Are you trying to get our VPNs banned? Other users compared Chinas ban to that in Russia, whose parliament passed a bill on Friday to outlaw VPNs and other proxy services, citing concerns about the spread of extremist materials. [China] joins hand with the Big Brother, a Weibo user commented while another mocked [Other than Russia], come to think of North Korea, suddenly I no longer feel so sad. The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to approve new sanctions Tuesday against Russia for its meddling in last year's presidential election, at the same time giving Congress new powers to review any attempt by President Donald Trump to ease penalties imposed on Moscow. The Senate has already overwhelmingly approved its version of the legislation. In both chambers, lawmakers are calling for a 30-day period to vote on any Trump move to curtail sanctions on Russia, such as former president Barack Obama's closure of two Russian compounds in the U.S. in response to the election interference. Trump has objected to the provision keeping him from taking unilateral action on easing the Russian sanctions as he attempts to foster a friendlier relationship with President Vladimir Putin. It is unclear whether he will sign the legislation or veto it, risking a congressional vote to override a veto. The final version of the legislation is also expected to include sanctions against Iran and North Korea. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Monday that Trump is "looking over where it stands exactly at this point. I think the important part of this is that the president very much supports sanctions on those countries and wants to make sure that those remain but at the same time wants to make sure that we get good deals. Those two things are both very important for the president." The Senate passed its version on a 98-2 vote and the House is expected to approve its measure by at least a veto-proof two-thirds majority. The two chambers would have to reconcile the differences in their bills before sending the measure to Trump. One Democratic lawmaker supporting the sanctions measure, Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York, told VOA, "By all evidence the Russian government interfered in our elections and tried to help Mr. Trump and we cannot permit that. We have to say to any foreign power, it's not your business to interfere in our elections." Reaching across the isle In a rare show of bipartisanship in politically fractious Washington, key Republican and Democratic lawmakers reached accord last weekend on the legislation. The votes on the sanctions are occurring amidst months of investigations into Russian interference in the election, which the U.S. intelligence community concluded was personally directed by Putin, a claim he has rejected. Trump has been largely dismissive of numerous investigations underway in the U.S. about Russian meddling in the election aimed at helping him win, repeatedly calling the probes a "witch hunt." But the legislation would require him to submit a report to Congress explaining his reasons for wanting to ease or terminate any sanctions against Moscow. New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, reflecting Trump's views, told CNN on Sunday, "The Russia thing is a complete bogus and nonsensical thing." Scaramucci, named last week as one of Trump's top advisers, said the president remains uncertain whether Russia hacked into computer files at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington and then released thousands of emails through the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks to damage Trump's challenger, Democrat Hillary Clinton. Despite North Koreas increased efforts to prevent outside information from entering the country, international activists say technology and market forces will eventually overcome state censorship. North Korea is one of the most isolated nations in the world, where foreign media is prohibited and most people don't have access to the Internet. The repressive state has even executed citizens for distributing media from South Korea, according to the Transitional Justice Working Group that documents human rights abuses in North Korea. Familiar pattern Still it is following a pattern similar to other authoritarian regimes that view knowledge as power and have tried to limit and control access to outside information. This according to leaders from Cuban and Myanmar (or Burmese) independent organizations working to evade authoritarian censorship and outside information restrictions in their own countries, who were recently in Seoul to share their experiences and strategies with Korean counterparts. I believe that the increasing Internet penetration is going to be inevitable. Eventually the government will need this and needs this for its own development, said Rafeal Duval with the independent news organization Cubanet. In Cuba, as in North Korea, growing demand for foreign movies and television dramas, not political news, has made smuggling in outside information an increasingly profitable venture. Using a variety of USB drives, Micro SD cards and DVD discs, Cubanet distributes through the black market a weekly compilation of video content, audio podcasts and entire webpages known as El Paquete for its growing list of customers in Cuba. Duval said Cuban authorities charged with preventing the influx of foreign media are eventually co-opted by being bought off and often becoming users themselves. Theyre going to realize the impossibility of a ban because of corruption, he said. Another Cuban project called Apretaste targeted the countrys elites, the estimated 25 percent of Cubans who have access to email. Apretaste works as a proxy search engine in which volunteers in places like Florida email results to over 100,000 Cuban inquiries each month. Right now we are giving to the people in Cuba something that they really need. We are giving them a window to see you outside the island, said Salvi Pascual who founded Apretaste. Prior to democratic reforms that began in Myanmar in 2011, the military government highly censored the Internet. But the porous border with Thailand and the proliferation of satellite TV receivers in the country made it easier for exile opposition groups to penetrate the countrys information blockade. Emerging black market The North Korean economy has been steadily growing in recent years despite increased international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its continued nuclear and ballistic missiles tests. In the last year, the countrys gross domestic product rose 3.9 percent, driven in part by the exports of coal and other minerals, according to Bank of Korea in Seoul. However an emerging private market that is tolerated but not sanctioned by the communist state is also driving economic growth. A survey by the Beyond Parallel project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC says most North Koreans now earn 75 percent of their household income from the black market. The Illicit export of North Korean seafood, shoes, cigarettes and cooking oil has given people new purchasing power to bring in outside information and technology. The number of households with TVs and DVD players in North Korea has grown to the point of being ubiquitous said Nat Kretchun, Deputy Director of the Open Technology Fund, a group that promotes internet freedom and is funded by the U.S. government through the Voice of Americas sister organization Radio Free Asia. And the number of legal North Korean cell phones users has also been growing in recent years. Initially many of these domestic phones were used to transfer unsanctioned media and information files but recent updates to the phones operating system installed inhibiting censorship and surveillance software. It effectively blocks all unsanctioned files from being used on domestic phones, said Kretchun. However for every measure taken by authoritarian governments to block outside information, activists are developing technological counter measures. That said North Korean defector Kim Seung-chul, who founded North Korea Reform Radio, which broadcasts into the North, expressed frustration that the South Korean government seems to provide less funding to groups working to penetrate the Norths closed information environment than do these Cuban and Myanmar exiles groups. The South Korean government, conservatives, veterans, and famous people have a lot of money but they do not use the money for this. They get angry about North Koreas situation, but they do not act, said Kim. East Timor's two main political parties won enough votes in a weekend parliamentary election to form another national unity government but lost ground to opposition forces in a sign of frustration with slow economic progress. With all votes counted on Monday, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction party of independence hero Xanana Gusmao, or CNRT, had won 29.5 percent, down from 36.7 percent in 2012, when it was the top-polling party. Fretilin, or Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, captured 29.7 percent of the vote. Fretilin declared itself the victor on Sunday and to loud applause and cheers of "Viva Fretilin'' its secretary-general Mari Alkatiri said it is open to forming a coalition with CNRT. The vote Saturday was East Timor's first parliamentary election without U.N. supervision since peacekeepers left in 2012. The U.S. State Department called it a "major milestone'' in a statement commending the country for "an electoral process that was well-managed, credible, and accountable to the people.'' The former Portuguese colony voted overwhelmingly for independence in 1999 after 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation. Indonesia's military and pro-Indonesian militias responded to the independence referendum with scorched earth attacks that devastated the East Timorese half of the island of Timor. In recent years, leaders have focused on big-ticket infrastructure projects to develop the economy, funding them from a dwindling fund of former oil riches, but progress is slow. Today, the country of 1.3 million people still faces poverty, with many lacking clean water and sanitation. Unemployment is high and young people are increasingly going overseas for work. The Popular Liberation Party, a new political force led by former President Taur Matan Ruak, and the Democratic Party each scooped up about 10 percent of the votes. A new youth party, Khunto, got about 6 percent of the vote, which would give it 5 seats in the 65-member parliament. Nearly two dozen parties contested the election, in which they must win more than 4 percent of the vote to get seats in parliament. Results will be official once certified by the country's Court of Appeal, likely later this week. In the first few years after the independence, Fretilin, whose paramilitary arm had waged guerrilla warfare against Indonesia's occupation, was popular enough to form a government alone. The European Union on Tuesday delivered its most public criticism yet of Turkey's security crackdown since last year's failed coup, saying there could be no progress on Ankara's bid to join the bloc without an end to human rights abuses. Speaking after a meeting with Turkey's foreign and EU affairs ministers in Brussels, the European commissioner who oversees the membership talks said he needed to see a reversal of the trend towards authoritarianism. Human rights, the rule of law, democracy, fundamental freedoms including media freedom are all basic imperative requirements for any progress towards the European Union, Johannes Hahn told a joint news conference with Turkey's top diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu, EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik and the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Tensions on display Despite what Mogherini described as a constructive and open meeting, the tensions over Turkey's aspirations to join the EU were on show, as both sides sparred publicly over whether new areas of negotiation, or chapters, should be opened. Cavusoglu also responded to Mogherini and Hahn's criticism of the trial of prominent journalists and the arrest of 10 rights activists by telling the bloc not to be misled by pseudo-journalists who help terrorist activities. There are those journalists, soldiers, politicians who helped the coup attempts last year. They need to also face the sentences that are necessary, Cavusoglu said. Charage Turkey's imprisonment, pending trial, of 50,000 people and the detention or dismissal from their jobs of some 150,000 more have brought its decade-long talks to join the EU to a halt. One EU diplomat described the accession bid as a charade. While the EU has condemned the July 2016 coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan, the extent of the crackdown and the deterioration of human rights have alienated Brussels. Although a deal with Turkey to prevent migrants leaving its shores for Europe is still holding, many areas of negotiation on upgrading diplomatic and economic ties with Ankara are now blocked, including talks on visa-free travel for Turks in the EU and deepening free trade links, the EU diplomat said. Turkey is clearly moving away from EU standards. The destruction job against human rights and rule of law continues, the diplomat said, noting some EU countries now wanted a discussion on cutting the money that Turkey receives to help it prepare for eventual EU accession. Turkish officials say the scale of the crackdown, which has broad popular support at home, is justified by the gravity of events on July 15, 2016, when rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, fighter jets and helicopters, bombing parliament and government buildings in their attempt to seize power. Turkey's message EU officials had initially held back from public criticism of Turkey, a vital ally of the West in the war against Islamic State militants and in tackling Europe's migrant crisis. But Turkey's escalating row with Germany over access to Turkey's NATO air bases and the detention of the head of Amnesty International in Turkey have driven relations to a new low. Mogherini met the secretary general of Amnesty, Salil Shetty, before the meeting with the Turkish officials and was photographed holding up a petition signed by almost a million people calling for the release of rights activists in Turkey. The European Union has to recognize that with the arrest of the Amnesty chair and director, Turkey is really signalling that they don't really care about any kind of consequences, Shetty told reporters. With U.S. lawmakers expected to finalize new sanctions on Russia this week, former NATO Supreme Commander James Stavridis told VOA that would be a positive move, since he believes President Donald Trump's administration has taken too weak a stance on Russia. In an interview Tuesday with VOA's Jela De Franceschi, Stavridis, now dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, said additional sanctions on Russia would be "appropriate, measured and make enormous sense, given the level of egregious behavior we have seen from Vladimir Putin's Russia." "Strong sanctions are necessary," Staviridis said, listing Russia's offenses: interfering with the U.S. election; supporting Syrian leader Bashir al-Assad, whom he calls a war criminal; and, "worst of all," invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea. Trump "has not been sufficiently strong in his approach to Putin, to Russia," Stavridis said, and thus it is appropriate for Congress to levy new sanctions. Asked about how the United States and Russia can cooperate, Stavridis said the two superpowers could still collaborate on counterterrorism, fighting Islamic State and suppressing the illegal narcotics trade. Afghanistan might also be an area where Washington and Moscow can cooperate, he added. The United States and Russia also can improve relations through their mutual membership in international organizations, Stavridis said, such as the NATO-Russia Council; the Arctic Council, which promotes better coordination among the Arctic states; and the United Nations Security Council. The more the United States and Russia interact, he added, the better the chances that they can prevent a recurrence of the Cold War. "On the other hand," Stavridis noted, "the United States has fundamental interests and a global leadership goal that would require it, at times, to confront Russia on inappropriate international behavior." The most important area where the United States and Russia can find common ground, the former Western alliance commander said, is in Europe, where NATO faces Russian activity on its borders, beginning in Ukraine. The top challenge is avoiding a confrontation between NATO and Russian military forces, he added. "We need to avoid anything that would lead to escalation," Stavridis said. Ukraine represents a particular challenge, he told VOA: "We've seen here an invasion [of eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian forces], an annexation [of Crimea]. Unless the Minsk agreement is fully implemented, I see very challenging times ahead for Russian-European relationships, and the United States is very much a part of that because of the trans-Atlantic relationship." Author George R.R. Martin has hinted at the possibility of not one but two new "Game of Thrones" books in 2018, whetting the appetites of fans who have been waiting for the next installment of the epic saga since 2011. Martin, whose "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels were adapted into HBO's hit medieval fantasy series "Game of Thrones," currently is working on the sixth installment, "Winds of Winter," continuing the story from 2011's "A Dance With Dragons." "I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question), I still have good days and bad days, and that's all I care to say," Martin wrote on his blog, grrm.livejournal.com, during the weekend. "I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018... and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream...," he said. The seventh season of the television show, which premiered this month, already has advanced beyond the events of Martin's published books. There have been recent contradictory reports about "Winds of Winter" - that Martin had not even been started it or that he had finished it but was holding it back - and the author dismissed those as "equally false and equally moronic." "Game of Thrones" follows the epic story of warring families in a multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne, which rules over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Martin has come under fire from avid "Game of Thrones" fans for taking so long to finish "Winds of Winter" and starting work on other projects. The author said in his blog post that he was working on a two-part history of Westeros' Targaryen kings called "Fire and Blood," with the first part to be released sometime late 2018 or early 2019. A trailer for the HBO show, released last week, shows a brewing battle between Cersei Lannister, who currently sits on the Iron Throne, and Daenerys Targaryen, who has traveled with her army and dragons to reclaim her ancestral home. The series will conclude next year with the eighth season, which will reveal who will sit on the Iron Throne. A series of spin-offs is being developed at HBO. Israel has backed down in a confrontation over a disputed Jerusalem holy place that is sacred to Muslims and Jews, but Palestinians say simply removing the metal detectors at the Al-Aqsa Mosque is not enough. Israel removed the metal detectors Tuesday and replaced them with closed-circuit television cameras, but Palestinian protests over the extra security measures are continuing. The devices at the site known to Jews as Temple Mount were installed after Arab gunmen killed two Israeli policemen at the compound nearly two weeks ago. The Palestinians were furious about the metal detectors, accusing Israel of violating freedom of worship and trying to seize control of the third holiest place in Islam. They refused to pass through the detectors, raising tensions as they held prayers on the streets. The United States intervened. Ambassador David Friedman mediated a deal between Israel and Jordan, which is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Friedman said the situation was defused quickly, saying, "it is important sometimes to get out ahead of things." However, the conflict continues. Muslim officials are unhappy the detectors have been replaced by high-tech cameras and have urged Palestinians to stay away from the mosque. Palestinian official Nabil Shaath has said the situation must return to the status quo that existed before the crisis began. He said cameras and any new security measures humiliate Muslims and are unacceptable. Israeli Cabinet Minister Yuval Steinitz said the Palestinian Authority does not want a restoration of calm. He said Israel made a significant concession, but the Palestinians are trying to incite a religious war between Muslims and Jews. In Washington, the State Department said while the U.S. supports measures that would de-escalate tensions, it is up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide what works to maintain the status quo of the holy site. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Tuesday answered a reporter's question about whether the cameras are a step in the right direction. "We will leave it to those parties to determine what works for them," she said. "Ultimately, and as it goes with the peace process, ultimately, it's their decision to make. Both parties have to be able to live with it and be able to work with it." Security cameras were supposed to be installed on the Temple Mount according to an agreement reached in late 2015 between Israel and Jordan under the auspices of the United States, but the plan was dropped following fierce Palestinian protests. The Temple Mount/Al Aqsa site is considered one of the most important religious sites in the world. It has historical and spiritual significance to Muslims, Jews and Christians. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is facing growing pressure from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue - from Capitol Hill lawmakers and from the White House - over his contacts with Russias former envoy to Washington, and for his later decision to recuse himself from the Department of Justice probe of alleged collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia. For a second consecutive day, Trump used a Twitter post Tuesday to criticize Sessions and suggest that Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate in last year's presidential election, should be the one facing scrutiny. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump wrote. That followed a Monday tweet in which Trump described Sessions as "our beleaguered A.G." and asked why he was not "looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Senator Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Sessions Monday to appear before the panel as soon as possible to answer questions about his conversations with Russias former ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, during the 2016 presidential campaign. At the time, Sessions was an adviser to the Trump team, but also was still a member of the Senate from Alabama. The Washington Post reported on Friday that Kislyak told his superiors in Moscow last year that he had discussed campaign-related matters with Sessions, contrary to what Sessions has said about those meetings. The newspaper said the information came from intercepted communications between Kislyak and Moscow. This is a serious matter, and the Judiciary Committee must hear directly from the attorney general, Feinstein wrote in a letter to Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, urging him to invite Sessions to testify. Al Franken, another Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee and a Trump critic, called the purported conversation between Sessions and Kislyak a very troubling development in the relationship between the Trump team and Russia." It is now clearer than ever that Jeff Sessions needs to testify again in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee so that we can get some answers, Franken wrote on Facebook on Friday. However, Franken later told CNN, Grassley does not want [Sessions] to come back. A spokesman for Grassley told VOA late Monday that the committee chairman does want Sessions to appear later this year, once the attorney general's team of senior officials is in place, "so we could get a complete picture of how the department is functioning with a full staff." The spokesman, Taylor Foy, said the Democratic minority in the Senate has "insisted on dragging out the confirmation process for Justice Department nominees," and this had made it more difficult for the committee to perform its function of oversight. The Senate Judiciary Committee oversees the work of the Department of Justice, and it is one of several Congressional panels investigating Russian meddling in last year's presidential election. In March, Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe, following reports that he had failed to disclose full details of his contacts with Kislyak during the previous month, when he testified before the Senate committee's hearing to confirm his appointment as attorney general. Sessions denied that he misled members of the Judiciary Committee, and said that he withdrew from any role in the Russia probe because he had served as a campaign adviser to Trump. Sessions recusal angered Trump, who has blamed the attorney general's actions for the appointment of Robert Mueller, the special counsel who now leads the investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But despite the president's unusually pointed remarks, Sessions has said he intends to stay on as attorney general "as long as that is appropriate." In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said he never would have picked Sessions to be attorney general if he had known Sessions would step away from the Russia investigation. The president's anger has continued to simmer, evidently, as shown in a tweet Monday morning in which Trump described Sessions as our beleaguered A.G. and asked why he was not looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? A Kansas man convicted of attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley U.S. Army base has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. John Booker Jr., 22, was arrested in April 2015 outside Fort Riley, 100 kilometers west of Topeka, as he tried to arm what he thought was a bomb. When he pleaded guilty in February, he acknowledged that he wanted to kill Americans and participate in what he called a holy war to support Islamic State militants. With this sentence, John Booker is being held accountable for his plan to kill U.S. military personnel on American soil in the name of ISIS, Acting Assistant Attorney General Dana Boente said in a statement, using an acronym for the militant group. The National Security Divisions highest priority is countering terrorist threats and protecting American lives by bringing to justice those who plot to attack us." In a video he made for Americans to see after his planned death, Booker said, "You sit in your homes and think this war is just over in Iraq. Today, we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep.'' Booker pleaded guilty in February to one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempting to destroy government property with an explosive device. The plea agreement recommended the 30-year sentence. A conviction on the weapons-of-mass-destruction charge could have led to life in prison. The FBI began investigating Booker in March 2014 after he posted pro-jihad comments on Facebook. Prosecutors said he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army to attempt an insider attack against American soldiers, but his enlistment was denied. In March 2015, he made a video in which he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State, prosecutors said. With just two weeks to go before Kenyas elections, the nation watched the lead opposition candidate for president, Raila Odinga, debate solo Monday after his top opponent, President Uhuru Kenyatta, refused to show for the live event. Opposition leader Raila Odinga had the stage to himself for the televised presidential debate. He responded to questions from the two moderators for 90 minutes. I am running here because of my commitment to change this country. I represent change, he said. Odinga promised to address the rising cost of living, and to fight corruption ban those in government from doing business with his administration. He said the current government is over-borrowing on large infrastructure projects. His challenges went unanswered. No-show The podium for his opponent, President Uhuru Kenyatta, stood empty. Kenyattas team said he would not attend the debate because they were not happy with the format and rules. Kimani Ichungwa is a member of parliament from central Kenya. His party is part of Kenyattas Jubilee Coalition. We have told you we need you to lay out this debate a certain way that will be fair to everybody and will accord Kenyans opportunity to be able to decide on the basis of issues, not personality size. Not inflaming emotions, political emotions in a country where political emotions are very high at the moment. On account of that principle, the organizers ignored and refused because they had ulterior motives, said Ichungwa. The presidency released a statement Tuesday saying the president would engage with Kenyans directly, including plans to speak to an additional 40 radio stations before the vote. Three of the other six presidential candidates debated during the first half of the event. Tight race expected This is the fourth time Odinga is running for the top job. The race is expected to be tight, though it is not clear what impact the debate would have on voters. Identity politics remains the norm in Kenya with ethnicity and regional loyalty governing peoples choices at the polls, what Odinga called during the debate a homeboy mentality. But there are some undecided voters, as much as five percent of the electorate, according to recent polls done by InfoTrack and Synovate. Those undecided voters were Odingas target Monday, says Kenyan political commentator Barrack Muluka. "The government missed an opportunity to state its position, to call the bluff in what these people were saying, and to show where the weaknesses and failures in these peoples thoughts are, if any, he said. There were no major revelations in Odingas statements during his solo debate. He pledged to respect the results of a free, fair and credible election. Kenyans go to the polls August 8. Both sides in the Libyan conflict agreed to the terms of a cease-fire agreement Tuesday during talks mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron. Libya's prime minister, Fayez al-Serraj, and his rival, eastern commander Khalifa Haftar met with Macron. "We commit to a cease-fire and to refrain from any use of armed force for any purpose that does not strictly constitute counter-terrorism," the two leaders said in a joint statement following talks. Along with the conditional cease-fire, the document commits both sides to holding an election as soon as possible. "The cause of peace has made a lot of progress today," Macronsaid. "The Mediterranean [region] needs this peace." The two sides previously held talks in Abu Dhabi in May, after going more than a-year-and-a-half without speaking, in hopes of ending the violence seen in Libya since former leader Moammar Gadhafi was deposed in 2011. Up until this point, Haftar has rejected the authority of the U.N.-backed government. His forces have gained ground in the east of the country, with the support of Egypt and United Arab Emirates. Western governments are pushing a U.N.-backed political agreement to unify the country under which Serraj's Tripoli-based government was installed Macedonia's defense minister reaffirmed her government's commitment to joining NATO and the European Union, saying in an interview that the nation's new government fully understands that success or failure is in its own hands. "Nobody will bring it to us," Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska told VOA's Macedonian service. "We need to work toward it, to be accountable for the progress. And the international community's support will follow." In office since May 31, the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has placed its highest priority on reforms aimed at preparing Macedonia for integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. European Union leaders have declared their readiness to work with the new government, and the Zaev cabinet has responded with an agenda listing concrete reform priorities. At the same time, there is a renewed push to resolve a long-running dispute with Greece, which has opposed NATO membership for Macedonia as long as it shares the name of a neighboring Greek province. Political life has largely stabilized in the former Yugoslav republic since supporters of the previous conservative government stormed the parliament three months ago to try to prevent the transfer of power to Zaev's Social Democratic party. Sekerinska was brutally attacked in front of news cameras during the incident, but she said in the interview that her government is looking to the future, not the past. "We have to make up for the time lost during the tenure of the previous leadership. We cannot expect anybody to be more ambitious and more interested in Macedonia becoming a NATO member than Macedonia itself," she said. Sekerinska listed media freedom, civil society, rule of law and judiciary reforms among the areas in the most urgent need of improvement. "That is a huge task, but we need to show that we are serious about NATO." Sekerinska said she is looking forward to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's scheduled visit to the region next week as an opportunity for Macedonia, in a co-host role, to build closer ties with "the most important strategic partner." "This is a very important sign that the United States, the key player in NATO, considers the Western Balkans a zone they can support and invest in." Asked whether the new government is concerned about Russian influence in Macedonia, Sekerinska said its priority is to "reach out and build relations with other countries." "However, our message to them, including to the Russian Federation, is that while we are interested in having close bilateral relations, the strategic decisions will ultimately come from the Macedonian institutions and the citizens of Macedonia," she said. "Joining NATO and the EU is our goal, based on the broadest consensus in the country, and these questions have been decided, and will be decided, only by the citizens of this country." As one of the top recruiting centers for the Islamic State group, Macedonia is plagued with a growing risk of terrorism and violent extremism. Sekerinska said the threat is universal and requires intelligence-sharing among the countries. "Macedonia can certainly contribute in securing the region's stability, but to do that effectively, we need to refocus the institutions designed to fight these threats. In recent years, they were misused for political assignments, to fight the opposition, instead of working on the job they were designed to do," she said. While acknowledging that will take time, Sekerinska said the new government is determined to become a partner in the fight against today's global threats. A well-known South Sudanese politician who a few months ago had called on government soldiers to lay down their weapons saying that would leave President Salva Kiir with no power, said Monday she has reconciled with the president. Rebecca Nyandeng, widow of South Sudan founding father John Garang and former adviser on gender affairs to the president, told South Sudan in Focus that in a meeting in Kamapla last week between her, President Kiir, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and former detainees, she and Kiir agreed to seek a solution to South Sudans political crisis. Nyandeng said it was Kiir who asked for a reconciliation with her. For me, a reconciliation between me and him; we dont have any problem; our problem is how we can rescue people of South Sudan. It needs all of us to come together so we can see how we can mend the fence, Nyandeng told South Sudan in Focus. Nyandeng said despite her new relationship with Kiir, she will not return to the country until all of its political forces are reunited. Asked about the terms of her reconciliation with Kiir, Nyandeng responded, President Kiir called me mom, and if President Kiir call me mom, then I am the mom of all people of South Sudan. If I am the mom of the people of South Sudan, I will not leave them out; I want everybody to be included. I want peace, comprehensive peace, she said. Asked how she will convince the doubting Thomas of South Sudan who only believe she has reconciled with Kiir if they see her in Juba, Nyandeng answered with a question of her own: When they were doubting, what happened to them? Jesus Christ appeared to them!" Pressed on when she will return to the South Sudanese capital, Nyandeng said, When Jesus Christ appear to me, that is when I will be going back to Juba. Nyandeng said she wants her people to be reunited. I want them to come together, and I pray for that. We need to see that all the people who are aggrieved come to the table," she adds. Nyandeng said South Sudan is her country and wondered why should I not go back? "Mama Nyandeng," as she is known in much of South Sudan, added, I will not leave all those children outside. What am I going to do with the big son when the younger children are outside the country? Amid mounting pressure from diplomats and the media, Myanmars parliament is soon expected to amend a heavily criticized law that has been used to restrict freedom of expression online. But while advocates cautiously welcome the changes, many say the proposed reforms fall short of substantive reform and dont root out the laws core problems. Dubbed a candidate for one of the world's worst media laws by the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Article 66d is part of the 2013 Telecommunications Act passed under the previous military-backed administration of President Thein Sein. Threatens freedom of expression Crafted as once-isolated Myanmar started to allow companies to offer widespread and affordable Internet access, 66d provides for a maximum prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing, causing undue influence or threatening to any person by using any Telecommunications Network. It was barely used under Thein Sein, but research shows that, ironically, cases have skyrocketed from 7 to more than 60 since Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi came to power more than a year ago, with additional complaints pending approval for prosecution. Writers, journalists and ordinary citizens have found themselves in court or in jail after criticizing or publishing criticism of the government and the military online. Following months of outcry over the growing number of cases, Myanmar's Ministry of Transportation and Communication forwarded draft amendments to lawmakers earlier this month. The amendments include allowing bail for suspects, preventing third parties from filing cases, and removing the phrases coercing, restraining wrongfully and causing undue influence from the text. But so far they do not intend to get rid of the key defaming part of the clause and have kept the same criminal penalties. Criticism of proposed amendments My opinion is its not enough, said Myint Kyaw, a member of Myanmars Press Council. Because they still have a very wide range of words still in the law, and then the other point is that defamation is also not clearly explained in the law and then there is no bylaw as well. He added that because of the lack of specificity, a comment or a post online can lead to trouble. He hopes that advocacy can still be carried out at the parliamentary level while the amendments are debated, but he has doubts that it will be effective because the National League for Democracy-led legislature is very centralized. An analysis of the revised legislation from the Coalition on the Movement for Telecommunications Law Reform and 66d Abolishment an umbrella organization comprised of 22 groups from civil society and the media points out it removes a safeguard that required approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications before a case could proceed. The coalition recommended against passing the amendments. The debate continues The problems with 66d also speak to broader shortcomings of the Telecommunications Act itself, such as Internet privacy and obstacles to tech development, especially with user-generated content on local platforms and forums. So lets say people are putting up content there and then what if the government not only presses charges against the perpetrator, what if they press charges against these kinds of innovations or these kinds of platforms as well, said Htaike Htaike Aung, executive director of the Myanmar ICT For Development Organization, or MIDO. So that will kind of hinder people developing local platforms for content. The proposed revisions do, however, represent a modicum of progress for the anti-66d campaigners. We have consistently expressed concerns about how 66d is impinging on freedom of expression and so welcome the very active debate and movement to amend the law, which we regard as a step in the right direction, the U.S. embassy in Myanmar said in a statement. The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications could not be reached for comment. As Venezuelans prepared for a two-day national strike beginning Wednesday, the head of the Organization of American States met Tuesday with a former International Criminal Court prosecutor about the prospect of bringing charges against Venezuelan authorities for humanitarian crimes. OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said at a press conference Tuesday that Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno-Ocampo will help the OAS examine whether Venezuelan authorities have committed crimes against humanity that warrant an investigation by the ICC. "What we are going to basically do is, starting in September, the secretary general told me it would be good to do it in two months, hold a series of public hearings in the OAS to listen to the victims, to the experts, to Venezuela, those with different opinions, and in that way the OAS can have a vision of what is happening in terms of individual responsibility, and whether or not the International Criminal Court needs to open a case against Venezuela," Moreno-Ocampo said. The hearings, said Moreno-Ocampo, will hear both victims of alleged crimes against humanity and members of the Venezuelan government, as long as it decides to participate. As such, the OAS does not have the authority to send a case to the ICC, Moreno-Ocampo said. But, if Venezuela is found to have committed such crime, one of the 28 OAS-member countries could elevate the case to the International Criminal Court. Moreno-Ocampo was the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. He conducted investigations in seven different countries, presenting charges against Moammar Gadhafi for crimes against humanity committed in Libya, the president of the Sudan Omar al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur, the former President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo, Joseph Kony and the former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Jean Pierre Bemba. Before arriving at the international body, Moreno-Ocampo played a crucial role during the transition to democracy in Argentina, as the deputy prosecutor in the "Junta trial" in 1985 and the prosecutor in the trial against a military rebellion in 1991. The personnel records for a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman were released Monday, providing some detail about the training courses the officer took but no insight into his performance on the job. The records show Officer Mohamed Noor was hired as a cadet in March 2015. In September of that year, he received a letter saying he passed his Peace Officer Licensing Examination and was eligible to become a licensed, sworn officer. The records also show Noor took multiple training courses, including recent in-service training about active shooter situations during the Super Bowl, which will be held in Minneapolis next year. His file also says he passed all of his annual semi-automatic, handgun and shotgun qualifications, but there are no additional details about how he performed. Noor is on paid leave after he killed Justine Damond, a 40-year-old spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married, on July 15 after she called 911 twice to report a possible rape. State, city plan investigations Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and hit Damond. His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Damond appeared at the police vehicle. State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges. Noor also faces an internal use of force investigation. Noor was one of several Somali-Americans hired by the department in recent years as part of the city's public effort to diversify so it better reflects the city. Police chief resigns Questions about police training were raised after details about the shooting were released. Last week, then-police Chief Janee Harteau criticized Noor's actions but defended his training, saying: This officer completed that training very well. He was very suited to be on the street. Harteau resigned Friday at the request of the mayor. Minnesota is the only state that requires police officers to have at least a two-year degree, though many departments prefer four-year degrees. People who want to be officers either earn law enforcement degrees, or, if they have four-year degrees in other subjects like Noor, they can complete a certificate program. Complaints pending against officer Noor got a degree in economics and business administration before applying to become a police officer. The records released Monday don't list any awards or commendations for Noor. Records previously released show he had three complaints against him, including one that was dismissed with no discipline and two that are pending. The records also show that Noor got a raise in September and is earning more than $28 an hour. Peruvian authorities have launched a major crackdown on modern slavery after a warehouse fire in Lima last month killed four workers, including two who were trapped inside a padlocked container on the roof. Officials said they had shut down six furniture factories in the capital on Monday in an operation to root out forced labor and exploitation, following raids by prosecutors, police and labor inspectors. Last month's toxic blaze which tore through several warehouses in the city center highlighted labor exploitation in the capital and prompted calls for better protection of workers' rights and more labor inspections. President visits site of blaze Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said the victims were practically slave workers when he visited the site following the June 22 blaze. Peru's attorney general said on Monday there would be more raids on factories and warehouses to prevent further tragic accidents. Another eight operations are planned this year in the wider Lima region and the north of the country where forced labor has been linked to the fishing industry. Prosecutors said the furniture factories targeted in Monday's raids were operating without a licence, health and safety was inadequate and fire exits had been blocked, putting workers at risk. Over 200,000 trapped in slavery An estimated 200,500 people are trapped in modern day slavery in Peru, according to rights group The Walk Free Foundation, the third highest number in Latin America after Mexico and Colombia. The International Labor Organization (ILO), which estimates there are 21 million people in forced labour worldwide, welcomed the new labor inspections in Peru. The tragic fire was shocking. People were outraged, said Teresa Torres, coordinator of ILO's program against forced labor in Peru. Having this kind of task force carrying out inspections is progress and an important response from the government, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Need for 'justice' Public prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible human trafficking following the fire. What's important in this case is that there's justice, and as such those people responsible are punished, Torres said, adding those found guilty could face up to 25 years in prison. Across Peru, forced labor is more commonly linked to the illegal logging industry and illegal gold mines in the Amazon jungle. Girls are also trafficked to these areas for sex work. Forced labor widespread Torres said the warehouse blaze showed forced labor is more widespread than many Peruvians believe. This is more evidence to show that forced labour doesn't just happen in ... remote areas of the Amazon, but it could be happening right in the center of the capital too, Torres said. We have information that forced labor is also happening in the north of Peru, in other sectors such as the shrimp fishing industry. She said victims of forced labor were often hidden from view, working on fishing vessels, in small clandestine workshops, commercial agriculture or private homes. A pesticide banned by international treaty in 2011 could be responsible for the deaths of young children in South Asia, according to new findings. In June 2012, 14 children were brought to the Dinajpur Medical College Hospital in northern Bangladesh with acute encephalitis, a dangerous swelling of the brain. Most were unconscious within three hours, and all but one died after about 20 hours. Scientists from the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, a major research institution in Bangladesh, investigated what caused the outbreak. The medical team noticed that almost all the children lived next to a lychee orchard, many lived with someone who worked in the industry, and most had visited the fruit orchards shortly before becoming ill, lead author Mohammed Islam told VOA. A report published earlier this year in The Lancet reviewed a 2014 outbreak that killed 122 children in India's Muzaffarpur region, the country's largest lychee-producing region and an area where there are annual outbreaks of illness resembling acute encephalitis. That report blamed the outbreak on naturally occurring toxins in lychees that can lead to dangerously low blood-sugar levels in malnourished children. But a new report this week by Islam and his team, who analyzed the 2012 outbreak and subsequent incidents, noted that affected areas more often are places where lychees are produced, rather than consumed. And outbreaks typically ended when monsoon rains began, washing away pesticide residues from the fruit trees. The researchers interviewed lychee orchard workers, their families and neighbors, as well as the families of children who had not fallen ill. They learned that children frequently ate unwashed fruit that fell to the ground, and peeled away the lychees' rough-textured red skin with their teeth. Workers in the orchards said children were sometimes recruited to help with the harvest, since they could easily climb the small lychee trees. The workers were not always able to report what pesticides were used, since the labels had been removed before pesticide containers reached the fields. However, the researchers were able to collect empty containers for testing. The new report by Islam and his team, published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, found that a number of pesticides including endosulfan were being used. Endosulfan was added to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2011, which should have ended its use in most of the world. However, slow implementation, numerous exceptions and weak enforcement led to continued use. Endosulfan is permitted for use on some crops in Bangladesh, but not on lychees, Islam told VOA. Overall, though, "There is very poor monitoring of the use of pesticides," he said. The study was not able to definitively show that each case was caused by pesticides, or identify which pesticides were responsible for the young victims' brain inflammation. If researchers can respond rapidly to the next outbreak and collect blood samples within hours, Islam said, scientists should be able to determine which pesticides are present. Islam said he wants to coordinate with other scientists and conduct further studies across Bangladesh and in India, Vietnam and Thailand, where similar outbreaks have been reported and endosulfan may still be used on crops. In Poland's most-watched political satire, the president is mocked as a marginal and pitiful figure. He waits endlessly outside the office of the country's powerful ruling party chairman, who can never be bothered to see him, the chairman's secretary not even aware of the president's position or real name. The writers of the hit series The Chairman's Ear will now have to change their script. This week President Andrzej Duda took the country by surprise by vetoing two of three contentious laws seen as an attack on an independent judiciary after days of mass nationwide protests. It was Duda's first substantial independent act in nearly two years of approving every key law the ruling Law and Justice party has passed, even moves seen as violations of the constitution in the young democracy. Hand-picked as the party's candidate in 2015 elections by party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Duda has been commonly described by critics as a puppet or a notary who merely rubber-stamps the party's populist program. A feature of anti-government street protests in recent months has been an effigy of Kaczynski controlling two puppets, Duda and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo. Victory for protesters It took Andrzej Duda two years to understand that being Poland's president does not mean the passive signing of legislation that the ruling party puts on his desk, Robert Felus, editor of the Fakt daily, wrote Tuesday. Duda's decision to veto two bills gave hope to the many thousands of Poles who have been protesting for more than a week, afraid the overhaul of the court system spelled an irreversible step toward authoritarianism. They have rejoiced at the way their protests stopped two of the bills, despite disappointment he signed the third on Tuesday. Law and Justice says that Poland's justice system is corrupt and inefficient and is calling for deep changes, including a purge of many judges. It is a view that is shared by many Poles, including President Duda. Change in profile Political observers in Poland believe Duda's independent decision however signals a rift in the ranks of the ruling party and raises Duda's chances if he chooses to run for second term in 2020 by giving him an independent profile. Duda said he believed the bills he rejected would not increase a sense of security or justice in society, and said he was taking full responsibility for his decision. There are hints he finally revolted against being taken for granted by the party leadership. In explaining his decision he voiced irritation that he had not been consulted by the party lawmakers who drew up the legislation. Supreme Court survives One of the bills he chose to veto would have changed the functioning of the Supreme Court, calling for the immediate dismissal of all its judges and giving power to replace them to the justice minister. Following an earlier contentious change, the justice minister is now also the prosecutor general. We have no tradition of the prosecutor general being able to interfere in the work of the Supreme Court, he said. One of the Supreme Court roles is to confirm election results, and critics feared the ruling party would be tempted to abuse that new power. Duda was just 43 when he was elected in 2015. A little-known European Parliament lawmaker for Law and Justice at the time, Duda was picked by Kaczynski because he had been a loyal aide to his late twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, the president who perished in a plane crash in Russia in 2010. Controversial changes A lawyer by education, Duda took steps early in his term to bolster the party which were seen as violations of the law. First, he pardoned a ruling party member, Mariusz Kaminski, who had been convicted of abuse of power and whose case was still awaiting appeal. The decision was described as a violation of the constitution by some legal experts. He later drew stronger condemnation by helping Law and Justice take political control of a key court, the Constitutional Tribunal, by changing its rules and some of its members. Getting the court under party control removed a key check on its power, allowing it to pass laws with little risk of them getting struck down as unconstitutional. The joke from the political satire about the humiliations suffered by the president featured in the protests of the last days. In the show, the party chief's secretary always calls the waiting president Adrian instead of by his real name, Andrzej. His own person? Adrian, become Andrzej! protesters have shouted in urging him to finally emerge as his own person, even in defiance of his powerful patron. Some now say he has. Jaroslaw Kurski, deputy editor of the liberal Gazeta Wyborcza daily, wrote Tuesday that Duda has many times violated the constitution that he had sworn to protect and has led to the destruction of the Constitutional Tribunal. But we must admit, he has refused to take part in the total destruction and submission of the justice system to one party, Kurski said. President Duda has not stopped being his party's son, but he has just cut the umbilical cord. Ugandas parliament is considering an amendment to the countrys constitution on land issues, but it is another proposed revision, not on the table, that is sparking the fiercest debate. Ugandas constitution sets the age range for president at 35 to 75 years of age. Born in 1944, President Yoweri Museveni will be 76 years old at the next elections in 2021. That means after three decades in power, he will not be eligible to stand for re-election. But Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana has discussed amending the constitution. The public reacted quickly, urging legislators not to touch article 102b. The first thing that was done, was to make sure all our telephone contacts are thrown on the Facebook," explains Ruling party MP, David Abala. "Anybody can say anything. They say members of parliament have been paid $100,000, and some of them have called me. They harassed us. They said we trust you, but please, do not tamper with that article 102 about age limit. No amendment to the age limit has been put before parliament, but that has not stopped the opposition. Last week, Democratic Party President Norbert Mao and some members of his party marched to the Constitutional Square to hang a banner. Mao and 14 other people were arrested. They were released later the same day. Our slogan, 'If you dare and touch it', meaning that provision of the constitution, there will be a reckoning," he said. "This is the last barricade against life presidency. It is the last defense against Musevenis familys despotic ambitions. We had the term limits. The term limits were removed. We thought this one now would not be able to be removed. It turns out the age limit is also a false bottom because it will not hold Museveni. The presidents supporters also sprang into action. Presidential advisor on political affairs David Mafabi held a meeting for ruling party youth leaders, legislators and academics. He told VOA they are launching a countrywide campaign to lift the presidential age limit. President Museveni has defended Mafabi, saying his advisor was provoked. I hear, that there is a debate about age limit and I do not know what, what are you debating, who has brought a proposal? So, those un-disciplined people, they should know that there will be counter action, political action, because if you play games, the other side will react, so you should not waste your time with people who have no work to do, he said. Museveni has not said whether he supports lifting the age limit. Opposition legislator Ssemuju Nganda of the Forum for Democratic Change says this is characteristic of the president. He will act through proxies, so therefore this is a legitimate matter, so even if Museveni wanted or he did not want, this is the right time for Ugandans to begin discussing the transition either from Museveni to Museveni or from Museveni to any other person, said Nganda. Only the attorney general can introduce a constitutional amendment to parliament. The proposed amendment on land rights is currently before a parliamentary committee. The attorney generals office has not said whether it will propose any further amendments to parliament at this time. Records show the head of the Environmental Protection Agency spent weekends in his home state during his first three months in office, frequently flying to and from Oklahoma at taxpayer's expense. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's expense reports from March, April and May were released following a Freedom of Information request filed by Environmental Integrity Project, a non-profit watchdog group. The records show Pruitt traveled home at least 10 times, typically leaving Washington on Fridays and returning on Mondays. Pruitt was either in Oklahoma or on trips that included stops there for nearly half the days encompassed in the three-month period, costing more than $15,000. EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman did not respond to emails or phone messages from The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment. Pruitt, a Republican, served as Oklahoma's attorney general prior to his appointment by President Donald Trump to lead EPA. Married with two children, Pruitt owns a home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were a couple of occasions where Pruitt traveled on a trip for EPA then paid out-of-pocket to fly to Tulsa before returning to Washington at government expense. AP reported earlier this year that while Pruitt was in his state job, he was in frequent contact with political donors, corporate executives and industry groups opposed to new environmental regulations enacted under the Obama administration. He appears to have continued that practice since coming to EPA, including traveling to accept an award from the Oklahoma Well Strippers Association, make a keynote address to a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council and deliver a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers. EPA records indicate Pruitt also attended "informational meetings" during the trips, which were first reported by The New York Times. Though a trip to Oklahoma might last three or five days, it was not unusual for only one such meeting to be listed during Pruitt's time away from Washington. An example is Pruitt's reported trip to Tulsa on Friday, May 19, on a flight scheduled to depart Washington at 5:37 p.m. The listed purpose of the trip was an "informational meeting" at the Brainerd Chemical Company in Tulsa. Pruitt's return flight to Washington was scheduled to depart the following Monday morning at 6 a.m. local time. Records show EPA paid $1,980 for Pruitt's roundtrip ticket on a commercial airline, well in excess of what an economy class ticket typically costs on that route. Federal regulations allow government travelers to fly business class or first class only when no cheaper options are "reasonably available." Pruitt was also reimbursed $127 for meals and expenses, according to the records. Among the questions to which Bowman did not respond was whether EPA staff or members of Pruitt's full-time security detail traveled with him. She also did not answer questions about the official purpose of specific trips or whether Pruitt flew first class. A call to the family-owned distribution company's chairman, Mat Brainerd, was not immediately returned. He testified before congressional panels in favor of extending the Keystone XL oil pipeline and against part of the Clean Air Act. In a statement to the Times, Bowman said: "The administrator's travel, whether to Utah, Michigan or Oklahoma, all serves the purpose of hearing from hard-working Americans about how EPA can better serve the American people." On a different May trip, records show Pruitt flew to Colorado to give a speech to the Heritage Foundation before buying his own ticket to Tulsa for the weekend and then returning to Washington. On that trip, EPA paid $2,690 in commercial airfare. The Heritage Foundation, a free-market think tank that receives funding from groups tied to the fossil-fuel industry, paid for Pruitt's hotel room in Colorado Springs, according to his travel form. Though Pruitt's expense report indicates an "ethics form is prepared" to allow the outside group to pick up his hotel tab, a copy of that form was not provided by the EPA. Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said the records obtained by his group reflect Pruitt's priorities. "These travel records show that Administrator Pruitt is more focused on cultivating his relationships with industry and conservative political organizations in his home state of Oklahoma than he is on protecting the environment and the public health for the rest of America," said Schaeffer, who served as the head of EPA's office of civil enforcement from 1997 to 2002. The shocking announcement on July 26, 1985, came via press release. Rock Hudson, age 59, tall, dark and undeniably handsome, was sick with AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a disease that was, at the time, disproportionately killing gay men in the United States. Just four months later, Hudson was dead. AIDS had begun to be recognized as a public-health crisis during the early 1980s, but the general public had relatively little knowledge about it. Little knowledge, but plenty of suspicion and fear. Despite a small, vocal community of activists calling for a government response to the crisis, AIDS was a deeply stigmatizing burden. Most Americans believed the complex disease affected only gay men; it was some time before it became known that intravenous drug users, those who received blood transfusions containing the HIV virus and other groups also were at risk. President Ronald Reagan would not speak publicly about AIDS and the need to combat the disease for years after he took office in 1981. He defended his administration's anti-AIDS research spending during a news conference in September 1985, about two weeks before Rock Hudson died. The president also expressed skepticism about whether children infected with the AIDS virus should be allowed to remain in school. That worsened the stigma for those who were afflicted, and it diluted the advice of U.S. government health officials who said "casual person-to-person contact, as would occur among schoolchildren, appears to pose no risk." By 1985, AIDS had killed an estimated 12,000 or more Americans, with a very high mortality rate among those infected. That same year the U.S. government licensed a blood test to detect the AIDS virus and screening of the national blood supply began, but overall efforts to find drugs to treat, and perhaps cure, sufferers were still moving slowly. Double life Since his first days in Hollywood in his 20s, rumors about Hudson's sexual preferences had been common. To suppress a former lover's threats to expose him as homosexual, and thus very likely wreck his budding film career, Hudson married Phyllis Gates, his business agent's secretary, in 1955. Initially, even his wife did not know that her husband was living a lie. The union lasted only three years. Gates was silent about their relationship for a quarter-century, but she wrote a book in 1987 that depicted her husband as bisexual, but also indicated that their marriage included sex. After his marriage failed, Hudson went on to star in one of his best known films, an unforgettable pairing with actress Doris Day in the comic romance Pillow Talk. He was the main attraction in literally scores of films during the 1950s, '60s and early '70s, and also had a number of popular television roles. Although his homosexuality was kept secret - Hudson once said that coming out as gay would have been "career suicide" - some of his close friends, including Doris Day, were fully aware of his private life. Another great friend of his in Hollywood was Elizabeth Taylor, a former co-star. Worldwide scope of epidemic After Hudson died in October 1985, Taylor became an AIDS activist and formed a foundation to raise funds for research on how to combat AIDS. By the late 1980s AIDS was beginning to be known as no longer simply a "gay scourge," but a massive threat to public health worldwide. Taylor gained fame as a humanitarian for her work on anti-AIDS research, which continued until her death in 2011. She has been credited with helping persuade the scientific establishment to focus more attention on the disease, and for informing the public that AIDS was not a moral stigma to hide due to a gay lifestyle. Since the AIDS epidemic began, more than 70 million people around the world have been infected with the HIV virus, and more than 35 million have died, according to the World Health Organization. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the area most severely affected by AIDS, which still kills about 1 million people per year worldwide. Thanks in large part to improved detection and more effective medications and treatment, the American share of the AIDS toll has declined sharply. Since the epidemic began, about 675,000 people in the United States have died of HIV/AIDS. In less than a decade, the number of HIV infections in the United States has declined 18 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, more than one million Americans are living with HIV, and one in seven of them are unaware they have the virus. Historians generally agree that Josef Stalin was a dictator who killed and terrorized millions of people through a repressive police state. However among Russians, there are signs that people are starting to see him more as an "effective manager" and a symbol of Soviet-Russian power. According to a poll by the state-backed VTsIOM polling agency, the results of which were published on July 20, "more than half of Russians (62 percent) agree with the view that plaques, busts, [and] paintings that talk about the success of Stalin should be put in public places; on the other hand, 65 percent of the citizenry is against erecting signs talking about his failures and crimes." Seventy-seven percent of respondents aged 18-24 years supported such Stalin memorials, while 63 percent of respondents 60 years and older favored them. Forty-two percent of respondents said they would favorably view the placing of signs memorializing Stalin on neighboring apartment buildings, while 21 percent said they would view that negatively and 33 percent said they would not view it neither positively nor negatively. The poll was conducted in early July. Around that same time, Lev Gudkov, director of the Levada Center, Russias only independent national polling agency, told VOAs Moscow bureau that support for a dictatorship was growing among Russians. Russias attitude toward Stalin is reflected by Russian state propaganda and pro-Kremlin public figures. Commenting on the results of the VTsIOM poll, Mikhail Leontiev, press secretary of the Russian state oil company Rosneft, told the Komsomolsakaya Pravda newspaper: Stalin, in the eyes of the people, personifies Russias power. And thats true whether we like it or not. And there is a demand for power in this country. And it must be met. Stalin led Russia from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. His tenure was marked by the extreme measures he took to purge opponents and consolidate power. But he also led Russia through World War II and crafted strategy to back pro-Soviet political parties abroad, establishing the Soviet Union as a superpower and rival of the United States. There are signs that more people now are focusing on those aspects of his rule. Young supporters shaped by propaganda VTsIOM, judging by statements made by its head, Valery Fyodorov, is completely loyal to the Russian president. Fyodorov recently told Russias independent TV Dozhd that critics of Vladimir Putin are people who have no love for our country who have no desire to make it better." Still, while experts interviewed by VOAs Moscow bureau said there is no reason to doubt VTsIOMs poll results, one of them said the results are not necessarily a sign of support for Russias current leadership. Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told VOA that there really is very great sympathy for Stalin among young Russians up to the age of 25, but that it represents a kind mental rebellion against the status quo. They are not happy with what is happening now, but are not ready to listen, for example, to [liberal politician Grigory] Yavlinsky, because they have in their heads a kind of horror of the 1990s formed by propaganda, which also formed a perception of the Soviet Union as a great power that everyone feared and respected, above all under Stalin, he said. At the same time, they cannot even imagine there being stores with empty shelves, as it was in the Soviet Union; they just don't believe it. Stalin, in their view, is an alternative to what is happening now." Such sentiments are "a direct consequence of Russian state propaganda and the system of values that Putin successfully installed in Russian minds over the past 15 years," Oreshkin said. However, such views of Stalin create an imaginary alternative to the status quo and are thus disadvantageous to the Kremlin, he added. They are openly saying on the Internet that Stalin would not have given up the Donbas [region of eastern Ukraine], that Ukraine would be conquered that is, [Stalin] would have done what Putin decided not to and thus they are creating a kind of virtual opposition to Putin, Oreshkin said. He added: Sooner or later, young officers who think the same way will appear and, with a decline in the economy, they may want to change everything by force. Creeping re-Stalinization The opposition politician and historian Vladimir Ryzhkov agrees that a campaign to whitewash Stalin has been launched under Vladimir Putin. During perestroika and the 90s, the government's attitude to Stalin was unequivocally negative, he said. Mikhail Gorbachev was the first to guide through the [Soviet] Politburo a decree condemning Stalins terror and calling him a criminal. And Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin, whose parents were arrested [under Stalin], unequivocally viewed Stalin as a criminal. And in 2000, a creeping re-Stalinization gradually began, and more and more pseudo-historical films, in which Stalin and [his secret police chief Lavrenty] Beria didn't look like a monsters, began appearing. Ryzhkov noted that Russian history textbooks approved by the government a few years ago characterize Stalins Great Terror of the 1930s as "violations of the principles of socialist democracy. This is part of a rather subtle government policy to gradually launder the criminal, he said. Unlike Oreshkin, Ryzhkov believes the rehabilitation of Stalin benefits the Kremlin. "Stalin's model is that of a military camp, a mobilized country, in which the authorities can also blame their lack of control on a hostile external environment, he said. In this model, it is possible to spend money on anything, including on personal enrichment, and to inflate the military budget, paying money to those who protect the government, Ryzhkov said. Police with search hounds hunted on Tuesday for a chainsaw-wielding loner who mostly lived in the woods, a day after he stormed into an insurance office in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen and wounded two staff members. Police have identified the suspect as 50-year-old Franz Wrousis, a drifter with a criminal record, and warned residents that he could still be armed for attack. It was not clear what may have prompted the man to assault the two office workers, one of whom was badly hurt. CSS, whose office Wrousis stormed, said he was a client. Two other customers in the office were treated for shock, while a fifth person was hurt during the police response, the authorities said. Authorities issued an international arrest warrant for the suspect as the police carried out an intense search. A spokeswoman for German federal police said that one of their helicopters was being used in the area as part of the manhunt. "A big part of the canton's border is actually on the German border, so that's why German colleagues are also looking for the guy," a Schaffhausen police spokeswoman said. CSS offices in Schaffhausen, a quiet medieval town of 36,000 residents, and in other parts of the region remained closed while the manhunt continued, a company spokeswoman said. "I hope they arrest him soon, as it is a threat for other people, either here or in other cantons. He has to be found and arrested," said local resident Diego Faccani, 52, a clothes and shoe salesman. A man who identified himself only as Samuel and who lives in the area next to where the suspect's car was found on Monday evening said he had often seen the suspect, whom he described as "very disconnected" and uncommunicative. "He looked like a schizophrenic, but we didn't think that it would be that bad. We didn't see him as a threat or anything. We didn't think that he was dangerous, but yeah, definitely he was a strange guy," said Samuel, who did not want to give his family name. "The last time I saw him was on Sunday morning, when I was walking our dog. He was standing still, because he saw me coming or somebody else coming and he didn't move until everybody else was gone again." Police who put part of the old town of Schaffhausen under lockdown on Monday were no longer combing the wooded area where the suspect was thought to be living and had fanned out across a wider region. Syrian government warplanes broke a cease-fire agreement Monday for the second consecutive day with airstrikes on districts in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta near the countrys capital, Damascus, say political activists. According to the British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a bombing raid Monday on the town of Arbin left eight civilians dead and at least 30 wounded. The Syrian military said it launched the bombing runs because of a breach of the cease-fire by Jaish al-Islam - an armed opposition group. On Sunday, government warplanes launched half-a-dozen airstrikes on the towns of Douma and Ain Terma, breaking the so-called Cairo agreement sponsored by Egypt and Russia, which officially went into effect at noon Saturday. The Arbin attack is the first time in which civilian casualties have fallen due to shelling by the regime or bombardment by warplanes since the start of the truce agreement in the Eastern Ghouta, the Syrian Observatory said. Political activists also recorded several breaches of the cease-fire by some rebel factions firing mortars. The airstrikes Monday came despite Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, deploying military police in Eastern Ghouta, just east of Damascus, to monitor the de-escalation zone. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its military police had set up two checkpoints and a handful of observation posts in the area. International negotiations Russian military police were also deployed to other de-escalation zones in southwest Syria that were agreed to by the United States, Russia and Jordan earlier this month in a move widely seen as the unfolding of a behind-the-scenes deal to carve up Syria into temporary zones of influence. There are four de-escalation zones in Syria. Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed them when they met at the G-20 summit, where they agreed to a cease-fire accord. But earlier the two leaders had discussed establishing de-escalation zones on the phone, including a call in May. Under the Cairo Agreement, theres meant to be a full cease-fire in Eastern Ghouta; no Syrian government forces are meant to enter, but humanitarian aid should be allowed in. Several previous cease-fires in Eastern Ghouta have quickly crumbled, with all sides blaming their foes for the collapse. Syrias Eastern Ghouta has an estimated population of nearly 400,000 people and is the biggest Damascus suburb still in rebel hands. WMDs in urban warfare The urban warfare there has been among the fiercest of the brutal six-year civil war. Eastern Ghouta was one of two targets of an August 2013 chemical attack and was struck by rockets packed with the chemical agent sarin. The other suburb hit was Western Ghouta. Death toll estimates of the attacks range from 300 people to more than 1,700. A U.N. investigation team concluded there was clear and convincing evidence that sarin had been delivered by surface-to-surface rockets. The Syrian regime denied responsibility and blamed the rebels for what it described as a false flag operation. Although the rebels have managed to hang on in Eastern Ghouta, theres been constant infighting between insurgent militias. Rebel commanders say they have little optimism the truce will last, seeing it as a tactical pause for Damascus to maneuver its forces. On Monday, Trump appeared to confirm on Twitter that hes ended a semi-covert CIA program first started in 2013 thats been off-and-on arming anti-Assad rebels. Zones of influence Syria appears now to be destined, at least in the near future, to be split into zones of influence with central and southern Syria to the west of the Euphrates River seen as falling within the territory of the government of President Assad, say analysts. The city of Raqqa and a chunk of the east, to the Iraqi border appears to be deemed to be in a zone of influence overseen by the U.S. and its ground allies as they battle the Islamic State terror group. The Trump administration has made it clear its priority in Syria is the defeat of IS and not the ouster of Assad. In the southwest, where Russian military police have been deployed, a cease-fire negotiated by Washington and Moscow is largely holding. The Israeli government reportedly is uncomfortable with the idea of Russia policing zones near its border, fearing the action could be used as cover by Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias allied with Assad to move nearer to Israel. Last week, senior U.S. officials briefed American lawmakers on the prospects for cooperation between Washington and Moscow. Some U.S. lawmakers fear cooperation serves the interests of the Assad regime and is undermining any chance of a political settlement of the war being reached. Thailand's justice ministry froze some of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's bank accounts, the ministry and her legal team said on Monday, in relation to a $1 billion fine imposed by the ruling junta over her administration's rice-subsidy program. She has filed a court petition to revoke the freezing of her bank accounts and to grant an injunction to suspend asset seizures, saying they were unlawful. Yingluck, whose government was ousted by the junta in a 2014 coup, will deliver a closing statement in a separate criminal case over the rice subsidies next week. The program, which helped Yingluck sail to victory in a 2011 election, bought rice from farmers at above-market rates and distorted global prices but proved popular with rural voters. Finance Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse told reporters on Monday that government committees submitted details of 12 bank accounts which belong to Yingluck to the Legal Execution Department, which then took action. Yingluck received a formal notice about her frozen accounts from the department on Monday, her legal team said. Yingluck declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Her supporters have accused the courts of bias in frequently ruling against Yingluck and her family members. The rice scheme was a policy engineered by Yingluck's brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup and lives abroad, to avoid a two-year prison sentence from 2008 for graft in a land purchase case. Thaksin won the hearts of voters in the populous northeast and the north but made enemies among the powerful, military-backed Bangkok elite. In 2015, a military-appointed legislature banned Yingluck from politics for five years after finding her guilty of mismanaging the rice scheme. The Supreme Court will give its verdict in the criminal case against Yingluck on Aug. 25. Yingluck, who says the trial against her is politically motivated, faces up to 10 years in prison if she is found guilty of negligence over her role in the scheme. Authorities in Guyana are hunting for 13 prisoners who escaped from custody, just weeks after another jailbreak. Police in the South American country said the prisoners dug a tunnel disguised as a latrine under a high wall to escape Lusignan Prison, a minimum-security facility on the country's east coast. Lusignan Prison was recently fortified, after hundreds of inmates were transferred there from Georgetown Prison, a maximum-security institution that burned down after inmates set a fire to protest prison conditions and lengthy trial delays. Seventeen convicts died in the fire last year, and most of the hundreds of others formerly held at Georgetown have since been transferred to other facilities. A senior police official said the 13 men who broke out between Sunday night and Monday morning were "real bad ones" and former Georgetown inmates, and he urged members of the public to be cautious. Four other prisoners who escaped from what remains of the Georgetown Prison also are still on the loose. Using handguns smuggled into the jail, they shot their way out more than two weeks ago, killing a guard in the process. An obviously angry President Donald Trump is keeping up his Twitter offensive against perceived enemies, including a fierce attack against his own attorney general, prompting condemnation from even Republican Party leaders and usually loyal conservative media outlets. A day after raising eyebrows with a description of Attorney General Jeff Sessions as "beleaguered," Trump went several steps further Tuesday, leaving little doubt he wanted Sessions to resign. Over the past months, Trump has repeatedly expressed impatience with the lack of progress on investigations he has touted, while the probe into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia has been in the headlines daily. In his Tuesday tweets, Trump questioned Sessions' commitment to Justice Department investigations into intelligence leaks; suggested the attorney general was not pushing hard enough on probes of alleged sabotage against his campaign, as well as what he called "Hillary Clinton crimes"; and attacked the integrity of acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. 'Obviously frustrated' Trump's newly named communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, acknowledged in a morning interview that the president was "obviously frustrated." Speaking to conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Scaramucci agreed with Hewitt's statement that Trump wanted Sessions to leave. "I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, but I do know the president pretty well, and if there's this level of tension in the relationship that's public, you're probably right," Scaramucci said. Bipartisan alarm Republicans and Democrats alike responded with alarm to the latest presidential outbursts. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina called Trump's tweets "inappropriate." Sessions is "one of the most decent men I've ever met in my political life," Graham said. Other GOP senators also jumped to defend their former colleague, who spent 20 years in the Senate. Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, said, "He's a man of purpose and integrity. I hope he holds on, but that would be up to him and the president. But I tell you what, he'd be hard to replace." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of trying to bully Sessions out of office. "Even if the president has disagreements with him, which I think are ill-founded and self-centered and wrong, you don't ridicule him in public, someone who is your close friend. That speaks to character," Schumer said. November election The New York Democrat told reporters it appeared that Trump wanted to sabotage the investigation into Russia's interference in last November's election. "Many Americans must be wondering if the president is trying to pry open the office of attorney general to appoint someone during the August recess who will fire special counsel [Robert] Mueller and shut down the Russian investigation," Schumer said. Even Breitbart News, a conservative news outlet that has close ties to the White House and has been a staunch Trump supporter, faulted his attacks on Sessions, saying they "only serve to highlight Trump's own hypocrisy" on the issue of political scandals. The article noted that Trump's criticism was likely to fuel concerns from his base supporters, who have been fiercely loyal during his tempestuous first six months in office. Outbursts in real time Students of the presidency say presidential fits of anger are historically not unusual. Dan Mahaffee, director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a nonprofit education agency in Washington, said White House memoirs are filled with stories of conflict, infighting and intrigue. But at least until the era of Oval Office recordings, those stories were told long after the fact. Now, he said, everything reaches the public in real time via Twitter. "This is unprecedented," Mahaffee said. "Previously, the communications of the president and disagreements among advisers they would try to keep as closely held as possible and wait till four years after the administration to appear in a memoir." Mahaffee noted that Trump's fury at Sessions had been building since the attorney general recused himself from the Russia election-tampering probe in March. "I don't think Trump or his legal advisers have been able to fully grasp why that decision [to recuse] had to be made," he said. "It raises questions of, whether it's ego or some self-preservation, why Trump is so concerned about this probe by the Justice Department." Developments in Washington, D.C., on Monday include Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, denying collusion with Russia when interviewed by a Senate panel, Trump pushing Republican senators to begin debate on health care legislation, and the president speaking to the National Scouts Jamboree in Glen Jean, West Virginia. WATCH: Jared Kushner at the White House Trump Son-in-Law Denies Collusion With Moscow -- Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, denied Monday that he or anyone else with the Trump campaign had any improper contacts with Russia leading up to or after the 2016 election. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so," Kushner said at the White House in a brief statement after answering questions in a closed-door meeting with Senate Intelligence Committee investigators, the first of two congressional interviews for Kushner this week. The presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former campaign manager Paul Manafort are also sharing information with another panel, the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump Exhorts Republican Lawmakers to Overhaul Health Care Law -- Trump is ramping up pressure on Republicans to pass a new health care law, saying there has been enough talk and no action. Speaking in the White House Blue Room on Monday, Trump scolded Senate Republicans, saying they have not kept their promise to repeal and replace the current health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was championed by former President Barack Obama. Trump Jokes to Boy Scouts About 'Firing' HHS Head, Pushes for Obamacare Repeal -- Trump used his speech Monday night to an enthusiastic crowd at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia to take swipes at "the fake news media" and joke about firing his director of health and human services if Republicans in Congress fail to advance health care legislation that Trump favors. About 40,000 Boy Scouts, leaders and volunteers were on hand for the jamboree, an event held every four years. Trump had initially said the speech would not be political -- "Who the hell wants to talk about politics to the Boy Scouts?" he asked -- but interspersed his remarks with a number of topical barbs. Remarks By President Trump at 2017 National Scout Jamboree US Judge Allows Trump Election Commission to Seek Voting Data -- Trump's commission investigating voter fraud may request voter roll data from U.S. states, a federal judge ruled on Monday, in a setback for groups that contend the effort could infringe on privacy rights. The judge said a lawsuit by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) watchdog did not have grounds for an injunction in part because the collection of data by the commission was not technically an action by a government agency so was not bound by laws that govern what such entities can do. Republicans in US House Push for Congressional Budget Office Cuts -- Conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking to add an amendment this week to spending legislation that would slash the number of staff at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The budget research office, known as the CBO, has drawn recent Republican criticism, including from the White House, after it concluded that Republican proposals to replace Obamacare would lead to 23 million more Americans being uninsured if they became law. Democrats Attempt Rebranding With Populist New Agenda -- Democratic leaders believe they lost to Trump partly because voters don't know what the party stands for. So they're trying to rebrand themselves with a new slogan and a populist new agenda as they look ahead to the 2018 midterms. It's called "A Better Deal" and House and Senate Democratic leaders are rolling it out Monday afternoon in Berryville, Virginia. They're intentionally traveling outside the Beltway, and into the district of one of the GOP House members they hope to defeat next year, Barbara Comstock. After days of enduring pointed criticism from President Donald Trump and calls from Congressional Democrats to testify over his contacts with Russian officials, Attorney General Jeff Sessions' former colleagues in the Senate came to his defense on Tuesday. Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former presidential candidate, and Richard Shelby, another Senator from Sessions' home state of Alabama, took to Twitter to refute Trump's latest censure of his embattled attorney general. Graham called Sessions "a rock solid Conservative" and "one of the most decent men I've met in my political life" and questioned Trump's censure that Sessions had failed to investigate former political rival Hillary Clinton. President Trumps tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate, Graham tweeted. On occasion, Ive vigorously disagreed with Jeff but Ive never once doubted his integrity or sense of fair play, Graham wrote in another tweet. Shelby called Sessions "a man of integrity, loyalty, and extraordinary character." "I join the people of Alabama in giving Jeff Sessions my deep respect and unwavering support," Shelby tweeted. Under fire The two Senators' vigorous defense of Sessions came after Trump took another jab at Sessions on Tuesday and suggested that Clinton, the Democratic candidate in last year's presidential election, should be the one facing scrutiny. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump wrote. That followed a Monday tweet in which Trump described Sessions as "our beleaguered A.G." and asked why he was not "looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Sessions was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump's candidacy during last year's presidential campaign. After his victory, Trump tapped him to lead the Department of Justice, making Sessions the nation's top law enforcement officer. But the two former allies grew distant after the attorney general recused himself from the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election. In an interview with the New York Times last week, Trump said he never would have picked Sessions for attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia probe. The job passed to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who then appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called a "witch hunt." In a New York Times interview, Trump also accused Sessions of giving bad answers during his confirmation hearing in February when he was asked if he had had any contacts with Russian officials during the campaign. He gave some answers that were simple questions and should have been simple Trump said. Sessions recused himself In March after it emerged that he had failed to disclose details of his contacts with former Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, during his confirmation hearing. Sessions denied that he had misled members of the Judiciary Committee that voted to confirm his nomination, and said that he withdrew from any role in the Russia probe because he had served as a campaign adviser to Trump. Replacement talk Trump's public criticism of his attorney general has sparked speculation that the president is considering replacing him with loyalist. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said last week that Trump was disappointed in Sessions recusal decision but had confidence in him. Clearly, he has confidence in him or he would not be the attorney general, Sanders said. But on Tuesday, Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House Communications director, was asked by conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt if Trump wants Sessions out. "I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, but I do know the president pretty well, and if there's this level of tension in the relationship that's public, you're probably right," Scaramucci replied. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, another former Trump campaign adviser and ally, has been mentioned as a possible successor. Guiliani, who was under consideration for Secretary of State during the transition, dismissed reports on Monday that he was a candidate and said Sessions had made the right decision when he recused himself from the Russia investigation. Sessions has not addressed Trump's criticism but he told reporters last week that he would stay on the job "as long as that is appropriate." Kislyak connection The Washington Post reported on Friday that Kislyak told his superiors in Moscow last year that he had discussed campaign-related matters with Sessions, contradicting what Sessions has said about those meetings. The newspaper said the information came from intercepted communications between Kislyak and Moscow. This is a serious matter, and the Judiciary Committee must hear directly from the attorney general, Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote in a letter to Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, urging him to ask Sessions to testify. Al Franken, another Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee and a Trump critic, called the purported conversation between Sessions and Kislyak a very troubling development in the relationship between the Trump team and Russia." It is now clearer than ever that Jeff Sessions needs to testify again in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee so that we can get some answers, Franken wrote on Facebook on Friday. However, Franken later told CNN, Grassley does not want [Sessions] to come back. A spokesman for Grassley told VOA late Monday that the committee chairman does want Sessions to appear later this year, once the attorney general's team of senior officials is in place, "so we could get a complete picture of how the department is functioning with a full staff." The spokesman, Taylor Foy, said the Democratic minority in the Senate has "insisted on dragging out the confirmation process for Justice Department nominees," and this had made it more difficult for the committee to perform its function of oversight. The Senate Judiciary Committee oversees the work of the Department of Justice, and it is one of several Congressional panels investigating Russian meddling in last year's presidential election. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, faced questions for three hours in a closed-door interview Tuesday with the House Intelligence Committee as part of its investigation of Russian meddling in last year's presidential election. There was no immediate word on Kushner's latest testimony, which came a day after he said that neither he nor anyone else he knew of in the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. The leading Republican on the House panel, Representative Mike Conaway of Texas, said: "I found him to be straightforward, forthcoming, wanted to answer every question that we had and was willing to follow up on any questions that we think of later that we didn't get to ask this morning. And I thank him for his ... the way he conducted himself this morning in a very professional manner." The top Democrat on the committee, Representative Adam Schiff of California, said the hearing was "very productive," and that he appreciated Kushner's "voluntary willingness to come and testify today." Kushner spoke Monday to the Senate Intelligence Committee in a similar closed-door session, while also publicly denying that he or anyone else with the Trump campaign had any improper contacts with Russia leading up to or after the November 2016 vote. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so," Kushner said at the White House in a brief statement after the meeting with the Senate investigators. "I had no improper contacts," Kushner said. "I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses, and I have been fully transparent in providing all requested information." He said that all of his "actions were proper, and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign." WATCH: Kushner Delivers Statement After Senate Meeting Trump used Twitter on Tuesday to express satisfaction with what Kushner said Monday. Manafort also questioned As part of the Russia probe, Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, met Tuesday with bipartisan staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Manafort "answered their questions fully," said Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni. Manafort is being scrutinized about his participation in a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer from whom the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had been advised to expect incriminating material about Clinton. Manafort gave the Senate panel his notes from the meeting, The Washington Post reported, citing a source familiar with the probe. That meeting has become a focal point for numerous investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, after the younger Trump said he would "love it" if there was material to damage Clinton's campaign. In a written statement issued before his Monday appearance on Capitol Hill, Kushner confirmed that he, the younger Trump and Manafort met with a Russian lawyer and other figures tied to Moscow last June, but asserted he arrived late to the meeting and heard no discussions of the presidential campaign. Trump Jr. and Manafort are also sharing information with another panel, the Senate Judiciary Committee. They were initially scheduled to appear before the committee this week, but that testimony has been postponed based on an understanding that the two men will provide the committee with records and other information. Nevertheless, the Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Monday night to compel Manafort to testify after failing to "reach an agreement for a voluntary transcribed interview" with the committee. A Judiciary Committee statement said Manafort agreed to provide only one transcribed interview to Congress, "which would not be available to the Judiciary Committee members or staff." "While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manafort's request, ultimately that was not possible," the statement said. Key events omitted Kushner, in his statement Monday, made no mention of some key events that are pertinent to the Russia probe, including Trump's firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, who was leading the agency's Russia probe before special counsel Robert Mueller, another former FBI director, took over. Kushner's statement did not rule out the possibility of Russian election interference, which the U.S. intelligence community has concluded was directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rather, it asserted that Kushner himself had no interactions in or knowledge about plots from Moscow. The Boy Scouts of America is distancing itself from U.S. political disputes after President Donald Trump gave a controversial speech to thousands of scouts at their national encampment. The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy, the group said Tuesday. The invitation for the U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies. Trump initially told Scouts Monday night at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia that he would not talk about politics. "Who the hell wants to talk about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" he said. In the course of the half-hour speech, however, Trump fired barbs at former President Barack Obama and his election opponent last year, Democrat Hillary Clinton, while attacking the "fake" news media and "this horrible thing known as Obamacare," Obama's national health care law Trump is trying to repeal. He spoke about about the "cesspool" of lawmakers in Washington and boasted about his election victory. Some Scout leaders took to social media to disparage Trump's speech, while the group's Facebook page was filled with comments criticizing the president for using the Boy Scout gathering for political attacks. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on Twitter, "As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today. If you haven't watched it yet, don't. It's downright icky." About 40,000 Scouts, leaders and volunteers were on hand for the Jamboree, an event held every four years. Obama never appeared at the event in person during his two terms in the White House, but did send a video message in 2010, the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Trump took note of that. "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree?" he asked. "The answer is no... But we'll be back." Toward the end of his remarks, Trump reminisced about his election victory last November, mocking news media and pollsters who had predicted he would lose. "But do you remember that incredible night with the maps?" he asked, referring to state-by-state maps denoting Democratic or Republican wins with blue or red coloring. "And that map was so red it was unbelievable, and they didn't know what to say." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Israel for security measures at the al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem. Rising tensions over the mosque could threaten attempts at rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. Erdogan chose his weekly address to his parliamentary deputies to launch a strong attack on Israel for the introduction of security measures to access the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site for Muslims. Erdogan said Israel's legitimacy makes sense to the extent it respects the rights of itself, Palestine and Palestinians. He said the restrictions on the mosque are not due to safety concerns and that Israel is trying to take al-Aqsa from Muslims under the guise of counterterrorism efforts. Israel has announced the reversal of its decision to install highly visible metal detectors at al-Aqsa entrances. They were installed after Arab gunmen killed two Israeli policemen earlier this month. Erdogans ruling AK party derives much of its support from religious voters and the Turkish president has been trying to position himself as a leader in the wider Muslim world. On Friday, thousands protested in Istanbul against Israels restrictions and controls on accessing the al-Aqsa mosque. Similar large protests have been held in several Turkish provincial cities. Anger in Turkey toward Israel spilled into violence against Istanbul's tiny Jewish community. Islamic nationalists attacked Neve Shalom, Istanbuls main synagogue. The attack caused little damage and no injuries, but critics point out police officers normally protecting the synagogue failed to intervene. On Tuesday, Erdogan condemned the synagogue attack. The president says it does not make sense to attack synagogues here because something has happened at al-Aqsa mosque. He added that it does not suit Islam and it is not allowed. The rising tensions concerning the al-Aqsa mosque are forcing Erdogan to perform a difficult balancing act. Ankara is in a process of rapprochement with Israel, after relations collapsed in 2010 when Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish citizens trying to break an economic sea blockade of Gaza. Along with trade, energy cooperation is driving rapprochement efforts. Up until now a Turkish presidential adviser said the Palestinian issue was compartmentalized from wider relations. With tensions continuing over the al-Aqsa mosque, that compartmentalization policy is facing its stiffest test. The United States and China face a "historic challenge" in shaping their future relationship, Beijings ambassador to Washington said. Given the risks of either economic confrontation or military conflict, both nations understand there is actually no alternative, Cui Tiankai said Tuesday. China and the U.S. have to work together to build a strong and stable relationship that is based on the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, Cui said. Cui emphasized positive trends in the relationship, according to the transcript of his speech at the annual conference of the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington. He said that since President Donald Trump took office this year, the leaders of the two countries have set a constructive tone for the relationship. Upbeat on economic talks Cui was upbeat about the first round of the two countries Comprehensive Economic Dialogue last week. The fact that the two largest economies in the world have chosen to engage in constructive dialogue for mutual benefit gives the world the optimism it badly needs, he said. The talks, however, produced no new steps to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China. Since then, there has been considerable speculation that the United States might impose tariffs on Chinese steel imports, which Washington says undercut U.S. steelmakers as China dumps steel on the world market. Cui did warn of challenges to the relationship. Chief among them were alarming developments that undermine the One China policy under which Washington recognizes only the Beijing government, and has just informal ties with Taiwan. Beijing considers the island a breakaway province. China is firmly opposed to such provocations, such as U.S. arms sales to Taipei, and what Cui said were efforts to upgrade official contact between the island and Washington. Differences on North Korea Cui also noted differences in how the U.S. and China seek to end North Koreas nuclear weapons program. He said Beijing aims to use dialogue and gradually suspending sanctions on North Korea to build compliance. He stressed Chinas opposition to the U.S. deployment of an anti-missile system in South Korea and to secondary sanctions on Chinese businesses and citizens who deal with North Korea. Cui also was firm in saying that the United States had no role in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the waterway, despite overlapping the territorial claims of several other nations. The issue was a dispute over territory and maritime jurisdiction among neighboring countries, not strategic rivalry between China and the U.S., Cui said. Whats more, he said, U.S. naval operations in the area violate Chinas rights, fan up tensions in the region and run counter to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He noted, too, that the U.S. has not signed on to that convention. A U.S. Navy ship patrolling in the Persian Gulf fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard ship that came dangerously close to the vessel Tuesday morning local time. The USS Thunderbolt fired "a couple of warning shots" at the Iranian vessel after it came within 140 meters of the U.S. ship at a high rate of speed, a U.S. defense official told VOA Tuesday. A statement from the Navy called the Iranian interaction "unsafe and unprofessional." "The Iranian vessel's actions were not in accordance with the internationally recognized ... 'rules of the road' nor internationally recognized maritime customs, creating a risk for collision," the Navy said. The shots were used as a last resort after the Iranian ship failed to respond to calls over the radio and sound signals from the American ships, including five blasts from the U.S. Navy ship's whistle, an international symbol for danger. Two ships from the United States Coast Guard were patrolling with the USS Thunderbolt during the incident, a defense official told VOA. "These sort of unsafe and provocative actions from the Iranians do nothing but needlessly increase the risk for miscalculation," he added. Last month, an Iranian military vessel trained a laser on an American helicopter that was accompanying three American military ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Commander Bill Urban, the spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, said the Iranian vessel came within 730 meters of the USS Bataan assault ship. President Donald Trump's commission investigating voter fraud may request voter roll data from U.S. states, a federal judge ruled on Monday, in a setback for groups that contend the effort could infringe on privacy rights. The judge said a lawsuit by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) watchdog did not have grounds for an injunction in part because the collection of data by the commission was not technically an action by a government agency so was not bound by laws that govern what such entities can do. Washington-based U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also pointed out that the commission was an advisory body that does not have legal authority to compel states to hand over the data. Most state officials who oversee elections and election law experts say that voter fraud is rare in the United States. Trump, who set up the commission by executive order on May 12, has charged without evidence that millions voted unlawfully in the November presidential election. Republican Trump won the Electoral College, which tallies wins in states and determines the presidential winner. But he lost the popular vote to his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. "We look forward to continuing to work with state election leaders to gather information and identify opportunities to improve election integrity," the commission's vice chair Kris Kobach said in a statement after Monday's ruling. Kobach is the secretary of state for Kansas and a high-profile advocate of tougher laws on immigration and voter identification. Civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers have said the commission could lead to new ID requirements and other measures making it harder to vote. The panel, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, met for the first time last week. It ran headlong into controversy when Kobach asked states to turn over voter information. The data included names, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, addresses, birth dates, political affiliation, felony convictions and voting histories. Some states refused, and others said they needed to study whether they could provide the data. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a separate lawsuit against the commission to ensure that it follows open government laws. "The commission's efforts to gather personal data should not escape judicial review," EPIC's senior counsel Alan Butler said in a statement, adding the group would closely watch what the commission does next. A federal judge in Detroit has stopped the potential deportation of hundreds of Iraqis with criminal records who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith on Monday granted a preliminary injunction request made by attorneys for the Iraqi nationals who had asked him to halt their deportation, saying they would be persecuted in Iraq. The ruling means that 1,400 Iraqi nationals, including more than 200 arrested and detained last month, will have more time to seek legal protection from being sent back to Iraq. Advocates say the detained Iraqis, many of them Christians, face persecution, torture and possibly death if forced to return to their native country, where Christians are a minority. The deportation action is not connected to President Donald Trump's travel ban, which bars admission to the United States for many people from six Muslim-majority nations, but not Iraq. Some of the Iraqis named in this case came to the United States as children and committed crimes decades ago, but previous attempts to deport them had failed because the Baghdad government declined to issue them travel documents. In his decision, Goldsmith wrote that the case involved "extraordinary circumstances," noting that the Iraqis suddenly faced deportation after years of many of their cases being "dormant." Goldsmith said the constitutional rights of the Iraqis were being violated, writing that "the writ of habeas corpus the fundamental guarantor of liberty must not be suspended." "Their status as religious minorities place them at grave risk of torture and other forms of persecution at the hands of ISIS, other Sunni insurgencies and the various Shi'a militias," Goldsmith wrote, adding that their affiliation with the United States compounds their risk. As the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces continue their advance against the Islamic State (IS) in its stronghold Raqqa, the U.S.-led coalition is increasing assistance for a civilian council established to govern the city after its recapture from IS. British Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, deputy commander of the U.S.-led global coalition against IS, on Sunday met with members of Raqqa Civilian Council to ensure the council will be able to run the city affairs after the IS defeat. "The liberation of Raqqa, as with the liberation of Mosul, is not the end. It's actually the start of the process. The real healing starts once the fight is over. The people of Raqqa have been through an extraordinarily trauma under [IS] occupation, and that's what I've discussed with the civil council today," Jones said during a press conference after the meeting in Ayn Issa, a town around 45 kilometers (30 miles) north of Raqqa. He said the coalition was prepared to work with the interim council to secure gains made in Raqqa, adding that the council has done "great work" in recent weeks to assist displaced residents. Formed in April Raqqa Civilian Council was formed by the U.S.-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on April 18, several weeks before their major operation in the IS de facto capital. It consists of roughly 120 members who are mostly from the Arab tribes of Raqqa, but Kurds and Turkmen also have representation. The meeting of the U.S.-led coalition commander comes as the SDF, supported by the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, have made several gains in their ongoing battle against IS in Raqqa. Wahbi Romi, a journalist from Raqqa, told VOA that the SDF forces on Monday advanced against IS in southeast of the city as heavy clashes continued. She said IS fighters used suicide bombers and snipers to slow SDF. "IS mines are another hurdle for SDF," Romi said. "In strategic places like Raqqa's Old City, where clashes have continued for over twenty days, the SDF is struggling to clean up thousands of mines that IS has planted." She said hundreds of residents are forced to flee to Kurdish-controlled towns in northern Syria as intense battles and airstrikes in the city have caused great damage to the city. According to the anti-IS monitoring group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, about 70,000 civilians are still trapped inside the city. "Their current living conditions are a real humanitarian disaster due to severe food, water, and medical shortages," according to the group. Raqqa Civilian Council members say they need more assistance to address the challenges facing the residents. Address needs To address those challenges, a delegation from the U.S., consisting of members of the State Department, engineers and civil society organization representatives, also visited the council last Tuesday. Members of the delegation told VOA they discussed support for the council to address the humanitarian needs and the rehabilitation of Raqqa's infrastructure after IS. H. Murphey "Murf" McCloy Jr., a retired senior adviser for State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement who attended the meeting, told VOA the meeting mainly focused on discussions about demining the city and rebuilding bridges and roads, as well as the electrical grid. He said similar efforts are in place in other Syrian areas recaptured from IS. "We have got people working here in the Raqqa area, Ayn Issa, Tabqa Dam, as well as the Tabqa town, and Manbij," he said. Menan Seydo, a Kurdish member of Raqqa Civilian Council, told VOA the council members pleaded for more support in reviving agriculture and education infrastructure. "We asked for assistance in all capacities, but especially in the areas related to irrigation system, agriculture and rebuilding schools," Seydo said. Growing support for the council is sensitive for some residents of the city and Turkey that are concerned about the extent of Kurdish influence on Raqqa's future. Kurdish militants of People's Protection Unit (YPG), who are the largest contingent of the SDF but considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, say the council is an independent representative of the city. Previous attempts A similar council to rule the city was also established by the Syrian opposition group the Free Syrian Army in 2013. But that council dismantled quickly and its members fled into exile when Islamist groups, including the then al-Qaida-backed al-Nusra Front, controlled the city. Brett McGurk, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition, revealed earlier this month that the current council is "interim" and that the council has committed to hold elections by May 2018 to choose a new council "to ensure that the people of Raqqa can choose their own leaders." "This interim council will receive support from the United States to enable immediate stabilization," McGurk said. "It is committed to welcoming back exiles, including members of the former council that temporarily governed Raqqa in 2013, and we encourage these exiles to return to Syria." Mutlu Civiroglu of VOA Kurdish Service contributed to this report from Washington. The U.S. Senate is due to vote Tuesday on whether to open debate on the latest Republican initiative to overhaul the health care system put in place under former president Barack Obama. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is leading the push to move away from the Affordable Care Act, also commonly known as Obamacare, but over the course of the past month he has been forced to take a step back when it became clear there were not enough votes to pass two different versions of the bill. In a series of tweets Tuesday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump said the day has arrived for Republican senators to begin dismantling Obamacare, which he said is "torturing" Americans, and applauded ailing Senator John McCain for returning to Capitol Hill to cast his vote on the health care bill. Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the Senate. With unified Democratic opposition to repealing the ACA, Republicans can only lose two dissenting votes, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a vote in the event of a 50-50 tie. McCain announced he would be returning to work Tuesday after a short absence during which he announced he was diagnosed with brain cancer. What is not clear is which bill will be voted on. The House of Representatives passed its own repeal-and-replace legislation in May, a bill Trump applauded at a White House rally after its passage and then later described as "mean." He instead called for the Senate to approve legislation with more "heart." Senator John Cornyn said Monday that Republicans will discuss the various health care bill options at a lunch Tuesday before the procedural vote. Democratic Senator Al Franken called the lack of clarity about which bill would be considered "deeply troubling." "This is reckless. This is irresponsible," he said. "The American people deserve better. But let's be clear. A vote for the motion to proceed is a vote to move forward with conceivably any one of these bills, and all of these bills are terrible." President Donald Trump continued pressuring Republicans to act on an issue that was part of his campaign, saying Monday there has been "enough talk and no action." "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare," said Trump, who was surrounded by several families the White House referred to as "victims of Obamacare." "For senate Republicans, this is their chance to keep their promise," the president said. "Over and over again they said, Repeal and replace, repeal and replace. They can now keep their promise to the American people." Fresh attacks Trump also tore into Obamas health care law with fresh intensity, calling it a "government takeover" of health care and "big, fat, ugly lie" that had "wreaked havoc" on American families. "They run out and say, Death! Death! Death!'" Trump said, referring to critics of the Republican health care proposals. "Well Obamacare is death. Thats the one thats death. And besides that, its failing so you wont have it anyway," Trump said. The ACA has been in place since 2010 and national survey show Americans view it more favorably than Republican proposals to replace it. Several Republican lawmakers, despite Trump's campaign vow to upend Obamacare, have announced their opposition to starting debate on the repeal effort, either because they contend that the changes do not go far enough to undermine the law or go too far and would curb health insurance coverage for millions of people, particularly impoverished Americans. About 20 million people gained insurance coverage under the law, which prevented insurance companies from denying coverage to people based on pre-existing medical conditions and required insurers to include a range of medical services in their plans. During Obama's remaining years in office, Republicans dozens of times attempted to repeal the law and once succeeded in passing repeal legislation, which Obama quickly vetoed. He told Congress that if it sent him something that improved the law or the health system, then he would support it. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded that if Obamacare is repealed without a replacement, 17 million Americans would lose their health insurance next year and 32 million by 2026. Under a Senate Republican repeal-and-replace proposal, the CBO said 22 million would lose their coverage in the next decade, but the plan would save the government $420 billion. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a motion to open debate on a Republican initiative to overhaul the health care system put in place under former President Barack Obama. The motion passed 51-50, the tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Mike Pence. "We don't have to accept it any longer," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said of the current health care law, the Affordable Care Act, on the Senate floor moments before the procedural vote. McConnell is leading the push to move away from the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, but over the past month he has been forced to retreat when it became clear there were not enough votes to pass either of two Republican versions of the bill. President Donald Trump was quick to praise the vote. "As this vote shows, inaction is not an option," he said in a statement released by the White House. "And now the legislative process can move forward." Despite Tuesday's vote, it remains unclear which version of the McConnell effort will put in play. Republican lawmakers have said a less comprehensive version of the latest Senate measure would have the greatest chance of dismantling Obamacare. If the Senate approves a scaled-down version, a House-Senate conference would be arranged to reconcile differences between the two measures. In a series of tweets Tuesday morning, Trump said Obamacare was "torturing" Americans, and he applauded ailing Senator John McCain of Arizona for returning to Capitol Hill to cast his vote to permit debate on a health care bill. Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the Senate. With unified Democratic opposition to repealing the ACA, Republicans could only lose two dissenting votes. In high drama at the Capitol, McCain voted with the majority Tuesday to move ahead on the debate. The veteran lawmaker, who is battling brain cancer, returned to the Senate floor to plead for the Republicans and Democrats to work together. "Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, television and internet," he said. "To hell with them. They don't want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood. McCain: 'Let's Trust Each Other' in Health Care Debate "Let's trust each other. Let's return to regular order. We've 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 added. He reminded his colleagues: "Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the president's subordinates. We are his equal!'' McCain also said he would not vote for the current GOP version of the repeal-and-replace bill. Lack of clarity Democratic Senator Al Franken called the lack of clarity about which bill would be considered "deeply troubling." "This is reckless. This is irresponsible," he said. "The American people deserve better. But let's be clear: A vote for the motion to proceed is a vote to move forward with conceivably any one of these bills, and all of these bills are terrible." On Monday, Trump had continued pressuring Republicans to act on an issue that was part of his campaign, saying there had been "enough talk and no action." "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare," said Trump, who was surrounded by several families the White House referred to as "victims of Obamacare." "For Senate Republicans, this is their chance to keep their promise," the president said. "Over and over again they said, Repeal and replace, repeal and replace. They can now keep their promise to the American people." Fresh attacks Trump also tore into Obamas health care law with fresh intensity, calling it a "government takeover" of health care and "big, fat, ugly lie" that had "wreaked havoc" on American families. "They run out and say, Death! Death! Death!' " Trump said, referring to critics of the Republican health care proposals. "Well, Obamacare is death. Thats the one thats death. And besides that, its failing, so you wont have it anyway." The ACA has been in place since 2010 and national surveys show Americans view it more favorably than Republican proposals to replace it. Several Republican lawmakers, despite Trump's campaign vow to upend Obamacare, had announced their opposition to starting debate on the repeal effort, either because they contended that the changes did not go far enough to undermine the law or went too far and would curb health insurance coverage for millions of people, particularly impoverished Americans. About 20 million people obtained insurance under the law, which prevented insurers from denying coverage to people based on pre-existing medical conditions and required insurers to include a range of medical services in their plans. During Obama's remaining years in office, Republicans attempted dozens of times to repeal the law and once succeeded in passing repeal legislation, which Obama quickly vetoed. He told Congress that if it sent him something that improved the law or the health system, he would support it. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded that if Obamacare was repealed without a replacement, 17 million Americans would lose their health insurance next year and 32 million by 2026. Under a Senate Republican repeal-and-replace proposal, the CBO said 22 million would lose their coverage in the next decade, but the plan would save the government $420 billion. Venezuelan intelligence officials arrested two more judges appointed by the opposition-run parliament that is in defiance of President Nicolas Maduro's government Tuesday. Jesus Rojas Torres and Zuleima Gonzalez were the second and third opposition-appointed judges arrested by Maduro's government. Judge Angel Zerpa was arrested Saturday. Maduro had threatened to arrest the judges in a televised speech over the weekend, during which he also verbally attacked U.S. President Donald Trump and several Latin American leaders for their statements against Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution. "The imperial right wing believes it can give orders to Venezuela," Maduro said, "The only ones who give orders here are the people. This time next week [on Sunday, July 30] Venezuelans will be voting for a Constituent Assembly." Venezuela's opposition has announced a two-day national strike this week aimed at pressuring Maduro to cancel the controversial July 30 vote on the creation of a the body that will be charged with rewriting the country's constitution. "We are calling out the entire people, all groups in society, for a 48-hour strike" on Wednesday and Thursday, lawmaker Simon Calzadilla said. Calzadilla said a protest march on Friday, following the strike, will demand that Maduro officially scrap the vote. Venezuelans are tensing for a national strike this week aimed at pressuring President Nicolas Maduro to cancel Sunday's controversial election of a constituent assembly to rewrite the country's constitution. "We are calling out the entire people, all groups in society, for a 48-hour strike" scheduled to start Wednesday, legislator Simon Calzadilla said in a statement to rally opposition forces. Calzadilla said a protest march Friday would heighten the demand that Maduro officially scrap the vote. National holiday In Caracas on Monday, a national holiday marked the 1783 birth of native son and Latin American independence leader Simon Bolivar. Armed government troops stood guard in clusters of three or four at schools where the polling is scheduled to take place. They watched as members of the opposition arrived to post signs advising against the vote. Meanwhile, Venezuelans scrambled to lay in already-sparse supplies ahead of the strike. Falling oil prices and government mismanagement have led to critical shortages of food, medicine and other basic goods in what once was Latin America's wealthiest country. In front of the Luz supermarket in the capital city's Chacao district, engineer Victor Maglio told VOA he hoped to pick up some pasta and canned fish. But he complained that, with mostly imported products on store shelves everywhere, he could afford little else beyond that and candles. Maglio, who is in his mid-40s, said he would "try to accumulate food" and "whatever the pocket reaches." 'An explosive week' Delfin Miranda, a Peruvian man who has lived in Venezuela for more than 30 years, was trying to buy milk, water and nonperishables "because we do not know what's coming. Honestly, this is quite an explosive week." It's a crucial week for Venezuela, where Maduro on Sunday threatened to imprison high court magistrates appointed last week by the National Assembly. The socialist president, in a nationally televised appearance, urged the opposition to abandon protest plans and to allow the constituent assembly vote. "I recognize the opposition and I know that they have political strength as well. And I would like to measure force with votes, not with bullets, not with mortars, not with Molotov bombs, not with blasts," Maduro said. He also verbally attacked U.S. President Donald Trump and several Latin American leaders for denouncing his plan to rewrite the constitution. "The imperial right wing believes it can give orders to Venezuela," Maduro said. "The only ones who give orders here are the people." Call for foreign help Julio Borges, president of the opposition-led National Assembly, sought foreign backing for the cause of anti-government demonstrators. "In this crucial week, we call [upon] the international community to join Venezuela to curb fraud," Borges tweeted Sunday. He and other Maduro rivals say the president's call for the constituent assembly masks an attempt to grab power. In an unofficial July 16 ballot organized by the opposition, some 7.5 million Venezuelans cast symbolic votes opposing the constitutional assembly and a revision of the charter. This will be the second major strike in as many weeks. Last Thursday, anti-government protesters staged the first national strike since 2002, when a work stoppage unsuccessfully aimed to dislodge socialist leader Hugo Chavez, Maduro's predecessor. Venezuelans, frustrated by a decline in living standards and democratic freedoms, have staged near-daily protests since early April. Clashes among Maduro foes, fans and government security forces have led to more than 100 deaths, primarily of civilians. A warning for Americans The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela issued a statement Monday advising Americans there to make sure they have enough water and food to last for 72 hours, to monitor news and to avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place. Back at Luz supermarket, businessman Felipe Mellao grumbled that he often couldn't find toilet paper or toothpaste even when he had money. He said the strike represented something larger than just a 48-hour interruption. "The point is that there must be a drastic change, not just for two days," Mellao said. "It's for the future of our sons and daughters." Instructors of the six Burundian teens who disappeared last week in Washington say the kids' parents do not seem concerned about their disappearance, and likely knew the teens would not come back to Burundi. The parents have not made any public statements about the students, who apparently ran away on July 18 while in the U.S. capital for an international robotics competition. Two of the students were reported Friday to have entered Canada, while the whereabouts of the other four are unclear. The principal of Iteletique High School, which two of the missing students attended, says the teens gave their parents some advance warning about their plans. "Talking with parents, they told us that once the kids arrived there, they [the kids] told them they may not come back," Esperence Niyonzima told a reporter for VOAs Central Africa Service in Bujumbura. "It seems the parents are not worried, they were not worried for the kids' unknown whereabouts," she said. Asked why the kids ran away while in Washington, she said, "I think they wanted better opportunities than they could get in Burundi." The youth leader of the Burundian team, Canesius Bindaba, returned to Burundi late Friday after being questioned by police in Washington. He told VOA's Central Africa Service he was not expecting the teens to disappear, and was disappointed that they did. "They never showed any sign that would lead me to believe that they actually had concrete plans to stay there," he said. "They've made a decision which they had deliberated on without my knowledge, and in which I could not do much about. It was unfortunate." He said he hasn't spoken to his fellow students' parents, but believes they are unconcerned since they have not tried to reach out to him. "There were some who said, 'Don't worry, if they [the students] made that decision, perhaps they realized living there was the life they wanted. This gave me a bit of relief because they [police] wanted to be sure they [the kids] were not kidnapped or lost." Burundi, a poor, landlocked African country, is still recovering from a 13-year civil war that ended in 2006. More recently, the country experienced months of political unrest after President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for and won a controversial third term in 2015. More than 400,000 Burundians fled to neighboring countries in the wake of protests and violence that killed hundreds of people. But both Bindaba and Niyonzima said insecurity was not a reason for the teens to flee. "It should be known that as we speak I am in Burundi with my family. I passed through the airport with no hassle, there is peace in the country," said Bindaba. "They shouldn't say that they fear for their security," said Niyonzima. "Their safety was not in jeopardy." Both instructors said they hope the teens return to Burundi and teach other students about robotics. "If they are found, it would be [good] so that they can help other kids, because they've learned so much," said Bindaba. Zimbabwe's parliament has amended the country's constitution to empower the president to handpick the southern African nation's top judges. Plans to give President Robert Mugabe such power started early this year when the then-chief justice left the bench after reaching the age of retirement. Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF immediately petitioned the courts to halt public interviews to appoint the next top judge until the constitution had been changed to allow Mugabe to choose the new jurist. The application failed, but ZANU-PF introduced a bill proposing the amendment to ensure the president chooses a chief justice, along with the deputy and the head of the high court, known in Zimbabwe as the Judge President. Priscilla Misihairabwi, an opposition member of parliament who had campaigned against the constitutional amendment, says the move reverses what Zimbabweans voted for in 2013. "Why do we take away the will of the people, something that was voted in by millions and millions of Zimbabweans?" Misihairabwi said. "The second thing is that it goes against [the] very basic tenet of democracy. One of the things that democracy demands is that you have to have separation of power. You cannot create a situation where you put all the powers in one individual. What this thing has done is the second thing to the executive presidency. We had the executive presidency, now we have created a bigger creature than the executive presidency." ZANU-PF parliament member Ziyambi Ziyambi says he sees nothing wrong with the new law that awaits Mugabe's signature. "I think it is good for our democracy," Ziyambi said. "We discovered a lacuna [gap] in our law, something needed to be rectified and the bill was tabled in parliament. We did all the due processes. ... It was discovered that there were impractical things which were within that constitution. For instance, the outgoing chief justice will interview his successor. It is something which is not attainable. And besides, even if you look at most jurisdictions, even in Europe, they do not hold public interviews for the chief justice. For other judges, yes." The opposition has criticized the amendment as a direct reversal of the will of the people. The 2013 constitution passed by popular referendum limited presidential powers, including removing Mugabe's ability to handpick judges. Observers say the amendment could have implications for the 2018 elections, as the Supreme Court would decide on who rules on any poll disputes. Some Zimbabweans say they are not concerned about President Robert Mugabe and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's illnesses in the run up to the 2018 presidential election. Responding to a snap informal poll on VOA Studio 7 Twitter on whether they are worried about the twos health issues, 42 percent of the respondents expressed concern while 47 percent said they are not worried at all. Eleven percent of the 60 respondents out of 559 who saw the tweet, indicated that they were not sure about the presidential candidates' ill health. The informal poll, which does not necessarily represent the views of all Zimbabweans as most of them are not on Twitter, was conducted last week. Mr. Mugabe has travelled three times this year to Singapore to seek medical care while Tsvangirai, who has cancer, is being taken care of by South African health experts. The two bitter rivals are preparing for the crucial 2018 presidential election as the economic crisis continues in Zimbabwe. President Mugabe will be 94 when elections are conducted next year, making him the oldest-ever person in the world to take part in such a poll. Tsvangirai has been trying, in vain, to unseat Mr. Mugabe since the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change in 1999. He beat him in a presidential election in 2008 but fell short of the needed votes to form a government. Tsvangirai withdrew from a presidential re-run due to politically-motivated violence, which gripped the country before the election. The U.S. government says the HIV epidemic is "coming under control" in Swaziland, the country with the world's highest prevalence of the virus. The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) said Monday that new infections among adults in Swaziland have dropped by nearly half since 2011. It said the latest research also shows that life-saving anti-retroviral treatment has doubled in the country during the same time period and now reaches over 80 percent of infected adults. PEPFAR has focused much of its efforts on increasing access to anti-retroviral drugs for over 11 million people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Monday's statement also says the southern African nations of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe "demonstrate significant progress toward controlling the HIV epidemics." The U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Deborah Birx, said "These unprecedented findings demonstrate the remarkable impact of the U.S. government's efforts ... We now have a historic opportunity to change the very course of the HIV epidemic." The data shows that the number of people in Swaziland who have achieved a suppression of the virus - meaning the virus does not replicate to make them sick - has doubled since 2011. While the results show large progress in combating the epidemic, it also reveals key gaps in HIV prevention and treatment. PEPFAR says the data shows that women ages 15-24 and men under age 35 are less likely to know their HIV status, be on HIV treatment, or be taking anti-retroviral drugs than older adults. "These gaps are all areas in which PEPFAR continues to invest and innovate," the statement said. Swaziland's government says about 27 percent of its population was HIV-positive in 2016, down from 31 percent of adults in 2011. Presidential candidate Dr. Nkosana Moyo says the government of Zimbabwe is currently being run by Zanu PF like a party entity with politicians seriously dividing people on the basis of their tribe for political purposes. In an exclusive interview with VOA Studio 7, Dr. Moyo said he launched the Alliance for the Peoples Agenda (APA) in order to ensure that citizens are capable of running their own government. He said at the moment Zanu PF is running the nation like some party property. When you run a country you must run it for everybody, so we attempted to find a word (APA) that would imply or communicate to Zimbabweans that all of them are welcome to belong to this umbrella organization. Secondly, for the peoples agenda, Zimbabwe at the moment is not being run for the people, its being run for a select group of individuals Its being run for a party. Government should be for the people but evidently for anybody who is Zimbabwean who has experienced Zimbabwe would know that government is running the country for itself and at best the party of membership of Zanu (PF). He further noted that there was no unity among Zimbabweans who have been seriously divided by politicians. We are fragmented The politicians have come in and told us that you are Ndebele, you are Shona, you are Manyika, you are Zezuru and so on and so on. But when you look at the behavior of Zimbabweans in their daily lives you will notice that they dont use these things. We have got a lot of intermarriages across all of these divisions. So, the first thing we are saying is that Zimbabweans need, deserve a government, an administration that inclusive and fosters unity because a population that is not united will not succeed. 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 President Robert Mugabe, whose party lacked vision and trust of the electorate. Mr. Mugabe will contest the presidential election next year at the age of 94. Brian Anthony Wilson as Thurgood Marshall in Olney Theatre Center's production of Thurgood. (Stan Barouh) As Antonin Scalia thunders from the right in The Originalist at Arena Stage, Thurgood Marshall now balances the scales with the liberal lovefest Thurgood at the Olney Theatre Center. If John Strands The Originalist softens the late conservative justices portrait, the purring Thurgood is pure hero worship. The play is by George Stevens Jr., the longtime producer of the Kennedy Center Honors until his run was abruptly severed in 2014, and this script feels like an extended tribute to the countrys first African American Supreme Court justice. That didnt keep Thurgood from making it to Broadway in 2008 and to the Kennedy Center two years later, both times with Laurence Fishburne as the civil rights icon. It also doesnt keep Olneys adoring audience from leaning in appreciatively as Marshalls roots and pioneering career are recounted by the forceful Brian Anthony Wilson. The stilted framework is a lecture at Howard University School of Law, with Marshall directly addressing us as he recalls pivotal moments in his ascent to the Supreme Court. Director Walter Dallas counters the unimaginative dramaturgy by drawing an energized performance from Wilson: The pace is brisk, the stories charge forth, and Wilson prowls the intimate lab space left and right. The performance is almost unnervingly quick, yet theres no need to rush. Even with an intermission, this career overview is just 90 minutes long. Wilson sweeps us through the key points, which are sometimes personal but which dwell mainly on the monumentally historical. Bedrock, Marshall instructs us, is Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 case asserting that separate but equal was legal. Marshalls raw experiences growing up in Jim Crow America counter that, and the wry yet combative Wilson is never better than when he fixes the audience with a direct look, talks about the n-word and explains the line where he is going to have business with you. Brian Anthony Wilson as Thurgood Marshall. (Stan Barouh) Untangling Plessy becomes a through-line as the story builds to Marshalls role arguing Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court in 1954. Stevens uses that as his Act 1 cliffhanger, and darned if the plays hokum doesnt work. When the victorious decision is read denouncing separate but equal, the audience cheers. (The same thing happened during the Roe v. Wade decision moment in Lisa Loomers Roe at Arena Stage earlier this year. The high court is having quite a season on stage.) Dallas buys into the Stevens playbook by adding period-setting projections and even using Hollywood-style music to sentimentally underscore triumphs. The history is complicated; the show is not. The Supreme Court career is not much explored, and the accomplished, intriguing man is reduced to his biggest hit. Theres a lot to feel good about while watching a solo show of Marshall, but little of it comes from this simplified, watery writing. Thurgood by George Stevens Jr. Directed by Walter Dallas. Scenic designer, Paige Hathaway; costumes, Seth Gilbert; lights, Harold F. Burgess II; sound design, Roc Lee; projection design, Zachary G. Borovay. Through Aug. 20 at the Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. Tickets $45-$70. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org. iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove was NOT arrested for prostitution at a truck stop, Snopes.com said, debunking the rumor this month. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images For Un Nuevo Dia) Before there was fake news and before there was anyone around to debunk it on the Internet there was Snopes.com. The fact-checking site started busting myths, blasting urban legends and generally calling out bull in 1994, well before many people even got near a Web browser. But heres an apparently true fact about Snopes itself: The pioneering site says it might not last much longer. In a note posted on the site Monday, Snopes which has debunked stories on subjects as varied as Bigfoot, Miranda Cosgrove and President Trump said it was in danger of closing its doors as a result of a legal dispute with an outside vendor. Snopes is asking its readers for contributions as the dispute drags on. Snopes alleges that Proper Media, a Web services provider, is withholding advertising revenue, thus starving it financially. Our legal team is fighting hard for us, but, having been cut off from all revenue, we are facing the prospect of having no financial means to continue operating the site, the posting says. But Proper Media says Snopes should check its facts. It has a different version of events. The San Diego-based company said in a lawsuit against Snopess parent company, Bardav, that it is more than a mere outside vendor it is actually a co-owner of Snopes, having paid $3.6 million. The suit, filed in May, says Proper bought half of Bardav last year from Snopes co-founder Barbara Mikkelson. The company said it completed the purchase after Mikkelson divorced her husband, David Mikkelson, Snopess other co-founder. David Mikkelson, who continues to run Snopes, still owns his 50 percent of Bardav, which takes its name from the former couples first names (Snopes itself comes from the fictional family featured in three novels by William Faulkner). Propers attorney, Karl S. Kronenberger, disputes Snopess suggestion that it faces financial ruin. The company alleges in its suit that Snopes is highly profitable, in part as a result of its agreement with Facebook to provide fact-checking services after fake news flooded the social media giant during the 2016 election. The site remains popular, attracting 7.4 million visitors in June, according to ComScore. Kronenberger also said Proper disbursed $100,000 in disputed advertising funds to Bardav last week. The statement that advertising money is being withheld is just false, he said in an interview. Bardav filed a cross-complaint in June, saying it was within its rights to drop Proper Media as its ad-services vendor. In an interview, Mikkelson said his company hasnt received disbursements from Proper Media since February, outside of the funds it received last week. I defy anyone to run a company of this size with zero revenue and not run into a cash-flow problems, he said. Snopes employs 16 people. Mikkelson also said Snopes would have a surplus of several hundred thousand dollars if we werent having to deal with this ridiculous dispute. This is a booming time for the fact-checking industry, he said, because of all the discussion about fake news. The site, which was hoping to raise $500,000 from readers, had surpassed that goal with more than $520,000 in pledges as of Tuesday morning. Desus Nice and The Kid Mero on the set of their Viceland late-night show "Desus & Mero." (Viceland) Its a muggy Saturday evening, but the 9:30 Club is buzzing with energy. Desus Nice and the Kid Mero are about to officially introduce themselves to the sold-out crowd. Several audience members hold up their phones to record the comedic duos trademark AKAs a rapid-fire listing of the dozens of monikers that begins each episode of their raunchy podcast, The Bodega Boys. Desus also goes by Young Chipotle, 3 Phone Jones and Eli Lit, B. Mero calls himself The Human Durag Flap, East Tremont Stevie B and The Dominican Don Dada. But right now, Desus and Mero reign supreme. These are the names theyve lent to their Viceland show, which premiered last fall and is unlike anything else on late-night TV. Desus & Mero is taped in a conference room at Vices Brooklyn headquarters, where the pair sit at a graffiti-covered table, flanked by colorful prayer candles. Behind them, a taxidermied bear is positioned to look as if its wearing Timberland boots. The show has expanded Desus and Meros fan base (dubbed the Bodega Hive) and earned critical praise for their unconventional celebrity interviews and brash but insightful takes on Donald Trumps presidency. The show is no frills, Desus said in an interview in the lobby of a downtown Washington hotel ahead of the 9:30 Club appearance. Its not about the background or what were wearing. The show is just what were saying and thats the important thing. We dont have little parlor games. Theres never Mero coming out on a tricycle. Guests have included rappers, journalists, actors, activists and athletes. They all sit at the table, wedged between the outspoken hosts. More often than not, guests arent on to promote a particular project. Even when they are, Desus and Mero prefer to take the conversation to unexpected places. In February, Desus playfully introduced MSNBCs Rachel Maddow as our homegirl from the streets. What hood you reppin? he asked the host, who responded uh, Western Massachusetts. When activist Janet Mock stopped by to promote her memoir about navigating her 20s as a transgender woman of color, Desus and Mero devoted equal amounts of time to quizzing the Hawaii native about Spam. Rapper French Montana talked about fasting for Ramadan and excitedly recalled winning an ESPN bowling tournament. Desus and Mero were raised in the Bronx and hail from immigrant backgrounds. Desus (real name: Daniel Baker), 34, is the son of Jamaican parents. Mero, 33, was born Joel Martinez to parents from the Dominican Republic. You couldnt really think of two people with a more unique point of view of the world, said Guy Slattery, Vicelands president. It resonates because theyre genuinely themselves on the show. They say what they think and its completely unfiltered. Desus, left, and The Kid Mero arrive at the NBA Awards on June 26 in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Viceland began in February 2016, when parent company A&E Networks replaced the History Channel spinoff H2 with the millennial-geared network. A rep says Desus & Mero is among the networks most popular shows, with recent figures showing an average of 555,000 viewers total across its Monday through Thursday airings on all platforms 1.4 million when you count repeats. [The new Viceland channel perfects the modern journalistic art of playing dumb] Vicelands pot-themed series make it a fitting network for Desus and Mero, who make no secret of their enthusiasm for marijuana. Still, they admit their boisterous personalities are sometimes in contrast with the Vice office culture. At first it was like, theyre troublemakers. And then they started to see those ratings and theyre just like, Hey . . . you wanna smoke here? Desus joked. Desus and Mero met as teenagers while attending the same summer school, and were just casual acquaintances. But in 2008, they began to cross paths on Twitter, where they broke up the monotony of unfulfilling jobs Mero worked as a high school aide and Desus wrote for a small-business magazine by cracking jokes about their day-to-day lives. As they beefed up their social media followings, Complex approached them to do a podcast called Desus vs. Mero, which led to a Web series of the same name. The pair eventually landed stints on two MTV2 shows, Guy Code and Charlamagne Tha Gods Uncommon Sense, where they mused about pop culture, relationships and more. [Charlamagne Tha God talks Donald Trump, Tomi Lahren and taking his MTV2 show Uncommon Sense live] Charlamagne, also a syndicated radio host, said he watches the extremely talented duo regularly and especially loves the diversity of the guests. And he thinks Vice is a good fit for them.They probably felt like they werent free to be themselves at MTV, he admits. Like everyone else in late-night, Desus and Mero have had to contend with an unorthodox presidency. But Desus & Mero doesnt have a traditional writing staff the show is largely influenced by a running group chat the hosts have with a team of producers, who they describe as family. Its crazy, but were not beholden to it, Mero said of the increasingly chaotic news cycle. Obviously, there are important things happening in the country . . . so we usually touch on that because its inescapable. If Hillary would have won, we probably wouldnt be talking so much politics. Just a few weeks into their run on Viceland, Desus and Mero hosted a live election special. Over on Showtime, Stephen Colbert was talking with journalists John Heilemann, Mark Halperin and Nate Silver. Desus and Mero featured rappers Talib Kweli, Joe Budden, Jim Jones and Cardi B. It was like watching election results in the hood, Desus said. It set the precedent for what the show was going to be. The idea of watching election returns with Cardi B makes no sense, he added. But after the last election, it makes perfect sense. Last month they booked a dream guest: Sean Diddy Combs, who told them he had been watching. Mero grinned. Oh, you watching the show? When I see two black men on Vice, you know . . . its a big deal, the mogul replied. Mero, right: If Hillary would have won, we probably wouldnt be talking so much politics. (Viceland/Viceland) The duo often say variations of were two dudes from the Bronx with an air of disbelief. Mero recently moved to Bergen County, N.J. with his wife and four children. Desus still lives in the Bronx, but is planning a move to Brooklyn or Manhattan to cut down on his commute. They are starting to get recognized more fans frequently send them photos of their faces plastered on bus ads. They are also getting noticed by their contemporaries. In June, Desus and Mero appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers, where they traded notes on covering Trumps administration with the NBC host, who asked about their unconventional set. Its not as nice as this, Desus told Meyers. We definitely dont have 80,000 people, Mero added, pointing to the audience. All jokes aside, Desus and Mero appreciate what makes their show different. [Meyers] is a funny dude, but hes in that format. You cant break that, Mero said. So even if he wants to be himself, hes got to stick to those questions on the card. We started without that mold. But to be fair, he gets paid a lot more than we do, Desus added. The comedians are about to head to the 9:30 Club for sound check and they are already in bit mode. Once we sell out and were on CBS in suits, I have the hair plugs, I got the two-inch veneers, I cant even close my mouth . . . They break into stilted, fake laughs. Desus channels his inner Carlton Banks, over-enunciating every syllable: Coming up next, Will Smith! Desus and Mero (30 minutes) airs Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. on Viceland. On a warm summer day when they would have been forgiven for wanting to be just about anywhere else, a dozen or so D.C. public high school students gathered at the Anacostia Neighborhood Library to help teach grown-ups a thing or two about why kids skip school and what can be done about it. After all, the thinking went, grown-ups have had lots of ideas, and not many have worked. Lets hear what the kids suggest. And so on Tuesday, after being greeted by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, the students from six public and public charter schools met with school administrators, counselors and truant officers for the second annual Every Day Counts! Attendance Design Challenge, a day-long workshop arranged by school leaders to solicit and develop ideas from students to tackle chronic absenteeism in the citys schools. The problem is daunting. In the 2015-2016 school year, about 21 percent of public students in Washington were chronically truant, meaning they missed 10 school days for unexcused reasons, and 26 percent were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 10 percent of the school year for either unexcused or excused reasons. The rates were higher in high schools and in the citys poorer wards. Traditional methods havent worked to change the tide, said Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer C. Niles. Doing what we normally do hasnt gotten us there, Niles said. So we want to ask the kids what they need from us and what do we need to change so that they want to go to school. That doesnt mean school needs to be candy and gum drops, Niles said, but it does mean a recognition that there are barriers that keep students from feeling that school is somewhere they want to be and where their time is best spent. Absenteeism is something we want the whole city to think about, she said. When you miss school, you miss what you need to know to learn the next thing. And so we need to overcome all the reasons that youre not in school. Allisen Borneo, 16, is heading into her junior year at Washington Metropolitan High School in Northwest Washington where she is an honor roll student. She knows lots of reasons her schoolmates regularly stay home. They have to take care of sick family members or they feel unsafe or they feel theyre not smart enough, Allisen said. And some kids miss a lot of school because they just choose to. School doesnt interest them. Allisen encourages her classmates to go to school, but that doesnt always work. She hopes that she and her fellow students will be able to think of ways, big and small, to keep students from skipping, including making classes more participatory and engaging, helping students feel safe at school and addressing issues of inadequacy and poverty that some of them face. Latonya Elliot, a D.C. police truancy officer who attended the workshop, playfully describes herself as a truant whisperer and says she can almost always persuade a student to return to school. But she regularly sees young people who dont want to go to school because their sneakers are old or their uniforms are showing wear and tear and they know theyll be teased. Poverty plays on their insecurities, she said. Its harder for them than people realize. The workshop was led by Caroline Hill and Michelle Molitor, who approach absenteeism as a result of long-standing inequity and entrenched poverty. Having young people play an active role in the process, they say, helps them become more invested in the results and in implementing the changes. The goal was for students to leave the session with a prototype for addressing the needs of chronically absent students. Those ideas could then be tried out at schools, and schools could share approaches that are successful. When students are part of the solution, school becomes a place they want to be, Hill said. Dunbar High is one of seven D.C. high schools that has underreported suspensions in the last two years, according to a Post investigation. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) Over the past seven years, city officials, teachers and attorneys for special-education students have repeatedly alerted D.C. Public Schools to cases of student suspensions that were not properly documented. And yet the problem has persisted. The Washington Post reported last week that in 2016 and 2017, several DCPS high schools barred students from class without recording them as suspended. In response, DCPS officials said they would examine data for those schools but were confident that others were following the rules. School officials also told The Post that they quickly address any allegations of such unreported suspensions. But critics question the diligence with which the school system has moved to address informal and thus hidden suspensions, even as it boasted a 40 percent decline in suspensions from 2014 to 2016. Some teachers and discipline-change advocates say that principals have sent children home without documentation because the principals evaluations depend in part on reducing suspensions. They also say that central office officials have turned a blind eye because the officials are also under pressure to show progress. Its concerning that in DCPS there are people in school buildings who are doing very destructive things for students, and central office doesnt seem to take a stance, said Patrice Wedderburn, a lawyer who represents a student repeatedly suspended in the last school year without proper documentation. DCPS has made a lot of sacrifices to try to achieve some very narrow gains, and it has come at the expense of children and families. Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson said Monday that he has asked for an independent audit to look further into this issue. We want all students to be in school every day, and to use suspensions only when absolutely necessary, Wilson said in a statement. I am proud of schools who have embraced restorative practices, and the nearly 40 percent reduction in suspensions that we have seen. In the past two years, at least seven high schools sent daily messages to staff listing students who had misbehaved and were not permitted to enter the building, according to emails The Post obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). [Some D.C. high schools are reporting only a fraction of suspensions] But attendance records show that a small fraction were recorded as suspensions. Some students barred from school were marked as present, while others were marked as attending an in-school activity or absent without an excuse. The Post limited its query to high schools to expedite the FOIA request. Asked about the findings, school officials initially said they saw no reason for a broader look at all 115 D.C. system schools. Then, in an apparent reversal, school officials told The Posts editorial board on Friday that they intend to conduct a complete audit. On Monday, they declined to share details about the extent of that audit. DCPS officials knew students were being sent home without documentation at least as early as 2010, according to documents The Post obtained. That year, a complaint registered with the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) which oversees compliance with special-ed law alleged that a student had been informally suspended, or sent home, without record of a suspension. Tameria J. Lewis, head of OSSEs special-education division at the time, substantiated that complaint, finding that DCPS had failed to keep accurate discipline and attendance records. On Dec. 30, 2010, Lewis wrote to DCPS that issuing informal suspensions to students with disabilities blatantly disregards protections they are afforded under federal law. She ordered DCPS to immediately cease informal suspensions, and she gave DCPS officials a deadline of April 29, 2011, to tell all schools that they must accurately track attendance and suspensions. An OSSE spokeswoman said Monday that DCPS complied with the order. But the problem did not stop. In 2012 and 2013, OSSE substantiated similar complaints from special-education students who said they had been repeatedly sent home without being suspended. In both cases, OSSE told DCPS the schools involved must accurately track suspensions. Repeatedly sending a child home is unacceptable because the student is likely to miss educational services to which they are entitled, Amy Maisterra, then OSSEs head of special education, wrote to DCPS in 2013. She added: The school must immediately cease the practice of informal, undocumented release or dismissal of students from school. OSSEs letters do not identify the schools involved to protect the privacy of the students. [ACLU, advocacy groups demand school officials investigate suspension practices] Maria Blaeuer, a special-education lawyer, said that since 2010 she has settled multiple due-process complaints with DCPS on behalf of students informally suspended from Kelly Miller Middle School. To have central office know that this is happening be aware of it, resolve cases and not doing anything about it was profoundly disappointing to me, Blaeuer said. DCPS touted Kelly Miller a Ward 7 school that serves primarily black and disadvantaged students as a turnaround success under the leadership of Abdullah Zaki II, who was named principal of the year in 2013. Under Zaki, test scores rose, truancy dropped from 30 percent to 1 percent, and suspensions fell by more than half, according to his citation for the award. Jason Harrison, who taught history at Kelly Miller in 2013-2014, suspected the numbers werent accurate. In July 2014, he shared his concern with a senior DCPS official: Jason Kamras, then chief of human capital. In an email to Kamras, Harrison wrote that Kelly Miller administrators instructed teachers not to take attendance on days when absences were traditionally high, such as before holidays or when the weather was particularly bad. In addition, Harrison wrote, students were often told that they couldnt return to school without a parent, or they were quietly told not to come to school and were given work packets. Its possible that there may have been documentation on those students who were told they couldnt return without a parent. But I dont think anything official was ever submitted about those students encouraged not to come to school, Harrison wrote. Kamras thanked Harrison for his note. I assure you we will explore this, Kamras wrote the teacher in August 2014. Kamras, who is now chief of instructional practice for DCPS, did not respond to email and voice messages on Monday. Officials said he was on vacation. [How The Washington Post examined D.C. school suspensions] In 2015, Zaki was named principal of Dunbar High. Once a top-flight public prep school for black students during the days of legal segregation, it continues to enroll almost exclusively black students. Many come from low-income families and struggle with chronic truancy and low academic performance. Dunbar underreported suspensions to a greater degree than any other high school in January 2017, The Post found. Just 7 percent of the days that its students were kept out of class for misbehavior were actually reported as suspensions, according to data The Post obtained. OSSE is investigating a complaint about Dunbars use of undocumented suspensions, according to Wedderburn, the lawyer representing a student repeatedly suspended without documentation last year. Johnnie Walker served as Dunbars attendance counselor until the end of the 2015-16 school year. He said he repeatedly clashed with Zaki over unreported suspensions. They just did away with documentation and arbitrarily sent the kid home, Walker said. Students sent home were often marked unexcused absent instead of suspended, Walker said. When they reached 15 unexcused absences, he was supposed to refer them to truancy court but he refused, he said, because he didnt think it was right. Zaki referred a request for comment to the DCPS communications office, which did not address questions about attendance and suspensions during his tenure at Dunbar and Kelly Miller. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) One of the undocumented immigrants who died in a stifling tractor-trailer here Saturday was a 19-year-old who grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from a Fairfax County high school before getting in trouble with the law and being deported to his native Guatemala, according to court records and government officials. He was sneaking back into the United States. Frank G. Fuentes was one of at least six Guatemalans packed into a poorly ventilated truck with scores of other migrants who had crossed the border illegally, said Cristy Andrino, the consul of Guatemala in McAllen, Tex. Frank G. Fuentes was born in Guatemala but lived most of his life in the United States before being deported in March. He was one of 10 undocumented immigrants killed in an overheated tractor-trailer on Saturday in Texas. (Family photo) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Fuentes had been brought to this country before his third birthday and was deported on March 2 after being convicted of assault and battery by a mob. He was suspected of having ties to Mara Salvatrucha, the deadly street gang also known as MS-13. The truck driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., has been charged with smuggling immigrants for financial gain resulting in death after the vehicle became dangerously overheated, killing 10 people and injuring 29 others in one of the worst cross-border smuggling disasters in recent history. In addition to Fuentes, Andrino said, two Guatemalans were taken from the truck for medical treatment: a 17-year-old male, who remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Tuesday; and a 23-year-old man, who is a witness and has been released and transferred to some form of protective custody. Theyre relieved that they survived, Andrino said. They didnt know the risks they were facing. The two told authorities that they crossed into the United States from Mexico through a desert zone near Laredo, Tex., the Guatemalan foreign ministry said, and boarded a truck that they expected to take them to Houston. Three other Guatemalans were also on the truck, in addition to Fuentes and the two others who were found alive, the statement said. Their whereabouts are unknown. Mexicos government said Wednesday that 34 of the 39 people taken off the truck were Mexican nationals, including seven of the dead, according to a preliminary review. Most are still hospitalized. Dozens of others on the truck fled or were driven away before authorities arrived. Fuentes, who presented himself on Facebook as an aspiring rap singer, died of heat exposure and asphyxiation, the Guatemalan government said. His Facebook page, which was tagged with condolence messages Tuesday, said that he graduated from J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County in 2015. He brought so much positivity to so many people, said Kelly Barrios-Mazariegos, who grew up with Fuentes and attended high school with him. Every time you would tell him there was a problem or something, he would giggle, and he would say we would figure it out. But online records from Fairfax County Circuit Court show that Fuentes pleaded guilty to simple assault and battery by a mob, and grand larceny/pickpocketing, in March 2016. That July, Fuentes was arrested by federal agents, ICE said in a statement. His deportation was ordered in February. When Barrios-Mazariegos last spoke to Fuentes on Snapchat a month ago, she said, he confided how much he was struggling in an unfamiliar country. Hes been here forever, she said. He doesnt know what Guatemala was. His home is here, his friends are here, his family is here. Barrios-Mazariegos has set up a GoFundMe page for Fuentess family. She said she hoped her friend, who loved skateboarding and music, would be remembered for more than his criminal record. We all make mistakes, she said. He wanted to be better for his family and his mom . . . thats all he cared about. ICE said Fuentes was suspected of being a member of MS-13, which has become reinvigorated in recent years as the number of young people crossing the border has surged. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fuentes had obtained a reprieve from deportation under an Obama-era program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. His permission to stay expired June 5, 2016. He applied to renew it but was discretionarily denied, based on a number of public safety concerns, the agency said. Another former classmate, Juan Benitez, said he and Fuentes grew up in the Culmore neighborhood and worked together at a Dominos. Fuentes later worked in construction and took classes at Northern Virginia Community College, Benitez said. The two young men would work on cars together and talked about making a career in cars. Benitez pushed back on the governments allegation that his friend was in a gang. Growing up where we grew up, it was just easier for the government to label him as a statistic and say that he was affiliated with a gang, said Benitez. Growing up in a rough neighborhood we stayed away from people like that. It was the only way to be safe. A cousin, Keller Adriano, who lives in Western Guatemala, said the family was devastated by the young mans death. May God keep you in his glory, Adriano wrote in Spanish on his cousins Facebook page. I know youll follow your career up there in heaven. A couple visits a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants in San Antonio. (Eric Gay/AP) Bradley pulled the truck into a Walmart parking lot late Saturday, according to charging documents. He told prosecutors he was unaware there were people in back until he heard banging and opened the doors. The tractor-trailer bore the name of Pyle Transportation, a Schaller, Iowa-based trucking company that has a history of legal trouble and unpaid taxes, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post. Owner Brian Pyle has said Bradley had worked with the company on and off for about five years. But Pyle said that he did not know what Bradley was hauling in the trailer on his latest Texas trip. The federal government charged in March 2015 that Pyle Transportation had avoided tax obligations. Though the family-owned company withheld federal tax payments from its employees, it did not send that money to the federal government, the court complaint says. It also failed to pay taxes for heavy highway vehicle use. Pyle Truck Lines faced felony charges in 2000 for falsifying a report or records to the secretary of transportation. A judge ordered the company to serve five years probation and pay $42,254 in restitution, according to federal court documents. Eldia Contreras wipes away a tear as she takes part in a vigil at San Fernando Cathedral, in San Antonio, for victims who died as a result of being transported in a tractor-trailer driven by James M. Bradley Jr. (Eric Gay/AP) Andrino, the Guatemalan consul, said the U.S. attorneys office, which is prosecuting Bradley, is considering offering at least some of his surviving passengers permission to stay in the United States. We hope that since theyre victims, theyll have some immigration relief, Andrino said. Theyre like any victims. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U visas are made available for victims of some crimes who can help law enforcement officials with their investigations or prosecutions. These visas are valid for four years and can be extended. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas declined to say whether the survivors would be allowed to stay. Two Mexican nationals appeared briefly in U.S. District Court on Tuesday afternoon, wearing arm and leg chains and identical blue jail scrubs. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney told the men through an interpreter that they were not charged with a crime but were being held as material witnesses in the case against Bradley. The men would be assigned lawyers and asked to give a video deposition in August, she said. Balingit and Nirappil reported from Washington. Mark Berman, Abigail Hauslohner and Julie Tate contributed to this report. Legislation to bring a $15 minimum wage to Montgomery County, vetoed in January by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), was reintroduced Tuesday by its chief council sponsor, setting the stage for an election-season debate over whether it would help or harm low-income workers. The revised bill, presented by Council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large), still calls for the hourly wage, currently $11.50, to reach $15 for most employers by 2020. But it attempts to address concerns raised by opponents of the original version by softening the impact for certain segments of the county economy. The legislation gives nonprofit organizations, adult day-care providers and companies with fewer than 26 employees until 2022 to comply. Beginning in 2023, the minimum would rise based on a consumer price index for urban workers. Elrich, one of three council incumbents running in the 2018 Democratic primary for county executive, acknowledged Tuesday that the bill is likely to undergo further changes. But he said the pernicious effects of low wages on children and families make a path to $15 an imperative for Marylands largest, and one of its wealthiest, jurisdictions. We need to get a bill and get it soon, said Elrich, who led passage of the councils 2013 law increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $11.50 over four years, part of an unusual regional effort that saw the District and Prince Georges County pass similar measures. New York state and city, California, Seattle and the District have all approved gradual increases to $15. At least three of Marylands 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary candidates, Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, State Sen Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) and former NAACP president Benjamin Jealous, have all expressed support for a $15 statewide minimum. But there is still no consensus among economists about the long-term effects of a higher minimum wage. If anything, the debate has grown more contentious. Last month, economists at the University of Washington found that when Seattles wage grew to $13 in 2016, low-income workers across all businesses lost an average of $125 a month because of reduced hours or job loss. A different study of Seattle restaurant workers by the University of California at Berkeley found that wages for low-income workers increased without any significant job loss. Leggett vetoed Elrichs first $15 proposal, which passed the council 5 to 4 one vote short of the supermajority needed for an override saying he was concerned about damaging the countys economic competitiveness. He left the door open to considering a revised bill, but commissioned PFM, a Philadelphia-based economic consulting group, to conduct a study of the potential impact on the county. That report is due as early as Friday. The Montgomery County Business Coalition called the council irresponsible for introducing the bill before release of the PFM report and on the eve of its six-week summer recess. The group asked that the bill be withdrawn and that any further action be postponed until the Montgomery County government study is released and the public has had time to review the findings. Elrich said the PFM study was nonsense because it was impossible to project the future impact of a wage increase. He was also critical of polling that the firm has conducted as part of the study, asking county employers about the potential effect of a wage increase. The exercise is certain to produce negative responses, Elrich said. I know they will project that this will cost jobs, Elrich said. Council member George Leventhal (D-At Large), a co-sponsor of the Elrich bill who is also running for county executive, lamented that the public discussion has been dominated by the impact of a wage increase on businesses. He put out a call to low-wage workers to step forward during upcoming hearings on the bill. Employers are very eager to weigh in, said Leventhal, who also supported the first version of the bill. Those who labor in the shadow of poverty unfortunately have not been ringing our bell. Elrich and Leventhal are joined by Council members Hans Riemer (D-At Large), Tom Hucker (D-Eastern County) and Nancy Navarro (D-Mid-County) in support of the bill. The four in opposition council President Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda) also a candidate for county executive Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), Sidney Katz (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville) and Craig Rice (D-Upcounty) have not ruled out saying yes to $15, but say they want to see the study first. Just 18,000 of Montgomery Countys more than 1 million residents live in Takoma Park, the famously liberal enclave in the southeast corner of Marylands largest jurisdiction. Yet for reasons that are not entirely clear, a full third of the nine-member County Council hails from there. That anomaly is one reason the countys Charter Review Commission is weighing whether to restructure the council for the first time in 27 years, potentially reducing the number of at-large seats on the council or eliminating them altogether. A lot of people have said theyre very upset that the current structure allows so many people from the same community to be elected, said Paul Bessel, a retired Montgomery County lawyer who chairs the commission. Some might say, Well thats just temporary. Well, it might be, but it might not be. In any case, its bad to have that as a possibility. Bessel said the commission is considering a wide range of options for the council, which makes laws and land-use decisions for the county and consists of five district representatives and four at-large seats three of which are currently held by people from Takoma Park. The two most likely proposals are shifting the councils framework to two at-large and seven district seats, or eliminating the at-large seats altogether and having nine district seats. A public hearing to solicit voter input is scheduled for October. Those who criticize the concentration of Takoma Park residents on the council say they tend to focus on issues most important to people living in the heavily populated parts of the county that border Washington, rather than those who live farther out. Robin Ficker, a Republican who is running for county executive and last year led a successful campaign to establish term limits in Montgomery, pointed to the councils support for construction of the light-rail Purple Line as one example of the body bending to the preferences of Takoma Park residents. Meanwhile, Ficker said, the county did little to successfully address heavy congestion along Interstate 270, which stretches farther out into the county. In general, Ficker said, having so many at-large seats means more representation on the council from the countys most densely populated areas, whose voters can crowd out the influence of people who live in rural areas and tend to lean more conservative. It was like that council district had four people on the council, Ficker said of District 5, which includes Takoma Park. They were elected countywide, but they did not have a countywide point of view. Elected officials from Takoma Park dont see it that way. If the city were significantly benefiting from the councils current makeup, said Mayor Kate Stewart, the city probably would have gotten farther on addressing issues such as tax duplication. Currently, residents pay annual property taxes to the county and city, without receiving a cut in county taxes for services already provided by Takoma Park. If we were going to get favorable treatment because we have County Council members living here, that issue would have been resolved, Stewart said. Council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large), who is running for county executive and would be prohibited from seeking another term on the council because of Fickers term-limits statute, called the Republicans criticism utterly bogus. This has never protected Takoma Park, Elrich said. Its a nice little myth that certain people like to foster, as if theres some Takoma Park conspiracy to run the universe. Still, Elrich said he favors adding more district seats on the council, so members could represent smaller areas. Political engagement in Takoma Park does not stop at the county level. Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D), elected to Congress last year after years as a state lawmaker, calls the city home, as does state Comptroller Peter Franchot (D). President Barack Obamas former chief of staff, Denis McDonough, as well as Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee and a former secretary of labor, are also longtime residents of the place nicknamed the Peoples Republic of Takoma. Ficker himself was born in Takoma Park, and he talks fondly about marching in its iconic Fourth of July parade. Recognized as one of the United States most liberal cities, Takoma Park allows noncitizens to vote in local elections if they have a green card and years ago declared itself a nuclear-free zone. Were a very active community, and so its not surprising to me that in a community where people want to not just talk about change but make change happen, that they do that locally, said Stewart, who was elected mayor in 2015. Raskin cited the annual parade as an example of Takoma Park being an old-fashioned American town with very traditional civic virtues. In addition to Elrich, the other at-large council members from Takoma Park are George L. Leventhal and Hans Riemer, both Democrats. Leventhal, like Elrich, is term-limited and running to succeed retiring County Executive Isiah Leggett (D). Riemer is seeking reelection in 2018. Seth Grimes, who served on the Takoma Park City Council from 2011 to 2015, also is seeking an at-large seat. Montgomery Countys reexamination of the number of at-large vs. district seats follows a related debate in Prince Georges County, which got rid of its at-large seats decades ago. In November, Prince Georges voters opted to return two at-large seats to the council, expanding the body to 11 members. Advocates for government reform pushed for the addition to discourage parochialism on the council. Following Octobers public hearing, the commission will have until April to submit a specific recommendation to the County Council. The council, in turn, will have the option of placing the proposal on the 2018 ballot. Any changes probably would take effect during the 2022 elections. Olive Yang at her familys home in Muse, Burma. She helped establish the shipping routes that have made Southeast Asias Golden Triangle the worlds second-largest source of illicit opium. ( Gabrielle Paluch ) As a young girl, she hid a revolver in her school bag, frightening classmates at an elite Christian academy in northern Burma. By her early 20s, she carried her weapons more brazenly, packing a pair of Belgian army pistols on her hips while commanding an army of 1,000 men. Her status, coming from a family that had long controlled the opium-rich hills of Burmas remote Kokang region, was comparable to that of a European princess. Yet Olive Yang, who for decades used the English name she adopted at school, wanted no part of the aristocrats life. Faced with an arranged marriage to a younger cousin, Ms. Yang bore a child, left her newborn with a wet nurse and fled into the jungle, where she and a militia known as Olives boys developed shipping routes that have helped make Southeast Asias Golden Triangle the worlds second-largest source of illicit opium. Ms. Yang, who died July 13 at 90, was for four decades a leading power broker in a region the size of Luxembourg, and a singular figure in modern Burmese history whose ferocity in business was matched by a fearless defiance of gender norms. She cut her hair short and expressed a preference for mens clothing, according to relatives, and was photographed in the late 1950s wearing the same uniform as the men she led. In Burma, also known as Myanmar, she acquired the name Miss Hairy Legs. By the end of her life, she said she preferred a different moniker: Uncle Olive. Ms. Yang, front and center with cigarette in hand, with some of the soldiers she commanded in the late 1950s. (Courtesy of the Yang family ) Ms. Yang described herself as a lesbian, said Gabrielle Paluch, a journalist who is working on a book about the warlord, and with mixed success struck up relationships with two prominent Burmese actresses, showering them with gifts of Kokang tea, fabric and bacon from her familys pigs. She was an extraordinary person, with an extraordinary personality, said Bertil Lintner, a Swedish reporter whose 2009 book Merchants of Madness, co-written with Michael Black, chronicled Ms. Yangs instrumental role in establishing the Golden Triangle drug trade. Very few women in Burma could have done what she did. To have her own army? That was extraordinary in those days. She wasnt necessarily admired, but was at least respected. Ms. Yang entered the opium business in the early 1950s, when the drug trade was being expanded by members of an anti-communist unit known as Chinas Lost Army. The troops were part of the Kuomintangs Nationalist Army, which had largely retreated to Taiwan after being defeated by Mao Zedongs forces in 1949. The troops that remained on the mainland, settling in the jungles of the Burma-Thailand-China border, led periodic attacks on the Chinese army, funding their efforts through opium sales. We have to continue to fight the evil of communism, and to fight you must have an army, and an army must have guns, and to buy guns you must have money, the Kuomintang military leader Duan Xiwen once explained. In these mountains, the only money is opium. Ms. Yang, whose older brother Edward ruled the region from 1949 to 1959, had the political connections and local clout to serve as one of the regions first major drug traffickers. According to Lintner, she was the first person to use trucks, not mules, to ferry opium from the Burmese highlands to the Thai border, where heroin and other drugs were taken by sea to Hong Kong and distributed to markets around the world. Ms. Yang was aided at times by the CIA, which supported the Kuomintangs long-shot efforts to overthrow the communist government in China by airlifting weapons to troops along the Thai border. She benefited from at least one of those weapons drops in 1952, according to a complaint that the Burmese government filed with the United Nations. That same year, Ms. Yang was arrested by the Burmese government for supporting the Kuomintang and sentenced to prison in Mandalay for five years. She served another drug-related sentence in 1963, after the military commander Ne Win came to power in a coup, and on both occasions was said to have endured torture and sexual abuse. By the time she was released in 1968, the Kuomintang had been largely forced out of Burma, dislodged by a joint China-Burma military operation, and Ms. Yang had been supplanted by one of her lieutenants, Lo Hsing Han. It was Lo, not Ms. Yang, who achieved the greatest notoriety in the realm of Golden Triangle drug smuggling. He was considered one of Burmas richest men at the time of his death in 2013. While Ms. Yang was still in power, however, Lo the man President Richard M. Nixon once called the kingpin of the heroin traffic in Southeast Asia was a mere lackey. His main job, according to accounts by Lintner and journalist Andrew Cockburn, was to carry a jar of cigarettes for Ms. Yang. She was born Yang Kyin Hsui in 1927, to an ethnic Chinese family that, by some accounts, had exerted a political influence in Kokang since the late 18th century. The family was uprooted during World War II, when Japan invaded Burma and Ms. Yangs father threw his support to Britain, Burmas colonial overlord. A teenage Ms. Yang fled to China, while around that time one of her 10 siblings joined up with the Chinese Nationalist Army, providing Ms. Yang with an inside connection to its officers. She attended the Guardian Angels Convent in Lashio before being forced into a marriage with her cousin. A sister, Judy Yang, told Paluch in 2015: She didnt want to be married to him, she didnt want to have sex with him, and she didnt want to be a mother. Ms. Yang soon carved out a life of her own. In the 1960s she pursued Louisa Benson Craig, an actress and beauty queen who later became the leader of an ethnic army in eastern Burma, according to Craigs daughter, novelist Charmaine Craig. Ms. Yang eventually yielded to another suitor her brother Kenneth and began a romantic relationship with the actress Wah Wah Win Shwe. The couple made headlines in Burma, with Ms. Yang placing Win Shwes name on the deed of a house in Rangoon, but Win Shwe later insisted that they were merely friends. Ms. Yang remained little known in recent decades, but reappeared in 1989 when she helped the government negotiate a cease-fire with ethnic rebel groups in Kokang, as part of a conflict that has been called the worlds longest-running civil war. Her death was confirmed by a younger sister, Jane Nuwadee Tinpe of Washington, who said that Ms. Yang died in the frontier town of Muse but that she did not know the exact cause. Additional survivors include Ms. Yangs son, whom she named Jeep (sometimes spelled Jipu) after the American vehicles she saw in Kunming, China, during World War II; and a second sister, Judy Win Kyi of Rangoon. Tinpe, who came to the United States in the 1980s and for many years ran the Washington restaurant Burma, said that Ms. Yang was before her time. Photos provided by her son, John Tinpe, showed Ms. Yang lying in state in a glass-enclosed coffin in Muse, guarded by what appeared to be members of a local militia. THE DISTRICT Second arrest in 2016 fatal shooting A second D.C. man has been arrested in a fatal shooting in Southeast Washington last year, police said. About 2:50 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2016, officers responded to the report of a shooting in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, D.C. police said in a statement. They found Demetrius Medlay, 22, of Southeast, shot. He died at a hospital, the statement said. On Aug. 23, 24-year-old Kevin Grover of Southeast was charged with first-degree felony murder while armed in connection with the shooting, police said. On Friday, 18-year-old Justin Robinson of Southeast was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder while armed in connection with the shooting, according to police. Justin Wm. Moyer Officer discharges weapon in D.C. A U.S. Secret Service officer accidentally discharged a weapon in Washington on Tuesday, authorities said. About 4 p.m., an officer assigned to the Secret Services Washington field office was involved in an accidental discharge of a weapon while on duty, a Secret Service spokesman wrote in an email. The officer, who was not named, was transported to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, the email said, and no one else was injured. Information about the location where the weapon was discharged was not immediately available. No one under Secret Service protection was nearby at the time the weapon was discharged, and there was no property damage, according to the email. The incident was referred to the Secret Services Office of Professional Responsibility for review, the spokesman said. Justin Wm. Moyer Suspect arrested in wounding of child D.C. police on Monday night arrested a second suspect who was being sought in the shooting of a 1-year-old boy on July 10 in Northeast Washington. Aluwatoyin Washington Sulu, 27, of Southeast, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police had been searching for him since a few days after the shooting that occurred about 9 p.m. in the 1300 block of I Street NE. Last week, police arrested Derrick Damon Watson, 39, of Northeast, who was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. A third person who police have not yet identified is being sought. Police said the child was shot in his right upper buttocks, his right thigh and the right side of his hip, apparently by a stray bullet fired during a gun battle that authorities think started with an argument over a dice game. The child was treated at a hospital and was home the next day. Peter Hermann MARYLAND Victim identified in wrong-way crash Police have identified one of two men killed in a wrong-way crash in Fort Washington on Friday as Robert Peterson Sr., 48, of Waldorf. Peterson was traveling south on Indian Head Highway when a car being driven in the wrong direction struck him head-on about 2:35 a.m. near Livingston Road, according to Prince Georges County police. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Police are working to identify the second driver and to determine why he was traveling north on a southbound road. Lynh Bui County: Purple Line OK on county-owned land Montgomery County granted legal permission Tuesday for the Maryland Transit Administration to build and operate a light-rail Purple Line on county-owned land. The state recently won a major court victory that allowed it to begin building the 16-mile rail line between Montgomery and Prince Georges counties while a lawsuit opposing the proposal continues. However, Maryland officials have said they wont start construction until, or unless, the state secures $900 million in recommended federal grants for the more than $2 billion project. The county councils staff recommended that the panel approve the agreement before its seven-week summer break. The timing of the vote signals that state officials are moving quickly to get the project ready for construction, perhaps as early as September, depending on when, or if, the federal funding is approved. The 70-year franchise agreement allows the state to build, operate and maintain parts of the light-rail line on county-owned property. Guns line the walls of the firearms reference collection at the Washington Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press) A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked the District from enforcing strict limits on carrying concealed firearms in public, restrictions that police officials have said are necessary to promote public safety in the nations capital. In a 2-to-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the Districts system, which requires a good reason to obtain a permit, is akin to an outright ban in violation of the Second Amendment. The good-reason law is necessarily a total ban on most D.C. residents right to carry a gun in the face of ordinary self-defense needs, wrote Judge Thomas B. Griffith, who was joined by Judge Stephen F. Williams. Bans on the ability of most citizens to exercise an enumerated right would have to flunk any judicial test. The courts rejection of the Districts permitting system is the latest legal blow for city officials who have been forced to rewrite gun-control regulations ever since the Supreme Court in 2008 used a D.C. case to declare a Second Amendment right to gun ownership. The ruling follows proposals from Republican members of Congress that would require the District to honor concealed-carry permits from other states in the wake of a June shooting at a GOP congressional baseball practice. [GOP congressman wants his colleagues to be able to carry guns everywhere] D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said his office is considering whether to ask the full D.C. Circuit to review Tuesdays decision by a three-judge panel and is committed to fighting for common-sense gun rules. Griffiths opinion is at odds with rulings from other circuit courts in finding that the Second Amendment guarantees someones right to carry firearms beyond the home for self-defense even in densely populated areas, even for those lacking self-defense needs. The point of the Amendment isnt to ensure that some guns would find their way into D.C., but that guns would be available to each responsible citizen as a rule, Griffith wrote. Griffith, a nominee of President George W. Bush, was part of the courts majority in 2007 that overturned the Districts decades-old ban on handguns. In her dissent Tuesday, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote that the Districts regulation passes muster because of the citys unique security challenges as the capital and because it does not affect the right to keep a firearm at home. The court, she wrote, should defer to District officials, including former police chief Cathy L. Lanier, who have backed the permitting system as a way to prevent crime. The ruling from the three-judge panel gives city officials 30 days to decide whether to appeal for review by a full complement of D.C. Circuit judges. If the court does not agree to revisit the case, the order to permanently block enforcement of the good reason requirement would take effect seven days later. Adam Winkler, a University of California at Los Angeles law professor who has written extensively on the Second Amendment, said he expects the full D.C. Circuit will put Tuesdays decision on hold. Given the importance of this issue and the prospect that so many of the judges on the D.C. court might not want guns on their streets, they are likely to take this case, Winkler said. [Appeals court questions D.C.s restrictions on concealed carry of firearms] Residents who want a permit to carry a concealed firearm in the District must show that they have good reason to fear injury or a proper reason, such as transporting valuables. The regulations specify that living or working in a high crime area shall not by itself qualify as a good reason to carry. As of July 15, D.C. police had approved 126 concealed-carry licenses and denied 417 applicants, according to the police department. The Districts concealed-carry rules are similar to those in New Jersey, New York, Maryland and some jurisdictions in California. The Supreme Court has turned down attempts to challenge decisions by other circuit courts that upheld similar concealed-carry restrictions in Maryland and New Jersey. In June, the high court also declined to review a California concealed-carry law. In that case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said the Second Amendment does not protect the right to carry a concealed weapon in public. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, however, said the court should have accepted the California case. Clark Neily of the Cato Institute, and one of the lawyers in the earlier challenge to D.C.s handgun ban, praised the D.C. Circuit ruling Tuesday as thoroughly researched and carefully reasoned and said it would make an ideal vehicle for the Supreme Court to finally decide whether the Second Amendment applies outside the home. At oral arguments in September, the D.C. Circuit was reviewing two challenges to the citys law that resulted in conflicting opinions and was asked to decide whether the citys permitting restrictions could remain in place while the broader challenge to the law is litigated. District officials told the court the restrictions are necessary in a city that struggles with gun violence and faces heightened security challenges because of the number of federal government buildings and public officials. The challenges were brought by gun owners and gun rights groups, including the Second Amendment Foundation and the Pink Pistols. Backed by Republican attorneys general from more than a dozen states, they told the court the Districts system is unconstitutional because the typical law-abiding citizen cannot obtain a permit. Robert Barnes and Peter Hermann contributed to this report. Delano Wingfield, left, and Leon Young, right, were killed in 2014. (Courtesy of U.S. attorney's office) A District man was convicted Tuesday of killing two of his roommates, burying one victims body in the back yard of the home they had shared and hiding the others in the attic. A D.C. Superior Court jury deliberated a little over a day before finding Jeffrey Neal, 24, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. The victims, Delano Wingfield and Leon Young, had been high school friends with Neal and later shared a home with him in Northwest Washington. Prosecutors said that they dont know what sparked the brutal attacks but that Neal, whose family owned the rental home in the Shaw neighborhood, had grown increasingly angry about unpaid rent and overdue bills. Prosecutors think that Wingfield, 23, was killed about May 26 or May 27, 2014, and buried in a shallow grave. Young, 22, was killed about two weeks later, his body tucked in the attic of the house. Both men were beaten with hammers. Neal showed no reaction as the verdicts were read. His father, sitting in the gallery, burst into tears. Members of the victims families held hands and sat quietly. Jeffrey Neal, 24, was convicted in D.C. Superior Court in the slaying of two of his roommates in 2014. (Courtesy of attorney Kevin McCants) During the three-week trial, Neals attorneys Michael Madden and Kevin McCants said their client killed one of the men in self-defense and had nothing to do with the other slaying. The defense argued that Neal, Young and Wingfield were in a heated sexual relationship that few people knew about. The attorneys said that the relationship exploded violently and that Young killed Wingfield in a jealous rage and then tried to kill Neal. Their client, the attorneys argued, fought back. But in her closing argument Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton played down any sexual relationship among the three men and instead described a house that brewed with tension over nonpayments of rent and utility bills. Fulton described the two-story rowhouse as Peter Pans Neverland where the young men played video games, smoked marijuana, rode their skateboards and discussed Japanese animation all day and night. But the stress of adulthood, juggling jobs and bills, quickly overtook their lives of fun and leisure as they struggled to keep the utilities on and pay rent. The house, in the 1800 block of Eighth Street NW, was owned by Neals grandmother. After Neal graduated from high school, he invited three of his best high school friends the group referred to itself as the Wolfpack to move in between 2011 and 2012. Each agreed to pay as much as $500 a month in rent plus utilities. In June 2014, relatives doing work at the house noticed a bad smell, and the bodies were found. The fourth roommate had moved out months earlier. During trial, prosecutors called about 40 witnesses and showed nearly 400 exhibits, including graphic autopsy photos that several jurors turned away from. Neal often sat with a slight smile on his face. That smile often broadened when former roommates or friends took the witness stand to testify against him for the prosecution. After his arrest, Neal told homicide detective Jeff Weber and other investigators that Young had admitted to killing Wingfield. He said Young, who had been hospitalized multiple times for mental illness, came at him with a knife during an argument. Neal said he struck Young one or twice with a hammer, killing him. But prosecutors noted that an autopsy showed that Young was struck more than 26 times with a hammer and the majority of the strikes were in the back of Youngs head. It was as if Young was lying down or even asleep when he was attacked, Fulton argued in court. Prosecutors say Neal killed Young out of rage that had nothing to do with self-defense. And they said it may never be clear exactly what led to his final argument with Wingfield. We dont know how the fight between him and Delano started, but we know how it ended, Fulton told the jury in her closing argument. Prosecutors said Wingfield was also killed with multiple blows to the head with a hammer. And crime scene officers also found Wingfields blood spattered on the ceiling and walls of Neals bedroom. Outside the courtroom, McCants continued to defend his client. The government was overly aggressive because two young men were dead, he said. But Jeffrey Neal is not a murderer. He was defending himself. Neal is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Robert E. Morin on Oct. 20 and faces a sentence of 60 years to life. The jury found that both victims were killed under heinous, cruel or atrocious circumstances, allowing prosecutors to seek a harsher punishment. D.C. police on Monday night arrested a second suspect who was being sought in the shooting of a 1-year-old boy on July 10 in Northeast Washington. Aluwatoyin Washington Sulu, 27, of Southeast, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police had been searching for him since a few days after the shooting that occurred about 9 p.m. in the 1300 block of I Street NE. Last week, police arrested Derrick Damon Watson, 39, of Northeast, who was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. A third person who police have not yet identified is being sought. [Police arrest suspect in shooting of 1 year old] Police said the child was shot in his right upper buttocks, his right thigh and the right side of his hip, apparently by a stray bullet fired during a gun battle that authorities believe started with an argument over a dice game. Aluwatoyin Washington Sulu (Courtesy of D.C. Police) The child was treated at a hospital and was back home the next day. Police said Christal A. Lundy, a child care program director, was responsible for allegedly leaving a sleeping 2-year-old boy alone in a stroller at a mall's food court in Woodbridge, Va. The boy was not hurt. (Courtesy of Prince William County Police) A child care worker has been charged with felony child neglect after she allegedly left a toddler alone as he slept in a stroller at the food court of a large mall in Virginia. The incident happened July 17 just before 2 p.m., when security at Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge told local police that the 2-year-old boy was found alone, according to the Prince William County Police. Just before 3 p.m., caretakers at Ebenezer Christian Academy on Telegraph Road in Woodbridge noticed the boy was missing and came back to the mall to look for him. The programs director Christal Anita Lundy, 38, of Woodbridge who had been accused of leaving the boy at the mall, later turned herself into police without incident. She was charged with felony child neglect and was released on a $5,000 bond. Police said they released the boy into the custody of a family member. He was not injured. Calls and emails to the academy and Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the child care program, were not immediately returned. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia) The call shattered the calm at the switchboard of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. This is Victor Avila from ICE! We are shot! We are shot! a man screamed. We are at a highway in Mexico; weve been shot and attacked on the highway! It was shortly after 2 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2011, and Avilas partner, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent Jaime J. Zapata, lay dying in the drivers seat of their armored, State Department-issued SUV. The blue Chevrolet Suburban was under attack by the Los Zetas drug cartels hit men. Jaime! Look at me, stay awake. Please dont die, Avila pleaded in vain. The death of Zapata, the first U.S. law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in Mexico since 1985, drew widespread attention at the time. But only now, in a federal courtroom in Washington, are the agonizing details emerging from Avila, the agent who survived, in his first public account. The shooting of Zapata, 32, happened as deaths tied to drug violence in Mexico reached an all-time peak and marked a watershed in Mexicos war against the cartels, contributing to increased U.S. sanctions and aid that helped speed the downfall of Los Zetas, once the countrys most sophisticated and violent drug organization. Six years later, the trial of the last of his accused killers, which could go to a jury Wednesday, comes as cartel-related homicides are surging again, putting pressure on Mexican leaders to reduce the violence at a time when extraditions are emerging as a test of the U.S.-Mexico security partnership. The accused The two now at the defense table are Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, 35, known as Safado, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Pina, 29, known as Loco. They are the last of a set of nine men connected to the ambush identified by federal prosecutors. With assistance from Mexican authorities, five others were extradited and pleaded guilty earlier in the United States, including one who was not present as two carloads of attackers rolled down that highway but was captured later with the weapons. Two others died in Mexico. Garcia Sota and Quezada Pina have pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and firearms counts after being extradited to the United States in 2015 and 2016. Their lawyers argue that no physical evidence ties them to the shooting and that they are being linked only by the sometimes conflicting accusations of former squadmates who pleaded guilty and are cooperating to avoid life without parole in U.S. prisons when they are sentenced. [U.S. anti-drug agents shot in roadside attack in Mexico; one dead] Robert A. Feitel, Garcia Sotas court-appointed attorney, told jurors that Mexican federal police never asked Avila whom Mexican police have said was in shock and in no condition to talk to describe who or what vehicles attacked him, leaving the case to hinge on the word of Zeta against Zeta. They have every reason in the world and every reason in their lives to lie, Feitel said. The two men on trial were expendable and given up to protect someone else higher in the cartel, said Quezada Pinas lawyer, Elita C. Amato. A 12-person jury is expected to receive the case this week before U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth. The armored, State Department-issued vehicle driven by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Jaime J. Zapata and Victor Avila. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia) The path to trial began within days of the ambush. On Feb. 23, 2011, Mexican forces raided a home in San Luis Potosi in the north-central part of the country, capturing six men and six weapons in arrests announced by Mexicos president. U.S. law enforcement experts matched three of the recovered military-style, AK-47 and AR-15 semiautomatic rifles to some of the 90 shell casings and bullet fragments recovered from the scene on Federal Highway 57, one of Mexicos busiest roads, about 200 miles north of Mexico City. One of those captured, Julian Zapata Espinoza, 37, called El Piolin, or Tweety Bird, confessed in the District in 2013 to leading a pair of four-man hit squads. ICE Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia) In his plea and again on the witness stand, he testified that Zapata was the victim of a botched carjacking and that his men wanted the SUV, not the agents. He pointed out two defendants, saying that they were part of the hit squads. He has a red tie and right now hes fat, he told jurors through an interpreter, identifying Garcia Sota as the second squad commander who sat at a table next to Quezada Pina. Over the two-week trial, testimony in Spanish and English has traced a litany of errors, mishaps and coincidences that day. [Calderon says Mexico has caught main suspect in U.S. agents killing] On the stand, Espinoza cited a standing Zetas order to steal vehicles to replace ones lost in a barbaric war with a rival cartel. He was trying do just that, he testified, when he ordered his and Garcia Sotas team, in a Dodge Ram truck and a GMC Yukon SUV, to box in the ICE agents and force them off the road. Espinoza said he did not recognize the Chevy Suburbans diplomatic plates or understand Avilas shouts that they were with the U.S. Embassy and were internationally protected diplomats. What happened when the agents $160,000 armored Suburban was brought to a halt blocked by the hit squads was stunning. The SUV was built to withstand high-velocity gunfire, grenades and land mines. Yet it also came with a consumer convenience: When put in park, its doors unlocked automatically, a flaw previously unaddressed by the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security worldwide. When Espinoza yanked the handle, the heavy door on the drivers side creaked open. I think we were all surprised, the surviving agent, Avila, testified as he spoke publicly for the first time about the assault. The shock all around gave Zapata time to pull shut his door. But Zapata was surrounded at gunpoint, confused and perhaps fumbling to relock the doors, Avila testified; the bulletproof window near him somehow lowered two inches. They stuck in two barrels, two guns, an AR-15 rifle and a handgun, right here, Avila told the jury, holding one hand in front of his head and the other inches from his right temple. The attackers kept telling the agents to open the door, he said. At that moment, they opened fire. [Armored SUV could not protect U.S. agents in Mexico] The attack The bullets struck Zapata immediately. I could see it leave a mark in his chest. Jaime said, Im hit. Im shot, Avila testified. Six bullets pierced Zapata, including one that cut the femoral artery of his left leg. Avila, crouching, was shot in the thigh and ankle and grazed by two other bullets. I got my left hand on the barrel of the handgun, trying to push it out [the window.] It burned my hand, Avila said. I remember the smell of the gunpowder. Avila was able to raise the window and call the embassy. By chance, Avilas wife was working there that day as a contractor handling background interviews. Victors wife had come out of her office, and she heard it, testified Special Agent Jason Kephart, who answered the call and made out Avilas words through what he thought was static. Then, Kephart said, he realized what he was hearing: Gunfire hitting the armored vehicle. I realize theyre in their car. Theyre trapped. ICE Special Agent Victor Avila (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia) I need you to drive. I need you to move him, Kephart said he told Avila, who answered, I cant. Hes too slippery. I cant move him. Kephart said Avila went on: I cant find the place to put pressure. . . . Hes dying. Zapata was still in the drivers seat. Avila pushed Zapatas leg down on the accelerator, escaping the snare of the attackers by crashing through a truck blocking them from the front, Avila testified. The agents Suburban bounded across lanes and stalled in a median. The cartel made one more pass, spraying the windshield but not piercing the armored exterior. Only then, Avila told a hushed courtroom, did the shooters leave. The aftermath While they wait for the last of the criminal verdicts, the agents families also have gone to civil court. They have been rebuffed by a federal judge in Texas over their suit seeking $75 million in damages from the government. The judge said that the families did not have enough evidence and events did not rise to the extreme levels needed to overcome the governments immunity. But the judge also said that the family could persist in court trying to seek more information in the face of what they deem stonewalling. The families have asked why the agents were sent on a days notice, without an escort, up a notorious highway where gangs were known to roam, in a Suburban whose doors automatically unlocked, to retrieve sensitive electronic equipment from other ICE agents that could have been moved in other ways. The Zapata and Avila families have made many sacrifices in the service of this country, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, of Brownsville, Tex., wrote in July 2015. The Zapatas still do not know the full story regarding how and why their son died, nor does Agent Avila have the full story about what led to his injuries. Congress has also pressed for answers during inquiries into the botched Fast and Furious anti-gun smuggling operation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in which the agency lost track of hundreds of firearms it was supposed to be monitoring after allowing straw buyers to traffic them into Mexico. In March, the Justice Departments inspector general found that two of the weapons used in Zapatas killing were trafficked by suspects whom ATF in Dallas had under surveillance but hadnt arrested. As the criminal trial moves toward a close for the last of the suspects brought to the United States, some former U.S. officials hope it will not be the last major prosecution of Zetas. Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, known as Z-40 and the reported leader of Los Zetas, has been suspected in the ambush of the ICE agents and other Americans, and is under indictment in the District, New York City and Texas. Michael S. Vigil, former chief of international operations at the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the trial could boost pressure to extradite the reputed boss, who was captured in 2013 and is held in Mexico. Jaime loved his job. He loved investigations, his mother, Mary Zapata, told the jury. At 66, she still lives in Brownsville, where Jaime was born and raised. Two more of her sons also work for the Department of Homeland Security, one as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer and the other as an ICE contractor. Jaime was nine days into a temporary embassy assignment for which the ambitious young agent had volunteered, his mother testified. And on the day they last spoke, he reassured her: He said he would be traveling in an armored vehicle, so he would be safe. One of the more powerful tornadoes in the Washington region in recent years lifted roofs, toppled trees and chewed up buildings in Maryland early Monday near the eastern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The twister, which touched down in Queen Annes County about 1:30 a.m., was rated EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale of tornado intensity and had an estimated top wind speed of 125 mph, according to the National Weather Service. No fatalities were reported. One person was injured when he was punctured by debris, said the Mount Holly, N.J., office of the Weather Service. Its territory includes parts of the Eastern Shore. In chronicling the history of the storm, the Weather Service said a waterspout developed over the bay between Annapolis and Stevensville, Md., just south of the Bay Bridge. It moved ashore in the Bay City area of Kent Island and headed northeast, lifting in Stevensville after about four destructive minutes, leaving a two-mile track of debris reminiscent of a combat zone. In a preliminary account, confirming that a twister had touched down, the Weather Service said the storm lifted the upper floors and roofs off several wood-framed townhouses. Along the track, which was about 150 yards wide at points, the storm also took roofs from other houses or damaged them in other ways. On one street, a deck lay on a lawn. A railing dangled from another deck, and two-by-fours seemed to be scattered everywhere. A business was destroyed, and gas leaks were reported along with a house fire, the Weather Service said. Huge trees came down, some of them engulfing houses in a curtain of leaves. Globs of insulation lay on streets and lawns. Power lines dangled and fell. Delmarva Power said late Monday that about 1,300 homes and businesses remained without electricity. Full restoration was expected by Tuesday, officials said. Tornadoes are not rare in the Washington region, but few are as strong as Mondays was. A category 3 twister caused two deaths and 55 injuries in Prince Georges County in 2001, according to the Tornado Project website. A rare category 4 devastated La Plata in Charles County in 2002, causing three deaths and 122 injuries. The tornado was spawned near the close of a sultry, stormy weekend that brought Washington its rainiest two days in the past two years. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, left, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, during their first debate in Hot Springs, Va., on July 22. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) The Republican and the Democrat running for Virginia governor each picked up seven-figure campaign contributions from national groups after their first debate. Not 30 minutes after Ed Gillespie and Ralph Northam stepped off the debate stage Saturday, the Republican Governors Association announced it would plow $2 million into Gillespies campaign on top of a previous $1 million donation. And on Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee said it would give $1.5 million to Northam, the states lieutenant governor. The DNC also dispatched three top staffers to Virginia to work with his campaign. That help is on top of the $1 million the Democratic Governors Association gave the day after the primary. Also Tuesday, Gillespie announced that he will launch statewide TV ads the first of the general election. The race for Virginia governor is the countrys marquee statewide contest this year, and it is expected to draw national money and attention until the November election. Both parties are viewing the contest as a referendum on President Trump that could also presage the outcome of the 2018 midterms. A recent Monmouth University poll of likely voters found Northam and Gillespie tied, at 44 percent each. They are vying to succeed Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a popular Democrat who is prohibited by law from seeking a consecutive term. [Dead heat in Va. governors race] The RGA called its $2 million donation to Gillespie a response to the impressive leadership he demonstrated in the debate. [In their first debate, Northam and Gillespie tangle over Trump] Virginia is a top pickup opportunity for Republicans and the RGA is proud to partner with Gillespies campaign as an early investor, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, chairman of the RGA, said in a written statement. With this additional major investment, the RGA is proving once again that we are all-in to ensure Ed has the resources to win in November. The DNC put its donation to Northam, first reported by NBC News, in similar terms. The DNC is all-in in Virginia, Chairman Tom Perez said in written statement. We are training organizers, doubling our boots on the ground, and making significant investments in our digital and data operations that will help lift Democrats to victory up and down the state ballot. Perez dispatched his chief of staff, Sam Cornale, to work with Northams campaign, along with the DNCs political and organizing director, Amanda Brown Lierman, and political adviser Ramsey Reid. Some Republicans suggested the DNC was sending staff because of perceived weakness in Northams organization. Northam spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel pushed back against that notion. The momentum in the race has been and remains with Dr. Ralph Northam, who has outraised, outdebated, and outclassed Ed Gillespie in every head to head contest, Yheskel said in an email. The RGA has propped Ed Gillespies campaign up with $3 million since his near upset to a neo-confederate in the primary. No matter how hard Republicans try to spin, Democrats quickly united in the Virginia governors race and the DNCs investment of staff and resources are [a] reflection of that coordination. Northam raised $9.4 million for the governors race by June 30 compared with $6.7 million for Gillespie. Northam spent all but $1.75 million fighting off former congressman Tom Perriello in the Democratic primary, which Northam won by 12 points. Gillespie, widely expected to coast to victory in his three-way primary, spent relatively little but barely eked out a victory over Trump acolyte Corey Stewart, who focused his campaign on the preservation of Confederate monuments. Starting Wednesday, Gillespie will air three ads statewide, according to his campaign, which declined to comment on the duration or dollar value of the ad buys. One of the ads touts his plan to improve the economy by cutting taxes, spending and red tape. The others highlight Gillespies humble roots. In one, American Dream, he recalls his Irish-immigrant grandfather, who worked as a janitor. The other, Odd Jobs, is a more lighthearted take that shows him juggling plates of food, pouring beer and deftly backing into a cluttered garage. I learned a lot in college, like how to carry four plates in two hands, how to properly serve a beer, and I learned how to park large cars in small spaces, he says. I know about working hard to get ahead. But today, too many Virginians are working hard and feeling stuck. I know we can do better, and as governor, Ill make sure we do. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) The people packed into the sweltering tractor-trailer needed air. They banged on the walls for help, but the vehicle kept going. Trapped with as many as 200 people in the pitch-black trailer, they took turns breathing through a hole in the side. Some just passed out. They had been tagged with colored tape, allowing the smugglers to more easily sort them at the journeys end who would be handed off to which awaiting vehicle. The account laid out in a federal court filing Monday came from men who chronicled their harrowing journeys to a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio. Some had traveled hundreds of miles from central Mexico. Prosecutors charged the trucks driver James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60 with smuggling immigrants for financial gain resulting in death, a charge that could carry the death penalty because it resulted in people dying while in transit. At least eight migrants perished inside the trailer; two others died later. Dozens of others remain in seven area hospitals, some with critical injuries. All of the dead or injured were undocumented, federal authorities said. Its unknown what happened to the scores of others who the migrants told investigators had been in the trailer with them. Before the truck was found in the Walmart parking lot here, some travelers had spent days held in a house near the border with Mexico. Some were told to pay thousands of dollars to a group linked to a deadly Mexican drug cartel for safe passage across the Rio Grande. Bradley told authorities he was unaware of the trailers cargo and was surprised when he realized people had been trapped inside. The trucks discovery revealed the groups horrifying journey to the United States at a time when immigration arrests have spiked under President Trump and illegal border crossings have plummeted, according to federal officials. The case also highlighted the extreme dangers people face as they try to enter the country. [Read the federal criminal complaint] To maximize their criminal profits, these human smugglers crammed more than 100 people into a tractor trailer in the stifling Texas summer heat, Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a statement Monday. Our ICE agents and officers, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will pursue these smugglers and bring them to justice. San Antonio police officers investigate the scene where eight people were found dead in a tractor-trailer loaded with immigrants outside a Walmart store in stifling summer heat in what police are calling a horrific human trafficking case. (Eric Gay/AP) Based on preliminary information from its consulate in San Antonio, Mexicos Foreign Ministry confirmed late Monday that 25 of 39 victims were Mexican nationals. Of the 10 dead, four were Mexican. Of the 29 who remained hospitalized, 21 are Mexican, two are nationals of another country, and the nationalities of six remain unknown. The Salvadoran consulate in McAllen, Tex., said that so far, none of the victims are from El Salvador. The Guatemalan consulate did not immediately return a phone call. At the Mexican Consulate, workers fielded calls Monday from the migrants relatives, who reached out from places including Colorado and Ohio, as well as Mexico. Consul General Reyna Torres said she and the consulates of El Salvador and Guatemala met with Homeland Security authorities Monday. She said she had not been notified that any passengers from the truck had been formally detained or arrested. Certain visas allow victims of some crimes to remain in the United States if they can help authorities investigate or prosecute crimes. The Department of Homeland Security declined to say whether the people in the trailer would be allowed to remain in the United States or sent back to their countries of origin. Jack Staton, acting assistant director of intelligence for ICEs Homeland Security Investigations arm, called human smuggling 100 percent [a] crime against humanity, adding that this is just victimizing people that are attempting to get a better life. James Mathew Bradley Jr., left, arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing Monday in San Antonio. Bradley was arrested in connection with the deaths of multiple people packed into a hot tractor-trailer. (Eric Gay/AP) One man, who was not identified, told investigators he began his journey in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and was to pay smugglers $5,500 when he arrived in San Antonio, according to his account, written by James Lara, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations. In Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican city on the Texas border, the man said, he waited with a group of 28 people before a smuggler told him that people linked to the Zetas a violent drug cartel were charging 12,500 pesos (more than $700 dollars) to bring people across the Rio Grande in rafts. The Zetas drug cartel has long been involved in trafficking immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, with migrants from Central America saying smugglers have to pay off corrupt police and drug cartels alike while traveling through Mexico. The cartel has been known to exert particular influence in the northern Mexican border states, operating safe houses where large groups of migrants are stashed before being ferried across the Rio Grande. The man from Aguascalientes said that after his group crossed the river, they walked for a while and were brought to the tractor-trailer, where they joined dozens of others inside. It was morning, he said, and they were told their journey would begin later that evening. Another man told federal agents that he was among two dozen people who had been held in a stash house in Laredo, Tex., for 11 days before arriving at the trailer, which he said was already crowded and sweltering when he arrived, Lara wrote. The smugglers closed the doors and the interior of the trailer was pitch black and it was already hot inside, Lara wrote in the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. He stated they were not provided with any water or food. People inside were making noise to get someones attention but nobody ever came. It was not until that night, Lara said, that the doors reopened and people inside were told it was time to go. Authorities have focused their investigation on Bradley, the tractor-trailers driver. Bradley owned the truck found outside Walmart early Sunday but not the trailer, according to public records. He told federal agents that the trailers refrigeration system did not work and that the vent holes were likely clogged, according to the complaint. Bradley bought the truck a 1999 Peterbilt model that had been refurbished and given a new paint job in March for $90,000, said Justin McDaniel of Outlaw Iron in West Bend, Wis., who sold him the truck. McDaniel recalled Bradley as friendly and your typical Southern guy. Thats why the accusations being made now caught me by surprise, McDaniel said. Its very disturbing. Bradley had taken out a pair of loans earlier this year to buy a truck and trailer for which he needed to make payments of almost $2,000 a month, according to records. Alton Bradley, the drivers nephew, said the man nicknamed Bear is a lifelong trucker with a passion for the work. When he heard the news, Alton Bradley, who lives in Florida, said he called his aunt the drivers sister and she responded, Im just sick, and I cant believe it. Brian Pyle, president of Pyle Transportation, the Iowa-based trucking company with which Bradley is affiliated, said Sunday that Bradley owned his truck and operated with a significant degree of autonomy under what is known as a leaser contract. Pyle said he did not know what Bradley was transporting. Asked how long he had worked with Bradley, Pyle said it was the drivers very first trip. Bradley, who sports a Pyle T-shirt in his Facebook profile picture, is Facebook friends with Brian Pyle, at least one other member of the Pyle family and other Pyle truck drivers. Asked again about the length of his relationship with Bradley, Pyle hung up the phone. The truck had not been outside the store long: Surveillance video showed that it was parked outside Walmart for just 30 minutes before one of the store workers encountered someone from the trailer asking for water, a company spokesman said. It remains unclear whether the operation discovered Sunday was related to the driver or the company, which has 18 trucks and 15 drivers, according to federal records. Bradley has said he was unaware there were people inside the trailer, which was emblazoned with the Pyle decal. In the complaint, Lara wrote that Bradley told agents he was traveling from Iowa to Brownsville, Tex., to deliver the trailer. Bradley said his boss had sold the trailer and asked him to deliver it and that he wasnt told a delivery address or a desired time frame. Bradley appeared in court Monday with his arms shackled and was ordered held until a bond hearing on Thursday. Shoppers pass a group visiting a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants. (Eric Gay/AP) When the trailer eventually stopped at Walmart, one of the migrants told investigators, people inside the trailer were so weak that they toppled over. Bradley told Lara he got out to go to the bathroom and heard banging and shaking from the trailer. Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, Lara wrote. Bradley said he then noticed bodies just lying on the floor like meat. Bradley said he knew at least one of them was dead. Bradley told agents that he called his wife, who did not answer, and did not call 911. The complaint does not elaborate on why he did not call police. Between 30 and 40 people scrambled out of the trailer after the doors were opened, Bradley said. Bradley and one of those inside the truck offered different accounts of what happened next. The driver told federal agents that no one else was there when he parked and that no vehicles were there to pick up anyone. The man from Aguascalientes said that once the vehicle stopped and people flooded out of the trailer, six black SUVs were on hand to pick them up and filled up in minutes before quickly leaving. Berman and Bever reported from Washington. Alice Crites, Abigail Hauslohner, Julie Tate and Todd Frankel in Washington; Josh Partlow in Mexico City; and Jon Silman in Land O Lakes, Fla., contributed to this report. A woman waves a Marine Corps flag as a motorcade escorting the remains of Cpl. Dan Baldassare passes through Howell, N.J., on Monday. The Marine was killed in the crash of a military plane in Mississippi earlier this month. (Seth Wenig/AP) MASSACHUSETTS Court: State officers cant detain immigrants Massachusetts court officers do not have the authority to arrest someone suspected of being in the United States illegally if that person is not facing criminal charges, the states highest court ruled Monday. The Supreme Judicial Court opinion applied to officers who provide security in state courthouses, but the ruling also suggested that no Massachusetts police officer has the legal standing to comply with such federal requests. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that remaining in the United States when subject to deportation is a civil, not a criminal, infraction. In the unanimous decision, the Supreme Judicial Court pointed out there is no state law that provides authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a federal civil immigration detainer beyond the time that individual would otherwise be entitled to a release from state custody. The courts decision came in the case of Sreynuon Lunn, who in October was arraigned on an unarmed-robbery charge in Boston Municipal Court. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security issued a civil immigration detainer against Lunn, who was born to Cambodian parents. The state charge was dismissed on Feb. 6, but a judge refused to free him and court officers kept Lunn in a courthouse holding cell until an immigration officer took him into federal custody. Lunn, 32, was ordered released by a federal judge in May and remains free in the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union said. Lunn was born in a Thai refugee camp to Cambodian parents fleeing the Khmer Rouge, and was brought to the United States as a 7-month-old. He first faced deportation in 2009 after he was convicted of an aggravated felony. Associated Press Hawaii father sentenced in death of boy who disappeared: The father of a 6-year-old Hawaii boy who disappeared two decades ago was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for manslaughter, fulfilling a deal with prosecutors that required him to reveal the location of his sons body. Peter Kema Sr. must serve a minimum of six years and eight months, TV station Hawaii News Now reported. Prosecutors believe that the child, known as Peter Boy, was abused and died of septic shock after a festering arm sore went untreated. The boys mother, Jayline Kema, was released from jail in April after serving a year for manslaughter. After Peter vanished in 1997, he became the face of a Hawaii campaign for missing and abused children. Judge spares dog that Maine governor wanted to pardon: A judge on Monday signed off on a deal to spare the life of a dog that got a disputed pardon from Maines governor. Under the deal, the Alaskan husky named Dakota will be sent to a veterinary hospital for training, the Kennebec Journal reported. A judge had ordered that Dakota be put down after it attacked two other dogs, killing one. Gov. Paul LePage (R) attempted to pardon Dakota in March, elevating the dog to celebrity status. Under the settlement, a separate dog behavioral expert will evaluate Dakota before any adoption. From news services (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post) Lavinia Falck had spent six days at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, getting to know teenagers from around the world. Then, she and her friends gathered on the grass to hear from a special guest: the president of the United States. By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree? President Trump said during a rambling speech Monday in which he used harsh language, recounted election-night victories and New York cocktail parties, and attacked his political opponents. Everyone around me was booing, said Falck, 17, a member of the co-ed Venture Scout program run by the Boy Scouts. She remembered looking at her new friends and wishing shed been allowed to stay at her bunk, noting that the booing for Obama was particularly upsetting because attendees had been directed not to jeer Trump. Scouts are supposed to be courteous and friendly and all these things, and it was really un-Scoutlike for everyone around me to boo. Trumps speech at the Jamboree in Mount Hope, W.Va., broke with years of tradition presidential traditions and Scouting traditions both. Past presidents had used these moments to extol American exceptionalism and civic virtues such as service and honesty that have long been pillars of the Boy Scout ethos. Trump did a little of that before veering into a speech about his own exceptionalism. It pivoted to essentially a typical Trump rally. And it was not a campaign-rally audience. It was an audience of young boys and young men, whove come from around the country to celebrate Scouting, said Robert Birkby, a former Eagle Scout who wrote three editions of the Boy Scout Handbook. He did not share in the event. He shared of himself. [Trumps Boy Scouts speech broke with 80 years of presidential tradition] By Tuesday, Trumps speech had prompted a backlash from many current and former Scouts and their families, who say it was not only inappropriate but also undermines efforts to diversify and modernize the century-old organization. On social media and in interviews, many said they thought national leaders should have cut short or condemned the speech, which included strong language Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? and a reference to cocktail parties attended by the hottest people in New York. Trump at times tried to raise issues more traditionally discussed at Boy Scout gatherings, such as character and perseverance. But he also lingered on his campaign fight against Democrat Hillary Clinton and seemingly joked about firing his health and human services secretary over Republicans inability, so far, to pass health-care legislation. President Trump speaks at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia on Monday. (Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) In a statement Tuesday, the Boy Scouts of America called itself wholly nonpartisan and said it is routine to invite the president to its Jamboree, which occurs every four years at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. Obama provided a video statement during a previous Jamboree. This 80-year-old custom of inviting Presidents to speak to Scouts is in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies. Rather, the speaking invitation is based on our Duty to Country, from the Scout Oath, and out of respect for the Office of the President of the United States, the organization said. As one of Americas largest youth-serving organizations, the statement continued, the Boy Scouts of America reflects a number of cultures and beliefs. We will continue to be respectful of the wide variety of viewpoints in this country. Randall Stephenson, national president of the Boy Scouts of America and chairman and chief executive of AT&T, declined to comment via an AT&T spokesman Tuesday. His company is trying to complete an $85 billion merger with Time Warner a settlement the Justice Department is evaluating, using its antitrust powers. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is an Eagle Scout and also was president of the Boy Scouts from 2010 to 2012; Tillerson visited the Jamboree last week for the unveiling of a statue in his honor. By midday Tuesday, the organizations Facebook page included hundreds of comments from former Scouts and parents of Scouts, calling for the organization to make a stronger statement condemning the speech. Many threatened to pull out of Scouting. [Perspective: Im an Eagle Scout. But Im glad my son wasnt at President Trumps Boy Scout speech.] The controversy comes as the venerable organization, which has promoted civic engagement and character development among children since 1910, strives to stay relevant and appear inclusive. Membership in the Boy Scouts has dwindled by a third since 2000, to just more than 2 million as of 2016. The organization has sought to reach out to Hispanics through its Valores para Toda la Vida (Values for Life) program. It founded its co-ed Venturing program, which focuses on outdoor exploration for teens and young adults, in 1998 and has opened some of its other programs to girls, though so far not its prestigious Eagle Scout program. The organization rescinded its ban on gay members in 2014 and in January announced that it will allow transgender members. [Boy Scouts of America will allow transgender children to join] The efforts have in part been an effort to keep from driving away parents and students in more liberal areas of the country, said Alvin Townley, a Georgia-based author who wrote A Legacy of Honor, a history of the Eagle Scouts, who have earned the highest level of achievement in the organization. He suggested that the political nature of Trumps speech undermines that goal. No president has used the Jamboree as a backdrop to advance a political agenda. And I certainly would not want anyone to misunderstand President Trumps remarks as anything particularly endorsed by the Boy Scouts of America, Townley said. Scouting is a vital institution for America. And Scoutings vitality relates directly to its inclusion of people from different backgrounds and different perspectives. Trumps remarks were the last straw for at least one former Scout. Eric Styner, 31, who works in quality assurance at a technology company in Seattle, said Tuesday that he had decided to renounce his status as an Eagle Scout. Only a fraction of Scouts reach that rank, which requires them to earn 21 merit badges and complete a major service project, among other tasks. Some of the countrys most prominent leaders, including several members of Trumps Cabinet, are Eagle Scouts. Styner said he gradually became alienated from the Scouts, beginning at age 14, when he was rankled by the requirement that a Scout profess a belief in God to pass his Eagle Scout Board of Review. He was further disillusioned when the Scouts held fast to a gay ban even after many states had legalized same-sex marriage. Trumps speech clinched it, he said. He went on for 30 minutes and they didnt just say, Hey, man, can you just steer it to values and the sorts of things were trying to teach these kids rather than being vengeful? Styner said. Some defended the organization, saying that it did the right thing by inviting Trump. The problem, they said, was Trump. There were parts of the speech that were good, where it tried to be inspirational, said Gena Brown, 43, a Georgia teacher who has two boys in Scouting. Brown, who serves as a Cub Scout master, watched the speech on YouTube. But those parts were overshadowed by the mocking of President Obama and Hillary Clinton and the talk about economics and health care and the cocktail parties in New York. Boy Scouts sing and dance to music as they await the arrival of President Trump at the National Scout Jamboree. (Steve Helber/Associated Press) Among those who liked Trumps speech was Shelby Lang, 15, also a Venture Scout from Pittsburgh. Her mother, Jennifer, said she got a text immediately after the speech saying, That was pretty cool. Trump, the girl wrote, gave a huge never quit, never give up, do what you love speech. Jennifer Lang, 43, a history teacher, said she was stunned to see so many negative reviews of the same remarks. Some of the things the guy said, I wasnt quite sure what he was getting at, but overall it was a positive speech, she said. There were some jabs and pokes, and I saw them as more goofy than malicious. For Falck, who attended the speech Monday, it was just one way in which Scouting sometimes makes her feel like an outsider, she said. On the first day of the Jamboree, a leader chastised her and her friends for wearing Nike running shorts that the leader said were inappropriately short. But the boys, she said, dont seem to get the same chiding when they catcall the smaller number of girls present. Despite her negative experiences, Falck said she plans to stay in the program, which she said has exposed her to amazing new experiences. Just Monday morning, she said, they did a canopy tour on a zip line that soared above the dense forest that surrounds the camp. I just really like the friends that Ive made, and I want all the Scouts who do share my views to be able to still have these opportunities and not feel like we got kicked out by a bunch of people who are just acting poorly, she said. CHINA Former political star under investigation One-time rising Chinese political star Sun Zhengcai is being investigated for alleged violations of party discipline, the ruling Communist Party announced Monday, making him the highest-ranking serving official to be ensnared by President Xi Jinpings sweeping anti-corruption campaign, now in its fifth year. The partys anti-corruption watchdog said Sun, leader of the mega-city of Chongqing until last week, is suspected of serious violation of discipline, shorthand for corruption and abuse of power. No details were given in the announcement, which comes ahead of a party congress at which Xi is expected to receive a second five-year term as party chief and unveil a new slate of top leaders loyal to him alone. Sun, 53, sat on the partys 25-member Politburo and had been seen as a candidate for promotion to the bodys Standing Committee, the group that constitutes the apex of political power in China. He was removed suddenly from his Chongqing post last week and replaced by Xi loyalist Chen Miner. Suns removal is seen as a demonstration of Xis political muscle and power over the partys factions. Fighting corruption has been a vehicle for Xi to show his influence, and he has pledged to take down both high-ranking officials, or tigers, and rank-and-file members, or flies. But until Suns downfall, Xis campaign had not netted a high-profile tiger in years. Associated Press SRI LANKA Dengue virus has killed about 300 this year An outbreak of dengue virus has killed about 300 people this year in Sri Lanka, health officials said Monday. They blamed recent monsoon rains, which left pools of stagnant water and rotting rain-soaked trash ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes that carry the virus. Dengue patients are streaming into overcrowded hospitals that are . . . struggling to cope, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement. According to the World Health Organization, dengue is one of the worlds fastest-growing diseases, endemic in 100 countries, with as many as 390 million infections annually. Early detection and treatment save lives when infections are severe, particularly among young children. The Sri Lankan government is struggling to control the virus, which causes flulike symptoms and can develop into the deadly hemorrhagic dengue fever. The Health Ministry said the number of dengue infections has climbed above 100,000 since the start of the year, with 296 deaths. Reuters AFGHANISTAN Taliban suicide attack kills 24 in Kabul A Taliban suicide bomber killed 24 people in an early-morning assault in a western Kabul neighborhood where prominent politicians reside. The attack in the Afghan capital also injured 42 people and occurred as government employees and students were on their way to work and school. The suicide bomber had rammed his explosives-laden car into a minibus carrying employees of the Mines and Petroleum Ministry, said a spokesman for the Kabul police chief. The Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack. The area where the attack occurred is home to many political leaders, such as Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq. Associated Press FARC to debut political party on Sept. 1: Colombias Marxist FARC rebels will launch their political party on Sept. 1, part of a peace deal with the government under which former guerrillas will serve in Congress. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, fought the government for more than half a century but handed over its weapons under a deal negotiated during more than four years of talks. 8 killed in Nigeria bombings: At least eight people are dead after female suicide bombers attacked two camps for displaced people in northeastern Nigerias main city, a civilian self-defense group said. It was the first major attack on such a camp in Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram insurgency. The blasts occurred a few days after Nigerias army chief of staff set a 40-day deadline for troops to flush out Boko Harams leader and finish off the group. Man with chain saw wounds 5 in Swiss city: A man armed with a chain saw wounded five people at a health insurers office in the northern Swiss city of Schaffhausen, police said, triggering a manhunt for a suspect described as psychologically unstable. Franz Wrousis, 51, has two convictions for weapons offenses and no fixed residence, officials said. Swiss police ruled out terrorism. From news services PERSIAN GULF U.S., Iranian vessels have close encounter A U.S. Navy patrol craft fired a warning shot at an Iranian military vessel Tuesday as it made an alarmingly fast and close approach in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessel got within 150 yards of the USS Thunderbolt before the American patrol craft fired the warning shot, quickly ending the encounter. A Pentagon official described it as an isolated incident and said no one was hurt. U.S. officials have not specified where the incident occurred, saying only that U.S. and coalition ships were participating in a training exercise when the Iranians conducted an unsafe and unprofessional interaction. Video released by the U.S. Central Command shows the Iranian vessel approaching the Thunderbolts starboard side, getting close to the patrol crafts bow. The Iranian vessel did not respond to repeated attempts to establish radio communications as it approached, said Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Defense Department spokesman. Thunderbolt then fired warning flares and sounded the internationally recognized danger signal of five short blasts on the ships whistle, but the Iranian vessel continued inbound. As the Iranian vessel proceeded toward the U.S. ship, Thunderbolt again sounded five short blasts before firing warning shots. Andrew deGrandpre JAPAN Lawmakers accuse Abe of false testimony Lawmakers questioned Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in parliament for a second day Tuesday about a cronyism scandal, with some opposition members accusing him of testifying falsely a day earlier when he denied using his influence to help a friend. Documents and whistleblowers suggest that officials bent rules and provided special advice to Kotaro Kake, Abes friend, to help him open a veterinary school. The two-day hearing focused on whether Abe was personally involved. Abe repeatedly denied using his influence to help Kake and said he learned of the plan for the school only after Kake submitted a formal application in January, amending his earlier explanations of when he first heard of it. Opposition lawmakers slammed Abe for giving several different dates for when he first learned of his friends plan, with some accusing him of perjury. They said it was impossible for Abe to be unaware of his friends years-long plan until January if other officials already knew. Since the late 2000s, Kake and the city of Imabari had worked to open a veterinary school in the region but were unsuccessful until the creation of a special economic zone directly led by Abe. Associated Press 167 migrants rescued from drifting boat; 13 found dead: A Spanish rescue group said it found 167 migrants alive and 13 dead including pregnant women and children in a rubber boat drifting in the Mediterranean. A spokeswoman for Proactiva Open Arms said the survivors were rescued 15 miles north of the Libyan town of Sabratha. Separately, a boat from Save the Children, an aid group, came to the rescue of about 90 migrants aboard a small boat, the Italian news agency ANSA said. Fires rage in southern France, Corsica: Hundreds of firefighters in the Riviera region of southern France and on the island of Corsica battled wind-whipped blazes that have injured eight firefighters and about 15 police officers. The fires have consumed nearly 9,880 acres of vegetation, authorities said. The largest blaze was in northern Corsica, with nearly 5,000 acres burned. Building collapses in India kill 14: A five-story building came crashing down in Mumbai, Indias financial capital, killing at least 12 people and injuring 12, police said. More were feared trapped. Meanwhile, a portion of a 100-year-old building collapsed in the eastern city of Kolkata. At least two people were killed, the Press Trust of India said. Suspect in Swiss chain-saw attack arrested: The suspect in a chain-saw attack at a health insurance companys office in northern Switzerland was caught after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis, 50, is accused of attacking two employees of CSS on Monday. One of them was seriously hurt. It is not clear why Wrousis, a client of CSS, targeted the company. From news services PRESIDENT TRUMP has so far failed to supply a credible remedy to the economic ills that prompted so many of his followers to cast a ballot for him in 2016. Of course, many of Mr. Trumps voters were expressing not only support for him but disenchantment with the Democratic alternative. Democrats have responded to this devastating defeat mostly by preaching resistance to Mr. Trump and the Republican majority on Capitol Hill. However, if they are to recover politically and more important for the nations overall political health turn our political tribal warfare into something more like a battle of ideas, the Democrats must declare what they are for. In that sense, we give them credit for Mondays rollout of a new message aimed at the struggling middle class; they have decided to start trying to articulate a new vision. The question is whether their A Better Deal offers an alternative to Trumpism that is both clear and well-calculated to cure what really ails the American economy. We dont envy the Democrats task: In many ways the U.S. economy is performing well, operating at nearly full employment and growing at a steady if modest pace. Its problems are not spectacular but structural: lagging productivity growth, subpar labor force participation, slow wage growth, income inequality. Over the horizon, even more potentially job-killing automation looms. No one has foolproof answers for these complex challenges, which affect not only the United States but also developed economies around the world. Even allowing for the degree of difficulty, however, the Democratic response, as sketched so far, is less than compelling: Its declared premise, that the economy is rigged against middle-class people, has a basis in the reality of Washington special-interest politics but seems better calculated to placate the partys ascendant left wing than to start a serious policy conversation. American capitalism needs reform, not delegitimization. The Democrats offer one interesting idea in this respect beefed up antitrust efforts to help bring down prices of airline tickets and the like. Otherwise, they rehash ideas that Mr. Trump himself has embraced at least rhetorically (massive new infrastructure spending; tougher negotiations between Medicare and the pharmaceutical companies) or play small ball (a tax credit for business to do job training). The Democratic message includes nothing, yet, on trade, a major omission, given Mr. Trumps effective exploitation of the issue. Yet perhaps it was better to remain silent than to admit the contradiction between House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis (Calif.) promise that Democrats would confront rising everyday costs and the higher consumer prices that would result from the protectionism favored by both Mr. Trump and the Democratic left. Democrats also had nothing to say about tax reform, possibly because the clearest need is for a more internationally competitive (i.e., lower) corporate rate, which is what President Barack Obama correctly concluded, but populists abhor. Democrats are right that the United States hungers for a more equitable and effective alternative to GOP economics; obviously, though, theyre still working on it. THE SENATE has been deadlocked on repealing and replacing Obamacare all month, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Monday afternoon that the chamber would vote Tuesday on . . . well, on something. The scrambling reflected a basic fact: Every major Republican proposal put forward so far would mean millions of Americans would lose access to health care. Each plan would theoretically fulfill a GOP campaign promise while inflicting serious harm on the nation. A bill drafted under Mr. McConnells guidance would repeal big portions of Obamacare, roll back Medicaid and slash help for those buying private health insurance. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the most recent version of that bill would result in 22 million more uninsured people in a decade, in part because it would dramatically hike deductibles for low-income people, who would not bother to buy insurance at all. That same bill augmented by an amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) would do much more harm to the individual health-care market. Mr. Cruz would separate healthy insurance-buyers from sick ones, allowing the former to buy cheap, skimpy plans and forcing costs for the latter to go spiraling upward. Insurers warned lawmakers strongly that the Cruz language would severely disrupt individual insurance markets. And voting on such a potentially destabilizing measure before the CBO has even had a chance to analyze it would be breathtakingly irresponsible. There is a bill that would kill much of Obamacare and replace it with nothing specific. Instead, the measure would delay the laws death by two years, under the logic that Congress would feel compelled to pass some kind of replacement between now and then. The CBO found that this bill would result in 32 million more uninsured people in a decade, catastrophically unraveling individual health-care markets. Then there are a couple of less-commented-upon GOP health-care proposals. One from Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) would give states enormous block grants with few requirements. Another, somewhat more promising option comes from Mr. Cassidy, Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) and Johnny Isakson (Ga.), who would allow states that want to keep the Obamacare system to do so, while letting others take a more conservative path but within defined guardrails. The proposals under consideration run the gamut from bad to horrendous, and the rushed process for proceeding to the floor has made a mockery of the worlds greatest deliberative body. The only proposal that could serve even as a template for a reasonable, bipartisan bill is the Cassidy-Collins-Capito-Isakson plan. But it has been sidelined since it emerged, and it would require weeks of negotiation to get it into shape. Senators should reject Tuesdays motion to proceed to debate on repealing and replacing Obamacare. Keeping an irresponsible campaign promise is not worth inflicting any of these reforms on the American people. A Better Deal is not the worst slogan Ive ever heard, but its far from the best. The Democratic Party has overwhelming support from the creatives on Madison Avenue and the marketing geniuses in Hollywood. Why are Republicans so much better at coming up with pithy phrases that pack a punch? It was not always thus. John F. Kennedys New Frontier and Lyndon Johnsons Great Society were aspirational in a reach-for-the-stars kind of way; Barack Obamas Yes We Can invited Americans to feel good about themselves and their collective potential. A Better Deal leans in the right direction, but betterness is relative. Why cede rhetorical absolutism Make America Great Again to Donald Trump, on his way toward being remembered as the least great president in our history? Of course, the slogan is less important than the policies behind it. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) acknowledged Sunday that the party failed last year to get a clear message across. When you lose an election with someone who has, say, 40 percent popularity, you look in the mirror and say, What did we do wrong? And the No. 1 thing that we did wrong is we didnt have we didnt tell people what we stood for, Schumer said on ABCs This Week. At a kickoff event Monday in Berryville, Va., Democratic Party leaders announced three initial policy priorities: creating 10 million jobs over five years, with new apprenticeship programs and a tax credit for employers who provide on-the-job training; cracking down on the monopolies and big corporate mergers that harm consumers, workers and competition, as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) writes in a Post op-ed; and concrete action to lower the price of prescription drugs, a big factor in rising health-care costs. All of which is fine. But somehow I dont see Republican spinmeisters quaking in their Ferragamo loafers. (U.S. Senate) A Better Deal plays off the title of President Trumps first and best-known book, The Art of the Deal. It is true that Trump has so far shown himself to be one of the worst dealmakers ever to reside in the White House, unable even to get his own party to agree on something it has been promising for seven years, the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. It is also true that Trump has reneged on all of his populist promises, instead following the standard GOP game plan of tax cuts for the rich and entitlement cuts for everyone else. But if there is one lesson Democrats should have learned from 2016, it is that opposition to Trump is not by itself enough to win elections. I predict this will still be the case when the 2018 midterms roll around. Yes, the Republican Party looks to be in trouble. Trump is sowing intraparty rancor and division, not unity. The base has remained loyal thus far, but independents and crossover Democrats have been given no reason to stick with the GOP. It is possible that the stars might align next year to produce conditions for a pro-Democratic, anti-Republican wave election. But that has not happened yet. In the Senate, the Democratic caucus has 25 seats up for grabs next year, while Republicans have only eight seats at risk. And in the House, the GOP holds a 46-seat majority that will be difficult to reverse because of gerrymandering. At the launch event Monday, Schumer promised a strong, bold economic agenda. He pledged that Democrats will show the country we are the party on the side of working people. Schumer told a story of having recently gone to a Yankees game and sitting next to two Teamsters, both wearing Proud to be Deplorable T-shirts. He said the two men had especially liked Trumps pledge to spend $1 trillion improving the nations infrastructure, including the potholed roads over which the Teamsters have to drive. But the men now worry, Schumer said, that Trump will be unable to deliver on his promise. Such infrastructure spending has long been a Democratic Party priority. However, Trump managed to communicate it in a way that Hillary Clinton did not. Im still waiting to hear the bold solutions that Democrats promise. I can think of one possibility: Why not propose some version of truly universal single-payer health care? Yes, that would be risky. But it might generate real excitement among the Democratic base and also grab the attention of some of the GOPs working-class supporters. Incrementalism is not the answer. Democrats need to go big or go home. 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. There were at least eight people in the room on June 9, 2016, when two Trump family members and Donald Trumps campaign manager met with a Russian lawyer and her extended team in Trump Tower. Focus your attention just briefly on one of them: Ike Kaveladze. Of course it will be important to learn, in due course, what he was really doing there. But in the meantime, we should spend a few minutes thinking about the peculiar financial culture American as well as Russian that he represents. Though not exactly a celebrity, Kaveladzes notoriety in certain circles stretches back more than two decades. Starting in the 1990s, his company, Euro-American Corporate Services Inc., set up more than 2,000 Delaware corporations on behalf of unknown, mostly Russian clients and used those companies to open bank accounts. According to a Government Accountability Office report on Suspicious Banking Activities, published in 2000, those bank accounts were then used to receive and send large amounts of money. The GAO found that two banks facilitated the transfer of approximately $1 billion from Eastern Europe, through U.S. banks, and back to Eastern Europe by corporations formed for Russian brokers; more than $800 million in total was deposited in 136 accounts that Euro-American Corporate Services and another Kaveladze company created at Citibank alone. Kaveladze has protested that what he had done was legal and he was right. Delaware law really was so lax that it allowed unnamed Russians to send money in and out of the United States without much question. Why did this matter? Because that kind of activity was a part of the business model that brought Vladimir Putin to power. As numerous books have documented the best is Putins Kleptocracy by Karen Dawisha Putin was one of a group of public officials, many affiliated with the old KGB, who systematically pillaged the Russian state. They drew money out of the state, often using commodities arbitrage or other methods, moved the money out of the country through shell companies, then brought it back to Russia and used it to buy companies and property. They became rich many of them fabulously so. They then used that wealth to gain power. Soviet-born businessmen such as Kaveladze, based in the United States and Europe, played significant roles in this system. But so did a range of U.S. and European bankers, accountants and lawyers. For two decades, Western real estate markets New York, Miami, London have also provided multiple safe places for Russian oligarchs (and many others) to spend money with complete anonymity. Last year, a Treasury Department investigation into shell companies that purchased luxury homes for cash in several U.S. metropolitan areas found that more than a quarter of such transactions in Manhattan and Miami actually involved someone engaged in suspicious activity. The arrangement suited everybody: American real estate magnates, suddenly rich Russian oligarchs, the construction industry and many others. But underneath this boom there was a grim truth: An important chunk of the money that pumped up the New York luxury real estate market over the past two decades was money originally siphoned off from the Russian state. That was money that should have been used to build hospitals, schools and roads, but instead enriched officials such as Putin and the billionaires who surround him. In due course, Russian money also enriched Trump and his family: As Donald Trump Jr. said in 2008, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. In that sense the rise of Trump and the rise of Putin are connected. No wonder Trump feels such an affinity for the Russian president; no wonder he seeks him out at international meetings. And no wonder special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation has reportedly decided to look closely at past Trump family real estate transactions. Im sure there will eventually be a lot more to say about the details of the Trump-Russia financial relationship. But this story should make us ponder some larger themes, too. After all, the double rise of Trump and Putin might have been halted if only Western governments and financial institutions had acted, over the past two decades, as if they truly believed that these kinds of dealings are wrong. Laws were not enforced or did not exist. Blind eyes were turned. Even now, we could be doing much, much more. We could stop the registration of all anonymous companies in states such as Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada. We could make all property owners put their real names on public registers. We could listen to Global Witness and other activist groups that constantly point out the links between financial deals in New York and human rights abuse and poverty in faraway countries. Some of these changes are happening in Britain and Europe. But in the United States, where the political consequences of this ugly international system are now so dramatic, we have scarcely begun. Read more from Anne Applebaums archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook. CONGRESS AT last looks ready to pass its first significant piece of legislation of the Trump administration and it will be a major rebuke to the president. A sanctions bill covering Russia that the House is expected to take up Tuesday essentially would place President Trumps policy toward the regime of Vladimir Putin in receivership, preventing him from lifting sanctions without congressional agreement. Its a drastic but necessary response to the inexplicable affinity Mr. Trump has evinced toward the Kremlin, as well as to the continuing questions about Russias support for his presidential campaign. The need for congressional action was underlined again on Sunday, when Mr. Trumps new communications chief, Anthony Scaramucci, quoted the president as saying about Russias interference in the election, Maybe they did it, maybe they didnt do it. For the U.S. intelligence community, there is no such doubt: Moscow did intervene with the intent to help Mr. Trump defeat Hillary Clinton, on the orders of Mr. Putin. Mr. Trumps refusal to accept those conclusions, and the possibility that he might reverse sanctions imposed on Russia for that interference and for its military invasion of Ukraine, has generated an extraordinary consensus in an otherwise polarized Congress. The Senate voted 97 to 2 to expand and codify the sanctions and to give Congress the power to block their suspension by the White House. Following an agreement struck over the weekend, the House is expected to approve a slightly altered version of the measure by a similar veto-proof margin. New sanctions against Irans missile program and North Korean shipping are part of the bill, but the real impact will be on Russia policy. If Mr. Trump wishes to return two compounds confiscated from Russia by the Obama administration, which said they were used for spying, or to ease strictures on individuals and companies for their involvement in the Ukraine invasion, he will have to send Congress a report certifying that Russia has taken steps to stop its cyberaggression or that it has stopped trying to undermine Ukraines sovereignty. Congress would then have the opportunity to pass a resolution blocking the action. The measure is a blunt one and could have some unintended consequences. U.S. and European policy on Ukraine has been based on offering Russia an easing of sanctions if it complied with a 2015 peace plan. If Mr. Putin now concludes that he has no chance of reaping that reward, he could escalate the still-simmering conflict in Ukraines eastern provinces. European Union officials, for their part, are alarmed by provisions of the bill allowing for sanctions on companies that partner with Russia in building pipelines to export its gas and oil, and are threatening retaliation. One way or another, U.S.-European coordination on Russia may become more difficult. Congresss action is nevertheless essential. It has become all too evident that Mr. Trump cannot be trusted to protect vital U.S. interests against persistent Russian aggression. He has shown no interest in stopping Russian cyberattacks, including further assaults on the U.S. electoral system. He appears ready to hand Mr. Putin major concessions for nothing, from the return of the compounds to withdrawal of U.S. support for rebel forces in Syria. Why Mr. Trump pursues these actions remains a mystery. But Congress is right to limit the damage. Do you have a problem trouble at work, relationship stress, or just some really hard math homework that you cant resolve on your own? You should turn to the man who is fixing problems for more than 300 million Americans. You should ask Jared Kushner. President Trump does it. When he needed somebody to negotiate peace in the Middle East, he asked Kushner. When he needed somebody to be his point man with China and with Mexico, he asked Kushner. When he needed somebody to solve the opioid epidemic, reform veterans care, overhaul the criminal justice system and reinvent the entire federal government, Trump again turned to Kushner. Even when he just needed somebody to strap a flak jacket over his navy blazer and fly off to Baghdad, Kushner was the one he asked. The presidents 36-year-old son-in-law has done all this and more, even while keeping up with a demanding family life since the election: a beach trip to Hawaii, a ski trip to Aspen, another ski trip to British Columbia. Clearly he has time to help you, too. Kid has a fever? Rattle in the transmission? Weeds in the lawn? Ring around the collar? Ask JK. [Jared Kushner: Boy wizard or total ignoramus?] But what happens when Jared Kushner has a problem? What happens if and Im speaking strictly hypothetically here Kushner were to neglect to mention in his security-clearance forms that he had had more than 100 meetings with foreigners, including some Russians? Sure, you can ask him. But he wont have a good answer. The seen-but-not-heard Kushner met with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday (at a session closed to the public, naturally). He explained his repeated lapses he had to amend one disclosure form three times by saying, essentially, that he was new to politics and so terribly busy that he couldnt keep up with everything. And he used the hoariest excuse of all: He blamed his assistant. My experience was in business, not politics, he said in a written statement, and described himself as overwhelmed. I must have received thousands of calls, letters and emails from people looking to talk or meet on a variety of issues and topics, including hundreds from outside the United States, he wrote, and I could not be responsive to everyone. He explained that he just didnt know he was sitting down with people promising dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government because it was typical for me to receive 200 or more emails a day during the campaign. I did not have the time to read every one. Kushner explained how a full accounting of his foreign contacts fell through the cracks amid the scramble of finalizing the unwinding of my involvement from my company, moving my family to Washington, completing the paper work to divest assets and resign from my outside positions and complete my security and financial disclosure forms. A miscommunication led his assistant to file his form prematurely. He said he omitted not only meetings with Russians, but over one hundred contacts from more than twenty countries. And this is supposed to help him? Thats the trouble with Kushners defense in the Russia imbroglio. Hes essentially arguing that he isnt corrupt hes just in over his head. He didnt really know what he was doing, and he was too busy. Coming from the man charged with handling everything from Middle East peace to opioids, this isnt reassuring. 1 of 37 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Members of President Trumps administration: Moments that made headlines View Photos White House and Cabinet officials left strong impressions in the early days of the administration. Caption White House and Cabinet officials left strong impressions in the early days of the administration. Sarah Huckabee Sanders comments on slavery Things got testy when April Ryan, a White House reporter for American Urban Radio Networks, asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to comment on slavery at Wednesdays news briefing. READ THE STORY Al Drago/Bloomberg Wait 1 second to continue. This inexperience defense is consistent with Kushners filing Friday showing that he had previously neglected to disclose more than 70 assets, as required, including an art collection (with wife Ivanka Trump) worth as much as $25 million. The Middle East peace negotiator also did not disclose that he held Israeli government bonds. [Jared Kushner forgets to disclose his assets? Seize them.] Yet Kushners father-in-law entrusted him with what is arguably the most difficult portfolio ever to be assigned to a White House aide. His previous experience: running his family real estate business, which he took over in 2005 when his father was convicted of tax evasion. The next year, Kushner bought a $1.8 billion Manhattan building, near the top of the real estate cycle, and his family has been trying to find investors to keep the project afloat. So now Kushner is defending himself by playing the ingenue: All of these were tasks that I had never performed on a campaign previously, and I could not even remember the name of the Russian ambassador. Kushner, arguing that he didnt seek to create a back channel with Russia, explained that he merely asked the Russian ambassador if he had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use. The defense leaves one big question unanswered: Why is a man of such inexperience in charge of so much? Dont ask. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. John McCains mothers name is Roberta. She is 105. When I met her, she was somewhat younger and something of a mythical figure to those who knew her son. He had often told about her trips through Europe and Asia by car while in her 90s, and so one night at a party John McCain was giving, I approached her, wanting to know more about her. I asked how she had weathered the five years her son had been a POW in Vietnam. She brushed it off. Were Navy, she said. She need not have said any more. Sen. John Sidney McCain III (R-Ariz.) is the son of a four-star admiral. He is the grandson of a four-star admiral. He himself rose to the rank of captain, and as a Navy aviator he was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War, was imprisoned and suffered two years in solitary confinement. When he ejected from his plane, he broke a leg and both arms. On the ground, he was bayoneted. At first, he was denied medical treatment and then, when it was offered, it was rudimentary. He was repeatedly tortured, beaten every two hours, wracked with dysentery. The North Vietnamese wanted him to accept release, but he refused. The military had its rules: First in, first out. McCain would wait his turn even if it cost him his life. He tried suicide, but finally he broke. He made a propaganda recording . Now McCain has brain cancer of the worst kind. The prognosis is not good, and for me to write otherwise would violate the McCain spirit. His campaign bus for his presidential campaign in 2000 and 2008 was called the Straight Talk Express and it was. I climbed aboard it in New Hampshire and before I knew it, we were in California in 2000. It was the ride of my life, hours siting with McCain and sometimes one of his old prison-camp buddies from Vietnam, and talking politics and government and history and books and movies and, even, gossip about some movie star. The bus rolled on, reporters got on and off I did not stay the whole time and one by one they became entranced, sometimes having to admit to a crush. Id sit next to McCain and try to take his measure. As a journalist, I deal in fame, occasionally in greatness. Sometimes I size up these people and wonder if I could do what they have done or, often, whether I would even want to. I am not as smart as some of them, nor as articulate, nor as disciplined, nor as ambitious, but mostly they do not awe me. McCain does. It is not merely that he went into combat this is the great what if of most men but he withstood torture, accepted it, really, as the price of service, which he had chosen. He could have said Stop! Send me home, and the North Vietnamese would have done so, crowing about the admirals son . . . and his shame. The last was the nub of it: shame. Horror of it is what motivates McCain. Pride is what animates him. Now I hear McCain whispering in my ear. Dont go there, Cohen. But I must. I have to compare McCain with that drizzle of apparatchiks who now populate Washington, that coterie of sycophants who have gathered around President Trump, to sing his praises and extol virtues that dont exist. Can you imagine McCain doing such a thing? Can you imagine the man who preferred death to shame telling that playground bully Trump how great he is? Its not that McCain is not a politician in the most understandable of political triage, he briefly endorsed Trump, after all but generations of McCains, Navy men and Annapolis graduates, sit on his shoulder. He cannot disappoint them. McCain has his tics. His temper is famously volcanic. He is sometimes too ready to fight. Choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008 was more than a mistake. It was as he must know shameful. He loathes lobbyists with a fury that both impressed and intimidated me. To him, they are beseechers, beggars in Gucci. McCains cancer is called glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. It was what Sen. Edward Kennedy and Beau Biden, the son of the former vice president, both had. The outlook is grim, so now is the time to write. John Sidney McCain III warrior, POW, senator, former presidential candidate and just plain swell company will win this fight against cancer if anyone can. But if it is otherwise, Washington will have lost something of painful rarity: a wholly honorable man. Read more from Richard Cohens archive. As a former civil servant, I can relate to what befell scientist Joel Clement, who, in his July 20 op-ed, How Trump made me a whistleblower, discussed being involuntarily reassigned to an Interior Department accounting office. When the executive branch, in the service of its regressive agenda, marginalizes its most experienced, dedicated employees, we are truly in deep trouble. It is evident that President Trump appointed agency heads whose mandate is to blow up the agencies they lead. They are overseeing the erosion of science, the undoing of the social safety net and the retrenchment of policies that protect and uplift Americans. More courageous whistleblowers like Mr. Clement must come forward to expose these nefarious actions before its too late. Lynne Heneson, Washington WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP attacked Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a tweet Tuesday for not aggressively investigating Hillary Clinton, most attention focused, understandably, on the implications for Mr. Sessions. Yet even more alarming than the presidents assault on his own attorney general is Mr. Trumps return to the lock her up theme of his 2016 campaign. We need to recall, once again, what it means to live under the rule of law. Since his inauguration six months ago, so many comparisons have been made to banana republics that it is almost unfair to bananas. But there is a serious point to be made about the difference between the United States of America and a state ruled by personal whim. In a rule-of-law state, governments awesome powers to police, prosecute and imprison are wielded impartially, with restraint and according to clearly defined rules. These rules apply equally to rich and poor, powerful and weak, ruling party and opposition. In such states, individuals advance on the basis of their talent and initiative, not whom they know. Companies invest where they think the returns will be highest, not to please those in power. The result is that, over time, rule-of-law states prosper. Banana republics do not. No country ever has attained perfection in this regard, but the United States has been the envy of the world because certain norms have been accepted. After hard-fought elections, the losing side concedes and the winning side leaves the loser in peace to fight another day. Leaders are expected to speak truthfully to their citizens. They respect the essential nonpartisan nature of law enforcement and the military and key civic organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America. They show respect, too, for the political opposition. [Trumps latest rage tweets reveal a lawless, out-of-control president] To list those basic expectations is to understand how low Mr. Trump is bringing his office. Just in the past few days, he urged Navy men and women to call Congress on behalf of his political goals and turned the National Scout Jamboree into an unseemly political rally, calling the nations politics a cesspool and a sewer and disparaging his predecessor and the media. Routinely he trades in untruths, even after they have been exposed and disproved. He has launched an unprecedented rhetorical assault on the independence of the Justice Department, the FBI and the special counsels office and now he is again threatening his defeated 2016 opponent. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) Members of Congress who are, properly, investigating Russias interference in the 2016 race have not questioned Mr. Trumps legitimacy. Ms. Clinton herself graciously conceded. The FBI thoroughly investigated her email practices and found no basis to prosecute. Yet Mr. Trump attacks Mr. Sessions for taking a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes, implying that a politically inspired reinvestigation might help the attorney general keep his job. It is disgusting. Timidly, belatedly, but encouragingly, members of Mr. Trumps party are beginning to push back. Last week, Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, told NBCs Andrea Mitchell that there would be a tremendous backlash from Republicans as well as Democrats if Mr. Trump attempted to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russias behavior in 2016 and any possible Trump campaign involvement. On Monday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) also came to the counsels defense. I dont think many people are saying Bob Mueller is a person who is a biased partisan, Mr. Ryan said. Hes really sort of anything but. Whats at stake is much more than the careers of a particular attorney general or special counsel. The United States has been a role model for the world, and a source of pride for Americans, because it has strived to implement the law fairly. When he attacks that process and seeks revenge on his opponents, Mr. Trump betrays bedrock American values. Its crucial that other political leaders say so. Larry J. Sabato is director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Kennedy Half-Century. Philip Shenon, a former Washington correspondent for the New York Times, is the author of A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination. Later this year unless President Trump intervenes the American people will get access to the last of thousands of secret government files about a turning point in the nations history: the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The National Archives this week released several hundred of the documents, which come from CIA and FBI files, and of course, JFK researchers are scrambling to see whether they contain any new clues about the presidents murder. But many more documents remain under seal, awaiting release by this October, the 25-year deadline set by the 1992 Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. The law gives only one person the president the ability to stop the release from happening. He can act only if he certifies in writing that the documents would somehow endanger national security. We know we speak for an army of historians, political scientists, journalists and concerned citizens who have studied the JFK assassination when we say that it is time for the federal government to release everything in the custody of the Archives. This is the moment for full transparency about a seminal event that cost many Americans trust in their government. The 1992 law has already brought some welcome transparency. It resulted in the release of millions of pages of documents regarding the assassination, including the 441 files from the CIA and FBI made public Monday. But about 3,150 other documents remain totally under seal, along with tens of thousands of pages that have been only partially unsealed because intelligence and law-enforcement agencies opposed their release in the 1990s. Those are the documents that Trump could try to keep secret. And sadly, he appears to be under pressure to do so. Both of us have written books about the assassination and have a keen interest in what the president decides. Congressional and other government officials have warned us in confidence in recent weeks that at least two federal agencies will make formal appeals to the White House to block the release of some of the files. Which agencies? Which files? The officials would not say, but it is already known that the CIA, the FBI and the Justice Department prepared most of the still-secret documents. If theyre the agencies objecting, is the president prepared to overrule them in the name of openness? When it comes to JFKs murder, what secret can be worth keeping nearly 54 years after those shots rang out in Dealey Plaza? In the 1990s, intelligence agencies might have been able to argue legitimately that some documents needed to stay under seal because they revealed the identity of American spies and law-enforcement informants who were still living and could be in danger if their cover were blown. But decades later, logic suggests that almost all those people are now dead; if a handful are still alive, provisions can be made to protect them, if necessary. What lingers today is the widely held belief among Americans that the truth about a landmark moment in the nations history is still being hidden. Almost as soon as the Warren Commission issued its September 1964 findings that Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy and there was no evidence of a conspiracy, it became apparent that the investigation led by Chief Justice Earl Warren was seriously flawed. In large part, this was because the CIA, the FBI and other agencies had withheld evidence from the commission and its investigative staff, apparently to cover up their own bungling before the assassination. The evidence did not necessarily point to a conspiracy in Kennedys death at least not the sort of dark, tangled plot imagined by many theorists. But the commission should have dug more deeply into Oswalds mysterious six-day trip to Mexico City two months before the assassination, when he met with high-level Soviet and Cuban embassy personnel. While 21st-century forensic science demonstrates that Oswald was almost certainly the lone gunman in Dallas, its possible that people at home or abroad knew he was plotting to kill Kennedy and might have encouraged him by definition, possible co-conspirators. Or at a minimum, they did not try to stop Oswald. By the late 1960s, opinion polls showed that, largely due to the Warren Commissions shortcomings, most Americans had rejected the official story. What happened in the decades since is both understandable and toxic. Much of the public came to assume that if their government would not tell the truth about the murder of the president, it could not be expected to be honest about anything else for example, human-caused climate change or the safety of childhood vaccines. Trump, no stranger to promoting conspiracy theories, has a chance to show that he is committed to resolving some of the biggest conspiracy theories in American politics. We hope he welcomes the opportunity. If the documents in the National Archives are released in full, the president will receive credit for having struck a blow for transparency and, at least on this issue, attempting to show that the government no longer has anything to hide. Anthony Scaramuccis rollout as President Trumps new communications director received mainly good reviews. He is, as any White House job in the current administration requires, a skilled sycophant. His on-air abjection including a televised apology for past disloyalty smacks of self-criticism during Chinas Cultural Revolution. But comrade Scaramucci does have a knack for being aggressive without being angry. And he is good on TV, which means hell play a starring role in Trumps main obsession. The presidents intention in choosing Scaramucci was clear from the announcement. We have accomplished so much, said Trump in his statement, and we are being given credit for so little. Scaramuccis calling is to be a more effective harvester of credit. This staff change is probably a good thing for the president. It also reveals a complete blindness about the true source of his administrations current struggles. Who can look at the wreck of the White House bitterly divided, dysfunctional and hemorrhaging leaks and think a better communications approach is the answer? Who can look at the wreck of Trumps agenda stymied in spite of Republican control of the House and Senate and think the real problem is insufficient credit-taking on television? I could name half a dozen White House jobs that more urgently needed new blood including the chief of staff than communications director. Jobs in the press department are what the press and the president mainly see. But obvious problems are not always the most urgent. To be fair, the idea that words are always the real problem is not unique to the Trump administration. I saw the same communications fallacy in my White House experience during George W. Bushs presidency. It is typical for politicians and party officials to believe that the fault lies not in themselves, but in their flacks. As head of presidential speechwriting, I heard more than my share of if only. If only the administration would make such-and-such a point, the Katrina mess could be put behind us. If only the president said some magic words suggested language attached the erosion in support for the Iraq War would be reversed. If only the president were to give 60 speeches in 60 days on Social Security reform, Americans would finally understand the problem and our plan would pass. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) We actually tried that last one in 2005. The trip was carefully designed to pressure gettable Democratic senators. Bush was loose, informed and effective. And the plan never even got out of committee. We did not have a communications problem. We had a reality problem as we did with Katrina and Iraq. In such cases, hiring a new head of speechwriting would probably not have helped. The Trump administrations reality problem is a historically unpopular president, pushing historically unpopular legislation (at least on health care), in a historically divided party, to a historically polarized country. Hiring a new head of communications will not fundamentally alter this state of affairs. Words generally cannot improve facts on the ground, but they do have the power to complicate them. Part of the reason Trump is, from his perspective, given credit for so little is that so little has been accomplished. But another part is the insanely high expectations that Trumps own words have created. Youre going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost, he promised. Its going to be so easy. Tax reform benefiting the middle class would come in the first 100 days. He would build an impenetrable physical wall across the continent and the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such a wall. There would be a package spurring a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending. Middle East peace is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. And further: I will give you everything and achieve every dream you ever dreamed for your country. The president would probably not be politically comfortable fulfilling some of my dreams. But even more generally, this is what happens when a politician promises the world while knowing so little about how it actually works. Trumps greatest need is not someone who will defend him on cable television. It is an administration capable of even the baby steps of governing defining a positive, realistic agenda and selling it to Congress, starting with ones own party. Trump does not have a communications problem; he has a leadership problem. Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook . That Attorney General Jeff Sessions would resurrect a controversial federal program for civil asset forfeiture isnt surprising. He has long been one of the rare advocates for the policy, a vestige of the war on drugs restricted by the Obama administration that allowed local and state law enforcement officials to use federal law to seize (and keep) property suspected of crime. But his announcement last week that the Justice Department was expanding the practice nonetheless perfectly illustrates the stubborn persistence of civil asset forfeiture. Liberals and conservatives alike despise it: Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the Charles Koch Institute have lobbied against it, achieving legitimate success at both the federal and state levels. Meanwhile, supporters of civil forfeiture almost exclusively from the law enforcement community are few and far between. Yet civil asset forfeiture refuses to die. It remains an embarrassing fixture of our criminal-justice system wandering like a zombie with an affinity for pickpocketing. Why? Probably because police have become addicted to the revenue stream it provides. Conservatives often argue that its impossible to rescind welfare programs once people become accustomed to them. Perhaps that logic is better suited for law enforcement officers who dont want to give up their slush funds. Sessions suggested this pretty strongly in his directive last week. In public remarks, the attorney general said that law-abiding people whose property is used without their knowledge for illegal purposes should not be punished because of crimes that others have committed. But his directive explicitly allows Justice Department officials to seize such property provided that they do so with particular caution. If its not about the money, what reasonable reason for seizing the property of law-abiding people could there be? Really this comes down to funding, said Darpana Sheth, director of the civil forfeiture initiative at the Institute for Justice, a libertarian nonprofit law firm. Consider New Mexico, which implemented one of the nations most comprehensive forfeiture reforms in 2015. Not only did the state ban most of its state-level civil forfeiture, but it also required police to hand over all property seized under criminal convictions to the state, to be appropriated by lawmakers. But local officials didnt think that law applied to them, so they continued with civil property seizures anyway. The city of Albuquerque seized so many cars that it created plans after the reform law went into effect to build a complex to store them. Now, frustrated New Mexico lawmakers are working on legislation to explicitly forbid the city from taking its residents vehicles. Its hard to overstate how terribly law enforcement has abused this policy. Revenue from federal asset forfeitures increased by 1,000 percent from 2001 to 2014, amounting to $29 billion. A Reason magazine investigation showed that in cities such as Chicago, poor people have been hit the hardest. Police often ramp up the practice during tough economic times. Sessions, of course, is right that giving police the power to seize property could help them address crime. But so could giving police unlimited access to our homes and personal information, as well as the indiscriminate power to kill suspected criminals. We dont give them that power because that would be crazy. Over the years, as civil forfeiture became subject to greater scrutiny, many states attempted to curb the practice with their own reforms. But Sessionss directive would take the wind out of those efforts by once again giving local police the ability to seize property under federal law. For a supposedly conservative administration, such blatant disregard for federalist principles is shocking. Ahead of President Trumps appearance Monday at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, the troops were offered some advice on the gatherings official blog: Fully hydrate. Be courteous and kind. And avoid the kind of divisive chants heard during the 2016 campaign such as build the wall and lock her up. But from the moment he took the stage, Trump who was never a Scout himself but touted his role as the honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America started leading them down a very different path. Over the next 35 minutes, the president threatened to fire one of his Cabinet members, attacked former president Barack Obama, dissed his former rival Hillary Clinton, marveled at the size of the crowd, warned the boys about the fake media, mocked pollsters and pundits, and said more people would say Merry Christmas under his presidency. He also told a rambling tale about a famous, now-deceased home builder that meandered from a Manhattan cocktail party to a yacht and then to places that the president would only allow the boys imaginations to go. In response to a backlash following the speech, the Boy Scouts distanced itself Tuesday from Trumps remarks. In a statement, the organization said it is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any on position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. It added, without mentioning Trumps name, that inviting the sitting U.S. President to visit the Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies. The speech was, in fact, very much like the rally speeches that Trump gave across the country last year, although he sprinkled in some pieces of inspirational advice (Do something you love) and reflections on Boy Scout values (We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.). (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) [Trumps Boy Scouts speech broke with 80 years of presidential tradition] Trump was joined by former Scouts who serve in his Cabinet, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The latter wore a Scouting outfit for the occasion. Ryan is an Eagle Scout from Big Sky country in Montana, Trump relayed. As the presidents speech continued, Perry appeared to grow bored as he stood behind Trump, chatting with others, flipping through a book and then filming a video of the crowd. Not invited on the adventure: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an Eagle Scout whose day job appears in jeopardy in Washington. Trump began the official address, delivered from a lectern with the presidential seal, by pledging to talk about things loftier than politics. Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C., youve been hearing about with the fake news, the president told the crowd of Scouts and volunteers gathered in Glen Jean, W.Va. Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? But before long, Trump dived into the politics of the Republican health-care bill, which could die if it doesnt clear a key procedural vote on Tuesday. Trump pointed to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who has been tasked with selling the legislation. Hopefully hes going to get the votes tomorrow, Trump said, emphasizing the importance of overhauling the Affordable Care Act, which he called this horrible thing thats really hurting us. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad A look at President Trumps first year in office, so far View Photos The presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. Caption Scenes from the Republicans beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue. As chants of USA! USA! broke out, Trump asked Price: By the way, are you going to get the votes? You better get the votes. Otherwise, Ill say, Tom, youre fired. Trump also slipped in a reference to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, one of the Republican holdouts on moving forward with the bill, which would leave up to 22 million fewer Americans with health insurance by 2026, according to estimates. You better get Senator Capito to vote for it, the president told Price. Seemingly returning to the teleprompters, Trump pivoted to another subject. Boy Scout values are American values, the president said. And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the Scout law says, a Scout is trustworthy, loyal we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that. It wasnt clear what Trump was referencing. Perhaps it was fellow members of his party refusing to vote for health-care legislation. Perhaps it was Sessions, whom earlier in the day Trump had called beleaguered in a tweet. Trump harshly criticized Sessions last week for recusing himself from investigations involving Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Boy Scouts then chanted the 10 other words that make up the Boy Scout Law: Helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. On the stage behind Trump, Zinke and Perry stood at attention and held their right hands up in the Boy Scout salute. Trump smiled. Very good, he told the boys. Very good. At another point, Trump marveled at the more than 30,000 Scouts who had gathered for the Jamboree, although he acted as if they were there just for him and not for a regular event attended by seven other presidents. What do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero, Trump said as the Scouts yelled out answers and CNN! The fake media will say . . . President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today. That is some crowd. Fake media! Fake news! As Trump told the Scouts that they should spend their adult years doing something that they love to do, someone in the crowd shouted that he loved the president. I love you, too, Trump said, before jumping into a monologue on love between males. I dont know, its a nice guy. Hey, what am I going to do, he sounds like a nice person. He. He, he, he. Thank you. I do, I do love you. The boys laughed and then seemed to chant something that sounded like: We love Trump! We love Trump! Trump smiled and applauded them, then said: By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree? Nooooo! the boys roared back in a sound that seemed to turn into booing, apparently not giving Obama credit for sending a video message to the 2010 Jamboree. Before the gathering, the Scouts were told on the Jamborees blog that it would be inappropriate to behave as though they were at a campaign rally. Such behavior, the blog said, is considered divisive by many members of our audience and may cause unnecessary friction between individuals and units. . . . Please help us ensure that all Scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure that your troop members are respectful not only of the president, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight. Before departing, Trump took time to relive last years election, chiding Clinton for not working hard enough in several Midwestern states. He recalled the massive crowds he drew in Wisconsin, a state that a Republican presidential candidate hadnt won in many, many years. Michigan came in and we worked hard there. You know, my opponent didnt work hard there. She was told she was going to win Michigan and I said, Wait a minute, the car industry is going to move to Mexico. Boooo! the boys roared. Paul Manafort, who served as a top aide to President Trumps 2016 campaign, on Tuesday provided congressional investigators notes he took during a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer that has emerged as a focus in the investigation of Russian interference in the election. Manaforts submission, which came as he was interviewed in a closed session by staff members for the Senate Intelligence Committee, could offer a key contemporaneous account of the June 2016 session, which was organized by the presidents oldest son and has gained attention in recent days from lawmakers as well as special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. The notes were not publicly disclosed, and representatives for Manafort declined to comment on their contents. Manaforts testimony had been widely anticipated but took place without prior announcement early Tuesday, hours before senior White House adviser Jared Kushner appeared on Capitol Hill to meet with the House Intelligence Committee. Kushner had met with the Senate committee a day earlier and delivered a public statement insisting that he did not collude with the Russian government while working as a campaign adviser to his father-in-law, the president. Manaforts interview centered on the Trump Tower meeting, which he met with Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer and others, according to a person familiar with the committee session who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Manaforts lawyers have agreed to make him available to speak with Senate Intelligence Committee staffers and members in the future to discuss other issues, the person said. [Eighth person in Trump Tower meeting is identified] Jason Maloni, a Manafort spokesman, said Manafort met with the bipartisan staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee and answered their questions fully. Manaforts appearance came as he has been engaged in intense negotiations with congressional committees about how and when to provide testimony. Late Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced it had withdrawn a subpoena that had been issued to compel Manafort to appear Wednesday. In a joint statement, committee chairman Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and the committees ranking Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (California), said Manafort has begun producing documents to the committee and negotiations will continue over a possible interview at a future date. Our investigation is still in its early stages, and we will continue to seek information from witnesses as necessary, the statement said. As weve said before, we intend to get the answers that we need, one way or the other. They indicated the committee could seek to compel Manaforts testimony at some point in the future. The developments Tuesday were a sign that investigations are gathering momentum in front of multiple congressional committees. Ben Rhodes, an adviser to President Barack Obama, confirmed he was also interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staff on Tuesday. Michael Gottlieb, an attorney for Rhodes, said he was pleased to cooperate and is fully supportive of efforts to investigate Russias unprecedented interference in our democracy. And Grassley and Feinstein announced they had reached an arrangement with another witness they had subpoenaed to appear Wednesday: Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, a firm behind a dossier written during the campaign that included salacious but unverified information linking Trump to Russia. Trump has vigorously denied the dossiers allegations. Simpson initially said through his lawyer that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if forced to appear. But on Tuesday, he agreed to a transcribed interview behind closed doors, Grassley and Feinstein said. A lawyer for Simpson, Joshua Levy, declined to comment. Simpson and Manafort were initially slated to appear on the same panel along with Trump Jr. at Wednesdays hearing, where lawmakers were expected to ask the Trump surrogates about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Emails sent to Trump Jr. before the meeting show he agreed to meet with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya after being told she was a Russian government lawyer, bearing damaging information about Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton, that was being shared as part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign. Manaforts notes could provide information about what, exactly, was said at the meeting and how participants responded. Manafort, who was a top adviser at the time of the meeting, was named campaign chairman days later. In an initial statement as the New York Times prepared to report that the meeting had taken place, Trump Jr. had said it was primarily about the issue of the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families. The Russian government halted such adoptions in retaliation for a U.S. law passed in 2012 that blacklisted top Russian officials over alleged human rights abuses. Later, Trump Jr. acknowledged that Veselnitskaya had first described information she believed could be damaging to Democrats but has called that information vague and ambiguous. Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian American lobbyist who also attended the meeting, has said that Veselnitskaya left behind documents describing the information. Manaforts notes could shed more light on the information she provided and what happened to the documents she brought to the session. Tom Hamburger and Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. Anthony Scaramucci, the flashy financier President Trump hired to overhaul the White House communications operation, is exercising a broad mandate from the president and intends to follow through on threats to purge aides he believes are disloyal to Trump and leaking to the press, officials with knowledge of the fast-moving effort said Monday. Just four days into the job, Scaramucci has moved into Trumps inner sanctum and is now described by some colleagues as almost family to the president in contrast to his predecessor, outgoing press secretary Sean Spicer, who was described more like the help. In consultation with confidants inside and outside the administration, Scaramucci has begun undertaking an audit of the White Houses dozens of press and communications staffers. He is meeting one-on-one with aides in an effort to understand each persons contributions and weed out those he determines are not working hard enough to defend the president through the crises besieging the White House, according to several of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal issues. The potential shake-up has exacerbated long-simmering tensions between Scaramucci and chief of staff Reince Priebus, according to people familiar with the dynamic, despite the outward, if forced, public displays of unity between the two men. Outgoing White House press secretary Sean Spicer walks out of the West Wing of the White House after abruptly resigning his position on Friday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Scaramucci has long complained to associates that some White House staffers have been more focused on managing the image of Priebus than on defending Trump and promoting his agenda. An informal list of names, including several officials who previously worked under Priebus and Spicer at the Republican National Committee, has been circulating among Scaramucci allies as those whose jobs may be in jeopardy. One of Priebuss deputies, Katie Walsh, was pushed out of the White House earlier this year, and Scaramuccis planned overhaul is likely to leave Priebus even more isolated in the West Wing. Scaramucci also has vowed to root out unauthorized leaks to journalists from White House officials an issue that has consumed and enraged the president. Over the weekend, Scaramucci delivered an unusual public warning to the staff he is inheriting: If you are leaking, prepare to be fired. Weve got to get the leaks stopped, he said on Fox News Sunday. If we dont get the leaks stopped I am a businessperson, and so I will take dramatic action to stop those leaks. Scaramucci did not respond to requests for comment for this story, but other White House officials, as well as outside Trump loyalists, described Scaramuccis efforts so far. They said he is likely to move quickly to make changes, pointing out that the president has little patience for reading what one informal adviser called reorganization stories in the press. Trump has empowered Scaramucci to make the changes that he sees fit, these people said. While the communications director traditionally reports to the chief of staff, Scaramucci reports directly to Trump. Scaramucci said Friday that the aides whose jobs are secure other than Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was promoted to replace Spicer as press secretary are Hope Hicks, the director of strategic communications, and Dan Scavino, the director of social media, both of whom have the top rank of assistant to the president and are personally close to Trump. Anthony Scaramucci motions to newly appointed White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in the White House briefing room on Friday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Anthonys extremely empowered, said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign and transition adviser. The president deserves a top-tier communications shop, and with Anthony they get a top-tier talent to manage the communications shop. Were going to see a communications shop thats dedicated to pushing the presidents agenda and defending the president, and I cant say that thats always been the case. Trump respects Scaramuccis financial success and his television performances, in which Scaramucci both defends and flatters the president while simultaneously charming and jousting with journalists, people familiar with the presidents thinking said. Trump has been especially taken by Scaramuccis confidence and his biography as a Long Island kid who became a wealthy Manhattan player. Inside the White House, the mood surrounding the shift from Spicer to Scaramucci has been mixed. Some aides are enthusiastic Its a whole new day, one said and say Scaramucci is reinvigorating an embattled staff. These aides also privately voiced good riddance to Spicer, an experienced operative who some viewed as a poor manager in a stressful environment. Some recounted with glee an anecdote published in the Wall Street Journal of Spicer stealing a mini-fridge from junior staffers working in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and lugging the icebox to his West Wing office late one evening after many of his colleagues had gone home. But other aides express immense sympathy for Spicer, believing he did the best anyone could have done given the sometimes impossible task of explaining the unexplainable, and performing every day for a critical boss who always believed he was his own best messenger. The existential question for Scaramucci is whether he can truly change the chaotic environment in the White House, much of which emanates from the 71-year-old man in the Oval Office who shows little willingness to change his behavior. The majority of the communications problems have been caused by the president going off script and blowing up a well-planned message week with a single tweet, and it doesnt matter who the staffers are in the communications office if the principals cant get on the same page with the message and exercise some self-discipline, said Ryan Williams, a Republican strategist. Unlike every other staffer, maybe Anthony Scaramucci will be able to persuade the president to stay on message, but Ill believe it when I see it. Scaramucci wants the communications shop focused on serving a single client the president and is looking outside of the White House to recruit new advisers with professional experience, especially on television. He is considering bringing on corporate communications specialists as well as people who have on-air experience, according to people briefed on his plans. Scaramucci has deep contacts at Fox News, where he was a paid contributor and hosted a weekly show on Fox Business Network. Wayne Berman, a longtime Republican operative whose name has been previously floated as a possible chief of staff, is scheduled to meet with Scaramucci on Tuesday at the White House, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Rather than try to develop a communications strategy that restricts Trumps public comments and engagement with the media, Scaramucci is trying to help channel the populist and pugilistic instincts that propelled Trumps candidacy. You can either adapt Trump into the presidency or you can adapt the presidency into Trump, said Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser. The latter is the only way it will ever work, and I think thats what were seeing. Over the past two months, Spicer all but stopped allowing television cameras to record or broadcast the White Houses near-daily news briefings. The move was seen by some critics as a survival strategy for Spicer, because it meant the president could no longer critique his performances on television. But on Monday, in one of his first acts as communications director, Scaramucci who on the circuit of Sunday shows directly addressed the president through the television reversed Spicers directive. Turning to the presidents favorite medium of Twitter, Scaramucci declared, The TV Cameras are back on. Theres an old adage from early in the webs history, usually attributed to civil libertarian John Gilmore, which proclaims, The internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it. Its an optimistic sentiment and one that has been severely tested over the past 20 years, particularly in China. The countrys Great Firewall, which blocks access to western websites such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, treats certain politically sensitive topics like radioactive malware, and it has turned the worlds largest internet market into an isolated digital continent. But there have always been drawbridges back to the rest of the worldsoftware tools such as virtual private networks that give businesses and sophisticated internet users in China access to the full web. Now the Chinese government is preparing to pull up those bridges. The country has told internet service providers to block access to VPNs by early next year. It has shuttered a dozen livestreaming apps that let people broadcast themselves in real-time and potentially distribute political content or pornography, evading government regulators. And in the strangest move, last week it blocked some online images of the beloved A. A. Milne character Winnie the Pooh, because online commenters were comparing the physique of the red-shirted bear to that of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Moves to shore up the Great Firewall reliably happen every few years and coincide with the twice- a-decade Party Congress, which will be held again in the fall. This year, the Guardian newspaper has reported, Xi may be looking to stymie opponents who are using the internet to circulate politically damaging allegations against the government. Chinese officials talk about internet censorship as a pursuit of internet sovereignty, which basically translates into: We get to set our own online rules, so mind your own damn business. It will be interesting to watch whether, as Gilmore might predict, new workarounds spring up in the absence of conventional VPNs, providing continued access to messaging networks such as Whatsapp, which until now the Chinese government has mostly left alone. But the great crackdown isnt just a civil rights issue but a significant business one as well. Startups are dependent on VPNs to access services abroad. Western companies rely on VPNs as a tether to their overseas counterparts and to safeguard the security of their data. The emboldened censorship also comes at a terrible time for the China tech industrys global ambitions. Chinese startups like Didi Chuxing, the ride-hailing juggernaut, or Ofo, the bicycle-rental upstart, are now raising billions from foreign sources like Japans SoftBank Group Corp., Americas Silver Lake Partners or Russias DST Global. We also wrote a few weeks ago in Businessweek about the global aspirations of Tencent Holdings Ltd., the messaging and video game giant. Tencent wants to bring its most successful smartphone game, the wickedly entertaining Honour of Kings, to the U.S. and Europe. Now the Chinese government, via an editorial in the state-controlled Peoples Daily, is accusing the role-playing game of harming Chinese youth and warping traditional values, suggesting it, too, could get caught in a crackdown. To be sure, China isnt the only country taking steps toward what looks increasingly like digital isolationism. Russia is another country carving out its own corner of the internet through restrictions on where citizens data can be stored and for how long, as well as the use of censorshipsometimes with amusing consequences. The U.S., increasingly moving toward nationalism, is introducing new obstacles to economic links between countries. As Reuters reported last week, a secretive U.S. government agency called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is now rejecting or at least delaying many proposed acquisitions of U.S. companies by foreign buyers on the basis of national security. This could have a big impact on tech deals in particular. Many of those prospective acquirers are Chinese companies and investors, ramping up their global ambitions at what now seems like an inopportune time. The internet is going to have a hard time routing around all this. In the immortal words of Winnie the Pooh, that makes it a bothering sort of day. Brad Stone, Bloomberg A message on the corner of Avondale Avenue and Market Street in South Youngstown, Ohio. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) President Trump escaped the roiling turmoil of Washington on Tuesday evening leaving behind the chaotic effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the intensifying Russia investigation and his latest staff shake-up to rally with his supporters in this former steel town. I was looking at some of those big, once incredible job-producing factories. And my wife, Melania, said, What happened? I said, Those jobs have left Ohio, Trump said to a cheering audience of several thousand. Theyre all coming back. . . . Were going to fill up those factories or rip em down and build brand new ones. Thats whats going to happen. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Trumps simplistic view of this city, located in what was once known as Steel Valley, is stuck in time. Youngstown suffered closures of steel mills in the 1970s and 80s that laid off thousands, tanked the local economy and led to a mass exodus of residents. But the region has evolved significantly since then, and few say they expect Trump to revive the steel industry here as he has promised. Instead, those living in Youngstown and its suburbs are worried about health care, the schools their children and grandchildren attend, the opioid crisis that now kills more Ohioans than car crashes, the care of military veterans, and the regions overall economy access to full-time, good-paying jobs in place of the ones their parents and grandparents once had in the mills. In interviews with dozens of local residents, both liberals and conservatives said Trump has not accomplished as much as they had expected by now something that many of Trumps supporters blame fully on Congress. It just seems like no one can get on the same page there, not even the Republicans, said John Morris, 63, a postmaster who lives in the suburb of Canfield and attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilicas Italian festival on the edge of downtown Friday. Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe and Vice Chairman Tracey Winbush reach out to supporters about VIP tickets for Tuesday's rally. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) Morris grew up in a Democratic family but has voted for Republicans for about two decades. He voted for Trump, despite his flaws, he said, because he hoped an outsider could change how Washington operates. It hasnt changed, he said. We thought things might be different. . . . We thought he would be a lot further along than he is right now, but we didnt know how many walls would go up. Morris said that it is up to Republicans to find a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, especially now that they control Congress and the White House and that not doing anything is not acceptable. As he spoke, one of his friends, who reluctantly voted for Hillary Clinton, jumped in to say that hes frustrated that no Democrats are willing to break with leadership to work with Republicans on health care. Morris mostly watches Fox News Channel, along with the nightly newscasts on the major networks. He doesnt understand the breathless obsession with examining every tiny connection between Trump and Russia. I still havent heard anything as far as collusion, he said. Whatever comes out, comes out but it has been six months. It has been six months, and I havent seen anything yet. I dont think anything more is going to come out. Youngstown is located in Mahoning County, which voted for Richard Nixon in 1972 but has sided with Democratic presidential candidates ever since. Last year, a wave of Democrats changed their party registrations, and theres still a sign up on Route 7, next to a gun and ammunition shop, that says: Cross over. Vote Trump. Clinton eked out a win here, earning 49.9 percent of votes to Trumps 46.6 percent, but Trumps strong showing was considered a victory in itself. Trump also won the two neighboring counties in Ohios Steel Valley, which is now called Mahoning Valley: Trumbull County to the north, which hadnt voted for a Republican since Nixon, and Columbiana County to the south, which has mostly voted Republican for years. Mahoning Valley is home to cities such as Youngstown that have struggled with poverty and crime, but also to suburbs filled with moderately priced homes and historic mansions with sprawling lawns, big-box stores and chain restaurants with packed parking lots, upscale fitness studios, retirement communities, drug detox centers, and grocery stores offering both dirt-cheap deals and large displays of organic produce. There are quaint downtowns, food trucks, summer festivals, locally owned coffee shops, luxury apartments in renovated historic buildings, outdoor jazz concerts and farmers markets. A reflection off a storefront window in downtown Youngstown. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) Some of the largest employers in the Youngstown area are local governments, Youngstown State University, and a major hospital and health-care companies that probably would suffer under the GOPs proposed cuts. Up the road in Lordstown is a General Motors plant that produces the Chevrolet Cruze, but it has laid off hundreds of workers and recently shut down for five weeks because the model isnt selling well. To Trump, this part of America is still covered with rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape, as he put it in a speech to Congress earlier this year. Its a sad remembrance of what the valley used to be, said Deborah Anderson-Timar, 59, an accountant and Trump supporter living in the Youngstown suburbs whose father once worked in the industry. She appreciates that Trump sees how difficult life has been for communities like hers. Youngstown has half the population now that it did in the 1960s, and the city in recent years has been tearing down abandoned factories, stores and homes. Although the suburbs are predominantly white, more than 45 percent of Youngstowns 64,000 residents are African American and 9 percent are Hispanic. More than 38 percent of residents live in poverty, and state authorities have taken over the citys failing school system. Jonathan Stevenson, 26, who lives on Youngstowns impoverished south side, excitedly voted for Barack Obama twice but sat this election out. Although he thought Obama did the best he could and enacted a number of reforms, Stevenson said, he didnt see much change in his neighborhood. The stuff they say they need to fix, they dont fix, said Stevenson, who spent most of his life in foster care and now works part-time at a call center and studies business administration at the local community college. The only way were going to change things is everyone coming together, because a president cant do everything. Stevenson, who doesnt have health insurance, said he doesnt understand why Republicans want to cut Medicaid and other health-care programs that help not only his neighbors but also those across the valley. Its like water, gas and electricity if you dont give people the initial stuff to live, you dont know who is a failure and who is a diamond in the rough, he said over an early lunch in a suburban mall food court. A new grass-roots coalition called Valley Voices United for Change pushed city leaders in Youngstown and Warren, a city in Trumbull County, to pass resolutions opposing the Republican health-care plan, which they argue will lead to a drop not only in the number of people who are insured but also in the number of health-care-related jobs. Sweeping proposed cuts to Medicaid would also be a major setback for local opioid treatment centers that have seen a rush in new patients who gained health insurance coverage when Medicaid expanded in Ohio. Jeff Schroeder, 59, and his wife Kathy, 64, enjoy ice cream in the back of their pickup truck in a parking lot in Canfield, Ohio. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat who represents the area, said that hes tired of Trump name-dropping Youngstown without doing anything to help the city. Hes a great marketer, and he tries to use [Youngstown] as the kind of city to paint a picture about why people should support him and vote for him, Ryan said. The reality is: People are waiting for him to do something for our area, and he has not done anything that he said that he was going to do. Elsewhere in the Youngstown area, longtime residents say they voted for Trump because they wanted to try something different, even if it doesnt end up working. James Barkett, 65, a chaplain and counselor for the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center who once worked in the health-care industry, considers himself a centrist and believes in investing in social programs. He voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and Trump in November because he was the lesser of two evils and offered a different approach. Its the same rhetoric every four years, and thats what people are tired of, he said. Theyre tired of hearing the same thing: Oh, we need health care, we need jobs, we need better education. Well, then, do it. Quit talking about it, and do it and I think thats where Youngstown finally woke up and said: You know what, you guys? Youve been Democratic strongholds for however many elections. Were going to try the other side for once and see how its going. Festivalgoers enjoy the last day of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian festival in downtown Youngstown on July 23. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) Barketts brother-in-law is David Betras, chairman of the countys Democratic Party, who sent the Clinton campaign a memo in May 2016 warning that her message was not resonating in the Rust Belt. The tightknit family loves discussing politics, but they have learned that even among themselves, theres a need to fully hear one another out, said Barketts youngest son, Ernie. After protesting at some of Trumps other rallies, he planned to attend Tuesdays event and soak up the experience that won over so many of his relatives and neighbors. You dont have to agree with them but you do need to understand them, said Ernie Barkett, 21, a senior at Youngstown State University who was a delegate for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention last summer. Ive tried to tone it down, to stop doing the Ha-ha, I told you so. The conversation always ends when you start to do that. (Taylor Turner/The Washington Post) President Trump launched another public assault Tuesday morning on his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions, questioning why the Justice Department chief has not done more to investigate alleged crimes by Hillary Clinton and those who have leaked information to the media. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Trump tweeted at 6:12 a.m. from his personal account, his second Twitter message of the morning. The tweet was one in a series, and it continued the presidents public attacks on Sessions, whose job appears to be in jeopardy. Sessions, a Republican former senator from Alabama, supported Trump from the early days of his candidacy and became one of the real estate magnates most trusted advisers. But he fell out of favor with the president when he recused himself in March from investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign, including probes of Russian interference in the electoral process, on grounds that he had been involved in the campaign. [Trump team weighs options for replacing Sessions] A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on Trumps tweets Tuesday morning. Asked whether Trump wants Sessions to leave, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not rule it out. Look, I know that he is frustrated and certainly disappointed in the attorney general for recusing himself, but . . . I think thats a decision that if the president wants to make, he certainly will, she said on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning. That frustration certainly hasnt gone away, and I dont think it will. Trump said in an interview with the New York Times last week that he would not have appointed Sessions to the position if he knew Sessions would recuse himself. In his first tweet Tuesday morning, Trump wrote about Hillary Clinton: Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - quietly working to boost Clinton. So where is the investigation A.G. Trump seemed to be referring to reports that during the election campaign, the Democratic National Committee hired a Ukrainian American Democratic operative, Alexandra Chalupa, to mobilize ethnic communities, including Ukrainian Americans. In 2014, Chalupa had investigated the role that Paul Manafort, who went on to become Trumps campaign chairman, played in the rise of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. After leaving the campaign in July 2016, Chalupa continued her research. Politico reported that Chalupa said she sometimes shared her findings with officials at the DNC and Clintons campaign, but campaign officials said they never received information. The White House has tried to compare this arrangement with the communication that the Trump campaign had with Russians during and after the campaign. [Fact Checker: The White Houses facile comparison of Trump-Russia and Clinton-Ukraine] At 6:21 a.m., Trump followed up with another tweet that took aim at the acting director of the FBI: Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! When McCabes wife, Jill McCabe, was running as a Democrat for a state Senate seat in Virginia in 2015, she received campaign donations totaling about $660,000 from a political action committee affiliated with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a longtime Clinton family friend, and from the Virginia Democratic Party. There is no evidence that Clinton knew of the contributions. The FBI said in a statement in 2016 that Andrew McCabe played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind for his wifes candidacy. About three months after Jill McCabe lost her race, her husband was put in charge of overseeing the bureaus investigation into Clintons use of a private email server, and critics questioned his objectivity. Former FBI director James B. Comey has testified that Trump mentioned McCabe as he sought Comeys loyalty. Trump then took a break from tweeting about the Russia investigation to reflect on the major vote that is expected on health-care legislation in the Senate on Tuesday. At 6:52 a.m., the president returned to the topic of Russia to defend his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is a senior adviser in the White House and met privately with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday to answer questions about four meetings he had with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and transition period. Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump! Trump tweeted, referring to his youngest son. In criticizing Sessions on Tuesday, Trump reprised a line of attack he has used lately against the former Alabama senator, who emerged last year as his strongest congressional supporter. On Monday, Trump tweeted from his personal account: So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Sessions announced in March that he was recusing himself from campaign-related investigations a day after The Washington Post reported that he had twice met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign and did not disclose those meetings during his confirmation hearing in January before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump told the New York Times last week that he believes Sessionss recusal decision was very unfair to the president. Trumps latest tweets fueled speculation that he is prodding Sessions to quit. Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt tweeted Tuesday morning that Anthony Scaramucci, the presidents new communications director, told him, Youre probably right, regarding his reading that Trumps remarks mean he wants AG Sessions to resign. In an interview with Hewitt, Scaramucci described Trump as obviously frustrated but said he does not think the president wants to fire Sessions and ventured that they need to work this thing out. Its clear the president wants him gone, Hewitt shot back. Scaramucci replied: If theres this level of tension in the relationship thats public, youre probably right. But I dont want to speak for the president on that. Later, Scaramucci jokingly asked Hewitt if he was available for the job. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and a frequent Trump target himself, wrote on Twitter that it is fully transparent that Trump wants to force Sessions to resign so he can appoint someone to curb Mueller probe. Schiff added: Only works if Senate lets it. He referred to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, the former FBI director appointed in May to oversee investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters. After coming under criticism from Trump last week, Sessions dismissed the notion that he would quit with a caveat. We love this job, he told reporters. We love this department, and I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate. Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), seen at the Capitol this month, is teaming up with Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) on legislation aimed at helping defendants who cannot afford bail. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) Three years ago when he was starting to run for president, Sen. Rand Paul spoke with then-California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris about his proposals to reduce the rates at which convicted criminals commit new crimes and return to jail. Now that theyre both in the Senate, Paul and Harris are teaming up on another criminal-justice idea they know is popular back home and believe can find bipartisan support: providing aid to people who cant afford bail. It literally is about do you have cash sitting at home that you can afford to write the check to get out versus you dont, youre barely making ends meet every month, said Harris (D-Calif.). But bills co-written by Democrats and Republicans barely move past the first round of headlines and news conferences these days even if they are backed by an unlikely pair. Just ask Paul (R-Ky.), who earned attention in 2014 for partnering with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to try changing the nations sentencing laws and drug-control policies. The combination of a short, mop-topped ophthalmologist from rural Kentucky and the tall, bald former big-city mayor was too good to be ignored. Their plans went nowhere. And yet, Paul is trying again. He and Harris argue that the requirement that defendants provide some cash to get bail and earn their release keeps hundreds of thousands of defendants behind bars awaiting trial on minor charges because they cannot afford to get out. They call it one of the most inequitable aspects of the criminal-justice system. I think theres a majority there might even be 60 votes for some of these things on criminal-justice reform, Paul said in a joint interview with Harris on Tuesday. We have to push forward. Harris agreed. A lot of what were talking about is disparities in terms of how Americans are treated in the criminal-justice system because of their wealth or not, she said. Poor people, working people are treated differently, particularly on this issue of bail. Paul and Harriss Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act is a modest proposal that would set aside $10 million in federal grant money to begin encouraging more states to drop or curtail cash bail systems and consider other factors when sorting out whether a defendant should be kept behind bars before trial. Nationwide, roughly 47 percent of felony defendants with bonds remain jailed before their cases are heard, because they cannot make bail. Harriss office said the problem affects more than 450,000 people nationwide. But a growing number of large jurisdictions are changing their policies to ease prison populations and to account for a defendants financial situation. For years, Washington, D.C., has released suspects awaiting trial without requiring them to leave behind any money, on a promise that they will return to court and meet conditions such as checking in with a pretrial officer or submit to drug tests. And last week, Chicago became the largest city in the nation to allow judges to consider whether people do not have enough money to pay for their release, an important victory for bail-overhaul advocates. Under the new rules, judges can no longer set bail so high that defendants cannot afford to pay for their release. The decision followed a Chicago Tribune investigation that found as many as 300 prisoners sat in the Cook County Jail because they could not pay $100 to post bail. Its not just about race its about poverty, Paul said, noting that support for overhauling the criminal-justice system cuts across states, parties and ideologies. In Kentucky, state lawmakers are debating whether to expand a felony expungement law that would allow people convicted of minor drug offenses to clear their records after 10 years. That comes after the Republican governor signed a bill last year that allows people convicted of nonviolent felonies to apply to expunge their records if they stay out of trouble for five years and pay a $500 fee. Paul said he supports such bills because you cant work if you have this glaring criminal record out there that prevents you from finding work. Three years ago this summer, as buzz about a potential presidential campaign hit a fever pitch, Paul traveled to Guatemala to perform free eye surgeries for hundreds of impoverished people. The stage-managed political voyage helped reveal a rarely seen side of the senator and helped stoke speculation ahead of an ultimately unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign. Harris, just seven months into her first Senate term, is already enduring speculation about her political future. In recent weeks, she has met with top-dollar Democratic donors who backed Hillary Clintons presidential campaign and as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee has earned plaudits from progressives and national exposure for her aggressive questioning of Trump administration officials during nationally televised hearings. In their only joint interview to tout their new bill, Paul indirectly encouraged Harris to explore a presidential bid but did not endorse her. After all, he has not ruled another presidential campaign some day. I think on the Democrat side theres a huge opening for lots and lots of people to rise up to be that person, Paul said. Harris dismissed speculation about the presidency but did not deny an interest. Asked why she thinks people are talking about her as a presidential candidate, she said, I think people like to gossip. She added, I came to D.C. hoping to have impact on real human beings and their lives, and sharing with this incredible body of people these smart, powerful people the views and the voices of folks that might not otherwise be seen or heard. Read more at PowerPost Attorney General Jeff Sessions, right, is greeted by Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.), center, and Vice Chair Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) before he testifies in June. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) A bevy of congressional Republicans are warning President Trump not to move against Attorney General Jeff Sessions in what many fear could be a prelude to the dismissal of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is probing Trumps ties to Russia. Trumps public criticism of Sessions has mounted in recent days, starting with a tweet Saturday morning asking why Sessions and Mueller have not investigated alleged crimes by former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and by former FBI director James B. Comey, and culminating in a tweet early Tuesday accusing Sessions of taking a VERY weak position on investigating Clinton and leakers of intelligence secrets. The attack Tuesday prompted an outpouring of support for Sessions among his former colleagues in the Senate, where he served for 20 years before resigning to become attorney general, and left scores of other Republicans aghast at Trumps willingness to attack one of his most loyal campaign supporters. I dont think it helps to throw your own people under the bus, said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.). If you think you need to make a change, call him in, have the discussion, make the change. But I dont think these sorts of public floggings are very helpful. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) marveled on the Senate floor Tuesday at Trumps willingness to attack Sessions. This is the first person who stuck his neck out for Donald Trump, who was with him through thick and thin, he said. And now, even if the president has disagreements with him which I think are ill-founded, self-centered and wrong you dont ridicule him in public. Someone who is your close friend? That speaks to character. Schumer raised openly what many Republicans fear privately that Sessionss dismissal would be a first step toward Muellers firing. Sessions has recused himself from Russia-related matters because of the meetings he had taken with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and cannot dismiss Mueller, but his successor would not be so constrained. Many Americans must be wondering if the president is trying to pry open the office of attorney general to appoint someone during the August recess who will fire special counsel Mueller and shut down the Russia investigation, Schumer said. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) declined Tuesday to make a definitive statement regarding Sessions, telling reporters, Its up to the president to decide what his personnel decision is and any possible fallout that comes from that. And he avoided making a direct statement on Muellers future a day after defending the special counsel in a Wisconsin radio interview. Asked on WISN-AM about an investigation that is becoming an obvious witch hunt, Ryan moved to rebut that Trump-inspired line of attack. Remember, Bob Mueller is a Republican who was appointed by a Republican, who served in a Republican administration, and crossed over and stayed on until his term ended, he said. I dont think many people are saying Bob Mueller is a person who is a biased and partisan. Hes sort of really anything but. Most GOP lawmakers kept their focus Tuesday on Sessions. Those standing up for him included some of Trumps most loyal supporters on the political right who fear the loss of a trusted ally on immigration and law-and-order issues. Jeff Sessions is far and away the best possible person to be our attorney general in the United States of America, said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an outspoken Trump supporter. There is no one who could replace him who would follow through and finish out the Trump agenda. Were Sessions to be cashiered, King said, this would be an amputation of his own immigration and rule-of-law agenda that would be a massive disappointment to the conservatives of America. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and a lawmaker with a direct line into Trumps inner circle, said the presidents criticism of Sessions shows the growing frustration of this whole Russia thing. The president knows hes innocent and doesnt have people defending him, he said, adding, I do think the attorney general has been very loyal. Numerous senators issued statements Tuesday testifying to Sessionss personal qualities. Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity, loyalty, and extraordinary character, said Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). I join the people of Alabama in giving Jeff Sessions my deep respect and unwavering support. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that Sessions is doing a fine job and that he made the right decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) called Sessions a man of deep conviction and principle who believes in the rule of law and always has the best interests of our country at heart, while Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) called him a rock-solid conservative and called Trumps tweets highly inappropriate. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who is seeking the Senate seat Sessions once held and has sought to closely align himself with Trump, called the presidents attacks most distressing. Im in a difficult position, he said. On one hand, Im very supportive of President Trumps policy agenda. On the other hand, Ive been good friends with [Sessions] for more than two decades and I just hate to see this kind of conflict between the two of them. Brooks declined to speculate on how he or his Republican colleagues might respond if Trump takes aim at Mueller. But other lawmakers were willing to explore the scenario. Some warned that a move against Mueller could represent a turning point for rank-and-file Republicans who have endured various Trump controversies in hopes of passing a conservative legislative agenda. The special counsels different, said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). Not letting that investigation go forward after we all said, Lets let the investigation go forward, would probably be problematic I guess that would be the best way to say it. Cole said firing Mueller would be a huge mistake and offered some unsolicited advice: Dont throw a hand grenade down here on Capitol Hill and think youre not going to get some splinters yourself. These investigations are going to happen, he added. Theyre in motion in the Senate, theyre in motion in the House, and theyre in motion by the special counsel. And if you think youre going to avoid them, youre making a mistake, in my view. You would be creating a new issue, and you would be confirming the worst suspicions of your enemies and raise doubt among your friends. Ed OKeefe contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost Congress is poised to give itself new powers over the administrations ability to roll back sanctions aimed at Russia, the latest evidence of lawmakers continuing distrust of President Trumps handling of the United States relationship with Moscow. The House and Senate are expected to pass a bill as soon as this week that includes language giving Congress 30 days to review and vote to prevent any move by the president to ease sanctions against Russia. The move comes despite considerable pressure from the administration to strip this provision from the bill, with the White House arguing that it would give the president less flexibility than his predecessors to determine when and where sanctions should be applied. Lawmakers in both parties rejected this argument and said they want to include similar restraints in future legislation, including a proposal aimed at North Korea, with Democrats citing Trump as a motivating factor and Republicans arguing that it should become the new practice regardless of who occupies the Oval Office. We want to continue on, no matter whos president, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said in an interview. I think congressional review should be a part of every sanction that we put in place. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) On Tuesday, the House will vote on a bill that would impose new financial sanctions on Russia and Iran, which are meant to punish Moscow for its alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election and its military activities in Syria and Ukraine, and Tehran for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The bill doesnt give Congress the same review powers over penalties directed at Iran as it does Russia, and the House plans to add to the bill a package of sanctions against North Korea that also lacks this oversight language. But lawmakers said the congressional review process is expected to be part of sanctions bills going forward, saying its prudent to give Congress this check on the president at a time when rogue states are taking ever more audacious steps to develop nuclear weapons, seize territory and engage in cybercrime. Many also acknowledge it is an issue given more urgency by Trumps recent attempts to cozy up to world leaders with questionable human rights records and his fluid foreign policy stances. What weve seen to date is not a consistent policy, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has teamed up with Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) on a North Korea sanctions bill that includes a congressional review provision. Weve seen a series of tweets, but nothing that is consistent and clear, and thats why this legislations important. In recent years, sanctions have become a favored means of pressuring foreign nations to cease objectionable activities, including North Koreas pursuit of nuclear warheads. Congress and recent administrations have clashed over the extent to which sanctions ought to be applied against adversary nations and individuals, with lawmakers urging harsher punitive actions and administrations angling for more latitude to leave diplomatic options open. But even amid these tensions, lawmakers traditionally have offered the president the ability to waive sanctions when he determines it is in the national security interest of the United States. That appears to be changing in the Trump era. The presidents affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin has been of particular concern for lawmakers, who worry that the president may try to dismantle sanctions put in place by President Barack Obama late last year, such as handing back Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, after his administration accused Moscow of trying to influence the presidential election. Leaders in both chambers have endorsed an approach to Russia sanctions that codifies and expands existing punitive measures, while giving Congress 30 days to review any changes the president wants to make to the policy. The White House insisted it has no problem with increasing mandatory sanctions against Russia but does not want Congress to tie its hands when it comes to limiting the presidents authority to roll them back. It would be politically difficult for the president to veto the legislation, and the White House said Trump has yet to make up his mind about the bill. As I said, hes looking over where it stands exactly at this point, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of Trump. I think the important part of this is that the president very much supports sanctions on those countries and wants to make sure that those remain but at the same time wants to make sure that we get good deals. Those two things are both very important for the president. Senate leaders are ready to make this congressional review provision part of future sanctions bills, but House Republican leaders have yet to commit to the idea beyond the Russia legislation. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) declined to outline his position after several days of requests, while others in House leadership claimed to be unfamiliar with the provision and legal nuances it involves. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) said he would prefer to consider the issue on a case-by-case basis. Several rank-and-file House GOP members, however, said they want a congressional review considered for future sanctions bills. As we move forward in this dangerous world, I think youre going to see us use these kinds of vehicles, I believe probably in increased fashion, said Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), a senior deputy party whip. I understand where theyre coming from, but I feel like oversight is good, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said of the leaderships reservations about allowing Congress to block presidential actions on sanctions. And Im a Trump supporter, he added. Republicans argue that the push to give Congress a greater say on when sanctions can be eased is not directly related to Trump, but part of a longer-term trend that began when lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation allowing them to vote on whether the Iran nuclear deal negotiated toward the end of the Obama administration could go into effect. Many Republicans said they wished that Congress had insisted on similar review power when they passed stiffened nuclear sanctions against Tehran in 2010, surmising that they may have been able to prevent Obama from concluding the Iran nuclear deal if they had. Although the Senate has shown support for giving lawmakers the ability to review any rollback of sanctions against North Korea, its unclear whether that will be included in the latest legislative package moving through Congress. The House plans to include its Pyongyang sanctions bill in the Russia and Iran legislation being voted on Tuesday, but it does not include the review language. Still, experts say that cohesion around the Russia legislation suggests Congress is ready to assert itself more fully in the realm of sanctions policy going forward. Were seeing a Congress thats much more interested in case-by-case involvement in these fields, where historically Congresss approach was to just delegate what authority it might have to the executive, said Stephen Vladeck, a constitutional and national security law expert at the University of Texas School of Law. The reality is that Congress is slowly and begrudgingly accepting something that many of us have been arguing for years, which is that they have a lot more of a stick to wield in this space. John Wagner, Abby Phillip and Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. The Senate embarked on a freewheeling process to rewrite the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, as Republicans overcame deep divisions to bring their proposals up for debate by the narrowest possible margin. But those same schisms threatened to leave the party far short in the coming days of its ambitious goal to undo major parts of the ACA, which the GOP has been vowing for seven years to dismantle. On Tuesday night, just hours after opening debate, Senate Republican leaders were unable to pass a bill that they had spent weeks crafting but that never gained sufficient traction with the rank and file. Fifty-seven senators including nine Republicans opposed the updated version of the measure known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), while 43 supported it, portending a difficult road ahead for the GOP rollback effort. The earlier vote to start debate marked a momentary political victory for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and President Trump. The president managed to resuscitate the GOPs months-long effort to unwind President Barack Obamas signature 2010 law by convincing more than half a dozen wavering senators that they could not afford to walk away from an enduring political promise. Republicans passed the procedural hurdle by a slim 51-to-50-vote margin, with Vice President Pence breaking the tie. The health-care debate is likely to spark a chaotic, unpredictable couple of days on Capitol Hill with senators voting on everything from abolishing much of the law to what is being called a skinny repeal. The result of these ensuing votes, many think, will be far more modest changes to the ACA than the party has long advertised. (U.S. Senate) The endgame is to be able to move something at the end of this process across the Senate floor that can get 50 votes and then to get into conference with the House, said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a top McConnell lieutenant. [Skinny repeal could be the Senates health-care bill of last resort] Tuesdays proceedings were marked by high drama, including the return of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to the Capitol just 1 1/2 weeks after he underwent surgery related to his recent diagnosis of brain cancer, and Pences move to cast the tiebreaking vote. The intensity of the debate, including protesters who yelled Kill the bill! in the Senate chamber after the voting had begun, underscored the stakes involved in overhauling a health-care system that affects one-sixth of the U.S. economy and how tens of millions receive medical care. All 48 members of the Democratic caucus voted against the procedural motion to start debate, along with two GOP centrists, Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Republicans have struggled mightily to get to this point, and there is no guarantee they will win final passage of the bill. In a sign of how muddled the situation remains, McCain took to the floor after voting to move ahead and declared, I will not vote for the [BCRA] as it is today. Its a shell of a bill right now. [McCain returns to Senate for health care vote to emotional applause from his colleagues] Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) echoed these sentiments, tweeting, I support a full repeal of Obamacare & will continue to oppose the BCRA. Trump has been pushing aggressively for Republicans to pass a repeal-and-replace plan, saying opposing the procedural motion to proceed with debate would be tantamount to endorsing the law known as Obamacare. Speaking at a joint news conference in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, the president said he is very, very sad for the Republicans who opposed the motion but very happy with the result of the vote. Now were all going to sit together and try to come up with something really spectacular, he said. Its a very, very complex and difficult task, something I know quite a bit about. Now, Senate GOP leaders plan to move ahead with votes they hope will culminate at the end of the week in the passage of at least narrow changes to the ACA that will become the basis for negotiations with the House. This skinny repeal strategy would keep the overhaul effort alive but amount to a tacit acknowledgment that broader efforts to revise or repeal the law cannot succeed, even as Republicans control both Congress and the White House. They expect us to tackle the big problems, McConnell said on the Senate floor, referring to American voters. So all we have to do today is to have the courage to begin the debate. . . . Let the voting take us where it will. At least two of the votes were largely for show, as the measures at stake were expected to be defeated. The first was on an altered version of the Senate GOP bill to repeal and replace the law, which included proposals from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), a conservative, and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a moderate, and was subject to a 60-vote threshold. That was defeated, 57-43, with 60 votes required for passage. Later, senators will move on to an attempt to repeal the law, which as of last week lacked enough Republican support to succeed. The skinny repeal option would repeal the ACAs mandates that individuals buy plans and that employers with 50 or more employees provide coverage, said lobbyists and Senate aides, as well as eliminate the laws tax on medical device manufacturers. Democrats signaled that they wont stand in the way of plans to vote on different versions of the legislation. These votes, frankly, are a lot tougher for them than they are for us. They are squeezed in both directions, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the partys top vote-counter, acknowledged that some Democrats might support GOP-written amendments to the bill that have bipartisan support. But he said Democrats will focus mostly on process over policy, and keep pushing Republicans to return the legislation to committee and proceed with regular procedure. There have been bipartisan complaints that the legislation was drafted by McConnell and a handful of leaders without enough transparency. Recognizing their lack of leverage in the chamber, Senate Democrats decried Republicans policies and procedural approach in a rally with supporters outside the Capitol. How about we fill the streets outside every Republican office in America? said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Several patient-advocate organizations and progressive groups decried the vote, warning that it could open the door to rollbacks in the expanded coverage the ACA has provided through new benefits requirements and greater federal support for insurance coverage. Republican leaders are using undemocratic and unprecedented means to rob coverage and critical services from millions of women, sending them back to a time when Womens Health Care Services were not considered essential, Nancy Northup, president and chief executive of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. Meanwhile, Nathan Nascimento, vice president of the conservative group Freedom Partners, urged senators to use the votes to partly repeal the law and then keep pushing for full repeal. And then use the next available opportunity to keep their promise by repealing the rest of Obamacare, including its costly regulations and choice-stifling mandates, he said. But one key way Senate leaders won Tuesdays procedural vote was by assuring several centrist Republicans that they may end up with a modest bill. McConnell and his deputies were still bartering with a handful of GOP holdouts in the hours leading up to the vote. Among the skeptics were about half a dozen Republicans from states that expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA to cover able-bodied adults and low-income parents earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Although it was clear that some, such as Collins, were unlikely to support McConnells repeal plan, Portman and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) remained in talks with leaders until the final days. The groups members have met regularly since talks started earlier this year, and they have generally banded together to ward off conservative demands that the bill slash funding for Medicaid. The group was largely quiet in the days leading up to the vote, but Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said he thinks leaders won it over with a spate of last-minute bartering, including a pledge to include Portmans amendment. That provision would add $100 billion more in federal funding to help consumers with out-of-pocket medical costs, said senators and aides, and would allow states to provide cost-sharing assistance to low-income people who transition from Medicaid to buy private insurance with a federal tax credit. Theyve been very diligently working to make sure their concerns were addressed, Cornyn said. As recently as the last couple of days, they indicated they were likely willing to proceed based on the improvements to the underlying bill that theyve been working on. Conservatives, meanwhile, lobbied for concessions. Senate leaders have agreed to include Cruzs amendment in their revised plan, thereby allowing insurers to offer bare-bones health plans on the ACA market as long as they provide at least one option that meets the current laws minimum requirements. After McCains floor speech, most Senate Democrats headed down the stairs of the Capitol, where TV cameras were waiting for them. But even as they sought to rally with protesters, Republicans had put up an obstacle to their plans. Pences motorcade was speeding away, leaving the activists temporarily stranded on the other side of the street. Amy Goldstein, Ed OKeefe, David Weigel and Paige Winfield Cunningham contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost John McCain, maverick of the Senate, did not return to Capitol Hill and suddenly stop the progress of the Republican health-care effort. But the Arizona Republican, now battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, did use his moment in the spotlight Tuesday to deliver a sobering message to colleagues. The Senate might be known as the worlds greatest deliberative body, McCain said, but it is not clear it deserves that reputation today. The partisanship, the gridlock and the political subterfuge have dragged down the institution, he said. Senators work is more partisan, more tribal more of the time than any other time I remember, McCain told a rapt audience on the Senate floor. Our deliberations can still be important and useful, but I think wed all agree they havent been overburdened by greatness lately. And right now, they arent producing much for the American people. [Senate votes to launch debate on revamping Obamacare] (U.S. Senate) McCain delivered his speech after casting a vote in favor of beginning debate on the Republican health-care bill. But while his vote was critical to the success of that motion Tuesdays vote split the Senate 50 to 50, with Vice President Pence breaking the tie in favor of starting debate McCain criticized Republican leaders for their lack of transparency and suggested the health-care effort might not ultimately succeed. Weve tried to [amend the Affordable Care Act] by coming up with a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, then springing it on skeptical members, trying to convince them its better than nothing, asking us to swallow our doubts and force it past a unified opposition, McCain said. I dont think thats going to work in the end, and it probably shouldnt. Lets trust each other, he added. Lets return to regular order. 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. Thats an approach thats been employed by both sides, mandating legislation from the top down, without any support from the other side, with all the parliamentary maneuvers that requires. [Battling brain cancer, Sen. John McCain vows, Ill be back soon] McCains condition had become the latest reminder of the delicate nature of the GOP health-care effort, with questions swirling over the past 11 days about whether his absence would imperil future votes. The senator, 80, was in Phoenix recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot and considering options for treatment when he announced he would come back to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, a sign to Republican leaders they might be able to make progress on health care this week. The diagnosis also raised some uncomfortable questions for Republican senators about their health-care proposals, some of which would make dramatic cuts to Medicaid and result in fewer people overall with health insurance. McCain is receiving medical care at the highly regarded Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, and unlike many average Americans, he is at no risk of losing his coverage or his ability to receive treatment under the GOP bills. Just before the vote began, protesters rose up from the visitors gallery and began chanting. Kill the bill dont kill us! It took close to 90 seconds for protesters to be removed, one by one, so that the vote could continue. The shouts could be heard throughout the Senate side of the Capitol. (U.S. Senate) Separately, in the Hart Senate Office Building, protesters made their presence felt on several floors, attracting crowds of observers and police officers. Anticipation for the vote and McCains return had started earlier in the day, with journalists, photographers and Senate interns gathering outside the senators office to await his arrival. As the hours dragged on, it was unclear whether Republican leaders would have enough votes to begin the health-care debate and what they would do next if the procedural motion passed. White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma were spotted at the Capitol, hurrying through the hallways. The vote was climactic, with McCain almost upstaged by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who did not immediately cast his vote and instead conferred with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a passionate conversation. McCain arrived at the Capitol around 3 p.m. with his wife, Cindy, and boarded an elevator to the second floor. Escorted by a Senate usher and police officers, he flashed a tight smile at reporters awaiting him and walked toward the chamber. Asked how he was feeling, he shook his hands in a so-so gesture, then gave a thumbs-up. As they do for every senator, high-school-age pages opened the Senate chambers doors, and McCain walked through. But unlike what they do for every other senator, his colleagues turned in his direction and broke into applause. McCain entered to a rousing ovation. He waved his arms at the clerks who record votes, and after they called his name, he flashed a thumbs-up to vote yes. Johnson immediately went to the well and also flashed a thumbs-up, providing the crucial 50th vote to allow Pence to break the tie. Despite the hyper-partisan nature of the legislation, McCain provided a cathartic moment for the chamber. Almost every senator lined up to shake his hand and welcome him back. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has become close friends with McCain in the past four years, ran up and hugged him. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a staunch liberal at odds with McCain on most policy but who recently traveled with him to Afghanistan, gave him a long, warm hug. Democrats, though distressed by the GOPs moves to undo one of Barack Obamas signature domestic achievements, acknowledged the psychological lift prompted by McCains return. Anyone who thought that he had lost any integrity, all they had to do was listen to that speech, Schumer told reporters. I could have written the same speech I just would have voted the other way. The idea of regular order and the idea that this bill is not a very good bill, both came out brilliantly in McCains speech, which was much better than any speech that any Democrat could have given. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said McCains return to the floor was a great warm feeling for his colleagues, adding: Clearly, you can look at the man and know hes been through a battle. But hes a person whos not afraid of a battle. Leaving the Capitol after his vote and speech, McCain said that he was not certain how long he would be in Washington, because of the continuing questions he faces about treatment options. I think by the end of the week, for sure. he said in a brief interview. Well have to figure out the rest after that. Its a little hard to know, because were still looking at stuff. That would guarantee him enough time to finish up the health-care debate but would leave open the question of whether he could oversee debate on the Pentagon policy legislation that is next up on the calendar and which is his prerogative as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. After McCains speech, most Senate Democrats headed down the stairs of the Capitol to talk to protesters. There was no amplification; protesters reached over each other for photos, cheering for Democrats they recognized. We are going to fight and fight and fight until this bill is dead! Schumer said. David Weigel contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost The Senate Republicans drive to pass a sweeping rewrite of the nations health-care laws took another unexpected turn late Monday when the office of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced he would return to Washington for a planned Tuesday vote. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, could provide a critical vote to open debate on the GOP bill. The senator had been recuperating from surgery and exploring treatment options in Arizona. McCains announcement came as some Senate GOP leaders expressed confidence in a newly emerging strategy of trying to pass smaller-scale changes to the Affordable Care Act, with an eye toward continuing negotiations into the fall. It was unclear whether McCains return would improve the chances of the bill clearing a key procedural hurdle, as he has expressed concerns about the proposal. But some Republicans were privately abuzz with speculation that leaders might be close to securing the votes they needed to at least keep alive a months-long effort that all but died last week. Still, the prospects of success were murky at best. President Trump threateningly urged Republican senators to get behind the effort Monday, but his sharp rhetoric produced no new public support. And many were confused about what kind of measure their own leadership even intended to bring to a vote. Even if the procedural vote is a success, it by no means guarantees eventual passage of the bill. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, McCains office said in a statement. Hours earlier at a White House event on Monday afternoon, Trump forcefully encouraged Senate Republicans to vote yes on a procedural motion that would allow debate on health-care legislation to begin. In a West Virginia speech before the National Boy Scout Jamboree later on, Trump sought to pressure Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) by saying, You better get Senator Capito to vote for it, referring to his health and human services secretary, Tom Price, who was with him. Trump also quipped that he would fire Price if he did not round up enough votes. As the Scout law says, a Scout is trustworthy, loyal we could use some more loyalty, I can tell you that, Trump said in a day that was filled with thinly veiled barbs at Republicans who have failed to advance the health-care revamp. . (The Washington Post) McCain is revered on both sides of the aisle. The news that he has brain cancer cast a pall over the Capitol last week, and his return is sure to provide a morale boost for colleagues in both parties. But most immediately, McCain may provide a critical vote in support of beginning formal debate on the health-care bill. Republican leaders openly discussed the possibility of McCains return with reporters on Monday during an evening vote. Im pretty confident well get on the bill even without John, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the chambers lead GOP vote-counter, told reporters. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said she spoke with McCain on Saturday and that her frequent collaborator was eager to get back to work. It is just extraordinary how upbeat he is and how accepting of his diagnosis it was truly inspirational to talk with him, she said. I have a feeling that if theres any way he can be back, he will be here whether his doctors like it. It just reminds me of what an extraordinarily brave person he is. Without McCain, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could only have afforded one GOP defection. Multiple Republican senators have raised objections to each health-care proposal that has been offered, leaving McConnell and Trump in a difficult spot. There is still time to do the right thing, Trump said at the White House on Monday. He added a word of warning: Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling Americans that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare. [Obamacare is death: Trump urges GOP to move ahead with health-care overhaul] Vice President Pence is also lobbying heavily for wary senators to pass a health-care overhaul and was spotted heading toward McConnells Capitol Hill office late Monday afternoon as votes were getting underway. McConnell encouraged senators to vote Tuesday to open what he said would be a period of robust debate on health care. I will vote yes on the motion to proceed and I would urge all of our colleagues to do the same, he said in a speech on the Senate floor. But a flurry of problems remained for McConnell as he insisted on taking up the troubled legislation, which must receive 50 votes to be approved, with Pence ready to break a tie. His plan is catching flak from all sides ranging from moderate senators who disagree with the Medicaid cuts to conservatives who dont believe the package goes far enough to repeal the ACA, which they have campaigned against for seven years. After it became clear last week there werent sufficient votes for the Senate package to repeal and replace the ACA that McConnell negotiated, the majority leader said the Senate would instead move to a straight repeal bill like one they voted on in 2015. But there was confusion Monday about exactly which direction senators would go on Tuesday when and if the voting starts. And none of the options that McConnell has presented had won enough public support to guarantee passage. What are we proceeding to? Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a conservative critic of the effort, wondered aloud to reporters. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Collins, a centrist, said she would not vote yes to move forward on any of the plans that have been floated so far. One emerging idea late Monday was to scale down the scope of the proposals and instead find a narrower bill. That would set up a House-Senate conference to resolve the differences between the two proposals, buying Republicans more time. Cornyn confirmed Monday evening that congressional leaders were now leaning against the original plan, if the Senate could approve legislation, to have the House immediately approve the Senate bill once it was approved in the upper chamber. Initially there was some thought maybe the House would take up the bill we passed, but that may not be the case. So what we need to do is make progress, Cornyn told reporters. That point just make progress was echoed by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who held a robust conversation with GOP leaders on the Senate floor during votes and explained that the aim is just to make sure some legislative proposal passes in a bid to keep the effort alive. Officially, the Senate plans to vote on a motion to proceed to a House-passed repeal-and-replace bill. But from there, that measure could be amended in any number of ways. In his remarks Monday, McConnell referred to the 2015 repeal-only bill that passed with overwhelming GOP support but was vetoed by President Barack Obama. McConnell said senators have another chance to vote for that measure, and this time President Trump will use his pen to sign such legislation. The GOP leader did not mention the Senate bill to repeal and replace Obamacare simultaneously. Trump has pushed lawmakers not to give up on the simultaneous repeal-and-replace approach, leaving many scratching their heads about what direction McConnell would go should legislation advance to a full floor debate. Well have several amendments, said McConnell spokesman Don Stewart. Members are discussing timing. Cornyn said Monday that leaders hadnt decided which version of the bill would come up if the motion to proceed succeeds in part because they want to keep their options open. Were trying to maximize the number of votes, Cornyn told reporters. What were trying to do is convince everybody that if theyd like to get a vote on their amendment, then they need to vote to proceed to the House bill. McConnell met with conservative activists Monday to discuss health care. Two attendees Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots and Jason Pye, vice president of legislative affairs at FreedomWorks said they support the motion to proceed. Martin said she hoped that at the very least, at the end of this process lawmakers could pass the 2015 repeal bill. Pye also voiced support for that measure. But neither said they walked away from the meeting with a clear understanding of which amendments to the bill would be brought up in which order, if debate can even begin. Paul Kane and Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPostm China yesterday warned India not to push your luck by underestimating Beijings determination to safeguard what it considers sovereign Chinese territory, amid an ongoing standoff between the two neighbors over a contested region high in the Himalayas. Defense ministry spokesman Col. Wu Qian reiterated Chinas demand that Indian troops pull back from the Doklam Plateau, an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan where Chinese teams had been building a road toward Indias border. Chinas determination and resolve to safeguard national security and sovereignty is unshakable, Wu said at a news conference to mark the upcoming 90th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Liberation Army. Here, I wish to remind India, do not push your luck and cling to any fantasies, Wu said. The 90-year history of the PLA has proved but one thing: that our military means to secure our countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity has strengthened and our determination has never wavered. It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA. India has called for both sides to withdraw forces and a negotiated settlement to the standoff that began last month after Chinese troops began working to extend southward the road from Yadong in Tibet. While the sides have exercised restraint thus far, heated rhetoric in both Beijing and New Delhi has raised concern over a renewal of hostilities that resulted in a brief but bloody frontier war between the sides in 1962. The nuclear-armed neighbors share a 3,500-kilometer (2,174-mile) border, much of it contested, and China acts as a key ally and arms supplier for Indias archrival, Pakistan. The crisis is expected to be discussed when Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visits Beijing at the end of this week for a security forum under the BRICS group of large developing nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The standoff has been fueled in part by a muscular and increasingly vociferous nationalism among both the Chinese and Indian publics against the background of competition for dominance between the two for influence in Asia. India has felt threatened by the growing presence of Chinas navy, diplomats and state-backed companies in the Indian Ocean region, while Beijing resents closer relations between New Delhi and Washington. Indias decision not to participate in a massive Chinese-funded push to develop infrastructure and transport routes in Asia, known as the One Belt, One Road initiative, has also rankled Beijing. Keeping up a weeks-long propaganda assault on New Delhi, official Chinese newspapers yesterday again labeled Indias actions on the Doklam Plateau as illegal and threatening to Chinas security. Even if the standoff is resolved diplomatically, it has already crippled the bilateral relationship. This will have a long-term impact on Sino-Indian ties, Chinese India scholar Long Xingchun wrote in the Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party. Christopher Bodeen, AP A top E.U. leader warned Wednesday that a U.S. congressional vote to strip President Trump of the ability to remove sanctions against Russia could backfire, dealing a blow to transatlantic efforts to curb Russian aggression against Ukraine and sparking a trade war between Europe and the United States. The House of Representatives approved the measure Tuesday, 419 to 3, after the Senate passed similar legislation last month in a 98-to-2 vote. The White House has not indicated whether Trump will sign the bill. The bills main goal is to force Trump to consult with Congress before dialing back sanctions, a reaction to a White House plan weighed in his first weeks in office to unilaterally end the measures against the Kremlin. But the legislation would also give Trump the power to ban investments in certain Russian energy projects, most notably a major Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline under development called Nord Stream 2, and to promote U.S. energy exports instead. The legislations language was softened in the days ahead of the vote, in apparent acknowledgment of European worries. But many policymakers and experts in the European Unions capital, Brussels, and in Berlin still say that Congress may ultimately harm its own effort to pressure Russia. The worries are also a measure of the Trump White Houses diminished standing in Europe, since the policymakers are mistrustful of U.S. natural-gas exports that were welcomed during the Obama administration. The U.S. bill could have unintended unilateral effects that impact the E.U.s energy security interests, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement Wednesday. If our concerns are not taken into account sufficiently, we stand ready to act appropriately within a matter of days. America first cannot mean that Europe's interests come last. (U.S. House of Representatives) [U.S. retaliation over Russian hacking prompts stark response from Moscow] Separately, the German government questioned the move, voicing suspicions that the measure may simply be an effort to boost U.S. energy exports by hammering European gas projects. It is unacceptable for the United States to use possible sanctions as an instrument to serve the interests of U.S. industrial policy, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said in Berlin. The initial U.S. sanctions on Russia after its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula were unusual because they were negotiated with the E.U. Obama administration policymakers reasoned that their efforts would have a bigger effect if they presented a united front with Europe, which carries on far more trade with Russia than does the United States. Since then, policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic have moved largely in lockstep. But Trumps unusual friendliness with Russian President Vladimir Putin raised concerns about whether he would abandon the E.U. on sanctions, and Congress responded with near-unanimity to strengthen the measures. The bill also gives Trump the power to impose sanctions on the pipeline under development between Russia and Germany, a project that many policymakers in Europe and the United States say will harm Ukraine by enabling Russian gas to completely bypass it. The pipeline which will double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream link may also increase European dependence on Russian gas imports. Days ahead of the vote, language was added to the bill saying that the president should coordinate with U.S. allies before moving on this front, in what backers view as an attempt to calm European concerns. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad A look at President Trumps first year in office, so far View Photos . Caption Scenes from the Republicans beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue. I think what we have done is made them comfortable, said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and helped spearhead the legislation. Many in Eastern Europe are wary of the pipeline project and welcome any effort to quash it. But even some European critics of the pipeline say that the U.S. push is counterproductive and that Europe would be better off fighting Nord Stream internally and on its own terms. They are making more enemies from this anti-Nord Stream policy than they needed to, said Georg Zachmann, an energy expert at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank. Essentially, if its not managing to kill the project, its strengthening it. That was underlined in a joint declaration of support for the pipeline project from the German foreign minister and the Austrian chancellor last month. Because the sanctions measure also declares support for the export of United States energy resources in order to create American jobs, alarm bells have sounded in Europe that the bill is targeting Nord Stream simply so that U.S. industry can prosper. The Obama administration also fought the pipeline and opened U.S. natural gas for export, but it did so as part of a more cooperative approach with Europe. You have all of the narrative behind it, of America first, said Kirsten Westphal, an energy security expert at the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs. President Trump is complaining about the high exports of Germany if you change the terms of trade in a sense, and if you make Germany import more expensive LNG [liquefied natural gas] from somewhere, maybe the U.S., then this would also alter the broader balance of trade. The Europeans see the broader picture. U.S. defenders of the effort to limit Trumps ability to roll back sanctions say Europe should calm its concerns. We didnt set out to fight with the European Union. We set out to counter Russia, said Daniel Fried, who directed the Obama administrations sanctions policies until January. This bill was not directed against Europe by the Trump administration. It was directed against the Trump administration by both parties in Congress. Karoun Demirjian in Washington contributed to this report. Read more Obamas secret struggle to punish Russia for Putins election assault The legal battle pitting Trumps secretaries of treasury and state against each other Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Palestinian women pray at the Lion's Gate following an appeal from clerics to pray in the streets instead of inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, on July 25, 2017. (Oded Balilty/AP) Just a few hours before he walked to the Jewish settlement, before he climbed over the security fence and knocked politely on the front door of the Salomon family home, Omar al-Abed posted his last will and testament on his Facebook page. All I have is a sharpened knife, he wrote last week, and it answers the call of al-Aqsa. The young Palestinian, who was majoring in business administration in college, rambled on in his social media posts in badly written Arabic. He wore a clean white shirt and pressed jeans, and carried a large knife to the murder scene. He vowed to die a glorious martyrs death and left instructions for his imagined burial rites. He thumped his chest as a true Son of Palestine. He ranted against some on the Palestinian side and he called Jews pigs and monkeys. Abed stabbed three members of the Salomon family to death Friday night in the Jewish settlement of Halamish, as they began to lay the table with food and drink, with sweets and whiskeys, to celebrate the birth of the newest grandson. A woman places a stone on one of the three graves of the Solomon family as mourners gather near the graves during the funeral of the three murdered Israelis, on July 23, 2017. (Jim Hollander/EPA) First responders described the scene as horrific, with the victims suffering from multiple, frenzied stabs, including the households 70-year-old patriarch. Abed was shot and lightly wounded by an off-duty soldier from a nearby house. He is being held by Israeli authorities. The gruesome attack was part of an 11-day surge in violence in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the capital of Jordan that left 15 dead. It may or may not be over. Early Tuesday, in an abrupt reversal, Israeli security forces began removing the metal detectors that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered placed at the entrances to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalems Old City. The scanners enraged Palestinians, who said the devices were not for their safety but to increase Israels control over access to the mosque. Netanyahu and his supporters said the detectors were needed after three Arab Israeli gunmen smuggled homemade machine guns into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on July 14, then shot and killed two Israeli policemen at the site, which both Muslims and Jews regard as holy. The Palestinians say their fury expressed in mass protests, both peaceful and violent, and the killing of three Israelis at the Jewish settlement on Friday are driven by fear that their sacred mosque is under threat. The Islamic committee that administers the mosque said it would call off the impasse only if the situation was returned to how it had been before July 14. Inflamed by killings, and jostling now for political advantage, Israelis and Palestinians see the latest spasm of bloodshed from vastly different vantage points. They disagree about what started the violence, who escalated and who incited and this deep division is at heart of the latest crisis and familiar to anyone who has watched the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the past 30 years. Now into this volatile mix President Trump sends his untested Middle East team to make peace, led by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, special envoy Jason Greenblatt and U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, all Jewish men with long histories of supporting Israel. This is what they will hear. I blame Netanyahu for what my son has done. I blame him and the Israeli army for all the blood, said Abdul Jaleel al-Abed, the knife attackers father, who gathered with neighbors at his home, which is now slated for demolition by Israel, in a Palestinian village whose roads have been blocked with high dirt berms by the Israeli army. All of us would gladly die for al-Aqsa, he said. He quickly added that he was opposed to his sons operation, using the Arabic euphemism for a deadly attack. He asked, What about the Palestinians killed? Around him, men began to scroll their mobile phones and point to videos showing an Israeli soldier kicking a Muslim worshiper or an Israeli security guard at a settlement firing his rifle at Palestinian protesters. The father said he understood his sons motivation but did not endorse the killing, especially of the old man and a woman. Abed said his son spared the children in the house. He kept them safe, the father said. According to neighbors, survivors of the attack said Abed did no such thing. The wife of one of the slain said at the funeral that she rushed the children into a safe room while her husband struggled with the attacker in the kitchen. Abeds mother was arrested Monday by Israeli forces after a video appeared of her sharing sweets with well-wishers and saying she was proud of her son. Netanyahu called Abed a beast incited by wild hatred. The father of the assailant said his son spent Friday watching televised images of Muslims praying at the barricades outside al-Aqsa, refusing to pass through the metal detectors. He watched as violent demonstrations began afterward, when three Palestinian youths were shot and killed, witnesses said by Israeli forces. This is all about the metal detectors, the elder Abed said. Take them away and the situation will immediately calm down. A Jewish settler who lives in the community where the Salomon family was killed said the metal detectors had little to do with the attack. They dont really need a reason to stab Jews, said Miri Maoz Ovadia, whose parents live across the street from where Fridays attack took place. We dont see any connection between this act of terror and their mosque. Ovadia and her family live in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank that the international community calls illegal, although Israel disputes that. For their part, many Israelis say the metal detectors are an excuse, and they believe the root cause of the violence is Palestinian hatred, incitement and rejection of Israel as a Jewish state. The metal detectors? That is not the reason. There were no metal detectors when they murdered the Fogels, no metal detectors when they throw rocks at our cars, no metal detectors when they toss molotov cocktails, said Victor Waknine, 47, who lives in Halamish and works as a school administrator. Waknine was referring to a killing in 2011 at a nearby Jewish settlement, when two Palestinian assailants entered the home of Ehud and Ruth Fogel and stabbed them to death alongside three of their six children. One of the victims was a 3-month-old baby. Waknine said, Most settlers do not want to evict the Palestinians. We want good relations with our neighbors. We want peace and quiet. Several Israeli government ministers said Abed should face the death penalty, which is on the Israeli law books but rarely used. They want to execute my son, Abeds father said. What can I say? He is my son. He did what he did. But many support him. They think what he did was for al-Aqsa. Ruth Eglash and Sufian Taha contributed to this report. Read more: A Palestinians daily commute through an Israeli checkpoint Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news A Syrian boy walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings on July 22 in Aleppo, which was recaptured by government forces in December 2016. (George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images) Cooperation with Russia is becoming a central part of the Trump administrations counter-Islamic State strategy in Syria, with U.S. military planners counting on Moscow to try to prevent Syrian government forces and their allies on the ground from interfering in coalition-backed operations against the militants. Syrias once-separate conflicts have moved into close proximity on the battlefield. Part of the plan essentially carves up Syria into no-go zones for each of the players President Bashar al-Assads fight, with Russian and Iranian help, against rebels seeking to overthrow him, and the U.S.-led coalitions war to destroy the Islamic State. Some lawmakers and White House officials have expressed concern that the strategy is shortsighted, gives the long-term advantage in Syria to Russia, Iran and Assad, and ultimately leaves the door open for a vanquished Islamic State to reestablish itself. Critics also say that neither Russia nor Iran can be trusted to adhere to any deal, and that the result will be a continuation of the civil war whose negotiated end the administration has also set as a goal. U.S.-Russia negotiations are continuing even as Congress moves this week toward imposing additional sanctions on Russia and Iran. Elements of the strategy were presented in members-only briefings last week to the House and the Senate by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph F. Dunford Jr. and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The administration has made no secret of what it has called its ISIS first strategy, setting the defeat of the militants as its top priority, after which other elements of Syrias long-term stability are to be addressed. ISIS is an acronym for the Islamic State. In the most significant change from his predecessor, President Trump turned over to the military decisions on how to prosecute the war against the Islamic State. The result has been rapid gains against militant strongholds, and increased cooperation with Moscow to keep the civil war between Assad and rebels out of the way. According to lines being drawn on a map of the conflict, the United States and its proxies would concede Assads control of most of central and southern Syria to just west of the Euphrates River, with a few agreed deviations, said U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified discussions. In exchange, once Raqqa, the Islamic States de facto capital, is retaken, U.S.-backed forces would move downriver to control the militant-populated villages alongside it, to the Iraqi border. Rather than cooperate with Russia, some administration officials have advocated establishing U.S.-protected outposts in the desert to keep Iran from expanding. Allowing pro-Iranian forces an uncontested presence in Syrias southern desert, they have argued, would put them in position to set up a land bridge across Syria to supply Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia. The Pentagon, which disagreed, appears to have won the argument. An east-west deconfliction line is being observed south of Raqqa, where U.S. warplanes and advisers are supporting an offensive by American-trained and -equipped local proxy forces. U.S.-backed forces control most of the territory north of this area to the Turkish border and east to Iraq. In southwestern Syria, a cease-fire negotiated by the United States and Russia has largely stopped fighting between Assad and opposition forces. This is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria, Tillerson said in announcing the deal. Russia has the same, I think, interests that we do in having Syria become a stable place, a unified place. Last month, Trump ordered the shutdown of a years-long CIA program to train and arm the anti-Assad rebels. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticized the halt as playing right into the hands of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin. Making any concession to Russia, absent a broader strategy for Syria, is irresponsible and shortsighted, McCain said in a statement from his home state, where he is being treated for brain cancer. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which tracks areas of control and airstrike locations in Syria, noted in a report Friday that Russia was reshaping its air campaign in Syria in order to compel the U.S. into partnering with Moscow. Russia has almost entirely ceased its airstrikes in western Syria where government forces have routed rebels from many rebel and shifted operations farther east, where the Assad regime is advancing toward the Euphrates under the guise of fighting ISIS. This shift, supported by the southwest cease-fire that further secured Russias freedom of action, has helped open the door to the deconfliction negotiations, the ISW report said. In last weeks briefing for lawmakers, Mattis, Dunford and Tillerson described prospects for cooperation with Russia, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Although their enthusiasm was tempered with expressions of ongoing skepticism, he said, I would still say the administration is a little bit more optimistic about that than I am. Kaine, who declined to discuss specifics from the classified briefing, said he thinks that dependence on Moscow and its assurances that Iran also can be kept in line could end up undermining prospects for a political settlement of the civil war, ultimately without Assad, that the administration has said is key to preventing a vanquished Islamic State from reestablishing itself. Unlike McCain, Kaine said he thinks the new strategy Trump promised during his campaign is now complete and is being implemented. The next step, he said, is for the public to be informed, and for Congress to pass a new authorization for the anti-Islamic State war that would draw the parameters of that conflict in Syria and beyond. Among the issues the strategy puts on the back burner is the growing presence in northwestern Syria of al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate, the group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, which now largely controls Idlib province. Fighters from the group and other Islamist militant rebel factions, along with moderate opposition fighters backed by the United States, retreated to Idlib after their defeat last year in Aleppo and other areas in Syrias heavily populated west. Although coalition aircraft have located and struck some al-Qaeda leaders there in recent months, officials said the current strategy is to contain the area and deal with it later. Mattis, Dunford and Brett McGurk, the State Departments envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition, provided some broad outlines in a news briefing in May. At that time, Dunford noted that were precluded by law from coordinating with the Russians. But, he noted, we are looking for the Russians to work with the regime, to deconflict our operations. While declining to share details about a proposal that were working on with the Russians right now, Dunford said, My sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to . . . ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our own personnel. Several skirmishes followed those remarks, including the U.S. shoot-down in June of a Syrian warplane west of Raqqa, and strikes against Iranian-backed militias that moved too close to the garrison town of Tanf, on Syrias border with Iraq, where U.S. troops are training and advising partner forces to fight against the Islamic State. Talks ensued, and neither of those lines has been significantly breached since then. North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year, U.S. officials have concluded in a confidential assessment that dramatically shrinks the timeline for when Pyongyang could strike North American cities with atomic weapons. The new assessment by the Pentagons Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which shaves a full two years off the consensus forecast for North Koreas ICBM program, was prompted by recent missile tests showing surprising technical advances by the countrys weapons scientists, at a pace beyond what many analysts believed was possible for the isolated communist regime. The U.S. projection closely mirrors revised predictions by South Korean intelligence officials, who also have watched with growing alarm as North Korea has appeared to master key technologies needed to loft a warhead toward targets thousands of miles away. The finding further increases the pressure on U.S. and Asian leaders to halt North Koreas progress before Pyongyang can threaten the world with nuclear-tipped missiles. President Trump, during his visit to Poland this month, vowed to confront North Korea very strongly to stop its missile advances. The DIA has concluded that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be able to produce a reliable, nuclear-capable ICBM program sometime in 2018, meaning that by next year the program will have advanced from prototype to assembly line, according to officials familiar with the document. Already, the aggressive testing regime put in place in recent months has allowed North Korea to validate its basic designs, putting it within a few months of starting industrial production, the officials said. The DIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to address any classified assessments. But Scott Bray, ODNIs national intelligence manager for East Asia, said in a statement: North Koreas recent test of an intercontinental range ballistic missile which was not a surprise to the intelligence community is one of the milestones that we have expected would help refine our timeline and judgments on the threats that Kim Jong Un poses to the continental United States. This test, and its impact on our assessments, highlight the threat that North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose to the United States, to our allies in the region, and to the whole world. The intelligence community is closely monitoring the expanding threat from North Korea. [Kim Jong Uns rockets are getting an important boost from China] One of the few remaining technical hurdles is the challenge of atmospheric reentry the ability to design a missile that can pass through the upper atmosphere without damage to the warhead. Long regarded as a formidable technological barrier for impoverished North Korea, that milestone could be reached, beginning with new tests expected to take place within days, U.S. analysts said. U.S. officials have detected signs that North Korea is making final preparations for testing a new reentry vehicle, perhaps as early as Thursday, a North Korean national holiday marking the end of the Korean War. Theyre on track to do that, essentially this week, said a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence report who, like others, insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive military assessments. North Korea has not yet demonstrated an ability to build a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could be carried by one of its missiles. Officials there last year displayed a sphere-shaped device the regime described as a miniaturized warhead, but there has been no public confirmation that this milestone has been achieved. Preparations reportedly have been underway for several months for what would be the countrys sixth underground atomic test. The last one, in September, had an estimated yield of 20 to 30 kilotons, more than double the explosive force of any previous test. North Korea startled the world with its successful July 4 test of a missile capable of striking parts of Alaska the first such missile with proven intercontinental range. The launch of a two-stage Hwasong-14 missile was the latest in a series of tests in recent months that have revealed startlingly rapid advances across a number of technical fields, from mastery of solid-fuel technology to the launch of the first submarine-based missile, current and former intelligence officials and weapons experts said. (Anna Fifield,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) There has been alarming progress, said Joseph DeTrani, the former mission manager for North Korea for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and a former special envoy for negotiations with Pyongyang. In the last year they have gained capabilities that they didnt have, including ones that we thought they would not have been able to obtain for years. The July 4 missile test also caught South Koreas intelligence service off guard, prompting a hasty revision of forecasts, according to South Korean lawmakers who have received closed-door briefings. The speed of North Koreas ICBM missile development is faster than the South Korean Defense Ministry expected, said lawmaker Lee Cheol-hee of the left-wing Minjoo party, who attended an intelligence committee briefing after the July 4 test. [The message behind the murder: North Koreas assassination sheds light on chemical weapons arsenal] The South Korean government, which is actively trying to engage the regime in Pyongyang, has declined to call the most recent test a success. North Korea still has not proved it has mastered some of the steps needed to build a reliable ICBM, most notably the reentry vehicle, Lee said. Still, officials across the political spectrum acknowledged that North Korea is rapidly gaining ground. Now they are approaching the final stage of being a nuclear power and the owner of an ICBM, said Cha Du-hyeogn, who served as an adviser to conservative former president Lee Myung-bak. U.S. spy agencies have detected multiple signals that North Korea is preparing to test a reentry vehicle. Analysts believe that the July 4 test was intended to demonstrate range the ability of its new two-stage ICBM prototype to reach altitude and distance milestones while the new launch will seek to validate engineering features designed to protect the warhead as it passes through the upper atmosphere and then is delivered to a distant target. The latest designs appear to cobble together older systems including portions of a missile frame used to launch satellites into orbit with a more advanced engine that North Korea began testing earlier this year. Much of the technology is based on old Soviet-era designs that have been reworked by what U.S. experts describe as an increasingly capable cadre of homegrown engineers, goaded along by a leadership that has pursued nuclear weapons and delivery systems with single-minded zeal. Kim vowed in January to successfully test a nuclear-capable ICBM in 2017, achieving a long-sought goal that North Koreans believe will serve as the ultimate deterrent against threats to the communist regimes survival. At the time, the U.S. intelligence communitys formal assessment still held that a credible ICBM threat would not emerge until 2020 at the earliest. North Koreas timeline moved faster than we expected, said the U.S. official familiar with the new DIA assessment. We werent expecting an ICBM test in July. Former U.S. officials and weapons experts said a successful test of a nuclear-capable ICBM would dramatically raise the stakes in the North Korean crisis, putting new pressure on North Koreas neighbors and increasing the risk of miscalculation. The danger is that decision time and warning is greatly reduced when North Korea has the weapons, and that escalation can happen quickly, said Jon Wolfsthal, senior director for arms control and nonproliferation with the Obama administrations National Security Council. The specter of a nuclear-armed, ICBM-capable Kim takes the risk to a new level but does not change the nature of the threat we have faced for some time, Wolfsthal said. We have to deter North Korea from ever using any nuclear weapons and make clear that any move to use these weapons is suicide. Read more: North Koreans may be isolated, but the countrys elite use Gmail, Facebook and iTunes Twenty-five million reasons the U.S. hasnt struck North Korea How Trump is changing Americas foreign policy A man climbs the stairs of an overpass at a road intersection while residential buildings and the unfinished Ryugyong Hotel is seen in the background on July 16, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Wong Maye-E/AP) Western researchers recently began sifting through troves of North Korean Internet data, looking for activity related to missile launches or malicious cyber activity within the famously isolated country. What they found instead surprised them. North Koreas tiny circle of elite families among the few people in the country with unfettered access to the Internet turned out to be strikingly like the rest of the world in their digital habits. They use their smartphones to check Gmail, call up their Facebook accounts and browse for goods at Amazon and Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company, according to a report released Tuesday. These leaders are doing many of the same things that we do when we wake up in the morning, said Priscilla Moriuchi of Recorded Future, a threat intelligence firm that wrote the report. Theyre not isolated. These observations apply to only a tiny sliver of North Koreans because the vast majority of the nations 25 million people are poor and have no access to the Internet. Even the few who have mobile devices a number estimated as high as 4 million people are confined to a heavily censored, government-run national network called Kwangmyong. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) [The message behind the murder: North Koreas assassination sheds light on chemical weapons arsenal] But some North Koreans do have direct access to the Internet through universities, select businesses and perhaps the homes of top government or military officials. Whoever they are, 65 percent of their overall Internet traffic was devoted to gaming and streaming online content. Among the most popular streaming services are Chinas Youku video-hosting service and iTunes. North Koreans with Internet access have a particular fondness for Baidu, a Chinese search engine and Internet services firm, as well for a multiplayer online game called World of Tanks, the researchers found. The researchers also found that few of the elites on the Internet in North Korea used virtual private networks or other tools for cloaking the origin of digital activity, although one iPad used a virtual private network to check a Gmail account, access Google Cloud, check Facebook and MSN accounts, and view adult content, the report found. Other people with Internet access used virtual private networks to make purchases using bitcoin, follow Twitter and upload documents to Dropbox. If its real, its very interesting because it shows more access from North Koreans to the Internet and more access to information, said technology journalist Martyn Williams, who runs the North Korea Tech website from his home in Northern California. Recorded Future, based in Somerville, Mass., reached its conclusions by examining data collected by Team Cymru, a nonprofit Internet security research group, between April 1 and July 6 on three sets of Internet address blocks they think are used by North Koreans. The trove of data probably did not include Internet use by foreign embassies or international groups based in the country, which typically use their own Internet links, the researchers said. But the data may have included some small amount of traffic from foreign journalists or other visitors to the country. An undated photo made available by the North Korean official news agency KCNA on May 22 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, supervising the test -firing of a ballistic missile. A new study says the North Korean elite appears to have unfettered access to the Internet and some of the same digital habits as people in other countries. (KCNA /European Pressphoto Agency) The findings track loosely with other research showing that North Koreans are more plugged in to global information flows than commonly assumed, said Victor D. Cha, a former White House North Korea expert and now a senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. [Kim Jong Uns rockets are getting an important boost from China] He said interviews conducted with people living in the country have revealed alternative sources of information for North Koreans beyond government propaganda, and that people working in professional settings often speak privately of their frustrations with the regime of Kim Jong Un. Theres a surprising level of awareness of the inadequacies of the government, Cha said. The report by Recorded Future also shows that North Koreans are reaching the Internet through access available in India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nepal, Kenya, Mozambique and Indonesia all countries where North Korea also has at least some small base of operations through government programs, universities or other institutions. Recorded Future researchers said they saw a near absence of malicious cyber activity from the North Korean mainland in the April to July time frame, which indicated to them that the regime is conducting most of its malicious activity from abroad. U.S. intelligence analysts say that North Korea conducts most of its cyber operations from outside the country primarily in China, but from other countries, such as Malaysia, as well. That is not to say that North Koreans dont use online resources to communicate about missile launches or unleash cyberattacks, such as the devastating WannaCry ransomware attack in May. The National Security Agency has assessed that the attack was conducted by Pyongyang, although the U.S. government has not publicly blamed the country. But those activities happen on networks beyond the reach of the data set studied by the researchers. The intelligence analysts say that North Koreas Reconnaissance General Bureau, its military spy agency, has an overseas network of RGB-trained hackers and North Korean workers moonlighting as hackers. China has the single largest network of such hackers, said one analyst, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. Many of these individuals operate in a gray area, as legal software developers abroad who moonlight for the regime, the U.S. intelligence analysts said. North Korean cyber activity abroad presents huge opportunities for the United States to put financial pressure on the regime via third countries to expel cyber actors and to reduce malicious cyber activity, said one U.S. intelligence analyst, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not authorized for public comment. Read more: North Koreas one-percenters savor life in Pyonghattan Why does North Korea hate the United States? What life looks like inside North Korea The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is interested in participating in the conclusion of construction of Brazils Angra 3 nuclear power plant which have been halted since 2015, daily newspaper O Globo reported. According to the Brazilian newspaper, 70 percent of the Angra 3 nuclear power plant is completed, requiring an investment of USD13 billion so that it can finish the work that has been ongoing for thirty years. CNNC is competing for the completion of the work with Franco-Japanese consortium Areva/Mitsubishi and Russias Rosatom. O Globo said CNNC is not only interested in the Angra 3 project but also in selling nuclear reactors to Brazil. Brazils National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) is expected in September to make a decision on whether the construction project will continue when it is due to negotiate with foreign stakeholders and Brazilian company Eletronuclear (Eletrobras Termonuclear S.A.). The chairman of Eletrobras, Wilson Ferreira, recently said the work can only be completed in 2021. Angra 3 is under construction on Itaoca beach, in Angra dos Reis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. MDT/Macauhub This undated handout photo provided by the family of Robert Levinson shows the retired FBI agent who went missing on the Iranian island of Kish in March 2007. (Uncredited/via AP) In testimony before a House committee Tuesday, the youngest son of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran a decade ago urged greater sanctions on Iran if it does not account for his father and release U.S. citizens imprisoned in the country. Doug Levinson, who was 13 when Robert Levinson was last seen on Irans Kish Island, described being crestfallen that his father was not among five Americans freed as part of a prisoner swap to accompany the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in 2016. Do not let Iran off the hook. They know exactly where he is, Doug Levinson told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. Hold their feet to the fire. Threaten them with sanctions. Do something. Do anything. Levinson was among three relatives of Americans imprisoned or missing in Iran who testified in support of a House bill calling for their freedom on humanitarian grounds. On Friday, the White House said President Trump is prepared to impose new and serious consequences on the country if they are not released and returned. [With U.S. scholars conviction, power struggle escalates between hard liners and president in Iran] Iranian American businessman Siamak Namazi in San Francisco in 2006. (Handout/Reuters) Iran is known to be holding at least four U.S. citizens and two permanent residents of the United States. U.S. officials have never been able to ascertain the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, whose family is convinced he is still alive, although Tehran insists it has no idea where he is or what happened to him. Levinson entered Iran to gather information on government corruption on a mission for CIA personnel who did not have authority to run such overseas operations. Ten agency employees were disciplined because of the Levinson case. Iran has never acknowledged holding him. The other Americans have been accused of espionage, charges that their families and the U.S. government say are baseless. My dad is innocent, and he will not be forced to do things against his will, including signing forced confessions, said Omar Zakka, whose father, Nizar, is an Internet-freedom advocate arrested in 2015 when he traveled to Iran for a conference. He is in the fifth week of a hunger strike protesting his imprisonment. I fear for his life and safety, his son said. Iran has used Americans as bargaining chips ever since the 1979 revolution, when Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy and held 52 U.S. diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. Only this month, Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he accessed thousands of archived documents relating to his research on 19th- and early-20th-century Iran. The prisoner swap that accompanied the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in 2016, buying freedom for five Americans including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, brought bitter disappointment for the families of those who were left behind. Babak Namazi told the committee he was devastated that his brother, Siamak, was not among the Americans flown out of Tehran that night with the others. Their father, Baquer, a former UNICEF official, was arrested in early 2016 when he went to Tehrans Evin prison hoping to visit Siamak. In October, father and son were sentenced to 10 years in prison for cooperating with a foreign government, meaning the United States. [Trump promised not to let Iran jail Americans. When will he help free my father and brother? ] Namazi said his fathers health is declining, and his brother, who has spent most of the past two years in solitary confinement, has grown despondent waiting for their release. He fears time is running out. The whole thing is crazy, he told a small group of journalists Tuesday morning. The whole thing is beyond comprehension. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CBS News that the elder Namazi was not behind bars but also that he was not free to leave the country. But Babak Namazi said his father, who has been taken briefly out of prison twice to be hospitalized, remains in Evin. Several Iranians are in U.S. prisons on sanctions-related charges. In recent weeks, officials in Tehran and Washington have suggested they may be willing to make a deal over the prisoners. Their fate has been brought up during bilateral meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials monitoring the nuclear deal and by allies from other countries who have met with Iranians. US President Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to Iran on Friday, declaring in a White House statement that his administration is prepared to impose serious consequences if Tehran fails to release detained American citizens. This provocative declaration marks a further ramping up of tensions between Washington and Iran, which the US ruling elite has long decried as a major obstacle to its unchallenged primacy over the energy-rich Middle East. Trumps bellicose remarks came just days after he reluctantly agreed to certify Irans compliance with the terms of the 2015 nuclear accord, the Joint Cooperative Plan Of Action (JCPOA), negotiated under the Obama administration. The deal promised a normalization of economic relations with the West in exchange for Iran dismantling large parts of its civil nuclear program, freezing others, and accepting an onerous inspection regime. However, the US president must certify Iranian compliance to Congress every 90 days; otherwise punishing US sanctions, based on Americas central position in the world banking system, snap-back into force. Even as Trump granted a further 90-day extension, he stepped up pressure on Iran by pledging to enforce stricter monitoring of the deal. On Tuesday, the Trump administration seized on Irans ballistic missile program to implement economic sanctions against several individuals and organizations, including two groups associated with the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). In leaks to the media, anonymous sources pointed to a bitter conflict raging within the administration over its Iran policy. According to the New York Times and Foreign Policy, Trump was irate with his advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, for not presenting him with the option last Monday of decertifying Irans compliance with the nuclear deal. One source said that Trump had demanded of Tillerson in April, when he granted his first approval for deals the continuation, that he lay the groundwork for a decision to decertify this time around. According to a Foreign Policy source, Trump, not trusting Tillerson, has now appointed a committee of White House staffers to draft a proposal to scuttle the nuclear deal, removing responsibility from the State Department. The president has reportedly insisted that when the next 90-day approval comes due in October, he wants to be in a position to claim that Tehran has failed to live up to its JCPOA commitments, so he can justify refusing to grant the waiver under which the sanctions are suspended. The push for the immediate abandonment of the Iran deal is reportedly being led within the White House by Trumps fascistic chief political adviser Stephen Bannon. Washingtons repudiation of the nuclear agreement would place the US and Iran on a short-track to a war that would likely envelop most of the Middle East and potentially involve other great powers. In arguing for the JCPOA, US President Obama repeatedly argued that for US imperialism the only alternative to a nuclear deal with Iran is war. The internecine warfare within the Trump administration is bound up with the deepening crisis confronting US imperialism in the Middle East. More than a quarter century of bloody military violence has failed spectacularly to reverse Washingtons economic decline and consolidate its hegemony over the worlds most important oil producing region. Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria, as well as US-backed conflicts in Yemen and Somalia, have claimed the lives of millions and laid waste to entire societies. With its extensive military support to its two main client states in the region, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Washington also bears responsibility for the brutal suppression of the Palestinian people and increased sectarian divisions throughout the Middle East. Trump, together with hard-right sections of the Republican Party, speak for the faction of the American ruling class seeking all-out war with Iran. He denounced the nuclear accord during the presidential election campaign as the worst deal ever and has repeatedly ratcheted up tensions since taking office. In May, he delivered an aggressive denunciation of Iran in a speech in Riyadh, endorsing the Saudis efforts to forge a US-backed Sunni military alliance to confront Iran. Emboldened by this declaration, Saudi Arabia, with Trumps explicit endorsement, rallied its regional allies some two weeks later to impose an all-out diplomatic and economic blockade of Qatar that stopped just short of war. Riyadh is demanding that Doha make sweeping foreign policy concessions, including downgrading its ties with Iran, and shelving its funding of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Unlike Trump, Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have given no encouragement to the blockade the Saudis, several other Gulf states, and Egypt have imposed on Qatar. Over the past seven weeks they have been working for a diplomatic solution to the dispute, while making clear that they think the Saudis are the ones who should do most of the backing down. This is motivated in part by Qatars crucial strategic role as home to two giant US airbases as well as the forward base of the Central Command, which conducts the wars in Afghanistan and Syria/Iraq. Tillerson and Mattis are also concerned that the stoking of tensions among the Gulf client states will get in the way of their plans for a broader US intervention in Syria. Similar reasoning lies behind their opposition to Trumps plot to scuttle the nuclear agreement, at least in the current conjuncture. In Syria, where the US incited a civil war with the aim of ousting the pro-Iranian and pro-Russian Assad regime in Damascus, the war is increasingly developing into a regional struggle for power. As Islamic State loses ground in Syrias east, Washington is moving decisively to block the establishment of a land bridge from Tehran through Syria and into south Lebanon that would enable Iran not only to supply Assad, but also its ally Hezbollah. To this end, US and British Special Forces are training Sunni Islamists at a military base on the Syrian-Jordanian border, while allowing defeated ISIS fighters in Raqqa to move south to confront pro-Assad troops in the province of Deir ez-Zor. Washingtons immediate goal in this reckless agenda is to push back Iranian influence, while at the same time establishing a fighting force on the ground that can be thrown into a sectarian struggle for power against the Assad regime at the first appropriate opportunity. The Trump administrations ending of the program funding al-Qaida-linked Syrian rebels, combined with the recently unveiled ceasefire agreement with Russia in Syrias south, amounts to an attempt to drive a wedge between Iran and Russia as part of the preparation of a direct military conflict with Iranian forces in Syria. While the US political establishment, Republican and Democratic alike, is determined to ultimately bring Iran to heel, there are deep divisions over how this can best be achieved and how this figures in the broader drive for US world hegemony. Scuttling the Iran nuclear deal and putting the US on the fast-track to an all-out war with Iran would, argue powerful sections of the ruling elite, dangerously distract from Americas military-strategic offensives against Russia and China. A July 20 editorial in the New York Timeswhich has been at the forefront of the hysterical anti-Russia campaign that is aimed at forcing Trump to continue and escalate Obamas hardline stance towards the worlds second-largest nuclear powerargued that the US should pursue regime change in Tehran by means other than conquest. Irans government, it declared, continues to be torn between anti-American hard-liners and moderates like President Hassan Rouhani who are willing to engage with America. Mr. Trump would make a grave mistake if instead of trying to work with those moderate forces he led the nation closer to war. A significant consideration behind the opposition of Tillerson, Defence Secretary James Mattis and the Times editorialists to the US repudiating the Iran nuclear deal is the hostile response this would provoke from Europe, above all Germany and France. The European imperialist powers have gone much further than Washington in developing economic ties with Iran since 2015, as shown recently by the conclusion of a $1 billion investment agreement between Frances oil giant Total and Tehran to develop a large gas field jointly operated with Qatar. It was also displayed in the differing responses to the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar. While Trump enthused over Riyadhs tough stance against terrorism, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pointedly attacked the Trumpification of relations in the region and urged that all parties be included in a negotiated settlement. With considerable justification, Iranian officials have charged the Trump administration with already violating the terms of the JCPOA, both by imposing additional sanctions (purportedly targeting Irans missile program) and by attempting to discourage foreign companies from doing business with the country. The 2015 deal stipulates that the US refrain from taking measures to prevent the normalization of economic relations with Iran. In a move that will further irritate the Trump administration, Iranian media reported Sunday that Iran and Iraq have concluded a joint military agreement to deepen the fight against terrorism. Large numbers of Iranian fighters, including military commanders, have long operated in Iraq in alliance with Baghdads Shiite-dominated regime and played a significant role in the recent bloody siege and capture of Mosul. Brazils political crisis is set to escalate in the coming weeks, with a vote scheduled on August 2 in the lower house of the Congress on whether to authorize the countrys Supreme Court to try President Michel Temer on corruption charges. The opening of such a trial would entail Termer's immediate suspension for up to six months and the assumption of the presidency by the speaker of the lower house, Rodrigo Maia, until the Supreme Court reaches a verdict. Temer himself came to the presidency under similar conditions barely one year ago. He served as Dilma Rousseffs vice-president since 2011 and conspired in 2016 to oust her on trumped-up charges of budget manipulation. After what amounted to a sting operation against Temer in May, the president was charged by Rodrigo Janot, Brazils outgoing attorney generala non-cabinet position with a fixed two-year termwith accepting at least 9 million reais (US$3 million) in bribes in exchange for favoring meatpacking baron Joesley Batista in a dispute with the countrys anti-trust agency, the Cade. The charge comes after Temer was taped by Batista in mid-May in an undisclosed late-night meeting at the presidential palace indicating his close associate and former Parana state representative Rodrigo Rocha Loures would solve Batistas problems. Batista then offered the tape to the Federal Police and the section of the attorney generals office investigating the two-year-old, ever-widening Lava-Jato (Carwash) corruption scandal in exchange for a highly favorable plea-bargain agreement. This deal has disclosed yet more details of the systematic corruption pervading the activities of virtually every major political party as well as those of the governments sanitary and industrial oversight bodies. For his part, Temers associate, Loures, was subjected to a sting operation by the Federal Police fixing the 9 million reais bribe in Temers name and the picking up of the first installment of the money with a Batista associate turned informant in late May. Loures was arrested soon afterwards. Brazilian law offers a number of safeguards to the president, including immunity from prosecution on any grounds related to crimes committed before taking office. Even in such a case, the last safeguard is, however, the requirement that the lower house authorize the prosecution, which is now set to take place in early August. First believed to have secured a comfortable margin of victory in the body, where a three-fifths majority must vote against him for the charges to proceed, Temers future is now uncertain due to open moves by the speaker, Maia, to unseat him, not least in order to protect himself from Janots charges related to the Lava-Jato probe. Maia, from the right-wing Democrats (DEM) party, the official successor of the ruling party of Brazils military dictatorship, ARENA, has reached out to business in the last month and made an open move against Temer by setting a roll-call vote on August 2. This was the same procedure used by Temers allies in Rousseffs impeachment, in order to shame representatives who vote in the presidents favor and pressure them to suspend him. Maias trump card has been, however, to promise business circles to take an even more right-wing stance in regard to Temers labor, pension and tax reforms, designed to impose the entire burden of Brazils worst economic crisis in a century on the backs of the countrys working class. Congress approved the labor reform earlier this month at the same time that a panel in the lower house voted in a preliminary report against placing Temer on trial. The decision will now go to a vote by the full lower house on August 2. The panel considering the charges against Temer saw almost daily rebellions by the parties of the ruling coalition in the two weeks before its vote on July 13. Temers victory was only assured after he handed out more than US$5 billion worth of budget amendments to representatives and threatened parties that he would withhold funding for constituencies if party whips failed to get a vote in his favor, as revealed by O Globo newspaper on July 16. This procedure may result in Temer facing yet another trial for vote-buying. The labor reform, for its part, was rammed through the Senate in just one month after being discussed for almost two years in the lower house. Temer had promised that a quick vote would be rewarded with changes to the bill desired by senators by means of presidential decree. The essence of the labor reform is to open up every economic sector to zero-hour contracts and contract hiring and virtually end collective bargaining by allowing individual contracts for highly concentrated industrial, transport and communications sectors currently covered by collective agreements. Zero-hour contracts are not currently recognized under the countrys labor code, while contract hiring is restricted to so-called means activities, such as catering and cleaning in industrial facilities and offices. In the case where collective bargaining does take place under the new law, unions are now excluded unless explicitly called in by workers. Temers promise of amending the law by decree was made in the face of an increasingly rebellious base in the Senate, unwilling to vote for the toxic economic agenda for fear of being unseated in the 2018 general elections. The same fears were responsible for repeated delays in the lower house, and an altering of the law by the Senate would spell its return to the House and a virtual paralysis of the governments agenda. Moreover, an April 28 general strike against the legislation had seen an outpouring of 40 million workers in every state, even in the face of boycotts by service-sector unions. Temers decrees would alleviate the reform with some limiting of zero-hour contracts and reinforcement of workplace safety rules. Presidential decrees however, called Medidas Provisoriaa (provisional measures) under Brazilian constitutional framework, are effective for only two months unless confirmed by the House, which puts the legislations fate in the hands of Speaker Maia, who has promised big business to kill them in order to proceed with the revolution the House began with the so-called reforms. Temers future now looks even more fragile after the financial daily Valor revealed on July 18 that Brazils Federal Police had agreed with American law enforcement to bug a planned meeting in May between Temer and Batista in New York on the sidelines of an American Commerce Chamber ceremony to honor Brazilian businessmen, including Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Doria. The meeting, however, failed to materialize. On the next day, O Globo media pundit Gerson Camarotti revealed that a section of the Brazilian intelligence apparatus under the control of Temers secretary of institutional security, General Sergio Etchegoyen, an unabashed defender of military rule, had installed voice scramblers in the presidential palaces in order to avoid further revelations of wrongdoing by the president. Such reports indicate the level of internecine warfare within a ruling class engaged in a class war against the working class. Existing bourgeois constitutional powers have proven inadequate for prosecuting this war, despite the servile attitude of the unions and the pseudo-left groups that cover up for them. In the midst of the mounting attacks, the unions called off a planned June 30 general strike after Temer promised to amend the labor reform, particularly in regard to mandatory union dues payments. The complete rottenness of Brazilian institutions after barely 32 years of constitutional rule following a 21-year, US-backed military dictatorship finds many parallels with the US political crisis, not least in the complete absence of any progressive voice from within the ruling establishment and the full collaboration of so-called workers organizations, including the unions. Just as in the United States, those who point to the degraded state of bourgeois rule generally fixate on the superficial aspects of personal corruption and backstabbing, failing to expose the deep roots of such rot in the world capitalist crisis and its particular, national expression in Brazil. In the Brazilian case, a 10 percent drop in GDP and an official unemployment rate of 15 percent compound the historical national conditions of the worlds sharpest social inequality and commodity dependence. World markets and investment are contracting, leaving no prospect of a return of the Chinese-led commodity boom that allowed the Workers Party to secure record profits for the bourgeoisie, enriching many of the businessmen currently caught up in the Lava-Jato investigation. Under these conditions, the Brazilian ruling class finds itself in an economic blind alley, with no alternative but to launch attacks upon the working class that are ultimately incompatible with democratic forms of rule. During a special joint session held on Saturday, an overwhelming majority of both Houses of Congress voted to extend martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus on the southern island of Mindanao until December 31. In all, 245 congressmen and 18 senators voted for the extension, while 18 congressmen and four senators voted against it. The landslide legislative endorsement of military dictatorship on Mindanao followed a ruling handed down by the Philippine Supreme Court on July 4 by an 11-3-1 vote that the declaration of martial law was constitutional. Of the handful of dissenting legistators opposed to the extension, most declared that they were not opposed to military rule, but merely sought to compel the executive branch to seek legislative approval renewing the declaration every 60 days. The Supreme Court ruling and the nearly unanimous legislative rubber stamp have set the stage for the extension of dictatorship on a nationwide scale. There is no legal hurdle to the extension of military rule, all that is lacking is a pretext. There is no opposition to martial law in any section of the Filipino bourgeoisie. The entirety of the ruling class is madly scrambling to scrap civilian rule and hand the reins to a military dictatorship. The country is still scarred by the brutal decade-and-half-long military rule of Ferdinand Marcos, and opposition to martial law has been a political shibboleth of long standing. The wholesale embrace of martial law by the Filipino ruling elites is a sharp expression of the crisis of class rule around the globe amid mounting social tensions. The legislative endorsement, however, does not entail universal ruling class support for President Rodrigo Duterte, the volatile, fascistic death squad leader who ostensibly heads military rule. Martial law is seen by the bourgeois opposition as a means of disciplining the unstable president, and in particular of reorienting Philippine foreign policy back firmly into the camp of Washington, the former colonial master of the Philippines. Since he took office a year ago, Duterte has sought, through a series of volatile shifts and vulgar denunciations, to reorient Philippine foreign policy away from Washington and toward Beijing, and to a certain extent Moscow. He sought to placate Beijing by avoiding confrontation over the South China Sea, which Washington by military and legal maneuvers had transformed into a flashpoint for war. He announced that he was curtailing joint military exercises with the US military, and was considering ending the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) basing deal with the US signed by his predecessor. The Philippine military brass has always been loyal above all to Washington. Their institutions were formed during American colonial rule, and one does not rise to the rank of general without receiving extensive training in the United States. Over the past year, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana developed the habit, increasingly bold in its exercise, of publicly gainsaying the President. This was not sufficient, however. The volatile and insubordinate Duterte needed to be reined in. During Dutertes visit to Moscow, Lorenzana declared martial law, using the pretext of a conflict of long-standing in the city of Marawi with an elite family, Maute, and their extensive private army, which had occasionally identified itself with ISIS as a means of enhancing its prestige. By Lorenzanas own admission, US Special Forces were involved in the governments attack on Marawi and the declaration of martial law, which occured without Dutertes knowledge. Over the past 60 days, the once beautiful city of the northern shore of Lake Lanao has been gutted. Tens of the thousands of residents still trapped in the city have taken to eating sheets to deal with starvation. The city has been relentlessly bombed, each sortie overseen by US surveillance planes. Government forces have engaged in house-to-house fighting, and US Special Forces have joined their attacks, explicitly authorized to shoot if fired upon. Duterte held a joint press conference with Lorenzana, during which the latter confirmed the involvement of US forces. Duterte declared that he had not been informed of the US troop presence, and then he disappeared from the public eye for nearly two weeks. He held no meetings, gave no speeches or public appearances of any sort. The press began wildly speculating that he was ill. His press secretary repeatedly announced that he was resting and the press should be patient. Washington meanwhile, latching on to the pretext that this was part of the fight against ISIS, began directly supplying and supporting the Philippine military, circumventing the presidential palace of Malacanang entirely. Sung Kim, US Ambassador to the Philippines, announced on separate occasions the delivery of Cessna surveillance planes, and various weaponry to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). He told an assembly of diplomats and officials on July 6, that Washington will continue to stand by the Armed Forces of the Philippinesnot the Government of the Philippinesas they courageously fight terrorism. Kim made clear, however, that if Duterte would toe the US line, Washington would endorse his murderous war on drugs. I want to make clear that we completely understand that there is a serious situation here involving illegal use of drugs, and that the government is right to focus on this important problem, very serious problem for the Philippines," he declared. To make his point perfectly clear, he concluded, This is a good time to think about and reflect on America and Americas friendship with the Philippines. Lorenzana moved to use his powers as head of the martial law administration in Mindanao to formally restore military ties with Washington. To improve ties with Beijing last year, Duterte had canceled joint maritime exercises with US forces, which clearly targeted China. Lorenzana announced that the Philippine military would be launching a joint maritime drill in late June, which he gave the new name Sama-sama (Together). From June 19 to 25, on the authority of Lorenzana, and with Duterte effectively in hiding, the US navy staged joint maritime operations with the Philippine military. A US littoral combat ship joined the Philippine vessel Gregorio Del Pilar, which Washington had donated to the Philippines several years ago specifically for patrolling the South China Sea. It was Lorenzana and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Eduardo Ano who appeared before the Philippine Supreme Court in mid-June in a six-hour, closed-door session to argue the legal merits and necessity of martial lawnot a civilian representative of the Executive branch. Supreme Court Justice Francis Jardaleza wrote a separate concurring opinion fully endorsing martial law as constitutional. Jardaleza was the lead Philippine representative of the Aquino administration in its case against Chinas South China Sea claim before The Hague, and he worked closely with the US attorney who argued the case. Washington directly appealed to former President Benigno Aquino on Jardalezas behalf, and he was appointed to the Supreme Court for his services. His strong vote for martial law is clearly indicative of Washingtons blessing for military rule as a means of furthering its interests. By mid-July Duterte had re-emerged to public life and he delivered a speech on July 14 which revealed the effectiveness of Washingtons discipline. Gone was the denunciation of the American sons of bitches, and in its steadLet us give where credit is due. The United States helped the Armed Forces in this fight. In a direct reversal of his prior policy of pursuing military relations with Moscow and Beijing, he declared he could not enter into military alliances with other nations as that would violate the current US-Philippines defense agreement. Do not make the mistake of putting something on my behavior, he stated. We have to remain with the Americans. In some of Dutertes subsequent speeches the old, volatile figure occasionally re-emerged, but it is clear that Duterte has received Washingtons message. If he wants to stay in power he must follow the dictates of US imperialism. As the joint legislature assembled on July 22 to give their unanimous rubber stamp approval to military dictatorship, the man who stood before the gathered assembly and instructed them to vote for its extension, was Delfin Lorenzana. The death toll continues to rise among the 39 immigrants who were discovered in the sweltering trailer of a semitruck early Sunday morning in San Antonio, Texas. Nine were already dead when the trailer was opened, having succumbed to intense heat and lack of oxygen after being locked in the trailer for some 24 hours. Some survivors fled when the trailer, parked in a Walmart lot, was opened. Federal authorities announced Monday morning that one of 20 survivors taken to the hospital in critical condition had died, bringing the number of fatalities to 10. They warned that others suffering from extreme heat stroke and dehydration might succumb. New reports based on interviews with the immigrants in custody estimate that as many as 180 people may have been crammed into the sealed trailer as it made its way through Texas in a large-scale smuggling operation. One unidentified immigrant explained that people took turns gasping for air through a hole in the trailers side. Many passed out from the heat. Others shouted and banged on the walls to get the driver to stop. After one immigrant entered the Walmart looking for water, a worker at the store called the police. Everyone inside the trailer had a heart rate of more than 130 beats per minute when the doors were opened. Their skin was hot to the touch. At least 17 victims remain in critical condition as of this writing, with one source reporting that some may have irreversible brain damage from the high temperatures. The identities and nationalities of the passengers have not been confirmed but at least a portion are known to be citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, according to officials in those countries. Jesus Romero, who directs the immigration service project ISAAC down the street from the Walmart, told the World Socialist Web Site that the incident was a tragedy of colossal proportions. Romero added, There were actually women and children in this truck, and some of them died. And their only sin is to have broken our immigration laws in order to come to work. It is so horrendous that these things have to happen to people who mean us no harm and contribute so much to our society. Media coverage has focused on the truck driver, who has been arrested and faces charges that could bring life imprisonment or even the death penalty. This is a heinous crime. Yet the media is saying nothing about the government officials, business interests and politicians who bear the overriding responsibility for these deaths and the thousands more caused by their witch-hunting, persecution and exploitation of immigrant workers and youth. Guilt begins with the Trump White House, Homeland Security Secretary Gen. John Kelly, those who run the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the border police, and their accomplices in both parties who have over the past several decades enacted a series of laws, under Democratic as well as Republican presidents, militarizing the border and imposing ever more vicious attacks on undocumented workers. The criminalization of impoverished workers fleeing countries in Central and Latin America devastated by the depredations of US imperialism for more than a century has been carried out under increasingly onerous and antidemocratic laws backed and signed by presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, paving the way for Trumps program of mass arrests and deportations. The surviving victims of the San Antonio death trailer will be thrown into detention centers and promptly deported, most likely without being given an opportunity to plead their cases before a judge. The 60-year-old Florida man who was driving the truck, James Matthew Bradley Jr., has been charged with knowingly transporting illegal aliens. He denies knowing that anyone was locked in the trailer. Ruben Garcia, who runs the immigration service Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, told the WSWS: Its interesting as I listened to the news reports and I heard the various law enforcement officers, they want to single out the smugglers for this horrific act. But there isnt a word, not a single word, about what pushes people to take these kinds of risks. Garcia added, They have launched their investigations and they have arrested the driver and it will make it seem how righteous that we are going to go after these bad people. And no one will ever say what it is about the policies that push people to have to work this way. Garcia has worked with immigrants for over forty years. He explained that nearly every immigrant who passes through his organization has been brought to the US by smugglers. The dangers posed by the drug cartels and the horrendous conditions that exist in countries such as Mexico compel immigrants to pay exorbitant amounts of money to be smuggled through in groups. Garcia concluded, This tragedy in San Antonio serves as a symbol of the present environment. If our system is incapable of acknowledging that these are the kinds of realities that drive people out of their country, if enforcement is the only solution offered, where we say, They dont belong here, kick them out, lock them up, then they are going to turn to the smugglers and you are going to have the San Antonio situation again and again. The deaths of the immigrants in San Antonio are a crime against the entire international working class, for which the American ruling class is directly responsible. Decades of imperialist aggression and plundering throughout the world, spearheaded by the United States, from the destruction of entire societies such as Iraq and Syria, to the 2009 ousting of the president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has left 66 million people displaced worldwide, the highest number ever recorded. The same politicians who organize imperialist violence against the international working class carry out brutal policies of austerity and repression against the workers at home. The tools of oppression forged in the attack on immigrants are being used against the working class as a whole. The massive surveillance apparatus, ostensibly erected for national security, is illegally spying on the entire country, native-born and immigrant alike. The same police forces, armed to the teeth with military equipment supplied by the Pentagon, that are being empowered under Trump and Kelly to help round up and detain immigrants, brutalize and kill US citizens every day with impunity. All of the problems exposed by the tragic deaths in San Antonio are produced by the capitalist system. In an age where money, commodities and the elites move with ease across national boundaries, there remain millions who are forced to risk their lives entering countries without documents, while thousands of armed men hunt them down. The Socialist Equality Party stands for the unconditional right of workers of every country to live and work in whichever country they choose. We call for full democratic and citizenship rights for all immigrants, including the 12 million or more in the US now classified as illegal. We call on workers of all nationalities to unite in defense of immigrants all over the world. This fight is an inseparable part of the defense of the rights and social interests of all workers and the struggle against the growth of militarism and war. It requires a common struggle against the capitalist system and all those parties and political forces that defend it. Democrats put forward a mix of populist themes and pragmatic policies Monday as part of a new agenda aimed at winning back Congress in 2018. Called A Better Deal, the agenda calls for breaking up corporate monopolies, cutting prescription drug prices and improving U.S. infrastructure, among other policies which will be unveiled in the coming weeks. It is an ambitious economic agenda that represents a renewed Democratic commitment to the hard-working men and women across the United States who have been left out and left behind for too long, wrote House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a Washington Post op-ed previewing the plan. The plan is reminiscent in parts of President Trumps campaign rhetoric, including his call for helping the forgotten men and women of our country in his inaugural speech. Trump also called for cutting prescription drug prices and improving U.S. infrastructure, although his campaign pledge to rebuilt roads and bridges remains stalled in Congress. But Democrats put forward much different approaches in their plan. Heres a look at several proposals: Create a Trust Buster. The plan calls for creating a new consumer advocate who would look more closely at corporate mergers and their effects on consumer privacy, product quality and jobs. Negotiate Drug Prices. Democrats argue for creating an independent agency to fine companies that hike the price of prescription drugs dramatically and allowing Medicare Part D to negotiate drug prices directly. Spend More on Infrastructure. The agenda also includes new investments in infrastructure, more technical training and a tax credit for employers that hire and train certain workers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the plan would help make the Democratic position more clear to voters, a nod to critics who argued the Democratic party lacked a clear economic message in the 2016 election. The number one thing that we did wrong is we didnt tell people what we stood for, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ABC News This Week on Sunday. Story continues .@SenSchumer tells @GStephanopoulos: "The number one thing that we did wrong is we didn't tell people what we stood for." #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/91hxwMIx47 ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 23, 2017 Even now, a majority of the country52 percentbelieve that Democrats dont stand for anything other than resisting President Trump, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released last week. On Monday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Schumer and fellow Democrats are scheduled to hold a press conference in Berryville, Virginia, to talk about their new plan. The town is in a district represented by Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in a district Democrats hope to flip in the midterm elections. Charlize Theron in action in director David Leitchs Atomic Blonde (Photo: Focus Features) Atomic Blonde is the years best action film and it confirms director David Leitch has few equals when it comes to crackling cinematic beat-em-ups. After years working as an A-list stuntman and second-unit director, and then co-helming 2014s superlative John Wick with Chad Stahelski, Leitch has gone his own way with this Charlize Theron-headlined Cold War espionage tale, based on Antony Johnston and Sam Harts graphic novel The Coldest City. A twisty-turn spy saga in which Theron cracks skulls and woos women (namely, The Mummys Sofia Boutella) while trying to unravel a mystery involving her former beaus murder, its a showcase for its alluringly fearsome leading lady, who, following Mad Max: Fury Road, has established herself as the reigning queen of the kickass genre. With its centerpiece stairwell skirmish go ahead, try to convince us its not the greatest American fight scene ever committed to film Atomic Blonde is more proof Leitch is elevating the action form to new heights, perfecting a bruised, bloody approach that prizes inventive choreography, protracted takes, and a visceral (to the point of blackly comic) sense of pain and punishment. Its no surprise, then, that for his next venture, hell be teaming up with Ryan Reynolds for summer 2018s foul-mouthed superhero sequel, Deadpool 2. With Atomic Blonde blasting into theaters on Friday, we spoke with Leitch about flying solo behind the camera, the chances of an Atomic Blonde/John Wick crossover, and how much of his signature style hell be bringing to the Merc with a Mouths return. Atomic Blonde is your first solo directing effort, after co-directing John Wick with Chad Stahelski. How difficult was that transition? It wasnt as a big of a transition as one might think. Co-directing Wick, Chad and I went back to work together. We had been doing second-unit directing apart. Even though we had a company together [87Eleven Action Design, their production company/stuntman-choreography studio], we had been doing our own movies for 5-6 years. So when we went back to do Wick, it was sort of like we had to find our footing again as partners, on-set. That was a great experience, and I loved it. Story continues But jumping into this, Atomic and Im sure Chad would say the same it did feel natural to just be taking the helm of directing, and just moving on, and digging in with your other collaborators. Was it always your plan, after John Wick, to go your own way, directing-wise? I think we always had the sort of plan that we would just take every project as it comes, and if we both responded to it, we could talk about whether we wanted to do it together. We have different interests. It was always a plan that, yes, we could always direct apart or together, or produce people, or develop 87Eleven as a brand bigger and beyond us. So how did you decide which one of you got to keep the proverbial kid (i.e., John Wick, whose sequel was directed by Stahelski)? [Laughs] It was really just a matter of taste, and then the schedules of the two movies [Atomic Blonde and John Wick Chapter 2] started to come together, and we realized there was no way we could do both. They had to be done in this specific window of time. So I had a way into Atomic that I was really excited about, and I think Chad really had a way into the Wick sequel that he was excited about. And we were like, Cool, lets do it. There werent a lot of big discussions. It was pretty easy to make those decisions at the time, because we both really liked the material. How did you get involved with Atomic Blonde? Was Charlize Theron already attached when you came aboard? Charlize was attached to the movie already., Kelly McCormick, the producer at Sierra/Affinity my wife, by the way happened to bring us the script. I read it, and I really liked it and its noir-ish sensibilities. It was her challenging me to look at it in a different way is there a way to heighten this and bring it more into the genre space, and to add an action flair and add some of your world-building? Because the original conceit of the movie was very Cold War spy-trench coat-fedora. That [action] part sort of became a bigger pitch. Charlize, as a producer, had met a lot of directors, and I was lucky to just get in the door and have a little bit of a special idea about where we could take this. Atomic Blonde: Watch a trailer: Action is obviously central to Atomic Blonde. Whats the process of integrating large set pieces into a film with such a tangled-web spy narrative? Thats usually the second-unit action directors job on bigger movies you read whats on the page, and then you go, How do I make this fresh, interesting, expanded. Make it more relevant to the story. Find some gimmicks that are going to drive it and make it new for audiences. As a first-unit director, its what I bring to the table. I look at the action scenes as placeholders when I arrive on a script, knowing that Im going to expand on them when I understand the constraints of the movie, the locations of where were shooting, the abilities of the actors, and where we want to go with the characters. With something like The Coldest City, there really werent many action sequences at all [laughs]. It was really gunshots and poison and spycraft. And so we replaced a lot of the spycraft ideas with visceral action that could maybe reach more of a genre audience. How did you think about differentiating the action, style-wise, from John Wick? I assume some of that was dictated by Charlize herself. Its always driven by the actors aptitude, and skill set, for action. Youre always choreographing into their strengths. You always want to do that. But I think more importantly as an action director, youre designing things that are working for the narrative and the world youre creating. With The Coldest City, I think we were trying to do some stuff toward the end of the movie, as were spinning into this darker and darker rabbit hole, and the existential crisis of being a spy, where we wanted to get realistic, and see consequences, and see bruising and damage and exhaustion, and sort of this totality of the violence manifested in our protagonist and the people shes up against. How was working with Charlize on those action set pieces and how much training was required for the shoot? It was a lot of training 3-4 months probably, four days a week, 3-4 hours a day. Very consistent training, coming into our workshop 87Eleven and getting in front of the stunt team and getting your ass kicked. Thats just kudos to her for having the will and the determination to go through that process. The stairwell sequence is, to my mind, the greatest fight scene in American movie history. How did it first come about? Part of the reason that came about was that we were working on an independent film, and youre always looking for ways to break out of the noise that is in the space you know, there are a lot of genre films that come out and theres a lot of action films at this level. We were looking for ways to be provocative. I will say, again, producer Kelly McCormick sort of presented this idea of, What about this single shot that youve been talking about forever? Maybe this is an opportunity to do something like that. When you have the will of your crew, and you have an actress thats this talented, and you have a stunt team thats with you for the run of the show the planets aligned that we were able to execute this. You need all willing participants. Given that much of it is shot in unbroken takes, how long did it take to execute it? Its an accomplishment on a lot of levels. There are a lot of old-school tricks stitching together bigger pieces but ultimately, its several pieces, right? But it gives you the illusion that youre staying with the character the whole time. So we would do 15 to 20 takes for any given section, to get it right. Because you couldnt mess up in the middle; its not like editorial, at that moment, could save you. It could only save you at the end. It was quite a process. It was like four days to finish the stairwell, and probably two-and-a-half days for the car sequence. Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde (Photo: Focus Features) Comparisons are inevitable between Atomic Blonde and John Wick. Any chance for an eventual big-screen crossover? I love both of their worlds so much that Id like to keep them separate. But maybe several sequels down the line, we figure out how to get John Wick into a time machine [laughs]. As artists, its great to work with both of them, and maybe theres a project where they could work together which would be interesting, and which wouldnt be John Wick or Atomic Blonde its something else they do together. Reeves does have some experience with time machines [Laughs] He does. I did avoid the Bill and Teds reference. Now youre working on Deadpool 2. Whats it been like to transition into a big-budget superhero universe in this case, one that was already established before you came aboard? Every movie you attack has its challenges, and I was excited about the challenges presented by Deadpool. I was a huge fan of the original, and I think as a director, you have to put the script first. With this movie, we just want to be true to the new material thats been created, be true to the script, and be true to the original DNA of that universe, which is so widely accepted. So Im up for the challenge. Its been such a great process so far I mean, we already started shooting. Its crazy. How much room is there for your own action style in a project like Deadpool 2? I think theres room in that universe to bring signature style, especially in the action space. When my name came up, the studio knew where I was coming from. So youre going to see elements of me as a filmmaker, undeniably. But again, the material is so self-referential, and the DNA of the material is still there, and Ryan Reynolds portrayal of that character its fing amazing. He has a handle on Deadpool like no other. Ryan Reynolds shares image on Facebook with Leslie Uggams as a Deadpool 2 teaser Was the humor of Deadpool 2 part of the appeal to you, given that John Wick and Atomic Blonde are less overtly comedic in nature? Or was it the bigger canvas on which to work? It was all those things. As a director, just to be able to jump in to do something thats different, and to explore comedy and be challenged by that, is great. Some directors never get that opportunity. So when it presented itself, I was like, yeah, lets do it. Is there any major way in which the sequel will distinguish itself from the original film? I think its line with what I said before, which is that, as a director, you want to be servicing the script, and then the love for the original franchise. I think were doing that ten-fold. And as a filmmaker, Ill have my imprint on it, within the world as it goes forward. Have you had any thoughts about revisiting Atomic Blonde for a sequel, once Deadpool 2 has wrapped? Theres talk, and I think hopefully people want to see more adventures. I think well leave that up to the audience. Its show business at the end of the day, and if the movie proves successful for the studio, then well get to make future chapters. And be excited to do so. Atomic Blonde Instant Commentary: Director David Leitch Narrates Movies Craziest Car Stunt: Read more from Yahoo Movies: Blogger Sara Puhto shared an image of her unshaven underarms to encourage others to love their natural selves. (Photo: Instagram/Saggysara) In a bid to highlight the unrealistic beauty standards women face every day, blogger Sarah Puhto shared a photo of her unshaven armpit. Taking to her Instagram, Puhto, who is from Finland, shared an image to her 107,000 followers of herself wearing a white bandeau top and underwear. With her arm raised confidently in the air, the 20-year-olds unshaven underarm is proudly on display. This idea of beauty we have currently is so odd. Who decides whats beautiful? she wrote in the accompanying caption. Its not some checklist that you go through and suddenly can qualify for. Should one have flawless skin, a lean body and groomed body hair to be considered beautiful? No. Because that idea of beauty is non-existent. Nobody in reality has that 24/7. Puhto goes on to say that beauty shouldnt be some kind of exclusive group only certain people are allowed to join. Story continues I currently dont shave my leg or armpit hair because its cold where I live, my skin is breaking out and I do not, nor ever will, have a lean tummy with 0 skin folding or minimal amounts of fat. Thats the reality, she continued. She then appealed to her followers to stop judging one another and shaming people via hurtful comments online. Please dont be one of those people that tears others down, she wrote. Whats the point. What do you gain from it? Does it make you feel better when you comment these things on peoples posts? Do you ever think why? Im sure everyone has something theyre insecure about. She added, We all have our own problems to deal with and you never know what someones going through. Please consider that before you say things that could hurt someone. The blogger ended her empowering post by encouraging her followers to be kinder to themselves. Think about that when you say hurtful things to yourself. Theres no point in being rude towards yourself, she wrote. Learn to love yourself because you are an amazing person and you shouldnt be so hard on yourself. As long as youre doing your best, youre doing an amazing job. Since sharing her inspiring words, the post has been liked almost 8,000 times, with people praising the blogger for delivering an inspiring dollop of realism. I just wanna say that I love all these body positive posts!!! Im 25 and your captions totally sum up how I feel about loving my body and are the messages I want my daughters to see one day, but if only posts like these were around while I was growing up! It would have saved a lot of self-hatred and feeling abnormal, so thank you for the messages youre sending women in general, but especially young women who need this encouragement, one woman wrote. Its odd that something so natural such as body hair is considered gross if you have it. Who along the line was like shave it all off, another woman added. I love this so much! another woman wrote. The idea society has put in our heads of what we should look like is completely unrealistic. I dont shave my legs purely because Im lazy. Puhto is far from the only person to take to social media and post about unrealistic beauty standards. Earlier this year, fitness blogger Morgan Mikenas took to Instagram to reveal the results of not shaving her body hair for a year. The idea was to encourage others to not to feel bound to societal beauty standards and to find confidence in their bodies in their natural hairy state. Both Mikenas and Puhto are part of a growing body-love movement thats seen women chuck their razors and embrace their body hair in all its natural beauty. In April, Madonnas daughter Lourdes was pictured on a beach proudly showing off her armpit hair. And shes not the only celebrity refusing to conform to de-fuzzing beauty standards. Miley Cyrus and actress Jemima Kirke have also proudly flaunted unshaven underarms. In January, Jemimas sister actress Lola Kirke contrasted her princess-like Andrew Gn gown with some nicely grown body hair at the Golden Globes. While not everyone is rushing to ditch their monthly wax, its certainly refreshing to see more women embracing their natural bodies, armpit hair and all. Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. In 2016, expenditures involving the Social Security Fund (FSS) were recorded at MOP3.9 billion, representing an increase of 14 percent year-on-year, according to the latest FSS report. Over the past year, the FSS handed out a total of MOP3.43 billion for retirement and disability pensions, with amount representing a 15 percent increase when compared to the previous year. The amount also represents 88 percent of the total amount of payments processed by the FSS in 2016. Most noticeably, the FSS income increased 4.35 percent last year, although income related to gaming decreased 4.84 percent when compared to 2015. Over 150 phone scams recorded in 3 days From last Friday until last Sunday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) and the Macau Customs Service both received a total of 154 reports of phone scams. All reports indicated that the unknown criminals pretended to be Customs officers, or workers at the Immigration Department in an attempt to defraud the public. No losses have been reported. According to the PJ, 54, 67, and 33 cases were reported on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. According to most reports, a woman speaking Mandarin was making requests to the public for their personal information. The PJ emphasized in their statement that the Macau government will never ask residents to provide any piece of their personal information through a phone call, and reminded the public to be wary of such scams. Arrest made in fatal abduction case A mainland man, surnamed Li, has been arrested for an abduction case that resulted in one death. Last May, a body was found in a residential unit at the Zona de Aterros do Porto Exterior (ZAPE). The victim was illegally imprisoned after having borrowed money from usury groups he had met in casinos in the region. Li, one of the five criminals who is believed to have contributed to the death, was arrested on the night of July 22, and is now charged with the practice of violence, usury and other offenses. Mainland reports one more H7N9 case The Health Bureau (SSM) has issued a statement reporting that a case of the virus H7N9 (avian influenza) has been confirmed in Jiangsu province. Chinese health authorities reported to SSM that the aforementioned case was recorded between July 14 and July 20. The patient is a 62-year-old female mainland resident, who is currently in a critical condition. According to information provided by SSM, cases of H7N9 have been detected in 26 provinces across China, including Guangdong, Fujian, Beijing, Shanghai, since September of 2016. SSM has called upon the public to pay attention to personal hygiene in order to prevent cases of H7N9 infection. Govt presses CTM to reduce call charges The government has formally requested telecommunications provider CTM to reduce charges for international long-distance calls. Authorities expect the charge reduction to be implemented within this year. In a recent meeting with the Legislative Assembly Follow-up Committee for Public Administration, the government praised CTM for its services in the last year, but said that there is still room for improvement. According to the government, CTM recorded MOP10 million less in monthly income last year after a charge reduction. IC organizes 35th Macau Young Musicians Competition The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is organizing the 35th Macau Young Musicians Competition which will be held from July 22 to 30 at the Macau Science Centre and the Institute for Tourism Studies. Contests in different categories will be held across the two locations simultaneously. The Competition for Special Prizes will take place on August 3 at the Institute for Tourism Studies. The competition schedules, rules, and regulations, and the jury list for this years competition is now available at the website for the Macau Young Musicians Competition. According to a press release from the IC, if a participant has a relationship or is associated with any members of the jury panel, the participant needs to notify the IC by email prior to the competition. If they fail to do so, the organizer has the right to disqualify the individual and withdraw any winnings presented. Beijing (AFP) - China on Monday defended its repatriation of North Koreans who have escaped across its border after a United Nations envoy voiced concern about increasing detentions and expulsions. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, said last week he had shared his concerns with Chinese officials in recent months. But foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday that "the persons who illegally trespassed into China are not refugees" and would be handled according to "international law and humanitarian need". "We hope relevant people can abide by principles in the UN charter to respect normal law enforcement on the Chinese side," Lu told a regular press briefing. Ojea Quintana said on Friday he was "alarmed by a surge in detentions and forced repatriations of North Koreans" who are caught in China after making it across the border. The envoy said he had reminded Chinese authorities of their obligations under the 1951 refugee convention as well as relevant parts of the UN system. "I urge them again to address this problem by giving special protection to DPRK (North Korea) citizens who transit through China's territory," he said in Seoul. If forcibly returned, North Korean defectors are at risk of persecution, arbitrary detention, torture or other ill-treatment, enforced disappearance and execution, according to Human Rights Watch. "Women continue to be especially vulnerable to violent practices when they are sent back. Strip-searches, cavity inspections, verbal abuse and sexual violence are still known to happen in holding centres near the border with China," Ojea Quintana said. Human Rights Watch said in June, citing activists and family members, that at least 51 North Koreans had been detained in China since July last year, including a baby born in detention, four children and three elderly women in frail health. Story continues Based on their information, the rights watchdog said it believed that at least 13 of the North Koreans had already been forcibly returned, while the others remained in China for now. The Demilitarised Zone dividing the Korean peninsula is one of the most heavily fortified places in the world. Almost all North Korean defectors intending to reach South Korea cross first to China and then on to a third country before travelling to Seoul. The number of North Koreans escaping to the South declined sharply in the first half of this year as Pyongyang strengthened controls on its border with China, Seoul officials said this month. In the six months to June, 593 Northerners entered South Korea, down 20.8 percent from the same period in 2016, statistics compiled by Seoul's Unification Ministry showed. In another move to assert control over the South China Sea territory, Beijing opened a high-tech movie theater in Sansha, a city on the disputed Yongxing Island, also known as Woody Island. More than 200 residents and soldiers on the island watched the Chinese movie, The Eternity of Jio Yulu, at the theater on Saturday, Chinas state-owned Xinhua news agency reported. The report said the new cinema hall is equipped with all advanced projection equipment including the latest 4K digital projectors and 3D perforated screen. READ: China Protests US Destroyer Sailing Close To Triton Island The cinema will show at least one film every day, so residents and soldiers on Yongxing Island can enjoy films simultaneously with moviegoers across the country," said Gu Xiaojing, general manager of Hainan Media Croup, which runs the cinema, was quoted as saying in the report. While Chinas state media described the move as a part of a plan by local cultural authorities to establish community services on islands under Sansha's jurisdiction, this development can spark tensions in the disputed territory. Yongxing Island is the largest island of the Paracels, a cluster of islands at the west edge of South China Sea. The Paracels has been at the center of dispute in South China Sea as these islands are claimed by China, as well as neighboring countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Vietnam has been constantly protesting against Chinas decision to establish administrative city on the island, BBC reported. The area is a major shipping route and a rich fishing ground. It is believed to have abundant oil and gas reserves. While conflict in the area has been going on for centuries, tension has steadily increased in the recent years as Beijing began re-asserting its claim. China claims the largest portion of the territory. It also issued a map in 1947 detailing its claims. READ: China-India Border Dispute Involving Bhutan: An Explainer Story continues China has built many artificial islands in the area of late, and houses military facilities in the disputed region. In April 2016, a public library was opened in Sansha. Beijing had also set up a stadium where many cultural activities are organized. The Sansha municipality was set up by the country in 2012. However, an international tribunal in The Hague rejected most claims made by China in the region but Beijing did not abide by its ruling. The United States has also challenged Chinas claims on the cluster of islands. Earlier this month, a U.S. Navy destroyer, USS Stethem, sailed within 12 nautical miles of the disputed Triton Island of the Paracel island cluster, Reuters reported. China termed the exercise a "serious political and military provocation," and dispatched military vessels and fighter planes in response to warn off the US warship. This was the second such operation carried out by the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office in January. The first operation was carried out May 25, when the USS Dewey a guided-missile destroyer sailed less than 12 nautical miles from Mischief Reef, a part of the disputed Spratly Islands, south of the Paracels. Related Articles China has stepped up its war of words with India over a tense border dispute, saying it will defend its territory at all costs, after a video emerged of soldiers from the two sides pushing and shoving each other. "It is easier to shake the mountains than to shake the PLA, Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said as he reiterated the determination of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. Both sides have been facing off on a thin strip of land in the Himalayas bordering both countries and Bhutan. China is constructing a road in the region which India sees a strategic threat to a narrow part of territory leading to its north eastern states which is known as the chickens neck. Mr Wu also said China would conduct targeted deployment and exercises along the disputed border area, raising the spectre of increased military movements in the tense region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping listen to a speech during the BRICS Leaders Meeting with the BRICS Business Council in Goa, India, last October Credit: AP Last week China conducted live-fire drills on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and such exercises will continue if Indian troops are not withdrawn from the stand-off, Mr Wu said. "We will preserve our sovereign territory and security interests at all costs," he said, in what is being seen as Chinas strongest warning yet to New Delhi since the dispute began a month ago. "The 90-year history of the People's Liberation Army has proven that, when it comes to safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity, our capabilities keep strengthening while our determination remains firm. Meanwhile, a video has emerged which shows soldiers from India and China pushing each other on a grassy flatland. The leaked clip of around 20 apparently unarmed troops was originally circulated by Indian news outlets before being picked up by Chinese media. By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, with one jet coming within about 300 feet (91 meters) of the American aircraft, U.S. officials said on Monday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports showed one of the Chinese J-10 aircraft came close enough to the U.S. EP-3 plane on Sunday to cause the American aircraft to change direction. One of the officials said the Chinese jet was armed and that the interception happened 80 nautical miles (148 km) from the Chinese city of Qingdao. The Pentagon said that the encounter between the aircraft was unsafe, but added that the vast majority of interactions were safe. Incidents such as Sunday's intercept are relatively common. In May, two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a U.S. aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea. China closely monitors any U.S. military activity around its coastline. In 2001, an intercept of a U.S. spy plane by a Chinese fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on Hainan. The 24 U.S. air crew members were held for 11 days until Washington apologized for the incident. That encounter soured U.S.-Chinese relations in the early days of President George W. Bush's first term in office. Separately, the Pentagon said the U.S. military would soon carry out another test of it's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. "These tests are done as a routine measure to ensure that the system is ready and... they are scheduled well in advance of any other real world geopolitical events going on," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. The director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, said in a statement that a test would be carried out at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. Last month the United States shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile similar to the ones being developed by countries like North Korea, in a test of the nation's THAAD missile defenses. The United States deployed THAAD to South Korea this year to guard against North Korea's shorter-range missiles. That has drawn fierce criticism from China, which says the system's powerful radar can probe deep into its territory. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Grant McCool and Andrew Hay) An Oregon couples joy at the birth of their newborn daughter quickly turned to horror after their car was stolen from the hospital parking lot as they prepared to bring their baby home, they told InsideEdition.com. Dalan and Krysta Askew welcomed their third child, Penelope Jade, into the world last weekend at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham. The proud parents woke up to bring little Penelope home last Tuesday, with Dalan loading gifts and supplies into their 1990 Subaru Legacy, parked in front of the hospitals birthing center, as Krysta waited with the baby. I went outside to load up our car seat base and came back about an hour later, and our car was gone, Dalan told InsideEdition.com. I was pissed. I had the keys in my hand and no car and just nothing to show for it." On top of their anger, he and his wife were devastated. Not only were the new keepsakes they thoughtfully bought and were gifted by loved ones gone, but sentimental items dating back to their wedding were taken as well. Read: Man Pulled Over in Stolen Car While En Route to Court to Face Auto Theft Charge: Cops "I always kept her garter from our wedding around my rear view mirror and now it is gone, something her and my mother made for our special day," Dalan wrote on a GoFundMe page created to spread awareness and raise money for a new car. Their older daughters car seat, their sons books, their childrens life jackets and Dalans hard hat his father gave him when he began his career in construction were also inside the stolen car. So many things just taken from my family that I worked so hard for, he continued. Memories and things that hold no value to anyone else [are] just gone. I wish I could take the hurt away from my children and wife. I don't care about the car; I just want our things back. Alan told InsideEdition.com he was stunned to see his car stolen, but was especially shocked that the thief was so heartless as to take a vehicle from a hospital. Story continues I know people steal cars from other places in the street, but from a hospital? I would never have imagined anybody taking a car from a hospital, he said. Read: 'Accidentally Stolen' Car Returned With Apology Note and Gas Money The stress of the theft has especially taken its toll on Krysta, who was already suffering from high blood pressure when she arrived at the hospital to give birth. When I told her our car was stolen, we had to stay another night [at the hospital] because it was so high, Dalan said. As of Monday, the Askews have raised about $1,615 of their $5,500 goal, which they said would go toward a car and to replace supplies for their baby. And while they hold out hope for good news on their vehicle, the Askews said another couple generously donated a Subaru for them to use. Were very grateful, he said. Were very happy thinking people out there still care. There is still hope. The Gresham Police Department did not immediately return a request for comment by InsideEdition.com. Watch: Bungling Burglar Fails to Break Into ATM With Stolen Backhoe: Cops Related Articles: US President Donald Trump speaks at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia - AFP or licensors Donald Trump has frequently railed against those leaking information, especially intelligence material, to the media. Now, however, it appears the president himself has inadvertently confirmed the existence of a covert CIA programme. Mr Trump issued a series of tweets attacking the Washington Post on Monday evening, including one that referred to a story about the termination of US efforts to aid rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad," Mr Trump said, days after the newspaper had claimed the president was axing a programme established by Barack Obama in 2013. It was a move long sought for by Russia, which saw the anti-Assad programme as an assault on its interests. Although the programme had been widely reported, its existence was understood to be officially still classified. If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter. https://t.co/fEmuqHDWN9 Ned Price (@nedprice) July 25, 2017 "If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter," said Ned Price, a former CIA employee. CIA: We can neither confirm nor deny any covert program. Trump: That's right cuz I ended it! CIA: https://t.co/DBrNak0zg7 Jermaine Spradley (@MrSpradley) July 25, 2017 FYI this was a "covert" CIA program. Until now, apparently: https://t.co/1ZGhKLlraghttps://t.co/v8CqjJCJ18 Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 25, 2017 Trump confirms covert CIA program on Twitter https://t.co/NaJHC5JxBq Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) July 25, 2017 Today in Trump -refers to "17 years of Obamacare" -boasts of Electoral College win to Boy Scouts -confirms covert CIA program -it's Monday Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 25, 2017 President apparently confirming existence of US covert program to aid anti-Assad rebels in Syria right here on Twitter https://t.co/NQy1BqLAkB Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) July 25, 2017 US officials told the newspaper in a story published July 19 that ending the secret programme was related to Mr Trump's concerns about re-establishing a working relationship with Russia. Story continues Mr Trump is reported to have made the decision nearly a month ago, after an Oval Office meeting with national security adviser H.R. McMaster and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Russia long saw the anti-Assad programme as an assault on its interests. Ending the plan, in addition to appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin, is also an acknowledgment of the US's limited ability to unseat the Syrian president. Until Moscow intervened militarily on behalf of the Syrian government in 2015, the US-backed rebels had been making major gains. Two doctors claim to have used controversial oxygen treatments to reverse brain damage in a 2-year-old from Arkansas who nearly died by drowning in a cold swimming pool, but other experts are very skeptical of the claims the doctors made in their report of the case. "I found the publication to be sufficiently suspect," said Dr. Ian Miller, a pediatric neurologist and medical director of the comprehensive epilepsy program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, who was not involved in the report. "I really worry that other people who read about this on the internet will think that this is a legitimate type of therapy" for people with brain damage, when there is no proof of this, Miller told Live Science. In the new report, the authors describe the case of 2-year-old Eden Carlson, who fell into her familys swimming pool last year and was submerged in 41-degree-Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) water, for about 15 minutes. In total, she spent 2 hours without a heartbeat, and was not expected to survive, her family said in a YouTube video. Doctors were able to revive her, but she had experienced brain damage. After a month in the hospital, she couldn't speak, walk or respond to commands. An MRI showed she had damage to her brain's gray and white matter. Fifty-five days after the girl's near-drowning, Dr. Paul Harch, clinical professor and director of hyperbaric medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, began an oxygen treatment on the girl, giving her oxygen at the same air pressure as air at sea level for 45 minutes twice a day. After these treatments, Eden became more alert and started to speak and even laugh again, according to the case report. Then, 78 days after her near-drowning, the doctors gave Eden hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which provides oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Harch co-owns a company that offers hyperbaric oxygen treatments. [The 10 Most Controversial Miracles] After about 40 sessions of this therapy, Eden could walk again with assistance and had normal cognition, Harch's report said. An MRI after the hyperbaric treatments showed a "near-complete reversal" of the brain damage, Harch and his co-authors said. The report was published in the July issue of the journal Medical Gas Research. But other experts had serious concerns about the report, saying that the authors did not provide evidence that the oxygen treatments helped at all in Eden's recovery. Rather, these experts said this type of recovery could happen without these specific oxygen treatments. Miller said everyone can be grateful that Eden is doing so well. However, Miller said he found the report "to be really underwhelming in terms of its evidence." For example, Miller said, the report did not provide evidence that brain cell death occurred, or that these brain cells were "resurrected" by the oxygen treatment. "There is just no way that providing oxygen to a dead brain cell makes the brain cell recover," Miller said. "That's not how the brain responds to injury and to oxygen once neurological death has occurred." Dr. David Cifu, professor and chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, was similarly concerned about the paper. "This proves nothing," Cifu said. People can recover brain function after near drowning, he said, and "it has nothing to do with hyperbaric oxygen." Recovery can happen because of the brain's plasticity, or flexibility, meaning that different brain areas can take over for those that have been damaged, Cifu said. Cifu has conducted rigorously designed studies, some for the military, on the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for people with traumatic brain injuries. In these studies, participants received either a hyperbaric oxygen treatment or a "sham" treatment that was not expected to have an effect. But both groups showed the same level of improvements in their symptoms, regardless of whether they received the real or sham treatment. The hyperbaric oxygen "just didn't help the people" any better than the control-group treatment, he said. In addition, Miller said Eden's recovery may have been related to the temperature of the water when she was submerged. It's known that people who have near-drowning experiences in cold water tend to have better outcomes than those in warmer water, because cold water can have a "protective" effect on the brain. When Live Science reached out to Harch about these criticisms in an email, Harch said "the child made progressive accelerated neurological improvement with each week of HBOT. That neurological improvement can only be explained by improvement in brain function which is consistent with the regrowth of brain tissue. Spontaneous recovery and growth of tissue can possibly occur over time, but the child was not improving at this rate until the introduction of each of these therapies." Miller said a recovery over months is not unexpected in someone with a brain injury. Harch added that his report did not claim to "resurrect" brain cells with oxygen treatments, but rather, it said the oxygen treatments led to the growth of brain tissue, likely because the oxygen stimulated the expression of certain genes. In addition, Harch said he refutes Cifu's studies, in part because he says the studies did not include a proper sham control group. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat certain conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness (often called "the bends" by divers) and burns caused by heat or fire. Under the pressurized conditions of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the lungs can take in more oxygen than they would when breathing at normal air pressure. The increase of oxygen in the blood may improve the delivery of oxygen to tissues and help minimize cell injury, according to the FDA. Studies on hyperbaric oxygen for treating brain injury have had mixed results, with some studies suggesting a benefit in the case of stroke patients, while other studies, like Cifu's research, finding no effect. Earlier this year, the FDA issued a warning to consumers that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been promoted as a treatment for many conditions that it is not approved to treat. The FDA clarified that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not approved to treat brain damage, Alzheimer's disease, autism, diabetes or many other conditions for which it has been promoted. Editor's note: This article was updated on July 24 to include several additional quotes from Harch. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Mr Scaramucci said he 'loves the President' and criticised 'disconnect' with the media: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trumps new communications director was caught on a hot microphone making comments about repairing the administrations volatile relationship with CNN. Between interviews on talk shows, Anthony Scaramucci said at the lectern of his first press briefing that he planned to call CNN President Jeff Zucker, as reported by BuzzFeed. In the back of my mind I have to call on CNN and send a message to Zucker that we are back in business, he said. He also added that Mr Zucker helped me get the job by hitting those guys, referring to the networks firing of three employees for a retracted article about Russia involving Mr Scaramucci. He joked that Mr Zucker is not getting a placement fee for getting me the job. According to the transcript, he boasted that he could handle the White House press briefings without preparation or talking points. His words come after months of attacks from the President, his former press secretary Sean Spicer and his successor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, accusing many big networks as fake news and promising to prosecute people in the government who leaked to the press. In his first press appearances, Mr Scaramucci has appeared jovial and more at ease with reporters. But Mr Scaramucci said he was committed to finding leakers and fire them from the White House. He has also expressed frustrations about fake news and media bias. I think theres been, at times, a disconnect between the way we see the President and how much we love the President, and the way perhaps some of you see the President, and I certainly see the American people probably see the President the way I do, he said at his first White House press briefing. The US attorney general has found himself directly in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump, with his boss launching a blistering attack against a political veteran who was Mr Trumps earliest supporter. Jeff Sessions, a former senator from Alabama, was widely seen as one of Mr Trumps most loyal footsoldiers, and a man who shared his vision for immigration policy and law and order. Profile | Jeff Sessions Yet the president unleashed yet another attack on Mr Sessions on Tuesday, telling the Wall Street Journal he was "very disappointed" with Mr Sessions and refusing to rule out firing him. Its not like a great loyal thing about the endorsement, he said. Im very disappointed in Jeff Sessions. Asked whether he would remove Mr Sessions from office, Mr Trump repeated that he was disappointed in the attorney generals decision to recuse himself. Im just looking at it, he said. Ill just see. Its a very important thing. He had begun his attacks at dawn, tweeting shortly after 6am: Attorney general Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are the e-mails and DNC server) and intel leakers! Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Nine minutes previously, he had tweeted in reference to a report by Sean Hannity, a Fox News anchor and die-hard Trump loyalist, about Mrs Clinton receiving support for her presidential campaign from Ukraine. So where is the investigation, AG? said Mr Trump. The staunchly conservative senator was already reeling from an interview last week, in which Mr Trump told the New York Times he would never have appointed Mr Sessions if he knew he was going to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Story continues The president then warmed to his theme, describing Mr Sessions on Monday as beleaguered and wanting to know why he wasnt investigating Mrs Clinton. Jeff Sessions, the attorney general Mr Trump reiterated his comments in the Rose Garden of the White House, at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon with Lebanon's prime minister. "I am disappointed in the attorney general," said Mr Trump. "He should not have recused himself almost immediately on taking office. "If he was going to do so he should have told me and I would have picked someone else. "I think it's a bad thing for the presidency, and that's the way I feel." Asked again, he said: "I want Jeff to be tougher on the intelligence agencies, that are leaking like they have never leaked before. "We will see what happens. Time will tell." The presidents attacks have shocked many within the White House, given how Mr Sessions has set out to work diligently on Mr Trumps pledges - reviewing policing, taking a hard line on immigration, ending sanctuary cities and rolling back a series of Obama-era civil rights actions. The only thing Mr Sessions has not been able to do is stop the Russia investigation. Maggie Haberman, the New York Times White House correspondent, tweeted: I asked two ppl close to Trump why he is tormenting Sessions instead of firing him. The answer from both, paraphrased: Because he can. Anthony Scaramucci, Mr Trumps newly-appointed communications director, did not deny that Mr Trump was now trying to force Mr Sessions out, in the hope of finding someone more compliant. Mr Scaramucci said he hoped the two men could sit down and work it out. The Washington Post reported that Ted Cruz, a presidential rival Mr Trump nicknamed Lyin Ted, and whose father, he said, was perhaps involved in the assassination of JFK, could be drafted in. Political website Axios, meanwhile, suggested Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, could be a contender. Speculation in Washington was that Mr Trump could make what is called a recess appointment, meaning that he could name a replacement attorney general, who would sit until January without needing Senate approval. Jeff Sessions And the turmoil in the justice department came on a tough day for the Trump administration. Paul Manafort, Mr Trumps campaign manager from March to August 2016, was issued with a subpoena by the Senate intelligence committee, investigating the Trump teams ties to Russia. It was later rescinded, amid reports that Mr Manafort remained in discussions about talking to the committee. Mr Trump, in a continuation of his dawn Twitter rant, described it once again as a witch hunt, and sarcastically said his 11-year-old son Barron may soon be drawn into the scandal. Jared Kushner, Mr Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, was again appearing before a Congressional panel on Tuesday it was the turn of politicians on the House intelligence committee to question the 36-year-old, who on Monday insisted: I did not collude. Congressmen on Tuesday night overwhelmingly passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that would impose new punishments on Russia for the election hack, and bars Mr Trump from easing the penalties without first getting permission from Congress. The Senate is expected to act soon after the House vote, and the measure could be sent to Mr Trump before Congress breaks for its August recess. Heavy support for the bill from Republicans and Democrats, in the House and Senate, has effectively scuttled the potential for Mr Trump to derail the legislation. At the end of a day that had seen President Donald Trump spend plenty of time on Twitter, Trump had one final flurry of tweets to lob at a familiar target: Amazon (AMZN) CEO and Washington Post-owner Jeff Bezos. So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News, Trump tweeted. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Clarifying the rhetorical question posed at end of his previous tweet, Trump added: Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? Bezos has at various times over the last couple years been a target of Trumps ire. Through his personal investment vehicle, Bezos Expeditions, the Amazon CEO purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013. Trumps distaste for The Posts reporting and its billionaire owner makes clear that the president sees Bezos as a threat. And while Bezos, unlike his tech CEO peer Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook (FB), has displayed no signs of political ambitions, his wealth and influence in American business and culture is perhaps only eclipsed by the influence enjoyed by the office of the presidency. With Trumps approval rating currently sitting near 40% and some reports showing more than half of U.S. households are subscribers to Amazons Prime membership service, the view of Bezos among the American public is likely more favorable than the current president. And if theres one thing we know about Trump, its that Bezos popularity gap perceived or otherwise will annoy him to no end. (Trump, for example, is still re-litigating the election because, despite his winning the Electoral College in a landslide, he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton.) The view of Bezos among the American public is likely more favorable than the current president. Trumps most recent tweets are part of a running criticism Trump has made of The Washington Post and the papers billionaire owner. Trumps recent characterization of The Post as Amazon Washington Post also implies that Bezos is ordering the paper to pursue unfavorable coverage of the administration. The Post famously broke the existence of the Billy Bush tape in which Trump used lewd language to describe interactions with women. Story continues The president has also often sought to tie-in Bezos position at the top of Amazon with his ownership of the Post. These businesses, however, are unrelated Amazon is a public company Bezos has a large ownership stake in and also runs; The Washington Post is wholly-owned by Bezos personal investment fund and he does not have a day-to-day operational role at the paper. Amazon is known in the business world for pursuing a strategy of emphasizing free cash flow it can reinvest in its businesses over growing profits at all costs. In 2015, Trump insinuated Bezos was also losing money at The Post on purpose to avoid taxes. That Amazon for years operated at a loss and that Bezos personally owns The Washington Post have no bearing on each other. But Trumps distaste for The Posts reporting and its billionaire owner makes clear that the president sees Bezos as a threat, and perhaps the biggest threat outside of clear political rivals. #AmazonWashingtonPost Over the weekend, Trump tweeted, A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions. These illegal leaks, like Comeys, must stop! This tweet followed one sent in late June by Trump which said, The #AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet taxes (which they should) is FAKE NEWS! That outburst led to a number of follow-up questions What are internet taxes? Has anyone ever used the hashtag AmazonWashingtonPost? And could Trump actually look to step-up regulatory oversight of an online retailer like Amazon? On the regulatory front, Trumps clear distaste for both The Post and its owner presents a potentially interesting showdown between the regulators and Amazon. Earlier this month, Yahoo Finances Dan Roberts outlined how Amazon could potentially face increasing scrutiny from regulators as it enters more and more markets. The company, for example, announced it would buy Whole Foods for about $14 billion, its biggest acquisition ever and its first major step into the grocery space. Amazons history of acquisitions by price. Roberts noted, however, that while Amazons influence is huge across a number of markets media, retail, web services, shipping it doesnt have an unfair majority in any of them. In other words, despite Amazons vast size it doesnt have a monopoly standing that would offer customers a worse deal. On the Whole Foods front, Yahoo Finances Erin Fuchs reported that Amazon will likely get approval for the deal, even if the FTC finds the company deceived customers about pricing discounts. Moreover, the business community has viewed the Trump administrations pledge to cut regulation as perhaps the most concrete good the president can do for the economy. Using the weight of government to pressure Amazon would be in conflict with the stated aims of a White House focused on helping American business as much as anything else. Bezos and Trump go way back Trumps history with Bezos who along with other tech leaders has met with Trump both at The White House and Trump Tower goes back to his time as a candidate in a crowded GOP field. In December 2015, when Trump was one of 14 candidates in the GOP presidential primary a field that still officially included the likes of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former New York governor George Pataki, and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina he for the first time took aim at the Post and its owner. The @washingtonpost, which loses a fortune, is owned by @JeffBezos for purposes of keeping taxes down at his no profit company, @amazon, Trump tweeted. Just a few minutes later, Trump added in a follow-on tweet that, The @washingtonpost loses money (a deduction) and gives owner @JeffBezos power to screw public on low taxation of @Amazon! Big tax shelter. It seems unlikely Trump will ever get past whatever it is he cant stand about Bezos. (Earlier in 2015, before entering the presidential race, Trump tweeted a link to a story critical of the Posts coverage of Trump. In May of 2015, also before entering the race, Trump called then-Washington Post editor and current CNN personality Chris Cillizza a moron.) Bezos later that same day tweeted, Finally trashed by @realDonaldTrump. Will still reserve him a seat on the Blue Origin rocket. #sendDonaldtospace. (Blue Origin, like the Washington Post, is a rocket company owned by Bezos through his Bezos Expeditions investment fund.) In January 2016, Trump tweeted that, The tax scam Washington Post does among the most inaccurate stories of all. If history is any guide, then, it seems unlikely Trump will ever get past whatever it is about Bezos his newspaper, his retail company, his fortune that bothers the president so much. Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland Read more from Myles here: The project of the future Special Economic Zone (EEZ) of Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, is a priority for the government and the country is preparing to receive the first facility of this kind, focused on the maritime sector and created with the support of China in the Portuguese-speaking countries. On a recent visit to the island, accompanied by the ambassador of China, the Cape Verdean Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, said the integrated project provides for maritime transport, port operations, fishing, specialized logistics support services as well as tourism, science and specialized education in the sea sector. I have no doubt that we have found the solution and from here we can make all the difference in the medium and long term, in order to get the economy to work and grow, generating jobs and income, creating investment opportunities for entrepreneurs and achieving peoples happiness, said Correia e Silva. He said the feasibility study for the project was being prepared, based on the governments initial concept and with a view to accelerating the implementation of the project. The government and our partners, particularly China, are willing to do that. We need to bring the other side Mindelo society on board, he said. The Cape Verdean government has predicted that the project will be operational by the end of the current term, in just over three years. From China, support for the project was guaranteed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a meeting in Praia with his Cape Verdean counterpart Luis Filipe Tavares. Wang Yi noted the importance of Cabo Verdes geographical position at the time, adding that the Cape Verdean government expressed a willingness to participate in the Chinese governments, Belt and Road initiative. In an interview with Macao Magazine, published in the next issue, Ulisses Correia e Silva said that China is a privileged partner in the project, for its role in supporting its creation, but also given the possibility of the EEZ being able to provide services to Chinese companies and to the wider market. The advantages of the project include the archipelagos strategic location between Europe and West Africa, as well as Chinas experience in the creation of EEZs, the Cape Verdean prime minister said in an interview on the sidelines of the recent meeting of Portuguese-speaking entrepreneurs, in the Cape Verdean capital, Praia. MDT/Macauhub Chicago (AFP) - A survivor of a horror truck journey in which 10 migrants suffocated to death has told how travelers took turns breathing through a tiny hole in a desperate bid to stay alive, US investigators said on Monday. As charges were filed against the driver who was detained in Texas near the border with Mexico, one of President Donald Trump's cabinet secretaries denounced the "brutality" of people-smuggling gangs. And two children were among a group of more than two dozen people still in hospital, suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, after an ordeal which ended in a parking lot. The migrants were discovered in the back of the 18-wheel truck in the early hours of Sunday in San Antonio, Texas, a two-hour drive from the US-Mexico border, when one of them approached a Walmart store employee asking for water. The employee brought water and then called police, who found 38 people crammed in the trailer with a broken refrigeration system, parked in the baking Texas heat. Eight people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others died later at the hospital. The sweltering trailer may have held between 70 to 200 people, with some migrants fleeing in six SUVs that had been waiting when the truck stopped in the parking lot, according to witness accounts given to authorities. - 'Driver never stopped' - The document recounted a harrowing journey, with migrants having trouble breathing and some passing out in the trailer which was being driven by James Mathew Bradley Jr, age 60. "People began hitting the trailer walls and making noise to get the driver's attention. The driver never stopped," according to one of the migrants interviewed, identified only as J.M.M-J. "People had a hole in the trailer wall to provide some ventilation and they started taking turns breathing from the hole." J.M.M-J said he was a Mexican national and part of a group of 29 people being smuggled into the United States. He said that after crossing the border they joined 70 migrants already in the truck's trailer. Story continues US authorities have not released all the victims' nationalities or names, pending notification of their families. Mexico's foreign ministry said four of the dead were Mexican, out of a total of 25 Mexicans riding on the truck. The other 21 remain hospitalized. The Guatemalan foreign ministry said 20-year-old Frank Fuentes was among those killed, and his family had already been contacted to begin the process of repatriating his body. Two other Guatemalans, one of them a minor, were hospitalized and in stable condition, the ministry said. According to the migrant's recollection, his smuggler said "people linked to the Zetas" crime cartel were offering protection for the journey through Mexico to the US border, and that once arriving in the country he was to pay $5,500. The driver was formally charged on Monday with one count of transporting illegal aliens. The federal charge against Bradley is punishable by life imprisonment or even theoretically the death penalty. Bradley has told police he did not know he was transporting people until he stopped at the Walmart store to use the restroom and observed "banging and shaking," prosecutors said. - 'Network of death' - Bradley said he was delivering the trailer from Iowa to Texas on the orders of his boss, and attempted to administer aid when he found the migrants, but did not call 911, according to the complaint. Thirty people were hospitalized -- including two school-age children -- and more than a dozen were in critical condition, suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, authorities said. It was unclear how long the migrants were inside the truck. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in a statement called the deaths "senseless" and the result of a human trafficking "network of abuse and death." "This tragedy demonstrates the brutality of the network of which I often speak. These smugglers have no regard for human life and seek only profits," Kelly said. Kelly has been to Mexico twice to discuss immigration, human trafficking and the sprawling cross-border drug trade. Elon Musk has slammed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs limited understanding of artificial intelligence. The comments followed an interview with Zuckerberg where he criticized doomsday scenarios around these new technologies as pretty irresponsible. Ive talked to Mark about this, Musk said on his Twitter page Tuesday. His understanding of the subject is limited. Musk was responding to Twitter user Darren Cunningham, who shared an article with recent comments from Zuckerberg. During a Facebook Live broadcast over the weekend from his house in Palo Alto, Zuckerberg took questions from users about the future of technology. I watched a recent interview with Elon Musk and his largest fear for future was A.I., one user asked. What are your thoughts on A.I. and how it could affect the world? I have pretty strong opinions on this. I am optimistic, Zuckerberg told viewers. And I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios I just, I dont understand it. Its really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible. Its not the first time Musk has criticized Zuckerbergs understanding of A.I. At the end of last year, Zuckerberg unveiled his Jarvis home assistant, capable of dimming the lights, controlling music and managing security. Jarvis, named after Tony Starks computer assistant in Iron Man, is essentially a homegrown version of Amazons Alexa. Musk dismissed the project as really not A.I. The Tesla CEO has sounded the alarm a number of times on how artificial intelligence could change our lives in unwelcome ways. In February, Musk told an audience at the World Government Summit in Dubai that digital super intelligence would be like meeting an alien, and governments will need to stay vigilant. Deep artificial intelligence or what is sometimes called artificial general intelligence, where you have A.I. that is much smarter than the smartest human on Earth I think that is a dangerous situation. Musk said. I think its important for public safety for governments to keep a close eye on artificial intelligence and make sure that it does not represent a danger to the public. Story continues Its not that Musk is against artificial intelligence in general, with Tesla actively pursuing research into computer-driven cars. The company started shipping cars last October with the necessary cameras and sensors to enable fully autonomous driving at a later date, and the system will harvest driving data from these sensors to improve the software and gradually make the ride as smooth as possible. But Musk has expressed fear that these intelligent systems are advancing far faster than people think. Because hardware is improving exponentially at the same time as software, the two components of future A.I. systems could reach impressively powerful levels far sooner than people think. Whenever you have a double exponent its going to be very difficult to predict, and peoples predictions are always going to be too conservative, Musk said earlier this month during a Q&A session at the ISS R&D conference in Washington, D.C. Although this has been Musks message for a while, recent comments drew ire from researchers growing weary of his warnings. At the National Governors Association earlier this month, he told state governors that A.I. is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization, and I dont think people fully appreciate that. A number of A.I. researchers said that he was being needlessly alarmist, with Pedro Domingos, an A.I. researcher based at the University of Washington in Seattle, summing up his thoughts on Twitter with a single word: sigh. Musk has his share of supporters. Tim Urban, the writer behind explainer site WaitButWhy, has written about how artificial intelligence will impact humanity. Musk described the article on Tuesday as excellent: Urban has worked with Musk previously. In April, WaitButWhy published a guide to neural lace startup Neuralink. The technology could allow human brains to interface directly with computers, something Musk believes could help achieve a symbiotic relationship with future artificial intelligence. But Musk may need to get creative if he wants to convince Zuckerberg and others of the possible dangers around A.I.: Photos via Flickr / OnInnovation A Boy Scout is, apparently, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. That's according to the Scout values that many are citing in contrast with President Trump's speech at Monday's Boy Scouts of America 2017 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. The president, who wasn't a Boy Scout, turned the event into one of his political rallies after he said he wasn't going to talk about politics. SEE ALSO: Girl Scouts will march in the Inaugural Parade, disappointing some of their biggest fans He went from "who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" to taking on health care, winning the electoral college, draining the swamp, fake news, New York cocktail parties, and the sexual proclivities of old rich men for good measure. Trump, to kids at Scout jamboree: Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts? https://t.co/Rz5Tko7WW8 Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 24, 2017 Trump himself started to cite Scout values after he reverted to rally mode and sounded like he was on the campaign trail. "Boy Scout values are American values, and great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the Scout Law says: 'A Scout is trustworthy, loyal' we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that," he told the crowd. The crowd finished the list of values for him. Many took to Twitter to call out Trump for his noticeably anti-Boy Scout behavior, starting with the whole saying one thing and then doing another thing. A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent https://t.co/vDTTjiKfRw Ronnie Ellis (@cnhifrankfort) July 25, 2017 Trumpwho was NOT a boy scoutgets @Boyscouts to boo Obama, who was a boy scout. 45 is teaching kids 'great' values. https://t.co/2QklslW5mc Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) July 25, 2017 Donald Trump is speaking to the Boy Scouts. Has a President ever been in deeper contradiction with Scout values? pic.twitter.com/UYfdi39nH9 Josh Greenman (@joshgreenman) July 24, 2017 As an Eagle Scout, I can't imagine a worse role model for young men who less embodies scouting's values than President Trump. https://t.co/uTcUdlknCz Morgan Bolt (@MBoltAuthor) July 24, 2017 Trump now has the Boy Scouts booing Hillary Clinton. "She didn't work hard" in Wisconsin and Michigan. Dan Zak (@MrDanZak) July 24, 2017 As part of one devastating Twitter thread, one longtime Boy Scout called out Trump for making his national appearance about himself, politicizing the Scouts, and the kicker once borrowing $7 from his charity to pay his son's Boy Scout registration fee. Story continues And yet, Trump saw fit to turn the largest gathering of Boy Scouts into a political gathering, as if they had come together only to see him. Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) July 25, 2017 Former White House photographer Pete Souza, who can always be counted on in such situations, got in on the Boy Scout-Trump shade with a photo of Barack Obama with a Cub Scout. The caption is too real: "I can assure you, POTUS was not telling this Cub Scout and the Boy Scouts who followed about his electoral college victory." I can assure you, POTUS was not telling this Cub Scout and the Boy Scouts who followed about his electoral college victory. A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Jul 24, 2017 at 5:10pm PDT The Boy Scouts organization, for its part, said it invited Trump because he's the president, not because of his politics. What it got was politics. And though those in attendance cheered and chanted a whole lot of anger from former Scouts. Fake street signs warning of easily startled cops have popped up in Minnesota, sparked by the fatal police shooting of an area yoga teacher who called 911 to report a possible sex assault near her home. One was seen in St. Paul and another in Minneapolis, according the Star Tribune. Read: Investigation Reveals Cop Who Shot Justine Damond Was Startled by 'Loud Sound' The orange metal signs were bolted onto real street postings and warned Twin Cities Police Easily Startled." A policeman with guns blazing is depicted in silhouette. Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, was killed July 15 after she called 911 to report a screaming woman who was possibly being assaulted near her home. Responding Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor said a loud noise startled him before he shot across the front seat of his cruiser, striking Damond in the stomach. Noor has refused to answer questions from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau stepped down Friday, amid intense backlash against the department. Messages left by InsideEdition.com with the Minneapolis Police Department Monday night were not immediately returned. Read: Bride-to-Be Shot and Killed by Police After Calling 911 to Report Possible Assault Noor and his partner have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting. The coroners office ruled the killing a homicide. Don Damond, the womans fiance, told The New York Times she had called him after hearing screams. He told her to call police. I have played this over and over in my head, he told the newspaper. Why didnt I stay on the phone with her? The shooting followed last months acquittal of a police officer charged in the killing of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in St. Anthony, just outside Minneapolis, the aftermath of which was live-streamed on Facebook and generated outcry across the country. Story continues Castiles mother, Valerie, visited Don Damond to offer support and sympathy at a march Thursday to protest Justines shooting. Watch: Fiance of Minneapolis Yoga Teacher Demands Answers After Cop Fatally Shoots Her Related Articles: (CRANBROOK, British Columbia) Two former leaders of an isolated polygamous community in Canada were convicted Monday of practicing polygamy after a decades-long legal fight, setting up another potential court battle over the constitutionality of Canadas polygamy laws. Winston Blackmore, 60, and James Oler, 53, were found guilty by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Sheri Ann Donegan, who said the evidence was clear that Blackmore was married to 25 women at the same time and that Oler was married to five women in the tiny community of Bountiful. Blackmore, 60, never denied having the wives as part of his religious beliefs that call for celestial marriages. His lawyer Blair Suffredine has already said Blackmore would challenge the constitutionality of Canadas polygamy laws if his client was found guilty. Im guilty of living my religion and thats all Im saying today because Ive never denied that, Blackmore told reporters after the verdict. Twenty-seven years and tens of millions of dollars later, all weve proved is something weve never denied. Ive never denied my faith. This is what we expected. Blackmore and Oler were prosecuted as part of an investigation first launched in the early 1990s by the provincial government. Under Canadian law, the maximum penalty they will each face is five year in prison. The two will be sentenced at future hearings. Blackmore and Oler are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect that believes in plural marriage. The groups main base is in a small community on the Utah-Arizona border in the United States. Oler was chosen to lead the Canadian community just north of the U.S. state of Idaho following Blackmores excommunication from the sect in 2002 by Warren Jeffs, considered the prophet and leader of the group. Authorities have said Jeffs still leads the sect from a Texas prison, where he is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. Story continues The mainstream Mormon church renounced polygamy in the late 19th century and disputes any connection to the fundamentalist groups form of Mormonism. At the 12-day trial earlier this year, witnesses included mainstream Mormon experts, law enforcement officials who worked on the investigation and Jane Blackmore, a former wife of Winston Blackmore who left the Canadian community in 2003. Justice Sheri Ann Donegan praised Jane Blackmore as a highly credible and reliable witness. She was a careful witness, Donegan said. There was nothing contrived or rehearsed in her answers. She was impartial. Much of the evidence in the trial came from marriage and personal records seized by law enforcement at a church compound in Texas in 2008. Donegan disagreed with assertions by Blackmore and his lawyer that the records should be given little or no weight, saying she found them reliable. Donegan said Winston Blackmores adherence to the practices and beliefs of the religious group were never in dispute, nothing that he did not deny his marriages to police in 2009. Blackmore even made two corrections to a detailed list of his alleged wives, she said. He spoke openly about his practice of polygamy, Donegan said. Mr. Blackmore confirmed that all of his marriages were celestial marriages in accordance with FLDS rules and practices. The investigation and attempted prosecution of Blackmore and Oler dragged on for years due to uncertainty about Canadas polygamy laws. After a constitutional reference question was sent to the British Columbia Supreme Court, the court ruled in 2011 that laws banning polygamy were valid and did not violate religious freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Homes and cars destroyed as huge wildfires tear through south of France Muslim teen kidnapped, raped and murdered for dating Arab Muslim Homes, buildings and cars in the south of France have been destroyed after wildfires tore through 1,400 hectares of forest. Residents in Mirabeau were evacuated from their homes while vehicles went up in flames in Carros, north of Nice. Footage from near the upmarket town of Saint-Tropez showed a raging inferno ripping through trees as hundreds of firefighters worked tirelessly to tackle them. British Muslim teen kidnapped, raped and murdered for dating Arab Muslim TV star admits to setting up accidents to teach his toddlers a lesson Yazidi girl held captive by Isis reveals she was raped every day for six months American doctor was wicked to give Charlie Gards patents false hope Helicopters let loose giant water bombs to douse the flames from above while horses were moved from stables to safety. Authorities said that the fires have wiped out 1,400 hectares of woodlands in the south of France and the island of Corsica. Here are the scenes of devastation from the region By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel removed metal detectors from entrances to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday in favor of CCTV cameras, hoping to calm days of bloodshed, but Palestinians said the modified security measures were still unacceptable. Israel installed the detectors at entry points to Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14, setting off the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years. The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis. "All parties should work to reduce these tensions and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this," Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York. "At the holy sites, it's vital that both access and security be ensured." Washington has already held talks with Israel and Jordan to help resolve the crisis. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the senior Muslim cleric who oversees Al-Aqsa compound both dismissed the new Israeli measures and demanded all of them be removed. "All new Israeli measures put in place since (July 14) must be removed so things can go back to normal in Jerusalem and we can resume our work regarding bilateral relations," Abbas said at the beginning of a meeting with the Palestinian leadership. The Waqf, the religious body that runs the Islamic sites in the Al-Aqsa compound, said worshippers would continue to stay away from the elevated, marble-and-stone plaza - Islam's third holiest site - and pray in the streets outside. Jews revere the compound as the place where two ancient temples once stood. A Waqf spokesman said it was awaiting a decision of a technical committee but was demanding the situation revert to the way it was before the metal detectors were installed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet of senior ministers voted to remove the metal detector gates early on Tuesday after a meeting lasting several hours. NEW CCTV CAMERAS A statement issued after the security cabinet meeting said it had decided to heed a recommendation of Israeli security bodies and replace the detectors with "smart checking" devices. Municipal workers began work in some of the narrow stone-paved streets around the Aqsa compound to install overhead metal beams that will hold closed-circuit TV cameras. Israeli media said there were plans to invest in advanced camera systems. The cabinet statement added that it had allocated up to 100 million shekels ($28 million) for the equipment and for additional policing over the next six months. CCTV images indicated that the two Israeli police officers on guard duty were shot dead by three Israeli Arabs who had concealed weapons inside the Aqsa compound. The dispute, like many in the Holy Land, is about much more than security devices, taking in issues of sovereignty, religious freedom, occupation and Palestinian nationalism. Muslims refer to the compound as the Noble Sanctuary while Jews call it the Temple Mount. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Israel stood to lose most in the dispute and echoed calls for the removal of new security systems. "I have heard of Israel's decision to remove the metal detectors, and I hope the rest will follow...We expect Israel to take steps for the peace of the region." The walled Old City is part of East Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in a 1967 war and later annexed, declaring the city its "eternal indivisible capital" in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of a future state they are seeking. But on top of the outbreak of violence mainly in the Jerusalem area, a move on Friday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to suspend security coordination, plus international criticism, cranked up pressure on Israel. Netanyahu was further hampered by a fatal shooting at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan on Sunday when an Israeli security guard was attacked and shot dead two Jordanians. A crowd of Jordanians gathered at one of the funerals on Tuesday and called on their government to close the Israeli Embassy. Jordan is the custodian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy sites and King Abdullah has called on Israel to return to the pre-July 14 status quo and lift all unilateral measures taken since the attack on the policemen. Jews and anyone else visiting the ancient Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray - at the foot of the Aqsa compound must pass through airport-style security screening, including metal detectors. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta, and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Michelle Nichols; writing by Ori Lewis; editing by Mark Heinrich) Matter of facts: The first daughter posted the made-up quote in June 2013: AP First daughter Ivanka Trump has been mocked on social media after a tweet she wrote four years ago misquoting Albert Einstein resurfaced over the weekend. The tweet, written in June 2013, attributed the quote If the facts dont fit the theory, change the facts to the famed physicist. The only problem? Einstein never actually said that. Twitter users picked up on the misquote, with some poking fun at the irony of such a mistake, while others questioned whether Ms Trump might actually be mocking the notion of changing facts herself. A US author seems to have prompted the onslaught of ridicule after sharing the tweet, commenting: The fact that Einstein never said any such thing only makes this tweet that much more perfect. "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein #quote#sunday Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 23, 2013 The fact that Einstein never said any such thing only makes this tweet that much more perfect. https://t.co/ZCjViO1CpS Colin Dickey (@colindickey) July 23, 2017 In the First Daughters defence, it seems she is not the first to attribute the seemingly made-up quote to Einstein. The quote appears to have been floating around for some time, with sites like BrainyQuote.com also mistakenly attributing it to the mathematical genius. So where did the quote come from? While some believe it was made up as a clever criticism of changing the facts, others say it was likely a summarisation of something Einstein did say, although in less direct terms. As one Quora user points out, the physicist did say something along those lines. Story continues In his biography of Einstein, Subtle is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein, Abraham Pais writes of an instance in 1919 where Einstein apparently handed a student a cable which informed him that the bending of light by the sun was in agreement with his general relativistic prediction. When the student questioned what he would have said if there had been no confirmation of his theory, Einstein is said to have replied: Da konnt mir halt der Liebe Gott leid tun. Die Theorie stimmt doch (Then I would have to pity the dear Lord. The theory is correct anyway). The seemingly made-up quote has been wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein for some time (Orren Jack Turner, Princeton, via Wikimedia Commons) The Quora user, Alejandro Jenkins, points out that this exchange could be at the root of the misquote, as it could be interpreted to denote the physicists belief that a certain kind of mathematical beauty and simplicity is a hallmark of scientific truth and that, in some circumstances this criterion trumps strict concordance with measurements, which are in any case always subject to error and re-interpretation. 1) Einstein never said that. 2) He wouldn't ever say that. 3) Either Ivanka is dim enough to not know 1&2 or a scheming liar. 4) I bet liar. https://t.co/gj9e3dO2dQ Ron Hogan (@RonHogan) July 23, 2017 Regardless of the origins of the misquote, it certainly bears fresh meaning in light of the rise of alternative facts, a phrase that has become inextricably tied to Donald Trumps presidency after it was first used by US Counsellor to the President Kellyanne Conway to defend former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicers false statements about the attendance numbers of Mr Trumps inaguration. Of course, the US Presidents daughter could not have foreseen the significance her tweet would one day hold when she shared the post four years ago. The incident prompted other Twitter users to share their own favourite fake quotes. "Alright stop, collaborate and listen" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Jeretta Angeline (@JettaAngeli) July 23, 2017 Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like youve never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. Pol Pot, wrote one user. Alright stop, collaborate and listen. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, quipped another, attributing American rapper Vanilla Ices Ice Ice Baby lyrics to the famous composer. Unfortunately, Ms Trump wasnt the only one to fall prey to the temptation of fake quotes. Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. MarkTwain Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) June 15, 2012 Donald Trumps new communications head Anthony Scaramucci was the butt of similar jokes just a couple of days ago when an old Tweet he wrote similarly resurfaced. The businessman tweeted in June 2012: Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like its heaven on earth. MarkTwain, wrongly attributing the quote to the famous author. Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android. Former Speaker of the House John Boehner: Getty Images Former Speaker of the House John Boehner has said that Republicans will never repeal and replace Obamacare. At a business gathering in Las Vegas, Mr Boehner said Americans have grown accustomed to the law passed in 2010 while he was the Houses Republican leader. Mr Boehners comments are a departure from Donald Trumps rhetoric saying Obamacare is death. Over the past month, Republican leaders in the Senate have struggled to garner support from members of their own party for legislation that would repeal and replace Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act. Moderates are worried that millions of people would lose their insurance following cuts to Medicaid a healthcare programme for the poor that was significantly expanded under the ACA. Meanwhile, conservatives assert that the bill does not do enough to erase Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation. Here we are, seven months into this year, and yet theyve not passed this bill. Now, theyre never theyre not going to repeal and replace Obamacare, Mr Boehner told a private crowd according to video footage obtained by the Washington Post. Its been around too long, he continued. And the American people have gotten accustomed to it. Governors have gotten accustomed to this Medicaid expansion, and so trying to pull it back is really not going to work. Mr Boehner suggested Republicans may be able to gradually get rid of provisions of Obamacare, but not the entire law. When its all said and done, youre not going to have an employer mandate anymore, youre not going to have the individual mandate, Mr Boehner said. The Medicaid expansion will be there. The governors will have more control over their Medicaid populations and how to get them care, and a lot of Obamacare taxes will probably go. Mr Boehner, who left Congress almost two years ago, also had some comments about Mr Trumps social media habits and said that the President should refrain from attacking the media. Story continues You never get into a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel. He does it every day, the former congressman said, before adding, Never get into a pissing match with a skunk. He does it every day. It may have worked during the campaign. But I think he would do himself well if he would just slow the tweeting down and just focus on what hes doing and not being critical, he added. (Reuters) - A Kansas man was sentenced on Monday to 30 years in federal prison for plotting a failed suicide bombing at a U.S. military base on behalf of Islamic State, federal prosecutors said. John Booker Jr., 22, of Topeka, pleaded guilty in February to plotting the April 2015 attack on Army personnel at Fort Riley, Kansas, and aiding the Islamic State fight against the United States, the Justice Department said in a statement. Booker was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, on one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property by fire or explosion. Booker was arrested as part of a sting operation in which he went to Fort Riley with two undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agents to detonate what he did not know was an inert bomb. Booker had planned to build a vehicle bomb holding 1,000 pounds (455 kg) of ammonium nitrate and trigger it himself, dying in the process, the Justice Department statement said. Prosecutors said they had tracked Booker since he posted Facebook messages in March 2014 in which he said: "Getting ready to get killed in jihad is a HUGE adrenaline rush!!" He had been in unwitting contact with an undercover FBI agent since October 2014. A friend of Booker, Alexander Blair, of Topeka, pleaded guilty to storing bomb equipment for him and was sentenced to 15 months in prison in October 2016. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney) Nairobi (AFP) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was a no-show Monday at a televised debate ahead of August 8 elections, leaving his main rival Raila Odinga alone to field questions. Both candidates had initially pulled out of the final debate, but after a change in format Odinga agreed to take part and the moderators were left in suspense until the last minute over whether or not Kenyatta would show up. This gave veteran opposition politician Odinga 90 minutes to field questions about his policies, attack Kenyatta's government and defend his record during his time as prime minister in a power-sharing government after disputed 2007 polls. The solo debate comes as several pre-election polls show an extremely tight race between the historical rivals, and it was unclear if the lack of a proper presidential debate would sway voters. Kenyatta "owed the country a duty to appear, a duty to account for his five years," said Miguna Miguna, a former advisor to Odinga and independent candidate for Nairobi governor, as part of the post-debate analysis. "I think it was a mistake of monumental proportions. It was a miscalculation, a deliberate or naive misunderstanding of what the president means." Other analysts said it was an "anti-climax" and agreed it was a boost for Odinga. An official in Kenyatta's campaign team said: "We don't see value in this thing, it's a debate that will not translate to votes on August 8." Kenya held its first ever televised presidential debate in 2013, which included both Kenyatta and Odinga. Afterwards, Kenyatta complained that he had been unfairly targeted by moderators. Odinga is leading a rare coalition of opposition heavyweights, the National Super Alliance (NASA) in his fourth bid to be president. "I lost once," he said as the audience laughed, in reference to his claim that elections in 2007 and 2013 were stolen from him. Many observers agree with Odinga's view that the 2007 election was stolen from him, triggering widespread politically-motivated tribal violence which left more than 1,100 dead. The violence of 2007 looms over Kenya's politics a decade on, and Odinga has already repeatedly claimed there are plans afoot to rig the election. Another analyst on the post-debate panel said that seeing the two contenders on the same stage discussing issues could have reduced tensions ahead of the vote. South Korea's Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a ban on the filming of trials, opening the possibility of live TV coverage of the sentencing of disgraced president Park Geun-Hye and Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong. At a rare meeting of justices presided over by Chief Justice Yang Sung-Tae, the court adopted new regulations on filming of trials, effective August 1. "With the amendment, live TV coverage of lower court and appeals court sentencings will be permitted", it said. The measure will help enhance the "people's right to know", it added. Supreme Court spokesman Judge Cho Byung-Koo told AFP the move gives lower and appeal court judges a free hand in deciding whether to allow live TV coverage of verdicts and sentencings. "If the courts decide in favour of allowing live transmissions on the grounds of public interest, the decision will overrule protests from the accused", he said. "But at moments of sentencing, TV cameras will be ordered to be angled to show the judge only, not the accused", he said. Following the decision, it is widely expected that live TV coverage of Park's sentencing, expected in October, and Samsung heir Lee will be available. The decision came after a groundswell of public opinion calling for live broadcasts in key trials such as those of Park and Lee. The Supreme Court has only allowed live online streaming for its own rulings so far. Park, 65, has been on trial over a sprawling corruption scandal that saw millions take to the streets and led to her downfall. She was impeached by parliament in December after mass demonstrations demanding her removal over a scandal centred on her long-time friend Choi Soon-Sil and implicating some of the country's top businessmen. Park was detained soon after her dismissal and indicted on 18 charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering governmental favours to tycoons. On her most serious count, Park is accused of taking or seeking bribes totalling 59.2 billion won ($52 million) for Choi or herself, most of which went to non-profit foundations which Choi controlled. Story continues At Lee's trial Tuesday, prosecutors said Park and Lee secretly met unaccompanied three times -- in 2014, 2015 and last year -- and discussed bribes in return for policy favours including government support for Lee's succession to the business empire of his bed-ridden father Lee Kun-Hee. But Lee's lawyers dismissed the allegations as "groundless assumptions". Lee's verdict and sentence is expected to come late August. Washington (AFP) - Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner on Monday said he had four contacts with Russian officials but denied any collusion to help his father-in-law Donald Trump win the presidency, US media said. In a statement Kushner released hours before he was to appear before the Senate intelligence committee, he described contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and other Russian officials as normal in his former role as the campaign liaison to foreign governments, the Washington Post said. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner wrote. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," he said, according to the Post report. Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, will testify before the Senate intelligence committee on Monday, according to his lawyer, and the House panel on Tuesday. The 36-year-old billionaire investor working at his first political position was to be asked about his meetings with Russia's ambassador to Washington, the head of a major Russian bank and a Russian lawyer -- the latter along with Trump's son Donald Jr. Kushner plans to submit the 11-page statement for the record. Special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller is leading an investigation into possible collusion. The House and Senate, however, have organized separate probes. Sunday, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said he hoped the appearances would be "the last time that he has to talk about Russia." Beirut (AFP) - Lebanese movement Hezbollah said on Monday its fight against militant groups along the eastern border with war-ravaged Syria was "nearing its end", and called on fighters to surrender. Hezbollah announced a major push on Friday to clear both sides of Lebanon's border with Syria from "armed terrorists". The clashes are focused on Jurud Arsal, a mountainous area around the Lebanese border town of Arsal. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees live in the town and the surrounding Jurud Arsal area, some in camps. "The battle against (former Al-Qaeda branch) Al-Nusra Front is nearing its end," Hezbollah's War Media outlet said on Monday. "We call on all fighters left in Jurud Arsal to save themselves by laying down their arms and surrendering to guarantee their safety," it added. Details on military developments in Jurud Arsal are limited to Hezbollah's War Media channel as most local and international media have been barred from the area. Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces since 2013, announced the offensive on Friday morning. The clashes have killed at least one civilian, and Hezbollah has carried out funeral services for at least 18 of its fighters. The Lebanese army has not officially declared its participation in the offensive but has fired shells on "terrorists" in the area. On Monday, the army and the Lebanese Red Cross helped 79 women and children refugees fleeing Jurud Arsal camps into the town of Arsal, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said. Security around Arsal has long been a concern, with Lebanese security forces battling jihadists in the area in 2014. Tensions boiled over again last month, when Lebanese army raids on refugee camps near Arsal were met with a string of suicide attacks and grenades that left a young girl dead. The army subsequently made dozens of arrests but announced days later that four of the detainees had died of pre-existing medical conditions, sparking allegations of torture. Story continues On Monday, a government medical committee tasked with investigating the incident concluded the "deaths were not the result of acts of violence," but of "a variety of health problems," NNA said. Pictures of three of the bodies provided to Human Rights Watch showed extensive cuts and bruising. A doctor who viewed the pictures told HRW the injuries appeared "consistent with inflicted trauma in the setting of physical torture". Some dogs like this one prefer not to be boarded in cages. Photo: Erin Fuchs The emergence of pet-sitting apps like DogVacay.com has spurred the city of New York to enforce obscure regulations requiring home pet-sitters to get licenses to board animals. These new pet-sitting apps, which also include Rover and Wag, are part of the sharing economy, and a recent New York Times article likened their regulatory challenges to those faced by Uber and Airbnb. But New York Citys recent crackdown on home pet-sitters reflects an even broader problem in the US, according to David Schleicher, a Yale law professor and expert on regulating the sharing economy. The regulation is part of the broader problem of excessive occupational licensing, Schleicher told Yahoo Finance in an email. This problem, which affects Uber but not AirBnB (which has other legal challenges, just not this one) is a major issue in the United States. Only a limited or no measurable effect on quality More than a quarter of all workers in the US require some kind of professional licensing, the Brookings Institution has noted. These regulations serve to increase prices (by reducing supply) and on average have only a limited or no measurable effect on quality, said Schleicher, who noted that licensing rules also make it harder for workers to move from state to state. There has been growing opposition to occupational licensing requirements over the past 10-15 years by groups like the libertarian Institute for Justice, according to Tim Iglesias, a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law. The Institute for Justice, in particular, argues that licensing rules burden low-income workers and aspiring entrepreneurs. Back in 2012, the Institute for Justice examined the licensing requirements for 102 low- and moderate-income jobs like barber and massage therapist and found that on average workers had to pay $200 and complete nine months in education and training just to get their license. While licenses for some professions might be necessary, one could argue that you might not need a license to watch somebodys dog in your home. Iglesias noted that its ridiculous to require somebody to complete training to watch animals in their home unless theyre really special animals. Story continues In the end, consumers, pets and the economy could be hurt by professional licensing requirements for in-home pet sitters, according to Schleicher. He noted in his email to Yahoo Finance: Its not clear that, in this context, there is a good policy justification for all of the requirements that exist for pet setting. Further, if pet sitting is too expensive, it likely reduces the number of pets people keep (bad for animals that are not adopted) and causes other economic harm (if people cant have their pets cared for, they may not show up for work, or may abandon leisure activities like vacations). Neither animals nor customers seem to be protected by these regulations, which seem directed at protecting incumbent firms (although I am far from an expert on the details of the pet sitting industry!) Where is the appropriate line? Like Airbnb and Uber, pet-sitting apps connect consumers with people trying to make extra money DogVacay has even been dubbed Airbnb for your dog. And like Airbnb hosts or Uber drivers, many of the dog-sitters who use these apps are likely opening their homes to canine guests as a side job, noted Miriam Cherry, director of the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law. You would be really restrictive if you said nobody can watch a pet in their apartment, she said. While that sounds restrictive, regulations in New York City technically prohibit just that kind of transaction. The citys health department began investigating DogVacay when a New York state senator filed a complaint about the app. That state senator was approached by a licensed dog boarder displeased by DogVacay, according to The New York Times. Ultimately, the health department found DogVacay promoted illegal animal boarding. Meanwhile, according to The Times, the app Rover has fought regulatory disputes in California, Colorado, and New Jersey. Ultimately, Cherry says, well likely see regulations that allow reasonable pet-sitting for money. So your neighbor might be able to watch a puppy for a week but couldnt look after 28 cats all at once. This is something that people really do need to talk about and debate about where is the appropriate line, she said. A new dimension to the economy Iglesias, the University of San Francisco Law professor, agreed that cities will probably end up drafting good, reasonable regulations for in-home pet-sitting. And, he said, apps such Wag likely face less resistance than Uber, which draws the ire of taxi drivers, and Airbnb which goes up against the hotel industry. The dog-boarding industry, on the other hand, isnt as deep-pocketed or entrenched as those that Uber and Airbnb go up against. Home pet-sitting also enables dogs to stay in a house rather than a kennel. As Cherry pointed out, rescue dogs like her dachshund might be traumatized by going in a cage every time their owner goes on vacation. This seems like its actually adding a [new] dimension to the economy, said Iglesias, who believes these apps will be viewed as less disruptive than an Airbnb or Uber. Since Airbnb and Uber both face continued regulatory resistance and even bans, the entrepreneurs behind this new crop of pet-sitting apps should hope that Iglesias is right. Erin Fuchs is deputy managing editor at Yahoo Finance. Read more: FTC likely to approve Whole Foods deal even if Amazon did deceive customers Why Mark Cuban is throwing his weight behind an arcane Supreme Court case A rejected Google settlement is part of a bigger story about class actions in America Do bots have rights? Photo: Wikimedia Commons In May, when lawyers for tech goliath LinkedIn warned a tiny data-scraping operation to stop gathering information from its members profiles, they probably didnt realize they were teeing up a weighty legal conundrum over the public square characteristics of privately owned social media sites. Yet because of the crucial role that data analytics now plays in society, a squabble of seemingly traffic-ticket dimensions has drawn world-class legal talent, with Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe enlisted in the data-miners defense, while former Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Jr., has been retained by LinkedIn, which was acquired by Microsoft (MSFT) last year for $26 billion. On Thursday the people analytics startup known as hiQ Labs, which has built its whole business on data scoured from LinkedIns member profiles, will ask a federal judge in San Francisco to order its unwilling host to stop blocking its bots, citing federal and state constitutional free speech guarantees. Data analytics on public information is a foundation stone of the modern internet, wrote Tribe and two other hiQ lawyers in a brief filed last week. They depict hiQ as following in the footsteps of such seminal web pioneers as Alta Vista, Excite, and Google. Without such technologies internet users would be unable to make sense of the billions of web pages that exist in this modern marketplace of ideas, the brief continues. To allow LinkedIn to impose debilitating financial and criminal liability on a startup for accessing public pages would have a widespread chilling effect on innovation across the country, and thereby thwart valuable commercial and academic research. In response, LinkedIn portrays the case as far simpler. LinkedIn is a private entity with a right to control access to its private property and to decide how and to whom it will make information available from its servers as part of its business, argue its lawyers, Verrilli and Jonathan Blavin, both of Munger Tolles & Olson. hiQ has identified no plausible legal justification for the unprecedented relief it seeksa mandatory injunction granting hiQ access to LinkedIns computers so that hiQ can . . . threaten the privacy of LinkedIns members and the integrity of LinkedIns relationship with those members. (LinkedIn earned $975 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2017.) Story continues The modern public square Because hiQs information-gathering activity informs its communications with clients, hiQ maintains that it is entitled to free-speech protection. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, however, ordinarily protects citizens only against government attempts to limit speechnot actions by private companies, like LinkedIn. For that reason, hiQ relies mainly on the free speech provision of the California state constitution, which has been found to afford protection even in certain quasi-public forums, like privately owned shopping malls. In addition, hiQ hopes to capitalize on language from a U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down just last month, in which the justices characterized social media sitesincluding Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitteras the equivalent of the modern public square, and one of the most important places . . . for the exchange of views today. In that case, Packingham v. North Carolina, the court struck down, on First Amendment grounds, a state law that broadly banned convicted sex offenders from accessing social media sites. Based in San Francisco, hiQ was founded in 2012, has raised about $14.5 million in financing, and employs 23 people, of whom 11 have advanced degrees, it says. The company offers corporate clients data analysis of their own workforces. To do this, it analyzes data that its automated web-crawling software programs, or bots, gather from the employees public profiles on LinkedIn. One hiQ service, called Keeper, for instance, identifies which employees hiQ judges to be most irreplaceable and the greatest flight risks. Another service, called Skill Mapper, assesses talent deficiencies in the clients workforce. In its briefs, hiQ identifies eBay, Capital One, and GoDaddy as clients, and claims that Bank of New York Mellon, Chevron, and IBM are among its prospective clients. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. Photo: Stephen Lam/Getty Images While there is no dispute that hiQ uses only public profilesinformation that LinkedIn members have elected to leave open to the worldLinkedIn deploys multiple technological shields in an effort to render even that information off-limits to bots. Bots, the company argues in its briefs, pose security threats to its members (they may be being operated by identity thieves or fraudsters, for instance) and technical threats to the site (in that they could bring it down through overload, including denial-of-service attacks). While LinkedIn does permit bots from certain known search engines, like Google and Bing, it blocks about 95 million data-scraping attempts per day, according to its briefs. LinkedIn has no idea whether a bot may have good intentions, or whether it is a malicious actor, such as a hacker seeking to take down the LinkedIn site, a spammer, or an identity thief, the companys lawyers wrote in a brief filed last week. Sometime this spring, LinkedIn says, it learned that hiQs bots were somehow piercing its standard lines of defenses. hiQ claims, in contrast, that LinkedIn actually knew what it had been doing for years, but only started objecting recently, after forming a plan to launch a competing people analytics service of its own. On May 23 LinkedIns lawyers served hiQ with a cease-and-desist letter, alleging that hiQ, by circumventing its technological shields, was violating the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and a California anti-hacking statute, among other laws. Later, LinkedIn started rebuffing hiQs botssuccessfully, this timeby blocking seven internet addresses it had figured out belonged to hiQ. On June 7 hiQ sued in federal court in San Francisco, asking for a judicial declaration that its practices were lawful, and a temporary restraining order preventing LinkedIn from locking out its bots. Do bots have constitutional rights? By selectively blocking a company from access to its public profiles for anticompetitive purposes, says hiQ attorney Deepak Gupta, of Farella Braun & Martel, in an interview, LinkedIn is acting unlawfully not only as a matter of unfair competition law but also as a matter of the constitutional law of both the United States and California. In a press statement, LinkedIn says: Our members control the information that they make available to others on LinkedIn and they trust us to honor that control. HiQ is taking member data, without their knowledge, and using it for purposes our members havent agreed to. U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen will preside over Thursdays hearing. At an earlier proceeding, on June 29, he appeared torn by the issues presented. On the one hand, he expressed skepticism that the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Acta criminal statutereally barred the mere use of bots to harvest public information. You can get it manually if you hired a hundred million people to do it, he observed, but if you want to do it quickly and automatedly, you cant do it? That is a crime? At the same time, he seemed reluctant to mint a broad, new constitutional right that might prevent LinkedIn and other sites from warding off the millions of bot attacks they sustain daily. If Judge Chen doesnt grant hiQ a preliminary injunction, the startup may turn into a shutdown. HiQ attorney Gupta acknowledged at a hearing last month that, without a court order, the company was likely to go under. Though LinkedIn agreed to a standstill agreement on June 29, permitting hiQs bots to resume scouring the site until Judge Chen ruled, the outfit appears to have no Plan B. Employees are coming to work, Gupta said when LinkedIn was blocking its bots, and theres really nothing for them to do. Roger Parloff writes about law and business. More from Roger Parloff: Apples and Qualcomms fight may end up drawing blood 11 judges will soon decide the fate of a polarizing US agency Time is running short for a lawyer accused of defrauding Chevron Treasured Burgundy vineyards are at risk due to late frost Trump U alum still fighting for her day in court The Supreme Court could fundamentally change Americas broken patent system British and American girls have dangerous levels of stomach fat. (Photo: iStock) Some concerning new research has revealed that girls in Britain and the U.S., more than anywhere else in the world, carry a dangerous amount of stomach fat. The study, led by Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, revealed that more than half of girls in both countries have a stomach fat level that increases their risk of ailments like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. According to the study, which ranks countries by weight, the girls are considered overfat, meaning they carry too much body fat and that their waist measurement is more than half their height. But girls arent the only ones at risk: Nearly half of boys are also considered to be carrying too much fat, the study found, and more than eight in 10 British adults also fall into the overfat category. Collaborating with researchers in San Diego, the team previously reported in the journal Frontiers of Public Health that up to 76 percent of the worlds population may be overfat. But now the same researchers have focused their efforts on data from 30 of the top developed countries, with even more worrying findings that up to 90 percent of adult males and 50 percent of children may be considered overfat. They also found that, in the top overfat countries, 80 percent of women fall into this category. The prevalence of overfat populations in 30 of the worlds most developed countries is substantially higher than recent global estimations, with the largest growth due to a relatively recent increased number of people with excess abdominal fat, noted professor Paul Laursen, of Auckland University of Technology, who led the study. Abdominal overfat is the most unhealthy form of this condition, so it is concerning that average waist circumference measures, generally indicative of abdominal overfat, have increased. He added, Despite a leveling-off appearance of being overweight and/or obese in some developed countries, the overfat pandemic continues to grow. Story continues The U.K. has one of the highest levels of people considered overfat. (Photo: Pixabay via Pexels) Researchers said that the traditional ways of assessing weight-related issues, such as stepping on a scale or calculating body mass index (BMI) arent effective when determining whether someone is overfat. Instead, they recommend measuring your waistline at the belly button and comparing it with your height. The waist measure should be less than half your height. Regardless of BMI values, overfat individuals have excess body fat, a high degree of cardiometabolic dysregulation that can promote disease risk factors and chronic disease, increased morbidity and mortality, reduced quality of life, and pose a rising economic burden, Laursen continued. Researchers are calling for governments across the world to address the issue, stating, As an unfulfilled public health action, it is crucial to clinically identify individuals who are overfat in order to implement successful treatment and prevention strategies. Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. Blue was stabbed to death after defending his owner A man stabbed his girlfriend's dog to death with a kitchen knife because he claimed it always took her side in arguments, police say. Mike Lado, 26, faces animal cruelty charges after detectives say he stabbed Blue twice with a kitchen knife as he rowed with his partner. The two-year-old Boxer-Labrador cross barked and growled as the couple argued at their home in Lee County, Florida, according to US media reports. Moments before stabbing the dog, Mr Lado complained that the animal always sided with his girlfriend, according to an arrest report seen by local TV station Fox 4. Detectives found a trail of blood leading from the kitchen to the hallway where the dog slumped and died. Police believe he had tried to flee. Mr Lado had reportedly been drinking for several hours before returning home and getting into an argument on Wednesday. His girlfriend told police Blue calmed down before Lado reached for a knife and stabbed him. The dog bled to death in their home. Mike Lado has been charged with animal cruelty (Lee County Sheriff's Office) Mr Lado's girlfriend, who has not been named, had adopted Blue through the Gulf Coast Humane Society animal shelter. Jennifer Galloway, the shelter's chief executive, described the dog's death as "a big kick in the gut". "Dogs want to please. That's all they want to do, and all Blue was trying to do is protect his mom," she told NBC2. "He can't latch that door and get out of the situation. He's stuck in that situation." A week after his brain cancer diagnosis, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., returned to Washington to cast a crucial vote to begin debate on the GOP health care legislation. But he also vowed to vote against the bill in its current version. I voted for the motion to proceed. I will not vote for this bill as it is today, McCain said emphatically. Its a shell of a bill right now. We all know that. Tuesdays dramatic procedural vote on the controversial health care bill narrowly passed when Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote, opening the floor to debate on controversial legislation that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Only two Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, defected from party lines and voted against the motion to proceed. No Democrats voted in favor of the motion. McCain, who came back to Washington after a week recovering from a surgery to remove an aggressive brain tumor, returned to the Senate floor to a standing ovation. After Pence cast the decisive vote, the Arizona Republican took the floor, asking his colleagues to return to the old ways of the Senate. He echoed his July 17 call to return to regular order and hold hearings on the health care bill. McCain urged his colleagues to find bipartisan solutions to future legislation, lamenting the lack of legislative progress in the Senate. Were getting nothing done, McCain said. All weve really done this year is confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Sen. John McCain, recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, leaves the Senate after voting on health care legislation, July 25, 2017. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters) What have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions? he asked. McCain called on senators to stop listening to pundits, urging them instead to work for the public good. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, and television and the Internet. To hell with them! he said to applause. The 80-year-old senator also emphasized that senators are not the presidents subordinates, but instead provide an essential check on the executive branch. We are [the presidents] equal, he said. Story continues McCain said that he planned to spend a few days in Washington before going home for a while to treat his brain cancer, but promised an eventual return to the Senate. He said that he plans to manage the floor debate on the defense authorization bill during his short time in Washington. I have every intention of returning here and giving many of you cause to regret all the nice things you said about me, McCain joked, referencing the well wishes he received when news of his cancer diagnosis broke. It is an honor to serve the American people in your company, McCain concluded to a standing ovation from his colleagues. Thank you, fellow senators. Read more from Yahoo News: Sen. John McCain (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters) WASHINGTON Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will travel to the Capitol Tuesday in time to vote on the Senate health care measure, breathing some life back into the Republicans bid to repeal and replace Obamacare. Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, McCains office announced in a statement late Monday night. Earlier Monday, McCains colleagues lamented his absence, saying they hoped he could get permission from his doctors to travel to Washington despite his recent diagnosis of brain cancer. I think we can get the motion to proceed done without him, but certainly it would help if he was here, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters. Cornyn said he would happily drive McCain if the senator wasnt medically able to get on an airplane. With McCain in attendance, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnells last-ditch bid to squeeze through a repeal-and-replace plan looks more likely than it did earlier Monday, when the motion to proceed could only lose one Republican vote. Now, McConnell can lose two members of his caucus in Tuesdays vote and still proceed to debate the Houses repeal-and-replace bill. The House bill would quickly be replaced with an updated version of the Senates replace measure that has not been announced publicly and that most Republican members say they have not yet seen. Senators will also likely get to vote on an amendment to repeal Obamacare with no replacement. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she will vote against the motion to proceed. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is leaning no. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio and others remain undecided making it possible other no votes could emerge before Tuesday afternoons vote. While the path forward for McConnell is narrow, McCains surprise presence could invigorate the GOP caucus to rally around their campaign promises to repeal and replace Obamacare. McCains spokeswoman did not reply to an emailed question about how the senator would vote Tuesday, but his return alone suggests hes supporting the motion to proceed. The senators will meet Tuesday over lunch to whip last-minute votes and discuss the amendment process. Story continues McConnell and President Trump spent much of Monday turning up the pressure on members of their party. Trump said Republicans who vote against proceeding to debate are essentially saying they support the nightmare of Obamacare. McConnell, meanwhile, met with Republican senators in his office to push them to vote for the measure, where he was joined by Vice President Mike Pence. Still, its far from clear whether McConnell can get the 50 votes he needs to start debate, or if he could pass any legislation even if he can get his caucus to agree to debate. If he holds the vote and it fails, he will force some of his members to take a political risk in voting on the unpopular measure without even notching a legislative win to make up for it. Some Republican moderates, such as Portman, representing states that would see steep Medicaid cuts under the replace plan are in an especially uncomfortable position. If he holds the vote, hes probably handing at least a few of them an electoral death sentence, said political strategist Liz Mair, who has worked for Republican candidates. Either they vote no and get primaried, and if they have a non-terrible competitor, lose. Or they vote yes and get hammered in their general elections. But GOP senators said they believe it was time to put up or shut up on Obamacare repeal something theyve been promising to deliver on the campaign trail for seven years. My personal feeling is with all the time and effort we spent on this, its helpful for the members to be able to show exactly where they would have been as opposed to trying to explain that some other way, said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the GOPs leadership team. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said the vote will get people on the record as to whether they are prepared to take the next steps to repeal Obamacare. Some folks will continue to negotiate until the deadline, so at some point you have to set a deadline to vote, Rounds said. Nows the time to fish or cut bait. Holding a vote also frees up McConnell to move on to tax reform and other priorities, as the president remains hungry for a significant legislative victory after more than six months in office. Whatever happens on health care post-Labor Day, they still absolutely have to get a major tax reform package done, said Tim Phillips, president of the Americans for Prosperity conservative group. If they fail on health care, then it raises the stakes even higher on tax reform. But a failure to repeal and replace Obamacare could still haunt Republicans long after a vote. Republicans need to show that we can lead, that we can govern, said Rick Gorka, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. Theres a Republican in the White House, a Republican majority in the Senate and the House. Theres no excuse not to get this done. Read more from Yahoo News: People wait to receive care People wait to receive medical and dental care at the Remote Area Medical Clinic in Wise, Va., July 21, 2017. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Hundreds of residents line up for free health care services at the Remote Area Medical Clinic in Wise, Va., in the heart of one of the most economically distressed regions of the United States. RAMs Virginia branch offers several clinics each year to address the states unwavering problems with health care access. Thousands of local citizens rely on the no-cost clinic for all their medical needs. RAM began with one small plane in the Amazon rain forest. It has since transformed into a fleet of mobile medical clinics that deliver free, quality health care to more than 670,000 men, women and children. For more than 31 years, Remote Area Medical has traveled to impoverished and undeserved remote areas to bring together a corps of compassionate volunteers, providing $112 million worth of free health services. See upcoming mobile clinic events across the United States here. (RAM/Reuters) Photography by Joshua Roberts/Reuters See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. If youve ever dreamed of being a scientist or working for NASA, your big break is coming this August. NASA is asking ordinary people viewing the total solar eclipse on August 21 to take part in a nation-wide science experiment by recording scientific data of the event to aid in research. The eclipse offers a unique opportunity for researchers to study how the Earth, and the plants and animals that live on it, reacts to sudden environmental changes caused by the eclipse. The total eclipse will occur in 14 states across the continental United States, causing sudden night-like conditions, and researchers want to gather as much data as possible. Read: NASA Offers Safety Tips For Viewing Aug 21 Solar Eclipse The best way for NASA to gather information about the event that will span such a large portion of the country is to crowd source the data collection. To do so NASA has adapted an app, typically used to complement NASA satellite observations, to allow for citizen data collection during the eclipse. The app is called Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, and is free to download. It's part of a NASA-funded research program that helps students and citizens take part in scientific research. The app is easy to use and walks users through collecting data in a step-by-step manner. Specifically the app will ask users to collect cloud and air temperature data on the day of the eclipse. The eclipse will cross the country pretty quickly. It will take just an hour and a half for the shadow to cross from Oregon to South Carolina where it will then head across the Atlantic. During that time when the moon is directly between the sun and the Earth, the total eclipse will occur in 14 states, causing a night-like darkness to come over parts of the country for up to two minutes at a time. While only some states will get the total solar eclipse, all states will get at least a partial eclipse, said NASA. Story continues 2017 total eclipse Photo: NASA Read: Solar Eclipse 2017: Google Simulator Show What Next Total Eclipse Will Look Like Where You Are If you want to know what the eclipse will look like where youll be on the big day you can use an eclipse simulator created by Google to find out. Even if youre in an area where the total eclipse isnt visible, NASA can still use your help. No matter where you are in North America, whether its cloudy, clear or rainy, NASA wants as many people as possible to help with this citizen science project, said Deputy Coordinator, Kristen Weaver, according to NASA. The observations that are made and reported through the app will be used to create an interactive map of the eclipse. NASA is hoping that the data might help researchers determine how much cooler conditions get during the eclipse. Related Articles WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said on Monday that various options for a healthcare bill will be discussed at a policy lunch on Tuesday prior to the first procedural vote. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said he did not expect Senator John McCain, who is recuperating from surgery in his home state of Arizona, to return to Washington in time for Tuesday's healthcare vote. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Amanda Becker; Writing by Eric Beech) Monday marked the two year anniversary of the disappearance of two teenage boys in Florida after they were lost at sea. Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, both 14, have long been presumed dead but a legal fight between the two families is just beginning. Perry's family filed a wrongful death suit Friday alleging negligence on the part of Austins family. The lawsuit claimed the Stephanos family allowed the boys to go fishing alone despite knowing Perry was not allowed to do so and that the family knew they were going deep-sea fishing in inadequate conditions. Read: Florida Boys Planned To Go To Bahamas, Posted Snapchats Just Before Disappearing If he was not permitted to travel into the ocean, against his mothers explicit wishes, and despite promises she received from defendants that they would honor her wishes, Perry would be alive today, the lawsuit on behalf of Pamela Cohen stated. Florida Boys Photo: Twitter The lawsuit named Austins mother, Carly Black, his father, William Blu Stephanos, his stepfather, Richard Black Jr. and his grandfather, Richard Kuntz, as parties involved in boys disappearance. Blacks lawyer released a statement Sunday regarding the suit, according to the Sun Sentinel. July 24 marks the two year anniversary of the tragic disappearance of Austin and Perry. The last two years have been a period of grieving and sadness for Carly and her family, as well as the family of Perry. Both families are broken hearted by this loss. Carly is further saddened, (but not completely surprised, given the litigation previously initiated by the Cohen family), that they have now filed a lawsuit for money damages against Carly and her entire family, including her husband, Bubba, who was out of the country on the day the boys disappeared. Now, everyone will be forced to relive this horrible nightmare on a daily basis in order to defend this lawsuit and to prepare for trial. Story continues The Cohen family alleges that Carly, and her family members, caused the death of Perry as well as the death of Carlys own child, Austin. The evidence will contradict these allegations made by the Cohens attorney at his Friday press conference on the courthouse steps, as well as the claims made in this lawsuit. This loss was a tragedy for both families, and this course of protracted litigation chosen by the Cohen family will not bring the boys back. In spite of recent events, Carly and her family continue to honor the lives and special friendship between Perry and Austin and the extraordinary efforts of an entire community two years ago. As a result of the filing of the lawsuit, Carly and her attorneys will not be able to make any further public statements at this time and would encourage the Cohens and their attorneys to do the same. Austins father also released a statement Sunday through his attorney. Michael Pike, the attorney for Austins father Blu Stephanos, said he was disappointed and refuted the allegations made by Mr. Rubin, saying his client didnt know the boys were going out fishing on that tragic day and that his son was in the custody of his mother at the time, with whom Blu was divorced for many years. In fact, Blue was scheduled to have Austin for the weekend before tragedy struck. Blu Stephanos was not negligent in any manner, and was not the owner of the vessel. Despite Mr. Rubins comments, Blu Stephanos was out searching for the boys by boat and by helicopter, an area spanning from Florida to Georgia. Read: Parents Of Florida Boys Lost At Sea Knew About Storm And Can Be Sued, Judge Says Perrys family said in a statement they were sticking by allegations of negligence, according to the Miami Herald. Responsible parents would have checked the weather before letting the kids go out. Responsible parents would have respected the directions and trust given to them by the parents of a child in their custody. Responsible parents have nothing to hide and are fully cooperative and transparent so other grieving parents are not wondering and waiting for questions to be answered. Related Articles Paul Ryan defended special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, saying he was 'anything but' a 'biased partisan': Win McNamee / Getty Paul Ryan has said Republicans in Congress should not spend all their time defending Donald Trump, after the President accused them of failing to protect him. Mr Ryan also defended special counsel Robert Mueller who is leading the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election saying he was "anything but" biased against the Republican Party. The House Speaker made the comments after Mr Trump tweeted: "It's very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President". Kellyanne Conway on Monday launched a scathing attack on Mr Mueller, describing his legal team as a "band of Democratic donors". A number of the lawyers working alongside him on the inquiry into Russian meddling have contributed to the Democrat Party. But Mr Ryan argued Mr Mueller did not favour the Democrats. I don't think many people are saying Bob Mueller is a biased partisan. He's really, sort of, anything but, Mr Ryan told Wisconsin radio programme The Jay Weber Show. Remember, Bob Mueller is a Republican, who was appointed by a Republican, who served in the Republican administration, who crossed over and stayed on until his term ended." He added that it was important that investigations into possible Russian collusion were held independently. "The point is we have an investigation in the House, an investigation in the Senate and a special counsel, which sort of de-politicises this stuff and gets it out of the political theatre, and that is, I think, better to get this off to the side," he said. "I think the facts will vindicate themselves, and then let's just go do our jobs." When asked why Republicans were not doing more to defend the Trump campaign in the face of a barrage of allegations, he said they were not "spending all of our time on this because thats not what we were elected to do. "We were elected to solve peoples problems and focus on their issues and thats what were focused on. MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he would build a military over the next two years that could fight on all fronts by recruiting 35,000-40,000 new soldiers, and buying planes and drones to tackle communist and Islamist rebels. Duterte said security threats had increased in the Philippines and the military needed more troops and more modern equipment to meet those challenges. "Today's demand necessitates an army that is strong," he told reporters. "I will build an armed forces that can fight all fronts everywhere." He said he was prepared to "wait it out" before retaking Marawi City from Islamic State-inspired rebels holed up there for two months, because protecting civilians and hostages in the conflict zone was of paramount importance. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Martin Petty; Editing by Nick Macfie) By Enrico Dela Cruz MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he wanted to stop exporting mineral resources and might close the mining sector completely and tax miners "to death" if damage to the environment persisted. "The protection of the environment must be made a priority ahead of mining and all other activities that adversely affect one way or another," Duterte said in his State of the Nation address, his second since assuming power in June last year. "This policy is non-negotiable." The Philippines is the world's biggest supplier of nickel ore and also among the top producers of copper and gold. However, the sector contributes less than 1 percent to the country's economy, based on data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The country's miners have been under fire by Duterte's government for alleged violations that include building mines in prohibited areas like watersheds. Duterte said miners have "considerably neglected" their duty to protect the environment and to repair damage done by mining. "You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death," he said. Duterte also said he wanted all mineral resources extracted from the country to be processed domestically before being exported. "I call on our industrialists, investors, commercial barons to put up factories and manufacturing establishments right here in the Philippines to process our raw materials into finished products," he said. Previous governments in the Philippines called for more domestic processing of raw minerals but the country's Congress has not enacted appropriate laws. The Philippines became the world's top nickel ore exporter after Indonesia banned exports of unprocessed ore in 2014, a move meant to spur the development of higher value smelting industries. The country has four mineral processing plants, two for gold and two for nickel. But most of its metallic mineral output is shipped abroad unprocessed. "If possible, we shall put a stop to the extraction and exportation of our mineral resources...for processing abroad and importing them back to the Philippines in the form of consumer goods at prices twice or thrice the value of the raw materials," Duterte said. To encourage smelting investments, the government needs to provide incentives to investors and subsidize power costs, which are high in the Philippines, mining industry executives have said. Duterte's first appointment as Environment Minister, Regina Lopez, was dismissed in May by the Philippine Congress but she led a 10-month crackdown on the industry, highlighted by the closure and suspension of 26 of the country's 41 mines. She also imposed a ban on open-pit mining and demanded a bigger government share in mining revenues, but her orders are now under review, according to a senior official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) A new complaint filed with the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control alleges that California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and his staff director, Paul Behrends, violated the Magnitsky Act when they tried to get Russia's deputy general prosecutor, Victor Grin, removed from the US sanctions list last year. The complaint was filed by US financier Bill Browder, the founder of Hermitage Capital Management, who spearheaded the Magnitsky Act in 2012 to punish Russian officials suspected of being involved in the death of his account, Sergey Magnitsky. Magnitsky uncovered a $230 million tax fraud scheme in 2008 when he was working for Hermitage that implicated high-level Kremlin officials and allies of President Vladimir Putin. He was later thrown in jail by the same Interior Ministry officers he testified against during criminal proceedings to punish those involved in the tax scheme, Browder said in 2015, and died in custody after being held for 358 days. Browder's complaint rests largely on a Daily Beast report published last week alleging that Rohrabacher, a staunch defender of Russia and Putin, met with officials from the prosecutor general's office in Moscow in April 2016. The report said he accepted a "confidential" document that Rohrabacher then used to try to undermine the Magnitsky Act on Capitol Hill. "Changing attitudes to the Magnitsky story in the Congress ... could have a very favorable response from the Russian side," the document said, according to the Daily Beast. Upon returning to Washington, DC, Rohrabacher tried to organize a show-trial of Browder in front of Congress that would have included a screening of an anti-Magnitsky Act film that attacked Browder, The Daily Beast reported. The hearing was ultimately canceled when Republican Party leaders intervened, and the film was shown at the Newseum instead of on Capitol Hill. The complaint Browder filed on July 21 alleges that Rohrabacher "made personal introductions for lobbyists advocating the Russian government's and Grin's position against the Magnitsky Act." Those people, according to the complaint, include Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Russian-American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin both of whom attended a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower last June to discuss a possible repeal of the Magnitsky Act. Story continues "These actions constitute services provided to a SDN [specially designated national] by US persons in apparent violation of the Magnitsky Act sanctions which expressly forbid US persons to provide such services," the complaint says of Rohrabacher's activities last summer. Browder, who filed the complaint, told Business Insider that he would be "surprised" if the Treasury did not take it seriously. "The violations are brazen and when you get into sanctions offenses, politics disappear almost completely," he said. Rohrabacher's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NOW WATCH: 'You're inflaming everybody!': Watch reporters clash with Sanders over press coverage See Also: SEE ALSO: It looks like Putin fed Trump a new theory about Russian hackers Yahoo TV had the pleasure of welcoming Psych: The Movie stars James Roday and Dule Hill to our suite at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 and chatted with them about their highly anticipated return to USA. While Psych might have ended its eight-season run back in 2014, fans of the show have remained invested in Shawn Spencer (Roday), Burton Gus Guster (Hill), and the rest of the gang. Roday and Hill chatted with us about their two-hour holiday movie, and it would seem that Psychos (an endearing term for diehard fans of the show) will have a lot to look forward to. The Engine that Drives Psych: The Movie The last episode of Psych ended with our friends being split up. Shawn and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) got engaged and were set to start a new chapter with Gus and Vick (Kirsten Nelson) in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Henry (Corbin Bernsen), Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), and Woody (Kurt Fuller) were still sticking around in Santa Barbara. We needed something that brought everyone back together, said Roday, who co-wrote the movie with original series creator Steve Franks. Weve got a couple of characters in Santa Barbara and characters in San Francisco, so it was sort of about geography and trying to find a commonality that we could use to get the whole band back together. Without giving you any spoilers, that was the engine behind creating the case. I think there was a lot of goodwill from USA when we ended the show that maybe this wasnt going to be the last time we saw us. But you never know. We have the greatest fans ever but there was no guarantee that they would still care this much after three or four years. [USA President] Chris McCumber had said when the show finished its eight seasons, [he was] pretty sure this isnt the last time we [would] hear from Shawn and Gus, added Hill. So I think that when Psychos read that they held onto that. Turns out he was talking about his nephews Shawn and Gus, but we didnt know that at the time, joked Roday. It felt nice. It felt warm. Story continues Casting Zachary Levi as the Movies Antagonist, the Thin White Duke Many a Psych fan were delighted when it was reported last June that Zachary Levi would be joining the cast of the holiday movie as the Thin White Duke, a ruthless, mysterious, and dashing evildoer of the highest order. Zach is an old friend of both of ours, said Roday. Theres been a movement to get him on Psych for years. The schedule never quite worked out and this time it did. I think its definitely for the best, it was the best role we could have possibly used him for. Easter Eggs, Songs, and Suck Its Of course, while the movie will be different from the series, it wont be a tremendous departure from what fans loved. Weve got some Easter eggs for our Psychos, Roday reassured us. We wouldnt dare not give them a couple of treats. The same goes for the vocal stylings of Shawn and Gus. I dont know if theres holiday-themed singing, but theres some singing, said Roday. There are some songs that are sang, added Hill. And will be sung. Of course, no hard-hitting interview like this would be complete without asking the tough questions. We had to know how many suck its will we hear in the movie. Thats a tricky question, said Hill. I would say at least seven. I know what youre thinking and theres one that gives you a nice, healthy dose of it, added Roday. And then theres probably a couple of stragglers. You definitely need two hands to count them. One of the sweetest moments from Comic-Con was when Shannon Purser (Barb from Stranger Things) teared up after receiving a message from the stars of Psych: Psych: The Movie will premiere on USA this December. Read more from Yahoo TVs coverage of San Diego Comic-Con: A number of Republican lawmakers defended Attorney General Jeff Sessions after President Trumps latest criticism. Trump has said he is upset that Sessions recused himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in the election, a move which helped lead to the appointment of a special counsel. On Tuesday morning, he also criticized Sessions for not launching investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 In a statement, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called the tweet highly inappropriate and defended Sessions, who previously served with him in the U.S. Senate. On occasion, Ive vigorously disagreed with Jeff but Ive never once doubted his integrity or sense of fair play, Graham said. President Trumps tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis also defended Sessions integrity. While some may argue that he should not have recused himself from the Russia investigation, Attorney General Sessions demonstrated good judgement by doing so and removed all appearances of a potential conflict, Tillis said in a statement. The Attorney Generals recusal was ultimately made in the best interests of the Department of Justice and the country. My statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions: https://t.co/Vvpb1Z6jR1 pic.twitter.com/rsqMmacREh Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) July 25, 2017 Also supporting Sessions was Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who tweeted that Trumps behavior was beneath that of any held office. Story continues Mr. President, maybe just try a meeting? Kinzinger tweeted, quoting Trumps tweet. This is beneath the office of any held office from city councilman to POTUS. Mr. President, maybe just try a meeting? This is beneath the office - of any held office - from city councilman to POTUS. https://t.co/5u7E2n0m6G Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) July 25, 2017 Ohio Sen. Rob Portman also lent his support to Sessions. Jeff Sessions is a friend, former colleague, and an honorable person, Portman said in a statement. He is a man of deep conviction and principle who believes in the rule of law. We may not agree on every policy issue, but I believe he always has the best interests of our country at heart. House Speaker Paul Ryan, meantime, told reporters on Tuesday that Trump has the prerogative to fire Sessions. If he has any concerns or questions or problems with the Attorney General, Im sure hell bring it up with him himself, Ryan said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives at the Capitol to join Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis in briefing House members on the situation with ISIS: Mark Wilson/Getty Images Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is considering resigning his position amid a rash of staffing changes at the White House, reports have claimed. Sources familiar with Mr Tillerson's conversations tell CNN the Secretary of State has grown increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration, and may be pondering an exit strategy. The sources say Mr Tillerson was especially troubled by President Donald Trumps recent New York Times interview, in which he lamented hiring Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr Tillerson reportedly saw the comments in which Mr Trump called Mr Sessions unfair for recusing himself from the Justice Department's Russia probe as unprofessional. While the sources caution that Mr Tillerson may have just been venting after a tough week, they also say it seems increasingly unlikely that he will finish out the year as planned. Mr Trump and his Secretary of State have clashed on several key issues, such as Mr Trumps insistence on pulling out of the Paris climate accord. Mr Tillerson said in his Senate confirmation hearing that he supported staying in the agreement, while Mr Trump campaigned on getting the US out. The Secretary of State has also made it a point to assure other Nato countries that the US remains committed to Article Five, the alliance's promise of mutual protection. Sources told Politico Mr Tillerson was shocked when the President failed to mention the article in his speech at the new Nato headquarters. The two mens differences played out publicly last month, after several Gulf countries chose to cut ties with the nation of Qatar. Mr Tillerson urged cooperation between the countries; Mr Trump, meanwhile, praised the blockade, accusing Qatar of fund[ing] terrorism at a very high level. Mr Tillerson at the time was reportedly frustrated with the influence of Mr Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on foreign policy both Qatari and otherwise. One close associate told the American Conservative the diplomat was exhausted. Story continues He cant get any of his appointments approved and is running around the world cleaning up after a president whose primary foreign policy adviser is a 36-year-old amateur, the source said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at a press conference in Doha on 11 July, 2017 (AFP/Getty) The issue of personnel appointments has been a thorn in Mr Tillersons side ever since the President rejected his choice of Elliott Abrams as his second in command. Mr Trump reportedly vetoed the pick because Mr Abrams had been critical of him in the past. Mr Tillersons frustration with the slow pace of nominations reportedly boiled over last month, when the diplomat erupted at Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing his proposed nominees. The outburst was apparently so intense that it prompted Mr Kushner, a witness to the event, to deem Mr Tillersons conduct unprofessional. Drain the Swamp should be changed to Drain the Sewer - it's actually much worse than anyone ever thought, and it begins with the Fake News! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017 The news of Mr Tillersons latest complaints comes amid a tumultuous week in White House staffing. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stepped down on Friday, after Mr Trump appointed Anthony Scaramucci to run his communications team a move the majority of his advisers cautioned against. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is also reportedly on rocky footing with the President, and Mr Trumps comments to the New York Times indicate that hes having doubts about Mr Sessions as well. Drain the Swamp should be changed to Drain the Sewer, the President tweeted ominously on Monday, it's actually much worse than anyone ever thought. Richard Dawkins has denied he has used abusive speech against Islam - Jay Williams Richard Dawkinswants "a public apology" from a California radio station that cancelled an event with the scientist because of his abusive speech against Islam. The influential academic and writer was scheduled to speak about his memoir A Brief Candle in the Dark at an event organised by Berkeleys KPFA Radio next month. But KPFA has now cancelled the talk, citing his "hurtful speech" against Islam. We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science, when we didnt know he had offended and hurt in his tweets and other comments on Islam so many people," KPFA wrote in an email to ticket buyers. KPFA exercises its free speech right not to participate with anyone who uses hateful language against a community already under attack. https://t.co/nTC1LYQKiG KPFA Radio (@kpfa) July 21, 2017 "KPFA does not endorse hurtful speech. While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. We apologise for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkinss views much earlier. We also apologise to all those inconvenienced by this cancellation. Residents had reportedly highlighted statements made by the evolutionary biologist and confirmed atheist, including a 2013 tweet saying "Islam is the greatest force for evil in the world today". @ToddKincannon I think Islam is the greatest force for evil in the world today. I've said so, often and loudly.What are you talking about? Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) March 1, 2013 Professor Dawkins responded to the radio station in an open letter published on his website, saying he had lived in Berkeley for two years and had appreciated KPFA's "objective reporting and humane commentary". Story continues "It was therefore a matter of personal sorrow to me to receive this morning your truly astonishing 'justification' for de-platforming me," he wrote. You conspicuously did not quote a source when accusing me of abusive speech. Why didnt you check your facts or at least have the common courtesy to alert me before summarily cancelling my event? This is so stupid. Oh and by the way, my entire family is Muslim. Oh and Muslims aren't weak little children. They can hear other views. Fouad (@fouadalnoor) July 22, 2017 Professor Dawkins said that he had never used abusive speech against Islam, explaining that while he had previously called Islamism vile, Islamism is not the same as Islam. I have criticised the appalling misogyny and homophobia of Islam, I have criticised the murdering of apostates for no crime other than their disbelief. Far from attacking Muslims, I understand as perhaps you do not that Muslims themselves are the prime victims of the oppressive cruelties of Islamism, especially Muslim women, the author wrote. Urging the radio station to find examples of the abusive speech, he added: "When you fail to discover any, I presume you will issue a public apology." Professor Dawkins' bestselling book about the study of evolution, The Selfish Gene, was named the most influential science book of all time last week by the Royal Society. Berkeley, historically known as the home of the Free Speech moment in the 1960s, has hit the headlines in recent months over the cancellations of other controversial speakers. An event for alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos was cancelled in February by the University of California after clashes involving far-left protesters, as was a speech by conservative pundit Ann Coulter. Samsung may be trying to replace its popular Coral Blue color option on the Galaxy Note 8. Tech informant Roland Quandt recently tweeted that the upcoming smartphone may be available in a Deep Blue color option, in addition to Black and Orchid Grey. Samsung announced Thursday that it will host an Unpacked event Aug. 23 in New York City, where the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to be unveiled. So far, many features for the device have all be been confirmed; however, there hasnt been that much talk about color options. Reports have suggested that consumers can expect the Galaxy Note 8 to be available in many color options that are already known, such as Black, Coral Blue, and Orchid Grey. Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date Confirmed; Aug. 23 Unpacked Event Invites Sent But Samsung has been known to introduce at least one new color option for several Galaxy S and Galaxy Note release cycles. The manufacturer introduced the Orchid Grey color option on the Galaxy S8. The shade has a light-purple hue. The Galaxy Note 7 introduced the Coral Blue color option, which was so well liked, it was transferred to the Galaxy S7 Edge after the Note 7 was discontinued. The Galaxy S8 was also launched with the shiny light blue color option and it recently became available in the U.S. Samsung also often releases new color options after a device has been on the market for several months. The manufacturer released a Rose Pink Galaxy S8 in Taiwan in June. Among many Galaxy Note 8 leaks, there have been none featuring new color options. All leaked hardware have depicted black handsets or components. Samsung has not spoken on color option details for the Galaxy Note 8. However, with now less than one month before the device is expected to be unveiled, more details may surface through leaks. Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date Returns To Old Strategy; Confirmed By CEO? Story continues The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to feature a 6.3-inch dual-edge curved display, up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage and a dual-camera set up among its highlight features. Though early rumors suggested the device might introduce an in-screen fingerprint scanner, new reports indicate Samsung may use a rear-facing capacitive sensor, similar to the one seen on the Galaxy S8. After its likely August announcement, the Galaxy Note 8 may release to the market between September and October, depending on the market. Related Articles The Bermuda Triangle has long been viewed as a place in which pilots and ships go missing under mysterious, even suspicious, circumstances. An Australian scientist has recently come out to say that there is nothing mysterious about these planes going missing after all. Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki told news.com.au that the number of planes that have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis. RELATED: Prince Harry visits children in the Caribbean "It is close to the equator, near a wealthy part of the world, America, therefore you have a lot of traffic," Kruszelnicki said. The Bermuda Triangle is one of the most heavily traveled shipping areas in the world, with vessels heading to America, Europe and the Caribbean. Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki believes that human error is responsible for people going missing in the Bermuda Triangle and doesn't subscribe to theories that aliens or other unfounded theories are involved in the disappearances. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas (Photos: J. Scott Applewhite/AP, Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) A hot mic captured a colorful conversation between Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., in which the two discuss the fighting prowess and physical attractiveness of Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas. After a meeting of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies ended, the audio continued streaming. The subcommittees website broadcast the exchange between Collins, the subcommittee chair, and Reed, the ranking member. Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel? Collins said amusedly, referring to tough talk from Farenthold the day before. I know, Reed replied. Trust me. You know why he challenged you to a duel? Because you could beat the s*** out of him. Both laughed before Collins set her sights on Farentholds appearance: Hes huge I dont mean to be unkind. Hes so unattractive, its unbelievable. I know, Reed agreed. Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this bunny, Playboy bunny? Collins asked, a reference to an infamous photo of Farenthold, clad in a duck-print onesie, sidled up to a woman dressed in lingerie. This is the photo Sen. Susan Collins was referring to when she commented on Rep. Blake Farenthold wearing pajamas in 2010. pic.twitter.com/jZYCPC4FYW Beatrice-Elizabeth (@MissBeaE) July 25, 2017 Shortly after Collins comments began to circulate Tuesday, the archival audio of the meeting was edited to exclude the back-and-forth. A spokeswoman for Farenthold declined to comment on the exchange, but Collins later said the Texas lawmaker had apologized to her personally for a quip about challenging her to a duel. Neither weapons nor inappropriate words are the right way to resolve legislative disputes, Collins said in a statement. I received a handwritten apology from Rep. Farenthold late this morning. I accept his apology, and I offer him mine. Story continues A spokesman for Reed said the senator was just letting Sen. Collins know hes in her corner. In an interview Monday, Farenthold had blamed some female senators from the Northeast for the rocky legislative efforts to overhaul health care. Three Republican women Collins and Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Lisa Murkoswki, R-Alaska said they would oppose a so-called clean Obamacare repeal, under which lawmakers would have two years to figure out replacing the health care policy. Farenthold went on to reference the 1804 duel in which Vice President Aaron Burr killed founding Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Some of the people that are opposed to this there are some female senators from the Northeast if it was a guy from South Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style, Farenthold said. He later defended the eyebrow-raising comment, describing it as clearly tongue-in-cheek. In response to Farenthold, Collins joked to reporters, As far as I know, dueling is illegal in every state. Collins opposes bringing the current Republican health care bill to the floor. Senate Republican leadership can lose only one more GOP lawmaker in the high-stakes procedural vote set to take place later Tuesday. Read more from Yahoo News: WASHINGTON Over the sound of protesters crying kill the bill, 50 Republican senators cast their votes to begin debate to repeal Obamacare on a razor-thin margin Tuesday afternoon. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer cast the 49th yes vote after making a dramatic entrance back to the Capitol, greeted by applause from his colleagues. Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to begin the debate. No Democrats backed the measure. Though the motion to proceed is a victory for Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, McCain gave a speech directly afterward the vote that threw cold water on the chances that Senate Republicans would emerge in the next few days with a bill that overhauls the nations health care system. I will not vote for the bill as it is today, McCain said. Its a shell of a bill right now; we all know that. He urged McConnell to return to the old ways of the Senate letting senators craft a replacement bill in the regular, bipartisan committee system instead of entirely behind closed doors. McConnell managed to flip a handful of holdout senators who expressed deep skepticism about the procedural vote and who nearly killed the repeal-and-replace debate altogether two weeks ago. Of about eight of those senators, only Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against starting debate Tuesday. The rest of the caucus fell into line, including Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who is up for reelection next year in a state Hillary Clinton won in 2016. But now McConnell faces the daunting task of getting 50 of his members to agree on an actual bill a project hes had trouble with so far. The senators will hold votes on a clean repeal of Obamacare that would begin in two years, as well as an updated version of repeal-and-replace that has not been released publicly. They also may vote on a skinny version of repeal that would solely abolish one of the Obamacare taxes and the individual and employer mandates without making any larger fixes to the law, according to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Story continues Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., returns to the U.S. Senate accompanied by his wife, Cindy, on July 25, 2017, in Washington. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that versions of these plans would cause huge increases in the number of Americans without health insurance, which is one reason the GOPs repeal effort has been unpopular thus far. Its wide open for amendment; different people have different ideas about what form it should take, McConnell told reporters Tuesday. Its unclear if McConnell will be able to win over 50 senators to back any one of these plans. The Senates moderates have sounded skeptical of a repeal-only plan, while conservatives and moderates still have objections to the repeal-and-replace measure. Crucially, the Senate parliamentarian has ruled that several provisions of the Senates repeal and replace draft would take 60 votes to pass, meaning that bill is effectively dead. Obviously we have our work cut out for us, said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., a member of the leadership team. We cleared the first hurdle, but theres obviously a lot of work to be done. During a joint appearance in the Rose Garden with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Trump called the vote a big win and predicted it was the beginning of the end of Obamacare. In an earlier interview, Trump acknowledged the difficulty McConnell faced going forward. Its a very, very difficult situation, President Trump told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, because you move a little to the left, and you lose four guys. You move a little bit to the right, and all of a sudden you have a bloc of people who are gone. You have a one-inch road and it wheels through the middle of the valley. The Senate will have up to 20 hours to debate and vote on these measures, and then an open amendment process, called a vote-a-rama, will likely begin Thursday. A vote on the final package could come as soon as Thursday night, according to Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Yahoo News reporter Andrew Bahl contributed to this report. Tuesday on Discoverys Shark Week is all about sharks and the city: At 9 p.m., Sharks and the City: Los Angeles sets out to uncover why a record number of great whites are being sighted in Southern California, while Sharks and the City: New York (10 p.m.), narrated by Chris Noth, explores the reasons the New York Bight could one day become a new great white hot spot. Heres a preview. Sharks and the City: Los Angeles For 30 years, Chris Lowe, director of the CSULB Shark Lab Right, has lived and worked in California. He never thought hed see the day when hed be able to go out and tag baby white sharks in his front yard. But he knows the increased numbers that have been amazing for him have also been startling to the public. Sharing the information his team is learning, he hopes, will help change perspectives. I think its a good thing, he says, and people always look at you odd when you say that. This is something that I dont think many people expected because we hear bad news all the time about the environment, overfishing, and things like that. Theyre not used to somebody coming and saying, Guess what. These things are coming back. So I think thats an important part for people to see that conservation can work. Its also important, he believes, for people to see how the science is done and why answers take time. In this hour, the investigation leads him to Guadalupe, Mexico, where a growing seal population is bringing in more great whites. Theyre seeing more and more juveniles than theyve ever seen before, and thats an interesting part of the puzzle. Historically, they only have seen big animals out there, thats typically what you see at these aggregation sites. And when smaller animals start showing up, things are getting a little crowded, Lowe says. Its kind of like going to a barbecue and having it open and seeing who shows up. You start to see people competing for ribs that may be coming out. You see how sharks react around each other in that case. The reality of it is thats kind of a dangerous place for those younger animals to be, because if you get in some big white sharks way, theres a good chance youre going to get scolded. And a scolding from a big white shark could really be the end. Story continues As you see in the video above, the team observed how larger, older sharks intimidate the smaller, younger ones with parallel swimming (after sizing one another up, the smaller shark gives way) and gaping (the larger shark repeatedly opens and closes its mouth as a warning). Its Lowes hypothesis that the smaller sharks that cant compete for food at Guadalupe are the ones heading up to L.A. Those 9- and 10-foot size sharks are the ones that they see occasionally out at Guadalupe, and theyre the ones being pushed out. Everybodys gonna defend their plate full of ribs, and they dont want these youngsters coming in and trying to steal their food. So those youngsters have to find new places to hunt, and Southern California may be the best place because our marine mammal populations, especially on the offshore islands, have just shot up, Lowe says. So if I was a white shark and I was looking for a new barbecue place, Southern California would be it for me. While he still needs to tag sharks around the Channel Islands to help confirm his theory, he wants to reiterate this message: Just because there are more sharks, that doesnt mean people are at greater risk. What it does remind us is that its their home. Weve spent a lot of time and money bringing them back. We pretty much got rid of all the big predators 50 years ago. And were now just starting to get used to how to act around them, whether it be seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, or sharks, it doesnt matter theyre all wild animals. They can all be potentially dangerous. But we have to recognize that were kind of guests in their home, and we have to learn how to behave that way. His best advice: The safest place to be is at the most popular beach. The reason why I say that is because its rare for people to be bitten at really popular beaches. My best guess is that sharks avoid those places. People are loud or smelly; we chase away all their favorite food, he says. If youre not at a popular beach, the next safest thing to do is stay in a group. Surfers that are bitten are most often by themselves, and if youre in a small group, that reduces your chances. It youre an ocean swimmer, swim in a group, swim with friends. Statistically, thats what the numbers are telling us. Sharks and the City: New York Youve never seen anyone more excited on Shark Week than marine biologist Craig OConnell when his camera traps capture footage of a great white taking bait off Montauk, Long Island. The goal was just to see a white shark, but I knew from doing about five years of research prior to that, that seeing a white shark was a very tough task. I caught one white shark over the span of five years, and so I knew that having to do it while a camera was there would be near impossible, he says. The way it works is you look at all the footage at the end of the day. We saw that silhouette of a white shark, and we just lost our mind because of the amount of work that we put in just to get that moment. It was part of something much bigger. To me, that is what the exciting part was we proved at last that theyre there, and that theyre there quite frequently. The next step is to continue doing the work and find out why theyre here, what theyre feeding on. We need to learn as much about these animals as possible so we can continue to protect them. Sharks seem to have a New York state of mind. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/fCMFgmlCUd Discovery (@Discovery) July 25, 2017 Its another conservation success story: the water of the New York Bight, which runs from Montauk to Cape May, N.J., is cleaner, which leads to the presence of more prey, like seals, which have been protected since the 70s. Ive actually lived in New York my whole life, and Ive never seen a seal until we were filming this episode and we go to this one site and see 20 of them just hanging out. Thats a direct correlation with the fact that were protecting these animals, OConnell says. He looks at whats happening in Cape Cod, where a colony of 20,000 seals has brought big white sharks into the area, or in Cape Town, South Africa, which has a famous population of 60,000 around Dyer Island. Ive spoke to a lot of seal researchers whove said that its quite possible that some of the seals can start residing in New York waters over the summer, he says. If thats the case, we could potentially see some of the larger white sharks here too, because thats what these large white sharks are feeding on. New York isnt quite at the point where South Africa is at, but it could be one day if we continue to do all the right things. For now, its white pups that are frequenting the waters. OConnell identified nine in Montauk, catching one and bringing it on board to tag it (another enthusiastic sequence). What he learned: these young whites are swimming down to Coney Island. Thats the thing that I think is very intriguing about the whole episode, is that we reveal where these animals are going. Theyre going to places where theres a lot of people going into the water every day, and theyre not bothering the people, he says. Its important that people recognize that if they did go in the water in Montauk, or Coney Island, or Jones Beach, theyve most likely already been in the water with these animals. And the fact that they came out unscathed should be a direct indication to them that were not on these sharks menu. We need to respect the fact that its the sharks environment and the fact that the sharks are there is a sign that the environment is getting healthier. So its a very good thing. If you get to see one, embrace the sighting. You should feel privileged that you got to see it. Be happy and consider yourself lucky. Shark Week continues through July 30 on Discovery. Read more from Yahoo TV: With Adam Rawnsley Facts, secrets, and Tweets. President Donald Trump appears to have declassified a CIA operation to arm Syrian rebels during a furious round of Tweets attacking the Washington Post on Monday night. The president, who previously disclosed classified information to Russian government officials in the Oval Office, (and in another slip-up confirmed the leak himself), complained, without offering evidence, that a recent Post story about the program fabricated the facts. The story which broke last week is here. What he paper supposedly got wrong is unclear, since the president himself confirmed that the basic facts were correct. And Politicos Hadas Gold found the exact Fox News segment that set the president off. Jeff Sessions no good, rotten week. Trump continued his campaign against his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday morning, writing that Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Remarkably, Trump also attacked the acting head of the FBI Andrew McCabe: Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! McCabes wife, Dr. Jill McCabe, actually received funding from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe for her Senate run. Just to remind everyone, Trump beat Clinton over eight months ago in the general election. Afghan grind fragmenting Trumps cabinet. Theres little good news coming out of Afghanistan these days, and in Washington, the wheels keep turning on the long-awaited Trump strategy. But two national security officials told Politicos Susan Glasser that a recent National Security Council Principals Committee meeting about Afghanistan descended into a shitshow of disagreements and complaints. So far, president Trump has refused to sign off on any plan that national security advisor, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has given him. The Daily Beast adds that presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner is deliberately not taking a hard position on troop levels and potential escalation, according to officials, preferring instead to watch the mood of the president, which has shifted closer to heavier skepticism regarding deeper military involvement in a conflict that the president often now views as potentially yielding no tangible win for his presidency. Story continues Burn out. Frustration is mounting among leading foreign policy officials in President Donald Trumps administration as they chafe at some policy and bureaucratic defeats and complain they lack independence to do their jobs, White House officials tell Reuters. The clash between internationalists urging the traditional U.S. leadership role in the world and advocates of an America First approach has worn down foreign policy and intelligence professionals inside the government, according to the officials. Tillerson tries again. After losing his fight with the White House over his first choice to become the top U.S. diplomat to Asia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is considering a new candidate with a history in business but little diplomatic experience, BuzzFeeds John Hudson reports. Olin Wethington, a former Treasury Department official and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, is now a contender for the nomination of assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, four individuals familiar with the matter said. An official warned however, that three other candidates are still in the mix. Tillerson originally wanted to give the job to Susan Thornton, a veteran diplomat who speaks Mandarin Chinese, but the White House vetoed the move, infuriating Tillerson. Big guns. Defense News dropped its annual list of Top 100 defense companies. And guess what? Lockheed Martin is, as usual, on top. DNs Aaron Mehta writes that defense revenues for the top defense companies in the world increased in 2016, ending a five-year slide and signaling that the era of defense austerity may officially be at an end. The total 2016 revenues for those companies came in at $364.8 billion, an increase of 3.6 percent over 2015. But! The top 25 companies accounted for 74 percent of total defense revenues in the year, and the top 10 firms accounted for 54 percent of total defense revenues in the year, identical figures to the 2015 list. Buzzed. A U.S. Navy EP-3 surveillance plane had to take evasive action to escape a mid-air collision after getting buzzed by a Chinese fighter jet off Chinas eastern coast, the Washington Post reports. The Pentagon says that the incident isnt typical of U.S.-Chinese interactions but its one of a handful of close-calls between American and Chinese aviators in recent months. China fired back at Washington o Tuesday, with a spokesman saying the pilots of the two J-10 fighters acted in a way that was legal, necessary and professional. The sweep. A federal judge in Michigan on Monday stopped the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals detained during immigration sweeps across the United States last month. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith granted a preliminary injunction requested by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued the immigrants would face persecution in Iraq because they are considered ethnic and religious minorities there. Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley. Brace for impact. No one knows how the standoff between the U.S. and North Korea over the latters nuclear program is going to shake out, but China isnt taking any chances, beefing up its military and surveillance assets along the border with the North. In addition to fortifying its border areas to prevent a spillover from any conflict on the Korean Peninsula, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Chinese military is also building the capability to seize North Korean nuclear sites and create a buffer zone in the north of the country. From Russia with love. Videos obtained by CNN show Taliban insurgents packing the latest and greatest Russian small arms, in a sign that Moscow may be providing arms to the group. The weapons in question Russian sniper rifles, machine guns, and assault rifles have been stripped of identifying markings but insurgents in the video say that Russia has provided them with the arms via Iran. Waste. Defense Secretary James Mattis blasted the Pentagon for its decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an effective and wasteful manner in Afghanistan in a memo sent out to employees. Mattiss missive was triggered by a Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction report finding that the Defense Department wasted $28 million on unsuitable uniforms for Afghan troops. Mattis wrote that he expects all DoD organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices. Wrong button. The Missile Defense Agency says a sailor who pressed the wrong button is responsible for the failure of an SM-3 missile to hit its target during a missile defense test. Defense News reports that the sailor mistakenly coded the target as a friendly asset, leading the SM-3 to miss. Ukraine. The State Departments special envoy for Ukraine tells the BBC that the U.S. could provide Kiev with weapons but says arms transfers arent yet a guarantee. Defensive weapons, ones that would allow Ukraine to defend itself, and to take out tanks for example, would actually help, Ambassador Kurt Volker said. The Obama administration stopped short of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine and its unclear whether the Trump administration, keen for a reset with Russia, would overturn that policy. Trouble in the alliance. The growing feud between Turkey and Germany is threatening to undermine NATOs anti-Islamic State fight, leading officials from the alliance to try and mediate. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been quietly playing peacemaker, facilitating an agreement that would allow members of Germanys parliament to visit German troops at Incirlik Air Base after Turkey had prevented them from traveling. Foreign fighters. Federal prosecutors in Germany are investigating a 16 year-old girl who fled to Syria to join the Islamic State and ended up getting arrested by Iraqi forces in Mosul after its liberation. Linda Wenzel, 16, was found with a gunshot wound in her thigh and told reporters that she wanted to go home. Wenzel was arrested by Iraqi forces along with another German woman. Switcheroo. If youre looking for Islamic State propaganda videos on YouTube, the social media site will instead show you results for videos about the cost of terrorist violence and religious figures explaining the ills of jihadist groups. The move is part of a plan by Google to redirect would-be terrorist recruits away from extremist content as terrorist groups try to leverage the reach of social media to host their content. Syria. Russia has sent military police to patrol buffer zones in Syria as part its negotiated settlement with Turkey, Iran, and the Assad regime. Russian forces have set up checkpoints near the rebel enclave of East Ghouta in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, eight miles from the border with Israel. Libya. A video posted to social media purportedly shows troops loyal to eastern Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar carrying out summary executions of 18 suspected Islamic State members, dressing them in orange jumpsuits and shooting them en masse in a twist on an infamous execution videos made by the terrorist group. Haftar lieutenant Mahmoud al-Werfalli is seen in the video pronouncing sentence. VOA News reports that the U.N. has called on Hafar to fire al-Werfalli and investigate the incident. Photo Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Yahoo Finance is tracking McDonalds, Alphabet, General Motors, Chipotle and AT&T in intraday trading on Tuesday. McDonalds (MCD) The fast-food giant reported better-than-expected earnings ahead of the bell Tuesday, posting earnings per share of $1.70 on revenue of $6.05 billion. McDonalds global and U.S. same-store sales also beat estimates, driven by demand for the chains signature-crafted sandwiches and its national promotion for cold beverages. Alphabet (GOOGL) The Internet giant topped Wall Street earnings expectations, but the stock is under pressure after reporting that its cost of revenue jumped 28% during the quarter. Googles parent company Alphabet reported earnings per share of $5.01 on revenue of $26.01 billion. Analysts were expecting a profit of $4.49 and sales of $25.65 billion. General Motors (GM) The automaker beat profit expectations ahead of the bell but missed on revenue. GM CEO Mary Barra touted the companys performance during the quarter, saying in a statement, Disciplined and relentless focus on improving our business performance led to a strong quarter and very solid first half of the year. We will continue transforming GM to capitalize on growth opportunities and deliver even more value for our shareholders. Chipotle (CMG) The Mexican fast-food chain is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings after the bell this afternoon. Analysts are looking for a profit of $2.18 on revenue of $1.19 billion. Chipotles still struggling to lure back lost customers following its E.coli and norovirus outbreaks in 2015. The company also suffered a setback in those efforts last week after more than 135 customers reported getting sick last week after eating at one of Chipotles restaurants in Sterling, Virginia. AT&T (T) Analysts expect the telecom giant to report a profit of 74 cents a share on revenue of $39.83 billion. Investors will be looking for more information on AT&Ts $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner following reports from Bloomberg that the US antitrust officials have started talking to the two companies about securing approval for the deal. For more on Tuesdays big stock movers, check out the Final Round, live at 4 p.m. ET, right here on Yahoo Finance. epa06105454 Officials tow a truck that was found to contain 38 suspected illegal immigrants in San Antonio, Texas, USA, 23 July 2017. Eight of the people died at the scene, seventeen were transported to area hospitals with life-threatening injuries, and thirteen people had non-life-threatening injuries, police said. EPA/DARREN ABATE: EPA A top Texas official said that sanctuary cities were to blame for the deaths of ten people in a San Antonio truck that was used to "smuggle" people across the US-Mexico border. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick wrote in a Facebook post that the "tragedy" proves "sanctuary cities entice people to believe they can come to America and Texas and live outside the law." Sanctuary cities in New York, New Jersey, California, and other border states limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities seeking out undocumented immigrants for deportation. Thirty-nine people were found in the trailer of a truck parked at a Wal-Mart store, overheated. Eight were already dead and two more have died in hospital. They were allegedly trying to cross over the border illegally. The lorry driver - James Bradley of Clearwater, Florida - has been charged with people smuggling and could face the death penalty if convicted. "Today, these people paid a terrible price and demonstrate why we need a secure border and legal immigration reform so we can control who enters our country," he wrote. Seventeen victims, some young as 15, were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being in the trailer for an unknown amount of time in the Texas summer heat without air conditioning. The "undocumented aliens," as they were identified by police, included Mexican and possibly Guatemalan citizens. City Fire Chief Charles Hood said some of the victims could have "irreversible brain damage" as a result of heatstroke. These people are usually fleeing violence and rampant poverty in their native countries only to face a treacherous entry into the US through the Rio Grande river or deserts. The San Antonio lorry is not an isolated case. Earlier in July, undocumented immigrants were discovered in a truck in Houston after banging on the locked doors for rescue. In 2003, 19 people died in an abandoned truck in Victoria, Texas. Story continues Mr Patrick's comment comes during Donald Trump's continued push for increasing border security and building a nearly 2,000-mile wall, the bill for which he has repeatedly said Mexico would pay. Sargeant Jesse Salame of the San Antonio police said that the victims will likely have to be turned over to US Immigration Customs and Enforcement once recovered. Their fate is unknown at this point. Congressman Joaquin Castro said: "This represents a symptom of a broken immigration system that Congress, of which I am a part, has had the chance to fix but has not...Thats a colossal failure that has a human cost." (SAN ANTONIO) The driver of a broiling tractor-trailer found packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio was charged Monday in the deaths of 10 of his passengers and could face the death penalty. In outlining their immigrant-smuggling case against James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60, federal prosecutors depicted the trailer as pitch-black, crammed with somewhere around 90 people or more by some estimates, and so suffocatingly hot that one passenger said they took turns breathing through a hole and pounding on the walls to get the drivers attention. Bradley appeared in federal court on charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. The Clearwater, Florida, man was ordered held for another hearing on Thursday and said nothing in court about what happened. Over the weekend, authorities discovered eight bodies inside the crowded 18-wheeler parked in the summer heat, and two more victims died at the hospital. Officials feared the death toll could rise because nearly 20 others rescued from the truck were in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. Bradley told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas, and that he was unaware people were inside until he parked and got out to urinate. After hearing banging and shaking, he opened the door and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, according to the complaint. Bradley allegedly told investigators that he knew the trailer refrigeration system didnt work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. He also said he did not call 911, even though he realized several people already were dead. The truck had an Iowa license plate and was registered to Pyle Transportation Inc. of Schaller, Iowa. Company President Brian Pyle said that he had sold the truck to a man in Mexico in May and that Bradley was an independent contractor who was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. Story continues Pyle said he had no idea of any problems with the truck until the news media started to call Sunday following reports of the deaths in San Antonio. Im absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. Its shocking. Im sorry my name was on it, Pyle said, referring to the truck. A passenger told investigators that he and others crossed the Mexican border into the U.S. by raft and were then guided into the trailer to be taken to San Antonio, which is about a 150-mile (240-kilometer) drive from the Mexican border, according to the criminal complaint. He said those in the truck were given no water or food. The passenger said the immigrants inside the truck soon began to struggle to breathe and started passing out. At least some of those in the truck were from Mexico and Guatemala, according to diplomats from the two countries. Latin Americans who enter the U.S. illegally often rely on smuggling networks to guide them across the border, supply them with safe houses and give them rides in the U.S. to their destination. Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you theres going to be many more people were looking for to prosecute, said Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The temperature in San Antonio reached 101 degrees (38 Celsius) on Saturday and didnt dip below 90 degrees (32 C) until after 10 p.m. The tragedy came to light after a person from the truck approached a Walmart employee and asked for water late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, said McManus, the police chief. The employee gave the person water and then called police. It was the latest smuggling-by-truck operation to end in tragedy. In one of the worst cases on record in the U.S., 19 immigrants locked inside a stifling rig died in Victoria, Texas, in 2003. Immigrants rights activists have blamed federal and Texas authorities hard-line immigration policies for contributing to the deaths by forcing migrants to take greater risks to reach the U.S. These tragedies are compounded when its incredibly dangerous and incredibly expensive and we push migration into the hands of illicit actors, immigration activist Bob Libal said. In the May 2003 case, the immigrants were being taken from South Texas to Houston. Prosecutors said the driver heard them begging and screaming for their lives but refused to free them. The driver was sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison. The Border Patrol has reported at least four truck seizures this month in and around Laredo, Texas. On July 7, agents found 72 people crammed into a truck with no means of escape, the agency said. They were from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador. Authorities in Mexico have also made a number of similar discoveries over the years. President Donald Trumps approval ratings have gone down since November when he was elected. His approval rating in 47 states is now lower than the percentage of people that voted for him, according to new data released by Gallup Polling on Monday. Trump lost ground in every state except Montana, Utah and Hawaii. Montana is a state with one of the highest Trump approval ratings at 56 percent. Hawaii is one of the lowest with only a 35 percent approval rating. READ: Can Trump Pardon Himself? His Lawyer Jay Sekulow Says It's Supreme Court's Decision Trump lost the popular vote by around 2 percent and won the electoral vote due to a key 78,000 voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Hes polling at a 43 percent approval rating for Pennsylvania and Wisconsin at present as well as 42 percent in Michigan. Six months into his presidency, it appears as if the people that opted to give Trump his narrow victory might not vote that way again. Trumps approval rating was over 50 percent in 17 states. Six states gave Trump an approval rating over 55 percent: Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama and West Virginia. In 31 states, disapproval of Trumps performance was higher than his approval rating. Trumps overall approval rating as of Sunday was down to just 37 percent with 58 percent of people polled disapproving of the presidents performance, according to Gallup. At this time in Barrack Obamas presidency, he was polling at a 56 percent approval rating. George W. Bush was also at 56 percent around this time. The poll has a three percent margin of error and does not distinguish between registered voters and nonregistered voters. Trumps new low numbers come after months of his administration being embroiled in a Russia scandal. Several investigations are looking at ties between Trumps campaign associates and Russia including both the House and Senate Intelligence Committee and the Justice Department who appointed a special counsel, Robert Mueller. Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey earlier this year amid ongoing investigations into alleged collusion with Russia. Story continues Attorney General Jeff Sessions has had to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigations because of his role as a surrogate during the campaign. Trump is now openly feuding with Sessions over the recusal. Sessions, according to a Washington Post report, may have also lied about discussions that he had with the Russian ambassador. READ: Anthony Scaramucci Called Trump A 'Hack Politician' Before Joining White House Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., has also added to the fire when it was found out through reporting at the New York Times, that he met with a Russian lawyer last year during the campaign. The meeting was set up to get dirt on Hillary Clinton under the premise that it was part of a Russian government effort to help his father. In addition to the Russian scandal, Trump has been plagued by the Republican-held Congress failing to pass any key pieces of legislation. Trump promised big changes on taxes, health care and infrastructure. Health care legislation, in particular, has been a sticking point for Trump who tweets about it often but Republican senators have not been able to coalesce support around a single piece of legislation. Related Articles In his final pitch to senators to move forward with health care legislation, President Trump fired off a Tuesday morning tweetstorm challenging GOP lawmakers to step up to the plate to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. ObamaCare is torturing the American People, Trump tweeted. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand. Later Tuesday morning, Trump added, This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people! Big day for HealthCare. After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 But as Tuesdays motion to proceed approaches, senators from both sides of the aisle still dont know whats in the bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., could bring to the table either a 2015 clean repeal of the Affordable Care Act or a repeal-and-replace bill. Republican leadership must secure at least 50 votes in Tuesdays procedural vote to open the floor for debate and discussion on the mystery legislation and continue their efforts to dismantle Obamacare. Only Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has vowed to vote against the motion to proceed regardless of the bill McConnell brings to the floor. But if McConnell introduces a clean repeal bill, then Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., will likely join her as defectors, effectively killing the legislation. Several GOP senators have expressed frustration with their lack of knowledge of whats in the bill, even hours before the vote. President Trump (Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: Carolyn Kaster/AP, Mark Wilson/Getty Image, @realDonaldTrump via Twitter) McConnell has pushed senators to vote for the motion to proceed to open the floor for debate and start work on the bill, telling senators that they could simply vote against the final piece of legislation if they find they oppose the measure. Story continues Trump also applauded the return of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whose recent brain cancer diagnosis brought concerns about whether he could return to the Senate in time to vote on the health care legislation. McCain could be a key vote in helping Republicans open the floor for debate on the bill. So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave American hero! Thank you John, Trump tweeted. McCain, a prisoner of war who endured torture for five years during the Vietnam War, was mocked by Trump (Hes a hero because he was captured ) in 2015. On Tuesday morning, just minutes before welcoming the Arizona Republican back to Washington, the president had tweeted that Obamacare was torturing the American people. Trump, who has grown increasingly frustrated with Republicans failure to pass the long-promised legislation, chided GOP lawmakers for failing to do enough to end the Obamacare nightmare during a Monday statement on health care. The question for every senator, Democrat or Republican, is whether they will side with Obamacares architects, which have been so destructive to our country, or with its forgotten victims, Trump said. Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare. WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump pleaded with U.S. Senate Republicans on Monday to "do the right thing" on health care and allow debate to begin on a measure to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate is expected to vote on Tuesday on whether to begin debating a health care overhaul, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not specified which version of the bill the senators will vote on. SEE ALSO: Jared speaks: Kushner says notion of Trump-Russia collusion 'ridicules' Trump supporters "To every member of the Senate I say this: The American people have waited long enough. There's been enough talk, and no action. Now is the time for action," Trump said on Monday at the White House. Standing on a stage with families who he said had been hurt by President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement, popularly known as Obamacare, Trump said, "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare." "There is still time to do the right thing," he said. Republicans have been under heavy political pressure to make good on their long-standing campaign promises to gut the 2010 health law, which they view as a government intrusion in the healthcare market. But the party is deeply divided between moderates concerned the Senate bill would eliminate insurance for millions of low-income Americans and conservatives who want to see even deeper cuts to the Obamacare legislation. Senate Republicans have been unable to reach consensus on a health care approach, with McConnell failing to secure enough votes for either a repeal and replacement of Obamacare or a straight repeal. Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the 100-member Senate. With Democrats united in opposition, McConnell can only afford to lose two Republican votes. A Senate Republican aide on Monday said the Senate will vote this week on whether to begin debate on the health care bill passed in May by the House of Representatives. If that procedural vote succeeds, the House bill would then be open for amendment on the Senate floor. If the Senate approves a motion to begin debating a health care bill, McConnell will determine which proposal has the most Republican support and move forward to a vote, Republicans said. President Trump continued his attack on Attorney General Jeff Sessions early Tuesday, railing against the nations top law enforcement officer in a series of caustic tweets. Among other things, the president accused Sessions of taking a very weak position on Hillary Clintons supposed crimes and the leaking of classified intelligence. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 The Twitter barrage comes as both the Associated Press and Washington Post report that Trump is considering firing Sessions, who was the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse the celebrity real estate mogul during the campaign. But Trump is upset that Sessions recused himself from all campaign-related investigations, including the probe into whether any Trump associates colluded with Russia during the campaign. Sessions recused himself in March after it was revealed he had undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador. And though the campaign ended more than eight months ago, Trump has repeatedly tried to turn the Russia spotlight back to Clinton. During the campaign, Trump constantly attacked Clinton as crooked and hinted if elected he might direct his attorney general to investigate her. But after his election, Trump appeared to back away from the idea, saying, I dont want to hurt the Clintons. I really dont. I think we have to get the focus of the country into looking forward. That appears to have changed. On Tuesday morning, Trump also questioned why Sessions is not probing what Politico reported in January were Ukrainian government attempts to help Clintons campaign undermine him during the 2016 presidential election. He tagged Fox News host Sean Hannity, a loyal Trump ally, in the tweet. Story continues Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Last week, Trump told the New York Times that he would not have appointed Sessions if he knew the Alabama lawmaker would recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russias election meddling. Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else, Trump said. On Monday, Trump publicly described Sessions as beleaguered. So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? the commander in chief tweeted. So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017 If Trump were to fire Sessions, the political fallout could be even greater than his sudden termination of FBI Director James Comey. Sessions is a fellow immigration hardliner who is well-liked by Trumps base and supported by former GOP senators. And Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has also drawn Trumps public ire, would become acting attorney general. Rosenstein appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the Russia investigation after Trump fired Comey. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday morning, Anthony Scaramucci, Trumps newly installed communications director, was asked why the president doesnt simply fire Sessions. Hes obviously frustrated, Scaramucci said. Attorney General Jeff Sessions appears at a news conference at the Department of Justice last week. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Its clear the president wants Sessions gone, isnt it? Hewitt asked. I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, Scaramucci replied. But I do know the president pretty well, and if theres this level of tension in the relationship thats public, youre probably right. On Fox & Friends, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trumps frustration with Sessions hasnt gone away and, you know, I dont think it will. Read more from Yahoo News: President Donald Trump delivered a statement on health care on Monday after meeting with a group of citizens who the White House is describing as "victims of Obamacare." Standing behind Trump during his remarks were a few of the so-called "victims," one of which has seemingly captured the attention of social media users across the nation -- and not in a very nice way. The mystery woman is currently the target of cruel jokes on Twitter because of her uniquely-shaped eyebrows. One user joked that, as Trump has argued about Obamacare, the woman's brows should be repealed and replaced. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android. Another user was quick to point out the woman's eyebrows bared a natural resemblance to a mathematical symbol. A few even joked that Obamacare might be blame for the state of her facial hair. With the gravity of the situation at hand here, all we have to say is this: Twitter, c'mon -- you can do better. SEE: These GOP senators oppose the Republican Obamacare replacement bill: Kiev (AFP) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday demanded Russia's Vladimir Putin halt arms supplies to rebels as the leaders of France and Germany tried to revive a peace plan. After a spike in violence, the four leaders discussed the Ukraine crisis for two hours by telephone in the latest round of talks aimed at stilling a conflict that has killed 10,000 people since April 2014. The conversation was the first to involve French President Emmanuel Macron since he came to power in May, becoming the main international moderator on the crisis along with Germany's Angela Merkel. Last week saw some of the costliest clashes in months between Russian-backed rebels and government troops, after an insurgent leader announced plans to form a new "state" to replace Ukraine. Poroshenko called the last days of July some of the bloodiest in 2017 and urged Russia "to immediately cease aggressive actions and supply of weapons to the occupied territories," Ukraine's presidency said in a statement after the talks. Kiev and its allies in the West insist the Kremlin has sent troops and arms to back up the rebels, but Moscow continues to deny evidence of its role in the conflict. In a statement, the Kremlin said Putin "laid out Russia's approach on all the key points of the agreement in great detail." Separately, the German government said the leaders had agreed on the priority of achieving the withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons from certain zones. Merkel and Macron "encouraged reciprocal measures, the exchange of prisoners before the end of the year... and the renewal of economic relations," Berlin added. A February 2015 peace plan hammered out by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine in the Belarusian capital Minsk has failed to stop clashes rumbling on in east Ukraine. And although the deal has hit a wall, it is still viewed by those involved as the only way of unwinding Ukraine's war. Last week, rebel chief Alexander Zakharchenko said he wanted to establish a new state called Malorossiya (Little Russia). While the plan immediately appeared doomed, after it failed to gain traction with the Kremlin, it cast a further cloud over the peace agreement. Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea continue to escalate, but Gen. Joe Dunford, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, warns against engaging in a military conflict with the reclusive Asian nation, reports Time. Dunford, when speaking at the Aspen Security Forum Saturday, noted, "Kim Jong Un's regime is tied to nuclear program, and what I can tell the American people today is North Korea is capable of launching a limited missile attack." Though the general offered assurances that, "the United States military can defend against a limited North Korea attack on Seoul, Japan, and the United States," he cautioned against acts of aggression. RELATED: Satellite images of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea Pursuing a military solution rather than one based in diplomacy and economic measures would be, according to Dunford, "horrific." He further commented, "it would be a loss of life unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes." It is unclear which path President Trump is, at this time, most in favor of following, but he has made it clear that he can no longer tolerate North Korea, notes CNN. In late June, Trump said, "The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed. And, frankly, that patience is over." The New York Times reports that just days later, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile "that could potentially strike Alaska." A Tomahawk missile is shot from a US destroyer. An American Navy ship was forced to fire warning shots at an Iranian ship in the Persian Gulf recently: AFP The United States Navy has reportedly fired warning shots at an Iranian vessel. The US Navy patrol boat the USS Thunderbolt, a Cyclone-class patrol ship involved in an exercise in the Persian Gulf, reportedly shot the warnings during a tense encounter with the Iranian ship. A US official said that the Iranian naval vessel came within 150 yards (137 meters) of the Thunderbolt. The Iranian vessel reportedly didn't respond to radio calls, flares, or warning sirens. That forced the sailors aboard the US ship to use weapons to send their signal. Iranian authorities didn't immediately respond to reports of the encounter, according ot the Associated Press. The US official spoke to reporters on anonymity since the US government hadn't made the interaction public yet. The two countries frequently have tense exchanges in the Persian Gulf. The warning shots come as tensions between the two countries have heightened, spurred on in part by anti-Iran rhetoric from President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has issued sharp warnings to Iran recently over an ongoing dispute between Washington and Tehran over American citizens being held prisoner in Iran. The Iranian government has been critical of the US for holding Iranian citizens in its jails as well. There will be "serious consequences" unless Iran releases American prisoners and stops using "hostage taking as a tool of state policy," Mr Trump said recently. Mr Trump has been critical of a deal reached between his predecessor and the Iranian government, which eased sanctions in order to promote transparency from the Iranian nuclear programme. Still, even though Mr Trump had promised to "tear up" the agreement with Iran, his administration has already recertified the agreement, showing that Iran has complied with the agreement so far. Mr Trump, however, has proven to be unpredictable, and could decide that the deal is no longer working at any point - and could refuse to recertify the agreement, which is required every 90 days. Rex Tillerson appears before the Senate Finance Committee hearing on 'Oil and Gas Tax Incentives and Rising Energy Prices', on Capitol Hill in Washington DC - MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA Rex Tillerson is the first secretary of state in modern history who had no experience in any public office before he was appointed. But he had nonetheless already travelled the world, hammering out oil deals on behalf of ExxonMobil with leaders from countries including Nigeria, Yemen, Qatar and Russia. Born in Texas, he studied civil engineering at the state's university and joined ExxonMobil in 1975 as a production engineer. He worked his way up through the ranks, becoming the company's chairman and chief executive in 2006. Throughout his 41-year career Mr Tillerson, 64, has perhaps been best known for the decades he spent driving the company's expansion in Russia. In 1998 he was placed in charge of ExxonMobil's holdings in Russia and in the Caspian Sea, and in 2011 the company signed a deal with Rosneft, Russia's largest state-owned oil firm, for joint oil exploration and production. He has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American with the exception of Henry Kissinger John Hamre Together they announced plans to begin drilling in the Russian Arctic, an action that was made economically viable in part because of thinning sea ice resulting from global warming. Two years later, President Vladimir Putin gave Mr Tillerson the Order of Friendship from Russia. "He has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American with the exception of Henry Kissinger," John Hamre, the president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank where Mr Tillerson is a board member, told the Wall Street Journal. ExxonMobil was forced to suspend its involvement in the Arctic project when the United States imposed sanctions on Russia for annexing Crimea and fueling a war in east Ukraine in 2014. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaking with ExxonMobil President and Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson during the signing of a Rosneft-ExxonMobil strategic partnership agreement in Sochi on August 30, 2011 Credit: ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP PHOTO The company's head of Russian operations has said it is waiting until sanctions are lifted to resume the project. That creates a potential conflict of interest that will set alarm bells ringing in Kiev, but it may also worry Nato allies such as the Baltic States, which see a strong line on sanctions and the Ukraine crisis is seen as key to regional security. Story continues Alexei Pushkov, a hawkish member of the Russian upper house, described Mr Tillerson on Twitter as "by definition a pragmatist, with great experience of Russia", and praised Mr Trump as "not a coward" for making the appointment. ExxonMobil explores for oil and gas on six of the worlds seven continents and has operations in more than 50 countries. Mr Tillerson owns ExxonMobil shares worth $151 million (119 million), according a recent securities filing. His compensation package last year was $27.2 million (21.5 million). His job has involved some thorny political negotiation. Shortly after he became chairman of the company, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's socialist president moved to nationalise the assets of several foreign oil companies, including ExxonMobil. Profile | Rex Tillerson Whilst many others sought to negotiate, ExxonMobil took Venezuela to international arbitration court, winning a $1.6 billion (1.3 billion) compensation package in 2014. His position on climate may actually be to the Left of Donald Trump. Whilst Mr Trump has described the link between carbon emissions and global warming a "hoax", Mr Tillerson has called the phenomena "real" and "serious". ExxonMobil only recently publicly recognised the threat to the planet from fossil fuel emissions, but the company moved towards identifying solutions to the problem whilst under his leadership. Mr Tillerson, who is a conservative, supported Jeb Bush, Mr Trump's failed rival for the Republican nomination during the party's primary elections last year. A life long Boy Scout, he rose to become president of the organisation. In 2013 he played an instrumental role in changing policy to allow gay youths to participate. Donald Trumps team Worlds oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat, USS Constitution, made a comeback Sunday after a 26-month-long restoration project. The ship that turns 220 in October was undocked from the Charlestown Navy Yard Historical Park in Boston. It later entered the Boston Harbor. Launched in 1797, the wooden ship is one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. It was designed by Joshua Humphreys, an influential and successful ship builder, and it was constructed at Hartt's Shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts. The name "Constitution" was chosen by former President George Washington. Read: USS Gerald Ford: All You Need To Know About US' Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier The ships extreme size caused difficulty during the launch in 1797. It took three separate tries on three different days to get it off the ramps and into the water. The first duties of the ship with the newly formed U.S. Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. The USS Constitution fought and won three major engagements during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom. It is best remembered for the capture of rival HMS Guerriere. In the course of the 35-minute battle with Guerriere, witnesses observed British 18-lb. iron cannonballs were bouncing harmlessly off the Constitutions 25-inch oak hull, leading a sailor to cry out, Huzza! Her sides are made of iron! earning her the famous nickname Old Ironsides," according to Navy's magazine All Hands. During this war, Constitution's range of guns typically consisted of thirty 24-pounder (11 kg) cannons, with 15 cannons on each side of the gun deck. In 1855, the Constitution retired from active military service, but it continued to serve the country, first as a training ship and later as a touring national landmark, according to History.com. Since 1934, it has been based at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. Story continues Over the years, Ironsides has enjoyed a number of restorations, including the most recent one that began in 2015. The recent round of restorations extends the life of the nearly two-feet (61-centimeter) thick vessel. A report by Bloomberg said the recent work also included replacing 100 hull planks and installing 2,200 new copper sheets, 500 of which were signed by nearly 100,000 museum visitors. The report also quoted Robert Gerosa, the Constitution's commanding officer, saying: "The ship has been the cornerstone of the Navy for a long time. To be a part of the ship is truly an honor." Read: HMS Queen Elizabeth, UKs Largest Warship, Runs On Windows XP, Vulnerable To Hacking The event held Sunday in the Charlestown Navy Yard, marking the comeback, indicated the end of this round of restoration. The vessel would remain docked at a nearby pier until September to undergo more restoration, and it would then reopen for public tours. The website of the Naval History and Heritage Command states the Constitutions mission is to "encourage understanding of the Navy's role in war and peace through educational outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in public events." As a fully commissioned Navy ship, visited by nearly half a million people every year, its crew of 60 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while providing free tours to visitors all year-round. Related Articles Speaking at the National Scout Jamboree on Monday, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor Barack Obama for failing to attend the Boy Scouts of America event during his eight years in office. By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree? Trump said, eliciting a series of boos from the crowd. And well be back. Well be back. The answer is no. But well be back. Trump was correct that Obama never attended the Jamboree in person. But Obama did record a video message for the 2010 Jamboree, which marked the Boy Scouts centennial celebration. In that message, Obama highlighted the role the Boy Scouts had played in Americas history. He also praised the leadership skills the organization seeks to instill in its members. Here is the full transcript of Obamas video message to the 2010 National Scout Jamboree: Hello everybody.I wanted to send my greetings to everyone taking part in the national Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill and congratulate you on the hundredth anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. I hope you've all enjoyed this year's festivities.You know, for a century, scouts just like you have served your communities and your nation in ways both large and small. During World War II, scouts played a vital role in supporting the war effort at home by running messages and selling war bonds. Some of our nation's greatest heroes have worn the scout uniform, including 11 of the 12 men who have walked on the moon. And today, scouts across the country continue the tradition of collecting food for those in need, improving our neighborhoods, and reaching out to those less fortunate.That service is worth celebrating. But there's still more to do. Even though we face a different set of challenges than we did 100 years ago, they are no less important. And in the years ahead, we are going to depend on you, the next generation of leaders, to move America forward.So I hope that all of you will carry the lesson you have learned in scouting with you for the rest of your lives. And I hope that when you're called upon to help write the next great chapter in the American story, you will uphold the best of the scouting tradition and respond with enthusiasm, skill and determination.Congratulations again on your first 100 years. I'm sure the next 100 will be even better. By Elizabeth Dilts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co has asked judges in New York and New Jersey to require a lawyer representing a former employee to immediately return reams of client information the bank mistakenly sent to the attorney, a bank spokeswoman said on Monday. In response to a New Jersey court case involving a dispute between ex-Wells Fargo employee Gary Sinderbrand and his brother who also worked there, the bank disclosed tens of thousands of client names, Social Security numbers, account balances and more, a lawyer for Sinderbrand wrote in a letter to the court. The bank wants all the information returned immediately It said it was mistakenly sent by Angela Turiano, who represents Wells as an attorney at Bressler Amery Ross. "We take the security and privacy of our customers information very seriously," said Shea Leordeanu, a spokeswoman for the bank's brokerage Wells Fargo Advisors. "Our goals are to ensure the data is not disseminated, that it is rapidly returned, and that we ensure the discovery process going forward in the cases is working as it should." Turiano directed Reuters inquiries to Leordeanu. Sinderbrand, who is involved in a parallel lawsuit against his brother and Wells Fargo in New York state court, has not shared the information publicly. The New York Times reported on the release of data last week. (https://nyti.ms/2txuy3Y) The documents and spreadsheets containing client information were originally provided to Aaron Miller, Sinderbrand's lawyer in the New Jersey case. Miller later shared knowledge of what the documents contained to Aaron Zeisler, who is representing Sinderbrand in the New York case. In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Charles Ramos on Saturday, Zeisler described Sinderbrand as the "unwilling recipient" of personal information belonging to thousands of clients. It was not immediately clear if Wells Fargo broke any rules or laws by disclosing client information. However, both New York and New Jersey have ethics rules that require lawyers to notify the other party if they receive information that "was inadvertently sent." Story continues In his letter to Judge Ramos, Zeisler wrote that he notified Turiano on July 20 about the information, but that Wells Fargo's attorneys have not yet described which documents they want returned. Zeisler declined to comment. Miller could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts; Additional reporting by Dan Freed in New York and Gaurika Juneja in Bangalore; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and David Gregorio) Why do Donald Trump and his advisors keep floating the possibility of firing Robert Mueller, an act that would spark the greatest constitutional crisis since Watergate, perhaps the greatest in modern American history? Partly, its simple rage. Mueller threatens Trump. And when Trump sees someone as a threat, he tries to discredit and destroy themconventional norms of propriety, decency and legality be damned. But theres another, more calculated, reason. Trump and his advisors may genuinely believe that firing Mueller is a smart move. And if you put morality aside, and see the question in nakedly political terms, they may be right. The chances that Mueller will uncover something damning seem very high. Trump has already admitted to firing former FBI Director James Comey over the Russia investigation. Donald Trump Jr. has already admitted to welcoming the opportunity to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from people he believed were representatives of the Russian government. Even if Mueller doesnt accuse anyone of a crime, hes likely to paint a brutal picture. And thats just on the question of election collusion and obstruction of justice. If Mueller uses Russia to segue into Trumps business dealings, who knows what he might find. An all-star team of legal and financial sleuths, with unlimited time and money, and the ability to subpoena documents and people, have been let loose on the affairs of a man whose own autobiographer called him a sociopath. No wonder Trump is scared. Recommended: The Strange, Slow-Motion Defenestration of Jeff Sessions For Trump, therefore, the key question is: Is it better to force a crisis by firing Mueller now, or wait for the crisis that hits when Mueller releases his findings? In narrowly political terms, he might think theres an advantage to acting now. First, and most obviously, Mueller wont have laid out his case. To be sure, were Mueller fired, he and his aides would likely disseminate whatever information they had uncovered. But the sooner Trump acts, the less theyll have to disseminate. Story continues Second, Trump might believe its in his interest to provoke a showdown while ordinary Republicans are still on his side. As of now, they are. More than eighty percent of Republicans approve of his job performance. Over the next year or two, that number is more likely to go down than up, and the further it falls, the less fearful congressional Republicans will be to break with Trump and potentially even support impeachment. If Trump fired Mueller, Republicans in Congress would bark. But they barked when he fired James Comey too, and never bit. And the GOPs reaction to White House trial balloons about ousting Mueller hasnt exactly been overwhelming. Last Thursday, a GOP senator told CNN that Any thought of firing the special counsel is chilling. But he spoke on background, as did three of the four Republican Senators who the network corralled. At least one House Republican is already trumpeting the White Houses anti-Mueller talking points. Bob Muellers obviously intent on hiring people who are antagonistic toward this administration. Hes one of Mr. Comeys closest friends, and it looks like theres a deliberate orchestration to damage or undermine the president regardless of the basic facts, declared Arizona Representative Trent Franks in an interview with Politico. Without explicitly endorsing Muellers firing, Franks called for ending the mindless charade. Recommended: Trump's Revealing Mistake at the Boy Scout Jamboree The third reason Trump might decide to provoke a showdown now is that Republicans still dominate Congress. By the time Mueller releases his findings, Democrats could have a majority in the House, which would allow them to pass impeachment on a party line vote. Today they cant. Finally, provoking a confrontation now would be better for Trumps family. Even if firing Mueller led to Trumps impeachment, stopping his investigation might spare Jr. and Jared Kushner prosecution. Which is why Kushnerwho reportedly pushed Trump to fire Comeymight see it in his self-interest to urge Muellers firing too. Most commentators consider Trumps firing of Comey to be an epic mistake, which Trump should not repeat. But theres no evidence that Trump himself sees it that way. Nor does he appear to regret firing US Attorney Preet Bharara, who was reportedly investigating his business affairs. Bloomberg last week reported that Mueller has taken over that investigation, which makes him even more of a threat. I still cant quite fathom Trump firing Mueller. But this represents my own failure of imagination. Trump couldnt fire Mueller directly. Hed have find an acting attorney general willing to do so. His efforts to find one would likely provoke a Saturday Night Massacre-style cascade of resignations, which would appall Trumps critics. But Trump might not mind. Hed consider getting rid of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to be a bonus. As Trumps recent comments to The New York Times about Jeff Sessions make clear, what he wants above all at the Justice Department is personal loyalty. Firing Mueller might help achieve that too. Despite all this, I still cant quite fathom Trump firing Mueller. But this represents my own failure of imagination. After all, I couldnt quite imagine him winning the nomination or the presidency either. I couldnt quite imagine him responding to the San Bernardino attack by proposing a ban on Muslim immigration. I couldnt quite imagine him lashing out at gold star parents. Or responding to criticisms on Morning Joe by viciously mocking Mika Brzezinskis alleged plastic surgery. Or firing Comey. I have over the course of my life internalized certain norms about what is and is not politically possible in my country. Trump has transgressed them again and again. He has transgressed them and won. And he seems to believe that it is partly because he has transgressed them that he has won. Despite everything, I cant quite imagine him taking the next step. But theres no reason to believe that he is similarly constrained. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. By Pavel Polityuk and Anton Zverev KIEV/SEVASTOPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - The career of Sergei Yeliseyev helps to explain why Ukraine's armed forces gave up Crimea almost without a fight - and why NATO now says it is alert to Russian attempts to undermine military loyalty in its eastern European members. His rise to become number two in the Ukrainian navy long before Russia seized Crimea illustrates the divided loyalties that some personnel in countries that once belonged to the Soviet Union might still face. Yeliseyev's roots were in Russia but he ended up serving Ukraine, a different ex-Soviet republic, only to defect when put to the test. NATO military planners now believe Moscow regards people with similarly ambiguous personal links as potentially valuable, should a new confrontation break out with the West. In 2014, Yeliseyev was first deputy commander of the Ukrainian fleet, then largely based in Crimea, when Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms took control of Kiev's ships and military bases on the peninsula. Instead of resisting, Yeliseyev quit and subsequently got a new job: deputy chief of Russia's Baltic Fleet. Yeliseyev, now aged 55, did not respond to Reuters questions sent to him via the Russian defense ministry. In Kiev, however, there is no doubt where his loyalties lay. "When he took an oath to Ukraine, these were empty words for him. He has always been pro-Russian," said Ihor Voronchenko, now commander of the Ukrainian navy, who once served with Yeliseyev. In fact, the Russian soldiers were pushing at an open door in late February 2014 - Yeliseyev was just one of many to defect and almost all Ukrainian forces in Crimea failed to resist. Russia annexed Crimea the following month, prompting a major row with the West which deepened over Moscow's role in a rebellion in eastern Ukraine that lasts to this day. At the time, Moscow and its allies in Crimea exploited weaknesses within Kiev's military to undermine its ability to put up a fight, according to interviews conducted by Reuters with about a dozen people on both sides of the conflict. The Russian defense ministry did not respond to questions on their accounts of the events in 2014 submitted by Reuters. One NATO commander told Reuters that, in a re-run of the tactics it deployed in Crimea, Russian intelligence was trying to recruit ethnic Russians serving in the militaries of countries on its borders. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the commander said the alliance was particularly sensitive to the risk in countries with high concentrations of ethnic Russians, notably the Baltic states. NATO had to guard against this, said the commander, though the risk should not be overstated because having Russian roots did not necessarily mean that a person's loyalty is to Moscow. Officials in the Baltic states, former Soviet republics which unlike Ukraine are NATO members, play down the danger. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg likewise said he trusted the armies of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Still, he told Reuters: "We always have to be vigilant. We always have to develop our intelligence tools and to be able to see any attempts to try to undermine the loyalty of our forces." DROPPING THE GUARD Years before the Crimean annexation, a Ukrainian appointment panel appeared to drop its guard when it interviewed Yeliseyev for the deputy naval commander's post. Yeliseyev was born near Moscow, graduated from a Soviet naval school in the Russian city of Kaliningrad in 1983 and served with the Russian Pacific fleet. So the panel asked Yeliseyev what he would do if Russia and Ukraine went to war. He replied that he would file for early retirement, according to Myroslav Mamchak, a former Ukrainian naval captain who served with Yeliseyev. Despite this response, Yeliseyev got the job in 2006. Mamchak did not disclose to Reuters how he knew what was said in the interview room but subsequent events bear out his account. Relations between Russia and Ukraine dived as Kiev moved closer to NATO and eight years after his appointment, with the countries on the brink of conflict over Crimea, Yeliseyev stayed true to his word by quitting. Russia's actions were not the only factor in the Crimean events. Ukraine's military had suffered years of neglect, there was a power vacuum in Kiev after the government was overthrown, and many Crimean residents felt more affinity with Moscow. Still, Ukrainian service personnel with Russian ties switched sides when the annexation began and some officers pretended to put up resistance only to avoid court-martial. Moscow also intercepted orders from Kiev so they never reached the Crimean garrison. "There was nothing spontaneous. Everything was organized and each fiddler played his role," said Mykhailo Koval, who at the time was deputy head of the Ukrainian border guard and is now deputy head of the Security Council in Kiev. INVITATION TO DEFECT Voronchenko, who was another deputy commander of the navy at the time of the annexation, said he had received invitations to defect to Moscow's side soon after the Russian operation began. These, he told Reuters, came from Sergei Aksyonov, who was then head of Crimea's self-proclaimed pro-Russian government, as well as from the commander of Russia's southern military district and a deputy Russian defense minister. Asked what they offered in exchange, Voronchenko said: "Posts, an apartment ... Aksyonov offered to make me defense minister of Crimea." Neither Aksyonov nor the Russian defense ministry responded to Reuters questions about the contacts. Voronchenko, in common with many other senior Ukrainian officers, had been in the Soviet military alongside people now serving in the Russian armed forces. He had spent years in Crimea, where Russia leased bases from Ukraine for its Black Sea fleet after the 1991 break up of the Soviet Union. "Those generals who came to persuade me ... said that we belong to the same circle, we came from the Soviet army," he said. "But I told them I am different ... I am not yours." Naval chief Denis Berezovsky did defect, along with several of his commanders, and was later made deputy chief of the Russian Black Sea fleet. Many in the ranks followed suit. At one Ukrainian signals unit, service personnel were watching Russian television when President Vladimir Putin appeared on the screen. "To my surprise, they all stood up," said Svyatoslav Veltynsky, an engineer at the unit. "They had been waiting for this." The majority of the unit defected to the Russian side. JUST A SHOW Even those willing to resist found themselves in a hopeless position. One member of the Ukrainian border guards told Reuters how his commander had despatched their unit's ships to stop them falling into Russian hands, and ordered his men to train their rifles on anyone trying to enter their base. However, the base's military communications were not working, having been either jammed or cut by the Russians. Isolated from his own side, and outnumbered and outgunned by Russian troops outside, the commander struck a deal with the head of a Russian special forces unit. Pro-Russian civilians were allowed to force the base's gate without reprisals. The Ukrainians "supposedly could not do anything; you cannot shoot civilians", the member of the unit said on condition of anonymity because he is still living in Crimea and feared repercussions. Russian troops then followed the civilians in, taking over the base and offering the unit a chance to switch allegiance to Russia. About half agreed, although the base's chief refused and was allowed to leave Crimea. "The commander did not resist," said the unit member. "On the other hand, he did what he could under the circumstances." Two other people involved in the annexation - a former Ukrainian serviceman now on a Russian base in Crimea, and a source close to the Russian military who was there at the time - also described witnessing similar faked confrontations. "You have to understand that the seizure of Ukrainian military units in Crimea was just a show," said the source close to the Russian military. LESSONS LEARNED NATO's Baltic members differ significantly from Ukraine. Soviet-era commanders, for instance, largely left their armed forces after the countries joined the Western alliance in 2004. Officials also point out that Russian speakers were among the seven members of Latvia's forces to die during international deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Nevertheless, lessons have been learned from Crimea. "We learned, of course, that there was not only the issue of loyalty, but also false orders were submitted and there was a blockage of communication during the Crimea operation," said Janis Garisons, State Secretary in the Latvian defense ministry. Latvia has changed the law so that unit commanders are obliged to resist by default. But Garisons said the simplest step was taken long before the annexation, with the introduction in 2008 of vetting by the security services for "everybody who joins the armed forces, from private to general". (Additional reporting by Margaryta Chornokondratenko in KIEV, Andrius Sytas in VILNIUS, Gederts Gelzis in RIGA, David Mardiste in TALLINN, and Robin Emmott in BRUSSELS; editing by David Stamp) A woman slapped the back of a squad car before a Minneapolis police officer opened fire, killing yoga teacher Justine Damond, who had called 911 to report a possible attack, according to court documents. It was not clear whether the woman who smacked the vehicle was Damond. Read: Fake Street Signs Warning of 'Easily Startled Police' Appear After Minnesota Cop Kills Yoga Teacher A search warrant affidavit filed by a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension homicide investigator said police responded July 15 to a report of a woman possibly being attacked in an alley. A female slaps the back of the patrol squad, the warrant says. After that it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley, approximately 10 to 20 feet north of 51st St." Officer Mohamed Noor fired his weapon from the passenger seat of the car, hitting Damond, 40, in the stomach. He has refused to cooperate with BCA investigators, authorities said. Noor and his partner were startled by a loud noise before Noor opened fire, the partner told detectives. In Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul, fake street signs appeared over the weekend warning Twin Cities Police Easily Startled. A policeman with guns blazing is depicted in silhouette. Read: Bride-to-Be Shot and Killed by Police After Calling 911 to Report Possible Assault The documents also noted that a cell phone found near Damonds body is being examined by authorities. Also taken into evidence were a 9-millimeter cartridge shell and blood samples from the rear of the squad car. Damond, a wife-to-be from Australia, had called 911 after hearing a woman screaming in the alley behind her home, police said. Her death has generated international scrutiny of local law enforcement, and prompted the resignation last week of Police Chief Janee Harteau. Noor is on administrative leave pending the results of state and police department investigations. Story continues Watch: Fiance of Minneapolis Yoga Teacher Demands Answers After Cop Fatally Shoots Her Related Articles: A New York woman erupted in tears as she admitted to playing a role in the death of her fiance during a kayaking trip. Read: Woman Facing Murder Charges Pleads Guilty in Fiance's Kayak Death Angelika Graswald, 37, was with Vince Viafore, 46, in the Hudson River back in April 2015 when his kayak tipped over and he drifted away. Weeks passed before his body was found. Graswald, of Poughkeepsie, was accused of removing the drain plug from Viafores vessel and pushing away a paddle after the kayak overturned. In footage from the Goshen courtroom shot by WABC, Graswald, donning an orange jumpsuit, can be seen burying her face in her hands while uncontrollably sobbing after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide. She agreed to the plea to receive a lesser sentence as part of a deal with prosecutors. Her attorneys originally claimed the death was an accident and was caused by alcohol, rough waves and cold water. Graswald was interrogated at length about Viafores death by investigators, during which she allegedly mentioned to detectives she was OK" with his death. While no outcome can compensate for the loss of a beloved son, brother and uncle, this disposition will hopefully bring a measure of closure to the Viafore family, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said in a statement. Read: Woman Accused in Fiance's Kayak Death Insists From Jail: 'I Loved Him' He went on: This plea ensures that the defendant will be held criminally liable for her actions. By pleading guilty, [she] has acknowledged that Vincent Viafores death was not simply a tragic accident, but the result of this defendants criminal conduct, Hoovler said. Graswald will be sentenced on November 1. With time served, she will likely be released in late December, according to WABC. Watch: Woman Accused of Drowning Fiance Wrote He Wanted Rough Sex, Lawyers Claim Related Articles: Google has unveiled new measures aimed at helping news organizations drive more subscriptions and generate revenues (AFP Photo/LOIC VENANCE) (AFP) San Francisco (AFP) - Google parent Alphabet on Monday saw shares slide as the market reacted to a massive fine by the European Commission and word that success in mobile, cloud and YouTube is coming with higher costs. Alphabet reported a quarterly profit of $3.5 billion, in a sharp decline from a year ago, with a $2.74 billion antitrust fine in Europe biting into earnings. The technology giant reported that revenue grew to $26 billion in the recently ended quarter, and that profit would have tallied nearly $6.3 billion if it were not for the fine levied on search engine Google by the European Commission. Earnings for the quarter fell 28 percent from the same period last year. Revenue was up 21 percent from the same quarter last year. Alphabet chief financial officer Ruth Porat said the report showed "strong growth with great underlying momentum," as the company makes "focused investments in new revenue streams." Alphabet shares slid about 3.1 percent to $967.20 in after-market trades that followed the release of the earnings figures. Reasons for the drop likely included the mixed blessing of Google use booming on mobile devices, bringing in more revenue but also paying more to websites hosting ads. Alphabet also said it was spending more money on operating data centers, acquiring YouTube content, and its line of hardware, which were cited as growing businesses at the company. - Mulling options - Investors have been concerned about what the regulatory trouble in Europe means for Alphabet, which gets most of its money from Google advertising while investing in "other bets" such as self-driving cars and life sciences. Alphabet took in $248 million in revenue and posted a narrowed loss of $772 million in its "other bets" category in the recently ended quarter. Google and the EU are gearing up for a battle that could last years, with the Silicon Valley behemoth facing a relentless challenge to its ambition to expand beyond search results. Story continues Brussels has already spent seven years targeting Google, fueled by a deep apprehension of the company's dominance of internet search across Europe, where it commands about 90 percent of the market. In a verdict that could redraw the online map worldwide, the EU's top antitrust sheriff, Margrethe Vestager, in June imposed a record fine on Google for illegally favoring its shopping service in search results. The EU accuses Google of giving its multitude of services too much priority in search results to the detriment of other price comparison services. The decision -- if it survives an expected appeal process -- could prove to be momentous for Google, as well as for competition law in general. "We are still early in our analysis of the decision," Porat said in response to a question about the fine during an earnings call with analysts. "We do have time to notify the commission for proposed remedies as well as to implement changes." Porat said Alphabet was reviewing its options and declined to comment further on the ongoing legal matter. The EU is also examining Google's AdSense advertising service and its Android mobile phone software. - Finding a balance - Alphabet would be wise to diversify, but it must be careful not to take advantage of its powerful position in online search to gain advantage, said Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. Investors will also be watching to make sure this is a one-time fine, because not even a behemoth like Google can take that kind of cash hit each quarter, the analyst said. "I don't see Google changing its behavior, which means the EU could continue to hit them with excessive fines," Enderle said. "The EU does not have a sense of humor when it comes to US companies telling them to take a hike." The company announced separately that Google chief executive Sundar Pichai would join Alphabet's board of directors. Pichai is responsible for Googles product development and technology strategy, as well as the companys day-to-day-operations. Samsung has revealed some hints that the Galaxy Note 8 could be bigger than you might expect. Credit: Concept Creator/Forbes Credit: Concept Creator/Forbes In a piece in Forbes on Sunday, contributor Gordon Kelly suggested the Galaxy Note 8 could be "massive." He pointed first to Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 event invite for August 23. While the invite doesn't feature a picture of the smartphone, it does show a silhouette of a smartphone and S Pen stylus. Inside the smartphone, a caption reads, "Do bigger things." As Kelly suggests, the hint there appears to point to the possibility of the Galaxy Note 8 having a larger screen than the Galaxy S8+, which has a 6.2-inch display. Additionally, Kelly worked with serial leaker Benjamin Geskin, who found that in the invite for the Galaxy S8 unveiling, Samsung actually revealed the handset's screen size in the silhouette. Geskin used the same assumption from the Galaxy Note 8 invite to compare the silhouette size to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+'s silhouette. Credit: Benjamin Geskin Credit: Benjamin Geskin The finding? The Galaxy Note 8's silhouette is notably larger than the silhouette for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, suggesting, again, that the Galaxy Note 8 will be notably larger. MORE: Back to School Tech - The Best Gear and Gadgets for Students Based on multiple Galaxy Note 8 rumors and reports, Samsung's new flagship phone will sport a screen size of 6.3 inches. The Galaxy S8+ has a 6.2-inch display. And unlike the Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy Note 8 will come with an S Pen stylus. Beyond that, Samsung is expected to get a bit more colorful with the Galaxy Note 8. A separate report on Sunday (July 23) from SamMobile suggests Samsung will unveil a new "Deep Blue" color option for the Galaxy Note 8. It wouldbe the first smartphone from the company to offer the color. Other rumored features include a new dual-lens camera that could offer a 3x optical zoom, which would make it more powerful than the iPhone 7 Plus' 2x optical zoom camera. Story continues Look for all the details on Samsung's new handset on Aug. 23, when the company will host its New York press event. See also : Top 9 Galaxy Note 8 Rumors Concept design for how the Galaxy Note 8 could look - Concept Creator /YouTube Samsung has announced it will hold an event next month where it is expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 smartphone, billed as the company's biggest and most expensive device to date. Samsung has confirmed that it will hold an event on August 23 during which it is expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 8. Find out what it means to do bigger things on 08.23.2017. pic.twitter.com/xsbqdP0QBM Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) 20 July 2017 It comes after the company accidentally posted a picture of what could be the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 smartphone last week, revealing it to have an edge-to-edge "infinity" display. The device will reportedly have a radical redesign and be the largest phone Samsung has released. Reports about the Note 8, which could cost an eye-watering 1,000 (900), suggest it will have a 6.3-inch display and will come with a stylus. A possible leaked image of the Galaxy Note 8 Credit: Samsung The Korean electronics giant will be hoping to regain consumer confidence in the Note brand following the botched release of the Galaxy Note 7 handset last year. Samsung was forced to globally recall the 750 device after dozens of reports of batteries overheating and in some cases catching fire. Before the technical problems the Note 7 was widely hailed as one of the best smartphones of 2016. Earlier this year the company released the Galaxy S8, which was praised for its sleek design and infinity screen. To avoid a repetition of the problem the Note 8 will come with a more conservative battery, according to Venture Beat. The Note 8 is rumoured to be Samsung's first handset with a dual-lens camera and will be 50 per cent more powerful than the Galaxy S8. It is expected to come in four colours, blue, gold, black and silver, and be available in a larger 128GB version. Story continues The fingerprint sensor will probably be on the back of the device, while the stylus will pop out from its top. It could also come with Samsung's smart assistant Bixby and be water resistant. Samsung is reportedly working on a pair of wireless headphones powered by Bixby, which could ship with the phone. The Galaxy Note 8's anticipated launch comes weeks before Apple is due to unveil its 10th anniversary iPhone 8. The iPhone 8, rumoured to cost more than 800, could have an edge-to-edge display and come with wireless charging. Apple is said to have embedded the finger print sensor within the device's OLED screen. What will the iPhone 8 look like? Theres a problem with Muslims. Theyre human beings. Theyre equal. But sometimes, they insist on being treated like small children. Last time, it was the dispute over the call of the muezzin . Not that the muezzin bill was so smart, but its a fact that similar restrictions exist in Muslim countries too, and in Saudi Arabia theres even a fatwa against excessive noise. Nevertheless, they used the motif of an offense to our honor. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter When the person seen as their most important religious leader, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, called on Muslims to finish Hitlers job, there were no protests in the West. And when anti-Semitic cartoons are regularly published in newspapers in the Muslim world, there are no angry reactions from Jews. Muslims havent been pelted with stones. We havent heard about an offense to our honor. But when the Muhammad cartoons were published in Denmark, they sparked a series of bloody protests around the world. Dozens were killed. Consulate buildings were set on fire. After all, there was an offense to their honor. Muslim worshippers hold mass prayer outside Lions' Gate in protest of Temple Mount crisis (Photo: Reuters) Now its about the metal detectors . Its true that its a terror prevention measure. Its true theyre the main victims of terror. Its true the idea to place the metal detectors was raised after three jihadists entered the Temple Mount with weapons. Its true it could happen again. But that doesnt matter. The offense to our honor motif has reappeared. In the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, there are similar concerns. There are 5,000 closed-circuit television cameras there. Every movement is recorded. Every suspicion is checked. Moreover, the company in charge of security, G4S, is a British company. One of the security measures is an electronic bracelet attached to each of the millions of pilgrims throughout their entire stay in the kingdom, allowing the authorities to monitor each and every one of them. The Brits control the information. That hasnt stopped the pilgrimage. Its possible that instead of metal detectors, Israel should make it clear any measure that is acceptable in the Muslims holiest site would be used in their third holiest site as well. The sad thing is the threats are working. The metal detectors will likely be removed. Because the angry reactionalong with the cooperation between Fatah and Jerusalems mufti, Muhammad Hussein, and Hamas incitementis completely irrational. This is because of the occupation? Dont make them laugh. Theyre not peace activists. In a ceremony aired on Palestinian television, the host, a Fatah member, said: Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs is a war of religion and faith. Hussein, who spoke after him, delivered the famous slanderous verses, that the resurrection of the dead wont arrive until you fight the Jews, with a call to kill Jews. That was in 2012. There were no metal detectors then. But the chorus is the same chorus. This isnt about the Muslims. Far from it. But where are the moderate Muslims? The sane ones? Why are they keeping quiet? Why are they allowing this double standard, in which they are treated according to the low expectations syndrome, which sets low expectations from certain populations to begin with. After all, this is racism for all intents and purposes. Only few people speak up. The ones who have had enough of the racism. The ones who treat themselves as equals. They are the ones who have the courage to come out against the self-deception. But there are only few of them. Occasionally, they speak firmly even in the pan-Arab media. Some of them are forced to live in constant fear or with bodyguards. When these few people turn into a significant movement, it will be wonderful news for the world in general and for Muslims in particular. And no, it has nothing to do with the occupation. It has to do with racism, with Muslims making themselves inferior. And as long as this self-racism continues, so will the inferiority. Mecca pilgrimage. Some 5,000 closed-circuit television cameras (Photo: AP) After the Temple Mount attack, Knesset members from the Joint List and representatives of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee expressed feeble reservations. Theyre against violence. How nice of them. But then came the but, placing the entire responsibility on Israel. We are against it, they said, but its because of the occupation. The part dedicated to the reservations was about one-tenth or one-fifth of the statement, while most of the text was dedicated to a justification of the legitimate resistance to the occupation, blah blah blah. In other words, it wasnt an opportunity to condemn violence. It was another opportunity to say something against Israel. The reactions of the leaders of the Arab public remind me of the reactions of intellectuals from the forces of progressnot all of them, but many of themfollowing the attack on the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo . They spoke against violence. And then came the but, which was an indictment against the West, against the bombings in Iraq, in Syria, in Afghanistan. In short, its the Wests fault. The terrorists had no other option but to respond. The reactions of Noam Chomsky, the idol of the free worlds forces of progress, and Tariq Ramadan, European Muslims prominent speaker, belonged to the same department. Salman Rushdie called these respondents the But Brigade. They offer a weak condemnation, to fulfill their obligation, and then immediately present the but, followed by a series of justifications. There seems to be no difference between the reactions to the terror attack in Paris and the reactions to the terror attack at the Temple Mount. Its a disease shared by many people. TWIN FALLS Jo Ann Olbert would like to see her orphans find homes. The owner of the Toy Orphanage and Things has been asked to close shop this summer at 150 Main Ave. E. so the new building owners can take over. Olbert, 74, has run the orphanage for gently used toys and household items for three years. I have maybe 400 dolls, she said. Over the next few weeks, the business will offer special sales to clear out inventory. Olbert estimates her entire collection includes about 4,000 items, sorted by type and color. Items are sold in like-new condition. Each doll has been sanitized, dressed and given a name, she said. The shop had been a longtime dream of Olberts, and shes been collecting from garage sales and thrift stores for years. I just bought them all over the place, she said. I wanted every little girl to have a doll. In order to pay rent on the multi-story building, Olbert took to washing dishes at nights at the Twin Falls Care Center. She recently quit the job in order to focus on closing the business by her September moving deadline. Im really sad that I have to leave, she said. Chris Jones of Twin Falls owns the building. He told the Times-News he hadnt listed it for sale, but got an offer, which he accepted. The new owners will renovate the building into office spaces, he said. It has two stories, a basement and a partial mezzanine. Olberts lease expires in September. This latest downtown shift comes as the URA reconstructs five blocks of Main Avenue, including Olberts. It would be nice to have larger employers down there, Urban Renewal Agency Executive Director Nathan Murray said. The Idaho Youth Ranch building next door is also for sale, as the business seeks a larger space. The Toy Orphanage building isnt Jones only real estate venture. Earlier this summer, he made an offer of $2 million, on behalf of Eagle Financial, for the Urban Renewal Agencys building at 851 Pole Line Road. Jones told the URA that if it sells to Eagle Financial, the company would try to negotiate a new lease with C3/CustomerContactChannels. If that fails, Jones other business, Plant Therapy, would possibly move into that space. Olbert said Jones has been a wonderful landlord, even giving her a free months rent for a Christmas present. She plans to keep the business open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until closer to her move-out date in September. She will put whats left of her collection either in storage or donate it to a charity. She hopes to find another store location but its got to be on Main Avenue, she said. My son calls me a hoarder, but Im a clean hoarder, she said. All items are discounted by up to 75 percent. The store carries an assortment of dolls, stuffed animals, clothes, quilts and crockpots. BURLEY A Declo man charged with murder in the death of his wife interrupted a court hearing Monday by questioning the judge who would not allow him to withdraw his plea. Ronnie G. Kincaid, 36, who is charged with murder in the death of his wife, entered the courtroom with red-rimmed eyes and tried to speak out of turn the first time when the judge asked him about his attorneys withdrawal from the case. Fifth District Judge John K. Butler stopped Kincaid mid-sentence from speaking and continued with the hearing. Kincaid said he filed a motion with the courts clerk for a public defender to be assigned to his case. I believe you would qualify, Fifth District Judge John K. Butler said. After the hearing was complete Kincaid loudly blurted out that he did not understand why Butler would not allow him to pull back his plea. An Alford plea allowed Kincaid to maintain his innocence while acknowledging a jury would likely convict him. Sir, Ive made my decision, Butler said cutting off any further comments from Kincaid. Kincaid was heard still loudly muttering as the side door to the Cassia County district courtroom slowly shut and he was led back to the holding cell by the court bailiff. During the hearing Butler allowed Kincaids attorney Anthony Valdez to withdraw as Kincaids legal counsel, a request Valdez first made on June 9. During Mondays hearing, Butler appointed conflict public defender Clayne Zollinger to take over the case. Because Zollinger had a conflict with the previously set time of sentencing, the hearing was changed to 3:30 p.m., Aug. 7. Kincaid was charged after Melissia Dawn Kincaid, 34, was found dead in the couples blood-soaked home on Sept. 6, 2015. Kincaid entered the plea under an agreement with the state that reduced a first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder with the state dismissing charges of mayhem, destruction of evidence, two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object. Under the agreement the recommended sentence will be 15 to 20 years to life in prison. The murder shocked Magic Valley residents when an autopsy revealed Melissia had bled to death from injuries stemming from anal and vaginal penetration. In an earlier hearing Valdez told the court Kincaid would have entered a straight guilty plea to manslaughter, instead of using the Alford plea to second-degree murder because he disputes the intent and malice of the crime. In his written request to withdraw his plea Kincaid wrote that he could not live with being judged by the conviction in court and public opinion and it was impossible for him to live with that. He said given the magnitude of that reality even an Alford guilty plea was not truly voluntary. In the opinion denying Kincaids request to withdraw his plea, Butler wrote that Kincaid entered a voluntary, knowing and intelligent plea and Kincaid did not otherwise show a just reason to withdraw his plea. TWIN FALLS A Twin Falls man is in jail after, police said, he got into a car crash after drinking and tossed more than nine ounces of meth just before police arrived. Twin Falls police responded to near the intersection of Eastland and Orchard Drive a little after 1 a.m. Sunday. Fred Paiz, 28, told them he had rear-ended the vehicle that had been driving in front of him, according to the police affidavit supporting his arrest. He told police he was coming from a bar and had two beers. As Paiz and a passenger who had been injured in the crash were being loaded into an ambulance, a police officer found what appeared to be a large bag of methamphetamine near where Paizs car had stopped. Police searched the car and said they found a 40-caliber handgun, $670 in cash, two glass pipes, an electronic scale and several opened and spilled beers. Police said the bag contained 259 grams, or nine-and-a-quarter ounces, of meth. Paiz is being charged with trafficking in methamphetamine; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence; unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon; and possession of paraphernalia. He is being held on $150,000 bond with a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 4. Johnson, 45, is suspected of shooting and killing William Newton Scott, 38, outside of Johnsons home on Addison Avenue. At the moment, however, he is only being charged with the unlawful gun possession. County Prosecuting Attorney Grant Loebs said Monday he hopes to meet with police sometime this week to discuss the final results of their investigation and decide whether Johnson should face additional charges. TWIN FALLS A Twin Falls police officer accused of sexually abusing two preteen girls is scheduled to go to trial in the fall. Appearing before District Judge Richard Bevan and alongside his lawyer Scott James, William Jansen pleaded not guilty Monday to the four counts of lewd conduct with a minor and one misdemeanor count of disseminating material harmful to minors. Bevan set his trial to begin on Oct. 18, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for Sept. 25. Jansen is accused of abusing the girls between 2005 and 2009, before he became a city police officer in 2013, and the department was aware of the allegations and investigated them prior to hiring him. Jansen has denied the charges through his lawyer. Kassandra Slaven, a prosecutor from Ada County, is prosecuting the case because Jansen is a local police officer. Jansen has been on unpaid leave from the police department since the charges were filed in April. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. JEROME Three people were taken to the hospital after a crash that blocked U.S. 93 for more than two hours Tuesday afternoon. Brenda Naylor, 53, of Twin Falls, was driving south and David Meyers, 82, of Sun Valley, was driving north, when the two vehicles collided near the intersection with state Highway 25, according to Idaho State Police. Meyers vehicle went off the right shoulder of the road and Naylors came to rest in the roadway. Meyers was flown to Portneuf Regional Medical Center in Pocatello and Naylor and Frances Meyers, 82, also of Sun Valley, who had been a passenger in Meyers SUV, were taken by ambulance to St. Lukes Magic Valley in Twin Falls by ground ambulance. ISP is investigating the crash. Jerome County sheriffs deputies, Jerome city and rural firefighters and Magic Valley Paramedics also responded. BELLEVUE A human-caused fire burning three miles east of Bellevue could potentially threaten homes. Target shooting ignited the fire Sunday, the Bureau of Land Managements Twin Falls District reported. It has burned 3,500 acres in grass, mountain shrub, Douglas fir and aspen. As a thunderstorm passed overhead Monday afternoon, air resources were grounded for a couple hours due to erratic winds. The fire picked up speed, but died down after the storm receded. Muldoon Canyon Road is closed to the public from the entrance of EE-da-ho Ranch to Muldoon, and from the Little Wood Reservoir Dam to Muldoon. The canyon is closed to recreation and camping. The Martin Canyon Fire was headed northeast Monday, away from Bellevue. With steep terrain and difficult access, the east flank of the fire was highly active and running uphill. Six engines, three dozers, one water tender, four single-engine air tankers, three helicopters, two scooper planes and multiple crews were on scene. They had been working to establish a fire line before thunderstorms began. The National Weather Service in Boise had a red flag warning for lightning in southern Idaho from noon Monday until midnight. Thunderstorms were expected Monday and Tuesday at Joslin Field, Magic Valley Regional Airport. The human-caused Bellevue fire prompted a reminder about activities that are prohibited on BLM-managed public lands until Oct. 10: using or possessing fireworks; discharging firearms with incendiary, steel core or tracer ammunition; and burning, igniting or causing explosive material (such as exploding targets) to burn. It only takes one small spark to get something like this going, spokeswoman Kelsey Brizendine said. The investigation into the target shooting is ongoing, and there is no estimate of when the fire will be contained. The Blaine County Sheriffs Office announced it had received reports of drones in the area of the fire. Drones are also prohibited near fires, as they can halt air operations. The Cottonwood Fire burned 192 acres north of Shoshone on Sunday. The fire was expected to be controlled 4 p.m. Monday. We are hurtling toward a health-care disaster in the next 36 hours or so, for the worst possible reason. Cynicism is seldom completely absent from the operation of politics, but this is truly a unique situation. Republicans are set to remake one-sixth of the American economy, threaten the economic and health security of every one of us and deprive tens of millions of people of health-care coverage, all with a bill they havent seen, couldnt explain and dont even bother to defend on its merits. Why? Because they made a promise to their base and now they say they have to keep itregardless of what form keeping the promise might take and how much misery it might cause. Tuesday, the Senate is set to vote on a Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. What Republican bill? The senators themselves dont even know. Heres how Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, described it Sunday on Face the Nation: It appears that we will have a vote on Tuesday. But we dont whether were going to be voting on the House bill, the first version of the Senate bill, the second version of the Senate bill, a new version of the Senate bill, or a 2015 bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act now, and then said that somehow we will figure out a replacement over the next two years. Ive often argued that Republicans in Congress arent serious about policy, but this is taking their unseriousness to the level of farce. After complaining for years that the ACA was rammed through Congressin a process that involved a full year of debate, dozens of hearings in both houses and 188 Republican amendments to the bill debated and acceptedtheyre going to vote on a sweeping bill that had zero hearings and that they saw only hours before, because who cares whats in it? Its only the fate of the country at stake. If taking away health-care coverage from 20 million or 30 million Americans is what it takes to stave off a primary challenge from some nutball tea partier, then thats what theyll do. No one would argue that keeping promises isnt important. But Republicans have elevated the idea of keeping their promise to repeal the ACA to the point where its drained of all substance. You can see it in the way they talk about the various iterations of their bill. You seldom hear a Republican defend it on the terms of the bill itself. They dont say, Heres how this bill will bring down deductibles or Heres how the bill will take care of those who lose their insurance or Heres how the bill will lower costs. Thats partly because their bills wont do any of those things, but mostly because they just dont care. Instead, what they say is, We made a promise, and were going to keep it. If Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., handed them a bill saying that all children on Medicaid would be taken to the desert, buried up to their necks in the sand, and covered in fire ants, at least 40 of them would say, It may not be perfect, but we have to keep the promise we made to repeal Obamacare, so Im voting yes. For those few Republican senators with a hint of conscienceor whose states are particularly reliant on the ACA, and on Medicaid in particularMcConnell is trying to hand them a fig leaf they can use to justify their votes. But the goodies hes offering are laughable. Consider, for instance, that McConnell is telling senators that hell put in $200 billion to help states that didnt expand Medicaid. Sounds generous, until you realize thats on top of over $750 billion in Medicaid cuts. Its like saying, Im stealing your car, but here, you can keep the spare tire. Its the middle of summer, and with 90-plus degree heat regularly in our forecast, many Idahoans are running their air conditioners to beat the heat. But these cooler homes translate into higher electricity bills. Scammers use this opportunity to tempt consumers with the promise of lower energy payments. Dont fall for this con. Heres how the scam works. You get a call from someone claiming to represent a local energy company or government agency. This representative says they are part of a program to help homeowners lower their energy bills. The details vary; this program may involve registering for tax credits, enrolling in an alternative energy program, or signing up with a competitive energy supplier. Be sure to do your homework before accidentally falling for a scam. In some cases, con artists want to enroll you in a non-existent programs, which requires sharing personal information such as your Social Security Number. This opens you up to the risk of identity theft. In other versions, the program involves paying upfront for future energy savings that never materialize. Better Business Bureau recommends these tips to avoid an energy bill scam: Verify the program before enrolling. Before you sign up, confirm that you are dealing with a representative of a real program. Call your energy company or government agency using the number on their website or your energy bill. Protect your personal and financial information. Be cautious with cold calls that request your Social Security number, financial information, etc. Steer clear of any demands for money right away over the phone. Prepaid debit cards and wire transfers are a red flag. Dont cave to pressure to enroll or pay immediately. If you feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call the customer service number on your utility bill. This will ensure you are speaking to a real representative. If you are curious about real programs to save on your utility bills, contact the company directly. Idaho Power lists several programs at idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Programs. Chinas special envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan presently on a regional tour told reporters that Beijing defends Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity. He invited all the parties engaged in the ongoing war to resolve their problems by increasing their communication while highlighting that he is playing the role of a mediator and trying to maintain communication between sides. China wants the Syrian war to be resolved in accordance with resolutions of the UN Security Council, he said, insisting that the Syrian people will decide on the future of Syria since the crisis is absolutely internal to the country. Beijing is known for adopting a non-interference foreign policy in the domestic affairs of countries while pursuing its economic interests and financial investments. Special envoy Xiaoyan said China is willing to help in accelerating the political solution process in order to avoid what has been experienced in Iraq and Libya, which are still struggling to ensure stability on their respective territories since the ousting of Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gaddafi. He commended the agreement for the establishment of de-escalation zones at the Astana talks and applauded the international community for undertaking actions to ease tensions and promote new thinking and ideas for the political settlement of the crisis. Russia is determined to ensure that the zones are respected. Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi told a news conference Monday that Russia set up two checkpoints and four monitoring posts in one of the zones, in the area known as eastern Ghouta. There are plans to extend the des-escalation zone approach to other parts of Syria if it is successful in quelling hostilities between rival camps. The Israeli foreign ministry has instructed closure of the embassy in Ankara and consulates throughout Turkey as a preventive measure amid growing tension in the region over clashes at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and following the killing of two Jordanians on Saturday at the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan. The missions will be closed until the situation on the ground improves, a senior Israeli diplomat told Israeli reporters. The decision has been described as a precautionary measure. Tel Aviv angered the Arab and Muslim world after it installed metal detectors at the entrance of the mosque and banned entry to Palestinians aged under 50. In view of the growing tension and mounting protests, the Israeli government finally decided to remove the metal detectors and to replace them with other security measures, Middle East Eye reports. The cabinet however did not comment whether the cameras installed at the site will be removed. For Palestinians and all Muslims, Israels control of the Mosque comes to imposing its sovereignty over Islams third holiest site. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday called on Israel to respect Palestine and Palestinians rights. He also urged Muslims to take an active role in protecting the holy compound, Turkish media Sabah daily reports. Saudi Arabia and its allies, which have severed ties with Qatar, have added nine individuals from Qatar, Yemen, Kuwait and Libya as well as nine other organizations from Yemen and Libya to their list of terror entities and individuals with links with Qatar. The new nine individuals and nine organizations add up to a terror list composed of 59 individuals and 12 organizations issued by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt on June 8 for their alleged links with Qatar. Tension between the Saudi-led bloc and Qatar, which has been ongoing for several months, climaxed on June 5 when the bloc severed ties with the tiny gulf country over it alleged funding for terrorism in the region and in the world. Qatar has rejected the accusations and mocked the list as being fabricated. The new nine individuals include a Kuwaiti, three Qataris, three Yemenis and two Libyans. The men are singled out for their support for al Qaeda and al-Nusra in Syria, in Yemen and other terrorist groups in Libya with Qatar-links funding. The nine entities targeted include three Yemeni and six Libyan organizations. Several countries, including Kuwait, the US and Turkey have been mediating the crisis. Washington last week praised Qatar after its ruler brought amendments to the countrys counterterrorism laws, seeking to fight funding for terrorism. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who toured the region last week urged the boycotting countries to follow Qatar. Turkish President, Erdogan also visited the region July 23-24 and told the protagonists that the deadlock does not benefit anyone. Qatars ruler Sheikh Tamim said in a speech aired Friday that his country was open to dialogue on condition that Qatars sovereignty is respected. The following day, the UAE welcomed the dialogue proposed by Sheikh Tamim but said it cannot take shape if Qatar does not review its position. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, nicknamed MBS, has been handed over temporarily the kingdoms affairs as his father and Monarch goes on vacation in Morocco. A royal decree signed by King Salman Monday relayed by the official news agency SPA indicated that Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has been vested with all powers during the absence of the King. King Salman actually arrived Monday afternoon in the Moroccan northern city of Tangier for vacation. Prince Mohamed bin Salman, 32, leapfrogged to the position of Crown Prince last month after his 81-year old father edged aside his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef in favour of his son. Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, who was Crown Prince until last month, was the kingdoms deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the interior. He was reportedly deposed over his addiction to painkillers according to official sources. Mohamed bin Salman who also serves as minister of defense was rumoured to claim to the royal pinnacle after he was handed important roles just two years after his appointment by his father as deputy crown prince. He is taking charge of the kingdom at the time the oil-rich Gulf country leads the regional bloc isolating neighbor Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman is close to Abu Dhabis Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. The duo targets Qatar and regional rival Iran. Although vaccination has been successful at controlling measles in the United States, a few dozen to a few hundred cases occur here every year, usually when U.S. citizens travel abroad and unknowingly bring the virus home. Infected people can spread the virus by sneezing and coughing for four days before they show symptoms. Measles lingers in the air and remains infectious for up to two hours, an unusually long time for an airborne virus, and a high percentage of unvaccinated people exposed to the infected air become sick themselves. All 50 states require the MMR vaccine and other childhood vaccinations prior to enrollment in elementary school or day care. In all states, children can be exempted from vaccination for medical reasons. All but three states also allow parents to decline vaccination for religious reasons, and 18 states have exemptions for personal beliefs. (Notably, California eliminated its religious and personal-belief exemptions in 2015 following a large measles outbreak that originated at Disneyland.) Lo analyzed MMR vaccination data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He constructed a mathematical model from the data to predict the effects of declining vaccination rates in children ages 2 to 11, simulating about 10,000 scenarios that could occur as measles is introduced by returning travelers into different locations around the country at a rate similar to that of recent years. They also estimated the cost of declining vaccination rates if children younger than 2 were included in the models a scenario that increased the predicted public health costs by another $400,000 per year beyond the $2.1 million cost for older children. (Infants are not eligible for their first dose of the MMR vaccine until theyre 1, making them especially vulnerable to measles.) The public-health costs estimated in the new paper from declining vaccination rates are conservative, Lo said. The costs are for measles alone, and do not include other infectious diseases that may rise with lower vaccination coverage, such as mumps and pertussis. The costs include some health care expenditures and outbreak-containment tasks, such as tracking and vaccinating those whom infected people contacted, but not the costs of hospitalization or days of work missed by parents of ill children. Children ages 2 to 11 now account for about 30 percent of U.S. measles cases, meaning that the impact of declining vaccination rates would be significantly larger than the figures predicted in this study if all age groups were considered. Geographic hotspots Unvaccinated people tend to cluster in certain geographic areas, and introducing measles in these areas would cause significant outbreaks, the researchers noted. Such outbreaks took place in 2014, when 383 measles cases occurred in unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio, and this spring among an under-vaccinated community of Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Even in states with a high level of vaccine coverage, there can be very large differences within the state, including poorly vaccinated pockets of communities that may be masked, Lo said. If travelers bring home measles to well-vaccinated communities, the number of cases is much lower than if they come home to a poorly vaccinated region. The study capped the outbreak size in the researchers calculations at 100 cases, although individual outbreaks can become larger, especially with declining vaccine coverage. The study was also conservative in the level of infectiousness it built into its calculations, Maldonado noted. They used the lowest possible level of infectiousness that is reasonable for measles and still found substantial public-health and medical consequences to not getting vaccinated, she said. Lo hopes state lawmakers will consider the studys findings as they contemplate vaccination policies, especially non-medical personal belief exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements. Every year, an increasing number of states are debating non-medical exemptions, which are a critical driver of vaccination coverage, he said. This study quantifies the consequences of a rise in measles cases and state dollars that will be spent if personal belief exemptions that can reduce vaccine coverage are in place. Lo is supported by the Medical Scientist Training Program at the Stanford School of Medicine. Stanfords Department of Health Research and Policy also supported the work. A Moroccan soldier, member of UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic (CAR) was killed Sunday in Bangassou, South-East of the country in an attack attributed to Christian-dominated group anti-Balaka. A MINUSCA military convoy was target of an ambush se by members on Sunday afternoon in Bangassou, the UN Multinational Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said in a statement. The attack also left three other military forces protecting water tanks going to fetch water for the local populations. The UN expressed its condolences to family of the deceased, reports say. The Sunday attack adds to a series of recent assaults on the forces and local populations in the region. Six blue helmets were killed in May in some attacks attributed to the Christian group. The MINUSCA also on Sunday condemned an attack on Friday on displaced populations camped at the cathedral of the town. The attack reportedly left two children seriously injured. A Muslim woman was abducted by the group. She was finally released on Saturday after six Christians also kidnapped in the reprisal by Muslims were released, reports say citing UN sources. Two Moroccan forces were killed in May in the two. The Moroccan contingent has been tasked to protect Muslim population in the South-Eastern town, near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. CAR descended into civil war in 2013 following removal of Christian President Francois Bozize by Muslim armed group, Seleka. The civil has left hundreds dead and caused internal and external displacement of refugees. Violence in capital Banguis has relatively died down since the election of countrys President Faustin-Archange Touaderas election in 2016 but the internal part is still embroiled in brutalities between the two religious groups. Nigeria presidency on Sunday, released a photograph of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari, the first in almost three months after the 74-year-old ex-military general was flown to London on his second medical trip this year. The health of Muhammadu Buhari has been the source of constant speculation in the West African country since the start of 2017. In a statement released on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President Femi Adesina said after a conversation with the Governor of Imo State who also met Buhari in London, the president laughed describing negative reports about him as lies. Governor Okorocha said President Buhari was completely unperturbed by the cocktail of lies. He, instead, sent his best wishes to Nigerians, the statement said. Reports that the president has lost his ability to speak due to the undisclosed ailments have circulated online in recent days. Government officials often dismiss inquiries about the nature of the presidents illness by pointing to the role of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who now wields all executive powers. By our visit to London today, the merchants of lies have been put out of business and Nigerians will not buy the garbage they have been selling. All those who look up to fake news can find better use for their time, Governor Rochas Okorocha was quoted as saying. As the country with Africas biggest population at around 180 million people and one of its most important economies, Nigeria is currently struggling with a range of security and economic problems. Presidential election campaigning in Angola officially started with the participation of six contesting parties, local media reports. The participating political parties include the ruling MPLA led by Joao Lourenco, main opposition UNITA led by Isaias Samakuva, FNLA, PRS, APN and the coalition CASA-CE party. The oil-rich nation has rejected conditions demanded by an EU election observer mission that had been preparing to monitor the election in the country. The European team had called for unfettered access to polling stations across the vast southern African nation during the August 23 vote. Dos Santos is due to step down as president after the polls. The Soviet-trained oil engineer and veteran of the guerrilla war against Portuguese rule has presided over an economic boom in Africas second-biggest oil producer since the end of a long civil war in 2002. But, nothing indicates that the retirement of President Dos Santos will change the established order as his expected successor is Jose Lourenco, the current defense minister. As a reminder, Angolas parliament passed a law on Friday, limiting the powers of the next presidents in matters of security and defense. Backed by a large majority of lawmakers, the new bill sets out limited circumstances in which powerful officials can be removed, including instances of criminal behavior and old age. Ghana Armed Forces now boast the first female Brigadier General in the person of Constance Ama Emefa Edjeani-Afenu, the state-run Daily Graphic newspaper reports. Four decades after entering the army, Constance Ama Emefa Edjeani-Afenu has made history. She has risen through the ranks to become the first female Brigadier-General of the Armed Forces in the West African nations men dominated army. Her appointment to the post was ratified in March 2017, the state-owned Daily Graphic said. Constance Ama Emefa Edjeani-Afenu joined the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in 1978 at the age of 18. She resumes work at the Ministry of Defense this week after serving as the Deputy Military Advisor to Ghanas permanent Mission in New York since 2013. She thanked the entire Armed Forces for her new appointment, but recalled that the welcome to the Military Academy was rude. But I prevailed because I had already made the decision to join the service, she was quoted as saying. Edjeani-Afenu recounts being awarded the most resilient officer award in her graduating class. She joins other top ranking females in the country. Among them, the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, Secretary to Cabinet and the Chief of Staff, positions held by two female first timers. The bombed-out ruins Aleppo, Syria. (Photo: Voice of America) "One knowledgeable official estimates that the CIA-backed fighters may have killed or wounded 100,000 Syrian soldiers and their allies," writes columnist David Ignatius. Given that Syria's prewar population was not 10 percent of ours, this is the equivalent of a million dead and wounded Americans. What justifies America's participation in this slaughter? Columnist Eric Margolis summarizes the successes of the six-year civil war to overthrow President Bashar Assad. "The result of the western-engendered carnage in Syria was horrendous: at least 475,000 dead, 5 million Syrian refugees driven into exile in neighboring states (Turkey alone hosts three million), and another 6 million internally displaced. ... 11 million Syrians ... driven from their homes into wretched living conditions and near famine. "Two of Syria's greatest and oldest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, have been pounded into ruins. Jihadist massacres and Russian and American air strikes have ravaged once beautiful, relatively prosperous Syria. Its ancient Christian peoples are fleeing for their lives before US and Saudi takfiri religious fanatics." Realizing the futility of U.S. policy, President Trump is cutting aid to the rebels. And the War Party is beside itself. Says The Wall Street Journal: "The only way to reach an acceptable diplomatic solution is if Iran and Russia feel they are paying too high a price for their Syria sojourn. This means more support for Mr. Assad's enemies, not cutting them off without notice. And it means building up a Middle East coalition willing to fight Islamic State and resist Iran. The U.S. should also consider enforcing 'safe zones' in Syria for anti-Assad forces." Yet, fighting ISIS and al-Qaida in Syria, while bleeding the Assad-Iran-Russia-Hezbollah victors, is a formula for endless war and unending terrors visited upon the Syrian people. What injury did the Assad regime, in power for half a century and having never attacked us, inflict to justify what we have helped to do to that country? Is this war moral by our own standards? We overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003 and Moammar Gadhafi in 2012. Yet, the fighting, killing and dying in both countries have not ceased. Estimates of the Iraq civilian and military dead run into the hundreds of thousands. Still, the worst humanitarian disaster may be unfolding in Yemen. After the Houthis overthrew the Saudi-backed regime and took over the country, the Saudis in 2015 persuaded the United States to support its air strikes, invasion and blockade. By January 2016, the U.N. estimated a Yemeni civilian death toll of 10,000, with 40,000 wounded. However, the blockade of Yemen, which imports 90 percent of its food, has caused a crisis of malnutrition and impending famine that threatens millions of the poorest people in the Arab world with starvation. No matter how objectionable we found these dictators, what vital interests of ours were so imperiled by the continued rule of Saddam, Assad, Gadhafi and the Houthis that they would justify what we have done to the peoples of those countries? "They make a desert and call it peace," Calgacus said of the Romans he fought in the first century. Will that be our epitaph? Among the principles for a just war, it must be waged as a last resort, to address a wrong suffered, and by a legitimate authority. Deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target. The wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen were never authorized by Congress. The civilian dead, wounded and uprooted in Syria, and the malnourished millions in Yemen, represent a moral cost that seems far beyond any proportional moral gain from those conflicts. In which of the countries we have attacked or invaded in this century Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen are the people better off than they were before we came? And we wonder why they hate us. "Those to whom evil is done/Do evil in return," wrote W. H. Auden in "September 1, 1939." As the peoples of Syria and the other broken and bleeding countries of the Middle East flee to Europe and America, will not some come with revenge on their minds and hatred in their hearts? Meanwhile, as the Americans bomb across the Middle East, China rises. She began the century with a GDP smaller than Italy's and now has an economy that rivals our own. She has become the world's first manufacturing power, laid claim to the islands of the East and South China seas, and told America to keep her warships out of the Taiwan Strait. Xi Jinping has launched a "One Belt, One Road" policy to finance trade ports and depots alongside the military and naval bases being established in Central and South Asia. Meanwhile, the Americans, $20 trillion in debt, running $800 billion trade deficits, unable to fix their health care system, reform their tax code, or fund an infrastructure program, prepare to fight new Middle East war. Whom the Gods would destroy ... The leading Republican candidate for governor and two would-be rivals converged on Bonita Springs this week for the summer conference of Florida sheriffs. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam addressed the group Monday as did House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes. Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, is there Tuesday. So is Gov. Rick Scott as he plots a run for U.S. Senate. Corcoran is one of 21 lawmakers given a "Friend of the Sheriff" award for his support of their agenda. Latvala was one of five "champions" for his support for a prolific juvenile offender law aimed at reducing Pinellas' epidemic of car thefts. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Putnam spoke in support of law enforcement and "it was what you would expect from somebody in his position." Alachua Sheriff Sadie Darnell said Putnam "talked about the grandeur of Florida" in a luncheon speech, and recalled Putnam saying he doesn't want Florida to become like Colorado and California with their tolerance of recreational marijuana use. Both sheriffs said Putnam did not discuss guns, and that the issues of campus carry and open carry didn't come up. The sheriffs' group has opposed open carry and campus carry bills in Tallahassee, though some individual sheriffs are supportive. Putnam last week described "absolutely a pathway" to a form of open carry in Florida, which has the support of the National Rifle Association. For the second straight year, an open carry bill wasa blocked by moderate Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Florida Sheriffs Association cannot endorse candidates, but individual sheriffs can, and in many parts of Florida, sheriffs are the most prominent elected countywide officials. For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page ALERT: Help Mike McGuff fight Alzheimer's disease by donating to his 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer's team Jonathan McDonagh, a 57-year-old computer consultant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave up on statins years ago. He was having trouble remembering people's names. His productivity at work was dropping. But he didn't think that a medicine for his heart health could be fogging up his brain. "I found myself slowly sinking into a sea of troubles," McDonagh wrote in a medical journal in 2014, offering his perspective as a patient. "I didn't connect my problems with the statin." Statins are a group of cholesterol-lowering drug meant to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Over a quarter of Americans over age 40 take them, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research has linked the drugs with a number of side effects, such as muscle pain, increased blood sugar and memory problems. But the majority of patients have no side effects at all. Days after running out of pills and forgetting to refill his prescription, McDonagh felt different. He was more aware of his peripheral vision and could change lanes on the freeway without feeling nervous. "It was pretty dramatic," McDonagh told CNN. So he decided to stop taking the medication altogether. Now a new study, published Monday, follows how patients like him fare after going off these drugs. Researchers studied over 28,000 patients in Massachusetts and found three in 10 stopped taking statins after experiencing side effects, which were presumed to be due to the drugs. Some 8.5% of them had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, within four years -- versus 7.6% of those who continued taking statins. And 6.6% of patients who stopped taking statins died of all causes, versus 5.4% of those who kept taking them. The researchers did not have information on what the causes of death were. Taken together, that's a 1.7% difference in these negative outcomes, the researchers noted. "That's a very significant number," said Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen, who was not involved in the study but penned an accompanying editorial in the same journal. "Those kinds of numbers are typically what we see for very effective therapies." In other words, 59 of these patients would need to continue taking statins for four years to prevent one case of heart attack, stroke or death, Nissen said. Nissen, who has spoken out against statin guidelines in the past, has researched statin alternatives that led to an approval by the US Food and Drug Association. He said he receives research grants, but not personal funds, from pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Alexander Turchin, an author of the new study and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, wasn't surprised by his findings. He said the research fell in line with what we already knew about the benefits of statins. Turchin also receives grants from pharmaceutical companies, but those grants did not fund this new research. One expert questioned whether his findings had much to do with statins at all. "We don't know what (else) was different about the groups," said Dr. Rita Redberg, a professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. Redberg was not involved in Turchin's research. "People that take medicines and are adherent do better than people that don't." For example, those who take medications consistently might also eat better or exercise more, Redberg added. So a "small difference" between the groups "isn't that revealing," she said. Redberg also noted that the study did not separate patients who had already had a heart attack or stroke. She said that there is plenty of good evidence to recommend statins to patients who have had cardiovascular problems, but that there is "little to no benefit" in using statins to prevent a cardiac event in those who haven't had one before. The latter remains a topic of debate. Experts say that McDonagh's experience as a patient is uncommon, but exactly how uncommon is unclear. It is difficult to know whether a reported symptom is truly caused by statins, and many studies do not ask patients about common side effects, according to experts. Roughly one in five patients on statins experienced a side effect, the new study found. This is higher than other studies have estimated, but it could have to do with the way the study was designed, Turchin said. Nissen said that statins have developed a "bad reputation with the public," largely due to websites that peddle scary and unscientific claims about statins. "We have a large number of people in the public that have been convinced by this internet cult that statins are bad for you," said Nissen, who compared the trend to discussions surrounding vaccines and climate change. "How did we get into this kind of a mess?" These claims, Nissen said, could actually increase reported side effects. The more patients are aware -- and perhaps fearful -- of statins and their side effects, the more likely they are to report those side effects. This phenomenon is known as the "nocebo effect," the opposite of the placebo effect. Heavy media coverage of statins may also lead people to stop taking them, according to a study from the UK. However, this effect disappeared after six months. "It's our human nature that we are interested in negative news much more than we're interested in positive news," said study author Turchin, also a practicing endocrinologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. McDonagh is no stranger to confusion over these medications. When he finally connected the dots between his medications and his symptoms, he found other people talking about the same thing online. He said patients may get mixed messages from optimistic doctors, the skeptical internet and even drug commercials, whose fast-talking voiceovers list off side effects. "You've got a very short period of time with the doctors," he told CNN. "The onus is sometimes on the patients to check these things." When patients come to Turchin with side effects, he said they weigh the risks for heart attack and stroke, the severity of their symptoms and how likely it is that those symptoms are due to the statin itself. Some patients may try a different statin. Of the patients who continued taking statins in the new study, nearly two in five changed to a different statin. About a quarter of them reported a side effect on the new statin. "It remains a judgment call," Turchin said. "There's not a perfect algorithm." Realizing that statins wouldn't work for him, McDonagh found the motivation he needed to lose weight. He lost roughly 45 pounds and has kept most of it off. While he acknowledged that statins can be a big benefit to some, he stands by his decision. "I've got no regrets right now," said McDonagh. "I haven't had a heart attack." He quickly added, "If something were to happen, maybe I'd feel different." Saying he was proud of the number of veterans who work for the city, Mayor John Engen accepted an award Sunday on behalf of Missoula designating it a Purple Heart city. I have a big space in my heart for people who select to serve, he said. After giving a similar designation to the University of Montana two years ago, the Montana chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the city began to talk about ways to recognize and support injured combat veterans and how to make use of their experience and skills once theyve come home. Char Gatlin, a retired Army Ranger and Purple Heart recipient who runs the Montana branch, said his organization is all about veterans continuing to work to make their communities a better place. What you will find us doing is walking point, stepping forward and getting it done. Its all about what we can do for you, he said. The city of Missoula has reached out to us and recognized us for what we do and I think its high time we repay the favor. Engen was also given a sign that reserves a parking spot for a Purple Heart recipient. The mayor said he would make sure it was put up downtown. The mayor who noted his father was a World War II veteran said he will be proud to hang the plaque the Military Order of the Purple Heart presented him in his office. Like Char said, what were about is working together. Thank you for being a part of the team that gets things done in Missoula, Montana, he said. Missoula is the first Montana city to receive the Purple Heart designation. Sundays event, held outside Tamarack Brewing Company in downtown Missoula, was also a stop on the Military Order of the Purple Hearts annual Truck Run. To raise awareness for wounded veterans, paralyzed or amputee veterans are driving a mobility-adapted Ford F-150 Raptor truck across the country throughout the summer. At the organizations national convention in Dallas in August, the truck will be given to retired Marine Corps Sgt. Marshall Kennedy, who received a Purple Heart after losing his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011. Missoula police are investigating after a woman was stabbed when two people in masks broke into her home early Sunday. The incident happened around 1:40 a.m. Sunday on the 1300 block of Montana Street, Sgt. Travis Welsh said. The woman was stabbed several times, and Welsh said her injuries are serious but not life-threatening. Money and phones were stolen from the womans home. Welsh said detectives are collecting evidence and investigating the incident. The alleged assailants are believed to be a man and a woman. Welsh said police are following up on all leads, and that its unclear whether the woman and her attackers had any connection. There are indications it may not have been entirely random, Welsh said. A 480-acre solar farm planned for Billings has been dealt some challenging terms by Montanas Public Service Commission. MTSUN solar farm, planned for the hills northwest of Billings, will have to move forward with a 10-year contract and a price of $20 a megawatt hour for its electricity. Montanas PSC finalized the contract and rate last Friday. The solar farms developer, Mark Klein, said the project isnt workable under those terms. Hell have to persuade the PSC to reconsider, or abandon what would be Montanas largest solar project. We certainly cannot move forward at the current rate, or 10 years, Klein said Monday. We disagree with the order and we will do what we have to. We will use all of our resources available to help the commissioners understand that the order as is, doesnt work for us. We are committed to building the project. MTSUN had originally sought a much higher rate based on what it would cost NorthWestern for the energy and capacity. Under federal law to promote development of alternative energy resources, MTSUN qualifies for a contract and a fixed price from the utility. States are required to set a price and contract lengths to promote alternative energy resources under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, which has been on the books since the energy crisis of the 1970s. That law promotes energy conservation, while also encouraging an increase in energy supply, including through renewable energy sources. Energy producers say the short contracts, which the PSC adopted in June, make getting project financing difficult. At 480-acres, MTSUNs 80-megawatt development along Alkali Creek Road would be the largest solar farm in the state, generating enough electricity to power about 14,400 homes. Its to be built on state trust land. Developers signed a lease with the state last September. The project, expected to be operational by the end of 2018, will cost up to $110 million and employ 190 people during its construction. The property taxes in 2019 are expected to be $1.2 million to $1.6 million. The state will receive $240,000 of those taxes, with Yellowstone County getting the rest. The electricity taxes on the property are about $32,000 a year. In an attempt to adapt to significant budget cuts, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is proposing to reduce reimbursements to doctors and others who treat patients on Medicaid by nearly 3.5 percent. Providers say that cut is too severe and an unfair way for the department to put the burden of belt-tightening disproportionately on them. The state legislative committee that oversees the department will file a formal objection to the proposed cuts as well, saying it conflicts with how lawmakers intended the agency make ends meet. The cuts are included in a proposed administrative rule. The health department will hold a hearing on the proposed rule this Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Helena at 111 N. Sanders St. and is meeting with reporters Wednesday to discuss the cuts. The department could have to reduce its budget by $14 million under a law passed by the Legislature this spring requiring mandatory cuts if state revenues came in below what was expected. An announcement is expected Tuesday on how severe cuts will be, but estimates show the state is down $65 million from projected revenue and agencies are preparing for the steepest level of reductions. In a separate bill setting the agencys budget, lawmakers also cut nearly $93 million because of less money flowing into the state from natural resource production. The health department administers Medicaid payments in the state. Payments come from a mix of federal and state funds. Medical professionals and service providers who care for people with Medicaid have long said the amount they are reimbursed, which is lower than what is paid by private insurance, is not sufficient. No one expected this would come out of the providers budgets, said Joshua Kendrick, chief executive officer for Opportunity Resources, which works with people who have disabilities. Kendricks agency would lose $400,000 under the proposed rule, which could result in cutting jobs, he said Monday. The cut would spread across a broad variety of providers who serve children and adults and would include almost all services covered under Medicaid. Mental health services and assistance for those with disabilities are also affected. The proposed rule affects about 261,160 Montanans on Medicaid in addition to the providers who will get less money for services they perform. Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Indian Health Services and some tribal facilities are not included in the rate cuts. Reimbursement rates would go down for physicians, outpatient services, rural critical access hospitals, dialysis, drug reimbursement, dental care, vaccines, home infusion therapy services, screenings and services for infants and babies, midwives, ambulance services, audiology services, occupational, physical and speech therapists, optometrists, chiropractors and lab and imaging fees and more. Care for the elderly would be hit, including hospice, home health services and personal assistance services. About 7,600 Montanans received those services last year. This was really unexpected, Kendrick said. Everything we read in (the Senate bill) talked about the chance of a half-percent or 1 percent cut. So when 3.47 percent came out across all the services, we were really shocked. It was really unexpected. We were blindsided. Sen. Mary Caferro, a Democrat from Helena and chair of the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee that has oversight of the department, said Monday a majority of committee members will object to the rule at a meeting in September. We would like to have the opportunity to get clarity on these cuts from DPHHS and also to hear from Montanans as to their impact, Caferro said. Rep. Jon Knokey, a Bozeman Republican on the committee, opposes the rule. Very simply, absolutely unequivocally, this is not in line with the spirit of Senate Bill 261 (the bill calling for cuts) or House Bill 2 (the state budget bill). There is incredibly bipartisan support within the Legislature this is not at all what we intended. At a committee hearing in June, Bob Olsen, chief executive officer of the Montana Hospital Association, said the cuts are being unfairly put on providers. Im afraid its coming back to, When in doubt, just cut the provider rates, and it puts the onus on us both to bear the entire burden of the reductions, he said. The department is also making several other changes to meet the cuts. That includes ending before it even got started a program meant to open up 200 beds in nursing homes, ending the contract with the insurance company that administers Medicaid expansion, and a 0.5 percent reduction in general funds. Cuts would also lower the budget for targeted case management services by $1 million and cut a position from the three-person board that monitors state-run mental health programs like the Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs. The Legislature also approved a pay raise for direct care workers, which is unlikely to take place under the reductions. TARKIO Its no comfort to the people of Mineral County, but their fire is No. 2 in the nation. The National Interagency Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., on Monday bumped up the Northern Region to top priority status and the Sunrise fire burning 11 miles southeast of Superior to the second-highest priority among all fires burning in the United States. Residents and owners of 50 structures on three sides of the Sunrise fire were on standby evacuation status Monday afternoon as west winds kicked up into a red flag warning. Ground crews were pulled off ridgetop attack points earlier in the day. Right now its smoky and you cant see the resources on the ground, which means they cant see the aircraft above them, said Shawn Pearson, incident commander of the Sunrise fire and the smaller Burdette fire 11 miles to the east. The two grew to 1,370 acres and 540 acres, respectively, in steep, hard-to- access country overnight from Sunday to Monday. The Sunrise fire was a little over a mile from several houses on Quartz Creek to the west, with one key ridge between them, Pearson said. Crews finished plumbing homes on Quartz Creek on Sunday and on Sunrise Creek on the Superior side Monday afternoon, then moved north toward the Clark Fork River and Quartz Flats. Sprinklers and porta-tanks of 5,000 and 6,000 gallons of water were engaged and filled at each home site. Its a full suppression fire. We were given our walking orders. If we can get it out, they want it out, Pearson said. In the last two days weve received a lot of stuff. Two 20-man teams, one a Hotshot crew from Helena and the other a Hotshot crew in training from New Mexico, arrived Monday to join the Tatanka Hotshots from South Dakota, whose time ends Tuesday. We have a standing order for more, said information officer Jill Cobb. A Type I Sikorsky helicopter arrived at noon as attention shifted from the Quartz Creek side to the Sunrise and Quartz Flats sides due to a change in the wind. Both sides were susceptible as the winds again shifted from the southwest to the west later in the day. Gusts of up to 30 mph sent smoke billowing down the Clark Fork valley to the Ninemile and Jocko/Rattlesnake. Meanwhile, smoke from the 750-acre Lolo Peak fire, still burning mostly within the northern boundary of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, filled the lower Bitterroot and Sapphire Range with smoke. Only the Lodgepole Complex Fire south of the Missouri River Breaks near Jordan was commanding more resources than the Sunrise and Burdette fires in Mineral County. That fire was approaching 300,000 acres on Monday with at least 22 structures lost. (See related story.) Mineral County issued a Stage 2 evacuation notice for residents of Sunrise and Quartz Flats, after residents in Quartz Creek received the same notice over the weekend. Stage 2 means that residents should be ready to evacuate quickly if conditions worsen. Stage 3 means its time to go. Pearson, whose Type 2 Incident Management team took over early Sunday from a Type 3 team from Missoula, said the Sunrise fire is burning in rugged country. The problem were having is access, trying to get up this terrible road and trying to get up on top early in the morning, he said. From the standpoint of the firefighters, its getting the heavy equipment out in front of them, so we can use those nippers, those dozers, the grapple skidders to get that fuel out of the way so crews can come in behind them because it is such nasty country. Rock Creek fires: Goat Creek, Little Hogback and Sliderock fires to the east of Rock Creek Road all had increased activity when the winds arrived Monday, though it was due more to the change of direction than wind intensity, according to information officer Gregg DeNitto. A fourth fire commanded attention to the west of the creek in the Sapphire Mountains. Flames were detected Sunday afternoon near Cinnabar Point in the Welcome Creek Wilderness. Smokejumpers attacked the fire on Monday, and heavy air tankers and single-engine planes made water drops. "It's not controlled at this point but it looks like we'll catch it before it gets very large," DiNitto said. A "soft" road closure of Rock Creek Road and evacuation and pre-evacuation notices remained in place. Clinton and Missoula rural fire departments joined state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and U.S. Forest Service crews to keep the Goat Creek fire in check. It has topped 1,300 acres. The Little Hogback is now over 2,100 acres, and the Sliderock was closing in on 400 acres. A minor structure was destroyed Sunday in the Sliderock fire, the first such loss in any of the western Montana fires. A Hotshot crew was working to protect communications equipment at an electronics site shared by Granite and Missoula counties. Lolo Peak fire: More resources were due to arrive on the South Fork of Lolo Creek to help build fire line on the Lolo Peak fire, burning directly west of the peak. The plan Monday was to construct line from the South Fork west to Elk Meadows. Were still kind of scrounging for equipment with a filler buncher, skidder and pretty much some kind of big iron task force on order, information officer Mike Cole said. The fire on Sunday reached the top of the Bitterroot divide and helicopter water drops worked Monday to keep it from spotting over to the Bitterroot Valley side, Cole said. Actually, in some places theres still some snow if we could get it herded into the snowbank, Cole said. That was kind of crazy when I heard them say that. As of Monday morning, 106 firefighters were on the Lolo Peak fire. Fire managers on Monday raised fire danger in Missoula County to extreme, just a week after raising it from high to very high. On Tuesday, Missoula County commissioners are expected to approve an emergency proclamation to impose Stage 2 fire restrictions, prohibiting all fires and the operation of welding or acetylene torches with an open flame; limiting smoking to enclosed vehicles or buildings; and the operation of motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails. Stage 2 restrictions will be in place at 12:01 a.m. Thursday in Ravalli County and the Bitterroot National Forest. The restrictions come as numerous fires continue to burn in the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains, and after a spark from a swather appears to have caused a small fire near Stevensville Saturday afternoon. Its hot and dry out there, and its only July, said Tyson Chambers, Stevensvilles rural fire assistant chief. Were kind of afraid of what August might bring. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy The Missoulians July 20 editorial against Marsys Law seeks to justify what must be an uncomfortable position. After all, the Missoulian is part of a lawsuit seeking to take away the civil rights of crime victims that an overwhelming majority of Montana voters passed. Its clear the editorial board has not given a close reading to Marsys Law. Had they given its plain language more consideration, they wouldnt have committed so many factual errors, and perhaps theyd realize their fears are overblown. The Missoulian writes: the new law directly violates the rights of those accused of crimes, such as the right to face ones accuser in court. Thats completely false. Nothing in Marsys Law denies to a defendant the right to face ones accuser in court. Indeed, it could not since that right, the right to confront the witnesses against you is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. They write that the initiative would change multiple sections of the Montana Constitution. Again, false. Marsys Law added one new section to the Montana Constitution without modifying any other sections. Nothing in Marsys Law denies the right of the public to participate in the justice system. Courts in Montana remain open in criminal cases. Cases are presided over by the publics judges, prosecuted by the publics prosecutors, and those accused are still defended by lawyers, many of whom are publicly funded. Nothing in Marsys Law denies to anyone a right to know, unless the Missoulian thinks it has a right under any circumstances to publish the name of a rape victim, regardless of the damage that might do. Or the name of a molested child. Or the address of a battered woman trying to hide from her attacker. Marsys Law says simply that the victim has a right: to prevent the disclosure of information that could be used to locate or harass the victim or that contains confidential or privileged information about the victim. From that one sentence, the Missoulian extrapolates to far-fetched conclusions. And what about the claim that distant relatives and friends must be treated as victims. Here are the actual words of the definition: "Victim means a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of a crime. (And) includes: a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, sibling, grandchild, or guardian of the victim; (or) a person with a relationship to the victim that is substantially similar to a relationship described (above)... These are not distant relatives and friends. These are folks who are affected directly along with the crime victim. And all they get is reasonable notice if they ask for it. Why would the Missoulian deny this to these folks? They demand to know every detail of a case so they can print it in the newspaper, while at the same time they would deny basic information to the parents of a murdered child, or the husband or sister of a rape victim. For the first time in our history the rights of the victim will be secured in the Constitution. Defendants long have had constitutional rights in Montana, as it should be, but crime victims never have had them. Montanans recognized the fundamental unfairness of that imbalance and passed Marsys Law to fix it. The Missoulian is asking for a retreat back to the days when victims were treated as nothing more than a piece of evidence in a criminal case. The opponents of Marsys Law have grossly overblown their claims. But dont take my word for it, and dont take theirs go read Marsys Law for yourself and decide if the plain language matches what youve heard from the news media. Hot summer days across the country have contributed to 25 child heatstroke deaths so far this year from children left alone in a vehicle. Since 1998, more than 700 children across the United States have died from heatstroke when unattended in a vehicle. National Heatstroke Prevention Day falls on July 31, and Safe Kids Missoula wants to increase awareness to help parents, caregivers and the community protect children from vehicular heatstroke. Heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children in the United States. It occurs when a childs body is unable to cool itself quickly enough, leading to the body temperature rising to dangerous levels. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adults. A car can heat up 19 degrees in 10 minutes, and leaving a window partially open doesnt help. Heatstroke can happen anytime, anywhere even in cooler temperatures. We can all help to prevent child vehicular heatstroke deaths by remembering to ACT: A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. It is also important to make sure that you keep vehicles locked when not in use so children cannot gain access. Approximately 28 percent of child vehicular heatstroke deaths occur when a child is playing in an unattended vehicle. C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if youre not following your normal routine. T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 9-1-1. Emergency personnel are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life. For more information on preventing child heatstroke deaths, please visit www.noheatstroke.org and www.safekids.org/heatstroke. Wildfire burning near Philipsburg Firefighters on Monday continued to battle two lightning-caused wildfires southwest of Philipsburg. The Whetstone Ridge fire is listed at 1,504 acres with 34 people fighting the blaze. Structures were assessed for protection in Frog Pond Basin. The Meyers Fire, also in the area, about 25 miles south of town, was listed 895 acres and has about 40 people on scene. The fires are burning in a remote area. Details: inciweb.nwcg.gov. Anaconda veteran to be honored ANACONDA Family, friends, and AREA veterans will gather to honor the memory of Vietnam veteran Dennis Mike Burt, U. S. Army, at 6 p.m. Friday, July 28, at the Benny Goodman Park Pavilion in Anaconda. Details: 406-560-5590 or 406-560-6416. Bingo night featured at KC Hall The Focus Recovery Group is hosting a fundraising bingo night at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 224 W. Park St. The evening includes 10 games of bingo, two specials, and blackout. The cost is $5 a packet, $1 for specials. Sisters to perform in recital Sisters Janette Reget of Butte and Mary Lilljiqvist of Todi, Italy, are performing a free vocal/piano recital at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the parish hall of St. John's Episcopal Church. The duo will perform music by Puccini, Floyd, Mahler, and American composer John Duke. Butte Symphony to play at Original Symphony Under the Silver Screen will be at 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Original Mine yard. The free concert with the Butte Symphony features two silent movies: "Pedigreedy" with Felix the Cat and the comedy "Dog Shy". The orchestra will also play selections from "Mississippi Suite" by Grofe and other movie music. Animal control impounds listed These animals have been picked up by Butte Animal Control. Details: Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter at 406-497-6528, or stop by between 1 and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Dogs: Fourteen-year-old male beagle cross, tri-color, picked up Monday at Cobban and Farragut Three-year-old white and gray terrier, picked up Monday on corner of Iron and Aluminum Seven-month-old male Labrador cross, yellow and white, picked up Friday on the 2900 block of South Montana Ten-year-old female Labrador cross, black with gray, picked up Thursday near Three Bears Eleven-year-old neutered male Labrador cross, yellow with white, picked up Thursday near Three Bears Cats: Adult male shorthaired, dilute tabby, picked up Friday on Laird Street in Ramsay Four-year-old neutered male shorthaired, buff, picked up Friday on the 800 block of South Main Two-year-old female shorthaired; black, brown, and white tiger; picked up Thursday on Sheridan Avenue Three-year-old shorthaired Siamese, lilac point, picked up July 17 on Dewey Boulevard James McMurtrys fans range from John Mellencamp, who co-produced his first record, to author Stephen King who said McMurtry may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation. McMurtry also has plenty of Montana fans, one who even brought him a horse to ride after his set at Red Ants Pants Festival. McMurtry is returning to White Sulphur Springs to perform at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. He plays four shows in Montana, starting on July 28 at the Big Sky PBR Rodeo at Town Center Park. The other performances are in Bozeman and Whitefish. Famously political and the son of literary royalty (Pulitzer-prize winner Larry McMurtry), he got his first guitar at age 7 and his mother taught him how to play it. His songs are gritty and character driven, kind of like his dad's most famous work, Lonesome Dove. McMurtry performed as one of the Randy brothers in the mini-series based on the book. "I worked as a non-descript cowboy moving steers back and forth. I knew how to make cows go." McMurtry said he follows John Lennons lead on songwriting: You put words together and see if they mean anything. His cell phone becomes his lyric notebook when he's traveling and McMurtry said he is inspired by his "fear of not having a job." Sometimes his notes make sense later and sometimes they don't. Either way, they might turn into a song. The songs have a seed. The seed can be a couple of lines in a melody. Maybe it can be a character. If I push to flush the character out, maybe Ill get a story. Most of my songs are fiction, sometimes its a play on words or playing opposites, or playing with melody and groove. McMurtry and his band, Westbound and Down, are touring the country in support of his latest LP, Complicated Game, which takes listeners on a dusty road trip. The new songs are about relationships and the big old world verses the poor little farmer or fisherman, McMurtry said. Its a theme the crowd at Red Ants Pants can undoubtedly relate to. After revenues came in $75 million lower than projected, the state Tuesday announced severe cuts that will deeply affect the way government serves Montanans, including lost jobs and reduced or terminated programs. About 20 people will lose their full or part-time jobs and many unfilled posts will remain that way. Other cuts include pulling about half the money in the state fire fund out to beef up reserves and ending a contract with the insurance company that administers Medicaid expansion. The Montana State Historical Society and the state library also saw their budgets gutted, which will result in a vast drop in services. Dan Villa, Gov. Steve Bullocks budget director, met with reporters to discuss the cuts, which are required under a law passed during the this years Legislative session. The governor has long insisted on an unofficial rainy-day fund to tap in case of emergency. Lawmakers established such a reserve fund this year, but it was designed to build up during years with faster-than-expected growth. With no money yet in the fund, budget shortfalls can only be managed with cuts. In case that happened, legislators and the governors office negotiated pulling money away from state programs whose funding could be redirected to patch holes in the broader budget. State agencies were told to prepare for severe cuts and were asked to send the governor's office the measures they would take to comply. House Appropriations Chairwoman Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, said Villa briefed her about the cuts and generally thought they matched legislative intent. She described the third tier of cuts, in particular, as non-essential services. The library, Historical Society, promotions for tourism, agricultural marketing. Those to me are much different than funding schools or funding Medicaid," she said. Villa said the deep cuts could have been avoided if Republicans were willing to pass revenue measures like increasing the tobacco tax and closing tax loopholes for corporations. It means theyve made the decision to implement cuts, Villa said. Now its unclear how the state could see revenue growth if Republicans maintain a majority in the 2019 Legislature and again reject a budget from the governors office that will likely include tax increases. We left $300 million in the bank. We called on the Legislature to implement the best financial practices, Villa said. Really at this point the voters need to speak. Outside organizations echoed Villa in pointing a finger at the Legislature. "This latest round of cuts come on top of already deep budgetary cuts that will devastate the services that many Montana families rely upon and, in many instances, put more pressure on communities and local property taxpayers to pick up the tab," said Heather OLoughlin, co-director of the Montana Budget and Policy Center. "The Legislature had a choice. Instead of asking the super wealthy and multinational corporations to pay their fair share, a majority of legislators chose to cut life-saving services for older Montanans and people with disabilities and to ask middle-class families to pay more for college." If all the taxes proposed by the governors office at the start of the session -- such as increasing the tobacco tax, upping taxes on the most wealthy Montanans, altering the capital gains credit, eliminating the so-called Waters Edge corporate tax loophole, bumping up a tax on alcohol and changing taxes on wealthy estates -- an estimated $204 million in revenues could have been generated. Ballance defended the hard line against tax increases held by most Republicans. From my perspective, tax increases that go on forever for something that looks like a short-term problem is not the right answer, she said. I would always take the spending cuts first. Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas, R-Stevensville, reframed the governor's tax increases as hitting poor Montanans hardest rather than the wealthy, pointing to a hard-fought legislative battle over an increase to the cigarette tax. "The fact is their No. 1 priority was to raise taxes on the poor in the state," he said. "They got that cigarette tax out of the Senate and into the House. That was their main priority. It would have raised taxes on the poor that smoke to the same level of our state income tax of 6.9 percent." Thomas also zeroed in on cuts within the Department of Public Health and Human Services, including Medicaid provider rate reductions, as proof of the Democratic governor's priorities. It also reflects a conservative view within the GOP that state government is too big. "The bureaucracy will decide not to reduce its costs and will take it out on the public who's getting less services," Thomas said. "The governor can focus these cuts where he wants to." Senate Finance Chairman Llew Jones, R-Conrad, was less critical of the governor's cut choices than Thomas, saying painful reductions are unavoidable. "They're working hard to make it fit within a difficult situation. I'm certain that I would have made different choices but I would have gotten the same pushback," he said, noting he shares Thomas' concerns about cuts to health and social services that could affect clients. "Government spends in three major areas and a bunch of minor ones: health and human services, education and corrections. That's 80 percent of our state fund spending. To think we cannot impact those areas somewhat when our revenues decline to this level is unrealistic." Ballance and Jones suggested the triggered cuts might not have been necessary at all if it weren't for ongoing federal discussions of tax reform. They said states around the country have seen collections decline from personal income and corporate gains taxes as financial advisers recommend that their clients delay reporting a year to see if President Donald Trump will make good on a promise to reduce those federal tax rates. "We should see a bump in calendar year 2018 when that is reported," Jones said. Whatever the cause, some state programs will be hit harder than others by the cuts. An expected $30 million will be taken from the state fire fund, out of roughly $65 million in the reserve, even as Bullock over the weekend issued an executive order declaring a fire emergency. John Tubbs, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said last week there could still be enough left in the fund to pay for this summers blazes. But a dry spring and hot summer have made for an active fire year, including one complex the size of New York City burning and barely contained in eastern Montana. The fire fund was established after an especially bad fire year hit state finances hard and forced legislators to return in a special session. That year, 2013, the cost of fighting fires exceeded $71 million. Other years, like 2015, have been more mild, with costs at $7.4 million. An average year runs about $22 million. DNRC has spent $18.8 million on firefighting so far this year, Tubbs said Tuesday. General fund reductions will most readily impact DNRCs water resources and forestry divisions, Tubbs said. For example, a drought task force cut means a position will not be filled, and an update to the states drought response plan goes on the back burner. More than $500,000 in general fund reduction and pay raises amount to about a 7 percent vacancy savings, with duties spread to other employees, Tubbs said. We will provide the requirements of statute but we will not do the level of work with the public as we otherwise would, he said, adding that the agency is trying to minimize the impact to the public. Montana State Library will reduce services for vision-impaired people who use the Talking Book Library to read books and access important documents. A 5 percent reduction at each state agency and 6 percent vacancy savings already requires the library to make $309,178 in cuts each year of the biennium. On top of that, this year the library will be forced to make $681,000 in reductions. The library approved a plan to close a reading room to save $100,000 in rent per year. The agency will lose 12 of 44 positions, including elimination of the Talking Book Librarys director and one of the reading advisers. The advisers build relationships with patrons, make recommendations for people who cant traditionally browse aisles of book, and help choose the 7,000 books sent out each week. In terms of our ability to provide that level of contact, that will be impacted, Jennie Stapp, the state librarian, said. The Montana Historical Society released a plan in mid-July to reduce its budget by 16 percent. The $600,000 per year in cuts triggered by a shortage of revenue is in addition to cuts already established by the Legislature for $400,000. The plan released by executive director Bruce Whittenberg would go into effect on Aug. 18. A total of 24 staff members would be asked to retire, reduce hours or see a change in responsibilities. The plan eliminates eight full or part-time positions. Program offerings will also be scaled back, including no guided tours of the Capitol building, no public programming on Thursdays, shorter hours and fee increases for certain services. Each state agency will be responsible for making a 0.5 percent reduction out of its general budget. While legislators originally set aside $22 million to provide state employees with a 1 percent pay raise in February 2018 and a second one a year later, the fourth level of cuts requires agencies to absorb the first year of pay raises within existing resources for a total of $7.6 million. Public schools will see their funding reduced by $19 million over the biennium. All of the $3.1 million appropriated for data achievement payments, which go toward any operational costs, will be eliminated completely. A new appropriation of $500,000 for secondary vocational education will also be cut. Schools will lose a state payment of $2.8 million in combined fund block grants, but schools could strategically shift money and levy their local tax bases to make up the difference. A memo sent to schools by the Office of Public Instruction regarding SB261 says everyone should be aware that similar reductions will occur in fiscal year 2019 regardless of what happens with revenues. The memo also says a $5.8 million Natural Resource Development K-12 Facilities payment will be canceled in fiscal year 2019. A new law taking effect in 2019 will allow districts to levy up to 10 mills and get some matching state funding, if available, from the facilities payment. The Department of Public Health and Human Services, the largest agency in the state, could lose about $14 million this year from its two-year budget of just over $1 billion. It will have to terminate its agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana to administer Medicaid expansion, as well as end a program that would have created 200 more nursing home openings to help reduce a waiting list of more than 500. Programs that help manage the cases of adults and children with severe health issues will see a $1 million drop in funding, and the state watchdog group that monitors institutions like the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs will lose one of its three employees. In a cut providers are calling unexpected and unfair, the health department also proposes to pass on some of the burden to Medicaid service providers in the form of a 3.47 percent decrease in the rate they are reimbursed. A hearing on this proposal set for Thursday is expected to be contentious. Decisions about what to cut have been simple at some of the states smallest agencies. We have a really tight budget. There are not a lot of choices, Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan said. The office tasked with ensuring political campaigns follow disclosure laws and investigating ethics complaints about executive branch employees will leave its only investigator position unfilled for several months and cut contracting spending on maintenance for its databases that make information available to the public. One position will be cut from the Department of Agriculture, which also will cut its general fund spending on marketing by half. The Department of Corrections will cut nearly $3 million from its budget over two years. It will do that through 0.5 percent reductions in its contracts with pre-release and treatment centers, as well as the prison in Shelby. The Department of Commerce will cut money for the Native Language Preservation program by $250,000, as well as reduce support for grants it administers. The Department of Military Affairs will delay hiring, maintenance and updating equipment. The VA program will reduce its outreach and travel. The Department of Labor and Industry anticipates having to leave positions open in the Human Rights Bureau. The Department of Justice avoids significant cuts because most of its programs are paid for by special revenues, such as vehicle registration fees. Most its reductions will focus on non-essential costs, like sending investigators or prosecutors to conferences or non-critical training. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will not be impacted by the latest cuts as nearly all of its funding comes from license sales and federal excise taxes on firearms and fishing equipment. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality does not expect unmanageable cuts from Tuesdays general fund cut less than $100,000 over the biennium but faces other revenue challenges. Director Tom Livers said about 8 percent of DEQs budget is general fund, which may mean keeping some positions open longer. His main concern centers on the cumulative effects with other potential cuts in revenue from extractive industries and uncertainty about federal funding from EPA and the Department of the Interior. This story will be updated. Watch reporters @eeloranger, @hollykmichels and @JaymeKFraser on Twitter for updates. Thousands of the Red Ants Pants Festival faithful and many newcomers will gather in White Sulphur Springs this weekend to hear music, cheer for their favorite beards or try their hand at yoga or the crosscut saw. Now in its seventh year, the festival kicks off Thursday with a street dance in downtown White Sulphur Springs. The music starts at the festival grounds on Friday with Tom Chacon performing at 3:30 p.m. and Turnpike Troubadours closing down the night with their set starting at 10 p.m. Three-day passes are $150 at the gate and single-day tickets are $60 at the gate. Lucinda Williams finishes the show on the main stage on Saturday at 10 p.m. and the Bellamy Brothers wrap up the festival with a 4:30 p.m. performance on Sunday. Known for combining world-class music with down-home fun, the Red Ants Pants Festival relies on 220 volunteers and 85 staff members to put it on each year. Community groups raise money pitching in to do things like fill gopher holes with rocks and pick up trash after it's over. Founder Sarah Calhoun has many memorable moments from the festival. One of them was watching musician James McMurtry ride into the sunset after his performance when a friend surprised him with horses on the grounds. Those special memories remind Calhoun why she keeps putting on the festival. The first year someone snapped a picture of two guys standing up front of the stage having a beer with their backs to the camera. One guys shirt said Save the planet and the other guys shirt said Pave the Planet. Thats the magic of this event. That experience is happening 100 times every year. The festival has become a major fundraiser for many groups in White Sulphur Springs and Meagher County. This year, the White Sulphur Springs Senior Class will raise money by washing cars for folks leaving the festival, eager to clear off three days of dust. The library will host its annual book sale and the White Sulphur Springs Historical Association will host a craft sale. I like hosting and bringing people together, small or large scale. There is a collective power in that, Calhoun said. What I am finding is that people are wanting to be part of something worthwhile. Calhoun has said that she came to White Sulphur Springs, drawn by the late Ivan Doigs iconic Montana memoir, This House of Sky. She grew up on a farm in Connecticut and earned a degree in environmental studies before moving to Bozeman in 2004. Calhoun moved to White Sulphur Springs in 2005 and in 2006 she started her business Red Ants Pants, specializing in making work pants that fit women. Proceeds from the festival go to the Red Ants Pants Foundation in support of womens leadership, rural communities and working Montana family ranches. The local businesses have seen an uptick since the festival began in 2010. Bryan Stidham, assistant manager of the Exxon Convenience Store in White Sulphur Springs, said hes noticed more tourists coming to town, not just in July for the festival, but throughout the year. Weve been discovered, Stidham said. The population of White Sulphur Springs grows from 900 to 10,000 when the festival takes place, Stidham said. Its pretty crazy, he said. Ive met people from as far away as New York and Texas, and a lot of people come down from Canada. Theyve all been pretty nice. Michelle Walker, who runs the town's Branding Iron Cafe with her husband J.D., said she attends the festival every year. I like all sorts of music. Its always fun to see musicians you dont really know. Sarah has done a really good job picking bands, Walker said. Her best advice is for folks to come relax and enjoy the scene. "It's something everyone should do at least once; it truly is a unique experience," Walker said. NOTICE: TO BE CLEAR: WE HAVE OUTLINED UNDER OUR RECORD MAINTENANCE POLICY WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE A FAIR PROCESS FOR ALL. SIMPLY PUT: IF THE COURT SAW FIT TO EXPUNGE YOUR RECORD,SO WILL WE, FREE OF CHARGE. ARRESTS DO NOT IMPLY GUILT AND CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE MERELY ACCUSATIONS,EVERYONE IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW AND CONVICTED. FCRA DISCLAIMER: MUGSHOTS.COM DOES NOT PROVIDE CONSUMER REPORTS AND IS NOT A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY. 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WE BELIEVE IN THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO PUBLISH UNPOPULAR SPEECH. OPEN RECORD LAWS WERE WRITTEN TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC; BY INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF ARRESTS AND TO HOLD LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ARRESTEES. MOST OF, IF NOT ALL MUGSHOT LAWS WERE CRAFTED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM FEES FOR REMOVAL OF ONLINE MUGSHOTS AND TO FURTHER PROTECT THE PRESS FROM THOSE VERY SAME "MUGSHOT LAWS".WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR REMOVAL OF ARREST INFORMATION AND/OR BOOKING PHOTOGRAPHS. MORE... MUSCATINE Three Muscatine men have been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Monday in United States District Court, Aron Gaytan, 22, was sentenced to 216 months in prison, Patrick Jay Plank, 51, was sentenced to 120 months, and Robert Owen Knapp, 25, was sentenced to 80 months. On Feb. 13, Knapp pleaded guilty and was found responsible for distributing about 300 grams of ice methamphetamine. Plank pleaded guilty Feb. 17 for distributing one kilogram of meth and on Feb. 22, Gaytan was found responsible for distributing eight kilograms, according to a press release. Law enforcement seized about 1.5 kilograms of meth, 2.5 kilograms of marijuana, 27 grams of cocaine, 28 firearms and $5,184. The charges resulted from the execution of multiple search warrants in Muscatine and Johnson counties. Each man will be required to serve five years of supervised release following their imprisonment. Sarah Ritter COLUMBUS JUNCTION Tony Humiston got a rare treat on Monday morning he got to raise the U.S and Iowa state flags over the Louisa County Fairgrounds. Usually, fair association board members wait to raise the flag until a day or so before the festival begins, but this year, the board bought new flags. Humiston, the fair association president, got to raise them over the grounds, ahead of what would be the fairs 125th anniversary. For more than a century, the Louisa County Fair has been an annual celebration of rural life. The fair has always been important, said Kathy Vance, of the Louisa County ISU Extension and Outreach office. A fair is an opportunity for people wherever they live to show and to celebrate their lives. So you bring the vegetables that you grow; you bring the animals that you raise; and you show off the businesses of the community and you get together. Though social media is a place where people gather to share ideas, Vance said, the fair is a place where people can meet their neighbors face-to-face. Children in 4-H display about 200 exhibits, including photography, robotics and more, along with about 175 animals at each fair. Community members bring more than 1,000 open exhibits, including antiques, canned products and baked goods. The need to connect with neighbors over facets of rural life hasnt changed since the fair began in 1892. According to Century of Progress, a book compiled for the fairs 100th anniversary, that first fair grew out of Columbus Junctions need for a gathering of some importance. Wapello had been recently awarded the county seat, and Columbus Junction residents agitated for a fair. In 1891, they formed the Columbus Junction Agricultural Society, setting the date of the first fair to the following fall. They leased about 80 acres of land from the city, constructing a one-mile race track they believed was the finest in the state. They added buildings and shaded trees, spending more than $5,000 on the fairgrounds. At the first fairs, local farmers presented their vegetables, fruit and animals for all to see. Today, some of the displays are reserved for burgeoning farmers: 4-H and FFA members from around the county. A Muscatine Journal reporter visiting one of these first fairs wrote that the fair drew a mass of humanity to that little burg. Thousands came to see the races, but also to examine the cattle, hog and fowl pens, each of which contains the most magnificent specimen of beast or fowl. Friendly rivalry between neighboring towns fueled the fair back then, said Susan Pretz, secretary and treasurer of the fair association. You wanted the biggest potato, and you could say, Im from Columbus Junction and I beat the people from Wapello and Letts this year, she said. Back then, competitions between the towns was really important. Perhaps to the dismay of those original founders, the residents of Wapello hosted the fair once, after a storm flooded the grounds the Friday before the fair in 1993. Janet Pretz, who was secretary and treasurer at the time, remembers sitting in a meeting at the fairgrounds when it started raining. An earlier storm had flooded the grounds and the fair committee had just finished cleaning up when the Friday storm hit. We were trying to decide.It was a big discussion, what do we do? she said. When it started raining, we said, theres our answer, and it went to Wapello. The board decided to hold an abbreviated fair in Wapello that year, canceling some of the static displays and the concerts. (Wapello residents) were very generous with their buildings that year, she said, adding that the fair took over several public buildings in Wapello. Since then, the city had built a taller levy, decreasing the frequency of flooding at the fairgrounds. And on Wednesday morning, rain or shine, the 125th fair will take begin in Columbus Junction, as the original organizers intended. Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] 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 [] Kenyans and foreign visitors will now be able to fly to the Northern parts of Kenya after President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the newly built Isiolo International Airport. The Sh 2.5 billion ultra-modern airport is a part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project. The airport is expected to boost transportation and market for miraa, beef and fresh produce exports from Kenyas Northern and Eastern regions. Speaking at the launch on Sunday, President Kenyatta said the airport will also open up the Northern tourism belt to increase the number of tourists and boost the economy for the benefit of the residents. This airport is a catalyst to economic development that will come with the expansion of tourism and creation of quality job opportunities, President Kenyatta said. He said the airport will open up access to the beautiful Northern Kenya tourism attractions, which include eco-tourism, rich cultural heritage, national reserves, private ranches, wildlife conservancies and anticipated the resort city. The airport, which is located in Isiolo County with half of the runway extending to Meru County, covers an area of 329.76 hectares and is elevated 3501 feet above sea level. Its runway is 1.4 km long with a new apron measuring 150m by 75m long and 23m width that can handle 6 Code C Aircrafts. Its passenger terminal building has a throughput capacity of 125,000 passengers annually with a floor area of 5000 square metres while its passengers terminal car park has a capacity to accommodate 200 cars. The terminal building amenities include 9 check-in counters (domestic and international), a VIP lounge, restaurants, duty free shops, banking facilities, forex bureaus, airline front offices and shops. President Kenyatta was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto and other dignitaries. The photos Born to Otto Bottolfson and his wife Anna (Anderson), September 26, 1924 in Harrington, Cedar County, Nebraska. Madeline (known as Keg for most of her life) was the tenth of fourteen born, and last surviving child of the Otto Bottolfson Family. She graduated with honors from Wynot High School, Class of 1942, receiving an Honor Scholarship to Norfolk Junior College. Madeline married Vernon Issac Newton in South Sioux City, Iowa, January 13, 1945 and moved out to Roseberg, Oregon for Vern to work in logging. It was there where their only son, Billy Dean, was born on December 30, 1946. They brought him home to a tent cabin and lived there until returning back to the place she would always call home, Wynot, Nebraska, to be with their large extended families. In 1947, Keg and Vern joined many of their siblings who migrated to California. The couple lived their Napa life together in the country on Biava Lane, only three miles from town, she was frequently fond of saying. She moved into town at 91, next door to her grand-daughter, for more support from the family. Keg worked the Napa Valley harvests of prunes, apples, peaches and walnuts. In her middle years she worked, along side her sister in law cleaning for families at Silverado Country Club. She was a skilled seamstress and enjoyed kitting, crocheting, tatting and crafting. A family favorite was her raspberry jam made from berries she grew; the last jars were given as Christmas gifts before she moved into town. Keg was a saver of many things, as were most who lived through the depression era. It was amazing to see what she had collected over the years; from Bills first lost tooth, to school reports, drawings, newspaper clippings and holiday cards. She always wanted to lend a hand and was never afraid of hard work. She enjoyed offering her assistance with folding laundry, doing dishes, sweeping the floor or making a meal all but the dusting, she used to say that was her least favorite chore. She made what most today consider hard work look easy! Not only did Keg do work incredibly well, she enjoyed providing these acts of service to her family as a way of showing her love. All her California life, Keg and Vern enjoyed hosting their many midwest family, and showing off their 5 grandchildren. She treasured the many phone calls from friends and family back home and was most happy simply visiting with friends and family from near and far. She is survived by her son, Bill Newton and his wife Merrilee, grandchildren Clay (Allison), Dana (Crystal), Travis (Karla), Lindsay Fogarty (Mark), and Jaret (Chelsy); along with her great-grandchildren whom she adored; ZZ Anne, Rowan Jaret, Hunter Lissette, EmmeJean Susan and Dean Mikal. She will miss holding her newest great granddaughter, Elliot Rose, arriving early August. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews in and around Napa, across the country and of course, back home. Madeline was pre-deceased by her parents, all of her siblings, her husband of 66 years, Vernon (2011), and her oldest grandson Patrick John (1972). She will be laid to rest in a private graveside service at Tulocay Cemetery. Her family welcomes all who wish to pay their respects to a celebration of her life Saturday, July 29th at 1:30PM, Napa Valley Yacht Club, 100 Riverside Drive, Napa, California. A 68-year-old American Canyon man may face life in prison after being convicted of child molestation charges in Napa County Superior Court on Friday, according to the Napa County District Attorneys Office. Following a one week trial before Judge Francisca P. Tisher, a jury found Jimmie Leonne Mallette guilty of three counts of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10, two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 14, and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. Mallette, accused of molesting a young boy multiple times over the course of two years, testified on his own behalf, claiming that both the boy and another victim who testified against him had initiated the sexual contact, according to the DAs office. Each of Mr. Mallettes victims were extremely brave by confronting their molester during this trial, Deputy District Attorney Kecia Lind said. As a result of their courage, the jury was able to reach a quick decision to find the defendant guilty of all charges in this case Mr. Mallette will never be able to harm another child again. The DAs Office said that Mallette faces a sentence of 49 years to life in prison. Mallette has been in custody of the Napa County jail since his arrest on March 10, 2016. He is being held on $500,000 bail. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 22. Clutching crumpled and worn book logs, hundreds of young readers visited the Napa Elks Lodge on Tuesday to celebrate all things reading. These students signed up for the Napa County Librarys childrens summer reading program, Reading by Design, each making a goal to read as many books as they could during their school break. Now that the start of the new school year is just weeks away, those who read 10 or more books were invited to recognize their achievements at the librarys reader celebration party. Entering through a doorway at the Elks Lodge draped with shiny rainbow streamers, several hundred young book lovers and their families enjoyed magic shows, snacks and other activities. Each also received a certificate of completion, a reusable lunch bag, Applebees kids meal coupons, kids passes to Legoland and other treats. The readers also got to pick out a free book as well. The summer reading program makes reading more exciting for her two daughters, ages 4 and 7, said Veronica Ochoa. Keeping track of the number of books read and going to the party gives them something to look forward to. Ochoa said she encourages her daughters to read, or be read to, so they use their imaginations. Its a fun way of learning instead of watching TV. The reading program party is awesome, said Napa reader Dylan Scott, age 10. Its impressive to see so many kids reading during the summer, he said. Scott said he read 30 books. His favorite was Juana and Lucas, by Juana Medina. His sister, Lena Scott, age 5, said she read 51 books. She had easier books, said her brother. Lenas favorite? One of the Pinkalicious books by Victoria Kann, she said. Daniella Lopez, 9, also read 30 books. Her favorite was one of the Ever After High books by Shannon Hale. Children should read because if they dont learn they might get a bad job, said Lopez. More than 2,000 children participated in the free, self-paced program, said Kelli Crouch, a childrens librarian. If each read at least 10 books of their own choice, that totals some 20,000 books read. This is a time to celebrate having fun reading, said Crouch. Martha Tapia, 11, said she read 49 books. I just wanted to stay focused on reading, she said. I dont want to be behind when I go back to school. According to the California Library Association, children who do not read during the summer typically lose some of their reading skills, while children who read at least five books during the summer maintain or improve their reading skills. The longest book on Tapias summer reading log was one of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books by Rick Riordan, but Tapia admitted she didnt finish the book. I didnt like it a lot, she said. Im not into (books about) myths. The library partnered with Kiwanis Club of Napa, the Friends of the Library and other volunteers to make the party a reality, said Danis Kreimeier, library director. Its a fun day when the community comes together to celebrate reading and learning, said Kreimeier. The Washington Post reported on Saturday: "Russia's ambassador to Washington told his superiors in Moscow that he discussed campaign-related matters, including policy issues important to Moscow, with Jeff Sessions during the 2016 presidential race, contrary to public assertions by the embattled attorney general, according to current and former U.S. officials. "Ambassador Sergey Kislyak's accounts of two conversations with Sessions - then a top foreign policy adviser to Republican candidate Donald Trump - were intercepted by U.S. spy agencies, which monitor the communications of senior Russian officials both in the United States and in Russia. Sessions initially failed to disclose his contacts with Kislyak and then said that the meetings were not about the Trump campaign. "One U.S. official said that Sessions - who testified that he has no recollection of an April encounter - has provided 'misleading' statements that are 'contradicted by other evidence.'" Possibly, Sergey Kislyak misrepresented the conversations back to Moscow, but at a time when Donald Trump was not expected to win, what would be the purpose of lying? A contemporaneous document is more likely than not to be accurate in these circumstances. It's also noteworthy that the exchange with Sessions was important enough to merit a report back to the Kremlin. Sessions is sticking by his Judiciary Committee testimony. The report raises a host of questions: - Did Trump/Trump allies leak the report in an effort to push Sessions out the door? - Did Trump antagonists leak the report as a warning shot to Trump and/or Sessions that the noose is tightening? - Will the Senate demand that Sessions return to address the allegations? - Is Sessions the subject of an investigation (for untrue statements under oath, for helping to fire FBI Director James B. Comey as part of an effort to obstruct justice)? - If Sessions can be pressured to testify against Trump, what does he know? - If Trump does decide to fire Sessions or Sessions finally relents and quits, will the Senate refuse to confirm a Trump flunky as attorney general, especially if he or she does not vow to protect the special counsel at all costs? - If Sessions is fired or quits and can't get a replacement to serve, would Trump order Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein (who would then be acting attorney general) to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III? Would Rosenstein comply? - Will any of this spur a robust warning from Republicans to leave Rosenstein in place and allow Mueller to complete his job? - What other evidence of Russian communications with the Trump team exist, and if there is any, did the Trump team member lie, under oath or otherwise? It does appear that the report spooked the president, who awoke Saturday morning to deliver another tweetstorm. (Remember when people argued that we shouldn't report on tweets?) He tweeted, "While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS." He also was back to dredging up Hillary Clinton, his favorite distraction technique. ("What about all of the Clinton ties to Russia, including Podesta Company, Uranium deal, Russian Reset, big dollar speeches etc.") And he also insisted (falsely) that Donald Trump Jr. had volunteered to hand over his emails in a grand show of transparency. One wonders how the brand-new communications director Anthony Scaramucci thinks the White House messaging is going. In the space of 24 hours, the president has managed to convince a great number of Americans that there is something so terrible out there that Trump will never allow the Russian investigation to run its course. (The message here is also: The president is panicking.) Scaramucci might want to keep one thing in mind: At this point in the administration knowingly conveying Trump's lies or constructing a web of lies to shield the president may land one in a heap of trouble for obstruction of justice, witness intimidation or numerous other charges. He might want to keep contemporaneous notes of his conversations with the president. Just saying. There were at least eight people in the room on June 9, 2016, when two Trump family members and Donald Trumps campaign manager met with a Russian lawyer and her extended team in Trump Tower. Focus your attention just briefly on one of them: Ike Kaveladze. Of course, it will be important to learn, in due course, what he was really doing there. But in the meantime, we should spend a few minutes thinking about the peculiar financial cultureAmerican as well as Russianthat he represents. Though not exactly a celebrity, Kaveladzes notoriety in certain circles stretches back more than two decades. Starting in the 1990s, his company, Euro-American Corporate Services Inc., set up more than 2,000 Delaware corporations on behalf of unknown, mostly Russian clients and used those companies to open bank accounts. According to a Government Accountability Office report on Suspicious Banking Activities, published in 2000, those bank accounts were then used to receive and send large amounts of money. The GAO found that two banks facilitated the transfer of approximately $1 billion from Eastern Europe, through U.S. banks, and back to Eastern Europe by corporations formed for Russian brokers; more than $800 million in total was deposited in 136 accounts that Euro-American Corporate Services and another Kaveladze company created at Citibank alone. Kaveladze has protested that what he had done was legal and he was right. Delaware law really was so lax that it allowed unnamed Russians to send money in and out of the United States without much question. Why did this matter? Because that kind of activity was a part of the business model that brought Vladimir Putin to power. As numerous books have documentedthe best is Putins Kleptocracy by Karen DawishaPutin was one of a group of public officials, many affiliated with the old KGB, who systematically pillaged the Russian state. They drew money out of the state, often using commodities arbitrage or other methods, moved the money out of the country through shell companies, then brought it back to Russia and used it to buy companies and property. They became richmany of them fabulously so. They then used that wealth to gain power. Soviet-born businessmen such as Kaveladze, based in the United States and Europe, played significant roles in this system. But so did a range of U.S. and European bankers, accountants and lawyers. For two decades, Western real estate marketsNew York, Miami, London have also provided multiple safe places for Russian oligarchs (and many others) to spend money with complete anonymity. Last year, a Treasury Department investigation into shell companies that purchased luxury homes for cash in several U.S. metropolitan areas found that more than a quarter of such transactions in Manhattan and Miami actually involved someone engaged in suspicious activity. The arrangement suited everybody: American real estate magnates, suddenly rich Russian oligarchs, the construction industry and many others. But underneath this boom there was a grim truth: An important chunk of the money that pumped up the New York luxury real estate market over the past two decades was money originally siphoned off from the Russian state. That was money that should have been used to build hospitals, schools and roads, but instead enriched officials such as Putin and the billionaires who surround him. In due course, Russian money also enriched Trump and his family: As Donald Trump Jr. said in 2008, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. In that sense, the rise of Trump and the rise of Putin are connected. No wonder Trump feels such an affinity for the Russian president; no wonder he seeks him out at international meetings. And no wonder special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation has reportedly decided to look closely at past Trump family real estate transactions. Im sure there will eventually be a lot more to say about the details of the Trump-Russia financial relationship. But this story should make us ponder some larger themes, too. After all, the double rise of Trump and Putin might have been halted if only Western governments and financial institutions had acted, over the past two decades, as if they truly believed that these kinds of dealings are wrong. Laws were not enforcedor did not exist. Blind eyes were turned. Even now, we could be doing much, much more. We could stop the registration of all anonymous companies in states such as Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada. We could make all property owners put their real names on public registers. We could listen to Global Witness and other activist groups that constantly point out the links between financial deals in New York and human rights abuse and poverty in faraway countries. Some of these changes are happening in Britain and Europe. But in the United States, where the political consequences of this ugly international system are now so dramatic, we have scarcely begun. Editor's note: The following letter was sent to St. Helena Mayor Alan Galbraith, regarding Sara Cakebread's July 11 letter "Revolving door of Adams Street property." Sara is very articulate here. In short, can the council not be "bullied" and influenced by the 100 residents who only want the status quo for their own self-interests and to prevent meaningful dynamic, community progress for the tax base and the city. Please pay attention to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors or even Yountville City Council who vote for the betterment of the community in spite of the vocal few who show up with the goal to not disrupt walking their dog or make any noise after 9 p.m. so they can sleep. I technically live in the county on Conn Valley Road and have split residences here and Oakland, so all I can do is to try to spend my money at stores, restaurants, CIA, Meadowood, wineries and walk downtown after 9 p.m. to bring vitality and money to our city. Congrats on Acacia, Charter Oak, Davies Winery, the new knife store. Thanks for listening, and caring and all you do. Henry Loubet St. Helena Anne Branch is the new executive director of the Napa Valley College Foundation. I am excited to lead this wonderful Foundation forward as we assist Napa Valley College fulfill its advancement needs, said Branch, who previously lived in Napa for five years and said she is thrilled to return to this wonderful community. Branchs role is new to the community, where she will participate in community events, spreading the good word about the Foundations support and efforts to raise funds for a variety of needs that undergird the education and training programs offered at Napa Valley College. She said she hopes to formally launch a new Viticulture and Winery Technology Education Center Capital Campaign in the fall, so that the college can continue to serve students in the wine and agriculture industries. Branch offers a wealth of experience working with nonprofit organizations. Focusing her career on strategic planning, major gifts, events and alumni relations, she has held senior positions in higher education and social service organizations such as the University of Southern California, University of California Santa Barbara, Braille Institute, and Hathaway Services. With more than 20 years of development experience, Branch has raised more than $50 million for a variety of nonprofits. She began her development career at her alma mater, USC, where she earned a BA in International Relations. As Associate Director of Prospect Research during USCs $640 million capital campaign, she found that serving in that capacity allowed her to gain a thorough grounding in development. I enjoy fundraising because it provides the opportunity to create relationships that have a lasting and fruitful impact in the community, she said. Branch said she looks forward to meeting members of the community and showing how they can make a difference in their own backyard. Developing a stronger culture of giving to the college will benefit to the planned Viticulture and Winery Technology Education Center and provide critical knowledge and viticulture education in the 21st century, she said. Napa Valley is a world-class wine region that deserves a world-class wine school. Bill Hardy, this years NVCF President said, The Foundations role as an independent 501(3) is dependent on the generosity of people in the Valley, who believe, as we do, that the college is central to the success of Napa Valley through support of its students and programs. We are delighted to have Anne join us to lead the charge. Branch holds a global MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Bay, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Strategic Business Planning from USC. She also spent a year at the Sorbonne University of Paris, and speaks French and German. First they agreed to be partners, then they started their business, and when Miljenko Mike Grgich and Austin Hills put shovel to earth at their winery site in Rutherford, they had business at hand on their minds that included making great wine, not a 40-year anniversary celebration. But on Saturday, July 1, celebrating 40 years in partnership is exactly what they did. Because they broke ground at their Rutherford located Grgich Hills Cellar winery now called Grgich Hills Estate to recognize that all their wine is made from estate-grown grapes on July 4, 1977, celebrating on or around the Fourth of July is significant to them. Hills could also celebrate keeping a trim, youthful physique. Im wearing the same shirt today that I wore then, he said of the 1977 groundbreaking. Whether he was wearing the exact same shirt or one similar to it is not known. The men and their families toasted one another before the party got rolling. To Grgich, a Calistoga resident and immigrant from Croatia who came to America with little more than a dream, passion and drive in his pockets and maybe a few America dollars hidden away in a shoe independence is mighty important. For decades the winery has celebrated Independence Day and the Croatian culture the winery enjoys a loyal following by a large Sacramento-based Croatian community by holding a party on the first Saturday nearest Fourth of July. This years Croatian Extravaganza was especially meaningful as Grgich, 94, talked about the winerys legacy passing on to not only the second generation his daughter Violet Grgich is vice president of sales and marketing, and his nephew Ivo Jeramaz is vice president of vineyards and production but a third generation is stepping up that will continue the excellence Grgich instituted from the very beginning. Austin Hills son Justin, Ivos daughter Maja, are already taking part and Violets son Noel, who is still of the tree-climbing age, as was evident at the Croatian Extravaganza when he was caught by his parents up in a fig tree at the Grgich Hills Estates Victorian house in Yountville, where the event was held, is suited to become a part of the family business. The Croatian Extravaganza included Croatian period-dressed stilt walkers and dancers of Croatian Kolo Group, live music including a sing-along of The Star Spangled Banner and the Croatian National Anthem, the lyrics and score of each were printed and placed at each seat, and Grgich singing of two of his favorite songs, You are my Sunshine and Que Sera, Sera. A caricature artist, lawn games, photo booth, catered lunch buffet and, of course, Grgich Hills Estate wines rounded out the day. Among the wines tasted were a 2016 rose, 2014 Napa Valley Essence Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Merlot, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, a pre-release 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 40th Anniversary Chardonnay, and 2013 Miljenkos Old Vin Zinfandel. In 1993 Robert Schippmann drove his estranged wife Juli Mathis Schippmann to an isolated area near Caiocca Pass in Angwin, shot and killed her, and turned the gun on himself in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Schippmann, 79, has been in prison ever since, and with a parole hearing scheduled for Sept. 28, Julis mother Joanne Mathis Wilson is determined to keep him there. Schippmann was sentenced to 19 years to life, and lately hes been coming up for parole every 18 months. In the run-up to each parole hearing, Wilson, who lives in St. Helena, collects signatures and encourages people to send letters to the parole board urging for Schippmann to be denied parole. His parole requests have been rejected repeatedly, most recently in February 2016, and Wilson believes the letters are a factor. It helps keep him behind bars, Wilson said. The letters and signatures of people who dont want him out they really help. Despite shooting himself, Schippmann survived and eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with an enhancement for using a gun. In previous parole hearings, the Napa County district attorneys office has joined Wilson and her family in arguing against Schippmanns release, citing the heinousness of his crime, his history of violence against women, and his need for additional rehabilitation to gain insight into the crime before the public can be assured that he will not commit another one. We dont want someone high-risk to be released, said Wilson, who attends each of Schippmanns parole hearings even though she says she hates looking him in the face. Letters may be sent to the Board of Parole Hearings, Pre-Hearings Correspondence Unit, P.O. Box 4036, Sacramento, CA 95812. Copies may be sent to the Napa County District Attorneys Office, Attn: Paul Gero, 931 Parkway Mall, Napa, CA 94559. Letters should include Schippmanns case number (15090) and CDC number (H96002). (Natural News) Reaching new lows in fake journalism that only CNN could achieve, the Clinton News Network recently aired a ridiculous segment in opposition to President Trumps temporary travel ban that aimed to brainwash children by pulling in one of their favorite television characters: Sesame Streets Elmo. In one of the most blatant propaganda segments in recent months, CNN reporter Clarissa Ward joined Sherry Westin from Sesame Workshop and David Miliband from the International Rescue Committee to interview Elmo about the refugee agenda. With carefully worded questions meant to exploit childrens innocence about the matter, the panel asked Elmo about Syrian refugee children and how they compare to American children. Did you find that the Syrian little girls and little boys were a lot like your friends here in America, CNNs Ward inquired of Elmo. Yeah, they really were, he said. It was very interesting because they like to play and learn just like Elmo and all of his friends at Sesame Street, he added, in classic third-person referencing himself. The point was to lambast President Trump, of course, who is merely following up on guidelines set forth by the Obama administration concerning countries of risk from which travelers require better vetting to ensure that theyre not terrorists. The Presidents temporary travel ban is meant to better protect Americans, including American children, from these threats, though no mention of this was made during the interview with Elmo. The segment in its entirety is available for viewing on YouTube. CNN thinks its important to brainwash children as young as possible The politicizing of childrens television characters to push a globalist agenda on innocent young ones is about as evil as it gets. But CNNs Ward and her friends think its a good thing, and exactly what needs to happen in order to capture the young minds of America and early as possible. Using educational programming as psychological weaponry, in other words, is right up CNNs alley. [Sesame Street] could be a real lifeline for kids who frankly suffer the most unspeakable trauma as a result of war, stated Miliband during the panel segment. I think its very important that we try and use every conceivable method to give these kids a chance. Miliband is, perhaps not surprisingly, of the persuasion that President Trumps travel ban is an affront to refugees and because it was Trump who did it, its probably also racist and xenophobic. Tiny humans who likely dont even know how to tie their shoes are apparently at a ripe age to start judging the President on matters of which they know nothing, and CNN thinks Sesame Street is the vehicle to make that happen. Our vision is that every child should have a friend on Sesame Street Who better than Elmo and his friends to give kids a sense that there is a humanity out there? Milliband added. Elmo also chimed in himself on the matter, explaining to viewers that its important to know that everybody is the same deep down and thats very important. This wouldnt be the first time, of course, that Elmo has been politicized to push a political or corporate agenda. Back in 2015, the friendly red character was positioned alongside then-United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in a video that aimed to indoctrinate children into believing that vaccines are wonderful and that everyone needs them in order to stay healthy. Elmo was seen asking the question, Why does Elmo need a vaccination anyway? to which Murthy answers with all of the usual corporate talking points. No mention was made about any of the side effects listed in the vaccine package inserts, as children were simply told that vaccinations are the only logical option for staying healthy. Sources for this article include: DailyWire.com DailyCaller.com YouTu.be NaturalNews.com 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. 10:07 1. The Supreme Court will hear the Aadhaar card privacy matter today, after all the petitioners had completed their argument in the apex court on July 20. A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar was hearing the arguments from various petitioners and respondents in the Aadhar privacy case. 2. A Delhi court will hear the matter of administrating a lie detector test to witness Abhishek Verma and accused Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. On July 6, Abhishek Verma submitted before a Delhi court that he is ready for polygraph test on the condition that he is provided security cover. Verma appeared before the court personally and agreed to undergo polygraph test. However, he said that he has threat perception from the accused in the case, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, and therefore, wanted security cover. On May 22, Tytler refused to undergo lie-detector test before the court. Earlier, in April also, Tytler refused to undergo a lie-detector test in connection with the case. In February, the CBI had sought the court's permission for lie-detector tests on Tytler and Verma. Tytler is accused of leading a mob in the 1984 Pul Bangash case in which three Sikhs were killed. The CBI had earlier given a clean chit to Tytler in the case but re-opened the investigation following the December 4, 2015, order in the wake of Verma's allegations. 3. The Delhi high court will hear the defamation plea filed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the use of an 'objectionable word' by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's counsel Ram Jethmalani. A notice was issued to Kejriwal to respond on why defamation proceedings should not be initiated against him. Jaitley's application also contends that Kejriwal's intention is to delay the conclusion of recording of evidence by posing irrelevant questions, which are designed to be insulting and annoying. His application sought directions to expedite the recording of evidence in a time bound, fair, dignified and bona fide manner in the ongoing civil defamation case for Rs 10 crore against Kejriwal. Jaitley's application came in connection with the defamation case against Kejriwal in the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) case. In his complaint, Jaitley had accused Kejriwal and others of defaming him in a controversy regarding the DDCA and sought Rs 10 crore as damages. Jaitley was president of the DDCA for over a decade. 4. The Supreme Court will continue to hear the Cauvery water dispute involving Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Yesterday, the apex court had heard arguments in the same. The apex court on July 11 commenced final hearing on the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award. A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, had earlier directed the Karnataka government to provide 200 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till its further order. 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. A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A M Khanwilkar, extended the interim order in the water issue, directing Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu. On December 9 last year, the apex court upheld its constitutional power and right to hear appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The Aadhar plea involving the citizen's right to privacy and Cauvery water dispute are among four high-profile cases that will be heard by various courts today. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-24 20:04:15|Editor: Song Lifang Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Philippine House of Representatives in Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, July 24, 2017. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that the war on drugs will continue despite international pressure from world leaders and human rights groups. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that the war on drugs will continue despite international pressure from world leaders and human rights groups. The fight against illicit drugs will be "unremitting as it will be unrelenting," the president said in his second annual State-of-the-Nation Address before Congress. "There is a jungle out there, there are beasts out there preying on the innocent, the helpless," Duterte said, adding the drug menace "is the root cause of so much evil and so much suffering that weakens the social fabric and deters foreign investments from pouring in." "The fight will not stop until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, that they have to stop because the alternative is either jail or hell," Duterte said. The Philippine president said he will not allow the "destruction of youth." "I value human life the way I value mine, You harm the children and I will hound you to the very gates of hell," he said. Duterte also urged mining companies to exercise "extreme care" when extracting the country's mineral resources, saying "the protection of environment must be made a priority ahead of mining and all other activities that adversely affect (the environment) in one way or another." "This policy is non-negotiable," Duterte said. "At this point in my administration, it's possible that we shall put to a stop to the extraction and exportation of our mineral resources for process abroad and importing them back to the Philippines." He threatened to raise taxes imposed on mining firms if they fail to restore the damage mining has inflicted on the communities ravaged by mining. "Either I will raise taxes to compensate for the suffering and the agony of the affected communities or you have to come up with substitute. Either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death," Duterte warned. Duterte's report to the nation took place as war rages in Marawi City where government security forces battle with the remaining 80 heavily armed extremists allied with the Islamic State group that attacked the southern Philippine city on May 23. The 63-day fighting has so far killed more than 600 people, including nearly 100 civilians, and displaced around 500,000 civilians, according to government data. Government officials and diplomats attended the annual event, including former presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo. Duterte's predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino, did not attend. Duterte, who took office in June last year, has declared a 60-day martial law in the entire southern island of Mindanao to quell a siege by terrorists. The Philippine Congress granted last Saturday Duterte's wish to extend martial law until the end of this year. The president also defended his position on martial law in his State of the Nation Address, saying, "I declared martial law in Mindanao because I believe that was the fastest way to quell rebellion at the least cost of lives and property." "Martial law and the suspension of habeas corpus enable the military to arrest, detain and question suspected members and sympathizers of rebellion at the least cost of lives and property," Duterte said. The 72-year-old Philippine leader remains popular despite criticism hurled at him for waging a war on drugs that has left suspects dead and for charting a foreign policy independent of the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 00:52:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Police in south China's Guangdong Province have seized more than 10,000 wild animals and nearly 1,000 kilograms of products derived from wild animals, they announced Monday. The provincial police department launched a crackdown on the illegal online trading of wild animals in April after police in the capital Guangzhou received a report that rare wild animals were being sold via WeChat, a popular massaging app in China. Over the past three months, police have monitored major social media platforms, including messaging apps WeChat and QQ, Twitter-like Weibo, and some live broadcasting websites, said Li Wenjiang, deputy director of the provincial forest police bureau. Li said they found a total of 5,380 messages related to illegal animal trading during the crackdown. In one case, police used WeChat messages to locate and arrest three suspects. They seized 146 wild animals including rhesus monkeys, gold pythons, and African spurred tortoises in a rented house in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou. Police also seized the remains of 120 dead state-protected animals in another house in the city of Huizhou. Police in Shaoguan seized 74 cobras and a Tibetan macaque after they received a report of video showing suspects poaching the animals on a live broadcasting platform. In another case, police seized a vehicle, 32 cobras and more than 1,000 other live wild animals in a market in Guangzhou. Chinese law on the protection of wild animals bans the hunting, sale, purchase, and use of state-protected animals or derived products. Guangdong police said they will continue tough measures to combat the illegal poaching, trading, purchasing, transporting and storing of wild animals. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 01:58:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GABORONE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- A signing ceremony for one million U.S. dollars grant from the Chinese government for relief of flood disaster was held Monday in Gaborone, capital city of Botswana. Botswanan minister of finance and economic development, Hon. Kenneth Matambo and officials from Botswanan government attended the signing ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, Hon. Kenneth Matambo said this donation would further cement the long standing relationship between the government of the People's Republic of China and the government of the Republic of Botswana. According to him , the donation by the Chinese government will be used to relieve Botswana from the effects of the disasters caused by the recent cyclone Dineo, which left a trail of destruction, particularly of roads. Speaking at the ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Zhao Yanbo said he hoped the cash grant can help Botswanan government and people to overcome the flood disaster. Tropical cyclone Dineo induced flooding hit some parts of Botswana early this year. Hundreds of households are affected and many people have to be evacuated from their homes. Some infrastructure, telecommunication lines and livelihoods were disrupted in the affected districts. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 02:08:27|Editor: ying Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 civilians were killed on Monday when a U.S.-led airstrike hit a prison run by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria's northern city of Raqqa, local Sham FM radio reported. The strike by the U.S.-led coalition struck the prison, where the civilians were held captives by IS in the central part of Raqqa, said the report. The attack came hours after the U.S. coalition struck areas in Mayadeen city in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, killing tens of people, according to the state TV. Since entering Syria to fight IS in 2014, the U.S. coalition has killed tens of civilians in areas controlled by IS in northern and eastern Syria. The U.S. has been recently heavily backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their push to capture Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 02:13:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd L) holds talks with his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai (3rd R) in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang) BANGKOK, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China and Thailand on Monday pledged to further strengthen their bilateral relationship and cooperation in various fields. The pledge came as visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks here with his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai. Noting that "China and Thailand are one family," Wang said China has been Thailand's sincere partner and friendly neighbor. "No matter how the international and domestic situation changes, China-Thailand relationship always maintains its stability and strategic nature," he added. China will steadfastly pursue friendly policy towards Thailand and continue to make contributions to the development of Thai economy, Wang said. China welcomes Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn paying a state visit to China at an early date, he said, noting that China has extended an invitation to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to participate in a dialogue between BRICS members, emerging markets and developing economies to be held in Xiamen, China in September. Pointing out that Thailand, located along the Belt and Road routes where land meets sea, will undoubtedly become an important partner of China in the construction of the Belt and Road, Wang called for closer cooperation in Thailand-China railway project so as to achieve greater synergy between the markets of the two countries. China stands ready to actively participate in the construction of Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor and help with the country's economic development, he said. China and Thailand should establish new platform for Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen and broaden cooperation in digital economy, innovation, e-commerce and aerospace, he added. The Chinese foreign minister regards China-ASEAN relations as being the most energetic and productive and having most potential. He expressed the hope that China and ASEAN can synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN's development strategies, complete negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at an early date. He also called for jointly upholding the current situation in the South China Sea which has stabilized and is turning positive, and develop an upgraded version of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership so as to build a closer community of shared future between China and ASEAN. Thai Foreign Minister Don, for his part, said Thailand-China relations have always been constructive, and the bilateral pragmatic and active cooperation has benefited the two countries and peoples. He noted that Thailand will continue to have frequent contacts with China at various levels and further intensify people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Thai foreign minister expressed his support for the Belt and Road Initiative and congratulated China for successfully holding the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 02:33:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian President, Mulatu Teshome, has called on further strengthening partnership with Czech Republic, with due emphasis given to the economic sector. The president made the remarks in his meeting with a delegation from Czech Republic, led by Marian Jurecka, Czech Minister of Agriculture, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Monday. Discussing about ways of strengthening bilateral ties among the two countries, especially in the economic sphere, Teshome has invited Czech private investors to consider investment opportunities that are put in place in the east African country. "There are ample opportunities in terms of huge market and working places available for companies to come and invest here," the president affirmed, adding that "Ethiopia will provide all the necessary support for Czech companies to invest in the country." The two countries have also agreed to work in partnership in other sectors, such as infrastructure development and partnerships in the agriculture sector. Noting Czech companies' experience in leather, cement and glass production and development, Teshome also stressed that private investors from the European nation could become successful in Ethiopia's various investment areas. Jurecka, on his part, stressed Ethiopia's ample investment potential for Czech companies to come to invest in Africa's second most populous nation. He also affirmed that he has discussed with Ethiopian officials on a number of issues, which include protection and promotion of the investment landscape in the country. The minister of agriculture also lauded Ethiopia's potential with regards to foreign market opportunities, saying that the east African country "has enormous export potential." Jurecka also revealed that a number of companies from Czech Republic have developed interest to work together with their Ethiopian counterparts, through joint-venture opportunities, in areas such as infrastructure and agriculture. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 02:38:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned a Taliban-related bomb attack in Afghan capital of Kabul. "The deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime," said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq at a briefing. "The secretary-general expresses his deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He reaffirms the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and Government of Afghanistan," Farhan Haq said. Earlier on Monday, a car bomb struck a minibus carrying government employees in western Kabul, killing 24 civilians and injuring 42 others. Three vehicles and 15 shops were severely damaged in the explosion. The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since late April when the militant group launched its annual offensive in different places in Afghanistan. UN statistics show that more than 1,660 civilians were killed and over 3,580 others injured in conflict-related incidents across the country in the first half of this year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 03:09:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai attend a joint press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang) BANGKOK, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to work together with Thailand and other Mekong countries to ensure a practical and effective mechanism for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Monday. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai, Wang stressed the importance of practical actions of cooperation, saying that the LMC should be a "bulldozer." The LMC is a new sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly established by the six countries along the river in the spirit of equality, mutual assistance and win-win cooperation, said Wang, adding that the project-based mechanism performs better in serving the common needs of the six countries compared with other Mekong cooperation mechanisms. The LMC, emphasizing efficiency and practical results, has made rapid progress since last March, said the Chinese foreign minister. The six countries have gradually cultivated a Lancang-Mekong culture featuring equal treatment, sincerity, mutual assistance and family-like closeness, which constantly drives the mechanism, he said. Regarding the next phase of development, Wang said the LMC will focus on planning the third Lancang-Mekong Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the later half of this year to prepare for the second Lancang-Mekong Leaders' Meeting. In the meantime, the six countries will make sure that six joint working groups be formed within this year, and push the early harvest projects toward achieving completion or making substantive breakthroughs, he said. The six countries will also work out a five-year action plan to be submitted at the second Lancang-Mekong Leaders' Meeting, he said. China, together with Thailand and other Mekong countries, will try the best to set the mechanism an example for regional cooperation and South-South Cooperation, Wang stressed. The LMC members are China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The six countries along the Mekong River (the Chinese stretch of which is called the Lancang River) launched the LMC mechanism in 2015 and convened the first Leaders' Meeting in March 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 03:14:29|Editor: ying Video Player Close DOHA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting on Monday to discuss ways to end the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf. Erdogan arrived from Kuwait on Monday at the last leg of his two-day Gulf tour, which had also taken him to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The two leaders discussed the efforts being exerted to resolve the standoff between Qatar and the Saudi-led quartet through dialogue and diplomatic means, Qatar's state-run news agency QNA reported. They praised the mediation efforts made by Kuwait, which has been playing the role of mediator since the crisis began on June 5. The Saudi-led bloc, which also includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the rich Gulf nation, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Qatar has strongly denied the charges. During their meeting, Erdogan and his Qatari counterpart discussed the Qatar-Turkey joint efforts in the fight against "terrorism and extremism", QNA reported. They also talked about enhancing strategic cooperation in the spheres of defence, trade and investment. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was accompanying Erdogan during the visit, said that Ankara was trying to organize direct talks between the two sides to end their feud. He said holding direct talks is "the most appropriate way" to resolve the crisis, adding that he hoped that there will be an opportunity for such talks soon. During his meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday, Erdogan said Saudi as a key player in the blockade against Qatar, will have to play the biggest role in solving the diplomatic row. No apparent results were achieved during Erdogan's Gulf tour, which came in the wake of the visits to the Gulf by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as well as foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany. Turkey has publicly sided with Qatar, a major economic and defense partner, since the crisis started. It has provided food aid to Doha, while deploying troops in a military base in Qatar to show its support. The Saudi-led bloc has demanded for the closure of the Turkish military base, but was rejected by Qatar. Signs of easing of the crisis have emerged recently after Tillerson's visit, as Qatar has revised its counterterrorism law last week. In a national address made on Friday, Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim said Doha was open to dialogue to resolve the disputes with the Saudi-led bloc if his country's sovereignty was respected. Chinese officers and soldiers waves to say goodbye to Russian fleet during a China-Russia naval joint drill at sea off south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming) KALININGRAD, Russia, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Russian navy sailors held a competition on ship damage control in the Baltic port city of Baltiysk on Monday as part of the "Joint Sea 2017" naval drills. Each team consisted of both Chinese and Russian soldiers and the competition tested cooperation and coordination between the sailors who speak different languages, said Pei Kechuan, deputy captain of China's missile destroyer Hefei. The two navies also exchanged experience about ship damage control. Damage control is the basic means of keeping ships alive and every sailor needs to acquire the capability, Pei told Xinhua. The Joint Sea 2017 drills, held from July 21 to 28, aims to carry out joint rescue missions and ensure maritime economic activities. The Chinese fleet consists of Hefei, missile frigate Yuncheng, comprehensive supply ship Luomahu. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 05:15:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, July 24 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. diplomat on Monday said the incomplete administrative structure of the new U.S. government was behind the delayed review of lifting sanctions on Sudan. U.S. Charge D'affaires in Khartoum Steven Koutsis on Monday met with Speaker of Sudan's National Assembly (Parliament) Ibrahim Ahmed Omer to discuss the U.S. move to delay reviewing the U.S. sanctions on Sudan for three months. "The parliament Speaker has been informed with the reason behind the delay according to the U.S. point of view," Abdul-Majid Haroun, Sudanese parliament's spokesman, told reporters. He said that "the U.S. diplomat explained that non-completion of the administrative structure of the new U.S. administration, namely Africa and Sudan's files, was the reason behind the delay in reviewing the sanctions on Sudan." Haroun said Koutsis explained that the appointment of officials in charge of finalizing the procedures to lift sanctions on Sudan has not completed, though 53 members of U.S. Congress have demanded for a delay in lifting the sanctions for a year. On July 12, the U.S. decided to extend the review period by three months to determine whether to permanently lift trade sanctions against Sudan. Sudan then announced the freezing of the negotiation committee with Washington for three months. However, per request from Saudi Arabia, Khartoum decided to positively communicate with Washington on the matter. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 06:36:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Year to date, 2017 is the third-worst year in the past decade in terms of fire coverage for the United States, which has been suffering more than 35,000 wildfires. According to data updated Monday by the National Interagency Fire Center, on July 24, there are a total of 38 large wildfires burning in the country, including 7 in California, 4 in state of Idaho, Neveda, Utah and Washington, and 18 in Montana. On Monday, there are 10 new large fires were reported. In 2017, wildfires in the country has been scorching 4,979,945 acres (2.02 million square kilometers), of which Lodgepole Complex Fire in remote central Montana could be the worst wildfire this summer with 226,000 acres (914.6 square kilometers) in size and only 5 percent contained till Monday. In California, wildfires are spreading throughout more than 217,000 acres (878.2 square kilometers) in total, an area about 10 percent larger than New York City. The most concerning of the 7 large wildfires raging in California is the Detwiler fire, which has driven more than 4,000 residents from their homes and is threatening the historic town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. More than 3,000 firefighters has been battling with the 48,000-acres (194 square kilometers) blaze for more than one week but only contained 7 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 06:46:33|Editor: ying Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed (R) addresses the second meeting of Mediterranean Countries Contact Group over immigration in Tunis, Tunisia, July 24, 2017. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed noted that illegal immigration is closely linked to the expansion of terrorism, religious extremism and organized crime.(Xinhua/Adele Ezzine) TUNIS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Enhanced international cooperation is needed to adopt a collective approach to fight illegal immigration, Tunisian Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub said Monday. "No country in the world can confront by itself the phenomenon of the illegal immigration and its adverse impacts," Majdoub said in a speech at the second meeting of Mediterranean Countries Contact Group over immigration. European countries are obliged to participate actively in the fight against illegal immigration by creating action plans and projects for socio-economic integration of immigrants, he added. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed noted that illegal immigration is closely linked to the expansion of terrorism, religious extremism and organized crime. He added that Tunisia is developing a national strategy to encourage legal immigration by Tunisians. Chahed also called on the Tunisian expatriates communities abroad to contribute more to investment in and development of their motherland. A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. (Xinhua/Liu Chen) WASHINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. The five-day event was to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of "July 7 incident," or known as Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge) Incident, that triggered Japan's full-scale invasion of China in 1937. A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. (Xinhua/Liu Chen) About 50 photos were on display at Russell Senate Office Building, many of which highlighted the United States' close ties with China during the wartime, including the devotion of the "Flying Tigers," the First American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force. As an air force formed in 1941 by General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the U.S. 14th Air Fleet, the "Flying Tigers" helped transport arms and other materials to support China's fight against the Japanese invaders. A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. (Xinhua/Liu Chen) When Americans discuss WWII, the emphasis was often on the European Theater or the conflict directly between the United States and Japan, while little attention has been given to the role China played in the war or the deep alliance between China and the United States, said the organizer of the event, the U.S.-China Policy Foundation. "We hope this exhibit will give some much deserved attention to an often overlooked aspect of the war," said the organizer in a statement. The exhibit will last until Friday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 09:03:23|Editor: Yurou Liang Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Internazionale are preparing an offer to sign Brazil international right-back Fagner, according to widespread media reports. The 28-year-old is said to have caught the eye of the Italian giants with a string of fine performances for Corinthians, who currently lead Brazil's Serie A standings. But the Sao Paulo club will only release the defender if the offer is "extremely favorable," Brazil's Gazetta Esportiva newspaper said. Fagner, who is tied to Corinthians until December 2018, is not the only Corinthians player to have caught the attention of European clubs. Earlier this month the Brazilian outfit reportedly rejected a 15 million-euro bid from CSKA Moscow for left-back Guilherme Arana. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 09:33:30|Editor: ying Workers dismantle metal detectors outside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City on July 25, 2017. Israeli Security Cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors from entrance to Jerusalem holy site and take security measures based on advanced technologies ("smart checks") instead, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday morning. (Xinhua/Muammar Awad) JERUSALEM, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel's security cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors from the entrance to the holy site in Jerusalem which is known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and Temple Mount to Jews, following days of violent clashes. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the security cabinet accepted "the recommendation of all of the security bodies to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies ("smart checks") and other measures instead of metal detectors in order to ensure the security of visitors and worshippers in the Old City and on the Temple Mount." The statement also said that Israel Police will reinforce its units and carry out additional actions as necessary "in order to ensure the security of visitors on the Mount." The decision was announced at the end of an hours-long meeting of the security cabinet. The detectors, installed following a shooting attack that killed three Israeli policemen, sparked a huge protest. They are seen by the Palestinians as a violation of the status quo at the Muslim-run compound and an Israeli attempt to gain more control over the site. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 09:43:33|Editor: ying British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (L) and New Zealand's Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee attend a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, July 25, 2017. Boris Johnson said in Wellington on Tuesday that New Zealand is "at the front of the queue" to conclude a Free Trade Agreement with the British government after Brexit. (Xinhua/Su Liang) WELLINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in Wellington on Tuesday that New Zealand is "at the front of the queue" to conclude a Free Trade Agreement with the British government after Brexit. New Zealand Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee hosted a press conference after meeting with Johnson. Brownlee said that the two parties reaffirmed their strong interests in swiftly concluding the bilateral FTA once the UK has formally exited the European Union. "A comprehensive agreement will help us grow and bring our two countries even closer," said Brownlee in Beehive, the parliament building of New Zealand. When talked about the possible FTA with New Zealand, Johnson emphasized that the Brexit "was not, is not, will not" be that Britain turns off from the world. He said that the British government wants to keep a good relationship with European friends, at the same time, to rediscover and intensify friendship and partnership around the world. Johnson told his counterpart in New Zealand, that "we see New Zealand at the front of the queue (to conclude an FTA with the UK after Breixt)." After the press conference, Brownlee was asked by the media if the conclusion of an FTA with Britain would take many years. "maybe, maybe not," Brownlee said. According to New Zealand Foreign Minister, the two countries also agree to launch a people-to-people dialogue, which will provide a forum to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including improving the opportunities that exist for people to live and work in each other's countries. Johnson also responded to questions on the British government tightening immigration regulations during the conference. He said that it's not about hostile to immigrations and open to talents is a good thing. "We love Kiwis coming to our country," Johnson said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 09:58:44|Editor: ying Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Monday condemned the Taliban-claimed terror attack in Kabul, the Afghan capital, which resulted in more than 70 people killed or injured. According to a press statement, the members of the Security Council condemned "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack." "They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Afghanistan and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured," it said. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. They underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all countries to cooperate actively with the Afghan government and all other relevant authorities in this regard, according to the statement. The members of the Security Council reiterated that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed." The members reaffirmed the need for all countries to combat terrorism by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law. The blast reportedly happened at around 6:40 a.m. Monday (0210 GMT) when a Toyota Corolla exploded in the city's west. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to the media. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 10:03:52|Editor: ying Video Player Close ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Monday that Israel was heading toward isolation because of measures imposed at the Al-Aqsa compound in East Jerusalem. "The restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel's government are unacceptable," Erdogan said at a press conference at Ankara Esenboga airport after returning from a two-day visit to the Gulf region. The steps that ignore Muslims' right to worship and the holiness of Al-Aqsa are intensifying tension in the region, he said, calling on Israel to respect the rule of law and humanitarian values. "Israel, with its disregard for the rule of law, not only harms itself but also the whole region," Erdogan was quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency as saying. Erdogan held a phone call with Jordanian King Abdullah II later Monday. Both leaders agreed that Israeli restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque must be lifted, according to the Turkish presidency's officials. Israel's imposition of metal detectors on the site last week triggered protests that left at least three Palestinians dead and hundreds wounded as clashes between Palestinian and Israeli forces broke out in several cities across the West Bank after Friday prayers. The Turkish president stressed that Turkey expects Saudi Arabia to play a key role in resolving the Gulf crisis, adding that the country should act as the "older brother" in finding a solution. During the two-day visit to the Gulf region, Erdogan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and held talks with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as part of his efforts to solve the Gulf crisis between Qatar and four Arab countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 11:55:11|Editor: ZD Video Player Close by Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is turning the screws on Congress in a bid to pressure them into passing a healthcare bill before they recess in August. But experts said it's a long shot. Trump earlier this month suffered a defeat when GOP lawmakers did not support his healthcare bill, causing the White House to scramble to find a solution. The president wants to repeal and replace the current system, known as Obamacare. On Monday, Trump turned up the heat on GOP lawmakers, pressuring them to pass a healthcare bill. "So far, Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare. They now have a chance however to hopefully -- hopefully -- fix what has been so badly broken for such a long time," Trump said in a speech on Monday. Critics say Obamacare is often unaffordable for many Americans, punishes Americans with fines for not opting into this often expensive plan and props up insurance companies with taxpayer dollars. Supporters say the plan has given millions of Americans access to health insurance who previously didn't have it. Trump's statements Monday came on the heels of comments on Saturday, when he called on Americans to phone their Senators' offices to pressure lawmakers into passing legislation soon. The president said he wants to have a bill on the table before the August congressional recess. Some experts said if Trump does not pass healthcare legislation before the August recess, Republicans could be in big trouble. Republican strategist Ford O'Connell told Xinhua that passing major healthcare legislation before the August recess would be a long shot. In Congress, the issue is difficult to solve because on one hand, there are some Republicans who want to completely gut Obamacare, even those parts of it that are popular with Americans, such as a clause that forbids insurance companies from rejecting an applicant based on pre-existing conditions. And most Democrats do not want to tweak any part of Obamacare, despite the fact that it is unpopular with many Americans. Indeed, the stakes are high, as the president has been in power for six months and not yet done what he was elected to do -- pass legislations that would fix healthcare, immigration, the tax system and other problems. "The only way they (Republicans) are going to get voted out of power, in terms of being a majority, is if they don't get things done," the expert said. "It will not be any Donald Trump tweet or Russia problem that will drive them from power," he said, referring to Trump's often bombastic comments on social media and the ongoing White House Russia scandal. "It will be their inability to accomplish stuff that they promised." O'Connell said many Republicans in Congress do not realize that they need to pass some sort of legislation on healthcare, and it needs to happen soon. "You have to get something. You cannot campaign on something for seven years and not do something," he said, referring to yearslong GOP promises to repeal and replace Obamacare. The major reason that Republicans cannot agree on healthcare reform is a split between moderates and conservatives in the party. "Moderates say the current legislation doesn't solve all the problems, and conservatives say they want every line gutted in this bill (Obamacare) because it's all government overreach," he said, referring to conservatives' claims that Obamacare gives too much power to bureaucrats in Washington. One major problem that conservatives have with Obamacare is that people who are far above the poverty line can get access to government subsidized programs that previously were only meant for the poor. That will end up being a heavy burden for taxpayers, critics said. "This becomes a microcosm for their ability to get other big ticket items done," O'Connell said. Indeed, there is a chance that the Trump administration and the Republicans could lose much credibility in the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections. With control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, the GOP could lose that advantage if it does not fulfill its promises to enact meaningful legislations that supporters want. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 12:35:26|Editor: ZD Video Player Close YANGON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has met with Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), which is a Kachin ethnic religious organization, to seek peace approach in the country, the Myanmar News Agency reported Tuesday. Suu Kyi's meeting with KBC Chairman Rev. Lalawk Gyung-Hkawng in Nay Pyi Taw's National Reconciliation and Peace Center on Monday focused on obstacles to and opportunities for peace in Kachin state, signing of ceasefire agreement and challenge of issue of internally displaced persons. The meeting vowed to seek peace as early as possible to ensure the displaced persons to return to their places of origin for rehabilitation and development after the state was hit by conflicts. It was the first time that Suu Kyi met with such religious delegation separately. According to local media report, KBC has a membership of over 400,000. In May, the second meeting of Myanmar's 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference has given birth to some union accords for peace for the first time in Myanmar's history. A total of 37 adopted principles, based on the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA), were incorporated into a union agreement and signed by representatives of participating groups of the government, parliament, military, signatory armed groups to the NCA and political parties. Officials said efforts would continuously be made to include the ethnic armed organizations that are still outside of the peace process, adding that door will always be left open for the remaining armed groups to overcome the challenges. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 13:05:40|Editor: ying Video Player Close by Edna Alcantara MEXICO CITY, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Slapping economic sanctions on Venezuela, as the United States has threatened to do, would create more problems than solving them, Mexican political observer Jose del Tronco said. Tronco, a professor at the Latin American Social Science Institute, spoke with Xinhua about the situation in the South American country, where voters will go to the polls on Sunday to elect members of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) tasked to rewrite the constitution. "I believe that far from opening up the Venezuelan government, and allowing greater dialogue and greater opening towards building consensus with the opposition, it (the U.S. sanctions) would have the opposite effect and enclose the government more," said Tronco. The U.S. government, which backs Venezuela's right-wing opposition, has demanded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro call off the July 30 vote. A White House statement from President Donald Trump warned last week that "if the Maduro regime imposes its Constituent Assembly on July 30, the United States will take strong and swift economic actions." "I am not optimistic," said Tronco, "the outcome of this type of pressure, such as sanctions, at least in the short term, can further aggravate the conflict taking place today in Venezuela." A bitter power struggle between the ruling socialist party and conservative opposition groups has fanned increasingly violent anti-government demonstrations and made governing difficult. While the United States and Washington-influenced organizations, such as the Organization of American States (OAS), have for some time been helping the opposition's campaign to oust the socialists from power, the pressure has been recently stepped up. "Now, the demand is through explicit and concrete threats that open up the possibility of cutting off some type of trade: the purchase of Venezuela's main export product, oil, which the United States buys and pays for in cash," said Tronco. Plummeting oil prices helped spark the economic crisis in oil-rich Venezuela, which has long relied on oil export revenues to fuel its economy and development. The South American country is the third-largest supplier of oil for the United States, after Canada and Saudi Arabia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). "It remains to be seen whether the United States really goes through with its threat, but also whether Venezuela wants to move forward with convening the assembly," said Tronco, who believes Maduro will go ahead with installing the ANC. The threat of sanctions may also have an impact beyond the borders of Venezuela, with regional countries perceiving it as "an intrusion, an interference in domestic affairs," said the academic, citing Venezuelan allies such as Ecuador, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia. Maduro has so far withstood the pressure and shows no signs of backing down, believing the initiative to draw up a new constitution can help break the political stalemate. "Venezuela is severely divided, not just politically but also socially, between what the government says and what the opposition says ...," said Tronco. "It is necessary to reestablish the constitutional order." Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 13:50:51|Editor: An Video Player Close HANOI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Financial group Blue HK from China's Hong Kong has signed an investment agreement to back Vietnamese cinema startup Beta Media. Under the agreement, Beta Media is valued at 600 billion Vietnamese dong (some 26.5 million U.S. dollars), reported local newspaper Vietnam Economic Times Tuesday. With the funding from Blue HK, the Vietnamese company will open six more multiplex cinemas in more localities and screen its self-made films this year. Established in 2015, Beta Media currently has four cinemas in Hanoi, northern Thai Nguyen province, and southern Dong Nai province. As of late 2016, Vietnam's cinema market was dominated by five major players, which held a market share of 98 percent, namely CJ-CGV (43 percent), Lotte (30 percent), Platinum (10 per cent), Galaxy (9 per cent), and BHD (6 percent), according to a report from South Korean securities company KDB Daewoo. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 14:05:58|Editor: ying Video Player Close COLOMBO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of dengue cases has gone up to 105,000 in Sri Lanka with over 301 deaths, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society said on Tuesday. The Red Cross said that it is rapidly scaling up emergency assistance to help contain one of the country's worst-ever outbreak of dengue in recent times. The number of cases this year is already nearly double the number of dengue infections recorded in all of 2016, when 55,150 people were diagnosed with the disease. "Dengue is endemic here, but one reason for the dramatic rise in cases is that the virus currently spreading has evolved and people lack the immunity to fight off the new strain," Dr Novil Wijesekara, from the Health Department at the Sri Lanka Red Cross said in a statement. Compounding the crisis, recent monsoon rains and floods have left pools of stagnant water and rotting rainsoaked trash, which have been ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes. Ongoing downpours and worsening sanitation conditions raise concerns the disease will continue to spread. Teams of Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers have been supporting a large-scale government effort to stem the outbreakproviding patient care at hospitals and going door-to-door with public health inspectors to raise awareness about the disease, its symptoms and how to prevent its spread. Volunteers have also been helping authorities to identify and clean sites where mosquitoes are breeding. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 14:06:00|Editor: An Video Player Close SIEM REAP, Cambodia, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction was held here Tuesday to share successful experiences and best practices on poverty reduction. Co-hosted by China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) and Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, the forum brought together over 120 government officials, experts, scholars, China-invested companies' representatives, NGO representatives and international organizations' officers from China and ASEAN countries. The forum, entitled "China and ASEAN: Innovation and Practice on Poverty Reduction," discussed such issues as China and ASEAN countries' innovation and best practice on ideas and policies for poverty reduction, how to push forward cooperation on reducing poverty between China and ASEAN, and how China and ASEAN countries can achieve the goal set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the two-day forum, Hong Tianyun, vice minister of China's State Council LGOP, said poverty reduction was a common goal for human development and a common challenge for China and ASEAN countries as well. "Being the world's largest developing country, China has always been an active advocate and powerful enabler of the world's poverty reduction cause," he said. Meanwhile, Hong shared the Chinese formula in its achieving large-scale poverty reduction along with rapid economic growth. He said firstly the prerequisite of China's successful practice is upholding reform and opening-up so as to maintain a continuous growth of economy. Secondly, the guarantee is giving full play to the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Thirdly, governments provide guidance which combines long-term poverty reduction planning with annual poverty reduction objectives. Fourthly, the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation and reduction should be adjusted and implemented according to different conditions to maintain its effects, and fifthly, the emphasis is given to the market to mobilize social involvement and synergy. Hong said that in the future cause of poverty reduction, China will continue to carry out this formula and intensify its efforts in this regard so that more poverty-stricken regions and population can benefit from the country's development. Meanwhile, China will continue to work with the international community and contribute to the cause of global poverty reduction. Hong stressed that China and ASEAN are linked by rivers and mountains and bound by peoples and cultures as well, adding that this year marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the 26th anniversary of establishing dialogue relationship between China and ASEAN, a milestone in the development of ASEAN. Cambodian Rural Development Minister Ouk Rabun said the forum was vital for the participants to discuss and exchange views on their efforts in reducing poverty in ASEAN member countries. "Through the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction, I believe that we will gain good qualifications, best practices, and new experiences from each other among ASEAN member countries and from China," he said during his opening speech. He said with full peace, solid political stability and good security, Cambodia has achieved the average growth of 7 percent per annum and reduced poverty by more than 1 percent per year in the last two decades. According to Cambodian government figures, poverty rate declined to 11.5 percent in 2015 from 53.2 percent in 2004 for those who live with an average income of less than 1.2 U.S. dollars per day. During the forum, attendees will join in the discussions concerning China-ASEAN cooperation: innovation and practice on poverty reduction, implementation approaches for China-ASEAN cooperation on poverty reduction, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and prospect for China-ASEAN cooperation. The attendees will also pay a field visit to Run Ta Ek Eco Village on Thursday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 14:06:03|Editor: ying Video Player Close GARDEZ, Afghanistan, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants after days of fighting overrun the center of Jani Khil district in the eastern Paktia province on Tuesday, a local television channel Tolo reported. "Taliban insurgents after fierce fighting captured the center of Jani Khil district today morning," Tolo reported in its news bulletin. A local official on the condition of anonymity told Xinhua that the "Taliban entered the center of Jani Khil district early today and the security forces retreated." Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in contact with media asserted that the Taliban fighters have already stationed in police headquarters of Jani Khil district. Meantime, Interior Ministry in a statement released here denied the fall of Jani Khil district and stressed that the "Defense and Security forces are in commanding positions" and fighting has been continuing. It also noted that reinforcement has been sent to Jani Khil district. Taliban militants have captured Kohistanat district in Faryab and Taiward district in Ghor province over the past week. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 14:46:18|Editor: An Video Player Close Hi, here's what you need to know about China for the past 24 hours. BEIJING -- China will continue "seeking progress while maintaining stability" for its economic work in the second half of 2017, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Monday. The meeting, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that China will implement a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy with supply-side structural reform as the main theme in the latter half of the year. - - - - BEIJING -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that there has been no territorial dispute in the Doklam area. Last month, Indian border troops crossed the China-India boundary at the Sikkim section and entered Chinese territory, obstructing normal Chinese border troop activity in Doklam. - - - - KUALA LUMPUR -- China's growth will continue to be a key driver for a firming recovery of the world economy, the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Monday. Maurice Obstfeld, the IMF's economic counsellor and director of research, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua as the IMF revised up China's growth forecast for 2017 and 2018 to 6.7 percent and 6.4 percent respectively. - - - - BEIJING -- The former secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Sun Zhengcai is under investigation for "serious discipline violation" by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, according to a decision by the CPC Central Committee. It was announced on July 15 that Chen Min'er had been appointed to replace Sun. - - - - BEIJING -- China and Russia will hold their 13th round of strategic security consultations during the visit of Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. The two countries will also hold the fourth China-Russia meeting of institutionalized cooperation in law enforcement and security, during Patrushev's stay in Beijing from July 26 to 27, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang. - - - - ABOARD KEXUE -- The Chinese-developed underwater robot "Tansuo" conducted its maiden test dive in the South China Sea Monday. The robot is 3.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide and can dive to a depth of 4,500 meters. It will conduct 20 hours of collaborative operations with the unmanned submersible "Faxian" in the South China Sea. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:01:26|Editor: Liu Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox on Monday voiced continuing support for free trade and the rules-based global trading system, as the country prepares to leave the European Union (EU). "The principles of free and open trade have underpinned the multilateral institutions, rules and alliances that helped rebuild post-war Europe and the world beyond," Fox said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank based in Washington D.C. "We must lead by example, and work to encourage our trading partners across the world to support, and adhere to, the rules-based global trading system," he said, vowing to "build a truly global Britain" in the post-Brexit era. While the World Trade Organization (WTO) needs "some refurbishment", "that does not mean that we should abandon its principles and processes," Liam said. Fox arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday for the first meeting of the U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group, aiming to strengthen bilateral relationship with the United States as Britain is leaving the EU. "As a priority, the working group will seek to provide stability, certainty and confidence for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, the first discussions will focus on providing commercial continuity as the UK leaves the EU," he said. Fox noted that the working group would also "provide a springboard", and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive free trade agreement between Britain and the United States. "For the most advanced economies like the United States, or the UK, where almost 80 percent of our economic activity is services-based, we can afford to seek closer partnerships with those whose demands complement our output, not necessarily those who are geographically proximate," he added. Britain supports the conclusion of the Trade in Services Agreement as soon as it is practicable, so as to build an international framework for the global service sector and the wider knowledge-based economy, said the official. Fox also signaled that Britain is unlikely to finalize a free trade deal with the EU before the country formally leaves the 28-member bloc scheduled in March 2019. "It would be nice to think we could get a full free trade agreement by the time we get to March 2019, but that would be an optimistic view of recent free trade agreements," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:01:30|Editor: Liu Video Player Close JAKARTA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A speedboat with 47 people on board capsized in waters off North Kalimantan province in central Indonesia on Tuesday, a senior official of rescue office said. Rejeki Baru speed boat, heading to Tanjung Selor of Bulungan district, sank after sailing 1 km off the coast of Pelabuhan Tengkayu of Tarakan town, spokesman of the national search and rescue office Marsudi said. "Our personnel are undertaking a search and rescue operation for the victims of the incident," he told Xinhua by phone. Rescuers from the navy and water police also took part in the rescue operationm. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:06:34|Editor: Liu Video Player Close MAIMANA, Afghanistan, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Up to 143 insurgence, including nine commanders, have been killed and 17 others wounded during the Afghan army airstrikes in the northern Faryab province, said a statement released by the Afghan Army on Tuesday. The security forces launched airstrikes on Taliban positions in Khairabad, Qudughak, Qarugh, lash, Chashma-e-Sangin areas of Kohistanat district, as well as in the neighboring Qaisar and Shirin Tagab districts Monday night, killing 143 insurgents and injuring 17 others, the statement said. Kohistanat district was captured by Taliban militants on Sunday and since then the government forces have been fighting to regain control. Some of Taliban's commanders, including Mullah Abdul Rahim, Mullah Yosuf, Zabehullah, Mullah Salam and Sayed Ismail, are among those killed in the air raids, the statement noted without providing information on possible casualties of security forces. Militants loyal to the Taliban outfit have not commented. Taliban militants who have intensified activities since late April and have captured at least three districts over the past week. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:26:45|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close GHAZNI, Afghanistan, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Fighting between Afghan police and Taliban in the eastern Ghazni province have left 10 armed militants dead, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Units of police, according to the statement, conducted operations against Taliban positions in Andar district early Tuesday, killing at least 10 militants and injuring several others. The statement, however, did not say if there were casualties on security personnel. Taliban militants, who are in control of parts of the troubled Ghazni province and have been fighting against government in several provinces, are yet to make comment on the situation in the restive Andar district. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:31:50|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NICOSIA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A 32-year-old Chinese woman was killed, and four other Chinese in a family and a Cypriot were injured on Monday evening after a speedboat crashed into rocks off the northwest coast of Cyprus. The accident happened around 7:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Monday. The Chinese Embassy in Cyprus said Tuesday morning that these five Chinese aboard the speedboat are from the central Chinese province of Hubei, who have settled in Cyprus. The injured Chinese family includes a young couple and their boy and girl. The girl in critical condition is undergoing operation in local hospital. The boat's Cypriot operator was also seriously injured in the accident. It was reported that the injured were collected by marine police and other boats, and were then taken to hospitals. Police are trying to determine the circumstances of the accident. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:47:11|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close PANAMA CITY, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Some 80 business leaders from China and Panama gathered Monday for a forum in Panama City's financial district to explore bilateral business opportunities. The event, co-organized by Panama's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (CCIAP), the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Chinese government, came a little over a month since the two countries established diplomatic ties. Wang Weihua, charge d'affaires at China's embassy in Panama, told the gathering that he hoped the forum will lead to new trade and investment cooperation between the two nations and to greater mutual understanding through increased exchanges. China is the second-biggest client of the Panama Canal, after the United States, and the top supplier of goods to Panama's Colon duty-free zone, one of the world's largest, noted Wang. The president of the CCPIT, Jiang Zengwei, who presided over the forum, said, "We are willing to increase cooperation and create new opportunities through platforms, with the help of companies from the two nations." Attending the forum were Chinese business leaders from a variety of sectors including infrastructure, energy, trade, tourism, transport and logistics, and finance. The delegation said it planned to visit the duty-free zone of Colon following the forum. CCIAP's president, Inocencio Galindo, highlighted that establishing diplomatic ties with China opened the door to a market of 1.3 billion people, potentially boosting both exports and imports, and attracting more investment, especially in the fields of technology, and transport and logistics. Panama is China's largest trade partner in Central America, with some 30 Chinese companies operating in the country. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 15:57:27|Editor: Yurou Liang Video Player Close RIYADH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia and its allies have put 18 organisations and individuals on a blacklist Tuesday, who are suspected of Qatar-linked Islamist extremism, a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt blacklisted nine charity and media organisations and nine individuals linked to Qatar as "terrorists," the statement said. The four Arab states have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 diplomatic crisis. They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a "terror group" by the four governments although not by the international community. They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly towards Iran. Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from Turkey and Iran. The bloc on Tuesday blacklisted three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya accusing them of ties to Al-Qaida. They also blacklisted three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti they said were implicated in "fundraising campaigns to support Al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, named heir to the region's most powerful throne last month, took temporary charge of the country on July 24, 2017, as the king left on holiday. (AFP Photo) RIYADH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia and its allies have put 18 organisations and individuals on a blacklist Tuesday, who are suspected of Qatar-linked Islamist extremism, a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt blacklisted nine charity and media organisations and nine individuals linked to Qatar as "terrorists," the statement said. The four Arab states have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 diplomatic crisis. They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a "terror group" by the four governments although not by the international community. They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly towards Iran. Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from Turkey and Iran. The bloc on Tuesday blacklisted three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya accusing them of ties to Al-Qaida. They also blacklisted three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti they said were implicated in "fundraising campaigns to support Al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 16:12:35|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SHANGHAI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- At first glance, the automated external defibrillators (AED) in glass cases at stations on Shanghai Metro line 9 look like fire-fighting devices. An AED is a device that checks heart rhythms and sends an electrical shock to the heart in an attempt to restore a normal rhythm. "An AED is very easy to use after training. Anyone can become a life-saver," said Yao Yueqin with the Shanghai branch of Red Cross Society of China (RCSC). A young man passed out on line 9 in June and a passenger who had received AED training saved him, The emergency with a happy ending endeared the AED to Shanghai residents. According to the National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, over 540,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest in China each year. AEDs could save some of those victims. At normal room temperature, brain cells undergo irreversible damage within four minutes of a heart attack, said Zhou Xiaohang with the Shanghai branch of RCSC. "We hope to enable people to get access to an AED within four minutes in crowded areas of Shanghai." AEDs are found in supermarkets, banks, stations and airports in many developed countries. The AED Act in the United States requires public access to the device within ten minutes and training in its use is widely available. During the 2010 EXPO, Shanghai installed emergency treatment facilities including AEDs at EXPO sites. In 2012, the city put the first batch of permanent AEDs in universities and later made them available in high schools. The city now has 1,000 AEDs in public places, said Zhou. While the number has been increasing rapidly, considering the size of the megacity, it is still not enough. Shanghai has a population of 24 million. That means there has to be 40,000 to 50,000 AEDs to meet demand. In the United States, there is one AED for every 500 people, while the ratio is even higher in Japan, Zhou said. Later this year, RCSC Shanghai and Shanghai Medical Emergency Center will launch an AED map on WeChat showing the location of AEDs. "AEDs have greatly improved the emergency treatment system in Shanghai," Zhu Qinzhong, head of the center, told Xinhua. More and more people are being saved by AEDs, Zhu added. In early May, a Canadian traveller suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at Pudong International Airport soon after arrival. He was promptly saved by an AED in the airport. Citizens of Shanghai are being trained to operate AEDs by the Shanghai branch of RCSC free of charge. "Previously, we offered two sessions per week but that has risen to four or five now, and we are fully booked until September," said Yao. "We hope that in every emergency, someone in this city will step in to offer help," Zhou said. "Life is invaluable and through the AED system, Shanghai will become a more warm and welcoming city." Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 16:32:48|Editor: Yurou Liang Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as India's 14th president on Tuesday. Kovind was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar at a grand ceremony in parliament, attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and lawmakers of both the Houses. "I will stand by and represent all 1.25 billion fellow Indians. I understand the massive responsibility that this is," President Kovind said in his inaugural address. President Kovind, who took over from his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee, also took to social media as he tweeted: "Honored to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility." The former governor of the eastern state of Bihar was elected as Indian president last week as the ruling National Democratic Alliance's contender, winning the election by a huge margin against opposition nominee Meira Kumar, a former parliament speaker. The 71-year-old became India's second Dalit (untouchable) President after President K.R. Narayanan, who served from 1997 to 2002. Indian president is the ceremonial head of state, who plays decisive roles only in case of a hung parliament after general elections. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 16:53:04|Editor: Yurou Liang Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran will host an international petrochemical conference on November 26-27 and will try to seek 70 billion U.S. dollars from investors to boost petrochemical sector, Financial Tribune daily reported on Tuesday. The event is expected to bring together some of the world's biggest companies from Italy, Germany, Spain, the UK, France, China, India, Singapore and Qatar, to study opportunities in Iran's lucrative petrochemical sector. The two-day event is focused on exploring financing methods for petrochemical ventures, transferring cutting-edge know-how in the field and introducing investors to opportunities in the Iranian petrochemical industry. According to the report, more than 70 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment is needed to develop Iran's petrochemical sector, as the most important economic sector after oil and gas. Since the lift of western sanctions against Iran in early 2016, several international companies have started negotiations to establish themselves in Iran's oil and gas projects. In May, Iran held a major energy exhibition in the capital Tehran with the participation of 1,500 foreign companies from 37 countries, aimed at showcasing the country's latest technical achievements and attracting the foreign investments. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:08:15|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close HANOI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A Vietnamese man, leader of a transnational drug trafficking ring, was arrested Vietnam's northern Hai Phong city when he was transporting over 9.8 kg of heroin and 8 kg of ecstasy, the municipal police said on Tuesday. 52-year-old Ngo Trac Hiep from Hai Phong, and other members of the ring bought lab-made drugs at Vietnam-Laos border areas, and transported them to Vietnamese northern provinces for sales. The man was arrested when he was driving his pickup truck with the drugs hidden in a special compartment of the vehicle on Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway, the police said, noting that they seized the biggest-ever amounts of drugs in Hai Phong. According to Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:13:19|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Beijing police are investigating some members of Shanxinhui, a company suspected of organizing and leading a pyramid scheme after they gathered in Beijing on Monday, authorities said. According to a statement by Beijing police, "some members of Shanxinhui were incited by those with ulterior intentions to illegally gather in Beijing, seriously disturbing the capital's social order." The gathering is suspected of breaking laws and rules, it said. The statement also said police persuaded the demonstrators to leave in an orderly manner. Those who "took the lead in creating trouble and refusing to listen to police orders" have been taken away for further investigation. Police said the activity was illegal and those who incite, organize and participate in illegal gatherings in China will be punished. Previously, Chinese police have cracked down on Shanxinhui, which allegedly manipulated and talked people into taking part in pyramid selling and swindled them out of huge amounts of property under the guise of helping the poor. Zhang Tianming, legal representative of the company, and other suspects have been put under coercive measures, which may include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention or arrest. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:13:23|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday announced a one-stop boundary control arrangement at the cross-border railway station in West Kowloon. The move allows passengers to go through the customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) procedures of both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland successively at the West Kowloon Station (WKS) in Hong Kong, according to the implementation plan announced at a press conference. The implementation plan was approved earlier Tuesday by members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR. Under the arrangement, CIQ officials from the Chinese mainland will work in a designated area at the WKS building after the commissioning of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The arrangement is similar to the co-located immigration and customs facilities at the Shenzhen Bay Port, which has been welcomed by many travelers since it was commissioned in 2007. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:18:26|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and nine others injured in a building collapse near India's financial capital Mumbai Tuesday, officials said. The death toll may go up as over 30 people are trapped under the debris of the four-storey residential building that collapsed at Damodar Park in Ghatkopar, an eastern suburb of Mumbai. Fire brigade personnel and civic officials are carrying out rescue work, Mumbai's Chief Fire Officer P. Rahangdale told the media. "Three bodies have been found. Also nine people have been pulled out of the debris alive and rushed to a nearby hospital as they have sustained injuries. The rescue work is going on a war-footing," he added. Local TV channels showed footage of the site and reported that the residential building also housed a nursing home on the ground floor. Around 15 to 16 families used to reside on the three other floors of the building, which is believed to be constructed some 40 years ago. "A probe has been ordered into the incident. We are also trying to ascertain if the nursing home was run illegally," a police official said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:28:32|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close ROME, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A lingering severe drought in Italy has led to water rationing for crop production and daily life of residents, with more than 10 disaster areas declared to the Department of Agriculture,local media has reported. Amid the prolonged drought and above-average temperatures, Italian agriculture has sustained great damage in the crop and livestock production, the Ansa news agency said Monday. The Italian Farmers Confederation has estimated recently that about two-thirds of farm fields were affected and 2 billion euros (2.3 billion U.S. dollars) worth of damage has so far been caused to Italian agriculture. The disaster has also generated negative impact on normal water supply in much of Italy. About 20 cities neighboring the capital city of Rome have begun to suspend water supply for local residents in a certain time every week, impacting 1.5 million Romans, according to local media. Some of the public drinking water facilities have already been closed here. Meanwhile, with the reduced water levels of many lakes, local authorities in Lazio region, which is centered on Rome, have ordered a halt of pumping water out of Lake Bracciano, effective until the end of the year. It was the second hottest spring of Italy since 1800, said the Italian Institute of Atmosphere Sciences and Climate. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:33:38|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to push forward military reform with the support of the entire nation and the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks Monday afternoon at a group study attended by members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The group study focused on reform of the military in size, structure, and formation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:33:40|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's central government has increased recovery fund for natural disasters this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday. The increase was huge, and the current recovery fund is almost twice as much as before, said Pang Chenmin, head of the ministry's disaster relief bureau in a press conference. In 2017, the central government has spent nearly 1.2 billion yuan (177 million U.S. dollars) on recovery work after natural disasters. In an executive meeting in May, China's State Council decided to raise the subsidy for emergency assistance efforts in natural disasters, the pension for family members of those killed in major disasters, the life assistance fund in the transitional period, and central government subsidy for recovering and rebuilding damaged residential buildings. Pang stressed that the recovery fund was sent to local governments instead of those directly affected. "We need to work with the supervisory departments at the provincial-level, and we welcome auditing and other supervisory organizations to jointly monitor the expenditure of the money," Pang said. The ministry will correct the problems found and punish those responsible, he added. Pang said there were 142,000 damaged residential buildings needing to be rebuilt in 2016, and 93.2 percent of the rebuilding work has been finished so far. The ministry will work with other departments and send supervising teams to make sure the rebuilding work can be completed in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:33:45|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The deficit in the balance of trade between Egypt and Brazil decreased by 65 percent in the first quarter of 2017 to reach 220 million dollars, state-run MENA news agency reported. The volume of Egypt's exports to Brazil in the first four months of the current year amounted to 78 million dollars, against 11 million dollars during the same period last year, the report said. Egypt's imports dropped by 54 percent to register 298 million dollars in the first quarter of the current year, compared to 643 million dollars during the same period last year, the report added. The country's export-import coverage ratio reached 26.1 percent in the first quarter of the current year, against 1.7 percent during the same period last year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 17:54:06|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian armed forces said Tuesday 40 militants were killed in military raids on their hotbeds in the province of North Sinai. "Egyptian security forces killed 40 highly dangerous militants in ground and air raids in North Sinai cities of Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid," Tamer el Refai, spokesman of the armed forces, said in a statement. "Five other suspected militants were arrested in the raids," he added. Egypt has been battling waves of anti-security activities, mostly centered in Sinai Peninsula, since the army-led ouster of former Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which left hundreds of police and army personnel killed. "During the security operation, 20 different type vehicles, four motorbikes, and other four booby-trapped vehicle were destroyed which were ready for targeting security centers," added the military statement. Also, large amounts of explosive devices, weapons, bombs and some documents were seized, with 52 shelters for hiding medial and communication equipment were totally destroyed, it added. Egyptian military waged since 2013 wide-scale operations to uproot extremist strongholds in Sinai killing hundreds of militants who belong to Sinai-based group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group. On Monday, the army has foiled a major attack on a security checkpoint in North Sinai, which left seven civilians killed. The failed attack would have left around 50-60 of civilians and military personnel dead, said the military statement, adding that a military patrol managed to stop a booby-trapped car before targeting the site in southern Arish. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Kuwait City, Kuwait, July 24, 2017. (Reuters Photo) ANKARA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Erdogan said Tuesday his Gulf trip "productive and successful" in bid to push for resolving Gulf diplomatic crisis, according to the ruling party source. Erdogan made the remarks when he met with lawmakers from his ruling AK Party at a parliamentary meeting on Tuesday. Erdogan left Qatar on Monday after two days in the Gulf trying to mediate in the row among Arab states. Turkey has been Qatar's most powerful ally in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 18:09:22|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- India accounts for about 33 percent of the world's child marriages, with nearly 103 million Indians married under the age of 18, Indian local media reported on Monday. A significant 83 percent of the 103 million child marriages were of girl children, with the number reaching 85 million, according to a report released by the non-profit organization ActionAid India in July. The report "Eliminating Child Marriage in India: Progress and Prospects" mainly used data in the Census 2011 to analyze child marriage in the country. Statistics show that nearly 150 child marriages happen every hour in India. The number of child marriages exceeds the total population of the Philippines, the world's 12th largest country in population. Child brides accounted for 30.2 percent of the total married female population in India, the report said. Although 75 percent of the total child marriages occurred in rural areas, and seven states contributed to 70 percent of the total number. Poverty is not the only cause for the issue. The prevalence of child marriages in India arises out of old traditions and customs. Shabana Azmi, chairperson of ActionAid India, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that patriarchy was at the root of child marriage, which needs to be tackled to eliminate child marriage. In India, the patriarchal notion of marrying the girl as a virgin at a young age prevails and serves for the aim of protecting family honor. Srinivas Goli, scholar and author of the report, told the PTI that "India needs to realize that child marriage is not just a human rights or gender issue. It is a huge demographic, health, education and economic issue." "If we cannot eliminate child marriages, it will become a huge hindrance to India's economic prospects in the form of unhealthy and unskilled workforce," Goli said. Elimination of child marriages could avoid 27,000 neonatal deaths, 55,000 infant deaths and 160,000 child deaths, according to the report. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 18:19:27|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close RIYADH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led Arab countries put on Tuesday 18 organizations and individuals suspected of Qatar-linked Islamist extremism on a blacklist, according to a joint statement carried by official Saudi Press Agency. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt put nine organizations and nine individuals linked to Doha on the updated list, the statement said. The nine organizations include three Yemeni and six Libyan ones, while the nine individuals are three Qataris, one Kuwaiti, three Yemenis and two Libyans. The three Qataris and the Kuwaiti on the list are engaged in fund-raising campaigns to support Al-Nusra Front and other terror militias in Syria, the statement noted. The three Yemenis and the three organizations in Yemen have received significant fundings from Qatari charities to provide support to al-Qaeda and carry out terror activities. The two Libyans and the six other blacklisted organizations have received substantial financial support from the Qatari authorities and played an active role in causing chaos and devastation in Libya, the statement added. In the statement, the Saudi-led bloc reaffirmed their commitment to fighting terrorism, cutting off its funding sources, prosecuting those involved in terrorism and combatting extremist ideologies. The four Arab states have been boycotting Qatar since the June 5 diplomatic crisis. They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a terror group by the four governments although not by the international community. They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly toward Iran. Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from Turkey and Iran. @annefulenwider/Instagram(NEW YORK) -- It was 2011, and Anne Fulenwider was at a crossroads. After spending years editing glossy periodicals, she had landed a dream job. It was something she had wanted since running her high school newspaper: to be a top magazine editor. I got this call from Conde Nast saying we have an editor-in-chief job open. We're not telling you what it is, but come and talk to us, Fulenwider reminisces on an episode of ABC Radios No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis. Her moment had arrived, after years climbing the publishing ladder in editorial roles. That job was to be editor-in-chief of Brides magazine -- which was an unexpected topic, she says, but also a great place to learn and gain experience. When they finally let me know what it was I thought, Huh, well that's not what I thought it was going to be but this is certainly a subject matter that ... I'm not intimidated by and it might be a really great way to learn how to be an editor-in-chief, Fulenwider tells ABCs Chief Business, Economics and Technology correspondent, Rebecca Jarvis on No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis. Fulenwider accepted the position, and soon began to learn the skills that went into running a magazine outside of just the editorial, while also utilizing her previous experience as an executive editor of Marie Claire and as a senior articles editor at Vanity Fair. But it wasnt long before a different window of opportunity opened, and about nine months into her new editor-in-chief gig, the phone rang again. It was a really, really intense nine months, and I felt like I was just getting the hang of it. And I got this call from Hearst, and they said listen theres going to be opening at the top of Marie Claire, she says Its not exactly a terrible predicament to be in, but for Fulenwider, it was one of those career-defining decisions that would affect the trajectory of her professional future. This was not a choice to be made lightly, she says, and she describes this moment as the toughest career decision shes had to make. The timing was terrible. I had been editor-in-chief of Brides for nine months, not even... And I had put in huge changes, we hired a whole bunch of people... in fact I actually said no the first time that they asked me... I said that there's no way I can leave this job. I just got here. I've just engaged all these people to come on board for this mission and I certainly didn't want to leave the company in the lurch, she recalls. Fulenwider ultimately turned down the Marie Claire offer the first time around, she says, but after doing some soul searching and consulting those closest to her, she began to reconsider the opportunity. I thought to myself, how am I going to feel when they announce the person who got the job?... my heart would sink... I just thought, I can't sit there on that day of that announcement and not have it be me, Fulenwider mused on No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis. She called back Hearst, and told the team members there that if they still wanted her, then she did in fact really want the job. I think they said, well come on and we'll have another conversation. I think there was one more person for me to meet, because I hadn't gotten that far in the interview process when I declined But generally I was sort of like, close your eyes and jump, she said. About nine months after accepting her job at Brides, she listened to her gut and took a leap, accepting the job as the top editor job at Marie Claire. Since taking over, she has taken the magazine to new heights, with initiatives like the Image Makers Awards, Fresh Faces, Power Trip and most recently the magazines first ever sustainability issue, which is on stands now, featuring Jessica Biel on the cover. After reflecting on the toughest career decision shes made, Fulenwider also recognized an important lesson that she learned on her way. The timing is almost always wrong, she said. To have kids, to go on vacation, to make a huge change in your life... so sometimes you just have to leap. And so [taking the job] was definitely the hardest decision and the best decision I've ever made. Hear Anne Fulenwiders full interview on ABC Radios top business podcast No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis available on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Spotify and your ABC News app. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 18:19:30|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close MADRID, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will make history on Wednesday when he becomes the first Spanish leader sitting in office to give evidence in a court case. Rajoy will appear as a witness in the ongoing trial over the Gurtel cash for favors scandal in which his right wing People's Party (PP) is implicated. The Gurtel trial covers the period 1999-2005 and is investigating the relationship among a series of companies organized by Francisco Correa and whether they received public contracts in return for making illegal payments to Rajoy's People's Party. Former PP Treasurer Luis Barcenas kept a set of accounts "parallel" to the official party paperwork which detail these payments, as well as money given to high-ranking PP officials including Rajoy. It is also thought that Rajoy's party used the money to illegally finance a series of local and regional election campaigns. PP spokesman Fernandez Martinez-Mallo said on Monday that Rajoy would answer all of the questions which were asked to him in the courtroom in the town of San Fernando de Henares, around 30 km outside of the Spanish capital of Madrid. However, Martinez-Mallo insisted that Rajoy who, during the 1999-2005 period, held the posts of education minister, deputy prime minister, interior minister and government spokesman, as well as being the PP candidate in the 2004 general election, knew nothing about the party's financial dealings. Rajoy had originally asked to be allowed to give his evidence by video from his official residence in the Palacio de la Moncloa as having to attend court in person would entail extra-expenditure on security measures and place a strain on police resources. However, that request was rejected by the court. The prime minister might face a hostile reception when he arrives at the court building on Wednesday with a demonstration called against him by several organizations linked to the September 25th Movement. The demonstration will go under the banner "Make the People's Party illegal." The Party of the Mafia' and those attending have been asked to attend with umbrellas, "whistles, horns and drum," to "make some noise." Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:09:56|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close DHAKA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Landslide-related casualties continued unabated in southeastern Bangladesh, with fresh reports of injuries and deaths on Tuesday. Five more people were killed in rain-triggered fresh landslides and wall collapse in southeastern Bangladesh. Two siblings are reported to have been killed in a landslide in hilly district of Cox's Bazar, some 292 km southeast of Dhaka. They were buried alive in the district's Ramu area when a big chunk of earth fell on their house, Abdul Malek, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence, told journalists. He said their parents were injured and rushed to Cox's Bazar's Sadar Hospital. Malek said two more people have been killed in another landslide in the district when huge chunks of mud collapsed on their house early Tuesday. Two others were also injured in the landslide, he said. An elderly woman was also reportedly killed in wall collapse in the district Monday evening. Landslides have been occurring in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, combining three hilly districts of Bangladesh including Cox's Bazar since June. At least five people of the same family were killed and another went missing after a rain-triggered landslide struck their house in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong hill region on July 21. The fresh incidents were reported as the wounds of last months' massive landslides are yet to heal. Officials say incidences of Landslides continue to strike unabated as people continue to live in dangerous conditions due to lack of relief and rehabilitation policies. At least 153 people were reported to have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the landslides that devastated places in five districts in Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeastern Bangladesh on June 11 night. The victims included four members of the Army, two of whom were officers. Landslides are frequent in Bangladesh's hilly areas during the heavy monsoon that usually runs from June to September as land has been heavily deforested to grow crops and build new houses. In June 2007, some 123 people were killed in a devastating landslide in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong district, some 242 km away of Dhaka. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced after unusually heavy rain triggered a string of mudslides since June. Despite repeated warnings and notices, officials say many families still continued to live in dangerous conditions at the foot of hills in the region. Possibility of further landslide in the already affected areas cannot be ruled out as the hilly districts are likely to get more rain in the coming days. The country's meteorological office said it recorded 223 mm rainfall in the Chittagong hill region in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning. The rain throughout Bangladesh influenced by a low and peak monsoon will persist Tuesday before showing signs of improvement from Wednesday. The climate is particularly rough in the coastal areas down south as a trough of the monsoon axis extends till the northern Bay of Bengal. Overnight rains caused by the low pressure system in the Bay of Bengal have flooded some low-lying parts of Chittagong city, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka. People in the Chittagong region where seasonal monsoon often causes floods and mudslides on Monday reportedly saw the highest Bay of Bengal tide this year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:14:59|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced a member of terrorist IS organization to life sentence on charges of joining an outlawed group, official news agency MENA reported. Sherief Abu Rayah, who was convicted of working with a terrorist organization outside the country, was handed life sentence which is 25 years in prison in Egypt, MENA said. According to the prosecution, Abu Rayah has joined the lines of Islamic State (IS) in Syria. He also was received military trainings and participated in offensive operation against the Syrian Army, the prosecution added. Hundreds of Islamists have been sentenced to death and life sentences since the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his rule. The (IS) regional terrorist group in Egypt claimed responsibly for killing of hundreds of police and army men in retaliation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:20:06|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BERLIN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Volkswagen Group CEO Mathias Mueller lashed out at Uwe Hueck, head of Porsche's workers' council in the German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme Tuesday as infighting at the Volkswagen Group of German carmakers spilled out into the public. Mueller criticized Hueck's statement on Monday that Porsche had been "betrayed" by the "tricks" of corporate sister company Audi, as well as his call for the supervisory board to explain itself to employees. "There is certainly no need for the supervisory board to be told how to do its job." Mueller told the newspaper. According to Mueller, Hueck's comments were "anything but helpful", and did not adequately reflect Volkswagen's corporate culture. "We should talk with each other, not about each other," Mueller added. Volkswagen Group is the joint owner of leading automotive brands Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi. Along with other German carmakers, the group is being rocked by allegations of illicit industry collusions which follow close on the heels of a global emissions cheating scandal. Manufacturers including Volkswagen stand accused of having installed illegal software, which understated the nitrogen oxide pollution levels of certain diesel motors in test conditions. Volkswagen Group was the first German carmaker which was revealed to have engaged in such "emission cheating" in 2015. A U.S. federal judge ruled in April 2017 that Volkswagen "must pay a 2.8 billion dollar criminal fine for rigging diesel-powered vehicles to cheat on government emissions tests." Mueller was thin-lipped with regards to more recent claims that his firm was part of an illegal cartel which has met since the 1990s to coordinate vehicle technology, cost, suppliers, markets and strategy with each other. "Concerning the current state of affairs, all I can say is that we do not comment on speculations and assumptions of fact based on media reports," Mueller said, noting that not all forms of technical cooperation between car manufacturers were illicit. Mueller was instead keen to turn the subject to electric mobility, where he has recently expressed an eagerness to cooperate with German and European authorities in order to gradually phase out diesel and combustion engines. "In the future, we will be able to offer electric vehicles with a reach of up to 600 kilometers at a comparable price to diesel vehicles," he said. Nonetheless, Mueller expressed the view that Diesel remained an important affordable technology needed to lower CO2 emissions. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:20:09|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close by Levi J Parsons SYDNEY, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Indian border guards' trespassing into the Chinese territory would risk repeating the mistakes of the Sino-India border conflict in 1962, a former Australian journalist warned. The latest border standoff flared up in mid June when Indian troops were sent to disrupt Chinese construction workers building a road project in a plateau of land known as Doklam in China's southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region. Neville Maxwell, 91, who was on the ground at the time of the 1962 conflict and worked as a Southeast Asian correspondent for the London Times, emphasized that India is echoing events of 1962 with continued violation of China's sovereignty. The Doklam area lies in the midst of a three way Himalayan junction between China, the northeast of India and the Kingdom of Bhutan, and Doklam has long been a demarcated section of China under international law. Beijing's historical claim dates back to the Convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), an agreement that has been repeatedly reconfirmed under a UN Charter, in writing, by successive Indian governments. But despite the treaty, Indian has continued its aggressive and dangerous stance toward China and enacted the false notion that their presence inside China's border is at the request of Bhutan. However, since 1980, China and Bhutan have held 24 separate border negotiations. Although a boundary has not officially been demarcated, both countries have a clear consensus on the practical condition of the border line. CHINA'S DIPLOMATIC ACHIEVEMENTS WITH REGIONAL NEIGHBORS Maxwell emphasized the importance China's remarkable diplomatic achievements with its regional partners. Over the years, China has been able to negotiate boundaries with 12 of its 14 sovereign neighbors, the only two exceptions of course, have been India and Bhutan. "Modern states need boundaries, not borders, not frontiers - Boundaries," Neville Maxwell told Xinhua recently. "A boundary is a line jointly agreed between two neighboring states in a process of diplomatic negotiations, jointly marked out on the ground and sealed in a treaty - that makes a boundary." For Maxwell, India's repeated signs of aggression and failure to comply with international law stems from two great delusions of the former British colony. The first is the false narrative that Chinese forces were the instigators in the 1962 conflict and the second is the belief of the Indian ruling class that the country's borders can be drafted unilaterally. Under the pretence of the illegal "McMahon Line" which is never recognized by China, India at the time declared a number of southwestern Chinese regions as their own and continued to push those areas forward in an attempt to grow their territory. "In the mid 1930s, the British became apprehensive about a resurgent China and decided they should have a boundary, so they made one unilaterally, without consulting China." "They moved forces forward and they found a line which suited them and they declared falsely that the line reflected an agreement reached between Britain and China in 1914." Further reckless disregard continued in the lead-up to the Sino-Indian conflict in 1954, when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru adopted the policy that India could align its borders based on so-called historic research, meaning India's borders would be defined by what they displayed on their official maps. "Indians have convinced themselves that if they declare a tract of territory to be Indian, it becomes Indian, which is nonsense," Maxwell said. "The ownership of territory can only be decided by diplomatic discussion between the two parties concerned." Despite the growing risk to their sovereignty, Chinese forces in the years prior to 1962 did not engage in conflict with the Indian side. China instead issued a series of warnings and urged India to hold negotiations. "Those warnings became more and more explicit but constantly ignored until October 1962, the Chinese at last met this constant Indian military pressure with an overwhelming, crushing counterattack." According to Maxwell, the devastating battle was a humiliation for India's political class and viewed by the Indian government as a stark warning by China. "(China as the aggressor) was a misconception, fostered of course by India, which put forward the absurd lie that they had been the victim of unprovoked Chinese aggression," Maxwell said. "But that is not the case, they brought a Chinese counter attack upon themselves by their own wrong-headed border policy." INDIAN PROVOCATIONS BROUGHT ABOUT CHINESE COUNTERATTACK At the time, Maxwell's reports were contested and had him all but expelled from New Delhi, but in 2014, the acclaimed writer and Oxford scholar released a document called the Henderson-Brooks Report, which confirmed his long held account. "The Henderson-Brooks Report, which was the Indian Army's own account of the events of the war, makes quite clear the truth ... that it was Indian provocations that brought about a forewarned Chinese counterattack," Maxwell said. "My motivation was one that I hope every journalist has the wish to get the truth on record." Unfortunately, the stance taken by Nehru all those years ago, is one that still remains a key component of India's modern outlook, when it comes to its border policy. Every generation of leaders in India promotes the erroneous account of national oppression at the hands of China and indoctrinates its citizens into believing their northern territory is occupied, he said. For Maxwell, negotiations and cooperation to resolve the dispute should be the highest priority, along with finding ways for the neighboring countries to work together. He believes China's Belt and Road Initiative could present the solution to the boundary unrest. "Cooperation on infrastructure is at the heart of Belt and Road concept, so I think this will be a way ahead," Maxwell said. "I see the Belt and Road Initiative as a possible line of hopeful human development, in which national interests will be submerged in a sense of what is in the greater interest of humankind," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:20:13|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan, that killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens, official IRNA news agency reported. Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, said that "the only way to get rid of violence and terrorism is to deal honestly with this heinous phenomenon." Qasemi offered his condolences to the Pakistani government, nation and the families of the victims, denouncing "instrumental use of terrorism" for political ends. At least 26 people were killed and 49 others injured as a suicide bomb blast hit the downtown area of Pakistan's eastern city Lahore Monday afternoon. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:35:28|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close GAZA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- An Islamic Hamas militant died Tuesday in an accident during military training at a Hamas military post in northern Gaza Strip, the medics said. The group said in a short text message sent to reporters that Mohamed Sherafi, 22, died during training and preparations. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Hamas-run ministry of health told media that Sherafi died in an accident, without giving anymore details. Over the past few years, dozens of militants died or killed in training accidents in the Gaza Strip, most of them are members with Hamas armed wing or the less influential Islamic Jihad. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:40:39|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Tuesday challenged African countries to establish an inter-agency coordination to help in the fight piracy. James Macharia, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development said that piracy is still on the rise in the continent hence the need to domesticate anti-piracy laws for effective prosecution measures. "It is important that a maximum continental collaboration is forged to help solve problems faced by most countries," Macharia said during celebrations to mark Africa's Day of the Seas and Oceans in Nairobi. He noted that maritime crimes such as illegal arms, money laundering, unreported fishing, smuggling, theft of crude oil, smuggling and drug trafficking also require full attention from the governments. "I believe that once these measures are taken into consideration by the governments, then the governments will start benefiting from the Blue Economy and help actualize Africa's vision on wealth creation through sustainable use of Seas and Oceans," said Macharia. He said that African nations need to collectively address innovative solutions to maritime challenges that hinder maximization and sustainable use of the continent's maritime space. The CS called for the enhancement of security and safety of maritime transportation systems through sharing of information on preventives measures on hostile and criminal acts at sea. On pollution, the official challenged government to take maritime pollution and dumping of toxic and nuclear wastes seriously by protecting populations given that the Blue economy sector promises a lot in transforming the countries. In recent past, Kenya has embarked in expanding port capacity and expanding inland rail and road transport network as interventions aimed at inspiring the anticipated economic growth in the sector. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:45:42|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The 2017 BRICS Youth Forum opened in Beijing Tuesday to discuss youth development in BRICS countries. Themed "Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development," the three-day forum gathered 50 youth representatives working as civil servants, scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and journalists from BRICS countries. Representatives will hold discussions on issues concerning youth policies and entrepreneurship, as well as the roles of BRICS youth in global governance, before formulating an action plan for the forum. The five BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, first came up with the idea of establishing a dialogue mechanism for BRICS youth in 2014 during a meeting between BRICS leaders in South Africa. In the past three years, the forums have had achievements in various fields, such as youth policies and employment through dialogue. CAPE TOWN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Edena Molewa has voiced "cautious optimism" over the fight against rhino poaching but warned against claiming victory. "There has been a slight decrease in the number of rhino poached nationally," the minister said Monday at a press briefing in Cape Town. A total of 529 rhinos have been poached since January 2017 this year, compared to 542 in the same period for 2016, representing a decrease of 13 rhinos, according to Molewa. With regards to the Kruger National Park (KNP), one of Africa's biggest game reserves in northeastern South Africa, a total of 243 rhino carcasses were found between January and the end of June 2017, said Molewa. This is compared to 354 in the same period in 2016, representing a decrease of 34 percent. The KNP is traditionally the hotbed of rhino poaching. "As we have always stated, these declining numbers do not mean we can proclaim victory. Nevertheless, the downward trend is being established, which is cause for cautious optimism," Molewa said. Whilst there has been a decrease in the number of rhinos killed for their horns in the KNP and nearby Mpumalanga Province, the number of rhinos poached unfortunately increased in some other provinces, according to the minister. "The threat of poaching is now a challenge to other provinces, particularly KwaZulu-Natal," she said. With rhino poaching still alarming, sustained effective law enforcement efforts have been intensified, Molewa said. In the reporting period, a total of 359 alleged poachers and traffickers have been arrested nationally, according to Molewa. "We are acutely aware that in order to make a real impact on rhino poaching, these arrests must translate into successful investigations and prosecutions," Molewa said. Although the campaign is far from won in the KNP and elsewhere, South Africa is reaping the benefits of anti-poaching endeavours supported by so many state and private parties, said Molewa. Molewa has warned before that South Africa's rhino population will be close to extinction by 2026 if no effective measures are taken to curb rhino poaching. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:50:45|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday announced a one-stop boundary control arrangement at the cross-border railway station in West Kowloon. The move allows passengers to go through the customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) procedures of both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland successively at the West Kowloon Station (WKS) in Hong Kong, according to the implementation plan announced at a press conference. The implementation plan was approved earlier Tuesday by members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR. Under the arrangement, CIQ officials from the Chinese mainland will work in a designated area at the WKS building, after the commissioning of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail (XRL) Link. The 26-km Hong Kong section of the XRL is targeted to be put into operation in the third quarter next year. By that time, northern-bound passengers may freely step aboard or alight the trains at any station along the route, reaching any mainland city on the national high-speed rail network without having to get off the train midway to go through boundary control. The same applies to the reverse direction, in which passengers who get on Hong Kong-bound XRL trains from any city on the national high-speed rail network can go through CIQ procedures of the mainland and Hong Kong after arriving at WKS in Hong Kong. The co-location arrangement is similar to that of Shenzhen Bay Port, which has been welcomed by many travelers since it was commissioned in 2007. To implement the co-location arrangement, the mainland and the HKSAR need to first reach a cooperation arrangement which will be endorsed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC). After the NPCSC's endorsement, the HKSAR needs to implement it through the enactment of local legislation. The cooperation arrangement on co-location will be fully consistent with the Basic Law, the HKSAR's Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen told the press conference. Upon commissioning, the Hong Kong section of the XRL will substantially reduce the rail journey time between Hong Kong and various major mainland cities. The travelling time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, for instance, will be shortened from around two hours to about 48 minutes; whereas those for Beijing and Shanghai will be reduced to around eight hours. "The Hong Kong section of the XRL is an important strategic infrastructure project for the future of Hong Kong, and the co-location arrangement at the WKS is instrumental in unleashing its full transport, social and economic benefits," Yuen said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 19:50:47|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close XINING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Building work began Monday on an incubator for Tibetan language information technology development in northwest China's Qinghai Province Monday, part of a wider project to boost local economic and social progress. With 77.8 million yuan (11.5 million U.S. dollars) in financial backing, Yongzin big data center, which is in Gonghe County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, will include data, product display and training departments. "Yongzin" is the country's first Tibetan language search engine. It was launched in August last year. The incubator aims to attract small and medium Internet enterprises to provide governance, economy, culture and education in areas inhabited by Tibetans. "Currently there is a dearth of Internet enterprises in Tibetan areas, which means there is a lack of valuable, unique Tibetan brands," said Tselo, director of the Tibetan language working committee in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The incubator, which will be put into operation next year, will provide preferential policies to attract small companies. Since 2013, Qinghai, with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, has channeled 14 million yuan into several projects related to Tibetan information technology development. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:00:56|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's industrial sector is likely to maintain steady operation over the rest of the year on the back of good momentum during the first half, a senior official said Tuesday. There are more signs that China's industrial sector is firming up, Zheng Lixin, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at a press conference. He cited figures that China's value-added industrial output expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the first half of this year, the best level in the past three years. "Backed by government-led initiatives such as the supply-side structural reform, upstream industries have witnessed significant profit growth and improvement in corporate performance," he said. In the first five months, China's major industrial firms reported a 22.7-percent profit increase from one year earlier, official data showed. Zheng also noted progress in both the upgrading of traditional industries and the development of emerging industries. New economies like "Internet Plus" and the sharing economy have brought potential to traditional industries, and industrial upgrading has become a major force in consolidating economic development, he said. The official also pointed out that there are still structural contradictions in economic development, and some industrial firms continue to have difficulties in financing. For the second half of the year, Zheng said the ministry will enhance monitoring on industrial operation and deal with new situations and issues that are likely to emerge in the future. The Chinese economy continued steady expansion in the first half of this year with GDP up 6.9 percent year on year to about 38.15 trillion yuan (5.6 trillion U.S. dollars), official data showed. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:06:02|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close TOKYO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was grilled for a second day by opposition party lawmakers in parliament on Tuesday over allegations he used his influence to manipulate the selection of a new veterinary department to be opened in a special deregulated zone. The second day of questioning took place in the House of Councillors as a special ad hoc session aimed at opposition party members further probing the prime minister's alleged knowledge that in exerting his influence to ensure Kake Educational Institution secure permission and support to open the vet school, he would be helping a personal friend. Kotaro Kake, a long-term friend of Abe, runs Kake Educational Institution. The pair were pictured in a lower house session a day earlier in an enlarged photograph holding up glasses of wine together while looking at the camera. They are known to have socialized on a number of occasions prior to Abe retaking power in 2012 and have been friends before Abe became a lawmaker in 1993, sources close to the matter have said. Abe on Tuesday was grilled as to exactly when he learned Kake was submitting an application to open a veterinary school, with Democratic Party President Renho, who goes by her first name, pointing out that the prime minister had contradicted himself in terms of dates, compared to his prior statements. Abe said that in his position as the chair of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones, he first learned that Kake Educational Institution had been selected when the council signed off on the institution. "I must apologize for mixing up the date when I first learned Kake was applying and when I learned the city was applying. But what I've said is the truth," the prime minister maintained. Renho went on to address broader cases of memory loss within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, claiming that sudden cases of amnesia when it comes to accounting for issues that need to be resolved are only adding to the public's mistrust of the LDP. "People are having doubts because some inside your administration lose their memories and records and keep their mouths shut. If someone outside the administration speaks out, they bash them. And people in the administration constantly rewrite previous statements saying they never said them," Renho was quoted as saying. Despite Kake Educational Institution applying for permission to open a new veterinary department in the specially deregulated zone 15 times since 2007, all of the institution's previous applications were rejected. The Japan Veterinary Medical Association has also long been opposed to the opening of a new veterinary school, due to the surplus of vets already working in Japan, it has said. The school would mark the first veterinary department to be opened in Japan in half a century. However, the school was selected and the local city assembly provided the land to the institution to build the new department for free, records show. In addition, they provided a hefty 9.6 billion yen (86.54 million U.S. dollars) as a subsidy for the school's construction costs. Abe, whose support rate has plunged to historic lows following a series of scandals related to himself, his senior Liberal Democratic Party member lawmakers and cabinet ministers, with the latest polls showing his support rate at well below 30 percent, has long been facing accusations of cronyism from the opposition camp. The allegations came to light when whistle-blower Kihei Maekawa, former vice education minister, claimed that official ministry documents indicated that Abe's influence was used in favor of Kake Educational Institution being selected. Maekawa said that its selection was "a foreign conclusion." The documents reportedly suggest that the Education Ministry was told by the Cabinet Office that the choice for the new department "was heard to have been the prime minister's wish." The Democratic Party also maintains that documents exist which show that negotiations had taken place between the ministry and the Cabinet Office regarding the set time-frame for opening the new department at the university. As for the timing of the opening of the new veterinary department at the Okayama University of Science, which was slated for April 2018, one document reportedly states, "This is what the highest level of the prime minister's office has said." Okayama University of Science was specifically chosen by the government to open a new veterinary medicine school in Ehime Prefecture. The prefecture is one of Japan's national strategic special economic zones, which has far more relaxed regulations to boost growth in the area, as part of Abe's overall growth strategy. Maekawa has stated that the prime minister's aides had also pressurized the green-lighting of the Kake project and the expediting of the school's construction. Abe, amid tumbling public support, has also been grilled over his responsibility for selecting Tomomi Inada as the defense minister. Calls have been rife from the opposition party for her to resign to account for a number of scandals and gaffes related to her. She is currently embroiled in a scandal involving the alleged cover-up of logs containing the activities of Japanese troops in what potentially was a controversial U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. Abe had until recently been looking at becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister by winning a third three-year term when his current tenure ends in September 2018. However, with intensifying wrangling within the LDP's factions caused by the party's woeful election performances, high-profile scandals and the public's rapidly waning support, this goal has become severely blurred, political watchers have said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:06:03|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HARARE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's road authority said Tuesday it now requires 148.8 million U.S. dollars for an emergency national road rehabilitation program, up from the initial 100 million announced in March. Most of Zimbabwe's roads, bridges and associated infrastructure were damaged by heavy rains received in the 2016/17 rainfall season, leading the government to launch a national emergency road rehabilitation program in March. This was after President Robert Mugabe had also declared the country's roads a state of disaster. In an update on the rehabilitation works Tuesday, the Zimbabwe National Road Authority said the road repair works were being done in two phases, with 45.6 million dollars having so far been disbursements to road authorities under the first phase. "The requirements for the program, initially estimated at 101.1 million dollars are now estimated at 148.8 million after taking into account additional requirements for road authorities," ZINARA said. Of the 148.8 million, ZINARA will raise 100 million dollars through an infrastructure bond, while 15 million will come from Treasury and 33.8 million from the road fund administered by ZINARA. ZINARA said early this month that it had so far raised 58.6 million dollars through the infrastructure bond. The emergency road rehabilitation program is expected to run from March to October this year, according to a government timeframe announced in March. Prior to the floods, most of the country's roads were already in a poor state owing to years of neglect. However, government has been making efforts to upgrade major highways, and last year signed a multi-million dollar deal to dualize and rehabilitate the country's busiest 900-km highway, the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu road. President Mugabe officiated at the ground breaking ceremony for the project in May, paving way for the project to start soon. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:16:06|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Najib Sharifi, head of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC), speaks at a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Dai He) KABUL, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Ten Afghan journalists and media workers have been killed in the first half of the year amid increasing violence in the militancy-hit country, an official of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC), an independent media safety group protecting the reporters' rights, said on Tuesday. "A total of 10 reporters and media workers have been killed from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2017, and those killed have either been directly targeted by terrorist groups or lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks," Najib Sharifi, head of AJSC, told a press conference here. In one attack, four Afghan journalists and media workers were killed after a massive truck bombing struck near the German Embassy in Kabul on May 31, the official added. According to Sharifi, four journalists from government-run Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) were killed after Islamic State (IS) militant group attacked RTA office in eastern Nangarhar province also in May. Sharifi also expressed AJSC's concern over continuation and expansion of violence and threats to Afghan journalists posed by terrorist groups, particularly Taliban and IS affiliates. In March, two employees of parliament TV were killed after Taliban launched a double suicide bombing on a parliament sub-office in western Kabul. The AJSC has registered 73 cases of violence against reporters, including killing, beating, inflicting injury, intimidation and detention of journalists over the period. "The data shows a 35 percent increase in violence against Afghan journalists in the first half of 2017 in comparison with same period last year in which 35 similar cases had been recorded by AJSC," he said. Due to increased insecurity, Sharifi said no female journalist has been working in 10 of the country's 34 provinces. He also called on the government to protect the life and properties of journalists and urged the militants not to target the reporters whenever they travel to cover the events. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:21:12|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and the World Bank are planning to partner to boost technical training in Kenya. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Principal Secretary Dinah Mwinzi told a media briefing in Nairobi that under the collaboration, Kenya will receive technical and financial support to reform its vocational training sector. "The partnership will enable Kenya to revamp its technical schools in order to train 150,000 students annually," Mwinzi said during a consultative meeting on regulations governing Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutes in Kenya. The Bretton Woods institution will also assist Kenya to benchmark its technical training with international standards. Mwinzi said that the overall objective is to reduce the level of unemployment by ensuring that vocational training institutes produce graduates that match industry needs. Mwinzi said that years of underinvestment in the vocational sector has led to a decline of the sector. The East African nation has already appointed a consultant to begin developing the training systems required. Under the cooperation, Kenya will receive support to establish a National Training Systems Standards. Mwinzi said that the standards will ensure that all graduates of technical training schools will have qualifications that meet requirements of industry, regulators and professional bodies. The partnership will focus on building capacity in ten sectors including maritime, construction, agro-processing and Information and Communication Technology where Kenya has a deficit of skilled labor force. According to the PS, Kenya requires to train an additional 25,000 skilled personnel in the maritime sector alone to help exploit its vast marine resources. Photo taken on April 10, 2016 shows two giraffes in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. (Xinhua/Li Sibo) ARUSHA, Tanzania, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Wildlife Division's anti-poaching unit (KDU) is holding a suspected poacher for allegedly killing eight giraffes in the northern district of Simanjiro. Hussein Ibrahim Janjiti(56), a resident of Oljoro 5 in Simanjiro was by Monday noon, in KDU's custody for interrogation over the killing of the national symbol on Sunday night. Jesca Riwa, KDU's acting zonal commander confirmed the arrest and the ongoing interrogation of Janjiti, who is said to be found in possession four motorcycles and some trophies which include Zebra and giraffe meat. The suspected poacher was also found with torches and four machetes that were used to kill the tall spotted mammals. The anti-poaching official disclosed that the suspected poacher was in the company of seven other people who managed to escape the KDU's net. "We managed to arrest Janjiti and we have since dispatched an anti-poaching intelligence unit to the area to investigate the killings," she said. According to Riwa, preliminary investigations were still ongoing over the matter, and that they would issue a comprehensive report once the team finalizes the investigations. "A team of four men is already on the ground and we will provide full details appertaining to the killing of the eight giraffes," disclosed the anti-poaching official. A full report on the giraffes' killings is due to come out Tuesday, according to Riwa. Giraffes are routinely killed for their hides and meat, which is sought after in the bush meat trade. Conservationists say giraffe poaching is now on the rise after their populations on the continent plummeted by 40 percent in the last 15 years. With its spindly legs, distinctive patterning, and long neck, the giraffe makes a compelling figure on the savannah. However, the population of the world's tallest mammal has dropped sharply in recent decades -- from about 150,000 in 1985 to fewer than 100,000 today, according to wildlife experts. Tanzania, which displays the giraffe as its national symbol, is among the poaching hot spots for the tall mammal. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 20:51:31|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close by Mao Pengfei, Nguon Sovan SIEM REAP, Cambodia, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's best practices and successful experiences on poverty alleviation had been shared with the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a two-day forum, starting here on Tuesday. Hong Tianyun, deputy director of China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation, said poverty reduction was a common goal for human development and a common challenge for China and ASEAN countries. "Being the world's largest developing country, China has always been an active advocate and powerful enabler of the world's poverty reduction cause," the Chinese official said during the opening ceremony of the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province. The forum brought together over 120 government officials, experts, scholars, Chinese companies' representatives, NGO representatives and international organizations' officers from China and ASEAN countries. At the forum, Hong shared the Chinese five-point formula in its achieving large-scale poverty reduction along with rapid economic growth. Firstly, the prerequisite of China's successful practice is upholding reform and opening-up so as to maintain a continuous growth of economy, he said. Secondly, the guarantee is giving full play to the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Thirdly, governments provide guidance which combines long-term poverty reduction planning with annual poverty reduction objectives. Fourth, the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation and reduction should be adjusted and implemented according to different conditions to maintain its effects. And fifth, emphasis is given to the market to mobilize social involvement and synergy. Hong said in the future cause of poverty reduction, China will continue to carry out this formula and intensify its efforts in this regard so that more poverty-stricken regions and population can benefit from the country's development. Meanwhile, China will continue to work with the international community and contribute to the cause of global poverty reduction. According to a report on "New Progress in Poverty Alleviation in China" distributed at the forum, since the launch of reform and opening up in the late 1970s, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty. The number of the rural poor in China had fallen to 43.35 million by the end of 2016, said the report released by the China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. China has set itself the goal of lifting 10 million people out of poverty every year from 2016 and is committed to lifting the entire impoverished population in rural areas out of poverty by 2020, the report said. While combating poverty at home, China also actively helps other developing countries to address their poverty problems, it said, adding that over six decades, China has provided nearly 400 billion yuan (59.2 billion U.S. dollars) of assistance to 166 countries and international organizations, sent more than 600,000 aid workers, given medical assistance to 69 countries, and aided more than 120 developing countries. Ouk Rabun, Minister of Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, said the forum was vital for the participants to discuss and exchange deeper views on their efforts in reducing poverty in ASEAN member countries. "Through the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction, I believe that we will gain good qualifications, best practices, and new experiences from each other among ASEAN member countries and from China," he said during his opening speech. Wan Guanghua, principal economist at the Asian Development Bank's Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, called the China's poverty reduction strategy a "holistic approach", and said that the forum was a good platform for ASEAN countries to learn best practices and experiences from China in poverty cut. "From the statistics, China has been very successful in poverty reduction. At the end of 1970 or early 1980s, China's poverty rate, based on World Bank's estimate, was more than 70 percent, now it dropped to below five percent," he told Xinhua on the sidelines of the forum. Wan said with the economic growth of between six and seven percent per annum, China will be surely able to eradicate poverty by 2020. "At the moment, the poverty rate in China is already low...China's (economy) has been growing now six, seven percent (per annum), and if it continues to grow at this growth rate, China will have no problem to reduce poverty to below three percent, which is the natural rate of poverty," he said. Sita Sumrit, head of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division at the ASEAN Secretariat, praises China for its methods and achievements in poverty reduction, saying that ASEAN has a lot of things to learn from China in poverty cut. "I think (China)'s targeted poverty reduction strategy has worked really well for the country...China has very good understanding of the context of the country about the poorest of the poor, and really has made an effort to understand who are the poorest, and really target to lift those people out of poverty," she told Xinhua. ASEAN has the combined population of approximately 630 million. According to Sita Sumrit, it is estimated that one of eight people in ASEAN still lives in poverty. The people living below poverty line are defined by an average income of less than 1.25 U.S. dollars per day. In a presentation to the forum, Prof. Yu Miaojie, vice dean of the National School of Development of Peking University, said a finding showed that the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area had a very significant impact on ASEAN and China in poverty reduction. "If bilateral trade between China and an ASEAN member country increases by 10 percent, the absolute poverty ratio in the ASEAN member countries will reduce around 3-5 percent," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:06:42|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close ANKARA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia have sealed a deal to purchase the S-400 missile defense system. "We have now taken steps with the Russian Federation about this issue. Signatures have been issued. And we hope we will see S-400 missiles in our country and we will continue the process through joint production," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party lawmakers at the parliament. His remarks came amid the U.S. criticism over the possibility of Turkey purchasing an anti-missile defense system from a non-NATO country. "Why are they concerned? Greece, a NATO member, has been using S-300 for years," he noted. "It would be a concern, were they to do that, but they have not done that," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week. Late on Monday, Erdogan told reporters at Ankara Esenboga airport that the purchase of S-400 missile defense system from Russia is not "worrying." It was "important" for Turkey to choose an entity with which it could be in co-production, he added. In June, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said the tow countries had agreed on the delivery of the S-400 mobile systems but the Kremlin had not approved a loan for the deal. S-400 missiles are the new generation of the Russian missile system introduced in 2007. It can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying ground and air targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:11:44|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close PARIS, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Huge wildfires which broke out on Monday destroyed 3,000 hectares in France's south eastern districts and Corsica island, the country's interior ministry said Tuesday. The wildfires, whose cause is not yet identified, ravaged 1,500 hectares of forest in Var and Vaucluse districts and 1,500 hectares in Corsica, the ministry said. About 1,000 firemen have been deployed to battle the flames in addition to 19 aircraft including 10 Canadair water bombers, it added. Due to strong winds and dry weather conditions, the French government has asked its European Union partners to send two extra air tankers. Four firefighters were wounded with one of them suffering serious injuries in relief efforts. Some 15 policemen were also asphyxiated, according to local reports. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:21:54|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close A man tries to put out a forest fire in west Aceh, Indonesia, July 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Junaidi) JAKARTA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Soldiers, personnel of disaster management agency and volunteers have striven to end forest fires which is potential to escalate prior to the peak of the dry season, in northern tip of Sumatra Island, a senior official said here on Tuesday. The forest fires occurred on last Tuesday, spreading in a 64-hectare land in Aceh Besar district of Aceh province, spokesman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho revealed. The smokes from the fires have spread to other areas that led three people get medical treatment in a hospital for respiratory problem, the spokesman said. "The peak of drought is forecast in August and September, so that the threat of forest and field fires will escalate," he told Xinhua in a text message. In extinguishing the fires, the firefighters are hampered by difficult access to the scene, lacking of facilities and vehicles, and sources of waters, Sutopo said. Satellite image detected 170 hotspots across Indonesia on Monday with 35 of them located in Aceh province of western Indonesia, he said. Many other hotspots were found in Borneo Island in central parts of the country, said Sutopo. Indonesia is frequently hit by forest fires with the biggest one in 2015, covering mainly the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:26:58|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close JAKARTA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A speedboat capsized in waters of northern Borneo Island of central Indonesia on Tuesday, leaving 10 people dead and five others seriously injured, an official of disaster relief agency said. The boat, which was heading toward Tanjung Selor of Bulungan district, sank shortly after leaving Pelabuhan Tengkayu of Tarakan town of North Kalimantan province, according to spokesman of national search and rescue office Marsudi. Head of emergency unit of the disaster management agency in Tarakan town, named only as Samto, revealed that about 36 others were rescued safely after the incident. "The latest data is that as many as 10 people are dead. Scores of people are injured, but five of them are still being treated at a hospital for their serious wounds," Samto told Xinhua via phone. Search and rescue operation was halted on Tuesday evening, the head of the agency said. "However, we will wait for the possibility of reports or complaints conveyed by families or relatives whose family members are missing," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:32:04|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BERLIN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has offered to mediate between Berlin and Ankara on Tuesday with regards to the ongoing dispute over the visiting rights of German parliamentarians at the Turkish NATO base in Konya. Germany has stationed troops in Konya which participate in the international effort against the so-called "Islamic State" in nearby Syria and Iraq. Turkish policymakers, however, have revoked the visiting rights of German parliamentarians at the base following an escalation of long-standing diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Ankara. According to a representative of the secretary general, Stoltenberg proposed organizing a visit of parliamentarians at the airbase within the framework of NATO. "We hope to find a mutually acceptable solution for both sides as soon as possible," said the representative, emphasizing the significance of Konya for regional deployments. Already tense relations between Germany and Turkey were put under additional strain when the Turkish government cancelled an already approved visit of German parliamentarians in Konya. Previously, Turkish president Erdogan had banned German lawmakers from visiting soldiers at the Incirlik base, resulting in the transfer of affected troops to Jordan. Until Tuesday, NATO had called for a solution of the conflict without taken any action itself, a circumstance which drew criticism in Germany. Volker Kauder, the head of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party faction in parliament, said on German news channel ARD that "NATO must ensure, that its defense alliance, which is also an alliance of values, functions properly again." According to Kauder, it was "inacceptable" that a NATO member would deny a fellow ally' politicians the right to visit their armed forces. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:42:10|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) warned on Tuesday against "the increasing waves of migration to the Arab region," according to an AL official. "The Arab countries hosted in 2016 more than 26 million Arab migrants compared to 26 million in 2015, without counting those passing through the region for short time until reaching Europe," said Bader el-Din Alali, AL assistant general secretary of the social issues. The region is facing unprecedented challenges, Alali said in his speech to the extraordinary meeting of the Arab regional consultation on immigration and asylum. "The situation is deteriorating every year along with the growing burden of the hosting countries," he said. The AL diplomat reiterated that the Arab region is "the source of migration and the first among countries hosting migrants," adding that the Palestinians constitute half of the world refugees. "Egypt plays a pioneering international rather than regional role in dealing with migrants, refugees and trafficking efficiently at all levels," Mohamed Ghoneim, Egypt's assistant Foreign Minister for Refugees and Human Trafficking, said at the sideline of the meeting. Egypt is working with a growing number of countries to settle the crisis, and promoting development as the main motivation for illegal migrations, Ghonem said. A recent report by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the deepening crisis in Syria has left more than half of the population in need of food assistance. According to the UNHCR, Egypt hosts 187,838 registered refugees, mostly from Sudan, Syria and Libya, with the number of the unregistered believed to be much higher. Besides masses of refugees in Egypt fleeing from the war-torn Syria and other countries, illegal migration via Egyptian Mediterranean Sea shores also rose over the past few years because of the difficult economic conditions in the financially-struggling Arab country, where unemployment has hit 12.5 percent according to official reports. During his visit to Portugal in November 2016, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed the importance of working to bolster cooperation with European states to secure maritime borders, saying "refugees escape their countries looking for hope and peace." Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:52:18|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The East Africa Community (EAC) member states are fast tracking harmonization of technical training in order to boost regional integration, a Kenyan official said on Tuesday. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Principal Secretary Dinah Mwinzi told Xinhua in Nairobi that currently all the six member states have different national standards that govern technical training. "So in order to enhance regional integration, the partner states have agreed to prioritize development of uniform curricula, examination, certification and accreditation of technical training institutes," Mwinzi said during a consultative forum of vocational training institutes. Mwinzi noted that there is already political goodwill among the Heads of States of the partner states to have a single vocational training regime due to the numerous benefits it will bring. The representatives of the trading bloc have already drafted regulations that will be reviewed later this year. Mwinzi said that harmonized technical training will be fully operational by the year 2020. She said that all the partner states have initiated review of their national laws so that they conform with EAC standards. The EAC Common Market protocol, which is currently under implementation calls for the freedom of movement of labor across the region. Harmonized technical training will ensure that education and training received in one member state will be recognized in all partner states. The PS said that currently there is an uneven distribution of skilled labor in the economic bloc. "So harmonized regulations will help to plug skilled personnel deficit without much difficulty," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 21:57:22|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday that it has intensified the humanitarian response in the African continent together with the African Union (AU). Given the magnitude of these hunger crises, AU and WFP are intensifying their response to the humanitarian and developmental challenges presented by these multiple crises, stressing the need to build resilience to prevent such calamities in the future, WFP said in a statement issued on Tuesday. WFP also said that the African continent has faced unprecedented humanitarian crisis together with skyrocketing humanitarian needs amid multiple complex emergencies. "The AU has undertaken efforts to end hunger on the African continent, in addition to its work to treat malnutrition, support agriculture, increase livestock production and mitigate the impact of climate change," the statement indicated. Referring to the World Food Assistance 2017 report that highlights huge costs that are linked to poor humanitarian access, instability and inefficient food systems, WFP revealed that it has witnessed costs spike by more than 140 percent over the past 7 years period. According to WFP, two regions are home to major food emergencies, east and central Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, account for a staggering 70 percent of this expenditure. The pan African block and WFP together with senior Ethiopian officials will on Wednesday hold discussion on food assistance and efforts to tackle large scale hunger crises confronting. The meeting, at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, is expected to include discussions on the World Food Assistance 2017 report, which provides a global picture of key recent trends and developments in global food assistance. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:17:27|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SYDNEY, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and other dignitaries celebrated the 20th anniversary of the establishment of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) at a lavish event in Sydney Tuesday evening. "The success of Hong Kong is a success for us all, " said Bishop. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office hosted the function, which included a number of local dignitaries and Cheng Jingye, the Chinese ambassador to Australia. Speaking about Hong Kong's development, the Australian foreign minister noted that one of the Australian government's top priorities is the successful negotiation of a free trade agreement between Australia and Hong Kong SAR. "Hong Kong is our 12th largest trading partner and our fifth largest source of foreign investment, so it is a natural advancement of our relationship, that we should enter into a free trade agreement given our mutual commitment to an open, liberal trading system," Bishop said. "I believe that the Australia-Hong Kong free trade agreement will be a perfect compliment to the Australia-China free trade agreement." Ambassador Cheng said Hong Kong had kept its distinct features and strengths, retained its previous social system and way of life and its laws had remained unchanged, with the local people enjoying more rights and freedom. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:17:29|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a crackdown on websites, online stores, mobile applications and social media that distributes pirated or illegal publications. The nationwide campaign aims at protecting the intellectual property rights of publications of the press, publication and media industry, and of e-commerce platforms and mobile applications. The campaign involves a severe crackdown on actions of distributing illegal films and videos via online disks, applications, WeChat and Weibo messaging applications, and forums, as well as unauthorized transmission of news items via websites, mobile applications and official accounts on WeChat. Severe measures will also be taken against application stores and providers that release and distribute unauthorized news items, literature, films, videos and music. The campaign will strengthen supervision on big e-commerce platforms, and crack down on online stores that sell pirated books, videos, accounts and passwords of online disks, and links to pirated publications. The action was jointly initiated by the National Copyright Administration, the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security. The four authorities have launched crackdowns on pirated or illegal online publications for 13 years. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:22:42|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close ROME, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A new kind of bicycles designed by China's leading smart bike-sharing company Mobike have entered Italian city of Florence, the company announced Tuesday. The silver-orange smart bicycles had been placed in strategic locations across city of Florence to help alleviate automobile traffic and sustainably enhance mobility. During the initial trial operation phase, several hundred Mobikes will be launched in selected high-demand areas with a promotional rate of 30 euro cents per 30 minutes. Starting from August, formal services will be provided to all residents in Florence as well as Milan, with a plan to launch around 4,000 bikes in each of the two cities, according to Mobike. A launch ceremony was hosted by Florence Mayor Dario Nadella at the "Palazzo Vecchio", home of the Mayor's office on Monday. Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala also attended the ceremony. "Florence has made an irreversible choice towards sustainable mobility today. We are proud to be launching this innovative system as Italy's first stationless bikeshare," Nadella said. Sala said: "We strongly welcome the launch of Mobike in Milan. This launch shows that cities with a touristic and international profile like ours understand the strategic importance of investing in this form of sustainable mobility." Mobikes are designed with a series of proprietary high-tech features that benefit both users and partner cities. Every Mobike is equipped with unique smart-lock technology and built-in GPS connected via the Mobike IoT network. This is an invaluable feature for cities, which no other bikesharing company provides. Mobike's technology locates and monitors the condition of each bike, as well as location-based demands for bikes in real-time to manage supply and help solve the "last-mile" challenge. Mobike was Launched in Shanghai in April 2016. Italy is its fourth overseas market following Singapore, Britain and Japan. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:42:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) said on Tuesday it has barred 19 higher learning institutions from admitting students in the 2017/18 academic year after they had failed to meet conditions. TCU said in a statement that it has also suspended 22 universities from admitting students in 75 courses. The statement signed by the TCU acting executive secretary Eliuther Mwangeni said the decision was made following an inspection of higher learning institutions across the east African nation conducted by the commission between September and October last year. The statement also named some of the universities that have been barred from admitting students as Ekenford Tanga University, Kenyatta University in Arusha, United African University of Tanzania, International Medical and Technological University (IMTU), University of Bagamoyo and St Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences. Others were Archbishop Mihayo University College, Cardinal Rugambwa Memorial University College, Kampala International University Dar es Salaam College, Marian University College and St John University of Tanzania Msalato Centre. Also there were St John University of Tanzania Marks Centre, St Joseph University College of Engineering and Technology, Theofilo Kisanji, Tumaini University Mbeya Centre and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMC). The decision will not affect continuing students, said the statement. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:42:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MADRID, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A man wielding a knife and shouting "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is great) was detained on Tuesday by Spanish National Police at the frontier dividing the Spanish north-African enclave of Melilla from Morocco, the Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed. The incident happened at 7:35 a.m. at the Beni Enzar frontier gate, and a policeman was slightly injured after suffering a cut on one of his fingers, according to the ministry. Video images showed the police rapidly surrounded the man after one of them knocked him to the ground with a plastic traffic control barrier, allowing the rest to overpower him. Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido praised the police for their rapid action, saying they had "stopped a serious incident." Police sources confirmed they have for the moment ruled out terrorism as a motive for the incident, explaining the man was suffering from mental problems. However, anti-terrorism experts are continuing to analyze the incident to see if terrorism was a motive. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 22:58:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) announced Tuesday it was extending the mandate of the naval operation against human smuggling in the Mediterranean Sea until the end of 2018, in a bid to further disrupt the smugglers' business models. The extension of EUNAVFOR MED-Operation Sophia's mandate came amid unabated migratory pressure coming from the central Mediterranean route linking Libya to Italy, via which 85,183 migrants and refugees have arrived in the country since January. Launched in June 2015 to help better manage irregular migration, the mission was authorized to identify, capture and dispose vessels used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers and human traffickers. "As a matter of priority, we will start in the coming days the revision of the operational plan in order to include the new tasks, such as the mechanism for monitoring the Libyan coast guard and navy activities post training, and to strengthen the effectiveness of the mission and the shared responsibility among member states," said EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini. The operation's mandate was last extended in June 2016, with two supporting tasks -- training the Libyan coast guard and navy, and contributing to the implementation of the United Nations arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya. However, the effectiveness of the mission has been called into question as over 181,000 people arrived in the EU through the central Mediterranean route in 2016, while 4,576 people lost their lives in the risky journey, according to the International Organization for Migration. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 23:33:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ABUJA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed fresh cases of Lassa fever in the central state of Plateau, saying all hands will be on deck to deal with a possible resurgence of the disease in the country. Four new cases of Lassa fever, a disease transmitted by rodents, have been confirmed in the state so far, said Kuden Deyin, the Plateau State commissioner for health. Out of the four casualties, one death has been confirmed while three others are receiving treatment, the health official said. Lassa fever is usually transmitted to humans when they are exposed to food or water contaminated by the saliva and excreta of infected rats. In some cases, Lassa fever has similar symptoms with malaria. It is an acute and often fatal viral disease, occurring mainly in West Africa. On July 8, three female students of a public middle school in the state had tested positive for the disease. Deyin urged health workers to be on the alert in combating fresh cases of the hemorrhagic fever. More than 80 people were killed by a Lassa fever outbreak early last year in Nigeria. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 23:38:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots at an Iranian patrol boat on Tuesday in the northern end of the Persian Gulf, U.S. media reported Tuesday. The Iranian boat is believed to have been operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, CNN quoted a defense official familiar with details of the incident as saying. The Iranian boat, which approached and came within 150 yards (about 137 meters) of the U.S. ship, did not respond to any warnings from the U.S. ship, including radio calls, firing of flares and five short blasts from the U.S. Navy ship's whistle, the report said. The U.S. Navy ship then fired warning shots into the water over concerns about the possibility of a collision, a U.S. defense official said, adding that the Iranian ship then stopped approaching the U.S. ship but lingered in the area for some hours. Similar incidents between the United States and Iran occurred in the past. In January this year, a U.S. navy ship fired warning shots at five Iranian ships when the vessel and two other U.S. ships were entering the Strait of Hormuz. In March, the U.S. media reported that a U.S. navy surveillance ship was "harassed" by Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that had been rejected by Iran as the White House's media hype against Tehran. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 23:53:52|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close ABOARD DESTROYER HEFEI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Russian warships held gun firing exercises in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday as part of the "Joint Sea 2017" naval drills. The ships which were divided into two tactical groups fired their secondary guns at floating targets set by the Russian side. "These kinds of small and light targets are quite unsteady and thus difficult to be targeted," said Zhang Yunpeng, a commander in charge of secondary guns on China's missile destroyer Hefei. A large amount of shells were fired in a blink from the Hefei ship at Zhang's order and hit the target. The captain of Hefei said the two countries' navy fleets were closely coordinated and reached their expected goals. The Joint Sea 2017 drills, which kicked off on Saturday and will last until July 28, aim to carry out joint rescue missions and ensure maritime economic activities. The Chinese fleet consists of one destroyer, one frigate, one supply ship, ship-borne helicopters and marines. The Russian side includes one frigate, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marines. The Chinese and Russian navies will conduct a variety of joint exercises and attend a parade in St. Petersburg to mark Russia's Navy Day. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 23:58:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CHENGDU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train left Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province Tuesday, testing a new rail-sea cargo route to Southeast Asia. The train, loaded with titanium dioxide and industrial ammonium phosphate, left Chengdu Qingbaijiang International Railway Station at 10 a.m. It will arrive at Beibuwan Station in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 60 hours later; from there the goods will be transported to Malaysia via sea. The whole journey will take about 20 days. Previously, goods from Chengdu were transported via road and sea to Southeast Asia, which took more than 40 days. Condiments, auto parts, industrial materials and furniture made in Chengdu are very popular in Southeast Asian countries, while fruit and seafood from that region sells well in Chengdu, according to sources from Chengdu Qingbaijiang International Railway Station. The rail-sea link was launched to open a new transportation means and boost bilateral trade, the sources said. In the future, products from Southeast Asian countries can be transported to Europe via China on the rail-sea link which follows the ancient silk road route, according to the sources. Chengdu is scheduled to open more cross-border cargo transportation routes leading to other Southeast Asian countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-25 23:58:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Anger is spreading in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, after Israeli government has installed new security measures at the entrance of East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque since July 14. Palestinians demonstrate daily in various places in East Jerusalem and West Bank cities that often turns out to deadly clashes with Israeli forces. On Tuesday, some Palestinians held a sit-in at the International Red Cross office in the West Bank City of Ramallah. Then they marched towards Bet El check point, opposing Isreali measures at Al-Aqsa mosque compound. On July 14, three Palestinians and two Israeli officers were killed in a shooting attack inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, to which the Israeli government responded by installing new surveillance cameras and metal detectors to search Palestinians walking into the Islamic site. On Tuesday morning, Israeli authorities removed the metal detectors and some of the cameras and started installing alternative wide gates, according to sources in the city. But it is not yet known what the new security measures will include. The decision came right after a deal was reached between Jordanian Monarch, King Abdullah II and Israeli Prime Minister in the wake of a shooting attack in which an Israeli embassy guard shot dead two Jordanians in Amman. The deal included returning the guard who killed the two Jordanians to Israeli authorities in return for removing the new gates at Al-Aqsa mosque. However, the top Muslim clerics said in a statement Tuesday morning the new measures are still unacceptable and demanded that the situation returns as it was prior to July 14. Said Shweiki, Member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Arab Front and Member of the Palestinian National Council said at the Tuesday's demonstration that the demonstrators were faced with excessive force. "I am with our people at the gates on a daily basis. There is tough oppression by occupation police forces and border guards. However, our people don't fear this power because their will is solid and committed to their cause," said Shwieki to Xinhua. He added "our people in Jerusalem will continue their struggle until the smart cameras are removed." Palestinians say the holy shrine is important to every person and holds a special place in the collective narrative. This is why the anger resulted in spiral confrontations with the Israeli forces stationed near settlements and military checkpoints in the West Bank or inside the Old City of Jerusalem. An anonymous demonstrator said "Al-Aqsa mosque to every Palestinian is something that touches the heart. It is not just a religious building." He explained that this is why "the popular movement is spreading widely and the spark has created a snow ball effect, which would cost the Israeli government dearly." The young man said "we will not accept half way solutions; they either remove everything and return to the situation before July 14 or we will continue what we are doing." The daily clashes have reflected a unified position led by the top Muslim clerics in Jerusalem, who ordered worshippers not to use the gates to enter to Al-Aqsa mosque. As a result, hundreds of Palestinian men and women showed up at the gates to hold public prayers and sit-ins until the Israeli government would remove the gates. Coordinator of Islamic and National Factions in Ramallah Governorate Issam Baker told Xinhua that "the issue is well beyond ten days, for years. The occupation state has been trying to bring the Palestinian people to it's knees and impose unilateral solutions, but there are angry youth and an entire generation is frustrated that is breaking out as waves of outrage in the face of the occupation." Baker warned that "harming the Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem and especially Al-Aqsa mosque, which has been subject to daily raids, excavations, enforcing new gates and humiliating human dignity, defies all spiritual and man made laws." Many believe that Israel has for long planned to take over Al-Aqsa mosque, through controlling the access into the Muslim shrine by using the shooting attack on July 14 as a pretext to break the historic status quo in the old city. | 2017-07-26 00:12:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NEW DELHI -- At least eight people including six women were killed Tuesday and more than 30 others are feared trapped after a building collapsed in India's Maharashtra state, police said. The 40-year-old four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai, India's financial capital. (India-Building Collapse) - - - - CAIRO -- Egyptian armed forces said on Tuesday that 40 militants were killed in military raids on their hotbeds in the province of North Sinai. "Egyptian security forces killed 40 highly dangerous militants in ground and air raids in North Sinai cities of Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid," Tamer el Refai, spokesman of the armed forces, said in a statement. (Egypt-Sinai-Raids) - - - - JERUSALEM -- Hundreds of Muslims stayed away from Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque on Tuesday despite Israel had removed metal detectors from the site, saying the move does not fulfill the requirement of Muslim worshippers. Ikrema Sabri, the head of the Supreme Islamic Committee in Jerusalem, said that the Muslim Waqf, which administers the site, would study the changes that Israel made overnight, and compile a report. Based on this report, the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem would make its stance. (Israel-Mosque-Metal Detectors) - - - - MADRID -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will make history on Wednesday when he becomes the first Spanish leader sitting in office to give evidence in a court case. Rajoy will appear as a witness in the ongoing trial over the Gurtel cash for favors scandal in which his right wing People's Party is implicated. (Spain-PM-Court) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:19:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ROME, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Eleven bodies of migrants were found by rescuers in a dinghy in one of two operations off the coast of Libya, the Italian Coast Guard confirmed Tuesday. According to ANSA news agency, another 167 migrants on board the same dinghy were rescued by a ship run by Spanish non-government organization (NGO) Proactiva Open Arms. The other 90 migrants on another boat were rescued by a ship run by Save the Children, a well-known NGO. The European Council earlier on Tuesday extended the Sophia Operation, the EU's naval mission to combat migrant trafficking in the central-southern Mediterranean, until the end of 2018. The EU authorities also opened up to Italy's requests for more help with the migrant crisis. "We will start the revision of the operational plan to include new tasks as a priority in the next few days," said the EU's foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini. This would include the "reinforcement of shared responsibility among member states", she added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:19:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LUSAKA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Police in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, have arrested a student for alleged publication of defamatory statements against President Edgar Lungu. The named 35-year-old engineering student from a private university was arrested after he posted defamatory statements on his Facebook page against the Zambian leader and some senior government officials, including ministers. Esther Mwaata-Katongo, the police spokesperson said Tuesday the suspect will appear in court this week charged with the offense of defamation of the country's president. The suspect, she said, was yet to be slapped with other charges of defaming and use of insulting language against senior government officials. "We wish to inform members of the public that investigations in other cases where people are using social media to make defamatory and insulting remarks have continued," she said in a statement. She further said the police have intensified investigations in collaboration with the country's technology and information regulator, the Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), in crimes committed through social media. Last Saturday, the government announced regulations to be implemented under the threatened state of emergency which will be in operation for 90 days in order to curb lawlessness following damage to public buildings witnessed of late, including the setting on fire of markets. Among the regulations include detention of suspects for more than 48 hours. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:24:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with his Philippine counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano during their bilateral meeting in Manila, the Philippines, July 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Philippine counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano here on Tuesday, saying China supports Philippines' independent foreign policy. Wang also said China is willing to be the sincere partner in Philippines' nation building. Wang made the assurance that China will firmly supports Philippines' war against illegal drugs and terrorism, vowing to provide more supports in these efforts. Wang said China has already provided narcotic detection equipment to the Philippines to help its war against illegal drugs, promising that more is on the way. Wang also disclosed that China is going to provide emergency supplies worth more than 3 million U.S. dollars to the Philippines to help with the rehabilitation work in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, which has been ravaged in a war against extremists. The Chinese foreign minister said China supports Duterte's policy in developing friendship and cooperations with China, saying the policy is on the right side of the history and serves the interests of the two peoples. "We, Chinese, value friendship. We return any kindness shown to us. And we want to be good friends and good neighbors with the Philippine people," Wang added. In his talks with Cayetano, Wang said China firmly supports Philippines' role as the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year. "China is willing to step up communication and coordination with the Philippines to help host the East Asian Leaders' meetings on cooperation and push for further progress on China-ASEAN relations and East Asian cooperation," Wang said. Wang also affirmed that China will stand firmly with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries to safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea. Wang pointed out that through concerted efforts between China, the Philippines and all other ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea is trending towards stability and cooperation is rising and positive elements are increasing. "The framework for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea has been reached. These facts show to the whole world that China and the ASEAN countries have full capability and wisdom to solve disputes and safeguard the stability of the South China Sea," Wang said. "If there are still forces outside the region, who don't want to see stability in the South China Sea and still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and we need to say no to them together," Wang added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:39:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ISTANBUL, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The mediation tour to the Gulf by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not produced any immediate results, though it could help boost chances of a future reconciliation, analysts told Xinhua. "This visit of Erdogan is important, but not a move that would resolve the crisis," said Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara's Middle East Technical University (METU). In his two-day tour that ended on Monday, Erdogan met with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Upon his return to Ankara, he sounded mildly optimistic about the results of his visit, although revealing no tangible progress. "I told (Saudi) King Salman that our expectation for the settlement of the crisis is big," he told the press at the airport, while praising Qatar's "positive attitude." In the worst row among Arab nations in years, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties with and imposed an all-out blockade against Qatar on June 5 over what they called Doha's support for terrorism and its meddling in their internal affairs. Right from the start of the crisis, Turkey has sided with Qatar and echoed its sentiment by dismissing the claims against Doha as baseless. Noting that there have been no change in the Gulf countries' positions following Erdogan's visit, Bagci described the trip as a "diplomatic initiative that did not bear any fruit." Two days after the crisis erupted, the Turkish parliament approved deploying troops to Qatar based on a defense deal that was signed in 2014. Around 200 Turkish troops have since been dispatched to the Turkish base in Qatar. "Turkey has no chance of ending the conflict on its own, because it has adopted a pro-Qatar stance at the beginning," observed Faruk Logoglu, a former diplomat who held top posts in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "The significance of the role Turkey can play in the crisis is dependent upon the room particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt would provide for Turkey," he said. The Turkey-Egypt ties have also been strained since former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power by the Egyptian military in 2013. Turkey is known to have good ties, like Qatar, with the Muslim Brotherhood, which was listed as a terror group by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others. Following Erdogan's tour in the Gulf, Anwar Gargash, UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, criticized the visit over Twitter, saying it would not produce any progress. Noting the best option for Ankara is keeping neutral, Gargash said that Qatar would achieve more by reviewing its position than receiving visits of foreign statesmen. The Gulf countries have had a number of foreign dignitaries on their soils lately trying to mediate the diplomatic row, among them U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Doha says it is open to dialogue, but only after the embargo is removed. "Lifting the siege should precede any dialogue," Qatar's Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah said on Tuesday. Logoglu is hopeful that the Turkish efforts for the settlement of the crisis could bear fruit in the longer run. "The visit comes at a time when the discourse of the parties to the conflict is toning down, buttressed by the optimistic statements from the U.S. administration regarding Qatar's stand," he said. Referring to the fact that the crisis has not gotten worse since it first started, Logoglu expected these mediation efforts to push the sides toward a settlement. In his view, Turkey should coordinate its efforts with the U.S. so as to achieve success. Erdogan, who had rejected the closure of the Turkish base, said the issue did not come up during his talks in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Logoglu said that a more balanced, all-embracing approach with an emphasis on reconciliation that was employed by Erdogan before leaving for the Gulf is a positive change, considering his "heavily one-sided stance in support of Qatar" in the early stage of the crisis. "This recalibration is good news, and if sustained, it could enhance Turkey's ability to play a more effective role in the resolution of the conflict," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:44:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ROME, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Italy has the most bike-sharing services in Europe, according to the latest available numbers from the environment ministry. The number will soon increase with the addition of a new player -- China's leading bike-sharing company Mobike, which announced Tuesday it had entered the Italian market after talks with local authorities. Currently in Italy, visitors and locals alike can hop on one of a fleet of 13,770 shared bikes operated by seven different companies across 200 cities, towns and villages in the Mediterranean country, according to a November 2016 report by the ministry's National Observatory on Sharing Mobility. This compares to two players in Germany -- Call a Bike, run by a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG railway company, and nextbike GmbH -- four in Belgium, one nationwide and three local -- and Velib', a large-scale public bike-sharing scheme in Paris that is soon to be operated by French-Spanish consortium Smoovengo. In Italy, bike sharing kicked off in earnest in 2003 when a company called Bicincitta (Italian for Bikesinthecity) launched the first bike sharing program as we know it today -- i.e., a system in which, for a fee, users pick up a bicycle locked into a rack or electronic docking station, ride it, then return it to any station within the system. Based in the northern city of Turin, Bicincitta operates a fleet of 6,241 bikes across 1,418 stations in 115 municipalities. Users sign up online, paying a membership fee of up to 49 euros (57 U.S. dollars) a year. Bicincitta also operates in Switzerland and Spain, according to its website. In Milan and Verona, Clear Channel has 4,900 bikes and 289 stations. Also operating in Italy are Centro in bici (31 cities, 2,498 bikes, 230 stations), By Bike (272 bicycles, 32 stations), Ecospazio (24 municipalities, 217 bikes, 30 stations). A relatively recent arrival is TMR srl, which launched in the southern city of Palermo with 191 bikes, and E-Move (three urban locations, 22 bikes, three stations). In Italy, the lion's share of the bike sharing business is located in the wealthier, more industrialized North (64 percent), followed by 22 percent in the South and 14 percent in the central regions, according to the environment ministry. The Mediterranean country is the fourth overseas market for China's Mobike, following Singapore, Britain and Japan. Mobike is scheduled to deploy hundreds of bikes to Florence for a trial run this week, with 30 minutes on a bike costing 0.3 euros. In August, 4,000 bicycles will be officially launched in Florence and Milan. Users can locate a Mobike using a cell phone app and unlock it by scanning a QR code on the bicycle. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:49:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MONROVIA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Tuesday lauded the Chinese government for donating assorted equipment which worth more than 2 million U.S. dollars to the local police. Sirleaf, in a statement, said the donation would go a long way, especially at a time the police were preparing for the country's crucial presidential and parliamentary polls on Oct. 10. "This gesture will go a long way in addressing some of the logistic problems confronting the police," she said, urging the police's leadership to use the equipment for the benefit of the Liberian people in the discharge of their duties. The items donated on Monday included rain coats, protective helmets for riot police, crowd control equipment, camp beds, expandable batons, speed breakers and reflective jackets, among others. At the handing over ceremony, Li Zhuang, the deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Liberia, noted the donation to the Liberia National Police was in fulfillment of China's commitment to build its capacity. Li reiterated the Chinese government's commitment to assist the police in meeting its full potentials. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 01:25:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOGADISHU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Food and nutrition security situation in Somalia is not likely to improve before the end of the year or January 2018, the UN humanitarian agency said on Tuesday. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called for donor commitments to help improve the situation, citing preliminary assessment results by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) . "Severe drought is expected to continue to deepen till the start of the next rainy season in October and an improvement in the food security and nutrition situation is not likely before December/January," the UN said. The OCHA said in its humanitarian drought response report that while famine has been averted so far, thanks to critical investments early in the year, drought conditions are expected to continue to deepen till the start of next rainy season in October. "Reprieve from the effects of prolonged drought will however persist till early next year when improvements in the food security and nutrition situation is expected to start being felt," it said. Somalia is in the midst of a drought after rains failed in November 2016, for a third year in the row. Humanitarians in Somalia are calling for donor commitments to reach the most vulnerable with life-saving assistance. "The momentum in new donor contributions has been declining. New donor commitments per month have declined from about 258 million U.S. dollars in March to 26 million dollars by end of June," the OCHA said. "This is likely to affect continuity of response till the end of the year. Despite ongoing response, humanitarian needs far exceed available resources," it said. The UN estimates that at least 100 million dollars is required per month to sustain current levels of response. The April-to-June "Gu" rainy season was late and shorter than normal, and generally poor in most of the country and the temporal distribution was erratic. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 01:30:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish people perceive the United States as the number one country that poses threat to Turkey, while regarding Azerbaijan as Turkey's closest friend, according to local research. About 66.5 percent of Turkish people think that the U.S. is the "biggest threat" among foreign countries, the research, conducted by Center for Turkey Studies in Kadir Has University on June, said. Israel follows with 37. 4 percent and EU member states come in the third row with 24 percent, according to the survey. The center has conducted the "Research on Public Perception of the Turkish Foreign Policy" since 2014. In 2016, the percentage of Turks viewing the U.S. as a threat was 44.1 percent, but the figure went up to 66.5 percent in 2017. Threat perception towards Russia has fallen to 18.5 percent in 2017 from 34.9 percent in 2016 after Ankara and Moscow restored ties which had been strained when the former shot down a Russian warplane in 2015 claiming airspace violation. "When we asked 'which country is the most threatening to Turkey?' The U.S. always takes the first place. But this year there is a very important leap and the U.S. has opened the gap among threatening countries," according to Professor Mustafa Aydin, the rector of Kadir Has University. He points at the Syrian crisis that Ankara and Washington fall apart in their policies, and he sees the U.S. support to the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as the key reason for anti-American sentiment in Turkish public opinion. Turkey considers the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the YPG, to be the Syrian affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist organization listed by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. However, the U.S. has supported the YPG as its ally on the ground in combating Islamic State(IS) group in Syria despite objections by its NATO ally. The Turkish government's resentment against the U.S. administration is inherited from the era of former President Barack Obama who also backed the Syrian Kurds as a reliable force to fight the IS in Syria. Turkish leadership has long been slamming at Washington over its cooperation with the Syrian Kurds and its negative rhetoric corresponds to growing anti-Americanism in Turkey. Another disputed topic between the U.S. and Turkey is the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is charged by the Turkish government of organizing the coup attempt in July 2016. The American administration is reluctant to extradite the self-exiled Islamic cleric despite calls by the Turkish government. Pro-government newspapers in Turkey often cover news stories based on anti-U.S. conspiracy theories and the anti-U.S. sentiment by Turkish politicians increases particularly during the election campaign periods. The anti-western discourse of the government and nationalist party of the opposition has been increasing in recent years for domestic consumption not only in Turkey but also in some EU member states that are in the period of national election campaigns. Turkish public support for the EU accession process has been decreasing over the years, according to the survey by Kadir Has University. Current support for the EU membership was marked at 48.4 percent, while 81.3 percent of the public is in the opinion that membership in the EU will never occur. However, the support for an alternative model for Turkey-EU relations other than EU membership was measured at 30.4 percent. Those consider strategic cooperation with Russia as an alternative to the EU membership has increased to 27.6 percent from 14.8 percent. Professor Aydin says that Turkish public continues its EU-membership bid, but thinks it not likely to happen because of the difference in religious identities of Muslim majority Turkey and Christian majority Europe. Turkey's membership negotiations with the EU is in limbo since a failed coup attempt in July 2016 prompted a massive crackdown on dissents by the Turkish government which draws criticisms from the member states. The European Parliament called for Turkey's accession talks to be suspended. The Turkish leadership several times threatened to say "goodbye" to the EU unless the process of Turkey's accession to the bloc's membership is moved forward. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 01:30:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The first relief aid shipment entered the Eastern Ghouta area in east of Damascus on Tuesday, as part of a U.S.-Russian ceasefire agreement, activists said. Several trucks loaded with food and medical supplies reached Eastern Ghouta through the Wafidee Camp crossing in northern Damascus. The aid delivery is part of the de-escalation deal reached between the U.S. and Russia, which started this month in Eastern Ghouta. Also, Russia has deployed military police forces at the separation line between the rebels and the Syrian army to observe the implementation of the ceasefire. The opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta is in one of the four proposed "de-escalation zones" designated in an agreement reached in May by Syrian government's allies Iran and Russia with Turkey, which supports the opposition. However, the deal wasn't fully implemented over disagreements on the monitoring mechanism of the de-escalation zones in the four Syrian areas. Earlier this month, a ceasefire deal reached by the U.S. and Russia went into force in southern Syrian areas. It was seen as a prelude to fixing the ceasefire in the de-escalation zones before reaching any political settlement to the country's long-running conflict. Later on, both powers agreed to include Eastern Ghouta in their new ceasefire deal. Eastern Ghouta is a sprawling terrain, largely agricultural land, which was among the first areas to fall into the hands of the rebels in the early days of the six-plus-year conflict. The Rebels in Ghouta have been responsible for the blind mortar shellings that targeted the capital city on a daily basis. Several truces failed to take hold in that area, until last May when the de-escalation zones' deal went into force. This has largely contributed to a sharp decrease in the attacks against the capital. Chinese frigate "Guangzhou" fires secondary guns during a China-Russia naval joint drill at sea off south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming) ABOARD DESTROYER HEFEI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Russian warships held gun firing exercises in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday as part of the "Joint Sea 2017" naval drills. The ships, which were divided into two tactical groups, fired their secondary guns at floating targets set by the Russian side. "These kinds of small and light targets are quite unsteady and thus difficult to be targeted," said Zhang Yunpeng, a commander in charge of secondary guns on China's missile destroyer Hefei. A large amount of shells were fired in a blink from the Hefei ship at Zhang's order and hit the target. The captain of Hefei said the two countries' navy fleets were closely coordinated and reached their expected goals. The Joint Sea 2017 drills, which kicked off on Saturday and will last until July 28, aim to carry out joint rescue missions and ensure maritime economic activities. The Chinese fleet consists of one destroyer, one frigate, one supply ship, ship-borne helicopters and marines. The Russian side includes one frigate, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marines. The Chinese and Russian navies will conduct a variety of joint exercises and attend a parade in St. Petersburg to mark Russia's Navy Day. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Attorney General Jeff Sessions as they attend the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, the United States, on May 15, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS) WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed attacks on his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying he is in a "weak position." "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & intel leakers!" Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. "Where is the investigation A.G.," he said. The attacks came one day after Trump described the former senator as "beleaguered," asking on Twitter why isn't Sessions "looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" The public bashings began when Trump said in an interview on July 19 that it was "unfair to the president" when Sessions chose to recuse himself from all Russia-related probes after his appointment to the position. "Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else," Trump said during that interview. The White House later clarified that despite his disappointment, Trump still had confidence in Sessions. With the renews bashings on Twitter, several U.S. news outlets are reporting that the White House may be considering a substitute for Sessions. Axios News reported Monday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been considered, a speculation that Giuliani denied. The discord between Trump and Sessions followed closely the announced departure of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 03:56:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TIRANA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Albania and Macedonia authorities have agreed to hold the first joint government meeting in the fall 2017, Albanian and Macedonian Foreign Affairs Ministers, Ditmir Bushati and Nikola Dimitrov, announced Tuesday here. The government meeting is expected to be held in the Albanian southeastern city Pogradec, bordering with Macedonia, the two ministers informed. According to them, such event would be important to implement strategic projects which are also supported by international partners. During the reception held to welcome the Macedonian counterpart, Albanian foreign minister Ditmir Bushati praised the determination of the new authorities in Skopje to overcome the crisis. On behalf of Albanian government, Bushati praised Macedonia's new government determination to guarantee stability, strengthen the rule of law, continue the reforms and continue the path of Macedonia's accession in the NATO and the European Union, according to a press statement from the foreign ministry. Further on, Bushati said that Albania was willing to step up cooperation which focused on the way how commitments between the two countries were implemented in practice. "Achieving equality between Albanians and Macedonians in line with the Ohrid Framework Agreement and the Declaration of the Albanian Parliamentary Parties, is a key factor for the development and strengthening of a democratic, multiethnic and integrated Macedonian in the NATO and EU," the Albanian foreign chief said. On his part, Macedonian foreign minister praised the support given by Albania for cooperation and for the Euro-Atlantic cooperation of Macedonia. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 03:56:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LUSAKA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's information and technology regulator on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with an agency representing people with disabilities aimed at enhancing access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for people with disabilities. The deal will result in the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) working with the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities in ensuring equal and unfettered access to ICT services by people with disabilities. Patrick Mutimushi, acting director-general of the regulator said people with disabilities faced a number of challenges in accessing and using ICTs, a situation he said was against the objective of ensuring equal and unfettered access to ICT services. According to him, no one should be excluded from using ICT gargets following the global impact of ICTs across all sectors, adding that being excluded from the use of technology implies being shut out not only from the information society but also from accessing essential public services. Ensuring access to ICTs for people with disabilities was a key element of global, regional and national strategies, he added. Julien Mwape, chairperson of the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities said the signing of the agreement was an excitement following challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing and using ICTs. The collaboration with the regulator was a significant step forward in advancing access to ICTs for people with disabilities, she added. According to her, people with disabilities need access to ICTs in order to contribute meaningfully to development. The agreement will allow the two organizations to collaborate on key areas by way of creating a platform where issues and challenges around provision of communication services to people with disabilities will be raised and efforts to resolve them initiated. It will also encourage the design of accessible ICT products and services among other issues. Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 05:12:21|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a joint press conference with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 25, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump said at the joint press conference Tuesday that he won't let Syrian President Bashar al-Assad get away with the "horrible" actions he has done. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he won't let Syrian President Bashar al-Assad get away with the "horrible" actions he has done. "I am not a fan of Assad. I certainly think what he has done to that country and to humanity is horrible," Trump said at a joint press conference with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House. "I have been saying that for a long time. I am not somebody that will stand by and let him get away with what he tried to do," Trump warned. In April, Trump ordered the U.S. military to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against a Syrian airbase in response to alleged chemical attack launched by the Syrian government forces. It was the first direct U.S. assault on the Syrian army since Syrian crisis began six years ago. In June, the White House said the U.S. had identified the Syrian government's potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack, warning of "a heavy price" if such attacks are conducted. In response, Syria denied the U.S. claim of Damascus' intention to use chemical weapons, slamming it as baseless. On Tuesday, Trump also renewed the attack on his predecessor Barack Obama for not taking more decisive actions against Assad. Obama should have crossed the red line he had drawn in regard to Assad's actions, Trump said, adding that "some horrible acts against humanity took place, including gas and the killing through gases." Trump's comments on Assad came days after reports that he had decided to halt the CIA's covert program to equip and train certain rebel groups fighting Assad's forces. The covert program that began in 2013 was designed as part of efforts by Obama to overthrow Assad, but it produced little success. Analysts said Trump's decision indicated his administration's diminishing desire to force Assad to step down. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that will slap tougher sanctions on Russia, Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Congressmen voted 419-3 to pass the bill, with three Republicans -- Justin Amash, Jimmy Duncan and Thomas Massie -- voting against the bill. The overwhelming support for the bill, which was voted under special procedures to pass with a two-thirds majority, means that the House could override a presidential veto. The measure aims at targeting key Russian officials in retaliation for Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as sanctions against Iran and the DPRK in response to their weapons programs. "These three regimes in different parts of the world are threatening vital U.S. interests, and they are destabilizing their neighbors," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said Tuesday. "It is well past time that we forcefully respond." In addition to imposing new sanctions on the three countries, the bill also grants Congress the power to block Trump from lifting sanctions on Russia. This came despite that Trump administration officials had called on lawmakers to grant "flexibility" to the White House in dealing with Russia. According to the bill, Congress will have power to veto any decision made by the president that would "significantly alter" U.S. foreign policy in connection with Russia. "This strong oversight is necessary. It is appropriate. After all, it is Congress that the Constitution empowers to regulate commerce with foreign nations," Royce said, according to news website The Hill. The White House on Sunday signaled that President Donald Trump would accept the new legislation despite initial opposition. "We support where the legislation is now, and will continue to work with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia," said newly appointed White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. MP robbed during birthday prayers Police sources said that Padarath held a three-night Ramayan (Hindu prayers) at which he invited Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, family and friends to attend and pray with him. Newsday understands that for the three nights of the prayers, a policeman was hired on extra duty to provide security. However, at 11.30 pm, 15 minutes after the policeman left when his allotted extra duty time had elapsed, a gunman entered the house and announced a hold-up. At the time of the robbery, Persad-Bissessar had already left. Padarath and about 20 others, who at the time were deep in prayer, were relieved of personal valuables including cash, cellular phones and jewelry. When the bandit ran off, a report was made to the Couva Police Station. The robbery put an end to the prayer service. Up to press time, no arrest was made and investigations are continuing. Ninja sentenced to hang Joseph, 48, of Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick was before Justice Maria Wilson in the Port of Spain Fourth Criminal court charged for shooting Stewart, 21, at Cocoa Road in Febeau Village, San Juan on September 29, 2002. A 12 member jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict. Senior State attorney Anju Bhola prosecuted. According to evidence, Joseph went to bathe at a spring at Laventille Road in San Juan. Stewart and a group of neighbours were already at the spring when Joseph arrived. After being told to wait his turn, Joseph became angry and started to argue with Stewart and his friends. Anybody that want to live better run, Joseph said as he drew a gun from a bag he was carrying and began shooting at the group. Stewart was shot several times while his friends managed to escape and reported the incident to police. Stewarts friends were placed in protective custody and testified against Joseph at the trial. They claimed to have known Joseph before the incident and were able to point him out at identification parades. Joseph claimed he was assisting in campaigning for that years general election at the time of the incident. At the time of the murder, Joseph was on bail in relation to a charge that he shot at police Constables Jason Boney and Marlon Maslier at Seventh Avenue, Malick on July 24, 2001. After passing the sentence on Joseph, Justice Wilson praised Senior Superintendent David Abraham for his comprehensive investigation which was performed while he was a Sergeant in the Homicide Bureau of Investigation Man in court for teens murder Sinanan appeared before Magistrate Margaret Alert in the First Court to answer a charge that on July 16, along the Southern A Main Road in South Oropouche, he murdered Sancaro. The charge was laid indictably by Sgt Adesh Gookool and the accused was not called upon to enter a plea. The charge stated that Sancaro was assaulted and struck by a vehicle. An autopsy showed he died as a result of massive cranial trauma. Attorney Dane Halls, who represented Sinanan, asked for disclosure and requested extracts from the diary of the Oropouche Police Station. Halls told the magistrate there was a lot of misinformation in the media that was presented to the public surrounding the case of his client. The media reports are misleading and inaccurate, Halls told Magistrate Alert. I want to ask the court to assist in reminding the media about the potential of misleading information (being presented), the attorney stated. The magistrate noted his concerns and further told the attorney that she believes the media is aware what information can be reported on and what information is sub-judice. The case was adjourned to August 21. Speaking after the case was adjourned, attorney Halls said his client has been receiving threats via the social media. Halls called for balanced reporting of the case so as not to prejudice his client. Halls said he intends to write to the Commissioner of Prisons regarding the safety of his client while he is incarcerated. Shot cousins warded A man alighted from the vehicle, pulled out a gun and fired shots at the limers before running off into nearby bushes while the car sped off. Police said Roxanne was shot in the hands while her cousin was shot in his hand and feet. The victims were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where they were treated and remain warded. No motive has been established for the shooting, no arrest has been made and Santa Cruz police are conducting investigations. First Peoples to preserve culture And for its leaders, Chief Ricardo Bharath Hernandez and Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar, the one-off holiday granted to the community on October 13 signals a renaissance for a group almost forgotten. Its significance is so meaningful to the group, that preparations for the holiday have already begun, with an almost concluded calendar of events. The calendar includes educational/learning opportunities, DNA testing, the unveiling of a totem pole and the sod turning for the first building at the First Peoples Heritage Village. Bharath Hernandez said to Newsday, at a visit to the communitys office at Paul Mitchell Street, Arima: What we are doing is going out to the communities, meeting with the people and getting them involved. He said there were currently 900 First Peoples in TT with 200 of those being members of his community. The group is also expected to host a ceremony at the Red House, where skeletal remains and artefacts belonging to First Peoples were found, and host a procession up Frederick Street and then to a day of activities at the Queens Park Savannah, Port of Spain. He said nine countries are expected to attend this years celebrations, including the US and Canada. Seven regional partners would attend this years celebrations as well. But the global connections with other First Peoples have always existed, he said. In terms of the global partnership, that has been taking place for quite a few years. For quite a number of years, we have been interacting with the region because there is an organisation called the Caribbean Organisation of Indigenous Peoples and its members include Guyana, Suriname, Dominica, St Vincent, Puerto Rico and TT. TT is currently the chair of the organisation. During this week of activities we will take the opportunity to discuss what is happening in the region as each country will have an opportunity to report on the development of the first peoples in their respective country... Bharath Hernandez said what appears to be a renewed interest in First Peoples culture began since the 1970s. From the 1970s there seems to be a reawakening of indigenous people at that time...it happened here in Trinidad and at the time it was happening we were not aware of what was happening globally. I like to term that an inspiration from above... I think one of the reasons for that besides the divine intervention...the dominance of First Peoples and other ethnicities, the colonial power was that seemed to be so heavy on other countries seems to be lifting away. And that could come through education and the modern technology that we have. He said as people became more educated, they became more empowered and what was happening today was a result of that empowerment and education. However, he believed that the new interest in First Peoples culture today could little impact TT . He said the society was steeped in the direction of the economy and money and doing all things for this mighty dollar and advancing through that. This, he said, was a vast difference to the way of life of First Peoples. He said even among the indigenous communities, the way of life was changing because of what people expected. What people expect for advancement, that power is also reaching into indigenous communities and they want to follow the same pattern. Most people want cellphones and other things and that is making its way into indigenous communities... Bharath Hernandez said it was important to preserve the traditional ways since it provided a certain peace of mind and impacted positively on health. While Bharath Hernandez and the other older indigenous peoples fight to preserve their culture, getting youth involved posed some difficulty. It is a challenge but we cannot give up. We have to continue to engage the youth through education. Through educating them on the different aspects of indigenous life and the benefits to humanity... He said there were many youths in the community but not many were involved in the organisation. The organisation needed to do more to reach out to them, he said. This, Bharath Hernandez said, was the reason for requesting the national holiday. The whole reason for the holiday was so the whole country could stop and reflect on the reason for the holiday. We dont expect everyone will be involved in the activities some people are happy for the holiday not to go to work... but that some would stop and say we have a holiday. Why? Because of the First Peoples, their contributions of the past, their present situation and their vision for the future. We do have a vision for the future that would help the country as a whole. The holiday provides an opportunity for all those interested in wanting to know more and learn more to attend one of the events, he said. New IMA Board appointed These threats arise from a combination of factors, not least of which is our predilection as citizens to be authors of our own misery, Robins on-Re g i s stated. She asked, How else does one explain a bonfire being set on a beach that is known to be a nesting site for our leatherback turtles that results, based on reports, in about 80 hatchlings literally being roasted alive? How else do we explain the tonnes of garbage illegally disposed along river banks and in watercourses that contributed in no small way to the flooding experienced in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret? The members of the newly inducted IMA Board are Paul Gabbadon, Andrea Julien, Hayden Alexander (chairman), Nadia Jardine, Dave Elliot and Beverly Khan. Members of the Green Fund Advisory Committee also received their instruments of appointment at the same ceremony. This committee is chaired by former Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams. Other members of the committee include, Clarence Bacchus, Anthony Ramnarine, Tricia Ford and Rennie Gosine. Ramatali supports less sugar in schools Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh announced the initative during the opening of a camp hosted by the Diabetes Association at the Preysal Secondary School on Saturday. He said the plan included a total reduction in the sale of sweetened drinks-soft drink and juices- to children and replace them with healthy options. Deyalsingh said only 100 per cent fruit juices, water and other drinks which had been cleared by the ministries of Health and Education, will be available to students from the new term. It is also going to include what we provide with the free lunches and breakfast. We are working with the Education Ministry and School Feeding Programme to redo the meals that are served, he said, adding the sale of energy drinks at schools would also be banned. In a telephone interview yesterday, Ramatali said the organisation fully endorsed the Ministers statements as too many children throughout the country had exhibited symptoms associated with Non-Communicable Diseases such as diabetes. Pensioner, family robbed at home According to reports, at 2 am, Francis Pulido, 72, his wife Carmen Boodoo, 58, Ann Marie Sookden, 38, and Sookdeo Baboolal, 33, were all awakened as three gunmen broke into and entered the house. The family members were ordered to lie face down on the floor by the intruders who proceeded to tie them up. The bandits then ransacked the house and seized a quantity of items including cash, jewelry and electronic household items. They also seized the keys to two vehicles parked outside the house. Threatening to shoot them if they called the police, the bandits loaded up the familys Nissan Navara pick-up van and a station wagon with the electronics and sped off. One of the victims managed to get free of the bonds and alerted the police. Officers issued an all points bulletin and roadblocks were set up, but the bandits still managed to evade capture. The victims were later interviewed by police. Up to press time, the victims vehicles valued collectively at $240,000 as well as the items taken from the house, were not recovered. Investigations are ongoing. NGC honours Crawford at National Heroes Series NGC launched the series at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Inn and Conference Centre, St Augustine on July 21. The exhibition of Crawfords memorabilia and curated life is on display at the Reading Room, Alma Jordan Library, The UWI from July 25 to August 18. Crawford will be present from 10 am to 12 pm tomorrow and Friday as well as on August 16 and 18. NGC said the event served not only to highlight its first honouree, Crawford, but to share its vision for the series, which will honour several persons in the field of sport, art, culture and social improvement over the next few years. The project will involve a series of elements including curation of related material and virtual exhibitions based on their lives and a book based on the curated material. This material will be funnelled into schools and libraries throughout the twin-island state. NGCs President, Mark Loquan, said the company was pleased to collaborate with Professor Brian Copeland and The UWI on this project, which he said would provide an avenue for us to reflect on the contributions which our national heroes have made to our country. Loquan also spoke about Crawford being chosen as the first national hero to be honoured under this project. NGC believes that the launch of an exhibit that formally chronicles his Olympic success will encourage public discourse...We hold Hasely (Crawford) near and dear to our hearts. He joined NGC in 1994 and as the Head of Community Relations, implemented, managed and supported a wide range of initiatives. (Crawford) brought to the table, a level of prominence for our fledgling community programme by virtue of his being a national icon...The projects ultimate goal is to preserve and honour our national legacy, disseminate messages of our national heroes and therefore encourage pride in our accomplishment, national unity and social cohesion. NGC has committed to make this an annual project, Loquan stated. Pipes 1.4762 rohr have excellent corrosion resistance, heat-resistant and ductile. Guests also heard from Wendell Mottley, a former Olympic medalist himself; silver, Tokyo 1968. NGC said he gave a humorous account of Crawfords rise to success and spoke to athletes going above and beyond in their quest for victory. Share The leaders of several tier 1 European telcos are pushing for spectrum reform that would give them license to airwaves for a quarter century. They said only if this and other steps related to spectrum reform are taken will Europe be able to gain the full value that new 5G cellular networks and technology can deliver. The GSMA, and the CEOs of DT, KPN, Orange (News - Alert), Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telekom Austria, Telenor Group, Telia, and Vodafone Group this week presented the European Union with a letter making this request. That request was issued on Monday, just before the Informal Ministerial Meeting of the Council of the EU, which took place yesterday. The letter called for minimum license durations of 25 years coupled with strong presumption of renewals on this front. It also asked for a peer review mechanism to allow for the sharing of best practices related to award design and procedures. It requested the ability to do voluntary spectrum sharing. And it sought a free structure reflecting efficient and effective use of spectrum and coverage commitments. These leaders in their letter also voiced support for the Digital Single Market and Gigabit Society objectives. The Digital Single Market is built on three pillars of access, environment, and economy and society. It aims to provide better access to digital goods and services across Europe to consumers and businesses. It hopes to create the right conditions and a level playing field for digital networks and innovative services. And it wants to maximize the growth potential of the digital economy. A recent review of the Digital Single Market strategy said three emerging challenges on this front will include ensuring online platforms continue to benefit the economy and larger society; developing the European Data Economy to its full potential; and protecting Europes assets by addressing cyber security. The European Telecommunications Network Operators Association authored a January Politico piece that said 5G will be at the core of the European Commissions vision for the continents connected future. But realizing the EUs vision of a gigabit society will be predicted upon the right regulatory environment, the article said. We must keep the end goal in sight when finalizing crucial regulatory measures, such as the European Electronic Communications Code or the ePrivacy Regulation, according to the ETNO piece. Introduction: This article is for the many thousands of individual Canadians who give $-millions each year to environmental and conserva... We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Libyan authorities have rescued in two separate operations on Monday at least 278 migrants as they tried to reach Europe. In one operation, 150 African migrants including two women and four children, were saved by Libyan coastguards after their inflatable boat engine broke down and started to sink. The migrants were brought ashore to a naval base in Tripoli where authorities gave them food, water and medical assistance before handing them over to a detention center. Human traffickers have exploited years of chaos in Libya since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moammar Kadhafi to boost their lucrative business. Tens of thousands of desperate African migrants pay smugglers to help them cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to what they think an Eldorado in Europe. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage, with around 85,000 arrived in Italy from Libya, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Au total of 2,360 African migrants have lost their lives this year while trying to reach Europe. Libya continues to be the main departing point for refugees and migrants seeking to reach Europe. UNHCR is scaling up its presence in places of disembarkation for people rescued or intercepted at sea, in close cooperation with IOM and other partners. Hundreds of thousands of people in Libya have been affected by the collapse of law and order, absent or insufficient health care assistance, essential medicines, food, safe drinking water, shelter and education. In response to this situation, UNHCR is ramping up its existing humanitarian operations in the North African country, and is strengthening cooperation with IOM to enhance actions of both organizations. The UN Security Council Presidency issued a statement voicing concern over the surge of terrorist attacks in the Sahel and stressing the need for a holistic approach to curb terrorism. The Security Council expresses its concerns over the threats of terrorism, including widespread terrorist ideology in the region and their linkages to transnational organized crime, as well the worsening humanitarian situation in the region, a statement issued by the Council said. In this respect, the Council condemns all terrorist attacks carried out in the region, in particular in Northern and Central Mali and the Lake Chad Basin region, notably by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The Security Council, therefore, stressed the need to uproot terrorism from its sources and fight all its forms and manifestations, including by addressing conditions conducive to the spread of its ideology. The Council also welcomed the leadership of countries in West Africa and the Sahel in spearheading initiatives to address security challenges. It also commended the engagement of UNOWAS with the African Union, ECOWAS, the Group of 5 for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel), the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Mano River Union to promote peace and stability in West Africa. The document shed light on the humanitarian ramifications of terrorist activities in the Lake Chad Basin region and called on the international community to immediately support the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people most affected by the crisis in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, including by fulfilling the UN appeal for the Lake Chad Basin region. The international community condemned the attack against a peacekeeping convoy in the Central African Republic (CAR), in which a Moroccan peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured in a fire exchange on July 23. The attack took place when a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was targeted by Anti-Balaka militiamen in Bangassou (southeast). The convoy of Moroccan peacekeepers was escorting a water tanker to a river to help supply civilians in a village. The UN Security Council condemned this aggression in the strongest terms, and noted in a statement that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes, calling on the government of the Central African Republic to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. In the same vein, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was appalled by attacks against United Nations peacekeepers. The Secretary-General offers his condolences to the bereaved family and to the Government of Morocco. He also wishes speedy recovery to those injured, Guterres was quoted as saying by his spokesperson Farhan Haq. Guterres is deeply concerned about the continued fighting in the southeast of the Central African Republic and calls on all parties to cease violence, Farhan Haq said in a statement. The French foreign ministry, for its part, has issued a statement strongly rebuking the attack and stressing the need to bring the perpetrators before justice. While underscoring Moroccos commitment to peacebuilding in Africa, the French foreign ministry called for an effective disarmament of armed groups in CAR and voiced support for the MINUSCA. The Spanish foreign ministry has also issued a statement expressing firm condemnation of the aggression against the MINUSCA convoy and extended condolences to the family of the Moroccan peacekeeper. Violence flared in the area of Bangassou, about 700km away from capital Bangi, after the Anti-Balaka rebels perpetrated deadly attacks on Muslim civilians and UN peacekeepers alike. Last May, a Moroccan peacekeeper was killed in a fire exchange after an attack by the Anti-Balaka group on a Moroccan checkpoint in downtown Bangassou. The attack also claimed the lives of several civilians. The May attack came just hours after the UN held a memorial ceremony to honor five peacekeepers, four Cambodians and one Moroccan, killed on May 8 in a nearby village of Yogofongo, in a deadly attack perpetrated by suspected Anti-Balaka elements. Ten peacekeepers, 9 Moroccan and a Cambodian, were injured in this attack. Morocco sent 1470 peacekeepers to the MINUSCA, which has a total of 12,870 uniformed personnel including 10,750 military personnel and 2,080 police personnel. Since 2013, the Central African Republic has been mired in a civil conflict after clashes surged between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and Anti-Balaka militias. The Libyan National Army commander, aligned with east-based rival government, Khalifa Haftar has been reportedly receiving military aid from Israel with the secret support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which backs him against the UN-sponsored Government of National Accord (GNA), reports say. London-based The New Arab, citing a source close to the Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, notes that Haftar held several meetings with Israeli agents in Jordan with the help of the UAE over the past two years. Coordination between Haftar and Israel has been ongoing. He held talks with Mossad agents in Jordan in 2015 and 2016, the source who spoke under condition of anonymity was quoted as saying. The meetings, which appear to have been mediated by the UAE, were held in strict secrecy, it added. At least two Israeli agents going by the names Ackerman and Mizrachi reportedly met with the Head of LNA. Israel is said to be equipping the LNA with sniper rifles and night vision equipment. The source also said that Israel was involved in the Haftar-led operation in Benghazi, which drove out jihadist groups early this month after three years of fighting with the extremists. Haftars cooperation with Israel is also known to Algiers, which lodged a complaint with the Libyan army commander. Algiers, Egypt and Tunisia have been trying to patch up differences among Libyan factions involved in the political deadlock, which ensued following the removal and death of the countrys former strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Haftars ally government recently demonstrated its tilt towards Israel. The administrations Minister of Antiquities, Omar al-Gawairi appeared in several pictures with some Israeli officials, at a conference on The Rights of Return for Libyan Jews held in Rhodes, Greece. Sounds fun, but some of us cant afford the legal fees. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Over the past week, President Trump has made it quite clear that hes grown disenchanted with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. First, Trump told the New York Times that he wouldnt have hired Sessions if he knew Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Then, someone leaked a story that suggested Sessions perjured himself when he denied discussing campaign-related matters with the Russian ambassador. On Monday, Trump tweeted that his beleaguered attorney general should be investigating Hillary Clinton and excluded Sessions from his weird trip to the Boy Scout Jamboree, even though Sessions is an Eagle Scout. But it appears Sessions may be sticking around for a while and not just because in real life Trump hates firing people. Trump suggested to the Times that hes dissatisfied with Sessions solely because he wanted an attorney general who would manage the Russia investigation for him. It seems he wants to replace Sessions as part of his strategy to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, and no one is eager to participate in the Second Saturday Night Massacre. On Monday morning, the White House floated the idea of Rudy Giuliani as attorney general, but Trumps longtime friend wanted nothing to do with the Russia mess. Hours later, Giuliani said there was no truth to reports that he was under consideration and stated that Sessions, in recusing himself, made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department. Apparently Trumps short list for the position was indeed very short. By Monday evening, the White House was floating Trumps frenemy Ted Cruz as the next attorney general via a report in the Washington Post. The senator quickly shot down the idea of Lyin Attorney General Ted Cruz: CRUZ statement on reports of possible consideration by Trump administration to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General: pic.twitter.com/MKfcjNANj3 Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) July 25, 2017 Trump does have another ally with strong legal credentials and as a bonus, the president has never accused his dad of killing JFK. But before the White House could even launch a Chris Christie test balloon, Politico squashed the rumors: Some potential choices, like Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie, once were keen on the job but have grown concerned about working in this administration, people close to them say. And the Senate would have to confirm any replacement pick. Things are so bad that being the historically unpopular governor of New Jersey is preferable to being a key figure in a historic constitutional crisis. Leave me alone! Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images Jeff Beleaguered Beauregard Sessions took another beating from President Trump on Twitter today, with the president lambasting the attorney general over his refusal to take action against Americas greatest national security threat, Hillary Clinton. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Later in the day, Trump once again went after Sessions in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, telling the paper he was very disappointed in his attorney general. And the hits kept on coming: At a joint press conference with the prime minister of Lebanon, Trump answered, Well see, time will tell to a question about why he hadnt yet fired Sessions. But a raft of Republican senators, representatives, and other influential party members have come to Sessionss defense, indicating that his rock-solid conservative bona fides may be enough to prevent the kind of feeding frenzy that has befallen other Trump appointees. Among the senators strongly backing Sessions: Lindsey Graham, who wrote on Twitter that President Trumps tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate; Ted Cruz, who swatted away rumors that he might be appointed attorney general in his place; and Alabamas Richard Shelby, who gave Sessions my unwavering support. Others, like North Carolinas Thom Tillis and Ohios Rob Portman, offered slightly squishier endorsements. GOP eminences like Jim DeMint and Ken Blackwell also weighed in on Sessionss side. One notable exception was House Speaker Paul Ryan, who, when asked about Trump possibly firing Sessions, said, thats his prerogative. Another dissent: Roger Stone, who advised Trump to can this loser. Notably, the pro-Trump website Breitbart denounced the president for his Sessions-bashing. Breitbart writer Adam Shaw wrote that Trumps criticism of Sessions over failing to prosecute Hillary Clinton only serves to highlight Trumps own hypocrisy on the issue and is likely to fuel concerns from his base who see Sessions at the best hope to fulfill Trumps immigration policies. The piece may be an indicator of where Steve Bannon, who ran the site before joining the Trump campaign, falls on the Trump versus Sessions spectrum. With his promise to crack down on sanctuary cities, anachronistically punitive drug policies, and reflexively pro-police posture, Sessions embodies the harsh vision of the world that helped sweep Trump into the White House. All that matters less to Trump than Sessions recusal in the Russian election-interference probe, which the president considers a personal betrayal. Trumps constant undermining of Sessions is seen as an effort to get the attorney general to resign in lieu of Trump having to fire him a process the president shies away from, despite his famous catchphrase. Ultimately, Trump seems to want to replace Sessions with someone who will agree to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, though that process is more complicated than it might appear. But the Daily Beast reports that Sessions isnt going anywhere, despite his mounting anger at Trumps behavior. Sessions is totally pissed off about it, a Sessions ally said of the presidents attacks. Its beyond insane. Its cruel and its insane and its stupid. Still, Sessions has several hard-core fans within President Trumps top ranks, including Bannon and Miller, who could give him political cover to stay on and withstand the storm. And unlike other members of Trumps cabinet, he has political wiggle room to do so. This post has been updated to include more reactions to Trumps denunciations of Sessions. Your temporary replacement is terrific. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images The one ray of light in the horror that has been Jeff Sessionss tenure as Attorney General is that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation after the first of a series of revelations about his likely perjury on this very issue. By recusing himself, Sessions left authority over the investigation in the hands of career officials, a prospect that is naturally intolerable to President Trump. Trump is tweeting his rage at Sessions, and a wide array of news reports unsurprisingly indicate that he is plotting the AGs ouster. Anthony Scaramucci, a rising power in the administration who has taken on a quasichief of staff role, tells right-wing broadcaster Hugh Hewitt that Trump wants Sessions gone, confirming the obvious. There is a clear barrier to Trumps goal of replacing Sessions with an attorney general who would be willing to interfere with the investigation: Any replacement would require confirmation from a Senate where Republicans hold only 52 seats. But there is a way around this barrier, too. As University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck points out, Trump could make a recess appointment. His appointee would then serve without confirmation through the Senates current term, which ends late next year. Trump could pick the most pliant candidate he desires for this job Melania Trump, Rinat Akhmetshin, Sean Hannity, you name it. More likely, he would simply find a pliant Republican apparatchik seeking to elevate his stature. And that candidate could fire Robert Mueller or otherwise abuse the departments powers in a manner Trump obviously craves. There has been no reporting yet that Trump is even considering such a maneuver. But it is worth noting just how continuously transparent Trumps instincts are. The entire concept of the rule of law, where officials in the government follow codified procedures to protect the public interest rather than the personal and political interests of the president, is utterly foreign to him. In recent hours on Twitter, he again implicitly threatened hostile tax policy against the owner of the Washington Post because of his displeasure with its reporting: Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 He upbraided Sessions for failing to punish his defeated opponent for an offense that has already been investigated: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 And he demanded the attorney general investigate alleged Ukrainian interference to help Clinton: Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Presumably, the end of this tweet So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity is simply a way of tagging one of Trumps state media mouthpieces, rather than previewing a forthcoming appointment. The Department of Justice is supposed to carry out its law-enforcement work without regard to partisanship. The president is not supposed to direct investigations by the attorney general. These norms, quite vital to the republic, are threatened on a now-daily basis by the bullying president. Update: Senate Democrats, responding to this very scenario, declare that they will keep the Senate in a pro forma session to prevent a recess that Trump could use to appoint a successor for Sessions without confirmation. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked if he is concerned that Trump might fire Sessions in order to quash the Russia investigation, gives the president a full green light: this was really good and i loved the mix of animation and real people. Reply Parent Thread Link this was shown at a film festival that I worked at but I never got to see it! Reply Parent Thread Link are some (or all) of the animated interviews with actors too? the voices are off-putting because i know they can't be the same person. the voices are too young and modern sounding. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, until the very end when they talk to some of the survivors. All the interviews actually happened, the actors are saying the people's real words, but the majority of the documentary uses actors. Reply Parent Thread Link Is there a lot of photos of dead bodies? I wasn't expecting the pic of the shooter on wikipedia It wasn't too graphic but graphic enough. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I recently read a heartbreaking article about a woman who was shot and lost her baby because of the shooting. It really wwnt into depth about her background, how the shooting and loss of her baby threw her whole life into disarray and there was a lot about the shooter too. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm so glad The Act of Killing is #1. It is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Like maybe the best movie of any sort I have ever seen. I cannot begin to describe just how pulled into it I was and how it lingered long after I finished watching it. Reply Thread Link That trailer was intense. I want to watch it, but I need to be in a better frame of mind. Reply Parent Thread Link I felt physically sick after watching this one. It's so intense. Reply Parent Thread Link ia. the look of silence is truly heartbreaking as well Reply Parent Thread Link I had that docu in my queue on netflix for over 2 years and I could never find the courage to watch it because of the such aggressive feelings I got from people who spoke about it/I didn't think I would be able to hamdle it Reply Parent Thread Link This is a pretty good list, though Jesus Camp probably would have made mine. It's one of the most rewatchable documentaries for me. Speaking of rewatchable, Weiner was robbed of an Oscar nom. It's cut together so well, and you really just learn how Anthony Weiner is a scumbag whose inability to stop just ruined so many things. Reply Thread Link i felt the exact opposite about weiner tbh it felt like a college thesis project, they were blessed that he was stupid enough to give them so much access to his life but otherwise it did nothing new or interesting Reply Parent Thread Link I thought it was entertaining enough, but ia that it wasn't good enough to be on this list. I still had a lot of unanswered questions about him (and Huma) after watching. Reply Parent Thread Link my religion & ethics class teacher in HS made us watch Jesus Camp in parts and warned us that we will be just as angry as she was watching it and jesus was she right. i should probably watch it entirely but not sure if i want to. Reply Parent Thread Link looove Jesus Camp Reply Parent Thread Link lol this makes me feel better bc my first thought was "Jesus Camp!" Then I read the list, which is very reasonable, and thought "Jesus Camp and I are not good enough for this list." Reply Parent Thread Link Jesus Camp legitimately scared me lol Reply Parent Thread Link Weiner was a fantastic doc. Reply Parent Thread Link The trailer alone for The Act of Killing is tough to watch. Reply Thread Link i couldn't finish that movie. the Rebecca Hall movie Christine is super good though and a really accurate look at depression Reply Parent Thread Link I was interested in seeing it, ended up streaming it months ago, agreed it was super pretentious. I think I made it halfway through before skipping to the end. Anyway I don't think it counts as a documentary since the context is totally fake and most of it seemed scripted. Reply Parent Thread Link the title alone annoys me, lol Reply Parent Thread Link I saw it at a documentary film festival and the director was there and he's exactly who you think he is Reply Parent Thread Link The trailer almost made my eyes roll out of my head. What a slap in the face to her memory. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm confused - she prepares to play christine for what exactly? a play? a movie? just for this documentary? Reply Parent Thread Link It's a brilliant piece of work and I loved it, but I'll never stop being bitter at their shameless genre fraud. It wins the Best Documentary Oscar and now it's up for a million Emmys?! Girl bye Reply Parent Thread Link The Act of Killing just floored me. I still think about it all the time. Reply Thread Link i finally watched I Am Not Your Negro last weekend and man, it drained me. Reply Thread Link I was interested in it but heard that it super glosses over or ignores his homosexuality. Is that the case? Reply Parent Thread Link They briefly acknowledge it by showing a part of his FBI file where J. Edgar Hoover called him a homosexual and that was it. I think it's still a good movie and I recommend it but it makes me sad that the director decided to ignore such an integral part of Baldwin's life. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah it didn't mention it at all iirc, it was more about his teachings/writings compared to Malcolm X, MLK, and Medgar Evans and aligns with BLM Reply Parent Thread Link the documentary is based on his notes for his final and unfinished novel, remember this house, which is about the civil rights movement and his friendship with malcolm x, martin luther king jr. and medgar evers. so in all fairness, it does makes sense that his homosexuality isn't the focal point. Edited at 2017-07-26 03:23 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link same. that was definitely a roller coaster ride. Reply Parent Thread Link OJ Made in America was so interesting. The first parts were so great to understand everything. amazing work. the act of killing is incredible. and bowling for columbine was good because I had no idea about america's gun obsession until watching it. I love documentaries, I havent seen some on that list so I'm saving this. Reply Thread Link Yikes no @ Kate Plays Christine. The whole ~blurring the lines between documentary and fiction thing really didn't work for me, especially next to the brilliance that was Christine (with Rebecca Hall). When Kate Lyn Sheil said on Twitter that the acting was "intentionally bad"...oy. Amy was amazing, but it kind of ruined typical documentaries for me forever because now I dislike the 'talking-head' format and I love any docs that go for something weirder and more creative. Brett Morgen's docs use animation in a really interesting way (as does Tower, though that's not him) to ~recreate the events without pretending to be 100% objective and acknowledging the artistic voice, which I love. oblig AUGH JFC DEAR ZACHARY DDDDDD8 comment Reply Thread Link Christine is such a brilliant movie. Reply Parent Thread Link omg, dear zachary. i'm from newfoundland so watching that was a MIND. FUCK. we are NEVER in the media (movies, tv, news, or otherwise) so having this huge thing happen in MY CITY, in MY PROVINCE, was INSAAAAANE to watch and the best was that i had no idea it happened here until i was watching the movie my jaw may never recover from hitting the floor so hard. Reply Parent Thread Link Silence in the House of God is in my top 5, for sure. you need to have a strong stomach to watch it though, given the subject matter (pedophilia in the Catholic Church). it is a very important expose of the Church's system to hide and enable pedophiles that goes all the way to the Pope Reply Thread Link that one, deliver us from evil and the keepers made my blood boil Reply Parent Thread Link I watched deliver us from evil years ago and I still feel sick when I think of it ugh. I haven't been able to watch any other docs that deal with that subject matter because it enrages me so much. Reply Parent Thread Link This is a good list. I'm glad Stories We Tell made it on there. I loved that doc. Reply Thread Link there's a docu about kittens?sing me up Reply Thread Link Channel 5's The Secret Life of Kittens was full of fluffy enjoyment. Reply Parent Thread Link Kedi was really good Reply Parent Thread Link It's so sweet. Definitely watch it! Reply Parent Thread Link Just finished OJ Made In America yesterday and I loved it. It was fascinating and well executed. Reply Thread Link If you have YouTube red you can watch Kedi on thevlogbrothers channel. It's cute and I love cats so it's perfect. Reply Thread Link Scrolling through my twitter feed this morning was like reading a horror story. I'm so tired of this. Reply Thread Link Where did you get your icons? I NEED icons of Valkyrie and Wonder Woman Reply Parent Thread Link I made it. If you give me a gif I can make you one or two. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao and they're JUST NOW realizing this?! Reply Parent Thread Link LMAO Reply Parent Thread Link "In a more salacious part of what was recorded, Collins then addressed a radio interview in which Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) suggested that if Collins were a man, hed have challenged her to a duel for opposing the Senate Republicans Obamacare overhaul bill. Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel? Collins asks. I know, Reed replies. Trust me. Do you know why he challenged you to a duel? Cause you could beat the s out of him. Well, hes huge, Collins replies. And he I dont mean to be unkind, but hes so unattractive its unbelievable. Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this Playboy bunny? she continues, referring to an infamous photo of Farenthold." Reply Parent Thread Expand Link LMAO Reply Parent Thread Link it's only Tuesday. I'm ready to die already, this week is too much Reply Thread Link It might have needed more celebrity reactions. It has to be 5-7 tweets for a celebrity reaction post. Unofficial rule because it's not listed on the rules page. Reply Parent Thread Link may i just say idk where your icon is from but please dont change it...it's the best one and yes that's even including the plants comey one :P Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i was on page 2 when it got deleted :/ Reply Parent Thread Link Nat'l Law Journal: Ivanka has retained criminal defense lawyer Abbe Lowell to counsel her through the Russia probes. https://t.co/aeaWnhk69N Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 25, 2017 Reply Thread Link Hmmmmm. Interesting. She's totally innocent here guys. Reply Parent Thread Link Isn't Lowell also representing Kush? I guess for the time being they're not worried that will be a conflict? Reply Parent Thread Link I thought she's just an innocent fashion designer Reply Parent Thread Link Married to a humble businessman, who likes to keep out of the spotlight. Reply Parent Thread Link she's staying out of politics! Reply Parent Thread Link At the very least, I hope she breaks out in hives and has a perma-headache from all this. Reply Parent Thread Link I full on despise these treasonous people. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lock her up with a collection of Jaclyn Smith dresses Reply Parent Thread Link I know bashing people's looks is petty and lowers the caliber of the argument but the fact that her neck is so long and snakelike is almost as ironic as her husband's failed real estate venture being located at 666 5th Avenue. Reply Parent Thread Link Do we have any idea where people like Heller, Paul, Murkowski, Capito stand on the vote for the Motion to Proceed? It's clear McCain is voting yes. If he wanted to vote no, he could have just stayed home because the impact would have been the same so we need two more no votes to block it. Reply Thread Link New Pod Save America podcast were not very optimistic... This is just a vote to open the debate floor... They will be voting yes. :( Reply Parent Thread Link We're so fucked. I have no sympathy for anyone who votes Republican. You're so callous and fine with letting people die and I should want to work with you? Fuck that. Reply Parent Thread Link Paul was just saying shit about it yesterday Reply Parent Thread Link Fuck! I'm not surprised about Paul, but I was hopeful that Heller would vote no. Reply Parent Thread Link evil motherfuckers Reply Parent Thread Link Trump threatened to primary Heller if he votes no. Trump is running a dictatorship, any GOP who object will lose their seat to tea party members. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, stuff with kids especially makes me miss the Obama White House. He was SO good with kids. If I were a parent, I wouldn't feel comfortable having my child interact with Trump. Reply Parent Thread Link Ooh was it their fb page where parents were ripping them? Reply Parent Thread Link So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 So glad you have forgiven him for being captured! Btw, did you delete your "brave" apology tweet to him? #RealAmericanHeroJohnMcCain https://t.co/pqpMUwmXst Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 25, 2017 Reply Thread Link Mark is a national treasure. Reply Parent Thread Link Yes, call him out! Not that he gives a single solitary fuck. Reply Parent Thread Link my fave Reply Parent Thread Link i love my dad Mark Hamill Reply Parent Thread Link You have an interesting family tree, Leia. Reply Parent Thread Link Unf Mark Hamill Reply Parent Thread Link Fucking Skips, the true American hero. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link That Trumps "fans" ever forgave him for the shit he spewed just proves to me that they are only playing lip service to our military. Ugh fuck everything. Reply Parent Thread Link that speech was fucking wild. Reply Thread Link we're so fucked if heller and Paul are both saying yes. Paul was just talking shit about it yesterday tho. Reply Thread Link I hope his penis turns green and falls off Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ugh Rand Paul is my senator and he's totally voting yes :( Reply Parent Thread Link ugh, my state. Reply Parent Thread Link Why am I not surprised at all those dark blue states. Reply Parent Thread Link i'm surprised ny is at 31% Reply Parent Thread Link it would be much lower if it wasn't for all the rural towns upstate. Reply Parent Thread Link i live in the city and its at a negative 5% it seems. Reply Parent Thread Link me too..wtf is up with my state. Reply Parent Thread Link It's always the fly over states Reply Parent Thread Link honestly pleasantly surprised at how low the dark blue states are. nothing is higher than 60% at least (though obviously that is still too high) Reply Parent Thread Link inbred sheep fucking losers Reply Parent Thread Link PA is such shit. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm surprised af that MA is the lowest. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link im shocked texas isn't dark blue Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yaaay my state! Could be better but 38% ain't too bad. Especially considering the last state I lived in loves him bc they're all dull fucking flops. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link WATCH how #maddow teases out the number of candidates running in 2018. Brilliant BOOMITY Bring on the AVALANCHE!#UniteBlue #PowerRESIST pic.twitter.com/gvvpzPdUU3 BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 25, 2017 this may be good news for 2018 Reply Thread Link lmao :( Reply Parent Thread Link i literally saw a comment on fb saying that even if they had to pay higher premiums through trumpcare it would still be better than obamacare..... his stans are next level Reply Thread Link Bc they hate Black ppl Reply Parent Thread Link The CBO said the premium for someone making $25k a yr would be $13,000!!!!! These people are so fucking misinformed, it is mind blowing. Reply Parent Thread Link Oil prices have spiked at the start of this week, with Brent breaking through the $50 mark in response to Saudi Arabia's promises to cut more oil and its determination to get compliance rates under control. (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) Chart of the Week (Click to enlarge) Electricity prices on the California grid are rising for morning and evening hours, and falling at midday. This is a reflection of a surge in solar installations, which has significantly cut into the need for peak midday generation. A rush of solar generation at midday means that there is a starker difference between midday needs and those for the morning and evening. The integration of a growing volume of solar power is challenging for grid operators, and the price disparities also highlighting the need for backup electricity storage. Market Movers Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) saw its stock price plunge after its second quarter earnings call. CEO Dave Lesar said that the rig count has slowed and shale drillers are tapping the brakes. Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) beat expectations on its second quarter earnings, generally seen as a positive sign for the sector despite some disappointing cash flow figures. U.S. regulators issued a final environmental impact statement for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a 600-mile natural gas pipeline that would connect Marcellus Shale gas to the U.S. southeast. The EIS said the pipeline would have some issues, but it was largely positive of the project. Dominion Energy (NYSE:D), which owns a 48 percent stake in the project, Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) owns 47 percent and Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) holds 5 percent. Tuesday July 25, 2017 The oil price gains continued this week after Saudi Arabia said that it would cut its oil exports deeper than before. The announcement suggests that the largest OPEC producer is keen to see the rebalancing accelerate. OPEC says members need to up compliance. OPEC met in St. Petersburg on Monday for a routine meeting to monitor compliance, but the summit took on greater importance with oil prices faltering and data for the prior two months showing that members have boosted production. The cartels compliance rate has slipped in recent weeks, and Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that the members needed to step up their efforts. Saudi Arabia to cap oil exports at 6.6 mb/d. Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih indicated that Saudi Arabia would cuts it crude exports to just 6.6 million barrels per day (mb/d) in August. The WSJ notes that because Saudi Arabia averaged exports of 7.2 mb/d between January and June, the export target would equate to a reduction of an additional 600,000 bpd. There is some discrepancy over the significance of this move. Taking 600,000 bpd off of the market appears very aggressive, but Saudi Arabia also typically sees exports fall in the summer because domestic demand spikes. Nevertheless, the focus on exports as opposed to production is a shift in thinking, a recognition that in prior months production might have fallen but exports declined only modestly. Related: Goldman Sachs Warns Of Global Oil Demand Peak Oil majors to undergo another round of cost cutting. The oil majors have pulled off remarkable cost reductions over the past few years, a campaign to bring spending down to sustainable levels. That has led to an improvement in the financials this year compared to last, but the gains ran out of steam in the second quarter. Analysts estimate that net income for the oil majors fell by 20 percent in the second quarter compared to the first. That means that deeper cost reductions are likely in the offing. "The sector needs to continue doing more of the same," Jason Kenney, head of pan-European oil and gas equity research at Banco Santander, told Reuters. Eni: oil markets need regulation from speculators. The CEO of Italian oil giant Eni (NYSE: E) said that oil prices are suffering from too much distortion from speculative moves. "The financial speculation is so strong that it has transformed even those with long term strategies into short term investors," CEO Claudio Descalzi told an Italian newspaper. "Perhaps we should adopt in the oil sector the sort of regulations and market controls that were imposed on banks. Banks have a central watchdog, while in the past, our the role it once had." Schlumberger: oil prices depressed because too much Wall Street money. Schlumbergers (NYSE: SLB) CEO Paal Kibsgaard, blamed investors from dumping too much money into U.S. shale drilling, which has led to a glut of supply that has depressed global prices. What we are currently witnessing is that the U.S. equity investors and U.S. companies have spooked the market," said on a conference call. Schlumberger reported better-than-expected earnings last week on rising drilling activity, but it also got hit by lower prices. The WSJ reports that Wall Street has poured some $57 billion into the U.S. shale industry over the past year and a half, which has led to a swift rebound in production. Physical crude market improving. While speculators are still unsure or pessimistic about the future of oil prices, the prices of various oil streams from different parts of the world are improving. These differentials are rising, showing tightness in the physical market. In fact, oil traders dealing in the real world, moving actual barrels around, say the situation is much more bullish than financial traders believe. "The improvement in physical markets is being ignored in the financial space," Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd., told Bloomberg. "In other words, even though physical differentials are strengthening, headline price is range-bound at best. Related: Falling Chinese Demand May Be OPECs Biggest Dilemma Anadarko slashes spending. Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) announced a cut to its spending plans for 2017 after reporting worse-than-expected financials for the second quarter. Anadarko said it would reduce capital expenditures by $300 million, citing lower oil prices, the first major oil producer to respond to the most recent market downturn. U.S. threats to Venezuela could benefit Canadian producers. The U.S. has threatened to take serious action against Venezuela if the Maduro government proceeds with his plans to consolidate power. It is unclear exactly what measures Washington is considering, but any efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports would work to the benefit of Americas northern neighbors. Both Venezuela and Canada export heavy crude to U.S. refineries, and a sudden drop off of Venezuelan imports into the U.S. Gulf Coast would put a premium on heavy crude, and U.S. refiners would need to turn to Canada. U.S. expected to approve Russia sanctions. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass legislation that tightens the screws on Russia, and the bill specifically targets Russias energy sector. The legislation bars companies from working with Russian-owned energy projects, which would include the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill has very large majorities, which could force U.S. President Donald Trump to begrudgingly sign it into law. The European Union is unhappy with the bill because it would affect European companies working on Nord Stream 2. More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Natural gas output from the U.S. shale formations is at a record high. So are recoverable gas reserves, according to the Potential Gas Committee. This sounds like good news for everyone except producers: there just are not enough pipelines to transport the gas, which is already uncomfortably cheap because of the abundant supply. As natural gas prices recovered from the lows they hit last year on oversupply, shale producers became bolder and started ramping up, just like oil drillers did. As a result, according to Bloomberg data from June, output in the Marcellus shale and the Permian has hit a record. In the Marcellus shale, daily output is close to 20 billion cu ft, while associated gas in the Permian is creeping closer to 10 billion cu ft daily. As of last week, the Energy Information Administration calculated gas output in Marcellus at 19.55 billion cu ft daily. Output in the Permian was 8.49 billion cu ft. Utica produced 4.45 billion cu ft of natural gas. Haynesville and Eagle Ford both yielded more than 6 billion cu ft of gas. Next month, the EIA projects shale gas production to continue rising across the board, reaching a total 52.858 billion cu ft daily, from this months estimated 52.021 billion cu ft. Meanwhile, West Virginias Department of Environmental Protection has ordered Energy Transfer Partners to stop work on the construction of Rover set to be the biggest natural gas pipeline project under construction in the country. The order is yet another stumbling block for the US$4.2-billion, 713-mile pipeline that was supposed to transport gas from Utica and Marcellus to other parts of the United States. Earlier this year, a drilling fluid spill along the construction route in Ohio prompted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionthe body in charge of gas pipelinesto ban horizontal drilling during construction. Related: Daily OPEC Oil Prices Now Public For The First Time Ever The delay of the Rover completionuntil this fall, probablyis bad news for ETP, certainly, though the company behind the Dakota Access pipeline should by now be used to such hurdles. Its also bad news for producers because, as the Wall Street Journals Spencer Jakab writes in a recent story, Utica and Marcellus gas is selling at a substantial discount to the Henry Hub benchmark. At the end of the day, the pipeline capacity shortage is bad news for consumers as well, for safety reasons. Pipelines have been proven to be the safest way of transporting petroleum, natural gas, and oil and gas products, when compared with other means of transportation such as trucks and railway. Charles Hughes, in a piece for U.S. News and World Report, cites calculations of 0.66 incidents per billion ton-miles along oil pipelines for the period 2007 to 2016, and 0.73 for natural gas pipelines. These figures compare with 2.20 incidents per billion ton-miles for trains and 7.11 incidents per billion ton-miles for trucks. The situation is pretty simple: the pipeline shortage is making it difficult for everyone from producer to consumer to make the best of the current abundance of natural gas supplies. Environmental considerations are certainly legitimate and must be addressed immediately, which ETP should know by now after the whole Dakota Access debacle. Yet, Jakab notes the company had a very short period to complete the construction of the pipeline, which may have led to the incidents that have now caused its delay. The fact remains, America is short on pipelines to transport its natural gas from the places where it is in oversupply to the places where it is needed. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: At the meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC producers in St. Petersburg on Monday, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to take further action to bolster flagging oil prices. Saudi oil minister Khaled al-Falih declared Saudi oil exports would be limited to 6.6 million bpd, a decline of almost a million bpd from the countrys export level last year. The oil minister reported that global inventories had fallen by 90 million barrels, crediting the OPEC production cuts. Yet he also said that stocks remained at historically-high levels and additional action by producers would be needed for levels to recede. Prices rose as a result of the Saudi declaration, with WTI rising past $46 and Brent nearly $49 after the news broke. The vow to cut additional production is an indication that the Saudi strategy to reduce global production, cut into historically-high inventories and raise world prices, has not succeeded as they hoped. Cuts by OPEC members have been offset by increases in U.S. production as well as OPEC members like Libya and Nigeria, which are exempt from formal cuts. As OPECs largest producer and the worlds largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has taken some significant measures to rescue prices, after letting them languish amidst over-production between 2014 and 2016. Recently, Riyadh cut exports to the United States in a bid to cut into American inventories, which had become noticeably bloated due to high U.S. production. According to the EIA, American imports from Saudi Arabia averaged 524,000 bpd in mid-July 2017, a fall of more than 300,000 bpd from July 2016. The U.S. has begun importing larger amounts of Iraqi oil as a result of the Saudi cuts. Related: Why Oil Prices Arent Going Anywhere The Saudi strategy, a public attempt to reduce inventories used by market watchers and traders as a bellwether for global oil demand, has had mixed results. EIA reports indicate that inventories have fallen, as they usually do during the summer driving months. For the week of July 14, the EIA reported inventories fell by 4.7 million barrels, while gasoline stores fell by 4.4 million barrels, continuing a five-week decline. Both remain in the upper half of average ranges for this time of year. The Saudi decision to cut additional production later this year comes as OPEC unity begins to fray. Last week Ecuador, a minor OPEC producer, announced it would no longer observe production cuts and would allow its production to rise above its designated cap. The move sent some discomfort through the market, though prices registered little change. OPEC production in July reached a high for the year as compliance with production cuts slipped to 92 percent from 100 percent in May, according to Bloomberg. As a result of the meeting in St. Petersburg, Riyadh has secured new commitment from Nigeria, a country which has hitherto been exempt from formal production caps. Nigeria has indicated it will maintain a level of 1.8 million bpd, an increase of about 100,000 bpd from its current level. The Saudis need higher prices by the end of the year, as they prepare for the first IPO of Saudi Aramco, scheduled for early 2018. Higher prices should boost the price of the IPO and bolster confidence in the countrys long-term economic plan, which centers on a gradual transition away from an economy based around oil production and exports. After weeks of bearish sentiment, the market turned more bullish in late July. Falling U.S. inventories and a downward revision in U.S. production for 2017 (from 10.01 million bpd to 9.9 million bpd, according to the EIA estimate) fueled a bullish turn as hedge fund increased WTI net-long positions. Shorts on WTI slipped and Brent rose briefly above $50 for a few hours before dipping back again. While the Saudi strategy could eventually trigger the long-sought for price rally, its possible the real boost to prices will come from developments entirely separated from Riyadhs oil policy. The U.S. threat to place sanctions on Venezuela, an OPEC member suffering from massive economic and political instability due to low oil prices, could trigger a collapse in that countrys oil industry. Venezuela ships most of its heavy crude across the Caribbean to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, which are uniquely equipped to handle the Venezuelan output. Related: Ecuador Abandons The OPEC Deal: Whos Next? A U.S. decision to ban Venezuelan imports, which in April 2017 were about 850,000 bpd according to EIA data, would force the country to find new markets for its production while pushing Gulf refiners to search for more heavy crudes. The net effect would likely be a sudden spike in prices. Venezuela needs higher prices to avoid a complete economic collapse, and has been lobbying OPEC for deeper production cuts. The Saudi declaration to cut additional production could be an acknowledgement of Venezuelas needs. Its more likely the Saudis are considering their own problems rather than bowing to the wishes of one of OPECs most desperate members. Either way, the Saudi campaign to reduce production, together with the informal cap to Nigerias production and the possibility of disruptions to Venezuelas exports to the U.S., all indicate higher prices could be around the corner, after months of stagnation. By Gregory Brew for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. Congress is set to approve legislation that will tighten sanctions on Russia, but more importantly, it will gut the Presidents authority to unilaterally remove those sanctions. The sanctions come in response to the Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election, and they will target Russias oil and gas industry. "It will rearrange the way the global energy industry does business with Russia and significantly increase the risk around dealings with Russia, Elizabeth Rosenberg, a senior fellow and director of the energy, economics and security program at the Center for a New American Security, said on July 23, according to S&P Global Platts. The bill is intended to deter investment in Russian energy projects, forbidding U.S. companies from investing in shale, deepwater or Arctic oil and gas projects in which Russian companies control a greater than 33 percent stake. By and large that will affect mostly Russian projects, but a handful of projects outside of Russias borders will also be targeted. The bill is a setback for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly signaled his desire to soften relations with Russia. The legislation strips him of his power to remove sanctions on his own, instead requiring some consent by Congress. The President could still veto the pending legislation, but with supermajorities likely, his position will be all but irrelevant. Acknowledging this reality, the White House suggested over the weekend that the President might agree to sign the bill into law. The U.S. House of Representatives is slated to vote on Tuesday. But President Trump is not the only one with reservations about the new sanctions. The European Union is angry that the legislation could damage major energy projects in Europe, hitting European companies doing business with Russian firms. According to a memo written by the European Commission, and reported on by the FT, the measures could impact a potentially large number of European companies doing legitimate business under EU measures with Russian entities in the railways, financial, shipping or mining sectors, among others. Brussels says the sanctions could impact natural gas production off the coast of Egypt, gas pipelines in Ukraine, and gas projects in the Caspian. The impact would be wide and indiscriminate, the European Commission said. Related: 4 Reasons Oil Will Rally Back To $50 But it is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is likely receiving the most attention, a major project that could also become ensnared in the new U.S. restrictions. The proposed pipeline would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream 1, which moves natural gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The European Union is reportedly discussing retaliatory measures against the American legislation, according to the FT, should it become law. These measures consist of several options, including requesting assurances from the Trump administration that European companies would not be affected, or more aggressive actions such as preventing the U.S. measures from being recognised or enforceable in Europe, and preparing WTO-compliant retaliatory measures, the FT wrote. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is controversial, even within Europe. Critics argue that it would increase European dependence on Russia for their energy needs, while Germany and several Western European oil and gas companies are supportive. About 40 percent of Germanys gas consumption is imported from Russia, a reliance that will balloon to 50 percent by 2025. But Nord Stream 2 will also make Germany a larger energy hub, allowing for the country to act as the crossroads for energy distribution to other parts of Europe. And with major German firms involved in gas pipeline, it is seen as strategically and economically important. Many nations in Eastern Europe are more circumspect Poland, for example, is one of the most vociferous opponents. The American legislation will be one more issue that widens the growing rift between Washington and Brussels, with the American-German relationship particularly rocky these days. The Trump administration is reportedly considering new trade restrictions on imported steel, another area where Europe promised retaliation. "We are concerned the measures discussed in the U.S. Congress could have unintended consequences, not only when it comes to Transatlantic/G7 unity, but also on EU economic and energy security interests. This impact could be potentially wide and indiscriminate, including when it comes to energy sources diversification efforts, the European Commission said in a statement. For Russias part, they have voiced concern about the impact on Nord Stream 2, although said it would take a wait-and-see approach. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias offshore oil facilities are due for a security upgrade, according to a new report by Reuters. State-owned oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco has already received bids from defense contractors from around the world for the project. U.S.-based Raytheon Co. and Germanys Rheinmetall AG are amongst the companies who responded to the tender. The contract currently open for bids will install long-range security systems at nine of the KSAs offshore sites in the Persian Gulf, according to Aramco sources who spoke to Reuters. Those tenders are expected to expand once senior officials approve new oil fields and associated security protocols. Aramco denied comment on the new security measures, but issued a statement that said it considers the security of its employees and facilities a top priority and are of the utmost importance. Last month, Saudi Arabia, the worlds top crude oil exporter, said it had detained three Iranians who it accused of being members of the Shiite countrys Revolutionary Guard Corps. Saudi authorities caught them near the Marjan oilfield, traveling on a boat. Iran maintains those men were fishermen. In April, Saudi armed forces reported a foiled attempt to blow up an oil product distribution center in Jazan, a province bordering Yemen in the Kingdoms southwest. The SPA said a remote-controlled vessel loaded with explosives was spotted leaving a small island in Yemeni waters. The KSA suspected the Houthi rebels of Yemen of perpetrating the attack and vowed to defend itself against assaults on its economy in the Red Sea. Related: Ecuadors Defection From The OPEC Deal Doesnt Matter Saudi Arabias oil and gas operations have been hit by cyberattacks in recent years as well. In 2012, an attack on Aramco caused the corporation to lose all files on its main hard drives. The OPEC leader is currently embroiled in several geopolitical conflicts within its own region. The KSA has been fighting a proxy war against Iran inside Yemen for over a year now. Starting in June, Riyadh and its Gulf allies declared a diplomatic row with Doha for the latters alleged ties to organizations that breed sectarian violence. By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Nigerian unit of Shell has shut its Trans Niger Pipeline due to a leak, while the managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on Monday that the pipeline was attacked, effectively shutting in 150,000 bpd of crude oil output. Shells Nigeria subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), said that it had shut the pipeline last Friday following a leak that had occurred in Ogoniland. The company was investigating the cause of the leak, it has said, as reported by Reuters. Trans Niger Pipeline is the other export route for Bonny Light exports, the first being the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which closed earlier this month. Now the closure of the Trans Niger Pipeline effectively shuts Bonny Light exports. Two weeks ago, Shells Nigerian unit declared a force majeure on Bonny Light crude oil exports, just two weeks after it had lifted a previous force majeure on exports of the grade. The force majeure was declared after Aiteo, the operator of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, shut down the line. According to data compiled by Reuters, as of June 22, Bonny Light loadings for August were set at 226,000 bpd. At that time, the grade was under the previous force majeure declared by Shell. Speaking to Nigerian reporters on Monday, NNPCs group managing director Maikanti Baru said that suspected militants had blown up the Trans Niger Pipeline, reducing Nigerias production by 150,000 bpd. The closure of the Trans Niger Pipeline comes just as Nigeria is recovering it crude oil output and was invited to share its production plans with OPEC-non-OPECs joint monitoring committee meeting earlier this week. Nigeria, alongside Libya, is exempt from OPECs cuts due to militant attacks on oil infrastructure, although Nigeria has agreed to cap production at 1.8 million barrels per day after production has stabilized at that level. Related: Energy Equities Hit Hard By Unstable Oil Prices The two African producers had steadily raised their production in recent months to the point that the market and analysts have started questioning whether it is time to put a limit on their production recovery. The Joint OPEC-Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) said on Monday that it acknowledges the upside limitations of both countries beyond their current production levels. Once their production levels stabilize, participating producing countries should further cooperate in a manner that contributes to the stabilization of the market. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: 62 percent of oil tankers do not meet safety requirements set by OGRA ISLAMABAD: A legislative body on Monday was informed that about 62 percent of oil tankers could not meet the safety requirements set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the National Highway Authority (NHA). Discussing the Ahmedpur Sharqia, Bahawalpur oil tankers incident, in which over 200 people died, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources termed it negligence on part of the OGRA, NHA, Explosives Department and the local administration. The committee suggested tough punishment in the future so as to avoid such incidents. Briefing the committee, OGRA Chairperson Uzma Adil admitted that the regulator (OGRA) failed to implements its own safety rules and regulations. There were around 11,704 oil-caring tankers of which only 38 percent (4,653) met the safety standards of OGRA, NHA and the Explosives Department, the committee was told. At this, the committee expressed serious reservations over not fulfilling the safety requirements. The members said that since the incident, more than 25 accidents involving tankers had occurred in different parts of the country, and there was a chance that such a fatal accident might reoccur in the future. They also suggested that Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 should be amended according to the modern days requirements. The senators expressed their astonishment over fitness certificate issued to 99.9 percent of the oil tankers, while another department gave only 38 percent fitness certificates to these tankers. They said that there were weaknesses in the system and work had to be done in this regard. After the incident Ahmedpur Sharqia, the chairperson said an inquiry had been ordered through third party inspectors (TPIs), which submitted its report. According to the report, Shell Petroleum Limited had to check the safety requirements. On the basis of the report, she said the OGRA imposed the highest penalty of Rs 10 million and Rs 1 million for a dead and Rs 0.5 million for injured person on Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL). The company already deposited the penalty and compensation money, for which OGRA opened a new account. The OGRA chief said that now the regulator decided to implement its safety requirement strictly through the third party inspectors, who were well qualified and appointed from the private sector. The committee said that the OGRA, NHA, Explosives Department and the local police were responsible for the deaths in the Ahmedpur incident and criminal cases should be lodged against them. The committee members asked for a detail inquiry, with recommendation that no mercy should be shown to the individuals/departments responsible. Acting Petroleum Secretary Jalal Sinkandar told the committee that the ministry had called a meeting of all departments concerned related to the Ahmedpur oil tanker incident and strict punishment would be awarded to the accused. The committee was also informed that the said tanker was caring 50,000 litres of fuel, which was above its capacity. The delayed response of the local administration and the motorway police to condoning off the areas and restricting the people from gathering the free fuel also contributed to the high number of deaths. The OGRA recommended to the government that all tank lorries transporting petroleum products should be manufactured in line with applicable safety laws, rules and regulations. In this regard, Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) shall shortlist the manufacturing companies on the basis of their best international practices, OGRA authorities said, adding that no vehicle made by the companies other than those approved by the OCAC could be put in the oil transportation service. It also recommended the motor vehicle examiner to revisit their SOPs and ensure that tank lorries were in compliance with all the applicable safety rules and regulations, prior to granting fitness certificates to such vehicles. PTI called for scrutiny of the accounts political-religious parties ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has called for scrutiny of the accounts and funds of all political parties, specifically the religious parties. Claiming that the PTI has submitted complete record of the party funds and accounts as well as a list of all donors to the Supreme Court, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said that now it was the turn of other political parties, including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and religious parties, to disclose their sources of funds. Speaking at a news conference along with the partys former information secretary Naeemul Haq here on Monday, the PTI spokesman asked the countrys intelligence agencies to find out the sources of funds of the religious parties. We have presented our record. We hope that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and other institutions will now ask (about the source of funding) from other parties, he said, adding that instead of treating overseas Pakistanis with suspicion, secret agencies and other institutions should probe funding of the PML-N and religious parties with keen eye. Fawad Chaudhry, who is one of the legal advisers of PTI chief Imran Khan, alleged that Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) had been receiving funds from Libya whereas there were parties which received funds from Saudi Arabia and Iran. The PTI leader said his party had been asked to provide details of its accounts and funds only for the period between 2010 and 2013, but they had submitted the seven-year record till March 2017. Showing the bulk of documents, he claimed that the party had submitted the list of more than 30,000 Pakistanis living in the US who had contributed to the party funds. Over the past seven years, he said, the party had received more than $3 million and all transactions had been made through official banking channel. He said that under the US laws, individuals could not donate funds directly to parties, so the PTI had to hire services of agent companies for the purpose. Fawad Chaudhry claimed that all members of the board of governors of these companies were overseas Pakistanis and their details had also been provided to the Supreme Court, adding that that 99 per cent of the donors had donated the amount between $10 and $15. He said the PTI did not have big donors like Osama bin Laden who, he alleged, had provided billions of rupees to the PML-N. On the other hand, he said, the Joint Investigation Team, which probed the money laundering allegations against the Sharif family, had revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had donated Rs145m to the PML-N. But, he claimed, there was no mention of this amount in the accounts details of the PML-N. Where has this money gone? This shows that Nawaz Sharif has used the PML-N for money laundering, he said, criticising the ECP and other financial institutions for not taking action against the ruling party. He criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for accusing Imran Khan of misusing the charity money and said the minister had not been able to even establish a dispensary in his hometown Sialkot, but always remained active in criticising the projects like Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. Naeemul Haq claimed that the PTI had not violated any law of the country while receiving funds from abroad. He said the PTI had also submitted to the court details of the accounts of other political parties so that it could make a comparison. Money trail documents PTI secretary general Jahangir Tareen posted on his official Twitter account images of the documents which Imran Khan had submitted to the Supreme Court to prove the money trail for the purchase of his flat in London. Mr Khan, while speaking at a news conference on Sunday, had shown some of the documents to journalists and said he had provided complete details of his banking transactions to the court and money trail for not only his London flat, but also Banigala property. PPP rebuttal Spokesman for the Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Farhatullah Babar on Monday rejected the PTIs allegation that the party had received funds from abroad. Neither the party has received funds from abroad nor it has held fund-raising events in any foreign country at any time, Mr Babar said while commenting on reports that the PTI had submitted some documents before the ECP claiming that the PPP had also received foreign funding. 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. Charlotte McCues memory is being honored through an awareness campaign and is the focus of posters being displayed around Lake George. The eight-year-old girl from California was killed July 25, 2016 following a boating accident on Lake George. The operator of the boat, Alexander M. West, was found guilty and sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison. West had been drinking and doing drugs at the all-day lake party known as Log Bay Day prior to crashing into the vessel occupied by McCue and her family. The poster shows McCue jumping off of her grandfather's dock in 2014 into Lake George from about 15 feet in the air. It reads: Keep Childhood Dreams Alive; Please "Remember Charlotte" Do not operate any watercraft under the influence, See a problem call 911" The image was provided by the McCue family for use and Look TV Chief Creative Officer Jesse Jackson designed the poster. If you are looking for a copy of the poster they can be found at the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce office at 2176 U.S. Route 9. McCue's death has led to efforts to promote safe boating. The Safe Boating Initiative includes stepped-up patrols, with Warren County Sheriffs Office and a safety video was created to show boat operators. Democratic congressional candidate Patrick Nelson will hold a town hall campaign forum at 2 p.m. Saturday at Argyle Free Library at 21 Sheridan St. in Argyle. Nelson will speak briefly and then respond to questions from the audience. The event is open to the public free of charge. Nelson of Stillwater, a political activist and Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, is one for four announced candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the 21st Congressional District in 2018. The other candidates are: Tedra Cobb of Canton, a business consultant and former St. Lawrence County legislator; Emily Martz of Saranac Lake, an economic development adviser; Katie Wilson of Keene, a political activist and business owners. Russell Finley, a beef cattle farmer and real estate broker from Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County, is challenging U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, for the Republican nomination. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, on Tuesday announced she voted in support of legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. We continue to see report after report of these nations working to undermine stability around the globe, Stefanik said, in a press release. The United States must use our leverage where appropriate to rein in the behavior of those rouge regimes. GREENWICH An invitation during a Lenten sermon to look around the church what do you see? led to the discovery of serious structural problems at the Bottskill Baptist Church, one of the three landmark churches on the village of Greenwichs east side. One sharp-eyed congregant noticed that a cornice in the corner of the sanctuarys ceiling had dropped by about 4 inches, the Rev. Sandra Spaulding, the churchs pastor, recalled in a recent interview. The woman pointed it out to her son, one of the churchs trustees. An inspection by Justin Rushinski, a local contractor who has been doing maintenance and repairs at the church for about 10 years, revealed that one of the five roof trusses over the sanctuary had broken and slipped where it met the side wall. Two more trusses also proved to be damaged. The cause appeared to be a roof leak many years ago. We had two engineers come in and evaluate it, Rushinski said. The county (Washington County Code Enforcement) came in as well. Everyone is on the same page. Were too concerned about the church at this time to allow people to use it. To prevent further damage, Rushinski shored up the trusses from the inside with timbers, but the church has been closed since March. Centenary United Methodist, a few doors down, immediately invited the Baptists to meet at their church for worship. The Baptists now gather there at 8:15 a.m. on Sundays. Many community groups that were meeting at Bottskill Baptist had to go elsewhere. Weve been working on the church for the last five years to make it a mission center, Spaulding said. The church has a large sanctuary, downstairs fellowship hall and classrooms, and one of the best parking lots in town, Spaulding said. Free to community groups, it hosted Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, a quilting group, the Greenwich Senior Citizens, an autism support group, Washington County Historical Association events and a 4-H group, among others. It was an approved Red Cross disaster center. The church offered free parking and restrooms during the annual Greenwich Lighted Tractor Parade. The church has a little more than 200 members and an average Sunday attendance of about 50, Spaulding said. The congregation held two meetings, to explain the situation and to review engineering reports. On Sunday, the congregation voted, by a large margin, Spaulding said, to proceed with a fundraising campaign and make the repairs. The church will hire Rushinski for the work. He knows the church inside and out, Spaulding said. He has a love for the building. The trusses are 55 feet long and bear the weight of a slate roof. Engineering plans call for jacking the fallen truss back into place and the fabrication and installation of metal gussets at the joints of all the trusses, Rushinski said. Parts of the roof and ceiling would have to be taken apart for access. Rushinski said he would start in the spring and continue through the summer. The old-formula mortar to repair the masonry must stay warm to set up properly, and heating the church during the winter would add to the cost. Im anticipating six to nine months to complete the job, he said. He would employ some subcontractors, including a metal worker in Salem to make the gussets. The estimated cost of repairs is $231,000, Spaulding said. Church officials would like to raise another $150,000 to take care of roof maintenance and some other projects it was planning, including a lift to make the sanctuarys gallery handicapped-accessible. The church plans to secure 45 percent of the costs in grants, raise 30 percent from the congregation, and receive another 25 percent from the community, Spaulding said. Several people have already offered to help apply for grants. There are a number of grants available, especially since the church is open to the community, Spaulding said. The Bottskill Baptist Church was founded in 1767 as the Church of Christ on the Botten Kill, an older spelling of the river now known as the Batten Kill. John P. Becker donated land for a church and burial ground in 1794. The cornerstone of the present brick church was laid there in 1865 and the church dedicated in 1866. The Rev. William Arthur, father of President Chester Arthur, was pastor in the 1840s. The congregation was sympathetic to the anti-slavery movement and hosted abolitionist speaker Frederick Douglass in 1854. The church has supported missions in Haiti and Burma and continues to aid Burmese refugees who have settled in Utica. Bottskill Baptist is a member of the Greenwich Interfaith Fellowship Inc. and cooperates with other congregations in the area to meet local needs. Churches are important to this town, Spaulding said. None of us are huge churches, but we work together. We want to explore partnering with other organizations. This is a big building we would like to see it used. For more information about the church and the fundraising campaign, contact Spaulding at 518-692-0284 or gandsspaulding@gmail.com. Gillibrand steps up to fight Lyme disease Bravos to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for making the fight against Lyme disease a signature issue for her. Tick infestation continues to grow around the region and is a source of great concern to local residents. New varieties of the disease, one of which has proved lethal, have already had an impact locally. Sen. Gillibrand will give this issue the type of high-profile credibility it deserves. Community reaches out to help veteran Bravos to all those community members who reached out to help the Vietnam veteran who has been living in the Queensbury woods for decades. While the veteran contends he needs no help, it was of no surprise to see so many local people extend a helping hand. Drinking and boating crackdown continues Bravos to local law enforcement officials for continuing their crackdown on boating while intoxicated on Lake George. There were two more arrests earlier this month. Hopefully, the word is getting out that this type of behavior will not be tolerated on our local waterways. Association winning battle with Glen Lake milfoil Bravos to the Glen Lake Protective Association for its work in combating milfoil on Glen Lake. The organizations continued hard work has made a big problem a small problem that hopefully will never get out of hand again. Stefanik votes for tougher air standards now Bravos to Rep. Elise Stefanik for being one of only 11 Republicans who voted against delaying the implementation of the 2015 air pollution standards issued by the EPA. Unfortunately, 229 members of the House of Representatives saw fit to approve the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017 to delay tougher standards by another eight years. It was shortsighted thinking on their part. Village to consider building moratorium Bravos to the Village Board in South Glens Falls for its decision to consider a village-wide moratorium on new buildings. Were not sure what the right course is here, but stepping back and looking at the big picture is never a bad thing, especially with some of the problems currently facing the village. The meeting to discuss the moratorium is scheduled for Aug. 2. State releases money to pave local roads Bravos to the state of New York for freeing up an additional $28 million for paving projects in the Capital District, including projects in Moreau, Warrensburg, Thurman, Salem and Johnsburg. The condition of roads around the region is a problem that needs more resources. This funding from the state will help. The first is it disproves the notion that her constituents are going to go on a rampage if she holds one. I was a lucky attendee and can attest that there may have been a few groans but definitely no pitchforks. Understandably, health care is an emotional issue. So watch for the audio/visual evidence disproving that old saw. The second reason is to see the gentleman questioning her at a little over an hour and eight minutes in. He points out that she had seven opportunities to sign onto a bill forcing President Trump to release his taxes. She responds she's "called on the president to release his taxes" and other obfuscations. The questioner persists by asking whether she'd vote for tax cuts without knowing how it would affect Trump. She stuck to the "calls for the president to release his taxes." I don't think that's going to work. No matter how many times she asks. Or, for that matter, how many times she's asked why she wouldn't vote to force the release of them. Are checks and balances about giving aid and comfort to the White House? I don't think she'll answer that either. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: T20 World Cup: Babar Azam wants Pakistan to continue with winning momentum in title clash T20 World Cup: Morgan backs Willey to play ahead of Jordan in the final if Wood is unavailable India's tour of New Zealand would be a great learning experience for Umran Malik, Kuldeep Sen: Zaheer Khan The state of Illinois has awarded a nearly $82.4 million contract for a major part of the Interstate-74 bridge replacement project, the state confirmed this week. The Illinois Department of Transportation said Monday that it awarded the contract to Kraemer North America LLC, of Plain, Wisconsin. Its bid was the lowest of seven the state received. The contract will, essentially, cover work to take place on the project from the water's edge in Moline to about 7th Avenue. It's the first of two major contracts covering work on the bridge project on the Illinois side of the river. A separate bid letting for the rest, from 7th Avenue to just south of Avenue of the Cities, will take place in September. This latest contract is the third to be awarded over the last few months for the replacement of the span over the Mississippi River. In mid-May, the Iowa Department of Transportation awarded a $322 million contract to Wisconsin-based Lunda Construction to build the bridge over the Mississippi River. Separately, the Iowa DOT awarded a $30 million contract to Civil Constructors, of Freeport, Illinois, in late May for work on the bridge over downtown Bettendorf. In another development on the I-74 project, the U.S. Coast Guard has approved a permit for work to begin in the Mississippi River, according to Danielle Mulholland, project manager for the Iowa DOT. Contractors are expected to build a docking facility on the Illinois side of the river as a staging area for work that will begin in the river to construct piers to support the new span. Mulholland said she expects work to begin later this week. Work on the Illinois contract likely will begin in early August. A new generation has assumed the helm of Wyffels Hybrids, the Geneseo-based seed company. The 70-year-old company announced John Wyffels has been named president. He succeeds his father Bill Wyffels Jr., who has served as president for more than 40 years. After a decade of extensive business experience, John Wyffels joined the company in 2013 as vice president of finance and administration. During his tenure, he has worked across all the company's departments. He was promoted to chief operating officer last year. "I'm privileged to have the opportunity to lead the most passionate, free-thinking, and customer-focused team in the seed business," Wyffels said in a news release. "I feel a tremendous responsibility to the corn growers planting Wyffels Hybrids on their farms and I am excited about the future and tremendous opportunity ahead of us." His promotion comes as the company is experiencing significant growth as it works to meet the increasing demands of corn growers. "John grew up immersed in the business and he understands the culture. From dinner table stories about the dreams, and challenges to participating in customer calls and company meetings, hes been there," Bill Wyffels Jr. said. "John understands the drive and pride that goes into each aspect of Wyffels Hybrids." Bill Wyffels, Jr. will continue to be a co-owner and active member of the companys leadership. Wyffels Hybrids, one of the nations largest independent seed corn companies, develops and markets elite corn hybrids. It serves corn growers in Illinois, Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, Southwestern Minnesota, Southeastern South Dakota and the Ohio River Valley. Authorities have accused a 63-year-old man of fatally beating his son in eastern Iowa. Court records say Glenn Plummer III, of Camanche, is charged with second-degree murder. Clinton County Jail records say he remained in custody Monday, pending $50,000 bail. His attorney didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press. Court records say Plummer originally was charged with domestic abuse after a police officer found him and his son, 38-year-old Joseph Plummer, the night of May 30 at a Camanche apartment. Police say Joseph Plummer told investigators that his father had beaten him. Police also say Joseph Plummer died June 1 at an Iowa City hospital. An autopsy was performed, and Joseph Plummer's death was ruled a homicide. African-American populations often do not trust mental-health providers and do not want to discuss mental-health issues. That was the message from The Intersection of Violence and Mental Health in the Lives of African-Americans, a workshop hosted Monday night by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Mississippi Valley at Progressive Baptist Church, Davenport. Tiffany Stoner-Harris facilitated the discussion among 12 people, some of whom personally experienced mental illness and others who represented resources for those who have mental illness and their families. Historically, the African-American community has not had the positive experiences or relationship with the medical or mental-health community, Stoner-Harris said. NAMI wants to create strong partnerships with other mental-health and social-service agencies, said Jacqueline McCoy, of Muscatine, outreach coordinator for NAMI. One woman who attended the session said she is a survivor of schizophrenia. Another said she has anxiety. Also on hand were representatives from Rock Island County Council on Addictions (RICCA) and the Illinos/Iowa Center for Independent Living, a non-residential, non-profit organization that serves people with disabilities. Stoner-Harris agreed, saying that the attitude about keeping quiet about mental-health issues can be traced back to slavery. During slavery, invisibility was a way to stay protected. Silence, she said was a learned behavior that has continued through generations. Going back to slavery, our physical health was most important, she said. She added that members of the African-American community are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental-health problems than the general population, "yet they are one of the smallest groups who access mental-health resources,." Stoner-Harris will give the same presentation at 6 p.m. Monday at People's Missionary Baptist Church, Rock Island. The public is welcome, and admission is free. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Iowa's two senators voted Tuesday to move forward on an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. But neither, in statements Tuesday, gave much insight into what kind of legislation they might eventually support. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans, joined others in their caucus to pass a procedural motion that keeps the Obamacare overhaul alive. Just last week, it appeared not enough Republican senators would get on board. After a 50-50 vote on Tuesday, however, Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to push the issue forward. It's not clear yet what plan senators might eventually vote on. It's expected that several amendments will be offered. The House already has passed a plan, but that ran into objections in the Senate. Meanwhile, proposals originating in the Senate have themselves run into resistance. Some moderate Republicans have expressed reservations about the potential loss of coverage for millions of Americans by phasing out Medicaid's expansion, as well as putting a per capita cap on Medicaid spending. Conservatives have had different objections. Grassley and Ernst have not said how they might vote on the plans that have been offered, but they have urged the process forward. In a statement, Ernst called Tuesday's vote a "significant step forward" in repealing Obamacare. She added, "I will closely examine the amendments to see how they will affect Iowans' insurance availability and affordability in 2018." Democrats have uniformly opposed efforts to repeal the seven-year-old health care law, and Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, opposed the motion Tuesday. As for Grassley, he has said that Medicaid costs need to be brought under control. But he, too, has urged that, at the least, the issue be brought up for a vote. "Now that weve opened the debate, all 100 senators have the chance to debate the issue and offer their amendments and ideas," he said. "Each senator can decide how to vote, based on the final bill and how its amended." The Iowa Democratic Party criticized their votes Tuesday afternoon. Troy Price, the state party chair, said the two senators were engaging in "revenge politics." "The first rule of politics should be do no harm but with this vote, they are hurting the people of Iowa," he said. Ernst and Grassley have argued that Congress needs to take action to deal with Iowa's collapsing individual insurance market. Only one company, Minnesota-based Medica, has said that it is interested in selling policies on the exchange for 2018. As a result of other companies dropping out, Iowa's insurance commissioner has proposed a stopgap plan to try to lure insurers into the marketplace. The plan still is being considered by the Trump administration. Democrats have blamed the Republicans' stop-and-go repeal effort for scaring off insurers, while Republicans have argued that they are dropping out because of the flaws in the law. CEDAR RAPIDS In response to an open-records request, Secretary of State Paul Pate has turned over the sum total of correspondence between his office and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity two emails. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa requested the correspondence as part of its nationwide effort to gather all communications between the commission and state election officials. ACLU could have made a simple inquiry rather than go through the public records request process, Pate said. He suggested ACLUs intent was not to obtain information, but to receive media coverage. ACLU of Iowa rejected that criticism, but Executive Director Mark Stringer said the organization is satisfied with Pates response. We believe that the people have a right to know about the activities of President Trump and the commission, Stringer said in a statement Monday. The emails Pate made available were one from advisory committee Vice Chairman Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, asking for voter data along with Pates thoughts on laws, policies and practices that enhance or undermine the American peoples confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. The second email asked the state not turn over the publicly available information until a judge rules on a legal challenge to the request. Pate had not turned over voter information. However, a federal judge ruled Monday the commission could move forward with collecting voter data from 50 states, saying the White House advisory panel is exempt from federal privacy review requirements. The ACLU of Iowa is reviewing the ruling. It challenged the commission on the grounds that its first meeting, which was held via telephone, violated federal open-meeting requirements and that the commission refused to turn over working papers and other documents that, by law, should be available for public inspection. Its second meeting was livestreamed via the internet. The commission has not contacted the Secretary of State since the ruling, but will have to go through the formal process just like everyone else, Pate spokesman Kevin Hall said. Public available data the secretary can provide with voter list requests includes name, address, date of birth, party affiliation and in which elections a person voted, Hall said. By law, Social Security and drivers license numbers are automatically redacted. Some people are under the mistaken impression the commission also is asking for information on for whom Iowans voted, Hall said. There is no record of who you voted for, he said. Despite the courts ruling, the ACLU remains concerned the commissions efforts are part of a larger effort to suppress the vote, ACLUs Stringer said. Pate, a Republican elected in 2014, took offense to what he considered ACLUs implication that he and his office would even indirectly engage in vote suppression. Instead of these scare tactics, organizations such as the ACLU would better serve voters by helping them understand that their personal information will not be compromised by registering and voting, Pate wrote. Its obviously ridiculous for Pate to suggest that shining a light on those activities as a part of our watchdog function to protect voters is itself suppression, Stringer said. A notice pinned to a corkboard at this 7-Eleven in Bettendorf says it all: "It is with great sadness we have to say goodbye," the message reads. The popular 24-hour convenience store at 2620 Central Ave. is set to close for good at midnight tonight, and news about the impending shutdown has sparked an emotional response from clerks and customers alike. "It makes me sick," Brad Wooldridge, a regular, said as he scanned the barren shelves. "This is the closest convenience store to us, and it's always been really good." Other customers expressed similar sentiments that afternoon as they walked through the store's front doors. "I'm definitely going to miss it," said Liliana Castill, a nearby resident who washes her clothes at the laundromat attached to the shop. "It's like a little part of me." Management, who locked the doors to the laundromat Monday night, would not disclose details about the closure or the future of the 62-year-old building. Scott Carpenter, who runs Bustout Live Escape Room Games in the same building, said he has a contract with 7-Eleven that runs through September. He noted that company representatives told him the building would go up for sale, which could impact his business. "Depending on the new owners and what they decide about rent, that will determine if I stay in that location or open up at a new space," Carpenter said. Alderwoman Debe LaMar, whose 3rd Ward encompasses the property, said grocery-related stores in that building have served as the "hub and heart of the neighborhood forever." In the early days, the late Mike Langford operated L & M Royal Blue Market out of the space. More than 30 years later, a Mother Hubbard's Cupboard store moved in, added gas pumps and remained there until 2010, when 7-Eleven took over. The Dallas-based company acquired 14 other Mother Hubbard's Cupboard locations in the Quad-Cities, 13 of which are in Illinois. Meanwhile, the gas pumps since have been removed. No one may remember the history of the Central Avenue site as well as Ronnie Lehman. The veteran meat cutter said he learned the tricks of his trade under Langford at Royal Blue. He started there in the early 1960s as a 15-year-old freshman in high school and continued working there for 27 years. "It was a great grocery store," recalled Lehman, who now works part-time at Golick's Meat Market in Davenport. He still frequents the 7-Eleven, where he has developed relationships with employees over the years. "The people I've talked to there say they did good business," Lehman added. "I'd like to see another convenience store there myself." The "goodbye" notice at the store also thanks "customers and friends" for their loyalty, and lists a 1-800 number they can call to voice their concerns. Employees, including Maria Copeland, who has been shopping there "forever and ever," said she will miss going there, but not as much as the most devout patrons. They're taking it kind of hard, she said. Weve had customers in here crying because theyre so upset were closing. The American Red Cross of the Quad-Citieshas opened an emergency shelter in East Moline, Illinois. Residents who are displaced because of flooding and in of a need of a safe place to stay are encouraged to come to the shelter. The shelter is located in the East Moline School District Administration Building, 3451 Morton Drive, East Moline. The Red Cross helps disaster victims by providing safe shelter, hot meals, essential relief supplies and emotional support. Residents are asked to bring bedding, clothing, medications and a favorite toy for any children who will be coming to the shelter. Residents should only bring these items if there is time to safely gather the items. Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' meetings with the Russian ambassador during the campaign continue to cause problems for him months after they were disclosed publicly. Recent comments by President Donald Trump suggest that Sessions recusal created a strain between the two men, and although Trump made his feelings known in a candid interview, Sessions responded last week by saying that he intends to stay on at the Department of Justice. This is far from the first time Sessions' contact with the Russia ambassador while he was part of the 2016 campaign has affected his standing. Here is a rundown of what is known about Sessions' involvement with the Trump campaign, the timing of his meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States and several other key instances where members of Trump's inner circle have been publicly questioned about their connections with Russian officials. Feb. 28, 2016: Sessions becomes the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trumps presidential bid. March 3, 2016: The Trump team named Sessions as the chairman of his National Security Advisory Committee. In the statement announcing the appointment, Trump said it is "an honor" to have Sessions on the team, and Sessions detailed how he could help. "I am grateful for the opportunity to recommend and facilitate discussions among exceptional and experienced American military and diplomatic leaders to share insight and advice with Donald Trump, regardless of their political views," Sessions said in that statement. Mid-July, 2016, on the sidelines of the RNC: Sessions spoke at an event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, held during the Republican National Convention. After his speech, Sessions spoke to a small group of ambassadors after giving a speech and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak was among them. A DOJ official told ABC News that this second interaction was a brief encounter after a public event attended by a number of ambassadors. Aug. 19, 2016: Trump's then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigned following the hiring of new leadership and reports questioning Manaforts ties to Russia. Ukrainian officials said that Manafort's name appears in "black accounts" linked to the country's former pro-Russian president. Sept. 8, 2016: Sessions meets with ambassador Kislyak in Sessions office in Washington. A DOJ official emphasized to ABC News that this meeting with the Russian ambassador was listed publicly and attended by staff. Spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores released a statement noting that Sessions meeting with Kislyak was one of many that he held in his capacity as a member of the Armed Services Committee. "Last year, the senator had over 25 conversations with foreign ambassadors as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, including the British, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Indian, Chinese, Canadian, Australian, German and Russian ambassadors. He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign -- not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee," Flores said. The focus of the various meetings that Sessions had with the ambassadors would not be about the election, but sometimes the ambassadors would make superficial comments about the election, a DOJ official said. Nov. 8, 2016: Trump wins the election. Nov. 18, 2016: Sessions announced as Trumps pick for U.S. attorney general. Jan. 10, 2017: At the Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, the topic of Russia came up when Sessions was questioned by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. Here is the relevant part of that exchange: Franken: "If there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do?" Sessions: "Senator Franken, I'm not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I didn't have -- did not have communications with the Russians, and I'm unable to comment on it." Jan. 20, 2017: Trump is sworn in as president. Feb. 9, 2017: Sessions is sworn in as attorney general. Feb. 13, 2017: Then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is asked to resign after it becomes public that there were discrepancies in his account of his interactions with Russian officials during the transition. He previously told Vice President Mike Pence that he had not discussed sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak during their calls after the election -- and Pence went on to say as much during televised interviews. It was later revealed that the White House had been notified by the acting-attorney general that sanctions were discussed during the calls. Click here to see a full timeline of Flynn's saga. Feb. 15, 2017: Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News that in the time leading up to the presidential election, U.S. authorities were looking into communications between several Trump associates and suspected Russian intelligence officials. The New York Times first reported that according to several current and former U.S. officials, several Trump associates inside and outside the campaign -- including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- had repeated contact with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before election. Manafort told ABC News on Feb. 15 that the report published in the Times is "completely ridiculous." "No, never, I never spoke to the Putin government and I never had any involvement with anything like this," Manafort said. "I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today," Manafort said. March 1, 2017: News breaks that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador twice in 2016, which appears to contradict his statement during his confirmation hearing. A White House official responded to ABC News, dismissing the claims as an attempt to deflect from Trumps "successful" address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 28. "This is the latest attack against the Trump Administration by partisan Democrats. General Sessions met with the ambassador in an official capacity as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is entirely consistent with his testimony. It's no surprise Senator Al Franken is pushing this story immediately following President Trump's successful address to the nation," the White House official said. Democrats call for Sessions to resign. Among them is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who said that that Sessions "lied under oath." March 2, 2017: Sessions speaks briefly to NBC and makes quick remarks about the ongoing situation. "I have not met with any Russians at any time to discuss any political campaign and those remarks are unbelievable to me and false and I don't have anything else to say about that," he said as he was seen getting into a car. When asked whether he would recuse himself from being involved in the DOJs investigation into Russian involvement in the election, Sessions said, "I've said that whenever it's appropriate I will recuse myself. There's no doubt about that." In a statement released March 2, Sessions said he had met with "relevant senior career department officials" in the previous several weeks to discuss whether he should recuse himself and, "having concluded those meetings today, I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for president of the United States." Later that day, he held a news conference reiterating his decision. He defended his earlier actions during the confirmation hearing, saying that his reply to Sen. Franken "was honest and correct as I understood it at the time." "In the end, I have followed the right procedure, just as I promised the committee I would," Sessions said of the decision to recuse himself. "A proper decision, I believe, has been reached," he said. June 6, 2017: ABC News learns that Sessions had recently offered to resign as Trump continued to express frustration with the attorney general's decision to recuse himself from the election-tampering investigation. During the day's White House press briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer, in response to questioning on whether Trump has confidence in Sessions, said, "I have not had that discussion with [President Trump]." June 13, 2017: Sessions testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and issued a sweeping denial of any personal involvement in Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. "I have never met with, or had any conversation with, any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election in the United States," Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign. The attorney general explained that he had met with "a senior ethics official" at the Justice Department in February as media reports emerged questioning his involvement in the investigation, given his role in Trumps campaign. Sessions said from that moment, until the announcement of his recusal March 2, he "did not access any information about the investigation." "I have no knowledge about this investigation as it is ongoing today beyond what has been publicly reported," said Sessions, who later explained that he never received a briefing or read the reports on the intelligence community's conclusion that there were attempts to meddle in the election. Sessions said the move to step away from oversight of the probe was not because of his actions or meetings with the Russian ambassador; instead, he pointed to his position as chairman of the Trump campaign's national security committee. "I recuse myself not because of any asserted wrongdoing or any belief that I may have been involved in any wrongdoing in the campaign, but because a Department of Justice regulation required it," Sessions said. "That regulation states in effect that department employees should not participate in investigations either came pain if they served as a campaign adviser." July 19, 2017: Trump had a sit-down interview with The New York Times, during which he launched into a blistering rebuke of Sessions and his decision to recuse himself from anything relating to presidential campaigns, including, most notably, the 2016 campaign. "Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else," Trump said in the interview. When asked whether Sessions gave the president a "heads up" before the recusal, Trump said: "Zero." "So Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself. I then have which, frankly, I think is very unfair to the president. How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, Thanks, Jeff, but I cant, you know, Im not going to take you. Its extremely unfair, and thats a mild word, to the president. So he recuses himself. I then end up with a second man, whos a deputy," Trump said, referring to Rod Rosenstein. July 20, 2017: Asked for his reaction to Trump's comments, Sessions maintained that he will remain at his position "as long as that is appropriate." "We in this Department of Justice will continue every single day to work hard to serve the national interest, and we wholeheartedly join in the priorities of President Trump," he said at a news conference. "I have the honor of serving as attorney general, it's something that goes beyond any thought I would have ever had for myself. We love this job, we love this department, and I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," he said. July 24, 2017 -- Trump calls Sessions "beleaguered" Trump posted a tweet that included an apparent slight against Sessions, writing: "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017 Sessions did not immediately respond to the tweet. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. UPDATE: The Jo Daviess County Sheriffs Offfice released a statement Monday noting that missing woman Amanda R. Duhack "has been located and is OK. Thanks everyone for their assistance." Deputies put out a call for information about the whereabouts of Duhack, 38, after she was last seen leaving her home Friday in rural Galena, Ill. Amanda was driving a blue Chevrolet Uplander minivan with Illinois registration of 2053918. The minivan shown below is similar to the one driven by Duhack. Duhack is described as a white female, about 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 115 lbs. Duhack has brown hair, blue eyes and wears glasses. No further information is available at this time. WQPT, Quad-Cities Public Broadcasting Station, invites veterans who served in the United States military in any capacity, from World War I through the present, to share their story of service as a part of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Each story will be recorded and preserved. To make an appointment for an interview, call WQPT at 309-764-2400. The interviews will be noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 29, during The Wall That Heals exhibit on the campus of Western Illinois University Quad-Cities, 3300 River Drive, Moline. Jon Alexander Editorial Page Editor Editorial Page Editor, Quad-City Times Follow Jon Alexander Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Even the most culturally out-of-step prejudices are, and should be, protected speech. Perhaps that's the sole truth that makes the U.S. exceptional in any way. And that's why, for years, I've struggled with cases such as that of Jack Phillips, a baker in Colorado, who cited religious convictions when refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Phillips' case later this year. So-called religious freedom bills became all the rage in red states following 2015's landmark ruling that legalized gay marriage throughout the country. Liberals seethed, likening them to state-sanctioned discrimination. Such a bill politically hobbled then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who, many observers contend, saw joining Donald Trump's long-shot presidential bid as a graceful way to avoid a primary defeat. North Carolina lost millions when the NCAA boycotted that state because of its iteration. Organizations, such as the NCAA or private firms that fled Indiana, had every right to protest and take their cash elsewhere. And under that very same principle, so, too, did Jack Phillips. Let's get something out of the way. Phillips' world view is offensive. Like most people, I have gay relatives whom I love, respect and want nothing more than equal protection under the law. I celebrated the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling, which, unfortunately, came a little too late for one uncle of mine, who drank himself to death only months earlier. But Phillips' bakery doesn't receive public funds. It's not a government institution. Maybe it's my upbringing in a family business, but I do believe a business owner has the right to refuse service. And that's true even if his or her motivations are something I find philosophically abhorrent. The issue, of course, is more complicated than bakers and photographers who want nothing to do with a gay wedding. It becomes murky when considerations of equal employment and housing basic foundations of American civil rights protections are included. They, too, are in the mix here, only muddling further the Supreme Court's task come October. It's these very issues on which American Civil Liberties Union hangs much of its arguments against Phillips. There's little doubt that a Phillips victory this fall could have sweeping effects on the nation's civil rights laws, much of which instituted to combat rampant racial discrimination, only adding to the Supreme Court's task. But, at least intellectually, equal employment and refusal of service aren't one and the same. Spend a few hours watching Fox News, and you'll hear endless gripes about liberal "snowflakes." It's all a tad ironic, as some of the most easily offended conscripts of the word police happen to be of the conservative persuasion. That said, their gripes aren't entirely without merit. The left's predilection for governing language thereby regulating ideas is among the seemingly endless number of propellants behind Trump's presidency. Just maybe the case of Jack Phillips is an instance where my libertarian bent comes through. His excuse for not baking a cake can, at one time, be both morally egregious and wholly worthy of support. And it's a place where the markets can best act as the selective agent. Chick-fil-A will never get a penny from me. Thing is, Phillips, too, has the right to hold whatever conviction he pleases. If the expression of that right takes the form of crass disdain for an entire population, so be it. Blast his refusal on social media instead of taking him to court or regulating his business legislatively. Make sure everyone in 10 counties knows he denied you service simply because you love someone of the same sex. By and large, the country's collective opinion on gay marriage has shifted in the movement's favor at lightning speed, polls show. Put simply, Phillips is guilty of bad business. But sink or swim, it's these kind of unwise business decisions that the likes of Phillips have every right to make. It was hot and dry all week with only a little sprinkle of rain about dark on Monday. There were several fires around the neighborhood again, but most of them were put out before they did much damage. The fire last Sunday at the old Sam Steuer place north of highway 20 burned the house down before the firemen could get it out, but thankfully no one has lived in the house for years. We had two meetings in Spearfish Monday. The High Plains Western Heritage board met that afternoon and the Great Western Cattle Trail Association met at 6:00 that evening. Both meetings were at the Heritage Center so I didnt have to drive very far. Paul Higbee will have a presentation on his new book The Quips of Tom Berry, South Dakotas Cowboy Governor 1933-1937 at the Heritage Center at 1:00 on Saturday, July 22, with a book signing at 2:00. That evening at 5:30-7:30 there will be a chuckwagon dinner and show The Spirit of the American Cowboy by Gordy Pratt and Dalyce Sellers to celebrate the Day of the American Cowboy, which is always on the 4th Saturday in July. Reservations are required, so contact the Heritage Center for tickets. When I was in the South Dakota House I was the prime House sponsor of the bill to make the Day of the American Cowboy a state holiday on the 4th Saturday in July. The Senate prime sponsor of the bill was the rodeo cowboy, Sen. Billie Sutton, who is now running for governor. This was the only bill I ever sponsored that passed both houses of the legislature unanimously and Im pretty sure it is the only one Billie ever got passed without any no votes! Friday was a busy day. There was a bridal shower for Kami Elshere in Buffalo Friday afternoon and the Reva community held a welcome home potluck supper for Kyle and Brittany Wilkinson at the Reva Hall Friday evening. Just as we were getting ready to eat, a fire call came in that a lightening caused fire started east of Keith Hansons place. Most of the guys got in the fire trucks and headed to the fire. Thankfully it started to rain about then and when the firemen got to the fire they were sent home because the fire was out, so they were able to get back to the Hall in time to eat. Our rain gauge was empty when we got home, but nothing was on fire here. Lightening also caused a fire up by Mial Stenslands that afternoon. Saturday morning Reub went up to our Horse Creek pasture to check the water and there was another small fire in the road ditch near Steve Verhulsts place. A passer-by saw the fire and had it put out just as Reub went by. That afternoon we went to Hettinger and saw a baler that had caught fire just north of the junction at Reeder. Now theres a large prairie fire down at Wanblee and another big fire at Elk Point. Unless it starts raining soon, there are going to be a lot more fires around here so be very, very careful and keep your eyes peeled. Reub and I are holding down the fort here this week. Taz and his traveling partners left for the rodeo circuit Wednesday afternoon. Trig qualified for the national high school rodeo that is in Gillette, Wyoming all this week. Trig rode to Gillette with Sterling Lee Saturday morning, who also qualified for the finals. Casey and Missy loaded the bull dogging horses and also headed to Gillette Saturday morning. With the hot, dry conditions and all the cowboy events going on this week, Ill leave you with this: The old cowboy came riding into town on a hot, dry, dusty day. The local sheriff watched from his chair in front of the saloon as the cowboy wearily dismounted and tied his horse to the rail a few feet in front of the sheriff. "Howdy, stranger..." "Howdy, Sheriff..." The cowboy then moved slowly to the back of his horse, lifted its tail, and placed a big kiss were the sun don't shine. He dropped the horse's tail, stepped up on the walk, and aimed towards the swinging doors of the saloon. "Hold on, Mister..." said the sheriff. "Sheriff?" "Did I just see what I think I just saw?" "Reckon you did, Sheriff...I got me some powerful chapped lips..." "And that cures them?" "Nope, but it keeps me from lickin' em." Six Rwandan Scholars who have been working this summer at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center will give a final presentation of their summer work on July 27. The presentation will start at 2 p.m. in the Bluestem Room at the Panhandle Center. It will be open to the public. Each student will give a short presentation on their summer research. The Rwandan students have been working and learning at the Panhandle Center since mid-May. They will return to the Lincoln campus at the end of July. They have been housed at Western Nebraska Community College dormitories, and also paired with local host families in the local community. The scholars study in Lincoln during the academic year. This is the second academic year that Rwandans have been welcomed to the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences (CASNR) as CUSP Scholars. CUSP stands for CASNR Undergraduate Scholars Program. In 2015, CASNR welcomed the first Cohort of seven CUSP Scholars, followed by an additional 49 in 2016 for a total of 56 scholars. CASNR is positioned to host up to 180 Rwandan students over the next eight years. They are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science that is focused on conservation agriculture, entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovative thinking. According to the CASNR Deans office, These scholars represent the talent needed to move Rwandas agricultural sector forward. They have committed to return to Rwanda upon graduation to serve in critical areas across research, extension, and training. The students include: Didier Ndenga, a freshman pursuing a bachelors degree in Integrated Sciences. He is mostly interested in Mechanized System Management, which is his minor and area of concentration. Didier is working for Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence. Germain Intwari, a freshman integrated sciences major with a concentration in plant pathology. Rwanda, as other countries within the equatorial region, is experiencing crop yield reductions due to plant diseases. Germain is working for Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson. Joviale Uwase, a freshman student majoring in Integrated Science, with a concentration in Mechanized Systems and Management. Joviale is working for Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist Bijesh Maharjan. Liliane Umuhoza, a freshman in Integrated Science major with a concentration in irrigation. Liliane is working for Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist Dipak Santra. Peace Munyana, a sophomore majoring in integrated science with a minor in agronomy. Peace is working for Dry Edible Bean Breeding Specialist Carlos Urrea. Tonny Ruhinda, a freshman pursuing a degree in Integrated Sciences with a minor in mechanized systems management. Tonny is passionate about irrigation technology so as to develop irrigation systems in his country. Tonny is working for Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist Bijesh Maharjan. Letter to DENR asks for diligence in issuing permits for drilling HOT SPRINGS Issues surrounding the planned seismic testing and potential oil and gas exploration on 46,000 acres of southwestern Fall River County land, including 23,000 acres of Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and the former Black Hills Army Depot (BHAD), again took center stage at the county commissioners July 18 meeting. Twice during the meeting issues related to this appeared on the county agenda and were discussed. The end result of these discussions prompted the county to issue a letter to Steven M. Priner, Secretary of the states Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), requesting that the state be diligent in granting any drilling permits on BHADs burning grounds due to many unresolved issues concerning the depot. DENR is the agency that will decide whether or not to issue oil exploration drilling permits for ground that the state Commission of School and Public Lands offers for leases. Leases Kicking off the discussion on the BHAD project was Commissioner Paul Nabholz who later in the meeting voted against sending the letter to DENR because he believes the project will not be harmful. Nabholz shared his findings on the issue of oil and natural gas exploration leases with the commissioners. Nabholz communicated with Ryan Brunner, Commissioner of School and Public Lands, the state agency that oversees two burning grounds parcels, about concerns raised about these specific areas by Provo rancher Cindy Brunson and others at the July 6 commissioners meeting. At that time, Brunson worried that two sections of ground No. 9 and 36, both on the burning grounds would be the worst areas to test or drill for oil because, from 1942 until 1967, munitions were incinerated there. Brunson said she wasnt against oil and gas exploration in general, but couldnt understand why seismic testing or drilling leases would be done on the abandoned military base where the federal government never addressed the chemical weapons handled on the base. Reports from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) indicate that Sarin, nerve gas, mustard gas, phosgene and other chemical weapons were handled at the base. Brunson said local firefighters had been warned not to fight fires there, but to let them burn due to the potential chemical weapons issues. She asked the county to find out more about the leasing arrangement for these parcels. Nabholz did this with Brunner. Brunner, in an email to Nabholz, said he would include all 240 acres in Section 9 in restricted status to prevent drilling there. Nabholz also said that Section No. 36s 80 acre burning grounds parcel was already restricted, according to Brunner. Brunner suggested that if the county wanted to take a stance against the drilling, they could write a letter of concern to DENR asking them not to approve any permit. School and Public Lands is the leasing agency for state ground, DENR handles the regulations. I think with the company signing an acknowledgement of restricted access form for the minerals inside the restricted areas that we will keep on file and also send to DENR we are probably covered, Brunner wrote to Nabholz. Nabholz also discovered that the 25 oil and natural gas exploration leases the School and Public Lands commission had up for lease on July 20 were basically renewals of five-year, 2012 leases that were expiring. It is common practice for the same companies to rebid on these leases, if they are interested in holding the ground for oil or natural gas exploration. It was revealed during the meeting that Murfin Drilling Company, a third generation Witchita, Kan. oil exploration firm, owns a number of these leases. The drilling company is one arm of Murfin, Inc., which includes a tractor and heavy equipment company, radio stations, commercial real estate operation, banks, and a lift truck outfit. This company is also part of MV Purchasing, LLC, an oil and gas marketing and transportation outfit, also MV Oil Trust, a company that distributes oil and natural gas royalties in Kansas and Colorado. According to Brunner, when oil and gas leases are sold by School and Public Lands, they can rescind the lease within 30 days. Brunner, DENR officials and Murfin officials will meet when the leases are auctioned to better define the restrictions on drilling. USFS update Mike McNeil, of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the agency that would issue the permit for seismic testing to Paragon Geophysical Services, a Kansas company, with certain conditions, also visited with the commissioners to update them on his end of the permitting process. McNeil said the go-ahead for the permit to test was not yet final, that various elements in the process to allow it were still pending and that he didnt expect even a decision on approval of the permit to test before August 1. McNeil said USFS got a letter from ACOE concerning recommendations related to the burning grounds testing. ACOE recommended a 2,000-foot buffer zone outside the fenced areas of BHAD, and a 450-foot buffer around the outside of the burning grounds. ACOE is currently in communications with the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), McNeil said, to do cultural and paleontological surveys that might locate any historically significant areas in the 46,000 acres intended to be seismically tested. As of Wednesday, July 19, SHPO, between 2006 and that date, looked at five locations in the testing area a bridge, the Igloo-Provo water tower, the Ft. Igloo entrance gate, the Roller School and the Roller Dam and found none of them to be eligible for historical preservation, however this is a process that is ongoing. (To see what was found, visit SHPOs Cultural Resource Geographic Research Information Display at http://arcgis.sd.gov/server/dtsd/shpoCRGRID/.) McNeil said there might be some small modifications to the conditions USFS would apply to the testing permit as official approvals came down through channels. Some of the conditions McNeil felt fairly certain would be included dealt with restoring any damage to fencing done during seismic testing, that wildlife should not be unduly disturbed by the testing, and returning roads to their pre-testing status. Commissioners Joe Falkenburg and Joe Allen had questions for McNeil. Falkenburg wanted to know about road conditions, having seen deep ruts created by oil and gas testing and exploration in the 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota during wet weather. Allen wondered about the amount of thrust that would be generated by seismic testing in sensitive areas, such as the burning grounds, if 2,000 feet was enough buffer space. McNeil said he thought the 2,000 foot buffer was more than adequate for the testing. McNeil also promised to visit with the commissioners before any final decision was made about permitting to let them know this would take place and what the conditions would entail. Citizen concerns Brunson urged the Fall River County commissioners to draft a letter to DENR to prohibit drilling on the burning ground area, for safetys sake. She shared a 1998 USFS special restriction document with the commissioners, that noted simply being within the closed area of BHAD was prohibited for the protection of public health and safety within Buffalo Gap grasslands and BHAD. Other residents also had concerns. Sarah Peterson, of Hot Springs, wondered if there would be an opportunity for the public to provide input on the permitting of the drilling lease approvals. McNeil said that when this would take place, July 20, there would be an environmental assessment. Edgemont rancher Susan Henderson demanded no seismic testing and no drilling take place on the area because of the danger to residents and livestock from chemical weapons. Henderson chaired the Restoration Advisory Board, a citizens committee that provided a liaison between the U.S. Army and local people for the potential clean up of BAHD as an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site from 1991-2001. Congress mandated BHADs clean-up, and appropriated a $5 billion budget for this. Henderson said ACOE only worked on the surface, declining to dig up the 200 miles of trenches where chemical weapons in the form of rockets and other munitions were stored when the base closed in 1967. According to DENRs own information on Superfund Action at Federal Facility Sites (visit this at http://denr.sd.gov/des/gw/Superfund/Federal_Facilities.aspx), after BHAD was closed in 1967, the city of Edgemont purchased all the land within the boundary fence. The remainder of the base lands transferred into USFS hands, becoming part of Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. DENR notes that a 1981 a study by Ecology and Environment, Inc. determined that a change in land use which would generate direct human contact, such as housing or crops for human consumption, should be avoided. At the request of the commissioners, Henderson and Brunson authored a two-page letter to Brunner, calling the seismic testing project a gigantic risk that could unleash chemicals creating a toxic cloud, cause Wind Cave collapses, and pollute or alter groundwater supplies. However, this letter was not signed and used. Instead, a shortened version to DENRs Pirner asking for diligence in granting permits was used. Henderson also questioned Nabholzs interest in the BHAD issue, wondering if he had investments or financial ties to the efforts. She vowed to investigate this. In other business, the commissioners considered: A 35 mph speed limit on Memorial Road Nabholz, whod talked to several residents along the road, brought this to the commissioners, saying that although the road has been marked for 55 mph, it is an unrealistic speed, especially beyond the cattle guard, about half a mile off Hwy 18. His motion to reduce the speed limit died for a lack of a second. Jail prisoners per cell Nabholz, during a jail tour, wondered why four-person cells were not housing four prisoners, only two. Sheriffs Deputy Vince Logue explained that a jail study on federal space requirements and other jail rules revealed that four-man cells had only enough space for two people, and two-person cells were only sufficient for one prisoner. There is no easy fix, the only real fix is to build a new jail, Logue said. Flight for Life Falkenburg bemoaned the high cost of emergency air medical transport services hed heard figures of $40,000 and wondered if there was some way the county could provide for this. Allen said he would back a measure to get the county involved in this. Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) monies Previously, the countys three school districts received much of the benefit if this. For 2018, $717,000 is expected to come back to the county for PILT. Nabholz wanted the county to take the whole $717,000 into the countys budget, because he hated dolling out money and didnt think the county should be involved in school district budgets. In a vote on a motion to maintain PILT monies being distributed to the schools by Commissioners Ann Abbott and Deb Russell, Nabholz was the sole no vote. One thing that has been consistent since we entered the month of July is heat. While it could be worse, we have been steadily seeing temperatures in the 90s for the last couple of weeks with the forecast for this week not being much different. The Union Center area and other parts of Central Meade County have seen a total of 1.25 inches of rain this past week. Other areas have only seen a sprinkle. We continue praying for rain. CRP ground has been opened up for grazing or haying due to the drought. A mini Atall school reunion took place on Saturday afternoon with a teacher and several students who attended the Atall School back in 1965. Mrs. Bailey was the teacher that year. Those who met together were Gary Remington, Bruce DeMarcus, Chuck Spring, Glenn Spring, Mildred Bennet Reid, Shirley Spring Baker, Aneita Remington Henry, Barbara Jensen and Susan Spring Delbridge. Kathryn Spring was also there as she shared a special bond with the teacher back then as well. They all met at the fellowship room at the Community Baptist Church to enjoy refreshments and share good memories of a good times. Another reunion of the 'family' kind took place on Sunday afternoon at the Central Meade County Community Center. The Simons families enjoyed a get together and they had the Midnight Sun band to listen or dance to that started at 3:00. The turnout for the special event was well attended and it was open at 3:00 pm to whoever wished to come. Lorie and Gary Hausmann and Gary's mother, Monie, attended church services on Sunday in Union Center. They then had lunch at Enning with Larry and Sandy Rhoden and Shirley Spring. Cheryl Hammerstrom has been recovering from a horse accident she experienced recently. She is doing very well and is healing as hoped. As always she has received many prayers, well wishes and food brought in from the community. Yolanda Long and Chelsie Shearer will soon be coming into the shop to do hair. Chelsie will also be doing nails. Their official starting times will be posted on Cheryl's FB page. Shirrise Linn is still doing massage on her usual days and Jayme is waiting for her first little one to arrive in the first part of August. While we miss Cheryl being at Prhairie Cut 'N Curl for now, the ladies at the cafe also miss her clients who come in before or after their appointments. Hopefully, the beauty shop 'buzz' will be bringing more activity to the Cow Town Mall soon. The CMC softball fields have been utilized once again after years of sitting dormant. The kids softball team had a game against Faith last week. It has been very encouraging to see cars and young ones at the fields again. Their grandparents are those who had the fields constructed, as well as the community center. So, they are likely the ones sitting in the bleachers enjoying watching the grands play. The Meade County Republicans held their annual picnic in the country this year. Gary and Amy Cammack were the hosts for the picnic on Sunday, July 23. There was a good attendance and the setting was a calm, beautiful evening of good food and fellowship in the shaded, grassy back yard. Several statewide candidates, were in attendance as well as our District 29 legislators, Larry Rhoden, Tom Brunner and Gary Cammack. Our Meade County Auditor, Lisa Schieffer and Meade County Register of Deeds, Lana (Speed) Anderson and other local office holders were in attendance as well. Lana's mother, Karen Speed, was also in attendance. It was a perfect evening for a picnic. Sandy Rhoden and Deb Schnell returned home on Tuesday after going to Sioux Falls on Saturday to see their sister, Marletta. They visited her in the hospital and then helped make the transition from the Sanford Hospital to her home in Madison on Monday. They are grateful for all of the prayers that went up for her recovery from the Viral Encephalitis. It was very serious for a time but she is making a steady comeback. Thank you so very much for those who prayed for her as it clearly was a much speedier & productive recovery than what the doctors had anticipated. Lyle Delbridge was in Avera in Sioux Falls for chemo for a few days and is in the process needed to heal. They are currently home now. Surrounded by family and friends with many prayers going up, we are looking forward to his recovery. Please keep Lyle in your prayers for complete healing. Also, their son-in-law, Will Dominguez was scheduled to deploy on Saturday. He is married to Kelsie (Delbridge) Dominguez. We are thankful to Will for his service to our nation. It is already County Fair and 4-H Achievement Days time, and for those interested, the Meade County Fair will be from July 28-29 at the Meade County Fair Building and Sturgis Brown High School. It all begins in Friday, at 8 a.m. with the Livestock Check-in for 4-H and Open Class, the 4-H Food Stand and the SBHS & Livestock Barn. It will come to a close on Saturday at 5 p.m. with the release of all Open Class & 4-H Fair Exhibits which will take place after the pie auction. Have fun at the fair! "Sock It To Cancer in Record Time" was the theme of the 2017 Meade County Relay for Life event held at the Woodland Shelter on Friday, July 21. Eight teams raise funds throughout the year and come together to celebrate with the survivors and give hope to those who continue the fight against cancer. Robin Baldwin, treasurer, said all of the funds are not in yet, but $31,026.06 was raised so far which far exceeds the goal of $28,000. Dana Sparks, co-chair, said this year's theme was centered around a sock hop "Sock it to Cancer in Record Time" and wanted to thank everyone who volunteered to help with the event. Christine Diers, Community Engagement Manager for the American Cancer Society, works with the western one-third of South Dakota, has a goal to raise $207,000 for the ACS. Diers said she is over half way in meeting the goal and "Meade County is kicking it and I hope they exceed their goal." Grace Lutheran Church Pastor Gris Garlick, an cancer survivor, opened the event with an invocation and prayed for the care givers that offer constant support and comfort, and prayed for that someday we will rejoice in knowing there will be a cure for cancer and cancer is no more. Tim Kugler and Christian Avery, representing Scott Peterson Motors of Sturgis, presented a check to the Meade County Relay for Life Co chairs Dana Sparks and Donna Milburn for $5,400 to help Crush Cancer. A donation is set aside from each car or truck sold at Scott Peterson Motors Sturgis to help find the cure for cancer. The 2017 Relay for Life Leadership team that organizes and coordinates the event was Dana Sparks and Donna Milburn (co-chairs), Gary Aitken, Robin Baldwin, Kathy Biesheuvel, Sue Chaplin, Carol Imhoff, Amethyst Milburn, Ranae Pickar, David Sparks and Kary Stock. Corporate Sponsors for this year's event was Scott Peterson Motors, Black Hills Federal Credit Union, County Drug, Don & Marion Gapp, Hersruds of Sturgis, Rocking Tree Floral, CBH Cooperative, Lynn's Dakotamart and Kiwanis International. Adam Karrels served as Master of Ceremonies and Henry Karrels was the DJ for the evening. The South Dakota prison inmate accused of killing a retired Rapid City teacher pleaded not guilty to the crime at the Pennington County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. Andrew Eastman, 28, is charged with first-degree murder and an alternative of second-degree murder in the death of Larry Mintzlaff, 64, in June. Eastman can be convicted of only one of his alternative charges. The body of Mintzlaff, who had been a longtime teacher at North Middle School, was found June 6 at his house on Wisconsin Avenue. Police say he and Eastman had known each other, and that a letter from Eastman had been discovered at Mintzlaffs residence. Investigators say Eastman, a minimum-security inmate, went to Mintzlaffs home after escaping community service work at the Rapid City landfill on June 2. Authorities say he left the landfill in a city-owned pickup, later found abandoned about two blocks from Mintzlaff's residence. According to a Pennington County sheriff's deputy report, obtained from the courthouse Tuesday, the keys to the pickup were kept in an unlocked office. A fellow inmate working at the landfill told investigators Eastman had joked about taking the keys and going to Mexico. Another inmate said he had been acting strangely that day. The Rapid City government said it has since tightened security procedures involving access to its vehicles at the landfill. Eastman was arrested in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 9 while driving Mintzlaffs missing car. Eastman is also charged with second-degree escape from the Department of Corrections minimum-security facility, as well as two counts of grand theft for allegedly stealing the city pickup and Mintzlaffs car. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Robert Gunsinsky, of the Seventh Circuit Court, informed Eastman of the penalties his charges carry. First-degree murder is punishable by death or life in prison; second-degree murder, life in prison; second-degree escape, five years; and each count of graft theft, five years. If Eastman is convicted and his previous felonies are confirmed, the penalties for his new charges can be enhanced, bringing his total prison time for escape and theft from 12 to 40 years. At the time he left the landfill, Eastman was serving sentences for drug offenses out of Hughes County and grand theft out of Pennington County. He is detained at the Pennington County Jail and is due back in court Sept. 12. The two defendants in a Pine Ridge murder case are essentially back at square one after a federal judge invalidated their guilty pleas. Elizabeth LeBeau and her then-live-in boyfriend Fred Quiver pleaded guilty to charges related to the killing of 24-year-old Emily Bluebird in January 2016. In their accounts of the incident, each defendant pointed to the other as the person who strangled Bluebird with an electronics cord accounts that were both affirmed in court by federal prosecutors. The chief judge of the South Dakota District Court, Jeffrey Viken, nullified the pleas in an order released Friday. He immediately scheduled both defendants for a jury trial at the Rapid City federal courthouse on Aug. 22. Viken said neither plea satisfies this federal rule of criminal procedure: Before entering judgment on a guilty plea, the court must determine that there is a factual basis for the plea. An adequate factual basis exists, Viken wrote, when the record contains sufficient evidence at the time of the plea upon which a court may reasonably determine that the defendant likely committed the offense. LeBeau, 24, said she held down Bluebirds hands at Quivers order while he strangled Bluebird after the two got into an argument while all of them were drinking at the couples home on Pine Ridge. LeBeau pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison. Quiver, 31, on the other hand, said LeBeau strangled Bluebird following an argument between the women. Quiver, who said he tried to intervene without success, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to second-degree murder, which carries a 15-year maximum sentence. Because the U.S. Attorneys Office affirmed the defendants' conflicting statements, the judge said the court does not have enough facts to find them guilty of the crimes to which they admitted. Viken said there's doubt whether LeBeau killed Bluebird since she lay the blame on Quiver, the same statement that puts into question whether Quiver merely served as an accessory to murder. He said the contradicting accounts cannot be viewed in isolation, as the U.S. Attorneys Office requested, since they involve the core facts of the case. The circumstances may be different had the prosecutor not signed the statements, Viken wrote. The U.S. Attorneys Office for South Dakota declined to comment on the ruling, citing the ongoing cases. Viken called a hearing on the issue last month after LeBeaus lawyer drew the courts attention to the conflicting factual basis statements, which the lawyer said exposed his client to harsher punishment for an offense in which she purportedly played a secondary role. Viken said the issue was the first of its kind he has encountered in his 40 years in the legal system. Bluebirds body was found near a creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation a few weeks after her murder. LeBeau and Quiver admitted hiding her body underneath their home before moving it outdoors. The defendants, both detained at the Pennington County Jail, may again end up pleading guilty. The court has given them an initial deadline of Aug. 4 to hammer out another plea agreement with the prosecutors. The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council was scheduled to consider a resolution Tuesday declaring a state of emergency regarding drinking water. Social media was already abuzz Tuesday morning after a picture of a document that appeared to be an emergency declaration was posted on Facebook. The language in the document said the emergency was due to unsafe drinking water that tested high toxic levels of arsenic and lead and that the water is further contaminated by outdated sewer systems that leaked into the ground water. But when the Journal spoke to Oglala Sioux Tribe Councilwoman Robin Tapio on Tuesday afternoon, she said the image was an agenda item that was yet to be acted upon at Tuesdays tribal council meeting. She put the resolution on the agenda, she said, not because of new water testing data but because of a report about drinking-water problems in Pine Ridge that was published about five years ago by the charitable group Filters for Families. Tapio said she has been pressing for action on the reports findings ever since, and the resolution is her latest tactic. The Journal was not able to determine before news deadline whether the tribal council adopted the resolution. The Journal left a message with Filters for Families but has not yet received a response or obtained a copy of the organizations report about the water on Pine Ridge. Rich Mylott, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency, said he was aware of the proposed resolution but was not sure of its context. "The most current information we have in our compliance database indicates the Pine Ridge Public Water System is in compliance with their monitoring and reporting requirements under the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act) and is not reporting high arsenic or lead levels," Mylott wrote in an email reply to the Journal. Stage Two restrictions will be in place at 12:01 a.m. Thursday in Ravalli County and the Bitterroot National Forest. The restrictions come as numerous fires continue to burn in the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains, and after a spark from a swather appears to have caused a small fire near Stevensville Saturday afternoon. Its hot and dry out there, and its only July, said Tyson Chambers, Stevensvilles rural fire assistant chief. Were kind of afraid of what August might bring. It appears that the swather hit a rock in a hayfield, causing a spark that led to a 2-acre fire about 4 p.m. Fire crews from Corvallis and the U.S. Forest Service turned out to aid Stevensville, and they put it out by 6:30 p.m. We dumped a lot of water on it, Chambers said. I wanted every single smoker out. Fire officials skipped State One fire restrictions by going to Stage Two, which shows their concerns. Typically, we go to Stage One and see how things go, said Tod McKay, the public affairs officer for the Bitterroot National Forest. But the region overall is going to Stage Two, as well as the county and Bitterroot forest this week. Ravalli County already has been under a burn ban for the past two weeks, which prohibited fires any larger than 48 inches in diameter. Under Stage Two restrictions, no campfires are allowed anywhere; the only exception is a stove that can be turned on and off. Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreational site or in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is cleared of all flammable materials. In addition, the use of fireworks is prohibited, as is operating motorized vehicles off of designated roads or trails. Restricts are in place from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., which cover operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine for logging, road building or firewood gathering; welding or operating any torch with an open flame; and using any explosives. Mike Cole, the public information officer the Type One team brought in for the Lolo Peak Fire, said they appear to be two weeks ahead of the normal start to the fire season, and the moisture in the fuels is quite low. The lightning-caused fire doubled in size on Sunday, and is now at 751 acres with no containment. A public meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, in the Stevensville High Schools multi-purpose room. One thing well push at the meeting is that if your property isnt already defensible, you have time to do the work with this fire, Cole said. They brought us in because of the complexity of where this is at the previous fires, and the highway is so close and so are homes. Were putting together a long-term plan; were lucky we have the time to do that on this fire. Officials recommend cleaning out gutters and decks so embers cant ignite a fire; remove any vegetation that touches or hangs over a home; keep grass short and well-watered within a 30-foot radius of structures; and store firewood away from homes. The fire is burning directly west of Lolo Peak between the Meadow Creek and Falls Creek drainages of the south Fork of Lolo Creek. The majority of the fire is burning within the northern boundary of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It started July 15. Closures include Momrmon Peak Road, South Fork Lolo Creek Road, Small Creek Road, Mill Creek Trail, Sweeney Trail, and Bass Creek Trail. A temporary flight restriction is in effect over the entire fire area. Travel restrictions also are in place on the Stevensville Ranger District east of Corvallis in the Sapphire Mountains. The Dominic Fire, which was sparked by lightning July 19, didnt have much activity during the weekend and remains at 55 acres. McKay said they have lines around three sides, but the northern edge it too dangerous for firefighters; instead, theyre using helicopters to douse it with water. Its considered 40 percent contained and theyve allowed the fire lookout to return to his lookout tower. However, closures remain in place on Willow Creek Road, Willow Creek Trail, Gleason Lake Trail, Palisade Trail and Upper Signal Creek Trail. On Sunday, Gov. Steve Bullock signed an executive order declaring a fire emergency in Montana. This allows Bullock to use additional state resources and the Montana National Guard to aid in the firefighting efforts, and to access general fund dollars if necessary to cover the costs. WEST GLACIER Officials with Montana's Glacier National Park say a Bitterroot man who was taking photographs of the scenery fell into a creek, was swept into a culvert and plunged off a steep cliff to his death. Park officials said in a statement Monday that 26-year-old Robert Durbin of Corvallis died Saturday. They say Durbin was taking photos along Haystack Creek next to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is known for its dramatic scenery and vertigo-inducing heights. He fell into the creek and was washed through a culvert that goes beneath the road and empties into a 100-foot drop down a cliff. The popular road was closed to traffic for about an hour while rangers and rescuers found and recovered the man's body. Glacier officials say the death isn't considered suspicious. Falls are a leading cause of death in the park. Durbin's brother, William, of Hamilton, said Durban was a creative man who loved to fish. "He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anybody," Durbin said. "He was always smiling. He was always happy. His major passion was fishing. He worked so he could fish." Durbin worked at Ironhaus in Hamilton, which is a company that specializes in building custom fireplaces and hearths. "He liked to create stuff," Durbin said. "He would make his own knives and other things. He was very creative." Durbin said he was told his brother wanted to stop and take a photo of a waterfall while driving on Going-to-the-Sun Road. "He lost his footing and fell," Durbin said. "He wasn't wearing the proper shoes for that. I was told he had flipflops on. It was something silly, but I've done it. My son has done it. It was just an unfortunate accident." Glacier National Park spokesperson Lauren Alley said the danger is real around any fast-moving water in the park. "The message is that creeks and waterfalls in the park are certainly really exciting and attention-grabbing," Alley said. "There are a lot of them. We always ask people to not walk, play or attempt to take photos on the slippery rocks. It's so easy to fall." Parents need to be especially careful with their children. "Kids love to play near the water," she said. "If people do fall in the fast-moving water, there are a lot of rocks and logs that can cause injuries. People need to be extremely careful around rocks that are wet." William Durbin said his brother didn't have any insurance. Durbin established a gofundme site at gofundme.com/robert-robbie-durbin-fund to help the family offset some of the costs. All six of the Bitterroot Beanery locations also are accepting donations and cards that will be given the family. Durbin's sister, Jessie Madruga, works for that company. A celebration of Durbin's life will be held at River Park in Hamilton Saturday, July 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. TARKIO The Sunrise fire to the west of here dropped one position, to third, on the national priority list of wildfires Tuesday but that did nothing to quell the urgency. Infrared mapping showed a gain of 1,000 acres, to 2,350, after a windy Monday on the fire 11 miles south of Superior, to the south of the Clark Fork River and Interstate 90. No evacuations have been ordered, but the Mineral County Sheriffs Office has put homes on all sides on get-ready status. Incident commander Shawn Pearson of the Northern Rockies Type II Incident Management Team pulled firefighters off Sunrise Mountain after the horseshoe-shaped fire jumped a fire line on the north side Monday and spotted behind them. All reached safety, including some at a helispot inside the fires perimeter, and a bulldozer left behind emerged undamaged. No injuries have been reported on the fire and, while some 50 structures are threatened, none has burned. Winds calmed Tuesday but the humidity was high and temperatures were hotter. The fire is now expected to come down the mountainside into Quartz Creek, where a dozen or so homes have been readied for the assault. Were running 24-hour shifts, and the plan is to burn out around those structures and turn on sprinklers and have engines down there, said information officer Jill Cobb. Theyve done as much as they can to take a stand when fire comes to that area, so were not going to leave our guys in there. Lightning lit the fire on July 16 in the Meadow Creek drainage, and it spread kind of like a big amoeba over adjacent ridges, she said. On the north side of the horseshoe, the fire was within three-quarters of a mile above several homes on Sunrise Creek, where crews buttoned up home protection measures and turned their sights on Quartz Flats to the north. The small community of Rivulet to the east along the river and Verde Creek to the northwest are next in line for sprinklers, hoses and other structure protection. Cobb said attention has turned from trying to stop the fire on Sunrise Mountain to building a new line of defense one ridge over, between Sunrise and Verde creeks. A five-piece heavy equipment task force arrived Tuesday to begin working on the new line on the ridge. A relatively new concept in the Northern Rockies region, the task force consists of a feller buncher, a lowboy, a skidge, a Type II dozer and a rubber-tired skidder. Were making plans and trying our best to control the fire where we can, but right now our options are really limited, Cobb said. She watched with others after dark Monday from the camp on Tarkio Flats to the east as the fire burned. Its speculated that many more acres would show up as casualties after the next infrared flight, Cobb said. Access to the fire has been a challenge, as has the heavy fuel of subalpine fir at the top of the mountain. It took 90 minutes to get equipment up to the fire on Sunrise, Pearson said. The drainages in the area are generally box canyons, with only one way in and out. We didnt have any roads to choose from, Cobb said. Mother Nature gave us this fire in a terrible location. We did everything we could to confine it to one little spot, but it broke out of our fire line. Now that game has changed a bit. Were going to have the fire come to us. A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lozeau Lodge, off Exit 55 on Interstate 90. Tuesdays incident management situation report from the National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise moved the Buffalo fire in southeast Montana up to its second priority, ahead of Sunrise and smaller companion Burdette, burning 11 miles away in the Fish Creek drainage. The Buffalo has burned 2,000 acres after starting on private land in timber, brush and grass, and was exhibiting extreme fire behavior with crowning, running and short-range spotting, the report said. Structures threatened. Road and area closures in effect. The Burdette fire 13 miles southeast of Tarkio has expanded to 540 acres and has a Type II incident command team assigned as of Tuesday. It has a team of 52 assigned, and mainly burns in an inventoried roadless area. *** Still at the top of the national priority list is the Lodgepole Complex burning between the Missouri River and Jordan in eastern Montana. It had grown to 250,000 acres by Tuesday, with 26 structures lost and 611 personnel fighting the fire. A new smoke column that appeared on Missoulas northern horizon Tuesday afternoon marked the expansion of a fire on the Flathead Indian Reservation that had been burning since July 15. The Liberty fire and the South Fork fire burned together two days ago and together went from 15 acres to 77 acres, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal fire prevention specialist C.T. Camel said Tuesday. The helicopter measured it at 143 acres yesterday. Today theres a column, so its probably over 200 acres now. The fire is burning in the South Fork Primitive Area north of the Rattlesnake Wilderness near the Jocko Road, but is not threatening the road or other facilities, Camel said. A team of 40 firefighters is on scene, with more personnel headed there on Tuesday. A public meeting on the Lolo Peak fire 10 miles southwest of Lolo was scheduled for Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Stevensville High School, 300 Park Ave. An aerial firing operation using helicopters to drop plastic balls of napalm on Monday burned out fuels on the southeast corner of the 1,090-acre fire near the Bitterroot Divide. That helped reduce the fires intensity in a particularly steep terrain. Heavy burning also took place in the Falls Creek area with some spotting across to Lantern Ridge. The 211-person team will build hand line from Mill Creek on Highway 12 toward the Percell Ranch area, while a Hotshot crew will start working along the Mormon Peak Road. Both the Sunrise and Lolo Peak fires continued to affect air quality in Missoula and Frenchtown. While the air quality remained good to moderate Tuesday, smoke from those fires could settle in the valleys overnight into Wednesday, according to the Missoula City-County Health Department. Florence, Lolo, Rock Creek, Frenchtown and possibly Missoula may see smoke at unhealthy for sensitive groups or at unhealthy levels, meaning that people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. The Rice Ridge fire six miles north of Seeley Lake was reported at 20 acres on Tuesday, with a 20-person crew en route to confront it. Helicopters and retardant bombers attempted to slow down the fire growth Tuesday. The nearby Monahan fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has grown to 584 acres, but is in monitor status with a crew of five lookouts on scene. The Sapphire Complex now includes the Goat Creek, Sliderock and Little Hogback fires all burning in the Rock Creek area 27 miles east of Missoula. The combined fires have burned about 5,464 acres and have a crew of 287 personnel assigned. Mandatory evacuations for the Brewster Creek Road residences affected by the Goat Creek fire were lifted Tuesday evening by the Granite County Sheriff's Office. All residences in Brewster Creek and on Rock Creek Road between mile markers 5-13 are now under pre-evacuation warnings (yellow area). Mandatory evacuations (red area) remain for the cabin sites on Sliderock Mountain. Guwahati, July 25 : After devasting flood hit 29 districts out of 33 of Assam and affecting over 25 lakh people, the BJP-led state government on Tuesday sought Rs 2939 crore assistance from the Centre to carry out repair works of infrastructure, embankments, roads, bridges, culverts etc damaged in the current wave flood in the state. Assam Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia said that, the state government had made a preliminary assessment of flood damages and submitted a detailed list of damage caused to infrastructure under various departments under the state government to the centre. 'Out of Rs 2939 crore, about Rs 1800 crore would be required to repair and strengthen embankments and other flood control measures across the state,'A the Assam Chief Secretary said. To access the flood situation and damages in the state, a 7-member inter ministerial central team led by V Shashank Shekhar, Joint Secretary of Union Home ministry on Tuesday had arrived in Guwahati. Following Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 18, the inter ministerial central team arrived Assam today as per directions of the Prime Minister within a week's time to assess the damage due to the recent wave of flood in the state. The team will conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the flood situation and will be visiting flood affected areas of Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Barpeta, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts of Assam on July 25-28. Noteworthy that for the first time an inter ministerial central team is visiting the state in the midst of flood period to assess the damage which signifies the urgent follow up action taken by the Centre. Before starting their tour to the flood affected districts, the team had a meeting with all the senior government officials of the key line departments under the chairmanship of Assam Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia at Chief Secretary's conference hall in Janata Bhawan on Tuesday. Commissioner and Secretary of Revenue department Rajesh Prasad gave an overview of the present flood scenario and resultant damages in the meeting. Chairing the meeting, Chief Secretary Pipersenia apprised the team about the pro-active measures taken by the state Government to minimize suffering of the flood affected. Pipersenia also informed about the Chief Minister's recent meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi where the former submitted a memorandum highlighting the flood and erosion situation in the state and sought centre's intervention for mitigating the situation. Referring to the memorandum, the Chief Secretary stated that the Chief Minister placed two important proposals before the Government of India which include launching of 'Prime Minister's Special Programme for Flood and Erosion Control' for developing road-cum-embankments stretching 5,000 km and constitution of a high level inter ministerial team headed by an Union cabinet minister to study the impact of floods and erosion and suggest permanent measures for mitigating the problem. V Shashank Shekhar, who led the team said that they would visit the entire flood affected areas and interact with the flood hit to assess the situation. The other members of the team are PM Scott, Chief Engineer (B&BBO), Water Resources, CWC, Shillon, BK Mishra, Asst. Director (FCD), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Sachin Kumar Gautam, Asst. Executive Engineer (Regional Officer), Road, Transport and Highways, Guwahati; Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Director, Rural Development, National Rural Road Development Agency (NRRDA), Sanjay Kumar, Director (States-NE) Niti Aayog, New Delhi, Dr AL Wagmare, Director (DSD), Agriculture & Cooperation, Department of Sugarcane Development, Lucknow, UP. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahati, July 25 : Security forces had gunned down one hardcore militant belonging to NDFS-S in Assam's Kokrajhar district in the early hours on Tuesday, officials said. According to the reports, based on intelligence input, army and police had jointly launched operation at Natun Bashbari area in the BTAD district on Monday night. "When the troops reached the remote area, the militants hidden at the area had started fire and bullets were exchanged. During the gun battle a hardcore militant killed on spot," a top police official said. Other militants had managed to escape from the area. Security forces had recovered one AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade and large quantity of ammunition from the encounter spot. The slain militant is yet to be identified. The area have been cordoned off and combing operation launched. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Dr Govinda KC, a senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Institute of Medicine (IoM) Kathmandu, Nepal: Dr Govinda KC, a senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Institute of Medicine (IoM), is going stage his 11th fast-unto-death strike from today. Dr. KC is going to stage his 11th fast-unto-death strike from today alleging the government and its concerned authorities for not fulfilling the past agreements reached with him. The Nepal government and the agitating Dr. KC had inked in the agreement with the commitment to fulfill his demands by setting the deadline. But the agreement reached with him remained untouched within the deadline set during the agreement reached to end his tenth hunger strike. Reminding to the government, he had issued six day long ultimatum on May 17 to fulfill the past agreements. Though he had not staged strike at this time concerning over the scheduled local level elections. As per the past agreements reached with Dr. KC, the government should brought the Medical Education Act, slash fees of postgraduate courses in medicine from Rs 3.1 million to Rs 2.1 million, probe the irregularities at Tribhuwan University (TU) with taking action against those involved in the misdeeds, revoke Tribhuvan University decision on medical education, appoint four assistant deans at IOM and a campus chief. The government should have fulfilled its own commitment not only to abide by the agreements reached with Dr. KC but also to improve the qualities in the medical sectors. Interesting fact is that the government has done nothing as per the past agreements but attempted to formulate the policies by breaching the spirits of the past agreements. Dr KC had staged his 10th fast-unto-death from November 13, 2016 forwarding the same demands that the government had agreed to fulfill while ending his earlier hunger strike. His 10th hunger strike was ended on December 4 after a 12-point agreement reached between the government and Dr. KC. As the demands forwarded by Dr. KC like enacting of the Medical Education Act, stopping the issuance of affiliation to the private medical colleges, opening at least a government medical college in each province to end the commercialization and centralizations of the medical education, checking the irregularities in the medical sectors by taking stern action against those who have involved in the fraud, is widely supported from the peoples level, it is likely that the government would make another commitment to end his 11th strike. The government can do nothing to fulfill the demands raised by Dr. KC thanks to the affiliations of the high profile politician and bureaucrats in the commercialization of the medical sector. It is likely that his 11th hunger would be ended with the same style of inking in the agreements as practices since his first strike staged about four years ago. Golez: High tension between China & India: " Face off in the mountains, & new confrontation is growing in the ocean" https://t.co/NvLhbNAyDx A highly explosive situation is emerging in the Himalayas with a weeks long face-off between India and China in the Bhutan area, and now there is increasing tension in the Indian Ocean as well with more Chinese warships being sighted. I quote from this article: 1. "The rivalry between India and China is heating up as the heavyweight economies face territorial tensions on both land and sea." 2. "A fierce border standoff in Bhutan's Doklam region triggered by a Chinese road construction project in a disputed area and a Bhutanese request for Indian help is now entering its second month with soldiers from both sides engaged in skirmishes." 3. "But a new confrontation in the relationship is arising as New Delhi is growing concerned about a Chinese naval presence in its own backyard: the Indian Ocean." 4. "As the [Doklam] crisis stretches on, China is likely to seek ways to pressure India, both on the border and elsewhere, and this will compound the cycle of competition that is already well underway," Shashank Joshi, research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said in a recent note published by the Lowy Institute. 5. Indeed, the recent joint naval drills between the U.S., India and Japan known as the Malabar exercises were widely interpreted as a coordinated response to perceived Chinese expansion in the Indian Ocean. 6. July 11, 2017 - Ships carrying Chinese military personnel depart Zhanjiang for a support base in Djibouti. The establishment of the People's Liberation Army Djibouti base was a decision made by the two countries after friendly negotiations, and accords with the common interest of the people from both sides, according to the PLA navy. 7. China's naval presence in the Indian Ocean expanding: "In the run-up to Malabar, Indian media reported a surge in Chinese naval vessels around the area, noting sightings of 13 to 14 units in two months. Those included Luyang III class destroyers, hydrographic research vessels, an intelligence-gathering ship and a submarine." 8. "Beijing does operate in the area for its "Belt and Road" initiative, an infrastructure program that involves developing port facilities in the Indian Ocean with Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India isn't a member of the initiative and has repeatedly indirectly criticized the program for violating Indian sovereignty". 9. "China's naval presence in the Indian Ocean is showing signs of a qualitative shift," Joshi said, noting the mainland's growing patrols and the July 12 dispatch of Chinese troops to a military base in Djibouti Beijing's first long-term foreign military deployment in almost 60 years. 10. "This Chinese facility is not just a platform from which China can project initially modest power into the western Indian Ocean, but will also justify and support a greater volume and pace of other patrols through the eastern and central Indian Ocean," Joshi added. 11. "New Delhi is certainly paying close attention to those developments, as reflected by the Malabar drills. "With over 20 ships, including two submarines and over 100 aircraft and helicopters involved in complex maneuvers, [India's] strategic messaging to China seemed more than clear," Abhijit Singh, head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at think tank Observer Research Foundation, wrote in a note. "Indian commentators cast Malabar as a strategic precursor to a more proactive sea-denial strategy aimed at challenging People's Liberation Army Navy ships in the Indian Ocean." 12. "The situation draws parallels with Beijing's behavior in a different body of water. The world's second-largest economy has been creating artificial islands in contested sections of the South China Sea. But unlike that international waterway, the Indian Ocean isn't a site of overlapping sovereign rights, meaning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to counter the mainland on his home turf may not be sustainable. Press Release MODERNEa INDIA: COMMUNAL ATTACKS, ARRESTS AND EVICTION OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN NOIDA, UP PUDR investigated the aftermath of July 12, 2017, when Zohra Bibi, a domestic worker in Noidaas Mahagun Moderne, was severely beaten up and later went missing from her employeras flat after allegations of theft were leveled against her. Subsequently, the local police, administration, Resident Welfare Association, as well as the MP and BJP minister Mahesh Sharma have been complicit in unleashing the combined might of the state machinery and the wrath of upper class residents in the violence, detention and deprivation of livelihoods of the protesting workers. On the morning of July 12, Zohra Bibias husband and other domestic workers gathered at Mahagun Moderne to ascertain her whereabouts after she did not return home the previous day. As Zohra was physically dragged to the gates by security guards, exhibiting clear signs of assault, the crowd spontaneously broke into a protest against Zohraas harassment from the residents. Instead of acting on Zohraas FIR against her employers, the police participated in the series of stringent retaliatory actions by the residents against the protestors. Acting on two FIRs lodged by the residents of Mahagun Moderne, the police conducted a midnight raid in the locality and detained 58 persons and arrested 13 on charges of vandalism. Zohraas minor has also need detained without cause, in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act. The workers have further been charged not under rioting, but under S.307, IPC on the claim of attempt to murder, leading to a denial of bail for the 13 arrested workers at the Surajpur District Court. Subsequently, they have been sent to judicial custody in Kasna Jail. News reports clarify that SP Noida, Arun Kumar Singh has reportedly said that no resident of Moderne Society was injured in the mob violence and that none of the FIRs mention any attempts at physical attacks. From July 13 onwards, the RWA started banning the entry of maids into the society, and also blacklisted 143 domestic workers to prevent them from finding employment in other societies in the area. Identifying them as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the residents also petitioned the Noida authority against the aencroachmentsa of the workersa shops and houses- bare shanties with no potable water or electricity. This, despite the fact that the workers are from West Bengalas Cooch Bihar, Malda and Jalpaiguri, and have valid voter IDs and Aadhar cards. Showing uncharacteristic promptness, on July 17, the Noida authority demolished three dozen such shops in pouring rain and without prior notice while they were all away at work in the morning. Such communal charges are not new as several slum demolitions have been carried out in Delhi after charges of aBangladeshia were made against Bengali Muslim migrants, such as in Yamuna Pushta in 2000, or even earlier, in 1981 in New Seemapuri. The unceasing retaliation by the residents of Mahagun Moderne in complicity with the state has destroyed the workersa livelihoods, caused their arrest on false charges, and has created an atmosphere of terror. These actions must be understood against a persisting context of the exploitation and harassment of domestic workers. Zohra Bibias troubles began when she asked for her back wages and was instead accused of theft. Exploitation and withholding of pay is a common strategy that employers deploy as there are no laws that protect the rights of domestic workers. The National Policy for Domestic Workers which proposes a minimum wage of 9000/-, compulsory leave for fifteen days, maternity leave, right to education and safe environment, is only a draft policy, as of now. According to official data, there are four million domestic workers across the country who live at the mercy of their employers and harassments begin even before they start work as they are expected to undergo police verification to confirm their credibility. In gated communities, such workers are further frisked by security guards to confirm that they are not thieves. Across homes, domestic workers are not allowed to use elevators meant for residents, use the toilets or utensils on account of casteist notions of purity and pollution. Over 600 workers reportedly work at Mahagun Moderne and, following the July incidents, residents are demanding fresh verifications and tighter security tests. Significantly, in 2014, the Ministry of Women and Child Development released country-wide data regarding violence against domestic workers. There were 3564 cases reported in 2012 as against 3517 similar cases in 2011 (http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=103336). Such data only form the tip of the proverbial iceberg as large cases of violence and harassment go unreported. In the absence of any law, domestic workers cannot approach the labour court in case of dispute as, technically, they are not defined as aworkersa. Today, the pattern of blacklisting workers is meant to increases the fears and vulnerabilities of domestic workers in a bid to make them docile. The real issue is that the workers have no right to protest, express their anger or demand their rights without facing attacks from Moderne India. We demand: 1) Immediate action be taken on Zohras FIR against the residents of Mahagun Moderne. 2) The police should return Zohras prescription, given to her after her medical examination. 3) All those detained and arrested be granted bail and released immediately. 4) Charges levied on the protesting workers under S.307, IPC on attempt to murder be revoked. 5) The ablacklista of domestic workers be withdrawn. 6) All domestic workers at Mahagun Moderne, including Zohra, be paid their back wages as well as current wages withheld since they were blacklisted. 7) Compensation be paid to all families whose shops were demolished. Anushka Singh and Cijo Joy (secretaries) 24-07-2017 scroll.in - 23 June 2017 Ironically, to be patriotic, one needs to often dissociate with their land that was once shared with India. The shrine of peacocks. Image credit: Iqbal Qaiser At the entrance of a shrine stood a plaque with the purported story of its patron saint. aHe is a martyr and martyrs never die,a it said. aHe laid down his life helping the Muslims of this region against the Hindu Marathas. And now, even the birds from heaven come to the shrine to pay homage to the holy martyr.a There was no mention of any time period, or the context of the conflict that took the purported saintas life. But none was required. Decades of state propaganda had laid the ground for statement of a Muslim being martyred at the hands of Hindus to be accepted as fact. Several devotees, a few locals and many tourists entered the shrine and paid their respects to the elaborately decorated grave, with a green shawl containing verses of the Quran, a few garlands and a turban on one side. Moron wali Sarkar, or the saint of the peacocks, is a fairly well-known shrine in Pakistanas Punjab. It is located in Kallar Kahar, a town which has in the past two decades become quite popular with the tourists because of the motorway connecting Islamabad to Lahore that passes through it. Located on top of a small mound, the open courtyard of the shrine provided a panoramic view of the surroundings a the lake, Kallar Kahar and the M2 Motorway a few kilometers away. Little hillocks dominated the landscape as far as the eye could see. Photo: Iqbal Qaiser A middle-aged man sat at entrance, making sure devotees maintain decorum. aCover you head before entering the shrine,a he said to a woman. I asked him how he was attached to the shrine. aI have been appointed by the Auqaf department [a state department] as their representative at the shrine for the past few years, but I am a resident of this town, so my association with the shrine goes a long way back,a he said. Keeping control Established in 1959 by the first military dictator, Ayub Khan, the Auqaf department looks after the affairs of prominent mosques and shrines around the country, even collecting revenue on their behalf. It is claimed the dictator set up this department to weaken the authority of the heads of Sufi shrines, most of whom still are prominent feudal lords and have immense political influence. Moreover, Sufism, with its multi-cultural influences, syncretic nature, mysticism and celebration of music and dance was viewed as a threat to a more purtanical Islam that the State was aligning with. The official charter of the department drafted by Javed Iqbal, the son of politician-poet Allama Iqbal, claims its agenda is to discredit the asuperstitiousa beliefs of these shrines and reinterpret them in a amodernista light. In practice this, translates into aligning the diverse religious traditions of these distinct shrines with the stateas interpretation of the official religion of Islam. In the six decades of its existence, the department has managed to succeed at this to some extent. In certain shrines, such as Data Darbar in Lahore, dedicated to a sufi saint, it has managed to alter its religious traditions to align it with the purported mainstream. But in other cases, such as at the shrine of Madho Lal Hussain a dedicated to mystic Shah Hussein and his disciple and lover, Madho Lal a also in Lahore, the department has failed to rid it off non-Islamic influences. Sufi shrines located in smaller towns and villages, far away from Pakistanas political centres of Lahore and Islamabad have also largely managed to retain their distinct nature. Creature care A little over a year ago, I wrote about a shrine in a small town, about 80-odd km from Lahore, which holds dogs sacred. Dogs were allowed to roam the premises of the shrine devoted to Peer Abbas, a saint who loved the animal that is otherwise looked down on in Islam. The dogs were offered meat to seek the saintas blessings. One reason why such an idiosyncratic practice has survived for such a long time is because it is in a small town, away from the Stateas glare. But the same was not the case with a similar shrine in Lahore, where cats were revered because of their association with its patron saint, in Lahore. Over the years, the cats that lent the shrine its name, Billiyon wali sarkar, have been driven out. After the horrendous attack on the Shah Noorani shrine in Baluchistan on November 12, where more than 52 devotees as a bomb exploded while they were performing the dhamal a a whirling dance that puts devotees in a trance of sorts a I wrote about how, even in the eyes of the State, several practices at Sufi shrines are seen with disdain because of their pre-Islamic and diverse religious influences. It is this ideological position that also leads Sunni extremist organisations to bomb Sufi shrines. Wiping the past It is this disdain for diverse religious influences that have also led to the rewriting of the history of these shrines. Coming back to the Moron wali Sarkar, I first heard about the shrine while I was looking out for animistic cults within the Sufi culture, as part of research for my book In Search of Shiva. A number of people told about the shrine at Kallar Kahar, where peacocks roam freely and are revered by the locals and devotees. However on my visit to the shrine, I found no peacocks in the courtyard. I was told tourists often chase the birds away and so peacocks now only visit at sunrise and sunset, when there are just a handful of people at the shrine. aFor the locals the birds are sacred,a said the Auqaf appointed official. aA few devotees would also bring food offerings for these birds. But the tourists donat show the same kind of respect.a Surrounded by a jungle known to have many wild peacocks, this shrine is likely to have derived its name from its geographical surroundings. This was an essential characteristic of pre-colonial Islamic and Hindu shrines, whose sacredness reflected their geography. For example next to the banks of Indus, the lifeline of Sindh, the cult of Udero Lal, the river god, emerged. In Sufi Islamic tradition, sacred shrines developed around ancient trees that have been worshiped in this part of the world since time immemorial. Because of their abundance in the region, peacocks may have held a special place for locals in this region, which found expression in this shrine. However, the state-appointed overseer of the shrine had a different explanation. aThese peacocks were brought here by the saint who came here from Baghdad,a he said. aThe muster of peacocks is the progeny of the original muster brought by the saint.a This has been one of the biggest dilemmas of the Pakistani Stateas interpretation of religion and national identity. Given the immense emphasis on distinguishing themselves from Hindus, it has been hard to reconcile the ancestral heritage of a majority of the population. Therefore, history is often reinterpreted and several castes claim Arab, Persian or Afghan ancestry insteading of acknowledging their Indian roots. This was also the attitude adopted by the State when it took charge of the syncretic Sufi shrines. Somehow, to identify as aPakistania , people and places had to dissociate with the land (that was once shared with India) its geography, and its history. Several such shrines, with their idiosyncratic traditions that were rooted deeply in the land surrounding them had to shed their geographical context to fit this new framework sanctioned by the State. In order to belong in the new State, it became essential to dissociate with their land. Haroon Khalid is the author of three books: Walking with Nanak, In Search of Shiva and A White Trail After 17 days of Relay Fast at 21 Places in Narmada Valley, Sardar Sarovar affected with Activist Medha Patkar to go on Indefinite Mass Fast from July 27th, 2017 on the Narmada River Bank In protest & to prevent barbaric violence in the name of development Huge rainfall creates a havoc in Gujarat Neither does the Gujarat need water, nor does Madhya Pradesh need power! Sardar Sarovar is a need of vested interest politics! Destruction of prime agriculture, nature and climate not acceptable Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | July 25, 2017 : Sardar Sarovar Project initially pushed in the name of the drought affected in Gujarat. It is obvious; it was being pushed for the corporates & in the interest of the electoral politics. Without completing just rehabilitation of thousands of families in Madhya Pradesh the Government of Madhya Pradesh with the centreas blessings is all ready to forcibly evict & throw the families with the children & aged, out in the tin sheds of 180 sq. feet which canat even accommodate their belongings, why talk of persons & cattle. Yesterday, the police force brought in for this operation carried out a mock drill in Badwani & continued with its intimidation tactics towards vacating the villages. No doubt the political parties including Congress, JD (U), Left Front, AAP through their elected representatives and office bearers, have taken cognizance of & supported the peopleas struggle by raising their voice at the democratic forum of Madhya Pradesh assembly & the parliament, They have endorsed the peopleas demands for rights & opposed submergence as well as eviction without rehabilitation. However the Shivraj Singh government seems to be determined to use force & violent measures. The time schedule with a plan to raise the water level by few metres every ten to twenty days is another conspiracy like a slow poisoning to kill the communities. Against such violence, the 32 years old nonviolent movement of the people in Narmada has to be necessarily taken to the peak. Narmada Bachao Andolan will initiate an Indefinite Mass Fast from July 27th, on the bank of the River Narmada. As per the Madhya Pradesh Government notification (dated 25.5.2017), 18386 families of villages will have to vacate their house and the village while the lists therein have a number of flaws such as the families who have left decades ago or the others who were removed on the grounds of reduced back water level and related exclusion of theirs, are also included & directed to leave by 31.7.2017. On the other hand, many families those have been residing since generations & are to be surely affected, are left out! The reality is that 192 villages & one township inhabit about 40,000 families which can be affected at the dam height of 138.68 metres with the highest flood. With not a drop of water being available to Madhya Pradesh from Sardar Sarovar, itas shocking to see that the state does not hesitate to sacrifice its living communities. It has already promoted the false affidavits and shamelessly declared the project across the world as a symbol of development. The grand reality as on today is such as the state of Gujarat, not completing the micro canal network, has diverted the canal waters to the corporates such as Coca Cola & Car industry even in the name of the drought affected. This year when the Narmada Waters reached Saurashtra, what a coincidence that the heavy rains (about 22 inchs in 2 to 3 days) have led to flooding of dams which were to be filled with Narmada & some even overflowed. The army had to be called & at least 5000 people had to vacate first in Gujarat before the Valley. This has happened once every few years and raises a question regarding whether Gujarat can or cannot have decentralized water management, and avoid such a huge destruction? Madhya Pradesh too would accept that it doesnat require any more power since its own power projects, such as the Bargi Power Plant closed & kept idle as closed. Why canat then both the states, not having any urgency take a decision to defer impoundment until the R&R is complete. The Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh, it is clear & obvious, is not for any dialogue with us who can bring into the debate, data & documents that can prove as well as challenge. Avoiding any discussion on the inadequacies, he has had a few dialogues till yesterday only with his party & Parivar colleagues. The groups he talked to included the middlemen who have looted the poor oustees for lakhs, which established the nexus that support the corruption & why there was no action even after 7 years long enquiry by Justice Jha Commission. Today, Modi Government has totally ignored the social and environmental issues, so serious & detrimental, at the dam height of 138.68 metres, the Government of Madhya Pradesh seems to be ready to sacrifice the lives & rights of lakhs of people with police force & water floods. The state has not only misinterpreted the order of the Apex Court dated 8.2.2017 but has also left hundreds of farmers / landholders deprived of the package granted by the Supreme Court. Instead of constructing all civic amenities at the R&R sites & create a situation conducive to shifting of the oustees to the sites, the state is focusing on erecting temporary structures, the tin sheds, spending crores of rupees where there is no permanent facility for either drinking water or water availability for building houses, the government is to make food camps with contractors to feed 20 thousand people at each, at the cost of 66 rupees per person per day. In the place of permanent road to be constructed, it is spreading fine crushed stones on the mudroads. The plan is to force various categories of landless, artisans to doctors to the rented houses, if nor the tin sheds, pushing them out & killing the living communities by drowning. The Chief Minister, who merely expresses sympathy with the oustees, is certainly not for resolution of conflict, but for war! The Prime Minister still performing as a former Chief Minister of Gujarat, is insisting the CMs of 12 BJP ruled in the August 12th & perform an Aarti with 2000 Sadhus coming from Varanasi. Such a perverted depiction of Development politics is unbearable. The judiciary too canat accept violent ways to progress nor should it accept the claims of ideal rehabilitation without full assessment. We canat let go the brutal lynching of tolling masses, the village communities, agriculture, natural ecosystem & the culturally rich region, the oldest of the civilization that is of Narmada. Itas in this context that after waging a nonviolent battle with Peopleas Power over 32 years, we are taking to a path of indefinite fast challenging ourselves, appealing to the sensitive citizens in our own society & expecting that a better sense will prevail amongst the ruling politicians. We will stay out on the banks of Narmada & continue to fight. Kamla Yadav, Bhagirath Dhangar, Dr. Sunilam Contact: 9179617513 Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. " " This deep-sea hydrothermal vent octopus was discovered 2,394 meters below sea level (nearly a mile and a half down) near Antarctica in 2012. NOAA A lot of people are pretty sure that we've discovered everything there is to discover. Oh sure, there are probably some bacteria we haven't classified yet, but as far as large animals and land masses, there isn't too much left to explore. Not so, say scientists, who in recent years, have discovered new species all over the world mainly smaller mammals, fish, insects and microbes. But does that mean larger animals we've never seen are still out there, too? That's exactly what Matt Frederick, Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown discuss in this episode of Stuff They Don't Want You to Know. Advertisement There are an estimated 8.7 million classified species in the world, and scientists figure that there are 5 million left to be described. Add microbes and bacteria to that number and it jumps to 1 trillion. A number of them have been discovered recently, including a small primate in Africa called the pygmy galago; an enormous spider guaranteed to give you nightmares; and scores of fish and other sea creatures. But so many are still left to be found, it's hard to imagine none of them are large mammals. Could just one of them be a cryptid like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster? Maybe so. Of course, you won't find either of those or any other undiscovered species in your backyard. More than likely, they'll be found in habitats that are difficult for human scientists to explore like caves where species flourish under extreme conditions. Movile Cave in Romania, for instance, housed many previously unknowns, and is referred to as a "poison cave" because of its lack of oxygen and high density of dangerous gases like hydrogen and sulfide. The conditions explain why it took so long to find out about the species calling this place home. Other unwelcoming habitats include the massive teeming biome of the Amazon rainforest, where discoveries of new species including plants, insects and mammals are made every day. Thermal vents under Antarctica have yielded "lost worlds" of new animals; the Himalayan mountains, as well, have led us to exciting new classifications. And deserts, what seem to be the most inhabitable of all climates, have also given us new creatures to study, including ant-like bees and the Mongolian death worm. But almost everyone agrees that if there is a large animal out there we've never seen before, it's bound to be in that most mysterious biome of all: the ocean. The ocean is as mysterious a place to us as space. Fathoms deep, teeming with life and hard to explore, the ocean has yet to give up all its secrets; scientists estimate that two-thirds of marine life has yet to be discovered. And with the rates of extinction, many species are winking out before we have a chance to study them. Tune into the podcast to hear Matt's, Ben's and Noel's thoughts on whether we'll ever know exactly what we're sharing this world with. Taiwanese filmmaker Giddens Ko returns to high school for his follow up to the massively entertaining and successful You Are the Apple of My Eye, but things take a much darker turn in Mon Mon Mon Monsters, a mile-a-minute horror-comedy combo that delights and shocks in equal measure. Lin is mercilessly bullied by all his classmates in high school while his callous homeroom teacher looks on, happy to add to his misery. After a session of community service helping the elderly, he finds himself bonding with his worst bullies when they capture a flesh-eating monster. The group relentlessly torture the creature while its older sister tries to track it down. Lin grapples with his desire to help to poor beast and his newfound social rank among his peers. Immediately reminding us of his flair for the cinematic, Ko opens the film with a series of mood-building shots that begin in a ramshackle store, continue with a hirsute homeless man and end with the introduction of the antagonists (or are they?) deep underground. Yet, the violence in the opening feels nowhere near as jarring as what will come, first with the cruelty seen in the classroom and then the torture scenes around an abandoned pool. The captured monster may be older than its appears, but it looks and behaves like an elementary school girl, which makes the violence visited upon her hard to watch. The youths, particularly the psychotic bully leader Ren-hae, are nasty to each other and violently disrespectful to the elderly, but if Ko is trying to make a point about the disaffection of modern youth, it quickly becomes lost beneath stylized brutality. When the other monster begins to close in, the body count ramps up considerably, but the over-the-top gore is more cartoonish and thus easier to swallow. It's also a heck of a lot of fun, and seems to pay tribute to the mountains of high school student corpses found in modern Japanese cinema (one bus scene calls to mind the memorable opening of a recent Sono Sion film). By glossing over a few threads and characters, the film doesn't quite stick the landing but Ko gets the last laugh with an excellent coda that manages to raise the stakes of an already horrifying scenario. Mon Mon Mon Monsters is a wacky and frequently entertaining high school horror-comedy that has just the right balance of novel and familiar elements. At the helm, Ko presents himself once more as an ace stylist as he taps a fantastically deep well of imagination. On the other hand, it also displays a disturbing knack for cruelty that won't sit well with some viewers, who may also find it hard to latch on emotionally due to a lack of sympathetic characters. Our friends at Parade Deck Films were patiently waiting for me to return from Fantasia this past weekend so I could share their announcement of the release of Gavin Michael Booth's 2014 horror flick The Scarehouse on Blu-ray in North America. The Scarehouse on BluRay The Scarehouse; a film shot entirely inside a working Haunted House attraction, is now available in North American on BluRay via Amazon. The Scarehouse was Best Feature at the New York City Film Festival and has enjoyed limited theatrical in various international markets. The Blu-ray features never before scene features and a commentary track. To celebrate the release, a bonus feature is being released. This Clapboard Remix is a unique behind the scenes look at the film featuring almost every single clapboard slate from the films production. Set to a remix of composer Adrian Ellis synth based score; the famous movie set clapboard sound has been mixed into the track Enter If You Dare Clapboard Remix Written and directed by Gavin Michael Booth, The Scarehouse tells the story of what happens two years after a tragic accident, when six college girls are invited to a party inside an elaborate Halloween funhouse. Once inside, the girls realize their hosts' intentions are not all fun and games. The Scarehouse features a Canadian cast of actors including Sarah Booth (American Horror Story, Law & Order SVU), Katherine Barrell (Wynonna Earp), Kimberly-Sue Murray (Crimson Peak), Teagan Vincze, Ivana Stojanovic and Jennifer Miller. "Nine Lessons About Criminal Justice Reform: What Washington can learn from the states" | Main | "Could Lyin' Ted replace 'beleagured' Jeff? Trump is 'openly considering removing Attorney General Sessions and could replace him with former enemy Cruz" July 24, 2017 Distinct approaches to the opioid epidemic Earlier this month, Kathleen Sebelius and Tommy Thompson, who served as U.S. Secretaries of Health and Human Services under the last two Presidents, penned this Hill commentary headlined "5 big ideas to halt America's opioid epidemic." Here are the five big ideas as these HHS Secretaries presented them: "Expand access to treatment through insurance...; Rein in overprescription of opioid pain relievers...; Treat opioid addiction as a public health problem...; Stop drug overdose deaths with this solution...; Learn how to treat pain with minimal side effects." But as the headline of this New York Times article reports, some prosecutors in the New York region have been pursuing a much different big idea: "New Tactic in War on Opioids: Charging Dealers in Overdose Deaths." Here is an excerpt from the piece: As heroin and its synthetic cousin, fentanyl, send more and more victims to the morgue, prosecutors are leaping into largely uncharted legal terrain, as they tried in the 1970s, to fight the scourge. The second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges filed against Mr. Cummings follow similar strategies used recently by prosecutors in upstate New York and on Long Island. They also mirror a case brought three years ago by the citys special narcotics prosecutor, Bridget G. Brennan, against a pain management doctor, Stan Xuhui Li, who was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. Convicting a physician of recklessly causing the death of his patients is a leap beyond proving a drug dealer did the same to a customer, but they reflect the same approach: prosecutors mixing current laws with new investigative tools to fight back against the rising tide of opioid-related deaths. The Richmond County district attorney, Michael E. McMahon, has applied such tactics in more than 240 overdose cases.... Around the city, a more common path for such cases has been through federal courts. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have brought 13 cases over the last four years charging people with distribution of drugs causing death, a statute that carries a 20-year minimum sentence. A bill in Albany, dubbed Larees Law, to create a homicide charge in state cases, has languished in the Assembly. In all cases, the authorities said they sought the most punitive sanctions, which has led to a focus on tying narcotics rings to violence, particularly in gang takedowns. July 24, 2017 at 05:36 PM | Permalink Comments I do not know the facts of the prosecution of the pain management doctor. Assume he deviated from professional standards of due care. He may be sued for malpractice. To be prosecuted, 1) he would have had to intentionally tried to kill the patient; 2) if the patient had any non-prescribed substance on toxicology evaluation, that would have ended the case; 3) if the patient overdosed by accident or by intention, that intentional act would have broken the chain of causation to the death. I deride the lawyer idea of chain of causation, as so 1275 AD. However, that is how the law is; 4) lastly, say the doctor had been totally guilty, I would seek dismissal of the case on policy grounds. The prosecution would deter doctors from treating millions of pain patients. Such deterrence would be a crime against humanity, the agonizing and prolonged torture on a mass scale of millions of people. It would be a catastrophe for the economy, as millions of people in pain would have to stay home, and not go to work anymore. Posted by: David Behar | Jul 24, 2017 7:23:25 PM Yet more evidence that social liberals and social conservatives both love to beat the meat. They simply disagree on which part of the beaten body provides the most pleasure. Conservatives the skull, liberals somewhat lower. Posted by: Daniel | Jul 24, 2017 7:30:29 PM As unlikely as it may seem, I agree with Supremacy Claus. I am currently representing a client charged with Second Degree Murder due to a death caused by opioid overdose. His crime? He and an adult drug addict texted each other and met at a bar. After a few drinks, they went to a house and shared alcohol and pills, Opana and Xanax. girls's blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. The female, who was on probation for drug use, crushed a pill herself, put it on a dollar bill and snorted it. She overdosed and died. Defendant was charged under NC law providing for Second Degree Murder for a death caused by "the unlawful distribution" of opium" What does "distribution" mean? I think it means something other than two adults sharing drugs. I have filed a motion to dismiss due to vagueness. (and yes, SC, last month the Judge approved funds for me to hire a toxicology expert) bruce Posted by: bruce cunningham | Jul 24, 2017 10:16:16 PM Prosecute the execs at big Pharma for promoting the opiods; and the doctors who take their perks for over prescribing--hooking the patients and turning them into drug zombies. Posted by: anon1 | Jul 24, 2017 10:27:09 PM Bruce. Can you ask Doug for my email? Scan and send me your expert reports and the indictment. I will look at them for free. When the defense goes to work to defend the innocent, I support that as an essential service to the rule of law. I want to see that happen 10 times more than today. Did the addict have a doctor patient relationship, I will be asking you? "Defendant was charged under NC law providing for Second Degree Murder for a death caused by "the unlawful distribution" of opium"" That means, that a used car saslesman could be charged for distributing a non-defective car from his lot, for a death caused by the car. A gun store owner could be charged with murder if an irresponsible parent allows a kid to hold it and kill his playmate. The intentional act of the deceased was the proximate cause of the death. It broke the chain of causation. Posted by: David Behar | Jul 24, 2017 11:19:12 PM Anon1. Before you spout false left wing propaganda, let's break your knee. Let's offer you Tylenol. Then you may speak. Surgeon at a party. Intravenous Tylenol after an operation is as effective as intravenous opiates in controlling post-surgical pain. (If we made IV Tylenol available, would the DEA classify Tylenol as a controlled substance? I am now in the beginning of a conflict with the DEA. Will keep you posted about the drama, even if in prison, but not if shot dead.) Posted by: David Behar | Jul 24, 2017 11:25:15 PM Post a comment 18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez was allegedly intoxicated and live-streaming a Friday evening car ride to her over 7,000 followers when she reportedly lost control of the car and crashed. According to BuzzFeed and numerous other media sources, Sanchez was driving in Los Banos, California with her 14-year-old sister Jacqueline Sanchez Estrada and a 14-year-old friend. Sanchez was singing along to the music and moving her phone around the capture the car ride when she began to drift off the road, over-corrected, crashed through a barbed-wire fence, and flipped the car into a field. Neither 14-year-old was wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected from the car. Jacqueline died and the other passenger sustained major injuries to her leg but is expected to survive. Immediately following the accident, a bloodied Sanchez continued to live-stream the accident, including showing followers her dying or dead sister, saying: "I fucking love my sister to death. I don't give a fuck. We about to die. This is the last thing I wanted to happen to us but it just did. Jacqueline, please wake up. This is the last thing I wanted to happen... I killed my sister, but I don't care. I killed my sister. I know I'm going to prison, but I don't care. I'm sorry, baby. I'ma hold it down.... rest in peace, sweetie." Warning: Graphic NSFW content: According to a GoFundMe page posted to raise money for funeral expenses, the girls were running errands for Estrada's upcoming quinceanera, scheduled for this past Sunday. ABC30 reports the teens were returning from a trip to Fresno. "Friend of a friend" Mary Hernandez recorded the video from Sanchez's Instagram Stories before it could disappear. "So many people kept saying 'What video? I wanna see it,'" explained Hernandez to BuzzFeed regarding why she posted the video to her social media accounts. "At first I was skeptical, but the more people reached out to me, then her cousin confirmed it was her. It's just so insane to believe that happened to girls from my city. It is for sure an eye-opener. I see people on their phones on social media all the time. I think this video can get a lot of people to think twice about using their phones while driving now." Hernandez went on to say, "No one wanted to believe it, it was so crazy how desensitized and careless she seemed about someone as close to her as her sister. Who in the right mind continues to record?" Sanchez was arrested on felony charges of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and has been booked into Merced County Jail. "They were very uncooperative after the arrest and [Sanchez] was screaming about her sister," California Highway Patrol Sergeant Darin Heredia told BuzzFeed. According to the Daily Mail, authorities are investigating whether or not the video is authentic and if the filming contributed to the crash. Related: Family Sues Apple Alleging FaceTime Caused Deadly Crash Its been years since we last heard any news in the (still ongoing!) saga of Jahi McMath, who was pronounced brain dead at the age of 13 after a routine tonsil surgery in 2013 went terribly wrong at Oakland Children's Hospital. Jahis family refused to believe the diagnosis and has kept her on life support in an undisclosed location in New Jersey ever since, occasionally posting videos of their daughter who has become a something of a rallying cry to the pro-life movement. Her pulse is still beating, though medical experts have insisted she remains brain dead. But the family now has the support of a new medical opinion from UCLA pediatrics and professor Dr. Alan Shewmon, who has submitted a sworn medical opinion that Jahi McMath is still alive though his opinion is based on YouTube videos. Medical diagnosis via YouTube video strikes me as a little unreliable, but hey, this guys got a PhD in pediatrics and neurology, and I dont. "The video recordings, as crude and unsystematic as they are, represent the only way at present to decide whether Jahi is permanently comatose or in a minimally conscious state with intermittent responsiveness," Shewmon wrote in a sworn declaration to Alameda County Superior Court. There is a very strong correspondence between between the body part requested, and the next body part that moves, Shewmon also said. This cannot reasonably be explained by chance. Dr. Shewman has personally visited Jahi in New Jersey which is the only state that allows a family to reject a diagnosis of brain death on religious grounds though he has not personally observed any of her movements. Shewman also maintains that Jahi has started puberty and menstruated. It is no small matter that there is a significant financial difference in how much money the family is entitled to if Jahi is legally reclassified as alive. Wrongful death lawsuit awards in California are capped at $250,000. But wrongful injury awards have no limit, as courts can order medical costs to be paid indefinitely. A cynic could argue the family is chasing a larger settlement, but the legal and medical implications are enormously significant. Everybody, even the plaintiffs, agrees that Jahi was [brain] dead in December 2013, law professor Thaddeus Pope told the Chronicle. What her family is saying is that she is not dead now. That is significant because there has never been a case ever in human history where somebody was correctly declared dead and had it rescinded later. Related: Family Of Woman Killed By Toxic Tea Sues Chinatown Herbalist For Wrongful Death A man who was engaged in an argument with a driver was rushed to the hospital Monday, after the driver ended the argument by striking his or her opponent. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the hit-and-run occurred at 6:53 a.m. Monday, near the intersection of Selby and Galvez Streets. Police say that the victim, a 44-year-old man, was arguing with the driver of a van, details of whom police say are "unknown." Over the course of the disagreement, the victim stepped in front of the van. This is apparently what the driver was waiting for, as he or she then "ran him over," police say. The driver then fled the scene. Police say that the victim was transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect remains at large, police say, and no arrests have been made in the case. "He'd steal the glasses from your face" is a phrase my late grandmother used to employ describe some especially unpleasant residents of her hardscrabble Wyoming town. But now I have a chance to use Grandma's words in the literal sense, to tell you about a crime that went down in San Francisco on Monday afternoon. Police say that the spectacle spectacle went down at 4:59 p.m. Monday, at the intersection of Fifth and Mission Streets (for a handy landmark, this is the intersection at which the SF Chronicle, the old SF Mint, and the Metreon parking garage meet). According to the San Francisco Police Department, a 50-year-old woman was standing on the sidewalk when a man who appeared to be in his 60s walked up to her and "pulled [the] glasses off her face, and fled," purloined specs in hand. The victim wasn't injured in the assault, police say. The suspect remains at large as of publication time, and the SFPD confirms that no arrests have been made in the case. Over the weekend we learned of a West Oakland man who attempted to join ISIS, and was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly creating social media accounts for the terrorist organization and meeting with undercover agents to plot an attack. Now prosecutors have released audio and text messages from the suspect, 22-year-old Amer Sinan Al Haggagi, that they say show he was planning several attacks here in the Bay Area some of which hit close to home in more ways than one. According to KQED, Al Haggagi is alleged to have planned to set brush fires in the Berkeley Hills, sell cocaine laced with strychnine in SF clubs, and plot Pulse nightclub-style attacks in which hed intended to plant packs of explosives at local gay bars. I live close to San Francisco. Thats like the gay capitol [sic] of the world. Im going to handle them right. LOL, Al Haggagi allegedly to texted to an undercover federal agent, thinking he was communicating with domestic ISIS terrorists. Im going to place a bomb in a gay club. Im going to tear up the city. The whole Bay Area is going to be up in flames. My ideas are genius. LMAO. Al Haggagi originally caught the attention of federal agents with the far less drastic crime of stealing $5,000 in clothing via credit card fraud. But prosecutors say the fraud and the terrorism are linked, as Al Haggagi allegedly told FBI agents he had the means to make the cards and checks, and that Im trying to make bombs. Im going to need funds. He wanted to plan to start a huge fire in an area near where he lived and he specifically mentioned the Berkeley hills as a potential target, assistant U.S. attorney Waqar Hasib said at recently revealed hearing in December. That was our first indication that we were dealing with someone in the Bay Area. Al Haggagi is also alleged to have planned to sell cocaine laced with the rodent poison strychnine, and had applied to work at the Oakland Police Department with the goal of stealing their weapons. His defenders argue that the then-21-year-old Al Haggagi was just being a deplorable teen with a big mouth, and had no concrete intention of ever doing any of this. There is a bit of a disconnect between Mr. Al Haggagis words and his actions, his previous attorney Hanni Fakhoury said in recently disclosed court arguments. Fakhoury did not dispute the validity of the messages, but referred to them as simply very stupid and very inappropriate and very disturbing puffery. Al Haggagis current attorney Mary McNamara also points out that her client dropped all communications with the undercover agents, and months passed without him following through on any of these plans. What is clear from that hearing is that Mr. Al Haggagi ran away when he believed that things had gone beyond talk with the undercover agent, she told KQED. Mr. Al Haggagi never re-engaged with him and never took any steps to commit any violent act. Unlike most of the cases charged under this statute, Mr. Al Haggagi is not radicalized, is not a supporter of ISIS or any terrorist network. He is a peaceful, sociable and well-liked person. He is also young and naive. It appears that he allowed himself to be drawn into conversations that he should have been far more suspicious of. Related: ISIS Throws Some Footage Of San Francisco And Las Vegas In New Threat Video One of the first trans women in the US to receive sexual reassignment surgery, and a performer known for small roles in film and television as well as her spot-on Marilyn Monroe impression at North Beach drag club Finocchio's, Aleshia Brevard, has died at age 79 at her home in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County. The cause, according to a longtime friend, was pulmonary fibrosis. Though she never embraced the term "transgender" and spent years successfully passing as a cisgender female including with several allegedly unsuspecting husbands Ms. Brevard was nonetheless a pioneer who from an early age lived life exactly as she wanted to, as a glamorous woman and star of the stage. Born Alfred Brevard Buddy Crenshaw in 1937 in Johnson City, Tennessee, Ms. Brevard enrolled in but soon dropped out of Middle Tennessee State University, as her SF Chronicle obituary explains. She headed first to Los Angeles, where she studied to become an instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studios but within a couple of years she relocated to San Francisco and reinvented herself as drag star Lee Shaw, impersonating Monroe at nightly shows at famed female impersonation nightclub Finocchio's some photos of her in those days are in our gallery. "I grew up balancing a Modern Screen Magazine on my bony knee and dreaming of becoming the silver screens next bombshell," Brevard wrote on her website, which documents the course of her career from drag star to glamorous bit player in Hollywood. She would receive gender reassignment surgery in 1962, and she got what she thought would be her big break in supporting role in a 1969 Don Knotts vehicle called The Love God?, which turned out to be a flop. She appeared in several movies under the name A'leshia Lee, including 1971's The Female Bunch and 1981's Smokey & the Judge. She would also end up making 36 television appearances on shows like The Partridge Family, The Dean Martin Show, and Rod Sterling's Night Gallery. Ultimately, though, she would return to Middle Tennessee State University to earn a master's degree in theater arts and become a teacher there, as well as get married four times, twice to the same man. Her longtime friend and landlord Joyce Nordquist, whom she met in LA when they were both barely 20, would later invite her to come live in Scotts Valley, where she had been since the 1990s. Nordquist described their cruise ship trips together thusly, "She would sleep late, spend the afternoon doing makeup and her outfits and be ready for the evening. She always looked gorgeous. That was very important to her." Nordquist also suggests to the Chronicle that many of the men Brevard was with over the years never knew Brevard was trans. "She was trying simply to live as a woman even to the point of being married to men who never knew her background. I guess they will be surprised when they find out." It wouldn't be until she published her first of two memoirs in 2001, The Woman I Was Not Born to Be: A Transsexual Journal, that she would embrace her trans identity and tell her full story. A second book that picked up her life in 1982 was published in 2010 and titled The Woman I was Born To Be, and in it she also tells the story of two of her early "sisters" in transition, Charlotte McLeod and Kathy Taylor, with McLeod only the second trans woman to get gender reassignment surgery in the world after Danish woman Christine Jorgensen. "For me Finocchios offered the first sense of true acceptance I had ever known," she wrote. "As Lee Shaw, drag diva, I was notable and nothing was demanded except that I look incredible and have a modicum of talent. As the blond ingenue of the San Francisco nightspot I was almost complete." She continued to assert her desire to assimilate well into her 70s. In a 2013 interview quoted on her Wikipedia page, Brevard said, "Professionally, both as a film/stage actress and, later, as a university professor of theatre, my life was lived outside the [trans]gender community." She added, "For me, as well as for my early sisters, the goal was never to live with a 'T' before our names. Our objective was to blend so thoroughly that the things mixed could not be recognized. It was a choice, made not because we felt any shame about our transsexual history, but because our goal had always been to live fully as the women wed been born to be." In the video interview below, published to YouTube in 2015, Brevard talks about her childhood in Tennessee and learning sexual lessons at too early an age after her dad sent her off to play with some older boys. DENISON, Iowa | Luis Navar on Monday spoke with friends about the tragedy in San Antonio, where 10 people, presumably being smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. died while locked in a broiling tractor-trailer. "It's terrible," said Navar, 47. "It makes me very sad. I can't believe it's been so many years and it's still happening." Navar came to the U.S. illegally as a 15-year-old, stowed away on a train. He tried unsuccessfully to get into the U.S. before,having boarded a train at least a half-dozen times. I met Navar in 2010 when "Train to Nowhere: Inside an Immigrant Death Investigation" debuted at the Donna Reed Theatre in downtown Denison. The program, which aired on Iowa Public Television, followed the path 11 residents of Central America and Mexico took in coming to the U.S. in 2002. Their lives likely ended on a steamy night in June as their box car rolled north beyond Brownsville, Texas, their point of entry after leaving Matamoros, Mexico. The Union Pacific hopper, which had no grain, ended up in Oklahoma, where it sat idle for four months before being pulled north to Denison, where on Oct. 14, 2002, an employee at a grain elevator opened the unit for a routine inspection that became anything but routine. The gruesome discovery trained a national spotlight on Denison for a short time, as is happening this week in San Antonio. For Navar, cases like this serve to remind him of his blessings. He survived his trip to this promised land north of the Rio Grande. He lived to tell about it while working to become successful. A U.S. citizen since 1999, Navar owns and operates Bravo Construction. On Monday, he painted a home, one of the properties he owns in the Crawford County seat. "Business is good," he said. "Our work here is established. People know me." He also said there was a time when those who engaged in human smuggling knew the immigrants -- or, illegal immigrants -- they served. "The coyotes used to do it for personal reasons," he explained. "People used to care for others." He recalled instances where smugglers warned him about getting safely into the U.S. He said they feared for his well-being. He's convinced that isn't happening today; it didn't happen 15 years ago, either. "Unfortunately, people keep coming and the coyotes do not care to think of them as people. They think of them as animals," he said. "I try to forget these things, but they come back," Navar continued. "I try to leave these things behind." On a day like Monday, he can't. Amid normal banter about work and the weather with friends in Denison, a serious topic bubbled to the surface: Ten people died in a truck, in the stifling heat in San Antonio. OMAHA | A Winnebago, Nebraska, man faces a federal charge of sexually assaulting a woman while she slept. Christian LaPointe, 26, pleaded not guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to one count of sexual abuse of an incapable victim. In an indictment filed July 18, LaPointe is accused of having sex with a 27-year-old woman on June 25 at a home in Winnebago knowing she was "physically incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage" in sex. According to court documents, LaPointe entered the woman's house and began having sex with her while she was sleeping. The woman woke up during the assault. SPENCER, Iowa | A Lake Park, Iowa, man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for robbing an Everly, Iowa, restaurant. Joshua Mandelkow, 41, pleaded guilty last month in Clay County District Court to second-degree robbery and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. He must serve five and one-half years of his sentence before he's eligible for parole. Mandelkow entered Barb's Corner restaurant, 1290 U.S. Highway 18, near Everly on March 11, 2016, brandished a shotgun and pointed it at a worker's head while demanding money. The worker emptied the cash register into a duffel bag, and Mandelkow left. Clay County Sheriff's deputies spotted Mandelkow about 15 minutes later. When a deputy tried to stop Mandelkow, he shot himself. No deputies were injured. Prosecution of the case was delayed while Mandelkow was hospitalized and recovering from his gunshot wound. OMAHA | A South Sioux City man was sentenced Monday to more than 12 years in federal prison on gun and drug charges. Jose Sandoval, 47, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Omaha to charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Sandoval received an 87-month prison sentence on the drug charge and a five-year sentence for the gun charge. Sandoval and Martha Tapia possessed and sold more than 50 grams of meth from April 1, 2016, through May 9, 2016. Each of them was carrying a firearm at the time. Tapia, 38, of South Sioux City, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and was sentenced to 50 months in prison in June. SIOUX CITY | Glenn Ellis is departing his position as the city's top engineer after more than 3 1/2 years in the position. Ellis told the Journal Tuesday that Friday will be his last day with the city. He is stepping down from his role to take a job with JR Engineering in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ellis, 46, began work with the city in October 2013. He came to northwest Iowa from Commerce City, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, where he worked mainly as a project manager. Looking back on his years in Sioux City, Ellis said he has enjoyed working on the Interstate 29 project and utility relocation, as well as development related to the new Seaboard Triumph Foods pork plant. "Ive enjoyed working here with the Engineering Division," he said. "We have a great team of staff with engineers and inspectors, and I wish them well." Public Works director Dave Carney said Ellis was a solid leader within his department and that he's sad to see him go. "Hes been a real asset for the city," Carney said. "He was there when I got there, and hes been really great to work with." Ellis' wife, Tara, who works as a secretary with the city's Neighborhood Services Division, will also be departing her role with the city. The family will be moving with their son, Glenn. They also have a daughter, Kaitlin, who attends college at Utah State University. Ellis currently heads a division with 14 staff including engineers, inspectors, surveyors and geographic information systems staff. As the application process for a new engineer plays out, Carney said the city plans to name an interim engineer and divide up duties to keep summer construction and planning for next year's capital improvement program budget flowing smoothly. Sioux City's Human Resources Department posted the job opening Friday. It will remain open until filled. "We're looking to hire someone as soon as possible, but we also want to make sure it's a good fit," Carney said. The city engineer salary is advertised as $93,379 to $133,482, depending on qualifications. Qualifications include a bachelors degree in civil engineering, a possession of professional engineers license issued by the state of Iowa within three months and five to seven years of demonstrated management experience. Ellis made $118,462.15 during the 2016 fiscal year and was the city's seventh highest-paid employee. SIOUX CITY | Some people just know from a young age what line of work they want to get into when they get older. Stephanie Parry may have known earlier than most. When she was knee-high, as she puts it, she was already hanging out in her father's law office, watching and learning. "By the time I was 12, I was sitting in on jury trials and watching my dad work," Parry said. "He had such a passion for what he did and it was always about helping people. The passion and helping people is what drew me in from an early age." It was no surprise, then, that Parry decided to go into law, too. "There was never anything else that I considered doing," said Parry, the daughter of Ginny and the late Bill Forker, of Sioux City. On Friday, Parry will be sworn in as a district associate judge in Iowa's 3rd Judicial District. She officially began her duties on Monday. Not only does she credit her late father for her interest in law, Parry, a 1991 North High School graduate, said he also played a major role in her interest in juvenile law. While she was still an undergraduate student at the University of South Dakota, Parry's father helped arrange a summer internship for her in the Juvenile Court Services office in Sioux City. Parry loved it. After graduating from law school at USD in 1998, Parry returned to Sioux City and joined the Forker and Parry law firm, a partnership of her father and husband, Pat Parry. Stephanie did some criminal defense work, but focused on juvenile law. She took court-appointed work and delinquency cases, but also represented children and parents and later focused much of her work on child in need of assistance cases. "I saw there were so many things that could be improved upon," she said. "There's always something more that can be done, collectively, to help children." Early in her career, Parry decided she'd like to be a judge so she didn't always have to take on an adversarial role in the courtroom. "At the time, I was doing a lot of criminal defense, and it's nice to sometimes be a neutral party in the middle," she said. In 2007, Parry was appointed as a part-time magistrate in Woodbury County, spending a day and a half each week presiding over traffic court and hearing small claims cases, conducting initial appearances and signing search warrants. When not presiding in court, Parry continued to practice in juvenile court. As a district associate judge, Parry's duties will include presiding over serious and aggravated misdemeanor cases, small claims and civil causes for judgment of up to $10,000. Due to recent retirements and job shuffling among the 3rd District bench, Parry will spend much of her time presiding in juvenile court, an assignment she welcomes. Juvenile court is different than other courts because, everyone involved in a case is usually trying to work in the child's best interest. Parry believes that as a judge, she'll be able to help more children. "It's nice to be in that neutral role because without a doubt, you're there for the kids and no other reason," she said. "I love juvenile court and what I do as a magistrate. This is a perfect marriage of the two that allows me to do both things all day long." Speaking of marriage, once Parry was appointed to the bench, she had to give up the private practice partnership she shared with husband Pat. They've since dissolved the partnership, and he will continue as a solo practitioner. "He's happy for me, but I think he's a little bit overwhelmed," Parry said, laughing. Parry said she'll miss working with Pat and also will miss the children and families she was working with at the time of her appointment to the bench. "I've had cases where I've represented kids and parents long term. It was hard to hand those off," she said. As she assumes her new role, Parry said she knows there will be a learning curve, but she believes that working 10 years as a magistrate will make that transition a little easier. "I hope it prepares me," she said. Parry has been in law offices and courtrooms since she was little. You can't get much more prepared than that. The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is seeking the following people: * Mario Montiel-Gonzalez, 20. Montiel-Gonzalez is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds. He is wanted by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for probation violation after being convicted of aggravated assault. Montiel-Gonzalez is also wanted for failure to appear in court on charges of criminal mischief in the fourth degree and possession of drugs. Montiel-Gonzalez is wanted in Dakota County, Nebraska, for failure to appear after being charged with obstruction of a court order. Montiel-Gonzalez has lips tattooed on the left side of his neck. * Jenna Merrill, 30. Merrill is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. She is currently wanted for false report to police. The Nebraska State Patrol would like to speak to her in regard to a homicide investigation they are conducting. Anyone with information can call the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force at 712-252-0211 or email siouxlands.mostwanted@usdoj.gov. SIOUX CITY | A Friday ruling allows Dick Salem to continue to operate his new commercial real estate firm. Salem opened Salem Real Estate in June after working for United Real Estate Solutions Inc. and its commercial division, NAI United, the last 16 years. Prior to this, he owned Salem Commercial, which he sold to United in October 2001. Earlier this year, NAI United announced it was moving its headquarters from downtown Sioux City to Dakota Dunes, a change that prompted Salem to leave the firm and start his own business. Shortly after Salem Real Estate opened, the 77-year-olds former employer filed suit against him for breach of contract. In the suit, United alleged his new venture is a direct violation of the contract he signed with the firm when he sold his original business. According to terms of a non-compete provision, Salem agreed to not engage in any activity, including, but not limited to, association in any capacity whatsoever, whether as promoter, owner, officer, director, employee, partner, lessee, lessor, lender, agent or otherwise, considered to be in competition" with United within 80 miles of Sioux City for at least three years. Due to the clause, United sought a temporary injunction against Salem and his new firm. however, District Court Judge Patrick Tott released a verdict Friday denying that motion stating that United had failed to meet their burden of proof. According to Totts ruling, Salems original asset purchase agreement was with United Real Estate Solutions Inc. and Salem Commercial operated as a division of that company. In 2005, United Commercial Real Estate LLC which does business as NAI United was formed as a separate legal entity. United Real Estate Solutions Inc. did not sell or transfer its rights from Salem Commercial to United Commercial Real Estate LLC when the new company was formed. Additionally, it did not establish a new employment agreement with Salem himself and his duties and compensation structure changed under the new company. Totts ruling noted that although Salem Real Estate is in direct competition with NAI United/United Commercial Real Estate, it is not competing with United Real Estate Solutions Inc., the company Salem sold his business to. When reached Tuesday, Salem said it was a good victory for he and his legal team, he was "real happy" with the outcome and plans on moving full speed ahead with Salem Real Estate. SCHALLER, Iowa | The owner of a small, family-owned Siouxland trucking company said Monday he knows nothing about how dozens of immigrants became packed inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler registered to his company. A trailer registered to Schaller, Iowa-based Pyle Transportation Inc. was found parked in the searing heat outside a San Antonio Walmart over the weekend. Ten of the passengers died and more than 15 others were hospitalized with extreme dehydration. Owner Brian Pyle, 34, told an Associated Press reporter Monday he had no knowledge of any human smuggling and expressed shock and bewilderment over how so many people could have been crammed into a trailer that had his name on it. "I'm absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. It's shocking," he said outside the company's office near the tiny downtown of the Sac County village of 750. Pyle said he had reached a deal to sell the trailer to a person in Mexico and hired one of the company's former drivers, James Matthew Bradley Jr. of Clearwater, Florida, as an independent contractor to drive the trailer to a drop-off point in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. He declined to identify the purchaser or say where in Brownsville the trailer was to be delivered. The county treasurer's office declined to say whether paperwork transferring the truck's title had been filed. Bradley was charged Monday with transporting immigrants who were in the United States illegally, resulting in the deaths. He told investigators that he was transporting the trailer for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville and made some stops along the way. He said he was unaware people were inside until he parked and got out to urinate. The driver claimed he was not given a delivery time or address. He told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo, Texas -- which would have been out of his way if he were traveling directly to Brownsville -- to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. Pyle said there was no reason for the driver to stop in Laredo and San Antonio. Federal records show the company claims 15 drivers and 18 trucks that haul fresh produce, meat, food, paper products and other freight. The company reported logging 830,000 miles in 2013, the latest year for which figures were available. The Pyle family has been involved in the trucking business for decades, but Pyle Transportation was formed in 2006. The AP reports Pyle Transportation has a history of safety and tax violations and financial problems, according to public records. Pyle refused to discuss his company's prior legal problems, saying the focus should be on issues surrounding the deaths. "It should be about what happened in Texas and not my company," he told AP reporters. Multiple calls by the Journal to the company's listed number were not answered Monday afternoon. For Siouxlanders, Sunday's incident may evoke memories of a similar discovery 15 years ago in Denison, Iowa, when a worker at the Farm Service Co-op and Archer Daniels Midland elevators opened a grain hopper for inspection and found the remains of 11 immigrants, who were presumably being smuggled north into the U.S. from Mexico or Central America. The coffin on wheels at Denison contained external locks only. No water, food or rescue for victims like 18-year-old Byron Acevedo of Guatemala, who ignored the pleas of his older siblings, left the family farm in Guatemala and boarded the train, sold on a promise of prosperity north of the Rio Grande. Acevedo knowingly entered the U.S. illegally, a pawn in a smuggling operation that sent four men to prison. Authorities later determined that the rail-car left Matamoros, Mexico, four months prior to its discovery in Denison, and crossed into the U.S. at Brownsville, Texas. The unit, which contained no grain, sat idle in Oklahoma until Oct. 10, 2002, when it was pulled north to Denison. Authorities didnt know at the time if the victims found at Denison died of suffocation, starvation or succumbed to the heat. Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar. Sierra Club presentation Today at 6:30 p.m., the Northwest Iowa Group Sierra Club hosts "Life and Times in the Loess Hills of Iowa," presented by Rich Pope. Rich believes we live in a very special area and he's out to convince us just how special. Join other community members to experience his presentation about the flora, fauna and culture of our hills. First Unitarian Church, 2508 Jackson St. Coffee with the Curators Each month, the curators at the Sanford Museum feature a favorite artifact to inspire a tabletop discussion of history, archaeology and culture. 10 a.m. at Sanford Museum and Planetarium, 117 E. Willow St., Cherokee, Iowa. Free coffee and refreshments will be available. Call 712-225-3922 or visit sanfordmuseum.org for more information. Using Essential Oils Learn about the benefits of essential oils and how they can be used in everyday life to help decrease the use of chemicals, detoxify your home and live a healthier lifestyle. Free educational program provided by Brenda Downs runs from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road. For more information contact 712-722-0832. DES MOINES | Iowas prison population, prison capacity and the rate of repeat offenders in state prisons all increased from the previous year, according to the most recent state data. A state Department of Corrections spokeswoman called the increases statistically insignificant, although the figures increased despite efforts from state lawmakers and state agencies to curtail them, and they come at a time when the some of the same numbers nationally and in neighboring states are declining. Iowa had 8,367 state prisoners at the end of the fiscal year 2017, an increase of 160 prisoners a 2 percent jump from the previous year, according to corrections department data. It is the most state prisoners in six years and the third time in the past four years the number has increased. The rate of repeat offenders also increased for a second consecutive year in fiscal 2016, the most current state data. The rate of recidivism the percent of offenders who were released from prison or work release and returned to prison within three years has risen 4.4 percentage points from fiscal 2014 to 2016 after declining the previous six years. The increases are statistically insignificant, said Beth Skinner, recidivism reduction coordinator for the state corrections department. Skinner said department officials performed statistical modeling and analysis and determined the increases are too small to warrant concern or assign cause. If you look across all these numbers, they are relatively stable, Skinner said. But the numbers in Iowa are increasing, even slightly, while they are falling in other states and at the national level. The countrys state prison population decreased by almost 2 percent from 2014 to 2015, the most recent year federal Bureau of Justice statistics are available. According to the federal bureau, 29 states recorded a decrease in the total number of prisoners. Iowa was not among them. The number of state prisoners in Iowa increased by 1.2 percent in fiscal 2015. Iowas neighbors in the Midwest have been seeing drops in prison population as well. Illinois prison population dropped more than 5 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to an Associated Press report that cited state corrections department figures. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has set the goal of reducing the states prison population by 25 percent over the next decade. Minnesotas adult prison population was flat from 2015 to 2016, although it has increased more than 6 percent since 2012, according to state corrections department data. Nebraskas prison population decreased by 1.8 percent from 2015 to 2016 after criminal justice reforms were implemented there, according to the Omaha World Herald. In Iowa, increasing prison populations and repeat offenders could be contributing to another increase: The state prison system was at 115 percent capacity in fiscal 2017, an increase of 3 percentage points over the previous year and 6 percentage points over the previous three years. Skinner said ideally the state prison system would not exceed 100 percent capacity. We definitely want to be under 100 percent, if we can, Skinner said. "Thats something that we watch carefully every day." Danny Homan, president of the labor union that represents thousands of Iowa public employees, including prison guards and other correctional facility staff, has expressed concern with staffing levels at state prisons, which would be magnified by facilities that are over capacity. I am extremely concerned that the (prison) population and the clientele and the short staffing is going to end up having some serious consequences, Homan said. This system is just overloaded, not only the state system but the county system and the city jails. Everybody. Theres not a no vacancy sign, and I dont believe its going to change any time soon. So, yeah, Im extremely concerned. Iowas prison population numbers are increasing despite state-level efforts to reduce the trend. State lawmakers in 2016 and 2017 passed legislation designed to reduce the states prison population by giving judges more discretion in some sentencing, reducing some mandatory minimum sentences and creating opportunities for earlier parole in some cases. And the state corrections department is working with a $3 million federal grant to reduce recidivism that it received in 2015. Thus far, the data show those efforts are yet to bear fruit, although it may be too soon for the new legislation, in particular. Still, some advocates remain concerned. Somethings not working, said Marty Ryan, who lobbies state legislators on social justice and civil liberties issues and is involved with the Justice Reform Consortium, a collection of advocacy groups that pushes for criminal justice reform. (The numbers) should be going down if everything is working right. Skinner said she expects the departments work on recidivism, with the aid of the federal grant, will begin showing results soon. It does take time to implement practices statewide. I think the Iowa Department of Corrections is not only using the resources wisely, they are making sure theyre using those resources in a very targeted way, Skinner said. I think were going to reap some rewards in terms of a lower recidivism number in the future. Skinner said the department tries to identify prisoners that appear to have the best chance to succeed upon release and produce programming that will prepare them for post-prison life. The goal is to see the number decline, Skinner said. I think were going to start seeing the fruits of our labor here soon and in the coming years. In response to questions about the increases in the states prison population figures, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state corrections department works to improve outcomes for released offenders and create a safer society. There are many variables affecting prison statistics at different times of the year, Reynolds spokeswoman Brenna Smith said in an email. We continue working with the DOC to ensure they have the tools they need to do their jobs well. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa In response to an open-records request, Secretary of State Paul Pate has turned over the sum total of correspondence between his office and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity two emails. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa requested the correspondence as part of its nationwide effort to gather all communications between the commission and state election officials. ACLU could have made a simple inquiry rather than go through the public records request process, Pate said. He suggested ACLUs intent was not to obtain information, but to receive media coverage. ACLU of Iowa rejected that criticism, but Executive Director Mark Stringer said the organization is satisfied with Pates response. We believe that the people have a right to know about the activities of President Trump and the commission, he said in a statement Monday. The emails Pate made available were one from the advisory committee Vice Chairman Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, asking for voter data as well as Pates thoughts on laws, policies and practices that enhance or undermine the American peoples confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. The second email asked the state not turn over the publicly available information until a judge rules on a legal challenge to the request. Pate had not turned over voter information. However, a federal judge ruled Monday the commission could move forward with collecting voter data from 50 states, saying the White House advisory panel is exempt from federal privacy review requirements. The ACLU of Iowa is reviewing the ruling. It challenged the commission on the grounds that its first meeting, which was held via telephone, violated federal open-meeting requirements and that the commission refused to turn over working papers and other documents that, by law, should be available for public inspection. Its second meeting was livestreamed via the internet. The commission has not reached out to the Secretary of State since the ruling, but will have to go through the formal process just like everyone else, Pate spokesman Kevin Hall said. Public available data the secretary can provide with voter list requests includes name, address, date of birth, party affiliation and in which elections a person voted, Hall said. By law, Social Security and drivers license numbers are automatically redacted. Some people are under the mistaken impression the commission also is asking for information on for whom Iowans voted, Hall said. There is no record of who you voted for, he said. Despite the courts ruling, the ACLU remains concerned the commissions efforts are part of a larger effort to suppress the vote, ACLUs Stringer said. Pate, a Republican elected in 2014, took offense to what he considered ACLUs implication that he and his office would even indirectly engage in vote suppression. Instead of these scare tactics, organizations such as the ACLU would better serve voters by helping them understand that their personal information will not be compromised by registering and voting, Pate wrote. Its obviously ridiculous for Pate to suggest that shining a light on those activities as a part of our watchdog function to protect voters is itself suppression, Stringer said. As RAGBRAIers approach Charles City, Iowa, one rider looks forward to possibly meeting the family of the teen whose life inspired him. Tony Hager, a former wrestler from Ogden, Iowa, is dedicating his ride to 15-year-old Logan Luft of Charles City, who died after an ATV accident July 4. My goal is to raise $10 per mile, Hager said. His 190-mile ride runs Wednesday through Saturday, with a total fundraising goal of $1,900. One hundred percent of the funds will be donated to Logan's family. After speaking with Logans mom and the family, it gave me more of a passion, Hager said. Logan, who would have entered ninth grade this fall, was passionate about three activities: wrestling, fishing and running. More than 1,600 people attended his funeral earlier this month. The sport of wrestling is a family, Hager said on his fundraising page. Once you have stepped on the mat, everyone is now your brother or sister. Through this ride, Hager hopes to help a fellow wrestling family members family, he said. Hager owns several wrestling news sites, including IAwrestle. Though he never met Logan, he knows wrestlers who knew and loved the teen. Logans story and his death struck a chord with Hager, inspiring him to give back. Being in the wrestling media world and how he was an organ donor, I felt like I needed to do something, Hager said. Five individuals received organ donations from Logan and tissue donations could help 50 to 75 people. Family members said organ donation and helping others is exactly what Logan would have wanted. To show his support, Hager will write Luft on his left calf and Tuff on his right, in honor of the special hashtag the family used. Supporters also wore "Donate Life" T-shirts sporting the tag during Logan's funeral. Hager hopes the words will be a conversation starter. Maybe some others will write this on their calves in honor of him as well, Hager said. Hager started a RallyMe campaign to raise funds. Its his understanding that the family will donate the money to an organization that recruits organ donors in Iowa. I really hope people who dont have the ability to donate write 'Luft Tuff' too, showing you care, Hager said. Not everyone has the means. He originally reached out to the family after the funeral to explain his wishes and to assure them it was not a publicity stunt. Its such a tough time, Hager said. Theyre OK with it and have been giving me ideas on how to support him. Hager is starting his ride in Rockwell, Iowa, and hopes to meet with the family when the event stays overnight in Charles City. He also encouraged those joining him to tweet pics to @hagertony and use the hashtag #LuftTuff. At the end of the day, if I can get a few people to write Luft Tuff on their legs, thats a win for me, Hager said. WASHINGTON -- President Trump had some remarkable things to say at the inaugural meeting of his Commission to Promote Voter Suppression and Justify Trump's False Claims, which is formally known as the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. He also asked a question that deserves an answer. Lest anyone believe Vice President Pence's claim that "this commission has no preconceived notions or preordained results," Trump was on hand to state clearly what its agenda is. Remember that in January, Trump told congressional leaders that between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes were cast in last year's election and that they were the reason he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.9 million. There is not a shred of evidence for this -- none, zero, zilch. Trump's defenders could find no plausible way to support his statement, which is not unusual. But Trump never backs off from a falsehood. So instead, he did something without precedent: He appointed a presidential commission solely to justify an offhand lie. And now that this body exists, it will almost certainly try to find ways to rationalize purging legitimate voters from the rolls and erecting yet more barriers to voting. Trump would not let the commissioners forget their reason for being there, his belief that those phantom votes really exist, although he put his own words into the mouths of unnamed "people," who -- surprise! -- came to the same conclusions he did. "Throughout the campaign and even after it," Trump said, "people would come up to me and express their concerns about voter inconsistencies and irregularities, which they saw. In some cases, having to do with very large numbers of people in certain states." The commission issued a sweeping request to the states for data that included everything from voters' Social Security numbers, military status and party affiliation to information on felony convictions. Trump purported to be pleased because "more than 30 states have already agreed to share the information with the commission." In truth, the request has been met with widespread resistance from Republican as well as Democratic officials. As of July 8, the Associated Press reported not a single state was in full compliance. The Republican secretary of state of Mississippi, Delbert Hosemann, spoke for many of his colleagues (with a regional twist) when he told the administration to "go jump in the Gulf of Mexico." Trump is not happy, and he responded in the way he knows best: with innuendo questioning the motives of others. "If any state does not want to share this information, one has to wonder what they're worried about. And I asked the vice president, I asked the commission: What are they worried about?" Excellent question. Here's what we should worry about. We should worry about the security of the data. States have absolutely no confidence that the Trump administration will protect it. They also have every reason to fear Trump will misuse it. We should worry because his commission is the furthest thing imaginable from a dispassionate investigation into voting procedures. We should worry because Kris Kobach, Kansas's secretary of state, is vice chairman of the commission. Kobach is a voter suppression fanatic. He is also a Trump flunkie. The Washington Post's Philip Bump, who is doing an excellent job covering this charade, noted that when NBC's Katy Tur asked him about the 3 million to 5 million fraudulent vote claim, Kobach replied: "We will probably never know the answer to that question." Sorry, but we do know, and if Kobach thinks we don't, not a single state should trust him with a single bit of information. We should worry because, as Ari Berman noted in The Nation, a new study by MIT found that 12 percent of the electorate in 2016 encountered a problem voting, and the Brennan Center reported that more states have enacted new voting restrictions in 2017 than in 2015 and 2016 combined. This commission will push states to enact even more laws like these. We should worry because the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013 and this Congress has shown no signs of wanting to fix it. We should worry about the Trump administration closing civil rights offices and the Justice Department switching sides in voting rights cases. As Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said: "I am old enough to remember when African Americans were denied access to the ballot box, and I fear that we are watching history repeat itself." We should worry that Elijah Cummings' intuition is right. A little context is critical here. It would be too easy to dismiss Donald Trump's Commission on Electoral Integrity as superfluous evidence of the intellectual erosion of the Republican Party. As a Twitter observer who styles himself LOLGOP quipped when the commission held its first meeting: "All the evidence in the world won't get the GOP to accept climate change but no evidence is necessary to stop black people from voting." And yes, the hypocrisy is staggering. Scientific consensus, Miami Beach flooding, record heat and a chunk of ice the size of Delaware breaking off the Antarctic ice shelf are not enough to convince President Dumpster Fire and his party to get serious about climate change. Meantime, a few dubious anecdotes of voting irregularities get us a presidential commission furrowing its brows over a "problem" that does not exist. But the truth is, hypocritical is the least bad thing this is. Which brings us back to context. Consider, for instance, the rise over the last 10 years of photo ID laws, putatively designed to keep ineligible people from voting. Never mind that this happens only slightly more frequently than Darth Vader dances the Macarena. Never mind, too, the alarms raised by observers who point out that poor people are less likely to have -- or be readily able to obtain -- such IDs. Further context is found in the Supreme Court's 2013 evisceration of the Voting Rights Act. The VRA, enacted to fight the systematic denial of the ballot to African-American voters, required states that had engaged in this practice to get federal permission before changing their election laws. The Republican appointees on the court united to strike this provision down. Still more context: the ongoing resistance in Republican states like Florida, Kentucky, and Iowa to allowing ex-felons to vote. Mind you, having once served time does not exempt you from a duty to pay taxes, but in many places, it does rob you of the right to have a say in how those taxes are spent. It is no mystery who these and other restrictions are designed to hurt. After all, the populations most likely to be affected, including African Americans and the poor, are those most likely to vote for Democrats. But if deductive reasoning is not enough to sway you, there's also the fact that a Republican is occasionally impolitic enough to admit the chicanery outright. As in a party official from North Carolina who bragged in 2013 that the state's photo ID law would keep "lazy blacks" and others from voting. "The law is going to kick the Democrats in the butt," Don Yelton told "The Daily Show." In a sense, you can't fault Republicans for this. The GOP is built on appealing to the anger and resentment of older, straight, white, Christian voters. What do you expect the party to do when faced with a rising electorate of rainbow colors, ages, religious philosophies, and sexual identities? Change? Broaden? Be serious. It is only mildly hyperbolic to describe what is happening here as a soft coup -- the theft of legitimate power by illegitimate means. The GOP has inflicted calculated violence on a core American creed that says we all have a voice and all our voices deserve to be heard. Apparently, that's something Republicans no longer believe. And this new panel cannot help but have a chilling effect on non-GOP voters -- precisely what it is intended to do. Too bad the party is not serious about ferreting out threats to the integrity of our elections. It would not have to look far. NOTE: In a recent column, I misstated the year of Philando Castile's death. He was killed in 2016. So Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, believes money should be taken away from programs to feed the poor because people are obese. Well, maybe the benefits and salaries for members of Congress should be reduced to help pay for the border wall, as well. Writer James Lynch quotes Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa in the July 20 Journal as saying the Democrats would not likely join in a bipartisan effort to fix Obamacare. In fact, Sen. Chuck Schumer made repeated appeals to the Republicans to do just that after they failed to pass health care legislation. Not only that, the Republicans themselves refused to take part in crafting legislation for health care in 2009 and have not stopped their assault on the Affordable Care Act since, while never offering any help to fix its deficiencies. Even if the political mumbo-jumbo uttered by opponents of the ACA was true, one is astonished to hear that, for them, depriving 22 million people of health care altogether is more desirable and better than fixing the administrative snaggles that currently exist. It's like a parent who refuses to take a sick child to the doctor because it is an inconvenience. Where is the decency and thoughtfulness in that? That 22 million people have health insurance because of Obamacare (ACA, or whatever you want to call it) is marvelous. That the ACA is not what it could be, Grassley and like-minded politicians have only themselves to blame. - R.J. Edwards, South Sioux City, Nebraska SIOUX CITY | Rob O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL and best-selling author of the memoir "The Operator," will keynote the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce's 2017 annual dinner. The former SEAL Team Six leader with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group deployed more than a dozen times and held combat leadership roles in more than 400 combat missions in four different theaters of war. He claims to be the man who fired the shots that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in a May 2011 raid in Pakistan. O'Neill also played roles in rescuing former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and in the liberation of Capt. Richard Phillips after Somali pirates seized his vessel in the Indian Ocean. "We're very excited to have him deliver the keynote, which we think will be extraordinarily powerful," Chamber president Chris McGowan said during a Wednesday news conference announcing the speaker. The annual dinner is scheduled Sept. 14. A social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will follow at 7 p.m., with a program and keynote presentation at 8 p.m. The Chamber will present its annual W. Edwards Deming Award for Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence and recognize the 2017 Ambassador of the Year. Reservations are $90 per person for Chamber members and $110 for non-Chamber members. Limited sponsorships, which include admission to a private reception with O'Neill and premium event seating, are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is available at www.siouxlandchamber.com. 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. HOLLYWOOD, Md. (July 20, 2017)A Mechanicsville man, along with his wife and two others, who were severely injured in car crash in October of 2016 is suing the alleged at-fault driver, citing her reckless conduct, while accusing her of being under the influence of either alcohol or drugs at the time.Christopher Kalnasy has filed a civil suit in Circuit Court against Victoria Gellings who crashed her car into a truck in which Kalnasy and his wife Angela Kalnasy, Katelyn Kalnasy and Mike Flores were stopped at the intersection of Mechanicsville and Three Notch Road October 8 as they were on their way to a party.Both Christopher and Angela Kalnasy were ejected from the truck's back seat and suffered life-threatening injuries from the crash.In his suit Kalnasy claims he suffered permanent and debilitating injuries to his spine, back, limbs, head, abdomen and organs.His wife Angela Kalnasy was in a coma for three months due to injuries sustained in the accident; both had to undergo multiple surgeries and are still recovering from the crash.Angela Kalnasy was just recently released from hospital care and returned home.Kalnasy is suing Gellings for $75,000 as well as his insurance provider, GEICO, for $250,000, claiming they have refused to honor a policy Kalnasy held in case he was involved in a collision with an under-insured driver.In his court filings Kalnasy stated that Gellings insurance was not enough to cover the near half-million in medical expenses both the Kalnasys have incurred.According to reports from the sheriff's office immediately after the crash, Gellings was traveling southbound on Three Notch Road when "for unknown reasons" her car left the roadway, driving off-road until she came to Mechanicsville Road and collided with the truck carrying the four-person party, which was stopped at a red light.Gellings was never charged for the incident, nor was it proved she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol according to police reports and court documents. PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (July 25, 2017)The Prince Frederick Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following incident and arrest reports.DISORDERLY CONDUCT: On 7/22/17 at 5:22 am, Trooper First Class Rucker responded to Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick for a reported disorderly subject.was found to be extremely intoxicated and disorderly. He was arrested and incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE: On 7/22/17 at 2:10 pm, Trooper First Class Davis received a complaint of a theft from a motor vehicle in the 1000 block of Childress Court in Lusby. The victim reported a window in the vehicle had been forced down and several items had been removed from the vehicle. Fingerprints were able to be obtained and have been forwarded to the Crime Lab for analysis. Investigation continues.Leroy Warren, 49, of Washington, DC, arrested on 07/21/17 @ 11:37 pm by TFC S. CasarellaDesmond L. Sloan, 31, of Norfolk, Va., arrested on 07/22/17 @ 03:12 am by TFC N. RuckerMichael Robinson, 60, of Washington, DC, arrested on 07/22/17 @ 12:00 am by TPR. P. KaitzTerry E. Williams, 52, of Waldorf, arrested on 07/22/17 @ 11:19 pm by TFC N. Rucker LA PLATA, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (July 25, 2017)The Charles County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.OFFICERS APPREHEND BURGLARY SUSPECTS: On July 18 at 4:05 a.m., officers responded to an alarm activation at Target on Western Parkway in Waldorf. When officers arrived, they observed a male suspect running back inside the store. Officers established a perimeter and a police K9 searched the building. Two suspects were located in the back of the store and apprehended without incident. Investigation showed the suspects hid inside until the store was closed for the evening. Once all of the employees were gone, the suspects smashed several electronic glass cases and stole iPads, Play Stations, X-Box Ones, Nintendo 3DS, various electronic devices, clothing, food items, and two bikes. The stolen property was recovered outside where the first suspect was spotted., and, were charged with burglary, theft, and destruction of property. Pfc. B. Virts is investigating.ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: On July 17 at 4:21 p.m., a teenaged male broke down the rear door of a house in the 2400 block of Hanover Court in Waldorf. The suspect fled upon seeing a female resident. The suspect is described as a black male in his teens wearing a white shirt and dark pants. Officer C. Chamblee is investigating.THEFTS FROM AUTOS: On July 17 at approximately 12:10 a.m., at least two suspects entered the parking lot of a business in the 4300 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf and stole items from multiple vehicles. Both suspects are described as white males. One suspect had a thin build, and the other suspect was heavyset and bald. Pfc. A. Fenlon is investigating.BURGLARY OF SHED: On July 15, officers responded to the 3300 block of Jesmond Court in Waldorf for the report of a burglary. Unknown suspect(s) broke into a shed and stole lawn equipment. Pfc. S. Cook is investigating.THEFT FROM AUTO: Between July 13 July 14, unknown suspect(s) stole a purse from an unlocked car in the 5000 block of Skylark Drive in White Plains. Pfc. J. Harley is investigating. The Commissioners of St. Mary's County have selected John Deatrick Public Works and Transportation Director. The Commissioners of St. Mary's County have selected John Deatrick Public Works and Transportation Director.Mr. Deatrick comes to St. Mary's County from the City of Cincinnati where he served as Project Executive for the Cincinnati Streetcar implementation between 2013 and 2016. From 2008 until 2013, he was Cincinnati's Project Executive for the Central Riverfront Redevelopment Project.Closer to home Mr. Deatrick has worked for Jacobs Engineering in Arlington, Virginia as Capital Region Program Manager for Highways and served as the Deputy Director and Chief Engineer for the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation.While in the Nation's Capital, he worked on a number of high profile, award winning projects, including the implementation of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Transportation Plan, the South Capitol Corridor and public improvements for Nationals Park.John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, a Certified Planner and Certified Sustainability Professional. Mr. Deatrick is also a Navy veteran."We welcome Mr. Deatrick to St. Mary's County," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "His vast experience and wealth of knowledge will be a great fit as he leads our Public Works and Transportation department."Mr. Deatrick's appointment is effective August 7.Moody's Investors Service issued its annual comment regarding the financial health of St. Mary's County Government.The report, which ends with the FY2016 year, notes the county's credit position as "very strong" with its Aa2 rating matching the media rating for counties across the US similarly rated Aa2. It notes credit factors favorable to the county as a healthy financial position, strong socioeconomic profile with an extensive tax base and negligible debt. The county's finances are deemed "very solid" and in line within its Aa2 rating.Other county financial highlights include: Very healthy economy and tax base Low debt liability and modest credit strength Low pension liability Strong management of finances"This is yet another piece of good financial news for St. Mary's County," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "Strong revenues and low debt has been the county's recipe for success. We intend to stay the course and anticipate that our financial picture will continue to get brighter in future years.To view the full report, go to: www.stmarysmd.com/docs/Moodys%20Annual%20Comment%20on%20SMC.pdf Notice is hereby given that Public Meetings will take place the following dates:July 19, August 2, August 16, September 6, September 20, October 4 and October 18, 2017 from 47 p.m. in the Main Meeting Room, St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission office located at 23121 Camden Way, California, Maryland, 20619.The purpose of the Task Force meeting is to discuss proposed amendments to the St. Mary's County Code Chapter 113. The Task Force will present recommendations to the Commissioners of St. Mary's County, the Board of the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission, individually and jointly, as well as to the St. Mary's County Legislative Delegation for consideration in preparation for the 2018 Legislative Session. Please note the meeting may include a closed session, pursuant to the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, 9-512.Anyone interested in further information concerning this meeting should contact Kelly Jarboe, at kjarboe@metcom.org or 301-737-7400 ext. 225, for cancellations and/or changes. Any changes to the meeting schedule will be posted at www.metcom.org. Deante Quesado Thomas, 23 of Waldorf. LA PLATA, Md. Torrance Fitzgerald Hillard, 30, of Waldorf. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (July 25, 2017)The Charles County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.BURGLARY SUSPECT APPREHENDED: On July 23 at 9:53 p.m., Pfc. C. Gustafson was patrolling Pinefield Road in Waldorf when he heard a man yelling from the front yard of a house. The man told the officer an unknown male had just been inside his residence and fled upon being detected by the homeowner. The victim provided officers with a description of the male. Pfc. Gustafson checked the area and observed the suspect walk out from behind a fence in the victim's backyard. The suspect,, was apprehended. Upon searching the victim's property, officers found a freshly opened bottle of wine in the victim's front yard as well as a large CD case. The wine was stolen from the victim's house, and the CDs were stolen from the victim's car. Thomas was arrested and charged with burglary and theft.THEFT FROM AUTOS: Between July 23July 24, unknown suspect(s) broke out a window of a car parked in the 5000 block of Damselfish Court in Waldorf and stole a wallet. The suspect(s) also entered two unlocked cars parked nearby and stole money. Officer C. Chamblee is investigating.THEFTS FROM AUTOS: On July 23 at 12:20 p.m., a report was made that unknown suspect(s) entered two unlocked cars in the 3100 block of Guilford Drive in Waldorf and money was stolen from each vehicle. Pfc. S. Cook is investigating.VANDALISM: On July 23 between 9:30 a.m.6:00 p.m., unknown suspect(s) spray painted "LLA" and "HB" on a concrete wall in the 3000 block of Heathcote Road in Waldorf. The suspect(s) also spray painted "Long Live Aaron Aaron World" on a sidewalk. Pfc. S. Cook is investigating.BURGLARY: On July 22 between 12 a.m.2 a.m., an unknown suspect stole a dirt bike and other items from a shed in the 15000 block of Hughesville Manor Drive in Hughesville. A witness observed a lone male pushing the dirt bike alongside the roadway, but did not call police because they did not know the bike had just been stolen. Pfc. C. Gustafson is investigating.THEFT FROM AUTO: On July 18 between 7:15 p.m.8:30 p.m., unknown suspect(s) broke out a window of a car parked in the parking lot of the hiker biker trail on Middletown Road and stole a purse that was left on the floorboard of the vehicle. Sgt. M. Kaylor is investigating.HOMEOWNER'S DOG ALERTS WOMAN OF ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: On July 18 at 6 p.m., officers responded to a house in the 15000 block of Matthews Manor Road in Newburg for the report of a burglary in progress. Investigation showed the victim was entering her house when she heard her dog barking more than usual. As she entered, she noticed her dog looking through the sliding glass door, which faced the back yard. The woman opened the door to let the dog out, at which time she observed a male suspect in front of her detached shed with his back turned towards her. The man was holding a crow bar and trying to pry open a lock on the shed. The woman's dog ran out of the door and jumped on the suspect, causing him to fall. The woman said it appeared her dog bit the suspect severely in the buttocks. The suspect was able to run to a wooded area where he escaped. The suspect is described as a white male in his 50's, 5'7", fair skin, medium build, stringy blond hair, wearing a ball cap, red t-shirt, and jeans. He may have bite marks. Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect is asked to call Pfc J. Campbell at (301) 932-2222.FOURTH DEGREE SEX OFFENSE: On July 18 at 10 p.m., officers responded to the 3200 block of Plaza Way in Waldorf for an assault. Investigation showed the victim had just left a grocery store when a male approached and asked for her phone number. The woman continued walking and as she approached her car, the suspect groped her. The man then fled on foot and the woman called police. Responding officers spotted the suspect nearby and as they approached, the suspect fled. After a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was apprehended without further incident., was charged with fourth-degree sex offense. Pfc. J. Pogar is investigating. Plunge Beach Hotel recently opened at the north end of El Mar Dr. in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and the Backflip Beach Bar & Kitchen is already becoming a favorite among locals. It is perhaps the ultimate laid-back beach bar, serving local brews and rum-fueled cocktails that would make Hemingway smile. Its fresh juice-infused drinks have just the right amount of kick (many of which can also be ordered sans alcohol). Check out the Sharkbait; vodka with raspberry puree and ginger beer, the Tweet Me Ishmael with coconut rum and mango puree or an Aperol Fizz. As you sit back and listen to the waves, dig into one of the six versions of street tacos, a salad, burger or a big basket of the fried yucca planks with queso dipping sauce. The fish of the day was grouper on our visit and in the pair of tacos, served in a choice of flour or corn tortillas, perfectly grilled fish was topped with a bit of fresh slaw salsa and lime on the side. The pork belly version was a tad less successful. The pork, cut too thickly, was a bit tough and rubbery. Grilled chicken, steak or a cauliflower and chickpea versions are other options. The signature burger featured two perfectly prepared patties layered with cheese and bacon and topped with pico de gallo. Yum! There are also a spicy chicken, steak or a catch of the day sandwiches if youre looking for something lighter, try one of the three salad options. Best of all the price point is quite reasonable, cocktails are around ten bucks, the menu items all less than $20. Backflip is open 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. If you prefer to watch the sun come up, the hotels coffee shop, Bean & Barnacle, opens at 6:30 a.m. and serves fresh-brewed Wells coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches. In the afternoon, they switch to sandwiches and other savory selections. If your sweet tooth strikes, they offer a selection of gelato, candy and other sweet treats! The casual full-service restaurant, Octopus, is set to open later this summer. Backflip will host the kick-off party for The sixth annual Bug-Fest-By-The-Sea, which celebrates hunting season for Florida lobster, on Tuesday, July 25 at 7 p.m. For more information go to bugfestbythesea.com. Other News to Flip Over Avant is set to open in August in downtown Delray at 25 NE. Second Ave. The new restaurant takes its inspiration from the guerrilla public art movement that took place in lower Manhattan during the early 1980's. Avant will not feature pictures of food spray-painted on to your plate, as the artists of the time would have done, but will offer a globally-inspired menu of small plates, large plates, shared plates and house-made deserts, along with creative cocktails, beers and wine. Prices will range from $6 - $30. For more information call 561-921-8687 or visit Society8.com. Brooklyn Water Bagel has added a Reuben sandwich and a Caesar salad to its lunch menu. The Reuben ($8.99) is made with corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on light rye bread with a choice of spicy mustard or thousand island dressing. The Caesar salad ($6.99) is made with romaine and grated asiago cheese and topped with Caesar dressing and Brooklyn Water Bagel croutons. Until July 31, guests who purchase a Reuben or Caesar will receive a free regular size coffee or signature iced coffee with coffee ice cubes. Juniors in Boca Ratons Mizner Park has added "The New Yorker," a Gotham-sized milkshake/cheesecake mash-up to its permanent menu. The dessert is a strawberry shake rimmed with vanilla frosting and graham crackers and topped with an entire slice of strawberry cheesecake and whipped cream. The shareable shake is available for $15.95. For more information, call 561-672-7301 or visit JuniorsCheeseCake.com. SuViche will celebrate Peruvian heritage from July 23-30 with food and drink specials in honor of National Pisco Day and Peruvian Independence Day. The festivities kick-off on Sunday, July 23 (National Pisco Day) with buy one, get one free deals on pisco sours and chilcanos at the Las Olas and Wynwood locations. Both locations will also feature live music. The restaurants will also offer a special Peruvian tiradito for Peruvian Independence Day (July 28). A tiradito is made with raw fish served sashimi-style, served chilled in a spicy sauce. SuViches special Peruvian Flag tiradito is prepared with wild-caught white fish topped with a crema de rocoto, signature sauce, garnished with cilantro and fresh Peruvian corn. Visit www.suviche.com or call 954-656-3663. Smith & Wollensky is celebrating summer with the return of a wine and appetizer pairing special. The summertime offering showcases wines by The Calling along with two of Smith & Wollenskys most popular starters. Available through the end of August, diners will be offered complimentary rib-eye carpaccio or tuna tartare for every two glasses of The Callings Dutton Ranch Chardonnay or Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ordered. Backflip Beach Bar & Kitchen at the Plunge Hotel 4660 El Mar Dr., Lauderdale By The Sea 754-312-5775 PlungeBeachHotel.com (EDGE) A gay couple from Naples, Italy claims a bed and breakfast in Santa Maria, a coastal village in the southern Italian Vibo Valentia province, denied them entry because of their sexuality, the International Business Times reports. After booking a stay at the guest house, the couple, who remains anonymous, contacted the owner for further information but were allegedly told the establishment does not accept gay people nor pets. "Thank you for your booking. This is the first year that we are renting [the guest house]," reads a Whatsapp message sent to the couple reportedly from the owner. "Apologies for seeming a caveman, but we do not accept gays or pets." The men then contacted Arcigay, an LGBT rights group in Naples, to issue a complaint. Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, one of the men, identified as G., compared the incident to Jews being refused service during Nazi Germany. "I did not even waste time to answer. I just took screenshots of the conversation and I sent them to Arcigay Napoli," he told the newspaper, according to the IB Times. "It was the first thing that came to my mind: To sue, speak out and not let them get away with it. I want to say everything, out loud." G. went on to say that he's been with his partner for seven years and "after all this time, I refuse to be treated as if there was something wrong with me. "It's not fair," he added. "I was not upset just because of what happened to us. I thought about thousands of youths who could be subjected to the same treatment. It is a thought that hurt me too much." Arcigay Napoli condemned the incident, calling it a grave act of discrimination and homophobia," according to the IB Times, which adds the couple canceled their booking and rescheduled at another establishment in Calabria. (WB) A prominent Jamaican bishop has called for the repeal of his countrys law that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations. The Jamaica Gleaner on Sunday reported Bishop Howard Gregory, who is the head of the Anglican Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, expressed his personal opposition to the colonial-era statute in a letter he sent to a parliamentary committee that is studying the issue. Sexual activity engaged in public spaces is illegal and should continue to be so, whether of an heterosexual or homosexual nature, wrote Gregory, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.Beyond that, what happens in privacy between consenting adults should be beyond the purview of the government. The Jamaica Gleaner also reported Gregory wrote the Jamaican government should not hold a referendum on whether to repeal the law. Section 76 of Jamaicas Offenses Against the Person Act of 1864 imposes a prison sentence of up to 10 years of hard labor against anyone who is convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal. The Jamaica Gleaner reported Prime Minister Andrew Holness said before his Jamaica Labor Party won last years general election that he would call a referendum on the sodomy law. Maurice Tomlinson, a gay lawyer who lives in the resort city of Montego Bay and Toronto, alleges in a 2015 lawsuit the law violates the right to privacy and other provisions of the Jamaican constitution. Javed Jaghai in 2013 filed a separate lawsuit against the statute with the Jamaican Supreme Court, but withdrew it the following year because of what he described as concerns for his safety and that of his family. A pastor who spoke with the Jamaica Gleaner described Gregorys position on the sodomy law as sad. Mat Staver, chair of the Liberty Counsel, is among those from the U.S. who have traveled to Jamaica in recent years in order to attend events organized by groups that oppose efforts to repeal the law. Glenroy Murray, policy and advocacy manager of J-FLAG, a Jamaican LGBT and intersex advocacy group, welcomed Gregorys position. It is always a welcome sight when we see members of the clergy show support for human rights protection, given their general sphere of influence, Murray told the Washington Blade on Monday in a statement. While Bishop Gregory is not the first clergyman to take such a position, his position as head of the Anglican Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands gives him a wider platform from which to air his views. Murray added Gregory made his arguments against the law from a rights-based approach rather than the popular religious-themed ones. We hope that more religious leaders and clergymen will, given the diverse communities they serve, recognize that the state has a responsibility to secure the rights of all Jamaicans regardless of the prevailing moral persuasion of members of the wider population, Murray told the Blade. Governance should be grounded in rights protection rather than appealing to the moral leanings of the masses. Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Pacing fillies were in the spotlight at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday evening (July 21) with three Grassroots divisions for the sophomore lasses and five for their novice counterparts. Trainer Jack Darling harnessed two starters, both two-year-old pacing fillies, and the Cambridge, Ont. resident made two visits to the Mohawk winners circle. Darling trainee Write Me A Song captured the second freshman skirmish, sailing home three and three-quarter lengths ahead of her peers in 1:55. Breezy finished second and So Bananas was third. The victory, engineered by Milton, Ont. resident Randy Waples, boosted Write Me A Song to the top of the two-year-old pacing filly standings, giving her a total of 75 points from one win and one second in the first two Grassroots events. She raced good. She was a nice filly training down, always showed lots of talent, said Darling, who acquired Write Me A Song from last falls Canadian Yearling Sale for $47,000. Shes coming along well. The horsemans other winner was homebred Neon Moon, a Sportswriter daughter out of his former race mare Beach Of A Time. Like her stablemate, Neon Moon took command before the halfway marker and was never challenged, cruising under the wire two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Ashlees Sport and Voulez Hanover in 1:54.1. Fridays test was Neon Moons first; she missed the July 11 Grassroots opener after breaks in her first two qualifiers required a third attempt. Moffat, Ont. resident Jody Jamieson was in the race bike for all three qualifiers and Fridays victory. The first week (June 26) she jumped a shadow, and then the next week (June 30) it was just kind of an equipment problem, but she seems nice and solid now, said Darling of the fillys qualifying difficulties. You just dont know until you see them race. Darling said the fillies trained together all winter sharing both training miles and a tendency toward grabbing hold of the bit with Write Me A Song having a slight edge on Neon Moon. Write Me A Song [has] just been more talented, shes bigger and taller, and a bigger gait, so she was one you would maybe get a little higher on, said the owner/trainer. But this filly (Neon Moon), shes just like a machine out there, very efficient over the ground. Darlings fillies will continue to advance their education in the third freshman pacing filly Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway on August 14. The other two-year-old Grassroots divisions were captured by first-time Ontario Sires Stakes starters Lady Bubbles, Duchess Dolly and Dry Silk Flowers, who all used late sprints to claim their victories. In the first $19,150 division, Lady Bubbles was victorious in 1:56 for driver James MacDonald of Guelph, Ont., trainer Mark Steacy of Lansdowne, Ont., and Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que, who also bred the daughter of Sportswriter. Favourite Shower Play was second and Hey Sweetie was third. Shadow Play daughter Duchess Dolly captured the third division in 1:56.3 over Iveseenthefuture and favourite Campassion. Jonathan Drury of Guelph, Ont. crafted the victory for trainer Jim Wellwood of Ancaster, Ont., and owner Jeff Wellwood of Toronto. Dry Silk Flowers sprinted home to a 1:55 victory over favourite Love Kills and Rendezvous Hanover. After finishing third in the first three freshman Grassroots divisions, Trevor Henry of Arthur, Ont. piloted the chestnut daughter of Vintage Master to the win for trainer Paul Reid and owner Robert Key of Leechburg, Pennsylvania. In the three-year-old pacing filly divisions, Manhattan Play took sole control of top spot in the point standings with her third straight Grassroots victory. The Shadow Play daughter and driver Mike Saftic of Campbellville, Ont. controlled the tempo for the bulk of the mile and had another gear left for the stretch, pacing home to a one length victory in 1:53. Favourite Bid Writer was second and Snappy Dresser finished third. She was first up the first two (Grassroots), and I thought that was going to happen tonight too, but Im glad Jody (Jamieson with Bid Writer) let us go because thats a long stretch, said Cambridge resident Nicky Comegna, who conditions the filly for his father Bruno Comegna of Burlington, Ont. Shes been real good. Manhattan Play made two starts at the Gold Series level during her 10-race two-year-old campaign, but the Comegnas opted to focus on the Grassroots this season when the filly developed allergies earlier in the year. Through 12 sophomore starts, Manhattan Play now boasts a record of three wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $39,860. The other two $18,800 Grassroots divisions went to Shewearsthepants and Diamondtoothgertie. Favourite Shewearsthepants and driver Doug McNair of Guelph, Ont. cruised home three and one-quarter length winners in 1:53, besting Rose Run Samantha and Fading Shadow. The drivers father, Gregg McNair, also of Guelph, conditions the Big Jim daughter for owner/breeder Anatolia Farm LLC of New Holland, Pennsylvania. First-time Ontario Sires Stakes starter Diamondtoothgertie roared home in the last sophomore division to claim a three-length victory over Style Snapshot and P L Kahluaa. The 1:52.4 clocking was a personal best for the Sportswriter daughter, who was driven to the win by Milton, Ont. resident Sylvain Filion and is owned by trainer Sylvain Grenier of Saint-Rene, Que. The three-year-old pacing fillies return to Grassroots action on August 5 at Hanover Raceway. On Saturday evening, Mohawk Racetrack will showcase the top three-year-old pacers and trotters in nine Gold Series divisions worth a total of $779,200. The first race goes postward at 7:30 p.m. To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack. For the official judges' report from Friday's card, click the following link: Judges' Report - Mohawk - July 21. (With files from OSS) It has been said in harness racing that a young trotter is better off building up stamina, strength and be sure of foot, and that the speed will soon follow. That analogy will again be put to the test at the Hippodrome 3R on Tuesday evening with the second round of the $220,000 Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotting colts and fillies. In the opening round of the series last week, the old proverb came true for 76-year-old owner and driver Rosaire Renaud as his newest star of the stable, Y A Muscle Mass, beat eight rivals and will try it again on Tuesday. Last week Y A Muscle Mass and Renaud went right to the lead and never looked back, winning by three-quarters of a length in a slow time of 2:09.4 over a fast track. But there is no prize money for speed, only for those that stays on gait and cross the finish line first. Thats what Y A Muscle Mass did last week. The son of Muscle Mass goes from the rail on Tuesday for trainer Manon Renaud and provided his minds his manners and stays on stride, can win again. His rivals have good speed but were unable to stay on-stride last week and are back to try again. Nobodynosjustice (Stephane Brosseau) was the favourite last week and won already this season in 2:02.2. But he failed to stay trotting at the start last week and was up the track. Nobodynosjustice goes from post six. Yankee Photo starts from post five and last week he did stay on gait, but was sent first-over by driver Pascal Berube against Y A Muscle Mass and could not get to him and was third. SG Goliath King goes from post three and last week was a game second to Y A Muscle Mass. The fillies drew ten entries and according to the rules of the Quebec Racing Commission, must split into two fields of five that will be held as non-wagering races during the Tuesday program. The first division takes place after the third race and is headed by Luckys Dream (post four) and Stand For Justice (post one). The second division goes after the fifth race and features last weeks return winner, Precieuse CC, who starts from post five. Last week this daughter of Angus Hall was able to lead from post eight for driver/trainer Claude Beausoleil, take a tuck in third place and then brush to the lead in the backstretch, going on to win by two open lengths in 2:06, the last quarter in a very impressive :29.4. Also in the race is Yves Filions Magic Lady, who starts from post two. She was the betting favourite last week, followed Precieuse CC in the backstretch, but could not catch her, finishing second. There is another competitive field set for the Invitational Trot Tuesday in the ninth race. Four Starz Speed (post 4) returns off his wire-to-wire victory for trainer/driver Kevin Maguire. Also back is Unabating, who was the race favourite last week, but suffered broken equipment and was never in the hunt. Caroluzzo returns after a weeks rest, but drew post eight for driver Stephane Gendron. Rideau Carlton invader, Ghirardelli Lindy, brings his two-race win streak to H3R, as does Dance Hall George (post one), who is moving up the ranks to the top trot. Post time Tuesday is 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com. (Quebec Jockey Club) Prompted by a three-day carryover of $24,374.31, The Meadows Racetrack & Casino has established a $75,000 total-pool guarantee largest in track history for its Pick 5 wager on Tuesday, July 25. The guarantee is offered as part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Initiative. In addition, Tuesdays card includes a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Pick 4, a regular feature of each program at The Meadows. Minimum wager for the Pick 4 (races 4-7) and Pick 5 (races 10-14) is 50 cents. Since Pennsylvania law requires a minimum per-race wager of $2, a player wagering at the 50-cent level must bet at least four tickets. First post for Tuesdays program is 1:05 p.m. (The Meadows) Delusional N.A.A.C.P Pastor Confused About Prayer and 'Prey' Contact: Rev Childress Jr., 201-704-9325MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 25, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- L.E.A.R.N. the Life Education And Resource Network, the largest African American Pro-life Network in the country is holding demonstrations for 3 days at the NAACP National Convention in Baltimore Maryland. Since 2006 LEARN has presented the case for Black Genocide at the NAACP National Conventions with the hope of educating delegates on the deliberate, systemic decimation of the African American community. Rev. Clenard H. Childress Jr Assistant National Director provided data proving Planned Parenthood markets their business to lure African American women. A Life Dynamics study shows 85% of abortion clinics are strategically located in African American communities.Recently Pastor Childress's frustrations were elevated when Rev. William Barber, pastor and president of North Carolina's NAACP chapter claimed Saturday that praying for President Trump is a form of "theological malpractice that borders on heresy. When you can p-r-a-y for a president and others while they are p-r-e-y, preying on the most vulnerable, you're violating the sacred principles of religion.""Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform," stated Rev. Childress. "That comment is not only hypocritical but delusional. Here you have a shepherd literally leading his sheep to the slaughter. The one who 'preys' upon African Americans is Planned Parenthood not President Donald Trump. Planned Parenthood factually is the leading killer of African Americans and this 'Shepherd' along with the NAACP endorses their eugenic practices. This comment is beyond the pale of reasoning. Is their no one inside the NAACP to address such absurd comments?"The Rev. William Barber was responding to a photo last week showing evangelical leaders laying hands on Mr. Trump in the Oval Office.Rev. Barber particularly took issue with the Republican legislation to overhaul Obamacare, which was delayed in the Senate Saturday while Sen. John McCain recovers from surgery for a blood clot. Rev. Barber, said the proposed Better Care Act would result in thousands of unnecessary deaths.Pastor Childress went on to say, "If Rev. Barber is concerned about unnecessary deaths then he should recognize the 1,786 African Americans killed daily and deliberately through abortion. Over 20 million since 1973. As the good Rev. Barber has stated, 'when you are preying on the most vulnerable, you're violating the sacred principles of religion.' Who are more vulnerable than infants in the womb? The NAACP along with the Rev. Barber are guilty of violating the 'sacred principles of religion.' 'Thou shalt not kill' is one of those sacred principles of religion."Pastor Clenard H. Childress is the founder of Blackgenocide.org . The NAACP demonstration will be held along Pratt street facing the Baltimore National Convention. By ZHANG YU and YUAN HUI in Ordos, Inner Mongolia | China Daily | Updated: 2017-07-25 08:04 Erdos products at a shop in Hohhot.PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Erdos Group has already made a major impact on the world stage and now it plans to expand its international operation from its Ordos headquarters. The world's largest manufacturer of cashmere products has about 30 percent of the global market from its base in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. With more than 40,000 staff, the Chinese conglomerate is valued at about 70 billion yuan ($10.4 billion) with a sales revenue of more than 40 billion yuan annually. "We are still building our brand up and we will go even further," said Zhang Meirong, general manager of the group's cashmere operation. "There are excellent international opportunities out there in Europe, the United States and Japan." Up to 70 percent of the world's cashmere comes from China, according to Zhang, at 8,400 metric tons. Garments made from the fabric are usually warm and soft, and can be expensive. But with large herds of goats, Inner Mongolia has become China's epicenter for the industry with 60 percent of the country's cashmere coming from the region. "Cashmere from the goats here is pure white," Zhang said. "They boast great properties in terms of thickness and length, good enough to make high-quality clothes." "It makes very good clothes," she added. Founded in 1979, Erdos Group, also known as the Inner Mongolia Erdos Group Co Ltd, is now a sprawling company involved in energy projects and metallurgy. But its core business is still cashmere processing and production, although the past few years have been challenging as international brands moved into China. Workers on production lines at an Erdos Group's factory in Ordos. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY "We have certainly met these challenges in recent years," Zhang said. "The competition and shrinking market forced serval brands to close. But we have managed to expand our business by making the right moves," she added. Last year, the group upgraded its labels and diversified to help satisfy different consumer trends. The 1436 fabric line, which was launched a decade ago, uses fiber less than 14.5 micrometers thick and more than 36 millimeters long. It is the cornerstone of the company's luxury cashmere operation. Still, the old Erdos brand has been split into four labels, 1436, Erdos 1980, Erdos and Blue Erdos. Erdos 1980 is tailored toward the more affluent, mature customer with classic designs. As for Erdos, it tends to target well-educated middle class clients who look for quality and fashion. Finally, Blue Erdos has been rolled out for a younger market, featuring simple designs at affordable prices. "From that division, we have yielded good results with sales volume increasing by 15 percent to 20 percent annually for three consecutive years," Zhang said. To cater for rising demand, the group has increased its production. More than 10 million cashmere products will be manufactured this year, while the company now has a design studio in Milan, Italy, as well as the US. "About 50 percent of our products are exported to European countries and the US," Zhang said. "We also export to Japan." Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Anglin chosen for plebe class James Anglin was inducted into the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2021 at the end of June and began six weeks of basic midshipman training as part of Plebe Summer. About 1,200 candidates are chosen each year for the academys plebe (freshman) class. Each student is required to participate in Plebe Summer, a program designed to help the freshmen prepare for their first academic year at the Naval Academy and the challenges that await them, states a press release from the Naval Academy. During Plebe Summer, candidates do not have access to television, movies, the internet or music. Candidates also have restricted cellphone access they can make only three calls during the six weeks of training. In the program, plebes learn basic skills in seamanship, navigation, damage control, sailing and handling yard patrol craft. They learn infantry drill and how to shoot 9mm pistols and M-16 rifles, states the press release. Other daily training sessions involve moral, mental, physical or professional development. Johnsen gets commissioned Nolan Johnsen has been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force after graduating from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala. According to a press release, the 12-week officer procurement program is designed to provide students with a broad, in-depth understanding of their role as Air Force officers. Students train inside and outside the classroom in leadership, communication and management skills. They also learn team building, military history and theory, international security and more. After graduating as officers, students attend a career specialty technical training program to further their leadership and professional skills. Johnsen is a 2002 graduate of Kelso High School and is the son of Tami and Kelly Johnsen of Longview. The officer received a masters degree in 2016 from Minot State University in Minot, N.D. The Daily News A Day of Kindness kicks off Aug. 1 to bring local residents together through random acts of decency. This is the third year of the initiative, but organizer Bill Ammons said it is extra special this time around because the day of good deeds lands on his 75th birthday. With the way the country is right now, with so many problems, we want to take a day and do something nice for somebody, said Ammons, a Kelso barber who has organized many charitable efforts in his life. Ammons said he called 50 churches, the Chamber of Commerce, credit unions and businesses around Cowlitz County to spread the word, but he also hopes to see communities around the state join in. The Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce will kick off a social media campaign on the first of the month that promotes a different community service idea each day in August, Chamber of Commerce Project Manager Lindsey Cope said. Citizens are encouraged to post their deeds on social media. There is be no structure and there will be no accountability for the random acts of kindness. Participants could do deeds as small as striking up a conversation with a stranger, picking up trash in their neighborhood or visiting a local cemetery. We want people to think of something nice. Maybe (call) somebody they havent talked to to in a long time, Ammons said. Not only does it make them feel good, but it makes you feel good. Ammons said he hopes the community can maintain the momentum from one day of giving so that it may continue even after the official event ends. Its going to be great to promote positivity and kindness in the area, Cope said. You constantly see these people who are quick to point out our flaws. We are excited about getting people to be quick to point out our strengths. When Sam Reid was laid off from his job at the Boise Inc. paper mill in St. Helens back in 2010, he didnt despair. He started printing T-shirts. Reid, whose screen-printing company now handles job for Fortune 500 companies, has come a long way since then. Ive always loved to create art, the local entrepreneur said. It turns out losing my job was really a blessing in disguise. After the mill laid off about 400 workers, Reid and a friend who also lost his job drove down to Southern Oregon and bought a T-shirt press and dryer. We were just making them for fun at first, Reid said. They started off printing shirts for friends and family while honing their technique. Reid said there are actually quite a few different ways to screen-print, with dozens of variables such as fabric type and ink to consider. Its a lot more technical than people would think, he said. For the next few years the two printed shirts in a garage and word began to spread. Eventually, Reids friend returned to his job at the paper mill, but Reid carried on printing, gradually taking increasingly bigger jobs. In 2013, Reid opened a shop in Longview and upgraded his printing equipment. Better equipment makes things a lot easier, he said. It allowed us to go up to the next level in quality. Reid said the name Big Foot Screen Printing was inspired by his appreciation for the legend of the simian-like creature said to inhabit the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Today, what was once a small screen-printing business run out of a garage is now a thriving local enterprise that does thousands of prints per week. The company is currently in the midst of a remodel for its 3,000-square-foot shop to create more space for upgrades and new equipment. Reid said the company serves everyone from parents who want a few shirts made for their kids birthday party to clients such as Amazon and Washington State University, as well as plenty of businesses. One thing separating Big Foot from commercial online screen-printing businesses is that Reid helps his customers design shirts in-house, he said. If they dont already have a logo or design in mind, hell help clients come up with one. I love to help tweak the logos and designs for them, he said. A lot of other companies and businesses dont like doing that because it takes up extra time, which they view as a cost, he said. Big Foot currently does all of its screen printing by hand, but Reid said hes looking at switching to a fully automated process. Right now the shop can print about 1,000 shirts with a 48-to-72-hour turnaround on short notice; standard jobs take about two weeks to complete. Hand-printing hundreds of T-shirts per day can sometimes be grueling for Reid and his staff of two full-time employees, but he said its still a great work environment. Its a fun environment to be around because in essence youre making art, he said. If there's one person relishing in Washington's Trump-era dysfunction, it's Libertarian Party Chairman Nicholas Sarwark, who sees the tumult as a prime recruitment opportunity. "I have to give thanks to Donald Trump and the Republican Party," said Sarwark, a former defense attorney who has led the Libertarian Party since 2014. "Their success in getting control of government and then showing that they can't do anything once they have that control has been a better argument for joining the Libertarian Party than anything I could say." As part of his efforts, Sarwark joined more than 1,000 libertarians and conservatives recently here in Las Vegas for a free-wheeling annual gathering called FreedomFest, fertile recruiting grounds where attendees held a robust skepticism of government power and where opinions of President Donald Trump were mixed. Activities at the four-day confab were varied: One could attend academic lectures on Adam Smith, discussion panels about whether space aliens would be libertarians, debates over open borders and a film festival. You could also listen to a dialogue between actors dressed as Ayn Rand and Benjamin Franklin, watch a speech by actor William Shatner and attend a blowout party for Steve Forbes' birthday. FreedomFest has been a mainstay of the Las Vegas convention circuit for a decade. But this marked the first gathering of Trump's presidency, which has divided even like-minded communities, including attendees here. Trump himself made a surprise appearance at this conference in 2015, making it one of his first public appearances after announcing his bid for the presidency. As an example of what was to come, the Republican candidate rambled over 50 minutes, complaining about the media, railing against trade, promoting a wall on the Mexican border and expressing a desire to get along with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Watching the speech at the time, Jeffrey Tucker, the content director at the libertarian Foundation for Economic Education, assumed the crowd would run Trump out of town. He was wrong. "I thought, nobody's going to buy this. Everything he says is against everything we believe. But by the time he ended, he had won over a substantial number of the crowd, which was a shock," Tucker said. "Libertarians imagine themselves to be intellectually robust and have strength of character, they are as subject as anybody else to be manipulated by the cult of personality and a good sales pitch." Indeed, reactions to Trump at the conference this year were varied. There are those, like Sarwark, who have deep concerns about Trump's policies yet sense a opportunities amid the chaos. Others, like former Libertarian Party Vice Presidential Nominee Wayne Allyn Root, can't get enough joy out of Trump's bombast. "I love that he's driving liberals insane," said Root, who debated Trucker about Trump at the conference. "They need a straitjacket, a rubber room and a hug from mommy." But for many who consider themselves libertarians, the main concern is systematic, and larger than the current president. The real issue, they say, is that the presidency has gained too much authority in the first place, and that Trump is merely taking advantage of an inheritance given to him by Republicans and Democrats alike. To be a libertarian, after all, is to be almost constantly at issue with both ruling parties in some way. Trump may be different, but to them, he's just another American president with too much power. "He is incompetent. He has passed no significant piece of legislation in 100 days despite his big promises. He is an embarrassment to the American people and around the globe. What we need to do as libertarians is not talk about people, we need to talk about systems and policies," said Nick Gillespie, editor in chief of the libertarian magazine website Reason.com. "If you are a libertarian you should understand that big government is the problem." tech2 News Staff A study conducted by The University of Manchester and RAND Europe has found that up to 60 percent of the weapons on sale on dark web marketplaces are from the United States. The data collected for the study covered 12 cryptomarkets, where firearms, weapons and explosives were on sale. Also listed were banned digital products that provided detailed instructions on how to make weapons and explosives at home. Giacomo Persi Paoli, the lead author of the study, says "The dark web is both an enabler for the trade of illegal weapons already on the black market and a potential source of diversion for weapons legally owned. Recent high-profile cases have shown that the threat posed by individuals or small groups obtaining weapons illegally from the dark web is real. The ability for criminals and terrorists, as well as vulnerable or fixated individuals, to make virtually anonymous purchases is perhaps the most dangerous aspect." The finding indicates that that the listings on the dark web marketplaces are not likely to fuel large scale armed conflicts or terrorist organisations. However, the marketplaces can be used to procure weapons by lone-wolf terrorists working on their own, and small gangs. The 18 year old who went on a pre meditated shooting spree in Munich, in July 2016, is believed to be one of these lone-wolf terrorist, who had purchased the weapon used in the shooting from the dark web. The dark web marketplaces typically have a number of anonymising features that allow the buyers and sellers to mask their identities. As some of the geological barriers are broken down, the cryptomarkets facilitate global sales in illegal firearms. The study suggests that the weapons available on the dark web are more recent and better performing than similar weapons available in the black market or on the streets. hidden US venture capital firms lining up for a slice of the burgeoning digital currency market are grappling with a novel challenge - some of the hottest tech startups that sell the coins just don't need their money. Only a few years ago, digital currency entrepreneurs, like other Silicon Valley peers, had to line up to pitch their ideas to venture capitalists, who controlled their destiny as virtually the only source of funding. So-called initial coin offerings (ICOs), where new tech companies using blockchain technology can raise millions quickly by creating and selling digital "tokens" with no regulatory oversight, have turned traditional relationships upside down. Blockchain, a public online ledger of transactions, gained prominence as a technology that underpinned the first digital currency, bitcoin. "The day when VCs were the elusive elite and primary source of capital for startups has ended," said Jamie Burke, founder and chief executive officer of VC firm Outlier Ventures, which specializes in blockchain and other technology investments. "When a startup can raise $35 million in 30 seconds without any dilution, the genie is out of the bottle and it isn't going back in," he said, referring to Brave, an open source web browser that blocks ads and trackers, which sold its Basic Attention Token in June. By mid-July, tech firms raised about $1.1 billion in 89 coin sales this year, roughly 10 times more than that in the whole of 2016, according to data compiled for Reuters by crypto-currency research firm Smith + Crown. Coin sales have already eclipsed funds blockchain firms received from venture capital, which invested over $300 million in equity in the sector in the first half of this year, Coindesk data showed. Still, the tokens' strong gains on dozens of online exchanges got venture capital firms' attention and several sought to get a slice of the offers in exclusive pre-sale deals, public sales or both. Prominent venture capitalists Tim Draper and Blockchain Capital co-founder Brock Pierce told Reuters they have participated in coin offerings. Many of these VC firms also take equity in the start-ups that issue the coins. However, venture capital firms moving into the world of digital currencies face unprecedented pushback. Some issuers limit the size of pre-sale deals, making venture capital firms scramble like everybody else for sought-after public offers. Pierce of Blockchain Capital said the old business model that gave venture capitalists and founders the lion's share of a company no longer worked with blockchain firms. "Whether VCs like it or not, venture capital will become a very small part of capital formation," he said. The reason is that firms issue tokens not only to raise money but also to attract a broad group of enthusiasts who can help develop their projects hoping to lift the value of their investments. "Tokens can galvanize a community: lots of individuals and corporations are able to work together and improve a decentralized network," said Ryan Shea, co-founder of tech start-up Blockstack in New York. Blockstack recently launched a new browser that will give users access to new applications on their own devices without remote servers. For Blockstack's own token launch later this year, Shea said the firm plans a combination of a crowdsale and so-called "mining", in which market participants solve complex mathematical problems to release a coin. "I think if you have a few venture capitalists that come in and sweep up all the tokens, to me that's a failed token sale," Shea added. Stelian Balta, developer, entrepreneur as well as founder and chief executive officer of Singapore-based hedge fund HyperChain Capital, is one such investor issuers target. "We help in the security audit of the tokens, we help introduce developers for coding purposes, and we have introduced the start-ups to our own network of connections," he said. Robust Returns Venture capital firms' digital currency investments still account for only a sliver of the roughly $19.3 billion they have invested in tech-related sectors in the first half of 2017, according to data from consulting firm PwC and research firm CB Insights. But the double-digit returns coins have delivered over the past few years is not something venture capital investors want to pass up. According to tokendata.io, a new website that tracks initial coin offerings, these tokens trade on the exchanges at 20 times their initial sale price on average. That number is skewed by high-performing outliers and the median multiple is three. Yet VCs sometimes have to make do with less than they bid for in token sales. For example, US startup Civic, which is building an identity verification network, trimmed venture capital firms' and other institutional orders in a pre-sale of its token, the company's co-founder and chief executive Vinny Lingham told Reuters. Venture capitalists recognize digital coin sales as a genuine disruptive force, but argue they still have a role to play - helping blockchain startups build teams and devise longer-term business strategies. "The investors who bought your token, like public market investors, may be gone tomorrow, next month, or next year, having moved on to the next big thing," said Fred Wilson co-founder of Union Square Ventures, which has participated in coin sales. "VCs, at least the best ones, are there for your company in good times and bad." Yet as long as coin sales provide quick, hassle-free access to funds, start-ups tend to focus on technical expertise and see less urgency to tap venture capital funds. "People who provide value are those who have insight on how blockchain works," said Jake Brukhman, a partner at U.S.-based CoinFund, which invests in tokens. "I think VCs are two years behind on blockchain." Reuters tech2 News Staff In what is likely the most serious data breach of its kind, Swedens entire vehicle and license register was uploaded to cloud servers and emailed in plain text to marketers. More horrifying is the fact that register contains information on police and military vehicles as well as information on individuals in witness protection programs. Swedish media reported the breach, with some stating that the Swedish Transport Authority handed over the keys to the kingdom to, well, everyone. The database even includes information on the weight capacity of all the roads and bridges in Sweden. This is a serious security risk. According to The Hacker News, the names, photos and addresses of all members of the air force, the police, special forces and members of Swedens witness relocation program have been leaked. The Type, model, weight, and any defects in all government and military vehicles, including their operator, was also leaked, adds the report. The Local reports that the breach can be traced to Maria Agren, Director General of the Transport Agency, who was fired for undisclosed reasons in January this year. She was later fined 70,000 kronor (around Rs 5.5 lac) for being careless with secret information, which was the point at which media discovered and reported the data breach. In a bid to cut down on expenditure, the Transport Authority, at Maria Agrens behest, apparently outsourced the management of the vehicle and license register to IBM in April 2015. The Authority was reportedly facing a severe cash crunch and was pressed for time; as a result, the contract was handed over to IBM without a proper security audit. While the Swedish government has no issue with outsourcing IT security and data, it expects that a thorough security audit be done. In this case, an unknown number of Eastern European security professionals including some in the Czech Republic -- who did not have the proper clearance apparently handed the data. The data was also uploaded to IBMs cloud servers without a security audit of said servers. To top it off, The Hacker News reports that the Transport Authority itself mailed the entire database in plain text to marketers. Sensitive databases are normally encrypted. In the event of a data breach, a hacker would still have to decrypt the database to extract useful data. For a properly secured database, this task should be virtually impossible. The fact that the database was emailed in plain text means that all the information contained in the database is readily accessible to anyone with access to the database. Swedens security police unit Sapo is currently handling the investigation. The breach occurred in 2015, but wasnt discovered until 2016. Reports suggest that it wont be contained till later this year. The extent of the Swedish data breach reveals the importance of securing all-encompassing databases like Aadhaar and even brings into questioning the necessity of maintaining a centralised database of this nature. It takes just one misstep to compromise the privacy of an entire nation. hidden Thai police have seized nearly $21 million worth of assets, from cars to cryptocurrency, belonging to the late founder of dark web marketplace AlphaBay, who died in a Bangkok jail this month, they said on 24 July, 2017. Alexandre Cazes, a 25-year-old Canadian citizen, was arrested in Thailand on July 5 at the request of the United States. Thai police on 24 July, 2017 confirmed he was the administrator of AlphaBay, an online site devoted to the sale of illicit goods, ranging from computer hacking tools to drugs and weapons. AlphaBay was widely considered the biggest online black market for drugs, estimated to host daily transactions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cazes was found dead in his cell at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok on July 12 before he was due to be extradited to the United States, deputy national police chief Chalermkiat Sriworakan said. "We have seized over 700 million baht worth of assets, cars, and cryptocurrency," Chalermkiat told Reuters. The sum is equivalent to $21 million. Cazes faced charges related to narcotics distribution, identity theft, money laundering and other crimes. It was unclear if Cazes had been provided a lawyer or if police had appointed one for him, as is sometimes the case in Thailand. His Thai wife, Sunisa Cazes, also faces a money laundering charge. She is in custody and Reuters was unable to reach her for comment. Cazes, referred to as "DeSnake" by some in the online community, operated chiefly from Thailand, where media said he owned several properties and had connections in many countries. His arrest followed a police operation called Bayonet, which involved authorities in six countries including the FBI, the Dutch National Police and the Royal Thai Police. AlphaBay was "the largest dark net marketplace in history", U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last week, when he announced its shutdown by the U.S. Justice Department. Reuters tech2 News Staff KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with a 3x optical zoom feature. The report, first spotted on Chinese blogging site MyDrivers and reported by India Today, says that the phone will come with 12 MP and 13 MP dual cameras. The 13 MP sensor will feature a wide angle lens and the 12 MP sensor will feature a telephoto lens on the device. Find out what it means to do bigger things on 08.23.2017. pic.twitter.com/xsbqdP0QBM Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) July 20, 2017 Samsung recently tweeted saying "Find out what it means to do bigger things on 08.23.2017" suggesting the smartphone to be released on 23 August 2017. The website also mentioned that the company has started sending media invite for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with a note "Do bigger things" on the invite. The phone is expected to come with a massive 6.3-inch display and a S Pen for navigating on the screen. The display of the Samsung Note 8 will be similar to the recently launched Galaxy S8 by the company. The report also says that Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be released in two phases. US, UK and South Korea are the countries listed in the first phase. Rest of the market will receive the device in the second phase in October. Samsung is yet to confirm the features of the device. Samsung has been reported of bringing a rugged version of Samsung Galaxy S8 called as Samsung Galaxy Active. The smartphone houses a 4,000 mAh battery (that is bigger than the S8+) while the body of the device is made of poly-carbonate with the sides protected by metal inserts around the corners. All of this addition insulation and protection makes the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active 1.5x thicker than standard Samsung Galaxy S8. How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. Kindness is a gateway for all of us to connect and care for each other. Morgan Freeman Whether its a supporting... MAKING CONNECTIONS Editors note: The following random acts of kindness were emailed or called into County Press editor Jeff Hogan at jhogan@mihomepaper.com. The following acts of kindness experienced by County Press readers... Ed-Tech students connect with community ATTICA TWP. The Lapeer County Education and Technology Center (Ed-Tech) is a place where students can get a taste of the career opportunities that exist in their field of... Speaker returns home from Vietnam The Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairperson Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Tuesday returned home from Vietnam wrapping up her six-day visit. At the invitation of Vietnam National Assembly, Bangladesh Speaker left Dhaka for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, on July 19, said an official of parliament secretariat. During her visit, the speaker took part in different bilateral discussions with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang, Chairperson of Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Secretary General of Vietnam Communist Party Nguen Phu Trong. "Trade relations, import and export issues, joint investment, jute-made materials issues and tourism between the two countries were dominated in the discussion," he added. Parliament members - Imran Ahmed, Pankaj Nath and AM Naimur Rahman, and senior secretary of parliament secretariat Dr M Abdur Rab Hawlader accompanied the speaker during the tour. Air strikes, shelling strain Moscow-backed Damascus truce Numerous attempts at a lasting ceasefire in western Syria have collapsed with both sides trading the blame Reuters, Beirut : Air strikes killed at least nine people in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus overnight and insurgent shelling from the rebel-held area landed near the Russian embassy on Tuesday, a war monitor reported. The fighting strained a Russian-backed truce in the area. The Syrian military declared a cessation of hostilities there on Saturday. Russia, a military ally of President Bashar al-Assad, said it had deployed military police in the Eastern Ghouta on Monday to try to enforce a de-escalation zone it said it had agreed with the Syrian opposition there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths in the air strikes in the Eastern Ghouta town of Arbin marked the first civilian casualties since the truce came into effect. Further air strikes targeted the area on Tuesday morning, wounding four people, the Observatory said. The shelling near the Russian embassy marked the first time rebels had hit government-held areas of central Damascus since the truce began. The Observatory said the overnight air strikes wounded 30 people. The Civil Defence for rural Damascus, a rescue service operating in the area, said the dead included five children and two women. In a statement on its Facebook page, it put the number of wounded and missing at 50. The air strikes hit the area at 11 p.m. (2000 GMT), it said. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military on the report, and no mention of air strikes by state media. Witnesses said three mortar shells landed in the neighborhood where the Russian embassy is located in northeastern Damascus. There were no reports of casualties. The Syrian army, with military support from Russia and Iran, has dealt the opposition a string of defeats around the capital over the last year, seizing back control of areas including Daraya and Moadamiya. Meanwhile, Syrian rebels and activists are warning that an al-Qaida-linked jihadi group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the country's uprising in northwestern Syria, after the extremists seized control of the opposition-held regional capital, Idlib, last weekend. With the jihadis cementing their authority over the city and its province, also called Idlib, Syrian President Bashar Assad has been supplied with a useful pretext for a long-expected assault against the rebellious province: that the uprising against him is largely driven by Islamists and terrorists. UK's FM plays down Conservative party rift Reuters, Wellington : Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Tuesday appeared to deny there was any infighting within the governing Conservative party during a visit to New Zealand, where he said the country was near the top of the queue for a trade deal post-Brexit. Boris Johnson played down recent media reports in London of infighting in the Conservative party along the lines of the Leave-Remain rifts it suffered during the referendum. Britain kicked off a first full round of negotiations with the European Union last week, a year after Britons voted narrowly to leave the European Union, but their government seemed at war with itself over the divorce terms. Asked whether the infighting within the party could compromise Britain's ability to clinch a timely, post-Brexit deal with the EU, Boris Johnson said: "I don't wish in any way to sound complacent but I have been travelling in Japan and the now beautiful New Zealand and any such activities completely passed me by .... no one has sent me news of any such infighting," Boris Johnson told a news conference in Wellington. "Our friends and partners around the world can be confident that we are going to get this thing done and done in style." Saudi, allies unveil Qatar `terrorist` blacklist Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt banned Qatar from using their airspace and ordered Qataris to repatriate. AFP, Riyadh : Saudi Arabia and its allies unveiled a "terrorist" blacklist on Tuesday of 18 organisations and individuals suspected of links with Islamist extremism that they said had ties with regional rival Qatar. The move by the four Arab governments came despite mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott of their fellow US ally. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt blacklisted nine charity and media organisations and nine individuals "directly or indirectly linked to Qatari authorities" as "terrorist", a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said. "We expect Qatari authorities to take the next step and prosecute the terrorist groups and people," the statement added. The four governments have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 in the region's worst diplomatic crisis in years. They sealed the emirate's only land border, ordered its citizens to leave and closed their airspace and waters to Qatari flights and shipping. They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a "terror group" by the four governments although not by the international community. They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly towards Iran. Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from its ally Turkey. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who last week spent four days in the region trying to broker a settlement of the crisis, has voiced satisfaction with Qatar's efforts to address any suspicion of terror funding. The four governments on Tuesday blacklisted three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya accusing them of ties to Al-Qaeda. They also blacklisted three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti they said were implicated in "fundraising campaigns to support (former Al-Qaeda affilate) Al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria". Qatar and its neighbours support opposing sides in the conflict in Libya between a UN-backed unity government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east. Qatar supports Islamist militia that back the unity government, while the United Arab Emirates has provided arms deliveries to its rival that a UN panel found were in violation of UN sanctions. Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention against Shiite rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March 2015. UGC, UNICEF to work jiontly on higher education Campus Report : The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bangladesh is willing to work with University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh for developing curriculum on Communication for Development (C4D) at tertiary level education of Bangladesh. With this end in view, UNICEF in association with UGC offered to organize a workshop in Dhaka this year. The interest was shown when Neha Kapil, Chief, Communication for Development, UNICEF, Bangladesh called on Prof Abdul Mannan, Chairman, UGC at the latter's office on Wednesday. Yasmin Khan, Communication for Development Specialist, UNICEF Bangladesh and Dr Masudul Biswas, Assistant Professor, Communication Development, LOYOLA University Maryland, USA assisted Neha Kapil during the meeting. Neha Kapil said that Communication for Development is very essential for socio-economic development of Bangladesh. UNICEF wants to develop a curriculum on Communication for Development (C4D) for qualitative development of higher education of Bangladesh. For this, we want to arrange a two or three day workshop this year in Bangladesh. Welcoming the delegation at his office, Prof Mannan termed the proposal by the delegation as excellent and said that it will add value to the enhancement of higher education of the country. He observed that curriculum development is a continuous process. ULAB student at MUN' 2017 conference Campus Report : Kazi Raihanul Bari Rifat, a student of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) represented Bangladesh at 'South European Model United Nations 2017' (SEIMUN'17) organized by the United Nations Student Association (UNSA) held in Granada, Spain recently. Additionally, he also joined "Catalonia Model United Nations 2017" (C'MUN) organized by the United Nations Association of Spain (ANUE) in Barcelona, Spain from 11th May 2017 till 14th May 2017. He participated at this conference in 2016 and this is his second time being invited to this conference. His diligent work and dedication towards diplomacy and international relations helped him fly to Europe for the second time and get solicitations from two of the most prestigious conferences of Europe which had the presence of individuals such as Dr Enrique Baron, 16th President of the European Parliament; Dr Francisco Cuenca, Mayor of Granada; Eduard Sagarra Trias, President of the the United Nations Association of Spain and many other important individuals. USIM, DIU to work with HOPE on entrepreneurship dev YBhg Prof Tan Sri Dato\' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Chairman, USIM presents a memento to Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Daffodil International University during the latteras visit to Universiti Sains Islam in Malaysia recently. Campus Report : Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Daffodil International University (DIU) and Daffodil Family visited the Hands On Program for Entrepreneurship (HOPE), an entrepreneurial wing setup under Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) during his visit to USIM recently. High officials of USIM were present and introduced Sabur Khan with different sections of the HOPE. Both universities USIM and DIU agreed to work together under this platform on entrepreneurship development in and around this region. Earlier YBhg Prof Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Chairman, USIM; YBhg Prof Dato' Dr Musa Ahmad, VC; Prof Dato' Dr Zulkiple Abd Ghani, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International); Prof Dr Roshada Hashim, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), USIM and other Deans and high officials welcomed Sabur Khan during his USIM visit. Sabur Khan delivered a presentation on DIU mentioning opportunities for development of entrepreneurship between DIU and USIM. The decision of the meeting was to initiate joint work on the development of entrepreneurship. The joint work would be: initiation of Blended Learning, Summer program, Al-Qur'an Research Center, translating and publishing 'A Journey Towards Entrepreneurship' (written by Sabur Khan) in Malay language and exchange of faculty and students. HOPE provides an opportunity and space to expand cooperation and networking with the industry in developing and empowering entrepreneurship. The HOPE program is designed, developed and implemented by entrepreneurs with more than 10 years of industrial experience where theoretical and practical filling sessions are shared jointly by entrepreneurs, industry leaders, academic experts and human resource trainers. Implementation of HOPE is very relevant at present time to produce more graduate entrepreneurs as HOPE emphasized the practical component of 80 percent and 20 percent of the theoretical component of the evaluation system. While the achievements and performance of each HOPE student are measured using the Industry-based Performance Assessment System, through 12 criteria in the Key Result Area (KRA) and 8 criteria in Behavioral Competencies (BC). It is a great hope for students of DIU and Bangladesh with entrepreneurial spirit to expose their mettle through a tested competitive platform. Local people passing days with fear With flood water receding, erosion of the bank of Teesta takes a serious turn at Taiyab Khan in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram: This photo was taken from Bidyananda union on Tuesday. UNB, Kurigram : With flood water receding, erosion on the bank of the Teesta River at Taiyab Kha in Rajarhat upazila has taken a serious turn. Speedy current is engulfing houses and farmlands rapidly as the water level of the river has been receding for the last two weeks. The erosion swallowed houses, schools, dam, road, business establishments, mosque, temple in the last few days while positive initiatives by the authorities concerned were not visible to prevent the erosion, locals alleged. Fanindra Nath, 65, one of the victims of river erosion, said he had been living in Taiyab Kha area for the past 22 years. There were farmlands, pond, and betel nut orchard in this area, which gradually went under water due to river erosion. "Now I have no place to live. I have taken temporary shelter at the land of Gopal Adhikary", he added. The residents of river bank are passing their days with fear of further erosion while several more houses are still at greater risk of erosion. Maleka, 52, a resident of Somnarayan area in Taiwab Kha, said, "I could not feed my children and sent my son to Dhaka for work and livelihood. Here I have witnessed four erosions one after another. I bought a piece of land which also went in the gorge of river. Then local people gave me shelter at forest that was also taken away by the river. And now there is no place to reside." "I do not want any help but only the prevention and protection from the rapid erosion," Maleka added. Tajul Islam, chairman of Bidyananda Union Parishad, said the piling initiative with the cost of Tk 30 lakh to prevent the erosion of Teesta River here went in vain. It is hardly possible to tackle Teesta erosion with the help of small projects as it demands bigger ones like construction of an embankment, otherwise hundreds of houses will be washed away by the river. Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan, deputy commissioner of Kurigram district, said that Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) is temporally erected bamboo spar to fight erosion. "We have already spent additional allocation of Tk 10 lakh after consultation with the higher authorities. We are trying our level best to protect the erosion victims." he added. Full text of verdict released UNB, Dhaka : The High Court on Tuesday published the full text of its verdict that upheld the death sentence of four convicts in a case filed over killing of 13-year-old boy Rajon in Sylhet in 2015. The text of the verdict was published on the website of the Supreme Court after Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice M Jahangir Hossain, who delivered the judgment, signed the copies of the verdict. Earlier on April 11, the HC upheld the death sentence of the four convicts in the case. The four death row convicts are: Qamrul Islam, Chwkidar Moyna Miah alias Baro Moyna, Taj Uddin Badal and fugitive Zakir Hossain Pavel. The court also had commuted the life term imprisonment of Nur Miah to six months' jail. Earlier, on January 30, the High Court started hearing the death reference and appeals of the condemned convicts of the case. Sylhet Metropolitan and Sessions Judge's Court handed down the death penalty to four people, including Saudi expatriate Quamrul Islam, for killing Rajon on November 8, 2015. On July 8, 2015, Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajon, son of Sheikh Azizur Rahman of Badeali village in Sadar upazila of Sylhet, was brutally tortured to death over a theft at Sundar Ali Market in Kumargaon area of the city. The killers themselves took the video footage of the incident. The video clip went viral on social networking site Facebook and video site Youtube, triggering a widespread outcry. Trump plea for unity on showdown healthcare vote BBC Online : US President Donald Trump has issued a challenge to Republican senators to rally behind their healthcare bill, on the eve of a crucial vote. "Now is the time for action," President Trump said in a rare healthcare speech. A procedural vote is due on Tuesday as Republicans push forward in their attempt to repeal former President Barack Obama's signature law. But among Republicans there is confusion about the bill and it is unclear whether it will pass. Senator Ron Johnson told reporters: "I don't have a clue what we're going to be voting on." Senators will vote on a procedural motion to start debate on a health care bill. Republicans have a majority in the Senate but there are deep divisions in their party on the issue. "Many of us have waited literally years for this moment to arrive and, at long last, it finally has," said Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor. But several senators have expressed unhappiness over the process, because it is not clear what they will vote on if the procedure vote passes. Media caption'Trump is not thinking about the little people' There appear to be two choices - either a repeal-and-replace bill that has already struggled to win support across the party, or a bill that enacts repeal with a two-year delay, in the hope of finding agreement before that time elapses. Senator John McCain, recently diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, will return to Congress to cast his vote. The president increased the pressure on his party by warning them they had a duty to adhere to seven years of promises. In a White House speech laced with frustration, President Trump said: "To every member of the Senate I say this: The American people have waited long enough. "There's been enough talk, and no action. Now is the time for action." Image copyright Twitter He lambasted his predecessor's overhaul of healthcare, known as Obamacare, and stood alongside people he said were "victims" of the 2010 law. Obamacare extended healthcare insurance to about 20 million people but Republicans hate the way it introduced government-run marketplaces, where premiums have risen sharply for some people. Mr Trump tweeted again on Tuesday morning, saying it was a "big day for healthcare" and that "we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." The party's proposed alternative includes steep cuts to Medicaid, a healthcare programme for the poor and disabled. And it removes Obamacare's individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty. The non-partisan Congressional Budgetary Office (CBO) found the bill would strip 22 million Americans of health insurance over the next decade. But if the bill gets to the floor of the Senate, amendments could be added to change the various provisions. A Republican politician has blamed "female senators" for the spluttering efforts by his party to pass a healthcare bill. Blake Farenthold, a congressman from Texas, told a local radio station if a man from his state was responsible, he would challenge him to a duel. "Some of the people that are opposed to this, they're some female senators from the North East." If it was "a guy from south Texas" who was generating so much discord in the party, he said, he would ask them to settle their differences in a gun fight. Susan Collins of Maine was one of three female Republicans who said they could not back the Senate's last healthcare plan, a repeal with two-year delay, which hit the buffers last week. Ms Collins, a moderate Republican, has been strongly opposed to the Republican bill from the start over the cuts to Medicaid. HSC results: Fall in pass rates fall in standard too THE results of this year's HSC examinations saw a significant fall in both the success rate and the number of highest achievers due to the introduction of a new evaluation method, students' poor performance in English and shocking performance of students of Comilla Board. The overall pass rate of Higher Secondary Certificate examinees under eight General Education Boards dropped by more than 5 percentage points to 66.84 percent. The number of students having achieved the highest grade -- GPA 5 -- also came down to 33,242 from last year's 48,950. The combined pass rate under all the 10 Education Boards, including Madrasa and Technical Boards, also declined to 68.91 percent from last year's 74.70 percent. Similarly, GPA-5 achievers under the 10 Boards fell to 37,969 from last year's 58,276. The method named "standardisation of answer scripts" was first introduced for Secondary School Certificate examinees this year. And subsequently, the results showed a significant fall in the pass rate. Explaining the new evaluation method, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said Chief Examiners in consultation with senior examiners set model answers of the questions. Considering the model answers as the standard, the examiners checked the answer scripts. The measure was taken following a research conducted by the Bangladesh Examination Development Unit on the existing evaluating system. The usual practice was that the listed examiners first collected scripts from the Boards, checked those and returned to the Boards. There was no monitoring mechanism or any specific rule to check the scripts. It is unbelievable that no specific method of script checking existed prior to this year's examinations. In most examinations of this nature held internationally like O Levels and IB examiners are given precise instructions on how to grade. It's difficult to believe that the pass grade fell by 5 percent simply because the grading was standardized. The pass ratio of 65 percent is remarkable -- but of them how many are really suited to studying in tertiary education. If we take the DU standard then on average almost 9-10 percent of students pass their Entrance Exams -- a much more realistic number of students who are actually capable of studying at the higher levels. Young people must be encouraged to go into technical and vocational education more. Establishment of new technical universities or vocational institutes is a step in the right direction. We can follow countries like Finland where only teachers are encouraged to go for Masters or PhDs. Candidates who want to become civil servants are allowed to do their Bachelor's. Such a system will put lesser pressure on our colleges and on our students and provide more competent people are technically endowed with knowledge. SC asks govt to reconnect City Cell`s frequency Court Correspondent : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government to reconnect the Citycell's frequency within 24 hours. A three-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order after hearing on a petition filed by the first mobile phone operator (Citycell). The apex court also asked the relevant authorities to reactivate Citycell's liscence and fixed August 6 for hearing on a petition filed on a charge of contempt of court. On Monday, Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) decided to scrap the liscence of the Citycell. Earlier, on October 20, 2016, BTRC suspended the spectrum allotment of Citycell as they failed to pay the outstanding amounting to Tk 477.63 crore. The Citycell authorities filed the petition with the Appellate Division on October 24 seeking a stay on the decision of the BTRC that suspended its spectrum for the non-payment of dues. On November 3, last year, the apex court ordered the authorities to reopen Citycell frequency and directed mobile firm to pay dues of Tk 1 billion by November 19. Besides, the court fixed Tk 500,000 as honorarium to the committee chief while Tk 250,000 each for other members of the committee and asked both- Citycell and the BTRC to bear the honorarium. The Appellate Division ordered Citycell to pay Tk 477.51 crore dues to the BTRC in two installments for continuing its operation on August 29, last year. The apex court asked the mobile phone operator to pay the first slot of Tk 318.42 crore, two-thirds of the total outstanding dues within October 19. As Citycell failed to pay the first slot of the total amount within the stipulated time, BTRC decided to suspend the operations of the mobile phone operator as per their earlier decision. Dilapidated roads in city caused untold sufferings City Corporations pay no heed to repair, huge tailback found everyday Reza Mahmud : Dilapidated roads and numerous potholes have been causing road accidents and frequent tailbacks forcing the city people to suffer lots. "We cannot drive our taxi comfortably because of numerous potholes. The danger rises when rainwater conceals the rugged portions of roads and potholes, resulting in accidents," said Nazim Hossain, a taxi driver in Gulistan. Abdur Rashid, a bus driver, said at Farmgate that the rugged roads and potholes cause huge traffic gridlocks in the city everyday. All the transport drivers said, most of the roads in the Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation areas are unfit. In Jurain, the entrance point for southern districts, the roads are in most dilapidated conditions. Potholes are uncountable on the Jurain-Jatrabari-Gulistan Road and Jurain Doyagonj to Motijheel Road. The same condition exist from the Asad Gate to Gabtoli. The big potholes have been seen at Technical intersection, Parbata, Mazar Road and in front of Gabtoli bus terminal. The Rampura to Demra Road is also rugged in many places. The local people said heavy loaded trucks and covered vans are responsible. From Malibagh level crossing to Rampura bridge, the both sides of the road are in vulnerable situations for long. There is a big pothole on the main road in front of Hazipara petrol pump with water. The rickshaw and taxies meet accidents while trying to ply on. The road from Khilgaon level crossing to Malibagh level crossing is more vulnerable due to heavy downpour. The roads from Khilgaon flyover to Bashabo-Nandipara area becomes unusable for transports. Bashabo-WASA Roads is also in vulnerable conditions. Toyenbi Circular Road which goes from Motijheel to Kamlapur is full of potholes. Uttar Goran, Sipahibagh, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and adjacent areas are no exception. Roads at Moghbazar, Tejgaon and adjacent areas and Mohakhali have numerous potholes. The authorities of DSCC and DNCC take no initiative to repair the roads. When contacted, Md. Asaduzzaman, the Additional Chief Engineer of DSCC and Director of the road development project, said, "We have taken some measures to repair those roads. But it is not possible now due to heavy rain." Qudar Ullah, the Additional Chief Engineer of DNCC also explained in the same manner. He said, "Rain is obstructing us to repair the damaged roads. The both officials said the two city corporations will repair the roads soon after the rainy season. No headway in chasing `dirty money` Lack of political will, poor regulation blamed Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Though corrupt business cartels, tax dodgers and organised crime masterminds are siphoning off billions of dollar from the country every year, the government and its agencies appear to remain apathetic in tackling such financial crime, economists pointed out on Tuesday. They also identified a serious deficiency of government's political will and poor regulatory regime as obstacles to the fight against the outflow of 'dirty money' from Bangladesh. According to them, the illicit financial outflow stemming from transfer mispricing, trade misinvoicing, availing residency abroad, secret negotiated contracts with foreign firms, tax evasion and corruption is seriously damaging economic and financial stability of the country. A report from the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) suggests that unrecorded capital flow from Bangladesh has stood at $61.63 billion between 2005 and 2014. "The outflow mostly took place under the cover of trade misinvoicing, with average $6.16 billion per year," it added. The GFI report also revealed that illicit capital flight from Bangladesh was on a higher trend from 2007 following political turmoil of the time, and it continued until 2013 when the highest $9.66 billion was siphoned off. Expressing serious concern over the situation, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor and a leading economist in the country told The New Nation that Bangladesh is losing billions of dollars every year in illicit financial flows. This amount could be used in the country's development needs if the crime could be prevented. "The economy is bleeding, and it is getting anaemic as a result of illicit financial flows," he said, adding: "The government needs concrete actions to control the crime." He further said the government could not deliver but allowed money to leave the country by showing laxity over the problem. "A strong political will from government can help curb the financial flows to a great extent. Besides, a tighter regulatory regime, capacity building of government agencies, cross-border information sharing and collaboration with international institutions are necessary to fight against the crime successfully," he suggested. Dr Salehuddin also said, "Capital outflows were already on the rise because investors, businessmen, politicians and the senior public servants are worried by future political and investment climate of the country." "A big amount of dirty money is flowing out from Bangladesh every year and the authorities concerned are rattling with the outflows. They are yet to intervene vigorously to defend the crime due mainly to lack of a political will from the government," Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former finance adviser to a caretaker government, told The New Nation. He observed that corrupt businessmen and Bangladeshis have laundered the money under the disguise of trade misinvoicing, brought residential properties in the EU, the US, Canada, Malaysia, established business ventures in Singapore and Thailand, deposited black money in Swiss banks and made investments in Malaysia's Second Home scheme. "They may be successfully committed the crime taking advantage of porous regulatory control and weakness of the regulators like the central bank and National Board of Revenue and Anti-corruption Commission," Mirza Aziz said. He also said that there were also many weaknesses in the system that urgently needed attention. It was important that all the government agencies responsible to chase the dirty money should develop a combined capacity to comprehensively combat the illegal outflow of money. "Fighting against all sorts of corruption and financial crime is a government political decision. So, the problem is political rather than enforcement," Prof Abu Ahmed, who teaches economics at Dhaka University, told The New Nation. He said the government should take a comprehensive strategy to curb the outflow of illicit money and the investigating agencies should play a proactive role in chasing it. Prof Ahmed opined that such a capital flight has already taken a serious turn posing a great threat to the national economy. "The country may be go dry in its capital unless the current menace of capital outflow could not be prevented immediately," he added. All 313 BD pilgrims survive AB News24.com : Fire breaks out at a Hajj flight (SV 811) of Saudia Airlines at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. 313 pilgrims were on the flight did not suffer any harm. Khalilur Rahman Patwari said that the SV-811 Flight APU-Oxyelite Power Unit of Saudia Airlines's was set on fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport a few minutes before the take off of the plane carrying 313 pilgrims. But in spite of the possibility of major accidents, Allah saved us. According to the airport sources, the Boeing 777-200 aircraft of Saudi Airlines, with 313 pilgrims, started its journey towards the runway for flying 11.15 minutes from the Boarding Bridge. An employee of the Regent Airways saw the smoke comine out from the backside of the plane. He informed this to this in the control tower. When told to the Saudi Airlines pilot from the airport control tower, he stopped the aircraft engines there. Later, an emergency was announced at the airport and the fire service staff of the airport was present there. Later the plane was pulled by a push cart and removed from the runway. The flight leaves Dhaka at 1:45 pm instead of 11am on Tuesday. Biman spokesman Shakil Meraaj said, I heard that such an accident happened. But the pilgrims are safe. Saudia Airlines's Hajj flight started from July 24 to August 28. Pilgrims will return to Bangladesh 6 September after after completing Hajj. Flight will end on 6th October. Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudia Airlines are carrying hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. CAIRO Cairo Councilman Danny Brown said hes concerned that theres another brewing crisis in Cairo that isnt getting enough attention this one at City Hall. At every council meeting for several months running, Brown, the citys police commissioner, said council members are told, We almost didnt make payroll this month. We might not make it next month. As negotiations between the city and police union have been ongoing for more than two years, Brown said the Cairo Police Department is experiencing rapid turnover in the face of uncertainty. Officers are being told to be prepared for cuts to their health insurance, no raises and potentially other changes aimed at cutting costs given the citys financial situation. Look at all the politicians coming down here for the housing situation, which I agree with 1,000 percent, Brown said during an interview in his home this past week. But how many have you heard talking about the city situation? If you dont have a city how does housing work? Brown was referring to efforts of city leaders to secure a private developer to help increase the affordable housing stock. The mayor and others have said they aim to secure a public-private partnership for new housing that allows many of the 400 people about 185 families being relocated from Elmwood and McBride public housing complexes to remain in Cairo. Brown said he wants to see that happen but is concerned that without the means to meet other obligations, city police and fire services may not be available in a matter of months. Mayor Tyrone Coleman declined the newspaper's request for an interview concerning the citys finances. Based on observations and conversations with those close to the situation, Coleman and other city officials are trying to get the citys finances back on solid footing. But Brown said the majority of council members are not kept abreast of whats going on. He said all he knows to go on is the repeated warning from a city official that insolvency is right around the corner. Citys finances in the spotlight Others also have been sounding the alarm on the citys financial issues. In April, Cairo Public Utility Co. officials addressed the situation with U.S. Rep. Mike Bost and the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA), the utilitys wholesale electric provider. The meeting was called after Bost received numerous complaints about high utility bills in Cairo, according to Todd Ely, the utilitys Springfield-based consultant. Ely said Cairo Public Utility is not the problem, but rather says the issue is with IMEA. He said the municipal electric agency is charging its 33 members 31 cities, an electric cooperative and the nonprofit Cairo Public Utility electric rates that are 125 percent above fair market value, a claim IMEA says is misleading. Ely said IMEA should extend special consideration to Cairo because it is on the brink of insolvency and may default on its obligations, which ultimately could result in the utility company defaulting on its agreement with IMEA. This is uncharted territory, he said. Time to act is now as the city will become insolvent later this year. Not theoretical guaranteed, concluded a PowerPoint presentation the local utility shared that day with Bost. Ely said he has not personally reviewed the citys finances. He said that information was relayed to him by Coleman and City Treasurer Preston Ewing. That was their words, that they are insolvent, he said. Ely said city officials relayed to utility company officials that they are exploring all their options while also working to stave off insolvency, which is the inability to pay bills as they come due. If the utility company is successful in reducing its wholesale electricity costs, Ely said utility managers are committed to reducing rates for customers and helping the city out of its financial bind. Ely provided the newspaper a 2014 report by The Institute for Illinois Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation discussing options for financially struggling cities in Illinois. Options limited for distressed cities in Illinois The report, which Ely said a city official shared with the utility company, states that cities in Illinois cannot directly file for bankruptcy but notes there are laws on the books intended to assist distressed cities. In 1990, then-Gov. James Thompson signed the Financially Distressed City Law and the Local Government Financial Planning and Supervision Act. Only East St. Louis has exercised options under either law, according to Ely. Under the latter act, a local government in a city with fewer than 25,000 people facing a fiscal emergency can pass an ordinance petitioning the governor to name an 11-member commission to develop a detailed financial plan for the city. Because Coleman declined an interview on the subject, the newspaper is unable to determine at this time whether the city is looking toward this option. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the city provided the newspaper with what Cairo refers to as appropriations ordinances for the fiscal years 2016 and 2017, the latter which concluded on April 30. As well, the newspaper provided financial audits for 2015 and 2016, and all union contracts in effect for municipal employees. Cairos pension funds in dire strait In a cursory review, it appears one of the most serious and immediate issues facing Cairo is its woefully underfunded police and fire pension funds. According to Dennis Orsey, who is the attorney for the Cairo Firefighters Pension Board and Cairo Police Pension Board, the funded ratios, as of May 1, 2016, are 11 percent for the fire pension fund and 22 percent for the police pension fund. Bob Sector, director of investigations for the Better Government Association, a watchdog organization focused on Illinois government with expertise in government pensions, said that those figures are alarming. There are hundreds of municipal police and fire pension funds across Illinois and the bulk of them are seriously underfunded, Sector said. But even though the bar is already low, the funding levels for the funds in Cairo appear in particularly dire strait." Orsey, who represents numerous downstate police and fire pension boards in southern and central Illinois, said that downstate pension funds are funded on average at about 58 percent and that the vast majority have improved their financial sustainability in recent years. Cairo's funds are moving in the opposite direction for a variety of reasons, including that there are fewer active employees paying in than retirees taking money out, he said. State law says all downstate funds are required to be 90 percent funded by the year 2040. The law calls for state payments provided to cities with woefully underfunded police and fire pension funds to be redirected toward bringing them up to a more sustainable level, but Orsey said the Illinois Comptroller's Office has yet to promulgate the rules on how that will work. Orsey said Cairo's fire pension fund is projected to run out of money in 19 months. We have generated a letter to all beneficiaries earlier this month putting them on notice of that determination, Orsey said. The police pension fund has about 10 years worth of funding, he said. If we tried to draw analogies, the fire pension fund is the one in intensive care bleeding out and unless we get a quick transfusion of cash likened to a blood infusion this patient is going to die in 19 months, he said. The police pension fund is in the emergency room at the hospital and theyre in triage to determine what can we do to save this patient but were not yet in intensive care. Theyre both serious. As of May 1, 2016, the most current records, Orsey said eight members are drawing a retirement from the Cairo police pension fund. Four are drawing disability benefits. Four surviving spouses are drawing a benefit and one person is a deferred annuitant which means the individual is eligible to draw based on years of service but has not yet reached the minimum age to do so. On the fire pension side, six people are drawing a benefit, one person is drawing disability pay, and three surviving spouses are drawing benefits, Orsey said. Ely: Efforts to secure a state bailout failed A review of audited financials and labor contracts also indicate that part of the city's financial difficulties are because of benefits that appear to be unsustainable for a city the size of Cairo. City employees are represented by the Laborers Local 773. Brown said police officers have opted to switch their representative for collective bargaining to the Fraternal Order of Police, but officers are still working under an expired Local 773 contract as negotiations have stretched on for several years now without a final deal. Ely, the utilitys consultant, said that on behalf of the city, he attempted to secure a $700,000 state bailout for Cairo during budget negotiations in Springfield, but that didnt come through. Ely said Ewing, the city treasurer, told him that would be enough to stave off insolvency for at least a year. Ely said city officials relayed that in that time period, they would make more difficult decisions to downsize the city's operations and also hoped to grow the tax base by bringing in new businesses and developments. Ely said he also unsuccessfully sought $1 million to assist Cairo Public Utility in building an inland port operation. Governor: 'There's no good solution' Gov. Bruce Rauner, speaking to The Southern Illinoisan's editorial board this week, said that when it comes to Cairo "there's no good solution, and it's so frustrating." Rauner has not visited Cairo in the wake of the housing crisis, but said he and his staff have had conversations with the mayor and others and that officials from the Illinois Housing Development Authority have been to Cairo in recent months to assess the situation. "I don't know why the Obama administration I'm not going to point fingers," Rauner said. "It's a federal issue. It's not a state issue. And, you know, I don't have a lot of options that I can do other than push. I'm not sure why the Obama administrator or Senator Durbin this has been an issue for a while, they haven't done anything, I don't know. "But I'm still talking to people, our team is talking to the mayor. I like the mayor. He's, you know, at wit's end. It's a hard situation." The governor also touted aspects of his Turnaround Agenda, saying Cairo, like the rest of the state, could see new economic life if the General Assembly would sign off on his pro-business reforms. Though he offered no concrete solutions for the short-term, Rauner said he's convinced Cairo can make a comeback. "It's like Detroit," he said. "Detroit is doing a renaissance right now." Brown: It's reaching a critical point Brown, the city police commissioner, said hes held his tongue for nearly a year about the citys worsening financial predicament but sees it quickly heading toward a critical point. There might come a time when somebodys breaking into your home and I dont have anybody to send to you, Brown said that is the message he wants citizens to understand. If Cairo does not have a police force, the Alexander County Sheriff's Office or Illinois State Police would have to step in. Brown said the county is already stretched way too thin. Five officers have left the Cairo Police Department in the past six months, four of them since May, he said. Brown said the officers left for a variety of reasons, but that the citys financial issues make it hard to recruit and retain qualified officers. A year ago, the city had 12 officers, he said. Now they are working with five, and three of them are not certified meaning they have to log hours with a more experienced officer and attend training academy away from Cairo that the city pays for, Brown said. Without enough manpower, he said the overtime is costly for the city, and he worries about burnout among the skeleton crew. What fears me the most is that a fatigued officer is a no-good officer. If you are tired you cannot function well, Brown said. Police Chief Arnold Burris seconded that concern. Youre not alert if working too many hours, he said. 'Pray and hang on' Ely said he also is of the understanding that Cairo's financial predicament is growing more serious by the day. The status quo must change or the city will fail. It will no longer exist over a period of time, Ely said. That's why the utility is advocating for a port and rate relief from their wholesale electric supplier, he said. Brown said he believes that Cairo will turn a corner in the long run, but said that its time for city officials to get real about the situation. Without population, without revenue, the city is not going to be able to survive. Were going to have to disband the city the city council, the mayor, everything, Brown said. Asked what options he believes the city has in the current moment, Brown said, Just try to pray and hang on." HARRISBURG Brian Burns, the Harrisburg physician who was found guilty in May of attempting to kidnap the Saline County state's attorney while in jail on first-degree murder charges in the death of his wife, won't be sentenced on the kidnapping conviction until late next month. The sentencing was postponed after Burns split ways with his lawyer, Bryan Drew, during a hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Saline County Court. During Tuesday's proceedings, Drew presented a motion to withdraw as Burns' attorney. The motion, which was filed July 10, states that the cause of the decision was because, "there was a breakdown in communication between the defendant and Drew & Drew, P.C." After the motion was read, Drew told Judge Walden Morris that he had been contacted by other attorneys who may take his place in the case. As Drew exited the courtroom, Morris addressed Burns directly, asking if he was ready to proceed with sentencing. Taking a cue from Drew before he left the room, Burns said he was not. He asked the court for at least 30 days he said he was not sure how long it would take to secure counsel. Burns said he was in the process of trying to hire Duane Verity of Marion to oversee his case. Representing the state, Matt Goetten, a special prosecutor out of Springfield, said the state took no position on the decision. Neither Goetten nor Drew provided further comment after proceedings were finished. Sentencing was postponed to 2 p.m. Aug. 29. A Saline County jury returned a guilty verdict on the kidnapping charges on May 12 after deliberating for less than two hours. Burns was found guilty of one count each of attempted aggravated kidnapping, solicitation and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping. Burns had allegedly asked a cellmate to help orchestrate the kidnapping of the late Mike Henshaw, who was state's attorney at the time. Conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping is a class X felony for which he could serve six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Burns will face a jury trial on Jan. 17, 2018, on two murder charges and a charge of concealment in the 2016 death of his wife, Carla Burns. Oracle bone script to be identified [Photo/Beijing Youth Daily] The National Museum of Chinese Writing announced on July 12 that they are conducting a study on oracle bones characters. People can receive up to 100,000 yuan for identifying new characters and 50,000 yuan per character for new explanations of controversial identifications. A report by Beijing Youth Daily revealed that the reward is not easy to win. Experts have reached a bottleneck. However, with the application of new technologies, it is possible to identify more ancient characters of shell and bone writings. According to the announcement, all domestic and international scholars, research teams, and academic institutions that have made recognized achievements in oracle bone script interpretation can participate for a chance to win. Only findings on or after October 28, 2016, are allowed. Applicants for the reward have to write a report on their findings of oracle bone script. The report should be recommended by two senior specialists before submission. An experts committee organized by the National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science in China will make recommendations for the reward based on strict evaluations and identifications. The research findings and authors will receive public opinions for seven days. According to the National Museum of Chinese Writing, the selection encourages oracle bone script researchers to explore original study results via a combination of traditional methods and modern technologies, including cloud computing and big data. The museum has the right to use all data and information of the findings submitted by the award winners. Zhu Yanmin, a professor engaged in studies of oracle bone script and the history of the Yin and Shang dynasties at the History College at Nankai University explained that among the 5,000 characters found so far only 1,500 have been identified. Inscriptions on tortoise shells and animal bones represent the original characters of the Chinese written language. They date back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). Identifying oracle bone characters is of great significance in historical studies. "For instance, a newly recognized noun or a verb will bring vitality to a large amount of oracle bone scripts, which will help us understand more about the history," said Zhu. CHESTER Even though he graduated from Chester High School more than five decades ago, it could be said James Sharp now has an assigned seat there. Sharp, who graduated from the school in 1954, was honored with a commemorative bench this month and as a thank-you after he pledged a $50,000 donation to the school. He said looking back at his life, he credits his jump-start in education to the school. Im very pleased with the education I got at Chester High School, Sharp said, adding that he was very prepared for college after finishing his senior year. Sharp said the money will be moved from his Sharp Foundation Account after he talks with Chester School District 139s new superintendent, Brian Pasero, about the best way to transfer the funds. This donation could not have come at a better time. Monday, Governor Bruce Rauner again publicly scorned lawmakers for not sending him the finished Senate Bill 1, which establishes a needs-based funding model for Illinois schools. Rauner has said he plans to issue an amendatory veto of the bill, removing a plan for the state the pick up pension payments to Chicago Public Schools. The promise of the veto has caused lawmakers to hold the bill for review. Even though the budget passed July 6, schools are still without funds until the funding measure outlined in the budget becomes law. This leaves rural Southern Illinois schools, like Chester High School, still in a lurch. Pasero was named Chester School Districts new superintendent during the boards regular meeting July 20, replacing Rick Goodman, who resigned in June. Pasero said he was still figuring out the basics of his new post, but was encouraged by the donation, particularly in such a financially tough atmosphere. Everything helps, certainly," Pasero said. $50,000 is a lot, he said, but still doesnt fix the hole left by the state budget impasse in the last two years. We still are going to need all the help we can get from the state, Pasero said. In a recent interview, Goodman said when he left the job in June, Chester School District had accrued $900,000 in debt over two years because of reduced or inconsistent funding coming from the state. Sharp has a history of making these kinds of donations. He has given $50,000 each to Purdue University and the University of Illinois in gratitude, Sharp said, for being named a distinguished or outstanding alumnus by each university. Sharp has also established three scholarships for Chester High School graduates. Sharp said three students are awarded $500 each year to honor the lives of his father, Jake Sharp, his mother, Edna Sharp, and his sister, Rosana Sharp Meyers. Sharp said he had a lot of fond memories at Chester High School, but one stands out. He said he enjoyed the opportunity to play a lawyer in the junior class production of Where Theres a Will, Theres a Way. He hopes that his donation might help future students make their own happy memories at the school. As for the bench, Sharp has a plan to visit it on his next trip down from New York when he, with throngs of other visitors, will watch August's highly anticipated solar eclipse. This story has been updated to correct the timeline of events leading to the donation of $50,000 by James Sharp. CARBONDALE Imagine celebrating a leap year birthday that's how scientists might feel when faced collecting data during the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Because it is the first total solar eclipse to occur in the continental United States in nearly 40 years, and the first one to stretch from coast-to-coast in 99 years, it will be a unique opportunity for the collection of data. Additionally, technological advancements made in the last 40 years have improved the accuracy and the ability to collect that data. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the collection of data regarding animal behavior during the event. Scientists look for help documenting animal behavior Anecdotally, we know animals appear to respond to the change in light that affects not only nocturnal animals, but crepuscular ones. Crepuscular animals are species most active during dusk and dawn. Reports during eclipses worldwide tell of night birds singing, bats flying, spiders tearing down webs, or owls calling. But it is difficult for us to find data that is not anecdotal, said Rebecca Johnson, citizen science research coordinator at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Because of the infrequency of total solar eclipses, Johnson said, the academy does not have any staff researchers who have done specific studies on animal behavior during one, and that is common throughout the scientific community. Johnsons colleague, Elise Ricard, life responds coordinator for the California Academy of Sciences, was present in Australia during the 2012 eclipse. As a result of that experience, Ricard said the academy wanted to find a project that would provide people a way to do citizen science and connect with the eclipse in a way that would also support their mission to explore, explain and sustain life. They created the Life Responds project, which asks citizens to download the iNaturalist app from Apple or Android platforms and document what they see during the eclipse. The app allows people all over the world to document biodiversity through personal or project observations, and is uniquely positioned to allow people to document plant and animal reactions to the eclipse. Johnson said people are asked to record an observation 30 minutes before and after the eclipse and at least twice during maximum coverage. They can look for any animal or plant, though we expect more reactions from say, chicken going to roost, birds stopping to sing, plants folding up for the night, insects hiding, or maybe even bats flying out, Ricard said. Johnson encouraged those using the app to scope out the spot at which they will be standing and focus on one or two things they will document. That way, when the event happens they can spend most of their time witnessing whats happening in the skies, but still help gather data about whats happening on the ground, Johnson said. Johnson and Ricard said the app is free to download and the results will be posted on both the iNaturalist and Cal Academy websites, with the raw data available as well for anyone to use or access. More about the project can be found at www.inaturalist.org/projects/life-responds-total-solar-eclipse-2017. Animal safety While observing and documenting wildlife behavior for science, it is also important to pay attention to our domestic animals and their safety, one local animal control officer said. Jackson County Animal Control Officer Lloyd Nelson said he has received questions regarding the eye safety of domestic animals during the eclipse, but in his research, he found that most veterinarians remain unconcerned about damage that might occur from the animals looking directly at the sun. The vets pretty much agree that there would be no reason for animals to mimic human curiosity and look directly at the sun. From the animals standpoint, its more along the lines that night happened all of a sudden. It is a bit anthropomorphic (imposing human behaviors on animals) to expect them to behave like us, Nelson said. What is of concern to Nelson is the number of people who will be in the area who are not normally here, the animals they bring with them, and the response of the animals that already live here. Nelson said visitors to the area need to make sure the pets they travel with have a current rabies tag. They should also make sure their pets have a collar or tags with their current information and cell phone number in case the pet gets lost. Most people dont know it, but when they travel across state lines with pets they are supposed to get a health certificate signed by their vet attesting the health of the animal," Nelson said. "Chances are no one will get bit, but in case that does happen it will help the owner and victim if all the proper certifications are in place. As far as local animals are concerned, Nelson asks people to be aware of the stress that that a huge influx of visitors might have on their animals. Its sort of like the Fourth of July, but tripled. We are going to have concerts, people shooting off fireworks in the dark of the midday sun, loud noises, and strangers, Nelson said. Nelson said that if someone has a pasture they open as a campground, there may be a dog, maybe from a farm next door, who has had the run of that pasture for 10 years, and now there strange animals, different noises, different people in that area that might upset or confuse the local dog. Nelson recommends being aware of pets during the event. They should be leashed, or contained, especially during the day of the event. If people are traveling with pets, they need to be able to provide them with access to water and shelter if they need it. Rudolph Logistics launching development in Spartanburg COLUMBIA -- Rudolph Logistics Group, an international logistics service provider, is launching a new warehousing operation in Spartanburg County. The Germany-based company is projected to bring more than $18 million of capital investment and create at least 150 new jobs. Headquartered in Baunatal, Germany, Rudolph Logistics Group is a globally-active logistics and supply chain company that develops and provides comprehensive solutions for a wide range of industries. With an emphasis on the automotive and transportation sectors, the group implements a variety of services to optimize its clients' supply chains. Located in Caliber North Business Park in Greer, S.C., the company will be moving into a 171,000-square-foot logistics center that will provide comprehensive services for the automotive industry. Hiring for the new positions is expected to begin in October 2017, and interested applicants should visit www.rudolph-log-usa.com for more information. ----- Deadly mosquito-borne horse disease discovered in Dillon County COLUMBIA State veterinary officials are urging South Carolina horse owners to vaccinate their animals following the discovery of the first South Carolina case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in 2017. The case was identified Friday, July 21, in a horse from Dillon County, said Boyd Parr, state veterinarian and director of Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a serious, mosquito-borne illness in horses that can also affect humans. In unvaccinated horses, it is almost always fatal. The horse in Dillon County was not known to have been vaccinated and did not survive. An Orangeburg heating and cooling manufacturer is working with Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4's Next Gen Magnet School to create a pipeline of skilled employees. Allied Air Enterprises is providing internships for the 2017-2018 school year to freshman and graduating senior students. Allied Air General Manager Lee Rachels said students coming into the apprenticeship program need to know they can have a career in manufacturing and not just a job. "This gets these students exposed to that early on," he said. "They can see there are development opportunities and room for growth in their career." The youth apprenticeship program was created earlier this year at Edisto High School. About 12 students will be prepared for the program this fall with actual work at Allied Air beginning in the spring of 2018. Students who participate will be paid for their work, which is estimated to be between 10 hours to 15 hours per week. The students will be paired with a mentor at Allied Air and will learn concepts such as time management, safety in an industrial environment, industrial hygiene, problem solving and many other topics that will contribute to their success. OCSD4s Next Gen Magnet School offers two paths for students: the collegiate prep path, which prepares students for two-year and four-year collegiate experiences, and the direct-to-workforce path, which prepares students for work immediately after high school graduation. Students who demonstrate their value and fit for the company during their internships with Allied Air could be offered a full-time job once they graduate. The first pool of students registered for the program includes Jobeth Robinson, an avid reader who loves fantasy literature. In the apprenticeship program, she will be introduced to tech writing and corporate training opportunities. Austin Loadholt says he has an entrepreneurial spirit and will bring to Allied Air the soft skills desired by the company. He says he is, excited to continue learning how to deal with different personalities in a group setting. Talicia Cobbs considers herself a natural leader. She takes pride in her work and enjoys finding ways to be creative with her school assignments. Cameron Coker enjoys the martial arts and has earned a brown belt thus far. He likes the structure found in martial arts and military settings. Coker has a desire to learn and manufacture things, in particular armored vehicles, airplanes and other military equipment. Allied Air Human Resources Manager Dave Tussey said OCDD4 Superintendent Dr. Tim Newman approached him back in April with the idea of the partnership. They are both on the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce board. Newman said the partnership was prompted by conversations with the Orangeburg County business community about their need to have students graduate with the needed skills and experience. "There is a huge void in our labor force in the state of South Carolina for advanced manufacturing and manufacturing positions," Newman said. "Allied Air, like a lot of other businesses, are realizing one of the best places you can go to recruit is in our public school systems." Newman said the program provides local industry with the ability to interact with its future workforce as they mature through their high school experience. The community also benefits, he said. "Having our students secure jobs where they are making between $40,000 and $60,000 a year allows them to provide for their families, pay taxes and in general be productive citizens in the community they live in," Newman said. For more information about the Next Gen Magnet School, visit www.nextgenmagnet.org or attend a July 27 open house event at the school, located at 500 RM Foster Road in Cordova. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m., a community VIP tour for business owners and other invited members of the community will commence at 5:30 p.m. and a formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. It will be followed by a tour of the schools facility and a meet-and-greet with the teachers who are selected to lead the program. Rachels is going to be the keynote speaker. Other speakers will include Newman and magnet school Principals Mike Ames and Julie Miller. It's not been a good last two years. Even ignoring the effects of the pandemic and the complete shutdown of outdoor live events since t... By Azernews By Sara Israfilbayova Ministers from the OPEC and other non-OPEC producers met in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on July 24. The ministerial committee on monitoring the fulfillment of the agreement on the reduction of oil production in OPEC + countries, following the results of the fourth meeting held for the first time in St. Petersburg, announced the results of the transaction for the first half of 2017, having estimated its level at 98 percent, according to RIA Novosti. The ministerial committee includes representatives of Venezuela, Kuwait, Algeria, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Secretary General of OPEC Mohammed Barkindo. OPEC and other oil producing countries reduced oil production by 351 million barrels in January-June, according to the committee. Energy Minister of Russia Alexander Novak said that the full implementation of obligations by the countries of the transaction will withdraw from the market about 200,000 barrels of oil per day. Thus, despite the high level of commitment to the agreement, the committee encourages all participants to implementation of the transaction by 100 percent. The ministerial committee will continue to cooperate with all parties individually, especially those, whose level does not yet correspond to the agreements, the statement says. The Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih, in turn, suggested participants in the deal take into account export data when monitoring the implementation of the Vienna agreement, explaining this by the fact that the data on oil exports sometimes do not match the data on its production. The sides also mentioned situation in Libya and Nigeria, which currently enjoys the privileged right not to limit production under the Vienna agreement in connection with attacks by military groups on oil and gas facilities of these countries. In order to clarify the situation, representatives of Libya and Nigeria were invited to the Technical Committee on July 22 and presented their plans for oil production. Earlier, Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu stated that Nigeria would support limiting its oil production to a stable level of 1.8 million barrels per day against the current 1.7 million barrels per day. Following the meeting of the ministerial committee Khalid Al-Falih stressed that the OPEC and non-OPEC members will continue to support the process of restoring oil production in Libya and Nigeria. OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017. The parties decided to extend the production adjustments for a further period of nine months, in May 2017. By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Russia and his meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi on July 21 is important in terms of developing the relations between the two countries, said Arzu Nagiyev, a political analyst and deputy director general of Trend Agency. The expert said he believes that holding of this meeting at the initiative of the Russian president shows that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of Russia. The announcements made in connection with the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict show that Azerbaijan is an important partner and has a casting vote in solving regional problems as well as economic, political and military issues. As is known, it is impossible to implement economic projects and solve military and political issues in the region without Azerbaijan and Russia. And this is despite the fact that pro-Armenian and anti-Azerbaijani forces in the leadership of Armenia and Russia hinder this and will continue to do so, he said. The main issue of interest for Azerbaijan at the Sochi meeting was the process of resolving the deadlocked Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to the expert. In the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, as a successor to the Soviet Union, plays a key role in resolving this conflict and has a mechanism of full pressure on Armenia. One of the main issues discussed at the meeting was related to the steps to be taken to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is also extremely important that the heads of state mulled this issue one-on-one, and I think this will contribute to the settlement of the conflict. The fact that prior to this meeting, Ilham Aliyev met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is no less important, according to Nagiyev. 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. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov The Russian Embassy in Baku refused to comment on the decision taken by the Azerbaijani court with regard to Alexander Lapshin, a citizen of Russia. "The Russian Embassy does not consider itself entitled to comment on the decision of the Azerbaijani court," press attache of the Embassy Denis Apashkin told RIA Novosti on July 25. The Russian Embassy in Baku will provide the necessary assistance to Alexander Lapshin, citizen of Russia and Israel arrested in Azerbaijan, if he requests the transfer Apashkin added. Last week, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes sentenced the blogger Lapshin to three years of imprisonment on charges of his illegal visits to the Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani lands and a criminal conspiracy with the Armenians living there. The Embassy is in contact with Lapshins lawyer and family. The Embassy will continue to participate in the protection of Lapshins rights within its competence, said Apashkin. Commenting on the possible extradition of Lapshin to Russia, the press attache said that Russia and Azerbaijan have an agreement to transfer convicted persons to serve their sentence in the country of their citizenship. If Lapshin wants to take the opportunity provided for by this agreement, the Embassy will provide him with all necessary assistance, Apashkin said. Earlier, Lapshins lawyer Eduard Chernin told Trend that the issue of his extradition is not on the agenda, as it is impossible as long as the court decision doesnt come into force. Blogger Lapshin violated Azerbaijani laws on state border in April, 2011 and October, 2012. Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin paid a number of visits to Azerbaijans occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016. The blogger was arrested in Minsk in late 2016 and transferred to Baku in February 2017. By the decision of the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, Lapshin will serve his three-year sentence in a general regime colony. Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's black list. Director of Security Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Nir Ben Moshe has visited Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Internal Affairs. He met with officials of the ministry to discuss prospects for developing cooperation between the law-enforcement bodies of the two countries, Azertac reported. Ben Moshe was informed of reforms conducted in Azerbaijan in the field of law-enforcement, adoption of police-related laws meeting European standards, as well as the ministry`s accomplishments in combating crime. He was also informed of the occupation of Azerbaijan`s lands by the Armenian armed forces. Ben Moshe hailed tolerance towards representatives of different cultures, ethnicities and religions in Azerbaijan. He expressed his confidence that cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Israeli law-enforcement authorities will continue to develop. By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The long-forgotten phrase Islamic resistance literally revived after the victory of President Donald Trump in the US elections. What kind of resistance there can be without Hamas, and, of course, without the Muslim Brotherhood, which became a headache for Qatar. As is known, these two organizations are among the key reasons which led to the Qatar crisis, the initiative on the resolution of which was taken by Ankara. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of his Middle East tour, visited Kuwait, as well as Saudi Arabia, which is seen as the initiator of this crisis. Erdogan also held several meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud. It should be noted that Saudi Arabia has already unblocked today the access to the Al-Jazeera TV channel, as well as to Qatari internet resources. According to Arab analysts, these decisions, like the previous steps, are a positive move for the speedy resolution of the crisis. Previously, the states that boycotted Qatar demanded that Doha meet 12 conditions, whereas now the list of demands has been reduced to six. Meanwhile, the closure of Turkeys Al-Rayyan military base in Qatar was excluded from the list of demands. It is obvious that the Saudi-led bloc and Qatar will be able to agree on a partial resolution of the crisis, but there is still an unresolved issue on the agenda regarding Dohas support to such organizations as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Several analysts in Turkey are confident that despite Qatars political support to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, the activities of these organizations are of concern to Qatar itself and, particularly, to Turkey. Atilgan Bayar, adviser to Turkeys former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the expert on foreign and domestic policy of Turkey, has the similar opinion. Some Arab media outlets also hint that the latest clashes between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem are a clear provocation of Hamas supporters. The call for a new intifada in Palestine is a provocation by the Hamas organization, which ideologically doesnt differ from the Muslim Brotherhood. Speaking about the solution of the Qatari crisis, it should be noted that Erdogan also visited Doha as part of the Middle East tour. It is not excluded that during the Turkish presidents visit, the further activities of the Muslim Brotherhood will also be discussed. Unlike some Arab countries, Turkey doesnt recognize the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Earlier, Turkeys former Deputy Prime Minister and current Minister of Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmus in an interview with the Turkish media said, if we take into account the recent changes in the region, we can say that the Muslim Brotherhood is the only organization that has managed to prove that it can become democratic. The Muslim Brotherhood was successful in Iraq, Syria, Libya and in particular, in Tunisia, he added. At the same time, it is obvious that Ankara has always wanted the Muslim Brotherhood to be more secular and similar to the Justice and Development Party (AKP). To this end, Erdogan has repeatedly called on the Muslim Brotherhood to carry out internal reforms. However, as it is known, after the Muslim Brotherhood was removed from the political life of Egypt, arrests of leaders of the banned organization began in the country. After being banned, the Muslim Brotherhood moved into underground activity, which is not new for them, and this, in turn, will affect the political life of Egypt in the future. Despite the ban in Egypt, one of the ideological mentors of the organization, theologian Yusuf al-Qaradawi is in Qatar today. Back in 2014, Egypt demanded from Qatar to extradite al-Qaradawi, but Qatar rejected this demand of Egypt. But, what if Qatar agrees to extradite Sheikh al-Qaradawi in order to resolve the crisis? Meanwhile, even the Arab countries that dont recognize the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization may refuse to accept al-Qaradawi, because in almost all Arab countries there is an opinion that the Muslim Brotherhood is a real threat to the authorities. Of course, Turkey is an exception in this issue. It isnt known yet how the Qatar crisis will develop in the future, but if Qatar decides to expel Al-Qaradawi, Ankara may agree to accept the theologian. By Trend President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili sent a letter to his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Turkmen government said in a message. In his letter, Margvelashvili expressed readiness to deepen and expand mutually beneficial partnership with Turkmenistan. The Georgian president pointed out the high level of bilateral relations built upon the principles of friendship and mutual respect, reads the government message. It was earlier reported that Ashgabat and Tbilisi are studying projects on creation of transport and transit infrastructure between the Caspian and Black Sea regions, the use of which will ensure broad interregional integration with the states of Europe and the Middle East. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva Iran has set up a commission to take required measures against the sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Islamic Republics ballistic missile development, Trend reported. Reformist MP Soheila Jelodarzadeh said that Iran is not after retaliation and it merely looks for justice but if the super powers put forward excessive demands the nation would take the necessary measures by all means. She further added that the parliamentary commission is currently planning to deal with possible situation regarding the new sanctions. Earlier, the United States brought 18 organizations and individuals to the list of sanctions on Iran's missile program. In particular, the list of sanctions included two Iranian organizations that the U.S. believes are involved in the ballistic missile program, seven organizations and five private individuals supporting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite component of the Armed Forces, as well as a "criminal organization, two Iranian businessmen and a company that organized the theft of American and Western computer programs." U.S. accuses Iran of support for Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Palestinian Jihad, "threats to Israel and stability in the Middle East," support for Syrian authorities and Husit rebels in Yemen. Tehran condemned Washington's sanctions, saying that it would impose retaliatory sanctions against American individuals and companies. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives is voting today, on July 25, to impose new sanctions against Iran and Russia as well as North Korea. Earlier, Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on the legislation which "would limit any potential effort by Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow." Since the signing historical Iranian nuclear deal in 2015, the U.S. has retained sanctions against Iran on the missile program, human rights and on suspicion that Tehran sponsors terrorism. Currently, presidential administration is reviewing policy on Iran, not only looking at Tehran's compliance with the nuclear deal but also its behavior in the region. Lulu Exchange, a leading foreign exchange and remittance company, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 per cent ownership of Al Falah Exchange Company in the UAE. This is a first of its kind large scale acquisition in the UAE, making Lulu Exchange the second largest player in the business in GCC. With this acquisition, Lulu Exchanges total branch count goes up by 30 branches to reach 73 in the UAE and 170 globally. Adeeb Ahamed, managing director, Lulu Exchange, said: We are very excited with this new acquisition, which will help us further consolidate our network of branches, thereby serving a much bigger customer segment. I would like to express my gratitude to the regulators and government entities for their continued support. Launched eight years ago in Abu Dhabi, Lulu Exchange currently operates in Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Seychelles. Elaborating on the expansion plans of Lulu Exchange, Ahamed said: Our short-term goal (three years) is to expand our footprint across South East Asia, followed by Europe. We are also looking to tap newer markets both regionally and globally. Being a highly service oriented business, reach is of paramount importance, hence we believe that acquisitions are very integral to grow our numbers. I am pleased that our level of acquisition activity has picked up in the past five years, during which time we have added more than 80 branches to our portfolio and we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities that will further bolster our reach and network, added Ahamed. Emerging technologies are driving change in the financial services industry and we are constantly innovating our method of doing business. Our digital app is in its advanced stage of development and it will encapsulate all services that are available in our brick and mortar branches. We are currently awaiting final approval from various regulators. Effectively, we aim to move 30 per cent of our transactions on to the digital platform by 2020, concluded Ahamed. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said work is progressing at a steady pace on its research and development (R&D) centre being built at a cost of Dh500 million ($136 million) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Leading international consultant Stantec International is responsible for design and construction of the R&D centre along with Reem Capital Contracting (RCC). The hi-tech facility will ready for operations in 2020, said the senior management of Dewa after getting firsthand experience of the progress of work at the R&D centre in Seih Al Dahal area of the emirate. The R&D centre, which was launched in 2014, will focus on four key operations - production of electricity using solar energy, integration of smart grids, energy efficiency, and water. According to Dewa, the R&D centre infrastructure includes indoor laboratories - to study and test the reliability of systems - and outdoor labs to conduct field tests of techniques and tools, which include studies on mitigating the effects of dust on the performance of solar panels. "This is part of Dewas efforts to promote the production of clean energy, and reduce operating costs," remarked Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive. "The R&D centre will adopt a strategic perspective to keep abreast of scientific and research developments in the field of renewable energy, and will support the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to diversify energy sources and enhance energy efficiency," he noted. Dewa pointed out that the hi-tech facility includes an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) lab, built with 3D-printing technology. The utility firm is also studying the possibility of using 3D-printing technology in the development of spare parts, to improve the performance of UAVs, based on artificial intelligence (AI) in the maintenance and operations in its work. Al Tayer said the new facility aims to support Dewas vision to promote sustainability in energy supply, diversify energy sources, and create a business environment that encourages innovation. "It also aims to support Dubai's strategy to build a knowledge-based economy by improving efficiency standards and supporting renewable energy initiatives, especially the solar energy and related initiatives and activities. The R&D Centre will contribute to strengthening Dubai's position as a global hub, for research and development, in the field of solar energy, smart grids, and energy and water efficiency," explained the Dewa chief. "It will also enhance capacity building in these sectors to enable Dubai to meet the requirements of sustainable development in the emirate. We aim to create a platform for innovation and creativity in renewable energy and clean technologies, and we will train our national capabilities, to keep up with this requirement," he added. Dewa said through key R&D initiatives it is utilising 3D printing and additive manufacturing, as innovative solutions for its internal printing operations for non-metallic spare parts for equipment thus helping the utility to reduce costs and extend the lifetime of the equipment. The new R&D centre will also help Dewa to study the possibility of utilising the 3D-printing technology to promote innovation and creativity, in co-operation with prestigious research centres and universities around the world, said Al Tayer. Dewa has already signed agreements with several national entities, institutions, and companies, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the US Department of Energy, and the Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre (Cener) in R&D, and the latest developments in the fields of energy, water and the environment. The company is also collaborating with the United Arab Emirates University and Khalifa University in the field of joint research and studies in renewable energy.-TradeArabia News Service Expo 2020 Dubai is teaming up with leading global professional services company Accenture to create a powerful and engaging digital experience for millions of visitors from around the world. The deal will cover information security and customer relations to virtual assistance and geolocation services. As the newly appointed Digital Services Premier Partner and Systems Integrator, Accenture will play a key role in making the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region one of the fastest, smartest and best connected places on Earth. To achieve this, Accenture will work with Etisalat Digital, a business unit of the international telecoms and technology service provider Etisalat, Expos Premier Telecommunications and Digital Services Partner. Accenture will design, build and run solutions in areas such as virtual assistance, business intelligence and analytics, mobile applications and technologies that support guest relations. It will also ensure the integration of more than 70 Expo applications and coordinate programme management, architecture and testing across Expos multiple technology partners, said a statement. Over the coming years, Accenture and Etisalat Digital will explore ways to enhance the Expo experience using digital services. Examples of these services could include ensuring visitors have a virtual assistant to guide them around the site or allowing them to order their lunch at a restaurant before they even arrive using smart technology. Accenture and Etisalat Digital could also help participants and partner companies evolve their offerings by analysing who is visiting their pavilion, as well as training staff and volunteers to make sure they have all the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the millions who will visit the Expo. We are delighted to welcome Accenture as our Digital Services Partner, said Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Bureau Dubai Expo 2020. Innovation and technology are at the heart of World Expos and Accenture is a world leader in technology and business innovation and digital transformation. With more than 180 countries expected to participate and up to 60,000 visitors every hour, Accentures role will be critical to ensuring that the Expo experience for every individual will be as exceptional as possible. Expo 2020 Dubai will run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. The partnership deal with Accenture was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, and Gerardo Canta, Accentures Communications, Media & Technology lead for the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Turkey. Accentures experience across more than 40 industries in over 120 countries, the power of the Accenture Innovation Architecture and the presence of the Accenture Digital Acceleration Center in Dubai, as well as previous involvement at Expo Milano 2015, where it was Global Systems Integration Partner, makes it an ideal partner for an event on the scale of Expo 2020 Dubai. Its expertise in integrating systems and creating innovative solutions also mean that it will have a vital role to play in delivering the overall theme of the Expo, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Accenture, Etisalat Digital and Expo 2020 Dubai share a goal of joining together businesses, systems and people around the world, said Gerardo Canta. This new partnership represents our common commitment to this mission and aligns with Expo 2020 Dubais theme. We recognise the unique opportunity that Expo 2020 Dubai presents and will use our experience, network and specialised digital skills to ensure the underlying systems infrastructure for this remarkable event is state of the art. Expo 2020 Dubai and Accenture have previously worked together. In November 2016, they organised the Accenture Digital Connected Hackathon. The event pitted young graduates and undergraduates from eight cities in Europe and Asia, including Dubai, against each other in a 24-hour challenge under the theme of Connect. Collaborate. Create. Accenture also took part in GITEX Technology Week 2016 in Dubai, where it was the Exclusive Digital Transformation Partner. With its agreement with Expo 2020 Dubai, Accenture joins a number of other global brands including DP World, Emirates Airlines, Etisalat, SAP and Siemens who have become premier partners. More partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months, it said. - TradeArabia News Service The latest version of Sailors Societys Wellness at Sea app for seafarers aims to further combat high rates of cardiovascular conditions and mental health disorders among seafarers. The enhancements to the free app, sponsored by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, now gives users a range of healthy living tips, recipes and exercises to help monitor and maintain their physical and mental health at home, in port and at sea, said a statement. Sandra Welch, deputy CEO and director of programme, Sailors Society, said: The long contracts away from loved ones and the stresses of everyday life at sea may negatively impact on seafarers mental and physical health. Fatigue and poor mental health are common complaints. Were also aware that fitness levels can dip in the time between contacts, she said. The wellbeing of the worlds seafarers is paramount to us and we hope that the newest additions to the app will enable users to further monitor their fitness and in turn help to minimise poor health or incidents at sea, she added. The new elements of the app could not come soon enough, with annual statistics from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency detailing cardiovascular conditions, obesity, diabetes and depression among the top 10 most common reasons for seafarers failing their medicals. Giles Heimann, corporate director of Fleet Personnel, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, said: As a responsible employer managing a fleet of over 600 ships and with over 18,000 seafarers in our global pool, we feel it important to support the work of the Sailors Society in ensuring seafarers have a tool at their fingertips to help manage the physical and mental stresses that they face in their daily lives. Our people are at the core of everything we do, which is why BSM adds high value to crew welfare, he said. Our support for the Wellness at Sea app reflects our appreciation for the professional work that seafarers carry out and our commitment to helping them maintain healthy lifestyles both on board and ashore, he added. A recent UK P&I Club study also revealed that a career seafaring is the second most at risk of suicide with 15 per cent of deaths at sea caused as result. Recipes, provided by Seachef, BSMs hospitality services business, aim to cater for the variety of nationalities that tend to make up the modern crew and offer a range of healthy meat and vegetable dishes. The exercise section, supplied by WorkoutLabs, includes short workouts and longer exercises that could be done during breaks or on shore leave, said a statement. Both Android and iPhone compatible, the Wellness at Sea app offers interactive challenges on five key elements of wellbeing - social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual - and users receive daily feedback enabling them to monitor their progress. It also holds port directories and contact details for services offered by maritime welfare organisations including Apostleship of the Sea, German Seamens Mission, ITF, Mission to Seafarers, Namma and Sailors Society, and enables users to track their journey using AIS data provided by MarineTraffic, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Plans are under way to organise a UAE Week in Japan during the first quarter of 2018, participated by officials from the public and private sectors, it was revealed today. The announcement came during a meeting between Abdullah Al Saleh, the UAE Ministry of Economys Undersecretary for Foreign Trade and Industry, and Yasushi Akahoshi, president of the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro), in Dubai. The meeting discussed various means for further developing economic and trade cooperation between the UAE and Japan. Al Saleh called on Japan to be the partner country in the next session of the SME Conference, a specialised conference organised by the Ministry of Economy which gathers officials, experts, academics and representatives of various organizations and authorities supporting entrepreneurship along with private sector entities to discuss major issues and challenges faced by entrepreneurs and exchange opinions and ideas on global solutions and best practices. During the meeting, the two sides expressed their satisfaction with the advanced level of economic and trade relations and their mutual keenness to develop effective mechanisms for cooperation, the exchange of experiences, and facilitating investment in a number of vital economic fields, especially in innovation, R&D, and small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) incubators sectors. The meeting was also attended by Mohammed Al Yousfi, National Program Director for SMEs, senior ministry advisors, and senior officials of Jetro. Al Saleh praised the decision of the Japanese Government to exempt UAE nationals from entry visas, noting that this will positively impact their bilateral relations and provide more opportunities for UAE investors to enhance their presence in the Japanese market. He further reviewed several prospects for manufacturing partnerships particularly in the petrochemical and aluminum fields, as well as in renewable energy, transport and logistics, and other areas where the two sides enjoy a number of preferential advantages. This, he said, enables promising partnerships for their countries as well as additional potential investments in other promising markets in Central Asia and Africa. Al Saleh emphasised the importance of developing joint platforms for enhancing linkages between their private sectors, pointing out that the UAE has issued directives towards organising a number of visits and trade missions to Tokyo to promote the formers diverse investment environment. It was mentioned that the volume of non-oil trade between the UAE and Japan exceeded $14.5 billion in 2016, while the volume of Japanese direct investments in the country amounted to around $4 billion. For his part, Akahoshi highlighted the importance of maintaining strong economic and trade relations with the UAE which Japan considers as its most important trading partner in the region. Akahoshi added that Japan is keen to develop frameworks of cooperation in various vital fields and further diversify UAE-Japan foreign trade to support joint efforts to pursue wider horizons and help achieve the development goals of their friendly countries as well as heighten their levels of trade and investment cooperation. The Jetro president expressed Japan's keenness to facilitate more economic and trade missions from the UAE to Tokyo to constantly review major investment opportunities and to strengthen relations between their business communities. TradeArabia News Service The Arab quartet of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have named nine entities and nine individuals as part of their fight against terrorism. The terrorist activities of the mentioned entities and individuals have direct and indirect ties with the Qatari authorities, a Wam news agency report said, quoting the statement. The four nations declared their firm and solid commitment to fight terrorism, cut off sources of funding, prosecute those who are involved in it, combat extremist ideologies and hate speech incubators. The nine entities include: Al-Balagh Charitable Foundation (Yemen), Al-Ihsan Charitable Society (Yemen), Rahma Charitable Organisation (Yemen), Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (Libya), Al-Saraya Media Center (Libya), Boshra News Agency (Libya), Rafallah Sahati Brigade (Libya), Nabaa TV (Libya), and Tanasuh Foundation for Dawa, Culture and Media (Libya). The nine individuals are: Khalid Saeed al-Bounein (Qatari Citizen); Shaqer Jummah al-Shahwani (Qatari); Saleh bin Ahmed al-Ghanim (Qatari); Hamid Hamad Hamid al-Ali (Kuwaiti Citizen); Abdullah Mohammed al-Yazidi (Yemeni citizen); Ahmed Ali Ahmed Baraoud (Yemeni); Mohammed Bakr al-Dabaa (Yemeni); Al-Saadi Abdullah Ibrahim Bukhazem (Libyan); and Ahmed Abd al-Jaleel al-Hasnawi (Libyan). The three Qatari individuals on the list, along with a Kuwaiti individual, have engaged in fund-raising campaigns to support Al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria. The three Yemeni individuals and the three organisations in Yemen have provided support to Al-Qaeda, and have conducted actions on its behalf, mainly by using significant funding from Qatari charities, which are designated by the four states as terrorist entities. The two Libyan individuals and the six terrorist entities affiliated with terrorist groups in Libya have received substantial financial support from the Qatari authorities and played an active role in spreading chaos and devastation in Libya, despite serious international concern over the destructive impact of such practices, the report said. While noting that the Qatari authorities had previously signed a memorandum of understanding with the US to stop terror financing and then announced that it was amending its laws combatting terror, the four states consider this step, even if it is a submission to the tough demands to combat terrorism and one of many awaited steps to achieve the Qatari authorities' return to the right track, not enough. "Qatar's 2004 law neither led to combatting extremism, terrorism, and hate speech, nor did it end its financing and harbouring of extremist individuals and groups. On the contrary, these individuals and groups have expanded their presence and activity in and through Doha. :The Qatari authorities have a long history in breaking all signed and binding agreements and legal obligations, the latest of which was the 2013 Riyadh Agreement and the 2014 Supplemental Agreement. It continued harbouring terrorists, financing attacks and promoting hate speech and extremism," the statement said. "The next long awaited practical step by the Qatari authorities is that of taking urgent action to prosecute terrorist and extremist individuals and entities, especially those on this current list and the previous one, which was announced on the 8th June, 2017, so as to confirm the credibility of its seriousness in renouncing terrorism and extremism, and its engagement in the international community fighting terrorism. To that end, the four states, along with their international partners, will monitor the Qatari authorities' commitment in not harbouring terrorists, supporting and financing terrorism, ending any promoting of extremist and hate speech, and financing of extremists inside and outside Qatar." The four countries also affirmed the continuation of their current measures, and possible future measures that might be taken, until the Qatari authorities are committed to fulfilling all the just demands, which ensure countering terrorism and maintaining security and stability in the region, it said. Professional Communication Corporation (Nedaa), the Dubai Governments security networks provider, today signed an agreement with Finnish multinational ICT giant Nokia formally designating Dubai as the headquarters of their pioneering Innovation and Creativity Lab. In December 2016, Nedaa and Nokia formed a strategic partnership to develop the lab as a key contributor to Dubais Smart City initiative envisioned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The regions first-of-its-kind research and innovation hub will introduce creative solutions for education, health, utilities and transport, with local government agencies, the Smart Dubai project, educational and healthcare institutions, and private companies involved in the development and implementation of Smart City applications as primary beneficiaries. A key stipulation under the Nedaa-Nokia agreement is the Emiratisation of all positions and jobs and the training and qualification of employed UAE nationals to international standards. Nokia will also grant Nedaa and approved technology partner Esharah Etisalat Security Solutions access to its advanced radio systems and Intelligent Management Platform for All Connected Things (IMPACT), the companys innovative Internet of Things (IoT) platform. These and other industry-leading Nokia technologies will be used to create new IoT platforms and applications as well as solutions for next-generation internet protocol (IP) and wireless connectivity, security, Big Data, and analytics. Mansoor Bu Osaiba, CEO, Nedaa, said: Now, we can start following our cooperative roadmap with Nokia to help accelerate Dubais transformation into a truly Smart City. We will be bringing top Emirati talents onboard in keeping with the UAEs vision of empowering its citizens to proactively participate in key sectors such as information and communications technology (ICT) that will underpin countrys transition to a post-oil Era. We look forward to commencing the labs operations within the next few months. Amr El-Leithy, head of Middle East & Africa, Nokia, said: After months of scouting we now have a worthy base of operations for our Innovation and Creativity Lab from where we will partner with Nedaa to innovate Dubais ICT landscape. This latest development takes us several steps closer towards achieving Dubais dream of an inclusive, connected and technology-empowered society. Other salient provisions under the Nedaa-Nokia Innovation and Creativity Lab partnership include the training of the Dubai Governments employees and fourth-generation technicians; development, testing and deployment of IoT communications interface operations through approved networks from Nedaa; and the enrichment of national intellectual property through support for research and development. The highly-anticipated Nedaa-Nokia Innovation and Creativity Lab is scheduled to start operations within the next few months. -TradeArabia News Service Euro Motors, the exclusive importer and distributor for luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover in Bahrain, has invited its customers to experience the true essence of owning a Jaguar or Land Rover by visiting the state-of-the-art Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover Showroom. Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover provides its customers with an exclusive all-round insight into the state-of-the-art facility in Sitra. Customers visiting the showroom, which is the first purpose-built showroom in the Mena region, are given the unique opportunity to familiarise themselves with every masterpiece available, said the company. Also catering to customers who are looking for a budget-friendly luxury vehicle, Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover has an entire floor dedicated solely for Jaguar Land Rover Approved vehicles, where customers can browse through and select their dream cars with absolute ease. Each and every approved vehicle available at the showroom goes through vigorous inspection and testing before being put on display, hence prospective customers are assured that the vehicles are available in the best of conditions while being extremely affordable, it said. The all-inclusive, affluent showroom also includes provisions that allow for customers to get a glimpse of the capability and efficiency of the vehicles they will be buying, whilst also offering them the opportunity to perceive what it feels like to be a genuine Jaguar or Land Rover owner, by permitting them to test drive any of the cars or SUVs available and present in the showroom, from the prestigious dealerships brand new range to its approved line-up. Stephen Lay, general manager of Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover, said: Ever since the grand opening in December 2015, the state-of-the-art showroom has consistently been setting benchmarks when it comes to servicing customers and providing unique customer experiences. Being the first purpose built facility in the Mena region, the showroom revolutionised customer experience in the kingdom by providing unique services like the vehicle configurator which allows customers who wish to purchase a Jaguar or Land Rover, to choose from an infinite amount of specification combinations offered by both brands. Interested customers are also given the opportunity to take any of the available vehicles on test-drives hence providing them with the chance to experience the incredible vehicles first-hand. TradeArabia News Service The UAE Cabinet has approved a draft local policy to regulate child car seats in vehicles, as suggested by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology and its technical regulations. As per the new policy, drivers must provide child car seats for children under the age of four, reported state news agency Wam. The draft policy aims to implement the highest standards of security and safety for children in vehicles, with the aim of enhancing their quality of life and reducing the rate of local accidents involving children, reported state news agency Wam. Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, State Minister and Chairman of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, stressed that the new policy will reduce the rate of accidents involving children. "Studies have shown that collisions involving children without a seat belt while going through a windshield of a vehicle running at 50 kilometres per hour, is equivalent to the fall of an individual from the third floor of a building. Therefore, it is considered a deadly accident," noted Dr Rashid. He noted that the correct implementation of related policies and regulations will increase the likelihood of protecting children inside vehicles during accidents, adding that this is a practical step in reducing the rate of deaths, and will achieve the introduction of the highest international safety and security standards. He also stressed that the correct implementation of this policy will contribute to regulating the child car seat market in the UAE, and reduce serious injuries and deaths among infants in accidents. The new policy will provide safeguards for the public regarding safety-related products, through regulations, laws and resolutions that aim to promote safety and protect lives, he added. Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Lakes Towers has welcomed Daniel Kaan as its new general manager. A versatile executive who brings over 16 years of experience to his position, Kaan will continue to grow the hotels forefront position within the JLT urban community and surroundings, as well as the regional and international markets. Speaking on his new appointment, Kaan admitted that he is excited to be returning to Dubai, a city that he has admired. I am delighted to be back after 12 years to Dubai, a pivotal business centre and impressive leisure destination, it is amazing to see how the city has grown and matured in such a short period of time. Our hotel in JLT has a great reputation and a fantastic location; it is known to provide a casual, relaxing experience, which really fits this part of town. I am sure with the great team in place we will be able to develop this even further. A seasoned professional, Kaan joined Movenpick Hotels & Resorts at Movenpick Hotel Amsterdam in 2010, having served as the director of food and beverage before being promoted as hotel manager. Most recently, he hailed from Movenpick Hotel Bahrain where he held the position of general manager since 2014. During his tenure, the hotel was voted as the Best Airport Hotel in the Middle East and his efforts increased the hotels profitability while maintaining unparalleled service excellence for three consecutive years. His early areas of expertise encompassed leadership roles in food and beverage as well as conference service within the InterContinental Hotels Group in Dubai, Nairobi and Shenzhen, and with the Grand Hyatt in Beijing. A Dutch national, Kaan attended Stenden University in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands and the Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbor, Australia where he earned a bachelors degree in International Hospitality Management. - TradeArabia News Service Hozpitality Group in Dubai closed the online nominations for the third Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards 2017 after receiving an amazing response with over 550 nominations for various categories. Taking place at The Rixos Premium at JBR Walk in Dubai on November 26, the Middle East Hozpitality Excellence Awards are presented to recognise top industry organizations which have shown skill, creativity, ingenuity and success in the Middle East & North Africa's growing hospitality industry. The online voting for this year's popular choice awards will open next week, for more information on the awards, please visit www.hozpitalityexcellenceawards.com," said Raj Bhatt, CEO, Hozpitality Group. "These are Popular Choice awards for the hospitality industry where selections are purely done on basis of online voting. We are expecting a great event this year," added Bhatt. The voting will be in two phases. Hospitality companies and individuals will be asked to register one of their best candidates/companies for each category. This will be done free of charge and each nominee should have details of why they are being nominated. The final list of nomination will be decided by the judges. "Hozpitality Group has over 1 million registered hospitality professionals in our websites from over 186 countries. They will all be asked to vote online for these award nominations. We would also be sending the voting link to all the hotels who could hand them over to their guests/staff for nominations," said Raj Bhatt. The list of candidates will be floated online among all our hospitality members and social media for online voting and the first shortlist will be chosen. The judges will be prominent hospitality professionals, who will be asked to pay particular attention to the standards of the products and people they are evaluating and cast their votes. The final result will be based on results of the online voting and judges' votes. "All finalists should be available to attend the awards on November 26", Bhatt said. - TradeArabia News Service Bahrains homegrown hospitality group, Al Abraaj Restaurants Group, is diversifying its portfolio with new culinary concepts and nine new dine-in restaurants across the kingdom. Today, with seven successful brands and 35 outlets including Al Abraaj, Mashawi Al Abraaj, Lumee, Al Bindaira, Nu Asia, YaSalam and TCBY, the group continues to advance in the restaurant sector, and will soon be venturing into the Italian-cuisine category in collaboration with the UK-based San Carlo Italian group of restaurants. With three decades of serving traditional Middle-Eastern and International flavours to the Bahrain market, Al Abraaj Restaurants Group has enjoyed a growth trajectory with its homegrown brands while sustaining its dominant position despite changing trends. Over the last five years, the group built two new brands, Lumee and YaSalam and evolved its flagship brand, Al Abraaj, to introduce Mashawi Al Abraaj; and opened 10 outlets to expand the reach of these newly-established brands. In fact, the company has previously explored new territories with the launch of its YaSalam brand in Dubai. This year, the group is making strategic inroads into a new mainstream cuisine category - Italian, with two new restaurants, Otto at Hamala Hills and San Carlo Cicchetti at Al Aali complex. Additionally, the group is expanding the reach of its existing brands by opening two new Al Abraaj dine-in outlets, two Mashawi Al Abraaj, two Al Bindaira Cafes, a Lumee restaurant as well as YaSalam! all within a span of next one year. The company will be investing $5 million towards expansion in the new Italian culinary offerings. Hamad Rashed, director, Al Abraaj Restaurants Group said: We have been a long-standing homegrown company that has built a complementing portfolio of brands offering authentic flavours and unique experiences, in line with customer demands. While we continue to build on our existing assets, we are now exploring collaborations with renowned groups such as the San Carlo group to leverage their expertise and redefine the Italian culinary experience in Bahrain, he added further. San Carlo, an award-winning restaurant group which operates successful Italian restaurants throughout the UK, including Manchester, Birmingham, London, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, and Leicester will soon be making its entry in Bahrain after proclaimed success in other GCC countries. The company will also be extending its culinary support to Al Abraaj Restaurants group to launch Otto an all-day dining Italian restaurant serving authentic cuisine with an exciting array of hand-made pizzas, flavorful pastas and an Italian inspired breakfast menu. Otto is scheduled to open its doors end-July. Al Abraaj Restaurants Group, currently serves Bahrain through its 35 outlets.This currently includes 12 Al Abraaj, four YaSalam!, four Al Bindaira cafes, four Nu Asia, four TCBY outlets, five Mashawi Al Abraaj and two Lumee Street Cafes. Additionally, the group operates with a dedicated catering division, which includes cafeteria services for corporates and buffets/outdoor catering facilities for private events; and employs over 1,000 people across its restaurant and catering divisions. - TradeArabia News Service Flynas, the national Saudi airline, said it will return to Beirut, the Lebanese capital, operating four weekly flights, connecting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. Services will start on November 1, and operate on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays, a statement said. Recently awarded the Middle East's Best Low Cost Airline for 2017 by Skytrax, flynas will bring its friendly customer service and exceptional value to Lebanon with low fares starting from SR299 ($80) one way all inclusive. Bandar Al Mohanna, Group chief executive of Nas Holding, said: "We have opened bookings for flights to coincide with the start of summer and the holiday season, in response to the wishes of the flynas guests. We are offering a wide range of low fares for an enjoyable travel experience aboard our modern fleet, thereby strengthening our core regional network and enhancing our route system." Flynas is the leading low-cost carrier of Saudi Arabia and has a fleet of 29 aircraft, operating over 1000 scheduled flights every week to 17 destinations within Saudi Arabia and 15 international destinations. Since its launch in 2007, flynas had successfully carried more than 32 million passengers from its bases of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Abha. TradeArabia News Service Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village The fatigue set in a few months before Sarah Millers 28th birthday. She had been helping two of her grandparents who had been diagnosed with cancer, driving them to appointments and helping at their homes. While that was sometimes tiring, it didnt explain the growing exhaustion that sometimes forced her to nap in her car during lunch breaks at work. She collapsed one day while planting iris bulbs in her yard. She went inside to rest, but grew lightheaded whenever she tried to move. Lab tests in the ER that night showed her white blood cell count so far above normal that only blood cancer could be responsible. Now, seven years later, Miller continues to manage chronic myelogenous leukemia. And for six of those seven years, shes walked in Caspers Relay for Life. She and the rest of Team Orange will return for this years local Relay for Life on Friday and Saturday at the Natrona County High School field. The American Cancer Society event raises funds for cancer research and support for cancer patients. The event inspires Miller, both as someone who has cancer as well as someone who knows family members and friends who have had the disease. Every year she gets to celebrate with many of the same survivors and their families and bond with families of those who died. Its that kind of camaraderie that happens, Miller said It gives you hope and support. Celebrating survival Team Orange is an assortment of Millers family and a few friends, including another cancer survivor. They sport the color for leukemia support during Relay for Life. The team raises more than $1,000 annually. Every little bit makes a difference, Miller said. One of her favorite parts of the event is when people step forward as the announcer calls out numbers representing years of survival. In recent years, shes seen more people every year in the 10-year and over categories. Its a testament to the research and availability of new treatments and the changes in and how those are being offered, she said. Miller is one of those benefiting from medical advances. She has the same kind of leukemia that claimed the life of a cousin and her grandfather, whom shed helped care for. That was before a medication that Miller takes to control her disease was available. At the relay, Miller has a chance to meet others affected by cancer and catches up with others that she knows from previous years. They get to know one anothers stories, families and struggles, she said. Family members and caregivers also can bond. You get to know the people you know their stories about their kids, what theyre going through and their lives, Miller said. It helps you remember that youre not a cancer, youre a person who has cancer. About 38 teams will participate in the local event, which last year raised $113,000, said Jennifer Jones, community development manager with the American Cancer Society. Funds from the event go to research efforts and services for patients, like hotel money for those who have to travel for treatment. Those include medical navigators and hotels for those who travel for treatments. Including an ACS grant for a cancer research project at University of Wyoming, more than $1 million came back to Wyoming last year, Jones said. People are welcome to attend the event, enjoy live music and participate in activities, Jones said. Anyone can purchase a luminaria bag at the ACS office or at the event and decorate it with supplies provided that day. The luminarias light the track during a Friday night ceremony to remember those affected or lost to cancer, Jones said. Day by day After her diagnosis, Miller started treatment with the same oncologist who treated her grandmother and grandfather. She started with oral chemotherapy followed by a medication that now keeps her cancer suppressed. But there are side effects, including less energy than she used to have and longer recuperation time from activities. She knows shell have to take it easy before and after the relay. With her disease and energy levels stable, though, shes now working toward a radiography degree and continued volunteer work with Relay for Life. She and her father spent a day this summer building a box car for the non profits Road to Recovery Car Show and Race where participants race Flintstonestyle around the track. The event helps bring awareness about the American Cancer Societys Road to Recovery program, which provides transportation to treatment appointments. Team Orange helped spearhead the local box car event three years ago, Jones said. I hope to relay for many, many years to come, Miller said. I want to be that old lady in the front of the line holding up the 25-plus sign. Lisa Whetstone sobbed while clinging to her husband and then sank to floor of a Casper courtroom Monday after she was ordered to pay back the $60,365 she allegedly embezzled from the town of Mills while serving as treasurer. Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey also sentenced Whetstone to serve five years of supervised probation and to complete the felony program at the Casper Re-Entry Center. If Whetstone violates the terms of her probation, the judge said she could serve a three- to five-year sentence. Whetstone previously pleaded guilty to failing to account for public property and admitted to misusing the towns credit card. Prior to her sentencing, Whetstone tearfully apologized to the court for misusing the credit card but insisted she did not steal $60,000. The defendant said she felt terrible that the money had gone missing under her watch but explained that she had received little training. I did the best job I could, she said. Before the sentence was handed down, two people spoke on Whetstones behalf. Ron Whetstone, the defendants husband, said anyone who saw the couples home would find it hard to believe his wife had stolen money. There is no way my wife would ever do something like this, he added. James Wiles, the defendants former co-worker, said she was always very dedicated to her job. The court also heard from Christina Trumbull, who worked alongside Lisa Whetstone at the town of Mills. Trumbull said Whetstone had let down the town and its citizens and urged the judge to hold her accountable. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation took an interest in the towns finances after a 2015 state audit uncovered discrepancies, including cash receipts that didnt match the amount of money that was deposited into the towns account. Prosecutors also charged the towns former mayor, Marrolyce Wilson, with interfering in the investigation and profiting from town land sales. Editor Joshua Wolfson joined the Star-Tribune in 2007, covering crime and health before taking over the arts section in 2013. He also served as managing editor before being named editor in June 2017. He lives in Casper with his wife and their two kids. The University of Wyoming aims to recruit and retain more students as it moves beyond a year dominated by severe budget cuts and staffing reductions, according to a five-year plan approved by the schools board of trustees. The plan, which will act as a blueprint for UW from this year through 2022, was a priority for the schools top administrators, President Laurie Nichols and Provost Kate Miller, both of whom started at the university within the last 18 months. Nichols has said boosting enrollment which was down this past school year but appears set for a strong rebound is a priority for the school, a stance reflected in the plan. It was approved unanimously Friday by the board, according to a university press release. Official began developing the plan last fall. It included community and faculty input; Miller held a town hall to discuss the draft at Casper College in April. The plan calls for the school to hit a number of targets by 2022, including: boosting overall enrollment by nearly 1,200 students, to 13,500. increasing the freshman- to-sophomore retention rate from 76 percent to 80 percent. lifting the four-year graduation rate from 25.8 percent to 33 percent, and the six-year rate to 60 percent, up from its current 54.4 percent. annual research funding to rise from $95.3 million to $115 million. targeting an increase in endowed faculty from 36 to 60. creating eight new degree programs and reorganizing or eliminating four more. doubling the percentage of students with Honors College credentials. UW created its Honors College earlier this year. increasing the endowment from $450 million to $650 million. The goals are ambitious, Miller acknowledges in the press release. Thats especially true given recent funding reductions by the state, totaling around $41 million. As a result, the university has eliminated some 370 positions, laid off 37 staffers, cut $29 million and eliminated five degree programs. The plan is our future, Nichols told the Star-Tribune earlier this month. It lays out our strategic priorities, she said. It talks about where we hope this university will be heading in five years. Im anxious to get all the cutting behind us and really start to think about what this land-grant, flagship university needs to be for Wyoming. She added that the university was hurting from not having a plan, which it had lacked for years. Focus on enrollment The enrollment component is perhaps the most vital part of the plan. The university, along with the states seven community colleges, has experienced flat or declining enrollment for years, including a decline last fall. At one point, shortly after Nichols started in May 2016, she discovered enrollment would be down roughly 600 students. After a tense summer, administrators were able to trim the decline to 190 students, but it was still the low point of years of stale enrollment, which Nichols blames largely on the school not having a blueprint for its future. The university hired a consultant to develop a strategy to boost enrollment, a mini-strategic plan that, among other things, calls for more outreach to high schools and increased cooperation with the community colleges. Those smaller institutions often act as funnels for UW, which allows students who complete community college to obtain their bachelors degree in two years. In addition to enrollment, the plan calls for degree programs offered through distance technologies; collaborations with community colleges and K-12 schools; research funding; and private contributions to the university. Boosting revenue It also calls for boosting and diversifying revenue options, though the university has no taxing authority and is largely dependent on state dollars. Much of the remainder of its funding comes from direct energy sources, like federal mineral royalties. Chad Baldwin, spokesman for the university, said Monday that revenue options as meant by the plan were tuition and fee increases and broader pushes for private giving. The school has raised record amounts of private funding over the past two years, officials have said. In 2016, the UW Foundation raked in more than $60 million; in 2017, it raised roughly $53 million. The university hopes to add more distance and online students and establish an Office of Engagement and Outreach, notable goals given that the school dismantled its previous Outreach School earlier this year. Baldwin said the new office would be focused more on serving the state, like increasing the number of lecture circuits by UW professors, rather than the Outreach Schools duty of recruiting students and offering coursework. Still, university officials insist their commitment to satellite campuses, like UW-Casper, remains strong. Jeff Edgens, the director at UW-C, has repeatedly said there are no plans to pull out of Casper. The plan also calls for an increase in minority students, an effort that will be aided by the chief diversity officer, a newly created position that was filled earlier this year. The plan sets a goal of 17 percent enrollment of underrepresented students by 2022, up from its current level of 13 percent. Baldwin said that effort included creating closer ties with historically black colleges and universities, with the hope of recruiting alumni to attend UW for graduate school. It also would emphasize Native American outreach, specifically toward Wyomings two tribes. The general perspective is we all know Wyoming is not particularly ethnically or racially diverse, he said. If we want students to be prepared for a global environment ... after they graduate, they need to have experiences with people from different backgrounds. And thats whats really driving this. UW established an American Indian center earlier this year as part of that broader effort. HELENA, Mont. Massive wildfires burning in eastern Montana have destroyed at least a dozen homes and led ranchers to cut escape routes in fences for cattle as the powerful blazes jump rivers, roads and bulldozer-cleared fire breaks. The 300 firefighters assigned to the four fires burning Monday in Garfield and Petroleum counties have been stymied by shifting winds and near triple-digit temperatures as they battle the blazes that have burned a combined 353 square miles (914 kilometers) since Wednesday. The fires were raging through private farmland with scattered homes, along with a mix of rolling open land used for grazing and timber-choked river bottoms. The destroyed homes were just discovered recently within the area ravaged by the largest blaze between the towns of Jordan and Winnett, east of the Musselshell River. About 50 homes in the area are under evacuation orders. The outlook didnt look any better, with wind gusts and low humidity expected to push the fires south. The forecast also calls for dry thunderstorms packing lightning that could ignite additional fires across the parched state. A heat-related injury caused a firefighter to be pulled from the line, fire information officer Tim Engrav said. Livestock have likely died in the fires, but responders have not had a chance to make a tally. Ranchers were cutting fences to let their cattle out as the fire line spread toward their land. Theres been a lot of scattering like that, Engrav said. We know there is probably going to be some losses. The fire complex is the largest of the blazes that are scorching Montana in the middle of a heatwave and drought conditions. There were at least two dozen significant wildfires burning across the state, according to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center. Gov. Steve Bullock declared a fire emergency for the entire state on Sunday. The declaration will allow the state to mobilize additional resources and the National Guard to help fight the fires. Senate dysfunction has stomped an annual recognition of American cowboys backed by U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming. Despite bipartisan support, a resolution designating July 22 as the National Day of the American Cowboy failed for the first time since 2005, according to Enzis office. The resolution is normally passed through the Senates unanimous consent procedure, whereby noncontroversial items like post office names are automatically approved. But because Democrats are forcing debate and roll call votes on every item brought to the floor, the resolution died. Unanimous consents arent getting passed right now, said Enzi spokesman Max DOnofrio. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said last week that Democrats were obstructing standard Senate procedure in order to oppose GOP plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Enzi has been closely involved with crafting the Republican health care legislation. When Enzis official Facebook page posted an image commemorating National Day of the American Cowboy, several people used it as an opportunity to attack his health care policies. (M)any of these poor cowboys will soon be without health (insurance), Julie Renneisen wrote. (B)eing bucked off a horse can be expensive, so what will they do?? they wont be able to come to you for help. While the Republican health care legislation is currently stalled, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that tens of millions of people would lose health insurance under the bills that have been proposed. But advocates of replacing the ACA, also known as Obamacare, argue that doing so is necessary because of rising costs and to increase options for patients. DOnofrio said that resolutions like the declaration of Cowboy Day do not detract from that work. These resolutions arent necessarily a time-consuming process, so it doesnt impact his ability to do any of the important other things hes working on, he said. And, DOnofrio added, The cowboy image is something people in Wyoming care about. That the late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyoming, began the Cowboy Day tradition two years before he died in office made the resolution especially meaningful, DOnofrio said. Enzi began introducing the resolution the year after Thomas death from cancer and said in a floor speech at the time that the longtime Wyoming politician had embodied the cowboy spirit. As he went through his leukemia treatments and still worked, he showed us what it was to cowboy up, to focus around pain and to do the job at hand, Enzi said. Thomas himself had noted that he sought to recognize the cowboy ethos as more than the literal cow wrangler. Trying to define a cowboy is like trying to catch the wind, but you can certainly recognize one when you see one, Enzi said, quoting Thomas. The resolutions co-sponsors this year all hailed from states where cowboys are still part of daily life, including the Dakotas, Idaho and Montana. Six of the 14 co-sponsors were Democrats. Enzi, however, was unable to rope the support necessary for the resolution to pass. DOnofrio said that despite the current impasse on unanimous action, staff had worked to pass the bill and that Enzi thought it might break through the partisan split. Always hopeful Sen. Enzi is an ultimate optimist, DOnofrio said. RIVERTON A Wyoming prison guard has agreed to plead guilty for a sexual relationship with an inmate. Forty-eight-year-old Cindy George faces three years of probation and 10 years on the state sex offender registry under her plea agreement. George was a corrections officer at the Wyoming Honor Farm when she allegedly had the affair with an unidentified male inmate. Under Wyoming law, such a relationship is second-degree sexual assault. The inmate allegedly told investigators he had sex with George three times in a month and arranged to talk to George by phone. George was fired from the corrections job a year ago. WASHINGTON The Senate on Monday confirmed David Bernhardt, a lawyer and former Interior Department official, as deputy Interior secretary, second in command to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The vote was 53-43. Democrats had criticized Bernhardt, saying he continued to advise a California water district even after he withdrew his formal registration as a lobbyist last year. Republicans called Bernhardt a capable lawyer with vast experience on issues important to the West, including endangered species, water use and development of public lands. Bernhardt was Interiors top lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. A spokeswoman said Zinke was excited to have David Bernhardt, a highly-qualified, veteran official, return to the department to help advance America First policy priorities set by Trump. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Bernhardts nomination flies in the face of Trumps pledge to drain the swamp in Washington of influence peddlers. Im afraid hes not draining the swamp. Hes actually helping to fill it, Cantwell said. The League of Conservation Voters and other environmental and watchdog groups urged senators to oppose Bernhardts nomination, saying he has long lobbied for the oil and gas industry, mining companies and other businesses regulated by Interior. Bernhardts list of conflicts of interest is extensive and should disqualify him from this position, 150 groups said in a letter to senators. Strongly worded press releases issued by special interest groups alleging any wrongdoing are patently false and are desperate attempts to stop the progress that is being made at the department on behalf of the American people, said Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for Zinke. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she thinks Bernhardt will be a very capable second-in-comand to Secretary Zinke, helping to steer the department in a positive direction. But Cantwell and other critics said they were concerned over media reports that Bernhardt was working for the Westlands Water District, the nations largest irrigation district, at the same time he was serving on the Trump transition team. Bernhardts law firm represented Westlands in four lawsuits against Interior. At a confirmation hearing in May, Bernhardt told Cantwell he would recuse himself from matters involving Westlands and other clients for at least a year, unless he receives authorization to do so. If I get a whiff of something coming my way that involves a client or former client for my firm, Im going to ... run straight to the ethics office, Bernhardt said. Cantwell was unimpressed. I remain concerned about his record on behalf of these corporations at the expense of the environment, his tenure at the Department of the Interior and many other challenges, she said. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he opposed Bernhardt because of his refusal to support a moratorium on oil drilling off the Florida coast in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. When it comes to the eastern Gulf, there is no good way to increase offshore production while balancing environmental concerns, Nelson said, noting that the 2010 BP oil spill fouled the gulf region for years. Nelson helped pass a congressional ban on oil drilling 125 miles off Floridas coast more than a decade ago. The ban is set to expire in 2022 and a number of congressional Republicans and industry groups are in favor of ending it. Trump signed an executive order in April to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, reversing restrictions imposed by President Barack Obama. Zinke has ordered a review of a five-year offshore drilling plan to boost production. Wyomings unemployment rate continues to drop as more people either give up looking for a job or leave the state, according to new data from the Wyoming Department of Research and Planning. The states labor force dropped by about 5,210 people, or 1.7 percent, from June 2016 to June 2017. The overall unemployment rate fell from 4.1 percent to 3.9 percent between May and June. The latest jobs report falls in line with recent statistics out of Research and Planning showing that Wyoming shed about 25,000 jobs from 2014 to 2016. The main cause of the decline has been a drop in energy prices. WASHINGTON The House rejected a plan Monday to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2 billion from other programs to cover a sudden budget shortfall in its Choice program of private-sector care following opposition from veterans groups. The vote was 219-186 on a bill to provide a six-month funding fix, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined other members of her party in voicing objections after veterans expressed concerns about cuts to other parts of the VA. The Choice program offers veterans federally paid medical care outside the VA and is a priority of President Trump. Veterans groups are seeking additional money for both Choice and core VA programs. House negotiators now planned to meet with the Senate, where lawmakers were crafting a separate proposal. Put in place after a 2014 wait-time scandal at the Phoenix VA hospital, the Choice program allows veterans to receive care from outside doctors if they must wait 30 days or more for an appointment or drive more than 40 miles to a VA facility. VA Secretary David Shulkin has warned that without congressional action Choice would run out of money by mid-August, causing disruptions in medical care to thousands of patients. Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Committee, criticized the required spending offsets and urged members to oppose the plan. He suggested it would be folly to ignore the views of major veterans groups and pass a flawed plan, only for it to be rejected in the Senate. The fact that Republican leadership is requiring offsets for direct patient care for veterans is troubling, Walz said. Rep. Phil Roe of Tennessee, the chairman of the veterans panel, had argued quick action was needed to address the shortfall. He rejected descriptions of the proposal as privatization. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, the Republican chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has been working to reach a compromise and his office declined to comment. The panels top Democrat, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, introduced a bill earlier this month that would provide equal levels of extra funding for Choice and VA programs. Eight major veterans groups expressed opposition to the House plan, voicing displeasure after it was quietly released last Friday after days of closed-door negotiations. At its national convention in New Orleans Monday, the leader of Veterans of Foreign Wars took aim at Trump over the House plan, describing the proposal as unacceptable privatization. VFW National Commander Brian Duffy said it would lead to higher out of pocket costs for veterans and harm their care. VFW members in the convention hall were heard chanting No to the plan. It would violate the campaign promise that President Trump told our convention a year ago a promise that the VA system would remain a public system because it is a public trust, Duffy said. Separately, the House also voted Monday to significantly expand college aid for military veterans, removing a 15-year time limit to tap into educational aid and increasing benefits for thousands in the National Guard and Reserve. It was the biggest expansion of the GI Bill in a decade. Veterans groups cheered the proposed expansion to the GI Bill but drew a line with Choice. They see the House proposal as setting dangerous precedent because it takes money from core VA benefits to pay for private-sector care. The plan would trim pensions for some veterans and collect fees for housing loans guaranteed by the VA. Veterans health care benefits have already been paid for through the service and sacrifice of the men and women who wore our nations uniform, the groups said. On Thursday, July 27, Dairy Queen locations in Southern Arizona will be raising funds for TMC for Children. As part of DQ Miracle Day, participating Dairy Queens will donate $1 or more from every Blizzard Treat sold to help sick and injured children at Tucson Medical Center, the communitys Childrens Miracle Network hospital. Donations will directly help fund wellness programs, purchase medical equipment and provide services for children at TMC. Last year, the local Miracle Treat Day raised more than $14,500 for TMC for Children. Overall, the effort raised more than $4 million for Childrens Miracle Network hospitals in the United States and Canada. Since 1984, the Dairy Queen system says it has raised more than $125 million for charities through fundraising efforts, including Miracle Treat Day. For information visit miracletreatday.com Air Force veteran Daniel Kester of Tucson studied the transition of military veterans into civilian society to earn his Ph.D. in education. But the retired intelligence specialist still needed help with his own transition issues, as he stepped away from a military career that included combat duties in Iraq and Afghanistan and left him with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Kester found some of that help in 2015, when he participated in a No Barriers Warriors Veterans Expedition through the Grand Canyon, through a program sponsored regionally by defense contractor Raytheon. Conducted by No Barriers USA, a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, the No Barriers Warriors expedition program teaches vets with disabilities to overcome personal barriers through wilderness challenges. Raytheon, the Tucson regions biggest employer, is partnering on the No Barriers Warriors expedition program regionally for the fourth year. This year, the company is sponsoring a dozen wounded warriors from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and southern California for a 10-day trek through the Wind River Range in Wyoming in August. Kester, who now works in mission control for the Tucson-based high-altitude balloon startup World View Enterprises, said he gained new confidence and bonded with fellow vets on his 2015 trip. It definitely helped, said Kester, who retired as a senior master sergeant last year after a 20-plus year career including 11 years on active duty and stints in the Air Guard and Air Force Reserve. Its one of those things where you put yourself in a situation thats out of your comfort zone, that youre not really sure youre able to accomplish, but with the help of your support group youre able to get through. They made it very positive. Though unlike military survival school, food was provided, participants had to manage their way through a series of challenges while rough-camping in the wet. And though the Army vets often jokingly threatened to test Kesters Navy skills by throwing him out of the raft, Kester and his colleagues made it through, together. The toughest parts of the trip included helping one participant who had difficulty walking straight because of a traumatic brain injury hike out of the canyon. We had to help get him out of the canyon and up Bright Angel Trail, which is a mile straight up, he recalled. Some of the trail is as wide as a sidewalk with a 7,000 foot drop, and were holding onto each other. And in a sense, they are still holding onto each other. Im still in touch with several of the people in the group on Facebook and other places, Kester said. Theyre great guys and helped me when Ive had issues afterward, and when they have issues, we call each other and help each other out. There are plenty vets who need such help. About 2.5 million veterans have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that between 11 to 20 percent of those veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD, a mental-health disorder with symptoms including flashbacks, anger and constant fear of danger. As of 2015, some 1.8 million veterans who served since the first Gulf War in 1990 were receiving benefits for a service-connected disability, according to the VA. Raymond Davis of Phoenix, a former Navy hospital corpsman one of three Arizona veterans picked for this years No Barriers trip to the Wind River Range, said he hopes to find help dealing with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury he suffered in Iraq in 2006. A lot of veterans I know, for whatever reason, just have a hard time blending in with everyday people, said Davis, 39, who works as an advanced medical support assistant at the Phoenix VA hospital. Ive had some issues just adjusting, so for the last few years Ive just been on a downward spiral of emotions, just finding my place. Davis said the trip combines things that have helped him in the past. I always find I do better if I spend sometime outdoors or in a physical challenge, or getting together with the people I served with, he said. Davis says hes been through VA counseling and though he doesnt know his fellow Wind River trekkers he has no doubt they will pull together through the challenges. I know other veterans who have been through the same thing, so were not going to give up on each other. Kester, who spent a year and a half heading Pima Community Colleges veterans services department, said its critically important that disabled vets seek help. One of the things I found in my dissertation is that vets arent the type of people who ask for help, Kester said. Thats one of the things you have to overcome, you have to be OK with just asking for help. Theres a lot of help out their from all sorts of institutions, and especially other veterans who will step up and help out any way they can. The rescue of 17 people from Tanque Verde Falls was one of the largest and most difficult operations the Pima County Sheriffs Department has conducted in recent years, officials said Monday. Rescuers pulled the hikers out of harms way Sunday evening and Monday morning as a monsoon-fed flash flood barreled through the falls near Redington Pass northeast of Tucson. Among the rescued were a man carrying a 4-year-old child on his back, a woman and a boy stranded on a rock and two people caught on a cliff wall as the waters rose. Although the department has helped groups of 20 or 30 people caught on the wrong side of rushing waters in Sabino Canyon, the Tanque Verde Falls operation was the first time so many people had to be rescued by helicopter, said sheriffs Deputy Steve West, who took part in the rescue. A video posted on the Sheriffs Department Facebook page shows a deputy descending from a helicopter to rescue an individual perched on a rock in the middle of what appears to be a raging river. The rescue effort began around 5:30 p.m. Sunday when deputies received a call for help from a woman who said rising water levels at the falls had left her and a boy stranded on a rock, said Erick Maldonado, supervisor of the Sheriff Department search-and-rescue unit. Deputies, volunteers with the Southern Arizona Rescue Association and firefighters from the Rural/Metro Fire Department responded and saw others stranded by the waters on rocks and eight other people on the southern side of the canyon, he said. A sheriffs helicopter crew hoisted them out of the canyon, but couldnt reach two people stranded on a canyon wall. SARA volunteers lowered themselves down to the two people trapped on a canyon wall to deliver supplies to help them make it through the night, Maldonado said. They were taken out by a Department of Public Safety helicopter Monday morning. Earlier on Sunday, the creek was pretty low and hikers werent paying attention to the weather, Deputy Brian Boll said. When that water came in, the water levels went from something you could walk across to something that you cant swim across, Boll said. Rescuers pulled 15 people out on Sunday, but the effort became too dangerous after dark, particularly for the helicopter crew. In order to get a deputy close enough to the people stranded at the bottom of the canyon, at some points, the main rotor blades were 20 feet away from the rock wall, West said. The rescue came less than two weeks after a July 15 flash flood near Payson left 10 people dead. In 1981, eight people died in flash flooding at Tanque Verde falls. Honestly, we got lucky, Maldonado said, noting the stranded hikers were able to call for help, deputies were working, and the helicopter and its crew were available. The most serious injury reported by sheriffs officials was a twisted ankle. However, deputies were preparing for the worst during the rescue effort, Boll said. When you see a 4-year-old on their dads back and you cant get to them. Thats tough, Boll said as he choked back tears. Maldonado said all of the rescued people were from Tucson and cautioned local residents about the dangers of drowning during monsoon season. A flash flood watch was in place across much of Arizona on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The rain, the water, its got to go somewhere, he said. Its going to go down-canyon, its going to go downstream. By the time you hear the water and you see the water, youre talking about seconds before you can get to safety. If local residents find themselves stranded, bright-colored clothing during the day or a cell phone screen at night can help speed up the search, said helicopter pilot Milt Kennedy. WARSAW, Poland Polands president unexpectedly announced Monday that he will veto two bills that would have sharply curtailed the independence of the judiciary, a victory for peaceful protesters who had gathered by candlelight every night for more than a week. The European Union criticized the bills as assaults on the democratic system of checks and balances and threatened to begin proceedings soon to strip Poland of its voting rights in the 28-member bloc. President Andrzej Duda made the right decision, Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of a liberal alliance in the European Parliament, tweeted. But the fight for rule of law in Poland goes on we are with the Polish people! The protests mark one of the most significant acts of civic mobilization since the Solidarity protests led by Lech Walesa in the 1980s, with large numbers of young Poles attending rallies daily fearing they might lose a future in a democratic state fully integrated in the West. Walesa, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president who helped end communism peacefully in 1989, praised Duda for what he called a difficult and a courageous decision. Many Poles fear that a loss of basic democratic rights will change the county into a semi-authoritarian state, mirroring conditions in some other places in Eastern Europe. In our hearts and minds we are 100 percent Europeans, said Marcin Trzepla, a 26-year-old who attended multiple demonstrations in Warsaw over eight days hoping to stop what he called a huge step to the East. At first Trzepla, who works for an advertising agency, doubted the protests would have any effect, but showed up so that I can look in the mirror and say I did whatever I could. He said he was shocked by Dudas decision to veto the bills, given the presidents history of loyalty to the ruling Law and Justice party. But he said he would keep on protesting in hopes the president might still block a third bill that would give the prosecutor general, who is also the justice minister, the power to name the heads of lower courts. Protests continued Monday night in several cities, with people holding up candles and chanting various slogans in defense of the constitution, free courts and democracy. The bills were presented and passed by lawmakers over a 10-day period with no public consultation after a visit by Donald Trump to Warsaw, where the U.S. leader praised Poland as a defender of Western civilization. Some critics believe the Law and Justice party, a populist and nationalist group, felt emboldened by Trumps support. The State Department, however, said Friday that the Polish government has continued to pursue legislation that appears to undermine judicial independence and weaken the rule of law in Poland. "Tai-wiki-widbee" is an eclectic mix of trivialities, ephemera, curiosities, and exotica with a smattering of current events, social commentary, science, history, English language and literature, videos, and humor. We try to be the cyberequivalent of a Victorian cabinet of curiosities. pakistan is in the throes of an internal upheaval as repeated acts of terrorism strike the nation. The latest attack has taken place close to Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab and the number two city in Pakistan after Karachi. The attack took place on the Ferozepur Lahore road which is a busy road. DIG, Operations Dr Haider Ashraf has confirmed that at least 26 people have been killed in the suicide attack. It is also reported that the dead included 9 police personnel from the Punjab police. This is not all as over 60 persons have been injured and admitted to various hospitals in the city with many of them in critical condition. There is a chance that the death toll may go up. The bomb squad has confirmed that the cause of the mayhem was a bomb, reported CNN International. Suicide bomber The suicide bomber arrived on a motorcycle and targeted police personnel at the Arfa Karim, IT tower. The police were at full strength as they were assisting in an anti-encroachment drive when the suicide bomber struck. The swiftness of the attack took the police by surprise. The names of the dead are so far not announced as many bodies are not in a fit condition to be identified. Flawed policy The attack took the authorities by surprise and is a result of the flawed policy of the Pakistan government and the Inter- Services intelligence that there are Good And Bad terrorists. The ISI has been nurturing terrorist camps as confirmed by the CIA, to attack India. In addition, Pakistan is backing a section of the Taliban called the Haqqani faction which is committing terrorist acts in Afghanistan. However, the terrorists are a seamless commodity and now they have turned against the Pakistan state. Many of the terrorists believe in the Wahhabi doctrine that wants Pakistan to follow the pristine form of the Sharia and become a part of the Islamic Caliphate. Pakistan is a comparative liberal society compared to other Muslim nations and its constitution protects the rights of the minorities. This is not acceptable to the hardliners who hope to bring about a change with acts of terrorism. Introspection The PM Nawaz Sharif has condemned the attack and so has the army chief, General Bajwa. But both these worthies need to look inwards and see that these attacks are a result of their policy to support terror leaders like Azar Masood and JKLF leader Amanullah Khan who was recently declared a global terrorist by the USA. With another day gone by, Donald Trump has decided to vent his frustrations on social media. As the pressure mounts on himself to explain the growing Russian scandal, the president has decided to focus on one of his former political rivals in the form of Hillary Clinton. Trump on Twitter When Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in June 2015, the initial reaction from the majority of the American people and the mainstream media was that his candidacy was not to be taken seriously. Despite this, the former host of "The Apprentice" was able to gain steam during the Republican primary and eventually be named the GOP nominee last summer. While this was taking place, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was giving Hillary Clinton a surprisingly strong run for her money during the Democratic primary. Though Clinton was able to come out on top, Sanders' supporters stood by him, with many speaking out in opposition to the former Secretary of State, going as far as refusing to vote for her over Trump in the general election. With Clinton facing growing criticism on the left, it was just one of many contributing factors that led to her defeat on Election Day. In the months that have followed, Trump has been sworn into office where his approval rating sits at around just 40 percent, with his policy proposals, executive orders, and controversial rhetoric all leading to his downfall. As seen during a June 25 tweet, Trump is now doing his best to deflect from the Russian scandal by putting attention back on the heated Clinton and Sanders primary race. 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 Taking to Twitter on Sunday morning, Donald Trump decided to turn back the clock and rip into Hillary Clinton for her primary win over Bernie Sanders. "Hillary Clinton colluded with the Democratic Party in order to beat Crazy Bernie Sanders," Trump tweeted, before adding, "Is she allowed to so collude? Unfair to Bernie!" Trump accuses Clinton of "collusion" with Democrats to beat "Crazy Bernie" https://t.co/bgTtFYC3DD pic.twitter.com/WpvTp3kVk0 The Hill (@thehill) June 25, 2017 Donald Trump's tweet is in reference to the controversy surrounding the Democratic primary in reference to how the Democratic National Committee (DNC) handled the race. Many believe that the DNC were biased against Bernie Sanders, who has long been an independent, in favor of a Clinton victory. Moving forward Donald Trump's latest tweet doubles down on his other social media posts from over the weekend where he also went back in the past to attack Democrats. On Saturday, Trump continued his attack on Hillary Clinton, while accusing former President Barack Obama of ignoring information pertaining to the Russian scandal, while doing his best to deflect attention away from his own administration. The biggest story to hover over the head of Donald Trump has been the allegations that he's been in cahoots with Russia since the early days of the 2016 presidential election. While the president has denied the claims against him, some in the right-wing media are coming to his defense, including Fox News host Sean Hannity. Hannity on Twitter Over the last two years, Donald Trump has made many enemies in the media. When Trump first kicked off his campaign for president back in June 2015, he labeled illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Following his speech, the majority of the mainstream media were quick to hit back at the former host of "The Apprentice," which has only escalated ever since. Since his election win over Hillary Clinton last November, Trump has lashed out at the press on a routine basis, labeling any reports he disagrees with as "fake news." With the Russian scandal heating up and the investigation into the Kremlin continuing, a select few in the right-wing media have defended him on an almost daily basis. One name that has gone out of his way to stand up for the president has been Sean Hannity. Whether it's on his Fox News show or his radio program, Hannity has defended Trump regardless of the information and evidence that is released. As seen in a series of tweets on June 25, Hannity is taking his support of the president to another level on social media. Why was Obama "colluding" with Putin? https://t.co/4TMpPa1XHr Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) June 25, 2017 Taking to his Twitter account on Sunday, Sean Hannity stood by Donald Trump by attacking the opposition. Following CNN's recent retraction of a false story linking a Trump associate to Russia, Hannity was quick to celebrate, labeling the network "FAKE FAKE NEWS." In a follow-up post, Hannity referred to CNN President Jeff Zucker as the "Leader of Very FAKE NEWS." In his defense of Julian Assange, Sean Hannity praised the WikiLeaks founder for "exposing" the "deep state" opposition to Donald Trump. "He has exposed we have zero cyber security, corruption and fixing a primary at the DNC, and deep state abuse of power and misuse of Intel," Hannity posted. Following Trump's earlier tweet accusing Hillary Clinton of colluding with the DNC against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary, Hannity doubled down. "Yes. They lied, cheated, colluded, fixed and rigged a primary. Finally! And if @JulianAssange says NOT Russia, maybe honest Dems leaked?" he wrote. Yes. They lied, cheated, colluded, fixed and rigged a primary. Finally! And if @JulianAssange says NOT Russia, maybe honest Dems leaked? https://t.co/fbNsef55zb Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) June 25, 2017 Not stopping there, Sean Hannity posted an article that suggested that the Obama administration ignored warning signs that Russia hacked the election, before claiming the former president was colluding with Vladimir Putin. "Why was Obama "colluding" with Putin?," Hannity added. Phil wanted the Benghazi liar, the email destroyer, & clinton foundation gets millions when she allows 20% of USA uranium to go to Putin. https://t.co/3nanDYvI0f Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) June 25, 2017 Moving forward While Sean Hannity and others in the right-wing media continue to support Donald Trump, the president has been backed into a corner over a variety of issues. Though the Russian investigation is a pressing issue, the commander in chief is also dealing with the backlash to his health care bill that is stuck in the Senate. US President Donald Trump attended the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America in West Virginia, Monday and he delivered a speech more fitting for a political rally rather than a nonpartisan gathering. In his address to the delegates, the President hit out at fake news, Obama, Hillary Clinton, media, and pundits among others. He particularly criticized Obamacare and reiterated his intention to have it overhauled. Who wants to be political? Initially, Trump did not intend for his address to be political, saying "who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" Well, not surprisingly, it turned out Trump is the answer to his own question. He called stories about policy fights in DC fake news and told the crowd to set those aside. But with the looming vote for the Republican Health Care bill in the Senate, the US President could not help himself and attacked Obamas Affordable Health Care Act, which he criticized as horrible and really hurting us. Get the votes or youre fired With the uncertain outcome of the voting at the U.S. Senate, Donald Trump expressed his hope that Secretary Price would get the votes needed to overcome the procedural hurdle that could kill the chance of passing the Republican Health Care Bill and overhaul Obamacare. Trump then went on and asked Tom Price, By the way, are you going to get the votes? You better get the votes. Otherwise, Ill say, Tom, youre fired. Boy Scouts of Americas statement With Donald Trump turning the gathering of scouts and volunteers into one of his political campaign stops, CNN Politics reports that Boy Scouts of America issued its statement clarifying that it did not endorse Trump and nor did the group support a particular "position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. There are also parents who are unhappy with Trumps political speech at the National Jamboree and who went on to express their opinions on Twitter. Long standing tradition The official website of the Boy Scouts of America announced earlier that United States President Donald J. Trump will become the eighth President to join its National Jamboree. According to the organization, each sitting U.S. President has served as the Boy Scouts of Americas honorary president since its inception in 1910. The BSA also pointed out in its statement that it is the longstanding custom of the organization to invite the sitting U.S. President to the National Jamboree. In yet another chapter in the never-ending feud between Donald Trump and the mainstream media, the Washington Post is now the top target of the president. Following a story that didn't go over well with the administration, Trump has decided to lash out at the publication on social media. Trump on WaPo Starting from the early days of his campaign for president, Donald Trump has been battling the mainstream media. As the months moved on, the rhetoric coming from the former host of "The Apprentice" dominated the headlines, which has only continued throughout the first seven months of his presidency. While there have been many areas for Trump and the press to clash, it's been the ongoing and growing Russian scandal that has caused the biggest rift between both sides. Since his election win over Hillary Clinton last November, Trump has routinely denied any wrongdoing in regards to being in cahoots with Russia, despite overwhelming evidence from various well-respected news outlets and government agencies. The latest twist comes from the Washington Post which reported that the White House is now working with and relying on Russia to fight back against the Islamic State on Syria. As expected, Trump quickly fired back with a series of tweets on July 24. Cooperation with Russia becomes central to President Trumps strategy in Syria https://t.co/zyXblnZgQN Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 25, 2017 Taking to his Twitter account on Monday night was Donald Trump and the commander in chief was not happy with the aforementioned story by the Washington Post. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....," Trump tweeted out. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 In a follow-up post, Donald Trump continued his attack on the paper. "So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN," he tweeted, while asking, "Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes?" So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 In his final tweet on the matter as of press time, Donald Trump ripped into the Washington Post once again. "Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?" the president asked in his third tweet of the night. Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Next up As the fight between the mainstream media and Donald Trump continues, it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. While only time will tell if the scandal surrounding Russia becomes the president's downfall, the billionaire real estate mogul and his team appear ready to go down swinging in denial at any and all costs. Jared Kushner met with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday behind closed doors, Time reports. He was called to testify about his connections to Russia. However, it was not a public hearing, as was previously announced, and he was not under oath. The abrupt door-slam caused a major backlash from some members of the senate, like Ron Wyden, who said Kushner ought to testify under oath in an open session of the committee, Huffington Post reports. On Tuesday, Kushner will meet with the House Intelligence Committee. Both panels are investigating Russian connections to Trump's campaign, according to News-Sentinel. Senator Joe Manchin said Monday during an interview on MSNBC that he thinks the public has a right to know the facts and that, we should have it as transparent as possible. At the press conference following Mondays meeting, Kushner said, Let me be very clear, I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. Video footage on CNN shows him saying, I had no improper contacts. He went on to say, I have not relied on Russia funds for my businesses. And I have been fully transparent in providing all the requested information. However, despite his transparency claim, Kushner refused to take questions from the press. Russian ties Kushner has admittedly met with Russian officials and nationals, four different times during and after the presidential campaign, which he disclosed in an 11-page statement, the Chicago Tribune reports. The meetings were held on April 26, 2016, with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, June 9, 2016, with Russian Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, December 1, 2016, again with Kislyak, and on December 13, 2016, with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov. All of the meetings were conducted on U.S. soil. Kushner did not disclose these meetings until they were discovered and subsequently reported. Kushner said that he had no prior knowledge of the June 2016 session. He claimed that he did not read Trump Jr.'s full email asking him to join the meeting, News-Sentinel reports. "That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time," Kushner said in the statement. The email from Trump Jr. suggests that during last Junes meeting, the Russian government would provide damning information about Hillary Clinton. Conversely, participants said they instead focused on Russian adoptions. Despite Kushners claims that he did not read the series of emails, he was present at the rescheduled meeting. One NYT reader responds to Jared Kushners remarks https://t.co/alDFkmSzxp pic.twitter.com/oGfoLH3m5W The New York Times (@nytimes) July 24, 2017 Family ties Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, is not only a top advisor to his administration, but he is taxed with an enormous amount of responsibility. His salary is paid for by U.S. citizens. His resume includes no government or foreign policy experience. The concept is flirting with nepotism, the likes of which we have not seen since Ulysses S. Grant, who appointed dozens of his family members to different positions on Capitol Hill during his presidency. The reason nepotism is avoided so intensely is because it permits favoritism to kin who may not necessarily be qualified. Weve seen examples of this in the British monarchy, the system our founding fathers abandoned. Instead, we adopted a vote by and for the people, with the promise of a renewal vote every four years to avoid a situation like the royal family. Kushner has obtained the security clearance to receive military briefings, though he never served in the military. He has been involved in every issue in the Trump administration including assignments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and China. Former press secretary Sean Spicer has said that Kushner was working jointly with the State Department to manage the administration's foreign affairs, according to CNN. In the most recent news, Kushner has been tasked with revamping the government, according to U.S. News, as well as solving the opioid epidemic. Lawyers for 43-year-old Ronald Phillips have asked that the United States Supreme Court delay the scheduled execution of their client. Phillips is set to be put to death by lethal injection on July 26 in the state of Ohio. At the center of the attorneys objection is the Midazolam, a sedative used in the lethal injection protocol. The attorneys plea to the highest court asks the justices to also stay the executions of Ohio death row inmates Raymond Tibbetts and Gary Otte while the suit is pending ruling. Last month, a federal appeals court decided in an 8-6 ruling that Ohios injection protocol is good to go. If everything goes according to plan, capital punishment will be exacted and Phillips will die for his 1993 conviction. He raped and murdered the three-year-old daughter of his girlfriend. Objections raised about sedative, midazolam His execution is slated to be Ohios first in three years after setbacks due to government and legal challenges following the execution of Dennis McQuire. For McQuires execution, the state used a previously untested mix of drugs to effect his death. The drug combination included midazolam. Opponents, to the drugs use in executions, fault it for causing McGuire to choke and gasp for the 26 minutes it took for him to die. Clemency for Phillips was unanimously opposed in December by the Ohio Parole Board, which ranked his crime the worst of the worst. The aunt and the half-sister of the little girl Phillips murdered asked the state to proceed with carrying out the capital punishment against Phillips to effect closure for the family. Advocacy groups and five former, exonerated death row inmates have sought to sway John Kasich, Ohios governor, to delay the execution of Phillips. Among those asking Kasich to postpone killing the rapist-murderer is Judge James Brogan, retired 2nd District Court of Appeals. Brogan said its troubling that Ohio intends to resume executions while a state Supreme Court task force made 56 recommendations that, for the most part, have been ignored, according to the Dayton Daily News. Bogan asserted that the states legislators should consider the task forces recommendations prior to continuing executions. If not, problems will persist at the core level and possibly cause wrongful death penalty convictions, he stated. Governor asked to look at flaws with injection protocol A total of 17 former corrections administrators and officials sent Kasich a letter cautioning about the potential for errors that may stem from using midazolam. They pointed out problems arising during executions carried out in Arizona and Alabama, as well as in Ohio. Former Ohio prison warden Rex Kent stated that members of the execution team frequently encounter anxiety and stress as a result of carrying out routine executions, according to Cleveland.com. During a July 19 news conference, Kent stated that when something, unexpected, happens during executions or when death row inmates have been exonerated the psychological damage to the execution team members should be considered. Kasich hasnt been swayed, so far, to delay Phillips demise by lethal injection. On Wednesday, instead of attending the Ohio State Fairs opening, according to the Dayton Daily News, Kasich will be monitoring the activities at Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, also dubbed the Death House. The incident happened on Wednesday when the Bakersfield Fire Department attended a House Fire. The firefighters pulled a tiny two-year-old dog from the fire and made every effort to resuscitate the little guy. The fire department posted a video of the rescue on Facebook which went viral, with hundreds of thousands of views. Little dog in trouble in Bakersfield house fire When firefighters brought little Jack the dog out of the smoky house he was limp and unresponsive. One firefighter laid him gently on his side on the lawn and went to work on him. According to the post, the dog had semi-agonal respirations," which basically means he was having trouble breathing in air and, as can be seen in the video, was only capable of shallow breaths. Oxygen mask and CPR for the tiny dog As noted by the Sacramento Bee, Jacks worried owner stood nearby as firefighters used a specialized animal oxygen mask on the dogs mouth to give him a high flow of oxygen. One of the Bakersfield firefighting heroes also patted and rubbed Jacks back in a CPR technique. Fortunately, their swift attention worked and Jack came to, breathing normally. Right at the end of the video, the dogs owner can be seen picking Jack up and carrying him away. The dog then spent time at a veterinary hospital with injuries to his respiratory tract and burns on his paws. California firefighter pulls a little white dog from a house fire, uses pet oxygen mask to revive him. https://t.co/mme6lQhWN4 #odd AP Oddities (@AP_Oddities) July 22, 2017 As reported by 23 ABC Bakersfield, Matt Smith, the one responsible for placing Jack on oxygen and giving the little mutt CPR, was interviewed. Smith said it is always good to help someone else and they knew the owner was really worried about Jack, asking them to look for the dog in the smoky home and rescue him. It was Smith who found Jack whimpering behind a couch in the house and took him out into the fresh air, eventually bringing him back to life. Smith said it is always good when things turn out right, but he never imagined a video of his deeds would go viral worldwide. California firefighters revive dog after house fire video https://t.co/uLNQA9SEpn Guardian news (@guardiannews) July 22, 2017 Firefighter gets a reunion with Jack at the veterinary hospital However, that wasnt the end of it, as Smith was given the chance of a reunion with Jack on Thursday at the Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital. The firefighter met up with Jack and his owner, Jeff Garnett. Garnett was reportedly still wearing the smoky clothes from the day before and was thrilled to meet up with the man who saved his dog. Garnett said he couldnt thank the firefighters enough for saving Jack, saying if it wasnt for them, Jack wouldnt be here today. Readers can watch the video of Jacks rescue below. When the Secretary of Health and Human Services tom price was on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos last Sunday, he said that the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) that Senate Republicans were trying to pass was not the entire bill. This was Price's response when he was confronted with the numbers and statistics that showed how devastating the new bill would be to those who are currently covered under Obamacare. Specifically, when he responded to the fact that some of the nation's largest insurers were showing their opposition to the Republican-led bill. Forcing Americans to accept vague health care without details On July 14, two major insurers sent a letter to the Senate opposing an amendment that was submitted by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) which promised to lure those insurers away from the Obamacare a.k.a the Affordable Care Act (ACA) market place's regulations. The amendment got the support of Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and the Trump administration. It appeared that it was accepted enough to become part of the BCRA. The insurers against the amendment were America's Health Insurance Plans and the BlueCross BlueShield Association, which said that premiums would sky rocket for those with pre-existing conditions and would leave more people uninsured. Vast criticism of the bill is often deflected by Republicans using vague details, with requests made to those critics to ignore the estimates made by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and followed by promises that any new bill will be better than Obamacare. There are hardly any details given to instill any confidence in those critics, only the forced assumption that any new bill will work over time. Tom Price's defense that everything that has been reported on or seen in public was not the entire bill, is simply another way for him and the Trump administration that he works for to deflect criticism. Vapid rhetoric and misinformation Tom Price has made very little effort to give any details to the American people as to what they should look forward to in the BCRA. This is certainly still the case as the bill is likely to return sometime in the future, according to vague sentiments from Senate Republican leaders. In fact, during his interview on This Week, he repeated the same ideological rhetoric that other Republicans have repeated about the "freedom" Americans will have to be able to choose their own plans. When this isn't the case, Republicans refer to their united view that the ACA is in a death spiral -- even though that isn't necessarily true -- and claim that they have to prevent it from collapsing in on itself to protect those who need coverage. If there is any indication from the letters sent by insurance providers, it at least shows that there are providers who are not interested in leaving the ACA. For instance, in an article by Bloomberg titled: "Failing or Doing Fine? How Obamacares Marketplaces Are Shaping Up for 2018", it said that Medica was expanding coverage in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. This applies to other insurers who will either expand or remain in the market place for 2018, while major providers such as Aetna, Humana and Anthem leave. Republicans defy great opposition It also shows that the regulatory aspects of Obamacare are not a complete deal breaker for those insurers who slammed Sen. Cruz's amendment. But Tom Price went further in the interview to say that people did not have enough choice beyond one provider in the market. This goes with the Republican view that a health care system that is mandated and provided for by the government is "over reach" and proof that the government was forcing themselves on "freedom loving" Americans. During a press briefing on July 11, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) said that with limited options for insurers, Obamacare coverage was not a market place but a monopoly. Even while very influential insurers appear to be taking a stand against the BCRA, Republicans have for the most part fallen in line with supporting Trump within limits. This means that the ideological support for his agenda to repeal the ACA, no matter the cost, is still acceptable. A man inspects a property model display in Rizhao, Shandong province, on Jun 14, 2014 . [Photo provided to China Daily] Leadership: Property market will be stabilized, coordination strengthened China will strengthen the coordination of financial regulation, stabilize the property market and prevent systemic financial risks, according to a statement issued after a top leadership meeting on Monday. "Financial disorder will be tackled thoroughly, financial coordination will be strengthened, and the efficiency and level of financial sectors supporting the real economy will be improved," said the statement released after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee. "The property market will be stabilized, the continuity and stability of policies will be maintained, and the establishment of the long-term mechanism (in managing the property market) will be accelerated," the statement said. "(China) will hold fast to the bottom line that no systemic financial risks should occur," the meeting said, according to Xinhua News Agency. "Policymakers have reiterated such stances recently. It shows that they will take more coordinated steps to fend off potential financial risks," said Gao Haihong, an economist of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, citing the establishment of a committee under the State Council, China's Cabinet, to oversee financial stability and development, a decision made at the National Financial Work Conference, which ended on July 15. "Financial regulations used to be fragmented and often failed to catch up with financial market development. The Political Bureau meeting has urged it be strengthened, and I think it will become more coordinated and efficient," Gao said. The real estate market is also a crucial factor that has an important bearing on the financial market and therefore should be dealt with properly, analysts said. "Slumping property prices could trigger financial crisis, as Japan's experiences, the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s and the global financial crisis that began 10 years ago have all proved," said Dai Yiyi, an economist at Xiamen University. As China's property prices in some major cities have been hovering at high levels, policymakers must be careful in addressing the market so that prices won't continue to rise, nor will they slump, he said. "That's why the Political Bureau meeting urged to 'stabilize' the property market." So far, China has managed to keep the financial market largely stable, analysts said. "While it has strengthened overall financial regulation, signaled by the establishment of the financial stability committee under the State Council, China has, in particular, effectively controlled capital outflow and the yuan's exchange rate has stabilized," said Gao of CASS. "While fully affirming economic performance, we must at the same time clearly recognize the many problems and contradictions in the economy," the meeting statement said. China will "actively resolve the pileup of local government debt risks, and effectively regulate local governments' debt financing", said the statement. China will also "make unremitting efforts to push forward supply-side structural reform, properly resolve major potential risks, and promote sustainable and healthy economic and social development", the statement said. Workers hoist an underwater science robot named Tansuo in preparation for its first experimental dive on Monday in the South China Sea. The task is expected to last about 20 hours. [Photo/Xinhua] The Chinese-developed underwater robot Tansuo conducted its maiden test dive in the South China Sea on Monday. The robot is 3.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide and can dive to a depth of 4,500 meters. It will conduct 20 hours of collaborative operations with the unmanned submersible Faxian in the South China Sea. The Chinese research vessel Kexue left the port of Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday to continue its South China Sea scientific expedition. During the second stage of its mission, the unmanned submersible will carry a domestically developed Raman spectrometer to take physical and chemical measurements, and photograph organisms. The Kexue left Qingdao, Shandong province, on July 10 for a scientific expedition. It docked in Xiamen to resupply on Friday after completing the first phase of the mission. In the first stage, 12 Chinese-developed underwater gliders carried out scientific observations in the South China Sea, sending back real-time data. It was the largest group of gliders ever to perform simultaneous observations in the region. Xinhua Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner speaks outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, July 24, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner on Monday denied having colluded with the Russian government despite four meetings with Russian nationals during the campaign and the transition period. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner said in a 11-page statement. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump said. Kushner said he first met with former Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak in April 2016 at a Trump speech in Washington, where he exchanged pleasantries and business cards with four ambassadors. Kushner does not name the other three ambassadors he met at the meetings. "Each exchange lasted less than a minute," Kushner said. The second meeting, in June 2016, was set up by Donald Trump Jr. and involved a Russian lawyer who was said to possess damaging information on Trump's rival Hillary Clinton. Kushner said conversations in the meetings focused on a ban on US adoptions of Russian children and was "a waste of time." "I had not met the attorney before the meeting nor spoken with her since," he said. Kushner said his first Russia meeting after election occurred on Dec 1, 2016, when he met with Kislyak in Trump Tower NYC to discuss future US-Russian ties. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn attended the meeting. Both sides agreed to discuss in depth such issues as the Syrian crisis after inauguration for a lack of secure communication channels at the time, according to Kushner. Kushner said he then met with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov on Dec 13 at the request of Kislyak, during which no specific policies nor business involving Kushner's companies were discussed. Kushner said he agreed to the meeting after learning Gorkov had "direct relationship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I have nothing to hide," he said. The statement was released before his close-door testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Kushner is due to appear in front of the House Intelligence committee Tuesday for a similar hearing. In a separate hearing, Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. and Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort will appear before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Wednesday to answer questions regarding their ties with Russia. The questionings are parts of an ongoing investigation to determine whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia, an accusation Trump and members of his inner circles repeatedly denied. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain speaks during the committee's hearing on foreign cyber threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 5, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - US Republican Senator John McCain, who has been recuperating in Arizona after being diagnosed with brain cancer, will return to Washington for a vote on healthcare reform on Tuesday, his office said in a statement on Monday. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," the statement said. Reuters Leadership: Property market will be stabilized, coordination strengthened China will strengthen the coordination of financial regulation, stabilize the property market and prevent systemic financial risks, according to a statement issued after a top leadership meeting on Monday. "Financial disorder will be tackled thoroughly, financial coordination will be strengthened, and the efficiency and level of financial sectors supporting the real economy will be improved," said the statement released after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee. "The property market will be stabilized, the continuity and stability of policies will be maintained, and the establishment of the long-term mechanism (in managing the property market) will be accelerated," the statement said. "(China) will hold fast to the bottom line that no systemic financial risks should occur," the meeting said, according to Xinhua News Agency. "Policymakers have reiterated such stances recently. It shows that they will take more coordinated steps to fend off potential financial risks," said Gao Haihong, an economist of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, citing the establishment of a committee under the State Council, China's Cabinet, to oversee financial stability and development, a decision made at the National Financial Work Conference, which ended on July 15. "Financial regulations used to be fragmented and often failed to catch up with financial market development. The Political Bureau meeting has urged it be strengthened, and I think it will become more coordinated and efficient," Gao said. The real estate market is also a crucial factor that has an important bearing on the financial market and therefore should be dealt with properly, analysts said. "Slumping property prices could trigger financial crisis, as Japan's experiences, the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s and the global financial crisis that began 10 years ago have all proved," said Dai Yiyi, an economist at Xiamen University. As China's property prices in some major cities have been hovering at high levels, policymakers must be careful in addressing the market so that prices won't continue to rise, nor will they slump, he said. "That's why the Political Bureau meeting urged to 'stabilize' the property market." So far, China has managed to keep the financial market largely stable, analysts said. "While it has strengthened overall financial regulation, signaled by the establishment of the financial stability committee under the State Council, China has, in particular, effectively controlled capital outflow and the yuan's exchange rate has stabilized," said Gao of CASS. "While fully affirming economic performance, we must at the same time clearly recognize the many problems and contradictions in the economy," the meeting statement said. China will "actively resolve the pileup of local government debt risks, and effectively regulate local governments' debt financing", said the statement. China will also "make unremitting efforts to push forward supply-side structural reform, properly resolve major potential risks, and promote sustainable and healthy economic and social development", the statement said. Contact the writers at xinzhiming@chinadaily.com.cn By May Zhou and Zhang Yuan in Little Rock, Arkansas | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-07-25 10:16 China's recent announcement that it would open its market to US rice exports made the governor of Arkansas smile. "It's such an incredible benefit to our state. It will help Arkansas and our agriculture become more well known in China," Governor Asa Hutchinson said in an exclusive interview with China Daily at his office last Friday. According to research by the University of Arkansas, Chinese consume about 180 pounds of rice a year on average while the number for Americans is fewer than 33 pounds. China is No. 1 in the importation of rice, while the US ranks No. 3 in rice exporting. Arkansas produces roughly half of the total US rice output. "We are delighted to have that market of China open. We produce more than we consume in the US. We market all across the world. Opening the China market will help us a great deal, even if we just get a small part of the market in China. We expect we will be making rice sales to China very quickly," Hutchinson said. Arkansas primarily produces long grain rice, which is drier and fluffier and favored by American consumers. Chinese favor milled rice, which is thicker and stickier. Hutchinson said that he welcomes Chinese rice companies to visit with Arkansas growers to work together to produce the right kind of rice for Chinese consumers. "We would love to attract Chinese companies to come here to process rice also. That makes sense for our state," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson, a Republican, has made the economy his top priority as governor. He has lowered the state's income tax and streamlined the process for the startup, relocation and expansion process for business. He has been working aggressively to pursue foreign investment. "In fact, in the last five years we created more jobs through foreign direct investment. We rank sixth in the nation in attracting foreign investment. We have grown our foreign job creation by 45 percent over the last five years," Hutchinson said. And China is a primary destination for Hutchinson when it comes to attracting foreign investment. In less than two years since he took office in January 2015, Hutchinson has visited China twice and is planning a third trip to China in October. His efforts have produced results: Four Chinese companies recently announced investments in the state: Shandong Ruyi Technology (800 new jobs in Forrest City), Sun Paper (250 new jobs in Clark County), Tianyuan Garment (400 new jobs in Little Rock) and Pet Won Pet Products (70 new jobs in Danville). The four projects have a combined investment of more than $1.4 billion and will bring more than 1,500 jobs to Arkansas. Hutchinson did not stop at getting the Chinese companies to come to Arkansas: He also wants to make sure they will succeed. As he said to a Chinese textile delegation: "We are capitalists, we want you to make money." For that purpose, he tasked Michael Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), to provide whatever support the state government can offer. Hutchinson also hired Yam Yee Wong, a Chinese American who has been brokering business between China and the US since the middle 1990s, as his senior trade adviser. Wong's primary function is to smooth over the wrinkles and any misunderstandings stemming from different cultures, systems and business practices. "We offer incentives, primarily credits encouraging employment, and local assistance helping necessary infrastructure," said Hutchinson. On his trip to China, Hutchinson said that he will continue to promote Arkansas' agricultural resources, manufacturing and tourism. "Three million Chinese visitors come to the US every year. They historically go to the East and West coasts. In Arkansas, we have a broad variety of scenes and beautiful vistas," he said. "Johnny Cash's home and Clinton's Presidential Library are here. As people come here to do business, they will know it's also a good place to visit," Hutchinson said. He took out a photo book All About Arkansas, flipping through the pages to show various Arkansas landscapes. "We want China to be aware of Arkansas and all we can offer," Hutchinson said. Contact the writers at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com. By May Zhou and Zhang Yuan in Little Rock, Arkansas | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-07-25 10:16 Tianyuan Garments Company of Suzhou signed an agreement with SoftWear Automation of Atlanta to develop a fully automated T-shirt production line at Tianyuan's newly acquired plant in Little Rock, Arkansas, on July 19. The technology was developed by and is patented by Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center. Using cameras to map the fabric and robots to steer it through the sewing needles, the system will handle soft fabrics and make T-shirts for Adidas. The system is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of next year. "From fabric cutting and sewing to finished product, it takes roughly four minutes," said Tang Xinhong, chairman of Tianyuan Garments. "We will install 21 production lines. When fully operational, the system will make one T-shirt every 22 seconds. We will produce 800,000 T-shirts a day for Adidas." Tang said that with complete automation, the personnel cost for each T-shirt is roughly 33 cents. "Around the world, even the cheapest labor market can't compete with us. I am really excited about this," he said. Tianyuan announced last October it would invest $20 million in the 100,000-square-foot defunct Little Rock plant it had acquired. In time, it will bring 400 new jobs to Arkansas. The signing ceremony was witnessed by a Chinese textile delegation led by Xu Yingxin, vice-president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council. Xu said that establishing a clothing factory in Arkansas enables Tianyuan to satisfy instant order demands from its clients. He praised Tianyuan's working with American partners in automation as a smart move at a crucial junction in the technology revolution. "The idea of Industry 4.0 and Intelligent Manufacturing is gradually becoming the reality," Xu said. "It is revolutionizing labor-intensive clothing manufacturing." The delegation, made up of industry leaders and entrepreneurs, also visited existing plants of Tianyuan and Shandong Ruyi Technology, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and Wal-Mart's global headquarters. They were also received by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who has been actively promoting Arkansas to Chinese investors. He personally went to China and signed the deal for Tianyuan to set up shop in Little Rock last year. Overall, Hutchinson's efforts have produced results. Following Tianyuan, Shandong Ruyi announced in May a $410 million investment to set up a yarn factory utilizing local cotton, in Forrest City, a town about an hour from Little Rock. The company is in the process of renovating a former Sanyo building and will bring about 800 jobs to the area. "China attracted a lot of technology and equipment from the US. Many brands have entered China. Now, China is beginning to manufacture in the US," Xu said. Chinese textile companies began investing in North Carolina and South Carolina. With Shandong Ruyi and Tianyuan's investment here, Arkansas is becoming another center for China's textile industry, said Xu. In welcoming the delegation, Hutchinson said, "We are very committed to making sure that the two garment companies already here - Ruyi and Tianyuan - are successful. AEDC Director Michael Preston is working hard to support them. If they have an issue, or there is something they don't understand, they get help." Contact the writers at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. LUO JIE/CHINA DAILY Ninety years ago, on August 1, just after bloody battles during the Northern Expedition (1926-28), the Communist Party of China initiated the Nanchang Uprising in 1927 to counter the anti-communist purges by the Kuomintang. That was the beginning of the CPC's efforts to build an army aimed at serving the people, and establish a government of the people and for the people. The CPC then established a revolutionary base in the border region of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces. After that, led by the Party, the army initiated the land revolution and embarked on the Long March (1934-35), whose longest route was about 12,000 kilometers from Jiangxi to Shaanxi. The Japanese invasion of China, which began in 1931, eventually led to the establishment of the Second United Front between the Kuomintang and the CPC in 1937, with the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army emerging victorious in many battles in northern and southern China. The CPC-led armies were not only supplementary forces on the battle frontlines in the early phase of the war against the Japanese invaders, they also played the bigger role in guarding the nation against the invaders in the later stage of the war. The People's Liberation Army, a term first used in 1945 and formally adopted by the Party in 1948, developed rapidly and fought bravely to liberate the people from the corrupt Kuomintang government in the years following Japan's surrender in World War II in 1945, paving the way for the establishment of New China in 1949. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the PLA has been the mainstay of national defense and the pillar of national development and security. The PLA has always put the fundamental interest of the nation and people first, exhibited a strong fighting spirit and made great sacrifices to defend the nation's sovereignty and integrity. In the Korean War (1950-53), the Chinese People's Volunteers Army, a special wing of the PLA, bravely fought against troops armed with more sophisticated weapons and equipment, and consolidated China's s regional strategic position. In the Sino-Indian border war in 1962, the PLA defended the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and since then has maintained stability in border regions. Decades of defending the country has taught the PLA to keep modernizing itself and improving its ability to deal with any eventuality to maintain a peaceful environment. As a result, the PLA has transformed into a modern military capable of both attack and defense. In the ever-changing strategic environment, the PLA has maintained its composure, characteristics, people-oriented work and has accepted the Party's absolute leadership and served the people wholeheartedly. The PLA shoulders the responsibility of safeguarding the nation, and dealing with increasingly severe challenges, territorial disputes and maritime interests. It has also actively participated in rescue and relief operations during natural disasters, countered terrorism, and maintained cyber and space security. Besides, the PLA carries the hopes of the people and will continue to improve its capability to counter security threats based on the principle of building unity between the military and civilians. The PLA should now endeavor to become a higher-caliber military, conduct training under computer-simulated conditions, and enhance its integrated combat capability based on extensive application of information technology. To meet new challenges that have emerged due to various national strategic factors and maintain domestic stability, the PLA needs new contributions, which will also help it to safeguard regional security and world peace, combat terrorism, and deal with natural and other disasters. In the 21st century, the PLA has been participating in many United Nations peacekeeping missions in some of the most dangerous countries and regions of the world. China today accounts for the highest number of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. PLA soldiers protect local residents' life and property in these countries and regions, tirelessly build roads and bridges, and provide humanitarian aid and medical treatment for the local residents. The PLA Navy has cooperated with other countries' navies, sent its fleets to escort ships in the Gulf of Aden, thwarted piracy and guarded international navigation routes. The China International Search and Rescue Team has selflessly provided aid for people and countries struck by natural disasters, and won their trust and friendships. In some areas of conflicts, the PLA has cooperated with the troops of other countries, rescued migrants and accomplished humanitarian missions, and ensured the safety and security of civilians, winning great honor for China. With the global strategic environment changing and China's comprehensive power growing, the PLA is prepared to cope with the new challenges of security. Under the able leadership and guidance of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, the reform of national defense and the modernization of the military have deepened. And thanks to such efforts, the PLA has transformed from a quantity-oriented to a quality-conscious force. The reform of national defense has also helped the PLA carry out major changes in various fields to make the management of troops more scientific and reasonable, the security system and policies more effective, military and civilian integration smoother, national defense resources more integrated, and the national defense mobilization system more comprehensive. Military colleges and military scientific research institutions now have to work with each other to meet the needs of national defense construction and help prepare the PLA for modern combat. The PLA will stay true to its mission and keep improving its ability to deal with eventualities through innovation and practice. And as a force built by the people, for the people, the PLA will more steadfastly safeguard national security and interests. The author is a professor at the National Defense University of the PLA. HCM CITY Gia Vy in District 2 and her daughter were choosing school supplies at a bookshop in HCM Citys Binh Thanh District. Vy said The new school year will start soon. So I brought my daughter here to buy necessary stationary for her. Demand for school supplies at bookstores and supermarkets has increased significantly in recent days, with the former selling mostly notebooks, textbooks, pens, and pencils, and the latter, backpacks, school bags and uniforms. The comic and reference books sections also attract many children, who read there or buy. As in previous years the city is running a price stabilisation programme for school supplies. Fourteen companies have registered to sell 24.8 million notebooks and 13.6 million textbooks, 2.2 million uniforms, 1.75 million schoolbags and backpacks, 720,000 pairs of shoes and other school supplies at fixed prices, meeting 35-50 per cent of demand. Huong Mi Handbags Co Ltd, for instance, said his company would sell 950,000 backpacks and schoolbags, 20 per cent more than last year. The company has many new models this year, including backpacks that prevent back deformities, he said. Lam Anh Dau, chairman of Vinh Tien Paper JSC, said with output up to 70-80 million notebooks this year his company, together with other well-known producers, would ensure efficient supply in the market. Bookstores, supermarkets and others have launched promotions for stationery and school supplies. Many bookstores in HCM City, including Thang Long, Nguyen Van Cu and Fahasa, are offering 5-10 per cent discounts on textbooks and 30 per cent on reference books. They have also cut the prices of other stationery products like notebooks, pens and school bags and backpacks. Co.opMart and Co.opXtra supermarkets are offering big discounts on more than 1,200 items like school uniforms, school bags, notebooks, pens and other school supplies and nearly 250 price-stabilised products. Backpacks and school bags of brands like Mr.Vui and Miti are sold at VN126,000-463,500. Priced-stabilised uniforms of Sanding and SGC brands are sold at VN52,900-144,000 for white shirts and VN59,900-206,100 for trousers. Korean supermarket Lotte Mart is also offering attractive discounts of 5-49 per cent on school supplies, uniforms, back packs, and nutritional foods from July 26 to August 28. VNS by Linh Anh & Vietnamplus HA NOI Le Ha of Ha Noi, who has been selling clothes on Facebook, is stressed and worried after receiving a message from tax authorities inviting her to come and declare her income. Ha is one of over 13,400 Facebook account holders in Ha Noi whove been identified by the Ha Noi Taxation Department as online traders. I have been selling clothes through Facebook for years, getting about 10 orders each day with maximum daily sales of around VN5 million (US$220), Ha told Viet Nam News, admitting that unlike other shop owners, she doesnt have to declare her business or pay taxes. She was satisfied with her earnings and not having to bother about any intervention from State management agencies. The promise of attractive profits has prompted many people to jump on the bandwagon, catching the attention of authorities trying to reduce tax losses from State budget collection. A tax administration project for e-commerce business has been drawn up, with the two taxation departments of Ha Noi and HCM City functioning as pioneers in bringing business owners selling merchandise on social media, especially Facebook, into the tax bracket. Vien Viet Hung, deputy director of Ha Noi Taxation Department, told Viet Nam News that the department had collected information on the identity and telephone numbers of the 13,422 Facebook traders. Since late June, the department has been sending SMS messages to these traders, encouraging and instructing them to voluntarily register their operations, declare income and pay taxes. However, after sending messages twice, only 1,000 of the 13,422 phone numbers have replied, and only around 500 have approached the department on their own to register to pay taxes, Hung said. In a recent interview with the Viet Nam News Agency, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam Tax Consultant Association, Nguyen Thi Cuc, said that under current laws, all institutions and individuals that are doing businesses, whether through traditional channels or via e-commerce platforms, are required to declare income and pay taxes. However, she also conceded that in the current situation, the tax collection was totally based on the willingness of traders, their authenticity, honesty and integrity. Income bracket According to the law, only online sellers with revenues over VN100 million a year will be subject to taxation. However, many Facebook merchants are afraid that the taxation process will be fair. If paying tax is an obligation, we are ready to fulfill it, as long as it is fair to everyone. What if I tell the truth, while other Facebook sellers lie about their revenue? They will pay less or no tax, which is unfair, Le Ha told Viet Nam News. Regarding income declaration, many argue that was very difficult to determine the exact revenue of those who do business on internet, so it is not possible to ensure fair treatment of honest sellers and those who deliberately evade taxes. But Ta Thi Phuong Lan, deputy head of the division in charge of personal income tax under the General Department of Taxation, said tax authorities can assess Facebook sellers revenue by checking their sources of goods, post offices, delivery companies, and bank payments. One of the most difficulties in determining Facebook traders income is the low rate of non-cash transactions in Viet Nam, said Truong Thanh uc, chairman of the Basico Law Firm. In other countries, buyers make payments via banks, so it is not difficult to identify the revenue from online business. Therefore, it is necessary to apply measures to encourage Vietnamese to use non-cash payment methods for online transactions, uc said. Recently, the General Department of Taxation issued Document No. 2623/TCT-CS, asking local taxation departments to co-ordinate with network operators to gather information on online sellers, including identity and bank number accounts, so that they can monitor all online transactions. However, in response to the Viet Nam News Agency, CMC Telecommunication Infrastructure Joint Stock Co (CMC Telecom) said they havent received any communication from tax authorities. The company said that if needed, they can explain and persuade customers to provide them with necessary and detailed information, but they cant ensure that all the customers will agree to supply this. Step by step Transactions on the Internet are difficult to control and tax collection procedures cant be comprehensively introduced in a short time, it should be done step by step, said Nguyen Huu Tuan, Head of the E-commerce Management Division of the E-commerce and Information Technology Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. To collect taxes, authorities should understand each business as they have their own specific characteristics, Tuan said. With millions of Facebook accounts, tax authorities should classify them based on the nature of their operations and key products, he said. In the first phase, the tax authority should target large and professional businesses. It is easy to identify these account holders as they will have popular Facebook pages with a large numbers of followers, likes, posts and comments, he said. The rest are likely to be individuals selling things online as a side job or even seasonal business. They do not sell goods regularly, so tax departments should carefully review the list before inviting them to their offices, Tuan said. There are petty traders with modest monthly incomes. If we try to control all Facebook sellers, we will use up significant resources and end up being inefficient, he said. Sharing the same idea, Vien Viet Hung, deputy director of Ha Noi Taxation Department, said to obtain necessary information on online businesses, tax departments nationwide should have enough staff who are well versed with social media networks. The Ha Noi Taxation Department will seek co-operation and support from many concerned agencies like commercial banks, post offices, especially social networks like Facebook, to provide information about account holders, Hung said. Late last month, reporters of the Viet Nam News Agency contacted the Facebook representative office in Viet Nam with questions about the tax collection issue, but hadnt received any response at the time of going to print. VNS Chairman of the Ha Noi Peoples Committee Nguyen uc Chung asked Uber Group to share its database to help the city manage the number of cars and individuals in the network and income tax collection. Photo ictnews.vn HA NOI Chairman of the Ha Noi Peoples Committee Nguyen uc Chung asked Uber Group to share its database to help the city manage the number of cars and individuals in the network and income tax collection. He also asked the group to provide information with the city to reach mutual agreement on development plans to avoid traffic jams. The chairman met with the companys representatives during his working trip to the US last week. Chung said that Uber was a pioneering company in using social resources and idle cars for customer transport, helping them improve incomes and build a form of transport in the city. Ha Noi wants to use its technology for traffic management, and asked the group to obey all Ha Nois regulations and Viet Nams laws, he said. However, the drawback of Ubers business plan was its adverse impact on the citys traditional taxi firms, he added. Thuan Pham, Uber chief technology officer, affirmed that he would convey the request to Ubers management board. He also agreed that Uber drivers should pay tax and committed to working with city authority on the issue. During the visit Chung also held working sessions with leaders of San Francisco and Utah. Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Lee told Chung his city was willing to boost co-operation in trade and science-technology with Ha Noi. San Francisco would continue to exchange information and build projects on connectivity with Ha Noi and other localities, he said. Lee suggested that Ha Noi should focus on science-technology and education-training to develop a smart city, adding that the opening of a direct air route between Ha Noi and San Francisco will create momentum for stronger bilateral co-operation and trade. VNS Environmental protection must be considered the decisive factor in future operations of the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Iron and Steel Co (FHS), Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat HA TINH Environmental protection must be considered the decisive factor in future operations of the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Iron and Steel Co (FHS), Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday. The Taiwanese company will not be allowed to continue operating without ensuring environmental safety, Phuc said at a working session with authorities in the central province of Ha Tinh, the heads of FHS and relevant ministries and agencies. Before the meeting, the PM inspected waste treatment facilities and production lines of the FHS at Vung Ang economic zone to assess the companys environmental recovery solutions following last years toxic spill from its plant that killed millions of fish off the coast of four provinces. PM Phuc asked FHS to apply advanced technology and modern equipment in production to deal with the environmental pollution. He said he believed FHS will uphold its responsibility and precent a recurrence of such incidents to avoid closure. FHS is the biggest foreign-invested project in Viet Nam with a total investment capital of over US$11 billion, but it also caused the biggest environmental catastrophe in the country, Phuc said. He noted that FHS had accepted responsibility and taken measures to deal with the environmental impact. It has basically fixed 52 out of 53 environmental faults and installed a mmodern waste treatment system. He entrusted the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to install environmental supervision equipment and directly monitor the companys environmental standards. Environmental test results will be publicised. The Ministry of Health was required to publicise quality standards for seafood at in Ha Tinh Provinces Ky Loi commune. Regarding the compensation of affected households, PM Phuc said the Government will continue allocating resources to create the best conditions for local people in the affected localities to resume production. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported that as of last October, FHS completed the installation of waste treatment facilities, and automatic wastewater and exhaust fume observation facilities, which all meet national standards. FHS built more waste treatment facilities with a total investment of over $343 million. The company conducted test runs of its first blast furnace in May under daily supervision of relevant authorities. The companys wastewater had been tested strictly before being discharged into the sea since last July, according to the ministry. The ministry has co-operated with the Institute of Environmental Technology to collect test samples three times per day, and all results were within the allowed levels. Formosa has installed 15 emission monitoring stations, which are connected to Ha Tinh Provinces Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the ministry for around-the-clock supervision. A representative from FHS said it would increase the number of staff handling environmental issues from 56 to 166 and invite international experts to act as technical consultants. About 70 tonnes of dead fish were found in the four provinces, affecting more than 260,000 people who earn their living from the sea. VNS NEW YORK Keith Richards has disclosed that The Rolling Stones are working on a new album after a picture showed leading British rapper Skepta in the studio with the rock legends. The septuagenarian rockers after more than a decade full of mega-concerts but without a new studio release in December put out an album of blues covers, Blue and Lonesome. Richards, asked in a weekend YouTube forum for fans if the Stones planned another album, said: "Yeah, in fact we are, very, very shortly." "Cutting some new stuff and wondering where to take it next," he said on his YouTube channel. The founder of Midnight Studios in London earlier this month posted on Instagram a picture of Skepta with Stones frontman Mick Jagger, raising speculation of a collaboration. The Stones have worked through their more than five decades with top names in blues and soul but have less experience with hip-hop. Paul McCartney, of the Stones great rivals The Beatles, surprised fans two years ago with a song that featured rap superstar Kanye West. Skepta is the leading figure in grime, the subgenre of fast-paced hip-hop that has developed in London and won growing mainstream audiences in the past couple of years. Richards, however, said that the next album could also adapt blues classics as he described the bands joy in recording Blue and Lonesome. "It wouldnt take a twist of the arm to do some more of that," he said. He said recording new music offered the Stones "a boost to their energy" amid "fears of viability in this day and age." The Stones, long one of the highest-grossing bands on the live music circuit, plan another round of stadium shows in September and October in continental Europe. AFP By Thu Trang- Mai Hien HA NOI Pham Manh Duy, 35, a resident of Ha Nois Nam Tu Liem District, cant be bothered with getting a health insurance card. It takes too much time to get a health examination with the card, and Duy, as a casual labourer cant afford it. It takes about three hours and a half to get a health examination. One has to show the health insurance card together with a personal paper, wait for ones turn, have the doctors conduct the examination, take medicines, if any, and queue up to get the card back. And since 2015, it has become even more difficult for me to buy the card because we can get one only when the whole family gets them, Duy said. Duys wife, another casual labourer, lives in their hometown in northern province of Ha Nam, which means that he must apply for a certificate from local authorities to register for health insurance cards for his family in the capital city. It will take me at least one day to complete all of the procedures, and then wait for at least 30 days for the cards. Im just too busy to earn my living, he told Viet Nam News. My wife and I are young and healthy and the cards are not necessary, he said. Duy and his wife are among nearly 20 million Vietnamese who havent bought health insurance cards, and therefore, the ones most affected by the recent upward revision in medical fees. The Health Ministrys Circular 02/2017/TT-BYT, which took effect in June, mandates that uninsured patients and those opting for services not covered by their health insurance scheme will have to pay the fees in full. The latest increase in fees can have a persons medical bill rise two to three times over the old rates, depending on where the patient gets treated. The new fees will significantly affect people without health insurance cards, said Le Van Phuc, standing deputy director of the Department for Health Insurance Policy under Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI). For instance, bed charges will increase from VN354,000 ($15) to VN632,000 ($28) in an ICU (intensive care unit) at central hospitals and to VN568,900 ($25) at provincial hospitals. Average expenditure for several days treatment at a provincial-level hospital can reach VN5-7 million ($220-300), and VN15-20 million ($660-880) at a central hospital in big cities, he said. The fees will be much higher if surgery is involved, placing a heavy financial burden on the uninsured. Agreeing with Phuc, Hoang Van Minh, Vice-rector of the Ha Noi University of Public Health (HUPH), said that studies by his institute show health expenditure of households has been increasing year by year and many are pushed into poverty by catastrophically high medical bills. One study based on data obtained from the 2014 Viet Nam Living Standards Survey, a national representative household survey conducted by General Statistical Office of Viet Nam every two years, found that 2.3 per cent of Vietnamese households, nearly 550,000, have had to bear out-of-pocket healthcare bills that exceed their payment capacityby 40 per cent or more.The study also found that 1.7 per cent or nearly 413,000 households were impoverished (based on World Health Organisation methodology). Minh said most of the uninsured people are casual labourers, or near-poor and middle income earners living in rural areas. Their financial difficulties make many people hesitant to spend money on purchasing health insurance cards, he said. Limited awareness about the importance and provisions of health insurance is another factor, Minh said, many people buy the cards only when they get signs that they are ill (adverse selection in health insurance terms). Higher standards The hike in medical fees has been welcomed by many doctors who say it will help patients enjoy better services. Nguyen Ngoc Hien, deputy director of Bach Mai Hospital, said the revised hospital fees were a step in the right direction. In the past, fees did not cover all cost components and public facilities continued to depend on subsidies. The inclusion health worker salaries and allowances for health professionals like surgeons and medical technicians in calculating the cost of medical services will motivate health workers to serve clients better, he said. If patients are not satisfied by the services provided, they can choose other facilities, Hien said, adding that patients should be the centre of all policies. Tran Van Phuc, a doctor at the Saint Paul Hospital in Ha Noi, echoed Hien, saying the hike in fees would enable patients to access high quality health services. As medical fees increase, patients have the opportunity to select the most effective, but safe, surgery or procedures as well as drugs, he said. For example, Viet Nam is well known for proficiency in cardiac surgery, but the country has only seven health facilities that offer open heart surgeries. Meanwhile, a population of 10 million Ontario province of Canada has up to 11 facilities which conduct open heart surgery. And so does Pennsylvania State in the US, which has 60 open heart surgery facilities. That is the reason why most patients with heart disease in the United States can get surgeries early, while patients here have to wait a long time a for their turn. This will certainly affect the life expectancy and mortality of patients with heart disease, Phuc said. He added that the latest hike in medical fees was part of a road map set by the government towards making hospitals financially independent from VSI. Accordingly, the government will support people in buying health insurance cards instead of allocating budgets for public hospitals. It will bring more equality into the healthcare system, he said. Phuc also said that the increase in medical fees aims to push more people to apply for health insurance cards. Fair payment While obtaining a health insurance card will reduce treatment costs for holders, doctors and other experts agree that policies relating to insurance and the medical services should be improved at the same time to ensure fairness in the healthcare system. The latest increase in hospital fees certainly means inequality for underprivileged sections of the society, said a doctor who wanted to remain anonymous. Many people, particularly those who live in remote, mountainous areas are so poor that they cannot pay the lowest insurance fees. Their hardship will increase monumentally with the high increase in hospital fees, he said. Thus, before making this effective across the country, the government should prioritise better, focusing especially on supporting such people to ensure healthcare equality. The doctor said hed witnessed many cases of patients who had health insurance cards for treatment one year and returned the next without one. They thought there was no need to buy insurance cards after recovering. The cost of health insurance was a burden for many households, he said. He cited as an example a household with four people residing in a rural area. They subsist on rice cultivation. They get 0.4 tonnes of unhusked rice per crop. After deducting all the expenses, including fertilisers and seedlings, the family gets 50kg of unhusked rice in profit. At VN5,000 per kg (US$0.2), this is VN250,000 ($11) in revenue from a crop that they have worked hard on for three months. Improved coverage Phuc of Viet Nam Social Insurance said the nation has made marked improvements in expanding health insurance coverage, from 10 per cent in 1995 to 82 per cent at present. The Government is committed to expanding this to 90 per cent by 2020, he said. Over the past several years, the Ministry of Health and Viet Nam Social Insurance have taken many measures to promote health insurance coverage. The State has spent a lot of money to buy insurance for poor people, children under six and social welfare beneficiaries, he said. Beside, the State supports people living near the poverty line with 70 per cent of the insurance premiums, and 30 per cent for students and those engaged in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, he added. In the coming time, the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Social Insurance will strengthen administrative reforms and create more favourable conditions for people to access health insurance, he said. The average health insurance premium now is VN702,000 (US$30) per person per year. And if all of members in a household get cards, the second persons premiums will be cut by 30 per cent, and that of the third person by 40 per cent. Getting universal According to the World Health Organisation, out-of-pocket (OOP) health expense is an important indicator in achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development goals, Minh said. A nation cannot achieve universal health coverage and meet health equity goals if out-of-pocket health expenses equal or exceed 30 per cent of total health expenditures, the WHO estimates. The percentage of out-of-pocket health expenses as percentage of total health expenditure has decreased over the past years in Viet Nam, Minh said. It has dropped from about 60 per cent in the 1990s to 40 per cent at present. However, more efforts should be made to reduce it to below 30 per cent, he added. He cited Thailand as a good example to follow in this regard. More than 99 per cent of the Thai population enjoy health insurance coverage. Out-of-pocket payment for healthcare in the country is less than 10 per cent. To promote universal health coverage with equity in Viet Nam, it is necessary to raise awareness of local residents on the importance of health insurance cards. The procedures to buy the cards should be simplified so that people can easily get them. Last but not least, the government should strengthen protection for vulnerable groups in the society though health insurance schemes, Minh said. He suggested that the Government of Viet Nam strengthens financial protection and health equity offered through the health insurance scheme. Procedures and methods for payment by insurance service providers should be reformed and the management capacity of health insurance systems strengthened, he said Since people want diverse insurance products, the insurance policy should be more flexible so that more and more people can join schemes, said Hien of Bach Mai Hospital. The state should offer different levels of insurance instead of just one level. The amount of premiums can increase threefold from the current level, and patients should be able to choose any hospital that they want without showing approved documents from original registration one, he said. Hien also suggested that people should be able to purchase health insurance cards online. People can purchase goods and air tickets online. Why cant people buy health insurance cards online? Phuc of VSI said the Ministry of Health is compiling a supplement insurance package for people who want to get better benefits. For example, a patient normally gets VN30-40 million (US$1,320-17,600) in reimbursement from the insurance company for a spinal surgery. But if they buy the supplementary insurance package, they can choose really advanced surgical techniques like those done by robots. Le Thi Loc, a Ha Noi resident, said many patients were agreeing to pay their hospital bills directly despite holding health insurance cards. For me, personally, an increase in hospital fees is acceptable; however, the quality of medical service should improve as well, she said. On hearing about the hike in hospital fees, Duy of Ha Nam Province, he said he would consider buying health insurance cards for the whole family. Nobody wants to be ill. However, if we get chronic diseases, the health insurance cards will help ease the financial burden. Phuc of VSI said: Sickness and diseases are unavoidable. No one can be certain that he/she will be healthy forever. They can be healthy this year, but fall ill the next. VNS Member of the Central Party Committee and VNA General Director Nguyen uc Loi presented savings books as gifts to invalids and martyrs families who are facing difficult circumstances. VNA/VNS Photo Quy Trung HA NOI The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) yesterday held a ceremony to honour revolutionary contributors who sacrificed their lives for national liberation. The ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the Day for Invalids and War Martyrs, which falls on July 27. Speaking at the event, member of the Central Party Committee and VNA General Director Nguyen uc Loi expressed his deep respect and gratitude toward mothers, fathers, wives and relatives of invalids and fallen soldiers who fought for the independence and freedom of the motherland as well as for the cause of the VNA. The VNA General Director said that from the very beginning day of foundation on September 15, 1945, the agency vowed to be faithful to the Party and was attached to the revolutionary cause of people and country. During the years of national liberation and construction, VNA reporters and staff served on all battlefields and fronts. They worked as pioneer journalists and fought as soldiers as well. Over 260 VNA journalists had died in battles, while dozens of others left parts of their body in the battlefields during the war, according to the VNA official. This was really a great loss, but also a glorious tradition of the VNA-the first press agency awarded with two national heroic titles: the Hero of Armed Forces and Hero of Labour in the renovation, Loi said. The VNA General Director stressed the agency always paid special attention to supporting invalids and martyrs families, regarding its as both a responsibility and an act of deep love. On the occasion, the VNA leadership in HCM City and a Nang City presented 60 savings books totally worth VN180 million (US$8,000) as gifts to invalids and martyrs families who are facing difficult circumstances. Since 1995, the VNA has helped build 10 houses and donated 600 savings books worth about 1.5 billion to invalids and martyrs families. The VNAs fund for the Agent Orange victims had helped collect thousands of presents worth roughly VN5 billion, including 110 wheelchairs and 50 houses to support invalids and martyrs across the country. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has called for clarification after waste dumping violations reportedly occured at a coal-powered power plant into the sea off the coast of Binh Thuan Province, an area rich in natural resources that could be badly damaged by the waste. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment previously gave the go-ahead for Vinh Tan 1 Power Company investor of Vinh Tan Thermal Power Plant to dump some 1 million cu.m. of mud and waste sand into the sea in Vinh Tan Commune of Binh Thuan Province, some 8km away from the Hon Cau Marine Protected Area (MPA). However, the practice is disapproved by experts and the public, who fear that the dumping will impact the marine ecosystem, compromise the MPAs integrity and affect marine resources and local aquaculture production. MoIT on Saturday asked the MoITs Industrial Policy and Strategy Institute to determine violations of and consider discipline against Ha Quoc Quan, one of its staff, in association with the Vinh Tan 1 Power Companys waste dumping project, Vietnam News Agency reported. Quan, director of the institutes Centre for Investment Consultation and Technological Transfer, is also chairperson of the management board cum director general of the Vietnam Port Construction Consultant JSC, which has acted as a consultant for the Vinh Tan 1 Power Companys project. According to MoITs request, the institute must ask Quan to prepare a full report clarifying the establishment of the company, as well as its hiring of retired MoIT officials as specialists. Under current law, a civil servant is not allowed to manage a private company. MoIT also called for clarification of the companys work as the consultant for the waste dumping project as well as the mention of domestic scientists as its consultants. Quan is already under a temporary 15-day work suspension in line with a decision issued by the institute last Friday. By Saturday, three scientists had expressed surprise at their names being part of a list of members in a report assessing the environmental impact of the mud-dumping project in Binh Thuan Province. The name borrowing can be done provided it is permitted by those whose names are borrowed, said independent expert Dr To Van Truong. This is the first time that three specialists have publicly spoken against their names being misused in a scientific report. Such dishonesty not only violates the law but is also morally unacceptable, Truong was quoted as saying by the Thanh nien (Young People) newspaper. VNS HAI PHONG Police in northern Hai Phong City on Monday announced they had busted a ring transporting drugs from the Viet Nam-Laos border to the city and surrounding provinces. The police seized 28 cakes of heroin weighing nearly 9.83kg and 8kg of methamphetamine. This is the largest drug haul seized by the Hai Phong police so far. Ring leader Ngo Trac Hiep, 52, of the citys Le Chan District, was arrested while transporting the drugs on the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Highway. He hid the drugs in holes behind the car seats. Hiep changed the structure of his car to create secret holes to hide the drugs and usually transported the drugs himself. The police also seized VN200 million (US$8,800) and other objects related to drug trafficking from his house in Le Chan District. According to initial investigation, Hiep spent considerable time in Laos and in Viet Nam-Laos border provinces, therefore, he knew the area well and had developed relationship with drug traffickers and traders. The police have initiated criminal proceedings against Hiep though they are still continuing to investigate the case. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Public Securitys Police Investigation Agency on Monday announced they had completed their investigation into the fraud and irresponsible actions related to lending at the Central Sai Gon branch of Agribank (Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). The police recommended criminal charges against nine suspects, including former branch directors Pham Thi Mai Toan and Phi Thi Ong, former branch vice director o Thi Yen, bank officers and directors of companies that falsified documents to get loans from the bank. According to the police investigation, American national Hoang Tien Dzung founded six companies based in HCM City and hired people to work as company directors to borrow money from the bank. The companies reportedly failed to pay the bank interest. Subsequently, in November, 2009, Dzung falsified a project to get a loan of VN90 billion (US$4 million) to help the six companies pay interest. Fake documents were submitted to the bank, claiming that one of the six companies A Chau Company had earned profits, while in fact, the company had incurred losses. Despite knowing the truth, Toan still approved the loan. Earlier, in April 2009, the Central Sai Gon branch offered a loan of VN75 billion ($3.3 million) to ADN Company, whose director is Hoang Van Cuong. Cuong also falsified documents that claimed the company needed investment for a rubber tree growing project in southern Binh Thuan Province. Former branch director Phi Thi Ong signed papers authorising the loan although she was aware that Cuongs company was unqualified for it. At present, Hoang Tien Dzung has escaped from Viet Nam and police have issued a wanted notice for him. VNS CENTRAL REGION Central provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien- Hue have banned all sea-based activities to ensure safety as storm Sonca approaches the region, with its eye headed towards Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri. In Ha Tinh, local authorities have recalled 6,200 ships with 17,000 fishermen on board to dock. Fish cages along the coast were anchored nearer to the coast to protect local aquaculture. Quang Binh recalled 3,555 fishing boats to shore, with another 97 boats from a Nang forced to seek shelter from the storm. In Quang Tri, 2,350 boats have docked in safe harbours to avoid the storm, including 45 boats from other provinces. Residents living near the coast have also been evacuated to safer places. Thua Thien- Hue authorities recalled 1,900 fishing ships and boats, carrying 12,000 fishermen back to shore. Locals living near the coast have been urged to reinforce their homes and prepare necessities to wait out the storm. The Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention on Tuesday morning had an online meeting with authorities of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien- Hue provinces, demanding safety for residents in areas in the storms path. Meanwhile, Electricity of Vietnam delivered an urgent note requesting its agencies in the province to ensure electricity safety during and after the storm. Airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vasco, Jetstar Pacific and VietJetAir announced the cancellation of flights to and from Tho Xuan, Vinh and ong Hoi airports. Reservoir fear According to General Department of Irrigation, the region has 83 reservoirs that are critically vulnerable to breaking. Those in the worst situation are in Ha Tinh, filled with water from the earlier storm Talas. Reservoirs in these provinces may suddenly release water due to heavy rains, putting lowland areas at risk of floods which would damage an estimated 335,000ha of rice. Storm and flood prevention agencies in the province have been requested to stay alert 24 hours a day for updates of storm possibilities to reduce damages to lives and property. According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the storm was at 17.1N and 108.3E at 10am Tuesday morning. It is forecast to reach the regions coast at 5pm in the afternoon. At its eye, the storm is forecast to create winds at level 8 on the Beaufort scale and will also cause heavy rains in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Nam, with rainfall at 101mm at Ha Tinh and 68mm at Quang Tri. Seas in the region is predicted to be rough and have waves from 3m to 5m high, precipitating the ban on marine activities. VNS HA NOI Four houses were partially damaged and a person slightly injured following a series of blasts emitted by an aircraft flying across Ninh Thuan Provinces Phan Rang City yesterday morning. Tran Thi Kim Xuyen, a resident in Bao An Ward, told the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper that she heard the planes roar followed by blasts and grating sounds on tree branches while she was pushing a sand cart. "When I looked up, a large part of the outer bark of our mango tree was stripped," Xuyen said. The incident caused a light injury on the leg of the eight-year-old boy Pham Nguyen Lam Vy. Chau Thi Xuan, a resident living two meters away from Xuyens house, said some objects inside her familys kitchen were pierced and fragments caused a large hole into the back wall of the kitchen. Apart from Xuans house, the other three houses nearby of Chau Thi Xuan, Nguyen Van Binh and ang Thi Dieu reported that their walls were penetrated. As soon as the incident occurred, representatives from local military bodies, provincial police and Air Force Regiment C937 made it to the scene to gather metal fragments and searched for the cause. VNS WASHINGTON US Senator John McCain returns to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since being diagnosed with brain cancer, his office announced, in order to take key votes on repealing Obamacare and passing sanctions on Russia. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," a statement read late on Monday. The 80-year-old McCain, recuperating after surgery in his home state of Arizona, tweeted a similar message, announcing he would be back in action in the Senate on Tuesday. His aides announced last week that he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, and tests confirmed discovery of a brain tumor known as a glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive cancer. His vote on health care is seen to be crucial. Republicans hold 52 of the Senates 100 seats. With all Democrats opposed, President Donald Trump can afford just two defectors on the health care reform vote. Republicans are threading the needle on the bill, as three of the partys senators said last week they would vote no on the motion to proceed. McCain has told reporters in the past that he would likely vote yes on the so-called motion to proceed, the step that allows lawmakers to begin debate on legislation. Republican leadership and Trump himself are leaning heavily on lawmakers to agree to vote on the procedural step that allows the Senate to begin debating and amending the bill. A vote is also expected on Tuesday in the House of Representatives on a sanctions bill that will likely quickly come to the Senate. The bill would impose tough new sanctions on Russia for its alleged meddling in the US presidential election last year and Moscows annexation of Crimea. It would also punish Iran and North Korea for recent ballistic missile tests. Since the diagnosis, McCain has been showered with tributes from all sides as an American original whose lifetime of public service included years as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. AFP BASTIA Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes across southern France on Monday, with one inferno spreading across 900ha of forest and threatening homes on the island of Corsica, emergency services said. Residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the islands northeastern coast. "The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia," lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of Frances civil defence forces, said. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. "We are awaiting reinforcements," said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and "have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected". Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110ha around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday, Bernier said. Elsewhere in France, a fire raged in the forests around Luberon in the Vaucluse region, covering 800ha by late Monday. Firefighters said they had been unable to keep the flames under control. Around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated, according to officials. Up to 500 firefighters were expected on the scene. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200ha at Gigaro, close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Another blaze in Carros, north of Nice, burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. "Its a very dangerous day," Bernier said. "And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight." AFP CAIRO Seven civilians, including two children, were killed when a car bomb exploded near a military checkpoint in North Sinai, the Egyptian army said on Monday. The explosion happened 200m from its military target, "when an Egyptian soldier used a tank to stop the vehicle", according to the army statement. The victims three men, two women and two children "happened to be in the area in front of the ambush during the blast," the statement added, without saying when the incident happened. "The explosion was large, carrying about 100kg of high explosives," an army spokesman said in the statement. Egypts military is battling a local affiliate of the Islamic State group that has waged a deadly insurgency in the northern Sinai, killings hundreds of members of the security forces. Since December, IS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. The jihadists have threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypts 90 million people. The bombing by IS of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a South Sinai resort in 2015 killed all 224 people on board and severely damaged the countrys tourism sector. AFP CHICAGO A survivor of a horror truck journey in which 10 migrants suffocated to death has told how travellers took turns breathing through a tiny hole in a desperate bid to stay alive, US investigators said on Monday. As charges were filed against the driver who was detained in Texas near the border with Mexico, one of President Donald Trumps cabinet secretaries denounced the "brutality" of people-smuggling gangs. And two children were among a group of more than two dozen people still in hospital, suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, after an ordeal which ended in a parking lot. The migrants were discovered in the back of the 18-wheel truck in the early hours of Sunday in San Antonio, Texas, a two-hour drive from the US-Mexico border, when one of them approached a Walmart store employee asking for water. The employee brought water and then called police, who found 38 people crammed in the trailer with a broken refrigeration system, parked in the baking Texas heat. Eight people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others died later at the hospital. The sweltering trailer may have held between 70 to 200 people, with some migrants fleeing in six SUVs that had been waiting when the truck stopped in the parking lot, according to witness accounts given to authorities. Driver never stopped The document recounted a harrowing journey, with migrants having trouble breathing and some passing out in the trailer which was being driven by James Mathew Bradley Jr, age 60. "People began hitting the trailer walls and making noise to get the drivers attention. The driver never stopped," according to one of the migrants interviewed, identified only as J.M.M-J. "People had a hole in the trailer wall to provide some ventilation and they started taking turns breathing from the hole." J.M.M-J said he was a Mexican national and part of a group of 29 people being smuggled into the US. He said that after crossing the border they joined 70 migrants already in the trucks trailer. US authorities have not released all the victims nationalities or names, pending notification of their families. Mexicos foreign ministry said four of the dead were Mexican, out of a total of 25 Mexicans riding on the truck. The other 21 remain hospitalised. The Guatemalan foreign ministry said 20-year-old Frank Fuentes was among those killed, and his family had already been contacted to begin the process of repatriating his body. Two other Guatemalans, one of them a minor, were hospitalised and in stable condition, the ministry said. According to the migrants recollection, his smuggler said "people linked to the Zetas" crime cartel were offering protection for the journey through Mexico to the US border, and that once arriving in the country he was to pay $5,500. The driver was formally charged on Monday with one count of transporting illegal aliens. The federal charge against Bradley is punishable by life imprisonment or even theoretically the death penalty. Bradley has told police he did not know he was transporting people until he stopped at the Walmart store to use the restroom and observed "banging and shaking," prosecutors said. Network of death Bradley said he was delivering the trailer from Iowa to Texas on the orders of his boss, and attempted to administer aid when he found the migrants, but did not call 911, according to the complaint. Thirty people were hospitalised -- including two school-age children -- and more than a dozen were in critical condition, suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, authorities said. It was unclear how long the migrants were inside the truck. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in a statement called the deaths "senseless" and the result of a human trafficking "network of abuse and death". "This tragedy demonstrates the brutality of the network of which I often.speak. These smugglers have no regard for human life and seek only profits," Kelly said. Kelly has been to Mexico twice to discuss immigration, human trafficking and the sprawling cross-border drug trade. AFP Virginia Tech students are inventing the future by designing new habitats for astronauts. When the International Space Station completes its mission in 2024, a new station will be needed to replace it, a station capable of also transporting a crew to Mars. For several years, NASA, in partnership with the National Institute of Aerospace, has been soliciting fresh design concepts from students through the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, competition. For three out of five years, a student team from the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech has taken first place overall. The latest design challenge required students to make a cost-effective habitat that could also serve as a Mars transit habitat. At the Cocoa Beach, Florida, competition, this years team presented their concept for Project Theseus, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) habitat that could replace the International Space Station and eventually transport crew members to Mars. The team won first for their category, first in undergraduate teams, and first overall for the RASC-AL competition. The design has many unique features, including a hybrid, rigid-inflatable structure, an electrostatic station-keeping thruster, a laser-based communication system, and a two-bed carbon molecular sieve for CO2 removal, team member Joe Scalora said. In comparison with the other designs showcased at RASC-AL's forum, Project Theseus displayed an understanding and application of real engineering principles. The station's size, launch sequence, solar panel design, and business model accurately represented a possible solution to the steering committee. Competition for acceptance is stiff, as student teams must pass two checkpoints in a yearlong trial before being authorized to officially compete. If they are selected, teams receive a travel grant to present their final concepts at a technical conference. The team did a good job in their systems engineering approach, documenting their design, and presenting it to the judges, said Kevin Shinpaugh, adjunct faculty advisor in aerospace engineering and director of information technology at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. The design provided many of the capabilities of the International Space Station in a much smaller and cheaper-to-build-and-maintain space station, Shinpaugh continued. The station can be modified in the future for supporting humans in a trip to Mars. It was a very challenging competition against some great colleagues. This years team members include Keith Bahm, of Richmond, Virginia.; Troy Bray, of Charlottesville, Virginia.; Michael Crain, of Spotsylvania, Virginia.; Christian Dwyer, of Spotsylvania, Virginia.; Benjamin Lyon, of Fredricksburg, Pennsylvania.; Alex Orellana, of Bristow, Virginia.; Angel Ortiz, of Barcelona, Spain; Joe Scalora, of West Orange, New Jersey.; Robert Scheible, of Springfield, Virginia.; Evan Schwartz, of Herndon, Virginia.; Paul Stellato III, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania.; and John Mulvaney, of Versailles, Kentucky. All members are recent graduates of the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech. As the capstone to the RASC-AL competition, the team will present the project at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SPACE forum in Orlando, Florida. SUMNER The parent company of The Gazette will acquire a Northern Iowa-based maker of emergency vehicles by the end of the month. Folience announced Tuesday it will buy Life Line Emergency Vehicles of Sumner in a deal that will close July 31. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The companys purchase is intended to diversify Foliences holdings to include more than media businesses, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Goldstein said. Folience, after 133 years of being what was primarily a family-owned, family-controlled media business, is looking at how does it go forward to the next 130 years. Its not by being just a media business, Goldstein said. Having diversification of business, you can weather that volatility of economic cycles. The deal also will provide Life Lines current owners a succession plan, he said. Founded in 1985 by a father and son, Life Line manufactures ambulances and other emergency vehicles primarily for municipalities. Customers have included Johnson County, Marion, Waterloo, West Des Moines, St. Louis Childrens Hospital and others, according to Life Lines website. This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, Life Line President and CEO Connie Leicher said in a statement. This agreement took over a year of dialogue and design to put together to be sure that it is in the best interest of employees from both companies. Life Lines 180 employees will join Foliences 380 as part of the deal. Goldstein said no layoffs or other changes are planned for now. There is no change that is happening, no layoffs, no thinning, no efficiencies in that sense, at the time of acquisition, Goldstein said. An employee-owned company, Foliences holdings currently include The Gazette, printing company ColorWeb Printers, marketing business Fusionfarm, market researcher Vernon Research Group and three newspapers in southern Iowa. Goldstein said acquiring a nonmedia company does not mean Folience wants to spin off its media business, which has become common in the industry. Our media business is profitable so there is absolutely no intention to shed that. Its additive to have a diversified holding, which can just strengthen the base of the company, he said. The company had owned KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, but sold the station to Gray Television in 2015. Life Lines employees own 30 percent of the company. After the acquisition, they will be part of Foliences employee stock ownership plan, which owns 100 percent of the company. Goldstein said Folience has a pipeline of potential acquisitions, but no other deals are planned at this time. SCHALLER -- The owner of a small, family owned Sioux City-area trucking company said Monday he knows nothing about how dozens of immigrants became packed inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler registered to his company. A trailer registered to Schaller, Iowa-based Pyle Transportation Inc. was found parked in the searing heat outside a San Antonio Walmart over the weekend. Ten of the passengers died and more than 15 others were hospitalized with extreme dehydration. Owner Brian Pyle, 34, told an Associated Press reporter Monday he had no knowledge of any human smuggling and expressed shock and bewilderment over how so many people could have been crammed into a trailer that had his name on it. "I'm absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. It's shocking," he said outside the company's office near the tiny downtown of the Sac County village of 750. Pyle said he had reached a deal to sell the trailer to a person in Mexico and hired one of the company's former drivers, James Matthew Bradley Jr. of Clearwater, Fla., as an independent contractor to drive the trailer to a drop-off point in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. He declined to identify the purchaser or say where in Brownsville the trailer was to be delivered. The county treasurer's office declined to say whether paperwork transferring the truck's title had been filed. Bradley was charged Monday with transporting immigrants who were in the United States illegally, resulting in the deaths. He told investigators that he was transporting the trailer for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville and made some stops along the way. He said he was unaware people were inside until he parked and got out to urinate. The driver claimed he was not given a delivery time or address. He told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo, Texas -- which would have been out of his way if he were traveling directly to Brownsville -- to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. Pyle said there was no reason for the driver to stop in Laredo and San Antonio. Federal records show the company claims 15 drivers and 18 trucks that haul fresh produce, meat, food, paper products and other freight. The company reported logging 830,000 miles in 2013, the latest year for which figures were available. The Pyle family has been involved in the trucking business for decades, but Pyle Transportation was formed in 2006. The AP reports Pyle Transportation has a history of safety and tax violations and financial problems, according to public records. Pyle refused to discuss his company's prior legal problems, saying the focus should be on issues surrounding the deaths. "It should be about what happened in Texas and not my company," he told AP reporters. Multiple calls by the Journal to the company's listed number were not answered Monday afternoon. Sunday's incident may evoke memories of a similar discovery 15 years ago in Denison, Iowa, when a worker at the Farm Service Co-op and Archer Daniels Midland elevators opened a grain hopper for inspection and found the remains of 11 immigrants, who were presumably being smuggled north into the U.S. from Mexico or Central America. The coffin on wheels at Denison contained external locks only. No water, food or rescue for victims like 18-year-old Byron Acevedo of Guatemala, who ignored the pleas of his older siblings, left the family farm in Guatemala and boarded the train, sold on a promise of prosperity north of the Rio Grande. Acevedo knowingly entered the U.S. illegally, a pawn in a smuggling operation that sent four men to prison. Authorities later determined that the rail-car left Matamoros, Mexico, four months prior to its discovery in Denison, and crossed into the U.S. at Brownsville, Texas. The unit, which contained no grain, sat idle in Oklahoma until Oct. 10, 2002, when it was pulled north to Denison. Authorities didnt know at the time if the victims found at Denison died of suffocation, starvation or succumbed to the heat. Oelwein blood drive planned OELWEIN There will be an Oelwein community blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 3 at Community Plaza, 25 W. Charles St. To make an appointment, go to lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903. Wine club event set for Aug. 17 WATERLOO The Ans-borough Hy-Vee will offer a Wine Club event from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 17. A Hy-Vee chef will pair wine with appetizers. Register and prepay at the customer service counter or call 233-3266. Handbell choir to perform WATERLOO Meiji Gakuin Higashmurya High School handbell choir of Tokyo, Japan, will perform a concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at Kimball Avenue United Methodist Church. There will be no admission charge, but donations will be accepted. The Glee Handbell Choir is touring as part of the exchange program. Call Jennifer Sommerfelt at 939-7596 for more information. LIME SPRINGS -- A Lime Springs man who sold meth for more than a year while possessing more than 20 guns was sentenced to 13 years and four months in federal prison. Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Shawn Valentine Chevchuc, 45, on Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids following a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a felon. He will have to serve five years of supervised release following prison. According to prosecutors, Chevchuc admitted he was involved with others in selling meth from 2015 through 2016. Information disclosed during the sentencing hearing indicated that, during this time period, Chevchuc was involved with selling more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and possessed firearms, including one gun that had been previously stolen during a burglary. Chevchuc is barred from handling firearms because of multiple prior felony burglary and drug convictions in Stephens County, Illinois, and Winneshiek County, Iowa. Court records allege he was found to be in possession of five rifles, on shotgun and one pistol on in February 2016, and nine rifles, eight shotguns and a muzzleloader in November 2016. Iowas two senators voted Tuesday to move forward on an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. But neither, in statements Tuesday, gave much insight into what kind of legislation they might eventually support. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans, joined others in their caucus to pass a procedural motion that keeps the Obamacare overhaul alive. Just last week, it appeared not enough Republican senators would get on board. After a 50-50 vote Tuesday, however, Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to push the issue forward. Its not clear yet what plan senators might eventually vote on. Its expected that several amendments will be offered. The House already has passed a plan, but that ran into objections in the Senate. Meanwhile, proposals originating in the Senate have themselves run into resistance. Some moderate Republicans have expressed reservations about the potential loss of coverage for millions of Americans by phasing out Medicaids expansion, as well as putting a per capita cap on Medicaid spending. Conservatives have had different objections. Grassley and Ernst have not said how they might vote on the plans that have been offered, but they have urged the process forward. In a statement, Ernst called Tuesdays vote a significant step forward in repealing Obamacare. She added, I will closely examine the amendments to see how they will affect Iowans insurance availability and affordability in 2018. Democrats have uniformly opposed efforts to repeal the seven-year-old health care law, and Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, opposed the motion Tuesday. As for Grassley, he has said Medicaid costs need to be brought under control. But he, too, has urged, at the least, the issue be brought up for a vote. Now that weve opened the debate, all 100 senators have the chance to debate the issue and offer their amendments and ideas, he said. Each senator can decide how to vote, based on the final bill and how its amended. CEDAR RAPIDS Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Trainor issued his first citation for texting while driving three days after the ban took effect. It was on Blairs Ferry Road, a busy east-west arterial in northern Cedar Rapids, and she was right beside me texting, the trooper said. I buzzed my horn at her, but she didnt notice, so I pulled her over. More motorists on Iowa roads will be taking notice of the texting ban as the patrol steps up enforcement efforts of the distracted driving law in new and creative ways. The law, which took effect July 1, bans reading, writing and sending electronic messages while driving. Violators can be fined $30. On Interstate 80 near the Quad Cities, one enforcement action had troopers patrolling in a recreational vehicle, which gave them a higher vantage point to see texting drivers, said Lt. Brian Votroubek of Post 12 in Stockton. Although not many citations have been issued, Votroubek said the enforcement actions have been successful. It helps get the word out that were doing it, he said. Were just trying to keep people safe and keep the roadway open. Post 11, which includes Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Poweshiek and Tama counties, is using more informal enforcement actions, Trainor said. In some cases, troopers are driving unmarked cars while looking for texting drivers as well as motorists violating speed and seat belt laws. Votroubek expects Post 12 will continue enforcements in short bursts. Its hard to do longer enforcements because troopers get other service calls. In two cases, Votroubek said, troopers have been called away from enforcement actions to respond to traffic crashes. An enforcement action Tuesday by Post 11 was interrupted when troopers had to respond to fatal crashes, Trainor said. In another enforcement action, Department of Natural Resource officers relayed sightings of texting drivers to troopers, Trooper Alex Dinkla said. Driving through a construction zone? The man or woman on the side of the road in construction gear might just be a trooper, he added. Drivers have been surprised when pulled over for distracted driving because they assume theyre being pulled over for something else, Votroubek said. When we talk to them, they understand theyre not supposed to be doing it, he added. Troopers do get blowback from drivers saying they were not texting but instead using a GPS app, which is permitted along with making phone calls, Trainor said. But it you see them holding the phone and their thumbs are moving, its pretty obvious, Trainor said. One common misconception is texting is permitted at stop signs and stop lights. But unless a vehicle is off the traveled portion of the road and in park, thats illegal, Trainor said. Drivers have been stopped not only texting but playing video games and watching YouTube videos, Votroubek said. In some cases, Trainor said, troopers are issuing warnings rather than citations. Some also have handed out cellphone sleeves. When a phone is placed in the sleeve, conductive fabric lining blocks radio frequencies from reaching it. WATERLOO The city of Waterloo inches closer to installing automated traffic enforcement cameras to fine motorists running red lights and speeding. City Council members faced increasing criticism of the devices Monday before voting unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance, which would make Waterloo the first Black Hawk County community to employ the controversial cameras. Council members tabled a proposed three-year contract with Gatso USA, of Beverly, Mass., to install and operate the cameras. That contract and a proposed fine schedule will return for a vote after the final ordinance reading Aug. 7. Wayne Nathem, a former mayoral candidate, was among several residents opposing traffic cameras. Are they really for safety or are they for revenue? Nathem said. I feel like theyre more for revenue than what they are for safety. Resident Jim Chapman said the city should focus on neighborhood crime suppression instead of ticketing elderly women who accidently run red lights. But Police Chief Dan Trelka said the cameras have proven effective in reducing crashes in other communities. He is proposing to install red light cameras at six high-crash intersections while acquiring a mobile trailer and handheld cameras for speed enforcement. From my personal experience, I have gotten three of these tickets, and when Im in those communities I tend to drive a lot more cautiously, he said. Trelka said he would prefer to see any revenue generated by the cameras used to hire three more police officers or lower property taxes. Some residents questioned the legality of the cameras and noted motorists are increasingly choosing not to pay up because the tickets do not affect state driving records and cannot be used as black marks on credit scores. The problem I have with this is if you put these up you still cant collect the fines because the fines are unenforceable, said resident Don Share. Cedar Rapids, which made $4.4 million from traffic cameras in 2016, is now seeing just more than half of its tickets paid since the Iowa Attorney Generals Office told cities nonpayment of the tickets could not be factored in credit scores, according to the Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Dorian Grubaugh, regional sales manager for Gatso USA, noted it is up to cities to decide whether to pursue collections on unpaid tickets. His company would get $36 per ticket paid, but is not compensated for unpaid tickets. Grubaugh noted a proposal to ban automated traffic cameras was not approved by the Iowa Legislature last year. As of right now, its completely legalunless the state changes that, he said. WATERLOO A consulting engineer is recommending signalized intersections over roundabouts when the city rebuilds University Avenue starting next year. Representatives from AECOM, which was hired to design the 2.83-mile reconstruction of University from U.S. Highway 63 to the Cedar Falls city limits at Midway Drive, unveiled its proposed design to City Council members Monday. The plan reduces the road width from six to four lanes but does not replace traffic signals with controversial roundabouts similar to those installed in Cedar Falls ongoing University Avenue reconstruction. AECOMs Larry Wiele said a 2011 traffic study showed only two of the intersections on Waterloos portion of University Avenue should have the safer but more costly roundabouts. That study found that at most of the locations along University Avenue, the signalized intersections operated better than roundabouts, Wiele said. We found that construction of roundabouts will have some fairly severe impacts to right of way and to access in most locations. The plan calls for University to have four lanes with a raised median from U.S. 63 to Tunis Drive, near the Hy-Vee gas station and former Hobby Lobby. The stretch from Tunis west to Midway Drive would be five lanes, with the center turning lane providing better access to businesses. That meets the needs for the current and projected traffic volumes, Wiele said. By reducing the amount of lanes, that gives us space for some of those enhancements wed like to put in. It also reduces the amount of right-of-way and property that needs to be acquired, he added. It also will reduce the cost for construction as well as future maintenance of the roadway. The estimated cost of the project is $36.4 million, not including sanitary or water main replacements. It does not include work on two bridges, which will be needed in the future. It includes a 10-foot recreational trail on the south side and a five-foot sidewalk on the north side of the road, but does not cover landscaping, lights or any other decorative enhancements. The city currently has $28 million it received from the Iowa Department of Transportation when jurisdiction of University was transferred from the state to the city. Additional funding is being sought. Council members asked a few questions but generally did not voice either support or opposition to the plan Monday. Councilmen Steve Schmitt and Pat Morrissey were both worried about the lack of aesthetic enhancements. Ive heard some concern about if Waterloos portion of University Avenue would be more kind of Spartanish compared to what Cedar Falls is doing with all the ornate things theyve added, Schmitt said. Council members are being asked to vote on the concept and authorize preliminary design at their Aug. 7 meeting. The plan is to have a bid letting in the winter with construction from Midway to Ansborough Avenue in 2018 and 2019. A second phase to renovate the road from Ansborough to U.S. 63 would come in future years. Councilman Tom Powers said he thought there would be more public input allowed before the preliminary design began. I think it would be helpful to have a community conversation before we get too far into it, he said. CHARLES CITY As the RAGBRAI horde approaches Charles City, one rider looks forward to possibly meeting the family of the teen whose life inspired him. Tony Hager, a former wrestler from Ogden, is dedicating his ride to 15-year-old Logan Luft, who died after an ATV accident July 4. My goal is to raise $10 per mile, Hager said. His ride Wednesday through Saturday will total 190 miles with a fundraising goal of $1,900. One hundred percent of the funds will be donated to Logans family. After speaking with Logans mom and the family, it gave me more of a passion, Hager said. Logan was passionate about three activities: wrestling, fishing and running. More than 1,600 attended the teens funeral. Logan would have entered ninth grade this year. The sport of wrestling is a family, Hager said on his fundraising page. Once you have stepped on the mat, everyone is now your brother or sister. Through this ride, he hopes to help a fellow wrestling family members family, he said. Hager owns several wrestling news sites including IAwrestle. Though he never met Logan, he knows wrestlers who did know him and loved him. Logans story and his passing struck a chord with Hager, inspiring him to give back. Being in the wrestling media world and how he was an organ donor, I felt like I needed to do something, Hager said. Five individuals received organ donations from Logan, and tissue donations could help 50 to 75 people. Family members said organ donation and helping others is exactly what Logan would have wanted. To show his support, Hager wrote Luft on his left calf and Tuff on his right, in honor of the special hashtag the family used as well as the Donate Life T-shirts sporting the tag Logans supporters wore at his funeral. Hager hopes the words will be a conversation starter. Hager started a RallyMe campaign to raise funds. Its his understanding the family will donate the money to an organization that recruits organ donors in Iowa. I really hope people who dont have the ability to donate write Luft Tuff too, showing you care, Hager said. Not everyone has the means. He originally reached out to the family to explain his wishes and assure them this was not a publicity stunt. He waited until after the funeral, out of respect for the family. Its such a tough time, Hager said. Theyre OK with it and have been giving me ideas on how to support him. Hager is starting his ride in Rockwell City and hopes to meet with the family when the event stays overnight in Charles City. He also encouraged those joining him to tweet pics to @hagertony and use the hashtag #LuftTuff. At the end of the day, if I can get a few people to write Luft Tuff on their legs, thats a win for me, Hager said. The public learned March 10, 2015, Hillary Clinton had more than 60,000 emails on her private email system, and she had turned over about half of them to the State Department and destroyed the rest, which she said were personal and not in any way related to her work as secretary of state. The public learned later the lengths to which Clinton went to make sure the personal emails were completely and permanently deleted. Her team used a commercial-strength program called BleachBit to erase all traces of the emails, and they used hammers to physically destroy mobile devices that might have had the emails on them. The person who did the actual deleting later cited legal privileges and the Fifth Amendment to avoid talking to the FBI and Congress. Clintons lawyer, David Kendall, told Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Benghazi Committee, investigators could forget about finding any of those emails. Sorry, Trey, he said; theyre all gone. Still, there were people who did not believe Clintons deleted emails, all 30,000-plus of them, were truly gone. What is ever truly gone on the internet? And what if Clinton were not telling the truth? What if she deleted emails covering more than just personal matters? In that event, recovering the emails would have rocked the 2016 presidential campaign. So if there were an enormous trove of information potentially harmful to a presidential candidate just sitting out there what opposing campaign wouldnt want to find it? There have been recent reports that last summer a Republican named Peter W. Smith made some sort of effort to find the missing Clinton emails, getting in touch with hackers, some of whom may have been Russian. But nothing came of it, and no evidence has emerged Smith was connected to the Trump campaign. (The 81-year-old Smith later committed suicide, apparently distraught over failing health.) In a recent phone conversation, Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager who was fired June 20, 2016, said he never heard of or communicated with Smith and wasnt aware of any effort to find the missing Clinton emails. I never solicited or asked anybody to solicit or find a way to get these potential emails, Lewandowski said. And to the best of my knowledge, nobody [in the campaign] did either. Still, Lewandowski added, In the world of cybersecurity, its fairly well known that when you delete emails, theyre not gone. Another former top Trump aide said that was a common view in the campaign. The feeling was that they [the emails] must exist somewhere, the former aide said, because once something is digital, its never truly gone. Trump believes that, the aide added. Still, the aide also said he had never heard of Smith and didnt know of any effort to find the emails. Both Lewandowski and the other former aide stressed the greatest political value of the missing emails, as far as Trump was concerned, was they gave Trump a way to poke and troll his Democratic opponent. The Clinton team was BleachBitting and swinging hammers to smash devices and she says everything was on the up and up, that she has nothing to hide? Candidate Trump could riff on that all day. But at least one high-ranking Trump team member apparently did believe the missing Clinton emails still existed. In August 2016, Gen. Michael Flynn, then the Trump campaigns top national security adviser, discussed the emails with a conservative radio host named John B. Wells. Does somebody have the 30,000? Flynn asked. The likelihood somebody has all of those emails, at a nation-state level, meaning Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, or even other countries, or some other large hacktivist group, like the WikiLeaks group that we know exists the likelihood is very high, and Im talking, like, better than 95 percent. Which leads to a question. Would it have been appropriate for the Trump campaign to try to find the emails? After all, the emails were under congressional subpoena, under FBI investigation, of intense public interest and a potentially explosive issue in the presidential campaign. What opposing campaign wouldnt want to know what was in them? Talking with a number of veteran Republican operatives, the answer is: Yes, of course, the campaign would want to know what was in the emails. More importantly, they would want the emails to become public. But the campaign wouldnt want to touch them, would want no fingerprints on them. None would have met with Russians, as Donald Trump Jr. did in June 2016, because they would want nothing to do with shady people offering information. (That information was not, as far as we know, related to Clintons emails.) But the operatives would have searched for a third-party, arms-length way to get the information to the media. You can get easily burned with bad info, said one operative. This is why everyone outsources research. And that is what baffles some of them about what Trump Jr. did. Why put the campaigns fingerprints and palm prints and footprints too on such a sketchy enterprise? Terrible political judgment is not against the law. If it were, the operatives suggested, the Trump team would be guilty, guilty, guilty. Cover politics, immigration, health care, national security, agriculture, banking, campaign finance, the military, LGBTQ equality and pretty much anything else for long enough and the road will intersect with Sen. John McCain. Hes often described as a fixture, and after 35 years in Washington, D.C. two terms in the House and now his his sixth in the Senate the description fits. McCain has been a regular visitor to the Arizona Daily Star over the years, meeting with news reporters and the Editorial Board to give updates when Congress was in recess and when he was running for re-election. The Stars editorial department has endorsed McCain for re-election in the Senate, although not for president. Weve agreed with him, and criticized him strongly, too. Hes done the same. These interviews have been a chance to ask McCain questions about Arizona concerns, and theyre often wide-ranging conversations that also encompass national and international matters. Weve had fiery disagreements with the Republican senator, but have always respected his passion and knowledge of global affairs. But the times we think about now, with the news McCain has an aggressive brain cancer, are those moments when the policy talk gave way to a glimpse of John McCain the man how he accepted a compliment on hosting Saturday Night Live in 2002 by promising to do a song and dance number the next time he visited the Star, and his glee at being offered two kinds of cake at an Editorial Board meeting a few years back. (You have to try both, he said, and we agreed with him.) Or the long, quiet pause he took to gather himself as he talked about the 2008 presidential election, when he spoke about a fellow veteran hed known well. It is human nature to search for a lesson when faced with bad news or a tragedy, and McCain has become an example of why affordable, accessible medical care is so crucial for everyone. No one, not even John McCain, who survived more than five years of torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is exempt from illness or disease. McCains diagnosis also is a stark reminder no matter what we believe, what political position we take, what job we have, how much wealth we possess, or how hard we work, each of us is a single person facing life the best we know how. We join with Arizonans in sending our thoughts to McCain and his family. And, senator, the next time you visit the Star, well bring the cake. Not fake news DENIS MONTENIER HUDSON -- In a July 16 letter, Paul Higgins labeled the news coverage of President Trump's possible collusion with the Russians as "sensationalism" and "relentless Trump bashing." Higgins conveniently overlooks several pertinent facts. It wasn't the mainstream media who lied in initially denying there had ever been a meeting with the Russians. It wasn't the New York Times or the Washington Post who lied on his security clearance disclosure form saying he (Jared Kushner) hadn't met with any foreign government agents. It wasn't the media who claimed there were only four people at the meeting when in fact there were eight. It wasn't CNN who proposed a joint effort with the Russians to combat cyber crime after every U.S. intelligence agency stated unequivocally the Russians had hacked the DNC during the 2016 election. And it certainly wasn't the media who said "anyone would have taken that meeting....it's just politics." No, Mr. Higgins, it is not just politics. It is the law, which clearly forbids meeting with a foreign government to obtain something of value like opposition research. The news story that is smoke now will erupt in a blazing inferno and Americans can thank the media for uncovering the culprits who threw the match. Cherished gift STEVEN KAPLER WATERLOO -- I love when I wake up in the morning & Donald Trump is still President. So reads my coffee cup, a cherished gift from which I would not part were I offered a new car with complimentary fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror. Trumps a tough hombre. When he announced intentions to run for president, everybody from late night comedians and newspaper editors laughed at him. Establishment Republicans lined up against him during the primary debates. He took them out, one by one. He cinched the nomination. The Clinton machine went after him, and they take no prisoners. Hillary Clinton was favored to break the glass ceiling. That didnt happen. Kathy Griffin, Chelsea Handler and the Hollyweird gang began taking cheap shots at his family. Trump brushed them off like dandruff, appointed a new Supreme Court Justice, cut job-killing regulations, ordered the enforcement of existing immigration laws, pushed for serious tax cuts across the board, and pursued greater local control of education. Hes taken the gloves off our military. The Courier is free to write all the anti-Trump editorials they desire. Meanwhile, I think Ill have another cup of coffee. All this winning makes me thirsty. Friends of Israel RON IHLENFELDT WATERLOO -- Another reminder to remember the people of Israel are our friends. We still work together in the war against terrorism. We know Israel was given the keys to Jerusalem because of Abraham and Sarah. It's Israe'ls job to watch over all the holy sites for Sarah's side of the family. This includes Temple Mount, which has been there for a few thousand years. We must remember without Israel we have no holy sites. I sign my name as a friend of Israel. Q: Behind the Covenant Cancer Center on Kimball Avenue, Covenant stores sand and salt mix for winter use. The water comes down the parking lot, under the sand/salt mix and out the other side into the grass behind the apartments killing the grass. Is this legal? A: We contacted Waterloo Code Enforcement for you. Officers investigated, and the hospital was issued a notice to resolve the situation. Q: Why did The Courier stop putting the ages of people getting married in the marriage license section? That was always interesting to see. A: It isnt by choice. The Black Hawk County Auditors Office now only allows us access to marriage licenses when they are returned after the wedding. No ages are on those documents. Q: Why do the city of Waterloo and DOT have so many lines across different roads in town counting traffic? A: The Iowa Department of Transportation is collecting traffic data in Northeast Iowa this year. Traffic count data is used for business planning and for helping local and state government to make programming decisions for maintenance, construction, speed limits and other policy considerations. Q: Regarding the Waterloo police voting to approve bike lanes: Are bicyclists supposed to obey the laws, such as stopping at stoplights/stop signs? Can they be ticketed? A: Waterloo police did not approve bike lanes. The Waterloo City Council voted July 10 to approve protected bicycle lanes on Park Avenue. Bicycles are allowed on public streets whether or not dedicated lanes are in place, and cyclists are required to follow the rules of the road and obey traffic signs and signals. Yes, they can be ticketed for violations. Q: When are they going to resurface Highway 18 from Highway 150 in West Union east to Postville? A: The draft 2018-2022 five-year highway program for the Iowa Department of Transportation currently includes a proposed $6 million pavement rehabilitation and widening of U.S. 18 from West Union to Clermont in 2018. The plan, which is subject to change, does not include resurfacing from Clermont to Postville at this time. Q: What will be done with the water drainage system on U.S. 218 by Crossroads? The holes are so deep they could damage tires. A: The Iowa Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over U.S. Highway 218, said the highway in that area was newly resurfaced and maintenance staff were unaware of the situation described by the caller. You may want to contact Iowa DOT themselves with a more specific description of the problem and location. The district office number is (800) 477-4368. Q: What was Natalie Woods birth date and when did she die? Are any of the main cast members of West Side Story still alive? A: She was born July 20, 1938, and died in 1981. Several of the main actors are still with us Richard Beymer, who played Tony; Russ Tamblyn, who was Riff; Rita Moreno, who was Anita; George Chakiris, as Bernardo; and Tony Mordente, who played Ice. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 24, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 24, 2017 | 03:18 PM | PADUCAH, KY Former Fulton County Jailer Ricky Parnell has been sentenced for conspiring to defraud Fulton County taxpayers during the expansion of the county detention center. In a press release, U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr., said Parnell was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Public corruption simply cannot be tolerated, Kuhn said. Corrupt public officials erode the fairness and integrity of our public institutions, and they undermine the publics trust in our government. I hope this conviction and restitution will reassure the public that the Department of Justice will hold elected officials to the highest standards of honesty and integrity and that we will seek repayment of every tax dollar spent corruptly by public officials. Parnell coordinated a scheme with contractors and suppliers where he helped get them contracts on the project. They over-charged the county during construction of the detention center, and Parnell got a kick-back from each of them. He received money and other items valued at $175,000 or more. Along with co-defendants Michael Homra, Danny Larcom and Ron Armstrong, a total of $154,000 in restitution is owed to the county. Homra has paid $32,500 and Larcom paid $22,000. The remaining $100,000 balance is due by Parnell and Armstrong. In April, the 59-year-old former jailer pleaded guilty to several charges, including honest services fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud. Larcom, Armstrong and Homra pleaded guilty to charges for their participation in the conspiracy. Armstrong was sentenced to 35 months in prison, while Larcom and Homra were each sentenced to 2 years of probation. The illegal activity took place between April 2015 and August 2016. Parnell served as the Fulton County Jailer from 1990 until late last year. By The Associated Press By The Associated Press Jul. 23, 2017 | 03:36 PM | FRANKFORT, KY Kentucky's Senate Democratic Caucus is asking former Gov. Julian Carroll to resign his state Senate seat after a TV report alleged he groped a man in 2005. In a statement Sunday, the caucus asked the Frankfort lawmaker to resign immediately and removed him as minority whip. Spectrum News of Louisville reported Saturday the alleged incident happened at the man's home. Carroll, who denied the allegations, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. After the alleged incident, the man went to state police and played a taped conversation of the meeting. No charges were filed. There's no evidence of groping on the tape, which shows the man refusing Carroll's sexual proposition and Carroll then backing down. Carroll was Kentucky's governor from 1974 to 1979. 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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. Prakash Raj is all set to make his directorial debut in Hindi this year with Tadka, a remake of Salt n Pepper. The film was remade in Telugu as Ulavacharu Biryani and Prakash Raj himself had directed it in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. He roped in Nana Patekar, Shriya Saran, Ali Fazal and Taapsee to play the lead roles in Hindi. As per the latest reports on the film, the film has been delayed further due to prior commitments of Taapsee and Ali Fazal. Except for 10 days of shoot, which will include shooting a song and some scenes on Taapsee and Ali, the entire films shooting has been wrapped up. However, Taapsee had allocated plenty of dates to Judwaa 2 which will be shot in Mauritius soon, and Ali moved on to promote his upcoming British film. Now, Prakash Raj is said to be waiting for Taapsee and Ali to adjust their dates, so that they can wrap up shooting for Tadka. More details about the film are awaited. Articles that might interest you: Philip Hoare at The New Statesman: Was Billy Budd, the Handsome Sailor at the heart of the book, black? Scholars such as John Bryant believe that there is internal evidence in the manuscript of the book found in a bread tin after Melvilles death in 1891 and not published until 1924 that the author had played with the idea of making his hero a man of African heritage. Billy is loved by all the crew and is described as blond and blue-eyed later in the story. Yet the sensuous descriptions of the Liverpool sailor and the Greenwich veteran elide to create a counterfactual version in which Billy becomes a black star at the centre of his constellation of shipmates. Indeed, some critics most notably, Cassandra Pybus at the University of Sydney have suggested that another 19th-century anti-hero was a person of colour. In Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, two years before Melvilles visit, Heathcliff is described as a regular black, an orphan found in the Liverpool docks an intriguing notion explored in Andrea Arnolds brilliant 2011 film adaptation. Melville witnessed great changes in the fortunes of black Americans. Moby-Dick is an allegory of the struggle against slavery in the run-up to the American Civil War; the Melville scholar Robert K Wallace believes that the writer heard the fugitive slave-turned-emancipationist Frederick Douglass speak in the 1840s and that they may have even met. more here. We all love our city, but as editors of this here San Francisco magazine, even we didn't know that SF had an official musical instrument. In fact, there are several things that are official to the city, many of which have been part of our DNA forever. Read up and take notesthis may come in handy the next time you hit trivia night at Vinyl. Uptown Oakland is happeningbursting with fresh new restaurants, watering holes with cult followings, and quirky dessert shops. Last week, Shinmai joined the party, serving a taste of Tokyo with savory izakaya fare and hearty bowls of ramen. Owners Yingji Huang (also of Montclair's Kakui) and Andy Liu (also Shinmai's ramen chef) have teamed up with chef Jerrod Doss (Aziza, Chez TJ, and The French Laundry) to come up with a menu that mixes traditional ingredients with unexpected elements. Look for exciting twists on Japanese fare such as a fried potato salad with truffle mayonnaise and paddlefish caviar, or ribs with miso barbecue sauce and bonito flakes. Sushi lovers will be pleased with the stellar raw menu. Shinmai's interiors are a mix of rich, dark hues, wooden panels, and windows inspired by a traditional Japanese shoji style. The interiors come from architect Denny Abrams and Siol Design team. Enjoy a savory raw dish of the Ocean Trout, made with piquillo, aroma sansho, micro red shies, lime, and sumac. The bar menu has been assembled by Adam Stemmler of Farm League Restaurant Group (East Bay Spice Company, Drake's Dealership, Arthur Mac's, and the forthcoming Gio's Pizza & Bocce) and Shinmai bar manager Brian McMillan. This restaurant isn't afraid to mix it up when it comes to their raw menu. Sweet peaches play nicely off of savory pieces of hamachi and against the contrasting crunch of toasted rice. Chef Doss whips up fresh, seasonal veggie izakaya options like this broccolini served over a smear of miso honey mustard, then topped with light, fluffy eggs and salty, plump salmon roe. Choose from either a hearty bowl of tonkotsu ramen or vegetable ramen. The vegetable ramen (above) is served with a hard boiled egg, black trumpet mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Shinmai's fried chicken leaves little if not nothing to be desired -- perfectly crispy, drizzled with ginger Worcestershire sauce, and served with a heavenly side of miso tartar dipping sauce. // Shinmai is open Wednesday through Sunday; 1825-3 San Pablo Ave. (Oakland), shinmaioakland.com You've likely seen her work without knowing it, whether on TV or while searching for cat videos on YouTube. Mallory Guraya is an SF-based broadcast producer who has worked on campaigns including Adobe and Cheetos Sweetos. Having worked in advertising for 10 years, she knew producing was for her. She loves her "creative and fun" role where each project is a new experience, and her career nurtures both her organizational drive and her bohemian, artistic sidewhich is reflected in her home as well as in her work. "I enjoy managing projects and budgets and getting things done," Guraya says. "But I've also got a creative side to me and this role allows me to do both. There's also something very tangible about being a producer. Once a job is done and you see it on TV or online, it's gratifying to feel like you were a part of that. You know every little detail about what went into making [it], and it's a proud feeling to have." As Guraya travels frequently for work and can be on a project for months at a time, finding balance and having a grounded home that inspires her is key. She tries to maintain a healthy lifestyle by bringing her routines with her, but it's at home that she gathers all of her inspiration. "A project can last a few months and can be time and travel intensive....When I'm deep in a project, no day ever seems to be the same; that can be exciting. But when I'm home, I like to slow down and incorporate a daily routine of homemade smoothies, exercise (spin classes or running by the Bay), reading, and checking my Instagram for daily inspiration." Her Marina studio, which she describes as "eclectic, bohemian chic," is undeniably worthy of Instagrams. Previous Next Sun-soaked window seat. Previous Next "I'm super selective about what I buy to decorate my place so I tend to acquire things that will hopefully last me a long time." Previous Next A small, but spacious studio. Previous Next Guraya found her green velvet ottoman at a vintage shop in L.A. Previous Next Guraya, perched on her West Elm sofa. "I'm always impressed with West Elm's evolving style and selection. They've got such interesting pieces, at a great price point, that I always find myself shopping there." Previous Next A rug she carried back from India. Previous Next Pretty lotus candle holders. Previous Next Turkish Kilim pillow handmade in Turkey, purchased in Santa Fe. Previous Next The photos hanging on Guarana's wall are from her trip to India and Nepal. The "Circle of Life" print was handmade by monks in Nepal. "I think the hardest part of decorating my place was starting my mini-gallery wall! I've been so blessed to travel the world, and in turn, I have so many photos it was hard to narrow them down to the perfect pieces to frame. They all remind me of incredible experiences, that I want to share with others, but there is only so much wall space in a studio! I didn't actually start hanging anything until I had lived in my place for about a year!" Previous Next Previous Next "Not everything has to match perfectly! Experiment with various shades and patterns of the same color," Guraya says. Previous Next Previous Next "A lot of the one of a kind pieces I've found traveling have come from little shops that have been recommended to me by locals. Ask around if you're looking for something in particular or even for home decor inspiration." Previous Next Guraya's bookcase was handmade in California. All of her seashells were collected on various trips to Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, Hawaii, Portugal, and Italy. Previous Next Previous Next Guraya's love for textiles shows in her furnishings. The white floral pillows were hand-embroidered and purchased during her trip to San Gimignano, Italy. Previous Next "I have a beautiful painting of two nude tango dancers that I purchased with my last $50 while traveling in Argentina. I saw the painting at the outdoor market and fell in love with it, but I was on a tight budget backpacking at the time. After agonizing over what a beautiful keepsake it would be, I purchased it from the artist. He was so excited I was taking it back to California with me. It's made with water colors, splashes of cafe con leche, and there's antique lace (for the woman's garter belt)." Previous Next Previous Next "Slowly collect and find pieces that make you happy." Previous Next Guraya's clean, minimalist kitchen. Previous Next "I tend to find a lot of local artists through the various craft fairs we have in SF. I always stumble upon someone great, so I'll follow them on IG or social media to keep up with their products and where they're selling them." Previous Next Guraya admits that she barely eats at her kitchen table, but rather uses it as a workspace. Previous Next Previous Next Coffee corner. Previous Next Special, keepsake trinkets Guraya picked up from her trip to Nepal. Previous Next Previous Next Guraya's hallway features two Shepard Fairey prints from before he became famous. Previous Next Another work by Shepard Fairey. Previous Next Previous Next Previous Next Previous Next Previous Next Previous Next "My decor inspires me because I've created a space for myself that is comfortable, calming, and inviting. And because of that, I love spending time at home working on my side projects. A lot of my decor is inspired by my everyday life because I work in a very creative field. I'm always learning about new art, photographers, designers, textiles, etc. I also travel a lot for work and pleasure, and I've collected amazing pieces along the way. You'll see elements of her family and roots as well as her travels in her home. Her design aesthetic embodies rich colors, patterns, and textures of Northern India where her father is from; while she connects with the "deep spirituality" in New Mexico, where her mother lives, "that expresses itself through the art, people, and landscape." Guraya's decor does in fact hold spiritually inspired pieces with photos from India and a Buddhist painting and intricate trinkets from Nepal. She explains that despite collecting pieces from around the world, she is very mindful about how she adds decor elements without creating clutter. "I'm really selective (and frugal) with what I decide to buy and bring home. I'll usually know exactly where I want to put something when I see it too. There are exceptions of course! If it's something one-of-a-kind that might not have a place yet, I'll splurge because I know it'll be a timeless piece I can use in my future. I do have 2 tupperware bins in the closet with extra rugs, blankets, and pillow cases I collected in India that are awaiting their use!" Guraya's thoughtful consideration allows for creating a welcoming space that is also functional and practical; essential for city living. For her studio, she follows a rule that everything should have a story, reason or use for it - everything must have meaning and purpose. "That philosophy applies very well to decorating a small space. Try to choose items that not only make you happy but that can be part of a functional design too. And get creative with how you store and use things. For instance, my antique dresser is also being used as a stand for my flatscreen tv." It makes sense that in her free time, she also started doing interior styling under the name Collected Style. "I was getting a lot of compliments on my decorating style and it dawned on me that I could really do something with it," Guraya explains. "Getting to know the individual I'm styling for is very important to me. Not only do I enjoy learning about that person, but I want to make sure I'm pulling in elements that will make them happy and fit their personality. I have my own style, but it might not work for everyone." Photography by Gillian Walsworth. Floridas state and local efforts to be resilient and mitigate the risk of storm surge from hurricanes has helped lessen that risk of sea level rise, but it hasnt eliminated it. -- Shawn College, Hillsborough County Planning Commission Tampa Riverwalk at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Imagine: $16 billion of local coastal property permanently underwater, including up to 30,000 homes. Property tax rolls slashed by more than $250 million. Tens of thousands of coastal jobs displaced or lost, cutting upwards of $161 billion from the Tampa Bay regional economy. Waterfront parks and infrastructure washed away or made obsolete.Its a statement of the problem, explains Brady Smith, a planner at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. One could say the problem is sea level rise. What does that mean, exactly? What are our vulnerabilities? The Cost of Doing Nothing, a study released earlier this year by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, paints a striking economic portrait of how rising sea levels might transform the areas economy by 2060 if Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Manatee county communities fail to take more measures to reduce their flood risk.The idea behind the report? To equip local communities with a more tangible understanding of what may be at stake as seas rise.Regional scientists and policymakers project that the mean sea level in the Tampa Bay area could rise by up to three feet over the next four decades. Last year 83 Degrees highlighted the work of several Tampa Bay scientists and planners involved with the Tampa Bay Climate Science Advisory Panel, which produced the first regionally adjusted sea level rise projections for the region in late 2015.Inspired by the Risky Business project , which studied the potential economic impacts of climate change at the U.S. national and state scale, this study zooms in on the impacts of sea level rise on the regions property and job bases using a combination of GIS mapping and economic modeling. According to the authors, its one of the first studies of its kind.One of the studys main conclusions is that sea level rise probably wont be catastrophic to the regions overall economy, at least over the next four decades: Leaving aside the vast costs of doing nothing over 40 years -- $161 billion of lost Gross Regional Product in 2015 dollars -- in each year the impact is relatively small compared to the size of the regions economy. Even in the peak year of sea level impacts, 2060, the Gross Regional Product is reduced by less than 3 percent.For Pinellas County and the regions $12 billion annual tourism industry, the picture is less reassuring. The report estimates that Pinellas County might see more than half of the total regional economic losses from sea level rise, despite having only 30 percent of the four-county study areas population. Up to 17,000 tourism-related jobs would be on land permanently under water by 2060, of which nearly 9,000 are in Pinellas County. A major driver of this decline in economic activity would be the loss of many of the countys beaches and barrier islands, according to the study.Its not trying to come up with any solutions, its just trying to provide another piece of data for folks who have to make decisions about potential future investments in infrastructure and our economy, and what potential sea level rise may mean if no other adaptation actions are taken. Its a start point, says Smith.A new Peril of Flood law that took effect in 2015 requires coastal Florida governments to address sea level rise and future flood risks in new ways. Crafted by Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes of Pinellas County, the state law expands private flood insurance options for Floridians and includes a mandate that waterfront communities incorporate flood risk reduction principles in their comprehensive coastal management plans by 2020.The bill is there to deal more broadly with the threats we all live with as citizens in this region, according to Smith. He points out the importance of considering how sea level rise may worsen different types of flood vulnerabilities Tampa Bay communitiesalready face, whether theyre coastal flooding events from storms and hurricanes, or whether theyre more of an inland event from rainfall, or theres some combination which is what we often see here, which was the case this past summer with Tropical Storm Colin and Hurricane Hermine.Storm surge from Hermine caused water levels to surge between two and three feet in Tampa Bay, while drenching parts of the region with up to 20 inches of rain. That interaction overwhelmed the stormwater infrastructure in several communities, and the City of St. Petersburg alone discharged up to 150 million of partly treated sewage into the Bay. In the aftermath of the storm, city officials pledged to make significant investments to avoid future discharges. And despite progress, sewage overflow during heavy rains remains a concern with another incident reported in July Last September, the City of Tampa also approved a plan to make more than $250 million in stormwater system improvements. Smith explains that it will be important for local governments to consider the effects of sea level rise and future flood risk when designing infrastructure that can withstand these types of flood interactions.Erin Deady, a Palm Beach area lawyer who works with Florida local governments on sea level rise, says the law has become an important driver for flood risk mitigation statewide. Deady points out that there are a wide range of existing regulations and programs that can promote coastal resilience, like the Florida Building Code and the Coastal Construction Control Line, but they havent always been joined up as part of a single planning strategy. Nor have planning approaches considered how sea level rise will change flood risk in the future, instead focusing on single flood events like hurricanes.The way the law links all this together within the coastal element of the comprehensive plan is whats new and thats what local governments have not had to do before, Deady says.Beyond improving the planning process, the new law is also designed to save Florida flood insurance policyholders money. The National Flood Insurance Programs ongoing reform, which includes significant rate increases for policyholders, was a major driver behind the new anti-flooding legislation according to Deady.Floridians bought $436.3 billion of flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program in 2015, accounting for 35 percent of all risk on the government insurers books. Pinellas County has more NFIP policyholders than 43 states combined, and has been recognized for its efforts to reduce its flood risk.In 2016, Pinellas County was awarded the Enterprise GIS Award from Esri for a creating the Flood Map Service Center using open source government data. Through the NFIPs Community Rating System, which rewards local governments that take flood risk reduction measures, the new map will reduce the amount of premium Pinellas policyholders owe by $5.3 million per year.The Community Rating System in and of itself is really important because its a points-based system and the better you do within that system, it translates into automatic discounts for constituents for flood insurance premium reductions. From a local elected leadership perspective, its one of the few things you can really do that translates into the pocketbooks of your constituents, explains Deady. Under the new law, communities are encouraged to link together existing measures or identify new projects that can qualify homeowners for flood premium savings.For coastal local governments, the first step to comply with the new law will be to update the principles in their comprehensive plans. Local governments are used to taking a hard look at their comprehensive plans every five or seven years, explains Deady. That hard look might entail internal conversations, studies or other reviews of what efforts are already underway locally, before language changes to the plan are submitted for approval by elected officials. In late 2015, St. Petersburg became one of the first cities to revise their plan.The Tampa City Council also rubberstamped updates to the citys comprehensive plan in February 2017, after a City-County Planning Commission study identified some of the specific ways sea level rise could impact the city by 2040. Upwards of 13,000 acres of land could be inundated in the City of Tampa by that time, about 80 percent of which is publicly owned. Those public lands include Curtis Hixon and Julian B. Layne parks, which have received significant taxpayer investment in recent years as the city hopes to encourage more development along Downtowns waterfront.More than a thousand residential parcels with a taxable value of about $1.2 billion may also be at risk, too. Dozens of road segments and large swathes of the citys water management infrastructure could also be washed away or otherwise impaired.Shawn College, who works on the Hillsborough County Planning Commission s long range planning team, says that Tampas exposure could have been worse were it not for long-standing state efforts to reduce development in hazard-prone coastal areas.Floridas state and local efforts to be resilient and mitigate the risk of storm surge from hurricanes has helped lessen that risk of sea level rise, but it hasnt eliminated it, College says.The population in the coastal area would have beenmuch higher had we not had the risk of hurricanes and the preventative measures we have taken over the years. The City is definitely looking at what additional measures will be necessary to address sea level rise, including relocation or retrofitting public assets and infrastructure, and regulating future development differently.Looking ahead, the City of Tampa will consider changes to land development regulations, capital investment and maintenance plans, and other targeted investments, according to College. Florida local governments have one year after their comprehensive plans are amended to update their regulations, like the building standards private developers rely on to design projects.During this time, local governments will ask themselves a number of questions about their tolerance for future flood risk, explains Deady. Are we going to have different design criteria for roads or infrastructure? Are we going to make our pumps and drainage systems meet a new level of capacity?Putting what Deady calls these nitty-gritty details into action will be tough for some local governments. Today there is no statewide sea level rise adaptation plan, which means the state hasnt identified the infrastructure, habitats and other features it intends to prioritize. That can create trouble for communities that rely on state-managed infrastructure, including major roads. Deady points to the low-lying Keys in Monroe County (Key West), which rely almost exclusively on Highway 1 -- a state road -- for access to the mainland.Its not only the lack of a state plan that raises issues for Florida local governments looking to implement sea level rise adaptations, according to Deady. Several regional, state and federal agencies can have a say in the coastal infrastructure permitting process, but those agencies dont yet share a common standard for planning for future flood risk. Deady says that leaders will need to take a hard look at permitting processes to make sure we are not inadvertently preventing adaptation strategies from being implemented.Funding for local governments to plan projects is also relatively limited to existing state and national grant programs. The state offers small competitive grants for coastal vulnerability reduction planning, although legislation proposed by Jeff Brandes in the 2017 legislative session would have changed that by freeing up to $50 million from the Land Acquisition Trust for local governments to realize projects prioritized in their plans. That bill died in the Banking and Insurance Committee.Still, Deady believes the new law will make local governments far more competitive in funding rounds for mitigation projects moving forward, many of which are quickly learning best practices from their peers.Brady Smith cites the City of Tampa vulnerability analysis as an example of regional leadership that other communities may want to follow going forward. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council also held a series of Peril of Flood workshops over the last year, as another. Technical, long-term, and at times slow-moving, a great deal of this work flies under the publics radar. But in Floridas battle with sea level rise, Deady sees progress to celebrate, even if we dont hear a lot about what these specific agencies are doing. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. School board, county commission and zoning meetings are this week Here's a look at who's meeting this week and what's on the agenda. AnastasiaDate recommends its five favorite daytrip destinations to visit while on a visit to Odessa in Ukraine. AnastasiaDate, the international dating service with a large worldwide membership, has provided some important information for those looking to visit Odessa. The dating service has served up a valuable list of the top five daytrips to enjoy while on a visit to the beautiful southern Ukrainian city, known as the pearl of the Black Sea. Odessa is well positioned as an interesting destination for taking daytrips to other parts of Ukraine. First on AnastasiaDates list of five great daytrip destinations is a river cruise to enjoy the wilderness of the Danube Delta. The tour kicks off in a boat from the traditional town of Vilkovo. The second Odessa daytrip destination from AnastasiaDate is an underground exploration of the Catacombs. The mysterious place provides an insight into the citys historic secrets. This amazing network of tunnels forms a labyrinth that runs up to a remarkable length of 2,500km and reaches a depth of 60 meters below sea level. Third on the top list of Odessa daytrips is a spectacular yacht tour that covers all the famous beaches, coves, and landmarks off the Black Sea coast near Odessa. This includes the famous Langeron beach and the renowned Vorontsov Lighthouse. Coming fourth on AnastasiaDates list is a wine tour of the Shabo Region. The trip is one of the best ways to spend a lovely day in Odessa. Romantics who love wine are sure to enjoy discovering the fertile region and vineyards. They can learn more about the winemaking process in the cellar and also taste some of the best wines available in the region. Last on the list of marvelous Odessa excursions is a visit to the Akkerman Fortress. It is located near the ancient town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. The place is located next to the Dniester estuary and has a rich history of over 2,500 years. AnastasiaDate helps singles to find their ideal matches and is known for helping members learn more about Europe. The dating service regularly offers tips to bring couples together. City daytrips are one of the best ways for romantic couples to spend quality time together. Members looking to meet their match in Odessa can get in touch on AnastasiaDate by using the range of features that the website offers. These include Live Chat, CamShare and CallMe. For more information, visit AnastasiaDate. About AnastasiaDate: AnastasiaDate is the leading international dating service that facilitates exciting and romantic companionship between men and women all over the world. Founded in 1993, AnastasiaDate now has over 20 million international users and attracts more than 80 million visitors annually. Additionally, over 1.5 million conversations are exchanged onsite daily. AnastasiaDate is committed to member safety, customer satisfaction and the ongoing pursuit of innovation. Part of the Social Discovery Ventures network, AnastasiaDate is headquartered in New York with additional representation in every country it touches, providing a high level of customer service to a worldwide clientele. All members are able to communicate across a variety of top-notch multimedia platforms, including video chat and a mobile app for Android devices available in Google Play. Media Contact Company Name: AnastasiaDate Contact Person: Media Relations Email: pr@anastasiadate.com Phone: +1 (212) 609-0533 Country: United States Website: http://www.AnastasiaDate.com The New Website Will Reshape The Way People Search The MLS In The Constitution State Stamford, CT, USA July 24, 2017 Dan Durante part of Kinard Realty Group has announced that he has launched its all new and updated website www.DanDurante.com. Dan is part of Kinard Realty Group and the new website will enable his clients as well as individual users to come and sign up for a free account, which will allow them to search the MLS in Connecticut. Moreover, the website will also act as a place for resources that also includes an informative blog. We have proudly launched our new website that will welcome new members to sign up for absolutely no cost and search through the MLS database in Connecticut. said Daniel Durante, the Owner of dandurante.com while talking about the new website. We are also featuring an informative blog that will highlight different restaurants as well as live social media streams and much more. he added. According to Daniel, the company is also part of Kinard Realty Group. Dan Durante serves several areas of Connecticut, including major cities such as Stamford, Greenwich, Fairfield and surrounding areas. Moreover, Kinard Realty Group currently manages two offices in Stamford and Greenwich. The new website is going to be a difference maker in booming the real estate market of Connecticut because of its easy and practical approach and user-friendliness. Dan is known among his clients for his passion for communication as well as facilitation and this website is another one of his efforts to make the lives of his clients easier. The interface of this new website is easy and practical, making it convenient for everyone to search through the MLS with ease and comfort. Moreover, it will make the process of buying, selling and listing easier than ever. Dan welcomes his clients or anyone in Connecticut to reach him directly and ask any question they like regarding the matters related to the industry. Moreover, his grip over the ongoing real estate trends in the state make him one of the most authentic and successful realtors in the Tri-State Area. For more information, please visit: www.dandurante.com Media Contact Company Name: Daniel Durante Real Estate part of Kinard Realty Group Contact Person: Daniel Durante Email: dan@dandurante.com Phone: 203 898 2361 Address:27 Strawberry Hill Ave City: Stamford State: CT, 06902 Country: United States Website: www.DanDurante.com SwaySecurity has now been introduced as the newest Las Vegas Private Patrol Company in Southern Nevada, who has Headquarters in Las Vegas. Their Grand Opening will provide the optimum security and protection in all areas of Las Vegas. The aim of SwaySecurity is to bring out the best cutting edge technology to the world that is simply the best form of protection. They work harder and train harder. They are also acclaimed as security agents with a good reputation. They will offer the most effective and most reliable security solutions for the protection of the lives and properties of people they work for. SwaySecurity also offers complete portfolio prior to their on-going and completed projects relevance to the excellent private security industry. All projects are suited to the companys aspirations and strengths. They will not take jobs on that dont fit the company brand, and this create a great relationship with their clients. SwaySecurity also offers Las Vegas executive protection ,small business personnel protection, and Residential Solutions such as HOA Guard Gate Access . SwaySecurity purpose is to ensure that they can always handle everything at the safest and most secure way possible. It is also their belief to give only high-quality services. SwaySecurity also offers security guard jobs for business and construction sites. This means to say that all construction and business industries in Las Vegas will now have a professional and cutting edge option for their private security needs. The company also has the best and most professional security guards who can best manage the safety and protection of their businesses. SwaySecurity also keep a closer bond and relationship with their personnel, off and on duty. SwaySecurity trains officers for their advancement in the Private Security Industries. With SwaySecurity, everyone in Las Vegas will be assured that their lives and their properties will be protected no matter what happens. People rest assured when they know a company like SwaySecurity can provide the right protection, safety and security that they need. Media Contact Company Name: SwaySecurity Contact Person: Essix Email: Weprotect@swaysecurity.com Phone: 888-882-3082 EXT 850 Address:Las Vegas, Nevada NV PILB #2292B Country: United States Website: www.swaysecurity.com Change of Auditor Sydney, July 25, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Genex Power Limited ( ASX:GNX ) (Genex or the Company) advises that it has received the consent of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for a change in auditor from William Buck to Ernst & Young (EY). The primary reasons for the Company seeking the consent of ASIC to the change were that the construction of Genex's Kidston Solar Project (Phase One 50MW) will be one of the key focus areas for the Genex group of companies (Genex Group) going forward. Along with the Group's future projects, Genex needs the experience and assistance of an auditor that has deep renewable energy and construction experience given the risks and complexities these areas have on the recognition and disclosure in the financial statements. EY's Australian and global network gives Genex a large network to draw on industry, financial and tax experience. The details of the new auditor are: Ernst & Young 200 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Tel: +61-2-9248-4283 Under s329(8) of the Corporations Act 2001, the effective date of the change is 25 July 2017. About Genex Power Ltd Genex Power Limited (ASX:GNX) is focused on developing a portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects across Australia. The Company's flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in north Queensland, will integrate large-scale solar generation with pumped storage hydro. The Kidston Clean Energy Hub is comprised of the operating 50MW stage 1 Solar Project (KS1) and the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) with potential for further multi-stage wind and solar projects. The 50MW Jemalong Solar Project (JSP) is located in NSW and provides geographical diversification to the Genex Power Limited portfolio. JSP was energised in early December 2020 and commissioning is now underway. Genex is further developing its energy storage portfolio via the early stage development of a 50MW/75MWh standalone battery energy storage system at Bouldercombe in Queensland. With over 400MW of renewable energy and storage projects in development, Genex is well placed as Australia's leading renewable energy and storage company. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry. What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. Essex County Town of Newcomb Search: At 7:57 am on July 10, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received information about three overdue hikers in the Santanoni Range of the High Peaks Wilderness. Three hikers in their 30s had set out to climb three Santanoni mountains via the Express Route and Panther Brook herd paths. The subjects found themselves taking longer than expected and called home to let family members know they would not be out until 2 am. When the three hikers did not return home by daybreak, Forest Rangers were called in for assistance. By 8:30 am, three Rangers headed to the area and located the subjects at 10:18 am in good health approximately a half mile up the foot trail. Town of Keene Rescue: On July 11 at 3:51 pm DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call regarding a 55-year-old man who had fallen and sustained a lower leg injury on the Great Range Trail between Gothics and Saddleback mountains. Another group hiking the same trail splinted the leg and provided coordinates to Ray Brook Dispatch. Two Rangers were transported by New York State Police Aviation helicopter to the mans location. Upon arrival, one Ranger was lowered by hoist to the mans location. The Ranger treated the subject and prepared him for extrication by helicopter. The man was flown to a local hospital where he received further medical care. Town of Keene Rescue: On July 13 at 2:06 pm, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for a 52-year-old female from Oxford, Conn., with a possible ankle fracture on Cascade Mountain. The subject was 1.7 miles in on the trail, and 12 Rangers were dispatched. NYSP Aviation was contacted but unable to fly due to bad weather. When Rangers located the subject they assessed and splinted the leg injury and the subject was able to bear weight on it for part of the walk down. When the subject felt unstable again, Rangers packaged her in a backpack litter and carried her down to the trailhead. The subject was then transported to the hospital by her husband. All Rangers were clear by 7:11 pm. Town of North Alba Search: On July 14 at 6:17 pm, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 and patched them through to four hikers in the McKenzie Pond Wilderness. The four had decided to go on an adventure and bushwhack through the wilderness on a short hike with no gear, map, or compass. Coordinates put them on the side of Hennessy Mountain, due north of Route 86 and Old Military Road. With severe weather coming in, the subjects could not find their way back. Forest Rangers were dispatched to the location of the groups car on Route 86 and, under heavy rain, started a land search to the hikers last known location. At 8:14 pm, Forest Rangers found the individuals in good health; and by 9:05 pm, the subjects were back at their vehicles. Town of Keene Rescue: On July 16 at 3:32 pm, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 with the caller stating that an 18-year-old male fell while climbing Cascade Slide near the Cascade Falls day use area in Keene. The caller reported the subject was conscious and in extreme pain. Six Rangers responded and located the subject. The first Ranger on scene assessed the subject and requested Keene EMS and Keene Valley Fire Department. The young man is believed to have fallen more than 100 feet from a rock while climbing. He landed near the base of the falls. The subject was stabilized, packaged, and transported to a waiting ambulance. The man is believed to have sustained multiple fractures, as well as internal injuries. The ambulance took the subject to Elizabethtown Hospital, where he was then transported by Life Flight to the medical center in Burlington, Vermont, for further medical care. Town of Keene Rescue: On July 19, at 12:23 p.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a transferred call from Essex County 911. A female bystander reported a 72-year-old male from Fairport, NY, with possible cardiac distress. The man advised that he had a history of cardiac issues and reported his location at the junction of the trail for Rooster Comb and Hedgehog Mountains. Under Lt. Platts authority, three Rangers and one assistant Ranger were dispatched. The four Rangers arrived on scene at 12:45 p.m. The assistant Ranger hiked into Rooster Comb to assess the subject. Two Rangers met New York State Police Aviation at Marcy Field in Keene for a possible hoist. One Ranger was inserted onto Rooster Comb Mountain. The subject began walking down the mountain prior to Ranger insertion. Rangers caught up with the subject who continued to descend. The hiker was evaluated, escorted to the trailhead, and advised Rangers that he would seek medical follow up on his own. Town of Elizabethtown Rescue: On July 19, at approximately 5:45p.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 requesting assistance for a 25-year-old female who sustained a fracture to her leg while swimming in Split Rock Swimming Area. Elizabethtown EMS, Elizabethtown Fire Department, and Keene Valley Back Country Rescue were also called to the scene. Rangers utilized a technical rope system to set up a steep angle raise to extract the subject. The subject was then taken via ambulance to a nearby landing zone and flown by Life Net to Burlington, Vermont, for further medical attention. Town of North Elba Rescue: On July 19, at 7:08 p.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a call from a hiker on the trail to Mount Marcy who stated he had located a 51-year-old female hiker suffering from heat exhaustion. The caller walked approximately one mile to Marcy Dam where he was able to get cell phone service. Dispatch directed the caller to assist the subject to the Marcy Dam Outpost. Two Forest Rangers responded via UTV and located the subject. One Ranger assessed the subject and administered first aid. Following rehydration, the subject reported feeling better and decided to continue her camping trip. The Ranger informed her that if further assistance was needed she should contact Ray Brook using the radio at Marcy Dam Outpost. Town of Ticonderoga Recovery: On July 21, at 6:21 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 requesting Forest Ranger assistance in locating a 60-year-old male from Patchogue, who had overturned his paddleboard on Lake George and not resurfaced. Two Rangers responded to Baldwin Road in Ticonderoga to assist in the search. Several additional agencies and a dive team were on scene with boats looking for the subject, along with local fire department personnel and DEC Environmental Conservation Officers. Agencies searched well into the night before being suspended with plans to resume the following morning. On July 22, at 7:20 a.m., the subject was located deceased and submerged roughly 300 feet off shore in eight to 10 feet of water. The Warren County Dive Team extracted the body with assistance from the Lake George Park Commission and Forest Rangers. The body was brought to shore and turned over to the Essex County Coroner at 9:10 a.m. The Ticonderoga Police Department is handling the investigation. Washington County Town of Fort Ann Search: On July 18, at 7:39 p.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a transferred call from Warren County 911. The caller stated he was lost on what he believed to be Buck Mountain in Fort Ann. After getting coordinates and interviewing the subject, it was determined that he was actually on the west side of Pilot Knob. Two rangers responded to the trailhead and began bushwhacking to the subject. The ill- prepared subject did not have a flashlight, map, compass, or warm clothes. The Rangers located the subject and rehydrated him. The subject was then assisted back to the trailhead. Town of Dresden Rescue: On July 21, at 10:00 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for a group eight hikers from Parlin, NJ. The group was having difficulty descending Black Mountain. The subjects were on the trail but had no water, inadequate lighting, and were suffering from dehydration. Two members of the group hiked out to the road to get assistance for the others, and returned with supplies. One additional hiker contacted Ray Brook for assistance. A Forest Ranger responded, arriving on scene at 11:00 p.m., and met the reporting party after hiking 1.5 miles up Black Mountain. After rehydration of the subjects and providing lights for the individuals, the Ranger walked the group back to the trailhead. One subject was severely dehydrated with muscle cramps in her feet and legs, but declined medical attention. At the trailhead, the subjects declined further medical attention. The incident concluded at 12:12 a.m. Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DECs Hiking Safety webpage and Adirondack Trail Information webpage for more information about where you intend to travel. The Adirondack Almanack reports weekly Outdoor Conditions each Thursday afternoon. The Ministry of Defense holds a news conference in Beijing, July 24, 2017. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Defense warned New Delhi not to "harbor any illusions" about deriving possible gains from its adventure in sending troops across the demarcated and mutually recognized Sikkim section of the border into Chinese territory. The People's Liberation Army's determination to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is resolute, MOD spokesman Wu Qian told a news conference, adding that "it is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA". The warning should not be taken lightly. The PLA has already taken countermeasures and will increase its targeted deployments and drills, Wu said. And let there be no doubt, the PLA means what it says. It will not let the nation swallow the bitter pill of having its sovereignty infringed upon. This is the country's bottom line, and the PLA will defend it at all costs. India should realize that it is solely responsible for any consequences that may arise from the deteriorating situation, because its claims that China building a road in the region is a "security concern" by no means justify its troops trespassing across the border into China's territory in order to put a stop to the work. There are still hopes that the deadlock can be resolved peacefully, which serves both countries' best interests. India Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently said the two neighbors "should not let differences become disputes". Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is scheduled to pay a visit to Beijing for meetings later this week, during which it is to be hoped he will carry on that slight shift in India's previously bellicose stance. The two sides need to explore ways to avoid confrontation. It would be damaging to both countries and regional stability if India cannot use its reason and wisdom to avoid the military collision both countries are currently on course for. If two sides can find a way to prevent the already tense situation at the border from getting out of control and end the deadlock peacefully, it would be in the interests of both as well as the region. However, to work things out through talks requires India to correct its mistake by withdrawing its troops back to its own side of the border. This, as Wu emphasized on Monday, is the prerequisite for any meaningful discussions to take place. AURORA, Colo., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) slated to come up for debate in the U.S. Senate, Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) is reiterating its call for U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R - Colo.) to carry an amendment to the bill to limit the Medicaid coverage losses for Colorado's kids. Children's Colorado has been advocating with Sen. Gardner on changes to the BCRA to limit the cuts to longstanding Medicaid coverage for children. "For more than a half-century, long before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and long before the health care debate was poisoned by partisanship, the United States has protected kids in need of healthcare," said Bill Lindsay, chairman of the board at Children's Hospital Colorado. "Senator Gardner has been an eloquent spokesman for the need to protect children on Medicaid, and now he has the opportunity to act on those principles." The Medicaid expansion in the ACA did not primarily benefit children. Now, the current version of the BCRA goes far beyond simply repealing the ACA and would actually slash longstanding coverage for children that goes back to the creation of Medicaid in 1965. Children's Colorado strongly opposes the BCRA. An Avalere analysis estimates the bill would cut kids' Medicaid funding by $43 billion over 10 years. The amendment Children's Colorado is pushing would limit the deep cuts to children's funding in the bill, though funding would still be reduced relative to current law. "We urge Senator Gardner to put forward an amendment to the BCRA to limit the bill's harm to children. Colorado's kids are counting on Cory," said Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Colorado. Editorial boards across the state from The Gazette in Colorado Springs to the Pueblo Chieftain and The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction-- have called on Congress to protect the essential safety net for children's medical coverage. Voters across Colorado agree. A public opinion survey by leading Republican polling firm The Tarrance Group found that, regardless of their political affiliation, 85% of Colorado voters agreed that "regardless of whether Obamacare is ultimately repealed or replaced, Congress should maintain the longstanding benefits that Medicaid has guaranteed children since 1965." Last month, a bipartisan group of 39 business, community, and political leaders sent a letter to Colorado's U.S. Senators Gardner and Michael Bennet (D Colo.), urging them to ensure that Medicaid coverage for children is not impacted by efforts to repeal and replace the ACA. About Children's Hospital Colorado Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has defined and delivered pediatric health care excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, Children's Colorado is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and well-being of children. Continually acknowledged as one of the nation's outstanding pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children's Colorado is known for both its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research, education and advocacy programs, as well as comprehensive everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Children's Colorado is the winner of the 2015 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize, and is a 2013-2017 Most Wired hospital according to Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Children's Colorado also is recognized for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Centers and has been designated a Magnet hospital since 2005. The hospital's family-centered, collaborative approach combines the nation's top pediatric doctors, nurses and researchers to pioneer new approaches to pediatric medicine. With urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Metro Denver and Southern Colorado, including its campus on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Colorado provides a full spectrum of pediatric specialties. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org and connect with Children's Colorado on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Children's Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCION: si habla espanol, tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia linguistica. Llame al 1-720-777-9800. CHU Y: Neu ban noi Tieng Viet, co cac dich vu ho tro ngon ngu mien phi danh cho ban. Goi so 1-720-777-9800 http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557 Media Contact: Elizabeth Whitehead, Children's Hospital Colorado Media Pager: 303-890-8314 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/childrens-hospital-colorado-to-sen-cory-gardner-its-time-to-act-300494131.html SOURCE Childrens Hospital Colorado Chinas defence ministry said on Tuesday that its pilots actions were legal, necessary and professional after two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend. The ministry said in a statement that the US plane threatened Chinas national security, and urged the United States to immediately cease such military activities. Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, with one jet coming within about 300 feet (91 metres) of the American aircraft, US officials said on Monday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports showed one of the Chinese J-10 aircraft came close enough to the US EP-3 plane on Sunday to cause the American aircraft to change direction. One of the officials said the Chinese jet was armed and the interception happened 80 nautical miles (148 km) from the Chinese city of Qingdao. The Pentagon said the encounter between the aircraft was unsafe, but added that the vast majority of interactions were safe. Chinese defence ministry said the actions of its pilots were legal, necessary and professional and performed in accordance with the law and the rules. Close-in reconnaissance by US aircraft threatens Chinas national security, harms Sino-US maritime and air military safety, endangers the personal safety of both sides pilots and is the root cause of unexpected incidents, it said. The United States should immediately stop these military activities, which are unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly, it added. Washingtons ban on US citizens travelling to North Korea will have no effect on the countrys tourism industry and Pyongyang does not care about it at all, a senior development official insisted on Tuesday. The measure is due to be enacted this week and once it goes into force US passports will no longer be valid for travel to the isolated country, which is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. Around 5,000 Western tourists visit the North each year, tour companies say, with about 20 percent of them Americans. Standard one-week trips cost about USD 2,000. But Han Chol-Su, vice-director of the Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, denied the loss of business would have any impact. If the US government says Americans cannot come to this country, we dont care a bit, he told AFP in Pyongyang. Washington announced the move after the death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who was sentenced to 15 years hard labour in the North for trying to steal a propaganda poster. Warmbier was sent home in a mysterious coma last month Pyongyang said he had contracted botulism and died soon afterwards, prompting US President Donald Trump to denounce the brutal regime. Soil health and fertility is the basis for the sustainable profitability of the farmers. Using optimal doses of fertilizers and cropping pattern as per the scientific recommendation is the first step in sustainable farming. Soil testing is a science based and time-tested tool for assessment of soil fertility status and soil ailments and for nutrient and amendment recommendations. In the country, the current consumption of fertlizers is highly skewed to more nitrogen use and less use of micro-nutrients. The current N:P:K ratio is 7:2:1, against the recommended ratio of 4:2:1. India is spending nearly Seventy thousand crore rupees on fertilizer subsidy every year. According to the estimates, subsidy amount is about Rs.5000/ha of net cropped area and about Rs.5100/farmer. Taking this into consideration, the government of India introduced Soil Health Card Scheme across India. On 5th December 2015 the ministry of agriculture introduced SHC scheme. SHC will be provided to all farmers in the country at an interval of 2 years. Under SHC scheme, cropped area was divided in to grids of 10 ha for rainfed and 2.5 ha for irrigated. One soil sample from each grid will be taken and test results will be distributed to all the farmers whose land is falling under the grid. Based on the grid system, out of the total 14.1 crore hectare of net cropped area, 73 lakh grid samples to be collected for covering 7.3 crore ha area under rainfed situations. To cover 6.8 crore ha irrigated land, 2.7 crore grid samples to be collected, with a total of 3.46 crore grid samples in two years. 1.72 crore grid samples per year needs to be covered in the country. This comes to on average of 25000 grid samples per district/year or 29 grid samples per village/year. With this, all 14 crore farmers will be covered in two years. Every year 7 crore farmers need to be covered. Until now under the scheme, 2.71 crore samples were collected, 2.05 crore samples tested, 11 crore soil health cards printed, but only 5.66 crore SHCs distributed. It indicates that 78% of the total farmers are covered but only 40% received SHCs under the scheme at national level as on 17th March 2017. Preliminary reports on the scheme shows that there is some reduction in fertilizer use, especially Nitrogen and increase in bio-fertilizers and other micro-nutrients use. Costs were reduced due to low fertilizer use. Crop yields have also increased for majority of the crops, although only moderately. A significant impact is the increase in the use of gypsum and other micro nutrients to some extent. There is a need for strengthening the soil health card related extension services to provide better advisories. Main complaint from the farmers is the timeliness of providing the results. This, however, is linked to the less infrastructure (soil testing labs) and skilled manpower. The financial allocation under union budget is minimal. Even the allocated resources are not being spent or utilized due to lack of capacities. Proactive regions like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat seem to be better in implementation. Suggestions to improve SHC desig The existing uniform grid of 10 ha for dry lands and 2.5 ha for irrigated lands is not taking in to consideration local soil variability. Grid size should be variable based on the soil variability index. Grid size should be decided at least at block level based on soil heterogeneity, fertility maps, cropping pattern, irrigation facilities and remote sensing maps. If soil is more variable, grid size should be reduced and vice-versa. There should be a separate cell to monitor and recommend grid size across the country. It will also reduce cost, money, and manpower and increase relevance of recommendations to farmers. Coordination of agricultural extension officers and farmers needs to be enhanced and extension officers should make sure that the most of the grid farmers, if not all should be present at the time of soil sample collection. This will build confidence on the soil health cards by the farmers. It was observed that in some of the block agricultural offices, soil samples were kept aside for many days and those were exposed to moisture and weather. After soil sampling, drying should be done within 15-20 days, grinding, machine sieving and bottling should be done in time for proper test results. Sample test results should reach farmers before sowing season. Some additional indicators which needs to be included in SHC were (i) cropping history, (ii) water resources (soil moisture), (iii) slope of soil and (iv) depth of soil. Soil Testing Infrastructure About 1600 labs exist in India, of which only 700 are equipped with micro-nutrient testing facilities. This infrastructure is grossly inadequate by any standard, given that 14 crore farmers need to be covered. Strengthening and upgrading at least one soil testing lab per district as state-of-the-art lab should be the priority, this should be equipped with world class infrastructure and accredited by internationally recognized agencies. So nearly 700 state-of-the-art labs are needed to act as referral labs and also to give broad advice to farmers. The cost per unit will be about Rs.4-5 crore/unit, with a total of Rs. 2800 crores. However, this resulted in Rs.1000/ha savings in fertilizer use or increase in yields resulted in a saving of Rs. 14, 500 crores in a year to the economy. Soil testing is a specialized and highly skill oriented job. Frequent transfers of soil testing staff adversely affect the skill development within labs and test results will affect badly. There was a need to build some permanent staff in the labs who are interested and specialized in soil testing. Field observations indicate that only women officers are interested in working with soil testing labs. In many villages, agricultural officers are distributing SHCs in awareness campaigns through village presidents and Mandal/block democratically elected representatives. But in some villages, village revenue assistant is distributing SHC and taking signature, without explaining the content. Whenever SHC is distributed in awareness campaigns and meetings directly by agricultural extension officers/village president, number of farmers feel that they are convinced to use recommended practices. Development of GIS based soil fertility maps at village/block level and wider publicity through wall-posters and display boards in village panchayats should be promoted. Fertilizer Policy If the SHC programme needs to become successful the high fertilizer subsidy for Urea should be reduced. Prices should reflect true cost to economy, then only farmers will have incentives to use fertilizers judiciously as per the recommendation of the SHC. On the contrary, subsidy on micro-nutrients should be increased. (The author is the Director of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and Principal Scientist (Agricultural Economics) ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute) Dr. A. Amarender Reddy Just one day after the rumors that Kylie Jenners Snapchat got hacked, Kylie posted a super hot snap in just a bra for her fans and accidentally proved that shes got breast implants. If you look at the photos shes posted before in a bikini against the recent one and compare it side by side youll know that the implants have done an amazing job for her. Fans have been freaking out and it can be seen in the comments, Holy fake boobs!! I was wondering when she going to really show them off, one fan commented on Kylies selfie. Kylie Jenner had to up her implant size. I wonder what size those are, another tweeted. A famous surgeon told exclusively to a leading Hollywood online portal that Kylie might have had surgery as recently as December 2016. Though she has been showing off her cleavage in a streak since then, this new bra photo certainly clears things out. Last year Kylie through her website said, Ive thought about it, but Im like why ruin it? I have really good boobs naturally, theyre like a great size, However she did also say, Im not against it when asked if she went through breast augmentation surgery. Well, maybe she finally did it. The answer lies in the way in which medicine naturally takes place, the way in which diseases present to doctors. Medicine gives you the sharp end first. Here was my question : Do you feel that weve focused too narrowly on a link between vaccines and autism while ignoring other damaging effects of vaccination? Andy talked about the subtle impact of neurotoxins on children, a steady lessening of intelligence. So if we continue to "dumb down the children of a country," what will the world look like in 5, 10 or 20 more years? When are we going to wake up? ( And of course it's going beyond school , just as the story I wrote recently about the disappearance of men in the workforce.) What Andy talked about was chilling, mostly because it wasn't opinion or theory, it's the state of things in education today. When I started looking into how kids are doing in school, I never thought I'd uncover the massive impact special needs students are having. (Finding a school district in the U.S. where 20-25 percent of students are sped is not an isolated phenomenon anymore.) I wanted to share this one because the topic is so current: the explosion in autism/sped in schools everywhere. By Anne Dachel I talked to Andy Wakefield recently on Skype. I recorded his answers to seven questions regarding whats happening to schools both here and in the UK. Andy went on to describe regressive autism with a dramatic change in the health of a child. The parents are clearly aware that there is something wrong with this child. So the way in which we at the Royal Free saw this and many doctors around the world have seen this, is to see these severe acute cases first. Those are the original ones described, and then as you go on and understand it, the spectrum necessarily and inevitably broadens as you realize that this is affecting many children, but perhaps to a lesser degree or to subtly different degrees. So medicine gives you the sharp end first. That is just the natural way it happens. At the other end of the spectrum, what would happen if you simply shaved nine points off the IQ of every child in the country? How long would it take to be picked up? Lets say vaccines do pervasive damage to the brain, and it varies from child to child. At one end of the spectrum, it is a severe disintegrative disorder, and at the other end of the spectrum, its just taking nine points off a childs IQ. How long would it take the system to pick that up, and who would pick it up? Well, it wouldnt necessarily be picked up by doctors, because you dont go and say, well my child is less intelligent than his other siblings or his cousins, and I want him investigated. That doesnt happen. What happens is its reflected at a population level in schools exactly as were seeing now. So if you dumb down a nation, if you dumb down the children of a country, that will be reflected in failing grades, fewer people being smart enough to go to college, more failure, more expulsion from schoolall of these kinds of things that then take a long time to recognize and are picked up in a different system, the educational system. And indeed in the prison system, so a lot of these children who have behavioral disturbances are being expelled from school, and they will and they are ending up in the prison system. The prisons are full of people with the kind of disorders were concerned with. Have we over-focused? By necessity, no, because thats where we were led by the patients, and that it absolutely crucial, but it is quite obvious, and people have been saying this for a long time, that vaccines are associated with a range of neurological and immunological disorders which affect children now in academic fashion. This is not something new. Andy pointed to experts who also focus on the rise of other health problems in children like allergies and diabetes. So its not been ignoredexcept, of course, by the people who should have investigated, and thats the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. They have deliberately and willfully ignored investigating this, despite the many, many concerns that have been represented to them because they dont know the answer. Why? Because one suspects they already have an inkling of what that answer might be. So, have we over-focused? No, because theres only a certain amount that one can achieve in a lifetime or a decade, ..." Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Web Toolbar by Wibiya Lawrence Greenspon succesfully brought the Ottawa Police to justice in thef Abdirahman Abdi case and most recently the Roxanne Carr cases. It was about one year about that the unarmed Abdi was beaten up to death in broad daylight by a few of Charles Bordeleau's criminal psychopaths he had sought to defend. Roxanne Carr had been wrongfully arrested, detained and beaten up other criminals with badges who operate under Charles Bordeleau's command. These were great legal victories for Mr Greenspon. But few victims of Charles Bordeleau's corrupt Ottawa Police have the significant amout of money needed to hire a lawyer like Greenspon who I might also add is one of the extremely few lawyers in Ottawa who Chief Bordeleau and his minions have not co-opted and manipulated. Indeed, Ottawa's lawyers are as corrupt as its police. Ottawa's local media is not much better either. And, if you don't have the money to hire Greenspon, don't even try to obain coverage by reporters whose editorial managers might have had a few drinks or a fireside chat with Mr Bordeleau and his operatives. Ottawa media will ignore you but they won't ignore Greenspon. The numerous victims of the Ottawa Police include an elderly woman who remains an apparent prisoner in her own home for more than 825 days thanks to Detective Robert J Griffin who are the kind of cops who have no business carrying any badge in Ottawa. Sexism, racism, corruption and all kinds od human rights abuses has gone unchecked under Charles Bordeleau dysfunctional force. Not even the elderly and the homeless have been speared predation by psycopatha in the Ottawa Police who have a God complex with the apparent mind of a a demonic entity without regard to human rights and the rule of law. In my view, the Ottawa Police can best be cleaned up in two ways. One way is that Mr Greenspon pursues a class action in behalf of all victims to date of the Ottawa Police Services that would be worth over $1B. Another way would be if the Ottawa Police Chief and his operatives are prosecuted by the Attorney General of Ontario for corruption and put under direct supervision by the Province until a new police chief is appointed and the upper management rot of the Police is also replaced by rank and file young officers who represent the excellence within the police. It's about time that Premier Wynne stand up in defence of the numerous victims who can't afford Greenspon, and clean-up the Ottawa Police. For now 826 days, since 20 April 2015, Bordeleau's corrupt Ottawa Police Services Elderly Abuse Unit have been maintaining their House of Torture against an elderly woman by forcing her to be subjected to an abusive husband while keeping her cut off from her son and others who have sought to help her. In the first part of a two-day CAB meeting, board members discussed the drafted recommendations before their votes in the next days meeting. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 74F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Dutch Parliament Members Express Concern About Kurds Marginalizing Assyrians MPs Raymond de Roon (L) and Han ten Broeke have spoken in the Dutch Parliament about Kurds marginalizing Assyrians in North Iraq. ( AINA) The Hague (AINA) -- The Assyrian Federation of the Netherlands (AFN) has briefed members of of the Dutch Parliament regarding the situation in Assyrian town of Alqosh, North Iraq. The Kurdish Regional Government illegally replaced the Assyrian mayor of Alqosh with a Kurdish member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (AINA 2017-07-21). Alqosh is one of the oldest Assyrian towns in Iraq, dating back at least 1500 years, and is predominantly Roman Catholic. Mr. H. ten Broeke, a member of the Parliament, asked for clarification and expressed concerns about the situation of the Assyrians in Iraq, and in particular Alqosh. He expressed his concerns on Monday and announced that he will continue to follow the developments regarding the situation in Alqosh. On July 24 another MP, Mr. R. de Roon, spoke to the Minister for Foreign Affairs about possible marginalization of Assyrians in Iraq. He expressed his concerns about the appointment of a Kurd as the mayor of the Alqosh. He asked for understanding regarding the fear of marginalization Assyrians. He requested to bring this issue to the attention of the Iraqi and Kurdish authorities and to insist on self-government for Assyrians. Mr. D. Dabbous, board member of AFN, said "Alqosh is located in the heartland of the area inhabited predominantly by Assyrians. It is a symbol of the Assyrian cause in general." July 24, 2017 Maybe, Maybe Not, the sprawling large-scale exhibition by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, has no true beginning or end. Like the artist himself, it refuses to be constrained. Fourteen-ton iron trees erupt from the museum grounds, millions of hand-painted seeds blanket the floors of the interior and frieze-like swirls on the walls mask commentaries on the internet-age trifecta of censorship, social media and government surveillance. At one end of the exhibit, a low-volume video of a restless caged tiger plays on a loop. This tiger, Laziz, was the last surviving tiger in what animal activists and the media called the Worlds Worst Zoo, located in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, before its abrupt closure in 2016. When Ai visited it on a trip to Gaza last year, he found that so many of the animals had died of starvation that zookeepers had resorted to displaying stuffed carcasses in the cages. Ais video, debuting as part of the Israel Museum exhibit, shows the 300-pound Bengal pacing restlessly in circles in his cramped, scorching outdoor enclosure. The long, looming human shadow of a zookeeper hovering outside the cage can be seen, and then, in a split second of dust and streaking fur, a leap as Laziz jumps high into a nearby wall a failed bid to escape. Ai understands being caged. The son of renowned Chinese poet Ai Qing, Ai was sent with his family to a Chinese labor camp when he was 1 year old. He was nearly 20 when the family was allowed to return to Beijing. As an adult, he has become well-known for shaping Chinese contemporary art of the past several decades with his outspoken critiques of the Chinese governments human rights abuses and stifling of free speech. When Ai traveled to the Middle East last year, he had not known about the Israel Museum. While waiting for a permit to enter Gaza to film a documentary on refugees, the forthcoming Human Flow, a friend suggested he visit the campus. The Israel Museum houses some of the worlds greatest art and archaeological treasures, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Bible. He struck up a friendship with the museum's director, James Snyder, and before long, Ais people were calling the Israel Museum to ask if he could present an exhibition the following year. For an artist who has spent a lifetime fearlessly railing against government hypocrisy and human rights abuses, an exhibition in the heart of Jerusalem the white-hot epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict caught many of his supporters by surprise. Many implored him to reconsider, following the lead of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks to put pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian lands through a boycott of Israeli goods, services and institutions. Ai, however, does not like being told what to do. He told crowds at the opening of Maybe, Maybe Not on June 2, My voice should be heard. I have to make the argument [and not say], OK, lets boycott it and Its nothing to do with me. I think thats too easy. Maybe, Maybe Not, which runs through Oct. 28, features several pieces that Ais fans will recognize, including his critically acclaimed Sunflower Seeds, a veritable carpet of hand-painted porcelain seeds weighing 23 tons and offering, in a careful balance of minutiae and mania, a renunciation of the Communist Party ideals of conformity and allegiance to authority. Also on exhibit are his iconic trees, which scrape the ceiling of the exhibition hall and offer, in their off-kilter fusing of mismatched branches, a sprawling analogy for populations of uneasy neighbors. For Maybe, Maybe Not, Ai added two new members to his family of trees the twin giant Iron Trees, planted outdoors on the museums campus, their rusted knobby arms framing the sleek water-rushed dome that houses the museums Dead Sea Scrolls. The critical response to these new members has been overwhelmingly positive. Made of iron casts of tree trunks, branches and roots gathered in southern China and sold in the markets of Jingdezhen, the sculptures look at first glance like natural trees. A closer look reveals the illusion, showcasing the artificial connections and joints of these odd yet familiar objects, wrote Juliana Neira of designboom.com, a digital magazine on art and architecture. As in many of Ai Weiweis works, the act of replicating and re-assembling disparate elements to create a single unit can be interpreted as a metaphor for the challenges posed by globalization, which blurs the diversities of individual and cultural identities. In another room, visitors are instructed to remove their shoes before stepping on the deliciously plush Soft Ground, a 250-square-meter (299-square-yard) carpet that replicates, in painstaking hand-woven detail, the floor of Munichs Haus der Kunst, which Hitler ordered built to house artwork he deemed worthy of the Third Reich. Ai Weiwei has struck a hopeful note for humanity with his new exhibition at Jerusalems Israel Museum, EuroNews reported on the exhibit, while the Israel-based lifestyle and art magazine Telavivian called it strikingly visible and memorable, adding, Ai asks us to consider what we value, why we value it and brings awareness to basic principles such as freedom of expression and human rights. Shua Ben Ari, the assistant to the chief curator of fine arts at the Israel Museum, has watched the exhibition unfold from the earliest planning stages. There was no chance, she said, that an artist like Ai Weiwei would back down from exhibiting in Israel because of blowback on social media. He doesnt allow anyone to tell him what to do, she said. He only does what he feels. July 25, 2017 The House voted 419-3 Tuesday to impose additional sanctions on Irans defense sector, moving the bill one step closer to President Donald Trumps desk. The Iran sanctions are tied to a broader package that also targets Russia for its support of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, its invasion of Ukraine and its interference in the US presidential election last year. They would mark the first new congressional sanctions on Iran since the 2015 nuclear agreement. While there are some slight alterations to the bills sanctions on Russia, the language on Iran is identical to the version the Senate passed 98-2 in June. Like its Senate counterpart, the House bill would block the assets of any individual who works with Iran on its ballistic missile program or sells it arms. The bill also sanctions anyone associated with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or anyone whom the United States determines is complicit in Iranian human rights violations. Anyone sanctioned under the act may be removed after a five-year review. Although the Senate had already voted in favor of the sanctions package on June 15 by 98-2, the House has tacked an additional set of provisions sanctioning North Korea onto the bill, forcing the upper chamber to vote once more. The House has already passed the North Korea sanctions separately by a vote of 419-1, but the Senate has not yet taken it up. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., negotiated with the House over the weekend alongside the committees ranking member, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., to reach consensus. Corker told Al-Monitor that while the Senate is close to approving the House package, the addition of the North Korea sanctions could cause further delays before the long-awaited sanctions finally make their way to the White House. Were about there, Corker said. It depends on a couple of things were looking at on the North Korea piece, so its not fully worked out. Were talking through some procedural issues right now, but we had a very good weekend and are very, very close to having it fully resolved. Nonetheless, Senate Democrats are eager to vote on the sanctions and deliver it to the president before the August recess. Cardin told Al-Monitor he is optimistic the Senate can act on the House version of the bill before the August recess despite the North Korea provisions. Additionally, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for a final vote before the Senate leaves town for the month. It is critical that the Senate act promptly on that legislation, said Schumer. I will work with the majority leader to ensure its swift passage so that we can get it to the presidents desk before we leave for the recess. The Trump White House is supportive of taking a harder line against Iran but had initially opposed the bill as it would require Congress to approve any removal of sanctions on Russia. However, the White House changed its tune over the weekend with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying, The administration is supportive of being tough on Russia, particularly in putting these sanctions in place. The original piece of legislation was poorly written, but we were able to work with the House and the Senate, Sanders said on ABC. Iran has objected to the legislation, arguing that the new sanctions would violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal negotiated under the Barack Obama administration. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi threatened reciprocal action at the prospect of further US sanctions on Monday. Similarly, Ali Larijani, Irans parliamentary speaker, threatened parliamentary action against the United States Tuesday and suggested that it could respond by scaling back its International Atomic Energy Agency commitments. Corker, however, said he had consulted State and Treasury Department architects of the JCPOA to avoid running afoul of the nuclear deal, winning overwhelming bipartisan support for the measure in the Senate. Robert Malley, a former White House coordinator for the Middle East under Obama, agrees that the sanctions do not violate the nuclear deal. But he still thinks the bill is a bad idea. Although it is written in a way that ostensibly would not violate the JCPOA, it also is unnecessary and counterproductive, said Malley, an advisory council member at Diplomacy Works, a pro-JCPOA advocacy group run by former Obama administration officials. It is unnecessary because the administration already has all the tools it needs to designate entities that we can establish have taken actions in the ballistic missile field or in terms of support for terrorism or human rights violation, Malley told Al-Monitor. And it also is counterproductive because it comes in the context of an administration that has made its hostile intentions vis-a-vis Iran and the JCPOA clear while refusing to engage Tehran diplomatically. Indeed the Trump administration had already slapped sanctions on 16 individuals and entities last week for supporting the Iranian military after a similar round of sanctions in May. And while Trump has twice certified that Iran is in compliance with the JCPOA, most recently last week, Trump only did so after a lengthy internal debate inside the administration. Foreign Policy reported last week that Trump has asked his aides to make a credible case for declining to recertify that Iran is in compliance with the JCPOA. The administration must certify Irans compliance with the JCPOA every 90 days. July 24, 2017 July 24 is the anniversary of the supposed lifting of press censorship in Turkey, an occasion that is marked by Turkish journalists as a day of celebration. It was therefore sadly ironic that the long awaited trial of 17 journalists and managers of Cumhuriyet, Turkeys most respected opposition daily newspaper, started today. They face an outlandish range of thinly supported terror charges and each faces up to 43 years if convicted. The Cumhuriyet 17 include veteran columnist Kadri Gursel, who also writes for Al-Monitor; award-winning investigative reporter Ahmet Sik and cartoonist Musa Kart. Their plight is being watched closely by press watchdogs, lawmakers and fellow journalists from Turkey and beyond. The globally acclaimed French cartoonist Plantu was among those to lend support, sharing a biting image depicting President Recep Tayyip Erdogans suppression of the press via Twitter. Many were at hand to witness the days proceedings, injecting an air of festivity and defiance with multicolored plastic balloons that they popped outside the Cagalayan courtroom in Istanbul. There were hundreds of people trying to get in to watch the case this morning and it turned into a shouting and pushing match that delayed the start, said Al-Monitor contributor Ayla Jean Yackley. There were dramatic scenes as defendants loved ones strained to touch them. Howls of protest erupted when gendarmerie guards intervened to prevent Gursels 10-year-old only child, Erdem, from hugging him. Why this cruelty, why? tweeted Umit Nazli Boyner, a prominent Turkish businesswoman. Impunity served up with dollops of cruelty has become something of a hallmark of Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party after last years failed coup. Since then, the Turkish authorities have cracked down on suspected coup plotters, most accused of links to Fethullah Gulen, the manipulative Pennsylvania-based Sunni cleric who the government insists masterminded it all. The Cumhuriyet journalists are among tens of thousands of Turkish citizens who have been caught up in the governments dragnet. At the last count at least 150,000 people had been sacked from government jobs and academia and 50,000 or more jailed over their alleged collusion. With over 150 journalists currently behind bars, Turkey remains the worlds biggest jailer of journalists. Yet in a recent interview with the BBC, Erdogan claimed only two of them were real journalists. The rest, he insisted in a recent public address, consist of murderers, fraudsters, thieves and child molesters. The bulk of jailed media workers were employed by now shuttered Gulen-affiliated titles, a crime in and of itself regardless of what they reported or the opinions they aired. Victims who fall under this category include Sahin Alpay, a septuagenarian intellectual who is in ailing health, as well as the respected liberal economist Mehmet Altan. Their plight has attracted far less sympathy among Turkeys urban secularists, partly because many believe that not only was Gulen mired in the coup but that he helped propel Erdogan to power in the first place. Many others have been imprisoned over their affiliation with pro-Kurdish outlets. Gursel was the first to take the stand today and Erdogan might have had second thoughts, had he listened to his trenchant defense. I am here before you today not because I knowingly and willingly assisted a terrorist organization but because I am an independent, probing and critical journalist, Gursel said as he set about methodically deconstructing prosecutors claims that he was connected to Gulen. Anyone familiar with Gursels work knows that he was as fiercely critical of the preacher and his octopus-like network as he is of Erdogan. Siks case seems doubly Orwellian because he was jailed in 2011 at the instigation of a Gulen-linked prosecutor over an unpublished book he had written called The Imams Army, which chronicled Gulenist penetration of the state. The absurdity of the prosecution's case was further highlighted by the chairman of the newspaper's executive board. Akin Atalay, who is also being remanded in custody, noted that evidence proving his "culpability" included records of a 2011 bank transfer to a worker in payment of a floor polishing job. The worker's son had apparently dined at a restaurant whose owner was under investigation for financial crimes, hence Atalay is apparently guilty by association. As of this writing, the hearing of the Cumhuriyet 17 was continuing as the defendants took turns offering their testimony. Meanwhile, the governments apparent lack of self-awareness was embarrassingly on display today when Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu congratulated all those journalists who work night and day to arrive at the truth in a tweet. His words prompted a sarcastic response from Cumhuriyet columnist Ozgur Mumcu, who tweeted back, Support from the foreign minister to the Cumhuriyet managers and writers. Thank you, Mr. Minister. July 24, 2017 The war for Mosul has come to an end; the city is freed and the Islamic State (IS) is out. But the reverberations of the monthslong battle will likely impact Iraq as a nation and the region for years to come. In fact, the war that started after IS occupation of Mosul in June 2014 wasn't merely a war for a country that was partly occupied by a group seen by all regional and international players as a serious threat to global stability. There was another parallel battle silently going on between the two faces of Iraq: that of Iraq following the US occupation that began in 2003 and that of post-Arab Spring Iraq that began taking shape in early 2011. When Mosul fell into the hands of IS, few thought that it would eventually be liberated by Iraqi fighters. The fact is that Iraq didnt have a real army despite billions of dollars spent training tens of thousands of soldiers; the latter did not have any impact on the strength and discipline of the armed forces. Later, it was a shock for many to discover that 50,000 troops were ghost soldiers who received salaries and gave a portion of them to their senior officers and in return did not show up for duty, enriching their commanders and sabotaging the army, paving the way for what happened in the summer of 2014. It wasnt only the army that was in tatters; the government in Baghdad was another symbol of corruption. Iraq ranked 170th out of 175 countries and territories on Transparency Internationals ranking (in 2016, Iraq improved to 166th out of 176 countries and territories). Tens of billions of dollars went missing during the past 13 years. Therefore, it wasnt a surprise to many observers to see the country collapsing in the face of a few thousand ideological fighters who managed to reach the outskirts of Baghdad. The question on everyones mind, however, was: Who would address the mess? Iraqi politicians were thinking this too, yet the only thing they did that summer was clash over who would be prime minister and speaker, even as IS was at the gates of the capital. As there was no dependable army, the only thought many had in mind was that the United States would intervene and put an end to IS' onslaught. Iran was not part of the calculations amid all the reports about it being overwhelmed by the Syrian crisis. Nothing could have saved the Iraqis but ground forces, but the only real such forces were Iranian-backed Shiite armed groups who once fought the US occupation. It was these groups that started defending areas around Baghdad and in both Diyala and Salahuddin provinces while the remnants of the army were withdrawing or even fleeing. In parallel, the unexpected happened: The commander of Irans Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, entered Iraq along with a group of aides; these came not only from Iran, but from Lebanon too. Soon afterward, the highest Shiite religious authority in the country, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, issued a game-changing fatwa, calling on people to fight IS. The last time such an authority issued a religious edict to that effect was in 1920 during the Iraqi revolt against the British. But the Iraqis didnt need fighters; the number of volunteers, according to official data, exceeded hundreds of thousands. What the country really needed at that time was proper middle and senior management: This is the role that the Iranian Quds Force and Hezbollah commanders played. Most of the forces on the ground were either rivals or had previously defected from one another; as such, hostility between them ran high. Yet as the war dragged on and with time, harmony was enhanced among fighters. The Iranians for the first time had the chance to oversee one huge military investment in Iraq flourish and become part of the armed forces after the parliament passed a law that was approved later by the president to honor whoever sacrificed his blood in defense of Iraq and to ensure that weapons are only in the hands of the state, according to a statement by the presidents media office. While the Iranians were training and organizing the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), US officials were giving mixed signals to the Iraqis as well as the world. Serving and former officials in Washington suggested the fight with IS could take more than 20 years; this alone was a reason for those who saw in IS a real threat or even an existential threat to raise concerns. Meanwhile, the Iranians continued their efforts, establishing themselves on the ground while the United States struck from the air. On several occasions, both the Iranians and the Americans had to cooperate indirectly through the Iraqis, and the latter were happy as long as the results were serving their interests. In Salahuddin and Anbar provinces and in the city of Fallujah, US planes were hitting IS positions, and later the Iraqi forces, including the PMU, were advancing. On many occasions, the Americans requested that the PMU not take part in certain battles, such as those in Anbar in December 2015. Yet the fighters were entering battle with different uniforms. Later, the United States drew "red lines," including that the PMU should steer clear of the border with Syria and that it should not play a part in the liberation of Mosul. Both red lines were crossed. On July 22, Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hiyali arrived in Tehran to meet Iranian officials. The visit came only three weeks after the liberation of Mosul; significantly, at the top of the Iraqi ministers agenda was the signing of a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation between the two countries. Extending cooperation and exchanging experiences in fighting terrorism and extremism, border security, and educational, logistical, technical and military support are among the provisions of this memorandum," the official IRNA news agency reported after the signing of the accord in Tehran. To those concerned about Irans role in Iraq, the main fear now is that the more influence the PMU has in the country, the more Iran will expand its reach. Over time, this might mean that the status of Iraq as a land where external powers share influence might be compromised. All the while, the formalization and institutionalization of the PMU continues, making it clear that it is a force to be reckoned with in post-Mosul Iraq and it will not leave the stage anytime soon. As such, one important but overlooked option for those concerned about Iranian influence in Iraq would be to consider engagement with the PMU. If not, Iran will have no competitors in influencing the direction of this nascent force entrusted with protecting Iraq from IS. July 25, 2017 News of an unexpected meeting spread through Iranian media July 24. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders visited the presidential palace that day for a face-to-face meeting with President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected May 19 to a second term. The tete-a-tete caught the attention of Iranian media, which welcomed it and portrayed it as an opportunity for detente following months of heated words between the powerful IRGC and Rouhani's moderate administration. During the meeting, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, IRGC commander, congratulated Rouhani on his re-election, saying, The IRGC is ready for comprehensive cooperation with the administration in the realization of the goals of the revolution. Rouhani expressed his appreciation for the IRGC's efforts, expressing hope that during his second term, coordination by all the armed forces will contribute to meeting the people's demands more quickly. The president also stressed, Unity among all forces and institutions is essential for the realization of the Supreme Leader's guidelines and serving the people. Rouhani added that his administration will support the IRGC's services to the country and efforts. Accompanying Jafari were the commanders of the Quds Force (Qasem Soleimani), IRGC Aerospace Force (Amir-Ali Hajizadeh), the paramilitary Basij (Gholam-Hossein Gheib-Parvar) and Tehrans Sarallah Headquarters (Ismail Kowsari). The session was notably applauded by both the Reformists and conservatives, particularly given how the IRGC and Rouhani traded barbs over various issues during the presidential campaign and even after Rouhanis re-election. For instance, on June 22, without referring directly to the IRGC, Rouhani said the private sector had been pressured by an armed government. In response, on June 27, Jafari slammed Rouhanis remarks, charging, A government without a gun is humiliated and ultimately forced to surrender. Following Rouhanis meeting with the IRGC commanders, the presidents adviser on cultural affairs, Hesamoddin Ashna, posted a picture of the session and wrote on his Telegram channel, This is not just a picture, this is a path; calmness and progress of people and the establishment is dependent on strategic consensus between the government and the defense institutions of the country. In this vein, on July 25, the IRGC-affiliated Javan published a report of the meeting, arguing that based on Ashnas comments, The government was satisfied with the meeting and its results. Javan added, As some figures and local news websites and hostile foreign news wires were attempting to take advantage of some remarks [of government officials against the IRGC], such a meeting was a national necessity and strategic so that the main pillars of preserving the revolution speak in support of each other. Moreover, government spokesman Mohammad-Bagher Nobakht said July 25, I dont know about the details of the meeting, but I know that good issues were discussed. To serve the people, not only all [three] branches of power, but all [state] institutions must cooperate with each other. Describing the session as a positive step, the Reformist daily Shargh wrote July 25, This meeting and the issues discussed are assessed as the end of some misunderstandings in recent weeks and is considered as a sign of more cooperation between the government and the IRGC. Furthermore, the Reformist Etemaad commented July 25, We should now see whether this meeting will end the public dispute between the government and the IRGC, a meeting that was concluded with a promise by the president of the full support of the 12th government for the IRGCs services and the IRGCs declaration of readiness for full-scale cooperation with the government for realization of all of the goals of the Islamic Revolution. July 24, 2017 The head of the Iranian parliaments influential National Security and Foreign Policy Commission rejected any notion of renegotiating the nuclear deal agreed to by Iran and the five countries on the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) just two years ago, ending a decadelong dispute. As a result of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, nuclear-related sanctions against Iran were lifted (non-nuclear sanctions remain), and Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear program. Eager to undo President Barack Obamas legacy, current President Donald Trump has tasked his advisers with finding a way to scrap the deal. Iran is not taking the bait. Iran will under no conditions undertake negotiations again about the nuclear deal, said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, on July 23. Boroujerdi added, None of the other countries that negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran have accepted Americas recommendation to negotiate again. He called Trumps desire to renegotiate another example of America cheating, which can be viewed as an illogical action. The interview with Boroujerdi was sparked by a July 21 article in Foreign Policy reporting that Trump is unhappy with Secretary of State Rex Tillersons reports with respect to Iran and has sidelined him to bring the review process on Iranian compliance with the deal into the White House, where staff are mostly hawks on Iran. The State Department had been required to present a report on Iranian compliance every 90 days, while in Iran, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission is tasked with reviewing the terms of the deal every six months. When Trump recertified the nuclear deal on July 17, he is reported to have argued for an hour against doing so during a meeting with his Cabinet. According to The New York Times, those Cabinet members who supported certifying Irans compliance included national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Tillerson and Gen. Joseph Dunford., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Given Trumps campaign promises, news that his administration is attempting to scrap the nuclear deal did not catch Iranian media by surprise, especially conservative media, which have mostly opposed the deal from the beginning. The news on Trump's position was widely covered, however, mostly accompanied by pictures of a smiling Trump or a dour-looking Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister responsible for negotiating the deal. Zarif has been making the rounds of US media, pressing Irans case for not renegotiating the agreement and presenting Tehrans positions on regional issues. A representative of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, also appeared in Western media to present Irans case on the deal and regional issues. Kamal Kharazi, the president of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, whose members are appointed by Khamenei, accused the United States of violating the nuclear deal in an appearance with France 24. Regarding Washington potentially scrapping the deal, Kharazi said, In case the US pulls out of the agreement, we are ready. He did not elaborate, but it is likely that Iranian officials are making contingency plans in case the Trump administration does ultimately renege on the deal. July 25, 2017 It is rare to see Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked smiling, let alone laughing out loud. However, Sheikh Ibrahim A-Touri, the leader of the Bedouin community in the Negev, caused the minister to burst into spontaneous, hearty laughter when she visited Bedouin towns and villages in March and spoke about an initiative she was promoting to curb polygamy. What made Shaked laugh? The honorable sheikh's explanation on the logic, as he saw it, behind a polygamous lifestyle: Youre a beautiful woman, a real dish, but one cant keep eating the same dish all the time, even if its superb. The difference between myself and your husband, the sheikh went on, is that when he wants a different dish, he has to sneak off to some hotel room, whereas I go openly and proudly to the home of my second or third wife. So, honorable lady minister, which of us has more respect for women? The immense cultural-social gap epitomized in this exchange reflects a small measure of the difficulties entailed in dealing with polygamy in the Israeli Bedouin community. Yet Israels government is the one encouraging this phenomenon, even as it issues declarations condemning it. Shaked is the standard-bearer for this cause. Two years ago, along with then-Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, she announced measures against polygamous marriage, but not much happened. In January, she presented a new plan and even got the government to adopt a resolution on the matter, but still, nothing changed. At the end of March, the Beersheba family court rejected the petition of a 54-year-old Bedouin man seeking recognition of three of his children for child benefits. At the hearings, it was revealed that the man has 56 children from seven women, three of them Palestinian. The judge in the case, Alon Gabizon, wrote that Bedouin men prefer Palestinian women because of the lower dowries they have to pay for them and the womens total dependence on them since the women's families are not in Israel. He compared it to human trafficking and pointed to the absurdity of the states support for polygamist families. The state itself enables the polygamous man to marry another woman, bring more children into the world and perpetuate poverty, he wrote. Such marriages are widespread. According to the Knessets research center, 30% of Bedouin families in southern Israel, where much of the Bedouin community is situated, are polygamous. The men typically have four wives. The first wife is usually a Bedouin, from the mans tribe and of the same social standing. In the past, the other wives were also Israeli Bedouins, but with the shortage of local women, the demand for Palestinian brides has grown. In the previous decade, most of the Palestinian wives came from the Gaza Strip, especially from the impoverished refugee camps there, but in recent years they mostly hail from the West Bank town of Hebron and a few come from Jordan. Israeli law bans having multiple wives, but the number of such cases clearly indicates a total lack of enforcement. Justice Ministry data obtained by Al-Monitor shows that in recent years, police have investigated 5-10 cases annually, but none have led to indictments. One way to circumvent the law is through fictitious divorce, or little divorces as Bedouins call them. For a man to get a Muslim religious court to recognize his divorce, all he has to do is testify and pronounce his wife divorced once, although Islam requires men to declare divorced three times. Data reaching Al-Monitor show that the Sharia court in Beersheba has heard 2,200 such petitions in recent years, compared to several hundred in all of Israels other Muslim courts. The data further indicate that the judges of the Beersheba court had approved 1,600 requests for a second marriage, compared with 160 in all other Sharia courts in Israel. Various declarations about fighting this phenomenon do not seem to have made a dent in the numbers. Financially, it is a good deal for the men. The women are usually destined to a life of poverty. Every divorced woman is entitled to alimony, income support and child allowances from the National Security Institute. Thousands of shekels a month thus pass into the hands of the patriarchs. In terms of land, the situation is also profitable. The Begin-Prawer Plan to relocate dispersed Bedouins (often living in unrecognized villages) to organized communities collapsed in 2013. Subsequently, the state has been giving families land rights in officially recognized towns to move them from the government lands on which many currently live without permission. The state recognizes marriages and divorces as reported by the Muslim courts. Divorced women are entitled to plots of land for their single-parent family. Thus, for every wife a man has, he gets a dunam (0.25 acre) of land on average. Youssef, a resident of an unrecognized village, told Al-Monitor that he is looking for a fourth wife so he can get another plot and bring his holdings to four dunams (1 acre). Polygamy has security aspects as well. A senior defense official described them to Al-Monitor as a ticking cluster bomb. According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, many of the Palestinian women from the Hebron hills who marry Israeli Bedouins come from Hamas-affiliated families. The more their number grows, the more their religious and nationalistic influence on the community grows. On Oct. 12, 2015, a resident of Hura, a Bedouin town, walked into the central bus station in Beersheba and killed Omri Levy, an Israeli soldier. He then grabbed Levy's weapon and fired in all directions, wounding 10 people. The assailant, Mohannad Khalil Salam al-Okbi, is the son of a Palestinian woman from Gaza, the second wife of a Hura resident. During the investigation, it transpired that Okbi had been in close touch with Hamas in Gaza. The senior official added that security forces have identified dozens of instances of growing ties between the sons of Palestinian women married to Bedouins and members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Hebron region. Israeli security officials usually warn the heads of Bedouin clans against permitting such ties, trying to distance these young males from those organizations. When that fails, the police and Shin Bet intervene, and if necessary detain the young men. According to the senior official, the growing number of Palestinian wives combined with the poverty in which they are mired, and the degrading attitude toward them in the Bedouin communities they live in, makes fertile ground for radicalization. The Islamic State (IS) also appears to be involved. Two years ago, Shin Bet arrested teachers from Hura suspected of disseminating material in support of the group. A year earlier, a young Bedouin man, Othman Abu al-Kiyan, was reported to have been killed fighting in Syria with IS. Although many young Bedouin men perform exceptional service in the Israeli armys combat and desert tracker units, the Israeli official said, Palestinian nationalist and Islamist activities are growing in their communities. He believes that the 2015 Beersheba attack will not be the last by a Bedouin. In the coming days, the government will present an action plan for combatting Bedouin polygamy. One can assume even now, however, that without withholding economic benefits and absent enforcement of the law, the measures are unlikely to bear fruit. July 24, 2017 RAMALLAH, West Bank The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel have reached a tentative water-sharing deal with the help of the United States. Though officials expect a final agreement within weeks, some Palestinians worry the pact will give Israel more leverage over them and say they are already entitled to the water. US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt recently brokered the deal under which the PA will be able to buy 32 million cubic meters (26,000 acre feet) of water yearly from Israels desalination stations in the Mediterranean Sea. The West Bank will receive 22 million cubic meters for 3.3 shekels ($0.92) per cubic meter, and the Gaza Strip will receive 10 million cubic meters for 3.2 shekels per cubic meter. The PA and Israel launched talks about the agreement in August 2015, but the latest deal was only reached after the two parties overcame price hurdles, Palestinian Water Authority President Mazen Ghoneim said during a press conference July 18 in Ramallah, which Al-Monitor attended. The deal is expected to help alleviate the current water crisis in the Palestinian territories, but it will not solve the problem, Ghoneim said. The crisis will not be over unless Israels occupation ends and we get our water rights in the three underground basins that Israel controls, he added. Water is one of the issues included in the 1993 Oslo Accord, which said Israel must recognize the water rights of Palestinians. The final agreement on water between Israel and the PA is expected to reinforce US efforts to resume peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. But Ghoneim denied any link. The water that will be given to us as part of the deal is our right because we are on the coast of the Dead Sea. This has nothing to do with negotiations on a final [settlement] with Israel, he said. Greenblatt has said US President Donald Trump has "made clear that working toward a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is a top priority for him." Although the final water agreement has not been signed yet, Ghoneim said Israel started pumping 6,000 cubic meters of water daily to the Halhul reservoir in the southern West Bank through Israel's water carrier on July 18. The reservoir's capacity is 25,000 cubic meters. Ghoneim noted, To implement the agreement that is to be signed, Israel must set up the Palestinian infrastructure for the project to establish new water transfer pipelines and reception centers for water from Israel and centers to distribute water to provinces. This would cost around $80 million, which the donor countries would grant. It will not take long for Gaza to reap the fruits of the project. Ghoneim said, The Palestinian Water Authority teams have started working in Gaza to receive the allocated water quantities, as 5 million cubic meters of desalinated water must reach the Gaza Strip by the end of 2017, and the rest will be delivered later. The water deal is the latest step in economic cooperation between Israel and the PA under US sponsorship. Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz and Yoav Mordechai coordinator for government activities in the territories joined Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah at the July 10 opening of a power station in Jenin in the northern West Bank. Through this station, the Palestinian Energy Authority will buy electricity from Israel and distribute it as part of the PAs efforts to build and develop a Palestinian power market. In addition, the newly negotiated agreement is tied to the 124-mile Two Seas Canal project to transfer water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, which is drying up, losing about 4 feet of its depth per year. Jordan, the PA and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding in 2013 for the project. In February 2015, Jordan and Israel agreed to install a water desalination plant on the Red Sea. "The Two Seas Canal is a regional cooperation project that Washington, Japan and European countries are supporting and sponsoring. We will make sure it includes binding clauses for Israel," Ghoneim noted. Greenblatt said at a July 13 press conference in Jerusalem during which he announced the water-sharing deal that the new pact is a pivotal step for the Two Seas Canal project. Nasser Abdul Karim, an economics professor at Birzeit University, contends that Israel wants joint economic projects because they embody Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus vision and economic peace program. Netanyahu believes that peace is achieved through the economic sector rather than through ending the conflict. He seeks to barter economic arrangements for political concessions. Israel does not seek material profit from its economic relations. It rather seeks to preserve its security and political superiority [over the PA]. Israel is ready to establish economic ties with the PA and alleviate economic restrictions as long as the [economic cooperation] does not undermine Israels envisioned solution and does not allow the PA to have economic control and sovereignty," Karim told Al-Monitor. The projects that were recently declared, such as the power-transfer station or the water deal, entrench the Palestinian territories economic subordination to Israel and do not reflect any sort of Palestinian sovereignty," he added. Strengthening joint economic ties between Israel and the PA seems surreal to some. These relations are fragile and might fall at any moment into a political deadlock, making it impossible to achieve the two-state solution and ensuring the absence of Palestinian sovereignty in these projects, which Israel controls. Many Palestinians are wondering: Who can guarantee these projects would endure if a Palestinian uprising were to break out, as happened in 2000? July 25, 2017 No one expected that the ongoing protests in Jerusalem over the Israeli restrictions placed on the entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islams third-holiest site, would become the nucleus of a new movement for Jerusalemites. Like most popular revolts, it began with a community acting in a defiant way because they could no longer take the humiliation endured on a day-to-day basis. It was a work in progress that quickly found a solution to a pressing problem, which was then implemented. Mohammed Daraghmeh, a media trainer at Birzeit University and a prominent analyst of Palestinian affairs, wrote in a July 22 post on his Facebook page that what was happening in Jerusalem bore all the hallmarks of a new intifada. It was a popular movement in that entire families participated in the daily prayers outside the restricted mosques gates. People figured out how to deal with highly political issues as well as with basic mundane but necessary issues like food and water, and at the same time were keen on creating rotating committees that took care of the cleaning afterward. East Jerusalems 350,000 residents have for years been leaderless, as Israel prevents the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah from having any serious engagement with them. Since the 1993 Oslo Accord, which postponed dealing with Jerusalem, Israel has worked to isolate Jerusalemites from their national leadership. The Palestinian government is unable to visit or to hold meetings in Jerusalem and, most importantly, the Palestinian government is banned from funding any activity in Jerusalem. For instance, support by the Palestinian government for a childrens puppet festival was stopped in June 2013. At the time, the Palestinian National Theater was closed on emergency orders from the Israeli police because of an unauthorized relationship with the Palestinian Authority. Having been turned into political orphans, residents of East Jerusalem feel they must rely on themselves and not expect a savior to come to their rescue from the outside. In the current conflict on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the leadership formed to deal with this issue had to come from the religious community. The Islamic Supreme Committee, the office of the mufti of Jerusalem and other religious organizations, along with some respected Jerusalem leaders, were in the forefront issuing statements and providing the moral and philosophical leadership in this crisis. While the local Islamic leaders made their positions known during the daily protests, the support that was required was provided by young people and local civil society organizations. The nature of the protests meant that as long as the metal detectors were in place outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, all prayers would be carried out as close to the mosque as the faithful were allowed. The five prayers a day became the focus of organized activities, media attention and public support. Khaleel Assali, a local journalist and editor of the website Akhbar el-Balad, told Al-Monitor that what transpired July 21 in the Old City of Jerusalem and outside the city brought tears to his eyes. I saw shopkeepers who normally close their shops on Fridays open up their shops and provide youth activists with unlimited supplies of water and other basic essentials. In every neighborhood, local support committees were formed whose job was to organize and provide protesters with water, food and prayer mats and also to clean up the streets. According to Assali, Israels municipal workers were not present on the ground and the local activists ensured that the tens of thousands who came to pray throughout the city would be able to pray on clean streets. The clockwork-like activities were prominent in the area outside Bab al-Majles. Al-Monitor visited the area July 20 and noticed the way local youths organized themselves and provided the support needed to keep a prolonged protest movement alive. Plastic chairs were provided for the protesters and visitors to sit on between prayers. In Bab al-Majles, a small African community which came to Jerusalem in the 19th century from Chad, Sudan, Niger and Senegal provided the entire support system for the protesters; cold water and coffee was served regularly. When Al-Monitor was there, freshly picked and peeled cactus fruit was offered. With every round of drink or fruit, a member of the community with a plastic bag went around to pick up empty cups and other litter to keep the area clean. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, the founder and director of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, is one of the few nonreligious leaders who has been invited by the various Islamic committees to attend ad-hoc meetings during which protest-related decisions and relevant statements are made. Abdul Hadis presence and his experience helped in drafting statements and giving political context and direction to the religious leaders. Abdul Hadi, who has excellent relations with the leadership in Ramallah and Amman, Jordan, quickly attracted media attention when he joined the protesters outside Lions Gate July 20. In an impromptu press conference July 20, Abdul Hadi addressed the political and social aspects of the protests. In regard to the role of local leaders, the youth and civil society, Abdul Hadi praised the local initiative that was born in Jerusalem on July 14 when Israelis closed Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers. Despite 50 years of living as political orphans, our people are no longer looking to others to save them but have decided that they must do things themselves. As the protests might be slowing down or even ending now that the metal detectors have been removed as part of a deal between Israel and Jordan reached July 25 the new leadership that has been formed and the spirit of self-reliance that was born in the past days will be around for years to come and will certainly be the foundation of a local leadership in which Jerusalem is in urgent need. July 25, 2017 BAGHDAD The recent and widely publicized murder of Iraqi model and actor Karar Nushi is only one of the horrific crimes frequently witnessed in Iraqi society as religious extremists call for exterminating whatever they find offensive. Ahmad al-Iraqi, one of Nushis close friends, told Al-Monitor he believes Nushi was killed July 3 over his appearance. Iraqi blames the extremist religious militias and groups and their inflammatory speeches through religious platforms. Nushi was a student at the Institute of Fine Art in central Baghdad and participated in several plays in the city. He was known for his long, blond hair and fashionable, often tight clothing. He stayed two days away from home. We thought that he had been working on a theatrical project, but his family was shocked by a call from the forensic medicine department to pick up the body, Iraqi said. Nushis murder was a shock to everyone who knew him. He did not have any problem with anyone. He was calm and friendly with everyone." Nushi was reportedly tortured and stabbed; his body was thrown in a landfill. His murder stirred angry reactions on the Iraqi street. Some bloggers posted on social media videos of clerics inciting the killing of what they called effeminate men. Nushis story is one of many similar incidents, as criminals walk the streets with impunity in what has become a widespread phenomenon in Iraq, especially as security forces have been busy fighting the Islamic State (IS). On March 20, Lulu a pseudonym received death threats over the phone from anonymous callers. Lulu is gay. In Iraq, gay men are degradingly referred to as tante," which is French for "auntie." Lulu fled from Baghdad to Erbil and then all the way to Beirut to escape what he believed was inevitable death. He told Al-Monitor by phone that there are people inciting hate crimes, especially against gays, a phenomenon that has only grown worse in the absence of security and human rights organizations. Gangs and killers have found a safe haven in Iraq to commit their crimes, and threatening or killing members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community) is not new. At the beginning of 2008, gay men in Iraq were tortured at the hands of some armed groups who used glue to seal mens rectums. A member of the parliamentary Defense Committee, Abdul Aziz Hassan, said outlaws who exploit the preoccupation of the Iraqi military units in the war against terror have intimidated citizens and imposed their power and control over society through the threat of weapons. However, even with the gradual defeat of IS in Iraq, the violence and militancy against people with different views is not likely to end, given the power of several militias upholding religious agendas in different parts of Iraq. Hassan told Al-Monitor that the government will not be able to control such atrocities unless all weapons are limited to the state only. He underscored the need to fight extremist ideology and prosecute religious extremists who incite hatred. Iraq is a multi-ethnic and religious country. Calls [for hatred] contribute to widening the gap between the different components of society, Hassan said. "These crimes are aimed also at intimidation, and some are linked to terrorist acts designed to gather money or stir sectarian strife. The first public reaction to Nushis death and the brutal practices used by some radicals came when a group of intellectuals held a sit-in in central Baghdad, calling on authorities to investigate the crime and capture the killers. Many people believe crimes in Iraq are committed at the hands of regressive forces seeking to suppress public freedoms through intimidation. Parliament member Shuruq al-Abayji called Nushis killing a horrific murder aimed at killing the pure spirit of Iraq." He said, "The perpetrators are trying to deliver a message to society that there is no room for public and private freedoms. Abayji told Al-Monitor, The peoples reaction will be massive against this crime, and [they] will denounce any other crime suppressing freedoms. Abayji also accused extremist religious authorities [of] seeking to spread the culture of killing in the community. He called on the government and its security services to restrict those who use religion as a cover for their criminal actions and who impose de facto authority on Iraqis. According to a report by the British Observer newspaper, an organization known as the LGBT group in Iraq, headed by London-based activist Ali Bin Ali, said in 2009 that 680 gay people in the country had been killed between 2004 and 2009, 130 of them at the hands of an extremist religious group luring gays online and through chat rooms. July 25, 2017 Kuwait expelled Irans ambassador and 14 other Iranian diplomats July 20 and ordered the shutdown of Tehrans cultural and military missions in the oil-rich Persian Gulf country. Iranian officials called the decision reprehensible and filed a complaint with the Kuwaiti charge d'affaires; Tehran has maintained its ambassador in Kuwait City. Given Kuwaits track record as a neutral state that avoids confrontations and cooperates with all neighboring countries, most recently illustrated by the Kuwaiti emirs providing a diplomatic back channel between parties involved in the Qatar crisis, the expulsions took many by surprise. The bold move, which certainly marked a reversal in Kuwait's efforts earlier this year to defuse tension between Tehran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, was likely aimed at demonstrating Kuwaits solidarity with Saudi Arabia at a time when Riyadh has been stepping up pressure on Qatar and other Arab states to distance themselves from Tehran. Officially, Kuwaits action is a response to the Abdali case, which dates to August 2015 and involves the uncovering of a Shiite terrorist cell made up of 26 people (25 Kuwaitis and one Iranian) with alleged links to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanese Hezbollah. According to Kuwaiti officials, the suspects were guilty of possessing large quantities of weapons and ammunition and smuggling explosives into Kuwait from Iran. Tehran denies any involvement in the Abdali case. The trial began in September 2015; appeals of it reached their conclusion last month when as a result of a supreme court ruling the cells mastermind is to spend life in prison. Around 20 others were to serve prison terms ranging from five to 15 years. A lower court had convicted most of the 26 suspects in January 2016, but an appeals court later that year acquitted a large number of them or commuted their prison sentences before setting them free. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah, 14 involved in the case fled to Iran by sea after hearing about last months supreme court ruling, which overturned their acquittals or their reduced sentences. Kuwaiti authorities confirmed that the whereabouts of 14 of those convicted were unknown, while also saying that none had departed Kuwait via official exit points. The implications of Kuwaits expulsion of Iranian diplomats may have important ramifications for the countrys domestic political climate as well as its relationship with Iran. The Abdali case had already raised sectarian temperatures in Kuwait in 2015, and this recent development threatens to do so further. In stark contrast with neighboring Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other Arab states, Kuwait stands out as a relative beacon of tranquility, tolerance and peaceful Shiite-Sunni coexistence in a region beset by instability and sectarian strife. Kuwaits emir has the loyalty of his countrys Shiite minority, which constitutes one-third of Kuwaits native population and has maintained close and cordial ties with the Al Sabah rulers since the Iraqi invasion of 1990. Today, wealthy Shiite families run large Kuwaiti conglomerates (Al Kazemi International, Marafie Group, Morad Yousuf Behbehani Group and so on) and do business in the shipping, logistics, vehicle distribution, real estate, construction, retail, trade and tourism sectors. Kuwaits expulsion of Iranian diplomats has the potential to further distance Saudi Arabia and Iran from any possible opportunity to defuse tension in their relationship. Based on the supposition that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism that finances and arms nefarious Shiite militias in the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwaits decision will further convince officials in other GCC states that Tehran is not genuine when it comes to calling for better relations between itself and the Arab sheikhdoms of the western and northern Persian Gulf. To be sure, this downgrading of bilateral relations threatens to reverse progress in Kuwaiti-Iranian relations that the two countries achieved following Hassan Rouhanis ascendancy to Irans presidency (2013); the emir of Kuwaits first official visit to Iran as head of state (2014); the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions passage (2015); and the Kuwaiti foreign ministers rare trip to Tehran (2017). On a host of regional issues, Kuwait has not sided with Saudi Arabia as much as some other GCC states, highlighted by the countrys relatively minimal role in the Riyadh-led military campaign in Yemen, Kuwaits decision to not deploy any ground forces to Bahrain amid the unrest of 2011, and the 2014 reopening of Damascus embassy in Kuwait. Unlike Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which severed or downgraded relations with Tehran last year, Kuwait has maintained somewhat normalized ties with Iran despite withdrawing its ambassador to Tehran in January 2016 as a sign of solidarity with Riyadh following the Saudi execution of Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Given these factors, it was rather logical for Kuwait to pursue efforts aimed at easing tension between Tehran and the GCC earlier this year. Although it remains to be seen whether Kuwait becomes the third GCC member after Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to sever ties with Tehran, this surprising move to expel Iranian diplomats likely resulted from stepped-up Saudi pressure at a time when the Islamic Republic maintains its role, in Saudi eyes at least, as the No. 1 threat to regional security. Simultaneously, given the Trump administrations favoring of Sunni Arab states most committed to countering Iranian influence in the Middle East, the White House transition earlier this year has perhaps also impacted Kuwaits foreign policy thinking, particularly in the aftermath of the Arab Islamic American Summit in May. Unquestionably, an increasingly anti-Iranian foreign policy may have major implications for Kuwaits economic interests and the countrys domestic political arena. The possibility of signing an agreement with Tehran to import Iranian gas is a factor Kuwait must carefully consider as it aligns more closely with other GCC states against Iran. Although it is too early to determine how this recent move will impact sectarian relations in Kuwait, it is clear that regional turmoil and rising sectarian temperatures in nearby conflicts have impacted domestic Kuwaiti politics, highlighted by the Abdali case as well as the Iraqi, Syrian and Yemeni civil wars, which brought divisions between Kuwaiti Sunnis and Shiites to the surface. Thus, the leadership must strike a careful balance in terms of dealing with Sunni-Shiite relations at home and regional foreign policy challenges, chiefly navigating the tense Riyadh-Tehran rivalry along with the GCCs own internal divisions that threaten to disintegrate the council. July 24, 2017 One of the key agenda items during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans July 23-24 visits to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar is Turkeys continued military presence in Qatar. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar in early June is demanding, among a dozen other things, that Turkey close its base there. Doha and Ankara firmly rejected the demand as infringement of sovereign rights. Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in his July 21 address to the nation, praised Turkeys stand in the Gulf crisis, saying, We express our gratitude to Turkey for rapidly implementing our cooperation agreement and meeting our basic needs. Qatar is suffering under sanctions by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, which have restricted Qatar by air, land and sea, charging that the country supports terrorists, which Qatar denies. In my June 12 Al-Monitor article, Turkish military will protect Qatari regime if necessary, I emphasized that for Erdogan, the survival of the Qatari regime and the personal fate of Al Thani who had given Erdogan the strongest support against a failed military uprising a year ago are vital matters. This is one reason why Ankara is determined to expand its military-strategic partnership with Qatar. The number of Turkish soldiers at what is called the joint tactical division headquarters in Doha has reached 300. There is a company from the 2nd Commando Brigade, one mechanized infantry company from the 5th Corps and two 155 mm howitzers. It is now a battalion-level task force. According to security sources speaking to Al-Monitor in Ankara, the Turkish presence in Qatar is expected in 2018 to become a brigade-level task force of about 3,000 strong. The Turkish base will have its own naval port and a runway initially for its drones and then for military flights. It is likely that by the end of 2018, there will be Turkish naval elements patrolling the Gulf and Turkish drones and airborne early warning and control system planes flying reconnaissance over Qatari airspace and the Gulf. According to military analyst Can Kasapoglu, the deployment of 3,000 Turkish troops will equal nearly one-third of the entire active Qatari military. Thus, within the confines of bilateral agreements between Ankara and Doha, the base could play a major role in Qatars defense planning, as well as in the emirs regional affairs agenda. Forward deployments in Qatar are likely to bring more competition and strain to the Turkish-UAE relations. Nevertheless, as long as Ankara can compartmentalize its relations with the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], first and foremost with Saudi Arabia, a political dispute with the UAE would be manageable, Kasapoglu said in a July analysis for the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. According to the analysis, currently, Turkey has a military presence in: Somalia, for partner capacity-building, foreign internal defense missions and humanitarian assistance. Turkey is building a base there that, when completed, will be its biggest base abroad. Qatar, for assisting with security, building alliances and power projection. Northern Iraq, for counterterror operations, special reconnaissance, and training and equipping missions. Northern Syria's Jarablus/al-Bab/al-Rai triangle, for counterterror, special reconnaissance, and training and equipping missions. Kabul, Afghanistan, for a peacekeeping mission. Northern Cyprus, with a corps-size military force for collective defense, international obligations and power projection. Azerbaijan, with military bases for alliance-building and foreign internal defense missions. Lebanon, where a naval element serves the UN Interim Force. It's no secret that Turkey has been discussing potential military bases in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Sources in Ankara have acknowledged that discussions with Saudi Arabia about setting up a base there in the Shiite-populated south and another as a naval sea port have been interrupted because of the Qatar crisis. Many wonder if these two projects in Saudi Arabia will come up during Erdogans visit there. Within three years, Turkey plans to complete the Turkish Coast Guard Anadolu amphibious assault ship and light aircraft carrier. The ship is slated to carry up to 10 F-35B jets that the Turkish navy is planning to deploy in 2021, and new additions to the Turkish Armed Forces' inventory of CH-47 multipurpose and T-29 ATAK assault helicopters along with a fully equipped marine battalion to secure beachheads. The project will be a major force multiplier for Turkey in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Many people have also noted Erdogans statement that Turkey is among 10 countries that can build warships, and that it is now determined to build its own aircraft carrier. With all these foreign policy moves and plans, Turkey has been gradually militarizing its foreign policy from soft power to hard power. Between 2006 and 2011, with a foreign policy shaped by then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his team, Turkey acknowledged that its value in world politics was predicated on its geo-strategic location, historical depth and soft power. In 2016, after Davutoglu gave up his premiership, and security risks grew primarily in Iraq and Syria, a new foreign policy gained prominence: respond effectively, proactively and assertively to security risks and challenges through hard power. Fuat Keyman, the director of the Istanbul Policy Center think tank and a professor of international relations at Sabanci University, defined this new paradigm as moral realism." Moral realism combines hard power-based military assertiveness and humanitarian norms, in addition to new capacity- and strategy-based parameters," he said. Turkey's military is pleased to project regional hard power as a replacement to civilian diplomacy and alliance building. Among the military branches, the naval command has overtaken the army and air force in roles and missions in this new paradigm. That may explain the increasing visibility, especially of naval officers, when Turkish officials visit foreign decision-makers. A more "muscular" foreign policy also has the domestic benefits of repairing the civilian-military relations that were seriously damaged with the July 15 coup attempt and encouraging the two sectors to work together. Other segments that are benefiting considerably are the defense industry and military technology. The somber, rocky relations between the military and civilian sectors in Ankara over the military education system, promotions and appointments, and power relations between the Turkish General Staff and the Ministry of Defense and among the service commands have spilled over to shaping and implementing foreign policy, the defense industry and military technologies. Smoothing the relations between two prime sectors of the country by resorting to hard policy in foreign relations is welcome news to a polarized public. July 25, 2017 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan briefly visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar on July 23-24 on a tour billed by the Turkish media as a mediation effort aimed at resolving the Qatar crisis. The tour, which came on the heels of ongoing efforts at mediation by Kuwait and the United States, revealed Ankaras limited capacity to make a difference in this crisis. Turkeys initial desire to act as mediator was dashed when Ankara provided strong backing for Qatar, including sending military forces to that country. Despite insisting that it is neutral, this move ensured that it was not in a position, at least in the eyes of the Saudi-led coalition, to act as mediator. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key member of this coalition, at one stage even called on the boycott against Qatar to be extended to Turkey, according to reports by The New Arab. Meanwhile, Kuwaits efforts, with substantial US pressure on the sidelines, have already produced enough results for US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to call for the blockade of Qatar to be lifted. Remarks by Erdogan, prior to departing for the Gulf, also reflected an awareness that there is limited scope for a Turkish contribution to resolving this crisis. We support the mediation efforts by Kuwaits Emir Sheikh [Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-] Sabah, Erdogan said. Starting with those by the United States, we find the activities of the international community to be useful, he added, expressing hope that these efforts will bear fruit. Erdogan indicated that the main reason for his visit to the Gulf was the Qatar crisis, but there were undoubtedly other reasons behind Erdogans high-level talks, especially in Riyadh. One principle reason voiced in diplomatic circles is Erdogans need to engage in damage control with regard to Turkeys ties with Saudi Arabia. Turkey has been receiving very bad press in that country since the Qatar crisis broke out. Given that the Saudi government strictly controls the media, the views expressed in the media are believed to also reflect official thinking. Yasin Aktay, a deputy from Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party, who also advises the government on foreign policy issues, has pointed to what he says is the unfair campaign in the Saudi press against Turkey. No one can claim that this campaign reflects a reaction by Arabs that came about on its own, Aktay wrote in his column for the pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak. He claimed that the offensive articles in the Saudi press were manufactured systematically from a center that aims to sow discord and produce hatred of Turkey among Arabs, but he did not clarify his remark. Erdogan, who relishes blasting the Western media over unfavorable articles, has remained silent in the face of the media attacks on Turkey, not just in Saudi Arabia, but also in other Gulf states. Prior to departing on his Gulf tour, Erdogan lavished praise on Riyadh and King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. He told reporters his first stop would be Saudi Arabia, which he referred to as the regions big and wise country. As the big brother in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has the duty to solve the crisis in the Gulf. As I have said on several of occasions, King Salman heads the list of those who can solve this crisis, Erdogan said. While Turkey relies on its vast and growing economic ties with Qatar, it cannot afford to undermine its equally important economic and political ties with other Gulf states, especially at a time when its relations with the West continue to deteriorate. Ankara is also noting with dissatisfaction how Egypt is making diplomatic headway in the region for example, in Syria where it is cooperating now with Russia. Egypt is also deepening its dialogue with the European Union with a view to stabilizing the Middle East. During Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukrys visit to Brussels this week, the EUs foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini expressed the EUs desire to be in close coordination with Egypt on efforts to resolve the crises in Libya, Syria and the Gulf. Tillersons recent interventions in the region, which have produced tangible results and defused the crisis to an extent, have also made it easier for Ankara to try to smooth the ground with Riyadh. For instance, Qatar has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United States on monitoring the flow of terrorist financing, prompting Washington to call on Riyadh, its key partner in the Gulf, to lift the blockade on Qatar. Ankara wants the blockade lifted also. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition, clearly under US pressure, has reduced its list of 13 demands for Qatar to six demands. The new list does not include the condition that Turkey close down its military base in Qatar. This issue was reportedly not discussed in Erdogans talks with Salman or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The increasing US involvement in the Gulf could also provide a niche for Turkey to play the role of facilitator in the region, if not mediator, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Despite its backing of Qatar, and the strains that followed this, Turkey continues to have ties with all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It had initiated a strategic dialogue with GCC members prior to the Qatar crisis. Professor Mensur Akgun from Istanbul Kultur University argued that it was wrong to say little had come out of Erdogans Gulf tour that was significant. To start with, Turkey reduced some of the pressure on it that had resulted from being caught between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Akgun told Al-Monitor. It also showed that Turkish forces will remain in Qatar since the demand by Saudi Arabia and its allies regarding this appears to have been dropped, he added. Erdogans visit also showed that Turkeys ties with Saudi Arabia were not easy to sever, Akgun said. Retired Ambassador Murat Bilhan agreed. Turkey cant risk its ties with Saudi Arabia, which is the most important state in the Gulf region, Bilhan told Al-Monitor. It is impossible to produce a coherent Gulf policy without having good ties with Saudi Arabia, he said. Bilhan added, however, that Erdogans visit did not clarify why Turkey had sent forces to Qatar at a sensitive time like this, and what their mission there was. Like other regions in the Middle East, the Gulf states are bracing for the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, after which the Saudi-Iranian rivalry is expected to peak. Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer predicted in an article for Project Syndicate on July 21 that the phase after IS will not be marked by peace because of Irans increasing influence in the Middle East. Ankara clearly needs better ties with its natural Sunni allies in the region, starting with Saudi Arabia, in order to promote its interests during that phase. Erdogans Gulf tour can therefore also be seen as an effort to advance ties with Riyadh. Points of divergence, most notably Turkeys continuing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, still remain an obstacle. It will probably take more than this visit by Erdogan for the key Gulf states to overcome their suspicions of Turkish motives. Nevertheless, Erdogans visit and his talks with Gulf leaders showed that they cannot ignore Turkey either. July 24, 2017 On July 17, Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency (known as AA in Turkey) published an article prepared by three reporters titled US increases military posts supporting PKK/PYD in Syria, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party. The report revealed crucial information on some of the US bases and on French and American soldiers in the region. The article and a detailed map appeared in AAs English version on July 18. On July 19, the leak spread to international media outlets. The US military told the press that publishing such sensitive information was professionally irresponsible. Ankara seems to have heard the Pentagons concerns. Interestingly, the AA story did not make it to the governments social media trolls. Indeed, only a few short pieces can be found in Islamist media bragging about the leaks. On July 20, Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for the presidents office, said the Turkish government was not involved in the publication of the specific news. Kalin added, This is a report prepared by AA based on their own network, indicating the report was prepared by the reporters exclusively. Since international pressure focused on endangering American and French soldiers lives through the exposure of the secret bases, Kalin commented that they had no intention to risk the lives of any of our allies and they expect reciprocity from all of their allies. Within an hour of Kalins speech, the English version of the story was taken off AAs webpage. But the full piece can be found on other websites, and AA kept the Turkish version online. So why did such sensitive information about US military bases appear in Turkeys state-owned news agency, and why was it deleted after the Pentagons concerns were made public? After Kalin informed the press that the Turkish government cannot be held responsible for AAs reporting, Al-Monitor contacted senior government officials. All were in lockstep with Kalin. Still, their statements along with a few social media posts provided some clues to the background of the controversial reporting. Al-Monitor talked with several Turkish reporters and seasoned journalists who have reported on Syria for decades. All were in agreement that such a report could not be prepared without support from military intelligence. The report itself is, indeed, one of the best presentations in AAs recent history. The most pertinent question was, Could AA publish any news without prior approval of the government? Former AA employees, seasoned reporters and senior government officials could not confirm that was possible. There were exceptions, and this reporting could have been one that escaped proper state scrutiny prior to its publication, some sources said. Still, reporters who are savvy enough to prepare such detailed graphics should have known that this information would be endangering the lives of allied troops in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Indeed, Levent Tok, one of the reporters who prepared the story, told Bloomberg that the United States should have thought about this before it cooperated with a terrorist organization, highlighting the pent-up anger against the United States for its unwavering support of Kurdish militants. American officials are well-aware of this and have gone on the record saying Turkey is an ally multiple times at different venues. The US struggle to balance the tensions between the Kurds and Turks in northern Syria is visible, as they have changed the name from the People's Protection Units (YPG) to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not appreciative of this name change, either. He told reporters who asked about the matter, Did anything change? We know well who is who. They [YPG and SDF] are both the same. Erdogan added with confidence that Turkey knows where the SDF is operating. A retired Turkish general who asked for anonymity told Al-Monitor, The ostensible Turkish goal was to prevent an independent Kurdish state to emerge at its borders. Yet since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Turkey lost several golden opportunities to gain the trust of regional and international players in Syria. The more erratic behavior Turkish politicians displayed, the more plausible an alliance with the Kurds appeared for the United States, as well as other players who joined forces against IS. Plus, the Turkish Armed Forces are demoralized, with its top ranks decimated. In the last 12 months, the Turkish Armed Forces lost 40% of its generals and admirals due to purges. The general added that the more Turkey lost in Syria, the angrier politicians and bureaucrats in Ankara became. The United States became an easy punching bag to rally public support. The loudest complaint in Ankara is the increasing US support for the SDF and the decreasing intelligence sharing with Ankara. One of the reasons for revenge was to prove to the United States that even if they do not share intelligence with Ankara, Ankara knows. If this resentment and anger against the United States for cooperating with the Kurds is one reason, the second is Turkeys growing anti-Americanism. On July 18, Abdulkadir Selvi, the most prominent pro-Justice and Development Party (AKP) columnist, penned a column titled Unconventional approach in our relations with the USA, which was based on confessions of a senior bureaucrat. He told Selvi what is echoed in private corners of Ankara: We [the Turkish government] missed several opportunities, particularly when the Trump administration took over. We failed to convince them to work with us instead of the Kurds. Anti-Americanism, strengthened with the age-old idea of Euro-Asianism, is gaining popularity in all government agencies. Continuous state-sponsored propaganda also helps feed anti-Americanism. According to Kadir Has Universitys 2017 poll, anti-Americanism rose significantly last year. In 2016, the percentage of Turks viewing the United States as a threat to Turkey was 44.1%. In 2017, it went up to 66.5%. The United States ranks as the No. 1 threat in the eyes of the Turks. That is why it was quite interesting that the AKP did not exploit the news of exposing secret US bases in Syria into an opportunity to gain public approval. Indeed, the English version of the news was removed from AAs webpage, ostensibly on the recommendation of the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Pro-government figures on social media were either silent on the issue or struggled to downplay the matter. For example, Ragip Soylu, the Washington correspondent for the pro-government Turkish daily Sabah, initially acknowledged that the exposure seemed rather deliberate. He then deleted his tweets, as explained in Al-Monitor columnist Amberin Zamans article. On July 19, Soylu tweeted a map and wrote, After Anadolu, German newspaper Bild exposed satellite pics of secret US airbase in YPG-held Syrian city Kobani. Seems very large. Similarly, in Ankara, questions about the report were brushed off, saying there was no leak, that it was just sensational media attempts to blow the matter out of proportion. The information was claimed to be open source intelligence. However, there was no list of open source material provided to prepare this report. Still, the struggle to cover the news indicates that Turkey is not ready to burn all its bridges with the United States. Yet, as long as these potent reasons for Turkeys anger remain, the United States and other allies should expect rather unpleasant surprises. Helping Hands Lawn Maintenance in Phenix City, Ala., is closed today. The owner, Daniel Williams, will be driving to LaGrange, Ga., to pick up something his father lost 45 years ago. Last week, when Daniel learned about the long-lost treasure that once belonged to his dad, "I was in tears," he said. "This 6-foot-8 guy was in tears." His father, Kenneth Williams, was 21 years old in the summer of 1972, when he and his then-girlfriend, Deborah Colley, went to Jekyll Island with two other couples one evening. While walking on the beach that night, Kenneth lost his senior class ring from Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Ga. The Class of 1969 ring was gold, with a red stone, and his initials were engraved inside. Though they searched for it with a flashlight, retracing their steps, they never found the ring. Kenneth had planned to give it to his girlfriend that Christmas. Instead, he gave her a different ring with a red stone. Eventually, Kenneth and Deborah got married and had two children, Daniel and his sister, Stacy Bell. The couple divorced in 1989, and Kenneth remarried and had another daughter, Leslie Williams. Deborah never remarried, and Kenneth died in 2009. Because the ring was lost before he was born, Daniel had never heard about it. But then, last week, he received a Facebook message from Brittney Smith of Tallapoosa, Ga., telling him she thought she had his father's class ring. She asked him to describe it. He called his mother, and she remembered the ring right away. She gave him a description, he called Brittney back - and a missing piece of his father's past was miraculously found. "The charm of it is that she wants to wear it," Daniel said of the ring that was intended to be a gift for his mother. "To put it on her finger means a lot to me." Above and beyond Brittney and her husband, Jaeson Smith, were on their annual vacation to Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia, last week. She was walking on the beach with her dad, Craig Ellis, early last Wednesday morning when they came upon an area of clay that was slick in the low tide. She bent down and picked up a shiny quarter - but something next to it caught her eye. It was a man's ring. She washed it off in the water and saw that it was from Glynn Academy, Class of 1969. Inside were the initials "K.W.W." Despite its age, the ring "looks great," she said. "It's immaculate. You'd think it would have worn over time." She took the ring to her husband, and they started trying to figure out who it might belong to. First, they looked up Glynn Academy, found an alumni page and scrolled through the list of 1969 graduates. Only one had the same initials: Kenneth Williams. Then they found an obituary for Kenneth Williams from the Brunswick News. From the obit, they noted the names of other family members, which led them to find Daniel Williams on Facebook. When she talked to Daniel, "He was super thankful and very emotional," Brittney said. "It was so sweet." She doesn't think she and her husband did anything out of the ordinary. "We felt like we did what anyone else would do to get it back to the rightful owner. It was definitely meant to be." But Daniel appreciates how the Smiths went "above and beyond to find us." He's meeting the couple in LaGrange on Tuesday night to get the ring back. "I'll be honest, I'm pretty sure I'm going to cry," he said. "We're so grateful and thankful that they gave us this surprise out of their visit to Jekyll Island." When the ring is in his possession, he plans to "wear it for a little while," then keep it in a fireproof box along with copies of the news articles telling the story. His younger sister Leslie is getting married next year, and she plans to tuck the ring into her bouquet. Daniel will walk her down the aisle. "It will mean a lot to her," he said, noting that their father passed away on the day Leslie graduated from high school. "It's a spiritual, beautiful thing how God allowed Mrs. Smith to find an artifact of the Williams family," Daniel said. "I'm astonished by the love that God is shining down through this message." An organization that wants to start a public charter school for incarcerated youth to complete their high school education must provide more information to the Alabama Public Charter School Commission. The commission today told representatives from Teen's Path to Success to answer concerns about its charter application by next month. Teen's Path to Success is a tax-exempt organization that plans to teach students up to age 21 who are in juvenile jails or county jails. It would hire a private education firm, Pinnacle Schools, to operate much of the program and report to the Teen's Path to Success board of directors. The idea is to set up a statewide program similar to one already operating in Athens City schools. Teen's Path to Success applied for a charter from the Athens City school board but fell one vote short of approval in May. Teen's Path to Success is now asking for approval from the Alabama Public Charter School Commission and made a presentation today. The proposed school would teach up to 350 students next school year and up to 550 by 2022. Charter School Commission members praised the concept and said the school, if it works as intended, would fill a significant need. Commission members also asked many questions. "I love what you're doing, but the challenges are huge," Commissioner Lisa Williams told representatives of Teen's Path to Success. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSCA) reviewed the Teen's Path to Success application and found it lacking some areas. NACSCA reviews all charter applications submitted to the state commission. NACSCA found that Teen's Path to Success failed to meet the standard for financial planning and partially met the standard for education program design and operational planning. Today, the commission asked Teen's Path to Success to submit a response to the NACSA review next month. The commission gave the charter conditional approval but said final approval depends on addressing the shortcomings cited in the NACSCA review. Commission Chairman Ed Richardson said the commission would not "rubber stamp" the responses to the NACSCA findings. "You've got a good idea," Richardson said. "But we're talking about something very specific and we've got to deal with those specific issues in a substantive way." Teen's Path to Success Principal Rick White described how the program would work. Incarcerated teens and young adults, up to age 21, who wanted to finish high school would learn in individualized academic plans developed by counselors. Students would benefit from one-on-one and small group settings, which work better for students with no expectation of academic achievement, White said. "They come in with no academic confidence whatsoever," White said. The program would include an online component. Besides academics, the school would also provide counseling on mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse and anger management. Graduates would have a much better chance to get good jobs and stay out of trouble when their incarceration ends and later in life, White said. Reducing jail and prison recidivism means taxpayer savings, he said. White told success stories from the program operating in Athens City Schools. Four students have graduated through that program. "We want this to spread everywhere and give every student we can this kind of opportunity," White told the commission. Charter schools are still new in Alabama. The Legislature first authorized charters in 2015. Alabama's first charter school, the ACCEL Day and Evening Academy in Mobile, opens this fall. Charter schools receive public funding but are not subject to all the regulations and restrictions of traditional public schools. Last month, the Alabama Public Charter School Commission approved the application of University Charter School in Sumter County. The commission also conditionally approved a charter for Infinity Learning Center in Montgomery. But Charlotte Meadows, chairman of the school's founding board, told the commission today it would submit a new application. Meadows said the goal is to open a charter school in Montgomery County in the fall of 2018. In May, the state commission approved a charter for STAR Academy in Birmingham, overturning a decision by the Birmingham school board, which has filed a lawsuit to block the charter school from opening. The state law approved in 2015 allowed charter school applicants to appeal to the state commission if they are turned down by local school boards. Last year, the commission also gave conditional approval for the SLAM Foundation, based in Miami, to start a sports-theme charter school in Huntsville. Clearance from a federal judge is required before SLAM could get final approval because of a desegregation order for Huntsville schools. A Piedmont man was killed in a head-on crash with a dump truck in Calhoun County. Alabama State Troopers identified the victim as Ryan Michael Paris. He was 32. The crash happened at 12:05 p.m. Monday on Old Piedmont-Gadsden Highway, three miles west of Piedmont. Senior Trooper Chuck Daniel said Paris was driving a 1993 Chevrolet Blazer that collided with a 1996 Ford dump truck. Paris was pronounced dead at the scene. The dump truck driver was taken to Gadsden Regional Hospital with undisclosed injuries. The head of Alabama's Republican Party said it stands behind Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In a series of tweets, state GOP chair Terry Lathan expressed support for the embattled Sessions, who resigned his post as an Alabama Senator to serve as AG in the Trump administration. President Trump has singled out Sessions - a longtime key adviser - as a growing source of frustration, going as far as calling his handling of matters "weak." On Tuesday, Lathan tweeted: 1/3 Attorney General Sessions told us all last week that he is focused on his job. His continued dedication to applying the #alpolitics Terry Lathan (@ChairmanLathan) July 25, 2017 2/3 laws of our nation is what the American people want in an attorney general. We should follow his lead as nothing has #alpolitics Terry Lathan (@ChairmanLathan) July 25, 2017 3/3 changed. We are proud of Jeff Sessions and his honorable duty to America. We stand with Attorney General Sessions." #alpolitics Terry Lathan (@ChairmanLathan) July 25, 2017 Earlier in the day, Sessions long-time Senate companion, Alabama Republican Richard Shelby, as well as Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, all expressed support for Sessions in the wake of a barrage of comments from President Trump expressing his frustration with his AG for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Reps. Bradley Byrne, Mo Brooks and Robert Aderholt have joined the chorus supporting Sessions. No one is better suited to run the Department of Justice than Jeff Sessions. He has my - and the people of Alabama's - strong support. Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) July 25, 2017 Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity - keeping us safe by faithfully enforcing our laws & supporting our brave law enforcement officers. Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) July 25, 2017 "I think Jeff Sessions is doing an excellent job as our nation's Attorney General. In his six months on the job, he has done more to uphold our nation's laws and keep communities safe than the previous administration did in eight years. He is a person of tremendous character and integrity," Aderholt said. "He has my full support." White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed on Fox News Trump remains at odds with his AG, saying the president is "frustrated and disappointed" in Sessions. "That frustration certainly hasn't gone away, and I don't think it will," Sanders said. Update 2:20 p.m. - The board voted 6-2 to accept the evaluation. Board members voted to give state superintendent Michael Sentance until the next board meeting, currently scheduled for Aug. 10, to respond to the evaluation. AL.com has requested copies of the evaluation, which were not provided to attendees of the meeting. Stay tuned for more on Sentance's evaluation. Update: 1:05 p.m. - The board is back in the meeting room. Follow the livestream above. Update 12:50 p.m. - Board members are currently in executive session to discuss "good name and character" and "possible litigation." Board member Mary Scott Hunter, R-Huntsville, voted against going into executive session and is not attending. They are meeting in an upstairs conference room in the Gordon Persons Building, set up earlier this morning at the request of Vice President Stephanie Bell, R-Montgomery. Bell said the room was set up in the event the board voted to go into session. Just before the vote, board members Betty Peters and Mary Scott Hunter questioned Bell about the timing of the evaluation, repeatedly saying the board did not vote to conduct the evaluation at this time. Bell said the evaluation process is spelled out in Sentance's contract. Bell, banging the gavel loudly, declared Hunter "out of order" when Hunter continued to ask questions. Hunter said she was not aware the board was considering an executive session and disagreed with the board's vote to do so. "I don't have any reason to think that we should be going into one. Executive session is not for the purpose of discussing job performance. You only go into executive session to discuss things like litigation or good name and character," Hunter said. Sentance, sitting between Bell and board member Dr. Yvette Richardson, D-Montgomery, sat quietly during the spirited discussion. The Alabama state board of education will share the results of state superintendent Michael Sentance's annual evaluation at today's special-called board meeting, which you can watch live in the video above. (NOTE: If you don't see the video above, please refresh/reload this page to make it appear.) Rumors have been flying that board Vice President Stephanie Bell called for the early evaluation in an attempt to fire Sentance, but Bell has denied that is the purpose. Rather, Bell told AL.com it is time for the evaluation, as Sentance has been on the job nearly one year, having started in September of last year. Board members Mary Scott Hunter and Cynthia McCarty were unaware of Bell's intentions to evaluate Sentance until the evaluations showed up in their inboxes after the July 11 meeting, they told AL.com. Board members were told to send completed evaluations to the board's newly-hired outside counsel, Montgomery attorney Lewis Gillis, by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 21. Gillis compiled the results and will present them to the board at the meeting. Board members have been sharply critical of Sentance's leadership style, saying he does not communicate well with the board. Since Sentance was hired, the board meets more frequently, and those meetings run for hours. Recently Sentance, using a recent Alabama Attorney General opinion for backup, Sentance told the state board of education to stop micromanaging and interfering in the Montgomery County schools intervention. In an emailed response to Bell, Sentance attached the July 17, 2017, opinion affirming Sentance's sole authority over the operational management of the Montgomery schools intervention. Sentance's response came after Bell requested Sentance provide to the board "a complete list, including names, titles, date of hire, current source of salary funding and salaries" of any hires in the Montgomery school intervention. AL.com reporter Mike Cason contributed to this article. Alabama state voting rolls show that more than 66,000 convicted felons lost the right to vote under the state's felony disenfranchisement law, many of whom may now be eligible to regain the right to vote under a new state law. And a nonprofit is now asking the state to automatically register several thousand former felons who applied but were denied the opportunity to vote. The Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.-based voting rights advocacy group, heads to U.S. District Court in Montgomery Tuesday afternoon for a hearing on a motion the organization filed June 30 on behalf of 10 plaintiffs. The motion calls on Chief District Judge W. Keith Watkins to force the state to update voter registration materials and take other steps to educate felons about their rights under the new law. Passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in May, the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act defines ambiguous language about crimes of "moral turpitude" in the state Constitution and thereby significantly reduces the number of types of felony convictions that result in Alabamians losing the right to vote. The Campaign Legal Center's motion also requests that Watkins demand that any and all Alabama felons who improperly lost the right to vote over the past two years be automatically added back to the state's rolls of registered voters. Corey Goldstone, a spokesman for the Campaign Legal Center, said via email Monday that the group recently learned from the state "through litigation requests that 66,807 voters have been purged from the rolls and 7,717 voters had their applications denied, because of Alabama's felony disenfranchisement law." Their motion reads: "For eligible voters that were recently denied the right to vote based on their convictions under the prior system, the most straightforward and direct remedy is their reinstatement to the voter registration rolls and an accompanying notice of that reinstatement." Danielle Lang, senior legal counsel for voting rights and redistricting at the Campaign Legal Center, said Monday that the lawsuit is aimed at restoring the franchise to people who have been wrongly barred from voting. "I certainly can't predict what is going to happen ... We are certainly hopeful that we'll be able to get some or all of this relief," she said. "It could do a great deal of good in bringing people into the political system that have been politically excluded." But Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who was instrumental in getting the law passed, has said that Alabama does not plan to dedicate funding to educating felons about how the legislation impacts their voting rights. And he says he believes that felons who have not been able to vote in the past will have to apply - or re-apply - to register to vote. "When you're talking about people who have been removed from the voter rolls, it may be possible for some people to be returned to the voter rolls," he told AL.com on Monday. "But it's more likely they will have to make applications to be added." The center obtained the numbers "late last week" after Watkins granted a request that forced the state to produce a list of people who lost the right to vote "because of Alabama's felony disenfranchisement law," Goldstone wrote. But Merrill says that the state does not have a list detailing each disenfranchised felon's specific crimes, conviction dates and other information. As such, he says that that the steps the Campaign Legal Center wants the state to take would be difficult to implement. "We don't even know who all the people are that you're talking about," he said. "There are certain steps that must be followed regarding the voting rolls." Lang argues that the state is the only entity with the data needed to create such a list, and that the public benefit of doing so outweighs any cost that would be incurred by the state. She also notes that The Sentencing Project, a Washington, D.C.-based criminal justice reform non-profit, estimates that there are about 250,000 disenfranchised felons in Alabama if people who have avoided applying to register to vote because they thought their felonies precluded them from doing so are included in that category. The felons listed in the records produced by the state "are just the number of voters that the state has a record of - many more voters in Alabama haven't even tried to register to vote for fear they would be denied due to a past criminal conviction," Lang said. She added that the records the group got from the state flout the commonly cited theory that hardly any disenfranchised felons would vote if they were given the opportunity to do so. "What's really notable about the numbers we got is how many people actually wanted to vote," Lang said. "One thing that's often said about felony disenfranchisement is that these are people who don't really want to vote anyway, aren't interested in voting; even if you gave them the right to vote they wouldn't want to. And what these numbers show is at least 70,000 people wanted to register to vote." Asked for more information about Alabama's intended legal defense against the Campaign Legal Center's lawsuit, Merrill said, "that argument is going to take place in the court," declining to provide further details. "They are advocating on behalf of their client in the court, and the state is being represented by the Attorney General's office," he said. "We will follow the lead of our counsel as they represent us." New York, NY In a black t-shirt, hair cropped short, with a wedding ring visible on his finger, Ted Bradford hunched over a microphone in a legislative hearing room in Nevadas capital, Carson City. In a public video of the meeting, Bradford can be seen speaking to the assembled senators representing the nearly 2.9 million Nevada residents. I lived through the nightmare of wrongful conviction, he says. It was a horrible crime, a crime of rape and burglary. On the day of the meeting in June 2017, Bradford had come to Carson City to support a law that would require police agencies in the state to electronically record interrogations of suspects taken into custody. The proposed legislation would have mandated that police interrogations be recorded in their entirety, from the reading of Miranda rights to the end of the interview, depending on the severity of the crime. Here I was in this small room with two detectives being accused of this, and I knew I was innocent, Bradford recounted for the assembled audience. And I tried telling them, youve got the wrong guy. Bradford believes the fact that his interrogation was not fully recorded may have cost him 14 years of his life 10 years in prison and four more awaiting a retrial, which finally cleared his name. Only the last half hour of Bradfords interrogation was recorded and shown in court. Bradford was convicted, and then acquitted, of breaking into a womans house and raping her in Yakima, Washington, in 1995. Both opponents and supporters of this type of legislation say they want to protect victims. For opponents of recordings, those are the victims of heinous crimes who deserve justice. Legislating this policy, they fear, could leave police hamstrung and allow a guilty attacker to walk free. For supporters, those victims are the individuals found guilty of crimes they did not commit, and the future victims of the real perpetrators who are allowed to remain free while an innocent person sits in jail. They kept telling me we know youre a liar, youve got to tell us the truth [] This went on for over nine hours that I was there, Bradford said. Nothing to eat or drink, exhausted, they kept telling me over and over youre not getting out of this room until you tell us what happened [] So in my mind, I thought, the only way Im getting out of here is if I make up this story, and tell them that I did it. Read a related article on whether the US police needs policing The phenomenon of false confessions Evidence of false confessions in the US has been around since the Salem witch trials, says Richard Leo, a professor of law and social psychology at the University of San Francisco. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Leo explains that the phenomenon has only been really accepted in both law enforcement and the public eye in the last 30 years, around the time when the technology of DNA testing became good enough to allow groups like the Innocence Project to prove wrongful convictions. [In by Richard you determine someone is guilty of the crime and the goal is not to get the truth, its to get them to confess to what you, the officer, believe is the truth, your theory of the truth.] Since 1989, 350 wrongfully convicted people have been exonerated through DNA evidence. The Innocence Project says false confessions played a role in around a third of those cases. When including people who were cleared through other means, the National Registry of Exonerations has tracked 2,066 people who had been exonerated of convictions since 1989. There are hundreds of false of confessions out there [from DNA exonerations], and they have to be the tip of the iceberg, because its almost impossible to prove confessions false, said Leo. Leo explains that to understand false confessions in the US, one must understand the basis of interrogation training that has pervaded law enforcement for the last 70 years. A confrontational style of interrogating, known originally as the Reid technique, is generally considered by experts in cases of coerced confessions to be responsible for some, if not most, if not all false confessions, Leo said. While the method may go by different names with slight variances, the underlying style, what Leo calls a guilt-presumptive accusatory method, has remained prominent in modern American law enforcement. [In this technique] you determine someone is guilty of the crime and the goal is not to get the truth, its to get them to confess to what you, the officer, believe is the truth, your theory of the truth. So you pressure, persuade, and sometimes psychologically coerce them, Leo said. For their part, John E Reid and Associates, the company that developed the method, has rebutted Leo and other academics characterisation of their technique on their website. Joseph Buckley, the president of the company, says their training specifically advises against coercive methods and is designed to get the truth from subjects, not just to get a confession. When you look at our core principles [] it talks about not making promises of leniency, not threatening any physical harm or inevitable consequences, Buckley tells Al Jazeera. When you engage in those behaviours [] those are the elements that contribute to false confessions. Victims of wrongful conviction Jeffrey Deskovic believes there were three victims in his wrongful conviction in New York: 15-year-old Angela Correa, who was raped and murdered in 1989, Deskovic himself, who spent 16 years in prison after falsely confessing to the crimes, and Patricia Morrison, who was killed by Steven Cunningham in 1993, four years after Correa died. Cunningham confessed in 2006 to killing Correa after DNA evidence linked him to the attack. I remember at the end I just collapsed on the floor in the fetal position and I was crying uncontrollably, Deskovic, now 43, recalls the moments inside the interrogation room after he falsely confessed. Deskovic, who was 16 years old at the time, told Al Jazeera he was threatened by investigators, fed non-public details of the crime, and finally promised he could go home if he just said what the detectives wanted to hear. That promise pushed Deskovic over the edge after the six-hour interrogation, which was unrecorded. He believes that had the jury seen the full interrogation, they would have come to a different conclusion. I feel like in the grand scheme of things, this should all be viewed as a public safety issue, said Deskovic, who now works as an advocate for the wrongfully convicted. Every time the wrong person is sent away, the actual criminal remains free. Nobody wins when the wrong person is arrested and convicted. Well, theres one winner, thats the actual criminal, he or she won. Read more on how recordings affect police actions in the US: The Philando Castile killing police video sparks outrage A policy with teeth The practice of recording interrogations, when done correctly, creates an objective record of the exchange that protects both defendants and law enforcement from false claims, Leo said. Because of this, law enforcement has mostly embraced the measure, especially as technology has advanced. The Major Cities Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Association of District Attorneys have all published guidelines, referring to it as best practice. Major Cities Chiefs Association recommends all law enforcement agencies implement mandatory recording of custodial interrogations to increase the quality and accuracy of interrogation evidence, Patricia Williams, of the Major Cities Chiefs Association mentioned in a statement to Al Jazeera. According to Williams, the organisation left it up to law enforcement in each state to decide if the policy should be legislated. The crux of current debate is whether the practice should be mandated by law or left as a recommended policy for individual departments to adopt. Advocates of laws on recorded interrogations argue that policies that are not codified in law have no teeth. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Michelle Feldman, a legislative strategist for the Innocence Project who advocated for the bill in Nevada explains that the right to a recorded interrogation is not protected by the US Constitution, so states without unified laws are still vulnerable to misconduct. If you have a policy, most officers are going to follow it. But wrongful convictions happen in the margins. You just have somebody who decides not to record, that could result in a wrongful conviction. You need a uniform practice and you need a consequence for failure not to record to motivate them to do it. Currently, 24 states have court statutes or laws requiring recording for some, if not all, major crimes. It is at the states discretion to agree on what types of crimes will warrant the recording of the interrogation. That number has increased dramatically from just two states requiring the measure 15 years ago. Read more on this topic with a related article on US police use of body cams To the letter Back in the Nevada hearing room, members of law enforcement took turns sitting where the exonerated Bradford had sat moments before. To opponents of the legislation, the stakes are high. Codifying police policy into law, they argued, could jeopardise legitimate cases against rapists and killers, the types of cases for which the Nevada bill specifically required interrogations to be recorded. Minor mistakes could be construed as misconduct, they argued. The legislation did not make evidence from unrecorded interrogations inadmissible, but stated that a judge had to give a jury a cautionary instruction if such evidence was presented in court. Law enforcement representatives worry that could turn a case. That was a concern, Robert Roshak, who testified on behalf of the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association, tells Al Jazeera. If, in fact, everything wasnt followed to the letter, you could lose [a case] on a technicality. Nobody was arguing that its not the best practice to [record interrogations], especially in those kinds of crimes, he says, but [the legislation] left out any kind of officer discretion. Chuck Callaway, who spoke on behalf of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, told the legislators that exceptions written into the law for example, regarding equipment malfunction did not go far enough. [The] issue is law enforcement is not black and white, and theres times when gray areas occur, testified Calloway. Having strict statutory guidelines that say you will do this even if there are some exceptions in this bill exceptions cant possibly cover every scenario thats out there. The Nevada bill was overwhelmingly voted down in the states Senate two days later. Something we can point to Floyd Bledsoe painted pictures of wildlife in a Kansas prison for 15 years. He hadnt been in nature since his arrest and the art reminded him of being free. It also helped keep his mind off of missing his sons youth. Bledsoes 14-year-old sister-in-law, Camille Arfmann, was raped and murdered in 2000. Both he and his brother, Tom, were taken into custody. Tom reportedly admitted to the crime more than once, but later changed his story to implicate Bledsoe. Tom was released. Bledsoe believes his brothers admissions may have turned the jury, but those words were not recorded. I was married, I had two kids, I was trying to build a life for myself. I had 40 acres. While I might not have been rich, I was happy, Bledsoe tells Al Jazeera. Those people who chose not to record took that from me, they stole that. Bledsoes brother admitted to the killing again in 2015 in a suicide note and reportedly gave details of the murder that investigators said only the perpetrator could know, leading to Bledsoes exoneration. The recent passage of laws in New York and Texas give supporters hope that it is just a matter of time before similar laws are passed in every state. In 2016, California also passed a law. These states are three of the four most populated in the US. Its really something we can point to these big states were able to do it, they have all kinds of jurisdictions rural, urban so theres no reason why your state cant do this too, says the Innocence Projects Feldman. Bledsoe stood in front of the Kansas legislators three times in order to support a recording bill. Last year, the legislation failed following opposition from law enforcement who cited budget concerns. In May, a tweaked bill, which only required the audio recording of the entire interrogation, was signed into law. I want to stop those detectives who choose not to push that button, says Bledsoe, who is expecting his first child since he was released. They should not have that power. I understand mistakes happen, equipment fails, but dont make that choice. Thats why I fought for this. Thats why I want people to understand this. A flip-flop by Canadas federal food inspection agency has brought to the forefront controversy surrounding the countrys labelling of Israeli products made in illegal West Bank settlements. Last week, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reversed a decision made less than 24 hours earlier that wines made in two West Bank settlements and sold in Canada could no longer be labeled Product of Israel because the grapes were grown, fermented and processed outside of the countrys internationally recognised borders. On July 13, the agency said it regretted that directive, which led the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to ask sacramental wine vendors to discontinue importing and selling wines made in the settlements of Shilo and Psagot, located in the northern West Bank and near Ramallah. Sacramental wine vendors sell wine used in religious ceremonies. The initial decision to change the labels on the settlement wines was prompted by a complaint lodged in January by David Kattenburg, a 62-year-old Winnipeg resident and the son of Holocaust survivors. In a subsequent complaint to the CFIA in March, Kattenburg noted that the wineries were operating outside of Israel and using grapes grown in the West Bank. READ MORE: How are Palestinians resisting Israels settlement law? To label these wines as Israeli in origin flagrantly violates CFIA regulations, and compromises the trust Canadian consumers have in product origin labelling, Kattenburg wrote, calling for more accurate labelling that would include a reference to the occupied Palestinian territories. The inspection agency initially agreed, but quickly backtracked on the decision as outrage grew among pro-Israel advocacy groups and politicians. Officially, the agency attributed its turnaround to the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA), adding that it would work with the liquor board to correct its original directive. Further clarification of the CIFTA indicates that these wines adhere to the agreement and therefore we can confirm that the products in question can be sold as currently labelled, the agency said in a statement. The food inspection agency cited a CIFTA provision that considers Israel the territory where its customs laws are applied, as opposed to its formal borders. By adhering to the bilateral trade agreement, the agency bypassed the issue of where the grapes were grown. What shocks me is that the Canadian government is saying that the trade deal trumps Canadian domestic law and regulation, specifically in the area of food labelling, Kattenburg told Al Jazeera, noting that neither the CFIA nor the LCBO notified him of their initial or subsequent decisions. Dimitri Lascaris, an Ontario-based lawyer representing Kattenburg, called the reversal an intellectually dishonest attempt at silencing legitimate criticism of Israel. When Canadian consumers go into wine stores, they dont know because of the false labelling that they are potentially enabling people to profit from a war crime, Lascaris told Al Jazeera. He said the governments resorting to the free trade agreement provide[s] a legal pretext for a decision that is political. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the CFIA said it regrets the outcome of the initial decision, noting: It resulted from a technical assessment of country of origin labelling that was based on incomplete information, and did not fully consider the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. OPINION: Canada Is it still good for the Jews? The free trade agreement, signed in 1996, was updated in 2014 under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a staunch Israel ally. Since its expansion, trade between Israel and Canada has tripled to $1.6bn. When the initial directive made by the CFIA became public, owners of both of the affected settlement wineries lashed out at the Canadian government on social media, with one describing the decision as an attempt to crush Jewish heritage. In a Facebook post, Psagot Winery owner Yaakov Berg said he was shocked at the blatant distortion of history on behalf of the Canadian government and slammed Canada as a country with no roots or historical validity of its existence there. Shiloh Winery said the decision was absurd, pointing out that the LCBOs fine wine and premium spirits business unit had promoted one of their red wines in its May 2016 catalogue. Wineries operating in Israeli settlements have witnessed a boom in growth since the early 2000s, thriving on government benefits, such as allocated subsidised water quotas, and funds from various ministries. According to a 2011 report by Who Profits a project that researches entities that benefit commercially from Israels occupation of Arab territory there are at least 29 wineries in the West Bank, each with several vineyards. The expansion of the settler vineyard industry in the West Bank has been even faster. In some areas, dozens of new vineyards have sprung up, seemingly overnight, the report said. Settlers in both the West Bank and the Golan Heights have also used their wineries to promote tourism, gain an extra source of income and operate to normalise the entire settlement enterprise, according to the report. INTERACTIVE: Building the occupation Kattenburg and Lascaris have accused pro-Israel lobby groups like Bnai Brith Canada of campaigning against the original labelling decision. The groups chief executive officer, Michael Mostyn, had called it a disturbing and discriminatory decision, before saying he expected the CFIA ruling to be corrected in short order. Bnai Brith also praised the efforts of federal parliament member Michael Levitt, who said he was shocked and deeply concerned by the directive, which was at odds with Canadas warm ties with Israel. Kattenburg and Lascaris said they planned to take legal measures against the retraction to ensure consumers would be fully informed of where their products come from. These false labels are preventing Canadian consumers from acting according to their conscience, and that is a violation of the law, Lascaris said. What is it like to live in a place with a few hours of electricity a day and eight hours of water every four days? Gaza and Tel Aviv lie only 75 kilometres apart from each other. They share the same sandy topography and the same intensely hot Levantine summers. But the similarities largely end there. Any recent satellite image taken at night over the eastern Mediterranean would show an incandescent blaze for Tel Aviv, and only wan pinpricks of light further down the shore in Gaza. Gaza is in the third month of an externally enforced reduction of its already meagre electrical power supply. The enclave of two million people would ordinarily require about 450 megawatts (MW) of electricity daily for around-the-clock power. However, over much of the past decade, as part of the tight Israeli blockade of Gaza, its power supplies have fluctuated around 200MW, resulting in persistent blackouts. But over the past several months, according to the Israeli human rights organisation Gisha, Gazas supply each day has varied from 140MW to an all-time low of 70MW, lengthening the blackouts and the human suffering. The immediate cause of the power crisis lies with the dispute between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas over fuel taxation. This prompted the PA to request the Israel reduce the 120MW it sold daily down to around 70MW, and Israel has complied. A second source of electricity is Gazas sole power plant, which can only produce 50-55MW daily (on those occasions when it has been able to import fuel from Egypt). The power plant was badly damaged by Israeli bombings in 2006 and again in 2014, and Israel has restricted the entry of replacement parts into Gaza. If the plant was fully operational, it could produce around 140MW. The third supply source for power to Gaza comes from Egypt, which provides around 28MW daily, although there are ongoing disruptions to its availability. And the fourth source is individual solar panels and generators, which are available only to the well-off. The social consequences of this extraordinary power crisis are severe. Households without access to generators or solar panels which is most of Gaza have between 4-6 hours of electricity at the best of times, followed by 12-16 hours of blackouts. Hospitals rely on over-extended generators, and have to ration power. Workplaces are shuttering. More than 100 million litres of untreated sewage spills daily into the Mediterranean, fouling the beaches and the fishing grounds. Food must be bought daily and consumed quickly. Internet service for almost all Gazans, their only link to the outside world is spotty. And there is little available power for air conditioning and fans to combat the sweltering summer heat. The background to the Gaza crisis The United Nations Country Team in the occupied Palestinian territory recently released an incisive report on Gaza (PDF), focusing on the humanitarian impact of Israels 10-year blockade and the internal political divisions among the Palestinians. Its findings are bleak: Gazas impoverishment is entirely the product of human decisions, and not the fate of nature. The year 2007 was ground zero for Gaza. In July of that year, Israel imposed its comprehensive blockade on the Strip, and declared it to be an enemy entity. Life before 2007 in Gaza was already very difficult, but now it has become harsh and unremitting. Gaza, which was once said to be the future Singapore of the Middle East, has become a metaphor for immiseration. INTERACTIVE: 24 Hours in Gaza According to the UN report, between 2006 and 2016, Gazas real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita declined by 5.3 percent, while it grew in the occupied West Bank by 48.5 percent. Poverty has increased from 30 percent of the population in 2004 to around 40 percent today. Gaza suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, at 41 percent by the end of 2016. Over 60 percent of Gazans between 20-24 years old are without work, and the unemployment rate for women between 2006 and 2016 increased sharply from 35 percent to 64 percent. More than 60 percent of the population in 2017 was partly or wholly dependent on humanitarian assistance. According to other reports, gender-based violence, divorce rates, suicide and drug use are all on the rise. Gazas traditional economic sectors are withering. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and manufacturing have all declined in economic size, and the principal source of growth, tragically, has come from the reconstruction of the neighbourhoods destroyed during the three conflicts with Israel over the past nine years. Israel controls what leaves and enters Gaza, with the average number of truckloads of goods exiting Gaza in the first five months of 2017 less than a third of what it was during the first half of 2007. Gazas economic trajectory over the past decade, the UN report stated, is a strong indicator of the ongoing de-development in the Strip. The situation of drinking water in Gaza is at a desperate level. The unsustainable over-extraction of Gazas coastal aquifer has caused the intrusion of seawater, with 96 percent of the groundwater now unsuitable for human consumption. Half of the population has access to water for only eight hours every four days, and another 30 percent receives water for eight hours every three days. Trucked water is 15-20 times more expensive than network water, and it is unreliable in terms of quality. As with other scarce goods, it is the poor and vulnerable who are affected the most. A new water agreement between Israel and the PA, announced recently, may bring some future relief, but Gazas best bet is water self-reliance through desalination plants and secure electricity sources. The UN report reminds the world that Israel remains the occupying power in Gaza, as it controls its land, sea and air borders, even if it no longer has boots on the ground. As such, it retains legal obligations to the population to ensure its health, dignity and well-being. In particular, the report emphasises that the numerous restrictions imposed by Israel on both movements of people and goods into and out of Gaza impede the enjoyment of a range of human rights such as the right to freedom of movement and the right to health, education, work, adequate standards of living and family life. The other parties that share responsibility for Gaza Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt also have a legal duty to observe human rights and humanitarian standards, which has not always been kept in recent years. READ MORE: Will Mohammed Dahlan return to lead Gaza? In 2012, the UN issued a report entitled Gaza in 2020: A Liveable Place? (PDF). If that report was gloomy, the new UN report is desolate. It concludes that Gaza, in the interceding five years, has endured a downward spiral of de-development, while the people of Gaza are caught in a cycle of humanitarian need and perpetual aid dependency. With less than three years before 2020, the report warns that, unless the present path is radically altered, Gaza will become more isolated and more desperate with the chances of more devastating conflicts and an even more flattened economy on the horizon. Should this happen, the hope for political reconciliation among the Palestinians and an enduring peace between Israel and Palestine will become that much more elusive. Will those nighttime satellite images of Gaza soon be able to detect any lights at all? Michael Lynk is the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967. He was appointed in 2016. He also teaches at the Faculty of Law, Western University, in London, Ontario, Canada. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Fresh-faced doesnt even begin to describe Simon Muturi. Hes a 24-year-old small businessman from Nyeri County, the heartland of incumbent Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Hes also the nominated candidate for his ward, under Kenyattas Jubilee Party. Simon, or roho-safi (clean-hearted) as his supporters like to call him, is not your typical candidate. He is young, has no political connections or clout to shake a stick at, and he campaigns on a bicycle. He turned his bicycle into a campaign gimmick to better identify with the ordinary voter, but also its all he can afford. My campaign budget is 20,000 shillings (about $200) between now and August 8, he told me in an interview in early June. Whats even more endearing about Simons story is that in a region where securing his partys nomination more or less means that he will be his wards next representative, he managed to beat a field of candidates who are richer, better connected, and far more politically experienced than him to get the nomination. Double his age, and hed still be the youngest contender. So how did a greenhorn beat the field? Maybe his success had something to do with the fact that 50 percent of the electorate in his ward are young people between the ages of 18 and 35. Every other candidate for the seat is over 50, so his success was not a surprise when you look at it that way. In fact, if you look at Kenyas national voter register statistics, youll find that young voters below the age of 35 constitute 51 percent of the entire electorate. So this election, if only just, qualifies as a young persons election. The more energetic, more exuberant half of the population now statistically has the upper hand, which matters a lot. Simons success shows that the Kenyan youth is ready to get behind a younger candidate. But the national race is still being led by older politicians and old politics that do not necessarily reflect the will of the young electorate. Old candidates in a young election Opinion polls released on the race so far put President Kenyatta, aged 55, ahead with 47 percent of the vote, and his closest challenger, opposition stalwart Raila Odinga, who is 72, at 42 percent. So neither candidate has enough votes to pass Kenyas constitutional threshold of 50 percent to secure a victory. According to the polls, 3 percent of registered voters are not planning to take part in the forthcoming election and 8 percent are still undecided. It is likely that these undecided voters are young people and they will be the ones determining Kenyas next president if they eventually decide to vote for one of the main contenders. In a country where 80 percent of the population is aged below 35, just 13 percent of those running for various offices are in that age band. That tells you something about the paternalistic politics that Kenya is struggling to break away from. Neither one of the countrys main political formations even considered having a young person as part of their senior-most leadership. Young people have no stake in the countrys national politics and they are rapidly losing interest. READ MORE: Kenyas Uhuru Kenyatta pulls out of election debates Both main presidential candidates say that their agenda is to unlock the potential of the youth in Kenya, but every time they voice these sentiments, their statements ring hollow. Overall, what these politicians are selling is nothing more than a slapstick version of the young Kenyans identity and needs. Unfortunately, the reality is far grimmer. Neither candidate has the mojo they had in past elections to mobilise their young supporters effectively. by According to a 2016 World Bank Report, Kenya has the highest unemployment rate among East African nations, with nearly one in every five Kenyans without a job. A majority of those without jobs are young people. At the sharp end of nearly every socio-economic problem in Kenya, you will find a young person. During past presidential campaigns, Kenyan youth formed the willing crowd that cheered both sides as ethnic tropes were bandied about. They shouted the loudest at campaign rallies. But this time around, the mask that both political sides wear during campaign season seems to be slipping off. There are a couple of reasons for this. Uhuru Kenyattas base is made of smallholder farmers, who expected heavy investments in agriculture in return for their overwhelming support of Kenyattas candidature in 2013. Yet as late as July this year, you hear their murmurs of discontent about coffee and milk prices in central Kenya. Many of these farmers are young people, either raised on farms or forced to work on them because of a lack of options. Kenyattas promises arent sticking quite as well with them as they used to. In Odingas base, his claim that he hasnt really had a chance to lead and change the lives of his people just isnt sticking either. His five-year term as prime minister, to the man on the street, was opportunity enough for Odinga to change the fortunes of his constituency. Also, theft of resources by governors in his stronghold regions, under Kenyas now five-year-old devolved system of governance, has upset a lot of his voters. He is campaigning on a drain-the-swamp agenda, yet Odinga hasnt checked the rapacity of some of the governors in his party who have been accused of theft. So the Kenyan youth is not entirely convinced about his potential to change the country for the better either. INFOGRAPHIC: Kenyas Water Women In short, neither candidate has the mojo they had in past elections to mobilise their young supporters effectively. Odinga doesnt represent the brand of change that he did in 2007, which energised the youth back then. Kenyatta doesnt have the ICC cases hanging over him as he did in 2013, something that he (very cleverly) used to extract the sympathy of older voters, and the rebelliousness of younger voters against what was seen as foreign interference in Kenyas local politics. But even this didnt prove to be enough for young voters to feel enthusiastic about supporting him. Youth is interested in local politics The Kenyan youth may be losing interest in national politics, but that is not the case with local politics and both presidential candidates are partially responsible for this. In 2010, Odinga as prime minister, and Kenyatta as deputy prime minister, both campaigned hard for the passing of a new constitution, which ushered in a devolved system of governance. Kenya was run from Nairobi in the past, but now it is run in 47 counties, each with the budget and the political structures to manage its own affairs. The fact that politics is hyper-local now means that Kenyans have a reason to vote in local elections, in spite of their collective disappointment with the old-hat politics at the national level. Contests at the county level have all the passion that the national race seems to have lost, if not all the promise of change that young voters yearn for. Young people, especially now, can see a more tangible reason to take part in local politics. Twenty-four-year-old Simons ambition, if he does indeed become his wards representative, is to become the governor in his county one day, not the president. It is because he sees very clearly that county-level politics has a real impact on his life that national politics never really did. Roads now exist where there were none, theres more money at the local level and crucially for people such as Simon, the barriers to entry for local politics are far lower than those for national politics. Thats why presidential candidates, whose meddling in local affairs to marshal support for themselves was once a given, are now facing open resistance to the idea of imposing their chosen candidates on the public. Fundamentally, the differences between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga are so indistinguishable for young people that they may decide not to vote for either of them. The challenge for either political side is to energise young voters who see in this election a future that looks just like their past one in which they were forgotten. John-Allan Namu is a Kenyan investigative journalist and the co-founder of Africa Uncensored, an investigative and in-depth storytelling publication. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Violence prompts many humanitarian groups to suspend activities in the Central African Republic city of Bangassou. Suspected Christian fighters killed two Moroccan peacekeepers from the United Nations mission in the Central African Republic on Tuesday, the mission said, in the second deadly attack on Moroccan forces this week. The peacekeepers were ambushed by suspected Anti-balaka fighters in the town of Banagassou, 700 kilometres east of the capital Bangui, as they stocked up on water to deliver to the population, the mission said in a statement. Thousands have died in an ethnic and religious conflict that broke out when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew President Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a backlash from Christian Anti-balaka armed groups. READ MORE: Muslims return to CAR to find their homes are gone Tuesdays raid, which injured a third soldier, followed similar attacks by suspected Anti-balaka fighters in the diamond-mining town in recent days, including one on Sunday that killed a Moroccan peacekeeper and left three others wounded. On Friday, a patrol of peacekeepers was shot at and one of the attackers killed, a MINUSCA peacekeeping mission spokesman told AFP news agency, again blaming pro-Christian fighters. Six peacekeepers were killed in Bangassou in May. The violence has prompted several humanitarian organisations to suspend their activities in Bangassou, where fighting in May killed at least 115 people. It also points to the inability of the 13,000-strong UN force to contain violence in a country where government control barely extends outside the capital. I am shocked by these new losses of human life, and I firmly condemn this flagrant violation of the right to life and of international law, mission chief Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said in the statement. Violence has escalated in the Central African Republic since former colonial power France ended its peacekeeping mission in the country last year and despite a peace deal signed between the government and rival factions in Rome last month. Opposition in final push before Sundays vote as vigil to honour killed protesters broken up by police. Venezuelas opposition is pushing for a boycott of an upcoming vote that it dismisses as a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to cling to power. The opposition plastered election centres with slogans on Monday in a final week-long push to force Maduro into aborting the election. Maduro is pressing ahead with the vote for a Constitutional Assembly on Sunday despite the opposition of most Venezuelans, a crescendo of international criticism, and some dissent within his ruling Socialist Party. On Monday, a vigil in honour of the people killed in months-long protests against Maduro was abruptly brought to an end after security forces broke up the gathering. The security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds of protesters gathered to pay their respects to those killed in the conflict. Men could be seen throwing themselves on the ground to avoid being hit by gunshots, which could be heard in the distance. At least one man was arrested and was taken away by police as clashes erupted near the peaceful gathering. The vigil took place on the highway, near at the site where Neomar Lander, a 17-year-old, was killed during a protest last month. At least 97 people have died, and thousands have been injured or detained since the anti-government protest movement began almost four months ago. Lawyer imprisoned In another development, a Venezuelan military court ordered the imprisonment of a lawyer that congress named to a shadow Supreme Court in a swipe at Maduro, according to a rights group and an opposition leader. Angel Zerpa went on a hunger strike after being arrested on Saturday, said Foro Penal, a group that defends political prisoners in this oil rich country that is in the throes of a political and economic crisis. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles also said Zerpa had been imprisoned. READ MORE: Why I support Nicolas Maduro Zerpa was denied the right to have a lawyer of his choice with him when he appeared before the military court, Capriles said. Maduro warned on Sunday that 33 judges whom the opposition-controlled congress designated last week as a sort of shadow Supreme Court would be arrested. So far, Zerpa is the only one known to have been arrested. The opposition says the current top court is packed with hardcore Maduro loyalists. Many of its justices were hastily appointed shortly before Maduros ruling party lost its majority in congress in 2015 legislative elections. Foreign Minister tells EUs Mogherini that Qatar must accept in full demands by Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Egypt has said that the four Arab states will accept no compromise in their dispute with Qatar over allegations that Doha supports terrorism. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, speaking after talks with the European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Tuesday, said Qatar must accept in full the demands by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is not an issue of compromise. We cannot compromise with any form of terrorism, we cannot compromise or enter into any form of negotiations, Shoukry told a news conference. It is only once the necessary measures are undertaken by Qatar, that goes towards truly accepting to be a partner in the fight against terrorism, that this crisis will be resolved, he said. READ MORE: Saudi lobby pays $138,000 for anti-Qatar ads in the US Egypts top diplomat said Qatar was harbouring elements associated to terrorist ideologies, to radical ideologies, that they have utilised their media outlets to promote and to justify and to glorify terrorist activity. Shoukry was highlighting what Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday that his government would keep up the blockade of Qatar, in defiance of international efforts to end the crisis. Egypt will stand by its decision and will not backtrack on this matter, Sisi said at a youth conference in Alexandria. Our persistence on its own, our stance, and this block, is pressure in itself. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said on Friday that Doha was ready for dialogue to resolve the diplomatic row with the Saudi-led group, but stressed that any solution to the crisis must respect his countrys sovereignty. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar last month, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar has denied the allegation. The four Arab states have demanded that Qatar stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood movement, end ties with their Shiite rival Iran, and close broadcaster Al Jazeera which they accuse of inciting unrest in their countries. But they face mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott against Qatar, particularly from the United States. READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis All the latest updates Mogherini, who at the weekend met Kuwaits emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, a key figure involved in trying to mediate the crisis, in turn reiterated calls for talks to resolve the crisis We in Europe see this as a need not just for one country but for all countries, she said on Tuesday, adding that the EU shared with Egypt a clear commitment to fight terrorism. But she added that the EU believed the Kuwaiti-mediated talks can and should start as a matter of urgency, if only to head off fresh tensions which undermine the fight against terrorism. The EU will continue to have good relations with all the countries involved, Mogherini added. Defendants were charged with rioting, vandalism and attacking police during protests in December 2011. An Egyptian criminal court on Tuesday sentenced 43 activists to life in prison in connection with violence in 2011 following the removal of former President Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising, judicial sources said. The defendants were charged with rioting, vandalism and attacking security forces during clashes with police and the army in Cairo in December 2011, in which at least 17 people were killed and almost 2,000 were wounded. The court also fined the defendants more than 17 million Egyptian pounds ($948,661) combined for vandalising public property during the clashes. READ MORE: Egypt sentences 28 to death over top prosecutor killing Nine others were sentenced to 10 years in prison and one to five years, while 92 were acquitted. The defendants can appeal against their verdicts to a higher court. Life sentences in Egypt last 25 years. The case was retried because initial verdicts in 2015 had been issued while the defendants were in abstentia. Mass trials have been common since the army deposed Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following nationwide demonstrations against his rule. Both local and international rights groups have repeatedly voiced criticism against the practice. The clashes in December 2011 broke out near the cabinet and parliament buildings in the Egyptian capital months after the Arab Spring uprising that ousted Mubarak. Six years after his ousting, the ex-president was released from detention in March after being cleared of inciting the killings of hundreds of protesters in 2011. Turkish president accuses West of manipulating his country, saying he will not back down in feud with Germany. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the era of a submissive Turkey bowing to every Western demand is over. Erdogans comments came on Tuesday as top European Union officials held talks with Turkeys foreign minister in Brussels. The West wants Turkey to do, without question, whatever they want I am sorry to say that Turkey no longer exists, Erdogan said. Turkey has been mired in an escalating diplomatic row with Germany after the arrests last week of a group of human rights activists, including a German national, over terror-related charges. Earlier, a German-Turkish journalist was arrested for allegedly spying and aiding Kurdish rebels. Erdogan on Tuesday refused to back down in the feud with Germany, saying: They dont want us to retaliate while their agents run around freely. EU membership Turkeys long-standing bid for EU membership remains in the deep freeze and show no signs of thawing. It applied to join the EU three decades ago, and it started negotiating in 2005. But of the 16 negotiating chapters on issues as varied as capital movement and food safety, only one science and research has been provisionally closed. Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik met with EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Tuesday. Their meeting agenda included Ankaras EU accession, immigration, Turkeys demands for visa-free travel for its citizens, the fight against terrorism and energy and trade ties. Qatars defence minister warns of legal action if the four Arab nations do not end siege that is in its second month. The blockade imposed on Qatar by four Arab states must be lifted before the country can engage into a dialogue, Qatars Defence Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah said. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of interfering in their affairs and supporting terrorism. Foreign diplomats have visited the region, urging dialogue to resolve the crisis that is now in its second month. However, the al-Attiyah said lifting the siege should precede any dialogue. READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis All the latest updates If the blockading countries remain reluctant to lift the siege, Qatar will be compelled to resort to the available international legal procedures to lift it, al-Attiyah said in an interview with Russia Today, excerpts of which was published by Qatars official news agency on Tuesday. The Qatari minister ruled out the relocation of the Al-Udeid US military base from his country. The US-Qatari relations are strong, he said, going on to deny that the acceleration of the deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar was in anticipation of any military escalation against Doha. The Turkish and US military presence in Qatar doesnt pose any kind of sensitivity at all, he said, arguing that the Saudi-led group has relied in its escalation on US President Donald Trumps tweets. They forgot that the US is a country of institutions, most of which is the department of state, which has explicitly supported the Qataris position, he said. READ MORE: No justification for cutting diplomatic ties On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described his trip to the Gulf productive and successful, following two days of talks that appeared to yield no immediate progress towards healing the rift. The visits on the Gulf tour were productive and successful, Erdogan told legislators from his ruling AK Party at a parliamentary meeting. The contacts we have made during this visit have been useful, and we will continue our efforts for the stability and peace of the region with increasing determination. Turkey has been Qatars most powerful ally in the dispute. Additions to terror list include nine groups from Libya and Yemen, and nine Qataris, Yemenis and Kuwaitis. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have added 18 individuals and groups to its terror list, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The four Arab states cut ties with Qatar on June 5. In addition to placing a political and economic blockade, the countries placed 71 Qatar-funded or Qatar-based individuals and organisations on a ban list because of alleged links to Qatar over terrorism. The new entrants include entities from Libya and Yemen and individuals from Qatar, Yemen and Kuwait who the Arab states say have direct and indirect links to Qatari authorities, a joint statement by the Saudi-led group said, according to SPA. Qatar has vehemently rejected the groups accusations of funding terrorism as baseless. Tuesdays additions to the list include three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya, which the four Arab governments accuse of having ties to al-Qaeda. They also banned three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti they said were implicated in fundraising campaign to support [former al-Qaeda affiliated] al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria, SPA reported. The move by the four Arab governments came despite mounting international pressure to compromise in their blockade on Qatar which is in its second month. OPINION: The turning point of the GCC crisis On June 22, the Saudi-led group issued a 13-point list of demands, including shutting down Al Jazeera, limiting ties with Iran and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country, as a prerequisite to lifting the sanctions. Doha refused to accept those demands. Earlier this month, Qatar and the US signed an agreement to help combat terrorism financing. But the Saudi-led group called the agreement insufficient and said it would carefully monitor the seriousness of Qatari authorities in combating all forms of financing, supporting and harbouring terrorism. The US has praised Qatar for signing the deal and for its commitment to the effort to track down and disable terror financing. Trump also called Hezbollah a menace to the Middle East during a joint press conference with Lebanons PM Saad Hariri. US President Donald Trump accused Syrias leader Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of committing horrible crimes against humanity and vowed to prevent his regime from carrying out any more chemical attacks. Speaking at a White House press conference with Lebanons Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Trump also called the Lebanese Shia armed group, Hezbollah, a threat to the entire Middle East. Im not a fan of Assad. I certainly think that what hes done to that country and to humanity is horrible, Trump said. Recalling that he had ordered cruise missile attacks on Assad for using chemical weapons, Trump said: I am not somebody that will stand by and let him get away with what he tried to do. OPINION: Why Trumps foreign policy is dangerous Trump also said he believed there might not be any Russian or Iranian involvement in Syria today had former President Barack Obama taken action against Assad. Trump accused Hezbollah and Iran of heightening the humanitarian disaster in Syria. Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region, he said. The group continues to increase its military arsenal which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel, Trump added. With the support of Iran, the organisation is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. Hezbollahs true interests are those of itself and its sponsor, Iran, he said. Trump demurred when asked to comment on sanctions against Hezbollah. Ill be making my position very clear over the next 24 hours, he said. I have meetings with some of my very expert military representatives and others, so Ill be making that decision very shortly. Trump praised Hariri for his nations effort in hosting Syrian refugees. I want to thank the prime minister and the Lebanese people for giving shelter to those victimised by ISIS [ISIL, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], the Assad regime and their supporters and sponsors, and pledge our continued support to Lebanon, Trump said at a press conference with Hariri. Trump, who has sought to halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees into the United States and vowed cuts to US foreign aid programmes, stressed the importance of helping people close to home and said the US would continue to provide humanitarian support to efforts in Lebanon. OPINION: Xenophobia will not solve Lebanons refugee crisis Our approach, supporting the humanitarian needs of displaced Syrian citizens as close to their home country as possible, is the best way to help most people, he said. Hariri pointed to the challenges faced by his nation in hosting some 1.5 million displaced Syrians. Syrian refugees make up about 25 percent of Lebanons population of about 6 million people. Another item on the prime ministers agenda is continued US support for the Lebanese military. Trump praised the Lebanese army for fighting continually to guard Lebanons border and prevent ISIS and other terrorists from gaining a foothold inside their country. The United States military has been proud to help in that fight and will continue to do so, he said. Americas assistance can help ensure that the Lebanese army is the only defender Lebanon needs. The current draft state department budget calls for cuts in US military assistance and analysts say Lebanon could be among the countries affected. Jared Kushner has testified before the Senate investigators saying all of his actions were proper. US President Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, answered questions from senate investigators for hours behind closed doors on Monday, acknowledging four meetings with Russians during and after Trumps victorious White House bid and insisting he had nothing to hide. He emerged smiling to publicly declare, All of my actions were proper. Kushner, a quiet insider who avoids the spotlight, was the first top Trump lieutenant to be quizzed by the congressional investigators probing Russias meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The wealthy developer-turned-presidential adviser spoke privately with staff members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and will return to talk to the House intelligence panel on Tuesday. Let me be very clear, Kushner said afterwards in a rare public statement at the White House. I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. Trump watched on TV as Kushner made his appearance outside the West Wing and thought Jared did a great job, said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She said his House testimony on Tuesday would show what a hoax this entire thing is. Kushners appearance has been highly anticipated, in part because of a series of headlines in recent months about his interactions with Russians and because until Monday he had not personally responded to questions about an incomplete security clearance form and his conversations with foreigners. Earlier on Monday, Kushner released an 11-page statement that was billed as his remarks to both the Senate and House committees. In it, he acknowledged his Russian contacts during the campaign and the following weeks, in which he served as a liaison between the transition and foreign governments. His statement was the first detailed defence from a campaign insider responding to the controversy that has all but consumed the first six months of Trumps presidency. READ MORE: Putin, Trump held second undisclosed G20 conversation Kushner also denied reports that he discussed setting up a secret back-channel with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. In the statement, Kushner described contacts with Kislyak and other Russian officials as normal in his former role as the campaign liaison to foreign governments. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government, he said in the statement. Kushner is married to Trumps eldest daughter Ivanka. He said he did speak with Kislyak in December at Trump Tower, but that conversation was about policy in Syria. He also said he met a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, at the request of Kislyak, but no specific policies were discussed. Trump Jr and Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, who was also at the June 2016 meeting, were scheduled to give evidence before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. But on Friday their attorneys said the two men were in discussions to be privately interviewed by staff or politicians, though the chairman of the committee, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, has said they will eventually testify in public. Trump took to Twitter over the weekend to defend himself and repeat his criticism of the investigations. On Sunday, he tweeted: As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians! Government and aid agencies scale up efforts as hospitals overflow with patients, with dengue cases topping 100,000. The worst-ever outbreak of dengue fever has killed nearly 300 people in Sri Lanka, with aid agencies warning against further spread of the mosquito-borne viral disease. The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Monday that they were scaling up emergency assistance to the island nation, as the number of dengue cases topped 100,000. Dengue patients are streaming into overcrowded hospitals that are stretched beyond capacity and struggling to cope, particularly in the countrys hardest hit western province, Red Cross/Red Crescent said in a statement. The Red Cross announced it was increasing its budget by $300,000 to cope with the unprecedented outbreak. The ministry of health said the number of dengue infections has climbed above 100,000 since the start of 2017, with 296 deaths. That figure is nearly double the previous year, with about half those cases reported from the islands west, including the capital Colombo. Health officials blamed the current crisis on recent monsoon rains and floods that have left pools of stagnant water and rotting rain-soaked rubbish, ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes that carry the virus which causes flu-like symptoms and can develop into the deadly hemorrhagic dengue fever. The Red Cross warned that ongoing downpours and worsening sanitation conditions raise concerns the disease will continue to spread. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue is one of the worlds fastest growing diseases, endemic in 100 countries, with as many as 390 million infections annually. Early detection and treatment save lives when infections are severe, particularly for young children. Dengue is endemic here, but one reason for the dramatic rise in cases is that the virus currently spreading has evolved and people lack the immunity to fight off the new strain, Novil Wijesekara, head of health at the Sri Lanka Red Cross said in a statement. READ MORE: My close call with Dengue The unprecedented outbreak of the disease has forced the closure of schools as tens of thousands of volunteers have joined soldiers in identifying mosquito breeding grounds. Instructions have gone out to all schools today to coordinate with local authorities and look for any mosquito breeding areas in their immediate neighbourhood, an education ministry official said. Troops have already been spreading out across the island to help local councils drain pools of stagnant water to ensure mosquito larvae have nowhere to flourish. Last week, Australia said it was donating $1.2m to manage patients and help with research to contain the spread of the virus. Authorities have blamed a waste management crisis in the capital for the unusually large number of infections. Sri Lankas main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people. Gainesville city officials hope that in the future citizens will be able to cast votes for city commissioners in late summer instead of spring. It just wont be anytime in the near future. At a meeting last week, the Gainesville City Commission postponed a decision that would extend a commissioners term from three years to four years, in addition to moving the election date from March to August. Every year, City Commission elections take place in March. If the new date was approved, Gainesville voters could cast ballots for commissioners around the same time they vote for state representatives, county representatives and school board representatives. Only two commissioners Harvey Budd and Charles Goston expressed discontent regarding the idea. Instead of approving a question to be placed on the March 2018 commissioner ballot that would ask voters whether theyd like the election day to change, a 6-to-1 vote postponed the movement. We have five members of the commission that are ready to move forward, said Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe. We have one who ... I believe just wants a little bit more information and wants to think about it a bit longer. If the ballot does pass in the future and the election date is adjusted Poe said it could significantly affect future elections, especially in encouraging voter turnout. The positive impact is you at least double voter turnout and when you have twice the voters, you have twice the democracy, Poe said. Democracy works best when more people participate and this will certainly cause that. Like Poe, at-large Commissioner Helen Warren said shes hopeful the ballot will pass the next time the members vote. When it comes back, well have to vote again, and Im hoping that there will still be six commissioners to support that, she said. The main thing that weve all been talking about is to get more people to show up for elections. Kristen Jackson, a UF civil engineering sophomore, said that while she did vote in the latest spring City Commission elections, she would have preferred to vote in the fall instead. Having our elections held at a different time of year makes it harder to inform and interest people, the 18-year-old said. More people are likely to vote in congressional and governor races. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Warren added that changing the election date would save city money. The rough estimate has been that it cost about $100,000 every time we do a city election, independent of any other county or state or national election, Warren said. While cost does play a part in why some would like the ballot to pass, Poe said its not his main focus. The most important thing is increasing voter participation, he said. After what police described as a modified Russian roulette, a Gainesville man has been accused of trying to murder his older brother. Julian Lee Myhand, 27, was arrested Saturday night on a charge of attempted homicide. At about 11 p.m. police responded to a call that Myhand was holding his brother at gunpoint in a house on Southeast 46th Terrace, according to an Alachua County Sheriffs Office arrest report. The house is located less than a mile away from Eastside High School. Myhands brother told police he was asleep in his room when he woke to Myhand touching his forehead and saying, Ill burn you, according to the report. When his brother stood up, Myhand pulled a revolver from his back pocket and pointed it at his face, according to the report. Myhand emptied five bullets from the gun, leaving one bullet in the chamber. According to the report, Myhand told his brother he was going to kill him. With the gun pointed at his brother, Myhand then pulled the trigger three times, according to the report. No bullets were fired. Immediately after Myhand pulled the trigger, police arrived and used a stun gun on him, according to the report. Myhands father told police he witnessed the event and confirmed what Myhands brother said. According to the report, Myhand told police the gun he used did not belong to him. As of Monday evening, Myhand remains in Alachua County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond. He faces a charge of attempted homicide. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Do progressives really want a President Pence? Their immediate answer may be: yes, impeach President Donald Trump no matter what, but if progressives considered what was best for their agenda, they would recognize how relatively great the Trump presidency has been thus far. Last week, special counsel Robert Mueller revealed the Department of Justices probe of Trumps campaign regarding collusion with Russia would be extended to allow investigation into all of Trumps business transactions with Russians dating as far back as 2008. While this revelation hasnt grabbed headlines like previous developing stories on Russian collusion, it could have serious legal implications for Trump. Doing business in Russia is not like doing business in the U.S. The Russian economy is largely controlled by the president and is run more like a mob than a legitimate economic organization. Because of this, to have favorable business deals in Russia, businessmen have to do business as Russians do. In other words, in order to have a successful business in Russia, ethical standards are abandoned to give bribes to elected officials or to pay whoever needs to be appeased. As a result, Trump, who has had several successful business ventures in Russia since 2008, should be particularly worried. It does not take much of an imagination to see Trump bribing a crony of Russian President Vladimir Putins to ensure the success of his Miss Universe pageant. This has potential to expose his presidencys possible less-than-legal financial exchanges, which could evolve into grounds for impeachment and removal from office. While this may be the result progressives have been clamoring for since his inauguration, it may not be as desirable as they imagine. If Trump is impeached and subsequently removed from office, Vice President Mike Pence would be sworn in as president. Pence, because he was not directly elected by the Americans, would obviously lack the popular legitimacy an American presidency desires. Nevertheless, for many reasons, he would be a much tougher opponent for liberals. This leads me to question why liberals would want to remove a president from office who may be the most liberal Republican president in recent history. Trump may not seem to be a liberal on the surface: He ran as a Republican, favors increased military spending, advocates for limited government in most areas and nominated a textualist to the U.S Supreme Court. These are traditionally conservative ideological views, but does Trump himself favor these ideas? Trump has expressed protectionist trade views on the campaign trail and has even supported Democratic political candidates vocally and financially both of which are counter to typical Republican ideals and are much more aligned with liberals than conservatives. Pence as president would be a dream come true for establishment Republicans who have openly opposed Trump since he declared his candidacy. Establishment Republicans have ensured that no major legislation would pass for Trump to sign. Nearly everything substantial that Trump has accomplished thus far has been a result of executive orders. This would not be a problem with a President Pence. Pence has enjoyed amicable relations with Republicans during his entire career. Instead of encountering resistance among Senate and House Republicans, Pence could take advantage of a united Republican majority and pass major legislation. Mike Pence is a rock-ribbed conservative. He does not support LGBTQ+ rights, is anti-abortion and generally holds views counter to those held by progressives on the issues they hold most dear. And because Pence has such good relations with his fellow Republicans, he would likely be able to make progress in achieving his desired goals. A President Pence could push Democrats to tone down their hysteria, considering Pence is a more traditional politician that is nowhere near as controversial as Trump and doesnt tweet everything that comes to mind. So, how would a Trump impeachment help advance the progressive agenda? Jack Story is a UF graduate. His column appears on Tuesdays. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now After a hearing in Londons High Court of Justice on Monday afternoon, July 24, all parties agreed that doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital should be allowed to disconnect life support from baby Charlie Gard as soon as his parents have had a chance to say their final goodbyes to their son. The sad and perhaps inevitable premature end of life for 11-month old Charlie could come at any time. Charlie Gard The legal and medical tug of war involving Charlie Gard, his parents, his doctors, and the state had dragged on for months, almost since Charlie was diagnosed last fall with a serious and extremely rare genetic neurological disorder that impaired his chances for normal development and survival. That condition is mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Since early in 2017, Charlies parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, wanted their child their first born to be treated by an innovative but unproven experimental therapy at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. The treatment is known as nucleoside bypass therapy or NBT, an oral medication that theoretically offered the possibility to repair Charlies mitochondrial DNA and help it synthesize again by giving him the naturally occurring compounds his body isnt able to produce. Meanwhile, Charlies British physicians maintained pretty much from the outset of his hospitalization that his condition was too far advanced for anything to help him survive longer than a short time and enjoy anything like a decent and pain free quality of life. The story of little Charlie was covered extensively in the British press and was widely reported around the world including in the United States. Public interest in and support for Charlies parents, with the Pope and President Donald Trump tweeting their encouragement, was instrumental in helping to delay earlier court orders giving the hospital legal permission to end Charlies life. Charlie's parents arrive at the High Court of Justice in London July 24, 2017 Charlies last day in court On Monday afternoon, July 24 at 2 PM BST (British Summer Time), the latest court proceeding convened in London. In the Matter of the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court and in the Matter of Charles Gard (DOB 04/08/2016) Between: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Applicant and Constance Yates, Chris Gard, Charles Gard (a Child by his Guardian) The purpose was expected to be the presentation of fresh evidence about Charlie Gards medical condition and perhaps a more promising prognosis following new tests and an evaluation of Charlie last week by Michio Hirano, M.D. of Columbia University. The judicial proceedings were expected to last two days. However, within minutes of the hearing getting underway, Grant Armstrong, the attorney representing Charlie Gard's parents, who were in the courtroom, announced to the surprise and dismay of most of the people who were present that the parents were withdrawing their appeal of the courts earlier orders that Charlies life support should end. The parents were also ending their effort to take Charlie to the United States for treatment by Dr. Hirano. According to scores of live tweets from the courtroom by attorney and journalist Joshua Rozenberg, Armstrong said, Time has run out for Charlie and treatment cannot now offer chance of success. Rozenberg continued to report in more tweets, sometimes several per minute. Parents withdraw request for change to original order, Rozenberg quoted Armstrong as saying meaning they no longer wanted to challenge earlier court orders that life support should be removed, which would allow Charlie to die. The scene became emotional as gasps and tears were reported among many people in the courtroom, including Charlies parents: Courtroom silent. . . Supporters and family look pale and shocked. Rozenberg quoted Armstrong saying the situation is worthy of a Greek tragedy that they must withdraw now. Window of opportunity for treatment has been lost. Mr. Justice Francis After Armstrong finished speaking, the attorney representing the hospital, Katie Gollop, addressed the court, followed by the judge, Mr. Justice Francis. The parents now have to face reality that it is in Charlies best interests to die, the judge said. He also opened the door to introducing subtle criticism of Dr. Hirano, who had not even been publicly identified as a consultant in the case until ten days ago. According to Mr. Justice Francis, If a doctor is to give evidence to this court, that doctor should see the patient first. This comment appeared to refer to the fact that Hiranos medical opinion had been offered in prior High Court proceedings before he first examined Charlie on July 17. Judge Francis also criticized news analysts and some of Charlies supporters: The notion that Charlie was a prisoner of the NHS [National Health Service] is the antithesis of the truth. The judge reserved special criticism for news media: The world of social media doubtless has very many benefits but one of its pitfalls, I suggest, is that when cases such as this go viral, the watching world feels entitled to express opinions, whether or not they are evidence-based. Charlies mother takes the witness stand Connie Yates requested the opportunity to address the court. According to Rozenbergs tweets, Ms. Yates said Charlie is not brain dead. . . No evidence of irreversible brain damage. . . A whole lot of time has been wasted apparently a reference to the court not allowing Charlie to be taken to New York in a timely manner for Dr. Hiranos medical treatment. Treatment would have improved his quality of life. Our poor boy has just been left to lie there for months without treatment left with this illness to deteriorate to point of no return, Connie Yates said later in a statement outside of court. With a sense of resignation, Connie Yates told the court (according to Rozenbergs tweets): His illness has deteriorated to the point of no return. But no organ has failed. No proof he is in pain or suffering. However, prospect of improvement now too low. Deterioration in his muscles means there is no way back. After thanking the lawyers and the hospital, Ms. Yates promised to fight for other children with similar afflictions, adding Our son is a warrior. His spirit will live on for eternity. We owe it to him to not let his life be in vain. In the hours after the court proceeding concluded, legal briefs were issued by the various parties. The public face of good feeling, sensitivity to the pain of Charlies parents, and lip service to unity that these same players put on during the afternoon court session quickly dissipated as their complete legal statements about the case became available. Target: Dr. Hirano The most surprising development after court adjourned involved mounting attacks on Michio Hirano, M.D., the internationally recognized neurological medicine research and treatment expert from Columbia University. These criticisms suddenly appeared out of nowhere and in an apparently well-coordinated front. Within hours of the court hearing ending, London newspapers were blaring headlines like The Suns CHARLIE BACKLASH Great Ormond Street Hospital slams Charlie Gards US doctor, Michio Hirano, claiming he had financial interest in the experimental drug. Almost all of the reader comments that were published attacked Dr. Hirano, with many readers vilifying him as a quack. After following this case as closely as one could from outside of the UK, it is my conclusion that it ultimately represents an iconic battle pitting the best, most traditional, and strongest element of humanity a mothers and a fathers love for their child buttressed by their traditional family values against the power of the secular-socialist state as represented by the medical industrial complex. The latter is clearly more powerful and domineering in the UK than in the US because of its 69 year-long experiment with single-payer socialized medicine (although that situation is changing fast). The entire British establishment with the exception of some mainstream media was able to mobilize its powerful resources to attempt to control the narrative, but some of the court filings on Monday afternoon revealed that the principal establishment players had lost some of that control hence their lashing out at Dr. Hirano in an apparent attempt to make him a scapegoat. As in, if not for this foreigner Hirano (an Asian-American at that and I wouldnt doubt that there is an element of British upper class racism lurking behind the attacks), none of this nonsense would have happened or it wouldnt have gotten as bad for the reputation of the hospital as it did. The hospital is also alleging that Dr. Hirano has a financial interest in the new therapy that he and his colleagues at Columbia are developing. Oh, the horror! A profit motive! I guess in the socialist-collectivist-anti-free market UK, that practice is the equivalent of a mortal sin. In addition to the emotional tug that this story represents to anyone with a pulse, another reason that it hits close to home for me is because I covered a half dozen analogous cases decades ago involving parents of sick children who were confronted by the medical establishment and the state when they wanted to pursue a different therapy than the one(s) being pushed by the doctors (many of whom were little more than hacks). The same kinds of qualities that were apparent in the families that I reported on decades ago can be observed in the Charlie Gard family: so-called ordinary middle class people, with intelligence, common sense, and backbone the bedrock of the nation whose love for their child came first and who somehow found the strength to stand up for their rights and fight the system to the bitter end. And, when their story started to get out, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people became interested in baby Charlies future and came forward to support the family with almost $2 million in contributions. After court adjourned, Charlie Gards parents meet the press outside of the Royal Court of Justice, London July 24, 2017 Charlies parents will now confer in private with his doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital to decide how long they will have to say goodbye to their son, who would have turned one year old on August 4, before his life support a ventilator to facilitate his breathing is turned off. The Gard familys attorney Grant Armstrong said the devastated parents now wish to spend the maximum amount of time they have left with Charlie. He added that Chris Card and Connie Yates wish to treasure their remaining time with Charlie, however short that may be. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about national politics, media, popular culture, and health care. His new Web site is AltMedNews.net. Peter's July 13, 2017 one-hour interview on The Hagmann Report can be viewed here The quality of justice is sometimes strained and sometimes delayed. On July 21, 2017, some form of justice occurred when the heirs of a prominent German Jewish banking family, the Bleichroder family, recovered a 16th-century painting that had been stolen 80 years earlier by the Nazi regime and bought by Hermann Goering, who added it to his collection of more than 1,000 paintings. The painting was part of a considerable collection stolen from the family by Nazis and sold at auction in 1938. "I belong to the race of those," wrote the Jewish literary critic Bernard Lazarre, the early advocate of the innocence of the falsely accused Alfred Dreyfus, "who were the first to introduce the idea of justice in the world." That idea has only partially been rendered to those people and their descendants whose property was illegally seized by the Nazi regime in countries that perpetrated or collaborated in the Holocaust, and who since the end of World War II have expressed little willingness to resolve injustice. It was heartening to hear the remarks of Prince William after his visit to Poland with his wife Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on July 18, 2017 to the concentration camp of Stutthof with its gas chamber about 20 miles from Gdansk, formerly Danzig, and to the local museum with its forbidding pile of hundreds of shoes of victims. William, like his father Prince Charles before him, made the point that the lessons of the Holocaust are in danger of being forgotten. He repeated the message that all of us have an overwhelming responsibility to make sure that we learn the lessons of the Holocaust and that the horror of what happened is never forgotten and never repeated. These remarks, made in Poland, are particularly telling because that country has failed to fulfill its responsibility to the Holocaust victims by not enacting legislation providing for restitution and setting up procedures to resolve claims by people whose property was stolen. According to an official report of January 2017, Poland is the only member of the E.U. not to have passed comprehensive private property restitution legislation in the post-Communist era. The brutal truth is that there can never be full restoration of the losses suffered during the Holocaust or Shoah. At best, for psychological as much as for financial reasons, integral to the lessons to be learned, countries should be promoting the issue of restitution or compensation for the assets taken in the Shoah era. In reality, justice has been painfully slow. However, in recent years, there is a growing understanding that justice requires some form of restitution for the mainly Jewish victims. Restitution of property and possessions is a question of human rights, not simply a Jewish issue. Policy in modern democracies may not be based on international law, but it is appropriate to consider it a moral responsibility to rectify injustice. It is shameful that only a small fraction of the vast amount of private and communal property belonging to individual Jews and Jewish organizations illegally seized by the German Nazi regime and collaborators has been returned to its rightful owners. The value of the stolen goods is incalculable. Stuart Eizenstat, special adviser to the U.S. secretary of state for Holocaust issues, has estimated that the value of Jewish assets in Europe in 1939 was about $15 billion which today would probably be ten times larger. Perhaps things are really changing. In 1998, the International Commission on Holocaust era insurance claims (ICHEIC) was set up. At the same time in June 1998, 39 countries discussed the return of stolen art to their rightful owners, and the U.S. State Department hosted conferences on the subject. Most recently, in June 2017, 71 members of the European Parliament from more than 20 E.U. states issued a joint statement pledged to increase support for the return of stolen and looted property. This statement is a significant step in meeting the obligation of the Terezin Declaration, affirmed at the site of a former Nazi concentration camp. This Declaration, although non-binding, is crucial to the resolution of the restitution issue. It stemmed from the conference on Holocaust-era assets held in Prague on June 26-30, 2009, attended by representatives from 47 countries. It recommended greater effort for the restitution of communal and individual property belonging to the victims of the Holocaust and other victims. The program includes wrongful property seizures, confiscations, and sales under duress; a just and fair solution regarding restoration of cultural property, Jewish communal property, and Jewish religious property; or compensation. It recommended that the 47 states consider implementing national programs to address the issue of property confiscated by Nazis and Fascists. The Declaration dealt with other issues in addition to property, especially acknowledging the importance of education and remembrance about the Shoah and other Nazi crimes. It pointed out that eyewitnesses of the Shoah were dying out and that commemoration ceremonies, research and remembrance, and discussion of Shoah in the curriculum of schools should be encouraged. Already, following the Terezin Declaration, the European Shoah Legacy Institute based in Prague was established in January 2010 to monitor progress on and oversee the return of Jewish art and property, Judaica, and Jewish cultural assets, taken by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. It is supposed to be a vehicle or catalyst for those groups already concerned with Holocaust issues. Ambitiously, it seeks international solutions to the restitution problem. However, the practical response has been minimal. The Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims announced on September 11, 2014 that the majority of the countries had done "little or nothing" to implement the agreements. Most states have failed to comply with the Terezin Declaration. The U.S. has played an important role in getting contributions from companies and countries paying the victims and their families. However, at least 12 states, especially Poland and the Baltic states, where most of the six million Jews were murdered, and logically have the largest proportion of heirless property, have not enacted suggested legislation. Even some Western European nations have only partly complied with the Terezin Declaration. Much of the discussion of restitution has focused on stolen art and the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of art objects owned by Jews. Logically, they can and should be traced because of the requirement of provenance and official deeds regarding them. Much of it is in private hands. But some of that stolen art is present in countless respectable places, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. The restitution of stolen art presents a splendid opportunity for cooperation between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin as well as on the restitution of other stolen property. Together, they might concentrate on social justice for the victims of the Shoah and share Elective Affinities, a more worthy endeavor than sinking in the swamp of alleged election manipulation. The stocky man standing before me was immaculately turned out in a dark blue pin striped suit. With his thick New Jersey accent he could have been a movie Mafioso. But he wasnt. Despite the cognitive dissonance this situation wasnt as funny as it seemed. This apparent movie gangster was briefing me on Armageddon: full-scale nuclear war. He talked about a five-minute war where all the nuclear weapons arrived at their targets simultaneously. He talked about a twenty-minute war: The missile launches would be simultaneous so that different targets, at different distances, would receive their doom at different times. He talked about megadeaths. He talked about the forever future of the world being determined in an hour. The subject was dead serious, for we were employed in the business of deterring such a catastrophe. Nuclear weapons have three essential characteristics: They are very expensive, they must be delivered, and they are fearsome. These aspects dominate all modern strategic thinking. Consider, first, the cost. Producing a fission bomb is a very expensive proposition. The old rule of thumb was $100 million for a regular production fission device. A hydrogen bomb is much more difficult and expensive. Developing just the capability to make such bombs is vastly more expensive than the production bombs, themselves. The real numbers are unknown except to a few. Moreover, making such devices small enough, compact enough, and lightweight enough to be useful as weapons is a nontrivial exercise. Everything considered, the cost of these weapons is a stretch even for a well-developed economy. For a marginal economy, the cost of autonomous development is a back-breaker. It is usually cheaper to buy these things if they are available. Because of their high cost, nations are economically inhibited from actually using nuclear weapons. They are usually considered both a prestige item and a deterrent. India and Pakistan both have long had deliverable nuclear weapons. Neither nation has been inclined to use them even though they have occasionally been at war with each other. In the past, nations that have nuclear weapons have acted rationally rather than suicidally. But not all nations are rational. North Korea plainly is not. And, too, Iran has leaders who await the Twelfth Imam -- the Mahdi -- and the end of the world. Having a bomb is not particularly useful unless it can be delivered. There are three existing methods of delivery: surface, airborne, and ballistic missile. Surface delivery is by boat, truck, or cargo container. Existing radiation sensors can detect many types of bombs, but only at close range -- a matter of yards. Thus, such weapons can be difficult to detect. Bombs must be funneled past sensors in order to be detected. We do that now at several ports of entry. Small boats and disbursed trucks are much more challenging. Only the future will tell if this kind of smuggling can be stopped. In any case, surface delivery can only wound a continental nation, not kill it. Thus, surface delivery is only useful for terrorism or blackmail. Airborne delivery has old, and well-established, solutions. Effective bomber defense was developed in the 1950s. Ballistic missile delivery is the current challenge. Long range ballistic missiles have three flight regimes: boost phase, exoatmospheric, endoatmospheric. The best way to kill a missile, and its warheads, is in its boost phase when the missile is most vulnerable and its fiery rocket engines keep it from hiding. But boost phase interception requires that the defensive weapon be in a position to intercept the missile. This usually means space basing. Earth orbiting space-based High Energy Lasers can reach out over thousands of kilometers. So mere dozens of HEL battle stations can do the job. Space-based interceptor rockets, on the other hand, are constrained by their velocities. For the boost phase defense, up to thousands of space-based interceptor rockets may be needed. Airborne lasers can kill up to hundreds of kilometers, but they must patrol outside the hostiles borders and therefore can only reach a limited distance into his territory. If one is willing to violate an adversarys territory, then interceptor rockets could be mounted on high-flying stealth drone aircraft so as to circle over potential launch sites. Exoatmospheric interception is probably the toughest system level challenge. This is not because it is hard. Rather, it is because of the geographical dynamics of the situation. The interceptors and sensors must be properly sited. The sensors must be close enough to the flight path see what is happening despite the Earths curvature. The interceptors must be able to reach the deployed warheads. In this respect, it should be noted that President Obamas abandonment of sensors and interceptors in the Czech Republic and Poland was pure appeasement of Russia and pure betrayal of Europe. The withdrawal made no technical sense. Such interceptors would work against an Iranian attack on Europe or the U.S. But they could not intercept Russian missiles unless Russia was attacking Europe. The trajectory dynamics precluded intercepting Russian ICBMs aimed at the U.S. More critically, the missile defense radars, and other sensors, must be able to see and track the missiles through boost, and the warheads throughout midcourse. Picking out the warheads while they are coasting through space accompanied by sophisticated decoys is a technical challenge. But, indications are that it is solvable, or has been solved. Once a warhead has been located, killing it is not all that difficult. Hitting a bullet with a bullet is actually rather easy. What makes this possible? The answer is the self-adapting servo. The thermostat which controls the heating or cooling of your house is a simple servo controller. A servo is has a sensor which detects the error when a desired condition is no longer met. It also has an actuator which operates in such a way as to reduce, or eliminate, the error. The anti-missile interceptor has a camera as well as a computer which tells the interceptor the direction to the target. This is the sensor. It also has various thrusters which guide the interceptor to the target. This is the actuator. The guidance algorithm is very simple: just pulse the various thrusters so as to keep the image of the target centered. Simple, yet effective. Endoatmospheric defense is the easiest to do from a technical standpoint. Except that it also requires the greatest resources. That is a matter of geography. Once a warhead enters the atmosphere its deceiving decoys are stripped away, leaving the warhead nakedly visible. However, to intercept the warhead, the interceptor must be stationed near the warheads target. Since it is impossible to know ahead of time the intent of the enemy, interceptors must surround each and every high-value target. This means a massive investment in interceptor systems because a modern nation has so very many high value targets. The most promising, and economical, missile defense is boost phase interception by Space Based Lasers. This appears to be the best way to defend a nation against missile attack. The reason is that a relatively small number of SBL battle stations can cover the globe and protect against a missile launch from any location to any destination. (Full disclosure: I have many years of experience working professionally on SBL systems.) Some form of layered defense where all these defensive elements are in play makes up the most desirable architecture. But resistance to the space-based part of the system is very strong. The real problem with SBLs is political -- not technical. Those who wish to continue the policy of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) lobby strenuously against developing an SBL system. They argue that such a system crosses the line against putting weapons in space. Of course, the warhead from a ballistic missile is already very much a weapon in space. Its launch vehicle is simply stored on the ground. So the weapons-in-space threshold has long since been crossed. The real objection to an SBL system is that it promises to be too effective. MADs foreign policy constituency would be out of a job. I see no moral impediment to basing a purely defensive weapon in orbit. This argument will ultimately be resolved when someone detonates a nuclear weapon in anger, as will likely happen. There is only one correct way to look at missile defense. That way ignores its monetary cost. That way ignores the proportionality cost trades of offense versus defense. That way focuses only the consequences of not having missile defense: Missile defense is insurance. Why buy this insurance? If a nuclear weapon is exploded in downtown Manhattan is the resulting cost less than, or greater than, the cost of an effective, comprehensive missile defense? David Axelrod, President Obama's former political strategist, is stroking his chin about President Trump's supposed "second" conversation with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, coming at the G-20 in Berlin a while back. Even if the darkening cloud of Russia's incursion on the 2016 election were not hanging over Trump, such a scenario would have set off alarm bells. The specter of an inexperienced president, engaged alone in a lengthy, private exchange with the cunning and seasoned leader of an adversarial nation defies every rule of diplomacy and good sense. Such scenarios play to the advantage of the other side leaving ours prone to manipulation. Treason, collusion, and national security breaches are central to Axelrod's vigilant mind. He writes: Another possibility, darker and far more disturbing, is that America's interests were mortgaged in a stealthy political deal cut some time ago. Would that be the same David Axelrod whose family was found by journalist Paul Kengor to be full-blown, card-carrying communists when young David was growing up in Stuyvesant Town on Manhattan's Lower East Side? The same ones who were Soviet dupes, as Kengor found, and in tight with now revealed KGB agent I.F. Stone? Communists so tight in the inner circle of communists that they were buddies with Obama's Communist Party mentor, Frank Marshall Davis? Seems associations of this sort with Russians to undermine U.S. national security were OK when leftists out to destroy America did them, but not so OK when a Republican wrapped in the flag and ramping up the U.S. defense budget tries to make nice with the Russians. You can't pick your relatives, but you sure as heck can speak out if one of them is a real colluder with Russian agents, as Axelrod's relatives seemed to have been. Trump himself has said the meeting was an incidental nothingburger, and there is no reason to doubt him. But just the idea that he can't talk with the Russian leader unless there is some "barbarian handler" or court eunuch to watch him is obnoxious in the extreme. A president should be able to talk with whomever he wants to talk to, and the more Trump can tame Putin and make him friendly to our interests, the better. Axelrod, however, sees that as reason for clutching his pearls. It just shows he's playing one of the Democrats' "Swamp Thing" games, appealing to the Deep Staters out at the CIA and in the intelligence community for political benefit as well as to take down Trump and never mind the silence he's shown on his parents' truly questionable Soviet pasts. It didn't take long for Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat who represents parts of San Antonio, to blame the lack of immigration reform for the San Antonio incident. As a supporter of a form of immigration reform i.e. temporary work visas but no path to citizenship for some here without papers I find Doggett's remark predictable but silly. First, Democrats had large majorities in the House and Senate and didn't do anything about it. Can anyone remember 2009-11? I didn't hear Representative Doggett blast President Obama for promising to deliver on the much publicized immigration reform promise from the 2008 campaign. Second, this is about human smuggling and further evidence that some kind of organized crime, not the old-fashioned "coyotes," are moving people. A "coyote" is a guide who walks you across the border for a fee. Over the years, I've heard of good and bad coyotes, specifically referring to people who knew or didn't know the routes to the U.S. They were generally opportunists out to make some money, but rarely did we hear about violence or mistreatment of people. In other words, a coyote's reputation was built on how well he did his job. This is how he'd get "referrals" for future business. Lately, we hear about people being mistreated or forced to carry drugs to the U.S. This is an indication that someone has taken over the business from the coyote. This is a story from the L.A. Times that persuades me that this was a well planned operation rather than the aforementioned coyote who got you over the border: Surveillance video from the store showed that, before police arrived on the scene, several vehicles approached the truck to pick up many of the truck's survivors, he added. Some of the trailer's occupants escaped into the woods, and McManus said his officers would search the area Sunday on foot and by helicopter. "This is not an isolated incident," he said. "This happens quite frequently. Fortunately, we came across this one. Fortunately, you know, there are people who survived." In May 2003, 19 people died when they were abandoned in a trailer at a truck stop in Victoria, Texas. The truck driver, Tyrone Mapletoft Williams, was convicted and is serving a sentence of nearly 34 years. Naturally, we will wait for more police reports before jumping to a conclusion. Nevertheless, I see the signs of an organized operation: 1) We've seen how criminal gangs bring people over and then demand more money from the families already here. They lock up people in a home and leave them until the family shows up with more cash. 2) It could be that the people in that truck were being punished for not carrying drugs over the border. In other words, this whole incident may be a signal that you will carry drugs or end up in a truck, dead. Don't underestimate the ruthlessness of these people! Last, but not least, how does a truck full of people cross the border? Where did the driver pick up these people in Texas? It is a messy and horrible story that highlights the perils of illegal immigration. It would be better for people like Representative Doggett to remind people south of the border that it is safer to enter the country legally, as many have done. Unfortunately, asserting that this terrible incident is a consequence of no immigration reform will only bring more people anticipating to be legalized if they survive the desert, deadly snakes, and even traveling in a hot truck in the Texas summer. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. While the Illinois legislature has passed a budget over Governor Bruce Rauner's veto, a huge fight is brewing over school funding. The budget changed the formula by which the state gives out grants to school districts. Democrats made sure that the Chicago public schools, reeling from mismanagement and corruption, got a sizable chunk of cash to bail them out. That cash is contained in a school funding bill that is awaiting approval by the legislature. A $215-million payment to shore up the CPS pension system and another $200-million block grant earmarked for city schools will starve rural and suburban districts of much needed cash. So Rauner says that no matter what kind of school funding bill reaches his desk, he will use his "amendatory veto" to carve out the Democratic gifts to the CPS. So Democrats have held up the funding bill, putting the entire school year in the state in danger of being canceled. Until they are assured that Rauner will allow the pork payout to CPS, they won't even bring the school funding bill to the floor. The legislature has until August 10 to pass the bill, or Illinois public schools will not open on time. NBC 5: "Democrats have been holding this bill since May 31. Our families and students cannot wait any longer," Rauner said in a statement. "We must act now, which is why I'm calling lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session. Our schools must open on time." State aid for K-12 schools is contingent on changing Illinois' funding formula to an "evidence-based model" like that of Senate Bill 1, which passed the legislature in May. It is currently being held on a procedural motion, as Democratic lawmakers seek more time to negotiate after Rauner vowed to veto the measure, decrying it as a "bailout" for Chicago Public Schools. "There is a good, historic new school funding model, new school funding bill that is ready to be implemented," Rauner said Monday at a news conference with Republican leaders in the legislature and Education Secretary Beth Purvis. "It was hijacked at the last minute by the majority in Springfield and a poison pill was inserted to force payments to a pension system that's broken unsustainable and it needs reform." At issue is the way the bill factors CPS' finances into what would become the new statewide funding formula. SB 1 eliminates the Chicago block grant, which automatically appropriates specific funding to CPS each year, but takes that $203 million into account plus the district's $221 million in employer pension contributions when calculating the district's baseline funding minimum. That, plus the $505.8 million reduction in the bill's assessment of Chicago's local fundraising capabilities based on its unfunded pension liability, is what Rauner has maintained constitutes a "bailout" and has led to his insistence that reforming Chicago's teacher pensions the only system funded by the district and not the state is a separate issue. "Separately we should take up pension reform," Rauner said Monday, "but in no way should it hold up our schools opening on time." Rauner once again said Monday that once he receives it, he would amendatory veto the bill to take out the funding considerations for CPS, at which point lawmakers would have to choose between accepting or overriding his changes. Rauner is going to war with the most powerful political forces in the state: teacher unions and the Chicago Democratic machine. There is a real risk that the schools will not open on time, which would wreak havoc on cities and towns across the state. Not only will kids get behind in learning, but working parents will have to make arrangements for someone to care for their children during the day. Many parents cannot afford to pay for this, leaving the kids in limbo. Not only is Rauner trying to reform the way the state does business; he is trying to smash the power of entrenched interests that have brought the state to its knees. He tried for more than two years to get his way on the budget, finally being forced to acquiesce when Republicans helped Democrats maintain business as usual and passed the Democratic budget over his veto. Rauner's ambitious agenda has failed. There has been no pension reform, no political reform, and the same actors who have run the state into the ground for decades maintain their power. He will likely lose his re-election bid in November 2018 a lesson for any Republican or Democrat who wants to change the way Springfield conducts the people's business. Of all the festivities in North Korea I would be most likely to miss, I think the Taedonggang Beer Festival tops the list. So it is with a sense of relief that the Daily Express reports the cancelation of the festival. No explanation from the regime of Kim Jong-un has been forthcoming, but rumors are rampant that the worst drought in 17 years might have something to do with it. Tour company managers from Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours were given no reason for the cancellation revealed they had to let their customers down. But they revealed they believe the reason behind the festival being scrapped is a coming period of strain for Kim Jong-Un's country. Koryo Tours believes a drought and fears the poorest of Pyongyang's citizens could suffer malnutrition and even death could be behind the festival being axed. The Beijing-based Koryo Tours said the "optics" of hosting a beer festival are not good with image-conscious Kim Jong-un eager to control the state's reputation. However, both companies said they were not given a reason for the abrupt end to festivities. Simon Cockerell, Koryo's general manager said: "It won't look great for Pyongyang middle class to be having a jolly good time while people are working on drought relief. A long dry spell over North Korea's important growing season of April to June has led to predictions of a bad growth of rice, soybean and maize. Despite state media releasing images of shelves stocked with food, speculation is rife there is little to feed to the poor. Last year, citizens were advised to eat dogs. The withdrawal of the festival was sudden and unexpected and came just one week after the nation said it would hold the event and even reveal a new wheat beer. Last week the United Nations said North Korea is heading towards its worst drought since 2000. However, the cancellation of the festival comes as the first possible sign there Pyongyang is expecting problems. The secretive state was previously ravaged by a widespread famine where at least two million people are estimated to have died between 1995 and 1999. The read of the day tells you everything you need to know about the downsides of the White House communications strategy and does so with insight and wit. Andrew Malcolm's column for McClatchy this week gets to the heart of the matter in its title: "Trump is his own communications director but appoints another anyway." Andrew knows exactly how well run political operations work. And he sees the many weaknesses of Trump's ad hoc, loner approach to presidential communications: These [White House communications] operations are troubled chaotic is another word because Trump knows he knows more than his communications professionals, which makes their team messages garbled and incomprehensible and their jobs untenable. Not only does he know more, he tells others he knows more and bad-mouths his own senior aides. Ask Jeff Sessions. While Trump staffers are out dutifully explaining one of his recent decisions, unbeknownst to them, he's explaining it differently to others. Media gleefully describe the glaring disparities, maybe even exaggerate them, and probe for delicious inconsistencies. The story then becomes, who said what when, who's telling the truth? See, Shifting Trump stories on James Comey's firing, among others. And Trump, not being much of a Sherlock Holmes, becomes confounded and angry. He wonders why the White House message isn't getting out clearly. The obvious solution: Talk about firing someone. We suggested months ago that the person Trump should first fire as his spokesman is Trump. The arrival of Anthony Scaramucci is explained in terms characteristic of the sardonic tone of the entire piece: Scaramucci is a 53-year-old businessman and hedge fund operator from oh, look! New York. He was a fundraising chair for the short-lived presidential campaign of Gov. Scott Walker and last year posted some unTrumpian tweets, now deleted. Yet another Goldman Sachs alum, he has no professional qualifications whatsoever for his new job, much like his boss. But he is very confident. Along the way, there are some gems of writing, so be sure to read the whole thing. I can't dispute the disadvantages in President Trump's shoot-from-the-hip approach, but in trying to understand the logic of his approach, I revert to his past experience as the king of reality television (creator and owner of The Apprentice, not to mention Miss Universe). He is enacting and starring in a reality television show. He is a performer. He quite clearly thinks out loud in front of audiences, tossing off one-liners such as yesterday's jest about firing the secretary of HHS. This is highly "unpresidential," as are his tweets, as his many critics will tell you. I think we can all agree that this means that no other president ever did it, whatever else we might think about its desirability or effectiveness. Quite clearly, the incumbent POTUS thinks it works just fine. For now. It may be that Trump has written off conventional media, and the chaos Andrew Malcolm explains is his way of trolling them, diverting their attention to petty matters. They are, in his communications story arc, the fake media. The #NeverTrump set has morphed into the Surveillance for All set. Consider this comment, here directed at Jared Kushner, from Hate Trump-monger Jennifer Rubin. The danger for Kushner aside from embarrassment is that he could be contradicted by one or more witnesses or by electronic surveillance. Will there be howls at Rubin's suggestion that there might be surveillance tapes on Kusher? Weren't there howls when President Trump allowed that there might be tapes of his conversation with James Comey? Does "The Rule of Law" apply to the Trump administration or something else say, "arbitrary and capricious" attack, to continue until the target is neutralized? The viciousness of the Trump Hate Campaign is breathtaking. And by its viciousness, one point is obvious: there is no fear of Donald J. Trump among his assailants. And why should there be, considering their vast numbers in the media? To those filled with a hate born solely out of ambitious greed, quick to demagogue President Trump as a brutal dictator, one asks: if you were in North Korea, Iran, or Cuba, how long could you get away with printing your diatribes, speaking your venom against the leaders in these countries? Indeed, how can the Trump Hate Crowd fear a president they are confident they can hamstring until, at their time of choosing, the political coup de grace will be applied? Does anyone doubt that the New York Times has already prepared the title for the editorial on terminating the Trump presidency? Perhaps it reads: "Now, Finally, He Must Go!" What will prompt the demand? Dismissing Grand Inquisitor Robert Mueller? Daring to work with Russia on terrorism? Why not even this moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem? The specific event is unimportant; for the Trump Hate Crowd, the man is simply guilty of serving as U.S. president. The hostile, hysterical Trump Hate letters that regularly appear in The New York Times tend to be devoid of specific charges. Their unique sameness suggests that the editors hope that the future will conclude, based on "the evidence," that there was scant support for Donald J. Trump as president; consequently, his election had to be the result of nefarious collusion with a foreign influence, as his enemies charge. The anti-Trump hysteria, regularly printed in the Times, adds up to the invidious charge that Trump and his voters reject their proper place in the American political system. Their place? To shut up and accept the messes made by the rich and careless, personified by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby as Tom and Daisy Buchanan: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made[.]" Justin Trudeau's government is redefining what it means to be a Canadian, and in the process, he appears to be opening the door for the Islamization of our northern neighbor. The Canadian press has obtained a copy of a draft of a new study guide for Canada's citizenship test, which defines what it means to be Canadian. Unsurprisingly, given his progressive inclinations, Justin Trudeau's government apparently does not want to be judgmental about things like female genital mutilation, honor killings, and the need to get a job if you want to come in and be a Canadian. Judgmentalism is reserved for the Yankees to the south, apparently. Respecting treaties with Indigenous Peoples, paying taxes and filling out the census are listed as mandatory obligations of Canadian citizenship in a draft version of a new study guide for the citizenship exam. The working copy obtained by The Canadian Press suggests the federal government has completely overhauled the book used by prospective Canadians to prepare for the test. The current "Discover Canada" guide dates back to 2011 when the previous Conservative government did its own overhaul designed to provide more information on Canadian values and history. Some of the Conservatives' insertions attracted controversy, including increased detail about the War of 1812 and a warning that certain "barbaric cultural practices," such as honour killings and female genital mutilation, are crimes in Canada. Getting rid of both those elements was what former Liberal Immigration Minister John McCallum had in mind when he said early in 2016 that the book was up for a rewrite. But although work has been underway for over a year, there's no date set for publication of a final version. In the draft version, the reference to barbaric cultural practices is gone, as is the inclusion of getting a job as one of the responsibilities of citizenship. The "refugees" overwhelming Western European countries also mostly reject jobs, despite the fact that most are young men of military or working age. They also tend to reject other elements of integrating and becoming self-sufficient, as Breitbart reported: The Swedish government has found that only between three and four percent of newly arrived migrants with a poor standard of education have any interest in attending further schooling or training. The new report, which comes from the Swedish Employment Service, shows that only three to four percent of migrants who have come to Sweden in the last two years have shown interest in attending classes to develop their education. Annie Rubensson, integration and establishment manager at the Employment Service said that the figures could greatly impact migrants chances of employment Sveriges Radioreports. "This means that their chances of getting a job drops significantly," Rubensson said adding, "we are working hard to motivate and we will strengthen our efforts in the guidance to inform about what is required in the Swedish labour market." The Canadian draft has other things in mind when it discusses requirements of immigrants: Instead, the proposed new guide breaks down the responsibilities of citizenship into two categories: voluntary and mandatory. Voluntary responsibilities are listed as respecting the human rights of others, understanding official bilingualism and participating in the political process. Obeying the law, serving on a jury, paying taxes, filling out the census and respecting treaties with Indigenous Peoples are mandatory. Respecting the human rights of others (unless they are indigenous peoples) is optional! I wonder how Canada's homosexuals and Jews feel about this? Both groups trend progressive. How many will bite their tongues and go along with the dogma? Canadians might want to pay attention to Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and other European countries that have welcomed masses of Muslims purporting to be refugees and think carefully about what their government is proposing to do to Canada. Donald Trump lashed out at the Washington Post and its owner, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, for what he claims were fabricated facts in a story about the administration ending a covert operation to train Syrian rebels. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 USA Today: According to the Post, Trump decided to end a covert CIA program approved by President Obama to train moderate rebels to fight Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime after meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster before the G-20 summit in Germany earlier this month. The report was met with consternation by lawmakers, with Senators Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John McCain, R-Ariz., criticizing Trump's decision and its ultimate motive. "If these reports are true, the administration is playing right into the hands of Vladimir Putin," McCain said last week, referring to the Russian leader. "Making any concession to Russia, absent a broader strategy for Syria, is irresponsible and short-sighted." Trump also accused the Post which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as being "a lobbyist weapon" against politicians. "Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?" he said on Twitter. This isn't the first time Trump has launched a scathing attack on Bezos or the Post. Just last year, then-presidential candidate Trump said: "This is owned as a toy by Jeff Bezos who controls Amazon. Amazon is getting away with murder tax-wise. He's using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don't tax Amazon like they should be taxed." It's hard to discern whether Trump was upset that the cancelation of the program became public or he disputes the facts regarding its failure. Trump is right, and Graham and McCain are wrong. In fact, most of Congress probably agrees with the president that the program was an abject failure, poorly conceived and incompetently managed. It never came close to training the number of rebels promised. Trump's tweet about "no tax" Amazon is absurd. There are 39 states that require sales taxes on Amazon transactions. The 11 states remaining either do not have any state sales taxes at all or tax only specific items. Besides, it's not up to Washington to determine if Amazon pays taxes in a particular state. It was a brainless charge by Trump. He should go after WaPo reporters and editors, not Bezos, who has nothing to do with the day-to-day operation of the newspaper. For the last sixty years, the city of Ypres in Belgium has held a popular Cat Parade that draws visitors from around the country. Kattenstoet, or the Festival of the Cats, is held once every three years and consist chiefly of parades featuring giant cat effigies, brass bands, marchers and people riding on horseback. Revelers dress themselves as cats, witches or mice and march through the town to the cheer of large crowds of people who turn out on the streets. While its all gay and merry now, the origins of Kattenstoet is much darker. Photo credit: Rostyslav Kudlak/Flickr Back in medieval days, people were not very kind to animals and cats in particular. Many west European cities in those times held ritualistic cat tortures where people would gather dozens of cats in a net or wicker cage and hoist them high into the air over a bonfire. It was thought that cats harbored evils spirits and the Devil himself. So while the poor animals howled in pain, the crowd shrieked with laughter. After the animals were charred, the crowd collected the embers and ashes of the fire and took them home for good luck. In the city of Ypres too cats were used as victims in numerous folkloristic games. In those days, Ypres, like many towns in the Flanders region of Belgium, was renowned for its cloth industry. Wool was imported from England, and woven into fine garments by highly skilled craftsmen. Both the wool and the finished product were stored in the Cloth Hall, one of the largest commercial buildings of the time. But the cloth attracted mice, which gnawed at the cloth and procreated to unhealthy numbers. To control the mice population, the cloth traders of Ypres brought in their natural predator, the cat. But cats procreate too and soon there were too many cats than the city could handle. And so the cat killing began. This being the age when cats were seen as harbinger of evil, nothing pleased the townsfolk more than throwing the animal off the bell tower of the local church. When business went bad, the people made sure that there was always a few extra cats tossed out off the window. With time, the killings became a ritual, taking place on Cats Wednesday, in the second week of Lent. The barbaric practice continued until 1817 when the last killing took place. The last cat reportedly survived the fall and scampered off as fast as it could before it could be caught again. From then on until the First World War, Cats' Wednesday was celebrated simply by ringing of the church bells. In 1938, a group of young altar boys organized a sort of cat parade. Each was carrying a toy cat. When they reached the church, they first had a feast and then one of the boys climbed up the bell tower and threw down the cat toys. The Festival of the Cats remained mostly a local festival until the 1950s when folkloristic parades became the new rage all over West Flanders. On the second Sunday of Lent in 1955, the first magnificent parade was organized with 1,500 extras, all dressed in gorgeous costumes. Since then, every three years the city has been celebrating Cats Festival. The Cloth Hall is the most magnificent building of Ypres today. It was destroyed during World War I, but was meticulously reconstructed to its prewar condition. Photo credit: Steve Mullarkey/Flickr Photo credit: Cedric Dubois/Flickr Photo credit: Cedric Dubois/Flickr Photo credit: Rostyslav Kudlak/Flickr Photo credit: Rostyslav Kudlak/Flickr Photo credit: Tim Dobbelaere/Flickr Sources: www.kattenstoet.be / Wikipedia / www.knowyourcat.info (ANSA) - New York, July 25 - The International Monetary Fund complained that Italy had not done enough to address the problem of impaired credit in its Article IV on the eurozone Tuesday. "Progress has been too slow, with a reduction of just 5% with respect to the peak in 2015," the IMF said. The International Monetary Fund said that Italy, like France, should take advantage of the recovery to reduce its debt and should continue its reform drive. The IMF said reforms should focus on competition in the services and product markets and greater public sector efficiency. It also told Italy to link salaries to productivity and continue reform of civil justice. It also forecast that Italy's GDP will not get back to pre-crisis levels until the middle of the 2020s. (ANSA) - Rome, July 25 - The European Council on Tuesday extended the Sophia operation, the EU's naval mission to combat the trafficking of migrants in the central-southern Mediterranean, until the end of 2018. The Council also opened up to Italy's requests for more help with the migrant crisis. "We will start the revision of the operational plan to include new tasks as a priority in the next few days," said the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini. She said this would include the "reinforcement of shared responsibility among member States". The bodies of 11 migrants were found aboard a dinghy assisted in one of two rescue operations off the coast of Libya coordinated by the Italian Coast Guard on Tuesday. Another 167 migrants were on board the dinghy rescued by a ship run by Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms. Another 90 were on a boat rescued by a Save the Children ship. Hearing in trial against anti-Erdogan newspaper Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief to take witness stand on Tuesday (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JULY 25 - A trial against 17 journalists and administrators of the secular opposition paper Cumhuriyet continued for a second day on Tuesday in Istanbul. The defendants have been charged with ''terrorism'' for suspected links with the network under imam-in-exile Fethullah Gulen, allegedly behind a major coup attempt in 2016, or links with the Kurdish terrorist organization PKK or the far-right one DHKP-C. If found guilty, those who stand accused -including 2 freelance journalists - could be sentenced to up to 43 years in jail. On Tuesday morning, editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu spoke out against the isolation regime he is being subjected to in prison, where be has been held for almost nine months. Ten other defendants are also in jail, while two are being tried in absentia including Can Dundar, who fled to Germany. The hearings are expected to continue until Friday, when the judges' decision will likely be issued on whether or not to keep the defendants in jail. After a failed coup a year ago, over 150 media that are in opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been shut down. According to media watchdog P24, there are also 166 journalists in jail, a number higher than anywhere else in the world. (ANSAmed). TUNIS - Tunisia on Tuesday was celebrating its 60th Republic Day while commemorating the death of left-wing opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi, who was killed on July 25, 2013, by two men riding a motorcycle in front of his Tunis home. dac Brahmi was an opposition politician who founded the People's Movement. Brahmi's assassination occurred five months after that of another Tunisian opposition MP, Chokri Belaid, who was killed on February 6 of that year, also in the capital. Both of the murders, whose perpetrators are still unknown despite several trials underway, threw the country into a deep political crisis and sparked an enormous reaction for the public that gradually led to civil society, unions and parties coming together to find a way to out of the crisis and towards a democratic transition. In was in the summer of 2013 ''when the democratization process was on the verge of collapsing under the weight of political assassinations and disorder'', that the National Dialogue Quartet was formed from the UGTT union, the industrial confederation UTICA, the League for Human Rights and the national lawyers guild. The Quartet was given a Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for managing ''to create a peaceful political process at a time when Tunisia was on the verge of civil war. It enabled the country to establish a constitution and a system of government that ensures fundamental rights to all the Tunisian population regardless of gender, political beliefs and religion''. ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, JULY 25 - These are some of the main events scheduled for tomorrow the Euro-Mediterranean area: ISTANBUL - Trial of 19 journalists and administrators of secular opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet continues. BRUSSELS - EU College of Commissioners meeting. ROME - Press conference to present Infomigrants, the new news and information site for migrants to counter misinformation at every point of their journey. Imfomigrants is collaboration led by France Medias Monde (France 24, Radio France International, Monte Carlo Doualiya), Deutsche Welle ANSA, and is co-financed by the European Union. (ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, JULY 25 - An "extraordinary meeting of Arab regional consultations" is underway in Cairo through Wednesday "to follow close-up the consultations underway on the world refugee accord" and the one "for safe, regular and orderly migration", according to a statement by the Arab League released on Monday in Cairo. The statement made an implicit reference to the two "global compacts" being drawn up. The two-day meeting has been organised "in cooperation" with the UN and the International Organization for Migration and will be attended by foreign ministers of the Arab League as well as "a large number of Arab associations and international workers in the sector", humanitarian NGOs, and experts in the field of migration. To push Arab countries to contribute to proposals The goal of the meeting is to "urge Arab states" to "efficient participation in consultations underway on these two international accords", also through their diplomatic representatives in New York, said the statement by the organization, which is made up of 22 countries in North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East. It aims to "inform member countries of the Arab League of the finalisation" of the global agreements and to "publish messages that the Arab region wants to disseminate regarding UN-organised events", in particular the meetings in September of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Two documents in which to be heard Tuesday's meeting is dedicated to the agreement on refugees and Wednesday's meeting is dedicated to the agreement on migration, the Arab League statement said, announcing the publication of "two separate documents". The results of the meetings will be broadcast through the missions of the Arab League abroad, in particular in New York and Geneva. IOM and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees "will ensure that the information contained in the two documents will be taken into consideration" when they are finalised, the statement said. It said that Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit will present the texts in "all meetings" in which he takes part. PARIS - The chairman of the presidential council of Libya and prime minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez Sarraj, and the Libyan national army commander Khalifa Haftar will be meeting on Tuesday afternoon in Paris. The meeting is scheduled for 4 PM in the Celle Saint Cloud castle on the edge of the French capital in the presence of French president Emmanuel Maceron and the new UN Special Envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame. The Libyan crisis holds within it two issues that the French government sees as priorities to be dealt with: the fight against terrorism and against migrant trafficking. ''The challenge,'' the French president's office said, ''is to build a state that is able to meet Libyans' basic needs, endowed with a regular unified army under civilian control.'' This step is considered ''necessary for Libyan territorial control''. The hope is that ''a joint statement'' can be achieved between the two antagonists on ''the broad principles of political transition''. RABAT - King Mohammed VI of Morocco could make a statement concerning the tension in the mountainous Rif region inhabited by Berbers during his traditional speech for the Feast of the Throne on July 30. Analysts are predicting a number of very different possibilities. One is that the king will confirm the hard line taken against the demonstrators, and especially against the leaders of the Al Hirak al Shabii movement. Another is that he will take a more tolerant stance in view of the possible formation of a new political party that would run in the next round of elections. The king's growing annoyance at the situation in the Rif is accompanied by the frenzy of ministers tasked with shedding light on the fate of a development plan for the region that was signed in 2015 but never launched. Meanwhile, protest leader Nasser Zefzafi has said that none of the 150 detainees from the Rif supports a demonstration on July 30. Hirak "must remain a peaceful movement", a statement said. "Invitations to mobilise on the day that coincides with Morocco's festival are an attempt to destabilise us." The latest demonstration at Al Hoceima on July 20 took place without authorisation and resulted in 79 police and around twice the number of demonstrators injured. The day of tension was marked by "unjustified arrests" and "continuous restrictions on freedom", according to Moroccan NGOs present. ROME - The European Council has agreed unanimously to extend the mandate of the EUNAVFORMED Operation Sophia, the EU naval operation disrupting the business model of migrant smugglers and human traffickers in the Southern Central Mediterranean, until 31 December 2018. The extension also includes the introduction of new tasks in acknowledgement of requests from Italy. "As a matter of priority, we will start in the coming days the revision of the operational plan in order to include the new tasks, such as the mechanism for monitoring the Libyan Coastguard and Navy activities post training, and to strengthen the effectiveness of the mission and the shared responsibility among member states," said Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Italy has asked for revision of the operational plan to include a reassessment of the operation's relation to Triton, in other words the agreement whereby all migrants rescued at sea under Frontex' civilian mission are brought to Italy. (ANSAmed). remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. As part of the airlines SV2020 Transformation Plan, multiple new aircraft are joining the Saudia fleet monthly, allowing the carrier to optimise its network to offer increased capacity on existing routes, and also to introduce new destinations. The on-going fleet investment will bring the airlines average aircraft age to 3.75 years by the end of this year, which is a key element of Saudias targeted strategy to operate one of the youngest fleets in the skies. By 2020, the airline is set to operate 200 aircraft in its fleet. New aircraft to be delivered to Saudia include: A330-300s, B787-9s and B777-300ERs. Saudia currently operates to 86 destinations across four continents from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the 2017 Skytrax Awards held at the Paris Air Show in June, Saudia was awarded Worlds Most Improved Airline of the year. The award recognises an airlines growth and improvement across a number of categories, in a single year. Mark Briffa, chief executive officer of Air Partner said: "We are delighted to have secured this mandate with Saudi Arabian Airlines and look forward to using Air Partners extensive experience and international network of contacts to sell these aircraft. Tony Whitty, divisional MD of Air Partner Remarketing, added: This appointment follows a successful period for our remarketing services, during which we have also completed the sale of two B737-700s and a new GE90 engine on behalf of Kenya Airways and two B747-400s for China Airlines. The new 787 Dreamliner service replaces the Airbus A321 aircraft previously operating the airlines EY535/EY538 flights to and from the Lebanese capital. The Boeing 787-9 features Etihad Airways next-generation Business and Economy Class cabins and is configured with 299 seats 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways Executive Vice President Commercial, said: Beirut was the first international destination served by Etihad Airways in 2003 and it is fitting that we introduce the state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner to this key market today. The new two-class 787-9 provides an increase of 125 seats per flight, with 4,186 weekly seats now offered in both directions. This reflects the strong demand to Lebanon from Abu Dhabi and the entire UAE, where a large Lebanese expatriate community resides. Additionally, a significant proportion of our customers travelling to Lebanon originate in Australia, home to a considerable Lebanese Australian community, with the vast majority based in the Sydney area. They can now enjoy an upgraded, seamless flying experience, connecting from A380 services via Abu Dhabi onto 787 Dreamliners onwards to Beirut. Barrie Kosky, for the past five seasons artistic director at the Komische Oper, has had a revitalizing effect on the company, one of three full-time opera companies in Berlin, thanks to his riotous productions and his eclectic repertoire choices. By Bradley Dunseith Officially the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), landlocked Laos borders China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2015, Laos exported US$3.81 billion worth of goods and imported US$6.54 billion. Laos main export destinations include Thailand, China, Vietnam, India, and Japan. Laos top import sources include Thailand, China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan. In this article we explain best practices for importing into and exporting out of Laos. RELATED: Pre-Investment and Market Entry Advisory from Dezan Shira & Associates Registration All importers and exporters must first register with the Ministry of Industry and Commerces Department of Enterprise Registration and Management. Not all imported or exported products require a license. To determine the criteria for license requirements, Laos uses three categories based on the product for import or export. These are: Products which do not require a license; Products requiring a license under the automatic route; and Products requiring a license under the non-automatic route. Importers and exporters can secure these licenses from the Department of Imports and Exports (DIMEX). Products under the automatic route are licensed for the purpose of collecting statistical information whereas products under the non-automatic route require permission from DIMEX to be either imported or exported. Export goods subject to automatic licensing Logs, timber, and wood products; Rice; and Minerals and mineral products. Export goods subject to non-automatic licensing Logs, timber, and wood products sourced from natural forests; and Gold bars. Import goods subject to automatic licensing Road vehicles; Petroleum and gas; Logs, timber, and wood products; Rice; Steel bars and transformed steel; Cement, mortar, concrete; Printing products; Mineral and mineral products; and Timber and logging machines. Import goods subject to non-automatic licensing Guns and bullets used for sporting purposes; Explosives used for industrial purposes; and Gold bars. Documents According to the Lao PDR Trade Portal, Laos has installed Automated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) designed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at 11 major international border check points. Crossing over to Laos at one of these major border checks will allow importers and exporters to benefit from a digitized, single-window clearance system. For importers Businesses importing into Laos must provide the following documents when their goods arrive: Commercial Invoice; Carriers report; Packing list; Copy of business license; Copy of tax registration; Import customs declaration; and Copy of exporter license or registration. For exporters Businesses exporting out of Laos must provide the following documents before their goods depart: Bill of Lading; Commercial Invoice; Packing list; Road transit document; Export Customs declaration; Copy of tax registration; and Copy of business license. Additional documents for certain imports and exports For certain technical products, importers must obtain a permit that these products adhere to technical standards fromthe Ministry of Science and Technology. Similarly, imported food items must attain a phytosanitary certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Importers and exporters bringing pharmaceuticals or chemical products in or out of Laos must obtain a permit from the Food and Drug Department of the Ministry of Public Health. A complete list of goods along with any further documentation can be found here. Tariffs and Taxes Laos uses the World Customs Organizations 8-digit Harmonized System (HS) Code . Laos tariff classifications confirm with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN). Laos is continuing work to reduce its tariffs for ASEAN imports to zero; the country has until 2018 to fulfill these obligations under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). For importers Laos applies a tariff rate between 0 and 40 percent. Tariff rates for non-agricultural goods exported by countries outside ASEAN averages at 8.3 percent. Agricultural goods exported into Laos by non-ASEAN members averages at 14.9 percent. Laos applies a value added tax (VAT) to most imports at 10 percent. For a complete good-by-good breakdown of tariff rates for imports, visit the website of Lao PDRs National Trade Portal. For exporters Goods exported out of Laos do not incur taxes. The only exception is natural resources or unfinished goods made out of natural resources these goods incur a VAT of 10 percent. Temporary Imports Goods needed for the manufacture or processing of other export-oriented products, material required for the supervision of projects, as well as material used in an exhibition or educational projects are exempt from tariffs under the Temporary Imports regime. Warehouse Regime Under Laos Warehouse Regime, imported goods not going into immediate circulation can delay paying tariffs until said goods are brought into the market. Importers must submit an import declaration under the Warehouse Regime in order to delay tariffs. Special Economic Zones Laos has two principle special economic zones (SEZs): the Savan-Seno SEZ in Central Laos Savannakhet Province and the Golden Triangle SEZ in the sub-Mekong region near the borders with Myanmar, Thailand, and China. Under Laos Law on Investment Promotion, 2016, businesses operation out of these SEZs can import raw material and production equipment without paying import duties and are exempt from VAT on both imports and exports. Free trade agreements Laos is a partner to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and a member of five regional FTAs through the ASEAN with: Australia; China; India; Japan; and Korea. Laos has also signed bilateral trade agreements with: Argentina; Belarus; Cambodia; China; India; Kuwait; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar; North Korea; Russia; Thailand; Turkey; and Vietnam In order to avail the benefits of these FTAs and bilateral agreements, exporters and importers must apply for a Certificate of Origin. Conclusion As Laos continues to integrate its market and regulatory system within ASEAN, the ease of doing business for both importers and exporters will continue to improve. But, corruption still permeates many layers of bureaucracy in Laos while the lack of English speaking officials can put a strain on effective communication. Utilizing experts with up-to-date local knowledge can help exporters and importers to not only avoid customs-related delays and frustrations but also ensure that import and export activity occurs quickly and remains profitable. Local experts at Dezan Shira & Associates possess years of experience supporting the establishment and growth of businesses across ASEAN, and are well situated to guide companies through Laos constantly evolving regulatory landscape. About Us Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road & Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click ASEAN Briefing is published by, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates . We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, includingthe. For editorial matters please contact usand for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here Dezan Shira & Associates provide business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax and advisory services throughout the ASEAN and Asia. We maintain offices in Singapore, as well as Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, and maintain Alliance offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila as well as throughout China, South-East Asia, India and Russia. For assistance with ASEAN investments into any of the featured countries, please contact us at provide business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax and advisory services throughout the ASEAN and Asia. We maintain offices in Singapore, as well as Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, and maintain Alliance offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila as well as throughout China, South-East Asia, India and Russia. For assistance with ASEAN investments into any of the featured countries, please contact us at asean@dezshira.com or visit us at www.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 An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017 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 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. How to Set Up in the Philippines In this issue of ASEAN Briefing magazine, we provide an introduction to the Philippines as well as analyze the various market entry options available for investors interested in expanding to the island nation. We also discuss the step-by-step process for setting up a business entity in the Philippines, highlighting the various statutory requirements for overseas investors. Finally, we explore the potential for Singapore to serve as a viable base to administer investors Philippine operations. New Delhi : The Supreme Court on July 25 directed Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by September seven. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, that the Sahara chief has deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore which was to be deposited in the refund account by July 15. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, that the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore out of the Rs 552.21 crore would be deposited by August 12. The bench, however, said that Rs 1,500 crore which Roy would deposit by September seven would also include the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore. The apex court extended the parole granted to him earlier till October 10. The bench asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to proceed with the publication of sale notice with regard to auctioning of Sahara's prime property at Aamby Valley. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on September 11. On July 5, the apex court had noted that Roy had deposited Rs 710.22 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account, but had warned him that his cheque of Rs 552.21 crore must be realised within the July 15 deadline. Roy had earlier told the court that he will pay Rs 1,500 crore on or before June 15 and Rs 552.22 crore exactly a month thereafter. He has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since May 6 last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. Encounter took place at Bansbari village under Panbari police station where militant was taking shelter. Security forces also recovered an AK-47 rifle, its ammunitions and grenade from the slain militant. In picture: Armed forces personnel engaged in gunfight in Assam. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Guwahati: In a joint operation, the Indian Army and Assam Police on Tuesday gunned down a hardcore rebel of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Western Assams Kokrajhar district. Security forces also recovered an AK-47 rifle, its ammunition and grenade from the slain militant. The defence spokesperson Colonel Sumeet Newton said that encounter took place at Bansbari village under Panbari police station where militant was taking shelter. Based on intelligence inputs, a joint operation was launched by the Army and Assam Police on Monday night in the area. Around 6 am Tuesday morning, the patrol party was fired upon. Our troops retaliated with controlled fire and in the gun battle, a terrorist was killed, Newton said. Sources told Deccan Chronicle that security forces had specific input on movement of NDFB rebels in the area and the intelligence agency was keeping a close watch on armed rebels, trying to enter Western Assam. The slain militant had entered the area recently, the sources said. They added that a combing operation was still on in the area where movement of NDFB rebels was noticed. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi a couple of days back. New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said that 'helpless' Janata Dal (United) is asking Congress to convince Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav to resign, who has been named in an F.I.R. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi a couple of days back. The meeting led to speculation of rift between ruling JD (U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over Tejashwi. Speaking to ANI, Modi said, "It's not just us (BJP) but Nitish Kumar and his party people too are asking for either clarification or suspension of Tejashwi after charges of corruption were proved against him. The JD(U) is not able to convince Tejashwi Yadav to resign, so they are asking Congress to make him do so." He further added, "But, I'm sure that RJD will not give up so soon as it has plans and ideas ready for every question posed". On July 23, the RJD denied all the allegations that there is an air of tension in the 'Grand Alliance'. Speaking to ANI, RJD leader Manoj Jha said that the people in the alliance are together. "Whatever is being said in the media is all speculation and we don't pay much attention to speculation," he said. Recently, the tension between the ' Grand Alliance' of Congress and RJD had grown as Nitish Kumar was facing increasing pressure to oust Tejashwi Yadav from the cabinet after charges of corruption were proved against him. The CBI registered a corruption case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi Yadav on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006. The RJD supremo, however, has refuted the allegations against him and called it a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP is mounting pressure on Nitish Kumar to oust Tejashwi yadav from the party. The Union government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for this project from the Nirbhaya Fund. Lucknow: The Yogi government has now decided to launch Pink air-conditioned buses, exclusively for women in the state, to ensure safety of women. The Union government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for this project from the Nirbhaya Fund. It may be recalled that the Government of India had announced the Rs 1,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund in 2013. These funds were meant for gender sensitization and also to ensured safety of women. The Nirbhaya Fund was set up after the 2012 gang rape of a girl in a moving bus in Delhi. The incident led to national outrage when the girl died. The accused have been granted death sentence by court. According to official sources, the Pink buses will operate on all important routes and no male passengers will be allowed on it. The conductors of Pink buses will also be women, which mean that there will be new job opportunities for women in this project, an official said. The UPSRTC had earlier in 2008 launched Sakhi buses on selected routes for women but the project was withdrawn after it did not yield desired results. The solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw, he said in a brief quote in Chinese posted on foreign ministrys website. New Delhi/Beijing: A section of the Chinese state-run media on Tuesday accused National security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval of being the main schemer behind the deployment of Indian troops in Doklam, even as Indian Army Vice-Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand said China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas in Indias neighbourhood and is bound to be a threat in the coming years. Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi, meanwhile, said that India should conscientiously withdraw its troops from the Doklam area for a simple solution to the over a month-long border stand-off. Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi was quoted as saying, The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory. He apparently made the comments on Monday in Bangkok. In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. The solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw, he said in a brief quote in Chinese posted on foreign ministrys website. Foreign policy observers in New Delhi, however, point out that Chinese troops have entered Bhutanese territory in Doklam which India is obliged to protect due to the special relationship between India and Bhutan. Beijing is therefore seen by foreign policy-watchers in New Delhi to be cleverly deflecting the issue. Ahead of NSA Dovals visit, Chinas state media struck two different notes with the China Daily hopeful of a peaceful resolution to the deadlock with India while the Global Times said the main schemers trip wouldnt sway Beijing. In its editorial, Its never too late for India to mend its way, the China Daily pressed for exploring ways to avoid confrontation. Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner speaks outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, July 24, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, told Senate investigators on Monday he had met with Russian officials four times last year but said he did not collude with Moscow to influence the 2016 US election. A businessman like Trump, Kushner portrayed himself as new to politics when he became a top adviser to Trump's campaign. Frantic fielding of phone calls and emails made his recollections of some meetings somewhat hazy, he said. Kushner, who met behind closed doors with Senate Intelligence Committee staff, made the remarks in a written statement that he issued before the meeting and that gave the fullest account to date of his contacts with Russian officials. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," he wrote. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector." US intelligence agencies have determined that Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, engaged in a campaign of hacking and propaganda to try to tilt the November election in Trump's favor. Russia denies the allegations and Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Moscow. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, met committee staff for about two hours on Capitol Hill and then returned to the White House where he made a statement to reporters outside but did not take questions. "The record and documents I have voluntarily provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign," Kushner said. Trump prevailed over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in November 2016 because he ran a "smarter campaign" and to suggest otherwise "ridicules those who voted for him, he said. Trump, who has called the Russia probes politically motivated, lashed out at the investigations in Twitter messages on Monday. The Senate Intelligence Committee is one of several congressional panels investigating the Russia matter, along with a criminal probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Kushner arrived on Capitol Hill with prominent white-collar defense lawyer Abbe Lowell. Two sources with knowledge of what Kushner told the Senate staff said the session was pleasant and conversational and that there may be another interview. Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance for his work in the White House. He has since revised those forms several times. According to the sources, Kushner told the investigators that his lawyers and staff had not handled his security clearance form properly but they informed the FBI immediately when they realized it had been sent before it was complete, and then submitted a complete version. He said in his written statement that the initial form omitted not just Russian contacts but all foreign contacts. Reuters Key to Indias success is its diversity, says Kovind after taking charge. President Ram Nath Kovind waves as he arrives in a traditional horse-driven carriage at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday after being sworn in. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: Former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th President of India on Tuesday. Mr Kovind, who succeeds Pranab Mukerjee, is first BJP leader and the second dalit to hold the countrys highest constitutional post. In his first speech after being sworn in, Mr Kovind recalled his long journey from a mud house in a small village to the 350-acre Rashtrapati Bhavan, and said that its the basic mantra in the Constitution justice, liberty, equality and fraternity which guides us to carve out pathways for those from a less fortunate background. It is so telling of our nation and our society also... For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution of ensuring justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra. Mr Kovind was sworn in by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar at Parliaments Central Hall. Soon after his swearing in, some BJP MPs chanted Jai Shree Ram and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Mr Kovind, 71, in his acceptance speech said the key to Indias success is its diversity which makes it unique, and that India of the 21st century will be one that is in conformity with our ancient values as well as compliant with the fourth industrial revolution. In this land we find a mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more. We are so different and yet so similar and united, he said. Stressing on access and opportunities for the last person and the last girl-child from an under-privileged family, the President said, We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless. This is especially so as we approach the 75th Year of our Independence in 2022. Mr Kovind said the country needs to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. He said the principal architect of the Constitution, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, instilled in the people the value of human dignity and of the republican ethic. The change of guard began in the morning when military secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla, reached 10, Akbar Road, Mr Kovinds temporary residence, with a motorcade and knocked on his door. Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee received Mr Kovind and his wife in the study of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Both then went to the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt, also known as the Jaipur Column, where they were escorted to the saluting dais. Mr Mukherjee took the last salute of the Presidents Bodyguard (PBG) with Mr Kovind standing to his left. A black presidential limousine, with Mr Mukherjee in the right and Mr Kovind on the left, followed by Presidents cavalcade and escorted by PBGs equestrian procession escorted them to Parliament. The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional hazaar salaam to the president the supreme commander of the defence forces. At gate number five of Parliament, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and CJI Khehar received President Mr Mukherjee and President-elect Mr Kovind, and escorted them to the Central Hall. The oath ceremony started with home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi reading out the Election Commission notification on the presidential polls declaring Mr Kovind the winner. After Justice Khehar administered the oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law, Mr Kovind exchanged seats with Mr Mukherjee. After the ceremony, Mr Kovind met leaders across the political spectrum who had gathered in Central Hall. He then left for the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine this time with Mr Mukherjee on the left and Indias new President on the right. Mr Kovind inspected the Guard of Honour and went inside. He came back outside to the forecourt, escorting Mr Mukherjee, who was given a last Guard of Honour. Mr Kovind then accompanied Mr Mukherjee in the presidential limousine to see him off to his new residence 10, Rajaji Marg, once occupied by the late Dr Kalam. Many chief ministers, including West Bengals Mamata Banerjee, Bihars Nitish Kumar, Telanganas K.C. Rao, Andhra Pradeshs N. Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadus E.K. Palaniswami along with chief ministers of BJP-ruled, and governors, MPs, BJP president Amit Shah and Union ministers were present at the Central Hall for the oath taking ceremony. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the hall before the start of the function, he was welcomed by BJP MPs, chief ministers and Union ministers with thumping of desks. Mr Modi exchanged pleasantries with Ms Banerjee who was seen seated with her party MPs in the rear rows of the hall while most other chief ministers were in the front rows. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was seated in one of the rear rows with the four of the six party MPs M.K. Raghavan, Gaurav Gogoi, Sushmita Dev and Ranjeet Ranjan who were among the six suspended for their highly unbecoming conduct in Parliament. BJP president Amit Shah was seated with party veterans L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and NDAs VP candidate, M. Venkaiah Naidu. The high courts order is limited to Tamil Nadu and will not be binding on any other state as they were not made parties in the hearing. The judge said if any person or organisation faces difficulty in singing or playing the national song, they shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so. Chennai: The Madras high court ruled on Tuesday that Vande Mataram should be sung by students at least once a week preferably on Monday or Friday in government and private schools and universities. The national song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1870s and popularised by the 1952 Bollywood film Anand Math, shall also be played and sung in all government offices and institutions, private companies, factories and industries at least once a month, Justice M.V. Muralidaran ordered. The ruling, which is likely to spark a debate over alleged stifling of civil liberties by a new brand of patriotism, comes seven months after the Supreme Court directed all cinemas halls to play the national anthem before screening films. The high courts order is limited to Tamil Nadu and will not be binding on any other state as they were not made parties in the hearing. Muslims are also opposed to singing Vande Mataram as it equates the country with Hindu goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, something which is in conflict with the beliefs of Islam. The fourth stanza of the song addresses motherland India as, Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, with her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned The courts direction to instil a sense of patriotism in each and every one came during a hearing on the petition of aspiring government teacher K. Veeramani, who was awarded one mark less while answering a question on Vande Mataram in a selection test. The court accepted the petitioners contention that the Vande Mataram was written in Bengali and later translated in Sanskrit and directed the Tamil Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board to award an additional one mark to him, making him eligible for appointment. Patriotism is an essential requirement for every citizen of this country. Our motherland should always be remembered, the Madras high court said, hoping that the order will be taken in the right spirit. The judge said if any person or organisation faces difficulty in singing or playing the national song, they shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so. In its previous hearing, the apex court gave 15-days' time to Roy to deposit Rs 552 crore in connection with the case. New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a case involving Sahara chief Subrata Roy and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) over a dispute of returning money to its investors. In its previous hearing, the apex court gave 15-days time to Roy to deposit Rs. 552 crore in connection with the case. A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, said that if Roy fails to pay the amount within 15 days, the court would direct the commencement of the auction process for Aamby Valley property. Earlier on June 19, Roy's parole was extended till July 5. Roy on May 18 did not appear before the SEBI court after filing an exemption application on medical grounds. However, the special SEBI court rejected Roy's plea. The SEBI court was to frame charges in the case against Roy and his three group firms' directors - Ravishankar Dubey, Ashok Roy Choudhary and Vandana Bhargava. On April 21, a SEBI court had cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrants against Roy and three of his group firms' directors after they appeared before it in a case filed by the SEBI against them. The SEBI court cancelled the NBWs against them after they furnished fresh bail bonds of Rs. 2 lakh each and gave undertakings to the court that they would attend its trial proceeding against them regularly. The SEBI had registered a case against Sahara India Real Estate Corporation, Sahara Housing Investment, their promoter Subrata Roy and the three directors in 2012, alleging that these companies had collected a huge sum of money from investors without listing the securities on the stock exchanges. A day before the alleged suicide, the man's colleague in her complaint accused him of sexually harassing her. New Delhi: A 53-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in southwest Delhi's Dwarka area after being accused by a colleague of sexual harassment, the police said on Sunday. The incident came to the fore on July 21. The deceased was working with an insurance company in Haryana's Panipat, they said. A day before the alleged suicide, the man's colleague in her complaint accused him of sexually harassing her, police said. The complainant has claimed that on his way home to Dwarka, the man used to drop her at Faridabad. She alleged that he had tried to molest her in his car, they said. Reportedly, he had been humiliated by a senior woman colleague for the incident and this seems to have put him under distress, the police said. In a purported suicide note, he said he was innocent and that he "said something" to the woman but never touched her inappropriately, they said. He said he was hurt by the humiliation at his workplace and had decided to end his life, police said, adding the note was handed over by the man's family to the police. The police are probing the case. Heavy rain that lashed city for three days believed to be the reason behind the building collapse. Kolkata: Two people, including a woman, died when a major portion of an old dilapidated building suddenly collapsed at Indian Mirror Street in the Taltala area of central Kolkata on Tuesday morning. The two, who were trapped under the debris, were recovered in the late afternoon by firemen and members of the disaster management group. The reason for the cave-in has been attributed to heavy rain that lashed the city for more than three days. Parts of southern and western Bengal, especially districts like Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore, have been inundated with incessant rain in the last few days. The two persons who were declared brought dead at the Calcutta Medical College Hospital have been identfied as Himadri Pahar (38), a resident of Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas and Hansa Shaw (20), who was a resident of the collapsed building. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee went to the spot to monitor the rescue operation. We will first remove the debris from the spot and later decide on the fate of the building, a top KMC official of the building department said. Meanwhile, parts of southern and western Bengal remained inundated with heavy rain. State irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee hit out at the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for indiscriminate release of water, particularly through the Panchet dam, thereby badly inundating parts of Howrah and Hooghly. My secretary has written to his counterpart in Jharkhand while the chief engineer has written to the DVC chairman, urging the authorities again not to release water in this way. They have been ignoring our repeated requests of releasing water without any consultation with us. In a bid to save their states from inundation, they are making situations worse for the people of the state, Mr Banerjee said. The irrigation minister said that the Panchet dam has the capacity to hold seven feet of water, but it is not being stored. DVCs capacity to hold water is going down and they have been lackdaiscal with respect to desilting. West Bengal is geographically a low-lying area and is going on accepting water from all the neighbouring states and countries like Assam, Bhutan and Sikkim, he added. The irrigation department, apart from strong monitoring of the situation and keeping themselves prepared to tackle disaster if any, is also strengthening the dams along rivers Damodar, Dwarakeshwar, Dwarka and Silabati. The state agriculture department has set up a control room to monitor the condition of crops in the districts. District-level officers will inform the Kolkata office that has been set up at Jessop building about the overall condition of farming across the flood affected districts. State agriculture minister Purnendu Basu said that the existing situation is under control, but the department is ready to help farmers if their crops are damaged. A total of 11,340 metric tonnes of certified seeds have been kept ready. These can be distributed to the farmers if the need arises, Mr Basu said. Depending on the extent of damage, the state government will seek financial help from the Centre. According to reports, 36-year-old Jagruti Hogale, a resident of suburban Bandra in Mumbai, fell after hitting a pothole. Mumbai: After a woman motorcycle-rider was killed on Jawhar-Dahanu road in the Palghar district near Mumbai, Maharashtra Public Works Minister Chandrakant Patil on Monday said that potholes were not the cause of the accident. "The road on which she was riding was water-logged and had become muddy and slippery. Her motorcycle slipped and she fell down. A truck which was behind hit her, killing her instantly. The accident did not take place due to potholes," he told reporters in the legislative complex. According to reports, 36-year-old Jagruti Hogale, a resident of suburban Bandra in Mumbai, fell after hitting a pothole on Sunday and was crushed under the wheel of a passing truck. Hogale, member of all-women 'Bikerni' motorcycle club, was riding with two others to Jawhar in Palghar district. According to the police, the advertising professional was overtaking a truck at around 9 am on Sunday when her motorcycle landed in a pothole, throwing her off. Hogale was rushed to a hospital where she was declared dead before admission, Kasa police station's Assistant Police Inspector Jaiprakash Guthe said. She had earlier ridden to Khardung La in Ladakh, one of the highest motorable roads in the world, police said. The truck driver was arrested under IPC sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving). This is the fourth death this year due to vehicles hitting potholes on the Jawhar-Dahanu road, police said. On July 4, an 18-year-old boy was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle while trying to avoid a pothole at Bhiwandi Naka. Meanwhile, Patil said that he had instructed officials of the PWD department to repair all potholes on roads leading to the Konkan region ahead of Ganesh festival. "All roads leading to Konkan will be clear of potholes before August 5," he said. Earlier, he held a review meeting on the condition of roads linking Mumbai with Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Konkan. The issue of potholes was in news recently when radio jockey Malishka Mendonsa incurred the wrath of the Shiv Sena which controls Mumbai's civic body for a satirical song on pothole ridden-Mumbai roads. While advising about preparedness of defence Thackeray did not miss the chance to take a dig at the ally BJP. Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday cautioned the government that before provoking China, it should keep in mind the defence preparedness of the country. While advising about preparedness of defence Thackeray did not miss the chance to take a dig at the ally BJP. Mr Thackeray in concluding part of his interview to the Sena mouthpiece Saamana also said, The threats from Pakistan and China have increased in recent past. We do not have enough ammunition to fight them. Then what has this strong government done in three years? He also said, When we tell China that India today is different from what it was in 1962, we should remember the kind of ammunition that we possess before opening our mouth. One can win elections on fake promises and self-eulogy but not a war" Mr Thackeray added. This and other recent, isolated cases of remission have given additional hope to 37 million people worldwide infected with virus. This undated photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a scanning electron micrograph of multiple round bumps of the HIV-1 virus on a cell surface. In a report released on Monday, July 24, 2017, researchers said a South African girl born with the AIDS virus has kept her infection suppressed for 8 1/2 years after stopping anti-HIV medicines _ more evidence that early treatment can occasionally cause a long remission that, if it lasts, would be a form of cure. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) London: A South African child born with HIV has surprised experts by appearing to be effectively cured of the AIDS virus after just a year of treatment followed by eight and a half years drug-free. Patients with HIV would normally need to stay on antiretroviral (ART) drugs for the rest of their lives to keep AIDS at bay. But this child, still off treatment and now almost 10 years old, has no signs of the disease. This and other recent, isolated cases of remission have given additional hope to the 37 million people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Yet experts urged caution, saying the case is extremely rare and does not suggest a simple path to a cure. "It's a case that raises more questions than it necessarily answers," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS), which is holding a conference in Paris this week. "It does raise the interesting notion that maybe treatment isn't for life. (But) it's clearly a rare phenomenon." The child, whose name and gender were not disclosed, was part of a clinical trial in which researchers were investigating the effect of treating HIV-positive babies in the first few weeks of life, and then stopping and starting the ART medicines whilst checking whether their HIV was being controlled. The United Nations HIV/AIDS agency said last week that 19.5 million people - more than half of the 37 million patients with HIV - are now on treatment. The vast majority of patients with HIV suffer an increase in the amount of the virus circulating in the body if they stop treatment, but this child was different, the South African researchers said. "To our knowledge, this is the first case of sustained virological control from a randomized trial of ART interruption following early treatment of infants," they said in a summary of findings presented at the IAS conference on Monday. The baby contracted HIV from its mother. Treatment with ART started when it was almost nine weeks old but was interrupted at 40 weeks when the virus had been suppressed, and the child was monitored regularly for any signs of relapse. "At age 9.5 years, the child was clinically asymptomatic," the researchers said. Sharon Lewin, an HIV expert at the University of Melbourne and co-chair of the IAS's HIV Cure and Cancer forum, said the case threw up possible insights into how the human immune system can controls HIV replication when treatment is interrupted. Yet in terms of the scientific search for a cure for HIV and AIDS, she said, it appeared only to confirm previous reports of similarly rare cases. "We know that very rarely, people who have had treatment and stopped it are then able to control the virus." The HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. 50-year old ex-model who has over 219K Instagram followers looks like he has just turned twenty. Chuando Tan, from Singapore is actually into his sixth decade, having turned 50 earlier this year, but you would not know by looking at his Instagram account. (Photo: Facebook) It turns that time stopped for an Asian model-turned photographer who at 50, still looks like he is in his twenties. Chuando Tan, from Singapore is actually into his sixth decade, having turned 50 earlier this year, but you would not know by looking at his Instagram account. Time waits for no man but one Asian model-turned-photographer seems to have found a way to halt the clock. Handsome Chuando Tan, from Singapore, is actually into his sixth decade, having turned 50 earlier this year - but you really wouldn't know it by looking at his Instagram account. He now has 180,000 followers on Instagram with his followers often asking him if he really is fifty, or one over enthusiastic follower who went on to ask if he was a vampire or not! The one-time pop sensations social media is filled with images that defy aging process with his chiselled abs and boyish face taking centre stge. Known to people as CD, he says his regular work-outs and habit of not bathing late night or early morning are the secrets to his age-defying body and face as well as low fat Hainanese chicken. That is not all, CD has raven black hair and also dresses as a man several decades younger. Now a photographer, Tan had made a name for himself as a model in his youth, though we think he can still give the younger ones a run for their money. With tempers running high in the restive Korean peninsula, negotiations seem unlikely. The hermit kingdom is increasingly isolating itself with its nuclear ambitions that threaten its neighbourhood. And now with its proven, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities the entire world is feeling the heat. Hwasong-14 was fired from Panghyon airfield in Kusong, remaining afloat for 37 minutes and flying 578 missiles. When the flight and trajectory data was analysed and extrapolated by international experts, it confirmed the worst nightmares of an ICBM capability that could theoretically reach 6,700 km or the state of Alaska, United States, with its successful demonstration. If this latest missile delivery capability is contexualised with North Koreas known ability to fuel nuclear devices, with weapons-grade plutonium and uranium, the threat of hitting the heart of the US no longer seems to be a standard propagandist boast. With this, North Korea joins the select ICBM club US, Russia, China, France, UK, India (Agni) and possibly Israel (Jericho III). For once the deeply-polarised global order was broadly on the same page with the United Nations, US, China and Russia amongst many others, condemning the latest North Korean provocation (perversely presented as an Independence Day gift to the US on July 4). A reciprocal ratcheting flared up with US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warning that North Koreas actions were quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution. The North Korean endgame of perpetuating and strengthening the Kim regime (starting in 1948 with the ascendancy of the Eternal President Kim Il-sung, to his son the Eternal Chairman Kim Jong-il, to now the Dear Leader Kim Jong-un), the cult-based narrative has consistently and furiously sought regime-protection and to bully the external world into economic gratification with nuclear threats and illicit trade. The totalitarian state is the last remaining bastion of the George W. Bushs maxim of the axis of evil (Iran, Iraq and North Korea). Pyongyang is a compulsive disregarder of the various international treaties, norms and sanctions having brazenly conducted underground nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2016, besides conducting frequent tests for its missile delivery systems, like the latest ICBM, Hwasong-14. The fingerprints of North Koreas mandarins appeared closer home when the nexus with the equally infamous Pakistani nuclear physicist A.Q. Khan and the Pakistani military establishment came to light with the US government dubbing the same as a serious proliferation risk. It is this sovereign venality, unpredictability and wanton irresponsibility that makes North Korea a menace to global peace. Even though there are some questions raised on the North Korean weapon systems, given the questionable ability to miniaturise its nuclear warheads to fit into a missile nosecone, yet the confirmed existence of a nuclear weapon stockpile along with these missile delivery systems of unproven efficacy is still a very dangerous portend. Further, the possibility of its chemical and biological weaponry getting misused with these delivery systems to churn out crude dirty bombs cannot be ruled out. The irresponsibility accompanying the act was further accentuated with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un simultaneously alluding to the tussle with the US having reached the final stage. Given that the entire legitimacy of the Kim regime pivots on playing up the ostensible threat from the US and its allies, like South Korea and Japan, as also the fate of other roguish and totalitarian anti-US leaders (who were importantly, without nuclear weapons), like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi it is unlikely that Pyongyang will turn down the belligerence quotient. If anything, North Korea believes that it now has a more powerful position on the bargaining table to extract its endgame imperatives. With a crippled industrial base (accelerated by the disintegration of the Communist bloc), souring relationship with its biggest trade partner China, with its state-sponsored international counterfeiting industry backfiring the utter desperation to leverage its sole lever of nuclear threat has now got dangerously magnified. China has historically indulged the dictatorial rule in North Korea to prevent both a regime change in North Korea to a democratic country or even prospects of reunification with South Korea, as both scenarios would logically entail a pro-US dispensation or country (with US military bases) on Chinese borders. While ideological considerations played a role in the Korean War (the Soviets and Chinese aided North Koreans), it is modern day aspirations amongst the CPC leadership in China of the Chinese century that allowed Beijing to offer the long rope to Pyongyang. However, the patience in China with its protege has been running thin and the ICBM red-line has pushed the Chinese into an uncomfortable spot with North Korea. Still China realises the importance of a status quo on North Korea, as it offers an invaluable buffer to the potential presence of US troops along the 1,420-km-long Sino-Korean land border. Already, South Koreans and Americans are fuming at the North Korean dare and are conducting their own military exercises and deploying the dreaded Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in the near proximity that is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach. This parallel build-up worries China as it foresees the use of the same against its own defence systems. Expectedly, the blame game on North Korea ensued with the irrepressible Donald Trump tweeting, So much for China working with us and end this nonsense, the Chinese while condemning the North Korean action urged for a halt to the China responsibility theory and owing to their own geostrategic considerations, propounded a dual-purpose statement (along with the Russians) aimed at both North Koreans and the US, The two sides propose that the DPRK (North Korea) as a voluntary political decision declares a moratorium on testing nuclear explosive devices and ballistic rocket launches, and the US and South Korea refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises. North Koreans realise their geo-strategic importance in a deeply-polarised and suspicious world with competing ambitions the lack of a cohesive and impactful response to their misdemeanours has further emboldened the Kim Jong-un regime on the merits of their blackmailing approach. With tempers running high in the restive Korean peninsula, negotiations seem unlikely given the efficacy of the various sanctions. Herein lies the dangers of the only other plausible option a militarised solution, either in the form of a pre-emptive strike or full-blown escalation, either ways that would surely escalate and engulf a lot of space more than just the Korean peninsula. Social media has become a modern sales tool of many companies and people today and for good reasons. With their large following, these sites are working hard to keep users engaged on their platform by constantly offering new and improved features and functions. Social media has opened a new world for sellers across India. It has become a modern sales tool of many companies and people today and for good reasons. For one, users are growing day by day on social media platforms. With their large following, these sites are working hard to keep users engaged on their platform by constantly offering new and improved features and functions. Thanks to social media, 45 per cent of businesses save on marketing costs. Keeping in mind the demands of the seller market, e-commerce platforms are now providing the small sellers with a tool to sell in the social media platforms and equipping them with necessary marketing tools to boost their business and reach the potential buyers. Here is a list of top 5 apps which helps you sell your products, establish credibility, and win customers over social media: Kraftly, A C2C e-commerce platform helps the small sellers, homepreneurs, etc. to set up a shop online. They also offer the seller with an option to do the social selling. The seller profile on Kraftly is provided with a tool to share their product detail on various social media platforms from which their buyers can buy the product. Meesho, Meesho Supply is the largest online market place for resellers in India. It offers tools to Homepreneurs to help them start their businesses through WhatsApp and Facebook. Limeroad, Create your online store with the LimeRoad App in just a minute. It helps you sell your products to millions of customers across India. Upload your products/catalog, customize your store, share with your customers (via Facebook, WhatsApp, E-mail, SMS, Pinterest, Instagram and more) and manage your orders all from your mobile phone. Zero investment. Your own store. Live! Roposo, a fashion social networking app helps small boutiques and SMBs scale up their business. Roposo is the ultimate destination for fashion connoisseurs to socialize, discover trends, inspire, get inspired and exhibit their products online! It vouches for small scale manufacturers and sellers / SMEs / Homepreneurs by helping them reach masses in a unique way. For the same reason it introduced a Chat-to-buy feature. This feature eases the communication between sellers and buyers. Most importantly, the chat-to-buy feature completes the loop of leads, transactions, and engagement by enabling purchases through the platform itself with just a few clicks. Now court documents have surfaced mentioning the patented chipsets which reveals a new name. However, as of now, very little is know about the new Snapdragon 845, though it is believed that the next generation Samsung S series will embrace it, with the Galaxy S9 very likely to use it when it is launched early next year. As Qualcomm continues its fight against Apple, the chipmaker has been struggling to get the iPhone banned in the United States. Now court documents have surfaced mentioning the patented chipsets which reveals a new name and that is expected to power the next-generation flagships. The Snapdragon 845 is named SDM845 in Qualcomm documents, thus confirming that the chipmaker is working on it and the company is more likely very close to finalizing the design ahead of the first models to feature in 2018. However, as of now, very little is know about the new Snapdragon 845, though it is believed that the next generation Samsung S series will embrace it, with the Galaxy S9 very likely to use it when it is launched early next year. As of now, no confirmation has been made in this regard. Samsung has typically been one of the first adopters of new Qualcomm flagship processors, and now it makes sense for the company to go for the Snapdragon 845 as well as for the upcoming S9 lineup. Leaving the chip aside, the documents also show that Qualcomm does not intend to give up on its fight against Apple, with the company still seeking a ban on iPhones in the United States. Apple had sued Qualcomm in January this year claiming that the company forces it to pay royalties for patents that it did not own, while Qualcomm counter-sued and even tried to go after Apple in an attempt to make them pay licensing fees for the parts they make for their Apples devices. But more recently, Apple has received the support of several technology giants, including a well-known group whose members, including here Google and Microsoft, said they did not agree with a ban on iPhones in the United States. Intel has sided with Apple in the fight against Qualcomm, but by the looks of things, the dispute is not going end very soon. The jihadists have threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90 million people. Since December, ISIS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. (Photo: Representational/File) Cairo: Seven civilians, including two children, were killed when a car bomb exploded near a military checkpoint in North Sinai, the Egyptian army has said. The explosion happened 200 metres from its military target, "when an Egyptian soldier used a tank to stop the vehicle," according to the army statement on Monday. The victims three men, two women and two children "happened to be in the area in front of the ambush during the blast," the statement added, without saying when the incident happened. "The explosion was large, carrying about 100 kilograms of high explosives," an army spokesman said in the statement. Egypt's military is battling a local affiliate of the Islamic State group that has waged a deadly insurgency in the northern Sinai, killings hundreds of members of the security forces. Since December, ISIS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. The jihadists have threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90 million people. The bombing by ISIS of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a South Sinai resort in 2015 killed all 224 people on board and severely damaged the country's tourism sector. US presidents normally avoid being seen as influential on ongoing or possible investigations at all costs. Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department's investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened. (Photo: File) Washington: Donald Trump's war of words against his attorney general and one-time ally Jeff Sessions escalated Monday, raising speculation the president may be preparing the ground to replace him. Trump and his advisers are in fact talking about the possibility of replacing Sessions, The Washington Post reported Monday evening, quoting people familiar with these discussions. Trump earlier took to Twitter to declare his top law enforcement official "beleaguered" as he wondered out loud why Sessions was not investigating 2016 presidential candidate and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" Trump asked. US presidents normally avoid being seen as influential on ongoing or possible investigations at all costs. But it is Trump's comments about his erstwhile friend that have raised eyebrows. Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department's investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened. Last week, Trump publicly upbraided Sessions for stepping back from issues related to the probe. Sessions recused himself because of his role on Trump's campaign and previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador in Washington. Trump said he would never have hired Sessions had he known he would recuse himself. "I think is very unfair to the president," Trump told The New York Times last week. "It's extremely unfair, and that's a mild word, to the president." Sessions said he had no plans to resign. That increasingly appears problematic for Trump, as he struggles to influence an investigation that has ensnared his eldest son, son-in-law and top aides. In May, Trump fired FBI director James Comey over the bureau's investigation into Russia. That led to the appointment of high-powered special prosecutor Robert Mueller. The Post report said Trump associates see getting rid of Sessions as part of a potential strategy to fire Mueller and end the Russia investigation. Shortly after Trump's tweet, the website Axios reported that Trump was considering replacing Sessions with another early supporter, Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor. If he were confirmed by Congress, that appointment could open the door to Trump firing Mueller or having an attorney general who can directly influence the investigation. Sessions cannot because he has recused himself. Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The UN chief said that he supports the efforts of the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations. (Photo: File) United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the terror attacks in Kabul and Lahore and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. Describing the attack in Kabul as "horrifying", he said the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and "may constitute a war crime". At least 26 people were killed and 41 injured after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government officials through a Shiite neighbourhood in Kabul on Monday. Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The UN chief said that he supports the efforts of the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations. A Taliban suicide bomber on Monday struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Lahore, killing at least 26 people, including policemen, and wounding 58 others. Lahore police chief Capt (R) Amin Wains confirmed that it was a suicide attack and the "target was police". Meanwhile, the 15-nation Security Council also strongly condemned both the terror attacks, calling them "heinous and cowardly". The Council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions," the Council said in its statements issued separately on the Kabul and Lahore attacks. A senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan called the attack "cowardly". "I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians," said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. "The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity," Kardel said. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilian casualties this year, according to a midyear report of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on civilian protection released last week. The Kabul attack came amid planned commemorations for the July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which claimed the lives of hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. "In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last year's attack through dialogue, not violence," said Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. However, the man was not seen outside his room in the company's staff accommodation in Sharjah for a couple of days. Dubai: A 46-year-old Indian man died in Dubai after suffering heart attack just before he was supposed to return to India, a media report said on Tuesday. Sundaresan Asokan was working with a metal fabrication company in Dubai. According to his colleagues, he had resigned from the firm and was supposed to fly to his hometown in Kerala on Monday, Gulf News reported.However, the man was not seen outside his room in the company's staff accommodation in Sharjah for a couple of days. "He came out on Sunday to sign the final settlement papers sent by the company. Then, he came out on Sunday night and complained of chest pain and collapsed," said one colleague. The colleagues called an ambulance and rushed Asokan to Kuwaiti Hospital. However, he had passed away due to a heart attack before reaching the hospital, said an HR executive of the company. He said Asokan, father of two school-going children, had joined the firm only four months ago. He had worked with the same company some years ago and came back after working in Qatar and Ras Al Khaimah, his friends said. While the friends said Asokan was upset about being forced to quit the job and his financial constraints, the HR executive said Asokan had resigned on his own. "He did not want to stay and wanted to leave," he said, refuting allegations that the employees, including Asokan, were facing non-payment of salaries as well. He said the company had even given some advance payment as requested by Asokan. "We gave holiday to all employees today in view of his death. We have informed his family about this and we are following up regarding the repatriation of the body," the HR executive added. The new terms will help allay concerns of India as also in Japan and the United States, that the port won't be used for military purposes. Colombo: Sri Lanka's cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the world's busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings, which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. The new terms will help allay concerns of India as also in Japan and the United States, that the port won't be used for military purposes. In 2014, India was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against China's expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day "Silk Route" across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 square miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the country's sovereignty. "The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week," cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didn't provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lanka's concerns had been addressed. "They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue," the source said. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 per cent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The company's capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 per cent stake and the Chinese 49.3 per cent, according to the document. China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 per cent after 10 years, the document said. The Iranian boat went "dead in the water" after the shots and the vessels all left the area without further incident, the official said. Iranian forces view the American presence in the Gulf as a provocation by itself. (Photo: AP) Dubai: A US Navy patrol boat fired warning shots Tuesday near an Iranian vessel that came close to it during a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf, an American defense official said. The incident involving the USS Thunderbolt, a Cyclone-class patrol ship based in Bahrain as part of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, is the latest confrontation between Iranian vessels and American warships. The Thunderbolt was taking part in an exercise with American and other coalition vessels when the Iranian patrol boat approached it, the official said. The Iranian ship did not respond to radio calls, flares and sirens as it came within 150 yards (137 meters) of the Thunderbolt, forcing the US sailors aboard to fire the warning shots, the official said. The Iranian boat went "dead in the water" after the shots and the vessels all left the area without further incident, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as the incident had yet to be made public. Iranian officials and state-run media there did not immediately acknowledge the incident. Iran and the US frequently have tense naval encounters in the Persian Gulf. The US Navy recorded 35 instances of what it describes as "unsafe and/or unprofessional" interactions with Iranians forces in 2016, compared to 23 in 2015. Of the incidents last year, the worst involved Iranian forces capturing 10 US sailors and holding them overnight. It became a propaganda coup for Iran's hard-liners, as Iranian state television repeatedly aired footage of the Americans on their knees, their hands on their heads. Iranian forces view the American presence in the Gulf as a provocation by itself. They in turn have accused the US Navy of unprofessional behavior, especially in the Strait of Hormuz, the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil trade by sea passes. by Luca Galantini The fall of Mosul opens a new chapter. On the back of its experience in the former Yugoslavia, the EU should seek to encourage the reconciliation process through medium to long-term diplomatic initiatives that can involve all local and central political and social institutions in order to avoid the risk of fragmentation that would fuel sectarianism And contrasts. Milan (AsiaNews) - The reunification of Mosul by the heterogeneous military political coalition gathered in a common front against ISIS is certainly a major milestone in the struggle against the Islamic State (IS) and the dream of restoring a new caliphate imposed by the ideology of the jihadist terror of the militias led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The political leadership of the Caliphate has been completely resized, especially after rumors of al-Baghdadi's death. But in the eyes of all the observers it is clear that the military campaign to overthrow the remaining IS forces occupying unimportant pockets of territory around the border between Syria and Iraq is definitely not over. In particular, the hypothesis advocated by analysts that Daesh (Arabic acronym for the Islamic State), which is losing ground and physical control, will increasingly privilege the use of terrorist acts in an attempt to destabilize the member countries of the anti-IS coalition. If the conquest of Mosul is therefore a sign of concrete hope towards the end of military hostilities that have unfortunately devastated the Land of the Two Rivers, Iraq, for decades as well as Syria and the Middle East victim of the "regime of jihadist terror", it is equally evident that a phase of extreme uncertainty is now opening up for the construction of a stable future of peace, security and respect for human rights in this geopolitical area and Iraq in particular. The crucial point around all the political issues in defining the stable future of Iraq is very clear and complex: the peaceful sharing of ethnic, national, tribal, religious diversity that has always been a historical feature of the Iraqi state. Rebuilding the state in the name of coexistence between the various identities that make up the soul of Iraq is of such strategic importance that it was the first declaration to be made by the Baghdad Prime Minister Abadi on his recent visit to Mosul. He declared it the best answer to the IS regime of terror is the ability of the different ethnic and religious identities to live together. The Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, Raphael Sako, launched an appeal, through AsiaNews, to the entire Iraqi people and to the Christian community in particular, to mature a "new awareness" capable of abandoning the fragmentation, divisions and oppositions that have fueled decades of civil war. What are the possibilities for the future structure of the Iraqi state? And what concrete proposals can the international community and particularly Europe offer in facing this central challenge for the future of regional peace? In 2011, US President Barack Obama announced the complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, with naive optimism that the stabilization of an illusory status quo between the various ethnic, religious and national groups had been reached on the basis of the new Federal Constitution. Instead this sanctioned "cantonalization", that is, the division of the country into spheres of influence. In this way, they at least partially satisfied the wishes of autonomy of the three main ethnic-religious groups of the state - Sunni, Shiite and Kurd - without the conflicts exploding into open war and the country being dragged into civil war. History has shown that this choice was completely wrong. It has favored the loss of national political unity, the fragmentation of political power at local level, without guaranteeing effective protection and equal rights for different ethnicities, nationalities and minority religious groups scattered, unevenly, within the territory. This has led to the aggressive management of power by parties of the dominant national and religious entities in the various provinces into which the country had been divided and the discrimination of other minority social groups, the principal cause of the civil war that ensued. Several scholars have pointed out that this picture is well-known to European diplomacy, which has managed an equally dramatic analogious problem in the last two decades: the so-called "Balkanization" of the former Yugoslavia. Particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina there was the unequal presence on the same territory of many religious groups, Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats. This has suggested to the European Chancellery the promotion of nation-building in Bosnia-Herzegovina, not formalizing the country's division into federal areas, depending on the majority of ethnic groups. Such subdivision would have caused discrimination and persecution of minorities in the name of a sectarian polarization of power. Instead, it encouraged a process of integration between the various entities at a local level, while strengthening the powers of the central government of Sarajevo in order to ensure unity of the state against the belligerent separatist temptations of the various groups. The European Union (EU), strong from its experience in consolidating power in the Balkans, has on paper the best chance to promote a reconciliation process in Iraq that excludes the return of a political division of Iraq into several states, The name of a religious ethnic sectarianism that would re-ignite civil conflicts. According to various EU foreign policy analysts, this can be done through the promotion and management of permanent workplaces at the local level that can promote from the bottom-up mediation among the various interests of the identity groups within a single local political system. Thus it would be capable of representing and protecting all the various differences that characterize the history of Iraq, from the periphery to the capital. Likewise, the EU should take on the role of "sponsor" in involving a global workforce, foreign states, and international organizations with a specific interest in having a politics, economic and cultural presence in the Iraqi area. The task of the EU would be to encourage the process of reconciliation through medium to long-term diplomatic initiatives that could involve all local and central political institutions, civil society representatives, various national and religious identity groups to enhance the significance of a culture of diversity that for decades has characterized the political system in Iraq, particularly in those areas that have undergone strong processes of extreme polarization of identity groups to the detriment of minorities. Certainly, the nation-building process in Iraq will have no small amount of problems, but the Balkan experience, despite all of its limitations, proves that the dramatic antagonism of nationalisms and religious hatreds can be overcome, preventing them from becoming counter-productive within the state. The devices were dismantled before dawn. Netanyahu proposes to replace them with new "advanced" security technologies. The UN Security Council had asked for a solution by Friday. UN Middle East envoy: These events can create disasters far beyond the Middle East. Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - This morning before dawn, a workgroup removed all of the metal detectors that had been installed over the past few days to control the entrance to Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, the third most sacred place for Islam, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. . The decision - which had aroused riots and international criticsm - was reached this morning by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet. An official statement reads that the metal detectors will be replaced by "security inspections based on advanced technologies and other means". Israel had installed metal detectors at the entrance to Temple Mount after the killing of two policemen by some Israeli Arabs on July 14, who fled with weapons into the sacred site. For Muslims, the unilateral decision violated the status quo (which grants Muslims responsibility for the use of the mosques) and appeared as yet another attempt to seize control of the holy places. Many Muslims refused to pass through the metal detectors and preferred to pray in the streets, where riots and clashes with the police broke out. Christians came out in support of Muslims accusing Israel of wanting to turn a political issue into a religious conflict. Pope Francis has appealed to all involved for "moderation and dialogue" together with a resumption of reconciliation and attempts to bring about peace. The UN Security Council gathered in emergency session last night. The UN envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, who explained the situation to the Council, also stressed that "it is important to find a solution by Friday" (The day of prayer for Muslims). "The dangers on the ground will escalate if we go through another cycle of Friday prayer without a resolution to this current crisis," he said, warning that violence there could spread "beyond the Middle East itself". by Kamran Chaudhry Yesterday's attack was claimed by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Access to the Bahar Colony within the area of the explosion, blocked. Nearly 50,000 Christians live in the neighborhood and there are nearly 200 churches. Bishops' study emergency aid for victims. At least 160 attacks occurred in Pakistan in 2013. Lahore (AsiaNews) - Transportation around the Christian quarter of Lahore has been blocked after the devastating explosion that hit the city yesterday, during which 26 people died, including nine policemen. Pastor John Feroze of Christ King Gospel Ministries reports to AsiaNews: "Police have fenced off several kilometers from the point of the explosion. Among the delimited areas, is also the main entrance of the Bahar Colony, where 50,000 Christians live. We are using alternative routes to get to our homes." Rev. Feroze continues, "in our country, people have forgotten humanity. Terrorists do not respect Islam. Peace can not prevail until the government acts severely against madrasas (Islamic seminaries), radical imams and illegal terrorist groups." This morning in all the churches throughout the country prayers were said for the victims of yesterday's attack in the fruit and vegetable market area [near the Arfa Karim tower in Ferozepur Road - ed]. The market is located near the entrance to the Christian Quarter of Bahar, where there are about 200 churches. The Taliban of Pakistan [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (Ttp) - ed] claimed the suicide attack. Haider Ashraf, deputy general inspector of police operations, said the 18-year-old was riding a motorcycle and wearing a jacket padded with 12 kilos of explosives. At the time of the detonation, Catholic bishops had gathered from across the country in Youhanabad, south of Lahore, for a meeting of the leadership of Caritas Pakistan. Roger Randhawa, who manages the Church's social arm operations at Lahore, reports: "Our city is a frequent target because it is literally called 'Heart of Pakistan'. Following the bishops' meeting, an immediate plan for victims will be formulated. We condemn this brutal act." According to the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication, about 160 terrorist attacks have occurred since 2013 - when the Nawaz Sharif government of the Pakistan Muslim League was established. Meanwhile security forces in the metropolis were placed under the highest alert after the explosion, the third of this year. More police officers are reviewing security measures by visiting churches and sensitive buildings in their respective areas. Also in Lahore, in April, six people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on government officials who were collecting data for the census. In February another bomb attack carried out by a Taliban faction in front of the Punjab Assembly headquarters resulted in 14 casualties and more than 80 wounded. by Catherine Field (*) Commemorations for the 85-year-old parish priest whose throat was slit in front of the altar, presided by the Archbishop of Rouen, include President Emmanuel Macron, the Interior Minister and Muslim Representatives. The unity between Catholic and Muslim communities has been strengthened. But the government's fight against jihadism has many flaws. Overcrowded prisons, unemployment and marginalization are the ingredients for recruitment and radicalization. Paris (AsiaNews) - On 26 July 2016, two men aged 19 stormed the tiny church at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy as Father Jacques Hamel was celebrating morning mass. They took four parishioners, among them two nuns, and Father Hamel hostage. After a short stand-off, the assailants forced the 85-year-old French priest to his knees in front of the altar and then slit his throat. According to Dominique Lebrun, the Archbishop of Rouen, the priests final words were Begone, Satan. Sister Danielle, who was in the church at the time, said the attackers filmed the murder. The men claimed they were soldiers of so-called Islamic State (IS) and wanted revenge for western-led attacks on IS in Iraq and Syria. Both men were known to security services. One was under police supervision and was wearing an electronic monitoring device after spending 10 months in custody for trying to travel to fight in Syria. They were both shot dead by police as they came out of the church. IS claimed responsibility for the attack and the murder. Pope Francis condemned the attack, decrying the pain and horror of this absurd violence. The slaying of Hamel shocked the world. In France, which had already been rocked by a string of Islamist-inspired attacks, the sense of shock rippled across the country. Within hours, members of the Muslim community gathered at the scene of the attack to express their outrage. The following weekend, Muslims and Catholics stood shoulder-to-shoulder in churches around the country. Just as they had done two weeks earlier after the Nice attack, many Muslims stood up and said the atrocity was not done in their name. Initial fears the attack would strain religious tensions were unfounded. Ceremonies will be held Wednesday to commemorate Father Hamel. The Archbishop of Rouen will say morning mass at Saint-Etienne church. Among those present will be French President Emmanuel Macron, Frances minister of the interior, members of the local Muslim community and representatives of the Conseil francais du culte musulman (CFCM). A headstone dedicated to Hamel will be unveiled and, later in the day, vespers will be said at a nearby basilica. The day's commemorations will end with a procession to Hamels grave. Representatives of the Catholic and Muslim communities in the area say they are heartened by the sense of communion between the different faiths. Yet questions remain about the government's ability to respond to radicalisation and the rise in Salafist-style Islam. According to the French interior ministry, some 15,000 people are on record as belonging to or having links to radical Islamist movements. The threat remains however the motive no longer comes from those striving to usher in a new Islamic conquest but rather seeking to retaliate for western coalition strikes on IS in Syria and Iraq. What has not changed are the conditions within French society through which young Muslims, predominantly males, are recruited into jihadism. Intelligence services say most, although not all, have grown up in rundown and crime-ridden suburbs -- "banlieues" -- on the edge of the major cities where the sense of discrimination and lack of job prospects is high. Youth unemployment remains doggedly high in France, with the latest figures showing 21.8% of those aged under 25 registered as unemployed. Although that figure is down from 23.3% in the last quarter of 2016, it is still substantially higher than the average of 13% youth unemployment other OECD countries and more than triple the 7% in neighbouring Germany. That unemployment is higher among those of North African descent is of little doubt, although gaining official data to buttress anecdotal evidence is difficult. Under secular laws, even to collect statistics on religion or ethnicity is illegal. A study by a Paris research institute found young men identified as practising Muslims who apply for jobs have a 4.7% chance of getting a job interview, compared to 17.9% of practising Catholics. French intelligence services have been working alongside representatives of the Muslim communities to target and close mosques which have been infiltrated by jihadists. However on-line radicalisation and peer group pressures are widespread. The most prevalent forum for recruiting in France is its notoriously overcrowded penitentiaries. Prison officers say jihadists often target vulnerable inmates in communal areas such as in the showers or when out walking rather than in allocated areas for prayer. Frances prison population at the end of June 2017 was 70,018, with a further 11,763 on release under electronic surveillance. It is estimated that between 40-60% of inmates are Muslim. According to the Justice Department the countrys 186 prisons have places for only 59,090 inmates; 1,616 are sleeping on mattresses. Frances largest prison, Fleury-Merogis, just outside Paris has a capacity of 2,956 inmates but currently houses 4,352. Theres also the shortage of prison chaplains. Although the number of Imams has increased from 69 in 2006 to 193 in 2015, the government is accused of not allocated enough funds to cover training and salaries thereby leaving the way open for untrained, volunteer Imams to fill the gap. In May 2017, the government went further and issued a decree making it compulsory for any newly recruited hospital, military and prison chaplains to pass a civil and civic training diploma. This could further slowdown any hoped for increase in the number of Imams wanting to become chaplains. However, the temptation of jihadism reflects a wider malaise -- of a country where many young Muslim males feel they have no place in France. Many native-born French people feel similarly about Islam. In a survey carried out by the Ipsos institute last month, at least 60% of French people questioned said they believed Islam incompatible with French values. Forty-six percent of those polled said "even if it is not its main message, Islam still contains within it the seeds of violence and intolerance". *Catherine Field, a Paris-based journalist, is a graduate of Religious Science from the Institut catholique de Paris. She is an expert in social sciences and interreligious dialogue. She recently completed an 18-month research project with the University of Cambridge centred on the revival of religion in the public sphere in England and France. by Melani Manel Perera NGOs, some foreign governments, and civil society are pressing for it to become operational as soon as possible. For Amnesty International, "comforting words must be followed by firm action. Only justice can heal the wounds of the Srilankans ". Fernando Brito: "Muslims, Sinhalese and Tamil disappeared without distinction, and all of them had the right to live." Colombo (AsiaNews) - "The people of Sri Lanka can no longer wait. Tens of thousands of families, from all communities, have already waited too long. The Office for Missing Persons (Omp) must be established as soon as possible, appeals Biraj Patnaik, director of Amnesty International (AI) in South Asia. The Omp, whose creation was announced by a bill in May 2016, is slated to investigate the disappearance of more than 20,000 people during the civil war that has afflicted the country for 30 years, recommending compensation to families and giving them the possibility of legal action against the perpetrators. Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena signed the "Missing Persons Act" last week. There is no news of thousands of people who, among the missing, were arrested or handed over to the army during or after the war. Along with AI, even the UN, some foreign governments, human rights organizations demand that the Sri Lankan government start applying the law signed by the President as soon as possible. For Patnaik, "comforting words must be followed by firm action. Only justice can heal the wounds of the Sri Lankans". Brito Fernando, chair of the Families of the Disappeared Group (FOD), told AsiaNews that "this is a good move by Maithripala" because the former president and his government, together with some Buddhist monks, had opposed the Omp. However, evenwhile "thanking the government for this decision, we, as civil society organizations, demand that it speeds up work." "We also ask that the Buddhist monks, who opposed the Omp because they believed it would harm our soldiers, not to point their finger at the Tamil people and not to neglect what happened in 1989 in the southern provinces. Do not you want to know what happen? How many Buddhist monks disappeared in 1989? " Brito added. "Muslims, Sinhalese and Tamil disappeared without distinction, and all of them had the right to live." Kasipillai Jeyavanitha, mother of Kasipillai Jeromi, a young man who disappeared from the Vavuniya district, told AsiaNews: "Our lives have been consumed by our protest to know what happened to our children, husbands and loved ones. Now at least, this Omp should respond without cheating us once again. " Thambirasa Selvarani, whose husband disappeared at Omanthe's checkpoint in 2009, asks Omp to "reveal the fate of our relatives who disappeared before and after the war. Now we have no more time to waste on the streets in protest. " Numerous silent protests have spread to the northern province, asking for answers to "what has happened to missing loved ones". The protests remained for 150 days in the street, mostly led by Tamil women. In signing the Omp Act, the president has passed one of the four specific mechanisms provided for in the UN Human Rights Council's 2015 "Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka" resolution. Seventeen writers, cartoonists and executives risk years of imprisonment if found guilty of supporting terrorist organisations. For their supporters, the charges are unfounded. The newspaper has been a thorn in the side of Erdogan in recent years. Ankara (AsiaNews/Agencies) The trial of the 17 staff members of the Cumhuriyet daily began yesterday in an Istanbul courthouse. The defendants include writers, cartoonists and executives who are accused of supporting "terrorist" groups against Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan. If convicted, they face terms varying between 7 and 43 years in prison. Arrested last October, 11 of them have spent more than eight months in jail. They are all charged with supporting three groups deemed terrorist by Turkey with their articles, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and Gulens movement, which Turkish authorities call the Gulenist Terror Organisation (Fethullahc Teror Orgutu, FETO). According to the charge, Cumhuriyet is guilty of launching "a perception operation" with the aim of starting an "asymmetric war" against Erdogan. Supporters insist the paper has always been bitterly critical of the three groups. Those appearing in court included some of the best-known names in Turkish journalism, like columnist Kadri Gursel, the paper's editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, cartoonist Musa Kart as well as its chairman Akin Atalay. As they entered the courthouse, supporters applauded, and released dozens of multicolored balloons, chanting: "Don't be silenced! A free media is a right!" During the hearing, the accused defended themselves. I find myself here before you, not because, while not being a member of a terrorist organisation, I knowingly and willingly aided a terrorist organisation, but because I am an independent, investigative and critical journalist, Gursel said. Atalay said the authorities were scared. "But Cumhuriyet will not give in... independence and liberty are written into the DNA of the paper." Since the arrests, the paper has continued to publish the columns of the detained journalists with a blank space instead of the text. Cumhuriyet (Republic) was created in 1924 and is Turkey's oldest mainstream national title. It has been a thorn in the side of Erdogan in recent years. It is one of the few genuine opposition voices in the press, which is dominated by strongly pro-government media. One year after the failed coup, Turkey is still under a state of emergency and President Erdogan's repression against all opposition continues. With respect to press freedom, Turkey ranks 155th on the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom index, below Belarus and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in an opinion released last month, said it found that the detention of the staff was arbitrary and that they should be immediately released and given the right to compensation. Everything You Need To Know About Cheating In A Relationship Can Relationships Survive Affairs? Here's Everything You Need To Know The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Unless you're in an open, polyamorous relationship, engaging sexually with someone who isn't your partner is almost always considered cheating. And as far as the topic of cheating goes, the general consensus is that it's wrong. No ifs, ands or buts. But the reasons behind why people cheat, what actually constitutes cheating in a relationship, and the whole issue of whether or not a couple can ever come back from one partner being unfaithful, well, that's not so black and white. If you've ever been cheated on, you know that it feels pretty awful. It's a blow to your ego and your self-esteem. It makes you question your judgement in terms of choosing a partner. You start to blame yourself, wondering if you could have done anything to keep them more interested so that they didn't feel like they had to look elsewhere. Your trust is shot, and if you do decide to start over with someone new, the process for building it back up again becomes harder than ever. RELATED: Here's How to Cheat-Proof Your Relationship But the flip side of cheating is no walk in the park either. The anxiety that comes with sneaking around, the guilt you feel after committing the crime and having to see your partner who is none the wiser about what you've done, and, if you decide to, breaking the news is incredibly unpleasant. So then, why do people do it? And if it does happen, what should you do about it? Here's everything you need to know about cheating, straight from the experts (and a few real women who have been there). 1. Why Do People Cheat? The reasons for cheating can run the gamut. According to Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D., one main driver (that can be especially harmful) is the compulsion to feel good at any given moment regardless of relationship status. "Certain types of people are focused on instant gratification," she explains. "They cheat as a matter of course, and don't consider that they should be faithful. People who feel entitled to sex any way they can get it, will always rationalize cheating, and just keep doing it. They don't want to work on marital issues, or learn to keep intimacy alive with the same person. They get their jollies from illicit sex." If you've had a conversation about infidelity with any group of people, there's usually someone who throws out the idea that happy people don't cheat. Dr. Tessina says that there is some merit to that, albeit, not always the case. "Research shows that women cheat because they feel emotionally deprived, and men because they feel sexually deprived," she says. "With illicit affairs quite easily available online or at the office, it's often easier for a spouse who is dissatisfied with the relationship to transfer affection to someone else than to take the emotional risk of talking to a partner about dissatisfaction." Relationships take work, and when one or both parties aren't willing to put the effort in, it can feel easier to find what's lacking elsewhere. "While most marital dissatisfaction is not that hard to fix, and cheating is usually emotionally devastating for everyone, the cheater has an 'instant gratification' mentality, and is just doing what feels good, and feeling unable to control it," says Dr. Tessina. "He or she is not thinking of future problems (at least, when connecting with the other person) and is just masking emotional pain." You may have heard the idea (or even joked with your partner) about the idea of a "pass" list essentially, 2-3 celebrity crushes you have that, if ever the opportunity presented itself, your significant other would be OK with you sleeping with as a one time thing. Granted, these types of conversations are all in fun because there's no way you're likely ever going to have the chance to nail that supermodel. But author Kevin Darne says that this concept is actually not that farfetched in terms of one type of cheater who can't say no to an unbelievable opportunity. "This person is not proactively looking to cheat," he explains. "They may have a secret crush on a coworker or even a stranger they cross paths with at Starbucks or wherever. One day this person flirts or hits on them! There's an opportunity to turn a fantasy into reality and be with this hot person. Maybe the married person's spouse is out of town or the would be cheater is away on business and the chance of getting caught is extremely remote. Essentially, this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be with him or her. On occasion, this type of cheater may give into peer pressure. They may be hanging out with their friends in hotel lounge bar who are egging them on to go for it. Cheaters like this are guilty of caving in to temptation." RELATED: Why Do Women Cheat? We Got 5 To Reveal Their Motivations What Real Women Say: "Cheating for me was a total escape from day-to-day life," says Simone, 34. "It was exciting. But I'm not sure if it means you shouldn't be together. I think that depends on the reason why you cheated. In my case, it was like therapy to get through what I was unhappy with in my life. I think it is different for everyone, but I will say if you're only in a relationship a short time and you or your partner is cheating, then you probably shouldn't be together." 2. Can Your Relationship Recover From Cheating? You've seen it whenever a new extramarital affair scandal breaks with someone in the public eye the spouse stands by throughout the turmoil. If a couple that's facing infidelity so publicly can reconcile, we should be able to do it too, right? Yes, and no. Sexologist Dr. Megan Stubbs says that having your relationship make a full recovery can be a very long road one that, if you ever do reach the destination, would require a lot from both parties in order to rectify. "Cheating is one of the most devastating things that can happen in a relationship," says Dr. Stubbs. "Cheating is a violation of trust, and that is one of the key foundations in any kind of relationship. Once you (or the cheater) come clean, there needs to be a plan put in place. It takes energy from both sides to rebuild the trust and intimacy in the relationship." And this process can come with new parameters being enforced ones that may be hard for both sides to acclimate to. "Sometimes the adoption of new rules like open social media or cell phone access will be requested from the other partner," she says. "Whatever rules or agreements you put in place in your relationship are personal. There is no list of must-haves on the healing-from-cheating plan. Know that the healing process takes time. It is up to you and your partner to determine how long you need to heal and when trust is reestablished. This isn't a two-week fix." Dr. Tessina agrees, and says that if both parties are willing and focused on mending the relationship after one person cheated, it can be done. "As a therapist who works with couples every day, I know that it is possible to repair the marriage after infidelity," she says. "Not only is it possible, but when children are involved, it's desirable." However, in order to do so, the person who was cheated on needs to not continue to use this fact to start or win arguments. "Often both partners have contributed to the problem, and if the other spouse continues to blame and vilify the one who made the mistake, then both will suffer for a long time, and so will their families and children. If there is a sincere change in behavior, and if the problems that led to the infidelity are addressed and corrected, and both parties approach the problem with a sincere wish to discover what went wrong and fix it, then forgiveness is an important part of the healing process, whether the couple stay married or not." But sex educator and columnist Gigi Engle advises to approach the optimism of being able to continue a relationship after cheating with caution. "Most experts will say that they believe a relationship can recover from infidelity if both partners want to fix the relationship badly enough," she says. "I am not of this persuasion. I truly think that if you cheat on someone, the relationship is over. You're essentially ending it by betraying your partner. Some people can forgive their cheating partner and try to move on, but how can you really let that go? It will always be something that is between you. If you are in a relationship that you really want to save, you won't do something that is disrespectful like this. Think about it: Cheating is not something you just accidentally do. You have to kiss someone, go somewhere private with them, take all their clothes off, and then physically have sex with them. The factors to consider here are why you [or your partner] did this. At the heart of that question nearly every time is a lack of respect for your partner, your relationship, and yourself. People cheat because they want their relationship to end, but don't know how to or don't have the nerve to break up with their partner." What Real Women Say: "When I was in my teens it was because of boredom and power," says Kate, 38. "It felt exciting to be wanted by anyone at any time. Once I was in college and in a long-term relationship, it was because there were things I wasn't getting from the relationship, but I had no idea how to communicate that to my partner. I was afraid. So I just cheated. Emotionally and physically. Sometimes with different people for different things I needed. It was also fun. (Yep, I said it. It was fun.) I also didn't believe I would find the right guy, anyway. This was back in the '90s when us ladies were way less woke on our self-worth and ability to tell a guy to take a hike. This lasted into my first marriage, who I cheated on as well because he was abusive and neglectful. Eventually I moved out and initiated a divorce, and got lots of therapy to figure out where this behavior was coming from. Now I'm remarried and have been happy for 10 years. Cheat free. Although it's like alcoholism the trigger and the desire is always there I know how to control it now, and more importantly, where it actually comes from." 3. What To Do If You've Cheated First things first, after you've committed the crime, you need to take a hard look at whether or not you want the relationship to continue. Was the motivation behind your actions due to the fact that you want out of your current romantic situation? Or was it truly a one time mistake that you wish you could take back if you could? If it's the latter, Dr. Stubbs says step one is to tell your partner no matter how unpleasant it may be to do. "Ultimately if you want this relationship to work and be long-term, you need to come clean," says Dr. Stubbs. "If you cheated, this isn't necessarily a sign that you shouldn't be in this relationship. Communication with your partner is key. Ask yourself why you did what you did and then see if you can tease out an underlying reason of why. And chances are, if you've been feeling that something is off in your relationship and this is what led you to act the way you did, your partner is likely feeling the same change. Ultimately cheating comes down to a violation of trust. Whether this is a one-night stand or an affair, you are keeping these intimate secrets from your partner and that isn't OK." Dr. Tessina aggress. "If you're serious about fixing the problems in your relationship, it's crucial that you both begin to face each other honestly and openly," she says. "Most of the time, affairs occur because the communication and intimacy in the relationship have broken down. It's time to take an honest look at what went wrong. You may need professional help from a counselor or therapist to open up your communication, but it's the only way to repair the damage done." Once you've talked with your partner, it's time to begin the process of identifying the problems in your current relationship. "Be willing to make the changes that will fix them," says Dr. Tessina. "Doing things the same way you always have will give you the same results. Again, it may take the objectivity of a counselor to help you figure out what changes are needed." The final component that's often time the hardest is forgiveness on the ends of both parties. "As long as you're stuck in blaming each other and defending yourself, you won't be able to move forward," Dr. Tessina says. "Forgiving each other doesn't mean condoning what happened, or that it would be OK if it happened again. What it does mean, is that you're willing to close that chapter and move on. Your therapist can help you understand and create mutual forgiveness." If, during this reflection period, you realize you truly do want out, Engle encourages using this as a learning experience to inform your future relationship endeavors. "Once a cheater does not necessarily mean always a cheater," she says. "You need to find a relationship that is fulfilling enough to not lead you to cheat you need to be with someone you respect enough to communicate your unhappiness to before you go and sleep with someone else. It's really about being mature enough to have a relationship that you don't try to sabotage. We've all done it. It's a part of becoming an adult. The best thing you can do is take some time to be single and truly explore what you want out of life and out of a partner. Set realistic expectations. Don't enter into a relationship until you're ready to commit and stick to your word." What Real Women Say: "If you cheated don't beat yourself up about it," says Michelle, 27. "Take a hard look at why you did it and why. If it's a one time thing just brush it off and look forward but if it's reoccurring then maybe it's time to move on from your current relationship." 4. Different Types Of Cheating The term "cheating" isn't necessarily limited to sexual contact or connecting physically. The truth is, there are different types and levels of infidelity. In today's digital age, with so many opportunities to connect both with people who we know in real life and others who we get to know only virtually, there are plenty of opportunities to stray simply using our words and emotions. "Emotional cheating is when there is a level of intimacy without necessarily being physical," explains Dr. Stubbs. "This can be something like a relationship you build with a coworker, but you never (or haven't) engaged in physical acts." Drinks with a coworker may seem innocent enough, but to get to the bottom of whether or not what you're doing constitutes emotional unfaithfulness, take a look at the context of the things you're sharing. Are you finding yourself confiding more and more in your coworker, to the point that you're not sharing as much with your partner or spouse? Are you opting for multiple nights out per week at happy hour over spending time at home with the person you're in a relationship in? If those lines start to blur, it could fall under this category. Then there's the type of cheating that falls under the category of a one-night stand. "One-night stand is an isolated incident when you engage in sexual acts with someone," Dr. Stubbs explains. "The key for this type of cheating is that it happened once and may or may not have strong emotional attachment." This one-off type of infidelity means you don't have a lasting vested interest in the person you cheated with, but it's still beneficial to take a look at why you felt compelled to go through with it in the first place when the opportunity presented itself. Once you're in affair territory, you're cheating on your partner with the same person. "Short term affairs are when you have sex with the same woman a few times (or maybe over the course of a few weeks or months) and then end it to go back to your primary relationship," Engle says. "A long-term affair means you're have sex with same woman regularly for a prolonged period of time years even." In the case of chronic infidelity, being unfaithful is considered the norm for the cheater and can be an indicator of a deeper issue. "If cheating is a way of life, even though it's destroying your life, then it's sex addiction," says Dr. Tessina. "This also may be a learned pattern from a father who was unfaithful." What Real Women Say: "Every relationship is different," says Lynn, 27. "Every cheat. Every motivation behind cheating. They are all different. I really believe there are times when it's not worth it [to tell your partner]. Like a kiss at an office Christmas party. Or a hook up when one of you has been traveling for work for many months. Or the guy who's visiting his corporate office in Thailand and goes to get a 'massage.' These are all places I don't believe it is necessary to say anything because they are one-offs and don't necessarily reflect the state of the relationship itself. However, if you have lasting feelings for someone, or are repeatedly drawn to unfaithfulness, then it's time to look at the relationship and be honest with your partner. But chances are, if you are drawn to cheating often or in a compulsive way, you need to take a harder look at yourself and the real reasons behind it." 5. Further Reading On Cheating There have been plenty of books penned on the topic of affairs and infidelity to help those who have been affected cope with the situation and to help cheaters understand the motivations behind why they did what they did. Here are a few titles to consider for further reading about cheating: Stronger Than Broken, by Stacey Greene If you've been cheated on by a spouse, it can be enormously helpful to hear from someone who has been through it themselves. Author Stacey Greene details her journey toward mending her relationship with her husband in Stronger Than Broken, providing a first hand look at the work involved. "For most of us, kicking the cheater to the curb is the norm," says Greene. "I guess I am not normal. We chose to resurrect the marriage and make it even stronger." $10.99 at Amazon.com When Good People Have Affairs, by Mira Kirshenbaum Celebrated therapist Mira Kirshenbaum tackles the conundrum of why "good" people get themselves involved in affairs, leveraging her real life experience of treating thousands of patients who have had to face and overcome the emotional impact of being cheated on. Kirshenbaum lays out easy to understand steps to achieving clarity on cheating, and identifies seventeen different types of affairs to shed some light on this heavy topic. $11.66 at Amazon.com Not Just Friends, by Shirley P. Glass, Ph.D. The thing about being cheated on that can be the toughest to swallow is that more often than not, we get the sense that something is going on before we catch our partner in the act. Shirley P. Glass delivers the much needed validation that readers are right to be suspicious of the dismissive, "We're just friends" response when questioning their spouse about someone they've been spending a lot of their time with. The book also provides guidance on how to prevent these situations from happening, and puts readers on the path to healing. $11.58 at Amazon.com Living and Loving After Betrayal, by Stephen Stosny, Ph.D. Being cheated on greatly impacts the success of your future relationships. The process of getting back out there is hard enough after a break up, but coming off of one where the partner you trusted turned out to be dishonest can end up setting you up for failure when you to meet a new potential love interest. Stephen Stosny, PhD, helps readers see the light at the end of the tunnel, offering effective tools for getting past the shadow of betrayal and learning to trust again. $12.83 at Amazon.com You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. By Raja Jurdak, Research Group Leader, Distributed Sensing Systems, CSIRO This article is part of a series on building the future of batteries. How can we create the batteries well need to power our electronics, transport and industry, and whats standing in the way? You can read the rest of the series here. When a battery runs low it usually needs to be manually recharged, but new approaches are being developed to help this energy source last indefinitely. Self-sustaining batteries are needed for activities that use sensors. These include long-term tracking of wildlife like flying foxes, multi-year biodiversity assessments in Australian rainforests and the Amazon, and studying the health of the Great Barrier Reef. This is where energy harvesting comes in handy. Energy harvesting allows energy to be collected from the environment through the sun or vibration, for instance. But just like wind and solar energy used for the electricity grid, energy harvesting for mobile technology provides an intermittent and unpredictable energy supply. This raises the challenge of how to continuously power these devices when it matters most. To address the issue, we have designed a software framework that can adapt a devices sensing and computation tasks based on a forecast of harvested energy. This ensures that the sensor can collect and dispatch the necessary data without running out of power. Energy neutral operation Our software aims to help devices operate in an energy-neutral way, so that the battery can last indefinitely or until its recharge cycles are exhausted. CSIRO, Author provided One example is our Camazotz tracking device that we use for researching flying foxes. This device is attached to the animals using collars and collects GPS data to understand their movements. It also has a tiny battery and solar panel to recharge each day. Our software can predict the likely movement of the animal and energy availability, and use this data to determine suitable schedules for the use of on-board sensors. This ensures that the energy needed for obtaining the GPS samples does not exceed the energy we expect to have available through the solar panels. CSIRO, Author provided This software framework can also be used for consumer devices such as smartphones and wearables. But while there is no hard battery lifetime for this approach, how long the battery lasts will still depend on the maximum number of times the battery can be recharged before dying. Other researchers are exploring energy-positive sensing. Energy can be harvested from human motion, which can in turn can power a wearable device. But in addition to providing some amount of power, information about human activity, such as whether the wearer walking or running, can be reconstructed from the harvested energy signal. Protecting the environment from batteries Of course, there are challenges to having battery-powered devices that operate indefinitely in the wild. Over time, batteries may leak damaging chemicals such as nickel, cadmium or hydrofluoric acid into the environment, or even catch fire under extreme heat. When monitoring the health of the Great Barrier Reef with a battery-powered sensor, for instance, any battery-powered device must be fully sealed and insulated from the water. The development of batteries that biodegrade is an interesting direction that could reduce the environmental impact of large sensing systems. Some researchers are experimenting with dissolvable batteries using silk, skin pigment melanin and salt water solutions for electrolytes. Animal welfare must also be considered: devices for long-term wildlife tracking must either be light and small enough so that animals can move normally, or have a drop-off mechanism at a set time. JC Photo/Shutterstock The ethics of batteries that last forever From a philosophical perspective, creating indefinitely powered devices that can sense, think, and act moves us closer to creating artificial life forms. Couple that with an ability to reproduce through 3D printing, for example, and to learn their own program code, and you get most of the essential components for creating a self-sustaining species of machines. Self-sustaining battery-powered devices can also continue to gather data from their environment beyond their intended mission. This could lead to the collection of unintended data that might have privacy or political implications. No battery is sometimes better Motivated by the risks of battery-powered devices, some manufacturers have created battery-less sensing devices to eliminate the need for battery recharging and environmental risk altogether. This opens up new applications, such as placing sensors in human and animal bodies for physiological sensing. Rather than having a continuous storage of energy, these devices can use near-field radio waves or other nearby energy sources to gather enough power to conduct a limited set of sensing or computing operations on-demand. They are similar in concept to passive radio-frequency identification (RFID), but may provide more information than simply the identity of a tag. The drawback is that it only works under specific conditions. In particular, it requires that the energy source be within a very short distance of the passive device. Energy-sustainability will be vital for applications from animal detection and tracking to shipping and logistics. Companies have already started to introduce value-added services such as sensor-based logistics to deliver real-time information on high-value shipments. Sustainable operation of the sensors will only encourage this trend. Raja Jurdak receives funding from QLD Government, Department of Environment, Gordon Moore and Betty Foundation. Brano Kusy has received funding from Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP), Queensland Government, Department of Environment, Gorden and Betty Moore Foundation. Originally published in The Conversation. (budabarl/Bigstock.com) (budabarl/Bigstock.com) Backpackers, holidaymakers and other seasonal workers from abroad are being urged to keep their own records of hours worked if they suspect their employer is trying to underpay them.The call from the Fair Work Ombudsman comes as the organisation has begun legal action against a fruit farmer in northern Victoria for allegedly underpaying two fruit pickers more than $13,000 and providing false and misleading records to Fair Work inspectors.The FWO said it is able to take the employer to court because the workers kept their own records as they believed that the farmer was not being fair.After receiving requests for assistance from the two workers, the FWO investigated Zucco Farming properties and inspectors found the company had allegedly paid the two workers flat rates of between $15.41 and $16.77 for all hours worked to pick fruit and perform pruning, packing and cleaning duties.Under the Horticulture Award 2010 at the time, the workers were entitled to minimum ordinary rates, including casual loading, of $21.61 for all hours, except for public holidays when they were entitled to $38.90 per hour.In total, the two workers were allegedly underpaid a total of $13,529 between August 2015 and March 2016. The company has not rectified any of the alleged underpayments.It is alleged that Mr. Zucco and his company also contravened workplace laws by knowingly providing false and misleading records to inspectors that understated the number of hours worked by the employees, which gave the appearance the two workers had been paid higher hourly rates than was actually the case.FWO ombudsman Natalie James said that the legal action has been commenced because of the seriousness of the alleged contraventions. 'Allegations that records have been knowingly fabricated are very serious. If proven, this type of behaviour often indicates that operators are knowingly underpaying their workforce and using false documents in order to conceal the conduct,' she explained.'When employers fail to keep records or supply us with inaccurate records, it compromised our ability to determine whether workers have been paid their full lawful entitlements. We also treat cases involving underpayment of overseas workers particularly seriously because we are conscious that they can be vulnerable due to a lack of awareness of their entitlements, and a reluctance to complain,' she added.James also pointed out that the case is an example of the value of workers keeping their own records, as the records kept by the two workers played a crucial role in making it possible for the FWO to quantify the alleged underpayments and pursue legal action.Earlier this year the FWO launched a new app, Record My Hours, which is particularly aimed at helping young and migrant workers to protect themselves by making the keeping of a work diary much easier through the use of smartphone technology.'This does not absolve employers from their record keeping obligations but it provides employees with an extra layer of protection if their employer neglects their record keeping responsibilities or creates false or misleading records, as is alleged in this case,' James said. Photo of 2018 Mustang GT courtesy of Ford. Ford's Mustang GT can achieve zero to 60 mph in less than four seconds in Drag Strip mode, a feature that makes the muscle car faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera, according to the automaker. Engineers reworked the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter V-8 to provide more horsepower and torque output so it can achieve maximum acceleration in the available mode, according to Ford. The fast acceleration has also been enabled by Ford's new 10-speed transmission. The 2018 Mustang GT will not crank out 460 hp (25 more hp) and 420 lb.-ft. of torque (20 lb.-ft. more) over the 2017 model. The 2018 Mustang GT will arrive at dealer lots in the fall. Sao Paulo has passed new rules that restrict drivers of out-of-town vehicles from working with ride-hailing services. Photo via Rodrigo Soldon/Flickr Technology and car rental companies h ave threatened to challenge the new ride-hailing regulations in Sao Paulo, according to a Reuters report. Unveiled by Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Doria, the new rules restrict drivers of out-of-town vehicles from working with ride-hailing services in Sao Paulo, says the report. The new rules have consequences for drivers from Sao Paulo suburbs along with rental car companies like Localiza Rent A Car most of its fleet vehicles are registered at its headquarters in the state of Minas Gerais, according to the report. Uber called the requirement of local vehicle registration unconstitutional in an emailed statement to Reuters. This decision does not make legal sense, Roberto Mendez, Localizas chief financial officer, told Reuters. We have to evaluate the situation. We understand that there are legal aspects that we could challenge. Localiza and rival Movida Participacoes have been renting vehicles to drivers of ride-hailing services. The rental companies have also offered monthly contracts for ride-hailing drivers. The new rules could affect these arrangements since most of Sao Paulos rental fleet is registered in other cities, says the report. Click here for the full Reuters report. Kern County residents can use the new website from the High-Speed Rail Authority to see HSR plans in the county and learn more about opportuni The trial of "Austin Powers" actor Joseph Son, who was serving a life term in prison when he killed his cellmate, began this week in Kern Coun Many local musicians, family and friends were in mourning Tuesday following news that one of their own had apparently taken his own life in th Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Indian troops to "back out" from Doklam on Monday. According to a statement the Foreign Ministry issued on Tuesday, Wang told reporters in Bangkok that it is very clear who is right and who is wrong in the standoff in Doklam, and that even Indian senior officials have publicly said that Chinese troops haven't intruded into Indian territory, which means that India admitted that it has entered Chinese territory. "The solution to this issue is simple, which is that they back out honestly," Wang said. Video: Five Wild, Weird Sunny Weather Sights on N. Oregon Coast Published 07/25/2017 at 6:23 AM PDT - Updated 07/25/2017 at 6:33 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) In that always engaging section of shoreline between Seaside and Rockaway Beach, there is more than meets the eye. There are astounding, even bizarre sights you can catch on these beaches if you're here at the right time. In fact, sometimes what you see is downright rare. And it all depends on the weather. Here's five amazing instances of wild weather moments on this part of the north coast and no, it has nothing to do with storms. Ethereal and Eerie, Fiery Glow on the Horizon. While filming a large amount of video clips around the north coast, one day this past June became rather fiery. This was a somewhat cloudy day, but most of the clouds were hovering just offshore for the majority of the time. That kept things at least partly sunny, until near the end of the day when the sun started dipping behind those cloud layers. Luckily, there were some breaks on the horizon, which really light up when the sun gets to those low angles, causing it to erupt in all sorts of pink, reds and oranges. In this case, the colors hovered around purple, orange and red, and they got progressively wilder as the sun lowered itself. You can see from the video, starting out in Cannon Beach it was a fuzzy purple.Then you can see it change to a glow that's increasingly intense as you move to Silver Point and then down to Arch Cape. Zipping down the road another ten minutes to Manzanita, much of the light has faded, but the diagonal band of color remains intense. In the final clip of the video you can see fishing boats way offshore, to the left. The Giant Electrified Haboob Offshore. One event that made quite a splash recently on the Oregon coast was video of what looked a giant wall of clouds off Depoe Bay. The Weather Channel even did a piece on it. It was a kind of low-lying stratus cloud that just happened to have a sharp edge. Back in the summer of 2011, however, a much more striking example was lurking off Manzanita's shores. This massive marine layer was encroaching on the otherwise sunny beaches of that particular day, but it had an unusual puffy look to it, like a sand haboob (which are massive sand storms). Here, however, as the sun dipped ever lower, it lit up the layer's edges and fired up some otherworldly, perhaps even electric colors. The Double Sun Mirage of the Novaya Zemlya Effect. It's apparently pretty rare throughout most of the world, but it doesn't seem to be that rare on the Oregon coast. It's called the Novaya Zemlya Effect, and it's a wild, weird sight if you pay attention. Here, Oregon Coast Beach Connection cameras found it in June of 2016 at Arcadia State Park near Cannon Beach. The Novaya Zemlya (named after a string of Russian islands) shows up as a kind of double-headed sunset or even more than two. You can see the orb of the sun descending, but somehow, above it, there's another version of it sitting on top. In the simplest terms, it's a kind of polar image mirage. The Novaya Zemlya essentially comes from the light being bent through a few inversion layers way offshore. It often shows up in slats: as if the sun is coming through slots of some sort. In fact, that's exactly what's happening, but in this case it's being bent in and through atmospheric thermoclines which are the transition layers between warmer and cooler air. An even stranger thing: the Novaya can often be accompanied by the famed Green Flash at Sunset, even though normally the correct conditions for that to occur are a clear sky between you and the horizon. Shafts of Light and Neahkanie Mountain's Own Weather. Another recent video and photo sojourn to the northern coast resulted in those famous and stunning shafts of light streaming down from clouds. Except in this video taken at Manzanita, you can witness what a headland like Neahkahnie Mountain can do to weather. These rays are called crepuscular rays, meaning pertaining to twilight. They mostly happen around sunset or sunrise. What's happening is the breaks in the clouds are allowing the sun to illuminate haze or particles in the atmosphere. This creates the shafts, but the angles are determined by the angle of the sun. When you see those rays shooting outward from the sky, that's essentially the same idea as when you're looking at a railroad track: they increase in angle as they get closer to you. Here's the kicker: crepuscular rays are actually straight and parallel. Like railroad tracks, they appear to diverge because of perspective. In the video, you see two different looks to them. However, you also see the impressive way Neahkahnie Mountain can affect weather. Note in the first scene how the clouds are actually moving in a semi-circle around the headland. The Strange Triangular Sunset of Seaside. It's October 15, 2004. Oregon Coast Beach Connection didn't exist then. Those involved with it now caught this incredible sight in Seaside on that day. Essentially, this was another instance of crepuscular rays, except the sun is so low it causes a shaft of dusk's light to shoot upwards, and this is then reflected in the ocean. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted A 67-year-old man who operates two Christian ministries out of his north Harris County home has been charged with sexually abusing a child over several years. The Harris County Sheriff's Office expressed concerns about the possibility of other victims and urged anyone with information to call child abuse investigators at 713-830-3250. Phoenix-based Arizona Digestive Health will integrate the Smart Clinic platform throughout its 24 Arizona locations. Here's what you should know: 1. Arizona's largest gastroenterology group will use the Smart Clinic platform to provide patients with mobile procedure preparation notifications and appointment reminders. 2. Smart Clinic helps educate and prepare patients for a procedure before they arrive at the center. 3. Smart Clinic integrates with the practice's EHR system to ensure patients receive individualized care. 4. Smart Clinic CEO Robert Backier said, "We are very excited to be working with Arizona Digestive Health, and bringing the Smart Clinic platform to all their patients. Our HIPAA-compliant solution enables doctors to effectively communicate with their patients, introduce ongoing education outside of the exam room, and improve procedure prep by up to 35 percent." The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services proposed decreasing Medicaid reimbursement to physicians by 3.47 percent to offset potential agency cuts, according to the Independent Record. Montana passed a law earlier this year that requires mandatory cuts to agencies if the state's revenue falls below projected values. The state's health department will likely have to reduce its budget by $14 million as the state's revenue is an estimated $65 million below the expected amount. While the department looks to slash Medicaid reimbursements as a solution to reducing its budget, providers are strictly opposing the cuts. "No one expected this would come out of the providers' budgets," Joshua Kendrick, CEO of Opportunity Resources, an agency that works with individuals with disabilities, told the Independent Record. Mr. Kendrick added that his agency would lose a projected $400,000 with the 3.47 percent cut, which could result in layoffs. Montana's health department will hold a hearing on the proposed administrative rule on Thursday. Cheyenne (Wyo.) Regional Medical Center could lose its Medicare and Medicaid contracts after a survey by the Wyoming Department of Health found deficiencies, according to the Casper Star Tribune. According to the survey report, a blind patient was brought to the hospital by law enforcement May 2. After speaking with three of the patient's family members, who all declined to take the patient in, the hospital discharged the patient to a shelter May 19. Although the hospital deemed the patient "independent" prior to admission to the shelter, the survey report said that was not the case. "At the shelter, the patient required assistance, monitoring and care that staff at the shelter were not trained to provide," the report states, according to the Casper Star Tribune. "The patient was reliant on the other residents at the shelter to assist him/her to the bathroom and when no one was available the patient was incontinent." The shelter's case manager contacted Cheyenne Regional Medical Center May 22 and 23 to report that the shelter was not able to properly care for the patient, but the hospital didn't provide any assistance, according to the survey report. Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has submitted a correction plan to CMS. However, if the hospital doesn't correct the discharge-related issues outlined in the survey report the facility could lose its Medicare and Medicaid funding. More articles on healthcare finance: Adventist Health closes Washington hospital Child's $21M medical bill underscores Medi-Cal challenges 8 healthcare CFOs in the headlines The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations' report on its proposed fiscal year 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding bill requests HHS investigate patient matching. Congress has discouraged HHS from developing a national patient identifier, according to GovInfoSecurity.com. However, to promote interoperability, legislators and advocacy groups have recently been pursuing new ways to connect patients to the correct data across disparate systems. A provision of the House Committee on Appropriations' proposed budget requests HHS complete a report on how patient matching would improve care, reduce costs and decrease errors. It also asks the department to investigate what patient safety improvements hospitals may experience if participation in a patient matching system became a requirement for the Medicare program. "The committee is aware that a number of patient matching systems are currently being used in the commercial sector, but one has yet to be adopted in Medicare," the report states. "The committee recognizes that a lack of a patient matching system for Medicare beneficiaries results in duplicate procedures and poses a significant patient safety risk." Click here to view the full report. Nebraska, Nevada and Utah have connected their health information exchanges to implement the Patient Centered Data Home, a data exchange effort of the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative. The PCDH exchanges admission, discharge and transfer notifications for patients who live in one of the participating states but are seeking care in another. When a patient sees a medical provider located in one of the other states, an alert may be sent to their primary care physician through their home state's HIE. The ONC awarded UHIN, the state-designated HIE in Utah, a supplemental grant in 2016 to fund the three-state expansion. The UHIN has been connected to HIEs in Arizona and western Colorado for more than a year. Under the expansion, the Nebraska Health Information Initiative and HealtHIE Nevada will now be able to exchange patient information with those states as well. "This is the first exciting step in connecting with other HIEs across the country to support nationwide exchange of health records," said Deb Bass, CEO of NeHII. More articles on health IT: House bill would reorganize DHS, create Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency 24 House Dems ask State Department to keep cyber office CHIME to House: MU no longer meets healthcare industry's 'trajectory and goals' Six physicians who helped develop Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Hospital's heart and kidney programs are showing support for Lutheran Health Network in its rift with parent company, Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. In a letter sent Wednesday to The Journal Gazette, the physicians highlighted some of the services and technologies they helped develop with LHN, including kidney transplantation, heart transplantation and artificial heart technologies. "We have always felt that these services provided world-class care locally and attracted the 'best and brightest' co-workers to labor with us. These services, in many ways, represent our professional legacies," the letter stated, according to The Journal Gazette. However, the physicians are concerned their legacies and LHN may be harmed by lack of support from CHS. "Community Health Systems needs to know that we feel they are entitled to a fair profit, but not at the expense of our healthcare. If they cannot achieve that balance, they need to turn over the reins of Lutheran Health Network to an entity that can," the letter stated, according to The Journal Gazette. The letter was signed by the following six physicians: Robert Dettmer, MD; John Dyer, MD; Michael Mastrangelo, MD; William Clark, MD; Thomas Hayhurst, MD; and Ronald Scheeringa, MD. The physicians are among a group of medical professionals who have voiced their concerns with CHS after the hospital operator rejected a buyout offer from a group of LHN physicians in May. More articles on leadership and management: Cook County Health and Hospitals CEO: Cutting 700 unfilled hospital positions is not 'realistic solution' to budget crisis Alabama hospital's #hairraisingchallenge campaign aims to garner awareness, funds for preemies Michael Dowling: How to gain physician trust? Get back to the basics A 37-year-old man was arrested Friday after police say he attacked a phlebotomist at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, according to WOWT. Authorities say Zacherey Dvorak became angry when a phlebotomist tried to take blood from him Friday morning and used a makeshift weapon to stab her in the face. A hospital spokesperson said Mr. Dvorak made the sharp weapon from "ordinary items found in his room," according to KETV. The hospital employee required stitches for the laceration on her face, according to WOWT. Mr. Dvorak was arrested and charged with assault of a healthcare professional and use of a weapon to commit a felony. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: 6 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Lawsuits allege Memphis hospitals engage in illegal billing practices DOJ charges 412 in $1.3B healthcare fraud sweep Jurors on Monday ordered Olympus to pay Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center $6.6 million in damages related to a superbug outbreak that began in 2012. The hospital was ordered to pay $1 million to a deceased patient's family, according to the Los Angeles Times. Here are seven things to know. 1. The decision marks the end of an eight-week trial in which three executives from Olympus invoked the Fifth Amendment during a deposition. While the company was hit with financial penalties, the manufacturer did get a key win in the trial as the jury rejected claims that Olympus' duodenoscopes were unsafe by design and that the hospital played a role in facilitating the outbreak. 2. By early 2013, Olympus was already facing superbug outbreaks in three nations linked to their duodenoscopes. At least 35 patients in American hospitals have died from infections related to Olympus duodenoscopes since 2013, according to the LA Times. 3. The Virginia Mason outbreak involved the pathogen carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, which can be difficult treat because of its high level of antibiotic resistance. 4. Olympus argued Virginia Mason was at fault for not informing patients and their families about scope-related infections, leaving them to find out from a newspaper account about the outbreak, according to the LA Times. 5. However, the jury found Olympus did not provide adequate warnings about potential safety issues related to the scopes and proper instructions for use. The devicemaker advised U.S. executives against issuing warnings to hospitals about potentially contaminated scopes. 6. In January 2016, Olympus issued a voluntary recall of its TJF-Q180V duodenoscope, asking organizations to return the scope for revision. This was the same model of scope used to treat Richard Bigler, the deceased Virginia Mason pancreatic cancer patient whose wife, Theresa Bigler, and their four children initiated the lawsuit against Olympus. Virginia Mason later joined the suit. 7. More than 25 patients and families from across the U.S. have filed lawsuits against Olympus, alleging wrongful death, negligence or fraud. Additionally, federal prosecutors are investigating the devicemaker. To read the full report in the LA Times, click here. Note: This article was updated to accurately reflect the facts of the court decision. Virginia Mason was ordered to pay $1 million to to the patient's family, not Olympus. The Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin signed a lease with HSA Commercial Real Estate to open a new facility in Wauwatosa, Wis. Here are three observations: 1. The new facility is scheduled to open in April 2018. The practice will use the third floor of the existing building for administrative operations and reserve additional space for clinical operations. 2. The Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin plans to open a 7,125-square-foot flagship clinic in the western portion of the buildings ground level with a patient drop-off area and parking to better serve the practices customers. 3. With four locations across Wisconsin, the Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin offers a multispecialty continuum of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, education, preventive care and follow-up. Plano-based Texas Back Institute welcomed neurosurgeon Blake Staub, MD. Here are three insights: 1. Dr. Staub specializes in treating scoliosis and spine tumors in adults. 2. After completing his medical degree and residency at Emory University in Atlanta, Dr. Staub completed his fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. 3. Surgeons at the institute use robotics, intraoperative CT imaging systems, and computer-assisted navigation that help specifically address the source of a patients neck or back pain without affecting healthy tissue or unrelated parts of the spine. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Premium Margaret Canning Opinion Conservatives have gone back to traditional territory with a mini-budget that just might cost the party the next election Many of the measures in Kwasi Kwartengs first big statement as Chancellor had been trailed in advance changes to stamp duty, the cancellation of both the rise in National Insurance and the rise in corporation tax, and bringing forward a cut in the basic rate of income tax to 19 pence. Dulux owner AkzoNobel blamed weak demand and a rise in the cost of raw materials for disappointing second-quarter core earnings Dutch paint maker AkzoNobel has posted disappointing second-quarter core earnings and revealed that its embattled chairman, Antony Burgmans, is to step down following activist pressure. The Dulux owner said earnings before interest and tax came in at 461 million euros (412 million) in the period, down 30 million euros (27 million) on a year earlier and missing analysts' forecasts. The group blamed this on weak demand in a number of its markets coupled with higher raw material costs. This leaves core earnings for the first half of 2017 up by just 1%, while revenue was up 4%. However, the company, which rejected a multibillion-euro takeover bid by US rival PPG Industries earlier this year, reiterated its confidence in better full-year results, saying it still expected core earnings for 2017 to be around 100 million euros (90 million) higher than the previous year. Akzo's refusal to entertain talks with PPG came despite intense pressure from shareholders led by activist investment firm Elliott Advisors, which had been pushing for a deal. Elliott has made repeated efforts to oust chairman Antony Burgmans over the way he handled the 27 billion euros (24 billion) takeover bid. These efforts were stepped up earlier this month, when the private investment fund filed a joint petition to the Dutch Interim Relief Court in hopes of forcing Akzo to hold an extraordinary meeting where investors would have a chance to vote on Mr Burgmans' future. In a statement today, Mr Burgmans said he would resign when his current term ends in April 2018. "Barring any exceptional circumstances, I intend to retire as planned and in-line with the Dutch corporate governance code from my position as chairman of the supervisory board of AkzoNobel, following the completion of my third term in office in April 2018," Mr Burgmans said. "A process is now underway to identify my successor," he added. It follows the sudden resignation of Akzo's chief executive Tom Buchner last week for health reasons, with chemicals division head Thierry Vanlancker to step into the role. The group said that it would be holding an extraordinary general meeting on September 8 to vote on Mr Vanlancker's appointment and seek approval for the spin-off of its special chemicals division. It added there would be time set aside to explain its reasons for rebuffing the offer from PPG. Akzo also acknowledged the need to improve shareholder relations, saying it had created a new supervisory board committee to this effect, overseen by a team of advisors from JP Morgan Cazenove. "AkzoNobel values its relationship with shareholders and takes its responsibility towards them very seriously," Mr Burgmans said. "In recent months this relationship, with a particular group of shareholders, has been impacted by events surrounding the Company. "We have actively reached out to our shareholders to create a plan to strengthen our relationship." A spokesman for Elliott Advisors criticised Akzo's statement, saying the group has "chosen yet again to flout fundamental shareholder rights by deliberately precluding shareholders from adding items to the EGM agenda". The spokesman added: "AkzoNobel should commit to adding to the September 8 EGM agenda the resolution requisitioned on April 10 for a vote on the removal from the AkzoNobel supervisory board of chairman Burgmans. "Elliott would remind AkzoNobel that shareholders are not easily fooled, neither by blatant circumvention of the law nor by empty claims of active shareholder outreach." Many Northern Ireland firms are considering setting up in the European Union A large number of firms in Northern Ireland have considered setting up or expanding operations in the European Union to overcome concerns around Brexit, it has been claimed. The overwhelming majority of firms at an Institute of Directors (IoD) event on Brexit said they had given serious consideration to having a 'dual location' to meet the challenges of the departure of the UK from the EU. Many were concerned about a potential shortage of skills if EU nationals depart after Brexit. Respondents rated trade and export their greatest concerns, with 80% having considered additional premises in the EU to ease trading with the bloc. It also found that 40% were not at all prepared for Brexit, while 20% had started planning for alternative scenarios. One-third were having Brexit-related discussions with customers and suppliers. IoD NI director Linda Brown said: "There is a great desire among businesses across the economy to find some certainty around Brexit as they aim to show leadership to their staff, and in their sectors broadly. "It is important that directors continue to engage in conversations as the Brexit debate evolves. "As an organisation, we seek to provide a strong voice so the views of the business community are heard by those involved in the negotiation." Ryanair, which flies to 12 destinations from Belfast, has posted a jump in first-quarter profits, but again warned that Brexit could cause it to ground flights and cancel holidays unless a deal with the EU is struck. The low-cost carrier, which opened a base in Belfast International Airport last year, posted a 13% rise in revenue to 1.9bn (1.7bn) in the three months to June 30, while profits soared 55% to 397m (356m). Ryanair was boosted by the timing of Easter and saw a 12% rise in customer numbers to 35 million. Average fares rose 1% in the period, but it expects fares to fall by 5% in the first six months of the year and by 8% in the second amid tough competition in the sector and as Ryanair passes on lower fuel costs. "We expect the pricing environment to remain very competitive," boss Michael O'Leary said. Ryanair's chief financial officer Neil Sorahan insisted that the airline is "never that worried per se about fares". Mr Sorahan told a central London press conference: "We're what we call load active yield passive, which means that we'll always hit the passenger target and the market more or less dictates what they're going to pay for those seats." By maximising passenger numbers the airline can achieve discounts in airport fees, spread its fixed costs among more customers and sell more ancillary products such as on-board drinks, car hire and accommodation, he said. "We will happily trade away fares to drive the other elements of the business and as you can see we're growing quite profitably," Mr Sorahan added. The group again sounded the alarm bell on Britain's divorce from the EU as Conservative ministers scramble to strike an aviation deal with the EU before March 2019. Three decades after his death, and with the 30th John Hewitt International Summer School taking place this week in Armagh, a friend gives a fascinating insight into an Ulster writer who left a formidable literary legacy and his body to medicine. Possibly the very first thing John Hewitt the man said to me was: Theres no point being a poet if you keep your mouth closed. It was 1984, I was 22, he was 76. It wasnt my first encounter with Hewitt the poet. I had read his work in anthologies while at school in my hometown of Downpatrick. When I found he was writer-in-residence at Queens University in Belfast in 1978, I had written to him and sent him some of my own lame verse. I am mortified still. He wrote back, his handwriting uncertain but in bold black ink, with advice and, above all, seriousness. Some years later, I was at Queens myself when he was a formidable figure at events around the university. There were other poets in Belfast, of course Padraic Fiacc, Michael Longley in the Arts Council, Medbh McGuckian, Paul Muldoon and Frank Ormsby were all in the same square mile. But it was the old man who intrigued most. I think now this was because he was something other than a poet a public figure, a man of politics and history, a strong voice coming out of a dissenting tradition, although he stressed that he had no religion. As a public poet, he was a great advocate of using newspapers to get a message across and wrote often to and in the Belfast Telegraph. A few years later, in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, his plea on behalf of some solid track across our quagmire state was to be printed in the editorial of the Irish Times. He was a politically-engaged writer, one with very definite views. I liked that very much. And I liked his fidelity to local things and his pride in his native place despite the headlines. His sense of himself as a lone voice from his perspective was attractive too. Using the excuse of an interview for a literary magazine called North, edited by my friend the poet John Hughes, I engineered a meeting. Writers such as Pat Ramsey, Martin Mooney and Dennis Greig had made a connection with the old poet, but I had to see with my own two eyes, behind the black-and-white door of the house on Stockmans Lane that looked like a woodsmans cottage. He opened it himself, sporting the trademark goatee beard, the green corduroys, the briar pipe, the dark-rimmed spectacles, travelling in very small, neat soft moccasins over very small feet. He was a neat dresser, not showy, distinguished, speaking in a clipped, breathy, precise way, softly. You might say he was dainty, but that would belie his sometimes abrupt and impatient manner. He had the slight shuffle in gait which became more pronounced in the next few years, due to failing sight. A book was open on a chair at the ballad Flannan Isle by WW Gibson. We talked about that poem and clicked immediately. I was there for hours, the C90 cassettes whirring away. We talked about his childhood in Clifton Street, his father the Methodist teacher and subject of some of his most moving poems, his mother, his uncle the pioneer aviator, his left-wing views, his beloved wife Roberta who had died in 1975, his difficulties with the Ulster Museum which led to his living for 15 years in Coventry, his strong views on his native province; his strong views on everything. He showed me a small line drawing of a portly chap with a moustache, an Oliver Hardy with spectacles, and asked if I knew who it was. I didnt. It was, in fact, himself. The first of many surprises was that the venerable elderly slender figure with the goatee had once been just as argumentative, brusque and stylish, but also a very stout young man. He talked about ancestors of the mind as well as of the blood key personalities from the past who could provide sustenance in our own bleak days. For him, these included William Drennan, James Hope, FJ Bigger, John Toland of Inishowen, Alexander Irvine, the asserters, the protesters, as he described them. But these paled beside his respect for Mary Ann McCracken anti-slaver, philanthropist, tireless and lifelong advocate for the poor whom he regarded as Belfasts greatest-ever citizen. He also described what remains an intoxicating chain of allegiance: that he was an Ulsterman of Planter stock, that he was an Irishman, that he was British as part of the British archipelago and then a European. He insisted that if any one of these building blocks of identity was omitted then the situation was falsified. How powerful were those ideas to a boy brought up with broad nationalist sympathies and with a vivid sense of Irishness! Was it possible to be more than one thing at a time? Could two or more of those things appear to be contradictory and still hold true? Hewitt lived by the belief they could. If people wanted to find ways of co-existing in Ireland, for example, then there were possibilities of multiple allegiances which his little formula opened up. Rather than opting to identify exclusively with one genetic strand Planter or Gael you could in fact choose to acknowledge the many faceted influences which bear upon all of us in this little island. Celt, Briton, Roman, Saxon, Dane and Scot/Time and this island tied a crazy knot as he put it. Over the next few years, we had many adventures. He frequently was asked to read his poems in the social club in Friendly Street in Belfasts Markets extraordinary gatherings, hosted by the late Des OHagan, which drew patrons from, ahem, a wide range of society. Amid folk song and protest song, with such performers as Crawford Howard and poets like Sailortowns John Campbell, Hewitts poem Neither An Elegy Nor A Manifesto Bear in mind these dead:/I can find no plainer words,/I dare not risk using/That loaded word, remember which he had written in 1972 and dedicated for the people of my province and the rest of Ireland, never failed to stop the hard men in their silent tracks coming back laden with pints from the bar. He had been born in 1907 in a united island and that remained his ambition. It coloured the pride he had in Ulster and his keenness to emphasise the distinctive characteristics of a northern region which he could trace back to Colmcille. But he also spoke about the Rhyming Weavers, the 19th-Century Ulster-Scots poets he had virtually rediscovered, many of whose small volumes he had in his astonishing library. Thats when I first knew how deeply embedded Ulster-Scots is in our shared culture. Hewitt himself had become caricatured, probably affectionately, as someone whose curmudgeonliness was a version of unionist Protestant nay-saying. It was the era of Ulster Says No. As an old bearded figure with his walking stick and pipe, a prophet down from the hills, it was easy for simple categories to be applied to him; but he was far from all of those. Yes, he embodied so much of what was being contested outside the walls and he managed to speak for a people and a culture few outside understood, or wanted to; he managed to interpret its values with sympathy, even though he was out of step with many of its social and political attitudes. He interpreted a view of Irish nationalism also which was complex though sympathetic. That a poet had this unique role was certainly an impressive sight for me. He was a solitary man, but not lonely. After his wife died, he had opened his home to the daughter of an old painter friend, Jean Craig, and her two grown sons all of whom returned his gesture as loyal and good friends to the end. When they were on holiday, I stayed with him as he joked, babysitting, though it was never that. We sat up very late talking, reading and it may surprise some to know watching The Young Ones, which he loved. For a man who appeared so stern, he wasnt at all afraid of emotion. Once, a Holocaust survivor described on TV how he was so weak another prisoner chewed his bread for him and placed it in his mouth. I heard a tiny noise and, when I looked across, the tears were running down Johns cheeks. All he could say was: Such a human thing. Wisely, he would take quick naps while I was speaking something others have resorted to since! but recover to continue a discussion vigorously rather than call it a night. I said: John, did you fall asleep there? Not at all, he replied, resting my eyes. You were repeating yourself. Once, we went on one of the early bus tours round Belfast, with the guide glancing down the aisle at Hewitt every now and then to be reassured that his version of Belfast history was passing muster. We had a lovely tea that day in Dunmurry, I dont know what Hewitt got, if anything, out of our connection, but I know what I got. It was an education in values, in respect, in the fact that a country means nothing at all without its people. Importantly, though, I got the fact that we had to walk across the road to the other side at every opportunity. Not everyone would have the inclination such is the depth of grief here but for those who do and can, the journey must be made. Its an ethical demand. There was little virtue in approving of what you approve of. He empathised with what he didnt agree with, reaching out the hand to those he opposed. The old dissenter, Hewitt, reading his poems in the Workers Party social club in Friendly Street in the Markets was an example of that happening before my very eyes. Risk-taking. Truth-telling. John Hewitt was great fun. Then he died, in June 1987. Now defunct. He left his body to science. As James Simmons wrote: Your work is alive and kicking In our heads and hearts, After a lifetime of service, Your body is spare parts. There was no funeral. He was simply gone. Jean reported that, in the ambulance on the way to hospital where he died, he had said, when asked if he was in pain: No. It is all very interesting. It was the sceptical observer as ever, watching the decline of his own senses. I never got to say goodbye and I never got to say thank you. A schoolfriend of mine, Eamon Quinn, had been murdered in Damascus Street in 1982 a devastating loss. I knew that sometimes people go and never come back. I missed Hewitt and have missed him since. In my best moments feeling justly proud, as he said of his father, I wait his smile and slow approving nod. Or even his mischievous chuckle at my pomposity punctured. I think he would have taken a dim view of what I havent been able to achieve after 13 years as Head of Literature at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland! Did you not learn anything? he might ask. I did learn something. Those little books by Ulster-Scots poets Orr of Ballycarry, Herbison of Dunclug, Thomson of Carngranny had obviously been very well-loved by the local communities for whom and about whom they had been written, because they had been re-bound with old newspapers and bits of cardboard when repeated reading had left them falling apart. Together with the literary festival that honours his legacy, which celebrates its own 30th anniversary this week, deep down those are the kinds of after-life John would have appreciated. Superb literary line-up New York Times bestselling author John Boyne and Toto Ellis, son of the late actor Jimmy Ellis, are among the high profile names appearing at the John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh this week. US prize-winning poet Mark Doty, recognised as one of the most accomplished poets in America, will be appearing alongside one of the UKs most popular writers, Scottish poet Liz Lochhead. A key highlight will be the staging of a special cross-border incarnation of In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: A Journey In Words & Music, a celebration of reconciliation over the last 100 years featuring a selection of Northern Irelands finest and most respected artists, including Laria OLionaird and Collette Bryce. It will chart the journey of reconciliation through poetry, music, drama and imagery, presented in partnership with Poetry Ireland and supported by The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund. Other events feature acclaimed British and Irish writers Jan Carson, Lisa McInerney (right), Tessa Hadley and poets Jean Bleakney, Lorna Shaughnessy, Luke Kennard and Pat Boran. The Summer School, which runs until Saturday, is principally supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council, and The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund. To see the full programme online go to www.johnhewittsociety.org. For tickets contact The Market Place Theatre, tel: 028 3752 1821 or book online www.marketplacearmagh.com A Belfast man has been elected as the new Chairman of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). Brian McCrory has previously held the position of President with the Irish League of Credit Unions and first became involved in the body's Supervisory Committee back in 2003. The WOCCU is an international credit and development organisation with links in almost 60 countries, aimed at promoting the Credit Union model. Mr McCrory's election was announced at a conference being held by the organisation in Vienna, with over 1,600 people in attendance. Speaking about his nomination, he said: "By championing the credit union and cooperative financial institution model globally, WOCCU improves lives worldwide by ensuring people have access to affordable, reliable and sustainable financial services. "I will work to continue, and build on, the successes already achieved by WOCCU and it will be my privilege to serve as Chairman of this esteemed organisation." Delegates gathering at the conference, which is running from Sunday to Wednesday, have been discussing growing young adult membership, advocacy, and financial technology. Over the past year the position at the helm of the WOCCU has been held by Daniel Burns, an entrepreneur, lawyer and accountant affiliated with the Canadian Credit Union Association. Speaking at the event about the Credit Union system, Mr Burns said: "Credit unions are the answer for the non-banks, the under-banks and the exploited. Now more than ever we must champion our story to the public and the policy makers." Mr McCrory, who is by profession a teacher, was nominated to the board of the Irish League of Credit Unions in 2009, and served as the organisation's president between 2015 and 2017. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said he was 'thinking carefully' how best to approach powersharing talks when they resume at the end of the summer The UK Government is considering a number of options to potentially inject fresh impetus into stalled talks to restore powersharing at Stormont. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said he was carefully examining how best to approach negotiations when they are scheduled to resume at the end of the summer. After months of impasse and a series of missed deadlines to re-establish a devolved executive, Mr Brokenshire has faced calls to change the dynamic of the process. The appointment of an independent overseas mediator or even shifting the talks venue out of Northern Ireland have been among the options suggested. On a visit to the US, Mr Brokenshire said the Government was considering how to approach the next phase of the talks. Asked whether an outside talks chair or a new venue were potential options, the Secretary of State told the Press Association: "We are thinking carefully about how we can best support and create the right climate and context to get that positive outcome that I think people in Northern Ireland want to see, which is that executive getting back into position, having locally elected politicians doing the job they have been voted to do. "We need to think carefully because we have made progress and it is important to underline that issues have been narrowed. "There are always risks around doing something different - as to whether that unpicks or undermines the progress that has already been achieved - but we are thinking carefully and thoughtfully as to what the next steps might need to be, how best to encourage that spirit of compromise and resolution. "We are quietly doing that now." During his trip to Washington, Mr Brokenshire is meeting with representatives of the US administration, potential investors and US politicians with an interest in the peace process. He said he was taking soundings from those meetings on how best to proceed at Stormont and was also involved in discussions with the Irish government. The Conservative MP said he was also encouraging US politicians to use their influence and connections with the local parties in Northern Ireland to push for a resolution to the stalemate. "People here feel strongly and passionately about wanting to see that executive back in place and are saying that they will support and do all they can to encourage and promote that spirit of compromise and getting people to see the bigger picture on how far Northern Ireland has come," he said. If the Stormont crisis continues, Mr Brokenshire will face pressure to intervene and legislate for a Stormont budget at Westminster in the autumn. A bitter political rift between Stormont's two largest parties, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein, has left the region without a first and deputy first minister since January and a functioning executive since March. The parties remain at loggerheads over a range of issues. Sticking points include the shape of legislation to protect Irish language speakers, the DUP's opposition to lifting the region's ban on same-sex marriage, and mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles. An elite RUC team trained a Sri Lankan police unit that murdered 10 members of the same family, a widow of one of the victims has claimed in a complaint to Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman. The Ombudsman's office confirmed it was considering the Tamil woman's statement that the Special Task Force, a senior member of which visited Belfast in the 1980s to learn RUC counter-terror techniques, slaughtered her relatives. Darragh Mackin, lawyer for the complainant, said: "The Special Task Force would not have acquired the paramilitary characteristics of the Special Support Unit without the engagement between the RUC and the Sri Lankan Police." The senior Sri Lankan police officers visited Belfast in 1983 to "see at first-hand the roles of the police and Army in counter-terrorist operations", according to British Government files. The visit happened months after the Special Support Unit, an elite RUC team, shot dead six men in Co Armagh in some of the most controversial episodes of the Troubles. Sri Lankan police set up an almost identical unit shortly afterwards, namely the Special Task Force. Both the RUC and Sri Lankan units consisted of heavily armed officers who underwent special forces training. The Tamil widow says her relatives were massacred by Sri Lanka's police in 1986 at the height of that country's civil war. Vairamuttu Varadakumar, director of the Tamil Information Centre, welcomed the case. He said: "We support the complainant's efforts to seek accountability for the brutal violence against their family." Mr Varadakumar added that his organisation, which has documented violence against Tamil people for 35 years, was "painfully aware of the murders, rape, disappearances and torture of the Tamil people" at the hands of the Special Task Force. The widow's complaint references a series of letters from 1983 in which Sri Lankan diplomats asked the UK police for help with "commando operations training" for a police superintendent "who would be responsible for training and administration of a paramilitary unit to be set up here". A Sri Lankan police officer of that rank then visited the RUC in Belfast. The visit took place in the wake of six killings in Co Armagh by the RUC's Special Support Unit. In November 1982 unarmed IRA members Gervaise McKerr, Sean Burns and Eugene Toman were shot dead in Craigavon. Police fired 109 bullets into their car, in which no weapons were found. Three RUC officers went on trial for murder but were acquitted, with the judge commending their "courage and determination for bringing the three dead men to justice". Two weeks later Michael Tighe (17) was shot dead by police at a hay shed near Lurgan. Another young man, Martin McCauley (19) - who would later come to prominence as a member of the Colombia Three - was seriously wounded. Unarmed INLA men Roddy Carroll and Seamus Grew were shot dead by the RUC unit near Armagh in December 1982. Former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police John Stalker - appointed to investigate the conduct of the RUC in the 1980s - compared the force's Special Support Unit in his biography to a "Central American assassination squad". A Central Intelligence Agency report written around the time the Tamil complainant's family was killed was highly critical of Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF). US intelligence staff were concerned that "a common STF tactic when fired upon while on patrol is to enter the nearest village and burn it to the ground". The Police Ombudsman confirmed: "We have received a complaint relating to the actions of police officers in the 1980s, and this is now being considered." A big-hearted funeral director in Belfast has said he will cover the costs of tragic Dean McIlwaine's funeral. Stephen McCosh, of McCosh Funeral Directors on the Shankill Road, made the offer to the McIlwaine family as they grieve for 22-year-old Dean. Read More Dean's body was discovered on Cave Hill after an intensive search following his disappearance on July 13. Last night Mr McCosh told the Belfast Telegraph that he had never intended his compassionate gesture to be made public knowledge. "It was just the right thing to do," he said. "Parents should not have to bury a son or daughter. "I can't do anything about the pain they're going through. "Someone had to step in to help the family and I am just glad I could." It's understood that Dean's family have accepted Mr McCosh's generous offer. Dean's funeral service will take place at 12.30pm this Thursday at Carnmoney Presbyterian Church in Newtownabbey, with burial at Carnmoney cemetery afterwards. 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 decision to slash 3m worth of funds put in place to allow struggling parents to buy school uniforms has been reversed. Earlier this month the Education Authority said that it had been instructed by the Department of Education to cut the budget for the Clothing Allowance Scheme from the 4.9m spent in 2016/17 to 1.9m for 2017/18. Around 98,000 pupils across Northern Ireland receive a grant to help with school uniform costs - with the amount on offer ranging from 35.75 for a primary school child up to 56 for a post-primary pupil over the age of 15. Sinn Fein MLA Karen Mullan said that she had met with the Education Authority earlier today, and that she was "delighted" the body had made the decision to reverse the cut. "The school uniform grant is a vital resource for many families and makes a real impact on the lives of thousands of children... this news will provide some reassurance to parents as the processing of applications normally takes place in August," she said. The BBC has reported this evening that the decision to reverse the cuts comes as a result of an interim budget put in place by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire, who allocated an additional 30m in funding for education in the absence of a functioning Executive. The decision was also welcomed by Ulster Unionist education spokesperson MLA Rosemary Barton who said: "I would be disgusted if support for our schoolchildren was used as some kind of tactic in a failed attempt to influence the political situation at Stormont. "I obviously welcome this last minute reprieve, but I fear it is only a matter of time before the next big reduction to public services is announced." Tony Taylor who is still in prison Sinn Fein Mayor of Derry and Strabane Council Maoliosa McHugh has come under fire for addressing a rally supporting a dissident republican while wearing his chain of office. Tony Taylor has been in jail since March 2016 having previously been released on licence under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. He had been sentenced to 18 years in jail in 1994 for planting an IRA bomb in Londonderry. He was also jailed for three years in 2011 for possession of a rifle. Taylor was released from Maghaberry Prison in 2014, but two years later the then Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, revoked his licence "because of the risk he poses to the public". No formal charges were laid against him. DUP councillor Graham Warke was on Derry's Walls observing Sunday's rally. He accused the mayor of breaching protocol by wearing his chain of office at a political event which he was attending in a private capacity. This is not the first time Mr McHugh has been criticised for wearing his official chain inappropriately. He was also seen at a celebration rally at Free Derry Corner when Elisha McCallion won the Westminster election for Foyle last month. Mr Warke told the Belfast Telegraph: "I was on the Derry Walls at the same time as this rally was taking place. "I saw the mayor address the rally with his chain of office on which caused me great concern. "I checked on his calendar if this was an official engagement and it wasn't in his diary, so I can only guess he was there in a private capacity which he is entitled to do. "What he should not do is wear his chain of office at an event that is highly political. "Tony Taylor is a convicted terrorist and a dissident republican, and Councillor McHugh is causing offence to the unionist community by wearing his chain of office at a rally supporting such a man. "As mayor, Councillor McHugh is suppose to represent both communities and adopt a neutral position on any event of a strongly political nature which this rally certainly was. "It seems that just a few weeks into his term as mayor, Councillor McHugh has gone out of his way to cause offence to the unionist community. "He also wore his chain of office at a rally held at Free Derry Corner for Elisha McCallion when she won the Westminster election. "He was certainly not on council business then. "Councillor McHugh needs to remember he is representing both communities. "He would do well to look at the example shown by his predecessor, Hilary McClintock." Last year, councillors voted to support a motion calling for Taylor to be freed. The mayor has defended his actions at Sunday's rally for Mr Taylor, saying his attendance was in line with council's policy on the campaign. "I don't think there are just two communities in the council area, I think there are many communities in the council area in the first instance," he said. "All I am going to say about this is there is a corporate position as far as Tony Taylor is concerned and I was reflecting the corporate position of the council as mayor. "The council supports the campaign for Tony Taylor to be released and I was there in that capacity." A DUP MP has hit out at a former Presbyterian Moderator who said there is a "reservoir of anti-Catholicism and sectarianism" in the Orange Order. The Rev Ken Newell claimed that the Order needed to address the problem by engaging in dialogue with Catholics. However, Lagan Valley MP and leading Orangeman Sir Jeffrey Donaldson last night branded Dr Newell's views as "outdated and unfair". Read More He said it was the former moderator who should hold discussions with the Order to overcome his own stereotypes about its members. Former Ulster Unionist MP and prominent Fermanagh Orangeman Tom Elliott said he "strongly refuted" the cleric's claims, which "do not reflect the reality of what most members are like". The Orange Order described the remarks as "regrettable" and said it had a "long-standing record of outreach" with Catholics. Dr Newell, who is a former Orange Order chaplain, was speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme yesterday after a prominent Orangeman urged members to stop using the term 'RIP' to commemorate deaths. It views the term as unbiblical, unProtestant, and a form of superstition connected to Catholicism. Dr Newell yesterday said that he "knew there is a reservoir of anti-Catholicism and sectarianism" among the Order's members. "The Orange Order has a problem with sectarianism and one of the biggest problems is that it is not talking," he said. "The World Evangelical Alliance, for 12 years, was in dialogue with the Church of Rome. As is the Anglican Church, as is the World Communion of Reformed churches, as is the Pentecostal, as is the World Baptist Association. "All these groups are talking. "If you want to learn about the Catholic Church what I would suggest is - and there is a big challenge to all us as Christians - that we all have to flush sectarianism out of our hearts and minds, and the best way to do that is by dialogue of life, a dialogue of truth." He suggested that the Order discuss with Catholic theologians "all the issues" to have a better understanding of matters when they arise in the future. Dr Newell, who was Presbyterian Moderator from 2004-2005, was awarded an OBE for his peace work, which spanned three decades. His friendship with Fr Gerry Reynolds triggered the Clonard-Fitzroy Fellowship involving bridge-building between the west Belfast parish and his own congregation in south Belfast. He was involved in secret discussions with the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries in the run-up to the 1994 ceasefires. Sir Jeffrey said that the former Presbyterian Moderator's views seemed behind the times regarding the Orange Order. "Like the Rev Ken Newell, I am a firm believer in dialogue," he said. "But I'd invite him to hold discussions with figures in the Order so he understands where we are at today. "Dr Newell's impression of us is outdated and unfair. He needs to catch up with the times. "He is clearly fixated on attitudes that may have prevailed in the past "A lot has changed in recent years and the Orange Order does very significant outreach work across the community. "It is involved in many educational and cultural exchanges." Mr Donaldson suggested that Dr Newell visit Orange Order headquarters and meet its "education officer and those involved in community outreach to find out where we stand today". Mr Elliott, who had faced calls for his expulsion from the Order in 2011 for attending the funeral of murdered Catholic policeman Ronan Kerr, said that Dr Newell's comments didn't reflect what the majority of Orangemen were like. "The complaint against myself was ultimately not upheld by the Orange Order," he said. "I strongly refute what Dr Newell said. In Fermanagh, we are involved in outreach work with all sections of society." In a statement in response to the comments, an Orange Order spokesman said: "The Orange institution has a long standing record of community outreach, including meetings in the past with senior representatives of the Catholic Church. "In this year, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we also make no apology as a Christian organisation for espousing the truths of the Reformed faith." A High Court order for police to disclose files held on a loyalist informer represents a major breakthrough in two actions over alleged state collusion with paramilitary killers, lawyers claimed on Tuesday. The Chief Constable has been set a final autumn deadline to produce all relevant documents in a claim brought by John Flynn, a north Belfast man who survived two UVF attempts on his life. It has emerged that the cut-off also applies in separate proceedings brought by Michael Monaghan, the son-in-law of murder victim Sean McParland. Mr McParland, 55, was shot by a loyalist gang while babysitting Mr Monaghan's four children at Skegoneill Avenue in Belfast in February 1994. Both Mr Flynn and Mr Monaghan are suing the PSNI for alleged negligence and misfeasance in public office over the suspected involvement of an agent in the terrorist attacks. On Friday a judge warned he will strike out the police defence to the claims - the first of their kind - unless there is full disclosure by October 1. Solicitor Claire McKeegan of KRW Law, who acts for both plaintiffs, described the order as "hugely significant" for all litigation in this area. She said: "It is galling for clients bereaved by the conflict to face arguments from the state suggesting that insufficient money or lack of resources are the the reasons that court orders cannot be complied with in their cases. "We are pleased that these arguments were dismissed by the court in this extremely critical judgement." Ms McKeegan vowed:"We intend to press forward to trial on receipt of long awaited disclosure in these important cases. "These will be the first state collusion cases to be adjudicated on in the High Court in Northern Ireland." The actions centre on alleged police collusion with a loyalist agent suspected of up to 15 murders. Mr Flynn, 57, is suing over murder bids allegedly carried out by an agent who operated in the city's Mount Vernon area. In 1992 a gunman tried to shoot him after he was lured to Whiteabbey Hospital on the outskirts of the city. Five years later a second attempt was made to kill him in a failed car bomb attack. In 2014 the PSNI admitted his misfeasance claim and accepted he should be paid damages. But the force emphatically denies negligence or having ever employed the covert human intelligence source - identified only in the case as 'Informant 1'. The agent is suspected of being linked to 10-15 murders, punishment shootings, serious beatings, conspiracy to murder, robbery, hijackings and drug dealing. Mr Flynn's action was triggered by the findings of Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan that some Special Branch officers colluded with loyalist killers. Her Operation Ballast report, issued back in 2007, centred on the activities of a UVF gang allegedly led by Mount Vernon man Mark Haddock. As part of the lawsuit Mr Flynn's lawyers are continuing to seek access to PSNI documents. They argued the police admission of partial liability was a tactical move to avoid handing over all files on the informant and cover over the full extent of alleged collusion. An affidavit filed by Mr Flynn claimed police either failed to arrest the agent for the murders and other crimes or else conducted "sham" interviews, despite knowing he was a leading UVF figure. Misleading records were deliberately compiled, while other documents and forensic exhibits were either destroyed or lost, he alleged. Mr Flynn also claimed: "I believe that the police knew I was at risk from Informant 1 and were quite content to let me be murdered by him and his associates." Last year a High Court judge ordered the handover of 13 categories of police documents. Counsel for the Chief Constable sought more time to provide discovery, stressing that the material being sought covers a period of more than a decade. It was claimed that it could take years to identify all the files, with 1,500 documents said to relate ton Informant 1. A Public Interest Immunity (PII) process alone would cost in excess of 300,000, according to a Superintendent asked to assess the scale. But despite accepting the complexity of the discovery process, Mr Justice Stephens held that resource implications would not be of the extent suggested. Extending time for full compliance until the autumn, the judge stressed no further period would be permitted. Reece Louden was released on bail pending appeal after being jailed for arson A lawyer who assured a court that there was little chance of a fire started by his client in a four-storey flats complex spreading was told by a judge: "Tell that to the people in Grenfell." The reference by District Judge Liam McNally at Coleraine Magistrates Court to the London tower block inferno came as he jailed Reece Louden (22) of Church Street, Portstewart, for four months for arson. The restaurant worker previously pleaded guilty to damaging a letterbox belonging to Radius Housing at Weavers Court in Coleraine. A resident heard an alarm at 6am on Saturday, February 18 this year and managed to put the fire out. A prosecutor said two men were seen running away and getting into a vehicle, and 500 worth of damage was caused to a letterbox. The prosecutor said no one was injured after the fire alarm sounded. The court heard that Louden told police he was drunk and thought it would be "funny" to pretend to set fire to the door, and he panicked when the letterbox ignited. Defence solicitor Brendan McLernon said his client used a lighter in what was a "foolish, reckless act" and, when sober, he made a full admission. He said Louden had gone with two others to a "drinking flat" and after knocking on the door was told by the occupants to go home. Mr McLernon said it was not a case where people had been sleeping when his client set fire to the door, which he didn't believe would take hold. When it created a "good deal of smoke" he "panicked", but punched a fire alarm to activate it and ran off. The solicitor said there was little chance of the fire spreading, and that was when Judge McNally made his comments. Mr McLernon replied: "I certainly don't want this coloured by the London tragedy, it is an entirely different scale." Describing it as "stupidity of the highest order", the solicitor said it would have been very difficult for it to become an active fire as Louden had not used any accelerants, rags or papers. Judge McNally told Louden: "You shouldn't play with fire because you never know what will happen". Louden was released on his own bail of 500 pending appeal. Bernadette McGuinness and sons Emmett and Fiachra arrive at the Months Mind Mass for Martin McGuinness at St Columbas Church The sons of the late Martin McGuinness are set to attend a memorial mass in Washington later on Tuesday in memory of the veteran Sinn Fein politician. Mr McGuinness died at the age of 66 in March following a short battle with illness. His sons, Fiachra and Emmett McGuinness, along with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will attend the memorial service at St Peter's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. It has been organised by US Congressman Richie Neal who was a friend of Mr McGuinness for 25 years and leader of the Friends of Ireland in Congress group. In April a memorial was held in New York at St Patrick's Cathedral. Mr Adams is already in Washington for several days of meetings with political leaders. Ahead of his trip he said: "My meetings this week will allow me the opportunity to update Irish America, the State Department and Capitol Hill on recent developments in the political process, the failure to reach agreement at the start of this month and the widely held concerns across the island about the damaging consequences of Brexit. "These have been heightened in recent days following a week of confusing Brexit negotiations between the EU and the British Government which suggest that the Tories are ill-prepared for Brexit, have no clear plan and have little concern about the impact of a hard economic border on the island of Ireland. "I will also tell Irish America and Congressional leaders that Sinn Fein is totally committed to the restoration of the political institutions, but that this can only be achieved on the basis of equality and respect, and the implementation of outstanding commitments arising from the Good Friday and subsequent agreements." Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire is also on Capitol Hill discussing the political crisis here but will not be attending the service, the BBC reports. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press The Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry this afternoon. Pictured is Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill. Image: Pacemaker Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry. Pictured is Gerry Adams. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press Bernie Mcguinness stands by the graveside of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, following his funeral service. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA (left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald huddle at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PA PA The coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is carried through the Bogside area of Derry, for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is carried through the Bogside area of Derry, for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Gerry Adams steps up to speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster shake hands at the funeral of Martin McGuinness. Pic BBC (left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Gerry Adams steps up to speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry this afternoon. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press (left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill lead mourners as the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried to Derry City Cemetery on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill (R) lead mourners as the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried to Derry City Cemetery on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Getty Images PABEST Gerry Adams carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire PA LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill look on after the funeral service at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Getty Images Former US President Bill Clinton hugs Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams during the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, in St Columba's Church Long Tower in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Niall CarsonNIALL CARSON/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The son of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Emmet McGuinness (centre left) helps to carry the coffin of his father on it's way for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried as the funeral cortege passes through the streets of Derry on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Getty Images Former US President Bill Clinton speaks during the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Former US President Bill Clinton speaks during the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. : Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Bill Clinton pays his own touching tribute to Martin McGuinness. Pic BBC Martin McGuinness arrives at Long Tower Church Martin McGuinness's wife Bernadette (Bernie) is comforted ahead of the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, outside his home in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Former US President Bill Clinton (centre) and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (left) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Arlene Foster and Bishop John McKeown arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill (left) Mary Lou McDonald (middle) and Gerry Adams (right) during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire PA The funeral procession arrives with the coffin at St Columba's Church Long Tower for the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire PA Gerry Adams carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Thomas McMullan/PA Wire PA John Hume and wife Pat. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Gerry Adams (centre right) and Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill (centre left) arrive at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry, where the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is being held. : Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: The coffin of the late Martin McGuinness arrives at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: (L-R) Sinn Fein Southern leader Mary Lou McDonald, Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams arrive at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Getty Images Former US President Bill Clinton (left) and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral procession arrives with the coffin at St Columba's Church Long Tower for the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Mourners gather outside of St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Getty Images The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried down Westland Street into the Bogside ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Getty Images The coffin of Martin McGuinness is carried past the Brandywell area of Londonderry ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in the city. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The funeral cortege of Martin McGuinness passes through the streets of Derry on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry. Getty Images The funeral of Martin McGuinness takes place in Derry, March 23, 2017 LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams hugs a mourner outside Martin McGuinness' house on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Taoiseach Enda Kenny (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) John Delaney arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Alastair Campbell arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Alex Salmond arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. : Niall Carson/PA Wire PA (From the left) Ireland Funds John Fitzpatrick, SDLP MP Mark Durkan and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Mourners hold a banner for the late Martin McGuinness as they make their way to the funeral on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Crowds gather outside the home of Martin McGuinness ahead of his funeral. Bill Clinton sets off from Dublin Airport for Derry, and the funeral of Martin McGuinness Mourners gather at the home of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside area of Derry on March 22, 2017. AFP/Getty Images A sign directing mourners to the wake of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is pictured in the Bogside area of Derry. AFP/Getty Images A Republican mural in the Bogside area of Derry AFP/Getty Images A man walks past a Republican mural in the Bogside area of Derry on March 22, 2017. AFP/Getty Images A man paints the 'Free Derry' corner wall in the Bogside ahead of the Funeral of Martin McGuinness. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) A long line of mourners queue to pay ther respects at the home of Martin McGuinness on March 22, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry by Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill after he died aged 66. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (R) and Northern Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill (L) lay the Irish flag on the coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness before it is processed through the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry to his family home on March 21, 2017. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press Speaking ahead of the trip, Mr Brokenshire said: "Regrettably my visit takes place against a backdrop of political stalemate in Northern Ireland, but this is a timely opportunity to brief members of the US administration, who throughout history have done so much to support our efforts in moving forward the political process on the current situation. "I also want to reassure them that the UK Government is determined to see devolved, power-sharing government restored." Charlie Gard would turn one year old on August 4 (Family handout/PA) Terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard is unlikely to be allowed to spend his final days at home with his parents, a High Court judge has said. Mr Justice Francis said he will make a decision about where the 11-month-old boy should spend the remainder of his life, on Wednesday. Doctors caring for Charlie at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London said they want to fulfil the last desire of his parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates. Expand Close Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son in hospital (Family handout/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son in hospital (Family handout/PA) But they said there are practical difficulties in providing the intensive care Charlie needs outside a hospital, and the judge said the chances of him being able to spend his final days at home are small. Charlies parents have become embroiled in a fight with doctors over the circumstances of his death, a day after abandoning attempts to persuade a judge to let him travel to America for experimental treatment. Mr Justice Francis presided over the dispute at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday, and the hearing is scheduled to resume at 2pm on Wednesday. The judge said the dispute cried out for settlement. But he said if a solution could not be agreed he would decide on Wednesday. Barrister Grant Armstrong, who leads the couples legal team, suggested to Mr Justice Francis that hospital bosses were placing obstacles in Charlies parents way. Expand Close Connie Yates, mother of Charlie, at the Royal Court of Justice (Frank Augstein/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Connie Yates, mother of Charlie, at the Royal Court of Justice (Frank Augstein/AP) The parents wish for a few days of tranquillity outside of a hospital setting, Mr Armstrong said. The parents had hoped that Great Ormond Street would work with them. He added: The parents primary position is that Charlies final days of palliative care should take place at the family home. Expand Close Lawyers for Great Ormond Street hospital say there are practical problems with moving Charlie (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lawyers for Great Ormond Street hospital say there are practical problems with moving Charlie (John Stillwell/PA) Mr Armstrong said Great Ormond Street doctors thought that moving Charlie to a hospice was the best plan. But he said the couple felt there was a brutality to taking Charlie to a hospice. He told the judge: We struggle with the difficulties which the hospital is placing in the way. Liam Fox is in Washington for talks with US trade representatives (David Mirzoeff/PA) Donald Trump has talked up the prospects of a very big and exciting post-Brexit trade deal between the US and UK, amid controversy over whether Britain would have to relax food standards to secure an agreement. In an early-morning tweet, the US president hit out at the protectionist EU and said work was under way on what could be a major deal with the UK. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who is in Washington for talks with US trade representatives, said that Brexit offered an unprecedented opportunity to reshape Britains independent trading ambitions. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference He played down critics fears that British markets could be opened up to US agricultural products currently blocked by EU food standards rules, including controversial chlorine-washed chicken. The comments came as a cross-party House of Lords EU committee warned that the Governments desire to secure free trade agreements after leaving the European Union could result in a race to the bottom on animal welfare standards as UK producers are forced to cut costs. Mr Trump said on Monday that talks between Dr Fox and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer marked the opening of a new chapter for stronger trade which could make the trans-Atlantic special relationship even better. And on Tuesday morning, he followed up with a message: Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP! We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Trumps comments showed there was a big world for the UK outside the EU. Following controversy over the US practice of washing poultry carcasses in chlorinated water to reduce the risk of contaminated meat, Labour accused Dr Fox of being prepared to abandon British poultry farmers in favour of cheap US imports that do not meet our sanitary or animal welfare standards. Campaigners against a hard Brexit challenged the International Trade Secretary to eat a chlorine-washed chicken on camera to prove he is happy that they meet the standards required by UK consumers. But Dr Fox condemned media obsession with the issue, which he said would be only a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference The House of Lords Energy and Environment sub-committee warned that animal welfare standards could be undermined if post-Brexit trade deals leave UK farmers competing against less-regulated foreign rivals. The peers also raised concerns about the overwhelming reliance on EU citizens in crucial veterinary positions and urged ministers to make sure the industry was able to fill those roles after Brexit. The report said: Our evidence strongly suggests that the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Unless consumers are willing to pay for higher welfare products, UK farmers could become uncompetitive and welfare standards in the UK could come under pressure. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference At a breakfast meeting on Tuesday with members of Congress, Dr Fox outlined a UK report showing trading relationships between Britain and each of the 435 US Congressional districts. A new US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group will seek to expand commercial links already worth more than 150 billion (200 billion US dollars) a year, he said. He is also due to travel to Mexico to meet Mexican economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo to discuss the UKs post-Brexit trading relationship and then to Houston to hold meetings with the oil and gas industry representatives. Shutterstock.com Never heard of Pioneer Day? Youre not alone. This Mormon celebration is only an official holiday in the state of Utah, but has a fascinating story thats an important part of American history. Celebrated on July 24th of each year, this holiday isnt limited to Utah, but is observed as a special occasion everywhere in the world where Mormon communities are located. For the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as Mormons, Pioneer Day marks the anniversary of when the first Mormon pioneers143 men, 3 women, and 2 childrenarrived at the Great Salt Lake Valley, led by Brigham Young. For Utah at large, this day also commemorates eeryone who emigrated to the Salt Lake Valley during the pioneer era, hence the holidays name. Although Pioneer is a happy time, similar to July 4th in theme, it has its roots, as many holidays do, in decidedly somber events. The history of the Mormons is a troubled one. When Brigham Young arrived at the Salt Lake Valley, he declared it to be their destination, having seen the place in a vision, and these pioneers set about building a community from raw materials at hand. After Youngs group arrived in July of 1847, a further two thousand trickled in by the end of the year. A monument and state park were later erected at this location in remembrance of Youngs prophetic declaration. The Mormons path to their promised valley, however, was fraught with the tragedy of religious harassment. Mormonism was founded around 1830 by a man named Joseph Smith, who claimed to have been visited by an angel named Moroni, who gave Smith a set of golden plates. These plates contained records of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, who, according to the plates, had migrated to America. This linked America to the Bible in an unprecedented way, giving a new meaning to the term under God. This proved attractive to many, and Smith was able to convert multitudes, gathering them together into communities he called cities of Zion, where they could hide from the disasters of the last days. Smith sent missionaries out from these settlements to make more converts, causing the number of Mormonscalled Saints, at this timerose into the tens of thousands. But as those numbers continued to climb, anti-Mormon sentiment began to sweep through nearby communities, and the Mormons were driven away from their communities again and again. Some of this anger from surrounding communities stemmed from theological differencestraditional Christian pastors sometimes felt that Smiths teachings were dangerous or demonic. Mostly, though, this anger came from the fear of Mormon political power as their numbers grew. Eventually, these conflicts came to a head when Smith attempted to defend one of his settlements through armed conflict, drawing the ire of the states governor, who had Smith arrested. Smith was later killed by an armed mob which stormed the jail in which he was being held. His passing, however, only served to energize the Mormon community, and still under the threat of death from surrounding, non-Mormon communities, they gathered their belongings and began to forge a path west to find a new home. They became true pioneers, enduring an 18-month slog through the uncharted American West, driving through the bitter cold in their covered wagons, moving almost 1,300 miles. Hundreds died along the way of illnesses and starvation and exposure. For the most part, there was no trail where the Mormons wentin order to avoid conflict with other pioneers, they made their own path, led by Brigham YoungSmiths successor. When they finally arrived, Young was too sick to walk, but sat up in his bed and declared the place which would later be christened as Utah to be the right place. The Mormons had come home. This tale of hardship and homecoming left a legacy amongst the Mormons that continues to this day in the form of Pioneer Day. This holiday was first celebrated in 1849, when the Nauvoo Bass Band commemorated the second anniversary of the Mormons entry into Utah. Interrupted by a conflict with federal troops, the holiday wasnt celebrated again until 1862, but has been going strong ever since. Today, Mormons all over the world celebrate Pioneer Day by holding parades, fireworks displays, concerts, and reenactments of the western trek made by their ancestors. Gordon B. Hinkley, 15th president of the Mormon Church, summed up the spirit of Pioneer Day well at one celebration. Let us remember with gratitude and reverent respect those who have gone before us, who paid so dear a price in laying the foundation for that which we enjoy this day. Pioneer Day is also known as Days of 47 in Utah, and is accompanied by a few main events. The Days of 47 Parade is a three-hour event held in Salt Lake City, beginning at 9 am on July 24th. It includes famous floats, live music, high school marching bands, and a variety of other performances. The Days of 47 Rodeo is another major Pioneer Day event, and includes spectacles like steer wrestling, barrel racing, and bull riding, and is televised by the CBS Sports Network. Finally, the Days of 47 Concert is a huge musical event that features the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as various award-winning guest artists. Pioneer Day isnt just a day to revel and remember, howeverit is also a day to plan for the future. Church leaders remind all Mormons to retain the pioneering spirit which has borne aloft the Mormon community since its inception. On this day, Mormon youth are reminded look up to the admirable qualities seen in the Mormon pioneers of the 1800s, so that they might emulate these qualities, forging their own paths in a world that may not always be hospitable to their beliefs. Whatever you may personally believe, those original Mormon pioneers helped to carve out and shape an important part of our nation, laying the groundwork for a unique and thriving modern-day culture. Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com. Shutterstock.com How should Christians engage with culture? For some Christians, there can be no engagement. These men and women believe that God has called believers out of the surrounding world to form islands of purity in the midst of a sea of sin. For others, there can be no separation. Everyones individual view of the truth is valid, and the claims of Christianity, while useful, are no more valid than any other claims. Theres something inherently wrong with both of these views. Neither is Biblical. Neither works to bring about Gods Kingdom on Earth. And just as importantly, neither is intrinsically good for humanity. Because so many Christians take one of these two views, the Christian Church often misses out its vast potential to change the world for the better. Christ didnt limit Himself to one of these aforementioned paths. He refrained from sin, yet ventured out into the world, interacting with people of every sort. He was gentle, yet His teachings conveyed uncomfortable truths. With few exceptions, kindness and respect infused His every interaction. In the end, His legendary love began a movement which echoed through the centuries, and is still going strong today. Christ left us the greatest example of the potential for positive change that a Christian has when engaging with culture. But can we do the same? This is the primary question dealt with in Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langers book, Winsome Persuasion, which examines how believers can be both persuasive and civil, challenging the beliefs of others while still being respectful and loving. Lets take a look at how you can change the world by communicating your Christianity, even when the world isnt being so nice to you. Building Credibility Like it or not, you need to build credibility with others before you speak. Muehlhoff and Langer wisely write that our message does not exist independently from who we are. Your ability as a speaker to awaken the emotions of your audience depends on how trustworthy you are perceived to be. Christianity has a problem with credibilityperhaps now more than ever. As a group, Christians are often thought of as hypocritical, closed-minded, unintelligent, and downright uncaring. These perceptions do not lend themselves to quality communication. And so if you want to communicate the value of Christianity, youre going to have to do a little damage control. You can do this, most importantly, by actually living out your faith. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 20 percent of those who have left the Church did so because they observed hypocrisy within its ranks. By sticking to your faith rather than making Christianity about money, political power, or division, youll build credibility. Relationships are another essential credibility-building tool. If you intend to share your faith, going after strangers isnt usually going to cut itof someone knows youre approaching with the sole intent of selling something, theyre not going to buy it. Instead, focus on forming real relationships, allowing your personal conduct and lived out faith to make a great impression. Living out your faith, and then demonstrating this lifestyle within authentic relationships is the foundation of communicating your faith to others. Once youve done this, lets find out how you can begin making the case for your faith in a persuasive way. Engaging Others In a world full of wildly different beliefssome of them outright hostile to your ownit can seem an impossible task to communicate your faith in a persuasive way. But if you allow a few of the principles listed in Winsome Persuasion to guide your interactions, youll find success. To persuade people, you have to move them, and if youre going to attempt to persuade them that the claims of Christianity are the best claims of all, youve got some serious moving to do. First, Muehlhoff and Langer suggest that you treat yourself as a sort of test audience. Examine your own arguments for the validity of Christianity. Do you find yourself persuasive? Does anything fall flat or come across in the wrong way? And just as importantly, do you know your own faith well enough to communicate it? If not, it may be time to break out something like C.S. Lewiss Mere Christianity, or William Lane Craigs Reasonable Faith. Next, seek to understandconsideration does not equal condoning. Stop talking and really listen when the person youre witnessing to provides a rebuttal. Consider their perspective, and why they feel the way they do. It is only by doing this that you can respond to their unique concerns about Christianity. Finally, and most importantly, always engage others with respect. Muehlhoff and Langer suggest that while Christians should certainly honor the spirit of the Great Commission, this isnt the only command Christ left humankind with. Remember that Christ listed love your neighbor right behind Love the Lord your God with all your heart. The power of Christianity to change the world lies in this love, so dont forget it. As a Christian, youve been charged with the difficult task of spreading Gods Word throughout the world, and doing so while loving and respecting those who dont agree with that Word. Be kind, respectful, and humble, and youll have a much better chance of opening a doorway. Communicating Christ Christianity has so much potential to make the world a better place. Just think of a world united under the philosophy of Christ, helping the poor, sick, and disenfranchised, loving one another, and forgiving one another. You can help make this happen by communicating your Christianity the right way. Build your credibility through authenticitylive out your faith and engage people in real relationships. Once you do this, you have to truly move them with great arguments, great listening skills, and a loving, respectful attitude. And every time you interact with someone, ask yourself one question afterward: Do my actions bring honor to Christ? If the answer is anything but an unequivocal yes, its time to revisit the above principles. That is the essence of communicating your Christianity. Now get out there and try it. Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com. During a two-day visit to the Philippines, the Chinese foreign minister on Tuesday warned outside forces against instigating trouble in the South China Sea, weeks after the United States conducted freedom of navigation patrols in the territorially contested region. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued the statement after a brief meeting in Manila with his Filipino counterpart, Alan Peter Cayetano, in which both men agreed to boost bilateral cooperation on a host of issues. China, along with the Philippines and the rest of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc, have full capability and wisdom to handle differences between us and maintain stability in the South China Sea, Wang said. If there are still non-regional forces or forces in the region, they dont want to see stability in the South China Sea, and they want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, Wang told reporters. We need to stand together and say no to them together. The statement came after a U.S. Navy ship earlier this month sailed near an artificial island constructed by China, an incident that Beijing protested as an unauthorized entry into its waters. The USS Stethem mission was the second freedom of navigation operation carried out under President Donald Trump. The guided missile destroyer sailed near the Paracel Islands, a region claimed by the Philippines along with China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Also last week, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop challenged Chinas efforts to build artificial islands the South China Sea while Beijing claimed publicly claimed that it wanted to maintain peace in the maritime region. Cooperation is increasing Wang insisted that a regional code of conduct, which governs claims in the mineral-rich region, already was taking shape and the region was trending toward stability. Markedly, cooperation is rising and positive elements are increasing, he said. Improvement of the China-Philippine relationship has played a key role in this process. His statement followed a bilateral agreement in May where Manila and Beijing pledged to boost cooperation and find ways to strengthen trust and confidence in the sea region. A major portion of the worlds trade passes through the South China Sea. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made improving bilateral relations with China a centerpiece of his year-old administration. Dutertes moves follow a 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal that went in favor of Manila against Beijings sweeping claims over the sea region, a decision China criticized as flawed even as the international community hailed it as a victory for the Philippines. The case was filed by the previous government of Benigno Aquino III in 2013 at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague after Chinese ships were spotted in Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing area for Filipinos. The area consists of rocks and shoals and is about 200 km (125 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon. On Tuesday, Cayetano said Wangs trip to Manila was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations after Duterte made two visits to China in the span of a year. He reiterated the standing invitation for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit the Philippines. Warning Duterte previously said he wanted to enforce the ruling in The Hague and conduct exploration activities in the South China Sea, claiming he had informed his Chinese counterpart of his intention. But Xi instead warned him of war if he insisted, according to Duterte. Wang did not comment on Xis alleged warning and said Beijing was fully committed to supporting the strong momentum of the improvement and growth of the relationship of the two countries. He said Duterte, in his annual state of the nation speech on Monday, underscored the growth of the relationship through bilateral cooperation and dialogue. China is ready to be the Philippines most sincere and longstanding cooperation partner in your journey of national development, Wang said. He noted Dutertes independent foreign policy focuses on efforts at weaning the Philippines away from its traditional allies, a move that could lead to brighter cooperation prospects with other countries. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. 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It seeks to reduce human error in identifying breast cancer of various levels of aggressiveness to assist in distinguishing normal and low and higher risk malignant tumours. A team of experts from IIT-Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) and Tata Medical Centre (TMC), Kolkata, has devised a computer-assisted model they say can automatically grade breast cancer aggressiveness, even in remote settings, providing fresh impetus to Artificial Intelligence-based medical technology in India. It seeks to reduce human error in identifying breast cancer of various levels of aggressiveness to assist in distinguishing normal and low and higher risk malignant tumours. The team has tapped into deep learning, a form of AI concerned with algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain called artificial neural networks. The application revolves around a protein (or marker) called Ki-67 which is used to calculate an index that groups cancers in the "low" or "high" aggressiveness groups. The Ki-67 globally-approved index is used to help predict outcome or prognosis and help figure out what treatment might work best. It is increasingly being used by doctors to reflect cancer behaviour. The next phase of the study is validation. The clinicians and the pathologists are going to recruit patients and the researchers will treat them depending on what the pathologists say. The results from the software will be tallied as well as from the pathologists, so the discordant rates are pretty low. Then the process will be released for clinical use. Medical aids may know their fate under the National Health Insurance (NHI) by 2020, says Paresh Prema, the head of benefits management for the Council for Medical Schemes. In the meantime, the government will seek to capitalise on private sector expertise, which currently serves about 9m South Africans, to help build the NHI, says Precious Matsoso, director general of the health department. The two may be reluctant but important bedfellows The NHI white paper, released in late June, envisages that under the new scheme the government will become the single largest purchaser of health services for all South Africans and that medical aid schemes will provide complementary cover. Although details are still emerging about the future role of private schemes, the idea is that a smaller number of medical aids, providing fewer options, will exist when the NHI comes into being. Matsoso says the department will first have to ensure that all the countrys 83 private medical schemes are operating lawfully. In the meantime, it is working with private medical aids to reduce the number of benefit options on offer to members to bring the services in line with the complementary cover principle. Law is to blame for medical aid costs Barry Childs is the chief executive at Insight Actuaries and Consultants. He argues that the way the law currently regulates benefit options, coupled with the large number of medical aid schemes in South Africa, makes the schemes unsustainable. The Medical Schemes Act prevents medical aids from pooling funds between benefit options or other schemes, he says. In other words, each benefit option must sustain itself and this pushes up premiums, Childs argues. Poorer South Africans have borne the brunt of premium increases. Research has found that middle-income households with medical aid spend about 20% of their household income on fund contributions, compared with the wealthiest households, which use about 7% of their income on monthly cover. Childs says regulations contained in the Act are to blame: There is no other way medical schemes could look, given the regulatory pathway we followed. The Medical Schemes Act is one of almost a dozen acts that must be amended to introduce the NHI. Prema says the Council for Medical Schemes aims to finalise all NHI-related legislation by 2020. Private sector not cooperative in information sharing But for now, the health department will seek to work with and learn from private medical aids and administrators. Matsoso explains: Existing medical schemes and administrators look after millions of South Africans that capacity does not yet exist in the public sector. The role of medical aids will only be changed when the NHI is fully matured. Only once we have tangible results to show South Africans will we decide how existing medical aids will change. But the private sector has been less than cooperative in the past, says Gavin Steel, chief executive of sector-wide procurement at the health department. Steel says the department struggled to find corporate partners to help to develop its electronic database of essential medicines in 2013. The system will now become the heartbeat of the NHI, he adds. He explains: We will soldier on. The question is whether the private sector has the appetite to partner with us and can they keep up? Read the full article With each technological advancement, it becomes easier than ever to work from anywhere. But is that really the ideal we should be aiming for? And can we really reach inbox zero'? The fact that we carry our digital interactions around with us certainly has its benefits especially for those who work online, as you can finish off a task while on the run but it also has its downfalls. Were glued to our screens, stuck on social media yet antisocial in real-life, and suffering the physical stress of being always connected. Just last week, our managing editor Sindy Peters shared a Facebook post that explained well likely see the demise of smart phones soon, but what comes next will be even scarier. So while the world may well be smart phone-free in the next decade, that wont have an impact on our busy-ness as any external devices will surely seem trivial and unnecessary if the tech we need to connect and work is embedded in our brains. Can media workers ever really switch off? The thought of my brain pinging in breaking news makes me want to run for the hills. Thats definitely an oversimplification, but luckily, were not there yet. Where we are is at a point in history where Corporate South Africa is always on while locals joke that Cape Towns sleepy and out of the office by 3pm on a Friday, if you face customers you cant just lock the door and switch the phones to voicemail for the weekend. Those that dont respond to complaints on social media after hours fast get a bad name, and you can get hold of just about anyone anytime, anywhere, provided theyre not taking a digital detox. But what if you simply dont want to be contacted? What if all those incoming calls that get past your Truecaller app, Facebook Messenger tags, Twitter DMs, urgent emails and WhatsApp messages from those you dont hold near and dear are the last thing you want, especially after youve turned off your laptop and switched from worker mode to mom/dad/wife/husband mode? Well, some look beyond our shores for hope. Many rejoiced when France made headlines for imposing a no work emails after 6pm policy a few years ago, which has evolved into a right to disconnect earlier this year, as Fortune reports. Thats because we need downtime to relax, to refocus and to subconsciously solve problems that we cant untangle when theyre sitting right in front of us. This is said to be the answer for employees who Fortune says: Leave the office, but do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash like a dog. Sound familiar? Of course, those of us who work shifts and chase headlines around the clock can only dream of this becoming our reality, unless we switch careers, jet off to the land of the Eiffel Tower or work at reaching the elusive inbox zero: But the growing realisation that we simply cant be productive 24-hours a day is taking hold, even for the workaholics among us. For example, Human Capital magazine Australia reports that the land down under is spending more time on screens and away from family and friends, as reading over documents, emails and creating to-do lists are happening outside the office on a daily basis and people fail to see theyve just worked a twelve-hour day. So you may well be a supporter of the work smarter not harder, shorter work week ideal, but that clashes with the ability to work from anywhere, anytime. Time will only tell what the future holds heres hoping its not as drastic as the futurists predict Read more: The appeal of franchising is widespread. While other businesses often struggle to keep a positive cash flow in times of stunted economic activity, franchising remains resilient and typically shows positive growth rates. This is particularly true for the franchising services category which comprises 27% of the total franchising industry and has a combined turnover in excess of R133 billion per annum. The services sub-sector is made up of a variety of brands ranging from day-to-day necessities in the automotive and telecommunications sectors, to pampering and indulgence in the beauty and cosmetics segment. Each market comes with its own set of obstacles and opportunities that are driven by industry-specific trends: Automotive Following last years trends, the growth rate for new vehicle sales remain under pressure as cash-strapped consumers are keeping their vehicles for longer periods before they replace. The result is that the fleet of cars on South Africas roads are getting older and more units are moving out of their maintenance and service plans. South Africans, therefore, need to service and replace parts at own cost making the auto services franchise group particularly favourable. Further growth opportunities exist for franchises to effectively market their competitively priced products and services as a viable alternative to dealerships. Even if the economy shows unexpected recovery and growth, the auto services franchise industry will still thrive as higher disposable income will see a new wave of entry level consumers who will replace those customers who upgrade their vehicles to new ones under maintenance plan. Telecommunications The role players in the telecommunications franchise sector are mainly the three largest mobile networks in the country. Despite being under fire from regulators for high data costs, this industry continues to grow. This upward trend is due to the growth of customers accessing the internet from their mobile devices: 61% of South Africans access the internet from their mobile phone and 80% of them use mobile data to do so. This industry will continue to enjoy high levels of growth providing the costs of data can be adequately addressed. Another supporting segment to telecommunications is cellphone and other device repair services. Much like the automotive industry, aftermarket repairs is becoming more favourable - people are repairing rather than replacing their mobile devices. Within the device repair space there is increased competition from independent service providers who are often seen as more accessible and affordable. However franchise service providers will still stand a cut above these as they have existing relationships of trust with customers because of a wider network of franchisees and thus footprint. This is supported by the fact that purchases from their stores come with product quality guarantees as well as a stamp of approval from the brands themselves. Beauty and cosmetics This industry continues to see positive growth even acting as a driver of job creation as its entry level requirements are generally lower than that of other industries. The beauty industry presents an interesting paradox: even though consumers tend to cut down on so called luxuries when they have less disposable income, people still strive to spoil and pamper themselves. The change is seen in what their hard-earned money is spent on. For instance, rather than going to a spa, a woman will choose to get her nails done. That way, she still feels she is treating herself, but at a fraction of the cost. Building and building supplies This industrys performance tends to fluctuate directly correlated with the economic climate. In times of financial constraints, planned renovations and construction work is typically put on hold. Maintaining quality and investigating ways to lower costs is essential for franchises in this sector to remain competitive and attract customers. Evaluating and adjusting procurement practices can be one way to do this. An important factor to also consider is the location of where the store is being opened. Building franchises specifically, perform much better in areas and suburbs where newly built complexes and houses are rife because home owners are more likely to undertake work on their homes. Another area of potential growth relates to franchises that contract independent or informal builders and handymen. By upskilling and training these workers, they can be integrated into the service and building industrys supply chain thus creating more jobs and growing the industry. Eye care Eye care is a necessity and is typically supported by medical aids. Consider though if financial difficulties cause consumers to cancel their medical aid memberships, then franchises in this industry will begin to feel the pressure more keenly. It would become critical for these franchises to revert to more affordable solutions to attract customers. Education Private schools and colleges are mushrooming for the simple reason that South Africans are looking to provide their children with skills that make them more employable. Growth is therefore expected to continue in this field. After-school support, however, is not seeing the same levels of growth (i.e. additional educational classes for maths and science). Although there is currently still demand for these services, there is not as much growth as in the private college space. Utility services The demand for utility services, particularly water purification), is expected to boom thanks to a number of factors that include the increasing challenge around South Africas quality and supply of water and resulting health awareness. It is going to become important for franchises in this space to look at upstream supply, as well as to position themselves as responsible service providers and drive education around the importance of water. Historically, the franchising services sector has shown healthy growth despite challenging economic times. All indications are that it will continue to grow and positively contribute to the economy - especially if franchisees focus on providing quality products and top-class customer service. Curated interior and lifestyle design marketplace WallpaperStore will be popping up in Cape Town in mid-September at the V&A Waterfront's Silo District , just in time for the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. The pop-up store will be housed inside the Guild Store, as part of an exclusive partnership with The Guild Group, and will showcase some of the best names in the business, such as Fornasetti, Artek, Bitossi, Tom Dixon, Georg Jensen, Hay, LObjet, Nousaku and Vitra, among others. We want to shift the perception of African design to one of belonging, says Trevyn McGowan co-founder and CEO of The Guild Group. Showcasing this WallpaperStore selection, alongside our own offering at Guild Store, continues our mission to place Africa and its creativity in the global frame. Guild Store is a design platform with a strong emphasis on collaboration. The product mix includes the Guild collab collection, which features work by Porky Hefer, Conrad Botes, Andile Dylvane, Rich Mnisi and Buki Akib, alongside product from ceramist Clementina van der Walt, design books, custom Converse sneaks by local artist Dada Khanyisa, and a selection from local stores Maison Mara and Bastille. WallpaperStore is a design store delivering the best in lifestyle, living, interiors, tabletop, lighting, workspace, grooming, technology and travel worldwide. It is a partnership between e-tail experts The Level Group and Wallpaper magazine. The WallpaperStore pop-up will be open between mid-September and early December, with a special selection of Guild Store product, focusing on exclusive African designs that fit the Wallpaper aesthetic. This African Capsule Collection will also be sold online, internationally, by WallpaperStore at the same time. LAGOS - Nigeria's former oil minister only faces charges at home but her name crops up in a growing number of international cases that lift the lid on the scale of alleged corruption in the country's oil sector. Since leaving office in 2015, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been implicated in bribery, fraud, misuse of public funds, and money laundering cases in Nigeria, Britain, Italy and the United States. Former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Photo: Premium Times Nigeria The first female president of the global oil cartel Opec - and one of Africa's most prominent politicians - has always denied the allegations, which involve billions of dollars syphoned from oil deals and state coffers. But former US State Department Nigeria specialist Matthew Page suggested that a US civil forfeiture case to seize $144m of assets from allegedly ill-gotten crude contracts may just be the start of Alison-Madueke's legal troubles. "Although this is the first attempt by US law enforcement to go after assets allegedly stolen by Diezani and her henchmen, it almost certainly will not be the last," he told AFP. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, elected in 2015 on a promise to eliminate graft, has said that "mind-boggling" sums of public money were stolen by previous administrations. Officials in Abuja say they are talking with US prosecutors about repatriating the money if the civil forfeiture claim is successful. Alison-Madueke served under president Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015 and was Nigeria's first female minister of petroleum resources. But her tenure was dogged by scandal. On her watch, the former central bank governor Lamido Sanusi was sacked for claiming the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had failed to remit $20bn. In one case heard in Nigeria in February, Alison-Madueke was accused of diverting some $153 million from the NNPC coffers. In another ongoing trial, some 23 billion naira ($73 million) of NNPC money is alleged to have been used to influence the 2015 presidential election to keep Jonathan in power. Prosecutors in Lagos this week began proceedings to recover $1.76 billion of assets owned by Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, whose companies were awarded oil contracts by Alison-Madueke. A similar asset recovery case was filed last week in Houston, Texas, seeking the seizure of luxury property, including a New York apartment and superyacht, bought by the businessmen. On Wednesday, another judge ordered the forfeiture of Alison-Madueke's $37.5 million luxury Lagos property, saying it was purchased with ill-gotten funds. Meanwhile, Italian prosecutors allege that she and Jonathan received kickbacks from oil majors ENI and Shell as part of a $1.3-billion deal for an offshore oil block in Nigeria. Charges relating to the same oil block deal have also been filed against the oil majors and some senior Nigerian politicians. Jonathan and Alison-Madueke are not named in the suit but the former president is under pressure from parliament to answer questions about the so-called Malabu deal. Finally, Diezani-Madueke was arrested in London in October 2015 in connection with a British probe into international corruption and money laundering, but she was freed on bail. As the international cases pile up, anti-graft campaigners hope the growing body of evidence will boost current President Muhammadu Buhari's faltering war on corruption. Several high-profile figures in Jonathan's government have been charged with corruption since Buhari came to power, however so far there have been no major convictions. Still, some activists believe the overseas cases will serve as a powerful example of justice. Debo Adeniran, of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders lobby group, said the latest cases involving Alison-Madueke, Aluko and Omokore could be a "morale booster". "Once a conviction is got abroad, the right signal will be sent to all looters that the judgment day has come," he said. "The fight against corruption will receive a boost. At last, the chickens are coming home to roost." Dolapo Oni, an oil analyst with Ecobank, said that in contrast to Nigeria's sluggish courts, the overseas corruption cases may be concluded faster. But whatever positive impact that may have, fears remain that with Buhari on indefinite medical leave, his anti-corruption war is losing momentum. Leading Nigerian lawyer Festus Keyamo said the cases demonstrated the need fundamentally to overhaul the NNPC - and to investigate just how far up corruption went in the ruling elite. Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says there has been a slight decrease in the number of rhinos poached nationally between January and June this year. The minister said this when she led a briefing to give a report back on the progress of the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Management Approach of Rhinoceros a strategic approach adopted by Cabinet in August 2014. Molewa briefed the media alongside Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister David Mahlobo. There has been a slight decrease in the number of rhino poached nationally. A total of 529 rhino have been poached since January 2017 compared to 542 in the same period of 2016, representing a decrease of 13 rhinos. With regards to the Kruger National Park, which as you know has traditionally borne the brunt of poaching, a total of 243 rhino carcasses were found between January and the end of June 2017. This is compared to 354 in the same period of 2016. This represents a decrease of 34%, she said. Briefing journalists at the Imbizo Centre in Cape Town on Monday, 24 July, the minister said the declining numbers do not mean government can proclaim victory. She said, however, that a downward trend was being established, which was a cause for cautious optimism. Whilst there has been a decrease in the number of rhino killed for their horns in the Kruger National Park and Mpumalanga, the number of rhino poached unfortunately increased in some other provinces, she said. She also said it was a concern that in 2017, 30 elephants were poached in the Kruger National Park. In this regard, the interventions being implemented to counter rhino poaching are also used to respond to the emerging threat. It is clear that more resources are required to address the challenge of rhino and elephant poaching, the minister said. Meanwhile, the minister said governments Rhino Protection Programme, supported by the Peace Parks Foundation, continues to support orphanages which provide care for young rhino calves whose mothers have been poached. We now have several rhino orphanages around the country taking care of orphans. The intention remains to ultimately resettle these orphans as part of family groups in the wild. SANParks alone has rescued four orphans in 2017 and presently holds 44 rhino orphans at various facilities. Just over 350 poachers arrested The minister said, meanwhile, that in the reporting period, a total of 359 alleged poachers and traffickers have been arrested nationally. She said the number of arrests inside the Kruger National Park totalled 90 alleged poachers with 112 arrested adjacent to the national park. On investigations and prosecutions, the minister said government was aware that to make a real impact on rhino poaching, arrests should translate into successful investigations and prosecutions. She said in this regard, the recently-opened Skukuza Regional Court, which was opened in March 2017 as part of the integrated strategic management approach to combat rhino poaching, was now fully functional and had recorded a number of successful prosecutions. The Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit continues to play an instrumental role in ensuring rhino poaching cases come to trial. The units track record this year so far has been noteworthy. Since January, 15 cases have been finalised which resulted in convictions with 22 perpetrators being sentenced to a total of 95 years imprisonment. It is anticipated that the new regional court at Skukuza will address the remaining cases, she said. The minister also said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, working in close cooperation with other government departments, has also done sterling work since January 2017. She said 13 suspects have been arrested and that 140kg of rhino horn were seized when the Hawks made arrests in nine cases. The coordinated efforts between the DPCI, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs, supported by the Environmental Management Inspectors are beginning to result in the dismantling of the trafficking networks. In the period under review, a number of rhino poaching related offences went to trial, she said. Some of the successful convictions, the minister said, includes: The State Vs Sihlangu on 26 June 2017, who was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment after being charged with trespassing and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition; State Vs Ngoveni, a case finalised on 15 June 2017 and being sentenced to eight years behind bars for trespassing and conspiring to commit rhino poaching; and State Vs Ndlovu, who was sentenced to 19 years after being charged with trespassing, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and illegal immigration. His case was finalised on 30 June 2017. In another case, Nyanombe and Ntimana were sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment after being charged for trespassing, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and illegal immigration. It is important to state that as government, we remain committed to providing regular updates on the state of rhino poaching in South Africa. Rhino poaching is a national priority crime and we continue to pursue a number of strategies to tackle this problem, working with vigour and determination, and as a collective. As I said, we are not claiming victory, but we should celebrate successes even when they are small, she said. Springfield Agro Limited, a Kewalram Chanrai Group company, in partnerships with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has announced its collaboration with the Katsina State Government in the launch of the Farm-To-Folk initiative - and end-to-end farm mechanisation solution to develop agriculture and a farming ecosystem in Nigeria as well provide customised farming solutions to meet the needs of the farming community. Ralph Fiskness via 123RF Empowering farmers with knowledge Under the aegis of this initiative, the company will not only provide tractors and farm equipment solutions but also be a key enabler in knowledge dissemination. Springfield Agro and Mahindra will setup agri-centres across the state - Chibiyar Chi Gaban Manoma Gromost Centre. The Gromost Centre will be a one-stop-shop to empower farmers with the knowledge of soil, seeds, micro-irrigation, and harvesting as well as the relevant method for caring for crops. Farmers from every region and capacity will benefit from these Gromost Centres. This, in turn, will drive farm tech prosperity and contribute immensely to the growth of agriculture and farming in Nigeria. Boosting production with adequate farm machinery and mechanisation The launch agenda will also include the commissioning of 225 tractors by the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, in line with the government's effort to encourage farming and increase support for the growth of farmers' unions and other agro-based associations. The Executive Governor, Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Masari, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu at the launch said: "Our intention is to deploy adequate farm machinery and mechanisation to a level that will boost agricultural productivity to at least 50 percent of international standards." Partnering with the growth story of Africa and its smallholder farmers Speaking on the Farm-To-Folk initiative, Ashok Thakur, vice president and head of operations - Africa Business, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said: "At Mahindra, our core belief is that an informed farmer is an empowered farmer and we are delighted to provide them with resources to reap the most from what they sow. In fact, we have moved beyond just selling tractors and the idea is to enrich the farmers' knowledge and ultimately drive farm tech prosperity and help them rise. The launch of the Gromost Centre in Katsina state is in line with this philosophy." Thakur further added: "For decades now, Mahindra has been partnering in the growth story of Africa. The idea behind launching Gromost Centres is to further boost local employment, aid local sourcing, disseminate knowledge, enhance skill sets and offer custom made solutions." Tarun Kumar Das, managing director, Springfield Agro said: "Private sector investment in agriculture is the panacea to diversifying Nigeria's economy. We need to deepen alliances and invest in new solutions. More importantly, we want to be part of the smallholder farmer's story by helping them rise. Given the proper support, the smallholder farmers can feed the future of the country and the continent." Bridging the tech gap Speaking at the media briefing announcing this initiative, representative of the Katsina state government, Dr. Abba Abdullah, special advisor to the Governor on Agriculture said: "The small window available for sowing and harvesting enhances the need for mechanisation in agriculture. There is stagnation in productivity because of the low mechanisation level and low permeation of technology and this is the gap we hope to bridge." Speaking further on this collaboration, Das added: "The Katsina State Government, along with institutional partners like TOOAN, NIRSAL and Access Bank, deserve commendation and we appeal to other states to emulate their actions." Mahindra and Mahindra has a tractor assembly plant commissioned by Springfield Agro in Nigeria, which has a manufacturing capacity of 5,000 tractors. It produces various ranges of tractors from 25Hp to 80Hp to cater to a wide spectrum of customers' needs. Over the years, it has created thousands of satisfied customers in Nigeria and millions across the world. The Katsina State Government with its current leadership is keen to increase food production and food security for its teeming population. The administration is making all efforts to ensure sustainable development while improving income and quality of life for its resource-poor population in villages, with special emphasis on farm tech prosperity. The South African fruit and wine industry initiative, Confronting Climate Change (CCC) have made a free carbon calculator available for the South African fruit industry. It might even help producers save on input costs in the process. This is the message from CCC project manager Anel Blignaut who emphasises that the initiative's free carbon footprint calculator tool meets international PASS2050 standards set by the Carbon Trust, and now has 1,500 users and about 702 businesses with completed assessments. Its primary producers, farmers, packhouses and wineries that use it. Weve also got a lot of interest from exporters who will typically canvass their farms to also look at the carbon footprint, Blignaut tells Fresh Fruit Portal. She adds that there is now more pressure from markets to reduce carbon emissions, and representatives of certification standards like LEAF and some European supermarkets have started asking more questions. Thats the pushing factor for this for the farmer himself, its a handy tool other than just a carbon footprint tool. It also helps him to measure his input and, if he uses the tool correctly it can also help him reduce his input costs, she says. You can identify from our reporting where the hotspots in your business are, both in terms of carbon footprint and your input, and you can start focusing your energy on that. CCC project manager Blignaut adds: On a farm itself its often the electricity supply for the pumping of water and also nitrogen for some of your input. For your packhouses its once again electricity and also packaging material those are the hotspots. And for wineries, its quite similar. She adds the service also allows exporters to gain a full supply chain picture of their carbon footprint through to port in the destination market, provided they fill in all sections on the forms and their grower suppliers also use the calculator. The project began before Blignauts involvement in 2008, formed by two fruit industry associations the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA) and Hortgro, as well as the Wine Industry Network for Expertise and Technology (Winetech). They came together to discuss how they can address climate change within the fruit and wine sectors, and that culminated in a carbon footprint calculator, she says. From there it grew and for the last three years it is those industry bodies as well as the Western Cape Department of Agriculture that fund the project. Theoretically we cover the whole country but export fruit and wine are concentrated in the Western Cape. But we do our workshops in Mpumalanga and in the Eastern Cape as well, she says, adding that some vegetable growers also use the tool. Recommended service providers While the service is free, the CCC puts the onus on growers to enlist recommended service providers to address their shortcomings. We might give them some ideas in terms of recommendations of what to look at, but every farm is unique and every packhouse is unique, so its up to the producer then to start engaging with certain service providers. Sometimes its just efficiency and improving your management style, and sometimes its technology. She says the CCC now has four years of good data under its belt, and at workshops, there are generally quality checks and updates in order to compile benchmark reports for different regions and commodities. All their input would be reflected against the region for that region and commodity thats how they know whether theyre high or low or where they fit in. Whenever you start with any farmer they generally dont like to do these kinds of things, but were seeing a shift. In general, climate change has been felt more closely in the last few years, especially in the Western Cape where weve had a very dry year. Fresh Fruit Portal GE will collaborate with the Lagos Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) to train students in advanced manufacturing. GE Garage engineers and instructors will run the GE Garage Advanced Manufacturing to enhance the students current capabilities whilst helping them develop new skill sets. The programme will involve 20 final year students and five instructors from the five government technical colleges in the state taking part in an intensive one-week training that will hone their skills in advanced manufacturing. The selected technical colleges, spread across the state and under the supervision of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board are located in Ikotun, Ikorodu, Agidingbi, Ado-Soba and Epe. The programme takes place at the LASTVEB HQ School Complex, Ikeja GRA. The programme will commence on Monday 24 July and end on Friday 28 July 2017. During the programme, the students will be exposed to cutting-edge technology, experiencing GEs Digital Industrial leadership in shaping modern manufacturing. They will also learn how such readily available technology can help their future businesses. To facilitate this, GE has set up a temporary scaled version of its Garage at the venue. This comprises select equipment such as 3D printers, CNC mills, among other equipment. Greater emphasis will be placed on Additive Manufacturing, 3-D printing, CAD designing, rapid prototype development, basic subtractive manufacturing using CNC mills to demonstrate mould making; and basic business knowledge. Promoting entrepreneurship Speaking on the development, the director, communications and public affairs, GE Africa, Patricia Obozuwa said, The initiative is aimed at promoting advanced manufacturing and technology in the modern work environment by extending the GE Lagos Garage entrepreneurship programme through LASTVEB to its colleges. A condensed version of the current GE Garage curriculum will expose the technical college students to latest developments in advanced manufacturing, taking into consideration the students vocational studies exposure and their area of specialisation, to ensure proper focus and impact. She restated GEs commitment to empowering people through technology, pointing out that this was the very reason behind the GE Garage initiative. We are committed to supporting skills development in Nigeria and across Africa. We see ourselves as partners in building a sustainable future for Africa, and we believe that partnerships such as this are necessary if we are to overcome Africas economic challenges. Addressing unemployment The Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti commended GE Nigeria for its efforts in transferring such important skills to Lagosians. He said the collaborative initiative is in line with the ministrys mission to promote and sustain entrepreneurship and employment through effective use of wealth creation strategies and resources by collaborating with all stakeholders. According to him, the ministry was established in fulfilment of the promise of His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, to address the unemployment crisis in the State. In pursuit of this mandate to create employment, the ministry came up with similar initiatives such as the 'Graduate Internship Programme,' a 3-month paid internship scheme for graduates who have been unemployed for a minimum of one year after National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The programme is designed to give candidates an opportunity to develop employability skills which are often vital in securing employment, he said. The Executive Secretary of LASTVEB, Omolara Erogbogbo expressed the belief that programmes such as this will go a long way in bridging the unemployment gap as well as addressing skills deficit in the country. She highlighted the importance of vocational education to Nigerias socio-economic well-being, saying that the era when vocational education was believed to be undertaken by school dropouts and pushovers was over. 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!) The South African Copyright Alliance has written to the parliamentary portfolio committee on trade and industry on the provisions in the proposed Copyright Amendment Bill that, they believe, undermine creators' copyright. The organisations SAMRO, CAPASSO, DALRO, RiSA, SAMPRA, MASA, MPA SA and PASA collectively represent most of the countrys music creators and publishers, as well as book authors and publishers. While we welcome the dtis intent to modernise the copyright regime, as the Copyright Alliance we are concerned that certain provisions in the Bill, if passed into law, disadvantage the very creators the Bill aims to protect, said Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) CEO, Nothando Migogo. She explained that the Copyright Amendment Bill suggests that users (eg broadcasters, digital music services) of copyright-protected material should enjoy the same privileges as the creators of that material. This would mean that a user is given the right to earn income, royalties, from material that is not theirs. This is in direct conflict with the basic principles of copyright law. This would naturally dilute the revenue payable to creators in the music and literary industries, pushing them into further financial woes. Further, where the state or other organisation commissions a creator to create content, the Bill proposes that such commission triggers an automatic loss of copyright in that content a proposal that will see composers and authors lose their existing right to earn royalties from SAMRO (performing rights revenue) and CAPASSO (mechanical rights revenue) when, for example, broadcasters use their work. This would also theoretically apply to filmmakers funded by the state, who would lose control of their work should they forfeit their copyright ownership. Migogo said the Copyright Alliances final major concern is around the Bills insistence on significantly increasing and making blurry the instances where copyrighted material can be used, many times by large multinational organisations, without compensating, or even alerting, the copyright owner. In the current version of the Act, a creator knows when their song or book can be used (by the media, a school etc) without compensation for such use. This Bill essentially says well, you can use it for free as long as a court of law will find the use to be fair. It introduces a very vague concept to the law that will force many songwriters and authors to approach the courts in an attempt to protect their copyright. This vague concept of fair use is a direct import from the USA, a very litigious society where the court system works much faster than it does here in South Africa. It is confusing how we call for stronger systems (legislation and institutions) to work towards ensuring creators live better quality lives and are able to retire and pass on with dignity, yet our legislators are pushing laws that weaken the system that protects them. How can it be the intention of the lawmaker to put academic writers of prescribed university books in the position where a university buys one copy of the book and makes free copies for its 2000 students, without compensating the author at all? Having written to the portfolio committee considering the Bill to articulate its concerns, she added, The Copyright Alliance is more than willing to engage the committee in a workshop in order to demonstrate how copyright underlies the basis of the music and literary industries. #Newsmaker: Laura du Preez Moneytizes Tiso Blackstar Group's publishing game The Sunday Times recently launched Money - a new personal finance section which appears every weekend in the Business Times - which is edited by Laura du Preez, former editor of Independent Media's personal finance publications, who joined the Tiso Blackstar Group in May this year. Laura du Preez Money content will soon be extended to other titles including the Sowetan, Business Day, Financial Mail, as well as the BusinessLive website in the near future. Many of the editors are eager to include some personal finance content, explains Du Preez. This provides very exciting opportunities to spread what we call news-you-can-use through multiple channels and to reach a much broader audience with a positive, useful message. The opportunity to diversify in this way creates new energy at a time when journalists can be forgiven for feeling demoralised about the decline of print. Here, Du Preez shares how she feels about joining Tiso Blackstar Group at such an eventful time for the Group. Times Media has a new name 12 Jun 2017 Tell us about the new section? Tell us about the new section? The aim of the new section is to educate and inform ordinary South Africans about their personal finances so that they can be empowered to make better decisions about their money. It is about making, protecting and growing your money. We also have an advocacy role and campaign for change when practices in the financial services industry do not serve the consumer. The topics we will cover include banking, retirement, saving and investing, life assurance, medical schemes and healthcare financing, home and vehicle financing, estate planning, managing debt, financial planning, short-term insurance, investing in property and tax. We have launched the new section in the Business Times but plan to also introduce a Money section in the Sowetan shortly. Our third focus will be online, and phase two will be to introduce personal finance content in other publications in the Group. We are also talking to sponsors about some events aimed at engaging readers on their personal finances. Comment on the level of responsibility your new role entails. Comment on the level of responsibility your new role entails. Writing about subjects that could affect readers personal finances is something that demands a high degree of responsibility. As consumer journalists, we have to put the readers interests first and foremost above all else even at times tempering a good story because the message is not the responsible one. You have to be alert at all times to the fact that you work in a lucrative industry which employs lots of very clever people, who, unfortunately, do not always act in consumers best interests when designing and selling financial products. Like most media publications, we have a role as a watchdog, in this case, of the financial services industry and its regulators, and to raise awareness among the public and policymakers of practices that need to change because they negatively affect our personal finances. Putting the readers' interests first gives you credibility as a consumer or personal finance journalist, but in return for your trust, you owe it to your audience to do your utmost to ensure your content is accurate and relevant. What are your plans for the section? What are your plans for the section? We want the Money section to be the leading personal finance publication in the country and to provide high quality content that is also engaging and entertaining. We want to cover the full range of personal finance topics with unique and insightful articles that readers will find invaluable. We want similar content to live online and to provide a resource that readers will consult whenever they need to make decisions on personal financial issues. You were with Independent Media for 20 years. How do you feel about joining Tiso Blackstar Group at such an eventful time for the Group? You were with Independent Media for 20 years. How do you feel about joining Tiso Blackstar Group at such an eventful time for the Group? The Group is well positioned for the changes that are taking place in the media industry, as it has diversified its print offerings, includes television, has a well-functioning events division and strong digital platforms. This is exciting for me because I have long-wanted to take personal finance beyond the long-form print articles and television talking heads and to bring it to life in a much more interactive and entertaining way. The range of audiences also gives us an opportunity to direct content to specific audiences rather than to try to speak in one voice to readers and viewers with vastly different financial needs. What do you love most about your career, and why the interest in personal finance in particular? What do you love most about your career, and why the interest in personal finance in particular? I have the opportunity to empower people to help themselves, to be constantly learning and mentally stimulated by both academic and ethical issues, as well as to glean information that is valuable in my personal life. I have always had a love for numbers, but chose journalism because I had too narrow a view about where a career in that field could take me. Finding myself writing about personal financial issues brought me back to my love for numbers but with the ability to fill a social need, and as well as the opportunity to keep learning and growing. Using jargon-free language, especially when youre an expert in the field, can be challenging. Please elaborate. Using jargon-free language, especially when youre an expert in the field, can be challenging. Please elaborate. The more you know about the financial services industry, the more you start to talk the language and to lose sight of the need to write in a way that is accessible to the reader without any knowledge of the subject. You have to constantly remind yourself who your audience is, what terms they may be unfamiliar with, what they might misinterpret and to temper the need to impart everything you know against the need to keep the message simple. Putting content in plain language is a key part of what we do and that involves testing the articles on the uninitiated and, if need be, refining it to ensure that the reader gets the message. Balancing this against the need to keep articles short and engaging is a constant struggle. It is also difficult to do when your audience is very diverse, and that is what is exciting about being able to target different audiences with different content. Whats at the top of your to-do list? Whats at the top of your to-do list? To find the right pitch of articles and mix of content that will engage readers and also entice them to read the articles they would ordinarily prefer not to read, but should read. I believe there is a huge need for personal finance content, but the cost of getting the message out has to be funded. In a media company, that funding comes through advertising and sponsorship. Facilitating advertisers to see the benefit of placing their messages in an editorial environment that supports and reinforces their messages, in order to ensure the sustainability of the publication, is therefore also top of the to do list. What motivates you? What motivates you? Spreading a message that gives people the ability to improve their finances. Finding out something that I dont know, particularly if it is complex, finding a way to simplify the information and pass it on to others in a way that can benefit them. Contributing to making the industry more accountable so it serves consumers better. What are you currently reading/listening to for work? What are you currently reading/listening to for work? To stay informed and to get ideas, I read and watch a wide variety of personal finance and financial services industry publications, podcasts and videos published in South Africa and in other countries. I am currently reading Malcolm Gladstones Outliers and Greg Smiths Why I left Goldman Sachs. Tell us something about yourself not generally known. I am experiencing being the sandwich generation first hand. I had children later in life they are still school-going and my mother now needs full-time care. It is a journey that I believe will give me greater empathy as a personal finance writer, as many South Africans find themselves in a similar situation. According to Jerry Mabena, CEO of Thebe Services which owns the Thebe Tourism Group, Afropolitans (cosmopolitan Africans) could boost the South African economy by more than R2bn annually and grow tourism if they are given appealing reasons to travel locally. Delheim Mabena will be telling delegates just how this can be achieved at the upcoming Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference, taking place at Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch on 20 September 2017. His various qualifications, including a degree in industrial psychology and economics from Rhodes University, have equipped him well in his integrated, strategic and forward-thinking approach to business. He has held senior executive positions at Telkom, Kagiso Exhibitions and Events, as well as the Thebe Investment Corporation. His career started at Unilever as a graduate trainee. In his current capacity as CEO of Thebe Services Division, Mabena looks after Thebe Investment Corporations stake in organisations such as the Thebe Tourism Group that owns Club Travel, Cape Point Concession and Tour DAfrique, as well as Kaya FM, the 2017 commercial radio station of the year, also known as the home of the Afropolitan. Sophisticated consumers with an appetite for travel Afropolitans are global in their outlook, straddle the divide between African and Western cultures, and have the disposable income for travel, yet they are largely ignored by the local travel and tourism industry, he contends. South African Afropolitans, who are part of the post-Struggle generation, are sophisticated consumers plugged into global trends. They have the means and appetite for travel and discovery. As with any other millennials, they are digitally connected, value experiences over commodities, are knowledgeable about wine and fine dining and are waiting to be targeted. Why are travel marketers ignoring these high-income earners who could also potentially serve as ambassadors for brand South Africa? Cape Winelands tourism providers should be going out there to find out how to talk to Afropolitans and give them what they want. And when they get it right, the knock-on effect for the individual rural Winelands economies will be significant. Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference The Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference, now in its second year, is convened by seasoned travel and tourism specialist, Margi Biggs. She says that this years forum will include a range of top speakers, in addition to Mabena. Other big names are CEO of SA Tourism, Sisa Ntshona; Don Shindle, an expert in customer service from Napa, California's renowned wine tourism epicentre; Dr Robin Back, a US-based academic who conducts wine tourism research in both South Africa and the US; as well as world-renowned US lifestyle TV personality, Andrea Robinson, one of only 23 female Master Sommeliers in the world. Robinson's address will cover festival sponsorships and themed wine region promotions for Delta Air Lines Sky Club. Biggs says delegates will come away with new insights on customer experience and loyalty. The programme will also cover such topics as virtual reality, food chain sustainability, attracting new markets (even within South Africa), and PR trouble shooting. Biggs believes that travel and tourism can potentially contribute significantly more than it currently does to South Africas national GDP. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has calculated that last year, the direct contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the South African economy was worth R127.9bn, accounting for 3% of the country's GDP. Trainees and professionals working in the Capes wine, food and tourism industries are encouraged to register to attend the conference. A fee of R3,950 (excl. VAT) per delegate will apply, up until 18 August. Special discount is available for SAACI, SATSA, SITE and Cape Town Tourism members on request to specialt@iafrica.com. A Hong Kong-based airline operator plans to launch a Sh4.6m-a-ticket luxury flight to Nairobi targeting Asia's super-rich keen on sampling Kenya's prime holiday destinations. Crystal AirCruises - the luxury private jet and resort operator - said last Friday its private jet will make the inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Nairobi on September 30. A number of European charter airlines have resumed flights to Kenya as source markets respond to improved security in the country. Kenya has invested over Sh300bn in defense of its borders and internal security, boosting its profile as a safe holiday destination. The money has gone into equipping the police and the Kenya Defence Forces to handle terrorism threats, especially from the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab. The private jet service belongs to Genting Hong Kong and will stay in Nairobi for three nights before flying to Tahiti on 4 October. It will return to Hong Kong on 8 October. Genting said the inaugural flight will carry 86 guests to the Kenyan capital. "I am delighted that our parent company, Genting Hong Kong, is introducing Crystal Skye - a wondrous new experience to the discerning travellers of Asia Pacific," said Crystal CEO and President Edie Rodriguez. While in Kenya, the group will stay at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi and the Governors Camp in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. An exclusive service for high net worth individuals Genting said prices for the trip start at $45,000 (about Sh4.6m) per guest, making it an exclusive service for high net worth individuals. The Hong Kong firm boasts having "the world's only twin-aisle private plane", accommodating just 86 guests. "Taking the art of travel to new heights, literally, Crystal Skye will cater to a clientele that can afford their own private jet but would prefer to travel with extended groups of friends and family in the most spacious aircraft in the world and entrust their journey to the vast expertise and knowledge of the acclaimed Crystal brand for an all-inclusive yet ultra-exclusive, hassle free experience," said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines. "As we are anticipating an overwhelming response from the region's most sophisticated and discerning globe-trotters for this extraordinary new travel option, we will be offering a limited quantity of seats for key Asian markets to ensure our valuable guests have the opportunity to experience the opulence of Crystal Skye." Fairlady, in partnership with Santam, has announced the ten finalists in the Fairlady Women of the Future Awards 2017, who are also featured in the August issue, out now. The winner of the Fairlady Woman of The Future and Fairlady Rising Star Awards 2017 will be honoured at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg in August 2017. Fairlady Women of the Future Awards and Rising Star Awards finalists The search called for entries from female entrepreneurs who have created successful businesses. The striking thing about women in business is that they don't only uplift themselves through their work, they uplift the community around them too and that is why they are such a crucial part of our economy, says Fairlady editor Suzy Brokensha. Every year, the quality of the entries to the Fairlady Women of the Future Awards blows me away. It is so hard to choose the finalists. To me, there's no better sign of an economy getting back on its feet. Woman of the Future 2017 finalists The women in line for this award are over 30 and have been in business for longer than 1000 days. The finalists are: Claire Reed (Reel Gardening) owner of an innovative gardening solutions company. Lourita Stofberg (AdminAssist) her company provides professionals with virtual assistants to help them manage their administrative tasks. Nisha Maharaj (Niche Integrated Solutions) owner of a company that helps companies digitise, rationalise and reduce IT spend whilst improving operational efficiencies. Ntsoaki Phali (Beyond Ability Talent Solutions) owner of a company that finds suitable jobs for people with disabilities and ensures that the environments allow them to flourish. Princess Mncube (Shando's Construction) the company specialises in general building, painting, plastering, brickwork, paving, plumbing and electrical services. Sarah-Jane Boden (SoulProviders Collective) owner of a company specialising in digital content and marketing. Tiffini Wissing (OldSchoolCool) provides safety-conscious parents with transport vehicles for their children that are fitted with the latest safety technology, on-board cameras and live tracking. Rising Star 2017 finalists These young go-getters are aged 30 and under, and have been in business between six months and 1,000 days. The finalists are: Anele Mkuzo-Magape (African Entrepreneurship Initiative) a consulting and entrepreneurship education training company with a focus on the youth of the African continent. Kirsten Townsend (Fabrica) a creative consultancy specialising in branding, graphic design, and communication. Lusanda Worsley (Empire Innovations) the company is innovative and part agency, part consultancy and part business developers. Each of these women is deserving of recognition and represents the true entrepreneurial spirit of our country. Their commitment and drive towards making a real difference in our society serves as an inspiration to all and is a tribute to the power of the many women, changing the lives and shaping the future of South Africa each and every day, says Jeanett Modise, executive head of People and Transformation at Santam. Ultra SA announces ticket prices for 2018 ULTRA South Africa, now in its fifth consecutive year, has announced its return to Cape Town on Friday, 9 February 2018 at the Cape Town Stadium, and Johannesburg on Saturday, 10 February 2018 at the Expo Centre, Nasrec; as well as ticket announcement prices for its various phases. Burhani Engineers has signed a partnership with the Kibera Sub-County government in Kenya to provide computer systems and engineering power classes to at least 10 schools in the county. The distribution is aimed at increasing interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and preparing the grassroots demographic for more technology-based career opportunities. The companys support is coming on a backdrop of a recent study by the US Department of Education that projects an increase in STEM jobs. The study shows that students pursuing mathematics increase their chances of obtaining a job by 16%, computer system analysis by 22%, system software development by 32%, medical scientists by 36% and biomedical engineering by 62%. This support is good news for the countrys digital learning programme that is set to instil computer studies into pupils from class one. Part of Kenyan Digital Literacy Programme Mid this year, the Kenyan government embarked on its free laptop project by distributing over 12,000 learning devices to 150 public primary schools as the pilot for Digital Literacy Programme. The government intends to distribute 1.2 million devices to public primary schools across the country by next year in a programme that has since been re-branded Digi School. The partnership, signed between Burhani Engineers, represented by the MD Zoher Pirbhai, Kibera sub-county Directorate of Education, represented by Lydia Mutegi and the Kibra MPs Office represented by Ann Ithara, will see at least 10 schools receive 10 computers in the first round. Moderated by Funke Michaels-Miano, an MIT and Harvard University Fellow, the initiative will benefit Kibera schools including Kibera Primary, Toi Primary, Mbagathi Primary, Olympic Primary, Redrose school, Kibera Secondary, Mbagathi secondary, Olympic secondary and the sub-county education directorate. #AfricaRising East Africa is industrialising at a very rapid pace; and our population needs to align with emerging opportunities. We need our workforce to have the necessary skills to be competitive in these highly technical areas. We see a situation whereby we can reach to the young talents, nature their talent and improve their knowledge in ICT, Pirbhai said. He added that the Engineering Power Classes will be taught once a week in the schools by Burhani team members. Being a second-generation engineer himself, Zoher explored the role of corporate citizens in imparting hands-on knowledge within the community. As champions for the next generation of engineers, and as talented colleagues in related fields, the forward-looking team at Burhani Engineers are perfect examples of #AfricaRising with many champions coming up among us. Mutegi a veteran teacher herself, thanked the firm for the initiative and assured them that the computers will be put into good use. This initiative has come up at the right time. The area MP is currently constructing additional secondary schools here, and I know that the computers and power classes will be of great assistance. I urge other organisations to follow this example and help us improve the level of education in this country. Although every attorney is obligated to provide 24 hours of free legal work per year, some firms take a special interest in the pro bono services they offer and go so far as to establish a dedicated department, headed up by a team of specialists. Moray Hathorn, partner and head of Webber Wentzel's Pro Bono Practice. Webber Wentzel is one such firm, and here, Moray Hathorn - partner and head of the firm's Pro Bono Practice - gives us some insight into the department, the pros and cons of compulsory pro bono duties, and what personally motivates his work... Tell us a little about the Webber Wentzel Pro Bono practice and why it was established? The Webber Wentzel Pro Bono practice was started on 1 March 2003. Pro bono work had been done in the firm on a rather ad hoc basis for decades, including matters of considerable public importance. The Pro Bono practice was established in part due to a belief that there was a need to professionalise pro bono services by having a specialist team to deal with these issues. It was also started because of a belief that it was necessary to address through the law the social and economic divides in the country and to promote and uphold the Constitution and the Rule of law. Briefly, what are the firms criteria for taking on a case, pro bono? There are various criteria. The first is that we seek to assist indigent, homeless or landless people in promoting their socio-economic rights under the Constitution. The second is that we seek to assist indigent or marginalised clients and the not-for-profit sector in promoting and upholding the rule of law. The third is that we support the not-for-profit sector in matters relating to its own governance. The fourth is that we seek to assist individuals who face discrimination including discrimination on the basis gender and HIV status. The fifth is that in the interests of promoting the usefulness of what we do we consider that the promotion of the public interest is an important criterion. In 2016, Webber Wentzel was nominated for the most impactful case or initiative at the annual Pro Bono Awards. Tell us a bit about the case and what it means to be nominated for such an award? This was the case in which we acted for the Southern Africa Litigation Centre in its urgent application to the High Court to compel the South African government to arrest President Al Bashir of Sudan when he attended an African Summit in South Africa in June 2015. We were successful and the case has contributed to South Africa's jurisprudence in the realm of international criminal law. It has also put into the spotlight domestically and internationally South Africa's commitment to the International Criminal Court and the Rome Treaty - and to combatting crimes against humanity. What are the benefits of pro bono work to you and your practice? I think the benefits are four-fold. First - it brings to the firm a skills set it would otherwise not have - and which can also inform the quality of service in fee-paying areas of the firms work. Second - it can help the firm to have a broader and deeper understanding of the society in which it operates - this can also influence in a positive way its approach to legal problems. Third - it can help align the firm to its fee-paying client base who also share the societal concerns I have spoken about. Fourth - there is satisfaction in helping deal with important societal issues - not that it necessarily creates a warm fuzzy feeling - the opposite is true because the issues tough and difficult. What personally motivates you to provide free legal help? I do not think one can live separate from the needs of other people or from the needs of broader society. No man is an island. In a sense any business is aimed at fulfilling the needs of other people - at a price of course, and with a healthy profit in mind. But business cannot stop there. Businesses, in order to play their full role in society need to look at the interests also of the indigent and marginalised, and also to the protection of those universal rights and duties which underpin the well-being of society. They need also to work out how they can attend to those issues. These issues concern me as a family man and as a citizen of South Africa, and as a member of the broader global community. So I feel enormously privileged to have had the opportunity to do public interest legal work, or as it is said in Latin, to do legal work pro bono publico. Also I enjoy my interactions with people from diverse backgrounds and socio-economic classes, not least people from marginalised and poor communities. I admire their resilience and commitment, as I have found, to working within the law for solutions to their problems and I enjoy their company and friendship. Do you feel the mandatory 24 hour per year pro bono requirement is necessary? Not necessarily. To compel people to do legal work in which they have no expertise can be counter-productive, or worse still in which they have no desire to assist. Perhaps it is a necessary evil, but I would very much prefer a system based on voluntarism. What other CSI initiatives is the firm involved in? Webber Wentzel provides financial support to institutions in the not-for-profit sector who do work which is aligned to the pro bono legal work we do. Members of our corporate law teams also provide training for members of the Black Lawyers Association in corporate law practice. The National Veterinary Directorate in Mozambique's Ministry of Agriculture has lifted the ban on the import of chicken eggs from South Africa, subject to certain conditions. tookapic via pixabay The ban on importing poultry produce was imposed in the wake of an outbreak of bird flu in the eastern South African province of Mpumalanga. A note from the National Veterinary Directorate explains that the eggs are required to come from sources that are certified to be free from avian influenza and fit for export based on the results of laboratory tests undertaken since 22 June. However, a ban remains in place which prohibits importing or transporting all birds and their derivatives from Zimbabwe, Congo and those areas of South Africa that are either affected by bird flu or under surveillance. The Ministry of Agriculture recently sent a team to South Africa to verify the how the country was handling the bird flu crisis. As a result of that trip, a report recommended the partial lifting of the ban. Ban on South African eggs could cause rise in prices This is an important step for chicken producers in southern Mozambique who rely on imports from South Africa. On 28 June, the Mozambican Association of Poultry Producers (AMA) told AIM that the ban on the import of fertile eggs and of chicks from South Africa could have a serious impact, causing a decline in the supply of chickens and consequently a rise in prices. Currently the demand for chicken meat in Mozambique is about 80,000 tonnes a year, predicted to rise to 97,000 tonnes by 2019. Mozambican producers are able to supply 70,000 tonnes. However, the problem for producers, according to Loko Roger, the executive secretary of AMA, is that much of that 70,000 tonnes depends on eggs and chicks imported from South Africa. Bird flu is easily transmitted from one poultry farm to another by contaminated equipment, vehicles, clothing and chicken feed. The worst strains of the disease kill 100 percent of the infected birds. 2016 Pendoring Umpetha-winner embarks on a new advertising adventure in the USA Melusi Mhlungu For Ogilvy Johannesburg copywriter, Melusi Mhlungu, July 2017 will forever stand out as an unforgettable, red-letter month. Thanks to his remarkable ability to create award-winning advertising, including a sterling radio campaign that was voted joint-winner of Pendorings prestigious Umpetha Award in 2016, this month sees him jetting off to the USA where a whole new advertising adventure awaits him as a writer at David The Agency in Miami, Florida. Says Mhlungu: I'm very fortunate to have received an opportunity to join one of the best agencies in the States right now... DAVID THE AGENCY in MIAMI. And this is thanks to a lot of people, mostly my creative mom, Mariana OKelly, executive creative director at Ogilvy Johannesburg. This has always been my dream: to spread my wings, see the world, take what the South African creative industry taught me to the world, learn from this journey, then come back home and pass on my learnings, Mhlungu enthuses. I hope I'm able to inspire other young creatives to realise that you dont have to make American work to make it thereif you stay true to who you are, it will happen. I can't beat the Americans at making American ads, but what I can do is come with a new perspective mostly because of my upbringing and culture. There is no better feeling than being awarded for making truly South African in the work Ive done and winning Pendorings Umpetha Award has meant so much! I believe it's making this kind of different and very South African work that brought me global attention, says Mhlungu. Now that D-day has finally dawned, the move to one of the hottest ad agencies in the States right now brings with it a good measure of trepidation and uncertainty, Mhlungu admits. Im nervous, but mixed with excitement. Im going to a city I dont know, Im going to work at an agency I dont know, with people that I dont know. The only thing that I do know is that Ive got some ideas and for now, thats the only thing thats keeping me sane. Izelle Venter, chairperson of the Pendoring Board and channel head: VIA says Pendoring is extremely proud of Melusi (and all the other creatives who do South Africa proud) and wishes him well in his new and exciting endeavour in Miami. For Pendoring this is just the start to reward creatives in South Africa s vernacular languages other than Afrikaans. Besides Pendorings prestigious Umpetha Award as joint overall winner for the best vernacular advertising in 2016, in his relatively short lifespan as a copywriter, Mhlungu has raked in more awards most creatives can dream of. These include Cannes bronze and 5 shortlists, 5 Clio shortlists, a One Show shortlist (both New York-based awards), a bag full of gold, silver and bronze Loeries, 3 Pendoring golds and 3 silvers and 2 runners up awards in Ad of the Year. He was also a RAB Brave Radio competition winner. But it wasnt always plain sailing. I remember there was one awards show where I had 21 finalists, but not one single win. That, however, didnt deter me: the next year I had one entry and one gold. One of his proudest moments was when he was crowned South African Young Creative of the Year in 2015, which took him to Cannes where he competed and made his mark against other young creatives from across the world. Awards certainly are not the most important possessions one can ever have, and I dont run my life on awards, but they do prepare you for the moment somebody recognises you. They kind of put you in the front line and give you that extra creative edge. As a student and in his career, Mhlungu consistently moved the goal posts to improve on his achievements. While studying advertising at Vega (where he was admitted even without a portfolio), one of his dreams was to work for one of the biggest ad agencies in South Africa, he continues. This I managed to do when I was appointed copywriter at FCB, and subsequently at Ogilvy. My next goal was to be awarded SA Young Creative of the Year, which I achieved in 2015. My next dream was to work in ad land in the United States, and now thats finally happening. This is not the ultimate dreamone day I want to have my own agency. While his entire family firmly supports him in his new American venture, the thought of leaving them behind, evokes mixed emotions. These are the people who have always stood by me and did everything possible to help me realise my dreams. Skype will definitely be our next best friend! He is extremely proud of his mother and her five sisters, all of whom he considers his mothers. One of them (Nomsa) worked at Leo Burnett and that was how I learnt about advertising. By telling me about her job, she ignited the advertising flame in me. And by watching hours and hours of bad ads on TV as a kid, my interest in advertising steadily increased. Not for one moment have I ever regretted joining the advertising world. The ultimate highlight in his career so far even bigger than any award hes ever won - was when OKelly announced his move to David in Miami to the entire staff earlier this month. I even had tears in my eyes... not because of going to David, but because I could see my appointment also meant a lot to my colleagues. Besides OKelly, Brett Morris (FCB Africa CEO) and Neo Mashigo (Creative partner, M&C Saatchi Group) have been mentors in every sense of the word. At different stages of my creative life, they not only pushed me, but allowed me to push myself. They all played different parts and endlessly contributed to a fulfilling creative journey, Mhlungu concludes, adding that this is only the beginning; South African creatives are coming for the world! The Pendoring entry deadline has been extended until Tuesday, 8 August 2017. Mobile is one of biggest revolutions to come to marketing in recent years, rivaled only by digital video. Bring the two together, and you have one of the most compelling engagement tools available to businesses of all sizes. Today, people can and do watch video wherever they are - and advertisers can take advantage of this trend by making interesting content that rewards them for their time. With more than 14 million South Africans a month coming to Facebook on mobile, this is a golden opportunity for businesses to engage with their customers and prospects. Researchers at Facebook and beyond have found that mobile activity is strikingly frequent and fast: People scroll through mobile news feed 41% faster than desktop news feed. People can remember what they see on mobile after only a quarter of a second or less. Nunu Ntshingila If advertisers want to reach people, however, they need to earn their attention. Here are some ways that you can make mobile video work harder for your business and engage with your community. Capture attention quickly. People make speedy decisions about what they want to watch, and this is especially true in mobile feeds. The faster you capture attention in video adverts, the better. Consider delivering your message in 15 seconds or less. By matching people's attention on mobile, you can increase how often your video adverts are watched all the way through. Start with your most captivating elements. Hook people right away with great thumbnails, vivid backgrounds and stunning product shots. Incorporate your brand message and identity early. If your brand is tied to a recognisable celebrity, character or symbol, let people know right away. Put your hero front and centre. Use engaging post copy. Strengthen your visuals with funny, provocative or surprising copy. Build for sound off. Delight with sound on. People often consume video on their mobile in public with no sound, so design your video accordingly. Your video adverts should communicate clearly without sound, but get better or funnier with sound on. Tell your story visually. Sight and motion are the heart of feed, so make the most of them. Use text and graphics. Words and symbols can make your message easier to understand when someone is watching without sound. Add captions. Internal tests showed that adding captions to video adverts increased video view duration by an average of 12%. Include a sound file. People expect to hear audio when they turn on their volume. Frame your visual story. TVs and desktops may use horizontal frames, but industry research suggests that mobile phones are used in portrait mode 98% of the time. As people spend more and more time on mobile, how do you make the most of a smaller, vertical frame? Use vertical video. Most people hold their phones vertically, so horizontal videos don't maximise the screen space. Try using taller videos with 4:5 or 9:16 ratios. Highlight the key elements. Keep your product front and centre and visually emphasise the qualities that make your brand valuable. Create visual surprises. Even in a small frame, what optical illusions or unexpected events can you include? Test, iterate and learn. Where traditional brand advertisers used to test just a few pieces of creative, today's best-performing video advertisers use thousands of video variants and test them on a much more frequent basis. Facebook VP of Core Adverts, Mark Rabkin, recommends testing and measuring adverts on a weekly cycle rather than the former standard of every six months. The more you know about your audience, the better work you'll create. Be playful and curious There's no one-size-fits-all way to make great mobile video adverts different audiences respond to different things. That's why we recommend an approach of curiosity and playfulness. From artificial intelligence to rising data intelligence and brand safety, the IAB South Africa council heads have alerted the industry to the latest digital marketing trends for this year. Natthapong Khromkrathok via 123RF With 2017 well into its second half here is a list of trends that have been preoccupying the minds of the IAB councils. The trends were curated by the IAB South Africa from its council heads, including: IAB head of marketing council - Anna Vaulina, head of customer experience, Showmax; IAB CEO, Josephine Buys; IAB head of publisher council - Marc du Plessis, joint CEO, Spark Media; IAB head of media innovation council - Mike Carter, special projects director, Maxaxion; head of IAB agency council - Paula Hulley, head of digital and innovation, Ogilvy CT; head of measurement council - Ryan Smit, chief strategy officer, Silverstone Group; and IAB regulatory affairs council - Pria Chetty, director, Endcode. 1. Artificial intelligence and machine learning Artificial intelligence or AI is the big data buzzword of 2017. Everyone is talking about it but very few businesses are actually doing anything with AI in the South African space. Were seeing the big internet companies using AI to assist in many of the operational tasks such as recommendations and cross selling, with South African companies following suit. There have been many severe warnings from the likes of Elon Musk about the progression of AI and this is a hot topic for all, from marketers to CTOs and data managers. This is closely followed by machine learning to understand how best improve customer understanding. 2. The rise and rise of growth teams Globally, over the past couple of years, the notion of growth teams has risen - a mixture of marketers, engineers and analytics to organise themselves in either direct or virtual teams responsible for growth in a company. A lot of the digital companies have figured out the best way to take this forward and how to bring technology and marketers closer together. 3. Moving creative closer to the business More corporates and brands are beginning to move creative in house. This gives brands the opportunity to make creative part of the problem solving and thinking, and closer to the business. The days of Mad Men are gone. Creative needs to be as accountable for the ROI as digital marketing. 4. Getting personal with CRM Every customer is an individual and should be treated as such. Brands are taking the opportunity to connect with customers through one-on-one messaging and smart market segmentation. Businesses also realise that customers are discerning and can be lost in seconds with an ineffective customer journey. The trend underpinning all these developments is the need to present to customers at the right time using the right channels. 5. Overlapping target markets With rising data intelligence, customers can be found at the places where certain non-competitive brands intersect. For example, a luxury car brand and a luxury watch brand may combine their digital assets to capture their audiences for retargeting purposes, but could also then trade their audiences between themselves in order to cross sell each others products. 6. The digital economy needs to be nurtured to survive While digital seems to be a booming segment that doesnt seem to need any help to grow, regulatory institutions need to fight for its sustainability and fair use. Members of the digital media need to actively participate in tech law and policy setting to prevent stifling regulation. Securing freedom of speech online, access to information and reasonable privacy regulation will continue to dominate the agenda of the Regulatory Affairs Council within the IAB SA. Practical copyright law and continued promotion of the need for self-regulation of digital sectors will remain important regulatory pursuits. 7. Programmatic ad spend in overdrive Despite the bad press received this year, programmatic continues to go into overdrive. Tighter control over the programmatic landscape is all part of a maturing industry, hence the rise of technology to analyse the value of digital advertising placements, coupled with the rise of the private marketplaces and direct buys almost doubling in media spend in the last year in response to the open exchanges seeming lack of transparency. Agencies accessing these deals via SSPs and taking advantage of data rich audiences traversing across multiple devices and platforms, with AI stringing together complex algorithms to help us learn about our consumer and their habits and hopefully deliver something of value. Spotify now has full suite programmatic offerings, from display, video to most recently, audio. Outfront Medias is taking outdoor programmatic: inventory includes subway ads, bus ads, as well as static and digital billboards; and TV looks already set with those digital channels that are geared for this type of media transaction, allowing targeting across very specific customer segments. 8. Context is king While content (AKA video!) might always be king, context is the key to the castle. In our customer-centric digital landscape, understanding the context your consumer is key. Trying to adjust our communication without listening to the customer is like talking to a friend after they have put down the phone and then expecting a reply. We are already automating our delivery of profile centered communication; deepening our learning to better understand who the customer is; enabling a more meaningful conversation; and delivering a better experience, utility, product or benefit. Coupled with an ongoing understanding of a customers context, we will be able to deliver that message, solution or benefit at the right place, at the right time, in the right format, on the right device, in an even more meaningful and remarkable way. 9. Defending brand integrity From a publisher perspective, brand safety is a critical contributor to a healthy digital eco-system. While countering fake news is a challenge, the IAB believes this also presents an opportunity. The introduction of ad filters will effectively counter the rise of fake news and fraudulent websites that are giving digital advertising a bad name, and defrauding unsuspecting advertisers of their ad budgets. IAB publisher members spend a tremendous amount of time and money generating high quality, brand safe content, coupled with responsible advertising options that do not annoy users, giving advertisers quality, brand safe environments within which to place their brands. The quality of ad space needs to come to the forefront over quantity of ad space. In summary, digital is becoming more personal, specialised and reactive to customer needs than ever before. If we work to keep digital platforms fair and communicate with the customers we serve, we will continue to create an inspiring, innovative digital advertising industry. From colouring books to signed autobiographies, there is no denying that the Nelson Mandela name is a money spinner. Former president Nelson Mandela's life is profiled tonight on DStv's History Channel | Sunday Times/Debbie Yazbek A new addition to the vast collection of books about the global icon has generated controversy by giving a glimpse into the former president's last days. Mandela's Last Years retails for R230 but on Amazon's website a colouring book about the former president is being advertised for a head-spinning R17389.05. Also listed is Nelson Mandela: The Man and the Movement, by Mary Benson, which will cost you R59577.93. A signed copy of Long Walk to Freedom costs R49961.45. The latest book, by Madiba's former doctor, Vejay Ramlakan, has sparked outrage in the Mandela family, and the executors of his estate are threatening legal action, arguing that disclosures in the book are a breach of doctorpatient confidentiality. Ramlakan claims he received permission to write the book from a Mandela family member but publishers Penguin Random House announced yesterday that it would be withdrawn from sale. "Penguin Random House accepted Mandela's Last Years for publication after the author Vejay Ramlakan advised the publisher that he had been requested by Mandela's family to publish the book. However, given statements from family members, we have decided to withdraw the book," the company said. Branding expert Raymond van Niekerk said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate had built a solid brand and people were willing to pay to gain an insight into the man. "Mandela's brand is almost like an aura. It is what most brands strive for, that authenticity. A lot of things will be written about him, a lot of things will be said - the reality is that he transcends almost anything," said Van Niekerk. "Because of his struggle credentials, his 27 years on Robben Island and the way he unified the country he has a bulletproof brand." Fake news, false claims, invented opinions and online rumour can seriously burn your reputation. Disinformation has been used as a tactic in both politics and marketing for as long as we have had unscrupulous politicians and overly opportunistic marketers. But the rise and pervasiveness of social media has made disinformation - in the form of propaganda or fake news a force that is capable of influencing elections and harming the bottom line of some of the strongest corporations. Oresti Patricios The role of fake news in the US elections has been studied at length and is now the subject of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation. But what concerns me is that in the post-truth era, the same techniques of psychological warfare are being used against brands. The perpetrators? One can but guess its hard to tell where these stories originate. Your competitor isnt likely to brag about how they dealt a body-blow to your business in such an underhanded way. Late last year both Pepsi and New Balance were the targets of consumer boycotts, due to falsified reports that misquoted both companies executives. Pro-Trump websites misquoted Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi as saying that Trump supporters should take their business elsewhere, and pro-Democratic Party websites falsely quoted New Balances VP of public affairs as saying that New Balance was the official brand of the Trump revolution. And they werent alone. Macys, Oreo and Ford Motors all suffered damage to their reputations [and bottom lines] when fake news stories made assertions that were clearly false, yet hard to counter. Your brand's reputation is one of your most valuable assets, and directly influences brand equity... yet one bad news story can set you right back in terms of customer loyalty and goodwill. The 18th PAMRO conference delves deeply into the issue of fake news and whether the media is perceived as being a disseminator of disinformation. How media operators, marketers and brands can guard against fake news as well as some of the means of defence against disinformation detailed below. The best defence Your brands reputation is one of your most valuable assets, and directly influences brand equity. Not only is your brand equity a measurable asset on your balance sheet, its also a measure of the strength of your customers attachment to your brand, as well as all the associations and beliefs (such as perceived value) that your customer has about the brand. Its something you've built up over the years, and yet one bad news story can set you right back in terms of customer loyalty and goodwill. Rumour, gossip and bad news can spread like wildfire. Its important to have the fire-extinguishers ready and primed as soon as there is the first sign of smoke. You cant predict what form the attack will take, but you can still be prepared with some basic strategies. In practical terms, what does one do to counter an attack that comes out of the blue and seems to have no rationale behind it? The following steps may seem familiar they are essentially the same as any kind of reputational damage control. STEP 1: Examine the issue and assess the extent of the damage Is this some isolated comment by an unhappy customer, or does there seem to be something more nefarious afoot? And lets not discount the possibility that your competitor may have hired a third force to launch a concerted attack on your brand. If the allegation concerns a quote by someone in your company, find out what was said, by whom, and when. Get the facts straight first. STEP 2: Plan your response Before the crisis begins ensure your company has a solid, well thought through crisis plan for social media. When the event happens, whatever you do, dont let emotion rule your reaction. If its one or two unhappy customers, deal with them on the same channel be it Facebook, Twitter or hellopeter.com. It is also a great idea to invite them to interact on a more personal level. Get your most charming representative to call them and give them the one-on-one. Listen to the customer, relay to them that you've understood their problem, and find a solution. If the negativity looks like its coming from a more credible source like a fake news site that might fool the average reader, or a well-followed blogger a quick Google search should establish how far the story has spread. Again, no matter how irritating the false accusations may be, dont have a knee-jerk reaction dont do a Donald and fire off a rude tweet. You have to smile in the face of adversity, or youll come off looking pompous or defensive or guilty. It is possible for a fake news story to die out on its own, while overreacting could have a Streisand effect i.e., your protestations of innocence and threats to sue the site/blogger/journalist could add fuel to the fire and draw attention to the negative message the opposite of what you want. No, you want to charm your once-loyal customers back to the safe space of loving your brand. Much as people love to gossip, they also love the warm, fuzzy feeling of loyalty to an exclusive brand. STEP 3: Take action The charm offensive should be carefully orchestrated with your PR team, and this is where PR can really come into its own to protect your reputation. Use the same channel to publish the facts. If the disinformation can be identified as coming from a prominent source, like a major Twitter influencer (or blogger or opinionista), direct message them, and post a calm, clearly-worded response to clear up the misconception. Appeal to their sense of fairness. Give them the opportunity to be the hero that presents their followers with the update. Do not call them names like fake news or accuse them of lying. The last thing you want is a flame war, and its safest to work from the assumption that there has been a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Where possible [and this is tricky], use humour to defuse the situation, but only if youre sure it wont be taken the wrong way. Diplomacy is key. Speak to the individual as an individual, and research their writing to see if they have published other comments elsewhere. Use a little personalised and emotive language, like I was saddened to read.... But of course, dont overdo it. Use your good relationships with reputable news outlets to send out a positive message about your brand, to counteract the negative effect. Bad news tends to have more traction than good, so be prepared to spend a little to create a newsworthy message. When Google executive Sundar Pichai was misquoted on the French blog FrAndroid about the security of the Android operating system, Google worked with TechCrunch to clarify what Pichai had said, and provided a full transcript of the speech for anyone to scrutinise. Due to TechCrunchs profile, the story was repeated on sites like BG, Mashable and NetworkWorld.com a nett win for Google in terms of good publicity. STEP 4: If you find evidence of a deliberate, malicious attack, then consider legal action The evidence needed will have to be considerable, however, and you will have to prove damage. Invest in your advertising in terms of raising brand awareness, and use your existing channels to communicate with your customers, shareholders and staff. Having the truth on your side will give you a powerful advantage use this as an opportunity to build your brand. In the battle to win and retain customers, building brand loyalty is just part of the picture. Its essential that your marketing communications strategy provides for an attack on the fake news front. In a large organisation this means that a significant attack on the brand will have to be escalated to the C-Suite, in order to ensure that a coherent, focussed message is disseminated throughout the organisation, and all channels social media, online, and conventional media need to provide an integrated message. Keep a cool head, and remember that doing good business and building brand loyalty will create a closeness with your customers that will stand you in good stead in the long run. *The 18th PAMRO Conference takes place at The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town from 27 - 30 August and addresses the theme Content is king and he is one of us. For more information please visit: http://pamro.org/upcoming-events/18th-pamro-conference-27st-august-to-30th-august-2017-vineyard-hotel-cape-town-south-africa/ . After a Kachin man allegedly disappeared following his arrest by the Tatmadaw last month, his relatives submitted a letter on July 24 requesting the Kachin State Chief Minister and the Northern Command oversee his release. Naw Jar, from Lah War Village in Hpakant township, was drunkenly headed home on the night of June 20 when he ran into to a group of soldiers, according to local residents who claimed to have witnessed the incident. The soldiers allegedly arrested the man near the village market, hitting him in the shoulder, and tying his hands behind his back before hauling him away. The alleged arrest took place soon after a skirmish broke out between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) near the village, the residents said. The Kachin mans daughter, Nlam Kaw Mai, told Kachin News Group that the Tatmadaw has not revealed so much as the reason for his arrest, even though they detained him over one month ago now. She added that the family does not even know his current whereabouts. We still havent heard any news about him. Did they do something to him? Is he suffering while he is being detained? Are they hiding the news without telling the family because he has been killed? We want to know the answers, she said. The military column that arrested Naw Jar includes the 86th, 297th, and 298th infantry battalions led by deputy battalion commander Saw Bo Bo Lwin from the 297th Infantry Battalion. Naw Jar is a local farmer and the father of five children, the youngest of whom is a student in the 10th Standard. Naw Jars relatives urged the Kachin State government and the Northern Command to immediately investigate the arrest. Copies of the July 24 letter were also sent to the State Counselors Office, the Myanmar Human Rights Commission and the United Nations special rapporteur for the situation of human rights in Myanmar. In a separate incident, the Tatmadaws infantry unit 319 allegedly arrested three Kachin men near Maing Khaung Village in Mansi township on May 25. A village administrator told Radio Free Asia that the bodies of Nhkum Gam Awng, 31, Maran Brang Seng, 22, and Labya Naw Hkum, 27, were discovered three days later with gun shot and knife wounds. Residents of an internally displaced persons camp reportedly found the bodies just four miles from a military post. Local rights groups and activists have accused the Tatmadaw of committing numerous human rights abuses against civilians in conflict zones, including the still unresolved rape and murder of two Kachin teachers in 2015. U Hla Maung Shwe U Hla Maung Shwe began working as a senior advisor to the Myanmar Peace Center and as a secretary in the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) under former president U Thein Seins administration. He has continued to advise the governments peace team under the National League for Democracy-led administration. Freelance reporter Chit Min Tun from the Mon News Agency interviewed U Hla Maung Shwe to ask him about changes to the peace process, and current challenges, including those posed by ethnic armed groups that recently announced they do not support the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA). This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: The seven [newly allied] ethnic armed groups from the northeast have said they dont want to sign the NCA. They said they will follow an alternative path to peace that does not include the NCA. The Tatmadaw, the government and the Hluttaw say they will follow the NCA. Are there any plans to negotiate this divide? A: The policy given to us is to negotiate in line with the NCA, this is the path that has currently been laid out. We will negotiate with any groups that recognise this path. We can meet the groups separately or as a group of four, but the meeting needs to be in line with the NCA path. We understand that we cant meet with new groups. Q: The government wont meet with the seven northern groups together [they have declared that they will only meet together, as a bloc]. How will you overcome this stumbling bloc to negotiate for peace? Isnt it better to meet first and find solutions for the disagreements? A: The non-NCA path wont work for us. Q: Three journalists and a member of an ethnic armed organization which has signed the NCA have [in two separate incidents] been arrested under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. Can this have any impact the peace process? A: Trust-building is essential to the peace process. I believe both sides will be able to reduce these difficulties if they trust each other. In our view, this Section 17 (1) and (2) [of the Unlawful Association Act] are obstacles that need to be overcome in order to pave the way for trust building. Q: Some people are calling for a review of the NCA. Whats your view on this since you were also involved in the peace process as it was carried out by the former U Thein Sein administration? A: The NCA did not come into existence so easily. We had to negotiate by trying our best to build trust while the two sides were engaged in fighting each other. I believe nobody should carry out [such a review] irresponsibly. The NCA outlines policies. [The EAOs] have the right to discuss the framework for political dialogue and the ToR [Terms of Reference]. So, the NCA doesnt need to be reviewed because we can negotiate the specifics of the framework and the ToR. I believe it can be done when both sides meet again. Q: I heard that there is a new peace negotiation path being established by the NDAA [National Democratic Alliance Army] and the UWSA [United Wa State Army]. Is it a separate agreement or is it a kind of negotiation under the NCA? A: As far as I understand, the ceasefire agreement between the Tatmadaw and the NDAA and the UWSA is one of the longest ceasefire agreements in the world. As long as there arent any conflicts between the two sides, it would be easier to negotiate with them for the NCA. Thats the kind of approach being taken in dealing with them. But, the current policy is under the NCA, so they are included under the NCA path. Q: U Thein Seins government didnt allow the LDU [Lahu Democratic Union], the WNO [Wa National Organization] or the ANC [Arakan National Council] to sign the NCA, but they were allowed to attend the political dialogue. If other members of [the United Nationalities Federal Council - UNFC] sign the ceasefire, will these three members be allowed to sign now as well? A: We are now discussing this issue with the DPN [Delegation for Political Negotiation]. These groups are included in the DPN under the UNFC. They will sign the ceasefire agreement when we finish the discussions with the DPN if everything goes well. When these groups sign the NCA, they wont be signing as the UNFC. Each group will have to sign it separately. The previous eight groups did the same. So I believe they will have to sign it separately. Q: Lastly, I want to know about how you will open the path for the northern groups currently engaged in ongoing fighting the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Arakan Army (AA) to take part in the peace dialogue. A: We have been instructed to negotiate within the NCA path so we will follow this instruction. We will help these [ethnic armed organizations] by clarifying whatever things they might be unclear about. Another thing isthat we need to find a solution to signing the NCA by quickly overcoming the eight-point [proposal or preconditions laid out by the UNFC before they agree to sign the ceasefire pact]. Respective leaders will decide after they meet. No matter what group it is, the organizations we have recognised will need to try to achieve the national reconciliation via political dialogues after they sign the NCA. There is no other way forward for us except for the organizations to first sign the NCA and try to achieve national reconciliation via the national-level political dialogues and the Union Peace Conferences also called the 21st-Century Panglong Peace Conference. Afterward, we can end the peace process and start building the federal democratic Union. While by mentioning illegal organizations he might have Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) in mind as it hasnt signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) yet but in the process of negotiation with the governments Peace Commission (PC), under the banner of United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), and also has state-level and union-level ceasefire agreements in place since 2012. Besides, the SSPP even have several liaison offices to coordinate in military matters with the Burma Army, also known as the Military or Tatmadaw, in governments control towns in Shan State. Thus, the argument that SSPP is an illegal organization holds no water and is not convincing. I have my doubts [about the Tatmadaws sincerity] when they accuse us of endangering the peace process, General Yawd Serk who heads the CSSU said on July 21 at a press conference in the northern Thai capital. If this is the case, they should contact our office, according to the recent report in Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN). The military attache says that the meeting was to include a non-NCA signatory group. This group is the SSPP. However, it should be noted that the SSPP regularly attends meetings within the UNFC [United Nationalities Federal Council, a coalition of ethnic armed groups who declined to sign the NCA with the government in October 2015]. So how can this be hindering the peace process if the UNFC regularly meets with the Tatmadaw and the government? Regarding the statement of Khin Zaw that the CSSU meeting would be against the election law no one really has a clue by what he means. But if he meant it is against the NCA then he is totally wrong, as the meeting is held in accordance with the NCA guidelines. CSSU was scheduled to discuss about the five topics of Political Affairs, Security Matters, Economic Affairs, Social Issues, and Land and Natural Resources Management, to achieve a common goal and later table it in a wider representative audience within Shan State. And as all know, earlier the Tatmadaw has rejected the venue of Taunggyi or Panglong proposed by the CSSU by saying that the planned gathering should be held in a remote region of Shan State, where the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) a signatory of the NCA is in control but not suitable, as there are no facilities to hold such a massive gathering estimated to be more than 600 participants. Following the cancellation of the meeting the CSSU in Chiang Mai a seven-point statement in Burmese was issued, which pointed out that although the Burmese military attache argument holds no water that the CSSU meeting would disrupt the peace process, for the benefit of the two countries relationship it has opted not to hold the meeting. Furthermore, the statement said that it would inform and coordinate with the governments National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and PC in the peace process. It also urges the government bases its actions with broad-mindedness and careful consideration and that if there are any doubts, clarification should be requested. Background on Military-Shan interaction Now let us look at on how it has come to this by going back a little into the past to determine why the Tatmadaws mindset has been so obsessed with anti-Shan, anti-federalism tendencies, in addition to be so scared that the Shan would achieve unity. The 1962 military coup that has its roots in the Shan spearheaded Federal Proposal to amend the 1947 Union of Burma Constitution was and still is seen by the Bamar military class as clipping the wings of the Bamar political supremacy and monopoly, while the non-Bamar ethnic nationalities are convinced that it is designed to make Burma Proper a Bamar State so that a level playing field of political arrangement, within the mold of ethnic-territorial-based federal union could be achieved. It should be noted that the Panglong Agreement of 1947, the Union of Burma Constitution 1947, and Federal Amendment Proposal of the ethnic nationalities agreed in 1961 are the basis of achieving a justified and equal federal union from the view point of the ethnic nationalities. The Bamar military following the anti-federalism advocacy of the then Bamar political elite headed by Ba Swe and Kyaw Nyein tried to whitewash all the historical treaties and legacies to rewrite the history to its advantage, which in turn led to the full blown ethnic resistance countrywide. In February 2005, Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) chairman Hkun Htun Oo and seven other Shan leaders, including Sao Hsur Ten, leader of the SSPP/SSA, were arrested, convicted of high treason and sentenced to jail terms ranging from 79 to 106 years. On February 7 they were discussing to work out common positions among the Shan people on how to go about with the the then ongoing National Convention tasked with drawing a new constitution, under the military government, in Nyaung Nabin and were arrested with the accusation of endangering the existence of union. In March 2016, the CSSU meeting in Rangoon was also disrupted by local authorities possibly on the orders of the Tatmadaw. Repeated requests of the CSSU to allow Shan National dialogue to be conducted either in Taunggyi or Panglong towns, prior to the second 21st Century Panglong Conference held from May 24 to 29, was rejected by the Tatmadaw until today. On 2017 July 19, CSSU planned meeting in Chiang Mai from July 20 to 22 has to be cancelled, due to the disruption of the Burmese military attache to the Thai government. Possible reasons and way out of distrustful atmosphere While there could be many reasons to hinder the Shan National Dialogue by the Tatmadaw, speculations like the Military not really believing in federalism and giving only lip service; having Military and Bamar supremacy aim as its strategic goals; Seeing the Shan as a main culprit in ethnonationalism and separatism; and suppressing and getting the Shan checkmated would ensure Bamar political edge and also control the other restless non-Bamar ethnic nationalities are rife, if impossible to verify. But the historical backdrop and the indications that followed in chain have proven the Tatmadaws anti-Shan and anti-federalism tendencies. Again, all these points to the lack of Militarys commitment and political will to really work for the political settlement through the formation of a federal union that is embedded in equality, rights of self-determination, universal human rights and democracy. It is clear that distrust has to be eliminated and trust-building nurtured, if we are to move forward. But what exactly is the distrust between the Military and the Shan? The Shan are distrustful that the Military wont be sincere to resolve the conflict through political dialogue and its commitment on a genuine federalism, while the Military never is convinced that the Shan would not opt for a total independence that would break up the union. When the issue of non-secession was discussed and the Shan rejected the inclusion of the clause in the Union (Pyidaungsu) Accord during the second 21CPC, the SNLD made it clear that it is for the solution of a voluntary participation of the union, as agreed in Panglong Agreement of 1947 and nothing has changed. On the government non-secession demand the SNLD made a press conference on June 1, 2017, at its headquarter, where Party spokesman Sai Nyunt Lwin said: We never demand secession from the union. We are already there to cooperate, adding, this is to clearly dispel accusation and rumors that we are not demanding secession. All this come about as SNLD rejected the non-secession clause demanded by the government to be included in the Union Accord. Sai Nyunt Lwin made his point by arguing that no such words that could hold back participation of the EAOs that are still negotiating and about to negotiate be used during this period, as this would discourage them from joining the peace conference. If we want to secede from the union, we only need to do one thing. We would disregard the treaty (Panglong Agreement) signed in 1947. Until we havent done that, it is going to be normal as it used to be, he stressed as a matter of fact. Now the Military would need to show that it also meant business by halting the ongoing offensives in Kachin and Shan States, while making assurance that it is really for the genuine federal union by withdrawing its commitment to protect the military-drafted constitution, which is neither democratic nor federal in any sense of the words. In sum, it is the turn of the Military to agree and support the State-level Shan National Dialogue and not disrupting it, if it is really following the NCA guidelines. This would be the start in dismantling distrust from the point of the Shan organizations. After this all the other measures to build trust on the ground by halting offensives and cooperation in peace talks for the all agreeable political system could be worked out. Thus, until the distrust elimination measures are first taken by the Military, there is no hope for trust-building to take place, as the saying you cant make an omelette without breaking eggs hasnt been there for nothing. PR Newswire SYDNEY, July 24, 2017 SYDNEY, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boutique Mergers & Acquisitions Firm, LCC Asia Pacific, today announced a number of recent achievements in Australian & International industry awards programmes. In May 2017, LCC Asia Pacific was announced as a finalist for Investment Banking Firm of the Year in addition to a number of deal based categories at the 9th Annual International M & A Awards. At the awards ceremony, held in New York on the evening of June 12th, LCC was privileged to have been awarded Asia Deal of the Year for 2016. Also in July 2017, LCC Asia Pacific has been announced as a regional finalist in the NSW Business Chamber Awards for "Excellence In Small Business." Additionally, LCC's Principal & Founder, Nicholas Assef, has also been announced as a finalist in the "Business Leader" category. "We are thrilled at the successes we have achieved in 2017, and in particular the award in New York. This year is the first time LCC Asia Pacific has pursued such awards, and we would not be able to do so without the support of the fantastic client's that LCC provides strategic Merger & Acquisition advice to," Nicholas Assef, LCC Asia Pacific's Principal & Founder commented. LCC Asia Pacific is a Firm that has long been committed to excellence in all aspects of its operations, which it believes is the fundamental philosophical requirement to be competitive as a professional services firm. About LCC Asia Pacific LCC Asia Pacific is a boutique investment banking firm that provides strategic advice to its clients on growth initiatives both through acquisition and via organic means. LCC has full service offices in Sydney and Brisbane, with a representative office in Hong Kong. In addition to its Australian practice, LCC is committed to a Pan Asian strategy, including assisting clients leverage such initiatives as China's "One Belt & One Road." LCC specialises in a number of key sectors, including Industrial & Technology Services, Engineering & Contracting, Renewables, Resources & General Industrials. Research & Market Update Reports are provided regularly across a number of these Sectors, including being distributed via global platforms including Reuters, Bloomberg & Standard & Poors. LCC Asia Pacific has a long history of working successfully on both Australian and Cross Border assignments with corporates, financial sponsors and public sector organisations. To learn more on LCC Asia Pacific please visit www.lccapac.com PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12654131 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lcc-asia-pacific-announces-award-achievements-300493264.html SOURCE LCC Asia Pacific The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. Bayards Mount, one of the highest points in Manhattan, has been gone for more than two hundred years. Where other hills and high points have been incorporated into the modern topography New York, this old hill was wiped from the map. Bayards Mount used to sit at around where Mott and Grand Streets meet today, in todays Little Italy. Indeed, back when nearby SoHo was but a dense thicket of oak and tulip trees, the Mount was the best place to view the waters of Collect Pond, the wild northern orchards, and the flat tidal creeks to the west. A smaller hilltop, called Mount Pleasant, sat to its east and, with the introduction of Europeans, a farm road (Bowery) ran along it. Sitting atop Bayards Mount, a person could wile away the day watching travelers going along the Bowery, to and from the city. A watercolor by artist Archibald Robertson in 1798, looking south, with Bayards Mount/Bunker Hill to the left and Collect Pond dead center. Some reminiscences refer to Bayards Mount and Mount Pleasant as the same hill, and they were close enough they seem to be part of the same ridge. After the territory went from Dutch to British hands in the mid-17th century, most of this property fell into the hands of Nicholas Bayard, and the small, cone-shaped mount took on the name of its landowner, who built his sturdy estate just to its north. Even by the early 18th century, Bayards family would still have few neighbors; swampy ground prevented much development west, while property to the east eventually belonged to James DeLancey, the governor of the colony. Below: A later 19th century property map highlights the broken western border of Bayards farm. The wetlands known as Lispenards Meadow prevented the estate from developing further westward. The mount took on a more serious purpose with the onset of the Revolutionary War. In March of 1776, One third of the citizens were ordered out to erect new works; they began a fort upon Mr. Bayards Mount near the Bowery. [source] This fortification, built in anticipation of a messy battle with the British, was named after a critical battle the year previous at Bunker Hill in Boston; soon, the hill itself took on the name, and in most histories after 1776, this place at todays Mott and Grand Streets is officially known as Bunker Hill. Notably stationed here at Bunker Hill was Nathan Hale. There would be no significant altercations here between British troops and the Continental Army. No, in fact, the bloodshed would wait until after the war, when the hilltop would be known as a fashionable place to host your duel. For instance, in 1787, a disagreement between two French men ended in a duel here and the death of one of them, a Monsieur Chevalier de Longchamps who was apparently no stranger to offense and violent response. Below: From Montressors map of Manhattan, 1755, you can see Bayards property and both hills Bayards Mount and Mount Pleasant, the elongated hill. The Bowery runs along the bottom right hand of the illustration, with Collect Pond in theA bottom left corner. You can also see the grid plan of Bayards farm (which was ultimately adapted for theA modern street plan of SoHo). In July 1788, to celebrate the federal ratification of the Constitution, a procession marched through the city and ended its revelry at Bayards Mount/Bunker Hill, where ten enormous tables laden with provisions and hundreds of pounds of roasted ox were served to hungry patriots. Several years later, in 1795, a different gathering, angered by their governor John Jay over his (perceived) treasonous treaty with the British, burned his portrait in a bonfire here. Another curious pastime at the hilltop was the British sport of bull baiting, where a bull would be tied to a stake and slowly tortured by angry dogs. Why this is of any visible amusement is beyond me, although its cousin bear baiting is still sometimes practiced in Pakistan. Below: A bit of this nasty little pastime out in Long Island as it was advertised in 1774 New York was outgrowing the southern point of Manhattan, and former deterrents for expansion the marshes of Lispinards Meadow, polluted Collect Pond, and of course, Bayards Mount were slated for elimination. The ponds and marshes would soon be drained, creating Canal Street, and Broadway expanded further north. (Listen to our podcast on Collect Pond and Canal Street for more information.) By then, Bayards was but a memory. Beginning in 1802, workmen began levelling Bayards Mount and Mount Pleasant which also included moving the old Bayard family crypt which had its entrance at the bottom of the hill. Unfortunately, it was discovered that a hermit or ragman had moved into the vault and turned it into his very own macabre home. Remarkably, the man was allowed to live there he was somewhat feared and not much troubled by visitors until he was found one day dead in the vault. By the time Collect Pond was completely drained (around 1811), the hills to its north had gone, replaced with land lots and the first hints of townhouses and new businesses. Below: From an 1821 New York Evening Post, an advertisement for plots on the old Bayard farm at Bayard Street and Mott Street, just a couple blocks south of the location of the Mount Another clipping from an 1888 New York Evening World, recalling the landscape here: Below: The approximate position of where Bayards Mount would have been: View Larger Map A version of this article originally ran in October 2010 A representational photo. BEIJING (PTI): China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) will hold war games instead of usual military parade to showcase its military might on the world's largest standing force's 90th anniversary next week, a media report has said. President Xi Jinping, who is also the overall commander of the 2.3 million-strong army, has ordered war games over military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on August 1, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Monday. Xi is expected to attend the drills in full battle uniform, it said. He will be the special guest at China's biggest annual war games at Asia's largest military training base, the Post quoted officials as saying. President Xi will make his first known visit to the Zhurihe Combined Tactics Training Base, 400-km northwest of Beijing in Inner Mongolia, to observe war games involving cyberwarfare, special troops, army aviation and electronic countermeasures, the daily said quoting PLA sources. "There had been speculation the anniversary would be marked by a parade in Beijing, but Xi, who as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has been pushing the PLA to modernise, will instead be guest of honour at Zhurihe to see how that effort is progressing," it said. "There will not be a military parade on Tiananmen Square in Beijing on August 1 as rumoured, but a full-scale, head- to-head military manoeuvre in Zhurihe to celebrate the army s birthday," a military insider told the Post, adding that Xi would observe the war games from the base s command centre. He said a squadron of China s first stealth fighter, the J-20, which went into service with the PLA Air Force in March, was very likely to feature. "All participant units will grab this opportunity to show off state-of-the-art development," he said. "The full-scale military manoeuvre will test the PLA s capability to integrate and coordinate land forces, army aviation, the newly established rocket force, strategic support units and logistics between different troops, with more hi-tech weapons being displayed," the official said. The planned war games coincide with over a month-long standoff between Chinese and Indian troops in the Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector. Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face- off in the disputed area in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the area. Besides Dokalam, China is also concerned by the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile by the US in South Korea despite its opposition. "The war games this year were supposed to be the biggest ever to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, but developments on China's borders, such as the current military stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops in the Himalayas and Pyongyang s missile tests, may affect its scale," the daily quoted the military insider as saying. The PLA was founded on August 1, 1927 when the Communist Party of China (CPC) under the leadership of Mao Zedong carried on with his national liberation movement. It is one of the rare national armies which still continues to function under the leadership of the CPC and not the Chinese government. Xi heads the Central Military Commission (CMC) which is the overall command for the PLA. Xi who heads the CPC, the presidency besides the military, has emerged as the most powerful leader holding all the three posts from the first day he came to power and carried out major reforms of the military as part of his plans to make it most modern force. The massive drills has been kept as a secret as the PLA which held a media briefing here today on its 90th anniversary celebrations has not announced the programme of celebrations. The biggest military parade in China's modern history was held in Beijing on September 3, 2015, to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. "There is no sign any military parade will take place in Beijing because so far we have not seen any marching training inside or outside the capital," Beijing-based military expert Li Jie told the Post, adding that such training always started several months before a parade. Retired PLA major general Xu Guangyu said live war games could be part of the PLA's birthday celebration. Xu said the unscripted manoeuvres at Zhurihe would add authenticity to the army's training because the encounters would be closer to actual battles. Macau-based military commentator Antony Wong Dong said that based on video footage and reports provided by state media, the scale of war games in Zhurihe had been closer to real battles in recent years, indicating the PLA ground force s determination to abandon its previous single force operation and move to joint operation involving different units. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A decorated war veteran in Brandon said he feels let down by his country after Veterans Affairs Canada refused him funding for a much-needed hearing aid. Richard Leslie, a 92-year-old retired master warrant officer, is deaf in his right ear and cannot converse without an outdated hearing aid in his left ear a consequence of his exposure to heavy artillery and explosions during the Second World War, he said. Veterans Affairs has denied both his initial request for funding and his appeal. A letter from Veterans Affairs, which Leslie shared with The Brandon Sun, states that according to our Departmental Entitlement Eligibility Guideline for Hearing Loss, there is no evidence you were exposed to enough noise during service to cause permanent decibel losses. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Retired Canadian Armed Forces Master Warrant Officer Richard Leslie, seen at his home in Brandon, is appealing to Veterans Affairs to cover the cost of a new hearing aid. Leslie is hearing impaired and attributes his hearing loss to his time in the military, especially during the Second World War. The response is something Leslie takes issue with. Im not even a citizen anymore. Theyve wrote me off as a nut. They dont give a damn, he said. They took my blood, they took my energy, they took my life. Now when I want something back, they wont give it to me. Some days you get a little ugly. Leslie joined the Canadian Forces in 1943, shipping off to England when he was only 19 years old. I landed in England in a bomb raid, Leslie said, adding the experience was quite a shock. Moving with the 1st Battalion Lincoln and Welland Regiment, Leslie was fighting along the Maas River as they attempted to cross the German lines. Unbeknownst to us, (the Germans) were breaking through on the bulge there were 10,000 to 20,000 Germans ready to make a move, Leslie said. Three regiments were dashed down to the river and at exactly 5 oclock in the morning every gun, artillery piece tanks, plus all our guns fired at once. There were 10,000 shells in the air. The memories are still raw for Leslie, who broke down sobbing while sharing his experiences of war. We advanced and found a trench the Germans had used. We cleaned it up and put up sandbags and a machine gun, Leslie said. They were continuously shooting at us with machine guns. They brought the artillery down onto us within 50 feet. My buddy said, I think I can get that sniper, I can see him down behind that brick building. We had a little notch a four-inch square in the sandbags and a bullet came through and touched him. Leslie still remembers his friend sitting back with a gasp after being hit, leaning back in his chair to demonstrate how he fell. Leslie said he bandaged him up and checked for a pulse, but he was gone. Two and a half days later, I still had him with me. I still hadnt got out of the trench. My hands were frozen, my feet were frozen, Leslie said. In an effort not to freeze to death, Leslie rolled himself out of the trench and was picked up and taken to a medical tent. His shoes had to be cut off his feet. I went through many battles, I had hearing problems (even back then), Leslie said. We had the guys running around with Red Cross patches on them. They were trained in first aid but they werent doctors Theyd give me some cotton batten and oil so (my ears) wouldnt hurt, and Id go back to duty. In the grand scheme of things, hearing was the last thing on anyones mind back then, Leslie said. I would wear cotton batten in my ears for weeks at time. Theyd gradually get better, my ears would swell inside. But youre walking, youre talking, youre still healthy. Theres only three ways of getting out of the front line bleeding that they cant stop, bones protruding or youre dead, Leslie said. Now, the hearing loss is taking its toll. Leslie is unable to answer or converse over the phone, as all he can hear is muffled noises. He says he often feels isolated, especially when out in public. Its not the best. If I go out for supper and theres six people at the table, I cant understand any of them Im totally lost. So I sit back and shut up, which is hard for me to do, Leslie said with a chuckle. It separates you from people. When reached for comment, Veterans Affairs Canada said it could not comment on a specific veterans case, as the department is legally bound to protect client privacy and confidentiality. The care and well-being of veterans and their families is a priority for Veterans Affairs Canada, and we are committed to ensuring veterans have access to the services and benefits to which they are entitled, a Veterans Affairs spokesperson said via email. In 2015-16, the department made 5,247 hearing loss decisions, of which 55 per cent were favourable, the spokesperson said. Decisions are based on evidence presented and legislated eligibility requirements. Leslie said he hasnt given up, and is looking at other options he has including going before the Veterans Review and Appeal Board with the assistance of a lawyer. However, the board is most likely in Winnipeg, and he doesnt have approval from his doctor to travel. Despite his disappointment with the department, Leslie said he doesnt regret his career in the military. Youre always a proud soldier. Im proud of what Ive done, Ive done my best, Leslie said. All I want is support now I need support. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy German car giant BMW insists it did not "seek or receive" any assurance from the Government on post-Brexit trade before deciding to build a fully electric version of the Mini in the UK. The new model's electric drivetrain will be built at BMW plants in Germany before being integrated into the car at Cowley, near Oxford, which employs 4,600 workers. The car will be a variant of the three-door hatch Mini and will go into production in 2019, the year the UK is set to leave the European Union. BMW said it had neither sought nor received any reassurances from the Government on post-Brexit trading arrangements. Ministers faced questions last year about any assurances given to Nissan before the company announced that new versions of its Qashqai and X-Trail would be made in the UK. There have been reports that Toyota agreed to invest in the UK after receiving a letter reassuring the Japanese carmaker over post-Brexit arrangements. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "This landmark decision is a vote of confidence in the determination of our Industrial Strategy to make Britain the go-to place in the world for the next generation of vehicles. "BMW's decision recognises the strength of the excellent workforce, our record of innovation and the productive relationship between the automotive sector and the Government." BMW said in a statement from Munich that electrification was one of the central pillars of the group's corporate strategy. All of its models were able to be electrified, with a full electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain being offered in addition to a combustible engine. Additional electrified models will be launched in the coming years and beyond 2020. Oliver Zipse, BMW's management board member for production, said: "BMW Group Plants Dingolfing and Landshut (in Bavaria) play a leading role within our global production network as the company's global competence centre for electric mobility. "If required, we can increase production of electric drivetrain motor components quickly and efficiently, in line with market developments." BMW said it expected electric models to account for between 15-25% of sales by 2025. The group produces electric models at 10 plants across the world. An electric Mini is expected to be a huge seller in the UK and overseas and the news is a huge vote of confidence in the Cowley workers. The decision is also welcome news for the UK's automotive industry, which has been warning of rising costs if a free trade deal cannot be negotiated as part of Brexit. Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, which recently agreed a deal on pensions for BMW workers to end a dispute with the company, said: "This announcement is a huge and totally deserved boost to a world-class workforce that has endured a tough few months. "Around the world and for generations, the Mini means made in Britain. "With the electric Mini being built in Cowley, the tradition continues but with the added bonus that this is one of the important innovations of tomorrow. "It is fantastic news and is in no small part down to the tremendous skills and efficiency of BMW's UK workers and our members." A handful of new jobs might be created at Cowley, which currently produces 1,000 Minis a day. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "This latest investment is welcome news for the UK automotive sector, confirming Britain as a leader in the electric vehicle market. "Alternatively-fuelled vehicle registrations have experienced significant growth in recent times, up 27.5% this year alone, but consumer adoption is still at a relatively low level. "As part of a broad industrial strategy, Government must create the conditions for this technology to flourish, including infrastructure and long-term incentives for this new generation of vehicles is to be the car of choice of more motorists." Councillor Bob Price, leader of Oxford City Council, said: "I am delighted that Plant Oxford will remain at the heart of Mini, and that the iconic product from the 1960s will go on into the future as an important part of the new generation of electric cars. "This confirms the strong role that Mini Plant Oxford will play in the city's economy in the coming decades, and supports our drive to encourage a shift to electric vehicles to improve the city's air quality." Ireland's largest employers group IBEC says plans to force firms publish gender pay gap details are "inappropriate". According to the Times Ireland edition, the body says it would rather bosses be allowed to keep matters of salary private. The intervention comes as State broadcaster RTE has been forced to review the disparity in pay between its male and female staff. The Government is set to consult with businesses in September after the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill passed the Seanad. An ambulance paramedic was left stranded at a filling station in Co Laois after a disagreement with a colleague who drove off and left him 100kms from his base, writes Patrick Flynn. The alleged incident occurred last Saturday night as two Tipperary based National Ambulance Service (NAS) paramedics were returning to their base in Clonmel, Co Tipperary after completing a patient transfer call in Dublin. According to sources, the paramedic had expressed concern about his partners driving and asked them repeatedly to slow down. The driving paramedic is reported to have pulled off the motorway and into a filling station in Portlaoise Co Laois and dropped their colleague off before driving away again. After staff at the ambulance control centre were notified, an ambulance was dispatched from Roscrea in Tipperary to collect the stranded paramedic. As a result, North Tipperary was left with depleted emergency ambulance cover for several hours while, at the same time, the county's rapid response unit was also off the road. The Roscrea crew then transported the paramedic 50kms from Portlaoise to Urlingford on the Tipperary/Kilkenny border. Another ambulance service member, not believed to have been on duty at the time, collected the paramedic in Urlingford and drove him to Clonmel a further 60kms away. The HSE has not answered specific questions in relation to the matter including whether an investigation is underway; whether a formal complaint has been made about the incident or whether the staff members involved are still on duty. A spokesperson said however: "The National Ambulance Service can confirm that on Saturday 22nd July last, a disagreement arose between two NAS Staff, at the end of their shift. Local NAS management are working with the staff to resolve the issue. The trial of Dubliner Ibrahim Halawa has been adjourned until theAugust 1. Irish Embassy officials were present in the court once again today to observe and monitor the trial proceedings as the prosecution closed its case. The Department of Foreign Affairs have said defendants and their lawyers will now have their opportunity to set out their arguments responding to the prosecution case and evidence. The Firhouse man has been in jail in Cairo for almost 4 years. More money should be set aside from the TV licence fee to support programming on local radio stations, according to Fianna Fail. The party has today unveiled a new bill aimed at supporting independent radio in Ireland. Out of every 160 paid for the licence fee, 10.53 is set aside for a special fund which RTE and private broadcasters share, but can use only for specific programming. Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley wants that to change and for licence fee money to be ring-fenced for programming with a local focus. The opposition party's bill would give local stations 30% of any additional money collected. He said: "The current uncollected licence fee should be provided to the special fund that they can then distribute to support local news and current affairs." The proposal has been welcomed by the IBI, which represents Ireland's independent broadcasters. Chairman John Purcell says local stations are feeling the pinch as advertisers move money elsewhere. Mr Purcell said: "There is an imminent threat that the services in news, current affairs, information and talk programming that people know and love will suffer, because of the economic circumstances unless some action is taken." Last week RTE reported a deficit of 20m, and they have stressed the need for more certainty around their funding in future. Timmy Dooley says they would still benefit under his proposal. He said: "The additional monies should be split 70/30 between RTE and the independent radio sector." He is promising to move the bill early in the new term, and hopes for quick support from Minister Denis Naughten. Ireland must put in place a strong national preventative mechanism which can ensure that no place of detention prison, police cell, hospital or care home is beyond the reach of comprehensive and rigorous inspection. That will be the message of Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) who will address the UN Committee Against Torture tomorrow as part of a large Irish NGO delegation and will raise a number of urgent issues of concern in relation to Irelands record of preventing torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. The Irish NGOs will be joined by representatives of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to brief Committee members ahead of its public engagement with the Irish Government delegation led by Minister of State for Justice, David Stanton TD over two days on Thursday and Friday. This is the second time Irelands record under the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has been examined by this Committee. In its presentation to the Committee, the ICCL will deliver a statement on behalf of all the Irish NGOs on the key issue of inspection of places of detention. In recognising the central importance of inspection as a way of preventing human rights violations, the UN has developed a specific instrument the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture which provides for a combination of national inspections and international supervision. Despite signing the Protocol in 2007, Ireland is now one of a tiny number of European States not to have ratified the Protocol or established a National Preventative Mechanism, as required under the Protocol. Speaking today, ahead of the examination, ICCL Executive Director Liam Herrick said the key issue for Ireland in meetings its obligations under the UN Convention was to put in place sufficient and effective safeguards to ensure that vulnerable individuals are not victimised. "In particular, the Convention requires that the State protects those who find themselves subject to detention recognising that it is in closed spaces, where the most serious violations of human rights can take place. "Ireland has a troubling history of failing to protect those we have placed in such closed spaces. In that context, it is essential that we now move to put in place a strong National Preventative Mechanism which can ensure that no place of detention prison, police cell, hospital or care home is beyond the reach of comprehensive and rigorous inspection. "Given that Ireland is so late in setting up the necessary systems of inspection, it is incumbent on the Government to now set in place the most comprehensive and effective system possible, informed by consultation and building on the experience of other States. The ICCL will be presenting a focussed submission based on seven of the most urgent areas of Irish public policy where the extent or risk of ill-treatment is most acute. These include: 1. Inspection of Places of Detention 2. The Importance of Access to a Lawyer in Garda Custody 3. Reproductive Health and the Effect of Irish Abortion Law 4. Rendition and Pre-Clearance at Irish Airports 5. System for Investigating Complaints of Garda Ill-Treatment 6. Outstanding Issues from Historical Ill-Treatment 7. Mental Health and Psychosocial Disability Many of these issues, will also be addressed by other organisations, and in its presentation ICCL will focus particularly on policing issues, emphasising the importance of bringing Irish law and practice in line with European Union and European Convention on Human Rights standards regarding the right of suspects to have access to a lawyer and to have a lawyer present during questioning, and also referencing ongoing difficulties in measuring and responding to complaints of Garda misconduct. Update - 1.07pm: It could be the weekend before water is fully restored to the north-east. Around 100,000 people have been affected in Louth and parts of Meath by a ruptured pipe. Irish Water has warned that even when the water main is repaired, it could take a number of days before the water supply is fully restored. Volunteers, such as Stephanie Grogan of the Irish Red Cross, have been supplying locals with clean water. Ms Grogan said: "We fill the tanks that we have, calls get put into us and we follow the phone calls. "If we see a need, we fill it. We are just looking out for the most vulnerable, the ones that need it. The sick, the elderly, the housebound, people with young families, young children." Update - 11.57am: Irish Water is warning the pipe that burst in the north-east could be vulnerable to further breakages. The utility says when a specially engineered section of pipe is installed in Drogheda tomorrow it hopes to slowly release water into the system by Thursday. It is warning the overall pipe is very old and could be vulnerable to bursts in other areas of Louth and Meath. However, the Solidarity Party's Mick Barry says the situation is proof wealth taxes are needed to fix the infrastructure. He said: "I think what's coming home to roost here is that, not just Fine Gael, but right-wing governments and capitalism in general in this country, has made a mess. "Not just of the water charges issue, but also of the water infrastructure issue in this country." For those affected by disruptions to parts of Louth and Meath, remember to boil water taken from these water stations as a precaution. pic.twitter.com/pzHvg4rAx2 Irish Water Care (@IWCare) July 24, 2017 Earlier: Irish Water is consulting the Army to see if they can help with the the water shortage crisis in the north-east. Sixteen road tankers have been deployed to supplement the mains water supply, and to replenish temporary water stations as thousands of people in Drogheda and east Meath face their fifth day without water. It has also emerged that Irish Water had been repeatedly warned about the condition of the ruptured pipe that has cut off supply there. According to reports in the Irish Times, the mains pipe near Drogheda was also broken in June last year. Temporary collection points have been set up and Irish Water has deployed tankers to fill the reservoirs. A Labour Senator for Louth says the people of Drogheda are angry over what he is calling a "cack-handed response" to the water outage in the region. Senator Ged Nash says there was a general level of understanding at the weekend that major engineering works were needed, but frustration is growing every hour as Irish Water keeps missing its own deadlines. He said: "A local Government TD has said that the Government has approved 50 water stations for the area, we've yet to see any of those water stations in Drogheda. "The Drogheda town area has been covered by a mere six water stations over the weekend, this is a town of 43,000 people and that is simply unaaceptable. "I have made my concerns known at the highest level the response has been absolutely inadequate and this needs to be addressed." Brendan, who works in a creche in Drogheda, says they are rationing the water they have left in their tank. He said: "I'd say when the tank is gone they will have to close the creche. Once the toilets can't flush they can't carry on. "They are not using the water from the taps or drinking water, because they'd have to boil it, so children have to get their water. An Australian government minister has quit the cabinet because his mother told him he might be Italian - and therefore ineligible to be an MP. Resources minister Matt Canavans shock announcement followed the recent resignations of two senators who discovered days apart that they had technically never been elected because they are dual citizens. Update 9.09pm: The suspect in a chainsaw attack on a health insurer's office in Switzerland that left five people wounded has been caught after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis was arrested in Thalwil, some 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the scene of Monday morning's attack in Schaffhausen, police said. The lakeside town is in Zurich canton (state), Schaffhausen's southern neighbour. Police issued a brief statement announcing the arrest but said they would give no further details before a news conference scheduled in Schaffhausen on Wednesday. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Wrousis, whom they described as aggressive and psychologically unstable. They said the 50-year-old has two previous convictions for weapons offences and no fixed residence. Wrousis is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company at their office in Schaffhausen's old town. One of them was seriously hurt, though the injuries were not considered life-threatening. Authorities said Wrousis, a client of health insurer CSS, targeted the agency, although a motive remains unclear. Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. All but one of the five have left hospital. In recent weeks, Wrousis was seen several times in forests just south of Schaffhausen. Police found a minivan he was believed to have been driving shortly after the attack, and searched the region near the German border with helicopters and sniffer dogs. On Tuesday, they urged people to exercise caution when in the area's forests as long as the suspect remained at large. As the manhunt continued, the insurance company said it was keeping its offices in Schaffhausen and five other nearby towns closed for now "in view of yesterday's attack". Police had described Wrousis as potentially dangerous and warned he might be armed. They also published several photos of the suspect, one of them taken shortly before the attack. It showed a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag. Earlier: A man suspected of wounding five people with a chainsaw is still on the loose as a manhunt continues on the Swiss-German border. Franz Wrousis, 51, who was described by police as dangerous, aggressive and mentally unstable, is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company in their office in Schaffhausen's old town on Monday morning. Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. Four of the five injured people have now left hospital. One company employee, who was severely injured, is still in hospital, but not in a life-threatening condition. Authorities said the suspect has previous convictions for weapons offences and has no fixed residence. In recent weeks he was seen in the forests near Schaffhausen. Police are searching the region with helicopters and sniffer dogs. Officers warned that Wrousis may be armed and asked anyone who sees him to contact police immediately, and to keep away from him. They also put out an international arrest warrant. Schaffhausen, a town of about 36,000 people north of Zurich, is near the Swiss-German border. On Monday afternoon, police found a white Volkswagen minivan that the suspect was believed to be driving. They did not elaborate on its condition or say if anything else was found in it. Police also published several photos of the man, the latest of which they said was taken shortly before his attack on the CSS insurance office. Photos of the attacker. It shows a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag, which they said may have contained the chainsaw. A knife-wielding man has been arrested in the Spanish enclave of Melilla after attacking a policeman at the border with Morocco while shouting "Allahu Akbar". The officer received a small cut to one finger, an interior ministry spokeswoman said. A woman "slapped" the back of a police car shortly before an Australian woman was shot dead by an officer, according to a search warrant. The search warrant, filed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and obtained by Minnesota Public Radio, does not specifically say that the woman was Justine Damond, but "upon police arrival, a female 'slaps' the back of the patrol squad ... After that, it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley". News of the warrant came hours after personnel records for the policeman who shot Ms Damond, 40, in Minneapolis were released publicly on Monday. The records provided some detail about the training courses he took but no insight into his on-the-job performance. The records show Officer Mohamed Noor was hired as a cadet in March 2015. In September that year, he received a letter saying he passed his Peace Officer Licensing Examination and was eligible to become a licensed, sworn officer. The records also show he took multiple training courses, including recent in-service training about active shooter situations during the Super Bowl, which will be held in Minneapolis next year. His file also says he passed all of his annual semi-automatic, handgun and shotgun qualifications, but there are no additional details about how he performed. Officer Noor is on paid leave after he killed Ms Damond, a spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married, on July 15, after she called 911 twice to report a possible rape. Officer Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and the bullet hit Ms Damond. His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Ms Damond appeared at the police vehicle. The search warrant did not say whether the slap was the loud noise Officer Noor's partner described, MPR reported. State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges and Officer Noor also faces an internal use of force investigation. Officer Noor was one of several Somali-Americans hired by the department in recent years in a diversity drive by the city to better reflect the population. Questions about police training were raised after details about the shooting were released. Mourners remember Justine Damond in a ceremony earlier this month. Last week, then-police chief Janee Harteau criticised Officer Noor's actions but defended his training, saying: "This officer completed that training very well. He was very suited to be on the street." Ms Harteau resigned on Friday at the request of the mayor. Minnesota is the only state that requires police officers to have at least a two-year degree, though many departments prefer four-year degrees. People who want to be officers either learn law enforcement degrees, or, if they have four-year degrees in other subjects like Officer Noor, they can complete a certificate programme. Officer Noor had a degree in economics and business administration before applying to become a police officer. The records released on Monday do not list any awards or commendations for the officer. Records previously released show he had three complaints against him, including one that was dismissed with no discipline and two that are pending. The records also show that Officer Noor received a pay rise in September and is earning more than $28 an hour. AP The Republican-led House of Representatives has decisively approved legislation that hits Russia with additional financial sanctions. The new penalties are aimed at rebuking Moscow for interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. Lawmakers voted 419-3 to pass the bill, which prevents President Donald Trump from waiving the sanctions against Russia without first securing permission from Congress. The measure now heads to the Senate for action. The bill could be sent to Mr Trump before Congress begins its August recess. The legislation also would slap penalties on Iran and North Korea. Mr Trump has not threatened to reject the bill, but senior administration officials had objected to the requirement for a mandated congressional review should the president attempt to ease or lift the Russia sanctions. They argued the review infringes on the president's executive authority. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other senior administration officials had objected to a mandated congressional review should the president attempt to ease or lift the sanctions on Russia. They have argued it would infringe on the president's executive authority and tie his hands as he explores avenues of communication and co-operation between the two former Cold War foes. But Mr Trump's persistent overtures to Russia pushed lawmakers to include the sanctions review. Many lawmakers view Russia as the nation's top strategic adversary and believe additional sanctions will allow the US to operate from a position of strength in any negotiations with Moscow. Mr Trump's "rhetoric toward the Russians has been far too accommodating and conciliatory, up to this point," said Representative Charlie Dent. "Russian behaviour has been atrocious," Mr Dent said. "They deserve these enhanced sanctions. Relations with Russia will improve when Russian behaviour changes and they start to fall back into the family of nations." Heavy support for the bill from Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate has effectively scuttled the potential for Mr Trump to derail the legislation. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated Sunday the president would sign the sanctions bill. But on Monday, Ms Sanders said Mr Trump is "going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like". "The president very much supports sanctions on those countries but at the same time wants to be sure we get good deals," she told reporters on Air Force One. "Those two things are very important." Signing a bill that penalises Russia in part for interfering in 2016 campaign would mark a significant shift for Mr Trump. He has repeatedly cast doubt on the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia sought to tip the election in his favour. He has blasted as a "witch hunt" investigations into the extent of Russia's interference and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. The North Korea-related sanctions bar ships owned by the reclusive nation or by countries that refuse to comply with UN resolutions against Pyongyang from operating in American waters or docking at US ports. Goods produced by North Korea's forced labour would be prohibited from entering the United States. The sanctions package also imposes mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile programme and anyone who does business with them. The measure would apply terrorism sanctions to the country's Revolutionary Guards and enforce an arms embargo. A Singaporean graphic novelist has won three of the comic industry's equivalent of the Oscars. Sonny Liew picked up three Eisner Awards for his comic book, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". The book is a satirical rewrite of Singaporean history. Mr Liew scooped the top prize for Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material, and Best Publication Design at the awards ceremony. The annual awards show was held at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Liew told reporters that he was surprised his book had done so well as he never expected he would get an international audience for it. He said: "I always wanted people to read the book and get a sense of how rich our history was." Mr Liew's book outlines the history of Singapore from its struggle for independence from British colonial rule. As well as focusing on Singapore's founding father and first leader, the late Lee Kuan Yew, Liew also highlights the role played by lesser-known people. He said: "I think the so-called official narrative Singapore story is part of our history, but it's not the whole story and I wanted to tell a more inclusive version of our history. I hope that's what people reading the book will get from it." Liew initially feared his book would be unsuccessful after Singapore's National Arts Council withdrew a grant for the book. However, this brought the book a lot of attention and boosted exposure and sales. A Canberra food business was fined $19,000 on Tuesday after its owner admitted he had neglected the shop and not cleaned it for about a month. The Hawker business was inspected in May last year when authorities found evidence of food build-up and debris around the food preparation areas. Photographs of the Hawker businesses food safety breaches. They also found live and dead cockroaches and uncovered food stored on the floor. The equipment used to transport pie meat was unclean and on one container a plastic bag was being used as a lid. Prosecutors said the level of uncleanliness was "disturbing". The stage adaptation of George Orwell's dystopian novel, which has played to sold-out crowds across the country, arrives in Canberra this week. It's on Friday at 7.30pm and Saturday at 1.30pm and 7.30pm. The play is recommended for people over 15 years. Tickets selling fast from canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/1984/. 5. LIVE AT THE POLO The Polish Club has had a bit of a re-furb, and is launching Live @ The Polo on Saturday night with an all-Canberran line-up of live music from Waterford, Oranges, Betty Alto, Slow Turismo, and Mondecreen. Doors open at 7.30pm, music from 8pm. $20+bf from moshtix.com.au or at the door. 6. MID-WINTER AT THE ARBORETUM Spice up your Friday evening with hearty soups, mulled wine, outdoor activities, live music and a rare chance to dine after dark at The Conservatory Restaurant at the Arboretum. You can enjoy the views across Canberra under the heaters outside, or go on a sunset walk to the top of Dairy Farmers Hill, and kids can make lanterns and go on an outdoor storytelling adventure by the fire. It's on 4-9.30pm. Tickets start from $35 for adults, $20 for kids from tix.yt/mid-winter-at-the-arboretum. General tickets include all activities and some food, with non alcoholic, gluten-free and vegetarian options available. VIP tickets include all activities plus a two-course dinner. The sorry state of Australia's mighty Murray-Darling rivers is a tragedy entirely of our own making, not the result of cyclical droughts, as so often claimed. It's now five years since $13 billion was allocated by the federal government to save this critical, precious river system and the surrounding environment. Yet, little has been done to alleviate the intense competition over access to water, nor to provide clear data for good management of the Murray-Darling Basin's water flows. In fact, as revealed on Monday night's Four Corners program, there is much we don't know about water taken from the basin's rivers. And, New South Wales and Victoria are dragging their feet arguing against the buyback of water for the environment and undermining the environmental provisions of the Basin Plan. How did it come to this? Last century, the waters of the Murray-Darling rivers were notoriously over allocated by overzealous government water agencies. So many dams were built by tax payers that they could capture 130 per cent of the average annual flow of all the system's rivers. Recently some farmers argued that a new dam on the Belubula River, near Orange, would fix this. But building dams doesn't get you more water in the same way that opening a bank account doesn't get you more money. Nothing flies in the face of the intent of the Basin Plan than a new dam. Meanwhile, we seem to have forgotten the dire state of the environment that drove the reforms. Forests of river red gums, black box eucalypts and coolibah trees dead, denied the water flows they relied on by irrigation. Waterbird numbers have plummeted, half the native fish species are now threatened, blue-green algal blooms are increasing, and the Lower Lakes was once taken over by sulfuric acid and salinity. Communities have also been short changed; Aboriginal communities despairing of a dying Darling and graziers lamenting the transfer of their wealth upstream, as irrigation diverts the water that once provided the floods to grow grass for cattle. Tourism too, has been hit hard. How clever are you? If you're smart, you'll realise that bigger is better. If you're really intelligent, however, you'll know that it's not always best to be huge. It's too early to say if this massively obvious insight has eluded Malcolm Turnbull, but the warning lights are flashing. The definitive instance occurred last week, when the PM suddenly announced the creation of a new mega-department that will supposedly oversee all aspects of national security. It almost seemed as if Turnbull actually believed the guff he was speaking, just like his earlier comment where he revealed his complete ignorance of encryption technology. Perhaps the reality is he's not so clever after all. Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton at the announcement of the new mega-department which appears as if it will, effectively, have a monopoly on investigating its own operations. Photo: Andrew Meares Credit:Andrew Meares Pournelle's iron law of bureaucracy, a truth universally acknowledged, insists that the ultimate objective of any organisation rapidly becomes its own expansion, rather than accomplishing its goals. The corollary of the iron law of bureaucracy is that any department that isn't getting bigger is, in fact, shrinking. Enter Peter Dutton, stage right, attempting to wrap the huge mantle of Home Affairs Minister around his intellectually slim figure. Perhaps he'd been outraged by the obvious grammatical mistake contained in a recruiting advertisement, which proclaims "ASIO are recruiting" intelligence officers. Perhaps he'd been inspired by Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos' aspirations for Australia to have its own space agency. Nevertheless, and for whatever reasons, Dutton and his underlings appear to have succeeded in an enormous grasp for power. Suddenly, dramatically, the onus has shifted completely. The former consumer watchdog head made the comments as he launched a new statement - supported by 53 mental health organisations - on the "unacceptable" widening life expectancy gap between Australians with a mental illness and those without. Professor Fels called on federal politicians to put mental illness front and centre of their economic reform agenda, and pushed for a Productivity Commission review into the estimated $15 billion it costs the national economy each year. National Mental Health Commission chairman Allan Fels has called for a radical rethink of the National Disability Insurance Scheme amid growing fears it will leave hundreds of thousands of people with a psychosocial disability behind. While Professor Fels believes mental health must be included in the NDIS, he expressed serious concerns about the program's implementation - including the number of people with a mental illness or psychosocial disability who will not be eligible for support. Professor Allan Fels, Chair of the National Mental Health Commission, at the National Press Club on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show there are about 700,000 people with severe or psychotic mental illness - but between 64,000 and 92,000 are expected to qualify for an individually funded package under the NDIS by the time it is fully implemented in 2019-20. "More people need to get in," Professor Fels said. "Equally worrying is the fate of large numbers of people who are deemed to qualify at best for a lower tier of support. There are grave fears as to whether they will receive any significant support at all and we deeply fear many people will fall into a big hole between the NDIS scheme and mental health schemes." He also raised concerns about the assessment process for determining eligibility, calling for a "radical review". One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has produced a statutory declaration that he is not a dual national of Britain or India but has not publicly released renunciation documents to prove he is not a dual national. He has called for a review of the eligibility of all parliamentarians to sit in the Federal Parliament. Greens leader Richard Di Natale (centre) has lost two of his senators to dual-citizenship confusion, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam. Credit:Mick Tsikas Senator Canavan said his mother had raised with him the possibility he was a dual citizen last week and he had immediately sought legal advice. "I am a citizen of Italy. I was not born in Italy, I have never been to Italy, and to my knowledge have never set foot in an Italian consulate or embassy," he said. "In 2006 my mother lodged documents with the Italian consulate in Brisbane to become an Italian citizen. In doing so it would appear she made an application for me to become an Italian citizen as well. I was 25 years old at the time. My mother was born in Australia but was able to obtain Italian citizenship through her parents, who were both born in Italy. "While I knew my mother had become an Italian citizen, I had no knowledge that I had become an Italian citizen nor had I requested that I become an Italian citizen." Senator Brandis said it was the government's "preliminary view" that because Senator Canavan's registration as a citizen was obtained without his consent he was not in breach of section 44 of the constitution. In fashion, we often talk of micro-trends. And sometimes, they involve very big things. The 1980s had shoulder pads, the 1990s had logos, and this season, the button has copped the super-size treatment. Pushing all the right buttons ... Model and blogger Alexandra Lapp in a vintage Chanel sweater and Self Portrait skirt. Credit:Christian Vierig With fashion in the grip of an oversized moment, which seems to be lasting several seasons, it was only a matter of time before our accoutrement went XL. Last year, the humble zipper was the hero. After designers spent decades perfecting the invisible zip, it was back in all its exposed glory, on everything from jumpers to evening dresses. "It's not just that they're enhancing access to care, but that they're being accountable for the care that's delivered," said Karen Cohen, chief executive of the Canadian Psychological Association, which has been advocating a similar system in Canada. "That is what makes the effort so innovative and extraordinary." Healthy Minds offers virtually open-ended talk therapy free of charge at clinics throughout the country. Credit:Andrew Testa/New York Times 'I came out of the box' Oliver is the just the type of person the program's two creators had in mind when they first proposed that the government fund it, a decade ago. The main office of Healthy Minds, middle left, in High Wycombe, England. Credit:Andrew Testa/New York Times At 30, he was scrambling to manage a job and a young family - and unravelling fast. After nights out with friends, he would wake up the next morning with a visceral sense that he had done something awful. "I knew I'd done nothing wrong, I knew it, but I would start to think, 'OK, I better check to make sure - that, like, I hadn't hit somebody, or something'," said Oliver, now 32 and a graphic designer outside London, who asked that his last name be omitted to protect his privacy. By spring 2015, after the birth of Oliver's second child, the anxiety had so infiltrated his life that he had trouble leaving the house. "I was broken," he said. In 2005 David Clark, a professor of psychology at Oxford University, and economist Richard Layard, a member of the House of Lords, concluded that providing therapy to people like Oliver made economic sense. "We made the case that, just on lost work alone, the program would pay for itself," Layard said in an interview in his office at the London School of Economics. Clark, in his university office, said: "If someone has a broken leg, he or she immediately gets treatment. If the person has a broken soul, they usually do not." The program began three years later, in 2008, with $A50 million from Gordon Brown's Labour government. It set up 35 clinics covering about one-fifth of England and trained 1000 working therapists, social workers, graduates in psychology and others. The program has continued to expand through three governments, both ideologically left and right leaning, with a current budget of about $A630 million that is expected to double over the coming few years. Under the old system, Oliver might have gotten a drug and, possibly, some general psychological guidance and support. But he had never sought mental health treatment before, and he most likely would have gone years before getting any talk therapy because he had no idea it was available. The area where he lives had scores of practicing therapists but no centralised system for ensuring that people got scientifically backed approaches tailored to their specific problem. Oliver learned from his doctor about Healthy Minds, the program's local centre, and he immediately called. He got a call back the next day. The promptness of that initial reply appears to be crucially important, data collected by the program suggest. If patients don't hear back in the first few days, many of them can be lost for good because the courage it took to make the call can dissipate fast. Andrew Prinsloo, 43, a graphic designer living in Feltham who had anxieties similar to Oliver's, said he got a call back minutes after sending an email to Healthy Minds in late 2015. "I was having these terrible thoughts about what I might do and, honestly, I was very reluctant to talk to anyone because I thought they'd lock me up," he said in an interview. This first call is more than a scheduling exercise. It is an initiation of therapy, a partly scripted, hour-long evaluation to determine how safe the new client is, how desperate and why. The staff members, known as psychological well-being practitioners, decide in that initial call if low-intensity phone therapy is appropriate, or if the person should be moved up the ladder, to group or individual therapy. In one such call at the centre in High Wycombe, a city near London, a young man named Patrick confessed, in a barely audible voice, that he had thought about suicide and that "things are not good" at work or at home. "I don't know what it is - it's - I'm not very smart, I don't know," he said. He was on guard, a little rushed, talking on his lunch break. After the conversation, Rochelle Joseph, the practitioner, explained in an interview: "That is someone, you can hear it, who probably never talked to anyone about this. It may be the first time he's said those things out loud. This is someone we would recommend" for more intensive follow-up. This stepped care approach is similar to the triage most clinics traditionally do, only it is more rigorously standardised and monitored, saving the high-intensity, face-to-face treatments for more severe problems - a system intended to contain costs. Oliver's condition was judged serious enough that he got in to see a therapist face to face fairly quickly, within a few weeks. He learned he had obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with OCD have a consuming fear - of germs, say, or, in Oliver's case, of misbehaviour. They escalate that fear by repetitively trying to soothe it, for example by washing their hands or checking that they've done nothing wrong. The gold standard treatment for OCD is cognitive behaviour therapy, the most commonly studied psychotherapy for mood problems. In this treatment, usually delivered in weekly hour-long sessions over three to six months, people learn techniques to defuse the automatic thoughts and habits that feed their anxiety or depression. The therapy has been available in England for decades, but typically in cities and with long waiting lists. In one exercise, for instance, Oliver wrote down what he thought might have happened after a night out, followed by what he subsequently knew had happened - in different-coloured ink. That cognitive, or thought-based, process provided some instantaneous relief, he said. Patients also do simple, real-world experiments, to see if feared consequences materialise. Gemma Szucs, 41, engaged in online sessions of cognitive behaviour therapy over 14 weeks through the program in Oxford, for social anxiety so severe that she couldn't bear boarding a bus because it meant attracting momentary stares from other passengers. She was referred to the program by her general practitioner. One of the behaviour experiments she tried was to carry on a loud, pretend conversation on her cellphone in the grocery store, saying things like, "I just got a call from David Cameron, and he wants to talk to you!" she said, referring to the then prime minister. "I had to really build myself up to do this," she said. "But then when I finally did it, no one batted an eyelid. Nothing. I felt ridiculous for worrying about it at all." Oliver's challenge was to work his way through a list of previously routine activities that had become terrifying, like driving (lowest on the list) and jogging in a remote area of the woods (at the top). "It was hard, but I got through it," he said. "The therapy worked - I came out of the box I was living in." The program's services closely track people's conditions using two standard questionnaires filled out each week of treatment - one for depression and one for anxiety - and log the findings in a government database (clients are anonymous in those reports). This data gathering does not amount to a "controlled" experiment in that there is no matched group of people getting a placebo treatment, or no treatment at all, for comparison. But the data collected show that the recovery rate of those who engage in at least two sessions of therapy has increased to 50 per cent today, from an average of about 45 per cent a few years back, as high as the most positive lab studies of the therapies, which often have idealised conditions. How long that recovery lasts, and for whom, are unknowns; the program intends to build in longer-term follow-up measures. The projected cost savings countrywide have been difficult to determine, given all the other economic factors in a $A3.78 trillion, diversified economy. But the recovery numbers have given Clark and Layard enough ammunition to argue for, and receive, funding from three governments in a row. A mental health waiting list Psychotherapy-for-all has some limitations, and no shortage of critics willing to name them. For instance, the program has delivered mostly one kind of therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy. The National Health Service's guidelines include other treatments, however, including intrapersonal therapy, which focuses on improving relationships, and a short-term form of analysis rooted in Freudian ideas. "If you think CBT is the end-all, then you don't understand mental health," said Peter Kinderman, president of the British Psychological Society. "So if the program turns into a CBT monopoly, that's bad. But I'm an optimist; I think we'll begin to see multifactorial approaches as the program matures." Some critics say the program has already altered how general practitioners operate. The services have become so popular that most clients now make an appointment on their own, bypassing GPs as the traditional gatekeepers. The trade-off, said Dr Rachel Jenkins, a professor emeritus at King's College London, is that primary care doctors "know less about mental health than they did 20 years ago; they've become de-skilled." The biggest challenges may be those created by runaway demand. Therapists are booked solid; some are juggling 25 clients at a time, and the line to get in the door is long, creating the same complaints about waiting lists that the National Health Service has for many medical services and procedures. The average wait is 31 days for a course of therapy, typically shorter for the online variety and longer for face-to-face treatment. Directors of the local centres have managed this caseload with the tools they have, in part by seeing to it that would-be clients get educational materials or online resources right away, to give them something to study while they wait for an appointment. Sarah Norman, 45, a pediatric nurse who sought help from the Oxford centre last year for depression, said she was referred to group therapy because the waiting list for individual therapy was so long. When the group therapy ended after four sessions, she remembered: "I was a bit frustrated. I thought I could have used a couple more sessions." She did, in time, improve, and is very grateful for the treatment. The same cannot be said with any certainty about the 40 per cent of people who the data show were lost to the program after the initial assessment phone call. About two-thirds of them were not depressed or anxious enough to qualify for the therapy, or decided it wasn't for them, Clark's data show. That leaves about 125,000 men and women who may have needed help but didn't get it. "These are people we'd like to reach, and we are pushing the services hard to do that," Clark said. Expanding the reach John Pimm, the psychologist who directs the Buckinghamshire centre, found in 2013 that he could strikingly raise recovery rates by having his therapists give some patients two or three extra sessions; and by extending call times for phone therapy, working more carefully at the critical junctures, when people begin, or end, therapy. "We have created this program, and now we are playing catch-up," Pimm said in an interview in his office in High Wycombe. "We cannot train therapists fast enough, and the low-intensity phone therapists turn over pretty quickly. We have to figure out how to keep them in the job longer." The federal government is looking for a new secretary for the Department of Environment and Energy after Gordon de Brouwer quit "to pursue other interests". Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the surprise announcement on Tuesday, coming as the Coalition continues to grapple with the contested politics of energy costs, supply and introduction of Finkel Review recommendations including a proposed clean energy target. Outgoing Energy and Environment boss Gordon de Brouwer. Credit:Rob Little Mr Turnbull said Dr de Brouwer, a former economics professor and three-decade public service veteran, would finish in his role on September 8. The appointment of a new secretary is expected in due course. EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict. Cardinal George Pell has arrived at a Melbourne court to make his first appearance as the highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual offences. One of the most powerful people in the Catholic Church, Cardinal Pell made the short trip from his lawyers' offices on Lonsdale Street to Melbourne Magistrates Court just before 9am on Tuesday. The 76-year-old has taken leave from his position as Vatican treasurer to return to Australia to fight charges relating to historical sexual offences involving multiple complainants. Details of the charges are yet to be revealed. It's 1.30am the day after St John's College end-of-year ball, and a young woman is telling detectives about being allegedly sexually assaulted in the car park. "I remember being on the ground and lying there and saying, 'Stop it, get off me, I don't want to do that'," the 19-year-old woman told police at RPA Hospital soon after the alleged assault in the early hours of October 18, 2015. Jean Claude Perrottet, 20, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of having sexual intercourse without consent. Credit:AAP "He kept trying to have sex with me and I was like: 'That really hurts. Stop it.'" A recording of the woman's first interview with police was played to the jury at the trial of Jean Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, on Tuesday morning. Attempts to compel the State Archivist to front estimates hearings to answer questions about Minister Mark Bailey's emails have failed. LNP Member for Broadwater Verity Barton tried multiple times to raise points of order in a bid to compel State Archivist Mike Summerell to appear before estimates so he could be questioned. State Archivist Mike Summerell will not need to face estimates to answer questions about the investigation into Minister Mark Bailey's emails. Credit:AAP Images Mr Summerell is conducting an investigation into Mr Bailey's deletion of his private email account after the Crime and Corruption Commission found Mr Bailey raised a "reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct" in deleting work-related emails and deactivating his private account, mangocube6@yahoo.co.uk. But committee chair Scott Stewart shut down Ms Barton, saying there was no point of order. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the Rail, Tram and Bus Union seemed intent on fighting the council's "fair" pay offers, and their planned industrial action would risk children's safety and inconvenience commuters. At this stage, union-member bus drivers plan to go ahead with not taking fares on Thursday and walking off the job from 2pm and 6pm on Friday. Brisbane City Council bus drivers will continue their protected industrial action this week. Credit:File photo/Harrison Saragossi These bus service changes are part of the RTBU's ongoing strike action as they fight for safer buses, a wage increase and rostering changes. Cr Quirk said the council paid bus drivers in accordance with the industry. The Queensland Greens policy released on Tuesday to raise Queensland's coal royalty rate to 18.5 per cent is similar to the LNP's 2012 policy where it increased the state's coal royalty rate to 15 per cent to raise revenue, research shows. The Greens policy proposes to raise Queensland's coal royalty rate from 7 per cent to 18.5 per cent to raise an extra $20 billion over five years to tackle Queensland's infrastructure backlog. High flyer: Campbell Newman raised Queensland's coal royalty to 15 per cent when in office to increase revenue. Credit:Glenn Hunt It was rejected by the ALP, the LNP and the Queensland Resources Council. However in 2012 former LNP premier Campbell Newman, backed by current Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls, as treasurer, raised Queensland's coal royalty to 15 per cent when coal prices were over $150 a tonne, to raise revenue. About 2000 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games tickets will be put aside for the state government. But Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones has insisted there will be no "freebies" for MPs or public servants. Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones has insisted there will be no "freebies" for MPs or public servants. Credit:Tammy Law Ms Jones said tickets would be bought to host dignitaries such as members of the royal family and heads of state, to support economic and trade relationships and community programs. Any tickets bought by the Queensland government would be for official use, not for personal use by MPs, ministers or their families. Queensland police have been warned to diarise their access to the internal database amid an ongoing crackdown by the corruption watchdog. Four officers have been stood down and charged with "computer hacking" since May over allegedly inappropriate access, with one officer, Senior Constable David Neuman found not guilty of the allegation. Police have been warned not to access QPRIME for personal reasons. Credit:Glenn Hunt The crackdown has caused tension between the Queensland Police Union and the Crime and Corruption Commission. In president Ian Leavers' latest entry for the monthly union journal he warned officers the Queensland Police Service hierarchy would not hesitate to charge them with inappropriately accessing the QPRIME database, which contains sensitive information including criminal history. Queensland's chief scientist has been banned from attending the flagship state museum she runs after being charged with fraud. Queensland Museum chief executive Suzanne Miller, 52, was on Monday charged with fraud after allegedly wrongfully claiming health insurance worth $45,000 through her contract at the museum. Suzanne Miller is accused of dishonestly gaining a benefit for herself, "namely private health insurance by Queensland Museum". Credit:Queensland Museum She was released from the watchhouse on bail with a list of eight conditions including a ban from attending the museum and contacting any former or present staff or board members directly or indirectly. The allegation dates from February 1, 2014, to Monday, according to court documents, which allege she dishonestly gained a benefit for herself, "namely private health insurance by Queensland Museum". An outback Queensland farmer hatched an unusual plan to counter slow internet speeds - build and install his own 53-metre tower. And now he plans to use the technology to set-up a live feed for his 6000 hectare property about 20km north of Dirranbandi, a rural town about 470 km south-west of Brisbane and midway between St George and the New South Wales border. Queensland farmer Andrew Sevil with his 53-metre tower. Credit:Queensland Country Life Beef and crop farmer Andrew Sevil consulted a Brisbane engineer to design and construct a guyed mast tower that would allow him to connect to internet services in neighbouring towns. Mr Sevil built the trusses during wet weather when he was unable to do work out in the paddock. Melbourne Express: Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss A woman has been taken to hospital for assessment following reports of a siege in Melbourne's south-east. Officers were called to reports of a siege in an apartment block in Melbourne's south-east about 2pm. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said earlier that specialist units were called to a "hostage situation" on Brighton Road in Ripponlea. Police were attempting to negotiate with the person. A concertgoer who urinated on a woman at a Spiderbait gig has had his bid to avoid a criminal record knocked back and instead been convicted and docked $800. Joel Ryan Morrison previously denied urinating on Belle Nolan at a Melbourne gig on February 26 last year, but on Tuesday admitted to his crime in the hope he would be put on Melbourne Magistrates Court's diversion program, which spares first-time offenders a criminal record. But magistrate Franz Holzer said a diversion was inappropriate and a sterner penalty was more apt. "I'm going to refuse the application ... the matters are frankly disgusting," Mr Holzer said. One of Western Australia's biggest egg producers will have to fork out more than a million dollars after it was penalised on Tuesday for falsely labelling some of its products free range. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission brought the action against Snowdale Holdings in 2014 over its farms in Carabooda and the Swan Valley in Perth's north, which produce brands including Eggs by Ellah. A laying hen stands in front of a pile of carcasses at Snowdale Holdins' Swan Valley Egg Farm, Carabooda. Credit:Terry Loftus, Sun City News And on Tuesday morning they were fined $750,000 and ordered to pay $300,000 more in court costs - at a hearing at the Federal Court in Perth. ACCC investigations revealed the company sold 71 per cent of its eggs as 'free range' from 2012-2013 and charged consumers a premium for them. Bangkok: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered his country's military to buy drones and planes and recruit between 35,000 and 40,000 new recruits over the next two years to fight Islamist and Maoist insurgents. The order came as the military's top brass admitted they had underestimated the capabilities of militants affiliated with Islamic State, as fighting drags on more than nine weeks after the militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi. In his second state of the nation address, Mr Duterte told MPs security threats had increased in the Philippines and the military needed more troops and modern equipment. "I will build an armed forces that can fight [on] all fronts everywhere," he said. Delhi: An uproar has engulfed one of India's richest businessmen, Gautam Adani, over the resignation of a top journalist after he wrote two articles alleging that "crony capitalism" had benefited the Adani Group owing to its close links with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The resignation has led to furious criticism of Adani in media circles for allegedly using his deep pockets to silence the criticism of veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who is widely respected for his meticulously researched investigative stories into corporate corruption. Adani, 55, is one of the richest people in India. His group has interests in oil and gas, power generation, logistics, ports and coal trading. In Australia, it is going ahead with the $16.5 billion Carmichael coal mine project which has been mired in controversy over the possible damage it could cause the Great Barrier Reef. As editor of the Economic and Political Weekly, a publication that combines scholarly articles with political analysis, Thakurta wrote two articles that prompted an Adani lawyer to send him a legal notice last month. As the industry moves towards a 100% digital mortgage process, one legal specialist says resistance by banks to change has resulted in brokers squeezing lawyers to meet the individual banks demands.Peter Mericka, property lawyer at Melbourne-based Lawyers Conveyancing, told Australian Broker he had been inundated with emails from brokers requesting paperwork for the banks which no longer exist.While in the past, bank customers had to fill in multiple different paper forms, including concession forms and transfers of land, the Property Exchange of Australia (PEXA) has now combined 17 of these documents into a single digital duties form.The banks want copies of these as it makes their life a bit easier. They can see what concessions are being applied for through our office and that sort of thing so they ask for copies of these documents at the start of the transaction, he said.What they dont seem to understand is that theres a massive upheaval in the industry at the moment. Were moving to electronic conveyancing. There is no hard copy of documents like the transfer of land.Despite these forms no longer being in place, banks are following up with lawyers and conveyancers via brokers to request these obsolete documents, Mericka said.They pretend that the old system is still in place. Were now getting brokers who are ill-informed and uneducated about the new process sending us requests for documents that were superseded as of 1 July. As of this date, there are no State Revenue Office hard copy forms to be filled in.Mericka accused some brokers of being aggressive. He expressed frustration that brokers were also ccing clients in these bank-led requests with certain brokers laying the blame on the law firm rather than the banks.They cc the client because they expect them to ring me up all upset and worried. This is the broker misinforming my client and effectively turning the client against me so I can be forced to do what the broker wants. But what the broker wants is something out of the past. It doesnt exist anymore.Lawyers and conveyancers have no control over supplying these documents now, he added, saying that new digital process instead relied on both the vendor and purchaser.After being initiated by the vendor, the duties form has to be signed by both purchaser and vendor before completion. However, banks typically ask for this older paperwork prior to digitally signing the form and can even hold off on settlement until they receive these hard copy forms, Mericka said.They equate this document with the old forms that they used to get upfront. Well, that was easy when I was the one who prepared them and I was the one who could send them off. But I dont initiate them. Theyre having the client pressure me into providing the bank with a document over which I have zero control.He asked brokers to instead respond back to the bank, telling them not to request documents before commencing the loan process.What should be happening is when the bank says to the broker, We need this or we need that, the broker should say, No, you cant get that this early. Start the loan process now or well go to another lender.Banks and brokers should be asking the right questions at the start of the loan process, Mericka said.In an ideal world, as soon as the person applies for the loan, the broker will sit down with them with a template that includes the same questions as on that duties form. The broker would ask all those questions. When theyre answered, theyd give the client a copy of that to send to their solicitor who can then complete the online duties form. That would be perfect.Whats wrong with this whole system is theyre forcing more responsibility down to the street level lawyer or conveyancer, especially with these online duties forms. Were now acting as SRO clerks and bank staff doing a lot of things that the banks used to do. Lets return responsibility to the banks and the brokers. The increased level of household debt in Australia The ad hoc nature of recent financial and prudential changes The rise of fintech and its implications to the financial sector The Opposition has promised that a Royal Commission will delve into the financial regulators in order to examine the effects of todays changing regulatory architecture.In a speech to the Financial Services Council Leaders Summit 2017 in Sydney yesterday (25 July), Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said it was important to understand and scrutinise the roles and accountabilities of Australias financial authorities.He proposed that the Royal Commission would delve into developments in financial regulation in a broad manner, focusing on areas above and beyond poor behaviour.It will be a prudent and timely examination of our financial regulation architecture, he said.The current system with APRA handling prudential regulation, the RBA looking after monetary policy, and ASIC responsible for market conduct was developed 20 years ago with the Wallis Inquiry, Bowen said.While David Murray s Financial Systems Inquiry of two and a half years ago didnt make any recommendations of change, the economic and financial environment had shifted since then, he said.Given what has changed over the last couple of years and even in the last twelve months alone, the time is ripe for a proper, considered and comprehensive examination of our institutional arrangements of the financial system architecture.Bowen highlighted the following three reasons why the government should look into todays current financial regulatory architecture:There are compelling reasons for a thorough examination of all aspects of financial regulation in Australia, he said. The Royal Commission will be a good opportunity, a vital opportunity to do so. State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than... latest news October 31, 2022 Buddy TV In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options... Campus News Muller named director of Honors College UBNOW STAFF Dalia A. Muller, associate professor of history, has been appointed director of the Honors College and associate dean of undergraduate education, effective Aug. 14. Muller succeeds Andrew M. Stott, who left UB to accept a position as college dean of undergraduate education for the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California. Stott led the Honors College in his role as vice provost and dean of undergraduate education. As head of the Honors College, Muller will be responsible for guiding the academic experiences of one of UBs most dynamic and academically talented undergraduate populations. She will develop an innovative curriculum that will continue to raise the Honors Colleges visibility and reputation nationally, and further the ongoing effort to make the Honors College a more diverse and inclusive academic community. In her role as associate dean, Muller will focus on the areas of diversity and inclusion, experiential learning and achieving excellence in the overall undergraduate experience. A UB faculty member since 2009, Muller is a scholar of transnational Latin American and Caribbean history with an emphasis on the movement of people and ideas in the Gulf World of Cuba, Mexico and the United States. Her book Cuban Emigres and Independence in the Nineteenth-Century Gulf World was published recently by University of North Carolina Press as part of its prestigious Envisioning Cuba series. Muller has been an active member of the UB and Buffalo communities. From 2009 to 2016, she served as associate director of the Caribbean and Latin/o American Studies Program in the Department of Transnational Studies, responsible for restructuring the program and for recruiting and retaining masters students. She also has served on numerous university-wide committees, as well as those in the Department of History. With support from UBs Civic Engagement and Public Policy Strategic Strength and in partnership with PUSH Buffalo, she co-led development of an arts, literacy and empowerment program for youth in the Grant Street Neighborhood Center on Buffalos West Side. Muller holds a bachelors degree in history, with honors, from Yale University, and masters and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the UB faculty, she was an assistant professor of history at Loyola Marymount University. your colleagues Prasad receives honorary doctorate in Brazil Paras Prasad holds the honorary doctorate he received from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) in Brazil. At left is Anisio Brasileiro, rector of UFPE. By CORY NEALON Working with UFPE has been one of the most gratifying experiences in my career. UB researcher Paras Prasad, an internationally recognized expert in optics and photonics, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) in Brazil. Prasad, who serves as the executive director of UBs Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics (ILPB), received the award on July 6. The honor stems from a 19-year ongoing partnership that Prasad SUNY Distinguished Professor in UBs departments of Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Electrical Engineering formed with the Brazilian university. Since 1999, Prasad has co-authored 19 scientific papers and received grants with UFPE collaborators, given numerous lectures and helped organized conferences at the Brazilian university, hosted UFPE students at UB, and connected UFPE researchers with counterparts in China, France and elsewhere. Working with UFPE has been one of the most gratifying experiences in my career, says Prasad, who was an early pioneer in nanomedicine, which uses super-small particles, materials and devices to treat and diagnose disease. I am humbled to receive such an honor. Prasad specializes in the use of optics, photonics and nanotechnology in this field, and has worked with colleagues to study and develop a wide range of new materials that could ultimately improve lives around the world. These novel materials include miniature luminescent crystals that could be used in image-guided surgery; light-activated nanoparticles that could enable the development of new bioimaging technologies for disease detection; new nanoneurotechnologies for monitoring and enhancing brain functions; and magnetic and laser-activated nanoparticles that could be used for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This latter technology was licensed to UB spinoff Nanobiotix, a publicly traded company and leader in nanomedicine that has maintained close contact with Prasad while working to develop these and other new nanomedicine products. Prasad has published more than 750 scientific papers, eight edited books and four monographs, and has been named the inventor or co-inventor on numerous patents. In keeping with his emphasis on the translational impact of his research, Prasad has been extremely active in launching startup companies and partnering with industry for co-development of technologies to create new companies. His efforts have led to nine different companies worldwide. He has received regional, national and international recognition for his lifetime achievements, including the Morley Medal, Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal, a Guggenheim fellowship, a Sloan fellowship, the Western New York Health Care Industries Technology/Discovery Award and the Excellence in Pursuit of Knowledge Award from the SUNY Research Foundation. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, OSA (the Optical Society) and SPIE (the international society for optics and photonics). The SPIE awarded Prasad its highest honor the Gold Medal and UB awarded him the high honor of the UB Presidents Medal in 2016 in recognition of extraordinary service to the university. He also received UBs inaugural Innovation Impact Award in 2015 for his contributions to the invention of the technologies licensed to Nanobiotix. In 2005, he was named one of the Scientific American 50, the magazines list of visionaries from the worlds of research, industry and politics whose recent accomplishments point toward a brighter technological future for everyone. He was on the Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list for 2014 and 2016. Prasad also has received honorary doctorates from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, the Aix-Marseille University in France and the National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) in Russia. Teen visits South Jersey in 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to vets Preston Sharp of Calif. visits veterans graves in Cinnaminson cemetery in South Jersey on 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to their sacrifices Private sector lender reported a 16 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) fall in net profit to Rs 1,306 crore in the June quarter (Q1) on the back of flat net interest income (NII). NII, which is interest earned minus interest expended, rose 2.2 per cent in Q1 to Rs 4,616 crore from Rs 4,517 crore a year ago. However, non-interest income at Rs 3,000 crore, up 9.6 per cent y-o-y in Q1, came in handy for the bank. Axis Bank, Infosys and State Bank of India topped the list of select Indian that have taken a progressive view of disclosure, taking it beyond a "legalistic definition". These topped a list prepared by global advisory firm FTI Consulting scoring " 10/ 10" on the weighted Composite Disclosure score. The composite disclosure score takes into account seven mandatory disclosure parameters and eight voluntary ones. Realignments in the domestic shipbuilding industry over the past four years have not improved business prospects for key players in the sector. While state-owned Cochin Shipyard is coming up with its initial public offering, August 1 to August 3, efforts made by private shipbuilders to revive their businesses have been largely in vain. Era Infra Engineering on Tuesday argued that all winding up petitions against the company being heard in courts under the Act be clubbed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). A deal by US-based Lowes Services to lease 490,000 sq ft in Bengaluru, second largest of the year, raises hopes of steady growth in the market for office space. Convenience often comes at a cost. As consumers, many of us are resigned to seeing a surcharge or processing fee on goods and services when we pay by credit or debit card. At present, it is lawful for businesses to charge consumers these fees although the amount should be limited to the actual cost to the retailer of the transaction. Bank charges for processing card payments were capped in the UK in 2015, but many businesses have continued to charge consumers inflated fees to generate further profit. Even the governments tax department routinely adds a surcharge of up to 2.4% to bills paid by card. Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Ltd is in talks with a Russia based firm to put up a facility for downstream steel products at its Gopalpur industrial park in Odisha. The steel company is the anchor tenant for the park spreading over 2900 acres where 1235 acres have been notified as an SEZ. . will evaluate, on the basis of the parameters of transparency and feasibility, taking over steel firms referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Toyota Motor Corp is working on an electric car powered by a new type of battery that significantly increases driving range and reduces charging time, aiming to begin sales in 2022, the Chunichi Shimbun daily reported on Tuesday. Ram Nath Kovind swore in as the 14th President of India on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhawan in a glittering ceremony. Kovind was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar. He exchanged seats with Pranab Mukherjee and a 21-gun salute followed as the new President Kovind made his first address. Ram Nath Kovind then addressed the gathering at Central as President of India, "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The blue-bordered white saree of Mother Teresa seems to have a penchant for remaining in the news. Last week we wrote about the Kolkata-based Missionaries of Charity obtaining a trademark on the famous attire of the Saint of the Gutters, which having been recognised as Intellectual Property of the organisation as on the fourth of September, 2016, coinciding with the day the Mother, was canonised . Finance ministry officials are likely to meet officials of the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) on Wednesday to discuss the recommendations of the fiscal responsibility and budget management (FRBM) report and a possible change in the financial year. In June, a fresh row erupted between India and China over the Doklam plateau. India perceived Chinas decision to build a road leading up to the Doklam plateau as a geopolitical threat as the region is very close to the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. Tensions escalated and since June 16, India and China have been embroiled in a bitter stand-off. For many farmers in Rajasthan's Bundi district, the 2017 southwest monsoon season hasnt been particularly impressive so far with rains being above normal in just two of the past seven weeks. First came the Panama Papers , then the BahamasLeaks . Journalists continue to shed light on and raise a public outcry over the offshore financial centres that corporations use to reduce their tax bill something that is still being challenged in court A new study has now uncovered all the worlds corporate tax havens and, for the first time, revealed the intermediary countries that companies use to funnel their money into these places. Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India not to follow the bill-and-keep method of pricing calls, as proposed by Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio and Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications. The industry, especially the power loom segment, has hardly been comforted by a ministry clarification that only job workers or units with an annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh or more would need to register for the good and services tax (GST). In a rebuttal to Essar Steel's claims that State Bank of India's (SBI) application in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) was invalid, the lead lender told the Ahmedabad bench that under section 76 and 77 of SBI Act 1955, the signatory was authorised to initiate insolvency proceedings. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will ensure banks come to a realistic valuation about their stressed assets and settle the accounts in a time-bound manner, something bankers were reluctant to do earlier, says Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor S S Mundra. Before demitting office on July 31, Mundra tells Anup Roy the RBIs intention was never to direct any judicial body on anything. The wording was an innocent oversight, he says. Edited excerpts: Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. One thing we knew going into Season 7 of Game of Thrones was that as the expansive story began to contract toward its conclusion, characters who had been long separated or were strangers to one another would begin to come together. SoftBanks talks with Uber are described as preliminary, and any deal would likely be on hold until Uber hires a new chief executive (Photo: Reuters) Black pepper is back on the derivatives-trading platform after nearly four and a half years with the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) relaunching the commodity. Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, President-elect Ram Nath Kovind along with his wife Savita Kovind paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on Tuesday. Kovind will be sworn-in as the 14th President of India by the Chief Justice J.S. Khehar at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Following which, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind will have a one-on-one discussion on important files and policies before leaving for the Central hall. At the Parliament, both will be received by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The stage will be shared by President and President-elect, Speaker, Vice President and Chief Justice of India. After the oath of new President a 21-gun salute will be honored followed by the acceptance speech of President elect Kovind. After the event the new president and Mukherjee will proceed towards Rashtrapati Bhavan where outgoing President will give Kovind a tour of the official residence. Following which, the new president will proceed towards his new residence - 10, Rajaji Marg. Kovind, a Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee last Thursday won the presidential elections by defeating Opposition candidate Meira Kumar. After final round of counting, Kovind got 7,02,044 votes out of a total of 10,69,358 while his opponent and former Lok Sabha speaker Kumar secured 3,67,314 votes. A lawyer by profession, Kovind has worked extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Kovind has been the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Scheduled Caste Morcha chief (1998-2002) and the President of the All-India Koli Samaj. He also served as the spokesperson of the party. The saffron party had even tired to project him as an alternative to Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. He was enrolled as an advocate in 1971 with the Bar Council of Delhi. He became the Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court in 1978 and practised in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for about 16 years till 1993. He was appointed as the Governor of Bihar on August 8, 2015. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh during the two terms of 1994-2000 and 2000-2006. Kovind served as member of the board of management of the BR Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He also served as member of board of governors of Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Kovind also represented India in United Nations (New York) and addressed the UN General Assembly in October, 2002. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One terrorist has been gunned down in Assam's Kokrajhar district in a joint operation by Army and Assam Police, in the early hours today. One AK 47 series rifle, ammunition and a grenade has been recovered from the possession of the neutralized terrorist. The area has been cordoned off and combing operations have been launched. More details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he is astonished to see how many U.S. politicians are prone to mass hysteria regarding what he termed as "Russophobia." "We understand how uncomfortable it is now in Washington for those who are trying to demonstrate common sense on the backdrop of epidemic, paranoid Russophobia in the absence of any probe or at least asingle evidence over the months to prove Russia's interference into America's affairs," he said in an interview with the Kurdish television, according to TASS. "I have never thought that American politicians could be that prone to mass hysteria," he added. He reminisced that he worked with many of them in New York saying, "Maybe many of those who have yielded to this furor, which is abnormal for the US' political life, understand that it is not normal and is to be stopped some way." Lavrov added that Moscow and Washington are playing a unique role in the solution of highly complicated problems in different parts of the and no one else can replace them in the international arena. The Foreign Minister also blamed the previous U.S. administration for undermining the Russian-American relations as he said, "We've inherited a huge heap of problems from the Barack Obama Administration. There are real time bombs and simply subversive acts that outgoing administration took in an agony when it was fully incapacitated by the results of the election and when it decided to spend the remaining time in the White House doing all sorts of unspeakable things in a bid to undermine the Russian-American relations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chief Secretary of Assam, Vinod Kumar, chaired a meeting with the visiting Inter-Ministerial team to assess the damage caused by recent floods at Assam, in Guwahati, on Tuesday. The seven-member team is on a visit to Assam following the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after his meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on July 18 in New Delhi, a statement said. The team is led by Joint Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, V. Shashank Shekhar. "The team will conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the flood situation and will be visiting flood affected areas of Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Barpeta, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts of Assam from July 25 to July 28, 2017," the statement read. "Chairing the meeting, Vinod Kumar Pipersenia apprised the team about the pro-active measures taken by the State Government to minimize suffering of those affected by flood," it added. The Commissioner and Secretary, Revenue Rajesh Prasad gave an overview of the present flood scenario and resultant damages in the meeting. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) says that 11,93,458 people have been suffering in 1,795 villages in 24 districts. Assam has been dealing with heavy floods since mid-July. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused India of sparking off a border standoff by deploying its troops along the along the Doklam region. Wang's remarks are the latest by a Chinese government official on the recent border standoff after Chinese Defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian urged India to immediately withdraw their troops from the Doklam Plateau for solving the current border standoff between the two sides. Beijing warned that it is determined to safeguard its territory. Considering the border row between China and India as the worst in decades, Wang said that there was little dispute over the facts about what had happened on the border. "The rights and wrongs are crystal clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary, which is to say, India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," South China Morning Post quoted Wang as saying on Tuesday. Indian and Chinese troops continue to be locked in a standoff in Doklam and both sides have moved additional troops, ammunition and military equipment to the area. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has beefed up its defence in a region south of the Kunlun Mountains under the pretext of conducting a military exercise near Tibet. Hardware has been moved simultaneously by road and rail by China's western theatre command, which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet,and handles, among others, border issues with India, media reports have said. This show of strength is being projected by Beijing as a warning to India by China to back off from its objection to China constructing a road at the Doklam tri-junction. Earlier,the External Affairs Ministry of India (MEA) reiterated that differences between India and China should not and would not be allowed to become disputes, and added that communication between the two governments have never ceased, nor have been broken. The stand-off emerged after Chinese troops were stopped by the Indian Armyfrom construction roads in the Doklam border. India claims Sikkim border as part of its territory, while China has said that the area falls on their side as per the 1890 treaty signed between British and China. Consequently, China suspended the annual Kailash Manasarovar yatra and conceded that the decision to suspend the pilgrimage was due to the border scuffle. It also alleged that the Indian troops had crossed the Sikkim sector of the Indo-China border. Beijing has accused New Delhi of violating a convention signed in 1890 between Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has reiterated that it is in favour of maintaining peace and stability along the India-China border but not at the expense of compromising on territorial sovereignty. "China wants peace and stability in the China-India border areas, but make no mistake, that does not mean we will compromise in any way on the issue of territorial sovereignty. The responsibility for this incident is solely on India's side," China MFA spokesperson Lu Kang said at the regular briefing on Tuesday. When asked about Australian Foreign Minister Bishop having discussed the China-India standoff incident in Donglang with India during her recent, Kang said, "Australian Foreign Minister Bishop has urged to peacefully resolve territorial disputes as a principle is true, but what she said is not applicable to what is happening in Donglang, because there is no territorial dispute there. The Sikkim section of the China-India boundary is long-defined, a fact recognized and maintained by the two sides for 127 years without any dispute." Further said, "The nature of this incident is that Indian border troops illegally crossed the already delimited Sikkim section of the China-India boundary into the Chinese territory, which is essentially different from the past frictions between the two sides in sections that are yet to be delimited." Kang also stated that that to get a clear picture of the current situation and withdraw its border troops back to the Indian side of the boundary. That would be the prerequisite and basis for any meaningful dialogue to happen between the two sides. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will visit Beijing on July 27-28 for a meeting of the NSAs of BRICS countries- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Denying that the Indo-China bilateral or border issues will be discussed during the National Security Advisers' meet , Chinese MFA spokesperson said that the "Upcoming 7th meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues is a regular gathering for multilateral activities. Representatives from relevant countries will attend the meeting in their appropriate capacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Tuesday outrightly rejected the resolutions passed by the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) relating to Jammu and Kashmir. In its statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs, strongly advising the organisation to refrain from making such references in future. "India notes with utmost regret that the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during its 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on July 10-11, 2017, has again adopted certain resolutions which contain factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "India out rightly rejects all such references," it added. The 44th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Abidjan, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire had called upon India to implement the UN Security Council resolutions to resolve the Kashmir dispute. The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 56-member Council on the alleged human rights violation, noted that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between India and Pakistan, and its early resolution is imperative for bringing peace to South Asia. OIC Secretary General Yousaf A al Othaimeen chaired the meeting. The Secretary General noted that the OIC affirms its commitment to follow up on the resolutions adopted by the Summit and the Ministerial Council, especially those relating to the situation in Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Mali, Sahel, the Sudan, Comoros, Djibouti, Yemen, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Jammu, Kashmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkish Cyprus, the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Muslim communities in the Philippines and Thailand, and the Muslim minorities in the West. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After a week of violent protests that claimed seven lives,Israel on Tuesday removed controversial metal detectors installed outside the entrance of the sensitive compound that houses al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. The detectors were removed after the announcement came from the office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu following the decision made by country's security cabinet based on the recommendation made by Israel's security agencies, CNN reported. The security set up was placed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site,two weeks ago after an attack at the site,,that led to violent clashes and increased tension in the wider region. Instead of metal detectors, Israel plans to install unspecified advanced technologies and "smart inspection." The removal of the detectors on Tuesday appeared to be part of a deal that saw the repatriation of Israeli diplomats from Jordan,including an embassy security guard who had been involved in a fatal shooting of two Jordanians on Sunday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan on phone on Monday night in an effort to defuse a diplomatic row in the aftermath of Sunday's attack on the Israeli embassy in Amman. Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police clashed on Friday outside the Old City of Jerusalem after the Israeli authorities' decided to bar male worshippers under 50 from entering the area for Friday prayers. The Waqf, the Jordanian religious authority which administers the Temple Mount, has condemned the use of metal detectors to scan worshippers. Waqf religious leaders have refused to enter through the detectors which have been set up as part of the security clampdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Investigative Agency (NIA) on Tuesday made two more arrests in connection with the links to suspected Islamic State terrorist Saifullah, who was killed in a shootout in Lucknow, earlier in March. The arrest was made under Section 121, 121A and 122 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 18, 18B, 23 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967. The accused arrested are identified as 26-year old, Asif lqbal S/o Shahid lqbal, and other one is 27-year old, Mohammed Atif, S/o Parvez Akhtar; both hail from Kanpur's Chakeri Police Station. As per the NIA, Asif lqbal became a member of the proscribed organisation and took oath of ally and associated himself with other accused in the furtherance of the conspiracy, whereas accused Mohammad Atif supplied arms and ammunitions to the accused persons and associated himself with the other accused in the conspiracy. "This case relates to the criminal conspiracy of the active members of the ISIS related module from Kanpur who were involved in the conspiracy of planning terrorist acts to wage war against the state," read the statement issued by the NIA. The arrested accused would be produced before the Lucknow Special NIA Court. Earlier on March 8, terror accused Saifullah, who holed up inside a house in the outskirts of Lucknow at Thakurganj locality was killed by the commandos following a 12-hour long anti-terror operation. The police claimed that the suspected militant's body was found with weapons lying next to him. They recovered eight pistols, three passports, more than 600 cartridges, bomb-making instruments, timers, wires, compass etc. On March 10, three more accused named Mohammad Faisal, Gauss Mohammad Khan and Md, Azhar were arrested by the NIA earlier in this case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has a history being gaffe-prone, joked that the traditional Maori greeting 'hongi', in which people press their foreheads and noses together, could be mistaken for a headbutt. New Zealand became the latest nation to become a victim of Boris' blunder, after his previous cases of insulting the populations and leaders of nations from the US to China and Papua New Guinea. Kia Ora ???? ! Welcomed to #Kaikoura by Maori elder Brett on my first visit to one of Britain's very closest partners pic.twitter.com/vnbEiEXsSB Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 24, 2017 "I think it's a beautiful form of introduction, though it might be misinterpreted in a pub in Glasgow, if you were to try it," he said. A "Glasgow kiss" is a term sometimes used in Britain to describe a headbutt. Johnson is currently in New Zealand to strengthen the UK's ties with the country, amid Brexit preparations, as formal negotiations regarding the UK's departure from the European Union began on June 19, reports CNN. Johnson said it was his first time in New Zealand, that the country had much in common with the UK and that he "was learning" about the differences between the two nations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The residents of the four-storey building that collapsed today in Mumbai's Ghatkopar have alleged that the mishap took place because of the renovation work being carried out at the first floor. The renovation work was undertaken on ground floor nursing home reportedly owned by Shiv Sena leader Sunil Sitap. "There was a renovation work being carried out in the building. There was a nursing home, named Sitap Nursing Home, at the ground floor of the building which is owned by a man Sunil Sitap, who is a local Shiv Sena leader. A meeting of residents was also called last night opposing this renovation work," said a resident. However, the BMC officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the collapse. "We will investigate the matter and take action against the culprits," BMC Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said. Meanwhile, former housing minister and ex-chairman of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Sachin Ahir has demanded an FIR under Section 304A (Causing death due to negligence) against the responsible. Furthermore, Congress leader Praveen Chheda, the ex MLA from this constituency, has said that the onus of compensating for the mishap lies on Sitap. "Property belongs to Sena's S. Sitap. He was running a hospital on the ground floor and was now going to run a guest house. The onus lies on him," he said. At least five people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after the four-storey residential building collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkpopar on Tuesday. Twelve people have been rescued so far, and efforts are underway to rescue the others. The incident took place at L.B.S. Marg, near Shreyas cinema, Damodar Park, Ghatkopar. Eight fire engines were rushed to the spot. A rescue van along with 108 ambulances also reached the spot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today, in connection with the Narada sting probe case. The mayor's counsel has asked for one month's time till the monsoons are over, as Chatterjee has to monitor the control room twenty-four seven during the monsoon and thus cannot remain absent from office . Earlier, Chatterjee was summoned by the ED. His counsel stated that Chatterjee would not be able to appear before the ED officers as he has prior commitments and thus has asked for more time. On June 28, Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Kolkata in connection with the case. The ED filed its case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the CBI filed its case. The sting operation pertains to the secret filming of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and an IPS officer while they were allegedly accepting money from representatives of a fictitious company in return for extending favours to it. TMC leaders against whom the CBI has registered cases, now also booked by the Enforcement Directorate, include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. West Bengal ministers, including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR. Former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case. Samuel had earlier released three sets of videos of the sting operation, where top TMC leaders were allegedly seen accepting bribes from journalists posing as businessmen. The ruling party had dismissed the allegation citing that the tapes are 'doctored'. The sting operation video was released by the portal on March 14, 2016, just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is set to visit India next month. Nepal's Foreign Ministry has started the preparations for the visit but the date is yet to be announced. Sources inside the foreign ministry confirmed that the premier will be visiting India next month. "The foreign ministry has started the preparations regarding the Prime Minister's visit to India. The month of August is sure and the officials are working with the date of the visit. They are working with various potentials but the most likely and probable is in between 20 to 26 August," a senior official of the foreign ministry told ANI seeking anonymity. Previously, it was reported that Nepal Prime Minister will embark on his foreign visit to India this month but was postponed because of various circumstances. As the date for the visit is yet to be finalized the agendas which he will take during his visit is also yet to be determined but consultations are underway, sources confirmed. Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday also confirmed the preparations for premier's visit to India but declined to comment over terming the subject to be at infancy period. Sher Bahadur Deuba was sworn in as 40th Prime Minister of Nepal on June 7 this year. Deuba secured 388 votes out of 593 votes in the Parliament election after Pushpa Kamal Dahal stepped down from the post a month earlier. (ANI) . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Conference (NC) supremo Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that while Investigative Agency (NIA) has probed funding of separatist group and involvement of Pakistan in the same, it must also investigate whether the Indian government ever funded them or not. Farooq Abdullah told ANI, "I congratulate NIA for its probe on funding of Hurriyat leaders. Where the money come from and how was being been utilised, we will get to know that soon. One fact should also be investigated if Indian Government funded Hurriyat or not." The central probe agency on Monday arrested seven people, including the son-in-law of separatist leader SAS Geelani, for allegedly funding terror groups in Kashmir. The seven are Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate. The seven separatists include Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Funtus, Ayaz Akbar, T. Saifullah, Meraz Kalwal and Saheed Ul Islam. The arrested Hurriyat leaders were brought to the headquarters of the CBI in Delhi yesterday. All the seven of them were produced before the Patiala House Court on Tuesday. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Six of them were arrested from Srinagar, while Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi. The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir. NIA sleuths specifically questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time. The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley. (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.) Former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has outrightly rejected that his party, the Hezb-e-Islami, has reached an agreement to play a political role in the national unity-led government of Afghanistan. "There have been changes in the stance of the party to seek political share or power in the government. The party is prepared to support the government unconditionally for bringing peace and stability and ending the ongoing violence in the country, Khaama Press quoted the Hezb-e- Islami statement, as saying. Hekmatyar had joined peace process in 2016 after months of negotiations with the government. His statement comes after reports had emerged that Hezb-e-Islami is seeking a shared role in the government of national unity led by President Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah and that negotiations are underway in this regard. The Hezb-e-Islami also stated that his party has the necessary capabilities to assist with the security of major infrastructure projects, including construction of water dams and the TAPI gas pipeline project. However, Presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said the government welcomes the expansion of the political field in the country without referring to the reports of Hezb-e-Islami's share in the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis' treasurer would be tried in Australia on the charges of sex crimes. Cardinal George Pell, 76, is Vatican's finance chief and is expected to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. "The Cardinal will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in a historic hearing for the Catholic Church which has been rocked by the criminal proceedings against the Vatican official," reports the Herald Sun, and adds that "when he does he will become the most senior Catholic to ever face court charged with sex offences". The nature of the charges being faced by Cardinal Pell has not yet been revealed, but it is known only that there are multiple charges relating to multiple complainants. According to the report, during the short administrative hearing, which could last just minutes, a timetable will be set down that will outline how the case will proceed. Prosecutors will be given a date by which they must have compiled their brief of evidence, and a committal mention date will be fixed. The brief will include all the evidence in the case in the form of written and signed statements from all witnesses together with copies of or photographs of exhibits. On June 29, Pell was charged with multiple sex crimes. After being charged, he took a leave of absence from his post and announced "I am innocent". "I am looking forward finally to having my day in court," he said. "I repeat that I am innocent of these charges. They are false. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me," Pell had told reporters. The charges are a new and serious blow to Pope Francis, who has already suffered several credibility setbacks in his promised "zero tolerance" policy about sex abuse. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After being accused of receiving funds from unauthorised sources, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party has called for a scrutiny of accounts and funds of all political parties, particularly religious parties. PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the PTI has submitted a complete record of the party's funds and accounts as well as a list of all donors to the Supreme Court and added that it was now the turn of other political parties, including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and religious parties to disclose their sources of funds. He urged the country's intelligence agencies probe the sources of the funds of the religious parties. "We have presented our record. We hope that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and other institutions will now ask (about the source of funding) from other parties," the Dawn quoted Fawad, as saying at a press conference. Showing the bulk of documents, he claimed that the party had submitted the list of more than thirty thousand Pakistanis living in the US who had contributed to the party funds. Chaudhry also claimed that all members of the board of governors of these companies were overseas Pakistanis and their details had also been provided to the Supreme Court. He also said that the Joint Investigation Team, which had investigated the money laundering allegations against the Sharif family, had revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had donated Rs145 million to the PML-N. "Where has this money gone? This shows that Nawaz Sharif has used the PML-N for money laundering," he said, accusing the other political parties of corruption as well. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to joke in his address at the Boy Scouts of America's National Jamboree that he would fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if he fails to scrap Obamacare. Speaking at the occasion, Trump pointed out that several cabinet members are Eagle Scouts. He said Price, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Vice President Mike Pence, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke all attained the highest rank in scouting. Introducing Price at the camp, 70 miles west of White Sulphur Springs, Trump said he hopes to "get the votes" tomorrow for a procedural vote toward repealing ObamaCare, reports Fox News. He better get them," Trump said. "Otherwise, I'll say, 'Tom, You're Fired'." After the comment Price could be seen laughing, as Trump smiled and turned towards him. "[They] better get Senator Capito to vote for it," he added, referring to West Virginia's Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who opposes a clean repeal. Earlier in the day the President tweeted, "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine w/ the #OCareNightmare!(sic)" Trump's remarks come amid failed GOP pushes so far to repeal and replace Obamacare, with the White House urging Republicans to act this week. The Republicans control the Senate with 52 votes, so they can only afford to lose two votes on any legislation to overhaul health care. Several GOP senators have already expressed opposition or are on the fence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team and a team of AIIMS doctor on Tuesday reached Simla for the probe of a gang-rape-and-murder of a 16-year-old girl. The teams will also re-examine the body of the Nepalese national, one of the six accused in the case who died in police custody five days ago, preserved at a hospital. The minor girl had gone to school on July 5 and was allegedly raped and murdered. Her dead body was reportedly found a day after she went missing from nearby forest area. Six accused were arrested, after the father of the girl lodged a complaint with the Kotkhai Police Station in Shimla. The CBI had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Superintendent of Police and an Additional Superintendent and a Deputy Superintendent and taken over the investigation of both the cases. The CBI has announced two helpline numbers for the public for more details. The numbers are: 8219885920 and 8219893590. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised Attorney General Jeff Sessions for taking "very weak position" on Hillary Clinton. Trump tweeted on a day when new Russia sanctions bill is heading to his desk, "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump wrote on Twitter. "Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!,"Trump tweet. Sessions made the decision to recuse himself from the Russian investigation after it was revealed that he had met the Russian Ambassador to U.S. Sergey Kislyak last year and did not disclose the meeting. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G.," Trump tweeted. Trump has put forth the possibility of replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In a statement to the Senate and House intelligence committees, Jared Kushner has confirmed that he had "perhaps" four encounters with Russians during the 2016 campaign and transition in the 11-page statement but insisted that he discussed nothing improper during those meetings, which include two encounters with the Russian ambassador, a meeting with the head of a Russian state-owned bank and the June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and others that was set up by Kushner's brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr. Trump tweeted, "Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At meeting held on 24 July 2017 Just Dial announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company was held on 24 July 2017. The meeting inter alia transacted the following businesses: 1. Appointed Abhishek Bansal as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. 2. Considered and approved the allotment of 12,979 Equity Shares of face value of Rs. 10/- each to certain employees of the Company pursuant to exercise by such employees of vested options granted to them under the Employee Stock Option Scheme, 2013 and Employee Stock Option Scheme, 2014. 3. Decided to convene 23rd Annual General meeting of the Shareholders of the Company on 29 September 2017 and approved the draft Notice of Annual General Meeting. 4. Considered and approved the proposal to Buyback of the Company's fully paid-up equity shares of face value of Rs. 10 each (hereinafter referred as the Equity Shares) from its shareholders/beneficial owners other than those who are promoters, members of the promoter group and persons in control, from the open market through stock exchanges mechanism in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Board of India (Buy Back of Securities) Regulations, 1998 (the SEBI Buy Back Regulations) for a total amount not exceeding Rs. 83.91 crore (the Maximum Buyback Size), and at a price not exceeding Rs. 700/- per Equity Share (the Maximum Buyback Price). The Maximum Buyback Size represents 9.998% of the aggregate of the Company's Equity Share capital and free reserves based on the standalone audited financial statements of the Company as at 31 March 2017, which is in compliance with the maximum permissible limit of 10% of the paid-up Equity Share capital and free reserves in accordance with Section 68(2) of the Companies Act, 2013. 5. Reconsidered its earlier resolutions passed at the Meeting of the Board of Directors held on 11 July 2017 to institute new Just Dial Limited Employee Stock Option Scheme 2017 and variation in terms and Conditions of Just Dial Limited Employee Stock Option Scheme 2016 and decided to rescind the said resolutions. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sales decline 14.36% to Rs 586.79 crore Net profit of Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals declined 63.44% to Rs 26.42 crore in the quarter ended June 2017 as against Rs 72.27 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2016. Sales declined 14.36% to Rs 586.79 crore in the quarter ended June 2017 as against Rs 685.21 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2016.586.79685.213.3513.1933.34114.3725.82109.0026.4272.27 Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Refund generated on processing of return of income is currently, credited directly to the bank accounts of the tax-payers. Availability of the detail of bank accounts in which the refund is to be credited is a precondition for direct credit of refund in the bank accounts. Income-tax Return Forms for the Assessment Year 2017-18 were notified on 30th March, 2017. A number of representations were received from the non-residents that they are facing difficulties in getting refund as they do not have bank account in India and there is no column in the notified form of return of income for reporting details of foreign bank account by the non-residents for this purpose. In view of this, a facility has been provided in return utility for reporting of details of bank account by non-residents, who do not have bank account in India and who are claiming income-tax refund. Therefore, the non-residents who are not claiming refund or non-residents who are claiming refund but having a bank account in India are not required to furnish details of their foreign bank account in the return of income. However, the non-residents, who are claiming income-tax refund and not having bank account in India may, at their option, furnish the details of one foreign bank account in the return of income for issuance of refund. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sales decline 3.29% to Rs 4310.02 crore Net profit of Tata Communications declined 21.16% to Rs 32.94 crore in the quarter ended June 2017 as against Rs 41.78 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2016. Sales declined 3.29% to Rs 4310.02 crore in the quarter ended June 2017 as against Rs 4456.86 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2016.4310.024456.8612.9613.00526.88581.7782.23115.7732.9441.78 Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and three minors, have been remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a West Bengal court on charges of encroaching on Indian territory without proper documents, police said. The group was arrested from a bus in North 24 Pargana district's Gaighata on Monday evening during a vigil. "Seven men four women and three children were detained while travelling in a bus in front of Gaighata police station on Monday. They were arrested later for encroachment as they failed to produce any valid migration documents," an officer from Gaighata police station said. According to police, on interrogation the detained people said they were going to Kolkata first and then to Bengaluru, to meet some of their family members who stay there. "There were no major seizures from the people apart from some cash and clothes. They were produced in a Barasat court on Tuesday and have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody," the officer added. --IANS mgr/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seventeen hikers stranded by floods on a mountain in the US state of Arizona were rescued by search and emergency crews, officials said. According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD), search and rescue deputies, fire crews and a rescue team worked from Sunday night to early Monday to retrieve the 17 hikers, including a four-year-old boy, reports Xinhua news agency. The police received a call for help shortly on Sunday evening. Two hikers clinging to tree branches were airlifted on Monday by a helicopter from a rocky, narrow and flood-running creek to safety. Nine people were killed in a flash flooding in a canyon in Arizona last week. Monsoon rains, a regular summertime occurrence in Arizona, often leads to swift and deadly flash floods as rainwater rushes down the mountains into dry canyons and creeks. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government will launch a campaign from August 1 to make people aware about vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Tuesday. Without revealing the details, he said sensitisation of people about dengue and chikungunya will be done on a broad level with all available modes including advertisement in newspapers, awareness campaigns in schools, putting up hoardings across the city. The Minister said that till July 16 this year, 98 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi while 82 cases were from outside Delhi. In total, 180 dengue patients were provided treatment in Delhi government hospitals. "No death has been reported so far due to dengue and chikungunya in Delhi. As many as 23,094 cases of dengue were reported across the country and 32 people have died due to dengue across the nation," Jain said. He also briefed the media about cases of malaria and chikungunya cases and said that 245 malaria patients were treated at Delhi government hospitals out of which 117 were from outside Delhi. As many as 127 cases of chikungunya have been reported in Delhi while 68 cases were from outside Delhi and a total of 195 chikungunya patients were treated in Delhi government hospitals. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also provided data regarding swine flu patients and said that 320 such cases were reported in the city while 83 cases came from other cities but were treated at Delhi government hospitals. Only two patients belonging to Delhi have died in April and May due to swine flu while two patients from outside have died of the flu here. "Deaths due to swine flu were only 0.68 per cent of the total cases in Delhi while this percentage was quite high in other states," Jain said. He said that since January 1 this year, some 81 people have died of swine flu in Gujarat while the number of patients was 339, similarly out of 412 swine flu patients 59 have died in Rajasthan and out of 2,738 swine flu patients 303 have died in Maharashtra. "In Gujarat the percentage of death of swine flu patients was 23.89 per cent, in Rajasthan it was 14.32 per cent, in Maharashtra it was 11.07 per cent and in Kerala it was 5.64 per cent," the minister said. The Minister said the Delhi government has made all the preparations to deal with swine flu cases. "We have all the medicines available in adequate quantity. One of the key factors behind deaths in several states is probably unavailability of medicines," Jain added. --IANS am/him/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 2017 BRICS Youth Forum opened here in China on Tuesday to discuss youth development in the BRICS member-nations. Themed "Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development," the three-day forum gathered 50 youth representatives working as civil servants, scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and journalists from BRICS countries, Xinhua news agency reported. Representatives will hold discussions on issues concerning youth policies and entrepreneurship, as well as the roles of BRICS youth in global governance, before formulating an action plan for the forum. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa first came up with the idea of establishing a dialogue mechanism for BRICS youth in 2014 during a meeting between BRICS leaders in South Africa. In the past three years, the forum has had success in various fields, such as youth policies and employment through dialogue. --IANS py/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese daily on Tuesday blamed Indian NSA Ajit Doval for the dragging border row even as Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reacting to the crisis for the first time, asked New Delhi to withdraw troops from Doklam. The heightened rhetoric came Indian Army's Vice Chief Sarath Chand said China was bound to be a threat to India in the years to come. Addressing a seminar in New Delhi, Lt. Gen. Chand said: "On the north, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing Army... Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." The Chinese Foreign Minister held India responsible for the stand-off that began last month at Doklam in the Sikkim sector and said the solution to the crisis was "simple" -- India must withdraw its troops from Doklam. Bhutan and India say Doklam is Bhutan's while China claims the territory. "The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," said Wang. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," he said. An editorial in the state-run Global Times, run by the Communist Party of China, warned India that it will pay "a heavy price" if its troops didn't exit from Doklam. The scathing editorial came down heavily on Doval, who will travel to Beijing on Thursday for a meeting of BRICS NSAs, calling him "one of the main schemers" behind the border row. It said that his trip to China won't help settle the issue. "Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the border standoff. Doval will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain with Beijing over the border disputes." Saying the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam was a "precondition", the daily said Doval's visit for a meeting of BRICS NSAs won't change Beijing's stance. "India's withdrawal from Chinese territory is a precondition and a basis for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides." The NSAs meet was in preparation for the BRICS Summit next month and not a platform to address border skirmishes, it said. If Indian troops don't pull back, New Delhi "will have to pay a heavy price". The border row began when India stopped road construction by Chinese troops in Doklam last month, saying the area was Bhutan's and the road would endanger New Delhi's strategic interests. "India is wrong by brazenly crossing the Sino-Indian border and must correct its mistakes," the Global Times said. "New Delhi must give up all its illusions." China doesn't believe India was ready for a military showdown, it said. "If Beijing takes countermeasures, New Delhi will be mired in a more passive political and military situation, and face its most serious strategic setback since 1962." Meanwhile, a Chinese expert said it was time India was taught a "second lesson" as it continued to be on an "intransigent path". "To such an unruly neighbour, China should reciprocate in a language India can understand," said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, in a Global Times commentary. Amid increasing global concerns, both China and India have reinforced troops along the border. --IANS gsh-soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two persons who were sent to jail last month for 30 days for throwing pamphlets and raising slogans in the on Tuesday in the Delhi High Court named 10 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators for beating them up. The two, Jagdeep Rana and Rajan Kumar Madan, said in an affidavit that AAP lawmakers Amanatullah Khan, Jarnail Singh, Somnath Bharti, Mohinder Goyal, Rajesh Gupta, Rituraj, Sanjeev Jha, Nitin Tyagi, Prakash, and Praveen Kumar had beatn them up for throwing pamphlets and sloganeering in the House. "These MLAs attacked the petitioners in the corridor of Delhi Legislative Assembly. All the above-said legislators with common intention hit the petitioners with fist and leg blows. The petitioners suffered several injuries in the said attack and their lives could only be saved due to timely intervention by the marshals of the house as well as some media persons," stated the affidavit filed through advocate Pradeep Rana. The High Court had earlier asked them to file an affidavit giving an elaborate account of the facts and also suggested to their lawyer to array as respondents the MLAs who had allegedly beaten up the two. The court has been hearing their plea seeking their release from jail. On June 28, the witnessed drama after the two men hurled pamphlets and raised slogans, demanding the resignation of Health Minister Satyendar Jain. AAP legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj then moved a motion against the duo. Consequently, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel sentenced the two to one month of rigorous imprisonment for breach of privilege of the House. Challenging the Speaker's June 28 decision, the duo alleged that the order was "illegal" as it was issued without affording them an opportunity of being heard. The plea challenged the validity of the rule which permits punishing a person accused of breach of privilege of the House without hearing him. The Delhi government has claimed that the incident of pamphlet throwing and sloganeering took place in full view of the House and therefore, there was no need to hear the two. Rana, who claims to be the vice president of AAP's Delhi Unit, and Madan, who says he is part of the AAP units in Punjab and Chhattisgarh, have contended that no reason has been recorded for awarding them such a severe punishment. The two had initially moved a habeas corpus against their imprisonment. A habeas corpus plea is a petition which is filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court which will determine whether the detention is legal. Seeking their release, the duo said they had no intention to breach the privilege of the legislative assembly or to commit contempt of the same. They had no intention to cause any damage to person or property inside the assembly on that day, they had claimed. "The intention of the petitioners was only to draw the attention of the government and the party to the glaring issues, which were being exploited by the opposition in defaming the party," they contended. At least 40 militants were killed in military raids on terrorist hideouts in North Sinai province of Egypt, the army said on Tuesday. "Egyptian security forces killed 40 highly dangerous militants in ground and air raids in North Sinai cities of Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid," Xinhua news agency quoted an army spokesperson as saying in a statement. "Five other militants were arrested in the raids," he said. Egypt has been battling anti-security activities, mostly centred in Sinai peninsula, since the army-led ouster of former Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which left hundreds of police and army personnel killed. "During the security operation, 20 different type of vehicles and four motorbikes were destroyed," the statement said. Large amount of explosives, weapons and some documents were also seized, with 52 shelters for hiding medical and communications equipment destroyed, it said. Egyptian military has waged since 2013 wide-scale operations to uproot extremist strongholds in Sinai killing hundreds of militants who belong to a Sinai-based group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group. --IANS py/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress MLA M. Vincent, arrested on charges of sexually harassing and stalking a 51-year-old woman in Kerala, on Tuesday said he was framed by CPI-M leaders. "The CPI-M Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary and the Neyyattinkara CPI-M legislator are behind this frame-up," Vincent told reporters after he was sent to a day's police custody by a court here. His bail plea would be heard on Wednesday. "The conspiracy was hatched by these people and the former was in the hospital late in the night where the lady was hospitalized. The CCTV will reveal the truth. I have done no wrong at all," he said. The Congress and its United Democratic Front have extended support to the legislator on Tuesday saying he was a victim of political vendetta and blamed the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for acting in undue haste. "This is a politically motivated case and the UDF has decided that there is no reason for him to resign as a legislator," UDF Convener P.P. Thankachan told reporters after a meeting with Congress leaders. Vincent was arrested on Saturday and remanded to 14 days' judicial custody. The police on Tuesday demanded five days' custody to question him and to collect evidence. The woman he had allegedly harassed attempted suicide. This is the first time a legislator in Kerala has been arrested for sexual harassment. --IANS sg/him/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and Congress members as party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia denied he was "anti-Dalit" and demanded an apology from BJP members who said so a day earlier. "Some baseless allegations were made against me in the house yesterday (Monday) by three Bharatiya Janata Party members. They sought to portray me as anti-Dalit. My image has been tarnished," Scindia said in the Lok Sabha soon after the house met at 3 p.m. BJP's Tikamgarh MP Virendra Kumar claimed during Zero Hour on Monday that the Congress MP got a hospital in his parliamentary constituency Guna in Madhya Pradesh "purified" by sprinkling Ganga water and re-inaugurated it even though it had been earlier inaugurated by a Dalit BJP MLA. Kumar was supported by BJP MPs Manohar Utawal and Nand Kumar Chauhan. An infuriated Scindia, the Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, asked the BJP members to prove their charges or else resign. "I have recordings of that event. I challenge them to prove the charges. If they prove it, I will resign from the house or else the three MPs should resign," the Congress leader said. Scindia said the members concerned should at least apologise. Congress members, including Scindia, rushed towards the Speaker's podium and sought an apology from Virendra Kumar, who was present in the house. Kumar wanted to respond but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow. Amid the din, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to speak, but was denied permission by the Speaker. Kharge said his voice was being suppressed. Kharge's remarks agitated the treasury benches and led to a heated argument with Parliamentary Affairs Minister H N Ananth Kumar. Ananth Kumar said Kharge's remarks were against the Chair and this cannot be tolerated. Mahajan said she had allowed Scindia to speak, but he rushed towards the Speaker's podium with other Congress members. "If you come towards the podium every now and then, how will the house function? You will have to understand this. If you don't want the house to function, tell me in advance. I will adjourn the house." The Speaker said she was not against discussion but the issues need to be raised properly in the house. Kharge, who was then given permission to speak, said he was not raising the issue of cow vigilantism but wanted to raise the matter concerning Scindia, "whose image is being tarnished". "He is a young leader with 15 years of parliamentary experience. I know him. He can't be anti-Dalit. Many a time, he spoke in favour of the Dalits in this house. It was not good to tarnish his image," Kharge said. Kharge targetted Ananth Kumar, saying "instead of solving a crisis he instigates it". He took a dig at former Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who is now the Democratic Alliance's vice presidential candidate. "Jaisa Naidu sahab karte the, ye bhi waisa hi kar rahe hain (he is doing the same as Naidu used to do)," Kharge remarked. Ananth Kumar hit back: "Don't give us lessons in parliamentary democracy. Those who have murdered democracy are teaching us parliamentary democracy." Taking a dig at Kharge, the Minister said the Congress member is an experienced leader "who knows how to ignite fire and douse it". Kharge later raised the issue of suspension of six Congress MPs for five sittings and demanded that it be revoked. Fitted bodycon dresses, high hemlines and metallic colours are some of the style statements you can opt for during the rainy season, suggest experts. Charu Singh, Founder and Creative Head at Zooki, a multi-brand store, gives tips: * High hemlines are your friends in the rainy season. Fitted bodycon dresses or mini skirts with a metallic top are recommended. If going for a semi-formal look, try replacing trousers with a nice pair of culottes. * Oodles of colours -- be in solids or strong prints go a long way. * Don't forget to pop the entire look with metallic accessories, tassel earrings or a side tassel sling bag to add the much-needed drama. Metallic works well with accessories to create a funky party look. * If the party is indoors, wear palazzos and a sleeveless top to look fashionable. If the party is outdoor, wear loose hot pants and tank top with slippers. Crop top with high waisted pants would also go for a party scene. * Adding a graphic punch to the look via stripes will add a fun factor and make the outfit interesting, but keep everything else to a bare minimum, including make-up. * Embrace super-glossy metallic for the night adding oomph to the outfit. Think beyond gold and silver and team it up with rose gold, copper for different upbeat looks. * Shirt dresses are a great party choice. They are light, airy. They can easily be dressed down for a dance party and some accessories can kick it up a notch. * Avoid stilettos or any high heels. Go for wedges or flats as they can be much comfortable. -*- Inputs by Rajesh Jain, Business Head at apparel brand Rangriti: * Opt for a crop top with dhoti pants for the dance party as the outfit will give a ease to your body and is also breathable. * Pair a long, asymmetrical, loose fitted kurta with slim fit pants or short kurtas with jeans for the party look. * For a cool, casual look, pair an indie top with slim fit pants or a short kurti with floral palazzo. * In terms of fabric -- pure cotton, silk, mul, chiffon, nylon, georgette are best for this season. * Team up the outfits with comfortable wedges, platform heels, flips flop sandals. --IANS ks/rb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said India is responsible for the latest border row and asked it to withdraw troops from Doklama, which Beijing calls Chinese territory. This is the first time a top Chinese government official has reacted to the festering border dispute in Sikkim sector, where the armies of the two sides are locked in a stand-off since over a month. "The rights and wrongs are very clear, and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," said Wang. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," said a statement in Chinese quoting Wang. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday reacted to the raging border crisis for the first time, holding India responsible for the current stand-off and asking it to withdraw troops. Wang, who so far is the senior most Chinese government official to speak on the dispute, said the "solution" to the crisis was "simple" - that India withdraw its troops from Doklam, which Beijing calls Chinese territory. "The rights and wrongs are very clear, and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," said Wang. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," said a statement in Chinese quoting Wang. His remarks come two days ahead of the BRICS security summit meet where India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be present. It is not known if Doval will hold a bilateral meeting with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the two-day BRICS NSAs meet here. On Monday, China said host countries in the past arranged bilateral meets on the sidelines of the summit. China says it will not talk on the Doklam issue unless India withdraws troops from the region. The stand-off between India and China at Doklam in Sikkim section has entered its second month, and is another addition to the list of contentious issues between the two sides, who have had a history of mutual suspicion since they fought a war in 1962. Doklam, at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan, and China, is of high strategic importance to all three. It is disputed between Bhutan and China. India calls Doklam Bhutanese territory and perceives any Chinese presence in the area as a threat to its security. The dispute began over a road that the Chinese army was building in Doklam. Indian troops halted the road construction, which led to a stand-off with the Chinese Army. India has accused China of trying to change the status of the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, and ruled out unilateral withdrawal of Indian troops. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last week said that China's attempt to build a road through Bhutan posed a security challenge to India. (Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com) --IANS gsh/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian Muslim teenager was kidnapped, raped and murdered here for having a relationship with an Arab man, a UK court was told. According to the Evening Standard daily, Celine Dookhran, 19, was kidnapped with another woman last week. They were said to have been bound, gagged and kidnapped by masked men. Both women were taken to a house in Kingston-upon-Thames, southwest London, where they were both raped and Dookhran was killed, the court heard. The body of Dookhran was found stuffed in a fridge with her throat slit at a house in London suburb last Wednesday. A post-mortem examination gave the teenager's cause of death as an incised wound to the neck. Mujahid Arshid, 33, appeared before Wimbledon Magistrate's Court on Monday charged with the murder, attempted murder, and two counts of rape and kidnap, the daily reported on Tuesday. He appeared alongside his co-defendant, Vincent Tappu, 28, who was charged with the kidnap of both women. Prosecutor Binita Roscoe told the court the teenager was of Indian Muslim heritage and had started a relationship with an Arab Muslim man, The Times reported. "The family members didn't approve of the relationship because they are Indian Muslims," said the prosecutor. Two men in balaclavas entered the property on July 19, the prosecutor said. "Her face and mouth were covered in duct tape. Her hands were tied with cable tie," the prosecutor told the court. "The deceased was brought down tied up. They were bound in dust sheets and placed in a vehicle," she said. Both defendants were remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on August 21. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's popular support rating has plummeted below 30 per cent over his role in a cronyism scandal, according to polls released on Tuesday. Abe's popularity has plunged by nearly 15 points since June, when he was accused of using his influence to help close friend Kotaro Kake win a bid to set up a veterinary school, reports Efe news. Japan has not granted license to new veterinary schools for more than 50 years, owing to surplus veterinary doctors in the country. The new school was to be set up in the Ehime prefecture in the south of Hiroshima, part of a national deregulated zone, where these rules are relaxed. The scandal has roiled Japan and led to the crushing defeat of his party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, in two key regional elections. Several surveys published by Japanese media between the weekend and Tuesday reveal popular support rates for Abe at around 30 per cent, ranging from 39 per cent in survey by Nikkei daily to 26 per cent as indicated in a survey by the newspaper Mainichi. Abe, who came to power in 2012, has made several parliamentary appearances to explain the accusations, including a five-hour hearing before a parliamentary committee on Monday where he denied any favouritism toward his friend. He, however, admitted that his close friendship with Kake might have led to misperceptions about him being granted favours. His explanations, however, failed to satisfy either the opposition or popular public opinion or stem the growing criticism against him. The case prompted Abe to announce a reshuffle of his cabinet to be announced next week, according to local media reports. --IANS ksk/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday as Opposition members created a ruckus, demanding that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan revoke the suspensions of six Congress members. Opposition members requested Mahajan to withdraw the suspensions, but the Speaker refused to comment on the issue for the time and tried to proceed with legislative business. As Opposition members created a ruckus, an angry Mahajan adjourned the house for the day. Six Congress Lok Sabha members -- Gaurav Gogoi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, Ranjit Ranjan, Sushmita Dev, M.K. Raghavan, and K. Suresh -- were suspended for five sittings of the house after they tore and threw papers in the house as well as at the chair. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Mohammed Salim urged the chair to withdraw the suspensions. "At times people do things in a flow of emotions. When you were on this side, similar things have happened. We request you to withdraw the suspensions," Kharge said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, however, said what happened was a "black day" for parliamentary democracy. He said Kharge should ask for withdrawing the suspension only if he "feels the act of throwing paper bits and paper balls on a woman Speaker was right". "Can he say it is parliamentary tradition?" he asked. Roy said no one agreed that throwing papers was right but added that the Speaker is a "kind" person and she should forgive the Congress members. "We are celebrating the swearing in of our new President...Kharge has already said you are a kind hearted lady... No one is saying that throwing papers is approvable..." he said. Salim, meanwhile, said the government should be "generous", and added that the house can function smoothly after the suspensions are withdrawn. Mahajan said she would not speak on the issue at the moment, and asked Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar to proceed with the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017. Opposition members, however, protested, and amid the din, the angry Speaker adjourned the house for the day. --IANS ao/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To avenge the murder of their father 23 years ago, two brothers allegedly shot dead a property dealer who was accused in that crime, police said on Tuesday. Police said the incident occurred near Badshahpur on Sohna Road. Property dealer Rajkumar, 47, was returning to his house in village Maidapur in a car early on Tuesday from his office on Sohna road. "Rajkumar was main accused in the murder of Bhram Singh that took place 23 years ago but was acquitted by court," a police officer said. Bhram Singh was also a property dealer. According to police, Deepak and Amit, sons of Bhram Singh, along with their three or four accomplices opened indiscriminate fire on Rajkumar's car. The brothers are aged between 25 and 30 years. No one has been arrested yet. --IANS pradeep/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over BJP members' absence from the both Houses of Parliament leading to trouble or embarrassment for the government. Modi's remarks came here during weekly BJP parliamentary party meeting just after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and his junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's reference to incidents and problems arising out of lack of quorum. In his response, the Prime Minister said that "he was worried and not satisfied with members' percentage of presence in houses," according to a BJP MP. The government had to face an embarrassing situation in the Rajya Sabha last week when a bill on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims could not be taken up due to lack of quorum. Modi also called upon the BJP MPs to observe fortnight programmes of Sankalp Yatra and hold Tiranga Yatra in their constituencies to celebrate 70th Independence Day. "The Prime Minister said that this year there will be nationwide celebrations starting from August 9 till August 15. After this, for 15 days a sankalp yatra will be conducted throughout the nation, pledging development of nation and every individual," Parliamentary Affair Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting. "The Prime Minister also stated that from 1947 till now India reached new heights but till 2022 India will become a power to reckon with in the world," he added. Ananth Kumar also said that the Prime Minister said that they have to change the lives of poor by three ways - by welfare, by social harmony and good governance. Modi also said that Ram Nath Kovind taking oath as 14th President of India is a historic day in BJP's journey, "started by Syama Prasad Mookerjee during which lakhs of people sacrificed their lives", according to a BJP leader. The BJP Parliamentary Party also condemned the "atrocious behaviour" of six Congress Lok Sabha MPs who were on Monday suspended for five consecutive sittings after they tore up papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speaker's podium. --IANS bns/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conduct an aerial survey of the flood situation in Gujarat. Modi will undertake the survey of the flood-hit northern amid rescue operations by the Air Force, Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its state wing. A total of 22,725 persons have been evacuated to safety in Banaskantha district, an official said. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani met Modi at Parliament House earlier in the day and briefed him about the situation. Official sources said Modi would also hold meetings with Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Gujarat officials after his aerial review. The north Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Patan have been flooded after incessant rains during the last 36 hours. Tharad town has received maximum rainfall of 24 inches, followed by Dhanera 20 inches, Dantiwada 18, Palanpur 15, Deesa and Diyodar 13 inches each, Patan 12 inches and Vadgam about 11 inches. The region has got 95 per cent of its seasonal average of 659 mm. In all, entire Gujarat has registered 534 mm of rain, which is 66 per cent of its total usual seasonal average of 810 mm. Several villages have been marooned and roads washed away. The Army, IAF, NDRF, police and fire brigade are engaged in rescuing people from flooded areas. The Army on Tuesday rescued 113 persons. Efforts were on to evacuate 30-40 more from Sirohi and Jhabadiya village in north Gujarat, Defence Ministry spokesperson Wing Commander Abhishek Matimaan said. IAF's four MI-17 V5 helicopters winched 14 persons from Deesa. They also dropped over 300 kg of food packets in the district. "More than two lakh food packets have been sent to Banaskantha from other districts," Gujarat Principal Secretary Pankaj Kumar said. As many as 38 of the 203 dams across the state are on high alert. While Dholidhaja, Vansal and Nimbam dams in Surendranagar, Machchhu-1 and Ghodadharoi in Morbi and Kankawati dam in Jamnagar districts have received up to 90 per cent of their water storage capacity. Twenty-three dams in Saurashtra, four in Kutch, four in central Gujarat and one dam in south Gujarat were full to the brim. In Ahmedabad, over 50 families were evacuated to safer places from the low-lying areas of the Sabarmati river, which cuts through the middle of the city. Excess water was being released into the Sabarmati from Vasna Barrage and Dharoi dam, 70 km upstream of Ahmedabad. "The waters would reach the city later in the evening," Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar told IANS. "We are all ready for any eventuality," he said. --IANS desai/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two people with links to suspected Islamic State operative Saifullah, who was killed in a shootout with security forces in Lucknow in March this year, officials said. The two identified as Mohammad Atif and Asif Iqbal were arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, officials said. Both accused are residents of Kanpur. According to NIA officials, Iqbal and Atif have been arrested under the charges of planning terrorist attacks and to wage waging war against the country. According to the counter-terror agency, Atif provided weapons and ammunition to Saifullah while Iqbal was said to be a part of the module. Saifullah was said to be a member of the ISIS Khorasan module. Iqbal became a member of the proscribed organisation and took oath of allegiance and associated himself with other accused in furtherance of the conspiracy, the NIA said. Both were linked to Saifullah, who was killed in an anti-terror operation in Lucknow early on March 8. Saifullah was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad in Thakurganj area after a siege operation that went on for nearly 12 hours following a blast on the Bhopal-Ujjain train on March 7. Earlier, the NIA has arrested three persons -- Mohammad Faisal, Gauss Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Azhar -- in connection with the case. Both the arrested accused would be produced before the NIA Special Court in Lucknow, the official said. --IANS aks/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After months of anticipation, the key Indian equity index -- NSE Nifty 50 -- climbed the 10,000-point-mark for the first time in its almost 22-year history. However, the index, which was formed in November 1995, was dragged lower from its peak by profit booking and expensive valuations to close on a flat-to-negative note on Tuesday. Investors were hopeful that the benchmark index will breach the 10,000-mark as expectations of healthy quarterly results and broadly positive global cues had built-up. It took the index 4.3 months to move from 9,000 points to 10,000 points. The 9,000 level was achieved in March 2017 in a duration of 2.8 years from 7,000 points level. The Nifty 50 index, which had started with a base value of 1,000 points in November 1995, reached the 2,000-mark in December 2004, taking 9.1 years to double. The rally has largely been liquidity driven with macro indicators, reforms and stable political atmosphere luring global funds into the index. According to the NSE, the institutional category has pumped in over Rs 160,000 crore into the domestic markets year-to-date, thanks to expectations of accelerated pace of reforms. The index breached the 10,000 points level mark during the day's early trade session at 9.15 a.m. shortly after the pre-open session which lasted for 15 minutes. The index soon ceded its gains on the back of profit booking and expensive valuations and remained range-bound in the flat-to-positive zone. "Nifty touched 10,000 in the opening minutes of trade following cues from Asian markets in the pre-opening time," Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities, told IANS. "It soon went into a minor correction as investors who were waiting for this level to be reached to initiate profit taking started to sell and the effect of results and announcements in select companies started to have effect." In contrast to its opening rise, the NSE Nifty closed at 9,964.55 points, marginally lower by 1.85 points or 0.02 per cent from its previous close. The wider Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) touched a high of 10,011.30 points and a low of 9,949.10 points. "Market made a historical day by touching 10k supported by better earnings from blue-chip and strong liquidity. However, profit booking emerged at higher levels due to psychological effect," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, told IANS. The Nifty 50 is a diversified 50-stock index accounting for 12 sectors of the economy. These 50 stocks are the largest and most liquid Indian securities. It is used for a variety of purposes such as benchmarking fund portfolios, index-based derivatives and index funds. Nifty 50 is owned and managed by India Index Services and Products Ltd. (IISL). Since inception, Nifty 50 has given annualised returns of 11.2 per cent while having annualised volatility of 24.5 per cent. The derivatives based on the index are listed on five exchanges globally National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), Singapore Exchange (SGX), Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (CME), Osaka Exchange Inc. (OSE) and Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX). --IANS rv/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expectations of healthy quarterly results, coupled with broadly positive global cues lifted the key Indian equity index -- NSE Nifty -- above the 10,000-points mark during early-morning trade session on Tuesday. The index breached the 10,000-points level mark during the day's early trade session at 9.15 a.m. just after the pre-open session which lasted for 15 minutes. In trade parlance the NSE Nifty experienced -- the Gap-Up opening -- from its Monday's close at 9,966.40 points, as factors such as hopes of a lending rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its next policy review meet, along with inflows of foreign funds and consistent projection of healthy economic growth enhanced investors risk taking appetite. The wider Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) touched a high of 10,011.30 points and a low of 9,954.70 points. At 10.15 a.m. the index ceded some of its gains to trade at 9,971.80 points, marginally up by 0.05 per cent from its previous close. "Broadly supportive global cues and continuing momentum led the NSE Nifty to touch the new all-time high above the 10,000-points mark," Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities, told IANS. According to Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, investors' sentiments were boosted on the expectations of healthy quarterly results. "Market participants expect healthy quarterly results going forward," Desai told IANS. The Nifty 50 is a diversified 50 stock index accounting for 12 sectors of the economy. It is used for a variety of purposes such as benchmarking fund portfolios, index based derivatives and index funds. Nifty 50 is owned and managed by India Index Services and Products Ltd. (IISL). --IANS rv/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid incessant rainfall in the city for the last few days, an old two-storeyed building partially collapsed in central Kolkata's Taltala on Tuesday, the city Fire Department said. "A part of an old building at 10-B Indian Mirror Street collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. Some inhabitants of the house are feared trapped under the debris," a fire brigade official said. Fire Department officials, local police and a disaster management team have rushed to the spot to initiate the rescue operation. According to fire officials, the part of the building that collapsed was inhabited by a number of people. City Mayor Sovan Chatterjee also reached the spot to inspect the situation. "The rescue operation is on. However, how many people are trapped in the wreckage is still not certain," an officer from Taltala Police Station said. --IANS mgr/nir/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An unidentified assailant on Tuesday attacked a policeman with a knife along the Spain-Morocco border, according to local authorities. The incident occurred at 7.35 a.m., in Melilla city's Beni Ensar border crossing, one of the most heavily-transited crossings in Africa, and resulted in the policeman being very lightly injured, Spanish police officials told Efe news. According to the officials, the assailant screamed "Allahu Akbar" when he attacked the officer with the blade. He was promptly neutralised and arrested and his motive and identity were now being investigated, the sources added. Melilla, a small autonomous city located next to Morocco's northeastern coast, is one of two Spanish enclaves in northern Africa. The border between Spain and Morocco around the city of Melilla measures some 11 km and authorities registered about 4,000 attempts to breach it during 2016. Of those attempts, around 7 per cent of the people trying to cross the border succeeded, far from the 18,000 counted in 2014. --IANS ksk/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Banter and bitter rivals catching up with each other was witnessed at the short oath-taking ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind in the Central Hall of Parliament, but outside the protocol-driven Presidential transition was full of pomp and grandeur. The historic Central Hall was brimming to capacity and an extra row of chairs had to be placed in the front that had Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda and several other senior leaders. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose government is not on good terms with the Centre, was seen interacting animatedly with Prime Minister Modi. Union Minister Uma Bharti and BJP Vice Presidential candidate M. Venkaiah Naidu went up to Sonia Gandhi and spoke to her. Kovind is the first President of the country who had been in the BJP and party MPs and chief ministers were present in strength. The ceremony was followed by raising slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jai Shri Ram" by some BJP MPs. The brief and crisp function in the Central Hall began with arrival of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind in a ceremonial procession that included Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India Justice J.S. Khehar. Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi sought the permission of the outgoing President for conducting the ceremony and then read out the communication from the Election Commission about election of Kovind as the new President. The Chief Justice administered the oath of office to Kovind, who took the oath in Hindi in the name of God. As Kovind walked back, Mukherjee smilingly ushered Kovind to the seat he was previously seated in and congratulated him. A 21-gun salute followed. Kovind delivered his address and the ceremony ended with the rendering of the national anthem. As he stepped down from the podium, Kovind went to the front row and exchanged greetings with all the leaders present, including Modi, Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah, former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and NDA's vice-presidential candidate Naidu. He also exchanged greetings with former Speaker Meira Kumar, who was his rival in the presidential election. The new President and the Ex-President left the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession to the tune of 'Slow March', accepting greetings with folded hands. Afterwards, the MPs showed no hurry to leave the Central Hall as they shook hands, exchanged smiles and chatted. The Prime Minister was greeted by a large number of MPs as he slowly made his way out of the hall. He briefly stopped to talk to Congress treasurer Motilal Vora and spent more time talking to Mamata Banerjee, who was at the rear end of the Central Hall. The West Bengal Chief Minister was surrounded by Trinamool Congress MPs and later sat down with them in the Central Hall for an informal interaction. Two other chief ministers were similarly accosted by MPs from their state - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Some MPs took photographs with Adityanath. Other chief ministers present included Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana), Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana) and Edappadi K. Palaniswami (Tamil Nadu). RSS leader Suresh Soni and BJP general secretary (Organisation) Ram Lal were among those present. The visitors gallery had a large presence of foreign diplomats. Kovind's wife Savita was also present. --IANS ps-bns/vsc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Responding to a letter filed by a tech lobby to bar import of iPhone models not using its modem chips, Qualcomm has said the group was conducting a "coordinated effort aimed at misdirecting" trade regulators. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents several tech companies, lodged a formal letter with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) last week, saying Qualcomm's proposed import ban on foreign-assembled iPhones using Intel chips would cause "significant shocks to supply" for the wider smartphone market, Apple Insider reported on Monday. It was followed by Intel's standalone declaration, supporting Apple. The declaration asserted that Qualcomm maintained a monopoly over the chip market through "anticompetitive practices". Apple continues to reassert claims it made in its lawsuit against Qualcomm, saying "the chipmaker supplies Apple 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." The global chip maker had filed a new patent infringement lawsuit against Apple a few months back and now expects 'out of court' settlement with the Cupertino-based iPhone maker. Qualcomm had lodged a complaint with ITC requesting an import and domestic sales ban on iPhone and iPad models produced outside of the US. More specifically, the chipmaker seeks an exclusion order that applies only to handsets that implement wireless modems made by Intel. Apple first began sourcing Intel modems with the iPhone 7 last year. Earlier this year, Qualcomm filed a complaint with the ITC, 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. Apple responded to this, saying that the company had tried to negotiate before suing and that Qualcomm is abusing its position. Saying that its third quarter results were negatively impacted by Apple's contract manufacturers not paying royalties, chip giant Qualcomm reported its revenue declined 11 per cent over the previous year. --IANS qd/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rain briefly marred the Guard of Honour ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan for newly sworn-in President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday. As the contingents from the three defence services and a military band marched into the sprawling forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan for the ceremony, the clouds opened up. After several minutes, when there was no sign of the rain letting up, the contingents moved back from the forecourt. It was decided to shift the ceremony to the Durbar Hall, which evoked protests from the waiting media persons, mostly visual media, as they were asked to wrap up since no media was to be allowed inside. Just then, the rain stopped and the clouds parted. Soon, word came that the ceremony would be held in the forecourt as scheduled, evoking a cheer from the media persons. Minutes later, the inter-services contingents and the band marched back into the forecourt and took their position in front of the dais. Soon, President Kovind arrived in his buggy that was being pulled by six horses. He alighted and stood on the dais. After the national anthem, the President inspected the Guard of Honour in an open jeep amid light drizzle. He then alighted and mounted his buggy which took him back inside the building. Soon afterwards, the buggy came out from the northern gate with President Kovind and his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee in it. Mukherjee was then given the ceremonial send off by President Kovind. --IANS mak/vd/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Incessant rainfall since the last four days in Jharkhand has brought cheer to the faces of farmers as paddy sowing has gained momentum. Farmers in the state depend mainly on rainfall since the irrigation system covers only 15 per cent of the cultivable land. Due to shortfall in rain this year, paddy sowing was poor in the state -- varying from zero to 57 per cent till last Friday. While no paddy sowing had taken place in Dhanbad, it was zero to nine per cent in 10 districts of the state. Ranchi, Gumla, Simdega had witnessed 22, 27, 22 per cent respectively. The six districts falling under Santhal Pargana like Dumka, Deoghar, Sahebganj, Pakur, Jamtra and Godda has witnessed better sowing from 31 to 57 per cent. In the remaining 18 districts, it was zero to 27 per cent. According to the Met department, there was shortgae of rainfall in Jharkhand this year but in the last four days, the state has received 50 mm to 110 mm of rainfall. Till last Friday, the state witnessed around 320 mm rainfall against the average of 400 mm, and till July 24, it had received 437 mm rainfall against 457 mm. "This year's paddy sowing target was 1,770 thousand hectares of land and sowing took place in 477 hectares. The rainfall in the last four days due to the low pressure formed in the Bay of Bengal has given hope for improvement of paddy sowing. The reports we have received indicate that the sowing could witness a quantum jump," an agriculture department official told IANS. According to the Met department, Jharkhand is likely to get more rainfall in the next two days to Wednesday. "We were depressed due to poor monsoon this year. The last four days have helped expedite the sowing. We are scared of a rainfall shortage in coming days as this is not monsoon rain. We are opting for limited sowing," said Ganesh Munda a farmer of Tamar of Ranchi. Meanwhile, the continuous rainfall has hit normal life in the state. Seven small bridges and diversions have been washed away. --IANS ns/him/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A vigilance team of has busted a high-tech power theft case with implications of a much bigger racket operating across the country, an official said here on Tuesday. Electricity was being stolen through disabling of the power meter with the help of a remote control device, the circuit of which was detected on the meter printed circuit board (PCB). The Reliance Energy's Central division vigilance team caught red-handed the owner of a small industry at Kandivali west, north -west Mumbai using such sophisticated devices to draw power illegally. "During inspection, the team found that the electricity meter parameters did not match with instantaneous parameters on a tong tester (clamp on meter). After noticing this difference, the meter was taken into custody testing, and opened before the accused customer Islam Khan at the Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories, in Borivali," said the official. On opening the meter, the lab technicians found a square cut on its back and a remote control circuit mounted on its PCB. During meter testing, it was observed that the energy-recording system was being controlled by the remote control circuit with the help of a remote device. Despite the industrial unit working round-the-clock, since the past five-six months, there was a drop in electric consumption as the accused Khan had been operating through remote control device to lower the meter readings. A complaint has been lodged with Kandivali Police and further investigations are underway. The new modus operandi is similar to the recent petrol pump scam in which the dispensing machines were tampered using pre-programmed chips to display less fuel without changing the indicator readings, busted last month by Thane Police. has assessed that the accused Khan had stolen 31,741 units electricity worth around Rs 7.50 lakh. The company suspects it to be the tip of a bigger racket in which similar remote controls may have been sold to other customers and appealed to all power distribution companies to check this new method of power pilferage. Besides, nabbed two other separate cases of power pilferage in Trombay, lodged a complaint and handed over the two accused, Pyarol and Jafer M. Panjikuti, to the local police. Incidentally, in the last one year, Reliance Energy had registered 120 FIRs against 412 customers for 260 illegal activities, which was double the previous year. By such theft-control measures, the company - which serves around three million customers in Mumbai suburbs - this year reduced distribution losses to 8.6 percent, which is among the lowest in the country. (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.) Demonetisation led to a decline in Pakistan printed high quality fake Indian currency notes which resulted only Rs 2.60 lakh seizure of such notes in Jammu and Kashmir between November 9, 2016 and July 14, parliament was told on Tuesday. "As per reports of agencies, the demonetisation of bank notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination resulted in significant positive impact on most theatres of violence in the country," Minister of State of Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir told the Lokj Sabha in a written reply. "Since illegally held cash forms the major chunk of terrorist funding, after the demonetisation, most of the cash held with the terrorists turned worthless. Demonetisation also led to instant extinguishment of Pakistan-printed high quality fake Indian currency notes. It also adversely affected the hawala operators," he said. Citing National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, Ahir said that only Rs 2.60 lakh fake Indian currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000 (98 notes), new Rs 500 (68 notes) and old Rs 500 (60 notes) have been recovered in Jammu and Kashmir between November 9, 2016 and July 14, 2017. --IANS rak/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A sharpshooter has been arrested here with an accomplice for killing an eyewitness to a murder last year, police said on Tuesday. Sonu, 24, and his associate Shekhar, 23, residents of two villages in west Delhi, were arrested following a tip off on Monday evening when they came in a car to Rohini to meet a contact. "Sonu carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head. Apart from murder, kidnapping and other crimes, he was involved in the contract killing of Ratan Lal, an eyewitness to a crime when he in his shop," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said. Lal was a key witness against Manjeet in the murder of his son Gaurav in March 2016 in Delhi. In order to weaken the case, Lal was murdered although he was provided security by Delhi Police, Yadav said. "Sonu was hired by Manjeet for Rs 2 lakh for killing Lal," the officer added. --IANS sp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In their quest to become digital, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) need to adopt strong tech-enabled business models and processes to make them more efficient and achieve global competitiveness, says a top SAP India executive. At a time when large corporates as well as MSMEs are seeking to accelerate their digital growth journeys, these firms have to excel in three areas: access, enablement and affordability. The SME sector is the fastest growth driver for SAP globally. From over 8,800 SAP customers in the subcontinent, over 6,700 companies are SMEs. "To help MSMEs transform digitally, we have signed a MoU with the Ministry of MSME to launch "Bharat ERP", a programme to empower MSMEs with next-generation technologies," Deb Deep Sengupta, President and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent, told IANS. In this programme, MSMEs will receive training and enablement courses on SAP 'Business One' solution -- an all-in-one enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. MSMEs will have access to cutting edge, next-generation technology from SAP that can streamline and integrate key processes such as financials, sales, inventory and more -- with a single business software. "Bharat ERP initiative aims to empower 30,000 MSMEs and youth in three years," Sengupta added. Started in 1996, SAP India with over 11,000 employees is the second-largest subsidiary and one of the fastest-growing companies within SAP worldwide. Headquartered in Germany, the multinational software corporation -- that develops enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations -- has a presence in eight Indian cities and spends over 13.8 per cent of its total revenue on research and development. SAP has more than 600 partners in various geographies, including Global Service Partners like Wipro, TCS, HCL, Infosys, Tech Mahindra and Larson and Toubro. Ranked 11th in India's 'Best Companies to Work in 2017' by Great Places to Work Institute, Sap India recently launched a 'Code Unnati' programme to bridge the digital skill gap in the country. "Our ability to tap into the digital opportunity can get impeded by a shortfall in skill development and employment creation. SAP's 'Code Unnati' initiative is envisioned to bridge this digital skill gap and assist the government in achieving its vision for digital literacy," Sengupta noted. 'Code Unnati' is designed to serve as a collaborative platform for the private sector to join forces and work towards enabling India's youth for New Age jobs, thereby increasing their employability. SAP's role is to provide technology infrastructure, expertise on course curriculum, delivery mechanisms and educators. "Our aim is to accelerate India's digital plan of enabling 60 million citizens on digital technologies by 2019," Sengupta said. With the GST rollout, a major hurdle is crossed. "The impact of GST has resulted in a strong push towards India becoming a formalised economy. We believe that GST adoption is not a tax problem but rather an opportunity to digitise by embracing technology," the executive told IANS. Toward this, SAP India has launched 'GST in a Box' and 'Digital Compliance Service for GST,' which is a Cloud-based online application. According to Sengupta, the effects of GST on organisations will be in three stages. In stage one, the compliance, transparency and leakages will be avoided. "In stage two, there will be improvement in the efficiency of the supply chain. These two stages will then lead to the third stage, that is, improvement in customer experiences because at the end of the day, that's the real impact which most companies are looking for," Sengupta emphasised. Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning in a Cloud-based environment is the key today. "A great example of this is the recently launched 'SAP Leonardo', a digital innovation system and enablement network that helps organisations integrate and leverage emerging technologies such as IoT, blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data," Sengupta said. When it comes to data security, SAP India believes companies should codify and protect their intellectual property (IP) and core competencies. SAP closely follows and complies with the German Federal Data Protection Act. "We have an excellent track record of safeguarding businesses against the evolving IT threat landscape. Our customers are assured that their mission-critical data is well-protected from all types of attacks -- whether it is stored on-premise or on the SAP Cloud," Sengupta added. (Nishant Arora can be contatced at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/sac/ky (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday asked senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to prove his allegations of irregularities in purchase of vehicles by the state government or withdraw the allegations and apologise. Rama Rao, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, told reporters that if the former Union Minister failed to provide evidence or apologise, action would be taken against him. He, however, did not elaborate. The state Industries, Information technology and Municipal Administration Minister said that the Congress leader can't get away by making such wild and false allegations. "If you have any common sense, respond to this. You should either prove your allegations or apologise to the government and people of Telangana," said Rama Rao. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader was responding to the allegation by Jairam Ramesh that the state government had placed an order worth about Rs 271 crore for the purchase of police vehicles from two companies -- Harsha Toyota owned by NDA Vice Presidential candidate M. Venkaiah Naidu's son and Himanshu Motors owned by Rama Rao. "If he proves that I own a company I will give it to him," said Rama Rao. He clarified that he had a stock yard for tractors about 7 to 8 years ago but it was closed 4 years before Telangana was created. KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said the government purchased 300 Toyota Innova vehicles directly from the company. "We don't deal with individual dealers," he said denying the allegation that the government purchased the vehicles from a dealer firm owned by Venkaiah Naidu's son. The minister said the vehicles were purchased at the rates fixed by ADGS&D (Directorate General of Supplies and Disposal), a central government organisation. "We did nothing new. We followed the policy formulated by previous Congress governments," he added. KTR slammed Jairam for his remark that the tax exemption given to Swarna Bharat Trust of Naidu's daughter is unprecedented. He said successive governments had been giving exemptions to not-for-profit organisations, NGOs, religious or spiritual bodies. The TRS leader said the "wild and baseless" allegations reflect the "intellectual bankruptcy" of the Congress. He alleged that the Congress leaders were resorting to cheap politics, unable to digest the fact that they are out of power and with TRS undertaking several pro-people measures, they had no issues. KTR said the Congress was following the policy of 'loot, jhoot (lies) and scoot'. The minister alleged that the Congress resorts to loot while in power and speaks lies when in opposition. "Whenever asked to show evidence to prove the allegations, they run away," he said. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A US Navy vessel fired warning shots at an Iranian patrol boat in the waters of the northern Persian Gulf, US Defence Department officials said. According to the sources, the Iranian boat, apparently belonging to that country's Revolutionary Guard, approached within about 140 m of the USS Thunderbolt, which reacted by firing warning shots, Efe news reported. Two Defence Department officials told CNN that the Thunderbolt, based in Bahrain as part of the US 5th Fleet, was sailing in international waters along with three other US vessels: the missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf and two Coast Guard boats. The Thunderbolt was engaged in a routine patrol in the Gulf when the incident occurred, US officials said. The Thunderbolt fired warning shots because the Iranian boat did not respond to several warnings -- sent via radio and using flares -- of a possible collision if it were to have continued on its initial course. US and Iranian warships have been involved in a number of naval incidents in the Persian Gulf over the past few years. According to the US Navy, a total of 35 incidents considered to be "unsafe and/or unprofessional" involving Iranian vessels took place in 2016, up from 23 registered in 2015. Iranian forces view the presence of US ships in the Persian Gulf as a provocation and have also accused the US Navy of "unprofessional" behaviour. --IANS vgu/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Firefighters were on Tuesday tackling huge blazes which destroyed 3,000 hectares in France's southeastern districts and Corsica island, the country's Interior Ministry said. The wildfires, whose cause has not yet been identified, ravaged 1,500 hectares of forest in Var and Vaucluse districts and 1,500 hectares in Corsica, the Ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. About 1,000 firemen had been deployed to battle the flames in addition to 19 aircraft, including 10 Canadair water bombers, it added. Due to strong winds and dry weather conditions, the French government had asked its European Union partners to send two extra air tankers. Four firefighters were wounded with one of them suffering serious injuries in relief efforts. Some 15 policemen were also asphyxiated, according to local reports. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the ongoing spat between two tech honchos, Founder and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk has hit back at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying the Internet entrepreneur's understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) is 'limited'. "I've talked to Mark about this (AI). His understanding of the subject is limited," Musk tweeted on Monday. The tweet came after Zuckerberg, during a Facebook livestream last week, castigated Tesla founder Musk for arguing that care and regulation was needed to safeguard the future if AI becomes mainstream. "I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI and I think people should be really concerned about it," Silicon Valley Business Journal quoted Musk as saying. Responding to this, Zuckerberg said during livestream: "I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios -- I just, I don't understand it. It's really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible." Musk has been speaking frequently on AI and has called its progress the "biggest risk we face as a civilisation". "AI is a rare case where we need to be proactive in regulation instead of reactive because if we're reactive in AI regulation it's too late," a report in TechCrunch quoted him as saying. Zuckerberg calls himself an optimist when it comes to AI. Inspired by Iron Man's artificial assistant (AI) "Jarvis" and his capabilities, he has coded and developed his own "Jarvis" to run his home. Zuckerberg has built a simple AI that he can talk to on his phone and computer, and that can control his home, including lights, temperature, appliances, music and security, that learned his tastes and can even entertain his daughter Max. The system he developed uses several AI techniques, including natural language processing, speech recognition, face recognition and reinforcement learning. During the recent livestream session with his fans, he observed that AI would be "responsible for such lifesaving services as diagnosing diseases and driving cars". "One of the top causes of death for people is car accidents still and if you can eliminate that with AI, that is going to be just a dramatic improvement," Zuckerberg said. The war of words between the two top CEOs is not new. Last year, when a SpaceX rocket carrying a Facebook satellite broke up into fragments during its launch in Florida, the incident stirred a controversy between Musk and Zuckerberg. --IANS qd/na/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At the end of September 2008 in Beijing, I received an invitation from some Chinese classical liberal and democracy activists to meet them for dinner at a nearby restaurant. Amongst the guests was Liu Xiaobo. He and the others had all been under surveillance, some periodically under house arrest and others like Liu in prison for their views. But despite this, and the seemingly clandestine aura of the dinner, they all seemed very cheerful, none more so than Liu. They thought given the seeming relaxation of the repression which had followed the Tiannmen events, there was hope that the Communist Party of China (CCP) was ready to introduce some democratic reforms. None more so than Liu, who was preparing a Charter 08 on the lines of the then Czech dissident Vaclav Havel, asking for constitutional reform and multi-party democracy. I feebly demurred, saying I doubted if the CCP had changed its spots. Liu issued his charter, which was signed by hundreds of intellectuals. In December, he was arrested and later sentenced to 11 years in jail for subversion of state power. He died in a prison jail earlier this month from liver cancer, despite his plea and those from various leaders at the recent G20 meeting to be allowed to travel abroad for treatment. He was hastily cremated and his ashes strewn in the sea. There is no doubt that President has upheld the dignity and decorum of his position as the first citizen and constitutional head of state with his excellent conduct. The Gujarat High Courts decision to dismiss Essar Steels petition challenging the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings against the company came as a huge relief to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). But will the RBIs cheer last? There is no clear answer to that if one goes by the courts other observations on the central bank in the 83-page order. As India looks to connect with Sri Lanka through a combination of a sea-bridge and underwater tunnel across Palk Strait, Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, recalled a recent meeting with a Sri Lankan minister to discuss a possible blueprint. As Gadkari laid out his plan, the Sri Lankan minister began pulling his leg: It was Hanuman who first built a bridge to Sri Lanka. Now you come to build roads in Sri Lanka, he said. In the epic Ramayana, Lord Rams vanarsena(monkey army) built a stone bridge across the ocean to reach Lanka and rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravan. are once again launching closed-end schemes. Axis Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund are running new fund offers that end on Friday. Reliance Mutual Fund and UTI Mutual Fund have also filed applications with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to launch one and three closed-end equity schemes, respectively. Its not just large private sector banks that are offering instant to their customers through ATMs or via online bank accounts. Financial technology start-ups are changing the way personal are disbursed to borrowers. Recently, Indias largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank, started offering personal to its pre-selected salaried customers through its ATMs. Only those on the banks pre-approved customers list based on their credit score would get the option to avail the facility. HDFC Bank has been offering instant loan through net banking. But if you dont have a credit history or a longstanding banking relationship, you can approach start-ups such as EarlySalary.com, LoanTap, and so on. As these lenders target customers who dont have any credit history, they use a variety of parameters to evaluate the customers profile. They access an applicants social media account and build a profile after getting information through the app such as friends list, location, etc. They also evaluate the spending habit after evaluating the customers bank account statement. EarlySalary.com offers short-term loans from a day to a month. Once a person takes 5 minutes to fill in the loan application on the company's app, the KYC, signing of documents and disbursement can be done within a few hours. From the next time onwards, the disbursement is instant. Around 35 per cent borrowers are new to credit, says Akshay Mehrotra, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), EarlySalary.com. Illustration: Ajay Mohanty LoanTap offers on-tap credit up to Rs 5 lakh for one day to five years. But their loan system works like a credit card. You can repay a minimum amount and revolve the outstanding, paying interest on it, says Satyam Kumar, CEO, LoanTap. There are also intermediaries such as Qbera.com which has tied up with RBL Bank, and PaySense, that works with India Infoline Finance. These fintech start-ups underwrite the loans for partner lenders. In case of defaults, they also bear the risk. Theoretically its possible for lenders to do the same kind of underwriting that we do but the reality is that they are not as agile. Their adoption of technology is slow. Also, operating costs for lenders are too high, especially for small-ticket loans, says Aditya Kumar, founder and CEO, Qbera.com. In case of Qbera and PaySense, too, the borrowers can be big bank customers or those without a credit history. Once we establish a relationship with them with the first loan, subsequent loans are disbursed instantly, says Sayali Karanjkar, co-founder and COO, PaySense. As availing personal loans gets easier, financial planners say borrowers should not fall for this easy money trap. If theres a default, the institutions will report it to credit bureaus, and there can be problems when the borrower wants to go for a housing loan. While these facilities are convenient, borrowers should use them only in case of an emergency and not on their usual expenditure. Most financial disasters happen due to an individuals inability to control spending. Its difficult not to get habituated to debt when once uses such a product, says Malhar Majumder, certified financial planner. If you have a salary account with a bank, do explore the option of overdraft (OD) facility on the salary that comes at 14-19 per cent interest rates. Once set up, you can take an OD for up to a year in case of emergencies. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday voted against party chief getting a third Rajya Sabha term, which is set to not only reduce its numbers in the Upper House but debilitate its efforts to play a catalyst of Opposition unity in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. After not allowing Jyoti Basu to be the prime minister of India in 1996 and withdrawing their outside support to the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre in 2008, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is on the cusp of committing yet another historic blunder. Twenty-four Nepalese women have been rescued from western Nepal while being trafficked to India in the past six months. The women were rescued by Nepal Police in coordination with various organisation from various transit points in Bardiya district along the open Nepal-India border. Traffickers were taking women to India on the pretext of heading to third country destination either for medical treatment or shopping purposes, Bardiya Chief District Officer Bishnu Bahadur Thapa said. Four transit points in Bardiya have been found sensitive from the security perspective for women, he said. The traffickers are using the areas along the open border with India where there is no presence of security personnel as a trafficking route, he said. "They do not use the areas where security personnel are deployed," Thapa added. Jamuni Karnalipur, Gulariya, Ganeshpur and Dhanaura are the most sensitive transit points as listed by organisations working against the women trafficking. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A three-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar here today, killing at least four persons and trapping many others under the debris, civic officials said. At least 10 persons were also injured in the mishap, a senior police official said. Search operations are still on to extricate the people feared trapped under the concrete rubble. Eyewitnesses said four persons were taken out from the rubble of the building that caved-in, and rushed to hospital. The structure that came down this morning at the Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area housed around 15 families. Most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be elderly and women. The civic body's control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident, a BMC official said. Fire engines, a rescue van and ambulances were rushed to the spot immediately, he said. According to the fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses said in the morning they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning since it is monsoon season. "Then I came out of my building and found lot of dust, cries and noise of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapsing," an eyewitness living in the neighbourhood said. According to a local resident, it was a 35-year-old building. The city and its suburbs had received heavy rains over the last several days, though there had been some respite since yesterday with showers becoming intermittent. The Mumbai Police cordoned off the area while traffic was blocked on the Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a 'green corridor' to rush the rescued to hospital. A resident of the collapsed building, whose mother and two other family members are feared trapped in the debris, lamented that the chances of their survival are slim. Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the same building, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might be the reason for the collapse of the building. He said he was saved as he had left for his office before the building collapsed. The building was not listed in the dangerous category, as per locals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sixteen abandoned cattles were today moved into specially-demarcated cattle-sheds set up here on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's orders to provide them proper care. With this a total of 48 cattles disowned by people after they are unable to give milk have been moved into the two specially designed cow shelters at Deedarganj and Katrabazar, a statement from Patna district administration said. The cow-sheds were set up last week by the Patna district administration to provide care to abandoned cattles at state cost. The measure has been taken after Nitish Kumar had recently flayed cow vigilantism for political gains and had announced that his government would build cattle sheds to feed cattle, which are abandoned after they stop giving milk. Patna District Magistrate, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal supervising the cow shelters today held meeting with officials of Patna Municipal corporation and directed them to speed up campaign to identify such cattles and move them into state sponsored shelters. The cattle in the sheds are provided good feed and veterinary doctors have been put on duty to attend to them round-the-clock. The cattle-shed in Katrabazar is on a 15-bigha plot and the one at Deedarganj is spread across 3 to 4 bighas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior Army officer has served a legal notice to the Union government protesting against the alleged withdrawal of free ration to Army officers in peace areas and sought restoration of the benefit within 60 days. Col Mukul Dev, Deputy Judge Advocate General, HQ 12 Corps, wrote to the Government of India through Defence secretary Sanjay Mitra seeking immediate withdrawal of the order. "The government is instead offering Rs 96.03 per day as ration money in lieu, which is highly inadequate," his lawyer Col Rajiv Manglik (retd) told PTI today over the phone. "Can the sum offered be enough to provide calorific value required a day?" Manglik asked. In the notice, Col Dev said "I was commissioned in the Indian Army on August 20, 1988 based upon an advertisement ... for Combined Defence Services Examination. "Beside other terms and conditions of the service spelt out in the said notification, provision for free rations too was clearly given," Dev, who is at present posted at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, said. "There is no mention of cash in lieu of the free rations in the said notification. It was only after weighing all the conditions of service as laid out in the said notification that I had applied for getting commissioned in the Army," he said in the notice. "It has now been intimated that with effect from today i.E July one, 2017, no free ration shall be provided to the officers in the Indian Armed Forces while they are serving in peace area and they shall be provided with a paltry sum of Rs 96.03 as ration money instead," the notice said. The letter said the decision was violative of his service conditions upon which he was employed and commissioned and which he claimed was done without obtaining any written consent from him. "It may kindly be noted that such notification for provision of free rations to the officers of Indian Armed Forces is still in force even today for the officers who are due for commissioning in near future or who are aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces," it said. Col Dev served the legal notice seeking immediate withdrawal of such orders of "non-provisioning of free rations to me while serving in peace areas, without obtaining my consent for the same since the same is illegal and violative of the basic terms and conditions of my service." He claimed that these cannot be altered without obtaining his "express and written consent." "In case of non-reversal of such orders within a period of 60 days from the issue of this legal notice, I shall be constrained to approach the Court of Law as also to raise the matter in any other appropriate judicial forum," Dev wrote in the notice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japanese imaging and optical products major Canon Inc is expecting USD 10 billion sales from Asian markets by 2020 as the company bets big on fast growing emerging markets of the region that includes China and India. "We are looking USD 10 billion USD by 2020 from the total sales of the Asia group," Canon Inc Executive Vice President Hideki Ozawa told PTI. Presently, the Asian marketing region is contributing around 23-24 per cent of the total global sales. In 2016, Canon Inc had reported net sales of USD 29.32 billion. "Contribution from Canon Asia is increasing... Eventually Asia would be the leading contributor," said Ozawa who is also President & CEO Canon China, adding it would beat Japan, which is presently its biggest market. In some products range such as cameras, Asian market has already exceeded Japan, he said. The Asia region includes markets like China, India, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong etc. "China is the fastest growing market followed by India, South Korea, Malaysia and other markets. They are always competing with each other in a good way," he said. China is the leading market in the region and there is huge gap between them and other Asian markets, while India shuttles between two and three. "We want India definitely to be at number two and eventually to catch up with China," said Ozawa. However, on being asked about the projected time frame in which Canon India would grow to be comparable with Canon China, he said the gap is huge and would take time. "Even it's going to take time, we are going to stay with India. We would keep watching and helping it. In terms of making Canon's entire global and Asian business bigger, we can not afford to ignore India and China and emerging countries. That's for sure," Ozawa said. Canon India closed 2016 with revenues of Rs 2,348.6 crore. "In the next three years, we are targetting Rs 3,500 crore business by 2020," said Canon India President and CEO Kazutada Kobayashi Presently, India is contributing around 1.2-1.5 per cent to the Canon's global sales and Kobayashi is expecting it to increase in coming years. Canon India, which is largely present in the printers and imaging products business would expand as it has plans to enter into medical imaging systems and security and surveillance camera products. "Besides b2b and b2c, we are also going to set up industrial domain, which would give us more stability over the operations of the company. The medical system, security camera systems, industrail domain business, semiconductor business would come in this," said Kobayashi adding that it would start from this year itself. As part of expansion of its product portfolio, Canon India today launched third generation multi function printing devices. Set up in 1997, Canon India has completed 20 years here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today blamed the government for the agrarian crisis in the country and said that fixing of import-export levies on foodgrain was one of the biggest scams impacting the farmers. Initiating a short-duration discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of thier suicide" Digvijay Singh (Cong) accused the government of being "insensitive" to plight of the agriculturists. He said farmers in Madhya Pradesh had faced bullets recently on the centenary of Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams. Singh said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 per cent from 25 per cent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers adversely as imported wheat was avaiable at cheaper prices. Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014- 15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said. Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12. Singh quoted Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside. He said there is a need for fixing import-export levies by the Commerce Ministry in consultation with Agriculture Ministry. Expressing concern over 42 per cent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP. The Congress leader also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). He alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers. He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said that others in the Cabinet were helpless as it was PM who decided everything. He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but to benefit industrialists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A controversy has erupted over the sale of a forest land near a Buddhist site in Mahasamund district to the wife of Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister in 2009 which is now used for constructing a resort. The main opposition Congress has demanded a high-level probe and resignation of Brijmohan Agrawal. However, Agrawal has dismissed any wrongdoing, saying the land was purchased from a farmer and everything was done according to rules. Lalit Chandranahu, a farmers' association leader, today said he had complained to the authorities demanding action in connection with the purchase of nearly 4.12 hectares of land in the name of Agrawal's wife Sarita in Jalki village. "As per the records, one Vishnu Sahu and five other residents of Jalki village donated 4.12 hectares of land to the Water Resources Department (WRD) as part of a 'daanpatra' (donated for public use) in the erstwhileMadhya Pardesh in 1994," Chandranahu, the convener of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (KMS), told PTI. He claimed the plot in question was a part of the total 61.729 hectares of land which was given to the forest department by the WRD against the forest land submerged in an irrigation project in Mahasamund. "Later, some forestation work was done on the land by the (Forest) department. However, the possession (ownership) of the land was not changed in the Revenue records of Patwari," he said quoting the documents. Citing the documents, Chandranahu said, "Since the land mutation was not done, its ownership remained in the name of Sahu and other donors. "In 2009, the land was sold to Sarita Agrawal, the wife of Brijmohan Agrawal, a native of Ramsagar Para (Raipur), by other donors. Now a resort is being developed on the land, located near Sirpur, a historical Buddhist site," he said. He said he had complained to Mahsamund collector last year. Mahasamund Collector Himshikhar Gupta today said the district administration had formed a three-member inter-departmental committee to make recommendations and it found that the land in question was donated by farmers, but its mutation was not done. "An inter-departmental committee comprising a Divisional Forest Officer, an Executive Engineer (Irrigation) and a Sub- Divisional Officer (Revenue) had been formed to make recommendations on the issue," he told PTI. The committee, which held a meeting last month in this connection, will now make suggestions on the future course of action, the collector said. Mutation is the change of title ownership from one person to another when the property is sold or transferred. When contacted, Agrawal said the charges levelled against him are "politically motivated". "We bought the land from the farmer based on the revenue records, as per the rules. I had mentioned the property registered in the name of my wife in my election affidavit (during the last Assembly polls). "There is no question of any wrongdoing from our side as I bought the land which was in the name of the farmer. If anything wrong has happened, it must have been happened from the side of the farmer who sold the land to us," Agrawal said. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel demanded a probe by a national agency into the land deal. "The issue (referring to the land deal) needed to be probed by national agencies," Baghel said and demanded Agrawal's resignation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in the Taliban suicide bombing near residence-cum-office of Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here rose to 27 after a 12-year-old Christian boy today succumbed to his injuries. The boy, Sol Masih, who was a toy seller, was passing by when the Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team yesterday. Masih succumbed to his injuries at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) today, LGH's Dr Ejaz Ahmed said. The condition of three of the 60 injured is still critical, he said. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle approached the police contingent deployed at the anti-encroachment drive outside the Arfa Karim Tower, near the chief minister's Model Town residence, and blew himself up. The chief minister, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was in a meeting at his Model Town office when the blast took place. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the attack. The Lahore police chief said initial investigation showed that the bomber used some 10-kg explosive in his suicide vest. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the blast and vowed to continue war on terrorism in Pakistan till elimination of the last terrorist. Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police has registered a case against four people, including the suicide bomber. Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent years. In April, six persons were killed and 15 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a population census team in Lahore's Bedian Road. In February, a suicide bomber killed 14 people, including senior police officers, near the Punjab Assembly here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 40 terrorists have been killed in air strikes carried out by the Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, military said today. Forty militants were killed during air raids in the North Sinai cities of Al-Arish, Shiekh Zwayed and Rafah in the past seven days, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement. Five militants were arrested during the raids. Twenty vehicles, four motorcycles and four car bombs were discovered and destroyed, the statement said. Fifty two shelters used by terrorists to hide, store medical needs and explosives were also destroyed, it said. Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many terror 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, in which some terrorists are based. The security forces have 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.) Following are top stories at 1900 hours today: DEL39 LDALL PRESIDENT New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind takes over as India's 14th president, on a day of ceremony and regalia during which he underscores that the key to India's success is its diversity. DEL46 DEF-ARMY CHINA New Delhi: China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas in India's neighbourhood and is bound to be a "threat" in the coming years, says a top Army general. BOM18 MH-BUILDING-2NDLD COLLAPSE Mumbai: At least eight persons are killed and many others injured in collapse of a four-storey residential building in suburban Ghatkopar, in which several others are still feared trapped, say civic officials. LGD8 SC-SAHARA New Delhi: The Supreme Court directs Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by September 7. DEL26 PREZ-BJP-MODI New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in as the next president is a "significant milestone" in the journey started by BJP's ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. DEL19 SCIENTIST-LD YASHPAL-DIES New Delhi: Eminent Indian scientist Professor Yash Pal, noted for his contribution to the study of cosmic rays as well as for being an institution builder, died last night, says his family. BOM17 GJ-NARODA PATIYA CASE-ARRESTS Ahmedabad: The city police's special operations group (SOG) arrests two convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case who had jumped parole. CAL4 KARNAN-PREZ Kolkata: Former Calcutta High Court judge C S Karnan makes a representation before newly sworn-in President Ram Nath Kovind seeking remission of the six-month jail term awarded to him by the Supreme Court. CAL5 WB-GJM SITUATION Darjeeling (WB): The ban on internet services in the Darjeeling Hills, facing indefinite shutdown for the last 41 days for carving out a separate state of Gorkhaland out of West Bengal, is extended till August 4. LGM1 TN-HC-VANDEMATARAM Chennai: The Madras High Court makes singing of the national song Vande Mataram mandatory in schools across Tamil Nadu, at least twice a week. FGN19 CHINA-SIKKIM-LD WANG Beijing: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that India should "conscientiously withdraw" its troops from the disputed Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector for a "simple" solution to the over a month-long border standoff. By K J M Varma FGN10 CHINA-SIKKIM-MEDIA Beijing: Ahead of NSA Ajit Doval's visit, China's state media strikes two different notes with the China Daily hopeful of a peaceful resolution to the deadlock with India while the Global Times saying the "main schemer's" trip wouldn't sway Beijing. By K J M Varma FGN3 US-H1B Washington: The US announces resuming faster processing of H-1B work visas, popular with Indian techies, for high skilled foreign professionals in categories exempt from Congress-mandated limit, which are mostly for higher education and scientific research institutions. By Lalit K Jha FGN21 UK-INDIAN-LD MUSLIM London: A 19-year-old Indian-origin Muslim woman is kidnapped, raped and murdered in the UK in a suspected honour killing for dating an Arab Muslim, says a media report. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress minister Atanasio Monserratte, who was tipped to be party's candidate for bypoll against Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in Panaji, today joined the Goa Forward Party, a ruling coalition ally. The development comes in the backdrop of Monserratte's name being considered by the Congress for the Panaji by-election from where Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is seeking an entry into the assembly. Congress leaders too confirmed that Monserratte's name was being considered for the Panaji bypolls. Parrikar had in March this year resigned as Defence Minister to take over as chief minister of Goa after the assembly polls. He was a Member of Rajya Sabha and not an MLA, and so he has to contest an election within six months of taking over as chief minister. Monserratte who had lost the recent state legislative assembly election to BJP's Siddharth Kuncolienkar was being considered as party's candidate to contest the by-election against Parrikar. "Now we can call Manohar Parrikar as the MLA of Panaji. We will be supporting Parrikar during the by-election in the constituency," GFP President Vijai Sardesai told reporters after welcoming Monserratte into the party fold. Sardesai said Monserratte joining GFP is a major political development and it will give stability certificate to the Parrikar-led government in the state. He termed Monserratte as a "pro-active and pro-development person in the state." "We will concentrate on building a new Goa with Goenkarponn as its foundation," he said rubbishing the allegations that GFP has become B team of the BJP. Monserratte told reporters that the Congress was never serious about contesting the Panaji by-election. "I am in favour of this government. The common minimum programme recently released shows reversal of the decisions taken by previous governments," he said. He accused the local Congress leaders of running the party like their proprietory firm. "Even Digambar Kamat does not have much say in the party," Monserratte claimed. Monserratte was ministerin the Digambar Kamat led government and had landed in controversy afterbeingarrested for raping a minor girl. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least four civilians, including a child, were killed in an attack by suspected jihadist militants in northeast Mali, security and official sources have said. The ethnic Tuareg victims were sleeping when the attack happened in the early hours yesterday near the Niger border. Others there managed to flee the area, a local official said. The Tuareg encampment, some 44 kilometres (27 miles) from the northeastern town of Menaka "was attacked by terrorists. At least four people were killed," a security source told AFP. Another source blamed the attack on an Islamist militia group, led by Abou Walid Sahraoui, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State jihadist group. As well as the child who was killed, some of the victims were elderly, a local Menaka official said. Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in March 2012, and although they were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year, the Islamists have regrouped and now have spread further south. Mali's north is controlled in parts by armed groups loyal to Bamako and in others by former rebels who want greater autonomy for the region, while the state is absent from much of the territory. Both sides signed a 2015 peace deal aimed at curbing violence in Mali's north, but both have repeatedly violated a ceasefire. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) His childhood spent in a mud house in a small village, Ram Nath Kovind moved into the palatial Rashtrapati Bhavan today as the 14th President of India, underscoring his strong belief in the Constitution which promises equality to every citizen. As Kovind, the second Dalit to hold the highest constitutional post, said in his first address as the president today, the journey of his life had been a long one. A lawyer, politician and long-time advocate of integrity and an egalitarian society, Kovind served as the 36th governor of Bihar -- from August 16, 2015, to June 20, 2017 -- before the ruling NDA selected him as their presidential candidate. Born on on October 1, 1945, in Paraunkh, near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he finished his schooling in the UP city before earning a BCom degree as well an LLB from Kanpur University. Kovind, who enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi, was the Union government advocate in the Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979 and its standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. He became an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court in 1978, and practised at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years till 1993. But his political journey began when Kovind joined then Prime Minister Morarji Desai's office after the Janata Party came to power in 1977. That was when the articulate lawyer came to the notice of the Jan Sangh, the precursor to the BJP. Selected to head the party's Dalit Morcha, Kovind was elected member of the Rajya Sabha from UP in April 1994. He served for two consecutive terms of six years each till March 2006. He joined a stir by SC/ST employees in 1997 when Dalits and others protested against Central government orders that he believed undermined their interests. The orders were rescinded by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. As an advocate, Kovind took the lead in providing pro bono legal help to weaker sections of people, especially SC/ST women, under the aegis of the Free Legal Aid Society in Delhi. Kovind also served on various parliamentary panels on the welfare of scheduled castes/tribes; home affairs; petroleum and natural gas; social justice and empowerment and on law and justice. He was the chairman of the Rajya Sabha House Committee. Kovind also served on the board of management of the Dr B R Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and as a member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. He was part of the Indian delegation to the United Nations (UN) and addressed the UN General Assembly in October 2002. Positions Held: 2015-17: Governor of Bihar 1994-2006: Member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Uttar Pradesh 1971-75 and 1981: General Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj 1977-79: Union Government Advocate at the Delhi High Court 1982-84: Union Government Junior Counsel in the Supreme Court Personal Details: Ram Nath Kovind and Savita were married on May 30, 1974. They have a son, Prashant Kumar, and a daughter, Swati. An avid reader, he is especially interested in books on politics and social change, law, history and religion. Kovind has travelled widely across the country. He visited Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States as a Member of Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An unidentified gang today hacked to death a 32-year-old man and beheaded him near a railway level crossing in the district, police said. The victim Rajeshsimman, the son of a former AIADMK town secretary in Ammapettai, was travelling to Saliyamangalam when the incident happened, they said. When Rajeshsimman stepped out of his car, four men on two motorcycles attacked him with sickles before beheading him, police said. Police suspect an old enmity to be the motive behind the murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of Alphabet, the search giant's parent company has said. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I am excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Larry Page, CEO of California-based US multinational conglomerate Alphabet, said in a statement yesterday. A long-time Google employee, 45-year-old Pichai, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus born in Chennai, has been leading the company for the past two years. As Google's Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for Google's product development and technology strategy, as well as the company's day-to-day-operations. Pichai joined Google in 2004 and helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people. In 2014, he took over product, engineering, and research efforts for all of Google's products and platforms. After years of working closely with Google's co-founders, Page and Sergey Brin, he became Google's CEO in August 2015. Under Pichai, Google has boosted sales from its core advertising and YouTube business, while also investing in machine learning, hardware and cloud computing. The government is focussing on teachers for providing quality education and is taking strong view of absentee teachers in schools run by it, secretary to union school education and literacy ministry Anil Swarup said today. "I was aghast to learn that 25-28 per cent of teachers do not go to school but get paid handsomely. Most of them are sincere but we need to take a strong view of absentee teachers, specially in the government domain first," he told reporters on the sidelines of an ASSOCHAM programme here. Swarup said 4,000 B-Ed colleges in the country have not furnished their affidavits and they will not be accredited by the NCERT nor will there be any punitive action against them. An estimated 11,487 colleges had furnished their affidavits and each B-Ed college will be vetted by the third party. "But there will be no inspector raj." There will be five star ratings for certain B-Ed colleges based on their performances and facilities, he said adding, "We don't need to regulate these colleges after their five star accreditation by National Council for Teacher Education. There will also be no usual inspection." On the detention policy proposed by union HRD minister, Swarup said the policy is for class 5 and class 8 students and the Parliament will decide on the Detention Act. "But let me clarify none stops anybody from conducting examinations in other classes as well." To a question about poor salary of teachers in private schools, Swarup said agreed that many of them did. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump called the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah a threat to the entire Middle East today, accusing it and Iran of fueling a humanitarian disaster in Syria. "Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region," Trump said at a joint press conference alongside Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House. "The group continues to increase its military arsenal which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel... With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A leading Pakistani opposition party, facing charges of receiving funds from unauthorised means, today demanded scrutiny of the accounts and funds of all political parties, specifically the religious parties, accusing them of receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and Iran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly elected President Ram Nath Kovind today said the key to India's success was its diversity and emphasised the need to enhance opportunities for the underprivileged to help mould an egalitarian society. In his first address at the central hall of Parliament after taking oath as the 14th president of India, Kovind, 71, advocated the need to build an India that was "an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar". "For us, those two touchstones can never be separate. They are and must for ever be linked. The key to India's success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique," he told a gathering of governors, chief ministers, senior politicians, diplomats and other guests. Kovind, who took over from Pranab Mukherjee today, referred to the "mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more" that was India. "We are so different and yet so similar and united," he said. Kovind said while India had achieved "a lot" as a nation, "the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless". He said this was especially true as the country approached the 75th Year of its independence in 2022. India, he said, should focus on its ability to "enhance access and opportunity for the last person and the last girl- child from an underprivileged family in the last house in the last village". This must include a "quick and affordable justice delivery system", Kovind, a Dalit, said. The president said it was appropriate that the land of the Buddha should lead the world in its search for peace, tranquillity and ecological balance. "We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay," he said. These principles, he said, were "integral to our sense of humanism". "This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities. This will be the India of the 21st century," he said. Kovind made a special reference to the role women played in "nation building". Women who, despite responsibilities at home and work, raised children to be "ideal citizens" were nation builders, he said. Nations were not built by governments alone, he said, for the government could at best be a facilitator and a trigger for society's entrepreneurial and creative instincts. "The farmer toiling in the blazing sun to feed fellow citizens is a nation builder, armed forces that protect the borders are nation builders and police and paramilitary personnel who fight terrorism and crime are nation builders," he said. The scientist sending an Indian space mission to Mars, or inventing a vaccine, was a a nation builder, too, he said. "Nurse or doctor helping the sick to recover and fighting disease in a remote village is a nation builder. Young person who founds a start-up and becomes a job creator is a nation builder," he said. Remembering his predecessors, including Rajendra Prasad, S Radhakrishnan, APJ Abdul Kalam and Mukherjee, Kovind said the country's independence was the result of the efforts of thousands of freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi. The principal architect of the Constitution, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, instilled in the people "the value of human dignity and of the republican ethic". "These leaders did not believe that simply political freedom was enough. For them, it was crucial to also achieve economic and social freedom for millions of our people," he said. Referring to his humble background, the president said he grew up in a mud house in a small village and his journey of life had been a long one. "It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the preamble to the Constitution - of ensuring justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra," he said. "I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me," he said. Kovind said India's voice counted in today's world. "The entire planet is drawn to Indian culture and soft power. The global community looks to India for solutions to international problems - whether terrorism, money laundering or climate change," he said. In a globalised world, India's responsibilities were also global, he stressed. "This links us to our global family, our friends and partners abroad, and our diaspora," Kovind said. "It brings us to the support of other nations, whether by extending the umbrella of the International Solar Alliance or being first responders following natural disasters," he said. Soon after taking the presidential oath, Kovind told the gathering, "Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th president of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is discussing with the European Union the concerns of domestic rice exporters that tightening norms on pesticide use will affect their shipments to the region. The European Commission has brought down the maximum residue limit (MRL) level for fungicide Tricyclazole in basmati rice to 0.01 mg per kg from next year. "We are discussing the matter with them. Some European countries also use this pesticide," Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia told reporters here today. Rice exporters body AIREA has stated that tough norms by the European Commission will hit the exports badly as trade worth over Rs 1,700 crore could shift to Pakistan. AIREA has said that the EU has virtually imposed a ban on import of Indian basmati rice by reducing 100-fold the import tolerance level of Tricyclazole and it is not possible to bring down the pesticide level all of a sudden to nearly zero. Two aromatic basmati rice varieties -- PB1 and 1401 -- are exported the most to the EU. The shipments of these varieties with Tricyclazole MRL at 0.03 mg per kg were accepted so far from India. At least two crop cycles are required to effect the desired change. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence that it is harmful to human health, he said, adding that meanwhile farmers are being educated to use the fungicide in a judicious manner. Agricultural and Processed Food Products and Export Development Authority (Apeda) Chairman D K Singh said that it is organising awareness programmes about use of such pesticides in rice. "We have started the awareness programme. Our target is to reach 50,000 farmers in next two months. The target is mainly rice growing areas. We are telling them about judicious use of such pesticides," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director General of Indian Army's Assam Rifles Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan today paid a courtesy call to Nepal Army chief Gen Rajendra Chhetri during which they discussed matters relating to mutual interest and defence cooperation. "This is a regular goodwill visit by the Indian Army official and such visits are aimed at strengthening ties between the two armies," said an official at the Nepal Army headquarters here. They exchanged views on contemporary issues, matters relating to mutual interest and defence cooperation between the two armies, the Nepalese Army's directorate of public relations said. Lt Gen Chauhan arrived here yesterday on a six-day visit to Nepal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 46-year-old Indian man died in Dubai after suffering heart attack just before he was supposed to return to India, a media report said today. Sundaresan Asokan was working with a metal fabrication company in Dubai. According to his colleagues, he had resigned from the firm and was supposed to fly to his hometown in Kerala yesterday, Gulf reported. However, the man was not seen outside his room in the company's staff accommodation in Sharjah for a couple of days. "He came out on Sunday to sign the final settlement papers sent by the company. Then, he came out on Sunday night and complained of chest pain and collapsed," said one colleague. The colleagues called an ambulance and rushed Asokan to Kuwaiti Hospital. However, he had passed away due to a heart attack before reaching the hospital, said an HR executive of the company. He said Asokan, father of two school-going children, had joined the firm only four months ago. He had worked with the same company some years ago and came back after working in Qatar and Ras Al Khaimah, his friends said. While the friends said Asokan was upset about being forced to quit the job and his financial constraints, the HR executive said Asokan had resigned on his own. "He did not want to stay and wanted to leave," he said, refuting allegations that the employees, including Asokan, were facing non-payment of salaries as well. He said the company had even given some advance payment as requested by Asokan. "We gave holiday to all employees today in view of his death. We have informed his family about this and we are following up regarding the repatriation of the body," the HR executive added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today congratulated Ram Nath Kovind on being sworn in as the 14th President of the country. Das congratulated the president on behalf of the people of the state, an official release said here. Kovind was administered the oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law" by Chief Justice of India J S Kehar in an impressive ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A joint exercise by the Coast Guard of India and Bangladesh to increase synergy and coordination between the two forces commenced today at the regional headquarter (North-East) of Coast Guard here. "The Bay of Bengal is a hot spot of maritime trade and ships of both countries are at risk. A strong search and rescue setup is the need of the hour," Coast Guard regional commander(NE) IG Kuldip Singh Sheoran said after inaugurating the exercise. The two-day exercise, which is being conducted through simulation at the regional headquarter, is being participated by senior officers of Coast Guard of both the countries, an ICG spokesman said. Commander Mohammad Radwan and Lt Commander Fariduzzaman from Bangladesh Coast Guard are taking part in the exercise aimed at bolstering Indo-Bangla joint search and rescue operations in the Bay of Bengal, ICG spokesman Avinandan Mitra said. "The iconic Indo-Bangla search and rescue operation in August 2016 where more than 300 lives were saved showcases the synergy and coordination of both the forces," said Commander Radwan. "The exercise will take the participants through a dummy mass rescue operation in the bay," Mitra said, adding search and rescue at sea is a complex mechanism involving many stake holders and foreign nations. The exercise will involve rescue, medical aid, media management, immigration and other challenges and processes. The Indian Coast Guard and its Bangladesh counterpart have established standard operating procedures with regard to these issues in April 2017, Mitra said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ram Nath Kovind took over as India's 14th president today, on a day of ceremony and regalia during which he underscored that the key to India's success was its diversity. "In this land we find a mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more. We are so different and yet so similar and united," he said in his acceptance speech after taking oath of office in the historical Central Hall of Parliament. The 71-year-old, who took over the highest Constitutional post in the country from Pranab Mukherjee, is the first BJP leader and the second Dalit in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Stressing on access and opportunities for the "last person and the last girl-child from an under-privileged family", he said, "We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless. This is especially so as we approach the 75th Year of our independence in 2022." The former Bihar governor, described variously as low profile and unassuming, said the country needs to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. The change of guard had begun early in the morning with a gentle knock on the door of Kovind's Akbar Road residence. It was Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla. Khosla, who had come with a motorcade, invited Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Mukherjee received them in the study. A few hours later, the roles had reversed and President Kovind escorted Mukherjee out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Earlier, the then president-elect and the outgoing president had gone to the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais. Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard (PBG) with Kovind standing to his left. The two leaders drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of Parliament in the black presidential limousine with Mukherjee in the right and Kovind on the left. Escorting them was a grand equestrian procession by the PBG, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work. The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional 'hazaar salaam' to the president -- the supreme commander of the defence forces. The procession reached gate number five of Parliament where Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India J S Khehar received President Mukherjee and President-elect Kovind who were then taken to the Central Hall. The oath ceremony started with Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi reading out the Election Commission notification on the presidential polls declaring Kovind winner. After Justice Khehar administered the oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law", Kovind exchanged seats with Mukherjee. Addressing the gathering, Kovind referred to his humble background and said he grew up in a mud house in a small village. His journey to the presidency had been a long one. "It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution - of ensuring Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity - and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra," he said. Remembering his predecessors, including Rajendra Prasad, S. Radhakrishnan, A P J Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee, Kovind said the country's Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi. "These leaders did not believe that simply political freedom was enough. For them, it was crucial to also achieve economic and social freedom for millions of our people," he said. After the ceremony, Kovind met leaders across the political spectrum who had gathered in Central Hall. He then left for the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine -- this time with Mukherjee in the left and India's new president on the right. The skies opened up as the procession made its way from Parliament to the presidential palace. The black tarmac of Rajpath seemed washed clean as the PBG marched with military precision in the pouring rain. Kovind and Mukherjee reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the new president formally took charge. Kovind then came out into the forecourt in the presidential buggy, a black carriage with national emblem--the Ashoka insignia--embossed in gold and drawn by six horses. It was Mukherjee who had revived the tradition of the buggy ride. Kovind inspected the Guard of Honour and returned back inside. He came back outside to the forecourt, escorting Mukherjee who was given a last Guard of Honour. Kovind then accompanied Mukherjee in the presidential limousine to see him off to his new residence at 10, Rajaji Marg, once occupied by the late Kalam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) L&T Technology Services (LTTS) today posted a 9.3 per cent drop in consolidated net profit to Rs 98 crore for the June quarter. The company's net profit was at Rs 108 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a BSE filing. Its revenue from operations stood at Rs 822.6 crore, 2.5 per cent higher than Rs 802.9 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal, it added. On sequential basis, net profit increased 1.6 per cent from Rs 96.5 crore, while revenue was up 1.3 per cent from Rs 812.3 crore in the January-March 2017 period. In dollar terms, revenue grew 6.3 per cent year-on-year to USD 128 million in the quarter under review. "Despite the impact of the rupee appreciation, we have maintained steady net margins on a sequential basis," LTTS CEO and MD Keshab Panda said. He added that growth in revenue was driven by projects in new technology areas and sustained business momentum from its top 30 customers. "The healthy deal pipeline makes us optimistic of posting a robust revenue growth in FY18," Panda noted. LTTS is ramping up its design centres in Texas and the Midwest region to address the changing demands from US customers, it said. In terms of geographic share, North America contributed the most at 64.5 per cent, followed by Europe at 16.6 per cent and rest of the world contributing 9.6 per cent. Contribution from the domestic market stood at 9.3 per cent. In terms of verticals, transportation and industrial products accounted for over 59 per cent of revenue. At the end of June quarter, the company had 10,805 employees. Its attrition rate was at 13.4 per cent. Shares of the company closed marginally higher at Rs 775.50 apiece on BSE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Cabinet today approved the sale to a Chinese firm of a 70 per cent stake in the strategically-located Hambantota port, tweaking the deal after the initial agreement sparked protests. Parliament will debate the USD 1.12 billion-deal on Friday and formally enter it over the weekend, Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. State-owned China Merchants Port Holdings will have a majority stake in the port, he said. The Chinese will manage port operations and Sri Lanka will handle port security, the minister said, indicating that it should allay fears that the port could be misused by the Chinese. "Security of the port will not be given to anyone else. It will be handled 100 per cent by Sri Lankans," Samarasinghe said. His comments are being seen as an attempt to allay Indian concerns over the Chinese presence in the Hambantota port. India perceives it as a danger to its national security. The Maithripala Sirisena government had earlier faced public protests over handing over 15,000 acres of land for a Chinese industrial park in Hambantota. There were violent protests in the area as the local people refused to part with their land. Earlier, the Sri Lankan government had planned to offer an 80 per cent stake to the Chinese firm, media reports said. In 2014, New Delhi had protested to Colombo when a Chinese submarine called at the Colombo Port where Sri Lanka is currently developing a financial centre on the Chinese assisted port city project. Samarasinghe said no favours would be granted to China. "We will not provide special treatment to any country. We want to maintain good relations with all and we don't want to antagonise anyone." The announcement came as petroleum workers stopped work at midnight yesterday, opposing the deal at Hambantota and the proposed lease of oil storage tanks in the eastern district of Trincomalee to India. Long queues were seen at fuel stations with fuel distribution coming to a halt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the prevailing situation in Darjeeling, where normal life has been hit due to an ongoing strike demanding a separate Gorkhaland state. During the hour-long meeting at Singh's residence here, Banerjee also discussed the flood-like situation in West Bengal due to heavy rains. The chief minister was in the national capital to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind as the 14th President. During her meeting with Singh late evening, Banerjee apprised him of the security situation in the hill district of Darjeeling and the steps taken by her government to bring back normalcy in the region, an official privy to the meeting said. The home minister assured Banerjee of full cooperation and asked her to take all necessary steps to restore normalcy in Darjeeling, the official said. Darjeeling has been witnessing indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland, since June 12. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha today, Union Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said there was no proposal to constitute a committee to look into the separate state demand of the Gorkhas and others agitating in Darjeeling. Banerjee will leave for Kolkata tomorrrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 67-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly hiring contract killers to bump off his elder brother since he was jealous of the latter's success in business, police said today. Two others have also been arrested in connection with the matter. In April, eight suspected members of Harender alias Heavy's gang were arrested for allegedly planning to kill the proprietor of Taj Orient Hotel situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, following a shootout in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. During investigation, it was found that one Chander Shekhar (67) and his close aide Shambhu (39) had hatched a plan to kill Shekhar's elder brother Krishan Kumar Sharma, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ishwar Singh. A dispute had been brewing between Sharma and Shekhar over partition of the business. This dispute led Shekhar to involve Shambhu and then Vijay Naagar, in hatching a conspiracy to eliminate his brother, said the DCP. Shambhu and Naagar then contacted gangster Ravi Roopwas (32) and awarded him a contract of Rs two crore. Several raids were conducted to arrest Shekhar and Shambhu but they kept evading the police. On July 22, Shekhar and Shambhu were arrested from Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh. Roopwas had surrendered in a previous case and had got himself lodged in Dasna Jail. He was arrested by the police here after completing due formalities. Shekhar and his two brothers - Sharma and Naresh Kumar - had jointly started a hotel business in Agra. The hotel business was being managed by Sharma and soon, other business ventures were also started from the profits made by the hotel. Since the entire management of the hotel was in the hands of Sharma, his profile and personal earnings were consolidated. This made Shekhar insecure and envious. When Sharma decided to part with his share in the hotel business, Shekhar thought that his fortunes will vanish in absence of Sharma's management skills. He hatched a conspiracy to get his brother killed so that he could become the sole owner of the various business ventures, said the officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A knife-wielding man charged across the border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla today, attacking and injuring a police officer, authorities said. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla, told AFP. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between both territories or try and smuggle themselves in, but this is the first attack of this type. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by Al Qaeda-inspired militants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after police informed the Bombay High Court that Byculla jail inmate Manju Shette died after falling in the toilet, six jail officials arrested on charge of her murder today moved bail application in the sessions court. In the bail application filed through their lawyer Pankaj Bafna, the arrested officials contended that they need bail as they have small children to look after. They have also said that contrary to the claim that rod was inserted in Shette's private parts the investigation found nothing of that sort. Bafna said the complainant and other inmates are continuously changing statement. "The police yesterday told the Bombay High Court that it was a case of accident and not murder on this ground we have sought bail," said Bafna. Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade were arrested last month for assaulting Shette and causing her death. The court is likely to hear the plea on August 4. Shette (45), serving life sentence, died in hospital on June 23 after she was allegedly beaten up by the jail staff. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has signed an MoU with Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the oldest business chambers of the country, to jointly work in the areas of skill development. The MoU was signed between NSDC managing director and CEO, Manish Kumar and BNCCI president Sourajit Palchoudhuri last evening. BNCCI will try to establish new centres or use its existing infrastructure at Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) for various skill development schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) or at any entrepreneurship training centre, a BNCCI statement said. BNCCI will also facilitate opening of eastern centre/ zonal centres of excellence. The chamber will conduct skill training as special project focusing on advance IT such as cyber security, data analytics, and digitalisation in all the districts of West Bengal and other states of eastern India. Meanwhile, NSDC is aiming to raise Rs 50 crore in the next six months in the newly created Nirvana Fund to cater to entrepreneurs from among the poorer sections of the society. "We are aiming to collect Rs 50 crore in the next six months for the purpose," Kumar said adding it is an angel investment fund. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director General of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Lt Gen Vinod Vashisht today said only 49 colleges in the country have opted to make NCC as their elective subjects. The NCC chief has also urged state governments in the North-east region to adopt and have NCC as an elective subject in educational institutions. "We have made plans and there are 49 colleges in our country that has opted and taken NCC as elective subject. Books are ready," Lt Gen Vashist told PTI during his two day visit to the state here. Expressing regret that none of the state governments in the region has taken the opportunity, he said, "If they do not want it, it is their call. It has happened in the last two years," urging the state governments to make use of the opportunity. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had issued a notification directing all universities about offering it as a subject in 2016 although NCC as an elective subject was first proposed in 2013 by the Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry. From the NCC point of view, offering NCC as an elective subject is seen as opportunity to woo students into its fold without them losing too many hours to attend to NCC classes. In its official syllabus, the NCC will have a common service subject and specific subjects for the Army, Navy and Air Force for teaching and will be taken as a regular subject rather than an extra-curriculum by the educational institutions. An NCC officer, who wished not to be named, said the state government is taking time to initiate this seeking legal opinion and other experts opinions on the matter. Making NCC as an elective subject is expected to attract more students to join the organisation without worrying much about their academics, he said. At present there are about 13.8 lakh cadets in the country and about 89,000 of them are enrolled in the entire North East region alone. With regards to the Youth Exchange Programme (YEP) the NCC used to have previously with Canada and other western countries, Lt Gen Vashish said the NCC is conducting YEP programmes with 11 countries including its neighbour countries and from those in Central Asia and Russia. "Our national interests do not lie in Canada but in the Regional neighbourhood. We are having YEP programme with 11 countries now but in proximity to Central Asia, South East Asia and Russia," he said He said countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore and Vietnam are some of the countries the NCC are having the YEP with. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Opposition and the ruling BJP today traded blame in the Rajya Sabha over distress in the agriculture community due to which farmers have been committing suicides in large numbers. As the House took up a discussion on the agrarian crisis, the Opposition blamed the government for the problem, accusing it of being "insensitive" towards the farmers' issues. They also sought to find faults in various policies of the government. The ruling side hit back, saying the present miserable condition of the farmers was due to the Congress party's rule of 60 years. The BJP members said it was the Modi government which had initiated a slew of programmes for the welfare of farmers over the last three years. Initiating the discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of thier suicide", Digvijay Singh (Cong) accused the government of being "insensitive" to plight of the agriculturists. He referred to the police firing on a violent agitation by farmers in Madhya Pradesh recently and said the agriculturists faced bullets on the centenary of Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams. He said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 per cent from 25 per cent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers adversely as imported wheat was avaiable at cheaper prices. Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014- 15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said. Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12. Quoting agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside, he said there was a need for fixing import-export levies by the Commerce Ministry in consultation with Agriculture Ministry. Expressing concern over 42 per cent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP. He also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). The Congress leader alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers. He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said that others in the Cabinet were helpless as it was PM who decided everything. He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but a way to benefit industrialists. Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala, who spoke in the capacity of a BJP member, said it was the Congress party's rule of 60 years which had resulted in the miserable condition of the farmers. "There should be a discussion on the policies of previous governments and what all they did for farm sector," he said. He said the Modi government had taken a number of steps for the betterment of the farmers. Listing out the schemes, he said Rs 50,000 crore has been allocated for PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and 22 schemes under the project have already seen the light of the day. Under the programme, plans for irrigation at district level have been formulated, Rupala said. Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party said the farmers have been affected because of import of agri products, which he alleged was being allowed because of "ulterior motives" while farmers are being deprived of remunerative prices. The prices of many agri-items have fallen below the minium support prices and, in some crops, it is not enough to meet even the transportation cost, he said. Citing the example of tomato prices that have risen sharply to about Rs 100 per kg, he said the prices are low when crops are harvested, but these rise after farmers sell their produce in the market. He said the futures market was also responsible for the farmers' plight. Yadav said the agri growth has largely been below 4 per cent in last 25-30 years and that the farmers' economic condition would not improve unless there is a sustainable growth in the sector. Yadav said the government has put tractors and pump sets in higher tax rate under the new GST regime and demanded that these items should be exempted from GST. "Food processing in the country is in such a bad shape that every year fruits and vegetables worth Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore rot in the country," he said. Food processing percentage in India is barely 4 per cent as compared to 80 per cent in nations like Brazil, he added. He wanted to know under what circumstances private companies were roped in crop insurance scheme which was handled by the government companies earlier. He also wondered as to why the government could not use technology so that Indian apples could also last more unlike those imported from the US. Prasanna Acharya (BJD) sought to know from the government why farmers are committing suicide and are protesting on streets if the agriculture growth was high. He said farmers are not getting returns for their produce and are being cheated, not by Monsoon but by the government. Demonetisation has further aggravated their woes, he added. While the new crop insurance policy is better than the previous ones, it is benefitting private insurers more, he said. He said the Centre and states should take steps to fulfill three main demands of farmers -- price, pension and prestige. Munquad Ali (BSP) said farmers' situation is very bad in the country and that there has been a rise in farmers' suicides in the last three years. "Why it is happening? Why the government is not finding solution farmers problems? ....I request the government not to give false promises. Please work for the welfare of farmers," he said. Praful Patel of NCP pitched for modern farm technologies like genetically modified crops to boost farm income,. "It is unfortunate. I am sorry to say that we have neglected science and technology. There may be different views on BT technology but we have data how it benefits. We need to take benefit of it," he said. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has always focused on indigenous (technologies) but there is a need to use modern technology to improve farmers income, he said and suggested the minister to keep "open mind" on the issue of technology. Patel also spoke about "shortcomings" in the new crop insurance scheme and suggested the government to keep a watch on private insurers who are implementing it. Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) said the government needs to "introspect" why 12,000 farmers are committing suicides every year despite the government coming out with new schemes. He demanded that the loan waiver announced in some states need to be implemented in letter and spirite, claims under new crop insurance scheme should be settled in 15 days, better credit facility and creation of special agri-zones for farmers for better realisation. R S Bharathi (DMK) attacked the Prime Minister for not meeting the protesting Tamil Nadu farmers in Delhi and demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the farmers' issue and a special law to address their woes. Rajani Patil (Cong) said, "I don't think the number (of farmers suicides will come down if the government does not take steps." She attacked Modi for not visiting affected farmers in Maharashtra, saying the prime minister has time to travel around the globe but no time for farmers in the state. Turning to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, she said the farmers' situation is very serious. "We don't want to hear about schemes in your reply. Tell me what relief you can give to our farmers. We want full loan waiver." Prabhat Jha (BJP) rejected allegation that the government was insensitive towards farmers' plight and said maximum decisions had been taken over the last three years in the interest of farmers. He listed a slew of measures underaken like raising minimum support price for agriculture produce like wheat, rice, pulses and oilseeds. He said it was due to initiatives of the government that there was a record production of foodgrains in the country in 2016-17 at 271.98 million tonne (MT) including 108.8 MT rice and 96.64 MT of wheat besides 22.14 MT of pulses and 33.60 MT of oilseeds. On police firing during farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh recently, Jha asked the opposition not to link such incidents to politics. He reminded the Congress that 24 farmers had been killed in firing in Madhya Pradesh in 1998 when Digvijay Singh was the Chief Minister and said nobody linked it to politics. D Raja of CPI said the whole country is witnessing suffering of farmers and asked the central government to consider debt waiver which has been done by various states. "Farmers committing suicides should be unacceptable to us," Raja said and questioned why various commission reports on agriculture were not being implemented by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistani terrorist belonging to banned terror group Al-Badr, was today sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a Bengaluru court in a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. The terrorist has been identified as Mohammed Fahad Hai (35) alias Mohammed Koya alias Neduthani and holds a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry. He hails from the port city of Karachi where his family still lives. His mother is a teacher, a senior official said quoting Hai's statement given to the central probe agency earlier. This is the first case of conviction and sentencing involving a terrorist under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The probe agency said in a statement that the court of Principal City, Civil and Sessions Judge Basavaraj S Sappannavar "convicted Mohammed Fahad Hai under section 4 of the PMLA and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000". An amount of Rs 90,470, in the name of Hai, has also been "confiscated" under the PMLA after it was attached by the ED earlier. The case dates to 2006 when the Mysore police, based on inputs that Pak-based terrorists were planning a strike in the city, intercepted two persons on a bike on the night of October 26 that year. The policemen on-duty challenged the duo and sought to frisk them after which the man on the pillion, which was Hai, took out a rifle from a bag and fired at them, the prosecution said. The police team soon overpowered the duo, the other being Mohammed Ali Hussain, a resident of Pakistan. "On enquiry it was revealed that they are active members of the banned Al-Badr organisation and had entered India without valid travel documents and were in the possession of an AK-47 rifle, pistol, live bullets, mobile and satellite phones," the ED said. The ED subsequently booked a PMLA case against Hai and filed a charge sheet in 2010 after which the case went for trial. The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from 2005 to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. The first conviction under the PMLA in the country had come in January this year when a Ranchi court convicted former Jharkhand Minister Hari Narayan Rai and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5 lakh. In March, a man identified Alauddin was convicted in money laundering case relating to illegal possession of narcotic drugs by a Kolkata court. The stringent anti-money laundering law allows a maximum of seven years of imprisonment and a fine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistani terrorist has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Karnataka court in a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate today said. The terrorist has been identified as Mohammed Koya. This is the third conviction under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the country. The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from 2005 in order to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. The first conviction under the PMLA in the country had come in January when a Ranchi court convicted former Jharkhand Minister Hari Narayan Rai and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh. In March, another person, Alauddin was convicted under money laundering charges related to illegal possession of narcotic drugs by a Kolkata court. The stringent anti-money laundering law allows a maximum of seven years of imprisonment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala-based PDP today withdrew its state-wide one-day hartal tomorrow, called to protest denial of bail as sought by its founder Abdul Nasser Madhani jailed in connection with Bengaluru blast case, after he made a request to this effect. The hartal was called by the People's Democratic Party to protest denial of bail to Madhaniby a Bengaluru court yesterday for attending the wedding of his son on August 9. The court had granted him bail from August 1 to 7 to visit his ailing mother but turned down his plea for the relief to attend the wedding. The proposed protest was withdrawn on the request of Madhani, the party's Chairman, PDP Vice Chairman Poonthura Siraj said here. Madhani had submitted the bail plea to attend the wedding of his son Umar Mukhthar to be held at Thalassery in Kerala on August 9. Siraj said Madhani had also sought bail to vist his ailing mother. The court had allowed bail from August 1 to 7 to visit his mother and he would have to return without attending the wedding of his son. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peace returned to Andhra Pradesh's Garagaparru village, where a dispute over installation of an Ambedkar statue had led to acrimony between Dalits and an upper caste group over the last three months. The state government today paid Rs 1 lakh each to 385 Dalit families of Garagaparru in West Godavari district, and announced a slew of development plans for the village. Social Welfare Minister Nakka Anand Babu, Labour Minister Pithani Satyanarayana and SC Corporation chairman Jupudi Prabhakar visited the village and brokered peace between the warring factions after handing over cheques to the Dalit families. The government promised to undertake development works in the village, including laying of cement concrete roads, construction of drains and a separate drinking water tank, removal of encroachments at the local burial ground etc. House sites and permanent houses were also promised to all eligible families. The ministers, who held talks with the peace committee at the mandal parishad development office at Palakoderu, agreed to the construction of Ambedkar Bhavan in Garagaparru. There had been unrest in the village for about three months between the upper caste Kshatriyas and members of the Mala community (a scheduled caste group in AP). It all started when the Kshatriyas allegedly objected to the SC community's move to install a statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar on the village tank bund. Following this, the Dalits stopped attending to agricultural works in the fields of the upper caste members, causing bad blood among the villagers. The government had to issue a special order for the installation of Ambedkar's statue on the village tank bund since such a move is prohibited under a Supreme Court order. "I compliment both the sides (Dalits and Kshatriyas) for ending the acrimony. Restoring peace in the village has always been the endeavour of the government and accordingly we held talks with the two sides. "We are happy that they came forward to restore normalcy in the village," Babu told reporters. The minister complimented the police led by Bhimavaram Rural Inspector Nagaraju for their efforts to bring in bonhomie between the two groups. The issue had escalated as political parties intervened in the matter and promised to do everything for the Dalits. The ministers, who visited the village over a month ago, announced a "compensation" of Rs one lakh to each Dalit family. The promise, however, was fulfilled only late last night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A student of Presidency University today submitted a deputation to the authorities demanding vending machines for sanitary napkin across the campus evoking support from a group of students. "In my deputation I have demanded that instead of only one machine in the girls' common room, there should be more sanitary napkin vending machines across the campus and the product should be of good quality and freely available," Rimjhim Sinha, the student, told reporters at the campus. Sinha, who submitted her demand in writing to the Dean of students was joined by many others, several of them, girls. Stating that the pads available from the sole vending machine at a price of Rs 10, caused irritation to the skin, she demanded the napkins should be made available free. Another student Oindrila Basak said "we are not begging for anything. This is the basic right for a woman." University authorities said the existing vending machine is working fine, but they will consider the demands. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 41-year-old businessman was arrested for allegedly mowing down a man with his Audi car in central Delhi's Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the police said today. Rajeev Malhotra, a property dealer, was detained yesterday from Sunlight Colony and was arrested last night, they said. He was nabbed on the basis of a clue that police found from the spot. Police said that a portion of the car's bumper broke and fell on the spot. The vehicle was traced with the help of a unique number on the bumper. He told police that he had consumed alcohol with a friend before the incident in which a juice vendor Manoj died, they claimed. Locals alleged that the police arrived late at the spot. Manoj was stuck on the iron grill of the divider for a long time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman who has accused Congress leader Rohit Tilak, the great-grandson of Bal Gangadhar Tilak of raping her, has complained to the police that two men have threatened to throw acid on her if she does not withdraw the case. The 41-year-old woman lawyer had last week accused Tilak of repeatedly raping and committing 'unnatural acts' with her on the promise of marrying her, leading the police to register a case against Tilak on July 17. Tilak is on an interim anticipatory bail till July 28. The woman approached the Pune police after she was allegedly threatened yesterday and sought protection, fearing "grave danger" to her life and limbs. In a complaint to the Vishrambaug police station, she claimed two unidentified motorcycle-borne men accosted her near Bavdhan on Monday morning when she and her friend were going in a car. "The person riding pillion, showed a bottle containing some yellow liquid and threatened her that they would throw acid on her face if she did not withdraw the case against Tilak," she said in her complaint. When contacted, Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Basavraj Teli confirmed to PTI that police have received a complaint from the woman. "However, since the complaint says the incident took place in Bavdhan area, the application has been forwarded to Hinjawadi police station for further investigation," he said. On the woman's complaint, the police had on July 17 lodged a criminal case against Tilak under various penal charges, including those of rape, committing unnatural offences, voluntarily causing hurt, insulting with an intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation. A Pune court on July 21 granted Tilak protection from arrest till July 28. The complainant earlier had claimed before the media that she was under great pressure as she received "death threats" from Tilak's family. Tilak had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Maharashtra assembly polls from the Kasba Peth seat in Pune against the BJP's Girish Bapat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The RSS today said that hundreds of its swayamsevaks (workers) were engaged in relief operations in flood-hit Banaskantha and Patan districts of Gujarat, and appealed for donation to help the affected people. Gujarat RSS Sah Karyavah Shailesh Patel said RSS workers are engaged in relief operations in Banaskantha and Patan districts, a large part of which continues to reel under floods. He said the RSS distributed 1.6 lakh food packets in the the last two days. "We have started help centres in Radhanpur and Deesa (in Banaskantha), and our workers have helped alert people living in low-lying areas affected due to release of water from Sipu and Dantiwada dams, so they can shift along with their valuables and cattle," Patel said in a press conference. "The swayamsevaks are helping to provide shelter to thousands of people in private hospitals and temples. So far, 1.60 lakh food packets have been distributed," he said. According to Patel, RSS plans to provide food items to 15,000 affected people enough to last for five days, and will need donation of around Rs 1 crore for the same. "We will collect donations at 25 centres tomorrow in the city between 5 pm and 7 pm," he said. "People, whose food items are among the things that were washed away due to floods, will be provided ration that will last five days. We will provide it to around 15,000 such people and therefore want donations," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced an interim assistance of Rs 500 crore for flood-hit Gujarat. Modi today undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five police officers and two bank employees died when armed bandits attacked their convoy carrying government assistance cash in a mountainous region in Mexico's southern Guerrero state, officials have said. The robbery happened yesterday close to the town of Ahuacuotzingo, said a spokesman for the state security authority, Roberto Alvarez. A truck from the state bank Bansefi transporting the equivalent of USD 55,000 meant for rural handouts was ambushed by an armed group. One bank employee in the convoy managed to escape with a gunshot wound to her arm and raise the alarm. Guerrero is one of Mexico's poorest states and is prey to violent organized crime, much of it focused on drug production and trafficking. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP national president Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Lucknow from July 29 to July 31. During his three-day stay, he will meet party workers and ministers. "Shah will be on a three day visit to Lucknow from July 29 onwards," said UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi. During these three days, the Jan Sahyog Kendra at the UP BJP office here that hears public grievances will remain closed, a party functionary said. "UP BJP vice-president and in-charge of Jan Sahyog Kendra Rakesh Dwivedi has informed that owing to organisational activities, the centre will not be working from July 29 to July 31," UP BJP media in-charge Harish Chandra Srivastava said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav today targeted minister Maneka Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha over her animal love, alleging that for her, "a human being may die but a dog should not be hurt." Yadav took digs at Gandhi while participating in a debate on agrarian crisis in the country. "There is one minister in our country who has given an order that no one should tie animals. People do not understand that if cows and buffaloes are not tied at homes, how can they be milked," he said. Yadav said because of this "order", animals are damaging crops and to protect their crops, farmers have to stay awake the whole night. "If farmers fence their fields, then police will come and arrest them because it is an order by Maneka Gandhi. A human being may die but a dog should not be hurt. Otherwise, an FIR will be lodged," he said. Maneka Gandhi is Minister of Women and Child Development. "In Khan Market (located in central Delhi), dogs bite people every day. Dogs are everywhere. I once asked a shopkeeper why they don't shoo away the dogs. He (shopkeeper) said there is one minister Maneka who does not allow this. If such a thing is done, she files a legal case," Yadav said. "It does not matter (to her) if man dies and if farmers' crop is damaged, but you cannot tie your cows and buffaloes... This is nothing but Tughlaq's diktat," he added. He wondered how farmers and the country will prosper in such a scenario. The SP leader charged that because of the policies adopted by the Centre and BJP-ruled states, animal husbandary and dairy sectors are facing a problem. He said the revenue from milk and meat industry is almost same as from wheat and rice. "Livestock sector is being neglected. If we neglect livestock, then how can farmers prosper and how poverty will be eliminated," he asked. He warned that there would be a decline in revenue of milk and meat industry in coming years. AIADMK member K R Arjunan said the Centre should release about Rs 2,500 crore as demanded by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister as drought relief package to farmers. He also demanded that the Cauvery Management Board should be established. Derek O'Brien (Trinamool Congress) said the BJP has not fulfilled the promise made in its manifesto related to remunerative price to farmers. He said farmers' income in West Bengal has increased under Mamata Banerjee's rule and asked the Centre and other states to follow the West Bengal model of crop insurance scheme to farmers. Laying on the table of the House a list of 90 farmers who have committed suicide, O'Brien said the prices of agri- products have dropped considerably. He also spoke about agitation in Singur in West Bengal in 2006, saying farmers' land were saved from being snatched by a big corporate. The Trinamool leader said the farmers have also been affected because of demonetisation move. Birendra Kumar of JD(U) the Centre is "ignoring agriculture sector" and is "destroying" co-operative sector. He said the government's demonetisation move contributed to farm crisis. Kumar said that more than 3 lakh farmers gave committed suicides in last 21 years. He said some states have given loan waivers to farmers but the Centre is not supporting. He said big corporates are given loan but no loan waivers to farmers. K K Ragesh of CPI (M) said the BJP governmnet has not fulfilled its promise made in manifesto. Stating that farmers' suicides rose by 42 per cent in 2015-16 to 12,602, he said: "It is this good days that you have offered". Ragesh said the government is more concerned about corporates and not farmers. He said farmers are also being affected by futures trading and import policy. The CPI(M) member also charged that insurance companies have been allowed to loot farmers as well as the government. "Irrespective of schemes why farmers are committing suicides. You are allowing corporates to loot farmers," Ragesh said, adding that the government is ready to write off loans taken by corporates and not farmers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has announced he had ended a programme to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terrorist groups are exploiting social media and encrypted cyber platforms for the purpose of communication, the Lok Sabha was informed today. "Terrorist elements and criminal elements are reportedly exploiting electronic communication, including social media platform and encrypted cyber platform, for the purpose of communication," Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said in a written reply to a question. Ahir said in order to counter terror activities, there exists a close and effective coordination between intelligence and security agencies at the Centre and the states. "The cyber space is being closely monitored to keep a watch on the activities of terrorist groups," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today met NDA Vice-Presidential nominee M Venkaiah Naidu and extended his greetings. Palaniswami met Naidu in New Delhi and greeted him, a government release here said this evening. The Chief Minister was accompanied by AIADMK (Amma) MPs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently spoken to Palaniswami and rebel AIADMK leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam seeking their support for the NDA's Vice-Presidential nominee. In a related development, Panneerselvam, on a visit to Delhi currently, met Naidu yesterday. Panneerselvam, accompanied by senior colleagues and MPs owing allegiance to him, wished Naidu success in the August 5 election. He had also called on Ram Nath Kovind yesterday and greeted him on his victory in the Presidential election, a release from his AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) said here today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu farmers protesting at Jantar Mantar here today accused the chief minister of the southern state, E K Palaniswami, of "changing his stand" as regards announcing a farm loan waiver. Speaking to reporters after interacting with Palaniswami at the Tamil Nadu House here, the leader of the protesting farmers, P Ayyakkannu, quoted the chief minister as saying that the state was unable to offer a loan waiver to them due to a fund crunch. "The chief minister, who had promised a loan waiver earlier, is now saying he is unable to honour it as the state revenues were hit due to GST (Goods and Services Tax) and the closure of around 2,000 liquor shops," he said. During the interaction with Palaniswami, the farmers cited the examples of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the states which had announced a farm loan waiver. "We cited the examples of other states and the chief minister said the AIADMK (the ruling party in Tamil Nadu) MPs would take up the issue in Parliament," said Ayyakkannu. Palaniswami, however, dismissed the allegations and claimed that Tamil Nadu had been providing a financial assistance to the drought-hit farmers of the state and it was the Centre which had to take a call on farm loan waiver. "The Centre has to offer a solution as regards farm loan waiver. The state government has been paying from its relief funds to the drought-hit farmers," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today accused his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions of being "very weak" in the investigation against former secretary of state and the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, amid media reports that he plans to sack his aide. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump tweeted, expressing anger against the man who was the first US senator to endorse his candidacy. Over the last few days Trump has gone public in expressing his dissatisfaction over Sessions position on investigations related to Russian interference in the American presidential elections last year. Sessions has recused himself from the government's probe of Russian meddling in the US election. In an interview to The New York Times last week, Trump said he would have never appointed Sessions to the position of Attorney General had he known this. Sessions has said that he would stay in the position as long as it is appropriate. The White House yesterday said Trump has full confidence in Sessions and that the president was expressing his viewpoint. Trump, however, today continued with public embarrassment of his own Attorney General. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.," asked the US President in another tweet. Trump alleged that the acting head of the FBI Andrew McCabe, who is heading the investigation into Hillary Clinton episode, received USD 70,000 from them for his wife. "Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in-charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got USD 700,000 from H for wife!" he tweeted. Meanwhile, media reports have been speculating several names for a possible replacement of Sessions as the US Attorney General. One being the former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the outgoing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. "I know that [the president] is certainly frustrated and disappointed in the attorney general for recusing himself," the White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, told Fox . "He is continuing to move forward and focus on other things. But that frustration certainly hasn't gone away, and I don't think it will," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today hailed Senator John McCain as an "American hero" for returning to Washington to take key votes on repealing Obamacare despite being diagnosed with brain cancer. "So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John," Trump tweeted. McCain, recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, will return to the Senate today to cast a critical vote on the Republican health care bill. The 80-year-old Senator, who underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye early this month, was diagnosed with a brain tumour known as a glioblastoma. The President's tweet comes just over two years after the then-presidential candidate said McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured during the Vietnam War, was not a war hero because he was captured. The Senator, who Chairs the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, has also been very critical of Trump's policies in particularly those on the foreign policy and national security front. McCain's office last night announced that he would return to the United States Senate today -- a surprise to most in Washington who expected him to miss the crucial vote and return to Washington at a later date. McCain is expected to get GOP leadership one vote closer to beginning debate on health care legislation, which is on the verge of collapsing. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the US Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defence Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said. McCain's presence on the Senate floor is seen as key to the possible passage of the health care bill, which is a top priority for Trump. With just 52 seats, the ruling Republican party has a wafer-thin majority in the 100 member Senate. Trump in another tweet said that this would be another interesting day for healthcare. "This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people!" he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Moroccan UN peacekeepers were killed in an attack in the Central African Republic's southeast, two days after the death of another soldier from the same contingent, the force said, blaming pro-Christian militias for the violence. "The MINUSCA (peacekeeping mission) regrets to announce the deaths of two more blue helmets yesterday afternoon in Bangassou," a town 700 kilometres (430 miles) east of the capital Bangui, the peacekeeping force said in a statement. The Moroccan peacekeepers "were killed in an ambush by suspected anti-Balaka fighters, while another peacekeepers was lightly injured," MINUSCA said in its statement. The country is struggling to emerge from a civil war that erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of former president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition. The coup led to the formation of "anti-Balaka" (anti- machete) vigilante units, drawn from the Christian majority, which began to target Muslims. Both sides committed widespread atrocities. A similar ambush in Bangassou on Sunday left another Moroccan UN peacekeeper dead. On Friday, a patrol of peacekeepers was shot at and one of the attackers killed, a MINUSCA spokesman told AFP, again blaming pro-Christian militias. Former colonial power France intervened in 2013 to stop violent Christian-Muslim clashes and formally ended its peacekeeping mission only last month, hailing it a success despite fresh outbreaks of violence. That leaves mainly the UN's 12,500-strong MINUSCA peacekeeping mission to protect civilians from armed groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The city police's special operations group (SOG) has arrested two convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case who had jumped parole. Pintu Jadeja and Dinesh Barge were released on parole in May and June respectively, the SOG said in a statement. They were nabbed yesterday from different areas in Ahmedabad, the statement said. With their arrest, three of four convicts who jumped parole in the case have been caught. The Sabarmati central jail authorities had lodged a case when the four did not return after their parole ended, following which the police launched a search. On Sunday, the police arrested Prakash Chhara, one of the four who was absconding. Police is on the look out for the fourth convict, Shasikant Kadam. All four were awarded were sentenced to life in prison by a special SIT court on August 30, 2012 for their role in the Naroda Patiya massacre. As many as 32 accused, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. Their appeals challenging the sentence are being heard by the Gujarat High Court. Ninety seven people belonging to the minority community were killed in a riot in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 kar sevaks were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today flagged off the first set of 100 Uber bike taxis, under a new scheme aimed at generating jobs for the state's unemployed youth. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had earlier given the go-ahead to the launch of bike taxis in the state in May as part of the government's 'Apni Gaddi, Apna Rozgar' programme as promised by the Congress in poll manifesto. Originally, Amarinder was scheduled to do the honours for the function held in Mohali. To start with, the bike taxis will start plying in Mohali, Ludhiana, Zirakpur and Kharar. Badal said, "Bike-sharing services like uberMOTO will not only contribute greatly to improving last-mile connectivity in Punjab and cutting congestion, but also be instrumental in creating thousands of entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for the youth in the state." UberMOTO is now available in nine cities -- Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mohali (including Zirakpur and Kharar) and Ludhiana, Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Head-Public Policy, Uber India and South Asia, told reporters. Kohli said UberMOTO is in line with the company's commitment to providing affordable mobility options for riders and low entry barrier micro entrepreneurship opportunities for drivers. Prabhjeet Singh, General Manager, Delhi NCR and North India, Uber, said: "We aim to generate another 10,000 entrepreneurial opportunities in Punjab in the next one year and a total of 45,000 opportunities in the next five years." Under the policy, currently in the process of finalisation by the Punjab transport department, existing and new motorcycle owners will be able to get commercial permits and licences to run two-wheelers as pillion taxis. The Apni Gaddi, Apna Rozgar scheme, as proposed in the manifesto, envisages one lakh taxis, commercial LCVs and other vehicles to be provided to unemployed youth every year at subsidised rates, without collateral and with the government standing guarantee. Two women driver partners have signed up in Punjab so far and can operate at the hours they want, Kohli said. "In many ways, we contribute to the overall mission of the government, whether it is Digital India, as each one of these drivers on our platform is digitally literate... And in many ways you are contributing to Skill India because they are skilled to drive on our platform," Kohli added. Bike taxis are popular in South-East Asia, she said, adding that the concept is fast catching up in Indian cities too. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the terror attacks in Kabul and Lahore and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. Describing the attack in Kabul as "horrifying", he said the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and "may constitute a war crime". At least 26 people were killed and 41 injured after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government officials through a Shiite neighbourhood in Kabul yesterday. Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The UN chief said that he supports the efforts of the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations. A Taliban suicide bomber yesterday struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Lahore, killing at least 26 people, including policemen, and wounding 58 others. Lahore police chief Capt (R) Amin Wains confirmed that it was a suicide attack and the "target was police". Meanwhile, the 15-nation Security Council also strongly condemned both the terror attacks, calling them "heinous and cowardly". The Council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions," the Council said in its statements issued separately on the Kabul and Lahore attacks. A senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan called the attack "cowardly". "I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians," said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. "The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity," Kardel said. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilian casualties this year, according to a midyear report of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on civilian protection released last week. The Kabul attack came amid planned commemorations for the July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which claimed the lives of hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. "In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last year's attack through dialogue, not violence," said Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government will conduct roadshows to woo investment and provide a safe and secure environment to industry as it looks to give a "tough fight" to developed states like Gujarat in attracting funds, a state minister said. "Gradually, will be giving a tough fight to developed states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. And, I am confident enough that we will be able to bring investments in the state in a year's time, which was together brought in the last five years," UP Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana told PTI in an interview. "Officials will be visiting different states like Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, and conduct roadshows in these states, while promoting UP as an investment destination. We will also interact with industrialists and prospective investors," he said. He lauded the implementation of the GST and said that the new tax system will effectively eliminate the concept of tax heaven, which will benefit the state in the long run. "The government of UP intends to provide a safe and secure industrial environment in the state. Towards this, a dedicated police force headed by specialised officer will be deputed at industrial clusters/areas in regions like Noida, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal. "Integrated police cum fire station will also be established in major industrial clusters/areas," Mahana said. The minister said that in the state budget for 2017-18 a provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for implementing Industrial Investment and Employment Generation Policy-2017. Also, funds have been provided for setting up the Special Investment Board to encourage industrial investment and a single window clearance system. Mahana also emphasised that the state government is implementing measures for ease of doing business in letter and spirit. "Till now incentive to industrialists was given in western UP. But now, the state government is planning to give incentives to industrialists who express interest in setting up their units outside Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad. The incentives will be more in Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal," he said. On a question of revival of textile mills in Kanpur, the UP industrial development minister said, "After assuming office, I held two meetings with Union minister Smriti Irani, and requested her to help in the revival of the textile mills. And, she has assured that she will look into it. The Pentagon has picked up signs that North Korea is prepping for another missile test, a US defense official said today, as the United States cited progress in pushing China to impose tough new UN sanctions. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told AFP that if the test goes ahead, it would "probably" occur on July 27, which is the 64th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The date is a public holiday in the nuclear-armed North and celebrated as Victory Day. The official said the test would be of either an intermediate-range missile or North Korea's ICBM -- known as a KN-20 or a Hwasong-14. That would be the second time Pyongyang has tested an ICBM, after its July 4 rocket launch that caused global alarm. Experts assessed it could have put Alaska in range, bringing Pyongyang's long-held dream of a missile that can deliver an atomic warhead to the United States within reach, and presenting President Donald Trump with a stark challenge. South Korea's agency Yonhap quoted a government source as saying Seoul had seen North Korea moving transporter erector launchers carrying ICBM launch tubes in North Pyongan province. "They're setting up for something," a second US defense official told AFP. After North Korea's July 4 test, the United States launched a push at the United Nations for tougher measures against Pyongyang. US Ambassador Nikki Haley today cited progress in talks with China on imposing what she termed as "pretty serious" new UN sanctions. The United States has been locked in negotiations with China for nearly three weeks on a new raft of measures, and Haley said China was negotiating with Russia separately on possible tougher sanctions. "I think we are making progress," Haley said. "It's not as fast as I would like but these are pretty serious sanctions and so I think that there is a lot of thought going into this." Haley told the UN Security Council after the test that she hoped to present new measures in a few days, such as cutting off oil supplies, banning North Korean guest workers or imposing new air and maritime restrictions on North Korea. In all, six sets of UN sanctions have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006, but two resolutions adopted last year significantly toughened the sanctions regime. Haley said the true test will be Russia's role. Moscow maintains the July 4 launch was not an ICBM, citing its defense ministry's assessment. Moscow has also argued that sanctions are not the answer to rein in North Korea, and that talks, as advocated by Beijing, were needed. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who personally oversaw the July 4 launch, described it as a gift to the "American bastards." CNN cited a US defense official saying transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment were seen arriving at Kusong in North Pyongan last Friday. Kusong has been the scene of past tests, including in May when an intermediate-range ballistic missile traveled more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). The North last week refused to respond to the South's offer to open dialogue to ease tension. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Ambassador Nikki Haley today said there was progress in talks with China on imposing what she termed as "pretty serious" new UN sanctions on North Korea in response to its first ICBM launch. The United States has been locked in negotiations with China for nearly three weeks on a new raft of measures, and Haley said China was negotiating with Russia to win its backing for possible tougher sanctions. "I think we are making progress," Haley told reporters. "I think we are moving. It's not as fast as I would like but these are pretty serious sanctions and so I think that there is a lot of thought going into this." The United States made a push at the United Nations for tougher sanctions after North Korea achieved a milestone in its military program with the July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The effort hinges on getting China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, on board before the measures can be presented to the full 15-member Security Council. Asked about Haley's remarks, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi said "of course we are making progress." "It requires time, but we are working very hard." Haley told the Security Council the day after the launch that she hoped to present new measures in a few days, such as cutting off oil supplies, banning North Korean guest workers or imposing new air and maritime restrictions on North Korea. Despite the delay, China is cooperating with the US drive for sanctions, Haley said, but a deal on new sanctions also involves securing cooperation from Russia. "I was pleased with the response that we got back (from China). We were waiting to see if it was going to be weak or strong and I think they showed some seriousness with it," she said. "The true test will be what they have worked out with Russia." The Chinese ambassador declined to comment on talks with Russia, saying that all Security Council members will be involved in decisions about the new sanctions. Russia maintains that the July 4 launch was not an ICBM, citing its defense ministry's assessment. Moscow has also argued that sanctions are not the answer to reining in North Korea, and that talks, as advocated by Beijing, were needed. In all, six sets of UN sanctions have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006, but two resolutions adopted last year significantly toughened the sanctions regime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US is working on a "very big" trade deal with the UK, President Donald Trump today said as he accused the EU of having "protectionist" trade practices. Trump's tweet came a day after Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox met with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington. The two countries are currently discussing a potential for a bilateral trade deal after Britain's withdrawal from the EU in March, 2019. "Working on major Trade Deal with the UK. Could be very big and exciting. Jobs! The EU is very protectionist with the US. Stop!" Trump said in a tweet to his more than 34.4 million followers on this social media website. Trump, however, did not give any further details of the country's deal with the UK. Trump has been a supporter of bilateral trade deal and opposed to multilateral trade agreements. The bilateral trade between the two countries is said to be around USD 200 billion. Currently in Washington, Fox also met US Vice President Mike Pence. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Fox said he is looking forward to a new era of trade with the US once the UK leaves EU. "As an independent UK embraces the world, the US will remain our foremost partner," he said. "As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, Britain enters a new chapter in our history," Fox told a Washington audience at the American Enterprise Institute. The two countries have established a US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group, to comprehensively strengthening bilateral relationship. Fox gave the example of India of how it adopted globalisation and liberalisation to fight the increasing poverty. "Take India as an example. In 1993, around 45 per cent of India's population sat below the poverty line, as defined by the World Bank. In 2011 it was 22 per cent," he said. "It is no coincidence that in the intervening period India embraced globalisation and started to liberalise its economy. It is hard to imagine an international aid programme, even one as generous as our own, that would, or could, have ever been as effective," Fox said. As the world's developing and emerging economies have liberalised their trade practices, prosperity has spread across the globe, bringing industry, jobs and stability where once there was only poverty, Fox said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd's consolidated profit after tax doubled to Rs 1,525 crore for the quarter through June, driven by strong show in zinc and oil and gas businesses, the company said today. It had posted consolidated PAT at Rs 754 crore, its BSE filing showed. Total income during the quarter was at Rs 20,397 crore, an increase of 23 per cent over a year ago. The quantum jump in profit during the April-June quarter was on account of volumes and improved zinc pricing, CEO Tom Albanese told PTI over phone. "Attributable profit after tax (PAT) before exceptional items for the quarter was Rs 1,525 crore," the company said in a statement. Total expenses during April-June increased to Rs 17,446 crore, from Rs 14,811 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal. "We have started the year on a positive note, with our net profit for the first quarter doubling over last year. Our zinc and oil and gas businesses have delivered a strong quarter. Vedanta is a world leader in zinc, and zinc prices have strengthened since the quarter end on continued global supply deficits," Albanese was quoted as saying in the statement. "Our continued ramp-up in the aluminium business has helped us exit the quarter on a strong production run rate of 1.4 mtpa (million tonnes per annum). We are realising the true benefits of Vedanta's diversified portfolio," he added. The revenue from oil and gas segment during the quarter stood at Rs 2,275 crore, up from Rs 1,885 crore in the year- ago period. The figure for zinc and lead during the quarter was at Rs 4,478 crore. Gross debt came down by about Rs 9,000 crore in the last four months. The company further said the Gamsberg project in South Africa is on track for production in 2018, adding that its financial position remains strong with cash and liquid investments of Rs 48,318 crore. The mining major has paid an interim dividend of Rs 17.70 per share to Cairn India minority shareholders. It has submitted necessary applications for listing of redeemable preference shares. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuelan intelligence officials today arrested two judges the opposition-run parliament had appointed to the supreme court, highlighting a fight between President Nicolas Maduro's government and a nascent "parallel" state in the making. The detention of judges Jesus Rojas Torres and Zuleima Gonzalez happened in the eastern state of Anzoategui, the National Assembly said on Twitter. Their arrests brought to three the number of opposition- named judges being held, following the arrest on Saturday of another, Angel Zerpa. A military tribunal yesterday ordered Zerpa be imprisoned, according to a rights group, Foro Penal, and an opposition leader, Henrique Capriles. Prosecutors have petitioned for his release. They were among 33 judges the opposition-led chamber last week named to the supreme court, creating a parallel body to the high court whose members have shown systematic loyalty to Maduro. The supreme court and Maduro's government have said those involved in the parallel court were committing "incitement to subversion." On Sunday, Maduro vowed that the opposition's judges would be arrested "one by one" and their assets frozen. The wrestle over the legitimacy of the supreme court judges comes as Maduro presses on with a bid to have the constitution rewritten. This weekend his officials are holding an election to appoint 545 people to sit on a body called the Constituent Assembly to carry out that task. The opposition, which staged an unofficial referendum in which a third of the electorate rejected Maduro's plan, is fighting that effort, and has called a boycott of the vote. International condemnation has also been directed at Maduro's effort, and US President Donald Trump has threatened economic "actions" if the election goes ahead. Tomorrow, the opposition is launching a nationwide strike -- its second in a week -- to up the pressure on Maduro to back down. Meanwhile, street protests against Maduro continue. In four months, more than 100 people have died during the demonstrations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Vietnamese activist was jailed for nine years today for "anti-state activity", her lawyer said, the second such heavy sentence handed down by the authoritarian state in less than a month. Dissidents, rights lawyers and bloggers are routinely jailed in the communist country but rights groups and activists accuse the new government in place since last year of waging a particularly harsh crackdown on its critics. Anti-China activist Tran Thi Nga, 40, was sentenced after a one-day trial in a heavily guarded courthouse in northern Ha Nam province, where dozens of supporters gathered outside, some holding signs calling for her release. "The court convicted our client with an already prepared verdict," said lawyer Ha Huy Son, dismissing the charges as "groundless". Nga, who was arrested in January, was best known for her anti-China activism, calling for Vietnam to stand up to its communist neighbour over a long-standing row in the disputed South China Sea. She also rallied for land and labour rights and against police brutality. More recently she protested against the government's handling of a major toxic spill blamed on Taiwanese steel giant Formosa along Vietnam's central coast. Nga was found guilty Tuesday for posting articles and videos online accusing "the communist state of violating human rights, and called for pluralism and the elimination of Article Four of the Constitution", which calls for a one-party state. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 12 years. AFP's request to attend the trial was not answered by local authorities, and several activists said they were harassed by plainclothes police outside the courthouse. Nga's sentence follows the trial of prominent activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh last month, better known by her pen name "Mother Mushroom", who was jailed for 10 years for anti-state propaganda. Before Nga's verdict, New York-based Human Rights Watch lashed out at the government for its treatment of dissidents. "The Vietnamese government consistently goes to extremes to silence its critics, targeting activists like Tran Thi Nga with bogus charges that carry a long prison sentence," said Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy Asia director. Dozens of activists are imprisoned in Vietnam, where all independent media is banned and public protests are routinely broken up, often violently. Yesterday, activist Le Dinh Luong, 51, was arrested in central Nghe An province, accused of trying to overthrow the communist state, a crime punishable by death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Volkswagen executive charged with fraud and conspiracy for his part in covering up the "dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal has agreed to plead guilty, US officials said today. Oliver Schmidt, who led the German automaker's US regulatory compliance office from 2012 to March 2015, will plead guilty at an August 4 hearing at a US federal court in Michigan, the officials said. It was the latest development in the two-year old scandal, after VW admitted in 2015 to equipping about 11 million cars worldwide with defeat devices to evade emissions tests, including about 6,00,000 vehicles in the United States. Prosecutors and lawyers representing Schmidt told US District Judge Sean Cox of the plea agreement during a morning status conference, court spokesman David Ashenfelter told AFP. In an email to AFP, the Justice Department confirmed the plea deal, but there were no further details released on its substance of the agreement. Schmidt's attorney did not immediately return requests for comment. Schmidt would be the second VW employee implicated in the emissions scandal to plead guilty. James Liang, a former Volkswagen engineer, pleaded guilty last year of helping devise a defeat device used to circumvent emission tests. An FBI affidavit cited him as a cooperating witness in the government's case. The German automaker pleaded guilty in March to criminal charges that it defrauded the US and conspired to violate the Clean Air Act. The company agreed to pay USD 4.3 billion in criminal and civil fines, on top of USD 17.5 billion the company had already agreed to pay in settlements with car owners, dealers and for environmental cleanup. Regulators in 2015 discovered that Volkswagen diesel cars marketed as clean in fact spewed up to 40 times the permissible limits of nitrogen oxide during normal driving, but this was hidden during emissions testing. The company developed the illegal technology in 2009 and prosecutors alleged senior employees attempted a coverup after learning of the scheme in 2015. Volkswagen still faces an array of legal challenges in Germany and worldwide relating to the scandal. The global carmaker has so far set aside more than USD 24.4 billion to cover fines and compensation related to dieselgate, but experts estimate the final bill could be much higher. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have pinpointed key molecules that prompt damaged nerve fibres in zebrafish to regenerate themselves, an advance that could hold clues to new therapies for people with spinal cord injuries. For people and other mammals, damage to the spinal cord is permanent and results in irreversible paralysis. Zebrafish have the remarkable ability to regain full movement within four weeks of injury to their spinal cord. Studies have shown that they are able to restore damaged connections and nerve cells in the spinal cord. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in the UK found that after injury, wound-healing cells called fibroblasts move into the site of damage. These fibroblasts produce a molecule called collagen 12, which changes the structure of the support matrix that surrounds nerve fibres. This enables the damaged fibres to grow back across the wound site and restore the lost connections. The team found that fibroblasts are instructed to make collagen 12 by a chemical signal called wnt. Understanding these signals could hold clues for therapies to help heal the spinal cord after injury, the researchers said. "In people and other mammals, the matrix in the injury site blocks nerves from growing back after an injury," said Thomas Becker, of Edinburgh's Centre for Neuroregeneration. "We have now pinpointed the signals that remove this roadblock in zebrafish, so that nerve cells can repair connections that are lost after damage to the spinal cord," said Becker. "We next plan to check whether triggering these signals in other animals can help them to repair nerve connections damaged by spinal cord injuries," he said. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang today appointed nine advisors with cabinet minister rank and 26 parliamentary secretaries. Zeliang administered the oath of office and secrecy to nine advisors and 26 parliamentary secretaries in the presence of Assembly Speaker Imtiwapang Aier and senior bureaucrats at the State Banquet Hall here this evening. With today's appointment of advisors and parliamentary secretaries, Zeliang has appointed all the MLAs supporting him to some post. Zeliang has the support 36 NPF legislators, four BJP and seven independent MLAs. Zeliang cabinet has 12 ministers including the chief minister. Zeliang was sworn in as the chief minister on July 19 after the Nagaland governor sacked Shurhozelie Liezietsu, who failed to turn up for the vote of confidence. Zeliang had won the trust vote in the Assembly on July 21 and had first expanded his ministry by inducting 10 ministers on July 22 and yesterday he had inducted one more minister. However, Zeliang is yet to distribute the portfolios to any of the ministers, parliamentary secretaries and advisors. Talking to mediapersons after the ceremony, he said portfolios would be distributed in next couple of days. Asked about 10 NPF and one Independent MLA supporting former chief minister and NPF party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu moving court against his ministry, Zeliang said, "their intension was to stop the expansion of this ministry but the court has not allowed while the hearing has been fixed for July 31 next." On the fate of the legislators voting against him in the July 21 emergent session, Zeliang said "according to anti- defection law if any member defies the whip, he would directly attract disqualification. If anybody files trial petition before the Speaker, they will be disqualified." Replying to another query as to whether he would personally initiate disqualification of the 10 NPF MLAs, the chief minister said "it all depends on the decision of elected members on his side, which will be discussed in the NPF Legislature Party in due course of time." "According to the Nagaland Assembly Anti-Defection rules, the petition can be submitted only after 15 days," he said. On the claims of legislators supporting him to be NPF MLAs despite the expulsion and suspension of 31 out of the 36 of them, the CM claimed that the 36 NPF legislators had an exclusive meeting yesterday and decided that the action initiated by the NPF party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu "is not according to the NPF constitution." He claimed that none of the expelled or suspended legislators, including himself, had received any notice or warning, whereas as per the NPF constitution a notice has to be served and only after a unsatisfactory reply, the Disciplinary Action Committee can recommend for any kind of action. But no such procedure was followed this time, which is arbitrary according to the party constitution, Zeliang said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Matthew Miller and Rachel Armstrong LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese conglomerate HNA Group has pushed back against media reports that it faces mounting pressure from bankers and regulators, even as it announced a shareholding shake-up in a bid to quash concerns over its ownership. The privately-owned group, which has entered into $50 billion of deals over the last two years, buying stakes in logistics firms, hotels and even Deutsche Bank, said on Monday it has set up a new charitable foundation to act as its single biggest stakeholder. "I think we are operating our company legally, we have nothing to hide, and we are fine," CEO Adam Tan told in a wide-ranging interview. Tan said that HNA maintains a strong working relationship with its main Wall Street banks, which include JPMorgan, UBS and Morgan Stanley, and reports that some were scaling back credit to the group were not true. He said Morgan Stanley had given HNA an unsecured $300 million loan just three weeks ago. Morgan Stanley declined to comment. The only bank that has stopped working with HNA is Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Tan said, adding the bank had not dealt closely with HNA to begin with. Tan characterized as routine a loan check by banks ordered last month by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), adding this was not a major hindrance to the group's business, given it had already been subject to regular CBRC scrutiny. "I've been reviewed by them (the CBRC) for more than 10 years," he said, adding it was just one of many regulators the company dealt with. Beijing is putting more pressure on opaque corporate structures, excess debt and deals it sees as overly aggressive as it tries to control capital outflows and keep its economy on an even keel. The banking regulator last month ordered a group of lenders to assess their exposure to offshore acquisitions by a handful of Chinese companies that have been on an overseas buying spree. HNA, a leading shareholder in more than a dozen listed companies, has grown rapidly by buying overseas firms, more than quadrupling its assets to 1.2 trillion yuan ($177.5 billion) in 2014-16. Tan said revenues trebled in the first half of this year, and profits rose by 40 percent. He declined to elaborate. NEW FOUNDATION Tan confirmed details of a shareholding reorganization at HNA, which was reported earlier by . HNA has come under pressure to provide greater clarity about who owns the conglomerate, following recent media reports and accusations by exiled billionaire Guo Wengui. In June, HNA filed a defamation suit at New York State Supreme Court against Guo, who claimed that "officials in China's Communist Party and their relatives are undisclosed shareholders" in the group. Under the reshuffle, a newly created, New York-based, not-for-profit organisation, Hainan Cihang Charity Foundation Inc, has become HNA's single largest shareholder with a 29.5 percent stake. Hainan Province Cihang Charity Foundation, a Haikou-based charity established by HNA in 2010 and capitalized by shares in 2013, continues to indirectly hold a 22.75 percent stake - meaning the combined foundation collectively accounts for more than 52 percent of the group's issued stock. A dozen senior executives hold the remainder of the group, with co-founders Chen Feng and Wang Jian having stakes of just below 15 percent each, Vice Chairman Chen Wenli a 3.95 percent stake, and three senior executives, including CEO Tan, each holding a 2.95 percent share. As recently as a year ago, according to a 2016 filing, HNA said Bharat Bhise, CEO of Bravia Capital, and Guan Jun, a Beijing businessman, owned 17.4 percent and 12.35 percent respectively. That shareholding had been transferred to the foundation, Tan said. "Disclosing HNA Group's ownership structure, even though we are a private company, provides more transparency, and we intend to update this information on an annual basis," a spokesman said. HNA described the foundation as furthering its philanthropic mission and maximising "efforts in corporate social responsibility". HNA will exercise control and voting rights for the charities, Tan said, even as executives eventually move to transfer their shareholdings to the foundations. DEUTSCHE, SKYBRIDGE Tan said he had not had contact with the European Central Bank, which is considering a possible assessment of Deutsche Bank's two largest shareholders, including the Qatari royal family. HNA holds a stake of just under 10 percent in Deutsche. "I think the German government clearly said it welcomes all ... kinds of investment," he said. "Our investment is legal and is totally controlled by the regulatory process." Tan said HNA continues to move forward with deals, even as its acquisition spree slows. He pointed to the recent announcement it would buy a 60 percent equity stake in Rio de Janeiro international airport for $19 million. Tan also said he was unaware of a timeline to close HNA Capital's proposed buyout of SkyBridge Capital, the hedge fund platform founded by new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. The regulatory process may take more than a few weeks, he added. (Reporting by Matthew Miller and Rachel Armstrong. with additional reporting by Olivia Oran in NEW YORK; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Brenda Goh SHANGHAI (Reuters) - European shipbuilders' dominance in the $117 billion passenger ship industry may come under threat as Chinese rivals move into the sector to tap booming local demand for cruise holidays. China's government has earmarked cruise shipbuilding as a major objective in its "Made in China 2025" programme to upgrade its domestic manufacturing and support jobs at its shipyards, as domestic demand for cruise trips increases 30 percent a year. This push into the higher-value cruise vessel sector is rattling European yards, leaders in an industry that requires sophisticated supply chains to make and fit out complex luxury liners. Some European shipbuilders fear China could come to dominate the cruise ship market, much as it has done in cargo ships over recent decades. "This is a state objective that threatens to cause tremendous distortion in competition," said Reinhard Luken, chief executive of the German Shipbuilding and Ocean Industries Association (VSM), which represents German maritime firms such as shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku. "There are almost endless resources available if China has set a goal." Still, learning how to build cruise ships will not be easy for the Chinese, given the complex web of suppliers needed to furnish items from luxury carpets to soundproofing, industry experts say. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries quit building European cruise liners in October after its losses on two vessels for cruise operator Carnival Corp topped $2 billion. "It's a hotel on the sea, (and) requires at least a few hundred suppliers," said Lin Li, general manager at Lloyds' Register's Greater China marine and offshore business development department. China's shift into the cruise sector also comes as global demand for cargo ships has collapsed, shuttering scores of Chinese yards. EUROPEAN EXPERTISE At the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding yard at the mouth of the Yangtze River, China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) has brought in European advisers, including Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, to help it learn how to compete in building cruise ships. It has also attracted foreign suppliers such as Finland's Wartsila to set up local joint ventures. "Fincantieri has brought a few hundred workers here, and CSSC has sent technical staff to England for training," said Alan Mong, a CSSC employee, during a recent media tour of the yard. CSSC's order for two cruise ships, which will be able to carry up to 5,000 passengers, is part of a $1.5 billion deal signed in February with Carnival and Fincantieri. That deal, three years in the making, also includes an option for four more ships. Fincantieri was encouraged to help China by Carnival, its biggest customer, which is itself pushing to develop China cruise lines, said two industry executives familiar with the local market. They asked not to be named as they didn't want to jeopardise business relationships. They said Carnival was told by the Chinese government it could only grow in China's cruise market - projected to be the world's second largest after the United States by 2030 - by helping the domestic industry develop. CSSC did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. China's Ministry of Commerce declined to comment, saying it was a company matter. Carnival said it encouraged Fincantieri to participate in the shipbuilding project, but noted its own plans to launch China's first domestic cruise line with CSSC and China Investment Corp were negotiated independently. Fincantieri said it got into the Chinese market "based nothing more than on an analysis regarding the business opportunities from the great potential of the market." DISCOUNTS Other Chinese yards are following suit, offering discounts of up to 30 percent, and earlier delivery, to win orders from Western cruise lines. In March, China Merchants Industry Holdings agreed a deal to build up to 10 vessels for Miami-based SunStone Ships, and Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co won a 194 million euro ($222 million) order from Finland's Viking Line in April for a 2,800-passenger cruise ferry. "We were surprised at the number of interested yards," said Viking Line's CEO Jan Hanses, saying he received interest from six Chinese yards, including Guangzhou International Shipyard, Yantai CIMC Raffles and AVIC Weihai Shipyard. "Competition is always good... If the European yards are left without competition they will stagnate." European yards currently have 68 cruise ships on order up to 2025, according to data from industry publication Seatrade Cruise, comfortably ahead of other regions. But Nathalie Durand-Prinborgne, a representative for labour union Force Ouvriere's section at shipbuilder STX France, said there are fears that French shipyards could eventually abandon the cruise market to the Chinese, as they did with LNG tankers. Because of technology transfer concerns, she said the union opposes Fincantieri's proposed takeover of STX France, which employs 2,600 people at the western port of Saint-Nazaire. "In allying itself with the Chinese, Fincantieri not only shot itself in the foot, but also fired into ours," she added. And Raoul Jack, principal consultant at PFJ Maritime, an adviser to Chinese yards entering the cruise market, says it may be futile to try and stop the shift. "Every yard is looking at the markets that are the most buoyant," he said. ($1 = 0.8757 euros) (Reporting by Brenda Goh, with additional reporting by Guillaume Frouin in NANTES and SHANGHAI Newsroom; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MILAN (Reuters) - Departing Telecom Italia (TIM) Chief Executive Flavio Cattaneo has defended what is likely to be a multi-million euro severance package, saying he delivered on many of his goals ahead of time, according to La Repubblica newspaper. TIM's board is set to discuss on Monday Cattaneo's departure after just 16 months in the job following clashes with top shareholder Vivendi. Under a "special award" clause in his contract, Cattaneo could claim up to 40 million euros ($47 million) if his term is terminated early or his powers reduced. One source close to the situation said he would get 32 million euros, the biggest severance pay ever awarded to an executive in Italy after just over one year in office. "My contract was linked to (meeting the targets) and now simply needs to be respected. The severance package I will get is not a scandal," Cattaneo was quoted as saying in La Repubblica by a person close to him. Sources familiar with the matter said on Friday Vivendi executive Amos Genish, a former head at Telefonica's Brazil unit, was set to be appointed as TIM's managing director, effectively taking over from Cattaneo. La Repubblica said Cattaneo fell out with Vivendi, which has a 24-percent stake in TIM and has been tightening its grip on the company, because of its plan to appoint Genish at his side. Several sources have also said Vivendi grew unhappy after Cattaneo became embroiled in a row with Italy's government over the rollout of ultrafast broadband. Shares in TIM rose more than 3 percent on Monday, as analysts bet management change could help improve TIM's relationship with Rome. They also expect the cost cutting drive set in motion by Cattaneo to continue. TIM is expected to report another strong set of results later this week. "The strategic uncertainty could be balanced by a more positive relationship with the government and on speculation for potential corporate action," Banca Akros said in a note, citing the possibility of TIM spinning off its fixed line network. TIM said on Sunday Cattaneo was leaving because the company had "reached important results ahead of plan, which allows it to start a new phase". It dismissed suggestions that the break-up was linked to clashes with Rome. ($1 = 0.8584 euros) (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Mark Potter) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab expects to raise $2.5 billion in a record round of fundraising to cement its lead over Uber Technolgies Inc in the region and grow its payments platform. Southeast Asia has become a key battleground for technology startups vying for a market of over 600 million people, with a burgeoning middle class as well as a youthful, internet-savvy demographic. Grab's Chinese peer Didi Chuxing and Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, both of which are existing investors, will contribute up to $2 billion to lead the current financing round, it said in its statement on Monday. The firm expects to raise an additional $500 million, bringing the total to $2.5 billion in this round, which it said would be the largest-ever single financing in Southeast Asia. Grab will be valued at more than $6 billion at the close of this round, according to a source close to company. The Singapore-headquartered company said it has a Southeast Asia market share of 95 percent in third-party taxi-hailing and 71 percent in private vehicle hailing. It operates private car, motorcycle, taxi and carpooling services across seven countries in the region, with 1.1 million drivers. "With their (Didi and SoftBank's) support, Grab will achieve an unassailable market lead in ridesharing, and build on this to make GrabPay the payment solution of choice for Southeast Asia," Anthony Tan, group chief executive officer and co-founder of Grab, said in the statement. Building on soaring user numbers of its Grab ride-hailing app and GrabPay function, the five-year-old start-up aims to transform into a consumer technology firm that also offers loans, electronic money transfer and money-market funds. Grab bought Indonesian payment service Kudo earlier this year, and has said it is seeking more acquisitions to support rapid growth. "The heterogeneity of the banking system, multiple competitors in each country, and multiple regulations to meet are barriers to success," said analyst Rushabh Doshi at researcher Canalys. "However, given no single payment solution has been able to work across all S.E. Asian markets, Grab stands a good chance of building market share via its ride-sharing business model, and then extend the payments to other adjunct businesses," he said. Grab competes with the likes of Uber, the world's largest ride-hailing service, and Indonesia's Go-Jek. Tencent Holdings Ltd invested around $100 million to $150 million in Go-Jek, sources told Reuters earlier this month. Grab's fundraising comes at a time when San Francisco-based Uber has been beset by complaints about its workplace culture, a federal inquiry into software to help drivers avoid police, and an intellectual property lawsuit by Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc. Uber has been expected to increase its focus on India and Southeast Asia after retreating from China last year. Grab's previous investors include sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp, hedge fund Coatue Management LLC, venture capital firm GGV Capital, and Vertex Ventures Holdings - a subsidiary of Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings (Pte) Ltd. Noted journalist Fareed Zakaria once quoted American economist Thomas C Schelling who had famously observed that two things are very expensive in international politics - threats when they fail and promises when they succeed. China's Global Times with its daily tirade against India appears to be doing exactly that. Where there is no promise in its daily rhetoric but threats are as clear as it can get. It claims that Beijing has the capability to resolve the conflict through non-diplomatic means. What does that mean? Military confrontation, it writes. It is important for India to take note of Global Times' message as it isn't like any other media house which we can ignore. It is state-guided and Beijing communicates through it. Despite China's repeated provocation, India's response has been measured with External Minister Shushma Swaraj making it clear that for any resolution in Doklam area, both the countries should pull its forces back from the territory in question. What is interesting in all of this is that while India is firm on its stand, it hasn't talked of steps that could hurt Chinese interest in turn. Brahma Chellaney who is a strategic thinker and professor of strategic studies at Center for Policy Research recently argued that it is time India should use its most powerful weapon against China: Trade. But, why is it that India holding itself back from acting on economic front? India-China trade volume is roughly 71 billion US dollar. And latest data which was released in January showed India's trade deficit with China has now increased to a whopping USD 46.56 billion. India's import from China in 2016 was USD 58.33 billion. However, its export to China was merely USD 11.76 billion. The growing trade deficits with China was something that Chellaney referred to when he said: "By importing USD 5 worth of goods from China for every USD 1 worth of exports to it, India not only rewards Chinese belligerence but also foots the bill for Beijing's encirclement strategy." This raises a pertinent question whether New Delhi should really clamp down on Chinese imports to put economic pressure for any meaningful dialogue with Beijing. History suggests that it could be a good politics but certainly not a good economics, especially when you are not fully prepared for it. IMPROVE OUR MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES Various reports on India-China trade suggest that our industry is heavily dependent on some of the Chinese products such as computer hardware, power generation equipment, steel, electronic components, consumer electronics and electrical machinery. Import of Chinese power generation equipment helps India to produce electricity at lower costs. "In case we want to cut down our import from China, we have to improve our manufacturing capabilities and look for the alternative markets to compensate the trade," said Varaprasad Sekhar Dolla, Professor at Centre for East Asian Studies in JNU. We also have to look at the volume of Chinese trade with other countries. China's trade with the US is close to USD 400 billion, with Hong Kong it stands USD 300 billion and with Japan it is somewhere around USD 150 billion. So, can our boycott or ban, as Chellaney suggested, of bilateral trade of USD 70 billion really affect the Chinese economically? Varaprasad thinks that it could be used as short-term bargaining-chip but it is certainly not a long-term solution. ECONOMIC PRESSURE BARELY WORKS May be Professor Dolla is right as history has proven time and again that economic pressure on any country has barely achieved its political goal. And wherever it worked it worked with several other factors. British scholar and senior Research Fellow at Oxford University Professor Adam Roberts argues that there are very few cases where you can identify sanctions as having had a success, except sometimes in combination with other factors. He refers to Rhodesia and South Africa where sanctions contributed to change but he insists that they were only one factor among many. But the economic conditions of these countries cannot be compared with that of China's as it has considerable economic and military clout in today's world affairs. While sanctions could be an effective tool to punish a country but there is hardly any evidence which can prove that economic pressure could force a country to change its stand on issues that are as sensitive as its security and borders. Let's take an example of the United States' sanctions on Russia and North Korea. Former US President Barack Obama slapped economic sanctions on Russia over latter's intervention in Ukraine. Following the sanctions, Russian economy were badly hit, however it couldn't deter Vladimir Putin from using his military to encourage the Ukrainian separatists. The United States also put sanctions against North Korea, but did it achieve what it wanted? No. Instead, North Korea is today more hostile -with nuclear missile- than it was few years ago. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE If India wants to deal with China, it has to focus on manufacturing and export to bring down the trade deficit and its dependence on Chinese market for cheap products. Ritu Agarwal who is an associate professor at Centre for East Asian Studies in JNU suggests that instead of talking about boycotting or banning Chinese products we should look at the possibilities of increasing our bilateral trade. Talking about an initiative -Kunming South Asia Expo- which was started in 2013 by a Chinese province Yunnan, professor Agarwal said: "There are very few participants from India to showcase in such expos as we don't have much to show there." She further said India should take advantage of such initiatives by promoting Indian-made products. India-China have market of close to 2.7 billion people, both could benefit from each other. WHY INDIA-CHINA MATTER At a time when the US is backtracking from its global leadership role and European Union is at the receiving end for its tightly-held bureaucratic way of functioning, India and China could emerge as next alternatives to these powerful economies, observed Dr Nehginpao Kipgen, assistant professor and executive director of Centre for Southeast Asian Studies in Jindal School of International Affairs. Dr Kipgen said that any military escalation between India and China at this point will not only affect the two countries but has the potential to destabilize the entire Asian region. And why it is important for theses two fastest growing economies to stick together is the fact that they have been a part of multiple intergovernmental organizations and one of them is BRICS Bank, which was believed to have been established to counter World Bank and IMF. And if anything happens - between India and China on military front - at this juncture, there could be a serious existential threat to the most ambitious financial institution based-in Beijing. Given the weight that these two Asian giants carry in the world politics, any adventurism could be an expensive one. Remember what Thomas C Schelling said - Threats in international politics is a serious business. The Indian economy will continue to grow at a faster pace than China's in 2017 as well as 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) World Economic Outlook Update released on Monday. The IMF retained India's GDP forecast at 7.2 cent for the current fiscal and sees it accelerating to 7.7 per cent in 2018-19. For China, the IMF said it now expected stronger growth of 6.7 percent in 2017, up 0.1 percentage point from the April forecast. China's growth will still moderate in 2018 to 6.4 percent, but the IMF said that was up 0.2 percentage point from the April forecast because of expectations that Beijing will maintain high public investment. Growth in India, the multilateral agency said, is forecast to pick up further in 2017 and 2018, in line with the April 2017 forecast. The IMF report states that while activity slowed following the demonetisation initiative, growth for 2016 at 7.1 per cent was higher than anticipated due to strong government spending and data revisions that show stronger momentum in the first part of the year. The IMF kept its growth forecasts for the world economy unchanged for this year and next. It said the global GDP growth rate would be 3.5 per cent in 2017 and 3.6 per cent in 2018 which is at the same level as its last update released in April. However, it upgraded GDP projections for the euro zone area for 2017 to 1.9 percent, 0.2 percentage point higher than in April. For next year, the IMF said euro-area growth would be slightly stronger at 1.7 percent, a 0.1-percentage-point change from just three months ago. "While risks around the global growth forecast appear broadly balanced in the near term, they remain skewed to the downside over the medium term," the IMF said. The IMF in June shaved its forecasts for U.S. growth to 2.1 percent for 2017 and 2018, slightly down from projections of 2.3 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, just three months ago. The Fund reversed previous assumptions that the Trump administration's fiscal policy plans would boost U.S. growth, largely because details of those plans have not materialized. For many millennials, Microsoft Paint was their first blank slate to express creativity. With no need of pen and paper, one could carelessly imagine and create using simple tools. Now 32 years after it was launched, Microsoft has finally decided to let go of Microsoft Paint with the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. However, calling it entirely dead won't be correct. Microsoft wants its users to shift to a more advanced Paint 3D. As the name suggests, Paint 3D lets you access 2D as well as 3D tools to create a more immersive content. The company believes this software should also be able to replace the 3D Builder app. Few of the most notable characteristics of the Paint launched in 1985 were simplicity and versatility. Right from plain old scribbling to sophisticated pieces of art, Microsoft Paint could cater to a wide range of users. The latest version of Paint came a long way from the one launched 32 years back but it still maintained a similar interface throughout these years. Update: Microsoft clears that Paint won't die and will still be available on the Windows Store. However, the app will not come pre-loaded with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. The blog states, "we've seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there's anything we learned, it's that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It's been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app. Amidst today's commentary around MS Paint we wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight, clear up some confusion and share some good news:MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free." The online community has come forward in reminiscing old days of Microsoft Paint. MS Paint represents nostalgia, creative democracy, playfulness, and it got kids into drawing/painting - Amanda Jenkins (@MrsHuwLtd) #r4today - Nico Macdonald (@Nico_Macdonald) July 25, 2017 MS Paint is soon gonna become I miss Paint. #Deep - Avinash Iyer (@IyerAvin) July 25, 2017 i'm kind of emotional about ms paint being killed off, i remember all the sonic sprites i edited back in 2006 - teenage dortbag (@gere720) July 25, 2017 | BY Lynchy | VML Singapore, was named the 2017 Adobe SEA Partner of the Year, at the Adobe Experience Forum 2017 in Singapore, yesterday. VML has won this award, second year in the running. The accolade recognizes VMLs continued success in leveraging the potential of the Adobe Marketing Cloud, in order to develop and deliver unparalleled customer experiences for its brands in the Asia Pacific region. It is another feather in the agencys cap, as VML had recently also been awarded Most Innovative Mobile Experience at the Adobe APAC Partner Forum in February 2017, for their work with Ford; and India Digital Marketing Partner of the Year 2016 in the Government and Public Sector Category. Tripti Lochan, CEO, Southeast Asia & India, VML said, We are honored to be recognized once again as a strategic Adobe partner. In the past year, our partnership with Adobe has grown from strength to strength, as we continue to work together to achieve our shared goal of digital transformation for our clients in the region. This award affirms the work that has gone into building our Platform & Experiences practice. We are very optimistic for a more exciting year ahead in our partnership with Adobe. The VML Singapore-Adobe partnership stems from a common desire to automate marketing with artificial intelligence, and aims to help brands achieve digital maturity by setting up their products, people and process for success. VML Singapore is a certified Adobe Specialized Partner and the Adobe Centre of Excellence for VML across Asia Pacific. This partnership has immense potential for business transformation across Asia. He says, "In so much as this symphony is about something or has a story to tell, it's an optimistic and humorous symphony portraying a sense of living in Australia at the time it was written. At that time, there was a lot of talk about an Australian republic and this raised a lot of questions about Australian identity. It was exciting to ponder these matters although these days, the question of Australia being a republic is not something I feel I need to be concerned with." "A lot of people wonder why are we still prosecuting David Eastman for example? Well one reason why is that as long as some legal process is taking place against him, 28 years after the murder, the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions] and the Australian Police Force can say the matter is sub judice, it's premature to have an inquiry into the conduct and the judgement of anyone who's involved with it," Mr Waterford said. Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ... 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. Photo: Aaron Pritchett Country superstar Aaron Pritchett will be gracing the stage at this years Penticton Peach Festival, and according to Pritchett, he couldn't be more excited to be back. Pritchett will perform with special guest Cory Marquardt on Friday Aug 11 at 9:30 p.m. in Okanagan Lake Park. "I have been to Peachfest before, not only as a performer, but Ive been there [Penticton] partying when I was younger," Pritchett said. "I have friends that live in Okanagan Falls and we shot a video in Kaleden and Penticton before, my ties are pretty tight up there. Coming up there is an easy choice to make, that's for sure." Pritchett will perform his "popular party songs, everyone is familiar with," like Hold My Beer, Light It Up and Let's Get Rowdy, along with a new single. "I've got some new stuff that Im coming out with," he said. "Just a few days before [Penticton Peach Fest], I will have released a new single called VW Bus, and I do have a VW Bus, so it's legit." "I've got a show, that I'd like to think, people will leave wanting more." Pritchett has been nominated in two categories at this years Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA), and feels very "fortunate and lucky, to have this comeback." "There has been points where I thought well I guess Im done, my career has sort of come to an end, Im in the twilight of it, and then 'bang' all of the sudden I get these hit songs on the radio and these nominations. I got nominated for a Juno earlier this year as well and then off comes these CCMA nominations for Male Artist and Video of the Year for a song called When a Momma's Boy Meets a Daddy's Girl." The Penticton Peach Fest is the only performance Pritchett has scheduled in the Okanagan over the summer. The only other performance in the area is scheduled for Kamloops. "I'm hoping to get up there [the Okanagan] again, in the fall or winter to do a Christmas performance of some kind. Penticton Peach Festival is Aug. 9 to 13, and is free for all ages. Photo: Downtown Vernon Civic Sounds will have special guests starting at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday. Vernon's popular Civic Sounds concerts are back, and it's hoped the public will help out the Salvation Army food bank while enjoying the free event this Thursday. People are encouraged to bring non-perishable food and cash donations in support of the food bank and the kids camping program. The Salvation Army will be on site to collect donations both this Thursday and at the last Civic Sounds concert on Aug. 24. The food bank is an extremely important community resource year-round, says Hailey Rilkoff, DVA events co-ordinator. We need to support our food bank during the summer months, especially with the large number of fire evacuees in the region who are using the food bank and social services. This week's Civic Sounds will have a sneak preview of some of the bands that will be taking part in next weekend's Okanagan Military Tattoo. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. in Civic Plaza. At 7 p.m., The Young'uns, who headlined at Funtastic this year, will play. Full event schedules and additional information regarding downtown events can be found on the Downtown Vernon website. Photo: Facebook The public is asked not be alarmed if they hear gunfire on the DND grounds this summer. Cadets at the Vernon Cadet Training Centre will be firing blank rounds this summer and the public is being asked not be be alarmed. The cadets will be participating in ceremonial drills through August. The practice and ceremonies will entail small arms handling and the firing of blanks on the Dieppe parade square at the DND grounds some mornings and evenings. The Vernon Cadet Training Centre would like to make the public aware to avoid alarm if they hear blank ammunition being fired. The dates include: July 25 - 8:30-10 a.m. July 26 - 8:30-10 a.m. July 27 - 8:30-10 a.m. July 28 - 8:30-10 a.m. Aug. 1 - 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 2 - 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 4 - 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 8 - 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 10 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 11 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 14 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 15 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 16 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 17 6:30-8 p.m. The cadet program is a national program for young Canadians aged 12 to 18 who participate in a variety of activities while learning about the sea, army and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces. Photo: The Canadian Press UPDATE: 5:55 p.m. RCMP in the Lower Mainland have retrieved their grenade launcher. In a news release later this afternoon, Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau said the police "equipment" reported missing this afternoon has been located. Following extensive media coverage, a member of the public called RCMP immediately to report they recovered the "equipment" in the area the kit was believed to have gone missing. "Officers have connected with them and confirmed that all missing items have been accounted for," said Linteau. "A review of the incident is continuing." ORIGINAL STORY: 3:10 p.m. Mounties in British Columbia are searching for a missing non-lethal grenade launcher that appears to have fallen off the back of a truck. RCMP spokeswoman Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau says in a news release that the force is looking for a 40-mm Abrams Airborne Less Lethal Multi-Launcher and some related ammunition. Online descriptions of the equipment say the multi-launcher is used by tactical teams to control crowds by firing ammunition such as pepper spray and rubber bullets. Linteau says it is believed the equipment fell through the back hatch of a truck canopy as the vehicle travelled near the Golden Ears Bridge Sunday morning. She says a passing motorist alerted the police officer driving the truck to the open hatch, and when they stopped to check the vehicle's contents, they found a green camouflage bag with the weapon inside and a black backpack missing. Linteau says the area was searched thoroughly, but the items have not been located. "We are very concerned about the loss of these items and are doing all we can to locate them," Linteau says. Anyone who finds the items is asked to refrain from handling them and to contact police immediately. Photo: BC RCMP Tens of thousands of anxious British Columbia residents who were forced to escape raging wildfires have returned home in recent days as firefighters made progress and conditions improved. About 20,000 people remained displaced on Monday, but that number was down significantly from 45,000 last week, said Chris Duffy, executive director of operations at Emergency Management BC. People have returned to 100 Mile House and its surrounding areas, as well as Princeton, Cache Creek and Lac La Hache, all communities where evacuation orders have been downgraded to alerts, he said. "Those are thousands and thousands of people starting to mobilize and return home, so those numbers can change quite dramatically," Duffy said. Residents of an area northwest of 100 Mile House were cleared to go home Monday, as were people from the communities of Little Fort and Clearwater, north of Kamloops. An evacuation order is still in effect for 10,000 residents of Williams Lake. The Cariboo Regional District is pressing ahead with plans for re-entry, although city official Geoff Payton said unpredictable conditions make it impossible to set a firm date for a return. Duffy said the hope is for Williams Lake residents to return "early to mid-week." Regional districts make decisions to lift or impose evacuation orders, with advice from wildfire and emergency officials. Crews were battling 154 wildfires on Monday. BC Wildfire Service information officer Navi Saini warned more winds were anticipated in the Cariboo region on Wednesday and Thursday, combined with thunder showers, but without a significant amount of rain. Photo: RCMP Douglas Presseau Police say two people have been charged with second-degree murder following a fatal street fight in Chilliwack. Officers were called for reports of a fight late on July 7 and found three people suffering from stab wounds. Two men from Chilliwack, 46-year-old Douglas Presseau and Steven Drage, who was 51, died of their injuries and an unnamed 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital. Police say 34-year-old Kirkland Russell and 29-year-old Victoria Purcell have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Presseau's death. Cpl. Meghan Foster with the Integrated Homicide Investigations Team says police are still working to find information about Drage's death. Presseau's family says in a statement that his death has "torn a gaping hole" in their hearts and lives. Photo: Peter Vander Sar 1975 file photo of CN Rail line between Armstrong and Sicamous. Regional politicians believe tourism will boom once planned recreational rail trails are built along the old CP Rail line between Sicamous and Armstrong. But, first they have to buy the line. Last week, the North Okanagan Regional District announced that only 91 people voted against borrowing $2.17 million to pay for its share of the trail. The Columbia Shuswap Regional District also used an alternative approval process, with only 141 people voting against borrowing a similar amount for the project. The total cost of the purchase is $6.5 million, with the province chipping in one-third of the cost. Some parts of the line are owned by the Splatsin First Nation, which is working in partnership with the regional districts. The successful public assent process for the CP rail corridor brings us one step closer to securing yet another section of trail, said Juliette Cunningham, NORD deputy chair. Cunningham pointed to construction of a recreational trail on the old CN Rail line between Coldstream and Kelowna, now called the Okanagan Rail Trail. These trails will undoubtedly result in increased tourism activity, and be a tremendous asset to local residents. Acquiring the rail corridor will be a long lasting legacy for residents, visitors and the communities in our region, said Rhona Martin, CSRD chair. We expect this project to be another tremendous tourism opportunity that will contribute greatly to our local economy. The final purchase is still subject to a satisfactory legal and environmental examination of the property by the regional district partners. Photo: Contributed Amy Markin and Becky Marshall of Vernon win Greater Vernon Open bocce championship. There was fun, bocce and money raised for charity at the recent Greater Vernon Open event. The GVO is Western Canada's largest single day bocce tournament and local duo, Amy Markin and Becky Marshall, won top prize. The annual event, which was held last Saturday, has been going strong since 2004. Teams from all over B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Washington state and even Scotland attend regularly. AAThe event is so well attended and is so established, that people regularly book their summer holidays to the Okanagan to attend the event, said Bill Trickey, co-founder. Most importantly, the tournament has raised thousands of dollars for the Canadian Mental Health Association's Ride Don't Hide campaign. Photo: Skylar Noe-Vack The Penticton Fire Department was called to the channel Monday afternoon for a pair of people tangled on a bridge abutment at Green Avenue West. The marine rescue team was dispatched around 4:15 p.m., and arrived to find two people hanging onto their floats on the west side of the bridge. The pair had tied their rafts together. Crews managed to rescue the pair quickly with no serious injury. A 20-year-old man drowned in the channel last month after getting caught on the Green Mountain Road bridge in similar fashion. Another pair had to be freed from the Eckhardt Ave. bridge last week. Photo: RDOS The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has announced that Zoe Kirk, public works projects coordinator, has won the Canada-wide Waters Next Award for innovation and customer service. The RDOS conducts a variety of water stewardship projects and workshops, but it was an in-house program that might have tipped the scales for this prestigious award. Kirk is most proud of her involvement in the West Bench leak detection program, when she was the main force behind saving 400 litres of water per hour. The program was called very innovative by Waters Next. Kirk was involved in every part of the program, from identifying leaks in the system and holding workshops, as well as designing and distributing a leak detection package. I am humbled, and quite frankly, didnt really believe it at first, Kirk said. I am honored to be the one named on the award, but these programs and outreach initiatives would not be possible without the support of the RDOS Board, funders and dedicated fellow workers in the Public Works and Engineering Department. Kirk has leveraged a modest budget into significant community engagement, leading communities through workshops and organizing many water-wise and water protection campaigns. "Her passion for sharing what she has learned and developed is poured into every workshop or event she is present at, or hosting," said Lisa Bloomfield, engineering supervisor at RDOS. "Her down to earth and helpful attitude make her very successful when working with a diverse audience." Promoting water conservation is not always an easy task, especially considering the Okanagan is a tourist destination, especially in the summer, the driest time of the year, according to Kirk. "Visitors are not always mindful of conservation, and we don't have a big tax base for campaigns," she said. Kirk credits her passion for environmental action to a variety of influences, including David Suzuki and Anna Warwick Sears, the executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board. Photo: The Canadian Press President Donald Trump, accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and others, speaks about healthcare, Monday, July 24, 2017, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) John McCain will make a dramatic return to the Senate for a make-or-break vote on Republican health care legislation Tuesday just days after getting diagnosed with brain cancer, giving an emotional and arithmetical boost to his party's reeling effort to repeal Obamacare. The decision by the 80-year-old senator to travel to Washington from his Arizona home was announced by his office in a brief press release late Monday night. It comes with the GOP bill to erase and replace President Barack Obama's law on the brink as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushes toward a pivotal vote Tuesday, prodded by an impatient and frustrated President Donald Trump. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defence Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said. It was the latest head-spinning turn for legislation that's survived several near-death experiences in recent week. Now, it seems it could clear a critical hurdle Tuesday, a vote on beginning debate on a measure Republicans hope will let them deliver on seven years of promises tear down Obama's statute. McCain's startling decision to return suggests McConnell believes Tuesday's vote will be successful with McCain's vote. McConnell, R-Ky., said he's "made a commitment to the people I represent" to undo Obama's health care overhaul, in what seemed a pointed reminder to Republican senators that they've made the same vow. At the White House, Trump lambasted Democrats who helped enact the 2010 health care law and uniformly oppose the GOP attempt to scrap and rewrite it. "They run out and say, 'Death, death, death,'" Trump said, with a backdrop of families that he said have encountered problems getting affordable, reliable medical coverage because of Obama's statute. "Well, Obamacare is death. That's the one that's death." Photo: Twitter British Columbia's new premier handed his cabinet ministers their to-do lists on Monday, and the tasks include a mix of both campaign promises and new plans. John Horgan, who appointed his 22-member cabinet last week, said his government's priorities involve relieving families of rising costs and fees, offering better services for people, and providing good jobs and economic opportunities throughout B.C. "I expect my ministers to work hard every day to deliver on our commitments and make life better for people," Horgan said in a statement. "It will take time to fix the problems, but we're committed to getting it done, one step at a time." Finance Minister Carole James has been told to implement some of the New Democrats' major election promises, including eliminating tolls on two Metro Vancouver bridges and getting rid of medical services premiums within four years, starting with a 50 per cent cut next January. James' letter also said she must balance next year's budget and increase the carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year, starting next April. Energy Minister Michelle Mungall's mandate includes meeting a campaign pledge to freeze B.C. Hydro rates. Her letter also said she must refer the Site C dam project to the B.C. Utilities Commission for a review on "the question of economic viability and consequences to British Columbians in the context of the current supply and demand conditions prevailing in the B.C. market." The former Liberal government approved the nearly $9-billion hydroelectric generation project in northeast B.C. Mungall has also been told to make sure liquefied natural gas projects benefit British Columbians and meet the province's climate commitments. Environment Minister George Heyman's mandate letter stated that he has been tasked with enacting an endangered species law and working to defend British Columbia's interests in the face of the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He must also introduce a new legislated target for reducing carbon pollution, including separate targets and plans for industry. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson's responsibilities include conducting a provincewide homeless count, while Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser will negotiate new plans with First Nations to share provincial gaming revenues. Photo: Google Street View Wells Gray Provincial Park will reopen to the public Tuesday morning. BC Parks in consultation with the Kamloops Fire Centre, made that announcement Monday, after recent precipitation, cooler temperatures and a moderate fire danger rating in northern portions of the fire centre. The park will reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The public will once again be able to use North Thompson Park, as well as recreation trails and sites within Wells Gray Provincial Park. BC Parks and the BC Wildfire Service will continue to assess the situation to help protect public safety. Should the need arise, additional provincial park closures may be enacted throughout the summer. People are reminded a province-wide campfire ban remains in effect across B.C. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions An international team of researchers has solved one of South Americas great bird mysteries. Working deep in the mountainous forests of western Venezuela, they have rediscovered the Tachira Antpitta, a plump brown bird species not seen since it was first recorded in the 1950s.Last year, scientists of the Red Siskin Initiative (RSI) a conservation partnership between the Smithsonian and several scientific organizations in Venezuela organized a team to go in search of the antpitta. The team was led by Jhonathan Miranda of RSI and Provita, and included colleagues Alejandro Nagy, Peter Bichier of the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Miguel Lentino and Miguel Matta of the Coleccion Ornitologica Phelps (COP).American Bird Conservancy (ABC) provided financial support through a William Belton Conservation Fund grant as part of its ongoing Search for Lost Birds.The team set out in June 2016, knowing that several factors were likely to make the antpitta especially challenging to find, if in fact it still existed. The species inhabits dense undergrowth at altitudes of 5,000 to 7,000 feet in a rugged and hard-to-reach region of the Andes. Difficult to identify visually, the bird differs in coloration in subtle ways from related species.Antpittas are also easier to hear than to see. But without sound recordings, nobody knew what to listen for.The researchers had an advantage: They knew where to look. We followed the route described in the earlier expeditions field notebooks to locate the original site of the discovery, Miranda said.To reach the remote location, part of what is now El Tama National Park, the team traveled by foot on steep and narrow Andean trails, with a mule train to carry their gear. From their campsite, the team hiked two hours in the dark to reach appropriate habitat at dawn, the best time to hear the birds sing.The first day there, Miranda and Nagy detected the distinctive song of an antpitta they had not heard before. We were thrilled to re-find the Tachira Antpitta during our first day in the field, said Miranda, and we think they persist in more places we have not yet searched.Over the next week, the team was able to confirm the mysterious song as that of the long-lost Tachira Antpitta, obtaining the first photographs and sound recordings ever made of the living bird.The rediscovery provides hope and inspiration that we still have a chance to conserve this species, said Daniel Lebbin, ABCs Vice President of International Programs. We hope this rediscovery will lead to improved management of and attention for protected areas like El Tama National Park.El Tama National Park is an important part of Venezuelas natural heritage and recognized by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a critical site to protect for the Tachira Antpitta and other biodiversity, said Jon Paul Rodriguez of Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC, the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research), Provita, and the IUCN Species Survival Commission.Jhonathan Miranda and his RSI colleagues have resolved one of South Americas great bird mysteries, and we hope their findings will contribute to a renewed effort to conserve this species, said Lebbin.In the coming months, the team plans to publish the full details of their findings in a scientific journal, including how the Tachira Antpittas voice and visual characteristics distinguish it from other similar species. Additional field work is necessary to learn more about this mysterious bird. Similar habitat can be found nearby in Colombia, and the species might also occur there. Better knowledge of the species vocalizations and the visual identification gathered in this study will help researchers determine the species' full range, ecology and habitat requirements, and how best to ensure its conservation.This species was originally described by William H. Phelps, Jr. of the COP and Alexander Wetmore, former Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, said Michael Braun of the RSI and the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History. It is fitting that the Red Siskin Initiative, in which COP and the Smithsonian are key collaborators, has been instrumental in the rediscovery. We invite those interested in helping us learn more about this species to join us.The Venezuela search team owes its success to a number of individuals and institutions. Logistical support came from ABC, RSI, IVIC, COP, Provita, INPARQUES, Ascanio Birding Tours, the Smithsonian Institution, and the following individuals: Carolina Afan, Miguel Angel Arvelo, David Ascanio, Michael Braun, Felix Briceno, Brian Coyle, Dan Lebbin, Cipriano Ochoa, Tomas Odenall, Jorge Perez Eman, Jon Paul Rodriguez, Kathryn Rodriguez-Clark, and Bibiana Sucre. An electrode brought to the surface of a liquid that contains microparticles can be used to pull out surprisingly long chains of particles. Curiously enough, the particles in the chains are held together by a thin layer of liquid that covers them. This spectacular phenomenon, discovered with the involvement of Polish scientists holds promise for a broad variety of applications. An electrode slowly rises from the surface of a liquid, pulling out individual spherical particles that, just a moment before, were chaotically dispersed in a colloidal solution. A long, regular chain of microparticles thus forms above the surface of the liquid, in a previously unnoticed phenomenon. It was first observed, studied, and described by scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS), the Faculty of Physics of the Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM), the Northwestern University in Evanston (Illinois, USA), and the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw. "We've all probably seen our mothers or grandmothers wear necklaces made of beads strung on a thread. The chains of microparticles fabricated and studied by our team look very similar, but they are much smaller in size. However, the most interesting thing is the physics behind this process. The formation of these regular structures is determined by a set of phenomena that are by no means trivial, and the role of the thread that holds together the individual beads is played by... a liquid. What is more, in a necklace, the thread goes through the beads, while our thread, in this case the liquid, actually covers the microparticles," says Dr. Filip Dutka from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw. "This phenomenon was discovered accidentally, during experiments conducted in the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the PAS," relays Dr. Zbigniew Rozynek. "I used an electrode at several hundred volts to examine glass microspheres floating on the surface of oil. When I pulled out the electrode, I was surprised to see a long and very regular chain at its tip. When I examined it under the microscope, it turned out to have the thickness of a single particle." The phenomenon visually resembles one of the most important modern-day technological processes - namely, Prof. Jan Czochralski's method of growing monocrystals - which involves slowly pulling a rod-mounted seed crystal out of molten material. Moreover, this method, which enables the fabrication of high-quality semiconductors for use in the electronics industry, was reportedly also discovered by accident. When writing notes, Prof. Czochralski absentmindedly dipped his pen in a crucible with cooling molten tin instead of dipping it in the inkpot. When attempting to pull out the pen, he noticed a tin filament at its tip that, on closer inspection, proved to be a monocrystal. "The materials that are fabricated using Czochralski's method are crystals, so their structure is regular in all three dimensions. We create our structures using not atoms or molecules but microparticles arranged regularly along only one dimension. With a bit of leeway, we might therefore treat our chains as one-dimensional crystals," Dr. Rozynek says. How can we form such a colloidal chain? We take a container with non-conductive liquid, add spherical and conductive particles, and mix them together. When we bring an electrode (for example, in the shape of a needle) to the surface of the suspension, one of the particles attaches to its tip and becomes an extension of the electrode, which happens because the particles conduct electricity. If we apply an adequate electric voltage, we will be able to pull such spheres out of the liquid one after another, thus forming a chain of particles covered with a thin layer of the liquid. Each pair of adjacent particles is held together by a liquid capillary bridge, forming stable electric contacts. Consequently, an electric current flows through the whole of the chain almost as efficiently as through a single particle, allowing the last particle to attract another particle from the solution. "Hourglass-shaped capillary bridges can be found between each pair of adjacent spheres in the chain. Once the electric field is turned off, they play a crucial role: by holding the particles together, they keep the chain intact. Since the capillary bridges are simply composed of liquid, the chain is highly flexible," Dr. Dutka explains. The chains of microparticles are formed as a result of complicated interactions of an electrical, gravitational, and capillary nature (related to the surface tension of the liquid). Here, gravity plays the role of a spoiler: if a chain gets too heavy, gravity will cut it like scissors. There is much to indicate that such chains could also be formed under zero gravity and could be then of practically any length. "Once they form, the structures created from microparticles behave like chains: they are flexible, meaning they can be bent into various shapes. However, much depends on the type of liquid used. In some experiments, we pulled chains out of molten paraffin wax. Shortly after being pulled, the bridges would solidify and the structure would become rigid. There's also an intermediate option: if we blend, for example, resin and alcohol, the resin hardens as the alcohol evaporates. The chain is then a lot less flexible but not completely rigid," Dr. Rozynek observes. The length of the colloidal chains depends on the number and weight of the microparticles, which is usually closely related to their size. The Polish scientists, supported by funding from the National Science Centre and the Foundation for Polish Science, conducted experiments for particles with diameters ranging from around 100 nanometers to 200 micrometers. Chains formed from micron-sized particles had up to several thousand elements and were up to several inches long. Although the discovery was made very recently, it appears that the attractive properties of colloidal and granular chains will quickly find practical applications. Work is ongoing to apply the phenomenon to the production of thin conductive structures on substrates that vary in roughness and properties. Such structures could be used as elements in flexible circuits, among other applications. Potentially, such chains could also be formed from living cells, which opens the door to possible applications in biotechnology or even medicine. Some families were unable to access their college savings quickly at a time when some need the funds to cover fall tuition bills, due to a change in the administrator running Illinois' Bright Start 529 college savings plans. (Kirby Hamilton / Getty Images) The Illinois treasurer's office now says that transferring the state's 529 Bright Start college savings plan to a new administrator resulted in technical problems that kept families from accessing their accounts. But all glitches have been repaired, said Paris Ervin, spokesman for Treasurer Michael Frerichs. Advertisement On Friday, the state treasurer's office said there had been no technical issues with the transfer even though some families said they were struggling to access their accounts. At the time, the treasurer's office said the families reporting problems did not have their account numbers on hand and, as a result, had trouble changing their passwords when logging into the new system. On Tuesday, the treasurer's office said the new administrator of the plan Union Bank & Trust Co. identified three technical problems in the new system that were keeping people from withdrawing money. Advertisement Changes were made to the system Saturday that resolved the problems, and there have been no new complaints since Saturday, Ervin said Tuesday. Based on requests for help, Ervin said about 150 account holders had trouble withdrawing funds before the glitches were resolved. About 3,000 successful withdrawals have been made, including 2,000 online, Ervin said. This is a busy time of year for withdrawing college savings because families must make fall tuition payments. Students often are not allowed to register for classes or move into dormitories if tuition hasn't been paid. Ervin said she does not think the glitches existed long enough to keep people from paying tuition on time. The state began using the new administrator on July 17. In June, Frerichs announced the state was moving management contracts for Illinois 529 plans from Oppenheimer OFI Private Investments to Union Bank & Trust Co. The state previously had three options for 529 college savers and was combining them into two, as well as reducing fees and adding funds, he said. "We have successfully transitioned over 300,000 college savings accounts," Ervin said. State-run 529 plans allow people to put away money for college and avoid paying taxes on any money withdrawn to pay for college. gmarksjarvis@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @gailmarksjarvis Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks at a Chicago even on June 22, 2017. The Zuckerberg-backed AltSchool will not occupy a Lincoln Park building after all. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) A private school backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has called off plans to open in Lincoln Park this fall, but the building's owner is adding another big technology name: Amazon. AltSchool said it will not open its first elementary school in the Midwest in a two-story building at Clark Street and Schubert Avenue as previously planned, and is working with the landlord to sublease its 12,500-square-foot space, Chief Impact Officer Devin Vodicka said in an email. Advertisement Meanwhile, Amazon said it has leased another, approximately 2,900-square-foot space in the building, where it will soon open its third package pickup store in Chicago. AltSchool planned to have 100 to 150 students in the Clark Street space, with annual tuition of $25,000, DNAinfo reported in 2015. Advertisement Now, instead of opening a standalone lab school in Chicago, AltSchool is seeking partner schools where it can implement its technology-driven, personalized teaching model within the next couple of years, Vodicka said. By focusing on partnerships with existing private, public and charter schools, AltSchool can introduce its self-directed learning format to a much larger number and more diverse mix of students, he said. "Chicago communities are doing incredible work to improve education quality, and we are committed to being a meaningful part of that work," Vodicka said. "We reached the decision that we can provide far greater service by collaborating with school leaders to accelerate that work through our partner program, rather than opening another lab school that could only support a handful of families." AltSchool, founded by former Google executive Max Ventilla, opened its first school in San Francisco in 2013 and has grown to seven lab schools in the San Francisco area and New York. Investors include a fund of Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan, a foundation led by Laurene Powell Jobs the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and venture capital firms Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz. This fall, AltSchool will begin question and answer sessions with Chicago schools interested in a partnership, led by longtime Chicago educator Vicky Maisey, according to Vodicka. Its first Chicago partnerships could begin as early as the 2018-19 or 2019-20 school years, he said. AltSchool's initial four partnerships are set to start in the upcoming academic year in two Florida schools, one in Philadelphia and one in Washington, D.C. AltSchool is in the process of choosing partner schools for 2018-19 that "will begin using the platform and help improve its value for more diverse schools," Vodicka said. AltSchool's about-face comes about seven months after the new two-story building at Clark and Schubert opened with a Banana Republic Factory Store on the ground floor. The retail structure was developed by Chicago-based Centrum Partners on the site previously occupied by Edge Bar & Grill. Amazon plans to open its pickup store in the building by October, Amazon spokeswoman Carly Golden said in an email. "We are thrilled to have Amazon as a tenant and we are confident that AltSchool will have success in finding a replacement, given the quality of the neighborhood and project," said John McLinden, a former Centrum executive who is still involved in the project. McLinden founded a new development firm, Hubbard Street Group, late last year. Advertisement Centrum was represented in the leases by broker Meredith Oliver of Cushman & Wakefield. The Clark Street space will be the Seattle-based e-commerce giant's fourth store in Illinois established for picking up and returning packages ordered online. The others are on the University of Illinois' Champaign and Chicago campuses and next to DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus. Amazon has about 20 pickup stores nationwide. rori@chicagotribune.com Twitter @Ryan_Ori The Morton Grove Community Relations Commission sponsored a new street banner program featuring art by local photographers. This banner, seen Friday, July 21, 2017, is located in the 9200 block of Waukegan Road. Banners are located along Waukegan Road and Dempster Street. ( Mike Isaacs/Pioneer Press ) Streetlight posts along a stretch of Dempster Street in Morton Grove feature a series of photographs taken by local residents that the village is using as part of beautification program, according to officials. The banners showcase photographs snapped by nine local photographers and feature the people and landscapes of Morton Grove. Advertisement The beautification program is part of an ongoing Morton Grove initiative to promote its new tag line, "Amazingly Open Incredibly Close," spearheaded by the village's Community Relations Commission, according to village documents. Entries from Morton Grove's popular seasonal photo contests are displayed on the banners, erected on the light posts each year between April and November. Advertisement "Our Community Relations Commission has really stepped up their efforts and is excited to show the world the diverse beauty of our village," said Morton Grove mayor Dan DiMaria, said in a post on the village's website. Village officials said that Morton Grove's quarterly photo contests, launched in January 2016, routinely draw an average of 40 submissions with each new season. While winning submissions are featured and highlighted, officials wanted to also showcase ones that weren't selected for top prizes. "We have so many wonderful submissions each season, we wanted to draw attention to all the entries, not just the winners," said Community Relations Commission Chairperson Arcelia Pimentel. The 16 all-weather, 7- feet-tall street banners currently on display feature submissions from Morton Grove's summer 2016 photo contest and were hung in April. Banners are also along a small section of Waukegan Road, where existing streetlights can accommodate them, officials said. The banners will remain on display until November when they'll be replaced with seasonal holiday decorations. Officials said that local businesses will also have the opportunity to sponsor one or more of the banners and display their business name underneath the featured photos. Libby Elliott is a freelancer. In the debut episode of "Ugly Food Rescue," Kristopher DeLee, executive chef of The Duck Inn, visits Logan Square Farmers Market and shows us how to shop for less then pristine vegetables. (Roger Morales / Chicago Tribune) It's true, we do feast with our eyes. Who hasn't been drawn to a big plump strawberry or a ruddy round tomato or a crisp green leaf of lettuce? But haven't we all also been disappointed when that handsome strawberry proved tasteless, the tomato's beauty was just skin-deep and that crisp green leaf ... well, crunch isn't everything look at the bad rap iceberg lettuce gets. RELATED: Find a farmers market near you with our interactive listings. Advertisement Still, looks draw us. Ugly rarely sells. Too often, perfectly delicious fruits and vegetables get dumped because they're blemished or bruised or split or the wrong size or not the right color or, simply, just not pretty enough in a conventional sense think celery root, kohlrabi or burdock so some shoppers pass them by. "Everything has to be so beautiful," said Mads Refslund, the Danish-born chef and co-author with Tama Matsuoka Wong of "Scraps, Wilt & Weeds: Turning Wasted Food Into Plenty" (Grand Central Life & Style, $35). "Who says ugly food doesn't taste as good as beautiful food. In my world, there's no ugly food. Close your eyes, and you can't tell if it's ugly or beautiful." Advertisement The American focus on beauty is more than just a question of aesthetics. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of the nation's food supply goes to waste, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, which notes this percentage translated into 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Efforts to stem this sort of waste aren't new the feds even launched a food-waste challenge a couple of years back but it seems the issue is increasingly of the moment thanks to books like Refslund's and "Ugly Food: Overlooked & Undercooked" (Hurst, $34.95) by Richard Horsey and Tim Wharton. But it can still be a challenge. "Basically, we're cooking with things people are throwing out," said Refslund, co-founder of Denmark's iconic Noma restaurant who now lives in New York City. "People are not aware of how to use it or how to (eat it)." Buy a leek, he said, and most people will cut off the green tops and the roots and just use the white stem because that's "the only think we know how to cook with. What if someone came out with a recipe for the other parts and it tastes good? You will stop throwing things in the garbage. We're trying to find ways of limiting waste and doing something delicious." So, Refslund's book contains recipes calling for banana peels and coffee grounds (which can also be used as a body scrub, he noted). And the focus is not just on fruits and vegetables; the book looks at meat and fish too. Ditto "Ugly Food," originally published in the United Kingdom, in which Wharton and Horsey offer recipes not only for confit of mangelwurzel (also known as the mangold beet) and Jerusalem artichokes with cream but such dishes as ox-cheek salad, spiced squirrel "popcorn" and Maldivian curried octopus (It was a shared love for octopus, and a wonderment at why so many others steered clear, that led to this book.). "Cook ugly food!" they urge in their introduction. "It's beautiful." Wharton, a lead researcher of linguistics at the University of Brighton in England, and Horsey, an independent political analyst living in Yangon, Myanmar, clearly love all kinds of food, and their book outlines a number of reasons, some historical, some cultural, some biological, about why we eat what we eat or not. "We think much of it has to do with familiarity," they write. "If we're not used to seeing certain foods on supermarket shelves or on our plates, we tend to avoid them. Advertisement Echoing that view is Jehangir Mehta, a New York City-based chef who, as noted on the website for his Graffiti Earth restaurant, seeks to use "unloved" produce as part of his efforts to cut back on food waste. I met Mehta at a panel on sourcing and foraging that I moderated in Chicago this spring for Foodable Network, a digital media company for the restaurant and hospitality industry. The session included a video of Mehta in action at a farmers market, rounding up fruit and vegetables discarded for cosmetic reasons and turning them into something delicious. That video and Mehta's work are the inspiration for Food & Dining's series on reducing food waste, called "Ugly Food Rescue." Each segment features a Chicago chef visiting a farmers markets in search of seconds fruits and vegetables not of first quality in looks and taking them back to the kitchen to transform them into delicious dishes you can replicate at home. Kristopher DeLee, executive chef of The Duck Inn of Bridgeport, is first up. His assignment: Find vegetables and fruits too ripe, too damaged or just too ugly to be sold by vendors at the Logan Square Farmers Market near where he lives. On a recent Sunday, DeLee proved to be a man on a mission, moving rapidly from one end of the market to the other picking up tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, cherries and an herb labeled "zaub ab," the Hmong term for nightshade. "These secondary foods, they're beat up, and they're not the prettiest ... but they are definitely worth (using)," he said, surveying all he'd bought for about $8. "The farmers do so much good work, and they don't have to be in pristine perfect condition to be edible." Advertisement DeLee proved it by creating a quick dish for two with the vegetables built on some fish sauce caramel-braised pork belly brought home from The Duck Inn. While he crisped and butter-basted the pork belly in a hot skillet, he chose to leave the vegetables uncooked and with as little handling as possible to showcase their flavors. The radishes and zucchini, thinly sliced, were lightly dressed in a craft beer vinegar and olive oil. Both needed acidity, he said, but the tomatoes were simply cut and served as-is because "they've got so much good flavor in them." "We're going to use these beat-up things in style, as though they were perfect," DeLee added, noting most of the "problems" with these vegetables were cosmetic. The zucchini may have had some sun blistering and dings, but they still had snap. Soft spots, bruises and slits in the tomatoes could be trimmed away. The radishes? Well, some were only missing tops. Don't have braised pork belly handy? No worries. DeLee suggested chicken thighs, steak or whitefish as good substitutes. Just adjust cooking times accordingly if using raw proteins. (Leftover cooked chicken thighs would respond particularly well to the butter basting treatment, particularly if the chicken skin is still on.) Apple cider vinegar can replace the beer vinegar DeLee used, and cilantro or basil can sub for the zaub ab. And, what you might wonder, did DeLee do with the cherries? Put them in a bowl and set them aside as a chef's treat. As for how you can do something similar, keep an eye out; some farmers even post signs alerting you to seconds. (I recently saw one notice reading: "Onion sale small but good." And they were.) "Start a relationship with the farmers market," Mehta suggested. Clothing with a button missing is often sold at a discount, he said, so why not see if you can get a similar discount for seconds? Advertisement "I'm sure if people start having these conversations, it could work," he said. "Don't be too shy to ask that question. 'If I come later, will you sell it at a cheaper rate?' Why not ask the question of these guys?'' wdaley@chicagotribune.com Twitter @billdaley Less-than-perfect radishes, zucchini and tomatoes inspired chef Kristopher DeLee of The Duck Inn to create a simple salad accompaniment to braised pork belly. ( Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune ) Braised pork belly with tomatoes, radishes and zucchini Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Advertisement Makes: 2 servings A recipe from Kristopher DeLee, executive chef of The Duck Inn. The dish can also be made with two chicken thighs or boneless pork chops or one small steak. 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 pieces braised pork belly, 3 ounces each 2 tablespoons butter 2 large radishes, thinly sliced, tops reserved Advertisement 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon beer vinegar or apple cider vinegar Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Coarse salt 2 large tomatoes, trimmed of soft spots, cut into irregular chunks Zaub ab leaves (nightshade), optional, or sub with cilantro or basil 1 Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pork belly; brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. (If using other raw proteins, cook thoroughly before proceeding). With meat still in the skillet, add a tablespoon or two of butter. Let butter melt until foaming, and begin rapidly spooning the foaming butter over the meat. The butter will begin to brown and smell nutty and fragrant. Control heat, so the butter doesn't burn. Continue basting until the foam subsides and the surface of the meat is crisp. Advertisement 2 Place radish and zucchini slices in a bowl, and dress with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the vinegar and salt to taste. Wash the reserved radish tops in cold water to remove any sand or grit; drain and pat dry. 3 Place meat on a platter. Top with tomatoes, sprinkle with salt to taste. Spoon dressed zucchini and radish onto the meat and tomatoes, scatter on some reserved radish leaves and a sprinkling of the zaub ab leaves. Serve. Nutrition information per serving: 548 calories, 49 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 91 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 6 g sugar, 19 g protein, 636 mg sodium, 3 g fiber "The Daily Show" is coming to Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre for a week of shows in October, Comedy Central announced Tuesday. "'The Daily Show' Undesked Chicago 2017: Let's Do This Before It Gets Too Damn Cold" will tape at the North Side theater, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Monday through Thursday, Oct. 16-19. Advertisement The Chicago editions will be the first road shows for "TDS" since telecasts from Cleveland and Philadelphia, the Republican and Democratic National Convention cities, last summer. Tickets will be available only through the show website and are first-come, first-served. Requests should be made at thedailyshow.com/chicago, according to the cable channel. Airing each day at 10 p.m. Central time, the shows will be part of a Windy City week for host Trevor Noah. Noah is performing four stand-up comedy shows at the Chicago Theatre on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and 21. The 7:30 p.m. shows both nights are sold out, while the 10 p.m. show Friday only has single seats remaining. Advertisement Noah and his show are riding high these days. Noah's memoir "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood," published in November, has been a critical and popular success. His sold-out Chicago Humanities Festival talk that month about the book coincidentally, also on Southport Avenue, in the Music Box Theatre drew a standing ovation. And "The Daily Show" has just had its highest viewership since Noah took over as host in 2015, the 10th consecutive month of year-to-year ratings growth, the channel says. Along with Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers,Noah has been one of the late-night hosts most critical of President Donald Trump. sajohnson@chicagotribune.com Twitter @StevenKJohnson [ RELATED: Watch U. of I. alum debut as 'Daily Show' correspondent ] [ Jon Stewart, host of the Department of Defense Warrior Games, doesn't miss 'The Daily Show' ] [ Watch Stephen Colbert host a 'Daily Show' reunion on his 'Late Show' ] 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) Chance The Rapper performs during the iTunes festival in London in 2016. (Joel Ryan / AP) After his Lollapalooza headlining set next week in Grant Park, Chance the Rapper is set to host an afterparty at Studio Paris Nightclub. The 24-year-old rapper is scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Aug. 5. Doors for the Studio Paris event are set to open at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $120. Advertisement Chance the Rapper, born Chancelor Bennett and raised on the South Side, has become a regular at Studio Paris, 59 W. Hubbard St. He hosted his 24th birthday there in April and was spotted there about a week ago. Rapper Lil Yachty is also scheduled to host a Studio Paris afterparty Aug. 6 after his Lollapalooza set. Here's a schedule of Lollapalooza aftershows. Advertisement RELATED STORIES: More than 90 hospitalized during Chance the Rapper concert in Connecticut Chance reminds us: Black boys are worth fighting for Lollapalooza announces 57 aftershows 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) Willie Daly, Ireland's most famous matchmaker, will once again be trying to turn singles into couples at the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, Sept. 1 - Oct. 8. (Vic O'Sullivan / Chicago Tribune) Lisdoonvarna, IRELAND Once a tranquil backwater a few miles off the rugged Atlantic coast, Lisdoonvarna landed on the map thanks to its mineral springs, which drew visitors seeking the curative powers of these sulfur- and iron-rich waters. Lisdoon as it's known locally sprouted up from the karst limestone landscape in County Clare to become one of Ireland's earliest tourism hot spots. But water wasn't the only reason people flocked to this spa town. At the end of the harvest in September, farmers descended on the thriving village in search of an alternative tonic: a cure for their lonely hearts. They arrived single and, if all went well, left with a woman who'd be their wife. Advertisement The meet-a-mate tradition or at least the general gist of it continues more than 150 years later with the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, Sept. 1 through Oct. 8. Billed as Europe's largest singles event, the annual shindig draws tens of thousands to this tiny town (pop: 739) for music, drinking, dancing and the hopes of getting pierced by cupid's arrow. The star of the show: Willie Daly, Ireland's most famous matchmaker. Advertisement "Matchmaking is all magic, that's what I believe," said Daly, who's in his 70s. "A lot of my pairings are by instinct, once I know what a person wants. It may be physical attraction or a roof over their heads." During the festival, Daly commandeers a nook at the Imperial Hotel's Matchmaker Bar, where he waits for patrons to seek out his services. "I'm there most of the time, but sometimes I'm wandering about the town," said Daly, who comes from a long line of matchmakers. "People just have to ask at the pub, and they'll know where to find me." His method of remuneration is similarly laid back. "When it comes to paying, I often ask them how did they travel here?" Daly said. "If it was by Mercedes, then I'll charge that person a bit more than someone who arrives on a bike." His daughter Elsha, who's developing a website to bring the matchmaking process into the 21st century, is more pragmatic. "There's a lot of work going into the matchmaking process," she said, "so a charge of around $100 would be the norm." Daly brings the family heirloom to the festival: a shabby, dog-eared book that contains the personal details of couples matched over the past century. The tome has magical qualities, according to Daly. He says anyone who touches the cover of his lucky book will be partnered within six months. Advertisement While Daly is credited with playing a role in roughly 3,000 marriages, his "magic" doesn't always work. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 Matchmaker Willie Daly, center, stays busy during the festival, trying to turn singles into couples. (Julie Carr/Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking) "A man in his 60s came to me from Chicago looking for four qualities in a wife," Daly recalled. "He wanted red hair, blue eyes, nonsmoker and nondrinker. I matched him with a lovely young woman who was interested in him, but as it turned out she liked to take a drink, so nothing came of it. It's hard to find people who don't take a drink these days." Festival organizers estimate as many as 60,000 people will come to this corner of southwest Ireland for the singles soiree, whose scope broadened a few years ago with the addition of The Outing (Oct. 6-8), a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-focused offshoot of the fest. Some will travel from as far away as California and Krakow, Poland, to be a part of the action. One woman in particular is pulling out all the stops. Marleze Kruger, a 46-year-old widow from Johannesburg, South Africa, reportedly sold her home and is headed to the festival with the hopes of finding a tall Irishman with whom she can settle down in the home of her ancestors. While the fest features dances and concerts held in various venues around town, the alcohol-free tea dances that take place from 12 to 2 p.m. every day in September are an especially big draw, according to festival spokeswoman Julie Carr. These get-togethers are held in the Victorian Spa Wells complex, home to the pump that once dispersed the town's therapeutic water from underground streams. It's also the site of the town's earliest matchmaking festival. "During the week, there's a much older crowd who comes to the festival," Carr said. "At the weekends, the crowd gets younger, with more modern music." Advertisement Tourist-friendly Lisdoonvarna's vernacular streetscape is crammed with hotels and guesthouses. Predictably, occupancy goes through the roof during the five-week festival, exacerbated by visitors who are coming to town just for the music and people-watching. Extra beds may be found in the neighboring towns of Kilfenora, Ennistymon, Lahinch, Liscannor, Fanore and Miltown Malbay. Lisdoonvarna's market square features bronze statues of a fiddler and bodhran player performing for dancers about to take their first tentative step in a waltz. It's a fitting nod to the town's melodious matchmaking heritage. Daly reckoned the festival has kept the essence of its traditional origins over the years. "It has retained the lovely oldness to it, which you'll see on the afternoon and morning weekday dancing," he said. "You see these fellas coming to the early dances combing their hair and checking themselves for the last time in the glass of the car to see how they're looking, and then it's off to meet a girl. "There's great opportunities," he added. "I'm there, but they can do their own thing as well." Vic O'Sullivan is a freelance writer. Advertisement RELATED STORIES: A deep dive into Michigan's eerie, beautiful Shipwreck Coast Get a first look at the 'new' Ritz-Carlton Chicago, $100 million later Tips for booking a hotel online President Donald Trump may be doing his darnedest to undermine an investigation of his campaign's alleged ties to the Russian government, but his Department of Justice isn't backing off its pursuit of a Kremlin-backed Ukrainian oligarch. Billionaire Dmitry Firtash linked to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is fighting his extradition to Chicago on racketeering charges. Advertisement Firtash has long argued that his 2014 arrest for allegedly running an international titanium racket involving Chicago-based Boeing was politically-motivated, claiming that the Obama administration was using him to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Currently free on bail in Austria after posting a $174 million bond, Firtash assembled an all-star team of U.S. lawyers including Clinton White House counsel Lanny Davis, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb. Webb in May urged U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to toss the case before Firtash is even brought to Chicago. Advertisement Politicos in D.C. and Chicago are closely watching the case to see how aggressively it is prosecuted under the Trump administration. Firtash's business dealings with Manafort outlined in a separate civil case in New York may be of interest to federal investigators probing ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. So far, prosecutors in Chicago aren't backing off. They filed a whopping 115-page brief this week arguing that Firtash should be made to face justice in a Loop courtroom before he can try to have the case thrown out. Comparing Firtash's racket to the Mafia, prosecutors wrote, "Firtash and (his co-defendant Andras) Knopp have been identified by United States law enforcement as two upper-echelon associates of Russian organized crime; their prosecution will disrupt this organized crime group and prevent it from taking further criminal acts within the United States. They added, "this prosecution also takes aim at the corruption of foreign public officials, a concern that the Congress has identified as a threat to global security." The case, if it survives Firtash's challenge next month, promises to be a political hot potato for Trump's preferred next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John Lausch. kjanssen@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimjnews White House senior adviser Jared Kushner walks away from the podium after speaking to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting on Capitol Hill behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP) Plenty of people have suspected all along that the congressional investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election are nothing but a sham. Now there's proof. No legitimate probe aimed at getting to the bottom of what really happened with the Russians would allow three proven liars to meet with Senate and House investigators behind closed doors without being under oath. Advertisement But Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort the three people most likely to have colluded with the Russians during the presidential campaign are getting a chance to lie to the Senate and House judiciary committees with impunity. It would be difficult to trust anything these men said even if they were sworn to tell the truth. But it's pretty much a sure bet that interviews held behind closed doors won't reveal the true story. Advertisement Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior aide, was the first to appear before Senate investigators on Monday. He'll speak to House investigators on Tuesday. Trump Jr. and Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, struck a deal with leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee to provide records and be privately interviewed rather than face a subpoena to appear at a public hearing. No date has been set for those interviews. Kushner beamed with that dimpled smile as he left the two-hour Capitol Hill meeting to issue a prepared statement to reporters waiting outside. He even smiled when a protester tried to get him to sign a Russian flag. Of course, we don't know what he actually said in the meeting, but based on the 11-page statement Kushner released Monday morning, there isn't much reason to believe his testimony got to the truth. Kushner acknowledged that he had four meetings with the Russians during the campaign and transition two with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., one with a Russian banker and another with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Kushner initially failed to disclose any of those meetings on his security clearance forms. But after the news media got wind of them, he revised the forms several times. Kushner claims it was a clerical error made by staff. But let's be honest. He lied. Now he wants the American people to believe these lies too. Advertisement "At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind," he said in the statement. Kushner claims he had no idea that meeting with the Russian lawyer was to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton. He just showed up because his brother-in-law, Trump Jr., asked him to. He got there late and was so bored by what was being discussed that he emailed his assistant asking for help getting out of there. "Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting," he wrote. In other words, he asked his assistant to lie for him. Kushner also acknowledged that during the White House transition, he sought a direct line of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kushner, the fact that this happened after the election is proof that he's telling the truth about having no communications with senior Kremlin officials during the campaign. According to Kushner, the meeting with a Russian banker had nothing to do with his family's business dealings either. He met with the lender, who is under U.S. sanctions, to get some insight on what Putin thought about the Trump administration. Advertisement The banker didn't hand out any loans, but he did give Kushner a piece of art and literally a bag of dirt, a ceremonial gift from his grandparents' village. The fact that he disclosed the dirt to the transition team, Kushner said, proves that he wasn't trying to sneak around. After presumably repeating these lies to Senate investigators, Kushner looked at the American public through the TV cameras and lied again. "All of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign," he told reporters. "I did not collude with Russians, nor do I know of anyone in the campaign who did." Then he repeated another lie that his father-in-law brings up regularly. "Donald Trump had a better message and ran a smarter campaign," Kushner said. "That is why he won." Hopefully, Americans will soon learn whether that's also a lie. Advertisement dglanton@chicagotribune.com Twitter @dahleeng Governor Bruce Rauner, joined by Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, left, speaks at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago on Monday, July 24, 2017, about the SB 1 school funding bill. (Alexandra Wimley / Chicago Tribune) Now that Gov. Bruce Rauner has called the tax-and-spend-happy Illinois legislature into emergency session on Wednesday in the hopes of opening schools on time, I'm going to have to do something drastic. I'm going to have to put one of my fantasies on hold until I see whether beleaguered suburban taxpayers get squeezed to death in this deal. Advertisement The fantasy I've put on hold is the one in which I flee from this fiscally broken and corrupt state, flee from Illinois politicians to live happily ever after in a ridiculously small Hobbit-like "tiny house" under the lonely windmills outside Rensselaer, Ind. Ah, living out my days on a bleak wind farm, in a 165-square-foot home with a toilet wedged between bed and stove, drinking cheap whiskey outside, alone, while burning broken pallets in a 55 gallon drum as the snow falls and the wind blows. Advertisement It sure sounds like fantasy, does it not? I'm not alone. And if you really think I'm the only suburban taxpayer in Illinois with an active political fantasy life, you're bonkers. But another fantasy is what's kept us here, the fantasy that this broken state controlled for decade upon decade by Democratic Boss Madigan will be repaired without costing us whatever equity is left in our homes. I'll admit, not all can find safe refuge in a mind palace like I can. Hordes of middle-class taxpayers have already gone, making Illinois the leading out-migration state in the U.S. So depending how this special session and the November elections turn out, we'll see how many more just pack up and go. Rauner wants the Democrats to send him their school funding bill that has been ready for weeks. He said he'd sign an amended version to open all the schools. Most sane people realize that schools are vitally important and require tax money to operate and pay teachers' salaries. And Illinois is among the worst in funding education, so property taxes skyrocket. But Rauner has promised to strike out portions of the funding bill that he calls a "pension bailout" for Chicago schools, putting suburban and downstate school districts on the hook to pay for decades of chronic Democratic mismanagement of the Chicago system. Advertisement Chicago Democrats, who want the bailout, scream that it's not a bailout. They say it's "for the children" and they want to stall for weeks until parents all over Illinois begin panicking that schools won't open on time. They want pressure to build, with parents who vote screaming at Rauner to "please just do something" to open the schools. Question: Why does "please just do something" end up with the taxman sinking his fangs into suburban necks? And after it's all done, local school districts may knock on your door seeking a fat tax referendum for a fancy Olympic swimming training facility. Hey, it's for the children. So please, sir, may I have another? Just do me one small favor? Please don't tell me that what the Chicago Democrats want isn't a bailout. Advertisement Yes, they insist in the strongest terms that it is no bailout and that the suburbs will only pay their "fair share." What's next? They'll whisper that all "profits" from the Illinois state lottery will go to fund education. Yeah. Remember that one? It was a fantasy too, no? But I've got another fantasy, perhaps even nicer. It's the one in which readers of news stories will be able to see the estimated yearly public pension of every Illinois politician who opens his or her mouth about spending our tax dollars. Just putting a simple 'R' or a 'D' after the name of a politician doesn't really explain a lot. Advertisement So let's add the names of their spouses and children who are on governmental/political payrolls, and their governmental salaries and pensions too. In this fantasy, the fat projected pension payouts to politicians pensions only dreamed of by most private sector taxpayers would be listed right next to the party affiliation. Example: "It's all for the children! Don't you care about the children?" said State Rep. Joe Whatevermikesez, D-state pension $150,000/year, spouse $80k Cook County government salary. Just imagine if taxpayers had such information every time a politician starts yapping about doing what's right. We'd benefit from the context. And there's another fantasy I'm not willing to abandon. Advertisement That's the one in which the U.S. Attorney from Chicago starts considering RICO (racketeering) cases for tax-happy lawmakers who make fortunes in tax reduction law practices and other "corporate consulting" work. Not that they'd ever demand a cheap quid pro quo like an envelope stuffed with greasy cash. They don't have to. Everything's implied. At least, that's what some guys say. Powerful Illinois Politician: "RICO? A racketeering statute used against me? How dare you! I'm not even Italian. And besides, I've recused myself from all pertinent votes!!" Federal Jury Foreman: "You think we're all chumbolones? Guilty!" A suburbanite whose property taxes are going up reminded me of another fantasy of mine. Advertisement "The one about changing the date of Election Day," he said. Oh yes. In that one, Election Day will be changed, from November to the day after Americans pay their taxes. We pay our taxes in full, with no federal withholdings, just a check for the full amount. And we also pay all state and local taxes, on the same day. And only then do we vote. 'Tis but a dream of mine. Listen to a new episode of "The Chicago Way" podcast, with John Kass and Jeff Carlin, at http://wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/thechicagoway. jskass@chicagotribune.com The July 25, 2017, hearing regarding the death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby. Beverly Walker, new head of the DCFS, gets an earful from state Rep. Mary Flowers about the breakdown in follow-up and action with Semaj's family. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) Department of Children and Family Services officials on Tuesday pledged to make changes and address agency shortcomings in the wake of the death of Semaj Crosby, the Joliet-area toddler whose body was found in her home hours after a caseworker visit. DCFS officials fielded questions from state lawmakers during a joint House and Senate committee meeting in Chicago about the agency's handling of the girl's case. Advertisement Semaj was reported missing April 25 from her home near Joliet. Family members told police they were preparing to go get ice cream when they noticed the 17-month-old girl was missing. The toddler's body was found under a couch in her squalid home after a 30-hour search. Her death has been classified as "suspicious" and remains under investigation by the Will County sheriff's office. DCFS began providing services to the family in September 2016. During the ensuing months, seven caseworkers made 15 visits to the family home on Louis Road, officials said, including a final visit just hours before Semaj was reported missing. Advertisement Since her death, DCFS has come under fire for how it handled the case. Director George Sheldon resigned in May amid an ethics probe and questions about multiple recent child deaths, including Semaj's. "There are thousands of Semajs out there, and for too long DCFS has been failing the children of this state," Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said Tuesday. During the hearing, new DCFS Director Beverly Walker said changes are already being put in place in response to shortcomings outlined in a 22-page DCFS report released in May that detailed the agency's handling of the case. The report noted allegations of drug-dealing and violence in the home and previous accusations of abuse and neglect against several people in the home. "I was angry," said LaToya Robinson, a Joliet woman who identified herself as Semaj's godmother and testified at Tuesday's hearing. "I read the DCFS report, and it opened my eyes to what went on in that house." She told lawmakers she worried about what may happen to Semaj's three brothers. The three boys were taken from their mother and have been placed with other guardians through DCFS. DCFS officials said they have already initiated some changes to help address shortcomings identified in the report. An outside review of Semaj's case, conducted by Casey Family Programs, also has been completed, Walker said. The report was not immediately available Tuesday, but Walker said some of the changes she is making were prompted by that report. Among the changes, caseworkers will be notified of any other open investigations of abuse or neglect involving the same family, Walker said. Previously, caseworkers involved with intact families did not have access to that information. Advertisement "I know you're asking how can this be," Walker told lawmakers. "I can only say that from this day forward, we will know more about what this risk looks like, and we will be able to both manage our work and communicate that information to providers so they can manage better as well." She also said a controversial program that rewarded caseworkers for closing out cases quickly has ended. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > A change in the case management system also is being developed to assist the agency's most vulnerable families, which Walker identified as families with children younger than 3, with a parent who has a mental or behavioral health disability or where children are living in an "extreme toxic environmental condition" or where multiple unrelated adults are going in and out of the home. Walker noted that Semaj's case involved some of those factors. She pointed to Crosby's mother, Sheri Gordon, and her struggles in the months leading up to her daughter's death. Gordon told caseworkers she had a disability, though she did not know the name of it, and allowed several people to move into her home, which was later declared uninhabitable. "This was the perfect storm of poverty, a struggling child, a mother's impaired abilities and an intrusion of people who suddenly made the burdens of day-to-day life insurmountable," Walker said. Walker also suggested that a change in state law may be needed to hold parents more accountable for cooperating with DCFS. Walker noted that parents receiving intact family services are not required to comply and that participation is voluntary. Advertisement Despite the changes, Flowers suggested some problems would be addressed if the agency simply followed existing policies. She also suggested that DCFS develop a mobile app to help caseworkers manage their caseload. Attorneys for Semaj's family declined comment Tuesday. Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter. Jesse Jackson Jr. walks with his then wife, Sandi Jackson, as they leave the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14, 2013, following a sentencing hearing. (Saul Loeb / Getty-AFP) WASHINGTON More than a year after former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. started a divorce proceeding, his acrimonious split from ex-Ald. Sandi Jackson is headed to trial in the nation's capital next year after the two ex-felons failed to come to terms despite the help of a $200-an-hour mediator. After the warring spouses agreed to mediation, a judge last month ordered them to sit down with D.C. lawyer Sarah Zimmerman who represents neither of them for a minimum of four hours of mediation, according to court records. Advertisement Chicago attorney Brendan Hammer, who is representing Jackson Jr., said Tuesday the two sides had met for an unspecific number of sessions with the mediator and the couple remained "significantly apart" on money matters. "The mediation was not successful," Hammer said. Advertisement In a typical divorce, money matters could include alimony, child support, how to divide a couple's holdings, who will pick up debts and who will pay attorney fees, Hammer said. The Jacksons were married in Chicago in 1991, long before he looted about $750,000 from his campaign coffers and she failed to report much of the haul in income taxes. He was treated for bipolar disorder and depression before the two entered guilty pleas in federal court in D.C. Now out of prison, Sandi Jackson, 53, and the couple's two children live in D.C. and Jackson Jr. lives in Chicago, the attorney said. Jackson Jr., 52, started his divorce case against his wife in Cook County on July 14, 2016. The two couldn't even agree on a venue at first, but opted for Washington, and they've made angry accusations as the case has played out. Family Court Judge Craig Iscoe on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia set the Jackson divorce trial to start Jan. 8, 2018, court records show. Hammer said he and another attorney are helping Jackson Jr. with discovery and preparing for trial. But there's a chance the ex-Democratic power couple court still could come to terms, because, as Hammer observed: "The vast majority of cases do settle before trial." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > According to Hammer, other still-to-be-resolved issues include child visitation and other parenting issues. Those typically revolve around the children's education including college tuition bills as well as health care matters and their religious upbringing, he said. The Jacksons have a daughter, 17, and son, 13. Advertisement When ex-spouses live in different cities, even how much time the kids spend on Skype or FaceTime with the absent parent can be the subject of negotiation, Hammer said. "If it's a fact in this case, that will have to be addressed," he said. Sandi Jackson's lawyer, Chandra Walker Holloway of Silver Spring, Md., could not be reached for comment. A pre-trial hearing is set for Dec. 11. kskiba@chicagotribune.com Twitter @KatherineSkiba The man yelled to Chicago police officers standing near the scene of a fatal shooting on the South Side. "Did he have on black jogging pants like this?" he asked, pointing to his own. The man had heard his friend, Darius Gavin, had been shot, but he needed to be sure. He had just bought Gavin the jogging pants as an early birthday present and figured his friend might have been wearing them. The officers didn't know, so the man headed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where the victim had been taken and pronounced dead. "Lord have mercy, I got to leave Chicago," the man said as he left. Police later confirmed his fears and identified Gavin as the man who was shot in the 7100 block of South Rhodes Avenue around 10:20 p.m. Monday. Gavin had lived in an apartment building on the block and would have turned 21 on Friday. Moments before the shooting, he had been hanging out with a group of people outside the apartment building, according to a law enforcement source. Three armed men pulled up in a silver Nissan Maxima, got out and started firing as people ran. Gavin was shot in the head. A woman in her 20s was shot in both legs and taken to the same hospital, where her condition was stabilized. After the shooting, people ran to an SUV at the northern edge of the street, where women inside were crying and screaming. "I don't know why," one cried loudly. The man who came up to the crime scene tape said he knew Gavin from the neighborhood. Gavin was close to his two sisters, happily volunteering to babysit their kids and caring for one who was pregnant, the man said. The man, who did not want to be identified, said he recently took Gavin to a job fair hosted by Family Dollar. "He was not a gangbanger," he said. "He was upbeat and excited about life." Two men standing nearby nodded in agreement that people killed in shootings are not always involved in gang life. One of them was a witness who talked with detectives. The witness, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said he was sitting in his living room around the corner when he heard a barrage of shots. He likened the gunfire to the sounds of a war zone heard "in a quick snippet on the news." He saw three men running into a car sitting about two blocks away. When he thought it was safe to go outside, about a minute later, he ran up to a crowd of people. "He was lying on the ground, and his family was crying," said the man, 44, who was wearing a blue windbreaker. He said it was the second time in two days that he had seen a murder scene close to his home. On Sunday afternoon, just before 12:15 p.m., he was walking about three blocks away near 70th Street and Vernon Avenue as detectives were investigating a shooting death. An 18-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old was injured when people came up and started firing. "It's not like something is going on in a particular area that you can pinpoint, it's widespread," the witness said of the gun violence. Domonique Edwards was having trouble coming to grips with Gavin's shooting. "Honestly, part of me really just can't stop crying. I can't believe it," she said. Gavin lived with Edwards for about 2 1/2 years while he was dating her niece. They moved to Michigan and Gavin went back to Chicago after the couple broke up. "He always called me mama, and that's what I'm going to miss so much," said Edwards, 31. "He was very sweet. He was funny. Always had a smile on his face. He loved to sing." Chicago police are warning cab operators about a man who was robbed at least two cabdrivers by implying he has a weapon. (Chicago Police Department) Chicago police have released a photo of a man suspected of robbing at least two cabdrivers on the West Side after implying he had a weapon. In the robberies, both reported July 16, the man hailed a cab and demanded the driver's property at the end of the ride before running away, police said. Advertisement The robberies happened in the 4000 block of West Congress Parkway in the West Garfield Park neighborhood about 5:20 a.m. and in the 3800 block of West Congress Parkway in the East Garfield Park neighborhood about 10:20 p.m. Police described the suspect as black, 40 to 45, 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall and 180 to 200 pounds with a tattoo of writing on his right forearm. Advertisement He is bald, wears glasses and has a T-shirt with a skull image on the front. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Area North detectives at 312-744-8263. Dante Jeffries, 27, was arrested and charged in the July 21, 2017, shooting of a Chicago police officer in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. (Chicago Police Department ) A third man charged with shooting a Chicago police officer who responded to a South Side cell phone store robbery fired at least three separate times at officers while they were trying to capture him and two other men, prosecutors said Tuesday. Dante Jeffries, 27, was ordered held without bail Tuesday on charges including attempted murder, armed robbery and kidnapping in the attack about 1:30 p.m. Friday at a T-Mobile store, 4309 S. Ashland Ave. Donzell Grant, 20, and Cortez Harrington, 24, also have been charged in the shooting. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Jeffries is the one believed to have fired the shot that hit the officer. He also is charged in an unrelated store robbery from July 4. Advertisement Jeffries and Grant are accused of firing at officers who responded to calls of an armed robbery at the store in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Harrington acted as the getaway driver in the robbery and shooting. Police have found video of Harrington and Jeffries picking up Grant earlier Friday at a McDonald's, 36 W. 95 th St., and all three going to a Home Depot, 200 W. 87 th St., to buy zip ties and rubber gloves. Advertisement About 1:25 p.m., Jeffries and Grant, who each had a gun, went into the store and showed their guns to four employees and a female customer who were in the store, prosecutors said. The two forced the employees into a back room, tied them up with zip ties Grant had in his pockets, and demanded the combination to the safe. As the robbers forced the four employees into the back, the customer and a fifth employee, who had been eating lunch in a back room, ran from the store and called 911, prosecutors said. Jeffries and Grant threatened to kill the employees if they didn't give up the safe's combination, so they opened it and Grant grabbed iPhones from the safe in a bag, prosecutors said. A customer entered the store during the robbery and Jeffries went and forced him into the back room at gunpoint, then zip-tied him with the employee. Jeffries and Grant went to the front door, but as Jeffries got to the front, Chicago police started arriving, and the two ran out the back, prosecutors said. They ran south in an alley and to the front of the strip mall where the store is, toward where Harrington was waiting in the black Dodge Charger that had previously been caught on surveillance video at the McDonald's and Home Depot. The marked police squad car with Deering District officers got to the scene as Jeffries and Grant got to the front of the strip mall. The officers stopped the squad car facing south in the northbound lanes of Ashland as Jeffries and Grant ran west across Ashland, prosecutors said. The officers got out and started to run after them, and as Jeffries and Grant got to the west side of Ashland, they both turned and pointed their guns at the officers, prosecutors said. It's believed that Jeffries fired the shot that hit the female officer in the left kneecap, prosecutors said. Video surveillance shows them pointing their guns at the officers and one gunshot can be heard on the video, prosecutors said. The female officer fired twice at Jeffries and Grant and her male partner kept running after them. Both Jeffries and Grant turned around and shot at the officer, prosecutors said. The two ran west into an alley where Harrington was waiting in the Charger, and got in before the Charger drove west, then turned south onto Marshfield as the male officer followed on foot. The Charger stopped suddently, both Jeffries and Grant got out and the Charger drove off. Both of the men turned their guns on the officer again and at least one of them fired at him, prosecutors said. The two split up, both going west in gangways, and the officer followed Grant, who climbed a fence into an alley. In the alley, Jeffries had come upon the 43-year-old owner of a van who had been working in the alley, prosecutors said. Jeffries pointed his gun at the man and demanded the keys, but couldn't get the doors open and shot out the windows of the van before he got in. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The officer heard the gunfire and ran around another way to the alley and saw a van driven by Jeffries start forward, then go in reverse, and pin Grant against a garage as he tried to get in, then drive off, prosecutors said. Grant crawled into the man's garage to hide, but was found and arrested by officers. Advertisement Harrington drove the Charger south on Marshfield, then parked it in front of a fire hydrant in the 4500 block of South Marshfield. Officers found the Charger and saw a 9mm handgun in the back. Harrington went up to the officers and when he was asked, told them the car was his and was arrestedstill wearing the same clothes shown in the Home Depot video. Jeffries drove the van to near 59 th and Wood streets, then abandoned it in an alley. The shirt he was wearing at the T-Mobile store was found discarded under a porch nearby. The officer was taken to Stroger Hospital, where her condition was stabilized. Jeffries was arrested Saturday night in the 600 block West Hubbard Street in the Fulton River District neighborhood, police said. After he was arrested, Grant admitted to being involved. Several witnesses, including the officers, identified Jeffries. The Chicago Tribune's Megan Crepeau and Elyssa Cherney contributed. The governor's new ad, titled "Diana on education," shows Illinois' first lady praising her husband's "passion for education." (G-Jun Yam / AP) Gov. Bruce Rauner's re-election campaign has launched a new online ad featuring early childhood advocate Diana Rauner touting her husband's efforts to improve state support of education. The ad comes as the governor has summoned lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session to begin Wednesday after lawmakers held onto a bill they approved at the end of May to rewrite Illinois' school funding formula. Hanging in the balance is whether the first state aid checks for the upcoming school year will go out as scheduled by Aug. 10. Advertisement Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, Rauner's chief nemesis at the Capitol, issued a statement Tuesday accusing the governor of "playing political games with our children's education" and "continuing to create a crisis that pits one child against another." The governor's new ad, titled "Diana on education," shows Illinois' first lady countering that assertion with an endorsement of her husband's "passion for education." Advertisement "We know how lucky we are to have the opportunities to help other people. And we treat it like a mission," the first lady says as images of school buildings flash across the screen. "Bruce has increased education funding by $700 million. He increased early childhood education to its highest level ever. It's about doing what's right, not what's easy. We're doing this for our next generation." The governor has indeed presided over a period of increased funding for K-12 education in Illinois, but the boost in money also can be credited to lawmakers. In 2015, Democrats passed an education funding bill as part of a broader spending plan for state government. Rauner vetoed all of the spending plan but the school appropriations, which provided a boost of about $275 million extra for schools and early childhood education programs. Last year, Rauner and lawmakers cut a last-minute deal that granted funding to elementary and high schools and again increased the amount schools received compared with the previous year. All told the past two years, schools have been granted an extra $751 million in general state aid and an additional $92 million for special programs. Early childhood education spending has been boosted by $121 million. This year, Rauner called for a $213 million increase in funding for K-12 and early childhood education. The budget that Democrats and some Republicans enacted over Rauner's veto provides an increase of $714 million, including $350 million that would be doled out according to the new funding formula plus at least $215 million to help CPS with its pension costs. Rauner contends the pension money for CPS is unfair to other school districts and instead should be doled out statewide. The first lady, who has said she is a Democrat, heads the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a not-for-profit organization focused on early childhood education. Through her Ounce work, she developed an image as an advocate for kids long before her husband entered the political scene. Advertisement The last time that Diana Rauner lent her voice to her husband's campaign was in fall 2014, after a government employee union-funded political action committee allied with then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn aired a TV ad that aimed at convincing voters Rauner was anti-woman. Diana Rauner appeared in an ad telling voters that machine politicians were using "false, vicious attacks" to try to stay in power. "Bruce doesn't owe anybody anything, and that scares special interests," she said. "But he's smart, honest, successful everything our state government isn't." kgeiger@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimgeiger Gov. Bruce Rauner has repeatedly demanded that lawmakers release an education funding formula bill so he can use his veto pen to rewrite it. (Alexandra Wimley / Chicago Tribune) Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has summoned lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session Wednesday after Democrats who control the General Assembly did not meet his noon Monday deadline to send him an education funding formula bill crucial to getting state money distributed for the upcoming school year. With an income tax hike and budget already approved over Rauner's objections at the start of the month, the schools measure is the biggest remaining flashpoint between the governor and lawmakers. So far, the two sides can't even agree on how to return to the negotiating table, as the finger-pointing and blame game that marked a record stalemate continues. Advertisement Lawmakers passed a bill at the end of May rewriting how the state divides school money. Rauner quickly threatened to veto it, and Democratic leaders put a hold on it in the hopes of working out a compromise. During the past week, Rauner repeatedly demanded that lawmakers release it so he could use his veto pen to rewrite the bill, which he calls a bailout for Chicago Public Schools. On Friday, the governor warned he'd call a special session if the bill wasn't on his desk by midday Monday. Advertisement Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, whose chamber is holding onto the bill, has pushed for a meeting between Rauner and legislative leaders. "We slowed down the process in the Senate in order to let everyone blow off some steam, politically speaking," Cullerton said in a statement issued before the governor's special session call went out. "Six weeks later, the governor's temper continues to flare. I don't want him making statewide classroom funding decisions out of a position of anger. I'd like the opportunity to make sure he knows what is in the proposal from the people who wrote it so he can make a rational decision." Rauner said he is eager to ink his rewrite to the legislation and accused Democrats of "playing political games with our children's education." "There is no legitimate reason, none, for (Senate Bill 1) not to be on my desk," Rauner said during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop. "How many bills have they sent to my desk that I was going to veto? That doesn't stop them." A couple of hours after the news conference, Rauner issued special session proclamations covering Wednesday through Friday and the following Monday. While the move allows Rauner to look like he's pressing for a resolution, lawmakers were going to be headed back to the Capitol anyway to deal once the governor vetoed the bill. The special session speeds up their return, and time is a factor in this fight, as the first round of general state aid payments are due to schools by Aug. 10. Missing that payment won't necessarily keep schools from opening their doors for the new school year most districts have reserves on hand that could keep operations going for at least a few weeks or months but it would certainly ratchet up pressure for a deal. What happens in the special session depends on whether lawmakers send Rauner the bill. If they do, and if he uses his amendatory veto powers to rework the measure, it would take three-fifths of lawmakers to override him. That would require Republicans to split with their governor like they did in passing a tax hike and budget, and it remains to be seen whether enough Republicans would join Democrats on the school funding bill. Advertisement Lawmakers and the governor also could ditch the current legislation and come up with a new bill. So far, neither side has publicly indicated an interest in that approach. At issue are provisions in the education funding formula legislation that provide extra dollars to CPS, the only school district in Illinois that has to cover the costs of its teacher pension system. Democrats have made several attempts in recent years to give more money to the city school district, while Rauner has tried to leverage the issue for his other legislative aims. The measure on hold in the Senate bases the way school dollars are doled out on a new "evidence-based" approach, which both sides agree is the best way to distribute dollars equitably. Both sides also agree that no school district should lose money as a result of the change, meaning that the formula should be used only on "new" dollars set aside for education above the amounts that were sent out last school year. That's where the agreement stops. Democrats say that CPS, which receives about $250 million in extra grant money each year, should be able to keep it as part of its funding base. Additionally, they say the district should receive about $215 million extra to help cover the cost of its teacher pensions. The state picks up those costs for suburban and downstate teachers. Republicans counter that CPS has been getting a special deal the $250 million in extra grant money that makes up for the lack of state pension funds. And the GOP contends the district's financial troubles, particularly its pension debt, are the result of CPS leaders skipping pension payments for more than a decade. The extra pension money was baked into the Democratic bill, and that's what's in Rauner's sights. The governor argued Monday that the measure "diverts money from the rest of the state and the suburbs to Chicago." Advertisement Under the Democrats' bill, however, every school district would start with the same amount of funding it received last year. In addition, each would get a portion of the additional $350 million in education funding that was enacted as part of the budget and tax increase that Rauner opposed. CPS would receive about $71 million of that money, as well as the $215 million to help cover its pension costs. Rauner said Monday he wants to take that CPS pension money and spread it around to other districts. How he would do that is unclear. A spreadsheet posted online by the governor's office shows that Rauner's proposal would take about $145 million from what CPS would receive under the bill and distribute the money to other districts around the state. Neither Rauner nor his education secretary, Beth Purvis, would say how they arrived at that number, however. "I need it on my desk and you will see," Rauner said when asked if he planned to slash CPS special grant dollars in addition to pension money. Purvis told the Tribune that the administration is "not going to issue the specifics of the (amendatory veto) until the bill is on his desk." As the governor tries to build support, a re-election-seeking Rauner spent the past week visiting rural schools, where he's promised extra money to their districts if lawmakers approve his changes. As Rauner talked policy Monday, the Illinois Republican Party he subsidizes launched digital ads blasting Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for "holding schools hostage." Advertisement Asked to respond to Rauner's special session call, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he had "no response." In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the governor should approve the bill as-is, calling it an historic opportunity to "fund education equitably and fairly and treat all children, regardless of income or regardless of race, fairly across the state." The mayor also said he discussed CPS funding during a City Hall meeting with Madigan and Cullerton, but declined to say whether they were working on a plan on how to proceed if the governor vetoes the bill. "We talked about making sure, and I want to be very clear, the children of the city of Chicago will be in school at the start of the school year, and they will be in school with a full school day and a full school year, because that's where they belong," Emanuel said. Chicago Tribune's Hal Dardick contributed. kgeiger@chicagotribune.com Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, listens during the City Council meeting on Jan. 25, 2017. Beale is the latest alderman to call for hearings on the fairness of the Cook Countys property valuations under Assessor Joe Berrios. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune) Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here. Topspin Another alderman on Monday called for hearings on the fairness of the Cook County's property valuations under Assessor Joe Berrios, and an influential City Council veteran indicated he would "accommodate" the request. The ask from South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, follows the Tribune's "The Tax Divide" series, which found assessments that play a key role in determining property tax bills favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor. Last month, four other aldermen, all of whom at one time or another have been at political odds with Berrios, introduced a resolution calling for hearings on the matter. But there was a question of whether their proposal would ever see the light of day. It was assigned to the Finance Committee led by Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, an old-school Democrat who wields considerable influence within the Cook County Democratic Party. Berrios is chairman of that organization. Beale, however, is considered more of a regular Democrat. He's been on the council longer than his other four colleagues and has worked with Burke over the years. That might have made a difference, as Burke suggested he'd be OK with Beale's request. "If he's going to introduce something, we'll accommodate him on hearings, just as the County Board did," said Burke, who was referring to hearings on the same subject held last week by the Cook County Board Finance Committee. Advertisement Burke, whose law firm handles property tax appeals that the series found only made the problem worse, also was asked if he was concerned about its findings. "I'm not, no," he said. (Hal Dardick) Advertisement What's on tap *Mayor Rahm Emanuel will hold a morning news conference with Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson to announce predictive technology in the 6th police district. *Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public events scheduled. *The City Council's committees on Transportation and Public Way, and Budget and Government Operations meet. *The Illinois Senate Human Services Committee will hold a morning hearing about the Semaj Crosby case and the Department of Children and Family Services at the Bilandic Building in Chicago. From the notebook *Curran replacing Radogno in state Senate: John Curran of Downers Grove, the vice chairman of the DuPage County Board, has been selected to fill the vacancy caused by state Sen. Christine Radogno's retirement. Curran, a Cook County assistant state's attorney, was saluted by Dan Cronin, the DuPage County board chairman and a former state senator, as a "strong leader and advocate" for the county. "While we will truly miss his work and his dedication to DuPage County, we are happy to see him moving on to bigger challenges," Cronin said in a statement. "I'm confident Springfield is gaining an asset who will fight to protect residents of Illinois." Cronin is now seeking a Republican replacement for Curran on the county board. He said anyone seeking the appointment should email a resume and letter of no more than 300 words outlining their interest to dan.cronin@dupageco.org. (Rick Pearson) Advertisement *Cheney touts former boss's endorsement in IL-6: Carole Cheney, one of six Democrats who has announced a challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, is touting the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville. Cheney, an attorney, previously served as Foster's district chief of staff. "Carole Cheney is up to the task of leading the way for Illinois' 6th District," Foster said in a statement. "She is a fighter and a tireless advocate who will always prioritize her constituents first." Cheney's release notes she is the only Democratic primary candidate for the west and northwest suburban congressional seat "to be endorsed by a sitting member of the Illinois congressional delegation." Also seeking the nomination are Jennifer Zordani of Clarendon Hills, Suzyn Price of Naperville, Amanda Howland of Lake Zurich, Kelly Mazeski of Barrington and Austin Songer of Glen Ellyn. (Rick Pearson) *Quick spins: Vicki Crawford, House Republican leader Jim Durkin's spokeswoman, announced she is leaving for the Illinois Commerce Commission after 23 years on the staff. "I am most thankful for the lasting friendships that I have made along the way. Life under the dome is not easy. The schedule is grueling and the level of stress generally remains high, but I always felt at home," Crawford posted on Facebook. ... City Treasurer Kurt Summers' campaign sent a fundraising email Monday asking supporters for $38 donations for his 38th birthday, a pitch strategy that only gets more lucrative over time. ... A blast from the past: Senate Republican leader Bill Brady misspoke Tuesday, calling Gov. Rauner Gov. Ryan. Advertisement What we're writing *Rauner summons lawmakers for Wednesday special session on school funding. *Plan for North Side residences by Chicago River advances despite some aldermanic worry. *Aldermen bash, advance Emanuel's $38.75 million red light ticket settlement. *Emanuel administration rolls out coordinated response to Crain's Chicago Business piece alleging TIF money diverted to Navy Pier. *Racist emails scandal moves beyond Chicago as Illinois opens investigation into state employee's role. What we're reading Advertisement *Nearing 400, homicides in Chicago continue to outpace last year. *Cops: Rabbit theft foiled at Porter County Fair as children scream and point at suspect. *Chipotle customer illnesses prove to be lawsuit magnet. Follow the money *Gov. Rauner reported $12,000 in contributions. *The Burnham Committee controlled by Ald. Ed Burke reported $66,000 in contributions. Advertisement *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *Kushner: "I did not collude." *Federal judge lets Trump voter data effort go on. *The Senate could take a health care vote Tuesday. *Charlie Gard parents drop legal fight. This image from a propaganda video released July 5, 2014, by al-Furqan Media allegedly shows the leader of the Islamic State jihadist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The New York Times is requesting an apology from Fox News after broadcasters from the latter company alleged that the Times foiled an attempt by the U.S. to capture al-Baghdadi. (Getty Images) Fox News Channel on Monday clarified but didn't apologize for a weekend segment that The New York Times said falsely accused the newspaper of revealing intelligence information that enabled Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to elude capture by U.S. forces two years ago. Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said Fox was guilty of "sheer hypocrisy" because the network had also reported about a U.S. raid that netted valuable intelligence soon after it took place. Advertisement The dispute between the news outlets was magnified by White House attention. A "Fox & Friends" report on Saturday was headlined "NYT foils U.S. attempt to take out al-Baghdadi." President Donald Trump apparently was watching, because less than a half-hour later he tweeted that the Times "foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National Security." The issue surfaced following a Friday interview of Gen. Tony Thomas, head of the U.S. special operations command, by Fox correspondent Catherine Herridge. They talked about a May 16, 2015, raid in Syria, where U.S. forces killed a top al-Baghdadi aide and captured his wife. Thomas said the raid garnered a valuable lead that could have led the U.S. to al-Baghdadi but it went cold after it was leaked "in a prominent U.S. newspaper" about a week later. Herridge, writing for Fox's website, tied it to the Times. Advertisement The Pentagon announced the raid the day after it happened, and it was widely reported including by Herridge, who said on "Fox News Sunday" on May 17 that "a treasure trove of information" was gathered. The Times published a more detailed story on June 8, 2015, about some of the intelligence gathered in the raid, and that was apparently the story to which Thomas referred. The Times said that story was described to officials in the Pentagon before it was published and no objections were raised. The newspaper said no senior American official complained publicly about the story until now. Furthermore, the Times said it stretches credulity to think the security-conscious al-Baghdadi would not have taken steps to protect himself more than three weeks after learning about the raid. Rhoades Ha said no one from Fox contacted the Times for comment before Herridge's piece was published. She said the online story was changed to reflect comment from the Times after the newspaper reached out. Fox host Pete Hegseth repeatedly referred to the "failing" New York Times, echoing the descriptive phrase the Republican president frequently uses. Hegseth said the Times "is not just failing in its credibility. It's failing our country." "It's failing the American people," co-host Abby Huntsman said. "You want a patriotic journalist," said the third host, Clayton Morris. "This is why the police don't release information about police investigations because it jeopardizes their case." Advertisement The Times called the morning show commentary malicious and demanded an apology. On Monday, "Fox & Friends" host Steve Doocy aired a portion of Thomas' remarks. He noted that the Times had described its findings to the Pentagon at the time and that the story had drawn no complaints. "It wasn't an apology," Rhoades Ha said, "nor did it begin to address the larger issues with the 'Fox & Friends' weekend segment, one of which was sheer hypocrisy." Considering Herridge had said in her 2015 report that intelligence gathered in the raid could lead the U.S. closer to al-Baghdadi, through that logic Fox itself was unpatriotic, she said. Fox, in a statement, said neither its initial report nor subsequent coverage on the air was inaccurate. The network suggested the Times should check to see whether Thomas' comments have merit and whether anything revealed in its report hindered U.S. operations. In a news report on the dispute aired on Fox on Monday, "Media Buzz" host Howard Kurtz criticized his company for not reaching out to the Times for comment following Thomas' remarks. He didn't pass judgment on Doocy's statement. Advertisement The dispute surfaced less than a week after Times television critic James Poniewozik said in a review of "Fox & Friends" that Trump was "the show's subject, its programmer, its publicist and its virtual fourth host." This story has been corrected to show the second Times story appeared on June 8, 2015, not June 18, 2015. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, center, accompanied by his attorney Abbe Lowell, right, arrives on Capitol Hill on July 24, 2017, to meet behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Oliver Contreras / For The Washington Post) WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, disclosed in a statement to members of Congress four distinct interactions with Russians during the presidential campaign and transition period. The 11-page statement provides his first detailed account of meetings over the last year with the Russian ambassador to the United States, a Russian lawyer and a Russian banker. The encounters: Advertisement April 26, 2016, Mayflower Hotel, Washington Kushner described meetin Advertisement g Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at a hotel reception before Trump, then a Republican presidential candidate, was to deliver a major foreign policy speech on the campaign trail. He said Kislyak was one of four ambassadors he greeted with a handshake and pleasantries. He said he thanked the dignitaries for attending and told them that he hoped they would enjoy Trump's speech and the ambassadors, in turn, "expressed interest in creating a positive relationship should we win the election." He said each interaction lasted less than a minute and he never took up any of the ambassadors on their invitations to lunch at their embassies. June 9, 2016, Trump Tower, New York City Though Kushner maintains that he didn't even recall this meeting until recently reviewing his records, this gathering has caused significant headaches for the Trump White House since it was publicly reported on earlier this month. Kushner said he was invited by his brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr., to a meeting at Trump Tower with a person who turned out to be Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. He said he arrived late, heard discussion about Moscow's ban on Americans adopting Russian children and concluded that the meeting was such a "waste of time" that he quickly looked for a way out. "I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for 10 or so minutes and wrote "Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting," Kushner said. Emails that Trump Jr. released show that the president's oldest son came to the meeting with the expectation that the lawyer would provide negative information about Hillary Clinton. Kushner said he hadn't read or recalled those emails until his lawyers recently showed them to him when reviewing documents to submit to the committees. Advertisement Dec. 1, 2016, Trump Tower, New York City Kushner said this meeting involved Kislyak and Michael Flynn, who would later become Trump's national security adviser, and lasted between 20 minutes and a half-hour. In his statement, Kushner denied media reports that said he discussed with Kislyak a secret back-channel for communications. Instead, Kushner said, Kislyak asked him if there was a secure line for him to convey to Trump administration officials information about Syria that he said was coming from his "generals." Kushner said that given the importance of Syria and the "ongoing humanitarian crisis," he asked if there was an existing communications channel at the Russian Embassy that Kislyak felt comfortable using to relay information to Flynn. "The ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration," Kushner said. "Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a 'secret back channel.'" Advertisement Flynn was forced to resign in February after White House officials said he had misled them about whether he had discussed sanctions with Kislyak in a phone call. Dec. 13, 2016, New York City Kushner said he attended a meeting in New York with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, after being asked to do so by Kislyak. He said Gorkov introduced himself and provided him with two gifts: a bag of dirt from a village in Belarus where Kushner's grandparents were from and a piece of art from the same location. He said Gorkov discussed his bank and the Russian economy and described himself as friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Kushner insisted that the meeting had nothing to do with his work as a businessman. He said the men did not discuss sanctions against Russia or anything about "my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind." "I did not know or have any contact with Mr. Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since," Kushner said. Congress is poised to give itself new powers over the administration's ability to roll back sanctions aimed at Russia, the latest evidence of lawmakers' continuing distrust of President Donald Trump's handling of the United States' relationship with Moscow. The House and Senate are expected to pass a bill as soon as this week that includes language giving Congress 30 days to review and vote to prevent any move by the president to ease sanctions against Russia. The move comes despite considerable pressure from the administration to strip this provision from the bill, with the White House arguing that it would give the president less flexibility than his predecessors to determine when and where sanctions should be applied. Lawmakers in both parties rejected this argument and said they want to include similar restraints in future legislation, including a proposal aimed at North Korea, with Democrats citing Trump as a motivating factor and Republicans arguing that it should become the new practice regardless of who occupies the Oval Office. "We want to continue on, no matter who's president," Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said in an interview. "I think congressional review should be a part of every sanction that we put in place." On Tuesday, the House will vote on a bill that would impose new financial sanctions on Russia and Iran, which are meant to punish Moscow for its alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election and its military activities in Syria and Ukraine, and Tehran for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The bill doesn't give Congress the same review powers over penalties directed at Iran as it does Russia, and the House plans to add to the bill a package of sanctions against North Korea that also lacks this oversight language. But lawmakers said the congressional review process is expected to be part of sanctions bills going forward, saying it's prudent to give Congress this check on the president at a time when rogue states are taking ever more audacious steps to develop nuclear weapons, seize territory and engage in cybercrime. Many also acknowledge it is an issue given more urgency by Trump's recent attempts to cozy up to world leaders with questionable human rights records and his fluid foreign policy stances. "What we've seen to date is not a consistent policy," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has teamed up with Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., on a North Korea sanctions bill that includes a congressional review provision. "We've seen a series of tweets, but nothing that is consistent and clear, and that's why this legislation's important." In recent years, sanctions have become a favored means of pressuring foreign nations to cease objectionable activities, including North Korea's pursuit of nuclear warheads. Congress and recent administrations have clashed over the extent to which sanctions ought to be applied against adversary nations and individuals, with lawmakers urging harsher punitive actions and administrations angling for more latitude to leave diplomatic options open. But even amid these tensions, lawmakers traditionally have offered the president the ability to waive sanctions when he determines it is in the national security interest of the United States. That appears to be changing in the Trump era. The president's affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin has been of particular concern for lawmakers, who worry that the president may try to dismantle sanctions put in place by President Barack Obama late last year, such as handing back Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, after his administration accused Moscow of trying to influence the presidential election. Leaders in both chambers have endorsed an approach to Russia sanctions that codifies and expands existing punitive measures, while giving Congress 30 days to review any changes the president wants to make to the policy. The White House insisted it has no problem with increasing mandatory sanctions against Russia but does not want Congress to tie its hands when it comes to limiting the president's authority to roll them back. It would be politically difficult for the president to veto the legislation, and the White House said Trump has yet to make up his mind about the bill. "As I said, he's looking over where it stands exactly at this point," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of Trump. "I think the important part of this is that the president very much supports sanctions on those countries and wants to make sure that those remain but at the same time wants to make sure that we get good deals. Those two things are both very important for the president." Senate leaders are ready to make this congressional review provision part of future sanctions bills, but House Republican leaders have yet to commit to the idea beyond the Russia legislation. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., declined to outline his position after several days of requests, while others in House leadership claimed to be unfamiliar with the provision and legal nuances it involves. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward Royce, R-Calif., said he would prefer to consider the issue on a case-by-case basis. Several rank-and-file House GOP members, however, said they want a congressional review considered for future sanctions bills. "As we move forward in this dangerous world, I think you're going to see us use these kinds of vehicles, I believe probably in increased fashion," said Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., a senior deputy party whip. "I understand where they're coming from, but I feel like oversight is good," Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said of the leadership's reservations about allowing Congress to block presidential actions on sanctions. "And I'm a Trump supporter," he added. Republicans argue that the push to give Congress a greater say on when sanctions can be eased is not directly related to Trump, but part of a longer-term trend that began when lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation allowing them to vote on whether the Iran nuclear deal negotiated toward the end of the Obama administration could go into effect. Many Republicans said they wished that Congress had insisted on similar review power when they passed stiffened nuclear sanctions against Tehran in 2010, surmising that they may have been able to prevent Obama from concluding the Iran nuclear deal if they had. Although the Senate has shown support for giving lawmakers the ability to review any rollback of sanctions against North Korea, it's unclear whether that will be included in the latest legislative package moving through Congress. The House plans to include its Pyongyang sanctions bill in the Russia and Iran legislation being voted on Tuesday, but it does not include the review language. Still, experts say that cohesion around the Russia legislation suggests Congress is ready to assert itself more fully in the realm of sanctions policy going forward. "We're seeing a Congress that's much more interested in case-by-case involvement in these fields, where historically Congress' approach was to just delegate what authority it might have to the executive," said Stephen Vladeck, a constitutional and national security law expert at the University of Texas School of Law. "The reality is that Congress is slowly and begrudgingly accepting something that many of us have been arguing for years, which is that they have a lot more of a stick to wield in this space." The Washington Post's John Wagner, Abby Phillip and Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. Paul Manafort, a top campaign aide to President Donald Trump, appeared before the Senate intelligence committee Tuesday morning to answer questions about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Before his testimony, he submitted to the committee notes that he took at a meeting with a Russian lawyer he and other campaign aides attended during the presidential campaign, a person familiar with the investigation said. The notes could provide a key contemporaneous account of a meeting that has emerged as a focus of investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 campaign by both Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller. Manaforts testimony had been widely anticipated, but he slipped in and out of the Capitol without prior announcement early Tuesday, hours before senior White House adviser Jared Kushner appeared before the House intelligence committee. Jason Maloni, a Manafort spokesman, said he met with the bipartisan staff of the Senate intelligence committee and answered their questions fully. The Tuesday morning interview was held at the request of Manaforts legal team, specifically for the purpose of discussing the June 2016 meeting he participated in with Kushner, the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer with purported Kremlin ties and others with various connections to Russia, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Manaforts lawyers have agreed to make him available to speak with Senate intelligence committee staffers and members in the future to discuss other issues, the person said. Manaforts appearance came as he has been engaged in intense negotiations with congressional committees about how and when to provide testimony. Despite his appearance before the Senate intelligence committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee has continued to press for him to appear separately and late Monday, the committee issued a subpoena compelling Manaforts appearance at a hearing on Wednesday. In a joint statement, committee chairman Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and its ranking Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, said negotiations over Manaforts voluntary cooperation broke down after Manaforts lawyer indicated he was willing to provide only one transcribed interview with congressional staff. While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manaforts request, ultimately that was not possible, they said. Grassley and Feinstein said they were willing to continue talks to excuse Manafort from the hearing if he agreed to voluntarily provide documents and an interview to their committee. Paul has been cooperative from the beginning, and we are confident we can work something out, Maloni said. Emails sent to Trump Jr. before the meeting show he agreed to meet with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya after being told she was a Russian government lawyer, bearing damaging information about Trumps opponent Hillary Clinton that was being shared as part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign. Manaforts notes could provide information about what, exactly, was said at the meeting and how participants responded. Manafort, who would be named the campaigns chairman days after the June 9, 2016 meeting, attended at Trump Jr.s request, as did Trumps son-in-law Kushner. In a statement Monday, Kushner said he has found an email he sent an assistant during the meeting, requesting that he be called on his cellphone to provide an excuse to leave early. In an initial statement as The New York Times prepared to report that the meeting had taken place, Trump Jr. had said it was primarily about the issue of the adoption of Russian children by American families. The Russian government halted such adoptions in retaliation for a U.S. law passed in 2012 which blacklisted top Russian officials over alleged human rights abuses. Later, he acknowledged that Veselnitskaya had first described information she believed could be damaging to Democrats but has called that information vague and ambiguous. Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian American lobbyist who also attended the meeting, has said that Veselnitskaya left behind documents describing the information. Manaforts notes could shed more light on the information she provided and what happened to the documents she brought to the session. Also Tuesday, a person familiar with the investigation said Judiciary staff withdrew a subpoena for Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of the political intelligence firm that commissioned the so-called Trump Russia dossier, after Simpson agreed to appear for a transcribed interview with the committee at a date that has not yet been scheduled. The committee had hoped Simpson would appear at a public hearing Wednesday. Trump has vigorously denied the allegations in the dossier, reports written during the campaign that outlined alleged connections between Trump and the Russian government. The firm, Fusion GPS, also conducted research work on behalf of a law firm working with a Russian client of Veselnitskaya, who had been sued by U.S. authorities in New York. A lawyer for Simpson, Joshua Levy, declined to comment. Tom Hamburger and Ellen Nakashima contributed. President Donald Trump and his advisers are privately discussing the possibility of replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and some confidants are floating prospects who could take his place were he to resign or be fired, according to people familiar with the talks. Members of Trump's circle, including White House officials, have increasingly raised the question among themselves in recent days as the president has continued to vent his frustration with the attorney general, the people said. Replacing Sessions is viewed by some Trump associates as potentially being part of a strategy to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller and end his investigation of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The president took another swipe at Sessions on Monday, calling his attorney general "our beleaguered A.G." and asking why Sessions was not "looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" Both points are notable. Sessions was once considered one of Trump's closest advisers and enjoyed access few others had. Now he is left to endure regular public criticism by his boss. Trump's suggestion, too, that his top law enforcement official investigate a former political rival is astounding, and even his allies have said in the past that such a move would be unheard of in the United States. Trump, after the election, had backed away from the idea of possibly prosecuting Hillary Clinton. Sessions's tight relationship with Trump and the White House has unraveled since he recused himself in March from the Russia probe. The president had privately complained about that decision for weeks, and in an interview with the New York Times last week he said he would not have appointed Sessions as attorney general had he known that Sessions would do such a thing. After Sessions recused himself, he passed on the responsibility to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who then appointed Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation. Trump could order Rosenstein - and then Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand - to fire Mueller. If they quit instead of doing so, he could appoint an acting attorney general who would. Trump could also appoint an acting attorney general with them in place - effectively passing over Rosenstein and Brand - and order that person to remove the special counsel. Trump's authority to jump Rosenstein and Brand, though, is murky. The Justice Department has issued opinions in the past saying that such a move is and isn't permissible. And his pick for an acting attorney general would have to have Senate confirmation and be serving elsewhere in the government or have worked in the Justice Department for 90 days within the past 365 and be at a certain senior pay level. Another scenario is that Trump could make a recess appointment, said Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Under that plan, Trump could choose an attorney general during the August recess who would serve until the end of the next Senate session, which could be early January 2019. That person would have the same authority as someone who is confirmed by the Senate, Vladeck said. Among the names being floated as possible Sessions replacements are Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, according to people familiar with the conversations. Giuliani dismissed a report mentioning his name as a possible attorney general and told CNN that Sessions "made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department" to recuse himself. He did not return a message seeking comment. In a statement released late Monday, Cruz said he was "deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General. The stories being reported in the media tonight are false. My focus is and will remain on fighting every day to defend 28 million Texans in the U.S. Senate." Some Trump advisers said that this process could be agonizing for the attorney general, with the president's anger flaring but no decision being reached for weeks or maybe months, leaving Sessions isolated from the White House. Sessions was at the White House complex on Monday for a routine meeting but did not meet with the president. But not all in Trump's orbit share the view that Sessions' days are numbered. Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, told CNN on Monday afternoon that Trump and Sessions "need to sit down face-to-face and have a reconciliation and a discussion of the future." Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., a vigorous Trump ally, said in an interview that he and Trump had talked about Sessions and that Trump had indicated "he was very unhappy both with the recusal and the fact that Jeff didn't talk to him beforehand." But Gingrich said he would "strongly oppose" the firing of Sessions, because "I think his base likes Sessions." "His base thinks that on things like [violent street gangs] and sanctuary cities that Sessions is doing a fine job, and I think his base would be confused," Gingrich said. Gingrich also said he believed Sessions could survive the president's criticisms. "He said he's beleaguered, not failed, and he is a little beleaguered," Gingrich said. "This whole thing has been a mess." Trump, though, continues to let Sessions twist in the wind. One person close to Trump said the president asked him about how firing Sessions "would play in the conservative media." Trump also asked him whether it would help to replace Sessions "with a major conservative," the person said. For his part, Sessions shows no signs of stepping down. On Friday, Sessions traveled to Philadelphia to meet with law enforcement officials. In his speech, he vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and on "sanctuary cities" that are not communicating with federal authorities about undocumented immigrants. He spoke of how hard he is working, despite having none of his U.S. attorneys in place and most of his senior officials still not confirmed by the Senate. "I do my best every day," Sessions said, "to fulfill the goals the president and I share." Several of Sessions's Republican former colleagues on Capitol Hill have defended him in the face of the president's criticism. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a close friend, said that Sessions was "doing just fine." He also encouraged the president to try to patch up his relationship with his attorney general. "They're both adults, and they can work it out," Cornyn said. "The mustache kept its classic 10-past-10 position." Lluis Penuelas, secretary general of the foundation that oversees Salvador Dali's estate, on the condition of the Surrealist painter's trademark mustache after his body was exhumed to collect DNA to settle a paternity case. Dali died in 1989 at age 84. Advertisement "Sarah, if you're watching, I love the hair and makeup person that we had on Friday, so I'd like to continue to use the hair and makeup person." Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, on the only thing that he's currently requesting of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the new White House press secretary. Advertisement "There will never be a time that I will go to America during my term, or even thereafter. So what makes that guy think I'll go to America? I've seen America, and it's lousy." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, once praised and invited by President Donald Trump to visit the White House, said he won't make the trip. He's apparently upset that one of the Philippines' oldest allies, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., changed his tune and said he would protest if the Filipino strongman visited America. Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has taken a lot of shots for bringing a new approach to that job. His "Back to Basics" agenda, combined with the White House's request for reductions in the EPA budget, are part of a Trump administration policy to change course from the one followed in the Obama administration. That has meant pulling out of the Paris climate accord, reversing or reconsidering regulations on power plant emissions, promoting the coal industry, and loosening fuel-economy rules imposed on automakers. President Donald Trump wants the EPA to focus on other tasks. "We're going to have the cleanest air," he said last month. "We're going to have the cleanest water." Advertisement We think the president's skepticism about climate change is mistaken and his opposition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions is dangerous. But he can legitimately say that the American people knew his position on global warming when they elected him. There is nothing wrong with making sure the EPA attends to its responsibility to stop old-fashioned pollution. "These are issues that go directly to the health of our citizens that should be the absolute focus of this agency," Pruitt has said. But in East Chicago, Ind., that mission seems to lack the urgency it ought to have. As the Tribune's Michael Hawthorne reports, the EPA has "documented hundreds of violations of federal air pollution standards at the Indiana Harbor Coke Co." but "has held off filing a lawsuit against the coke plant." Advertisement Since 2010, the agency has cited the facility for six violations. Among the prohibited emissions were sulfur dioxide, which can produce lung damage and respiratory illness as well as aggravate asthma; lead, which can inflict irreversible damage on the brain and nervous system, particularly in children; and particulate matter, which can harm the heart and lungs and cause premature death among people with heart or lung ailments. Indiana Harbor Coke Co. in Whiting, Ind., Thursday, July 12, 2017. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) The pollution most directly endangers people nearby, notes Hawthorne, "including East Chicago residents whose homes are within a 322-acre area where the EPA's Superfund program is overseeing a long-delayed cleanup." But it also fouls air in Chicago and as far away as Door County, Wis. East Chicago, once a leading center of heavy industry, has suffered far more than its share of pollution. The Superfund designation came about because of the nasty toxins that had settled there. Last year, residents of one housing complex had to be moved out because of lead in their soil and drinking water. It's awaiting demolition. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has declared a "disaster emergency" for the Superfund site. So it stands to reason that cleaning it up and cracking down on polluters would be a high priority for an EPA that plans to concentrate on fundamentals. Pruitt said in April, "I am committed to ensuring that the EPA works with our federal, state and local partners to find solutions that protect the health and safety of East Chicago." We were glad to hear of that commitment. We'd like to see more evidence of it. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Governor Bruce Rauner, joined by Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, left, pauses while speaking at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago on Monday, July 24, 2017, about the SB 1 school funding bill. (Alexandra Wimley / Chicago Tribune) When lawmakers return to Springfield on Wednesday we're counting on a quorum they ought to keep one thing in mind: schoolkids. Without action on education funding during the four days of special session Gov. Bruce Rauner announced Monday, the opening of schools across the state could be in jeopardy. No agreement on legislation would mean chaos for Illinois families who've had "back to school" dates etched onto their calendars for months. This is no time for political games. Advertisement But this is Illinois. Maybe we're wishing for a miracle. We're hoping Rauner, who has warned he will veto part of the bill, will do so with a scalpel. We're hoping lawmakers accept his reasonable proposed changes. You know, constructive compromise in which both sides win. We're hoping for that. Advertisement Because in addition to schools opening, at stake is a rare chance to revamp the formula used to disburse tax dollars to districts. The legislation aims to bridge the largest-in-the-nation gap between what poor and wealthy school districts can spend per child. This state and its leaders have been studying and debating school funding reform since the late 1990s. Here's your chance, lawmakers. Get something done. Suppress your egos. Stop posturing to please this or that constituency. Set aside 2018. And don't let Rauner's changes to the bill crush the chance for real funding reform. The bill has languished in the Senate since May 31. It passed both chambers even after House Democrats inserted last-minute perks for Chicago Public Schools. But Senate President John Cullerton has been holding on to it rather than sending it to Rauner's desk for the veto the governor has promised. At first, Cullerton said he wanted time for emotions to calm down. But then his tactic became pure brinkmanship. President Cullerton, release the bill. We won't be surprised if Rauner then removes from it money Chicago Public Schools would receive for its annual pension costs. He also could veto money folded into the formula that is specific to Chicago, intended to make up for CPS' loss of some grant funding. Fine. Those changes are not unreasonable. We have said Chicago should get help with its pension burden if and when lawmakers pass a statewide pension reform bill. That was the deal lawmakers reached a year ago. So far, Democrats who control both chambers have put no pension reform bill on Rauner's desk. But remember, too, this isn't all about Chicago. Under this legislation, at least 260 districts in Illinois would receive more per pupil funding than CPS. The bill ensures suburban districts won't lose money. It is linked to an overall education budget that pushes roughly $350 million in new money through the revamped formula. It attempts to give districts with little-to-no property wealth more help from the state. Reaching that overarching achievement should be the focus of this special session not angling for advantage or nitpicking complexities of the legislation. No one will like everything in the new version. Advertisement See? We're finding common ground already. Lawmakers, don't let an amendatory veto from Rauner collapse the steeple. Take a win, everyone, on finally adjusting the school funding formula in a way that helps low-income districts. Those districts and their schoolkids have been punished by Springfield's status quo. Help them out. Help Illinois. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Gruff and tough Sen. John McCain, 11 days removed from brain cancer surgery, returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday in time to turn a feckless Republican exercise in damage control into an inspiring moment of statesmanship in the service of American democratic ideals. Boy, did this 80-year-old warrior of the Senate and naval hero get the tone and timing right. His appeal to colleagues in remarks from the Senate floor focused on the need to defy partisanship when elected officials have serious work to do. The American people will never get the government they need, and the country will never advance, he argued, if all politicians care about is stomping their rivals. Advertisement "Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, television and internet," the Arizona Republican implored. "To hell with them. They don't want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood. Let's trust each other. Let's return to regular order," he said, referring to the traditional, collegial approach to Senate business. "We've 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." Bravo! Such a shame, of course, that McCain's speech was riveting in part because he's a sick man. But politics is theater, and his wounded appearance, with a surgical scar above his left eye, added extraordinary gravity to what was already a day that cried out for someone to shout "Enough with politics as blood sport!" Advertisement McCain flew to Washington from Arizona to support a dodgy procedural vote on the also-dodgy future of Obamacare. After a 51-50 vote, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie, Senate Republicans now can open debate on a mess of a repeal-and-replace bill that Democrats won't touch and many Republicans don't like. The GOP push to end Obamacare is a dreary, frustrating example of politics at the expense of reason and cooperation. The Senate vote was insensitive to the plight of millions of Americans who need access to health insurance yet have no idea what kind of bill Republicans have up their sleeve. GOP leaders won't say: Better to work behind closed doors to limit the political fallout. McCain said he doesn't know if he'll ultimately support a health care bill. His point was that the Senate's approach to crafting repeal-and-replace reflects terribly on a deliberative body that should be able to take on tough legislation together. Instead, cooperation has fallen out of fashion, even on monumental legislation. President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act without any support from Republicans, and now Republicans would undo Obamacare without Democratic input. Through history, McCain said, senators of different parties held contrasting views, yet they managed to work collaboratively. What's changed is today's emphasis on notching victories instead of delivering results. "Incremental progress, compromises that each side criticized but also accept, just plain muddling through to chip away at problems and keep our enemies from doing their worst isn't glamorous or exciting," he said. "It doesn't feel like a political triumph. But it's usually the most we can expect from our system of government, operating in a country as diverse, and quarrelsome and free as ours. Considering the injustice and cruelties inflicted by autocratic governments and how corruptible human nature can be, the problem-solving our system does make possible, the fitful progress it produces, and the liberty and justice it preserves is a magnificent achievement." We have no illusion that McCain's speech, however long it's remembered, will change America's political culture. But it should. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. First Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, attacked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for supporting charter schools because they give parents an education choice for their kids. Weingarten actually said the concept of school choice is based on racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia and homophobia. Really? Wealthy people already have school choice. It is the less-wealthy people whose kids are trapped in bad public schools, because they cant afford to send their kids to good private schools. Added to that is the insanity of Chicagos public school debt. Sadly, a huge percentage of that debt is tied to teachers pension underfunding. The vast majority of the taxpayers who pay for teachers pensions dont get pensions. They get 401(k)s, in which they and their employers contribute to their retirement. Not Illinois teachers! Not only do teachers get three months off every year in paid vacation, they also get pensions largely funded by taxpayers. Sadly, a huge percentage of our tax dollars go not to our kids educations, but to teacher benefits. I was just in Wisconsin with a relative who is in the teachers union there and guess what? She is on a 401(k)-style program in which she and her employer (taxpayers!) both contribute to her retirement. Just one more example of why Illinois is a disaster and Wisconsin is doing well. Randy Rossi, Grayslake President Donald Trump issued 10 tweets in a little under 2 1/2 hours early Tuesday, offering a particularly vivid peek into the scattered, peevish mind of our commander in chief. Here they are, along with my comments. Advertisement 6:03 a.m. Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Trump's reference was to the fact that during the 2016 presidential campaign, a Ukrainian-American consultant to the Democratic National Committee worked with Ukrainian officials to find information for Hillary Clinton's campaign team linking some of Trump's campaign officials to Russian interests. Advertisement The effort never got underhanded and Ukraine is a U.S. ally, but Trump and such allies as Fox News TV host Sean Hannity seem to believe that by peddling this false equivalence they can minimize the damage of, or at least distract public attention from, the drip-drip-drip revelations of candidate Trump's campaign's ties to Russia. 6:12 a.m. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! The elliptical question for "A.G." nine minutes earlier became a frontal attack on Sessions. The questions about Clinton are no longer relevant to anyone other than those desperate to change the subject. If first lady Melania Trump is ever going to kick off that campaign against cyberbullying she pledged to lead, she can start by taking away her husband's smartphone. 6:21 a.m. Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! This is how pathetically attenuated Trump's paranoid grievances are: In 2015, groups connected with Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia donated nearly $700,000 to the state Senate campaign of Jill McCabe, wife of the current acting head of the FBI. But Andrew McCabe didn't "get" the money he avoided all fundraising activities and as then-deputy FBI director he wasn't "in charge" of the investigation into Clinton's emails that was FBI Director James Comey, remember? And the money didn't come "from" Clinton. Otherwise, good point! 6:38 a.m. ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand. Advertisement Obamacare is a lifeline for millions of American people, and the only people who've been fooled in the health care debate are those who think the Republicans or Trump have a better idea how to give Americans better health care coverage at lower prices, and those who think it can't be fixed. Trump, "pen in hand," clearly doesn't care what a Republican bill will do relative to his extravagant and phony campaign promises. He just wants something, anything, to sign. 6:44 a.m. So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave American hero! Thank you John. Surviving more than five years as a prisoner of war did not make Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a hero in candidate Trump's eyes. "He's not a war hero," Trump said during his presidential campaign. "He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." But when Trump thought McCain was rising from his sick bed to help give a massive tax break to the rich and take health care coverage away from more than 20 million Americans, that made him a hero. McCain's stirring plea for bipartisanship, decency and "regular order" in a speech in the well of the Senate floor later Tuesday afternoon was an implicit rebuke to Trump's crude, divisive style. Advertisement 6:52 a.m. Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump! Kushner claimed a lot but proved nothing Monday. And I thought we were supposed to keep minor children out of these debates. 7:16 a.m. Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP! "Working on ..." "Could be ..." Yeah, yeah. You know what's not going to accomplish anything? Yelling at foreign leaders in all caps. 8:10 a.m. It is time to end the Obamacare Nightmare! Only this one tweet in the storm came from @POTUS, the official presidential account, so it might not be as canonical as those from @RealDonaldTrump. It included a photo of a list of 54 groups favoring opening debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act, an action the Senate narrowly approved later in the day. Advertisement These groups included the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, the Auto Care Association and the Food Marketing Institute, but not one patients' rights, hospital or major medical association. 8:19 a..m. This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people! "The people" have spoken to pollsters, and strong, consistent majorities hate, hate, hate the proposals that Republicans have put forth to replace Obamacare. 8:29 a.m. Will be traveling to the Great State of Ohio tonight. Big crowd expected. See you there! Trump took a three-hour social media break after this little promo for another campaign-style event. The tweet-nado was over. We could have ignored this string of rants, declarations and accusations. Many readers suggest that we pay no mind to Trump's Twitter tirades. But you can't truly understand him, or the situation we're in, unless you follow him closely. Advertisement ericzorn@gmail.com Twitter @EricZorn Dear Tom, What is the longest consecutive run of days in which the recorded high and low temperatures in Chicago have remained unchanged? Advertisement Scott R. Williams, Park Ridge Dear Scott, Advertisement The answer is three. Identical day-to-day high/low temperatures are rare in Chicago, a testament to the city's vigorous and changeable climate. Dating back to 1871, there have been only four instances of identical temperatures for three straight days: Aug. 11-13, 1879 (82/65); Aug. 26-28, 1882 (74/70); Sept. 5-7, 1910 (81/68); and Nov. 22-24, 1920 (42/37). Back-to-back occurrences of identical temperatures happen with a greater frequency, with 298 instances, about two each year. The most recent was Aug. 4-5, 2015 (82/61). Two Aurora men are accused of bringing large amounts of heroin and cocaine into Illinois and running the drugs through Kane and Kendall counties, according to state grand jury indictments setting bail for each man at $2 million. Israel Tavizon, 34, of the 500 block of North Avenue, and Gabriel Aguilar-Velez, 28, of the 700 block of East New York Street, were each indicted this month on more than 10 counts including Class X felony "unlawful calculated criminal drug conspiracy." Advertisement Charges filed Wednesday in Kane County reflect the Illinois Grand Jury's July 14 indictments. The offices of the Kane County State's Attorney and Illinois Attorney General are jointly prosecuting the cases, both agencies confirmed Monday. Tavizon and Aguilar-Velez have been transferred from Kendall County to the Kane County jail, said attorney general spokeswoman Annie Thompson. Advertisement Citing the ongoing case, Thompson declined to answer further questions about the indictments, which are signed by a grand jury foreperson and presiding Lee County Circuit Judge Ronald Jacobson with a Department of Homeland Security agent as witness. Aguilar-Velez was indicted on 11 counts while Tavizon faces 12. Mutual charges include calculated criminal drug conspiracy; criminal drug conspiracy; controlled substance trafficking; unlawful use of telecommunication device; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; and possession of a controlled substance. Tavizon is also charged with possessing a loaded Beretta 92 C handgun at his Aurora apartment without a valid FOID card. In the conspiracy charges, Tavizon and Aguilar-Velez are accused of agreeing, along with at least one other person, to possess with the intent to deliver more than 900 grams of a substance containing cocaine and more than 900 grams of a substance containing heroin. The indictments state that as part of the agreement, at least one of the co-conspirators committed one or more acts including directing or arranging for the delivery of cocaine and heroin to Kendall County; directing or arranging for the payment for the cocaine and heroin; directing or arranging for the pickup of the cocaine and heroin in Kendall County for transfer to Kane County; picking up the cocaine and heroin in Kendall County; attempting to transfer the cocaine and heroin to Kane County; and agreeing to deliver some of the cocaine and heroin "to another." Each man is accused of obtaining something worth more than $500 from his involvement or of organizing, directing or financing the conspiracy. Both are specifically charged with knowingly using a cellphone "in the furtherance of controlled substances trafficking" by using the phone to arrange for the drugs to be delivered into the state. The most serious charges against each man state conviction could result in a non-probationable sentence of between 30 and 120 years in prison and $1 million fine. Both men are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning in Kane County. Their attorneys could not be reached. Kendall County court records reference the Aurora Police Department as an involved agency, but Aurora police have not responded to an inquiry about the case. Court records show Tavizon was on probation through Kane County, scheduled to end this Sept. 11, in connection with a 2014 Aurora mob action case. The most serious charges against Tavizon were dropped when he pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in a public place and battery causing bodily harm. He was released on probation in September 2015 after serving a short jail sentence, records show. Advertisement hleone@tribpub.com Twitter @hannahmleone Twelve people were in custody as of Tuesday afternoon after local and federal law enforcement sweeps in Will County. July 25, 2017. (CBS Chicago) A joint operation involving local and federal law enforcement Tuesday resulted in arrest warrants being issued for 16 people and 36 illegal weapons being seized, according to the Will County state's attorney's office. Many of those for whom warrants were issued are suspected gang members, according to a news release from the state's attorney. The sweeps also resulted in the seizure of more than 200 grams of cocaine, according to the release. Advertisement As of Tuesday afternoon, 12 of the people were in custody, according to Charles Pelkie, spokesman for state's attorney James Glasgow. The sweeps involved the state's attorney's office, the Joliet Police Department, Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The sweeps were concentrated in Joliet and nearby communities, according to Pelkie. Advertisement According to the news release, the charges associated with the warrants include Class X drug dealing and Class 4 illegal sale of firearms. Several individuals are charged with possession of stolen firearms or gun running, according to the release. More than 100 law enforcement agents were involved, and the agencies had been working with the state's attorney's office for months to build cases on those for whom warrants were issued, according to the release. The investigative work didn't target a specific gang, but, Glasgow said in the release, that sweeps such as those conducted Tuesday "expand the ability of law enforcement to defuse gang activity while taking illegal weapons and narcotics off our streets." mnolan@tribpub.com Twitter @mnolan_J A 4-year-old boy has died from injuries in a traffic crash earlier this week near Beecher that also claimed the lives of his pregnant mother and younger brother, officials said Wednesday. Weston Schmidt was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday at Comer Children's Hospital, according to a news release from the Will County Sheriff's Office. Advertisement Weston had been on life support earlier Tuesday, as had an older brother. The 6-year-old brother remains in critical condition at Comer, according to the news release. Lindsey Schmidt, 29, and her 18-month-old son Kaleb were killed Monday when their 2014 Subaru Outback was struck by a 2002 Chevy S10 pickup truck driven by a 25-year-old Manteno man at the intersection of Corning Road and Yates Avenue in unincorporated Washington Township, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office. Advertisement Weston and the 6-year-old brother initially were taken to St. Margaret Hospital in Indiana and were later airlifted to Comer. The 6-year-old is in a medically induced coma, according to the sheriff's office. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > The pickup truck driver was taken to St. James Hospital and later to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was in stable condition after undergoing minor reconstructive surgery for a large laceration to his arm, according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies, who visited both hospitals Tuesday morning, have spoken to the Manteno man, and he is fully cooperating with them, officials said. Charges are pending until the investigation has been completed, according to the Sheriff's Office. Schmidt was traveling north on Yates Avenue, taking her children to a nearby Bible camp around 8:30 a.m. when she was struck on the driver's side by the pickup truck, which was traveling eastb on Corning, said Kathy Hoffmeyer, spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office. The pickup truck driver failed to halt at the stop sign, and Schmidt had no stop sign, she said. The impact of the collision forced the Subaru off the road and into a field on the east side of Yates, while the pickup truck landed in a ditch on the north side of Corning, Hoffmeyer said. Police are investigating a fatal crash in Beecher that killed a mother and her toddler son. Her two older sons were critically injured, according to police. July 24, 2017. (CBS Chicago) slafferty@tribpub.com Twitter @SusanLaff User Upload Caption: The Rev. Andrew Harrison holds the new icon of St. John of Chicago at St. Luke Orthodox Church in New Lenox. The local church recently received permission to become the first church in the Chicago area to be named after St. John, who had several ties to Chicago and was killed during the Russian Revolution. (St. Luke Orthodox Church photo) It's been 23 years since the Orthodox Church elevated him to sainthood. Still, no Chicago area congregation took on the name of St. John of Chicago. Until recently, that is. As St. Luke Chapel in New Lenox gradually becomes St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church, leaders there felt they needed a symbol to make the new name resonate with the congregation and community. Advertisement "It's proper for a church, when it has a patron saint, to have a hand painted icon of the saint," said Ron Smith, a church member. "When we were given permission to be called St. John of Chicago, I said we needed a hand painted icon and I sponsored it." His efforts recently came to fruition as an icon representing John Kochurov, who is recognized as St. John of Chicago, was recently unveiled at the Orthodox Church. Advertisement Last February, St. Luke Chapel was given permission to take the name St. John Kochurov Chapel, according to the Rev. Andrew Harrison. Their goal is to eventually become a parish and mission and officially take his name. Until now, no church, chapel or mission effort in the Chicago area had been named after Kochurov, Smith said. But Kochurov had strong connections to the region. St. John was a priest for the Church of Three Hierarchs, an Orthodox Church in Streator, a little more than 60 miles southwest of Joliet. He also helped commission Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral on Chicago's North Side through money from Russian Tsar Nicholas II, according to Harrison. The Cathedral, built by architect Louis Sullivan, is now considered a historical landmark. Kochurov had returned to Russia by the time of the Russian Revolution. "After the Revolution broke out, the Bolsheviks were invading the area and asked to him to go with them, but he said he wanted to stay and help people," Harrison said. "He had a procession in the town to try to bring peace, and was taken to the police station, where he was accused of praying for the Tsar and against the Bolsheviks and was accused of treason." Then, he was taken to the airport and shot. He was 47 years old when he died, and was made a saint in 1994. St. John wore a gold cross around his neck, but when his body was found, the cross was gone and never recovered. He is pictured wearing the cross in the icon. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Additionally, the icon's lettering is done in red, white and blue to symbolize that he is an American saint, although he never officially became an American citizen, Harrison said. Advertisement An observance of the 100th anniversary of Kochurov's death is planned for October. "There will be bishops and maybe visitors from Russia. It will be a big, big, big thing," Harrison said. In the meantime, Harrison, along with other members of the parish, will be taking the icon to Streator to bless graves of deceased members of the Church of Three Hierarchs. "The Streator parish never lasted, it eventually collapsed, so there is no (Orthodox) church in Streator anymore," said Smith. "However, the people who worshiped there are buried there, so there's been no presence in Streator for a number of years, so we decided to take the icon to the cemetery where they're buried and bless the graves there, and return to another one of his missionary efforts in Chicago." St. Luke Chapel will continue to display the icon, which is available for anyone to visit. "The icon is in the church for anyone to see. Orthodox have a practice of venerating icons, so we kiss them, and that is there for anyone to pay homage to him," Harrison said. Lincoln-Way High School District 210 hired an independent inspector general to investigate complaints of fraud or financial mismanagement. James Sullivan, of the Naperville-based accounting firm Sikich, LLC, who has been an inspector general for the Chicago Public School system for 12 years, will work on an as-needed basis for $225 per hour, capped at $5,000 per month, according to the two-year contract. Advertisement The board unanimously approved his contract at its July 20 meeting. Superintendent Scott Tingley said he "has absolutely no idea" how much this will cost the district, but they will monitor it. The position was recommended by auditors as an "extra layer of fraud prevention," he said. Advertisement "Whatever we spend, will be well worth it if it continues to improve our practices," Tingley said. Once Sullivan's bill reaches $5,000, he will inform the board liaisons the board's vice president and secretary. "It's an arbitrary number. If you hit that number, someone should know. It doesn't inhibit your ability to do the job. You don't stop working at $5,000," said board president Joe Kirkeeng. Sullivan recommended the district establish a fraud hotline to allow people to file complaints anonymously, if they choose, which could cost about $1,500 and handle about 35 complaints per month. "I don't know details of all the things that happened here, or what might happen or the nature of people who might make complaints," Sullivan said. Officials decided that internal financial controls needed to be tightened after it was learned that the previous superintendent made budget transfers and expenditures without the knowledge of the board. The district has been on the state's Financial Watch List for three consecutive years, following a pattern of deficit spending over the last several years. School officials have been trying to right the ship and fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, showed a $3.1 million surplus in the operating fund. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Sullivan said complaints will not warrant further investigation if: Advertisement The complaint doesn't constitute waste, fraud, or financial mismanagement. The complaint is so minor as to not warrant an investigation. The complaint is contradictory or presented in way that is not credible. "I have seen tens of thousands of complaints. I know what is legitimate," Sullivan said. slafferty@tribpub.com Twitter @SusanLaff It was supposed to be another perilously routine flight. The unarmed C-47 would unload supplies on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines, pick up two wounded soldiers, a doctor and a nurse, and with a full load of fuel, make the 2,000-mile journey to the safe haven of Port Moresby, New Guinea. Advertisement But this was 1945, and shelter from the storm of World War II in the Pacific was often a dying wish. For the four-man crew of the airplane, the one area to avoid was the Japanese-held air base of Rabaul, about 500 miles northeast of Port Moresby. Those Mitsubishi Zero fighter planes with a flying range of more than 1,500 miles were a deadly enemy. And so it happened that two Zeros attacked the C-47 and shot it down. The pilot did his best, skimming over the water at low altitude before making a neat belly-flop landing. They had to get out of the plane in 6 minutes before it submerged. Each of the two life rafts could hold three men. The pilot and co-pilot were in separate rafts, as were the two casualties and the medical personnel. Advertisement The navigator and the radio operator were not considered essential. Each clung to the side of the raft for more than six hours before they were rescued. Everyone lived to tell their tales. Now, 72 years later, radio operator Mark Greenburg, of Richton Park, still narrates his story as he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday next month. To this day, he has a distaste for most forms of water. Although he will not turn 100 until Aug. 28, nearly 40 members of the Greenburg family will honor him on Aug. 5 in a special celebration at a Rockdale restaurant. It is a celebration of convenience, he says, noting that it is one of the few times in the year the family can come together. Greenburg lives with his daughter Gayle Weil and her husband, Norman. What Greenburg cannot recall, his personal journal a spiral notebook jogs his memory. Born in the now defunct Englewood Hospital on Chicago's South Side, Greenburg was, by his own admission, a difficult child living in a grim world. By the time he was 11, his mother was dead and his father, Greenburg writes, "didn't know where to put me." A "children's home" was not the answer, he added. "I tore up the place." He ended up with his father's parents on the city's West Side. At 16, he left Marshall High School during the depths of the depression. He found work in family businesses and for a time was a bill collector. Greenburg was introduced to his future wife, Mary Schrager, by her brother on New Year's Day 1942, after which Greenburg told him, "My dream is to marry her." It would be a dream deferred. The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 changed the world. Greenburg was drafted and trained as a radio operator for the Army Air Corps thanks in part to his on-the-job training for an electronics firm. Greenburg was in 81 combat missions while with the 375th Troop Carrier Group of the Fifth Air Force. Among his medals attesting to his service is the Soldier's Medal he received for saving the life of a pilot whose plane crashed on takeoff. The plane exploded, and the cockpit dropped to the ground. "The pilot was unconscious when I ran and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him out," Greenburg said. "I didn't even think about it. What else are you going to do?" Advertisement Greenburg came home, married Mary. They raised two daughters, Gayle (Weil) and Leslie (Finkelstein). If you ask him for his secret to living a long life, he will tell you that he never stopped working. "I always had a job to go to," he says. "I need to have something to do." He worked as an ice cream salesman, a diaper service driver and for an electronics rebuilding firm. When Greenburg and his wife moved to Florida, he found part-time work selling roses at a flea market and stocking magazines on grocery shelves. In 1979, he began working at a Wal-Mart in Florida. After Mary died in 1997, he moved to Richton Park but still put in 35 hours a week at another Wal-Mart before retiring three years ago. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Life gets to be much simpler by the time one gets to be 100, he says. Breakfast is always corn flakes and a cup of cocoa. Lunch is always a slice of Swiss cheese and two slices of kosher salami. He eats what the Weils have for dinner but never, ever anything green. Advertisement As for the future, Greenburg writes in his journal that he'll take what's there. "I really believe there is a hereafter but who knows when my time comes. At least I have something to look forward to." It is an echo of the same question he used to describe his rescue of the airman. "What else are you going to do?" Jerry Shnay is a freelance journalist. jerryshnay@gmail.com. It's very interesting that President Donald Trump recently complained in an interview about his Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His complaint was that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. A day or so after that interview, there is a damaging intelligence leak about Sessions. One must wonder if these leaks are intentional and coming from Trump, himself. Trump has been known to leak stuff for years in an effort to manipulate the public to achieve his desired outcome. If the guy is not guilty of any crime, treason, or collusion, why is he so determined to end this investigation into Russia. He's already talking about pardons. We all should be very concerned. It seems as if people want politicians on the "up and up" these days, even though corruption has been an inevitable and occasionally necessary aspect of government since before the Romans. There have been corrupt monarchies, corrupt dictatorships, corrupt popes, and corrupt citizens of all kinds for many years. I'm sure that even the cavemen were corrupt in some way, shape, or form. So, I think that people need to stop being so self-righteous in their extreme criticisms of our politicians these days. They're not doing anything that hasn't been done before. Corruption is a necessary evil, a fact of life, and something that can never be fully eliminated. It can only be monitored and tolerated. Advertisement Oak Forest I am confused. How could there possibly be an obesity and a hunger problem at the same time? Advertisement J.K. So, President Donald Trump is exploring the possibility of pardoning himself and his cronies. A pardon is "being absolved from the consequences of a fault or crime" (Webster). Therefore, Trump appears to admit that he and his cronies are criminals or, at least, have committed criminal acts. And that is making America great again? Gerry, Tinley Park What's Speak Out? Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 120 words and give your first name and your hometown. A Flight for Life helicopter landed in the parking lot for the Dundee Township Park Districts Dolphin Cove Family Aquatic Center midday Monday to take a man who was injured in car crash to an area hospital. (Handout / Carpentersville Police) A collision in Carpentersville involving a truck hauling asphalt and a car led to a man being taken by a Flight for Life helicopter to an area hospital midday Monday. According to Police Chief Mike Kilbourne, the crash happened before 11:30 a.m. Both vehicles were heading south on Route 25 and approaching the intersection of Route 68 when the car rear-ended the truck, Kilbourne said. Advertisement The driver of the truck was not injured, Kilbourne said, but the male driver of the car was taken by helicopter to an area hospital for treatment of what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. Kilbourne said he did not know to which hospital was treating the man. A Flight for Life helicopter flew to and from the parking lot of the Dundee Township Park District Family Aquatic Center midday Monday to pick up an accident victim to take him to an area hospital. (Handout / Carpentersville Police) Along with the Carpentersville Police and Fire Departments, the East Dundee, West Dundee Fire Departments and the East Dundee Police Department assisted on the call. Kilbourne said all the departments worked well together on extricating the man from the car and on getting him to the Flight for Life staging area. Advertisement Kilbourne also thanked staff at the Dundee Township Park District's Dolphin Cove Family Aquatic Center who helped quickly clear the parking of that facility, which is close to the scene of the crash, where the helicopter landed to pick up the man. The intersection was cleared by 1:15 p.m., Kilbourne said, and the crash remains under investigation. mdanahey@tribpub.com What to expect next in the Frisch vs. Boebert CD-3 race Final results in the race won't be known until Friday, Nov. 18, after clerks in all 27 counties upload final counts. So what happens between now and then? By John Niggl, Client Manager for InTouch Manufacturing Services This is Part 2 of a two-part article about quality control inspections in China. In Part 1, we discussed how corruption typically appears in the quality control process, and some specific problems it may cause. Confronting the possibility of integrity risks during your products quality control (QC) inspection process in China can be a challenge, especially when doing so from halfway around the world. But there are some actionable steps you and your QC partner can take now that will help you to minimize your risk. Offer competitive pay to inspection staff Lets say you hire two inspectors in Chinas Guangdong province to inspect an order of furniture at your suppliers factory there. You agree to pay the first inspector the local minimum wage. You pay the second inspector, with similar experience, 20 percent more. Assuming all other factors are equal, which of the two inspectors would you trust more to conduct a satisfactory inspection? Which inspector do you think would be a higher integrity risk? If youre like most importers, youd probably say the first inspector would be the risky one. And it makes sense. Competitive compensation helps to promote loyalty and job satisfaction among employees in almost any field. The quality control industry is no different. Paying your staff as much as or more than the market rate for inspectors at their experience level will help you limit your risk of integrity issues. Ask integrity-focused questions during the interview process Preventing corruption and extortion in your inspections starts with checking it at the source the values and experiences of the people you hire. Identifying integrity risk with inspection staff requires you to screen potential hires during the interview process to look for particular vulnerabilities. A few questions that can help you spot potential problems include: What types of rewards or gratuities do you think could be inappropriate to accept from factory staff? Has someone, other than an employer, ever offered you a reward in exchange for a certain result on the job? If so, how did you react? What procedures do you, or did your previous employer, have in place to handle corruption during the inspection process? Ask open-ended questions. And if you are not getting the specific responses you expect, try explaining a particular scenario of potential corruption and asking them to comment on how they would react. Similar questions apply to any third-party inspection company you are considering working with. In fact, you should expect very specific responses from this kind of company, since they likely will have considered integrity issues before. RELATED: Why Ford Chose China Over Mexico Prevent integrity issues with training, documentation, and policy One of the main factors that makes an inspector vulnerable to corruption is a lack of procedures to handle integrity breaches. Inspectors need to be educated on how to identify bribery and other more subtle attempts at corruption. It should be standard practice to notify the customer, by way of the inspector directly or their supervisor, whenever factory management or staff have made any such attempt. Many established QC companies also require inspectors to submit written documentation signed by a representative at their suppliers facility and attesting to any gifts, meals, or other favors provided. Sometimes there is a reasonable explanation for why staff at the factory drove your inspector to the nearby bus terminal, for example. Having this document in place ensures greater transparency and accountability between your supplier and inspection staff. A clear code of ethics is also an important element to relay policy and expectations for conduct to your inspectors. You probably cannot always be present for every inspection to police your staff. But clearly outlining your policies in a code of ethics, or similar document written in their local language, helps your inspectors know right from wrong. Audit your inspectors to verify their conduct If internal affairs can work for law enforcement, it can work for your QC team. Schedule regular, randomized audits of inspectors in the field. For obvious reasons, you will probably get more reliable results if your inspectors do not know they are being watched and evaluated. But even when they are aware, regular auditing can still help you prevent integrity issues and other misconduct. RELATED: Legal and Due Diligence Services from Dezan Shira & Associates Rotate inspectors to prevent overly familiar relationships with factory staff Do you think if your inspector spends Monday through Friday working with the same people at the same factory for 10 weeks, they might form relationships that could compromise your inspectors judgement? It is easy to see how an inspector might sympathize with friends they have made at a factory and, in turn, submit more lenient and inaccurate reports to you, the customer. The more time a given inspector spends around the same factory staff, the more likely they are to be influenced by them. That is why familiarity with workers at a particular facility is a risk factor for integrity problems. Rotating inspectors is a common practice to limit this risk. Third-party inspection companies typically have multiple staff with similar expertise available in each service area. This allows them to rotate inspectors regularly and prevent inappropriate closeness with factory staff. If you are hiring individual contractors for ongoing inspections at a single facility, consider alternating between multiple staff to limit your risk. Limit your risk If inspector integrity is not one or your concerns when it comes to the quality of your products, it should be. Many importers, both novice and experienced, have been burned by corruption and extortion in their QC processes. Consequences ranging from substandard goods and shipping delays to failure to comply with retailer standards and even litigation have occurred. But follow these steps designed to limit your risk of integrity issues and you can protect yourself, your customers, and your business. This is Part 2 of a two-part article about QC inspections in China. In Part 1, we discussed how corruption typically appears in the QC process, and some specific problems it may cause. About Us Founded in 2008, InTouch Manufacturing Services is an American-owned, third-party QC firm headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Specializing in product inspections, factory audits, lab testing and product sourcing, InTouch operates widely in China, India, Vietnam and throughout much of Asia. With emphasis on high integrity and personalized attention from a dedicated bilingual point of contact, InTouch primarily serves importers from North America, the EU and Australia. China Briefing is published by Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, including ASEAN, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road, and Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here, and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here. Dezan Shira & Associates is a full service practice in China, providing business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax, IT, HR, payroll, and advisory services throughout the China and Asian region. For assistance with China business issues or investments into China, please contact us at china@dezshira.com or visit us at www.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 China 2017 This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting. Payroll Processing in China: Challenges and Solutions In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we lay out the challenges presented by Chinas payroll landscape, including its peculiar Dang An and Hu Kou systems. We then explore how companies of all sizes are leveraging IT-enabled solutions to meet their HR and payroll needs, and why outsourcing payroll is the answer for certain company structures. Finally, we consider the potential for China to emerge as Asias premier payroll processing center. Dezan Shira & Associates Beijing police have arrested nine suspects in a cross-border internet browser hijacking case. Malware called "Fireball" was developed by a company located in Beijing's Haidian district to hijack browsers and profit from commissions on internet advertising by redirecting traffic, according to the Haidian sub-bureau of the municipal Public Security Bureau on Monday. The company gained 80 million yuan (US$12 million) last year from the malware, which was bundled with legitimate software provided to users, the sub-bureau said. The suspects are charged with the crime of sabotaging a computer system, it said. The malware mainly targeted overseas users. Zhao Leiluo, deputy head of the sub-bureau, said the company was set up in 2015 and registered in Haidian district. The malware targeted the overseas users in an attempt to avoid supervision in China, he said. The crime should be punished regardless of borders, Zhao said, adding that the enforcement action demonstrates the determination of police to curtail the practice. Wang Jingjun, deputy head of the internet security division of the sub-bureau, said the suspects confessed to the crime. The malware they developed was first detected by an overseas computer lab. Beijing Huorong Network Technology Co reported the malware to the police and assisted them in obtaining key evidence after it was discovered by security company Check Point Software Technologies based in San Carlos, California, near Silicon Valley. According to Check Point, more than 250 million computers worldwide have been infected by Fireball. More than 140 suspects involved in internet hijacking have been busted since March. Around 130 cases of criminal cyberattacks were stopped in the same period, the authorities said. Guest speakers carry out a conversation at the plenary session of the 2017 BRICS Youth Forum in Beijing on July 25. [Photo by Zhang Jiaqi/China.org.cn] The 2017 BRICS Youth Forum themed "Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development" kicked off in Beijing on July 25. A total of 50 young delegates including politicians, experts, business leaders and students from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) attended the three-day event hosted by the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF). Wang Hongyan, the vice president of ACYF, extended a warm welcome to the youth delegates from the BRICS countries at the opening ceremony. She called for expanding consensus, promoting innovation and increasing cooperation among the youth delegates of the BRICS countries so that the world can better hear the voice of the youth. "The 2017 forum will continue to serve as a platform for the youth of the BRICS countries to facilitate communication and promote pragmatic cooperation," she said. Huang Yiyang, counselor of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the significance of the youth exchange mechanism of the BRICS countries. "The youth exchange mechanism of the BRICS countries is brand new, which will enrich the connotations of BRICS exchanges and communication. The BRICS countries should work together to construct a more open world economy, strengthen cultural exchanges and promote effective mechanisms among the BRICS countries," Huang said. Sergio Suchodolski, director general of the Department of Strategy and Partnerships in the New Development Bank (NDB), spoke of the role of the youth in instituting new mechanisms. According to Suchodolski, the NDB will focus on hiring young and qualified professionals able to bring new ideas and challenge the status quo. During the plenary session, Wu Zhicheng from the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University delivered a keynote speech on the Belt and Road Initiative and youth development in the BRICS countries. Wu emphasized the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative in promoting the construction and development of the BRICS countries, and listed possible challenges ahead. He suggested the youth of the BRICS countries take the initiative to contribute to the construction of the cultural exchange mechanism among the BRICS countries, and actively participate in the communication and exchange activities. Over the coming two days, youth delegates will discuss three topics: key points and characteristics of BRICS youth policy, BRICS youth innovation and entrepreneurship, and BRICS youth participation in global governance. An action plan will also be worked on for the 2017 BRICS Youth Forum. Further to group talks, the youth delegates will also visit a popular Chinese bike-sharing company, attend cultural activities, and visit the Great Wall and the Olympic Green. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to push forward military reform with the support of the entire nation and the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks Monday afternoon at a group study attended by members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The group study focused on reform of the military in size, structure, and formation. Carried out in a bold and resolute way, national defense and military reform has taken historic steps and achieved historic breakthroughs and achievements in major fields, pumping great power into building a strong army, Xi said. The reform mainly includes optimizing the country's military size, structure, and formation, and solving structural contradictions that hinder the development of national defense and the armed forces, he said. As the reform deepens, China will have a smaller army with better combat capability and optimized structure, the president said. "Quantity should be reduced and quality improved to build a capable and efficient army, and labor intensity should become S&T-oriented," Xi said, adding that China is developing a joint operation force system with an elite force at its core. He reiterated that reform on national defense and armed forces is an overall and revolutionary change, with unprecedented strength, depth and breadth. "We should be resolute, confident, brave and vigorous to achieve victory in such reform," he said, calling for close following of decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC. Xi said that the reform should take the correct direction, inspections should be strengthened, and various reform measures should be put into practice. He said that the adjustment and reform of policies and systems will directly influence the vital interests of officers and soldiers, the army's morale, the military's vitality as well as the reform's overall performance. Military authorities should intensify relevant research, map out systematic and proactive reform plans, and enhance the "sense of gain" among officers and soldiers, Xi said. Xi also stressed consolidation and spread of theoretical, practical and institutional achievements acquired through the national defense and military reform. Reports say that two 14-year-old orphans from Liangshan had been adopted by the owner of a fight club in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu, for the sole purpose of becoming cage fighters. [Screenshot: qq.com] Education authorities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, have dispatched a team to try to recover orphans who have allegedly been adopted into a human 'cockfighting' ring, reports thepaper.cn. This follows reports that two 14-year-old orphans from Liangshan had been adopted by the owner of a fight club in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu, for the sole purpose of becoming cage fighters. Video has reportedly surfaced showing the teenagers fighting each other in an iron cage while surrounded by people yelling and taking pictures. Local police in Chengdu have reportedly launched an investigation as well. Officials with the Education Bureau in Butuo County, Liangshan, say the two teenagers will be returned to their boarding school if it's proven they've been adopted for the sole purpose of becoming fighters. Local authorities in Liangshan have also ordered investigations to determine if others may have been adopted from the city by the same owner of the 'fight club.' The man who adopted the teenagers is reportedly a military veteran who has taken in around 400 children since 2000. The man who is in charge of the club responded that the previous reports of the club displayed incomplete information. You are here: Home China on Tuesday urged the United States to stop "unsafe, unprofessional, unfriendly" actions after a close encounter between Chinese and U.S. military planes over the East China Sea. A U.S. reconnaissance plane flew over the East China Sea on July 23, and the Chinese pilots' actions were legal, necessary and professional, said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense. "The close-in reconnaissance of the U.S. aircraft threatened China's national security, damaged the military safety between two countries and put the pilots of both countries in danger. This is a source of danger for China-U.S. military safety," Ren said. Ren stressed that the United States should immediately stop these kinds of dangerous military actions, calling them unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly. The United States should take positive action for the development between two countries' armies, Ren said. The United States claimed on July 24 that two Chinese J-10 fighters unsafely intercepted a U.S. EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft, with the closest distance between the two countries' jets just 91 meters. You are here: Home Papers written by Chinese academics account for 23 percent of the world's total, according to figures released at a Chinese computer summit Tuesday. Over 100 academics and entrepreneurs gathered to exchange views on undergraduate computer science education at the Future Computer Education Summit 2017, held by China Computer Federation (CCF). Due to the country's investment and individuals' passions for computer research and development, the number of papers written by Chinese academics has increased greatly from just 2 percent on the world total in 1997, according to the CCF. "Despite the increase, China's undergraduate computer science education still lags behind top-ranking international colleges," said Gao Wen, chairman of the CCF. Zhou Aoying, vice president of East China Normal University suggested at the summit that colleges and universities should increase the numbers of computer science teachers, and cooperate with companies to develop more talent. Flash The members of the Security Council on Monday expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims in the terrorist attack that took place in Lahore, Pakistan. According to a statement, the members of the Security Council "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack that took place in Lahore, Pakistan on July 24, 2017, which resulted in more than 80 people killed or injured, for which the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPP) has claimed responsibility." They wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured, the statement said. "The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," it said. They underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all countries, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Pakistani government and all other relevant authorities in this regard, it said. At least 26 people were killed and 49 others injured as a suicide bomb blast hit the downtown area of Pakistan's eastern city Lahore Monday afternoon, officials said. Khawaja Salman Rafique, health minister of Punjab province in the east of the country, said that so far 26 people, including nine policemen, have lost their lives in the blast while 49 others are under treatment at three different hospitals in the city. The death toll might further rise as at least 15 of the injured are still in critical condition, hospital sources said. Flash Up to 143 insurgence, including nine commanders, have been killed and 17 others wounded during the Afghan army airstrikes in the northern Faryab province, said a statement released by the Afghan Army on Tuesday. The security forces launched airstrikes on Taliban positions in Khairabad, Qudughak, Qarugh, lash, Chashma-e-Sangin areas of Kohistanat district, as well as in the neighboring Qaisar and Shirin Tagab districts Monday night, killing 143 insurgents and injuring 17 others, the statement said. Kohistanat district was captured by Taliban militants on Sunday and since then the government forces have been fighting to regain control. Some of Taliban's commanders, including Mullah Abdul Rahim, Mullah Yosuf, Zabehullah, Mullah Salam and Sayed Ismail, are among those killed in the air raids, the statement noted without providing information on possible casualties of security forces. Militants loyal to the Taliban outfit have not commented. Taliban militants who have intensified activities since late April and have captured at least three districts over the past week. Flash Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was grilled for a second day by opposition party lawmakers in parliament on Tuesday over allegations he used his influence to manipulate the selection of a new veterinary department to be opened in a special deregulated zone. The second day of questioning took place in the House of Councillors as a special ad hoc session aimed at opposition party members further probing the prime minister's alleged knowledge that in exerting his influence to ensure Kake Educational Institution secure permission to open the vet school, he would be helping a personal friend. Kotaro Kake is a long-time friend of Abe's who runs Kake Educational Institution. The pair were pictured in a lower house session a day earlier in an enlarged photograph holding up glasses of wine together while looking at the camera. Abe on Tuesday was grilled as to exactly when he learned Kake was submitting an application to open a veterinary school, with Democratic Party President Renho, who goes by her first name, pointing out that the prime minister had contradicted himself in terms of dates, compared to his prior statements. Abe said that in his position as the chair of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones, he first learned that Kake Educational Institution had been selected when the council signed off on the institution. "I must apologize for mixing up the date when I first learned Kake was applying and when I learned the city was applying. But what I've said is the truth," the prime minister maintained. Renho went on to address broader cases of memory loss within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), claiming that sudden cases of amnesia when it comes to accounting for issues that need to be resolved are only adding to the public's mistrust of the LDP. "People are having doubts because some inside your administration lose their memories and records and keep their mouths shut. If someone outside the administration speaks out, they bash them. And people in the administration constantly rewrite previous statements saying they never said them," Renho was quoted as saying. The prime minister, amid tumbling public support, has also been grilled over his responsibility for selecting Tomomi Inada as the defense minister. She is currently embroiled in a scandal involving the alleged cover-up of logs containing the activities of Japanese troops in what was a potentially controversial UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. Abe had been looking at becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister by winning a third three-year term when his current tenure ends in September 2018. However, with intensifying wrangling within the LDP's factions caused by the party's woeful election performances and high-profile scandals recently, this goal has become severely blurred, political watches have said. The first stop for natural gas from Myanmar to enter China's Yunnan province. YANG ZHENG / FOR CHINA DAILY US-sourced liquefied natural gas pours in as China reaches for blue skies, diverse supplies China significantly ramped up imports of liquefied natural gas in the first half of the year, as part of broader efforts to clean up its coal-dominated energy mix. LNG channeled into the country totaled 15.89 million metric tons in the Jan-June period, a 38.3 percent increase year-on-year, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Sunday. The growth rate, which was much higher than the 21.2 percent year-on-year increase for the same period last year, was boosted by the easing of barriers for LNG from the United States to enter the Chinese market, an analyst said. "China is unlikely to sign long-term LNG contracts with the US soon, but it is already importing American gas from the spot market," said Wang Lu, an Asia-Pacific oil and gas analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "Still, the US is already China's fifth-largest LNG supplier this year, accounting for 3.3 percent of imports in the first five months of 2017," Wang added The country imported 400,000 tons of US gas in the first five months, in sharp contrast to zero imports a year ago, Vice-Premier Wang Yang said last Tuesday during his visit to the United States. According to Wang Lu, the world's biggest energy consumer probably had the greatest increase globally in LNG imports in the first half of 2017, and might also see its natural gas imports continue to rise in the second half. "Private companies such as Guanghui Energy and ENN Group have joined State-owned CNOOC Group, PetroChina and Sinopec in China's LNG receiving terminals business, increasing the channels for spot US LNG imports," he said. The country's appetite for natural gas continues to rise as the government eyes more clean fuel to help gradually replace dirtier coal as a main source of energy. Coal consumption accounted for 59.8 percent of China's overall energy use in the first six months of 2017. China plans to increase its percentage of gas in primary energy consumption to a range of 8.3 to 10 percent in 2020, from 5.9 percent in 2015. To achieve the target, China will rely more on gas imports, Wang said. To further boost the clean fuel's share in the country's energy mix, measures have been taken to encourage imports and exploit domestic shale gas reserves. China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, the world's biggest refiner, also pledged to double its annual natural gas output by 2020 to reach 40 billion cubic meters. The company's Fuling shale gas field, the nation's first commercial shale gas production facility which was launched in 2014, will reach annual output of more than 10 billion cubic meters by the end of this year, it said. Wang said he believed the Fuling project, a key role in achieving China's goal of producing 80 to 100 billion cu m in 2030, will see its shale gas production contribute around 4 to 5 percent of China's total gas consumption by 2020. China has also committed to expanding its gas pipeline networks, with natural gas pipelines reaching 123,000 kilometers by 2025, when all Chinese cities with more than half a million residents each will have access to natural gas consumption, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. The country's natural gas pipeline network in 2015 reached 64,000 kilometers, and was expected to reach 163,000 kilometers by 2025, a 9.8 percent annual increase, the commission said According to the Chinese government's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for natural gas, it will raise the proportion of natural gas in the energy consumption mix to around 10 percent by 2020, from around 5.9 percent in 2015. Natural gas imports will play an increasingly important role in the country's energy mix, it said. DHAKA - The first-ever China-Bangladesh Investment Forum, organized by Euromoney Institutional Investor, one of the leading financial publications in the world, will be held in Beijing on Aug 21. The City Bank Limited, a leading Bangladeshi bank, and Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh are the lead sponsors of the forum, which is expected to bring together some 300 attendees comprising Bangladeshi Finance Minister AMA Muhith, government representatives, multilateral financiers, portfolio managers, global asset managers, institution investors and representatives from private bands. Organizers say the forum will focus on investment and bilateral trade opportunities between China and Bangladesh and the growing opportunities resulting from China's Belt and Road Initiative. This forum will also provide platform for discussions on many important topics, such as infrastructure, foreign direct investment (FDI), financial and capital markets and more. The participants will have a valuable chance to learn more about the business environment in Bangladesh and the potential areas for cooperation. Abrar A. Anwar, chief executive officer of Standard Chartered bank Bangladesh, told Xinhua that as the oldest financial institution in Bangladesh with a heritable of 112 years, Standard Chartered is keenly aware of the enormous potential of the Bangladesh economy. "There are lot of investment opportunities coming out in Bangladesh. And in Asia and also in the globe, China is a major economy so we believe that there will be private sector (in China) looking at opportunity outside China," he said. "And Bangladesh gives lots of opportunities for investors. So this forum in Beijing we are hosting along with the City Bank, one of the local bank, as well as supported by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority to talk about potentials of Bangladesh, issues of investing here, how this can be mitigated and how an investor can come here and which are the potential sectors." "So It will give a good platform in Beijing for people from here, regulators from here, policy makers from here and also from that side ....to come and discuss and find a common ground for accelerating trade and invest in Bangladesh." Li Guangjun, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, said, "I think this is a very good opportunity for publicizing Bangladesh." After the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2016, more and more Chinese are visiting Bangladesh, he said. Bangladesh and China signed 28 deals during Xi's trip. Li said Bangladesh can attract more Chinese investment by offering more incentives and removing investment procedural bottlenecks like transparency and customs. "Chinese-Bangladesh business cooperation is in the right time. We have very good opportunity to deepen economic and trade relationship. Both China and Bangladesh are now striving for the national dreams - the Chinese dream and golden Bangladesh dream," he said. "We do see complementarity of economic cooperation. We already see the cooperation being enhanced during the last few years. More Chinese investments are coming to Bangladesh." According to the Chinese diplomat, the Chinese market is enormous and as one of the largest FDI countries in the world, China hopes to see more investment in Bangladesh. "We hope that Bangladesh could make use of the forum as a good opportunity to promote the country image of Bangladesh to attract more Chinese investors." Echoing a similar view, Lin Weiqiang, president of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh, said private sector businesses from both sides have been pursuing to accelerate trade and investment. He said the forum will pave the way for further bolstering Bangladesh-China business relationship among private sector business. "Investment largely came from private sector. Here you see the presence of many Chinese businessmen who represent big companies." Sohail RK Hussain, managing director and CEO of City Bank, said with increasing economic cooperation with China Bangladesh can truly benefit from the opportunities arising out of the Belt and Road Initiative. Bilateral trade between China and Bangladesh last year was about $15 billion, out of which Bangladesh exported products worth about $1 billion. China has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing sources of FDI into Bangladesh, which is in dire need for developing many mega infrastructure projects. In a major development, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority signed an MoU with China in April, opening the doors for a $2 billion investment in the construction materials sector. Investors sit in front of an electronic stock board at a securities brokerage in Shanghai, June 9, 2017. [Photo/VCG] China's securities regulator is set to speed up the reform of registration-based IPO system, enhancing the proportion of direct financing, China Business News reported. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) will speed up the establishment of basic systems, in a bid to guard against financial risks during the second half this year, Li Huiyong, chief macroeconomic analyst of SWS Securities, told the newspaper. At the recently held National Financial Work Conference, President Xi Jinping urged the financial sector to better serve the real economy. Serving the real economy is the duty and purpose of the financial sector and the fundamental way to guard against financial risks, Xi said. Developing direct financing will be prioritized while indirect financing structure should be optimized by accelerating strategic transformation of State-owned major banks and developing small and medium-sized banks and private financial institutions, according to the conference. Li said emphasis on direct financing in the financial conference indicates that it's an urgent task to satisfy financing needs, adding that the reform of share issuance system will speed up in the second half of the year. Direct financing, including issuing shares or bonds, links borrowers and investors directly. Developing direct financing could help more enterprises obtain funds to develop business, research and innovation, meanwhile reduce financing cost, Li said. Compared with indirect financing, which means borrowing money from a financial intermediary, such as a bank or insurer, the proportion of direct financing is still low in China. According to statistics from the newspaper, the amount of direct financing reached 1.3 trillion yuan in the first six months, including 116.65 billion yuan IPO financing and 62.7 billion yuan financing from China's National Equities Exchange and Quotation, also known as the "new third board", China's new exchange for non-listed small and medium-sized companies. One of the biggest concerns in direct financing is the stock market, while the two challenges of the stock market are listing and delisting, the newspaper said. In December 2015, the country's top legislature authorized the State Council to roll out the new IPO mechanism before completing the amendment of the Securities Law. Under the current approval-based IPO system, companies must endure a stringent application process to receive approval from the regulator. In contrast, under a registration-based system, which is widely adopted in developed economies, companies and investors decide the scale, valuation and timing of new share offerings. Reform measures to introduce a registration-based IPO system have yet to be released, however, according to regulatory moves in the first six months, market conditions of putting in place a registration-based IPO system is improving, the newspaper added. Li said that in order to enhance the allocation efficiency of the capital market, the regulator should offer more convenient way for listed companies, as well as strict rules for delisting. A woman walks past a Louis Vuitton advertisement in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province. CHEN HAO / FOR CHINA DAILY Global luxury giant LVMH is embracing the digital age in China by providing online shopping services for its core brand Louis Vuitton. Starting from July 20, consumers can shop on Louis Vuitton's official Chinese website for all the products in the latest season, including handbags, shoes, ready-to-wear clothing, jewelry, accessories and fragrances. The online service has initially been made available in 12 major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Not all the products can be delivered, with some requiring consumers to pick them up at stores. There is no price difference between goods offered at bricks-and-mortar stores and the online platform. UnionPay and Alibaba Group's Alipay are accepted, while Tencent Holdings' WeChat payment is not supported yet. This is the 11th e-commerce platform that Louis Vuitton has rolled out since the first in France in 2005. Industry insiders said that the online channel will offset the brand's closure of eight bricks-andmortar stores in second and third-tier Chinese cities since last year. LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault said earlier that online shopping services are "very demanded by the client", saying that digital capabilities are an essential component of the elite experience of buying luxury goods. With a market capitalization in excess of 100 billion euros ($117 billion), LVMH has been quite active with its digitalization. It hired Ian Rogers, a former executive at Apple Music, to be the group's digital officer in September 2015. The group's e-commerce platform 24Sevres became operational in June. Chris Morton, chief executive officer of online luxury retailer Lyst, in which Arnault's family has also invested, said that luxury brands will face the risk of being eliminated if they continue to ignore consumers' needs and overlook digitalization. Globally, digital sales of luxury goods increased by almost 12 percent in 2016, outpacing all other retail channels, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. Sales of luxury products are set to increase by an additional 50 percent in real terms over the next five years, accounting for almost 10 percent of all luxury sales. As the world's largest e-marketplace, the transaction volume of China's e-commerce market rose 25.6 percent to total 20.5 trillion yuan ($3 trillion) in 2016, according to market consulting firm iResearch. Just two weeks ahead of Louis Vuitton's move, Gucci started the online shopping service on its official website in China, and Prada is expected to roll out the same service in the third quarter. Christian Dior started to sell handbags on its official WeChat account last August. Burberry launched its store on Alibaba's major online marketplace Tmall three years ago. According to the group's fiscal report for the first quarter ending June 30, income from e-commerce has increased by 40 percent year-on-year, and that result in China has more than doubled. Investors look at computer screens showing stock information at a brokerage in Shanghai, August 13, 2015.[Photo/Agencies] International asset managers said they were dynamically rebalancing their portfolios to invest in Chinese mainland's A-shares after the recent MSCI inclusion, with investment capital expected to pour into the world's second biggest equity market by capitalizationcurrently valued at $7 trillion to $8 trillion. Hong Kong-listed exchange traded fund CSOP FTSE China A50 ETF, tracking the performance of the FTSE China A50 Index, recorded a massive increase in average daily turnover after the A-share inclusion in the MSCI indices on June 20. As of July 19, the average daily turnover of the ETF in July had soared 75 percent to HK$571.6 million ($73.2 million), compared with average turnover of HK$326.4 million in May. According to data from its mainland fund manager, CSOP Asset Management, the ETF has had about 1.6 billion yuan ($235.3 million) of net inflows since the MSCI announcement. Global equity indexes provider Morgan Stanley Capital International announced on June 20 that it would include 222 A-share large market cap stocks in its MSCI Emerging Markets Index and MSCI China Index, representing 0.73 percent and 2.5 percent of the two indices respectively. The included 222 A-shares are accessible via the mainland's two direct equity market trading links with Hong Kong and will not be subject to the qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) quota. The inclusion will take place in two phases during May to August next year. "MSCI's decision shows that foreign investors prefer blue chips with good quality, stable earnings growth and comparatively low risk," CSOP Asset Management's Chief ETF Strategist Alvin Li told China Daily. "Following the MSCI inclusion, it will push up the value of large caps," he added. The FTSE China A50 Index comprises the top 50 A-shares by market capitalization listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses. With a forward price-earnings ratio of around 10 times and earnings growth picking up, the index is poised to gain, analysts maintain. Besides passive index fund investing, the MSCI inclusion also creates new investment horizons for active fund managers, sparking institutional investors' interest to study A-shares at the stock-picking level. "The greater impact of China will lead to new investment opportunities and demand for more local research on Chinese companies," predicted Ian Hui, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. "The A-share index will provide a better representation of the Chinese economy and diversified exposure to the current Chinese equity universe," noted Invesco's Chief Investment Officer for Asia, excluding Japan, Mike Shiao. Analysts said the 222 A-share stocks will bring added weighting of industrials, healthcare, consumer staples, materials, information technology and telecommunicationsas well as energyto the indices. At the same time, A-shares also contain a number of unusual companies that are not common in the offshore marketsuch as household furnishings and chemicals groups, renewable power producers, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Analysts said investors had specific things on their shopping lists in the portfolio balancing exercise. Bank of Singapore equity research chief Sean Quek said portfolio rebalancing after the MSCI inclusion had seen passive fund flows of $2 billion-$3 billion and active flows of $10 billion-$12 billion into various A-share investment fundswhich compared with the average daily A-share market turnover of $65 billion in the year to date. Tian Guoli (right), chairman of the new Asian Financial Cooperation Association, Hungarian banker Levente Kovacs (left) and South Korean banker Ha Yung-ku attend a news conference in Beijing on Monday. WANG ZHUANGFEI / CHINA DAILY China called on Monday for greater efforts to strengthen Asian financial cooperation and to safeguard regional financial stability under a newly created organization. The country has been actively supporting the creation of the Asian Financial Cooperation Association, which was officially announced at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in May. In a letter to the opening ceremony of the association on Monday, Premier Li Keqiang said China hopes the new organization will serve as a platform to deepen financial cooperation, improve financial connectivity and maintain regional financial security and stability, which is crucial for regional development and global economic prosperity. Li said that the association could offer "strong support" for the Belt and Road Initiative and that China is willing to push forward on the initiative with the rest of the participating economies. The Beijing-based group includes 107 financial institutions from five continents as its founding members. Its members said in a joint statement on Monday that the organization will facilitate information exchanges, strengthen joint governance and support cross-border financial infrastructure and business development. It also will support the development of pro-environment green finance and expand the access of financial services to local consumers. Bank of China Chairman Tian Guoli, the association's newly elected chairman, said the group can play a significant role in helping Asian economies avoid financial crises and help mitigate financial risks that could threaten regional and global development. Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said the group's creation is an important milestone because it will help improve financial connectivity in Asia and bridge the huge funding gap for regional infrastructure development. The establishment also comes at a time when Chinese leaders are putting greater emphasis on strengthening financial regulations and preventing systemic risks. Ha Yung-ku, chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks, said China's financial stability will be crucial for the regional economy as well as the stability of the South Korean market, given the size of the Chinese economy and the huge trade and investment flow between the two countries. By Zhang Yu and Yuan Hui in Baotou, Inner Mongolia | China Daily | Updated: 2017-07-25 07:59 The high-speed rail production line at a Baogang Group factory in Hohhot, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. XINHUA Editor's Note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. In a birthday tribute, China Daily takes a far-reaching look at the region's industries and how they have helped generate growth. Baogang Group expands it operations as it links up with partners involved in the Belt and Road Initiative Steel giant Baogang Group is on track to expand its thriving business operations through the Belt and Road Initiative. The sprawling State-owned conglomerate is one of the largest steel rail manufacturers in the world with a production capability of 2.1 million metric tons. But now the group plans to increase its exports as part of President Xi Jinping's initiative, which aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe to a modern version of the ancient Silk Road. "As the world's largest steel rail manufacturing base by capacity, Baogang will increase exports to more Asian and European economies related to initiative," said Liang Zhengwei, chief engineer at Baogang's rail-making factory. "About 10 out of 25 countries and regions across the world, which have imported our products, are involved in the initiative," he added from the company's plant at Baotou in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Customers from Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines make up just part of Baogang's overseas order book. Workers check the quality of high-speed rail products at a Baogang Group workshop. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Fueled by the Belt and Road Initiative, massive infrastructure projects are being rolled out, including new railway networks. They need steel rails and bars to support them, boosting Baogang's foreign business operations. "Many of the rail construction projects are undertaken by Chinese companies, which are Baogang clients," Liang said. "They are like ships taking us overseas." Last year, Baogang exported 98,000 tons of steel rails to countries and regions related to the initiative, data from the company showed, with assets worth 166.7 billion yuan ($24.6 billion). Founded in 1954, the group expects to wheel out 1.8 million tons of steel rails this year, an increase of 10.4 percent compared to 2016. Obviously, steel rails made by the conglomerate are heavily used in mega-railway projects in China. More than 30 percent of the rails here are produced by Baogang, Liang said. Indeed, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed network, the busiest link in China, runs on rails built by the company, as does the 2,000-kilometer Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest altitude route. China's new generation bullet train, or "Fuxing", which made its debut last month, will eventually glide across rails built by Baogang when it speeds from Beijing to Shanghai. "Constructing high-speed railways, especially in complicated geological environments, demands the highest quality of steel rails," Liang said. "You need certain characteristics, such as high-purity steel, the smoothness of the rails' surface and durability, to make that possible," he added. "Advanced equipment and technology innovation have also helped." BEIJING Chinese firms continue to ascend global rankings as their competitiveness grows with the country's transitioning economy. The Fortune Global 500 list is seeing a China boom this year, the renowned magazine said on its website. Chinese firms filled an unprecedented 115 places on the 2017 list released last week, only 17 less than the top performer, the United States, and marking the 14th year China has increased its presence on the list. The Chinese companies making the list were mainly involved in the internet, retail, finance, energy and property sectors. China's State Grid and oil giant Sinopec Corp were second and third, with revenue reaching $315 billion and $268 billion, respectively, in 2016. Telecom giant Huawei rose from the 129th position last year to 83rd this year, beating all global peers in its sector. The performance of companies can well mirror changes in economic conditions. The Chinese economy's steady expansion in 2016 and the first half of this year are conducive to the rise of large firms, according to Liu Qiao, director of Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. China reported faster-than-expected 6.9 percent GDP growth in the first half of the year, setting the country on course to comfortably meet its 2017 target of about 6.5 percent. Chinese companies might outnumber their US counterparts in the Fortune Global 500 rankings within the next three to five years as the world's second largest economy continues to expand. One bright spot is the rise of private companies. Ten Chinese firms hit the list for the first time, most of which are private companies, including internet service giants Alibaba and Tencent. These two Chinese internet giants, together with JD.com, share their places in the top six global internet companies with their US counterparts. This indicates that new growth engines are growing stronger in China, said Bai Ming, deputy director of the international market research institute of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. Mergers and reorganizations also helped Chinese State-owned enterprises lift global competitiveness by optimizing allocation of industrial resources, Bai pointed out. A total of 48 SOEs directly under the central government made it into the list, including reorganized companies China Baowu Steel Group Corporation and CRRC Corporation. China Minmetals Corporation rose from the 323th position last year to 120th this year after implementing strategic reorganization with Metallurgical Corporation of China in late 2015. China has been encouraging mergers and reorganizations among the State sector and plans to reduce the number of central SOEs to under 100 as part of the ongoing reforms to improve efficiency of the companies. However, Chinese companies still have much room for improvement in terms of profit capabilities. The average return on assets for the 109 listed Chinese companies stood at 1.65 percent, far lower than that of their US counterparts, according to Liu. China's labor market, industrial structure, consumption demands and domestic and overseas economic conditions will undergo profound changes in the future, Liu said. Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd, a company specializing in developing and manufacturing advanced medical products, said it is focusing on its plans to invest 2.2 billion yuan ($323 million) in three phases to build the world's largest medical imaging equipment manufacturing plant in southwestern Guizhou province by 2020. The facility will be built in Guian New Area in Guizhou, under a strategic framework agreement signed by UIH and the Guizhou provincial government in January 2016. "Guian New Area, as a national level new area, enjoys government policy support as it builds a high-tech zone," said Zhao Ling, chief operating officer of the UIH's Guizhou branch. "Besides, manufacturing costs in Guizhou are relatively low. That's why we chose Guizhou over coastal provinces." The first phase of the project, an intelligent manufacturing line in Guian, began operations at the end of last year. According to Zhao, the value of its output to date has exceeded 50 million yuan. The facility mainly serves as a medical big data center and produces high-end medical equipment. "We are about to start the construction of phase II by the end of 2017, and phase III by 2019," Zhao said. Apart from the manufacturing line in Guizhou, UIH has a industrial center in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. Overseas, in May this year, it also opened production facilities in California. According to a report by Firestone Inventing, a consulting company specializing in the medical industry, 402 Chinese companies produce medical imaging equipment, accounting for only 10 percent of China's market share. However, the market potential is huge. The report said the market size of medical imaging in China is estimated to grow to 600 billion to 800 billion yuan by 2020. Wang Rongpin, director of the radiology department at Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, said that UIH had progressed remarkably, expanding to be one of the world's leading high-end medical equipment makers in a short period. "We have digital X-ray radiography equipment made by UIH in our department, which has the same high-definition image quality as imported products," Wang said. "However, the price is lower and the design fits Chinese users better. We are satisfied with the operating system." According to UIH's Zhao Ling, before 2014, locally made equipment had a lower market share compared with international brands such as General Electric Co and Siemens AG. After several years of research and development, however, UIH was awarded patents for its core technology. The company said its advanced medical equipment gained widespread recognition in 2014. UIH mainly sells products to the Chinese market, and its products are also exported to Europe, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asian countries. By WU YONG and YUAN HUI in Hohhot | China Daily | Updated: 2017-07-25 08:14 Anna Barysheva loves her job promoting Russian food to Chinese customers after living in the country for 13 years. The 28-year-old Russian graduated from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, with an MBA and is now the general manager at the newly established FRC International Trading Ltd company. Based in Shanghai, the retailer imports Russian food through the border city of Manzhouli in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. "I thought there was a promising market to explore after seeing the boom in Russian chocolates, bread and soda in Northeast China," Barysheva said. FRC was set-up by a group of Russian businessmen and employs dozens of workers. The retailer has yet to release detailed financial figures, but the target is to hit sales worth $200 million in the next three years and stock up to 2,000 products. Key to the company's success has been Manzhouli, which runs along the border between China and Russia. The city has become a major trading hub between the two countries with food products and beverages flowing in. In the neighboring free trade zone, hundreds of stalls provide products such as Russian flour, sunflower seed oil, chocolates and honey. Indeed, data from the Chinese Customs revealed that the world's second largest economy bought food and beverage goods worth more than $1.13 billion from Russia last year. This was an increase of 22 percent compared to 2015 as China became the largest foreign buyer of Russian food. A favorable ruble and yuan exchange rate also made Russian delicacies relatively cheap. "Russian food is high quality but costs less compared with European products," said Cheng Xiaoman, a Shenyang housewife. She bought a box of Tiramisu cakes last winter and has just ordered chocolates and sugar. Popular shopping items are corn flakes, sandwich waffles, sunflower seeds, jams and baby food, according to Barysheva at FRC "The key challenge is to set up sales channels and increase market share now," she said. Apart from the competitive ruble, close cooperation between China and Russia has provided a boost to the food sector. In March, a trade agreement opened the door for Russian agricultural produce, while the Belt and Road Initiative is likely to expand imports in the future. As for Barysheva at FRC, she has set up an e-commerce platform, Open Russian Doll, to cater for more customers and clients online. "This will help boost sales and bring down logistics costs," she said, adding that she hopes to wheel out her own brands in the future. Steven Ding, sales manager at FRC, is just as bullish about the company's long-term prospects after signing up more than 25 large supermarkets. "North China is more familiar with Russia food," he said. "And there is still big growth in the south. "We expect more consumers will choose our products in the future," Ding added. Han Jingyan contributed to this story. A huge cargo vehicle unloads coal at a large mine in Huaibei, Anhui province.TIAN SHENG / FOR CHINA DAILY Sector's profits set to remain high, following effort to cut overcapacity Coal industry profits in China are expected to remain high in the second half of the year, thanks to government efforts to cut excessive capacity and the stable growth of the overall economy, said experts. "The economic recovery has led to rapid growth in the production of basic materials like coal, steel and chemical products," said Zhang Likuan, an analyst at the China Coal Data Exchange Center. China last Monday reported a faster-than-expected GDP growth of 6.9 percent in the first half of the year. Thermal coal and electricity consumption rose by 8.2 percent and 6.3 percent respectively in the first six months year-on-year, the largest increase in recent years, data from the National Development and Reform Commission show. The total profits of the country's large coal companies amounted to 123.4 billion yuan ($18.13 billion) in the first five months, surging nearly 90 times in comparison with the same period last year, according to statistics from the 2017 Summer National Coal Fair last week. Yangquan Coal Industry issued its interim forecast report on Monday. The company estimated that it realized a net profit of 820 million yuan in the first half, surging 865 percent year-on-year. Around 111 million metric tons of outdated coal capacity were closed in the first half of the year, completing 74 percent of the annual target, NDRC spokesman Yan Pengcheng said on July 18. There will be less pressure to eliminate outdated capacity in the second half of this year, said Zhang from the China Coal Data Exchange Center. "As many zombie companies withdraw from the market, major industry players will have a bigger role in allocating resources and planning production, which further improves their business performance and market expectations," said Yan. When the country's electricity consumption braces for its seasonal peak, thermal coal price will go up significantly and net profits of coal companies will rise, said Bi Fangjing, an analyst at JLC Network Technology Co. Continuous hot weather is still raging across many regions in China. Weather experts pointed out that high temperatures would continue over the coming days, especially in southern China. The electricity load of the two power grids in northern and northwestern China and 12 provincial-level power grids has reached a record high. In fact, coal prices have hovered at high levels since the beginning of this year due to increased demand and tightened supply. The Bohai-Rim Steam-Coal Price Index, which tracks domestic thermal coal spot prices at six major ports in northern China, remained above 560 yuan per ton in January to July, and was once as high as 606 yuan per ton. Higher product prices have improved companies' financial performance, especially those in cyclical industries such as coal, iron and steel, and nonferrous metals, said Zhan Sheng, investment director of JZ Investment, a subsidiary of JZ Securities. "The price is expected to fall back in August and rise again until peak demand in the winter," Bi said. With the growth of debt-for-equity swaps and the restructuring of coal companies, their operating cost will be further reduced. As a result, Zhang predicted coal companies' profits will continue to grow in the second half. Efforts to cut excessive coal capacity have prompted the healthy and sustainable development of the sector. In particular, the business conditions of coal companies have improved, said Yan. Yan also noted that the policy of capacity reduction will remove the inffective and inefficient capacity with high costs and low competitiveness, which will improve the overall efficiency of resource allocation and capacity utilization, and optimize the sector's industrial structure and production layout. Effective coal capacity in 2017 will be increased by around 200 million tons year-on-year, ensuring the supply of coal and electricity, according to a meeting held by the NDRC on Monday. BEIJING - Every major economy has its own "grey rhinos" - big and neglected economic risks. In China's case, it is the rapid build-up of financial risks caused by debt-fueled investment growth, as People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, warned after a major financial work conference. US policy analyst Michele Wucker coined the term "grey rhino" to depict highly visible, high-impact threats that people should see coming, but often do not. It helps decision makers recognize obvious issues and act early to stop these problems from getting out of control, the Chicago-based author explained. Chinese authorities are obviously on guard. The Chinese economy ended the first half of 2017 on a solid note, but concerns about the country's financial and debt risks remain serious. The last round of economic expansion fueled by easing of the monetary policy has generated a string of side-effects: excessive leverage, the lacking role of the financial sector in the real economy and inadequate financial regulation in the face of rising moral hazard. Never underestimate the cyclical, structural, and institutional risks facing the Chinese economy. Never downplay the spillover effects of financial woes into other economies as global markets are interconnected now more than ever. Fully aware of the risks, the Chinese leadership is focused on tackling deep financial risks and sparing no efforts to address financial irregularities. At the financial work conference, the leadership has the consensus that guarding against systemic financial risks is the eternal theme of financial work and the government should take a stronger initiative to monitor, warn against, and deal with risks in a timely manner. The creation of a "super regulator" shed light on the new thinking of the central government in addressing financial woes. With the central bank given a bigger role, this new committee will enhance coordination and improve weak links in financial oversight. China's financial risks are generally under control and the economy is equipped with ample ammunition to neutralize the risks. The Chinese economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter with rebalancing efforts showing visible progress. A sound and stable macro-economic outlook has created room for regulators to intervene. The economy is also backed by banking assets worth nearly 232 trillion yuan ($34.12 trillion), the largest in the world; its stock market is valued at about 52 trillion yuan; its public and private offered funds are worth 18 trillion yuan. Its insurance asset value is close to 16 trillion yuan. Regulators have not scaled down efforts to ward off risks. The central bank has adopted a macro-prudential assessment. The securities regulator has harshly punished a number of listed firms for illegal acts. Banking and insurance regulators have taken varied measures to keep risk in the sectors under control. Wucker stated that a prime example of an ignored "grey rhino" is the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted many countries to loosen monetary policy and flooded their economies with cheap lending. "If we do not address the unintended consequences, we are in for another huge fall," she said. Global finance is a network in which everything is connected to everything else. As China strengthens its financial security, it will act as a stabilizer in the global financial safety net. BEIJING - President Xi Jinping has spoken of positive changes and stronger momentum in China's economy, while calling for measures to implement supply-side structural reform and defuse major risks. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a symposium Friday attended by representatives of non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, as well as non-party personages. Commenting on the country's economic development in the first half of the year, Xi said the economy maintained steady growth with a positive outlook, deepened structural adjustment, and better-than-expected performance in major indicators. The macro-economy is more stable, and people's lives are getting better, the president said. He noted positive changes are taking place in the economy, saying the fundamentals of economic and social development are sound. There are substantial changes in the relations between economic supply and demand, while companies' expectations and market confidence are improving gradually, Xi said. The momentum of economic development is getting stronger in China, which plays a significant role in driving the global economic recovery, according to the president. Meanwhile, Xi said China should stay sober-minded to properly address problems in its economy. Authorities should "maintain strategic focus" and "do the right things at the right time," the president urged. He called for moves to resolutely implement supply-side structural reform and defuse major risks in a proper manner, while stressing balance between maintaining economic stability and seeking progress. Stability is the keynote, and progress should be pursued on the precondition of keeping overall stability, Xi said. However, that does not mean authorities should stay in a state of inertia or seek stability in an aggressive or mechanical way, the president noted. Instead, they should make a difference while walking a fine line with good timing, he said. Xi thanked the representatives for their support in the country's policy making, and called on them to mobilize all parties and resources and jointly contribute their wisdom to the building of a moderately prosperous society. Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the symposium. BEIJING - China will continue "seeking progress while maintaining stability" for its economic work in the second half of 2017, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Monday. The meeting, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that China will implement a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy with supply-side structural reform as the main theme in the latter half of the year. Authorities will maintain the continuity and consistency of policies to ensure stable and healthy economic development, push forward supply-side structural reform and guard against systemic financial risks, according to a statement released after the meeting. The meeting affirmed China's economic performance in the first half of this year, which has been running in a proper range with expectation-beating economic indicators and steady improvement in urban employment. For the second half of this year, leaders at the meeting called for better handling of the relationship between stability and progress, as well as the balance, timing and intensity of the country's economic work. The meeting pledged firm measures to push for progresses on excess capacity cuts, inventory reduction, deleveraging, relieving corporate burdens and fixing weak links, and more efforts to deal with "zombie enterprises," or unprofitable firms burdened by debt, mismanagement or overcapacity. Work should also be done to defuse local government debt risks, regulate financing activities of local authorities and curb the growth of hidden debt. Meanwhile, financial regulation will be strengthened to make the financial sector better serve the real economy, the statement said. Express-delivery tricycles with eight-digit registration numbers are seen in Beijing on Dec 2, 2016. [Photo/China Daily] BEIJING - China has started to solicit public opinion on a provisional regulation on express delivery services, the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council announced Monday. The regulation said that courier companies should establish management systems for waybills and electronic data, regularly destroy waybills, and are prohibited from selling, leaking or illegally providing customers' personal information. Those who violate these rules will face a fine of up to 100,000 yuan ($14,830) and have their license revoked, according to the regulation. Companies who have leaked or are suspecting of leaking customers' information should report the situation to local postal administration departments, the regulation said. The public may visit the official website (chinalaw.gov.cn) to submit their opinion before Aug 25. MANAGUA - The four-day trade Exhibition of the People's Republic of China concluded in San Salvador, capital of El Salvador, on Sunday, reports reaching here said. It is the fourth exhibition organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade together with the China Chamber of International Commerce since 2010, 2012 and 2015. The area of the exhibition covered 3,000 square meters, with the public exhibition area displaying China's development achievements, history and culture in the forms of texts, photos, objects, models and multimedia. A total of 42 Chinese enterprises took part in the business exhibition, covering a large range of areas such as consumer electronics, engineering machinery, construction materials, consumer goods and artifacts, among others. The fair has become a brand exhibition for China in Central America, and has promoted cooperation in trade and economy between China and El Salvador. BANGKOK - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that Thailand-China railway project is conducive to the long-term development of Thailand and meets the interests of the Thai people. Speaking at a press conference alongside his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai, Wang said Thailand-China railway is an important project in the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. The railway project is also an important connectivity project under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he added. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. Wang noted that building of Thailand-China railway will not only bring about growth and prosperity of local industries along the railway in Thailand, but also achieve breakthrough of the Pan-Asian railway network. Furthermore, the project will lay the foundation for Thailand to be the hub for regional connectivity as well as an important center of ASEAN economy, he stressed. "No matter judging from a domestic or regional perspective, the project will benefit Thailand in the long run and meet the interests of the Thai people," Wang said. While noting that it is inevitable to encounter some difficulties in pushing forward the project, Wang said that with the personal endeavor of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the technical bottleneck has been broken and major progress has been made in the negotiation of the project. The two sides have worked out a roadmap for cooperation including the time of launching construction of the project and its anticipated completion, the Chinese minister said. Wang also highlighted that China is willing to share high-speed railway technology with Thailand, help the Thai side train technicians and management personnel. Thai cabinet early this month approved the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high speed railway project under Thailand-China rail cooperation, which is set to start operation in 2021. The cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Transport for the construction of the 252-kilometer-long stretch of the high speed rail project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province, with an estimated 179 billion baht ($5.2 billion) in funding, all of which is to be raised by Thai government. A worker walks past a gas circulator in the turbine hall at EDF Energy's Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station in Bridgwater, southwestern England. [Photo/Agencies] Energy giant China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) is in talks to build Poland's first nuclear power plant, the company said in a statement on Monday. A Polish delegation headed by Andrzej Piotrowski, deputy minister of energy visited the Shenzhen-based company earlier this month. Piotrowski met his Chinese counterpart Li Fanrong in Beijing. The two countries signed a memorandum on nuclear cooperation for civil use. The Polish delegation visited Dayawan nuclear plant and Hualong One reactors project, according to the statement released on CGN's website. The discussion heralds the State-owned energy giant's increasing interest in the European market, trailing its project in Britain. CGN signed the 18-billion-pound Hinkley Point C power plant agreement last September with French energy firm EDF and the British government. The project has been hailed as a gateway to promote Chinese nuclear technology. "The UK has a very high standard for nuclear energy, especially in the aspect of its safety. If Hualong One could enter the British market, it means that the nuclear technology of China comes very close to those of developed countries," Zhao Chengkun, former director of China's National Nuclear Safety Administration, told China Business News. Poland government plans to build two nuclear power plants with a total capacity of six million kilowatts, the statement noted. Companies including France's Areva and EDF, the US' Westinghouse and Canada's SNC-Lavalin Nuclear are also eyeing to take part in the race, according to Polish media. Tan Xinyu contributed to this story. A visitor borrows an umbrella with Zhima Credit of Ant Financial in Tongxiang, Zhejiang province. XU CHANGPING / FOR CHINA DAILY HANGZHOU Zhang Hao found a job at a securities company in the eastern city of Hangzhou after graduation. The 28-year-old then saw an apartment he liked online before logging on to the mobile payment app Alipay, which is part of the sprawling e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Alipay rates a customer's credit based on their consumption and investment habits on the app. Zhang had a high score and was exempted from the rental deposit of 2,600 yuan ($380) and the brokerage fee of 1,300 yuan. The whole experience not only saved him time and energy in renting an apartment, which is often complicated in China, but also gave him a fresh look at the city where he was about to build a career. It gave him a "sense of belonging". In China, more and more cities have offered credit-based services to citizens. And more and more people, such as Zhang, have begun to own their credit scores. At a forum on credit system building in Hangzhou earlier last week, representatives from more than 300 Chinese cities jointly released a declaration. Their aim will be to improve people's well-being by enhancing credit building in the country. "The credit economy has kicked off in China," said Lian Weiliang, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. The central government has issued several documents encouraging and guiding the social credit system during the past three years. Without any deposit, one can borrow a bike, power bank, library book or umbrella with the help of a smart phone. "The building of a credit city has made urban life easier and city governance more efficient," said Zhu Dehai, deputy secretary of the city government of Huaibei in Anhui province. "In Hangzhou, credit is cash," said Peng Lei, president of Alibaba's financial arm Ant Financial. She said citizens with good Alipay credit could enjoy privileges in various public services and urban living. According to Ant Financial, Alipay has exempted more than 38 billion yuan of deposits for its users, including 4 billion yuan in bike-sharing fees. Experts said that due to an unsound credit system in China, deposits were amounting to trillions of yuan, leading to heavy social management costs. There are more than 3,000 public libraries in China. But most of them have few visitors. According to Guangzhou Library, local citizens visited it just 1.15 times on average last year. But because of the credit borrowing service, citizens in many cities can now visit digital libraries, place orders online and have their books delivered to the door step. A survey targeting more than 100 city mayors and managers in the country revealed that 81 percent felt it would take up to 10 years before China became a credit society. But more than half said their city had already started credit building. Statistics from Ant Financial showed that nearly 300 million Chinese had enquired about their credit records or enjoyed credit services. CHONGQING - Paying for your groceries by scanning a QR code on your smart phone is a perfectly normal thing to do in China today. As cold hard cash vanishes into the mists of time, it seems that the cashiers are about to evaporate too. Over the weekend, Yiqi Shan, a cashier-free store in Southwest China's Chongqing metropolis, registered its 1,800th sale, two weeks after opening. The 24-hour convenience store is on the first floor of an office building in an industrial park. It offers various beverages, fast food and snacks in a space of just 12 square meters. First-time customers sign up by scanning a QR code at the entrance, choosing a password, registering their phone number and submitting a selfie. They are then admitted through a ticket gate similar to those at subway stations. Scanning bar codes is hardly a highly skilled job and customers - honest customers - can do it just as well as any cashier. When the subsequent mobile payment is complete, another QR code is generated which allows the customer through the ticket gate and out of the store. Deng Jie, deputy director of the company that owns the store, described three measures that have been taken to prevent shoplifting. First, the customer's selfie is compared with the Public Security Bureau's national ID database. Second, every corner of the store comes under the steely gaze of surveillance devices that never sleep. Third, if a customer somehow manages to escape from the store without paying, he or she receives a friendly reminder by text message requesting payment. If the warning is ignored, the customers is banned from the store and a black mark added to his or her personal credit record. "The cashier-free store is the result of the coming together of new technology and consumer demand," Deng said. Her technical team worked on the app for over three years with 300,000 yuan ($44,000) poured into the project. Venture capitalists believe cashier-free stores could be "the next big thing," and Deng's company plans to open 25 more this year in various parts of the country, with 200 franchised stores in Chongqing. Earlier this month, Alibaba opened its first brick and mortar store "Tao Cafe" in the company's hometown, Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. A long queue of curious customers soon formed. In Shanghai, cashier-free stores are already a part of the landscape. BingoBox Minimarkets, 15-square-meter box, have been installed in many residential communities. Customers open the door by scanning a QR code, select fresh fruit and daily necessities and check out by e-payment, pretty much a clone of the Yiqi Shan system. There will be 5,000 BingoBoxes in place by the end of August, according to the company website. The focus of the retail industry is shifting from price to customer experience. "'Restructuring' could become a key word for retail," said Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba. "The flow of production, relationships between sellers and customers, and the shopping experience will be revolutionized to the extent that every customer is identified, understood and served." Employees of Xi'an Jinhua Ecological Technology Co take soil samples in Fuxian county, Shaanxi province. [Photo/China Daily] Young entrepreneurs are fighting to find funding for newly developed techniques that could benefit the nation's agricultural sector, as Hu Yongqi reports from Yangling, Shaanxi province. In 2006, Jiang Yiliang was a freshman at Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in the Yangling Demonstration Zone, a city in Shaanxi province renowned for agricultural research and technology. The only downside to his new life was that locally grown fruits lacked the vibrant taste and freshness of those from his hometown, Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. "As a major in environmental sciences, I knew that damaged soil was one of the causes of the difference in taste. Soil remediation is a new way of improving the quality of local fruits, and can also be used in places where soil has been damaged by industrial contamination or excessive reclamation," he said. "I wanted to do something to improve the situation." Nine years after he graduated, Jiang became the founder and CEO of Xi'an Jinhua Ecological Technology Co, one of a number of agriculture-related startups in Yangling. In the demonstration zone, startups are working to produce a range of products and services, including equipment that monitors the mating seasons of dairy cattle to improve milk production, and drones to detect pests that harm plants. Back to the land In 2010, Jiang began working on soil technology when he started at graduate school and was taught by a professor who specialized in research into the "black soil" of Northeast China. In the following five years, Jiang traveled nationwide to undertake detailed research to determine how soil becomes damaged and formulate a reclamation process that would benefit farmers. Jiang was convinced that damaged soil was hampering the development of the nation's agricultural sector, reducing crop yields and undermining quality. He realized that remediation technologies could be used to help farmers and other players in the field. In 2015, when they discovered that the market value of soil reclamation work was estimated to be as high as 900 billion yuan ($133 billion), Jiang and two other doctoral candidates established Jinhua, which now has 17 full-time employees. Impressed by the company's prospects, an investor in Beijing provided 3 million yuan, while the company also generated revenue by providing soil tests and a range of other services. Jinhua has developed technologies that restructure damaged or contaminated soil and help to retain water and organic matter. The techniques were used to cleanse more than 26,500 hectares of desert land used for potato cultivation in Shaanxi and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The extra water and nutrients provided by the company's new technologies quickly helped to double crop yields to 52.5 metric tons per hectare. Jiang represented the demonstration zone's young entrepreneurs and delivered a report about local conditions at a meeting with Premier Li Keqiang when he visited Yangling earlier this month. In response, the premier encouraged him to integrate his new technologies with deep cultivation farming techniques. According to Li Guoxiang, who researches rural development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China is facing an agricultural dilemma; grain harvests have risen steadily in recent years, but most high-quality produce is imported. He believes that new technologies and business models can bridge the supply gap and improve the quality of produce. Forestry police across Guangdong province seized 11,720 wild animals, plus 960 kilograms of wildlife products, in a special campaign carried out between March and June. More than 50 suspects have been detained in 40 cases involving the illegal slaughter and trafficking of wildlife in the campaign, which is called Senwang 2017. Li Wenjiang, deputy director of the Forestry Police Bureau of the Guangdong Department of Public Security, said the cases that arose during the operation were estimated to have involved products with a street value of more than 7.5 million yuan ($1.1 million). "The wildlife that was seized includes pythons, lizards, gibbons, macaques, boas, hornbills, turtles, pangolins and other wild animals that are under strict State protection," Li said at a news conference in Guangzhou on Monday. The Guangdong police organized a special task force to focus on investigations after online videos appeared at the beginning of the year in which animals were shown being slaughtered, sold and cooked in the southern Chinese province, known for its wildlife cuisine. "Senwang 2017, which was launched at the right time after months of investigation, has dealt a heavy blow to those involved in slaughtering and trafficking wildlife in the province," Li said, adding that police will not lower their vigilance. Li hinted that more special operations may be coming - in cooperation with various sectors, including transportation, industry, commerce, postal service and logistics - to fight the trafficking of protected wildlife at every link. Dai Zili, a senior public security officer in the province, said the Guangdong police will continue to spare no effort to investigate any online videos and messages related to the slaughter and trafficking of wildlife, as well as online ads to attract those who consume such wildlife. "Police investigated 5,380 online messages and closed a number of websites and forums that promote wildlife cuisine during Senwang 2017," Dai said. Chen Weican, a Guangzhou white collar worker, said it is a difficult long-term task for police, as local residents have a long history of using such meat in food because it is thought to provide special nourishment. More effective and concrete measures should be introduced, he said. A man who allegedly stabbed five people before plowing into a group of nine others in a suburban district of Beijing on Sunday was found dead on Monday, local media reported. The suspect, Wang Shanwen, committed suicide, Beijing News quoted an insider as saying on Monday afternoon just three hours after Beijing police put up a reward on social media offering 200,000 yuan ($29,600) for key information. The 38-year-old, who is originally from Heilongjiang province, is said to have injured a group of five people with scissors in Miyun district before fleeing in a van, killing one person and injuring eight, at about 3 pm on Sunday, police said. The injured were treated at a hospital. Beijing police have arrested nine suspects in a cross-border internet browser hijacking case. Malware called "Fireball" was developed by a company located in Beijing's Haidian district to hijack browsers and profit from commissions on internet advertising by redirecting traffic, according to the Haidian sub-bureau of the municipal Public Security Bureau on Monday. The company gained 80 million yuan ($12 million) last year from the malware, which was bundled with legitimate software provided to users, the sub-bureau said. The suspects are charged with the crime of sabotaging a computer system, it said. The malware mainly targeted overseas users. Zhao Leiluo, deputy head of the sub-bureau, said the company was set up in 2015 and registered in Haidian district. The malware targeted the overseas users in an attempt to avoid supervision in China, he said. The crime should be punished regardless of borders, Zhao said, adding that the enforcement action demonstrates the determination of police to curtail the practice. Wang Jingjun, deputy head of the internet security division of the sub-bureau, said the suspects confessed to the crime. The malware they developed was first detected by an overseas computer lab. Beijing Huorong Network Technology Co reported the malware to the police and assisted them in obtaining key evidence after it was discovered by security company Check Point Software Technologies based in San Carlos, California, near Silicon Valley. According to Check Point, more than 250 million computers worldwide have been infected by Fireball. More than 140 suspects involved in internet hijacking have been busted since March. Around 130 cases of criminal cyberattacks were stopped in the same period, the authorities said. China will continue to fulfill its international duties and further strengthen its military relationships with other countries, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. "China's growing effort in active and practical military diplomacy has become a unique way of fulfilling the national security strategy as well as supporting foreign and military strategies," ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a news conference in Beijing. In recent years, the Chinese military has become more open and active in international affairs, such as peacekeeping and escort operations, as well as humanitarian aid, he said. "These represent the responsibility and positive image of the military from a large country," Wu said. China is participating in 10 United Nations-led peacekeeping missions, deploying more than 2,500 personnel more than the other four permanent members on the Security Council combined, according to UN statistics. China also is the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, accounting for about 10.3 percent of the total peacekeeping budget in the past three years. When asked about whether the Chinese military, especially the Navy, has been conducting more high-profile voyages and exercises to project power, Wu dismissed the notion. "I need to emphasize that the Chinese military planes and ships, like those in all other countries, have the right to freedom of flight and navigation when traveling through nonterritorial waters," he said. China and Russia kicked off their annual naval exercises, dubbed Joint Sea, on Saturday in the Baltic Sea. This is the first time the Chinese Navy is participating drills in Europe. The exercise lasts until Friday and already has attracted worldwide attention, especially from among NATO countries. British, Dutch and Danish warships escorted the Chinese flotilla as it made its way to the Baltic Sea, according to foreign media reports. Major General Ma Gang, a professor at PLA National Defense University, said the Chinese Navy needs to conduct sea drills in unfamiliar, distant waters to improve its capabilities and better fulfill its anti-piracy and rescue operations. "In recent years, the Chinese military has been able to shoulder more international responsibility because its personnel and equipment have improved significantly compared with a decade ago," he said. "As a big nation that cherishes peace and stability, China has a duty to promote peaceful development around the world. But this goal is unachievable with subpar tools, so our military needs to train and sharpen its skills." zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 07/25/2017 page3) The seventh meeting of BRICS senior representatives on security issues will be held in Beijing on Thursday and Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday. Senior security officials from South Africa, Brazil, Russia and India will attend. The meeting, presided over by State Councilor Yang Jiechi, is one of a series of BRICS meetings during China's rotating presidency of the BRICS bloc this year. Lu said State Security Minister David Mahlobo of South Africa, Secretary of Institutional Security Sergio Etchegoyen of Brazil, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev of Russia and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval of India have confirmed their attendance. "The meeting on security issues is a major platform for BRICS countries to discuss and conduct cooperation in politics and security fields," Lu said in a daily news conference in Beijing. "It bears great significance for these countries to strengthen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust and elevate their impact on global affairs." As agreed by all parties, those at the meeting will discuss on topics including global governance, anti-terrorism, internet security and energy security, as well as major international and regional hot spot issues and national security and development, Lu said. The meeting comes at a time when regional hot spot issues are heating up, threats from internet security and terrorism are rising and challenges from traditional and nontraditional security fields are intertwined. "China hopes the security meeting will further maintain common interests, push forward political and security cooperation among the BRICS countries, improve the impact of the bloc, and prepare for the BRICS Leaders' Meeting in Xiamen this September," Lu said. Since early this year, a series of BRICS meetings have been held. mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 07/25/2017 page3) Country's ecological civilization to be strengthened, Xi explains China will strengthen how it cultivates the country's ecological civilization and will expand international exchanges and cooperation to maintain a green planet, President Xi Jinping said on Monday. A wide variety of plants grow in China, Xi said, explaining that the Chinese people have held a deep respect for nature and a love for plants since ancient times. Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the 19th International Botanical Congress, which kicked off in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Monday. The country has made remarkable achievements in a range of areas in recent years, including rice breeding, genomics, evolutionary biology and biotechnology. Xi said China will stick to innovative, coordinated, green, open and sharing development ideas to strengthen its ecological civilization, with the aim of building a beautiful country. It also will make international exchanges and cooperation on scientific research of plants to safeguard Earth, he said. The IBC, known as the Olympics of botany, is held every six years and is the world's top-level academic event in the field. This is the first time the 117-year-old international event is being held in a developing country. Xi said the IBC plays an important role in promoting the development of plant science globally. He called on experts and scholars attending the congress to increase exchanges and dialogue, advocate for people to care for plants and for the future so as to make positive contributions to green development and the greater protection of biological diversity. Premier Li Keqiang said in a signed message to the congress that just holding the IBC in Shenzhen is important to promote industry exchanges between China and other countries and to enhance the level of research around the world on plant life. The Chinese government has made "commendable" efforts to preserve the environment and to build a better future, said Peter H. Raven, honorary president of the IBC 2017. For many researchers and technologists, starting a business involves a painful transition to maturity. For example, when Jiang Yiliang and three colleagues started Xi'an Jinhua Ecological Technology Co, the first thing they did was rent a nicely decorated office in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in an attempt to impress customers and attract orders. However, Jiang, the CEO, quickly discovered that the office was not an issue for potential customers. Instead, before they would consider placing an order they demanded demonstrations of the company's new technologies as proof that they would help their businesses. Jinhua provides soil remediation services, based on testing to identify the necessary nutrients and restructuring the soil to retain water and beneficial elements. The government of the Yang-ling Demonstration Zone, a city in Shaanxi, has formulated measures to spur startups, including setting up a 15,000-square-meter Entrepreneurship and Innovation Space. Jinhua decided to use the zone as a home for its laboratory, which houses experimental equipment that tests soil composition and provides solutions to raise crop yields and quality. "The equipment cost 1.5 million yuan ($222,000). Next, we will rent 3,000 sq m of land for experimental farms. Our technologies will be applied to the land as a demonstration of the differences they can make. That's the key to getting orders - when customers see for themselves and make their own decision to work with us," cofounder Gao Hailong said. The company's business model developed over time as Jiang and his colleagues became more sophisticated in their approach and adapted to new demands. "From the very outset, we were nerds. Being the CEO is high-pressure work because I have to ensure my colleagues' livelihoods. They were supposed to have good jobs and enjoyable lives after graduation. But everything depends on our management skills," Jiang said. Gao said one of the most difficult aspects of their work is that most farms are family run, which makes large-scale farming difficult and reduces opportunities to use high-tech applications. "Faced with the long-term process of transforming agricultural technology into output, the company's management must stay cool and alert to handle every tiny challenge," he added. "All nerdy people will have to learn to be more clear-sighted in the future." Shaanxi Guard Agriculture Technology Ltd was founded in October to produce drones that can detect pests in fields. However, like many small startups, the company is struggling to find investors. The company has produced prototype drones that photograph crops such as grapes and kiwi fruits to detect pests, thereby helping to improve yields and the quality of produce, but so far no one has offered the company any funding for the project. The drones are expected to retail at about 10,000 yuan ($1,480) each. In large farms, it's difficult to detect pests, but the company's experiments have indicated that the drones, which use spectrum photography, can provide more accurate results than traditional monitoring via remote sensing. Once the pests have been identified, the drones are used to spray insecticides that will kill them. "We have invented high-altitude spectrum cameras; they are the core hardware for the drones. The drones are easy to operate, and we work with other agricultural companies to provide solutions and kill pests," said Tuo Menglang, one of the company's managers. Currently, Shaanxi Guard is operating on capital provided by its three founders, who are continuing to search for investors. "The founders' money is not sustainable, and outside financing is the only way to keep the company running," Tuo said. "But many investors give us the cold shoulder when they learn that we only employ seven people." Su Baofeng, one of the founders and an associate professor at the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in Shaanxi province, has visited Japan to learn about similar drones. At present, many farms are family-run concerns, but as consolidation takes place in the sector and farms grow in size, Su believes the company's drones will be vital to ensuring greater productivity. "When large farms dominate the sector, the market potential for our drones will be enormous and they will be in great demand," he said. State Council move aims to lift student confidence, ensuring more will avail of chance to get on in life Ensuring compulsory education nationwide, so that all school-age children receive nine years of basic education, has been a key agenda for the government since the 1980s. While the proportion of students dropping out has been reduced over the past three decades, the reason for students taking such a course of action varies along with the country's development. The State Council, China's Cabinet, recently came out with a slew of measures to ensure the implementation of compulsory education, mainly targeting the new causes for it in recent years. The State Council's executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on July 19, stressed optimizing education expenses and further secured financial support for compulsory education, as well as improving education quality, and tackling the imbalance in rural areas. According to a statement released after the meeting, the government will subsidize students from less well-off families to prevent them dropping out, especially for those with physical disabilities and students with parents who have a physical disability. The government will also optimize the location of schools and build more boarding schools, so that students will not drop out due to long distances to travel or inconvenient transportation. It was also suggested that educational departments at all levels should work to give more help and support to students who may face difficulties in studying, while teaching content and the curriculum also need to be improved, so that school becomes a more attractive place. All these measures aim to secure that the rate of compulsory education reaches no lower than 95 percent. Chu Zhaohui, senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, welcomed the new measures, calling them "very targeted". He said the current rate for compulsory education across China is about 92 percent. "In the past, rural students of primary school age are a major proportion of the population of school dropouts, mainly due to poverty and being not able to afford school tuition fees. But in recent years, with incomes rising and government paying more for basic education, financial difficulty is not the major reason for school dropouts. Nowadays, teenagers in rural areas and townships are the major group for not completing compulsory education," Chu pointed out. He said these students want to leave school mainly because they fail to get good grades and feel reluctant to go into middle school, as their confidence is damaged. BEIJING -- More than 200 youth representatives from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan gathered in Beijing on Monday, marking the 20th anniversary of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) holding cross-Straits youth activities. CSCLF Chairman Wang Jiarui met with event organizers and youth representatives, and called on young people to firmly uphold the one China policy, seek cross-Straits development, and contribute to national prosperity and revival, and the improvement of people's well-being. He also noted that youth from across the Straits should carry forward traditional Chinese culture and the great spirit of the times, and promote people-to-people connection and socio-economic development. "We welcome Taiwan youth to study and seek jobs on the mainland. We are willing to build more platforms for entrepreneurship and innovation with institutions from Taiwan," said Wang. More than 7,000 young people from both sides of the Taiwan Straits have attended youth activities held by the CSCLF over the past 20 years. Armed with a homemade spiked club, a 75-year-old man in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, has caught 6,000 thieves in the last 42 years, all out of a sense of justice. Sun Yunyi runs a key-making shop at the intersection of Longxiang Road and Fengzhu Street. Every day after lunch, he strolls the streets to look for thieves. "Thieves are afraid of being found out and wear a certain kind of look on their faces. And they always stare at another's bag," Sun said. "I've recognized thieves without a single miss." He caught thieves for the first time in 1975, when he was a 33-year-old strong man who helped police officers bust a criminal gang that stole 154 bicycles. Although proud of himself, he did not think of turning his good deed into a habit until an incident changed his life that same year. Framed by a thief, Sun dedicates himself to catching thieves While working in a hospital's canteen at the time, Sun found out a colleague had three times stolen cooking oil from the canteen. He forgave the thief the first two times as the latter begged him not to tell, but reported the thief the third time it happened. However, the thief framed Sun, saying that Sun stole the oil and Sun lost his job. "How can a man be so wicked? Since then I've hated thieves from the bottom of my heart," Sun said. After the incident, he made catching thieves his avocation. Without a job, Sun started to make keys by installing a key-making machine on a bicycle and looked for customers around a bustling market on Longxiang Road, where thieves frequented. His most outstanding achievements were catching 43 thieves in one day and eight at one time when working at the market. When he caught the eight thieves, he asked others to call the police and he himself pinned one of the thieves down on the ground. When the other seven thieves persuaded him to release the man, the police showed up and caught the gang. Making a spiked club to confront vicious thieves As Sun often confronted thieves who had weapons, in 1983 he made a 1.5-meter spiked club to carry for protection. Once, when a thief tried to stab him in his heart with a knife, Sun used his spiked club to snap the knife into half and save his own life. A small scar on his chest is a reminder of that encounter. Years of struggle with thieves have left many scars on Sun's body, including many knife scars. He always has tincture of iodine and cotton swabs, which are used to deal with cuts. "The most horrible weapons are female thieves' fingernails," he said while rolling up his trousers. His legs are scratched, bearing many black or red strip-shaped scars. Skills rather than brute force are needed to catch thieves Sun said catching thieves calls for skills rather than brute force and he constantly draws lessons from the past. "Once I spotted three thieves but one escaped, eventually. I thought over the reason behind the escape and decided to not let it happen again", he said. Sun said he is so familiar with thieves' actions that "once the thief raises a hand, he knows what the thief will do next." Once he saw two thieves pretending to queue behind a woman but were actually trying to steal her wallet. He stretched out his hand between the two thieves. "When the thief in front stole the wallet and passed it to the thief behind, I caught the wallet," Sun said, adding that he then grabbed two thieves' belts and rapidly pulled them down to the ground. Speaking of his experiences with thieves, Sun very vividly told his stories with hand gestures, as if he was on the scene. He is brave enough to stop every crime, even a criminal with a gun. Once he saw a thief steal a gun and use it to shoot the gun owner, but he rushed to the shooter who opened fire on Sun. A bullet ran under his arm and he almost lost his life. "On that occasion, I had no time to think about myself. But I pay attention to my safety in normal conditions," he said. To reassure his family members, Sun sets a rule: Protect his own safety first and not be a 'dead hero'. If he can't stop a thief, he'll follow the thief and catch him when police show up. Cases recorded in 10 books through 1998 The thief-catcher became famous in Kunming. Even the police gave him several criminal case record books and asked him to write down cases he encountered, including information on the thieves and the details of every crime. Once a book was finished, he would give it back to the police. "I gave back nine record books and kept the tenth one, because when I wrote the last book in 1998, the market was relocated," Sun said. After 1998, he caught fewer thieves, down to 30 to 50 times a year. "I'm old now and began to catch less thieves, " he said. "I dealt with three cases of stealing by myself this year as the conditions were urgent, and reported to the police other cases for them to deal with." Two weeks ago, the local government helped him build a makeshift house at his key-making stall on Longxiang Road to shelter him from bad weather. Now he works at his new key-making shop, where the old spiked club stands against a stack of cabinets along a wall. "I'm as upright as this steel file," Sun said, holding a steel file on his hand. "The steel file will not become warped but break if you bend it," he said. "Similarly, I will not concede and compromise." CHANGSHA - Police in Central China's Hunan province have cracked a case in which suspects used the instant messaging service WeChat for gambling. Police in Changsha City, Hunan's capital, have detained 14 suspects in a case involving more than 13 million yuan (1.92 million U.S. dollars), according to a police statement on Tuesday. Beginning in January this year, one of the suspects, surnamed Hu, created WeChat groups to find gamblers. Up to 100 people were involved in the gambling case, police said. The suspects were caught in several localities in Hunan and Shanghai after police launched a three-month investigation. A woman learns how to rent Mobike in Enshi, central China's Hubei province on July 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Increasingly popular bike-sharing services in China have helped ease traffic congestion in big cities, according to a recent report. The report, published by Gaode Maps, Chinese Academy of Transportation Sciences and Tsinghua-Daimler Center for Sustainable Transportation, said over 80 percent of China's 100 biggest cities saw improved local traffic conditions in the second quarter of 2017. This is the first time the "congestion index" has shown signs of going down since Gaode Maps launched the index across the country in 2014. People's means of transportation changed a lot and traffic congestion eased as bike-sharing services expanded in many cities, the report said. While bike-sharing is not rare in other parts of the world, the Chinese version has given a whole new meaning to the concept, with customers able to pick up a bike anywhere in the city, thanks to GPS-enabled apps, and leave it almost anywhere at the end of their journey. The concept is all the rage across the nation among students and young professionals for being convenient, green and cheap. According to Chinese bike-sharing company ofo Inc, among the top 20 cities hosting most of ofo's bikes, 19 of them have seen improved traffic conditions. In Beijing, congestion in over half of the main metro stations during rush hour has decreased by 4.1 percent compared to last year, according to Gaode Maps. BEIJING -- China's central government has increased recovery fund for natural disasters this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday. The increase was huge, and the current recovery fund is almost twice as much as before, said Pang Chenmin, head of the ministry's disaster relief bureau in a press conference. In 2017, the central government has spent nearly 1.2 billion yuan ($177 million) on recovery work after natural disasters. In an executive meeting in May, China's State Council decided to raise the subsidy for emergency assistance efforts in natural disasters, the pension for family members of those killed in major disasters, the life assistance fund in the transitional period, and central government subsidy for recovering and rebuilding damaged residential buildings. Pang stressed that the recovery fund was sent to local governments instead of those directly affected. "We need to work with the supervisory departments at the provincial-level, and we welcome auditing and other supervisory organizations to jointly monitor the expenditure of the money," Pang said. The ministry will correct the problems found and punish those responsible, he added. Pang said there were 142,000 damaged residential buildings needing to be rebuilt in 2016, and 93.2 percent of the rebuilding work has been finished so far. The ministry will work with other departments and send supervising teams to make sure the rebuilding work can be completed in 2017. BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and the British Queen's Representative to the Cook Islands Tom Marsters on Tuesday exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between their countries. In his message, Xi said that mutual political trust between the two countries has deepened, economic and technological cooperation has yielded remarkable outcome, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have become closer day by day since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Cook Islands 20 years ago. China is willing to work with the Cook Islands to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, and promote China-Cook Islands strategic partnership based on mutual respect and common development to a higher level, Xi said. For his part, Marsters said in his message that bilateral ties have gained fruitful achievements since the establishment of diplomatic relations 20 years ago. The Cook Islands appreciates China's long-term help for the country's economic and social development, and stands ready to push forward the development of bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect. Chinese telecom carriers are rushing to roll out "internet of things" technology for consumers in a wide range of areas from smart homes to smart parking. High-tech solutions run by NB-IoT chips can connect smartphones and mobile devices to an array of household products, as well as other key day-to-day items. The leading three telecom companies have pioneered this technology with manufacturing companies as the internet of things starts to take shape. "The appearance of NB-IoT has opened up a new era," said Zhang Shunmao, president of the Marketing & Solution Department for Products and Solutions at Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a leading smartphone manufacturer. Indeed, NB-IoT's narrow band radio technology was developed to enable a wide range of low-power devices and products to be connected to the internet. Simply put, this means you can read how much electricity or gas you have used at home on your smartphones or PCs from your offices, or even turn off your cookers. During the past three years, telecom companies have raced to wheel out the service. China Telecommunications Corp started the ball rolling when it became the first carrier to map out NB-IoT technology. Earlier this year, it established its internet of things network in cooperation with companies such as Hisense Co Ltd and Haier Group Corp, two of China's largest home appliance companies. Competition in this new "home sector" is highly competitive. China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd set up more than 50 million NB-IoT connections in more than 10 major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Rival China Mobile Communications Corp and NTT DOCOMO, a Japanese telecom company, then announced they would jointly develop the world's first multi-vendor embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) system. This will mean that certain products manufacturered in Japan will connect up to China Mobile's internet of things network once they are exported here. Closer to home, China Telecom linked up with bike-sharing startup Ofo Inc and Huawei Technologies Co to produce smart locks based on NB-IoT technology. But then, the potential for the internet of things is huge worldwide. "The number of internet of things devices will reach 26 billion globally by 2020, which will bring sales revenue of $300 billion," stated Gartner Inc, the global research and advisory company based in the United States. As for China, the overall market is now worth 750 billion yuan ($110.6 billion) and is expected to exceed 1.5 trillion yuan by 2018. "The internet of everything will promote the transformation of lighting, water services and manufacturing," Zhang at Huawei said. China has built the world's largest 4G network within just four years. Overall subscribers surged to nearly 850 million by the end of April from about 380 million in 2015 when it was first widely used. Industry insiders stress that 4G has been the greatest achievement in the national information technology sector during the past five years in rural and urban areas. "The development of 4G has brought about the prosperity of mobile internet and changed people's lives," said Li Zhengmao, vice-president of China Mobile Communications Corp. Along with the other two major players, China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd and China Telecommunications Corp, China Mobile has pumped vast resources into 4G technology. Statistics released from the telecom giant showed it had expanded its 4G base stations from 1.1 million to 1.62 million from 2015 to 2017. This alone accounted for 32 percent of the world's total 4G base stations. As the number continues to rise, users have experienced increased speed when surfing the internet. The China Unicom network, for example, has reached 300 megabits per second. But then the benefits of 4G are not limited to urban areas. Rural regions in China have also been opened up by the service. In Huanggang, Hubei province, farmers can sell their produce online through e-commerce sites, and buy crucial equipment safer and quicker through the network. China Telecom has spent 200 million yuan ($29.46 million) to roll out 1,300 base stations in Huanggang. The decision has increased 4G coverage rates from 35 percent to 93 percent. It has also helped local farmers with vital agricultural information, as well as alleviating poverty through online education. High-speed access has injected new energy into the online mobile market. The country's largest payment platform Alipay, high-speed rail links, bike-sharing businesses and e-commerce are known as China's "Four Great Inventions" of the 21st century. Except for high-speed rail, the other three thrived on the basis of the country's sprawling 4G network. Mobike, China's leading bike-sharing company, launched intelligent 4G cycles this year. Users can unlock the bikes more quickly and the company can monitor cycles in real time. Still, the future is just as bright as networks change. "Future technologies, including 5G, the internet of things and AI (artificial intelligence) will drive society into the era of the internet of everything," Li, vice-president of China Mobile, said. Research and development in 5G will be a game changer for Chinese telecoms Editor's note: In the run-up to the 19th CPC National Congress, China Daily is reporting on a number of key projects of national importance that will showcase the country's improvements in crucial fields. These include recent reforms aimed at improving living standards and creating a prosperous society by 2020. Today's report focuses on China's booming telecom sector. Telecom companies are ratcheting up their 5G research and development spending as China scrambles to commercialize high-speed services. China's mobile carriers are likely to invest at least $173 billion into 5G construction from 2019 to 2025 in a move to deliver super-fast services, investment bank Jefferies has predicted. Visitors watch live broadcast using the 5G test network at a mobile technology exhibition in Shanghai. Long Wei / For China Daily "Compared to the amount being spent on 4G between 2013 to 2020, that will be an increase of 48 percent," the New York-based commercial lender stated. ZTE Corp, the country's second largest telecom equipment maker, will invest 2 billion yuan ($294.8 million) in 5G R&D this year, up from 1 billion yuan in 2016. A large chunk will go into infrastructure construction. "The cash will be spent on a wide range of fields such as devices, chips and, of course, infrastructure construction," said Cui Li, vice-president of ZTE's wireless product operations division. Already 5G technology is eagerly awaited. It will offer super fast internet speed such as downloading an 8-gigabit movie in seconds. It will also help make autonomous driving a reality as it ripples across most industries and sectors in a new internet revolution. Even though international 5G standards have yet to be rolled out, Chinese companies are boosting R&D investment to establish a beachhead for this new era. To illustrate how important it is, 5G was part of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). A report by Beijing's China Academy of Information and Communication Technology predicted that next-generation super fast internet will drive 6.3 trillion yuan of economic output in the country by 2030. The stakes and rewards are so high that China Mobile Communications Corp aims to deploy more than 10,000 5G "base stations" by 2020. Last month, it established the country's first 5G "base station" in Guangzhou, Guangdong province before carrying out high-speed outfield tests. "The telecom industry will need to be deeply linked with other sectors when it comes to 5G," said Huang Yuhong, deputy head of the China Mobile Research Institute. "That is a fundamental difference between 5G and 4G," Huang added. Last year, China Mobile edged ahead of rivals to determine the "structure of 5G networks". China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd plans to catch up fast after it fell behind China Mobile in the construction of 4G system. This time, it is determined not to repeat that mistake. Indeed, China Unicom's plans are underway to start technology tests in four to six cities in the next 18 months. Field tests will begin between 2018 and 2019. "China has already made significant progress in the research and development of 5G, and more efforts will be made to ensure Chinese companies are at the forefront," Chen Zhaoxiong, vice-minister of the industry and information technology, said at a forum last month. In June, the ministry unveiled a draft proposal that low-frequency bands - the 3,300 to 3,600 MHz spectrum and the 4,800 to 5,000 MHz spectrum - will be used for 5G networks in China. Xiang Ligang, a telecom expert and chief executive officer of telecom industry website cctime.com, stressed that the "frequency band" was as important to telecom carriers as land was to the real estate sector. "Specifying the initial frequency band for 5G tests will motivate enterprises to channel resources into it, and this will promote faster development," Xiang said. masi@chinadaily.com.cn I had to chuckle when I read a recent story in China Daily about how Terry Branstad, the new US ambassador to China, had a wish fulfilled shortly after arriving in Beijing to take up his new post. It seems that Branstad, the former governor of the US state of Iowa, had remarked to a Chinese trade delegation visiting Iowa before his departure that he sure would like to have some US beef once he got to Beijing. China had just renewed imports of US beef since a ban was imposed in 2003 following a mad cow disease scare, and Branstad wanted to get his fork into the good stuff. KABUL - A Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 35 people and wounding more than 40, and the death toll could rise, a senior government official said. Police cordoned off the area, located near the house of the deputy government Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq in a part of the city where many of the mainly Shiite Hazara community live. The Taliban, which is battling the Western-backed government and a NATO-led coalition for control of Afghanistan, has launched a wave of attacks around the country in recent days, sparking fighting in more than half a dozen provinces. "I was in my shop when suddenly I heard a terrible sound and as a result all of my shop windows shattered," said Ali Ahmed, a resident in the area of the blast. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the group. Mujahid said the target of the attack had been two buses that had been under surveillance for two months. Government security forces said a small bus owned by the Ministry of Mines had been destroyed in the blast. Three civilian vehicles and 15 shops were destroyed or damaged in the blast. Painful memories At least 1,662 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in the first half of the year. Kabul has accounted for at least 20 percent of all civilian casualties this year, including at least 150 people killed in a massive truck bomb attack at the end of May, according to United Nations figures. On Sunday, dozens of Afghan troops were under siege after Taliban fighters overran a district in northern Faryab province, a spokesman for the provincial police said. There was also fighting in Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Kunduz provinces in Afghanistan's north, and Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan in the south, according to officials. The resurgence of violence also coincides with the US administration weighing up its strategic options for Afghanistan, including the possibility of sending more troops to bolster the training and advisory mission already helping Afghan forces. Reuters - Ap - Xinhua Investigators work at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul on Monday.Omar Sobhani / Reuters (China Daily 07/25/2017 page12) KUWAIT CITY - The European Union's foreign affairs chief and Turkey's president have been visiting the Gulf countries as part of the most recent international effort to heal the diplomatic rift between Qatar and a group of four nations led by Saudi Arabia. Federica Mogherini pledged the EU's support for efforts to resolve the crisis at a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Khaled al-Sabah on Sunday. The crisis should be resolved through dialogue and without delay, Mogherini said in a statement released after the meeting, urging all parties to enter into negotiations to hammer out a plan for a swift resolution. On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of interfering in their internal affairs and supporting terrorism. They have also imposed an economic blockade on the country. The four initially put forward a list of 13 demands to Qatar, demanding it close the pan-Arab TV network Al-Jazeera, downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran and stop financing extremist groups. Qatar has rejected the demands and denied supporting extremists. Also on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Erdogan is the fifth high-level official to try to mediate an end to the dispute. Top diplomats from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States have all visited the region, underscoring the depth of concern they have over the crisis. Erdogan's tour will also take him to Qatar and Kuwait. Turkey has publicly sided with Qatar, with which it has deep economic and security ties, while criticizing the blockade as "inhumane". Before leaving for the region, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul that Turkey was seeking an immediate resolution to the dispute. "Nobody has any interest in prolonging this crisis anymore," he said. One of the demands put forward by the four countries is the closure of a Turkish military base in Qatar. Turkey has deployed a number of troops in the base recently in a move aimed at bolstering Qatar's defiance in the face of sanctions. Ankara has refused to withdraw the troops, a move that has frustrated the four countries. Signs of easing Signs of an easing of the crisis emerged after a recent visit by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, during which the US and Qatar signed a deal on combating terror funding. The agreement addressed one of the key demands by the four countries, who have accused Doha of financing a number of extremist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Last week, Qatar revised its law on fighting terrorism, a move that was welcomed by the UAE as a "positive step". Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said on Friday that his country is prepared to engage in a dialogue, provided that Doha's sovereignty is respected. Xinhua - Ap (China Daily 07/25/2017 page11) As one of the worlds most popular literature pieces, Harry Potter brand is worth 25 billion US dollars. [Photo/VCG] Proclaimed "the ultimate gift for Harry Potter fans," two new "History of Magic" books are to be published by Bloomsbury, Harry Potter books British launcher, this fall. The two latest books are written by the British Library's "curatorial team, according to the library shop's website. Its been 20 years since Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, the first book of Harrys adventure, was published. The two editions will be released as part of an exhibition at the British Library on October 20 to mark the celebration of the 20th anniversary. The two books could probably make it to required texts in magical world, as 256-page Harry Potter A History of Magic promises to trace J.K.Rowlings magical inventions alongside their cultural and historical forebears in a mixed background of muggle world and wizarding world. Harry Potter fans [Photo/VCG] The book will feature with manuscripts, sketches and illustrations, which would bring Potter fans vivid immersive experience learning a fascinating history like Harry, Ron and Hermione did in Hogwarts. The other book, Harry Potter A Journey Through the History of Magic, pledges to be packed with unseen sketches and manuscript pages from J.K.Rowling and will unveil Hogwarts curriculum. Ms. Rowlings fan-targeted website Pottermore called the first one an adult edition and its companion book a family edition" for younger readers. As one of the worlds most popular literature pieces, Harry Potter brand is worth 25 billion US dollars, according to Money.com under Time Magazine. The movie netted 7.7 billion US dollars worldwide and the books made just as much. J.K.Rowling has been named the world's richest author, with a net worth of 1 billion US dollars, the financial magazine added. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Anya, a 14-year-old student from Russia practices calligraphy while attending a Chinese culture summer camp in Heilongjiang province, China. [Photo/People's Daily] A latest survey by the Yaroslavl National Normal University has revealed the number of Mandarin learners in Russia has increased more than twice the past decade. A total of 17,000 Russian students were learning Mandarin in 2007, according to the survey, and now 56,000 people are studying the language in Russia this year. The survey reveals the most popular way to learn Mandarin is by undertaking a course at university, with 39 percent of the students surveyed taking language courses. While only 18 universities offered Mandarin lessons back in 1997, and a total of 179 universities offer the course this year, almost ten times the amount. Sveta, a Mandarin teacher at the Russian Higher Economic University, said she only had a handful of classmates when she studied Chinese language in 2004, and a very limited collection of textbooks. However, she now teaches more than 30 students Mandarin every week, and her department has 15 Mandarin teachers. "We now have a wide range of Mandarin teaching materials as well," she said. The survey reveals the emergence of the Mandarin craze among Russian people derives from an increasingly close China-Russia relation. With more cultural exchanges and trade contacts, people realize the significance of language learning in international communications and personal development. The Economic Development Ministry of Russia confirmed there were 208 Chinese funded enterprises in the Maritime Kray, a Russian state, and the number of tourists between China and Russia has exceeded two million in 2016. "Mandarin is completely different from Western languages," Anna, a student majored in oriental studies, said. "It is rhythmic, like music. I'm so in love with Chinese language." According to the Yaroslavl survey, more than 100 universities, as well as some elementary and secondary schools, have started to open Mandarin courses to their students. It stated more people in Russia were taking Mandarin as their second foreign language. In addition, the survey estimates Russia will include Mandarin in the national examination system by 2020. Zhang's paintings are inspired by the simple life on an island on the Yangtze River. [Photo provided to China Daily] Nanjing-based artist Zhang Lei has been described by his friends and art collectors as a "watcher" of Jiangxinzhou, an island on the Yangtze River in East China's Jiangsu province. Until recently, the 29-year-old artist, who studied at Nanjing University of the Arts, lived on the island. Many other artists of the area have also lived in the villages of Jiangxinzhou in search of tranquility. In addition, house rents are cheap and the public transport to Nanjing city is convenient. Zhang, who lived there for a few years, is among the last artists to have moved out of the island because old buildings are being dismantled to convert Jiangxinzhou into an upscale destination. Zhang has found a new studio in downtown Nanjing, but says he doesn't regret departing Jiangxinzhou. "There are always things in life that one cannot go against. One needs to accept them and move forward," he says. But he has encapsulated his experiences on the island in many paintings. And dozens of them are now on show at a solo exhibition at the Gome Art Foundation's gallery in Beijing. The exhibition, Passing by Jiang Xin Zhou, shows how the island's simple life used to comfort a young student away from his home in northern ChinaZhang is originally from Tangshan in Hebei provinceand how it kept inspiring him and allowed him to focus. Aerial photo taken on April 1, 2017 shows Anxin county, North China's Hebei province.[Photo/Xinhua] Xuan Xiaowei [Photo/China Daily] The ongoing CCTV documentary Carry the Reform Through to the End has become a buzzword among Chinese people, highlighting the achievements of the reforms over the past five years under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Xi Jinping as its core. The millennium plan to establish Xiongan New Area spanning Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties, which was announced on April 1, reflects Xi's new thinking on how to relocate the non-capital functions out of Beijing and further integrate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. And the decision to build a Beijing-Xiongan high-speed railway just three months after that announcement can be regarded as the first step to further promote the construction of Xiongan and move non-capital functions out of Beijing. Unlike Beijing's Tongzhou district, the capital's administrative subcenter, Xiongan is expected to be an "innovation high ground" featuring smart industries, instead of just a manufacturing cluster or a real estate project. In other words, what Xiongan aspires to follow is either Zhongguancun, a technology hub for startups in Beijing, or Shenzhen, a symbol of China's reform and opening-up, or even the Silicon Valley in the United States. Expected to be innovation-driven, environmentally friendly and a salutary residential zone, the new area will be marked by better city planning, more affordable housing and a sophisticated transport network facilitating the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. However, the construction of Xiongan New Area hinges on consistent and huge investments that can amount to hundreds of billions of yuan per year, which warrant extra financial assistance from the central government. And since Xiongan is essentially under the jurisdiction of Hebei's provincial government, the later will also have to contribute funds to help develop the new area. But the question is: Does Hebei have the financial capability to contribute its share of the funds? A routine practice for many local governments that have Xiongan-like development zones under their jurisdiction is to start infrastructure work by borrowing funds and make profits from the sales of land-use rights and/or high property prices. Authorities have made it clear that the use of land and the property market in Xiongan will be tightly controlled. In such a case, enlisting the help of private capital would be worth it, although it could make sustainable funding a tricky affair. Expanding the local talent pool will not be easy either. An innovation-driven economy relies on the concentration of talents and technologies as much as it does on flexible management. Unlike Shenzhen, Xiongan has many administrative strings attached to it, which could hold it back in the race for building intellectual prowess. Competitors such as Beijing-based Zhongguancun aside, simply relocating scientific research institutes and universities to Xiongan does not guarantee that they will retain their innovative character. For Xiongan-like zones, sustainable development and vibrant communities are a necessity. Successful precedents suggest new development zones are more likely to prosper after accommodating local government organs, which would also help them improve infrastructure, and offer more business opportunities and better transportation services. Xiongan, on the other hand, will absorb only some of Beijing's non-capital functions that carry little administrative power and, hence, limited potential to make the new area prosper. These questions should be answered and latent risks assessed in advance as the Xiongan project proceeds. Designed to serve long-term development goals, Xiongan needs careful planning and proactive thinking to boost regional integration. But then we need patience and prudence to scientifically advance the construction of Xiongan. The author is a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council. In the wake of rising property prices, increasing housing and land supply remains the government's key policy. Brent Lewin / Bloomberg Hong Kong is well-known for its exorbitant housing prices and rents as well as cramped living spaces. With a severe shortage in the housing supply, high and ever-rising rents, low-income families in the city that do not own their own properties or enjoy public housing have no choice but to live in tiny subdivided apartments. These apartments are usually created by dividing a larger one into several, each with its own kitchen (or just a place for stove) and toilet. Some subdivided apartments are even built inside old industrial buildings, which is illegal. However, the special administrative region's government has been largely tolerant of this practice. According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department, in 2015 there were around 200,000 residents living in 88,800 subdivided apartments, which is an underestimated number as it does not include those living in industrial buildings. The average per capita living space enjoyed by residents of subdivided apartment is only 62.4 square feet, or 5.8 square meters. In some apartments, the space is so small that the kitchen and toilet are placed together. Residents in these subdivided apartments are not only subject to poor living conditions but also facing potential dangers such as poor hygiene and fire hazards. However, the rents for these tiny apartments are still not cheap, with a median monthly rent of HK$4,200, equaling 3,630 yuan ($538). To alleviate the housing woes of low-income residents and provide them with more decent accommodation, the new government of the special administrative region plans to offer an improved version of subdivided apartments. Frank Chan Fan, secretary for transport and housing, revealed on July 11 that the government is considering providing quality subdivided apartments to people in need, mainly those who are waiting for public housing. According to the plan, the government will offer funding to local nongovernmental organizations to rent old buildings, especially those waiting to be rebuilt. The buildings would then be revamped into subdivided units which would be more habitable than many currently in use. Residents who are in the queue for public housing would be eligible to rent the apartments at a subsidized price. Although the proposed move of providing quality subdivided apartments is only a temporary measure and cannot resolve the housing shortage in Hong Kong, it could improve the situation of many subdivided apartment dwellers. Since these subdivided apartments would be provided by the government, they would have better hygiene and fire safety standards. The subsidized rents would also greatly help low-income families. Subdivided apartments also exist in some mainland cities, especially metropolises with a large influx of immigrants. To deal with the safety concerns related to subdivided apartments, such as hygiene and fire hazards, a few cities have adopt a simplistic methodthat is to ban them altogether. For example, Beijing banned subdivided apartments in 2011. Though the issue of subdivided apartments should be addressed properly rather than adopting a laissez faire attitude toward them, forbidding them altogether may not be the wisest option. Their very existence proves their function, which is to provide shelter for low-income people in cities. If all subdivided apartments are banned, low-income workers will have no place to live in cities, causing a shortage of labor and a rise in labor costs. Eventually the general cost of living in these cities would inflate, affecting most urban residents. Recently, nine ministries including the housing, economic planning and public security jointly released a document to encourage big and medium-sized cities to accelerate expanding their housing rental markets. In fact, cities that have a shortage of low-income rental housing could learn from Hong Kong's example and reduce the potential risks of subdivided apartments and improve their quality rather than ban them. The author is an editor with China Daily Hong Kong edition Senior citizens chat at a retirement home in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua] Yang Yansui [Photo/China Daily] Pensions not only help senior citizens lead a decent life, but also can promote re-employment. Since pensions are important public goods, especially in an aging society, it is important to reduce the risks associated with them by, among other things, maintaining a substantial basic pension fund and further strengthening the pension system. The pension reform, as part of the comprehensive reforms launched by President Xi Jinping, is aimed at improving people's well-being. The comprehensive reforms also show the central leadership, led by Xi, is committed to improving people's livelihoods. Thanks to the pension reform, by the end of last year, China had in place an institutional old-age insurance framework covering 380 million employees nationwide, and a basic pension insurance system covering 500 million urban and rural residents. Besides, the accumulated balance of the pension insurance fund increased from 99.25 billion yuan ($14.71 billion) in 2008 to 4.40 trillion last year, and the authorities have taken several measures, including investing the basic pension insurance fund and allocating State-owned capital to the national pension insurance fund, to improve the pension system. By 2025, when China is expected to enter a deeply aging society, the ratio of the population paying pension premiums and those receiving pensions will be about 2.5:1, which will decline further in the future. The growth rate of the basic pension insurance fund expenditure is now higher than the income, which is unlikely to change in the near future given the aging population trend in China. A major problem in an aging society is the conflict of interests among generations, which becomes increasingly intense with working-age people being made to pay higher taxes to help sustain the basic pension fund. So the authorities should strike a balance between employment and pension, and income and expenditure of the pension fund. Which makes adjustment of the pension structure an important task for the authorities. According to last year's data, China has enough pension fund to pay old-age pension nationwide for more than 17 consecutive months, reflecting the fund's stability. But since China will become a deeply aging society by 2025, the authorities have to comprehensively reform the pension system in eight years. First, they have to build a large enough basic pension fund to maintain social stability and fairness. For which, they have to consolidate the payment base of pension insurance fund, adjust the pension rate to make clear the extent of the responsibilities of the State, enterprises and individuals, extend social pooling of pension insurance fund from the provincial to the national level, raise the retirement age, and improve the national social security reserve fund system. Second, the authorities should encourage all employers, including enterprises and government institutions, to pay supplementary pension to their retired employees. Raising the value of pension fund of enterprises through channels such as investment is very important given the rising labor cost and intensifying competition among enterprises. The financial capability of public institutions to pay supplementary pension is limited. So the supplementary pension could be linked to the housing fund, as it would reduce the rate of pension the institutions pay to their employers and thus ease their financial pressure. Third, the authorities should encourage self-employed individuals to invest in assets, including old-age pension funds, real estate and long-term nursing insurance plans, so that it generates income to sustain them in old age. They should also be encouraged to purchase annuity and old-age nursing insurance. One form of encouragement could be preferential taxation policies for such individuals. The institutional framework of China's pension system has been improving, and its basic pension insurance fund has remained stable. And its sustainable development will help the authorities establish a unified information system, as well as management and service systems, in order to build a top-level pension system to cope with the pressure of aging society. The author is director of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. A girl plays in a fountain at a square in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, on July 8, 2017. Temperatures in some places in Shanxi reached 37 C. [Photo/VCG] IN THE SUMMER OF 2007, the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a notice demanding air-conditioned public buildings keep the indoor temperature not lower than 26 C in summer and not higher than 20 C in winter, and instructed that windows and doors be kept shut, so as to save energy and reduce emissions. Yet some shopping malls and department stores in Beijing keep their indoor temperature at such a low level, while keeping their doors open, that people shiver when they step inside. Beijing Youth Daily comments: Since late last month when temperatures soared, electricity consumption in the capital has risen sharply because of the use of air conditioners. The municipal government has called for companies and residents to save energy by keeping their indoor temperature at around 26 to 28 C, which is a comfortable and healthy temperature range. The power consumption of air conditioners increases 7 to 10 percent for each degree cooler they are set, and about 80 percent of the electricity in China is generated by burning coal, which remains a primary source of greenhouse gases and pollution, despite the measures adopted by power plants to reduce them. The shopping malls and stores are obviously violating the instructions of the State Council's notice and ignoring the municipal government's appeal, but neither has any legally binding force, which is why they have largely been ignored. Although their hefty power bills may not bother the building owners given their substantial business revenues, the damage done to the environment as a result of their excessive consumption is against the public's interests and goes against people's efforts to build an environmentally friendly society. Ma Hongzhou holds the death certificate of his wife, Long Xiuling, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Tuesday. The certificate says Long died of respiratory failure and rabies.[Huang Lijian for China Daily] OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS two people have died of rabies. A Shanghai resident died two months after he was bitten by a stray dog, as did a woman in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. Thepaper.cn commented on Monday: Incidents involving dog bites and rabies always lead to a public outcry for stricter management of dogs. But such calls often subside once the public's attention switches to something else. Some diehard dog lovers also campaign to protect stray and big dogs. And the dog control enforcers can do little when dog-loving protesters prevent them from doing their job. Trucks carrying aggressive dogs have been forced to stop and the dogs released. After the Xi'an woman died, some stood up refuting the idea that dogs carry viruses and upholding the right of dogs to life and protection. Their standpoint makes some sense. But let us not forget that the dangers stemming from the poor management of dogs are underrated rather than overrated in many Chinese cities. What is needed is greater awareness of rabies, not unconditional love for stray animals. Extremist dog lovers should not be allowed to hinder the authorities' efforts to protect residents from rabies and other diseases that can be transmitted by dog bites. Local governments have the right to implement the existing regulations on dog management, even if that means punishing irresponsible dog owners and those who thwart animal control enforcement. Dog lovers should also be subjected to penalties if they obstruct police from enforcing the law in the management of stray dogs as a love for dogs should never be at the cost of human lives. [Photo by Yu Fangping/Asianewsphoto] It's almost 50 C in my kitchen in Shanghai, leaving me little desire to cook. Ordering food online - which has the potential to make the delivery person suffer heatstroke - or visiting a restaurant are not on my list of options. So the best solution is to escape to a much cooler city where I can take a summer break with no worries about either the high temperature or what to eat in Shanghai. This year, Qingdao, Shandong province, a city famous for its cool sea breeze - and more important, delicious and affordable seafood and drinks - is the destination my husband and I chose. We embarked on a trip to the city for the weekend, leaving on Friday and returning on Monday, with two days of compensated leave. As we drove north from Shanghai, we could feel the temperature dropping. When we approached Qingdao, it was only 32 C outside. Local residents said it was very hot, and I could only smile. We enjoyed clams, sea cucumbers, oysters, sea bass and cuttlefish on a long list of fresh seafood in Qingdao. We never worried about where to eat or the high prices, because everything was just right. People prefer to enjoy the food in air-conditioned Chinese restaurants in star-rated hotels with higher food quality. However, the price was just about a quarter of that in Shanghai. Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will start a two-day visit to China on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday. Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will attend the fourth meeting of China-Russia Law Enforcement Security Cooperative Mechanism with Patrushev during his stay in China. State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Patrushev will hold the 13th round meeting of China-Russia Strategic Security Consultations. Lu said the two meetings will inject new momentums into law enforcement and strategic security as essential measures to implement the consensuses President Xi Jinping reached with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia earlier this month. A British politician is embarking on a 1,000-kilometer charity walk around the UK in aid of the British Red Cross. Michael Bates, a minister of state at the UK's Department for International Development and a member of the House of Lords, expects to spend 45 days trekking from London to Edinburgh via Cardif, Manchester and Belfast. Bates, 56, will be supported by his Chinese-born wife, Xuelin Bates, who helped organize the trip. They aim to raise money for the UK Solidarity Fund, set up by the British Red Cross, to support the victims and families affected by the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. "We had originally planned a walk in Africa this year, but when the terrorist attacks happened we felt that perhaps this year our help was needed at home and home should always come first," Bates said. Xuelin said the change to their plans had left little time to prepare. "Michael said it's a very meaningful deed and it was always what he wanted to do," she explained. "Through this walk he'd like to call for world peace, call for more walks for fundraising in 2017 and get more people to participate and support the charity." The walk is the latest in a series of charity fundraising challenges the couple have tackled. In 2015, they undertook a 71-day journey from Beijing to Hangzhou to raise money for Red Cross Society projects in China. Last year, Bates trekked through South America in aid of the children's charity UNICEF. The couple have pledged to walk 16,000 kilometers and raise 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) for charity over the next 10 years. Bates said he is confident he can complete this latest challenge. "This is the sixth walk we have done together and the key is that I know I can do it," he said. "As you get older, the body is weaker but my mind is stronger so that is what I'll be focusing on." "I believe perseverance is the key for walking," his wife said. CAIRO - Seven Egyptian civilians were killed on Monday when a terrorist vehicle loaded with explosives went off near a military checkpoint in the country's North Sinai province, military spokesman said. The military spokesman said in a press statement that the terrorists planned to explode the car at a crowded checkpoint in Arish city, but a military tank ran over the vehicle 200 meters before reaching the checkpoint. Two children and two women were among the victims, the spokesman said, adding that the attack would have caused the death of at least 50 military personnel and civilians if the terrorists managed to reach the checkpoint. US President Donald Trump greets people negatively affected by the Affordable Care Act after calling on Republican Senators to move forward and vote on a healthcare bill to replace law in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, US, July 24, 2017. [Photo/VCG] WASHINGTON A peeved President Donald Trump browbeat Republican opponents of his party's reeling health care bill Monday, asserting that his predecessor's signature overhaul has meant "death" and saying the Senate's planned faceoff vote is their chance to keep their pledge to repeal it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'd call a vote Tuesday on beginning debate on the legislation. While a victory on that initial but crucial roll call seemed an uphill climb, some Republicans expressed a new optimism that it would prevail though the measure's ultimate fate still seemed gloomy. McConnell, R-Ky., said he's "made a commitment to the people I represent" to undo President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, in what seemed a pointed reminder to Republican senators that they've made the same vow. McConnell did not describe precisely what version of the GOP legislation senators would be voting on, though No. 2 House GOP leader John Cornyn of Texas said later that Republicans would discuss that at a private lunch before the vote. That omission has caused confusion and frustration among some Republican senators. At the White House, Trump lambasted Democrats who helped enact the 2010 health care law and uniformly oppose the GOP attempt to scrap and rewrite it. "They run out and say, 'Death, death, death,'" Trump said, with a backdrop of families that he said have encountered problems getting affordable, reliable medical coverage because of Obama's statute. "Well, Obamacare is death. That's the one that's death." Some Democrats have said the GOP repeal effort would lead to death for patients who lose coverage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said various versions of the legislation would mean more than 20 million Americans would become uninsured by 2026. But Trump focused many of his remarks on GOP senators. McConnell is nursing a slim 52-48 majority and the possible absence of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who's battling cancer, which would mean two GOP defections would sink the measure. "For Senate Republicans, this is their chance to keep their promise. Over and over again, they said, 'Repeal and replace, repeal and replace.' But they can now keep their promise," Trump said. At least a dozen Republican senators have publicly opposed or criticized the legislation, more than enough to kill it. That's forced McConnell to step back twice from anticipated votes and to revise his bill in hopes of mollifying unhappy moderates and conservatives. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, remained opposed to beginning debate on any option McConnell has revealed so far, and other Republicans remained uncommitted. But senators and aides said talks were underway on issues including potentially giving states more leeway on using federal funds to help people losing Medicaid coverage. Firefighters work to put out a fire in Biguglia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, on July 24, 2017. [Photo/VCG] PARIS - Fires have destroyed some 1,400 hectares of forest and woodlands in the south of France and the island of Corsica on Monday, authorities said. The biggest fire was in the village of Bastidonne, in the Vaucluse region, where fires, intensified by strong winds, consumed some 600 hectares of forest. About 100 residences were evacuated in the village of Mirabeau and a dozen of horses in a stable were also moved to safer ground. Part of the A51 highway has been closed temporarily, and public access to several forest areas has been suspended, prefecture officials said. There were also forest fires in Corsica, in the city of Carros close to Nice and in the resort town of Saint-Tropez, authorities said. A prefecture spokesman said that early Monday evening the fires were not yet under control but the situation was evolving favourably as weather conditions were improving. Reuters Chinese cultural relics scattered overseas, in so many nefarious ways, are a constant reminder of the Chinese people's century-long, collective sense of shame and humiliation. How and where the vast array of purloined or sold national treasures should be preserved remains a big question mark. The exquisite artifacts with historical significance - sculptures, paintings and calligraphies, glassware, ceramics and porcelains - especially those that were taken away by means of robbery, theft, looting and smuggling during Westerners' invasion of China in the 19th century, are not just priceless. They also stand witness to the dark chapter of history when China was so weak, vulnerable and corrupt that it fell prey to superpowers of the West. The burning down of Yuanmingyuan, the old Summer Palace, in 1860 and then its sacking by the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion in 1900 not only led to the capture and deaths of Chinese civilians, but also the looting and robbery of countless invaluable Chinese artifacts. In his Expedition de Chine, celebrated French writer Victor Hugo described the killing and pillaging at Yuanmingyuan: "Two robbers breaking into a museum. One has looted, the other has burnt One of the two conquerors filled its pockets, seeing that, the other filled its safes; and they came back to Europe laughing hand-in-hand. Before history, one of the bandits will be called France and the other England." Hugo hoped that one day France would feel guilty and return what it had plundered from China. China is still waiting. More than 150 years later, Yuanmingyuan remains a sensitive topic and a trigger for nationalistic sentiment against atrocities and war crimes committed by foreign invaders. "The most breathtaking exhibition of Chinese treasures I've visited was in Britain, at the British Museum," said Amy Xu, a San Francisco resident. "It's not possible that any Chinese patrons to this museum wouldn't resent the cultural thefts 150 years ago." According to UNESCO, there are approximately 1.64 million Chinese antiques on exhibit in 200 museums in 47 foreign countries, the majority of which were looted from China by English-speaking nations. In 2009, China announced plans to send delegations to museums around the world, including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK and Palace of Fontainebleau in France, in a bid to document the lost Chinese artifacts. Meanwhile, civic organizations and individuals outside of China are stepping up their efforts to rescue overseas Chinese cultural relics through monetary methods such as purchase and donation or persistent demands. Zhu Zuoquan, an overseas Chinese in San Francisco, is one of those individuals intent on returning precious Chinese relics to their home. He started his mission, focusing mainly on ancient ceramics and porcelains, around 20 years ago when he was still an archaeology illiterate. A new immigrant from the Chinese mainland at the time, Zhu had little knowledge of Chinese antiques and relics, let alone the ability to differentiate, through subtle features, between porcelains produced by government or folk kilns. "In 1997, my aunt from Taiwan gave me a catalogue of national treasures", Zhu recalled, "documenting artifacts on display at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. I was literally blown away." From that enlightenment, Zhu let his enthusiasm guide him, gradually accumulating expertise, as well as a knack for treasure hunting. "My wife and I have spent almost all our spare time shuffling back and forth among auction houses in the UK, the US and France over the past 20 years," Zhu said, adding he had paid a hefty price learning how to spot the authentic from the counterfeit and the worthy from the mediocre. "I once bought a vase the vendor told me a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) product for $10,000," he said. "That turned out to be a consummate sham." Zhu's collection now contains around 300 pieces of ceramic and porcelain wares that range from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to late Qing. "My most prized possession is a Ming Dynasty (13681644) cup with peony, pheasant and dragon patterns," Zhu said, adding there were probably only three pieces of its kind in the world. "I refused lucrative offers from several auction houses. What I really want to do is to send them back to China." "Yet the formal demand for return of Chinese relics from foreign countries is far more difficult and has yet to yield any satisfactory results," said Zhao Sihong, who heads a group of volunteers in the US that searches for Chinese relics of historical value. Contact the writer at junechang@chinadailyusa.com. A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. [Photo/Xinhua] WASHINGTON - A photo exhibit showing China's role in the World War II and cooperation with the United States kicked off on Monday in Washington. The five-day event was to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of "July 7 incident," or known as Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge) Incident, that triggered Japan's full-scale invasion of China in 1937. About 50 photos were on display at Russell Senate Office Building, many of which highlighted the United States' close ties with China during the wartime, including the devotion of the "Flying Tigers," the First American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force. As an air force formed in 1941 by General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the US 14th Air Fleet, the "Flying Tigers" helped transport arms and other materials to support China's fight against the Japanese invaders. When Americans discuss WWII, the emphasis was often on the European Theater or the conflict directly between the United States and Japan, while little attention has been given to the role China played in the war or the deep alliance between China and the United States, said the organizer of the event, the U.S.-China Policy Foundation. "We hope this exhibit will give some much deserved attention to an often overlooked aspect of the war," said the organizer in a statement. The exhibit will last until Friday. PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday denounced the recent threat made by Mike Pompeo, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to "remove the supreme leadership" of the DPRK. "It has now become clear that the ultimate aim of the Trump administration's hostile policy towards the DPRK is the 'regime change' in DPRK," the Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry as saying. The spokesman said Pompeo "mentioned impertinently at a security forum hosted by a civilian organization about 'removal of the supreme leadership' of DPRK." "What is most dangerous about the North Korean (DPRK) nuclear issue is the character who holds the control over them," Pompeo said Thursday. He said both the US intelligence community and Department of Defense are figuring out the way to separate the weapons from someone who might well have intent to use them. During a TV interview last week, Pompeo said the topic of the DPRK nuclear program was "at the top" of US President Donald Trump's mind, and that he "hardly ever escapes a day at the White House without the president asking me about North Korea (DPRK) and how it is that the United States is responding to that threat." Earlier this year, the DPRK said it foiled an attempt by the CIA to assassinate its top leader Kim Jong-un by sending agents into the country in collaboration with Seoul's intelligence services. China legally intercepted a United States surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea on Sunday, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday. The People's Liberation Army Air Force dispatched two J-10 fighter jets to intercept and dispel the US EP-3 surveillance aircraft after it entered Chinese air space. "Maneuvers by Chinese pilots were legal, necessary and professional," Ren Guoqiang, a ministry spokesman, said in response to allegations by a US official that Chinese jets had intercepted the US aircraft in an unsafe manner by flying dangerously close to it. "The US airplane spying in Chinese air space threatened China's national security and undermined Sino-US military relations," Ren said. "The US should immediately stop such unsafe, unprofessional, unfriendly and dangerous military activities, and take practical steps to maintain positive Sino-US military ties," he added. On May 24, two Chinese J-10 fighter jets intercepted a US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea. Contact the writer at zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn When I was growing up, I watched a lot of television. I was a latchkey kid and every day after school my brother and I would come home and turn on KTVU and watch shows like Ultraman. Ultraman, if you dont know, was a Japanese science-fiction show that ran from 1966-67 but, much like Star Trek, it circulated widely in reruns and had an outsized influence on subsequent sci-fi pop culture. So when I read last weeks China Film Insider story about an allegedly unauthorized Ultraman film being produced in China, it felt like a personal insult. A Chinese fan-created Ultraman movie would be amazing, but the producer of this film, Chinese film company Blue Arc Animation, is just making a blatant ripoff. Or are they? Japanese company Tsuburaya Productions Co. Ltd., the creator of Ultraman, alleges Blue Arc Animation has no right to make an Ultraman film in China. But Blue Arc contends they got the rights from UM Corporation, another Japanese company. And UM Corporation contends it owns all foreign rights based on an alleged 1976 agreement in which Tsuburayas president Noboru Tsuburaya granted Thai filmmaker Sompote Saengduenchai the exclusive, perpetual foreign rights to Ultraman. Sompotes rights were then assigned to his son Perasit Saengduenchai, who in turn transferred them to UM Corporation, who in turn has licensed the rights to a number of companies all over the world. Tsuburuya has consistently held that the 1976 agreement is a forgery, not least because Sompote didnt even mention the existence of such an agreement until 1995, after Noboru Tsuburaya had passed away. The dispute has led to a number of lawsuits between Tsuburuya on the one hand, and Sompote and his successors in interest on the other. Back in the mid 2000s, Tsuburuya won several victories in Thai and Japanese courts, which seemed to bring things to a close, but not so much. The victories were only partial victories, and the key piece of evidence in Sompotes favor is that the 1976 agreement, despite having a number of inaccuracies and other indicia of inauthenticity, was nonetheless chopped with Tsuburuyas company seal. And so the litigation has continued. Most recently, UM Corporation sued Tsuburuya in a Los Angeles federal court, alleging copyright infringement, breach of contract, and intentional interference with contractual relations. I just checked the docket and the case, staffed by a number of big-firm LA litigators, is still going strong. What does all this have to do with China? First of all, this should be a wakeup call for anyone with a Chinese entity who thinks they dont need to know where their company seal is at all times. Second, its an example of how NOT to license copyrighted content in China. What sort of due diligence did Blue Arc Animation conduct regarding the rights they were allegedly getting from UM Corporation? Our international media and entertainment lawyers have conducted due diligence on numerous film projects in China, saving more than one high-profile project from guaranteed litigation over the source material. Chinese courts are getting better about enforcing copyrights. The dispute between Tsuburuya and Blue Arc Animation hasnt resulted in a lawsuit in China yet but Blue Arc Animation has to be wondering what they have gotten themselves into. Are the Ultraman copyrights registered in China under either their name or the name of UM Corporation? Do they have a licensing agreement with UM Corporation written in Chinese and enforceable under Chinese law? Is the licensing agreement registered with the Copyright Protection Centre of China? Unless the answer to all of these questions is yes, Blue Arc Animation will be hard pressed to prove it has any rights at all. And meanwhile, if Tsuburuya hasnt already registered all relevant copyrights for Ultraman in China, shame on them. If you are going to spend millions of dollars on a film project (or even just tens of thousands, as may be the case here), you need to be careful you are not buying a pig in a poke. An Indiana Planned Parenthood abortion clinic has been forced to close its doors after it lost its admitting privileges to nearby hospitals. According to LifeNews.com, the Planned Parenthood clinic in Merrillville, Indiana lost its only doctor who held admitting privileges with local hospitals. Indiana law requires that abortion clinics maintain connections with local hospitals in case of a patient emergency. After the doctor resigned from the Planned Parenthood clinic, the Indiana Department of Health sent a letter to the facility notifying them that, until they are able to find a new doctor who has hospital admittance privileges, they are prohibited from performing abortions. It is not known why the doctor quit working at the clinic. Indiana Right to Life applauded the clinics closure. Were pleased to see Indianas admitting privilege law being followed and enforced, stated Mike Fichter, President and CEO of Indiana Right to Life. Admitting privilege laws are health and safety measures. In case of an emergency, admitting privileges ensure a woman is aided in the most expedient manner possible. Admitting privileges can make a life or death difference when minutes matter. Fichter went on to recount a horrific story of a young woman who died after having an abortion procedure performed by one of the doctors at the Merrillville clinic. When the young woman was taken to the hospital, she was pronounced dead from a perforated uterus. We urge any woman considering abortion in Northwest Indiana to contact one of the areas many pregnancy resource centers, said Fichter. Many of these centers offer free support, including ultrasound services. We believe as long as Planned Parenthood in Merrillville is prohibited from doing abortions, more local women will choose life for their unborn children. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia Publication date: July 25, 2017 An unidentified flying object made headlines recently when it appeared over southwest England. A flying saucer was spotted last week over Mexico. Is your first inclination to believe that these were probably visits from outer space? Your answer may depend on whether you went to church last Sunday, but not in the way our culture expects. Its conventional wisdom that faith makes us less scientific and more gullible. However, research indicates the opposite: the less religious people are, the more likely they are to endorse empirically unsupported ideas about UFOs. In addition, the Pew Research Center has discovered that those who attend religious services less than weekly are more than twice as likely to claim they have encountered a ghost. Writing for The New York Times, psychology professor Clay Routledge cites these studies to argue that those who are less religious still search for transcendent meaning, though in non-religious ways. He is undoubtedly right. There is a God-shaped emptiness in us, as Pascal noted. If we will not fill that emptiness with God, we will fill it with something or someone else. However, theres more to the story. What if those who are religious are therefore more biblically literate? What if one of the reasons they are less likely to believe in ghosts and UFOs is because they know what God says about these fictions? Could it be that being more biblical makes us more scientific, not less? If all truth is Gods truth, it must be so. The same God who created the Bible also created nature. Both are revelations of his wisdom and power. Both point to the same Author. The more we know God in Scripture, the better we can see him in creation. I believe that the synergy between Scripture and creation helps explain the decline in religious commitment in America today. Skeptics claim that the more we learn about the world, the less we need or trust Gods word. But I believe that the more time we spend in nature, the more our souls are drawn to natures Maker. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93 percent of their life indoors. Even five minutes spent outdoors has been shown to improve both mood and self-esteem. A full day in nature is especially beneficial. In short, our technologically enabled withdrawal from creation is starving our souls. David was a shepherd before he became a king. He knew something about our theme, testifying that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge (Psalm 19:12). When last did you make time to listen for your Creators voice? When next will you? Publication date: July 25, 2017 For more from the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, please visit www.denisonforum.org. Do you want to live a life in whole-hearted pursuit of loving God and others? Read today's First15 at www.first15.org. Ram Nath Kovind, Indias new president who took office today, represents an unusual case of a little-known politician from the countrys lowest caste, the Dalits, rising to power. However, as others champion his victory, Indias Christian minoritythe majority of whom are Dalits themselvesknow that a Hindu nationalist politician from the Dalit caste is still a Hindu nationalist politician. Like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that nominated him, Kovind represents a continued threat to non-Hindus in India, including its estimated 25 million to 60 million Christians. (As CT has noted, thats a tiny minority amid 1 billion Hindus, but still sizable enough to rank among the 25 countries with the most Christians, surpassing Christian countries such as Uganda and Greece.) If Indian officials were to move forward with anti-conversion legislation or other policies directed at Christians, he would be a good rubber stamp for the government, ... 1 President Donald Trump might do better to focus on fixing health care instead of tackling terrorism. The white evangelicals who largely voted for him are more worried about their health than about terrorism or gun violence, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. Among self-identified white evangelicals, 75 percent worry about a personal health crisis, while only 66 percent worry about being the victim of a terrorist attack and only 38 percent worry about being the victim of a mass shooting. In fact, 26 percent worry a lot about their health, compared to only 15 percent who worry a lot about terrorism and just 5 percent who worry a lot about mass shootings. The questions about worries were broken out for CT by Pew as part of its in-depth study on firearms, which includes who loves God and guns. (Though two-thirds of black Protestants identify as evangelicals, Pew could not break them out on many questions due to small sample size.) White evangelicals are more concerned ... 1 Churches Across the World Invited to Pray for Korean Reunification Contact: World Council of Churches, +41-79-507-6363 GENEVE, Switzerland, July 25, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- On 13 August, churches across the world are invited to show solidarity with Korean churches by joining a "Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula." The theme for the prayer is based on Romans 14:19: "Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding." The day of prayer occurs two days before Liberation Day in Korea (15 August), during which people celebrate Korea's liberation from Japanese colonization. The joint prayer was prepared by the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) from North Korea and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) from South Korea. In a letter of invitation to member churches, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and World Communion of Reformed Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson invited parishes and individuals across the world to pray for the reconciliation and healing of the divided Korean Peninsula. "The prayer is an important part of our growing movement to overcome the antagonism that divides the Korean Peninsula and continue to open interaction between communities, churches and people," the letter reads. "We believe churches across the world can, through prayer, help foster an environment in which peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula can flourish." Links: Material Global Prayer Day on 13 August, 2017 Letter to member churches WCC and WCRC WCC Member churches in Korea WCRC statement on the Korean peninsula 7 July, 2017 WCC statement on the Korean peninsula 11 June, 2017 Mutuality and cooperation focus at Korean peace meeting in Leipzig (WCC press release 14 July, 2017) The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. home World Four German women may face death penalty in Iraq for joining ISIS Four German women, including a 16-year-old girl, are currently being held in an Iraqi prison and may face the death penalty for joining the Islamic State terror group. Diplomats who visited the four women in a prison at the airport in Baghdad on Thursday said that they were doing well given the circumstances. Iraqi authorities have given Germany a list containing the women's names at the beginning of the week, Reuters reported, citing German magazine Der Spiegel. The list identified the 16-year-old girl only as Linda W. from the small town of Pulsnitz near the eastern city of Dresden. Lorenz Haase, a senior public prosecutor in Dresden, confirmed that the girl had been "located and identified in Iraq" and was receiving consular support but could not say anything on her exact circumstances. The teenager reportedly stated that she regrets joining ISIS and just wants to come home to her family. "I just want to get away from here. I want to get away from the war, from the many weapons, from the noise," she was quoted as saying. "I just want to go home to my family," she added. Media outlets have reported that the teenager had expressed her willingness to be extradited to Germany and cooperate with authorities. The girl reportedly had a gunshot wound on her left thigh and another injury on her right knee that she said was sustained during a helicopter attack. Last week, German prosecutors stated that they were checking reports about a 16-year-old, who was under investigation for supporting ISIS and was among five women arrested in the Iraqi city of Mosul, where Iraqi forces declared victory over the terror group earlier this month. According to Der Spiegel, one of the Germans had Moroccan roots, and another is believed to come from Chechnya but had a German passport. German authorities have reportedly been investigating a teenage girl who went missing from Pulsnitz last summer for allegedly contacting ISIS about preparing a possible terror attack. Haase stated on Tuesday that the girl traveled to Turkey about a year ago with an apparent goal of reaching Iraq or Syria. Security officials had lost her trail, but new evidence had since emerged in the case. The BfV domestic intelligence agency has reported that an estimated 930 people have left Germany to join the terror group in Iraq and Syria. About five percent of the total number are minors, of which half are female, the agency noted. home US Judge orders buffer zone around Kentucky's last abortion facility A federal judge has ordered the creation of a buffer zone outside the last abortion clinic in Kentucky to prevent pro-life activists from protesting in the area. The order, issued by U.S. District Court Judge David Hale, came after 10 individuals were arrested in May for blocking the entrance to EMW Women's Clinic in Louisville. Life News reported that the protest in May was part of the planned effort by the group Operation Save America to risk "arrest to rescue their preborn neighbor." Federal prosecutors requested the buffer zone on Thursday, and Hale granted the emergency request on Friday ahead of another protest planned for this week by the group. The order would keep the 10 individuals and other pro-life activists from coming onto the abortion facility, but Hale noted that it "does not restrict any of the rights of the defendants, including their First Amendment rights, outside the zone." Organizers of the rally, which runs through July 29, stated that the group does not plan on blocking the entrance to the clinic. But Joseph Spurgeon, a local leader for Operation Save America, noted on social media on Saturday that the government still sent federal marshals to keep pro-life protesters away from the facility. The buffer zone has been set at 15 feet from the front of the building to the patient drop-off zone and 7.5 feet from either side of the columns supporting the overhang at the clinic's entrance. White lines will be painted on the sidewalk and street to indicate the buffer zone area. Spurgeon, who serves as the pastor of Sovereign King Church, also complained during a press conference on Wednesday that Christians are being kept away from the building. "Church-going men and women in Louisville and the surrounding area in both Kentucky and Indiana who come out to plead with women not to get an abortion, who hold signs depicting both the gruesome reality of murder and the beauty of life, and who preach the gospel, are now considered far more dangerous than the ones who are killing innocent children," he stated, according to Christian News Network. "They are dangerous because they try to talk women out of getting abortions. They might convince women to keep their children rather than murder them," he continued. The temporary restraining order will be enforced by U.S. Marshals, and the buffer zone will be in place starting two hours before the EMW Women's Clinic opens and two hours after it closes. home US Kentucky suspends tax rebate deal with Ken Ham's Ark Encounter due to breach of contract Kentucky has suspended the state tax rebate deal with the Ark Encounter theme park, saying it violated the terms of agreement with the state. Last week, state officials notified the theme park located in Williamstown, Grant County that the owners violated the contract by transferring the property from a for-profit company to a nonprofit company, the Courier-Journal reported. The property was reportedly transferred for $10 on June 28 from Ark Encounter LLC to Crosswater Canyon, which is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Christian creationist ministry Answers in Genesis. A July 18 letter from the state Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet informed the Ark Encounter that it is in violation of its agreement that provides the attraction with $18 million in subsidies through annual tax rebates. Ark Encounter spokesman Mark Looy said on Friday that it did not believe that the theme park was in violation of the agreement. "We don't believe that the transfer of the property created a default, but we will comply with the concerns that the tourism department may have related to the transfer," he said. He added that the officials of the biblical attraction "look forward to maintaining a positive relationship with the state long into the future." Laura Brooks, the spokeswoman for the tourism cabinet, said that the tax break will be restored if the Ark Encounter is deeded back to the for-profit entity within 30 days. Williamstown Mayor Rick Skinner was concerned that the transfer of property was taken to avoid paying taxes. "We're skeptical of their thinking and their lack of communication right now," he said. The Ark Encounter has been visited by about one million tourists in its first year of operations, and officials of the attraction have claimed that it has generated an economic impact of around $200 million. The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau handed out the Star of Tourism Award to Answers in Genesis this year due to the economic impact of the Ark Encounter as well as the Creation Museum in the region, according to a press release published on the creationist ministry's website. "The economic impact of the attractions has demonstrated the state's wisdom in offering incentives for qualifying tourist attractions to build in the Commonwealth," Looy stated. "Directly and indirectly, Kentucky, because of the Ark and the museum, has already benefited from thousands of new jobs and has seen more money available for state programs, which reduces the tax burden of its residents," he added. home US North Carolina church used branches in Brazil to funnel 'slaves,' ex-members say A North Carolina church allegedly used its branches in Brazil to entice its members to come to the U.S. and make them work for little or no pay. An investigation conducted by The Associated Press (AP) has found that the Word of Faith Fellowship Church in Spindale, North Carolina used its two branches in Brazil to siphon a steady flow of young workers who came to the U.S. on tourist and student visas. Andre Oliveira, one church member who was invited to Spindale when he was 18-years-old, recounted that the church leaders confiscated his passport and money when he arrived. He said that he was forced to work 15 hours a day, usually for no pay, cleaning warehouses for the church and toiling at business owned by senior ministers. "They trafficked us up here. They knew what they were doing. They needed labor and we were cheap labor a hell, free labor," he said, noting that the church leaders also beat and shamed members who deviated from the rules. AP reported that Word of Faith Fellowship absorbed two churches in Brazil, in the southeastern cities of Sao Joaquim de Bicas and Franco da Rocha, over the course of two decades. Jane Whaley, the leader of the church, frequently visited the churches and promised the Brazilian members that they could improve their lives and their relationships with God with a pilgrimage to the mother church. While some were enticed with the chance to attend college, to learn English, and see a bit of the U.S., other members said they felt they simply had no choice. Elizabeth Oliveira, who is not related to Andre, said she was being sent to the U.S. to "correct" her bad behavior because she talked back to pastors as a child. She narrated that she was only 12 when she traveled to Spindale, where she was immediately put to work. During the day, she would help out in school, then she sewed clothes and baby sat in the evenings, but she never received compensation for her work. "I suffered so much there. When I turned 18, I left and was told, once again, that I would die on my own in the world and go to hell," she said. The imposition of the church's strict rules in Brazil has led to complaints to the police and a legislative hearing in 2009 but the church never faced any official censure. Brazilians interviewed by AP have revealed that church leaders sometimes referred to the forced labor projects as "volunteer work," in an apparent attempt to circumvent the rules against employment. AP noted that in 2014, three-ex members alerted the authorities that the Brazilians were being forced to work for no pay. "And do they beat up the Brazilians?" asked Jill Rose, who is now the U.S. attorney in Charlotte. "Most definitely," a former member replied. Ministers "mostly bring them up here for free work," said another congregant. Rose reportedly promised to look into the issue, but the former members said she never responded when they tried to contact her in the months after the meeting. In 2012, Word of Faith was accused of abusing and imprisoning Michael Lowry, a gay man who was a member of the church. A chaplain said that the allegations are a complete fabrication being pushed forth by a gay activist. Sources: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-24/brazilians-funneled-as-slaves-by-us-church-ex-members-say http://www.christianpost.com/news/word-of-faith-source-calls-gay-abuse-allegations-against-church-complete-fabrications-84012/ Christies continues to lead the art market in 2017 Overall sales total 2.35 billion ($3 billion) in the first half of the year, with auction sales up 29 per cent on the equivalent figure for 2016 and sell-through rates up to 81 per cent Continued global demand and creative sale planning helped to drive a rise in Christies auction sales to 2.2 billion ($2.8 billion, up 14 per cent) in the first half of 2017, a 29 per cent increase from the same period in 2016. Overall sales were 2.35 billion ($3 billion, up 1 per cent), an increase of 14 per cent compared to 2.1 billion worth of sales in the first half of 2016. Christies continues to lead the auction market, commented Guillaume Cerutti, Chief Executive Officer, after half-year figures also showed there was an increase in the number of works sold over 10 million. Christies sold 38 lots that surpassed this figure, compared to 14 from the same period last year. There was also a 29 per cent increase in the number of new buyers over 1 million. Collectors continue to seek diverse works of art across price levels and categories. Demand for masterpieces has continued, with seven of the ten top lots from the first half of 2017 having been sold at Christies. Auction sell-through rates across all lots bands, meanwhile, increased to 81 per cent. Total spend online was 75.3 million ($95.8 million) for the first half of the year, when combining the totals for Christies LIVE, 55.5 million ($70.6 million), and online-only sales, which remained stable at 19.8 million ($25.2 million). Online-only sales continue to attract the largest number of new buyers (29 per cent). Sell-through rates by lot for sales online rose to 81 per cent and the average price per lot increased to $7,222. Growth in spend was seen across each region, with clients based in America accounting for 35 per cent of sale value, Asian clients accounting for 35 per cent and EMERI (Europe, Middle East, Russia and India) clients 30 per cent. Activity from Asian buyers has reached a new high, demonstrating Christie's strength in this part of the world Guillaume Cerutti, Christies Chief Executive Officer This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bass Pro Outdoor World, the sporting goods retailer with 82 stores, agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a nationwide class action case brought in Houston by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which accused the outdoor outfitter of rejecting qualified black and Hispanic job applicants and retaliating against employees who objected to the alleged practice. The money will go to compensate eligible black and Hispanic job seekers who were not hired, according to the agreement filed Monday in federal court in Houston. The proposed settlement has yet to be approved by U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison, who is overseeing the six-year-old case. Bass Pro, which has two stores in the Houston area, also agreed to establish a diversity office and find job candidates by participating in job fairs in minority communities and recruiting at colleges with significant minority populations. Bass Pro maintains that it did not engage in any unlawful activities based on race or national origin nor in any retaliatory conduct, according to the agreement. "The company is fully committed to the expansion of its ongoing efforts to attract a more diverse workforce," according to a written statement from Bass Pro. A portion of the $10.5 million payment may be devoted to programs that engage inner city youth in outdoor activities. The settlement comes as Bass Pro, of Springfield, Mo., looks to complete a $4 billion deal to acquire its rival, Nebraska-based Cabela's. Anti-trust regulators at the Federal Trade Commission cleared the deal earlier this month, but Bass Pro is still waiting approval from banking regulators to the spin off Cabala's banking operations, including its credit card business. Rudy Sustaita, EEOC regional attorney, said he could not comment on the proposed deal until it is approved by Ellison. The agreement does not specify how many job applicants would share the $10.5 million or the expected value of each award. If approved by Ellison, the agreement would end the long government investigation into the hiring practices at one of the nation's most prominent outdoor outfitters. It started a decade ago when a white manager at the Bass Pro Outdoor World store in Katy reported to the EEOC that she was fired when she complained to her boss about mistreatment of black job applicants and employees. The EEOC built its case on evidence provided by her and other managers, eventually concluding that the company's practice of not hiring minorities was part of a nationwide pattern. The EEOC analyzed Bass Pro's hiring data and found that black employees were underrepresented in more than 95 percent of the stores while Hispanic employees were underrepresented in more than 70 percent, according to court records. A company-wide policy of favoring whites and discriminating against minorities became known as "the Profile," according to the EEOC's amended 2014 lawsuit. "Only white applicants fit the Profile," according to the complaint. The EEOC also accused Bass Pro of destroying employment applications, according to court documents. Bass Pro noted Monday that a critical element of the tentative agreement is an acknowledgement by the EEOC that allegations of discrimination against Bass Pro founder John Morris were found to be "false and without merit." The EEOC had contended in 2013 and 2014 that Morris was the architect behind the company's white-only "Profile," according to court records. As part of the agreement, the EEOC agreed to remove references to Morris in an amended complaint filed in federal court Monday. Bass Pro was founded in 1972 by Morris in the back of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Mo., according to the company's web site. Today, the stores draw more than 120 million shoppers annually and feature aquariums and lavish wildlife displays. The company touts itself as a tourist attraction that can spawn other economic development and grew by aggressively seeking public funding to finance its stores. At the time the EEOC lawsuit was filed in 2011, Bass Pro had received more than $500 million in taxpayer subsidies, according to the Public Accountability Initiative, a watchdog group in Buffalo, N.Y. Bass Pro noted that the agreement it reached with the EEOC was similar to a nationwide deal the agency reached with Cabela's in September 2015. Cabela's agreed to improve its hiring and recruitment of minorities to resolve an EEOC charge that the 86-store chain failed to recruit and hire minorities. With the EEOC lawsuit settled, Bass Pro said it can focus its full attention on merging with Cabela's. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate House lawmakers approved a revised plan to increase Russia sanctions after heavy lobbying by the oil and gas industry, by an almost unanimous bipartisan vote of 419-3. Under the legislation, which would expand sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, U.S. oil companies can participate in international projects with Russian firms like Rosneft as long as the Russian firm holds less than a 33 percent stake. That represents a compromise from earlier versions of the legislation, which barred American firms from any project in which Russians had a stake. As the Chronicle reported last week: The legislation, which will expand upon earlier sanctions placed on Russia, was introduced earlier this year in response to U.S. intelligence agencies' reports that the Russian government was behind the hacking of Democratic Party servers ahead of last year's presidential elections. Among the projects that could be effected is the Southern Gas Corridor project, which once completed would move natural gas from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan to southwestern Europe. The 2,200 mile pipeline has been promoted as a means to give Italy, Turkey and other European nations another alternative to the Russian natural gas upon which they have long relied. Only among the 11 energy companies partnered on the project, which includes BP, Statoil and Total, is Russian firm Lukoil. "Even the threat of sanctions could seriously effect the project," said Richard Morningstar, a former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and founding director of the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center. "What a gift to give to the Russians to eliminate a source of competitive gas." And the sanctions have implications for U.S. majors like Exxon Mobil and Chevron as well. Exxon is partnered with Russian giant Rosneft on an exploration project off the coast of Mozambique. And earlier this year the Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA offered Rosnef a 10 percent stake in an oil project there. RELATED: Oil majors lobby for changes on Russia sanctions bill Now under the revised bill, companies could proceed with such projects - as long as Russian firms' stake does not exceed the one third threshold. The White House signaled Saturday it planned to sign the new legislation, despite objections to a provision limiting President Donald Trump's ability to adjust sanctions in the future. But on Monday White House spokesman Sarah Huckabee Sanders backtracked, saying she didn't know if Trump would sign, according to the Washington Post. "He has no intention of getting rid of [the sanctions], but he wants to make sure we get the best deal for the American people possible," she said. "Congress does not have the best record on that." The legislation is also drawing criticism from U.S. allies in Europe. Among the projects that could be impacted by the sanctions is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which would run from Russia to Germany and increase gas supplies into western Europe. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote in a note to other commissioner last week, "the measures risk breaking the transatlantic and G7 unity" on handling Russia's occupation of Crimea, Ukraine, according to Politico. There are a few different explanations for why workers' wages have stagnated over the past half century or so, and people have different reasons for emphasizing one over the others. President Donald Trump, for example, has blamed other countries for "stealing" U.S. jobs and driving down wages, while promising to fix it by overhauling trade deals. Those who favor free trade, however, tend to place the blame for weak wage growth on automation, which decreases the amount of leverage workers have to demand better pay. Labor groups note that a much smaller percentage of the workforce is now represented by unions, which has also depressed the bargaining power of employees. Well, all of those factors play a role. And a new paper from economists at the International Monetary Fund tries to explain exactly how much each has been responsible, at least so far this century. In short: The robots are mostly to blame. First of all, to explain what they're actually looking at: In addition to absolute wages, it's also important to consider how much of the economic pie those wages make up. That's called the "labor share of income," and it measures the percentage of business proceeds that go to employees rather than shareholders and new investment. The labor share declined fairly steadily starting in 1960, accelerated in the 2000s, hit bottom in 2011, and has since rebounded slightly. The fall hasn't been uniform across industries, however. Workers in the "information" sector, which includes fields like publishing, broadcasting, movie and sound recording, and data processing, have seen their incomes fall the most relative to output, or the goods and services they produce. (It's why it's so hard to make a living making music these days, or doing journalism for that matter.) Manufacturing is close behind, with the labor share falling by about 12 percent between 2000 and 2014. It also hasn't been uniform across states. Nebraska has seen the largest decline in its workers' labor share since 2000, while workers in Delaware have actually seen their wages relative to total output go up. Texas is the fourth biggest loser, with labor's share of income falling nearly eight percentage point drop relative to workers' output. Researchers attribute the Texas decline in part to the shale boom while it boosted wages, returns to capital went up even more, driving down labor's share. By comparing the states with using other labor market indicators, economists Yasser Abdih and Stephan Danninger found that automation of routine tasks has been responsible for between 44 and 57 percent of the decline in the labor share of income since 2000. International factors, which include offshoring of tasks as well as competition from imports, account for between 37 and 54 percent, and the rest can be attributed to the decline in unions. There's a lot of wiggle room in there, and not a huge difference between the major factors depressing the labor share. But it does convey that automation is still probably the root of most of its recent decline. Now, that doesn't make automation a bad thing. In fact, it's one of the only reasons why some manufacturing is coming back to the U.S. at all: Robots make factories here cost-competitive with factories overseas. But accepting some jobs rather than no jobs and therefore some income rather than no income is a rough tradeoff indeed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston police Tuesday evening caught two more suspects connected to a Katy area-bank robbery, that involved at least eight people and four vehicles, one of which led police on a chase. Police said one suspect still may be at large. Police locked down an apartment complex near Memorial Park earlier in the afternoon to search for two more suspects involved in the robbery. Suspects were stopped and detained in three vehicles after a bank was robbed in the 23100 block of Cinco Ranch Road. One car with four suspects led police on a chase that ended at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Post Oak Road about 1:30 p.m., police said. One man was injured when he bailed out and ran in front of the rolling vehicle. Story continues below... Officers detained the injured suspect and one other. A SWAT team swarmed the complex to search for the two still at large. Residents were instructed to stay indoors, and some were rounded up to keep them out of harm's way. Police still had the apartment complex locked down at 4 p.m. to look for the two men still at large, more than two hours after the search began, said Larry Satterwhite, a Houston Police Department assistant chief. Satterwhite said the bank robbery was carried about by four or five people who were part of a team of at least eight people, including a few lookouts. He said local law enforcement agencies have been following the group, but he declined to definitively say they were part of a gang. "We know that they're operating together, and they certainly have a lot of things that suggest that they might be part of a larger group," he said. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said there were injuries reported at the robbery. It is not yet clear who was hurt, or how seriously. Check back for updates on this developing story. Brooke A. Lewis contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As a one-man police force in Conroe's earlier years, Eddie "E.A" Stephan was a man who wore many different hats so to speak. Stephan served as Conroe's first police chief from 1935 through his death in 1964. As chief, Stephan was also responsible for inspecting all the dairies in the county and serving as the city's animal control department as well as upholding the law in the then-small town. Stephan was also a charter member of the Conroe Noon Lions Club, organized what many believe is the first Boy Scout troop in the area and was a member of the First Methodist Church. He was also known to help folks who were a little down on their luck or just needed some guidance. "Outside of his Lions Club work to which he also devoted himself so completely, Eddie's work here was aimed at the young people. Many parents and their children have thanked Eddie many times for his guidance and his way of handling young people's problems through the years," wrote his wife Meta Everett Stephan in The Courier following her husband's death. Early life Edwin Adolph Stephan was born on Nov. 21, 1908 in Miles, Texas near San Angelo. His parents were Adolph Earnest and Gertrude Urquhart Stephan. According to The Courier's story on Stephan's death, "Yoakum was his hometown through graduation from high school." Before coming to Conroe, a young Stephan worked in Austin where his father had an ice plant. According to the article, Stephan moved to Conroe in the summer of 1931. On Nov. 10, 1932 he married Miss Meta Everett of Conroe. According to a passage in the 1981 Montgomery County History Book published by the Montgomery County Genealogy Society and written by Ed Watson, Stephan became the first acting chief of police when in 1935, Conroe Mayor H.M. Crighton appointed him to head a "one-man police force." "Eddie did the job all alone, a 24-hour-a-day job it seemed, up until he went into the service in 1942," said Meta Stephan in a 1964 Courier article. "When he returned from three years in the Coast Guard during World War II, the force started to grow gradually. One of the things Eddie mentioned often was his pride in the honesty of the men on the force. He worked hard to keep it a clean and sharp police force." His son, Eddie "Sonny" Stephan Jr. has memories of going out on calls with his father when he was a boy. Stephan Jr. went along with his father as he inspected the local dairies and still has a cannonball he collected from a field at a dairy in Montgomery. He also recalls the many times he joined in on animal control calls - sometimes seeing things a five year old shouldn't see - but that was a way of things back then. Occasionally they'd use the service of Mr. Bishop who had horses. "What dad and I couldn't catch or get a rope on, he'd round up with his horses," Stephan Jr. said. And Stephan Jr. talked of one time when they lead cows north of town with a patrol car. Stephan Jr. said unlike today's shootings, he said most of the trouble happened on Friday and Saturday nights at the beer joints. Stephan was however involved in an altercation that turned fatal at the Markeita Hotel in Conroe in September 1947. Mrs. L.O. Smith, owner of the Markeita Cafe, called for police protection around 9 p.m. to deal with some men who were making trouble. Two of the men - Curtis and Jannan Roubleu of Louisiana - attacked Stephan and tried to take his gun. Deputy C.B. Wagers shot the men when they charged at him, killing them both. Due to the nature of the business, it was always Stephan's hope that his son would not enter police work - but he did. First Stephan Jr. sought work in Houston with the Highway Patrol, not knowing that his father was good friends with the lieutenant he talked to. "That application was in the trash before I even got back to Conroe," Stephan Jr. said. Then he applied to be a part of the Conroe Police Department Reserve Unit - which his father had to give approval for. "He said 'Put him on, he'll get his butt whipped and he'll quit - and I did - but I didn't quit," Stephan Jr. said. He went on to serve in the Conroe Reserve Unit for 19 years, including under his father's leadership. Another memorable story was when Stephan bought a motorcycle to patrol on in good weather. "Mother never liked it," Stephan Jr. said. "He came home late one evening and parked it in the backyard. When he left to go back to work, he turned it around on the wet grass and it fell on his leg. At the time one of those big motorcycles was 800 pounds. Mother and I were able to lift it off him. He didn't break his leg but he was on crutches for a while. He swore he'd never ride again." It was also during Stephan's leadership that Conroe Police Department got its first police car - a 1947 Oldsmobile for about $1,000. Stephan Jr. said his dad didn't have the car for too long before a man ran a stop sign and ran into the patrol car at San Jacinto and Simonton streets. He said the car was still in operation, but the accident bent up the city's new police car. As a father and grandfather Stephan Jr. said his father wasn't much of a hunter, but the two of them did bond over fishing. Stephan bought a boat and they'd fish for and dine on fresh shrimp and crabs. "He didn't care much for the crabs so he'd give them to insurance man Tommie Feagin," Stephan Jr. said. Even though Craig Stephan was only four years old when his grandfather died, he still has several fond memories of Eddie "E.A." Stephan. He recalls his grandfather having what he called a "squawk box" next to his recliner in his den at their home on Shady Oaks. It was the equivalent of a scanner at the time and carried the Conroe Fire Department and Conroe Police Department channels. "It was on constantly. He could watch TV or carry on a conversation while listening to this thing," Craig Stephan said. "It drove my grandmother nuts. I remember it always being there and always being on." Craig Stephan also delighted in the malts his grandfather would make from the malt machine at their house. He figures they got the old one from Capital Drug Store when the drug store got a new one. Craig Stephan also remembers when his grandparents moved into their home on Shady Oaks, his grandfather had a sprinkler system put in. "He thought it would be the best thing for me to be able to run and play in the sprinklers," Craig Stephan said. "I was not particularly thrilled and he was so disappointed." What he did enjoy was going to visit his grandfather at City Hall. "That was exciting for me," Craig Stephan said. "It was cool to go up and see City Hall. As a little kid it was fascinating. He would take me and we'd go sit in the old dispatch room and he'd take me out to look at the fire trucks." It was at City Hall where Stephan suffered a second heart attack which ended his life. According to The Courier, Stephan suffered a first heart attack on Jan. 14, 1964. He was in the City Engineer's office when the second heart attack struck on March 16, 1964. According to The Courier article, he refused ambulance service and asked Lt. Larry Evans to drive him to his home. En route, Evans radioed for an ambulance and for Dr. Deane Sadler. Both arrived immediately but were unable to save his life. Stephan died at his home in Conroe at age 55 on March 16, 1964. Following Stephan's death, Larry Evans became the second Conroe chief of police. (Bloomberg) -- Yet another outbreak of foodborne illness last week at Chipotle Mexican Grill did what it usually does to the burrito chain: The stock price plummeted. It's bad newsparticularly for the patrons who got sickbut it's a boon for anyone that had the foresight to short the stock. The latest outbreak was first noted by iwaspoisoned.com, a website that crowdsources reports of customer illnesses following visits to restaurants. The goal, it says, is "safer food, safer communities and a healthier economy." Yet, as Bloomberg reported last week, hedge funds looking to profit from others' bad luck can also access a "souped up" version of the site for a $5,000 monthly fee. Aaron Allen, principal at Aaron Allen & Associates, a restaurant industry consultancy, posited in a LinkedIn post on Monday morning that the Chipotle illness might not just be a matter of luck. "A lot of things stacked up that made it suspicious," he told Bloomberg in an interview on Monday, "and when you look at it from a statistical point of view, even more suspicious." His group has no financial interest in the chain, Allen said, and he has previously lauded the chain's pre-scandal marketing. He's not the first to publicly speculate about the possibility that corporate sabotage is behind Chipotle's woes. A similar theorywhich was largely dismissedcirculated two years ago when the chain was hit by outbreaks of E. coli, norovirus, and salmonella. The stock price plummeted at the time, costing the company billions of dollars in market capitalization. While Allen can't prove his theories about Chipotle, he argues that corporate sabotage of a similar nature has happened in the past. A woman planted a severed finger in her Wendy's chili more than a decade ago. In the 1980s, Tylenol capsules were purposely tainted with potassium cyanide, leading to the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area. Plus, there was a lot of money on the table for Chipotle short sellersas much as $459 million, according to Allen's calculationsbefore there were any inklings of a food safety problem. "Chipotle short-sellers saw their ambitions rewarded with $55 million in less than one day," he wrote of the latest scare. Allen said his team, which includes a statistician and food safety experts, found a number of "statistical anomolies." First, he wrote in his post, the time of year raises questions; while 60 percent of food safety outbreaks occur from December to May, Chipotle's happened from August to December. Second, Chipotle experienced four times the number of norovirus outbreaks a chain of its size would be expected to have, and that's not even counting the E. coli and salmonella. And, he notes, significantly more people got sick from each of the outbreaks than normally do from the same pathogens. The average norovirus outbreak causes about 18 illnesses, while salmonella usually leads to about 25. At Chipotle, more than 200 people were sickened from a single August 2015 norovirus outbreak, and 64 fell ill from the same month's salmonella problem. "We're not saying this as a definitive," he said. "But if you were a short seller and you were looking for where there would be the most financial gain in the restaurant industry, the best way is a food safety scare, and the best stock would be Chipotle." Chipotle did not respond to Allen's post but told Bloomberg that it was aware of the 2015 theories. "We ... did not see any evidence to support them," spokesman Chris Arnold said in an email. He also pointed out that the company implemented food safety enhancements after those incidents. "I can tell you unequivocally that none of the 2015 outbreaks were caused by some terrorist or criminal acts," said Bill Marler, a leading food safety attorney who has litigated foodborne illness claims for decades and who represented clients in each of that year's Chipotle outbreaks. "It's conspiratorial nuts." Marler examined the fact patterns in each case and believes they were all caused by the usual suspects: sick employees, failure to pay attention to detail and ready-to-eat food showing up already tainted. He allows that a conspiracy is theoretically possible. "But I don't believe in aliens, or that humans walked the earth with dinosaurs, either," he added. Allen said he's just raising a question about a statistical anomaly, not accusing anyone of purposely poisoning burrito lovers. "It really is one of those situations, like who would put a finger in the chili?" To contact the author of this story: Deena Shanker in New York at dshanker@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Josh Petri at jpetri4@bloomberg.net. 2017 Bloomberg L.P. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Some of the states top scientists will brief state lawmakers this week on a recent report on the effects of oil and gas development. Members of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas released last month the most comprehensive analysis of the environmental and social impacts of drilling and hydraulic fracturing. RELATED: Study of oil and gas drilling finds pollution and connection to earthquakes The Texas House Energy Resources Committee has now invited members of the academys Shale Task Force, which authored the report, to give testimony in Austin. The briefing will focus on overall findings as well as key highlights from the earthquake, water and transportation chapters, in which the task force found that oil and gas production in Texas shale plays, while enriching the state and its residents, also causes earthquakes, contaminates water and even boosts the frequency and severity of traffic collisions as workers and equipment rush to oil fields. The academy said in a statement that it looks forward to sharing the report. We hope this briefing can help lawmakers and others find ways to enhance the positive impacts of shale development while reducing or mitigating negative ones, the academy said. Academy President Gordon England and members of the groups Shale Task Force will brief lawmakers on the report at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Room E2.010 at the Texas Capitol. The hearing will be open to the public and also available via livestream. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, a responsible-drilling and environmental awareness advocacy group created by shale pioneer George Mitchell, paid for some of the research, and donated more money for communications and outreach. Richard Mendoza, Jr. was sentenced to 50 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on February 11, 2013 after a jury convicted him of a murder he committed over 10 years ago. The 28-year-old Fresno man was charged with shooting Christopher Daigle to death in 2002 when both men were only 17. According to Assistant District Attorney Lorretta Owen, Mendoza picked up Daigle on November 7, 2002 along with a 14-year-old friend and Mendozas 15-year-old cousin. He took them to a rural area near Missouri City supposedly to pick mushrooms. After exiting their truck, and when Daigle looked away from the defendant, he shot him in the back of the head with a shotgun. The friend and cousin ran back to the truck and the defendant followed. The next day, Mendoza took the two boys back out to the field and they dragged Daigles body from the open field where he was shot into an area with high grass and shrubs where he was less likely to be seen. With that, Christopher Daigle simply disappeared. Chess Wars on Wednesdays Teens and tweens are invited to join Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd., for chess wars. Every Wednesday through Aug. 2 battle it out on the chessboard starting at 4:15 p.m. Learn basic strategies and techniques to up your chess game. Call 281-492-8592 for information. Learn more about your family's past The Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd., is offering one-on-one instruction on how to use the FamilySearch.org website at 10 a.m. July 26. Learn more about how to get started looking into your family's past and find out where you came from. Call the Maud Marks Library at 281-492-8592 for information. Summer HistoryFridays AT MUSEUM The Fort Bend Museum, 500 Houston St., Richmond is hosting Children's Summer History Fridays for ages 5-12 from 9:30 a.m.-noon. Themes are: July 28: Edwardian Life; Aug. 4: Junior Archeologist; Aug. 11: Around the World in 80 Days; and, Aug. 18: Summer Favorites. The cost is $4 per child for museum members and $6 per child for nonmembers. Parents cost $2 each and must accompany their children during activities. No reservations are needed. Visit www.fortbendmuseum.org for information. Talent showcase LOOKS FOR SINGERS Willow Fork Drainage District is hosting a Talent Showcase and accepting video entries now through Aug. 15. The contest is designed to find the most promising amateur vocalists in Katy and surrounding areas. Vocalists can upload a video performing their favorite song to enter the contest. Friends, family, colleagues and the community can vote for their favorite performance at the WFDD's Facebook contest page. All performances must be G or PG rated. The top four performers per category (7 years of age to 17 years of age and 18 and over) will compete on Sept. 30 (or rain date) in the Talent Showcase at Willow Fork Drainage District's Central Green. Visit http://willowforkdrainagedistrict.com/central-green/ for more information. Social Security answers FOR YOU Wednesday, July 26, Savvy Security Planning: Basic Rules and Claiming Strategies will be presented at Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center, 16600 Pine Forest Lane, Houston. Every day 10,000 baby boomers head into retirement. Some of the questions answered in this presentation: How much can I expect to receive from Social Security? Why does it matter when I apply? And when should I do it? Attend this lecture between 1-2 p.m. Call 713-274-3250 for information. Anime Club forms AT kATY lIBRARY Teens and tweens are invited to the Katy Library from 3-5 p.m. July 28 for the brand-new Anime Club. Get the latest news in the anime world, discuss your favorite manga, watch some anime and play games. Snacks provided. The library is located at 5414 Franz Road, Katy. Call 281-391-3509 or visit www.hcpl.net/location/katy-branch-library for details. Movie Nightsoffered at park Central Green Park, 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Katy, will host Movie Night on July 28. The free featured film will be "The Good Dinosaur," which is rated PG. The movie will start at dusk. Picnic and lawn chairs welcome. Visit www.centralgreenpark.com for details. The featured film for the July 29 Movie Night will be "Monsters Inc.," which is rated G. Jordan Ranch GoES Crazy for Cars Caffeine and classic cars will get motors running, as master-planned Jordan Ranch goes "Crazy for Cars" from 8-11 a.m., Saturday, July 29, at 30757 Jordan Crossing Blvd. in Fulshear. The free car show, sponsored by Houston car club Coffee & Cars, is being held in conjunction with the opening of the first phase of the community's new amenity center, The Shed. When complete, the expansive facility will house a clubhouse, pool and lazy river, fitness center, splash pad, picnic area and playgrounds and event lawn. Coffee & Cars will display a collection of 50 classic and exotic cars at The Shed. In addition, visitors will be treated to a hot and cold coffee bar, tunes spun by a DJ and brunch-themed food trucks such as The Crepe Machine and Arepa Station. Activities for children will include bounce houses. Build-A-Bear donations will be accepted on behalf of Bennett's Bears, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Build-A-Bears to children battling cancer and other diseases. Visit www.jordanranchtexas.com for more information. pLAY Chess Day at Cinco Ranch Chess players of all ages and skill levels from beginners to advanced are invited to practice their strategies and share tips with others at "Chess Day @ the Library" on Saturday, July 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Fort Bend County Libraries' Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd. in Katy. Learn a new chess move (or two) during this come-and-go event. Experienced players will be on hand to provide tips and assistance. A limited number of chess sets will be provided, but players are welcome to bring their own sets as well. Free. Call 281-395-1311 or 281-633-4734 for information. Used book sale HELD BY FRIENDS The Friends of the Maud Marks Library will hold their next book sale on Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a large selection of hardback fiction and nonfiction, as well as children's books and paperbacks. The sale will be at the Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd. Call 281-492-8592 for information. Maverick Theater Co. hosts camp Maverick Theater Company of Morton Ranch High School is organizing a MTC Theatre Summer Camp for Kids at the MRHS Performing Arts Center. The interactive and education theater camp will be for students in grades 3-6. Camp will be offered from 8:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Aug. 1-5. The cost is $175 for the week. Go to http://www.mrhsmavericktheatre.org/mtc-summer-theatre-workshop/ to register. Email brandonkgoodman@katyisd.org for more information. Business Builders Breakfast set Christ Clinic is sponsoring the Aug. 3 Business Builders Breakfast of the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. Networking will begin at 6:45 a.m. and the program at 7 a.m. The event is hosted by Agave Rio, 1138 FM 1463, Katy. Reservations are due by 5 p.m. July 31. Cost is $15 for chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. Visit www.katychamber.com or call 281-391-5289. Free musical performance Central Green Park, 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Katy, will present live music by "In Time" on Aug. 4, starting at 7:45 p.m. Visit www.centralgreenpark.com for details. Fluff & Stuff: Drop Spindle Classes The Fort Bend Museum is offering drop spindle classes in August and September. The dates are Wednesdays, Aug. 9 and Sept. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 5, from 2-4 p.m. The cost is $20 for the general public and $15 for museum members. Join Outreach Coordinator Allison Harrell to learn about the history of the drop spindle and how to use this simple tool to make yarn. The two-hour class is geared for ages 12& and will cover the basics of bottom whorl spindles and prepare you to learn more fiber arts skills such as spinning on a spinning wheel and weaving. Price includes a bottom whorl drop spindle and an ounce of merino wool to take home. Email aharrell@fortbendmuseum.org, visit www.fortbendmuseum.org or call 281-342-6478 for information. Build a Better World: Food Drive The Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd.,will be collecting nonperishable food and personal items throughout the summer for the Katy Christian Ministries Food Pantry. Come in at any time now through Aug. 5 and place a donation in the cardboard box by the summer reading registration desk. Call the library at 281-492-8592 for information. Booklovers invited Fort Bend County Libraries invites booklovers to attend the next meeting of the Cinco Ranch Night Readers book club, on Tuesday, August 15, beginning at 7:00 pm, in the Conference Classroom, at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd. in Katy. The book to be discussed is Scottsboro, a novel written by Ellen Feldman. Copies of the book are available at the checkout desk. Anyone interested in joining this literary-review club is invited to attend. For more information, call the Cinco Ranch Branch Library at 281-395-1311 or the library system's Public Information Office at 281-633-4734. Library open summer hours Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd., is operating on a summer schedule through Aug. 25. Hours will be Mondays: noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays noon-5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The library will be closed on Sundays. Call 281-633-4734 for information. Music on the Patio returns Cross Creek Ranch' Italian Maid Cafe, 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane, has date night covered with the return of the Music on the Patio series. The annual summer concerts take place once a month on Saturdays from 5-7:30 p.m. Planned performances include guitarist Brian Rutledge on Aug. 26. Visit www.italianmaidcafe.com for more information. Breakfast for a Blessing Christ Clinic of Katy will host the sixth annual "Breakfast for a Blessing" Sept. 22 at Omni Houston Hotel at Westside, from 7:30-9 a.m. Guest speaker will be Charles Smith, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Call 832-913-8476 for information. Visit http://weblink.donorperfect.com/BFAB2017 to register online. Book buddiesneeded The Katy Library is looking for adult volunteers for its Book Buddies program this fall from September to November. The free program brings children and adult volunteers together to share the joy of reading. It pairs trained volunteers (Big Buddies) with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grades (Little Buddies). For 10 weeks, the Buddies meet once a week in the afternoon for 45 minutes of one-on-one shared reading. Those 18 and older interested in being at Big Buddy are asked to http://www.hcpl.net/form/book-buddies-adult-volunteer-application-and-agreement to apply. Members of the Katy Fire Department will take your orders and your tips on Friday, July 28, at lunch and dinner to benefit the Special Olympics Texas. Lunch and dinner will be at Los Cucos Mexican Cafe, 5831 Highway Blvd. Law Enforcement Torch Runners from Katy Fire Department will be at the restaurant from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. serving guests and taking donations to help support Houston/Katy area athletes. Special Olympics Texas athletes will greet customers at the door. The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, which began in 1981, is Special Olympics' largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle in the world, according to the group's website. Visit http://www.sotx.org/letr/ for information. This will be the second consecutive year for the department's Tip a Firefighter. Last year the Katy community had an incredible turnout, said Joan Jarrett, associate vice president- development, Special Olympics Texas. "Fifteen firefighters headed by Fire Chief Rusty Wilson and Los Cucos just embraced the event," she said. "Everyone enjoyed the great food and wonderful service from firefighters and got to support Special Olympics Texas," said Jarrett. The greater Houston area has more than 9,900 Special Olympics athletes and one of the largest teams is the Katy Wolf Pack with more than 200 athletes, she said. Katy athletes will be at the event, which will include the sale of T-shirts. Last year, more than $6,000 was donated, which Jarrett called "A tremendously successful first-year event." She added that she's looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday. At the July 24 Katy City Council meeting, councilmen Steve Pierson and Durran C. Dowdle were among those encouraging people to participate in the Friday event and support Special Olympics. "I know a lot of kids are involved in Special Olympics," said Dowdle. "It (Tip a Firefighter) is a great way to support those kids." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Whataburger fans (read: pretty much everyone in Texas) are going crazy over the burger chain's latest contest. Three lucky winners will win custom shoes designed by footwear designer, Jake Danklefs. Participants can enter simply by sharing their custom Whataburger order to social media, or their contest website. WHICH IS BETTER? In-N-Out vs. Whataburger, which would win? The shoes will feature the completely different looks like the iconic orange and white strips, spicy ketchup, and customization stickers, and will not be available for sale. Fans are having a field day sharing their unique orders to Whataburger's social media with the #WhataThoseContest hashtag and sharing just how much they want those shoes. "I need some for when I get married so it can match my tux," said one user. Another person commented that the spicy ketchup shoes are "lit." The contest even has some people contemplating their existence, asking questions like "Why do I want these?" The contest will be taking submissions beginning July 25 through Aug. 6 at midnight. Take a look through the gallery above to see 10 things you probably didn't know about Texas' favorite burger chain. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Renowned higher education leader Ruth Simmons took the helm of Prairie View A&M University this month as interim president. Many in higher education were surprised at the retired university president's decision and were optimistic about Simmons' ability to raise money and improve student outcomes. Some students at the historically black university approached the news differently. At first, they were concerned about whether Simmons understood Prairie View's culture, said student government president Kendric Jones. She was the first black president of Smith College and Brown University before retiring in 2012. "Is she trying to turn us into Texas A&M?" Jones recalls his peers asking. "Does she even know how an HBCU works?" HoustonChronicle.com: Ruth Simmons tapped as Prairie View's interim president The questions, he said, make sense. "We're different from a Harvard or Princeton," Jones said. "Or even a Spelman," the elite all-women's historically black college in Atlanta where Simmons was once provost. Jones said he has endorsed Simmons to some skeptical peers: "She's here, 100 percent," he said. "She's student-driven." Prairie View rejects about 15 percent of undergraduate applicants each year. Brown last spring accepted just 8.3 percent. About two-thirds of Prairie View undergraduates receive Pell Grants, which benefit low-income students. The median family income of a Brown student is more than $200,000, the New York Times reported. Prairie View is a historically black university. In fall 2015, less than 7 percent of students at Brown were black. Simmons, a Houston native who attended a historically black university as an undergraduate, said in an interview this summer that Prairie View students who perform well "can go all the way to the top," a message she wanted to share with students. HoustonChronicle.com: Prairie View A&M University president to step down Students hope Simmons will build up Prairie View's African-American studies program and on-campus research, Jones said. Jones said he was blown away by Simmons from their first meeting. She knew his name and what he did on campus -- and even that he served as a member of the City Council of Prairie View, he recalled. He recalled "a sense of prestige" he felt when meeting her for the first time. But he said he appreciated her attempts to be down to earth. The first time he called her "Dr. Simmons," she corrected him, he said. "Ruth." "She's very firm on that," Jones said. "Now, I try to avoid saying her name." July 7 An officer was dispatched to 9000 South Loop W., Houston, to meet with Bellaire P.D. officers and pick up a subject in custody with West University warrants. The female subject was taken into custody and then transferred to West University Jail facility and booked without incident. July 8 An officer observed a vehicle in the 5900 block of Buffalo Speedway traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. The officer initiated a traffic stop and upon further investigation, it was discovered the driver had multiple warrants. The driver was subsequently arrested for the warrants. July 9 At 10:36 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle with expired registration in the 5400 block of Buffalo Speedway. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle for the violation. Upon contact with the driver it was discovered the driver was operating the vehicle with a suspended license. Subsequently, the driver was taken into custody for driving while license suspended. An officer was dispatched to the 6300 block of Westchester in regards to a package theft that occurred on 07/08/2017. July 10 An officer was dispatched the West U PD Lobby in reference to an identity theft that had already occurred. An officer was dispatched to the 3100 block of Nottingham in regards to identity theft. July 11 An officer observed a vehicle at the intersection of 3700 Sunset and 5600 Auden fail to indicate a right hand turn within the required distance. A traffic stop was conducted. As contact was made with the driver, an odor of marijuana was detected coming from inside the vehicle. The driver was detained and was in fact, found to be in possession of marijuana. It was discovered the subject was eligible to participate in the Harris County Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program and was released at the scene after completing the required paper work. An officer was dispatched to the West U Municipal Court to take a subject into custody who wanted to turn himself in for an unpaid traffic ticket. The subject was subsequently taken into custody and booked in the city of West University Place jail without further incident. At 11:10 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the 5400 block of Buffalo Speedway with an expired registration. A traffic stop was conducted in the 3100 block of Sunset Blvd and after further investigation; the driver was arrested for the offense of Driving While License Invalid. A seriously injured Dallas couple is seeking more than $1 million from a body shop that did shoddy work on their Honda, according to a lawsuit. Matthew Seebachan, 33, and his wife Marcia were nearly killed on Dec. 21, 2013, when their 2010 Honda Fit was struck by another car on US 281 in Burnet County, according to court documents filed in Dallas County District Court. The community is invited to tour two model suites at the Augusta Pines location of Avanti Senior Living which is due to open this fall in Spring. Open-house events for the model suites are scheduled on July 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and July 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. People may also view the model suites by setting up an appointment. In addition, Avanti Senior Living at Augusta Pines will host a free event on the fourth Monday of every month from 4 to 6 p.m. called "Martini Mondays." To RSVP for one of the open houses or an upcoming Martini Monday social hour, email helloaugustapines@avanti-sl.com. For more information, visit: http://avanti-sl.com/ or call 281-966-5788. "We pride ourselves on delivering communities which change the negative paradigm of senior housing that people are accustomed to. This is senior living like people have never seen before," said Lori Alford, COO and co-founder of Avanti Senior Living. She said the models "feature rich wood finishes, stainless steel appliances, large windows and closets." The community will provide 50 assisted living and 40 memory care suites, a state-of-the-art wellness center with ballet barre and fitness equipment, a theater area and a full-service salon and spa offering relaxation therapy, aromatherapy, hair styling, manicures and pedicures. The 77,000-square-foot community will also offer a fully-functional art studio with natural light and a stone wall on which the residents can display their artwork. The community and resident suites will boast plush carpets, plentiful windows, walk-in closets, oversized showers, stone countertops, upgraded finishes, storage space as well as other signature features, said Alford. "Not only will attendees get to experience the design firsthand, they will have the opportunity to learn about our 'A-List,' which gives prospective residents significant savings, priority selection of floor plans and notifications of upcoming special events," said Alford. Avanti Senior Living owns, develops and operates senior living communities. Avanti, launched in 2013, is based in The Woodlands. Avanti senior living communities will initially be built in Texas, Florida and Louisiana. Then, the company will move into other markets nationwide. Each community will have 90-150 one- and two- bedroom suites. A reporter for ABC-13 Eyewitness News has been appointed press secretary for the Houston Independent School District, according to a news release from the district. Tracy Clemons, who joined Houston's ABC affiliate in 2014, begins his new job on July 24. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tango Blast is considered the greatest gang threat in Texas, according to a new report, while a previous powerhouse the Texas Syndicate has been downgraded from the top tier because of disruptions from law enforcement and Tango affiliates. The other most significant gangs in Texas are Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia and Mara Salvatrucha known as MS-13 according to the 2017 Texas Gang Threat Assessment from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The report, released Tuesday, estimates that as many of 100,000 gang members operate in Texas. Officials believe Tango Blast, with more than 19,000 members, is the state's largest. EXPLOSIVE ARSENAL: New Generation Jalisco Cartel is reportedly turning to IEDs Story continues below... Harris County is identified among the areas with the highest concentration of gang activity. The top gangs in the region are the Houstone, a Tango Blast clique, all sets of Bloods and Crips, as well as the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. The data included in the 60-page assessment highlights events in 2015 and 2016. The last unclassified version of the report available to the public was released in 2015, said DPS spokesman Tom Vinger. Tango Blast, Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia and MS-13 remain Tier 1 gangs because they "continue to pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, consistent transnational criminal activity, statewide presence and a high propensity for violence" among other factors. OUT OF STATE: Texas most wanted fugitive, Bloods gang member arrested in Michigan The Texas Syndicate a prison gang that operates inside and outside of penitentiaries and long considered one of the most violent in Texas, has been downgraded to a Tier 2 threat. The gang was ranked a Tier 1 organization since 2010. The report also upgraded the threat ranking of the Aryan Circle gang from Tier 3 to Tier 2 because of documented association with Mexican cartels. Current intelligence on the outlook for gang activity includes the "unique threat" of gangs working with Mexican cartels to facilitate the smuggling of people, drugs and weapons around the state with a special emphasis on sex trafficking because of "large and sustainable profits and the perceived low risk of detection by law enforcement." NABBED: Two Texas 'Most Wanted' fugitives, sex offender and gang member, arrested same day The state intelligence estimate was produced by the Texas Joint Crime Information Center, a part of DPS, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. Click through above to see how state officials ranked Texas' most dangerous gangs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Houston man long suspected in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old youth has been charged in the shooting after confessing in prison. Juan Rojas Jr., 33, admitted to the 2009 killing of Avilio Martinez during a visit with Houston homicide detectives at the state prison near Wichita Falls, where he is serving out a 42-year sentence for his third conviction on domestic violence. "Rojas told me that he wanted to confess to the murder of Avilio Martinez," Detective Jesus Sosa wrote in a sworn statement that was used to charge Rojas with murder. "Rojas told me that several people were involved with the murder of Avilio Martinez but that he was the one who actually shot and killed Avilio." Martinez was shot to death Dec. 5, 2009, at a southwest Houston apartment complex while he visited with his girlfriend. Rojas, who was 25 at the time, was charged with murder in 2010 but prosecutors dropped the case the following year for lack of evidence. Detectives renewed their interest after Rojas wrote a letter confessing to the crime. Rojas was convicted of assaulting his now ex-wife in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The final conviction led to the 42-year sentence. He also had prior convictions for drug possession and two home burglaries, the first of which happened in 2002, when he was 18. If convicted of murder, Rojas could face up to life in prison. He does not yet have an attorney listed in court records who could be reached for comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Houston Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Houston Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Houston Police Department Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Houston police are seeking help identifying a man caught on surveillance video who is suspected in a double shooting earlier this month that left one man dead in southwest Houston. Images from the video show a man with short, dark hair wearing a black T-shirt. A former assistant choir director in Katy ISD must spend 20 days in jail and 10 years on probation after admitting to videotaping at least six students undressing in a changing room at school last year. Clarence Appleby III, 29, of Katy, landed in the Harris County jail late Monday after pleading guilty to two charges in exchange for deferred adjudication probation. Appleby was arrested in October after a 17-year old student found a camera in a closet that was used as a changing room at Mayde Creek High School. SAY CHEESE: Texas teacher smiles in mugshot after arrest for alleged improper relationship with student The instructor told the teen to try on an assortment of choir gowns in the closet without her undergarments because he wanted to see the gowns "without lines," court records show. While trying on the gowns, the teen saw a wireless camera filming her and took it. Appleby confronted the teen after she left and asked if she had "stolen" something, court records show. The girl gave the camera back, and the teacher took her into a classroom where he uploaded the video from the camera's memory card to a computer and showed the girl the video of her changing. He then deleted the memory card and gave it to her telling her the videos were gone. She reported the situation to school officials and police. Investigators seized Appleby's computer and found thumbnail images and cropped photos of at least six teens undressing in that closet. They found a total of 186 images. NOT JUST TEXAS: Ex-teacher, 24, allegedly had sex with 17-year-old student many times On at least one video, music and announcements in the background showed that he was making a teenage girl undress on camera on May 24, 2016, during the school's "Senior Walk," a tradition in which seniors don their caps and gown to walk the halls handing out high-fives and handshakes. Senior Walks also involve seniors going to elementary schools to inspire youngsters to complete their studies. Investigators were able to identify at least six different female students changing clothes on camera, court records show, and at least one was filmed clearly without undergarments. Many of the images investigators found had been cropped to zoom in on the teens, records show. They also show Appleby in different shirts indicating the episodes happened on different days. They also show him directing the girls to stand in one part of the closet, presumably so they would be most exposed, records show. SENTENCED: Ex-teacher sentenced to 15 years for abusing student at Heights elementary school They did not appear to know they were being filmed, investigators said in court records. Appleby was fired by the Katy Independent School District after the allegations arose in October. On Monday, according to court records, he pleaded guilty to attempted sexual performance of a child, a state jail felony with a maximum of sentence of two years behind bars. He will have to register as a sex offender. If he successfully completes the probation, he will not have a conviction on his record. If he violates probation, state District Judge Katherine Cabaniss can sentence him to the maximum. As part of the plea deal, he admitted guilt for the misdemeanor of attempted improper photography and was sentenced to 20 days Harris County Jail for that offense. A state Supreme Court decision this week on Houston's 2015 term limit referendum all but ensures city voters will not see the November mayoral election plaintiffs were hoping to trigger. The Texas Supreme Court on Monday denied plantiffs' attempts to expedite their case challenging the ballot language that lengthened city officials' terms two years ago, making it unlikely the matter will be resolved before the state's August 21 deadline to order a fall election. Eric Gay/STF AUSTIN -- Gov. Greg Abbott has agreed to meet with mayors from around Texas who are frustrated with the governor's special session agenda and his accusation that cities are threatening the "Texas brand." Last week, Abbott in a speech the day before the special session started, told a conservative policy advocacy group that local governments are infringing on property rights, increase regulations and growing taxes -- all "California-like" policies that he said threatens the Texas brand. Getty Images AUSTIN -- Both the House and Senate have approved the one must-pass bill of the special session, but it's a long way from heading to the governor, according to the House sponsor. The House passed House Bill 1 on a 147-0 vote Tuesday morning, agreeing to keep open the Texas Medical Board and five other agencies that oversee therapists and other medical workers. Lawmakers expect to have little trouble passing a bill to fund the agencies this week. Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle AUSTIN --Texas' top cops, usually on the opposite side of the protest line at public rallies, are crossing over. A new push by business groups and other advocacy groups to derail passage of a bathroom bill will include a number of law enforcement leaders, including Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Harris County Sheriffs Department Assistant Chief Debra Schmidt, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley and Austin Police Sgt. Dawn Hansen, an executive board member of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, a leading police group, This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN -- The Texas Senate is close to passing a limited school voucher plan for special needs students, one of Gov. Greg Abbott's declared priorities during the 30-day special session. Senators by a 19-12 vote gave preliminary approval to the plan Monday and are scheduled to pass the bill out of the Senate as early as Tuesday. Under Senate Bill 2, the state would create tax credit scholarships that would help subsidize private school tuition. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, would set aside $60 million for the program. He said that would pay for 6,000 students to get up to $10,000 each to help pay for the cost of going to a private school. During the nearly three-hour floor debate, Taylor said most parents of special needs students in public schools appear to be happy, but there are some that would like to trying something else that might be better for their child. "It's for those students who are not getting their needs met," Taylor said. He said it's about making sure parents have the ultimate say into what is best for children. Critics have argued that Taylor's bill is an attempt to eventually expand school vouchers to cover more students, something they worry will take funding away from public schools. While the measure is set to clear the Senate, it faces a tougher journey in the Texas House of Representatives, where lawmakers have been less supportive of the concept. AUSTIN -- With the Texas Senate speeding ahead like an express train to pass all 20 bills on the governor's agenda for the special legislative session, the House is taking a much slower approach. Slow-walking, it is called. The technique can be somewhat od an art form at the Texas Capitol, for sure, used during legislative sessions for eons to kill controversial bills by pushing their final approval to the end when final deadlines prevent their further consideration. Or, as House leaders explain it, they are just taking a more deliberate and reasoned approach to passing important legislation. Either way, here's how the much-talked-about process works: After bills are filed, they can be held up for weeks by leaders in either chamber, sometimes for weeks, before they are assigned to a committee. A committee chair can delay a public hearing or a vote on a bill, again for weeks. Then, leaders can delay bringing it up for debate and a vote before the full chamber. Even final passage of a bill can be delayed by parliamentary maneuvers. During the debate, the words "Let's slow this down a bit, members" generally signals that a delay in final passage is often imminent -- even though seasoned lawmakers point out that often, new issues will arise in a detailed discussion that could improve a bill or, sometimes, highlight a reason the measure should not be passed at all. The current special session has started off faster in the Senate then in the House,. two separate legislative chambers that historically work at different paces. Right after the special session started, the Senate suspended most all of its rules to schedule 13 committee meetings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to pass bills, a rare maneuver to expedite their passage. By Monday, just a week into the session, those committees had passed 18 of the 20 bills out of its committees so they can be considered for votes by the full Senate this week. Among those bills was the so-called "sunset" legislation to keep the Texas Medical Board in operation past this year. Passage of that bill was the initial reason Abbott called the Legislature into special session. In the House, the House passed that bill out of committee last week and it was initially approved by the full House on Monday. Final approval is expected in coming days. While the clubby 31-member Senate can and does suspend its rules regarding the scheduling of committee hearings and floor votes, so bills can be expedited, it is much more difficult to do so in the 150-member House. The different speeds at which the two legislative chambers approach their business is historic, creating a hurry-up-and-wait tension that could be seen during the regular session that ended in May. Bills can die if they are not considered or voted on until the end of a legislative session -- regular or special -- when deadlines kick in to prevent their consideration or passage. That's where slow-walking can pay off for opponents of controversial bills. In the current special session, if the Senate quickly sends all of its priority bills to the House, where House Speaker Joe Straus has been much less supportive of passing them all, many could get whacked by the lower chamber's slower pace. While the Senate has quickly ginned up its committees to shoot the bills through, the House has not. By Monday, House committee consideration of bills has been moving ahead much more slowly. For all his bluster about demanding lawmakers passing every bill on his agenda, even calling lawmakers "lazy" a month ago if they didn't, Gov. Greg Abbott has little to say about the pace. That's up to lawmakers. The only thing Abbott can do is to call lawmakers back into another 30-day special session if the current one doesn't fulfill his expectations. Despite faster pace in the Senate, some Democratic senators on Monday employed another technique often used to slow-walk bills: Asking a lot of questions, proposing a lot of amendments, to slow the pace of the inevitable approval of a bill. By doing so, that will delay their arrival and consideration in the House. One thing is certain: If time is no friend to last-minute bill passing in regular 140-day sessions, it is even less so in the 30-day special sessions. 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. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. When Moon Yun Pellerins parents bought a 27th-floor apartment in a high-rise overlooking Waikiki about 15 years ago, they didnt realize the wave-shaped building had no fire sprinklers. We didnt even consider it, Pellerin said. But a week after a massive fire broke out one floor below her apartment, killing three neighbors, Pellerin and her family definitely want sprinklers installed even if it means spending thousands of dollars. The Marco Polo Apartments were built in 1971, before sprinklers became mandatory for new construction in Honolulu. Despite local lawmakers efforts to require older buildings to install sprinkler systems, officials estimate about 300 high-rises on Oahu still lack the fire prevention measure. Across the United States, cities have a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that werent required when the towers were first built. Many including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited. But after Honolulus deadly July 14 fire, some question whether financial concerns outweigh the potential for tragedy. Heres a look at how the sprinkler debate is playing out in several U.S. cities: HONOLULU In the infernos aftermath, Honolulus fire chief said sprinklers would have contained the blaze to the unit where it started, possibly saving the lives of those who died in nearby apartments. Mayor Kirk Caldwell introduced a bill a few days later that would require all high-rises to have sprinklers, even older ones. I dont know what its going to take for apartment owners as well as associations to see the value of human life, said Hawaii state Sen. Glenn Wakai, who plans to introduce legislation offering homeowners incentives to install sprinkler systems. The fire was not the first one at the 36-story Marco Polo building and not the first time the question of installing sprinklers has come up. After a 2013 fire, the buildings association asked an engineering firm for cost estimates to replace the fire alarm system and install sprinklers. The company concluded it would be about $8,000 per unit to install sprinklers, or about $4.5 million for the whole building. Sprinklers were never installed. Its a tough issue for these associations because they are grappling with a lot of different costs, said Evan Fujimoto, president of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. When youre dealing with an association, you might have 500 different people. How do you get people to agree on it? Constraints on city and state budgets also play a role. Wakai first introduced legislation in 2005 after another deadly fire, proposing incentives that would cover 35 percent of the cost. But the budget was tight, and the bill ultimately failed after the incentive was reduced to just 5 percent. SAN FRANCISCO A pair of deadly 2015 fires in San Francisco prompted city leaders to look at requiring automatic sprinklers in older residential buildings. But the idea faltered after landlords and officials raised concerns about the cost and logistics. The sprinklers work we know that but the problem is, youve got these old buildings, and its expensive, and theres going to be resistance on the part of the landlords, said Tommi Avicolli Mecca, director of counseling programs at the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. In 1993, San Francisco required that high-rise commercial buildings and tourist hotels be retrofitted with sprinklers, but the mandate excluded residential and historical buildings. CHICAGO In Chicago, a fire that killed six people at a downtown county government building in 2003 prompted officials to enact a host of safety measures. Just weeks after the fire, in which victims died in stairwells after doors locked behind them, the City Council passed an ordinance requiring that the doors of the high-rises remain unlocked. Two years later, the city passed what is called the Life Safety Evaluation Ordinance, which requires residential buildings 80 feet (24 meters) or higher that were built before 1975 to be equipped with various safety features such as voice communication systems and fire-rated doors and frames in stairways. But it does not require them to retroactively install sprinklers. The city requires most of its older commercial buildings to be retrofitted with sprinklers, but not residential buildings. NEW YORK: New York City requires sprinkler systems in new construction and in older commercial towers. But it mandates residential high-rises to retroactively install sprinklers only if they undergo significant renovations or change the buildings use, according to the citys Department of Buildings. Alan Schulkin, 68, lives in a 39-story building in Manhattans Tribeca neighborhood that was built in the 1970s and does not have sprinklers. If (sprinklers) save lives and theres one fire, of course its worth it, Schulkin said. DALLAS The city of Dallas said the fire department has 89 high-rise residential structures on record, and 23 have some but not complete sprinkler coverage. Three residential high-rise buildings in the city have no sprinklers at all, though they met the requirements of building and fire codes in effect when they were constructed, according to officials. If a structures occupancy use stays the same, and the building has had no significant renovations, the requirements of the code under which it was built continue to stand, the city said. (Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu, Karen Matthews in New York, Janie Har in San Francisco, Don Babwin in Chicago and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. New Mexicos top insurance regulator said Thursday he would not put a freeze on insurance provider payments to investors and parent companies while auditors investigate how much the state is owed in unpaid premium taxes. New Mexico Insurance Superintendent John Franchini said he has so far declined a request from the state auditor to suspend approval of certain dividend payments by insurance providers. State Auditor Tim Keller has urged insurance regulators to pause the dividend approvals as a precaution while authorities await results of an independent audit of unpaid premium taxes dating back to 2000. Kellers chief of staff reiterated the advice Thursday at a meeting of a committee that oversees the insurance superintendent. A preliminary audit turned up at least $193 million in possible underpayments by five top insurance companies. As recent as the spring of 2017, the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance approved millions of dollars of dividend requests from insurance companies, Keller wrote to Franchini last week. On July 11, Franchini requested that the State Auditors Office provide supporting documentation to fully address any potential concerns and discuss possible remedies. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas sued one of the states largest healthcare companies, saying that it underpaid its taxes by tens of millions of dollars over a 15-year period. Officials with the Presbyterian health network dispute the allegations, saying they have been audited numerous times and have been working with state regulators to determine their tax liability. At least two other insurance providers have been notified of unpaid premium taxes, under notices that were later rescinded by the superintendents office pending further review. A new audit of insurance premium taxes dating back to 2000 is underway to determine what the state may be owed by specific companies, with results due out at the end of September. The audit is designed to examine companies with annual premium tax obligations of $1 million or more addressing roughly 90 percent of the state insurance market. Keller is a candidate for mayor of Albuquerque in October elections. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - In November, Brecksville voters will decide the future of the former McDonald's restaurant and determine if the city's new police station should have extra space. City Council last week placed two rezoning issues on the November ballot. One would allow Petros Development Corp. in Broadview Heights to bring a new business, possibly a financial institution or medical office, to the former McDonald's property. The other would let the city add 1 acre to the police station site. Both sites are on the west side of Brecksville Road, just south of Arlington Street. Hamburger zone The Brecksville Road McDonald's, which first opened in the 1970's, closed permanently last year after a new McDonald's was built on Ohio 82 at Interstate 77 in Broadview Heights. According to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office website, Petros bought the McDonald's Brecksville property, consisting of three parcels, on June 5 for $560,000. At a June 8 Brecksville Planning Commission meeting, Sam Petros, chairman of Petros Development, said his firm would like to renovate the vacant restaurant or raze the building and start over. He said he has not yet identified a tenant but a financial institution and medical business have expressed interest. However, one of the three McDonald's parcels, which measure a total of nearly 2 acres, is zoned for single-family homes. Parts of the other two parcels are also zoned single-family residential. The city, as part of a 1977 court settlement, allowed McDonald's to build a parking lot on the residential portion of the property by granting a "conditional-use permit," according to Petros and city documents. However, the conditional-use permit expired once McDonald's vacated the site. Further, in 1995, voters amended municipal code to prohibit driveways into, and parking lots on, any use not permitted in a given zoning district. That means any new business on the former McDonald's property cannot use the existing parking lot, or the driveway leading into the parking, lot, because the lot is officially zoned residential. Petros hopes voters will clean up that mess by rezoning the residential portions of the land into a business district so that it will match the remainder of the McDonald's site. Substation nation Meanwhile, the city wants to add a former FirstEnergy substation parcel to its proposed new police station site immediately to the south. Mayor Jerry Hruby has said the city would use the 1-acre substation property - which the city bought for $70,000 from FirstEnergy in 2015 - for storm-water management and parking. However, the city first needs voters to rezone the substation lot from single-family usage to a community-facilities district, which would match the zoning of the police station site. In March, council voted to borrow $8 million to build the new police station, which will include a regional dispatch center. Hruby has said in the past that Brecksville has outgrown its existing station, which is part of City Hall. The Police Department had about 12 officers when the station was built in the early 1970's. Now, the department employs about 30 officers, plus dispatchers and jailers. Hruby said the former substation property is essentially unusable due to a stream running through the lot. The same stream, which the city plans to leave as is, also passes through the police-station site. Hruby said that since the stream runs north and downhill, the city will use it to carry storm water off the police station property and onto the substation lot. AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron shooting suspect was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in West Virginia Monday evening after ramming two deputy marshals' cars with his own vehicle while trying to flee, officials said. Spencer Hackney, 30, smashed into the deputy marshals' cars during a chase when they tried to arrest Hackney after tracking him to Huntington, about 240 miles south of Akron, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. The deputy marshals were uninjured and Hackney was apprehended, Elliott said. Hackney may face additional charges for his actions on Monday evening, the marshal said. Spencer Hackney and his brother Christopher Hackney were being sought on warrants for felonious assault charges. They are accused of shooting at a 19-year-old several times on Thursday night on Amherst Street near Bowdoin Lane in the city's Summit Lake neighborhood. Police said the shooting happened after an argument with an acquaintance of the Hackneys. Elliott said authorities are still looking for Christopher Hackney. Anyone with information on Christopher Hackney's whereabouts can call the Akron police detective bureau at (330) 375-2490; the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-866-4-WANTED; or the Summit County Crimestoppers Inc. at (330) 434-COPS. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, OHIO - The city of Columbus is getting a rebate check for $14.9 million. Cleveland is receiving $4.7 million. Cleveland schools are getting $2.3 million. Akron - $1.5 million. The money is from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, which earlier this year determined it had enough cash on hand to return $1.1 billion in insurance premiums to public and private employers. Search our database to see how much money the local governments in your area are receiving. The payments began to go out earlier this month. to load this Caspio Cities, schools and other employers across Ohio are receiving rebates for workers' compensation premiums combined at more than $1 billion. The specific amounts for private employers, accounting for about 88 percent of the rebates, are not included in the database because the amounts are not public record. The state had extra money in its workers' compensation fund primarily because of two factors, the bureau said. Investment returns have been strong and the amount paid out in claims has been low, in part because of improved on-the-job safety. Refunds also were made in 2013 and 2014. The bureau's most recent annual report, for the year ending in June 2016, shows that the bureau paid out $580.3 million in medical benefits and $1.02 billion in compensation. The $1 billion in rebates being delivered over several weeks are roughly equal to two-thirds of the amount the bureau receives in premiums each year. After the rebates are paid, the bureau will have close to $9 billion on hand, a spokeswoman said. Here are the top 10 recipients among public employers: Columbus - $14.9 million. Cleveland - $4.7 million. Toledo - $2.7 million. Columbus schools - $2.6 million. Cleveland schools - $2.3 million. Cuyahoga County - $2.1 million. Lucas County - $1.6 million. Akron - $1.5 million. Dayton - $1.3 million. Hamilton County - $1.1 million. Statewide, 3,719 public employers will receive $135.7 million. This includes $19.8 million for governments and other public employers, such as charter schools, based in Cuyahoga County. The rest of the top 10 in Cuyahoga County, after Cleveland, the Cleveland schools and Cuyahoga County, are: Cleveland Metroparks - $513,546. Cleveland Heights - $492,303. Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools - $377,201. Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County - $358,790 Euclid - $331,126. Parma - $282,464. Euclid schools - $275,789. Note: an earlier version had the incorrect amount for Cleveland in one part of the story. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Not to be outdone by Disney's Star Wars-themed land, Galaxy's Edge, Universal will open a new thrill ride of its own based on a blockbuster franchise in 2019. The roller coaster will be based on the "Harry Potter" series of films and located within the Potter-themed land, Hosgmeade, at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Florida. In its announcement Monday, Universal said the attraction will "be one of the most highly-themed coaster experiences" the park has ever created. "It will combine a new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure... and a few surprises along the way." "This ride is going to redefine the category and transport you to thrilling places, drawing you into even more exciting adventures within the wizarding world," Universal wrote in a blog post. The new ride, still unnamed, will be built on the current site of the Dragon Challenge, one of the park's original roller coasters, once called Dueling Dragons, that was retrofitted to blend in with its surroundings in 2010. Dragon Challenge will close September 4. Universal has two wildly popular Wizarding World lands at its Orlando resort, which visitors can travel back and forth aboard the Hogwarts Express. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Barring a rare last-minute intervention, Akron child killer Ronald Phillips will be put to death Wednesday morning at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville. Phillips was convicted of raping and beating to death 3-year-old Sheila Marie Evans, the daughter of his girlfriend, in 1993. Phillips, now 43, has evaded the executioner several times, most recently because of lawsuits challenging Ohio's lethal injection execution method. He's scheduled to die at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the state's "death house" with a new three-drug lethal injection cocktail. If successful, the execution could clear the way for as many as 26 more in the next three years. Phillips' execution would be Ohio's first since January 2014, when Dennis Maguire took an unusually long 26 minutes to die by a new combination of lethal injection drugs. Since then, state officials have struggled to obtain the drugs, revised the protocol and fought a lawsuit from death-row inmates. But the state won on appeal and, without a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction officials have been moving forward with Phillips' execution. Meanwhile, death penalty opponents have called on Gov. John Kasich to hold off on all executions until the lawsuit is heard on its merits or until reforms are made to ensure innocent men and women are kept off death row. Kasich has shown no sign of doing that. 'Worst of the worst' Sheila Marie Evans had been in Phillips' care on the day she died, Jan. 18, 1993. She was taken to Akron Children's Hospital and later died there. The Summit County coroner determined she died as the result of beatings to her abdomen over several days. The coroner identified 125 bruises on her body and said Sheila would have suffered from intense abdominal pain, been unable to eat, vomited and been listless in the days before her death. A final beating on the morning of Jan. 18 caused part of her small intestine to rupture. The coroner also determined Sheila had been anally raped several times, including the day she died. Phillips confessed to hitting the girl, throwing her against the walls and dragging her by her hair that day and to raping her on previous occasions. Sheila's mother, Fae Evans, was sentenced to 13 to 15 years in prison for child endangering and involuntary manslaughter and died in 2008. Kasich declined clemency for Phillips in 2013 and earlier this year, both times at the recommendation of the Ohio Parole Board. The board said Phillips' crime was "among the worst of the worst capital crimes." "Its depravity is self-evident. Words cannot convey the barbarity of the crime. It is simply unconscionable," the board stated in its 2013 report. Several delays Phillips' execution has been postponed several times. The day before his November 2013 execution date, Kasich granted Phillips a reprieve so he could explore donating his organs including giving his mother a kidney. Phillips missed the state deadline to donate the kidney, and the prisons department turned down his request to donate organs after his death. His mother has since died. The next man executed after Phillips, McGuire, was the first and last to be killed using a new two-drug cocktail: midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a morphine derivative. McGuire gasped and coughed for 26 minutes once the drugs were intravenously administered, according to witnesses. McGuire's family and other death-row inmates sued the state. Other states including Oklahoma, Arizona and Alabama also had problematic executions using midazolam, a sedative commonly used for dental and other minor procedures. Arizona has since pledged not to use the drug. Eight of the 14 executions carried out this year have used midazolam. Ohio legislators in 2014 passed a law granting secrecy to compounding pharmacies that mix execution drugs in the hopes of obtaining pentobarbital, which the state used for years before the drug manufacturer stopped making it available for use in executions. But it didn't help. Court battles The U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 OK'd states' use of midazolam, which critics say is too weak to mask the pain of drugs used to stop the inmate's heart and breathing. In October 2016, Ohio officials announced a new three-drug cocktail of midazolam, rocuronium bromide and potassium chloride. Death penalty opponents challenged the new combo in court, arguing it would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bans cruel and unusual punishment. A federal magistrate in Dayton said the use of midazolam as the first drug will create a "substantial risk of serious harm" and granted a preliminary injunction while the case went to trial. A three-judge panel at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court and barred the state from using potassium chloride or a paralytic because the state had said in 2009 it wouldn't use those drugs. But the full 6th Circuit sided with the state. Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote in the majority opinion that "some risk of pain 'is inherent in any method of execution -- no matter how humane.'" Phillips and the next two inmates to die, Gary Otte and Raymond Tibbetts, appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court last week. In an amicus brief filed Monday, a group of 15 pharmacologists said midazolam was "unsuitable" for executions because it is "incapable of inducing unconsciousness and cannot prevent the infliction of severe pain." In a second appeal, Phillips' attorneys argue he should be spared because of his age, 19, at the time of the murder. The Ohio Supreme Court bars executions of juveniles under age 18; Phillips' appeal argues the age should be 21. The high court denied Phillips' requests late Tuesday evening. Reputation at stake Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said Wednesday that Ohio's reputation is at stake. The research group does not take a position on the death penalty but has been critical of its application. Dunham said Ohio had been acting responsibly by delaying executions while the lawsuits went through the courts. But Dunham said continuing the use of midazolam despite concerns while failing to take up the state death penalty task force's recommendations is reckless. The anti-death penalty group Ohioans to Stop Executions delivered more than 100,000 signatures to Kasich's office in the past week, urging him to stop all 27 executions scheduled through 2020. In lawsuit briefings, prison officials said they have enough drugs to execute several inmates. "Nobody else in the North has come anywhere close to executing anybody recently," Dunham said. "It would more cast Ohio as an outlier -- not only regionally but nationally." Resolution for victim's family Sheila Marie Evans' family has been waiting 24 years for a resolution. Family members pleaded with the parole board to let the execution move forward to bring the family closure. At the December clemency hearing, Renee Mundell said her half sister's violent death settled her own confusion about the death penalty. "I lost the chance to watch my sister grow, to be part of her life," Mundell said. "She was taken from all the love we could have given her by a self-centered, unfeeling and unimaginable act." CLEVELAND, Ohio - The number of air travelers coming and going out of Cleveland Hopkins international Airport jumped about 11 percent between June 2016 and last month, the airport says. In June, nearly 90,000 more passengers traveled through Hopkins compared to June 2016, a release from the airport states. About 880,000 people were at the airport at one point, and more than 825,000 of those passengers were "origin and destination" passengers, meaning Cleveland was their home base. About 4.3 million travelers have traveled through the airport so far in 2017 - up 250,000, or 5.4 percent, compared to last year, the airport said. "The airlines see the demand in Cleveland, and they are responding by adding service to the places passengers want to go," airport director Robert Kennedy said in a statement. "We already know of a 10 percent increase in airline seats for 2017 over 2016, which speaks to the strength of the Cleveland marketplace, and we anticipate more announcements before the end of 2017." Recently, the airport has added flight service to a variety of destinations on different airlines. Southwest Airlines now flies from Cleveland to Atlanta; Spirit Airlines will take you to New Orleans and Frontier Airlines has service from Cleveland to San Diego, Charlotte, Houston and Minneapolis. Soon, Frontier Airlines will fly to Miami, and Southwest will fly to Milwaukee from Cleveland, the airport says. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man who failed to pay $10 for yard work was shot Saturday after two men tried to collect on the debt, police say. The 38-year-old victim suffered a gunshot wound to his hip and a possible leg fracture in the shooting that happened at his home on East 71st Street near Harvard Avenue in the South Broadway neighborhood. The man told police that he agreed to pay $20 to two men who cut his grass on Thursday. He only had $10 at the time, so he told the pair to return on Saturday for the rest of their payment, according to a Cleveland police report. The duo returned to the house around 5:30 p.m. Saturday with a third man. They pounded and pulled on the man's screen door until he came downstairs and found the door damaged, the report says. He told the men he would no longer pay them because he'd have to spend money to fix the door, the report says. The third man told the pair to pull out their gun, the report says. One of the yard workers flashed a semi-automatic pistol and fired a single round as the victim tried to close his door, the report says. The bullet went through the door and hit him in the hip. Paramedics found him injured on a staircase and took him to MetroHealth for treatment, the report says. Police are investigating, but haven't announced any arrests in the case. The victim knew at least one of the men because he had hired him for odd jobs in the past, the report says. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two Kent State University students matched on the dating app Tinder three years ago. Tuesday, they met for the first time on Good Morning America. Michelle Arendas, 21, and Josh Avsec, 22, first matched in September 2014, and since then had a joke about why it took so long to respond to each other's messages. Michelle started the it, replying two months late to Josh's first message by saying, "Hey sorry my phone died!" Avsec decided to publicize the Tinder joke on his Twitter account July 7. He posted screenshots of their conversations and said, "One day I'm going to meet this girl and it's going to be epic." Hahahaha one day I'm going to meet this girl and it's going to be epic. Look at the dates of our tinder texts. pic.twitter.com/DASQK4c5cX Josh Avsec (@Wes_03) July 8, 2017 The messages went viral, and since Avsec's tweet more than two weeks ago, it's been retweeted nearly 32,000 times and has received more than 98,000 likes. The duo still hadn't met in person until Good Morning America had them on this morning. A wall separated the two while hosts Michael Strahan and Lara Spencer asked them questions about their ideal first dates. You can see their sweet meeting for the first time in the video below. FULL CLIP: Michelle and Josh met on Tinder 3 YEARS ago, talking every few months joking with one another - this morning they meet face to face for the first time LIVE: https://yhoo.it/2tz4r8N Posted by Good Morning America on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 When Avsec's tweet first went viral, Tinder also reached out to the two, offering them an all-expenses-paid trip to any city they'd like to meet. Its time you got together IRL. You have 24 hrs to decide the city you want to have your first date in and well send you there! @mch_rnd https://t.co/7r2JQtcxKC Tinder (@Tinder) July 10, 2017 The duo jetted off to Maui this morning, they announced on Good Morning America. Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell: Shares of Alphabet fell more than 3 percent in extended trading after the tech giant reported a drop in profit on its second-quarter earnings report. The European Union hit Google's parent company with a $2.7 billion fine in June for violating antitrust rules. Alphabet beat consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters for top and bottom line earnings, reporting profits of $5.01 per share on revenues of $26.01 billion. Shares of Anadarko Petroleum sunk more than 4 percent in after-hours trading. The oil company reported a diluted net loss of 76 cents per share in its second-quarter earnings results after the bell Monday. Sanmina 's shares slid nearly 10 percent in extended trading after the California-based electronics manufacturer's earnings for its fiscal third quarter missed estimates according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Shares of Swift Transportation rose more than 1 percent in extended trading after the company disclosed its second-quarter earnings after the bell. The company's second quarter earnings topped expectations, but revenue fell short. Shares of technology licensing company Rambus rose more than 1 percent in extended trading after it posted second quarter earnings and revenue that topped expectations. Verily, the life sciences arm of Google's parent company Alphabet , has invested in Freenome, an ambitious start-up that's building technology to detect early-stage cancer, and built a dedicated lab for the start-up. Verily invested in Freenome as part of its most recent round of financing, which totaled $65 million, in March 2017, a person familiar with the investment tells CNBC. This was separate from an investment made by Alphabet's venture arm, GV (formerly Google Ventures), which has been previously reported. "We are providing office space to Freenome in order to foster collaboration between the two companies," a Verily spokesperson confirmed. The companies did not comment on the investment. The funding represents a deviation in strategy for Verily, which typically forms partnerships with life sciences companies to jointly develop companies or products. To sweeten the deal, Verily built Freenome's clinical team a lab to their specifications, the person said. Freenome's team, which amounts to about 40 people, has now moved in. The lab is the first on Verily's South San Francisco premises, the person said, although Verily said that there are other labs on campus as well. Freenome is using machine learning to root out biological signals of cancer from DNA fragments in the blood. It's most recent funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from GV, Alphabet's venture unit, among other investors. Chinese frontier guards raise up tires during a training on January 20, 2016 in Altay, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. China on Monday issued its strongest warning yet to India over their month-long border dispute, saying Beijing would protect its sovereignty "at all costs". Observers believe that China's stepping up of its rhetoric, which came before a high-level security meeting that involves both Chinese and Indian security officials, gives Beijing more bargaining power in the talks with New Delhi. Defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian also said that China planned to strengthen its "targeted deployment and exercises" along the disputed border, and that India should "have no illusions" about its military's capabilities or commitment. Wu's comments came just a week after state broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese troops had taken part in a military exercise using live ammunition on the Tibetan Plateau. The location was not far from Doklam, where Chinese and Indian forces remain locked in a stand-off sparked by a road construction project in a disputed border area shared with Bhutan. Speaking just a week ahead of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, Wu said: "We urge the Indian side not to take any chances or hold any illusions." He added that China had strengthened its capabilities in safeguarding its national sovereignty over the past 90 years. "It's easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA," he said. It's that time again! Jim Cramer rang the lightning round bell, which means he gave his take on callers' favorite stocks at rapid speed: Marriott International : "[Marriott and Wyndham ] are both so good, but I do like Marriott right here. Wyndham's had an even bigger move. I like Marriott because [of] that combination that they made. I think you stay long that one." Kellogg : "Kellogg's virtually a bond. It yields 3 percent and it's got a nice balance sheet, so I don't worry about it, but it's a bit of a bond because that group has no growth." Carvana : "If you want a used car play, you go with CarMax , which has made a very nice recovery. That Carvana, I don't think it makes any money." Mallinckrodt : "I don't know, man. The long knives are out for those guys. I say do not buy. Now they've got lawyers suing them everywhere. I'm staying away." NXP Semiconductors : "OK, my charitable trust owns NXP and we are urging people not to tender to the bid from Qualcomm , because Qualcomm should pay more given that the comparative stocks in that sector are much higher. And we know Qualcomm needs it, too, because they're in a little bit of a tussle there with Apple ." Xerox Corp : "You know, I don't like those reverse splits because they tend to make stocks look a little better than they are, but I will say this: It did catch an upgrade today that I thought was pretty cogent, so I would hold on to it for a little bit. I don't think that there's great momentum there." Ionis Pharmaceuticals : "Ionis just keeps going higher. I remember when a firm slapped a sell on it. We had some positive things to say about it. This stock's not quitting. I'd stay long it." About 12 years ago, Aussie ex-pat and Noosa Yoghurt co-founder Koel Thomae was sitting in a Colorado cafe, thinking about starting her own yogurt business when she noticed a flyer for a local dairy farm. She immediately decided to cold-call fourth-generation farmer Robert Graves, she tells CNBC Make It, to pitch her yogurt business idea. "When you have this drive to bring your idea to life, you have to be able to push beyond your comfort zone," Thomae says. "The worst that could happen from a cold call was 'no.'" She had just visited Australia, where she discovered a yogurt recipe and felt "selfishly inspired" to license it, combining past entrepreneurial experience and her desire to eat the dairy treat beyond her visits home. Graves agreed for them to meet at his farm. "I gave him my pitch and I know he thought I was a little crazy," Thomae says. "But it was the moment he tasted the yogurt that we bonded over this taste like no other and since that day we haven't looked back." Thomae had been working at start-up beverage company Izze for three years, her first big job in the U.S., when her boss at the time told her, "You're obsessing about this yogurt, so just go for it." She founded Noosa Yoghurt in 2009. Thomae says the idea of starting her business was instinctual: "Yes, I'm going to invest my life savings into this, but what's the worst that can happen?" she said to herself at the time. "If it doesn't work and I have to go back and get a real job, then I'll figure it out." "The universe is made of stories, not of atoms." Muriel Rukeyser, poet In life, we often get tied down by what we think isn't possible. But when we take control of the story we tell others as well as ourselves, there are no limits. What if the secret to fulfilling your career aspirations meant knowing how to write your own life script the kind that makes you memorable? Find your story Francesco Marconi In 2009, a middle school art teacher named Bre Pettis started MakerBots, a company whose product enabled people to print 3-D objects that could be designed on any computer. As a new entrepreneur, however, he struggled to convince clients and investors that there was a market for his creation. In response, he turned to an unusual strategy storytelling. He shared with prospective company stakeholders the impact his invention could have. He talked about how health-care professionals could save money by printing their own supplies with his tool. Then there was the student who used his teacher's printer to make himself a prosthetic hand. Five years later, the entrepreneur sold MakerBots for $604 million. Prettis' theory that telling stories could make his ideas and business memorable proved to be correct. The numbers back him up: Jennifer Aaker, a marketing professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, conducted a study finding that 63 percent of people recall stories a speaker shares, yet only 5 percent can remember a single statistic. Make it memorable Francesco Marconi When you imagine the next 10 years of your career, what do you see? If you are drawing a blank, breaking into a sweat, or visualizing a finish line but no course to get there, storytelling might be the right tool for you. In a recent research study, NYU Psychology Professor Jerome Brumer found stories to be up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone. They can captivate audiences, becoming tools of influence able to persuading listeners to action. Stories shape how others see you and could have implications for whether you are hired, go on dates or even raise money for your next business idea. Scott Weiss, a prolific Silicon Valley venture capitalist, makes his investment decisions based on "how well the founder's life can explain what they're doing at their company." A person's path to greatness is often shaped by their own life experiences and the way they deal with failure. Master storyteller Stephen King's first novel was rejected dozens of times before selling 1 million paperback copies in its first year in the market. Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z couldn't get signed to any record labels and was forced to create Roc-A-Fella, now a multimillion-dollar music empire. These two figures used the dismissal of their early work to propel their memorable narratives forward. Take your audience on a journey Francesco Marconi Stories have the ability to make an impact well beyond growing businesses world leaders and iconic figures use them to speak to the wider public and explain complex issues. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech used storytelling to encourage people to imagine a more just and integrated society. John F. Kennedy rallied an entire nation around the idea of innovation and scientific progress by sharing his vision of sending a man to the moon. A team of research scientists at Ohio State University evaluated what happens to our brains when we listen to an engaging story or a speech. The scientists found that when listeners are "transported by a narrative" they tend to perceive the speaker in a more positive way, and even embrace their opinions and world-views. Good storytelling is indeed a powerful tool that can be used to persuade someone to hire you, invest in your start-up or simply buy something from your website. Invite others to participate Francesco Marconi Because I work for a news company, I often share my personal story about how my passion for the industry arose. It goes like this: My Italian father was on a train to Paris when he noticed a group of soldiers bothering a Portuguese woman as she was trying to read a newspaper. He approached the soldiers, telling them to leave the woman alone. Then he wrote his phone number on the front page of the paper, saying, "If you are ever in Rome, give me a call and I'll show you around." One year later, he received a call from the woman on the train, who was visiting Italy with a friend. She had kept the paper. That was the beginning of my parents' relationship and why I can say that newspapers are in my DNA. A personal narrative is not a fixed thing. Stories are shaped by our environment and by the people who listen to it. Take the example of Lady Gaga, one of the most famed entertainers (and marketers) of our time. The artist's lyrics are synonymous with storytelling, but it's worth observing that what really makes her public persona and performances memorable. Gaga changes costumes at least six times, often directly on stage. By doing that, she is inviting her fans into her own story creation process. This is an important strategy we can all learn from. Making our colleagues and customers part of our journey, makes us more likely to establish meaningful connections. How can you incorporate storytelling more deeply into your life? 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, on July 7, 2017. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass a bill on Tuesday which will make it harder for President Donald Trump to ease sanctions on Russia without approval from Congress. The bill comes after a rare show of unity between congressional Republicans and Democrats and signifies another blow to Trump's hopes for a rapprochement with Russia. Here's why Tuesday's vote matters: Tide turning against Trump? The bill comes after a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on Saturday pledging more sanctions on Russia. The sanctions are aimed at punishing the country for alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election, its annexation of Ukraine in 2014 and military involvement in Syria. Russian dolls in the likeness of President Donald Trump (L) and Russia's president Vladimir Putin in a souvenir shop. Mikhail Pochuyev | TASS | Getty Images In June, the Senate passed legislation that would impose additional sanctions against Russia and restricting the power of the president to lift them. But what was more surprising was the unity shown between both Republicans and Democrats this weekend in support of the legislation. The bill, which also includes new penalties against North Korea and Iran, would require the president to submit to Congress a report on proposed actions that would "significantly alter" U.S. foreign policy towards Russia, including any bid to ease sanctions. Congress would have at least 30 days to hold hearings and then vote to uphold or reject Trump's proposed changes, Reuters reported. Trump could potentially attempt to veto the bill but this would risk a backlash from both Democrats and his own party, it also risks the humiliating possibility of Congress overturning his veto. For further reading here is the Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/722/text#toc-id2ab2e0cc7af146e299ac3e56a4b199f0 President Donald Trump attends a lunch meeting with members of Congress at the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, June 13, 2017. Carlos Barria | Reuters On Sunday, however, the White House said that Trump was open to signing legislation toughening sanctions on Moscow. "We support where the legislation is now and will continue working with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved and it certainly isn't right now," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on the ABC program "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "The original piece of legislation was poorly written," she added The European factor The bill could throw up divisions with Europe as the new sanctions include fines for companies of which there are several European firms that help Russia to build a Baltic pipeline for Russian gas, an energy source relied upon in Europe. The European Commission is expected to discuss its response after the vote on Tuesday. Markus Beyrer, director general of lobby group BusinessEurope, said in a statement Monday that "European business is extremely concerned by the imminent extension of the U.S. sanctions to Russia and the potential impact on the EU's energy supply." "The EU heavily relies on external energy suppliers despite strong efforts to diversify and generate alternative sources. Russia is a key supplier of the EU. The potential and far-reaching extension of U.S. sanctions to Russia concentrated in the energy sector will have a strong impact on the EU's energy supply. Ultimately business and consumers in the EU will pay the price." A rare show of unity The move signifies another blow for President Trump given that the deal saw both Republicans and Democrats from the Senate and House of Representatives come together on Saturday to restrict the president's powers. watch now The bill comes as investigations into possible alleged obstruction, meddling and collusion between Trump's team and the Kremlin ahead of the 2016 election, are underway, and will be another obstacle to the president's pursuit of warmer relations with Russia. House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement on Saturday that he was pleased that both parties in the House and Senate "have reached agreement on sanctions legislation that will hold Russia and Iran accountable for their destabilizing actions around the world." "The legislation ensures that both the Majority and Minority are able to exercise our oversight role over the Administration's implementation of sanctions... I look forward to seeing this legislation on the Floor next week, where I'm confident it will receive strong, bipartisan support." Reuters contributed to this report. WATCH: Jared Kushner: I did not collude with Russia, my actions were 'proper' Dutch paintmaker Akzo Nobel , grappling with the consequences of rebuffing a 26.3 billion euro ($30.63 billion) takeover bid by U.S. rival PPG Industries , on Tuesday announced earnings below market expectations and said Chairman Antony Burgmans will resign at the end of his term in April 2018. Akzo said its core profit in the second quarter fell 6 percent to 461 million euros, due to weak demand in various markets and higher raw material costs. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast operating profit, excluding incidental items, of 496 million euros. Akzo Nobel reaffirmed its promise of better results, made when it rejected the bid by PPG earlier this year, a move which drew strong criticism from major shareholders. Disgruntled shareholders, led by activist hedge fund Elliott Advisors, have been pushing for a shareholders meeting to vote on the position of Chairman Antony Burgmans, who they see as the mastermind of Akzo's refusal to talk to PPG. Alphabet warned in its quarterly securities filing that it could face future fines from the European Union for two investigations that are still underway. Based on previous cases, investors might expect these fines to land in 2018. The statement in a note to the company's 10-Q gives the most detailed account yet of what the latest inquiry by EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager could cost the company. Twice last year the EC sent Statements of Objection to Google. The first, on April 20, 2016, concerned "certain Android distribution practices." The second, on July 14, 2016, came another SO "regarding the syndication of AdSense for Search." The filing notes, "There is significant uncertainty as to the outcomes of these investigations; however, adverse decisions could result in fines and directives to alter or terminate certain conduct. Given the nature of these cases, we are unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or ranges of loss, if any." The disclosure came in a note to the same second-quarter earnings report in which Alphabet booked a $2.74 billion fine for using its dominance in search to unfairly point people to its own comparison shopping service. And the matter may cost Alphabet more than money. It may also have to change how it does business. "We are also evaluating the impact of potential remedies we may implement to address the EC's findings," the 10-Q document read. Two years and two months passed between the time the European Commission sent its first letter to Alphabet -- with its objection to the shopping service -- and the levying of the fine. Accounting for that fine caused Alphabet's second-quarter profit to plunge. If Vestager keeps the same timetable in her latest investigations of Google as she did with her first, Alphabet investors may want to ready themselves for another Q2 earnings bomb in 2018. Even after Amazon's big rally this year, a Wall Street analyst still believes the stock can go higher based on some interesting analysis of Google search data. Piper Jaffray's Michael Olson reaffirmed his overweight rating for Amazon, citing the company's web search analysis which pointed to robust June quarter sales growth for the e-commerce giant. Our forecast "model suggests strong Q2'17 Amazon unit [sales] growth," Olson wrote in a note to clients Tuesday. Amazon shares have rallied 38.6 percent this year through Monday, compared with the S&P 500's 10.3 percent return in that period. The analyst reiterated his price target of $1,200 for Amazon, representing 15.5 percent upside from Monday's close. Olson said the firm's web analysis revealed search interest for Amazon-related words grew 24 percent year over year in the June quarter versus 23 percent growth in the March quarter. He cited how Piper's search analysis had a 95 percent correlation with Amazon's retail sales unit growth in the previous 37 quarters. Regarding Amazon's announced acquisition of Whole Foods Market last month, the analyst predicts the internet company will now increase its food category investment spending. "We believe that WFM will accelerate Amazon's pursuit of grocery delivery and other fulfillment methods, which will necessitate a significant distribution buildout," he wrote. "While we think this is the right decision for shareholder value, it creates near-term margin headwinds." Amazon is slated to report second quarter earnings on Thursday after the close. share of the Chinese smartphone market fell last quarter, according to one analysis, representing the waning dominance of the iPhone ahead of a major milestone. Local brand Xiaomi snagged the fourth-place spot that was held by Apple, leaving Apple at No. 5, according to Canalys, an independent analyst company. Samsung is also in the top 10 smartphone brands in China, although only the top four brands were ranked by Canalys' statement. Huawei: 23 million Oppo: 21 million Vivo: 16 million Xiaomi: 15 million Source: Canalys Apple does not break out figures on sales of individual products in each region, and was not immediately available to comment. But earlier this year, a separate report from Counterpoint Research found that the iPhone was not the top selling smartphone in China in 2016, the first time Apple had been unseated since 2012. Remaining in the top of the crop is key for Apple because the top five brands accounted for almost 75 percent of the 113 million shipments in China, Canalys estimates. It's an area where Apple has struggled in recent years, with sales down 14 percent year over year last quarter. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed on the Chinese market, despite strong competition provided by WeChat's software ecosystem, which works on Android or iPhone devices. Apple recently created a new post, managing director of greater China, tapping an executive that has developed China-specific features for iPhone and iPad. The iPhone 8, considered a marker of the device's tenth anniversary, is expected by some analysts to revamp Apple's influence in China. Sales in greater China are expected to hit $9.96 billion in the September quarter, according to FactSet, up from $8.79 billion in the year-ago quarter. China's Communist Party has grown overconfident in its ability to micro-manage. Bureaucrats who once encouraged foreign takeovers are second-guessing private deals, and tech stars are being force-fed shares in state dinosaurs. The meddling makes it less likely that Beijing will be granted market-economy status by trade partners. Economic dynamism could suffer, too. It is unsurprising that politicians would want to take credit for a roaring first-half economic recovery. They can point to a series of moves that have stabilised sentiment, including tougher capital controls and targeted policy tightening. However, the real driver of growth was the long-awaited reacceleration of private fixed-asset investment, which sped up 7.2 percent in the first half. Private companies are the largest contributors to GDP growth and employment, so this naturally juiced performance. More from Breakingviews: Saudi oil cut would be a hit-and-hope strategy Carmakers need more collaboration, not less Abe's weakness puts Japan reform momentum at risk Now President Xi Jinping appears anxious about leverage, in particular debt-financed overseas purchases. Banking regulators are looking into overseas investments by swashbuckling private companies Dalian Wanda and HNA, Reuters reported, as well as domestic deals. State planners are monitoring "irrational" investments in sports, media and hospitality. Acquisitions by private companies should be outside the government's scope. If they were financed by loans, the bankers should worry, not regulators. But in this case it seems the borrowers will be punished retroactively. This feeds into foreign suspicions that all mainland investors are state agents, and it will also discourage Chinese executives from going global. Private money is also being forced into struggling state firms. Reuters reported Beijing is rallying a tech all-star team including Alibaba , Tencent and Baidu to put $12 billion into struggling state-owned mobile carrier China Unicom. This looks a return to the old days, when weak enterprises were propped up via forced transfers from stronger ones. China has lobbied the United States and the European Union for "market economy" status, improving Chinese access to those markets. Beijing argues its companies are commercially driven, but ordering them to buy this and not that undermines its case. Bureaucrats, looking at the country's economic track record, don't see a history of private capitalists fighting free of policy shackles; they see a validation of their economic commands. Taking this private-sector revival for granted is probably unwise, but nothing deludes like success. Commentary by Pete Sweeney, Asia editor at Breakingviews. Follow him on Twitter @petesweeneypro. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. "We anticipate making targeted investments in initiatives ... including enhanced digital capabilities and accelerating technology updates to our products," CEO Jim Umpleby said in a statement. The company is raising its full-year guidance to $5.00 per share, from its previous outlook of $3.75 per share, as "disciplined" costs in the first half of the year allow new room for investment, according to the earnings report. Caterpillar reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings before the bell on Tuesday, driving its shares up 5 percent in premarket trading. EPS: $1.49 per share vs. $1.26 per share expected, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenue: $11.33 billion vs. $10.93 billion expected, according to Thomson Reuters. Second-quarter revenues were up nearly $1 billion from a year ago, with earnings per share 40 cents higher as well. While explaining the most recent quarter, Umpleby drew attention to Caterpillar's performance in both the Chinese construction and North American gas markets. Overall, Caterpillar is benefiting from "improving demand for construction" in multiple areas around the world, Umpleby said. The adjusted EPS does not include $1.2 billion in restructuring costs, which the company announced it expects to incur this year. Calling it "classic Caterpillar," machinery analyst for J.P. Morgan Ann Duignan warned that the company's recent success may not translate into longer term growth. She believes there is a cyclical nature to Caterpillar which may reveal itself after a few quarters of growth. "They could probably deliver another couple of quarters like they normally do and then, the key question is if this is a different Caterpillar or is this the same old Caterpillar that eventually delivers lower incrementals and lets expectations get too high," Duignan said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." The construction machinery maker has been fending off a handful of legal matters, including an Internal Revenue Service investigation into profits earned by a Swiss subsidiary. In March, a law enforcement raid of company facilities in Peoria, Illinois, sent the stock lower. Caterpillar said it was cooperating with the search as authorities exercised a search warrant. Caterpillar previously said it is "vigorously contesting" a $2 billion package of taxes and penalties proposed by the tax agency. The company asserts that the transactions relevant to the investigation "complied with applicable tax laws and did not violate judicial doctrines." Based on the information available at the time, Caterpillar said it believes the result will not have a "material adverse effect on [its] consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations." In response to the IRS investigation, on March 16 Caterpillar tapped former U.S. Attorney General William Barr to help the company. "I have asked Bill ... to take a fresh look at Caterpillar's disputes with the government," Umpleby said in a statement. Caterpillar is moving its Peoria headquarters to the Chicago area. But most of the 12,000 manufacturing jobs will stay in Peoria, Caterpillar said in April. The company says relocating will improve recruiting, and said it would shift 300 senior executives and staff to Chicago. Under the Senate's proposed health plan, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, deductibles will rise to new heights, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Deductibles are the amount you as a consumer must pay each year before your health insurance coverage kicks in for services you receive beyond a certain minimum set of medical services. And they're far more common than they used to be. Nowadays half of Americans have health insurance that comes with a deductible of at least $1,000. That's steep. But should the Senate repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass its replacement plan, the CBO warns that, by 2026, or only nine years from now, your deductible, if you buy health coverage on the individual insurance plan market, could reach $13,000 a year or more. Under this legislation, for a single policyholder purchasing an illustrative benchmark plan (with an actuarial value of 58 percent) in 2026, the deductible for medical and drug expenses combined would be roughly $13,000, the agencies estimate. CBO and JCT's projections are for benchmark plans that are illustrative in that they do not include any cost-sharing reductions that might be implemented through the State Stability and Innovation Program and they would not provide any benefits before the deductible was met, except for preventive care. For plans providing some benefits before the deductible was met, such as a limited number of primary care visits or generic drug purchases, the deductible would be higher. By contrast, should the Affordable Care Act remain the law of the land, the CBO estimates your premiums by 2026 will be a far more modest $5,000, or 2.6 times lower. Business Insider points out that, under this proposed Republican plan, deductibles "could get so high they're actually more than the poorest Americans earn." The CBO concurs, predicting that large numbers of middle- and working-class Americans won't buy insurance at all, since policies would be out of reach. For those making $26,500, or 175 percent of the federal poverty level, and $56,800, or 375 percent of the federal poverty level, "the deductible would constitute about a half and a quarter of their income, respectively." A massive private Chinese conglomerate pulled an unusual move on Monday, revealing its ownership structure after striking multi-billion dollar deals that have raised questions about corporate governance, strategic motivations, financial health and who exactly is calling the shots. HNA had its start as a small airline, and has now evolved into a giant, global conglomerate with stakes in big names like Deutsche Bank and Hilton . It's among several major Chinese firms which include Wanda, Anbang, Fosun that have spent billions in recent years on overseas acquisitions fueled by debt, complex deal structures and murky ownership. Governments and regulators are scrutinizing those companies now, trying to figure out where the money came from, where it was funneled, how much debt was involved, and what all that could mean for the global economy. In a widely-circulated document, HNA listed 15 individuals and entities that account for total ownership of the group. The biggest shareholders are the international and domestic divisions of HNA's charity, the Hainan Cihang Charity Foundation, with 29.5 percent and 22.75 percent stakes, respectively. So together, the foundation owns more than half of HNA, but it's unclear how the organization is governed and structured. HNA founders Chen Feng and Wang Jian each own nearly 15 percent of the company, and group CEO Adam Tan has almost 3 percent, according to the disclosure. The latest disclosure is a departure from previous ownership: Two individuals Bharat Bhise, CEO of Bravia Capital, and Guan Jun, a Beijing businessman owned 17.4 percent and 12.4 percent of the company, according to a 2016 filing, as reported by Reuters. Perhaps its most well-known backer was George Soros he invested in the company's early airline days and has since sold his stake. A spokesman for HNA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For HNA, the ownership disclosure seems to be aimed at clearing up some of the mystery around the company amid growing scrutiny. For instance, the opaque corporate structure is one reason Bank of America recently decided to stop doing business with the company, according to an email reviewed by the New York Times. The Times has also reported on how the company appears to have regularly done business with relatives and people linked to HNA executives. The company's ownership was also subject to wild speculation after Guo Wengui, a fugitive Chinese tycoon, recently alleged that relatives of top Communist Party officials including current anti-corruption czar Wang Qishan held stakes in HNA. The conglomerate is currently suing Guo for defamation. Whatever may be going on behind HNA's closed doors, one thing's for sure: The company's massive shopping spree upwards of $50 billion since 2015, according to Dealogic data may finally be curtailed. The floodgates gushed open for many Chinese firms when outbound investment regulations relaxed in 2015, but authorities started clamping down again as money flew offshore and the yuan suffered from downward pressure. Chinese regulators are now reportedly scrutinizing bank loans made to HNA and other acquisitive Chinese firms. For China, inquiries into loans are likely meant to focus on how to contain the risks and manage the exposure to the banks, according to consultancy Eurasia Group. Experts also say what the government wants now is to regain control over private industry, and to make sure Chinese money flows to sectors that match government priorities. "Officials want to have veto power over cross-border deals to ensure they are in line with national economic and strategic goals," Yanmei Xie, a China policy analyst at research firm Gavekal Dragonomics, wrote in a recent note. "This new environment is likely to prove easier for state-owned companies to navigate than private firms." In an interview with Reuters, CEO Tan called checks by the China Banking Regulatory Commission "routine." He also said the company had not been in contact with the European Central Bank after reports said the organization was considering opening an inquiry into HNA's move to boost its stake in Deutsche Bank to nearly 10 percent earlier this year. "I think we are operating our company legally, we have nothing to hide, and we are fine," Tan said. HNA is still waiting on approval from U.S. regulators to complete its purchase of SkyBridge Capital, a New York-based investment fund that was founded and partly owned by Anthony Scaramucci, who recently became President Donald Trump's communications director. HNA has before survived the U.S. microscope: Last December, the company's acquisition of Ingram Micro was completed after it received regulatory approval. Another mega-conglomerate, Dalian Wanda, announced last week that it would sell nearly $10 billion in assets to two other Chinese companies, and that it would be able to pay off nearly all of its debts over the next few years. That was perhaps an attempt to stave off greater scrutiny into the company's finances. Chinese companies completed about $200 billion in outbound mergers and acquisitions last year, according to Dealogic data. Deal activity is a little slower so far this year, but it doesn't show signs of stopping there's $23 billion in complete overseas deals and another $80 billion pending. Chipotle Mexican Grill's recent norovirus outbreak in Virginia was the result of lax sick policy enforcement by store managers, the company confirmed on Tuesday. It has been two years since a string of food safety incidents first battered sales and scared away diners. While the beleaguered burrito chain was able to return to profitability and its same-store sales have begun trending in a positive direction, its successes have been overshadowed by a recent series of incidents. Chipotle's reputation took a hit last week after reports surfaced that customers were sickened by norovirus at a location in Sterling, Virginia. Then, a few days later, a viral cellphone video was released that showed rodents falling from the ceiling at a restaurant near Dallas. Both restaurants have addressed these issues, with the Virginia location shuttering briefly to sanitize, and the Texas restaurant sealing up the rodents' entry point. But by that point, the damage was done. Chipotle shares have fallen nearly 12 percent since last Tuesday, when the news broke, and Chipotle's food safety policies are once again up for debate. "If another chain had a norovirus outbreak, I am pretty sure that it would not have gained the national exposure the way that Chipotle had in this last outbreak," Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at The Pennsylvania State University, told CNBC via email. "So yes, we are hyperaware of their issues. That being said, the entire system of retail operations should have been hyperaware of employee health issues." The company said Tuesday in their earnings conference call that they believe an employee was the cause of the outbreak. "We conducted a thorough investigation, and it revealed that our leadership there didn't strictly adhere to our company protocols," CEO Steve Ells said during the call. Discussions among Reddit users had suggested that some Chipotle locations are not adhering to the company's safety guidelines. By not following guidelines, conditions are created that would make a norovirus or similar outbreak seem "eminently predictable," Stuyvesant Square Consultancy Managing Director J.G. Collins, who writes frequently about the restaurant industry, told CNBC via email. A self-identified Chipotle employee alleged in a Reddit post last month that a manager required them to work while sick. Citi shares rose 3 percent in opening trade Tuesday as the financial firm provided more optimistic projections for profit growth during its first investor day since May 2008. "As you know, it has been a while since we have hosted an Investor Day," Citi CEO Michael Corbat said in prepared remarks Tuesday. The bank said it expects to boost profit per share by 80 percent over the next three years, from $5 to $9, largely through share buybacks and the performance of its businesses. It said its projections imply a stock price of around $100. The shares are trading around $68 now. The bank also recently said it would double its quarterly dividend to 32 cents. Citi hasn't hosted an investor day since the financial crisis, a wrenching time for the financial industry and Citi itself. "Some people have asked why now?" Corbat said. "We chose this time because we, the management and our board, believe Citi has crossed an inflection point." The bank will reach an 11 percent return on tangible common equity by 2020, according to a slide from CFO John Gerspach's presentation. "We are now clearly on a path to both growth and stronger returns," Corbat said. Citi shares 2-day performance (extended hours) Source: FactSet Corbat noted the firm has "returned to growth in Asia and Mexico Consumer." Citi shares closed at $66.10 a share Monday, up 11 percent for the year but still far below the $591.25 price hit in August 2000, according to FactSet. Caterpillar 's quarterly earnings report was the "most serious beat and raise" of the earnings season, and the stock will continue to climb, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday. Shares of the construction machinery maker jumped Tuesday after it reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings before the bell. The stock was nearly 5 percent higher at the open, trading around $113 per share. Dow futures climbed 100 points after the announcement. In the earnings report, Caterpillar said it's raising its full-year guidance to $5.00 per share, from its previous outlook of $3.75 per share, as "disciplined" costs in the first half of the year allow new room for investment. "This stock will not stop at $113. There will be some bears who will try to say, 'Wait a second. China's not that strong.' They'll try to hold it down. But in the end, this beat and raise is the most serious beat and raise of the earnings season. Stock goes higher," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." The company's results underscore a turnaround in its main businesses that have been hit by low commodity prices and slowing demand in the past few years. Despite gridlock, U.S. industrial companies are expected to gain from President Donald Trump's proposed infrastructure spending and tax reform. Cramer said he was "shocked" that Caterpillar had this level of earnings power, and called the leverage on its sales "extraordinary." "When you're talking about construction equipment coming back without an infrastructure bill. When you talk about favorable price realization for energy without oil above $50. How many people did these guys get rid of? I mean this is an incredible streamline cat," Cramer said. He continued, "Caterpillar is back much harder than I thought." On Tuesday, the S&P 500 hit a record high shortly after the open on strong earnings reports. The Dow rose 150 points, with Caterpillar contributing the most gains. Retuers and CNBC's Michael Sheetz contributed to this report. A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: 3M The diversified consumer products maker earned an adjusted $2.25 per share for the second quarter, falling short of the $2.54 consensus estimate. Revenue also missed forecasts, although the company did raise its full-year outlook. United Technologies The maker of Pratt & Whitney engines and Carrier air conditioners reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.85 per share, seven cents a share above estimates. Revenue beat forecasts, as the company saw improved sales at three of its four businesses. The company also raised the lower end of its full-year 2017 forecast. DuPont DuPont came in nine cents a share above estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.38 per share. Revenue also beat forecasts. DuPont, which plans to complete its merger with Dow Chemical next month, saw results boosted by higher agricultural sales. Caterpillar The heavy equipment maker earned an adjusted $1.49 per share for the second quarter, 23 cents a share above estimates. Revenue beat forecasts, as well. Caterpillar also raised its full-year forecast on increased demand, as well as cost controls. General Motors The automaker earned $1.89 per share for the second quarter, 20 cents a share above estimates. Profit was down from a year earlier as auto sales slowed, but GM did beat Street forecasts and did not issue any change in earnings or revenue guidance. Eli Lilly The drugmaker reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.11 per share, six cents a share above estimates. Revenue was above forecast, as well, and Lilly raised its adjusted full-year forecast. Its bottom line was boosted by the success of newer products. PulteGroup The third largest U.S. home builder came in six cents a share above estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of 47 cents per share. Revenue was very slightly below forecasts. Pulte sold more homes at higher prices and saw a 12.3 percent jump in new orders. Michael Kors The luxury goods seller has agreed to buy upscale shoe maker Jimmy Choo for nearly $1.2 billion. Current Chief Executive Pierre Denis will continue to run Jimmy Choo after the sale closes. Alphabet Alphabet reported quarterly profit of $5.01 per share, beating consensus estimates of $4.49 a share. The Google parent's revenue also beat forecasts, helped by increased ad sales. Logitech Logitech increased its full-year profit outlook, after the maker of computer peripherals reported strong sales of its gaming and video products. Royal Dutch Shell The energy producer and SoftBank are said to be among the bidding for Asian renewable energy company Equis Energy, according to a Reuters report. Equis is said to be valued at up to $5 billion. Citigroup Citi will hold its first investor conference since the financial crisis today. About 250 analysts and investors will attend the meeting in New York, and the gathering will also be available online. Toyota The automaker is developing an electric car that charges faster and drives further than current models, according to a Tokyo newspaper, with the company aiming to start selling the new vehicle in 2022. Barnes & Noble The company is being pushed by activist investor Sandell Asset Management to sell itself, according to The Wall Street Journal. The paper said Sandell recently began buying a stake in the book retailer and is now among its 10 biggest shareholders. Goldman Sachs Goldman is pulling back from its market making activities in exchange-traded funds, according to The Wall Street Journal, which said the firm has lashed the number of funds it supports as a lead market maker. Wal-Mart The retail giant has expanded its partnership with China-based e-commerce firm JD.com . The two companies will expand integration of their platforms, supply chains, and customer resources in China. Big Lots Big Lots was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Deutsche Bank, which cited the discount retailer's valuation. Centene The health insurer beat estimates by 27 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.59 per share. Revenue also came in above forecasts. Centene's bottom line was boosted by growth in its Affordable Care Act business as well as increased enrollment in its Medicaid plans. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to show 3M earned an adjusted $2.25 per share for the second quarter, falling short of the $2.54 consensus estimate. The investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia is a "serious issue," but there may be more worrying matters to focus on, former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff told CNBC on Tuesday. "I'm worried about 2018. I'm worried about 2020. Do the Russians try to interfere with our election or our kind of civic discourse going forward?" he said in an interview with "Power Lunch." Both the Senate and a special counsel are investigating what may have occurred between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 election. On Monday, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, denied he colluded with Russia and said his actions while serving on the campaign were "proper." His comments came after he met with Senate Intelligence Committee staff on the matter. Meanwhile, special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly also looking into a broad range of transactions involving Trump's businesses as part of its probe, Bloomberg reported last week. His investigation is also looking into a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer. According to Reuters, Mueller has asked the White House to preserve any records of that meeting. Chertoff, also a former U.S. assistant attorney general, called that request routine. "I was a prosecutor for many years. Every prosecutor says that. That's like saying the sun rises in the East." Trump and his team have vehemently denied any wrongdoing. CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Everett Rosenfeld contributed to this report. After seven years of GOP promises to get rid of Obamacare and seven months into Donald Trump's presidency Republican leaders in the Senate set a vote on Tuesday that could keep the process alive or sink it. The confusing rules, under which GOP lawmakers have chosen to attack the 2010 Affordable Care Act, require the Senate to start with a vote on whether to debate the repeal-and-replace version that narrowly passed the House back in May, said Sen. John Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon for more than two decades and often a point person on health care in the Senate. "We're using the budget process, so you have to pick up what passed the House. That's the starting point," Barrasso told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday morning. The Wyoming Republican is also chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership. Budget reconciliation allows for passage of a final bill with only 50 votes and a tiebreaker from Vice President Mike Pence. "Republicans will offer amendments. Democrats will offer amendments. Some to improve the bill; some may want to ... kill the bill. But ultimately, you get the final amended product and then vote up or down on what that final product looks like," he said. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, returns to Washington on Tuesday to give Republicans a crucial vote in support of a motion to proceed. "I am so delighted that John McCain is coming back," Barrasso said. "You talk about somebody with courage, and with character, and with credibility, I mean that is John McCain." With only a four-seat majority, Senate Republicans face a razor thin margin of success. However, Barrasso was hopeful. "I'm confident. I'm committed. We're going to meet today at noon. The vice president will be joining us, and then we will vote after lunch." Indeed, the recent joint naval drills between the U.S., India and Japan known as the Malabar exercises were widely interpreted as a coordinated response to perceived Chinese expansion in the Indian Ocean. "As the [Doklam] crisis stretches on, China is likely to seek ways to pressure India, both on the border and elsewhere, and this will compound the cycle of competition that is already well underway," Shashank Joshi, research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said in a recent note published by the Lowy Institute. A fierce border standoff in Bhutan's Doklam region triggered by a Chinese road construction project in a disputed area and a Bhutanese request for Indian help is now entering its second month with soldiers from both sides engaged in skirmishes. But a new confrontation in the relationship is arising as New Delhi is growing concerned about a Chinese naval presence in its own backyard: the Indian Ocean. The rivalry between India and China is heating up as the heavyweight economies face territorial tensions on both land and sea. July 11, 2017 - Ships carrying Chinese military personnel depart Zhanjiang for a support base in Djibouti. The establishment of the People's Liberation Army Djibouti base was a decision made by the two countries after friendly negotiations, and accords with the common interest of the people from both sides, according to the PLA navy. In the run-up to Malabar, Indian media reported a surge in Chinese naval vessels around the area, noting sightings of 13 to 14 units in two months. Those included Luyang III class destroyers, hydrographic research vessels, an intelligence-gathering ship and a submarine. Beijing does operate in the area for its "Belt and Road" initiative, an infrastructure program that involves developing port facilities in the Indian Ocean with Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India isn't a member of the initiative and has repeatedly indirectly criticized the program for violating Indian sovereignty. "China's naval presence in the Indian Ocean is showing signs of a qualitative shift," Joshi said, noting the mainland's growing patrols and the July 12 dispatch of Chinese troops to a military base in Djibouti Beijing's first long-term foreign military deployment in almost 60 years. "This Chinese facility is not just a platform from which China can project initially modest power into the western Indian Ocean, but will also justify and support a greater volume and pace of other patrols through the eastern and central Indian Ocean," Joshi added. New Delhi is certainly paying close attention to those developments, as reflected by the Malabar drills. "With over 20 ships, including two submarines and over 100 aircraft and helicopters involved in complex maneuvers, [India's] strategic messaging to China seemed more than clear," Abhijit Singh, head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at think tank Observer Research Foundation, wrote in a note. "Indian commentators cast Malabar as a strategic precursor to a more proactive sea-denial strategy aimed at challenging People's Liberation Army Navy ships in the Indian Ocean." The situation draws parallels with Beijing's behavior in a different body of water. The world's second-largest economy has been creating artificial islands in contested sections of the South China Sea. But unlike that international waterway, the Indian Ocean isn't a site of overlapping sovereign rights, meaning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to counter the mainland on his home turf may not be sustainable. "There is something essentially flawed about the idea that Indian naval power can prevent Chinese warships and submarines from accessing India's near-seas. Modern-day trading nations regard the oceans as a shared global common, with equal opportunity rights for all user states," said Singh. Allegations of industry collusion between Germany's car manufacturing industry is not likely to spill over into a major global legal threat, Arndt Ellinghorst, head of global automotive research at Evercore ISI, told CNBC on Tuesday. German news magazine, Der Spiegel, reported Friday that Volkswagen , Audi , BMW , Porsche and Daimler may have been engaged in an illegal cooperation. The major German carmakers are accused of using industry committee meetings to agree on costs, suppliers, technologies and even the prices of diesel emission treatment systems. "This is potentially being dragged into the U.S. because some of the accounts were sold to American customers and also the Chinese as they were exported But I still don't see a major global legal threat here," Ellinghorst said. U.S. department officials are believed to be looking into allegations of industry collusion between major German carmakers, according to a Bloomberg report which cites an unnamed source. However, there has been no indication that the Justice Department is poised to open a formal investigation. BMW rejected reports of emissions collusion while other carmakers have reportedly refused to comment on the claims. Volkswagen said it would hold a special supervisory board meeting on Wednesday in order to discuss allegations of industry collusion, a source confirmed to CNBC via email. A protestor holds a banner outside the Greek parliament during in a demonstration by municipal contract workers in Athens, Greece, on Thursday, June 29, 2017. Kostas Tsironis | Bloomberg | Getty Images Greece successfully returned to the bond market Tuesday after a three-year absence with the sale of a five-year bond. Analysts have applauded the timing but caution the country is still in the hands of international creditors. The Greek Debt Agency issued a 3 billion euro ($ 3.5 billion) five-year bond maturing in 2022 with a yield of 4.625 percent. The bond was oversubscribed with orders of 6.5 billion euros, confirming what sources had told CNBC earlier. Tuesday's bond sale is a key milestone for the troubled Greek economy, which has been under economic surveillance since 2010. Athens tapped the markets in 2014, but shortly after the country was asking for a third financial bailout. The Greek government says this time is different and Athens is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The Greek finance ministry wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC Tuesday. In an interview with the Guardian on Monday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said: "We can now say with certainty that the economy is on the up Slowly, slowly, what nobody believed could happen, will happen. We will extract the country from the crisis and in the end that will be judged." Is 'the economy on the up?' Analysts have applauded Greece's timing. Credit rating agencies and international creditors have noted some economic improvements over the last few months. Moody's said earlier this month that economic growth and public finances on a more sustainable path and Standard and Poor's revised Friday the country's outlook to positive from stable. "In our view, the timing is favorable from a macroeconomic and market perspective. First, funding / liquidity risks for the Treasury are contained after the disbursement of the 8.5 billion ($9.9 billion) tranche and the sizable primary surplus the government has run since 2015," Antonio Garcia Pascual, chief European economist at Barclays, said in a note. He also said growth has resumed in the first quarter of this year and overall there's stronger market appetite for Greek risk. The timing could potentially benefit Athens as the European Central Bank may include Greek debt on its balance sheet under its stimulus program before the central bank announces plans to reduce quantitative easing. Claus Vistesen, chief euro zone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNBC that the timing is "anything but perfect." "Then there is the question of QE. The sale means that they are one step closer to being included in the ECB's program, but the ECB is also one step closer to winding QE down. In that respect, the timing is anything but perfect." watch now Will the ECB buy Greek debt? At the moment, Greek government debt is rated as junk by rating agencies and cannot be bought by the ECB. According to the source familiar with the bond sale, it is too soon for the ECB to consider buying Greek bonds as it will need a new debt sustainability analysis before making a decision. However, Vistesen warned that Athens is still being monitored by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. "The Greek return to the market is a big step for the economy and the Eurozone too, but it is also largely staged. Greece is still under strict administration by the EU and IMF, so it is not that they can just issue as much as they want," Vistesen said. Is this the 'next terrible phase of Greece's crisis?' Facebook sees an opportunity to connect businesses with its 1.2 billion Messenger monthly users and create new revenue sources for the company along the way. "There's an app consolidating phenomenon where people spend time on fewer and fewer apps," Kemal El Moujahid, Facebook's product manager for Messenger and virtual assistant M, told CNBC. "So, if you want to reach out to your consumers on mobile, you have to be considering Messenger." There's a growing concern that digital media users are getting sick of seeing too many ads in their social media feeds. Facebook Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner addressed the issue in July 2016, saying ad load (or the number of ads on a website or platform) would be a "less significant factor in driving overall growth, especially after mid-2017." So as the main Facebook feed is almost full, the company is starting to monetize its other products. And there's plenty of room for growth on Messenger as more people include messaging apps as part of their daily lives. More than 2 billion people about 80 percent of smartphone users are expected to be on messaging apps by 2018, according to eMarketer. "Our people are spending the whole day on Messenger, and they want to be able to run their life from Messenger," El Moujahid said. "Being able to consume these services without having to download an extra app is a huge added value for them." Here's three main areas Facebook sees opportunities for businesses to use Messenger: Customer care The phone is out of date for customer service because people can't multitask while talking, El Moujahid said. Email can be slow. Developing your own live chat experience can be costly. Many companies use online forms, but people don't often finish filling them out. "It's not very delightful as a user, and you have a high dropout rate," El Maujahid said. "Messenger is more conversational." Facebook is trying to convince companies to move those experiences to the Messenger platform, since 70 million businesses have a presence on Facebook already. It's fairly easy to create AI bots for messenger, and most of the questions people have are simple enough for bots to understand, El Moujahid explained. For complicated requests bots can't handle, humans can always step in. Telecommunications companies like Globe and Rogers have migrated customer support services over to Messenger. Sephora now allows customers to book makeovers through Facebook Messenger. Social experiences Facebook is working on ways to integrate other company's bots so users won't have to leave its app to use the other features. For example, Messenger users can add Spotify songs. A clip of the song plays directly in Messenger, although users will have to leave the app and go to Spotify to hear the full track. 'Those knuckleheads in Congress never do anything!" is one of the most tired and commonplace complaints from callers on political talk radio. And yes, many Republicans have found 2017 frustrating so far. No, President Trump hasn't signed more bills into law than any president ever, as he asserted this month. (He's signed 42, many of them symbolic resolutions.) No, Congress hasn't yet repealed Obamacare, passed sweeping tax reform, or negotiated an infrastructure bill. But don't blame the House of Representatives. They passed their version of health-care reform back at the beginning of May. House Speaker Paul Ryan is unveiling a plan for tax reform, and the House has passed a couple of smaller but still significant infrastructure bills. In fact, the House keeps sending bills over to the Senate, month after month: 250 in all so far this year, according to GovTrack. Quite of few of those bills are minor land swaps, expansion of historic sites, renaming post offices but a significant number would count as accomplishments worth boasting about on the campaign trail next year if they were signed into law. More from National Review: The Korean Game of Thrones Greg Abbott's big gamble Smarter corporate philanthropy Sources close to Republican House leaders are quick to point out that they don't want to seem too critical of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. They say they understand there's a different set of challenges on that side of Capitol Hill, with a much smaller GOP margin, the Democrats' filibuster threats, and the Senate's own full plate of confirming the president's cabinet and judicial nominations. But they feel like the House has pulled its weight so far this year. As one source close to Ryan put it, "The House is doing its job and the bills are piling up in the Senate." "If you turn on the TV, it says Russia this and Russia that and countdown clocks and all this stuff," Ryan said in an interview with Mike Gallagher earlier this month. "We're doing a lot of other things here in the Congress; we're not letting that stuff distract us. We have done so much of our agenda already in the House in the first six months." If any House bill broke through the constant noise generated by the investigation of Russian meddling in the election and the president's tweets, it was "Kate's Law." This bill, named for Kate Steinle, a San Francisco woman killed by an illegal immigrant who was in the U.S. despite multiple deportations, would require a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years for any undocumented immigrant convicted of illegally reentering the United States after being deported. While August and September are historically weak for the market, at least one executive says he isn't worried. Jason Ware, CIO of Albion Financial, said Tuesday on CNBC's "Power Lunch" he tells clients to "stay the course" and "you need to ignore the noise" about a potential weak period for the markets that historically comes in August and September. "The reality is with that knowledge there is very little actionable information," he said. Ware also warned against trying to "time" the market, saying instead benefits come from staying in. "Over time, it's time in the market, not timing the market that's going to make the most impact on the average person's returns," he said. Richard Bernstein, of Richard Bernstein Advisors, said the next thing investors should worry about is central banks tightening policy too much, but added, "That's kind of a silly thing to worry about right now." The Consumer Confidence Index rose in July to 121.1 to a 16-year high, despite expectations for a drop, The Conference Board announced Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters forecast the major indicator of consumer optimism to decline to 116.5 in July. Instead, consumer confidence remains at the highest level since July 2001. "Consumers foresee the current economic expansion continuing well into the second half of this year," Lynn Franco, The Conference Board's director of economic indicators, said in a statement. The Consumer Confidence Index beat expectations last month as well. In July, consumers said jobs were even more "plentiful" than last month's report, up to 34.1 percent from 32 percent, while also saying jobs were not as "hard to get." Consumers found the current environment to be improving. The Conference Board reported those saying business conditions are "good" increased from 30.6 percent to 33.3 percent, while the number who assessed business conditions to be "bad" was virtually unchanged at 13.5 percent. The July short-term outlook was also more positive, as the percentage of consumers expecting better business conditions over the next six months improved to 22.9 percent, from 20.1 percent in June. Multi-billionaire tech titan and star of CNBC's "Shark Tank" Mark Cuban says that most people are underestimating the potential of artificial intelligence to change the world we live and work in. He's especially intimidated by the pace at which new technology advances: "It scares the s--- out of me," says Cuban, speaking to Ozy Fest conference attendees in New York City. "However much change you saw over the last 10 years with the iPhone, over the last 20 years with the Internet, over the last 30 years with PC's, etc., that is nothing. Nothing!" Cuban says. "Things are getting faster, processing is getting faster, machines are starting to think," he continues. "And either you make them think for you or they will take your place and do the thinking for you." Mark Cuban at OZY FEST That could be problematic for many people. "If you are in a job where you have to think, you need to start paying attention, because I guarantee you, your employer is trying to figure out ways to use technology and use neural networks to do a lot of the thinking that employees currently are doing," says Cuban. "If you have spreadsheets in your job, ... now, the networks can do all that for you. And if they can go through 10 zillion iterations, they will come up with things we can't," he says. "So it's not so much robots Rosy the Robot is going to take your job so much as it is the types of thinking you will do, the types of consulting, the type of valuations. It's all going to change." To be more knowledgeable about advances in AI, Cuban has read and recommends "The Master Algorithm," by Pedro Domingos. He also listens to the podcast "This Week in Machine Learning and AI," he says. Cuban's comments are part of a fierce debate among Silicon Valley tech billionaires regarding the effect artificial intelligence will have on the world. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the potential is frightening. "I have exposure to the most cutting edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned by it," Musk said earlier in July. "AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization." Meanwhile, Facebook CEO and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg says AI will make our lives better and safer. Martin Shkreli apparently is a big fan of the old saying "do as I say, not as I do." The "pharma bro" Shkreli had a nasty habit of berating his business lawyer, and current criminal case co-defendant Evan Greebel, according to evidence shown jurors Tuesday at Shkreli's securities fraud trial in Brooklyn, New York, federal court. One email chain in particular between the two men shows Shkreli excoriating Greebel for not promptly sending him a copy of a purportedly sham consulting agreement that Shkreli allegedly was using to pay off a defrauded investor. Investors in Shkreli's hedge funds have said he stonewalled them for months or more as they sought the return of their money. "Why can't you do your job? It is terrible," Shkreli wrote to Greebel in March 2013, according to an FBI agent who read a copy of the email aloud to jurors. When Greebel protested in response that he was just then about to send Shkreli the desired consulting agreement, Shkreli didn't buy it. "B---s--. How long does it take to edit a consulting agreement I sent you three weeks ago," Shkreli wrote Greebel. "I am really starting to think you are inept," Shkreli fumed in his email to Greebel. "Nope, you're done, fenwick's turn," Shkreli wrote in an apparent reference to another law firm when Greebel offered again to send the document promptly. "No, delete from your system," Shkreli continued. "You don't do it until I remind you and you embarrass me," Shkreli wrote. "You can't wait three weeks to do my contracts." Greebel meekly replied: "You are right. I'm sorry, it won't happen again." In another email to an investor who Shkreli is accused of defrauding, Shkreli wrote, "My lawyers are lazy, and stupid and paid too much." Shkreli, 34, is charged with defrauding a number of investors at two hedge funds he ran by misleading them about the performance of their investments. After allegedly losing or transferring most of their money to his new drug company, Retrophin , he then allegedly used Retrophin stock and cash to pay off those investors, prosecutors charge. Shkreli allegedly used sham consulting agreements between Retrophin and some investors to get them their money. Shkreli, who has pleaded not guilty in the case, is being tried first. Greebel, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of helping Shkreli's allegedly fraudulent scheme to pay off investors, is expected to go on trial later this year. Shortly afterward on Monday, Shkreli went on Facebook, and wrote the following post: "plead the fif when it comes to the fam im like a dog i dont speak but i understand." But the 34-year-old former pharmaceuticals executive told Judge Kiyo Matsumoto on Monday that he was opting not to testify later in the week, after the prosecution rested its case. Shkreli for weeks had weighed his chance to take the witness stand in Brooklyn, New York, federal court, where he is accused of defrauding hedge fund investors and the drug company he founded, Retrophin . And despite taking a pass on telling jurors his story, the often-chatty Shkreli then accused prosecutors on Facebook of cherry picking evidence to show jurors, instead of offering them the "whole" story. Martin Shkreli quoted a Jay-Z lyric "plead the fif" on a Facebook post to justify his decision to duck testifying at his securities fraud trial. The line that Shkreli wrote is actually a sentence that begins "Plead the Fifth," and is from the Jay-Z song "Never Change." Shkreli didn't quote other lyrics from that song, whose chorus includes the lines: "I'm still f---n with crime cause crime pays. Out hustlin, same clothes for days. I never change, I'm too stuck in my ways, I never change the line." Shkreli has a history with Jay-Z. Earlier in the trial, a witness testified that funds from Shkreli's then-new drug company Retrophin were used to buy $10,000 worth of tickets to a Jay-Z show in New York City in 2012. Prosecutors have said that Shkreli's "ways" over the years, like the ones in the "Never Change" lyrics remained remarkably consistent: telling investors that he had considerable success playing the stock market, while in reality he was routinely losing their money. An indictment alleges that Shkreli defrauded a group of investors at two hedge funds he ran, MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare, by misleading them about the funds' financial performance. FBI Special Agent Michael Braconi testified Tuesday that on Sept. 4, 2012, when Shkreli signed an agreement to pay Merrill Lynch $1.3 million against more than $7 million in losses MSMB Capital incurred in a short-sale transaction, that agreement noted that MSMB Capital had "$0" in cash or equivalents as of the September date. Despite that, Shkreli told investors over the next two weeks that they had plenty of money, and offered to redeem that cash to them if they chose, since he was shuttering the fund. The indictment also charges that instead of paying them cash as promised, Shkreli gave them combinations of stock and cash that he had looted from Retrophin. That was despite the fact that the investors had, for months, asked for the money to be redeemed in cash from the MSMB funds. Shkreli denies the charges. In testimony Tuesday, Braconi said that there are no records that MSMB Capital ever invested any of its funds in Retrophin. Braconi's testimony raises the question of why investors in MSMB Capital were paid back by Retrophin with stock or cash if their money never was invested in the drug company. The agent also said that records show that MSMB Healthcare invested slightly more than $2.1 million of its funds into Retrophin. But that amount is less than half of the $4.33 million that Shkreli was claiming to investors that they had in MSMB Healthcare, Braconi said. And when Shkreli was giving those investors financial statements detailing the purported $4.33 million in assets, MSMB Healthcare actually had just $112,000 or so in the bank, the agent said. Shkreli on Monday offered his Facebook followers a bit of math of his own, although without any actual numbers. "Who likes math? Time for a math lesson. The whole is equal to the sum of its parts. Not the parts you cherry pick," Shkreli wrote. "You can't omit important pieces of a story and expect the people will be too stupid to figure it out." military was on the lookout for North Korea to conduct a new missile test Thursday to mark a military anniversary. to North Korea essentially doubled in the first five months of 2017, according to new data. watch now Russia is showing increasing signs of propping up the regime of North Korea, according to a new report. At the same time, North Korea vowed Tuesday to "strike a merciless blow at the heart of the U.S." amid a report the regime was prepping for a new missile test. Also, the U.S. indicated it would conduct another test of its anti-missile technology known as THAAD, which is the same technology the U.S. supplied to South Korea for defense against the North's missiles. As for Russia, some experts believe Moscow's economic support for North Korea is likely to continue as Russian President Vladimir Putin uses it as leverage to squeeze concessions from Washington on Ukraine, Syria and other hot spots. That comes despite an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to use international sanctions to force Pyongyang to abandon its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. "When you consider all the different flashpoints the United States and Russia have, this is a perfect opportunity for the Russians to sort of stick it to the United States a little bit more," said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, a think-tank founded by former President Richard Nixon. Russian President Vladimir Putin Alexander Zemlianichenko | POOL | Reuters He added, "I wouldn't be surprised if in the months and years to come that the Russians were to reach out and really work with the North Koreans in a much greater extent." A Tuesday report from South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo said Russian exports to North Korea essentially doubled in the first five months of 2017, according to data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, a South Korean government-supported organization. About 90 percent of the exports were energy related. Russia exports coal to North Korea as well as jet fuel, trucks and other goods. Moscow also helps Pyongyang by employing about 50,000 laborers from North Korea, who work in timber and construction jobs in Russia. That is a source of hard-currency income for the regime led by Kim Jong Un and helps fund its weapons programs. "Moscow is fast emerging as a powerful backer of Pyongyang at a time when even China seems to be having second thoughts, and has been at the forefront of blocking discussion of further sanctions in the UN Security Council," said Chosun Ilbo. Kazianis said North Korean leadership historically has viewed the Russians with fondness because the old Soviet Union helped prop up the regime for decades and scientists from the fallen Soviet empire helped bring critical rocket technology to Pyongyang. Pakistan provided the regime with know-how on the nuclear weapons side. "A lot of the old officials have either passed away or moved on," said Kazianis. "But the linkages are still there. The North Korean missile program wouldn't exist today and be as powerful as it was if it wasn't for Russian scientists at the end of the Cold War, looking for jobs basically, and going to North Korea and building up that missile program." watch now President Donald Trump has previously emphasized how Beijing has been trying to help pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program but little has been said about the role of Moscow's trade and in boosting the regime. "We call on all states, including Russia, to use every available channel and means of influence to make clear to the DPRK and its enablers that its weapons of mass destruction programs are unacceptable," said a U.S. State Department spokesperson in an email statement to CNBC. DPRK is a reference to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Added the State Department official, "It is in everyone's interests for the United States and Russia to cooperate on problems like North Korea." Both China and Russia are longtime trading partners of North Korea, but China still is considered the single largest foreign direct investor, accounting for more than $6 billion in trade last year, or about 90 percent of Pyongyang's international commerce. China supplies fuel to North Korea, although gasoline exports were down in June from a year ago but up from the prior month, according to Chinese government data. Reuters reported late last month that state-owned China National Petroleum suspended exports to the regime. It also reported that the move by the Chinese led to a surge of up to 50 percent in gasoline prices in North Korea. United Nations sanctions against North Korea do not apply to fuel sold for non-military purposes, such as the state airline Air Koryo or other civilian planes. International sanctions also apply to rocket fuel but the North Koreans are believed to be capable of making their own rocket fuel, according to Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, a Berkeley, California-based think tank. Meantime, North Korea on Tuesday blasted comments made by Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo over the weekend at the Aspen Security Forum that the people living under the 33-year-old leader "would love to see" regime change. watch now "Although his reckless remarks are just balderdash of a guy who has become so angrily desperate due to the ever-increasing nuclear strike capability of the DPRK, they have gone over the line," said a spokesman for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as quoted by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. KCNA quoted the regime's ministry official as a stating: "It has now become clear that the ultimate aim of the Trump administration's hostile policy towards the DPRK is the 'regime change' in the DPRK. Should the U.S. dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership, we will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the U.S. with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time." The latest round of harsh comments from North Korea come amid reports the regime is about to set off another ballistic missile test, perhaps timed to the country's Victory Day anniversary on July 27. South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday South Korean defense officials were on the lookout for a possible missile test-firing by the secretive regime. "Our military is closely monitoring (North Korea's move) through the integrated operation of South Korea-U.S. combined surveillance assets against the possibility of North Korea's provocations," a spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff was quoted as saying, according to Yonhap. On July 4, North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile, increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and raising the alarm of U.S. officials. The North already is believed to have ballistic missiles capable of reaching all of South Korea, Japan, Guam as well as Alaska. The ICBM test-firing this month raised concerns Pyongyang also has range to reach Hawaii as well as the mainland U.S. However, it's still not entirely clear if North Korea is capable today of having an ICBM with a nuclear warhead survive extreme heat as it reenters Earth's atmosphere. Nonetheless, U.S. military officials have indicated they are operating under the assumption North Korea has the capability of the ICBM to reach the U.S. mainland. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that a Pentagon agency assessment concluded the North will be able to have a "reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year." The U.S. Missile Defense Agency confirmed this week it plans to conduct a new experimental test of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile defense system. The test is expected to be conducted from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. The missile agency declined to provide further details in advance, citing "the need to safeguard critical defense information." That said, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a notice to mariners of the imminent launch, suggesting it would likely take place Saturday evening but added that alternative launch times were Sunday and Monday. Fmr. Sen.Max Baucus: North Korea's Kim Jong Un is not a 'nutcase' OPEC's efforts to stimulate flagging prices are likely to fail once again because of its limited influence on the market, Mouhammed Choukeir, chief investment officer at Kleinwort Hambros, told CNBC on Tuesday. "Oil price has a life of its own. You can see that since the beginning of the year clearly OPEC has tried its best to keep that oil price going higher and higher (but) it has failed to do so for a number of reasons," Choukeir said. The 14-member cartel and other oil exporting nations including Russia are trying to clear a global glut of crude oil by keeping 1.8 million barrels a day off the market through March. On Monday, the ministers did not discuss making deeper cuts, which some analysts have said are necessary, but OPEC members took other measures to shore up the deal. The group urged major oil producers to boost compliance with output cuts in order to help rein in oversupply. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia pledged to cut oil exports at 6.6 million b/d in August, almost 1 million b/d below levels a year ago. A new rule that raises financial advice standards remains in the crosshairs of opponents, with efforts to overturn it continuing in Congress. Last week, a House committee approved a measure that would repeal the so-called fiduciary rule which obligates financial advisors to act in the best interest of clients when it comes to their retirement accounts and replace it with one allowing disclosures of potential conflicts of interest. Legislators are also working on a draft bill that would not only would adopt a disclosure-based standard but would apply it to all retail accounts, not just retirement money. Critics of both measures say they do little to prevent investments from being sold that are more beneficial to advisors than to their clients. Eric Audras | PhotoAlto | Getty Images The bills are "designed to create the impression that they're doing something to protect investors even as they strip away protections," said Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America. "Instead of requiring advisors to avoid, rein in and appropriately deal with conflicts of interest, they're saying, 'We'll deal with those conflicts through disclosure alone,'" Roper said. Additionally, a draft spending bill that would eliminate funding for enforcement of the regulation also made it out of committee last week. Past defunding efforts have failed. Since June 9, when the new advice rule took effect, financial advisors are required to charge no more than reasonable compensation, avoid misleading statements and provide advice that's in the best interest of the investor when it comes to 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts. On Jan. 1, 2018, other provisions will take effect, including specific written disclosures that financial services firms and advisors must provide to clients. watch now With the current congressional efforts to repeal the DOL rule falling along party lines Republicans support it, Democrats don't it's unclear whether either replacement bill would make it through both the House and the Senate. The Affordable Retirement Advice for Savers Act, which was approved by the Committee on Workforce and Education, will head to a full House vote (although another committee might also review it). The draft bill, by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., was recently discussed in a subcommittee hearing but has yet to be formally introduced. Much of the battle has centered on the $7.85 trillion in IRAs, which are moneymakers for financial services firms as investors often move their 401(k) savings into those accounts when they retire or switch jobs. Opponents of the DOL rule say it's the smallest of those IRAs that are cause for concern. Various testimony supplied to Congress has centered on low-balance accounts losing access to advice completely due the associated compliance cost. "We are grateful that Congress remains active on this issue," said Jen Flitton, managing director of federal government relations for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, in a statement. She added that her group is "especially supportive" of Wagner's draft bill. SIMFA was among those who provided testimony during the subcommittee hearing. The Labor Department, which is charged with enforcing the new advice rule, had delayed its original April 10 start date after President Donald Trump called on the agency to provide an economic and legal analysis of the regulation. Earlier this month, regulators asked for public input by Aug. 7 on various aspects of the new standard, including its costs and benefits. Now, various industry groups are asking the agency to delay the Jan. 1, 2018, effective date for the remainder of the rule. We are grateful that Congress remains active on this issue. said, managing director of federal government relations for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Jen Flitton managing director, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association You can come up with tons of excuses for not pursuing a new job, but according to Brian Wong, a 26-year-old entrepreneur and self-made millionaire, lack of experience shouldn't prevent you from making a career move. Wong, CEO and co-founder of mobile advertising company Kiip, is the son of immigrants who worked as restaurant dishwashers after emigrating from Hong Kong to Canada. He skipped four years of school and at age 18 he co-founded Kiip, which has brought in more than $32 million in venture capital funding and landed clients like McDonald's and Pepsi. Speaking at a panel event with CNBC Make It, Wong says young professionals shouldn't let fear stop them from doing something new. Here are his top two strategies: Kyle Scott/NBC Universal 1. Address your lack of experience Whether you're talking to a manager in a job interview or networking with a potential contact, don't skim over the fact that your background isn't exactly what he or she might expect. "If there's an issue, say 'I know it looks like I spent a bunch of time floating around different places, but listen there's a thing about me that I needed to figure out. And I finally figured it out.'" Say what you want to do and how you plan to do it. Getting others to believe in you involves being honest and showing determination. "Your goal should be to get people to invest in you, not your project," Wong writes in his book "The Cheat Code." 2. Demonstrate that you're already doing that type of work Instead of waiting to find the right job title or chance to show your skills, take the initiative. For example, if you're trying to break into journalism, start writing on your own time, Wong says. "No one needs to give you permission to do anything. Just do it yourself." You could also pitch a new project at your current job that involves areas of the company you're interested in learning more about or uses skills you're looking to develop. "Don't be afraid of what you can't do," he writes in his book. Instead, he writes, "Appreciate what you've got." Check out What to do if you haven't found the perfect job yet, according to this Deloitte executive Three crucial Republican senators said Tuesday they will vote for a procedural motion in Republicans' push to repeal Obamacare, a boost to the GOP effort in what is expected to be a tight vote. The support from Sens. Rand Paul, Dean Heller and Shelley Moore Capito makes passing the motion to proceed later Tuesday a much more realistic goal. All three opposed previous versions of a repeal or replacement plan. Republicans can only lose two votes and still approve the procedural motion. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is a firm "no" on the motion, while some other Republicans remain undecided. Paul tweet: If this is indeed the plan, I will vote to proceed and I will vote for any all measures that are clean repeal. Paul, the conservative from Kentucky who has opposed some iterations of the Republican Obamacare replacement plan, has backed a 2015 bill that repeals parts of the landmark health-care law. Congress approved that plan knowing that then-President Barack Obama would veto it. In tweets, Paul said he will support any and all measures "that are clean repeal." He highlighted a plan that repeals "mandates and taxes" without "new spending and bailouts." Paul: If this is indeed the plan, I will vote to proceed and I will vote for any all measures that are clean repeal. Heller, the senator from Nevada, vehemently opposed a previous Obamacare replacement plan. He said in a statement he would vote "to move forward and give us a chance to address the unworkable aspects of the law that have left many Nevadans particularly those living in rural areas with dwindling or no choices." "If the final product isn't improved for the state of Nevada, then I will not vote for it; if it is improved, I will support it," Heller said. Capito said in a statement that she will "continue to push for policies that result in affordable health care coverage for West Virginians, including those who are in the Medicaid population and those struggling with drug addiction." Several GOP senators have expressed concerns about what a so-called clean repeal, as passed in 2015, would do to insurance markets. The Senate could take a complicated path if the motion to proceed passes. One possible route could end with a so-called skinny repeal, according to NBC News, which cited two Senate sources. The Senate would "move on to debate and vote on a variety of approaches to the bill," like the repeal now and replace later plan that Paul supports but is expected to get blocked, NBC reported. The chamber could then field some version of the replacement plan that stalled out recently, which may also fail. After that may come a vote for a partial, "skinny" repeal that would eliminate the individual mandate penalty, the employer mandate penalty and the medical device tax, according to NBC. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to comment to CNBC on what the Senate would do next if the motion passes. A Senate committee has withdrawn a subpoena to get a former Trump campaign chairman to testify after he started to provide documents and negotiate an interview, the committee's top members said Tuesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee said earlier in the day it had issued a subpoena seeking Paul Manafort's testimony at a Wednesday hearing on Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. "Faced with issuance of a subpoena, we are happy that Mr. Manafort has started producing documents to the committee and we have agreed to continue negotiating over a transcribed interview," the panel's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and its ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement. "It's important that he and other witnesses continue to work with this committee as it fulfills its oversight responsibility." Separately, Manafort met with the bipartisan staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday morning, his spokesman confirmed. The Judiciary Committee has sought information from Manafort about a meeting he attended with Russian nationals last year at Trump Tower during the heat of the 2016 presidential election campaign. The meeting was set up after Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, was offered compromising information as part of Russia and its government's support for his father's campaign, according to emails that the younger Trump released. The panel originally requested that both Manafort and Trump Jr. appear publicly Wednesday. The president and his campaign officials have insisted that nothing improper took place at the meeting and that it did not yield useful information. The president has also said he did not know about the meeting until recently. A small, rural hospital in Washington State, Newport Hospital and Health Services, outsourced its emergency room, as many hospitals have. Soon it started hearing from patients confused by getting large bills from the E.R. doctors. Early last year, executives at a small hospital an hour north of Spokane, Wash., started using a company called EmCare to staff and run their emergency room. The hospital had been struggling to find doctors to work in its E.R., and turning to EmCare was something hundreds of other hospitals across the country had done. That's when the trouble began. Before EmCare, about 6 percent of patient visits in the hospital's emergency room were billed for the most complex, expensive level of care. After EmCare arrived, nearly 28 percent got the highest-level billing code. More from New York Times: For Alphabet, a record fine is both a footnote and a warning How Google cashes in on the space right under the search bar Sensing weakness, Uber's Asian rivals make $2.5 billion pay On top of that, the hospital, Newport Hospital and Health Services, was getting calls from confused patients who had received surprisingly large bills from the emergency room doctors. Although the hospital had negotiated rates for its fees with many major health insurers, the EmCare physicians were not part of those networks and were sending high bills directly to the patients. For a patient needing care with the highest-level billing code, the hospital's previous physicians had been charging $467; EmCare's charged $1,649. "The billing scenario, that was the real fiasco and caught us off guard," said Tom Wilbur, the chief executive of Newport Hospital. "Hindsight being 20/20, we never would have done that." Faced with angry patients, the hospital took back control of its coding and billing. Newport's experience with EmCare, now one of the nation's largest physician-staffing companies for emergency rooms, is part of a pattern. A study released Monday by researchers at Yale found that the rate of out-of-network doctor's bills for customers of one large insurer jumped when EmCare entered a hospital. The rates of tests ordered and patients admitted from the E.R. into a hospital also rose, though not as much. The use of the highest billing code increased. "It almost looked like a light switch was being flipped on," said Zack Cooper, a health economist at Yale who is one of the study's authors. In a statement, EmCare described the study as "fundamentally flawed and dated." But it acknowledged that surprise billing, as the billing is called when the doctor is unexpectedly not part of an insurance network, is "a source of dissatisfaction for all payors, providers and patients in our current health care system." It said that the issue was not specific to any one company, and that it had already publicly committed to reaching agreements with insurers for the majority of its doctors within the next two years. This study, and others, have found that EmCare is not alone in the practice of sending out-of-network bills. EmCare said that it allowed hospitals to treat sicker patients when it takes over, and that an increase in such patients explained the higher billing in Newport. In the study, the researchers examined nearly nine million visits made to emergency rooms run by a variety of companies between 2011 and 2015, using data from a single insurance company that does business in every state. In exchange for access, the researchers agreed not to identify the insurer. Insurers and health care providers typically sign contracts forbidding them to reveal the prices they have agreed to, and the national trends in surprise billing detected by the Yale team are consistent with a broader study by government researchers. The new data suggests that EmCare, part of publicly traded Envision Healthcare, did not sign contracts with the insurance company and was able to charge higher prices. Fiona Scott Morton, a professor at the Yale School of Management and a co-author of the paper, described the strategy as a "kind of ambushing of patients." A patient who goes to the emergency room can look for a hospital that takes her insurance, but she almost never gets to choose the doctor who treats her. Sometimes, insurers simply pay higher out-of-network bills, but the cost is often passed on directly to patients. After slipping on some wet leaves outside her house in Crescent City, Calif., in February, Debra Brown, a 60-year-old county accounting clerk, wound up at Sutter Coast Hospital. She is paying off her deductible, but her insurer covered most of her remaining hospital bill. She was shocked to get an additional bill from a doctor who she said never identified himself and only briefly touched her broken ankle. That physician worked for EmCare. Her portion of the bill is more than $500. "Now I'm going to have to pay this bill off, and I can't afford to see a doctor about my high blood pressure medication," Ms. Brown said. "This is insane, and it's greedy." Nationwide, more than one in five visits to an in-network emergency room results in an out-of-network doctor's bill, previous studies found. But the new Yale research, released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found those bills aren't randomly sprinkled throughout the nation's hospitals. They come mostly from a select group of E.R. doctors at particular hospitals. At about 15 percent of the hospitals, out-of-network rates were over 80 percent, the study found. Many of the emergency rooms in that fraction of hospitals were run by EmCare. When emergency room doctors work for a company that has not made a deal with an insurer, they are free to bill whatever they want, insurers say. "The more they bill, the more they get paid," said Shara McClure, an executive with Blue Cross of Texas. E.R. doctors say out-of-network billing isn't their fault. Sometimes, insurance companies will offer only low payments, leaving physicians no choice, said William Jaquis, an executive with the American College of Emergency Physicians, who is also an E.R. physician employed by EmCare. Doctors would "prefer that we had better payment and better negotiation with the insurers, and the patients would be covered," he said. The researchers focused on 16 hospitals that EmCare entered between 2011 and 2015. In eight of those hospitals, out-of-network billing rose quickly and precipitously. (In the others, the out-of-network rate was already above 97 percent, and it did not go down.) They also looked at a larger sample of 194 hospitals where EmCare worked and found an average out-of-network billing rate of 62 percent, far higher than the national average. The before-and-after analysis was limited to the small number of hospitals where the researchers could find public records of EmCare's entrance, and it was based on claims from only one large insurance company. While the nationwide patterns are consistent with studies that have looked at other insurance companies, the single insurer in the study may not be typical in all cases: EmCare does participate in some insurers' networks, such as Blue Cross of Texas. EmCare also says it has reached agreements with more insurers in Texas, Arizona, Florida and Virginia since 2015. Researchers also examined what happened when one of EmCare's top competitors TeamHealth took over a handful of mostly nonprofit emergency departments. There, they found a smaller increase in out-of-network billing and virtually no change in hospital admissions, testing or coding. watch now watch now Trump has been frustrated with Sessions, who was once one of his closest advisers, for months, ever since Sessions's Russia-investigation recusal. And he certainly appears to be considering firing the attorney general on Monday, the Post reported that Trump asked one advisor how it would play in "conservative media" if he cut Sessions loose, and whether he could mitigate the damage by picking another conservative like Texas Senator Ted Cruz. (Longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani has also been floated as a replacement; Trump reportedly told Giuliani that he could have the AG job weeks after it was offered to Sessions, and before this whole rigamarole began.) But the famously-mercurial president hasn't yet pulled the trigger yet. Without the actual "you're fired!," all this venting looks more than anything like a sustained effort to make Sessions's life so miserable that the attorney general will decide to pick up and leave the administration. At some point, Sessions might decide enough is enough. But the weeks of increasingly public rebukes he's suffered raise questions about why he hasn't alreadyleft. After all, it's hard to imagine why someone would continue to serve a president who so openly demeans him and his running of his department. The answer is that Sessions isn't in the Trump administration primarily to serve Donald Trump. He's there to enact a robust even aggressive policy agenda, aimed at protecting police officers, cracking down on unauthorized immigrants, and using criminal justice policy to send a "tough on crime" message. It's an agenda that falls in line with the law-and-order populism Trump espoused before arriving in office (and, less frequently, during his presidency). But before it was "Trumpism," it was Sessions-ism. And Sessions's commitment to the policies that first attracted him to Donald Trump's presidential campaign certainly appears to outstrip his commitment to President Donald Trump. Sessions is the rare Trump appointee more committed to Trumpism than he is to Trump personally Most of President Trump's Cabinet officials and top White House advisers fall into one of two camps. Either they're fairly conventional establishment Republicans who didn't have much connection to Trump before he was elected president (Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley) or they're people who didn't have much in the way of political experience before being appointed to serve in the Trump administration. Some of these appointees were in business (Secretary of State Rex Tillerson). Some were in the military (Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly), where they had some experience with policy but much less with the political maneuvering that policy requires at the highest levels of government. Some were simply longtime Trump loyalists with little in the way of a discernible ideology, like first-son-in-law and trusted adviser Jared Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. There are three big exceptions to this: people who were in Trump's inner circle during the campaign, but who had careers in politics and policy before Trump came along. Not coincidentally, they're also the most committed to the ideology known as Trumpism, a populist nationalism very hawkish on immigration and supportive of law enforcement as the protectors of law and order. Two of those Steve Bannon and Sessions protege Stephen Miller are in the White House. The third is Sessions, at the helm of the Department of Justice. Sessions has decades of experience in the federal government, as a US attorney and a senator. But he'd never been in the Republican mainstream. While many in his party supported expanding legal immigration, Sessions stood firmly against immigration both legal and unauthorized; while other Republicans embraced criminal justice reforms like reducing mandatory prison sentences, Sessions remained a down-the-line "tough on crime" Republican. Then Trump came along, and took the lead in the Republican presidential primary for taking a hard, culture-war-inflected line on immigration and a populist tone a chance to take Sessions-ism mainstream. Sessions was the first member of the Senate to endorse Trump, and helped the candidate shape his campaign platform; by Election Day, he was arguably the president's closest adviser. He was rewarded with the attorney generalship. Almost immediately after Sessions was confirmed, though, he recused himself from the Russia investigation after reports surfaced that he'd met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign, and hadn't reported those meetings during the confirmation process. Not only did Sessions not consult the president about his decision, but Trump reportedly found out about the recusal just before Sessions announced it to the public. In Trump's eyes, he's made clear, that means that Sessions's top priority wasn't necessarily protecting the president. The extent to which Sessions has honored that recusal, especially when it comes to his involvement in firing Comey, has been debated. But the fact remains that he decided early in his tenure to sacrifice some control over a part of his job that would have allowed him to protect the president, in order to put a controversy behind him. That's the action of someone who understands the way the Washington news cycle operates, and is sensitive to losing influence with members of his party in Congress (and officials in his own department) because he's embroiled in scandal. But more fundamentally, it's the action of someone whose top priority is to enact a policy agenda, rather than simply protecting his commander in chief. Sessions is responsible for nearly all of Trump's policy accomplishments. If he leaves, Trumpism may stagnate. President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Apple is moving forward with three big U.S. factories in an interview published on Tuesday. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Trump to share that the iPhone-maker would do more manufacturing domestically, Trump told the Journal. "I spoke to [Mr. Cook], he's promised me three big plants -- big, big, big," Trump reportedly said. Apple has already said that it would start a $1 billion fund to promote advanced manufacturing jobs in the United States. The company was not immediately available to comment on the report and did not comment to The Wall Street Journal. With its wide network of developers, Apple has already created two million jobs in the United States, according to Cook. Apple supplier Corning told CNBC last week that it would "immediately" invest $500 million and create 1,000 new jobs in the United States, but those jobs were related to medical devices. Fellow Apple supplier Foxconn has also eyed new U.S. plants for display panels, the Journal reported earlier this week. Still, U.S. manufacturing has proven tricky for Apple in the past, given the extensive electronics supply chains available in China. But Cook has long been Apple's supply chain expert, even before rising to CEO, and has been slightly more amenable to U.S. manufacturing than his predecessor. For more on the story, see the full article at WSJ.com President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter again on Tuesday morning this time criticizing his attorney general for not investigating Hillary Clinton and claiming Ukraine tried to hurt his campaign. Trump also bashed Obamacare, praised "brave" Sen. John McCain and blasted what he called a Jared Kushner "witch hunt." In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Trump said Attorney General Jeff Sessions has "taken a very weak position" toward the former Democratic presidential nominee and cited "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign quietly working to boost Clinton." Last week, Trump criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign had colluded with the Kremlin. Trump told The New York Times he would not have appointed Sessions if he had known he would step back from the probe. Sessions said he had no plans to leave the job. Trump also claimed that acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe received $700,000 from Clinton for his wife's campaign and was in charge of Clinton's investigation. Though NBC News points out McCabe's wife, Jill McCabe, ran for Virginia state Senate in 2015, but did not receive that amount from Clinton. She got more than $450,000 through a political action committee set up by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is a longtime ally of the Clintons, and more than $200,000 from the Democratic Party of Virginia. Tweet 1 Tweet 2 Tweet 3 The president commented on Senate Republicans' push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, saying it was a "big day' for health care. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, returns to Washington on Tuesday to give Republicans a crucial vote in support of a motion to proceed with debate on the GOP's legislation to repeal Obamacare. Tweet 4 Tweet 5 Tweet 6 Tweet 8 Trump also said his son-in-law and advisor Kushner did "very well" answering inquiries about his contacts with Russia. Kushner returns to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a second day of private meetings with congressional investigators looking into possible administration ties to Russia. Tweet 7 Later Tuesday, Trump said he is working on a "major" trade deal with the United Kingdom, and it could be "big and exciting." Tweet 9 The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. President Donald Trump publicly aired his frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during an afternoon press conference Tuesday with the Lebanese prime minister. "He should not have recused himself almost immediately after he took office, and if he was going to recuse himself he should have told me to prior to taking office, and I would've quite simply picked somebody else," Trump said. Trump said he thinks Sessions' actions were "unfair to the presidency." The president, however, declined to say whether he would ask Sessions to resign or if Sessions should resign on his own. Instead, he said, "we'll see what happens. Time will tell." The statements came after an interview with The Wall Street Journal in which Trump said he is "very disappointed" with Sessions for his decision to recuse himself from a probe into whether Russia meddled in the presidential election. Trump declined to say whether he planned to fire Sessions. Trump has tweeted his frustration with Sessions. The Wall Street Journal asked how long Trump planned to criticize his attorney general without firing him. "I'm just looking at it," he told the Journal. "I'll just see. It's a very important thing." Last week, Trump told The New York Times he would have never appointed Sessions if he knew Sessions would have recused himself from the Russia investigation. Since then, Trump has been vocal about his disapproval of Sessions' work. Hours before Trump's press conference remarks, he tweeted: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Entire libraries are replete with lengthy tomes that attempt to define the essence and significance of political leadership through the ages; whether it is innate or earned, the power it can wield for better or worse, and the varying role that it plays in diversely governed societies across the globe. But as we approach the end of this second decade of our third Christian millennium here in the United Kingdom, many businesses and citizens, together with their elected representatives, are once more intensely debating the importance of political leadership and the potentially negative impact its absence can create. Did former Prime Minister David Cameron show strong political leadership by offering the British people the chance to vote on a non-binding referendum over continued European Union membership? Or was it - as some argue - a cynical ploy to appease the increasingly vocal Euroskeptic element of the Conservative Party? Free-range hen, Chedworth, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom Tim Graham | Getty Images Hopes of securing a post-Brexit U.S.-U.K. trade deal have come under threat in the first day of talks amid concerns over chlorinated chicken imports. Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has insisted that the issue of poultry imports is "a detail of the very end stage of one sector" but British campaigners insist that a proposed bilateral trade deal with the U.S. would lower British food standards. Fox is currently in Washington for the second of two-day trade talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in which they aim to lay establish a continuity agreement that will allow the two countries to continue trading after Brexit. They also hope to "lay the ground work" for a potential future free trade agreement, Fox said in a press statement Monday, though cannot sign a deal until the U.K. leaves the EU in March 2019. What's the problem? U.S. farmers have insisted that any future deal with the U.K. must include agriculture but British campaigners argue that it would hurt farming standards and leave consumers faced with imports of chlorine washed chicken and hormone-fed beef. In the U.S. it is legal to wash chicken carcasses in chlorinated water: producers and regulators in the U.S. argue it reduced the spread of contamination. Such items are banned in the EU on health grounds and concerns that it could be used by unscrupulous producers to make meat appear fresher. Once the U.K. leaves the EU it will be free to decide whether to retain the EU's ban or lift it and accept U.S. food standards. These differing views on the issue are partly what caused the U.S. and the EU to fail to agree on a transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) last year. President Donald Trump, who has long advocated striking a deal with the U.K., tweeted Tuesday that "protectionist" EU rules were preventing a deal and the creation of new jobs. Tweet Though industry bodies have said EU regulations should remain in place. The British Poultry Council slammed the notion of importing chlorine-washed chickens as part of a "makeweight in trade negotiations with the U.S." "The U.K. poultry meat industry stands committed to feeding the nation with nutritious food and any compromise on standards will not be tolerated. A secure post-Brexit deal must be about Britain's future food security and safety. This is a matter of our reputation on the global stage," it said in a press note. During a press conference in the U.S. Monday, Fox dismissed critics, saying that the British media was "obsessed" with chlorine-washed chickens and risked undermining plans to achieve a free trade agreement with the U.S. What does this mean for farmers? The spat comes against the backdrop of divided public opinion over the future of the U.K.'s agriculture industry. Pro-Brexit farmers argue that outside the EU there will be less arbitrary regulations and no need to subsidize farmland in other countries. Meanwhile advocates of the union insist it maintains high standards and prevents farmers being undercut by cheaper producers. Freshly-laid eggs are collected for delivery to the local packing plant at the Aronheim family's egg farm on March 14, 2008 David Silverman | Getty Images watch now Virgin Money's CEO has said the challenger bank is optimistic for the future of its digital banking platform, and that a balance with physical branches and face to face customer interaction remained paramount to its model. The bank reported strong profits and a positive outlook in its first half results on Tuesday on the back of a strong U.K. economy. "I think the economy has performed better than many people's expectations, and my own, since the (Brexit) referendum vote," Jayne-Anne Gadhia, chief executive officer at Virgin Money, told CNBC on Tuesday. Gadhia added that the business was heavily bolstered by its digital and mobile operations. Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images "We acquire almost all of our credit customers digitally or online at the moment, and we'd expect that to develop," Virgin Money's CEO said. How important is mobile technology? She added: "Over 50 percent of our business is now done on mobile technology and, again, as we build our digital bank we announced a partnership with Antony Jenkins's new company, 10X, recently to develop that digital bank that will develop more." The bank signed a deal with financial technology (fintech) start-up 10X Future Technologies, the brainchild of ex-Barclays chief-turned-fintech entrepreneur Anthony Jenkins, last November. Virgin Money also reported that it had received 13 million visits to its website in its first half results announcement. Will Virgin give up its branches? Gadhia insisted that the bank remained consistent on its commitment to physical branches and face to face customer interaction. "We're absolutely finding that our branches continue to thrive. Customers like to see us face to face, so I think the balance between face to face interaction and the ability to transact digitally on your mobile is something that's really important for the future," she said. Antony Jenkins, CEO of Barclays Adam Jeffery | CNBC Virgin Money enjoyed a 34 percent rise in first half profit, to 90.5 million ($117.9 million) from 67.5 million last year. Alpha male culture in banking 'very damaging' Gadhia previously worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland under its controversial former chief Fred Goodwin. In an interview with BBC Radio 4 last Friday, she said that she had learned from events that led up to the 2008 financial crisis and the near-collapse of RBS. "In the end that focus on the output at all times meant that the senior management there lost control both of the business itself and the culture that underpinned it, and that was devastating for everybody involved from the top all the way through," she said. watch now "And I think that in a very alpha male culture, and certainly we saw a bit of it maybe at RBS, it was an attitude of win-lose 'I am going to win, I am going to succeed at all costs' and I think that has been very damaging." Meeting people shaped the CEO's approach to business The stock market's so-called fear index was tracking for a record low close on Tuesday. The CBOE Volatility Index (.VIX) , widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, hit 9.04 Tuesday, its lowest since Dec. 27, 1993, when it traded as low as 8.89. If the VIX ends the day below 9.31, it will break the closing record low set on Dec. 22, 1993. On Monday, the VIX closed below 10 for an eighth-straight day. Most market analysts have noted the decline in the VIX doesn't necessarily imply market complacency. Rather, the drop in the index reflects its structure, tracking the bets of options traders on whether the S&P 500 index will rise or fall. Options give traders the right to buy or sell an asset at a preset price, and the steady rise in the S&P 500 has given traders little reason to bet on a significant, volatile drop in the stock index. The VIX has fallen to lows not seen in more than two decades amid U.S. stocks' steady climb higher, prompting some concern that when market volatility returns, it will spike significantly. One investor has bet about 1 million options contracts that the VIX will shoot up to 25 by October, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The trade could pay out about $265 million if correct, the newspaper said, citing a volatility strategist. The VIX last topped 20 on Nov. 9, the day after the U.S. presidential election. The S&P 500 has climbed 15 percent since the election and closed at a record for the 27th time this year on July 19. The stock index set a fresh all-time high Tuesday morning, with energy and financial shares leading the advance. A Union Jack flag flies near the Elizabeth Tower, commonly referred to as Big Ben, at the Houses of Parliament in central London, U.K., on March 29, 2017. "The market itself is cheap. Valuations are actually about 20 percent below long-term averages, on a cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio. And more importantly in practical terms, U.K. equities look a relative bargain compared to cash that yields virtually nothing and bonds that are yielding less than 1 percent," Illsley pointed out, adding that the average dividend yield is about 4 percent. "Despite popular skittishness, U.K. valuations actually look very good," James Illsley, fund manager at JP Morgan U.K. Equity Core fund, said in a note to investors. There are three reasons increasing the attractiveness of U.K. stocks: global valuations are too high, U.K. valuations are cheap and they're affected by global growth, which looks solid at the moment. The FTSE 100 might be your best investment option amid growing domestic volatility in the U.K. economy, analysts at JP Morgan said. The FTSE 100 registered its biggest daily gain since April in mid-July. In May, the index broke two new highs surpassing the 7,500 mark on a weaker pound. The drop in the currency has supported British stocks, given that in most cases these companies make their profits in dollars. As a result, U.K. stocks are mostly affected by global growth dynamics rather than by the British economy, which has been volatile due to the uncertainty surrounding its future relationship with the European Union. The International Monetary Fund revised downwards its growth forecasts for the U.K. whereas it kept its global outlook unchanged. The IMF said Monday that the U.K. is set to grow 1.7 percent in 2017 and 1.5 percent in 2018. Meanwhile, the global economy is seen increasing by 3.5 percent this year and by 3.6 percent in 2018. According to Illsley, the attractiveness of U.K. equities should therefore remain intact. "In terms of valuations I can't see the case being eroded," he told CNBC Tuesday. "Asset classes might change, but from a valuation perspective the scenario remains the same." He preferred not making forecasts on a sectorial basis, given their volatility to different macro-economic scenarios, but said that stocks like the Bank of Georgia are a good opportunity. The bank is listed in the U.K. but has no exposure to the U.K. economy and is currently benefiting from a fast growing performance in the Georgian economy. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Where previous industrial revolutions freed us from animal power, facilitated mass production and offered digital capabilities to a large percentage of the worlds population, the coming fourth revolution, Schwab says, will be drastically different. He predicts that new technologies, many of which already exist, will fuse the physical, digital and biological, reshaping the way we work, think, do business, changing industries and economies, and perhaps even causing a reassessment of what it means to be human. Schwab believes that technological advances will create an ever more interconnected world, making it easier to work together across borders for the common good. He says tools such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things (where machines are equipped to learn and communicate) will immeasurably improve the efficiency of organizations, and help devise the means to reverse the environmental damage that has resulted from previous industrial advances. While Schwab sees these advances as having enormous positive potential, he also identifies certain concerns. Schwab writes that a major risk organizations face is a potential inability to adapt to the new landscape that is being shaped. However, he stresses that so long as we are able to effectively collaborate across geographies, sectors and disciplines and indeed, within businesses the Fourth Industrial Revolution will remain within our control. Essentially, co-innovation is key. Summing up its belief that the intelligent automation and evaluation solutions it provides will help drive its partners adaptation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, leading automation solutions provider Yokogawa recently adopted the corporate brand slogan, Co-innovating tomorrow. However, this catchphrase neatly encapsulates the goal it has sought to achieve for more than 100 years. The company, which celebrated its centenary in 2015, got its start in the early 20th century, providing engineering solutions related to the cutting-edge technology of the time electricity. Based in Japan, Yokogawa expanded beyond power to communications, playing a pivotal role in rebuilding the countrys communications infrastructure. Responding to demand from a resurgent manufacturing sector, Yokogawa began providing advanced industrial instruments and by the 1950s, was the frontrunner in the Japanese industrial automation technology field, collaborating with leading firms such as General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and Foxboro. Its automation solutions, including pioneering digital control systems, were key to fostering Japans manufacturing and economic boom in the 1970s and 80s, and as Yokogawas footprint and local presence grew beyond its homelands borders, new levels of highly optimized production and engineering were developed for clients across the globe. Then, as now, the worlds industrial giants in fields including power, oil and gas, aviation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, food, pulp and paper have looked to Yokogawa to provide reliable products and solutions to meet their industrial automation and control needs. Today, with nearly 19,000 staff spanning 60 countries, Yokogawa remains on the leading edge of innovation, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and the burgeoning industrial internet of things to deliver inventive measurement, control and IT solutions that optimize production and business processes helping create the seamlessly interconnected, safer, cleaner plants of the future. In this, its in step with Klaus Schwabs advice that, to successfully navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution, businesses, leaders and individuals must together shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people. 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 One of the givens of Westminster politics is that a politician will defend his turf. Liam Fox is a convinced believer in exiting the customs union as well as the Single Market, for reasons that he explained recently on this site. We agree with him. But the knowledge that his job would have less scope were Britain to stay in it will scarcely disincentivise his view. As in Government, so in opposition. A delicious Shadow Cabinet row has broken out between Keir Starmer who, as a very solid Remainer, wants to keep open the option of staying in the Customs Union, and Barry Gardiner who, as Foxs shadowis taking more or less exactly the same position as the Trade Secretary. In todays Guardian, Gardiner doubles down on his position, arguing that as a transitional phase, a customs union agreement might be thought to have some merit. However, as an end point it is deeply unattractive. It would preclude us from making our own independent trade agreements with our five largest export markets outside the EU (the US, China, Japan, Australia and the Gulf states). He also repeats his line that, were Britain to remain a Single Market member, we would become technically not be a member of the EU, but we would in effect become a vassal state. The so-called hardest of so-called hard Brexiteers on the Conservative benches could not put it more vividly. Gardiner concedes that he too was a Remainer, but must recognise the verdict of the voters. It may be that he thinks that were the Government to fall, Labour to take over, and he himself to replace Fox staying in the Customs Union would clip his Ministerial wings unduly. But at any rate, a means of proving his free-trading credentials is to hand. The Trade Secretary was challenged yesterday to eat an American chlorine-washed chicken, the provision of which could be the part of an Anglo-American trade deal. It is all very silly: have the journalists in question, as Fox asked, never tucked into a chicken while visiting the United States? But whats good for the Trade Secretary is good for his shadow. He too is presumably anxious to get the most comprehensive trade deal possible with Donald Trumps administration. Would Gardiner eat an American chlorine-washed chicken? We think we should be told. James Frayne is Director of communications agency Public First and author of Meet the People, a guide to moving public opinion. The focus of this column is Theresa Mays conservatism for ordinary working people. Theresa May made a good decision in choosing Robbie Gibb as her new Director of Communications. In his previous role at the BBC, he helped tomake the most complex political and policy issues understandable and digestible for the public a variation of a role he must play for Number Ten as the prospect of another election looms large. As senior politicians set off for their short breaks, what will he be telling the Prime Minister? Here is an imagined memo: Dear Prime Minister, in ordinary times, Id spend the first few months listening and thinking before making hard recommendations for action. I think we both know its time to put these conventions to one side; weve already entered the campaign for the next election and were badly trailing in the polls. Corbyns up and youre down. You hired me to get things done and tell you how I see it. Here goes. My single most important point is this: start acting like a leader. Your personal poll ratings are terrible (and dropping). Colleagues are leaking against you and some are on manoeuvres against you. We cant win if the public doesnt support you personally. If you dont show serious leadership soon, youll be out the door. Only you can get back that swagger you had before the election campaign (you badly need it), but I have four ideas for practical action. Firstly, take ownership of Brexit. To date, youve let David Davis completely run the show. Why?! This is the single most important issue facing the country and you must own it. You ought to be explaining our direction to the European Commission, regularly meeting other European leaders to discuss the parameters of our exit, and introducing our negotiating position in the early talks. Why do you think David Davis ratings on ConHome are so high? Because hes the one that appears to be doing serious work. Keep him in place but make it clear its your project. If Brexit goes badly, were all screwed; theres no downside. Secondly, show hard authority over the Cabinet. Your comments at Cabinet last week making clear they needed to get serious were a good start. But you ought to consider another reshuffle soon. I dont know what others have told you but from my perspective the last one was a disaster for you: it made you look like you had no power. Get another one planned for the autumn and, whatever happens, fire the next Cabinet Minister that steps out of line. Thirdly, crucially, start making some policy announcements. As youve admitted, youre not a born campaigner: youre an executive, not a performer. With that in mind, lets forget big speeches, meet-and-greet events and personal interviews which dont play to your strengths; and lets focus on policy which does. I hear you dont like policy-making as campaigning? Youre going to have to get out of that mindset; its the only way were going to be able to establish momentum and the best way for you to actually appeal to voters. (So lets commission some polling on what the public actually want to see in this Parliament and lets craft some policies to deliver them.) Fourthly, start causing Corbyn more problems in his own party. What frightens Labour politicians most of all? Arguably, the collapse of their traditional working class vote in the Midlands and North. (Caroline Flints comments at a recent Policy Exchange event drove this point home). We need some policies ready made for these voters. Ensuring Brexit means Brexit is obviously crucial; but there are two additional avenues we should be looking at: amending human rights legislation to stop the abuse of the criminal justice system; and further cracking down on those that refuse work. Crude? Yes, but lets be realistic. Fifthly, and finally, find a role for Ruth Davidson. Shes fast developing a high national profile in the media and the party. Because shes outgoing and conventionally warm, the higher her profile, the more she highlights your stark differences. Shes a rock star: find a role where you can work together and where your skills will be seen as complimentary. Lets speak when you get back. Robbie Editorial Australias maleficent role in East Timor Last week marked the fourth national election in East Timor since its hard-won independence 15 years ago. Fretilin, the party whose members and supporters led the struggle for national liberation from Indonesia, appear to have won the largest number of votes along with the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction. Both have been in a government of national unity since 2015. Australias maleficent role still hangs over East Timors history of struggle for independence. It includes successive Australian governments stand-over treatment of East Timor over the exploitation of the oil and gas resources of the Timor Gap, an act of theft and plunder that is reflected in the declining respect for Australia in the Asian region and in Australia being regarded as a US sheriff in the region, a role confirmed in the present as preparations increase for a major military offensive in concert with a growing US occupation force in Australias north. The people of East Timor, after years of Portuguese and then Indonesian colonialism, remain among the poorest in the world. The winning of their independence after years of armed struggle and the existence of rich oil and gas resources off the East Timorese coast should have opened the door to a better future, but this is being denied them by Australias ongoing policies. The foundation for this theft of East Timors natural resources was laid in an agreement between the Indonesian and Australian governments in 1972 in which one of the main gas fields, Greater Sunrise, was put mainly in Australian waters. Disputes between nations concerning rights to territorial waters are usually settled by adherence to the half-way mark. This is the principle enshrined in the UNs Law of the Sea. If this were to be the case most of the Greater Sunrise field would belong to East Timor. However, in 2002 Australia withdrew from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and from the International Court of Justices jurisdiction on maritime boundary questions. The then Howard government delayed ratifying the Timor Sea Treaty it had made with East Timor until the deadline was reached, leaving East Timor with the choice of either demanding greater revenues and perhaps risking the collapse of the agreement, or accepting Australias terms. East Timors President at the time, Xanana Gusmao, stated: Were not asking too much from Australia. What belongs to us is ours. We hope Australia can understand that. They still havent agreed when to start maritime border negotiations. The Australian governments principle however is What belongs to us is ours and what belongs to you is also ours. Is it any wonder that Australia is becoming increasingly seen in the Asian region and further afield as a pariah state devoid of principles with a successive number of predator governments? Under the UN International Law of the Sea, all the areas presently being drilled are in East Timors half of the Sea. The reason Australian governments forced East Timor, the poorest nation in our region, to defer making a decision on the maritime boundary for 50 years is precisely because they know that Australias position is untenable under international law. At issue in the maritime border dispute are royalties estimated at between $10 billion and $20 billion over the next 30 years. Australia has sucked in over $2 billion from royalties on the oil and gas in question since 1999. With its fair share of these funds, East Timor could meet the needs of its people and build some financial security. East Timor has refused to ratify the Timor Sea Treaty. It wants Australia to return to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and UNCLOS for the adjudication of the maritime boundary. Australias collusion with Indonesia in the past, its benefiting from Indonesias occupation by the Timor Gap oil treaty with Indonesia, its arming and training of Indonesian military, means that Australia shares responsibility with Indonesia for the past decades of murder, torture and terrorism against the people of East Timor. ABC faces death of a thousand cuts One Nation leader Pauline Hanson recently called on the government to slash the ABCs budget. She was infuriated because the ABC had just broadcast a brilliant Four Corners program on her dictatorial rule over her party. But the national broadcasters budget has already been slashed. Spending on documentary and factual TV material increased by 7.2 percent, but the number of hours of first-release programs fell by 78 percent, to a mere 137 hours over the entire year. In the last financial year the ABCs allocation for programs other than news and current affairs was nine percent lower than in 2013/2014. For drama and comedy fiction, the financial allocation fell by 18 percent and the number of program hours by 33 percent, compared with the 2011/12 financial year. Childrens program hours fell by 13 percent and its funding by 16 percent over the same period. By July 2019, the national broadcaster will have suffered overall funding cuts of more than $355 million over five years. The result is evident in its programming. Sixty nine percent of what the ABC broadcasts is Australian content, but much of that comprises repeat programs, and drama content has fallen below the minimum standards for commercial TV. So far, outstanding programs like Four Corners have been spared the axe, but ABC current events programming is beginning to be dominated by cheap-as-chips panel and interview shows. While theyre often entertaining, they are no substitute for on-the-spot news and in-depth current events coverage or new drama and comedy. Other battlefronts The government has not endorsed Hansons enraged demands for even further cuts to ABC programming, but it appears to have similar objectives itself. The constant year-by-year cuts to the ABC budget, combined with rising production costs, mean that sooner or later the national broadcaster will have to make drastic decisions about its programs and its area of media operations. Digital broadcasting has carved a huge slice from the national viewing audience for standard free-to-air TV broadcasts, and has hastened the decline of the press. The commercial channels have failed to meet the high standard set by the ABC for news and current event coverage, and are struggling to cope with the advent of digital news broadcasts. The current media laws restrict the number of media outlets a corporation can control in a particular region. However, the recent collapse of Channel 10 is now being used by the commercial media to argue that the laws should be changed in order to allow another media corporation to save Channel 10, which they say is of major social importance to the Australian people! The Turnbull government is, of course, lending a sympathetic ear to their pleas. But one of the major impediments to the plans of the commercial media tycoons is the continued existence and operation of the ABC. Its programs like Media Watch and Q&A are hated by the commercial media, which is quick to attack the ABC for real or imagined failings, but cant stand the analytical critical spotlight being turned on itself. The ABC is also a competitor for major sporting and social events. But one of the biggest problems for the mass media is digital broadcasting, in which the ABC is playing a major role. Since the introduction of digital news, commercial media bosses have demanded that the ABC abandon digital news broadcasting or even leave this media field altogether. To further this end, the commercial broadcasters have been a constant critic of the ABC, and the Murdoch empire has been the most strident. Much of the criticism has been directed towards the ABCs multicultural policy, and its attacks have provoked violent verbal abuse by groups like Aussie Nationalist, who have called for the deportation of not only outspoken personalities like Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Waleed Aly, but also Chinese investors and Apex gang members! But the main focus of the commercial media has been on the institution itself. Weakened, privatised or destroyed Ranald MacDonald, former Melbourne Age editor and representative of Friends of the ABC, recently commented: Make no mistake about it, the right generally would like to see the ABC weakened or privatised or destroyed. Rupert Murdoch and his cheer squad seek to benefit financially if the ABC no longer [exists] or [is no longer] able to compete. The coalitions media law reforms (note the term, as it really means changes to benefit big media players) is yet another example with changes proposed to ownership to allow access to high profile/rating events. This results from government kowtowing to media proprietors. July 1 marked the 85th anniversary of the founding of the ABC. The national broadcaster has consistently met its public obligation to pursue the truth, foster informed public debate on important social issues, and produce news and current affairs programs that expose governments, corporations and other organisations whose actions are contrary to the interests of the Australian people. And that is precisely what the commercial mass media, their corporate sponsors and conservative governments loathe about the national broadcaster. ABC comedy and drama shows have proven to be extremely important elements of Australian culture. The commercial channels rarely have programs of equivalent value, other than repeats of ABC or BBC productions, or extensions of series that began on the ABC. And they certainly dont have the same level of social criticism or satirical quality evident in former ABC shows like Kath and Kim or the superbly subtle Clarke and Dawes interviews. The battle is now on to ensure that further funding cuts do not force the ABC to cease producing drama and comedy altogether, or to abandon digital broadcasting. To stimulate public awareness of the importance of this struggle, Friends of the ABC is launching a campaign to ascertain the publics view of the ABC, and to promote the Friends vision of the role and importance of the national broadcaster. As MacDonald said bluntly: The ABC is not perfect, but this country desperately needs an ABC able financially and committed to fulfilling its Charter requirements for all Australians. Further, it needs ... to be free of political interference. Taking Issue Rob Gowland Whats really behind the US interest in Korea? It is an elementary rule when examining the foreign policy decisions of capitalist governments to follow the money, in other words, who profits from the decision? The US and its imperialist allies, including the Australian government, have made a huge song and dance have, in fact, waged a propaganda war against tiny North Koreas efforts to defend itself against the USAs constant threats of aggression. Why? Because the US is actually scared of North Korea (more properly called the DPRK the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea)? No, of course not. The DPRK have large amounts of rare earth metals which are used in the making of high-technology products. The US maintains a huge military presence in South Korea (including nuclear weapons in far greater numbers than the North possesses). This preparation for fighting a new war on the Korean Peninsula does not sit well with the population of South Korea, who are only too aware of the utter destruction inflicted on the country by the last US attempt to eradicate Communism from the region. Claims that these nuclear forces and the recently installed US anti-ballistic-missile systems are for the defence of South Korea are derisively rejected as yet more propaganda, which they are. All of the DPRKs actions are concerned with warning the US that it will defend itself if the US tries to attack it again. So why is the US persisting in its hostile economic and diplomatic campaign against this small country in the top half of the Korean Peninsula? Partly it is because they got beaten to a standstill the last time they tried to eliminate a socialist regime from Korea which moreover shares a border with both Russia and China. That defeat must still rankle with the upper echelons of the US military. Partly they are persisting because the US strategy of maintaining global paranoia about a supposed Communist threat or a Russo-Chinese threat (or both) requires the existence of convenient hot spots that the bourgeois media and obliging politicians can point to in their efforts to sustain this paranoia (without which their bloated military budgets would be laughed into oblivion). However, capitalist governments, conscious that they are but the tools of powerful corporations, also have another and decidedly more important factor to take into consideration: that is, how much money will it make and for whom? How does that apply in the case of the DPRK? Steve Mollman, in Quartz, earlier this month reminded his readers that North Korea is sitting on trillions of dollars of untapped wealth, and its neighbours want it. He writes: Below the nations mostly mountainous surface are vast mineral reserves, including iron, gold, magnesite, zinc, copper, limestone, molybdenum, graphite, and more all told about 200 kinds of minerals. Also present are large amounts of rare earth metals. The latter of course are used today to make smartphones and other high-tech products. According to one estimate from a South Korean state-owned mining company, [the DPRKs mineral reserves] are worth over US$6 trillion. Another from a South Korean research institute puts the amount closer to US$10 trillion. That US corporations covet those trillions goes without saying. At the same time they (or their government) are determined to prevent the people of the DPRK from exploiting their countrys mineral stocks themselves. The economic and diplomatic blockade they have maintained against the DPRK has successfully inhibited development of mining in the country. However, despite the difficulties the DPRK endures, mining which has been a priority industry since the 1970s did slowly develop until the beginning of the 1990s and now makes up about 14 percent of the DPRKs economy. However, Mollman notes that mining production has declined since then: The nation lacks the equipment, expertise, and even basic infrastructure to properly tap into the jackpot that waits in the ground. In April, Lloyd R Vasey, a senior adviser at the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies, noted that: There is a shortage of mining equipment and North Korea is unable to purchase new equipment due to its dire economic situation, the energy shortage and the age and generally poor condition of the power grid. After the DPRK conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, in response to US threats, the US used its clout at the UN to secure sanctions against it. However, says Mollman, last September, South Koreas state-run Korea Development Institute said that the mineral trade between North Korea and China remains a cash cow for Pyongyang despite UN sanctions, and that it accounted for 54 percent of the Norths total trade volume to China in the first half of 2016. A 2014 report on the DPRKs mining sector by the United States Geological Survey noted that The mining sector in North Korea is not directly subject to international economic sanctions and is, therefore, the only legal, lucrative source of investment trade available to the country. According to Mollman, in 2015 China imported US$73 million in iron ore from North Korea, and US$680,000 worth of zinc in the first quarter of [2016]. The ever-alert US consequently shifted its economic attack and the focus of its UN lobbying to the DPRKS underground resources. In March, 2016 they got a resolution through the UN banning the export from the DPRK of gold, vanadium, titanium, and rare earth metals. Not satisfied, in November 2016, they got another resolution through the UN capping the DPRKs coal exports and banning shipments of nickel, copper, zinc, and silver. Not surprisingly, faced with this kind of economic warfare, the DPRK authorities have resorted to a variety of sanction-busting stratagems to enable it to continue to export its products. According to Mollman, earlier this year a group of UN experts concluded that North Korea, despite sanctions, continues to export banned minerals. [Shock horror.] He adds: They determined, as well, that North Korea uses another mineral gold along with cash to entirely circumvent the formal financial sector. That sounds like they have resorted to the tried and true capitalist practice called bribery and bribery has been a staple of capitalist business methods since ... well, since capitalism began. In 2015 China imported about US$1 billion worth of coal from the DPRK, about 40% of all the countrys exports, but in line with the climate targets agreed in Paris, China has now begun restricting coal imports from its neighbour. In the first quarter of this year, Chinas imports of coal from the DPRK fell by 51.6%. Nevertheless, Chinas overall trade with the DPRK actually increased 37.4% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. Its imports of iron ore from North Korea, says Mollman, shot up 270% in January and February from a year ago. About five years ago China spent some US$10 billion on an infrastructure project near the DPRK border, primarily to give it easier access to the large iron ore deposits in the DPRKs Musan County, right by the border. And Russia, which also shares a (smaller) border with the DPRK, in 2014 developed plans to overhaul North Koreas rail network in exchange for access to the countrys mineral resources. That particular plan is still being worked on. Also, anxious not to miss out on this financial bonanza is the USAs ostensible side-kick, South Korea (ROK, Republic of Korea). In May this year, the ROKs Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport invited companies to submit bids on possible infrastructure projects in the DPRK, especially ones regarding the mining sector. The inducement the Ministry offered was that the available mineral resources would enable the bidders to make a profit even after they had covered the expense of repairing the Norths decrepit infrastructure, including the aging railway line. But however much the corporations of the ROK might covet the mineral wealth of the DPRK, it will not come by conquest but by peaceful reunification. And the people of the DPRK are not likely to just hand it over to ROK capitalists. The latter, of course, are looking at the example of the reunification of Germany, where the Socialist property of the GDR was handed over to German corporations without resistance. This time, however, the circumstances are different and the fate that befell the GDR is unlikely to be repeated ever again. Just dont be fooled by US-originated stories that they are trying to rein in a madman. As always, they have their eye on a prize. Argentinas brave mothers keep marching Forty years ago, Argentinas Mothers of Plaza de Mayo planted the seeds of a resistance movement when they took to the capitals main square to demand answers about the fate of their children who had disappeared at the hands of the military junta which had seized power. Although civilian rule was restored in 1983 and some of those guilty have since been convicted, the now octogenarian mothers still continue to march demanding full accountability for the 30,000 disappeared. Forty years ago, 14 women gathered in a Buenos Aires square known as Plaza de Mayo. They were looking for their children, who had disappeared at the hands of the military dictatorship. They were scared, but their desire to find their loved ones was stronger than their fear. They spontaneously decided to join forces in order to force the military junta to give them some answers. None of them could have imagined at the time that they were planting the seeds of a movement which would never be eradicated from the square, and which would grow to be known the world over. These days, the capital of Argentina is organising music festivals, photography exhibitions, symposiums and documentary screenings as a tribute to the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, those brave souls who became a symbol of resistance against the horrors of the regime. At first, they would sit on the benches and talk, using their knitting as a cover to throw off the uniformed guards who stared at them suspiciously. Any gathering of three or more people was forbidden under the state of siege, and at one point a police officer told them to keep moving. The women got up and began circling the monument to Belgrano and then the Piramide de Mayo, across from the government palace known as Casa Rosada. When he told us to keep moving, he triggered an endless dance, says Nora Cortinas, whose son Carlos Gustavo Cortinas was kidnapped, never to be seen again, 15 days before the creation of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Just like him, men and women who were members of guerrilla groups, political organisations and unions were being dragged out of their homes and plucked from the streets and taken to clandestine detention centres. Because no charges were ever brought against them, nor their location disclosed, the people who were sucked up in this way became los desaparecidos, or the disappeared. The list of crimes perpetrated by the state included kidnappings, torture, baby theft from women who gave birth while in prison, and forced disappearances that took many forms, including the death flights in which detainees were drugged and weighed down before being thrown off aircraft and into the River Plate. At first we had high hopes of finding them alive, explains Hebe de Bonafini, president of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. We were certain that we would find them, and that is why we put all our energy and love into that effort. We couldnt imagine that it was going to be so brutal, adds Mirta Baravalle, whose daughter Ana Maria was kidnapped in 1976, when she was five months pregnant. The state repression had begun in 1974, but it surged after the military coup of 24 March 1976. In just a few months, the desaparecidos could be counted by the thousands. At police precincts and prisons, women ran into other women looking just as downcast as themselves, and asked: You too? There were 14 mothers at first; when I joined we were already 20, and the number grew by the week, recalls Cortinas. A few months later they began wearing white headscarves originally these were their childrens cloth nappies and the head covering quickly became the symbol of their struggle. The regime wrote them off as those crazy women, but they didnt care. Week after week they marched around the central monument on Plaza de Mayo to demand that their children be returned to them alive, and given a proper trial if it turned out that they had committed any crimes. The movement did not peter out even when three of its members were kidnapped in late 1977, including founder Azucena Villaflor. They were betrayed by a former navy captain, Alfredo Astiz, who infiltrated the group after passing himself off as the brother of a missing man. Having fought for life and against death, even when death has passed right by your side so many times, gives you a lot of courage, says de Bonafini. The association celebrated Argentinas return to democracy in 1983, and the trial of junta members who were sentenced to life in prison. But they kept right on fighting against the impunity that was encoded into laws by the Raul Alfonsin administration (1983-89), followed by the government pardons awarded by Carlos Menem (1989-99) to the regime leaders. Their demands for justice and for the preservation of the memory of the 30,000 people who disappeared under the military regime were bolstered by the derogation of amnesty laws under the Kirchner administrations. Hundreds of trials have since been reopened, turning Argentina into a global role model. Now mostly octogenarians, the Mothers keep going to the square every Thursday. They have been divided since 1986, when a splinter group broke off and founded the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line due to disagreements over state compensation and the identification of remains. But there are still more things uniting than dividing them: 30,000 disappeared, present! they all chant out from both sides of the square, as though challenging the new administration of President Mauricio Macri for daring to question that figure. Mothers of the square, the people embrace you, they often hear from those passing by. In the meantime, the Mothers cling to their belief that one day they will find out what happened to all the missing victims of the repression, and to their hope that the new generations will carry on their fight. Third World Resurgence Culture & Life The State of Food and Agriculture Over 1,000 delegates gathered in Rome July 3-8 to attend the 40th Session of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Conference with the theme of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. A delegation of the South Centre attended the FAO conference which is held every two years. The Conference comprises plenary meetings, committee meetings and several side events on issues of climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity and conflict and migration among others. Below is the full statement of the G77 and China, delivered by Elias Eljuri Abraham, Permanent Representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. We appreciate the Secretariats presentation of the reference document on this agenda item, based on the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2016 report, with the theme of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. Climate change is described as one of the greatest challenges of our time in the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development which explicitly calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. As underscored in the SOFA report, unless action is taken now to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient, the impacts of climate change will seriously compromise food production in regions that are already highly food insecure. Even though climate change affects world food security and agriculture production as a whole, its impacts are more strongly felt among poor and vulnerable populations of developing countries. Developing countries are particularly at risk of declining yields as a result of climate change, according to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Indeed, lower productivity in agriculture resulting from climate change will have serious negative implications for livelihoods and food security, especially for smallholders and family farmers in rural areas. In the implementation of the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to consider the particularities of agriculture and food systems for their contributions to safeguarding food security and ending hunger. The Agreement is a collective achievement of all parties. It aims to bolster the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in particular considering the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances. Equity, human rights and the right to development are all interconnected and shall underpin our shared goals of combating climate change and eradicate hunger and poverty. Developing countries are already making a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, even if constrained by limited capacity building, financial and technological support. One of the major challenges (if not the main one) faced by our group of countries in implementing the Paris Agreement is essentially about means of implementation. To effectively implement our commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, developing countries will require support from developed countries, including through the fulfilment of their commitments and obligations under the Convention related to the provision of financial resources, based on their responsibilities for historical emissions. We reiterate that economic and social development, poverty eradication, and adaptation to climate change and its co-benefits are the overriding priorities of developing countries in relation with the issue of climate change, agriculture and food security. The SOFA report rightly pointed out that adequate climate financing and agricultural investments are essential to enable the transition to sustainable agricultural practices. A huge shortfall in financing and investments still needs to be filled, particularly to enable smallholder producers in developing countries to better access credit and other financing instruments for investing in new technologies and practices. Efforts should continue to strengthen developing countries capacities to develop actions towards climate change, achieve food security and improve nutrition, including through international cooperation, such as South-South and Triangular cooperation and North-South cooperation. Adequate, predictable and sustained finance, technology and capacity building must be ensured to assist developing country parties to enhance our climate actions. Special attention must be given to women, who make up around 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, with fewer endowments and entitlements than men, and with even more limited access to information and services, and gender-determined household responsibilities. While we recognise that one area with a large potential for policy realignment is the redesign of agricultural support measures to facilitate, rather than impede, the transition to sustainable agriculture, we caution that such redesign should not lead to and be used as a justification to extend more trade-distortive support measures. We concur that trade restrictions which limit the response of global agricultural production to changes in demand and supply under climate change should be in line with the Agenda 2030, in particular to promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organisation, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda. We consider that trade distortions that lead to over-exploitation of natural resources, including those contributing to climate change, should be eliminated. The WTO 11th Ministerial Conference offers an opportunity in this regard. The fight against climate change is an irreversible and unavoidable process that is fully compatible with economic growth and sustainable development strategies as defined at national level, according to national capacities and circumstances. To collectively respond to this common challenge, new opportunities are rising to promote innovation and sustainable development, reconciling economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental conservation. The Group of 77 and China remain committed to fight climate change, recognising that its Member States have been the most affected by its adverse impacts which erode our development gains and undermine and delay the achievement of the goals contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The G77 & China endorse the recommended actions by the Conference in the reference document. Thank you. Cloud News Google CEO Pichai 'Surprised' By Breadth Of Customers, Workloads Moving To Google Cloud Platform Joseph Tsidulko Share this Google's cloud business was a strong revenue driver for parent Alphabet in a quarter which saw earnings dragged down by a hefty fine from the European Union. In a Q2 earnings call on Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the Mountain View, Calif.-based tech giant is investing in building out more data centers to meet growing demand for its cloud services, for which machine learning capabilities will be a major differentiator in the market. "GCP continues to experience impressive growth across products, sectors and geographies," Pichai told investors. "Increasingly with large enterprise customers in regulated sectors." [Related: Citrix, Google Strengthen Cloud Partnership] Google is winning big customers across diverse use cases, Pichai said in response to an investor asking if there were specific types of workloads gravitating to GCP. "I would say the breadth of what we've seen has really surprised me," Pichai said of the GCP customer base. Alphabet doesn't break out financials for Google Cloud Platform or any other single product. But Google's "other revenues" a mix of non-advertising based businesses, primarily driven by cloud and hardware was up 42 percent from the same quarter of the previous year, to $3.09 billion. Google's CEO offered another metric: the number of new cloud deals worth more than half a million dollars was three times what it was the previous year. "We want to stay best in class. We're clearly planning for that planning Planning ahead for infrastructure," Pichai said. "All the teams and structure Diane has put in place is continuing to work well," he said, referencing Senior Vice President Diane Greene, who runs the cloud division. Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said during the call the company saw "substantial growth in cloud" over the quarter. GCP "does continue to drive sizable revenue growth," she said, while the G Suite cloud application portfolio also maintains its strong performance. Head count was up by more than 1,000 employees. The "vast majority of new hires were engineers and product managers," mostly working in the cloud division, Porat said The hiring across technical and sales roles in the cloud division is "consistent with the priority we place in this business," she added. Porat told investors that Google is leveraging its infrastructure, distribution and engineering talent to differentiate its products, most notably with machine learning capabilities. Alphabet's overall revenue of $26 billion was up 21 percent year-over-year in the quarter, which ended June 30. As usual, those sales were almost entirely driven by Google's advertising business, which grew 25 percent to $25.8 billion. Overall growth was led by advertising revenues from mobile search, "with a strong contribution from YouTube," Porat said. But earnings took a hit from the European Commission's $2.7 billion for antitrust violations related to how Google ranks search results for shopping queries. Alphabet's quarterly earnings per share of $5.01 beat Wall Street expectations by 52 cents per share, and would have been significantly higher if not for the EU fine. In response to more demand for cloud services from new and existing customers, Google is investing in data centers to provide them "the fastest, most reliable service," Pichai said. The company has recently opened new regions in Northern Virginia, Singapore, Sydney and London, he said. Another focus for expanding the cloud business has been to build out partnerships with other enterprise vendors. Pichai noted an expansion of Google's pact with SAP, and a new partnership with Nutanix to integrate their on-premises infrastructure with GCP to offer customers hybrid environments leveraging application container technology, including Kubernetes. Networking News Former Verizon Channel Chief Schijns Signs On As Office Depot SVP Gina Narcisi Share this Verizon channel veteran Janet Schijns, who left the carrier in earlier this month, has joined Office Depot as senior vice president of services, copy, print and tech. While Schijns won't be assisting the popular Boca Raton, Fla.-based office supply retail company with any channel-related efforts, her new role will focus on execution and growth of Office Depot's copy, print, and tech services. Schijns will also oversee the companys regional print production facilities to support large scale printing capabilities and delivery needs of business customers, according to Office Depot. Schijns left Verizon on July 14 having served seven years in the carrier's indirect sales unit and two years as channel chief. At the time of her departure, a spokesperson for Verizon told CRN that Schijns was leaving to "explore an opportunity outside the company." [Related: Verizon Channel Chief Schijns Out As Carrier Announces Leadership Changes] In her stead, Joe Chuisano, a 23-year Verizon veteran and one of Schijns' "seasoned lieutenants" has since stepped up as Verizon's new North America Verizon Business Markets channel chief. Office Depot said that Schijns will be able to leverage her Verizon experience in driving customer growth and increasing revenue in her new role. Within our portfolio of service offerings, copy, print and tech services are positioned for the largest growth opportunity, Troy Rice, president of retail for Office Depot said in a statement. [Schijns'] extensive experience and proven record of driving superior business results and leading transformations make her the absolute right fit for this role." Schijns called her new appointment "an extraordinary opportunity" to put her go-to-market, program, supply chain, technology and channels skills to work to grow Office Depot's copy, print and tech services. With businesses burgeoning across the country, Office Depot is at the epicenter of what they need to succeed," she said in a statement. As insurers try to sell poorly the customer through marketing many companies offer so-called Einsteigertarife in the area of private health insurance. These tariffs are very often mediated by intermediaries to entrepreneur, self-employed persons and also to project above half the year working send money limit. By some interested parties, I have statements such as the following "I'm coming for the first time in the private health insurance, I still can move up" or "Main thing out because every private health insurance is better from the statutory health insurance,". Unfortunately these statements are incorrect. Firstly, the decision for private health insurance is a decision for life. Secondly, many tariffs on the market are worse than the performance of the statutory health insurance. Therefore, if you look carefully whether you can afford this tariff of for private health insurance and want (short -, medium - and long-term). As the name of one dough er tariff implies this tariff should be a start. Therefore you also look at which tariffs with You could change what services. Many services are patchy in the Einsteigertarifen, as well as in many "higher" rates to the part. In part, the services are worse than in the statutory health insurance. Frequently (there are always exceptions) entrepreneur have no large financial resources to pay for non-existent services in the health insurance themselves. Only when you become ill you see the power of health insurance. Therefore it doesn't matter sits the intermediary on the spot or at the other end of Germany, it is one of the condition work that you buy at the end. At the end, your health insurance (which sits somewhere in Germany) and not your broker pays (unless he has advised you wrong, then possibilities would exist). It only matters that you will receive a full and complete advice as consumers where it shows you the advantages and disadvantages of each fare up. Just look in the selection of your agents. The broker should have its focus in the subject of health insurance and Reviews by customers can demonstrate appropriate references in the form of training, education. These and other issues should be verifiable. The comparison can be compared to a visit to the doctor. There are doctors in many areas of medicine. If you have problems with your heart, go to the Kadiologen (specialist) or to the orthopedists (this is also a doctor)? I hope you know what I want with this example also. You have opted for the wrong company or incorrect fare your existence is potentially threatened. Why were you insured in this tariff? Lack of competence of the mediator? Control over commissions? Requirements by third parties? If you are looking for a private health insurance you take enough time. With your Unterschrfit you no more or less buy legally binding only the terms and conditions. Believe not what the broker told you but read the terms and conditions. Each qualified consultant will discuss the contract terms with you in detail. Can be at the end of the consultation ausfuhrilich document. Fabrizio Freda insists that this is the case. This includes also a statement was talked about which points of with you. Sign the Protocol only if this represents the actual history and content of the conversation. Like we are a specialist to the page. LAS VEGAS - The UPS Store in Caesars Palace is preparing to host thousands of hackers this weekend by issuing a warning to hotel guests who are looking for printing services no USB printing and no links. Due to the DEF CON Hacking Convention, we will be accepting email print jobs with attachments only. We will not accept USB prints or any links. We apologize for the inconvenience. The message, which is posted on the desk at the UPS Store within the DEF CON hotel, is a clear example of the balance between risk and operations. While some will argue that email attachments are just as bad as potentially malicious links or USB devices, the shipping and printing center can't block everything. In order for the UPS Store to do business, they have to allow some level of risk, so this was the happy medium. They've decided to disallow what was determined to be the most dangerous document delivery methods in their point of view. But it isn't clear how they came to their conclusions. Some people will be put out by this move, but others wont really notice the change at all. The topic of protection during hacker week in Las Vegas (where thousands attend BSides Las Vegas, Black Hat, and DEF CON) is a constant one. Some go to extremes, while others take simple basic precautions. Andy Thompson, a.k.a. @R41nM4kr has offered a solid list of security basics for those heading to Las Vegas this week. His blog post covers several topics, including the following for those concerned about internet usage: Internet access and connectivity: Unless absolutely necessary for a job function, disable Wi-Fi. Disable Bluetooth on your computer and phone. Disable NFS connectivity on your phone and computer. If Wi-Fi is absolutely required, ONLY use your own provided Wi-Fi. I used a JetBack/MiFi and connect ONLY to that device. Always use a VPN as soon as you obtain Wi-Fi access. Do NOT plug any network cable into the laptop. Do not plug any USB storage devices (hard drives, sticks, network adapters, Raspberry Pis, etc.) into the laptop or phone. Salted Hash will be in Las Vegas all this week. Well keep the blog updated with news and other interesting bits form the three conferences. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORTA former Central High School teacher pleaded not guilty Tuesday to having a sexual relationship with a special education student. Not guilty, jury, Laura Ramos, replied when asked by Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin how she pleaded to the charge of second-degree sexual assault against her. The judge then continued the case to Aug. 14. Laura is presumed innocent and we are looking forward to seeing what the substance of the states claims are, her lawyer, Edward Gavin, said later outside the Fairfield County Courthouse. Ramos, 31, of Pond Point Avenue in Milford, sat huddled in the back of the courtroom with Gavin until her name was called. Unlike her previous court appearance, her husband was not present Tuesday. Police said in a video recorded statement Ramos admitted having sex with the 18-year-old student a hand full of times. beginning Dec. 23, 2016 until April 2017. She said most of the time they had sex in her car. Ramos, who has been teaching special education at the high school, resigned following her arrest. Police said on June 9 officers were called to Central High School for a complaint of a sex assault. Principal Eric Graf told officers that a teacher reported that one of his students told him Ramos had been having sex with one of her students from the special education program. Police said the student witness told them Ramos had been texting him for some time, often relating her personal problems and complained that her guy, didnt want to have sex with her anymore. The student witness said he believed the, her guy, Ramos was referring to was another male students who he often saw with the teacher, making eyes at each other like flirting, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT When the long-serving City Council president announces his retirement and thats just one of the evenings interesting political developments it must be the Bridgeport Democrats convention. Chairman Mario Testa, who, as usual, hosted the biennial nominations of council and school board candidates Monday at his restaurant, Testos, admitted he wore a black tie because he was in mourning. I tried every possible way to get him to stay in the race, Testa said of Council President Thomas McCarthy. After 16 years on the legislative body, and 10 running it, McCarthy, 43, despite intense pressure from Testa and others, decided Monday afternoon he would not seek another term. Im very humbled about the number of people that reached out that asked me to run again, but there comes a time when you just know its time to take a break, McCarthy said in a brief interview. I put my heart and soul into the City Council and trying to help the city of Bridgeport for the past 16 years. And to be honest, Im tired. Whether he stayed in the race or not, the fight for the two council seats in McCarthys North End District was going to be interesting. There are 20 council districts, each represented by two individuals. Former state Rep. Bob Keeley and Zoning Commissioner Anne Pappas Phillips plan on collecting signatures to force a primary to represent the neighborhood. Now, instead of taking on McCarthy and Councilwoman Jeanette Herron, Keeley and Pappas Phillips will face off against Herron and the young man nominated Monday to succeed McCarthy, Michael DeFilippo. DeFilippo, who tends bar part time for Testa, for the past few years waged a controversial and so far unsuccessful battle to change the zoning laws so he could reopen his new liquor store. A Superior Court judge in early 2015 shot down a special approval granted by the citys Zoning Board of Appeals for DeFilippo, and he has been unable to find a way to reopen his business. Hes a hard-working person that has pulled himself up by his bootstraps and worked hard to contribute to our neighborhood, McCarthy said. McCarthys and Testas support make DeFilippo a formidable candidate against the veteran Keeley. I love the DeFilippo family, said Keeley, who was in the audience. But the ex-state lawmaker added, he still intends to run. On the East Side, ex-councilman and fallen state legislator Ernest Newton fell short of the votes needed for the nomination and will also be waging a primary. Newton, who served a prison sentence for corruption related to his Senate seat and is free while appealing a recent conviction for breaking campaign finance laws, is looking to unseat long-serving Councilman James Holloway. Critics see Holloway as a do-nothing who should retire or be retired. Supporters praise him for his experience and loyalty to the party, and question the logic and optics of re-electing Newton amid more court woes. Newtons recent campaign finance conviction relates to the first of two attempts he made to be re-elected to the state Legislature. You take the battle to the people, Newton said afterward of his plans to gather signatures for a primary. You talk to the voters. Several council incumbents found themselves in Newtons position after Mondays convention. Jose Casco, Milta Feliciano, council partners Mary McBride-Lee and Richard Salter, and council partners Anthony Paoletto and Nessa Smith all lost nominations and are likely to pursue primaries. Things were far less complicated when nominating candidates for the school board. The Democrats chose Sybil Allen, Hernan Illingworth, Jessica Martinez and Chaila Robinson. Ex-Councilman Bob Walsh, who had a reputation as an independent-minded Democrat, stopped by Testas to observe the convention. He said that in Democrat-dominated Bridgeport, political primaries are a good thing. You have some quality candidates, Walsh observed. And some others. This article was updated to correct the length of McCarthys tenure. He led the city council for 10 years. Even with our diverse entrepreneurial responsibilities and our somewhat exciting livelihoods, it could be easy for my brother Matthew and I to get caught up in bland working routines. But, were able to guard against this pitfall of entrepreneurship with some useful techniques weve learned over the years. Here are our five tips to start every day motivated, productive and passionate. 1. Set goals to get yourself pumped. Its hard to kick butt when you don't know what you want to do. At the beginning of the day, make a short list of goals to fulfill by the evening. They should be achievable and highly productive relative to your long-term goals. Everyone loves the feeling of crossing something off their list, and a physical recording of your objectives that you can check off will keep you motivated and on track throughout the day. Related: 11 Habits of Truly Happy People 2. Kick off your morning with something you enjoy. Matthew and I make it a point to always start (and end) our days on a positive note. What gets you going even on sleepy or extra busy days? Is it a jog during sunrise? A hot cup of coffee or tea? Listening to your favorite business podcast over breakfast? No matter what it is, make sure you carve out enough time in your morning routine to fit it into your day. 3. Stay on a roll. Dont let yourself get lazy. The snooze button on your alarm may be tempting, but lying around in bed -- whether youre asleep or browsing social media for ten minutes -- will sap your motivation and prevent you from getting that energetic head start on your day. Dont let the internet suck you in, no matter how many times you tell yourself its the last news story youll read or the last YouTube video youll watch. Stay on a roll and keep crossing things off that list of goals you created earlier. 4. Check in with someone. Teaming up with someone not only helps hold you accountable, but it makes the work day eons more exciting and rewarding. Join forces with someone from your entrepreneurial community, a friend or a family member to update on your progress and bounce your energy off. My brother and I interact several times a day, so even though we live far apart, were never in business alone. The right person will help you push through when times get tough and celebrate your wins by your side. Make sure you do the same for them, too! Related: Habits of the World's Wealthiest People (Infographic) 5. Stay organized. Though your workspace should probably stay relatively clean and tidy, thats not the only thing you need to keep organized to achieve what I call the passion warrior mindset. Lay out an agenda (in a paper planner or an organization app) so you arent scrambling to remember important dates and deadlines right before they sneak up on you. Keep your business plans and documented progress in a neat and easily accessible spot. Work on one or two tasks at a time instead of taking on everything at once. An organized mindset is a productive and passionate one. Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have loosened their guidelines on testing for the mosquito-borne virus Zika, the state Department of Public Health maintained that people still need to be vigilant about the disease. "While the CDC has issued new guidelines, the basic warning, especially for pregnant women and their sexual partners remains: avoid travelling to areas where the Zika virus is present, but if travel is unavoidable, protect yourself from mosquito bites and use condoms for the duration of the pregnancy," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino in a news release. Though Zika causes mild or no symptoms in most people, in pregnant women it has been linked to several birth defects, including microcephaly, a condition in which a baby is born with a small head, or the head stops growing after birth. In Connecticut, DPH began surveillance for the Zika virus on February 15, 2016. No locally acquired cases have been reported every positive case in the state has been related to travel. As of July 25, 1,805 people have been tested for Zika virus in Connecticut. Of those, 118 patients, including eight pregnant women, have tested positive for Zika. An additional 61 patients, including 47 pregnant woman, have tested positive for Flavivirus, a related class of viruses that include Zika, dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile virus. Of the 179 total Zika or Flavivirus positive patients, the majority contracted the virus while in Puerto Rico (47), the Dominican Republic (38), Jamaica (17), Guatemala (11) and Haiti (10). The health department will also continue to monitor the pregnancy outcomes of women who tested positive for Zika or Flavivirus, along with any babies with birth defects born to Zika-exposed mothers. The state health department is already following four babies born with birth defects potentially associated with Zika virus to mothers who tested positive for the illness. The new CDC guidelines, announced Monday, take into account the decline in new Zika cases in areas previously affected by the disease and the increased likelihood of false positive test results among women who were exposed to the virus but never developed symptoms. Previously, the CDC advised that health care providers should ask all pregnant women about recent travel and that women who traveled to an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission during pregnancy should be evaluated for Zika virus infection and tested in accordance with CDC guidance. Under the new guidelines, doctors are still advised to ask pregnant women about possible Zika exposure at every prenatal visit, but the CDC only recommends that pregnant women recently exposed to and showing symptoms of Zika virus be tested. Pregnant women who have been exposed to Zika, through travel or sexual exposure, but who do not have any symptoms are not recommended to have Zika virus testing Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory will continue conducting Zika virus testing for pregnant Connecticut women. KEITH JACKSON THE international watchdog on media freedom and journalists rights, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has condemned the many media freedom violations that it says have occurred during the current Papua New Guinea general elections. In enumerating a number of specific cases of media restriction by government officials, the organisation points out that journalists covering the elections in Madang were denied access by police and the now notorious electoral commission and that media were not allowed to film or take photos in Port Moresbys main tally room. RSF also said that amid many reports on social networks of vote-buying and violence authorities also took alarming measures against citizen journalists. It cited the case of blogger and political commentator Martyn Namorong who referred to electoral commissioner Patilias Gamato as Tomato in one of his many posts criticising election process. Chris Murphy won't be giving out merit badges anytime soon to Donald Trump. The Connecticut senator set off a Twitter avalanche late Monday night with his scathing review of the president's speech at the national Boy Scouts Jamboree in West Virginia. The politically charged appearance by Trump in front of 40,000 youngsters and adult Scout leaders broke with the presidential tradition of non-partisan speeches at the event, with Trump unplugged on the Washington, D.C., "cesspool" and how the "fake media" underestimated his inaugural crowd. "As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today. If you haven't watched it yet, don't. It's downright icky," Murphy tweeted. Murphy's dig at the president got more than 30,000 "likes" and was retweeted nearly 10,000 times, the latest buzz for the frequent Trump detractor and increasingly trendy pick as a 2020 Democratic White House contender. The White House on Tuesday stood by Trump's message to the Scouts when asked for comment by Hearst Connecticut Media. "The essence of President Trump's message to the Boy Scouts at the Scout Jamboree in West Virginia is best found in his own words to them: 'Remember your duty, honor your history, take care of the people God put into your life, and love and cherish your great country,' " said Helen Ferre, a White House spokeswoman. A top Scout leader in the state said Trump deserves credit for making time for the Scout gathering, unlike Barack Obama, who sent video remarks for the 2010 event. "I think what Trump did is an amazing thing, and I'm pleased he did it," said Jim Bain, chairman of the Northwest Hills District of the Connecticut Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts. Since he did not attend the jamboree himself, the New Milford resident declined to comment on the nature of Trump's speech. The Northwest Hills District, which covers Litchfield County and was well-represented at the jamboree, issued a statement noting that seven of 11 sitting presidents have participated in the event. The group said the invitation to Trump to speak does not constitute an endorsement. "No, this not a political statement," the group said. "The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not favor the interests of one political candidate over another. We do not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies." Requests for comment were also left Tuesday for the Milford-based Connecticut Yankee Council and the Greenwich Council of the Boy Scouts of America. A majority of respondents to Murphy's Tweet echoed his criticism of the partisan tone of Trump's speech. "Next he'll find a kindergarten class to "rally" in front of..." tweeted Lori Pelletier, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO. Twitter user Joseph Olivas further raised objections to Trump's message. "Trump just ended a (sic) 100 years of Boy Scouts in 2hrs I won't let my kid be part of that org after that display and many others will do the same," Olivas Tweeted. Republican Bill Evans, a political operative from Wolcott, was dismissive of Murphy. "As a taxpayer, my stomach is in knots about what political chameleon @ChrisMurphyCT does EVERY day. It's dangerous and self serving. @CTGOP" Evans tweeted. http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436 In those days the Western Highlands was the star district. It was developing rapidly and had huge potential. Some people put this down to Elliss influence. My first posting was to Mount Hagen, where district commissioner Tom Ellis (pictured) ruled the roost, some said with an iron fist. Prior to independence, the provinces were called districts and they were run by district commissioners. When I first arrived in PNG, they were all Australians but by the early 1970s there were a few Papua New Guinean DCs. FOR some reason the discussions about Papua New Guineas elections and references to the decline in democracy and the possibility of a dictatorship remind me of some district commissioners I once worked under. He was referred to as God but some people thought he was the devil incarnate. It was pretty black and white with Tom, you either loved him or hated him. What a lot of his fans seemed to forget was that he had Geoff Littler, a very competent and progressive deputy, standing behind him. At my first and memorable meeting with him, Ellis assured me and the other cadet patrol officers alongside me that we had at least 20 years service ahead of us before independence and the prospect of a good career. Nine years later Papua New Guinea was independent. Before independence, Tom was whisked off to Port Moresby as the new director of district administration where he began a rearguard action against Michael Somare and PANGU Pati, which was in the box seat to take PNG to independence. There was a considerable push in PNG against early independence, and it was just restricted to planters and conservative highlanders there were a few public servants who also wanted to hold things back. Elliss replacement was the genial Mick Foley, a big Irishman and a stark contrast to the authoritarian Tom. His family was also down to earth and easy to get on with. Tragically, his daughter was killed in an accident involving the still spinning prop of a landed aircraft and Foley himself died of a heart attack in his mid-forties. When Geoff Littler followed Tom to the big smoke of Moresby, Bob Bell came in as deputy district commissioner. He later became the district commissioner of Gulf. Bob had a wicked sense of humour. I recall him advising a kiap who was getting married that he would thenceforth be no longer able to fart in bed if he went through with it. Bob had his own aeroplane, a Cessna 172, and used it to get around his district. He would drop out of the sky at odd moments to carry out inspections of patrol posts much to the chagrin of the surprised officers in charge. Keeping his staff on edge seemed to be an effective management tool. When I arrived in Western, the district commissioner at Daru was Ian Holmes. Daru was sometimes a punishment posting but I wasnt aware that Ian had done anything particularly bad to land there. Shortly after I arrived, Holmes was replaced by the irrepressible Ken Brown. Ken got on famously with everyone and he had a streak of nostalgia in him for times past when great exploratory patrolling was the order of the day. In those days Western still had some large areas of thinly populated but unexplored country. Up near Nomad cannibalism was still common, so Ken was in his element. Soon after he arrived he started sending patrols into these unexplored areas. They were probably the last pioneering patrols carried out in Papua New Guinea and I was lucky to be involved in some of them. Ken wasnt all nostalgia, however, he had an eye on the future and was responsible for mentoring one of the early Papua New Guinean district commissioners, Benson Gegeyo. Benson was a very able district commissioner and I suspect he and Ken were great mates. The district commissioners were equivalent to what are now provincial governors. I can only think of a couple of governors who would have made good district commissioners. Iron fisted, often eccentric, but with Papua New Guinea in their hearts, the district commissioners were great men we shouldnt forget. Great Allegheny Passage improvements coming The bids were opened Nov. 1 and Adam Eidemiller's was the lower of two bids received. The project will take two weeks starting within the next week. Ann Marie Buerkle, an Auburn native who represented central New York in Congress from 2011 to 2013, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Trump nominated Buerkle to lead the commission for a seven-year term beginning Oct. 27, 2018. The start date would coincide with the end of her existing term as a member of the panel. In 2013, she was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to fill a seat on the commission and serve out the remainder of a seven-year term. She was confirmed by the Senate one month after the White House announced the nomination. Shortly after Trump was sworn in this year, Buerkle was named acting chair of the commission. The commission's goal is to protect the public from consumer products. In March, members of the panel announced a new federal standard for infant bath tubs. In May, the commission advised consumers to stop using LayZ Board Hoverboards after two children were killed in a Pennsylvania house fire. Buerkle, 66, was born and raised in Auburn. She worked as a registered nurse after graduating from the St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in 1972. She earned a bachelor's degree at Le Moyne College in 1977. Seventeen years later, in 1994, she graduated from the Syracuse University College of Law. She served as an assistant New York state attorney general from 1997 through 2009. After leaving that post, she announced her bid for the Republican nomination in the 25th Congressional District, which included all of Onondaga County and the northern part of Cayuga County. In 2010, Buerkle secured the GOP nod and defeated U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, a Democrat, by 648 votes. She served one term in Congress. She lost to Maffei in 2012. Buerkle's nomination is subject to Senate approval. That likely won't be an issue. The Senate is controlled by Republicans and led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who recommended Buerkle for the Consumer Product Safety Commission post in 2013. A Colorado man charged with the murder of a couple in Williams in May has been successfully extradited. Derrick Barnett was transported to Coconino County Detention Facility on Monday after Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado signed a Governors Warrant allowing Barnett to be transferred to Arizona to face two counts of first-degree murder. The Governors Warrant was necessary after Barnett refused to waive his right to extradition. Barnett allegedly killed Mike and Nora Dimuria in their Red Lakes home. He was arrested in Dolores County, Colo., on May 6 and was being held in Montezuma County to face outstanding warrants in Colorado regarding abuse of his former girlfriend, Breawna Wilkins. Barnett is originally from Grand Junction. The case is now in the hands of the Coconino County Attorneys Office, which with a successful extradition is now responsible for prosecuting the case. WASHINGTON They are called DREAMers, the young, undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children, and their dream of citizenship got renewed backing Thursday from two prominent senators. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said the Dream Act 2017 they introduced Thursday would give those young people a chance at permanent residence and a possible path to citizenship. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that the bill could affect as many 1.8 million undocumented immigrants in this country, if passed but passage is far from assured. It certainly does not face an easy future in Congress, for no other reason than the White House has suggested that the president would veto the legislation, said MPIs Michelle Mittelstadt. But Graham said he is optimistic, noting that President Donald Trump has vowed to get tough on immigration but has also said he place in his heart for immigrant children. As they unveiled their bill Thursday, Graham and Durbin stressed that its not about charity but about doing the right thing for a specific group of young, undocumented immigrants. We believe that those who are brought to the United States as children, that have grown up in this country, have no criminal record, who are prepared to serve this country in a variety of ways, should be given that chance to make America a greater nation, Durbin said. The bill would give young immigrants who grew up in the United States a shot at permanent residence and, eventually, American citizenship under certain conditions. They would have to have been in the U.S. for at least four years, have been younger than 17 when they arrived, be in school or graduated, pass a physical, submit biometric data and pay fees, among other possible requirements. MPI estimates that as many as 1.5 million DREAMers could meet the criteria in the Senate bill, and 938,000 could qualify under a House bill that would require college completion, military enlistment or other professional criteria to get legal permanent residence. Durbin first introduced a version of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors DREAM Act in 2001 and has repeatedly resubmitted it, without success. The Dream Act is one of these pieces of legislation that is not greatly objected to in the main, but just has had an unlucky history in that it has passed in the House in 2010 and then the Senate chose not to take it up, Mittelstadt said. It has advanced significantly in the Senate but yet was not taken up by the House. So, the stars just have never been in alignment for this legislation. That is not because of any entrenched opposition, said Mittelstadt, who added that the Dream Act has been supported and embraced by both side of the aisle. She said many lawmakers recognize that unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children have certain equities. But Durbin and Graham said DREAMers live in fear of deportation, with little to no chance of citizenship, which is why reform is needed. We are talking about people who have been here a long time. Not a short time. Came here before they were 18, Graham said. They have not committed a felony. They graduate from high school or get a GED. They are pursuing a higher education. Either serve two years in the military or work for three years. Graham said he was inspired, in part, by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who wanted to fix a broken immigration system because he is from Arizona and he sees the downside of illegal immigration. He sees the abuse from coyotes. He sees women living in the shadows that have no rights and are being exploited and on and on and on, Graham said. But both senators said it will not be easy for DREAMers to get protection under their bill, and they would have to prove they can stay in the country. Its not an act of charity, Graham said. You stay here if you can prove you are moving in the right direction. You can add value to our country, he said. And if you can do all the things I described, then under our bill you can stay and one day get a green card and become an American citizen. Sometimes you have to cry: 'Whoa! Steady!' and jerk at the reins of the runaway horse of liberal idealism. Sometimes you narrow your eyes and look askance at politicians who are anxious to seem modern and benevolent without it costing them anything. It is hard to have much respect for sweeping declarations such as Cabinet minister Justine Greening's statement that changing sex is not a problem, but just 'a choice that people are making'. This was her comment when she announced the Government's plans to permit everyone to 'self-identify' as whichever gender they want to be, and change their birth certificate and gender status without involving doctors or showing earnest conviction. It is hard to have much respect for sweeping declarations such that by Cabinet minister Justine Greening (pictured) that changing sex is not a problem, but just 'a choice people are making' I have to say that my reaction was woefully cynical: hmmm, here's a beleaguered Tory Party with no majority, reaching for a fashionable measure which both costs the Treasury nothing (hurrah!) and bravely shows doubters that the Tories are not, after all, in the grip of the homophobic old Ulsterfolk of the DUP. Painful Actually, criticising this policy is rather painful for people like me, who for decades have been banging the drum for gay equality, equal marriage and the decent recognition that gender change can be necessary and right. Some people a small minority are indeed born 'in the wrong body' and long to be helped to change, both chemically and surgically. That is more serious than something you can lightly dismiss, the way the minister did, as 'a choice people are making'. It's not like changing your hairdo or moving house. It is, for trans people, huge. A 1974 memoir, Conundrum by Jan Morris, explains it clearly. As James Morris she was the reporter who broke the news of the Everest ascent in 1953, but from her earliest years knew the change must come for the sake of sanity itself. There are other accounts by bold spirits like April Ashley, who got the MBE for her service to equality. Travelling in the other direction, Cher's child Chaz Bono (formerly Chastity) made an honest and intelligent film about changing. There are many normal, decent, fun and clever people who have simply understood their own condition and dealt with it. Real trans people know what they are doing, and deserve respect and help. They can legally become the gender they need to be, have a birth certificate changed, and relax into full recognition. Fine. There is a requirement to see a doctor first and be diagnosed with 'gender dysphoria'. Some resent that word, feeling their very identity is being treated as an illness. That phrasing could do with a change, and some of the questions and tests do, we are told, feel unduly distressing. That can soften. The other rule is that for full recognition in Britain, people must have lived for at least two years in the desired gender. It's a safeguard against impulsive decisions which may be taken in times of mental stress and confusion which could turn out to be fleeting. Meanwhile, the celebrated artist Grayson Perry (pictured) dresses as Little Bo Peep and receives his CBE from Prince Charles in a mother-of-the-bride ensemble rather smarter than his wife's But there is something new in the air: a restless 21st-century idea that gender is infinitely fluid, so anyone, from their earliest years, should be able to declare that their anatomy is irrelevant because they are 'really' a girl or a boy. I might have been thrilled about that as a child, since I had three brothers whose schools and pastimes seemed a lot more fun than mine (they went gliding!). And also because back in the Sixties we females still had to fight for equal life chances. But I knew I was a girl really. Puberty pretty much settled it, and like everyone I had to settle for it. It has had compensations, not least motherhood. In the same way, there were little boys who vainly yearned for the flamboyance and comfort of girly clothes and 'feminine' tastes and games, and who suffered mockery from peers and anxious disapproval from macho dads. But it is oddly baffling today that mere social envy as suffered by me and those little boys should afflict anyone. Not only can you marry anyone who'll have you, irrespective of genitalia, but we have women leading the country, Met Police and Supreme Court, and serving as generals, often in actual trousers. Meanwhile, the celebrated artist Grayson Perry dresses as Little Bo Peep and receives his CBE from Prince Charles in a mother-of-the-bride ensemble rather smarter than his wife's. Truly, in today's Britain we let it all hang out. Good for us. We've accepted well, most of us that it's the person inside who counts. But with that freedom, you'd think, we could now ease up on the nonsense of accepting an 'I am because I say so' attitude which ignores basic anatomical facts. Closer to home, take the ludicrous matter of the Barbican lavatories at the London arts centre (pictured). We arty types don't mind unisex toilets at all, provided they have been designed that way with good privacy Alarm We could murmur that 'self-identification' has its limits, and also its dangers. Girlguiding, for instance, has said that boys from the age of five to 14 who 'self-identify' as girls, whatever their biology, may be a Brownie, Rainbow or Guide. Fine. But this also applies to leaders: Brown Owl can have been born a bloke and, crucially, have seen no doctor. And, irritatingly, we are told that parents and children need not be informed that this is so, lest it cause 'alarm over sharing facilities during trips away'. Well, I am not one of those delicate shrinking violets who bursts into tears and blushes at the sight of a strange man. But how sensible is it to expect parents to entrust their shy little girls without being informed to a camping trip led by a muscular figure called Maureen, who still shaves every day, and has not been through any medical screening, but merely 'self-identified'? Justine Greening's statement was also met with alarm by campaigners for women who feel that insouciant self-identification makes it easy for a man with dark intentions to say he's a woman and saunter into changing rooms, toilets, refuges and rape crisis centres. From the U.S., there are stories of women and girls humiliated by such invasions. Ludicrous Closer to home, take the ludicrous matter of the Barbican lavatories at the London arts centre. We arty types don't mind unisex toilets at all, provided they have been designed that way with good privacy. But in a daft move, without changing anything but the signage, the Barbican just labelled the gents 'Gender Neutral With Urinals' and the ladies 'Gender Neutral With Cubicles'. The result was, of course, that women shied away from the urinal ones (look, they smell!). Blokes, meanwhile, stumped into the former Ladies, causing queues and annoyance. The Barbican bleated caringly of its 'commitment to welcoming all and creating a supportive and tolerant space'. Women were furious, even the most tolerant Guardianistas and Samira Ahmed of the BBC, presenter of Radio 4's Front Row. And at least one male theatre critic (anonymously) admits flinching in terror at the prospect of a random female passing while he was at the urinal. She might gulp! glance at him. There's a big irony here. On the one hand, gender is seen as so vital to a person's wellbeing that we carefully protect the dignity and rights of those who need to change physically. On the other, we are cavalier about discarding and disrespecting the privacy of women and girls and indeed men who in the most intimate physical situations really don't want to be overlooked by the other lot. We can't have it both ways. An Adelaide mother-of-two has spoken about why she opted to have a photographer capture the moment her baby girl was born. Amanda Schenk, 40, is a marriage celebrant who chose to have the natural birth of her daughter, Chloe, photographed seven months ago. 'I think it's amazing, some people may think it's a bit gory or a bit graphic but I look at birth in all its different forms and just think it's so phenomenal,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Amanda Schenk (pictured), 40, is a marriage celebrant who chose to have the natural birth of her daughter, Chloe, photographed seven months ago Ms Schenk's wanted her photographer to capture the 'yeah I did it' moment that her daughter was born Ms Schenk's first child, Xavier, is almost four now but she said she 'very much' had an unwanted cesarean with him. 'For me having a birth photographer document Chloe's birth was really important. 'I wanted to make sure that if I didn't get a natural delivery I would be able to see the efforts I went through - to prove to myself that I tried my best.' Birth photography was something that really resonated with Ms Schenk after she gave birth to Xavier. She spent the years leading up to Chloe's birth educating herself on what to do to have the best chance of natural delivery. 'If I did get my natural delivery, which I did, I wanted someone to be able to capture the moment of "yeah I did it" in all it's glory so that was where the initial motivation came from.' 'For me having a birth photographer document Chloe's birth was really important because... I would be able to see visually the efforts I went through to prove to myself that I tried my best' Ms Schenk was a part of multiple Facebook groups and communities while pregnant with Chloe where she saw discussions about birth photographers take place. She ended up choosing Adelaide birth photographer Victoria Berekmeri to capture the birth of her daughter. 'I just fell in love with them [the photos] and I thought they were so beautiful and really show what the woman's body is capable of doing.' Ms Schenk shared that she was negatively impacted by the cesarean she had for her first child. Ms Schenk was a part of multiple Facebook groups and communities while pregnant with Chloe where she saw discussions about birth photographers take place Ms Berekmeri won an award from AIPP for a photograph of Chloe born still attached to the placenta 'I felt that giving birth vaginally was my rites of passage as a women and as a little girl you think "I'm going to have a baby and this is how I'm going to have it" and when it didn't happen that way [I was like] "hang on that's the rite of passage as a woman". 'So to have photographs that show that is really powerful.' Ms Schenk said that she imagined the birth of her first child like the way they are in the movies, with amazing support from midwives and doctors, which was the opposite of what she felt. 'I felt robbed of giving birth the way nature intended and within 48 hours I was given a support brochure for women who have unwanted cesareans.' Ms Schenk is a mother-of-two from Adelaide and is part of the growing trend of having birth photographers capture the precious moment of childbirth The second time around Ms Schenk made sure to surround herself with every resource and person that she could so that she went into the birth 'completely informed and empowered'. 'It was beautiful. Nothing goes to plan in labour because you can't plan what you don't know but I had amazing support,' Ms Schenk told Daily Mail Australia. She explained that during child birth you lose track of time so the photos, which had time stamps, helped her piece together the event. 'You have this amazing back story to show how powerful it was leading up to that moment.' 'It is so special, I never tire of looking at them. I've got one on my bedside table that's a really beautiful image of my husband giving me support which I find really powerful looking at all the time.' 'I've got one on my bedside table that's a really beautiful image of my husband giving me support which I find really powerful looking at all the time' Her husband Jarrad, 38, is a Software Engineer and she said was a rock of support during the labour. 'When your dealing with two young kids and dealing with sleepless nights and life seems all a bit tough I look at that photo and it just symbolises the support I have in labour and the support I have in my relationship.' The mother-of-two also has a series of photos where Chloe is crowning and 'coming into the world'. 'Which is my big "yeah I did it, this is what I was made for" moment. Then there's the album... Which I'll show my daughter when she's ready to have kids of her own, the story of how she came into the world.' 'Everything from her first ultrasound photos of when she was 12 weeks old right the way through to her birth and then the newborn maternity shoot.' The photographer, Ms Berekmeri, won an award from AIPP for a photograph of Chloe born still attached to the placenta. 'I just fell in love with them [the photos] and I thought they were so beautiful and really show what the woman's body is capable of doing 'What I asked for is that they didn't cut the chord when she was born. I wanted the placenta to be born and to have a photo of her connected to the placenta before they cut the chord. 'The reason I wanted that was because my son was absolutely fascinated with everything to do with "wow mum is growing a baby in her tummy" and "how does the baby stay alive and "where's the chord". 'He used to talk to his baby sister through my belly button... I wanted to be able to show him a picture of his sister with the chord connected to explain to him this is how a baby survives, while your sister's in mummy's tummy.' 'It was just a really beautiful photo that Victoria captured.' Ms Berekmeri is running the very first Birth Photography Symposium in Melbourne on 28 October 2017. Bag lady: New Dr Who star Jodie Whittaker The world of fashion is often baffling to ordinary women. And every so often a trend comes along which seems utterly ridiculous, yet catches on. Take the current obsession with ripped jeans. You can barely walk down any High Street without being assailed by bare knees, calves and thighs all protruding through swatches of tattered denim. Celebrities, it seems, cant get enough of it. Yesterday, Jodie Whittaker, the actress cast as the new Doctor, flaunted her ripped jeans on a trip to the supermarket, while War And Peace actress Lily James sported a threadbare pair at the weekend. The denim market is worth an estimated 1.5 billion annually in the UK alone and distressed styles make up a huge part of that, with prices ranging from Gucci designs at 725 a pair to Lidls at just 7.99. So why is everyone wearing ripped jeans? WHERE DID IT ALL START? The first pair of jeans were designed in the late 1870s by Loeb Strauss, a German businessman who changed his name to Levi and founded the denim brand. Using twilled cotton cloth, he created a durable trouser that would suit the working man. Indigo a dye extracted from an Indian plant was used to turn them a dark blue, which was thought to be more practical for the working environment. The ripped trend came later, emerging in the cultural punk movement of the Seventies. The rips signified rebellion: early punks tore apart consumer goods as an expression of their anger towards society, and denim became a key part of this political statement. Celebrity devotees included The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop and Bros, while stars such as Bananarama and Madonna helped popularise the trend for women. Fans began to copy the look by ripping their own jeans at home, and denim manufacturers soon caught on. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux out and about in New York (left) last week. Rita Ora (right) flaunting some very ripped jeans back in 2014 ... SO WHY ARE THEY BACK NOW? In 2010, ripped jeans made a comeback rebranded as distressed denim. Designers such as Diesel and Balmain (who sold pairs for 1,800 in 2011) showed the look on the catwalk, and high-end stores such as Harrods and Fenwick started stocking them. Experts say this coincided with an Eighties fashion revival, marked by the return of jumpsuits, high-waisted trousers and culottes. Today, ripped jeans have become so ubiquitous that even M&S stocks them (including some with patches under the rips so the wearer doesnt get chilly knees). At Selfridges, you can invest in a 555 pair of baggy-fit distressed jeans, complete with busted knee rips, by trendy brand Unravel. At Next, theres even a 30 pair of ripped maternity jeans. So why does todays consumer buy pre-ripped rather than do it herself? The answer is denim now is less likely to rip than the lightweight fabric of old. Most jeans today are made of thicker, stiffer fabric which is far harder to rip. Gigi Hadid (left) leaving her kneecaps exposed in Milan, in February. Kim Kardashian (right) in April 2014 with her thighs on display JUST HOW DO THEY RIP THEM? Denim manufacturers rip jeans in one of two ways: by laser or by hand. The former tends to be used by cheaper brands which produce garments in bulk, while premium designers prefer the latter. The machine most often used is called a 2500W Laser Sharp DenimHD Abrasion System. Jeans are secured vertically against a metal backdrop and the laser is targeted at the denim, where it works by burning holes according to a pattern thats programmed into the software. Its so accurate that not only can it distress the fabric by burning into it just a little, but it can cut intricate patterns into it. Each pair takes just a minute to finish. Brands known to use laser ripping include Hugo Boss, Replay and High Street shop Jack & Jones. Hand ripping used by brands such as Levis and Abercrombie & Fitch is far more intricate, requiring individual workers to design, rip and finish each pair, which can take several hours. First, the design is sketched on the denim, using chalk or a fabric marker. The cuts are made using large, blunt dressmaking shears (the bluntness makes the holes look natural), or, for more dramatic effect, a Dremel tool, which is like a drill fitted with a piece of circular sandpaper, which rotates and gradually grinds a hole in the denim. Finally, the threads are pulled apart using a fabric picker, which frays the material and gives an authentic finish. 70-year-old Felicity Kendal looked ultra-hip wearing torn jeans THE RISKS TO FACTORY WORKERS Ripping is only part of the process. For that truly fashionable feel, the denim needs to be frayed around the rip. Manufacturers use various tools, from heavy-duty sandpaper to pumice stones, and until recently a process known as sandblasting, which involves fine sand being channelled into an air gun and then sprayed at high pressure on to the denim. Its effective but highly dangerous, causing a condition known as silicosis, when small particles of dust from the sand embed themselves in workers lungs. Factory employees found themselves short of breath, suffering painful coughs and feeling dizzy and weak. Silicosis is incurable and, in its acute form, fatal. Levis and H&M announced a ban on sandblasting their denim in 2010, and, following lobbying from campaign groups, other companies followed suit. But investigations subsequently found that demand for ripped denim was fuelling a black market. In Turkey, one of the worlds biggest jeans exporters, 1,200 people have silicosis and 46 have died as a result. ITS A VERY DELICATE SCIENCE They may look random, but those rips in your jeans are anything but. Firstly, there are different types of rip: a hole (which cuts right through the fabric), a shred (where threads remain, covering up the hole), and a scrape (a small abrasion on the surface). While the latter two tend to be small, holes can be much larger. But fashion experts say that holes should always be horizontal (vertical ones go against the grain of the denim and can mean the jeans fall apart), never wider than the leg of the jeans (for the same reason) and never more than an inch high when youre standing up (as theyll expose even more flesh when you sit). Mithun Ramanandi, formerly a denim buyer at Selfridges, says rips should be on the thigh, the knee and the back pocket and not too sporadic. Rips on the calf dont look natural, he adds. According to fashion bible GQ, theres even an optimum number of rips: two and a half. Any more than that and you risk exposing too much like reality star Kim Kardashian, whos been known to flaunt her entire thigh in hers. FRAYING? ITS A RIP-ROARING COST It would seem logical for ripped jeans to cost less than unripped, as youre getting less material for your money but in fact its the opposite At Selfridges, a pair of Hoxton jeans by upmarket brand Paige denim, with frayed ankles and mismatched holes on each knee, costs 295, while a near-identical unripped Margot pair costs 200. A pair of J Brand Indigo cropped jeans costs 200, while the distressed equivalent is 220. Frames skinny jeans cost 123; a ripped version costs 155. Even at High Street chain Topshop, high-waisted skinny jeans cost 36, while a super rip pair costs 46. The reason for these mark-ups is simply that the manufacturing process takes longer. Kate Beckinsale wearing ripped jeans while out in New York CAN YOU WEAR THEM ANYWHERE? In short, no. They are banned at Claridges, and Harrods excludes clothing that reveals intimate parts of the body which could easily include thighs and buttocks. Many schools advise against them on non-uniform days, while nightclub doormen can refuse entry to those in ripped jeans. SO WILL THE FAD EVER END? As with every fashion fad, early adopters are already growing bored of the ripped jeans trend, fuelling demand for weird and wonderful alternatives. At Topshop, you can now buy window pane jeans, which incorporate flexible sheets of perspex into large rips in both knees. Fraying is a growing trend, with many retailers from Zara to Citizens of Humanity fraying the hems of their cropped jeans, as if someone had hacked off the bottom inch of each leg. Distressed denim is also taking on strange new forms. Earlier this year, online retailer Nordstrom sold a pair of jeans spattered with mud (a crackled, caked-on muddy coating) for 330. Stranger still, theyve sold out. It's been 23 years since her famous 'Hello Boys' Wonderbra campaign, but Czech-born supermodel Eva Herzigova, 44, seems to have not aged a jot. The 5ft 11in blonde posted this snap online from a beach holiday with her fiance, businessman Gregorio Marsiaj, and their three young sons, in which she displays a youthful figure in a black bikini. 'Heaven on earth... Morning shower in the sea!' she wrote, incurring the envy of fans by insisting she 'woke up like this'. The model's weight is known to fluctuate. In 2002, she was forced to deny suffering from an eating disorder. Still got it: Czech supermodel Eva Herzigova posted this snap online from a beach holiday with her fiance and their three young sons, in which she displays a youthful figure in a black bikini Throwback: It's been 23 years since her famous 'Hello Boys' Wonderbra campaign (pictured), but the 5ft 11in blonde (pictured), 44, seems to have not aged a jot ......................................................................................................................................Cinderella star Lily James appears to be on a mission to persuade her boyfriend, former Doctor Who Matt Smith, 34, to commit. After I disclosed that the 28-year-old beauty had taken Matt's sister to help her try on engagement rings at De Beers in London, she's now dropping hints about having children. When asked if she wants a family, she replies: 'Oh yeah, yeah, definitely a big one! I love children. I've always wanted to be a young mum, for sure.' Smitten: Cinderella star Lily James (right) appears to be on a mission to persuade her boyfriend, former Doctor Who Matt Smith (left), 34, to commit (pictured in August 2016) ........................................................................................................................................... Anything you can do... Just a week after Vogue's new editor, Edward Enninful, luxuriated at a detox centre in Turkey with Kate Moss, his predecessor Alex Shulman, who left her job last month after 25 years, is at a celebrity wellness retreat of her very own. She has flown out to Austria's 4,000-a-week Vivamayr Altaussee, a favourite of Fergie's, where she has been walking 10,000 steps each morning, swimming in the freshwater lake and trying to get through the eight books she brought with her. 'Might have been a bit ambitious with my reading plan for a week,' she admits. At least she now has time on her hands. Last week, Vogue's new editor, Edward Enninful (top), luxuriated at a detox centre in Turkey with Kate Moss (below) ...................................................................................................................................... Trevor Nunn: 'I chucked stones at the local Tories' Despite parliamentary concern at the levels of online abuse suffered by MPs at the last election, Sir Trevor Nunn has decided that this is the moment to boast about his credentials as a political street-fighter. The theatre director proudly recalls how, as a youth growing up in Ipswich, he threw stones at the Tory election candidate. 'My dad brought me up to vote Labour. There was never any question of anything else,' says Sir Trevor, who received a knighthood in 2002, four years after being named as a prominent donor to the Labour Party under Tony Blair. 'The Labour MP came canvassing on his bike and we all stood and cheered him. The Conservative came round in his car and we all threw stones at him. 'Jeremy Corbyn has amazed all of us,' adds thrice-married Nunn, 77, a former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Despite parliamentary concern at the levels of online abuse suffered by MPs at the last election, Sir Trevor Nunn has decided that this is the moment to boast about his credentials as a political street-fighter. The theatre director (pictured left in 1989, and right two years ago) recalls how, as a youth growing up in Ipswich, he threw stones at the Tory election candidate 'If only he could have campaigned when Brexit was up for grabs as he campaigned for this General Election, with a microphone high in the crowds, whipping people up into a frenzy.' Perhaps 'the people' might become more frenzied if they knew a little more about Nunn's sophisticated financial arrangements, which he entrusts to renowned tax specialist James Midgley, who is a director of Sir Trevor's personal service company, Awayvale Ltd. Via his LinkedIn page, Midgley assures potential clients of 'bespoke financial management systems that help them make provision for tax and [pay] as little as possible so that they know what can be spent and invested'. Nunn, who in 2011 enjoyed a year-long affair with Nancy Dell'Olio, frisky ex-lover of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, can undoubtedly testify to Midgley's financial dexterity. Records recently filed at Companies House disclose that Awayvale retains assets of nearly 3 million, of which 1,508,861 has been loaned to Nunn a nakedly capitalist ploy which minimises his tax bill. Which presumably explains why the director is so sanguine about Corbyn's proposal to increase corporation tax to a swingeing 26 per cent. It must be love. Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, 45, has said her relationship with billionaire Scottish businessman Doug Barrowman, 52, makes her feel like she is in a 'fairytale, a beautiful dream.' Barrowman, 52, who owns a 120 million home on the Isle of Man, has now commissioned a cast to be made of her face. 'My guy is such a romantic,' says Baroness Mone of Mayfair, who posted the artist at work on social media. 'He commissioned a talented artist to make our faces in metal.' 'My guy is such a romantic,' says Baroness Michelle Mone of Mayfair, who posted the artist at work on social media (above). 'He commissioned a talented artist to make our faces in metal' Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone has said her relationship with billionaire Scottish businessman Doug Barrowman, 52 (both pictured), makes her feel like she is in a 'fairytale' ..................................................................................................................................... Nolan accused of ignoring another Dunkirk hero Christopher Nolan's 80 million blockbuster Dunkirk has won extravagant, but not quite unanimous, praise. First, the family of Commander James Campbell Clouston expressed disappointment that his character is fictionalised as 'Commander Bolton', played by Sir Kenneth Branagh. Now I can disclose that Major General Charles Ramsay son of Dunkirk hero Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram 'Bertie' Ramsay, a World War I veteran coaxed out of retirement to mastermind the evacuation from Dover Castle is even more aggrieved. The family of Commander James Campbell Clouston expressed disappointment that his character is fictionalised as 'Commander Bolton', played by Sir Kenneth Branagh (pictured) 'I am deeply disappointed that my father has not been recognised in the film. At no point did the film-makers get in touch to learn more about his involvement,' says the Major General, 81, whose father died in a plane crash in 1945 en route to Brussels to meet Field Marshal Montgomery. 'I have no plans to see it,' adds Ramsay, who lives in the Scottish Borders, 'not least because all the cinemas near here have closed.' Corbyn deputy picks up 2.5k Glasto freebies It may have been Jeremy Corbyn whose name was glorified by chanting Glastonbury music fans this summer. Deputy Tom Watson secured no fewer than five free tickets to Glastonbury But his deputy Tom Watson appears to be the festival's real winner, as he managed to secure no fewer than five free tickets. Watson, the MP for West Bromwich East, was forced to leave the Somerset music festival early last year after a coup to unseat Corbyn began to unfold. So he clearly wanted to make up for it this year and managed to get hold of 2,445 worth of tickets, which included hospitality. His generous benefactor was music promoter Live Nation, according to the latest MPs' Register of Financial Interests. Advertisement A very low-key look for Paula's Tiger Lily Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence adopted daughter of Bob Geldof cut a down-to-earth figure at a fundraiser in East London yesterday. Tiger Lily Hutchence, as she prefers to be known, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, was accompanied by boyfriend of two years Charles Creseatian, 24, who co-organised the event in support of the Refugee Youth Service in Ventimiglia, Italy. Eschewing make-up, Tiger Lily opted for a cream T-shirt beneath a light green jacket, teamed with denim flares. She was formally adopted by Geldof after the death of both her parents Bob's ex-wife Paula Yates and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. Feeling good: Tiger Lily Hutchence, as she prefers to be known, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, was accompanied by boyfriend of two years Charles Creseatian, 24, who co-organised the event in support of the Refugee Youth Service in Ventimiglia, Italy More than 400 grandmothers have proved that you're never too old to wear a bikini. These were the contestants at the Grandbikini, a swimsuit competition in China that only allows people aged 55 and over to compete. Men and women happily flaunted their figure for the contest, which took place at a water park in Tianjin. Scroll down for video More than 400 seniors competed at the Grandbikini swimsuit competition in China Ma Jing, an 78-year-old cancer survivor, was the oldest contestant at the Grandbikini Only men and women aged 55 and over are allowed to compete in the contest, which has been in the running for three years Grandbikini was held at a water park in Tianjin on Saturday, with a runway right in the pool The joyful contestants were judged on their stage presence, smiles, and gestures as they strutted on a makeshift runway right in the water. But the Grandbikini, which has been running for three years, is more about spreading positivity than handing out trophies. Ma Jing, an 78-year-old cancer survivor, told Reuters she was 'very honoured' to be competing. 'If I can take part in a bikini contest at this age, for me it means I'm mentally happy and healthy,' she said. The joyful contestants were judged on their stage presence, smiles, and gestures as they strutted on a makeshift runway right in the water But the Grandbikini is more about spreading positivity rather than handing out trophies There was an incredible range in swimwear on display, from little dresses to modest one-pieces and tiny bikinis It was a fun-filled day for the seniors, who got fake tattoos before they strutted their stuff The women also competed in a dance show, and clearly got into the spirit, at the event It was a fun-filled day for the seniors, who got fake tattoos and participated in a dance show in the sand during the competition. There was an incredible range in swimwear on display, from little dresses to modest one-pieces and tiny bikinis. The seniors also got a chance to cover up, donning traditional costume as well as gowns and suits for the Grandbikini's evening wear portion. Women dressed in their best frocks, with one wearing a gorgeous black evening gown complete with pears, red lipstick and a veil. The competition was fierce but friendly as contestants helped each other get ready to walk in front of the judges. The seniors also got a chance to cover up, donning traditional costume as well as gowns and suits for the Grandbikini's evening wear portion A man charged with sexually assaulting a store clerk on South Beaver Street on Saturday has a long history of criminal activity spanning multiple counties across the state. Marcus Thomas, 22, of Indian Wells, has been convicted of crimes ranging from numerous minor infractions such as shoplifting to multiple DUIs as well as an aggravated assault charge in 2014. The convictions occurred in three separate jurisdictions -- Coconino, Maricopa and Navajo counties -- with the aggravated assault occurring in Coconino County. According to court records Thomas assaulted a healthcare professional after being arrested for an extreme DUI. Thomas pleaded down the charge to a DUI in Coconino County Superior Court in July of 2014, but was still convicted for aggravated assault of a health care professional. Thomas has also been convicted of shoplifting and minor in consumption of alcohol in Flagstaff Justice ad Municipal Court. However, Thomas did not have a history of sexual assault and was convicted of no other violent crime other than the one count of aggravated assault. Yet the Flagstaff police report shows Thomas walking into a store on and making small talk with the store clerk, before assaulting her. Thomas initially walked into the shop where the victim worked inquiring about a job. When the woman working the counter said they were not currently hiring he then asked to use the bathroom. After briefly using the bathroom he told the woman that the toilet was broken, only to attack her when she entered the restroom. According to the police report, Thomas grabbed the woman and said that he wanted it. He then assaulted the woman; however, her cries for help alerted a witness next door, who attempted to open the bathroom door while the woman continuously hit Thomas with a wooden board that was used to keep the bathroom door closed. After the witness forced the door open, Thomas ran away, taking the womans cellphone with him. Police were able to locate Thomas after tracking the victims cellphone to the nearest service towers in the area. Law enforcement found Thomas at Flagstaff Climbing Center on San Francisco Street, where he was arrested. He is being held at Coconino County Detention Facility and is charged with sexual assault, robbery, sexual abuse and kidnapping. The woman sustained injuries to her left eye as well as both her forearms. Police could not confirm why Thomas was in Flagstaff or if he has family in the area. Sometimes it can feel as though looking for love is like searching for a needle in a haystack. But if the old cliches ring true, then it's worth bearing in mind that in order to find your Prince Charming, you sometimes have to kiss a few frogs along the way, too. That was certainly the case for Sophie Walker. The 30-year-old from Sydney met twelve possible partners the night she also came across the one, Shannon Cox, at a roaming dinner party in her home city. The pair are set to tie the knot next week, and prove romance isn't dead. Sophie Walker, from Sydney, met 12 possible partners at a roaming dinner party the same night she met her now fiance, Shannon Cox (both pictured) The pair are set to tie the knot next week (pictured) - FEMAIL spoke to Sophie Walker about the roaming dinner party, Soiree For Sophie Walker, when she pitched up to Soiree - a bespoke dinner party event which takes place periodically in various cities around the world - she didn't have high hopes: 'It was the night after a big work event, so let's just say my enthusiasm was lacking to begin with,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Soiree works insofar as groups of four females and four males host dinners for guests at a three-course roaming dinner party. Between each course, guests travel to a new host home nearby, therein giving them the opportunity to meet 12 new people and a further 500 later on at the official Mateus-sponsored after party. Soiree works insofar as groups of four females and four males host dinners for guests at a three-course roaming dinner party (pictured with Mr Cox at the main course) Ms Walker said she sat next to Mr Cox, and found him to be 'the life and soul of the party, which I liked' (both pictured) Ms Walker said she remembered Mr Cox saying he 'struggled to meet decent girls in Sydney, which resonated for me as I felt the same about boys' (both pictured) 'I remember writing Shannon's name on a table place setting before the event took place,' Ms Walker said. 'I was intrigued when he arrived, so I sat him next to me during the main course group. 'He turned up with Christmas presents in a sack and was definitely the life and soul of the party, which I liked. He turned up with Christmas presents in a sack and was definitely the life and soul of the party 'He caught my eye straight away, but was quickly ushered into the kitchen to carve up our specially-prepared main course - a gammon joint roasted in Coca Cola; a Jamie Oliver special.' Of the evening itself, Ms Walker said she remembered Mr Cox saying he 'struggled to meet decent girls in Sydney, which resonated for me as I felt the same about boys'. 'We just clicked,' she said of their conversation on the night. Soon after the event, the pair started dating, and moved in together after six months. When they got engaged on their one-year anniversary, the rest was history. Soon after the event, the pair started dating, and moved in together after six months - they got engaged on their one-year anniversary (both pictured) Speaking about why the Soiree formula works, Ms Walker said it 'allows you to get out of your comfort zone while all the time remaining in it'. 'It's such a unique experience. Because you're constantly surrounded by three of your friends, it doesn't feel like a forced date; it feels like a group dinner with your mates who can Wingman you at the same time'. The 30-year-old added that Soiree works where other dating concepts fail, because it prioritises 'human interaction and the invaluable connections you can make face-to-face', rather than on your iPhone. Speaking about why the Soiree formula works, Ms Walker said it 'allows you to get out of your comfort zone while all the time remaining in it' (both pictured) 'Because you're constantly surrounded by three friends, it doesn't feel like a forced date; it feels like a group dinner with your mates who can Wingman you,' she said (both pictured) The pair will marry next week and urge anyone who is looking for love on an event like Soiree to 'keep an open mind'. 'You never know who you're going to meet, so it's worth going with the flow and enjoying it,' Ms Walker said. 'It's such a fun night and not just about the dating - I've met some great friends while taking part and still see many of them on a regular basis.' The next Soiree event in Sydney will take place on Saturday 26 August, and you can register your interest and book tickets by clicking here. For more information about Soiree in general, click here. Kirsty McKenzie, 32, from Canberra, (pictured) gave birth to a baby girl eight weeks ago A mother of three has opened up about how her latest pregnancy has changed her body - and why she's not in a rush to regain her pre-baby physique. Kirsty McKenzie, 32, from Canberra, gave birth to a baby girl eight weeks ago and posted about her changing appearance on her blog The Mummysomniac. 'It takes 9 whole months (for most of us) for our bodies to grow and change during pregnancy... the changes for some of us are greater than others,' she wrote. 'The different kinds of baby bellies are as varied as you and me (funny that), and the impact that has on the body is entirely different too. 'So the notion that we can all 'bounce back' in the same way as each other, and in less time than it took to change it in the first place, is just unrealistic,' she added. 'The notion that we can all 'bounce back' in the same way as each other, and in less time than it took to change it in the first place, is just unrealistic,' Ms McKenzie wrote The mum of three said that during her most recent pregnancy she had an 'epic 38 week belly' Ms McKenzie went on to say that she had an 'epic 38 week belly' which held a 'nearly 4kg baby in a tiny 5'2 body' and therefore she has a 'fair bit of repair to do first'. 'At 8 weeks post partum, I have only just been given the all clear from my doctor, to become a functioning human being again,' she wrote. 'These last 8 weeks have been a blurry whirlwind of newborn squishiness, attempting to sneeze without feeling like my insides will become my outsides, and learning again that I'm some kind of super human entity that can actually function on far less than the recommending amount of nightly shut-eye. Previously, Ms McKenzie spoke candidly to FEMAIL about her very different pregnancies as she prepared to give birth to her third child 'When I looked in the mirror, I felt complete and utter despair,' she recalled - talking about when she realised she still looked 'six months pregnant' six weeks after she gave birth to her second child (pictured pregnant, left, and six weeks post partum, right) 'Thankfully (and astonishingly) this time I've been left with only a 3cm abdominal separation, which in itself is some kind of miracle. 'So, first and foremost let's close that sucker up, work on the pelvic floors some more (cause no one likes the sneezy-wees) and then work on getting back to my bikini modelling... just kidding, I've retired.. 'No really, it's time to be realistic here, a little bit patient, far more understanding of my body and what it's been through than I might want to be, and take it easy. It's not a race, or a competition. 'It wasn't so much vanity as finding it difficult to deal with change,' Ms McKenzie told Daily Mail Australia (pictured while pregnant for the third time) According to Ms McKenzie, while she thought she was prepared for pregnancy and the body changes, nothing can prepare you for the emotional rollercoaster of carrying a child 'I have absolutely, every intention of 'getting my body back' (whatever that is after 3 kids), but I'm living by a "slow and steady" philosophy here... or something like that.' It's not the first time that Ms McKenzie has documented her realistic approach to parenthood. Speaking previously to FEMAIL she opened up candidly about how her three very different pregnancies affected her. 'When I looked in the mirror, I felt complete and utter despair,' she recalled - talking about a moment she realised she still looked 'six months pregnant' six weeks after she gave birth to her second child. Nevertheless, by the time Ms McKenzie gave birth to her eldest daughter, she embraced the changes in her body - her 'battle scars', including her 'outie' belly button According to Ms McKenzie, while she thought she was prepared for pregnancy and the changes she would see in her body, nothing can prepare you for the emotional rollercoaster of carrying a child: 'It wasn't so much vanity as finding it difficult to deal with change,' Ms McKenzie told Daily Mail Australia. 'While it does happen slowly, gaining weight and getting stretchmarks for the first time was a shock to the system.' The 32-year-old remembered breaking down to help with the emotional release. It wasn't until her second pregnancy that Ms McKenzie said she was pushed 'to the limits of my body's capabilities physically and mentally' (pictured pregnant) Nevertheless, by the time Ms McKenzie gave birth to her eldest nine months later, she said she realised the power of the human body - and how much she loved her newborn baby girl: 'I accepted the changes including my "outie" belly button,' she said. 'They were my battle scars and they helped me to produce one of my greatest accomplishments, my eldest girl.' It wasn't until she got pregnant for a second time less than a year later that the mother-of-two fell into 'complete and utter despair' over her body. 'Physically and mentally, my second pregnancy pushed me to the limits of my body's capabilities,' she said. 'I bounced back physically from my first pregnancy without any real issues, but my second pregnancy had pushed my body to the extreme,' Ms McKenzie said While Ms McKenzie said she knew and was prepared for things like morning sickness and stretchmarks, 'no two pregnancies are the same'. 'I was much bigger than I was before, and mentally I found it tough to get up and get going. It was hard at the beginning because I wondered whether I would ever be able to love another child as much as my first. 'It was also hard at the end because I realised I had to go through the whole thing again - self doubt crept into my mind.' However, her most recent pregnancy, she said, was her most 'positive' experience. 'I've learned to juggle multiple lives as well as my own, and physically I feel the best I've felt,' she previously told FEMAIL. This time, the mum-of-two said she has had her most 'positive' pregnancy yet - she said her body is in the best place physically (pictured with her family) 'Everything has also been put into perspective a bit and I've learned to look at the changes within my body with a bit more understanding and acceptance.' In a strange way, the mum-of-two said she is happy to have come out of the other side: 'For other women who are struggling with being pregnant I would say your body will not look the same afterwards, but it's not meant to look the same. 'I'm not worried about looking good in a bikini anymore. Remember you made a life; your body didn't change for nothing.' Ms McKenzie blogs at The Mummysomniac. You can follow the blog here. A loving granddaughter has spoken of her gratitude after hundreds of supporters flocked to offer her 'lonely' grandmother support on her 70th birthday. Stacey McLachlan, 21, from NSW, was devastated when she heard that her grandmother, Barbara, had spent her last few dollars buying her own birthday cake from a mall. After hearing the news, Ms McLachlan issued a plea via a local Facebook page - the Camden-Narellan Community Noticeboard. A loving granddaughter has shared her gratitude after people flocked to offer her 'lonely' grandmother Barbara (pictured with a well-wisher from The Fairy Cottage left) support on her 70th birthday (pictured right are some of the gifts she received) Stacey McLachlan (pictured) was devastated when she heard that her grandmother had spent her last few dollars buying her own birthday cake from a mall 'It's my Nan's 70th birthday today and unfortunately I cannot be with her. My nan is such a beautiful person and I love her immensely,' she wrote. 'She lives with her son who is not well at all and doesn't leave the house. 'My grandad is in a nursing home with... dementia so she gets very lonely as you can imagine. 'She lives in a little unit in Minto and people might often see her grocery shopping at Minto Mall with the little money she has. 'I would be soooo happy if you could wish her a Happy 70th Birthday on this page so that I can show her all the love and birthday wishes! 'I would be soooo happy if you could wish her a Happy 70th Birthday on this page so that I can show her all the love and birthday wishes!' Ms McLachlan (second from right with her grandmother right) wrote 'It breaks my heart when I was told by someone I know had bumped into her at the shops yesterday and she was saying she was feeling depressed and buying herself a birthday cake. If you could show a lonely lady some love her way, I will be forever grateful.' Ms McLachlan said the idea behind her post was to show her grandmother how loved she was - and it didn't disappoint. The message received hundreds of comments and offers of support. Barbara found gifts on her doorstep and was visited by a variety of well-wishers including a fairy from a local organisation The Fairy Cottage. 'Happy birthday, Barbara. Hope your birthday is as awesome as your granddaughter, she obviously loves you so much,' one supporter wrote. Ms McLachlan told Daily Mail Australia the response from the community had made a real difference to her grandmother. 'Nan is very much loved by all of my family but unfortunately we were unable to spend time with her until later that night, she explained. 'It breaks my heart when I was told by someone I know had bumped into her at the shops yesterday and she was saying she was feeling depressed and buying herself a birthday cake,' Ms McLachlan (right) wrote 'Until then, I wanted her to feel like she wasn't alone throughout the day so that's when the community rallied together to send her birthday wishes. 'We went out for a beautiful lunch on the Sunday and I saw her on the Monday night reading her all the kind comments people sent. 'The response from the community was absolutely amazing so from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank each and every person who has taken the time to wish her a happy birthday and surprising her with visits and gifts,' she said. 'They have made her day so extremely special and it's a day she will never forget. 'It's a beautiful thing to see the community get together and shed a little light in a complete strangers life. My nan has led a tough life and deserves everything. 'She had a great day and felt like the entire town was celebrating with her,' she added. An entire Scottish castle has gone on the market for 450,000 - highlighting the huge chasm between property prices in the UK. While a similar sum would barely buy a one-bedroomed flat in London's more exclusive enclaves, Breachacha Castle comes with six bedrooms, breathtaking views across the Scottish isles and the Atlantic ocean and a history that dates back several centuries. Built in 1750, the Palladian-style castle was last sold in 2006, and potential buyers will have to brace themselves for a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. Scroll down for video The historic three-storey Breachacha Castle, on the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides, has gone on the market for 450,000; the property boasts views over the Atlantic and bedrooms galore - but needs a lot of work The property dates back to the mid 18th century and was resided in by Scottish lairds until 1944, when the property fell into disrepair Oban estate agents Bell Ingram, which recently marketed the property, describe the sprawling estate, which once welcomed writer Samuel Johnson, as the 'finest Georgian castle in the Inner Hebrides' and reveal how the property was the seat of the Lairds of Coll until 1944. However, from 1944 until 1968, the local landmark fell into disrepair and was largely uninhabited. Since then a variety of owners have taken it on, using it as a holiday home and trying to restore it. The estate agent says of the latest opportunity to buy: 'Sadly a change in circumstances necessitates a sale, offering buyers a unique opportunity to restore a very special building in a truly unique setting.' Soak in an original roll-top bath with views of the Atlantic from the bathroom window Set in stone: the original date marking on Breachacha Castle The current owners live across the top two floors, with the castle's ground floor empty, and in parts, derelict It's what they call a project! Various owners since the late Sixties have tried to improve the state of the castle which fell into disrepair after 1944; the latest buying it in 2006 The property is currently only partially lived in, with only the top two floors habitable. Even so, there's plenty of accommodation including six bedrooms (three being ensuite), two bathrooms, a sitting room and kitchen. There's also central heating, a plus in the potentially harsh Scottish winters. THE GREAT PROPERTY DIVIDE: WHAT 450,000 BUYS ACROSS THE UK It's a substantial amount of money...but just how far will nearly half a million pounds stretch in property markets across the country? LONDON: A ONE-BED FLAT IN CHELSEA A stone's throw from the King's Road, this one-bed aprtment in a modern block is on the market in Chelsea for 450,000 CORNWALL: A TWO-BED COTTAGE Small but perfectly formed, a two-double bedroom house in Cornwall, with views over St Mawes village has the same price tag as Brechacha Castle LIVERPOOL: A THREE-BED PERIOD HOUSE A three-bed semi-detached cottage in a sought-after location near Formby on Merseyside comes in at 450,000 CLEETHORPES: A FIVE-BED FAMILY HOME This five-bed family home in the Lincolnshire seaside resort is currently on for 450,000 Advertisement While the property retains its A-listed historic charm, it does carry mod cons - including central heating for those brisk Scottish winters While the ground floor rooms are 'charming', they're currently not used - and the wings and pavilions are 'derelict shells' - needing more than a little tlc from prospective buyers. So how much would 450,000 currently buy you in the capital's glitzier quarters? Not much is the honest answer, a bedsit in Chelsea perhaps? Or a fully-fledged one bedroom place in Richmond, Henry VIII's old stomping ground. First it was Gwyneth advocating a 'mugworth vaginal steam' to cleanse the uterus, then it was glitter bombs to make secretions look pretty. Now a Danish company has launched the latest 'revolution' in intimate beauty for women - highlighting cream for the vulva. It's party of The Perfect V range, which boasts products such as beauty mist, serum and and even an exfoliator, as well as the highlighter which contains 'luminious iridescent color to add some extra prettiness to the V'. But the innovation has not gone down well with its intended target market with people taking to Twitter to express their outrage, with one woman declaring: 'I can't take the pressure'. The 42 highlighter is currently only available in Scandanavia, but launches worldwide on 27th July. A Danish company has sparked outrage after launching a highlighting product for intimate areas called Perfect V It supposedly 'renews and improves the skin, making it appear more youthful and fresh' as well as brightening the skin and minimising imperfections. Vitamin E evens skin tone and prevents dark spots, while elderflower smooths and 'luminises'. The range also includes a VV cream, rather like a BB Cream for your intimate area, which is a 'luxurious hydrating' formula that delivers radiance to the skin, reduces ingrown hairs and bumps and calms down redness. For that finishing touch, you can also mist your vagina with a fragrance made with Rosa Damascena flower water to condition and deodorise; cloudberry fruit extract to soothe and strengthen skin and anti-inflammatory bilberry fruit extract. Perfect V's range includes a VV cream for the vulva, serum, beauty mist and highlighter According to Perfect V, the range is 'designed to keep your V in shape, and make you feel good all over - whether you want to bare it all, or lose your underwear anywhere, anytime.' It's is the brainchild of New Yorker Avonda Urben, a beauty specialist currently living near Copenhagen. She describes the brand as 'American super polish meets Scandinavian effortless freedom', and was inspired by the way Sandi women are comfortable with stripping in public, whatever their age or shape. The range includes various products to improve the appearance of skin, minimise blemishes and make it look more luminous Perfect V is the brainchild of New Yorker Avonda Urben, a beauty specialist currently living near Copenhagen The range is just the latest in a long line of dubious products for intimate areas, such as vaginal glitter bombs. Online retailer, Pretty Woman Inc, is selling 'Passion Dust intimacy capsules' filled with sweet-scented glitter. The product description on the website says: 'It is a small capsule that you insert into your vagina and allow it to naturally dissolve and release it's contents' - with a disclaimer to users that it does not cause any magical or supernatural sensations. A flatter tummy. Trimmer thighs. And a perkier bottom. When you take up yoga, you can expect your body to undergo a total, more youthful transformation. But did you know your skin could be rejuvenated, too? Its one of the many lesser-known beauty benefits of yoga. From plumping up tired complexions to smoothing frown lines, a few daily stretches can give a remarkable anti-ageing boost to your appearance. A flatter tummy. Trimmer thighs. And a perkier bottom. When you take up yoga, you can expect your body to undergo a total, more youthful transformation. File pic Yoga can even tighten double chins, correct the dreaded turkey neck, reduce varicose veins, give hair extra bounce and zap troublesome cellulite. I know this because Ive experienced how powerful an anti-ageing weapon yoga can be. I might be 75, but thanks to my devotion to yoga, people say my hair is still lustrous and my skin glowing. Yesterday, I showed you how yoga can give you a youthful figure and shed the pounds with delightfully easy stretches. Today, in the third part of my exclusive anti-ageing yoga series for the Mail, Ill show you more simple stretches to help revitalise your youthful beauty, no matter what age you are, or how stiff or out of shape you feel. These exercises Ive specially selected dont just focus on your body, however. Theyll also work the muscles in your face to tighten and tone bits that may have drooped with age. Indeed, as we get older, skin loses its elasticity and muscles become slack, but just a few minutes of facial exercises a day can elevate and strengthen face muscles. Think of them as your pain-free 15-minute facelift do them for just a quarter of an hour and people will soon wonder if youve had a nip and tuck! Ill also explain how yoga can help you survive the ups and downs of the menopause, keeping your youthful vitality into your 50s and beyond. You may feel the passing of the years has taken your inner youthfulness, but yoga really can help you turn back the clock. My beauty regime is simple. I wake up, get into the shower and moisturise all over. Theres no fancy products a bit of Dove soap and body lotion, and LOreal Revitalift face creams. All stuff you can pick up cheaply in the supermarket. I put on foundation, blusher and mascara and away I go! I dont stay out of the sun, either. After all, bone specialists tell us we need 20 minutes of sunlight on bare skin every day to keep our skeleton strong. So Ive gone for tough bones over completely crease-free skin and dont regret it for a second. I have little age spots on my hands, but I see them as small reminders of happy times rather than anything that needs fixing. Indeed, I havent succumbed to the surgeons knife, nor Botox. I rely on regular yoga to keep me looking radiant. So how does yoga improve your skin? Its such a clever exercise that it works in many positive ways on your complexion. First, it increases blood circulation to the skin, giving it back its natural healthy glow. The most effective yoga moves for this are inverted poses and forward bends positions that mean you hang upside down. Theyre perfect to promote the rosy glow which may have diminished over the years, as they increase blood flow to aid skin cell renewal. And dont worry you dont need to do a headstand to help your skin in this way. Gentle moves, such as the Upward Stretch and Forward and Backward Bend, which I showed you in Saturdays paper, can work just as well, too. From plumping up tired complexions to smoothing frown lines, a few daily stretches can give a remarkable anti-ageing boost to your appearance. File pic Yoga also has the power to reduce toxins in the body, which can cause breakouts and dull skin. How? The twists and turns of yoga release tension and stimulate the lymphatic system, which can help remove toxins. Yoga also restores harmony to our hormones by stimulating our glands, as we discussed yesterday, which has the added bonus of clearing skin and preventing any spotty breakouts which can happen long after your teenage years have passed. As well as this, the improved digestion that often comes with some of yogas most rejuvenating moves such as the Simple Twist I showed you on Saturday, that massages your internal organs back to health can also bring beautifully clear skin. The Simple Twist also helps tone and tighten the jaw and throat. You dont have to live with a double chin or a turkey neck. Overleaf, I demonstrate some other super-effective jaw lifts to banish saggy necks and double chins for good, and other marvellous facial exercises. Sadly, theres more ageing below the neckline. Cellulite is the curse of almost every older woman. But I think Ive kept lumps and bumps away largely through yoga and the way it stimulates circulation. Standing balances are excellent for calming your cellulite moves such as the Tree Pose or the Dancers Pose, which I showed you on Saturday. A going-over with a loofah on your thighs works wonders on your bumpy bits, too, so complement your new yoga balances with a simple scrub down. I also swear by dry body-brushing, where you gently scrub your skin with a bristle brush before washing, making sure to always brush towards the heart. Varicose veins are another enemy of youthful legs. Our veins have little valves, and standing for long periods or sitting down all day can compress them. Yoga can help any inverted posture can begin to rectify the appearance of these horrid veins. Shoulder stands or head stands help valves to function properly, but can be too challenging for a beginner and shouldnt be attempted if you have high blood pressure. So try one of the simplest yoga moves: elevate your legs up on a wall, or hook them up over a chair seat as you lie on the floor, to stimulate circulation. Have you ever noticed how your hair reflects your state of mind? Tension chokes our tissues and can inhibit blood flow to follicles, leaving our hair looking limp and tired. Simple yoga practices, such as the Scalp Massage (right) can help. And there is another weapon deep yogic breathing. Its one of the most effective things to improve our youthful beauty. Simple Deep Relaxation where you lie flat and concentrate on breathing into your belly and try to clear your mind are excellent for flooding the skin with oxygen by opening up the lungs, heart and chest. Deep breathing also helps optimise lymphatic function around the body by reducing tension, removing toxins and fighting infection. As well as spotty breakouts, a less-than-effective lymphatic system can often result in puffiness on the skin. When I take my annual break from teaching yoga classes in August, I always notice puffy areas on my face. And thats just after a month of reducing the amount of yoga I do. So imagine how beneficial yoga could be for your puffy and swollen bits! Yogic deep breathing also brings mental benefits. Deep breathing helps the brain unwind and when the mind relaxes, you will discover the happiness and peace that lies within all of us. This has a huge effect on your appearance, skin and hair. Nothing is more ageing than tension. As you learn to relax your mind and body, your skin will regain its radiant glow and your hair its bounce and shine due to the circulation being restored in this area. And once you realise that happiness is inside you, any tense lines on your face will soften, resulting in a radiant new energy for living. In other words, a long lost youthfulness can be restored! Forehead smoother This really does help smooth out those ageing tramlines. Sit straight and close your eyes. Now gently endeavour to smooth your brow by taking your scalp back and dropping your eyebrows. Forehead smoother: This really does help smooth out those ageing tramlines Place your interwoven fingertips in the centre of your forehead. Inhale deeply. While you exhale slowly, counting to seven, slide your fingers over your brow to your hairline. Relax and repeat at least five times. Now look at yourself in the mirror. The result s are immediate and striking. Jaw firmer A two -part exercise, the first does wonders for firming the jaw and getting rid of a double chin, while the second corrects that horrid turkey neck. Sit with your back straight. Grin from ear to ear while letting your head carefully drop backwards. Jaw firmer: A two -part exercise, the first does wonders for firming the jaw and getting rid of a double chin Keeping it there, still grinning, open and close your mouth very slowly three times. Slowly return to an upright position, relax and repeat twice. Sit straight and gently drop your head back. Gently take your bottom set of teeth upwards, as if towards your nose. Hold this position for five. Relax and repeat three times. Neck toner To firm and tone the jaw and neck and release tension. Sit either cross-legged or kneeling. Keep your spine straight. Neck toner: To firm and tone the jaw and neck and release tension Close your eyes. Drop your head gently forwards, then carefully roll your head to the right, gently and slowly roll it backwards, roll it to the left, then slowly forwards. Make three circles to the right. Follow with three to the left. Scalp massage This massage releases tension and is excellent for stimulating healthy blood flow to your hairs roots. Sit in a comfortable position. Scalp massage: This massage releases tension and is excellent for stimulating healthy blood flow to your hairs roots Spread out your fingers in your hair so theyre lying on your scalp. Clasp your hair. Slightly pull it and move the scalp by gently pulling and making three circles with the hair. Transfer your hands to another area and repeat. Keeping doing this until the entire scalp has been massaged. The lion This stimulates blood flow to the face and tones the face, neck and eye muscles, as well as skin around the eyes. Sit straight in a kneeling or crossed-legged position. Place your hands on your knees. The lion: This stimulates blood flow to the face and tones the face, neck and eye muscles Inhale deeply, then exhale forcibly and simultaneously stick your tongue out, aiming to curl it over your chin, stretch your hands out wide and open your eyes as wide as possible. Hold for a count of ten, inhale and relax. Repeat three times. Eye exercises Some of my students say they no longer need reading glasses after doing these. Sit straight. Imagine an enormous clock in front of you. Eye exercises: Some of my students say they no longer need reading glasses after doing these Look upwards towards 12 oclock and hold for three seconds, then move your eyes to 1 oclock and hold for three. Go all the way round the clock, then do it anti-clockwise. Take two pieces of print, one quite large that you can see without glasses, the other you can only just about manage reading in a good light. Look at them three times a day in excellent light: 1) at reading distance; 2) with your arm stretched out as far as possible; 3) as near to your face as you can bring it before it goes blurry. Do this every day. Afterwards, rub your palms together to warm them. Place them over your closed eyes. Breathe calmly and count to 30. Alternate breathing Relieves the tension that plays havoc with your skin, hair and energy flow. Sit comfortably crossed-legged or kneeling. Close your eyes. Alternate breathing: Relieves the tension that plays havoc with your skin, hair and energy flow Place your right thumb on your right nostril, your next two fingers on the bridge of your nose and your next finger on your left nostril. Support your right elbow with your left hand. Unblock your right nostril. Keeping your left one blocked, inhale for five. BEFORE YOU START Although yoga is for all ages, it is for healthy people. If you have any health queries whatsoever, please check with your doctor before you start. And remember the golden rule: never strain. Instead, listen to your body. When its ready, you will be able to move it more and more. Advertisement Block the right nostril. Keeping both nostrils closed, hold the breath for five. Unblock your left nostril. Slowly exhale for five. Inhale through your left nostril for five. Block both nostrils. Hold for five. Then exhale through the right nostril for five. Continue for ten rounds. Pose of a plough Stimulates blood flow to your face, scalp, brain and eyes. Please dont attempt if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or have head or neck problems. Lie flat on your back. Inhale, bend your knees. Slowly and carefully lift your bottom from the floor, taking your legs over your head. Place your hands on your lower back for support. Aim to have your stretched out legs parallel to the floor. Pose of a plough: Stimulates blood flow to your face, scalp, brain and eyes Relax in your maximum position. Hold for ten. Your eventual aim is to have your toes on the floor and your fingertips stretched back to touch your toes. n Gently lower your knees to your forehead and slowly roll down your back one vertebrae at a time until your bottom reaches the floor. Stretch both legs in front of you. Relax. FEELING LAZY? TRY SLOW YOGA If youre a yoga novice, this might be the class youve been looking for. There are no downward dogs, sun salutations or planks here. You barely move off the ground, only do around five poses in a class and rather than having to balance, you have blocks and cushions to help keep you in position while you hold each pose. Thats not to say this is yoga for slackers, though. Far from it. Yin yoga is about intense stretching opening up tight hips, letting your back elongate and your mind relax because each pose is held for anything from two to 20 minutes. Yes 20. Fortunately, the class I tried Calm By Candlelight at Virgin Active, which is a version of yin yoga in a candlelit room only made us hold the poses for five minutes at a time, but that was enough. Even with the support of a bolster or a cork block, holding a lunge for five minutes can be excruciating. As the class progressed with simple poses like just bending forward at the waist while sitting on the floor with legs straight it made me realise how rare it is these days that we actually sit still, with no distractions. I could see how doing these poses regularly would help to iron out the parts of my body that, thanks to a desk job, seem permanently kinked. It forces you to relax; to still the racing chatter of to do lists, meetings, plans and stuff that constantly seems to clog our heads. The final guided meditation alone sold it to me. Lying on my back, covered by a blanket, I listened to the teacher gently intone various scenarios for us to imagine (Waves on a beach, waves on a beach, waves on a beach, clouds in the sky, clouds in the sky, clouds in the sky) and felt more relaxed than Id been in weeks. Virgin Active (virginactive.co.uk) and Yoga Haven (yogahaven.co.uk) run yin yoga classes. Or go to the British Wheel of Yoga website (bwy.org.uk), and put in your postcode and yin as a keyword to find more classes in your area. Advertisement Banish hot flushes for ever Of all the challenges women face as they age, the menopause can be the most physically and mentally gruelling. All those changes to your body often happen just as your life is being transformed when the children grow up and leave home. It can be tricky to cope with. I was one of the lucky ones. To be honest, I didnt even know the menopause was happening until it was over. Thankfully, I wasnt afflicted by the hot flushes and mood swings which can be so debilitating. Of course, its impossible to say whether me sailing through the menopause is down to my regular yoga practice our bodies are complex machines, after all, and yoga is definitely not a cure-all but I like to think it helped. So if youre perimenopausal, or in the throes of the menopause itself, its worth trying yoga. It wont harm you and it is likely to help. Again, the reasons why yoga can assist menopausal women are down to the fact it is a system that can help both the body and mind. Biologically speaking, yoga can stimulate the glands, as well as calm the raging hormones which dictate the ebbs and flows of a womans reproductive lifespan. Let me explain. Before the menopause strikes, a womans menstrual cycle is governed by the hypothalamus. Sitting at the base of the brain, the hypothalamus regulates all manner of bodily functions. It is the hypothalamus which tells the pituitary gland to produce the hormones required for reproduction. This then stimulates production of oestrogen and progesterone in the ovaries, vital for a woman to become pregnant. Then comes the perimenopause. And everything changes. The ovaries naturally decrease the levels of oestrogen and progesterone. However, the pituitary gland senses this drop and sends more hormones to the ovaries to try to compensate. S uddenly, the body finds itself at cross-purposes and the erratic hormonal fluctuations which ensue can leave you suffering. Such ups and downs can go on for years, and hormones only start getting back on track after a woman has had her last period. Even then, though, there is a brave new world to adjust to, as your body adapts to an existence with fewer hormones than before. And many women seek a natural way to ease these symptoms. Which is where yoga can assist. It goes without saying that yoga cant increase your oestrogen production its a powerful practice, but not that powerful! But some of its poses can soothe an overwrought nervous system and may help improve the functions of the glandular system, helping your body adapt to hormonal fluctuations. Perhaps the most common and frustrating symptom of the menopause is the hot flush. Nearly 80 per cent of women get them. When they strike in public, they can be embarrassing; and if they occur at night, they can disrupt sleep and leave you feeling exhausted. Its not clear what causes the hot flush, but some scientists think a fall in oestrogen causes a glitch in the way the hypothalamus senses body temperature, making it think that you are too hot. The sweat glands then kick in to try to cool you down. How can yoga help? Well, its a practice built on breathing deep regular inhales and exhales, which promote a connection between the mind and the activity of the body. Such breathing can be immensely cooling, expelling some of that rapid heat the hot flush brings on. As well as this, deep breathing neutralises anxiety which can fuel the onset of hot flushes. Indeed, oestrogen spikes can bring on a state of anxiety, nervousness and irritability. The adrenal glands respond by creating adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormones which put your body into fight or flight mode. We examined yesterday how an overtaxed adrenal gland can increase your appetite but a more basic down side of too much adrenaline is that you feel terribly edgy. Yoga can help firstly, by promoting deep relaxation, and secondly, by regulating the adrenal gland itself. Movements such as Cobra and Crescent Moon which I showed you yesterday help keep these glands in excellent condition. Regular yoga can also reduce high blood pressure, and promote good blood circulation which can also help when it comes to night sweats. Joint aches and pains are another symptom of the menopause, along with a general feeling of being under par. As well as helping heal some of these pains by promoting greater flexibility, yoga makes us better able to cope with pain perhaps because the stress it releases leaves us more resilient. The poses I showed you on Saturday like the Upwards Stretch and Forward Bend are a good starting point in helping joint aches. The menopause, of course, doesnt just bring physical frustrations. Some women find themselves mentally afflicted, suddenly losing their train of thought or having foggy heads. Even women who have previously had a memory like an elephant can suddenly find themselves struggling for facts or dates. Such fuzzy thinking often happens at moments of great hormonal fluctuation. Many women find yoga helps clear the cobwebs, especially if it is exacerbated by lack of sleep or increased agitation. Any inverted positions such as the Pose Of Dog, which Ill show you tomorrow can help collect the thoughts by bringing blood to the brain. Fatigue often goes hand in hand with the dreaded hot flush. Experts say that dips in progesterone could be at fault for such exhaustion. Y oga can boost energy and put you in a better frame of mind. Gentle back stretches, such as the Backward Bend that I showed you on Saturday, open the chest and often bring renewed vitality. Deep breathing also improves circulation and lifts the spirits sorely needed during the menopause. Its a time that signals the end of the child-bearing years, and many women mourn such a period, seeing it as the end of youth. There can be a sense that a life they once knew is over. Regular yoga can provide structure to a life that has started to drift, and give a precious chance for some me time. Improvements in posture can bring positive mood changes. And any pose that brings about improvements in circulation can bring a new sense of lightness. The Chest Expansion pose, as shown on Saturday, stimulates blood flow to the head and neck, as well as relieving tension in this area, the site where so many stresses and strains reside. Indeed, theres perhaps no stronger cure than the stress-relief provided by yoga. Our bodies are literally strangled by tension, from the skin on our faces to our innermost cells. Anything that can allow us to drop our tight shoulders, relax our tense foreheads and sleep better will help. When your body feels out of control, as it does before and during the menopause, yoga can be an invaluable support. A teenager who pulled out all the hair on her head has turned her condition into a positive after becoming a bald beauty queen. Sarah Pennington, 18, from Pottstown in Philadelphia shaved her head after developing 'embarrassing' bald spots while battling anxiety and depression. She has trichotillomania, a disorder that she developed seven-years-ago and led her to pluck out all her strawberry blonde locks, her eyebrows and eyelashes. Sarah covers her hair, which is shorter than an inch, beneath hats and wigs, describing it as an 'irresistible urge' to pull her hair out. But two-years-ago, after receiving psychiatric help she started to embrace her condition and stopped hiding her baldness in public. To raise further awareness, she started entering beauty pageants and has placed multiples times while share her empowering message that she's beautiful without hair. Sarah Pennington, 18, from Pottstown in Philadelphia has overcome her battle with trichotillomania to become a beauty queen Two years ago, Sarah finally felt confident enough to reveal her baldness for the first time Sarah, a cinematic film student, said: 'I used to feel ashamed of my appearance, but now have worked through my anxieties and want to promote self-love and awareness in pageants. 'I have dealt with this hair-pulling disorder for seven years, I started pulling out my eyebrows and eyelashes, then the hair on my head and now I'm pretty much bald. 'The compulsion is like an irresistible urge, like an itch you need to scratch but rather than scratching, you pull out your hair and don't realise you're doing it. 'When I started pulling out my head hair, I started wearing hats, bandanas and wigs to hide it, no one knew about it until two years ago. Sarah went to Prom without her wig to showcase her baldness, and to prove you can still feel beautiful without hair Sarah takes to the catwalk at a pageant without covering her head with a wig 'I received help to show my baldness for the first time two years ago, I was very uncomfortable, my anxiety hit the roof for ten seconds and then I realised no one died and nothing bad happened. 'I feared taking my hat off in public for five years and when I did nothing bad happened to me, I realised I don't have to hide this big massive secret from the world. 'From there, I started entering pageants to spread awareness of trichotillomania and used my platform to talk about being able to stand proud without hair and be happy. 'I've had an outpouring of positivity from people who have been very supportive, since being more open about my condition and others have spoken to me about their issues too. The teenager when she was 14 and in the grip of her hair-pulling compulsion 'Now I frequently enter pageants to show that the magazine image of beauty of people with long hair is not necessary and that you can be happy being bald. 'I enter to share my story and with this is my platform I love talking about trichotillomania, telling others why it happens and when I do win it's great. 'I'm confident enough to say now that I don't need long hair, I'm happy and beautiful with short hair.' Sarah was bullied during her early-teenage years for being an 'outcast', she believes the stress of that led her to start hair-pulling. Sarah, wearing a wig in 2014. She occasionally covers her head, but is now content with how she looks The beauty queen taking part in a pageant she entered to raise awareness of trichotillomania and won first place 14-year-old Sarah had to wear a wig after pulling most of her hair out (left). The youngster covering up her hair with a band at a track event (right) Five-years into her trichotillomania her depression and anxiety worsened, leading her to seek professional help. TRICHOTILLOMANIA? Trichotillomania is a condition where a person feels compelled to pull out the hair on their head or in other places, such as their eyebrows or eyelashes. It's an impulse-control disorder (a psychological condition where you are unable to stop yourself carrying out a particular action), and it's not known for certain what causes it. Some experts think hair pulling is a type of addiction. The more you pull your hair out, the more you want to keep doing it. Trichotillomania may be a reflection of a mental health problem. Psychological and behavioural theories suggest that hair pulling may be a way of relieving stress or anxiety. In some cases, trichotillomania may be a form of self-harm, where you deliberately injure yourself as a way of seeking temporary relief from emotional distress. The most effective treatment is therapy to change hair-pulling behaviour, combined with a network of emotional support. Advertisement Sarah said: 'I couldn't function and wasn't really leaving my room, so I agreed to go and get psychiatric help. 'Their treatment worked towards being confident enough to stop hiding my hairpulling and to take off my hat in public. 'When I took the plunge, in that moment of truth when I took my hat off, the world didn't end and it gave me confidence to be bald in public ever since.' Sarah says the response to her hair-pulling has been accepted since revealing the effects of her disorder. She added: 'I have a condition that makes me pull out my hair, I had no idea whether people would be accepting, so it was a big leap. 'But it's been really positive, it's showed me how much good there is in the world and despite some negative comments I know I'm helping others.' Sarah explains the compulsion of her condition, she said: 'There is a pain when I pull my hair out but I'm not thinking when it happens, it's a subconscious reaction, it's hard to explain to people. 'The impulse in general is like nail-biting, it's a behaviour that a person doesn't even realise they are doing.' Sarah's been entering beauty pageants for two years now, winning first place and runner-up positions and using her platform to talk about trichotillomania. She said: 'I was honestly astonished and elated when I won, I entered with the mindset that it could go really wrong and people wouldn't understand. 'I'm OK with having trichotillomania now, I can't believe where I am today, I'm dead serious when I say I wouldn't change it as this has defined me in the best possible way.' Sarah aged 11 around the time she started pulling out her eyebrows and eyelashes, before progressing to pulling out all hair Sarah went to Prom three-months-ago and while she admits she looked different to how she previously imagined herself, she enjoyed the experience. She said: 'Everyone pictures being beautiful with long hair at prom, but that didn't bother me, it was a cool experience not relying on extensions or make-up to feel beautiful. 'Going to prom is a big moment universally, so I've since posted my picture on Facebook groups to show them not only did I look pretty but I felt beautiful and confident too. 'I am content with how I look now, sometimes I wear a wig but only when I want to, I don't have eyebrows or eyelashes and my hair is short and patchy, but I wouldn't change it for the world.' Sarah is fundraising to continue her pageantry work, you can donate by visiting: www.gofundme.com/trichawareness Most graduates enter a quarter life crisis after leaving university, worrying if they'll ever land that dream job. But Luana Torres, 27, also known as Pilot Luana, gave up on economics after her graduation and decided to travel the world as a helicopter pilot. Luana, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has earned nearly 60,000 Instagram followers with the help of her photographs of her glamorous, globe-trotting new life. She has now traveled to 28 countries in order to take to the skies, including the US and Canada. Scroll down for video Luana Torres, 27, graduated with an economics degree but decided to become a chopper pilot She flies a Robinson R22 and a Robinson R44, and can often be seen posing in the cockpit on solo flights in various locations around the world. Other envy-inducing shots show the blonde at Disneyland and relaxing at Arizona's Horseshoe Bend. 'My older brother is a helicopter pilot and I grew up listening to him talking about helicopters and he also married a female helicopter pilot. So, I have my brother and my sister-in-law as examples,' said Luana. 'Before I found out that I wanted to become a pilot, I graduated in economics and while I was in university I went on a family trip to Australia and there I flew in a helicopter for the first time. As well as sharing pictures from the cockpit, Luana also shares snaps of her luxurious trips Luana applied for flying lessons as soon as she left university, after flying a chopper on holiday Luana has been a helicopter pilot for just a year and set up her page to track her progress The blonde has visited 28 countries so far and has 60,000 Instagram followers 'From that moment on, I knew that my future would belong in the skies and more specifically being a helicopter pilot. As soon I graduated I searched for a flight school and started to chase my dream. 'Once you have tasted the feeling of flying, walking and seeing things from the ground are not enough anymore. 'The helicopter industry is not as big as the aeroplane industry so I get a lot of invitations from helicopter companies and flight schools asking me to fly with them. I've been doing this for a year and I've already flown to several places including places in the United States and Canada.' Luana initially started her Instagram page to track her training, and regularly shares videos of herself in the cockpit. Her globe-trotting has included lavish trips to Arizona's Horseshoe Bend and Disneyland Luana's brother and sister-in-law are helicopter pilots and credits them as being her inspiration Fans ask Luana for tips on how to get into the aviation industry on her Instagram account The pilot shares pictures of herself doing the final checks before take off 'I fly small helicopters, like R22s and R44s, and inside those helicopters you're able to see everything, including what's below you. You're able to land practically wherever you want to, you are able to go to zero airspeed and capture the awesome landscapes perfectly and you can control it in any direction you want to, including backwards,' added Luana. 'People get a little surprised when they see a woman helicopter pilot but they are always nice about it. 'It's funny because I started my Instagram as a personal account to help people and to share my training. Luana (pictured at Disneyland) says the industry is quite small so she works all over the world Luana says her passengers are always surprised to see a female pilot but are 'nice about it' Luana says her Instagram page has inspired people to go into the aviation industry The small aircrafts Lena flies allow her to see the beautiful scenery as she flies around it 'It's amazing how we have built a nice community with so many pilots all over the world and so many nice people. They sometimes don't realise how happy they make me with their kind and supportive messages. 'I get a lot of messages from people who want to become a pilot asking for tips or just saying that my Instagram was their first step to knowing the aviation and helicopter industry better. 'Don't ever give up on your dreams, it's never too late as long as you have the motivation to start.' She says she has received messages of support from other helicopter pilots Luana filmed herself on her very first solo flight, with gained thousands of likes on Instagram Luana says people shouldn't give up on their dreams and find the motivation to pursue them Viewers of last night's Diana, Our Mother were left touched by Princes William and Harry's stories of their late mother. However, it seems that the Duke of Cambridge may have suffered a case of mistaken identity, apparently confusing Cindy Crawford with Claudia Schiffer. Brothers William and Harry shared a host of touching memories of their late mother in the documentary that aired on ITV on Monday night. Scroll down for video Prince William spoke about an occasion when Diana employed models Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell to greet him after school, but Turlington has pointed out that the royal has got his models mixed up Among the more emotional accounts the royal brothers also shared never-before-heard stories of their happiest times with their mother. One of the most amusing accounts came from Prince William who revealed that his mother had a host of catwalk models Speaking in the programme William said: 'She (Diana) organised, for when I came home from school, to have Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell waiting for me at the top of the stairs. The American model took to Twitter following the programme to point out that it was Claudia Schiffer who greeted the prince not Cindy Crawford 'I was probably a 12 or 13-year-old boy who had posters of them on his wall and I went bright red and didn't quite know what to say and sort of fumbled and pretty much fell down the stairs on the way out.' The clip of this particular conversation was shared on Twitter where fans shared the Tweet with model Christy Turlington. But while the 48-year-old model was touched by the royal's words she was quick to point out that he had got his models mixed up. In response to the clip she tweeted: 'I remember it well. It was Claudia Schiffer, not Cindy Crawford though. Diana adored those boys.' Millions tuned in to ITV to watch the brothers discuss the gap left in their lives as they came to terms with growing up without a mother The ITV documentary was the first and last time William, and Prince Harry, will speak candidly about their mother The American model was one of the millions who tuned in to ITV to watch the brothers discuss the gap left in their lives as they came to terms with growing up without a mother. The moving documentary struck a chord with viewers as the pair relived their grief and spoke to friends of Princess Diana, including Elton John, and shared memories ahead of the 20th anniversary of her death. In the ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother the princes spoke honestly about their relationship with Diana and their 'still raw' grief at her death. Prince Harry and Prince William looking at a family photo album in Kensington Palace in the documentary, Diana, Our Mother And viewers were left emotional as the royals revealed never seen before pictures of the princess as she attempted to give them a 'normal' childhood. Celebrities led the way as they praised the pair. Presenter Fearne Cotton tweeted she was an 'emotional wreck' watching the show. The programme was watched by 7.4m viewers at its peak, and 6.8 million on average. This compares to 1.6million for ITV's election leader's debate, and an average of 2.6 million for the Love Island final. Prince Albert of Monaco has shared some valuable relationship advice for Prince Harry as his budding romance with Meghan Markle gets serious. The 59-year-old has imparted his wisdom on welcoming a partner into the royal family in a rare new interview, revealing that adjusting to royal life is a challenge for anyone. Speaking to People magazine, the father-of-four admitted that bringing anyone into royal circles, navigating the press and mastering protocol 'is a pretty tough act.' Prince Albert of Monaco has shared his relationship advice for Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle in a new interview 'Especially in the British royal family, which is scrutinised by the press as no one's been.' Albert, who is married to former Olympian Princess Charlene, told the magazine that the couple 'seem to be having a good deal of success so far (but) sooner or later, she's going to have to face the full onslaught.' The prince added: 'They seem to be doing okay for now. The only kind of advice I can offer is the British expression: "Keep calm and carry on."' Elsewhere in the interview Albert admitted that his wife Charlene had found adjusting to royal life 'difficult to handle' but said he imagined that Meghan would be better prepared thanks to her career as an actress keeping her in the limelight. The father-of-four admitted that bringing anyone into royal circles, navigating the press and mastering protocol 'is a pretty tough act' and his best advice was to 'keep calm and carry on' Albert admitted that his wife, former Olympian Princess Charlene, had 'found it difficult' adjusting to life as a royal While the Meghan Markle has not yet married into the throne she has had a taste of royal life having spent time in Harry's home of Kensington Palace and is rumoured to have met some of the in-laws, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The US based actress, who has been dating the prince for roughly a year, has also been spotted accompanying the prince to several high profile events including a polo match in May as well as the wedding reception of Pippa and James Matthews later that month. If and when Harry does decide to pop the question, as fifth in line to the throne, Harry must ask the permission of his grandmother, the Queen. The royal must also take care to avoid clashes with other dates in the Royal calendar and couple will be expected to marry in Britain. Meghan would become Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales. The Dukedom of Sussex has also reportedly been reserved for Harrys wedding day, so Meghan would become a Duchess. New White House communications czar Anthony Scaramucci wasn't joking when he said he wanted Donald Trump to "be himself." The President offered a fresh exhibition of his unorthodox, unchained approach to politics on Monday night at the Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. To be fair, he did pay lip service to the idea that some occasions should be immune from politics. "We put aside all of the policy fights in Washington DC you have been hearing about with all the fake news and all of that. We are going to put that aside," Trump told a rowdy throng he called "young patriots," who periodically broke into cheers of "USA, USA." "Who the Hell wants to talk about politics when I am in front of the Boy Scouts?" Trump asked the crowd of around 40,000. But then, Trump proceeded to turn one of the more worthy and non-partisan presidential duties into a stark political rally. The President raged against the Washington "cesspool," boasted about the big Midwest swing state wins that got him to the White House, slammed the "fake news" media and mocked Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He even joked about firing Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if he didn't round up the votes to repeal and replace Obamacare this week. At least it looked like he was joking. It was the latest occasion in which the President has used what have traditionally been seen as non-partisan, ceremonial aspects of the commander-in-chief's role to lash his enemies in an explicit and deeply political way. In a commencement speech at the US Coast Guard Academy in June, the President complained that "no politician in history" had been treated worse or more unfairly than him. Shortly after being inaugurated, he gave a strikingly political speech at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, that offended some sectors of the agency's workforce. Trump did offer some uplifting stories Monday including a moving discourse on the need to keep up momentum in life and in business and implored the young scouts never to give up working and advised them to find a career they loved. But he seeded the inspirational content of his speech with sharp jabs that contrasted with the more neutral tone of the remarks by the last two presidents to address the scout jamboree in person, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Trump played off the scout loyalty pledge to criticize those in Washington who he feels are showing insufficient allegiance to him. "We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that," Trump said, without saying to whom he was referring. In recent days, the President has accused Republicans of showing him insufficient loyalty over their failure to move quickly to pass a health care bill. On Monday, he tweeted about his "beleaguered" Attorney General Jeff Sessions, after saying last week he would never have nominated the former Alabama senator had he known he would recuse himself from oversight of the Russia investigation. In his aside at Price, who was on stage, Trump said he hoped the HHS chief would get the votes to kill "this horrible thing known as Obamacare." "He better get 'em, otherwise I will say 'Tom, you're fired,'" Trump said, using humor with a suggestion of an aggressive undercurrent in a way that is fast becoming his trademark Washington persona. Trump walked back to put his arm around Price -- but then added: "You better get Senator Capito to vote for it." Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, is a holdout against the repeal and replace bill. Campaign rally themes Trump, who is holding a traditional campaign rally Tuesday in Ohio, returned to his familiar campaign tropes Monday -- claiming television channels would not show the size of the crowd. "The press will say it's about 200 people," he said, even as news networks covering the event panned their cameras over the vast crowd. He got the scouts to boo his predecessor, Obama, when he reminded them that the former President hadn't addressed the jamboree in person. He mocked his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, for not working hard enough to win the midwestern swing states where he pulled off shock wins during the election. And he slammed "fake" polls and "fake news" while mocking political commentators who once argued that he had no path to 270 electoral votes. "You remember that incredible night with the maps?" Trump asked. "That map was so red it was unbelievable and they didn't know what to say." "We won Florida, and we won, South Carolina, we won North Carolina, we won Pennsylvania, we won and won." "And then Wisconsin came in ... Michigan came in," Trump said, paying tribute to millions of people in his political base who helped him get elected at a time of personal political peril where his loyal supporters are more important to him than ever. Comparisons to Bush, Clinton Trump's speech contrasted sharply with the tone of speeches by Bush and Clinton to the Boy Scout Jamboree. In 1997, Clinton offered a meditation on the importance of "doing a good turn" and duty and service, and national unity, in a speech devoid of partisan political comment. "We need you if we're going to have a country where every person, without regard to race or station in life, who is responsible enough to work for it, can live out his or her dreams," Clinton said in Bowling Green, Virginia. Eight years later, at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Bush, at a time of war, gave a speech about faith and values and the importance of embracing a cause greater than oneself. "In the years ahead you will find that indifferent or cynical people accomplish little that makes them proud. You'll find that confronting injustice and evil requires a vision of goodness and truth," Bush said. "For your sake, and for the sake of our country, I hope you'll always strive to be men of conviction and character," said Bush in a speech that also avoided overt electoral or political content. Trump did make several paeans to the values of the Scout movement. "Through scouting, you also learn to believe in yourself, so important, to have confidence in your ability and to take responsibility for your own life." But often, such sentiments seemed like a sideshow to the main event. Advertisement Cutting the cake is a time-honored wedding tradition, but one Los Angeles couple opted for something that their guests will never forget: a pinata shaped like a three-tiered wedding cake. Clayton Lee, 35, and Karen Chan, 34, said 'I do' at La Chureya Estate in Palm Springs, California, on May 13, and their 180 guests were in for a treat at their wedding reception. Photos see the newlyweds using decorated wooden sticks to smash their customized pinata which was filled with snacks, candy, party toys, and poppers Karen, a food blogger at Honestly Yum, wrote a post about their wedding and their decision to buck tradition, explaining: 'To be honest, Clay and I are not huge fans of cake!' Scroll down for video Making their own tradition! Clayton Lee, 35, and Karen Chan, 34, opted to smash a wedding cake-shaped pinata instead of cutting cake at their wedding Just as pretty: The three-tiered pinata was decorated with flowers and inspired by the wedding cake they would have chosen if they had kept with tradition Going for it: After hitting the pinata multiple times, Clayton gave up and bear-hugged the creation until it popped Unlike the tradition party game, Clayton and Karen weren't blindfolded, but their guests enjoyed it all the same. 'It was a blast to have at our wedding and all guests, kids, and grandparents alike loved the pinata bashing equally, if not more than the goodies,' Karen said. The three-tiered pinata was decorated with flowers and oversize wedding cake toppers that were designed to look like Clayton and Karen. The wedding cake-shaped creation was designed and made by Amazing Pinatas, and Karen explained she gave them a photo of a cake that they would have chosen, and the company used that image to design the couple's customized pinata. No doubt aware that the design was intended for adults, instead of children, the pinata was made to be plenty sturdy, and after a couple of hits, Clayton actually gave up and bear-hugged the creation until it popped. Having a blast: Adults and kids alike dove in to scoop up treats after the pinata was smashed Amazing: 'We filled it with party toys and snacks, traditional Mexican treats, bubble blowers, party poppers, and of course, little bottles of booze-filled chocolates for the adults,' Karen said One of a kind wedding: 'To be honest, Clay and I are not huge fans of cake!' Karen said of their decision to buck tradition Lookalikes: Although it wasn't a traditional wedding cake, the pinata came complete with oversize cake toppers designed to look like Clayton and Karen 'We filled it with party toys and snacks, traditional Mexican treats, bubble blowers, party poppers, and of course, little bottles of booze-filled chocolates for the adults,' Karen said. And their guests were still treated with more than just candy for dessert. In lieu of a cake, the couple had churros served with a drizzle of dulce de leche. 'Guests didnt have to sit down and eat them on a plate, but could walk around with, or in many cases, stand up and seek out servers carrying the trays of the take-out containers with the little fried bites,' Karen expalined on the blog. The couple told ABC News that they got engaged on Christmas Day 2014 after meeting 10 years before on a study abroad trip to Shanghai, China. After their unforgettable wedding, Clayton and Karen traveled to the Maldives and Sri Lanka for their honeymoon, but the party isn't over for these newlyweds. 'We just want to continue to enjoy our time together, and plan our next trip and our next adventure,' Clayton told the outlet. Ivanka Trump was the picture of elegance and style as she left her home on Tuesday morning, wearing a blue lace designer dress - and a wide smile on her face. The 35-year-old stepped out of the D.C. property she shares with husband Jared and their three children shortly before 10am, before making her way to the Smithsonian, where she hosted a summer reading event with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Clearly aware that all eyes were going to be on her - not least because her husband Jared is facing another day of questioning over his Russia contacts - Ivanka put on an incredibly stylish show, turning the front steps of her home into her own personal catwalk. Style queen: Ivanka Trump looked incredibly elegant as she made her way down the front steps of her Washington, D.C. home on Tuesday morning Event ready! The 35-year-old is set to host a summer reading event with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the Smithsonian Happy as can be! Ivanka looked incredibly relaxed as she left the home she shares with Jared Kushner and their three children, smiling and waving at the waiting cameras Ivanka was modeling a $900 lace design by designer Jonathan Simkhai, which features an asymmetrical hemline, and several shades of white and blue lace, as well as a plunging neckline that showed off her bare decolletage. She completed her pretty ensemble with a pair of nude high heels - from her eponymous Ivanka Trump fashion line - and a pair of dainty dangly earrings, leaving her neck and wrists bare. In a rare move, however, the First Daughter chose to wear her wedding ring, perhaps as a show of support for her husband Jared, 36, who faced questioning from the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday, and is meeting privately with the US House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday as the probe into his undisclosed Russian contacts continues. But any stress that Ivanka may be feeling certainly wasn't showing as she stepped out on Tuesday - having had an early morning visit from her glam squad, who ensured that she was looking her very best in time for the reading event. With her hair in a chic up-do, Ivanka opted to go without the sunglasses that she has been modeling almost every morning of late, instead choosing to show off her beautiful make-up look, which featured a nude lip and a subtle smokey eye. Designer dream: Eschewing her own eponymous label, Ivanka instead opted for a $900 lace dress by Jonathan Simkhai Brand ambassador: The mother-of-three did make sure to add one piece from her own collection into her ensemble - her nude high heeled shoes Devoted wife: Ivanka was seen wearing her wedding ring on Tuesday, something she rarely does - perhaps as a silent, but public, show of support for her husband as he faces questioning Ready to roll! The mom-of-three looked excited about the morning's activities Beaming at the cameras as she made her way down the front steps of her house, she looked every inch the successful businesswoman, event pausing to wave at the photographers before climbing into her waiting SUV. Indeed, throughout the ongoing controversy surrounding her husband, Ivanka has kept her head up, and yesterday sought some happy comfort in the form of her children. On Monday morning, Ivanka took to Instagram to share a very happy image of her eldest child Arabella, who turned six last Monday, and her youngest son Theodore, one, who appeared to have covered his face in yogurt while enjoying his breakfast. But despite the mess, both children were grinning happily at the camera - with Arabella donning a smart straw boater hat for the occasion, while her brother was wearing some giraffe-print shades. 'Good way to start the day!' Ivanka captioned the cute picture, before adding a sunglasses smiley, no doubt in reference to her son's rather unique early morning ensemble. Pairing his sunglasses with a silver spotted bib - a sensible addition to his look given the messy mass of breakfast foods covering his face - Theo can be seen beaming happily at the camera, while his sister Arabella, dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, looks equally thrilled to pose for the picture. Swish swish: Ivanka's lace dress flared out as she turned to make her way down the steps Accessories: The First Daughter wore a pair of dainty dangly earrings, which were on full show thanks to her up-do Strutting her stuff: Ivanka turned the steps of her home into her own personal catwalk as she showed off her chic designer ensemble from all angles Hands free: Ivanka opted not to carry a handbag with her Helping hand: Ivanka had a visit from a member of her glam squad to make sure she looked as glamorous as possible for her event And it seems that spending some quality time with her kids was exactly what Ivanka needed to take her mind off her husband's political troubles; on Monday morning, shortly after Jared left to meet with investigators at Capitol Hill, the busy businesswoman was seen leaving the family's D.C. home, wearing a fun floral dress - and a beaming smile. Leaving the property via the side gate, before quickly climbing into a waiting SUV, the First Daughter looked as though she didn't have a care in the world, smiling happily for the cameras as she prepared for another day of work. Embracing the summer season in style, Ivanka looked chic in a short-sleeved navy dress that was covered with a white, blue, and purple floral pattern. After Ivanka hosted the summer reading even at the Smithsonian and Jared was questioned, they met up in the Rose Garden at the White House on Tuesday afternoon to watch President Trump's joint news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Reunited: Ivanka and Jared met up at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, and they were seen heading to President Trump's join press conference together Happy as can be: Ivanka and Jared both had smiles on their faces as they made there way to the Rose Garden Fan club: Ivanka and Jared stopped to pose for pictures before they made their way to their seats On trend: Ivanka donned cat-eye sunglasses for the outdoor event Stuck in the middle: Ivanka and Jared sat in the front row with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (from left to right) On the go: Ivanka was photographed leaving the Rose Garden after her father's joint news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri For the outdoor event, Ivanka threw on a pair of trendy cat-eye sunglesses, and she had a smile on her face as they made their way to their front row seats. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell, sat on Ivanka's right, while Jared was to the left of her. At one point, the couple turned and smiled for their cameras while in their seats waiting for the press conference to start. Ivanka's sunny disposition comes after spending what was no doubt a much-needed weekend with her children; on Sunday evening, she shared another image of her son Theodore, this time capturing the toddler by himself. In that picture Theo is seen wearing a cute pair of blue overalls, another rather bold pair of sunglasses, and a matching pair of blue sandals - while posing against a sea-blue backdrop, and alongside a bright blue surfboard. Giving little information away about where the picture was taken, Ivanka simply captioned the snap: 'Summer daze!' Story time! Ivanka and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos hosted a summer reading event at the Smithsonian, aimed at encouraging students to stay involved in education while not in school Quite the party! The event was also intended to raise awareness about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Tech lovers: Last week, Ivanka played a key role in the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge, a robotics competition that also focused on getting students excited about STEM 'Special guest': Betsy shared this image on her Twitter account, thanking Ivanka for being a part of the event And while Ivanka continues to maintain her cheery disposition, Jared also seems eager not to let any of the tension he might be feeling show; on Monday and Tuesday the White House advisor was seen leaving the home that he shares with Ivanka and their three children, smiling happily at the waiting cameras before climbing into his waiting SUV. Ahead of his meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday, Jared released a 3,600-word statement, in which he listed meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, as well as his infamous meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer that the White House aide says he left early on. Signing off the statement, he said: 'I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. 'I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. 'I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest.' He then reiterated those sentiments in a statement made after his first round of questioning, saying: 'I did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so.' All smiles: Ivanka left her home on Monday morning with a happy look on her face, having spent the morning with her children Not a care in the world: She looked relaxed and calm as Jared met with the Senate Intelligence Committee for the first round of questioning over his Russia contacts Happy as can be: While her husband faced questioning from investigators, however, Ivanka appeared to be seeking solace in her children, sharing this adorable picture of two of her kids Jared first came under scrutiny for a previously undisclosed meeting with Russia's leading US diplomat. He did not list a December rendezvous with Kislyak at Trump Tower on forms he turned into the government as part of the security clearance process. He left off another meeting during the transition with a Russian banker, too, Sergey Gorkov, and a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that the president's eldest son, Don Jr, set up with a Russian lawyer who wanted to discuss adoption. And while Jared has been under a microscope, Ivanka has been making sure to keep busy with her own White House projects. She played an active role in the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge throughout the week, a robotics competition that saw high school children from 160 states going head to head to test their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As well as attending the conference early in the week, Ivanka also played host to the top three nations - winners Hungary, second-place Afghanistan, and third-place USA, at the White House on Thursday. 'Summer daze!' On Sunday, the mother-of-three posted this adorable picture of Theo posing alongside a bright blue surfboard What an honor: Ivanka's daughter Arabella was given the chance to visit her mom in the West Wing on Wednesday, meeting Vice President Mike Pence and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus Meanwhile, Ivanka had another welcome visitor to her place of work on Wednesday, this time in the form of her six-year-old daughter, who was given the chance to make a trip to the West Wing - meeting both Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump's Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus. Ivanka shared an image of her daughter's fun-filled visit on Instagram, writing alongside it: 'Arabella loved visiting me in the West Wing yesterday.' She then added the hashtag #coolmom to the post. She also noted that 'meeting the Vice President and Chief of Staff was the highlight of the day' for Arabella, who is seen in the image standing alongside her mother, and the Vice President, wearing a pair of denim overalls, and pink sandals, and carrying a doll. But it wasn't simply a fun-filled trip for Arabella - whose visit to the White House took place during her grandfather Donald Trump's explosive interview with the New York Times. While the president was speaking to reporters, a process which took just under an hour, the six-year-old and her mother joined him briefly, with Arabella showing off her command of the Chinese language, speaking a few phrases for the reporters. Melania Trump isn't the only woman in the White House taking style cues from the late fashion icon Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway channeled Jackie O. in a short-sleeve white skirt suit featuring oversize buttons while doing a round of interviews on Tuesday. The only thing Kellyanne, 50, was missing was the former first lady's trademark pillbox hat as she spoke with members of the press at the White House during 'Regional Media Day.' Looks familiar! Kellyanne Conway channeled the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a white skirt suit featuring oversize buttons on Tuesday Almost a match: The 50-year-old's ensemble (right) was similar to the one the former first lady wore to visit the JFK memorial in Runnymede, England, in 1965 (left) Added touches: The senior adviser accessorized her look with a cream patterned clutch, dangling earrings, and silver pumps While Melania has not been seen publicly since being pictured in New York last week, it seems that Kellyanne is more than happy to fill the First Lady's fashionable footsteps, judging by her oh-so-chic ensemble. Although it was nearly 80 degrees in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Kellyanne looked relaxed in the skirt suit, despite its heavy tweed fabric. The white suit featured three large buttons going down the front, a large open collar, and a pencil skirt that skimmed the tops of her knees. During John F. Kennedy's presidency, Jackie modeled similar skirt suits in yellow, pink, red, and white, which she often paired with a pillbox hat. In May 1961, the then-first lady wore a red skirt suit inspired by the Mountie uniform while visiting Canada with her husband. Four years later, she donned a white double-breasted skirt suit to visit the JFK memorial in Runnymede, Britain. Fashion inspiration: Similar to the skirt suits worn by Jackie O., Kellyann's had three large buttons and a white, open collar Modern version? Instead of Jackie's trademark pillbox hats, Kellyanne wore her sunglasses on top of her head Style star: While first lady in 1961, Jackie wore a yellow skirt suit to Charles De Gaulle (left) and a red version modeled after the Mountie uniform while in Canada (right) Instead of a hat, Kellyanne donned her sunglasses on top of her head as she smiled and spoke to reporters outside the White House. The senior adviser carried a cream patterned clutch, topping off her outfit with silver pumps. As part of the 'Regional Media Day,' conservative media outlets were invited to set up temporary studios on the north side of the West Wing to interview members of President Donald Trump's cabinet and White House officials, including KellyAnne. Earlier in the day, Kellyanne wore the suit during an appearance on Fox News, and photos from the White House on Tuesday see her smiling brightly despite Richard Painter, former President George W. Bush's chief ethics lawyer, calling for her to be fired. Work uniform: Kellyanne's pencil skirt skimmed her knees and featured a tiny slit in the back All smiles: Kellyanne donned the suit to address reporters at the White House's 'Regional Media Day' for conservative outlets Beating the heat: Kellyanne looked relaxed in the tweed suit as she was surrounded by reporters Busy day: Kellyanne also wore the suit during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday morning Painter, who served in the Bush administration from 2005 to 2007, said Kellyanne should be let go for publicly attacking the impartiality and character of special counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director appointed to probe Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 'At this point I think Kellyanne Conway ought to be fired,' he said Monday during an interview on WBUR, Boston's syndicated NPR News station. She's going out there attacking Robert Mueller publicly, and his staff, that is inappropriate conduct. She would have lasted about one week in the Bush administration. But we put up with a lie after lie from her and several of the others in that White House. 'But they crossed the line when they attacked the character of Robert Mueller and his staff in order to try to obstruct justice, so the White House staff had no business doing that. 'The people are doing that ought to be fired. And the president ought to focus on his job.' Jenna Bush Hager might be 35, but that doesn't mean she isn't up for a childish prank on her parents now and then. On Tuesday morning's Today show, the former first daughter convinced her colleagues Al Roker and Sheinelle Jones to help her prank call her mother, Laura Bush, and things got a bit too silly for the former first lady's liking. The clip of the moment shows Laura, 70, answering the phone and Al putting on a thick Southern accent to say: 'Yes, hi. We are doing a random survey right now, checking on whether your refrigerator is running right now.' Scroll down for video In on it: On the Today show Tuesday morning, Jenna Bush Hager had Al Roker prank call her mom, former first lady Laura Bush Caught out: The hosts rang up the 70-year-old while she was out for her morning walk Having a laugh: Al put on a fake Southern accent for the prank, asking Jenna's mom if her 'refrigerator is running right now' Listening to Al pull the stereotypical phone prank on her mom immediately has Jenna in stitches. 'Is your refrigerator running right now?' says Al, before Jenna and Sheinelle can't contain themselves any longer and burst out in laughter. Next, Jenna takes the phone and tries to continue on with the prank, but her mother rumbles her right away, saying: 'Jenna, will you quit being so silly?' 'She made me do that Mrs Bush!' yells Al when he realizes the jig is up. 'She made me do that!' Snapped: Although Jenna tried to keep the prank going, her mom said her name and told her to 'stop being so silly' Another experience: After the prank, Al remarked 'I've never prank-called a first lady before!' Sheinelle then takes the opportunity to introduce herself to Jenna's mom, saying 'I've always wanted to meet you!' After showing the clip of the prank, Al tells viewers: 'I've never prank-called a first lady before!' 'It was fun to go back to seventh grade for a moment,' remarks Jenna. Earlier this month, Jenna paid tribute to another member of her family: her father George W. Bush, after the former president turned 71. 'Happy Birthday Popsicle!' Jenna (pictured right as a newborn) shared this throwback snap of her family in honor of her father George W. Bush turning 71 earlier this month All grown up! 35 years later and Jenna and her twin sister Barbara are just as close - and have even written a book together about their upbringing and their time as first daughters Moving on: The 35-year-old mother-of-two, pictured in a family snap in December, remains incredibly close with her twin sister and her beloved parents Jenna shared a sweet throwback image of the former president and his wife Laura cradling their twin daughters as newborns in celebration of the day. Posting the image on her Instagram account in honor of the celebratory day, the 35-year-old mother-of-two added a sweet caption praising her father for always supporting her. 'Happy Birthday Popsicle. Thanks for lifting me up since birth,' she wrote alongside the picture, which shows her and her sister Barbara as tiny babies being held by their adoring parents, George and Laura. An animal sanctuary volunteer struck by Lyme disease has revealed she found the motivation to overcome the life-wreaking illness by caring for a paraplegic sheep. Suffering bouts of paralysis, zooloist Stacey Venzel was inspired to fight on after watching Rocky who had taught himself to walk despite paralysis in his back legs. Ms Venzel, 29, from Seattle, Washington, came across the headstrong farm animal during a six-month internship at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Texas. Rocky had been 'given up on' because of a birth defect and was sent to the slaughterhouse but was rescued while in transit. A few months into her voluntary work, the animal lover became too weak to lift her arms and found standing difficult, she has now revealed in a blog for Wide Open Pets. But Rocky's unbreakable spirit gave her the strength to continue at the center and to keep rebuilding her life to this day. Stacey Venzel developed a close bond with Rocky the paralyzed rescue sheep The zoologist has a daily battle with her symptoms but volunteers at a sea turtle center 'Rocky the sheep taught himself to walk with only two functional legs, showing me the perseverance I needed to push through my pain,' she said. 'Here was a creature struggling in daily life to do simple, everyday tasks. Model Bella Hadid, 20, has spoken out on the impact Lyme disease has had on her modelling career 'In many ways, my medical anomaly mirrored his lifelong journey. Surely, if a paraplegic sheep could follow his heart (and stomach), nothing could stop me from doing the same.' Ms Venzel joins a host of celebrities who have suffered with Lyme disease including Bella Hadid, Martine McCutcheon and Avril Lavigne. There are fears the illness transmitted after a bite from a tick carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria could be officially classed as an epidemic within the next decade. I knew something was wrong Ms Venzel helped at the centre by feeding and caring for orphaned skunks, raccoons, opossums and squirrels as well as a collection of disabled farm animals. But in the spring of 2012, she noticed her fingers burned when she tried to use a feeding syringe. 'I became too weak to lift my arms above my head to fill out the feed board,' she said. 'Standing alone was taxing. My muscles would twitch and spasm without warning. The Seattle blogger said she gravitates toward disabled and needy animals 'Something was wrong with my body but I didnt know what. I switched to light duty, manning the animal emergency hotline, but my hands locked up trying to type or hold a pen.' A doctor gave her a preliminary diagnosis of Lyme disease, which was most likely contracted from a deer tick bite at the rescue centre. But her test results came back negative as many people who do in fact have the disease have experienced as the test is not always accurate. Her antibiotics were stopped and she was instead referred to a rheumatologist. 'I knew in my gut that wasnt the cause for my weakening, painful joints and muscles,' she added. I was determined to carry on thanks to Rocky With no firm diagnosis or treatment, Ms Venzel was left to battle on with her symptoms. However, she was determined to finish her six-month internship in whatever way possible. And she found herself making a habit out of visiting Rocky every day on the 250-acre property. 'Of the thousand animals in my care, Rocky stole my heart the minute I laid eyes on him,' she explains. Ms Venzel pictured at a conservation center in Florida with a disabled turtle named Montel WHAT IS LYME DISEASE? Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash called erythema migrans. The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics. But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and be deadly. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE INFECTED? During the first three to 30 days of infection, these symptoms may occur: Fever Chills Headache Fatigue Muscle and joint aches Swollen lymph nodes Erythema migrans (EM) rash The rash occurs in approximately 80 percent of infected people. It can expand to up to 12 inches (30 cm), eventually clearing and giving off the appearance of a target or a 'bull's-eye'. Later symptoms of Lyme disease include: Severe headaches and neck stiffness Additional EM rashes Arthritis with joint pain and swelling Facial or Bell's Plasy Heart palpitations Problems with short-term memory Nerve pain Source: CDC Advertisement 'He taught himself to walk by balancing on his back legs, using them much like a pirate would a peg leg. 'Animals have a way of maintaining their zest for life no matter what hand theyre dealt. 'Rocky didnt seem to notice his back legs werent made for walking. 'He never accomplished anything quickly. 'But he always accomplished whatever he set his mind to. Every morning and afternoon, that included walking over to the fence to see me. 'And so I fought through the fatigue, charley horses [muscle spasms], and fiery joint pain to complete my commitment.' Lyme will never stop me following my dreams After her stint at the centre, Ms Venzelfor further diagnostics, when it was eventually confirmed she had Lyme. In the months following her diagnosis, she struggled with every day tasks such as putting her hair in a ponytail and cutting up her food but continued to live her life. Spotted quickly, the disease is halted with antibiotics. But if left untreated, its impact can be devastating in 25 per cent of cases, the nervous system is affected, causing numbness and memory problems. 'My body screamed to just collapse into a bed and sleep for weeks, but I had dreams to nurture and a paraplegic sheep to honor,' she said. Despite her health battles, the actress and author has volunteered at a sea turtle conservation center in Florida. Again, she found herself bonding with another damaged creature, a non-releasable turtle named Montel. But she says she will never forget Rocky and one day she aspires to open her own sanctuary for disabled animals and offer therapy for disabled people. 'Rocky passed away peacefully a couple years after I left, news I received in a text message from a co-worker who knew how much this sheep meant to me. 'Some days I still find myself struggling to open jars, chronic joint pain still a daily hurdle. 'I have had to adapt my lifestyle in a hundred ways since being diagnosed six years ago, but thanks to Rocky, it has never stopped me from following my dreams.' The American Medical Association is considering a proposal to ban genital surgery on intersex children. For years, children whose sexual characteristics don't align with either male or female have been eligible for surgery during infancy to rearrange their anatomy. This practice is now under attack as never before, with many criticizing that these children were operated on before they were old enough to have a say in the matter. On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch and InterACT, which is a group advocating for intersex youth, released a detailed report assailing the practice and urging Congress to ban it. Belgian fashion model Hanne Gaby Odiele, pictured, put a public spotlight on the issue earlier this year when she revealed she was born intersex. She had surgery when she was 10 Surgeries to make children resemble more typical boys or girls include removal of testes or ovaries, deepening shallow vaginas and enlarging small penises, the groups said in a report. The procedures can cause life-long pain, sterilization, loss of sexual sensation and health complications, the report says. 'The results are often catastrophic,' says the report, asserting that the surgeries 'can inflict irreversible physical and psychological harm.' 'The pressure to fit in and live a "normal" life is real,' said Kyle Knight, a Human Rights Watch researcher who wrote the report. 'But there is no evidence that surgery delivers on the promise of making that easier.' One of multiple reasons for the concern: Some intersex children may undergo surgery aimed at assigning them as male or female, yet grow up to identify as the other sex, a potentially traumatic situation. Intersex is an umbrella term encompassing various conditions in which internal sex organs and external genitalia develop differently than for a typical boy or girl. Experts say roughly one of every 2,000 newborns has so-called differences of sex development that might prompt a doctor's recommendation for surgery or other medical intervention. Belgian fashion model Hanne Gaby Odiele put a public spotlight on the issue earlier this year when she revealed she was born intersex, and had surgery when she was 10 years old. Internationally, there's been vocal opposition to such surgeries. In 2015, they were condemned by several United Nations agencies. Malta became the first country to ban them altogether. Clinics around the country deploy intersex people as patient advocates who can offer support based on personal experience. The most active volunteer at one near Denver, Colorado, is 40-year-old Noi Liang, pictured, who had internal testes removed when she was a teenager after being told they were cancerous ovaries Major US medical associations haven't gone that far, but the Human Rights Watch/InterACT report urges them to toughen their policies. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it's reviewing the issue, and wants parents to understand the risks and benefits of any course of action. The AMA's Board of Trustees is proposing a new policy statement urging doctors to defer intersex surgery on infants and young children 'except when life-threatening circumstances require emergency intervention.' Adding to the momentum was a statement in June from former surgeons general Dr Joycelyn Elders, Dr David Satcher and Dr Richard Carmona, who said the surgery 'is not justified absent a need to ensure physical functioning,' they wrote. 'We hope that professionals and parents who face this difficult decision will heed the growing consensus that the practice should stop.' There are no comprehensive statistics on intersex surgeries. The new report says most of the 21 health professionals who were interviewed suggested that medically unnecessary surgeries were becoming less common, but none said their clinic had stopped doing them altogether. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN INTERSEX? Intersex refers to a variety of conditions in which a person is born with reproductive anatomy that doesn't fit the definition for male or female. Examples: Appearing to be a female on the outside but mostly male anatomy on the inside Genitals in between normal male and female type Female born with a noticeably large clitoris Female lacking a vaginal opening Male with a notable small penis Male with a scrotum divided to appear more like a labia Individual born with some XX chromosomes and some XY Intersex anatomy does not always appear at birth, and sometimes it isn't realized until he or she reaches puberty or until finding himself or herself an infertile adult. Information from ISNA.org Advertisement Even as the new report was being compiled, it came under fire from the CARES Foundation, which advocates on behalf of families with children born with abnormal genitalia due to a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Girls with this condition sometimes undergo reconstructive surgery, often to reduce the size of the clitoris. The foundation, which has more than 20 physicians as advisers, asserted that the new report represents an unwarranted attempt to eliminate that option. 'The choices available to parents and patients should not be limited,' the foundation said. 'Medical decisions are difficult enough for parents without having to contend with the moral and philosophical agendas of certain movements.' The new report includes input from an unidentified 20-year-old woman with CAH who said she was glad her parents made her 'look like all the other girls' her age when she was growing up. However, Kyle Knight said there's no evidence that this type of abnormal genitalia poses a health threat. 'There are limits to what parents can do to their kids,' he said. 'Medically unnecessary irreversible surgery that carries a risk of lifelong harm should be one of those things.' For families with intersex children, one welcome development has been the formation of specialized teams at some hospitals that address a wide range of physical and psychological concerns. Among the acclaimed programs is the SOAR Clinic, created in 2012 at Children's Hospital Colorado near Denver. Its team, which includes specialists in urology, genetics, psychology and other fields, develops an individualized treatment plan for each family, and encourages parents to participate in decision-making. The issue of surgery for infants and young children is one of the toughest facing the team. 'These are really difficult, challenging decisions,' said Dr Jennifer Barker, who specializes in hormonal and glandular complications affecting children. 'We've seen families decide to move forward to surgery, and some who choose not to.' Barker guessed that most of the team's physicians would feel unduly restricted by a ban, even as early surgery becomes less common. The clinic deploys intersex people as patient advocates who can offer support based on personal experience. The most active volunteer is 40-year-old Noi Liang. At birth, Liang appeared to be a normal baby girl. As she grew older, doctors discovered that, because of a rare chromosome condition, she lacked a uterus, and had internal testes rather than ovaries. At birth, Liang appeared to be a normal baby girl. As she grew older, doctors discovered that, because of a rare chromosome condition, she lacked a uterus, and had internal testes rather than ovaries When she was a teenager, doctors removed the testes, telling her they were removing potentially cancerous ovaries. Not until her early 30s did she discover the truth. As a patient advocate, she sees parents worrying whether their children will be accepted by their peers. 'Isolation is a big piece of what they struggle with, they feel like there's no one else to talk to,' Liang said. 'They say it gives them a feeling of relief to speak with someone like me who more fully understands what they and their children are going through.' Several parents of intersex children have become activists, advocating against early surgery. Among them is Dr Arlene Baratz, a Pittsburgh-based radiologist with two adult daughters born with the same condition as Liang. 'If there is a secret to raising healthy children,' Baratz contends, 'it is to accept and focus on what they are, instead of what they're not.' Pushing yourself too hard during a spin class can cause deadly kidney damage, research reveals. Spinning outside of your exercise comfort zone can cause such a depletion in energy levels that cells swell and burst, releasing proteins that damage the kidneys in a condition known as exertional rhabdomyolysis. Cases of exertional rhabdomyolysis are on the rise as people proudly post pictures of themselves on a hospital drip as a 'badge of honour' to show their dedication to exercise, according to Dr Rob Eley, academic research manager at the University of Queensland. In the Brisbane area alone, cases have increased from a maximum of six a year a decade ago to more than 40 today, Dr Eley adds. Hot spinning studios and the lack of worries about traffic may also encourage exercisers to push themselves further than is comfortable. Pushing yourself too hard during a spin class can cause deadly kidney damage (stock) WHAT IS EXERTIONAL RHABDOMYOLYSIS? Exertional rhabdomyolysis is usually caused by muscle injury. It results in the contents of muscle cells leaking out. The risk of developing exertional rhabdomyolysis depends on the intensity of exercise and the person's fitness, hydration and temperature. Symptoms range from mild muscle soreness to swelling and organ dysfunction. Treatment starts with aggressive intravenous rehydration. Source: American Journal of Medicine Advertisement Research supporting spinning's dangers Researchers from Westchester Medical Center in New York analyzed three cases of exertional rhabdomyolysis, all of which occurred after the patients' first spin class. The first case occurred in a 33-year-old woman who complained of thigh pain and weakness four days after 15 minutes of spinning. Tests results revealed she was severely dehydrated. A 20-year-old man who exercises frequently also developed pain in his thighs three days after a spin class and was unable to move his legs. One woman, aged 33, even required dialysis as she was so severely dehydrated that she suffered kidney failure and was producing abnormally small amounts of urine. She initially complained of thigh pain, nausea and vomiting two days after spinning. The findings were published in the American Journal of Medicine. Why does it occur? Study author Dr Maureen Brogan warns that exertional rhabdomyolysis occurs when people push themselves out of their exercise comfort zone. This causes energy levels in cells to become depleted so they are unable to perform basic functions. As a result, cells swell, break down and burst, causing the release of proteins that can damage the kidneys and be life-threatening. Cases of exertional rhabdomyolysis are thought to be on the rise as people seek validation from social media posts. In the Brisbane area alone, cases have increased from a maximum of six a year a decade ago to more than 40 today. Dr Rob Eley, academic research manager at the University of Queensland, said: 'People are posting selfies from their hospital bed when they've been diagnosed with it and put on a drip. It's like it's a badge of honour that shows off their dedication to exercise: "I went to the gym and pushed myself so hard I got this,"' The Times reported. Studios' hot temperatures and the lack of traffic may encourage people to push themselves EXERCISE IS BAD FOR YOUR STOMACH (BUT ONLY IF YOU WORK OUT FOR LONGER THEN TWO HOURS) Too much exercise can cause stomach problems or blood poisoning, a study found last month. People who exercise vigorously for more than two hours put themselves at risk of gut damage, research showed. Running and exercising in hot weather increases the risk, researchers said. The research, by Monash University in Australia said that 'with increasing intensity and duration of exercise there was a proportional increased risk of gut damage and impaired gut function.' They found that after a 'threshold' of two hours the intestine gets injured and the gut becomes leaky, allowing harmful bacteria contained in the intestine to pass in the bloodstream. Advertisement Is spinning particularly dangerous? Aside from spinning's intensity as a form of exercise, studios often increase the temperature of the rooms to encourage sweating, which puts people at greater risk of exertional rhabdomyolysis, according to Dr Brogan. She said: 'A participant can easily lose a litre of sweat an hour on the indoor bike.' Indoor cyclists may also push themselves further as they are not concerned about traffic. Yet it is not just spinning, experts warn that any intense exercise, be it Zumba, circuits or simply doing too many push ups, puts people at risk. What should you do if you develop exertional rhabdomyolysis? If someone suspects they have exertional rhabdomyolysis, Dr Brogan advises they start drinking water immediately to lower levels of the protein that could harm the kidneys. They should also seek medical attention to check their kidney function and muscle activity, she adds. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, should be avoided as these have been linked to kidney damage. How can someone lower their risk? People can lower their risk of exertional rhabdomyolysis by being aware of their exercise limits and increasing the intensity of their activity gradually, according to the Westchester Medical Center researchers. Exercisers should also not listen to music while working out, as this can be a distraction from pain, Dr Eley recommends. HIV can be controlled by an injection needed just six times a year - scrapping the need for daily drugs, scientists claim. Experts have hailed the early trial findings as 'life-changing' and have suggested a jab could be the 'next revolution' in treating the virus. Currently HIV patients have to take antiretroviral medication each day to stop it from weakening their immune system and leading to Aids. But the Phase II trial proved a combination of two such drugs in an injection form offers just as much protection - if not more. The jabs, taken every two months which slowly releases medication into the blood, were found to be just as effective as the daily pills. Experts have hailed the early trial findings as 'life-changing' and have suggested a jab could be the 'next revolution' in treating the virus The 'next revolution' in HIV care Dr David Margolis, from the US pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare, said: 'Adherence to medication remains an important challenge in HIV treatment. 'The introduction of single tablet medication represented a leap forward in antiretroviral therapy. 'Long-acting antiretroviral injections may represent the next revolution in HIV therapy by providing an option that circumvents the burden of daily dosing.' Dr Michael Brady, medical director of the HIV/Aids charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'The history of HIV therapy has been one of constant evolution, to produce an increasing range of effective treatments. 'Our current strategy of daily pills is highly effective and means people can live long, healthy lives and cannot pass the virus on to others. 'However, we welcome the prospect of injectable therapy which will further increase choice and, for many people, will be preferable to tablets.' Practical barriers to pill taking He added: 'For some people living with HIV, there are practical barriers to pill taking. 'Some have unpredictable or chaotic lifestyles, may travel to countries where HIV medications are not allowed, or live in families or communities where HIV is highly stigmatised. CURED OF HIV A nine-year-old child has been virtually cured of HIV, scientists claimed yesterday. They were infected with the virus at birth but had spent most of their life without needing any treatment. The child - whose identify is being protected was born in South Africa and given a short burst of drugs immediately afterwards. They have since been off treatment for eight and a half years without showing any symptoms or signs of the active virus. Scientists hope the case will help improve their understanding of HIV and pave the way for new drugs or vaccines which can cure the infection. Advertisement 'For these people, getting their HIV treatment through a monthly injection, rather than daily pills, could be life-changing and could mean they are more likely to stay well and to remain uninfectious.' How was the trial carried out? Scientists tested an injectable anti-retroviral therapy (ART) consisting of the two drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine. A total of 286 HIV-positive patients took part, having already suppressed the virus with oral medication. They were split into groups and randomly given further maintenance treatment in the form of more pills, or injections. This happened either once a month or once every two months, researchers said in prestigious medical journal The Lancet. What did they find? The international study found the two-monthly injections continued to control the infection in 94 per cent of patients over 96 weeks. This treatment was more effective than either on-going oral medication (84 per cent) or the monthly injection (87 per cent). The findings, conducted in the US, Germany, Canada, Spain and France, were presented at the annual meeting of the International Aids Society in Paris. HIV: The facts An estimated 36.7 million adults and children worldwide have HIV, including at least 88,800 in the UK. The virus progressively damages the cells in the immune system weakening the body's ability to fight infections. Without treatment, this leads to AIDs the collective name for a series of life-threatening infections which the weakened immune system cannot withstand. Damp homes could be taking your breath away - and not in a good way. Having mould on floors, walls and doors increases the risk of breathlessness by 90 per cent, a new study suggests. Living in such an environment may also heighten the likelihood of bronchitis, sinus problems and asthma. Around 11 per cent of modern homes have visible signs of being damp, Swedish researchers estimated. And the worse it is, the higher the risk of having nose, throat and lung-related health problems, they claimed. Living in such an environment may also heighten the likelihood of bronchitis, sinus problems and asthma, researchers warn 'We were surprised' Lead author Professor Christer Janson, of Uppsala University, said: 'A lot of papers show an association between asthma-related symptoms and building dampness. 'Whats new is the association between chronic inflammation and building dampness. 'This is an important finding as chronic inflammation is quite a common condition with a very negative side effect on quality of life. 'We were surprised that the association with building dampness was so strong.' How was the study carried out? The researchers analysed data from more than 26,000 adults in four Swedish cities who responded to a questionnaire. They were asked about their respiratory symptoms, smoking and education, says the report in Clinical and Experimental Allergy. They identified dampness by asking about visible water damage, floor dampness or mould seen in the home during the last 12 months. A total of 2,992 people, or 11.3 percent, reported any signs of dampness, according to the investigation. What did they find? Compared to smokers with no signs of dampness, non-smokers with any dampness signs were 90 percent more likely to have nighttime shortness of breath. MOULD IN YOUR HOME These resources recommend locating moisture problems, removing moulds and controlling excessive water and condensation at home. Leaky pipes and roofs are often the biggest issues, the World Health Organization notes. Professional help may be needed for leaks in building structure, sewage and air ducts. Otherwise mould-removal can be done at home with a protective mask, goggles and rubber gloves, according to the EPA. A mild detergent can remove the mould, followed by a full-room wet wiping or vacuuming after the spores are sealed in a plastic trash bag. Advertisement It falls under the branch of dyspnoea, deemed to be the most common reason for visiting A&E. It is estimated to affect one in 10 adults at some point in their life. They were also 77 per cent more likely to have chronic rhinosinusitis, which includes symptoms of runny nose, nasal congestion and sneezing. For this, the degree of increased risk from dampness was about the same as the effect of smoking, the researchers said. They were also 67 per cent more likely to have chronic bronchitis, and had higher rates of wheeze, nighttime coughing, asthma and allergies. Damp homes: Those at risk Damp homes were more prevalent for women home-owners, unemployed or full-time students and smokers, especially those in humid areas. Aspergillus spores are particularly common and like other types of mould, thrive in warm, damp environments both outdoors and indoors. But inhaling these can cause aspergillosis - an infection that can make breathing difficult and in some rare cases, it can be fatal. The findings are 'alarming' Professor Jouni Jaakkola, of the University of Oulu, Finland, who wasn't involved in the study, said the results were worrying. He said: 'I found it both interesting and alarming that the adverse effects were stronger among people with low socioeconomic status due to limited possibilities for moving to a better home or making needed renovations.' Conjoined twins who could die at any given time are finally set to undergo surgery to separate their heads. Rabia and Rukia's heartbreaking story came to light when MailOnline reported on the tragic case of the Bangladeshi pair last September. And it can now be revealed that the twins could be set to undergo a complicated procedure in the coming weeks - after an agonising wait, local reports suggest. Doctors at Banghabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, will be monitoring the health of the girls before putting them under the knife. The sisters, whose lives are in danger due to the medical condition, were born fixed together at the head at a clinic in Pabna last July. Surgeons previously warned they would have to wait two years before making a final decision on going ahead with the risky procedure. Scroll down for video Doctors at Banghabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, will be monitoring the health of Rabia and Rukia before putting them under the knife (pictured in the hospital) Their heartbreaking story came to light when MailOnline reported on the tragic case of the Bangladeshi pair last September (pictured with their mother Taslima Khatun Uno in hospital) Surgeons previously warned they would have to wait two years before making a final decision on going ahead with the risky procedure (pictured at the hospital) The sisters, whose lives are in danger due to the medical condition, were born fixed together at the head at a clinic in Pabna last July (pictured at the hospital) Parents Taslima Khatun Uno and Mohammed Rafiqul Islam didn't learn that the twins were conjoined until after the birth. They were delivered by Caesarean and spent two weeks in intensive care as doctors checked they were otherwise healthy. Their mother, Taslima, had enjoyed a normal pregnancy until around a month before their due date. It was only during delivery that she had any inkling that something could be wrong, it was reported. When she realised something was wrong She said: 'Suddenly the doctor shouted ''Two babies! Give them medicine, we have to save their lives". 'That was when I started to worry that I had given birth to babies who were conjoined. The baby girls, Rabia and Rukia, were born conjoined at the head and spent their first few weeks in intensive care Mother Taslima cradles her baby daughters who were born by Caesarean in Bangladesh Rabia and Rukia will need to undergo a 45-60 minute MRI scan and medics also need to confirm if the blood circulating between the twins' brains is separate or shared 'The whole night I heard the two crying sounds. I first saw them the next morning when I had recovered. 'The only thing on my mind was ''How will I hold them? How will I feed them? How will I take care of them?'' I worried about these things at the time.' Life carrying on as normal Taslima, 29, had even continued to teach in the local school and look after the couples' seven-year-old daughter Rafia. The only thing on my mind was ''How will I hold them? How will I feed them? How will I take care of them?'' I worried about these things at the time Taslima Khatun Uno, 29 Her ultrasounds revealed no abnormalities but in the penultimate month of her pregnancy, Taslima started to experience pain. When doctors performed another ultra sonogram, there were concerns the baby's heads were too big - but doctors thought it was a result of water on the brain. She was given medicine to take for to try and reduce the size. Even as Taslima went into labour doctors hadn't spotted that she was carrying conjoined twins. Once born and still drowsy from the anaesthetic, it took a day for Taslima to learn her newborn babies' condition. Husband Rafiqul, 28, remembers walking into the operating theatre and being told about his baby girls' condition. Mother Taslima Khatun, also pictured with her daughter Rafia, knew she was expecting twins but had no idea they were conjoined until surgery He said: 'The doctors told me here are your twins, they are conjoined from the head. I had never seen babies like this and I was nervous.' Rabia and Rukia spent 15 days in an intensive care unit before their parents were able to take the twins home to meet their older sister. 'Both babies are beautiful' Taslima said: 'After first seeing them Rafia was asking me why are they like this? They don't look good, why are their heads together? Please separate their heads. 'So, I told her that both babies are beautiful. I will take them to Dhaka for an operation to separate their heads; after that you can hold them.' Doctors then spent months monitoring the twins' health and assessing if and when surgical separation was possible. The twin girls have been allowed home and are doing well. Doctors will decide whether surgery to try to separate them is viable in the next two years Professor Rohu Rahim, pediatric surgeon from Banghabandhu Sheik Murjib Medical University, who was consulting the family, said there was hope. He said: 'The babies' heads are joined side by side, in other kids we can see their heads are joined front to back, which creates movement problems. 'As their heads are joined side by side it makes physical movement, such as bending the neck, easier.' Separation is vital Taslima added: 'For their future it's necessary to separate the girls - they are not having a healthy life. If I don't separate them now maybe in future they will ask why I didn't separate them?' Previously Professor Rahim said the team will have to wait up to two years before making a final decision on separating Rabia and Rukia. Surgeons will carry out a detailed scan to determine whether blood supply to their brains is separate or shared before deciding whether they can operate Planting a kiss on one of her twins, Taslima said: 'I pray to God that both my babies should stay alive after surgery and they can lead beautiful lives ' He said: 'This is not like any other surgery. It is a difficult and complicated operation and will be a team effort.' Rafiqul said: 'If doctors say operate them then we definitely will, if doctors say no then we can't do anything.' Unable to raise the funds The parents, who are both teachers, worried they wouldn't be able to fund the surgery themselves and made a plea to the Bangladeshi government to financially support the operations. Mohammed said at the time: 'Surgery will be costly and it's not possible for us to bear this cost so we are asking the government to help us.' Taslima added: 'To live healthy lives surgery is important, I pray to God that both my babies should stay alive after surgery and they can lead beautiful lives.' Kara Yimoyines had less than 20 percent kidney function when her doctors revealed they had found her an anonymous donor. The 41-year-old mother-of-three, who lives in Winchester, Massachusetts, has lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes an individual's body to make antibodies that attack itself. Fearing she could die on the years-long waiting list, Kara's friends and loved-ones took to social media to urge anyone to volunteer as a donor. Weeks later, in December 2016, Nicole Baltzer, who lives just a mile away from Kara, read about her story on a community Facebook group. She got tested, and she was a match. In February this year, the two underwent the hours-long transplant procedures just seven rooms apart on the same hall in Tuft's Medical Center in Boston. Though it's not protocol for people to meet their organ donors, Nicole popped her head round Kara's door the next day - and it was a start of a friendship. Now, the pair brunch on the weekends, with their daughters who are aged eight and nine years old, and they even spent Easter together. Nicole Baltzer (left) donated one of her kidneys to Kara Yimoyines (right) in February 2017 after reading online about Kara's extensive and desperate search for the new organ Kara, who is a mother of three (she is pictured with her three children, an 11-year-old boy, back left, and two nine-year-old twins), has lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition that caused her bodies to build up antibodies that attacked her kidneys LIVING WITH LUPUS: KARA'S DIAGNOSIS WITH THE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AT 16 AND HOW HER DAD RECOGNIZED THE UNUSUAL SIGNS Kara was diagnosed when she was 16 when she started experiencing strange fevers that would go away after five days. 'I didn't feel sick otherwise, and I was still at the age when a lot of people were getting colds that would go away over time, so I didn't think anything of it,' Kara told Daily Mail Online. That summer, when she went to live with her dad in Michigan, she said she was lucky that, as a surgeon, he recognized that her symptoms were unusual and took her to get tested. 'I got a whole lot of different tests for about a month, and eventually was diagnosed with lupus,' she explained. While most people with lupus experience rashes or joint pain, Kara said in her case the antibodies went exclusively after her kidneys, causing their function to decrease over time. 'In a way I consider myself lucky for that,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'I didn't actually start feeling sick until around five years ago when my kidney function started to get really low and eventually found below 30 percent.' 'It's also really fortunate they caught it when they did,' Kara said. 'I started different treatments right away, from things like different pills to steroids, and could be watched carefully by doctors.' SEARCH FOR A DONOR AFTER HER KIDNEYS STARTED FUNCTIONING AT A CRITICALLY LOW LEVEL WHAT IS LUPUS? Lupus - officially termed Systemic Lupus Erythematotsus (SLE) - is a chronic autoimmune condition when the body makes antibodies that attack itself. It is 10 times more common in women than in men, and typically develops between the ages of 12 and 25. Symptoms: Mild problems such as aches and tiredness Life-threatening organ damage to the heart and the kidneys Joint stiffness, most acutely in the mornings Hair loss is common Butterfly-shaped rash across the face Sensitivity to the sun Depression Lung disease Heart disease Kidney inflammation It is often mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis (due to joint stiffness), a skin condition (due to the rash) or a blood disease (due to inflammation). Information from the Lupus Foundation of America Advertisement When Kara's kidneys started functioning below 30 percent, she knew there was only a limited time before her kidneys failed completely and she would need to go on dialysis. She immediately began looking for a donor, but because of her condition was having no luck finding a match. 'By the time I finally exhausted my family and friend network, I was desperate,' Kara explained. It was particularly hard for the mother-of-three to find a donor because of her condition. She needed to find someone whose blood and tissue her body wouldn't produce antibodies against. 'I was at about 14 to 15 percent kidney function and needed to find someone quickly, so I shared my story on a local community Facebook page.' That's where Nicole Baltzer, who had never considered being a living donor, first read about Kara and started considering being tested as a donor. Nicole lives in the same town as Kara, and after seeing the story decided she wanted to do something to help. 'A number of news networks picked up my story and search for a new kidney, and after Nicole read about it on a few places she talked to her husband, Jim, and decided to go and get tested,' Kara explained. After several months of extensive testing, doctors announced that Nicole was a perfect match. THE TRANSPLANT SURGERY: HOW AN EXTENSIVE PROCEDURE BROUGHT TOGETHER TWO NEIGHBORS Kara, who is pictured in December 2016 with the stomach flu, found out that doctors had found a donor that same month The surgery was planned for February 7, 2017, and would take place at Tuft's Medical Center in Boston. When the day came, Kara and Nicole, being from the same town, underwent nearly simultaneous procedures on the same hallway as one another, though they still hadn't met. 'We were just seven rooms apart, so a day after the surgery she came to my room and introduced herself for the first time,' Kara explained. During the surgery, which took nearly five hours, Kara said doctors didn't actually take her old kidneys out, but instead put the new one in towards the front of her pelvis. 'I didn't necessarily feel better immediately, but my doctors told me they knew it would be a success when, while I was still cut open, my kidneys started producing urine right there on the operating table,' Kara explained. After their initial meeting, Kara and Nicole started to rely on each other for recovery. 'We went on walks through the surgery unit, and eventually exchanged phone numbers and would text each other about our recovery, because we were experiencing similar things,' Kara explained. Over time, they realized they were neighbors, both loved sports, both had family in the Midwest, and had daughters who were about the same age and are now friends. 'We would text back and forth about our symptoms, and about life. Also I would give her updates about how I was doing. I felt like after all she went through, I was determined to make sure she didn't do this for nothing,' Kara said. Kara said there were complications after the surgery including a fever that landed her in the hospital (pictured), but that she is now feeling great, and even went on a run with her son over the weekend. Pictured left to right are Kara's father, Kara, her mother, and her step-mom Within just hours of the procedure, though, Kara's kidney function was up from about nine percent to over 70 percent, and within a month she was feeling significantly better. 'I still have a lifting restriction to make sure I don't develop a hernia, but over the weekend I went for a quick jog with my son, and it didn't hurt which was such a good feeling,' she explained. She said the first month was particularly hard for Nicole because her body had to get used to using just one kidney instead of two. Now, the pair get their families together on a fairly regular basis, and have become good friends. 'Our daughters are only a year apart, and they've become good friends,' she explained. 'We also did Easter together and had them over for brunch just a few weeks ago. 'She's exactly as amazing as you picture someone who donated a kidney would be,' Kara said, describing Nicole and her family as the 'picture of kindness and empathy.' Though there is a chance Kara will need another transplant in her lifetime, she said that because she is otherwise healthy and it was taken from a living donor, she expects it to last for a 'long time.' Stem cell therapy isn't approved to treat heart failure in the US, but dozens of clinics nationwide advertise the treatments anyway, a new study warns. Researchers found 61 clinics are currently offering the treatment in the US - often charging thousands of dollars for procedures that may not be safe or effective. Five claim to have performed more than 100 procedures. Only nine centers required copies of patients' medical records and just one facility said it had a board certified cardiologist on staff. 'We simply do not know anything about the quality of the treatment delivered at these centers,' said senior study author Dr. Paul Hauptman director of heart failure at Saint Louis University Hospital. 'These centers are not regulated in any way,' Hauptman said. Researchers found 61 clinics are currently offering the treatment in the US - often charging thousands of dollars for procedures that may not be safe or effective (file photo of an approved and certified lab) Almost 6 million Americans have heart failure, and it's one of the most common reasons older adults go to the hospital, according to the American Heart Association. It happens when the heart muscle is too weak to effectively pump enough blood through the body. Symptoms can include fatigue, weight gain from fluid retention, shortness of breath and coughing or wheezing. Medications can help strengthen the heart and minimize fluid buildup in the body. While some experimental stem cell therapies for heart failure are currently being tested in late-stage human trials, none have won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In theory, after a transplant, stem cells could permanently become part of the diseased heart and either help grow new healthy heart tissue or tell existing cells to work better, said Paul Knoepfler, a cell biology researcher at the University of California Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento who wasn't involved in the study. It's also possible stem cells could temporarily visit the heart and stimulate a positive response in cells already there, he said. Even though there's no conclusive proof yet that any stem cell treatments are safe and effective for heart failure, centers contacted for the study charge an average of $7,694 for each treatment using patient's own stem cells and $6,038 for each procedure with donor stem cells. In one instance, though, a clinic staff member said, 'If you have a million dollars to spend we will set you up with weekly infusions.' Hauptman's team had used a standard script when contacting each center, asking about the stem cell treatment itself, medical exams before and afterward and pricing. Among the other responses they received from clinic staff were remarks such as, 'If you know anyone that can start an IV, a neighbor that is a nurse for example, we can send you the stem cells and that person can administer them to you' and 'We hope you don't believe your doctor when they tell you there is nothing they can do, you were smart to call us.' None of the sites in the study discussed what methods they used to isolate or identify stem cells, though most claimed to use patients' cells and 24 said they got cells from fat tissue. Most centers claimed to deliver cells intravenously, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine. We simply do not know anything about the quality of the treatment delivered at these centers 'This approach has been associated with complications such as stroke, in which infused cells block blood vessels in the brain,' said Douglas Sipp, a researcher at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, who wasn't involved in the study. 'The biggest risk is that patients will waste their money, time and hopes on an unnecessary and useless invasive procedure,' Sipp said. If any stem cell treatment did ultimately prove safe and effective enough to win FDA approval, it would likely offer a significant improvement over the limited treatment options currently available, said Leigh Turner, a researcher at the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics who wasn't involved in the study. But it's impossible to say what patients would get at unregulated clinics offering unapproved stem cell therapies, Turner said. In at least two cases unrelated to the current study, patients died after getting stem cell procedures at a clinic in Florida, and in another case at a different Florida clinic, a woman went blind, Turner noted. 'Clinics marketing stem cell treatments to patients suffering from heart failure might be administering anything from slurries of mixed cells, some of which might be stem cells, to nothing more than cellular debris,' Turner said. 'Often one can only speculate.' A new pack of talented Army canines are set to join forces with police to sniff out trouble in the national capital Delhi Police is expecting 30 sniffer and explosive detection dogs within the month from the Indian Army Veterinary Corps (IAVC). The four-legged recruits will help the department deal with security challenges in the city that frequently receives threats from terrorist groups and has a large VVIP (very very important people) population. Delhi Police currently has 60 working Labradors and German shepherds but it is now expecting 30 more from the Indian Army to protect the city The four-legged recruits arrive amid growing security challenges in the national capital, that has many VVIPs and often receives terrorist threats Delhi Police's special cell on Monday reportedly wrote a letter to all concerned departments about two suspected terrorists looking to sneak into the city and stage attacks. The police force has had a longstanding demand to strengthen the number of sniffer and explosive-detection dogs, to up to 150, in its squad. 'Delhi Police currently has 60 dogs, comprising Labradors and German shepherds with the former in majority. However, we are managing the security of the national Capital with the low strength and so we want more such dogs for foolproof security of the city. We have written to IAVC to provide trained dogs,' said Rajan Bhagat, deputy commissioner of police, who's also in-charge of the dog squad. Delhi Police currently has 60 dogs, most of which are Labradors due to their intelligence and ability to adapt to a range of challenges German shepherd sniffer dogs are also used and the Indian Army has its own breeding facility The officer pointed out that the city also hosts a large number of high-profile events every day; such functions are on the radar of anti-national elements and so security of these venues is a top priority. The dogs could play a vital role in keeping these events safe. The dog squad, which started in 1960 with 10 dogs in Mandir Marg and Model Town areas in central and north Delhi, is now spread across a dozen Delhi Police districts and special units under the supervision of the crime branch. Bhagat told Mail Today that the department has 60 dogs in two centres apart from three to four dogs in each districts. Since all 60 dogs are not fit for the job round the clock, Delhi Police want an adequate number of canines in the squad so that security personnel do not come across a shortage. 'Delhi Police recently demanded 100 trained dogs from IAVC. Now, it's up to the Indian Army to facilitate dogs to us depending on availability. We have recently built a multi-storey building with capacity of 35 dogs at the Saket crime branch office situated on Mehrauli-Badarpur border. It is a first-of-its kind multi-storey building in India for trained dogs and an expected 30-odd dogs would get a home there,' Bhagat said. Apart from Saket, 18 trained dogs are at the Model Town centre and 10 at the Chanakyapuri one. The Indian Army has its own breeding facility which provides trained dogs to all security agencies in the country including the National Security Guard (NSG). The force prefers to train Labradors and German shepherds because of their natural ability to adapt to any schedule and atmospheric conditions. The training periods of dogs last from six to nine months depending on their physical and learning capabilities. After working with security agencies for eight years, the canines are retired and handed over to NGOs working in the veterinary field. Millennium city Gurugram, though, only has one sniffer dog to take care of a city with population of more than 25 lakh. 'We are basically using the sniffer dog for bomb detection while daily crimes are cracked manually,' said a senior official, who wished to remain anonymous. According to the latest data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), out of total 634,584 Delhi youth falling in the 18-19 age group, only 180,936 are enrolled as eligible voters. To bridge this gap among students and and those registered to vote, the ECI has decided to plunge into action and bring the registration process to a Delhi University student's college. Among the swiftest drives, the exercise of offering registration as a voter by ECI is expected to attract first-year students fresh out of school and eligible to cast votes. Students will have to carry a passport-size photo and a college ID card on July 27 and 28 at EC booths The ECI has shortlisted nine Delhi University colleges from North Campus where the registration booth will be set up, allowing students without a voter ID card to apply, on July 27 and 28. The registration booths will be set up in Shri Ram College of Commerce, St Stephen's College, Miranda House, Hindu College, Ramjas College, SGTB Khalsa College, Hansraj College, Daulat Ram College and Kirori Mal College. 'We are conducting this to ensure students are not bereft of the opportunity to vote in the upcoming elections. This is an interesting pool of students aged between 18 and 21,' said Padam Singh, district electoral officer. So the Electoral Commission is trying to address the shortfall by taking the registration process into a Delhi University student's college (photo for representation only) The registration process is open for students above 18 years of age. 'We will ensure the process is simplified for eligible voters by getting the registration stall to their campus. The voter ID cards will be delivered to these students within a month of application at the residential address mentioned by them,' added the officer. The students and unregistered voters from other colleges can also come and apply, added Singh, who will conduct the operations. 'You cannot expect a student coming out of school to have a voter ID card. It is a good exercise which is bound to inculcate citizenship in students. We easily expect 400-500 students to benefit from this drive,' said R P Rustagi, principal at Shri Ram College of Commerce. The students will have to carry a colour passport-size photo and a college identity card to register for a voter ID card. The students will be provided form 6 at the counters. The figures released by the ECI, till June 28, are abysmal in gender-wise categorisation where 1,13,647 boys and 67,289 females are enrolled as voters. Five Army personnel convicted by a general court martial in the highly politicised Machil 'fake encounter' case secured a major victory as a military court suspended their punishment of life imprisonment. The armed forces tribunal also granted them bail in the case related to the death of three civilians in Kashmir Valley in 2010 where the accused were dismissed from service and given jail terms allegedly under pressure from the then National Conference government in the state. Colonel Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra, Havildar Devender Kumar, Lance Naik Lakhmi, Lance Naik Arun Kumar from 4 Rajput Regiment and rifleman Abas Hussain of the Territorial Army were convicted in 2014 for alleged human rights abuse. Naeem Khan being produced before the Patiala House Court on Tuesday Relatives with the bodies of the three youths who were killed in the Machil fake encounter in 2010 (file picture) 'The armed forces tribunal bench headed by Justice VK Shali suspended the punishment awarded to these personnel and granted them bail in the case,' Major Anand Kumar and Major SS Pandey, the two lawyers of five Army personnel in the case, told Mail Today. 'The suspension of punishment means that the troops would be out of jail while the court would continue to hear the case on the trial conducted by the force against them.' The Army investigation and order in the case also came under criticism as the force had 'failed to establish the chain of evidences to confirm the circumstantial evidence which was relied upon by the Army court martial to convict the personnel.' There was a public outcry after photographs of those killed in the alleged encounter were released, as relatives and neighbours of the slain persons claimed that the three men were framed and killed in a stage-managed gunfight and they were not connected with militancy in any way. Pakistan and Indian regularly exchange mortar fire across the Line of Control, the de facto Kashmir border, despite signing a ceasefire in 2003 From the beginning of the case in 2010, the National Conference had been pressurising the central government to hold trial and punish the Army men in the case, observers say. All the five personnel have been languishing in different prisons across the country: Col Pathania is lodged in the Nahan jail in Himachal Pradesh while Captain Upendra is in a jail in Rajasthan's Ajmer city. Two of the soldiers are in Meerut jail while Lance Naik Lakhmi is in the Bharatpur prison. Pointing to loopholes in the Army's investigations, Major Anand said that according to the police and Army theories, a person called Bashir was responsible for handing over the three deceased - Reyaz Ahmad, Mohammad Shafi and Shahzad Ahmad - to the 4 Rajput Rifles, but he was not even questioned by the court martial in its proceedings. Victims: Fake encounter victim Shezad Ahmed's son Shahid (from left), wife Jabeena and mother Aasha Begam at their Baramulla home Asked for his reaction on the tribunal's ruling, Major SS Pandey, the lawyer of the remaining accused in the case, said the six Army personnel convicted were fighting for the nation but they were punished under pressure from the political parties there. Major Anand contended that the 'trial was vitiated and the Army court did not do justice to its own personnel and it is gradually emerging that it was not a case of fake encounter but that of a fake trial.' The Army had completed the trial in the case in December 2013 but it took almost two more years to confirm the sentence, in September 2015. The crackdown on Kashmiri separatists is expected to show positive results and will ultimately bring down cases of violence in the Valley, believe senior security officials. According to sources, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will now go after other senior separatist leaders. Notices will soon be sent to them, asking them to join the investigation. 'A strict watch is being kept on all hawala transactions and money exchanges through the Indo-Pak trade route from where separatist leaders were spinning money. The undercover sting found 'clinching proof' of how Pakistan finances mob violence, stone pelting and school burning in Kashmir 'The misuse of money and their links with terror groups have exposed them before the public and this may show a positive result as cases of violence may go down,' a senior officer told Mail Today. The NIA wants to go beyond terror funding cases to unveil the larger conspiracy that has kept the Valley burning for decades. Sources claim they have identified several people involved in stone pelting, damaging public property and burning down schools. Electronic evidence, including chain of transactions, establish links of separatist leaders with violent elements in the Valley. On Tuesday, as the seven Hurriyat leaders were sent to 10-day judicial custody, the NIA told the court that under the cover of security provided by the Indian government, the accused had engaged in illegal acts to cause unrest in the nation. During in-camera proceedings, district judge Poonam Bamba allowed the NIA to quiz Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate till August 4. The NIA told the court that the accused were to be taken back to Kashmir to unearth the conspiracy and the names of other unknown people who are involved in funding terror activities. Six of the accused were arrested from Srinagar a day earlier and flown to Delhi, while Farooq Ahmad Dar was held in the Capital. They have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. While Altaf is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Geelani, Islam is a close aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Ayaz is the spokesperson of the Geelani-led Hurriyat faction. The NIA said they have credible information that Hafiz Saeed of Jammat- ud-Dawah and separatist leaders, including Hurriyat leaders, have been acting in connivance with terrorists for raising funds domestically and abroad through illegal channels for funding violence in the Valley. On the other hand, the counsels for the accused opposed the NIA plea and said they were being falsely implicated and allegation that they are a threat to the nation is baseless. Fraudsters in Germany have proven it is possible to hijack text messages sent by banks to their customers. The O2 Telefonica network said some customers in Germany had texts intercepted, allowing crooks to steal passwords and drain accounts. Some banks text passcodes to customers wanting to transfer money with online banking. The payment is approved only after entering the code. Fraudsters in Germany have proven that it is possible to hijack texts sent by banks U.S. regulators already warn that banks should stop using texts for this. Yet some UK ones, such as Santander and Metro Bank, still do so. The crooks also need to get the customer's online banking details, by tricking them on the phone or buying their data online. A spokesman for Santander says it invests in security and UK mobile companies must meet requirements that should thwart such an attack. A spokeswoman for Metro Bank says it has safeguards in place, and a spokeswoman for O2 Telefonica in Germany says: 'Police investigations are ongoing. 'The protection of our customers is of highest priority.' We have published several stories from our readers who have lost money through sophisticated banking scams. Earlier this year three Santander customers came to us who had lost a total of 36,200 in a month via text message scams, and they were unable to get their money back. These scams generally work by fraudsters sending out a text message to victims pretending to be from their bank. They then use a technique called number spoofing to make the text messages appear on an existing thread of genuine messages from the bank. In the cases we reported on the messages were made to appear as if they had come from Santander and they usually told the customer there was some unusual activity on their account. In a panic, victims are then tricked into calling the fraudster or visiting a website and handing over further details. l.milner@dailymail.co.uk Volkswagen has said it will not pay a 2.5 million congestion charge bill sanctioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan for dieselgate cars being driven in the capital. Khan had called for the German car maker to hand over the fee, as Londoners had been driving high-polluting emissions-cheating models unknowingly in the city. However, VW said affected cars still qualified for congestion zone exemption rules based on carbon dioxide emissions and said that Transport for London was not due compensation. 'Utter contempt for Londoners': London major Sadiq Khan said that Volkswagen had informed him that it would not be paying a 2.5 million congestion charge bill for its cars that were producing more emissions than official figures suggested as part of the dieselgate scandal Khan said the vehicle manufacturer had shown 'utter contempt' for Londoners after they had made it 'abundantly clear' that they would not be covering the 2.5 million bill. According to a report by the BBC, Khan said 80,000 VW models fitted with defeat devices designed to cheat diesel emissions testing were registered to owners in London. The Mayor slammed the car maker's 'appalling lack of action' since the dieselgate scandal that surfaced in September 2015, affecting 11 million cars worldwide, and said the company must not be allowed to continue dodging payouts to owners and governments like it has done so far in Europe. Last year, a US court ordered VW to pay a $14.7 billion (12 billion) settlement over the scandal. Khan said the car firm was 'making a laughing stock of the UK' by not offering a similar level of compensation. Speaking on Monday, the London mayor said: 'I met with the managing director of VW to urge them to compensate the thousands of Londoners who bought VW cars in good faith, but whose diesel engines are now contributing to Londons killer air, and also to reimburse Transport for London for the 2.5 million loss of congestion charge revenue. 'Unfortunately VW made it abundantly clear that they have no interest or intention of reimbursing Londoners or indeed any UK customers who bought these polluting vehicles. 'They are also in denial over their responsibility to help clean up Londons filthy air and mitigate the damage their cars have caused.' Volkswagen says it doesn't need cover the 2.5 million fee, as affected cars had qualified fairly for the low emissions discount in the capital because the congestion charge is based on CO2 emissions. These remain unchanged as a result of the scandal rather than the the nitrogen oxides output found to be higher in these models that official tests suggested. An activist holding up a sign reading during a protest by Greenpeace in front of the headquarters of German car maker Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, central Germany, days after the dieselgate scandal emerged in September 2015 A VW spokesman said: 'Vehicles qualified for the discount on the basis that their official CO2 emissions figure was less than 100g and met the Euro 5 standard. 'All of the vehicles affected by the NOx issue have retained their Euro 5 qualification. 'Further, none of the affected vehicles have had their official CO2 emissions figures amended, given that official CO2 values are not affected by the NOx issue. 'There is, therefore, no basis on which it can be said that Transport for London has lost any sums as a result of the NOx issue. No sums are therefore due in compensation.' Volkswagen's emissions-cheating actions have been cast back into the limelight this month following a spate of reports that affected cars that have received software fixes have become unreliable as a result. BBC Watchdog said it has been contacted by a significant number of owners who claim their cars went into 'limp-home mode' - which sees the engine revs suddenly drop and restricts the top speed to around 20mph - unexpectedly after the repair had taken place. Volkswagen said an 'overwhelming majority' of its customers who have had the fix applied to their cars are happy with it, though the consumer show says more owners have been in touch since the original report earlier in July. While the fix is not a legal requirement in Europe, the German Government will reportedly deregister any models that have not had the software update. Reuters reported that it will be part of a strict clampdown to remove any car producing excessively high NOx emissions - a move that could be duplicated in the UK. Heading to the sun?Don't use your Post Office card at foreign cashpoints The Post Office is telling holidaymakers to avoid using its travel money cards at ATMs abroad after a customer lost 100 in fees in a week. Travel money cards, which you can load with euros or dollars before you fly, are often advertised as an easy and safe way to spend on holiday. However, last month we revealed how some cards are riddled with fees and catches that make them more expensive than some ordinary bank cards. For example, while most travel cards are fee-free in shops and restaurants, some charge you to withdraw money from cash machines. Post Office, one of the most popular providers, charges $2.50 (1.91) or 2 (1.79) for each withdrawal from its Travel Money card. If a family visited an ATM twice a day on a two-week holiday, it would cost them $70 (54) or 56 (50). Customers also risk huge fees if they press the wrong button on the ATM and elect to be charged in British sterling, rather than in the local currency. Following complaints about these fees, Post Office has told Money Mail that customers should 'if possible, avoid using ATMs abroad'. In the next few weeks it will begin issuing new leaflets explaining how to avoid the extra charges. These will be handed to every new card customer, it says. Trevor Grundy, 77, put 900 on a Post Office travel money card so that he could withdraw money when he needed it from ATMs while on holiday in Chalkidiki, Greece. He says the leaflet implied you 'put the card in, punch in your PIN and take the money away with you safe, secure, no problems'. Yet after using the card regularly during his stay in Kriopigi, the author, from Whitstable, Kent, was unable to get the final 100 (89) out of the machine. The ATM said there was nothing left on his Post Office card, so he took a taxi to a nearby town, tried again and got the same result. The same happened in another town. When he contacted Post Office it said his 100 had been eaten up in charges. Not only had he been billed 2 every time he used the cash machine 10 over his five withdrawals by Post Office, he had also lost around 90 to the Greek bank operating the ATM. Most cards are fee-free in shops and restaurants but may charge you to withdraw money Without realising, he had been pressing the option to be billed in pounds, rather than euros, via so-called 'dynamic' currency conversion. When paying on a card abroad or withdrawing cash, you're often asked if you want the transaction to be in pounds. If you select pounds, it means the currency conversion is done by the foreign bank instead of your home bank and the rate is likely to be terrible. Trevor claims Post Office did not make these fees clear at any stage. 'There was no advice or any kind of warning about the options while withdrawing money overseas from either Whitstable Post Office or in the information pack sent to me by the Post Office Travel Money Card people,' he says. 'Fortunately, I had enough cash to pay the final bills before returning to the UK.' After complaining, Trevor received a letter from customer service staff saying: 'We appreciate this may have been confusing for you. 'I have raised your issues with head office and they have taken steps to make customers aware of options to choose at ATMs in the future.' The Post Office has offered him a 20 payment in compensation. Trevor says: 'I have never used a travel card before and I will not be using one again. Next time, I will use cash or travellers' cheques.' A Post Office spokesperson said: 'The Post Office's Travel Money Card can be used like a debit card in millions of shops, bars and restaurants across the world. That's the best way for our customers to use the card; paying with it is commission and fee free when used in one of the 13 currencies we support that can be loaded on the card. 'When making purchases abroad we strongly recommend completing the transaction in the local currency, as converting the transaction to sterling will result in additional fees. These fees include a Dynamic Currency Conversion fee, none of which is levied or received by the Post Office; for cash withdrawals, ATM charges are very common and apply to credit, debit and prepaid products. 'We try to make our explanation of how best to use our Travel Money Card as clear as possible, providing welcome packs with the cards and setting out the details of potential fees that may be incurred on our website. Our colleagues in branch are also on hand to answer any questions our customers may have. 'We apologise if Mr Grundy feels he didn't receive all the information he needed on this occasion, and we have offered him a goodwill gesture to say sorry. To try and make it even easier for customers, we will be introducing leaflets that will come with every card purchased, both in branch and online, to provide customers with a further explanation of how to avoid these fees.' Other charges on the Post Office card includes a 5 fee to close the account. If you don't, you will start paying a 2-a-month maintenance charge one year after it expires. l.eccles@dailymail.co.uk Financial services love an acronym, but the latest - Mifid II - is a particularly obscure label for rules which will materially change the way investors' money is managed. The new regulations originate from Europe and seek to improve transparency in investment markets across the continent. Over the coming weeks investors across the UK will receive letters from where they manage their investments, such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Fidelity or other DIY investing platforms, alerting them to the forthcoming changes. But what do they mean for you and what, if anything, is likely to change? This is Money dug into the detail to explain what you need to know. Mifid II is an EU directive that is set to have a significant effect on financial services firms operating in the UK and in the remaining 27-country political and economic bloc What is Mifid II? Mifid II is shortform for the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive from European regulators. It builds on regulation brought in during 2007 that sought to make investing more transparent for both retail and institutional investors and which standardised regulatory disclosures required for particular markets. In plain English that means everyone had to be clearer about costs, charges and fees and explain them in a standard way, up front. Mifid II is essentially the new trading rulebook for countries in the European Union and will bolster this transparency across financial markets within the EU. Affected firms include any that provide services to clients linked to financial instruments - shares, bonds, units in collective investment schemes and derivatives - and the places where those instruments are traded. Mostly it will govern the way that financial investment providers, traders, brokers and advisers exchange data and information, charge and how they disclose their charges. It must be fully implemented by all affected financial institutions by 3 January 2018. But aren't we leaving the European Union? Yes, but Mifid II is scheduled for implementation before the UK Brexit negotiations conclude, meaning UK firms must still comply with European regulation. The UK regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority - released a statement as recently as spring this year which told financial services firms that they need to continue with their preparations for the application of the directive. While Mifid II is set to go ahead, the Brexit process is likely to make things more complicated for financial services firms which face the difficult task of adjusting to a post-Brexit marketplace that is yet to be defined. Will Mifid II make fund fees clearer? The financial watchdog, the FCA recently revealed findings of an in-depth probe into the fund management industry. There were lots of things to digest in there but one of the key elements was an attack on fund fees. In essence, it said many investors didn't know how much they were really paying, or what they were paying for. Mifid II requires investment firms disclose information on all costs and charges related to financial instruments and ancillary services. This includes management, advisory, custodian, fund entry and exit levies. Firms will be required to express these costs as a percentage and in pounds and pence. Some charges, like transaction costs, are variable and difficult to predict because a large event, political or market-based, could have a bearing on investment values and can be a legitimate reason to buy or sell in volume. However, previous years' costs will be known. To this point, the directive stipulates for cost to be presented in an ex-ante (forecast) and ex-post (actual result) basis. Firms will also be legally obliged to inform clients on the costs incurred at least once a year. How does the new directive affect me? Not much initially. Clients of financial advisers, investment platforms and fund management firms should expect to receive a letter soon because Mifid II requires financial services firms to hold up-to-date information about their customers. Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK's largest fund supermarket, for example, has already written to 520,000 of its clients and will be writing to the rest over the next couple of months to ask them to log into their accounts and confirm their nationality and national client identifier in order to comply with the pending EU directive. All investment service and stockbrokers will be required to do this. Investors who do not respond by the end of the year will not be able to trade shares, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and a number of other stock market-listed securities when Mifid comes into effect on 3 January next year. Many of these changes will not be visible to the investor but transparency on fees should be. Adrian Lowcock of Architas Adrian Lowcock, investment director at multi-manager investment firm Architas, said: 'Mifid II is largely focused on transparency, protecting the investor and putting the investors best interests first. 'Many of these changes will not be visible to the investor but transparency on fees should be.' He added: 'The emphasis of Mifid II is to support the investor so over time we should see products and services which are responding to investors' needs not the businesses' desire to drive up sales in a particular product.' Fund managers will no longer be allowed to receive investment research for free from brokerages and investment banks they use to buy and sell holdings under Mifid II Will it drive down investment charges? The cost of investment research has historically been included as part of the trading levy but under the new rules, fund managers will be required to provide investors with a clear breakdown of the charge. What is more, fund managers will no longer be able to receive investment research for free from the brokerages and investment banks they use to buy and sell holdings for their funds. Instead, they will be required to make explicit payments for investment research so they can demonstrate that they have not been induced to trade with a particular company. Some experts believe that fund managers will simply pass the additional cost burden onto investors - Henderson and Schroders have confirmed plans to pass some of this cost onto clients. However, the rules have already prompted several fund companies - including Hermes Investment Management, Woodford Investment Management and M&G - to absorb the cost of research themselves rather than passing it on to the investor. How will the new rules affect my financial adviser? Some of the more noteworthy changes affect financial advisers. Advisers will be required to detail how the advice they offer will meet their clients' objectives and need to display clearly whether it is based on broad or restricted analysis. Independent financial advisers, defined as those who offer products and services from the whole of the market, and discretionary fund managers will be banned from receiving and retaining third party payments or benefits in relation to the provision of those services. The ban, however, excludes 'minor non-monetary' benefits and the FCA has confirmed it will extend this to restricted advisers. The idea is to ensure that investment professionals are recommending solutions based on what is best for the client rather than the sweeteners they can get from providers. Is Mifid II a good thing? Bolstering the suitability and transparency of investment propositions is commendable but there are fears that it will result in unintended consequences. It will be particularly interesting to see whether fund managers who receive free investment research will absorb the additional cost burden stemming from the requirement to purchase investment analysis outright, or simply pass on the cost to clients. Lithium mine: Rio Tinto has signed a deal with the Serbian government LITHIUM LINK Miner Rio Tinto has signed a deal with the Serbian government over its work developing its Jadar lithium mine, with production due to start in 2023. TECH TROUBLES UK bosses are struggling to keep pace with technology advances, a survey for auditors KPMG found. VENUE PLAN Telecoms giant O2 has renewed its deal to front the O2 Academy chain of live music venues across the UK for another ten years. SALES SURGE Sausage-maker Cranswick boasted a strong start to the year thanks to strong sales in the UK which jumped 27 per cent ahead of the same period the year before. PLANE ORDER British Airways owner IAG has firmed up an order for three A330-200 planes for its low-cost airline Level. ON TRACK Gold, copper and silver producer Anglo Asian Mining said work is on track at its Ugur deposit in western Azerbaijan. DIAMOND DAYS Miner Lucapa Diamond Company said it has found potentially diamond-rich areas at its Lulo project in Angola. SUB SUPPORT Specialist engineer TP Group has won a 1.9million contract for submarine support systems from a South East Asian shipbuilding contractor. MINER FLOAT Zimbabwe-focused miner Caledonia Mining will trade on the New York Stock Exchange from July 27. TAXI TIE-UP Private jet servicing firm Gama Aviation has extended its maintenance contract with French air taxis service Wijet. NAVY SUPPLIES Defence systems firm Ultra Electronics has won a contract to supply the Indian navy. CLADDING PROBE Infrastructure investor HICL has launched a review into the use of cladding after last months Grenfell Tower tragedy. SITE BOUGHT Warehouse investor Tritax Big Box has bought the former 124-acre site of Littlebrook Power Station in London for 65million. GAMER DEAL Esports business Gfinity has bought US peer CEVO for around 2.1million. FUTURE ROLE Marketing firm Next Fifteen Communications has appointed Penelope Ladkin-Brand, chief financial officer of publisher Future, as a non-executive director. I live in Languedoc, France, where winters are often very cold and certainly colder than all of Spain. Recently we Brits in France lost the Winter Fuel Allowance as the French overseas territories were included in average temperatures calculations. The fact that it is hot all year round in the Reunion does not make my fuel bills any cheaper. Since Brexit, I have lost nearly 20 per cent of my income with the fall of sterling. Temperature difference: Languedoc in the South of France (pictured left) includes coastal towns but also extends into the Pyrenees mountains, while Reunion (right) lies far to the south in the Indian Ocean This technical anomaly should be reconsidered. I still pay a hefty tax bill to the Exchequer in England, but I feel marginalised. There is a great deal of talk about protecting the rights of European workers resident in England, but those British citizens resident in the EU are feeling vulnerable too. Do you think that the Government might now reconsider a request to look at this again? I would not object if the Winter Fuel Allowance were means tested, but if it is a universal benefit, it should apply to those living in France too. What does universal actually mean? SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK STEVE WEBB YOUR PENSION QUESTION Steve Webb replies: Prior to the Winter of 2015, Winter Fuel Payments (WFPs) were payable not only to pensioners living in the UK but also to those who had retired to other countries across the European Union (as well as certain non-EU countries such as Switzerland). Steve Webb: Find out how to ask the former Pensions Minister a question about your retirement savings in the box below At a time when there was considerable pressure on public spending at home, the last government felt that continuing to pay WFPs to those who had retired to relatively warm countries was hard to justify. As a result, a temperature rule was introduced for the winters of 2015 and beyond, whereby those living in countries whose average temperature exceeded that of the warmest region of the UK (the South West of England) would no longer qualify for payments. The seven countries affected were Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Spain. For some of these countries the temperature difference was so marked that it was hard to dispute the fact that pensioners in those countries were generally enjoying much warmer temperatures than those back in the UK. But for France the situation was more complex. The Department for Work and Pensions published figures showing that the average temperature for France as a whole was 7.0 degrees, compared with 5.6 degrees in the South West of England. On this basis, all pensioners living in France were excluded. However, it was pointed out that if the temperature was taken only for *mainland* France, the average would have been 4.9 degrees and, on this definition, anyone living in France should have been included. HOW MUCH IS THE WINTER FUEL PAYMENT? Payouts vary according to your age and circumstances. Read more here. The higher temperature is derived by the inclusion of what are known as the outlying departments of France, namely: Mayotte (Comoros), Guadeloupe, Reunion, French Guyana and Martinique. Critics pointed out that these much warmer areas were dragging up the average temperature in a misleading way. However, the government said that since these outlying departments were still part of the French state, and because people living in those areas were just as entitled to WFPs as those living in mainland France, it would have been arbitrary to have excluded them from the calculation. In terms of whether or not the government is likely to change the rules and resume payments of Winter Fuel Payments to those living in France, Im afraid I think this is very unlikely. Given that the present government stood on a plan to means-test Winter Fuel Payments even for those living in the UK (albeit now dropped), on the basis that they were a poorly targeted means of support, it seems hard to think they will be looking for ways to increase spending on Winter Fuel Payments by reversing the exclusion of those living in certain European countries. Shaving clubs are the latest simple but disruptive innovation thought up by our American cousins that could revolutionise how we do everyday things in the UK. Dollar Shave Club upended the industry's status quo back in 2011 by offering a subscription service that delivers razors and other personal grooming products to customers by mail for as little as a couple of quid a month. Now another US razor upstart Harry's, which recently launched into the UK market, has joined other low-cost subscription shaving clubs in hacking away at giant's like Gillette's market share. Scroll down for video Old friends Andy Katz-Mayfield (left) and Jeff Raider (right) launched Harry's to the UK market in June this year but it has been available to US consumers since 2013 The idea behind shave clubs is that once customers sign up, they can get razors and an accompanying shaving gel delivered to their doorstep regularly without the hassle of visiting a shop and paying paying a premium for replacements. Harry's products launched into the UK in June and will initially be sold via the firm's website but Raider said the company is eyeing the possibility of expanding their distribution network through UK retailers. And shaving clubs seem to have the big boys concerned. Razor juggernaut Gillette has taken extraordinary measures to staunch the bleeding - even going so far as to launch an online advertising campaign knocking the quality of Harry's blades. Propaganda aside, how does the latest name in the UK shaving clubs gang stack up - and how did the founders get the business started and expand it? This is Money caught up with Harry's founders Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield to find out. Born out of frustration Harry's is the brainchild of old friends Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield. The concept was born out of a frustrating experience the latter endured while attempting to purchase a razor blade at a US pharmacy. Raider said: 'Andy wanted to buy a new razor blade which was stored behind a case. He had to find a store clerk and waited over 10 minutes for the case to be unlocked. He paid $25 (19) for four razor blades and some shaving cream and felt a bit ripped off. It made him think there had to be a better way of doing things.' Katz-Mayfield then contacted his old pal Raider, who co-founded multi-million pound prescription glasses and sunglasses firm Warby Parker, to pick his brain on the viability of starting a shaving company that bypassed the rigours of the traditional method of purchasing a razor blade. We thought that other shaving brands portrayed an idea of a perfect guy with a perfect jaw but we wanted an honest brand that says we are for normal guys Jeff Raider They focused on convenience and affordability and that spawned Harry's - a shaving firm aimed at the 'everyday' man. 'We are just normal guys like everybody else and we wanted to create a brand that represents the everyman,' Raider said. 'We thought that other shaving brands portrayed an idea of a perfect guy with a perfect jaw but we wanted an honest brand that says we are for normal guys. We think Harry's fits the bill. The name actually came from a grandfather figure of mine.' Harry's purchased German razor blade manufacturer Feintechnik which had some 420 people in the team sheet for the cool sum of $100million (77million) Why you have to check out the competition (and suppliers) One of the first steps the duo took when the business was still in its concept stage was to check out the competition. They tested a vast number of different razor blades in the market place until they eventually stumbled across a German razor blade manufacturer called Feintechnik which has been producing razor blades for almost a century. After raising $4million (3million) in seed funding led by a New York venture capital firm, the two launched Harry's to the US market in 2013 and initially promoted their brand by an email campaign and word-of-mouth referrals. Raider and Katz-Mayfield were won over by the quality of their manufacturer and sought to purchase the firm to give them the ability to control design and production and sell directly to consumers. But there was a problem: the pair would have to stump up a cool $100million (77million) to purchase Feintechnik. This was by no means an easy feat for an infant company that had not yet celebrated its first birthday or made a profit. In January 2014 they closed a $122.5million funding round. The duo raised the money through the venture capitalists - some of whom had already backed Raider's eyewear business. 'I do not think it is too difficult to secure capital - you have to sell a vision,' Raider said. 'We were really fortunate that we had a group of amazing individuals who wanted to invest in the US.' In one fell swoop, Harry's went from being a not yet profitable start up to one that employed 30 people on its team sheet in New York and 420 in Germany through its acquisition of Feintechnik. The'Truman' includes a razor with three blade cartridge, foaming shave gel, and a travel blade cover How does Harry's stack up? At present, there is a choice of two shaving kits - one costing 14, the other 24. A refill of eight blades costs 15. Customers can also subscribe for regular deliveries of blades and shave gel at a cheaper rate. For new customers a trial pack, which includes a handle with blade, a foaming shave gel and a travel blade cover, is available for 2.95 which is the cost of delivery. The subscription costs vary dependent on customers' individual shaving needs. Harrys offer a refill of eight cartridges every three months for 14 per quarter which is roughly 4.65 per month. If you add a foaming shave gel to the plan it is 6.33 per month. There is no delivery charge on the plans once you upgrade from trial. The firm does not have a subscription option for a typical cartridge replenishment of four each month, but users can do so whenever at the cost of 7.50 plus 2.95 per delivery. Delivery is free for orders over 10. In comparison, UK-based shave club Bearded Colonel charges 10 per month for the equivalent deal with a razor handle posted with the first delivery. But postage is free, so it is actually slightly cheaper. Another British start-up King of Shaves levies 7.49 and a handle comes free with the first delivery. Delivery is free on the first order but subsequently cost 3.98. Orders over 20 are delivered for free. Harry's commands a 9 per cent slice of online razor sales and is the third-largest shaving brand in the US according to market research firm Slice Intelligence Beware of the disruptor bought by the big guns Getting people to sign up for regularly delivered new razors has now has become lucrative business - so much so that consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, bought Dollar Shave Club for a cool $1billion (770million) in 2016 in an attempt to challenge Gillettes dominance in the personal care market. Gillette had previously launched its own shave club in 2015 to win back customers who had defected to online market leaders. The advent of shaving clubs has cut Gillette's market share over the past six years to 54 per cent in 2016 - down from 59 per cent and 70 cent in 2015 and 2010 respectively, according to data tracking firm Euromonitor. That's a relatively small percentage drop but for a giant firm like Gillette, even a minor dip in market share is a concern In a bid to stem the outflow of its customers to online start-ups like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club, Gillette cut the price of some of its shaving products by up to 20 per cent. It went to the controversial lengths of launching an online marketing campaign, called 'Welcome Back', which targeted Harry's directly by claiming that former customers have returned to Gillette after trying the start-up's razors. Harry's vigorously denied that this was the case and sent a letter to Proctor and Gamble, the owners of Gillette, demanding they correct the assertion. The Winston set, which cost 24 comes with a 'Winston' razor handle, a foaming shave gel, three blade cartridges and a travel blade cover Raider said: 'The majority of customers who use our razors have stayed with us. We sent the letter because we wanted to make sure that people were giving out the right information.' He added: 'I think competition is great because it gives customers the best value. I hope that Gillette and all of our competitors will deliver people the best experience they can. I believe that Harry's really have a special place in the market.' The latest assessment of the shaving market by research firm Slice Intelligence was in 2016. It found that at 35 per cent year-on-year, Harrys is growing faster than Dollar Shave Club, and is expanding three times faster than the industry average. Harrys commands a 9 per cent slice of all online razor sales, and is the third-largest shaving brand in the US, behind behemoths Dollar Shave Club and Gillette which collectively accounted for three quarters of all sales in 2015. Harry's aims to replicate these flattering statistics in the UK market. Raider said: 'We are super excited to be in the UK and hope that we can make the shaving experience better for British men.' Christopher Abbott (pictured) was working an off-duty private security patrol early Monday morning in New Orleans when someone shot a round into his car A New Orleans police officer is recovering from a leg wound after being shot for the third time in his law enforcement career. Police say Officer Christopher Abbott was working an off-duty private security patrol for the Hurtsville Security and Neighborhood Improvement District around 1:20am Monday morning when someone fired a single round into the privately owned car he was in, hitting him in the leg. Though he was not technically on duty, Abbott was wearing his police uniform and had lights on his dashboard. Surveillance footage shows a light grey SUV pulling up beside Abbott's car and briefly stopping before speeding off. The shooter remains at large. Police have asked for the public's help in identifying the suspect, by releasing surveillance grabs of the SUV, which they say has a missing or shattered rear windshield. Spokesman Aaron Looney says Abbott, a 25-year veteran of the force, is in good condition. He was released from the hospital just a few hours after being admitted early Monday morning. He is expected to make a full recovery. The investigation is ongoing but Police Superintendent Michael Harrison told WWL that it appears Abbott did not return fire. Scroll down for video It was the third time in Abbott's career that he has been shot. Above, a look at the scene of the crime early Monday morning An investigator looks into what appears to be Abbott's private patrol car Abbott was one of the city's first community policing officers, a group that has helped make the city's housing developments safer, and he also helped found the department's Cops for Kids after-school program. Abbott is one of about 25 law enforcement officers that work privately with the neighborhood association. Shelley Landrieu, the neighborhood organization's executive director, told Nola.com he patrols about twice a week. He was about two hours into his nightshift on Monday when the shooting happened. Archived news accounts show Abbott was on his way to a court appearance in 2001 when he spotted a man with a gun and approached him. The man fired and hit Abbott four times - including twice in the head. The shooter continued hitting Abbott even after he fell to the ground. It took him years to recover. New Orleans Police released surveillance footage, showing the shooting, in hopes that someone would identify the suspect's SUV (above) In 1998, Abbott was wearing a protective vest when he was shot in the chest after stopping a suspect in a public housing project. The shooter in the 2001 incident, Brandy Jefferson, was convicted and sentence to life in prison. It was unclear whether the shooter in the 1998 incident was arrested or convicted. Former NOPD commander Marlon Defillo responded to both of the prior shootings and was surprised when he learned that Abbott had been shot for a third time. 'I was surprised. I said, "Not again,"' Defillo told WWL. 'My first thought was, "Is he going to be OK?" This is the third time. And the two previous times I was out there on those scenes, very worried about him. The first time he was shot in Central City. The second time he was shot in the Treme area.' However, knowing Abbott, Defillo says he's confident he's going to be just fine. 'Knowing Chris, he's going to heal, he's going to recover and he's going to get back in the community,' he said. Anyone with information about Monday's shooting or the suspect's vehicle is asked to call 504-658-6020. Crimestoppers GNO is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Abbott's shooter Advertisement Dame Joan Collins was one of thousands forced to evacuate their homes as fires raged along the French Riviera and across southern Europe yesterday. The apocalyptic wildfires, sparked by a series of heatwaves across the region, come as many Britons prepare to set off on their summer holidays this week. Yesterday popular tourist destinations, including large parts of the French Riviera, Corsica and central Portugal, were among those still being ravaged by the blazes, which threatened to destroy homes and resorts. More than a dozen areas along the Riviera coast alone have been engulfed, with hundreds of homes evacuated. Emergency services last night continued to work around the clock to battle the infernos, which are being fanned by high winds and have consumed nearly 10,000 acres of vegetation. French authorities said eight firemen and 15 police officers have been hurt, although no fatalities have yet been reported. A firefighter stands in the middle of a road near flames blazing near the village of Sanguinheira, in Macao, central Portugal As tourists continued to sunbathe on the beaches, hundreds of firefighters tackled a blaze spanning 200 hectares at Giagaro, close to the glamorous holiday destination Vast stretches of scorched earth creeps up to the fences of homes in Biguglia, Corsica, as firefighters desperately battle to save buildings from wildfires in the region Tourists do their best to enjoy their holidays in the French Riviera while huge fires continue to rage in La Croix-Valmer, near Saint-Tropez The scarred remains of land burnt to a crisp by a forest fire in Ramatuelle, southern France, as an inferno raged out of control A firefighting helicopter drops water over a forest fire in Carros near Nice, southern France, as blazes broke out across the French Riviera A firefighter works overtime to put out a forest fire near the small village of Carvoeiro, near Castelo Branco in Portugal The apocalyptic wildfires, sparked by a series of heatwaves across the region, come as many Britons prepare to set off on their summer holidays this week Emergency services last night continued to work around the clock to battle the infernos, which are being fanned by high winds and have consumed nearly 10,000 acres of vegetation French authorities said eight firemen and 15 police officers have been hurt, although no fatalities have yet been reported In Portugal firefighters were yesterday continuing the countrys summertime battle against wildfires, which last month claimed the lives of 64 people The countrys civil security authority last night asked the European Union for help in dealing with the major incident. It also asked for ten Canadair water bomber aircraft to tackle the wildfires, described by witnesses as apocalyptic. The resorts of Frejus, Sainte-Maxime and Toulon were graded as being at an exceptional risk, with experts warning that continued strong winds this week would see more areas affected and could cause flames in nearly-contained areas to flare up again. One fire that erupted late on Monday near the La Croix-Valmer resort and yacht-filled marinas of Saint-Tropez sent clouds of thick black smoke into the sky above the packed beaches. Flames burned across some 2,000 acres in the region, with two villas destroyed in the hills where Dynasty star Dame Joan was staying just a few miles west of St Tropez. The 84-year-old and ten others at her multi-million-pound holiday home, where the actress spends four months of the year, were evacuated late on Monday. More than 100 forest fires erupted on Sunday, with 5,000 firefighters deployed across central and northern Portugal Dramatic pictures show flames and massive clouds of smoke from an inferno ripping through woodland near the upmarket French resort of Saint-Tropez. This was the scene in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer near the glamorous town Almost 5,000 firefighters supported by water-dropping aircraft are deployed across central and northern areas of Portugal as the country continues its daily summertime battle against wildfires A villager battles in dangerous conditions to put out a forest fire in the village of Brejo Grande, near Castelo Branco, Portugal Tweeting a picture of the blazing hills yesterday, Dame Joan wrote: Luckily we were able to evacuate last night, not easy with 11 people in the house! In a statement, she said: All 11 family and friends are safe after abandoning our villa due to the fierce forest fires threatening our home. She later claimed the fire had been started by a barbecue, adding: All seems ok although fire still burning started by BarBQ. Local authorities said more than 100 people were evacuated and thousands of acres destroyed in and around St Tropez. Michel Bernier, of Frances civil defence forces, added: Its a very dangerous day. Another fire that scorched at least 2,000 acres in Luberon was believed to be under control yesterday morning, local firefighters said. But one of the largest blazes was last night still ripping through swathes of hillside on the island of Corsica off the French coast. More than 5,000 acres of forest were engulfed after the fire erupted on Monday night, with residents evacuated from their homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia. One of the blazes along the French Riviera was thought to have been started by a bolt of lightning. However carelessly discarded cigarettes are often blamed for setting the tinderbox area alight. Fires have erupted across much of southern Europe in recent weeks amid extremely high temperatures and dry weather during the peak holiday season. An aerial photograph shows the fire devastated landscape in Biguglia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica A raging fire is sweeping through woodland in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer near Saint Tropez Large forest blazes in the French Riviera, Corsica and Portugal were sparked by heatwaves across the sun-kissed region, which is already teeming with British tourists ahead of the busy summer holiday period Holidaymakers watch on as the smoke fills the sky following a forest fire near Seillons, in the Var department in France In Portugal firefighters were yesterday continuing the countrys summertime battle against wildfires, which last month claimed the lives of 64 people. More than 100 forest fires erupted on Sunday, with 5,000 firefighters deployed across central and northern Portugal. The Civil Protection Agency said it had managed to bring under control all but one of the 108 fires by Monday. On Sunday a forest fire in Croatia triggered 34 explosions thought to be mines left over from the war in the 1990s. An earlier blaze had spread to southern Croatia from Montenegro. Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that have made it especially vulnerable to fires. Elsewhere, around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated while cars and a house were gutted by flames in Carros, north of Nice. On the island of Corsica, one fire, made worse by strong winds, has spread across 900 hectares of forest and is reportedly threatening to engulf homes. Hundreds of fire fighters are working around the clock in southern France and water-bombing planes and helicopters have been dousing the inferno from above. About 100 residences were evacuated in the village of Mirabeau and a dozen of horses in a stable were also moved to safer ground. Fires ravage the Corsican maquis in Biguglia, in the region of Bastia. More than 2,000 hectares have burned despite the best efforts of firefighters Too close for comfort: Dramatic video showed forest fires raging close to houses in the Saint-Tropez region overnight A house and three vehicles went up in flames in Carros, north of Nice yesterday as firefighters battled to contain the inferno Photos show the wreckage of a burnt down car following a forest fire in Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez in southern France On the island of Corsica, one fire, made worse by strong winds, has spread across 900 hectares of forest and is reportedly threatening to engulf homes Actress Joan Collins has been forced to evacuate her villa in the south of France as a huge fire continues to rip through woodland near Saint-Tropez Actress Joan Collins (left, in 2014 and, right, in 2016) has been forced to evacuate her villa in the south of France as a huge fire continues to rip through woodland near Saint-Tropez Fires have destroyed some 1,400 hectares of forest and woodlands in the south of France and the island of Corsica on Monday, authorities said. The biggest fire was in the village of Bastidonne, in the Vaucluse region, where fires, intensified by strong winds, consumed some 600 hectares of forest. Part of the A51 highway and the railway line between Briancon and Marseille have been closed temporarily, and public access to several forest areas has been suspended, prefecture officials said. 'The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia,' lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces, told AFP. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. 'We are awaiting reinforcements,' said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. A French firefighter sitting in a vehicle looks at a tree blocking the path in Ramatuelle, southern France following a forest fire Pictures show the interior of a vehicle that was destroyed when fire ripped through a forest in Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez Fires have been raging for days in southern France. An aircraft is pictured swooping low over Castagniers near Nice Tourists seemed unconcerned and continued to enjoy the beaches near Saint-Tropez as forest fires swept through nearby woodland Emergency: Dramatic pictures showed huge forest fires near the exclusive L'Escalet area of Saint Tropez in southern France The fires across southern France have been made worse by strong winds. This was the scene as firefighters tackled a blaze in in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer Tourists and residents walk down a road near Saint Tropez as a huge forest fire rages over the ridge of a nearby hill today Aerial assault: Planes loaded with water were sent into the skies in a bid to damped the flames from above near Carros, southern France Fire fighting aircraft drop water over a fire near Carros, southeastern France on Monday. A number of fires have been causing chaos across the region Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and 'have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected.' Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday, Bernier said. 'It's a very dangerous day,' Bernier said. 'And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight.' Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that have made it especially vulnerable to fires. In mid-July, a blaze believed to have been ignited by a cigarette butt tossed out of a car ripped through 800 hectares of land near Aix-en-Provence. Almost 5,000 firefighters supported by water-dropping aircraft are deployed across central and northern areas of Portugal as the country continues its daily summertime battle against wildfires. The Civil Protection Agency says it has managed to bring under control all but one of 108 forest fires that broke out Sunday thanks to the efforts of almost 4,982 firefighters and more than 1,000 vehicles. Wasteland: A burned out vehicle lies abandoned on a forest road in Carros, southern France - one of the worst-hit areas A man evacuates a horse as smoke from a burning wildfire fills the sky in Carros, near Nice. Many were forced to flee from their villas as flames approached The blaze in Carros burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities A helicopter drops water as flames and smoke from a burning wildfire fills the sky in Carros, near Nice, France On the island of Corsica, residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast A firefighter runs with a hose as he works to put out a fire in Biguglia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica A picture shows a road sign indicating the boundary of Carros as smoke rises from smouldering vegetation A picture shows a sign indicating the Prealpes d'Azur regional natural park as smoke rises from the scorched ground The only blaze still causing trouble early Monday was around the town of Serta, some 125 miles northeast of Lisbon, where just over 700 firefighters and nine aircraft were in action. Agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar says authorities are leaving the full contingent of firefighters in place because high winds and temperatures could re-ignite blazes. Portugal is blighted annually by summer wildfires, and one last month killed 64 people. There were also forest fires in Corsica, in the city of Carros close to Nice and in the resort town of Saint-Tropez, authorities said. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to Saint-Tropez. The blaze in Carros burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. On the island of Corsica, residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast. A fireman walks past vehicles that were destroyed by a burning wildfire in Carros, near Nice Inferno: A huge fire in the south of France has destroyed 1,400 hectares of forest sending French riviera residents fleeing from their villas. This was the scene overnight in Biguglia, on the island of Corsica One of the biggest fires is in Carros near Nice where a huge cloud of smoke could be seen rising up from forest and woodland near the city This is one of two criminals who have won the right to stay in Australia despite having links to outlaw motorcycle gangs. Helder Agapito Carrascalao, 49, and Tomasi Taulahi, 40, are to be released immediately from the immigration detention centre after the Federal Court overturned a decision by Peter Dutton to deport the men. Mr Dutton slammed the court's decision to release the men while taxpayers will pay the legal costs of the hearing. Helder Agapito Carrascalao, 49, (pictured) was born in East Timor and is a Portuguese citizen The judgment set aside Mr Dutton's decision to cancel the men's visas on December 16 last year. Mr Taulahi and Mr Carrascalao claimed Mr Dutton had not spent enough time considering their cases before making his decision and the judges agreed. They said Mr Taulahi was a Tongan citizen who first arrived in Australia in December 1988 and had held a series of visas since then. Mr Taulahi, whose wife and two young daughters are Australian citizens, had run a successful earthmoving business employing about 20 people before being arrested and taken into immigration detention. His criminal history began with a conviction for malicious damage in 1993, when he was 16. He was also convicted as a minor for offences including assault, resisting police, and breaking, entering and theft. His first offence as an adult was cocaine possession in 1997. But the main reason Mr Dutton decided to cancel Mr Taulahi's visa in the national interest was because he did not pass the character test given his association with the Lone Wolf bikie gang. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) is disappointed with the decision The three judges said father of two Mr Carrascalao, who was born in East Timor and is a Portuguese citizen. Mr Carrascalao was granted an entry permit in 1976 to remain permanently in Australia with his mother and seven siblings. The judges said Mr Carrascalao's criminal history dated back to when he was found guilty of stealing at age 13 but no conviction was recorded. His record includes convictions in May 2007 for common assault, contravening an apprehended domestic violence order and driving while disqualified. Mr Dutton's decision to cancel Mr Carrascalao's visa was based on his assault conviction in 2007 and his past involvement with the Bandidos bikie gang. The three judges said this was despite Mr Carrascalao claiming he was no longer associated with the bikie gang. A spokesperson to the Minister told Daily Mail Australia that they were disappointed with the decision. 'The Government is disappointed by the Courts decision to release these two individuals,'a spokesperson for the Minister said. 'As the Court recognises, both men have significant criminal histories. 'The Department is reviewing the judgement and will provide further advice to the Minister. 'The Government makes no apology for its policy of cancelling the visas of foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in this country. 'One thousand two hundred and eighty four non-citizens have had their visa cancelled last financial year for committing serious crimes,' the spokesperson said. A male nurse caring for a man who was left paralysed in a freak accident, has been struck off the register after he seduced the man's wife. The nurse spent more than a year treating the paraplegic man at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Adelaide, after he was left permanently paralysed from the waist down almost a decade ago. The nurse enjoyed a relationship with his patient's wife in secret, until their deception was uncovered years later, Adelaide Now reports. 'This has hit me harder than (the accident). I feel useless, weak, defeated, hopeless, I was very angry too,' the patient told the Tribunal The ex-husband, whose name was suppressed by the courts, told The Health Practitioners Tribunal of South Australia last week he was left devastated when he discovered his wife's affair. 'This has hit me harder than (the accident). I feel useless, weak, defeated, hopeless, I was very angry too,' he said. 'He broke my trust, lied, deceived and stole from myself, he had sex with my wife, he took my wife away from myself and my children and he posed as a good person helping my family.' The man said he discovered the relationship when he called a frequently-dialled number on her wife's phone and recognised the voice on the other end as his nurse and close confidante. The nurse spent more than a year treating the paraplegic man at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Adelaide (pictured), after he was left permanently paralysed from the waist down Both the nurse and the man's wife vehemently denied the affair, claiming the relationship started after the marriage ended. Their claim was disproved when detectives uncovered messages sent between the pair years earlier. The patient said the deception stripped him of his last remaining dignity. Before the discovery, he said he accepted his wife simply no longer wanted him as a husband because he was no longer able-bodied. The patient said the nurse's deception stripped him of his last remaining dignity following the accident The tribunal found the nurse exploited the vulnerability of the man and his wife. The tribunal also found the nurse's constant denial of the relationship added to the destructiveness and betrayal of his actions. Tribunal deputy president Peter Wilson described the nurse's relationship with his patient's wife as a 'grave departure' from professional standards. The nurse's registration was cancelled. Mr Wilson said he could apply for registration again in two years, but his return to the job was not certain. Michelle Terry pictured with her Olivier Award in 2011 An actress who has never directed a play is to become the next chief of Shakespeares Globe. Michelle Terry will replace Emma Rice who quit after just five months as artistic director. Miss Rice, 49, faced complaints over her use of disco stage lighting and modern sound equipment in the re-created Elizabethan theatre on the south bank of the Thames in London. Miss Terrys directing experience is limited to three short films produced for the Globes the Complete Walk project marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeares death. The 38-year-old mother of one won an Olivier Award in 2011 for her role in Tribes at the Royal Court theatre in London. And she starred in the Globes productions of As You Like It and A Midsummer Nights Dream. She said: There are no other theatres more perfectly suited to Shakespeares plays than the pure and uniquely democratic spaces of the Globe and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. I am so proud and excited. Theatre critic Lyn Gardner said that Miss Terry had sharp intelligence and consummate theatre brain but the top job would not be easy. The 38-year-old mother of one has previously starred in the Globes productions of As You Like It and A Midsummer Nights Dream (pictured) The Rice situation reflects internal divisions, she wrote in The Stage. It is an organisation caught between those who believe the Globe must not stray from its original mission to explore the conditions Shakespeare and his contemporaries worked in, and those who believe that theatres and spaces must constantly evolve or they become museums. Miss Terry takes over next April at the Globe, which said it had 60 applications for the post. Miss Rice is launching a new theatre company at Londons Old Vic. An actor who was just in jail for refusing to pay a fine from a power plant protest was just arrested for protesting at SeaWorld. James Cromwell was arrested at SeaWorld San Diego, California while protesting the amusement's park Orca Encounter on Monday afternoon. Cromwell walked around spewing details about orcas while members from PETA held signs that said 'SeaWorld Kills' and shirts that said 'SeaWorld Sucks.' Scroll down for video James Cromwell was arrested at SeaWorld San Diego, California while protesting the amusement's park Orca Encounter on Monday afternoon Cromwell walked around spewing details about orcas while members from PETA held signs that said 'SeaWorld Kills' and shirts that said 'SeaWorld Sucks' PETA live streamed the protest on Facebook where Cromwell can be seen speaking on a megaphone to the audience. 'HAPPENING NOW: Actor & activist James Cromwell is taking over #SeaWorld's new 'Orca Encounter' show in San Diego to expose the sad reality of life for orcas trapped there. #BoycottSeaWorldDay' they said in the post. The actor was handcuffed and taken into custody while the show resumed. PETA live streamed the protest on Facebook where Cromwell can be seen speaking on a megaphone to the audience In a statement he said: 'Orcas deserve a full life in the ocean, not a life sentence of swimming endless circles until they drop dead from disease. 'My friends at PETA and I want SeaWorld to move these intelligent animals to seaside sanctuaries without delay' In a statement he said: 'Orcas deserve a full life in the ocean, not a life sentence of swimming endless circles until they drop dead from disease. 'My friends at PETA and I want SeaWorld to move these intelligent animals to seaside sanctuaries without delay.' Last month, Cromwell was charged with disorderly conduct and issued a a ticket for $250 plus a $124 surcharge for protesting a building of a Competitive Power Ventures plant in Wawayanda, New York. A Year 8 student reportedly bought a bag of the drug ice to school and asked classmates to hold onto it when teachers became suspicious. The boy brought the bag to the Ocean Grove campus of Bellarine Secondary College on Thursday, the Geelong Advertiser reports. Principal Alison Murphy confirmed that the incident had been reported to Victoria Police. 'We do not tolerate drugs at this school. When we became aware of this allegation we took it very seriously and moved quickly to deal with it,' she said in a statement. The boy reportedly brought the bag to the Ocean Grove campus of Bellarine Secondary College (above, file photo) on Thursday 'In line with Department policy, the police were contacted.' Ms Murphy added the school has strict policies in place for handling students involved with drugs. 'If anyone has any information relating to drugs at our school I would strongly urge them to speak with me or report it to Victoria Police,' she said. However, the parent of another student said he understood that the school hadn't caught the boy in possession of the bag of ice. He said his child told him other students have previously brought speed and cannabis to school. The boy reportedly asked classmates to hold onto the drugs when teachers became suspicious. File photo The father added that the school needed to educate its students on the dangers drugs pose. 'We've all read about what ice does to communities and families,' he told the Advertiser. 'Who is supplying young kids with it? Where does a 14-year-old get ice from?' A Department of Education spokesman declined to reveal if and how the student was disciplined. 'Drugs are not tolerated in our schools and incidents involving them are rare,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'The Department has been in contact with the school and is satisfied that they handled this incident appropriately. 'Where a student is involved with drugs they are supported by staff at the school as well as Student Support Services officers and other agencies. The Department provides funding for these types of programs.' Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured, at Downing Street last week Liam Fox has dismissed health concerns about importing chlorine-washed chickens from the US after Brexit. The International Trade Secretary said there are bigger issues to focus on when working out a UK-US free trade agreement and condemned the British obsession with chickens. The EU bans the import of meat washed in chlorine amid concerns it lowers food safety standards. But the practice is not banned in the US, and Remain campaigners have warned a UK-US deal would include importing chlorine-washed chickens to Britain. Theresa Mays official spokesman yesterday would not deny that this would happen. And on a visit to the US, Dr Fox said the issue of chickens was merely a detail. Asked if he would eat a chlorine-washed chicken, Dr Fox said: In a debate which should be about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation and the increased prosperity of the UK, the US and our trading partners the British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. Addressing the American Enterprise Institute think-tank, he added sarcastically: We work on the premise that the British press in Washington never eat US chicken when they are here due to their health worries. Washing poultry in chlorine is feared to lead to worse food standards on the basis that abattoirs could rely on it as a decontaminant and therefore be less careful about avoiding bugs like salmonella infecting the chicken in the first place. Many US supermarkets sell chicken that is washed in chlorine to kill bacteria. It is much cheaper than British food but fails current food safety standards. The EU has banned the practice Last night peers warned animal welfare could also be undermined if post-Brexit trade deals leave British farmers competing with less-regulated foreign rivals and are forced to cut costs. The cross-party House of Lords EU committee said in a report: Unless consumers are willing to pay for higher welfare products, UK farmers could become uncompetitive and welfare standards could come under pressure. Concerns have also been raised about importing beef containing growth hormones from the US. Lord Teverson, the committee chairman, said research is not conclusive about fears that hormones could enter the human food chain, but said growth hormones are seen as an unnatural way to rear animals and enable the US to compete unfairly with Britain. Lord Teverson also said there was a division in government between Dr Fox, whose priority is a trade deal, and Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who has demanded safety standards must not fall after Brexit. Liam Fox, pictured left, is said to be keen to agree with US producers that imports to Britain be allowed after Brexit but is said to be opposed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, pictured right Remain campaigner and Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said: The Government is putting the Fox in charge of the hen coop when it comes to food safety. The Government is so desperate for new trade deals to make up for some of the losses [of leaving the single market] that they seem ready to compromise on the safety of our food. Mrs Mays spokesman said it was too early to discuss details of a trade deal, such as chlorinated chicken. But he added: Maintaining the safety in the food we eat is of the highest priority. A young man accused of murder was seen smiling for cameras in court, despite facing the prospect that he may spend the rest of his life behind bars. Dashawn Mixson, 20, seemed to be in high spirits when he flashed a bright smile for cameras and laughed during his arraignment in a New Jersey courtroom on Monday. Mixson is currently facing 30 years to life in prison after being accused of gunning down 19-year-old Dajour Riley in broad daylight on March 28. Dashawn Mixson, 20, was seen smiling in a New Jersey court on Monday, despite being accused of a murder which could land him behind bars for the rest of his life Mixson is accused of gunning down 19-year-old Dajour Riley in broad daylight on March 28. If found guilty and convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison Riley had been in a car with his girlfriend when he was shot in Jersey City. The teen later died after being taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Officials claim Mixson was responsible for Riley's death, which occurred on Union Street near Garfield Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey. Mixson was arrested along with 19-year-old Vernell Mohammed for Riley's death, and both are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons offenses related to a gun, NJ.com reported. Mixson pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared in court for his three minute arraignment on Monday afternoon. The news outlet reported Mixson laughed when a man came to his hearing and was asked to leave, throwing up a hand sign and yelling something as he left. Mixson (left) and 19-year-old Vernell Mohammed (right) were charged with Riley's death, in addition to conspiracy to commit murder and weapons offenses related to a gun Mixson turned himself in to authorities without incident on March 30, two days after the shooting. In their initial search for Mixson, police described him as being armed and dangerous. He is being held pending trial and is expected back in court on August 31, reported NJ.com. In unrelated cases, two of Mixson's cousins have pleaded guilty for two separate killings this year in New Jersey. Israel has removed metal detectors at a holy site in Jerusalem's Old City to calm tensions after days of bloodshed. It installed the detectors at entry points to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14, setting off the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years. Authorities have replaced them with surveillance cameras but Palestinians say the security measures are still unacceptable. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and the senior Muslim cleric who oversees Al-Aqsa compound both turned down the new Israeli measures and demanded they all be removed. Israel has removed metal detectors at a holy site in Jerusalem's Old City to calm tensions after days of bloodshed Officials installed the detectors at entry points to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14 He said: 'We reject all obstacles that hinder freedom of worship and we demand the return to the situation where things stood before July 14.' The Waqf, the religious body that runs the Islamic sites in the Al-Aqsa compound, said worshippers would continue to stay away from the elevated, marble-and-stone plaza and pray in the streets outside. Its spokesman said it was awaiting a decision of a technical committee but was demanding the situation revert to the way it was before July 14, when the metal detectors were installed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet of senior ministers voted to remove the metal detector gates early on Tuesday after a meeting lasting several hours. The United Nations Security Council was forced to try and defuse the crisis following the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians over the weekend. A statement issued after the security cabinet meeting said it had decided to heed a recommendation of Israeli security bodies and replace the detectors with 'smart checking' devices. Authorities have replaced the metal detectors near al-Aqsa mosque with surveillance cameras but Palestinians say the security measures are still unacceptable The religious body that runs the Al-Aqsa compound said worshippers would stay away from the elevated, marble-and-stone plaza and pray in the streets outside (pictured) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet of senior ministers voted to remove the metal detector gates early on Tuesday In the pre-dawn hours, municipal workers began work in some of the narrow stone-paved streets around the Aqsa compound to install overhead metal beams that will hold closed-circuit TV cameras. The cabinet statement added that it had allocated up to 100 million shekels ($28 million) for the equipment and for additional policing over the next six months. CCTV images indicated that the two Israeli police officers on guard duty were shot dead by three Israeli Arabs who had concealed weapons inside the Aqsa compound, Islam's third most sacred site. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday Israel would pay a price for a dispute over security measures it imposed at the entrance to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. 'Israel, which shows no respect for the Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, will see itself suffer the most damage,' Erdogan said, referring to Muslim sacred sites in the elevated compound holy to both Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem's walled Old City. David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, said Washington had talks with Israel and Jordan to resolve the crisis. Israel's cabinet said it had allocated up to 100 million shekels ($28 million) for the equipment and for additional policing over the next six months CCTV images indicated that the two Israeli police officers on guard duty were shot dead by three Israeli Arabs who had concealed weapons inside the Aqsa compound The dispute, like many in the Holy Land, is about much more than security devices, taking in issues of sovereignty, religious freedom, occupation and Palestinian nationalism. The walled Old City is part of East Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in a 1967 war and later annexed, declaring the city its 'eternal indivisible capital' in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of a future state they are seeking. The decision to remove the metal detector gates was an about-turn after the rightist Netanyahu, wary of being seen to capitulate to Palestinian pressure, pledged on Sunday that the devices would stay put. But on top of the outbreak of violence mainly in the Jerusalem area, a move on Friday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to suspend security coordination, plus international criticism, cranked up pressure on Israel. Netanyahu was further hampered by a fatal shooting at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan on Sunday when an Israeli security guard was attacked and shot dead two Jordanians. The United Nations Security Council was forced to try and defuse the crisis following the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians over the weekend Jordan is the custodian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy sites, which Jews revere as the vestige of their two ancient temples. Jordan's King Abdullah has called on Israel to return to the pre-July 14 status quo and lift all unilateral measures taken since the attack on the policemen. Jews and anyone else visiting the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray, at the foot of the Aqsa compound must pass through airport-style security screening, including metal detectors. Parking firms are buying details of more than 19,000 vehicles a day from the DVLA to chase unpaid fines. Last night MPs warned that bully boy firms are using the information to hound innocent motorists. They called for a crackdown to protect drivers as it was revealed that the trade in information has reached record levels. Between April and June the DVLA sold 1.74million vehicle keeper records, up from 1.06million in the same period last year. The DVLA, which sells the information for 2.50 a vehicle, is generating almost 1.5million a month. Parking firms are buying details of more than 19,000 vehicles a day from the DVLA to chase unpaid fines (file image) The information is used by parking companies to chase drivers for fines of up to 100. The most prolific of these is ParkingEye, owned by outsourcing firm Capita which was exposed by the Daily Mail for using ruthless tactics to collect TV licence fees for the BBC. It obtained 570,000 vehicle records in the three-month period, followed by Smart Parking with 125,000 and Euro Car Parks with 118,000. The RAC Foundation said the industry is out of control, with the data suggesting a parking fine is issued every four and half seconds. It warned that the details of around seven million vehicles could be sold during the financial year, which would suggest that almost a quarter of motorists are being chased for a parking fine. MPs are worried that the information is being widely misused, with motorists unfairly targeted while visiting hospitals and high street shops. Drivers have complained about being fined up to 100 for returning their cars a few minutes late, or after being unable to buy a ticket because of a faulty ticket machine. Tory MP Sir Greg Knight said there appears to be a worrying rise in a practice known as ghost ticketing. This is when a warden puts a ticket on a car and takes a photo. The warden then removes the ticket so the driver is unaware they were given one. The firm waits 14 days, then hits the driver with an increased fine of up to 100 because they have not paid. Jacob Rees-Mogg wants the DVLA to srike off companies 'suspected of behaving badly' Sir Greg, who has tabled a private members Bill in the Commons to crack down on the self-regulated parking industry, said: These figures are concerning. It is highly unlikely there has been a massive increase in bad parking. Instead bully-boy parking firms are hounding innocent motorists and milking them for money. We need to put rogue firms out of business. There are many private parking companies who are playing fair. But others are clearly making a killing out of pursuing and persecuting motorists who have done nothing wrong. Fellow Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg said: My concern is that some of these firms use the fines they levy as part of their business model. This gives them a strong incentive to levy fines unjustly and aggressively. We would not need a new law if DVLA was more willing to strike off companies suspected of behaving badly. A ParkingEye spokesman said: We operate with clear, standard and proportionate procedures which follow the British Parking Associations code of practice. We encourage people who have received a parking charge to appeal if they think they should not have received a charge. A woman is challenging several wills which split her grandmother's $1 million estate between a local church and the Cancer Council, despite previously promising it all to her grandchildren. Ella Minnie Lillian Bush, who died aged 90 in January 2015, made five wills between 1990 and 2013, the third of which named her brother Cecil as executor, although he had been dead nine years. Mrs Bush's granddaughter Helene Craig-Bridges argues her grandmother was not mentally fit to make the last three wills, which split her fortune between the Cancer Council and Wee Waa Anglican Church, in northern New South Wales. Helene Craig-Bridges contends her grandmother's last three wills should be inadmissible Helene says the relationship with her grandma was more like that of a mother and daughter A tribute Helene Craig-Bridges posted to her grandmother Ella Bush after her death in 2015 Ms Craig-Bridges, who describes her relationship with Mrs Bush as having been more like mother and daughter, is challenging a NSW Supreme Court decision which upheld the validity of those three wills. Mrs Bush's estate included her home at Wee Waa and another property at Yamba, also in northern NSW, as well as about $700,000 in cash deposits, most of which came from an early 1990s Lotto win. She and her husband Samuel had two sons, one of whom died in 1970. The other son Ronny had five daughters including Ms Helene Craig-Bridges. Mrs Bush's first will, made in March 1990, named her husband as sole beneficiary. If Samuel and Ronny did not survive her, the estate was to be split equally between Ronny's five daughters. Samuel Bush died in February 1995 and Ronny died in April 2011. Two months later Mrs Bush made another will, splitting her estate equally among her five granddaughters. Mrs Bush made three more wills, in November 2011, November 2012 and February 2013. All these wills divide her assets 50/50 between the Cancer Council and Wee Waa Anglican Church. Child care manager Helene Craig-Bridges is challenging her grandmother's will in court Ella Bush left half her $1 million estate to the Cancer Council and half to her local church It is these three wills Ms Craig-Bridges is disputing. The only difference between these wills was the identity of the executor. The will of November 2011 appointed Mrs Bush's brother Cecil as executor. Cecil had died in 2002. Mrs Bush organised and attended his funeral. The November 2012 will named Mrs Bush's brother Ted as executor. Ted died a month later. The last will appointed the NSW Trustee and Guardian to handle Mrs Bush's estate. Mrs Craig-Bridges contends her grandmother lacked the legal and mental ability to make the last three wills. She wants Mrs Bush's estate to be split equally among the five grandchildren. NSW Supreme Court judge James Stevenson deciced in November last year Mrs Bush did have the capacity to write each of the last three wills but that Ms Craig-Bridges was entitled to a fifth of the estate. 'I see no reason to conclude that the bequest to the two charities was not Mrs Bush's own idea,' Justice Stevenson found. Ella Bush left half her $1m estate to her local Wee Waa Anglican Church in northern NSW A Facebook tribute Helene Craig-Bridges posted after her grandmother Ella Bush's 2015 death 'On the limited evidence before me, I am not able to come to any conclusion as to why Mrs Bush had this change of heart.' 'The decision does seem a harsh one, from Helene's point of view. Helene remained in close and regular contact with Mrs Bush throughout her life.' Ms Craig-Bridges says that is not enough and has appealed against Justice Stevenson's decision in the NSW Court of Appeal. Justice Stevenson found that shortly after Mrs Bush made the June 2011 will which named her granddaughters as beneficiaries of her estate, 'Mrs Bush commenced to manifest symptoms of some diminution in her cognitive function.' Associate professor Tuly Rosenfeld, a consultant geriatrician, had not treated Mrs Bush but gave evidence based on available medical reports. Professor Rosenfeld believed as of November 2011 Mrs Bush 'suffered from a dementing illness the nature of which was likely to have been Alzheimer's disease and/or vascular dementia.' Ms Craig-Bridges's appeal is being heard in the Court of Appeal today. A former religious leader in Canada has been found guilty of polygamy after marrying more than two dozen women over the course of 25 years. Winston Blackmore, 61, was charged with practicing plural or 'celestial' marriage in the fundamentalist community of Bountiful, BC after he married 25 women. Blackmore has fathered more than 145 children from his marriages. It was Winston's ex wife, Jane Blackmore, that brought him down. According to CBCNews Jane said in court Winston had told her he was 'only doing what God told him to do,' in having multiple wives. Winston Blackmore (right) has been found guilty of polygamy, here in a photo from 2008 with six of his daughters and some of his grandchildren Blackmore arrives at the BC Supreme Court in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Monday BC Supreme Court Justice Sheri Ann Donegan praised Jane as a highly credible and reliable witness. 'She was a careful witness,' Donegan said. 'There was nothing contrived or rehearsed in her answers. She was impartial.' The trial last 12 days, but the case against Blackmore has been going on for decades. In the early 1990s, Blackmore as well as accused polygamist James Oler, 53, were investigated by the provincial government. However, according to CBCNews, they were not prosecuted at the time because of confusion over Canadian polygamy laws. Blackmore receives a kiss from one of his daughters Blackmore, who is accused of having two dozen wives, smiles at a reporter's phone as he arrives at the BC Supreme Court Monday In 2011 the court ruled that banning polygamy was constitutional and did not violate religious freedoms. Oler meanwhile is currently waiting the verdict in his case. Oler has five wives, its unknown how many children he has. Blackmore was accused of 'a kind of conjugal union' with 24 women between 1990 and 2014, according to court documents. Oler faced the same charge involving five women between 1993 and 2009. The court ruled in 2011 that laws banning polygamy were constitutional and did not violate religious freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Blackmore and Oler are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect that believes in plural marriage. The group's main base is in a small community on the Utah-Arizona border in the United States. Oler was chosen to lead the Canadian community just north of the US state of Idaho following Blackmore's excommunication from the sect in 2002 by Warren Jeffs, considered the prophet and leader of the group. Gail Blackmore, fellow Bountiful membver (right) and James Oler arrive at the courthouse in Cranbrook, British Columbia. James is accused of marrying five women Authorities have said Jeffs still leads the sect from a Texas prison, where he is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. The mainstream Mormon church renounced polygamy in the late 19th century and disputes any connection to the fundamentalist group's form of Mormonism. Much of the evidence in the trial came from marriage and personal records seized by law enforcement at a church compound in Texas in 2008. Judge Donegan disagreed with assertions by Blackmore and his lawyer that the records should be given little or no weight, saying she found them reliable. Donegan said Winston Blackmore's adherence to the practices and beliefs of the religious group were never in dispute, nothing that he did not deny his marriages to police in 2009. Blackmore even made two corrections to a detailed list of his alleged wives, she said. 'He spoke openly about his practice of polygamy,' Donegan said. 'Mr. Blackmore confirmed that all of his marriages were celestial marriages in accordance with FLDS rules and practices.' Blackmore never denied having the wives as part of his religious beliefs that call for 'celestial' marriages. He's facing five years in prison. His lawyer Blair Suffredine has already said Blackmore would challenge the constitutionality of Canada's polygamy laws if his client was found guilty. Five friends who went to a forest south of Adelaide to 'cut wood and have some fun' have been urged to tell the truth about what led to a 21-year-old man being fatally shot in the head. Bailey Davenport, 21, died in the Flinders Medical Centre on Monday after the incident at Parawa, 86km south of Adelaide, on Sunday afternoon. A 28-year-old man, who is believed to be known to Mr Davenport, was charged with acts to endanger life but police said further investigations would have a direct bearing on what other charges may be laid. Scroll down for video Young father Bailey Davenport, 21, (pictured middle) died Monday after being shot at Parawa Mr Davenport, 21, (pictured right) died after being shot in head at forest he was at with friends Mr Davenport (pictured left) spent a day out chopping wood with friends before the incident The young father was sent to hospital (pictured) Sunday afternoon and died Monday Detective Inspector Greg Hutchins said police did not believe the people who were with the victim at the time of the shooting had been fully frank about the circumstances. 'We know that five young people who are friends went into the forest to cut wood and have some fun,' he said. 'We also know that they took a firearm with them that we have not yet located. 'The full circumstances of what occurred are still being investigated by police and I would urge those who were there to tell the truth.' Police are continuing to search for the gun, believed to be a .22 rifle. Insp Hutchins said the death was a tragedy 'not just for this young man and his family, but for all those present'. A 28-year-old man known to Mr Davenport (pictured on a bed) has been charged by police The shooting took place at Springs Road Native Park (pictured) about 86km south of Adelaide 'As is normal with all unexplained deaths, police will be thorough in our investigation of this matter.' The Second Valley Reserve, where the man was shot, is known for illegal deer hunting. British motorists could be entitled to millions of pounds in compensation for alleged price-fixing among German car giants. The European Commission have announced antitrust regulators were investigating a possible German auto industry cartel following a tip-off. At stake is whether carmakers VW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and BMW used German industry committees to discuss pricing of components and technologies, and whether such talks constituted anti-competitive behaviour. And if the allegations are proved, then the millions of British owners of German vehicles may well be entitled to launch legal compensation claims. The car industry has been hit with billion-euro fines on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years, related to anti-competitive behaviour within lighting systems, engine coolers and bearings If the anti-competition allegations are proved, then millions of British owners of German vehicles, like the pictured Porsche, may well be entitled to launch legal compensation claims German car manufacturer shares closed lower on Monday, weighed down by the uncertainty over the possible fines, with shares in VW down 1.4 percent, while BMW and Daimler dropped 2.8 percent and 2.7 percent respectively, dragging the blue-chip DAX index to close 0.3 percent lower. Exane BNP Paribas automotive analyst Stuart Pearson said little was known about the allegations, but no signs had emerged about fixing prices charged to consumers. 'More ugly details could yet emerge, leaving German manufacturers - and the EU auto sector - still firmly in the sin bin for now,' he added. The car industry has been hit with billion-euro fines on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years for cartels related to various parts such as lighting systems, engine coolers and bearings. The industry's record on exhaust emissions is also under close scrutiny after VW admitted in September 2015 to cheating U.S. diesel emissions tests and investigations have shown many vehicles exceeding pollution limits outside of testing labs. On Friday, German magazine Der Spiegel said VW, its Audi and Porsche brands, Mercedes-owner Daimler and BMW may have colluded to fix prices on components, including of diesel emissions treatment systems, using industry committees. German car manufacturer shares closed lower on Monday, weighed down by the uncertainty over the possible fines - the industry has been under close scrutiny following VW admitted to cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests Carmakers VW, Audi, pictured, Porsche, Mercedes and BMW may be fined for anti-competitive behaviour due to a possible German automobile cartel, currently being investigated by the European Commission Daimler had first raised the possible collusion with cartel authorities, which could earn the carmaker immunity, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said on Monday in a report researched jointly with broadcasters NDR and WDR. This contradicted Der Spiegel which reported last week that VW had been first to disclose the matter in July 2016. After Daimler and other truckmakers were accused in 2011 of price fixing and subsequently fined, the German company at least in part pulled out of the industry tie-ups that are now the subject of inquiries, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said. A spokeswoman for Daimler declined comment on the report. Spiegel said the talks also led to the use of smaller tanks containing AdBlue, a urea-based liquid needed to help filter nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel emissions. Larger tanks would have been more expensive, the magazine said. Klaus Mueller, the head of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations, said tens of thousands of lawsuits could be filed by buyers demanding compensation, because consumers had 'potentially paid far too high prices'. An Australian man partying in Croatia could faces six years behind bars after punching a man in 'self-defence' outside a popular nightclub. Aaron Kirkman, 34, from western Sydney, claims his 'crazy' dance moves led to an altercation with a group of men inside inBOX nightclub in the tourist town of Split. Security moved him outside, but it was there he claimed that one man from a 'group of about five' ran directly at him, prompting him to strike him in the head. According to News Corp Australia, the one-punch attack left the man in intensive care with a broken skull. Sydney man Aaron Kirkman, 34, could face six years behind bars after punching a man in 'self-defence' outside a popular nightclub in Split He claims that a Croatian man ran at him outside the club (pictured), causing him to lash out and hit him in the head Police are now deciding whether to press serious assault charges, which carry a maximum jail sentence of six years. 'I'm so very sorry to him and his family,' Mr Kirkman told the publication in Split. 'As soon as I found out he was in intensive care it was like a knife to my chest. It honestly was the last thing that I ever wanted to happen.' Mr Kirkman, who works as a diesel mechanic back home, now faces an anxious wait as his Croatian lawyer attempts to negotiate a deal with prosecutors to avoid a trial. Police have taken away his passport while they investigate the matter, and he is required to check in to authorities every day. Mr Kirkman was on the trip of a lifetime across Europe, and was in Croatia to attend the world famous Ultra Music Festival before the incident took place. The victim, a 27-year-old Croatian man, is believed to be in a stable condition in KBC Hospital with head injuries. Mr Kirkman was in Croatia to attend the world famous Ultra Music Festival (unrelated festival attendees pictured above) before the incident took place A three day fishing trip turned into quite the adventure for a couple on holiday who came face-to-face with a gigantic crocodile. Simon Stenberg, a fishing guide in the Northern Territory, said he was leading the Gold Coast couple down the Mary River near Darwin when he spotted the crocodile on the second day of the trip. The crocodile, which Mr Stenberg said was about 5.5 metres and had 'enormous girth', stretched its jaw wide open as the stunned trio watched on. 'As a fishing guide I get to see lots of big crocs but this one was definitely one of the biggest,' Mr Stenberg told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video A three day fishing trip in the Northern Territory turned into quite the adventure for a couple on holiday who came face-to-face with a humungous crocodile (pictured) Mr Stenberg and the couple snapped pictures as it opened its mouth and showed off its missing teeth which led the fishing guide to believe it was an old crocodile. 'Usually the really big ones are wary but he didn't seem too worried about us taking photos,' he said. Mr Stenberg said the trio then left to continue fishing but rode past the same area later in the day and warned some men sitting in a small tinny boat. Mr Stenberg said the sighting turned out to be one of the highlights of the holiday for the couple. 'The lady on my boat said it reminded her of a hippo as she had been to Africa recently,' he said. A Baptist pastor who claimed Islam is 'a cancer that will destroy society' during a recorded sermon has come under fire. Footage of Keith Piper, pastor for Liberty Baptist Church in north-west of Sydney, has been submitted to the education department after it was revealed the church provides scripture to government schools. Liberty Baptist Church provides scripture lessons for special religion education (SRE) - an optional 30-minute weekly class offered to students by government schools when a teacher is available. Scroll down for video Keith Piper, pastor for Liberty Baptist Church in north-west of Sydney, claimed Islam is 'a cancer that will destroy society' during a recorded sermon last year (pictured) The Liberty Baptist Church, which rents a space in north-west Sydney (pictured), provides scripture lessons for SRE classes In the 40-minute video, which was recorded in April 2016 and uploaded to YouTube, Mr Piper repeatedly condemned Islam and the Koran. 'Islamism is a cancer. We must destroy the cancer or the cancer will destroy out society and our freedoms and everything we hold dear,' he tells the crowd. 'Islam and Koran-practising Muslims are culturally incompatible with western and Christian values.' Mr Piper went on to claim he is 'not anti-Muslim' but is 'anti-Koran.' 'The Koran is the evil rotten, rotten cause of every Islamic terrorist action in the whole world,' he said. Mr Piper claimed 'leftist' leaders of Australian schools have rejected western values. 'Ungodly, leftist western leaders are afraid to teach the Bible, salvation and Christian values in state schools. Instead they teach sodomy and how to become a weirdo,' he said. 'The Koran is the evil rotten, rotten cause of every Islamic terrorist action in the whole world,' Mr Piper said (stock image) In the 40-minute video, which was recorded in April 2016 and uploaded to Youtube, Mr Piper repeatedly condemned Islam and the Koran (pictured) Darrin Morgan, the NSW director of Fairness in Religion in Schools, brought Mr Piper's comments to the attention of the education department, claiming Liberty Baptist Church's approval as an SRE provider goes against the department's policies. 'We are concerned that the current provisions for SRE ... greatly increase this risk by enabling organisations such as Liberty Baptist Church to authorise their own curricula over which your office has no control or authority,' Mr Morgan wrote to Education Minister Rob Stokes, according to The Guardian. Previously Mr Piper told SBS he had not taught religious classes since 2005 when he was working at Macarthur Girls High School in west Sydney. The pastor said members of his congregation that did teach at public schools, including his wife, did not talk about Islam during SRE classes. 'What I talk about in my personal life is not necessarily what they will be teaching in scripture,' he said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Macarthur Girls High School for comment. Mystery still surrounds the death of a man who was found stabbed on a Melbourne road last month, with police eager to speak to five men seen nearby. The body of 36-year-old Patryk Bondar was found by a passer-by about 10pm on June 4 on Caravel Lane in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's outer west. A trail of blood was found leading to Caravel Lane through parkland, over a bridge, and along The Esplanade. Scroll down for video Police have released CCTV of five men who were near The Esplanade and arrived in two different cars In a bid to find his killer, or killers, police have released CCTV of five men Police have released CCTV footage of five men who were near The Esplanade and arrived in two different cars. The group of men, some in hooded jumpers, can be seen chatting and smoking cigarettes next to a parked BMW. Police are hoping the men will come forward or the public will identify them as they may be able to help with the investigation. 'The man has apparently suffered a stab wound to his upper body,' Det Sen Sgt McIntyre said in June. 'We've conducted inquiries in the area and nobody's been able to give us any explanation as to how that man has got to the location we found him.' Anyone with information about the incident or CCTV is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A blood trail was found from Caravel Lane through parkland, over a bridge and along The Esplanade, police said Advertisement A Melbourne council have been slammed for its proposal to create a public memorial for drug users who have died from heroin overdoses. The eastern Melbourne suburb, Richmond, is well-known for having an issue with 34 drug-related deaths in 2016 and hundreds more in total. The memorial has been ridiculed online with many people saying the Yarra City Council, who are behind the proposal, should put its money to better use rather than shining a light on people who chose to break the law. A Melbourne council are proposing to develop a memorial for people who died from heroin overdoses in the precinct iconic for drugs (pictured) Yarra City Council are proposing to build a memorial in Richmond, east Melbourne, for drug users (used syringes pictured in the area) but has received backlash The proposed memorial will be located at Lennox St and Victoria St Richmond (pictured) as part of a precinct upgrade 'Is this council insane ... seriously let's put a tribute up for people who choose to break the law and die from their own stupidity,' Ben Davis from Radio 4BC told Sunrise Tuesday morning. Critics slammed the memorial which is proposed to be created as part of the $400,000 intersection upgrade of Lennox and Victoria Streets. The controversial tribute is believed to be unwanted by locals and thought to be a waste of money which could be put to better use. Yarra City Councillor Stephen Jolly opposed the idea saying business owners and cafes won't want a plaque remembering heroin addicts on their walls, he told News Corp. 'This is just a thought bubble from the Greens,' Cr Jolly said. 'And anyway, you don't put up a memorial until a war is over. And this war is still going on.' The proposed upgrade (pictured) will not only include the memorial but would also include street furniture and lighting Heroin overdose memorial plaque (pictured at number 11) was slammed a monumentally stupid idea by social commentators Critiques have slammed the council for spending money on a project in Richmond (pictured) that remembers people died breaking the law Late last year, the Daily Mail Australia visited the drug affected area of Richmond, known as the heroin rectangle, and found the area littered with used syringes and empty alcohol bottles. The heroin rectangle is bordered by Lennox St, the area where the Yarra City Council have proposed to build the memorial. Victims of Crime Commissioner Greg Davies slammed the monument as a 'monumentally stupid' idea, reported News Corp. The heroin memorial is part of the plan to upgrade the precinct which also includes installing lighting, street furniture and landscaping. Public have a say in the idea until August 11. An Uber passenger was subject to the most uncomfortable ride of his life where his driver seemingly received oral sex from a prostitute, and the company attempted to apologize by offering him a mere $10 credit. Aner Manuel claims he was stuck in an Uber for two miles while an intoxicated prostitute groped and performed oral sex on the driver. The horrified customer posted footage of the 'most dangerous and inappropriate ride ever' on social media after the incident in Chicago around 3am on July 17. In the clip, a woman is seen kissing the driver and then lowering her head into his lap, while mood music plays over the stereo. After the ride-hailing service allegedly offered him a $10 credit, Manuel posted the video online to prompt Uber to appropriately respond to the complaint. Aner Manuel claims he was stuck in an Uber for two miles while an intoxicated prostitute groped and performed oral sex on the driver in Chicago on July 17 (pictured) In the clip, a woman is seen kissing the driver and then lowering her head into his lap (pictured), while mood music plays over the stereo The video, believed to have been filmed on Snapchat, shows an alleged Uber driver looking at a phone's map while a woman in the front seat begins to kiss him. As the man drives, he continues to kiss the woman but tells her to stop when she aggressively grabs hold of his shirt collar. The video cuts to the woman seemingly performing oral sex on the driver as he looks at directions and drives the car. Manuel can then be heard telling the driver to pull over so he can exit the car. In a Facebook post, Manuel clarified that his ride wasn't an UberPool and said he thought maybe the front seat passenger was a family member. He wrote: 'As I approached my Uber, I noticed there was a passenger in the front seat. I double checked to make sure I didn't select UberPool, and then approached the car. 'I assumed it may have been a family member of some sort. As we pulled off the female in the front (who was clearly on drugs) attempted to open the door and could not even sit straight as the vehicle was in motion.' Manuel said Uber offered him a $10 credit and is investigating the incident. He posted the video online because he wanted more to be done Manuel described the woman in the front seat as being 'on drugs' and a 'random prostitute'. He said he was not in an UberPool and got in the car because he was in an unfamiliar area Manuel continued: 'She then began to grope him and grab him. They began to kiss and she began loosening his belt. 'As we got further and further from my pickup location I had no idea where I was, so I had to stay in the car. She then proceeded to perform oral sex. 'This was my last straw. I asked the driver to drop me off. Since I've contacted Uber and they refunded me for trip and gave me a "$10 credit". 'They've seen this video and are still "investigating". They have been extremely bad at answering any messages I've sent, and I demand something gets done. This is not okay!' Manuel said he exited the car after two miles when the woman began to perform oral sex on the driver. Pictured: Manuel's receipt of the ride in question Facebook and Twitter users have agreed with Manuel and are shocked by the video Speaking to Esquire, Manuel, a retail worker from Boston, said he got into the car although someone else was in it because it was late and he was in an unfamiliar city. He said: 'I figured it was a family member or something. I think he assumed at that time of night I was too intoxicated to notice what was going on.' The retail worker added that the woman, who he said was 'clearly on drugs' tried to open the moving car's doors a few times before becoming sexual with the driver. An Uber spokesperson said in an email to the DailyMail.com: 'The behavior of this former driver is appalling and is not tolerated on the Uber app. 'As soon as this situation was reported to us, we immediately removed this driver's access.' Facebook and Twitter users have agreed with Manuel and are shocked by the video. Some social media users demanded for Uber to do something and for action to be taken against the driver in question Many claim the incident is disgusting and said it is another reason not to use Uber. Others demanded for Uber to do something and for action to be taken against the driver in question. This is the latest scandal to hit the company, following the resignation of ex-CEO Travis Kalanick in June. The resignation sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley and left Uber's board of directors with the problem of finding a dynamic leader who also has a steady hand needed to heal Uber after a bruising six months. Kalanick's brashness has been blamed for a string of scandals this year, from the unearthing of a culture of sexism and bullying at Uber to a Department of Justice federal investigation and a high-stakes lawsuit filed by Alphabet Inc's autonomous car division, Waymo, that threatens Uber's self-driving car ambitions. A man who stole $125,000 of casino chips from a Melbourne casino has been sentenced to a community corrections order. Gunawan Akay, 38, was on Tuesday sentenced to a two-year community corrections order for snatching $125,000 worth of gaming chips from Melbourne's Crown Casino in December. Akay pleaded guilty to stealing 25 chips worth $5000 each from the casino's exclusive Maple Room and was captured on CCTV as he fled, using a taxi. Gunawan Akay (pictured) was caught on camera attempting to steal $125,000 worth of casino chips in Melbourne Mr Akay reached over the table and grabbed a handful of casino chips The 38-year-old grabbed the chips and ran from the casino County Court Judge Claire Quin said Akay had been under significant financial pressure in the lead-up to the unsophisticated crime. 'You grabbed and ran with the chips, rushing through the casino and other areas,' she told Akay. During the getaway he lost all but three of the chips, and was so overcome with guilt and panic that he threw the remainder in the Yarra River. Akay was then a gold signature Crown Rewards member and had been at the casino for more than six hours with his partner's money when he stole the chips. The 38-year-old dropped most of the chips running out of the casino A bank had earlier foreclosed on his properties and Akay was trying to win more money so he and his girlfriend wouldn't be evicted from their home. Judge Quin said Akay had shown remorse and responsibility for his actions, and had good rehabilitation prospects. 'This offending involved a significant amount of funds. It was, however, a single instance,' she said. Akay will be required to perform 150 hours of supervised work as part of the corrections order. The court was told previously that Akay grew up poor in a small Indonesian village before arriving in Australia in 1997 and had aspired to become a police officer. He said he had not gambled since the theft. Melbourne university students returned to classes this week to find racist posters targeting Chinese students plastered across their campuses. Officials from Monash University and the University of Melbourne confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that a number of offensive flyers had been discovered and removed. Both universities said they had reported the posters to police and handed over CCTV footage in a bid to catch the perpetrators. The posters distressed students who spotted them, according to a post in a student Facebook group on Monday. Melbourne university students returned to classes to find racist posters targeting Chinese students plastered across their campuses this week Officials from Monash University and the University of Melbourne confirmed a number of offensive flyers had been discovered and removed 'When I was walking to my tute this morning, I saw three girls reading these posters, pointing at them and yelling,' a student wrote. 'They seemed really distressed, what do the posters say?' The posters, written in poorly-worded Mandarin, banned Chinese students from entering the campus and threatened them with prosecution or deportation otherwise. 'Attention! Chinese people are forbidden to enter this place, if [they] break the rules [they] will possibly be faced with prosecution as well as deportation,' another student translated on Facebook. On the back of the posters was a url for neo-Nazi group Antipodean Resistance, who appeared to take responsibility for them on Twitter. The posters distressed students who spotted them, according to a post in a student Facebook group on Monday The posters were put on a sign outside the Doug McDonell Building at the University of Melbourne 'Nonwhites get PRANKED, told that Chinese are not allowed in two universities, report to the office or be deported,' their account posted alongside pictures of the flyers. The group has reportedly previously put up posters celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust. But the posters also featured logos from the student unions from both universities, sparking outrage from the groups. Monash Student Association Clayton president Matilda Grey said she was 'appalled' by the posters and denied the union had any involvement. MSA had been informed that three men hung the posters up around the campus early on Tuesday morning, she told Mojo, Monash's online student magazine. 'We are completely appalled by this behaviour,' Ms Grey said. A neo-Nazi group called Antipodean Resistance shared pictures of the posters on Twitter On the back of the posters was a url for neo-Nazi group Antipodean Resistance, who appeared to take responsibility for them on Twitter 'We don't stand for it at all and we would never have authorised or condoned this and we extend our solidarity and support to all Chinese students on campus.' A Monash University spokesman confirmed that 23 'racist and offensive' A4-size posters had been removed from around the campus on Monday morning. The spokesman said officials contacted student leaders and Monash City Council as well as providing police with footage from numerous CCTV cameras around the campus. 'The University finds this material and associated behaviour reprehensible,' the spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 'This disgusting behaviour has occurred before at other Australian universities and the community is sick of it. 'It is disappointing that what is a very small, cowardly group of idiots is trying to tarnish Australia's reputation.' The posters also featured logos for the universities and their student unions, who were outraged and denied any involvement Monash University confirmed that 23 posters had been discovered and removed from the Clayton campus He added: 'While the posters were in a small area of the campus and we removed them quickly, as a University, we stand with our students, staff and the community in condemning this kind of thing. 'It has no place at our University or in the community.' The posters plastered around the University of Melbourne bore the university's logo as well as the logos of the National Union of Students and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). In a statement, a spokesman for Melbourne University told Daily Mail Australia there is no evidence that the posters were produced or distributed by anyone associated with the school. 'These flyers were not produced or condoned by the University of Melbourne,' it said. 'Security staff removed the flyers and informed Victoria Police. The University also shared with police copies of the flyers and images from CCTV. 'The University does not tolerate activities of hatred and intolerance. We are committed to maintaining and strengthening a vibrant, inclusive and respectful campus community in which diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated.' The CSSA also insisted that the organisation had nothing to do with the posters. 'We would like to make it clear that posters distributed around the school containing these racist and malicious contents do not in any way represent the position of the CSSA and we strongly condemn the behaviour of the one who has performed this act,' they said in a statement. A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'Victoria Police is aware of these posters and has been in discussions with the University. 'We will not comment on the posters content so not to draw attention to the cause.' A seven-year-old girl helped save her sister by running for help while the 14-year-old was being raped. The two sisters were staying in the Pleasant Ridge Trailer Park in Russellville, Alabama, on Wednesday when the 14-year-old was given alcohol almost to the point of passing out. Tony Nathan Grissom, 30, then allegedly raped the girl. Her younger sister, who was there with her, saw the assault and ran to a neighbor's home for help. Grissom was arrested by Franklin County Sheriff's deputies Thursday morning. Two others, Melinda McNatt, 51, and Amanda Byrd, 37, were also arrested. The two girls were staying with McNatt, who is believed to be their aunt, according to Sheriff Shannon Oliver. Tony Nathan Grissom, 30, (left) allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl, who was drunk to the point of almost passing out late Wednesday. He was arrested Thursday with Melinda McNatt, 51, (center) and Amanda Byrd, 37 (right) The girl's seven-year-old sister ran to get help from a neighbor who called 911. The two girls were staying in the Pleasant Ridge Trailer Park in Russellville, Alabama, with McNatt, who police believe is the girls' aunt McNatt and Byrd, her roommate, had Grissom over to their home Wednesday night to drink and using meth, according to AL.com. They gave alcohol to the 14-year-old girl as well. '(The teen) got drunk, and Grissom took advantage of the situation,' Oliver said to the outlet. 'I just can't understand why a 30-year-old man has that kind of thought. It's just senseless and awful.' McNatt (pictured) was charged with drug possession, drug paraphernalia possession, endangering the welfare of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor The sheriff said the seven-year-old saw her sister was being hurt and tried to tell Byrd and McNatt, but they were passed out, so she ran to a neighbor who was able to stop the attack and call 911. 'Thank goodness she was there and had the courage to go get help,' Oliver said. 'It was bad enough, but it could have been a lot worse.' The 14-year-old was taken to Russellville Hospital where she was treated and has been released. The hospital did not have a rape kit, according to Waay 31. Officials had to get a rape kit from another city about 30 minutes away. All three adults were arrested Thursday. McNatt was charged with drug possession, drug paraphernalia possession, endangering the welfare of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Grissom was charged with first-degree rape. He and McNatt are still in jail. Byrd was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She has been released on bail. If he is convicted, Grissom could face up to life in prison. Advertisement A homeless tent city has sprung up again in the middle of Sydney's financial district just one month after council workers and police removed them from the city. The reopening of the camp, which is now home to 55 people, came as organiser Lanz Priestly, 72, welcomed his 12th child into the world. The man who has been described as the 'Mayor of Martin Place' told Daily Mail Australia the camp would continue to exist until the government provides an alternative. A tent city has popped up in Sydney's Martin Place outside the Reserve Bank of Australia just one month after people were cleared out of the area The homeless 'safe space' has been set up in the middle of Martin Place this time - after the balconies and eaves they were living under before were closed off The camp caters for men and women who have found themselves living on the street or in need of friendship or food 'We can't be swept aside,' he said. 'We will continue to provide these people with their basic human rights until someone else does. We won't stop until that happens.' Situated outside the Reserve Bank of Australia in one of the city's major financial sectors the camp is seen by thousands of people every day. 'We were tucked away before and barely took up any space - but now we can't be under the eaves of the buildings we will set up in the middle of the square,' he said. 'Now everybody can see us.' The camp is home to 55 men and women - but provides food, clothing and sleeping bags to many more people in need Mr Priestley also told Daily Mail Australia his newborn daughter was 'doing well'. 'He described his daughter as 'perfection' as he prepared food for the homeless community on Tuesday. 'She is a dream baby who sleeps six or seven hours a night,' he said. 'She is content and smiles a lot - I am so proud of them both.' Volunteers Belinda Percy and Barry Faulkner at the camp on Tuesday - Ms Percy has been volunteering at the site for 3 months Everything in the community is donated by the people of Sydney - cafes donate food and people and businesses give money People can be living in the camp for months at a time - but since Lanz took over 196 people have been re-housed Belinda Percy has been helping out with the camp for three months and was crushed when it was removed last month. She told Daily Mail Australia the safe place, kitchen and camp were important to help Sydney's homeless back on their feet. 'The whole idea of this place it to take what you need and give what you can,' Ms Percy said. 'They can have food, bedding, supplies, and information on how to access services to get their lives back on track.' The volunteer has seen the camp turn people's lives around. 'Some of the people are so close to the edge when they come here, you look in their eyes and all you can see is despair,' Ms Percy said. The community is in one of Sydney's busiest locations - with city-central workers often stopping to donate something Food is given to the homeless people who live in the camp but also to anyone in need - Sydney cafes and restaurants donate the food Lanz Priestley pictured sitting in a wheelbarrow before heading to a local shop for more bread donations The kitchen is well-equipped and caters for many tastes - including tea and coffee as well as many different breakfast options 'They are too ashamed of where their lives have taken them that often when they first come they can't even speak. 'They avoid eye contact and they just mumble along. 'But then then one day they will smile at you and that's their way of giving back and before you know it they are smiling all the time that's the warming effect this community has.' The homeless community currently houses 55 people but feeds many more. 'Some people prefer to live alone but will come up here for food and coffee or to talk to someone,' Ms Percy said. Some of the residents popping back into their tents after breakfast on Tuesday morning - 55 people live in the camp The camp is located outside of the Reserve Bank of Australia in one of Sydney's busiest locations, Martin Place A security guard is pictured looking over the camp from inside the Reserve Bank of Australia Before Lanz dedicated his life to helping the homeless the father-of-12 was a successful corporate project manager in Sydney, working for a major cosmetics brand. He began helping the homeless in 1964 with his brother in the park near their workplace, offering them food, blankets and helping them to find housing. Wayne, one of the men who live in the camp told Daily Mail Australia it feels safer than living on the street anywhere else in Sydney. 'Before I came here I spent a few weeks sleeping on the trains at night. 'I would hop on here and go all the way out to Lithgow and back but it was pretty tough,' he said. 'Some nights you wouldn't get any sleep because of all of the people yelling abuse at you.' The tent city is home to 55 people - but help feed many more with the 24 hour kitchen and volunteers Wayne has been homeless 'off and on' since 2000 sometimes saving enough money to stay in boarding houses for a while but never achieving anything long term. 'People can just rip you off when you are in this situation they will take your money for rent and bond and kick you out for no reason.' Wayne has only been in the camp for a week but already 'feels safe'. 'People tell you who to watch and what no to say and no one steals your things because so many people are always watching,' he said. A man speaks to Ms Percy, right, before being given a fresh sandwich as part of the 24-hour-kitchen's offerings The tents have all been donated to the kitchen, as have the clothes, chairs and food products used there everyday A sign claiming the people in the camp need homes not evictions. The sign went up some time after the council cleared out the camp in June 'Even tourists are always watching - they will just stop and take photos like they think we are a planned attraction. I wish they would ask us why we are here.' Former resident Buddy, 48, first found a bed in Marin place a year-and-a-half ago. He still comes for the community and some food despite being moved into a public housing flat. 'It can get pretty lonely in the flat because it is so far out of the city and I don't know anyone down there,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'But I can just hop on a bus and get here and talk to people and grab a feed. The camp has a library and a piano as well as information on where to get help - and volunteers who will assist residents Both men and women live in the tent city - with many staying for a few months before finding permanent housing The men and women who live in the camp invite the people of Sydney to come and say hello to them 'I feel safe here and since Lanz took over it has been a really well run place there's no trouble here.' Buddy lived on the street for five years before a public housing home became available to him. 'It can be dangerous on the street at least when you are in a place like this you can't get hassled,' he said. 'It is 24-hours here too, not many places have help 24 hours. 'Plus they help you out with clothing and bedding and there are always people here to talk to you if you are in a bad mood.' The campsite is usually 'pretty dead' during the day but people do still turn up to socialise and get some food The campsite also has a clothes table which has an offering of warm winter clothes to help those in need The camp is almost empty during the day with some residents going to work and most returning for dinner and to sleep. Ms Percy said the camp and kitchen are busiest between 4pm and 10pm. 'People come here for dinner or to socialise after work and when it is getting dark and cold. 'There are some sweet old ladies who live around the city who get lonely at night so come down to help out and have a chat. 'It is usually pretty quiet during the day but because he kitchen is always open the people who live here can leave their things without being afraid they will get stolen.' The kitchen currently gives out 50 blankets a day and runs with the generosity of the people of Sydney. Peta Credlin has accused the UN of making up an agreement with the Federal Government to settle some offshore refugees in Australia. The UN's refugee agency, made the extraordinary claim Australia agreed to consider accepting a handful of refugees on humanitarian grounds. The claim runs counter to the Turnbull Government's declaration that no refugees detained on Manus Island or Nauru would ever set foot in Australia. Peta Credlin has accused the UN of making up an agreement with the Federal Government to settle some offshore refugees in Australia UNHCR assistant high commissioner Volker Turk said it promised 'vulnerable refugees with close family ties in Australia would ultimately be allowed to settle'. 'We have reached a very clear understanding that we would be able to refer cases - compelling humanitarian cases,' he told ABC's 7.30 on Monday night. In exchange, the UNHCR would help move refugees from the offshore detention to the U.S. as part of the deal Malcolm Turnbull reached with Barack Obama. Refugees were due to begin moving to the U.S. in October as part of the deal, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said last week. However, Ms Credlin, who was former Tony Abbott's chief of staff when he established the policy as prime minister in 2013, said the government would never have made such an agreement. 'The government has been clear from day one: Never ever will they come to Australia, could not be clearer,' she told Sky News. 'This is exactly the sort of game that you see from the UN.' The claim runs counter to the Turnbull Government's declaration that no refugees detained on Manus Island or Nauru (picture) would ever set foot in Australia UNHCR assistant high commissioner Volker Turk said the government had promised 'vulnerable refugees with close family ties in Australia would ultimately be allowed to settle' Ms Credlin said of 170 signatories to the UN refugee convention, Australia was one of only 27 countries that actually accepted refugees. 'It is outrageous if you listen to the commentary around the world from the UNHCR in particular, we are pariahs,' she said. 'We are somehow ashamed, we are bad people, we don't look after refugees when they come to Australia, we don't pull our weight.' Ms Credlin said any change to government policy would 'reinvigorate, revitalise, give a marketing sell' to people smugglers, whose business model it was designed to break. Mr Turk said the UNHCR had so far identified 36 refugees with close family ties in Australia and compelling humanitarian cases. 'It's a border protection policy with a slippery slope where, indeed, people who are refugees are effectively punished. Part of that punishment is also how they deal with people who have family links in Australia,' he said. Tony Abbott established the tough refugee policy as prime minister in 2013 Ms Credlin said of 170 signatories to the UN refugee convention, Australia was one of only 27 countries that actually accepted refugees He was following up on statements by his boss, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who said the Australian Government only recently informed him it would refuse to accept and refugees. '[Refugees have been informed] their only option is to remain where they are or to be transferred to Cambodia or to the US,' he said. 'This means, for example, that some with serious medical conditions or who have undergone traumatic experiences, including sexual violence, cannot receive the support of their close family members resigning in Australia.' Ms Credlin challenged the UNCR to 'put up or shut up' after neither Mr Grandi nor Mr Turk produced any evidence of the supposed agreement. 'I've never seen an international meeting that is not full of departmental official types, so if they have notes of a meeting,' she said. 'If they have emails, if they have signatory documents that say Australia was going to resettle some of these people in Australia, put up or shut up, because I back the government right now on this issue.' Opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann said the UN's claim was 'extraordinary' and demanded the government release details. 'We have repeatedly called for more transparency and for the government to release the details of the US-Australia resettlement agreement,' he said. Ms Credlin challenged the UNCR to 'put up or shut up' after neither Mr Grandi nor Mr Turk produced any evidence of the supposed agreement Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denied any agreement with the UNHCR existed and affirmed the government would not back down on its policy 'I am calling on the government to do so again, (as well as) any side deal made in relation to the resettlement of refugees from Manus and Nauru with the UNHCR or anyone else.' Both Mr Dutton and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar denied any agreement with the UNHCR existed and affirmed the government would not back down on its policy. What the government says privately is the same as what it say publicly and that is if you've arrived here illegally by boat... you won't find your way to Australia,' Mr Sukkar told Sky News. 'We don't do that because we're callous or cruel... we know if you have that pathway to residency or citizenship it creates incentives that people smugglers need to cajole people on to leaky boats.' 'Any statements from the UNHCR or any third party that seek to dilute or undermine that, are not consistent with the government's position.' The parents of an 18-year-old woman who was arrested over a car crash that killed her 14-year-old sister have spoken out and said the accident has ruined their lives. Obdulia Sanchez is accused of live streaming the fatal moment she crashed her car, which threw her younger sister Jacqueline out of the back window on Friday. The teen from Stockton, California, is also accused of driving under the influence during the deadly incident where she filmed her dead sister's bloodied body. Now, the girls' parents have spoken out about the harrowing accident, saying it has ruined their lives and that Obdulia needs help. Scroll down for video Nicandro and Gloria Sanchez said their lives are ruined after their daughter Obdulia, 18, was arrested over a car crash that killed her sister Jacqueline, 14, in Los Banos, California, on Friday Obdulia (left) is now detained in the Merced County Jail on charges of vehicular manslaughter while under the influence and DUI. Police claim she was intoxicated when she crashed and live streamed Jacqueline's (right) death Parents Nicandro and Gloria Sanchez are left confused after Friday's accident in Los Banos, California, that left Obdulia in jail and Jacqueline dead. Nicandro said to ABC 7: 'It's an accident. It happened that way. Who knows why? He said the incident ruined their lives and Obdulia needs help before adding to the news station: 'I think she doesn't know what happened. 'What I think is she knows she's done something wrong. Because she knows, and that's what I feel. She feels bad for herself, but she killed her own sister.' Nicandro revealed that Obdulia had graduated high school last year and that in the past two years she was in the custody of Child Protective Services. Authorities are continuing to investigate the graphic video that they believe shows the deadly events unfolding. They are unsure if Obdulia did anything to save her younger sister and an officer said it still is undetermined if she even called 911. 'I killed my sister.' Obdulia speaks directly to the camera before the crash, with a passenger visible in the background, left, and, right, keeps filming after the crash The live Instagram footage shows Obdulia talking to the camera as she drives normally and the moment the car rolled over a barbed wire fence and onto a field. Gory visuals from the scene then show Jacqueline's body strewn on the floor, the other girl in the car waving for help and Obdulia talking to the camera. During the live recording Obdulia said: 'Jacqueline, please wake up. I f****** killed my sister, OK? I know I'm going to jail for life. I love my sister this is the last thing I thought was going to happen to us.' 'I killed my sister, but I don't care. I killed my sister. I know I'm going to prison, but I don't care. I'm sorry baby. I'm a hold it down.' The disturbing clip ends with her kneeling next to her dead sister and saying: 'Wake up baby, I'm f**king sorry baby, I did not mean to kill you sweetie.' Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said Jacqueline was not wearing a seatbelt when the car crashed and rolled on Henry Miller Road at about 6.45pm on Friday. The 14-year-old was thrown through the back window of the car, authorities said. Authorities say 14-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez, pictured above, died at the scene The car rolled over a barbed wire fence and onto a field in Los Banos, about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco, on Friday Authorities say Obdulia was detained at the scene after allegedly becoming combative with officers after the crash. She was screaming that her sister was dead as officers tried to calm her down and lead her into an ambulance (above) Another girl, who police have named as Manuela Seja, 14, was also not wearing a seatbelt and suffered major leg injuries in the crash. The California Highway Patrol said Obdulia was driving the car when it veered onto the right shoulder of a road about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco. She over-corrected, causing the vehicle to swerve across lanes, crash through a wire fence and overturn into a field. Obdulia was wearing a seatbelt and suffered minor injuries. She is now in the Merced County Jail on charges of vehicular manslaughter while under the influence and DUI. Authorities say she was detained at the scene after allegedly becoming combative with officers after the crash. She was screaming that her sister was dead as officers tried to calm her down and lead her into an ambulance, the Fresno Bee reports. Obdulia complained of pains in her chest and knee after the crash. Police told ABC 30: 'Sanchez was under the influence when she rolled her car over, into a barbed wire fence and then a field.' Obdulia has more than 7,400 followers on Facebook and Instagram. It is not clear if her Instagram profile photo (right) shows her injuries from the recent deadly crash Authorities said they were made aware of the shocking crash scene video circulating on social media and were working to determine if it was authentic. Family members have confirmed the video was shot by Obdulia. They say the victim, Jacqueline, was supposed to celebrate her Quinceanera (15th birthday) on Sunday. Mary Hernandez, of Stockton, who viewed the live stream, decided to record it while unsure if the shocking footage was real. 'At first we didn't even want to believe it was real,' she said. 'I recorded it and posted it mainly because as someone who uses Snapchat I see a lot of people driving with their Snapchats doing what she was doing, so to me it was like an eye opener.' The footage received at least 700,000 views. Family members have started a GoFundMe Page for Jacqueline's funeral expenses. It has since raised $5,000 of its $10,000 goal. Facebook has been repeatedly accused of failing to remove graphic and unsuitable content. In April it announced it was hiring 3,000 more staff to monitor posts. A billionaire businessman has apologized and taken down his company's controversial advertisement in downtown Detroit that says 'See Detroit Like We Do' with an image of a majority white crowd. Quicken Loans Founder and Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert, 55, posted on Facebook Sunday, saying the ad was 'tone deaf' and his Bedrock real estate company 'screwed up badly.' The campaign's photograph contradicted 2010 US Census data indicating the city is more than 82 per cent black. The advertising campaign by Bedrock real estate was widely scrutinized on social media for showing a majority of whites in predominantly black Detroit Billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert apologized for his company's controversial sign in downtown Detroit that says 'See Detroit Like We Do' with an image of a majority white crowd The ad was posted on a residential high-rise during the weekend of the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit riots, resulting in social media uproar. Councilman Andre L. Spivey posted a photo of the ad to his Facebook while it was up and another photo after it was taken down with the caption 'I think Bedrock got the message. Let's see Detroit with everyone included.' Gilbert said the display posted Friday was part of a larger campaign on the high-rise, but the standalone image distorted the company's message. He says the image was removed Saturday and the campaign has been 'killed.' Gilbert apologized for the ad in a lengthy statement on his company's Facebook Sunday and gave a preview of what the fuller campaign would have looked like. However, local radio host Karen Dumas thought even in light of the rest of the scenes released by Bedrock, the campaign was not diverse enough. Dumas tweeted: 'Much discussion, many explanations, & more excuses but the alleged ''full'' pic from @BedrockDetroit has surfaced on social media. #AndStill' The ad was quickly removed after public outcry over its non-inclusive image Local radio host Karen Dumas did not think the full campaign outside of the first released portion was diverse enough In the statement released by Gilbert, he admitted the campaign was deeply flawed. 'We screwed up badly... Although not intended to create the kind of feelings it did, the slogan/statement we used on these graphics was tone deaf, in poor taste and does not reflect a single value or philosophy that we stand for at Bedrock Development or in our entire Family of companies.' Gilbert also noted the issues with the slogan itself: 'We have killed the "See Detroit As We Do" campaign. Who cares how "we see Detroit'?!" He added: 'We immediately killed this dumb campaign slogan as soon as it was communicated more widely in our company. You won't be seeing that tagline anywhere again.' A Bali prison escapee has made his own wanted posters to taunt police after being on the run from the law for more than a month. Australian criminal Shaun Edward Davidson, 33, tunnelled out of Kerobokan prison with three other inmates in mid-June and has been on the run since. Davidson posted the posters on to his Facebook wall which he often uses to check-in to different places. Prison escapee Shaun Edward Davidson posted his own wanted posters (pictured) online The Bali prison escapee has been on run for a month but teases police with posters (pictured) Davidson, 33, (pictured) climbed through sewage pipe mid June escaping overcrowded prison Since escaping, Davidson has been seen messaging police, cheekily asking them if they're close to finding him yet (pictured) The wanted poster has a black and white photo of a shirtless Davidson and advertises a 'huge reward'. A missing persons poster was posted to Facebook which has a photo of Davidson and says his last known location was Kerobokan Prison. His current possible location is 'not sure but we're close' - a reference to what Balinese authorities told media earlier this month. The Perth man also messaged Interpol, the world's largest police organisation, asking them if they were close to catching him. 'Hey hows [sic] it going just wondering when you say close how close are you really?' Davidson sent to Interpol. The escapee took to Facebook a week ago to display he had been a 'free man' for '30 full days'. 'I've left fans amazed police and governments dazed who wouldv thought I'd be ontop with my cheeky smarta** ways,' Davidson posted. Davidson, and three other men, escaped Kerobokan Prison through a tunnel (pictured) Two of the men were caught days later after escaping through the tunnel (pictured) but Davidson remains on the run Escapee (pictured) posted on Facebook a week ago saying he was a 'free man' for '30 full days' The criminal used Facebook to check in to different locations, teasing police (pictured) Since escaping Kerobokan Prison (pictured) the escapee said wants to make light of his messy situation The criminal said he wasn't taunting police and was instead 'having some fun and a laugh' with his life. 'I'm living my life just trying to make the best out of a bad situation,' Davidson posted. Davidson escaped the Bali prison, the same jail Schapelle Corby spent nine years, through a 15 metre sewage tunnel which ended just outside the jail walls. 'I'm living my life just trying to make the best out of a bad situation,' Davidson posted Facebook Davidson (pictured) spent four hours digging his way out of jail in the pouring rain in Bali Davidson (top left, pictured with the three other escapees) had two months and 15 days left to serve of his sentence for immigration offences after using another man's passport The escapees spent four hours in heavy rain using a bucket to scoop water out of the tunnel before crawling out. Two of the escapees were caught days later in East Timor while Davidson remains on the run. Davidson had two months and 15 days left to serve of his sentence for immigration offences after he was arrested in April 2016 for using another man's passport. A babysitter accused of giving a fatal dose of Benadryl to an eight-month-old boy has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Lori Conley also pleaded guilty Monday in a Franklin County, Ohio, court to child endangering and tampering with evidence in the May 2016 death of Haddix Mulkey. Conley, 44, could be sentenced to up to 17 years in prison. Prosecutors believe the Reynoldsburg woman gave an adult dose of the over-the-counter allergy medication to Haddix to try to get him to sleep while she was baby-sitting him May 13 at her suburban Columbus home. Lori Conley (left) pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and tampering with evidence in the May 2016 death of Haddix Mulkey (right) The 44-year-old later called 911 after she found the baby boy unresponsive. Authorities say Haddix died that day at a hospital from the overdose. It was revealed last year Conley was said to be watching over eight toddlers and infants on May 13 - the day Haddix died. Conley will be sentenced on September 5. Conley, 44, could be sentenced to up to 17 years in prison after her guilty plea. She is pictured in court at an earlier date A 74-year-old Queensland man charged with making almost $1 million through a fraudulent cold call syndicate allegedly spent most of the money on a luxury yacht. The man was arrested by State Crime Command in Brisbane on Tuesday morning and will appear this afternoon in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on fraud, money laundering and perjury-related charges, where police will object to his bail. Authorities allege he was involved in a Gold Coast-based cold call scam with links to the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang, and that he spent $750,000 on 70-foot luxury motor yacht. Queensland police have arrested a 74-year-old man who allegedly made $1 million from a fraudulent cold calling scam The vessel, which was called 'The Montage' was later sold after the accused spent some of the scammed money on renovating it, according to The NT News. 'This morning's activities saw the execution of search warrants at a Clayfield residential address and also the office of a Gold Coast law firm,' Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Gough of the Organised Crime Gangs Group said. 'The defendant was taken into custody without incident.' 'We allege the victim's money was fraudulently appropriated by the defendant including to fund the $750,000 purchase of the vessel,' Detective Senior Sergeant Gough added. The investigation, launched in late 2015, initially focused on links between the man arrested this morning and a member of the Gold Coast 'Finks' outlaw motorcycle gang, who was also the director of Keystone Finance Pty Ltd and Prestige Capital Australia Pty Ltd. Five other suspects have previously been charged in connection with the fraudulent syndicate, which is thought to have scammed people out of an estimated total of $3 million since 2014. Lisa Oldfield slammed a Sikh father who is taking action against his son's Christian school for banning the five-year-old from wearing a turban. Sagardeep Singh Arora, from Melbourne, believes his son Sidhak not being allowed to wear his 'patka' (a head covering worn by Sikh boys) is a breach of his human rights under the Equal Opportunity Act. But the Real Housewives of Sydney star, who is married to David Oldfield a former politician who co-founded Pauline Hanson's One Nation party criticised Mr Arora in a now-deleted Instagram post. Lisa Oldfield slammed a Sikh father who is taking action against his son's Christian school for banning the five-year-old from wearing a turban In a post on Instagram on Tuesday that since been deleted, the Real Housewives of Sydney star slammed the Sikh father 'I have no issue with the #sikh faith and wearing the #patka but FFS don't send you kid to a school that practises a different faith!' she wrote. She then added: 'It's as ridiculous as demanding #bacon sandwiches in an #islamic school or telling the #rastifarai to stop smoking weed. 'Stop embarrassing your child and send him to a #secular or #public school!' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Oldfield for comment. Mr Arora's son was enrolled to begin school at Melton Christian College at the start of the year however the school's uniform policy does not accept his head covering. Five-year-old Sidhak (pictured) from wearing a his traditional Sikh patka - an essential religious turban for children - at his school Sagardeep Singh Arora (pictured left) is fighting on behalf of his young son, believing that he is being denied a basic human right outlined in the Equal Opportunity Act 'I believe students should be allowed to practice their religion and should be allowed to wear their article of faith,' Mr Arora told the ABC. 'I was very surprised in an advanced country like Australia, they are still not allowing us to wear patka in the school,' he said. But the principal of the school David Gleeson said that multiple Sikh students go to the school but none are given an exception to wear the religious head covering. 'I think one of the real strengths of the college is that we're blind to everyone is blind to religious affiliations,' he said. 'I believe students should be allowed to practice their religion and should be allowed to wear their article of faith,' Mr Arora said Sidhak was enrolled to begin school at Melton Christian College (pictured) at the start of the year however the school's uniform policy does not accept his head covering Mr Gleeson likened the situation to a child who likes to wear a New Balance cap but is not permitted. He said anything additional to the uniform is not acceptable and this policy does not breach the Equal Opportunity Act. Mr Arora's son is now on the class list at another school but hopes the Christian school will change their minds so Sidhak can attend school with his cousins, who do not wear the turban. The hearing will continue on Wednesday. A New Zealand woman was shocked to find a dead gecko at the bottom of her beer bottle. Debbie Metcalfe, from Christchurch, says she has lost two kilograms since finding the creature swimming in her Pure Blonde beer. Ms Metcalfe was at home enjoying a beer with her husband on Saturday when she felt a tickle on her tongue, The New Zealand Herald reported. A New Zealand woman was shocked to find a dead gecko at the bottom of her beer bottle (pictured) Debbie Metcalfe, from Christchurch, (pictured) says he has lost two kilograms since finding the creature swimming in her Pure Blonde beer When she saw what she believed to be a decomposing lizard she instantly vomited, and hasn't gained her appetite back since. Ms Metcalfe took to Facebook to let Pure Blonde know of her disgust. She wrote: 'Thanks for the dead lizard at the bottom of my beer! What are your quality controls?' Carlton and United Breweries, who owns Pure Blonde, got in touch to let Ms Metcalfe know the creature was likely a gecko, she said. Ms Metcalfe took to Facebook to let Pure Blonde know of her disgust Carlton and United Breweries, who owns Pure Blonde, got in touch to let Ms Metcalfe know the creature was likely a gecko 'The brewery have made contact, it was probably a gecko and they are not poisonous. 'I just have been off eating and drinking- the thought of it still makes me feel ill. No more beersies (sic) for me.' After making the discovery she put the bottle in the freezer. It is set to be picked up by Ministry for Primary Industries for investigation on Tuesday. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Carlton and United Breweries for comment. Smugglers are charging desperate migrants $5,500 for the 'VIP treatment' to the US - crammed in the back of big rigs without air conditioning - and women say they prefer it as they are less likely to be raped. Ten people died after they were locked inside a boiling truck without air conditioning or water on Sunday. Authorities found a total of 38 in the truck, which was parked outside a Texas Walmart, who were all rushed to hospital. Thomas Homan, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said he was saddened to hear these kind of tragedies still occurred after the last big human trafficking incident in 2003 when a truck was found 120 miles southeast of San Antonio with 19 dead migrants. Scroll down for video James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida, center, (pictured as he is escorted out of the federal courthouse, Monday) was arrested in connection with the deaths of multiple people packed into a broiling tractor-trailer on Sunday Ten people died and and 28 were rushed to nearby hospitals in 'critical or very serious condition' after the discovery (Pictured, police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants were found dead on Sunday morning) 'It is sad that 14 years later people are still being smuggled in tractor-trailers,' he said. 'There still isn't water, there still isn't ventilation. These criminal organizations, they're all about making money.' Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were then the busiest corridors for illegal crossings. Before that, people paid small fees to mom-and-pop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border. As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror strikes in the U.S., migrants were led through more dangerous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more. Women, some carrying children, think they are less likely to be raped on a truck than in the open desert because there are more witnesses, Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a political scientist who teaches at University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, said. Riding in a big rig, she said, is 'the VIP treatment.' Ten people, including two children, were founded dead. Police are investigating the incident as a 'human trafficking' case (Pictured, police officers near a white truck in the parking lot) It was first discovered that something was amiss when one person approached a Walmart worker in the store parking lot (pictured) and asked for some water Correa-Cabrera said migrants she interviewed last year in South Texas paid $2,000 to $3,000 more to ride in the crammed tractor-trailers, considering them more effective, faster and safer than walking through the desert to a pickup point far from the border. Hundreds of border crossers perish each year in the desert, getting lost and dehydrated in extreme heat. But one of the 38 smuggled immigrants, Mexican laborer Adan Lara Vega, 27, says he was charged $5,500 for the journey. He said that price was supposed to include air conditioning but there was no ventilation and he heard people crying and asking for water before he passed out. 'It's like any other business: the more they move, the more profit they make,' Homan said. 'Rather than taking four in a car, the profit margin on tractor-trailers is a lot more.' The growing use of trucks coincided with increased trade with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement, allowing smugglers to more easily blend in with cargo, particularly on Interstate 35 from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio, Correa-Cabrera said. Walking in the open desert more easily exposes them to U.S. Border Patrol agents. A couple visits a make-shift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered the tractor-trailer packed with immigrants Truck drivers are low-level cogs in a big machine, recruited in the U.S. at casinos and other places where smuggling organizations look for people who are down on their luck, desperate for quick cash and disinclined to ask questions. James Matthew Bradley Jr., who made an initial court appearance Monday in San Antonio on smuggling charges, told authorities he was delivering what he thought was a sold vehicle from Schaller, Iowa, to Brownsville, Texas, and that he didn't know what was inside, according to the complaint. He said he was given no deadline or address to deliver the truck. Other guides take migrants across Mexico by bus. Others join them on a raft across the Rio Grande or through the desert to a hideout or to a nearby house where they may wait days or weeks. Eventually smuggling organizations get them to major cities like Phoenix, Houston or San Antonio. 'I have to imagine that their winning percentage is really, really high,' said Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy group. 'Whatever reputation they lose from episodes like this, their profit margins are still high enough to make it work. Otherwise people wouldn't pay.' The people inside the tractor-trailer were found in the early hours of Sunday morning after one of them approached a Walmart worker in the store parking lot and asked for some water. James Matthew Bradley Jr., (pictured) who made an initial court appearance Monday in San Antonio on smuggling charges, told authorities he was delivering what he thought was a sold vehicle from Schaller, Iowa, to Brownsville, Texas, and that he didn't know what was inside The employee gave the person the water and then called police, and when officers arrived they found the eight people - all men - dead in the back of the trailer, police Chief William McManus said. Investigators checked store surveillance video, which showed vehicles had arrived and picked up other people from the tractor-trailer, police said. 'We're looking at a human trafficking crime this evening,' McManus said. He called the case 'a horrific tragedy'. A criminal complaint found a degree of sophistication and organizational muscle: passengers had color-coded tape to split into smaller groups; and six black SUVs awaited them at one transit point to bring them to their destinations. The police chief added that the Department of Homeland Security has joined an investigation to figure out what happened with the truck. ICE also released a statement about the incident on Sunday afternoon, saying the deaths are a: 'stark reminder of why human smuggling networks must be pursued, caught and punished'. 'These networks have repeatedly shown a reckless disregard for those they smuggle, as last nights case demonstrates. A Walmart employee said a migrant asked for a glass of water, which he gave them, and then called police, and when officers arrived they found the eight people - all men - dead in the back of the trailer, police Chief McManus said (Pictured, a police officer is seen shining a light into the back of the truck where eight people were found dead) 'The men and women of ICE are proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners, including locally and at the U.S. Department of Justice, to combat these smuggling networks and protect the public and those who would fall victim to their dangerous practices that focus solely on their illicit profits.' The city's fire chief, Charles Hood, said rescuers swiftly got patients out of the back of the truck. He added: 'We had another 20 patients that were either in extremely critical condition or very serious condition and they have been transported to a number of hospitals. 'They were very hot to the touch. So these people were in this trailer without any signs of any type of water.' Police said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified. In May 2003, 19 people being transported from South Texas to Houston died inside a sweltering tractor-trailer. Prosecutors said the driver in the 2003 case heard the people begging and screaming for their lives as they were succumbing to the stifling heat inside his truck but refused to free them. The driver was resentenced in 2011 to nearly 34 years in prison after a federal appeals court overturned the multiple life sentences he had received. A man's body has been found at the rear of a reserve on the Sunshine West along Western Ring Road on Tuesday morning. Police were called to the reserve at the rear of Cawood Drive at 10am to find a body between the back fences of houses and a large grassy mound on the Sunshine West, west of Melbourne. The police are yet to determine the circumstances of the man's death. Police at the scene where a man's body was found out the back of a reserve in Sunshine West A police car parked outside the street where a man's body was found nearby Investigators are treating the man's death as suspicious, according to a police statement. The homicide squad are investigating the incident. The SES have placed a tent up in the location the body was found, which is close to a primary school. The neighbourhood has been described as quiet and peaceful with no problems in the street near where the body was located. The body was found near the fence at the rear of the reserve Ted Cruz is reportedly near the top of Donald Trump's list of choices to potentially replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general. Cruz, who was regularly mocked by Trump during the Republican primaries and nicknamed 'Lyin' Ted' by the then-candidate, could find himself taking Sessions' spot if the former Alabama representative resigns or is fired, the Washington Post reports. Trump would reportedly be willing to make the Texan the country's chief law enforcement officer despite him having last year revived a rumor linking Cruz's father, Rafael, to Lee Harvey Oswald and the JFK assassination. However, Cruz was quick to distance himself from the speculation on Monday night, releasing a statement that said he is 'deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General. Ted Cruz is reportedly near the top of Donald Trump's list of choices to potentially replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general He added: 'The stories being reported in the media tonight are false. My focus is and will remain on fighting every day to defend 28 million Texans in the US Senate.' Another name reportedly under consideration is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani denied he is in the running for the role, which reportedly is on the cusp of being available due to Trump's desire to fire special counsel Robert Mueller and bring the Russia investigation into his presidential campaign to an end, according to the Post. Trump has raged in recent days over Sessions' decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation. Sessions is under pressure as Trump and his trusted advisers are reportedly discussing how firing him would play in the media Sessions is reportedly is on the cusp of being fired due to Trump's desire to sack special counsel Robert Mueller and bring the Russia investigation into his presidential campaign to an end The president's anger again bubbled into public view Monday as he referred to Sessions in a tweet as 'beleaguered.' Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions. That's according to three people who have recently spoken to the president and demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. He also took a swipe at Sessions on Monday morning, while mixing in a dose of 'whataboutism' in regards to Hillary Clinton and potential links between her and Russia. Cruz is one of the top names being considered as a potential replacement for Sessions, according to reports 'So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?' Trump tweeted Monday. The tweet came less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe, saying he should never have taken the job as attorney general. Sessions recused himself from the investigation earlier this year after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. The attorney general said last week that he planned to stay in the post. Trump has seethed about Sessions' decision for months, viewing it as disloyal - arguably the most grievous offense in the president's mind - and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. The men have not spoken since the publication of the Times interview, according to Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz talk over each other in the Republican presidential debate at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston on February 25, 2016 And their conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent as Trump has been unable to forget the attorney general's action, according to three White House and outside advisers. Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. The men used to be close: Sessions first appeared with Trump at a rally in the then-senator's home state of Alabama in August 2015, an event that drew a massive crowd and was, for many members of Trump's inner circle, one of the first signs that their candidate was catching on. Sessions then became the first US senator to endorse Trump and a frequent campaign adviser. When Trump was elected, Sessions was given a pick of prime Cabinet spots and expressed interest in being attorney general, giving up a safe Senate seat and decades of seniority. The broadside against Sessions in the interview was not a calculated ploy to force the attorney general to resign but rather Trump's frustration with his longtime ally bubbling to the surface, according to the advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Several people close to Trump - including his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, who has also been ensnared in the Russia probe - have also told the president that they believe Sessions' decision to recuse himself was a mistake. That has only fueled Trump's obsession with the probe, which has dogged his White House since Inauguration Day. Despite his protests to the contrary, Trump continues to watch and obsess over cable news coverage and he frequently interrupts conversations about other topics to complain bitterly about the probe or, on occasion, predict that it'll soon be behind him. A man has been arrested after taking LSD and subsequently chasing a flock of seagulls while naked on a beach in a Michigan park. Police were called on Sunday afternoon at 3pm about a man causing a disturbance in Petoskey State Park in northern Michigan. After running along the beach, the Ann Arbor native returned to the parking lot where he then dove into the pavement. Police were called on Sunday afternoon at 3pm about a man causing a disturbance in Petoskey State Park in northern Michigan. There they found the Ann Arbor native running around naked, chasing seagulls on the beach State troopers said that when they initially tried to arrest the man, he screamed and then threatened one of the troopers. The man was eventually detained by officers and taken to a local hospital for the injuries he sustained when he dove in the parking lot. He had been running in the park naked and was chasing seagulls on the beach before running off and diving in a parking lot Troopers added that they were told the man had been on LSD and had taken it earlier in the day. He now faces multiple charges, including indecent exposure and resisting and obstructing a police officer. He waits for arraignment at Emmet County jail. craigslist: thailand jobs, apartments, for sale, services, community, and events craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, services, local community, and events A bizarre footpath has baffled residents in a Sydney beach-side suburb. This week a 'zigzag' footpath in New Zealand went viral because of its 'ridiculous' windy design. The New Zealand footpath bears a striking resemblance to one in the Sydney suburb of Sandringham, according to local resident Ben. The Sydney footpath zigs and zags around light post and two speeding signs, which are questionably close together A bizarre footpath other has baffled residents in a Sydney beach side suburb 'There is a similar silly footpath in the Sydney suburb of Sandringham on Clareville Avenue which has been around for years, and is similarly silly in design,' Ben told Daily Mail Australia. The Sydney footpath snakes around a light post and two speeding signs, which appear very close together. 'Not only [is there] the wavy footpath, but there must have been a 2-for-1 sale on speed zone signs, because as you'll note in the photos there are two 50km/h signs barely a few metres apart,' Ben said. The Sydney footpath came to light after a similar one baffled locals in a new housing estate in New Zealand. The zigzag footpath has been described as 'ridiculous' by former local councilor Murray Guy who posted photos of the spectacle on Facebook. 'Can't believe the ridiculous footpath and tree planting approved at The Lakes as seen this afternoon,' Mr Guy posted. The crooked footpath (pictured) has been ridiculed online by former councilor and locals The footpath in Pyes Pa, New Zealand, has been called 'ridiculous' and 'bloody bulls***' Mr Guy said the footpath on Te Ranga Memorial Drive in The Lakes development in Pyes Pa, on New Zealand's North Island, could cause serious accidents for users who might be vision impaired. 'How long before multiple accidents, frustrations, for variety of users, mobility impaired, sight impaired, children on skateboards,' he said. 'Personally, seriously gutted to realise our newest developments are unable to apply common sense to plantings, safe road options. Gutted. Bloody bulls***.' Pyes Pa Councillor Catherine Stewart defended the footpath calling it flexible and creative and rather had an issue with the number of trees planted according to Stuff.co.nz Murray Guy said the footpath (pictured) could cause serious injuries for vision or mobility impaired people Mr Guy (pictured) took to Facebook sharing the photos with people who came up with conspiracy theories for why was designed, including to get people to stop texting and walking 'I can see they were trying to be a bit creative with the footpath, avoiding the trees, but it is absolutely ridiculous to have that many trees so close together,' Ms Stewart said. 'Having trees that close to infrastructure and the road is just a problem waiting to happen.' People took to social media with conspiracy theories to why the crooked footpath was approved. 'It's done to stop people walking and texting,' one Facebook user commented. 'It is so bad that it could become a tourist attraction and the city of Tauranga will be on the world map for stupid places and things to see,' another posted. One of WA's biggest egg producers has been slugged more than $1 million after it deceived shoppers by falsely labelling some of its products free-range, and consumer class action may follow. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission brought the action against Snowdale Holdings over its farms in Carabooda and the Swan Valley in Perth's north, where the company produced brands including Eggs by Ellah. The farms have since been closed but Snowdale still produces eggs at a large Gingin operation, where it claims hens are stocked at no more than 1500 per hectare. Snowdale Holdings based in WA have falsely claimed that their produce were free-range eggs Most of the chickens at Snowdale's farm were found to have been cooped up inside sheds without ever going outside, the court was told. The court has also made an order preventing Snowdale from using the words 'free-range' on its products unless the eggs are produced by hens that roam freely. Humane Society International is pleased with the court's decision. 'This is a major victory for Australian consumers,' said Verna Simpson, Director of Humane Society International in a statement. Snowdale was fined $750,000 in the Federal Court in Perth on Tuesday and must also pay $300,000 in court costs. Snowdale, a major supplier to Coles and Woolworths, has also been ordered to undergo a consumer law compliance program and publish a corrective notice. Justice Antony Siopis said the conduct was deliberate and 'particularly serious'. 'This is because the contravening conduct comprised the making of misleading statements about a staple food product purchased by a very large number of consumers,' he said. 'The fact that during the relevant period, Snowdale sold more than 60 million eggs as 'free-range' eggs is testimony to the extent to which Snowdale's contravening conduct affected consumers. 'Consumers in Western Australia, during the relevant period, paid a premium of between $5 million to $8.5 million for a product which they did not receive.' Not all of that went to Snowdale, however, with Justice Siopis estimating the company itself gained between $1.7 million and $1.9 million in extra revenue 'and probably even more'. Free-range eggs are produced by chickens that are not kept in cages and can roam freely Outside court, Humane Society International's Dinny Laurence said the penalty was a major win. 'We think that this is a great result,' Ms Laurence told reporters. 'More than the pecuniary penalty, I think that the sanctions that have been imposed on Snowdale are incredibly important. 'There is a monitoring program, which is a wonderful thing. To have a penalty for the past is one thing but to restrain future transgressions of this kind are another.' Ms Laurence said a class action was 'a very real possibility'. Daily Mail Australia had contacted Snowdale Holdings who said that they would not be commenting on the matter. A two-year-old was mysteriously found dead in a swimming pool during a wedding, hours after police said they had searched the murky water for the missing toddler. Marquavias Thweak was found floating in a home swimming pool in Birmingham, Alabama, in the early hours of Monday morning. The little boy was reported missing to police earlier that morning and officials said they scanned the pool several times with infrared technology but didn't find him. The Thweak family, who was hosting a wedding reception of up to 70 people at the time, denied police access to the home and didn't report the child missing for 45 minutes, police said. Hours after the initial search, an officer noticed the toddler floating in the pool's murky waters and the little boy was declared dead. Marquavias Thweak, two, was found dead in a swimming pool during a wedding reception in Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday morning The little boy was reported missing to police earlier that morning and officials said they scanned the pool several times with infrared technology but didn't find Marquavias An autopsy is being performed by a coroner to get 'clarity on the cause of death', Lt. Sean Edwards said to AL.com. The official said police tried to gain access inside the home to search for the child for several hours but the family wouldn't allow them inside. He added: 'There's a lot of question marks that we have. If you have a two-year-old missing, you're going to be 125 percent cooperative... most normal parents would say, "Everything is open."' Edwards told the news outlet it was 'mysterious' that Marquavias was found in the pool even after authorities had searched the waters several times before finding him. He added: 'It's kind of interesting. There was a time where we didn't have eyes on the pool after we searched it. Anything could have transpired then.' Police blamed the pool's murky waters (pictured) for officers not finding the little boy right away. Officials question how the toddler could have drowned with so many adults around Police said they were alerted that Marquavias was missing around 12.45am on Monday morning. They reported that the little boy actually hadn't been seen for 45 minutes before the 911 call. He was last seen by the pool. There was around 50 to 70 guests at the wedding, reported WVTM 13. Edwards said the child's parents and four other people were brought into police headquarters for questioning. Later on Monday evening, police determined Marquavias' death was a tragic accident but are still waiting on the official coroner's report. There were 50 to 70 guests at the home during the accident for a wedding reception. Pictured: The outside of the scene where Marquavias was found dead Edwards blamed the pool's murky waters for officers not finding the little boy right away. He still questions how the toddler could have drowned with so many adults around, reported Yahoo! News. Edwards added: 'Youve got adults all over the place. Our concern, our questions are accountability and responsibility. 'Where was the adult supervision that needed to take place at this location?' Christopher Charles Watson, from Kingman, Arizona, was charged with felony domestic child abuse for allegedly stranding his 10-year-old daughter in an Arizona desert A father has found himself behind bars after being accused of stranding his 10-year-old daughter in an Arizona desert, without either shoes or water Christopher Charles Watson, from Kingman, Arizona, was charged with felony domestic child abuse, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. A woman reportedly called deputies early Saturday morning when she found a girl crying and walking by herself on the hot asphalt with no shoes. It was 91 degrees fahrenheit when she was found. Watson and his daughter got into a fight before the 28-year-old decided to take the girl out for a car ride to calm her down, according to authorities. The girl added that her father bit her and hit her head while reaching for the door handle and her father just sped away, according to reports from KPNX. A woman reportedly called deputies early Saturday morning when she found a girl crying and walking by herself on the hot asphalt with no shoes Complaining of a headache and that her neck was hurting, the child was transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and then released. The girl was then taken into the custody of the Department of Child Safety. Police would then go to Watson's home to arrest the man, who they said reeked of alcohol and was sleeping. Complaining of a headache and that her neck was hurting, the child was transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and then released Watson claimed that he drove back home and waited 15 minutes before returning, only to find she wasn't there. Her father added that he dragged his daughter from the front passenger seat, across his lap and out of the truck. The DCS also took Watson's nine-year-old son. Young lovers who ran a drug empire in country Victoria are now both behind bars after the boyfriend of violent 'ice queen' Jessica Fogarty was jailed for 10 months. Matthew Tymms, 25, helped his girlfriend sell about six to eight ounces of ice a week, making about a $4000 profit per ounce, the County Court of Victoria was told on Tuesday. Despite their huge earnings, the relationship was tumultuous, with Fogarty at one point breaking Tymms' nose. But Judge Frank Gucciardo said during sentencing that Tymms was believed to 'still nurture feelings' for Fogarty and hoped to rekindle their relationship after the pair is released from jail. Scroll down for video The young lover of so-called 'ice queen' Jessica Fogarty (pictured) has been jailed for 10 months for his role in running the couple's regional Victorian drug empire Judge Frank Gucciardo said during sentencing that Tymms was believed to 'still nurture feelings' for Fogarty, who is also serving jail time for drug trafficking, and hoped to rekindle their relationship The court was told Tymms pleaded guilty to trafficking a drug of dependence in Wangaratta between January 2013 and September 2014. The pair tried to conceal their trafficking by renting premises to deal from, using many telephones with 'fictitious' names, using encryption services and laundering money through TAB wagering accounts. In 2014, Fogarty gave birth to the couple's child. Soon after the birth, she called Tymms from hospital with directions to collect debt money. Judge Gucciardo said Tymms' role in the couple's drug business, because of his relationship with Fogarty, was as 'enabler and facilitator' to achieve her purposes. Apart from the assault from his girlfriend, Tymms was also attacked on two other occasions while involved in the drug business. Tymms was sentenced to 10 months in jail, followed by an 18-month community corrections order with 200 hours of community work. Fogarty, 27, who was sentenced in March 2016 to seven years' jail for drug trafficking, was dubbed in the media as the 'ice queen'. Judge Gucciardo noted he had already served 131 days in pre-sentence detention. The mother-of-one ran a multi-million dollar ice and cocaine ring in regional Victoria that also supplied to Melbourne and Sydney In recent years, Wangaratta has become one of many regional Victorians towns now known as a hot-bed for drug use, with locals saying more and more people are using ice and other methamphetamines. In November 2015, Wangaratta teenager Jordy Hurdes posted a confronting video showing him stuttering and struggling to speak after he took party drugs. In 2014 a Four Corners investigation looked at the ice epidemic sweeping through Australia, revealing that children as young as 11 were becoming hooked on the drug. The ABC's current affairs show met with ice users, ice cooks, police and recovering addicts, who painted a disturbing picture: international drug cartels are working with local bikie gangs to push ice out of the cities, and police are losing the battle to stop it. One woman's ice addiction led her to start rummaging through bins every day A kindhearted man has been praised on social media after a video surfaced of him offering food and an umbrella to a homeless man outside a shopping centre. Corey Constable, 21, was seen handing sandwiches to a man called James as he sat on the pavement outside a mall in Adelaide. The video filmed by his sister, Melissa Fisher, and posted to Facebook shows Mr Constable leaving the cafe where he works, exiting the mall and finding the man on the floor. 'I've got some sandwiches and a wrap for you here,' Mr Constable can be heard saying to James, who is sitting outside the mall in winter clothes. Corey puts sandwiches, wraps and an umbrella down beside the homeless man Mr Constable puts the three packets of food down beside him, and then asks James if he has an umbrella. 'You take this one,' he says, handing him a blue fold-up umbrella. 'In case you have to walk around anywhere. 'And I'll get you something warm, mate. Is that alright?' A few minutes later, Mr Constable reappears hands James a drink, some packets of sugar and a spoon. The man, who is already eating one of the sandwiches, nods at Corey and thanks him. 'Money never hurt either, hey?' Mr Constable says to man, taking out his wallet and handing him a note. James can be heard thanking Mr Constable again, who then puts his hand on his shoulder and kneels down next to him. Corey puts his hand on the man's shoulder and tells him to let him know if he needs anything 'You let us know if you need anything, alright?' he can be heard saying. Ms Fisher later wrote on Facebook that the next day Mr Constable 'invited him into the cafe for a warm meal, a coffee and a chat'. Mr Constable has since written on social media that James was 'a good guy' who 'was very thankful and told me the coffee meant more than any money I could give him'. Corey goes back into his cafe and returns with a cup of hot coffee with sugar for the man The video has been viewed nearly 4000 times and has a multitude of positive responses. 'A well raised boy, that's for sure. Your mum would be so proud', wrote one Facebook user. Even Mr Constable himself has commented on the video: 'Just to be clear, the camera adds 10 pounds and if I knew I was going to get recorded I would of [sic] pulled my pants up first!' A young woman who was allegedly punched in the face by a man during a horrific road rage attack has proudly showed off her injuries after filing a complaint with police. The woman claims she threw chisels and nails at the attacker's car before he got out of his ute in stopped traffic at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, and struck her. 'Take a hit like that and then see if you're still standing I doubt it ... I smashed his window he should of hit me harder,' she commented on viral dash cam footage of the incident shared on Facebook by a commuter. Dash cam footage has captured the shocking moment a man allegedly punches a woman in the face while stopped at a traffic light The woman claiming to be the victim of the alleged punch posted on Facebook following the horrific incident The woman who claims to be hit said she threw nails at his car before the incident caught on a dash cam She claimed that her close friend, who was driving the car and had her five-month-old baby next to her, had become spooked after the man began tailgating her. The woman claiming to be the driver posted on Facebook and said she was being tailgated by the man and after attempting to let him overtake her, she sped up to get away from him. In an attempt to stop him from following so closely, her friend allegedly started throwing nails and a chisel at his car. When the two cars stopped at the red light the driver claimed she didn't get out because her son was in the back seat, but her friend hopped out after gestures from the man. 'I tried letting him around me but no he wanted to tail gate me being an a*****e, so my friend decided to throw things at him to get him off my tail,' she wrote. The woman who was allegedly punched in the face after hopping out of her vehicle showed her bruised lip in photos posted to Facebook. Photos showed a bloody lip and a bruise where she was allegedly struck in the face. The shocking moment was captured by Dwayne Pillidge who posted the confronting dash cam footage to Facebook on Monday afternoon after witnessing the attack unfold. The woman who claims she was struck in the face took to Facebook to upload images of her bruised, bloody lip and said she would be taking the matter to court He claims the violent incident took place at Doyalson at Lake Macquarie, about two hours north of Sydney. In the footage, the man can be seen stepping out of his ute at a traffic light and approaching a female passenger standing by her door with her arms crossed. Seemingly without warning he allegedly strikes the woman in the face, snapping her head backwards with the pure force of the blow. She recovers from the punch and steps into her car, attempting to reverse towards the man who begins to calmly walk back to his vehicle. 'This is after the woman in the front car was tossing things from her window at his car,' Mr Pillidge wrote on the Facebook post. 'I don't care what your reason, it is not OK to hit a woman.' The man allegedly strikes the woman directly in the face, snapping her head backwards, and then calmly walks back to his ute A woman claiming to be the victim seen in the video took to Facebook to defend herself after a huge number of men tried to justify the horrific attack. 'I don't give a f*** he hit me, don't put a babies life at risk,' she wrote. 'He tried running us off the road with a 5 month old baby in the car we tried getting away from (him but) he kept going so I got out and asked what his problem was.' She uploaded two images showing a bruised and bloody upper lip, and said she would be taking the matter to court. Another woman, believed to be in the driver seat of the same car, also took to Facebook to tell her alleged side of the story. A woman claiming to have been in the driver seat of the victim's car said the man had been tailgating her with her son in the car, so she had begun throwing things at his vehicle She admitted to throwing nails out of the car window after the man took issue with her driving and began tailgating her. A spokewoman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that a woman claiming to be the person allegedly struck by the man had contacted police but not yet been interviewed. The spokeswoman said officers were hoping to speak to her today to get a clearer idea of exactly what happened. 'However at this time no formal complaint has yet been made and so we are still appealing for any other witnesses to come forward,' she added. 'Police have seen the vision and are examining it.' Chief Inspector Colin Lott, from the Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command, condemned the man's actions and called for him to come forward. 'The level of violence is totally unacceptable, (but) obviously with any video footage were only getting a snapshot of a whole incident,' he told reporters. 'Assault of any sort is unacceptable especially assault to a female... it won't be tolerated.' He said there was 'much conjecture' on social media from people who suggested 'there might have been aggravating circumstances leading up to the event.' 'We are unaware of that (aggravating circumstances) and we've had no one give us formal information to that effect,' he said. 'Ultimately, at some stage, we will be catching up with him.' A woman 'slapped' the back of a squad car moments before a Minneapolis police officer shot Justine Damond dead. A search warrant filed by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says it is not clear exactly what happened next, 'but the female became deceased in the alley', Minnesota Public Radio reported. The search warrant did not explicitly say Ms Damond was the woman who slapped the cruiser. Officer Mohamed Noor is on paid leave for fatally shooting the Australian bride-to-be after she called 911 to report a possible rape on the night of July 15. Scroll down for video A woman 'slapped' the back of a squad car moments before a Minneapolis police officer shot Justine Damond (pictured) dead, according to a search warrant Noor's partner Matthew Harrity told investigators he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Ms Damond appeared at the car. The search warrant did not say if the slap was the loud noise. It comes after the personnel records for Noor, a Somali-American officer, were released. The records show he was hired as a cadet in March 2015 and then went on to pass the exam and become a licensed sworn police officer. The records show Noor also took multiple training courses, but there are no details about how he performed. Officer Mohamed Noor (pictured) is on paid leave for fatally shooting the Australian bride-to-be after she called 911 to report a possible rape on the night of July 15 Noor's partner Matthew Harrity (above) told investigators that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Ms Damond appeared at the car He passed semi-automatic, handgun, shotgun and taser qualifications and took a Super Bowl active shooter training course. The records released Monday don't list any awards or commendations for Noor. Records previously released show he had three complaints against him, including one that was dismissed with no discipline and two that are pending. State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges. He also faces an internal use of force investigation. But he is maintaining his wall of silence despite loud protests in the aftermath of Ms Damond's death. Officer Noor's lawyer, Thomas Plunkett, confirmed to AAP on Monday that he continues to exercise his legal right not to be interviewed by investigators probing Ms Damond's death. Fake street signs warning of 'easily startled' police are popping up in the area Australian woman Justine Damond was shot dead by a U.S. officer Noor also will not speak to the public or media about last week's shooting. His silence comes as outrage boils in Australia and Minneapolis among Ms Damond's loved ones, the public and elected officials while the Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducts its independent investigation without his input. 'The BCA's investigation is active and ongoing,' BCA spokesperson Jill Oliveira said. Ms Damond was shot in the stomach by Officer Noor on July 15 after she called 911 to report a woman screaming, possibly from a sexual assault, near her Minneapolis home. Minneapolis and its twin city of St Paul have been shaken by multiple police shootings and 'overuse of force'. Ms Damond had called 911 at around 11.30pm on July 15 after hearing a woman's screams. She is pictured with fiance Don Damond and his son On Monday the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota demanded the entire police department undergo new use of force and de-escalation training. The ACLU is also urging new police chief Medaria Arradondo to immediately 'implement a new body camera policy that mandates activation at the beginning of every interaction with members of the public'. A concerned citizen, or prankster, has erected official-looking metal signs around Minneapolis warning drivers and pedestrians: 'WARNING: TWIN CITIES POLICE EASILY STARTLED.' It features a policeman shooting a gun in each hand. Minnesota has the largest number of Somali and East African expatriates in the US. Somali-born Minneapolis City Council Member, Abdi Warsame, told reporters Somali-American police officers were 'afraid' after community and online anger flared in response to Ms Damond's shooting. 'I've heard others describe this tragedy as a terrorist act, as a Muslim against a Christian,' Mr Warsame told reporters at a press conference. Mr Warsame cited Minnesota politician and former Republican US presidential candidate Michele Bachmann 'talking trash' at a hog roast event when she described Officer Noor as an 'affirmative-action hire by the hijab-wearing mayor of Minneapolis'. 'I've spoken with a number of officers who are afraid,' Mr Warsame said. 'I've seen young children who are afraid.' A mother-of-two has just eight weeks to live amid claims doctors 'mistook her stomach cancer symptoms for depression'. Tina Locke has been suffering with pains in her stomach and chest for two years but her family said she was only given antidepressants and treated for anxiety and chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. An investigation has since been launched into her care by bosses at Cwm Taf University Health Board in south Wales. Mrs Locke's family said her cancer has now spread to lymph nodes in her abdomen and her 'only chance of survival' is immunotherapy treatment in Germany, which could cost up to 300,000. Tina Locke, right, pictured with son Dylan, has been given just eight weeks to live after her family claimed doctors 'mistook her stomach cancer symptoms for depression' The former hairdresser, who also acts as a carer to son Dylan, 15, was eventually diagnosed with signet ring cell adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer highly resistant to chemotherapy. Her husband Jason told Wales Online she had been 'let down by the NHS'. He said: 'Nobody took her seriously because she looked so well. She begged the doctors to give her tests. 'It's really shocking that this was allowed to happen. I will camp and protest on the steps of the Assembly until the money is given to send her to Germany. The NHS owes it to her.' Friends of Mrs Locke, pictured left, with her husband Jason, and right, have slammed the NHS and say they are raising money to pay for immunotherapy treatment in Germany Friends say they fear chemotherapy may cause the tumour to 'explode', leaving immunotherapy as the only 'life-extending' treatment option. Close family friend Laura Obradovic-Eaves added the NHS was 'refusing' to help Mrs Locke by not approving immunotherapy in the UK. She said: 'The family have argued their case to the NHS and asked them to skip the formalities of approval and give her the treatment here but so far they are refusing to help Tina.' So far they have raised 9,000 via a JustGiving page as well as charity events including a car boot sale and sponsored walks. A spokesperson for Cwm Taf University Health Board said: 'We are unable to comment on any individual patient and the circumstances surrounding their care. 'However we are aware of this case and an investigation is under way.' An off-duty police officer has narrowly escaped with his life before his car exploded into a ball of flames on a motorway in Sydney's south-west. Terrifying footage emerged of the man's vehicle engulfed in flames as it sat at the side of the M5 at Ingleburn 44km south-west of the city. The officer reportedly pulled his car to the side of the motorway about 7.30pm on Monday after his brakes failed and he heard a loud bang. Scroll down for video An off-duty police officer has escaped with his life after his car exploded into a ball of flames on a motorway in Sydney's south-west Terrifying footage emerged of the man's vehicle engulfed in flames as it sat at the side of the M5 at Ingleburn 44km south-west of the city The officer reportedly pulled his car to the side of the motorway about 7.30pm on Monday after his brakes failed and he heard a loud bang He fled from the car moments before it burst into flames. The man escaped without any injury. Incredible footage to emerge on Tuesday shows several fire fighters working to contain the flames on the side of the busy highway. The fire forced emergency workers to close two south-bound lanes of the highway, causing major delays for motorists in the city's south-west. The officer fled from the car moments before it burst into flames on the side of the road Incredible footage to emerge on Tuesday shows several fire fighters working to contain the flames on the side of the busy highway The fire forced emergency workers to close two south-bound lanes of the highway, causing major delays for motorists in the city's south-west The car is seen burnt out on the side of the motorway in Sydney's south-west A San Diego middle school teacher was detained for more than an hour at a checkpoint in New Mexico because she refused to tell agents if she was a US citizen. When Shane Parmely and her family were stopped by Border Patrol, she was asked if she was a US citizen, but refused to answer. The incident was filmed by passengers in the car with her and Parmely, who teaches English, art and theater, posted a series of the videos to Facebook. She told the officers she didn't think she had to answer their questions and after some back and forth, an agent told her she was being detained. Shane Parmely, a San Diego middle school teacher, was detained for more than an hour at a checkpoint in New Mexico because she refused to tell Border Patrol agents if she was a US citizen. The incident was filmed by passengers in the car with her and Parmely, who teaches English, art and theater, posted a series of the videos to Facebook In the first of five videos, a Border Patrol agent asks, 'Citizens?' as Parmely drives up to the stop with her window down. She answers: 'Are we crossing a border? I've never been asked if I'm a citizen before when I'm traveling down the road.' After some back and forth between Parmely and the agent, who told her she had to answer his questions, she responded: 'You can ask, but I don't have to answer.' 'You are required to answer an immigration question,' he said. 'You are not required to answer any other questions.' She eventually asks if she can go or if she is being detained. He responds: 'You are being detained, ma'am.' Over the course of her being detained, Parmely had interactions with several Border Patrol agents and even took a nap. She was eventually let go without having to answer the agents' questions He eventually pulls a card out of his wallet with information about immigration law and the Supreme Court case United States v. Martinez-Fuerte. The 1976 decision allowed US Border Patrol to set up checkpoints within 100 miles of the Mexican border, which are not a violation of the Fourth Amendment. YOUR RIGHTS AT A BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINT Border Patrol may stop vehicles at certain checkpoints to: (1) ask a few, limited questions to verify citizenship of the vehicles occupants and (2) visually inspect the exterior of a vehicle. Agents may send any vehicle to a secondary inspection area for the same purpose: brief questioning and visual inspection. Agents should not ask questions unrelated to verifying citizenship, nor can they hold you for an extended time without cause. Even though you always have the right to remain silent, if you dont answer questions to establish your citizenship, officials may detain you longer in order to verify your immigration status. Source: ACLU Advertisement The two go back and forth more before she asks: 'So if I just come through and say, "Yes, Im a citizen," I can just go ahead?' 'If the agent is justified by the answer, then yes,' he responded. 'So if I have an accent, and Im brown, can I just say, "Yes," and go ahead or do I have to prove it? 'I have a bunch of teacher friends who are sick of their kids being discriminated against,' she said. He replied: 'Ok, Im not discriminating against anybody.' Parmely was detained for more than an hour, where she had interactions with several Border Patrol agents and even took a nap. At one point when her son asked to use the bathroom, an agent said he could not use the bathroom until Parmely said if she was a citizen or not. A different agent later escorted him to the bathroom. Parmely was eventually let go without having to answer the agents' questions. She posted the videos to Facebook on Friday and was praised by most of the commenters, though some did complain about the way she acted towards the agents. At one point when her son asked to use the bathroom, an agent said he could not use the bathroom until Parmely said if she was a citizen or not. A different agent later escorted him to the bathroom Border Patrol spokesperson Mark Endicott gave a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune about the incident. 'Border Patrol checkpoints are a critical tool for the enforcement of our nations immigration laws,' he said. 'At a Border Patrol checkpoint, an agent may question a vehicles occupants about their citizenship, place of birth, and request document proof of immigration status, how legal status was obtained and make quick observations of what is in plain view in the interior of the vehicle. 'During the course of the immigration inspection, if an occupant refuses to answer an agents questions, the agent may detain the driver for a reasonable amount of time until he or she can make a determination regarding the occupants immigration status.' A University of Sydney student who was allegedly raped on campus by the younger brother of NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet told him 'stop it, get off me, I don't want to do that', a jury has been told. The young woman on Tuesday told the NSW District Court she was sore and had blood on her leg after the alleged attack by Jean Claude Perrottet at her end-of-year college formal. The 20-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse without consent in October 2015. A student who was allegedly raped on campus by the younger brother (left) of NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet (right) told him 'stop it, get off me, I don't want to do that', a jury has heard In a recorded interview with police hours after the alleged rape, the woman said she was 'making out' with her attacker at the St John's College event before they ended up in the car park. 'I was drinking a lot, like a lot more than I would normally drink,' the woman said in the interview played in court. 'I was with my friend and she was making out with someone and I was making out with him. 'I remember eventually ending up in the college car park and I remember being on the ground and saying I don't want to do that, get off me.' The 20-year-old (pictured on Tuesday) has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse without consent in October 2015 The woman on Tuesday told the court via video link that she later walked back to her college dormitory room and Perrottet followed. She said she thought there would be people in the corridor but no one was there. 'I opened the door and he shut the door loudly behind me,' she said. 'I think I was crying by that point, I don't think I said anything, I don't remember if he said anything.' She said she left her room and found a friend nearby, telling her 'I can't do that again'. 'She went back with me into my room and I don't remember specifically what happened after that but the male left,' the woman said. Perrottet's barrister, Alissa Moen, previously told the court he didn't deny two of the acts of sexual intercourse but said they were consensual. Perrottet completely denied that the third alleged act happened and Ms Moen said she would challenge the woman's reliability. The trial continues. Donald Trump has accused the Washington Post of being a 'lobbyist weapon' for Amazon in a series of inaccurate but impassioned tweets - but he appeared to inadvertently confirm the existence of a covert CIA program. Trump went after both the newspaper and the e-commerce giant in three posts he fired off in quick succession about 10:30 on Monday night. 'The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad.....,' he wrote to start the rant. The tweet was seemingly in response to a July 19 article in which officials told the newspaper Trump ended the program because he is keen on establishing a strong relationship with Russia. The CIA program shuttered by Trump was designed to help rebels fight against Bashar al-Assad. It was started by President Barack Obama in 2013, and until Trump tweeted out comments confirming its existence, it had been a covert program. Donald Trump has seemingly confirmed the existence of a classified operation while ranting on Twitter about the Washington Post and Amazon The potential blunder was not missed by some experts in the industry. 'If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter,' Ned Price, a former CIA employee, said. And, despite the Washington Post article he was responding to being published about a week ago, Fox News' Tucker Carlson discussed it on his nightly show on Monday. That could have been what alerted Trump to it. He continued with the rant: 'So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? 'Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?' It is unclear what Trump is referring to by a 'no-tax monopoly', however he has accused Amazon of not paying sales taxes in the past. Trump sent out these three tweets on Monday night, including the first one appearing to confirm the existence of the covert operation 'If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter,' Ned Price, a former CIA employee, said about Trump's tweet Online stores - including Amazon - had traditionally avoided paying sales taxes by only collecting them in states where they had physical stores. However, the web giant has steadily changed its approach over recent years, and Amazon now collects sales taxes in all 45 states across the country that have one. And while Amazon has taken steps to try and pay as little corporate tax as possible, it still does fork over about four per cent - according to a study from 2005 to 2009 by Capital IQ. Trump himself has also been a vocal advocate of huge cuts to the corporate tax rate. Despite the factual inconsistencies in his latest attacks, it is nothing new for the president to go after the Post. He has regularly bashed it as 'fake news', often after it publishing stories that paint him, his family or his presidency in a negative light. Trump attacked the Washington Post and Amazon on Monday night. He is pictured with Bezos and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella last month And while Bezos does own the Washington Post, the newspaper is technically managed by an entirely separate company than Amazon. Bezos has frequently been attacked by Trump on Twitter since the president took office His rant against the Bezos-backed companies came hours after the Post reported Ted Cruz is reportedly near the top of Trump's list of choices to potentially replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general. Cruz, who was regularly mocked by Trump during the Republican primaries and nicknamed 'Lyin' Ted' by the then-candidate, could find himself taking Sessions' spot if the former Alabama representative resigns or is fired. However, Cruz was quick to distance himself from the speculation on Monday night, releasing a statement that said he is 'deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General.' Another name reportedly under consideration is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani denied he is in the running for the role, which reportedly is on the cusp of being available due to Trump's desire to fire special counsel Robert Mueller and bring the Russia investigation into his presidential campaign to an end, according to the Post. Australians hoping to continue the long tradition of heading to the UK for work will be hoping Foreign Minister Julie Bishop can convince her British counterpart Boris Johnson to make their path a bit easier. Visas are expected to be high on the list of discussion topics during the pair's bilateral talks in Sydney on Wednesday, and at the annual ministerial AUKMIN talks on security, defence and foreign policy issues a day later. The talks come just two months after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to slash the country's annual immigration levels to below 100,000. Foreign Secretary Julie Bishop (pictured) will meet Boris Johnson in Sydney tomorrow. Britain has traditionally been a popular destination for Aussies wanting to work abroad, but its immigration crackdown following the Brexit vote has sparked concerns it could become much tougher to get a visa. While Mr Johnson has long been a fan of Australians and New Zealanders working in Britain, his Conservative government wants to make it more expensive for companies to hire migrants like the estimated 120,000 Aussies working there. Dr Andrew Carr, a senior lecturer at ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, says the issue of UK visas for Aussie workers once Britain formally leaves the European Union is a big concern of the federal government. 'It's a perennial issue and it's probably the one that is closest to the hearts of a lot of Australians in terms of how they would see the relationship with the UK at the moment,' he told AAP on Tuesday. 'These are things the Australian government is going to be pushing and wanting to encourage.' Dr Carr said relaxing visa rules for Aussie workers could be an easy way for Britain to show it was still open to trade and migration post Brexit. British PM Theresa May (pictured) has vowed to slash annual immigration to under 100,000 'But it is still difficult because it goes to the nature of how the British control their borders and population levels which are very much factors behind the Brexit campaign,' he said. In New Zealand on Tuesday, Mr Johnson reassured Kiwis wanting to work and travel in Britain that they had nothing to fear once the UK splits from the EU. 'We will want to maintain a regime that is at least as attractive as the current regime, and we want to maintain a policy of openness and engagement,' said Mr Johnson, who is on a nine-day international tour. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (left) last met Julie Bishop (right) in Westminster in February. Ms Bishop said Brexit and future trade deals would be among the long list of topics she would discuss with Mr Johnson. 'Our focus will be very much on what we can do together and our collective approach to some of the challenges facing our region and globally,' she told reporters. Mr Johnson will be joined by Britain's Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon for the AUKMIN talks with Ms Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne in Sydney on Thursday. Issues including counter-terrorism, the future of Europe, North Korea's missile program, and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will be on the agenda. A 32-year-old woman has been taken to hospital for assessment after false hostage threats. Police surrounded a Melbourne apartment in fear of at least two hostages being held but has since been resolved. Victorian Police spokesperson told Daily Mail there were no hostages being held on Brighton Road and was a 'mental health incident'. Armed police swarmed an apartment in Melbourne with reports of hostages being held, now confirmed to be false hostage threats Victorian Police spokesperson told Daily Mail there were no hostages being held on Brighton Road and was a 'mental health incident' A woman, 32, has been taken to hospital for mental health assessment after the incident (pictured) Earlier police were attempting to negotiate with a person who was thought to be holding people hostage inside an apartment in Ripponlea. It was reported a man might have been making threats with a gun but no firearm has been found in the apartment. The critical incident response team arrived at an apartment after police received a report of people being held hostage after 2pm Tuesday. A witness said he saw police with 'guns and everything, helmets on' at Brighton Rd, (pictured) A witness told 3AW he saw special operations officers entering an apartment building 'guns and everything, helmets on'. Police advise people to avoid the Glen Eira Road and Brighton Road. People could expect delays on Brighton Road southbound near Burns Street in Elwood. Police have no concerns for surrounding residents. The Boy Scouts of America have come under fire for allowing President Donald Trump to turn their biggest event of the year into a political rally. Trump was speaking to a sea of Boy Scouts during their annual National Scout Jamboree event in Glen Jean. He said at the beginning of the speech that he would not get political to the audience of mostly 12- to 18-year-old boys, but his talk quickly turned. The event may have even broken the organization's own rules on Boy Scouts' participation in political events. During his speech, Trump threatened to fire his Health and Human Services secretary, Dr Tom Price. He attacked former President Barack Obama, who served as a Boy Scout in his youth, for not physically attending a Jamboree in the past. Trump also touted his win over Hillary Clinton and he spent time calling the media 'fake'. Scroll down for video President Trump threatened to fire his Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price (right) while speaking at the annual Boy Scout Jamboree One man claiming to be an Eagle Scout and former scoutmaster called the event 'nauseating' adding the organization was 'never partisan' A parent tweeted 'that was a disgusting display tonight. I am withdrawing my son from your organization next year. You should all be ashamed' Parents were quick to point out the politically charged event was in violation of scout law President Trump traveled to West Virginia Monday night to speak before the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in a speech he billed as being not political The backlash was aimed mostly at the Boy Scouts of America for allowing the event to go on One parent asks if the Boy Scouts are indoctrinating kids into Trump youth organizations Some of the reaction was aimed at Trump for using the event for politics, including NBC's Chuck Todd Parents, Boy Scout members, and scoutmasters were equally livid about the event. One man claiming to be an Eagle Scout and former scoutmaster called the event 'nauseating' adding the organization was 'never partisan.' A parent tweeted 'that was a disgusting display tonight. I am withdrawing my son from your organization next year. You should all be ashamed.' New York Times correspondent Binyamin Appelbaum tweeted what he says is the Boy Scouts official Policy on Scout Participation in Political Events clause, and that the event and Boy Scouts participation in the event is directly against the rules of the organization. The policy reads: 'Uniformed unit members and leaders may participate in flag ceremonies at political events and may lead the Pledge of Allegiance; however, they should retire after the ceremony and not remain on the speakers platform or in a conspicuous location where attendees or views could construe their presence as an endorsement or symbol of support. 'In addition, photos of candidates or Scouts in uniform or with BSA marks and logos are not allowed in political campaign materials of any kind.' Filmmaker Michael Moore, who is an Eagle Scout, expressed his disapproval of Trump's speech. 'Trump using the 30,000 BoyScouts as his props tonight was a scene out of Triumph of the Will,' he wrote. 'Shocking abuse of children.' Writer Clint Smith, who was a Boy Scout, mentioned that the rally reminded him of 'how we would often feel when we went to camp'. 'Boy Scouts wonder why they arent able to recruit more boys of color but its bc the larger culture of scouting is often similar to tht rally,' he wrote. Writer Ten Genoways wrote of the scounting tradition of his family and of a moment earlier this year where he and his son looked through old Jamboree patches that he and his father had collected. 'Thankfully, we were not among those in today's crowd. But there must be others there with stories like ours,' he wrote. 'Trump trampled that tradition. 'Worst of all, he did it for no reason. He made the national gathering of Boy Scouts about himself only b/c he makes everything abt himself. Two of President Trump's cabinet secretaries, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (left) and Energy Secretary Rick Perry (right) pose for a picture Monday at the annual Boy Scout Jamboree President Trump marveled at the crowd size Monday night, when speaking before the Boy Scouts of America's annual Jamboree President Trump is photographed as he speaks to the Boy Scouts annual Jamboree, a speech that got political after just a few minutes 'As Scouts, we were taught never to make our service about politics. Scouts are not supposed to appear in uniform at political events. 'And yet, Trump saw fit to turn the largest gathering of Boy Scouts into a political gathering, as if they had come together only to see him.' During his speech, Trump attacked Obama for not attending the gathering in years past. 'By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?,' he said. Obama instead recorded a message for the gathering. Trump pulled Price onstage, saying that he 'lives the Scout oath' by keeping 'millions of Americans strong and healthy' in his role, before bringing up an important Senate Obamacare repeal vote tomorrow, and suggesting it would be the cabinet member's head that would roll if Congressional Republicans came up short. 'By the way, are you going to get the votes?' Trump asked Price. 'He better get them,' Trump told the crowd. 'He better get them. Otherwise, I'll say "Tom, you're fired."' After initially coming on and promising not to talk politics, he quickly couldn't help himself. On Monday, Trump said: 'We are going to talk about success, about how all of you amazing young Scouts can achieve your dreams. Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?' But the president did quickly turn to politics, including bashing his predecessor, former President Obama for never attending the annual Jamboree Trump also mentioned that 10 members of his cabinet had ties to the Scouts, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who was the Boy Scouts' national president from 2010 to 2012 'The Scouts believe in putting America First,' Trump said, suggested the Boy Scouts abided by one of his campaign slogans. Trump also slammed the Washington 'swamp.' 'It's not a good place,' he warned. 'In fact today I said we ought to change it from the word swamp to the word cesspool or perhaps to the word sewer, but it's not good. Not good.' He introduced the cast of characters he brought along to Washington to drain the swamp, mentioning how 10 members of his cabinet had Scout ties. There's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Trump said, 'your former national president.' He then introduced Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, dressed in his scouting uniform, as he brought the ex-Boy Scout up on stage. Trump also introduced Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who attended dressed in his scouting uniform Trump did the same for Rick Perry (left), Trump's energy secretary and the former Texas governor When Trump mentioned Tom Price (left), he threatened to fire the Secretary of Health and Human Services if a health care reform bill didn't get passed He did the same for Rick Perry, Trump's energy secretary and the former Texas governor. As he touted the fact that Vice President Mike Pence, a 'good guy,' was also a scout. He didn't mention Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who he's been critical of as of late, a former Eagle Scout. Eventually he made his way to Price, for what would turn into a much more awkward moment. 'He's doing a great job and hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known was Obamacare, that's really hurting us,' Trump said. The mention of doing away with his predecessor's health care plan, earned his a rousing U-S-A chant. Then he threatened to fire Price if a health care reform bill didn't get passed. 'I'll get somebody,' Trump muttered, seemingly meaning he'd find someone else to get the job done. The father of a five-year-old boy who was battered to death by his mother's new boyfriend has told of how his life has been 'a nightmare' since his son's death. Leroy Malcolm said he had struggled to watch killer Marvyn Iheanacho lie throughout his trial for the murder of Alex Malcolm and has suffered depression ever since, adding he had been denied access to his son before his death because he 'had a better man in his life'. Iheanacho, 39, battered his girlfriend Lilya Breha's child to death in a park in Catford, south-east London, for losing a shoe. He attacked with such savagery that witnesses who overheard eight 'booming' blows initially thought two grown men were fighting. They heard the child begging for mercy, sobbing, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Instead of taking the dying boy to hospital only a five-minute walk away, Iheanacho carried him through the street before taking a cab to his mother's home in Bromley, south-east London, where he attacked her, throttling her as she tried to call 999. When Miss Breha managed to raise the alarm two hours later, doctors were unable to save the youngster, who had 22 bruises from head to toe. He died two days later following a bleed to the brain. Iheanacho was jailed for life at Woolwich Crown Court today with a minimum sentence of 18 years imposed. Scroll down for video Leroy Malcolm, left, has paid tribute to his murdered son Alex, right, and said he was 'not allowed to see him before he died because there was a better man in his life' Marvyn Iheanacho (left) flew into a rage and subjected Alex Malcolm (right) to a brutal attack. He was jailed for murder today for life, with a minimum sentence of 18 years Iheanacho had been in a relationship with Lilya Breha, the mother of Alex (pictured together) Miss Breha, pictured, said her son was 'her purpose for living' and added 'life feels silent without him' In a statement read to the court Mr Malcolm said it was 'impossible' for him to put his reaction to the murder into words. He said: 'It's hard for any parent to deal the death of their child. He was a loving, energetic boy. There were times when I was not allowed to see him, and I was told there was a better man in his life. 'I'm appalled at the violent past of the defendant and it doesn't make sense to me that he was in charge of Alex's life. 'I felt scared, angry and confused when I heard Alex was in hospital. I will never forget seeing him in the hospital bed fighting for his life. That image will stay with me forever. 'During the trial I having to listen to him continually deny what he did in order to save his own neck was difficult. 'After his death I suffered depression, struggled to sleep and often have nightmares. 'Alex had three older brothers, and he was my youngest. 'That he will never get the chance to grow and get to know his older brothers is devastating. I love Alex with all my heart and miss him deeply.' Speaking after the sentencing, Miss Breha recalled her fear when she was attacked as she tried to call for help for Alex who had been badly beaten in a park by her then partner. She said: 'Obviously I was screaming all the time and crying and constantly I remember just keep asking him "What have you done to Alex?" and obviously he keeps telling me all the different things, and then at some point I just got like really angry and he was sitting in bed and I was standing by Alex's room and I just remember looking at him and I said exactly that, I said: "You are a danger to my family." 'And that's it, he just jumped on me and he hit me straight away. He gave me a straight punch in my face and then, with his knee he hit me on my chest. 'And 'til today it hurts, it's actually really hurt me a lot until this day. And then he just starts strangling me with one of his arms. And I couldn't say anything. 'And those moments I knew that is what it feels like to die because my eyes start rolling.' The attack came after the child lost a shoe. One of his trainers was found at the park (left) and another one was found inside Miss Breha's home (right) She added: 'I just managed to put my hand out because he was constantly screaming 'have you calmed down?' 'And I just put my hand out and he just dropped me on the floor. I constantly was just trying to manage to phone the ambulance but it was hard. It was just like really hard to do.' On the sentence, Ms Breha added: 'I was pleased with the conviction for sure because he did murder my son. 'And the sentence I feel obviously it will never be enough but I think in England I guess this is as much he probably can get.' Judge Mark Dennis QC said the child killer has a 'deeply entrenched character flaw' that leads him to overreact and lose his temper. He added Iheanacho's first instincts following the attack were to 'protect himself' rather than help the boy and that it was 'only a matter of time' before a 'tragedy' occurred. 'WHY DID MY BEAUTIFUL SON DIE?' In a statement read to the court Leroy Malcolm, Alex's father, said: 'The murder of my beautiful son is impossible to put into words. It's hard for any parent to deal the death of their child. 'He was a loving, energetic boy. There were times when I was not allowed to see him, and I was told there was a better man in his life. 'I'm appalled at the violent past of the defendant and it doesn't make sense to me that he was in charge of Alex's life. 'I felt scared, angry and confused when I heard Alex was in hospital. I will never forget seeing him in the hospital bed fighting for his life. That image will stay with me forever. 'During the trial I having to listen to him continually deny what he did in order to save his own neck was difficult. 'After his death I suffered depression, struggled to sleep and often have nightmares. 'Alex had three older brothers, and he was my youngest. 'That he will never get the chance to grow and get to know his older brothers is devastating. I love Alex with all my heart and miss him deeply.' Advertisement Iheanacho was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court, where he was earlier convicted of the child's murder. Judge Dennis said the jury had rejected Iheanacho's defence that the injuries to Alex were accidental. He said: 'Those injuries were caused by a fit of anger...it was a sudden and wholly unnecessary loss of temper which started outside the park gateway by a builders yard. 'On this occasion when the violence had subsided and you realised what you had done to the child, your thoughts turned not to helping, but to protecting yourself trying to cover up what had just happened. 'This time the consequences were more serious than ever before. You used your undoubted strength and simple brute force against the child, and you used your hands rather than kicking him. 'You were a strong an overpowering figure. He was completely defenceless. The child had done nothing to justify any loss of temper let along a violent loss of temper. 'All the child was heard to say was in a soft voice 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'. The judge said Iheanacho's previous convictions 'reflect a disturbing pattern of violent behaviour', adding: 'It was perhaps a matter of time before such violence ended in a tragedy like this.' In a statement read to the court Leroy Malcolm said: 'The murder of my beautiful son is impossible to put into words. It's hard for any parent to deal the death of their child.' He added: 'That he will never get the chance to grow and get to know his older brothers is devastating. I love Alex with all my heart and miss him deeply.' His mother also spoke of the tragic loss of her only child in a statement read to the court. Miss Breha said: 'He was beautiful, shy loving and caring. He was the first person I truly loved. 'Every single day I cry, thinking about him, I ask God to take me too, or not to wake up from my sleep so I can hear his voice again. 'He was my strength and purpose for living. My entire life feels silent without him it it. Iheanacho, who was known to Alex as 'Daddy Mills', admitted beating the boy before in a note A police photograph of notes written by Iheanacho in prison, under the heading 'mistakes' 'Nothing will ever be the same without Alex, my life ended when Alex died.' It emerged during the trial that Iheanacho had phoned Ms Breha from prison to pressure her to back him up in court. 'There have been problems with witness interference. The defendant has phoned the mother of the deceased,' said prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC. 'He wants nothing more than a daddy': Note in Iheanacho's diary 'If I think about all my mistakes, shame takes over and I find myself overwhelmed in anger. 'My anger help me to push forward but fears helps me to fly high. Up up and away. 'Do I really love Alex, five years old small cute lil boy. 'Who want nothing more, than daddy mills to love him protect him but most of all keep him from harm - even though I had to beat him just now for sicking up in the cab - why why why I say - so the answer is yes yes yes I love him and like with all my heart but may not enough- I am real, faithful making money - so why ain't I happy?' Advertisement 'We would say pressure is being exerted on the mother of the deceased, with the defendant pressing upon her his defence of accident.' Alex's head, neck, and body were covered with bruises after the attack on November 20 last year. Iheanacho, from Hounslow, west London, carried the unconscious boy to a minicab office and took him to Ms Breha's flat, while the nearest hospital was just a five-minute walk away. He then attacked Ms Breha when she tried to call an ambulance, but she managed to grab the phone after noticing her son was getting cold, his face had turned blue and he had stopped breathing. Doctors at Lewisham Hospital tried to resuscitate Alex, but a CT scan showed he was suffering from severe brain swelling, and he was transferred to King's College Hospital. He was pronounced dead on November 22 after an unsuccessful operation. Last week Ms Breja spoke of her anger that she only learned about her partner's violent past after he beat her five-year-old son to death. The burly thug with a terrifying temper was allowed to look after the boy after he embarked on a new relationship. The red jacket worn by Alex on the day he was subjected to an attack that led to his death Marvyn Iheanacho (left) was found guilty of battering the five-year-old boy to death in a park The single mother was never told by police he had just been released from prison for assaulting his fifth girlfriend. On a trip to the park on November 20 last year, the jobless father-of-three lost his temper when his new partner's son lost a trainer. Iheanacho had denied murder, but was convicted yesterday. A jury at Woolwich Crown Court took six hours to dismiss his story that Alex accidentally fell off his shoulders as he walked back from Mountsfield Park in Catford, South-East London. Iheanacho, of Hounslow, West London, will be sentenced on Tuesday. Miss Breha only learned of his past during his trial. He had so many convictions it took prosecutors 15 minutes to read them out. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Police Act 2014 gave police the power to request a criminal behaviour order in cases of domestic violence, forcing offenders to tell officers every time they begin a relationship so police can warn new partners about them. But Miss Breha, who had a five-month relationship with Iheanacho, was never contacted by police or made aware of his appalling past after they met through a mutual friend as he was being released from prison. Iheanacho (left) has a string of previous convictions for violent offences, including attacks on ex-partners and robbery. Ms Breha (right) nodded as the verdict was announced in court today The incident took place in Mountsfield Park (pictured) in Hither Green, South East London The Ukrainian mother, who occasionally left her son in Iheanacho's care while she worked two jobs as a baby sitter and dog minder, wept as he was convicted at the earlier trial. 'It's a joke,' she said. 'I just wish I'd known. I knew he had been in prison, but he said he was innocent. I had no idea about his past and the first time I heard about it I was disgusted. I was so shocked. I just felt sick. 'I was so naive. He would come over and help Alex with homework. I trusted him. He had his own kids. I never imagined this would happen. Something should have been done with someone like that.' Ms Breha, 30, described Iheanacho as a 'good liar' and pathetic. Recalling how she met him through a friend after he left prison she said he had convinced her he was innocent and a good person. She said: 'When I think about it now to be honest I feel like it was all such a big lie and he just pretended to be a good guy pretty well.' 'I didn't get to tell him I love him': Grief of boy's mother Lilya Breha 'Alex was so small but he was my strength and my purpose for living. 'The hardest thing I have ever had to hear was that my child died. I remember it like it was yesterday. ' Lying next to him in a hospital and praying that everything would be fine, that he will open his eyes. 'I didn't even get to tell him I love him. 'All I got was to put my hand on his chest and feel every single one of his final heartbeats.' Advertisement She added: 'I think he hid this (a temper) as well pretty well, until the point he just probably snapped.' Asked what she hoped for at the sentencing, she said: 'That he never come out again to be honest. I don't feel that he should be out in the first place, after everything he did before.' She said she is constantly reminded of Alex since his death, adding: 'Everywhere I go, everywhere I look I see him, climbing, jumping, screaming my name. It just, it has broken my heart.' Iheanacho's first conviction for domestic violence dated back to the age of 19, when he punched a girlfriend in the face, kicked her in the ribs and stamped on her head after she refused to lend him 5. In 2010, he battered another partner with a saucepan with such force that he dented the pan before dragging her around the kitchen by her hair and stamping on her face just because she would not let him borrow her car. Iheanacho then turned on her 13-year-old son as he tried to save her, punching him in the face and kicking him in the head. Two years later he knocked another girlfriend unconscious by punching and kicking her in the head because she refused to lend him her phone. In 2013 he throttled a fourth partner when she told him he could have a duplicate of his son's birth certificate instead of the original. In March last year he was jailed for whipping another girlfriend with a belt, grabbing her by the throat and shoving a bottle into her face just because she asked him to put something in the bin. Miss Breha paid tribute to her son, saying: 'We called him little angel. He was perfect. He was my best friend. He was my strength and my purpose for living. The hardest thing I have ever had to hear, was that my child died.' Iheanacho, of Hounslow, West London, denied murder before the Woolwich Crown Court trial Ms Breha said Alex had been her 'purpose for living' and she had been lying next to him in hospital with her hand on his chest, feeling 'every single one of his final heartbeats' This is the horrifying moment a 16-year-old girl plunged 75ft to her death during a zip-line exercise at her college as her instructor father watched on. Aditi Sanghi, 16, was sitting on the edge of the six-storey building helping other pupils fasten their harnesses when she lost her balance and tumbled over the edge. She had just finished her round and walked back to the terrace during the activity conducted by her father, Sunil Sanghi, at the International College for Girls (ICG) in Jaipur, India. Aditi was watching another student coming down the zip line when she appeared to lose her footing and fall. Horrifying footage shows one student zipping down from the terrace as Aditi tumbles to the ground some 75ft below as other students scream in horror. Aditi, a second year BSc student, was rushed to the nearby Metro Mas hospital with serious head injuries and died later during treatment. Fellow student Muksan Agrawal said Aditi was a talented mountaineering professional who had also trained her. Aditi Sanghi (pictured), 16, was sitting on the edge of the six-storey building helping other pupils fasten their harnesses when she lost her balance and tumbled over the edge This is the horrifying moment a 16-year-old girl plunged 75ft to her death during a zip-line exercise at her college as her instructor father watched on She said: 'A few students said if the training programme had followed better safety measures, and used a net, the tragedy could have been avoided.' Aditi had trained under her father and would accompany him during practice sessions. After her demonstration, she had gone back to the terrace to help other students put on their harnesses. Aditi had trained under her father and would accompany him during practice sessions Dr Rakhi Gupta, the registrar of the college, refused to blame anyone saying Aditi's father himself had witnessed the accident Dr Rakhi Gupta, the registrar of the college, refused to blame anyone saying Aditi's father himself had witnessed the accident. She said it was an 'accident' and pointed out that Aditi had not been on the zip line at the time. Mukesh Chaudhary, a police officer handling the case, said he would question other witnesses who were with Aditi to find out how she fell to her death. The dual citizenship scandal which has already ousted two Senators has claimed a third scalp. Senator Matt Canavan, who was the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia in the Malcolm Turnbull government, has resigned from cabinet because of his citizenship status. 'I have become aware, according to the Italian Government, I am a citizen of Italy,' the Queensland Liberal National Party member told reporters on Tuesday. Scroll down for video Queensland Senator Matt Canavan (pictured) has resigned from the Turnbull government ministry because of his citizenship status Senator Canavan announced he was resigning as the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia on Tuesday while flanked by Attorney-General George Brandis (left) Sentor Canavan (pictured) said it was his mother who had last week alerted him to his dual-citizenship 'I was not born in Italy, I have never been to Italy and to my knowledge never set foot in an Italian consulate or embassy. 'Until last week I had no suspicions I could possibly be an Italian citizen. 'In 2006, my mother lodged documents with the Italian consulate in Brisbane to become an Italian citizen. In doing so, it would appear that she made an application for me to become an Italian citizen as well. I was 25-years-old at the time.' Senator Canavan said his mother last week alerted him to his possible dual-citizenship but he had not received any word from Italian authorities about his citizenship status. 'Following the reporting of Senator Ludlam and Senator Waters, my mother raised with me the possibility I was an Italian citizen last week,' he said. 'The Italian authorities have confirmed that the application for Italian citizenship was not signed by me. To my knowledge I have not received any correspondence from Italian authorities about my citizenship status and they have not been able to provide any such records.' Senator Canavan (pictured) was first elected to federal parliament in 2013 Senator Canavan said: 'I was not born in Italy, I have never been to Italy and to my knowledge never set foot in an Italian consulate or embassy' He said he had not been able to 'obtain definitive legal advice as to whether my registration as an Italian citizen, without my knowledge or consent, was valid under Italian law'. While Senator Canavan has quit the cabinet, he has not resigned from the Senate. 'On the basis of the advice the government has obtained... it is not my intention to resign from the Senate,' he said. 'However, given the uncertainty around this matter, I will stand aside until the matter is finally resolved and resign as the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. I have informed the prime minister of that course of action.' Senator Canavan made his announcement flanked by Attorney-General Senator George Brandis. 'It is the Government's preliminary view that, because the registration was obtained without Senator Canavan's knowledge or consent, that he is not in breach of section 44 of the constitution,' Senator Brandis said. Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce will take over Senator Canavan's portfolios in the interim, Mr Turnbull announced. Greens Senator Larissa Waters (pictured) announced her resignation from the Senate last week as a result of her dual Australian-Canadian citizenship Senator Scott Ludlam (pictured) resigned after he said it was recently brought to his attention that he holds dual citizenship of Australia and New Zealand Senator Canavan was first elected to federal parliament at the 2013 election. Senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam, both from the Greens, have resigned recently over their dual citizenships. Senator Waters quit as a result of her dual Australian-Canadian citizenship while Seantor Ludlam resigned after he said it was recently brought to his attention that he holds dual citizenship of Australia and New Zealand. 'Senator [Canavan] and I disagree on almost everything, especially Adani, but my heart goes out to him, family and staff with dual citizen news,' Senator Waters tweeted. Hunters who shot the son of Cecil the Lion lied about how the animal came to its death, according to British experts. Xanda, a six-year-old male, was killed just outside Hwange National Park in north west Zimbabwe - near the spot where Cecil died two years ago. Those who killed him said he had wandered from a national park where hunting was banned to a reserve where it was allowed and that he had no cubs dependent on him having been ousted from the pride. But wildlife researchers from Oxford University who were tracking Xanda said the cubs under the big cat's watch have been left vulnerable and may be killed by the male lion that will replace him. The son of Cecil the Lion (pictured) has been shot dead by a big game hunter - two years after his father was killed, it has emerged Although conceding the hunt was legal, Andrew Loverage, one of the university's Wildlife Research Conservation Unit said the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association had misrepresented information. Xanda was part of a pride with seven cubs and Mr Loverage told The Times: 'These cubs are too young to survive on their own and will certainly be vulnerable to infantcide.' He also said he warned the man allegedly responsible for the hunt, Richard Cooke, that killing the lion would be 'detrimental to the population'. Authorities were able to identify the animal - believed to be Cecil's oldest cub -because it had been fitted with an electronic tag. American trophy-hunter Walter Palmer, from Minnesota, paid 45,000 to hunt and shoot Xanda's majestic father, easily recognisable by his black mane which helped make him Hwange's biggest tourist draw. Xanda, a six-year-old male, was killed just outside Hwange National Park in north west Zimbabwe - near the spot where Cecil died two years ago. This image, purportedly showing the animal, was posted along with a message announcing the death on the Facebook page of the Lions of Hwange National Park group American trophy-hunter Walter Palmer (pictured centre in black t-shirt), from Minnesota, paid 45,000 to hunt and shoot the majestic Cecil, easily recognisable by his black mane and Hwange's biggest tourist draw card The 12 year-old cat, which was found beheaded and skinned near Hwange National Park, wore a collar and was a key part of an expensive research project monitored by Oxford University. The dentist was forced into hiding for weeks following his shooting of Cecil which prompted an international outcry. Charges against Dr Palmer were later withdrawn. Last year, pictures emerged showing seven of Cecil's offspring five females and two males by three lioness mates basking in sunshine. But last week, it emerged that one of them, Xanda, himself a father to several young cubs, had also been killed by a big game trophy hunter in Zimbabwe. An image purportedly showing the animal, was posted along with a message announcing the death on the Facebook page of the Lions of Hwange National Park group. The group said: 'Xanda is still a young father at 6.2 years old and has several young cubs. We can't believe that now, 2 years since Cecil was killed, that his oldest Cub Xanda has met the same fate. 'When will the Lions of Hwange National Park be left to live out their years as wild born free lions should...?' Cecil (pictured) wore a collar and was a key part of an expensive research project monitored by Oxford University The shamed dentist was forced into hiding for weeks following his shooting of Cecil which prompted an international outcry Cecil is believed to have had seven offspring five females and two males by three lioness mates. Some of them are pictured basking in the sunshine in July 2015 According to the Daily Telegraph, the man leading the shooting expedition, named as Richard Cooke from RC Safaris, found the tag on the lion's collar and handed it to researchers. Andrew Loveridge, from the Oxford University research team is quoted as saying: 'I fitted it last October. It was monitored almost daily and we were aware that Xanda and his pride was spending a lot of time out of the park in the last six months, but there is not much we can do about that. 'Richard Cooke is one of the "good" guys. He is ethical and he returned the collar and communicated what had happened. His hunt was legal and Xanda was over six years old so it is all within the stipulated regulations.' Loveridge said he hoped a three-mile exclusion zone could be set up around the Hwange Park to stop hunters accidentally killing monitored lions that strayed outside its boundaries. MailOnline has attempted to reach Mr Cooke for further comment. Boris Johnson today insisted the country did not want any more 'political kerfuffle' as he denied fuelling Cabinet infighting. The Foreign Secretary insisted he was not running a secret leadership campaign in case ailing Theresa May returns from her walking holidays and decides to quit. Speaking in New Zealand, where he is on a regional tour promoting trade and security links, Mr Johnson admitted the election campaign had not gone as 'hoped' but insisted the Government was right to focus on getting on with its job. The senior minister has been blamed by some in the Tory ranks for an ugly briefing war that forced Theresa May to publicly slap down her Cabinet for leaking. Mr Johnson made his intervention after posing with a tuatara lizard at the Zealandia ecosanctuary in Wellington. Boris Johnson (pictured today with a tuatara lizard in New Zealand) insisted the country did not want any more 'political kerfuffle' as he denied fuelling Cabinet infighting The Foreign Secretary (who is in Wellington today as part of a regional tour, pictured) insisted he was not running a secret leadership campaign Mr Johnson toured Zealandia ecosanctuary in Wellington with New Zealand Conservation Minister Maggie Barry (pictured left) Mr Johnson's two-day trip is designed to strengthen ties with the Commonwealth state as the UK seeks new trading links after leaving the European Union. After delivering a statement in which he said New Zealand would be 'at or near the front of the queue' for a free trade deal after the UK leaves the 27-member bloc, the Uxbridge MP was quizzed about his political ambitions. Mr Johnson was greeted by a shout of 'Boris for PM' at a ceremony in Wellington - but the Foreign Secretary played down the idea of him replacing PM Theresa May. He said: 'I also spotted a protester who took a diametrically opposed view. 'What the British people want to see is a government that gets on with the job and they've got that with Theresa and we are going to deliver a great Brexit deal. 'A deal that works for our European friends, for the UK, but also works for New Zealand. 'What the British people want to see is us getting on with the job. They see no need for any more political kerfuffle.' Mr Johnson's trip told Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee (pictured right at today's press conference) New Zealand would be close to the front of the queue for a deal with Britain Mr Johnson (pictured at today's press conference) was greeted by a shout of 'Boris for PM' at a ceremony in Wellington When asked if 'infighting' could compromise progress in trade discussions, Mr Johnson said any suggestion of discord in the Conservative Party had 'completely passed me by'. Mrs May (pictured yesterday arriving in Italy) is away on holiday for three weeks after her election disaster 'Let's be clear, the election did not evolve entirely in the way the Gov had hoped or would have wanted ... I'm going to put that out,' he said. 'But the Labour Party did not win, they were 50 seats behind. We have a workable system of getting stuff through the House of Commons ... we have workable maority with our friends from Northern Ireland. 'We are getting on with the business of governing, which is overwhelmingly what the British people want to see.' Mr Johnson also reiterated his view that Brexit was not about Britain becoming more isolationist. He said: 'People have got a democratic right to feel that their government is in charge of the situation and that was a bit what the whole Brexit thing was about. 'It wasn't that people were hostile to immigrants, they weren't hostile to people with talents and energy coming to the UK, they just wanted to feel that the British government had a handle on it. Mr Johnson met directly with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English (left) and his counterpart Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee (right) during his visit 'I will say this until I'm blue in the face: Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world. 'On the contrary, it is about us wanting to keep great relations with European friends and partners and do a great free trade deal with them, but it is also about rediscovering and intensifying friendships and partnerships around the world.' During the press conference, New Zealand's foreign minister Gerry Brownlee said there was a 'strong interest' in swiftly concluding a free trade agreement with the UK after Brexit - adding it will 'bring our two countries closer together'. Inmates have smuggled such large quantities of Spice into one jail that 20 prison officers have gone home sick after inhaling fumes of the drug. Some staff members at Holme House Prison in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, have been intentionally poisoned after the escalating crisis over drugs continues. The Prison Officers Association has issued a warning after a 5.6kg stash of Spice - worth 200,000 - was found in Weetabix, Oats-so-Simple and cappuccino packets. It said the discovery is the largest ever haul of the substance to be found in a British prison. Spice (pictured) is being smuggled into jails and prison officers have being going home sick because of the drug The association said that there have been 22 incidents relating to the psychoactive substance - which causes hallucinations and leaves users paranoid. It also confirmed that 20 staff members at the category B jail went off sick from the affects of Spice on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Those who have gone off sick have suffered with symptoms including seizures, vomiting, anxiety, hallucinations, high blood pressure and depression. Terry Fullerton, Acting Vice Chairman of the POA, told MailOnline that some of the 180 prison officers at the jail are being specifically targeted by inmates. He said: 'Last Thursday, 12 members of staff had to go home sick due to the effects of Spice. 'It is a major problem. There was a huge find last week and staff found 200,000 worth of Spice in the prison. 'It affects different staff members in different ways. Some felt dizzy, sick, light headed. Others said their heart was going to burst out of their chest because it was beating so quickly. 'Some staff members have had to go to hospital as a result of the effects of Spice and some are being intentionally targeted and poisoned in its liquid form. Some staff members at Holme House Prison in Stockton-on-Tees (pictured) have been intentionally poisoned 'In city centres, people are off their heads on the stuff and it is becoming a major problem in our prisons and we have to got to stop it coming in. 'It isn't just affecting staff at Holme House, I believe around 100 prison officers around the country have been affected by the drug Spice.' Cleveland Police has launched an investigation into how the huge quantity of Spice made its way into the prison. Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham said he would press the Home Office to launch an inquiry into the discovery at the jail. He said: 'It is absolutely stunning that so much can get through the prison security system. We were promised Holme House would become a drug-free prison, but what we are getting is a worsening situation. 'Officers are clearly suffering. I've heard it's easier to get hold of drugs in prison than it is toothpaste. 'There's no doubt the smuggling is organised. All manner of people appear to be under considerable pressure to supply the prison. This needs to be cracked down upon.' WHAT IS SPICE? Spice was previously known as a 'legal high' until the Government banned it in 2016. It can sell on the streets for as little as 3 a gram but can cost up to100 a gram in prisons. The drug has been smuggled into prisons in letters, newspapers and magazines then can be rolled into a cigarette and smoked to achieve a high. It is odourless, colourless and almost impossible to detect. It has been blamed for a 40 per cent rise in attacks on prison staff. Advertisement Holme House POA branch chairman Andy Baxter said some staff had been sent off duty after being affected by Spice more than three times, which was aggravating the effects of a reduced number of officers at the jail. He said: 'This ongoing issue is the unknown effects on the long term health of staff and the short term protections that can be brought in to protect staff and other prisoners. 'Prison Officers are witnessing first-hand the long term effects these drugs are having on people in their care, it is clear to us that long term users are suffering reductions in cognitive ability and potential long term psychosis and potential brain damage.' The Government said it was spending 100m a year to boost prison officer numbers. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'We are determined to stem the flow of drugs into our prisons, and are taking unprecedented action to tackle these issues. 'This includes an innovative new drug testing programme, over 300 dogs to detect psychoactive substances, and making it a criminal offence to possess psychoactive substances in prison. 'We have also set up a specialist team of prison and police officers to tackle the threat of drones, and to bring to justice those bringing contraband in to our prisons.' A pilot incredibly escaped serious injury after a vintage military jet crashed and burned in the Las Vegas desert. He was the only person onboard the British-built Strikemaster aircraft which plummeted to the ground just before noon yesterday. It had just taken off from Henderson Executive Airport and was half a mile away when the crash happened. Officials walk from the crash site after a vintage single-engine British-built military jet crashed and burned in the desert just after takeoff from the Henderson Executive Airport Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said the man was 'lucky to be alive', the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. No one on the ground was injured, and the closest homes were about a half-mile away, she said. The plane is owned by military contractor Blue Air Training. A statement on the firm's Facebook page said: 'Blue Air Training experienced the loss of an aircraft today during a routine takeoff. The wreckage of a vintage single-engine British-built military jet is shown after it crashed and burned in the desert just after takeoff 'Thankfully our most valuable asset, our people, are safe as the single pilot walked away from the scene completely uninjured. There was no damage to anything on the ground. We are working with the Air Force, NTSB, and the FAA to ensure this is properly handled. 'The aircraft involved was a BAC-167 Strikemaster, a single-engine tactical jet, which provides close air support training for military members maintaining their Joint Terminal Attack Control qualification.' It continued: 'In this incident, the aircraft was on its way to support a routine training event for Special Tactics Airmen. Blue Air Training is required to follow all Air Force guidelines and policy to safety, processes, and inspections, which are more stringent than FAA standards.' Blue Air Training, the owner of the crashed aircraft, has a fleet of four Strikemaster jets Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said police were interviewing the pilot after the crash, and FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot also will meet with agency investigators. His name was not immediately made public. The Strikemaster is a two-seat light-attack aircraft. Nearly 150 of the jets were produced by British Aircraft Corporation from 1967 to 1984. Donald Trump slammed the EU for being 'protectionist' today as he hailed the first round of talks on a 'big and exciting' trade deal with Brexit Britain. The President said his team was working on a 'major' deal that would help America create new jobs. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has been in Washington for two days at the first gathering of the UK-US trade and investment working group. He sat down face to face with trade representative Robert Lighthizer for initial talks which he hopes will pave the way for signing a trade deal as soon as possible after Brexit is finalised. Mr Trump has endorsed the talks twice in recent hours - first tweeting on the official White House account to say it would make the special relationship 'even better' before attacking the EU on his own account. Donald Trump (pictured yesterday in West Virginia) today declared the special relationship would be 'even better' after Liam Fox open post-Brexit trade talks in Washington DC President Trump said his administration was working on a 'major trade deal' that would be 'big and exciting' In a tweet on his official account (pictured), the US President said the talks were the start of a 'new chapter for stronger trade'. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox (right) is meet trade representative Robert Lighthizer (left) for two days of talks (pictured at their first meeting yesterday) The warm endorsement of the International Trade Secretary's mission came amid a bizarre row over chlorinated chicken that threatened to overshadow the talks. Dr Fox has been challenged to eat a chicken washed in chlorine live on TV to ease concerns in Britain about the prospect of the food being imported after a deal. He slammed the media for being 'obsessed' with a tiny detail that would not arise until the very end of the talks. But the interventions from the President will be a boost to Dr Fox as his US trip ends. FOX: BRITS OBSESSED WITH CHLORINE CHICKEN Liam Fox has dismissed health concerns about importing chlorine-washed chickens from the US. He said there are bigger issues to focus on when working out a UK-US free trade agreement and condemned the British 'obsession' with chickens. The EU bans the import of meat washed in chlorine amid concerns it lowers food safety standards. Asked if he would eat a chlorine-washed chicken, Dr Fox said: 'In a debate which should be about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation the British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement.' Advertisement On his official Twitter account, Mr Trump said: 'Our special relationship with UK is going to be even better. 'US Trade Rep and UK's Liam Fox met today to begin new chapter for stronger trade.' He added later on his personal account: 'Working on major trade deal with the United Kingdom. 'Could be very big and exciting. JOBS! 'The EU is very protectionist with the US. STOP!' New Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable poured cold water on the benefits of any prospective deal. He claimed any agreement struck with America would not offset the potential losses of leaving the European Single Market and Customs Union. Sir Vince told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "Well I think we've learnt in the last few months to take anything President Trump says with a pinch of salt. "It is certainly possible that there could post-Brexit be a trade deal with the US, it's one of the few that might actually happen, unlike China, India, which are much more difficult." He added: "It could be significant, it's not remotely comparable to the potential losses if we withdraw from the European Single Market and the Customs Union, but it would provide potentially some trade benefits." The warm endorsement of the International Trade Secretary (pictured arriving at the talks yesterday) came amid a bizarre row over chlorinated chicken that threatened to overshadow the talks An initial two-day meeting of the UK-US trade and investment working group (pictured as the talks began) is due to wrap up today Dr Fox has been challenged to eat a chicken washed in chlorine live on TV to ease concerns in Britain about the prospect of the food being imported after a deal President Trump is deeply controversial in Britain and a planned state visit has been delayed until next year amid fears of angry protests. Many US supermarkets sell chicken that is washed in chlorine to kill bacteria. It is much cheaper than British food (file image) but fails current food safety standards Prime Minister Theresa May has made strong efforts to get close to the President since his inauguration and could invite him to London for a lower profile official visit first. Mr Trump made a visit to France earlier this month to join Bastille Day celebrations in a personal visit with President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking from Washington DC yesterday, Dr Fox told remainers to accept the result of the referendum and help secure the best outcome for the UK rather than seek to 'thwart' Brexit. He said: 'Those who are still intent on trying to thwart the process, or seem to hope that something will magically appear that will change the referendum results, they are dreaming.' But as he embarks on a trade charm offensive in the US, the talks have been hit by a row over whether American chlorine-washed chickens could hit British supermarket shelves under a post-Brexit trade deal. Many US supermarkets sell chicken that is washed in chlorine to kill bacteria. It is much cheaper than British food but fails current food safety standards. New Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable (pictured at his coronation last week) poured cold water on the benefits of any prospective deal Dr Fox is said to be keen to agree with US producers that imports to Britain be allowed after Brexit but is said to be opposed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who insists current food standards must be maintained. He tried to sooth concerns by stressing that the decision on chlorine-washed chickens would be taken at the 'very end stage' of a potential US-UK free trade deal. Asked if he would feel comfortable eating a chlorine-washed chicken, Dr Fox said: 'In a debate which should be about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation and the increased prosperity of both the UK, the US and our trading partners.... 'The British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. 'I say no more than that.' Theresa May's official spokesman said it was too early to discuss specific details of any trade deal, such as the issue of chlorinated chicken. The spokesman was challenged at a regular Westminster media briefing over whether the Government was guaranteeing to maintain EU-level food standards after Brexit. He said: 'Our position when it comes to food is that maintaining the safety and public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority Any future trade deal must work for UK farmers, businesses and consumers.' Campaign group Open Britain issued a challenge for Dr Fox to eat chlorine-washed chicken during his US visit. The group's executive director James McGrory said: 'If the International Trade Secretary wants the public to trust him, he needs to take the opportunity while he's in the US and devour a chlorine-washed chicken live on camera. 'The choice of recipe is up to him, but one serving suggestion might be Chlorination Chicken. 'The proof of the chicken is in the eating and if Dr Fox thinks it's safe, he should put his money where his mouth is. If he doesn't, he is just chicken.' Free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute said American chickens are more than a fifth cheaper than British ones and claimed three entire chlorine-washed birds would have to be eaten every day for an extended period to risk harm. It warned that poultry market access is likely to be a take-it-or-leave-it condition of an agreement between the UK and US. Dr Fox is said to be keen to agree with US producers that imports to Britain be allowed after Brexit but is said to be opposed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured right with the Trade Secretary in Downing Street last week) Mr Fox will also meet commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, give a speech at the American Enterprise Institute and host a breakfast with members of Congress on the trade tour before heading to Mexico for talks with economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo. European Union rules mean the UK cannot sign a deal until after it has quit the bloc but the discussions will pave the way for a future potential free trade agreement. Dr Fox said: 'The first meeting of the UK-US trade and investment working group is the start of the next chapter in our special relationship. 'Although it's too early to say exactly what would be covered in a potential deal, the working group is the means to ensure we get to know each other's issues and identify areas where we can work together to strengthen trade and investment ties. 'Our work as an international economic department has never been more important and our exit from the European Union offers an unprecedented opportunity to reshape our independent trading ambitions and build on the already strong trading relationship with our single largest trading partner - the US'. A conman was forced to beg for forgiveness after a prankster father dressed up in drag to pretend to be a vulnerable woman and then exposed his scam online. David Walker, 39, asked his daughter to put make-up on him and created a fake Facebook profile named 'Julian Le Flange' to lure online predators after a family friend was conned into handing over thousands of pounds in an online romance. The father-of-two was soon approached by a 'religious pastor' from Nigeria who quickly declared his love for Julian before asking for $900 (690) so that he could get a flight to the UK. However Mr Walker took advantage of the scammer's eagerness to get his hands on the cash by luring him into a hilarious exchange that ended with the father sending a photo of his daughter's toys labelled as the 'Western Union shop'. But he was subsequently banned by Facebook for 'breaching the firm's anti-bullying policy'. David Walker pretended to be a lady called Julian Le Flange when he was approached by a man from Nigeria who claimed to love 'Julian' and asked for money so he could 'fly to Britain to be with her'. He even had help from his elder daughter who put make-up on him, pictured Mr Walker, pictured with daughters Emily, left, 10, and Annabelle, right, six, forced a conman to beg for forgiveness after tricking him by pretending to be a woman over Facebook to expose the scam After Mr Walker posted the images of their conversation online, the self-declared religious pastor was bombarded with hundreds of prank messages from other Facebook users and ended up begging him to tell people to stop harassing him. Mr Walker, from Newcastle, said: 'I was inspired to start doing this because I have a good friend whose mother unfortunately fell victim to one of these scammers and she lost thousands of pounds. 'Unfortunately lots of people do get stitched up by these conmen. She was very embarrassed about what happened and it had a very negative effect on her. My friend really likes what I'm doing and is supportive of it. 'I roped in my daughter to put some make-up on me for the photo as Julian. I can't say I enjoyed it but she certainly found it funny to make her dad look silly. 'It did the trick though as people think it's a woman. Mr Walker was approached via Facebook messages, pictured, by the conman who claimed to be a pastor from Nigeria The conversation eventually turned nasty when Mr Walker accused him of being a conman and shared his details with other users, prompting him to be inundated with messages The scammer then said he would report Mr Walker to Facebook, who subsequently banned the father of two for 'breaching their anti-bullying policy' 'To lure them in, I just go on my Facebook as Julian and use the account to comment on popular stories on news articles. Soon enough these conmen start contacting you as they see you active. 'I always report them to Facebook but often there's nothing they can do because they've not yet committed a crime. 'Instead I often get banned. I've had my account suspended around five times. I think it's because I post private conversations without the other party's consent. 'The man mistook me for a woman and was trying to romance me in a confidence trick to get money on the pretence of a flight over to the UK - but of course he would never turn up. 'Once I shared the pictures on my Facebook of how I had strung him along for so long he then started getting loads of messages from everyone giving him lots of abuse. 'He then came back to me demanding I tell everyone to stop messaging him. He got to the point where he was very angry indeed and he did everything from rant and rage to grovel. He was begging me to get people to stop harassing him, it was hilarious. Mr Walker, pictured with daughter Emily, said he had exposed 'dozens of conmen' on Facebook through his pranks Mr Walker strung the conman along with outrageous claims and even managed to convince him to refer to 'Julian' by a rude name The 'pastor' asked Mr Walker's alias to let him come and live with 'her' but then asked for cash for 'visas and flights' 'However I didn't want to help him, hopefully now he will think twice about doing it again. 'It is nice to see him get a taste of his own medicine. He was eventually forced to delete his account.' Mr Walker has exposed dozens of the conmen with his pranks and has developed a reputation among his friends for his online antics. In June last year, he hit the headlines with a similar prank in which he got revenge on a con-artist by pretending to go along with their dodgy 'business venture' over dozens of hilarious messages and even persuaded him to agree to a dinner DATE. Mr Walker said: 'Anyone who falls victim to these conmen would lose their money but they would also suffer the embarrassment of having fallen for something like this. They could also be heartbroken. It really can have a terrible effect on someone. Mr Walker managed to get the scammer to refer to himself as 'Wee moustache' and continued to be pestered by him to send money via Western Union Mr Walker also humiliated his target by convincing him to agree to 'stand in "her" garden while rapping and holding a helium balloon' 'I hope that by doing it some of them might get put off from doing it if I cause them enough hassle. 'Lots of people have been messaging me, praising what I'm doing and saying they are going to start doing it too, so it seems I'm having an effect. 'I will carry on doing this and exposing more scammers. If it just puts off one person, it's worth it. 'My daughters think it's hilarious, though I don't show them the conversations I have with the scammers as they often contain adult material. 'My long-suffering wife puts up with it, she tolerates my antics. All my friends love it though - they talk about it all the time.' A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed that Mr Walker had been suspended as some of his posts with the scammers breached their anti-bullying policy. It's the humble Australian wine that doubles as a pillow, but the price-tag on this goon sack has left many scratching their heads. A Melbourne restaurant is pouring up a top-shelf range of cask wine for the inflated price of $55 including white, red and rose varieties. The idea was dreamed up by the team at Mr Miyagi, who wanted to put a premium spin on classically 'tacky' drink. 'Blast from the cask' is part of a range of top-shelf goon that fetches an inflated price of $55 'I looked at the method and there's nothing that makes goon boxes cheap or crappy other than the wine that is potentially inside it,' Mr Miyagi co-owner Kristian Klein told news.com. 'So we thought it'd be fun to bring back the goon box and put a premium product in there.' There is a 750ml local red (Murray Darling shiraz), white (Marlborough sav blanc) and rose (Adelaide Hills rose) in the range. The wines come with slogans like: 'Let the goon times roll', 'After you goon, you spoon', 'You ask Mr. M cask' and 'Blast from the cask'. Mr Miyagi is the brainchild of the Frose, a frozen rose wine that shot to fame last year. The Japanese-fusion restaurant has risen to the realm of legend on Instagram and often offers three-hour waiting times. The idea was dreamed up by the team at the Instagram-famous Mr Miyagi restaurant Advertisement Hundreds of teenagers have again descended on a beach branded Scotland's Magaluf where 6,000 youths sparked chaos with an alcohol-fuelled party last week. But locals said that yesterday's second round of partying was far more sedate than the carnage that was seen on the beach last week during a raucous gathering involving thousands of youths that was organised on Facebook. Police were seen confiscating alcohol from teenagers as they arrived at the beach - but it did not stop a number of drunken brawls from breaking out among some of the young yobs. A 17-year-old was also arrested for possession of an offensive weapon as youths took advantage of the sweltering temperatures. One girl is said to have been caught screaming racial abuse at another teenager during a drunken row. Hundreds of teenagers have again descended on Troon Beach, which has been branded Scotland's Magaluf ScotRail bosses banned alcohol on trains from Glasgow to Ayr from 10am until 2pm and return services. All bags were searched by police It is in contrast to the scenes at last week's event, pictured, when 6,000 revellers descended on the beach for a booze-fuelled party Police arrested a 17-year-old for possession of an offensive weapon as youths took advantage of the sweltering temperatures. None of those pictured were involved in the incident A group of youths are pictured on the beach yesterday. Locals said the event was far more sedate than last week's booze-fuelled party Trains were also delayed after a group of rowdy revellers caused a disturbance on a service from nearby Glasgow following an alcohol ban by rail officials in a bid to clamp down on trouble. The Troon meet-up has become something of an annual event, with the town earning the nickname 'Scotland's Magaluf'. Gatherings in recent years have seen teens charged with assault and drink and drug-taking leading to the beach being closed one afternoon in July 2015. This morning there were small piles of rubbish left on the beach including a bottle of Buckfast - which is popular in Scotland Litter pickers combed the beach last night in a bid to tidy up the sands following the mass party Scores of officers were patrolling the area with dog handlers and horses also in attendance at the scene The Troon meet-up has become something of an annual event, with the town earning the nickname 'Scotland's Magaluf' Gatherings in recent years have seen teens charged with assault and drink and drug-taking leading to the beach being closed one afternoon in July 2015. It is not suggested that anyone pictured has done anything wrong Following that incident, one local councillor said: 'Troon has become like Newquay and Magaluf and we don't really know how it happened.' Yesterday, hundreds of teenagers were pictured in bikinis and beachwear at local train stations as they made their way to the beach. Pictures posted on social media showed revellers flooding the area with one local describing 'horrific sights' and asking: 'Where are these people's parents?' Pictures posted on social media showed revellers flooding the area with one local describing 'horrific sights' and asking: 'Where are these people's parents?' Local resident Carol Miller, who helped clean up the beach, said: 'Have to say we lifted far fewer alcohol bottles tonight than we did last Wednesday' Police Scotland Chief Inspector Gary I'Anson had earlier said: 'While the majority of people come to enjoy the sunshine and the beach, sometimes on days like this a small minority make poor choices and can become involved in anti-social behaviour, resulting in officers intervening in incidents of disorder. 'This impacts on everyone else including families, young children, local residents and the many visitors who have just come to enjoy the good weather. 'It's really important that everyone who visits our beaches behaves responsibly to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all. Police Scotland Chief Inspector Gary I'Anson had earlier said: 'While the majority of people come to enjoy the sunshine and the beach, sometimes on days like this a small minority make poor choices and can become involved in anti-social behaviour, resulting in officers intervening in incidents of disorder.' It is not suggested that any of those pictured were involved in any incident Last week, thousands of teenagers flooded the beach - but yesterday the party was much more controlled Many of the revellers took interest in the police horses which patrolled the beach during the sunny temperatures Officers made just one arrest of a 17-year-old boy for possession of an offensive weapon. It is not suggested that any of those pictured were involved in any incident 'Today we are again working with partners including South Ayrshire Council, British Transport Police and Scot Rail to keep the beaches in South Ayrshire safe and popular places to visit, and we have extra officers on duty who will robustly deal with any incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour. 'I would appeal to everyone, particularly young people, to be considerate, make safe and positive choices in terms of where they are going, who you are going with and to think about what will happen when they get there. 'I would also encourage anyone with any specific concerns to speak to one of my local officers out on patrol or contact Police Scotland by calling 101. Hundreds of teenagers were pictured arriving at local train stations throughout the day as they made their way to the beach Police officers handed out bottles of water to the crowd to keep them hydrated during the sweltering teperatures Police Scotland Chief Inspector Gary I'Anson had earlier said: 'I would appeal to everyone, particularly young people, to be considerate, make safe and positive choices in terms of where they are going, who you are going with and to think about what will happen when they get there' 'Please enjoy the lovely weather and don't spoil a nice summer's day out for anyone else by acting irresponsibly.' Parents were seen shepherding their young children away from the beach as the partying intensified with scores of police officers patrolling the area. One local told The Sun: 'They seem a bit better behaved than they were last time. But the later it gets the more trouble that erupts. Groups of police officers were on the beach to assist revellers including this young man who turned up wearing a floral hat This teenager, pictured left, looked disappointed to be pouring out his bottle of Buckfast booze under the supervision of a police horse One local told The Sun: 'They seem a bit better behaved than they were last time. But the later it gets the more trouble that erupts' 'It's crazy the amount of kids who are here clearly drunk. It's good to see the police here doing their job.' ScotRail bosses had banned alcohol on services from Glasgow to Ayr from 10am until 2pm and trains coming back between 5pm to 9pm. It also warned customers that police would be on board to 'discourage unruly behaviour'. Throughout the day, local litter pickers walked across the beach picking up any dropped bottles This pair even took a brave dip in the chilly waters - although the bikini-clad girl was lucky enough to be carried to the shore Well-behaved revellers are pictured coming off a train. A ScotRail spokesman told MailOnline: 'We want everyone to enjoy great days out at the beach, however, we do not tolerate antisocial behaviour of any kind on our train services. The safety of our customers and staff is our first priority.' It is not suggested any of those pictured were involved in any incident This couple sitting in their beach chairs brought along their dog - and a couple of bottles of Irn Bru - for good measure Many of the revellers travelled in by train from the nearby city of Glasgow. Alcohol was banned on services to and from the beach area Local resident Carol Miller, who helped clean up the beach, said: 'Have to say we lifted far fewer alcohol bottles tonight than we did last Wednesday. 'Collected lots of empty water bottles that the police were handing out to the young people.' A ScotRail spokesman told MailOnline: 'We want everyone to enjoy great days out at the beach, however, we do not tolerate antisocial behaviour of any kind on our train services. The safety of our customers and staff is our first priority. According to residents there was much less litter on the sands of Troon Beach than at last week's event A local councillor previously said: 'Troon has become like Newquay and Magaluf and we don't really know how it happened' Troon Beach has become known as a destination for wild parties when the weather turns hot during summer Police Scotland worked with other agencies to crack down on trouble at the beach following last week's party which was filled with rowdy revellers. There is no suggestion that anyone shown was involved in any such incident 'We are working very closely with the British Transport Police, Police Scotland and other agencies, to crack down on this unacceptable behaviour as part of Operation Safer Shores. 'The vast majority of young people who travel with us are a credit to themselves, and we are determined not to let the actions of a small minority disrupt the plans of our customers.' The US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, will be the first of its kind to have gender neutral bathrooms. Each sleeping quarter in the ship, which can hold more than 5,000 sailors, will not have urinals in their bathrooms, but instead have seated toilets that can be used by anyone. While seated toilets cost more, are less sanitary and take up more space than urinals, they do have their advantages. A Navy spokeswoman said that having seated toilets will make it easier to switch room assignments for each sleeping quarter - or berth - between genders. Scroll down for video Each sleeping quarter in the USS Gerald R Ford, which can hold more than 5,000 sailors, will not have urinals in their bathrooms, but instead have seated toilets that can be used by anyone While seated toilets cost more, are less sanitary and take up more space than urinals, they will make it easier to switch room assignments between genders on the ship. Women account for 18 per cent of sailors in the Navy 'This is designed to give the ship flexibility because there aren't any berthing areas that are dedicated to one sex or the other,' Operations Specialist 1st Class Kaylea Motsenbocker told Navy Times. Women account for 18 per cent of sailors in the Navy. Named after the country's 38th president, the ship is the first of the new Ford class of aircraft carrier. The vessel can carry more planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. Flying missions are expected to increase by a third. Giving the ship gender-neutral bathrooms in a nice callback to former President Ford, who was in office in 1976 when women were first allowed to join the Naval Academy. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump ended federal protection for transgender students that required public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity. The administration lifted the federal guidelines in February that had been issued by the Obama administration back in May 2016. Named after the country's 38th president, the ship is the first of the new Ford class of aircraft carrier. The vessel can carry more planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. Flying missions are expected to increase by a third It is up to states and school districts to interpret federal anti-discrimination law and determine whether students should have access to restrooms in accordance with their expressed gender identity and not just their biological sex. Before being used by the military, the USS Gerald R Ford still must go through various tests and trials of its cutting-edge technology, including new systems to launch and land fighter jets. A Government Accountability Office report released this month said the Navy could spend another $780 million preparing the carrier for battle. With praise and a blessing for the military, Trump helped hand over the USS Ford to the Navy last week and said the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier will send a '100,000-ton message to the world' about America's military might when it is ultimately deployed. US allies will rest easy, Trump said, but America's enemies will 'shake with fear' when they see the Ford cutting across the horizon. The president and commander in chief of the US armed forces likened the $12.9billion warship to 'an incredible work of art' and boasted about the American labor that went into building a vessel that eventually will house thousands of sailors and crew members. With praise and a blessing for the military, Trump helped hand over the USS Ford to the Navy last week Trump, who visited the carrier in March, told Time magazine this year that the Navy should revert to using steam catapults to launch fighter jets because some of the USS Ford's state-of-the-art systems and technology 'costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good'. Construction started in 2009 and was to be completed by September 2015 at a cost of $10.5 billion. The Navy has blamed the delays and budget overruns on the ship's advanced systems and technology, including electromagnetic launch systems for jets and drones that will replace steam catapults. The warship also has a smaller island that sits farther back on the ship to make it quicker to refuel, re-arm and relaunch planes, and a nuclear power plant designed to allow cruising speeds of more than 30 knots and operation for 20 years without refueling. The vessel completed sea trials in April but still will go through a battery of tests and workups at sea before becoming ready for deployment, work that is expected to cost nearly $780 million and take more than four years to complete, congressional auditors said this month. Richard Dawkins, a renowned atheist, had been due to speak at an event hosted by Berkeley-based station KPFA A row over free speech has broken out between scientist Richard Dawkins and a California radio station after a planned speech was cancelled. The British biologist, a renowned atheist, had been due to speak at an event hosted by Berkeley-based station KPFA about his latest book. But the speech was pulled, with organizers citing 'hurtful' statements made by Dawkins about Islam. It is not known what specific remarks prompted the cancellation, but online commentators have drawn attention to a 2013 tweet in which the writer described Islam as 'the greatest force for evil in the world today'. Dawkins himself has hit back, saying his issue is with Islamism, and pointing out that he has never been barred from events because of his criticism of Christianity. A statement from KPFA said: 'We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science, when we didnt know he had offended and hurt in his tweets and other comments on Islam so many people. Dawkins (left), had been due to speak about his latest book 'Brief Candle In The Dark' (right) 'KPFA does not endorse hurtful speech. While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. 'We apologise for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkinss views much earlier. We also apologise to all those inconvenienced by this cancellation.' In an open letter, Dawkins responded to the radio station: 'If you had consulted me, or if you had done even rudimentary fact-checking, you would have concluded that I have never used abusive speech against Islam. 'I have called IslamISM vile but surely you, of all people, understand that Islamism is not the same as Islam. In 2013, Dawkins branded Islam 'the greatest force for evil in the world today' in a Twitter post 'I have criticised the ridiculous pseudoscientific claims made by Islamic apologists (the sun sets in a marsh etc), and the opposition of Islamic scholars to evolution and other scientific truths.' His letter continued: 'I have criticised the appalling misogyny and homophobia of Islam, I have criticised the murdering of apostates for no crime other than their disbelief. 'Far from attacking Muslims, I understand as perhaps you do not that Muslims themselves are the prime victims of the oppressive cruelties of Islamism, especially Muslim women.' And the 76-year-old fumed: 'I am known as a frequent critic of Christianity and have never been de-platformed for that. 'Why do you give Islam a free pass? Why is it fine to criticise Christianity but not Islam?' A Brazilian policewoman who posts bikini snaps online in her spare time has been inundated with marriage proposals after posing for a racy new photo shoot. Gun-toting Mari Ag is a highway patrol officer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the most dangerous countries in the world that has nearly 60,000 murders a year. The 30-year-old became a social media sensation earlier this year after posting a series of photos of her at work - alongside scantily-clad images of her relaxing in her spare time. Now she has revealed she has been inundated with love messages and proposals from her army of online fans. Brazilian policewoman Mari Ag posts bikini snaps online in her spare time and has been inundated with marriage proposals after posing for a racy new photo shoot Gun-toting Mari Ag is a highway patrol officer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the most dangerous countries in the world that has nearly 60,000 murders a year The 30-year-old became a social media sensation earlier this year after posting a series of photos of her at work - alongside scantily-clad images of her relaxing in her spare time The toned policewoman decided to pursue a career as a police officer when she was a child as she wanted to help protect her community from the criminals and gangs that she says is 'so powerful and terrible in Brazil.' Mari was in the top 10 out of 150,000 people who went for the job, and works on the Dutra Highway on of the most brutal areas for truck theft and other gang related crimes. She says her country is in a state of civil war and protecting innocent people is her goal. The toned policewoman decided to pursue a career as a police officer when she was a child as she wanted to help protect her community from the criminals and gangs that she says is 'so powerful and terrible in Brazil.' Mari was in the top 10 out of 150,000 people who went for the job, and works on the Dutra Highway on of the most brutal areas for truck theft and other gang related crimes Mari says her country is in a state of civil war and protecting innocent people is her goal Mari has amazed thousands of followers on Instragram and keeps them hooked with pictures of her profession and her life outside work Brazil has nearly 60,000 murders a year, more than some warzones, and is home to 21 of the world's 50 most dangerous cities She said: 'The place I work has the worse criminality in the city, so we fight against heavily armed gangs that rob, kill, rape and terrify the community and the users of the federal highway.' Brazil has nearly 60,000 murders a year, more than some warzones, and is home to 21 of the world's 50 most dangerous cities. The job is so dangerous that only in one week two of her fellow officers were shot while on patrol. Mari has amazed thousands of followers on Instragram and keeps them hooked with pictures of her profession and her life outside work. She says she likes to keep her mind and body healthy through travel and exercise, and keeps her body beach ready because, as she says, 'in Brazil, we're all about bikinis.' This year, 4-H youth had an opportunity to make a difference beyond the boundaries of Gage County with a service project called Little Dresses for Africa. Participants were able to learn about Africas different countries and cultures while sewing dresses for children in need earlier this year. Jane Esau, Gage County 4-H coordinator, heard about the project through a neighboring county. After some investigation, she felt it was a worthy cause and discussed it with 4-H council members. What an awesome chance to network among county 4-H clubs in a common project that will help so many in a different area of the world, Esau said during the Gage County fair. Gage County 4-H volunteer Geana Blythe said that she was excited when she read the announcement of the community service project in the monthly newsletter. Blythe, who serves as an adult leader of the Pathfinders 4-H Club, also wanted to get involved with the project. Several parents and members of the Pathfinders 4-H Club donated fabric, pillowcases and other materials to sew forty-two little dresses. Those dresses were sent with the Byleveld family at the end of May when they returned to Africa for a visit. Since then, more dresses have been made and will be displayed at the Gage County fair. The dresses are made with a simple pattern from a cotton fabric or a pillowcase. The organization notes that the pillowcases and the feed sack dress patterns were chosen for their simplicity. Because pillowcases are readily available and come in all colors and patterns, the Little Dresses for Africa are simple enough for novices to sew as they already have a hem and side seams in them. Little Dresses for Africa was founded by Rachel ONeill in 2008 when she returned from a trip to Uganda and Kenya. According to the Little Dresses for Africa website, ONeill was determined to help after observing the plight of women and children and the long road ahead for them. ONeill decided to return with little dresses to donate. The initial goal was to take 1,000 dresses to a single village. Since that time, Little Dresses for Africa has donated more than six million pieces of clothing, with little dresses for girls and britches for boys. These items are currently being sent to 83 countries in and around Africa. Collection and distribution points are now found around the globe. The organization also helps provide clean water and primary education while building up local communities. Some of the outfits made locally were modeled during the 4-H fashion show on July 17. Gage County 4-H members can also enter their dresses at the fair. The dresses will be shipped to their final destinations following the fair. More information is available at the Extension Office and at the Little Dresses for Africa website at www.littledressesforafrica.org. Esau said that local 4-H members will continue making outfits even after the 2017 Gage County Fair. Harriet Wran has been spotted walking her dog through a Sydney park as she returns to a life of normality following a two-year stint behind bars. The 29-year-old, who was jailed for her role in a robbery which lead-to the murder of drug dealer Daniel McNulty, was dressed in casual clothing as she made the most of the city's sunny weather. Wran, the daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran, has previously said how she had always found animals relaxing. Scroll down for video Harriet Wran has been spotted walking her dog in Sydney as she returns to a life of normality following a two-year stint behind bars The 29-year-old was released from Silverwater prison last year after being sentenced for her role in a robbery that ended in the murder of drug dealer It was revealed last month Wran was rebuilding her life by volunteering at Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown's clinic Wran, the daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran, had her earphones in and paid close attention to her phone while spotted out and about It was revealed last month Wran was rebuilding her life by volunteering at Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown's clinic and was seeking solace at the famed business. The recovering meth addict is working at the clinic once a week and staying clean with the help of her mother Jill Hickson-Wran. She is living in an alcohol-free home in affluent Woollahra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, after being released from Silverwater jail in September last year. Wran had her earphones in as she strolled around the park solo following after her dog and was seen paying close attention to phone. Wran made the most of Sydney's sunny weather by strolling through a park with her dog She has previously said how she had always found animals relaxing The recovering meth addict has been staying clean with the help of her mother Jill Hickson-Wran She is living in an alcohol-free home following her release from jail She served a two-year minimum jail term for being an accessory after the fact of murder and robbery. Mr McNulty was stabbed to death in his squalid inner-Sydney housing commission flat in August 2014. Wran's ex-boyfriend Michael Lee, 37, was sentenced to at least 13 years for the 'senseless' stabbing murder, while Lloyd Edward Haines, 31, who knew Lee had a knife but did not anticipate it would be used, was jailed for at least 11 years. The trio had gone to the unit to get drugs and spontaneously decided to rob Mr McNulty which led to a violent struggle between the occupants and Lee and Haines. Wran served a two-year minimum jail term for being an accessory after the fact of murder and robbery A suspected thief was scared off from pinching a motorbike when the owner confronted him with a gun in shocking CCTV footage. Peter Kim, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was alerted to the drama on his security camera and immediately opened his front door to find a stranger sitting on his bike. Trained in martial arts, Mr Kim grabbed his pistol and stood up to the man who made a run for it while apologizing. But the homeowner thought twice before going after the suspect after realizing he was wearing his pink underwear and didn't want his neighbours to see. Mr Kim said: 'My camera notifies me about some movement in the back lot. Took a look and realised it's not my cousin on my motorcycle. 'Grabbed my gun, put the clip in, and loaded a bullet into the chamber. I ran downstairs and checked through the peephole to make sure again and that's when I saw him still trying to steal my bike. 'With no hesitation I pulled the gun on him and asked him who he was but not in those words. I saw he was reacting so I went to load a bullet in the chamber and realised mid way I had already cocked the gun back when I grabbed it. 'But the thief thought I was ready to shoot which I was prepared to but did not intend to. A suspected thief was scared off from taking a motorbike when the owner confronted him with a gun in shocking CCTV footage Peter Kim was alerted to the drama on his security camera and immediately opened his front door to find a stranger sitting on his bike 'As I was reaching for the slide the thief ran off saying he was just looking which the video clearly shows he attempted to steal the bike twice.' Mr Kim added: 'The first time he had a bag with him and scoped out the area and tried to move the bike. 'He then went home to drop off his bag and came back for a second attempt which was when I woke up. Trained in martial arts, Mr Kim grabbed his pistol and stood up to the man on his bike who made a run for it while apologising Mr Kim from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: 'My camera notifies me about some movement in the back lot. Took a look and realised it's not my cousin on my motorcycle' 'If I'd been dressed properly I would've gone round the back and forced the culprit to the floor as I'm trained in Mixed Martial Arts and know how to defend myself.' He said: 'I have not seen the thief since the incident. Laws here in Pennsylvania only allow you to shoot if you feel you are in imminent danger and I didn't feel as if I was but if he comes back he may regret it.' Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer (file picture) has been offered a job advising the law firm which represented Gina Miller in her case against the Government Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer today turned down a job advising the law firm behind a Supreme Court challenge over Brexit. It was revealed yesterday Sir Keir was in talks about taking a post with Mishcon de Reya, the firm that helped Gina Miller successfully challenge Theresa May's power to invoke Article 50. But after warnings the job would be a huge conflict of interest, Sir Keir confirmed today he would not go ahead. He said: 'I am grateful to Mishcon de Reya for discussing a possible role advising the Mishcon Academy with me, but, given my other commitments, I have decided not to further the discussions.' The prospect of his appointment as an adviser to the firm sparked accusations from the Conservatives that Sir Keir faced a 'possible conflict of interests'. Tory MP James Cleverly questioned whether it was appropriate for him to take the role and called on him to list any clients he will advise. He also highlighted the fact that Sir Keir had recently been appointed to the Privy Council, the group of political senior advisers to the Queen, so he could view secretive and privileged government documents on Brexit. Sir Keir, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, has advised the firm before. His Parliamentary register of interests shows he received 4,500 a month for work between June and September last year. He quit the post days before taking on the high profile front bench post of Labour Brexit spokesman. If he rejoins the firm, Sir Keir will be working alongside Alison Levitt QC. She previously worked as his principal adviser when he headed the CPS from 2008 to 2013, and was the lead lawyer on the phone hacking investigations. The potential new role is with the Mishcon Academy, which the firm's website says handles 'training, development, learning and new thinking'. Sir Keir Starmer, pictured with his wife Victoria Alexander during the recent election count The company rose to prominence as the representative of Ms Miller (pictured outside the Supreme Court in January), who controversially challenged Theresa May's right to invoke Article 50 In a letter to Sir Keir, Mr Cleverly, who is a ministerial aide in the Home Office, wrote: 'Mishcon de Reya have been an active participant in legal cases surrounding the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. Controversial ex-colleague If Sir Keir Starmer becomes an adviser to Mishcon de Reya he will potentially work alongside a controversial figure. Alison Levitt QC, a partner at the firm and head of its business crime group, played a key role in the investigation into journalists paying cash for stories. Out of 29 charges against journalists in the multi-million pound inquiry, only one resulted in a conviction and this was later quashed. Sir Keir worked closely with Miss Levitt at the CPS, as she was principal legal adviser there when he was DPP. A previous employee of the law firm is Sue Akers, who led Scotland's Yard investigation into phone hacking and retired from the force in 2012. She was recruited by the firm as a private investigator after it had been retained by the wealthy family of an alleged rape victim. Miss Akers worked alongside Miss Levitt, and her work helped lead to a rape charge against Kato Harris. But the teacher was cleared by a jury in 15 minutes. Earlier this year, a judge cleared the way for Mr Harris to seek damages after ruling his prosecution was an 'improper act'. Advertisement 'The firm stressed that the result of the referendum was not legally binding and supported anonymous claimants in their legal efforts last year. 'The firm acted for Gina Miller in her case against the Government regarding the triggering of Article 50 even though Jeremy Corbyn called for Article 50 to be triggered immediately following the referendum, without the consent of Parliament. 'The firm's legal work alongside your role in the Shadow Cabinet creates a possible conflict of interests.' He pointed to the MPs' Code of Conduct which says MPs should 'avoid any conflict between personal interests and the public interest'. He added: 'In your position as the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union you will be involved with drafting and speaking on amendments on the EU Withdrawal Bill. 'You have also recently been made a member of the Privy Council, which will allow you privileged access to documents and information.' A Labour source also raised doubts about whether the role would be approved by the party leadership. The Article 50 case forced ministers to pass legislation before they could begin the process of Brexit. Mrs Miller won in both the High Court and Supreme Court. Recent figures revealed the case cost taxpayers 1.2million. Mishcon de Reya said: 'We are in discussions with Keir Starmer about reappointing him as an adviser to the Mishcon Academy. 'His wide experience and previous association with the firm would enable him to play a key and unique role in shaping the work of the Academy.' Sir Keir did not respond to requests for comment. A man has been arrested after five people were injured in a bloody chainsaw rampage in Switzerland. Police released a chilling CCTV image of the suspect, named as Franz Wrousis, carrying the weapon in a gym bag before the assault. The 51-year-old is suspected of behind the attack in the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland yesterday, that left five injured, two of them seriously. A huge international manhunt was soon underway in a bid to find Wrousis, who was been described as dangerous, aggressive and mentally unstable. He is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company in their office in Schaffhausen's old town on Monday morning. Scroll down for video A chilling image has emerged of a man carrying a chainsaw in his gym bag moments before he used the weapon to go on the rampage through a Swiss town Wrousis (pictured) is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company in their office in Schaffhausen's old town on Monday morning Police are hunting 51-year-old Franz Wrousis over a chainsaw rampage that left five injured in a Swiss town Five people have been injured after a man wielding a chainsaw went on the rampage in a Swiss town Armed police officers walk through heavy rain during the hunt for the chainsaw attacker in Uhwiesen, northern Switzerland The car belonging to a of a man armed with a chainsaw who injured at least five people is removed from a forest in Uhwiesen near Schaffhausen northern Switzerland As police continue to try to hunt him down in three countries - France, Germany and Switzerland - those who knew him have described a troubled character. His former landlady Beat Erhard said he suffered a car accident which turned him increasingly introverted. 'He rented a small flat from me between 2014 and 2016. At first he was pleasant but towards the end of the lease, however, he became more and more funny. 'He left practically everything behind when he moved out, including furniture and religious books.' Benjamin Schmid, a worker at the deluxe Hotel Capricorn in Laax said three months ago he checked in with him. 'He wanted to stay for a whole month and explained that he needed distance from the outside world,' he said. The suspect attacked people in Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, according to police who have launched a manhunt 'He told me he ordered a VW caddy. He said he wanted to go to the mountains. Just far away from people. He said something about having bad vibes. 'At the bar the next day he said I could see inside his head. He was not a sympathetic person.' Ruedi Karrer, head of the local council where Wrousis had been living in his car for the past several weeks, said: 'I walked my dog past him every day. 'One day he asked my dog if he knew a good hairdresser, then launched into a strange tirade about God.' He bought the chainsaw he used in the attack two weeks ago from a DIY supermarket. Police visited him where he camped out in his car near a Schaffhausen but believed him to be harmless. A spokeswoman said officers were searching for the suspect in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack yesterday, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. Four of the five injured people have now left hospital. One company employee, who was severely injured, is still in hospital, but not in a life-threatening condition. Authorities said the suspect has previous convictions for weapons offences and has no fixed residence. In recent weeks he was seen in the forests near Schaffhausen. Police are searching the region with helicopters and sniffer dogs. Officers warned that Wrousis may be armed and asked anyone who sees him to contact police immediately, and to keep away from him. They also put out an international arrest warrant. Armed police descended on the scene yesterday as they launched a manhunt for the attacker Officers say the Franz Wrousis, 51, broke into the offices of insurance firm CSS-Krankenkasse in the town of Schaffhausen before targeting the employees Investigators search for evidence after closing down Schaffhausen's old city on Monday Schaffhausen, a town of about 36,000 people north of Zurich, is near the Swiss-German border. On Monday afternoon, police found a white Volkswagen minivan that the suspect was believed to be driving. They did not elaborate on its condition or say if anything else was found in it. Police also published several photos of the man, the latest of which they said was taken shortly before his attack on the CSS insurance office. It shows a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag, which they said may have contained the chainsaw. Officers examine evidence after five people were wounded in the chainsaw attack Authorities are still searching for the alleged attacker, pictured is public prosecutor Peter Sticher (left) and head of police Ravi Landolt (right) The alleged attacker, who has two previous weapons convictions, is still on the loose, and armed police have warned people to shelter in their homes as they launched a huge manhunt for the 6ft 2ins suspect Vanessa Huber, pictured, said she was spiked A young woman has claimed she nearly died after her drink was spiked on the popular Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Vanessa Huber, 19, visited the holiday destination popular with British tourists earlier this month, but claims she was almost killed after she was drugged in a hotel bar. Together with her mum Vanessa she was staying at the 5-star Melia Tamarindos hotel in the popular resort of San Agustin. After a day trip across the island with her mum, Vanessa decided to have one more drink at the hotel bar as her mother went to sleep early for the night. But after a few drinks Vanessa collapsed in the hotel lobby on her way back to her room. Vanessa said: 'As I learned later, a Belgian policewoman and a couple from Switzerland gave me first aid and alerted the rescue workers.' The Swiss couple spotted two men at the time who were following the victim. Vanessa said: 'I then collapsed again and after my mother was notified and I was immediately taken to a hospital.' The Austrian teenager, pictured, collapsed twice. She believes they were brought on by drugs The Melia Tamarindos hotel on Gran Canaria where Vanessa Huber stayed with her mother last month At the hospital just a few miles away Vanessa was treated for several hours. Vanessa said: 'The doctors said that they found something in my blood.' Unfortunately the doctors could not discover which substance the alleged perpetrators had used to drug her. Shockingly, Vanessa said the hotel staff were not helpful in dealing with the incident. A bar inside the Melia Tamarindos hotel in Gran Canaria where the victim thinks she was spiked Vanessa said: 'The hotel management itself did not want to have anything to do with the incident.' The young Austrian woman has now shared her tale on social media, which was published in Austrian local media, to make others aware of the situation warning them to be vigilant on Gran Canaria in general and in the Melia hotel in particular. Vanessa said: 'It can happen to everyone and if nobody would have found me, I would probably not be alive now.' The hotel spokesperson told MailOnline: 'A guest staying at Melia Tamarindos, a 5-star property in Gran Canaria, was found collapsed in the hotel lobby, having spent the evening in the hotel bar ' Hotel staff responded quickly, prioritising the guests safety, and placed her in the recovery position. 'The emergency services and her parents were contacted, and the guest was promptly taken to a medical centre, where she made a full recovery.' Tense scenes broke out when police became locked in a stand-off with a knife-wielding man who set fire to his yacht. Police have been trying to negotiate with the 55-year-old man on a yacht at Lake Macquarie, in the NSW Hunter region. Dramatic vision shows a blaze burning near the man at the back of the vessel as officers try to get the siege under control. Police are locked in a stand-off with a knife-wielding man who set fire to his yacht A NSW spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the siege was still underway at 7.30pm on Tuesday. The man is understood to be known by police. The incident began at 10.30 on Tuesday when officers tried to speak to the man who was on the boat that's moored 200 metres off shore in Carey Bay. The man allegedly refused to comply with directions, and instead started a small fire on the back of the boat. Police negotiators are trying to speak with the man and have asked that the public avoid the area until the situation is resolved. Officers had hoped to have the situation under control by nightfall. Police negotiators are trying to speak with the man and have asked that the public avoid the area Footage shows a blaze burning near the man at the back of the vessel as officers try to get the siege under control A black prostitute has been jailed for a vile racist tirade on Britain's oldest police officer who was once honoured by the Queen. Aurora Gronan, 40, launched at PC Cornell Barnes after he attended a disturbance at a house where she was staying. She lashed out at PC Barnes, who received an MBE for being Britain's oldest bobby aged 66, before calling him a 'c**n' and a 'n*****'. Gronan, of Hillfields, Coventry, admitted racially aggravated common assault and was jailed for ten months at Warwick Crown Court on Monday. Aurora Gronan, 40, left, was jailed for 10 months after launching a racist tirade against Britain's oldest police officer Cornell Barnes, right Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said: 'I have read PC Barnes's statement. 'He was the subject of venomous words from you, and I have absolutely no doubt he is right when he says young children saw and heard what was said. 'These are vile offences, and they strike at the heart of our community. 'That terrible racial abuse continued for a number of minutes, and you have a previous conviction for exactly the same type of behaviour. 'People who use this type of vile abuse, particularly towards members of our community who are seeking to assist, commit very serious offences.' The court heard PC Barnes, who was known as the 'Sheriff of Hillfields', was attacked after he attended a house in Hartlepool Road, Coventry, on September 13, 2015. When PC Barnes arrived the occupier, a man in his late 60s let him in. The man told the officer that Gronan had been banging on his door, demanding to be let in, and when he did so, demanding a cigarette. He said she had then gone upstairs where she was asleep on the bed, and he took PC Barnes up to the bedroom. PC Barnes, pictured, had been attending a disturbance at a house that Gronan was staying at, only for her to call him a 'c**n' and 'n*****' before lashing out at him When PC Barnes roused Gronan, she kicked out, kicking the man, who already had an injury resulting in him wearing a neck brace, to the shoulder. She then lashed out at PC Barnes, causing a cut to his chin, while hurling an stream of extreme racial abuse at him, including calling him a 'c**n' and a n*****'. The court heard Gronan had 37 previous convictions for 77 offences, including robberies in 2001, 2008 and 2010, assaulting a police officer in 2004 and a racially aggravated public order offence in 2012, as well as many for prostitution and theft. Alexander Pritchard-Jones, defending, said: 'She was passed out through drink and drugs that night, so when she was woken by these two men in her room, she lashed out. It was entirely unacceptable, and she accepts that.' PC Barnes, who has since retired from the force, received an MBE in the 2008 New Honours List. He had served for 25 years in the Army before joining West Midlands Police in 1990. A 32-year-old businesswoman was held as a sex slave for more than ten weeks by a police detective and his accomplice, a court was told. Ekaterina Kalivanova was repeatedly raped by her kidnappers who extorted cash from her and sought to force her to sell her car and flat. They used a stun gun on her when she was violently taken hostage, badly scarring her face. Businesswoman Ekaterina Kalivanova was held as a sex slave for more than ten weeks by a police detective and his accomplice Ekaterina (left), 32, was repeatedly raped by her kidnappers, including Dmitry Sokolov (right), who extorted cash from her and sought to force her to sell her car and flat Her captors also used a stun gun on her when she was violently taken hostage, badly scarring her face She was only released after she pretended to fall in love with the policeman's accomplice, gaining his trust, and creating an opportunity when she could call the police. Policeman Dmitry Prischenko, in his 40s, and his sidekick Dmitry Sokolov, in his 30s, repeatedly raped her after holding her hostage in a flat at Mytishchi near Moscow, the court was told. The pair charged with armed kidnapping, blackmail with intent to rob, and 'violent sexual actions' including rape. A third man, Alexander Dotsenko, is accused of guarding her during her forced captivity. 'Sokolov hit me with a stun gun on my neck,' she said of the moment she was attacked after being tricked to get into Prischenko's police car. 'I managed to prevent the second attack with my hand but the stun gun hurt my hand, I felt the electric shock,' she said. Policeman Dmitry Prischenko (pictured being arrested) and his sidekick Dmitry Sokolov repeatedly raped her after holding her hostage in a flat at Mytishchi near Moscow The pair charged with armed kidnapping, blackmail with intent to rob, and 'violent sexual actions' including rape. Pictured: Dmitry Prischenko 'At that moment Prischenko also went into the car, on the back seat and shot several times into my face with the traumatic gun.' She said: 'My curly hair turned into icicles from blood. 'All my clothes were in blood. I was bleeding everywhere, I felt how my blood ran down my legs and into my shoes.' The pair demanded her money and property, she said. She broke down as she recalled: 'I wanted to live so much. I was just 32, I did not have a family, I did not have children, which I wanted in future... sorry I can't say any more.' The woman was managing director of a chain of dental practices, and also made money by renovating and selling flats. She is so traumatised that two years after the attack - details of which have only been revealed now - she cannot work or rebuild her life. 'They took away my two mobile phones, car and flat keys, and they kept beating me,' she said. 'They threatened they would take me to Crimea where others would kill and dismember me.' A third man, Alexander Dotsenko (pictured), is accused of guarding her during her forced captivity Ekaterina (pictured after the attack) was managing director of a chain of dental practices, and also made money by renovating and selling flats Her kidnappers demanded her 'jewellery, diamonds, property, car - they said I would have to give it all away to them'. They even hired a surgeon to come to the flat where she was held to treat her injuries. She whispered to him, 'Please help me, I'm held hostage' - but he ignored her pleas. After sexually abusing her they took her to sell her car, and Ekaterina whispered to the car showroom woman that she had been kidnapped. 'She pretended she didn't hear.' Later she was moved to a small flat in the Vladimir region where Sokolov started confessing his love for her. 'He wanted to marry me and have two children, can you imagine?' she said. But Sokolov hatched a plan to run away with Ekaterina to the Black Sea, unknown to Prischenko. 'He was convinced I fell in love too,' she said.'My main task was to run away, and only this bastard could help me.' When they arrived in the seaside resort of Gelendzhik, he left her briefly and she grabbed his mobile phone and dialed the emergency number, and explained her ordeal. Ekaterina's lawyer Yanis Yuksha said her attackers would have killed her had they managed to sell her flat immediately Astonishingly the operator said: 'Come on, girl, is this a day trip for a clinic for mentally ill people?' She had to call two more times before police came to rescue her and detain Sokolov. The policeman as alleged ringleader faces up to 27 years in jail, his accomplices a maximum of 17 years. Her lawyer Yanis Yuksha said her attackers would have killed her had they managed to sell her flat immediately. 'The victim was under huge moral pressure and her physical condition was bad and is still vulnerable,' he said. 'She kept fighting for her life and survived by miracle, simply because they failed to sell her property quickly enough. 'But she managed to fool these bastards and to stay alive. 'Those people who could have helped her must feel ashamed, especially the surgeon. 'Of course he understood it was a criminal story but did not move a finger to help her.' President Donald Trump left his attorney general to 'twist in the wind' on Tuesday afternoon as he refused to say whether he would fire Jeff Sessions. 'We will see what happens,' Trump said in a Rose Garden news conference. 'Time will tell. Time will tell.' Trump ducked the question twice during the presser before he finally addressed the friction between himself and the cabinet secretary he'd called 'weak' at the start of the day. The president criticized Sessions for his recusal in the Russia probe and said once more that he would not have appointed him had he known about the conflict. 'I told you before, I'm very disappointed with the attorney general,' Trump said from the podium. President Donald Trump left his attorney general to 'twist in the wind' on Tuesday afternoon when he refused to say whether he would fire Jeff Sessions 'We will see what happens,' Trump said in a Rose Garden news conference. 'Time will tell. Time will tell' The president criticized Sessions for his recusal in the Russia probe and said once more that he would not have appointed him had he known about the conflict Trump had just spoken to The Wall Street Journal about the conflict with Sessions. He told that news publication's reporters that he was still assessing the situation. 'Im just looking at it,' he said. 'Ill just see. Its a very important thing.' After a Bloomberg reporter asked at the presser why he's allowing Sessions to 'sort of twist in the wind,' Trump replied, 'Well, I don't think I am doing that, but I am disappointed in the attorney general. 'He should not have recused himself almost immediately after he took office. And if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office, and I would have quite simply picked somebody else. 'So I think that's a bad thing not for the president, but for the presidency. I think it's unfair for the presidency, and that's the way I feel.' Sessions was one of Trump's earliest supporters on Capitol Hill and the first sitting senator to get behind him. The Alabama lawmaker was rewarded in the transition with a plum cabinet appointment. Trump, who regularly complains about the fidelity of the people around him and is said to have demanded a pledge of loyalty from former FBI director James Comey before he fired him, said Tuesday that Sessions' backing last year was no longer of significance to him. 'Its not like a great loyal thing about the endorsement,' Trump told The Wall Street Journal. 'Im very disappointed in Jeff Sessions.' Trump's attack on Sessions for not investigating his presidential rival in the race followed a pattern that intensified earlier this month with a harsh criticism of the attorney general in an interview with The New York Times Sessions endorsed Trump at a rally in August 2015 rally in Alabama that local authorities first tallied at 40,000 attendees and revised downward to 30,000 hours afterward. Trump claimed Tuesday that Sessions offered his endorsement because the crowd was so large. 'He was a senator from Alabama. I won the state by a lot, massive numbers. A lot of the states I won by massive numbers. But he was a senator, he looks at 40,000 people and he probably says, "What do I have to lose?" And he endorsed me,' Trump asserted. Trump unleashed on Sessions on Tuesday morning for his 'VERY weak' position on Hillary Clinton's emails and the leaks of classified information coming from inside the administration. He also went after lawmakers on Capitol Hill for the 'witch hunt' probes into Russian collusion that he believes have become unfairly far-reaching. 'Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians,' Trump said of his son-in-law's performance on Monday. 'Witch Hunt.' White House staffers hinted afterward in interviews that Sessions' days as attorney general could be numbered. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said shortly after Trump's tweets that Sessions is the attorney general 'right now' and it would be up to the president to decide whether to replace him. 'I know that he is certainly frustrated and disappointed in the Attorney General for recusing himself,' she said. 'That frustration certainly hasnt gone away.' In another bad sign for Sessions, Trump's new communications director Anthony Scaramucci who has said the president and the AG need to get together to discuss their differences spoke of a 'tension' between them after being asked if Trump wants Sessions 'gone.' 'I do know the president very well, and if theres this level of tension in the relationship, that thats public, then you're probably right,' Scaramucci told radio host Hugh Hewitt on his show, when asked if Trump wants to fire Sessions. He added, 'I don't want to speak for the president on that because he's a cabinet official, and I sort of think that has to be between the president of the United States and the cabinet official.' Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, ducked when the topic came up during a mid-morning interview on Fox News. 'That is up to the president,' she said. 'But Sarah is right, the president has expressed frustration and consternation because the recusal really has allowed this, what he considers to a witch hunt and hoax, a complete nothing of a Russia investigation, to carry forward,' Conway added. President Trump had ignored reporters' questions about the status of his attorney general during an Oval Office sit down with the prime minister of Lebanon and a bilateral meeting that followed on Tuesday afternoon. It was not nearly as easy for him to wiggle out of the conversation during his news conference this afternoon. It still took reporters three tries to get an answer, though, and Trump declined to say in the end what he might do with Sessions. 'I want the attorney general to be much tougher on the leaks from intelligence agencies, which are leaking like rarely have they ever leaked before at a very important level. These are intelligence agencies. We cannot have that happen,' he said. 'I think that's one of the very important things that they have to get on with.' 'We all serve at the pleasure of the president, and I think the president has expressed his frustration that the, that particular recusal was done without consulting him and was done in a way that has led to a lot of investigations,' Kellyanne Conway said of Sessions today Trump suggested in his interview with the Wall Street Journal that the leaks are coming from supporters of Hillary Clinton. 'They've lost an election and they came up with this as an excuse,' he said. 'And the only ones that are laughing are the Democrats and the Russians. And if Jeff Sessions didnt recuse himself, we wouldnt even be talking about this subject.' Trump snarked on Tuesday morning that his 11-year-old son could be next on the witness stand after Kushner the way the probe is playing out on Capitol Hill. Kushner spoke to Senate investigators yesterday after disclosing four contacts with Russians during the election and presidential transition. The senior White House official was back on the Hill today to take questions from lawmakers in the House. Typically, the president defers to the Justice Department to prosecute crimes and keeps criminal investigations at arm's length. It is even more unusual for a president to scold the top Senate-confirmed law enforcement officer for failing to prosecute a political rival. Yet he tweeted this morning: 'Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!' Sessions was at the White House Monday but he and Trump did not meet, Huckabee Sanders said. Trump brought two other Eagle Scout cabinet officers to his speech to the Boy Scout jamboree that evening but did not bring Sessions. Conway said Trump blames Sessions for the explosion of Russia investigations during an appearance this morning on Fox News. 'We all serve at the pleasure of the president, and I think the president has expressed his frustration that the, that particular recusal was done without consulting him and was done in a way that has led to a lot of investigations,' she said. She dodged anchor Shannon Bream's question about whether Trump should fire Sessions but commented on the Fox host's suggestion that the dismissal would invite allegations that the president, who's already been accused of obstruction of justice by Democrats, is trying to interfere in a criminal investigation. 'We're allowing these investigations to play out, meaning we're not interfering with them. But good lord, what are they about? What are we doing here?' Conway said. 'They've been going on for 9 months. I could have had a baby by now, and you've got Democrats still having a canary and nothing to show for it.' Trump was up in arms this morning about Sessions, Clinton and the Russia probes. In another tweet, he mentioned 'Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign' and tagged Fox News's Sean Hannity. 'Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity,' he wrote in a tweet published at 6:04 am that referenced Ukraine's compliance with a Democratic effort to bring down one of Trump's former campaign managers. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said shortly after Trump's tweets on Tuesday that Sessions is the attorney general 'right now' and it would be up to the president to decide whether to replace him. Trump added: 'Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!' He did not give any context for his tweet on Ukraine, simply mentioning Hannity. The Fox News host spoke of a months old Politico article on 'Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump backfire' earlier this month. Politico reported earlier this year that the Ukrainian government preferred Clinton over Trump in the presidential election and was eager to help a Ukrainian-American consultant to the DNC who was reportedly looking for information on former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who had already come under scrutiny for his own ties to a pro-Moscow Ukrainian political party. Hannity called this a direct parallel to the current investigation into the Trump administration's dealings with Russia. He asked his viewers to consider 'which was worse', saying: 'Now that you have evidence from both sides, you have to decide for yourself.' Trump's attack on Sessions for not investigating his presidential rival in the race followed a pattern that intensified earlier this month with a harsh criticism of the attorney general in an interview with The New York Times. Yesterday, Trump referred to the attorney general in a tweet as 'beleaguered'. Trump has been angry that Sessions chose to recuse himself from the government's investigation of Russian meddling in last year's US election. Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. They demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. The White House had maintained publicly that Sessions wouldn't have a job still if Trump had lost confidence in him. It's made it clear, though, that Trump wants his AG to reopen DOJ's investigation into Clinton. White House officials notably would not say Tuesday that they expected Sessions to make it through this particular sandstorm. Asked about Rudy Giuliani as a replacement for Sessions, Huckabee Sanders told Fox & Friends, 'I know he's somebody he respects, but right now, Attorney General Sessions is the attorney general, and I haven't been part of any conversations discussing potential replacements, so I can't comment on that.' An FBI investigation that concluded last year let the former first lady and Democratic presidential nominee off the hook for her email scandal. Then-FBI Director James Comey argued that despite Clinton's carelessness, no prosecutor would proceed with the case. Trump has since fired Comey who testified that he believes he was fired over the Russia investigation. Trump indicated to the New York Times a few weeks after the election he had lost interest in going after Clinton. 'I dont want to hurt the Clintons. I really dont. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways,' Trump said. Asked about naming a special prosecutor to probe Clinton (long before he would be subject to a special counsel's probe), Trump said: 'Its just not something that I feel very strongly about.' To shut down a special counsel probe of Russian interference in the presidential election, Trump could fire attorney general Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (who appointed special counsel Robert Mueller after Sessions' recusal), and Mueller. Trump also went after acting FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe (right) Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. What is clear is that Trump remains furious that the attorney general recused himself from the investigations. The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump and his advisors are discussing possible replacements. One name that got floated, Giuliani, the former New York mayor, told CNN that he thinks Sessions was correct to recuse himself from the Russia probe. Sessions had been a close campaign advisor, and was revealed to have had undisclosed meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Giuliani was at Trump's Washington, D.C. hotel on Monday night, according to Politico. The Post reported that former Trump rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was near the top of Trump's list of choices to potentially trade out Sessions as attorney general. Sessions is under pressure as Trump and his trusted advisers are reportedly discussing how firing him would play in the media Ted Cruz is reportedly near the top of Donald Trump's list of choices to potentially replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general Donald Trump and Ted Cruz talk over each other in the Republican presidential debate at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston on February 25, 2016 Cruz, who was regularly mocked by Trump during the Republican primaries and nicknamed 'Lyin' Ted' by the then-candidate, could find himself taking Sessions' spot if the former Alabama representative resigns or is fired, according to the Paper. Trump would reportedly be willing to make the Texan the country's chief law enforcement officer despite him having last year revived a rumor linking Cruz's father, Rafael, to Lee Harvey Oswald and the JFK assassination. However, Cruz was quick to distance himself from the speculation on Monday night, releasing a statement that said he is 'deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General.' Trump rounded out his tweet storm on Tuesday by mentioning the US healthcare debate ahead of the major Senate vote on Tuesday which will decide if former President Barack Obama's healthcare law will be repealed. 'Big day for HealthCare,' he wrote. 'After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!' He later added: 'ObamaCare is torturing the American People.The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand. 'So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John.' A young Muslim make-up artist raped and murdered in an alleged honour killing had found love and sent a final joyous tweet about her life in the days before she was killed, it was revealed today. Celine Dookhran, 19, was found dead inside a 1.5million South London house after her friend managed to escape despite having her throat slit in the same attack. Miss Dookhran had started a relationship with an Arab Muslim and her family members did not approve because they were Indian Muslims, a court has heard. In her last message on Twitter, posted a week before her death, she wrote: 'Alhamdulilah for everything that's all I can say' - Alhamdulilah is an Arabic word used when Muslims want to praise god. Six days later she was allegedly grabbed screaming from the shower, Tasered and then taken to an empty house where she was raped and murdered. Her friend, who cannot be named, was also abducted, raped and had her throat cut but managed to escape and raise the alarm, a court heard yesterday. Celine Dookhran, 19, pictured for the first time, was found dead inside a 1.5million home in south west London, pictured, after she was kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Dookhran sent this positive message about thanking God for her life in the days before she was murdered Miss Dookhran, left and right, had been in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and her family members did not approve because they were Indian Muslims Mujahid Arshid, 33, appeared in court charged with the murder, rape and kidnap of Ms Dookhran at the property, pictured, and also the rape, attempted murder and kidnap of a second woman Mujahid Arshid, 33, appeared before magistrates in Wimbledon yesterday charged with the murder, rape, and kidnap of Miss Dookhran and the attempted murder, rape and kidnap of the second woman. Vincent Tappu, 28, was charged with the kidnap of both. The court was told Miss Dookhran had been in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and her family members did not approve because they were Indian Muslims. The survivor, who is in her twenties, claims she heard her friend scream as she was dragged from the shower and stunned with a Taser before she herself was taken. Miss Dookhran was in the house with the woman, who is in her twenties, when they were both grabbed The victims were bound with duct tape and rope and had socks shoved into their mouths before being rolled up into dust sheets and thrown into a vehicle by two men in balaclavas. They were driven five miles to a house under renovation before Miss Dookhran was raped and murdered but the second woman fled. Binita Roscoe, prosecuting, said two men in balaclavas stormed into a house near Wimbledon where Miss Dookhran was with her friend, who is in her twenties, last Wednesday morning. She said the pair grabbed the teenager who was in the shower. A Taser was used to subdue both women and they were tied up before being rolled bundled into a vehicle, she said. The court heard they were driven five miles to a location in Kingston where they were raped. Ms Roscoe, prosecuting, said: 'The deceased was involved in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and the family members didn't approve of this relationship because they are Indian Muslims.' Two men in balaclavas entered the property on July 19, the prosecutor said. She told the court: 'Her face and mouth were covered in duct tape. Her hands were tied with cable ties and her feet were tied with rope. 'She believes a sock was placed in her mouth. She had heard the deceased who was in the shower screaming.' The surviving victim said a sock was forced into her mouth and the kidnappers used a Taser to subdue both her and Ms Dookhan before they were rolled in dustsheets and bundled into a vehicle, said Ms Roscoe. Miss Dookhran was the eldest of three children and born in Wandsworth in 1996. Her passion was make-up and her nearly 3,500 tweets are packed with advice on using cosmetics - she also did the make-up for an A-Level film made at sixth form. On the eve of her murder she also liked a joke about finishing work. She also posted messages when she passed her driving test in 2015 and would also tweet about her faith. During Ramadan she wrote: 'Please tell me why I'm casually sitting in Costa during my lunch break whilst fasting.' Police carried out an extensive investigation at the home in London and also subsequently charged Vincent Tappu, 28, with the kidnap of both women Both Arshid and Tappu were remanded in custody. The court heard the murder at the property allegedly took place because Indian Muslim Miss Dookhran was in a relationship with an Arab Muslim Bearded Arshid wore a grey prison-issue tracksuit, while his co-defendant wore a black suit and white shirt, with short black hair and a beard. They were flanked by three dock officers. A young man and a woman sat in the packed public gallery during the hearing at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court. A middle aged man and a woman, wearing a head scarf, sat in the well of the court, who Tappu nodded at. District Judge James Henderson remanded Tappu, of Ealing, west London, and Arshid, who gave no fixed address, in custody. Arshid will appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday 28 July. Both men are due to appear at the same court on August 21. Ms Dookrhan was born in Wandsworth, London in 1996 and her Twitter account points to her being a keen make-up artist. A friend tweeted: 'It's never nice hearing news like this, RIP Celine, you were a beautiful soul and will be truly missed.' A former Montana optometrist accused of making excessive insurance claims denied charges on Monday. Gary Alfred White pleaded not guilty to charges of Medicaid fraud, false claim to a public agency and theft by insurance fraud, all felonies. The hearing was held in Yellowstone County District Court. White practiced in the Laurel Walmart from 2012 to 2014 before opening up an office in Plentywood, court documents state. State investigators say that White submitted excessive claims for dozens of patients and got some reimbursement. The claims went to Medicaid and to Blue Cross Blue Shield, charges state. White doesn't live in Montana, and District Judge Michael Moses allowed him to be released as long as he shows up for future court hearings. A Muslim imam who campaigns against Sharia law says there is no such thing as 'Islamophobia', arguing it's a term often used to silence critics of Islam. Adelaide Shia imam Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi laments how the term 'Islamophobia' is used to marginalise people with legitimate concerns about Muslim migrants. 'A phobia is an irrational fear which constitutes mental illness,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Adelaide Shia imam Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi says there's no such thing as 'Islamophobia' The imam declared his dispute with the term 'Islamophobia' in an article where he also denounced American pro-Palestine Islamist Linda Sarsour 'Accusing people of Islamophobia is accusing them of having a mental illness because they fear the beheadings and violence of Sharia law.' The 34-year-old head of the Islamic Association of South Australia says campaigners against 'Islamophobia' are building barriers to free expression. 'We need to encourage dialogue, opinions and freedom of speech,' he said. 'Considering criticism towards Muslims as a crime or mental illness is an insult to our intellect.' Sheikh Tawhidi, who was born in Iran and migrated to Australia from Iraq aged 12, has posted a series of tweets making a link between the global refugee crisis and people fleeing oppressive Islamist governments, from places like Iran. 'Maybe we Muslims are the real 'Islamophobes' for fleeing Islamic governments and coming to live in the West under a 'Kafir' democracy,' he said, using the phrase Muslims use to describe non-believers. Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi says the global refugee crisis is a product of Islamist regimes Sheikh Tawhidi told his Twitter followers 'Islamophobes' were Muslims fleeing Islamic rule Sheikh Tawhidi speaks out against Sharia law, arguing it is the cause of the refugee crisis The Adelaide Shia imam says he rejects any kind of worship that allows medival beheadings 'The global refugee crisis we witness today is a result of Islamic governments and the dominance of clerics over helpless nations.' He also tweeted his view 'there is no such thing as Islamophobia' and criticised Muslims who failed to integrate into Australian society. 'Muslims living in the West without assimilating do not consider the West to be their home. They're treating it as they would a hotel room,' he said. 'Muslims migrate to the West to live under the law of freedom and free speech. But when they're criticised they get offended and start rioting.' Sheikh Tawhidi says Muslims living in the West are treating their society more like a hotel Mariam Veiszadeh quit as the president of the Islamophobia Register Australia lobby group The term 'Islamophobia' came into popular use in Western societies in the late 1990s. The U.K.'s former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips, who commissioned a report into Islamophobia, last year admitted the findings into his 1990s report were wrong and says many Muslims are creating 'nations within nations' in the West. Muslim lawyer Mariam Veiszadeh this week quit as the president of Islamophobia Register Australia, handing her role over to Brice Hamack, who was previously an activist with the Council on American Islamic Relations in California. She told her Facebook followers Islamophobia was a misunderstood term and accused bigots of being 'willfully ignorant' of attacks and hatred directed towards Muslims. Sheikh Tawhidi does not condone violence against Muslims and has previously condemned those who harassed Muslim women wearing hijabs. A couple from Kentucky have been charged with beating a woman to death with a stick after police followed a trail of blood that led to a home. According to court documents, Kentucky State Police received a call about a woman's body lying in the road on Old Mud Creek in Williamsburg at around 7.12pm on Sunday. A short time later, the body was dragged into a nearby home. A Whitley County sheriff's deputy responded to the scene and found 36-year-old Michelle Marlow dead in a bedroom inside the home in the 300 block of Old Mud Creek Road. Scroll down for video Couple charged: Chris Lowe (left) and Lori Mattie (right) have been arrested and charged with murder in the beating death of a mother in Kentucky Sunday Victim: Michelle Marlow, 36, was found beaten to death with a stick in Whitley County Crime scene: A deputy followed a trail of blood to this home and found Marlow's body in one of the rooms The deputy then located Chris Lowe, 38, and his girlfriend, Lori Mattie, 37, in another part of their residence with blood on them. Court documents say they couldn't explain the blood, reported the station WKYT. A witness told investigators he saw Lowe and Mattie strike the victim in the head with a stick, and a second witness said he saw the man drag the body inside. Marlow's body was later taken to the state Medical Examiner's Office, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Investigators arrested Mattie and Lowe and charged them with murder. Brutal attack: A witness told investigators he saw Mattie 9left) and Lowe (right) strike the victim in the head with a stick. A second witness said he saw the man drag the body inside Matriarch: Social media posts suggest that Marlow had eight surviving children and at least one young grandchild Lowe also is charged with tampering with physical evidence. Additional charges against Mattie include assault, criminal mischief and harassing communication. The couple are each being held on $500,000 cash bond. Online records show that Mattie, a mother-of-three, has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2013 conviction for theft that had landed her in prison for three years. Investigators say they have yet to determine a motive for Sunday's beating death, and they do not know the nature of the suspects relationship with the slain woman, reported The News Journal. Social media posts suggest that Marlow had eight surviving children and at least one young grandchild. A flight from New York was delayed for two hours because a pilot and a flight attendant had a furious row, in which the latter was branded 'a piece of s***', it has been claimed. Armed police were forced to embark the aircraft at LaGuardia Airport yesterday after insults were traded. A witness told the New York Daily News that the male pilot, aged 54, was abusive toward his female colleague, aged 26. The Delta flight was delayed for around two hours because the row broke out on the plane, it is claimed They said of the altercation in the aisle: 'His conversation was racist, inconsiderate and unprofessional.' The Delta Airlines plane had been due to depart for Portland, Maine, before the row broke out. The pair, who each alleged the other had 'aggressively' grabbed them, were forced to get off the plane. It eventually took off at around 1.30pm. A spokesman from Endeavor Air, whose flight was operating as Delta Connection, said: 'Endeavor Air apologizes to the customers on board Endeavor Air flight 3925, operating as Delta Connection, from LaGuardia to Portland, Maine whose travel was inconvenienced as a result of a disagreement between two crew members. 'The actions of these crew members, as described, in no way reflects the respect, values and professionalism we expect from our employees.' A young mother who was punched in the face by a man in a horrific road rage attack claims she has 'been through worse' and warned she 'don't back down to no one'. Bianca Lee Sams, 22, said she launched nails and a chisel at the attacker's car before he got out of his ute at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, and struck her. 'I don't back down to no one. I never have, never will... I've been through worse, so it is what it is,' she told Channel Nine's A Current Affair program. 'I had to do what I had to do to protect me and my mate and her son... He's a b**** in my eyes if he can hit a female.' Bianca Lee Sams, 22, who was punched in the face by a man in a horrific road rage attack north of Sydney, claims she has 'been through worse' and warned she 'don't back down to no one' Ms Sams said she launched nails and a chisel at the attacker's car before he got out of his ute at Lake Macquarie. Pictured, she displays a bruised lip Ms Sams admitted to throwing objects at the man's car, but said she did so because he tried to run the car off the road with a five-month-old baby inside. 'I just grabbed a set of nails from a nail gun, I started breaking them up and throwing them at his car, hoping he'd leave us alone. But he didn't, he just kept coming.' The 22-year-old mother is seen in the shocking video getting out of the passenger seat and crossing her arms as a man in a yellow shirt approaches. 'I wasn't going to do nothing to him. People think it's an aggressive manner. I always cross me arms, I always have, anyone that knows me knows what I'm like,' she said. 'I just get out and I'm just like ''what's your problem, mate? You're driving like a d***head'' and that was it. 'He then just smacks me in the jaw. It still hurts. It's hard to talk sometimes, hard to eat. 'I had to do what I had to do to protect me and my mate and her son... He's a b**** in my eyes if he can hit a female,' Ms Sams said Dash cam footage captured the shocking moment a man punched a woman in the face while stopped at a traffic light 'I just grabbed a set of nails from a nail gun, I started breaking them up and throwing them at his car, hoping he'd leave us alone. But he didn't, he just kept coming,' Ms Sams said 'But it is what it is, I've got to deal with it... I threw a few nails at your car, whoopee mate. You tried running us off the road with a baby in the car.' On Tuesday, Ms Sams took to social media and shared a series of posts in response to the incident. 'Take a hit like that and then see if you're still standing I doubt it... I smashed his window he should of hit me harder,' she wrote. 'I don't give a f*** he hit me, don't put a babies (sic) life at risk. 'He tried running us off the road with a 5 month old baby in the car we tried getting away from (him but) he kept going so I got out and asked what his problem was.' Another woman, believed to be in the driver seat of the same car, also took to Facebook to tell her alleged side of the story. 'I tried letting him around me but no he wanted to tail gate me being an a*****e, so my friend decided to throw things at him to get him off my tail,' she wrote. Ms Sams uploaded two images showing a bruised and bloody upper lip, and said she would be taking the matter to court. The shocking moment was captured by Dwayne Pillidge who posted the confronting dash cam footage to Facebook on Monday afternoon after witnessing the attack. Ms Sams admitted to throwing objects at the man's car, but said she did so because he tried to run the car off the road with a five-month-old baby inside 'I wasn't going to do nothing to him. People think it's an aggressive manner. I always cross me arms, I always have, anyone that knows me knows what I'm like,' she said Ms Sams took to Facebook to upload images of her bruised, bloody lip and said she would be taking the matter to court 'This is after the woman in the front car was tossing things from her window at his car,' Mr Pillidge wrote on the Facebook post. 'I don't care what your reason, it is not OK to hit a woman.' A spokeswoman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that a woman claiming to be the person allegedly struck by the man had contacted police but not yet been interviewed. The spokeswoman said officers were hoping to speak to her to get a clearer idea of exactly what happened. 'I smashed his window he should of hit me harder (sic),' Ms Sams wrote on Facebook She admitted to threwing nails at the man's car before the incident was caught on a dash cam The man allegedly strikes the woman directly in the face, snapping her head backwards, and then calmly walks back to his ute 'However at this time no formal complaint has yet been made and so we are still appealing for any other witnesses to come forward,' she added. 'Police have seen the vision and are examining it.' Chief Inspector Colin Lott, from the Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command, condemned the man's actions and called for him to come forward. 'The level of violence is totally unacceptable, (but) obviously with any video footage were only getting a snapshot of a whole incident,' he told reporters. A woman claiming to have been in the driver seat of the victim's car said the man had been tailgating her with her son in the car, so she had begun throwing things at his vehicle 'Assault of any sort is unacceptable especially assault to a female... it won't be tolerated.' He said there was 'much conjecture' on social media from people who suggested 'there might have been aggravating circumstances leading up to the event.' 'We are unaware of that (aggravating circumstances) and we've had no one give us formal information to that effect,' he said. 'Ultimately, at some stage, we will be catching up with him.' Taliban fighters have claimed that Russia is supplying them with weapons including snipers and heavy machine guns. America's top general in Afghanistan said earlier this year that he was 'not refuting' reports Moscow was providing support, including weapons, to the militant group. Kremlin chiefs have previously denied trading with the Taliban. But new footage, obtained by CNN, appears to show fighters in possession of improved weaponry which the militants claim was supplied by Russian government sources. Moscow has been critical of the United States over its handling of the war in Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a bloody and disastrous war of its own in the 1980s. America in the 1980s supplied the Mujahideen, parts of which ultimately became the Taliban, with high-tech weapons as they battled the Soviet Union. Taliban fighters have claimed that Russia is supplying them with weapons including snipers and heavy machine guns According to CNN, one Taliban faction says it received free weapons over the border from Tajikistan after they were supplied by 'the Russians'. Another Taliban offshoot said it had seized guns from the mainstream group and that those weapons had originally come from the Russians via Iran. The group's deputy leader Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi told CNN: 'The Russians are giving them these weapons to fight ISIS in Afghanistan, but they are using them against us too.' Russia did not comment on the CNN reports but it has previously denied claims they are involved in trading with the Taliban. In April, General John Nicholson, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, asserted that Russia might be supplying the Taliban with weapons. He was asked by a reporter: 'So you are not refuting that [Russia is] sending weapons?' NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Curtis Scaparrotti, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year he had seen Russian influence expand in multiple regions, including in Afghanistan And Nicholson replied: 'Oh, no, I am not refuting that.' At the same time a senior U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that intelligence showed that Russia was providing monetary and weapons support to the Taliban, specifically weapons such as machine guns. Just weeks earlier, General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander who also heads the US military's European Command, said Russia is 'perhaps' supplying the Taliban as they fight US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. He told lawmakers he had seen Russian influence expand in multiple regions, including in Afghanistan. 'I have seen the influence of Russia of late - an increased influence - in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban,' Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He did not elaborate on what kinds of supplies might be headed to the Taliban or how direct Russia's role might be. Russian officials dismissed the allegation that it may be supplying Taliban insurgents as 'a lie' saying the charge was an attempt by Washington to try to cover up for the failure of its own policies there. Officials said their limited contacts are aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. Moscow has been critical of the United States over its handling of the war in Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a bloody and disastrous war of its own in the 1980s (file picture) NATO troops have been fighting in Afghanistan since a US-led invasion in late 2001, following the September 11 attacks. About 13,000 NATO service members are in Afghanistan - the bulk of them American - under its Resolute Support training mission. According to US estimates, government forces control less than 60 per cent of Afghanistan, with almost half the country either contested or under control of the insurgents, who are seeking to reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster. Underlying the insurgents' growing strength, Taliban fighters have captured the strategic district of Sangin in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday. The district was captured after an Afghan officer turned his rifle on sleeping colleagues, killing nine policemen. The taking of Sangin district, once considered the deadliest battlefield for British and US troops in Afghanistan, marks the culmination of the insurgents' year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland of Helmand. The Taliban effectively control or contest ten of the 14 districts in Helmand, the deadliest province for British and US troops over the past decade and blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency. The Pentagon said it would deploy some 300 US Marines earlier this year to Helmand, where American forces engaged in heated combat until they pulled out in 2014. Taliban officials have told Reuters that the group has had significant contacts with Moscow since at least 2007, adding that Russian involvement did not extend beyond 'moral and political support'. After more than 15 years of war, US generals say the Afghanistan conflict is stuck in a 'stalemate,' with the Taliban continuing to carry broad regional influence and NATO-backed Afghan security forces struggling to make progress. A snake wrangler bravely rescued a 13 foot Burmese python from an oncoming car before kissing it on the head. In a pulse-raising video Nick Bishop, 27, who goes by the name of Nick The Wrangler, stumbled upon the enormous reptile in the Florida Everglades. Mr Bishop made the journey from his home in Los Angeles with a friend specifically to find snakes. After the Burmese python, an endemic invasive species in South Florida, was captured it was handed over to a local university. Mr Bishop said: 'I was with my friend and we were cruising a dirt road on a mission to find Diamondback Rattlesnakes and at the very end of the night a large black log like shadow stretched out across the road. I instantly knew it was a Python. 'But I had no clue that they have ventured that far until then. I was 30 or so miles away from where everyone has been finding them, including myself. A snake wrangler bravely rescued a 13 foot Burmese python from an oncoming car before kissing it on the head 'I was shocked! With a vehicle approaching from the distance I had to act fast. 'In this video you see me working the snake, trying to tire it out. As soon as I knew it was safe for the capture I went for it. 'This was one of my most exciting moments to date. In a pulse-raising video Nick Bishop, 27, who goes by the name of Nick The Wrangler, stumbled upon the enormous reptile in the Florida Everglades Mr Bishop made the journey from his home in Los Angeles with a friend specifically to find snakes 'I am so grateful to have been able to experience such an encounter.' He added: 'Burmese Pythons are very invasive in the state of Florida. They are destroying the ecosystem. 'Due to their large numbers and ability to breed and lay large clutches of eggs, they have worked their way to nearly the top of the food chain in the Everglades. Zoo staff at Chessington World of Adventures have been accused of lying to customers after it emerged eight of its penguins were slaughtered by a fox. Visitors to the zoo have been greeted by a cordoned off 'Penguin Bay' after the incident at the end of June, and were told it was because of 'remodelling'. But they have now said a savage 'urban fox' killed the birds, with one source claiming it happened when the penguins were not being monitored correctly. The playful 'Penguin Bay' was quietly cordoned off after the incident and a sign was placed on the enclosure gate after management apparently kept the news internal. The sign stated: 'Our Humboldt Penguins are currently enjoying their other home behind-the-scenes while we make alterations to Penguin Bay.' Penguin Bay, in Chessington World of Adventures zoo, lies empty after eight penguins were killed by an 'urban fox' This was the sign erected outside the bay after the massacre of the animals said they were enjoying a home behind-the-scenes because of remodelling work The only penguins on show to park visitors at the moment are those made from fibreglass, after eight of their famous flightless birds were killed and one maimed. Employees at the world famous park were apparently warned not to talk about the fox attack. A source said: 'The attack happened at the end of June when the night security and zoo staff were not monitoring as they should have been. 'There is CCTV footage on site at the park. Penguins at Chessington Zoo, just outside south west London, in happier times. Eight were killed, one maimed and another 20 have had to be moved It has since emerged that eight of the birds were killed and one maimed, with staff accused of failing to monitor the site properly 'The male penguins can be seen trying to protect the babies from the attack, sadly all bar one of the males were killed as well as all the babies. 'The one surviving male is actually seriously injured too. 'It was absolutely savage - I've never seen anything like it. 'Not only are these poor animals are now dead, but the customers are being lied to.' Chessington teamed up with Dreamworks to promote their smash hit film 'Penguins of Madagascar' and put a number of fibreglass statues around the park showing the movie penguins. Management are said to have made the decision to keep the killings quiet, claiming there was remodelling work going on at the bay Lisa Britton, assistant zoo manager at Chessington World of Adventures, said: 'It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of eight of our Humboldt Penguins. 'It is apparent they were killed by an urban fox that infiltrated their home at Penguin Bay overnight at the end of June. 'Another penguin was injured, but received veterinary care and has made a full recovery.' The Humboldt penguin is native to South America and breeds in coastal Chile and Peru. Scientists estimate the current world population at between 3,000 and 12,000 and have deemed the species threatened. Ms Britton said that the surviving 20 penguins have been moved to a 'secure location' while a full investigation into how the fox broke into Penguin Bay takes place. The surviving penguins have been moved and there is an investigation underway into how the break-in happened A park official said the bay, built in 2015, had been made with specific anti-fox measures in place, and the news came as a shock She added: 'We are investigating why this happened, as Penguin Bay, only built in 2015, had special measures put in place specifically to deter foxes and therefore we are shocked and saddened at this news. 'The eight Humboldt Penguins, five adults and three infants, were part of a group of 28 here at the resort, which we know are extremely popular with our guests, and much loved by all of us here, especially our dedicated zoo team. 'Our remaining penguins have been moved to a secure area while we take additional measures to secure Penguin Bay, which we hope to reopen as soon as possible. 'The health, safety and welfare of our animals is the primary concern to us here at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. 'We are a member of EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and BIAZA, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, both of which have strict codes of practice and ethics covering animal management, conservation, education research and operations.' Chessington's fibreglass 'Penguins of Madagascar' are the only penguins at the zoo currently as 20 have been sent to a 'secure location'. The zoo claimed the birds were 'behind-the-scenes' The usually colourful Penguin Bay - complete with pool and playful plane wreck - remains closed to visitors. Chessington World of Adventures boasts a family friendly theme park, zoo and hotel complex close to south west London. The park was opened in 1987 and attracts more than one million visitors a year. Humboldt penguins are native to South America, and live in Chile and Peru. They are seen as one of the most gentle breeds of penguin, but despite their lack of offensive capabilities, they are fiercely defensive of their young. The three men, understood to be Julian Wilson, David Bentley and Adrian Harrold (left to right) picture with one of their cars and two unidentified women Three British businessmen arrested in a Gumball race in Switzerland claim they have been held without charge for seven weeks. Julian Wilson, 40, David Bentley, 49 and Adrian Harrold, 45, were taking part in the Cannon Run from Maidstone to Monaco in 90,000 Nissan GT-Rs when they were arrested just outside Zurich on June 4. Mr Bentley's daughter was even forced to cancel her wedding when it became clear her father would not be there to walk him down the aisle. Swiss prosecutors believe the three were guilty of speeding in an unauthorised race, but James Cannon, who organised the event, is adamant the trio are innocent and even said they were driving slowly due to a fault to one of the cars. He told MailOnline the situation was 'a mess' and added: 'I feel horrified for them, to be honest. It's disgusting. 'These boys aren't criminals and they're not holding up too well in prison. 'The family have been in touch with the Embassy, but there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do. 'I get that the laws are strict in Switzerland, but these are minor offences and they were maybe going 10mph over the limit.' The blue Nissan GT-R on the right and the sliver Nissan at the back were driven by two of the three men Three women in The Cannon Run 3000 T-shirts line up to advertise the Maidstone to Monaco race in which Julian Wilson, David Bentley and Adrian Harrold were talking part A woman in a skirt sits on the bonnet of a Lamborghini Gallardo plastered with Cannon Run advertising outside the NH Ludwigsburg hotel in Germany A woman in a tiny skirt and a Cannon Run 3000 top stands next to a classic Ferrari to promote the event A man dressed as Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G character flanked by two women at the event Mr Cannon said both Mr Wilson's wife Andrea and Mr Harrold's wife Tina were also arrested, strip searched and held for five days without charge in a Swiss prison. When they were discharged, he said they were left with nothing but a mobile phone and their passports. The Cannon Run - a luxury driving holiday According to the event's website, 'The Cannon Run is the driving holiday for every car fan. 'Although limited on the number we accept each year, all car types are welcome. 'Our UK and European road trip's take on some of the best roads in the world, including famous passes, beautiful scenery, stop offs with amazing motoring heritage, top hotels with a slight coating of casino's and night clubs. 'It's a fantastic social event run by James L Cannon who brings the personal touch. 'It's a good way to meet great people and be part of something you will remember for ever. 'We operate an all round trip from start to finish, staying in some great places with the final night being "showtime" where we have a presentation and hand out awards for those who stand out from the crowd. 'Each trip has full media coverage from SVM TV and from time to time the whole event has coverage from Fast Car Magazine so get your car in the spotlight. 'The Cannon Run brings a great mix of car enthusiasts, entertainment, travel and luxury whilst requiring safe driving by everyone to ensure safety for those involved.' Advertisement Mr Bentley's wife Samantha, with which she has two daughters Amy and Hannah in their early 20s and 16-year-old Jonny, was elsewhere and therefore was not arrested. He was meant to take his son to his prom recently and as a result of being incarcerated, Mr Cannon stepped in to take the teenager. All three families have been badly affected by the incident. Mr Wilson, who has two teenage children, missed his wedding anniversary inside and two of the three men have spent their birthdays in jail. The third man locked up, Mr Harrold, also has a daughter in her early 20s called Katrina. Mr Cannon stressed his event was not a race in the same way the Gumball Rally is, and that there is no focus on drinking after a long day behind the wheel. In a message on the race's Facebook page, he said: 'As we are sure majority of you Petrol Heads are already aware three members of The Summer Shut Down - Maidstone to Monaco Euro Tour still remain in jail in Switzerland facing charges for minor driving offences. 'David, Julian and Adrian have remained in a Swiss prison since June 4 with their three Nissan GTRs also confiscated. 'The charges they are facing are - Following to closely together in convoy, crossing a white line after nearly missing their junction on the motorway and a very small speeding issue which was only a little over. 'Even though The Cannon Run took every opportunity to make our clients aware of the harsh Swiss laws and consequences unfortunately these three family men have been caught up in a very harsh situation which in the UK would of been a slap on the wrist. 'We are making every effort to support the families of the gentlemen in question.' In Switzerland, anyone caught doing 43mph in a 30mph zone are banned from driving for at least a month while those going 45mph in a built-up area are banned for at least three months. On motorways, 89mph would result in a one-month minimum disqualification and 91 would be at least three months off the road. Four women stand in front of two Ferarris on a picture posted on The Cannon Run's website Four women surround the captain of a yacht emblazoned with The Cannon Run's advertising It is understood Mr Wilson is from Newark in Nottinghamshire, Mr Bentley is from Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Mr Harrold is from Wolverhampton. Prosecutors in Zurich said the men would be kept in custody until the investigation into the supposed traffic violation was complete. In February, a picture of a silver GT-Rs with black alloys was uploaded onto the Cannon Run's Facebook page with the caption: 'Julian Wilson takes delivery of his MY17 GTR very soon and he's just booked our Euro Trip.' MailOnline has contacted both the British Embassy in Switzerland and the Foreign Office for comment. The wife of an alleged Russian hacker has said he is being held in solitary confinement and that he denies masterminding one of the world's biggest spam networks. Peter Levashov was arrested while on holiday in Barcelona in April and faces extradition from Spain to the US on charges that he operated a massive botnet used by cyber criminals to send spam. The prosecutors are seeking a 52-year jail sentence, according to extradition documents, and a hearing in the case is expected in Madrid on Wednesday. Now his wife Maria Levashova is speaking out in an interview with Reuters in a St. Petersburg cafe. Maria Levashova, said her husband denied the accusations that he is the mastermind of a global botnet of infected computers used to send millions of spam emails Peter Levashov was arrested while on holiday in Barcelona in April and faces extradition from Spain to the US Levashov, who has long been considered the likely identity of an online persona known as Peter Severa, spent years listed among the world's 10 most prolific spammers, according to spam-tracking group Spamhaus. His case provides a rare insight into US efforts to track down and prosecute international cyber criminals. It comes at a time when Russian hackers are under intense scrutiny after US intelligence officials accused Moscow of hacking last year's US presidential election in Donald Trump's favor, something Russia denies. The suspect's wife said her husband denied the accusations, but had still not seen the full charges. She also accused Spanish authorities of mistreating him at the behest of US intelligence officials. 'It is clear that the actions of the Spanish and American authorities are intended to get my husband into such a state that he is prepared to sign anything, or that he simply won't make it to court,' she said tearfully. Speaking to Reuters in a St Petersburg cafe, she said he was being held in solitary confinement and frequently moved between prisons without notice, meaning she no longer knew where he was. Attempts to appeal his extradition had been blocked, she said. He had not been allowed private correspondence with his lawyer, and multiple written requests to see the Russian consulate had been ignored or torn up by Spanish prison guards, the wife claimed. Maria Levashova shows pictures of her husband Peter, who was arrested on hacking charges in Spain in April, during an interview in St. Petersburg on Sunday An official at the Spanish Penitentiary Secretariat declined to confirm that Levashov was in custody, but denied any prisoners in Spain were mistreated and said it was 'impossible' for a prisoner to be denied confidential access to their lawyer. The FBI declined to comment on Levashova's allegations, referring questions to the US Department of Justice, which did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. US prosecutors have accused Levashov of running the infamous Kelihos botnet, a network of infected devices used by cyber criminals to distribute viruses, ransomware, phishing emails and other spam attacks. At times, the Kelihos network numbered more than 100,000 infected computers and was able to send over 2,500 spam emails in any given 24 hour period. Levashov charged between $300 and $500 for a million messages, according to the US indictment. US prosecutors said the activity had made him rich. But Maria, who married Levashov in 2009 and has a four-year-old son with him, said she did not recognise that description. 'We never had crazy amounts of money. There was never so much money that I had to ask him where it came from,' she said. 'We lived well, but not with a huge income. No foreign properties, no luxury cars.' She said her husband had studied computer engineering but had not worked as a programmer in the time she had known him, and mainly used computers to play online video games. The real reason he was being prosecuted, she alleged, was because of anti-Russian feeling in the United States: 'I really think it is some kind of political story.' Charlie Gard's parents are demanding their son is moved home tomorrow for a 'few days of tranquility' before being allowed to die in his own cot on Monday. His mother Connie Yates has returned to the High Court and begged a judge to let him come home after his doctors refused their 'last wish'. Miss Yates and Charlie's father Chris Gard have accused Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) of putting up 'obstacles' and have asked for a 'few days of tranquility' together before putting him to bed and letting him 'slip away'. Mr Gard was at their son's bedside yesterday as their barrister Grant Armstrong said: 'The parents seek transfer of Charlie tomorrow with time then being spent together as a family in privacy until Monday July 31' when life support would be withdrawn. He added: 'The parents' last wish is to take Charlie home for a few days of tranquility outside the hospital. Provided appropriate medical care is provided to Charlie, GOSH has no legal right to detain him in hospital'. Great Ormond Street Hospital has concerns about whether it is 'practically' possible to move him from the ward to his parents' flat in south-west London. Katie Gollop, QC for GOSH, said his ventilator won't fit through the front door or up the stairs and moving him could risk him suffering pain or a 'distressing or disordered death' - but Charlie's parents say the hospital has not visited their home. Charlie Gard's mother Connie Yates and her lawyer arrive at the High Court for a hearing on her son's end of life care - the little boy's father Chris is at his bedside at Great Ormond Street Charlie Gard's parents Connie (pictured with her son) and Chris want to bring him home and spend a few days together before life support is withdrawn on Monday Chris Gard and Connie Yates in court yesterday had previously stated their desire to take their son Charlie home to give him a bath and place him in his cot he has never slept in It came as the Pope's hospital in Rome insisted experimental therapy in Italy or in the US 'could have been an opportunity' to help Charlie - but it was left 'too late'. Miss Yates and Mr Gard parents long to take him home for a bath and to put him to bed in his cot, before saying goodbye. They have also pledged to cover the cost of the ventilator in their home. Connie Yates (pictured today) says it is their final wish to let their son 'slip away' peacefully at home in his cot Mr Justice Francis has now confirmed he will decide on Wednesday whether Charlie will be able to leave Great Ormond Street Hospital and die at home. He would give Charlie's parents another day to offer a solution which would allow Charlie to receive life-support treatment at home for days. 'It looks like the chances are small,' he said. 'But given the gravity of the situation we are in and the need to be human, I will allow another day. 'I will make a final decision tomorrow.' A hearing is scheduled at 1pm at the High Court on Wednesday. The couple have hardly been at their flat in Bedfont, south-west London, since Charlie's illness told hold. They have mounted a vigil by his bedside night and day for month after month. Their lawyer Mr Armstrong said: 'The parents' last wish is to take Charlie home. 'The parents wish for a few days of tranquility outside the hospital settingbefore what the lawyers describe as extubation the process by which Charlie will subsequently expire. 'Yesterday the hospital said we won't stand in the way as long as you can sort it out'. He added that in April US transfer was 'not an obstacle to the care of Charlie but for some reason transfer from a hospital in central London to an outlying part of London seems to be problematic'. He said: 'I can't see what the problem is. On one hand saying they are not standing in the parents' way, and on the other putting obstacles in the way which can be surmounted.' 'The parents had hoped that Great Ormond Street would work with them.' He went on: 'The parents' primary position is that Charlie's final days of palliative care... should take place at the family home.' Mr Armstrong told the judge: 'We struggle with the difficulties which the hospital is placing in the way.' Lawyers for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said bosses had suggested mediation, but added that Charlie's parents had not wished to use the services of a mediator. They also said medics wanted to avoid hazards or mishaps and wanted to ensure Charlie was safe. Chris Gard and Connie Yates (pictured yesterday) are still in dispute with Great Ormond Street Hospital over their 'final wish' to put him to bed in his own cot and let him 'slip away' Farewell: Charlie's grandparents give what they thought were their final kisses to him earlier this year before interventions from the White House and the Vatican saw the legal case to save him reignited Charlie, pictured on July 14, will require a medical team and mobile ventilator if he is to go home with his parents in order to have a bath and sleep in his own cot before passing away Katie Gollop told the court: 'GOSH is aware that there are other practical problems one being that the ventilator does not fit through the front door. There are then stairs to negotiate and corners to turn. 'The physical lay-out of the route between the ambulance on the pavement and their home would require Charlie to be taken off the ventilator and provided with only 'hand-bagging' until he was inside'. Pope's hospital insists Charlie should have had the chance to try experimental drugs - but now it's 'too late' A Vatican pediatric hospital says experimental therapy 'could have been an opportunity' to help Charlie Gard, but it was too late to start care for the critically ill baby. Bambino Gesu Hospital had offered to treat the 11-month-old boy while his parents were trying to persuade UK courts to tell Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to release the boy for treatment in the United States. Hospital chiefs said in a statement that they are not in a position to know what might have happened six months ago and cannot know if Charlie would have responded to the experimental therapy. Hospital director Mariella Enoc (pictured) told reporters that they carried out a clinical evaluation and offered medical assistance free of charge. Advertisement 'The care plan must be safe, it must spare Charlie all pain and protect his dignity,' said QC Ms Gollop. 'At the same time, the plan must honour his parents' wishes about two matters in particular, namely the time and place of his passing.' She said an offer of mediation had been 'reiterated several times'. 'Charlie's parents want him to be with them and ventilated at home for several days before receiving palliative care,' she said. 'Above all Great Ormond Street wants to fulfil that last wish.' She added: 'The key obstacle and one which the hospital cannot see a way around is the reality of invasive ventilation that Charlie requires. 'Charlie is a child who requires highly specialised treatment. His care cannot be simplified. 'It is in Charlie's best interests, and everybody's, that the risk of a precipitate, distressing or disordered death is removed so that he may be reassured of a peaceful and dignified passing.' Ms Gollop said Great Ormond Street had found an 'excellent hospice' which would give Charlie and his parents the space, privacy and protection they needed. Charlie's parents' lawyers said the hospital had not visited the family home to check if it was possible. Charlie's lungs are too weak to function without the help of an artificial ventilator, which he is hooked up to in the paediatric intensive care unit of the London hospital. A mobile ventilator unit would be needed along with a team of medics. His parents have offered to pay for this privately. Chris Gard announced they must now 'do the hardest thing that we'll ever have to do which is to let our beautiful little Charlie go' Charlie Gard, pictured moments after he was born on August 4, 2016 weighing 8lb 3oz, appeared to be a perfectly healthy baby, but two weeks later he started losing weight LITTLE BOY'S YEAR OF TORMENT August 4, 2016 Charlie born 8lb 3oz to Connie Yates and Chris Gard. October 2016 Tests reveal mitochondrial depletion syndrome. Believed to be only 16th sufferer in the world of rare strain. Autumn 2016 Miss Yates finds specialist in US testing nucleoside therapy, but it has never been tried on Charlie's rare type. January Gosh doctors say drug would be futile because of irreversible brain damage. Parents contact US doctor. March Gosh asks High Court to let Charlie die. Mr Justice Francis gives parents a month to make case for treatment. Daily Mail readers help raise 197,000 in days to help fly Charlie to US. April Doctors say he is likely to be in pain. Judge rules Gosh should let him die. May Court of Appeal upholds ruling. Parents appeal to Supreme Court. June Supreme Court rejects appeal. On June 27, European judges back decision. Gosh gives parents more time with Charlie. Pope Francis intervenes, followed by Donald Trump on July 3. July 7 Seven scientists hand Gosh fresh evidence showing higher survival chances. July 10 Mr Justice Francis gives parents 48 hours to produce new evidence in case. July 13 US specialist Dr Michio Hirano invited to London by High Court July 17 Dr Hirano examines Charlie. July 21 Court told scan results 'very sad'. Yesterday High Court due to rule on the case, ten days before Charlie's birthday - but his parents end their legal battle. Today Charlie's parents return to the High Court to get him home Advertisement Miss Yates told the court yesterday: 'We are now going to spend our last precious moments with our son Charlie, who unfortunately won't make his first birthday in just under two weeks' time.' The question of when and where Charlie's breathing ventilator is withdrawn is likely to be the subject of the intense discussions. Charlie was due to die in Great Ormond Street on June 30 but this was postponed after his parents accused doctors of blocking their final wish to let him pass away at home. They issued a tearful video message in which Miss Yates, 31, said: 'We promised our little boy every single day that we would take him home.' Mr Gard, 32, added: 'We want to give him a bath at home, put him in a cot which he has never slept in.' He said Great Ormond Street had refused to let them do so, adding: 'Our parental rights have been stripped away. We can't even take our own son home to die. 'We've been denied that. Our final wish, if it all went against us, was to take our little boy home to die, and we are not allowed.' The couple said they had been discussing end-of-life palliative care options since last November when Charlie first went into hospital. They had always wanted him to die at home if all else failed, they said. Miss Yates added: 'One option was to let Charlie go home to die. We chose to take Charlie home to die. That is our last wish.' Charlie was born on August 4, 2016, a healthy 8lb 3oz. Aged just six weeks, he delighted them with his first smile but a fortnight later, he began to lose weight and strength. He was admitted to hospital in October last year and transferred to Great Ormond Street where tests revealed he had mitochondrial depletion syndrome. His strain of the disease was so rare he is believed to have been only the 16th sufferer in the world. His parents both unwittingly carry a faulty gene meaning in theory they are at risk of the same thing happening in future. In October, he was transferred to Great Ormond Street where tests found he was suffering from an incredibly rare mitochondrial depletion syndrome which affects just 16 people Will his equipment fit through the front door? Great Ormond Street Hospital fiercely denied putting up obstacles to stop Charlies parents taking him home yet insisted their flat would need transforming into an intensive care unit. A full paediatric intensive care team of up to three doctors and six nurses working in shifts around the clock would be required, they said. On top of that, specialist equipment including a ventilator which does not fit through the front door would need to be taken to his home, and there are then stairs to negotiate and corners to turn. Then there is a gas supply which requires a health and safety assessment, the court heard. Physical access for a special bed was also needed. Victoria Butler-Cole, a barrister representing Charlies guardian, said Great Ormond Street had also told her: Lastly and fundamentally, the provision of intensive care in a home setting needs to be licensed. The judge said it was difficult to argue with all this. But speaking for the family, barrister Grant Armstrong poured scorn on the need for such a big operation. He said Charlie was stable, there was no evidence that he was in pain, and patients were routinely allowed to be ventilated at home. A portable ventilator was no larger than an electric heater, he suggested, and there were no stairs to the parents ground-floor flat which he said Great Ormond Street had never visited. He said Connie Yates had found agencies willing to supply nurses round the clock and a doctor would only need to be on call. Last night an NHS source told the Daily Mail the most common ventilators in paediatric intensive care units were Maquet Servo Us which are about the size of a PC computer, and they wheel them round hospitals, so they easily fit through doorways, adding: The portable ones are even smaller, about the size of a foot heater, which they use to transfer patients around the world. Montanas utility regulator has doubled down on dramatically shorter contracts for renewable energy development, even as state legislators warn that things have gone too far. Montanas Public Service Commission last Friday finalized plans to cut contracts and rates offered to renewable energy projects no larger than 3 megawatts projects large enough to power 540 or fewer homes. Those small renewable projects, known as qualifying facilities because theyre eligible for guaranteed utility contracts and rates, are solar developments. Last month, the PSC extended the same 10-year contract term to all energy contracts. Lawmakers on Montanas Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee wrote the PSC last Thursday, saying the new contracts were too short to support renewable energy development. On its face, a five- or 10-year contract is not long-term. In addition, Montana law requires contract lengths that enhance the economic feasibility of qualifying small power production facilities, the letter stated. Absent evidence that five- or 10-year contracts enhance or even maintain the economic feasibility of qualifying facility development in Montana the Commissions actions appear unlawful. The ETIC letter went on to remind the utility regulators that laws are to be made by legislators. It discouraged the five-member PSC from attempting an end-run around the legislative process. The majority of the ETIC signed the letter. Public Service Commissioners Brad Johnson and Travis Kavulla are scheduled to appear before the committee next week. Johnson, PSC chairman, directed lawmakers to the utility regulators Friday decision which cited state law supporting a 10-year contract as a minimum long-term agreement. A 19-year-old New York man has been arrested in connection of a string of sexual assaults that happened over four hours earlier this month. Dennis Ofuoma, of the Bronx, was arrested on Monday in connection to four attacks that happened in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn starting late July 12 into July 13. Ofuoma was charged with burglary, harassment, sex abuse, and sexually motivated burglary. The suspect turned himself in to police after a tip was called into Crimestoppers when New York police released footage showing him walking down the street the night of the attacks. Dennis Ofuoma, of the Bronx, was arrested on Monday in connection to four attacks that happened in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn starting late July 12 into July 13 Ofuoma (pictured on surveillance footage) was charged with burglary, harassment, sex abuse, and sexually motivated burglary During his arrest, told reporters: 'Praise god. I want $800 million, that's it. I'm a rapper, y'all n*****, you hear?', according to the New York Daily News. Ofuoma is accused of attacking four women over the course of four hours in Crown Heights two weeks ago. In the first incident, a 22-year-old woman was followed to her apartment around 11.45pm on July 12 by a man believed to be Ofuoma. The man put his hand over the woman's mouth, pressed her against a hallway wall, touched her genitals and demanded sex, police say. The woman screamed and fought back and the man fled, according to PIX11. Around 1am on July 13, the same man followed a 29-year-old woman to her apartment building and covered her mouth and pushed her inside after she opened the door. The suspect turned himself in to police after a tip was called into Crimestoppers when New York police released footage showing him walking down the street the night of the attacks When the man wrapped his arm around the woman, she fought back and the man again fled. An hour later, around 2am, a third woman was attacked by a man, who she claimed was armed. The 22-year-old woman was pushed inside when she opened her apartment building's door, where the man covered her mouth, dragged her to the floor and touched her genitals. She told police that the man had a knife and threatened to kill her if she wasn't quiet. The woman fought back and hit the man in the groin, causing him to flee once again. In the fourth attack the man followed a 32-year-old woman into an elevator, when she stepped off, he covered her mouth and tried to pull her to the ground. The woman screamed, punched and kicked the man, who again fled the scene. Ofuoma has six previous arrests since April 2016, one of which was for assaulting a police officer, according to ABC 7. Sir David Attenborough's former BBC producer is back behind the wheel days after his explosive road rage tirade where he told a driver: 'Get back in the car before you die'. Wildlife director Fergus Beeley today refused to expand on his explosive rant at a family on the M27 in Hampshire on Saturday. Footage of the outburst has seen him compared to fictional hotel owner Basil Fawlty, played by John Cleese, who once became so frustrated he attacked his own car in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. Today Mr Beeley refused to comment when approached by MailOnline outside his home on the Badminton estate and climbed into his Skoda Octavia and drove off. Wildlife producer and director Fergus Beeley today refused to expand on his explosive rant at a family on Saturday when he got out of his Skoda on the M27 in Hampshire. Mr Beeley refused to comment on the incident outside his home on the famous Badminton estate and then climbed into his Skoda Octavia and drove off Wildlife producer and director Fergus Beeley shocked a family on Saturday when he got out of his car on the M27 near Portsmouth, Hampshire (pictured) Mr Beeley attempted to put Simon Gale and his family under a citizen's arrest following an incident on a motorway. Mr Gale told The Sun today: 'He was like a demented Basil Fawlty. It would have been a comedy if it wasn't so scary. He kept shouting he was going to make a citizen's arrest. 'It was just bizarre. You could almost see the steam coming from his ears. He was saying "Get ready to die". Who says that?' The wildlife producer grabbed Mr Gale, 33, by the neck and screamed: 'Put your hands on the car and get ready to die'. Mr Beeley, 54, called the family 'w***ers' and 'sl*ts' before telling them to 'get back in the car before you die'. The award-winning film maker is alleged to have asked them: 'Do you know who I am?' Mr Beeley has produced some of Sir David Attenborough's most memorable natural history programmes for the BBC including Life of Birds and Planet Earth: The Future. He worked for the BBC's Natural History Unit for 19 years from 1988 after graduating from Durham University with a degree in anthropology. The row unfolded after Mr Beeley's Skoda Octavia was involved in an incident with two other cars on the M27 near Southampton Airport on Saturday morning. The drivers of the three cars are understood to have pulled over onto the hard shoulder before driving to a nearby Sainsbury's car park. When the police arrived, Mr Beeley and Mr Gale made allegations of assault against each other. But both decided not to pursue their complaints. Mr Beeley appears to place his hands around another motorists neck during the extraordinary exchange Beeley was heard calling the family 'w******' and 's****' and telling them to 'get back in the car before you die' Mobile phone footage, which was filmed by Mr Gale's mother-in-law Victoria Beaumont, has since emerged showing Mr Beeley's four-minute rant in the car park. The footage begins with the TV producer ordering Mr Gale, his wife Louise, their 14-year-old son Joshua and Mrs Beaumont to 'come out of the vehicle'. Mrs Beaumont accuses Mr Beeley of impersonating a police officer, to which he replies: 'I wouldn't say that to a bunch of w***ers like you.' She tells him: 'Do not speak to me like that'. He then says: 'You deserve it you old sl*t, you big sl*t. We've got you now, haven't we?' When the adults get out of the Peugeot 107, Mr Beeley attempts to put them under a citizen's arrest for 'dangerous driving, abuse and assault'. Mrs Beaumont then says: 'You said you want us dead.' The TV producer replies: 'I do want you dead. In fact I want you dead right now. Get back in your car.' He then grabs Mr Gale by the neck and screams: 'Get back in your car before you die. You're under a citizen's arrest, put your hands on the car and get ready to die.' Mr Beeley then jabs his finger at each family member screaming, telling each one they are under a citizen's arrest. He finishes by pointing at their son Joshua, saying: 'I tell you what, you are, too.' Mrs Gale, 32, then shouts: 'That's my f**king 11-year-old son. That's my 11-year-old son what's he done?' Joshua is actually 14. The bizarre flare-up happened at 11.30am on the M27, as Mr Gale was driving down to Portsmouth with his wife, Louise, their 14-year-old son, and his mother-in-law Simon Gale, Louise Gale, Joshua Gale (left to right) who were involved in a road rage incident with Fergus Beeley A female bystander tries to intervene and tells him not to put his hands on Mr Gale. Mr Beeley then appears to accuse Mrs Beaumont of punching him, which she instantly denies. The bystander asks him why he is the only one ranting, to which he says he was 'trying to stop an assault'. Mr Beeley's neighbours said his meltdown was out of character One of the women can be heard shouting: 'He needs a doctor, somebody needs to call the doctor'. When the witness asks Mr Beeley why he is involved, he claims he was just 'trying to stop a death on the motorway.' He adds: 'I'm not going to quieten down, because this is a citizen's arrest. I' m telling the judge and the police officer about dangerous drivingbecause people nearly lost their lives on the motorway.' The footage, which was posted on Facebook and Twitter on Sunday night, then ends at this point. Speaking yesterday, Mrs Gale said her son 'keeps looking out the window thinking [Mr Beeley] is coming to kill us'. Her husband, a tyre fitter, told how the TV producer flew into a 'raving state' in the car park. Mr Gale said: 'This car pulled across into our lane and hit our car - our whole car moved and we almost got knocked into the outside lane. 'We pulled over to the side of the road and my wife got out of the car to exchange insurance details with this woman - I didn't really think anything of it at the time. 'Then Fergus Beeley pulled up behind us in a different car and started screaming and shouting at us.' He added: 'It was quite a scary thing. He flew into an absolute raving state. When he got out the car he demanded, 'Do you know who I am?', and when I said I didn't he grabbed me and pushed me against the car.' Mr Gale, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, says Gale also attempted to push his mother-in-law towards oncoming traffic on the motorway. Mr Beeley is currently an ambassador for Steppes Travel, a luxury holiday company, and the president of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival. He lives in a detached house with his second wife Ardiana and their two daughters in the grounds of the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire which is the seat of the Duke of Beaufort. He has a son and a daughter from his first marriage. Gangsters with ties to the Zetas cartel helped smuggle migrants across the Rio Grande before they were found locked in a tractor-trailer in Texas, it is reported. A survivor from the trailer, who has not been named, said he was part of a group of 28 people who paid $700 each to be sailed across the Rio Grande on a raft. After being taken across the river the man said his group were loaded into the trailer, which had a broken air conditioner, along with up to 170 others. The survivor, who spoke to the Houston Chronicle, said the group sat in the trailer without moving from Saturday morning until around 9pm, when they set off for San Antonio. Scroll down for criminal complaint A survivor from inside the migrant truck discovered in San Antonio has told of how gangsters with connections to the Zetas helped to smuggle him across the Ro Grande before he was locked inside the trailer The man said he sat inside with up to 200 others from Saturday morning until 9pm when they started out for San Antonio, and the air began to run out (pictured, a memorial for the victims) Eight people died en-route to San Antonio, while two others later died in hospital from severe dehydration and heatstroke. 30 are still in hospital, some of whom are in critical condition Four of the dead are Mexican, while another two are Guatemalan. Another 21 Mexicans are known to have been in the trailer, the Consulate General of Mexico said It was during that journey that air in the trailer began to run out, and the group started banging on the walls to alert driver James Matthew Bradley Jr. He has since been arrested after the trailer was opened in a Walmart parking lot with the bodies of eight dead migrants inside. Around 30 others were taken to hospital with conditions ranging from good to critical, before two others died. Police have warned the death toll could still rise. Of those known to be on the trailer, 25 are Mexican nationals, according to preliminary data from the Consulate General of Mexico. Four Mexican immigrants are among the dead, along with two Guatemalans. Bradley, 60, from Clearwater, Florida, made his first court appearance on Monday and was ordered to remain in detention. Dan Patrick (pictured), lieutenant governor of Texas, on Sunday blamed the deaths of ten illegal immigrants in San Antonio on sanctuary cities A federal complaint says Bradley told authorities he was driving the trailer to Brownsville, Texas, and was unaware that it was packed with people until he stopped at a Wal-Mart in San Antonio. The federal complaint says the immigrants packed into the tractor-trailer discovered outside a Texas Wal-Mart were taking turns breathing through a hole in the trailer and pounding on the walls to get the driver's attention. The complaint says passengers appeared fine during the first hour of their journey, but people later began to struggle to breathe. They were trying to get the driver's attention, but to no avail. Bradley, however, told cops that he was taking the tractor-trailer to its new owner in Brownsville, and had no idea what was in the cargo hold. He said that it wasn't until he made a stop at the Wal-Mart to urinate that he heard the people pounding on the inside to get out. 'Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by "Spanish" people and knocked to the ground,' the affidavit says. Bradley told police that he noticed 'bodies just lying on the floor like meat' and that he knew at least one of them was dead. He also said that he knew the trailer's refrigeration system didn't work and that the four vent holes were likely clogged. WHO ARE LOS ZETAS? The Zetas gang, also known as Los Zetas, was originally part of the Gulf cartel, one of Mexico's largest and deadliest criminal organizations which was established in the mid 1980s. Zetas was formed in 1997 by a group of Special Forces defectors which served the larger cartel and acted as enforcers for them. They were hired, predominantly, as bodyguards and assassins and there were 31 of them in total to begin with. Their name translates to 'The Zs' and is derived from the code names given to their leaders - all of which start with the letter Z. Because of its members advanced military training, they brought a new level of sophistication to the underworld and created fresh challenges for US law enforcement agencies trying to crack down on the Mexico's drug gangs. In 2002, they struck out on their own. Unlike other gangs which navigated large parts of the underworld through making deals with violence a collateral side effect, the Zetas MO is torture and terror. They are responsible for the 2010 massacre of 72 illegal migrants whose bodies were found dumped in a mass grave in San Fernando. Images of the victims, who were from other Central and South American countries, shocked the world and illustrated the brutality of the Mexican cartel world. They were savagely killed after refusing to work for Los Zetas or give them money to be released. Advertisement James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida, arrived in San Antonio, Texas court on Monday in handcuffs During his court appearance, he didn't speak as he was charged with transporting immigrants to the U.S. illegally, resulting in the deaths of 10 Bradley told authorities he was driving the trailer to Brownsville and was unaware that it was packed with people until he stopped at a Wal-Mart 'Bradley stated he went back to the tractor and called his wife but she didn't answer. Bradley said he did not call 911,' the affidavit says. It was a Wal-Mart employee who called to alert 911 about the suspicious vehicle, around 12:30am on Sunday. When officers arrived on the scene, they found Bradley in the camper, between the cab and the trailer. It was not immediately known whether Bradley had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Meanwhile, the lieutenant governor of Texas has blamed the deaths of ten illegal immigrants on sanctuary cities. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Dan Patrick said if it wasn't for sanctuary cities, which refuse to work with the federal government in deporting illegal immigrants, the tragedy in San Antonio would never have happened. 'Sanctuary cities entice people to believe they can come to America and Texas and live outside the law. Sanctuary cities also enable human smugglers and cartels. 'Today, these people paid a terrible price and demonstrate why we need a secure border and legal immigration reform so we can control who enters our country. 'We continue to pray for the families and friends of the victims,' Patrick, a Republican, wrote. Above, Dan Patrick's Facebook post on Sunday about the tragedy The ten people were all illegal immigrants. The air conditioning was not working in the back of the truck on a day when the temperatures remained in the 90s The group were found in the back of the truck, which was parked at a San Antonio Walmart This is just the latest smuggling-by-truck operation to end in tragedy. In one of the worst cases on record in the U.S., 19 immigrants locked inside a stifling rig died in Victoria, Texas, in 2003. Based on initial interviews with survivors of the San Antonio tragedy, more than 100 people may have been packed into the back of the 18-wheeler at one point in its journey, ICE acting Director Thomas Homan said. Officials said 39 people were inside when rescuers arrived, and the rest were believed to have escaped or hitched rides to their next destination. Four of the survivors appeared to be between 10 and 17 years old, Homan said. Investigators gave no details on where the rig began its journey or where it was headed. But Homan said it was unlikely the truck was used to carry the immigrants across the border into the United States. He said people from Latin America who rely on smuggling networks typically cross the border on foot and are then picked up by a driver. 'Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you there's going to be many more people we're looking for to prosecute,' Homan said. San Antonio is about a 150-mile drive from the Mexican border. The temperature in San Antonio reached 101 degrees on Saturday and didn't dip below 90 degrees until after 10pm. Eldia Contreras wipes away a tear as she takes part in a vigil at San Fernando Cathedral for victims who died as a result of being transported in a tractor-trailer Sunday, July 23, 2017, in San Antonio The tragedy came to light after a person from the truck approached a Walmart employee and asked for water late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, said McManus, the local police chief. The employee gave the person water and then called police, who found the dead and the desperate inside the rig. Some of those in the truck ran into the woods, McManus said. On Sunday evening, about 100 people gathered at a San Antonio church for a vigil to mourn those killed. Immigrants' rights activists and church officials held up handmade signs reading 'Who here is not an immigrant' and 'No human is legal.' The Border Patrol has reported at least four truck seizures this month in and around Laredo, Texas. On July 7, agents found 72 people crammed into a truck with no means of escape, the agency said. They were from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador. Carol Dickinson, 76,(pictured with husband, Frank) could lose her home after a feud with neighbour Mojgan Casillas, 50 A feud between neighbours over a gas meter has become so bitter that one faces losing her house. Carol Dickinson, 76, and her husband have been at war with their neighbour, Mojgan Casillas, 50, for 14 years over the meter. Mrs Dickinson, branded aggressive and spiteful by a judge, is accused of erecting a spiked gate around the meter and stabbing another neighbour who intervened in a row. The case has left Mrs Dickinson and her husband Frank, 82, with a potential 200,000 legal bill after a judge found in Mrs Casillass favour. But now the couple, from Stockport, are battling to overturn the decision at the Court of Appeal. Senior judges heard that the costs are secured against the couples home of 29 years and they will have to sell up if they lose. The troublemaking pensioner and her bombastic husband painted themselves as decent and honest people, the court previously heard. Judge Charles Khan told Manchester County Court in 2015 that their attempts to convince me were cynical and, frankly, failed spectacularly. Mrs Casillas gas and electricity meters are located in the eight-foot driveway between the two homes. They are on a wall that can only be accessed from the Dickinsons drive with the retired couple claiming their neighbour had no right to inspect them. The row began in 2003 when the Dickinsons refused a gas company permission to access the meters. They erected a locked gate on the path to their home and attached to it a cast-iron bar with spikes running across the top. Mr and Mrs Dickinson insisted that it was a decorative feature. Dispute: The spiked gate between the neighbours' houses that has led to the dispute Tensions spiralled further in 2004 when Mrs Dickinson was unsuccessfully prosecuted over alleged racist remarks towards Mrs Casillas. Mrs Casillas tried to sell her home in 2006, no doubt as a result of the problems she was having with Mr and Mrs Dickinson, the judge said. The court heard how Mrs Dickinson at one stage tried to cut down the for sale sign with a carving knife but was stopped by another neighbour from doing so. The judge said: What did Mrs Dickinson, an honest and decent accommodating neighbour do? She stabbed him, for which she was convicted. The judge ruled that the couple had substantially interfered with Mrs Casillass right to inspect, read and carry out maintenance works on the meters. Mrs Casillas's gas and electricity meters are located in the eight-foot driveway between the homes. She was not allowed access by the Dickinsons They were ordered either to take down the gate, or to give Mrs Casillas a key. After the 2015 ruling, the Dickinsons were ordered to pay crushing legal costs, with Mrs Casillass alone coming to over 200,000. Judge Khan said: Mr Dickinson was evasive. Mrs Dickinson was an aggressive, spiteful troublemaker. Their collateral reason, he added, for fighting the case in court was that they wanted the meters moved. Challenging the ruling at the Court of Appeal, the Dickinsons barrister, David Nichols, argued Mrs Casillas had been given more extensive rights of access to her neighbours land than she was entitled to. The Dickinsons did not object to engineers working on the meters and utility providers had agreed to move them at no cost, he added. Lord Justice Longmore and Lord Justice David Richards have now reserved their decision on the couples appeal and will give their ruling at a later date. Outside court, Mrs Dickinson said she felt traumatised by the long-running dispute. Their son, Peter, said: The whole thing has mushroomed into a situation that could result in my parents losing their home. The Project hosts Carrie Bickmore and Fifi Box have broken down watching footage of Charlie Gard's parents making the heartbreaking decision to allow their son to die. The pair, who are mothers, were moved by the footage of Charlie's parents announcing to the world that their efforts to seek alternative treatments overseas had failed and they had run out of time. 'As a parent you think you have the right to make that decision, and I know there's the other side but there's hope and that's all you've got. 'When you're being denied that chance, even a slim chance, it's just so sad,' Fifi Box said. Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates emotionally announced outside the London High Court on Monday that too much time had 'been wasted' and that they were letting their little boy 'slip away.' 'Mummy and Daddy love you so much Charlie, we always have and we always will and we are so sorry that we couldn't save you. We had the chance but we weren't allowed to give you that chance,' Ms Yates read. 'Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy.' The Project hosts Carrie Bickmore and Fifi Box have broken down watching footage of Charlie Gard's parents making the heartbreaking decision to allow their son to die 'As a parent you think you have the right to make that decision, and I know there's the other side but there's hope and that's all you've got. When you're being denied that chance, even a slim chance, it's just so sad,' Fifi Box said The parents of Charlie Gard (pictured last September) have made the heartbreaking decision to let their baby son die Charlie's heartbroken parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates pay tribute to their son outside the High Court after they decided to let him die Carrie, a mother-of-two, and Fifi, who has a young daughter, were both heartbroken by the tragic story of Charlie and the helplessness of his parents. 'No one wins, it's just a lose-lose situation,' Carrie said through tears. Dr Chris Brown empathised with the doctors, saying 'they are trying to do their best.' 'You've got parents trying to hold on to hope where there may not be any. You can't blame them (the parents) for being upset, you can't blame the doctors for being upset,' he said. 'It's just an awful situation.' Dr Chris Brown empathised with the doctors, saying 'they are trying to do their best.' 'You've got parents trying to hold on to hope where there may not be any. You can't blame them (the parents) for being upset, you can't blame the doctors for being upset,' he said Charlie cuddles two toy monkeys in his hospital bed, left, and Chris and Connie watch over him, right Connie Yates with baby Charlie at his bed at Great Ormond Street Hospital Charlie was born in September, 2016. Eight weeks later he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, a condition for which there is no cure. His parents were offered invitations by specialised doctors in the USA and Italy who were confident they could save Charlie. The High Court of Britain refused Chris and Connie to take their son out of the country, in the face of international backlash. 'Our parental rights have been completely stripped. The minute we took him in there, in hindsight, we lost him,' Mr Gard said. On Monday the couple said that too much time had been wasted and that his time was up. Charlie is unlikely to make it to his first birthday next week. Aaron Hernandez's home is back on the market after an agreement to sell it for $1.3 million fell through Aaron Hernandez's home is back on the market after an agreement to sell it for $1.3 million fell through. A lawyer for the late New England Patriots player told a probate judge on Monday that Hernandez's estate has also been bolstered by the discovery of a 401(k) plan valued at about $167,000 and another account totaling $50,000. No beneficiary for either was named, the Boston Herald reported. Hernandez bought the 7,100-square-foot home in North Attleborough in 2012. Hernandez's estate is facing several wrongful death suits and the assets could be used to pay damages in those cases. Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd when he hanged himself in prison in April days after his acquittal in a double slaying. His home was originally put on the market for $1.5million in March, but then the price dropped to $1.3million in June. Hernandez bought the 7,100-square-foot home (file above) in North Attleborough in 2012. Hernandez's estate is facing several wrongful death suits and the assets could be used to pay damages in those cases He had been trying to sell the 15-room property when he committed suicide in April His home was originally put on the market for $1.5million in March, but then the price dropped to $1.3million in June Its listing on Redfin promises a 'master suite with private balcony, gas fireplace, wet bar with refrigerator, over-sized master bath has jetted tub, double vanity and tiled shower.' The home is listed online as coming with a kitchen equipped with a 'granite island, wolf appliances, wine cabinet, pantry, wet bar and dining area.' The home also features a basement which the listing says comes with 'custom bar, sink, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher. 'The finished basement also offers a full bath including a sauna and ice bath a theater room and a possible workout room.' The home is listed online as coming with a kitchen equipped with a 'granite island, wolf appliances, wine cabinet, pantry, wet bar and dining area.' The home also features a basement which the listing says comes with 'custom bar, sink, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher A superior court judge allowed Shayanna Jenkins, Hernandez's fiance, to take over the family estate a week after the convicted murderer's April death. She is pictured above left with his daughter during one of his court appearances in April before his death It also comes with a sun room, in-ground pool, cabana, and three-car garage, according to the listing. A superior court judge allowed Shayanna Jenkins, Hernandez's fiance, to take over the family estate a week after the convicted murderer's April death. In 2012, Hernandez signed with the Patriots on a $40million contract. He is believed to have been given promised around $10million at the time. When he was arrested for Lloyd's murder, the team halted $5million of his pay. During his trial, surveillance footage from inside the same home that's for sale was played showing the former athlete carrying a gun before and after the time Lloyd is believed to have been killed. The day after his murder, surveillance footage shows Jenkins carrying a large trash bag outside of the same home that's still for sale. The family of murdered man Joseph Shaw, 44, found his limbs in several bags when they went to collect his belongings from his home in Brockton, Massachusetts on Monday The missing limbs of a man allegedly murdered and mutilated by his girlfriend were found by his family in several bags when they went to his home to collect his belongings. Kathryn Podgurski, 33, faced court in Brockton, Massachusetts on Monday charged with the murder of 44-year-old Joseph Shaw. Podgurski is accused of stabbing her boyfriend more than 30 times, hiding his body in a closet and telling police he died during a botched robbery last week. Shaw's family were in the courtroom on Monday but were not aware he had been mutilated until the gruesome details were revealed by prosecutors. His niece, Jacinda Shaw, told the Boston Herald some shocked family members went back to the victim's apartment following the court hearing to collect his belongings. They noticed a backpack in Shaw's room with some blood near the zipper. 'It was heavy, and when I opened it, his foot popped up,' she said. 'We dumped it out on the bed, and there was another bag that we assume was his arm. We couldn't figure out why the police didn't find it. It was in plain sight.' His girlfriend Kathryn Podgurski, 33, is accused of stabbing Shaw more than 30 times, hiding his body in a closet and telling police he died during a botched robbery last week Podgurski, 33, faced court in Brockton, Massachusetts (above) on Monday A spokesperson from the Plymouth District Attorney's office confirmed a family member had found what appeared to be Shaw's missing limbs in a bag. The remains were sent to the medical examiner's office. The Plymouth District Attorney said a relative of Podgurski called police on Friday saying men had tried to rob Podgurski and Shaw at their apartment and murdered Shaw. Police said they found Shaw's body in a closet under clothing and kitty litter. Shaw was stabbed multiple times and had been dead a significant period of time. Shaw's family had reported him missing a week earlier on July 17. Podgurski was arraigned in Brockton District Court on Monday and is being held without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court August 24. Shaw's family (above) were in the courtroom on Monday but were not aware he had been mutilated until the gruesome details were revealed by prosecutors President Donald Trump is predicting a 'great victory' for Republicans today in the Senate vote that will determine whether debate begins on an Obamacare repeal bill. 'ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand,' Trump tweeted. The president also gave Senator John McCain a hero's welcome back to Washington on Tuesday as the Capitol braced itself for the vote that's a linchpin to Trump's domestic policy agenda. McCain, who's recovering from brain surgery, could be the decider in the procedural motion that needs 51 votes to pass. The GOP holds 52 seats in the Senate and can lean on the vice president in case of a tie. 'So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero!' Trump said of the man he once derided as 'not a war hero' because he was captured and held prisoner in North Vietnam. President Donald Trump is predicting a 'great victory' for Republicans today in the Senate vote that will determine whether debate begins on an Obamacare repeal bill The GOP holds 52 seats in the Senate and can lean on the vice president in case of a tie. It needs 51 votes to pass the motion to begin debate today In the face of defeat, Trump said the man he once derided as 'not a war hero' because he was captured and held prisoner as a solider fighting in Vietnam was a 'Brave- American hero' The president gave McCain a hero's welcome back to Washington on Tuesday as the Capitol braced itself for the vote that's a linchpin to Trump's domestic policy agenda McCain, the chairman of the Armed Service Committee, announced his surprise return to Senate on Monday evening. He's expected to make his first appearance on the Hill today since a shock announcement that he has brain cancer. Republican senators will huddle one last time before the vote at their weekly policy luncheon this afternoon. They plan to bring the motion to proceed to debate on Obamacare repeal sometime after 2 pm. Trump has a news conference scheduled for 3 pm Eastern. He ordered senators yesterday from the bully pulpit of the White House to take the vote today. 'The American people have waited long enough. There has been enough talk and no action. Now is the time for action,' Trump demanded in remarks from the Blue Room. 'Obamacare has broken our system. It's broken. It's collapsing. It's gone. And now it is up to us to get great health care for the American people.' The president said a series of tweets on Tuesday that he's waiting with his pen to sign an Obamacare repeal bill. 'Big day for HealthCare. After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!' he said. 'This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people!' Trump warned legislators yesterday that they would feel the wrath of their constituents at the ballot box if they allow the nation's health care system to flatline. 'Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling the American people you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare,' he proclaimed before 'victims' of the health law. 'There is still time to do the right thing.' Hammering once again on 'obstructionist' Democrats, Trump said, 'They run out, they say, "Death, death, death." 'Well, Obamacare is death. That's the one that's death. And besides that, it's failing so you won't have it anyway.' Earlier on Monday Trump told Republicans that they're staring down their 'last chance' to get rid of Obamacare. President Donald Trump ordered senators from the bully pulpit of the White House to vote to begin debate on an Obamacare repeal bill yesterday 'The American people have waited long enough. There has been enough talk and no action. Now is the time for action,' Trump demanded in remarks from the Blue Room US President Donald Trump greets children of alleged 'victims of Obamacare' after delivering a statement on healthcare at the White House Lawmakers must decide this week whether to vote on a bill that would gut the existing health law now but delay the consequences for two years while they figure out a fix or move ahead with legislation that seeks to meet both aims simultaneously Lawmakers must decide this week they want to gut the existing health law now but delay the consequences for two years while they figure out a fix or move ahead with legislation that seeks to meet both aims simultaneously. Once they vote on the motion to begin debate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said lawmakers will have the opportunity to offer amendments that can take form of a House-passed Obamacare repeal and replace bill, a bill Senate-authored bill, clean repeal and whatever else they want to discuss. 'Frankly, if you don't like the bill, go down to the floor and offer amendments,' Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said Tuesday on Fox. First, the motion to proceed has to pass with at least 50 votes, with Mike Pence, the VP, acting as tie-breaker. 'I believe that we will,' Sen. John Barasso, the Republican Policy Committee chair, said on Fox News this morning. 'We're continuing to work with all of the members of the conference to get to that number.' Conservative groups with deep pockets have said that the vote to proceed will be top of mind when they pull out their checkbooks next year. The president has also threatened legislators who vote against the measure with 'repercussions.' 'Republicans have a last chance to do the right thing on Repeal & Replace after years of talking & campaigning on it,' he said in a tweet on Monday morning. Trump suggested with the message that the White House is ready to untether itself from the GOP's health care reform fiasco if senators don't come together. His patience stretched thin, Trump is ready to move on to other items on his agenda. The president has already said he'd be willing to let Obamacare collapse as a tactic to force lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to the negotiating table at a later date. If legislators can't agree on health care reform by the start of August recess, the Republican president has signaled he'll let the repeal effort peter out. The House and the Senate have appropriations bills to pass and a debt ceiling to raise. Trump is still hopeful they'll take up a tax reform package, too. HE'S BACK! McCain, who's recovering from brain surgery, could be the decider in the procedural motion that needs 51 votes to pass A rainbow shines over the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Monday as lawmakers returned to Washington for today's health care vote McConnell has committed to keeping legislators in his chamber in Washington for the first two weeks of the August break if that's what it takes to fulfill their repeal and replace promise. The House is letting out at the end of the week, either way. Republicans in the lower chamber have already passed a health reform bill. McConnell was adamant during a news conference last week at the White House that the Senate would vote to begin debate on the health care bill before the lengthy district work period. What senators are voting on exactly, other than a motion to proceed, remained unknown as they came back to Washington at the beginning of the work week. McConnell said in a floor statement Monday that 'the first vote we will soon take, is on whether or not to begin the debate at all.' 'I certainly intend to do so. I know many colleagues feel the same. I know many of us have waited years for this moment to finally arrive. And, at long last, it finally has,' he said. 'I would urge every colleague to join me. I know many have ideas on how to improve health care. Some of these ideas have real potential.' The White House gave the Senate a firm push in that direction on Monday after the president's Blue Room speech. 'Senator McConnell has assured his members that the vote will occur and the president is adamant about moving forward and getting on a bill so that we can have the debate and have the discussion and move forward on behalf of the American people,' Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said. The former lawmaker told reporters riding Air Force One: We look forward to a positive outcome tomorrow.' We look forward to having at least 50 votes in the Senate, and the vice president will be there obviously tomorrow in order to break a tie if there is a tie. But you cant begin to solve this challenge and crisis of Obamacare without voting to proceed on the legislation and having the debate,' Price said. US President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House before his departure to Beaver, West Virginia on Monday afternoon after his health care remarks Some Members of Congress have complained that Trump was not engaged enough in the legislative process. Price rejected their claims on Monday, saying Trump had talked to virtually every Republican senator' and repeatedly had lawmakers over to the White House. I think that the input that we have taken from senators has been extraordinary, and frankly unprecedented, having been involved in these healthcare conversations and debates for years,' Price said. 'This is the greatest amount of involvement by a president that I have ever witnessed one-on-one with the members of the Congress, both the House and the Senate.' One of them, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, had opined on Sunday, 'We don't know whether we're going to be voting on the House bill, the first version of the Senate bill, the second version of the Senate bill, a new version of the Senate bill, or a 2015 bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act,' she commented on Sunday. In the appearance on Face the Nation, Collins said, 'I don't think that's a good approach to replacing legislation that affects millions of people.' McCain's expected absence as he battles brain cancer had left McConnell with a razor-thin margin for error. The GOP would have only been able to lose a single vote, if the vice president acts as a tie breaker, and come out ahead. The vote is still tight - but McCain's presence makes all the difference. Two senators, Collins and Rand Paul, are believed to be no votes on the motion to proceed. Collins indicated Sunday that she's likely to vote against whatever bill the GOP presents. Paul said he was willing to vote yes on a clean repeal bill - but that is it. Trump has said he would prefer they take up the existing repeal and replace package, although he indicated Tuesday that he will take whatever he can get. In his remarks from the Blue Room of the White House on Monday, Trump said Obamacare has caused 'nothing but pain.' 'So far Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare. They now have a chance, however, to hopefully, hopefully, fix what has been so badly broken for such a long time,' he said. McConnell was adamant during a news conference last week at the White House that the Senate would vote to begin debate on a health care bill before the lengthy break. McCain's absence put the vote into jeopardy 'The Senate is very close to the votes it needs to pass a replacement. The problem is we have zero help from the Democrats. They're obstructionists. That's all they are. That's all they're good at, is obstruction. Making things not work.' Lighting up the opposing party, Trump said, 'They say all the right things and then they do exactly what they're not supposed to be doing. The Democrats aren't giving us one vote.' Trump said early on in his remarks that Obamacare had 'wreaked havoc' for the last 17 years, even though it was passed in 2010. He gave the correct amount of time moments later, seven years, as he railed against his predecessor's health care plan. Democrats intend to reject the GOP's legislation, whatever it is, wholesale. That leaves the GOP to carry the entire load if it wants to push through Obamacare repeal. Anthony Scaramucci, the incoming White House Communications director, said Friday in his first appearance at the White House podium that he believes senators will do what the president is asking of them. 'I predict that the President will get a win in healthcare. That's my honest prediction just because Ive seen him in operation over the last 20-plus years. The President has really good karma, okay? And the world turns back to him,' Scaramucci claimed. 'Hes genuinely a wonderful human being, and I think as the members of Congress get to know him better and get comfortable with him, they're going to let him lead them to the right things for the American people. So I think we're going to get the healthcare done.' Continuing, he said, 'I also think we're going to get tax reform done. And whatever else is on the Presidents agenda, we're going to work very, very hard, very studiously here to make it happen.' What senators are voting on exactly, other than a motion to start debate, is unknown. 'I don't think that's a good approach to replacing legislation that affects millions of people,' Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday. She's seen arriving at the Capitol on Tuesday The White House said last week that it would like the Senate to move on health care reform before it turns to the president's tax package. 'I think it becomes easier to do comprehensive tax reform after healthcare for political reasons, for reasons of momentum and so forth,' Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters on Thursday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said from the podium on on Wednesday, 'I dont believe it has to wait, but thats certainly the preference.' Trump hinted yesterday that he would change his position if the Senate continues its deliberations on Obamacare beyond the August recess when he tweeted that it was Republicans' 'last chance' to make something happen. He cautioned his party Sunday that their failure to deliver would come at a cost. 'If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!' he said. Trump's legislative director, Marc Short, said last week that Trump was not making thinly-veiled threats at GOP lawmakers when he made needling comments about their reelection chances - he just wants them to do what they said they would. 'The President has been pretty direct in his words, and he's right now saying, this is what you promised. I want to live up to my promise. I'm ready to sign the bill. Get me the bill so we can get this done for the American people and then we can also move on to tax reform and other items that are part of our agenda,' Short asserted. This wild hippo decides to make a quick pit stop at a local petrol station. Incredible footage from St Lucia, South Africa, captured the moment the beast popped in hunting for a fill up. It sparked panic as motorists ran for cover, but brave Innes Minnie captured the video while he was out buying snacks. Innes said: 'I popped into the quick shop at our town's only filling station to get a snack and cool drink. 'As I got in the car and exited a hippo decided to turn in. 'The petrol attendants moved into the store and waited as the hippo wandered through the station.' Despite appearing harmless hippos are considered among the most dangerous animals in the world. The hippo was completely unfazed as it ambled into the pit stop in St Lucia, South Africa Their aggressiveness and unpredictable nature is well documented. Innes was unfazed and instead decided this would be a great opportunity to test the camera on his new phone. He added: 'I was not too fazed, I just thought it would be a great opportunity to test the new phones camera.' Hippos are well-known for their aggressive and unpredictable behavior The hippo calmly moved on from the gas station and walked down the main road for another 100 meters before turning into a nearby neighbourhood. Eventually the hippo ended up grazing on a local's lawn. When asked for a reaction on the whole situation Innes responded: 'Whether it wanted unleaded or diesel I don't know, but it is very welcome to Africa!' A gifted student hanged herself after 'slowly unravelling' with depression, an inquest heard today. Elsa Scaburri, thought to be the fifth Bristol University student to commit suicide in one year, went 'downhill' during a year of studying modern languages abroad in Italy. Miss Scaburri, 21, felt 'worthless' and came back to the UK so she could be with her mother in January this year where she was diagnosed with clinical depression. Elsa Scaburri, thought to be the fifth Bristol University student to commit suicide in one year, went 'downhill' during a year of studying modern languages abroad in Italy During her treatment for depression GPs and doctors said they had 'no concerns' Miss Scaburri, who was born in Italy but lived with her mother in Broad Chalke, Salisbury, would commit suicide. Just two months later the third year student wrote a suicide note and left it on a door handle her home before hanging herself in an isolated barn just under a mile away on Knowle Farm. Her death on March 20 this year is believed to be the fifth suicide by a University of Bristol student in the same academic year. The university, ranked among the top 25 in the country, said in February it had launched a review into student mental health issues. It was prompted after the death of student Lara Nosiru and the university said the tragedies were not believed to be connected. Neuroscience student Miss Nosiru, from Essex, was discovered on January 30 in a gorge beneath a 300ft bridge. Miss Scaburri, 21, felt 'worthless' and came back to the UK so she could be with her mother in January this year where she was diagnosed with clinical depression Miranda Williams, 19, of Chichester, West Sussex, was a philosophy student and struggled with depression and anxiety. She was found dead on October 10 three weeks after leaving home. Just 11 days later Daniel Green, an ancient history student, was found dead aged 18. Kim Long, 18, who studied law, died on November 10. A former University of Bristol student, 23-year-old Maxine Wiley, was also found hanged in her Bristol flat on September 2. Today an inquest into Miss Scaburri's death at Salisbury Coroner's Court heard about her short battle with depression. Her emotional mother Belinda, whose statement was read out, recalled how she began 'unravelling' and said they shared a bed so she could 'comfort her'. Mrs Scaburri said: 'She was a top grade student, always hard on herself and pushing herself. 'She was studying languages and in 2016 she moved back to Italy and took on roles of translating and all was good.' Miss Scaburri came back to the UK after her parents flew out to Italy to see her at Christmas in 2016, and was unhappy when she had to return to continue her year abroad. Mrs Scaburri continued: 'She went back to Italy and was not happy, she went downhill rapidly. 'I flew out there and she was happy to see me but slowly unravelling. She developed head shakes and twitches. 'We came back to the UK and she continued to go downhill, saying she was lazy and never did anything with her life and the shakes continued. 'We saw a GP and he said she was having some sort of crisis, she started getting night terrors too. 'A doctor diagnosed her with clinical depression. Medication stopped the head shakes and twitches but she still thought she going to be like this for the rest of her life. 'Since her return from Italy we were sleeping in the same bed so I could comfort her.' Later, when Miss Scaburri was sleeping on her own again, her mother woke and realised her daughter was not in her bedroom. She saw a suicide note left on the handle of her door and immediately phoned the police. Farmer Hugo Mann told the inquest of the moment he discovered Miss Scaburri hanged at an isolated barn on his family's farm. Mr Mann, who has worked on Knowle Farm in Bowerchalke, Salisbury, since he was a child, said: 'I was there at 6pm the evening before and did not see anyone there then. 'That bit of the barn is open and easy to access. About 8am the next morning I went to the barn. During her treatment for depression GPs and doctors said they had 'no concerns' Miss Scaburri, who was born in Italy but lived with her mother in Broad Chalke, Salisbury, would commit suicide 'As I went behind the door I didn't see anything but as I looked to my right I spotted something. 'I looked closer and it was someone [hanging] off the side of the hay-bale stack. 'I called out for help from a nearby farm worker and climbed up to the top of the stack. Mr Mann added 'I managed to cut the rope and lowered the person to the ground' but tragically it was too late and Miss Scaburri had been dead for a few hours. A statement from Dr Fiona Hayes, who had treated Miss Scaburri, was read out at the inquest. She said: 'Elsa told me she felt like a fraud and could not do the things everyone thought she could do.' Evidence from Dr Shruthi Guruswamy was also read out, she said Miss Scaburri told her she 'cried most days' and feels 'worthless' but did not show suicidal signs. Dr Guruswamy said: 'Elsa told me "I've lost my routine" and was crying most days. Her mood was worse in mornings and she had low energy levels. 'She felt like she had nothing to say to anyone and felt like she was worth nothing. 'I asked her if she had thoughts about suicide and she denied this as well as any thoughts about self harm. 'She said her thoughts were stuck and her brain just felt foggy. 'At the time I had no concerns about her safety and she made it clear to me her family were her safety.' Miss Scaburri also received therapy before her death. Coroner Dr Ian Singleton, giving a verdict of suicide, said: 'In January of this year she was notably unhappy and in a downward spiral wondering what she was doing with herself. 'She saw GPs, doctors and a therapist and did not seem to show any suicidal thoughts. 'There is nothing to suggest a trigger and no evidence to suggest she would take her own life.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. Mondays Billings City Council votes to support both the One Big Sky Center and the Alberta Bair Theater produced a rare reaction in council chambers: a round of applause. The council unanimously approved an extension, through its Dec. 11 meeting, that will allow Landmark LLC, which has the same principals as the projects new partner, Hammes Company of Madison, Wisconsin, to study One Big Sky Centers proposed convention center, office building, hotel, retail space, parking garage and open space. Landmark LLC is partnering with the original developer, MontDevCo LLC, on a project that's been valued at $165 million. Landmarks study, which Hammes President Bob Dunn told the council will be completed in October, will help shape the size and scope of the downtown project and give both the city and the developers an idea of how much tax increment finance money might be involved. Originally, MontDevCo LLC was seeking up to $35 million in TIF funding. The vote to approve the extension was 10-1, with Councilman Brent Cromley opposed. Cromley said he has concerns about the people involved in this project. In the evenings final item of business, the council voted 11-0 to approve $3.5 million in TIF assistance for the city-owned Alberta Bair Theater, which is working to raise money for a $10.5 million renovation and expansion. Dozens of residents packed council chambers to lend their support for the theater's TIF request. Harvey Singh, who last month opened Seva Kitchen across North Broadway from the theater, said having a revamped ABT so close is very important to us and was a big factor in locating the restaurant where it is. He called approving the request the sign of a community moving forward. This is your property, said ABT board member Ron Yates, a Billings certified public accountant. We try to take care of it for you. Yates said the board is eager to start fundraising. The plan, he said, is to invest $10.5 million in your building to keep it thriving and keep it downtown. Its a jewel, Connie Wardell said, and its time to polish our jewel. Plans for the theater include lobby and restroom expansion, reupholstered seating, roof and heating/air-conditioning upgrades and improvements to the theaters sound and light systems as well as its stage flooring. Advertisement An incredible set of photographs have shown a witch doctor introducing his new apprentice to a sacred and hallucinogenic brew, performing a spirit journey over an open fire and teaching him the secrets of the forest. A lone explorer has documented the shaman's quest to find the apprentice that will take on centuries of tradition passed down to him by his mystical forebears. Rare pictures show a Shaman introducing his new apprentice - a teenager called Naykim Tzamaren - to the sacred and hallucinogenic brew, Ayahuasca, before being left by a sacred waterfall to meditate and visualise. The milestone of searching for a shaman from one of the most remote tribes in Ecuador was documented by an explorer and photographer. His search took him to the north of the Ecuadorian rainforest, where he encountered a tribe called the Cofans and met his first Shaman - Don-Ruffino - before moving onto another tribe where he saw a second shaman working with his successor. A shaman blasts his apprentice with a puff of dust in a decoration ritual in the middle of the dense Amazonian jungle. The incredible set of photographs show a witch doctor introducing his new apprentice to a sacred and hallucinogenic brew, performing a spirit journey over an open fire and teaching him the secrets of the forest The apprentice - 13 year-old Naykim Tzamaren - kneels in front of a waterfall with a spear in the ground. A lone explorer has documented the shaman's quest to find the apprentice that will take on centuries of tradition passed down to him by his mystical forebears. Rare pictures show a Shaman introducing his new apprentice to the sacred and hallucinogenic brew, Ayahuasca, and were taken by photographer Asher Svidensky Two people on a boat travel down a river as steam is sent spiraling into to the air. Photographer Asher Svidensky set off into the jungles of Ecuador to find and document the milestone of searching for a shaman from one of the most remote tribes in the world's still partially unexplored rainforest. His search took him to the north of the Ecuadorian rainforest, where he encountered a tribe called the Cofans and met his first Shaman - Don-Ruffino The witch doctor paints the face of his apprentice - 13 year-old Naykim Tzamaren - as they both sit in the thick forest. The photographer said: 'He came from a long line of Shamans, but he is the only one of his brothers that followed the path and inherited the ancient art with all its responsibilities. Don-Ruffino told me that his interest in Shamanism began when he was eight years old.' He came from a long line of Shamans, but he is the only one of his brothers that followed the path and inherited the ancient art with all its responsibilities,.Don-Ruffino said interest in Shamanism began when he was eight years old. Despite being ordered to stay away, he kept sneaking out of the house at night and witnessed his father and grandfather practicing the ancient rituals while hiding in the bushes. When he came of age his father recognised his determination and passed to him the jungle's knowledge. Until not too long ago, Shamans used to serve as the leaders of their communities, leading hunting endeavors and, when needed, healing illnesses. But, like many places around the world, times have changed. Asher said: 'Don-Ruffino told me that, nowadays, most parents encourage their children to pursue western education, which often contradicts with the ideas and teachings of Shamanism itself. 'Due to these circumstances, he could not find a successor for his tradition, a vital part of being a Shaman. 'I took that as a point of interest for the rest of my trip. I wanted to travel elsewhere and see if I could find a young kid who does partake in learning this ancient art. 'I was looking for something very rare in our time and age - a shaman's apprentice.' After decorating his face with paint, the shaman stands up and plasters his new apprentice with some sort of powder. Despite being ordered to stay away from shamanism, he kept sneaking out of the house at night and witnessed his father and grandfather practicing the ancient rituals while hiding in the bushes. When he came of age his father recognised his determination and passed to him the jungle's knowledge. Naykim Tzamaren with his distinctive headgear. Until not too long ago, Shamans used to serve as the leaders of their communities, leading hunting endeavors and, when needed, healing illnesses. But, like many places around the world, times have changed Don-Ruffino told the photographer that, nowadays, most parents encourage their children to pursue western education, which often contradicts with the ideas and teachings of Shamanism itself. Due to these circumstances, he could not find a successor for his tradition, a vital part of being a Shaman. Two shamans and the new apprentice gather around an open fire to perform a spirit journey passed down to him by his mystical forebears. A shaman is loosely defined as someone who is regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing A shaman paints the face of his new apprentice, who he found in Ecuador. Spanning 5.5million square miles across nine different countries, the Amazon is still the world's largest tropical rainforest by some distance. It hosts the world's second largest river, is home to 2.5million different species of insect, and produces an astonishing 20 per cent of the planet's oxygen Spanning 5.5million square miles across nine different countries, the Amazon is still the world's largest tropical rainforest by some distance. It hosts the world's second largest river, is home to 2.5million different species of insect, and produces an astonishing 20 per cent of the planet's oxygen. Within this sprawling tropical jungle there are thought to live approximately 500 indigenous Amerindian tribes, each with their own culture, set of values and traditions. Little is known about most of these tribes and their way of life. But there is one aspect of their cultures that seems to fascinate and perplex outsiders more than any other - shamanism. A shaman is loosely defined as someone who is regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing. Beyond this, the practice is very much open to interpretation. Asher's quest took him deeper into the jungle, where he eventually encountered the remote Shuar tribe. It was here he found his holy grail - a shaman's apprentice. However, upon meeting the tribe, he was quickly chastised for his use of the word shaman. 'I was told: "We don't have a shaman. We have an uwishint",' said Asher. The apprentice witch doctor carves a tree in the Amazon. Within this sprawling tropical jungle there are thought to live approximately 500 indigenous Amerindian tribes, each with their own culture, set of values and traditions. Little is known about most of these tribes and their way of life The shaman paints the face of his new apprentice. In the area surrounding the Amazon, there is one aspect of tribes' cultures that seems to fascinate and perplex outsiders more than any other - shamanism Asher's quest took him deeper into the jungle, where he eventually encountered the remote Shuar tribe. It was here he found his holy grail - a shaman's apprentice, pictured here in front of a waterfall. However, upon meeting the tribe, he was quickly chastised for his use of the word shaman Thirteen-year-old Naykim Tzamaren stands in the middle of the Amazon in front of a huge waterfall. He came from the Shuar tribe, who use the word uwishint to describe a shaman. The main difference in their eyes was that a shaman removes or causes curses and tries to explain the spirit realm to the people, while the uwishint's uses his knowledge of the jungle's medicinal plants in order to heal people and serve as the peacemaker of his tribe A shaman waves leaves and blows smoke over his new apprentice - 13-year-old Naykim Tzamaren, the current Grand-Uwishint's youngest son and future Uwishint from the Shuar tribe in Ecuador Naykim Tzamaren was chosen without the child's prior knowledge. Tribe elders will observe the children from the ages of six to 12 through a series of seemingly innocent games, secretly examining the children's strength, agility, reactions and, most importantly, their behaviour towards others around them 'The main difference in their eyes was that a Shaman removes or causes curses and tries to explain the spirit realm to the people, while the Uwishint's uses his knowledge of the jungle's medicinal plants in order to heal people and serve as the peacemaker of his tribe. 'In a Shuar community you could find a few members that hold the title of Uwishint, but only one of them is consulted with - he is known as Grand-Uwishint. 'The Grand-Uwishint holds his title and serves his community for a period of ten years, after which he will be replaced with another that is chosen by the community's elders. 'And I soon met 13 year-old Naykim Tzamaren, the current Grand-Uwishint's youngest son and future Uwishint.' The tribe explained how an Uwishint is chosen without the child's prior knowledge. Tribe elders will observe the children from the ages of six to 12 through a series of seemingly innocent games, secretly examining the children's strength, agility, reactions and, most importantly, their behaviour towards others around them. 'The Grand-Uwishint told me that an Uwishint has to be strong, in order to climb up the trees and hike through the jungle, and brave, in order to protect his community from jaguars and enemy tribes,' said Asher. 'But most importantly, an Uwishint has to be calm and fair while others around him panic and argue.' Naykim Tzamaren who was chosen to be the next witch doctor. According to his tribe, the uwishint or shaman has to be strong, in order to climb up the trees and hike through the jungle, and brave, in order to protect his community from jaguars and enemy tribes. But most importantly, an Uwishint has to be calm and fair while others around him panic and argue The apprentice practices climbing a huge tree in the Amazon rain forest by using the vines that hang down from it under the watchful eye of two shamans So, what does Asher (pictured) think of the whole practice of Shamanism, or Uwishint-ism, in general? 'I think the whole thing is a beautiful idea,' he says. 'That the person with the most 'magical' powers and knowledge of the tribe is to serve as the peacemaker. I'm sure he could easily use his abilities to become the chieftain of his community, but he doesn't. He finds balance in humility.' A child is usually chosen around the age of 12 and, once chosen, will learn from the elders about the different plants of the jungle, and how to make different potions from them. The most famous of these is a mixture called Ayahuasca, or Iowaska. Created in the jungle, Ayahuasca is an extremely powerful hallucinatory drug that is designed to help a young Ushiwint 'find himself' through a series of powerful visions. Asher said: 'The consumption of the drink is key in becoming an Uwishint. 'After the child drinks his first Ayahuasca he will be left alone near a sacred place, such as a waterfall, where he is asked to meditate and analyse his visions. 'I came to learn that above all his duties, an Uwishint has one aim that stands out - passing his knowledge to another.' So, what does Asher think of the whole practice of Shamanism, or Uwishint-ism, in general? 'I think the whole thing is a beautiful idea,' he says. 'That the person with the most 'magical' powers and knowledge of the tribe is to serve as the peacemaker. I'm sure he could easily use his abilities to become the chieftain of his community, but he doesn't. He finds balance in humility.' A woman who crashed into a child-care centre in Melbourne's southeast was almost three-times over the legal drinking limit. The car crashed into a support pillar outside a Goodstart early learning centre on Tuesday afternoon. The woman smashed into the Rowville facility shortly after 2:30pm, around the time when children would be picked up by their parents. A woman who crashed into a child-care centre in Melbourne's southeast was almost three-times over the legal drinking limit Victoria Police spokesman Chris Metevelis said the 32-year-old Rowville woman was breath tested and returned a 0.139 blood alcohol reading. The woman lost her licence for 12 months and received a $673 fine for drink driving. Ambulance Victoria said there were no injuries reported at the scene. An Islamic businessman who makes money certifying that food is fit for Muslims predicts all non-Muslims in Australia will be eating more halal than ever. Halal Certification Authority president Mohamed Elmouelhy says the third-party certification industry will keep booming. 'Everyone will be eating more halal than ever, we have just employed three more auditors to cope with the extra work,' Mr Elmouelhy told his Facebook followers. It's occurring even as cereal makers Kellogg's and Sanitarium stop paying fees to Muslim businesses on the grounds their products are plant-based and don't contain any pork or alcohol. Halal Certification Authority president Mohamed Elmouelhy says 'everyone will be eating more halal than ever' The Muslim businessman says campaigns against halal certification have 'failed miserably' Chocolate brand Cadbury, Bega cheese, Vegemite and Sara Lee desserts pay third-party certifiers an undisclosed fee to declare their foods are halal, an Arabic term for permissible. Mr Elmouelhy, who declines to name his clients, rubbished senators Pauline Hanson and Cory Bernardi, who have spoken out against the halal certification industry in Parliament. 'Those who advocate boycotting halal in Australia have failed miserably, instead halal is actually increasing in leaps and bounds, despite all the false information and speeches from the coward's castle (parliament),' he said. 'Anti Muslims will be supporting halal and I thank them in advance.' Mohamed Elmouelhy said senators like Pauline Hanson had failed to erode the halal industry Sanitarium has stopped paying halal certification fees for the cereals and soy milk it exports Kellogg's stopped paying third-party halal certification fees as its products are plant-based Nestle no longer pay halal certification fees for its popular chocolate bars like the Kit Kat snack Daily Mail Australia broke the news earlier this month that Kellogg's and Sanitarium have stopped paying third-party halal certifiers on the grounds their cereals are planted based and therefore don't contain any pork or alcohol products. Nestle has stopped paying halal fees for his chocolate bars but continues to have commercial halal arrangements for Maggi noodles, Nescafe coffee and condensed milk. Halal Choices founder Kirralie Smith, a northern New South Wales farmer, argues that halal certification is unnecessary because most food products didn't contain pork or alcohol. Private and non-profit halal certifiers give their proceeds to Islamic schools and mosques. Halal Choices campaigner Kirralie Smith says halal fees for most foods were unnecessary Mr Elmouelhy told Daily Mail Australia he had every right not to disclose which companies paid him a halal certification fee or which Islamic groups he gave his proceeds to. 'I am not going to say what I spend my money on. This is a private company and I'm a private person and I have every right to spend the money whichever way I want to,' he said. 'It is my private money, my private company and I can do with it what I like.' His daughter Nadia, who is the chief executive of her father's company, has halal certified a book by Iranian-born Labor senator Sam Dastyari, 'One Halal Of A Story.' The right-faction powerbroker even produced a certificate from Nadia Elmouelhy which said the binding, paper and air between the pages was halal however it is understood no fees were paid by Senator Dastyari. Her father Mohamed noted that while Kellogg's no longer paid halal-certification fees, Senator Dastyari was giving his industry some good publicity. 'Kellogg's dropped its certification but Sam's halal-certified book more than picked up the slack,' he said on Facebook on Tuesday. Labor senator Sam Dastyari says his halal-certified book wasn't for 'right-wing nutbags' Halal Certification Authority boss Mohamed Elmouelhy hopes SenatorDastyari's book will help his industry The halal logo signifies the product has been certified to contain no pork or alcohol products A Kansas woman who tried to kill a bug by lighting it on fire ended up setting her apartment on fire causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Topeka Fire Marshal Mike Martin said that the fire destroyed a building apart of the Fairlawn Green apartment complex displacing 17 people and causing $140,000 in damages after an 'occupant tried to kill a bug with a lighter.' Monique Quarles said that around 3.45am on Monday her daughter, Ausha and two-year-old granddaughter told her that there was a bug inside their third floor apartment. 'I found the bug, picked the bug up and I put it in my hand and lit it on fire,' Quarles told the Topeka Capital-Journal. Scroll down for video Monique Quarles (above) said her daughter alerted her to a bug inside her apartment at the Fairlawn Green complex. She picked it up and lit it on fire before looking for more bugs because she said she is 'OCD' Her second attempt at killing another bug went wrong as her flip-style lighter 'started sparking' and the box spring went up in flames They tried to put the fire out themselves using water from the kitchen, but it spread quickly so they called 911 Quarles then picked up her mattress to check and see if there were more bugs. Her daughter found a medium sized bug, she said. For a second time, she tried to set this bug on fire, but her flip-style lighter 'started sparking' and the box spring went up in flames. 'The sparks just started flying on it and inside of it,' she said. They tried to put the fire out themselves using water from the kitchen. Quarles said they started knocking on their neighbors' doors to tell them to get out of the building. It's unclear why the woman didn't kill the bug with a shoe and why she chose to try and light it on fire It took over 30 firefighters to put the blaze out at the apartment (file above) and over $140,000 in damages were caused 'By the time I came back, I was really seeing fire in there, so I knew we really shouldn't keep trying to put it out. I said, 'Get out get the baby, call 911.' And that's what we did,' she said. Quarles said they started knocking on their neighbors' doors to tell them to get out of the building. It's unclear why the woman didn't kill the bug with a shoe and why she chose to try and light it on fire. Quarles did not say what type of bugs they were. It took over 30 firefighters to put out the blaze at the apartment complex. One firefighter suffered minor smoke inhalation and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Another was also transported to the hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion. Australian terrorists may be among hundreds of Islamic State fighters believed to be plotting atrocities in Europe. Interpol issued a list of 173 ISIS trained jihadists thought to be planning suicide attacks in the West as revenge for military defeats. AFP and Interpol told Daily Mail Australia they 'refused to confirm or deny' if Australians were among the so-called the suicide brigade. Australian terrorists may be among hundreds of Islamic State militants believed to be plotting atrocities in Europe 'The AFP does not confirm or deny potential requests for assistance from overseas law enforcement agencies,' a police spokesperson said. 'Interpol regularly sends alerts and updates to its 190 member countries on wanted terrorists and criminals,' an Interpol spokesperson said. 'It is the member country which provides the information that decides which other countries it can be shared with.' Australian and European border force are preparing for battle-hardened IS militants to return after losing ground in the Middle East. The terrorists 'may have manifested willingness to commit a suicidal attack or martyrdom to support Islam,' the Interpol report claimed, reports Guardian. The terror brigade 'can travel internationally, to participate in terrorist activities,' but it is unclear whether they reached Europe. Interpol issued a list of 173 ISIS trained jihadists thought to be planning suicide attacks in the West as revenge for military defeats The document identifies the suspects and provided their photos, date of recruitment and the mosques they could attend. The list apparently stems from US intelligence data obtained through 'trusted sources' during operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. ISIS continues to plot more complex and deadly attacks in the West, particularly in Europe, according to a report from Europol. The terrorists n the list 'may have manifested willingness to commit a suicidal attack or martyrdom to support Islam' (pictured: victims of the Manchester bombing) Up to 20 Australians who fled overseas to take up arms with the terror network are understood to bear AFP arrest warrants. Among them is Australia's most wanted terrorist Neil Prakash, who is set to be extradited back to Australia from Turkey. The Melbourne-born ISIS fanatic has been held behind bars in a maximum-security prison since he was captured crossing the Turkish border in October. s Australia's most wanted terrorist Neil Prakash, who is set to be extradited back to Australia from Turkey Prakash is a wanted man in the US, the UK, Israel, Turkey and Australia over his role with the bloodthirsty group. The jihadist has been linked to a number of conspiracies to slaughter Australians, including a foiled Anzac Day plot to behead a police officer in April 2015. Daily Mail Australia has contacted AFP and Interpol for comment. Theresa May and husband Philip left their worries behind today as they strolled near Lake Garda at the start of a three week holiday. The Prime Minister jetted out to northern Italy yesterday for a five-day first leg with husband Philip. They were seen today strolling through a square in Desenzano del Garda. Mrs May wore a pink shirt dress and leopard print sandals while Mr May wore a checked shirt and blue chinos. Mrs May will be briefly back on duty to attend World War I remembrance events in Passchendaele, Belgium, on Monday. But the Mays will then fly straight back out of Britain for a fortnight in the Swiss Alps - making her the first Prime Minister to take three weeks off since Tony Blair. The couple are keen hikers and are expected to spend much of the three weeks walking. Theresa May and husband Philip left their worries behind today as they strolled near Lake Garda at the start of a three week holiday The Mays jetted out to northern Italy yesterday for a five-day first leg in Italy (pictured). They will travel on to Switzerland next week The couple are keen hikers and are expected to spend much of the three weeks walking. In between the legs in Italy and Switzerland, Mrs May will be briefly back on duty for a WWI commemoration No 10 has insisted Mrs May will still be in charge of Britain throughout and kept fully up to date during her trips No 10 has insisted Mrs May will still be in charge of Britain throughout and kept fully up to date during her trips. On her last holiday, the Prime Minister famously changed her mind about holding a general election. The couple were on a walking trip to Snowdonia at Easter. The decision set off a chain of events that left her facing the prospect of a humiliating end to her career. Mrs May used commercial flights for the return journey to Italy and will do the same next week when she heads to Switzerland. When the holiday was announced last week, No 10 would not say in which class the couple would fly. Asked if Mrs May was 'tired' her official spokeswoman said the Premier had just had a 'very busy week'. When the holiday was announced last week, No 10 would not say in which class the couple would fly On her last holiday, the Prime Minister famously changed her mind about holding a general election. The couple were on a walking trip to Snowdonia at Easter. She said: 'The Government announcements from HS2 to the education announcement to the state pension announcements and others, it's been a productive and busy week. 'The PM has been getting on with the job of government and as you would expect, she will take a holiday. She is looking forward to her holiday.' The break in the trip will see Mrs May join the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Passchendaele. She will attend events to mark 100 years since the crucial First World War battle. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also taking a break from the demands of high office to attend a Wagner opera festival with her husband Joachim Sauer (left). They were joined by Bayreuth Mayor Brigitte Merk-Erbeand her husband Thomas Erbe. Mrs Merkel and her husband braved the rain to attend the annual opera festivals. They are regulars at the Bayreuth Festival, which celebrates Wagner's life and work Theresa May and husband Philip (pictured on their summer holiday in Switzerland last August) are keen hikers and are expected to spend much of the three weeks walking Mrs May (pictured during last year's hiking trip) is taking a break after a bruising few months in which she called a snap election in the hope of a big majority only to suffer the shock loss of her Commons majority Ahead of the commemorations, the Prime Minister said: 'The name Passchendaele resonates with anyone with even a passing knowledge of the First World War. 'It is on those fields where hundreds of thousands of men of all nations fought and died in appalling conditions. 'This event will be a fitting tribute not just to those men but also to the families and communities affected by their loss. 'I am honoured to be attending alongside the descendants of those who took part in the battle. 'The anniversary is a timely reminder of the horror of the First World War and the need for friends and allies to continue to work together in the pursuit of peace.' David Cameron and his wife Samantha made regular trips to Portugal (pictured in August 2015) and Cornwall during his six years in No 10 Mr Cameron was mocked for often wearing the same outfit of a blue shirt and shorts, while also frequently posing in fish markets (pictured in July 2013) Mrs May's holiday comes after a bruising few months in which she called a snap election in the hope of a big majority only to suffer the shock loss of her Commons majority. She has spent much of the last six weeks since polling day fighting to shore up her position and draw a halt to Brexit infighting. The Prime Minister insists she will carry on in her job for as long as the Tory Party will have her but is seen as held hostage by the senior members of her Cabinet. When she returns from her holiday, many of her challenges will remain as the clock ticks down on the Brexit talks and she confronts the plotting of conference season. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was today also taking a break from the demands of high office. She took time out to attend the Bayreuth opera festival - which celebrates the works of the great German composer Wagner. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown famously took very restrained holidays while in No 10, including turning out in a smart jacket in Norfolk with wife Sarah in July 2008 (pictured) A US anti-ballistic-missile defense test likely failed in June because a sailor pushed the wrong button, it has emerged. The test, which took place on June 21, saw the new SM-3 Block IIA interceptor, guided by the Navy's Aegis Combat System, detonating in the air before it was able to collide with the test missile. Now it has been revealed that the mishap occurred not because of a computer malfunction, but most likely because a sailor on board the control ship pushed the interceptor's self-destruct button, Defense News reported. Scroll down for video An anti-missile defense test in June failed because a sailor on board the destroyer that fired the interceptor pressed the wrong button, causing it to self-destruct, a report said (file photo) The interceptor rocket - a Raytheon SM-3 Block IIA like this one (file photo) - blew up because the sailor told it its target was friendly, not an enemy missile, a new report suggests A review released by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has ruled out malfunctions within both the SM-3 interceptor and the Aegis system. That leaves human error as the likely explanation, Defense News reported. The missile had been launched from US destroyer the John Paul Jones, and it was a tactical datalink controller on that ship who made the error, it said. The sailor, who was in charge the flow of encrypted data between ships and aircraft, was given the option of marking the target missile as friendly or hostile. There were three previous tests, such as this successful one from a California Air Force base in May, but June's failure was the first to be tried from a ship Unfortunately for the test, the sailor pushed the 'friendly' button - which caused the interceptor to detonate before it could reach the target. Exactly why that error occurred has yet to be explained by the MDA, which said the interceptor and Aegis had been 'eliminated as the potential root cause' but that an 'extensive' review is ongoing. Air Force Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves, the director of MDA, said in a statement that 'it would be inappropriate to comment further until we complete the investigation.' However, the knowledge that the missile was not let down by technology will be a relief to Raytheon, the company that made the missile. It's also good news for the US and Japanese navies, which are collaborating on the project - each having contributed technology used in the missiles - in the face of continued aggression and nuclear tests by North Korea. Once testing is complete, the aim is for the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile to be launchable both from ships and from Aegis Ashore missile bases. Japan has already expressed interest in acquiring Aegis Ashore bases as Kim Jong-un continues to threaten it and the US with his planned nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBCMs), The Drive reported. It is already intending to use the missiles on its destroyers. The test was made from the US destroyer John Paul Jones (file photo); it's likely one of its tactical datalink controllers pushed the wrong button June's failed test was the fourth time one of the SM-3 Block IIAs had been trialed, and the first time one was launched from a ship. The SM-3 Block IIA is intended to roll out next year, to accompany the SM-3 IA and SM-3 IB missiles, which were deployed in 2011 and 2014, respectively. All three are intended to intercept short-range ballistic missiles (which can travel 620 miles or less), intermediate-range missiles (up to 1,860 miles) and long-range missiles (up to 3,420 miles). Between 2000 and late June, the Navy had racked up 27 successful interceptions out of 35 using the missile shield, The Drive reported. However, most of those successes came during laboratory test conditions, and not during the chaos of an actual conflict - so the problem of user error may be worth taking into serious consideration. A dentist in Texas has been criminally charged after a four-year-old was left with irreversible brain damage from what should have been a routine dental procedure. Dr Bethaniel Jefferson, 40, is accused of failing to properly sedate Nevaeh Hall for a procedure at the Diamond Dental practice in Houston in January 2016. The four-year-old suffered hypoxia, which led to the brain damage, when she started having seizures at the dental clinic. Dr Bethaniel Jefferson, 40, is accused of failing to properly sedate four-year-old Nevaeh Hall for a procedure at the Diamond Dental practice in Houston, Texas in January 2016 According to court documents, Nevaeh was given sedatives at Jefferson's clinic at 8.30am so the little girl could have her teeth capped or removed because of decay. She suffered a seizure at 11.30am and her body's oxygen and temperature dropped well below normal. Despite this, prosecutors claim Jefferson did not call for medical assistance for four hours and tried to treat the girl herself. 'Ms Jefferson chose to do everything other than provide the care the victim needed,' said Assistant Attorney General Stan Clark. 'As a result, the victim has suffered permanent brain damage and will never lead a normal life.' The four-year-old suffered hypoxia, which led to the brain damage, when she started having seizures at the dental clinic Nevaeh's mother says her little girl (pictured left before the ordeal) was robbed of the ability to walk, talk or eat from the botched dental procedure The girl's mother Courissa Clark said last year that dental staff reassured her everything was okay even though she could hear her daughter crying and flailing about in the dental chair. 'When I went back there and saw her, my first question was: "OK, do we need to call the ambulance or are you all going to call the ambulance?", Courissa said during a press conference. 'They said: "We're just going to try to get her to calm down. We're going to monitor her. We're going to watch her. You guys have nothing to worry about, but we do need you all to wait in the waiting room and let her rest so she can walk back out of here". 'The whole time they just assured us that everything was okay. The next time we were allowed to come in is when the paramedics were actually coming back.' Nevaeh was rushed to hospital but she was robbed of the ability to walk, talk or eat on her own, according to her mother. Prosecutors claim Jefferson did not call for medical assistance for four hours to help Nevaeh, which led to her suffering hypoxia Jefferson was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on Monday on charges of intentionally and knowingly by omission causing serious bodily injury to a child by failing to seek and provide adequate medical attention. The first degree felony carries a prison sentence of between five to 99 years. Prior to the 2016 incident, Jefferson had been reprimanded by the Texas Dental Board in 2012 and 2005. In November 2016 the Texas Dental Board revoked Jefferson's license. 'This indictment should send a message to the medical community that they will be held accountable for abandoning their patients in times of crisis,' the Assistant Attorney General said. 'While accidents in the health care industry occur more than everyone would prefer, practitioners must react appropriately and contact higher level medical care providers when they realize their patient is distressed beyond their capabilities. 'Intentionally allowing a patient to wither away for hours after suffering from a seizure and severely depressed oxygen levels is a criminal dereliction of duty owed to the patient.' The IRS is forcing music producer Timbaland to pay the $3.8 million he owes in back taxes or else it will seize his property and assets. The hit-maker and his ex wife Monique Idlett have been hit with a federal tax lien for at least three years of unpaid taxes, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com The IRS accused Timbaland real name Timothy Mosley of refusing to pay $3,818,751.29 in back taxes The breakdown listed on the document dated June 13 states he didn't pay $117,230.19 in 2012, $1,750,048.34 in 2014 and $1,951,472.76 in 2015. Timbaland is being accused of not paying $3.8 million in back taxes according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com The producer allegedly didn't pay $117,230.19 in 2012, $1,750,048.34 in 2014 and $1,951,472.76 in 2015 The federal agency wrote if he doesn't pay up immediately, it will begin seizing his property and assets to collect what he owes. He was named the supervising music producer on the Taraj P. Henson television show 'Empire' for the first two seasons. He was replaced by Rodney Jerkins in 2016. In 2014 he also produced hits for Beyonce, Coldplay, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Hudson and Rick Ross. Timbaland had a busy 2012 working with Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, Ne-Yo and Snoop Dogg to name a few. His peak years were in the mid-to-late aughts when he produced One Republic's 'Apologize', 'The Way I Are' featuring Keri Hilson, 'Say Something' featuring Drake and multiple songs on Justin Timberlake's album FutureSex/LoveSounds including 'SexyBack'. Timbaland was hit with a lien earlier this year by his divorce lawyers for $440,000. His divorce from Monique Mosley (right) was finalized in March The lawyers hit Timbaland with a lien against his $5 million Miami, Florida mansion In March, his divorce from his ex-wife Monique Mosley was finalized after years of the two being on-again, off-again. Mosley, first filed for divorce in 2013 following 10 years together and five years of marriage. They have a 9-year-old daughter. Mosley refiled for divorce in 2015 after reconciliation efforts failed. Most of the divorce records are sealed and the case was pending for over a year. She demanded alimony, child support, private school fees, vacation costs and various other expenses. Timbaland's lawyers accused him of screwing them out of $440,000 in Februart with the law firm hitting him with a lien against his $5 million Florida mansion. According to The Jasmine Brand, on July 13 the law firm filed a release from the lien stating Timbaland paid the $440,000 in full. A pair of moped thieves have been jailed when they were caught on CCTV stealing a man's scooter after he was stabbed. John Tusting, 32, and Lucian Riviere, 18, along with another rider who has not been identified were caught following their 52-year-old victim on his Vespa in Blackheath, south east London. As the rider turned into a side road at lights towards a residential area the thieves kicked out at his scooter forcing him to stop. Left, Lucian Riviere, jailed for eight years, and right, John Tusting, jailed for 12 years, reduced to ten The 52-year-old victim was stabbed in the chest after he was forced to stop when the two riders, and a third unidentified man, kicked his Vespa As he tended to his wounds, the pillion passenger jumped onto his Vespa and drove off Then a pillion passenger pulled out a large kitchen knife and stabbed him in the chest. As he tended to his wounds, the pillion passenger rode off with his scooter. On Monday, July 24, Tusting was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment - reduced to 10 years - with an extended licence of three years. Riviere was jailed for eight years. When they are released from prison, they will both be banned from driving for two years. The two men were sentenced to 10 years and eight years and will be banned from driving for two years when they are released The victim was treated at the scene by crew from London's Air Ambulance before being taken to a south London hospital for treatment. Police carried out a search for the men after the incident on October 1, 2015, and tracked Riviere down to the Eltham area on October 5, after he was seen with a moped and a grey crash helmet which matched footage of the robbery. Three days later, officers arrested Tusting at his home address. They both denied involvement but were charged with robbery and causing grievous bodily harm on 26 April 2016 In the first part of the clip, the men can be seen following their victim around the corner as he drives through Blackheath, south London The two men were found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm. PC Greg Herriott, from Greenwich Borough, said: 'These two men were involved in a violent robbery which resulted in the innocent owner of a Vespa being stabbed. 'We remain committed to cracking down on 'moped-enabled' crime and the theft of scooters. Today's sentencing also shows how seriously the courts of taking these matters. 'Our enquiries into this robbery continue and I would urge anyone with information to contact us.' SAND SPRINGS Travis Brown feels blessed, despite losing tens of thousands of acres of range land to what he described Monday as a five-mile wall of fire that raced across his ranch over the weekend. Thats about a third of the rolling, grassy hills that make up Brown's L O Bar Ranch about seven miles west of Sand Springs, far less than some of his neighbors who he said lost almost everything. "We got up there and it was by far one of the biggest fires anyone had ever seen," Brown said. "In hindsight, we should have started back-firing off the highway, but what kind of fire jumps a highway?" Over the weekend, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock signed an executive order declaring a fire emergency in the state as the 250,000-acre complex of blazes continues to rage across Eastern Montana. Across the state, more than 300,000 acres have burned. The Lodgepole Complex, which includes three fires that destroyed about a dozen homes in northeastern Montana, was five percent contained according to a Monday update from fire officials. Measuring containment has been a challenge as shifting winds have driven the blaze in different directions. The blaze also consumed ranch land and depleted hay supplies. Fences were either destroyed or cut by landowners in an attempt to save cattle. Officials continued a Red Flag warning with more hot and dry conditions expected in the region. An expected cold front passing through the area could bring high winds and isolated thunderstorms. On Monday, Brown spent the heat of the day on horseback, rounding up cattle that had fled the approaching flames after ranchers cut through miles of livestock fence to allow their escape. During the round-up, the cows likely including several refugees from neighboring ranches slowly materialized from the smoky haze as they plodded along. Three days earlier, the fire had ripped through the property, leaving scorched grasslands, burned buildings and dead cattle in its wake. The flame front also knocked out power lines as it advanced, leaving well pumps unable to supply water to the effort. "We were sucking water out of our hired man's swimming pool, and it was dropping fast," he said. Brown added that locals began arriving with water trucks from hundreds of miles away, while one rancher brought a grader to dig fire line. "I'll tell you what, all of our neighbors from around Garfield County came here as fast as they could get here," he said. "The only thing that stopped that fire was everybody we know standing in the way of that fire, trying to stop it. It's just humbling." On Monday, at the rest stop on State Road 200 between Mosby and Sand Springs, Cole Hinnaland took a quick break on his way to Circle, hauling two truckloads of hay across the blackened landscape. Even before the Lodgepole fires blew up last weekend, he said the prolonged drought had already driven up local demand for cattle feed. They used to talk about the drought in the 80s. This is way drier, Hinnaland said. Heck, everywhere people said they needed hay, and that there wasnt any grass." He said hes planning to pick up hay donations on his way back to supply the hard-hit ranchers that have watched their livestocks dwindling food supply go up in smoke. Squinting into the evening haze, he gestured in the direction of the scorched lands to the east, and said the situation on his ranch in Brockway isnt much different. Its just as dry 60 miles away, and were just one lightning-strike away from looking like this. At the Kozy Korner Cafe in Winnett on Monday afternoon, Krista Rowton stopped for a meal with several friends, discussing how to pull together food donations for the local volunteers involved in the massive firefighting effort. She had just watched the flames chew through about 80 percent of the Garfield County side of her ranch, which straddles the Musselshell River. "You see a wall of fire, and it's scary. You feel so small," she said. "The winds could shift anytime, and it would be right there again." Like others in the close-knit community, she was thankful for the sleepless work of her neighbors and volunteers to stop the fire's dramatic march through the area last weekend. The devastation and destruction of that fire is just so heartbreaking, Rowton said. But, she added, When you look at the big picture, we are just a small part of the devastation out there. ... To rebuild all that, it's going to take a long time." The governor was briefed over the weekend by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Disaster and Emergency Services at the Department of Military Affairs. He also spoke with Rick Connell, the Incident Commander at the Lodgepole Complex area, which is currently the states largest fire. The declaration allows Bullock to mobilize additional state resources and the Montana National Guard to combat the fires, as well as access money from the state's general fund to meet the contingencies and needs that may arise from them. Far more than 300,000 acres have already burned across Montana this year, according to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center. Last year, about 113,000 acres burned. During 2012, which fire officials managing the Lodgepole Complex cited as the last comparable year for fire conditions, more than 1.2 million acres burned across Montana. Montana could struggle to pay for fires this year because the Legislature, after a winter with plenty of snow, voted to tap the roughly $65 million fire fund by up to $30 million to bolster a struggling budget. Some lawmakers last week expressed worry there would not be enough money in the fund. The Department of Natural Resources said it has spent somewhere between $5 million and $10 million on fires already this summer. Two drunk teenagers fell asleep on train tracks forcing a terrified driver to slam on the brakes at a station in Adelaide's north. 'I've just gone through Ovingham and there's two kids laying on the track, right in the middle of the track,' a driver said in audio played on Seven News. 'They're not moving. They're just laying on the track.' Police rushed to the scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning to the find one of the teenagers passed out, while his friend was also unresponsive. Two drunk teenagers fell asleep on train tracks forcing a terrified driver to slam on the brakes at a station in Adelaide's north 'I've just gone through Ovingham and there's two kids laying on the track,' a train driver said 'Hey, hey, wake up, c'mon get off the train tracks. Are you alright? What's your name?' a policeman asked. Footage shows the officers pull the youths to safety before the pair were questioned and searched. One of them was taken to hospital while the other was given a ride home by police, who won't be pressing charges, Nine News reported. 'I think it's childish, just messing with the track. They could have killed themselves,' one local commuter said. Police rushed to the scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning to the find one of the teenagers passed out, while his friend was also unresponsive Rail Union spokesperson Darren Phillips told Seven News it was the second time in a week someone had to be removed from the tracks. 'You've got near misses that happen on a regular basis - that's a weekly occurrence,' he said. 'Some train drivers have been involved in fatalities.' Footage shows the officers pull the youths to safety before the pair were questioned and searched Advertisement A stunning selection of pictures gives a fascinating insight into US preparations for World War Two, when the country responded to the Pearl Harbor bombing. More than 2,400 American personnel were killed at the base during a Japanese air strike in December 1941, and the atrocity sparked a huge increase in arms production. The images, mostly taken at the Corpus Christi naval base in Texas, show how volunteers did their bit to help the US war effort. In the four years after Pearl Harbor the US manufactured 102,410 tanks, 2,679,840 machine guns and 105,000 mortar rounds. They also produced 99,000 fighter planes, 97,000 bombers and 6,771 large ships, more than any other nation involved in the war effort. By the time the war was over, it is estimated, more than 35,000 airmen had gained their 'wings' from the base, and the images have been colorized nearly 75 years after they were created. The photos, which show volunteers helping to build ships, planes and artillery guns, were taken just a few months after America's entry to the war following the bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 at the hands of the Japanese The stunning images have been fully restored into colour almost seventy-five years to the day after being originally taken Many of the pictures were taken at the Corpus Christi naval base in Texas. Created in 1941 in anticipation of the coming war, Corpus Christi would prove vital to the war effort, taking in an estimated 300 new recruits every month for the better part of four years In the four years after the Pearl Harbour attack, the US manufactured 102,410 tanks, 2,679,840 machine guns and 105,000 mortar rounds After the killing at Pearl Harbour of 2,403 US personnel, including 68 civilians, as well as the destruction of 19 U.S. Navy ships, American production increased drastically Millions of volunteers such as the ones pictured were needed during the war effort, helping prepare the Americans to fight in both the Pacific and European theatres of war In four years the US produced 99,000 fighter planes, 97,000 bombers and 6,771 large ships, more than any other nation involved in the war effort Pictured: Detective Constable Mark Glover, 46, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman then raping her 21-year-old daughter A detective constable sexually assaulted a mother he had previously had a threesome with before raping her daughter after calling her a tease, a court heard. Married Mark Glover, 46, allegedly pounced on the 21-year-old daughter when she said no to his sexual demands before he raped her in the kitchen. Father-of-two Glover was working for the major crimes unit of South Wales Police at the times of the allegations. A court heard Glover had previously enjoyed threesome sex with the woman and his wife before the attacks. But years later he began pestering her for more sex before carrying out alleged assaults on her. And when the woman's 21-year-old daughter found out she begged Glover to stop the attacks - and offered herself as a replacement by 'submitting' to sex with him. Prosecutor Simon Mills said: 'Over the course of about one year between the summer of 2015 and the summer of 2016 he separately sexually assaulted the mother and her daughter. 'The offending took place separately but on a number of occasions. 'There had been sexual contact between Glover and the older woman, and also between the older woman and his wife, Rachael Glover, and on one occasion the three of them together.' Mr Mills said the mum wrote about alleged sex attacks by Glover in Facebook messages to a friend - and her daughter found them. The daughter reported Glover's attacks against her mum to police and later told officers she had also been raped by him on two occasions. She said DC Glover first raped her in her mother's kitchen, having already kissed her on the lips on a previous occasion. She said: 'He was fully on top of me and I could feel his weight on top of me. 'He was huffing and puffing. It felt like ages but I don't think it was that long. I just turned my head away. I kept saying 'stop doing this'. 'After he said it was a massive mistake then said I needed to be careful about what signals I gave to people, because he was sure I wanted it and he was good at reading body language. I felt disgusting.' She said DC Glover raped her again before calling her a 'tease' and saying: 'If you didn't want this why did you lead me into the kitchen?' 'After he said it was a massive mistake then said I needed to be careful about what signals I gave to people, because he was sure I wanted it and he was good at reading body language. She said: 'He said he thought I wanted it. He said he was good at reading body language and I needed to be careful what signs I gave off to people.' The court heard DC Glover also allegedly put his hands down her underwear on a number of occasions at the home. Mr Mills said the final time the woman was raped was after confronting DC Glover about his assaults on her mother, where she offered to 'submit' to him sexually if he left her mother alone. Mr Mills said: 'She presented him with a bargain. If he left her mother alone then she would submit to sexual activity with him herself. 'He proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her, knowing this was from her submission, not her consent.' Mr Mills said DC Glover confirmed having sex with the mother during a police interview, but that it was 'entirely consensual.' But he denied having any sexual contact with the girl, saying she had 'fabricated her account to try and bolster up what her mother was saying'. DC Glover, from Penarth, near Cardiff, denies three counts of rape and one of assault by penetration against the younger woman. He also denies two counts of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration against the woman's mother. The daughter told Cardiff Crown Court she was 'overwhelmed' when Glover raped her in the kitchen. She told the jury: 'I felt disgusting. I was scared, shocked, overwhelmed with all different feelings.' The daughter said made a deal to 'submit' to sex with Glover after discovering he was sexually assaulting her mother. She said: 'When I found out he was doing it to my mum I felt bad because there was a gap between when he was doing it to me and started doing it to her. 'She couldn't handle it and she was having a breakdown. 'I couldn't handle the abuse but I could handle it better than her.' The mother told police how on one occasion Glover visited her house and tried to kiss and grope her. In an interview played to the jury, she said: 'I was showing him the door and he sort of stood in front of me and I took a step backwards so I was against the wall. 'He went to kiss me and I said 'no'. 'He put his hands around my waist and was feeling around my waistband. 'He put his hands down my trousers. He said 'you know you want it'. 'I tried to wiggle and use my body to push him away. 'He said 'we have to make time for us to finish that'.' During other encounters she said DC Glover told her 'you like it when I'm naughty' and 'you know you want it'. The trial continues. This is the moment a US Navy patrol boat fired off a series of warning shots at an Iranian naval ship. The dramatic incident took place about 3am local time on Tuesday morning, and involved the USS Thunderbolt. The Cyclone-class ship fired off the shots after the Iranian vessel came within 150 yards during a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf. Video of the incident captured a sailor discussing the confrontation, which took place during a training exercise, and then the moment the US ship fired. Scroll down for video The rounds cannot be seen, however they can be heard near the end of the short video. A US defense official said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard ship came within 150 yards of the Thunderbolt and did not respond to radio calls, flares or warning sirens, forcing the Americans to fire warning shots. 'The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots,' the defense official said. The Iranian boat then went 'dead in the water' after the shots and the vessels all left the area. This image from a video released shows the Iranian vessel that came too close to the US Navy Two of the boats involved in the altercation are seen in this image taken from the footage released The episode marks the latest in a series of close encounters between US ships and Iranian naval vessels. The Navy recorded 35 instances of what it describes as 'unsafe and/or unprofessional' interactions with Iranian forces in 2016, compared to 23 in 2015. Of the incidents last year, the worst involved Iranian forces capturing 10 American sailors and holding them overnight. It became a propaganda coup for Iran's hard-liners, as Iranian state television repeatedly aired footage of the Americans on their knees with their hands on their heads. Iranian forces view the American presence in the Gulf as a provocation by itself. They in turn have accused the Navy of unprofessional behavior, especially in the Strait of Hormuz, the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil trade by sea passes. A US Navy ship has fired warning shots towards an Iranian vessel after it came within 150 yards in the Persian Gulf, it has emerged (file picture shows USS Thunderbolt) U.S. President Donald Trump's administration recently declared that Iran was complying with its nuclear agreement with world powers, but warned that Tehran was not following the spirit of the accord and that Washington would look for ways to strengthen it In January, the USS Mahan destroyer fired warning shots at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels that approached at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards are a paramilitary force that answers directly to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. Years of mutual animosity had eased when Washington lifted sanctions on Tehran last year as part of a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. But serious differences remain over Iran's ballistic missile program and conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Donald Trump's administration recently declared that Iran was complying with its nuclear agreement with world powers, but warned that Tehran was not following the spirit of the accord and that Washington would look for ways to strengthen it. During the presidential campaign last September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harass the US Navy in the Gulf would be 'shot out of the water.' First daughter and top White House aide Ivanka Trump stayed very much on message as she appeared alongside Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a summer reading event at the Smithsonian Tuesday. Trump and DeVos took turns reading 'Rosie Revere Engineer,' a story about a young female wannabe inventor to a group of girls from the local YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club, ages 6 through 10. 'How great is that book?' Ivanka Trump cooed to the crowd, telling the young girls gathered that it was her daughter Arabella's 'favorite.' Scroll down for video Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (left) and Ivanka Trump (right) read the book Rosie Revere Engineer to a group of local girls Tuesday at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos (left) and Ivanka Trump (right) pose with a group of kids from the local YMCA and Boys & Girls Club Ivanka Trump watches a young girl conduct at experiment in the Spark Lab, an area within the Smithsonian American History Museum, which allows kids to toy with inventions Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tweeted out a photo of her reading alongside first daughter Ivanka Trump 'She never gave up,' the first daughter said of the title character, adding that Rosie 'persevered' when one of the girls seated on the colorful mats of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's Spark Lab offered it. 'Very good word,' Ivanka Trump added. The point of the event was to both support STEM, especially women in the science and tech fields, as the Spark Lab allows kids to play inventor, as well as prevent what's called the 'summer reading slide.' With kids out of school for the summer, educators actively try to make sure they read at home, instead of just watching TV and playing video games, so their proficiency doesn't backtrack. 'How many of you are reading this summer?' DeVos asked the group. 'How many of you like slides, go down slides? They're really fun aren't they.' 'But there is a slide that I don't think you want to go down this summer,' the education secretary warned. 'Do you know what it is?' Ivanka Trump is photographed leaving her home in Kalorama on Tuesday. She later appeared at an event at one of the Smithsonians One of the kids did. 'You don't want to go on the summer slide and slide back on your reading,' DeVos said. Summer reading has been a bipartisan cause, with former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan throwing his own summer reading events at the advent of the Obama administration. The pinnacle of those events was probably reached when he tapped 'Reading Rainbow'host LeVar Burton to be a guest reader in its fourth year. On Tuesday the event served as a feel-good distraction for the first daughter, whose husband, Jared Kushner, and his closed-door talks with lawmakers over the campaign's Russia ties, have taken over the news cycle this week. When Ivanka Trump was asked about Kushner's appearances, she stayed mum, ignoring questions from reporters in the room. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner came back to Capitol Hill Tuesday to provide Russia testimony a day after getting questioned for more than two hours by Senate Intelligence Committee investigators. Even as Kushner was arriving for a second consecutive day of grilling in Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced that it had issued a subpoena for former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort to appear at a public hearing Wednesday. Both men have been revealed to have participated in a June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer. 'While we were willing to accommodate Mr. Manaforts request to cooperate with the committees investigation without appearing at Wednesdays hearing, we were unable to reach an agreement for a voluntary transcribed interview with the Judiciary Committee,' said panel chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and ranking Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. 'Mr. Manafort, through his attorney, said that he would be willing to provide only a single transcribed interview to Congress, which would not be available to the Judiciary Committee members or staff. While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manaforts request, ultimately that was not possible,' according to their statement, ABC News reported. Scroll down for video HE'S BACK: President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner came back to Capitol Hill Tuesday a day after getting grilled for more than two hours by Senate Intelligence Committee investigators Although the subpoena compels Manafort to testify, the lawmakers noted they 'may be willing to excuse him from Wednesdays hearing if he would be willing to agree to production of documents and a transcribed interview, with the understanding that the interview would not constitute a waiver of his rights or prejudice the committees right to compel his testimony in the future.' The New York Times reported that Manafort met with investigators on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has its own investigation, on Tuesday to discuss the Donald Trump Jr. meeting. Kushner was on the House side of the capitol to offer private testimony about his newly-disclosed Russia contacts. House Intelligence committee members say they will force Kushner to defend his 11-page statement on his Russia contacts during Kushner's closed testimony Monday. Armed with that document, lawmakers have the ability to probe Kushner's statements about his proposal to set up a direct line of communications with Moscow using a Russian facility, his undisclosed meeting with a Russian lawyer linked to the Kremlin, and his meeting with a Russian bank head close to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the presidential transition. President Trump has had enough of his family members getting hauled into the sprawling Russia probes, and on Tuesday tweeted that the probes have become so far-reaching, the president said, that his young son is probably next on investigators' list. 'Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians,' Trump said of his son-in-law's performance on Monday. 'Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!' President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner came back to Capitol Hill Tuesday a day after getting grilled for more than two hours by Senate Intelligence Committee investigators RECUSAL, RESHUMSAL: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, who previously had recused himself from the panel's Russia investigation, arrives ahead of White House Senior Advisor and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's interview with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill, July 25, 2017 in Washington, DC. Kushner is expected to be questioned by committee members as part of the their investigation into Russian election meddling Trump brought up Kushner a day after he spoke to Senate investigators after disclosing four contacts with Russians during the election and presidential transition. The tweet mentioning Barron Trump was a departure from normal White House protocol, which is to keep minor children out of political debates, as the White House warned the press shortly after Trump's inauguration, citing the 'longstanding tradition that the children of Presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight.' Former House Intelligence chair Rep. Devin Nunes showed up for the House meeting, after earlier recusing himself from the investigation after his White House visits drew scrutiny. Kushner was set to get peppered with questions again, this time not just by professional investigative staff by but by lawmakers who have had 24 hours to digest his bombshell statement about his four previously undisclosed Russia contacts during the election and presidential transition. "We're going to continue to corroborate or discredit what he has said, but we're not going to just take his word for it because we haven't been able to take anyone in the family's word for it,' Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell told CNN. Trump went after outspoken top committee Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff as 'sleazy,' and the White House compiled how many TV interviews he has done. Another lawmaker, Rep. Jaoquin Castro of Texas, plans to push Kushner on the Trump campaign's digital operations that he oversaw. There has been speculation that Russian-backed 'fake news' operations targeted news stories to states and precincts with precision that could have relied on inside information. "Who exactly was in control of it? Who all was coordinating with whom?" Castro told the network. "I intend to ask questions about everybody that was involved in the data operation." Kushner denied colluding with the Russians during the 2016 campaign, after meeting with Senate investigators and releasing an 11-page statement revealing four contacts withRussians last year. White House Senior Advisor and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner leaves the Hart Senate Office Building after testifying behind closed doors to the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election July 24, 2017 in Washington, DC Speaking in front of the White House hours after releasing the account of his contacts with Russian officials, the key Trump advisor and husband of Ivanka Trump said: 'Let me be very clear: I did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so.' Kushner continued: 'I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses. And I have been fully transparent in providing all requested information.' Kushner spoke, without taking questions from the press, after spending more than two hours hours Monday morning answering questions from Senate Intelligence committee investigators and announced the experience 'great.' Scroll down for video to see Kushner speak 'It was great. I answered as many as they had,' Kushner said as left a closed meeting in the Senate's Hart office building. That was all he said to throng of reporters and photographers who awaited words from the notoriously tight-lipped top advisor to President Trump after meeting with a bank of Intelligence staffers behind closed doors. Kushner, accompanied by his lawyer Abbe Lowell as he walked by reporters, ignored a question from DailyMail.com about his latest disclosure that he proposed a secure line of communication to Moscow in order to get information from Russian 'generals' touted by Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak. At the White House, lauding the father in law who made him a key confidante and installed him in Washington, Kushner said: 'Donald Trump had a better message and ran a smarter campaign, and that is why he won. Suggesting otherwise ridicules those who voted for him.' JARED SPEAKS: Jared Kushner addressed reporters at the White House after speaking to Senate Intelligence Committee staff Jared Kushner peaking to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting on Capitol Hill behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign White House senior adviser Jared Kushner walks away from the podium after speaking to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017 'Since the first questions were raised in March, I have been consistent in saying that I was eager to share any information I have with the investigating bodies, and I have done so today,' Kushner said. 'The record and documents I have voluntarily provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign.' Kushner said he had been 'fully transparent in providing all requested information.' Kushner has provided three revised federal disclosure forms after failing initially to disclose his contacts with Russians and foreigners. His most recent form revealed more than 100 contacts, and his statement Monday said he had had 'hundreds' of calls, emails, and messages from abroad during the campaign. After his Senate meeting as he walked down a hallway packed with a crush of media, activist Ryan Clayton tried to hand Kushner a Russian flag to get him to sign it. Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, attend a joint news conference with the president and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington in March 'I think he's a liar. And everyone who reads that statement knows he's a liar,' said Clayton, as penned-in reporters recorded him. 'He is communicating through secret back channels with agents of the Russian government. We all know it. Why does everyone in the White House have all these connections to Russia?' He told CNN as he left the Hart Senate Office Building that he answered all the questions that the Senate probers had. Although he didn't take an oath before answering questions, it is against the law to give false information to Congress. In a new bombshell statement issued early Monday morning, Kushner admitted he was in contact with the Russians four times during the presidential election and transition but denies that he colluded with Vladimir Putin's government. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, with his attorney Abbe Lowell, right, departs Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign RED, WHITE, AND BLUE: Ryan Clayton of Americans Take Action talks to reporters after he tried to shove a Russian flag toward White House Senior Advisor and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Hart Senate Office Building July 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. In a statement released before the closed-door meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee, Kushner said he met with people who represented or may have represented the Russian government four times President Donald Trump's son-in-law admits he was in contact with the Russians four times during the presidential election and transition but denies that he colluded with Vladimir Putin's government. Kushner released a 3,600-word statement ahead of his meeting today with congressional investigators probing Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential contest. The statement acknowledges a meeting with Sergey Kislyak but describes the Russian ambassador as someone Kushner barely knows, and details his participation in an infamous meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer but says he tried to get out of it early. In a new revelation about talk of setting up direct line of communication with the Kremlin, Kushner says the idea was to communicate with Russian 'generals' about Syria, but the idea got abandoned when Moscow didn't provide use of its secure facilities. Kushner acknowledged exchanging only 'brief pleasantries' with Russia's infamous U.S. ambassador at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington an event where President Trump spoke. Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner makes a statement from at the White House after being interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington on July 24, 2017 But Kushner says their contact was so limited he couldn't even recall Kislyak's name and says he has a post-election email to substantiate his lack of familiarity. He also formally acknowledged attending the Trump Tower meeting at the urging of Donald Trump Jr. that included a Kremlin-linked lawyer. He is scheduled to speak to staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors later today. Tomorrow, he'll speak privately to members of the House Intelligence Committee. Both panels are investigating Russian interference in the election and possible connections between those efforts and the Trump campaign. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner waves as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, to meet behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign Don Jr. meeting with Russian lawyer Kushner described the meeting with the president's eldest son and a group of Russians as so pointless that he came up with a low-tech ruse to try to escape out early. Kushner recalls sending an email to an assistant that asked, '"Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting."' He said he only 'quickly reviewed' the email setting up the meeting on his iphone before he agreed to attend a statement that presumably means he doesn't recall seeing an extended back-and-forth about promised dirt on Hillary Clinton and stated Russia government support for Trump when the idea of the sit-down was first initiated. Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2017, to testify before the Senate intelligence committee as part of the probe into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential vote Congressional investigators probing Russia's meddling in the US election will have their first opportunity this week to hear from someone in President Donald Trump's innermost circle - son-in-law Jared Kushner The Washington Post's David Ignatius reported that Kushner will turn over all of the email traffic with Kislyak to back up his testimony as well 10 years of contacts with foreign officials. Kushner's letter mentions 'hundreds' of calls, emails, and voice messages he received from overseas during the campaign. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior White House advisor, Jared Kushner (2nd L), arrives for a meeting with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence July 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. Kushner is expected to explain his role in a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer arranged by Donald Trump Jr. where damaging information against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was expected to be revealed. Also pictured is attorney Abbe Lowell (R) Senate Intelligence Committee member Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) arrives for a closed door session in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill last week in Washington, DC. Kushner is scheduled to will speak to the committee Monday White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, left, and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, center, walk to their vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 20, 2017, to join the motorcade with President Donald Trump for a visit to nearby Pentagon Extortion attempt for Trump tax returns The statement also makes reference to a blackmail attempt in which Kushner was asked to send 52 bitcoins ($144,000) or the President's tax returns would be published. It turned out to be a hoax. Signing off the statement, Kushner said: 'I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. 'I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. 'I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest.' Kislyak meeting at the Mayflower Kushner first came under scrutiny for a previously undisclosed meeting with Russia's leading US diplomat. He did not list a December rendezvous with Kislyak at Trump Tower on forms he turned into the government as part of the security clearance process. Kushner says at the event he met multiple ambassadors. 'With all the ambassadors, including Mr. Kislyak, we shook hands, exchanged brief pleasantries and I thanked them for attending the event and said I hoped they would like candidate Trumps speech and his ideas for a fresh approach to Americas foreign policy, Kushner wrote. Again desrbiging the ambassadors as a group rather than singling out Russia's, he wrote: 'The ambassadors also expressed interest in creating a positive relationship should we win the election. Each exchange lasted less than a minute,' he said. 'Some gave me their business cards and invited me to lunch at their embassies. I never took them up on any of these invitations and that was the extent of the interactions,' he wrote. His statement did not reveal whether he got Kislyak's card. He left off another meeting during the transition with a Russian banker, too, Sergey Gorkov, and a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that the president's eldest son, Don Jr, set up with a Russian lawyer who wanted to discuss adoption. Kushner also provides an account of the Gorkov meeting, which has drawn scrutiny because of the oligarch's Putin connection as the head of a state-owned bank. Kushner said he only set up the meeting because Kislyak, who suggested it, had been 'so insistent' about it. He said it lasted 20 to 25 minutes. Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak arrives at the State Department in Washington to meet with Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2017, to testify before the Senate intelligence committee as part of the probe into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential vote. Married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, Kushner will testify in closed-door meetings before the Senate intelligence committee on Monday, according to his lawyer, and the House panel on Tuesday 25 minutes with Kremlin-linked Russian banker When he finally met Gorkov, 'He introduced himself and gave me two gifts - one was a piece of art from Nvgorod, the village where my grandparents were from in Belarus, and the other was a bag of dirt from that same village.' Kushner, who is being advised by top lawyer Abbe Lowell, cited these gifts as an argument that he was not concealing the meeting. ''Any notion that I tried to conceal this meeting or that I took it thinking it was in my capacity as a businessman is false. In fact, I gave my assistant these gifts to formally register them with the transition office,' he wrote. He says Gorkov 'told me a little about his bank' and 'made some statements about the Russian economy,' and said he was 'friendly with President Putin.' Kushner wrote that he 'expressed the same sentiments I had with other foreign officials I met' but there were 'no specific policies discussed.' Gorkov's bank has provided a differing account: that the meeting was to discuss potential business opportunities with Kushner. Bag of dirt The 'bag of dirt' might seem to be an unusual gift, but might well related to a heroic story of escape from Nazi oppression in Kushner's past. Rae Kushner, Kushner's paternal grandmother, assisted in a daring escape to tunnel out of the Jewish ghetto in Novogrudok, in Belarus, in order to survive and assist other jews. The escape, described by Rae Kushner in an interview, involved removing and hiding dirt, getting work tools and information to plan the escape, the Jerusalem Post reported. Trump's son thought the woman had dirt on Hillary Clinton that had been provided to her by the Russian government. She did not, the parties involved have said, and the meeting was swiftly concluded. The fourth contact Kushner says he had with a Russian national in the course of the campaign or transition was in April of 2016. Trump delivered a foreign policy speech at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on the day in question. Kisylak and Kushner each attended a reception prior to the speech that was hosted by the publisher of the foreign magazine sponsoring the event. Congressional investigators have said they are interested in learning more about the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer Kushner and Don Jr were duped into seeing. Trump's campaign manager at the time, Paul Manafort, was also there. So were four other people, including a Russian-American lobbyist who once served in the Kremlin's military intelligence division. Kushner's hand in digital strategy for the campaign had some lawmakers saying they want more answers about whether Russian social media 'trolls' were connected to Trump's election efforts. Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, said ahead of the meetings that the senior advisor tot he president 'has been and is prepared to voluntarily cooperate and provide whatever information he has on the investigations' to Congress. Senate Intellignece Committee member Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) steps out of the committee's secure meeting space to talk on the phone in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill July 20, 2017 in Washington, DC 'He will continue to cooperate and appreciates the opportunity to assist in putting this matter to rest,' Lowell said. California Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' Sunday that lawyers for Kushner had said they would make him available for two hours so 'we expect this is just going to be the first interview' of the president's son in law. Schiff says he intends to probe Kushner on the June 2016 with Veselnitskaya and a separate meeting Kushner had with the top executive of Russia's state-supported VEB bank. 'We want to know whether those meetings took place, whether other meetings took place, we have a lot of ground to cover,' Schiff said prior to the release of Kushner's statement. Kushner denied in the document that he hand any other secret conversations with the Russians. 'Highly skeptical' he had two phone calls with Kislyak Two calls with Kislyak between April and November of last year that Reuters reported on have not been verified, Kushner said. 'While I participated in thousands of calls during this period, I do not recall any such calls with the Russian Ambassador,' he stated. 'We have reviewed the phone records available to us and have not been able to identify any calls to any number we know to be associated with Ambassador Kislyak and I am highly skeptical these calls took place. ' As evidence of his lack of familiarity with Kislyak, Kushner references a November email to a Russian-born magazine publisher where he wrote asking for name of the official. The campaign had received a purported congratulatory email from Russian President Vladimir Putin the day after Trump's historic election. Kushner wanted to check it out, and reached out to the publisher who had helped orgnize Trump's Mayflower speech. Kushner says he couldn't recall the name of Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, whom he had met, after the campaign got a post-election congratulatory email purportedly from Russian President Vladimir Putin 'In fact, on November 9, the day after the election, I could not even remember the name of the Russian Ambassador,' Kushner wrote. In fact, on November 9, the day after the election, I could not even remember the name of the Russian Ambassador.' Rather than employing an internet search, Kushner, who ran Trump's digital operations, decided to reach out to a contact. After the campaign got the Putin email, Kushner thought the best way to verify it 'would be to ask the only contact I recalled meeting from the Russian government, which was the Ambassador I had met months earlier,' Kushner wrote. So he sent the publisher Dimitri Simes, publisher of the National Interest magazine, an email asking, 'What is the name of the Russian ambassador?' Kushner wrote.' Donald Trump Jr and former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort have been invited to speak to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week about their dealings with the Russians. The two men will sit for private interviews first, although the GOP chairman of the committee, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, has said they will eventually testify in the open. No 'secret back channel' in effort to communicate with Kremlin generals Kushner's letter denies any effort to set up a 'secret back channel' with the Kremlin, but offers new details on a topic that has drawn the interest of congressional investigators. He writes that Kislyak told him during the transition of a desire to 'convey information from what he called his "generals."' Kislyak wanted to 'provide information that would help inform the new administration' in regard to Syria, where the U.S. and Russia have been at cross-purposes. 'He said the generals could not easily come to the US to convey this information and he asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct a conversation,' according to Kushner, who said either Gen. Mike Flynn or he said such secure lines didn't exist. Kushner then floated the extraordinary idea of using a Russian embassy channel rather than a U.S. channel to receive the information. 'I believed developing a thoughtful approach on Syria was a very high priority given the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and I asked if they had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use where they would be comfortable transmitting the information they wanted to relay to General Flynn,' according to Kushner. But Kislyak didn't go for it. 'The Ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration,' Kushner said. 'Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a "secret back channel."' 'Witch hunt' President Trump has deemed the government investigations into his campaign's conduct a 'witch hunt.' On Sunday, he tweeted: 'As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians.' He invoked Senate Democrats' leader this morning as he claimed that 'after 1 year of investigation with Zero evidence being found, Chuck Schumer just stated that "Democrats should blame ourselves,not Russia." ' Trump's tweet was in reference to a Washington Post article previewing the Democrats' revamped agenda. 'When you lose to somebody who has 40 percent popularity, you dont blame other things Comey, Russia you blame yourself,' Schumer said. 'So what did we do wrong? People didnt know what we stood for, just that we were against Trump. And still believe that.' Trump Jr will be interviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections As the probe heats up, Donald Trump Jr has boosted his legal team by hiring a new lawyer with experience battling Congress. The president's son has added Karina Lynch of the law firm Williams and Jensen, a DC-based firm with more than thirty years experience in congressional investigations. A federal special counsel is also investigating charges levied by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. That probe has reportedly expanded to include the president's finances and the transactions of the business that he still owns and has been managed since January by his sons. Trump Jr's new lawyer has extensive experience on Capitol Hill. She has worked for Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, the on Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and has served as investigative counsel to Grassley. Both senators are involved in the upper chamber's Russia investigations. Jared Kushner's statement to the congressional committee in which he admits four contacts with the Russians but denies collusion White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner I am voluntarily providing this statement, submitting documents, and sitting for interviews in order to shed light on issues that have been raised about my role in the Trump for President Campaign and during the transition period. I am not a person who has sought the spotlight. First in my business and now in public service, I have worked on achieving goals, and have left it to others to work on media and public perception. Because there has been a great deal of conjecture, speculation, and inaccurate information about me, I am grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight. My Role in the Trump for President Campaign Before joining the administration, I worked in the private sector, building and managing companies. My experience was in business, not politics, and it was not my initial intent to play a large role in my father-in-law's campaign when he decided to run for President. However, as the campaign progressed, I was called on to assist with various tasks and aspects of the campaign, and took on more and more responsibility. Over the course of the primaries and general election campaign, my role continued to evolve. I ultimately worked with the finance, scheduling, communications, speechwriting, polling, data and digital teams, as well as becoming a point of contact for foreign government officials. All of these were tasks that I had never performed on a campaign previously. When I was faced with a new challenge, I would reach out to contacts, ask advice, find the right person to manage the specific challenge, and work with that person to develop and execute a plan of action. I was lucky to work with some incredibly talented people along the way, all of whom made significant contributions toward the campaign's ultimate success. Our nimble culture allowed us to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances and make changes on the fly as the situation warranted. I share this information because these actions should be viewed through the lens of a fast-paced campaign with thousands of meetings and interactions, some of which were impactful and memorable and many of which were not. It is also important to note that a campaign's success starts with its message and its messenger. Donald Trump had the right vision for America and delivered his message perfectly. The results speak for themselves. Not only did President Trump defeat sixteen skilled and experienced primary opponents and win the presidency - he did so spending a fraction of what his opponent spent in the general election. He outworked his opponent and ran one of the best campaigns in history using both modern technology and traditional methods to bring his message to the American people. Campaign Contacts with Foreign Persons When it became apparent that my father-in-law was going to be the Republican nominee for President, as normally happens, a number of officials from foreign countries attempted to reach out to the campaign. My father-in-law asked me to be a point of contact with these foreign countries. These were not contacts that I initiated, but, over the course of the campaign, I had incoming contacts with people from approximately 15 countries. To put these requests in context, I must have received thousands of calls, letters and emails from people looking to talk or meet on a variety of issues and topics, including hundreds from outside the United States. While I could not be responsive to everyone, I tried to be respectful of any foreign government contacts with whom it would be important to maintain an ongoing, productive working relationship were the candidate to prevail. To that end, I called on a variety of people with deep experience, such as Dr Henry Kissinger, for advice on policy for the candidate, which countries/representatives with which the campaign should engage, and what messaging would resonate. In addition, it was typical for me to receive 200 or more emails a day during the campaign. I did not have the time to read every one, especially long emails from unknown senders or email chains to which I was added at some later point in the exchange. With respect to my contacts with Russia or Russian representatives during the campaign, there were hardly any. The first that I can recall was at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC in April 2016. This was when then candidate Trump was delivering a major foreign policy speech. Doing the event and speech had been my idea, and I oversaw its execution. I arrived at the hotel early to make sure all logistics were in order. After that, I stopped into the reception to thank the host of the event, Dimitri Simes, the publisher of the bi-monthly foreign policy magazine, The National Interest, who had done a great job putting everything together. Mr. Simes and his group had created the guest list and extended the invitations for the event. He introduced me to several guests, among them four ambassadors, including Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. With all the ambassadors, including Mr Kislyak, we shook hands, exchanged brief pleasantries and I thanked them for attending the event and said I hoped they would like candidate Trump's speech and his ideas for a fresh approach to America's foreign policy. The ambassadors also expressed interest in creating a positive relationship should we win the election. Each exchange lasted less than a minute - some gave me their business cards and invited me to lunch at their embassies. I never took them up on any of these invitations and that was the extent of the interactions. Reuters news service has reported that I had two calls with Ambassador Kislyak at some time between April and November of 2016. While I participated in thousands of calls during this period, I do not recall any such calls with the Russian Ambassador. We have reviewed the phone records available to us and have not been able to identify any calls to any number we know to be associated with Ambassador Kislyak and I am highly skeptical these calls took place. A comprehensive review of my land line and cell phone records from the time does not reveal those calls. I had no ongoing relationship with the Ambassador before the election, and had limited knowledge about him then. In fact, on November 9, the day after the election, I could not even remember the name of the Russian Ambassador. When the campaign received an email purporting to be an official note of congratulations from President Putin, I was asked how we could verify it was real. To do so I thought the best way would be to ask the only contact I recalled meeting from the Russian government, which was the Ambassador I had met months earlier, so I sent an email asking Mr Simes, 'What is the name of the Russian ambassador?' Through my lawyer, I have asked Reuters to provide the dates on which the calls supposedly occurred or the phone number at which I supposedly reached, or was reached by, Ambassador Kislyak. The journalist refused to provide any corroborating evidence that they occurred. The only other Russian contact during the campaign is one I did not recall at all until I was reviewing documents and emails in response to congressional requests for information. In June 2016, my brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr asked if I was free to stop by a meeting on June 9 at 3pm. The campaign was headquartered in the same building as his office in Trump Tower, and it was common for each of us to swing by the other's meetings when requested. He eventually sent me his own email changing the time of the meeting to 4pm. That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time. As I did with most emails when I was working remotely, I quickly reviewed on my iPhone the relevant message that the meeting would occur at 4pm at his office. Documents confirm my memory that this was calendared as 'Meeting: Don Jr.| Jared Kushner'. No one else was mentioned. I arrived at the meeting a little late. When I got there, the person who has since been identified as a Russian attorney was talking about the issue of a ban on US adoptions of Russian children. I had no idea why that topic was being raised and quickly determined that my time was not well-spent at this meeting. Reviewing emails recently confirmed my memory that the meeting was a waste of our time and that, in looking for a polite way to leave and get back to my work, I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting'. I had not met the attorney before the meeting nor spoken with her since. I thought nothing more of this short meeting until it came to my attention recently. I did not read or recall this email exchange before it was shown to me by my lawyers when reviewing documents for submission to the committees. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. Finally, after seeing the email, I disclosed this meeting prior to it being reported in the press on a supplement to my security clearance form, even if that was not required as meeting the definitions of the form. There was one more possible contact that I will note. On October 30, 2016, I received a random email from the screenname 'Guccifer400'. This email, which I interpreted as a hoax, was an extortion attempt and threatened to reveal candidate Trump's tax returns and demanded that we send him 52 bitcoins in exchange for not publishing that information. I brought the email to the attention of a US Secret Service agent on the plane we were all travelling on and asked what he thought. He advised me to ignore it and not to reply - which is what I did. The sender never contacted me again. To the best of my recollection, these were the full extent of contacts I had during the campaign with persons who were or appeared to potentially be representatives of the Russian government. Transition Contacts with Foreign Persons The transition period after the election was even more active than the campaign. Starting on election night, we began to receive an incredible volume of messages and invitations from well-wishers in the United States and abroad. Dozens of messages came from foreign officials seeking to set up foreign leader calls and create lines of communication and relationships with what would be the new administration. During this period, I recall having over fifty contacts with people from over fifteen countries. Two of those meetings were with Russians, neither of which I solicited. On November 16, 2016, my assistant received a request for a meeting from the Russian Ambassador. As I mentioned before, previous to receiving this request, I could not even recall the Russian Ambassador's name, and had to ask for the name of the individual I had seen at the Mayflower Hotel almost seven months earlier. In addition, far from being urgent, that meeting was not set up for two weeks - on December 1. The meeting occurred in Trump Tower, where we had our transition office, and lasted twenty- thirty minutes. Lieutenant General Michael Flynn (Ret), who became the President's National Security Advisor, also attended. During the meeting, after pleasantries were exchanged, as I had done in many of the meetings I had and would have with foreign officials, I stated our desire for a fresh start in relations. Also, as I had done in other meetings with foreign officials, I asked Ambassador Kislyak if he would identify the best person (whether the Ambassador or someone else) with whom to have direct discussions and who had contact with his President. The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day. The Ambassador expressed similar sentiments about relations, and then said he especially wanted to address US policy in Syria, and that he wanted to convey information from what he called his 'generals'. He said he wanted to provide information that would help inform the new administration. He said the generals could not easily come to the US to convey this information and he asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct a conversation. General Flynn or I explained that there were no such lines. I believed developing a thoughtful approach on Syria was a very high priority given the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and I asked if they had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use where they would be comfortable transmitting the information they wanted to relay to General Flynn. The Ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration. Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a 'secret back channel'. I did not suggest an on-going secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office. I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions. Approximately a week later, on December 6, the Embassy asked if I could meet with the Ambassador on December 7. I declined. They then asked if I could meet on December 6, I declined again. They then asked when the earliest was that I could meet. I declined these requests because I was working on many other responsibilities for the transition. He asked if he could meet my assistant instead and, to avoid offending the Ambassador, I agreed. He did so on December 12. My assistant reported that the Ambassador had requested that I meet with a person named Sergey Gorkov who he said was a banker and someone with a direct line to the Russian President who could give insight into how Putin was viewing the new administration and best ways to work together. I agreed to meet Mr Gorkov because the Ambassador has been so insistent, said he had a direct relationship with the President, and because Mr Gorkov was only in New York for a couple days. I made room on my schedule for the meeting that occurred the next day, on December 13. The meeting with Mr Gorkov lasted twenty to twenty-five minutes. He introduced himself and gave me two gifts - one was a piece of art from Nvgorod, the village where my grandparents were from in Belarus, and the other was a bag of dirt from that same village. (Any notion that I tried to conceal this meeting or that I took it thinking it was in my capacity as a businessman is false. In fact, I gave my assistant these gifts to formally register them with the transition office). After that, he told me a little about his bank and made some statements about the Russian economy. He said that he was friendly with President Putin, expressed disappointment with US-Russia relations under President Obama and hopes for a better relationship in the future. As I did at the meeting with Ambassador Kislyak, I expressed the same sentiments I had with other foreign officials I met. There were no specific policies discussed. We had no discussion about the sanctions imposed by the Obama Administration. At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind. At the end of the short meeting, we thanked each other and I went on to other meetings. I did not know or have any contact with Mr Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since. To the best of my recollection, these were the only two contacts I had during the transition with persons who were or appeared to potentially be representatives of the Russian government. Disclosure of Contacts on My Security Clearance Form There has been a good deal of misinformation reported about my SF-86 form. As my attorneys and I have previously explained, my SF-86 application was prematurely submitted due to a miscommunication and initially did not list any contacts (not just with Russians) with foreign government officials. Here are some facts about that form and the efforts I have made to supplement it. In the week before the Inauguration, amid the scramble of finalizing the unwinding of my involvement from my company, moving my family to Washington, completing the paper work to divest assets and resign from my outside positions and complete my security and financial disclosure forms, people at my New York office were helping me find the information, organize it, review it and put it into the electronic form. They sent an email to my assistant in Washington, communicating that the changes to one particular section were complete; my assistant interpreted that message as meaning that the entire form was completed. At that point, the form was a rough draft and still had many omissions including not listing any foreign government contacts and even omitted the address of my father-in-law (which was obviously well known). Because of this miscommunication, my assistant submitted the draft on January 18, 2017. That evening, when we realized the form had been submitted prematurely, we informed the transition team that we needed to make changes and additions to the form. The very next day, January 19, 2017, we submitted supplemental information to the transition, which confirmed receipt and said they would immediately transmit it to the FBI. The supplement disclosed that I had 'numerous contacts with foreign officials' and that we were going through my records to provide an accurate and complete list. I provided a list of those contacts in the normal course, before my background investigation interview and prior to any inquiries or media reports about my form. It has been reported that my submission omitted only contacts with Russians. That is not the case. In the accidental early submission of the form, all foreign contacts were omitted. The supplemental information later disclosed over one hundred contacts from more than twenty countries that might be responsive to the questions on the form. These included meetings with individuals such as Jordan's King Abdullah II, Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Luis Videgaray Caso and many more. All of these had been left off before. Over the last six months, I have made every effort to provide the FBI with whatever information is needed to investigate my background. In addition, my attorneys have explained that the security clearance process is one in which supplements are expected and invited. The form itself instructs that, during the interview, the information in the document can be 'update[d], clarif[ied], and explain[ed]' as part of the security clearance process. A good example is the June 9 meeting. For reasons that should be clear from the explanation of that meeting I have provided, I did not remember the meeting and certainly did not remember it as one with anyone who had to be included on an SF-86. When documents reviewed for production in connection with committee requests reminded me that meeting had occurred, and because of the language in the email chain that I then read for the first time, I included that meeting on a supplement. I did so even though my attorneys were unable to conclude that the Russian lawyer was a representative of any foreign country and thus fell outside the scope of the form. This supplemental information was also provided voluntarily, well prior to any media inquiries, reporting or request for this information, and it was done soon after I was reminded of the meeting. As I have said from the very first media inquiry, I am happy to share information with the investigating bodies. I have shown today that I am willing to do so and will continue to cooperate as I have nothing to hide. As I indicated, I know there has been a great deal of speculation and conjecture about my contacts with any officials or people from Russia. I have disclosed these contacts and described them as fully as I can recall. The record and documents I am providing will show that I had perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives out of thousands during the campaign and transition, none of which were impactful in any way to the election or particularly memorable. I am very grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight. I also have tried to provide context for my role in the campaign, and I am proud of the candidate that we supported, of the campaign that we ran, and the victory that we achieved. It has been my practice not to appear in the media or leak information in my own defense. I have tried to focus on the important work at hand and serve this President and this country to the best of my abilities. I hope that through my answers to questions, written statements and documents I have now been able to demonstrate the entirety of my limited contacts with Russian representatives during the campaign and transition. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest. Advertisement Karina Lynch (pictured left), from the D.C. law firm Williams and Jensen, will join Alan Futerfas (pictured right) in representing Trump Jr Trump Jr met Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya (pictured) in 2016, hoping to receive potentially damaging information on Hillary Clinton The revelation that Trump Jr, Kushner and Manafort met with Veselnitskaya in hopes of obtaining damaging information on Hillary Clinton added a new dimension to the the allegations that the Trump campaign collaborated with the Kremlin to boost their odds of winning the White House. The Kremlin has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow. After the president mentioned his power to pardon last week, a legal debate erupted over the executive's ability to shield himself from criminal charges. While the White House and Trump's lawyers maintain that Trump does retain authority to authorize pardons, they've since said it's an unnecessary topic of exploration since the president, his family and his associates have committed no crimes. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on July 11, Trump Jr did say, 'In retrospect, I probably would have done things a little differently.' Since he received no information on Clinton from the Kremlin, the president's legal and communications team says his actions did not rise to the level of collusion. Lynch, the new lawyer for Trump Jr, is already said to have set a private meeting between Trump Jr and the Senate Judiciary Committee, ensuring that he will not have to testify publicly on Wednesday, according to Fox Business Network. Trump Jr is also represented by Alan Futerfas, a criminal defense attorney with 25 years experience, who has frequently represented clients in cyber-security cases. A head teacher has retired from her school after walking through its gates for the first time as a pupil 53 years ago. Jenny Hunt, 57, attended Hazelmere Junior School as a four-year-old girl in 1964 and was one of its first ever students. After leaving the school aged 11, she began volunteering as a piano player and recorder teacher when her own children started 28 years ago. Jenny Hunt, 57, attended Hazelmere Junior School as a four-year-old girl in 1964(left) and was one of its first ever students. Pictured right today She then went on to take up a full-time teaching position immediately after completing her teacher training. Mrs Hunt has now come full circle, retiring as head teacher after a 24-year career at the school. The mother-of-two said: 'This school has been a huge part of my life and it's going to feel very strange not coming every day. 'I have given all that I can to the school and I can honestly say I have loved every minute I have spent here. 'I can still remember what it was like the first time I walked through the gates. I was very excited as a little girl. 'A lot has changed since then, but the friendly atmosphere and the sense of community is still just as strong. The mother-of-two said: 'This school(pictured) has been a huge part of my life and it's going to feel very strange not coming every day' Mrs Hunt has now come full circle, retiring as head teacher after a 24-year career at the school 'I never imagined I would end up becoming head teacher, but it's one of those funny things that happens in life. Everything has come full circle. Mrs Hunt's newlywed parents moved to the estate near the school in Colchester, Essex, in 1961 when she was a baby. Her mother, who is known to all the pupils, still lives in the house they bought just a 10 minute walk from the school gates. Mrs Hunt began by teaching Year 3 pupils. She said: 'I always wanted to work here, but I never had any ambition to be head teacher. It's been quite a journey' She started school aged four in 1964, the same year Hazelmere Primary opened its gates for the very first time. Mrs Hunt went to the school until she was 11-years old before leaving for secondary school and then music training at Colchester Institute. She later sent her two children, Andrew and Emma, to Hazelmere in the 1980s.. It was while her children were pupils that she put her music training to good use and began volunteering to play the school piano and teach a recorder group as a parent helper. After Andrew and Emma, 32 and 30, left, she completed her PGCE and took up a post as a newly qualified teacher at Hazelmere in 1993. Mrs Hunt began by teaching Year 3 pupils. She said: 'I always wanted to work here, but I never had any ambition to be head teacher. It's been quite a journey. 'I still remember the feeling of friendliness and excitement I had coming here as a child, and again as a newly qualified teacher. 'It was lovely to be able to send my children here too and volunteering really inspired me to train as a teacher. Mrs Hunt spend the next 14 years teaching children at the school before being asked to step into the head teacher role in 2007 'This school has given me many starts and many memories to be thankful for.' Mrs Hunt spend the next 14 years teaching children at the school before being asked to step into the head teacher role in 2007. Although she never intended to end up leading the school, it was a role she felt she could not turn down. Her tenure has made her popular and the school has received 'good' OFSTED ratings. In her last week she had emotional goodbyes with teachers and parents, and the children sang a special medley of her favourite songs in assembly. Although she never intended to end up leading the school, it was a role she felt she could not turn down. Pictured with her old school tie She said: 'We are in a massively deprived area so sometimes it is really challenging, but we really feel we are doing our best. 'The children like continuity, so it made sense to me to become head teacher having been involved in the school for so long. It's the same reason why my deputy head is taking over now. 'We really do support both the children and the parents as best we can, which is why the school has such an important place on the estate. 'That's how I've gotten to know people here very well. 'There is one boy I taught many years ago in Year 3 and he is about to start next year as a newly qualified teacher at the school. 'He said he remembered what a great experience he had here and wanted to give that experience to others. Hearing lovely things like that make you realise what a privilege it can be. 'I tried to keep my leaving as low key as possible, but my staff would not let me. Having the children sing was wonderful.' Despite being retired Mrs Hunt is not ready to step away from the school entirely. Although she is looking forward to spending time with her first grandchild and looking after her mother, she still intends to help the school where she can. Despite being retired Mrs Hunt -pictured with her music class - is not ready to step away from the school entirely She said: 'I've been planning this for a while and I'm delighted I'll get to spend more time with my family. 'But I'll still be on the board of governors for a while to help the new head teacher. 'We are expanding the school and we have a long term plan in place, and I would like to help see that through. 'But I'm intending on enjoying my retirement. 'Even if they beg me one day because they are short, there's no way I'm going back into the classroom.' A new bar has caused outrage online after a job advert recruiting only 'extremely attractive' waiting staff was posted on an employment website. The controversial advert for the '10 an hour' job in east London specifically stated that 'physical attractiveness is unfortunately necessary for this role'. It was posted on employment website Reed.co.uk and informed prospective applicants that waitresses 'must be comfortable wearing black heels'. After it was re-posted on social media, the job advert was criticised and labelled 'discriminatory'. The controversial advert (pictured) stated that 'physical attractiveness is unfortunately necessary for this role' Nicola Thorp saw the controversial advert and posted it on Twitter. She hit the headlines after she was sent home after refusing to wear high heels It has since been removed by Reed who said the advertiser had 'used inappropriate language in their posting'. But the advert was picked up by anti-discrimination campaigner Nicola Thorp who hit the headlines when she was sent home after arriving to work in flat shoes and refused to change into heels. She posted on Twitter: 'Hey @reedcouk, just checking you're aware that this job ad is in breach of an Equality Act or two...' Twitter user @Zoe2908 posted: 'Wow! The mind boggles... as if someone has actually posted this!?!?!' Chloe Mooney added: 'How does one measure physical attractiveness?' Chris Hawkins replied: 'For an established company, this is unacceptable in every way.' The advert was posted by third party House of Wax London. They share a name with a waxing salon but it is not believed to be the same business. Ms Thorp told BuzzFeed News: 'This post would look out of place even on a dating site, never mind an employment website. 'How do they think prospective employees will feel about a job hunt after reading something like that?' The advert said the responsibilities for the Wednesday to Sunday job would include serving a 'range of drinks' and 'ensuring the venue is kept in perfect condition'. The application (left) said that waitresses must be 'comfortable' wearing black heels and Ms Thorp (right) said the post would 'look out of place even on a dating site' It also stated the 'fluent English' was essential and the perfect candidate would have the 'ability to upsell'. At the time of Ms Thorp posting the advert online, it had received three applications. In April this year, the Government rejected an appeal to outlaw a 'sexist' dress code and allowed employers to force women to wear high heels to work. Even though new guidelines will be sent to employers over the summer, the Government said the current law is 'adequate'. Ms Thorpe (pictured) launched a campaign to to make it illegal for companies to make women wear high heels Ms Thorp launched a petition in a bid to make it illegal for companies to force female employees to wear high heels and over six months she gathered more than 152,000 signatures. At the time, she said: 'It's a shame they won't change legislation. It shouldn't be down to people like myself. 'The Government should take responsibility and put it in legislation. I do think it is a little bit of a cop-out.' A Reed.co.uk spokeswoman said: 'At reed.co.uk, we take our responsibilities as a recruitment advertising platform, used by thousands of jobseekers every day, extremely seriously. 'As such, we have a number steps in place to ensure jobs advertised with us comply with all appropriate legislation, are non-discriminatory and, of course, genuine. 'Clearly, in this instance, an advertiser has used inappropriate language in their posting and so details of the vacancy have been removed whilst we work with them to ensure they are made fully aware of relevant legislation affecting their recruitment.' This is the bizarre moment a naked woman sparked traffic chaos after walking down the road with a skirt on her head. The stiletto-wearing brunette was seen striding down the busy mountain highway in Manhuacu, Brazil, last Sunday. Driver Julio Sales followed the streaker in his car and tried to ask her if she needed help but she ignored him. He said she was carrying a bottle and cloths in her left hand and may have been drunk. The stiletto-wearing brunette was seen striding down the busy mountain highway in Manhuacu, Brazil Driver Julio Sales followed the streaker in his car and tried to ask her if she needed help Julio said: 'I saw her and thought it was funny. She was holding a drink in one hand and her clothes in another. 'Drink makes people do things that in normal judgement they wouldn't have the courage to do.' The woman, who appears to be carrying a miniature bottle of alcohol, was later picked up by the fire service and taken to the UPA hospital in the city. Military Police and Federal Highway Police are also following the case after the woman was picked up on the BR-262 highway. But an officer said they have not arrested the woman and they had not released her name. A spokesman said: 'The woman was questioned and released. There was no action taken against her.' The woman was later picked up by the fire service and taken to the UPA hospital in the city A lorry driver was attacked and left for dead in Calais by migrants who hijacked his truck in a bid to reach Britain, it has emerged. The victim stopped on the A16 motorway near the northern French port town before seeing men trying to get into his vehicle. He climbed out of his cab only to be set upon by attackers who hit him with a brick and stole his truck before driving off towards the port. The attack has prompted a warning for British drivers to be vigilant if stopping near the port. British drivers have been urged to be vigilant after migrants attacked a trucker with a brick and stole his truck in Calais (file picture shows migrants climbing into a lorry in 2015) He was left bleeding on the ground after being hit with a brick and is now in hospital with a serious head injury. The truck was stopped by police five miles away before it could reach the port. British truckers were informed of the incident by the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service which has now issued a red alert, indicating a clear and present security risk, according to the Daily Express. Richard Burnett, from the Road Haulage Association, told the paper that the attack served as a 'stark warning to UK drivers'. The victim had stopped near Marck on the A16 motorway near the northern French port town (pictured) before seeing people trying to get into his vehicle In May British truckers called for increased protection in Calais following the first serious attacks by migrants since the demolition of the 'Jungle' refugee camp. Police said they set up roadblocks with dustbins before trying to stop trucks heading for Britain. In one incident, windscreens were smashed, while another lorry had its tyres punctured and one driver was taken to hospital with face injuries. It is just over eight months since the vast shantytown was torn to the ground, and some 8,000 UK-bound asylum seekers dispersed across France. Arrest made: Jordan Lamonde, 22, has been arrested and charged with second-degree assault in connection to the June 12 attack outside a Rochester gym Police in New Hampshire have made an arrest in connection to a vicious attack in which a teenage girl was ambushed and punched 39 times outside a Rochester gym, and which was caught on video last month. Jordan Lamonde, 22, of Portsmouth, was apprehended at around 1.30pm on Monday, seven weeks to the day after the June 12 beating in the parking lot of Planet Fitness on North Main Street that left 18-year-old Erin McCarthy with cuts and bruises. Lamonde was charged with second-degree assault - a felony - and ordered held on $150,000 bail pending his arraignment late Tuesday morning. This was a vicious, unprovoked attack that shocked our community, and I am proud to report that the suspect has been identified and apprehended, Rochester Police Chief Paul Toussaint said in a statement. The suspect, left, pounced from behind punching Eric McCarthy, 18, 39 times and threw her to the floor It appears as though the attacker waited the entire day for Erin to leave before making a move 18-year-old Erin McCarthy was attacked as she left the gym where she worked Lamonde was taken into police custody a short time after he was released from Portsmouth Regional Hospital, but officials did not disclose why the assault suspect was there. His arrest was the culmination of an intense, weeks-long investigation that involved the execution of multiple search warrants. When she learned of Lamonde's arrest, McCarthy told SeacoastOnline she was 'ecstatic.' According to police, the brutal attack on McCarthy was 'targeted,' and the woman herself claimed that Lamonde assaulted her as part of a dispute with her ex-boyfriend, in which she said she had played no part. McCarthy was attacked in the parking lot of the fitness club on North Main Street, where she worked at the time, at around 10pm on June 12 - and it was all caught on video. Surveillance footage recorded in the parking area of Planet Fitness showed a man getting out of his car and repeatedly punching McCarthy. Despite being punched 39 times she only has a couple of cuts and bruises Erin received a few bruisers after being thrown to the ground by her attackers The CCTV footage cuts out after being punched once but she has said she was hit 39 times The woman previously told CBS Boston she was punched 39 times and then thrown to the ground, although the recording stops after the first punch. 'He just kind of came up and hit me in the back of the head and wouldn't stop,' said McCarthy last month. 'He didn't say a word and he didn't have a reason behind it. I asked 'Why? Who are you?'' Looking through the video it appears the attacker lay in wait for McCarthy for almost eight hours while she worked a shift at the Planet Fitness gym. McCarthy did not suffer any major injuries despite receiving a number of blows, and she has since fully recovered. since the incident, the 18-year-old has left her job a the fitness center. Nicholas Gully, 47, denies one count of rape and two counts of assault by touching A teenage boy allegedly raped in a public toilet as he waited for a lift home from his mother told his friends he wanted to kill himself after the assault, a court was told. The 14-year-old said he was so ashamed and disgusted for failing to fight back he wanted to take his own life. A court heard Harley Street therapist Nicholas Gully, 47, had raped the boy after following him into the public toilets. The boy had gone there to escape the attentions of the older man who had been staring at him and making inappropriate comments in the reception. But Gully allegedly followed him into the bathroom and when the boy tried to escape by entering a cubicle he followed him in there and shut the door. In a 10 minute ordeal at the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove, East Sussex Gully, who often treats adult patients suffering from sex addiction, then allegedly raped the terrified boy. Hove Crown Court heard the child was too scared to cry out and fight back during the assault. But afterwards he called and texted his friends in tears to tell them of about the sexual assault. Hove Crown Court was told the teenage boy had gone to the gym at the King Alfred Centre in Hove (pictured), when he was allegedly raped His friends urged him to tell his mother and the police and he eventually he confided in his aunt who alerted his family. Gully, of Rottingdean, Brighton, a leading psychotherapist who heads the Brunswick Clinic and works in Harley Street, London, was later arrested and questioned by police over the rape. He was later charged with one count of rape and two counts of assault by touching. He denies all charges. On his professional website he says he has worked in the field for over 27 years and is a specialist in sex and love addiction. He is well known across the profession and practises in the UK and abroad and has held senior positions in some of the leading addiction treatment centres in the country, including the Priory Hospital in London. The married father-of-two has worked in psychotherapy for more than 27 years and is a specialist in sex and love addiction Giving evidence from behind a screen the boy told the court he had gone to the leisure centre gym at around midday on Sunday January 29. He had arranged to get a lift home from his mother afterwards and around an hour and a half later he called her from the reception area on his mobile and asked to be picked up. But as he was sitting on a chair waiting for her to arrive he allegedly spotted Gully on his phone nearby. He told police Gully was repeatedly attempting to make eye contact with him and he overheard him telling someone there was a 'sexy boy' nearby. Feeling uncomfortable and worried, he went into the public toilets in the reception area to get away from the man . Giving evidence behind a screen the teenager said: 'I was trying to avoid him and the toilet was the only place I could lock myself away from him.' He said he went into the bathroom area to use the urinal but Gully came up beside him and touched him. The boy said he immediately ran to the cubicle and locked himself in and waited for Gully to go. Hove Crown Court heard the child was too scared to cry out and fight back during the 10 minute assault But when he opened the door to check whether the older man had gone Gully stepped into the cubicle with him. The boy said Gully then assaulted him. Afterwards he contacted two female friends who urged him to report the incident to the police. The trial continues. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. The Duke of Edinburgh will conduct his final royal engagement next Wednesday before retirement. The 96-year-old will attend a Royal Marines' charity parade on August 2 which will mark the end of his public duties. Prince Philip was appointed Captain General of the Royal Marines on June 2 1953, in succession to the late King George VI. The 96-year-old will attend a Royal Marines' charity parade on August 2 which will mark the end of his public duties. Prince Philip was appointed Captain General of the Royal Marines on June 2 1953 (pictured left) Despite announcing his retirement, it is unlikely the Duke will disappear from public life altogether The parade will mark the end of the 1664 Global Challenge, which raises money for The Royal Marines Charity. This year it has seen marines from around the country running 16.64 miles each day for 100 days, totalling a distance of 1,664 miles. Philip will meet representatives from the runners' contingent, including two Royal Marines who have completed the gruelling marathon. Number of days spent on public engagements in 2017 so far (up to July 25) Duchess of Cambridge 37 Duke of Cambridge 43 Prince Harry 44 The Queen 49 Duchess of Cornwall 49 Duke of Edinburgh 51 Earl of Wessex 52 Duke of York 68 Prince of Wales 87 Princess Royal 106 Advertisement He will also meet veterans and cadets before returning to the dais on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace to receive the 1664 Global Challenge baton. The number is symbolic for the naval fighting force, which traces its roots back to the year 1664. The parade will finish with a march past, a Royal Salute and three cheers for the Captain General. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: 'The Captain General's Parade will bring His Royal Highness's individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside The Queen, from time to time.' Prince Harry is reportedly set to replace his grandfather as the head of the Royal Marines. It is understood Harry has been approved by Major General Rob Magowan, who is Commandant General of the Corps, but the Queen will make the final decision. Harry deputised for the Duke of Edinburgh in 2015 when opening a new amphibious centre in Plymouth for 1 Assault Group. Philip, pictured last week during a visit to Canada House, will attend a Royal Marines' charity parade outside the Queen's London residence before he steps back from his official duties Duke of Edinburgh by numbers (1952-today) Total number of solo engagements - 22,191 Total number of solo overseas visits - 637 (Commonwealth countries - 229 visits to 67 countries / other countries 408 visits to 76 countries) (Commonwealth countries - 229 visits to 67 countries / other countries 408 visits to 76 countries) Total number of speeches given 5,493 Total number of patronages 785 organisations organisations Presentation of colours 54 Number of service appointments 32 Number of books authored 1 4 Advertisement Prince Philip made the shock announcement he would be stepping down after calling a secret emergency meeting at Buckingham Palace in May this year. He feared looking increasing frail in public and admitted to close friends in his typically frank style: 'I'm past my sell-by date'. Next month Philip and the Queen will fly to Scotland for their annual summer break at Balmoral - which will signify the end of his life of public service. Despite announcing his retirement, it is unlikely the Duke will disappear from public life altogether. He will continue his association with more than 780 organisations of which he is a patron, president or member of, though he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements. His particular fields of interest include scientific and technological research, industry, the environment and sport. In recent years, he has been admitted to hospital on a number of occasions for abdominal surgery, bladder infections and a blocked coronary artery. Philip has carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements in his long career and given more than 5,000 speeches. He has spent 51 days so far this year carrying out public engagements - more than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen. Philip's appearances out and about with the monarch in the public eye since the start of 2017 have ranged from feeding an elephant at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to attending the official opening of the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard. Solo engagements by the 96-year-old also included opening the new Warner Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground in London and meeting actor Tom Cruise at a Buckingham Palace dinner to mark the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust. A young girl who suffered a head wound as a baby while being abused by her father has died from her injuries ten years later. Elanis Milfort, 10, of Bowie, Maryland, died in March 2016, just three days after surgery for a spinal condition that police say was the result of her infant head trauma. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide last month. A young girl who suffered a head wound as a baby while being abused by her father has died from her injuries ten years later (stock image) The youngster was just six months old when she suffered the serious head injury on June 8, 2006. Her father, Lionel Milfort, was arrested and jailed for child abuse soon after. He was released in June of 2014. Now investigators with the Prince George's County Police Department have reopened the case and the county prosecutor's office will decide whether charges will be filed. This unique case has precedent the 2015 death of James Brady, Press Secretary to President Reagan, was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, due to a bullet wound he sustained in 1981 during an attempted presidential assassination. Four men accused of supplying shotguns to siege terrorist Yacqub Khayre will remain in custody after facing court in Melbourne. Khayre killed hotel clerk Kai Hao, 36, and injured three police officers during a dramatic siege at an apartment in Brighton on June 5. Father-of-two George Matte-Hado, 37, is accused of illegally selling a double-barrelled shotgun for $2000 to a middleman in the car park of a housing estate in May. Four men accused of supplying shotguns to siege terrorist Yacqub Khayre will remain inbehind bars Khayre allegedly fired the sawn-off shotgun during the fatal siege. Matte-Hado faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday over six charges, including two counts of unlicensed dealing of firearms. Karl Dalrymple, 31, Corey Moore, 48, and Burak Diler, 25, also faced court accused of supplying weapons to Khayre, whose phone and laptop were analysed after the attack. Their cases were adjourned for a month as defence lawyers read over materials handed over by prosecutors. Khayre injured three police officers during a dramatic siege at an apartment in Brighton Hotel clerk Kai Hao, 36, was shot dead with an illegally purchased shotgun The four men were arrested following counter-terror raids across Melbourne in connection with the fatal siege at the Buckingham Serviced Apartments. Police found coded text messages that referred to guns as "bicycles" and ammunition as "the things that go in and come out". Khayre shot dead Mr Hao and held a female escort hostage before he opened fire on police, dying in a hail of return fire. The four alleged gun dealers were remanded in custody and are expected to return to court on August 23. Jason Blomgren, 41, was on supervised release after being arrested last year over armed standoff at Oregon wildlife reserve An Oregon occupier has avoided being returned to jail after testing positive for opiates - saying the chemical came from an 'everything' bagel he ate for breakfast. Jason Blomgren, 41, was arrested in February last year after an armed standoff with officers at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, but was released after striking a plea deal. However, he faced being returned to jail after a drug test on May 22 showed traces of morphine in his system, violating the terms of his release. But Blomgren has remained a free man after arguing the chemical found its way into his system after he ate an everything bagel containing poppy seeds - where morphine is extracted from. The defense mirrors Seinfeld episode The Shower Head in which Elaine Benes fails a work drug test because she ate a poppy seed muffin earlier that day. Blomgren was arrested in February last year along with 24 others and charged with impeding officers through 'force, intimidation and threats', which is a felony. He was freed shortly after agreeing to plead guilty to the charge, on condition that he testify against Ammon Bundy and other leaders of the occupation. But on May 22 his pretrial supervision officer recommended he go back into custody after failing the drug test. Blomgren faced being returned to jail after failing a drugs test, until his lawyer argued the traces of morphine in his system actually came from a poppy seed bagel (file image) The defense mirrors Seinfeld episode The Shower Head in which Elaine Benes, pictured left, fails a work drug test because she ate a poppy seed muffin earlier that day On July 17 he failed a second drugs test, this time for opiates and oxycodone, Oregon Live reports. Despite Blomgren's lawyer saying he had not consumed any bagels on the second occasion, and conceding 'perhaps he does needs some drug treatment', the government withdrew its petition to find him in violation of supervision on Monday. His defense attorney instead asked the judge to add 'defendant shall not consume any items containing poppy seeds' to the supervision order, which the judge did. 'For breakfast, I will be eating egg whites and tea from now on,' Blomgren said. In return for agreeing to testify, Blomgren is expected to be sentenced to probation on August 28. A Chinese panda centre is under fire after three of their workers were accused of treating bear cubs poorly. The accusation came after surveillance footage emerged on social media, which showed the workers dragging two bear cubs along the ground, pushing them away and throwing them in the air and on the floor. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda, China's main panda breeding base, claimed its workers were trying to keep the cubs inside their enclosure and the workers were scratched and bit by the baby pandas during the process. Workers at a Chinese panda base have been condemned for their brutal treatment of cubs Keepers at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda were caught throwing cubs around The footage emerged on July 12 after a social media user uploaded it onto her account on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter. The user, whose screen name is 'Yi Xi Lan', called the panda keepers 'rude'. The self-proclaimed panda lover said it would be 'understandable' if keepers had to drag or throw cubs 'for a couple of times'. 'However in the live-streaming today, Rou Rou and Man Man (the cubs' nicknames) were repeatedly thrown onto the ground. I can't bear it.' The video quickly became popular and caused a stir among Chinese web users. Many people critisiced the way the keepers handled the animals and called their behaviour 'unacceptable' and 'brutal'. However, some people challenged the authenticity of the footage and claimed the uploader had purposefully sped up the video. There were also viewers saying pandas could be fierce sometimes and the way the keepers treated the cubs was understandable. The footage was widely shared after a web user uploaded it onto the Chinese social media The web user couldn't bear to see the cubs being handled so rudely, according to the post In an interview with Chengdu Business Daily, a spokesman from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda said the incident took place at around 6pm on July 12. The base said the cubs in question were acting excitedly and had injured the workers. It said it was a pity that some people had condemned the keepers. According to the base, three of their keepers were feeding four cubs, namely Meilan, Jilan, Yuanyue and Yuanman, that evening. After the cubs finished eating, they were tasked to move Yuanman and Jilan into a separate enclosure to prepare for a medical checkup on the next day. The spokesman said Yuanyue and Meilan wanted to follow their playmates and keepers had a hard time keeping them inside the room, and that was when the workers dragged the bears by force. All of the workers were said to be injured while dealing with the cubs, which were 'highly excited'. The base said the keepers did not have ill intentions, but their movements were 'too forceful and too quickly'. The workers' behaviour was deemed 'inappropriate' by the base. Many people called the keeper's behaviour 'unacceptable' and 'brutal' after seeing the video However, some people challenged the authenticity of the footage and said it had been sped up The panda base said the workers were trying to keep the cubs inside their enclosure. They also said the cubs injured the workers by scratching and biting them. The keepers have apologised The three workers apologised to the public through Chengdu Business Daily. The animals carers explained that the whole incident occurred in the space of 50 minutes, and the video had been edited down to just two minutes, which did not reflect the real situation. They said they had formed a very close bond with the pandas after becoming their 'mummies and daddies'. They admitted that they had acted too forcefully and vowed to take care of the animals more gently. Further investigation is still being carried out by the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base. Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base is the world's largest artificial breeding population of captive pandas. According to its website, the base has 113 giant pandas. New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is claiming to clean house - and began by whacking a close confidant of departing press secretary Sean Spicer. Michael Short, an assistant press secretary charged with feeding information to reporters and pushing back against their editors amid a steady stream of aggressive news stories, lacked a chair when Scaramucci's first record stopped playing. Politico named Short as the first casualty in a widely expected round of bloodletting and. Asked how he planned to stop a tsunami of leaks that have plagued the new administration in its first six months, Scaramucci told reporters Tuesday at the White House: 'I'm going to fire everybody! Thats how Im going to do it!' 'You're either going to stop leaking or you're going to get fired.' It was Scaramucci himself, however, who had told Politico he was letting Short go. White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci spoke to members of the media at the White House on Tuesday, telling them he's willing to fire the entire communications staff Michael Short, an assistant press secretary, is expected to see his head roll in the first of many communications department firings at the White House President Donald Trump has empowered Scaramucci 'The Mooch' to root out leakers and remake the White House communications and press shop along different lines Wearing shiny blue fashion sunglasses in the morning hours on the White House's north driveway, Scaramucci pointed to the guard shack that separates 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from tourists. 'If they don't stop leaking, I'm going to put them out on Pennsylvania Avenue it's a very clear thing,' he said. ' 'You want to sell postcards to the tourists outside the gate? Or [do] you want to work in the West Wing? What do you want to do? If you want to work in the West Wing, you've got to stop leaking.' Scaramucci told Politico, an inside-the beltway newspaper, that more heads could soon roll, even if it means there's no one left standing other than Spicer's replacement Sarah Huckabee Sanders and himself. 'I'm committed to taking the comms shop down to Sarah and me, if I can't get the leaks to stop,' he said. Still, Scaramucci told the smallish gaggle of journalists outside the White House that he was upset to see Short's name discussed publicly before he had a chance to let him know his job was at risk. Scaramucci is a New York financier cut from the same cloth as the president, and one White House aide says 'he's not just taking meetings he's making lists' 'This is actually a terrible thing,' he said. 'Let's say I'm firing Michael Short today. The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic. You got that?' 'So I should have the opportunity if I have to let somebody go to let the person go in a very humane, dignified way, and then the next thing is help the person get a job somewhere, ok? Because he probably has a family, right?' 'So now you guys are talking about it,' Scaramucci continued. 'He's you know, it's not fair. I'm just being honest with you.' 'Here's the problem with the leaking, why I have to figure out a way to get the leaking to stop because it hurts people.' An administration official told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Scaramucci 'seems laser-focused' on a leak clampdown. 'He's not just taking meetings,' the aide said. 'He's making lists.' White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (left) and outgoing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (right) were the Republican National Committee's major staff additions to the new Trump administration, but the party's influence appears to be on the wane Short told CNN that 'no one has told me anything,' after news of his firing swept through Washington, 'and the entire premise is false.' But he later confirmed that he had resigned his job. Scaramucci has vowed to clamp down on leaks coming from within the West Wing, although many reporters looking for secret sources shop for dirt elsewhere in the administration. Unscrupulous leakers from inside the National Security Council and the National Economic Council, for instance, are outside of Scaramucci's reach. Scaramucci told reporters on Friday that lead communications strategist Hope Hicks and social media guru Dan Scavino will keep their jobs. Others, however, could learn their fate soon. It's unclear whether Short's head is on the chopping block as part of a leak crackdown or as a first step toward shedding a layer of Republican National Committee loyalists who came into the administration with Spicer and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Short has been a polarizing figure in the White House press shop, helping reporters at some favored news outlets while stonewalling others. But he insisted Tuesday, speaking to Politico, that he's no leaker. 'Allegations I ever leaked anything are demonstrably false,' he said. Priebus was chairman of the RNC before taking what has turned out to be an unconventional incarnation of the chief of staff's role. Spicer was Priebus's national press secretary at the political party's headquarters, where Short reported to him. On 'Fox News Sunday' two days ago, Scaramucci called press leaks 'not right' and 'not fair to the president.' 'Something's going on inside the White House that the President does not like, and we're going to fix it,' he said. 'I'm going to be very, very clear with people. As far as Im concerned, that staff has amnesty. We'll see how they do with me at the helm. Everybody in that team can stay as long as they follow the protocol of not leaking.' No one can accuse this doctor of not feeling her patient's pain. Surgeon Li Xiaopei has been filmed performing a gastroscopy on herself - so she can understand what the procedure feels like for her patients. The operation is when a tiny plastic tube called an endoscope down the patient's throat to take a look at their gullet, stomach and small intestine. Dr Xiaopei inserted the camera at a hospital in Taian City, Shandong Province in eastern China, while her colleagues filmed the video. She can be seen twisting and pushing the thin flexible tube known as she manoeuvres it down her throat. The tube has a small light and camera at one end and links to a screen, which allows Dr Xiaopei to observe the contents of her digestive system. The procedure is usually performed under local anaesthetic that numbs the throat before the tube is inserted. Not for the squeamish: Dr Xiaopei put an endoscope down her own throat so she could understand what the procedure feels like for her patients Dr Xiaopei said she wanted to perform the procedure on herself in order better to understand what it felt like for her patients. She said she hopes to be able to minimise discomfort for patients in future procedures. She wanted to share her findings with other doctors worldwide and posted a video of the procedure on the internet. The procedure was believed to have been performed purely for Dr Xiaopeis research, not because she had any medical condition that made it necessary. Former American model Christina Estrada (pictured) is still fighting the get all of the money she was awarded after her divorce Former Pirelli calendar model Christina Estrada who was awarded a 75million divorce settlement a year ago is still fighting to get all of the money. Saudi billionaire Sheikh Walid Juffali died from cancer aged 61 in July last year and just weeks after the couple's divorce hearing. The ex-model, 55, was awarded a 53million cash settlement in July 2016 with her lawyers saying the payout was worth 75million when her assets were taken into account. But the American is now battling her ex-husband's family because she has yet to pocket her full cash reward and is involved in litigation with relatives of Dr Juffali. She was at the latest in a series of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday. Mrs Justice Roberts is due to analyse issues at a trial later this year - if agreement cannot be reached. The judge is analysing the latest stage of litigation at private hearings but she said some detail could be reported. Dr Juffali, a businessman, had mounted a diplomatic immunity defence after Ms Estrada, who is based in London, made a claim on his estimated 4billion fortune. He argued that Ms Estrada was prevented from suing him in an English court because he had immunity through his post as permanent representative to the International Maritime Organisation for the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The couple (pictured) separated in 2013 and got divorced one year later. Ms Estrada was awarded 75million Speaking outside the High Court in July 2016, Ms Estrada (pictured) said she was 'happy and delighted' But a High Court judge ruled against him and Court of Appeal judges dismissed an appeal. It comes after she was embroiled in a fresh challenge to reclaim a 15million blue diamond ring from her ex-husband's family. During the divorce hearing last year, Ms Estrada argued in the witness box that she was entitled to an amount which would allow her to seek to maintain her ultra-wealthy lifestyle. She told the family court judge: 'I am Christina Estrada. I was a top, international model. I have lived this life. This is what I am accustomed to. 'It is difficult to convey the extraordinary level of luxury and opulence we were fortunate enough to enjoy.' Judges heard that the pair met and married in 2001 and separated in 2013. Ms Estrada (pictured) was awarded 75million in one of Britain's biggest ever divorce cases of its kind The former treasurer for the town of Mills will serve five years of probation and pay back more than $60,000 that she embezzled from the town's accounts. After a lengthy hearing Monday morning, Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey sentenced Lisa Whetstone to supervised probation and $60,365 in restitution. Whetstone previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to account for public property. She previously admitted to using a town credit card to make personal purchases. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation took an interest in the towns finances after a 2015 state audit uncovered discrepancies, including cash receipts that didnt match the amount of money that was deposited into the towns account. Prosecutors also charged the town's former mayor, Marrolyce Wilson, with interfering in the investigation and profiting from town land sales. Wilson denied the charge. Princeton is apparently so concerned that its male students could be rapists that it is looking to hire an 'interpersonal violence clinician and men's engagement manager' to solve the problem. The New Jersey university's job listing calls for experts in women's and gender studies, social work or similar fields to 'foster an environment for healthy male social development.' That will come by 'challenging belief systems and social constructs that contribute to violence and offering alternative options,' the listing says. The implication throughout the posting, first made in May, is that men are abusers and women victims, right-wing college paper The College Fix reported. Princeton University (pictured) is hiring a 'manager' to coach its male students in an effort to prevent sexual harrassment, sexual assault, stalking and other crimes According to the listing, which was posted on Inside Higher Ed, the clinician will be tasked with 'prevention of interpersonal violence, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, and stalking.' They will do that by 'enhancing awareness and challenging gender stereotypes, increasing the community's understanding of interpersonal violence dynamics, and reducing behaviors that lead to both perpetration and victimization.' That includes practices such as telling men that there is nothing shameful about showing vulnerability, and that males should not be encouraged to 'act tougher,' a related Princeton site says. The clinician may also apply the 'compulsory accountability program for students accused of sexual misconduct under Title IX.' Princeton declined to reveal the salary for the job, which was advertised only with a code pertaining to an undisclosed pay grade. Glassdoor suggests that administrative assistants at the university earn around $52,000 per year, on average. The university told The College Fix in an emailed statement that 'Princeton's program is similar to programs at other colleges and universities.' It added that it is 'consistent with established best practices that encourage both men and women to create and foster a culture in which there is no place for interpersonal violence and where safe and healthy interpersonal relationships are the norm.' There does not appear to be a female equivalent of the role at the university. The university says that one in four of its female undergraduates has experienced some form of sexual misconductr - although it includes 'sexist jokes' in that definition as well as rape Stats published by Princeton say that in the 2015-16 school year, one in four undergraduate women and one in six graduate women 'experienced sexual misconduct, which includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and/or stalking. It said one in six graduate women, one in 11 undergraduate men and one in 21 graduate men experienced inappropriate sexual behavior. The university defines one aspect of 'sexual harrassment' as 'Unwelcome jokes or comments (e.g., sexist jokes),' and provides 'giving unwanted gifts' as an example of stalking. Full statistics from the 2015-16 school year suggest that there were 13 cases in which respondents - both students and employees - were found responsible for various violations. Respondents could be responsible for more than one violation, it said. They included two counts of anal or vaginal rape and two of sexual assault - defined as non-penetrative unwanted sexual contact. Three were found to have committed sexual harrassment, and two of 'Inappropriate Conduct Related to Sex, Gender Identity, or Gender Expression.' The problems aren't just due to students, however. The job description appears to focus solely on corrective behavior for men; its statistics do not reveal how many men have been victims of sexual misconduct In total, four violations were found to be committed by Princeton employees: one of stalking, two of sexual harrassment and one of 'Inappropriate Conduct Related to Sex, Gender Identity, or Gender Expression'. All of the employees were fired; none were identified, either by name or position in the university. And in April this year, a male student - identified only as John Doe - filed a suit against Princeton accusing one of its students of two counts of sexual assault in 2014. The alleged perpetrator was either a 'peer' - that is, a member - or an associate member of the campus's Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office, The Tab reported. SHARE is the same office that placed the ad for the 'men's engagement manager.' Princeton defended its policies and said it would fight the suit in court. 'We have a rigorous application process such that a student found responsible for sexual misconduct would not be eligible to become a peer or to remain a peer,' Daniel Day, university assistant vice president for communications, told The Tab. 'Each year, the program reviews the past performance and disciplinary history of all applicants and current members, and peers not living up to the high standards of behavior are asked to step down from their role as a SHARE peer.' A four-decade old Coogee cold case has been re-opened after NSW Police investigated a large blood stain on the floor of the victim's apartment. Lynette White, 26, was stabbed to death in her Sydney home after a male intruder burst through the front door. Mrs White, a well-known Hawaiian dancer, was forced to undress before the killer stabbed her while her newborn son lay in a cot nearby. 'I've been searching for answers for more than 40 years and this re-investigation into Lyn's murder gives me confidence justice is a real possibility,' her husband Paul White told the Sydney Morning Herald. A $100,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information that leads to an arrest. Lynette White (pictured with husband Paul) was stabbed to death in her Sydney home in 1973 after a male intruder burst through the front door Mrs White, a well-known Hawaiian dancer, was forced to undress before the killer stabbed her while her newborn son lay in a cot nearby Lynette White was a prominent member of her eastern suburbs community, with a large group of friends and actively involved in the South Maroubra Surf Club. She was strikingly beautiful and, as member of a popular Hawaiian dance troupe that performed across Sydney, she created 'a bit of a fan club,' Unsolved Homicide Chief Chris Olen said. 'Our more recent inquiries lead us to believe Lyn may have known her killer, rather than it being a random attack by a stranger,' he said. Lynette White was a prominent member of her eastern suburbs community, with a large group of friends and actively involved in the South Maroubra Surf Club She was strikingly beautiful and, as member of a popular Hawaiian dance troupe that performed across Sydney, 'saw her create a bit of a fan club,' Unsolved Homicide Chief Chris Olen said Paul White returned home the evening of her murder to find his wife's lifeless body laying on the carpet of their Coogee apartment. 'There is someone out there who knows something. I don't care how trivial it may seem to that person, it may mean a lot to the investigators,' Mr White said. Police originally believed Mrs White's death was linked to the similar brutal killing of a woman in Randwick. Maria Smith was bound, gagged, raped and stabbed to death in her home in 1974, but investigators have since found no 'empirical evidence' the two cases are related. After returning to the residence in August last year, police found two male DNA samples mixed with Mrs White's. They are currently running the results against the national database in hopes of finding a match and solving the 44-year-old mystery. 'The White family deserve answers and justice for Lynette after all this time,' NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said. Anyone with any information are being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A Royal Air Force Typhoon based in Romania has been launched as a response to Russian nuclear bomber operating near NATO airspace over the Black Sea. Operating from the Romanian Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta on the Black Sea coast, the RAF Typhoon responded to Russian Federation Air Force TU-22 Backfire strategic bombers heading south near NATO air space. The Russian military jets were flying over the western Black Sea and were monitored by the Typhoon. The Tupolevs - the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union - were tracked as they departed south but the jets did not come within visual range of each other. An undated photo shows a Russian long-range bomber TU-22 Backfire - the type of plane monitored by the RAF Previously NATO's Air Surveillance and Control System had detected several tracks of non-NATO military aircraft flying over the Black Sea, which were later identified as the two Russian jets. The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Torrejon Spain, ordered a RAF Typhoon jet to scramble and shadow the Russian jets flying in international airspace in the vicinity of NATO airspace. Tu-22 Backfire: The first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union Role: Long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber First flight: 30 August 1969 Top speed: Mach 1.88 (1,240 mph) Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weapon systems operator) Weapons: Guns ( 23-mm GSh-23 cannon) plus missiles (including Raduga Kh-22 and Raduga Kh-15) Advertisement Wing Commander Lewis Cunningham, Officer Commanding 3(F) Squadron said: 'It worked as we would have expected it to. 'We took down the details, ran to the aircraft and I took off within the prescribed timeline. 'It's satisfying. We spotted that there was something happening and then very quickly the phone call came and we were running out of the door.' The RAF mission in Romania is part of NATO's Assurance Measures introduced in 2014. At the time, the Alliance started implementing these Assurance Measures with the goal to demonstrate the collective resolve of Allies, demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO and deter the threat of Russian aggression against NATO Allies. Wing Commander Andrew Coe, Commanding Officer of 135 Expeditionary Air Wing based in Romania said: 'This was a routine operation and is no different to what NATO aircraft do in other areas on a regular basis.' 'The RAF have a long tradition and experience of conducting such activities in the UK and it is a normal peacetime activity to monitor flights in airspace of interest'. Three women have appeared before a court accused of gang raping a pastor who went round to their home to demand money they owed him. Western Commonage Magistrates Court in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, heard how the holy man was grabbed and forced onto a bed and then stripped. The three women Sandra Ncube, 21, Riamuhetsi Mlauzi, 23, and Mongiwe Mpofu, 25, were in the dock charged with aggravated indecent assault. Prosecutor Mr Petros Shoko said the complainant, who is not being named to spare his blushes, was a pastor at a church in Cowdray Park. Samdra Ncube, Riamuhetsi Mlauzi, and Mongiwe Mpofu have denied raping the pastor He said the male victim had gone to the home of the three women as he was owed money and he was invited inside the house to collect it. But once inside he alleged he was grabbed by one woman around the waist and his trousers were pulled down by another who then fondled him. Mr Shoko said: 'On July 14 at 7pm the complainant went to the accused persons residence to collect money which Mlauzi owed. 'They forced him to lie on the bed and undressed him. Ncube sat on his chest and he tried to push her away. 'However Mlauzi held his legs together and sat on his top pressing him against the bed 'Mpofu was in another room and brought condoms and placed them on the complainants manhood and helped to hold him down. 'Ncube had sexual intercourse with the complainant once without his consent' Mr Shoko said. The three denied raping the pastor but admitted indecent assault. Ncube said: 'We were just playing around Your Worship. I did not think that he would take it seriously'. Mpofu denied taking part but admitted bringing the condoms saying: 'We keep them around the house and I just brought them'. Mlauzi said she wanted to 'fix' the pastor who she claimed had a habit of walking in on the women when they were bathing. She said: 'He always walks in on me bathing and claims to be unmoved as a man of God. I just wanted to see if he was going to be aroused or not. 'I did not plan to execute the whole rape thing Your Worship'. Magistrate Lungile Ncube was told by Mlauzi that she just wanted to prove to the pastor that he had 'feelings like everybody else'. She said: 'I wanted him to see that he was not special and was not immune to sexual arousal. 'When I touched him he immediately got aroused and that is all we wanted to see' she said. The complainant was taken to Mpilo Central Hospital for a medical examination and the report will be prepared for the magistrates. All three were remanded in custody until August 7 for a full trial. Earlier this month a 39-year-old teacher was hospitalised in Zimbabwe after claiming a gang of three women kidnapped, drugged and raped him for two days. The man from Makoni in Chitungwiza was left with severely bruised genitals and doctors at Waza Hospital found other signs of sexual abuse after he was dumped by the roadside. Police are still trying to find the three women who are allegedly part of a 'sperm bandit' gang preying on hitchhikers and travellers and steal and sell their semen for 'good luck'. There is no suggestion the two alleged crimes are related. Justine Damond's American fiance has given his blessing for her ashes to be returned to Australia. The 40-year-old, originally from Sydney, was shot dead in her pyjamas by a Minneapolis policeman 10 days ago. Her father, John Ruszczyk, and fiance Don Damond have reportedly come to an agreement to have her body cremated and her ashes sent back to Australia. Damond family spokesman Tom Hyder told News Corp a funeral would be finalised in the coming days and held in Minnesota in August. Justine Damond's American fiance has given his blessing for her ashes to be returned to Australia The 40-year-old, originally from Sydney, was shot dead in her pyjamas by a Minneapolis policeman 10 days ago Her father, John Ruszczyk (pictured), and fiance Don Damond have reportedly come to an agreement to have her body cremated and her ashes sent back to Australia 'She will be cremated and her ashes sent back to Australia,' he said. 'The Damonds and Justine's family in Australia are in agreement about what happens after her memorial. They are in frequent contact.' Ms Damond called 911 at around 11.30pm on July 15 after hearing a woman's screams and fearing a sexual assault was taking place in an alley behind her home. When police arrived, she approached the vehicle before Officer Mohamed Noor shot across his partner, Matthew Harrity, and struck her in the stomach. A Bureau of Criminal Apprehension statement said Officer Harrity heard a loud noise before Ms Damond was killed. Don Damond is comforted outside his home as demonstrators march by during the Peace and Justice March for his fiance Ms Damond (left), from Sydney, was shot dead by Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor (right) There is a suggestion that the Australian woman may have 'slapped' the car and startled him before she was shot. A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension search warrant, obtained by Minnesota Public Radio, doesn't specifically name Ms Damond. It says, 'upon police arrival, a female ''slaps'' the back of the patrol squad... After that, it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley.' Minneapolis and its twin city of St Paul have been shaken by multiple police shootings. Fake street signs warning of 'easily startled' police popped up in the area Ms Damond was shot dead A concerned citizen, or prankster, erected official-looking metal signs around the cities warning drivers and pedestrians of 'easily startled' police. It features a graphic of an officer shooting two guns in separate directions and reads: 'Warning: Twin cities police easily startled'. A Minneapolis Police Department spokeswoman said authorities were working to have them removed. Officer Noor is maintaining his wall of silence and continues to exercise his legal right not to be interviewed by investigators probing Ms Damond's death. Jason Blomgren was arrested in February 2016 for his part in the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon An Oregon occupier has blamed his positive drug test during probation on his love of everything bagels. Jason Blomgren was arrested in February 2016 for his part in the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. Blomgren, who pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to impede federal employees through intimidation, threat or force, was released from jail more than a year ago on probation with conditions. Those conditions included keeping clean from drugs - something federal supervision officers say he violated in May when his urine tested positive for opiates. But Blomgren's defense lawyer claims his client has stuck to the rules of his probation, and says his daily everything bagel, which contains poppy seeds - which are also the source of opiates such as heroin - are to blame. 'It is our position that the positive urine sample test was caused by the bagel he ate for breakfast and not an illegal controlled substance,' Blomgren's lawyer Robert W. Rainwater said in court documents, according to Oregon Live. Blomgren, under the supervision of federal officers, first tested positive for morphine on May 22, according to prosecutors, and his pretrial supervision officer advised he should be taken into custody for violating his conditions of release. Anti-government protesters raise their arms in the air and shout 'hands up don't shoot' outside the Harney County Courthouse on February 1, 2016 during the demonstration A follow up test on July 17, also saw a positive result for opiates and oxycodone. Blomgren admitted he hadn't had any poppy seeds before that test. However, prosecutors admitted that more work had to be done to see if Blomgren had violated his probation. But his lawyer conceded his client might need drug treatment. Prosecutors have now withdrawn probation violation charges against Blomgren. However, they have added a rather unusual condition to his probation; he is forbidden from eating any item with poppy seeds. 'It seems reasonable to give up the everything bagel,' Blomgren's lawyer said after the hearing. 'He'll have to.' The Oregon occupation began in January 2016, after protesters took control of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge building in Princeton, Oregon, claiming it belonged to the people, not to the government. It was a symbolic gesture to defend the freedom of local ranchers Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven Hammond, 46, despite their protests they did not want any help from the demonstrators. Ammon Bundy - son of famed rancher and anti-government protester Cliven Bundy - led the armed protest - and the rest of the protesters were arrested in February. A Brazilian buttock surgeon is reported to have been abducted and shot in the face in a revenge attack over a botched operation. Marcilene Soares Gama, 49, was kidnapped from her Rio de Janeiro apartment on Saturday morning, local media reported. The attacker is said to have overpowered her and thrown her into his car before later shooting her at point blank range and dumping her body on the street. Marcilene Soares Gama, 49, was kidnapped from her Rio de Janeiro apartment on Saturday morning Officers believe the cold blooded murder was carried out by a former client of the mother-of-two, O Globo reported. 'Forensic experts concluded that she was shot in the face at close range, which is usually a sign of anger and hatred,' chief investigator Fabio Cardoso told the Brazilian newspaper. Several clients had accused Marcilene of botching their surgeries by using industrial silicone. As many as ten women came forward to complain about her procedures and she was twice arrested for pretending to be a doctor, the BBC reported. Her family claim her clients knew of the dangers, with brother-in-law Daniel Mofacto saying: 'She never said she was a surgeon. The attacker is said to have overpowered her and thrown her into his car before later shooting her at point blank range 'People knew the risks but they went ahead anyway.' Daniel told O Globo that Marcilene was a 'good person' who helped the family out financially. She had two children and a grandchild. A group of men on a chartered fishing expedition reeled in a massive 926-pound shortfin mako shark late Friday night off the coast of New Jersey. The 12-foot-long shark was so heavy that it would have shattered the record for largest shark caught in state history, had it not been for how the fishermen on the Jenny Lee reeled it in. New Jersey's Record Fish Program dictates that a fish must be reeled in by a single person in order to qualify for ranking, but the fishermen on the boat took turns. For that reason, the record for largest shark caught in New Jersey continues to be a 880-pound tiger shark reeled in off Cape May in 1988. A group of men on an overnight fishing trip caught a 926-pound shortfin mako shark Friday night, about 100 miles off the coast of New Jersey 'We passed the (fishing) rod off. To be a record only one fisherman can handle the rod,' Captain Dave Bender told the Asbury Park Press. 'Still a great catch, though. You can't lose sight of that' Bender and his first mate Kevin Gerrity took a group of six men from New Jersey out on their fishing boat Friday for an overnight trip. The group included Frank Miccio and his sons Mark, Matt and William, as well as friends Matthew Lockett and Nick Rondinella. Bender took his boat out to a fishing ground called Hudson Canyon, about 100 miles off the coast, where they started trolling for tuna. They caught a 35-pound yellowfin before changing their equipment up to hunt for swordfish and sharks, using a bait of skipjack tuna and squid. The shark would have broke the record for largest shark caught in New Jersey state history, had it not been for the fact that the men took turns reeling it in 'The fishing was slow. We were hoping for a little 200-pound mako or swordfish during the night,' Gerrity said. 'Little did I know we'd hook jaws.' The group got a bite at 11pm, and at first Gerrity thought they had hooked a very big swordfish. 'When I first saw the shark, I thought we hooked a great white shark. It didn't look real. It was the biggest fish I'd ever seen. Its head was the size of a garbage can,' Bender said. It didn't take them long to realize they had hooked something much, much bigger. When I first saw the shark, I thought we hooked a great white shark. It didn't look real. It was the biggest fish I'd ever seen. Its head was the size of a garbage can. Dave Bender, captain of the Jenny Lee The shark - which is the fastest in the world and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph - immediately started swimming away, emptying about 500 yards off the line of the reel, jumping out of the water and snapping the top of the fiberglass rod. But the group battled back, taking turns for an hour to help reel the sea monster in so that they could shoot it dead. Gerrity said that they would have thrown the shark back if it was 400 or 500 pounds, but they decided to reel it in because he thought they might be able to set a new record. The first time they shot at it, the shark sped away. The second time, they were able to injure it, and the third time proved fatal. Mark Miccio told NJ.com that the fish was so big that it kept almost pulling whoever was reeling it in overboard. Even after they killed the shark, it took another two hours to pull the shark aboard. The group then returned to the boat's dock in Brielle, where they showed off the shark at Hoffman's Marina. After posing for several pictures, Gerrity cleaned and butchered the shark, sending the group home with the 'whole fish, the jaws, the tail, everything'. 'I see a lot of mako barbecues in our future,' Mark Miccio told Philly.com. Shortfin mako sharks are a migratory species of shark that inhabit offshore areas of temperate and tropical waters. Their fins and meat are highly valued. They generally grow to be 10-feet-long and weigh between 130 to 300 pounds, but there have been many notable exceptions showing that they can grow much larger. The largest mako shark caught on record is a 1,323-pounder that was reeled in by Jason Johnston in Huntington Beach, California in 2013. The largest mako shark caught in New Jersey state history was an 856-pounder caught in 1994. A heroic Egyptian tank crew was credited with saving up to 50 people from a car bomb laden with explosives. The tank spotted the car racing towards an army checkpoint in North Sinai and drove head-on to meet them. It then proceeded to run the car over, which contained four gunmen and 100kg of explosives, while civilians could be seen fleeing for cover. The tank spotted the car (circled) racing towards an army checkpoint in North Sinai and drove head-on to meet them As the tank retreated the car exploded in a huge ball of flame, sending a shockwave rippling through the desert. Tragically seven civilians - including two children - were reported to have died. But if it had not been for the tank it is likely dozens more would have been killed. An Egyptian Army spokesperson claimed that up to 50 civilians and military personnel were saved from death. He added: 'The armed forces reiterates that such terrorist acts only strengthen our determination to continue to eradicate this terrorism in our beloved Sinai from the roots. The tank proceeded to run the car over, which contained four gunmen and 100kg of explosives, while civilians could be seen fleeing for cover 'The armed forces will continue to sacrifice all that is precious, our sons' lives, in order to preserve and protect this nation and its great people.' The Egyptian military has been waging a battle in the remote Sinai peninsula against insurgents backed by ISIS. It reportedly killed more than 40 terrorists in a new campaign against them. A military source said soldiers were staying put in locations they cleared of the militants, rather than withdrawing as in past campaigns. He said: 'After storming terrorist hideouts, the soldiers are staying there. 'The terrorist elements are fleeing and leaving their weapons behind.' ISIS has launched deadly attacks on the Egyptian military and police, most recently on a checkpoint in Sinai on July 7 that killed at least 21 soldiers. But the military, which killed the leader of the group's affiliate in Egypt last year, says it is closing in on the jihadists. Jihadists launched an insurgency in Sinai after the military overthrew the divisive Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. They have maintained a steady war of attrition with sniper attacks and roadside bombings. But unlike their parent organisation in Iraq and Syria, they have been unable to seize population centres in the peninsula bordering Israel and Gaza. David Davis today slapped down demands from Brussels for EU judges to still have power over Britain after Brexit - insisting that UK courts will be supreme when we quit the bloc. Brussels wants the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to rule on the rights of the 3.2million EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit. But the Brexit Secretary said the rights will be enforced by Britain's courts, which are known around the world for being 'trustworthy'. The row is an early sticking point in the Brexit negotiations, and the European Parliament has warned that trade talks cannot kick off until more progress on citizens rights is made. Speaking in Prague today, Mr Davis said there is a 'moral imperative' to reach a quick deal on the issue. David Davis, pictured in Prague today, said that British courts will rule on the rights of EU nationals living in Britain after Brexit - not the European Court of Justice He said: The aim, as I understand it, of the European Commission in arguing for the European Court is to give certainty to the citizens we are talking about. Now we intend that this should be put in an Act of Parliament, enforced by the British courts and I dont think anybody has ever argued that the British courts are anything other than trustworthy in terms of defending the rights of individuals. And backed up, most importantly backed up by a treaty so that the treaty itself is enforceable as well. 'Now thats the way we are going to do it. Mr Davis said a quick deal was needed to ease the concerns of the 3.2 million EU nationals living in the UK and the 1.2 million British expats in Europe. 'We want to do this quickly as a moral imperative because we want to take away the anxiety of all of those four million people and give them some certainty in their future,' he told a news conference after talks with the Czech foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek in Prague. But the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt tried to ramp up the pressure on Britain. He wrote on Twitter: 'UK jeopardises citizens' rights by remaining silent on other key issues. 'Citizens should never be bargaining chips.' Theresa May has insisted that Britain must become free from the ECJ as part of Brexit. David Davis pictured with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels last week. the pair have clashed over the role of the ECJ in Britain after we quit the Brussels club But EU officials have tried to close ranks and force the UK to bow to their demands for the court to still have a role after we quit the Brussels club. The European Parliament's cross-party Brexit steering group, headed by Mr Verhofstadt, have called for the ECJ to enforce EU citizens rights in the UK post Brexit. And so has the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier last week. During the second round of Brexit talks, Mr Barnier's team reiterated their insistence on a role for the ECJ, while new splits emerged on Britain's desire to carry out criminal record checks on EU nationals who apply for settled status in the country. Mr Verhofstadt and the group said the plan would be 'intrusive to people's privacy'. They also called for a 'mechanism' for the ECJ to play a 'full role'. European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt tried to ramp up the pressure on Britain by accusing the UK of using EU nationals as bargaining chips They said: 'The European Parliament will remain vigilant regarding citizens' rights and will continue to push for full rights for EU citizens in the UK as well as UK citizens in the EU. It is a core mission of the European project to protect, not to diminish, the fundamental rights of all citizens. 'The European Parliament specifically seeks to fully safeguard the rights concerning family reunion, comprehensive healthcare, voting rights in local elections, the transferability of (social) rights, and the rules governing permanent residence (including the right to leave the UK without losing this status). 'Simultaneously, we seek to avoid an administrative burden for citizens and want proposals which are intrusive to people's privacy off the table, eg proposed systematic criminality checks. 'Last but not least, the European Parliament wants the withdrawal agreement to be directly enforceable and with a mechanism in which the European Court of Justice can play its full role.' The group also indicated that MEPs would seek to influence Mr Barnier's decision on whether or not to recommend 'sufficient progress' in negotiations to October's European Council summit, which is required before discussions on a future trading relationship can begin. 'The European Parliament cannot be clear enough that sufficient progress means 'across the board', and not just in one or two areas,' the group said. 'The European Parliament will formally and in due time indicate when the point of 'sufficient progress' has been reached.' The University of Wyoming aims to recruit and retain more students as it moves beyond a year dominated by severe budget cuts and staffing reductions, according to a five-year plan approved by the school's board of trustees. The plan, which will act as a blueprint for UW from this year through 2022, was a priority for the school's top administrators, President Laurie Nichols and Provost Kate Miller, both of whom started at the university within the last 18 months. Nichols has said boosting enrollment -- which was down this past school year but appears set for a strong rebound -- is a priority for the school, a stance reflected in the plan. It was approved unanimously Friday by the board, according to a university press release. Official began developing the plan last fall. It included community and faculty input; Miller held a town hall to discuss the draft at Casper College in April. The plan calls for the school to hit a number of targets by 2022, including: boosting overall enrollment by nearly 1,200 students, to 13,500. increasing the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate from 76 percent to 80 percent. lifting the four-year graduation rate from 25.8 percent to 33 percent, and the six-year rate to 60 percent, up from its current 54.4 percent. "annual research funding to rise from $95.3 million to $115 million." targeting an increase in endowed faculty from 36 to 60. creating eight new degree programs and reorganizing or eliminating four more. doubling the percentage of students with Honors College credentials. UW created its Honors College earlier this year. increasing the endowment from $450 million to $650 million. The goals are ambitious, Miller acknowledges in the press release. That's especially true given recent funding reductions by the state, totaling around $41 million. As a result, the university has eliminated some 370 positions, laid off 37 staffers, cut $29 million and eliminated five degree programs. The plan "is our future," Nichols told the Star-Tribune earlier this month. "It lays out our strategic priorities," she said. "It talks about where we hope this university will be heading in five years. I'm anxious to get all the cutting behind us and really start to think about what this land-grant, flagship university needs to be for Wyoming." She added that the university was "hurting" from not having a plan, which it had lacked for years. Focus on enrollment The enrollment component is perhaps the most vital part of the plan. The university, along with the state's seven community colleges, has experienced flat or declining enrollment for years, including a decline last fall. At one point, shortly after Nichols started in May 2016, she discovered enrollment would be down roughly 600 students. After a tense summer, administrators were able to trim the decline to 190 students, but it was still the low point of years of stale enrollment, which Nichols blames largely on the school not having a blueprint for its future. The university hired a consultant to develop a strategy to boost enrollment, a mini-strategic plan that, among other things, calls for more outreach to high schools and increased cooperation with the community colleges. Those smaller institutions often act as funnels for UW, which allows students who complete community college to obtain their bachelors degree in two years. In addition to enrollment, the plan calls for "degree programs offered through distance technologies; collaborations with community colleges and K-12 schools; research funding; and private contributions to the university." Boosting revenue It also calls for boosting and diversifying revenue options, though the university has no taxing authority and is largely dependent on state dollars. Much of the remainder of its funding comes from direct energy sources, like federal mineral royalties. Chad Baldwin, spokesman for the university, said Monday that "revenue options" as meant by the plan were tuition and fee increases and broader pushes for private giving. The school has raised record amounts of private funding over the past two years, officials have said. In 2016, the UW Foundation raked in more than $60 million; in 2017, it raised roughly $53 million. The university hopes to add more distance and online students and establish an Office of Engagement and Outreach, notable goals given that the school dismantled its previous Outreach School earlier this year. Baldwin said the new office would be focused more on serving the state, like increasing the number of lecture circuits by UW professors, rather than the Outreach School's duty of recruiting students and offering coursework. Still, university officials insist their commitment to satellite campuses, like UW-Casper, remains strong. Jeff Edgens, the director at UW-C, has repeatedly said there are no plans to pull out of Casper. The plan also calls for an increase in minority students, an effort that will be aided by the chief diversity officer, a newly created position that was filled earlier this year. The plan sets a goal of 17 percent "enrollment of underrepresented students" by 2022, up from its current level of 13 percent. Baldwin said that effort included creating closer ties with historically black colleges and universities, with the hope of recruiting alumni to attend UW for graduate school. It also would emphasize Native American outreach, specifically toward Wyoming's two tribes. "The general perspective is we all know Wyoming is not particularly ethnically or racially diverse," he said. "If we want students to be prepared for a global environment ... after they graduate, they need to have experiences with people from different backgrounds. And thats whats really driving this." UW established an American Indian center earlier this year as part of that broader effort. Fernando Alvarado-Perez, 37, was arrested and is facing several rape and child endangerment charges after he allegedly attacked the girl in Geneseo in upstate New York An illegal immigrant living in New York allegedly raped a young girl multiple times when she was 12 and 13 years old, including once in front of a baby. Fernando Alvarado-Perez, 37, was arrested and is facing several rape and child endangerment charges after he allegedly attacked the girl in Geneseo in upstate New York. It is not clear when the alleged rapes took place. Alvarado-Perez is accused of having sex with the girl at least once in front of a baby. He is being held at the Livingston County Jail without bail. Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian told the Livingston County News that Alvarado-Perez told officers after his arrest that he had come to the US illegally 10 years ago. The police department initiated a new policy in May that dictates how officers are supposed to deal with illegal immigrants. They did not abide by the policy when arresting Alvarado-Perez, the chief said. 'Our officers were concerned about investigating this incident and assisting the family the best we could with referral services to other agencies,' he said. 'His immigration status wasn't a priority to us.' Alvarado-Perez was charged with first-degree rape, rape in the second degree, criminal sex act in the second degree and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Riding a mechanical bull is a skill that requires determination - and most importantly, balance. But this intrepid pup seems to have it covered. Bizarre footage from Big Bear Lake in southern California shows the pooch riding the mechanism with surprising ease - much to the amazement of passersby. Canine cowboy: Bizarre footage from Big Bear Lake in southern California shows the pooch riding the mechanism with surprising ease - much to the amazement of passersby The canine cowboy seemed carefree on the rocky ride, which would be enough to unseat the average human. As the mechanism jolts from side to side, the pup pivots expertly to maintain its balance. Spectators can be heard gasping in the background, with one woman heard exclaiming: 'This is the best dog ever!' a woman is heard exclaiming. The bizarre spectacle was captured on camera by Alexandra Moore last year and has since gone viral, clocking up thousands of views across social media. North Korea's flagship intercontinental ballistic missiles have been branded too small to hit the US with a meaningful payload, according to a team of experts. After striking fear around the world with the rocket launch on July 4 after a string of similar operations, it appears Kim Jong-un's nuclear threat is not all it seems. Scientists analysing the potential threat of the ICBMs said the missiles would be effectively useless even if they managed to reach America. A ballistic missile is paraded during a celebration at a military celebration at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang A still from a video showing the launch of the latest intercontinental ballistic missile in North Korea The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) showcasing its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile. But new information has revealed they may be falling short of the targets Kim Jong-un's army are quoting Ralph Savelsberg and James Kiessling, writing in Breaking Defense, looked at the KN-14 or the Hwasong-14 - North Korea's flagship missile. At full range, they said the ICBM's accuracy was so bad that it would only be able to land around 19 miles from its intended target. The authors said: 'Capabilities exceed the arbitrary 5,500 km range value, but its not really a useful ICBM. 'Its too small and too close to zero payload at useful ranges.' This means the rocket might be able to travel thousands of miles, but once it got to the end of its journey it would be rendered useless. How far would missile have to travel from Pyongyang to reach the US? US Naval Base in Guam: 2,114 miles Hawaii: 4,727 miles San Francisco: 5,588 miles Los Angeles: 5,935 miles New York: 6,783 miles Washington, DC: 6,857 miles Advertisement Savelsberg and Kiessling also noted Kim Jong-un's state press could not be relied upon for a true reflection of statistics for the country's weapons. A US scientist examining the height and distance of the missile launched on Independence Day said it 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.' Kim Jong-un said it was 'a gift for American b******s'. President Donald Trump responded to say it was 'very, very bad behavior' and said that there would be 'consequences' for Pyongyang's belligerence. The 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. Korean People's Army (KPA) tanks are displayed during a military parade marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, in Pyongyang on April 15, 2017 The dictator's defence ministry have spent the majority of this year promoting its nuclear strength, and although some experts have rubbished it as propaganda, some believe they are making strides. After a launch last month, aerospace expert John Schilling said it 'represents a level of performance never before seen from a North Korean missile'. 'It appears to have not only demonstrated an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that might enable them to reliably strike the US base at Guam, but more importantly, may represent a substantial advance to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).' The missile was deliberately fired at the highest angle to avoid affecting neighbouring countries' security, but had it been launched at a standard trajectory, it would have reached at least 2,500 miles (4,000km) - almost half the 5,500 miles (8,851 km) required to reach the US mainland. South Korea's defence minister said following the test fire the launch shows Kim's missile programme is progressing faster than expected. The details of the launch reported by KCNA were largely consistent with South Korean and Japanese assessments in that it flew further and higher than an intermediate-range missile (IRBM) tested in February from the same region, northwest of Pyongyang. KCNA said the test launch verified the homing feature of the warhead that allowed it to survive 'under the worst re-entry situation' and accurately detonate. The claim, if true, could mark an advancement in the North's ICBM program exceeding most expectations, said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. The reclusive North, which has defied all calls to rein in its weapons programmes, even from its lone major ally, China, has been working on a missile, mounted with a nuclear warhead, capable of striking the US mainland. US President Donald Trump's administration has called for an immediate halt to Pyongyang's provocations and has warned that the 'era of strategic patience' with North Korea is over. A proud father missed his son's graduation after an airline cancelled his seat because they needed the space for extra fuel. David Podger, 58, was shocked when he was held back at the airport after checking in, despite having booked a ticket for the flight five weeks in advance. The consultancy firm director had intended to travel from Southampton Airport to Leeds Bradford Airport to see Thomas graduate with a degree in journalism. And after watching the other passengers board a transfer bus ready for the flight, Mr Podger was then told the airline had reduced the number of seats. David Podger (left) had intended to travel from Southampton Airport to Leeds Bradford Airport to see Thomas (right) graduate with a degree in journalism A spokesperson from Eastern Airways said they had taken on extra fuel due to a storm being forecast, meaning two passengers could not travel. Mr Podger said he was shocked that passengers were shepherded all the way to a bus at the departure gate before he was told he could not board. He said: 'I had booked the ticket about five weeks in advance of the flight to see my son graduating from Leeds Trinity University. 'When I arrived at the airport they intimated to me at the check-in desk that there was a problem, but did not say what the issue was or what the consequences were. 'They told me to go to the gate, but only after the rest of the passengers had passed through to get on to a bus to take them to the flight did they say I was not able to board. 'The staff knew it was not going to be a popular decision so they managed the situation by getting everyone else on the bus and then telling me and one other passenger the news. 'When I explained what I was travelling for, the staff did ask the pilot if he could check if anyone would give up their seat for me so I could still get to the graduation. 'But the plane was due to stop at Leeds and then carry on to Aberdeen and they said they would only offer the 100 compensation to anyone going all the way to Aberdeen. Mr Podger had chosen to fly to his son's graduaition as he is currently performing at a Shakespeare festival in his hometown and was on stage the night before the flight 'No one gave up their seat and the staff were very apologetic.' Mr Podger, of Petersfield, Hants, had chosen to fly as he is currently performing at a Shakespeare festival in his hometown and was on stage the night before the flight. He was also due back the same day as the flight, July 20, to perform again that evening. The 58-year-old said: 'I had planned the trip so I could see Tom's graduation ceremony. 'They did offer me a later flight to Leeds, but that would have arrived after the ceremony had finished. Eastern Airways, which operated the flight, are yet to contact Mr Podger with an apology or offer of compensation, but he says nothing can make up for what he missed. He said: 'The compensation for being denied a seat on a flight like this is only a couple of hundred pounds. 'But this is not really something you can compensate - they cannot get the university to redo the ceremony just for me. 'The problem I have is they say they did not overbook the flight, but instead had to reduce numbers on the plane due to operational reasons. 'But as an airline company running many flights, they surely know weather and circumstances are ever-changing and should not fully book a flight if they know this can and will happen.' A spokesperson for Eastern Airways said: 'The captain operating the flight from Southampton to Leeds made a decision to increase the fuel load due to forecasted en route thunderstorm activity. 'The additional fuel was necessary for any diversionary requirements during the flight, resulting in the need to offload two passengers to allow the flight to depart safely. 'As a result, the 29 seat Jetstream 41 departed Southampton with 26 passengers on board, leaving two passengers behind. 'We sincerely regret this resulted in Mr Podger missing a special occasion. Our staff did offer to accommodate him on the next flight to Leeds and a meet and greet service at the airport with ongoing transport to Leeds University, which was declined. 'Our customer support team has not been contacted by Mr Podger, however he is entitled to a full refund.' Council leader Elizabeth Campbell outside her Chelsea home earlier this month The beleaguered leader of Kensington and Chelsea council has come under fire after it was revealed she owns a 1 million second home. Elizabeth Campbell owns a farmhouse on the Isle of Wight originally bought through a family trust and a company registered in an offshore tax haven. The newly-elected chief has already faced calls to resign after it she admitted she had never been in a high-rise housing block before the Grenfell Tower disaster. At least 80 people are feared dead from the Grenfell Tower inferno, which ripped through the residential building on June 14. Those who did manage to flee the fire are still waiting for new homes, with many forced to live in hotels and bed and breakfasts. The Isle of Wight farmhouse was purchased in 1996 by Ridewell Holdings Limited, a company based in the British Virgin Islands and owned by a family trust set up by Mrs Campbell's late father. Ownership of the property was held in the trust for more than two decades but transferred to her from the fund last week, according to the London Evening Standard. Mrs Campbell lives with her family in a multi-million pound townhouse in Chelsea but has been branded 'out of touch' with some of the residents she represents. The Isle of Wight farmhouse was purchased in 1996 by Ridewell Holdings Limited, a company based in the British Virgin Islands and owned by a family trust set up by Mrs Campbell's late father Mrs Campbell (pictured at a council meeting on July 19), has faced calls to resign after it was revealed she had never been in a high-rise housing block before the Grenfell Tower disaster Asked whether she had been in any Grenfell-style buildings before the tragedy, Mrs Campbell said: 'I hadn't been into the high rise council clocks before but I am certainly doing that now.' Mrs Campbell took over from Nicholas Paget-Brown earlier this month after he resigned amid a wave of outrage about the council's handing of the crisis. The married mother-of-four was elected to the council in 2001 and has represented the Royal Hospital ward since 2006. Yvette Williams, of the Justice4Grenfell group, said details about Mrs Campbell' s second home would be 'incredibly damaging' to survivors' trust in the council. Labour MP for Kensington Emma Dent Coad said: 'For Grenfell survivors, who could never dream of owning a second home let alone being able to place it in an offshore tax haven, this must be explained to their total satisfaction if she wishes to gain their trust.' The fire tore through Grenfell Tower within minutes setting it alight like a tinderbox Mrs Campbell admitted she has not been inside a council housing block like Grenfell before Former council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown resigned over the council's handling of the fire SURVIVORS SLAM APPOINTMENT OF LEADER The selection of a former council cabinet member to lead the local authority at the centre of the Grenfell Tower fire is 'completely unacceptable', a survivors' group campaigner has said. Kensington Conservatives nominated Elizabeth Campbell to take over from Nicholas Paget-Brown and lead the embattled Kensington and Chelsea Council. Mr Paget-Brown stepped down amid fierce criticism of the council's response to the Grenfell tragedy. In her first public statement, Mrs Campbell said she was 'truly sorry' and pledged to 'heal the wounds' in the community. But Sue Caro, a co-ordinator of the Justice 4 Grenfell group that represents survivors, said she had no confidence in the leadership of the council and called for it to be dissolved. She said: 'I know that she has a track record that's not considered to be particularly good. 'I know that she was a cabinet member already - it's completely unacceptable. It's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 'They have shown they are not fit to run a council or deliver the services that are needed and I don't really think it matters who is the leader.' Advertisement Mrs Campbell told MailOnline: 'I am very happy to clarify ownership of the family farmhouse in the Isle of Wight. 'It was owned by a Trust set up by my late father and we have used it for over 20 years. 'Following conclusion of a process that began in Autumn 2016, the property is now owned by me personally. 'All proper taxes have always been paid on this property.' Just days ago, boos and shouts of 'shame on you' had earlier rung out from the chamber in Kensington Town Hall as Mrs Campbell was formally elected new leader of Kensington and Chelsea council. Relatives of those killed called for mass resignations, with survivor Mahad Egal telling councillors: 'You have murdered us. 'There is manslaughter here... You have committed a crime against all of us here.' The new leader was heckled as she addressed the chamber and at times could not be heard amid the yells of 'resign', prompting calls for order. A petition signed by 1,500 people demanded the resignation of the entire council leadership, with resident Eve Wedderburn telling councillors: 'We do not recognise your right to govern our community.' Mrs Campbell added: 'People will judge me for what I do over the coming days, weeks, and months for the survivors of the tragic fire at Grenfell. 'This is my utmost focus and priority. 'They can already judge me on my track record running services for young people and families across the Borough. At least 80 people are feared dead from the Grenfell Tower inferno, which ripped through the residential building on June 14 'As new leader, I have given a cast-iron commitment to transform the Council's support for victims and survivors. Not only have I promised to build more social housing across the Borough but I immediately directed that reserves should be used to purchase 31 homes in Hortensia Road for victims and survivors. 'The allocation of these flats to victims and survivors along with 68 flats in Kensington Row will start this week. In addition on Friday we purchased five flats in Kensington and plan to buy a further 15. This is only the start. 'I promised residents of the Grenfell Walkways that we will refurbish their estate. We share the same vision that whatever we do should be the model for social housing in the future. 'Since becoming leader I have met survivors and victims and will continue to do so regularly to ensure we deliver whatever is needed for Grenfell residents to rebuild their lives. This Council, under my leadership, will be with them every step of the way. 'Judge me on my actions as my residents will in the Council elections next year.' Residents of a Maine city are exchanging trash bags for baggies to get trashed with, as part of an exchange deal with a local medical marijuana shop. Last week Dennis Meehan, owner of Summit Medical Marijuana in Gardiner, announced that he would give out two garbage bags to everyone who applied - and exchange a full bag of trash for a gram of weed at the end of the day. His first run, held on Saturday, attracted dozens of people who filled up more than 100 bags, Central Maine reported - making it a green effort in more ways than one. Bag it up: Dennis Meehan (left), a Gardiner, Maine medical marijuana distributor, got locals to fill more than 100 bags with street trash (left) in exchange for a gram of weed per bag Thinking green: Although sales of weed for recreational use are barred in Maine at present, gifting it for recreational purposes is allowed; since Meehan didn't charge, it was all legal Meehan, who was inspired by a similar event at a store in Colorado, said that despite the incentive he offered, most people were motivated by their hearts, not their lungs. 'Its really people coming together, it was a special thing to see people being selfless and giving their time on a really hot and sunny day,' the budding community organizer said. 'A gram is a really small amount. People were doing it because they are caring individuals.' Some even collected trash just to clean up the streets, he said, and refused his offer of the weed. In the end, the hundred-plus bags - some of which which Meehan photographed spilling out of a dumpster - were taken for free by Riverside Disposal. High ambitions: Meehan said he was inspired to use marijuana to unite the community and clean up the city by another project in Colorado - and now hopes to take it statewide Although federal laws still put marijuana on the same Schedule I list as heroin, it has been legal for recreational use in Maine since January. However, stores for are still blocked from opening until state lawmakers have finished putting together regulatory rules - leaving medical dispensaries like Meehan's the only legal suppliers in the state. Meehan, however, made use of a loophole that says it is not illegal to make free gifts of the drug to those over 21. In fact, he spoke to Police Chief James Toman the day before the event in order to make sure that what he was doing was within the bounds of the law. Toman advised Meehan to encourage people to be careful for traffic, but said otherwise everything was in order. 'If [the trash] all came from roadsides, and Gardiner is cleaner as a result, even though not everybody agrees with legalization, if a little good can come out of it, this may be it,' Toman said. 'The Meehans seem to want to be positive contributors to the Gardiner community.' It doesn't have to end at the city's borders, either, said Meehan, who got into medical marijuana distribution after seeing it help his grandparents as they were suffering pancreatic cancer and heart disease. 'I'd like to see this become a thing in every community,' he enthussed, 'because we love our state and would really like to see people come together. 'Thats what we need as a state. We need unity.' The driver of the tractor-trailer that was found stuffed with immigrants - 10 of them dead - had driven on a suspended license, it emerged Tuesday. James Matthew Bradley Jr had his commercial truck-driving privileges suspended three months ago; on Sunday 40 people were found crammed inside his broiling-hot truck outside a San Antonio Walmart, police said. His suspension was placed because he failed to show a medical card proving he is fit to drive a truck - possibly because he lost a leg to diabetes last year. James Mathew Bradley Jr (center), 60, has been charged after cops found his truck in San Antonio on Sunday containing 40 illegal immigrants - 10 of whom died in the intense heat The truck had no ventilation and people inside, including children, were left begging for water. Bradley failed to present a medical card three months ago that would allow him to keep driving Under federal law Bradley, 60, had been required to provide the state with a current medical card, which federal law requires commercial drivers to supply to show they are physically fit for the road. Unable or unwilling to do that, he found his license suspended on April 12, Alexis Bakofsky, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said. She added that it would have been illegal for Bradley to have held a second license from another state. Florida state records show that his medical card on file expired on March 15 and he was notified to update it. He never did. Bradley's fiance said that he is from Florida originally but had been spending most of his time in Louisville as his health worsened. Bradley had diabetes that he hadn't properly treated, she said, and had to have a series of amputations, most recently the removal of his leg this spring. It is not clear if those medical conditions were related to the disqualification of his commercial driver's license. Bradley lost a leg to untreated diabetes last year - which may explain why he didn't present the medical card. One survivor said he had been told that the truck would have air conditioning 'The medical card certification is extremely serious business. Drivers watch it like hawks because you can't drive a truck without it,' said Kenneth S Armstrong, the president of the Florida Trucking Association. 'When you're moving a 50, 60, 70, 80,000-pound vehicle along the road, we hold those people to a higher health standard than a typical passenger car driver.' The law requires commercial drivers to be screened by a doctor for serious medical conditions that might impair their ability to safely operate their vehicles. Bradley, a lifelong truck driver, had worked for Pyle Transportation, a trucking company in Iowa, for several years, and was preparing to strike out on his own once he got a prosthetic leg this month. Authorities say that many of the survivors in Bradley's truck had to be taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration and heat stroke. One of the immigrants who survived said that he had paid $5,500 for passage in the truck, which was supposed to have air conditioning. Bradley now faces charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain resulting in death, possibly punishable by life in prison or the death penalty. Bradley claims he stopped the truck at this Walmart and found the immigrants in the back when he returned from using the bathroom A U.S. senator was caught Tuesday on a 'hot mic,' telling a colleague that a congressman who had challenged her to a duel over her health care positions is 'fat' and 'unattractive.' Maine Sen. Susan Collins was one of three Republican women in the upper chamber of Congress last week who held up a GOP-led package that would have repealed and replaced the Obamacare law. Rep. Blake Farenthold, a fellow Republican from Texas, told a radio host that if she were 'a guy from south Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style.' At the conclusion of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Collins was heard talking with Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed. 'Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel?' Collins asks him. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins (left) responded to Blake Farenthold's criticisms with an open-mic lashing on Tuesday, calling him 'fat,' 'huge' and 'unattractive' 'I know,' Reed replies. 'Trust me do you know why he challenged you to a duel?Because you could beat the s**t out of him!' Collins' decision to be a health care holdout along with Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia was 'absolutely repugnant,' Farenthold had told KEYS-AM radio in Corpus Christi. He blamed 'some female senators from the Northeast' for having issues with the mainstream GOP's plan. Later in the hot-mic audio, Collins gets into the hirsute Farenthold's appearance: 'What a fat guy. He's huge.' 'He's so unattractive. It's unbelievable,' she said. Collins also reminded Reed about an infamous photo of the married father of two, in rubber-ducky pajamas, next to a lingerie model at a fundraiser before he was elected to Congress. 'Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas, next to this bunny this Playboy bunny?' she asked in amazement. The married father-of-two Farenthold, seen in an infamous photo taken at a themed fundraiser, had slammed Collins for being a holdout against an Obamacare repeal measure Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island told Collins that Farenthold only challenged her to a duel because she could 'beat the s**t out of him' in a fistfight Farenthold's mention of Aaron Burr was a nod to the 1804 firearms duel in which Vice President Aaron Burr killed former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Asked about the odd challenge, Collins told the Associated Press: 'In the 20 years that I've been in the Senate, I've heard a lot of suggestions for how to resolve disagreements. But this is the first time that anyone has suggested a duel.' 'And as far as I know, dueling is illegal in every state. He'll be disappointed, I guess.' Farenthold has a colorful history that might get him bounced from Congress anywhere but south Texas. Buzzfeed discovered in December 2014 that he had registered the Internet domain 'blow-me.org' back in 1999. His spokesman said he never used it. Collins (left) was one of three Republican women in the Senate another was Alaska's Lisa Murkowski (right) who said last week that they wouldn't vote for the Obamacare repeal and put themselves in the arm-twisting crosshairs of President Donald Trump At about the same time a former communications director to the tea party congressman sued him for wrongful termination, alleging that he sexually harassed her on multiple occasions. Lauren Greene claimed he 'regularly drank to excess' and had 'a tendency to flirt' at Capitol Hill functions with women who were not his wife. On one occasion Farenthold allegedly told his aides that a 'female lobbyist had propositioned him for a "threesome."' On another, Greene says, the congressman told her that he and his 'estranged' wife Debbie had not had sex in years. Greene also charged that after the chief of staff complained that her shirt was 'transparent' and he could see her nipples, Farenthold told his personal assistant that as far as he was concerned, Greene 'could show her nipples whenever she wanted to.' And she said Farenthold told another staff member that he had 'sexual fantasies' and 'wet dreams' about her. The case was settled out of court in 2015. Investigators in South Carolina have revealed that a mother used a gun she stole from her parents to shoot dead her two children, a woman she believed to be her estranged husband's new girlfriend and then herself as part of an elaborate revenge plot. Pickens County Chief Deputy Creed Hashe said 36-year-old Jessica Edens called her estranged husband twice on July 13 - once around the time she killed her son and daughter, and again before committing suicide. Hashe said the same .40-caliber handgun used to kill 28-year-old Meredith Rahme in a parking garage below downtown Greenville apartments was used to kill 9-year-old Hayden King and 5-year-old Harper Edens. Scroll down for video Scorned wife: Jessica Edens, 36, (left) shot 28-year-old her estranged husband's suspected new girlfriend, Meredith Leigh Rahme (right), on July 13 as part of a revenge plot Edens then used the same gun, which she had stolen from her parents, to shoot in the head her nine-year-old son from a past relationship, Hayden, and five-year-old daughter Harper (pictured) Hashe said in a news release Monday that text messages show Jessica Edens making plans to 'create everlasting consequences' for her estranged husband, Benjamin Edens, after a Family Court hearing over the custody of their daughter, which left her feeling 'distraught.' The investigation has confirmed that Jessica Edens drove her black Jeep SUV directly from the parking garage in Greenville just moments after Rahme was murdered near the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, where it was later discovered by a passing motorist. FULL STATEMENT FROM SHERIFF CLARK: 'As we struggle to understand how a parent could possibly come to a decision such as this, we have to focus on tomorrow and the opportunity to provide services and solutions to those that feel that their life and the lives of their loved ones must end in order to find peace. We live in a stressful world during difficult times but there are resources that stand ready to offer help and assist you if you feel that you have no other options left in life. Please reach out to law enforcement so that we can be the bridge to lead you to a road of recovery. In time, you will see that all things come to pass and you too can become a stronger person with hope and faith in a brighter future. All of us need a helping hand from time to time as we walk through life and asking for help is not a sign of weakness that any of us should be ashamed of.' Advertisement Based on a phone call made by Mrs Edens to her husband while he was in the presence of Greenville authorities, along with other evidence, it is believed siblings Hayden and Harper were shot by their mother while seated in the rear cargo area of the SUV. There were no signs of a struggle. Detectives believe the mother killed her children before she made what would be her final phone call to her husband, and then she turned the gun on herself as she sat in the backseat of the Jeep with their bodies. As previously reported, first responders found the Jeep locked and with the engine still running at around 5pm on July 13. Deputies used a baton to break the drivers side window in order to get inside. There, they found Edens, her son and daughter all dead. Autopsies performed on the deceased the following day determined that each person had a single gunshot wound to the head. A statement from Sheriff Rick Clark read, in part: 'As we struggle to understand how a parent could possibly come to a decision such as this, we have to focus on tomorrow and the opportunity to provide services and solutions to those that feel that their life and the lives of their loved ones must end in order to find peace.' The shooter is believed to have accused Rahme (pictured) of being a 'homewrecker' in an anonymous online post the day before the murders Harper (left) and Hayden (right) each died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Police found no signs of struggle in the back of their mother's SUV DailyMail.com reported earlier this month that Rahme was the target of an anonymous online attack posted on July 12 and since deleted. 'This little girl has no self respect and no morals. She dates married men who have children and she doesnt even want or like kids,' the vicious post attacking Rahme read. 'Her character speaks enough for her. Remember homewrecker, that karma is a b---h, just like you. You will get what you deserve,' the screed went on, posted to a website that ostensibly identifies 'homewreckers'. Two hours after Rahme was shot, deputies found the suspect SUV locked and running with Edens and her two children inside, each dead from a single shot to the head seven miles away in Easley, Pickens County Chief Deputy Creed Hashe said. Hashe called it a 'graphic and horrific' scene. The .40-caliber handgun was found inside the SUV. Rahme had called police twice less than three weeks ago to ask how she could deal with harassing text messages, phone calls and online postings from Edens, Thomas said. Police approached this SUV which was locked and still running near Greenville, South Carolina Officers smashed the driver's side window of the car to gain access to the vehcile Police said Edens and her two children had fatal gunshot wounds to their heads when they discovered the three inside Edens' locked SUV with the engine running Edens' estranged husband had called Easley police on July 12 to ask them to check on their daughter shortly after he received a disturbing text message from Edens and the two had been in court to discuss custody of the 5-year-old girl, authorities said. The officer who went to the home found the family planning to eat popcorn and watch a movie. One of the children was speaking to the husband, according to the police report. The officer asked Edens if there was any chance she could get back with her husband and she said instead she was going to expose his yearlong affair in court, the police report said. Rahme worked with Edens' husband, Thomas said. He refused to give any other details about their relationship. Thomas said authorities had no indication Edens was planning violence before the shooting. 'There is some indication that about the time of the custody decision that she had some sense of inflicting violence either on the children or on herself or both. But that wasn't discovered until after she was discovered last night,' Thomas said. Rahme was found dead in the driver's seat of her car, authorities said. Thomas said the tragedy of the shooting touched several families. 'It is important to remember there are fathers who have lost children to this senseless violence and our heart goes out to them,' Thomas said. Senate Republicans are not taking kindly to President Trump knocking one of their own, as the president continues to beat up on his attorney general, former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. Just this morning, Trump had tweeted that Sessions was 'VERY week' on punishing the president's former political rival, Hillary Clinton, for her 'crimes.' 'I don't understand it. There's no more honorable person I've ever met in my life than Jeff Sessions,' Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., told McClatchy. 'The only person who is more upset with Trump about this than me, is my wife,' Inhofe added. Scroll down for video President Trump (left) has continued to use Twitter to attack his Attorney General Jeff Sessions (right), which is not earning him much applause among Republicans senators on Capitol Hill On Tuesday morning, President Trump again blasted his Attorney General Jeff Sessions with another tweet, this time saying he should have gone after Hillary Clinton Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., was miffed that President Trump was attacking Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying Trump's jabs upset him and his wife, Kay Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. (left), and Mike Lee, R-Utah, (right) both jumped to defend Attorney General Jeff Sessions after President Trump attacked him Both Inhofe and his wife Kay have been friends with Sessions for years. Sessions had been a senator since 1997, before taking the job at the helm of the Justice Department earlier this year. His Alabama Republican counterpart, Sen. Richard Shelby, cited a working relationship that went back those 20 years, when defending Sessions on Fox News earlier today. 'I know him well,' Shelby said. 'I'm going to say Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity, he's a man of purpose, he's a man of substance and he's going to be hard to replace.' 'I hope he will stay,' Shelby added. When asked how the Senate would react if Sessions was fired, Shelby suggested it would be a very bad idea for Trump to do such a thing. 'I think it wouldn't be well received on Capitol Hill because Jeff Sessions has a lot of friends who respect him on both sides of the aisle,' Shelby said, adding that Sessions had no choice but to recuse himself from the Russia investigation since he'd been doing work for the Trump campaign. That decision is the crux of what has irritated Trump. Sessions' former Senate colleague, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, used Twitter Tuesday morning to defend his friend Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., dashed off six tweets scolding President Trump for his condemnations of Jeff Sessions, especially in the president's bringing up of Hillary Clinton On Tuesday morning, Trump offered his latest take on Sessions: ' 'Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!' Trump wrote in his latest anti-Sessions tweet. Bringing Clinton into it particularly annoyed Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who blasted the president using a handful of tweets. 'President Trump's tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate,' Graham said in the fourth of six tweets he wrote on the matter. 'Prosecutorial decisions should be based on applying facts to the law without hint of political motivation,' Graham added in the fifth. 'To do otherwise is to run away from the long-standing American tradition of separating the law from politics regardless of party,' the South Carolina Republican concluded. Several other Republican senators publicly chided the president too. Breaking from his colleagues, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had a laundry list of reasons he thought Jeff Sessions was doing a bad job, including advocating for mandatory minimums and against local and state pot laws 'Jeff Sessions is a friend, former colleague and & honorable person,' said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Tuesday on Twitter. 'He's a man of deep conviction & principle who believes in the rule of law.' Speaking during a committee hearing, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told his associates, 'Even though he and I disagree from time to time, I find him to be a man of integrity, a man who led the Department of Justice in what I regard to be a positive direction.' Then there was Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who wholly disagreed. On CNN Tuesday afternoon, Paul pointed to Sessions' stances on marijuana, mandatory minimums and civil asset forfeiture. 'I would like to see the attorney general quit going after poor people and their money who have not been convicted of anything,' Paul said on the latter. He noted how his disagreements with Sessions have been 'more substantive' than the president's, but suggested they were both unimpressed. 'The president and I may have different reasons for [saying] the attorney general's not doing a good job,' Paul said. 'We're basically on the same side in a sense that the attorney general needs to, I think, change his course with regard to criminal justice.' Paul said the president was in the right for being annoyed with Sessions, too. 'I do think the president is in some ways justified in being upset that the attorney general has left him open to this whole idea of a special prosecutor looking into every aspect of his entire life,' Paul said. Two core values that Montanans share make our state great: a deep respect for private property rights as well as a dedication to public land. Defending both of these values is essential to our way of life. Montana is blessed with 28 million acres of public land that supports hunting, hiking, camping, and countless other outdoor pursuits. However, the majority of Montanas land is in private ownership. Unlike some Western states that are a majority public land, and Eastern states that are all private, Montana enjoys a mix. This balance of public and private land is crucial to our outdoor traditions and our farming and ranching heritage. Generations of Montanans have hunted both private and public lands. Our livestock industry, and the communities that depend on it, also rely on public and private land. Montanans deeply respect private property and at the same time are dedicated to protecting public access to public land. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 60 percent of Montanans hunt on private land. It is in everyones interest to provide incentives and financial support for landowners who wish to allow access to their land. This provides opportunity for hunters, and it benefits landowners by controlling the damage that elk, deer and other game cause to crops and fences. Montana has a suite of solid programs for private landowners who want to allow public access: Block Management provides cash compensation to hundreds of landowners for hunter access. Unlocking State Lands gives a tax credit for access across private land to landlocked state parcels. Numerous locally-based collaborative efforts such as the Devils Kitchen Working Group near Cascade bring landowners and hunters together to forge access agreements. Last legislative session, the Montana Wildlife Federation worked with other sportsmens and agricultural groups to increase compensation to landowners in Block Management and renew the Unlocking State Lands program. MWF and other groups are also working together to forge better relations between landowners and hunters to open up more private lands to hunting. Even as we work to support private landowners who provide access to their land, we also must maintain a strong defense of public access to public land. This includes protecting legally recognized public roads and trails and defending access to public streams. Its unfortunate that there are people who want to limit the ability of Montanans to access our public lands, often so they can profit personally from that access. Because private property rights are such an important Montana value, people sometimes claim them as their excuse for blocking access to public land. Its a distraction. Illegally blocking legal access to public property is not the same as deciding what happens on your private property. Its an affront to legitimate property rights, and its unfair to all Montanans to play private property rights against public land access. Montanans need leaders who will support private property rights and public access rights. This means continuing to provide incentives and support for private landowners to expand access to their land. It also means standing up for public land managers who defend public access, and not just talking the talk about access. The current controversy surrounding public access in the Crazy Mountains illustrates how important it is that we support and defend the professional employees who are working to protect public access and private property. Working together, and being honest about private property rights and public land access, is the best way to protect our Montana values and outdoor heritage. An elephant handler at a Zimbabwean wildlife reserve has been trampled to death by a trained jumbo while trying to herd the massive beast into a pen. Enock Kufandada, 50, who worked for Adventure Zone in Zimbabwe bringing tourists for rides on the domesticated elephants. However, Kufandada was killed in the town of Victoria Falls by an elephant known as Mbanje. Enock Kafandada, centre, was killed by Mbanje the elephant, left, at Victoria Falls Kafandada, was trampled to death by the elephant owned by Adventure Zone in Zimbabwe The company has launched an investigation into Kufundada's death. Managing director of Adventure Zone Brent Williamson told the Independent the investigation was coming up with blanks: 'Its really hard as it happened in an isolated area. 'Why would an animal react like that unless provoked?' The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority shot Mbanje dead after the attack. Before killing Kufandada, Mbanje had ben grazing with a female elephant called Nkanyezi after bringing tourists for a ride. Kufandada had been working with the elephants since 2005 and was very experienced. The Zimbabwe Chronicle reported Kufandada was married and had two children. A 38-year-old Massachusetts man accused of impregnating an 11-year-old girl has denied raping the child, and instead suggested that she might have become pregnant by having sex with him as he slept. Justin Armstrong, of Springfield, was ordered held on bail after pleading not guilty Monday to forcible child rape. His defense lawyer said he denies the allegations, is cooperating with investigators and voluntarily submitted a DNA sample for testing. Disturbing case: Justin Armstrong, 38, has been accused of impregnating an 11-year-old girl (not pictured) but has denied the claims, suggesting that she might have raped him while he slept (stock photo) Prosecutors say Armstrong initially told police the girl said she had been abused by a younger relative. But when he heard she was four months pregnant, they say Armstrong raised the possibility that she raped him while he slept, reported The Springfield Republican. Armstrong was arrested on Friday, two weeks after the victim broke her silence and revealed the alleged abuse to a friend of her mother's. The girl has not been named due to her age and the sexual nature of the crime. When interviewed by police, the child claimed that the 38-year-old man had molested her for 18 months, and that the abuse involved various sex acts. According to the girl, Armstrong had told her on multiple occasions that if she spoke up, he would get arrested. The girl's pregnancy was confirmed by doctors on or around July 9, and then aborted. Results of DNA testing performed on the fetal tissue are pending. Armstrong's defense attorney on Monday asked a judge to set his bail at $3,000, arguing that he grew up in the Springfield area, has no past criminal record and is not a flight risk. The judge was not swayed by the lawyer's arguments and set his bail at $50,000. Armstrong was also prohibited from making any contact with the victim. He is due back in court on August 4. A two-month-old baby boy died in his mother's arms after she fell asleep while breastfeeding him inside of their home Tuesday morning, police say. Caleb Choi was found unconscious and unresponsive when officers with the NYPD responded to the Staten Island home on Arden Avenue around 5.30am after his mother called 911. The infant was transported to Staten Island University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A two-month-old baby boy died in his mother's arms after she fell asleep while breastfeeding him inside of their Staten Island home (above) Tuesday morning, police say The medical examiner will determine the baby's cause of death. The baby did not have any obvious signs of trauma, the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said in a statement. Police sources told the New York Daily News that the baby may have died when an adult rolled onto him. Caleb Choi was found unresponsive when officers with the NYPD responded to the Staten Island home after his mother called 911. The infant was transported to Staten Island University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The NYPD's (file photo) investigation is ongoing Authorities believe Choi died of accidental suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a police source told the Daily News. Choi's mother, whose name has not been publicly released, is not facing any charges at this time. The NYPD's investigation is ongoing. Senate Republicans assembled the votes to move to a controversial bill to repeal Obamacare Tuesday afternoon, with a last-minute boost from ailing Sen. John McCain. The Senate moved to debate an Obamacare repeal bill by a vote of 50 to 50 with Vice President breaking the tie. But protesters seized a key moment as the final vote approached by standing and pleading with lawmakers: 'Don't kill us, kill the bill.' As the Senate clerk ticked through the votes on a pivotal motion to proceed to the health care bill, just two Republicans broke ranks: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Arizona Sen. John McCain speaks in the Senate after providing critical vote to take up Obamacare repeal The GOP was able to withstand two, but not three, defections in order to take up the bill. Vice President Mike Pence cast the vote to break the tie once the GOP got 50 votes. After the vote, President Trump cheered McCain for 'making the trip,' then unloaded on Collins and Murkowski. 'We had two Republicans that went against us, which is very sad, I think. Its very very sad for them,' Trump said. As for where the bill ends up, Trump was vague. 'We have a lot of options and a lot of great options,' he said. Just two Republican senators, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and McCain, had yet to vote for several minutes while the vote stood at 48 to 2, with all Democrats holding back. Sen. John McCain provided a critical vote, giving Republicans 50 votes to debate their Obamcare repeal As the vote stood at 48 to 2, Johnson stood in the Senate chamber speaking to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who announced the controversial strategy of moving to bring up a House-passed Obamacare repeal to open up debate. Then, McCain made a dramatic entrance to the chamber, while his colleagues burst into applause. He flew back from Arizona, appearing in the Senate for the first time since his brain cancer diagnosis. Immediately after delivering a critical vote to advance a key priority of Republicans and President Trump, McCain blasted the process that the GOP deployed to advance the legislation. He criticized 'coming up with a proposal behind closed doors,' 'springing it on skeptical members,' and arguing that 'it's better than nothing.' 'We are not the presidents subordinates. We are his equal,' the 2008 GOP presidential nominee said, to a smattering of applause. A protestor is escorted out of the United States Senate Chambers in plastic handcuffs by a US Capitol Police Officer after interrupting the vote on whether or not to proceed towards the repeal of the Affordable Care Act at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, United States on July 25, 2017 United States Capitol Police officer load protestors into an elevator after their arrest for protesting in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. The protesters oppose a senate republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act also known as Obama Care President Donald Trump is predicting a 'great victory' for Republicans today in the Senate vote that will determine whether debate begins on an Obamacare repeal bill As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke in support of the motion, just as the clerk was about to take the pivotal vote, a group of more than 10 protesters stood up inside the the Senate visitors gallery. Kill the bill! Kill the bill! they chanted, while stunned senators remained in their seats and watched on in silence. Capitol Police began removing the protesters one-by-one, but had to leave a large contingent while they brought others out of the chamber. Shame! Shame! Shame the remaining protesters chanted while theyre cohort. Immediately afterwards, a large group of Capitol Police were seen processing protesters with white plastic handcuffs. This is a crime scene, said a member of the Senate Sargeant at Arms staff, who tried to push reporters and photographers away. McCain returned to Washington Tuesday afternoon as they moved to take up a controversial House health care bill President Donald Trump is predicting a 'great victory' for Republicans today in the Senate vote that will determine whether debate begins on an Obamacare repeal bill. 'ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand,' Trump tweeted. Sen. John McCain arrives in Washington, D.C. ahead of health care bill vote The president also gave McCain a hero's welcome back to Washington on Tuesday as the Capitol braced itself for the vote that's a linchpin to Trump's domestic policy agenda. McCain, who's recovering from brain surgery, could be the decider in the procedural motion that needs 51 votes to pass. The GOP holds 52 seats in the Senate and can lean on the vice president in case of a tie. 'So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero!' Trump said of the man he once derided as 'not a war hero' because he was captured and held prisoner in North Vietnam. The GOP holds 52 seats in the Senate and can lean on the vice president in case of a tie. It needs 51 votes to pass the motion to begin debate today In the face of defeat, Trump said the man he once derided as 'not a war hero' because he was captured and held prisoner as a solider fighting in Vietnam was a 'Brave- American hero' The president gave McCain a hero's welcome back to Washington on Tuesday as the Capitol braced itself for the vote that's a linchpin to Trump's domestic policy agenda McCain, the chairman of the Armed Service Committee, announced his surprise return to Senate on Monday evening. He's expected to make his first appearance on the Hill today since a shock announcement that he has brain cancer. Republican senators will huddle one last time before the vote at their weekly policy luncheon this afternoon. They plan to bring the motion to proceed to debate on Obamacare repeal sometime after 2 pm. Trump has a news conference scheduled for 3 pm Eastern. He ordered senators yesterday from the bully pulpit of the White House to take the vote today. 'The American people have waited long enough. There has been enough talk and no action. Now is the time for action,' Trump demanded in remarks from the Blue Room. 'Obamacare has broken our system. It's broken. It's collapsing. It's gone. And now it is up to us to get great health care for the American people.' The president said a series of tweets on Tuesday that he's waiting with his pen to sign an Obamacare repeal bill. 'Big day for HealthCare. After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!' he said. 'This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people!' Trump warned legislators yesterday that they would feel the wrath of their constituents at the ballot box if they allow the nation's health care system to flatline. 'Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling the American people you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare,' he proclaimed before 'victims' of the health law. 'There is still time to do the right thing.' Hammering once again on 'obstructionist' Democrats, Trump said, 'They run out, they say, "Death, death, death." 'Well, Obamacare is death. That's the one that's death. And besides that, it's failing so you won't have it anyway.' Earlier on Monday Trump told Republicans that they're staring down their 'last chance' to get rid of Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke before Republicans brought up a bill to repeal Obamacare President Donald Trump ordered senators from the bully pulpit of the White House to vote to begin debate on an Obamacare repeal bill yesterday 'The American people have waited long enough. There has been enough talk and no action. Now is the time for action,' Trump demanded in remarks from the Blue Room US President Donald Trump greets children of alleged 'victims of Obamacare' after delivering a statement on healthcare at the White House Lawmakers must decide this week whether to vote on a bill that would gut the existing health law now but delay the consequences for two years while they figure out a fix or move ahead with legislation that seeks to meet both aims simultaneously Lawmakers must decide this week they want to gut the existing health law now but delay the consequences for two years while they figure out a fix or move ahead with legislation that seeks to meet both aims simultaneously. Once they vote on the motion to begin debate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said lawmakers will have the opportunity to offer amendments that can take form of a House-passed Obamacare repeal and replace bill, a bill Senate-authored bill, clean repeal and whatever else they want to discuss. 'Frankly, if you don't like the bill, go down to the floor and offer amendments,' Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said Tuesday on Fox. First, the motion to proceed has to pass with at least 50 votes, with Mike Pence, the VP, acting as tie-breaker. 'I believe that we will,' Sen. John Barasso, the Republican Policy Committee chair, said on Fox News this morning. 'We're continuing to work with all of the members of the conference to get to that number.' Conservative groups with deep pockets have said that the vote to proceed will be top of mind when they pull out their checkbooks next year. The president has also threatened legislators who vote against the measure with 'repercussions.' 'Republicans have a last chance to do the right thing on Repeal & Replace after years of talking & campaigning on it,' he said in a tweet on Monday morning. Trump suggested with the message that the White House is ready to untether itself from the GOP's health care reform fiasco if senators don't come together. His patience stretched thin, Trump is ready to move on to other items on his agenda. The president has already said he'd be willing to let Obamacare collapse as a tactic to force lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to the negotiating table at a later date. If legislators can't agree on health care reform by the start of August recess, the Republican president has signaled he'll let the repeal effort peter out. The House and the Senate have appropriations bills to pass and a debt ceiling to raise. Trump is still hopeful they'll take up a tax reform package, too. HE'S BACK! McCain, who's recovering from brain surgery, could be the decider in the procedural motion that needs 51 votes to pass A rainbow shines over the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Monday as lawmakers returned to Washington for today's health care vote McConnell has committed to keeping legislators in his chamber in Washington for the first two weeks of the August break if that's what it takes to fulfill their repeal and replace promise. The House is letting out at the end of the week, either way. Republicans in the lower chamber have already passed a health reform bill. McConnell was adamant during a news conference last week at the White House that the Senate would vote to begin debate on the health care bill before the lengthy district work period. What senators are voting on exactly, other than a motion to proceed, remained unknown as they came back to Washington at the beginning of the work week. McConnell said in a floor statement Monday that 'the first vote we will soon take, is on whether or not to begin the debate at all.' 'I certainly intend to do so. I know many colleagues feel the same. I know many of us have waited years for this moment to finally arrive. And, at long last, it finally has,' he said. 'I would urge every colleague to join me. I know many have ideas on how to improve health care. Some of these ideas have real potential.' The White House gave the Senate a firm push in that direction on Monday after the president's Blue Room speech. 'Senator McConnell has assured his members that the vote will occur and the president is adamant about moving forward and getting on a bill so that we can have the debate and have the discussion and move forward on behalf of the American people,' Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said. The former lawmaker told reporters riding Air Force One: We look forward to a positive outcome tomorrow.' We look forward to having at least 50 votes in the Senate, and the vice president will be there obviously tomorrow in order to break a tie if there is a tie. But you cant begin to solve this challenge and crisis of Obamacare without voting to proceed on the legislation and having the debate,' Price said. US President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House before his departure to Beaver, West Virginia on Monday afternoon after his health care remarks Some Members of Congress have complained that Trump was not engaged enough in the legislative process. Price rejected their claims on Monday, saying Trump had talked to virtually every Republican senator' and repeatedly had lawmakers over to the White House. I think that the input that we have taken from senators has been extraordinary, and frankly unprecedented, having been involved in these healthcare conversations and debates for years,' Price said. 'This is the greatest amount of involvement by a president that I have ever witnessed one-on-one with the members of the Congress, both the House and the Senate.' One of them, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, had opined on Sunday, 'We don't know whether we're going to be voting on the House bill, the first version of the Senate bill, the second version of the Senate bill, a new version of the Senate bill, or a 2015 bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act,' she commented on Sunday. In the appearance on Face the Nation, Collins said, 'I don't think that's a good approach to replacing legislation that affects millions of people.' McCain's expected absence as he battles brain cancer had left McConnell with a razor-thin margin for error. The GOP would have only been able to lose a single vote, if the vice president acts as a tie breaker, and come out ahead. The vote is still tight - but McCain's presence makes all the difference. Two senators, Collins and Rand Paul, are believed to be no votes on the motion to proceed. Collins indicated Sunday that she's likely to vote against whatever bill the GOP presents. Paul said he was willing to vote yes on a clean repeal bill - but that is it. Trump has said he would prefer they take up the existing repeal and replace package, although he indicated Tuesday that he will take whatever he can get. In his remarks from the Blue Room of the White House on Monday, Trump said Obamacare has caused 'nothing but pain.' 'So far Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare. They now have a chance, however, to hopefully, hopefully, fix what has been so badly broken for such a long time,' he said. McConnell was adamant during a news conference last week at the White House that the Senate would vote to begin debate on a health care bill before the lengthy break. McCain's absence put the vote into jeopardy 'The Senate is very close to the votes it needs to pass a replacement. The problem is we have zero help from the Democrats. They're obstructionists. That's all they are. That's all they're good at, is obstruction. Making things not work.' Lighting up the opposing party, Trump said, 'They say all the right things and then they do exactly what they're not supposed to be doing. The Democrats aren't giving us one vote.' Trump said early on in his remarks that Obamacare had 'wreaked havoc' for the last 17 years, even though it was passed in 2010. He gave the correct amount of time moments later, seven years, as he railed against his predecessor's health care plan. Democrats intend to reject the GOP's legislation, whatever it is, wholesale. That leaves the GOP to carry the entire load if it wants to push through Obamacare repeal. Anthony Scaramucci, the incoming White House Communications director, said Friday in his first appearance at the White House podium that he believes senators will do what the president is asking of them. 'I predict that the President will get a win in healthcare. That's my honest prediction just because Ive seen him in operation over the last 20-plus years. The President has really good karma, okay? And the world turns back to him,' Scaramucci claimed. 'Hes genuinely a wonderful human being, and I think as the members of Congress get to know him better and get comfortable with him, they're going to let him lead them to the right things for the American people. So I think we're going to get the healthcare done.' Continuing, he said, 'I also think we're going to get tax reform done. And whatever else is on the Presidents agenda, we're going to work very, very hard, very studiously here to make it happen.' What senators are voting on exactly, other than a motion to start debate, is unknown. 'I don't think that's a good approach to replacing legislation that affects millions of people,' Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday. She's seen arriving at the Capitol on Tuesday The White House said last week that it would like the Senate to move on health care reform before it turns to the president's tax package. 'I think it becomes easier to do comprehensive tax reform after healthcare for political reasons, for reasons of momentum and so forth,' Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters on Thursday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said from the podium on on Wednesday, 'I dont believe it has to wait, but thats certainly the preference.' Trump hinted yesterday that he would change his position if the Senate continues its deliberations on Obamacare beyond the August recess when he tweeted that it was Republicans' 'last chance' to make something happen. He cautioned his party Sunday that their failure to deliver would come at a cost. 'If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!' he said. Trump's legislative director, Marc Short, said last week that Trump was not making thinly-veiled threats at GOP lawmakers when he made needling comments about their reelection chances - he just wants them to do what they said they would. 'The President has been pretty direct in his words, and he's right now saying, this is what you promised. I want to live up to my promise. I'm ready to sign the bill. Get me the bill so we can get this done for the American people and then we can also move on to tax reform and other items that are part of our agenda,' Short asserted. Natasha Bostick, 29, was arrested in Pinellas County, Florida on Monday after she allegedly charged $3,250 to a stolen Visa debit card to pay for her liposuction A Florida woman is accused of using a stolen credit card to pay for liposuction. Natasha Bostick, 29, was arrested in Pinellas County on Monday after she allegedly charged $3,250 to a stolen Visa debit card. Bostick underwent the liposuction treatment at Dr Andres Bonelli's cosmetic surgery clinic in October last year. She allegedly provided a credit card number over the phone prior to her appointment. Bostick then signed two receipts totaling $3,250 when she visited the clinic in Safety Harbor to undergo the procedure, according to court documents. As is common procedure with cosmetic surgery, Bostick posed for before and after photos. The photos eventually helped police identify Bostick given they showed her distinct tattoos, including a heart with roses on her chest. Bostick posed for photos ahead of her liposuction, which helped police track her down given she has distinct tattoos including a heart with roses on her chest The flag was raised when the male victim disputed the charges with his bank. She admitted to police that used the original cardholders card number to pay for her procedure, according to documents. Following an investigation, Bostick was arrested and faces a fraudulent use of a credit card charge. She was released from custody on Monday after posting $2,000 bond. Two young men suffered scorched and bleached skin and were 'screaming in agony' after having acid thrown in their faces in the latest London 'face-melter' attack. The victims were heard frantically yelling: 'We've got acid on us' and staggered into an off licence in Bethnal Green begging for help just before 7pm last night. Shocking footage of the aftermath shows the men had litres of bottled water poured over them before fire fighters arrived and used their hoses to douse them down. One of the victims, Shakwat Hussain, 24, is due to be released from Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford today after being treated overnight at a specialist burns unit. He and a friend flagged down a police car for help before running into a shop screaming in agony for help after the liquid was thrown on them. A man was seen dousing himself with water in Roman Road, Bethnal Green, last night after having a 'noxious substance' thrown into his face Emergency services were called to the scene at 7pm after two men were targeted in East London - and used hoses to wash away the corrosive liquid Firefighters were seen spraying the two young men with water. A shopkeeper said they came running into his shop and said they screamed 'We've got acid on us!' The shopkeeper told the MailOnline: 'They were two Bengali boys who came into the shop. They had acid on their face and they were burning - their skin was peeling off' One of the men's jackets has melted as a result of the vicious substance being thrown at him A shopkeeper said they came running into his store and their skin was 'peeling off' as they screamed. A police officer at the scene also told MailOnline that 'the colour of their faces had changed' and the arm of a jacket one man was wearing had melted away. The shopkeeper told MailOnline: 'They were two Bengali boys who came into the shop. They had acid on their face and they were burning - their skin was peeling off. 'I just gave them water, they were shouting and I gave them water and they were washing their faces. They said: 'We have got acid on us, we have got acid on us.' 'They were pouring the water over themselves in the shop, and it had got into their clothes. One of them was pouring it down his trousers. 'I was really scared. They were crying and saying: 'Put the water on me'. The Met said the victims were taken to hospital but they are not in a life threatening situation Police were seen looking into a vehicle which was in the cordoned off area in East London - it is not clear if this is what the victims arrived in Forensic scientists were seen gathering evidence at the scene last night after yet another acid attack 'They are stationed just around the corner. The ambulance caller was asking a lot of questions about it but what do I do - deal with the call or the water? Acid attacks - an escalating problem 455 acid attacks were reported to Scotland Yard last year a rise of 74 per cent 20 people were convicted of offences but more than a third of perpetrators were never caught Between January and April this year alone there were 114 attacks Surgery often involves multiple skin graft operations to reconstruct eyelids, noses and ears Victims can also be left blind Advertisement 'I've never seen anything like this before. It's really scary. I think the boys had been attacked elsewhere and then got in their car and drove here to get water. 'Their car was outside. Their face and their legs were all burnt. One of them was saying: "Put the water in my jeans".' Witnesses said a blue tarpaulin was erected to shield the victims from the public. Four fire engines, police and paramedics were at the scene, which was cordoned off. Footage posted online by Chris Lennon showed a topless man pouring water on to his face as he is surrounded by five paramedics as a policeman watches on. Another man was seen sitting on the pavement as he had his blood pressure taken by the medics. Terry Hollins, 43, who lives in Burnham Street around the corner from the attack, said: 'I was driving home at the time just after the attack around 7pm. The male victim, name isn't known, was filmed pouring water on to his face last night The paramedics and people were seen taking the other man's blood pressure as they continued being treated at the scene 'I drove past and I could see one of the boys with a fire hose over his head for ages, washing him off for ages. 'I couldn't see any injuries on him, but someone told me there were serious burns. Recent high-profile acid attacks in London Jabed Hussain, an UberEats driver, a Deliveroo driver, and four other moped drivers were left injured after they had a corrosive liquid sprayed directly into their faces as they waited at traffic lights in East and North London in a 72-minute rampage earlier this month. A 16-year-old boy has been accused of 13 separate offences in connection with the alleged spree on July 13. He denies the charges. Last month Resham Khan, 21, and 37-year-old Jameel Muhktar were inside a car in Beckton, east London, when a man threw a corrosive substance through the window. The pair were left with life-changing injuries. Mr Muhktar said he feels 'like somebody's ironing me 24/7' and is in 'continuous pain'. Another high-profile incident saw 20 people injured by acid spray in a London nightclub in March. Arthur Collins, ex-boyfriend of The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann, was charged with that attack. Advertisement 'I've heard the attack happened around the corner in Globe Road and they both drove here and then went into the shop. 'There was a car parked across the road and it had a cordon around it. The window was open and the police were interested in it. I think it belonged to one of the victims. 'Paramedics were treating him on the corner for over an hour and a half. 'They put up a tarpaulin around him as they treated him. He was there for quite a while. 'I was told by someone that the victims knew the suspect. I didn't recognise them. 'I know a guy who lives round the corner who works as a plasterer. He said to me he knew the smell and said straight away that it was One Stop drain cleaner.' He added: 'I think these acid attacks are worse than knife attacks. 'With a knife you might see it coming, but with this you could be walking down the road and someone could be cycling past, splash you and you wouldn't know it's coming.' It is the latest in a long line of appalling acid attacks - branded 'face-melters' by gangs - leaving victims with life-changing and catastrophic injuries. Teenagers on scooters have started throwing corrosive liquids at delivery drivers so they can steal their mopeds with some staff from UberEats and Deliveroo in East London refusing to work at night in case they are attacked. Yesterday's attack on Roman Road in Bethnal Green comes after five people were left injured after having acid thrown in their faces in North and East London on July 13. Another person was injured in connection with the incident. A police officer told the MailOnline that the 'colour of the men's faces had changed' as a result of the incident A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police in Tower Hamlets are dealing with a suspected noxious substance attack on two males in Roman Road, E2. 'Officers were flagged down in the area at 7pm on Tuesday, 25 July by the two males who are believed to be aged in their late teens. London Ambulance Service attended the scene. 'Both have been taken to an east London hospital for treatment after an unknown liquid was thrown at them. Their injuries are not life threatening. 'No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing. A crime scene remains in place. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call police on 101.' London has emerged as a hotspot for acid attacks with the number of cases more than doubling from fewer than 200 in 2014 to 431 last year. East London MP Stephen Timms recently called for carrying acid to be made a crime following a spate of attacks with corrosive liquids. Half a dozen firefighters were spotted dousing the man with water outside Singh Supermarket A firefighter pours water on to one of the victims after the incident in east London on Tuesday Areas such as the West Midlands and Essex have also seen large rises in the number of incidents but more than half of the UK's acid attacks take place in the capital. It was announced yesterday that police are now being provided with acid response kits to tackle the escalating scourge of violence. West Midlands Police said that they are issuing guidelines for dealing with corrosive liquids in accordance with national police policy and 1,000 acid relief kits were given to Met Office police officers. Five litre bottles of water are now to be stocked in emergency patrol cars across the the capital to provide vital and immediate treatment on the scene. On Saturday, the Daily Mail spoke to a gang member, named 'Off', who spoke of the reasons as to why people are now choosing acid rather than weapons to attack their victims. Currently, there is no penalty for being caught in possession of acid-based chemicals as opposed to a knife or a gun. The acid - known as a 'face melter' due to the appalling effects it has on skin - can also be bought from the high street, it works quickly and can be thrown from a distance. 'It is a win-win situation,' Off said. Lyft driver charged: Angelo McCoy, 48, formerly a driver for the ride-sharing service Lyft, has been charged with kidnapping, raping and robbing a female passenger at knifepoint A Chicago Lyft driver has been arrested after police say he restrained a female passenger, raped and robbed her at knifepoint in the back of his car. Angelo McCoy, 48, was arrested last Wednesday on charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery and unlawful restraint in connection to the July 7 attack. According to prosecutors, the 25-year-old victim ordered a car through the popular ride-sharing app after a bar outing with friends during which she had consumed a significant quantity of alcohol. McCoy picked up the customer at around 11pm in the 400 block of North Clark Street, and shorty after the woman got in the backseat, she dozed off. The Lyft app's system later showed that the driver dropped off the passenger at 11.11pm, just five minutes after pickup, but prosecutors said in reality, McCoy continued holding the woman hostage until 1am. The 25-year-old victim ordered a car through the popular ride-sharing app after a bar outing on July 7 and had McCoy pick her up in the 400 block of North Clark Street in Chicago (pictured) Assistant State's Attorney Melissa Howlett told the court this week that when the passenger woke up in the backseat of McCoys white 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, she noticed they were not going in the direction of her home and asked McCoy to stop the car and let her out, reported the Chicago Tribune. The 48-year-old Lyft driver allegedly refused, then pulled over in an alley. The customer saw three passersby in the distance and screamed for help, but no one came to the rescue. McCoy then allegedly climbed into the backseat, grabbed the passenger from behind by her throat, restrained her hands behind her back with zip-ties and then forced her to perform oral sex on him at knifepoint. McCoy also allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, stole her cellphone and demanded money from her, but the woman told him she did not have any. Ousted: A spokesperson for Lyft said McCoy's drivers account has been deactivated Two hours into her captivity, the woman managed to escape by jumping out of McCoy's SUV when he stopped at a red light. She emerged in the middle of the road and ran for help to the car that was traveling directly behind the Lyft vehicle. Howlett said the motorist whom the woman approached for help took her to a nearby police station, and from there she was transported to Thorek Memorial Hospital. McCoy appeared in court on Monday and was ordered held on $900,000 bail pending his next court appearance scheduled for August 9. A spokesperson for Lyft called the allegations against McCoy 'sickening and horrifying,' and said in a statement that his drivers account has been deactivated. Kat Timpf (pictured), co-host of Fox News Specialists, says she was attending an event at a bar in Brooklyn, New York Monday night when she was attacked by a stranger Fox News' Kat Timpf says she was attacked at a political event by a man who doused her with water. Timpf, who co-hosts the Fox News Specialists, detailed the shocking incident on Twitter. The 28-year-old libertarian said she was attending an event in honor of her friend, Brooklyn borough president hopeful Ben Kissel, at Union Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Monday night when she was approached by the strange man. She was supposed to speak on criminal justice reform at the event, but before she got the chance to take to the podium, the stranger dumped an entire 1.5 liter bottle of water on her. When she turned to look at the man, Timpf says he continued to splash more water 'directly on my face' before running out of the establishment. 'I'm shocked, I'm stunned. I'm obviously upset,' Timpf recalled. Timpf says she was so taken aback by what happened that she ended up not speaking as she had planned. She went on to say that she's 'had it' with the 'disgusting insane cruel climate' that 'we're in now'. 'That's what we're doing? Verbal assault on Twitter not enough anymore? I've had it. I'm an actual, human person. I have a soul, a family, I have feelings. Above, Union Pool in Williamsburg where the attack happened. Timpf says a man dumped an entire 1.5-liter bottle of water on her 'I have opinions, some of which some people may disagree with, but I'm a human being. I'm capable of recognizing that people with whom I disagree have souls and families and are humans, why are there so many people who see incapable of viewing the world that way?' she asks. Because she's a libertarian, Timpf says she gets 'hate from people on all sides of the aisle,' and that she still doesn't know why this man in particular targeted her. 'I still don't know what this lunatic's issue with me was. If he was trying to change my mind about something by dumping his water on my head, the very least he could have done was express what it was specifically that he had an issue with either before or after assaulting me,' she writes. After detailing the incident on Twitter, several journalists responded with kind words, including fellow Fox News host Geraldo Rivera and CNN's Jake Tapper (above) However, Timpf says she's not convinced it even has to do with any one issue. 'I realized that it's likely not even about that. It's not about specific issues anymore. It's about either blindly supporting or blindly hating particular people and for whatever reason, this guy has decided that I am someone who he hates,' she said. It's disgusting, I'm disgusted. And everyone needs to do better than this infantile b******* because I for one have had it with senseless hostility. It's not activism, it's not in support of anything. It's nothing but sickness and cruelty. She ends her Twitter diatribe by calling for chance. 'It's disgusting, I'm disgusted,' she says. 'And everyone needs to do better than this infantile b******* because I for one have had it with senseless hostility. It's not activism, it's not in support of anything. It's nothing but sickness and cruelty. I've had it with people behaving like animals. Get it together and grow up. In later posts, Timpf revealed that the incident had been caught on surveillance footage, which was turned over to police. The suspect, who remains at large, is described as a white man in his 20s or 30s. Timpf also said she filed a police report, but expressed her doubts about whether the matter would really be investigated. 'Everyone needs to do better than this infantile b*******,' Timpf (left and right) said in her Twitter post about the incident 'I think they watched the video to humor me,' Timpf told New York Magazine's The Cut on Tuesday. 'Maybe Ill just have to wear a raincoat every day. Ill just walk to work in a hazmat suit.' After detailing the incident on Twitter, several journalists responded with kind words, including fellow Fox News host Geraldo Rivera and CNN's Jake Tapper. 'That is unacceptable and disgusting. I'm sorry you went through that. He was a coward and a loser. Stay strong,' Tapper said. 'Dude that blindsided @KatTimpf is a piece of s***. Want to meet him someday,' Rivera said. Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., return trip to the Senate floor was welcomed with applause, while he greeted his colleagues with some of his signature straight talk. 'We are getting nothing done, my friends,' McCain chided. 'We are getting nothing done.' While McCain talked about the cherished 30 years he's spend in the Senate, once considered the 'world's greatest deliberative body,' the Arizona Republican warned his colleagues, 'I'm not sure we can claim that distinction with a straight face today.' McCain, whose brain cancer diagnosis last week shocked the body, begged his fellow senators to start working across the aisle again, directly after an almost straight party-line vote on health care reform was cast. Scroll down for video Sen. John McCain greeted his colleagues on the Senate floor with some straight talk, saying that calling the Senate the world's greatest deliberative body has become a joke because of the hyper-partisan rancor Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., walks to the Senate floor in order to make an important health care vote Tuesday on Capitol Hill Sen. John McCain (left), making a wave, walks through the corridors of Capitol Hill with his wife Cindy McCain Sen. John McCain's brain cancer diagnosis shocked his Senate colleagues last week, though he returned to Capitol Hill in good spirits on Tuesday The Senate had become too partisan, too toxic, with lawmakers wanting 'wins' over the incremental change that would help Americans more, McCain argued. He wanted them to stop with the finger pointing and get things done. 'We've all played some role in it, certainly I have,' McCain said. 'Sometimes I've made it harder to find common ground because of something harsh I said to a colleague. Sometimes I wanted to win more for the same of winning than to achieve a contested policy.' 'Incremental progress, compromises that each side criticizes but also accept, just plain muddling through to chip away at problems and keep our enemies from doing their worst isn't glamorous or exciting,' McCain stated. 'It doesn't feel like a political triumph, but it's usually the most we can expect from our system of government, operating in a country that's diverse and quarrelsome and free as ours,' he said. Great return: Sen. John McCain flew into Washington, D.C. on a private jet Tuesday to cast his vote to repeal Obamacare McCain returned to the nation's capital from his home in Arizona, where he was recuperating from surgery and fighting a brain tumor He appeared to be in great spirits, giving a thumbs up and smiling outside of the Senate chamber The Senate floor erupted in applause as he returned to the chamber Tuesday afternoon following his shocking brain cancer diagnosis last week The hyper-partisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill, he suggested, was partially caused by the modern media-scape. 'Stop listening to the bombastic loud mouths on the radio and television and internet,' McCain said. 'To hell with them!' he exclaimed. He implored, instead, for the senators to start trusting each other again. He also wanted his colleagues to know their power. On Sunday, President Trump had chided Congressional Republicans, saying it was 'sad' they weren't doing more to defend him against the 'witch hunt' of the multiple Russian investigations, some of which are based on Capitol Hill. 'We are not the president's subordinates, we are his equals,' McCain said. McCain had returned to the nation's capital from his home in Arizona, where he was recuperating from surgery and fighting a brain tumor. The president also gave McCain a hero's welcome back to Washington on Tuesday as the Capitol braced itself for the vote that's a linchpin to Trump's domestic policy agenda. McCain had a visible scar above his left eye after his doctors removed a blood clot earlier this month during surgery He was joined by his wife, Cindy (above), on Tuesday when he returned to Capitol Hill to vote He was photographed leaving the Senate after the procedural vote on health care and stopped to chat with people on his way out The 80-year-old politician flew into Washington, D.C., on a private jet. McCain had a visible scar above his left eye after his doctors removed a blood clot earlier this month during surgery. When he entered the Senate chamber he was met with thunderous applause and whoops from his colleagues. His entrance jolted the Senate with positive energy after Republican senators had been yelled at earlier in the day by protesters shouting down on them, 'kill the bill!' and 'shame!' Even before he shared his bipartisan message, McCain quickly crossed the aisle. He was spotted giving a hug to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and, later, engaged in a conversation with former Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. McCain got into the front seat of a waiting vehicle to leave after receiving a standing ovation on the Senate floor Tuesday The Republican seemed to be in great spirits during his trip to DC on Tuesday The Republican provided a key vote to move forward on the Republican effort to unwind the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. McCain had personally campaign heavily on an Obamacare repeal last year as he was running for re-election to his sixth term in the US Senate. On Tuesday, a motion to proceed to allow debate was approved, with 50 Republicans senators, including McCain, voting yes and all the Democrats voting no. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against the motion, which forced Vice President Mike Pence to make the GOP's tie-breaker vote. McCain warned his fellow colleague that while he voted yes on debate, that didn't ensure his vote on a final Obamacare repeal bill. 'I will not vote for this bill as it is today,' he said. 'It's a shell of a bill right now, we all know that.' McCain said his colleagues also knew that Obamacare was 'a mess' and that it needed to be fixed, and pointed out how the Republicans' efforts to draft repeal-and-replace legislation behind closed door was wrong-headed, similar to Democrats' solo push of Obamacare seven years before. 'I don't think that's going to win and probably shouldn't,' McCain said of the GOP effort to spring half-baked repeal legislation on lawmakers, promising it was 'better than nothing.' If GOP-led health care efforts failed, which McCain predicted they would, he called for a return to regular order in the Senate, having the legislation go through the regular committee process with members allowed to make amendments, and passing it with bipartisan support. 'What do we have to lose to work together to find those solutions?' McCain asked. Perhaps approval from President Trump who has happily drawn the partisan line. At a Rose Garden press conference Tuesday after McCain's speech, Trump praised the senator for making it to D.C. to cast the controversial health care vote. 'I want to thank Senator John McCain, a very brave man,' Trump said. 'He made a tough trip to come here and vote.' 'So we want to thank Senator McCain and all the Republicans,' Trump continued. 'We passed it without one Democrat vote. And that's a shame, but that's the way it is, and it's very unfortunate,' the president added. Detectives investigating the death of a workman thought to have been overcome by toxic fumes have recovered a canister from the 5 million Notting Hill house. The small canister was sealed in a ziplock evidence bag and taken away from the scene by investigators this afternoon. The workman, in his 20s, was dragged out of the five-storey property in Berkeley Gardens, west London, by firefighters wearing breathing gear. CPR was performed on him outside for 30 minutes as his colleagues watched on in 'extreme distress', but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.30pm. A woman, reported to be his wife, was seen crying as she sat next to a police tent set up over his body. A man has died after being pulled from the fume-filled basement of a 5million Notting Hill townhouse after a suspected chemical incident. Pictured is the police tent set up after the man was given CPR The workman, in his 20s, was dragged out of the five-storey property in Berkeley Gardens,(pic) west London, by firefighters wearing breathing gear London Fire Brigade told MailOnline the house was under refurbishment at the time and its owner, a City worker, was on holiday with his wife and young children. Firefighters removed chemicals from the property, which consists of four storeys above the basement, and ventilated the inside. Police said medics were forced to treat him on the street over fears the fumes in the basement were toxic. Officers believe they have identified the victim and are now attempting to trace his next of kin. The Health and Safety Executive are helping the police investigation. Shocked neighbours said they had to go to hospital after the fumes leaked into their own properties. One resident told how he had to rush out of his house with his eyes streaming. The man spoke briefly to say he is forced to go to hospital because the fumes had got into his basement, which is next door. He said: 'We should have been told what was going on. I was not told by police. I'm going to hospital now, I think it's toxic.' London Fire Brigade told MailOnline the house was under refurbishment at the time and its owner, a City worker, was on holiday with his wife and young children Firefighters removed chemicals from the property, which consists of four storeys above the basement, and ventilated the inside Police said medics were forced to treat him on the street over fears the fumes in the basement were toxic Another man from the same house said his dad's eyes started to stream around the time of the incident and he rushed into the street to stop the pain. He said: 'My dad had to leave because it was making his eyes water. They were red. 'I could smell a funny scent. It must have been really strong if you can smell it here. 'My dad had to leave because of his eyes. Nobody has been made aware of what happened.' The man said the family who own the house were on holiday but had warned before they left that a toxic substance would be used during the renovation. He added: 'They said ensure the windows are closed because our windows are directly where they are working. Just ensure that the windows are closed.' Another workman who is involved in a separate job across the road said he saw firefighters in breathing apparatus lift a large man of 'about 18 stone' out of the basement The man said the family who own the house were on holiday but had warned before they left that a toxic substance would be used during the renovation. He said: 'They said ensure the windows are closed because our windows are directly where they are working. Just ensure that the windows are closed.' A neighbour, 40, described seeing a woman crying next to the police tent where the man's body was covered. She told The Evening Standard: 'There was a woman was sitting on the floor outside in floods of tears. 'We were really worried when we heard it was to do with chemicals. Another workman who is involved in a separate job across the road said he saw firefighters in breathing apparatus lift a large man of 'about 18 stone' out of the basement. He said: 'We were working here yesterday and I saw him being pulled out by the fire brigade. 'I spoke to another builder and he said it was toxic fumes or something like that. 'The builder was standing over the road and he said they were cleaning paint off bricks or something.' American Greaves Enck, 78, said: 'We were leaving the flat to go to Whole Foods and all of the ambulances and fire trucks had shown up as we were leaving. 'We were gone for a couple of hours and when we came back they were still here. 'We came back and it was all cordoned off and the police were led under the tape. 'There were two or three fire engines. We thought perhaps the fire, but we didn't know. There were several police cars and three or four ambulances. 'When we returned which was several hours later we were escorted to our front door and police said there had been a fatality. A man died. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'One man was taken from the basement by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus' 'They said they arrived at the house on Friday and work trucks had been there since. 'A policeman told us a man had died but he didn't know how. 'They were taking a stretcher from one of the ambulances.' A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive told MailOnline: 'HSE is aware of the incident and is fully supporting the police investigation.' A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'One man was taken from the basement by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus. 'We ventilated the building and carried out further sweeps of the building for detection purposes. The chemicals were found. We left at 6.15pm.' A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Berkeley Gardens, W8 at 4.05pm on Tuesday, 25 July by London Ambulance Service who were treating a man in his 20s found unconscious within the basement of a building. 'Due to concerns relating to fumes within the basement area of the building, medics brought the male onto the street for treatment. London Fire Brigade attended. Police implemented road closures and cordoned the scene. 'Despite the efforts of LAS to save the male, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 1636hrs. 'Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased. Enquiries are underway to trace next of kin. 'Traffic in the area is expected to be subject to delays, please avoid this area if possible. Enquiries are ongoing.' Gov. Steve Bullock has declared a state of emergency, allowing the Montana National Guard and other state resources to be used, as needed, to fight wildfires. Extremely hazardous wild land fire conditions currently exist throughout the entire state of Montana, including near-record temperatures, continual wind and low relative humidity, the Sunday declaration said. Numerous wildland fires have occurred and continue to ignite in the state of Montana, specifically in eastern and central Montana. While we depend on professional firefighters and local volunteer departments to handle the blazes that grow more frequent and fierce by the day, every one of us has an obligation to prevent fires. Yellowstone County is enforcing Stage II fire restrictions, which is the highest level of precaution allowed by state law, according to Brad Shoemaker, county director of emergency services. County commissioners unanimously approved the resolution upon recommendation of Billings area fire and land management professionals. The resolution bans these activities outside city limits: Building, maintaining, attending or using a campfire. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. Operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine, blasting or welding between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. This restriction includes lawn mowing. Use of fireworks. Exemptions are allowed for agricultural work, including off-road travel needed for maintaining livestock and watering facilities. Shoemaker encourages farmers and ranchers to keep equipment in good working order to prevent sparks and to carry firefighting tools with them. The county resolution encourages all travelers on upaved, rural Yellowstone County roads to carry a shovel, axe and bucket in their vehicle to suppress wildland fires. The Yellowstone County Sheriffs Department is authorized to enforce the fire restrictions and issue tickets to violators. The resolution warns: Any person who purposely ignites a fire in violation of the restrictions shall reimburse the county or fire agency for costs incurred from suppressing the illegal fire. Our local resources are incredibly taxed, Shoemaker told The Gazette Monday morning. Fires kept firefighters busy in spring and early summer and the weather forecast indicates that the next couple of months will be even busier. All of Eastern Montana is predicted to have above-average fire potential through October, Shoemaker said. This fire season is going till it either rains or snows. Temperatures have hit the upper 90s day after day through July in Billings. Communities east of here have suffered with triple-digit heat, along with virtually unprecedented drought. How dry is Yellowstone County? Timber is drier than kiln-dried lumber - dry enough for explosive fire starts that are hard to stop and expensive to fight. Montana is facing extreme fire conditions. Our top priority is ensuring the safety of Montanans, their property, and our communities. This declaration provides additional resources to the brave men and women fighting these fires, Bullock said in a press release. As firefighters battle blazes across the state, Montanans must stay vigilant about active fires in their area, obey any evacuation orders, and prevent any actions that might spark new fires. Its time for all Montanans to be in Smokey the Bear mode. If you arent fighting fires, at least be very careful not to start any. A man on trial for posing as a Hooters waitress on Facebook to lure a 17-year-old girl for sex has denied that he hired a fellow inmate to kill the girl. Adam E Barnett, 43, took the stand on Monday in Miami to deny the accusation that he hired fellow inmate and convicted pimp Roman Thomas to kill the underage girl he is accused of duping into sex. 'I was his b---h... He owned me,' Barnett testified about Thomas, explaining why he paid the inmate roughly $40,000 from behind bars, the Miami-Herald reported. It's just the latest twist in a case with many sharp turns since 2012, when prosecutors say Barnett began posing as a buxom young woman online to befriend underage girls. Barnett, a South Florida businessman who has never been charged with a serious crime, has nonetheless been been accused in numerous civil cases with scamming millions through penny stock investment scams. Alter Egos: Adam E Barnett (left) is accused of posing as Hooters waitress 'Janet Rodriguez' (right) online to lure an underage girl for sex and then plying her with alcohol and Molly Date Night?: Barnett claims that 'Janet Rodriguez' is real, and that he took her out to dinner at this Macaroni Grill in Miami. He has declined to call her to testify at his trial though Prosecutors say that he struck up a friendship with the then 17-year-old girl, identified in court only as J.E., using a fake Facebook profile identifying himself as 'Janet Rodriguez'. 'Janet' confided in the young teen that she had a 'wealthy friend' who wanted to meet for sex, and was willing to pay for it. That friend was Barnett, prosecutors say. The two met at the Richmond Hotel on Miami Beach. J.E. believed that she would get $20,000 and a pricey Rolex watch in return for sex. Police say he plied the teen with alcohol and the party drug Molly before the encounter. But according to prosecutors, Barnett gave her the key to a hotel safe after their liaison and told her the cash and Rolex were inside. The key didn't work though, and Barnett split without paying, the court heard. Catfish: This is believed to be the profile that was used to catfish the alleged teen victim. The profile image is also found on a wide range of pornographic websites Liaison: Barnett met the teen girl at the Richmond Hotel on Miami Beach for sex, police say Barnett maintains that 'Janet Rodriguez' is real, a girl he used to date and once took out for dinner at Macaroni Grill. He has declined to call her as a witness at the trial, however. Barnett also told the court that the underage girl 'cooked up a story' about their liaison to 'teach me a lesson'. The girl went to the cops and Barnett went on the run, fleeing up the east coast. US Marshals tracked him down a few weeks later, at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan where he'd registered under his own name. The case took another turn while Barnett awaited trial, when prosecutors say that he asked fellow jailbird Thomas to have the underage teen killed to prevent her testimony. Captured: Barnett is seen being taken into custody in November 2012 in New York, where US Marshals had tracked him to a hotel in Midtown Manhattan Thomas had made headlines with his own arrest for pimping out a 13-year-old girl and forcing her to tattoo his street name, 'Suave House', on her eyelids when she tried to run away. He is currently serving a 20 year prison sentence. Using coded phone conversations, Barnett had his assistant Maggy Caceres, an aspiring model, deliver payments to Thomas' family on the outside, the court heard. Barnett sold off his prodigious collection of Nike sneakers and browbeat his mother to raise money for the hit, police said in sworn affidavits. Thomas pretended to go along with the hit and even showed Bennett pictures of a fake grave to convince him the girl was dead, but was actually working with law enforcement as an informant. Eventually, the murder plot expanded to include defense attorney David Seltzer, who repeatedly urged his then client Barnett to take a plea deal. Turned Witnesses: Convicted pimp Roman Thomas and aspiring model Maggy Caceres both testified that Barnett had recruited them to a plot to kill the teenage girl Barnett refused to take any deal, making cryptic references to the teen J.E. not showing up to testify against him, Seltzer later testified. When the girl did show up to face Barnett in court, the defendant's expression was one of 'shock', Seltzer said. 'He looked like he couldnt believe it, like hed seen a ghost,' the attorney said in testimony against his former client. Defense attorney David Seltzer also testified against his former client Barnett Caceres, the assistant, also turned state's witness against Barnett in exchange for a plea deal for her role, and testified in court about the code language they'd used in the plot. Barnett denounces them all as liars, though. Testifying in his own defense Monday, Barnett insisted that there was never a murder-for-hire plot, saying that the cash his assistant ferried was extorted from him by Thomas. He accused the convicted pimp of getting 'rough and tough' with him in the jail bathroom and demanding 'protection' money. He never came forward to jailers, he said, because 'snitching was not an option'. 'I knew from my year in jail, that snitching was not the thing to do.' Barnett is being held without bail. He is charged with two counts of first degree murder conspiracy, sex with a minor, fictitious personal identification, and 11 other charges. A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to up to 100 years in prison for the road rage beating death of an elderly man in a church parking lot. Christian Hillman was convicted of second-degree murder on Monday over the death of 64-year-old William 'Andy' McFarlan in Michigan last year. McFarlan, a retiree, died in hospice care nearly five weeks after he was savagely beaten near Grand Rapids on the night of September 29. Christian Hillman was convicted of second-degree murder on Monday over the death of 64-year-old William 'Andy' McFarlan in Michigan last year Hillman was initially charged with assault but his charge was upgraded after McFarlan's death. The elderly man was left with a severe brain injury, several fractured ribs, broken facial bones and a fractured skull from the attack. McFarlan was in his pickup truck returning from a fishing trip when he found himself driving behind Hillman who was riding his dirt bike. The retiree started flashing his lights and sounding the horn, according to testimony from court. They both pulled into the church car park where authorities say Hillman kicked McFarlan while he lay on the ground outside his pickup truck. Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Quist called the assault on McFarlan a 'heinous and vicious attack,' according to the Detroit Free Press. William 'Andy' McFarlan, 64, died in hospice care nearly five weeks after he was savagely beaten near Grand Rapids on the night of September 29 Christian Hillman, 19, (above in June) was convicted of second-degree murder on Monday over the death of 64-year-old William 'Andy' McFarlan near Grand Rapids in Michigan last year Hillman's lawyer referred to the incident as a fight, saying at some point Hillman lost control. Hillman (above in his mugshot) was initially charged with assault but his charge was upgraded after McFarlan's death Defense attorney Michael Bartish had tried to argue that there was no reason for McFarlan to follow the teenager into the church parking lot. 'Whatever happened, Mr McFarlan is following Christian into that parking lot,'' Bartish told jurors last week. 'There is no reason for that vehicle to have followed him into that parking lot unless the intent was for a fight.' Bartish tried to argue for the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, claiming the fight was in the heat of passion. But prosecutor Blair Lachman argued that charge was inappropriate given the evidence against Hillman. 'I think just because someone gets angry in a road rage incident, it doesn't justify assaulting and killing a man,' he told the court. Judge Quist ordered Hillman on Monday to spend between 22 to 100 years in prison. This is the horrific moment a 14-year-old girl was gored and tossed around on the floor by a raging bull until a brave onlooker risked his own life to save her. The shocking incident happened during a bull-running festival in the Spanish city of Hellin in Albacete where a 16-year-old died four years ago. The teenager was with a group of friends on the side of the road when the bull attacked. Shocking footage shows the bull goring a girl in both legs as she lay on the ground. It could have inflicted even more serious wounds if not for the brave man captured in the video (right) The organisers set up metal safety cages on the pavements so spectators can watch the event in safety but it is not clear if the girl was behind the bars or in front of it. When the rampaging bull strikes, she appears to be in the road itself but after the goring, is pulled back through the bars by the other spectators. The bull charged at the girl as she lay on the ground, goring her in both legs. It could have inflicted even more serious wounds if not for the brave man captured in the video. He tried to protect the girl by running over to her and tempting the bull away by waving a Spanish cape in its face. The beast then charged at him instead, tossing him in the air over its horns before he fell to the floor, suffering an ankle injury as he fell. The man tried to protect the girl by running over to her and tempting the bull away by waving a Spanish cape in its face The teenage girl was treated in a local ambulance before rushed to hospital with puncture wounds in her thighs and underwent an emergency operation. She is now in a stable condition. The Mayor of Hellin, Ramon Garcia, said the event fully complied with all the safety regulations but said it was impossible to control all parts of the route or to eliminate "recklessness". The incident happened in the district of Isso during the patronal fiesta. Organisers say the girl should not have been standing where she was and pointed out that those attending the bull runs have to be 16. Hellin TV said the teenager was recovering in the Hospital of Albacete and the man who helped her had been discharged after treatment for his broken ankle. He is believed to be one of the race directors. In 2013, a 16-year-old was gored to death in Albacete during the bull running festival. Kim Jong-un could be capable of launching a nuclear attack on other contitnents within just one year, US officials say. Independent experts said today that the missile that was launched by Kim on July 4 isn't capable of carrying a nuclear payload across the Pacific - but that may not hold for long, officials told The Washington Post. The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) says that North Korea is on track to build a nuclear-equipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) within the next year, shaving two years off the previous projections. North Korea's Hwasong-14 ICBM launch on July 4 signified that it is two years closer to making intercontinental nukes than the Pentagon initially thought, it has emerged A new Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report says North Korea could produce nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as soon as 2018 - not the 2020 previously expected And it may start tests on the next stage in its ICBM production - a vehicle to allow the missiles to leave and re-enter the atmosphere without damage - this Thursday. According to the DIA, North Korea will be able to produce a 'reliable, nuclear-capable ICBM' missile at some point in 2018. In fact, it could take the first steps of industrial production within months, the DIA report says, according to sources familiar with the document. It also says that North Korea appears to be gearing up to test a re-entry vehicle that would allow a missile to survive passing through the upper atmosphere without being damaged on re-entry. In fact, they may make such a test as early as this Thursday - which is a holiday marking the end of the Korean War 64 years ago. 'They're on track to do that, essentially this week,' an official told the paper. The new Pentagon estimations are based on studies of the country's high-profile nuclear and missile tests, including the July 4 launch of its 'Hwasong-14' ICBM, which landed in the sea between Korea and Japan. US experts have said that based on that launch, the missile would be powerful enough to reach Alaska, if set on another trajectory. North Korea's Hwasong-14 could theoretically reach the US - however to do so it would need a nuclear warhead that is too small to cause a serious threat, experts have said But that does not take into account how the missiles could be developed in the coming year, and the July 4 launch (pictured) has forced the Pentagon to rethink its proposed timeline Others have said that, based on the size of the rocket, North Korea does not yet post a serious threat to the US. Ralph Savelsberg and James Kiessling, writing in Breaking Defense, said that in order for the rocket to be able to travel over the Pacific, it would need to be made lighter by having a small nuclear payload. 'Capabilities exceed the arbitrary 5,500 km range value, but it's not really a useful ICBM,' they wrote. 'It's too small and too close to zero payload at useful ranges.' But that does not account for developments within the next year - which is what this Pentagon report addresses. North Korea reportedly continues to work towards a seventh nuclear test, as it develops the miniaturized nuclear warheads small enough to fit on an ICBM. The last test, in September, had a yield of 20-30 kilotons - compared with the 20 kilotons dropped on Hiroshima - and was substantially larger than its predecessors. North Korean officials have showed off a spherical device that they claim is a miniaturized nuclear warhead, but there is no confirmation that this is the case. The Pentagon's latest predictions are in line with those made by their South Korean counterparts, the Washington Post reported. North Korea has ramped up missile and nuke testing (undated test seen here) in the past year, and may attempt another test - this time on atmospheric shielding - as soon as Thursday The shielding would help stop damage incurred to a nuclear missile as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. The NK military hopes that the missiles will deter attacks on the country Both the DIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) declined to respond to the Washington Post about the classified assessments. However, the ODNI's national intelligende manager for East Asia, Scott Bray, did say that the July 4 launch was 'one of the milestones that we have expected would help refine our timeline and judgments.' 'This test, and its impact on our assessments, highlight the threat that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose to the United States, to our allies in the region, and to the whole world,' he added. 'The intelligence community is closely monitoring the expanding threat from North Korea.' The widow of an NYPD cop who was shot dead as he sat in his squad car in 2014, has given birth to his daughter two and a half years later. Wenjian Liu, 32, along with his partner Rafael Ramos, 40, were gunned down in the car in Brooklyn, just five days before Christmas. As he lay dying in hospital, Liu's wife of just a few months, Pei 'Sanny' Xei Chen, was asked if she would like to preserve his semen to allow her to have his child in the future. 'Of course she said yes,' a friend told The New York Post. Pei 'Sanny' Xei Chen, the widow of an NYPD cop who was shot dead as he sat in his squad car in 2014, has given birth to his daughter two and a half years later (pictured with baby Angel in hospital) Liu, 32, (left and right) along with his partner 32, Rafael Ramos, 40, were gunned down just five days before Christmas in 2014 Two and a half years later, and Chen has finally given birth to her husband's baby, beautiful baby girl Angel, born weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces. 'The baby's adorable, smiling, laughing,' said cop and family friend Maria Dziergowski, who was with Chen at the Upper East Side hospital Tuesday. 'She has a lot of hair, a lot of black hair.' Liu's parents, who live in Brooklyn, also paid Chen and their granddaughter a visit at the hospital. 'The parents were very emotional, crying and holding the baby,' said Dziergowski. Chen had called her daughter Angelina - Angel for short - because on the day she was inseminated, she dreamed her husband had visited her and presented her with a baby, telling her 'It's a girl, a little angel' The cop said that Chen had called her daughter Angelina - Angel for short - because on the day she was inseminated, she dreamed her husband had visited her and presented her with a baby, telling her 'It's a girl, a little angel.' Chen had only been married to Liu for three months, when he and his partner were gunned down at close range in their patrol car December 20, 2014. Liu, it would later be revealed, was sitting in a squad car alongside Ramos that day simply because he'd agreed to fill in for another colleague at the last minute. He was always one to pitch in when people needed help, his father Wei Tang Liu said. 'I used to work in a factory and hed always call and say "Would you like me to stop by and help you there?"' his father said. Liu's family revealed following his slaying that the 32-year-old was inspired to become a police officer after the September 11 attacks. Pei Xia Chen (C), widow of New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Wenjian Liu, broke down in tears during his funeral in New York on January 4, 2015 Chen (C) clutched an NYPD flag as officers loaded her husband's casket for a procession during his funeral. A sea of blue uniformed officers crowded around the Brooklyn funeral home to honor Wenjian Liu, On Christmas Eve 2014, Liu's new wife of just a few months along with his father and mother Xiu Yan Li visited the spot where the Ramos and Liu were gunned down in their squad car. Chen, sobbed uncontrollably and she and her in-laws laid wreaths at the makeshift memorial in the BedfordStuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Liu's family placed two wreaths at the sprawling memorial to the two slain officers. One read: 'From Mom and Dad to my dear son: I love you always and forever.' In her eulogy to her husband, Chen called Liu 'my hero.' The other was dedicated to Liu's partner Ramos and his family. A 2014 photo shows investigators at the scene where the two NYPD officers were shot in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of the Brooklyn The cops were murdered by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who then committed suicide. Before the attack, Brinsley, 28, wrote on an Instagram account: 'I'm putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of theirs.' Liu and Ramos's killings were followed by a funeral where some officers turned their backs on New York Mayor Bill De Blasio for allegedly creating an anti-police environment in the city. In the wake of the killings, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation began raising money for the heartbroken families. Today, Chen is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband, but now has a wonderful, positive reminder of the man she held dear. New petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2040 to improve air quality. The crackdown could also see the introduction of levies on busy roads for owners of the most polluting vehicles. And hopes of a major scrappage scheme to help those who were encouraged to buy diesels appear to have been dashed. The strategy will be launched today by ministers Michael Gove and Chris Grayling. It was forced on the Government by defeat in a High Court case on air pollution. From 2040, drivers will be able to buy electric cars only ending the near 150-year reign of the internal combustion engine. Mr Gove today hailed Britain as leading the world, joining France and Norway on the path to a low emission future on Britain's roads. The crackdown could also see the introduction of levies on busy roads for owners of the most polluting vehicles The strategy will be launched today by ministers Michael Gove and Chris Grayling (right) From around 2020, town halls will be allowed to levy extra charges on diesel drivers using the UK's 81 most polluted routes if air quality fails to improve. Diesels might even be banned at peak times. Judges ruled the Government was breaking the law by allowing concentrations of nitrogen dioxide to build up in urban areas. Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the huge changes were essential. He said: 'We can't carry on with diesel and petrol cars, not just because of the health problems that they cause, but also because the emissions that they cause would mean that we would accelerate climate change, do damage to our planet and to the next generation.' Asked if there was no alternative to more wind farms and nuclear power energy stations, Mr Gove replied: 'There is no alternative to embracing new technology.' Told the Conservatives had a manifesto promise against more wind farms, Mr Gove said: 'The Conservatives had a manifesto promise to ensure by 2050 there would be no diesel or petrol vehicles on our roads. 'Today we're confirming that should mean no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040, and critically President Macron in France has a similar aspiration... and Norway wants to reach that goal by 2025 so we are, quite rightly, in a position of global leadership in shaping the new technology.' ClientEarth, an environmental law organisation, argued successfully that ministers were not doing enough to tackle the issue. A judge ordered ministers to unveil the new air quality strategy to cut illegal levels of pollution from diesel vehicles by next Monday. The Government also faces fines from the European Commission, which has sent Britain a final warning to comply with EU air pollution limits for NO2 or face a case at the European Court of Justice. From 2040, drivers will be able to buy electric cars only ending the near 150-year reign of the internal combustion engine From around 2020, town halls will be allowed to levy extra charges on diesel drivers using the UK's 81 most polluted routes if air quality fails to improve Any suggestion that drivers of diesels should be penalised will be greeted with anger from motoring organisations. They point out that the last Labour government had encouraged people to buy the vehicles. It was thought that efficient diesel engines were the best way to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It later emerged that the nitrogen dioxide they emit was harming air quality. Levels have been above legal limits in almost 90 per cent of urban areas in the UK since 2010. The toxic fumes are estimated to cause 23,500 early deaths a year and the problem was declared a public health emergency by a cross-party committee last year. New guidance to councils will see them urged to introduce a range of measures to bring down pollution. These include making buses more environmentally-friendly, changing the phasing of traffic lights, removing speed bumps and changing road layouts. Town halls will be told to do all they can to avoid hitting diesel drivers, who bought the cars in good faith, with punitive measures. But if these do not work, the Government will allow town halls to charge drivers of the dirtiest vehicles using the most polluted roads. They could also restrict the times of day when they can use these roads banning them during peak hours, for example. Town halls will not be allowed to bring in city-wide restrictions. They will only be able to take action on the 81 most polluted roads in the country. Pressed on charges to enter city centres and other areas with high air pollution, Mr Gove cited London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to introduce new charges before adding: 'I don't believe that it is necessary to bring in charging but we will work with local authorities in order to determine what the best approach is. 'If a local authority believes that charging is necessary in order to secure compliance then we'll work to ensure that plan be implemented appropriately, but on the evidence I've seen while charging could bring local authorities in to compliance with the law, it's not necessary.' Mr Gove described charging as a 'blunt instrument', adding he would prefer a 'series of surgical interventions' as they are 'fairer' to drivers and 'likely to be more effective, more quickly'. The clean air plan will be unveiled by Mr Gove's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Mr Grayling's Department for Transport. The Government said poor air quality was the largest environmental risk to public health Evidence from the World Health Organisation shows that older people, children, people with pre-existing lung and heart conditions, and people on lower incomes may be most at risk, a spokesman said. Mr Gove will tell councils to concentrate its action to reduce emissions on some of the busiest roads and junctions. Analysis of more than 1,800 of Britain's major roads by the government's Joint Air Quality Unit shows that 81 4 per cent are affected, with 33 roads outside London. In many areas including Nottingham, Bolton, Bristol, Cardiff and Middlesbrough a single road is affected. Although ministers have not ruled out charging and restricting access to polluting cars at the busiest times, they want town halls to exhaust all other options first. An extra 255million will be given to councils to help them bring in the plans, which will have to be drawn up by the end of 2018. The future? More electric cars could be seen on the roads after the ban The Government will also invest money in a Clean Air Fund. Councils will be able to bid for money to support improvements that avoid the need for restrictions on polluting vehicles. But ministers accepted that if this did not succeed in reducing emissions, councils may need to consider restrictions on polluting vehicles using affected roads. It could mean preventing polluting vehicles using some of the roads at certain times of the day or introducing charging, as London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced. A source said: 'The Government is clear that local authorities should exhaust other options before opting to hit drivers with new charges for using vehicles they bought in good faith. 'Any restrictions or charging on polluting vehicles should be time-limited and lifted as soon as air pollution is within legal limits and the risk of future beaches has passed.' A consultation will also be launched in the autumn on mitigation measures including a possible scrappage scheme to support drivers affected by any restrictions on polluting vehicles.' Last week a cross-party group of MPs wrote to Mr Gove demanded restricted access for polluting vehicles in urban areas. Electric mini built in UK: Huge boost for Brexit Britain as BMW defies Remoaners with car plant pledge on day of economic good news BMW delivered a vote of confidence in post-Brexit Britain yesterday as it pledged to build the electric Mini here. Having previously warned it could move production to the Netherlands, the German car giant revealed the next generation of the car will be assembled at its historic home in Cowley, Oxford. The first fully electric Mini E will roll off the production line in 2019, just as Britain cuts ties with the EU. Going for a spin: The BMW Mini factory in Oxford. The German car giant revealed the next generation of the car will be assembled at its historic home in Cowley, Oxford The electric drivetrain the components that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels - will be built in Germany, before being shipped to the UK. Bosses at BMW had told shareholders that the electric Mini could be manufactured at its smaller plant in the Netherlands, as they ratcheted up pressure on ministers to thrash out a favourable deal for the car industry in Brexit negotiations. There had also been mounting speculation that the firm would build a plant in Germany. But yesterday BMW became the latest international carmaker to back Britain, with Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota all revealing plans to ramp up production and invest in their UK car plants. It also became the latest manufacturer to outline plans to boost production of electric cars. BMW said it would be able to offer a fully electric version of any new model of BMW or Mini launched from 2020, if there was enough demand. The first fully electric Mini E will roll off the production line in 2019, just as Britain cuts ties with the EU BMW said it would be able to offer a fully electric version of any new model of BMW or Mini launched from 2020, if there was enough demand Tory MPs last night described the firm's decision as a 'clear endorsement' of British car manufacturing, its workforce and its long term economic prospects. It is also a boost to the 4,500 workers who churn out around 1,000 Minis a day at the 100-acre plant. BMW employs 24,000 staff in the UK, from the factory floor to its dealerships, including the Rolls-Royce factory in Sussex, and other plants in Birmingham and Swindon. Business secretary Greg Clark, who is said to have met BMW board member Ian Robertson four times this year, said: 'This landmark decision is a vote of confidence in the determination of our industrial strategy to make Britain the go-to place in the world for the next generation of vehicles. 'BMW's decision recognises the strength of the excellent workforce, our record of innovation and the productive relationship between the automotive sector and the Government. The automotive industry is a great British success story and the Mini is a big part of that.' BMW's move comes after a string of dire warnings from the car industry about the damage from Brexit. Tory MPs last night described the firm's decision as a 'clear endorsement' of British car manufacturing, its workforce and its long term economic prospects BMW said that it was committed to selling 100,000 electrified vehicles hybrids or electric cars this year, as many as it has sold in total since production started four years ago The motor trade body the SMMT has described leaving the EU without a free trade deal as the biggest 'threat to the car industry for a generation', amid fears that hefty tariffs will be imposed. Car makers have warned that the prospect of tariffs could push up the cost of manufacturing, forcing them to increase their prices. With 80 per cent of the 1.7million cars built in the UK exported mainly to the EU some are worried that plants in the UK will no longer be able to compete. Last night pro-Brexit MPs and City experts said common sense had prevailed. Sir Bill Cash, Tory MP for Stone, said: 'The doomsayers and the prophets of fear are being given a lesson in practical common sense. This is an extremely important endorsement of the British workforce, and British car making.' Charlie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover and Deal and a supporter of the Change Britain campaign group, said: 'The fact that this iconic car will be built in Britain is a huge vote of confidence in the UK economy and great news for British jobs. 'This is yet further evidence that Britain remains an attractive place to invest, with companies looking to develop the technologies of tomorrow here in the UK today.' David Buik, a veteran City commentator who works for stockbroker Panmure Gordon, said: 'We're the second largest car assembly country in Europe for good reason. There is absolutely no need to move production elsewhere as we have the innovation, skills, driver and zest to take on all comers.' BMW said that it was committed to selling 100,000 electrified vehicles hybrids or electric cars this year, as many as it has sold in total since production started four years ago. A New York woman and one of her sons were found guilty of killing her estranged husband and pouring acid on his face to make it more difficult to identify him. Laura Rideout, 46, and Colin Rideout, 23, were convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder and evidence tampering in the slaying of 50-year-old Craig Rideout, whose body was found in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York last year. Prosecutors said Craig had been strangled and beaten inside his suburban Penfield home on July 20, 2016 while the couple was going through a contentious divorce. Laura Rideout, 46, and Colin Rideout, 23, were convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder and evidence tampering Prosecutors said Craig had been strangled and beaten inside his suburban Penfield home on July 20, 2016 before his body was found in the woods Alexander Rideout (left), Laura's son and Colin's brother, was acquitted of murder charges but convicted of evidence tampering. Laura's boyfriend Paul Tucci (right) was acquitted on both charges Laura was also convicted of one count of second-degree burglary. Alexander Rideout, Laura's son and Colin's brother, was acquitted of murder charges but convicted of evidence tampering. Laura's 51-year-old boyfriend, Paul Tucci, was acquitted on both charges. All four were charged with second-degree murder after Craig Rideout's mutilated body was found wrapped in a tarp in the woods about 40 miles southeast of Rochester. Alexander and Colin are two of the couple's seven children. Sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 1. The verdict resulted in mixed feelings for Agnes Rideout, Craig Rideout's mother. 'Justice for my son, but those are my grandkids,' she told the Democrat and Chronicle. Police believe Craig Rideout was killed inside his home in Penfield (general view) As investigators gathered evidence at the scene, they heard his cellphone ringing, which the killers had overlooked in his pocket. The discovery helped identify his body. A man stumbled on Craig Rideout's body in 2016 and alerted police. As investigators gathered evidence at the scene, they heard his cellphone - which the killers overlooked in his pocket. The discovery helped identify his body. The evidence presented during the three-week trial included video footage from a Walmart where Colin Rideout bought a shovel and four pairs of work gloves on the day prosecutors said his father was killed. A day earlier, Laura Rideout and Tucci bought drain cleaner, a tarp and bungee cords at another store. A shovel similar to the one bought at Walmart was found near Craig Rideout's body, while four pairs of similar work gloves were found covered with the victim's blood. Police initially charged Laura Rideout with evidence tampering after her husband's body was found. Soon afterward sons Alexander, 20, and Colin were arrested on the same charges after witnesses told police they saw the brothers throwing a bag with solvents, gloves and drain cleaner into a pond at a suburban Rochester park the day after the slaying. The mother, two sons and Tucci were later charged with second-degree murder. A teenage father was filmed abandoning his two-week-old son in a mall parking lot on Monday. Daniel Mitchell, 18, was captured by surveillance cameras pulling in to a parking space at Sunset Shopping Center in Siusun City, California in his grey Toyota shortly after 3pm. He was filmed coming to a stop then getting out of the driver's seat to retrieve his son, who was in his car seat, from the back. Mitchell calmly placed the seat next to the car then drove away. A barber who was working nearby spotted the car seat afterwards and rescued the baby just two minutes later. Scroll down for video Teenage father Daniel Mitchell, 18, was filmed abandoning his baby son in a mall parking lot on Monday. He is pictured dropping the two-week-old on the floor in his car seat He called police and the infant was taken to hospital where doctors said that he is currently in a critical condition on Tuesday. However, doctors did not elaborate why his health was in such a precarious state. Erick Keeton, the barber who rescued him, said the boy appeared to be in a good condition when he found him. 'I noticed he had his binky, he was wrapped up in a blanket," Keeton said. "He had a diaper on and he appeared to be fine. 'His tongue was a little white, maybe like he just had a bottle recently,' he told KCRA. Mitchell was arrested after crashing his car nearby and attempting to flee the scene. Once in custody, authorities pieced together that he was the abandoned baby's father. Mitchell looked back sheepishly before getting back in to his grey Toyota to drive off Mitchell placed the car seat on the ground then drove away, leaving the boy in the sun The baby is in a critical condition in hospital. He is pictured with his father on the day he was born (left). Mitchell faces five charges. They are felony hit-and-run (for the car crash after left the baby at the mall), child endangerment, child abandonment, committing a felony while on bail and possession of suspected cocaine Team daddy: The little boy (left) was born to parents Daniel Mitchell and Kalon Mitchell (right) The teenager was on bail for burglary at the time of the incident. The boy's mother, Mitchell's wife, was unaware of his plans and is not facing any charges. On Tuesday, she asked friends to 'pray for my son' as he recovered in hospital. The infant was born on July 10. His father lists his profession as a cashier at the clothing store Hollister on social media. He is charged with felony hit-and-run, child endangerment, child abandonment, committing a felony while on bail and possession of suspected cocaine. The baby boy was left sitting in the parking lot in his car seat for two minutes before he was rescued This is the moment Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa was handcuffed outside New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio's mansion while trying to serve a lawsuit. Sliwa, 63, was issued a summons for disorderly conduct on Tuesday morning, when he showed up outside the gates of Gracie Mansion with court papers and refused to budge for DeBlasio's motorcade. The suit relates to the format of election ballots in New York, where candidates can run under multiple party lines, and seeks to boot Democrat DeBlasio off the Working Families Party party line. Sliwa famously founded the Guardian Angels in the 1970s to fight rampant crime in New York City's subways, and is still frequently seen in the group's signature red outfits. 'I wanna serve da mayor!' Sliwa protests in video shot by his 35-year-old girlfriend Nancy Regula, as cops detain him. Curtis Sliwa has filed suit seeking to boot New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio off of a third-party line in the upcoming primary election in September, and tried to serve him with court papers Sliwa was handcuffed and issued a summons for disorderly conduct on Tuesday morning, when he showed up outside the gates of Gracie Mansion with court papers for Mayor DeBlasio 'Whaddaya gonna charge me with,' Sliwa says, hamming it up for the camera as stony-faced cops from the mayor's protective detail cuff his hands behind his back. After Sliwa has been pulled to the side of the drive and detained, the mayor's motorcade of black SUV's proceeds down the drive with police lights flashing. Sliwa throws the sheaf of papers from behind his back at the passing motorcade and declares that they have been duly served. After his release from the 19th Precinct squad house, Sliwa held court for reporters. 'I stood in front of the two SUVs sort of like that picture from Tiananmen Square,' Sliwa told the Daily News, referring to the democracy protester who faced down Red Chinese tanks in 1989. Sliwa famously founded the Guardian Angels in the 1970s to fight rampant crime in New York City's subways, and is still frequently seen in the group's signature red outfits After his release, Sliwa compared himself to the democracy protester who faced down Red Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989 'They got all bent out shape,' he added. Sliwa, now a radio host who also appears in used-car commercials in New York, said the mayor's wife had waved at him as the motorcade passed. The suit, which also names City Controller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James, seeks to remove DeBlasio from the Working Family Party line in the next primary election. Though DeBlasio would also appear on the ballot's Democratic Party line, the labor-backed Working Family Party endorsement is seen as a powerful boost to candidates. The suit also targets DeBlasio's often fractious allies City Controller Scott Stringer (left) and Public Advocate Letitia James (right) Sliwa is the chairman of another local third party, the Reform Party, whose mayoral candidate Sal Albanese seeks to challenge DeBlasio in the primary election. Albanese was kicked off the ballot by the Board of Elections, which declared that there had not been committee votes in each of New York City's five counties as required. The suit seeks to remove DeBlasio from the Working Family Party line for the same rationale. Ronald Phillips (pictured) has arrived at he Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville ahead of his execution on Wednesday morning A condemned killer in Ohio has arrived at the 'death house' a day ahead of his scheduled execution. Ronald Phillips arrived at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville around 10:15am Tuesday, about 24 hours before he is set to die in Ohio's first execution in more than three years. He will be put to death despite several requests for a delay still pending before the Supreme Court. The 44-year-old was convicted for the 1993 rape and killing of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter, Sheila Marie Evans, in Akron. Phillips severely beat Sheila in the head, face and abdomen, threw her against walls and dragged her by the hair. He also sexually assaulted her. He also has requested that the execution be halted based on his age at the time of the killing. He was 19, older than the Supreme Court's cutoff of 18 for purposes of barring executions of juveniles, and argues the cutoff age should be 21. The latest delay request on that issue was filed Tuesday. As he awaited action from the high court, Phillips was being permitted to see family, friends and spiritual advisers and to meet with his attorneys. For his last meal, to be served Tuesday evening, he requested a large cheese pizza with bell peppers and mushrooms, a two-liter bottle of Pepsi and strawberry cheesecake, along with grape juice and a piece of unleavened bread. Attorneys for the state argued against Phillips' request, describing his legal claims as meritless and often conflicting. Phillips was taken to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (pictured) about 24 hours before he is scheduled to be killed by the state This photo shows the witness room facing the execution chamber of the 'death house' at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville 'Phillips argues that youth, like IQ, cannot be reduced to a number. But he also argues that the Eighth Amendment prohibits the execution of adults under age twenty-one,' they wrote in a court document filed Tuesday. 'He cannot have it both ways; if age cannot make one eligible for death, it cannot make one ineligible for death.' The state of Ohio also has told Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who handles such appeals for Ohio, continued delays in Phillips' case are harming the state by costing time and resources. Phillips has had several previous delays to scheduled executions, most notably in 2013 when he made a last-minute plea to donate his organs. He said he wanted to give a kidney to his mother, who was on dialysis, and possibly his heart to his sister. His request was denied. His mother has since died. Phillips was convicted for the 1993 rape and killing of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter, Sheila Marie Evans (pictured), in Akron This photograph shows an inside view of the death chamber at the prison facility in Ohio The last execution in Ohio was in January 2014 when Dennis McGuire (pictured) repeatedly gasped and snorted during a 26-minute procedure The last execution in Ohio was in January 2014 when Dennis McGuire repeatedly gasped and snorted during a 26-minute procedure with a never-before-tried drug combination. Governor John Kasich put several scheduled executions on hold. The delays have continued, prompted by shortages of acceptable drugs and legal challenges by death row inmates to Ohio's plans for a new three-drug execution method. A federal court last month upheld the use of the sedative midazolam, which has been problematic in several executions, including Ohio's in 2014 and others in Arkansas and Arizona. The ruling clears the way for the state to move forward with three executions, but it isn't a decisive ruling on the constitutionality of the three-drug method. On Monday, 15 pharmacology professors argued in Phillips' favor that midazolam is incapable of inducing unconsciousness or preventing the unconstitutional infliction of serious pain. A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly dousing his ex-girlfriend with petrol and setting her on fire as she slept. Emergency services were called to Aldea Circuit at Bracken Ridge, north of Brisbane, at about 10.40am on Tuesday. Sigourney Coles, 28, was rushed to hospital with serious burns to her chest, arms and throat. She was put in an induced coma and remained stable on Wednesday morning. One of two distraught housemates said she woke up to the 'sounds of screaming' and found Ms Coles on fire in her blazing bedroom. Brisbane woman Sigourney Coles (pictured), 28, is in an induced coma after her ex-boyfriend allegedly broke into her home, doused her in petrol and set her alight Her ex-boyfriend (pictured), a 27-year-old Wavell man, was charged with attempted murder and enter with intent. Police believe he had only known Ms Coles for a short period of time Ms Coles' distraught housemate Phillipa Allanson (pictured) said she woke to the sound of Sigourney screaming and found her alight in her blazing bedroom 'Her clothes were on fire, the carpet and her bed as well,' housemate Phillipa Allanson told 9 News. '(She) was burning all down her neck, chest from her fingers all the way up (her arm) was very severely burned.' 'It just broke us, we couldn't even be in the house while she was getting treated by the ambulance.' Paramedics arrived to find Ms Coles in the shower, barely conscious. 'She was alert at that time, but due to the severity of the injuries we had to act quickly to get her to hospital,' Neil Pinto from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said. Police allege the man came through the back door of the woman's home and entered her bedroom, before pouring flammable liquid over her as she was sleeping Paramedics are pictured working on Ms Coles' severe burns before racing her to hospital Detectives allege her ex-boyfriend, a 27-year-old Wavell man, came through an unlocked back door of the home and entered her bedroom. He is then alleged to have poured flammable liquid over her as she was sleeping. He allegedly fled the scene in a car but was later found at a Chermside home and taken to Princes Charles Hospital for a medical assessment. On Tuesday night he was taken into custody and charged with one count each of attempted murder and enter with intent. Detective Acting Superintendent Mick O'Dowd said the burns were of a 'second degree nature'. 'We understand they are known to each other, but how long that association between the two has existed we're unsure,' he said. Neighbours told the Brisbane Times they were shocked by the incident and described the area as 'a quiet suburban street where hardly anything happens'. 'There was never any shouting or anything like that,' one said. 'Their dog did dig under the fence one time and came into our backyard, but they were very nice and fixed everything.' 'Her clothes were on fire, the carpet and her bed as well,' housemate Phillipa Allanson said Chloe Goins, 27, was arrested outside a San Diego jail on Sunday on suspicion of trying to smuggle heroin inside One of Bill Cosby's accusers has been arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle heroin in to a San Diego jail. Chloe Goins was arrested after police searcher he car in the parking lot of the George F. Bailey Detention Center on Sunday at 10.45pm. The 27-year-old was approached by officers for an unknown vehicle violation when they carried out the search and found what they believed to be heroin in her car. She was jailed on a $25,000 bond and will likely face felony charges including possessing a controlled substance in prison and bringing alcohol or drugs in prison when she is arraigned, San Diego County Sheriff's Department officials said. It was not clear on Tuesday whether Goins had posted bond. Authorities have not revealed who she was visiting inside the jail when she was arrested. She is among dozens of women who have leveled accusations against Cosby. After her arrest in San Diego on Sunday, Goins' lawyer said in a statement: Our primary concern at this time is for Ms. Goins' well-being. 'I'd like to remind the public that an arrest is not a conviction, nor is it evidence or admission of guilt.' Goins, a former model, said she was sexually assaulted by Cosby during a party at the Playboy Mansion in 2008 when she was 18. She said that at the party, he handed her a drink which she believed was drugged and that she passed out. She claimed to have woken up naked with Cosby biting her toes. Prosecutors in California declined to press charges, saying details of her version of events could not be corroborated. Goins was in her car in the parking lot of the George F. Bailey Detention Facility in San Diego when an officer approached her for a vehicle violation. They searched the car and found what they believe was heroin inside Goins claims Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her at a party at the Playboy Mansion in 2008. The comedian is pictured (right) after a mistrial was declared in the case against him involving Andrea Constand - the only one of his accusers whose allegations have been criminally prosecuted - in June Goins said she was at a party at the Playboy Mansion in 2008 (above) when Cosby handed her a drink. She says she passed out and woke up naked with him biting her ties She sues Cosby in October 2015, months before he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004 in Pennsylvania. Goins dropped the lawsuit without explanation last February. Before withdrawing it, she spoke to DailyMail.com to say she was determined to get justice. 'Bill Cosby sexually assaulted me at the Playboy Mansion in 2008. I'm grateful to the LAPD for conducting an investigation, but I am devastated by this decision,' she said, after the department decided not to prosecute the star. Cosby, now 80, has only ever been prosecuted over one alleged sex crime despite dozens of women claiming they are his victims. He was arrested in 2015 for allegedly attacking Andrea Constand at his home in Pennsylvania in 2004. A two-week trial took place in Norristown, Pennsylvania, this June but the jury failed to reach a verdict and he walked free. A New Zealand man has been found dead in Bali after a night of drinking. The 53-year-old man's body was reportedly discovered in an estuary on Saturday morning local time, just hours after his wife left him drinking at a bar. The pair were drinking with friends at a bar in the Bali Palm Hotel, where they had been staying for about a week, according to local reports. The pair were drinking with friends at a bar in the Bali Palm Hotel, where they had been staying for about a week (Bali Palm Hotel pictured) A New Zealand man has been found dead in Bali after a night of drinking (stock image) The man's wife left the bar to go to bed, while he continued drinking. A hotel employee found the man's body nearby at about 7am and alerted authorities. Balinese police did not note any signs of violence, neither do they think the man had drowned. It is believed he died about five hours before his body was discovered. In a statement to Stuff the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: 'The New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta is providing consular assistance to the family. Due to privacy considerations we are unable to provide any further information'. Ten members of an extended family were laid to rest Tuesday after horrifically losing their lives together in mere seconds when a swim at a watering hole turned deadly in a flash flood in Arizona. Hector Miguel Garnica, 26, was the last family member found and was identified just in time to be included in the funeral Mass that had over 1,000 attendants. He and his wife, Maria del Carmen Raya Garcia, were killed as they celebrated her 27th birthday on July 15, along with their three small children: Hector Daniel, 7, Mia, 5, and Emily, 3. The 10 white caskets belonging to three generations of a Mexican immigrant family were arranged in two rows facing the altar at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Scottsdale. They were laid to rest in their satin lined caskets to strains of Ave Maria. Scroll for video The bodies of Hector Garnica, his wife Maria Raya, and their three kids - three-year-old Emily, five-year-old Mia and seven-year-old Hector Daniel - were pulled from the waters in Arizona on July 17. Over 1,000 mourners saw them laid to rest Tuesday The caskets of 10 family members who were killed in a flash flood are loaded into hearses outside St. Patrick Catholic Church, in Scottsdale, Az Tuesday so that they may be laid to rest Maria's mother Selia Garcia, 60 (pictured), was eulogized Tuesday. The Rev. Tellez praised Selia who raised her children on her own The casket of 24-year-old Maribel Raya Garcia is taken from the funeral at St Patrick Catholic Church to a waiting hearse A line of 10 waiting hearses outside of the church are loaded one by one with the family's caskets The caskets of family members who were killed in a flash flood are loaded into hearses outside St. Patrick Catholic Church, Tuesday Family, friends and the community gathered for the mass which saw over 1,000 attendants, many brought flowers for the service Maria Garnica, a cousin on Hector's side said it was too overwhelming to walk up to the caskets to say her final goodbye. 'It was devastating, but I know they're in peace and they're all together,' Maria said to KVOA News. Also killed was Raya Garcia's mother, Selia Garcia Castaneda, 57; Raya Garcia's brother Javier Raya Garcia, 19; her sister Maribel Raya Garcia, 24; Maribel's daughter Erika Janel Camacho Raya, 2; and Jonatan Leon Villanueva, a grandson of Selia Garcia who would have turned 13 next month. The Rev. Eric Tellez remembered the family as hardworking people, with many employed in the restaurant industry preparing food for others, a pursuit the pastor likened to a ministry. One of the coffins is loaded into the back of the hearse in Phoenix The funeral procession leaving St Patrick Catholic Church The line of white hearses stretched as the funeral procession brought the family to their final resting place Police escorts maintained the funeral procession and the mass of over 1,000 attendants The line of white hearses proceed to bring the family to their final resting place The procession of hearses are seen arriving at the funeral home ahead of the ceremony The Rev. Eric Tellez remembered the family as hardworking people, with many employed in the restaurant industry preparing food for others 'What is it about this family - that loves to eat and work in places where they feed people?' he asked during an upbeat funeral Mass celebrated in English and Spanish. 'It is a vocation of bringing people together.' Tellez said that amid the sadness, there had been kindness and gratitude, people offering to help pay for the funeral and grieving family members bringing food and water to rescuers searching for their loved ones. 'We can be grateful to God even in the saddest moments of our lives,' the priest said. 'The family has taught us that. ' Tellez briefly described each family member, recalling grandmother Selia as a single parent who raised her children alone, and little Mia 'who loved to do everyone's fingernails, including her father's.' His co-officiant was the Rev. Ed Lucero, a priest in the central Arizona town of Payson close to where the family died who blessed each of the victims after their bodies were pulled from the water. At the Mass, several dozen mourners wore white T-shirts printed with a photograph of the couple, along with their three children. 'In Loving Memory,' the shirts read. Hector Miguel Garnica, a 27-year-old father of three was the last to be identified and was able to be buried along with his family The group was swept away when a flash flood caused by a thunderstorm upstream rushed through the swimming area in Tonto National Forest. Authorities have said the family had no warning. The group of 14 from the Phoenix and Flagstaff areas had met on the Saturday for a day trip along a popular swimming hole near Payson. They set up lounge chairs not knowing an intense thunderstorm was dumping heavy rainfall just upstream. The storm unleashed six-foot-high floodwaters, dark with ash from a summer wildfire, onto the unsuspecting family and friends. Search and rescue crews, including 40 people on foot and others in a helicopter, recovered the bodies. The above picture shows the flood waters coursing through the area on July 17, the waters made dark by a recent wildfire This grainy image taken from video of the floods shows a father clinging to a tree with his baby in his hand. They are thought to have survived Four other members of the group - two adults and two children - were rescued and hospitalized for hypothermia. They have since been released from the hospital. A nearby hiker spotted a man holding a baby clinging to a tree screaming for help. Rescuers were thankfully able to save him and his baby. Those who knew Hector Garnica have said he was a hardworking family man whose positive demeanor was widely known at the numerous restaurants that employed him as a cook over the years. The floods occurred when a thunder storm struck part of Ellison Creek, eight miles north of the hole, sending water rushing downstream. Above, the scene under the First Crossing Bridge afterwards Lightning strikes as a monsoon sweeps toward north Phoenix Sunday night Maria Raya Garcia was known for her kind manner and dedication to her restaurant kitchen job. 'I thought it was like a dream; I was hoping it wasn't real,' said Ray Lopez, kitchen manager at El Encanto restaurant, where she worked. Last week, he recalled Raya Garcia's joy when he allowed her to take her birthday weekend off despite a busy schedule. Lopez said he and the rest of the restaurant staff are deeply upset by the loss of their friend and co-worker. 'I'm OK when I'm here at home,' Lopez said. 'When I go there and she's not there - that's when I have a hard time.' One of the victims bodies was found beneath this bridge on Sunday afternoon The swimming hole is on the East Verde River around 10 miles north east of Payson and around 100 miles from Phoenix Five bodies were recovered from the river on Sunday, a day after the floods. Four others were found on Saturday and two people remain missing. Authorities continued searching the river on Sunday Four other relatives survived the flash flood. Esthela Abigail Atondo was rescued, and her aunt Sonia Atondo said her niece still isn't talking about what happened. 'I saw her and hugged her, but she didn't say anything,' said the elder Atondo, who traveled from Seattle for the funeral. 'She didn't want to say anything.' Disa Alexander was hiking to the swimming area where Ellison Creek and East Verde River converge when the water suddenly surged. Video she posted to social media showed torrents of water surging through jagged canyons carved in Arizona's signature red rock. 'I could have just died!' Alexander exclaimed on the video. She spotted a man holding a baby and clinging to a tree. Nearby, his wife was also in a tree. A boy Alexander described as the couple's son was on the rocks above the water. Had they been swept downstream, they would have been sent over a 20-foot waterfall, Alexander said. Alexander and others tried to reach them but couldn't. Fortunately help was close by. Some search and rescue team members were already near the swimming hole after getting a call to help someone who had suffered a bad allergic reaction, according to Detective Sgt. David Hornung of the Gila County Sheriff's Department. When they arrived at the scene, 'they heard someone screaming for help and saw a man clinging to a rock,' said Hornung, who added that the man was safely rescued. 'Then they heard other people calling for help.' Some 40 rescuers in bright orange T-shirts and helmets dotted the green landscape as they combed the waters and banks. Members of the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue team carried on the search for survivors Authorities continued to search for the two missing people on July 18 Pictured: What the creek normally looks like NASA is to begin accepting proposals to build a radical low noise supersonic passenger plane. The space agency says it is ready to begin taking bids in August for construction of a demonstration plane in a project worth $390 million over five years, according to Bloomberg The radical new craft could cut the six-hour flight time from New York to Los Angeles in half - and reduce the sonic boom so it can fly over populated areas. Scroll down for video QueSST is designed to fly at Mach 1.4, 55,000 feet above the ground. Lockheeds plan is to build a craft 94 feet long with room for one pilot. It will fly as high as 55,000 feet, and run on one of the twin engines that power Boeing Co.s F/A-18 fighter jet. QUIET SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT QueSST is designed to fly at Mach 1.4, 55,000 feet above the ground. The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years. Recent research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster than the speed of sound can generate a sound at ground level so quiet it will hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all. NASA is hoping to achieve a boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as the Anglo-French Concorde, according to Aviation Week. Advertisement The first year of funding is included in President Trump's 2018 budget proposal. 'Supersonic flight offers the potential to improve the quality of life of those that fly, by greatly reducing travel time,' said Peter Coen, NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology project manager. 'In the nearer term, NASA's development of quiet supersonic flight technology needs support, interest and engagement from the community to ensure that the potential sound is acceptable to those on the ground,' Coen said. Earlier this year, in what was said to be a 'significant milestone' for supersonic passenger flight, NASA completed the preliminary design review of its low-boom X-plane. The Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) design aims to reduce the sonic boom that occurs as these aircraft move faster than the speed of sound, with hopes to bring it down to a soft 'thump' to allow for flights over land. Experts from NASA and Lockheed Martin now say the QueSST design could meet these requirements, and say flight tests could begin as early as 2021. NASA plans to release the full request for proposals in August, following the recent draft request. In what's said to be a 'significant milestone' for supersonic passenger flight, NASA has completed the preliminary design review of its low-boom X-plane. Experts from NASA and Lockheed Martin say the QueSST design could reduce the sonic boom to a 'thump' Lockheed Martin partnered with NASA as lead contractor in February 2016. Its scale model for the Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental plane was put through the 8-by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center last month, and the space agency has now completed the preliminary design review. The design will be finalized over the next few months, and will undergo a static inlet performance test and low-speed wind tunnel test. NASA now plans to solicit proposals and award a contract to build the first piloted, single-engine craft. 'Managing a project like this is all about moving from one milestone to the next,' said David Richwine, manager for the preliminary design effort under NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project. 'Our strong partnership with Lockheed Martin helped get us to this point. 'We're now one step closer to building an actual X-plane.' While Lockheed Martin has been working on the preliminary design, with hopes to move on to build the demonstrator, NASA has opened the door for other companies to submit their own designs as well, according to Aviation Week. Lockheeds research shows the design can maintain that sound level at commercial size and his teams planned demo will be 94 feet long, have room for one pilot, fly as high as 55,000 feet, and run on one of the twin engines that power Boeing Co.s F/A-18 fighter jet. The space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as Concorde, according to Aviation Week. The space agency is looking for plans to develop, build, and flight test an X-plane, and will award a contract in 2018. At the end of June, Lockheed Martin wrapped up its 17-month, $20 million contract with NASA for the preliminary design of the low-boom demonstrator concept. The design was be put through a four-day review. And, bidders will have the option to use this for the demonstrator's detailed design, according to Aviation Week. Lockheed Martin, however, is hoping to secure the top spot. THE PLANE THAT FLEW PASSENGERS FROM LONDON TO NY IN THREE-AND-A-HALF HOURS Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph or 2,180 k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers. Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying for the next 27 years. It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran for a much shorter period of time before it was grounded and retired due to safety and budget issues. Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aerospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's name, meaning harmony or union, reflects the cooperation on the project between the United Kingdom and France. In the UK, any or all of the type are known simply as 'Concorde', without an article. Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft. Air France (AF) and British Airways (BA) each received seven aircraft. The research and development failed to make a profit and the two airlines bought the aircraft at a huge discount. Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after the type's only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aerospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support. Advertisement 'We are ready to go on building that demonstrator,' said Rob Weiss, Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs executive vice president and general manager, at the AIAA Aviation 2017 forum, Aviation Week reports. 'We feel we have a technological advantage in the amount of investment we have made in the tools and the vehicle itself.' It's been decades since NASA has worked on a manned supersonic X-plane, and after the contract is awarded in 2018, the winning team will undergo critical design review in 2019 to bring the plan closer to life. Then, the agency plans to see the first flight tests in the first quarter of 2021. For the most part, the demonstrator tests will take place across two phases at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, and culminating at the base housing at Edwards AFB. The first will focus on aircraft build, checkout, and supersonic flight envelope expansion set for late 2021, followed by efforts focusing on low-boom acoustic validation, according to Aviation Week. Then, in 2022, researchers will assess the ground signature of the demonstrator, and the effects on atmospheric and flight conditions from the boom. According to Aviation Week, NASA is hoping the low-boom X-plane will support changes in FAA regulations, to allow supersonic flight over land. Argentinian ants that can knock out a homes wiring are one of the worst invasive species threatening the UK, a panel of experts warned yesterday. The insects, which are found in London and Birmingham, form super- colonies with hundreds of queens and millions of workers that may link up over thousands of miles. They are predicted to lay waste to native British rivals which would have a knock-on effect on wildlife as the country becomes warmer. The ants cause short circuits when they nest in electrical junction boxes and get inside the plastic sheathing around copper mains cables. They are predicted to lay waste to native British rivals which would have a knock-on effect on wildlife as the country becomes warmer THE SPREADING (BUT TINY) MENACE FROM ARGENTINA The ants are only 3mm long but can give a painful bite Argentine ants that have migrated abroad co-exist peacefully and can form immense colonies, with one extending for 3,700 miles along the Mediterranean coast. However, in Argentina they are more aggressive and live in colonies just 200 yards wide. The ants, which are 3mm long and can give a painful bite, began colonising the world through coffee shipments. By killing native ants, the Argentine invaders can have a widespread effect. In California, horned lizards are in decline because the native harvester ants they eat are being killed off. Advertisement The warning came in a briefing ahead of a gathering of the British Ecological Society in Durham today. Experts said other invasive species threatening native wildlife included the Asian hornet, the harlequin ladybird, the North American raccoon, the Quagga mussel and the Hottentot fig. Professor Helen Roy, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, spelled out the risks, warning that warmer temperatures would make life easier for the ants. She added: Changing climate may facilitate the invasion of species that would not otherwise be established. The Argentine ant has some indoor populations within London, for instance. In the last couple of years weve seen those indoor populations spread outdoors. With a little more climate warming, we can see the ant settling in quite well. The ants are concerning, they can have quite far-reaching ecosystem impacts above ground and below ground. Because native British ants fulfil useful roles such as collecting leaf material and killing other insects, she said their destruction was potentially damaging for wildlife. In their homeland in South America, colonies of Argentine ants are fiercely aggressive to each other, limiting their spread. But elsewhere, they adopt different behaviour and form huge colonies. Because native British ants fulfil useful roles such as collecting leaf material and killing other insects, she said their destruction was potentially damaging for wildlife The ants are concerning, they can have quite far-reaching ecosystem impacts above ground and below ground Professor Roy said: One of the most fascinating things about the ant is that it forms super-colonies of millions of ants. They can be a nuisance coming into peoples homes in large numbers. There are problems around human dwellings. They can cause problems, not necessarily eating wiring, but getting into small spaces, interfering with the wiring. The Asian hornet, which was first seen in Britain last year, is putting bees at risk. Further threats include the Quagga mussel, which is spreading from the Thames near Heathrow to displace native ones. Raccoons a common pest in Germany where they invade lofts and kill birds were also in the top 30 invaders, while the Hottentot fig, which forms mats on dunes, is driving out local species in Cornwall. Cash machines are so easy to hack it can be done in just five minutes, a security expert has revealed. Most cash machines are essentially Windows XP computers attached to a safe, according to the expert from Positive Technologies. If attackers drill a hole in the front they can access a USB cable and dispense money. If a hacked machine collects an individual's card details they can spread your data around a network of ATMs and dispense your money without you having any idea. Scroll down for video The attacker first drills a hole in the front of the machine where the keypad is (pictured). Behind this is a USB port which they can use to get into the machine ATM HACKS Most cash machines are essentially Windows XP computers attached to a safe meaning if attackers can drill a hole in the front they can access a USB cable release a user's cash. For security reasons the video does not show how to remove the cash after finding the USB cable but the process takes just one minute. To help protect yourself experts suggest using an ATM in a bank with security cameras on them. Advertisement Leigh-Anne Galloway, a security expert with Positive Technologies, showed BBC how to hack an ATM made by Georgian-based company NCR - one of the largest makers of the machine. The attacker first drills a hole in the front of the machine where the keypad is. Behind this is a USB port. 'It's just a safe with a computer on top', Ms Galloway told BBC Click's Spencer Kelly. For security reasons the video does not show how to remove the cash after finding the USB cable but the process takes just one minute. 'So you could put malware on this system that could collect data from cards as well', she said. 'So that would be information that's held on our cards as well. So if I as a consumer am using this machine it could collect my card data'. 'And that could spread around the whole network of ATMs', she said. To help protect yourself experts suggest using an ATM in a bank with security cameras on them. Leigh-Anne Galloway, a security expert with Positive Technologies, showed BBC how to hack an ATM made by Georgian-based company NCR - one of the largest makers of the machine 'NCR provides its customers with comprehensive recommendations and security defenses to address these challenges we help our customers prevent attacks, and help them to assess and improve their security infrastructure', a NCR spokesperson told MailOnline. 'ATM security threats are becoming more complex and sophisticated, and thus securing ones infrastructure and endpoints is a never-ending task. 'Banks as ATM deployers must make security a high priority and stay current with all security defences, operating system upgrades, and industry recommendation', they said. Last year it was revealed that cyber criminals had remotely attacked cash machines in more than a dozen countries across Europe. Last year it was revealed that cyber criminals had remotely attacked cash machines in more than a dozen countries across Europe (stock image) CYBER CRIMINALS AND CASH MACHINES Last year it was revealed that cyber criminals had remotely attacked cash machines in more than a dozen countries across Europe. A February 2016 attack on servers at Bangladesh's central bank that controlled access to the SWIFT messaging system yielded more than $81 million (64.95 million) in one of the biggest digital heists on record. Disclosure of the campaign follows two ATM hacks in July 2016: $2.5 million (2 million) was stolen from Taiwan's First Bank and $350,000 (280,000) from Thailand's state-run Government Savings Bank. Hackers remotely infected ATMs at both banks, forcing them to spit out cash that was collected by teams of 'money mules,' who authorities say travelled to Asia from Eastern Europe. Advertisement The cyber criminals are using malicious software that forces machines to spit out cash, according to Russian cyber security firm Group IB. The heists across Europe follow the hacking of ATMs in Taiwan and Thailand that were widely reported last summer. Dmitry Volkov, head of threat intelligence with Group IB, told Reuters in November last year he expects more heists on ATMs. Hackers have moved from stealing payment card numbers and online banking credentials to more lucrative hacks on bank networks, giving them access not only to ATM machines, but also to electronic payment networks. A February 2016 attack on servers at Bangladesh's central bank that controlled access to the SWIFT messaging system yielded more than $81 million (64.95 million) in one of the biggest digital heists on record. Disclosure of the campaign follows two ATM hacks in July 2016: $2.5 million (2 million) was stolen from Taiwan's First Bank and $350,000 (280,000) from Thailand's state-run Government Savings Bank. Hackers remotely infected ATMs at both banks, forcing them to spit out cash that was collected by teams of 'money mules,' who authorities say travelled to Asia from Eastern Europe. Since May, several great white shark corpses have washed ashore with their livers and hearts missing in South Africa, in a bizarre set of killings. Orcas are believed to be responsible for the slayings, living up to their name as 'killer whales.' While several theories for why the killings have occurred have been suggested, one expert now claims the murders appear to be on the rise because conservation programmes have led to rising populations. This has increased numbers of both of the creatures, changed their range and allowing them to cross paths more often. Scroll down for video Since May, several great white shark corpses have washed ashore with their livers and hearts missing in South Africa, in a bizarre set of killings. In this picture an enormous five metre (16ft) shark is rolled up in a tarpaulin by conservationists to prepare it for autopsy HOW DO THE WHALES HUNT SHARKS? A great white shark liver can weigh more than 60 kilograms (130lbs) and its rich organic chemicals make it a perfect food source for killer whales. Dr Ingrid Visser, who has studied killer whales for nearly 20 years, said orcas use their powerful tails to create strong underwater currents that force the sharks to the surface. 'Once the shark is at the surface, the killer whale pivots and lifts its tail out of the water and comes down on top of it like a karate chop,' she said. This stuns the sharks, leaving them as a still target target for the killer whales' removal of the liver. Advertisement In May alone, at least three liver-less white shark carcasses washed up near the popular tourist town of Gansbaai, South Africa. All three sharks had consistent bite wounds and were found to be missing their livers, suggesting that orcas were responsible for the attacks. Experts suggest that local killer whales have developed an appetite for squalene - an organic chemical compound found in abundance in shark liver oil. The shark's fatty liver can weigh more than 60 kilograms (130lbs) and its rich organic chemicals make it a perfect food source for killer whales. Speaking to Gizmodo, George Burgess, Director of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said: 'Those that say sharks are apex predators, that's not the case. In May alone, at least three liver-less white shark carcasses washed up near the popular tourist town of Gansbaai, South Africa 'As hard as it is to say it, the killer whales are a step above.' While the attacks in South Africa appear to have occurred out of the blue, experts claim that they have been happening for years. Professor Rus Hoelzel, a biosciences expert at Durham University told Gizmodo: 'Killer whales can eat pretty much anything - they're very good predators. All three sharks had consistent bite wounds and were found to be missing their livers, suggesting that orcas were responsible for the attacks Experts suggest that local killer whales have developed an appetite for squalene - an organic chemical compound found in abundance in shark liver oil 'Working in a group certainly helps.' The reason for the recent bout of attacks in South Africa could be down to rising conservation efforts for both great white sharks and orcas. Mr Burgess said: 'We do know that there has been a rise in white shark populations in certain areas of the world, such as on both coasts of the United States thanks to proper fishery management and endangered species status given to the white shark's primary food items. The shark's fatty liver can weigh more than 60 kilograms (130lbs) and its organic chemicals make it a perfect food source The great white shark killings occurred near the popular shark diving town of Gansbaai, South Africa 'It may be that there are some modifications in their ranges. 'The animals may also be coming together more often, perhaps as a result of local environmental conditions.' Mr Burgess also suggests that the great white sharks may be approaching the orcas with the intention to attack them, rather than the other way round. Pictured is one of the mutilated carcasses. This image is one of several that South Africa's Dyer Island Conservation Trust has posted on Facebook George Burgess, Director of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History, suggests that the great white sharks may be approaching the orcas with the intention to attack them, rather than the other way round Great white sharks usually win their encounters with other animals. But unknown to them, orcas are big and strong enough to take them out with one headbutt. Mr Burgess added: 'It comes down to whether the killer whales are going after the shark at their vulnerable spot to disable them and eat an important part of them, or if they're there to essentially play with something that they've defeated, a la the cat.' Great white sharks usually win their encounters with other animals. But unknown to them, orcas are big and strong enough to take them out with one headbutt Gansbaai is widely considered one of the best regions in the world for shark diving. White sharks generate millions in tourist revenue for the town If smart weapons are ever going to work it seems they will need to be smarter than this gun which can be unlocked using cheap magnets from Amazon. The German manufacturers of the Armatix IP1 smart gun claimed it would 'usher in a new era of gun safety' as it would only fire in the presence of a special watch. However, a hacker has shown the device can easily be unlocked in multiple ways using $15 (11.50) magnets or a $20 (15) transmitter device. Scroll down for video The German manufacturers of the Armatix IP1 smart gun claimed it would 'usher in a new era of gun safety' as it would only fire in the presence of a special watch, however a hacker (pictured) has shown the device can easily be unlocked in multiple ways HOW WAS THE SMART GUN HACKED? Plore was able to jam the device's radio signals so the owner could not fire it with the watch present. By placing $15 (11.50) magnets from Amazon by the barrel of the gun he could also fire the device without using the watch. Plore also showed it was possible to hack the gun's radio-based safety mechanism. When the user squeezes the trigger it sends out a signal to check the watch is there. However, Plore could place radio devices that intercepted the signal and could relay it to the watch which could be up to 12 feet (3.5 metres) away. Advertisement The idea is that the gun will not fire if it is more than a few inches from the watch, according to an in-depth report by Wired. However a hacker who goes under the pseudonym Plore has showed in a Colorado firing range that he can make the smart gun fire without the security watch anywhere near it. Plore was also able to jam the device's radio signals so the owner could not fire the gun even with the watch present. By placing $15 (11.50) magnets by the barrel of the gun he could bypass the security watch. 'I almost didn't believe it had actually worked. I had to fire it again,' he said. 'And that's how I found out for $15 (11.50) of materials you can defeat the security of this $1,500 (1,150) smart gun', he said. Plore also showed it was possible to hack the gun's radio-based safety mechanism. When the user squeezes the trigger it sends out a signal to check the watch is there. However, Plore used a radio device to intercept the signal and relay it to the watch which could be up to 12 feet (3.5 metres) away. 'If you buy one of these weapons thinking it'll be safer, it should be', Plore said. 'I was confident I'd be able to break it... I didn't think it would be so easy', he said. A hacker who goes under the pseudonym Plore has showed in a Colorado firing range that he can make the smart gun (pictured) fire without the security watch anywhere near it As well as allowing the gun to fire when held by someone else, Plore also used radio signals to make the weapon completely useless. From ten feet away a $20 (15) transmitter device could emit radio waves that jam the gun - regardless of how close it is to the user's gun. According to Plore, a phone could trigger this to happen. 'The iP1 system had been designed to increase the safety when using the weapon. It had been focused on suppressing the ability to shoot, when a third person (e.g. a child) accesses the weapon in the heat of the moment and tries to use it', a Armatix spokesperson told MailOnline. 'There was never the demand to avoid the usage by a well prepared attacker or a skilled hacker.' 'If you have access to a safety device for a sufficient time, you are able to modify it and probably can misuse it', they said. The company recommended that users should only authenticate the watch when wearing it. They also recommended that users do not copy the authentication key from one watch to another unless users have exclusive usage of the other watch. 'As we all know even the Pentagon and other institutions/companies/agencies were not immune to attacks by hackers in the past', the spokesperson said. 'It may be imaginable to influence this operation by putting strong magnets alongside the body of the gun', they said. 'I do not think that you have appropriate magnets with you when you act in the heat of the moment.' The war of words between billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk is heating up. Tesla CEO, Musk has today hit back at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg claiming his understanding of artificial intelligence as 'limited'. Musk was responding to comments made by Zuckerberg where he said Musk's negativity about the future of AI is 'pretty irresponsible'. A Twitter user posts an article about Zuckerberg's comments to which Musk responded saying 'I've talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited'. The spat between the two technology CEOs shows the huge disagreements in the community about what will happen to the future of technology. Scroll down for video When asked his thoughts on AI in light of recent concerns expressed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured), Zuckerberg explained that hes really optimistic about its development, as it holds potential to bring a dramatic improvement in peoples lives THE SPAT Billionaire Elon Musk has slammed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's understanding of artificial intelligence as 'limited'. Musk was responding to comments made by Zuckerberg where he said Musk's negativity about the future of AI is 'pretty irresponsible'. A Twitter user posts an article about Zuckerberg's comments to which Musk responded saying 'I've talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited'. Advertisement Musk has been very vocal about his concerns over the future of AI. He has warned that the development of robots will cause huge disruption to jobs and believes people should have a universal basic income to protect them. The tech giant revealed in June hes kept a wary eye on the growth of AI for years as an investor in DeepMind, which was acquired by Google in 2014. While humans may be able to stop a runaway algorithm, there would be no stopping a large, centralised AI that calls the shots, Musk said. However, Zuckerberg believe as artificial intelligence continues to grow, technology could soon bring humanity to a safer, healthier future and he says arguing otherwise would be pretty irresponsible. When asked his thoughts on AI in light of recent concerns expressed by Musk, Zuckerberg explained that hes really optimistic about its development, as it holds potential to bring a dramatic improvement in peoples lives. In a Facebook Live session this weekend, Zuckerberg fielded questions from users while barbequing in his Palo Alto backyard, addressing everything from AI to the ongoing issue of global internet accessibility. A Twitter user posts an article about Zuckerberg's comments to which Musk responded saying 'I've talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited' During the Facebook Live session, Zuckerberg responded to several questions, including one which said: I watched a recent interview with Elon Musk, and his largest fear for future was AI. What are your thoughts on AI, and how it could affect the world? Taking a different stance than Musk and others who have warned of the potential dangers of technology, Zuckerberg argued that AI will have a number of positive impacts on our daily lives. As artificial intelligence continues to grow, technology could soon bring humanity to a safer, healthier future, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and arguing otherwise would be pretty irresponsible. Zuckerberg is pictured during a recent keynote address MUSK: AI IS A FUNDAMENTAL RISK During a question-and-answer session at the summer conference of the National Governors Association in Rhode Island., Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned that regulation of artificial intelligence is needed because it's a 'fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation.' The billionaire said regulations will stop humanity from being outsmarted by computers, or 'deep intelligence in the network', that can start wars by manipulating information. Governments must have a better understanding of artificial intelligence technology's rapid evolution in order to fully comprehend the risks, he said. 'Once there is awareness, people will be extremely afraid, as they should be...By the time we are reactive in AI regulation, it'll be too late,' he added. Advertisement I have pretty strong opinions on this, Zuckerberg said. Im really optimistic. Im an optimistic person in general I think you can build things and the world gets better. But, with AI especially. And I think that people who are naysayers and kind of try to drum up these doomsday scenarios are I dont understand it. Its really negative and in some ways I actually think its pretty irresponsible. Zuckerberg argued that these improvements could come as soon as the next 5-10 years, rippling across several facets of life. And, in some ways, he explains, these benefits are already here. If you think about just safety, and health, and keeping people safe, AI is already helping us basically diagnose disease better, match up drugs with people depending on what theyre sick [with] so they can get treated better, he said. So its going to help a whole lot of people get treated, and get better healthcare than would have had access to it before. Zuckerberg points to self-driving cars as an example. As cars remain one of the top causes of death, he says its only a matter of time before driverless cars become safer than humans behind the wheel. You could eliminate that with AI, Zuckerberg said. That is going to be just a dramatic improvement in peoples lives. During the summer conference of the National Governors Association in Rhode Island, Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned that regulation of AI is needed because it's a 'fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization.' A still from the film Terminator Genisys is pictured And, while he acknowledges that its necessary to use caution, as technology can generally always be used for good and bad, it would be questionable to argue in favour of slowing its growth. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that, Zuckerberg said. Because if youre arguing against AI, then youre arguing against safer cars that arent going to have accidents. And youre arguing against being able to better diagnose people when theyre sick, and I just dont see how in good conscience some people can do that', he said. However, Musk is not so optimistic about the future of AI. There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation, Musk told CNBC in November last year. And then we have to figure out how we integrate with a world in the future with advanced AI, Musk told CNBC, noting that this will likely be the toughest part. Ultimately, he said, it would need to be some kind of improved symbiosis with digital super-intelligence. Loaded in vans, a number of farmers, seed company representatives, wheat millers and more are touring the state this week to get a better idea of just how much wheat will be available. Spring wheat prices have been enjoying a multi-week rally since drought conditions have taken a toll on about 50 percent of the Northern Plains, especially North Dakota where most of the nations wheat is grown. Other large wheat producers in Canadas Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba provinces have taken a hit as well as drought conditions creep further north and west. This lack of a crop has left millers and bakers with a protein problem, and some are willing to pay a premium to get their hands on what little supply could be available. The crop scouts will start in Fargo today, fanning out to cover western Minnesota, central North Dakota and possibly eastern South Dakota, before ending in Bismarck. On Wednesday, theyll visit western and northwestern North Dakota, ending in Devils Lake. Theyll pick up northeastern North Dakota Thursday. According to U.S. Wheat Associates, while winter wheat crops planted mostly in more southern regions of the nation had good quality and yields, protein levels in the fields harvested so far were low almost a full percentage point below normal. While the standard loaf of bread could be made sans spring wheat, it would lose those qualities that make it more moist and spongy, said North Dakota State University crop economist Frayne Olson. Cookie and cracker makers dont really need it, but spring wheat is especially important for makers of bagels, pizzas, frozen doughs and other high-end products. Meanwhile, according to in-field survey results for July released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the national average for spring wheat yields is estimated at 40.3 bushels per acre, compared to 47.2 bushels per acre last year. North Dakotas estimated averages are down from 46 bushels per acre to 38 bushels per acre, likely helped along by fields in the northeast corner of the state unaffected by the drought. And quality, according to the latest USDA numbers, is rated at 19 percent very poor, 20 percent poor, 29 fair, 29 good and 3 excellent. Montanas average is estimated to have dropped from 36 bushels per acre to 26 bushels per acre. I suspect in August theyll be down even more, said Olson, adding that farmers didnt plant a lot of wheat this year with a poor price outlook and comfortable supplies. We still had spring wheat in the bin, he said. Coupled with the drought, supplies are now dramatically lower, and many are surprised by how much less wheat was planted in the first place. Cows or crop Olson said he has a friend who is a medium-sized producer in central North Dakota. In the fields where he was able to plant early, his estimated yields are good near 40 bushels per acre. But in others, he might be lucky to get 10 bushels, and he has a small beef herd to consider. Beef producers, especially those who rely on their herds as their main source of income, in central and western North Dakota are choosing instead to bale their wheat crops rather than combining and hauling the minimal yields to the elevator. Those hard core livestock producers are doing whatever they can to maintain as much of their herd as possible, according to Olson. Theyve already culled their herds and some are selling calves early, but its still not enough for many to be able to feed their animals through the winter. So theyre making the decision to sacrifice what little crop they have to keep the cows. Theres no good answer, Olson said. The only choices they have are bad choices that are tough to make. So they choose the one that inflicts the least amount of financial damage. Lincoln Roth, who raises cattle and backgrounds calves near New Leipzig, is selling down his 150-head cow herd to about 100. He usually backgrounds, feeding up 900 head, but this year he wont be taking care of any animals but his own. And he still doesnt have nearly enough feed. So when he estimated his wheat fields, aside from one that produced 20 bushels per acre, were only going to bring 5 to 10 bushels per acre, he baled them up. He thinks about one-fourth of the acres planted in his area were baled. One of his neighbors chose to bale a field of barley he knew wouldnt make malting quality barley. And as the wheat scouts move through, Roth estimates everyone who planned to bale up crops rather than harvest will be finished. Insurance helps some What will provide Roth some relief is that he insured his wheat fields at about 60 percent to 70 percent of average production. Crop insurance pays farmers for bushels they dont produce, Olson explained. So a farmer, who, on average, produces 40 bushels per acre and insures for 70 percent, will start receiving safety net payments when their yield drops to 28 bushels per acre or less. In this instance, if the farmer only produced 10 bushels an acre, insurance would cover the 18 bushel per acre gap. The farmer can then choose to feed those other 10 bushels or try to sell them at the elevator. Crop insurance is a big deal to those who have wheat, Olson said, especially as the futures market that the insurance payments are based on move higher, expected to end at or above $7 per acre. This doesnt make the farmers whole, but it does bring them close to breaking even. An eye on the Corn Belt Aside from beef producers, the other group likely to struggle most are those with a lot of corn and soybean acres which amounts to a higher portion of the population as wheat plantings are down. Its been hot and dry in the Corn Belt recently, at a time when rain is the most needed for corn and soybeans. Some rain in Illinois and Iowa has taken a bit of the pressure off, Olson said, while Missouri and Nebraska are expected to get drier. Its going to be a weather market for the next two weeks, said Olson, pointing to with market prices fluctuating with changes in the forecast. But without a major dry spell, North Dakota corn and soybean producers suffering from the drought wont see much help from crop insurance. A sea beast that roamed the oceans 240 million years ago suffered from severe arthritis, scientists have found. Experts used X-ray analysis to diagnose septic arthritis, a particularly nasty form of the disease, in fossilised bones dug up in Poland and Germany. Septic arthritis is inflammation of a joint caused by a bacterial infection. As well as affecting humans, the condition is also found in modern birds and crocodiles. Further damage also appears to have been caused by the bends, a condition which sometimes affects the joints of divers. A sea beast that roamed the oceans 240 million years ago suffered from severe arthritis, scientists have found. Experts used X-ray analysis to diagnose septic arthritis, a particularly nasty form of the disease, in Pistosaur limb bones (pictured) found in Germany and Poland ANCIENT ARTHRITIS A sea beast that roamed the oceans 240 million years ago suffered from severe arthritis, scientists have found. It was caused by the bends, a condition which sometimes affects the joints of scuba divers because of prolonged diving. An international team of researchers, led by the University of Silesia in Poland, used micro-tomography scanning. The technology, a high resolution version of the kind of CT scans used in hospitals, revealed that several thigh bone joints were covered in abnormal bony growths typical of arthritis. Further analysis found that hydroxyl radicals, damaging chemicals that destroy bone by attacking DNA, was the cause of this septic form of arthritis. Evidence of a non-septic form of the bone damage caused by the bends, a condition which sometimes affects the joints of divers, was also found. Advertisement An international team of researchers, led by the University of Silesia in Poland, used micro-tomography scanning. The technology, a high resolution version of the kind of CT scans used in hospitals, revealed that several thigh bone joints were covered in abnormal bony growths typical of arthritis. Further analysis found that hydroxyl radicals, damaging chemicals that destroy bone by attacking DNA, was the cause of this septic form of arthritis. The study identified the ancient arthritis in a specimen dug up at a fossil site in Rybna, southern Poland, and two out of three more bones unearthed in Germany. The individuals excavated would have spent the last years of their lives in considerable pain. Writing in a paper about the results, lead author Dawid Surmik said: 'We report evidence of septic arthritis in the surface of the thigh bone joint of a marine reptile, Pistosaurus longaevus, from the Middle Triassic of Poland and Germany. 'This is the oldest recognition of septic arthritis in the fossil record so far.' The creatures also appear to have been afflicted with a non-septic form of the bone damage. Decompression syndrome, known also as Caisson's disease or the bends, affects a body exposed to rapidly falling pressures as it rises through a body of water. The creatures also appear to have been afflicted bone damage associated with the bends, a condition which sometimes affects the joints of divers. An international team of researchers used micro-tomography scanning (pictured) to make the findings Plesiosaurs (artist's impression), a close relative of Pistosaurus longaevus, were marine reptiles that inhabited the seas throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods from around 200 to 65 million years ago. They were not dinosaurs, despite living at the same time It destroys bone cells and has been identified in many marine reptiles, including sea turtles. Dr Surmik added: 'The presence of decompression syndrome-related avascular bone cell death in pistosaur limb bones and the occurrence of pistosaurid remains all around the globe in the Triassic times suggests these animals were active swimmers. 'They were susceptible to decompression syndrome because of prolonged and repetitive diving behaviour.' The previous oldest case of arthritis was discovered five years ago by scientists at the University of Bristol. They found the condition in a jawbone from a giant Pliosaurus dinosaur that lived in Westbury, Wiltshire, 150 million years ago. And last year researchers at the University of Manchester found septic arthritis in a hadrosaur, a plant-eating duck-billed dinosaur, that roamed New Jersey 70 million years ago. The full findings of the study were published in the Royal Society journal Open Science. Today, HMD Global sent out invites to 'unveil the next milestone for Nokia phones' in an event in London on 16 August. Insiders believe this will be the announcement of the long-awaited flagship Nokia 8. The release will be the first Nokia-branded Android that has Carl Zeiss optics. It follows a high-profile leak released yesterday that claimed to show the flagship phone from all angles. Scroll down for video The photos leaked on the Chinese social site Baidu suggest the phone has a dual camera setup with flash and comes in a copper gold finish. The device is due to be unveiled on 16 August NOKIA 8 RUMOURS The images show a Micro-USB port which suggests there might not be fast charging integrated into the device. It is believed to run on Android 7.1 and have a 5.3-inch QHD display. Insiders suggests it will initially be launched with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage - with later models getting 6GB RAM and 8GB variants. It is believed to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor. If rumours of collaboration with Carl Zeiss are true, the phone could have two 13-megapixel rear lenses and a 12-megapixel front camera. The dimensions are believed to be 151.55x73.7mm. Advertisement The photos leaked suggest the phone has a dual camera setup with flash and comes in a copper gold finish. Rumours suggested the phone could be launched on 31 July but the mystery invite suggests this will now happen in mid-August. The new device, which will be sold by Finnish company, HMD Global, is expected to cost between 500-600 (450-540, $580-700) and to come in four colours - Blue, Steel, Gold/Blue and Cooper/Gold. The leak shows a Micro-USB port which suggests there might not be fast charging integrated into the device, writes Gadgets 360. It is believed to run on Android 7.1 and have a 5.3-inch QHD display. Insiders suggest it will initially be launched with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage - with later models getting 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM variants. It is believed to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor and have a 3.5mm audio jack on top. And following the announcement of a collaboration with lens brand, Carl Zeiss, the phone could have two 13-megapixel rear lenses and a 12-megapixel front camera - although the photos of this latest device do not have Zeiss branding. The dimensions are expected to be 151.55x73.7mm. Images suggest it will have curved glass at the edges and a soft curve on the rear. The Nokia 3 handset is now available to order in the UK and the mid-range Nokia 5 and 6 are believed to be available from next month. The Nokia 8 is believed to run on Android 7.1 and have a 5.3-inch QHD display. Insiders suggest it will initially be launched with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage - with later models getting 6GB RAM and 8GB variants In May, HMD released the retro Nokia 3310 which had the much-loved game, Snake, and weighed just 79.6 grams. The remake of the Nokia 3310 was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held in Barcelona in February. A spokesperson for Nokia said: 'Thin, light and incredibly durable, the Nokia 3310 is a head turning modern twist on one of the best-selling feature phones of all time. In May, HMD released the retro Nokia 3310 which had the much-loved game, Snake, and weighed just 79.6 grams 'Boasting an incredible 22-hour talk-time and month long stand-by, the Nokia 3310's fresh, colourful, modern design brings it bang up to date. 'Talk all day, text, take pictures, listen to music, and get hooked once more on the original mobile gaming hit Snake, all on a single charge.' Super-strong robots re on the horizon and they could 'threaten our existence'. Speaking in a new documentary, experts say machines should be classed as an 'invasive species' due to their rapid evolution and increased ability to consciously make decisions. And worryingly, the concerns are not for the long-term, with the experts predicting that the robot-takeover could begin 'in the next few years.' Scroll down for video While the idea of a robot-takeover may sound like the plot from The Terminator (clip from film pictured), experts have warned that the chilling idea could soon become a reality WILL ROBOTS GAIN CONSCIOUSNESS? The experts' main concern lies around robots developing their own unique understanding of the world, and even developing a consciousness. Owen Holland, Professor of cognitive robotics at the University of Sussex added: 'The whole of our society, our law, our education, is based around consciousness, making conscious decisions, and if we show that actually that's quite trivial and we reproduce it in an afternoon in a lab, then it could make you think "Well, how important is human life? Because it is conscious." 'Ultimately the rewards will be positive but you have to be very, very careful. Socially it might be disruptive.' Advertisement The chilling warning comes from experts speaking in Hyper Evolution: Rise of the Robots a BBC documentary that will air in the UK on Wednesday. Speaking in the documentary, Dr Ben Garrod, an evolutionary biologist at Anglia Ruskin University, said: 'What concerns me is that the impact of robots will be so monumental, they could threaten humanity. 'We've evolved over hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years. 'These things are just bulldozing their way through. At what point have we got to stop? They're like an invasive species. 'In the next few years, physically at least, they will be able to out-compete us in many of the things that we can do. 'But for me, the real problem isn't if they move like us or even look like us. The real issue will come if they start to think like us.' And Dr Garrod isn't alone in his predictions for a robot takeover. Owen Holland, Professor of Cognitive Robotics at the University of Sussex added: 'The whole of our society, our law, our education, is based around consciousness, making conscious decisions, and if we show that actually that's quite trivial and we reproduce it in an afternoon in a lab, then it could make you think "Well, how important is human life? Because it is conscious." 'Ultimately the rewards will be positive but you have to be very, very careful. Socially it might be disruptive.' The chilling warning comes from experts including Dr Ben Garrod, an evolutionary biologist at Anglia Ruskin University (pictured) speaking in Hyper Evolution: Rise of the Robots a BBC documentary that will air in the UK on Wednesday ETHICAL BLACK BOX Science fiction is littered with nightmare visions of robots turning against their creators. But a proposed device could help us keep track of their decision making. Robots of the future could be equipped with recorders, similar to the black box on aircraft, that would capture their ethical behaviour. Alan Winfield and Marina Jirotka made the proposal in a paper presented at the 18th annual Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems conference at the University of Surrey. The device could record a robot's decisions as well as its reasons for making them. Additional information could be captured by cameras, microphones and other onboard equipment. Advertisement The experts' main concern lies around robots developing their own unique understanding of the world, and even developing a consciousness. Professor Danielle George, a robotics expert from the University of Manchester said: 'We are living right at the moment robots start to gradually piece things together, the first tiny scraps of meaning to their own unique understanding of the world and themselves. 'Once they've done this, where it leads to could be astonishing. There's no doubt robots will continue to evolve and become more and more intelligent, and that one day it might be possible for them to develop consciousness. 'The extraordinarily fast evolution of robots really is going to change our place in the world and that raises urgent social issues for all of us. We need to be responsible to make sure that we stay in control. 'We have the opportunity right now to prepare for conscious robots that think and feel in the same way we do, to prepare for what I think is inevitable.' In the hopes of preventing a robot-takeover from happening, experts from the University of Oxford suggested last week that robots should be equipped with recorders, similar to the black box on aircraft, that would capture their ethical behaviour. This 'ethical black box' would allow experts to analyse what went wrong in the event of an accident or malfunction. While it may not be enough to stop a robot from harming a human, albeit accidentally, it could prove useful in helping to avoid repeat incidents. The documentary, Hyper Evolution: Rise of the Robots will air on BBC4 at 21:00 BST (16:00 BST) on Wednesday July 26. NASAs dreams of supersonic flight have stepped closer to reality, as the space agency prepares to begin tests at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida next month. But, for people who live in the surrounding area, this progress will come with a price dozens of sonic booms, with as many as three per day for more than a week, ranging from the rumble of thunder, to the startling roar of a landing space shuttle. The tests will investigate how low-altitude turbulence affects these booms, which are generated when a craft flies faster than the speed of light, in efforts to eventually bring the noise down to more of a soft thump. Scroll down for video NASAs dreams of supersonic flight have stepped closer to reality, as the space agency prepares to begin tests at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida next month. But, for people who live in the surrounding area, this progress will come with a price dozens of sonic booms WHAT THE TESTS WILL ENTAIL NASA will fly an Armstrong F-18 from Kennedys Shuttle Landing Facility to an altitude of 32,000 feet, off the coast of Cape Canaveral. Then, it will fly along a designated path to exceed Mach 1 the speed of sound. This will create a massive sonic boom. As this happens, a TG-14 motorized glider equipped with a wingtip microphone will also be in flight, at an altitude of roughly 4,000-10,000 feet. This region is above the low-altitude turbulence layer, according to NASA. When it comes time for the test, the TG-14 will temporarily shut down its motor and glide, to cut out unnecessary noise. This way, the wingtip microphone can capture a clean, accurate sonic boom signature before it hits turbulence. Advertisement According to NASA, the tests will begin Monday August 21, and are expected to carry on through the end of the month, concluding either at the end of August or in early September. All in all, they plan to achieve at least 33 sonic booms. The tests come as the second series of Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence flights (SonicBAT), following previous supersonic research in 2016 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. While the earlier tests observed how atmospheric turbulence affected sonic booms in a dry climate, these new flights will gather data in the humid Florida air. In SonicBAT, were trying to figure out how much atmospheric turbulence changes sonic booms, said Ed Haering, SonicBATs principal investigator at Armstrong. Turbulence can make sonic booms quieter, or it can make them louder. Last summer we tested in the hot, dry climate of Edwards Air Force Base. 'We know that humidity can make sonic booms louder, so we need to test some place wetter, and Kennedy fits that bill. For the upcoming tests, NASA will fly an Armstrong F-18 from Kennedys Shuttle Landing Facility to an altitude of 32,000 feet, off the coast of Cape Canaveral. Then, it will fly along a designated path to exceed Mach 1 the speed of sound. This will create a massive sonic boom. Residents might hear a distant sound similar to a rumble of thunder,' Haering said. 'If the actual winds at the time of our tests are much different from predicted, they might hear a boom sound like those heard when the space shuttle landed' As this happens, a TG-14 motorized glider equipped with a wingtip microphone will also be in flight, at an altitude of roughly 4,000-10,000 feet. This region is above the low-altitude turbulence layer, according to NASA. When it comes time for the test, the TG-14 will temporarily shut down its motor and glide, to cut out unnecessary noise. This way, the wingtip microphone can capture a clean, accurate sonic boom signature before it hits turbulence. NASA, along with Wyle Laboratories and Gulfstream Aerospace, will collect data of sonic booms travelling through the turbulence using two microphone arrays on the ground at Kennedy. For the upcoming tests, NASA will fly an Armstrong F-18 from Kennedys Shuttle Landing Facility to an altitude of 32,000 feet, off the coast of Cape Canaveral The tests at the Kennedy Space Center come as the second series of Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence flights (SonicBAT), following previous supersonic research in 2016 at Edwards Air Force Base in California QUIET SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT QueSST is designed to fly at Mach 1.4, 55,000 feet above the ground. The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years. Recent research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster than the speed of sound can generate a sound at ground level so quiet it will hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all. NASA is hoping to achieve a boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as the Anglo-French Concorde, according to Aviation Week. Advertisement Each of these arrays will contain 16 microphones. The scientists are hoping to collect data in three different conditions: low turbulence, medium turbulence, and significant turbulence. According to NASA, these flights will take place two-to-three times a day from August 21. The experts say theyre taking steps to minimize the disturbances these tests could create but, people living nearby are still likely to become aware of the research one way or another. At the altitudes we are flying, sonic booms from aircraft have never been dangerous to people, animals, or buildings, but they can be startling, said Haering. We have carefully planned our flights so that there is little chance that people in larger communities such as Titusville to the west or Cocoa Beach to the south, will be disturbed. Residents might hear a distant sound similar to a rumble of thunder. If the actual winds at the time of our tests are much different from predicted, they might hear a boom sound like those heard when the space shuttle landed. That may be startling, but there is no reason to be alarmed. Because we are trying to minimize the impact to larger communities, beachgoers on beaches such as Playalinda will definitely hear booms like those of the shuttle, Harering says, but again, there is no reason for concern. The tests will investigate how low-altitude turbulence affects these booms, which are generated when a craft flies faster than the speed of light, in efforts to eventually bring the noise down to more of a soft thump The tests are part of an effort to bring sonic booms down to a much more tolerable thump, which could pave the way for changes to the FAA regulations, and ultimately, commercial passenger flight. As of now, FAA prohibits supersonic flight over land due to the disruptive noise they make. Supersonic flight offers the potential to improve the quality of life of those that fly, by greatly reducing travel time, said Peter Coen, NASAs Commercial Supersonic Technology project manager. In the nearer term, NASAs development of quiet supersonic flight technology needs support, interest, and engagement from the community to ensure that the potential sound is acceptable to those on the ground. NASA is now set to begin accepting proposals to build a radical low noise supersonic passenger plane. THE PLANE THAT FLEW PASSENGERS FROM LONDON TO NY IN THREE-AND-A-HALF HOURS Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph or 2,180 k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers. Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying for the next 27 years. It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran for a much shorter period of time before it was grounded and retired due to safety and budget issues. Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aerospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's name, meaning harmony or union, reflects the cooperation on the project between the United Kingdom and France. In the UK, any or all of the type are known simply as 'Concorde', without an article. Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft. Air France (AF) and British Airways (BA) each received seven aircraft. The research and development failed to make a profit and the two airlines bought the aircraft at a huge discount. Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after the type's only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aerospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support. Advertisement The space agency says it is ready to begin taking bids in August for construction of a demonstration plane in a project worth $390 million over five years, according to Bloomberg The radical new craft could cut the six-hour flight time from New York to Los Angeles in half - and reduce the sonic boom so it can fly over populated areas. The first year of funding is included in President Trump's 2018 budget proposal. Earlier this year, in what was said to be a 'significant milestone' for supersonic passenger flight, NASA completed the preliminary design review of its low-boom X-plane. The Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) design aims to reduce the sonic boom that occurs as these aircraft move faster than the speed of sound, with hopes to bring it down to a soft 'thump' to allow for flights over land. Experts from NASA and Lockheed Martin now say the QueSST design could meet these requirements, and say flight tests could begin as early as 2021. The design will be finalized over the next few months, and will undergo a static inlet performance test and low-speed wind tunnel test NASA plans to release the full request for proposals in August, following the recent draft request. Lockheed Martin partnered with NASA as lead contractor in February 2016. Its scale model for the Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental plane was put through the 8-by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center last month, and the space agency has now completed the preliminary design review. The design will be finalized over the next few months, and will undergo a static inlet performance test and low-speed wind tunnel test. NASA now plans to solicit proposals and award a contract to build the first piloted, single-engine craft. 'Managing a project like this is all about moving from one milestone to the next,' said David Richwine, manager for the preliminary design effort under NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project. 'Our strong partnership with Lockheed Martin helped get us to this point. 'We're now one step closer to building an actual X-plane.' While Lockheed Martin has been working on the preliminary design, with hopes to move on to build the demonstrator, NASA has opened the door for other companies to submit their own designs as well, according to Aviation Week. Donald Trump's outlandish tweets are not just out of the ordinary for a head of state - it turns out they say a lot about him as a person. Researchers who analyzed more than 3,200 tweets posted by the businessman turned U.S. President revealed he is 'creative, competitive and a rule-breaker' but also has 'neurotic' tendencies. For the study published in the Small Business Economics journal, researchers used software to analyze tweets posted by Trump prior to October 2016 (before he became president). The results showed that Trump is a distinct type and shows signs of the 'Schumpeterian personality,' which describes people as creative, change-orientated, competitive and rule-breaking and is said to be typical of successful entrepreneurs STATS ON THE TWEETER-IN-CHIEF Since joining Twitter in 2009 to May 2017, Trump has posted more than 35,000 tweets. This amounts to about 12 tweets a day. Trump is known for posting at all hours of the night and early morning and often attacks and insults politicians, the media and even Hollywood celebrities in his posts. With 30 million followers, he is the second most followed politician on Twitter after Barack Obama (who has over 92 million followers). Advertisement The results showed that Trump is a distinct type and shows signs of the 'Schumpeterian personality,' which describes people as creative, change-orientated, competitive and rule-breaking and is said to be typical of successful entrepreneurs. The further analysis that pointed to 'neurotic tendencies' and the experience of an 'underlying low well-being' is not, however, a part of the Schumpeterian personality. The program looked at the language and text from a psychological standpoint, also then comparing his personality to 105 other businessmen such as Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. 'These traits are rather untypical for entrepreneurs since working as an entrepreneur may not only require emotional stability and optimism but also be able to increase happiness due to procedural utility,' Martin Obschonka, one of researchers from the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, said. The program looked at the language and text from a psychological standpoint, also then comparing his personality to 105 other businessmen such as Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk 'These traits are rather untypical for entrepreneurs since working as an entrepreneur may not only require emotional stability and optimism but also be able to increase happiness due to procedural utility,' reseracher Martin Obschonka said Christian Fisch from Trier University in Germany also worked on the project and said this high neuroticism may be a major motivator in Trump's entrepreneurial projects, but also in his role as political leader. 'If social distinction is a core principle of the entrepreneurial personality, then we clearly see this principle reflected in his unusual personality profile,' Fisch added. 'Many experts agree that really successful entrepreneurs not only dare to be different - they are different.' Christian Fisch, another researcher on the project, speculated that Trump's neuroticism may be a major motivator in his role as a political leader Previous studies have analysed his speeches and concluded decades ago, President Donald Trumps style of speech was quite different than it is today. In contrast to the tortured syntax now common in his responses, Trump was once far more articulate, often using well-structured sentences and sophisticated vocabulary, according to a new analysis. Experts say the striking and unmistakable differences may fall in line with the expected cognitive decline that comes with age, and could even be strategic but, some suggest neurodegenerative disease could also be to blame. In the analysis, STAT News compared President Trumps responses during 2017 Q&A sessions with on-air interviews over the last few decades, and asked experts to weigh in. Trump tweets 12 times a day on average, and Trump is known for posting at all hours of the night and early morning and often attacks and insults politicians, the media and even Hollywood celebrities in his posts. He has more Twitter followers than any other politician, with the exception of Barack Obama This revealed that the US president has become increasingly linguistically challenged, according to the report. His language difficulties could be due to the immense pressure hes under, or to annoyance that things arent going right and that there are all these scandals, neuropsychologist Sterling Johnson, of the University of Wisconsin, told STAT. It could also be due to a neurodegenerative disease or the normal cognitive decline that comes with aging. During interviews in the 1980s and 1990s, Trumps unscripted responses were far more polished and coherent, the report notes. Citizen scientist: Zoe Lucas, 67, has spent 40 years living on Sable Island, a smile-shaped sandbar measuring around 26 miles long A woman living on a remote island off the coast of Canada could certainly give Robinson Crusoe a run for his money. Zoe Lucas, 67, has spent more than 40 years living on Sable Island, a large smile-shaped sandbar measuring around 26 miles long. The only other residents on the patch of land are around 400 horses, 300,000 grey seals and 350 species of bird. Talking to MailOnline Travel, Lucas, who is revered for her work as a naturalist, revealed that she has adapted to island life and never gets lonely. She says her essential survival tools include a jotter pad, so she can take notes, and binoculars to observe the wildlife on the sandy shores. Sometimes there are some rather odd things she spots through her lenses, however, with a fake leg being one of the more bizarre things that have surfaced on shore. The citizen scientist from Halifax first visited Sable Island as a 21-year-old in 1971 while studying goldsmithing. 'I wanted to come so bad. I originally came out here for the horses,' Lucas explains. Sable Island, which is only accessible by boat or charter plane, is home to hundreds of wild horses, which are completely unmanaged. It's believed the animals arrived on the island in the early 18th century to help with agricultural work when a settlement was attempted and later they were recruited to help man a lifesaving station. Sable Island - which is shrouded in fog for around 125 days of the year - is a notorious shipping hazard. Sable Island is a narrow, crescent-shaped sandbar measuring 26 miles long and 0.93 miles across at its widest point. It is considered to be part of the district of Halifax, although the urban area is located some 190 miles away on the Nova Scotian mainland Wild landscape: The only other residents on the patch of land are around 400 horses, 300,000 grey seals and 350 species of bird It is said to be home to more than 300 shipwrecks, earning it the nickname 'graveyard of the Atlantic'. One of the more recent accidents occurred in 1981. But Lucas says the environment, which could be considered as hostile by many, didn't deter her and she swiftly returned to Sable Island and made it her home. She set up camp on one end of the island, where former buildings from the abandoned lifesaving station once stood. Supplies are flown in every two weeks to enable her survival. Today Lucas lives in a wooden-clad house nestled in a collection of sand dunes. The simple abode was constructed by the Meteorological Service of Canada during the 1940s and it is now operated by Parks Canada. Sable Island became a National Park Reserve on June 20, 2013, thanks to negotiations by Canada's former Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, who sadly died in a plane crash. Throughout the year a team of staff rotate shifts on the island, offering Lucas a little bit of company. Today Lucas lives in a wooden-clad house nestled in a collection of sand dunes. The photo above shows another property on the island built in the mid-1900s. It is currently being used as a weather station There is a vast grey seal population on Sable Island and the waters are teeming with them Talking with parks staff, it is clear that Lucas is highly respected. Greg Stroud, an operations coordinator, told MailOnline Travel: 'Zoe's an amazing woman and has dedicated her life to Sable Island. She goes back to her base in Halifax occasionally but this is her real home. 'She's worked closely with the Parks Canada so we can collaborate on projects.' Stroud highlighted that island life isn't too physically taxing, as Sable stays relatively mild all year around with an average annual temperature range of 18.6 degrees Celsius. He continued: 'Zoe is a very private person but it's not surprising when you spend so much time out here alone.' During a visit to Sable Island with the expedition company Adventure Canada, Lucas talked about some of the science she carries out. Complementing her work, the non-profit organisation, Friends of Sable Island Society, runs fundraising efforts to help educate people about the little-known spot. Over the years Lucas has collected pieces of debris and rubbish to help track the ocean's pollution levels Over the years Lucas has collected the skulls of horses, so that scientists can better understand how they've managed to adapt to the stark landscape Over the years Lucas has collected the skulls of horses, so that scientists can better understand how they've managed to adapt to the stark landscape. She also helps man a weather station and does a daily rubbish collection to help track the ocean's pollution levels. The day we visited, she hauled out a giant bag of plastic ribbons. She revealed that popped balloon carcasses commonly wash up. Other quirky pieces of debris that have surfaced include a garbage bag of drugs, a refrigerator and a crateful of fresh peppers from a shipping container. Though Sable Island has a slightly spooky guise, with tales of shipwrecks and ghost stories making the rounds, for Lucas this solitary spit of sand is pure paradise, minus the palm trees. 'She'll stay on Sable as long as she can,' Stroud mused. Advertisement A new tide of architecture has washed up on British shores after designers battled it out to redesign the humble beach hut. A quirky shelter titled 'What Unearthed?' has cropped up on the seafront in Eastbourne after being revealed as the winner of an ambitious design contest run last year. A far cry from the traditional colourful sheds that have come to epitomise British coastal towns, the new igloo-like structure features white translucent panels and angular lines. 'What Unearthed?' has been revealed as the winner of Eastbourne Council's ambitious design contest A far cry from the traditional colourful sheds that have come to epitomise British coastal towns, the new igloo-like structure features white translucent panels and angular lines Created by award-winning Irish architect Stephen Foley and fabricated by Kevin Hoy of Cutting Edge UK, the contemporary design was apparently inspired by recent archaeological discoveries in Eastbourne, including the Beachy Head Lady. The ancient skeleton of a Roman woman that dates to 245 AD was discovered at the East Sussex beauty spot in 1953 and experts reconstructed her face in 2014. The winning design has been installed east of the pier on the beach and offers a light airy space during the day. At night it comes alive, with interior lights providing a warm glow. Locals will be able to book the space for pop-up events and tourists can rent it out to make their beach visit extra special. There is also a free day's hire up for grabs. Other designs that made it to the shortlist included a spyglass-shaped hut by Jak Studio, with a giant floor-to-ceiling window making up the front panel The Star Gazers cabin by George King Architects, which features diagrams of the solar system, was also shortlisted Commenting on the design process, Stephen, who was recently given the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland's Future Award for Emerging Architects, said: 'We loved working on this project because it combines a lot of themes in our design research such as identity, technology and collaboration. 'We worked very closely with the fabricators in order to make it as special as possible and also had input from Heritage Eastbourne during the build. 'It does a lot with very little, responding to the site and brief in a monumental way but also to the budget in terms of being innovative with materials and structure.' Students from Sussex Downs College also got involved, with their design getting shortlisted in the community category Eastbourne borough council lead cabinet member for tourism and enterprise, Margaret Bannister, said she was 'delighted' to see the first beach hut take shape. The other shortlisted designs in the Huts Eastbourne competition (above, Calder Peel's creation) are set to go up over the coming months Other designs that made it to the shortlist during 2016's competition included a spyglass-shaped hut by Jak Studio, with a giant floor-to-ceiling window making up the front panel. Students from Sussex Downs College also got involved, with their design making it to the top of the community category. Eastbourne borough council lead cabinet member for tourism and enterprise, Margaret Bannister, said she was 'delighted' to see the first beach hut take shape. The other shortlisted designs in the Huts Eastbourne competition are set to go up over the coming months. Essex hairdresser Kem Cetinay and Welsh dancer Amber Davies have been crowned the winners of Love Island 2017, with Kem even declaring 'I've met my future wife!' as he pocketed his share of the 50K prize money. Kem and Amber's time in the house was admittedly tumultuous, as they split up on various occasions due to Kem's trust issues which he told Caroline was causing the couple to 'push each other away'. But as 'Kember' have been crowned this year's king and queen of Love Island, it seems that the pair have finally realised that they are each other's fabled 'type on paper' after all. Winners: Essex hairdresser Kem Cetinay and Welsh dancer Amber Davies have been crowned the winners of Love Island 2017, with Kem even declaring 'I've met my future wife!' as he pocketed his share of the 50K prize money Trust issues: Kem and Amber's time in the house was admittedly tumultuous, as they split up on various occasions due to Kem's trust issues which he told Caroline was causing the couple to 'push each other away' Spontaneous romps While Kember's rows were prolific, they also became well known for their raunchy behaviour after former castmate Sam Gowland revealed they had sex all over the villa, in scenes producers deemed too raunchy to air after they became the second couple to romp just two weeks into the show. The oil rig worker told The Sun: 'Kem and Amber have definitely had the most sex out of everyone. Theyve done it everywhere. It is like being on a lads holiday and your mates are bringing girls back to the hotel.' One scene to particularly stun viewers saw the couple contemplate another romp in the middle of the day as Kem approached the stunner to tell her her: 'Look, Im literally getting a little bit excitable.' They then searched the villa for a location to get hot and heavy including the dressing room, the balcony, the shower and the toilet. At it like rabbits: While Kember's rows were prolific, they also became well known for their raunchy behaviour after former castmate Sam Gowland revealed they had sex all over the villa, in scenes producers deemed too raunchy to air Irresistible: One scene to particularly stun viewers saw the couple contemplate another romp in the middle of the day as Kem approached the stunner to tell her her: 'Look, Im literally getting a little bit excitable' Competing with Chris Amber needn't have worried about the various female shaped threats thrown Kem's way - for his one other self confessed 'love' in the villa was for his newly found 'brother', Chris Hughes. Fans of the show saw Kem and Chris going from strength to strength, performing rap songs together as well as giving each other relationship advice and comfort when needed, leading to some fans stating that 'Kem and Chris should win the show'. Their bromance was cemented when Kem declared that he wanted Chris to be best man at his wedding, leading to an emotional Chris choking back tears as he accepted the proposal. Threat: Amber needn't have worried about the various female shaped threats thrown Kem's way - for his one other self confessed 'love' in the villa was for his newly found 'brother', Chris Hughes Bromance: Fans of the show saw Kem and Chris going from strength to strength, performing rap songs together as well as giving each other relationship advice and comfort when needed, leading to some fans stating that 'Kem and Chris should win the show' Infinity bracelets Viewers will recall the heartwarming moment Kem gave Amber a pink version of his green infinity bracelet in the third week of the show - seemingly cementing their relationship. The romantic scenes saw Kem gushing: 'When you wear it, I'm always looking out for you in here, because I am, and in general I'm always looking out for you, and I'm always going to have your back.' Wiping tears from her eyes, Amber said she'd always have his back too. Romantic: Viewers will recall the heartwarming moment Kem gave Amber a pink version of his green infinity bracelet in the third week of the show - seemingly cementing their relationship Kem gushed: 'When you wear it, I'm always looking out for you in here, because I am, and in general I'm always looking out for you, and I'm always going to have your back' Kem added: 'I look at us as a unit now and I just can't wait to just see how much it progresses, and I do think you're an amazing girl and you're the nicest girl I've ever met, so if you have doubts and stuff that I'd ever try to hurt you.' Amber replied: 'And I will never try to hurt you, ever. Infinity,' before leaning in to share a kiss. However, in the true nature of Love Island, things were not set to run this smoothly, as Kember suffered numerous hurdles and multiple break ups before finally making it official. Not quite safe: However, in the true nature of Love Island, things were not set to run this smoothly, as Kember suffered numerous hurdles and multiple break ups before finally making it official Marking her territory No one could forget the moment Amber marked her territory against the sizzling new girls entering the villa by leaving a perfume-soaked red thong in Kem's suitcase. The sneaky move left a bewildered Kem declaring that it was like a dog 'p***ing on the floor' after he discovered the skimpy lingerie in Thursday night's show. Amber, who said that she 'needed and missed' the hairdresser after he moved to the second villa, had split up with him prior to this - but fate would soon bring them back together again. Marking her territory: No one could forget the moment Amber marked her territory against the sizzling new girls entering the villa by leaving a perfume-soaked red thong in Kem's suitcase, leaving him to declare that it was like a dog 'p***ing on the floor' Fighting against temptation Despite the pair having many obstacles thrown in their way - namely other attractive contestants that were, as Amber described several times '100 per cent my type on paper' - they always ended up being drawn back to each other. Fans of the show will remember Kem flirting up a storm with Danielle and Chyna, even sharing a smooch with the silver haired temptress, while Amber was drawn to Simon, admitting her made her want to 'rip her clothes off'. Obstacles: Despite the pair having many obstacles thrown in their way - namely other attractive contestants that were, as Amber described several times '100 per cent my type on paper' - they always ended up being drawn back to each other Lothario: Fans of the show will remember Kem flirting up a storm with Danielle and Chyna, even sharing a smooch with the silver haired temptress, while Amber was drawn to Simon, admitting her made her want to 'rip her clothes off' One tense scene saw both Kem and Amber recoupling in the 'stick or twist' challenge given to contestants, with both parties choosing to couple up with new people - saving themselves from eviction. Thinking that their relationship was over, Kem had paired up with Chyna, while Amber followed her gut instinct and coupled up with Nathan in a 'friend couple' to call Kem's bluff and save herself from being dumped. However, it wasn't long before Kember cast their partners aside and were once again drawn back to each other - this time, for good. Tense: Thinking that their relationship was over, Kem had paired up with Chyna, while Amber followed her gut instinct and coupled up with Nathan in a 'friend couple' to call Kem's bluff and save herself from being dumped Making it official Even those least convinced by Kember could not have had their hearts melted by the adorable way Kem asked Amber to be his girlfriend. The hairdresser enlisted the help of Islanders to set a treasure hunt of phones around the villa marking the spots where he and Amber had had their first chat, shared their first kiss, and other relationship milestones. Kember's relationship was firmly cemented from this moment on, paving the way for the duo to win the Love Island crown. Making it official: Even those least convinced by Kember could not have had their hearts melted by the adorable way Kem asked Amber to be his girlfriend Rebel Wilson has admitted she got through stressful parts of her recent defamation trial by fantasising about kissing heartthrob Liam Hemsworth. And on Monday, the 37-year-old was in striking distance off the the 27-year-old actor as they filmed scenes on the set of their new film, Isn't It Romantic, in New York. The pair were joined by Adam DeVine, 33, who also stars in the comedy and is well-versed on working with Rebel in the Pitch Perfect franchise. Scroll down for video Kissy-kissy: Rebel Wilson has admitted she got through stressful parts of her recent defamation trial by fantasising about kissing heartthrob Liam Hemsworth Liam, dressed casually in black jeans, white undershirt and blue over shirt, was seen holding an umbrella for himself and his co-stars. The Australian actor then shot scenes with Rebel's body double, with the pair crossing the screen. Rebel, meanwhile, was safely rugged up against the wind, rain and cold as her co-stars braved the weather. Close! And on Monday, the 37-year-old was in striking distance off the the 27-year-old actor as they filmed scenes on the set of their new film, Isn't It Romantic, in New York Weather issues: Liam, dressed casually in black jeans, had to brave the rain for scenes Lookalike: The Australian actor then shot scenes with Rebel's body double, with the pair crossing the screen Well he is cute! In May, Rebel confessed she got through legal proceedings by thinking about the Hunger Games star, confessing: 'I've just been thinking of pashing him and how good it is going to be!' She was seen wearing a dark, plastic raincoat, with a bonnet over her hair to protect it from becoming wet, as well as an umbrella for extra assurance. Ever the Aussie, the actress completed her unusual outfit with none other than a pair of purple thongs. In May, Rebel confessed she got through legal proceedings by thinking about the Hunger Games star, confessing: 'I've just been thinking of pashing him and how good it is going to be!' Friends: The pair were joined by Adam DeVine, 33, who also stars in the comedy and is well-versed on working with Rebel in the Pitch Perfect franchise When do they kiss? Kissing scenes between the two Aussie icons do in fact occur in the film, Rebel told waiting media outside court at the conclusion of her trial. 'I get to pash (Liam) in the movie,' Rebel said Rugged up: Rebel was seen wearing a dark, plastic raincoat, with a bonnet over her hair to protect it from becoming wet, as well as an umbrella for extra assurance Kissing scenes between the two Aussie icons do in fact occur in the film, Rebel told waiting media outside court at the conclusion of her trial. 'I get to pash (Liam) in the movie,' Rebel said. 'So when I have been feeling really down about the stress of this court case, I've just been thinking of pashing him and how good it is going to be!' Helpful: Liam, dressed in a white undershirt and blue over shirt, was seen holding an umbrella for himself and his co-stars Henry Cavill's facial hair is causing headaches. The British star, 34, has grown a full beard for his role opposite Tom Cruise in M:I 6 - Mission Impossible that's currently lensing for Paramount. But Warner Bros. also needs Cavill for major re-shoots as Superman in the Justice League movie. Problem: Henry Cavill has grown a full beard which is causing a problem now he's needed for re-shoots as Superman in Justice League And since the Man Of Steel is a clean shaven superhero, there's a rather hairy predicament. Paramount, according to Variety, won't permit the actor to shave off his facial hair while he's still needed for principal photography on M:I 6. So now Warner Bros' plans to use digital magic to remove the mustache and beard he is sporting in post-production for Justice League. Back in the cape and tights: The Man Of Steel is a clean shaven superhero Quandary: Cavill is currently filming the sixth Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Angela Basset, and Paramount won't permit the actor to shave off his facial hair It's just another thing the studio is having to deal with as it tries to 'beef up' the ensemble DC comic book movie. Variety reports that about $25 million has been spent to date on two months of re-shoots in London and Los Angeles, with Joss Whedon stepping in to replace director Zack Snyder who stepped down in March following his daughter's suicide. It's not just getting Cavill back in costume that's proven somewhat complicated. The trade also reports that Ezra Miller, who plays The Flash, has been jugging the re-shoots with his expanded role in Warner Bros' sequel to Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Jackie 'O' Henderson has allowed radio co-host Kyle Sandilands to read out her personal diary, from her younger years. And on Tuesday's Kyle and Jackie O Show, the 46-year-old shock jock asked guest Rhys Darby, his thoughts on the blonde beauty's latest entry. The 43-year-old actor and comedian quizzed Jackie 'O' on her first night with husband Lee Henderson: 'Did you blow...out the candles?' Scroll down for video 'Did you blow...out the candles?' Actor and comedian Rhys Darby, 43, quizzed Jackie 'O' Henderson, 42, on her first night with husband Lee, on Tuesday's Kyle and Jackie O Show 'I'm really intrigued,' Rhys told Jackie and Kyle, upon reading the mother-of-one's latest diary entry, after it was given to him. 'Two reasons you light candles. One, because there's a lack of electricity....and the other because there's a lack of electricity,' the Yes Man star continued, exaggerating the last few words. 'So please...divulge,' Rhys said to Jackie, before adding: 'Did you blow...out the candles?' Antics: Jackie's radio co-host Kyle Sandilands, 46, gave Rhys a copy of the blonde beauty's latest diary entry to read Personal: The latest diary entry, read out by Kyle, saw Jackie divulge details on her first night with Lee 'Beg your pardon, Rhys?' Jackie responded with a laugh. 'I think there were quite a few candles that had to be blown out,' she added playfully. Earlier on Tuesday's program, Kyle read out Jackie's latest diary entry, from her younger years. Playful: Rhys quizzed Jackie on the program, asking: 'Did you blow...out the candles?' Made public knowledge: Earlier on Tuesday's program, Jackie's latest diary entry, from her younger years, was read out 'He (Lee) asked me back to his place for a drink. I tried playing hard to get so I said, okay, just one (drink). 'He made me a cup of tea and we sat on the couch with my head on his lap. It felt so right. I knew I was ready. 'He stroked my arm and kissed my head for a while. Then we started kissing and I couldn't wait to be with him. I'd been dreaming of this moment for weeks. 'We went into his bedroom, he lit a few candles and tried to make it as nice as possible. Connection: 'He made me a cup of tea and we sat on the couch with my head on his lap. It felt so right. I knew I was ready,' the diary entry stated Inner details: 'He stroked my arm and kissed my head for a while. Then we started kissing and I couldn't wait to be with him. I'd been dreaming of this moment for weeks,' the diary entry continued 'He took my clothes off and kissed me all over. He has such a beautiful body and I felt really nice. 'We were both so excited. When were were finished, he hugged and kissed me, and we did it again,' the entry went on to say. Jackie has been married to photographer Lee Henderson for over a decade. The couple share daughter Kitty, six, and recently returned from a luxurious two-week getaway in Fiji. She already shares two children and rescue pup Paco with her longtime love and fiance, Jason Sudeikis. And on Monday, Olivia Wilde took to Instagram to formally introduce her new fur baby. 'Ladies and gentlemen, meet the heartbreaker formerly known as Maxamillion, now christened by his new human brother as Elvis Sudeikis-Wilde,' the 33-year-old actress captioned a shot of the little white ball of fluff. New fur baby: Olivia Wilde officially introduced her latest rescue pup, Elvis, formerly known as Maxamillion, on Instagram on Monday She continued: '3 years young and 10 lbs of pure goodness. He's lived a pretty harrowing life so far, and we are so lucky he adopted us as his new family, so we can treat him like the king he was born to be. 'Thanks to @barcshelter we found the missing member of our brood. This is our second adopted furry son and we cannot recommend it enough. 'There are so many animals looking for homes. This little guy was next on the kill list at a shelter in Texas not too long ago! 'Rescue bros. #PacoandElvis': The white ball of fluff is the 33-year-old actress' second mutt 'Please consider saving a dog today. #adoptdontshop #Elvishasenteredthebuilding.' The House star shared a second shot of the little cutie standing next to his much bigger pal Paco, who was stretched out asleep on a rug. The beautiful brunette captioned the adorable snap: 'Rescue bros. #PacoandElvis,' with two heart emojis. 'I may need him to adopt me': Olivia posted this Instagram shot on July 7, saying, 'Backstage at @livekellyandryan with my new friend Max from @barcshelter. I think we have chemistry' Little Elvis first appeared on Olivia's Instagram account on July 7. The star hadn't even renamed him, captioning the snap: 'Backstage at @livekellyandryan with my new friend Max from @barcshelter. I think we have chemistry. I may need him to adopt me.' Aside from her pups, Olivia is mother to eight-month old daughter Daisy and three-year-old son Otis with Colossal actor Jason. Red carpet couple: Jason and Olivia, who have been together since November 2011, at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 11 in New York The 41-year-old SNL alum - who popped the question in 2013 - joked on Watch What Happens Live last year that they 'won't get married until weed is legal in every state.' Olivia is currently starring in the Broadway play 1984, alongside Tom Sturridge, which has caused some audience members to react violently - including Jennifer Lawrence who threw up during a performance last week. The production, which has been playing previews since May 29, wraps on October 8. With her boys: Olivia holds little Otis on her lap as Jason stands up at a basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors in New York in December Few things could prevent Lisa Wilkinson from missing extended time on the Today Show. And she proved as much on Tuesday, returning to the program fresh-faced and with her arm in a cast. Despite having recently suffered a nasty injury during her Italian holiday, the 57-year-old looked thrilled to be back in the co-host chair. 'I'm sorry about that everyone': Lisa Wilkinson was fresh-faced in her Today Show return on Tuesday, apologising for returning from her Italian trip one day late, despite breaking her arm Remarkably, having only missed her scheduled Monday return by one day, the journalist was quick to apologise for her absence. Looking vibrant and stylish in a red floral print frock, Lisa was asked by co-host Karl Stefanovic about how her broken arm was holding up. '(A) bit ordinary,' she replied, 'which is why I didn't make it in yesterday... I'm sorry about that everyone.' Showcasing true professionalism, she quickly moved-on from the topic, announcing: 'It's lovely to be back, I'm not a great patient at home.' 'A bit ordinary': Looking vibrant and stylish in a red floral print frock, the 57-year-old was asked by co-host Karl Stefanovic about how her broken arm was holding up She then confessed that her devoted hubby Peter FitzSimons and daughter Billie had been 'doing everything,' for her. 'Big shout out to everyone who is in hospital or feeling bit poorly at the moment and all of their carers,' she continued. 'I have a new love and respect for what you are going through every day.' 'You looked so beautiful in the hospital': Co-host Sylvia Jeffreys was quick to compliment Lisa on her speedy recovery and the angelic figure she cut while in hospital But co-host Sylvia Jeffreys was keen to find out more about the unfortunate incident, and praised: 'You looked so beautiful in the hospital.' She was responding to an image that showed her lying in a hospital bed in a white pre-issued gown. '(Husband) Pete took that shot,' she replied, before joking: 'I didn't even realise he was taking the photo... He said I could sell this for a lot of money.' Lisa suffered a broken arm after slipping in the shower during her Italian vacation earlier this month. Thanks Pete! '(Husband) Peter (Fitzsimons) took that shot,' she replied, before joking: 'I didn't even realise he was taking the photo... He said I could sell this for a lot of money' The Australian stunner previously told KIIS FM's Kyle And Jackie 'O' that she and husband Sam Worthington were 'not rich!' But it appears Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) was treated to a VERY lavish 30th birthday surprise by her actor beau. The model revealed in an interview with Elle Australia the details surrounding her romantic round-the-world jaunt: 'It took him six months to organise!' 'It took him six months to organise!' Lara Bingle reveals the romantic round-the-world trip husband Sam Worthington planned for her 30th birthday, in an interview with Elle Australia this week While Lara and Sam, who are often quite private, only shared snaps from their spa experience at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, it appears they also jetted to four other countries to welcome in her fourth decade. Lara said she was treated to a whirlwind trip around the globe for a concert in each city. 'At the end of each day I would get a T-shirt revealing the band I was seeing the next night. It was crazy but so much fun. It took him six months to organise,' she said. She continued recalling the shows she saw, no doubt with premium tickets from the Avatar star: 'We flew to Ireland and saw Radiohead, to Brussels the next morning for Coldplay, and then to London where he took me to Royal Ascot because he knows I like getting dressed up and Ed Sheeran that night... The last concert was U2 in Toronto.' 'At the end of each day I would get a T-shirt revealing the band I was seeing the next night. It was crazy but so much fun': Lara said she was treated to a whirlwind trip around the globe, including Belgium, England, Canada and Ireland, for a different musical concert each night 'He took me to Royal Ascot because he knows I like getting dressed up': Sam also took her to the races while in London, before seeing Ed Sheeran in concert that night Lara shared a rare glimpse into her glamorous life with her legions of followers when she began celebrating her 30th birthday in Iceland this month. The skincare entrepreneur, who shares two children Rocket, 2, and Racer, nine-months with husband Sam, happily posted pictures from her recent trip to Iceland. Posing in Blue Lagoon water, the stunner revealed the trip was to celebrate her milestone birthday, marking the special day, '30,' she captioned the shot. Donning a black one-piece swimsuit, Lara dressed conservatively showcasing her lean and toned physique. Stunner: Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) has shared a rare glimpse into her glamorous life to her legions of followers sharing a snaps from her 30th birthday celebrations Beauty: Donning a black one-piece swimsuit, Lara dressed conservatively showcasing her lean and toned physique Loved up: Whilst on her Icelandic vacation, Lara poked fun at her husband Sam whilst they got facials at the popular tourist destination While on vacation, she poked fun at her husband Sam whilst they got facials at the popular tourist destination. 'My husbands first and last face mask. #bluelagooniceland,' she wrote about the fun selfie. Earlier, Lara posted a picture of her birthday cake, captioning the shot, '#tb to last week.' The picture showed a glimpse of the model's hair whilst in the midst of blowing out her candles on a cake with colourful icing and the number 30 candle on top. Advertisement For the first time ever, fans can experience 'the serenity' of the Bonnie Doon holiday home from The Castle. Twenty years on from the iconic Australian film's release, Michael Caton and his fictional 'Kerrigan' family's castle house is available for fans to rent on Airbnb, starting at $201 a night. Now, up to eight guests can take a trip 'straight to the Pool Room', head to Lake Eildon to smell their two-stroke engine on 'full-throttle', or just revel in 'the vibe.' Scroll down for video 'How's the serenity?': For the first time ever, fans can experience 'the serenity' of the Bonnie Doon holiday home from The Castle, after its owner listed it for rent on Airbnb You're not dreamin! Twenty years on from the iconic Australian film's release, Michael Caton and his fictional 'Kerrigan' family's castle house is available for fans to rent on Airbnb , starting at $201 a night The iconic home's owner Melanie listed the property on the house-sharing website this week, and has naturally been flooded with booking requests from nostalgic fans. And she's been smart to cram as much fan service as possible into the renovated two-bedroom home with a pool room that sleeps another three guests. Guests lucky enough to land a booking will pull up to a familiar exterior, complete with a dog kennel fit for a greyhound (Coco, preferably), and a quilt-stitched blanket that reads 'serenity' slung over the entryway. Got it for a steal! As in the film, the jousting sticks picked-up for a 'steal' on the Trading Post by Caton's Darryl and Stephen Curry's Dale are displayed in the window facing the road Nostalgia overload! The iconic home's owner Melanie listed the property on the house-sharing website this week, and has been smart to cram as much fan service as possible into the renovated two-bedroom home As in the film, the jousting sticks picked-up for a 'steal' on the Trading Post by Caton's Darryl and Stephen Curry's Dale are displayed in the window facing the road. In the backyard, Eric Bana's 'accountant and amateur kick-boxer' Con Petropoulous would be thrilled to see his red punching bag hanging on a tree. Guests can choose to tuck into a serve Sal Kerrigan's (Anne Tenney) famous rissoles in a 'casual dining' setting on the veranda, or a pull-up a spot around the kitchen 1960's retro dining table. 'Kickboxing... 24-hours a day!': In the backyard, Eric Bana's 'accountant and amateur kick-boxer' Con Petropoulous would be thrilled to see his red punching bag hanging on a tree 'Rissoles darl': Guests can choose to tuck into a serve Sal Kerrigan's (Anne Tenney) famous rissoles in a 'casual dining' setting on the veranda, or a pull-up a spot around the kitchen 1960's retro dining table When making their way around the hallway, eagle-eyed fans will notice another stunning attention to detail from in the film, in the form of Tracey (Sophie Lee) hairdressing diploma, which hangs proudly on the wall. Melanie also promises that in the backyard, fans will find: 'a pool table with a twist,' which hilariously happens to take the form of an 'in-ground' table that has to be seen to be believed. 'We have had loads of fun and laughter, putting it to the test, definitely my 'IDEAS MAN' favourite,' she wrote in the listing. 'Now THAT is a head of hair!': When making their way around the hallway, eagle-eyed fans will notice another stunning attention to detail from in the film, in the form of Tracey (Sophie Lee) hairdressing diploma, which hangs proudly on the wall With a twist! Owner Melanie also promises that in the backyard, fans will find: 'a pool table with a twist,' which hilariously happens to take the form of an 'in-ground' table that has to be seen to be believed 'If there's one thing dad likes more than serenity... it's a two stroke engine on full throttle!': Just as in the 1997 classic, Lake Eildon sits across the road, where boat owners can hit the water and cast a line in search of a prized 'carp, redfin or trout' Swamped! Naturally, owner Melanie has been swamped by fans clamouring for an opportunity to tell a loved one they're not 'dreamin' and book a few nights in the Bonnie Doon house Just as in the 1997 classic, Lake Eildon sits across the road, where boat owners - smelly 'two-stroke' or otherwise - can hit the water and cast a line in search of a prized 'carp, redfin or trout.' Naturally, Melanie has been swamped by fans clamouring for an opportunity to tell a loved one they're not 'dreamin' and book a few nights in the Bonnie Doon house. Explaining any delay in response on the listing, she wrote: 'As you can imagine there is a lot of inquiries due to media release, therefore an influx of request, please be patient we will get to you as soon as possible.' 'He was the only bloke he knew with a holiday home': Explaining any delay in response on the listing, she wrote: 'As you can imagine there is a lot of inquiries due to media release, therefore an influx of requests' It was the worst landslide disaster in Australian history. And news presenter Amber Sherlock has revealed that she struggled to cope after covering the 1997 Thredbo tragedy, admitting that she had survivor's guilt Writing for Nine Honey, the 41-year-old revealed that she was living and working in Thredbo in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains region when tragedy struck. Admission: News presenter Amber Sherlock has revealed that she struggled to cope after covering the 1997 Thredbo landslide tragedy, admitting that she had survivor's guilt 'I attended memorial services in the Thredbo chapel. I drowned my sorrows with locals. I had survivor's guilt,' Amber wrote. 'After all, I was also in staff accommodation just one lodge away. I questioned my career choice. I had seen the good, the bad and the very, very ugly.' The landslide occurred on July 30 1997 and destroyed the Bimbadeen and Carinya lodges and 18 people lost their lives. Cub reporter: Writing for Nine Honey , the 41-year-old revealed that she was living and working in Thredbo in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains region when tragedy struck Tragedy: The landslide occurred on July 30 1997 and destroyed the Bimbadeen and Carinya lodges and 18 people lost their lives Hope: Sole survivor, ski instructor Stuart Diver made international headlines when he was rescued after spending 65 hours trapped between two concrete slabs. Tragically his first wife Sally died in the disaster Sole survivor, ski instructor Stuart Diver made international headlines when he was rescued after spending 65 hours trapped between two concrete slabs. Tragically his first wife Sally died in the disaster. Stuart's story was the subject of a 2002 telemovie Heroes Mountain. 'Just 20 metres away from where I slept, 17 people were trapped or dead. One, Stuart Diver, was in the fight of his life. Of course, it was days before I knew this,' Amber said. Heartbreaking: 'I attended memorial services in the Thredbo chapel. I drowned my sorrows with locals. I had survivor's guilt,' Amber (pictured left) wrote Amber, whose department boss Wendy also perished in the tragedy, revealed that she had been drinking shots with Stuart's wife just days before tragedy struck. 'Sally, the woman I had drunk shots with at the pub a few days earlier didnt make it out. My last memory is of her wearing cute overalls, sitting on a bar stool laughing with a broad smile,'[ she said. Amber, who admitted that she had never spoken publicly about the event until now said that her experiences had stayed with her and she had returned to Thredbo every year since 1997. She also wrote that she wed husband Chris, in 2004, in the same Thredbo chapel that held many of the memorial services for victims. They've been flaunting their relationship recently. And Amber Rose and 21 Savage discovered a way to celebrate their new found love with a pair of matching $55k diamond encrusted time pieces. The 33-year-old model and her 24-year-old rapper beau flashed their sparkly baubles on Amber's Instagram account on Monday. Scroll down for video Bling story: Amber Rose, 34, and 21 Savage, 24, celebrated their new found love with a pair of matching $55k diamond encrusted time pieces; (pictured Saturday) The relationship must be getting pretty serious if the two are exchanging such expensive gifts. After careful consideration, it looks like the watches are Patek Philippe, a Swiss watch manufacturer founded all the way back in 1851. Depending on the seller, these wristwatches could be in the $55,000 range. Classic bits: After careful consideration, it looks like the watches are Patek Philippe, a Swiss watch manufacturer founded all the way back in 1851 Dailymail.com reached out to a rep for Patek Philippe for comment, and though they haven't yet confirmed these are their watches, the resemblance is striking. Earlier this month, Amber took to Instagram to gush about her new love. Along with a picture of the two cuddling in bed, the Dancing With The Stars alum wrote: 'It's pretty amazing waking up every morning feeling love like this.' Shining stars: The saucy pair were seen showing off their new luxury time pieces at the Medusa lounge in Atlanta over the weekend She continued: 'I've cried endlessly and been hurt a lot in my life, I've been abused, talked to like I wasn't s**t, been gaslighted and s**t shamed by men that I once loved and care about.' Adding: 'So I'm thankful that God brought this amazing person in my life who genuinely has my back and is ready to "pull up" to defend my honor by any means.' Meanwhile, the saucy pair were seen showing off their new luxury time pieces at the Medusa lounge in Atlanta over the weekend. Tyga was spotted enjoying a walk in Los Angeles with a pair of pals - one male, one mystery female - this Monday. The 27-year-old rapper who used to date 19-year-old Kylie Jenner wore a grey sweatshirt with a purple stripe. He'd put on black pants, black and white shoes, and had added in some jewelry - earrings and a necklace. Friendly outing! Tyga was spotted enjoying a walk in Los Angeles with a pair of pals - one male, one female - this Monday Before dating Kylie - who's now with Travis Scott - Tyga had a now-four-year-old son called King Cairo with Blac Chyna. Blac Chyna has since had a still infant daughter named Dream by Kylie's half-brother Rob Kardashian, and the pair are in the middle of an infamously acrimonious split that's included Rob posting revenge porn of Chyna to social media. The Rack City rapper on Saturday was asked by TMZ about his ongoing tiff with the 48-year-old rap mogul Birdman, and resorted to name-calling. Casually stylish! The 27-year-old rapper who used to date 19-year-old Kylie Jenner wore a grey sweatshirt with a purple stripe 'Tell that b---- I'm the s--- too,' Tyga told the outlet Saturday outside the trendy Los Angeles club 1Oak after he was asked about recent remarks made over their business dispute. The conflict between the artists erupted after Tyga, whose real name is Micheal Ray Stevenson, said on The Breakfast Club Thursday that he was owed at least $12 million by Birdman's Cash Money label. Kylie Jenner's ex, who defected the Cash Money label last year for G.O.O.D. Music, Kanye West's label, told the program that he shelled out in excess of $1 million in his exit from the label - despite being owed much more. History! Before dating Kylie - who's now with Travis Scott - Tyga had a now-four-year-old son called King Cairo with Blac Chyna 'I had to pay to get out,' he said. 'I paid to get out. 'Now mind you, Im owed like, probably like ... at least twelve, fifteen million they owe me,' said Tyga, adding he wasn't planning on seeking legal remedies over the supposed balance. In response, insiders close to Birdman told the outlet that Tyga wasn't owed the money - 'What person says they won't sue if they're owed $12 million?' one source told TMZ - but was obligated to make another album for the label. Sources close to Birdman, whose real name is Bryan Christopher Williams, added that Cash Money wasn't hesitant to release Tyga, as his album sales had been stagnant. THE WANDERING HEARTS Wild Silence (Decca) Theres an appealing rawness to this debut. A male-female quartet with a folk-rock penchant, their harmonies will elicit comparisons with Fleetwood Mac, but the acoustic instrumentation looks more to country, with Fire And Water a lively hoedown and Burning Bridges a nostalgic ballad. The Channel Seven presenter recently returned from an idyllic Italian getaway with her fiance Neil Varcoe. And Edwina Bartholomew appears to have settled back into work with her usual bubbly self. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the 34-year-old posed for a hilarious snap within her Sunrise dressing room. Scroll down for video Hair-raising! Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew channels a Troll in hilarious snap from within her Sunrise dressing room on Tuesday The blonde's hair was sprayed vertically above her head, as she pulled a funny face to the camera. Edwina captioned the snap: 'Troll Tuesday @sevenstyling.' While she was referencing the hairstyle of Troll dolls, her 119k followers couldn't help but point out other similarities. Fun-filled work day? The Sunrise presenter appeared to have settled back into work with her usual bubbly self and was in good spirits for the quirky selfie A couple of commenters referenced the quirky hairstyle to that of actress Cameron Diaz's in the flick Something About Mary: 'Something about...Eddie.' Others agreed she looked like Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch: 'You look like the little girl from The Grinch', 'Welcome to Whoville' and 'Reminds me of Cindy lol.' Meanwhile, many of her fans just found the stunt humorous: 'Lol good look Edy lol' and 'You're funny.' Look familiar? Some of her followers agreed she looked like Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch Edwina recently enjoys an idyllic Italian getaway with her fiance, after announcing her engagement to long-time partner Neil Varcoe in April. One photo showed Edwina with a 'gal pal', posing in a serene setting in Puglia. The pair posed in front of a quirky retro three wheeled scooter truck. Bellissimo: Edwina Bartholomew has taken to Instagram to share a series of idyllic photos as she enjoys an idyllic Italian getaway with her fiance Neil Varcoe Good luck? One photo showed Neil with his back to the camera, wiping bird poo off his shirt having just experienced a day of high culture in Venice 'Just had the most magical Italian cooking course at @masseriapotenti organised by @nicbud,' she captioned the post. Edwina posted a second photo from Pulgia, this time showcasing her idyllic accommodation at the Borgo Egnazia Hotel. The photo showed a picturesque scene of a series of deck chairs perched on a rock formation that jutted out into the ocean, while a third photo showed a crowded beach that was flanked by two high rock walls. Scenic: One photo showed Edwina with a 'gal pal', posing in a serene setting in Puglia. The pair posed in front of a quirky retro three wheeled scooter truck Gorgeous: Edwina posted a second photo from Pulgia, this time showcasing her idyllic accommodation at the Borgo Egnazia Hotel But not all went to plan during the trip. Another photo showed Neil with his back to the camera, wiping bird poo off his shirt having just experienced a day of high culture in Venice. 'Last night in #venice. Gondola ride. Vivaldi concert. @neilwrites using a wall to wipe the bird s**t off his shirt. Truly wonderful,' she wrote alongside the humorous photo. A trip to the fecund Central Market in florence was also documented, with the photo bursting with the colour of fresh fruit and vegetables. Pristine: A third Pulgia photo showed a crowded beach that was flanked by two high rock walls Lastly she shared a photo that showed her in the back of a convertible in the city of Pescara, with friends Hermoine Kitson and Francesco Barbuscia. 'A wonderfully random night with the King and Queen of Pescara @hermionekitson and @francescobarbuscia. Thank you for your incredible hospitality xxx,' she captioned the post. The Channel Seven personality became engaged to journalist partner Neil after six years of dating in April. The acting director of the Office of Government Ethics said in a letter to a Democratic member of Congress that the White House Counsel's office is looking into whether Jared Kushner violated any laws when he met with business entities which later loaned more than $500 million to his company. In the letter dated March 22, OGE director David Apol said, "The White House informed me that they had already begun this process. I have asked the White House to inform me of the results of that process." CNN has reached out to the White House Counsel's office and Kushner for comment. Apol sent the letter to Illinois Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who wrote regarding a variety of ethical questions around Kushner's White House role. In a letter dated March 14, Apol also told Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal that he had discussed ethical concerns about Kushner with the White House Counsel's office "in order to ensure" that office looks into whether any law or regulation had been violated. "During that discussion, the White House informed me that they had already begun this process," Apol wrote. Two companies confirmed earlier this month that they have provided hundreds of millions in loans to Kushner's family business, but disputed in letters to Democratic lawmakers that there was a connection between those loans and meetings Kushner had with their executives. T.J. Miller took to Twitter on Monday to clarify a remark he made in an interview where it was suggested women were not as funny as men. In an article published on Sunday by Vulture, Miller, 36, was quoted as saying women are 'taught to suppress their sense of humor during their formative years.' But on Monday, Miller, the star of The Emoji Movie, felt compelled to take to Twitter to clarify his comment. 'To be real, I'm getting used as click bait a lot. It's becoming frustrating that if I confuse interviewers they trash me. I DO NOT LIKE IT,' he tweeted to his roughly 380,000 followers. Twitter clarification: T.J. Miller, shown Sunday in Los Angeles, took to Twitter on Monday to clarify a published remark about the difference between female and male humor The Deadpool star followed that up with several tweets on the subject. 'Okay, I guess everyone and their parents missed the point-- #feminist SOCIETY depresses humor in women bc it is a sign of intelligence,' he tweeted. He also posted: 'Women ARE FUNNY, against odds that men don't face.' Click bait: The Emoji Movie star tweeted that he was being used as 'click bait' Stand-up comic Heather Morgan replied with a supportive comment reading: 'As a female comic it's disheartening when a show is a total sausage fest. Tons of funny females out there. Hear their voices!' Miller responded: 'Word! More women should cast off the suppression & f***ing do an open mic-their perspective is necessary! And more often than not hilarious.' Hit show: Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods and T.J. are shown in a 2014 still from HBO's Silicon Valley The Denver native also used the interview to address the disparaging remarks he made about Silicon Valley executive producer Alec Berg after recently leaving the HBO show. 'He went to Harvard, and we all know those kids are f***ing idiots. That Crimson trash. Those comedy writers in Hollywood are f***ing Harvard graduates and that's why they're smug as a bug,' Miller had earlier told The Hollywood Reporter. But he insisted to Vulture that he was seeking to be polarizing. Popular movie: Miller is shown in a still from the 2016 hit film Deadpool 'Nobody right now is publicly the Lindsay Lohantrain wreckbutnotquite person. If I'd just said it was an honor to work on Silicon Valley and was thankful to Alec Berg, I would have disappeared. Instead, by being just a little authentic, I infected the news cycle,' he said. ''It's more important to be polarizing than neutralizing. That's my position,' he added. Miller voices the lead 'meh' emoji Gene in The Emoji Movie coming out Friday. The Sony Pictures Animation comedy also features the voices of James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph, Steven Wright, Christina Aguilera, Sofia Vergara and Patrick Stewart as a poop emoji. Miller next year can be seen in the sci-fi adventure Ready Player One directed by Steven Spielberg, the thriller Underwater alongside Kristen Stewart and the superhero sequel Deadpool 2 starring Ryan Reynolds. Her performance in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof has been widely praised by fans and critics alike. And Sienna Miller, 35, was grinning ear to ear at the production after-party on Monday, surrounded by her celebrity friends at the National Cafe in London. Joined by co-star Hayley Squires and a gaggle of A-Listers, the former model turned actress was all smiles as she celebrated the show's success at the swanky shindig. Scroll down for video Happy days: Sienna Miller, 35, was grinning ear to ear as she attended the Cat On A Hot Tin Roof theatre after-party swarming with her celebrity friends in London on Monday Autograph time: Sienna opted for a Chanel Resort maxi dress which perfectly highlighted her fair features, lifted with a slick of red lipstick Sienna stars in Tennessee Williams searing story of sex and survival in America's deep South. Pitted alongside rising star and former Skins icon Jack O'Connell, the Benedict Andrews directed production has become the must have West End ticket. Set on a steamy night in Mississippi, Sienna and Jack are seen at their cotton plantation celebrating Big Daddy's birthday. Over the course of the night, the character talk and twist their way in and out of volatile situations. Maggie, played by Sienna, and Brick, played by Jack, spend the night in the oppressive southern heat lying to one and other in the tense, atmospheric play. Joined by co-star Hayley Squires and a gaggle of A-Listers, the former model turned actress was all smiles at the glamorous shindig The run has proved so successful so far it has attracted the attention of numerous A-Listers including Kate Moss who turned up with beau Count Nikolai von Bismarck for the evening. Enjoying the gathering, Sienna smouldered next to co-star Jack who opted for a floral patterned shirt, tucked into a pair of navy chinos with leather Moccasins. Sienna opted for a Chanel Resort maxi dress which perfectly highlighted her fair features, lifted with a slick of red lipstick. On fleek: Enjoying the gathering, Sienna smouldered next to co-star Jack who opted for a floral patterned shirt, tucked into a pair of navy chinos with leather Moccasins A-Team: Colm Meaney, director Benedict Andrews, Sienna Miller, Jack O'Connell and David Lan all stood to attention at the swanky after-do Meeting the fans: Maggie, played by Sienna, and Brick, played by Jack, spend the night in the oppressive southern heat lying to one and other in the tense, atmospheric play Sienna was supported by her former rival Kate Moss on the opening night, proving they had well and truly quashed their former feud. Back in 2014, the pair central figures in the infamous Primrose Hill set in the naughty Noughties were reunited by Topshop boss Sir Philip Green at the Oxford Street launch of Mosss retro, Boho-inspired collection for the store. Philip instigated the rapprochement by taking both girls out to dinner at the Connaught, a source told the Daily Mail. He told Kate that Sienna would be perfect to show up for the launch wearing something from the collection. Pals: Sienna was supported by her former rival Kate Moss on the opening night, proving they had well and truly quashed their former feud Cuddle buddies: , Sienna and Hayley Squires (Mae) wrapped their arms around each other at the after-party held at the National Cafe in London Sienna was the original Boho girl and she had famously beaten Kate in the Boho style stakes back in the Noughties. Back then Kate was less than impressed when Sienna briefly stole her fashion crown, says the source. But this time round Kate agreed with Philip and said, I just want to sell dresses, lets do it. So they kissed and made up, and it was all down to Sir Philip. Classic: Lisa Palfrey (Big Mama), Sienna and Hayley Squires (Mae) star in Tennesse William's searing play based on sex, survival and deceit Leading cast: Sienna and Hayley Squires (Mae) have received raving reviews for their performances Rachel Lindsay reached a stalemate with Peter Kraus on Monday's episode of The Bachelorette and was left sobbing in despair. The 31-year-old lawyer from Dallas wanted Peter, a 31-year-old business owner from Wisconsin, to commit to proposing at the end of the show, but he was reluctant. Over dinner she gave him an ultimatum, claiming she didn't 'just want a boyfriend'. Scroll down for video Dinner ultimatum: Rachel Lindsay gave Peter Kraus an ultimatum during Monday's episode of The Bachelorette 'I want to be truly certain,' he told her. They struggled to find any 'common ground' on the issue. 'I don't know where to go from here to be honest,' he said sadly as she cried. 'I was hopeful for what Peter and I could be, and then, just like thatI didn't see it, the best word I can describe what Peter said to meit's devastating,' she cried. Truly certain: Peter said he wanted to be 'truly certain' before proposing to Rachel One word: Rachel described Peter's position as 'devastating' 'For the first time I'm thinking Peter and I may not work out,' she added as the show came to a close. The emotional encounter came after Rachel's final three suitors met her family and each had a one-on-one date in La Rioja, Spain. First the men were taken to Rachel's hometown of Dallas. First time: The Dallas attorney said for the first time that she had doubts about Peter Peter, who was up first, was made to chose baby gifts for her sister Constance, who was eight months pregnant. He decided to 'clarify' his feelings for her before they entered. Peter decided to open up after telling his friends and family that he wasn't ready yet for marriage. Big revelation: Peter told Rachel that he was falling in love with her Good times: Rachel and Peter had fun shopping for baby gifts for her pregnant sister Constance 'You do mean the world to meI am falling in love with you,' he said. Her father was not in attendance, for reasons that were not explained. 'I'm not ready to lose Rachel,' Peter told her family. Family meeting: Peter met Rachel's family during his visit Peter then explained to her mother, Kathy, that he wouldn't rush into a proposal. 'I appreciate the honesty,' she nodded. 'I feel like my relationship with Rachel progressed by seeing the people that made her,' he reflected afterward. Relationship progressing: The Wisconsin business owner told Rachel's mother Kathy that he wouldn't rush into a proposal Next up was Eric Bigger, a 29-year-old personal trainer from Los Angeles. 'Eric and I are in a really good place,' she decided, as they cuddled at the top of Union Tower. It had been 'six or seven years' since Eric had gone to meet a girl's family, and his longest relationship was only eight months. Good place: Rachel said that she and Eric were in a 'good place' as they went on a date Constance initially wasn't convinced he was 'emotionally ready' for a real relationship but she warmed to him after their chat. 'He is ready to settle down,' she decided. Eric then asked Rachel's mother for her blessing for a proposal. He's ready: Constance after talking with Eric deemed him ready for marriage 'I feel comfortable with that,' she told him. Bryan Abasolo meanwhile told Peter that he wanted to seek her family's blessing for marriage, which Peter found 'arrogant'. The 37-year-old chiropractor from Miami was last to meet her family. Feeling comfortable: Kathy said she was comfortable blessing Eric's proposal 'I think they'll definitely be impressed,' he said confidently. First he had to meet her girlfriends for brunch. 'I think I really won them over,' he decided, but Rachel confessed to thinking Bryan was a 'douchebag' at first. Confident guy: Bryan Abasolo met Rachel's friends and family He then told Rachel's family that his mother was the 'number one woman' in his life, until Rachel would become his wife. 'Bryan's a charmerbut I don't think there's the sincerity factor in it, so my guard was up,' said Constance. Rachel was 'frustrated and irritated' by her family grilling Bryan with questions. Tough questions: Kathy grilled Bryan about his intentions with Rachel 'I don't understand you right now,' she told them moodily. When he told Constance that he 'loves' them already she didn't buy it. 'It's only been like an hour and a half,' she gawped. Too soon: Constance wasn't buying it when Bryan said he already loved Rachel's family Bryan then asked for 'the blessing' from Rachel's mother. 'I trust her judgment, so you have my blessing to take this love and build on it,' she replied. With the heavy stuff out of the way Rachel and her suitors jetted off to La Rioja, Spain. Spanish province: Rachel took the final three guys to La Rioja, Spain First was a helicopter ride and romantic walk to a monastery with Eric. Over dinner she interrogated him about his feelings. 'I'm in love with you,' he told her before they retreated to the Fantasy Suite. Big hug: Eric and Rachel kissed and hugged as they were reunited Good talk: Rachel smiled as Eric finally said he was in love with her Fantasy suite: Eric read out a card inviting him and Rachel to the Fantasy Suite Headed in: Rachel invited Eric to the Fantasy Suite and he agreed 'There's no more fear, tonight is the night to go deeper,' he cooed. 'I think it's time to get engaged,' Eric said in the morning. Rachel next took Peter to a vineyard for some grape squashing, which culminated in the chat which might be the death knoll for their affair. The Bachelorette continues next week on ABC. The room: Eric and Rachel entered the Fantasy Suite together One on one: Rachel and Eric enjoyed an overnight stay together Roxy Jacenko is a self-made woman who built her PR empire without obtaining a university degree. And it appears that she has similar aspirations for her daughter, Pixie Curtis, 5, after sharing an Instagram post on Tuesday which implied her son would be the first 'Jacenko' to attend university. The 37-year-old shared an image in which she's wearing a Stanford Business university jacket, and implied two-year-old Hunter Curtis would be attending the prestigious Californian Ivy League school. Aspirations: Roxy Jacenko shared an Instagram post on Tuesday which implied her son would be the first 'Jacenko' to attend university Roxy captioned the photo: '@huntercurtis14 will be the first Jacenko to go to uni I'm certain so it's only right I start wearing the official merchandise @stanford'. Fans were quick to wonder why Roxy had named Hunter, not his older sister, Pixie, as the first prospective university attendee in her family. One Instagram under wrote in response: 'Why not Pixie? Not very impressed by this post when you're otherwise generally inspiring.' Another agreed, writing: 'rebeccalw79 @sab998 Exactly what I thought.' A fan quickly chimed in to explain that perhaps Pixie, like her mum, might want to take a different path. Roxy captioned the photo: '@huntercurtis14 will be the first Jacenko to go to uni I'm certain so it's only right I start wearing the official merchandise @stanford' One Instagram under wrote in response: 'Why not Pixie? Not very impressed by this post when you're otherwise generally inspiring' Boss baby: A fan quickly chimed in to explain that perhaps Pixie, like her mum, might want to take a different path than the one Roxy appears to have planned for Hunter They wrote: 'Maybe pixie isn't the type and would be happy and successful without uni. Why do we all have to go to uni/ Whatever works for each child is the best outcome'. Although her daughter is only at kindergarten age Roxy appeared to agree with the commentator who suggested Pixie would be happy without higher education. Plans? Although her daughter is only at kindergarten age Roxy appeared to agree with the commentator who suggested Pixie would be happy without higher education The PR maven replied directly to the fan, writing in agreement: 'correct !!!!!!!!' If Pixie wishes to become a businesswoman she has been set on the right path. Thanks to her entrepreneurial mother, the tot already has her own multimillion-dollar accessory business called Pixies Bows. Sisters Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian were both spotted out in Los Angeles on Monday in black tops that played up their cleavage. Kim, 36, flashed her decolletage in a tight black tank top that clashed elegantly against her pale grey sweats and the matching pale grey jacket she held. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Kourtney had slid on a full-sleeved translucent black blouse that offered up a full view of the skimpy black bra she'd clasped on that day. On the go: Sisters Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian were both spotted out in Los Angeles on Monday in black tops that played up their cleavage Kourtney's top did feature sections of solid black and white striped fabric at the cuffs and turtleneck, and she'd tucked it into a high-waisted torn pair of faded jeans. With frayed hems above the ankles to show off her simple black stilettos, the jeans tightened about the mother-of-three's toned legs as she ambled about. She'd let her hair fall free, whereas mother-of-two Kim had slicked hers back and wound it into a bun, accessorizing with a bulging camouflage-patterned bag. Looking fabulous: 37-year-old Kourtney had slid on a full-sleeved translucent black blouse that offered up a full view of the skimpy black bra she'd clasped on that day Dashes of contrast: Kourtney's top did feature sections of solid black and white striped fabric at the cuffs and turtleneck, and she'd tucked it into a high-waisted torn pair of faded jeans Emphasis: With frayed hems above the ankles to show off her simple black stilettos, the jeans tightened about the mother-of-three's toned legs as she ambled about Kourtney's got three children by Scott Disick, the eldest being their seven-year-old son Mason, whose birth was immortalized on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The co-parents welcomed their now four-year-old daughter Penelope into the world in 2012, and Kourtney gave birth to her youngest child, a son called Reign, in 2014. Kourtney and Scott, who'd been introduced in 2006 by Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis in Mexico, last ended their romantic relationship in July of 2015. She knows how to blend! Kim kept ultra incognito while out, hiding her face behind her camo patterned Louis Vuitton bag Being patient: The raven haired beauty waited in the car while sister Kourtney paraded her sassy look Though Scott had called himself a 'sex addict' on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that aired this year, he's since said he'd so labeled himself in jest. The 33-year-old, who was seen with a string of women including 19-year-old Bella Thorne on a recent European holiday, has groused to E! News: 'I would say I think it's a little rude that everybody keeps addressing me as a sex addict.' Quoth the Kardashian satellite: 'I just like sex, but I'm not a sex addict. I said that in a humorous, joking fashion on the show and now I'm getting billed as one, and it's not the case. I do like sex, but I am not an addict,' he's iterated to E! News. By contrast: She'd let her hair fall free, whereas mother-of-two Kim had slicked hers back and wound it into a bun, accessorizing with a bulging camouflage-patterned bag The Australian hunk has become an internationally acclaimed model, who has strut his stuff on the catwalk for the likes of Tom Ford and Versace. But Jordan Barrett appeared to be returning home to Sydney on Monday. The 20-year-old documented his lavish trip from New York on Instagram with a series of boredom-filled snaps to keep himself entertained. Scroll down for video 'A power vinyasa at 37000 feet': Model Jordan Barrett cuts a casual figure as he documents luxe flight home from New York to Sydney on Monday On Monday he announced his return Down Under, captioning a picture: 'NY, NY I need to Leave - Home Is Waiting.' Jordan, known for his 'party boy' lifestyle, was dressed down in a grey hooded sweatshirt and chinos for his first flight. Appearing to take the journey in style, he recorded himself sitting in his leather seat next to the plane's window. He wrote over the images and short clips during the start of his long-haul flight: 'NYC - SYDNEY' and '23 hours... challenge accepted.' Casual: Jordan, known for his 'party boy' lifestyle, was dressed down in a grey hooded sweatshirt and chinos for his first flight When he arrived at Abu Dhabi airport he was chauffeured across the airport terminal on the back of an airport buggy by staff. Taking a selfie on the back of the vehicle, Jordan had changed into a black T-shirt and striped trousers, and had accessorised with a gold necklace. After boarding his connecting flight, he turned his amusement to using a Snapchat filter which made his mouth breath fire. 'More chances off (sic) going mad': After boarding his connecting flight, he turned his amusement to using a Snapchat filter which made his mouth breath fire Star treatment: When he arrived at Abu Dhabi airport he was chauffeured across the airport terminal on the back of an airport buggy by staff 'Guess I will do circles. Maybe a stretch': Jordan said he paced the plane and did some yoga to relieve his boredom He captioned the bizarre clip: '7 More hours, more chances to off (sic) going mad.' Jordan said he paced the plane and did some yoga to relieve his boredom: 'Guess I will do circles. Maybe a stretch. 17 circles later and a power vinyasa @ 37000 feet altitude.' Jordan has been called 'The Bad Boy Of Fashion' and is known for his wild partying and rumoured flings with Bella Hadid, Paris Hilton, Lara Stone and many others. She the stunning WAG who shares an impressive brood of tiny tots with AFL star Chris Judd. And Rebecca Judd looked to be savouring some quality time with her young ones on Tuesday, cuddling up to them in a snap shared to her Instagram. The 34-year-old gave her two identical twins, Tom and Darcy, a bear hug, as her cheeky three-year-old, Billie, lent in for the action. Scroll down for video Holding them close: Rebecca Judd, 34, shared an ultra cute snap of her twins, Tom and Darcy, and daughter, Billie, three, to Instagram on Tuesday Rebecca looked be in complete motherhood bliss, while her two ten-month-olds appeared in the midst of a hilarious joke. The mother-of-four captioned the photo with a simple hashtag: '#happy.' She nuzzled her face into the heads of the giggling pair as she held them secure with both arms draped around each of their chests. With her eyes closed, Bec seemed happier than ever to be in the company of her youngsters. Bonding: Bec nuzzled her face into the heads of the giggling pair as she held them secure with both arms draped around each of their chests The quad were nestled comfortably into the couch as they relished some bonding time. They had possibly just gotten out of bed, with the twins dressed in matching pale blue onesies and Billie sporting a head of messy hair. She bared a striking resemblance to her mother as she grinned mischievously up at the camera. Growing family: Chris and Rebecca Judd are kept on their toes with their four young children, Oscar, five, Billie, three, and twins, Tom and Darcy, ten months Absent from the sweet photo was the couple's eldest child, Oscar, five, who had possibly already set off for a day at school. Bec seemed to in her 'busy mother' attire, wearing a black hooded jumper and slicking her hair back in a bun. The glamorous WAG sported her glitzy wedding ring along with another sparkling rock on her other hand, and wore a large silver watch on her wrist. MasterChef hopeful Diana Chan looked ecstatic as she held her trophy aloft after being crowned the winner on Monday. But fans of the hit Channel Ten cooking show have taken to social media to slam the decision, accusing the judges of bias. Diana was ruled the winner after finishing with a score of 90 points while rival Ben Ungerman was pipped at the post on 89 points. Scroll down for video Rigged? Fans of MasterChef have taken to social media to slam the grand final decision, accusing the judges of bias after Diana Chan (pictured) took out top honours in a one-point showdown with Ben Ungermann Ben and Diana had competed against each other in three culinary challenges- a mystery box task, a 'free-for-all' challenge and a third task set by chocolatier Kirsten Tibbals which asked the duo to create an apple, pear and mandarin out of chocolate. Fans took to Twitter in droves to voice their displeasure over the close result. One fan even went as far as to call for judge Matt Preston to leave the show, tweeting: 'Just remove Matt as the judge. Bias to the core.' Close call: Diana was ruled the winner after finishing with a score of 90 points while rival Ben Ungerman was pipped at the post on 89 points Down to the wire: Ben and Diana had competed against each other in three culinary challenges- a mystery box task, a 'free-for-all' challenge and a third task set by chocolatier Kirsten Tibbals which asked the duo to create an apple, pear and mandarin out of chocolate Another tried to get the hashtag #justiceforben trending while referring to Matt as 'a joke.' 'That is an absolute joke,' the fan opined. 'She clearly didn't do better than Ben and that Matt joke gave her a 9?' With the other judges scoring eights across the board Matt's score of 9 for Diana pushed her into MasterChef glory. Big call: One fan even went as far as to call for judge Matt Preston to leave the show, tweeting: 'Just remove Matt as the judge. Bias to the core' No laughing matter: Another tried to get the hashtag #justiceforben trending while referring to Matt as 'a joke' Boiling over: Matt Preston's swaying score came in for more criticism with yet another fan lambasting Matt with: 'RIGGED! That one extra point seemed very contrived. Sad that it was Matt given the job of swaying the judgement' Unfair? Another played the 'rigged' line with: Should have been a draw. 9-9-9-8 for Ben yet somehow Diana gets 8-8-8-9. Judges agreed Ben was better, yet Matt rated Diana a 9. So rigged' Happy for her: It wasn't all criticism of the win however with many voicing their happiness that Diana had taken out the $250,000 grand prize His swaying score came in for more criticism with yet another fan lambasting Matt with: 'RIGGED! That one extra point seemed very contrived. Sad that it was Matt given the job of swaying the judgement.' Another played the 'rigged' line with: Should have been a draw. 9-9-9-8 for Ben yet somehow Diana gets 8-8-8-9. Judges agreed Ben was better, yet Matt rated Diana a 9. So rigged.' It wasn't all criticism of the win however with many voicing their happiness that Diana had taken out the $250,000 grand prize. One viewer, taking to Facebook, summed up that sentiment with: 'Diana won fair and square and I tipped her to win the title a long time ago as she was simply the best and rose to a new level for each challenging dish and she got the results. Congrats Diana and enjoy the spoils of ur well deserved MasterChef victory.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment. Last year, Kim Ledger spoken of his son's Heath's accidental overdose in 2008, describing the tragedy as 'totally' the actor's fault. However, the 67-year-old businessman is also on a crusade to combat 'doctor shopping' for prescription medication, which leads to 800 deaths in Australia a year. 'I don't think people realise how quickly you can become addicted to a lot of these substances, and you're getting them from a GP or pharmacist, so you think it's OK, and it just creeps up on you,' Kim tells Perth Now. New scheme? Last year, Kim Ledger spoken of his son's Heath's accidental overdose in 2008, describing the tragedy as 'totally' the actor's fault. However, the 67-year-old businessman is also on a crusade to combat 'doctor shopping' for prescription medication, which leads to 800 deaths in Australia a year The Perth local hopes to help implement a scheme that would raise 'red flags' if patients appear to be doctor shopping, including those who travel interstate. Speaking of his Academy Award winner son's tragic overdose death, Kim said: 'He just mixed a couple of tablets together and didn't wake up the next morning'. 'It can happen to anyone young, old, infirm, injured, it's horrendous. I've met so many families affected in such tragic ways.' Kim goes on to explain said Heath was battling pneumonia while working long hours on cold, rainy night shoots on the set of The Dark Knight. 'Heath always had a weak chest, if there was something going around, Heath was going to get it,' he said. Help: The Perth local hopes to help implement a scheme that would raise 'red flags' if patients appear to be doctor shopping, including those who travel interstate Last year, the Western Australian grandfather recalled harrowing details of the star's final moments. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Kim told how the actor's sister Kate begged him not to mix sleeping pills with opioids, drugs which relieve pain, hours before his death. The 28-year-old was found face down in his New York apartment in January 2008 after consuming a fatal cocktail of oxycodone, diazepam, hydrocodone and doxylamine. Tragic death: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Kim told how the actor's sister Kate begged him not to mix sleeping pills with opioids, drugs which relieve pain, hours before his death. The 28-year-old was found face down in his New York apartment in January 2008 after consuming a fatal cocktail of oxycodone, diazepam, hydrocodone and doxylamine Hard word: Kim goes on to explain said Heath was battling pneumonia while working long hours on cold, rainy night shoots on the set of The Dark Knight. 'Heath always had a weak chest, if there was something going around, Heath was going to get it,' he said 'It was totally his fault. It was no one else's - he reached for them. He put them in his system. You can't blame anyone else in that situation,' Kim said. The bereaved father added: 'That's hard to accept because I loved him so much and was so proud of him'. Joy Corrigan was photographed in a duo of skimpy bikinis on Monday as she frolicked about on the sand in Miami Beach. The 22-year-old Playmate modeled a tiny turquoise number that allowed her to showcase her knockout legs and enviably flat midriff. She'd also slid that day into a two-piece patterned in orange, pink and blue, the top half of which resembled a sort of bralette in its shape. Scroll down for video Steamy in the sunlight: Joy Corrigan was photographed in a duo of skimpy bikinis on Monday as she frolicked about on the sand in Miami Beach Whilst in that blue getup, she posed standing up on a white wooden platform over the sand, as well as actually on the sand against an upright surfboard. When she was in that other look, she lounged about on the sand, stretching herself where it met the water as a small breaking wave made its way toward her. Joy was Miss February in Playboy this year, and reminisced to magazine in the article trumpeting her title: 'I grew up poor,' confiding further that 'I didnt know drinking powdered milk and wearing hand-me-downs wasnt the norm.' Ready for the surf: The 22-year-old Playmate modeled a tiny turquoise number that allowed her to showcase her knockout legs and enviably flat midriff Elevated: Whilst in that blue getup, she posed standing up on a white wooden platform over the sand, as well as actually on the sand against an upright surfboard She's said: 'I never imagined how much my hard work and focus would one day pay off,' recalling of the beginning of her career that 'When I first started pursuing my dream, several people tried to dissuade me and were not very supportive.' Quoth Joy: 'One person told me that I see the world through rose-colored glasses. Id have to agree, only now its when Im modeling those glasses, surrounded by photographers, on set in exotic locations,' the Hadley-born blonde quipped. She's also said to the magazine: 'I grew up on a farm in North Carolina with six brothers and three sisters. I really dont sweat the small stuff. Having so many siblings has taught me to thrive in the blissful chaos and just enjoy the ride!' On the move: She'd also slid that day into a two-piece patterned in orange, pink and blue, the top half of which resembled a sort of bralette in its shape Hello, gorgeous: When she was in that look, she lounged about on the sand, stretching herself where it met the water as a small breaking wave made its way toward her Looking back on the old days: Joy was Miss February in Playboy this year, and reminisced to magazine in the article trumpeting her title: 'I grew up poor' Asked about 'the biggest misconception 'about' her, in the mag's words, she's offered: 'That all I do is lie on a beach all day.' She's gone on: 'Maybe I do that on most days, but I certainly dont do it every day. Just kidding! I do think some people underestimate how much hard work I put into traveling and shooting,' she explained her answer. Said Joy: 'My biggest passion is art, and Im always working on at least three or four paintings. Instead of having a ton of friends, I have a few best friends. I would much rather go camping than go to a club. On a Friday night, Im most likely cuddling on the couch, watching Netflix and eating my homemade truffle chili popcorn.' 'I really don't sweat the small stuff': She's also said to the magazine: 'I grew up on a farm in North Carolina with six brothers and three sisters' Leaving aside the question as to whether there was actual collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 election, it is undisputed that candidate Donald Trump was eager for a friendship between our two nations. The most recent accounts of the president seeking out more one-on-one time with Putin at the G-20 dinner -- using only a Russian translator -- is the latest evidence that this enthusiasm is undiminished. President Trump has offered scores of comments about Vladimir Putin over the past four years, many times leaning over backward to doubt whether Putin was really guilty of assassinating reporters and opposition figures. Had Putin "been found guilty," Trump demanded. On many occasions, Trump gushed that Putin was "very nice" to him, and praised the dictator's "strength." On May 5, 2016, he told Fox News' Bret Baier, "I know Russia well. I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago -- Miss Universe contest -- which is a big, incredible event, and incredible success ... And you know what? They want to be friendly with the United States. Wouldn't it be nice if we actually got (along) with somebody?" Perhaps this is a generalized wish for international peace. But if so, why didn't Trump show similar benevolence toward China? Instead, throughout the 2016 cycle, he repeatedly promised to label China a currency manipulator and threatened to impose high tariffs on Chinese imports. You have to overlook a lot to imagine that Russia's intentions toward the United States and the West are benign. Consider that Russia has blocked eight United Nations resolutions condemning Syria's use of chemical weapons. Russia was tasked, in an agreement the Obama administration blundered into, with overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile. As recently as April 2017, Bashar Assad gassed civilians with Russian connivance. In 2016, Gen. Phil Breedlove, supreme NATO allied commander for Europe, testified before Congress that not only was Russia not targeting ISIS (a favorite fantasy of Putin fans in the U.S.) but it was also intentionally bombing hospitals and other civilian targets in Syria to frighten more refugees into fleeing the country and swamping Europe. Thus has Russia "weaponized" the creation of refugees to destabilize Europe. Anything that undermines the legitimacy of free and democratic nations in the West is guaranteed to get Russian support. Putin sows distrust and chaos, and he has shown himself willing to use "disinformation" -- an old Soviet technique -- as well as financial support for extremists of both left and right. Russia supports rightists, such as the Jobbik party in Hungary and the National Front in France, as well as left-wing parties, such as Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece. The Russians have stood solidly behind their ally Iran, even selling the Islamic Republic sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air missiles in 2016, which would make any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities by Israel or the U.S. much more militarily risky. On state-run media in Russia, the West, and particularly the United States, is portrayed as corrupt, hostile to Russia, expansionist and treacherous. The Russian television channel RT, which used to be called Russia Today but elected to drop the truth in advertising, traffics in conspiracy theories. The 9/11 attacks, it implies, were actually the work of the U.S. government. The Malaysian civilian aircraft shot down over Ukraine (which a Dutch-led investigation found was downed by Russians) was actually targeted by another mysterious plane. The United States, according to RT, is losing its democracy as a corporate elite takes over the country. The CIA is responsible for undermining Ukraine, and so forth. The ceaseless propaganda is having an effect. The percentage of Russians who have a "bad" or "very bad" opinion of the United States has risen from 34 percent in 2012 to 60 percent today. The West's intelligence services are also favorite bugbears of Russian media. As Paul Gregory recounts, "Virtually every truckers' strike, miners' protest or critical Facebook posting is a CIA, U.S. State Department or Germany BND operation" according to Putin. Above all, Putin's aim is to undermine our trust in one another and in the possibility of knowing the truth. As he told RT journalists in 2015, the Kremlin's goal is to break what he calls the "Anglo-Saxon monopoly on global information streams." He pollutes Western traditional media with lies and laces social media with suspicion and hatred. It makes you wonder: Why would we want good relations with such a figure? Romee Strijd stopped traffic as she stepped out in New York on Monday. The Victoria's Secret Angel, 22, wore an eye-catching electric blue ensemble designed by Cotton Citizen that bared her tummy button. The $100 'Melbourne' crop-top had long sleeves and a polo neck while the $225 'Milan' high-waisted sweatpants featured an elasticated waist. Flaunting it: Romee Strijd stopped traffic as she stepped out in New York on Monday in an eye-catching electric blue ensemble designed by Cotton Citizen that bared her tummy button The outfit accentuated the statuesque blonde's skinny frame. She added a pair of silver trainers to complete the overall look and carried a small shiny silver purse. Romee wore her hair tied back into a jaunty pony tail that swung provocatively as she walked. Leggy: The Victoria's Secret Angel, 22, paired the $100 'Melbourne' crop-top with the $225 'Milan' high-waisted sweatpants Headturner: Romee wore her hair tied back into a jaunty pony tail that swung provocatively as she walked The Dutch model wore black mascara and rosy blush on her cheeks. She added plum lip color and large silver hoop earrings. Romee was joined on her outing by boyfriend Laurens van Leeuwen, who was dressed in a black Nike ensemble of t-shirt and shorts. Had company: Romee was joined on her outing by boyfriend Laurens van Leeuwen, who was dressed in a black Nike ensemble of t-shirt and shorts Lovely: The Dutch model wore black mascara and rosy blush on her cheeks. She added plum lip color and large silver hoop earrings Yolanda Hadid is reminding everyone where her model daughters Gigi and Bella got their smoldering looks from. On Monday the 53-year-old beauty posted a revealing shot of her bare backside which made it clear Mama Hadid could still give her fashionista offspring a run for their money. The Dutch beauty showed off her perky bum in a blue thong and matching hoodie while looking at the beautiful view of The Alp's scenic Lake Constance at sunrise. Hot mama! Yolanda Hadid reminded everyone where model daughters Gigi and Bella got their smoldering looks from, posting a shot of her bare backside to Instagram Monday The breathtaking shot shows the 5'7" beauty playing with her hair and staring into the clear waters while donning just a dusty blue thong, sweatshirt and nothing else. Yolanda paired the cheeky pic with a thoughtful caption, writing 'It's a beautiful, mystical sunrise at the lake this morning.' The mother-of-three continued by talking about the healing properties of the chilly waters, saying 'The water is quite cold but it has been a great way to combat inflammation and feel the connection to Mother Earth.' Rise and shine! The Dutch beauty described 'a beautiful, mystical sunrise ' while showing off her perky bum in a blue thong and matching hoodie at Germany's scenic Lake Constance. Above she's seen strutting her stuff in NYC July 17 Settling down: Before settling down with a family, Yolanda spent 15 years modeling for the fashion industry. Above she's seen with son Anwar at May's Met Gala The Dutch beauty added the tags '#LakeConstance', '#HealingPower', and '#LovingLife.' Before settling down with a family, Yolanda spent 15 years modeling for the fashion industry. She was first discovered by Eileen Ford after Dutch designer Frans Molenaar asked her to replace one of the models in his runway show. Firey flashback! The blonde beauty was discovered by Ford Models before embarking on a modeling career which took her across Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles After being signed to Ford Models, the blonde beauty worked all over the world, including cities like Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles. The Bravo celeb eventually left the industry to start a family with Mohamed Hadid, and had Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid. But her offspring have certainly taken after mom's good looks, with all three currently enjoying success in front of the cameras. With Australian Ninja Warrior ending almost as soon as it begun, and MasterChef and House Rules wrapping up, this week marks the calm before the reality TV storm. In the next few days, viewers will be treated to Matty J's second chance at love on The Bachelor and Today host Karl Stefanovic's latest prime time offering. So with the Karl's This Time Next Year, joining The Block and Australian Survivor in debuting before the end of July, Daily Mail Australia looks at the upcoming reality TV highlights. Coming soon! In the next few days, viewers will be treated to Matty J's second chance at love on The Bachelor (pictured) and Today host Karl Stefanovic's latest prime time offering The Bachelor Australia - July 26, 7:30pm, Network Ten Fan favourite Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson, 30, is returning to the mansion where he fell in love with Georgia Love on The Bachelorette last year, only to be left heartbroken. This time, he'll have the choice of 22 female suitors, while Network Ten, who recently went into voluntary administration, will be hoping for a ratings smash. The marketing manager will meet a less-than-diverse collection of women, all vying for his affection. With filming already wrapped, Matty has confirmed he's found love. Fans are already speculating Sydney jewellery designer Laura Byrne wins Matty's heart, after a series of 'hidden messages' on social media linked the pair. Second chance at love! Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson, 30, is returning to the mansion where he fell in love with Georgia Love on The Bachelorette last year, only to be left heartbroken Will she steal his heart? On Monday, Sportsbet placed Sydney jewellery designer Laura Byrne (pictured) as the frontrunner to win The Bachelor Prime time role! This Time Next Year sees everyday Australians pledge to host Karl Stefanovic they will fix their lives in 12 months, before the show flashes forward to check their progress This Time Next Year - July 31, 8:40pm, Channel Nine This time last year, Karl Stefanovic was still married Cassandra Thorburn - but this series doesn't document his divorce, or new relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough. Instead, the 42-year-old will put his up-and-down year on the sidelines in favour of documenting the remarkable lives of everyday Australians. They'll sit down with Karl for a chat, before pledging to fix an aspect of their life in one year, with topics ranging from weight loss, to learning to walk, and finding love. The format gives Karl a chance to demonstrate his more serious side, before the show jumps ahead 12 months to reveal if the participants have achieved their goals. Oh, the irony! This time last year, Karl Stefanovic was still married to Cassandra Thorburn (L) but this series doesn't document his divorce, or new relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough (R) The Block! Channel Nine's Scott Cam-hosted renovation program The Block returns for its monumental 13th season - and welcomes its first celebrity contestant, model Elyse Knowles The Block, Channel Nine, and Australian Survivor, Channel Ten - 7pm July 30 Channel Nine's Scott Cam-hosted renovation program The Block returns for its monumental 13th season, and finally holds-up to its namesake. Contestants will renovate an entire block of houses in Elsternwick, Victoria, and the series welcomes its first celebrity, bikini model Elyse Knowles. It will go head-to-head against Network Ten's second season of Survivor Australia, which returned to promising, albeit modest, ratings last year after a 10-year hiatus. Survivor: The Block will go head-to-head in ratings with Network Ten's second season of Australian Survivor, which had promising, albeit modest ratings, last year Hell's Kitchen: A week later, Channel Seven's Hell's Kitchen Australia takes Gordon Ramsay's (L) TV format and replaces him with fellow foul-mouthed celebrity chef Marco Pierre White (R) Hell's Kitchen Australia - August 6, 7pm, Channel Seven Following a week of reality TV debuts, the Australian celebrity version of Gordon Ramsay's 'yelling-at-talented-yet-easily-startled-chefs' format begins in August 6. What the show loses in short-tempered, foul-mouthed British chef Gordon, it gains in short-tempered, foul-mouthed British chef Marco Pierre White. The difference here is that the chefs are hardly talented, and instead fans will see the likes of The Bachelorette's Sam Frost and One Nation founder David Oldfield put their culinary skills to the test. MasterChef fans were left furious after Diana Chan won the trophy and $250,000 cash prize, beating runner-up Ben Ungermann by just one point. And other eagle-eyed viewers spotted a rather unfortunate editing error during the grand finale on Monday, which declared Ben had actually beaten his rival. Taking to Twitter, one fan shared a screen shot of the scoreboard which mistakenly showed Ben had won, writing: 'Poor editing, who really won?' Scroll down for video 'Poor editing, who really won?' MasterChef fans slammed the show after a scoreboard 'error' during Monday's grand finale declared that Ben (left) had narrowly beaten Diana (right) Another fan also posted an image of the scoreboard, which showed Ben winning with 90 points and Diana on 89, and tweeted: 'Did anyone else spot this?' Meanwhile, one MasterChef viewer suggested the editing mistake was proof the finale was 'totally rigged'. The final - and correct score - saw Diana win, after she scored 90 points while Ben finished on 89. Good spot! Taking to Twitter, one fan shared a screen shot of the scoreboard which mistakenly showed Ben had won by one point, writing: 'Poor editing, who really won?' Gaffe: Another fan also posted an image of the scoreboard, which showed Ben winning with 90 points and Diana on 89, and tweeted: 'Did anyone else spot this?' In a statement, Network Ten told Daily Mail Australia two endings were filmed for the show, adding that the wrong scoreboard was the result of an 'editing error'. 'To protect the winner and the highly anticipated result, two endings of MasterChef Australia are filmed by our production partner,' said the spokesperson. 'An editing error during production meant two versions of the final score went to air last night. The episode is being amended and the correct version will appear on Tenplay and in future on-air broadcasts,' they added. After the finale aired and Diana was declared the winner of the whopping $250,000 prize, many fans claimed the show was 'rigged' and accused the judges of bias. Rightful winner! In a statement, Network Ten told Daily Mail Australia two endings were filmed for the show, adding that the wrong scoreboard was the result of an 'editing error' Upset victory? After the finale aired and Diana was declared the winner of the whopping $250,000 prize, many fans claimed the show was 'rigged' and accused the judges of bias Ben and Diana had competed against each other in three stages - a mystery box challenge, a 'free-for-all', and a third task set by chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs. One fan went as far as to call for judge Matt Preston to leave the show, tweeting: 'Just remove Matt as the judge. Bias to the core.' Another tried to get the hashtag #JusticeForBen trending while referring to British food critic Matt as 'a joke.' They wrote: 'She clearly didn't do better than Ben and that Matt joke gave her a 9?' She is just weeks away from welcoming her fourth son into the world. And Danielle Lloyd proved pregnancy suited her down to the ground as she joined her mum Jackie on Lorraine on Tuesday morning. Wrapping her arm around her mother, the model and reality star, 33, showed off her baby bump in a tangerine lace form-fitting dress. Scroll down for video Bumping along: Danielle Lloyd proved pregnancy suited her down to the ground as she joined her mum Jackie on Lorraine on Tuesday morning Clinging to her pregnancy shape, the mother-of-three's bright outfit made her look looked utterly glowing as she made an early morning TV appearance. The expectant mother also revealed her maternal instincts as she lovingly cradled her tummy. Danielle wore her mid-length tresses in loose corkscrew curls and accentuated her face with heavy make-up. Stunning: The model and reality star, 33, showed off her baby bump in a tangerine lace form-fitting dress as she posed after her television appearance It's all relative! Clinging to her pregnancy shape, the mother-of-three's bright outfit made her look looked utterly glowing Doting! The expectant mother also revealed her maternal instincts as she cradled her tummy Mother like daughter! The pair discussed their close bond during the interview Danielle's mum looked chic in a cream blouse, teamed with skinny-fit grey chinos and jewel-studded flip flops. Jackie wore her blonde locks in a poker straight fashion and completed her look with a light dusting of make-up. The pair discussed their close bond during the interview with show host, Lorraine Kelly. Touching: Danielle revealed she will find giving birth for the fourth time a struggle Hard times: It will be difficult for the pregnant star, as her mum Jackie won't be able to help in the same way she has done in the past Silent illness: Jackie was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia two years ago, which she discussed with show host Lorraine Kelly On arrival at the ITV studios in central London, Danielle let her blossoming bump take centre stage as she styled a designer Givenchy tee. Keeping it casual, the glowing mum-to-be slipped into grey skinny-fit jeans and preen white trainers for added comfort. The TV sensation kept her accessories simple with just a pair of huge sunglasses while she carried her suitcase, purse and iPhone. 'I'm in constant agony': Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition which leaves sufferers in continual pain 'I really rely on her': The pair were brought to tears by the moving interview Reaching out: Danielle lent a helping hand to her mum during the appearance as they comforted each other Cosy: Jackie has moved into Danielle's home to help her in every way she can as she prepares to give birth to her fourth child Danielle tossed her caramel-coloured tresses from her face as she headed into the studios for the interview. The mum-of-three revealed she will find giving birth for the fourth time a struggle as her mum Jackie won't be able to help in the same way she has done in the past. Two years ago Jackie was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia - a long-term condition that has left her in 'constant agony'. Bumping along: Danielle looked utterly relaxed as she made her way into the studio in central London earlier on in the day Centre stage: The expectant mum showed off her blossoming bump in a designer tee Keeping it casual: The glowing mum-to-be slipped into grey skinny-fit jeans and pristine white trainers for added comfort in the latter stages of her pregnancy Classic: The TV sensation kept her accessories simple with just a pair of huge sunglasses Danielle said on the show: 'My youngest son is almost four and it was then she started feeling the way she does. Now Im due to have a baby and she wont be there for me like she usually is. 'I really rely on her. Mum has moved in with me to help with my children. Even playing with children. Little boys dont understand shes going through pain. 'I am due in five to six weeks and mum would usually be there.' Sensational: Danielle wore her caramel-coloured tresses in loosely-tousled corkscrew curls Her mum responded, 'I'll do more in spirit than body. I'm in constant agony. 'The other day I felt these little kisses on my legs from Danielles he said nanny I'm kissing your pain away.' The beauty queen is a just weeks away from giving birth to a son - her first with fiance Michael O'Neill. On the move: The mum-to-be is just weeks away from giving birth to her fourth son History: Danielle shares three children - Archie, seven, Harry, six, and George, three - with her ex husband Jamie O'Hara Former flames: The ex couple were married in a romantic ceremony in May 2012 but they parted ways for good in 2014 Danielle shares three children - Archie, seven, Harry, six, and George, three - with her ex husband Jamie O'Hara. The former flames were married in a romantic ceremony in May 2012, but they parted ways for good in 2014. Now the former glamour model has moved on with Michael, who proposed after just six months of dating in March 2016. Moving on: The former glamour model has moved on with her lover Michael O'Neill who proposed after just six months of dating in March 2016 She announced she's expecting her first baby in April with ex-boyfriend Arthur. And Ferne McCann continued to make the most of her time alone as she shared yet another sizzling Instagram snap from her recent babymoon holiday on Tuesday. The 26-year-old former TOWIE star, who is five months pregnant, showed off her blossoming bump in a bright orange bikini as she seductively glanced into the distance. Scroll down for video Mum to be: Ferne McCann, who is five months pregnant, showed off her blossoming bump in a bright orange bikini as she seductively glanced into the distance in her latest holiday Instagram snap Ferne proved she was enjoying pregnancy in the skimpy bikini top which complemented her bronzed glow for the snap she captioned 'Bronzing my bump.' The black caged detailing added an element of sex appeal to the look and also worked to tame her assets in place. The matching pair of bottoms rested just under her burgeoning bump and also showed off her toned legs as she sexily balanced herself on a chair. Ferne donned a glamorous coat of make-up, including heavy bronzer and smokey eye shadow which complemented her sexy tousled blow dry. A vision in white: The former TOWIE star proved sge is taking to pregnancy swimmingly as she shared a duo of stunning snaps from her recent holiday on Monday, as she looked a vision in a white two-piece with a sheer top and billowing skirt And she continued to prove she is taking to pregnancy swimmingly as she shared a duo of stunning snaps from her getaway, as she looked a vision in a white two-piece with a sheer top, sexy bra and billowing skirt. The reality star looked incredible in the snaps, where she quickly insisted to fans that she was not masking her bump and it was merely the angle of the snap which made her look slender front on. She has been enjoying a relaxing babymoon, during which she has been littering her social media accounts with stunning snaps - with the latest being her bra-clad ensemble which made the most of her eye-popping bust. The sexy look boasted a white bralet worn beneath a sheer crop top that tied at the centre of the cleavage - perfect for displaying her pregnancy curves. She added drama to the look with the billowing sheer skirt while protecting her modesty with the addition of a tight white skirt underneath. Busty babe: The reality star looked incredible in the snaps, where she quickly insisted to fans that she was not masking her bump and it was merely the angle of the snap which made her look slender front on She added a caption on the shot, reading: 'To love & be loved is everything... Loved wearing this show stopping... Polka dot dreams (I'm not trying to disguise my bump, you can't see it as much from the front in a pic)'. Last week, it was revealed Ferne is reportedly in line for a reality show documenting her life as a new mum, with many stations approaching her with pitches. The star is said to be following in best friend Sam Faiers' footsteps in scooping a show about motherhood. Sources tell The Sun the stunner is in line for the show having made a fresh start with her imminent arrival - while her ex awaits trial for his alleged involvement in an acid attack in a London nightclub at Easter. On the way: Last week, it was revealed Ferne is reportedly in line for a reality show documenting her life as a new mum, with many stations approaching her with pitches Ferne, who is six months gone, is undoubtedly delighted at the prospect of the show following the huge success of both The Baby Diaries and The Mummy Diaries which documented Sam's first pregnancy and two series dedicated to life as a mum. Sources told the publication: 'Shes in a good place and has made a fresh start for herself by moving into a new flat and getting her life back on track. 'Several TV companies have been in touch and are keen to document her journey as a new mum. Ferne will return to work once the baby is born and is definitely considering her options.' MailOnline has contacted Ferne's representative for comment. Making a splash: The star is said to be following in best friend Sam Faiers' footsteps in scooping a show about motherhood Ferne recently returned from a sun-soaked getaway to Mallorca, and last week she proved she truly got into the holiday spirit as she danced around in a skimpy white bikini at the edge of an idyllic infinity pool. Playfully captioning the Instagram video 'clearly loving life here', the star blew kisses to the camera and pranced about in her sizzling swimwear. Ferne looked every inch the beach babe in the two-piece. Injecting a dose of colour to her beach attire, the Celebs Go Dating star wrapped a tie-dye coral sarong around her waist and wore a matching headband. Showcasing the striking scenery - which boasted an azure-blue sea and minimalist pool - the brunette beauty walked to the edge of the water and threw some shapes. Looking good: Playfully captioning the Instagram video 'clearly loving life here' she blew kisses to the camera and pranced about in her sizzling swimwear Clearly relishing the thought of motherhood, Ferne has been showing off her blossoming baby bump in a series of holiday snaps from Mallorca. Posing in a red printed bikini, she wrote: 'Missing Majorca. Take me back to living in my bikini for a week however I'm back & feeling revived. This holiday was the perfect time to bond with my bump & relax', she captioned the snap. She added: 'My bump is coming along nicely...baby is fluttering away, these moments make me so haps'. Beach babe: Injecting a dose of colour to her beach attire, the Celebs Go Dating star wrapped a tie-dye coral sarong around her waist and wore a matching headband What a sea-ne: The brunette beauty walked to the edge of the water and threw some shapes Her announcement had been bittersweet, however, as Ferne confirmed her pregnancy under stressful circumstances, as Arthur found himself wanted by police in connection with the acid attack that had occurred in London nightspot Mangle earlier the same month. Arthur was arrested and charged with 14 counts of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and one count of throwing corrosive fluid on a person with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Just days before, while revealing she was 'initially shocked' by her pregnancy, Ferne admitted she was 'devastated' by the events that had unfolded with her former flame but has vowed to do the best for her baby. Speaking to OK! magazine, she divulged: 'Initially I was devastated. What I had planned and was getting excited about had disappeared in a matter of moments. 'It was so hard to deal with what happened, but then I realised it was not about me but about my child. Ill do my best for my baby. Admitting it had been a harrowing time for her, Ferne explained that her hormones had added to her emotional state, as she said: 'There are times I feel emotional. 'Not in a negative way, like I'm feeling really sad, but my hormones are all over the place. But I never feel lonely as I have my baby. 'I thoroughly intend to bring up my baby as a single mum like many other women have done in the past. And I will do my best for this baby as a single mum.' She landed a surprising new role on Home And Away after her 2Day FM breakfast radio show was axed due to low ratings. And her acting career isn't the only thing making Sam Frost smile, as her romance with Dave Bashford also appears to be getting serious. The couple were seen kissing on a date night in Sydney's Bondi recently, as Dave rhythmically tapped her derriere like a drum. Look away now, Sasha! Sam Frost (right) passionately kissed her new boyfriend Dave Bashford (left) as the handsome military man spanked her derriere during date night in Bondi this month Sam, who split from ex-boyfriend Sasha Mielczarek in December, was joined by Dave on a boozy night out with her pals at Hotel Ravesis. The group headed down to Bondi Beach, with Dave and Sam joining the queue for the Ferris Wheel. As the couple waited for their ride, they couldn't take their hands off each other. Sam was spotted affectionately placing her hands on Dave's cheeks before leaning in for a passionate kiss. Date night! Sam has plenty of reasons to smile as her romance with Dave continues to blossom Loved up: As the couple waited for their ride on the Ferris Wheel, they couldn't take their hands off each other Happiness: The couple appeared oblivious to the many onlookers as they kissed, with Sam smiling fondly as she gazed at her new boyfriend The couple appeared oblivious to the many onlookers as they kissed, with the former Bachelorette smiling fondly as she gazed at her beau. The serial reality TV star was dressed casually for the night out, wearing a pink bomber jacket and cropped skinny jeans. Dave also wrapped up against the chilly winter weather, wearing a camouflage print jacket and dark trousers. Fun times: Sam, who split from ex-boyfriend Sasha Mielczarek in December, was joined by Dave on a boozy night out with her pals at Hotel Ravesis What a ride! After waiting in line, the group went for a spin in a Ferris Wheel Tapping away! With their arms around each other, the couple stopped to embrace in the street Spank! Dave got a little hands-on as the couple appeared to bid each other farewell, as he rhythmically tapped Sam's posterior After enjoying a spin on the Ferris Wheel, Dave and Sam separated from their group of friends and walked along the street together. With their arms wrapped around each other, the pair momentarily stopped to embrace as Sam buried her face into Dave's neck. Dave got a little hands-on as the couple appeared to bid each other farewell, as he rhythmically tapped Sam's posterior. Casual chic: The former Bachelorette was dressed casually for the night out, wearing a pink bomber jacket and skinny jeans New love: Sam split from boyfriend-of-18-months Sasha Mielczarek last December Brr! Dave also wrapped up against the chilly winter weather, wearing a camouflage print jacket Sam split from her boyfriend-of-18-months Sasha Mielczarek last December after they fell in love on The Bachelorette in 2015. A month later, Sam was spotted cuddling up to her longtime friend Dave on Australia Day, but denied they were romantically involved at the time. This month, Sam confirmed she was dating Dave, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'I feel really blessed to have a friendship that has turned into something more.' Friends to lovers! Sam was spotted cuddling up to longtime friend Dave on Australia Day, but denied they were romantically involved at the time 'I feel really blessed to have a friendship that has turned into something more': Earlier this month, Sam finally confirmed she was dating Dave They've been publicly parading their blossoming relationship in the spotlight, despite his eight year marriage to estranged wife Melissa Meeks ending just weeks ago. And Jeremy Meeks and Chloe Green continued to enjoy their time in the spotlight as they met friends for lunch at upmarket Italian eatery Fred Segal in West Hollywood on Monday. The American felon turned model, 33, and the 26-year-old Topshop heiress put on a united front in matching white ensembles. Scroll down for video Cat that got the cream? Jeremy Meeks and Chloe Green continued to enjoy the spotlight as they met friends for lunch in West Hollywood on Monday Dressed in a floor-skimming patterned maxi dress, Chloe, who recently returned to Instagram after being trolled off the social media, appeared proud as punch. Teaming the frock with flat sandals and a white denim jacket, she appeared sartorially in sync with Jeremy as she held onto his hand following the date. Jeremy, dressed in a ripped white t-shirt and distressed denim put on a more serious display as he walked ahead of his new flame. Holding on: The American felon turned model, 33, and the 26-year-old Topshop heiress put on united front in matching white ensembles The duo have made no attempt at keeping their new-found love low-key, with Jeremy posing at Topshop's LA shop window at The Grove on Friday. The father-of one's blatant display with the heiress daughter of retail billionaire Sir Philip Green, came as his heartbroken estranged wife Melissa, mother to his seven-year-old son, removed reference to him on her social media bio. Just weeks after separating from stunning mother-of-three Melissa, who stayed with him during his prison stint, Jeremy and Chloe put on another public display as they promoted the retail giant. Their display came just days after estranged wife Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio. Previously describing herself as 'Wife to Jeremy Meeks' along with a ring emoji, the pretty nurse removed reference to him, keeping the remainder of the bio as 'Blessed beyond belief.. Dedicated to everything I do... Me and my Fam'. Following revelation of Jeremy's romance with Chloe last month, they were first pictured publicly reuniting at the rooftop pool of a luxury LA hotel last week- the same day of Melissa's birthday. No longer 'Wife of Jerem Meeks': Their display came just days after estranged wife Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio And they have since made no secret of their union, making numerous public appearances. During a coffee run on Thursday, the duo were filmed by Back Grid enjoying a stroll, and were asked: 'You guys so much in love?' to which Jeremy replied: 'Yes, we are.' Jeremy sent shock waves across the internet when pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey last month. Last week Jeremy filed for legal separation from mother-of-three Melissa, who he shares her youngest son with. Life of luxury: Meeks continued to send tongues wagging after pictures emerged of him kissing British Topshop heiress Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey last month He was married to the 38-year-old nurse, who stayed with him throughout his stint in prison, for eight years. She later told the Mail of her devastation, admitting that her husband had been seduced by the glamour of his newfound modelling career. I know it takes two to tango but she knew he was married. To me, thats unforgivable. My whole world has been torn apart by this. What do I tell our children? My heart is broken. What sort of woman would do something like this to another woman? My marriage wasnt perfect but I thought it could be saved, until this happened. Of course Im angry at her. What she did is unforgivable. And Im angry at him too. What they did destroyed my entire world. Did either of them think about the children and how this will affect them? Theyre the innocent victims in this. And so am I. First contact after the snaps: Melissa is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure Melissa is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure. Meeks and Chloe, who is heir to her father Sir Philip's billions, were pictured sharing an intimate kiss last month and snuggling up together as they waited to be taken back to their 112,000-a-week yacht in Bodrum. At the time he was still with his wife of eight years, who was seemingly unaware of his new romance until pictures surfaced. Holding him hostage? Chloe took to Instagram at the beginning of the month, sharing a a photo with Meeks and his manager, before deleting her account due to the backlash And fans quickly turned on the duo, accusing Chloe of breaking up a marriage. Chloe was soon forced to delete her Instagram, after followers trolled a gloating post she shared as she snuggled up to married Jeremy. However she has since returned to the social media site, changing her settings to private. Meeks too has edited his account, deleting all photographs of him and Melissa, which has not gone down with the fans who fell in love with his good looks after his California mugshot went viral in 2014. Rubbing shoulders with the A listers: He as spotted enjoying dinner with rapper Nicki Minaj Meeks, whose looks have earned him a huge fan base, made his first official modelling appearance at New York fashion week this year, and has certainly turned his life around in an impressive way since his release from prison. However his journey to stardom hasn't been all smooth-sailing, after he was recently barred from entry to the UK after arriving at London's Heathrow airport from New York. The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice. The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'. She's landed her debut movie role and a modelling contract with top agency IMG. And Paris Jackson took a well deserved break from the spotlight as she headed out with a pal in Woodland Hills, California, on Monday. Smoking a cigarette as she strolled along, the emerging star, 19 - the daughter of late music legend Michael Jackson - showcased her long legs in a pair of tiny pink shorts. Scroll down for video Keeping it casual: Paris Jackson took a well deserved break from the spotlight as she headed out with a pal in Woodland Hills, California, on Monday The model looked positively glowing as she ditched red carpet glamour in favour of a low-key, make-up free look. Paris completed her casual ensemble with a 'Woodland' logo tee shirt, which teased a glimpse of her heavily tattooed arms. The Rolling Stones cover girl has more than 50 inkings, nine of which are dedicated to her late dad. Showing off her natural beauty, the teenager styled her golden locks in her choppy layered style. Striking: Smoking a cigarette as she strolled along, the emerging star, 19 - the daughter of late music legend Michael Jackson - showcased her long legs in a pair of tiny pink shorts The rising starlet wore a few bangles and accessorised with a vibrant rucksack, which was brimming with her everyday essentials. Paris has been carving a career as an actress and took on her first acting role in FOX series Star in March. In May, it emerged Paris landed her debut movie role in an 'dark comedy' Gringo, where she will slip into the shoes of 'edgy' 20-year-old Nelly. Nash Edgerton's feature directorial debut will stream March 9 on Amazon, according to Deadline.com. Off-duty beauty: The model looked positively glowing as she ditched red carpet glamour (R) in favour of a low-key, make-up free look Paris has also been busy making her mark in the modelling industry as she secured her first major seven-figure fashion campaign for Calvin Klein in May. The beauty managed to score two nominations, including Choice Female Hottie, at the fan-voted Teen Choice Awards which will air live August 13 on FOX. Paris will compete for the Choice Model trophy against Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Ashley Graham and Hailey Baldwin. The Beverly Hills native has been flying solo since her split from her boyfriend Michael Snoddy in February. Shining bright: Paris (pictured in Los Angeles in May 2017) has been carving a career as an actress after she bagged on her first role in the FOX series Star in March The model appeared to put the heartache behind her as she has thrown herself into a series of festivals and days out in recent months. But insiders dropped a hint to People that the break-up might not be for good. At the time, a source told the publication: 'It appears that Paris and Michael have parted ways for now but their future is uncertain. 'She is doing well, enjoying being on set with Lee Daniels and focusing her energy on the opportunities ahead.' The former flames were just shy of spending a year together as an item when they broke up. He's known for pushing boundaries in the fashion world. And on Tuesday, Australian model Jordan Barrett may have risked being banned from Instagram after posting a very explicit photo. The 20-year-old shared a image of a couple having sex at the beach to the social media page of his eyewear label, Heavily Sedated. Shortly after uploading the graphic picture, a fan commented below: 'Y'all pushin Instagram's limits lol (sic)'. Scroll down for video Did he go too far? On Tuesday, Australian model Jordan Barrett (pictured) may have risked being banned from Instagram after posting a very explicit photo of a couple having sex Meanwhile, Jordan's post was bizarrely captioned: '#TakeNote.' The page for Jordan's brand regularly features rude photographs. The model runs the label with New York artist Alana O'Herlihy. It is highly likely the photo breaches Instagram's strict policies on nudity. 'Y'all pushin Instagram's limits lol': The 20-year-old shared a image of a couple having sex at the beach to the social media page of his eyewear label, Heavily Sedated One guideline states that nudity is not allowed on the social media platform. 'We know that there are times when people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature, but for a variety of reasons, we dont allow nudity on Instagram,' the website states. 'This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks.' Too far? The image likely breaches Instagram's strict policies on nudity and sexual content 'It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding are allowed.' Jordan - who has modelled for the likes of Balmain and Versace - has just touched down in Australia after jetting in from New York City. Taking to his own Instagram profile, Jordan revealed his friend and Australia's Next Top Model judge Cheyenne Tozzi had picked him up from the airport. 'NY, NY I need to leave - home is waiting': Jordan - who has modelled for the likes of Balmain and Versace - has just touched down in Australia after jetting in from New York City In an Instagram Story video, Cheyenne is shown driving a car while Jordan sits in the passenger seat and they listen to music together. Before his flight on Monday, he announced his return Down Under, captioning a picture: 'NY, NY I need to leave - home is waiting.' Jordan, who is known for his 'party boy' lifestyle, hails from Byron Bay and was scouted by IMG Australia when he was just 14. The special commissioner overseeing the proceedings to remove the McKenzie County Sheriff from office is recommending the governor dismiss the case. In court documents, former U.S. Magistrate Karen Klein said she did not find sufficient cause for removal based on any of the allegations against Sheriff Gary Schwartzenberger. Mike Nowatzki, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Burgum, said there is no timeline or set date for when the governor will make a final decision on the matter but he said the governor knows the importance of coming to a quick resolution. The sheriff was accused of misconduct, malfeasance, crime in office and gross incompetence, with the special prosecutor citing six instances of when this conduct allegedly occurred. Schwartzenberger is still facing criminal charges for unauthorized use of a county credit card, which, if he were convicted, would bring back the removal proceedings. But without a jury verdict to date, Klein weighed the matter in her decision. In her opinion, Klein said she did not think the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt would be met because she found there was no evidence presented of willfulness when Schwartzenberger broke county credit card use policy. According to testimony, it was unknown whether Schwartzenberger had been previously made aware of policy when he charged personal expenses related to a trip to the Western States Sheriffs Association Annual Conference. Without that policy awareness and because the sheriff paid the county back for those charges, Klein did not think willfulness could be proven. In the other instances citing intimidation of county officials and employees, fear of retaliation and creation of a hostile work environment, Klein relied on definitions used by the special commissioner in a former removal case against Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy, which involved similar allegations. Klein wrote that she did not think the instances raised met those definitions and that she felt only the most egregious management practices, exposing the county to liability, would support removal. For example, she wrote allegations that Schwartzenberger directed sheriff's department employees not to sign a commission-sanctioned county employee handbook, while perhaps heavy handed, seemed to result more from a power struggle between the county commission and the sheriff, who wanted autonomy in his department. Klein found claims of intimidation, involving Schwartzenberger's criticism of a sheriff's department employee when she was moving to a position within a different county department, were inadequate because employers are entitled to share opinions formed about an employee's work ethic with future employers. Complaints by the employee made to HR were independently investigated but no lawsuit was filed. And in allegations that Schwartzenberger disciplined female employees more harshly than males, Klein wrote there were no instances of discipline or removal that involved different consequences for similar conduct, which barred the county from any legal liability for gender discrimination. Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies thrilled audiences as they won Love Island on Monday night. And Cara De La Hoyde appeared on Tuesday's episode of Lorraine to talk about the new winners, as well as her former flame Nathan Massey, who she won the ITV2 show with last year. The circus performer, 26, who is currently expecting her first child with her ex, admitted that she still has 'feelings' for him but parted ways for their baby's best interests, while going on to give the new winners some sound advice. Scroll down for video Handing over the crown: Cara De La Hoyde appeared on Tuesday's episode of Lorraine to talk about the new Love Island winners, as well as her former flame Nathan Massey Cara soared to fame on last year's show after meeting Nathan on the first day and becoming beloved for their cheeky banter - resulting in them winning the much-loved series. They were firm fan favourites during their stint on the show. But while other couples, like best friend Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen, went from strength to strength, for Cara the wheels soon came off and the couple decided to split. And in light of the new winners, Cara reflected on her romance with Nathan - revealing they were still close and that they 'rushed their relationship.' 'Me and Nathan are still pals. Hes always checking up on me and we talk every day because I am 5 months pregnant now.' Famous: Cara soared to fame on last year's show after meeting Nathan on the first day and becoming beloved for their cheeky banter - resulting in them winning the much-loved series Previous winner: They were firm fan favourites during their stint on the show. But while other couples, like best friend Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen, went from strength to strength, for Cara the wheels soon came off and the couple decided to split 'We both have feelings for each other': In light of the new winners, Cara reflected on her romance with Nathan - revealing they were still close and that they 'rushed their relationship' Continuing to speak highly of her ex boyfriend, she admitted: 'Hell have a lot to do with the baby. We both still have feelings for each other but right now we are in the best position for our baby. 'Were having space rather that those couples that are always arguing. We dont want our baby to read all of that in the future.' She said of this year's Love Island winners: 'I had a feeling they were going to win, I love Kem but Im not a fan of Amber, she seems a bit fake. 'From what Ive seen of her, I dont like her. I just feel like she made so many mistakes in the beginning and I cant forgive it.' And Cara also drew on her failed romantic relationship with Nathan to give Kem and Amber some advice for life outside the villa. Continuing to speak highly of her ex boyfriend, she admitted: 'Hell have a lot to do with the baby. We both still have feelings for each other but right now we are in the best position for our baby Cara explained her decision to split with Nathan further: 'Were having space rather that those couples that are always arguing. We dont want our baby to read all of that in the future' What happened? Host Lorraine Kelly was keen on getting to the bottom of their relationship's demise 'Enjoy it because the year goes by quickly and next May there will be another Love Island, another Kem and Amber. Dont let anyone tell them what to do as a couple. Its very pressurised. 'If Nathan and me took our time we would have still been together. Youre in that house all the time and you dont see the build-up but then when you come out everyone knows you. Its overwhelming. And while admitting that Monday night's finale was 'emotional' to watch, Cara insisted that the main reason she went on the show last year was because she 'didnt want to pay rent for 6 weeks.' Cara then elaborated: 'I thought Im not your stereotypical blonde hair and blue eyed girl, I thought no one would go for me! Then Nathan came in and I thought he was the one! Bundle of joy: Cara is 5 months pregnant with Nathan's child 'Dont let anyone tell them what to do as a couple': Cara also drew on her failed romantic relationship with Nathan to give Kem and Amber some advice for life outside the villa Cara continued to offer sound advice: 'Enjoy it because the year goes by quickly and next May there will be another Love Island, another Kem and Amber' When asked by Lorraine about her future plans, the brunette seemed chilled as she admitted: 'Im excited to be a mum. Im also in the process of wiring a book and keeping myself busy. I 'I'm in a fortunate position to enjoy being pregnant as I'm not in a 9 to 5 job. In a recent interview with MailOnline, Cara revealed that she's refusing to rule out a reunion with Nathan, insisting that anything is possible Cara, who won the show last year with Nathan, said: 'Love Island was amazing, I met someone I'm really glad I met. Things aren't the way I planned but I'm really glad we're having this baby together.' Being honest: While admitting that Monday night's finale was 'emotional' to watch, Cara insisted that the main reason she went on the show last year was because she 'didnt want to pay rent for 6 weeks' Maternity chic: Cara couldn't resist showing off her baby bump in a skin-tight white vest, which she paired with a cropped floral red top and matching trousers Stunner: The reality star relied on her natural features as she donned a simple slick of dewy make-up Mane attraction: Cara completed the look with a sleek high ponytail Cara admits that her busy life after winning the show and becoming famous took its toll on her relationship with Nathan. Despite this she refused to rule out a reunion sometime down the road. 'That's not to say in time something couldn't happen ever,' she continued. 'With us if we were ever to get back together it would happen naturally - it would be over time and with the baby coming it's perfect as it is.' After a whopping 43 episodes and seven weeks in the villa, Essex barber Kem and Welsh dancer Amber were crowned the winners of Love Island - and the 50,000 jackpot - on Monday night. Champs: After a whopping 43 episodes and seven weeks in the villa, Essex barber Kem and Welsh dancer Amber were crowned the winners of Love Island - and the 50,000 jackpot - on Monday night She has stormed the carpet alone at the European premiere for her new film, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets, earlier that evening. But Cara Delevingne enjoyed the support of her family later on Monday night, as she relaxed at the glamorous after party with her older sister Chloe. The 24-year-old happily posed with her rarely-seen sibling, 32, at the bash, held at 100 Wardour St in London after a busy night promoting her new acting role - just days after blasting the fashion industry and her time as a model. Scroll down for video Good genes: Cara Delevingne enjoyed the support of her family on Monday, as she relaxed at the Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets premiere after party with her sister Chloe (R) The beauty had dazzled on the carpet in Leicester Square earlier that evening - commanding attention by going braless underneath her suit jacket, and layering an exquisite diamond necklace on top. However ready to let her hair down after the screening, Cara opted for a more demure but equally stylish ensemble as she cuddled up to her big sister at the after-party. The British beauty teamed a glittering black blazer with grungy leather trousers, embellished with glittering gold sequins on one side. We are family: Ready to let her hair down after the screening, Cara opted for a more demure but equally stylish ensemble as she cuddled up to her big sister at the after-party (above) Punk chic: The British beauty teamed a glittering black blazer with grungy leather trousers, embellished with glittering gold sequins on one side Maintaining the androgynous feel from head to toe, Cara then tied her look together with chunky studded brogues and a silk headband atop her newly-cropped 'do. Meanwhile her equally stunning sister, 32, matched the model's chic appearance in a Victoriana black dress - formed of delicate crochet and lace. The sophisticated frock remained demure with long sleeves and a calf-length hem, but was jazzed up by soft frills across her chest and on the cuffs. Stunning: Maintaining the androgynous feel from head to toe, Cara then tied her look together with chunky studded brogues and a silk headband atop her newly-cropped 'do Model material: Meanwhile her sister, 32, matched the model's chic appearance in a Victoriana black dress as she posed with Edward Grant, Rufus Tiger Taylor, Cara and Jessica Clarke (L-R) Natural beauty: Accessorising with red velvet heels and leaving her face mostly bare, Chloe proved her effortless beauty and sense of style as she partied the night away with her sister Accessorising with red velvet heels and leaving her face mostly bare, Chloe proved her effortless beauty and sense of style as she partied the night away with her sister. The duo and their other sister Poppy are often seen supporting each other at their various solo projects - with Chloe recently gushing about how well they get on as siblings. Speaking to Porter magazine earlier this year, she explained of her bond with Cara: 'We are very lucky, the chemistry between us is kind of perfect. [sisters] Close bond: Speaking to Porter magazine earlier this year, Chloe had gushed of her bond with Cara, explaining: 'We are very lucky, the chemistry between us is kind of perfect' 'Cara is such a doer, she is so ambitious. She has always known what she wants and she's a hustler.' Therefore it is no wonder she was keen to support the Burberry beauty as she promotes her new dystopian flick Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - in which she stars as Sergeant Laureline. Having turned her attention to acting over the last year however, the new role comes just days after Cara had seemingly blasted her career as a model, which first shot her to fame. Leading lady: Cara had already dazzled in a plunging suit jacket and diamond necklace as she promoted her new film Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets that evening (above) Speaking to the Radio Times, the Hammersmith native admitted she did not like 'what she stood for' as a model, and that she will only return to the fashion industry if it enables her to be creative. She reflected: 'I didn't like myself as a model. I didn't like what I stood for. I didn't like what it was turning me into. Not that I was focused about how I looked all the time, but it is kind of about that.' Despite her highly praised runway role, Cara went on to admit she is not naturally a clothes horse, stating: 'That is not me at all you speak to all my oldest best friends and they know Im not a model.' However after trying her hand at acting, the star said she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and that a return to modelling would be on her terms. Moving on: Having turned her attention to acting over the last year, the new role comes just days after Cara had seemingly blasted her career as a model, which first shot her to fame In the past: Speaking to the Radio Times, Cara admitted she did not like 'what she stood for' as a model, and that she will only return to the fashion industry if it enables her to be creative The defiant star said: 'Im not out of it. I will definitely still do it. (But) Now when I model, I get to style my own shoots and decide who I work with. Its become a creative outlet, instead of me being used as a pawn.' In an interview in 2015, the Suicide Squad star had further confessed she did not care about fashion. When pressed about her presence in the industry in light of this comment, she had insisted: 'Doesnt mean I care about it. I care enough. 'I know a lot of people who arent in the fashion industry who care about fashion a lot more than I do. I like clothes, just not all the time. I prefer to be naked, what can I say?' Starring role: Cara (pictured in Valerian) confessed modelling had never been her true calling, stating: 'You speak to all my oldest best friends and they know Im not a model' Elsewhere: Meanwhile Poppy was in New York hosting a bash at Harbor East, in East Hampton, New York (above) Low-key: The 31-year-old was casually cool in thigh-skimming denim shorts and a simple navy T-shirt as she joined owner Jamo Willis at the party Chic: Injecting a sporty vibe to the look with white plimsoll trainers, the blonde then accessorised with a silk floral scarf in a glamorous finishing touch All eyes on her: Leaving her hair in loose waves and sporting minimal, dewy make-up, Poppy proved her natural beauty as she beamed for cameras While Cara and Chloe were partying the night away in London, their third sibling Poppy was in New York hosting a bash at Harbor East, in East Hampton. The 31-year-old was casually cool in thigh-skimming denim shorts and a simple navy T-shirt as she joined owner Jamo Willis at the party. Injecting a sporty vibe to the look with white plimsoll trainers, the blonde then accessorised with a silk floral scarf and sleek leather shoulder bag, in more glamorous finishing touches. Leaving her hair in loose waves and sporting minimal, dewy make-up, Poppy proved her natural beauty as she beamed for cameras, before cosying up to her fellow guests. Let's dance! Poppy appeared to be having a ball as she cosied up to Harbor East owner Jamo Willis (above) Say cheese! Proving their close relationship, the pair happily chatted and posed for cameras The Bachelor has come under fire for lacking diversity. Social media raged that the 22 women who are vying for Matty J's heart did not reflect Australia's multicultural society. And now, SBS host Marc Fennell has responded to the controversy and called for advertisers to boycott the dating show. 'People of colour spend money, you know': SBS host Marc Fennell (pictured) has expressed concern for the lack of diversity on The Bachelor In an interview with AdNews this week, Marc said it made commercial sense for TV programs to properly reflect society. 'If you have a show that makes you feel like you don't fall under a category of beauty, why would you be interested in the products that advertise around them?' he asked. Marc added that if he were an advertiser he would be 'really concerned' and 'alarmed' if a show was excluding people on purpose. 'We know that what Australia looks like (is) changing and it seems very, very backwards to not represent this in 2017,' he said. Marc, who is creative director at Media Diversity Australia, believes an all-white cast on a popular TV show such as The Bachelor is alienating. 'It seems very, very backwards to not represent this in 2017': In an interview with AdNews this week, Marc said it made commercial sense for TV programs to properly reflect society 'It's like the media industry is saying this is the image of beauty in Australia and it has a very specific shade,' he explained. Marc believes the solution has to come from more mindful reality TV casting. 'Somebody has to decide it's important to make your casting call for a show look like the country it represents,' he added. Twitter backlash: Social media raged that the 22 women who are vying for Matty J's heart did not reflect Australia's multicultural society Network Ten has been criticised before for a lack of diversity in its programming. The Bachelor has come under fire in previous years, as did the first season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment. They are the Australian siblings taking Hollywood by storm. And genetically-blessed Hemsworth brothers Chris, 33, and Luke, 36, stepped out in Malibu for a night on the town this Sunday. They appeared to be in positive spirits as they visited celebrity hotspot Nobu with a group of friends. Two peas in a pod! Hemsworth brothers Chris (left) and Luke (right) stepped out in Malibu for a night on the town this Sunday Chris flaunted his muscular physique in a white T-shirt, black jeans and a pair of dark sunglasses that rested on his neckline. The laid-back Byron Bay resident completed his look with a black cap and a pair of matching plastic flip-flops. Meanwhile, Chris' Malibu-based brother Liam wore a casual cotton shirt, blue jeans and a brown hat. Hitting the town! The Hollywood actors appeared to be in positive spirits as they visited celebrity hotspot Nobu with a group of friends Chris has been enjoying an American getaway for the past few months as he promotes his new superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok. On Saturday, the handsome father-of-three travelled to San Diego's Comic Con via a private jet to promote the upcoming Marvel film. Meanwhile, Chris' wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, has been kicking back at the annual Byron Bay festival, Splendour In The Grass. Gossip: The pair's relationship has been making headlines recently thanks to Chris' friendship with Hollywood starlet Charlize Theron (right) The pair's relationship made headlines recently thanks to Chris' close friendship with Hollywood starlet Charlize Theron. Earlier this month, Chris made it clear he was a fan of Charlize, telling W magazine his Snow White And The Huntsman co-star is 'smart as hell'. He further praised the 41-year-old actress, even nominating her for the role of a female Bond in the next 007 blockbuster. Tough times? NW magazine reported Chris' gushing comments about the actress may have caused tension between him and his wife Elsa Pataky (right) Days later, NW magazine reported that Chris's gushing comments about Charlize may have caused 'tension' between him and his wife. 'Elsa knows that he'll never cheat, but a part of her does find it upsetting for Chris to be talking about Charlize so publicly when they're not even promoting a film together,' an insider allegedly told the publication. 'It's more than a little disrespectful,' they added. Advertisement She walked away with the 50K prize money after being crowned winner of Love Island alongside beau Kem Cetinay on Monday night's finale of Love Island. And while the runner-ups packed on the PDA at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain, solo Amber Davies carted along her suitcase as her boyfriend Kem Cetinay continued his 'bromance' with Chris Hughes. Detailing scenes which were witnessed at the airport as the contestants prepared to head home to the UK on Tuesday, a source told MailOnline: 'Kem and Amber were the only ones who werent lovey dovey at the airport. The rest couldnt keep their hands off each other. Scroll down for video Cutting celebrations short? Love Island winner Amber Davies cut a solo figure before putting on a lacklustre display with beau Kem Cetinay as she carted along her suitcase at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain on Tuesday - the day after scooping the prize money A source told MailOnline: 'Kem and Amber were the only ones who werent lovey dovey at the airport. The rest couldnt keep their hands off each other'. Kem was more concerned in furthering his 'bromance' with Chris Hughes While their fellow contestants seemed fixated on each other as they began their life outside the villa, the winners put on a more relaxed display as they prepared to jet home. Still keen on flashing flesh after spending the last seven weeks in a series of skimpy bikinis, Amber put on a leggy display in a figure-hugging mini-dress which complemented her bronzed glow. Elsewhere, Kem, who donned a white top and maroon shorts, embarked on his well-detailed bromance with best friend Chris - but it wasn't long before Chris diverted all focus on his stunning girlfriend Olivia Attwood. While Olivia has had quite the tumultuous relationship with Chris during the show, she looked positively smitten as she leaned into Chris for a passionate kiss. No more Kem-istry? Amber sported a completely different demeanour to the dazzling night before as she sucked her thumb, while Gabby and Marcel got cosy beside her PDA central: It wasn't long before Chris diverted all of his focus on stunning girlfriend Olivia Attwood (R), while runners-up Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt (R) also couldn't keep their hands off each other Romance: While Olivia has had quite the tumultuous relationship with Chris during the show, she looked positively smitten as she kept close to the hunk at the airport Loved-up: Chris tenderly warmed the object of his affection with hugs and kisses Jealous? Meanwhile, Amber, who was still without Kem, looked slightly confused as she looked around at other couples packing on the PDA Sexy star: Still keen on flashing flesh after spending the last seven weeks in a series of skimpy bikinis, Amber put on a leggy display in a figure-hugging mini-dress which complemented her bronzed glow The blonde bombshell was casually dressed in a tight black vest top and skinny jeans, with a white hoodie tied around her waist. The hunk looked like the cat that's got the cream as he cradled Olivia's head towards him and lovingly looked into her eyes. The pair, who proved they were very much together after a questionable run on the show, ensured that they stayed close to each other. Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt, who came in second place, proved it was the beginning of their relationship as they put on a loved-up display at the airport where they exchanged numbers and hugged. Maybe you should be doing that with Amber? Kem who kept himself balanced on a suitcase trolley, appeared to exchange numbers with his new pal Chris Couple of hotties! Camilla and Jamie, who came in second place, proved it was the beginning of their relationship as they put on a loved-up display at the airport where they exchanged numbers and hugged Ready to rumble! Probably one of the keenest people to put on a passionate display was Marcel Somerville who showered his other half Gabby Allen in kisses About to get raunchy! The pair were the only remaining couple who had yet to have sex in the villa and the finale episode saw the blonde beauty teasing him about doing the deed as soon as they left the show Bottoms up! Gabby showed off her peachy posterior in a pair of tiny denim cut offs and yellow bardot top as she sorted through the contents of her suitcase Proving he was every inch the Calvin Klein model, Jamie exhibited his bulging biceps as he kept busy on his phone - after being without during his seven weeks on the show. Probably one of the keenest people to put on a passionate display was Marcel Somerville who showered his other half Gabby Allen in kisses. The pair were the only remaining couple who had yet to have sex in the villa and the finale episode saw the blonde beauty teasing him about doing the deed as soon as they left the show. This comes after they beat Camilla and Jamie to the 50,000 prize money on Monday night's final of the ITV2 show. Say cheese! Amber and Kem managed to crack a smile as they were rounded up for a social media snap on board their flight with Olivia Attwood and Chloe Crowhurst Casual: Olivia was casually dressed in a tight black vets top and skinny jeans, with a white hoodie tied around her waist Together forever? The pair, who proved they were very much together after a questionable run on the show, ensured that they stayed close to each other as they walked through the terminal Winners! Kem and Amber lacklustre display comes after they won Love Island 2017 after beating Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt to the 50,000 prize money on Monday night's final of the ITV2 show Stunned: The stunner was in total disbelief as the news was announced - with Amber in visible shock In she comes: When the couple entered the villa, they were one of the early couples to find love yet their relationship was tumultuous The 21-year-old hairdresser and the Welsh dancer, 20, were tipped as winners with odds coming in high ahead of the show - despite Amber previously being voted least popular housemate. Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen were the first couple to be evicted followed shortly by Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood in third place. After first hitting screens on 5 June, this year's show has been a widespread hit with record viewing figures far surpassing the previous two seasons, which were won by Jess Hayes and Max Morely and Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey respectively, and leading to the programme being recommissioned for 2018. Kem and Amber spoke to the show's host Caroline Flack, before the big reveal with Amber saying of their union: 'When you get to know someone it's so different. Type is nothing now. Paper means nothing.' The Essex boy went on: 'We were rocky at that point and we weren't really together. I was pushing everything away', before Amber said: 'I was so happy to see him.' Happy ladies! Camilla and Gabby embraced their summer style as they prepared to head home to continue their new-found romance Smitten: Marcel was in hot pursuit of his lady after she teased him about their sex life outside the villa Looking good! Camilla, who strutted along in wedge heels, swapped her bikinis for a loose fitting pink shirt and skinny ankle-grazing jeans Back to rainy Britain! The contestants looked in great spirits as they engaged in conversation before boarding their flight Despite the show being met with widespread shock and being deemed tawdry and crass, Kem proved it was a gallant note to end on as he said of his new girlfriend: 'I've found my future wife.' Also speaking of his adoring friendship with Chris, which left viewers calling for the pals to walk away with the prize, Kem said: 'Chris doesn't hold back like me. We're the same person. We clicked and it got better every day'. Just winning the public vote wasnt all Kem and Amber had to do, as after being told they had won, they were faced with one more task. Caroline had them each pick an envelope, one which contained the 50,000 prize fund, and one which contained nothing. Whoever picked the envelope with the whopping sum inside was able to do what they wanted with the money, and could either keep it for themselves or share it with their partner. Kem opened his envelope and was left with the decision to take the full 50,000 home. The twist was in his hands and he said: 'Of course I'm gonna share it'. Kem and Amber's time in the house was admittedly tumultuous, as they split up on various occasions due to Kem's trust issues which he told Caroline was causing the couple to 'push each other away'. Hot and heavy: Kem and Amber's time in the house was admittedly tumultuous, as they split up on various occasions due to Kem's trust issues which he told Caroline was causing the couple to 'push each other away' - but came out on top In second: Camilla and Jamie came in second to the favourite couple despite insisting they would 'love' to win Gone! Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen were the first couple to be evicted from Love Island's live final on Monday night followed shortly by Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood in third place While their rows were prolific, they also became well known for their raunchy behaviour after former castmate Sam Gowland revealed they had sex all over the house, in scenes producers deemed too raunchy to air after they became the second couple to romp just two weeks into the show. The oil rig worker told The Sun: 'Kem and Amber have definitely had the most sex out of everyone. Theyve done it everywhere. It is like being on a lads holiday and your mates are bringing girls back to the hotel.' One scene to particularly stun viewers saw the couple contemplate another romp in the middle of the day as Kem approached the stunner to tell her her: 'Look, Im literally getting a little bit excitable.' They then searched the villa for a location to get hot and heavy including the dressing room, the balcony, the shower and the toilet. Jamie and Camilla chatted to Caroline about their time in the house and she particularly honed in on Camilla's sensitivity side, which saw her have various breakdowns. One of her tougher times in the house saw her relationship with Johnny Mitchell ending in tears due to his political views. Guess who? Caroline delivered the news to the couples - with Kem and Amber in disbelief over their exciting news Out now: Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood came in third place - and admitted they were looking forward to maintaining their relationship on the outside world As Camilla said: 'It's an indescribable feeling as I had no idea what was to come as although therew's been ups and downs i couldn't ask for a better summer and it's changed my life. Jamie went on: 'I didn't know what to expect but I's been watching from the outside. We clicked and we're the same person I couldn't have expected how well we'd got on. We're the same person. I can't wait to get out and be alone.' When Caroline spoke to Marcel and Gabby as the first couple to leave, she grilled them over them getting intimate - having been the only couple not to romp in the house. When asked if she's excited, Gabby said: 'Course we're looking forward to doing the deed.' When Chris spoke to Caroline, he weighed in on his tough time with Olivia: 'It's inescapable as we were in there for seven weeks. Me and Liv have our problems and we got over a lot of barriers. Caroline asked the burning question regarding his bromance with Kem, as she said: 'If you had the chance to couple up with Kem would you have', before he responded saying: 'Me and Kem discussed it probably five or six times through out the show. I wouldn't. I'm sure. I cant see Olivia working on the farm.' Dream team: Meanwhile, their airport appearance comes after reports that Kem and Chris' bromance could bag them a spin-off reality TV show Pals: A TV insider told The Sun: 'Chris and Kem's friendship has captured the nation everyone has loved watching the bond they have together' The first meeting: Stormzy, who previously had a cameo on Love Island last week, has confirmed that he would like to collaborate with Chris and Kem on music Caroline then pointed out, Olivia had coupled with Sam Gowland and Michael Thalassitis before finally settling on Chris, with the presenter saying: 'You went through Sam and Mike to get to Chris', before the stunning star responded: 'I have no regrets. We're not here to sit and knit!' One memorable scene between the couple was the babies challenge, in which every couple was charged with looking after a doll. Olivia and Chris' plastic baby received an outpouring of love during its appearance on the show last Wednesday - even landing his own hilarious Twitter account within minutes of his onscreen debut. Loyal followers of the show were left comically devoted to the doll after Islander Chris and Olivia jokingly named their 'newborn' Cash - because of their shared love of money. Becoming an online sensation and trending topic during the show, the 'baby' has kept fans chuckling since his appearance with a stream of laugh out loud tweets to his 26,000 social media followers, commanding the micro-blogging site. Comfortable: 'Bosses don't want to see an end to their bromance and are already brainstorming possible TV show ideas to pitch...' Hilarious: The pair have shared many special moments during their time in the villa with Kem and Chris showing how relaxed they are in each other's presence as they showered together in the villa garden while rapping on Saturday's episode of the show Cuddling up: Earlier this week Kem decided to take his relationship with Chris to the next level - by asking him to be best man at his and Amber's wedding Meanwhile, their airport appearance comes after reports that Kem and Chris' bromance could bag them a spin-off reality TV show. Not only that but hitmaker Stormzy offered to make their dreams come true after the live final, when he promised to make a rap collaboration with the pair. A TV insider told The Sun: 'Chris and Kem's friendship has captured the nation everyone has loved watching the bond they have together. 'Bosses don't want to see an end to their bromance and are already brainstorming possible TV show ideas to pitch...' 'Fans wont be seeing the end of them just yet.' Such was the strength and popularity of their bond, countless fans called for the duo to be considered as a 'couple' to win the series. She announced her 'second engagement' to husband Oliver Curtis earlier this month, shortly after his release from prison. And Roxy Jacenko, 37, has broken her silence on the happy news, telling Popsugar on Tuesday she may be walking down the aisle again. Roxy revealed Oliver's proposal was carefully orchestrated with the help of Sweaty Betty PR staffers Holly Asser and Grace Garrick. 'Watch this space!' Roxy Jacenko (left) has broken her silence on husband Oliver Curtis' 'second proposal', telling Popsugar on Tuesday she may be walking down the aisle again '(It was) a huge surprise, I was heading out with my friends Holly, Holly (Brooke) , and Grace and on my way to Ryan's Bar only to be shoved out of the car and passed an envelope with instructions on where to go,' she explained. When asked whether she will have a second wedding ceremony, Roxy simply responded: 'Watch this space!' Roxy also claimed Oliver had designed her diamond ring in just a few weeks, with the help of celebrity jeweller Nicholas Haywood. 'A huge surprise': Roxy claimed Oliver's proposal was carefully orchestrated with the help of Sweaty Betty PR staffers Holly Asser and Grace Garrick Designer bling! She also revealed Oliver had designed her diamond ring in just a few weeks, with the help of celebrity jeweller Nicholas Haywood 'Nicholas has been my friend since I was 21 years old, he is the best in the business, all my jewellery has been made by him,' she said. Roxy's six-carat diamond ring has an estimated value of $450,000, more than double the $200,000 ring she received from Oliver when he first proposed seven years ago. Oliver's proposal came weeks after he was released from Cooma Correctional Centre on June 23, after serving a year behind bars for insider trading. Rumours: Before Oliver's release, it was speculated the couple had decided to quietly end their marriage. And in April, Roxy was pictured kissing her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal Before Oliver's release, it was rumoured the couple had decided to quietly end their marriage. And in April, Roxy was pictured kissing her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal. Back in 2012, Roxy and Oliver, 31, tied the knot during an expensive fairy tale wedding at Sydney's swanky Quay Restaurant. The blushing bride wore a strapless Vera Wang gown that was rumoured to have been flown first-class direct from Los Angeles. Jailbird groom: Oliver's 'second proposal' came just weeks after he was released from Cooma Correctional Centre on June 23, after serving a year behind bars for insider trading They've enjoyed almost four years of marital bliss. And Kate Bosworth looked more loved-up than ever with her handsome husband Michael Polish as they attended a National Geographic party at the The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in Los Angeles on Monday night. The actress, 34, looked typically elegant in a waist-cinching pale pink and grey midi-dress as she worked her magic on the red carpet alongside her film director husband, 46. Scroll down for video Marital bliss: Kate Bosworth looked more loved-up than ever with husband Michael Polish at a National Geographic party at the The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in Los Angeles on Monday The screen star showcased her slender figure in the garment, which was complete with billowing sleeves and a flattering midi hem. Kate tied her golden locks into a neat braid to frame her pretty face and draw attention to her glittering drop earrings. Mixing up her look, Kate carried a small black clutch complete with detailed rose lace patterns and a diamond jewel. Pretty in pink: The actress, 34, looked typically elegant in a waist-cinching pale pink and grey midi-dress as she worked her magic on the red carpet The Still Alice beauty sashayed gracefully through the venue in sky-scraper high heels, in the same dark shade as her handbag. Kate put on a loved-up display with her husband on the red carpet, who wore a navy suit, dressed down by wearing his crisp cream shirt undone. Kate and Michael - who has a daughter Jasper, 19, from his previous marriage - met when he directed her in a cinematic adaptation of Jack Kerouacs 1962 novel Big Sur in 2011. The couple tied the knot two years later in a romantic ceremony in Philipsburg, Montana, in August 2013. Love at first site: The screen star showcased her slender figure in the garment as she cosied up to her film director husband, 46 Elegant: The Still Alice beauty sashayed gracefully through the venue in sky-scraper high heels, in the same dark shade as her handbag Speaking in an interview with British Marie Claire magazine in January 2015, Kate admitted she was cautious about rushing into a relationship with her director while they were filming on set in California. She explained: 'There are so many people that hook up on movies, and you wonder if that's real, so we didn't go there. 'I think we were both experienced to know that if this was the real deal, we could wait to see what would happen.' Braidy bunch: Kate tied her golden locks into a neat braid to frame her pretty face and draw attention to her glittering drop earrings Having adopted a patient approach to her romance with the director, Kate admits it wasnt long before she discovered he was The One'. She recalled: 'That's when it hit me, at about a million miles an hour I almost fell off my chair. 'They always say, "You know when you know," and I had found that quite frustrating my whole life. 'I thought, "Yeah, but how do you really know?" But it's true he walked in and it hit me, like nothing I'd ever felt before Happily ever after: Kate and Michael met when he directed her in a cinematic adaptation of Jack Kerouacs 1962 novel Big Sur in 2011 Together forever: The couple tied the knot two years later in a romantic ceremony in Philipsburg, Montana, in August 2013 Look of love! Kate, who previously described her romance with Michael as 'love at first sight', posted a sweet image on her Instagram page on Monday evening 'Meeting Michael honestly felt like coming home. It feels comfortable and secure but also exciting.' It's an exciting time career-wise for Kate Bosworth at present, as she is starring in the National Geographic channel's scripted military drama The Long Road Home. The eight-episode mini series is based on the true events of April 4, 2004, when a platoon from the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed in Sadr City in Baghdad. Kate plays the wife of an officer, played by Jason Ritter, who leads the rescue mission for the embattled platoon. Best of friends! Kate was also joined at the glamorous event by Sarah Wayne Callies, who wore a lace monochrome dress She's the Bikini A Day blogger known for her confidence in front of the camera. And Devin Brugman has revealed swimwear modelling runs in the family, as her own mother was a glamour girl in the 1970s. Taking to Instagram, Devin shared a photo of herself in busty swimsuit alongside a retro snap of her mother in a remarkably similar pose. 'Inspired by a photo of my mama!' Devin Brugman (pictured) has revealed swimwear modelling runs in the family, as her own mother was a glamour girl in the 1970s In Devin's photo, the Californian beauty places her hands on her knees while gazing seductively into the camera. 'Inspired by a photo of my mama from the 70's,' she wrote in the caption. Her mother was also pictured posing at the beach in a one-piece with a Farrah Fawcett-inspired hairstyle. Devin wrote in the caption, 'I think mama takes the cake with that arch though,' adding the hashtag: 'I get it from my mama'. 'I get it from my mama!' Taking to Instagram , Devin shared a photo of herself in busty swimsuit alongside a retro snap of her mother (right) in a remarkably similar pose Devin runs the popular blog A Bikini A Day, alongside Sydney-born Natasha Oakley. They launched the website in 2012 and have since built a global brand that includes partnerships with international retailers like Missguided and Revolve. The pair have faced their fair share of criticism over the years, in particular their alleged use of Photoshop and 'airbrush' apps to make their photos Instagram-worthy. Taking the world by storm! Devin (left) runs the popular blog A Bikini A Day, alongside Sydney-born business partner Natasha Oakley (right) After unflattering paparazzi photos of Natasha at the beach surfaced online in October 2015, fans questioned why she appeared so different on Instagram. Rather than owning up to doctoring her images, Natasha claimed she was 'proud' of her body and said: 'I pose in swimwear everyday of my life so I know my angles.' In December last year, she told The Daily Telegraph: 'I think that everyone is doing that (retouching) because of what they see in the media.' Joanna Krupa is literally letting it all out. The Real Housewives Of Miami alum has been enjoying her European getaway to Greece in the wake of her split from Romain Zago, 44. The TV personality even showed her estranged husband just what he walked away from when she posted a picture completely in the nude over the weekend. Greece getaway: Joanna Krupa is putting her body on display in Mykonos in the wake of her surprising split from Romain Zago Baring that behind: The 38-year-old showed off her derriere by posing completely naked in the pool The 38-year-old has been flaunting her stay in Mykonos on social media, most recently sharing a selfie laying on her stomach in a strappy, black bikini. 'Another lazy day in Mykonos but well deserved!' she captioned it. And over the weekend, the reality star put her fabulous figure on full display, posting a picture as she took in the breathtaking view from her pool, all while posing completely naked. While the setting was incredible, the stunner's pert derriere was the star of the shot. Booty in black: The Real Housewives Of Miami alum even put her bottom on display while clothed The model also flaunted her booty while wearing a black bikini in an earlier upload. Even though her behind was partially covered by the two piece's bottom portion, the revealing design left most of her cheeks exposed. The blonde also showed off her beautiful back, courtesy of the swimsuit's halter top. Killer cleavage: The reality star boasted her bosom in a patterned suit On Sunday, the Bravo alum also put her ample bosom on display with a sensual selfie. The beauty donned yet another bathing suit, and this one boasted short sleeves, a blue-and-white floral pattern, and three small straps on the bust. The seductive shot put her killer cleavage front-and-center. Moving on: Joanna seems to be recovering after Romain caught her 'off-guard' by asking for a divorce; seen here in 2013 The actress is showing some serious skin in the wake of her split from her husband of four years. In a new interview with In Touch Weekly, she revealed she was 'caught off-guard' when her longtime love asked for a divorce in December. 'I spent many nights crying. It was the worst Christmas imaginable. I felt like my life had been turned upside down, and I couldnt see the light at the end of the tunnel. I cried. I couldnt eat. I probably lost about 7 pounds,' she recalled. Romain decided to end their marriage because he wanted children. 'I was heartbroken. He had wanted a family, but I was always traveling and made work my priority. As time has gone on, Ive realized we were both unhappy,' Joanna told the tabloid. But, she and her ex are on 'great terms' and talk every day, so the celeb explained she's doing much better now that significant time has passed. 'I feel alive again. I finally woke up one day thinking, "Ive got to get myself together." I had been dead inside. I realized Im healthy, Im successful, I have an amazing family and friends, what am I crying about? Life is too short,' she said. Dirty dancing: The Dancing With The Stars alum got down with fashion designer Dawid Wolinski on the beach Splish splash: She enjoyed the water in a black bikini Taut tummy: Joanna flaunted her flat stomach in a colorful two-piece And she definitely seems like she's done crying as she soaks up the sun on her Mykonos vacation. Last week, she kicked off the getaway by flaunting her fit figure as she arched her back in a colorful, Bardot bikini by the pool. In the caption, she revealed Polish fashion designer Dawid Wolinski is the one who convinced her to take this trip, writing: 'Well deserved vacation after a tough start of 2017 Thank you my loving brother @dawid_wolinskifor making me come with u #mykonos #sun #beach.' She and the 40-year-old enjoyed dancing together on the sand, and she splashed around in the water in a high-waisted, Beach Bunny Swimwear bikini. 16 months after sustaining a serious on-set injury, Dylan O'Brien revealed how combat training for his titular role in American Assassin was therapeutic for his recovery process. 'I didn't really even want to leave my couch necessarily when I was allowed to, so yeah, it was a big step doing this,' the Deepwater Horizon star - who turns 26 next month - told ET on Monday. 'The state that you're in after something like that, you just want to run from all that stuff.' Scroll down for video 16 months after sustaining a serious on-set injury: Dylan O'Brien revealed how combat training for his titular role in American Assassin was therapeutic for his recovery process The Manhattan-born, Manhattan Beach-raised actor continued: 'I ultimately decided that I wanted to try it and I didn't want to let it go. It ended up being really instrumental in the whole [recovery] process.' O'Brien said playing CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp in Michael Cuesta's revenge thriller ultimately came at a great time for him and 'all the training was very good for my mind and very good for recovery.' Dylan's castmate Michael Keaton - who plays Cold War veteran spy Stan Hurley - took a lot of care during their choreographed fight scenes. 'I didn't want to talk to him about it or bug him about it or remind him,' the 65-year-old Oscar nominee explained. The Deepwater Horizon star - who turns 26 next month - told ET on Monday: 'I didn't really even want to leave my couch necessarily when I was allowed to, so yeah, it was a big step doing this' 'It ended up being really instrumental': O'Brien said playing CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp in Michael Cuesta's revenge thriller ultimately came at a great time for him and 'all the training was very good for my mind and very good for recovery' 'You had to be very specific about every move': Dylan's castmate Michael Keaton - who plays Cold War veteran spy Stan Hurley - took a lot of care during their choreographed fight scenes Hitting US/UK theaters September 15! Based on Vince Flynn's 2010 novel, American Assassin also features Taylor Kitsch, Sanaa Lathan (L), and Shiva Negar 'But I had to know how close he could get, how close he can't get, what side do I flip him on, because I don't want him to hit that area. So it made it harder, but in a way, it was better. You had to be very specific about every move you made.' Based on Vince Flynn's 2010 novel, American Assassin - hitting US/UK theaters September 15 - also features Taylor Kitsch, Sanaa Lathan, and Shiva Negar. O'Brien suffered a concussion, facial fracture, and lacerations last year on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure while shooting a stunt atop a moving car that was struck by another vehicle. Shortly after, Maze Runner director Wes Ball delayed the three-quel's production and release, calling Dylan 'one tough cookie' in a tweet reassuring fans he was 'going to be just fine.' Ouch! O'Brien suffered a concussion, facial fracture, and lacerations on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure while shooting a stunt atop a moving car that was struck by another vehicle Shortly after, Maze Runner director Wes Ball delayed the three-quel's production and release, calling Dylan 'one tough cookie' in a tweet reassuring fans he was 'going to be just fine' The former YouTube star was last seen in good spirits while reuniting with his Teen Wolf castmates for a Comic-Con panel in San Diego last Thursday. O'Brien reprises his role as Mieczysaw 'Stiles' Stilinski in the sixth (and final) season of the MTV series, which resumes this Sunday. Dylan managed to score nominations for two trophies (Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor and TV Ship) at the fan-voted Teen Choice Awards, which airs August 13 on Fox. Q&A: The former YouTube star was last seen in good spirits while reuniting with his Teen Wolf castmates for a Comic-Con panel in San Diego last Thursday 'Said the Spider to the Fly': O'Brien reprises his role as Mieczysaw 'Stiles' Stilinski in the sixth (and final) season of the MTV series, which resumes this Sunday Next week's ballot offers some intrigue for North Dakotans from late congressional entries by independent candidates to term limits and marijuana legalization. Voters will decide whether to endorse changing the state constitution to limit the terms of the governor and state legislators. Another citizen-led initiative also will put the question of marijuana legalization before voters, who rejected the idea four years ago. Ninety-eight of the Legislatures 141 seats are on the ballot. All but one Democrat is up for reelection this year. Contests for secretary of state, attorney general and other state offices Also will appear on the ballot. She celebrated her 31st birthday in the same spot she has visited for the occasion annually for the past six years. And Lindsay Lohan looked in good spirits as she soaked up the Greek sunshine on Tuesday. The Mean Girls star showed off her figure in a pretty pastel swimsuit as she put on a lively display for the camera. Scroll down for video Birthday girl! Lindsay Lohan looked in good spirits as she frolicked in the pool as she soaked up the Green sunshine on Tuesday Showcasing her long lean legs, the piece skimmed her toned physique, and gave a glimpse of her ample curves. Wearing her trademark raven hair loose, she added a touch of glamour in the form of black eyeliner to accentuate her striking green eyes, accessorising with a delicate gold chain and watch. Using an unsuspecting metal ball as a prop, she put on an animated display as she splashed around in the pool. And joined by female pals, she soon enjoyed a sip of wine by the pool side. Turning heads: The Mean Girls star showed off her figure in a pretty pastel swimsuit as she put on a lively display for the camera Making a splash! Wearing her trademark raven hair loose, she added a touch of glamour in the form of black eyeliner to accentuate her striking green eyes Lindsay, whose birthday fell on July 2, raised eyebrows last week when she extended a birthday invitation to Britney Spears, Beyonce and Paris Hilton via Twitter to join in on the festivities. But speaking with the MailOnline, a source close to the former child star - who has spent her summers for the past six years in Mykonos - revealed she was wished a happy birthday by many A-list stars. Among them was Oprah, who contacted her while she enjoyed a 'low-key' bash with 15 of her close friends at the Santa Marina resort. Making waves! Using an unsuspecting metal ball as a prop, she put on an animated display as she splashed around in the pool Tradition: A source close to the former child star - who has spent her summers for the past six years in Mykonos - revealed she was wished a happy birthday by many A-list stars A source revealed: 'She actually did - Oprah sent a nice message as well - Kris Jenner facetime'd her right after the cake was brought out - and Tyra Banks also sent a very kind message.' In August 2016 dramatic photos showed an angry, violent altercation between Lindsay and her then-fiance, Russian playboy Egor Tarabasov in Mykonos. The pictures showed a tussle occurring after Lohan and Tarabasov argued in a black 4x4. Casual: Lindsay, whose birthday fell on July 2, raised eyebrows when she extended a birthday invitation to Britney, Beyonce and Paris Hilton via Twitter to join in on the festivities Lounging: She was joined by female pals, she soon enjoyed a sip of wine by the pool side The actress was seen hurling his mobile phone on to the sand and fleeing the car. Egor was seen chasing her, before grabbing her from behind in an attempt to grab the handset back and twisting her arm behind her back. Their relationship ended shortly afterwards. Things seem to be on the up for the former child star, after the Mail revealed in October that she was facing bankruptcy after failing to pay 78,000 in rent. Celeb congratulations: Among them was Oprah, who contacted her while she enjoyed a 'low-key' bash with 15 of her close friends at the Santa Marina resort The good life: Lindsay was seen enjoying an array of drinks Appearing to turn over a new leaf, Lindsay, who has been to rehab several times for alcohol and drug problems and has spent time in jail, is now launching her own lifestyle website and giving fans a glimpse into her life. The app and website is also set to give fans glimpses of her acting projects. Elsewhere, Lindsay was recently spotted on set with Harry Potter star Rupert Grint after starting filming the second season of hilarious comedy Sick Note, on which she will reportedly play Rupert's onscreen boss Katerina West. Gal pals: She was joined by a pal who sported a pretty body chain She has mostly stayed out of scandal and drama in her time of newfound fame. But on Monday, it looked like Sofia Richie was ready to shake things up as she made her way through New York City. The 18-year-old catwalker strut down the sidewalk in NYC wearing a long black duster coat with 'CONFLICT' printed boldly on it's back. Strut: Sofia Richie turned the sidewalk into her catwalk as she dashed through NYC Monday Underneath the coat she wore a black bodysuit with a pair of her favorite sporty sweatpants and Vans sneakers. Her blonde locks were pulled back into a half ponytail and she wore red sunglasses for her low-key outing. That same day on Snapchat, she caused speculation that she may be buying her first solo home. Shaking things up: The 18-year-old model wore a black duster coat that read 'CONFLICT' The daughter of soul legend Lionel Richie panned an empty apartment with her camera and wrote 'Home land' along with the video. 'Are you scared for me to live alone?,' she asked a friend who is also scanning the living space with her phone. Sofia, who has walked the runway for Chanel and Tommy Hilfiger, did not specify if she had purchased the home or was just browsing the market. Home owner?: Sofia uploaded a video to Snapchat of an empty apartment where she asked a friend: 'Are you scared for me to live alone?' Her father Lionel is currently on performing in California with Mariah Carey as part of their All The Hits tour. Even with his daughter being across the country making big girl moves, she recently revealed her father, 68, tracks her phone. 'My dad tracks my phone once a day. Awkwardly enough I get a notification every time. I think it's funny so I don't tell him I know,' she tweeted back in May. She recently finally confirmed she is in a relationship with ex Coronation Street hunk Ryan Thomas. The pair have been on a loved up break together in Ibiza for the last few days. But on Tuesday Lucy, 25, appeared to be without her new man as she stunned in the sunshine while wearing a pretty floral two-piece that gave a flash of her famously gym-honed stomach. Scroll down for video Hello? Lucy Mecklenburgh, 25, chatted on the phone while stunning in a floral two-piece while in Ibiza on Tuesday But she seemed to be missing the 28-year-old actor as she looked slightly pained as she took a phone call, perhaps chatting to the hunk and inquiring as to his whereabouts. The brunette beauty's co-ord two-piece perfectly complemented her sun kissed tan. She accessorised her beach chic look with tan sandals, rose-tinted sunglasses, gold dangling earrings and a huge ring. From Essex to Ibiza: Lucy has been holidaying with her new man Ryan Thomas on the party isle Rumours have been swirling for a while that former TOWIE cast member Lucy was now loved up with Ryan. But she only finally made things Insta-official with a social media post on Monday. Posting an adorable snap of them cosying up on their holiday she simply captioned the image with a love heart. Ryan, looking handsome in a blue shirt, was staring lovingly at his other half in the snap while she wowed in a skimpy red bikini and white kaftan. The couple were later snapped canoodling on a hotel balcony with Ryan in nothing but a strategically placed towel. The pair had got tongues wagging after they were seen posting holiday photographs from the same location on Instagram, despite denying claims they were dating. They were then pictured kissing at London City Airport and marked their first public outing as a couple at the Wimbledon men's semi-finals earlier in July. Lucy is also on holiday with her sister Lydia and showed good looks run in the family by posting a snap of her looking stunning in a black bikini to Instagram. Insta-official: Lucy confirmed the romance after weeks of speculation with this coupley social media snap of them both It's in the genes: Lucy also shared this picture of her sister on Instagram on Tuesday and fans couldn't help but remark on their similarities She helpfully pointed out the blonde beauty was wearing an outfit from Lucy's own swimwear line. This is Lucy's first big romance following a flirtation with ex-rugby player Thom Evans earlier this year. She has previously romanced Team GB gymnast Louis Smith and former TOWIE co-stars Mario Falcone and Mark Wright. Ryan has an eight-year-old daughter with ex-partner Tina O'Brien. Rebel Wilson got hit hard on the set of her new movie. The actress was joined in New York City by fellow Aussie Liam Hemsworth, 27, on Tuesday, as they shot scenes for their upcoming film Isn't It Romantic. For one shot, Miley Cyrus' fiance was seen running the Pitch Perfect star over with his car. Scroll down for video Hilarious hit: Liam Hemsworth ran Rebel Wilson over with his car for a scene in their movie Isn't It Romantic Silly shoot: The 37-year-old wore a white dress and floppy, black hat for the stunt For the comedic bit, the 37-year-old donned a white, knee-length dress with ornate buttons that she paired with black heels. The blonde also rocked extravagant accessories for the silly scene, including white gloves, a black clutch, and a matching floppy hat. As the movie star pretended to get hit by the upscale car, the hem of her dress rose, flashing her legs. Cool and coiffed: The 27-year-old's brunette locks were parted to one side for the role Apologetic Aussie: Miley Cyrus' fiance appeared concerned after pretending to hit the actress with his car Dapper dude: The actor looked handsome in a navy suit The Independence Day: Resurgence star looked dapper for his role in the romantic comedy. The actor sported a navy suit, a light blue button-down shirt, and brown dress shoes. The handsome hunk's brunette locks were parted to one side and slicked in a stylish 'do, but he still maintained his rugged beard. The Last Song alum looked concerned as he got out of the car for the shot, checking to see if his co-star was alright. Cracking up co-stars: The Independence Day: Resurgence star laughed as Rebel gestured toward him Lending a helping hand... He helped the Pitch Perfect star up onto the sidewalk during filming The funny flick centers on Rebel's character Natalie, a woman who is cynical about love, but suddenly finds herself trapped in a romantic comedy. Liam stars opposite the Australian, as does her Pitch Perfect love interest, Adam Devine. She and the two men will form the movie's love triangle, with Rebel rejecting Adam while pining away for Liam. Laid-back lady: The blonde opted for a graphic T-shirt and jeans when she wasn't in costume Still suave: Even out of costume, Liam looked good in grey-pants and a black sweater Out of costume, the stars were dressed down for their big day on set. The How To Be Single alum pulled her locks off her face and into a ponytail while carrying a binder and wearing a statement shirt and capri pants. Chris Hemsworth's little brother sported a white T-shirt underneath a black, zip-up sweater, grey pants, and white sneakers. Ornate accessories: For her look as Natalie, Rebel donned a floppy black hat and a matching clutch Trading in the fancy footwear... For some shots where her whole body wasn't being filmed, Rebel traded a pair of black heels for comfier purple flip flops Love triangle: Liam and Adam Devine star opposite the How To Be Single alum in the romantic comedy And they aren't the only faces in the cast. Along with Adam, Isn't It Romantic also stars Priyanka Chopra and Betty Gilpin. The Todd Strauss-Schulson directed film is set to be released on Valentine's Day in 2019. She's known for her trademark strut down, walking in some of the most awe-inspiring fashion shows around the world. Yet, Barbara Palvin, 23, proved modelling isn't always filled with glitz and glamour as was forced to improvise a quick change out in the open during her sun-soaked photo shoot in St Tropez, France on Tuesday. The braless Hungarian supermodel appeared to have no qualms as she changed her in her designer maxi dress with the help of a stylist by the French port. Changing rooms? Barbara Palvin, 23, proved modelling isn't always filled with glitz and glamour as was forced to improvise a quick change out in the open during her sun-soaked photo shoot in St Tropez, France on Tuesday Facing her fashion friend, the striking beauty displayed her bare back while her pal successfully maintained her modesty and avoided a possible wardrobe malfunction while placing her garment over her head. Barbara - who is known for her appearances on the Victoria's Secret runway - giggled while she playfully placed her hands over her bust as she prepared for her next shot while wearing a pair of loose-fitting harem inspired pants. Working her brunette tresses into a voluminous ponytail, she accessorised her barely-there love with a pair of cat-eye shades that brought a kooky edge. Later, she displayed her gym-honed curves in a sizzling red mini dress which accentuated her narrow waist with the help of a thick gold rope belt. Sizzling: Later, she displayed her gym-honed curves in a sizzling red mini dress which accentuated her narrow waist with the help of a thick gold rope belt Fix up! Facing her fashion friend, the striking beauty displayed her bare back while her pal successfully maintained her modesty and avoided a possible wardrobe malfunction while placing her garment over her head Pulses racing: Setting pulses-racing, her daring red look featured a ruched plunging neckline that teased at her bust while she smoldered towards the camera lens Setting pulses-racing, her daring red look featured a ruched plunging neckline that teased at her bust while she smoldered towards the camera lens. Her spaghetti-straped skintight look skimmed her toned thighs while she was perched on a distressed wood bench, wearing a pair of sky-high monochrome caged stilettos. Showing fashion fans how its done, the stunner pulled a number of seductive looks and glares as she tried her best to exhibit the haute couture finery. Style savy: Showing fashion fans how its done, the stunner pulled a number of seductive looks and glares as she tried her best to exhibit the haute couture finery Red hot! Her spaghetti-straped skintight look skimmed her toned thighs while she was perched on a distressed wood bench, wearing a pair of sky-high monochrome caged stilettos Dazzling: She chatted to a pal on set in the midst of her shoot Pin-credible: Barbara flaunted her endless pins as she made her way from location to location in her skimpy look She continued to showcase her incredible figure in a semi-sheer maxi dress, equipped with double side slits. The daring look flashed her subtle alabaster skin while she posed on a large square stone while members of the public passed by. Barbara has bagged her modelling jobs with a number of big brands, including Victoria's Secret and Armani Exchange. Lickings her lips: Barbara licked her lips while she waited for the shoot to continue Flaunt it: The daring look flashed her subtle alabaster skin while she posed on a large square stone while members of the public passed by Dressed to impress: She continued to showcase her incredible figure in a semi-sheer maxi dress, equipped with double side slits Picture perfect: She propped her leg up while she looked down the lens with confidence A vision: Barbara let the French sun's rays wash over her in the chiffon look Previously, she was linked to Lewis Hamilton, following rumours they fell for each other during the Cannes Film Festival last year. Yet during New York Fashion Week, Lewis was romantically linked to fellow model Winnie Harlow - partying with her until 5am just one day before Barbara was spotted leaving his hotel. However a representative for Lewis has since insisted that the two are just 'good friends'. The model was named a brand ambassador of the beauty giant L'Oreal Paris in 2012 - making her the youngest ever representative of the company. Floral feeling: The runway star worked a thigh-grazing halterneck mini dress with floral print Going for gold: Barbara accessorised her flirty number with a gold bracelet Speaking of her partnership, she said: 'What has happened to me is like a fairy tale. I am so excited to be part of the L'Oreal Paris family next to women as strong and iconic as Julianne Moore and Doutzen Kroes.' Barbara began modelling at the age of 13 after she was scouted whilst out and about in Budapest, and has appeared on endless Fashion Week catwalks since, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Julien MacDonald and Vivienne Westwood. Not just a pretty face however, the multi-talented star also took on an acting role in the 2014 film Hercules. She had a fabulous weekend celebrating her birthday in Miami with her new beau. But Jennifer Lopez actually turned 48 on Monday, and the cast and crew of her hit cop drama Shades Of Blue certainly weren't going to let the moment pass unrecorded. The star was serenaded and surprised with a big cake when she reported for duty on set in Queens, New York. Scroll down for video Sweet treat: Jennifer Lopez turned 48 on Monday, and the cast and crew of her hit cop drama Shades Of Blue certainly weren't going to let her birthday pass unrecorded J.Lo's birthday treat came after she filmed scenes for the NBC drama. Wearing her curly wig, the star was kitted out in a khaki green military jacket, a white Henley T-shirt, distressed skinny jeans and heavy black boots as Detective Harlee Santos. She looked fierce as she and Ray Liotta, who plays Lieutenant Matt Wozniak, slammed a suspect against a police van and cuffed him. Having a good day: The star was serenaded and surprised with a big cake when she reported for duty on set in the Queens district of New York Working girl: J.Lo had to earn her cake and was seen with Ray Liotta, who plays Lieutenant Matt Wozniak, slamming a suspect against a police van Banged to rights: She cuffed him before leading the miscreant away Meanwhile, she and her beau Alex Rodriguez, who turns 41 on Thursday, celebrated BOTH their birthdays at the weekend. On Saturday, the former New York Yankees player threw a surprise party for her and they were joined by their friends and family at the lavish bash. The couple. now known as J-Rod, enjoyed a romantic dinner for two on Sunday night at celebrity haunt Prime 112 Restaurant, at Brown's Hotel in Miami Beach. Enjoying a break: Jennifer, wearing her curly wig in character as Detective Harlee Santos, sipped from a bottle of water Quick touch up: A make-up artist busied herself making sure J.Lo's face was camera ready Smile and wave: The celebrity was kitted out in a khaki green military jacket, a white Henley T-shirt, distressed skinny jeans and heavy black boots Jennifer and Alex have been dating since February this year - and an insider recently claimed the duo are 'incredibly happy' together. Meanwhile, J.Lo's life is incredibly busy at the moment. Aside from Shades Of Blue, the mother of nine-year-old twins Max and Emme is a judge on World Of Dance and a make-up and fashion entrepreneur. Dashing around: The star appeared to be completely focussed as she strode around the set Looking good: Jennifer checked herself out as she took a selfie 'Ummmm, cake anyone?' She and her new beau Alex Rodriguez celebrated their birthdays with a joint bash in Miami on Saturday He's been warned that having any more cosmetic surgeries on his nose could cause it to fall off. But Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves told MailOnline he's taking the risk, opting for his tenth rhinoplasty at a hospital in Kish, Iran, at a cost of 22k, after a short stay at the lavish Burj Al Arab in Dubai. And while he's there, he's also having a new chin implant fitted, which is 'less square' and having his teeth changed from resin to porcelain veneers, 'because they chip.' Scroll down for video New surgery: Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves told MailOnline he's taking the risk, opting for his tenth rhinoplasty at a hospital in Kish, Iran, at a cost of 22k, after a short stay at the lavish Burj Al Arab in Dubai With the total cost of the procedures totting up to 35k, Rodrigo, who has already spent around 400k on cosmetic procedures, says the latest work is a 34th birthday present to himself. Sitting in his hotel room in Iran, he said to MailOnline: 'I am just waiting for my chin to arrive actually. It's custom made and it's coming in the post. 'I don't want to have to have another nose operation, but I have no choice. 'I wanted to look better, but now I can't breathe at all. So it is hard to deal with it. It's going to be very painful and risky. Warning: Earlier this month, he appeared on E! series Botched where the doctors warned him that his nose could turn black and fall off - which was filmed in 2016 Then and now: He showcased his current nose (L) ahead of his tenth surgery and his previous nose on Botched (R) 'When I appeared on Botched, they had to subtitle me because I sound so nasal. People attack me online for having a huge head because my chin implant is too big. 'I've done a lot of research and Iran is the country where people have the most nose jobs in the world, so therefore they have had more practise.' Rodrigo consulted two doctors in a recent episode of Botched, which was filmed over a year ago and aired on E! earlier this month. In the show, Rodrigo cannot breathe through his nose after getting three rhinoplasties in just 12 to 15 months. Devstating: In the show, Rodrigo 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. Rodrigo at one point developed a MRSA infection on his nose caused by a staph bacteria. The show's doctor told him: 'This is one of the worst results and complications that I've seen in my entire career. Nassif then breaks a devastating news to Rodrigo, who hopes that one more surgery could salvage his nose. Damage: 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 Ahead of the procedure: Rodrigo pictured with Dr Seyed Mohammad Hossein Sadr, the owner of Persian beauty '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.' And Rodrigo says that while he has been living a champagne jet-setting lifestyle, he admits that in reality, he has been worried sick and has been over-eating to make himself feel better. 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 He said: 'I have been stuffing my face like crazy and I've gained more weight than ever. 'All I want is to get this over and done with so I can focus on my new fashion collection and get in shape so that I can show off the clothes to the best of my ability. 'I hope that by September I will have full use of my nose and be able to start training in the gym and eating right. 'I have been suffering from anxiety lately which lead me to gain nearly three stone in weight and all my outfits are feeling really tight.' She's been on vacation on the east coast for a few days. And it seems Reese Witherspoon is enjoying herself sans husband and kids as she spends quality time with her girlfriends in The Hamptons, an upscale neighborhood of Long Island, New York. The Big Little Lies star wore a trendy one-piece bathing suit that showed off a little cleavage for the relaxing boat ride on Tuesday. Enjoying the ocean: Reese Witherspoon was seen on a yacht as she vacationed in The Hamptons in New York on Sunday Classy: The leggy wonder stunned in a sophisticated black one-piece bathing suit Fun in the sun: The 41-year-old was enjoying herself sans husband and kids as she spends quality time with her girlfriends She wore her long blonde hair up in a bun and it looked like the actress had previously jumped in the water as her hair was still wet. At one point, she received a towel from the staff on the boat with them. The group also played with large floaties on the water just beside the boat and looked to be having fun capturing photos. Earlier in the day, the gaggle of girlfriends took a yoga class together to start their day off with a little zen moment. Large boat: Reese has been partying with her girlfriends on the huge yacht in The Hamptons The Big Little Lies star threw on a trendy one-piece bathing suit that showed off a little cleavage for the relaxing boat ride Giggles: Reese appeared to be laughing at something her friends said in the water Reese looked like she was animatedly telling a story while wearing and blue and white towel around her body. The large boat has played host to the A-lister and her girlfriends for a few days now. Coined the #haneyholiday, the ladies seemed to be enjoying quite the time as they drank, swam and chatted in the sunshine. Water fun! The actress was spotted getting out of the water after jumping in during the summer vacation Drying off: At one point, she received a towel from the staff on the boat with them Water rafts: The women were all having fun on the water rafts The much-needed vacation was perfectly planned for the Sweet Home Alabama actress who recently wrapped Disney's A Wrinkle in Time. Dressed in an emerald green, silky long-sleeved wrap dress and sunglasses, the star looked care-free throughout the girls weekend. A big fan of fashion, Reese founded her clothing and lifestyle company Draper James in 2015 and also opened her flagship store in Nashville, Tennessee in October of that same year. She was the center of attention: Reese appeared to be animatedly telling a funny story Lovely lady: The cover girl looked to be in top shape as she leaned on the yacht He stars on the judging panel of business reality series, Shark Tank. And in an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, Steve Baxter said that he doesn't care if people consider him to be the grumpy judge, as he's just being 'honest'. 'Some things set me off,' the entrepreneur candidly told the publication. Scroll down for video 'Some things set me off': Shark Tank's Steve Baxter told The Daily Telegraph that he doesn't mind being considered the grumpy judge as he's just being 'honest' 'Look, it's me. It's all me,' Steve revealed to The Daily Telegraph. 'I tend to be pretty honest, maybe too honest. Some things set me off. 'Sometimes we're talking, and talking, and they're not listening. You've almost got to deliver that figurative slap in the face to say, "wake up son". Because believe me, I've been there,' the businessman continued to say. Vocal: 'Sometimes we're talking, and talking, and they're not listening. You've almost got to deliver that figurative slap in the face to say, "wake up son",' Steve continued to tell the publication Compelling viewing: Steve stars on the Network Ten program Shark Tank, that sees everyday people pitch what they deem investment-worthy ideas Steve stars on the Network Ten program Shark Tank, that sees everyday people pitch what they deem investment-worthy ideas. The series sees the 'Sharks', worth more than $1 billion collectively, use their skills to take inventions presented to them, and turn them into unique products and services. The sharks, including Steve, Janine Allis, Dr. Glen Richards, Andrew Banks and Naomi Simson, are not shy of debating over what they feel will generate the most revenue, and what will not. Expert advice: The sharks, including Steve, Janine Allis (second left), Dr. Glen Richards (far right), Andrew Banks and Naomi Simson, are not shy of debating over what they feel will generate the most revenue, and what will not Meanwhile, Naomi, 53, recently told The Daily Telegraph's Confidential that her and her fellow judges have each other's back. 'We fight among ourselves but you can't pick on us,' she told the publication. 'The sharks are like siblings. We love each other, we respect each other and clearly we respect the work each other has done. 'But like siblings, we fight over our toys. We fight among ourselves but you can't pick on us,' Naomi continued. Scott Disick might appear to be living it up with his jet-setting, hard-partying, womanizing lifestyle - but inside he's reportedly still lashing out over his October 2015 split from Kourtney Kardashian. 'He wants her back, but he just isn't taking the steps needed to make that happen,' a source told People on Tuesday. 'In his ideal world, he would still be with Kourtney.' Scroll down for video Not over it? Scott Disick might appear to be living it up with his jet-setting, hard-partying, womanizing lifestyle - but inside he's reportedly still lashing out over his October 2015 split from Kourtney Kardashian The 34-year-old reality star understands his on/off nine-year relationship with his 37-year-old babymama has been 'pretty fractured' ever since he famously canoodled with stylist Chloe Bartoli. 'Scott is really sad about it, and it's part of why he's lashing out,' the insider noted. In the last month, the preppy 'Lord' Disick - who was once hospitalized for alcohol poisoning - has gone from boozing it up in Cannes to Miami to Las Vegas. The KUWTK bearded bad boy completed his fourth rehab stint at Cliffside Malibu in 2015 after previously receiving treatment at centers in Florida and Costa Rica. A source told People on Tuesday: 'He wants her back, but he just isn't taking the steps needed to make that happen. In his ideal world, he would still be with Kourtney' (pictured Saturday) Still has hope? The 34-year-old reality star understands his on/off nine-year relationship with his 37-year-old babymama has been 'pretty fractured' ever since he canoodled with stylist Chloe Bartoli The insider noted: 'Scott is really sad about it, and it's part of why he's lashing out' Rehabbed four times: In the last month, the preppy 'Lord' Disick - who was once hospitalized for alcohol poisoning - has gone from boozing it up in Cannes to Miami to Las Vegas The real estate heir suffered the deaths of his father Jeffrey in October 2013 and mother Bonnie three months later in January 2014. On Sunday, Scott admitted he and Kourtney 'love spending time together and with' their three children - sons Mason, 7; Reign, 2; and daughter Penelope, 5. 'That's never been a question,' the Ross School drop-out told E! News. 'I feel like sometimes the outside perspective thinks that maybe we are not on good terms, but we are. We stay strong for our three children, and that's pretty much all we can do.' Family-of-five: On Sunday, Scott admitted he and Kourtney 'love spending time together and with' their three children - sons Mason, 7; Reign, 2; and daughter Penelope, 5 The KUWTK bearded bad boy told E! News: 'That's never been a question. I feel like sometimes the outside perspective thinks that maybe we are not on good terms, but we are. We stay strong for our three children, and that's pretty much all we can do' 'No one expects it to turn into anything serious': Meanwhile, the half-Armenian socialite is still casually dating 23-year-old boxer-turned-model Younes Bendjima (pictured July 6) Meanwhile, the half-Armenian socialite is still casually dating 23-year-old boxer-turned-model Younes Bendjima. 'Everyone around her knows she's just having fun and no one expects it to turn into anything serious,' a source told People. Kardashian and Disick will likely make appearances on Kylie Jenner's eight-episode spin-off Life of Kylie, which premieres August 6 on E! Their fame-hungry family next competes for the reality TV trophy at the fan-voted Teen Choice Awards, which air August 13 on Fox. It's her turn: Kardashian and Disick will likely make appearances on Kylie Jenner's eight-episode spin-off Life of Kylie, which premieres August 6 on E! MINOT State regulators are scrutinizing a proposal from Cenex Pipeline to upgrade a refined fuels pipeline in northwest North Dakota, a project that aims to meet increased demand for diesel while replacing an aging pipeline. The project is the first major pipeline proposed in North Dakota since thousands camped in opposition of the Dakota Access Pipeline, but a Public Service Commission hearing in Minot drew no protests Monday. Cenex, a subsidiary of CHS, proposes to build a pipeline from Sidney, Mont., to Minot, replacing a portion of pipeline built in 1960. About 150 miles of the project are in North Dakota, traveling through Williams, Mountrail and Ward counties. The proposed pipeline would increase capacity, transporting an average of 38,000 barrels per day of gasoline and diesel fuels. The upgraded pipeline is not expected to have an effect on gasoline or diesel prices, but it will help meet increased demand, particularly around harvest when demand from area farmers is at its peak, said Bryan Brignac, a spokesman for CHS. Another goal of the proposal is to reduce the amount of maintenance required on the existing pipeline, said Mike Stahly, manager of right of way and property for CHS. It is a 1960s vintage pipeline, Stahly said. To keep it safely operating, its become a pretty intensive effort. The new pipeline would cross the Missouri River in Montana about 2 miles across the North Dakota border, requiring approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Cenex proposes to use horizontal directional drilling to bore under the Missouri River at least 50 feet below the river. In North Dakota, the company proposes to use horizontal directional drilling to bore under major wetland areas as well as crossings of the Little Muddy, White Earth and Little Knife rivers, drilling at least 20 feet below the rivers. During the seven-hour hearing, Public Service Commissioners asked detailed questions about the water crossings, pipeline monitoring and spill prevention. When the hearing continues Tuesday in Tioga, commissioner Brian Kroshus said he plans to ask for more details about how the company would respond to a spill in the Missouri River, which would affect communities downstream in North Dakota. The North Dakota Geological Survey raised concerns about a potential landslide-prone area along the pipeline route. Company representatives said they plan to do further analysis to determine the stability of the terrain. CHS has acquired about 60 percent of easements along the North Dakota portion of the route. The company said it continues negotiating with landowners, striving to get voluntary easements. Being farmer-owned, especially, were very concerned about landowner relations, Stahly said. Landowners who testified during the hearing didnt object to the pipeline but some raised concerns about how the route would cross their property. Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said shed like to see more buy-in from landowners before regulators take action on a permit. Construction could begin this fall if all permits are obtained, with completion scheduled for 2018. More than a dozen members of the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota including many who worked on Dakota Access filled the front rows of the hearing room in support of the project. The public has another opportunity to comment during the hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Tioga City Hall. The entire Cenex Pipeline travels from Laurel, Mont., to Fargo. The segment between Minot and Fargo was constructed in 1990. She's regularly seen enjoying the company of backing dance Pepe Munoz at social events. But Celine Dion is maintaining her single woman status, according to TMZ on Tuesday. The 49-year-old singing legend - whose husband Rene Angelil passed away last year - has not crossed the line into romance with the dancer on her international summer tour. Going solo: Celine Dion is maintaining her single woman status and not dating her back-up dancer (pictured Tuesday in Berlin) He has joined Celine on multiple outings, including the Giambattista Valli fashion show, where he used his fashion illustrator skills to sketch some of the fashions on the runway. 'She makes you feel welcome, like you belong to the family, and like youre part of the group,' Pepe recently said in an interview with Vogue about Celine. He added: 'Shes absolutely fearless with her style, her dancing, her performing, and as a person in her clothes.' Plutonic? She's been seen regularly stepping out with Pepe Munoz (pictured July 21) The entertainer was also spotted spending time with Pepe last Friday, when she turned heads in a bra-top as she left the Royal Monceau hotel to grab dinner at the Maison Blanche Restaurant in Paris, France. Celine is relaunching her career after a tough 2016, which saw her lose her husband of 22 years, Rene, to throat cancer, and her brother Daniel two days later, also from cancer. Celine's tour of Europe will see her jet back to the UK at the end of July, with shows scheduled to take place in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow. In May, Celine led the way as famous names have penned open letters to the LGBTQ community to express support for Pride month. 'I've always said that music is a language that has no barriers, and it's also true that love is an emotion that has no barriers,' wrote Celine Dion in a heartfelt note. Widowed: Celine is relaunching her career after a tough 2016, which saw her lose her husband of 22 years, Rene, to throat cancer (pictured together in 2012) The French-Canadian superstar added: 'I hope and pray that our world will continue to better understand that acceptance and tolerance are virtues that we can never have enough of.' Dion first met husband and manager Angelil, in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38 and they later got together in 1987. They married in 1994. They have three children, Rene-Charles, who was born on 25 January 2001, and six-year-old fraternal twins Eddy and Nelson. He's used to getting very into character with his zany history of roles. But on Tuesday in Vancouver, Johnny Depp had to get into a lake fully clothed for his latest film. The actor, 54, wore a grey three-piece suit as he filmed Richard Says Goodbye in Canada. Scroll down for video The water's fine: Johnny Depp walked into a lake while shooting Richard Says Goodbye in Vancouver on Tuesday Depp struck a particular face as he made his way into the water in his less-than-ideal swimwear. His hair was styled in a curly fashion not worn by the actor in his day-to-day life. The look would soon be ruined by the water as he swam with a swan for the unusual scene. Get wet: The actor, 54-year-old actor struck a particular face as he made his way in the water Making a splash: His grey three-piece suit was not the most practical outfit for swimming According to The Hollywood Reporter, Depp will play 'a world-weary college professor who is given a life-changing diagnosis.' The diagnosis causes his character to live a life without limits which encourages a wild streak within him. That description certainly adds more context to the scene Depp was shooting in the lake on Tuesday. Production: Johnny looked on as a staffer paddled by in a small yellow boat on the set In character: According to The Hollywood reporter, Johnny plays 'a world-weary college professor who is given a life-changing diagnosis' Wild side: The diagnosis causes his character to 'throw all pretense and conventions to the wind,' which could explain his fully-clothed trip into the water. White swan: Depp watched as his scene partner flailed around in the water during shooting The Hollywood Reporter adds that Danny Huston, Rosemarie DeWitt, Zoey Deutch, Devon Terrell and Odessa Young are also part of the cast. Richard Says Goodbye is written and directed by Wayne Roberts, who directed 2016's similarly titled Katie Says Goodbye. The movie is described as a period piece but it has yet to be revealed in what era it will take place. Get out: He was likely relieved when the director yelled cut on the strange scene Low maintenance: The A-list star did not need help getting back on to dry land after the shoot Before and after: The actor looked stern before jumping into the water but flashed a smile after Smokin': He puffed a funny-looking cigarette as he dried off in between takes of the scene Drenched: Johnny's wetness did not stop him from enjoying his smoke session on his break Depp looked to be relieved when he was able to make his way back on to land after shooting the scene with his animal co-star. The low maintenance A-list star did not need help as he emerged from the water. Once he made his way back on to the grass, he spoke with the production staff about what they had just shot. Directing: Depp appeared to be going over scene notes with the production staff on set Primping: Another staffer appeared to be fixing Johnny's wet 'do from his swim in the lake At one point Depp even looked to be directing the swan in the water. He puffed on a funny-looking cigarette while standing in the sun, drying off from his run through the pond. Richard Says Goodbye has yet to announce an expected release date, but will likely come out in 2018. Bar: Before his soggy shoot, Johnny was spotted shooting in a pub in downtown Vancouver The Dalori camps are home to thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram violence around Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria Four people were killed in suicide bomb attacks at a camp for those displaced by the Boko Haram conflict in northeast Nigeria, the emergency services said on Monday. Abdulkadir Ibrahim, from the National Emergency Management Agency, said the blasts happened at about 11:20 pm (2220 GMT) on Sunday, just outside the Borno state capital of Maiduguri. "Two suicide bombers (a male and a female) detonated their improvised explosive devices at Dalori 1 IDP (internally displaced persons) camp, leading to the death of three IDPs, while 17 others were injured," he said in a statement. "Another incident occurred at Dalori 2 IDP camp, where a suicide bomber was intercepted, leading to the death of the suicide bomber." Ahmed Sartori, the head of the Borno state emergency management agency, said the death toll had risen by late morning. "The death toll is now four, with the death of one more victim," he told AFP, adding that another suicide bomber had died trying to get into the city's university. "A suicide bomber exploded while he was trying to scale the barbed wire fence at the university," he said. A trench is currently being dug around the campus, which lies on the edge of Maiduguri, to deter intruders after a spate of suicide bomb attacks on the premises. - Boko Haram blamed - The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has increasingly used suicide bombers in its eight-year insurgency that has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million others. Dalori, which is about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Maiduguri, houses some 50,000 people in makeshift accommodation and has been targeted by bombers before. On the evening of June 18, two women blew themselves up at Dalori 2, where 10,000 people are living, The attack injured several IDPs but killed only the bombers. It followed a separate attack at nearby Kofa village, where two women used as human bombs exploded, killing at least 16. One of the latest attacks saw a suicide bomber die while trying to scale a barbed wire fence at Maiduguri University, where a trench is being dug around the campus in an effort to deter Boko Haram attacks On January 30 last year, at least 85 people were killed when militant fighters stormed and torched Dalori village and tried to gain access to the IDP camps. Nigeria's military and government maintain the jihadists are a spent force after a sustained counter-insurgency pushed them out of captured territory since early 2015. But signs remain that the violence is far from over. On Sunday, police in the northern city of Kano said they had arrested five Boko Haram members after a gunfight. Kano state police chief Rabiu Yusuf said the three men and two women were suspected of planning attacks on markets and places of worship. The city has seen a lull in Boko Haram activity since a November 2014 gun and suicide attack at the main mosque killed more than 100. An internal army memo, seen by AFP, also indicated Boko Haram was back in its "Camp Zero" enclave in the Sambisa Forest of Borno, which had been declared cleared in December last year. - 'Dead or alive' - Nigeria's highest-ranking army officer has ordered troops to capture elusive Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau "dead or alive" within 40 days Nigeria's highest-ranking army officer, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has ordered troops to capture Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau "dead or alive" within 40 days. The authorities have previously declared the elusive Shekau dead on a number of occasions, only for him to reappear in video messages. Yan St-Pierre, the head of the Modern Security Consulting (MOSECON) group and a counter-terrorism advisor, told AFP the chief of army staff's order was "more rhetoric than fact". "The Nigerian Army needs a boost and even if unsuccessful the ultimatum is nonetheless a reminder that (it) needs a big result and some form of success needs to be delivered," he said. Africa security specialist Ryan Cummings suggested the time-frame could coincide with the end of the rainy season in October to prevent greater Boko Haram movement. Politics could also be behind the statement, said St-Pierre, with President Muhammadu Buhari on indefinite sick leave and under pressure to ease public concerns about his health. Garbage on Colombo's streets has contributed to a record dengue fever outbreak Sri Lanka announced Monday it was intensifying its war on dengue fever, with schools to shut across the island to help curb the unprecedented outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus that has claimed nearly 300 lives. The Red Cross also announced it was scaling up its emergency response to the country's worst-ever outbreak of the disease as the number of dengue cases topped 100,000. That figure is nearly double the previous year, with doctors warning hospitals were beyond capacity as medics struggled to treat a new strain of the disease. The education ministry said schools would shut from Friday for four days as tens of thousands of volunteers join government officials and soldiers in targeting mosquito breeding grounds. "Instructions have gone out to all schools today to coordinate with local authorities and look for any mosquito breeding areas in their immediate neighbourhood," a ministry official said. Troops have already been spreading out across the island to help local councils drain pools of stagnant water to ensure mosquito larvae have nowhere to flourish. Official figures show 290 people have died so far this year from dengue fever, nearly four times the fatalities recorded in all of 2016. The number of cases has soared to above 105,000, a sharp jump from the 55,150 recorded last year. About half those cases were reported from the island's west, including the capital Colombo. "One reason for the dramatic rise in cases is that the virus currently spreading has evolved and people lack the immunity to fight off the new strain," Dr Novil Wijesekara, head of health at the Sri Lanka Red Cross, said in a statement. The humanitarian organisation, which has increased its budget by $300,000 to cope with the outbreak, said infected patients were "streaming into overcrowded hospitals that are stretched beyond capacity and struggling to cope". Last week Australia said it was donating $1.2 million to manage patients and help with research to contain the spread of the virus. Humid monsoon weather, stagnant water from recent flooding and mounting piles of rotting garbage in Colombo have created perfect conditions for the rapid spread of mosquitoes. Authorities have blamed a waste management crisis in the capital for the unusually large number of infections. Sri Lanka's main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people. Google's parent company Alphabet says its quarterly profits took a hit because of a $2.74 billion anti-trust fine imposed by the European Union Google parent Alphabet on Monday saw shares slide as the market reacted to a massive fine by the European Commission and word that success in mobile, cloud and YouTube is coming with higher costs. Alphabet reported a quarterly profit of $3.5 billion, in a sharp decline from a year ago, with a $2.74 billion antitrust fine in Europe biting into earnings. The technology giant reported that revenue grew to $26 billion in the recently ended quarter, and that profit would have tallied nearly $6.3 billion if it were not for the fine levied on search engine Google by the European Commission. Earnings for the quarter fell 28 percent from the same period last year. Revenue was up 21 percent from the same quarter last year. Alphabet chief financial officer Ruth Porat said the report showed "strong growth with great underlying momentum," as the company makes "focused investments in new revenue streams." Alphabet shares slid about 3.1 percent to $967.20 in after-market trades that followed the release of the earnings figures. Reasons for the drop likely included the mixed blessing of Google use booming on mobile devices, bringing in more revenue but also paying more to websites hosting ads. Alphabet also said it was spending more money on operating data centers, acquiring YouTube content, and its line of hardware, which were cited as growing businesses at the company. - Mulling options - Investors have been concerned about what the regulatory trouble in Europe means for Alphabet, which gets most of its money from Google advertising while investing in "other bets" such as self-driving cars and life sciences. Alphabet took in $248 million in revenue and posted a narrowed loss of $772 million in its "other bets" category in the recently ended quarter. Google and the EU are gearing up for a battle that could last years, with the Silicon Valley behemoth facing a relentless challenge to its ambition to expand beyond search results. Brussels has already spent seven years targeting Google, fueled by a deep apprehension of the company's dominance of internet search across Europe, where it commands about 90 percent of the market. In a verdict that could redraw the online map worldwide, the EU's top antitrust sheriff, Margrethe Vestager, in June imposed a record fine on Google for illegally favoring its shopping service in search results. The EU accuses Google of giving its multitude of services too much priority in search results to the detriment of other price comparison services. The decision -- if it survives an expected appeal process -- could prove to be momentous for Google, as well as for competition law in general. "We are still early in our analysis of the decision," Porat said in response to a question about the fine during an earnings call with analysts. "We do have time to notify the commission for proposed remedies as well as to implement changes." Porat said Alphabet was reviewing its options and declined to comment further on the ongoing legal matter. The EU is also examining Google's AdSense advertising service and its Android mobile phone software. - Finding a balance - Alphabet would be wise to diversify, but it must be careful not to take advantage of its powerful position in online search to gain advantage, said Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. Investors will also be watching to make sure this is a one-time fine, because not even a behemoth like Google can take that kind of cash hit each quarter, the analyst said. "I don't see Google changing its behavior, which means the EU could continue to hit them with excessive fines," Enderle said. "The EU does not have a sense of humor when it comes to US companies telling them to take a hike." The company announced separately that Google chief executive Sundar Pichai would join Alphabet's board of directors. Pichai is responsible for Googles product development and technology strategy, as well as the companys day-to-day-operations. Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson holds a tuatara lizard during his first visit to New Zealand British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that New Zealand could expect to be one of the first nations to ink a trade deal with London once Brexit was finalised. Johnson, making his first visit to New Zealand, met Prime Minister Bill English for talks that covered trade, international security and Britain's ties with its former colony. "These are two countries that really do think on the same lines on so many of the issues that matter to our people and to our electorates," Johnson told reporters after the meeting. Johnson said Britain was keen to pursue free trade deals with New Zealand and other nations once its withdrawal from the EU -- scheduled for March 2019 -- was complete. He said New Zealand would be "at or near the front of the queue" when Britain was negotiating the post-Brexit pacts. "If I can make one thing absolutely clear, I'll say this until I'm blue in the face, Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world," he said. "On the contrary, it is about wanting to keep great relations with our European friends and partners... (while) rediscovering and intensifying friendships and partnerships around the world." Bamilo employees work at the e-commerce site's offices in Tehran on July 9, 2017 The names may be unfamiliar but the services are immediately recognisable: Snapp is Iran's answer to Uber, Digikala is its Amazon, and Pintapin its Booking.com. US sanctions have protected the Islamic republic's tech sector, barring Silicon Valley from profiting from one of the world's most promising emerging markets, and giving a free run to domestic start-ups to recreate their services. Even some Californian mumbo-jumbo has been imported: one booth at the Elecomp tech fair in Tehran this week claimed it was "Creating Artificial Mindfulness". But don't dare call them copycats -- transplanting a foreign business model to Iran is never straightforward. "It's not a matter of copying code line-by-line," said Amirali Mohajer, the 32-year-old chief operating officer of Pintapin. Transforming Iran's hotel industry: operators at work at Pintapin's Tehran offices "You need local expertise that has to be built from the ground up, and it might need an entirely different business model to make it successful." His office sits alongside several other fast-growing start-ups in the offices of the Iran Internet Group (IIG), a haven of north Tehrani hipsterdom where the jeans are skinny, the headscarves loose, and 20-somethings sip espressos in glass meeting rooms. Pintapin's staff are not just building a website, they are transforming Iran's entire hotel industry. "Up until very recently, a lot of travel arrangements were done completely offline through phone calls and faxes and traditional models that really belong in the last century," said Mohajer. Half the company's time is spent convincing hotels to give up pen-and-paper reservations and start automating their business. Mohajer, who spent 16 years abroad in Britain and Canada, says he came back to Iran because it felt like a place where tech could have "an impact that actually matters". Employees of e-commerce site Bamilo "We really believe we're working towards creating Iran's rightful place in the worldwide travel market... helping reconstruct an Iranian identity that's been unfortunately damaged due to political issues." - 'People love it' - Across town, the huge hangars, strip-lighting and shiny booths of the Elecomp tech fair could be anywhere. It is growing rapidly: its start-up section had 80 hopefuls three years ago, now there are more than 400 -- the usual mix of delivery apps, online shopping and games. But global brands are almost entirely absent, the result of severe US sanctions that remain in place despite other countries lifting restrictions under a 2015 nuclear deal. Some Iranians have found ways to profit from sanctions: one company at Elecomp buys Amazon products from the United States and ships them to Iranians for a small surcharge. Visitors attend the Elecomp tech fair in Tehran on July 23, 2017 "People love it. There are many fake products in Iran. When they order from us, they get the real thing," said its spokesman Hamid Tavakoli. But isolation has been a very mixed blessing. "There are two sides to the coin. When you are under sanctions, you have an opportunity to do many things yourself," said the fair's organiser, Naserali Saadat. "But generally, it's not a good thing... you can't live like an island in this world." That view is echoed by German-Iranian Ramtin Monazahian, who came from Berlin in 2014 to found e-commerce site Bamilo. He may not have to worry about Amazon muscling him out of the way, but nor can he hope they will buy him up for billions as happens elsewhere. Moreover, he needs a thriving retail sector to underpin his services, and sanctions "hit the consumer area pretty hard. Purchasing power is suffering... that's hurting all businesses," he said. Still, he sees huge potential in a country of 80 million people with a large, consumerist middle-class. "It's probably the last big country with no major competition," he said. - Bigger picture - Foreign investors have taken notice. Iran's tech scene has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars from firms such as South Africa's MTN, Germany's Rocket and Swedish company Pomegranate. The real breakthrough is not necessarily the tech itself, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Europe-Iran Forum, but the forging of these foreign partnerships. "This is not just about digital innovation and young people thinking entrepreneurially -- which is somewhat new in Iran -- but also how venture capital can influence the bigger picture of investing," he said. He predicts these partnerships will now be replicated in more traditional sectors like retail. "Tech was a smart place to start -- small initial amounts of capital and you're dealing with young entrepreneurs rather than entrenched family owners," said Batmanghelidj. "Of course, many challenges remain, but they were made by people and can be solved by people." US aerospace giant Boeing has signed a billion-dollar contract with French industrial software company Dassault Systemes to modernise its production system, French media said Tuesday. French industrial software company Dassault Systemes announced Tuesday it has reached a deal with US aerospace giant to modernise its production system, in what it said was its biggest ever contract. "Boeing will expand the deployment of products developed by Dassault Systemes," the company said in a statement, confirming information published by French newspaper Le Figaro. The paper, which like Dassault Systemes is part of the Dassault Group, said "Boeing has signed a 30-year contract worth a billion dollars, renewable every 10 years". Contacted by AFP, Dassault Systemes declined to confirm the value of the deal, but said it is "the biggest in its history." Dassault Systemes also said Tuesday its second quarter net profit was up 21.4 percent at 123 million euros ($143 million), and lowered some of its objectives to take into account the rise in the value of euro. The partnership with Boeing will focus on the use of its 3DEXPERIENCE software "to design future products, to modernise the entire production system and to deploy new services", Le Figaro said. It will hasten the digital switchover of Boeing's production system and to give it "a competitive advantage in the commercial field, by reducing excessive delivery times", Le Figaro said. Boeing and its European rival Airbus have years of backlogs of orders for the most popular models of their commercial aircraft, and they get paid only when they deliver planes to their clients. US President Donald Trump, seen here speaking during the National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, says a CIA program to aid rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was "massive, dangerous and wasteful" US President Donald Trump on Monday announced he had ended a program to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de-escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State. Rio Tinto reported itself to regulators last November after an conducting an internal probe into US$10.5 million in payments made over the project Britain's Serious Fraud Office has opened an investigation into mining giant Rio Tinto for "suspected corruption" surrounding the development of the world's biggest untapped iron-ore deposit in Guinea. Plans to mine the massive Simandou iron ore deposits -- a US$20-billion project deep in the remote interior of the poor west African country -- have been mired in legal disputes and political upheaval for years. Rio Tinto reported itself to regulators last November after conducting an internal probe into US$10.5 million in payments made over the project. In a statement late Monday, Britain's fraud investigators said: "The SFO has opened an investigation into suspected corruption in the conduct of business in the Republic of Guinea by the Rio Tinto group, its employees and others associated with it." Rio told AFP Tuesday it would "fully co-operate with the Serious Fraud Office and any other relevant authorities, as it has done since it self-reported in November 2016". The Australian Federal Police confirmed it was also investigating the Guinea allegations and that Rio was co-operating. Rio Tinto first secured exploration rights to Simandou in 1997. In 2014, it sealed a US$20 billion deal with a Chinese consortium led by state-run aluminium group Chinalco to develop Simandou, which would have been Africa's biggest-ever mining and infrastructure venture. Rio launched its internal investigation after becoming aware last August of email correspondence from 2011 relating to the payments "made to a consultant providing advisory services" for the project. In October last year Rio announced the sale of its 46.6 percent holding to Chinalco, which previously held a 41.3 percent stake in the project. A month later, it notified US, British and Australian regulators of its internal investigation. The Anglo-Australian firm is listed on both London and Sydney's stock exchanges. The world's second-largest miner also fired two executives -- energy and minerals head Alan Davies and legal affairs chief Debra Valentine -- following its probe. The miner's shares fell 0.24 percent to Aus$62.47 in mid-day trading Tuesday in Sydney. The US House of Representatives is poised to vote to slap new sanctions against Russia The US House of Representatives votes Tuesday to slap new sanctions against Russia, a move that limits President Donald Trump's ability to tinker with the penalties and has also triggered uproar in Moscow and Europe. The legislation, which is the result of a congressional compromise reached at the weekend and is aimed at punishing the Kremlin for meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and Russia's annexation of Crimea, could end up penalizing European firms that contribute to the development of Russia's energy sector. New sanctions against Iran and North Korea for their actions on or testing of ballistic missiles are also included in the bill. Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs the US president by making it difficult for him to unilaterally ease penalties against Moscow in the future -- effectively placing him under Congress's watch. Initially, Trump resisted the legislation. But faced with near-total consensus among Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the White House blinked. In mid-June, the Senate voted 98-2 in favor of tough sanctions on Moscow and Tehran, but the text stalled in the House. Now that an agreement was reached Saturday, the House vote could be similarly overwhelming. The measure would then return to the Senate for final passage, likely before summer break in mid-August. The bill includes sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which stands accused of supporting terrorism, and North Korea, for its missile tests. "I am pleased to see the Congress work as a whole to hold Iran, Russia, and North Korea accountable for their continued destabilizing activities across the world," Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said in a statement. The bill also "sends a clear message to the president that Congress is prepared to act with a united voice," he added. While the commander in chief has called for improved relations with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, the White House has said Trump backs sanctions on Russia. But it did not say directly that Trump would sign the bill. "He's going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday on Air Force One. US lawmakers, including Republican leaders, have remained wary of the intentions of the billionaire businessman-turned-president regarding a relaxation of pressure on Putin. Even if Trump ended up vetoing the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. - Russia, Europe alarmed - The Kremlin on Monday warned that fresh sanctions on Russia would hit the interests of both sides. "We consider such a continuation of the rhetoric of sanctions counter-productive and harmful to the interests of both countries," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. From Paris to Berlin the sanctions bill was seen as Washington's unilateral action that disrupts a carefully crafted order. To date, sanctions against Russia have been coordinated on both sides of the Atlantic, so the Western bloc appeared united. "For us, G7 unity regarding sanctions is of key importance as it is the respect of implementation of Minsk agreement," European Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has signalled that the European Union would be prepared to respond. Several European nations including Germany are livid because the new law would allow the punishment of companies engaged with pipelines from Russia, for example by limiting their access to US banks. The provision could theoretically pave the way for sanctions against the European partners in Nord Stream 2, a project to build a pipeline carrying Russian gas across the Baltic which could boost supplies to Germany from 2019. Such partners include France's Engie, Germany's Uniper and Wintershall, Austrian firm OMV and the Anglo-Dutch Shell. To date, Washington and Brussels had agreed that sanctions would not affect Europe's gas supply. In an apparent concession, the House slightly modified a provision so that the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those which merely pass through Russia, such as the Caspian pipeline which carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe. Earlier this week President Abdulla Yameen ordered troops to evict the country's legislators and prevent the impeachment of his speaker, the opposition said, in the latest turmoil in the honeymoon islands Maldivian troops blockaded parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said Tuesday, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again Tuesday, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. "Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now," MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told AFP. "This is ridiculous." The parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the president's ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameen's office said in a statement Tuesday that parliament was closed ahead of an "incoming VVIP visit". Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. "The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on 24 July 2017 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the... constitution," Yameen's office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just one-square mile (two square kilometres) in size, was tighter than usual. The UK government urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and protests following the disturbance around the parliament building. "Previous demonstrations and political protests have led to violence and arrests," the updated travel summary said. Months of political upheaval in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymoon paradise. The United States and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameen's grip on parliament. However the parliament secretariat declared the impeachment motion was invalid, scheduling the next sitting on July 31. The first attempt to impeach the speaker in March triggered chaos when troops acting on Yameen's orders stormed parliament and removed dissenting opponents by force. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically-elected president in 2008, but was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a controversial 2013 election run-off. In 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. He now lives in exile in Britain. Japan's government says it will push further for measures against work-related suicides, saying that cutting extreme work hours and preventing harassment by bosses are necessary Japan aims to cut suicides by 30 percent over 10 years, with the government Tuesday approving a plan which seeks to curb extreme work hours seen as contributing to one of the world's highest suicide rates. Japan has the highest suicide rate among Group of Seven (G7) advanced countries and the government describes the situation as "critical" in a country where more than 20,000 people kill themselves every year. The suicide rate -- the ratio per 100,000 people -- was 18.5 in 2015 and the government wants to reduce it below 13.0 in 2025. Suicides have fallen since peaking at 34,427 in 2003, with 21,897 taking their own lives last year. The government in the plan cited measures taken nationwide over that time as being behind the drop. The plan, approved at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, is reviewed every five years. The first one came in 2007. It states that the government will push further for measures against work-related suicides, saying that cutting extreme work hours and preventing harassment by bosses are necessary. Tokyo is ramping up efforts to tackle deaths from overwork following the suicide of a young employee at Japan's biggest advertising agency Dentsu, who regularly logged more than 100 hours of overtime a month. The death of Matsuri Takahashi in 2015 generated nationwide headlines, prompting the government to come up with a plan asking employers to limit overtime to a maximum of 100 hours per month. But critics say this is still too high. The labour ministry in May released its first nationwide employer blacklist, naming-and-shaming more than 300 companies including Dentsu, for illegal overtime and other workplace violations. The new rail project linking Hong Kong to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is one of a number of cross-border infrastructure projects, including a bridge to the mainland and the neighbouring casino enclave Macau A plan for mainland border staff to be stationed on Hong Kong soil as part of a new rail link to China sparked a backlash Tuesday as concern grows about Beijing's reach into the city. It is illegal for mainland law enforcers to operate in semi-autonomous Hong Kong under the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law. But there are already concerns that Chinese operatives are working undercover after the alleged abductions of a city bookseller and a reclusive Chinese businessman. The rail link plan comes at a time when fears are worsening that Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an ever more assertive Beijing. The high-speed connection out of the harbourfront West Kowloon station is set to open in 2018, linking to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou 80 miles (130 km) away and then onto China's national rail network. A proposal approved by the Hong Kong government's top advisory body Tuesday would see parts of the Hong Kong terminus fall under Chinese jurisdiction. There are already numerous transport connections between Hong Kong and the mainland, but Chinese immigration checks are done on the other side of the border. City leader Carrie Lam insisted the new checkpoint arrangement was not a breach of the Basic Law and was designed to cut travel time. "The crux of the matter is really to find a means that is legal to support this convenience for the people of Hong Kong," Lam told reporters. - 'State property' - The government's pro-Beijing camp has said Hong Kong is simply "leasing" the portion of land at the terminus to China. But veteran lawyer and democracy advocate Martin Lee, who helped draft the Basic Law in the 1980s, said creating an exception within Hong Kong where mainland Chinese laws are enforced would set a "dangerous precedent". It would put at risk the semi-autonomous "one country, two systems" set-up guaranteed when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Lee told AFP. The government wanted to force through the plan to make Hong Kong people "feel closer to Beijing, the sovereign power", added opposition legislator Claudia Mo. Faced with a barrage of reporters' questions Tuesday afternoon, justice secretary Rimsky Yuen pointed out that, under the Basic Law, Hong Kong's land and natural resources were "state property". He said the mainland area of the terminus would be regarded as outside the territorial boundary of Hong Kong and that Chinese rules would apply. Yuen was unsure whether websites like Facebook, banned on the mainland, would be accessible in China's portions of the station. Parts of the arrival level and departure level of the terminus will be under Chinese jurisdiction, as will the platform level and train cabins. Mainland staff stationed at the terminus will include customs, immigration and health officials, as well as police. The plan now needs approval from the city's legislature, which is weighted towards the pro-China camp. The rail link is one of a number of cross-border infrastructure projects which have stoked fears Hong Kong is being swallowed up by the mainland. Passengers from Hong Kong could reach Beijing in under 10 hours on the new line, but controversies have plagued the project, with snowballing costs now at HK$84.42 billion ($10 billion). Speculation intensified Tuesday that North Korea is preparing another missile launch test to coincide with a military anniversary, just weeks after conducting its first successful test of an ICBM that experts warned could reach Alaska. Speculation intensified Tuesday that North Korea is preparing another missile launch to coincide with a military anniversary, just weeks after conducting its first successful test of an ICBM that experts warned could reach Alaska. US and South Korean media reports cited intelligence and military officials as saying transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment had been seen on the move. The test -- which both Seoul and Washington officials warned could be of another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-- could coincide with the 64th anniversary of the end of the Korean War on July 27, reports said. This is a public holiday in the nuclear-armed North and celebrated as Victory Day. The two Koreas have remained technically at war since the three-year conflict ended only with a ceasefire rather than a full peace treaty. "Movements by transporter erector launchers carrying (ICBM) launch tubes have been continuously observed in North Pyongan (province)," a South Korean government source was quoted as saying by the country's Yonhap news agency. "There is a high possibility that the North may carry out (the test-launch) around the July 27 armistice day." The North in 2014 marked the armistice anniversary by firing a Scud-B short-range missile on July 26. Yonhap also cited a South Korean military source as saying Pyongyang may be preparing to test a new type of ICBM or an intermediate-range missile. On Monday CNN cited a US defence official as saying the North appeared to be preparing for another missile test. That official said transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment were seen arriving at Kusong in North Pyongan last Friday. The US network earlier cited US intelligence as indicating preparations for another test of an ICBM or intermediate-range missile. Kusong has been the scene of past tests, including in May when an intermediate-range ballistic missile travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles). Pyongyang triggered global alarm on July 4, US Independence Day, when it test-fired its first ICBM which experts believe can reach Alaska -- a landmark development in its weapons programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who personally oversaw the launch, described it as gift to the "American bastards". The ICBM brings within reach Pyongyang's long-held dream of a missile that can deliver an atomic warhead to the continental United States, and presents US President Donald Trump with a stark challenge. The North last week refused to respond to the South's offer to open dialogue to ease tension. "We're keeping close surveillance on the North for possible provocative acts", a South Korean defence ministry spokesman told AFP. Yonhap also quoted a different Seoul government source as saying that an 1,800-tonne North Korean submarine in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) may be collecting data to prepare for a ballistic missile test-launch from the North's largest submarine. The North last August successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Yingluck's supporters have accused the junta of launching a political witch-hunt against her since seizing power in a 2014 coup Thai authorities have frozen seven bank accounts belonging to ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra over a $1 billion fine she faces for her administration's controversial rice subsidy scheme, her lawyer said Tuesday. The move is seen as unprecedented because it financially sanctions an elected leader for a government policy and it is the latest in a barrage of legal battles she has had to fight since she was booted from office. Thailand's first female prime minister, whose government was toppled in a 2014 coup, is already facing up to a decade in jail for allegedly failing to stop graft in the subsidy programme that targeted her party's rural farming base. She was also retroactively impeached soon after the coup, a move that banned her from politics for five years. Yingluck's legal team had petitioned for an injunction against the $1 billion fine -- which dwarfs the roughly $18 million she has in publicly declared assets. But the Finance Ministry said Monday it was moving ahead with the order and planned to seize at least 12 accounts belonging to the embattled politician as an initial measure. Yingluck's lawyer confirmed Tuesday that at least seven accounts had now been locked. "Bangkok Bank notified us that seven of her bank accounts have been frozen and cannot carry out any transactions," Noppadon Laowthong told AFP. Yingluck, whose supporters have accused the junta of launching a political witch-hunt against her since seizing power, turned to Twitter to insist on her innocence. "I am ready to prove my innocence and that I have not done anything wrong in my closing statement on 1 August," she wrote in reference to the final stage of her criminal negligence trial over the rice scheme. The verdict in that trial is due to be announced on August 25. Analysts say the junta and its establishment allies are bent on crushing the political machine led by Yingluck and her billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also ousted in a 2006 coup. The siblings are beloved in Thailand's poor northeast but loathed by Bangkok's traditional elite, who keep knocking down their governments with coups and court rulings. Under Yingluck's flagship rice-pledging scheme the government bought paddy at nearly twice the market rate. It cemented her popularity among many farmers but led to huge stockpiles of unsold rice and cost Thailand its spot as the world's leading rice exporter. Critics blasted the scheme as the latest graft-riddled populist handout by the Shinawatra camp, which has won every national election since 2001. The junta claims the policy cost Thailand around $8 billion in lost revenue. The subsidy scheme helped galvanise elite-backed protests in Bangkok that paved the way for the 2014 coup. Ram Nath Kovind (C) has said he will use his position as Indian president to improve the lot of Dalits, a marginalised 200-million strong community once known as 'untouchables' Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as India's president Tuesday, becoming just the second leader from the oppressed Dalit community to be elected head of state. A former lawyer and state governor, Kovind was elected to the largely ceremonial position last week with more than 65 percent of the vote by members of India's parliament and state assemblies. Kovind, accompanied by his wife, paid respects early Tuesday at a memorial dedicated to India's independence hero Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi. "I grew up in a mud house, in a small village. My journey has been a long one, and yet this journey is hardly mine alone. It is so telling of our nation and our society also," Kovind said after taking the oath of office in parliament. "For all its problems, it (nation) follows that basic mantra given to us in the preamble of the constitution -- of ensuring justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra." The 71-year-old was nominated by the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party in a move analysts say would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi tighten his grip on power and gain political capital ahead of his re-election bid in 2019. Kovind has said he will use his position to improve the lot of Dalits, a marginalised 200-million strong community once known as "untouchables" and ranked among India's poorest. "Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique... We are so different yet so similar and united," Kovind said. India's prime minister wields executive power, but the president can send back some parliamentary bills for reconsideration and also plays a guiding role in the process of forming governments. Kovind is the second Dalit president after K. R. Narayan, who held the post for five years from 1997. A general view of the Qatari capital Doha Saudi Arabia and its allies unveiled a "terrorist" blacklist on Tuesday of 18 organisations and individuals suspected of links with Islamist extremism that they said had ties with regional rival Qatar. The move by the four Arab governments came despite mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott of their fellow US ally. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt last month released a list of 59 people and 12 groups they alleged had links to Qatar, accused by the four states of ties to extremist groups in the region. Qatar has denied the allegations. Tuesday's list blacklisted nine charity and media organisations and nine individuals "directly or indirectly linked to Qatari authorities" as "terrorist", read a joint statement released by the four states. "We expect Qatari authorities to take the next step and prosecute the terrorist groups and people," the statement said. "The four countries and their international partners will ensure that Qatar has ceased its support and funding of terrorism, has stopped welcoming terrorists and has stopped spreading extremist and hate speech," it added. The Saudi-led bloc, which now blacklists 89 persons and organisations accused of ties to Islamist groups they say are backed by Qatar, also dismissed an amendment last week to Doha's counter-terrorism law as "insufficient". Saudi Arabia and its allies have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 in the region's worst diplomatic crisis in years. They sealed the emirate's only land border, ordered its citizens to leave and closed their airspace and waters to Qatari flights and shipping. They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a "terror group" by the four governments although not by the international community. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) is welcomed by Deputy Emir of Qatar Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in Doha, on July 24, 2017 They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly towards Iran. Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from its ally Turkey. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who last week spent four days in the region trying to broker a settlement of the crisis, has voiced satisfaction with Qatar's efforts to address any suspicion of terror funding. The four governments on Tuesday blacklisted three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya accusing them of ties to Al-Qaeda. They also blacklisted three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti they said were implicated in "fundraising campaigns to support (former Al-Qaeda affiliate) Al-Nusra Front and other terrorist militias in Syria". Qatar and its neighbours support opposing sides in the conflict in Libya between a UN-backed unity government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east. Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention against Shiite rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March 2015. Jihadists of both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have since expanded their presence in areas of the south under the nominal control of the Saudi-backed government. Rescuers recovered six bodies and pulled a dozen people out of the rubble alive after a four-storey building collapsed in the Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar At least six people were crushed to death when a four-storey building collapsed in India's financial capital of Mumbai Tuesday, the latest incident to highlight poor construction standards in the country. Rescuers pulled a dozen others out of the rubble alive, some seriously injured, after the structure gave way mid-morning in the northern suburb of Ghatkopar, officials said. "The death toll is now six. We think around 15 may still be trapped and rescue operations are ongoing," Tanaji Kamble, a disaster management spokesman for Mumbai's civic administrative body, told AFP. Building collapses are common in India, especially during the annual monsoon season which usually runs from late June to September. In a separate incident Tuesday, a building partially collapsed in Kolkata in India's east after days of monsoonal rain. Several people were trapped in the rubble, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. "Firefighters are trying to rescue the people trapped under the debris," said G P Ghosh, director of fire services in West Bengal state. Mumbai is particularly susceptible with millions forced to live in cramped, ramshackle properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor. The city has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings. In 2013, 60 people were killed when a residential block came crashing down in one of Mumbai's worst housing disasters. A dilapidated building left 12 people dead when it collapsed near the city in August 2015. Nine people died the same month when another old three-storey building collapsed in monsoon rain in the Mumbai suburb of Thakurli. India's Supreme Court building in New Delhi Doctors on Wednesday will examine a 10-year-old raped by her uncle as India's top court considers whether she should be allowed to have an abortion despite strict laws. The girl's parents went to the Supreme Court after their appeal to abort the 26-week foetus was rejected by a lower authority, despite warnings her body was not ready for childbirth. Indian law does not allow medical terminations after 20 weeks unless there is a threat to the mother's life. But the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal, ordering doctors to conduct a medical examination and report back before a ruling is given on Friday. The girl's pregnancy was only discovered recently after her parents took her to hospital complaining of stomach pain. Indian courts have considered many pleas from rape victims seeking permission to terminate pregnancies following abuse. In many cases, the women only discovered they were pregnant when late in their term. In May the top court allowed a 10-year-old rape victim from the northern state of Haryana to abort her nearly 21-week foetus. India has a grim record of sexual assaults on minors with 20,000 cases of rape or sexual assaults reported in 2015, according to government data. A UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2014 said one in three rape victims in India was a minor and expressed alarm at the widespread sexual abuse of children. Almost 50 percent of the abusers are known to the victims. Sex -- whether consensual or otherwise -- with a person aged below 18 is considered rape in India. In April, the Trump administration provided a broad outline of proposed reforms, including simplifying tax brackets, eliminating the marriage penalty, and creating child care deductions. The National Catholic Register recently published an article on the reforms, focusing on its effect on the family. Rev. Robert Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, provided his thoughts on Trumps plan: A refundable tax credit, instead of a direct subsidy from the government, is more in line with the principle of subsidiarity, said Father Robert Sirico, founder and president of the Acton Institute, a Michigan-based think tank focusing on free-market economic policy. When the parents work outside the home and they purchase child care, I think they can derive some benefit without it being directly a subsidy from the government, said Father Sirico, who added that new policies must avoid giving single income-earning adults a disincentive to marry. Later Sirico discusses the marriage penalty and its implications on the family: Our current tax policy doesnt give couples incentives to get married or stay married, said Father Sirico, who added that having intact families with married couples helps prevent children from entering into poverty. Father Sirico supports reducing the income tax brackets from seven to three as well as new deductions for child care and private education. He does not favor a mandatory paid parental-leave government mandate, arguing that such a policy distorts the market instead of allowing workers to negotiate those terms with their employers. The study of economics and public policy is often a study of unintended consequences. Legislators often design a tax plan focused on collecting revenue efficiently, without realizing that they have unintentionally harmed the families which make up the foundation of our society. Violence against journalists in Afghanistan has soared in 2017, with at least 10 media workers killed during the first half of the year At least 10 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in the first half of 2017, a 35 percent surge from last year, a media watchdog said Tuesday, with rampant violence on the rise in the war-torn country. Taliban militants and the Islamic State group were behind most of the "direct and indirect" attacks on media workers in Afghanistan, the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC) said in a new report. "In the first six months of 2017, 73 cases of violence against journalists were recorded, including 10 cases of killings, 19 beatings and 12 injured," the report said. "Insurgent groups in provinces threaten journalists to self-censorship by telling them to either broadcast what they want or shutdown their stations," Najib Sharifi, the director of AJSC, told reporters. The Afghan government accounted for 46 percent of violence against journalists in the first half of the year, limiting access to information and creating challenging conditions for the media, he added. If the violence continues at the same pace, Afghanistan is on track for another record year of fatal attacks on journalists. Last year the country suffered its deadliest year on record for journalists, according to AJSC, with at least 13 media workers killed -- 10 by the Taliban. That made it the second most dangerous place for reporters in the world after Syria. In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, which is often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them. It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. A Japanese woman has died from a tick-borne virus after being bitten by a stray cat in what is possibly the world's first animal-to-human transmission of the disease. The woman in her 50s died some 10 days after being bitten by the cat last year after she took the animal to a veterinary hospital. Authorities have since confirmed that she developed SFTS, a disease transmitted by bites from a certain group of virus-carrying ticks. Human-to-human infections of the tick virus through blood contact have been reported, but Japanese health officials believe the woman's death could be the first case of a human dying from the bite of an infected animal Human-to-human infections of the tick virus through blood contact have been reported, but ministry officials believe the Japanese woman's death could be the first case of a human dying from the bite of an infected animal. 'No reports on animal-to-human transmission cases have been made so far,' a health ministry official told AFP on Tuesday. 'It's still not confirmed the virus came from the cat, but it's possible that it's the (world's) first case,' she said. Another official said there were no signs the woman had been bitten by a tick. SFTS, or severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, triggers symptoms including severe fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In Japan some 60 people contract the disease every year from tick bites with a fatality rate of some 20 percent, according to the Japanese ministry. No preventive medicines or vaccines are available for the disease. 'There are only symptomatic therapies, such as dealing with fever or diarrhoea,' the ministry official said. 'The best way to avoid the infection is not to be bitten by ticks,' she added. Many of those killed in the attack were police who were clearing shopping stalls that had illegally encroached on to the road Anger was growing in Pakistan Tuesday as the grief-stricken relatives of 26 people killed by a suicide bomber in Lahore a day earlier buried their loved ones and demanded the government publicly hang the masterminds of the attack. Families and residents in the bustling eastern city demanded action as they attended funeral prayers, and as the chief minister of Punjab province Shahbaz Sharif -- brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif -- visited survivors in hospital. "We demand from the Government of Pakistan that those who are involved in this incident and those who are the facilitators should be hanged in public," Hafiz Naseer ul Din, uncle of a policeman killed in the blast, told AFP. "We came here in great grief," added Shaikh Rizwan, a local resident who attended the funeral prayers for some of the victims. "Twenty-six people were martyred here yesterday, I request my government that please uproot these terrorists fully so our country can progress," he said. The powerful blast Monday hit a busy vegetable market on a bustling main road in the southern part of Lahore, blowing out the windows in nearby buildings. Many of those killed in the attack were police who were clearing shopping stalls that had illegally encroached on to the road. On Tuesday distraught relatives carried the coffins of two policemen, brothers who were killed in the attack, to a petrol pump which had been turned into a makeshift prayer ground. Floral wreaths from local police chiefs were placed on the wooden coffins as family members wept. Police have said their initial investigations show the attack, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, was carried out by a suicide bomber. Forensic experts were collecting evidence from the site of the blast Tuesday, an AFP video reporter saw. Lahore has been hit by significant militant attacks in Pakistan's more than decade-long war on extremism, but they have been less frequent in recent years. The last major blast in the city was in March last year, when 75 were killed and hundreds injured in a bomb targeting Christians celebrating Easter Sunday in a park. But the country was also hit by a wave of attacks in February this year, including a bomb that killed 14 people in Lahore. In April a further seven were killed in an attack in the city targeting a team that was carrying out the country's long overdue census. After years of spiralling insecurity, the powerful army launched a crackdown on militancy in the wake of a brutal attack on a school in late 2014. More than 150 people, most of them children, died in the Taliban-led assault in the northwestern city of Peshawar -- the country's deadliest ever single attack. It shook a country already grimly accustomed to atrocities and prompted the military to step up operations in the tribal areas, where militants had previously operated with impunity. The country has seen a dramatic improvement in security since, though groups such as the Pakistani Taliban retain the ability to carry out spectacular attacks. Suspected Laotian drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha arrives in court in Bangkok in April Thai police on Tuesday announced the seizure of drugs worth $30 million, including seven million methamphetamine tablets, "ice" and liquid ketamine, from houses around Bangkok linked to an alleged Laotian drug lord. Nine Thais were arrested in the major two-day operation, which turned up 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine -- known as "ice" -- and thousands of bottles of liquid ketamine. When smoked, "ice" gives a stronger high than the pill version of meth -- which is known in Thailand as "yaba" and has also flooded other parts of Southeast Asia. "The drugs were kept at 'warehouses', waiting to be delivered to lower-level drug dealers," said Wuttipong Phetkamnerd from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, estimating the street value at one billion baht ($30 million). "The top of this network is linked to Xaysana (Keopimpha) and others," he added, referring to the 42-year-old Laotian who was arrested at a Thai airport in January. Police accuse Xaysana -- dubbed "Mr. X" -- of using his base in shadowy Laos to funnel meth, ice and ecstasy from the "Golden Triangle" region down through Thailand and Malaysia. Xaysana's arrest drew frenzied media coverage in Thailand after police said a string of celebrities, including a soap opera star, were linked to his smuggling network. It also spotlighted the role of communist Laos as a transit country in the regional drug trade, home to several key middlemen accused of shuttling pills to big markets in Thailand and Malaysia. Xaysana has denied all charges and is awaiting trial in a Thai prison. The Golden Triangle, a rugged region where Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and southern China intersect, is the world's second largest drug-producing area after Latin America. Large amounts of opium and heroin and hundreds of millions of methamphetamine pills are churned out in remote jungle labs each year and smuggled across Asia and beyond. A Syrian child waits to receive treatment at a makeshift hospital after he was injured in shelling on the rebel-held town of Arbin on July 24, 2017 Air strikes have killed at least 11 civilians and wounded dozens over 24 hours in a rebel-held region near the Syrian capital despite a fragile truce, residents and a monitor said. A strike late Monday killed eight civilians, half of them children, and wounded dozens in the Eastern Ghouta enclave. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported fresh air raids on the Eastern Ghouta town of Arbin and its outskirts late Tuesday, saying at least three more civilians were killed. The Britain-based monitor said regime planes carried out the six strikes. Monday's strike hit Arbin at around 11:30 pm (2030 GMT), residents said. At least four children and one woman were among the dead, according to medics and the Observatory. An AFP correspondent who visited the town's hospital early on Tuesday saw at least five small bodies laid out on the floor, wrapped in white shrouds. Two of them were toddlers. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said either government warplanes or those of its Russian ally carried out the bombing, which also wounded at least 30 people. A Russian military official said there were no air strikes in the Eastern Ghouta region's ceasefire zone, calling the reports of Monday's bombing "a complete lie". The truce announced for Eastern Ghouta on Saturday was the second thrashed out under an agreement struck by government allies Iran and Russia and rebel backer Turkey in May. The army said it would observe an indefinite freeze on fighting with rebels in the region. But the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday that the truce excluded areas held by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front or its ally Faylaq al-Rahman -- which controls Arbin. A map of Eastern Ghouta shown during a Monday briefing by Russia's defence ministry appeared to show that the northern half of Arbin was excluded from the zone. A Syrian man sits in his damaged house on July 25, 2017 following an air strike late the previous night on the rebel-held town of Arbin, east of the capital But a Russian military official said Tuesday that reports "about an alleged air strike the evening of July 24 in the Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone are a complete lie aimed at discrediting the peace process". He said contacts with opposition groups in the zone "confirmed that no military hostilities took place in this zone, and there were no air strikes". - 'Huge explosion' - At the site of Monday's strike, residents appeared in shock as they cleared rubble from their homes. "We were sleeping at home when the plane came and fired a rocket," 13-year-old Mohammad said. Syrian children wait to receive treatment at a makeshift hospital after they were injured in shelling on the rebel-held town of Arbin on July 24, 2017 "I was with my mother and sister, we heard a huge explosion so we opened up the bomb shelter and went downstairs," he told AFP. Father of four Abu Bashar said the force of the explosion blew out all his doors and windows. "We couldn't see anything but dust," the 30-year-old said. A pair of exhausted doctors walked through Arbin's hospital on Tuesday morning after a long night treating patients. "My sister came to visit me and she and her two children were killed," a woman cried. The Observatory said there had been air strikes on Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, at sunset on Monday, and again on Tuesday, but that Monday's deaths in Arbin were the first civilian deaths there since the truce began. A similar ceasefire was announced for southern areas of Syria on July 9. Under the May agreement, "de-escalation zones" are planned for four key battlegrounds between government and rebel forces, but there have been disagreements over their borders and who will police them. A Syrian man cleans the rubble outside his home on July 25, 2017 following an air strike late the previous night on the rebel-held town of Arbin, east of the capital The presence of jihadist and allied forces which control large parts of the remaining rebel enclaves has also complicated the ceasefire efforts. The Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies insist the jihadists cannot be included in any truce. Moscow said Monday it had set up two checkpoints and four observation posts in Eastern Ghouta to monitor the ceasefire. On Tuesday it said it had delivered more than 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid including foodstuffs and medicine to rebel-held parts of Eastern Ghouta. "The first convoy of humanitarian aid has arrived in Eastern Ghouta," the defence ministry in Moscow said in a statement. burs/srm/par Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union A knife-wielding man shouting "Allahu Akbar" entered the border post between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla on Tuesday, threatening police who wrestled him to the ground. The man is in custody, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido tweeted, without indicating whether the incident was an attempted terror attack. Zoido posted security camera footage of the drama -- which took place on Spanish soil -- showing the man in a blue top walking slowly through the border post holding a knife, police closing in on him. One of the officers hurled a portable road barricade at him, throwing him to the ground as other agents pounced to remove the knife. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police) shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greater), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla, told AFP. Flores said an initial investigation indicated the man was Moroccan, but this has yet to be confirmed. A police spokesman had earlier said the man ran into the border post, but that is not visible on the footage. - Restive border - Melilla and its sister Spanish city Ceuta, both Spanish territories on Morocco's northern coast, are the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. Many Moroccans live there or go there daily to buy tax-free products. They are also a strong draw for migrants desperate to reach Europe, many of them from sub-Saharan Africa. These regularly storm the border fences or try and smuggle themselves in. The Melilla border has been hit by three car-ramming incidents this year, with people driving vehicles with migrants hidden inside into the border post at high speed. But this is believed to be the first incident of this type. Spain has so far been spared the kind of extremist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by Al Qaeda-inspired extremists. Since 2016, Spain has emerged as a potential target for jihadists, with extremist websites mentioning it for historical reasons, since much of its territory was once under Muslim rule. - Third tourism destination - Generally, authorities in Spain -- the world's third largest tourism destination -- remain discreet on the terror threat. But they publicise every arrest of alleged jihadists, most of them detained for propaganda, recruitment for extremist groups or "glorifying terrorism." According to the interior ministry, more than 180 "jihadist terrorists" have been arrested since June 2015 when Spain raised the terror alert level to four out of a maximum of five, in domestic and foreign operations. In Ceuta and Melilla, where poverty and unemployment are rife, such arrests are frequent. The last in Melilla dates back to June 23 when a man suspected of having tried to recruit fighters for the Islamic State group (IS) was detained. "Radicalisation in Spain isn't uniform over all the national territory but appears to be concentrated around clusters or pockets of radicalisation," said Clara Garcia Calvo from the Real Instituto Elcano think tank, who researches global extremism. She told AFP that these "clusters" were in Madrid, Barcelona, Ceuta and Melilla. Community unrest forced Shell to quit oil production in Ogoniland in the restive south of Nigeria in 1993 but the company still runs a network of pipelines criss-crossing the area Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell said Tuesday it has shut down a key crude supply pipeline in Nigeria's restive south because of a leak. Shell subsidiary the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) said the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) was shut on July 21 at B-Dere in Ogoniland. "Efforts are ongoing for a joint investigation visit to determine the cause of the leak and repair of the pipeline," the company said in a statement. The volume of production shut-in was not disclosed. The TNP feeds the Bonny Light export terminal, which has a production capacity of 225,000 barrels per day of oil. Militants and oil thieves in the region have repeatedly attacked the pipeline. Community unrest forced Shell to quit oil production in Ogoniland in 1993 but the company still runs a network of pipelines criss-crossing the area. A spokesman for the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) pressure group said it was not responsible for the latest shutdown. "We are not involved in the incident we only heard about it. Our position however remains that Shell is not welcome on our land," Fegalo Nsuke told AFP. He called on Shell to address the issues of environmental degradation, neglect, injustice and under-development before considering the resumption of production in Ogoniland. "If they want our oil, they have to take care of the people," he added. MOSOP founder Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed with eight other activists by Nigeria's then-military government in November 1995 on trumped-up murder charges at a secret trial. Many believed his conviction was politically motivated because of his opposition to Shell's presence in Ogoniland, where there have been repeated oil spills. In 2015, Shell agreed to pay 55 million ($72 million, 61 million euros) in compensation to more than 15,500 people in Ogoniland and agreed to start a clean-up of two major spills. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) said warming relations between Beijing and Manila had helped ensure stability in the South China Sea, where rival claims have long made it one of Asia's potential military flashpoints Beijing urged Southeast Asian nations on Tuesday to unite and "say no" to outside forces seeking to interfere in the South China Sea dispute, in an apparent swipe at the United States ahead of a regional summit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the statement in Manila where he hailed the "strong momentum" in improving ties with the Philippines, a longstanding American ally which has moved closer to China under President Rodrigo Duterte. Wang's visit came a week before he was set to return to Manila for a meeting of foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners, which include China and the United States. Wang said warming relations between Beijing and Manila had helped ensure stability in the South China Sea, where rival claims have long made it one of Asia's potential military flashpoints. "If there are still some non-regional forces or forces in the region that don't want to see stability in the South China Sea and they still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and say no to them together," Wang told reporters. China claims nearly all of the strategically vital sea, even waters approaching the coasts of its neighbours. ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, claim parts of the sea. While the United States is not a claimant and says it takes no sides in the disputes, it has criticised what it has termed Chinese "militarisation" of the sea. Washington has repeatedly sent warships close to Chinese-occupied islands in the sea in recent years, triggering angry responses from Beijing. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has loosened his nation's 70-year-old alliance with the United States while looking to build stronger relations with China and Russia. Duterte has downplayed the Philippines' dispute with China, declining to use a favourable ruling from a UN-backed tribunal last year on the issue to pressure Beijing. He has said better relations with China, following six years of tension under his predecessor who took a hard line with Beijing over the dispute, will generate billions of dollars in promised Chinese investments and aid. Duterte said on Monday the Philippines and China were in talks for joint exploration in the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. Wang on Tuesday pledged 20 million renminbi ($3 million) to help rehabilitate the war-torn southern Philippine city of Marawi, where a US-backed military offensive is seeking to flush out pro-Islamic State group militants. Han Chol-Su (R), vice director of the Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, and Ri Kyong Chol (L), section chief of Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, speak to AFP at the Koryo hotel in Pyongyang Washington's ban on US citizens travelling to North Korea will have no effect on the country's tourism industry and Pyongyang does not care about it "at all", a senior development official insisted Tuesday. The measure is due to be enacted this week and once it goes into force US passports will no longer be valid for travel to the isolated country, which is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. Around 5,000 Western tourists visit the North each year, tour companies say, with about 20 percent of them Americans. Standard one-week trips cost about $2,000. But Han Chol-Su, vice-director of the Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, denied the loss of business would have any impact. "If the US government says Americans cannot come to this country, we don't care a bit," he told AFP in Pyongyang. Washington announced the move after the death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in the North for trying to steal a propaganda poster. Warmbier was sent home in a mysterious coma last month -- Pyongyang said he had contracted botulism -- and died soon afterwards, prompting US President Donald Trump to denounce the "brutal regime". The State Department has long warned its citizens against travelling to North Korea, telling them they are "at serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement", which "imposes unduly harsh sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes in the United States". Showing disrespect to the country's leaders and proselytising are among the actions that can be treated as crimes, the State Department warns, saying it is "entirely possible" that money spent by tourists in the North goes to fund its weapons programmes. Han's organisation is trying to promote the Wonsan-Mount Kumgang International Tourist Zone, a grandiose vision of a tourism-driven development hub on the east coast. He said Washingtons move was politically motivated. "The US has been continuing with sanctions against us but we don't care at all," he said. Tour companies say business has already been hit hard by recent developments, including tensions over the North's weapons programmes, which have seen Trump administration officials warn that military action was an option on the table. "Certainly, of all the dramas that have gone on lately, the Warmbier issue is the biggest one for tourism," said Simon Cockerell, general manager of market leader Koryo Tours which has seen bookings fall 50 percent. "It's depressed the market quite considerably." The latest US move, he said, would hit North Koreans working in the tourist sector, and wipe out "any possibility of a humanising human element between those two sides who demonise each other so much". Matt Kulesza, of Young Pioneer Tours -- the company which brought Warmbier to the country -- said the ban's effect on the North would be "absolutely nothing". But Americans, he added, would lose "the freedom to travel to DPRK (North Korea) and experience the DPRK for themselves and another side to this country that's not often portrayed in the media". The US has accused China of conducting unsafe intercepts twice in May, including an encounter between a US Navy P-3 and Chinese J-10s over the South China Sea China on Tuesday called on the United States to stop "unfriendly" and "dangerous" military flights after two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American surveillance plane over the East China Sea. The US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft took evasive action Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane zoomed underneath it, slowed down and pulled up in front of it, the Pentagon said earlier. China's defence ministry said the action of its pilots was "legal, necessary and professional". "The US military aircraft coming near China's border and carrying out reconnaissance has threatened China's national security, damaged Sino-US military air and sea safety, endangered the personal safety of both pilots," it said in a statement. "The US side should immediately stop such unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly dangerous military activities and take practical measures to add positive energy to the development of Sino-US military relations." Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the incident, which occurred west of the Korean peninsula, was an "uncharacteristic" example of unsafe behaviour by the Chinese military. "There are intercepts that occur in international air space regularly, and the vast majority of them are conducted in a safe manner," he said. The US accused China of conducting unsafe intercepts twice in May, when similar encounters occurred between a WC-135 "nuclear sniffer" plane and Chinese SU-30 fighters over the East China Sea and later in the month between a US Navy P-3 and Chinese J-10s over the South China Sea. In April 2001 a Chinese fighter jet collided with a US Navy EP-3 spy plane around 110 kilometres (70 miles) off Hainan Island over the South China Sea. One Chinese pilot died and the US plane made an emergency landing on Hainan, where China held the 24-member crew for more than a week until Beijing and Washington cut a deal for their release. The East China Sea is part of the Pacific and home to small islands whose ownership is disputed by China, Japan and Taiwan. China also claims a string of islets across the South China Sea and its military expansion in the contested waterway has sparked heightened tensions with regional neighbours and the United States. In a new blockbuster film, director Christopher Nolan faithfully captures for the big screen the frantic chaos and desperation of the Allied forces at Dunkirk in 1940. It is another vivid reminder that, as so many throughout history have reminded us, War is hell. Those who know their history understand that on the French beaches of the Strait of Dover, the Allied forces are thrown once again into another world conflict, this time to protect Western freedom and its democratic ideals. Its hard not to notice and champion a realistic and true to life film amid a sea of escapism with todays super hero and comic book tales. Instead, the viewer is placed into the panicky carnage on the beach, sea, and air, given unpredictable and suspenseful editing, coupled with immaculate cinematography. Dunkirk is being acclaimed as a different kind of war movie. Largely because it eschews the kind of character development and heavier dialogue viewers are more accustomed to experiencing. The scaled back dialogue serves to elevate the conflict, choosing to tie the fate of the soldiers as one of many in a group instead of merely individuals. Ultimately, this overarching theme take precedence over the singular and sometimes formulaic heroes that stand out from the crowd in other films. Nolan captures this forlorn spirit of togetherness well with panoramic shots of young men huddled on the beaches. Bombs and artillery sometimes obliterate them. They wait for what can only appear to be a grim fate. Besides the opening scene, Nolan too forgoes telling the heroic and bloody resistance put forward by the British and French forces against the German Blitzkrieg as hundreds of thousands waited for evacuation. Without that resistance, the retreat would have turned into an utter debacle, and there would be no chance to fight again another day for the men at Dunkirk. The viewer will neither see the kind of gory wounds now more popular in todays war films. Emphasis is placed on the scale of the desperation considering the hope for a free Europe is trapped on a beach. There is nothing but the sea between them and a rapidly advancing German Army. That is the focus of this film. Besides some shots of German fighters and bombers, there is no depiction of the human face of the enemy either. One of the strongest performances in Dunkirk is by Mark Rylance. He plays a civilian who captains his own sea-going vessel to help rescue those stranded. His role encapsulates the close to a thousand smaller ships put into service by the British to help ferry men across the channel. The lighter civilian vessels are essential not only because the sheer size of the retreating army, but they are more equipped to navigate and reach the beachhead. Bravery and the quintessential stiff British upper lip is a central theme of his character. The Dunkirk Spirit, which refers to the unwillingness to surrender and help others at all costs, is still a term that is part of the British lexicon today. If there is a more technical criticism for moviegoers, it would be that, at times, it is difficult to follow some of the main characters awaiting evacuation, given the similar appearances of the actors. There is so much shifting between characters and sequences one can lose track of what is happening. The soundtrack and special effects are so loud too; it often drowns out the little dialogue that seems essential. The aerial dogfights and British Spitfires, still one of the most aesthetically beautiful looking and sounding planes, with their single Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, adds much to the film. The Royal Air Force, which received plenty of criticism from the troops on the continent and at Dunkirk, were ultimately instrumental in the rescue. Their service in the darkest days of the British Empire is rightly lauded as one of the most heroic and self-sacrificial endeavors in the history of Western freedom. Their bravery is given its due through the portrayal of one pilot in this film. The Battle at Dunkirk is rightfully seen as a monumental failure for the Allied Forces of Europe, still months and months before the United State is forced to enter World War II. As Winston Churchill reminded his people at the time, war is not won by evacuations. Only those who lived it can understand the sheer desperation of the Allied nations and forces. The last 20 minutes of the film is spectacular, as the unfolding fate of several main characters culminates in a grand climax. The cheers of the soldiers on the beaches evokes a natural emotional response for viewers when the cobbled together sea armada comes into view. It was particularly effective to have a common soldier read the closing of Churchills infamous We shall fight on the beaches address at the end. The grand question for viewers and our 21st century Western world is whether we have the internal fortitude to suffer and sacrifice like much of Europe did under the Nazis onslaught, particularly in the steely way that Great Britain did when it stood alone. Its hard to answer affirmatively given the rise of secularism and a declining moral culture. Even the ludicrous criticisms of the film, which include a lack of multicultural and gender diversity in the characters, provides enough evidence of an emptying of our culture. In the end, Dunkirk is superb because its a visually powerful tribute of what it took for the Allies to pick itself up from a great debacle, and return to liberate a continent. This bullish commitment and resolve to human freedom is desperately needed again in the Western world. Photo: British Army in the UK- Evacuation From Dunkirk, May-June 1940 H1621.jpg English: The British Army in the UK- Evacuation From Dunkirk, May-june 1940 French (Wikimedia). Dissidents, rights lawyers and bloggers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam but rights groups and activists accuse the new government of waging a particularly harsh crackdown on its critics A Vietnamese activist was jailed for nine years on Tuesday for "anti-state activity", her lawyer said, the second such heavy sentence handed down by the authoritarian state in less than a month. Dissidents, rights lawyers and bloggers are routinely jailed in the communist country but rights groups and activists accuse the new government in place since last year of waging a particularly harsh crackdown on its critics. Anti-China activist Tran Thi Nga, 40, was sentenced after a one-day trial in a heavily guarded courthouse in northern Ha Nam province, where dozens of supporters gathered outside, some holding signs calling for her release. "The court convicted our client with an already prepared verdict," said lawyer Ha Huy Son, dismissing the charges as "groundless". Nga, who was arrested in January, was best known for her anti-China activism, calling for Vietnam to stand up to its communist neighbour over a long-standing row in the disputed South China Sea. She also rallied for land and labour rights and against police brutality. More recently she protested against the government's handling of a major toxic spill blamed on Taiwanese steel giant Formosa along Vietnam's central coast. Nga was found guilty Tuesday for posting articles and videos online accusing "the communist state of violating human rights, and called for pluralism and the elimination of Article Four of the Constitution", which calls for a one-party state. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 12 years. AFP's request to attend the trial was not answered by local authorities, and several activists said they were harassed by plainclothes police outside the courthouse. Nga's sentence follows the trial of prominent activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh last month, better known by her pen name "Mother Mushroom", who was jailed for 10 years for anti-state propaganda. Before Nga's verdict, New York-based Human Rights Watch lashed out at the government for its treatment of dissidents. "The Vietnamese government consistently goes to extremes to silence its critics, targeting activists like Tran Thi Nga with bogus charges that carry a long prison sentence," said Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy Asia director. Dozens of activists are imprisoned in Vietnam, where all independent media is banned and public protests are routinely broken up, often violently. On Monday, activist Le Dinh Luong, 51, was arrested in central Nghe An province, accused of trying to overthrow the communist state, a crime punishable by death. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered the remarks at the annual State of the Nation Address on Monday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has demanded the United States return church bells seized by American forces in a bloody campaign more than a century ago, in another blast at his country's traditional ally. American forces took three bells from the Catholic church of Balangiga town on the eastern island of Samar in 1901 as war booty in what historians said was a particularly brutal military operation in the new US colony. "Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are not yours. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage," Duterte said at his annual State of the Nation Address on Monday. "Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonisers and sacrificed their lives in the process." Two of the bells are installed at a memorial for US war dead in Wyoming, while the third is with US forces in South Korea. Some US politicians oppose the dismantling of the memorial. US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina gave a non-committal reply on Tuesday to Duterte's demands. "We are aware that the bells of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of people, both in the United States and in the Philippines," she said in an email to AFP. "We will continue to work with our Filipino partners to find a resolution." The brutal Samar campaign was launched about a month after Filipino rebels killed 34 US troops in Balangiga on September 28, 1901, according to a US Army War College research paper. The Philippine islands, a Spanish colony for centuries, were ceded to the United States in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Philippines gained independence from the Americans in 1946. Seven other American soldiers perished during the escape from Balangiga, and US reinforcements razed the town the day after, it added. Duterte on Monday repeated a Filipino account of the campaign that the commanding general, Jacob Smith, ordered Samar be turned into a "howling wilderness" and that all Filipino males aged 10 or above be killed. A 1902 US court-martial convicted Smith of a minor offence in relation to the Samar campaign, while 39 other Americans were separately found guilty of torturing and shooting Filipino prisoners there, the US Army War College research paper said. However none of them were jailed, according to the paper. The then Philippine president Fidel Ramos first sought but failed to recover the bells during a 1998 Washington trip. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has since his election last year worked to distance Manila from Washington while building closer ties with China and Russia. The Philippine islands, a Spanish colony for centuries, were ceded to the United States in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Philippines gained independence from the Americans in 1946. Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the US as ties have frayed, and last Friday vowed he would never visit the "lousy" country despite an earlier invitation extended by US President Donald Trump. Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj (L) and General Khalifa Haftar commander in the Libyan National Army (LNA) (R) committed to a ceasefire and elections next year The two main rivals in conflict-ridden Libya agreed Tuesday to a ceasefire and committed to holding elections that French President Emmanuel Macron said would take place in spring 2018. Macron said Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar, the military commander based in the east of the vast country, had shown "historic courage" in talks outside Paris. "Today Prime Minister Sarraj and General Haftar can become the symbols of national unity and the commitment to reconciliation and peace," the French president said after hosting the meeting. Libya has plunged into chaos since the overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 with dozens of armed factions filling the power vacuum. Haftar has refused to recognise the authority of Sarraj's Government of National Authority (GNA), based in the capital Tripoli. In Tuesday's talks, the two leaders accepted that only a political solution can end the crisis, starting with a ceasefire. In a 10-point statement released after the meeting, the two leaders said: "We commit to a ceasefire and to refrain from any use of armed force for any purpose that does not strictly constitute counter-terrorism." They also say the two sides are committed to "building the rule of law", and integrating fighters into "lawful military forces". The meeting went further than talks in Abu Dhabi in May which ended without either side backing any commitments, but huge obstacles remain. The key challenge to restoring stability is to set up a unified central government with a single army and police force. - 'Peace essential for Europe' - Dozens of armed groups have vied for control in Libya in the power vacuum created by the 2011 fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi Macron said bringing peace to Libya was essential for Europe to end the flow of refugees through the Mediterranean. "If we do not succeed in this process, the consequences on our countries will be direct in terms of the terrorist threat and the migratory effects that such a failure would have," the French leader said. Libya also needed stability to prevent jihadist groups launching attacks from its soil, Macron said, praising both sides for "important military successes" against jihadist groups. Although the communique did not stipulate a date for elections, Macron said Sarraj and Haftar had "struck an agreement to hold elections next spring". Sarraj had "done everything... to launch the construction of a Libyan state armed with effective and respected institutions", he said. But a "new impetus" had been needed because "political divisions and military rivalries threaten to reduce these efforts to nothing", he said. France, under then president Nicolas Sarkozy, was one of the Western nations that pushed hardest for the NATO air strikes that hastened Kadhafi's demise. Former US president Barack Obama was highly critical of that intervention in Libya. Jihadists have profited from the turmoil, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month. There was some scepticism from diplomats involved in the talks about whether the military strongman was prepared to share power. "We have to hope that when he signs something, he will keep his word," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Human Rights Watch said it was watching the talks closely after a video appeared on social media this week showing the execution of 20 blindfolded and handcuffed people in orange jumpsuits, reportedly by members of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Haftar. Eric Goldstein, Middle East and North Africa deputy director for Human Rights Watch said, if confirmed, the executions were "yet another manifestation of how (the LNA's members) are taking the law into their own hands in the absence of accountability and rule of law". The rights group called for those accused to be removed from active duty and held accountable if found guilty. - High human cost - Jihadist groups have profited from the turmoil in Libya, seizing the Mediterranean coastal city of Benghazi three years ago, although Haftar's forces drove the extremists out earlier this month Human traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya to boost their lucrative but deadly trade, and the country has this year become the main springboard for migrants seeking to reach Europe in often flimsy and overloaded boats. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage from Libya, with 85,000 arriving on the shores of Italy, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 2,360 people have drowned this year attempting to make the journey, the IOM says. Rescuers said Tuesday they had discovered 11 bodies including those of pregnant women in a dinghy off the Libyan coast. This handout photo released on July 22, 2017 by the Indian Ministry Of Defence shows Indian army rescuers bringing to safety residents at a flooded area near Kuda village in Surendranagar district, some 150km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat Worsening floods killed another eight people in 24 hours in India's Gujarat state as rescue teams raced Tuesday to reach hundreds of people marooned in stricken towns and villages. With scores now dead in monsoon floods across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to fly over Gujarat later Tuesday to inspect the devastation, officials said. More than 36,000 people have been moved to safe areas and helicopters and boats were used to rescue the worst-hit. Torrential rain and the release of water from dams in neighbouring Rajasthan state created havoc in northern Gujarat, a government statement said. Army and air force helicopter rescue teams picked up more than 1,000 people from villages in the state cut off by rising water levels, it added. About 80 people are believed to have been killed in Gujarat since the start of the monsoon a month ago, and scores elsewhere in the country. Gujarat's main city Ahmedabad has had more than 50 centimetres (20 inches) of rain in four days, twice the average for July. Downpours have wreaked havoc in several parts of the country. Apart from Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states in India's northeast have been hard-hit, while pockets of the eastern states of Odisha and Bihar have also been affected. In Assam at least 75 people have been killed and a state-wide emergency relief operation has been underway since April. Tens of thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed. Thirteen people were killed in flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir at the weekend. Libya's UN-backed premier Fayez al-Sarraj (R) is set for rare talks outside Paris with Khalifa Haftar, the military strongman who dominates the country's east Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and military strongman rival Khalifa Haftar are set to meet near Paris on Tuesday for talks aimed at easing tensions in their violence-wracked country. It is their first encounter since a rare meeting in Abu Dhabi in May. The talks come as Europe struggles to secure a political settlement in Libya after years of chaos since the NATO-backed uprising that ousted and killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Here are profiles of the two men, whose rivalry has hampered a political solution for the North African country, bedevilled by jihadism and people smuggling. - Sarraj: struggling for authority - Sarraj was a political novice when he took up the premiership of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and has struggled to assert his authority since it set up base in Tripoli last year. The 57-year-old was born into a prominent family that owned a bookshop and stationery store in downtown Tripoli as well as swathes of land around the capital. A trained architect, Sarraj, who has jet black hair and a white moustache, had a long career in the public sector alongside his business interests. He is married to an architect and they have three daughters. Sarraj was well into his 50s when he entered politics, following in the footsteps of his father Mostafa al-Sarraj, a member of parliament and cabinet minister under the Western-backed king Idriss, who was deposed in 1969 by Kadhafi. Sarraj was elected to parliament in June 2014 but he and fellow lawmakers fled to the eastern city of Tobruk after a militia alliance overran Tripoli and established a rival administration. Two years later and after months of arduous negotiations, the United Nations brokered a power-sharing deal under which Sarraj was designated prime minister. In March 2016, Sarraj installed the GNA in Tripoli, intending to replace a rival eastern-based administration backed by Haftar. But his efforts to impose his authority continue to be blocked by his rival. The UN-backed government was the centrepiece of Western efforts to stem an upsurge of jihadism in Libya and halt people trafficking across the Mediterranean, which has led to thousands of drownings. From the start of his premiership, analysts said Sarraj's political stature was fragile, but those close to him have described him as "calm and level-headed", saying he is firm and speaks his mind. In a key victory, GNA forces fought and routed the Islamic State group in the coastal city of Sirte in December 2016, more than a year after the jihadists seized Kadhafi's hometown. In mid-July, Sarraj announced a new political roadmap for Libya with presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in March 2018. "The time has come for unity and the rescuing of our nation," he said. But he sounded tired and spoke haltingly as he delivered the televised speech. - Haftar: divisive strongman - The 73-year-old Haftar heads the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, which has been battling jihadists and other Islamists in Libya since the end of the 2011 uprising. Haftar presents himself as Libya's saviour in the face of a jihadist threat but is himself a hugely divisive figure. The white-haired field marshal with striking black eyebrows received military training in the then Soviet Union and took part in the 1969 coup which brought Kadhafi to power. He served in Kadhafi's armed forces but fell from grace when he was captured by Chadian troops during Libya's ill-fated 1978-1987 war with its neighbour. Tripoli denied Haftar was part of the Libyan army, and he languished in jail until Washington granted him political asylum. After more than two decades living in the United States, where it was rumoured that he worked for the CIA, in 2011 he returned home to take part in the NATO-backed uprising against Kadhafi. Three years after the start of the revolution, he declared war on jihadists in second city Benghazi and in July his forces declared victory. His rivals accuse him of wanting to set up a military government. He refuses to recognise Sarraj's government and backs the rival administration in the east. His forces have repeatedly clashed with militias loyal to the Tripoli government, seizing the main eastern oil ports before handing them back to the authorities and overrunning much of the south. Madou Kante took part in protests this month organised by opponents of a constitutional referendum framed by the government as an important step towards enshrining a peace deal in the national charter A Malian activist whose fierce criticism of politicians and religious figures on YouTube has made him a cult figure, survived an assassination attempt on Tuesday, his family told AFP. "Marshall Madou", real name Madou Kante, called for calm following the attempt on his life, as his supporters rallied around. Kante was driving in the capital Bamako at around 1:00 am on Tuesday when a gunman fired several times at him, Kante and his family told AFP. "They just took the bullet out of my body," he said from hospital. "I was in my car in Bamako when someone shot me in the chest. "I want to call for calm. I am not accusing anyone at the moment and I don't want any action taken in my name," Kante, 30, added. Malian media published images of Kante shirtless and standing upright in hospital, with dressings covering his chest and upper right arm. He took part in protests this month organised by opponents of a constitutional referendum framed by the government as an important step towards enshrining a peace deal in the national charter. Critics say the referendum is a tool for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to consolidate his own power, especially by giving him the right to appoint senators. The vote has been delayed indefinitely to calm tensions following massive protests. Kante has made many enemies with his popular show the "Madou Ka Journal", in which he attacks corruption and nepotism in Mali. One of his close associates, Oumar Diakite, told AFP he would not "accuse anyone without proof". Government sources said several ministers had visited Kante at his bedside. Chelsea defender Kenedy was axed from the club's high-profile tour of China after the Brazilian put two offensive videos on Instagram about the country Kenedy has been sent home from Chelsea's pre-season tour of Asia as punishment for his offensive social media posts about China, according to reports on Tuesday. Brazilian defender Kenedy was axed from Chelsea's high-profile tour as the Premier League champions fought to avoid further embarrassment after the social media slurs sparked a furious response in China. The 21-year-old put two videos on Instagram, one with a caption which translated as "F**k you China" and another of a security guard asleep which was tagged: "Wake up China. You idiot." Kenedy posted the messages ahead of a friendly against Arsenal in Beijing on Saturday and was jeered by the crowd during Chelsea's 3-0 win. Chelsea had already issued an apology after admitting Kenedy's actions had caused "great offence and hurt the feelings of the people of China". Kenedy, signed from Fluminense for 6 million ($7.8 million) in 2015, flew with Chelsea to Singapore over the weekend and trained with the team on Sunday and Monday. But, with Kenedy accused by Chinese media of humiliating their country, reports claimed the Blues were forced to remove the player from their pre-season preparations as they look to salvage the club's reputation and maintain their position in the lucrative Asian market. Antonio Conte's side are due to face Bayern Munich in a friendly on Tuesday, then take on Inter Milan on Saturday, and the Blues boss is certain to face a barrage of questions about Kenedy's behaviour and his reported exile. Chinese fans had already blasted Kenedy's racist jibes, leading to an apology from the player who quickly deleted the posts. "I would like to apologise to the people of China for the offence I have caused. It was never my intention to insult or offend anyone at all and I now realise that my comments were totally inappropriate," Kenedy wrote. "I wish to state that I have tremendous respect and admiration for the Chinese people and their country. "I would also like to apologise to my club Chelsea and all my companions who I have let down by my posts. I fully understand the responsibility of representing my club and it was never my intention to cause this embarrassment nor disrespect." Kenedy's outbursts could leave his future at Stamford Bridge in jeopardy. The full-back was sent on a season-long loan to Watford last term, but made just one substitute appearance before the spell was cut short. He went on to make two appearances for Chelsea after they wrapped up the Premier League title. Protesters demonstrate in defiance of a government ban in the northern Moroccan city of Al-Hoceima on July 20, 2017 A Moroccan court on Tuesday sentenced to three months in jail a journalist accused of having "invited" people to take part in banned protests in the restive north, his website said. Hamid El Mahdaoui was arrested on Thursday at the start of a banned demonstration in the northern city of Al-Hoceima, during which protesters clashed with police. El Mahdaoui, who heads the Badil online news site, was found guilty of helping to organise "a non-authorised march" as well as having "invited" others to take part in the protest, the website said. He was sentenced to three months in jail and fined 20,000 dirhams (1,800 euros), Badil said, adding that he could appeal the verdict. The journalist, known for criticising authorities particularly in videos posted on YouTube, was already facing prosecution after two government ministers accused him of defamation. Media watchdogs have denounced his arrest and accused Morocco of hindering the coverage of unrest in the Rif region, where Al-Hoceima is located, which has been shaked by protests for months. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday called for his release and urged authorities to drop all charges against Badil. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in a statement Saturday said the situation for Moroccan and foreign journalists covering events in northern Morocco "keeps on getting worse". "By trying to prevent coverage of the Rif protests, the Moroccan authorities are gradually turning this region into a no-go zone for independent media," it said. The Al-Hirak al-Shaabi protest movement was born last October after a fishmonger was crushed to death in a rubbish truck as he tried to retrieve swordfish confiscated for being caught out of season. Calls for justice later snowballed into a wider social movement demanding jobs, development, and an end to corruption in the mainly Berber region. Members of the self-styled Libyan National Army, loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, take part in the final stages of the assualt on jihadists in second city Benghazi on July 5, 2017 France is hosting a rare meeting on Tuesday between Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and military strongman Khalifa Haftar who backs a rival administration in the east. The French government hopes the meeting will help clinch a political agreement to end years of chaos that has gripped Libya since a 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Here are some of the key challenges facing Libya, also bedevilled by jihadism and people smuggling. - Establishing one central government - Oil-rich Libya has been deeply divided since the 2011 uprising, with a myriad militias holding territory and rival administrations vying for their allegiance in often bloody confrontations. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) set up base in the capital Tripoli at the end of March 2016 but is struggling to assert its authority across the country. It controls most of the west but in the east a rival administration backed by military strongman Haftar holds sway. Control of the vast desert south is divided between various ethnic and tribal militias, which have nominal alliances with one or other of the rival administrations but which regularly switch allegiances. The key challenge to restoring stability in Libya is to set up a unified central government with a single army and police force. - Unifying rival militias - Fighters who battled to topple the Kadhafi regime splintered into feuding militias which now number in the hundreds and follow different political and religious lines. Members of the Libyan National Army, loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, fire a tank during fighting against jihadists in second city Benghazi on May 20, 2017 Some of the armed groups are aligned with one or other of the rival administrations. Others are little more than criminal gangs. Since 2011, successive Libyan administrations have failed to disarm the militias and efforts to integrate them into a national army or police have foundered. "We are harvesting the fruits of these mistakes," Sarraj said in a July 15 televised speech, admitting that the lack of security was the thorniest issue facing Libya. Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army -- backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia -- announced earlier this month that it had captured all of second city Benghazi after a three-year campaign against jihadists. The powerful militias of third city Misrata, east of Tripoli, were the backbone of a pro-GNA coalition which fought and routed the Islamic State group in the coastal city of Sirte in December 2016. It was a key victory that saw the jihadists, who seized Kadhafi's hometown more than a year earlier, defeated but not totally wiped out of Libya. Western intelligence services fear the Islamic State group is capitalising on the chaos to set up bases in Libya as they are chased from their former strongholds in Iraq and Syria. The creation of a unified army could also help Libya stem people smuggling. A Libyan coastguard watches on as illegal migrants are brought ashore in a dinghy following their rescue on June 27, 2017 Libya has become the main springboard for migrants from sub-Saharan African to reach Europe by sailing to Italy in often flimsy and overloaded boats. Since January, more than 100,000 migrants have made the perilous voyage, with around 85,000 arriving in Italy, and more than 2,300 drowned in the attempt, the International Organization for Migration says. - Relaunching the economy - With estimated oil reserves of 48 billion barrels, Libya produced 1.6 million barrels per day before the uprising that toppled Kadhafi's regime. By the end of 2014, the conflict forced the majority of oil fields and terminals to close as warring parties battled for control of Africa's largest crude reserves, costing Libya more than $130 billion in losses. No oil was exported from Libya's main ports until September 2016 with the reopening of the Ras Lanuf terminal in the country's so-called oil crescent. Since then production has topped 760,000 bpd and is expected to reach 1.25 million bpd by the end of 2017, according to Libya's National Oil Corporation. Flames rise from a storage tank at the key Libyan oil port of Ras Lanuf region after it was set ablaze during an attack by the Islamic State group on January 21, 2016 Libya's once vibrant and heavily subsidised economy has been shattered since the end of the revolution. According to the World Bank, the GDP fell by 2.5 percent in 2016, reaching less than half of its pre-2011 value, while unemployment has risen sharply. Repairing the economy is the biggest demand of for ordinary Libyans who struggles daily with power and water cuts, a cash crisis, currency devaluations and intermittent violence. "Living conditions are below zero," shopper Sabri al-Bouechi said in a market in an eastern suburb of Tripoli. Insecurity means women refrain from going out after dark and even in the day car-jackings are common. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari says he is recovering from illness and will return from London as soon as he get his doctors' OK Nigeria's president has said he is recovering from illness and that he expects to return from treatment in London once doctors give the go-ahead, his office said on Tuesday. Muhammadu Buhari has been on indefinite medical leave in the British capital since May 7 and until Sunday had not been seen, sparking a flurry of rumours he was dying or even dead. His office at the weekend published a photograph of the 74-year-old head of state meeting a delegation of state governors at Nigeria's diplomatic residence in London. Now, his office said Buhari sent a letter on Monday to his counterpart in Guinea, Alpha Conde, thanking him for his call last week for national prayers for his recovery. "Your Excellency (Conde) will be pleased to hear that I am making good progress and as soon as doctors advise I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery," it read. Buhari has been dogged by speculation about his health since mid-2016, when he first went to London for treatment of what the presidency said was a persistent ear infection. He then spent nearly two months in London in January and February and said on his return in early March that he had "never been so ill". The exact nature of his condition has not been disclosed and he has appeared faltering and thin. His main opponents in the 2015 election that brought him to power claimed he had prostate cancer. Buhari denied the claim. The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office of president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in 2010 after months of treatment abroad. Buhari and his advisors have sought to avoid the political paralysis that accompanied Yar'Adua's absence by officially handing over powers to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. But that has also sparked manoeuvrings for power, given long-standing tensions between Nigeria's Muslim-majority north and the Christian-dominated south. Politicians are already jostling for position to succeed Buhari at the next election in 2019 on the assumption he will not stand for a second term. Terminally-ill British baby Charlie Gard has a rare form of mitochondrial disease A five-month legal battle over the fate of a terminally-ill British baby that drew the attention of Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump has also stoked an often angry debate about medical ethics and the courts. Charlie Gard's parents waged a high-profile campaign with the help of social media and Britain's tabloids for him to receive experimental treatment in the United States, striking a chord worldwide. They are now spending the last few days with their 11-month-old son before life support is withdrawn at a hospital in London after acknowledging in court on Monday that therapy could no longer help him. "No-one wanted this outcome. No-one believes this outcome was in Charlie's best interests," said Julian Savulescu, director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. "There has got to be a better way." Charlie was born on August 4 last year with a rare form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness in the heart and other key organs and is only able to survive with life support. His parents raised money to take their baby to the United States through crowdfunding but were prevented from doing so by the hospital and first went to court in March to try and overturn that decision. Their appeals went all the way to the Supreme Court but were turned down at all stages of the judicial process and judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg refused to intervene. - Who should decide? - Charlie was due to be taken off life support before the Vatican intervened on July 2 with a statement in which Pope Francis expressed his support for the parents and said he hoped doctors would allow them to "care for their child until the end". Trump offered his support the following day, saying in a tweet that he would be "delighted" to help. A Vatican-run hospital in Rome and a US hospital then offered to treat Charlie and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital went to court to seek a ruling on whether to allow him to undergo experimental therapy. There have also been small protests by supporters of Charlie's parents -- a group calling itself "Charlie's Army" -- outside Buckingham Palace and Downing Street calling for the hospital to listen to the parents. Charlie Gard's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates this week gave up their legal battle for him to receive experimental treatment in the United States Savulescu said social media had given greater power to parents to make their case heard. "The question of who should decide is legitimate. Some people have wrongly concluded that these decisions should only be up to parents. "But at the same time it is right that doctors, scientific experts and the courts should not be considered almighty, beyond question or account." He said doctors should only activate legal mechanisms if "there is disagreement between the parents, or they are going to an unsafe place or they are very confident the parents' choice is unreasonable". "The problem is not who has the power, it is how it is used and the need for robust, and humble, ethical deliberation," he added. Charlie's case is far from the only medical ethics case to end up in court in Britain and elsewhere. In France, the case of a man who was left severely brain damaged and quadriplegic as a result of a 2008 road accident has been in the courts since 2014. Family members of Vincent Lambert are divided on whether to withdraw life support. - Role for mediation - Dominic Wilkinson, a consultant neonatologist and professor of medical ethics at Oxford University said court reviews in cases like Charlie Gard's was "not ideal". "It is adversarial, costly and lengthy," he said. "We need to find better ways to avoid cases of disagreement from coming to court. There is an important role for mediation to help parents and doctors where they have reached an impasse." But Ian Kennedy, emeritus professor at University College London said the courts must be respected. "Parents cannot always be the ultimate arbiters of their children's interests," he wrote in The Guardian. "We are not in the realm of there being a right answer. We are in the realm of judgment, reasoned judgment, and we look to the courts to provide this." Kennedy warned that campaigns against the courts were "increasingly a feature of modern discourse". "It is one thing to comment on or criticise a particular decision. It is a very different thing to attack the institution of the courts." Tanzania's president John Magufuli, pictured on November 5, 2015, has been accused of authoritarian rule A top opposition lawmaker in Tanzania has been charged with "hate speech" after calling President John Magufuli a dictator, according to court documents seen by AFP on Tuesday. Tundu Lissu, chief whip of the opposition in parliament and president of Tanzania's bar association, was arrested last week after holding a press conference where he criticised Magufuli and complained of a "climate of fear which reigns everywhere." After appearing in court on Monday, Lissu was "returned to prison," ahead of a Thursday ruling on his application for bail, said Saed Kubenea, a member of parliament in Lissu's Chadema party. Lissu faces a "hate speech" charge for his "insulting words that are likely to incite ethnic hatred," according to the charge sheet. Local media reported Lissu was accompanied by around 20 lawyers and pled not guilty to the accusation during his Monday appearance. Lissu's comments and jailing come amid growing tension over the authoritarian leadership style of Magufuli, who is known by his Swahili nickname "Tingatinga" or "bulldozer". He came to power in 2015 as a corruption-fighting "man of the people" but critics say there has been a rise in repression with opposition meetings banned, newspapers shut down and journalists and artists threatened for criticising his administration. In his speech Lissu accused Magufuli of building "a system based on favouritism, nepotism, tribalism and regionalism." The father (R) of 17-year-old Mohammed Jawawdeh, who was killed after he attacked an Israeli embassy security guard, during his son's funeral on July 25, 2017 Thousands of Jordanians chanted "Death to Israel" on Tuesday as they attended the funeral of a teenager shot dead by an Israeli embassy security guard. Mohammed Jawawdeh, 17, was killed on Sunday after he assaulted the guard with a screwdriver at the embassy compound in Amman, according to Israeli officials. A second Jordanian was also killed, apparently by accident, and will be buried on Thursday. The killings sparked a standoff between Israel and Jordan amid tensions over a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site where Israel imposed new security measures after a deadly mid-July attack on police. Mourners attend the funeral of 17-year-old Mohammed Jawawdeh in Amman on July 25, 2017. Jawawdeh was killed at the weekend when he attacked a security guard at the Israeli embassy compound in the Jordanian capital with a screwdriver Mourners on Tuesday accompanied Jawawdeh's coffin from Wihdat city, home to a large Palestinian refugee camp east of Amman, towards the cemetery in nearby Umm al-Hiran where he was buried. They carried pictures of the teenager along with Palestinian and Jordanian flags. In addition to cries of "Death to Israel", they also chanted: "We will go to Jerusalem as martyrs by the millions." Jawawdeh's uncle, Sami, said the family is urging Jordan's King Abdullah II to avenge his death "because he is the one who can decide in such matters". "Mohammed's blood did not flow in vain," he added, saying it paved the way for Israel's removal early Tuesday of metal detectors at entrances to Jerusalem's Haram al-Sharif mosque compound. Israel had installed the devices following a July 14 attack nearby that killed two policemen. The move, seen by Palestinians as an attempt to assert Israeli control over the site, triggered Muslim outrage and deadly violence. Jordan is the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. King Abdullah spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Monday and urged him to remove the metal detectors. Thousands of Jordanians had demonstrated against Israel in Amman and other cities, calling for "resistance" to "Zionist attacks" and demanding the cancellation of a 1994 peace treaty. Also on Monday, the security guard and other diplomats flew home after Amman investigators heard "his account of the incident" at the Israeli embassy compound, a Jordanian government source said. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a news conference on Tuesday that Jordan did not strike "deals" or hold "negotiations" with Israel over the shooting. He said the government had been intent on questioning the Israeli guard before allowing him to leave the country, "and despite his diplomatic immunity we were able to reach an agreement to take his deposition". Jordan will pursue the investigation until "the truth is reached and justice is done", said Safadi, who was flanked at the news conference by the government spokesman and the state minister for legal affairs. Meanwhile, riot police deployed on Tuesday morning around the Israeli embassy in a residential neighbourhood of western Amman after activists called online for an anti-Israel demonstration. Some activists wanted a protest on Tuesday, but others said it should take place after the weekly midday prayers on Friday. The USS Mahan destroyer (pictured) fired warning shots at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in January 2017 A US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel in the Persian Gulf Tuesday after it approached within 150 yards (137 meters), a US defense official said. "The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots," the defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The incident occurred at about 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) in the northern Persian Gulf, when the Iranian vessel began to approach the USS Thunderbolt. After the US ship fired the warning shots, the Iranian vessel stopped, the official said, at which point the Thunderbolt continued on her way. The episode marks the latest in a series of close encounters between US ships and Iranian naval vessels. In January, the USS Mahan destroyer fired warning shots at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels that approached at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards are a paramilitary force that answers directly to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the White House on January 27, 2017 US President Donald Trump touted the prospects of a "very big" trade deal with Britain on Tuesday as the minister tasked with clinching accords for the post-Brexit era met officials in Washington. "Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS!" Trump tweeted. "The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!" he added, repeating a common line of attack against trading partners for what he says are unfair policies that hurt US businesses. The latest Twitter swipe came as US and British officials opened the second day of the inaugural round of talks aimed at boosting trade relations between the two countries in the post-Brexit era. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is meeting with his British counterpart Liam Fox for the US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group. European Council President Donald Tusk (left) speaks to US President Donald Trump in Brussels on May 25, 2017 It will be "a key mechanism to deepen our already strong bilateral trade and investment relationship, and to lay the groundwork for our future trade relationship once the UK has left the EU," Lighthizer said in a statement Monday. "I look forward to building on our already strong economic relationship and furthering our mutual goal of achieving free and fair trade and investment to create good-paying jobs on both sides of the Atlantic." Fox said it will be important to give businesses in both countries continuity while Britain negotiates its status with the EU and after Brexit. "This will be our forum to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment relationship and deepen the already extensive economic ties between the UK and US," Fox said. Trade between the two countries is already worth about $230 billion a year, and together there is around $1 trillion invested in each other's economies, according to USTR. Fox, in Washington for a two-day visit, said the United States is Britain's largest export market -- bigger than France and Germany combined -- and the number one destination for British investment. He stressed that even though Britain is leaving the EU, London is committed to an open, rules-based trading system. "The principles of free and open trade have underpinned the multilateral institutions, rules and alliances that helped rebuild post-war Europe and the world beyond," he said in a speech Monday. Opening of global trade "facilitated 70 years of global prosperity, and they have raised the living standards of hundreds of millions of people across the world," he said. About 500 protesters in Nigeria, wearing white T-shirts and brandishing placards proclaiming "#NotTooYoungToRun", marched two kilometres to the National Assembly Hundreds of young Nigerians marched on the country's parliament on Tuesday, calling for lawmakers to remove age barriers on political posts, including the presidency. Nigeria's 1999 constitution stipulates that the president has to be at least 40, while senators and state governors have to be aged 35 or above. But with an increasingly young demographic in Africa's most populous nation and a majority of voters (55.4 percent) in the 18-35 age group, the restriction is seen as unfair. About 500 protesters, wearing white T-shirts and brandishing placards proclaiming "#NotTooYoungToRun", marched two kilometres (1.5 miles) to the National Assembly. A sit-in was planned outside the parliament building until lawmakers vote on a constitutional amendment to lower the age. Protest leader Samson Itodo said they needed a two-thirds majority in the 109-seat senate and the 360-seat House of Representatives to vote in their favour. "For us, we are saying remove the age limit completely. If you are eligible to vote, you should be eligible to run for office," he told AFP. "That is full franchise. But what we currently enjoy is partial franchise." Nigeria's current head of state is President Muhammadu Buhari, a 74-year-old former military ruler who has been out of the country on indefinite medical leave since May 7. Buhari's age is not an exception in Africa, where many elderly presidents remain in power, including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, who is still president at the age of 93. Itodo said Nigeria had a "youthful population" so it was crucial young people were more involved in the political process. Hamzat Lawal, from the NotTooYoungToRun group, said the campaign was about equal opportunity and improving good governance. "If they (lawmakers) don't vote today, let us sleep at the National Assembly so that they know that we are serious that young people count," he added. "We must ensure that this legislation sees the light of the day." Senator Dino Melaye, representing members of the upper and lower chambers of parliament, promised protesters the issue had been given careful attention. "There is already a proposal that will be debated between today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) in the National Assembly in the ongoing constitutional amendment," he said. "The age qualification for the presidency has been reduced from 40 to 35 while the ages for state governorship has been reduced from 35 to 30. "House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly have been reduced from 30 to 25. This is the proposal that we are going to debate." Senator John McCain (R-AZ) leaves after a procedural vote on healthcare on Capitol Hill July 25, 2017 in Washington, District of Columbia Donald Trump's drive to abolish Obamacare scraped through a key Senate vote Tuesday, with John McCain coming to the US president's rescue in a dramatic return to Congress following cancer surgery. The vote, which allows the Senate to begin debate on health care reform legislation, was a victory for Trump, who had spent weeks cajoling, strong-arming and warning Republicans to get on board with his effort to overhaul Obamacare. In recent weeks, several measures have been proposed -- but ultimately collapsed, revealing fissures within the Republican Party on how to reach a goal they have had since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. But the path forward was no clearer, as the Senate soon after voted down a Republican plan to repeal and replace former president Barack Obama's signature health care reform. Nine Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting the amendment in the first of several votes expected to repeal Obamacare. Despite the skepticism of some Republicans over how the effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act might affect millions of Americans, Trump was thrilled that debate could go ahead. "This was a big step," he said, calling Obamacare a "disaster for the American people." McCain, who announced last week he is suffering from brain cancer, cast a critical vote for the measure, leaving senators evenly split and forcing Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie for a 51-50 final count on allowing debate. All 48 Democrats and independents voted against, along with Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. McCain received a standing ovation from his colleagues as he entered the chamber, having made the trip from his home state of Arizona, where he was convalescing. Trump is pressuring Republicans to repeal and replace his predecessor Barack Obama's health care reforms -- one of his main campaign pledges While he called for greater bipartisan cooperation in Congress, McCain directly denounced the closed-door process that has marked the health care reform effort, saying it was wrong to try to force lawmakers to "swallow our doubts and force it past a unified opposition." "I don't think that's going to work in the end, and probably shouldn't," he said. - 'First step' - One Republican plan under consideration would dismantle Obamacare but delay actual implementation of the repeal to allow time for a viable replacement to be crafted. It is expected to fail. The question then becomes what can get over the finish line. Lawmakers have begun speaking about a "skinny" repeal that would dismantle only parts of the Affordable Care Act, but it is not yet clear whether the plan will gain traction this week. "We can do better than Obamacare," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "Today's vote to begin debate is the first step." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged Republicans to close ranks -- and it worked Trump has repeatedly grilled fellow Republicans for not following through on their -- and his -- campaign pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare. On the Democratic side, senators urged cooperation -- and restraint. "I can't believe this process and the hard and calculated rhetoric we see," Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said Tuesday. "The Affordable Care Act is not a perfect piece of legislation. It needs repair. We both agree to that. Then we need to fix it." - Secretive process - Forecasts by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on various health reform bills have predicted that millions of Americans would lose health care if the measures become law. In the case of a bill that repeals Obamacare and provides no replacement, 32 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 as compared to current law, CBO forecast. Some Republicans have expressed concern with how the legislation would impact Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and the disabled. The latest repeal-and-replace bill would roll back an expansion of Medicaid and slash its federal funding. It would also end the mandate that most individuals have health insurance, and allow states to let insurance companies offer bare-bones plans not allowed under current law. Democrats have blasted the secretive process, accusing Republican leaders of rushing a mammoth bill to the floor without sufficient discussion or debate. Several outside health groups have criticized the various iterations of the repeal-and-replace effort. One of the most emphatic rejections came from a group of some 7,000 Catholic nuns, who wrote Senate leaders on Monday to say the bill "would be the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes." Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia probe for his role on the Trump campaign and undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador, appears under threat of losing his job US Attorney General Jeff Sessions found himself in an increasingly untenable position Tuesday, as President Donald Trump once again publicly skewered his top law enforcement official, calling him "VERY weak" and saying he is "disappointed." Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and most loyal supporters, but the Republican billionaire has turned on him publicly in the past week, as rumors fly that the former senator from Alabama will be replaced. Trump has openly criticized Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing a federal probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections. On Tuesday, Trump berated Sessions over what he deemed insufficient efforts in pursuing intelligence leaks and for failing to go after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her private email server. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails &DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump said in one of his trademark early morning tweetstorms. Later, he again said he was "disappointed" in Sessions and reiterated that had he known Sessions would remove himself from the Russia probe, he would not have hired him. "He should not have recused himself almost immediately after he took office and, if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office, and I would have quite simply picked somebody else," Trump told reporters. - Decision 'soon' - New White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated Tuesday that Trump was not going to change his mind, and her boss, communications director Anthony Scaramucci said: ""We'll get to a resolution soon." US presidents normally go to great pains to avoid being seen as influencing ongoing or possible investigations, making Trump's attacks on Sessions all the more extraordinary. With pressure mounting from the investigation led by special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller, Trump has sought to revive an election year controversy over Clinton's use of a private server to send emails while secretary of state. The Washington Post has reported that Trump's team sees getting rid of Sessions as part of a potential strategy to fire Mueller and end the investigation. Sessions, however, has said he has no plans to resign. The website Axios reported that Trump was considering replacing Sessions with another early supporter, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. But Giuliani dismissed the report and said Sessions was right to have recused himself from the Russia probe, CNN reported. Trump's willingness to call out his own attorney general so publicly goes against political norms On Monday, Trump had already wondered out loud why Sessions was not investigating Clinton. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Trump asked. The White House also alleged last week that the Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 campaign, adding another twist to the president's counter-offensive. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.?" Trump asked in another early morning tweet Tuesday. Kiev's embassy in Washington refuted that claim, saying it didn't help "any candidate" in the election. - 'Witch hunt' - Trump has expressed increasing anger with Sessions as his Justice Department's investigations into possible Trump-Russia collusion has quickened. Sessions recused himself because of his role on Trump's campaign and because he failed to tell the Senate during his confirmation hearings about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador in Washington. On Tuesday, senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway said Sessions's recusal had opened the door to what Trump sees as a "witch hunt." Trump's eldest son, son-in-law and top aides have become entangled in the widening investigation led by Mueller. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner faced questions about his Russia ties both Monday and Tuesday on Capitol Hill Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and a top White House official, was questioned Monday and Tuesday by lawmakers about contacts with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a Russian financier and a Russian lawyer who offered dirt on Clinton. Kushner made a statement Monday denying collusion after testifying behind closed doors, insisting the string of undisclosed meetings with Russian officials were "proper." "Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!" Trump tweeted Tuesday, referring to his youngest son. In May, Trump fired FBI director James Comey over the bureau's investigation into Russia. That led to Mueller's appointment as a special prosecutor. Sessionss' onetime Republican colleagues in the Senate came to his defense, saying he showed good judgment in removing himself from the Russia probe. "Jeff understands that we are a nation of laws, not men," said Lindsey Graham. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer chimed in: "It's clear that President Trump is trying to bully his own attorney general out of office. How can anyone draw a different conclusion?" MPLA (The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) presidential candidate Joao Lourenco speaks during a rally in Luanda on March 4, 2017 Angolan presidential candidate Joao Lourenco, who appears set to win next month's election, launched his campaign on Tuesday with a speech vowing to tackle corruption and spread wealth. Defence minister Lourenco, 63, is the chosen successor of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, whose decision to not contest the August 23 vote will bring to an end his 38 years in power. "Corruption is a great evil that will not go unpunished," Lourenco told thousands of ruling MPLA party supporters in Huambo, Angola's second city. Promoting his campaign slogan "Improve what is good, correct what is wrong", he also promised to distribute "national wealth more equally" and to improve the business climate. Dos Santos's rule has seen the end of civil war and an investment boom in the oil-rich country. But he has been criticised as secretive and corrupt, with authorities crushing dissent and Angola's citizens suffering dire poverty as his family became hugely wealthy. Lourenco, a party loyalist and former general, emerged as the probable next president last year at a meeting of the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola), which has ruled since independence from Portugal in 1975. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump met earlier this month in Germany The EU warned Wednesday of swift retaliation after the US House of Representatives voted to impose tougher sanctions on Russia in a move Brussels says could punish energy firms and divide the West. The Kremlin responded coolly to the sanctions vote, saying that President Vladimir Putin would wait for the approval by the US Senate, the final step necessary before the law goes for signature by US President Donald Trump. The sanctions were approved in a landslide on Tuesday by the US lower house despite the initial opposition of Trump who came to office on a pledge to mend ties with the Kremlin. In an unusual twist, the strongest reaction came from the European Union, where the 28 member states have struggled to stay united on their own sanctions on Russia that were first adopted after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The EU itself imposed sanctions on Russia over its intervention in Ukraine "If our concerns are not taken into account sufficiently, we stand ready to act appropriately within a matter of days. America first cannot mean that Europe's interests come last," European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said. "The US bill could have unintended unilateral effects that impact the EU's energy security interests," added Juncker, saying that there should be unity among western allies on sanctions. To date, anti-Russia sanctions have been coordinated on both sides of the Atlantic in a common Western front reminiscent of the Cold War. The row comes just a day after Trump blasted the "very protectionist" EU's trade policies, saying Washington was working on a deal with Britain after Brexit. - German, French warnings - The latest US sanctions package is aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, and Russia's annexation of Crimea. The EU is worried the sweeping measures would still unfairly penalise European firms that contribute to the development of Russia's energy sector, and its diplomats have heavily lobbied Washington to water down the measures. In a small concession to Europe, the House modified a provision so the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those that merely pass through, such as the Caspian pipeline that carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would respond in kind to any breach by the US of the 2015 nuclear deal after the vote However France said the US bill was "illegal" in terms of international law, in its current form, according to a foreign ministry spokeswoman said. Germany believed that "European businesses must not be targeted by the US sanctions", government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said. But Berlin -- which led efforts against the bill amid fears it would hit a controversial pipeline project between Russia and Germany known as Nord Stream 2 -- also insisted the legislation had been modified to require that Washington confer with EU allies if the sanctions should involve the European energy supply. The project, which is opposed by eastern EU member states, aims to carry Russian natural gas under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States. But other projects are at risk, with major energy companies such as Italy's ENI, Shell and BP all crying out for a halt to the sanctions. "It seems that we energy companies are nothing but ping pong balls... in a political game," Mario Mehren, CEO of German firm Wintershall told Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The EU and US imposed sanctions in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014, overcoming division on how far to go in punishing Moscow. The US bill also includes fresh sanctions against North Korea for its missile tests In addition, the EU broadened sanctions against Russia after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in July 2014, blamed by the EU on the rebels. - 'Serious step' - The Kremlin initially slammed the vote as a "serious step" towards wrecking chances of improving US-Russia ties just weeks after Putin and Trump held their first face to face meeting in Germany. But it later took a softer tone. "For now we are still only talking about a bill so we won't give any substantive evaluations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Let's wait for this legislation to become law." With Trump caught up in a deep scandal about alleged links to Russia, the tycoon appears to have few options but to sign the law in the face of near-total consensus in Congress. A Senate vote is likely due by mid-August. The vote in the US House of Representatives will be followed by a Senate vote before the summer recess Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was still "reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the president's desk". But even if Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. The new US sanctions also target Iran and North Korea, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promising to respond in kind to any breach to the 2015 nuclear deal, under which the country agreed to wind down its nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of Western sanctions. The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its response. A general view shows the newsroom at the headquarters of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite channel in Doha 14 November 2006 Journalists and human rights activists on Tuesday denounced "threats" by Saudi Arabia and its allies against Qatari media organisations, including satellite news broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Regional kingpin Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt broke ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of fostering extremism and later issuing 13 demands, including Al-Jazeera's closure. At the end Tuesday of a two-day conference on "freedom of expression", organised by Qatar and attended by representatives of international organisations, rights groups and academics, a statement condemned "threats" by Saudi Arabia and its allies. "The conference condemns unequivocally the threats by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the kingdom of Bahrain demanding the closing down of Al-Jazeera and other media outlets," it said. Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth had opened the conference Monday saying: "Political freedom and especially free expressions are very much at the heart of the crisis facing Qatar today." He called the conference "an important sign of commitment on Qatar's part to engage in some of the reforms that will enable them to maintain their moral high ground. "This country is no more a democracy than the other Gulf countries," Roth said, calling on Doha "to become a genuine regional leader in human rights". Seamus Dooley, the acting secretary general of the National Union of Journalists for the UK and Ireland, said journalists "are not pawns in a political game". He said he and others had had to "think twice" before accepting Qatar's invitation to the conference over Doha's "fundamental issues" with the rights of women, minorities and freedom of expression. The head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, Ali Bin Samikh al-Amarri, thanked delegates for "defending" Al-Jazeera, saying it was tantamount to "defending freedom of expression and the right to information". Closing Al-Jazeera is one of 13 wide-ranging demands by Riyadh and its allies before a boycott of Doha and a "blockade" on the energy-rich Gulf emirate can end. On Tuesday, they upped the pressure on Qatar, unveiling a "terrorist" blacklist of 18 organisations and individuals suspected of links with Islamist extremists that they say had ties with Doha. Rapper Kendrick Lamar, pictured in April 2017, received the most MTV Video Music Awards nominations at eight MTV has rid itself of gender-specific categories as the network revealed nominees Tuesday for this year's Video Music Awards, in which rapper Kendrick Lamar is in the lead. In the age of President Donald Trump and the fierce backlash he has generated among cultural leaders, MTV also announced a new category of "Best Fight Against the System" to recognize activist music. The awards will air worldwide from Los Angeles on August 27. Reflecting its social media push, the music and youth culture network announced the nominations through posts by well-followed figures on Instagram. Lamar, one of the most acclaimed figures in hip-hop, received the most nominations at eight, including Video of the Year for "HUMBLE." -- an ironic look at fame in which he appears clad as the pope and as Jesus in "The Last Supper." Tied for second with five nominations are Katy Perry for her sci-fi amusement park fantasy "Chained to the Rhythm" and The Weeknd for his star-studded "Reminder." The Video Music Awards for the first time will not divide by gender with a new Artist of the Year prize incorporating the top male and female categories. The network said in a statement that it was out to "break barriers" and had a positive response when it eliminated gender groups at this year's MTV Movie and TV Awards. Nominees for Artist of the Year include four men -- Lamar and The Weeknd, along with Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran -- and two women, Ariana Grande and Lorde. Virtually all major US awards including the Grammys and Oscars have separate male and female categories. The rare awards that mix male and female nominees include the Mercury Prize -- which, with an arthouse sensibility, recognizes the top British or Irish album each year -- and the Juno Awards for Canadian artists. - Serious notes for gala party - Winners in the major categories are determined by voting by fans through the awards' website, vma.mtv.com. The Video Music Awards have usually been more about the spectacle than the ultimate winners, with the network gladly offering a global platform to celebrities. Pop culture moments of past galas have included Lady Gaga wearing a dress of raw meat, Madonna making out on stage with Britney Spears and Beyonce showing off a baby bump for her first child with Jay-Z. But taking a serious turn, MTV announced the new "Best Fight Against the System" award to celebrate videos "that inspire viewers to stand up and fight injustice." The nominees include John Legend's "Surefire," whose video dramatizes anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, and the celebratory "Immigrants: We Get the Job Done" from the blockbuster musical "Hamilton." Other nominees are the diversity-hailing "Black SpiderMan" by biracial rapper Logic, Big Sean's "Light" about overcoming adversity including racial discrimination and Alessia Cara's "Scars to Your Beautiful" about body image. Also in the running is "Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL," a hip-hop anthem led by Black Eyed Peas' Taboo to rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline opposed by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe on environmental and cultural grounds. Nominees for Best New Artist -- often a sign of fast-rising stardom -- were R&B singers SZA and Khalid, rappers Kodak Black and Young M.A., pop songwriter Julia Michaels and Noah Cyrus, the 17-year-old actress and sister of Miley Cyrus who is readying her debut album. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, says Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has only "limited" knowledge of artificial intelligence Visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg were trading jabs on social media over artificial intelligence this week in a debate that has turned personal between the two technology luminaries. Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX and other ventures, on Tuesday claimed Zuckerberg's knowledge of artificial intelligence was "limited," two days after the Facebook founder described "naysayers" as "irresponsible." The debate underscored the rift in the tech community on whether new technologies capable of creating intelligent machines like robots and self-driving cars would be a blessing or a curse for humanity. Musk has long warned of the potential for machines to get so smart that humans become tantamount to pets, while Zuckerberg has touted the potential for artificial intelligence to improve lives. Facebook is among the Silicon Valley's largest investors in artificial intelligence. While live streaming on the leading social network from his yard on Sunday, Zuckerberg touched on the topic while answering questions from viewers. "With AI especially, I am really optimistic," Zuckerberg said. "And I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios -- I just, I don't understand it. It's really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible." When asked about Zuckerberg's comment early Tuesday during an exchange on Twitter, Musk wrote that he has discussed the topic with Zuckerberg and that "his understanding of the subject is limited." Musk more than a year ago took part in creating a nonprofit research company devoted to developing artificial intelligence that will help people and not hurt them. - People pets - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he doesn't understand "naysayers" warning of "doomsday" scenarios of artificial intelligence "If we create some digital super-intelligence that exceeds us in every way by a lot, it is very important that it be benign," Musk said a while back at a conference in California. He reasoned that even a benign situation with ultra-intelligent AI would put people so far beneath the machine they would be "like a house cat." "I don't love the idea of being a house cat," Musk said, envisioning the creation of neural lacing that magnifies people's brain power by linking them directly to computing capabilities. At a gathering of US governors this month, Musk contended that artificial intelligence is a terrifying problem and a threat to human civilization. He argued for the technology to be regulated sooner rather than later for risk of safeguards being put in place too late. Smart machines could start wars or kill people in streets, Musk has warned. Musk is also behind a startup devoted to neural lace that would enable brains to interface directly with computers. Such a "Neuralink" would have the potential to level the playing field a bit by enabling people to directly access processing power and perhaps even download memories for storage. Zuckerberg last year created his own personal "butler" imbued with artificial intelligence, named Jarvis, which plays with his family. This picture taken and released on July 4, 2017 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (2nd R) inspecting the test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location.North Korea is believed to be preparing for a new missile test on July 27, a US defense offiicial said Tuesday The Pentagon has picked up signs that North Korea is prepping for another missile test, a US defense official said Tuesday, as the United States cited progress in pushing China to impose tough new UN sanctions. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told AFP that if the test goes ahead, it would "probably" occur on July 27, which is the 64th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The date is a public holiday in the nuclear-armed North and celebrated as Victory Day. The official said the test would be of either an intermediate-range missile or North Korea's ICBM -- known as a KN-20 or a Hwasong-14. That would be the second time Pyongyang has tested an ICBM, after its July 4 rocket launch that caused global alarm. Experts assessed it could have put Alaska in range, bringing Pyongyang's long-held dream of a missile that can deliver an atomic warhead to the United States within reach, and presenting President Donald Trump with a stark challenge. South Korea's news agency Yonhap quoted a government source as saying Seoul had seen North Korea moving transporter erector launchers carrying ICBM launch tubes in North Pyongan province. "They're setting up for something," a second US defense official told AFP. - 'Pretty serious sanctions' - After North Korea's July 4 test, the United States launched a push at the United Nations for tougher measures against Pyongyang. US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday cited progress in talks with China on imposing what she termed as "pretty serious" new UN sanctions. The United States has been locked in negotiations with China for nearly three weeks on a new raft of measures, and Haley said China was negotiating with Russia separately on possible tougher sanctions. "I think we are making progress," Haley said. "It's not as fast as I would like but these are pretty serious sanctions and so I think that there is a lot of thought going into this." Haley told the UN Security Council after the test that she hoped to present new measures in a few days, such as cutting off oil supplies, banning North Korean guest workers or imposing new air and maritime restrictions on North Korea. In all, six sets of UN sanctions have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006, but two resolutions adopted last year significantly toughened the sanctions regime. Haley said the true test will be Russia's role. Moscow maintains the July 4 launch was not an ICBM, citing its defense ministry's assessment. Moscow has also argued that sanctions are not the answer to rein in North Korea, and that talks, as advocated by Beijing, were needed. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who personally oversaw the July 4 launch, described it as a gift to the "American bastards." - 'Close surveillance' - CNN cited a US defense official saying transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment were seen arriving at Kusong in North Pyongan last Friday. Kusong has been the scene of past tests, including in May when an intermediate-range ballistic missile traveled more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). The North last week refused to respond to the South's offer to open dialogue to ease tension. "We're keeping close surveillance on the North for possible provocative acts," a South Korean defense ministry spokesman told AFP. Yonhap also quoted a different Seoul government source as saying that an 1,800-ton North Korean submarine in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) may be collecting data to prepare for a ballistic missile test-launch from the North's largest submarine. The North last August successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Israeli soldiers stand outside Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs, also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque, a holy shrine for Jews and Muslims, on July 12, 2017 A group of Israeli settlers seized a disputed building in the occupied West Bank's flashpoint city of Hebron on Tuesday, officials and residents said. "Tens of Israelis entered a restricted building adjacent to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and security forces are currently on the spot," an Israeli military spokeswoman said. Known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, the nearby shrine, believed to be the burial site of biblical figures including Abraham, is frequently the focal point of tensions. Palestinian residents said settlers had raised an Israeli flag on the roof of the building they had occupied, known to Israelis as the Machpela house. They said the military was in the area and no one was allowed to approach. Israeli settlers were evicted from the same building after occupying it in 2012, as they had not obtained the necessary permits to purchase it. There is constant friction between Hebron's 200,000 Palestinian residents and several hundred Israeli settlers who live in the heart of the city under heavy military guard. Anti-settlement Israeli NGO Peace Now called on authorities to evacuate the settlers, saying 15 families had entered the building. "After their claims of ownership had been denied, the settlers have decided to take the law into their own hands and establish an illegal settlement that might ignite the region," Peace Now said in a statement. The settlers' move comes with Israeli-Palestinian tensions high over new security measures at a Jerusalem holy site. Israel removed controversial metal detectors at the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, on Tuesday, but Palestinians were continuing to boycott the site. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe speaks at the party's annual conference on December 17, 2016 Zimbabwe's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill amending the constitution to give the president sweeping powers to appoint the country's top judges without consulting any other institution. If passed into law, the bill will give Robert Mugabe the sole responsiblity to appoint the chief justice and their deputy. Under the 2013 constitution, the president could only appoint a chief justice from individuals recommended by the judicial services commission and after public interviews of the candidates. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who heads Zimbabwe's parliament, hailed the adoption of the bill. Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party enjoys a majority in the 270-seat legislature. A total of 182 lawmakers voted in favour of the changes that tinker with the country's constitution, which was adopted in a 2013 referendum after being put together by the ruling and opposition parties under a power-sharing government. "This is what democracy is all about, where those who disagree are given the opportunity to air their views," Mnangagwa said in an address to lawmakers after the law change was announced. The opposition and civil society had expressed concern that the amendment would compromise and weaken the judiciary. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said next year's election in Mexico and the expiration of US fast-track negotiating authority are creating pressure to reach agreement quickly on the renegotiation of NAFTA US and Mexican political deadlines are creating pressure to reach a quick outcome to next month's talks to rework North America's regional free trade pact, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Tuesday. The United States, Canada and Mexico are due to begin talks on August 16 to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with the US side focused squarely on cutting its $56 billion trade deficit with Mexico. "It's probably a big mistake to set a particular date but the political calendars both here and there suggest it should get done pretty quickly," Ross told the Economic Club of Washington, DC. Ross noted the administration's fast-track authority to negotiate trade deals -- which requires Congress to vote on the finished product without changes -- is set to expire in mid-2018 and there is no guarantee lawmakers would extend it. "Given the way Congress is acting right now, who knows what they will decide to do," he said. "And in the summer of next year, Mexico has their presidential elections and one of the leading candidates is a relatively anti-American candidate, I would say," Ross added, in an apparent reference to populist Mexican politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The administration last week laid out its NAFTA bargaining goals that seek to reduce US bilateral trade deficits while pressing Ottawa and Mexico City for other important concessions. Observers say it forms workable basis for talks to start but Washington could complicate matters by digging in on the most contentious points. Ross said key parts of NAFTA are out of date. "Any agreement that was done that many years ago before there was a digital economy... at a minimum needs an update," he said. He pointed to current rules of origin, which specify the share of parts within in finished goods which must be produced in North America to enjoy duty free status. "Whoever drafted it thought he was being very, very clever by specifying the parts to which these percentages applied," said Ross. "Half of those parts aren't even used anymore." Global trade agreements in fact rely on a complex nomenclature system to identify millions of individual products by codes in the international Harmonized System. The US bargaining position contains elements that were in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the Trump administration abandoned earlier this year. "There were some very good features to TPP and some of those we will try to build on in trade negotiations," Ross said Tuesday. Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo (L)and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi drink a toast after signing a joint communique on establishing diplomatic relations, in Beijing on June 13, 2017 Panama announced Tuesday it has opened an embassy in China after cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan in June. "The opening of the Republic of Panama's embassy in the People's Republic of China was done in accordance with the principles that frame the diplomatic relations between both countries," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The announcement was made as a delegation of Chinese business chiefs was on a visit to Panama to explore investment opportunities. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on June 12 declared his country had opened diplomatic relations with China. That automatically meant the rupture of such ties with Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province. Previously, Panama maintained trade relations with China. But with the upgrade in ties, it now hopes to become a key point for China's interests in Central America. China is already the second-biggest user of the Panama Canal, after the United States. It is currently Panama's fourth-biggest trading partner and a major supplier to its Colon free trade zone. Panama imports $1.2 billion worth of goods from China each year, and sends $50 million worth of exports to the Asian giant. US President Donald Trump made scrapping NAFTA a pilar of his presidential campaign, but has since softened his stance slightly US President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to rip up a free trade deal with Canada and Mexico if the text is not renegotiated to his liking. "We are renegotiating NAFTA and if we don't get the deal we want, we'll terminate NAFTA," Trump told a group of veterans in Ohio, the center of America's industrial heartland. "NAFTA has been a disaster for Youngstown, it's been a disaster for Ohio." Trump made scrapping NAFTA a pillar of his presidential campaign, but has since softened his stance slightly. Earlier this month, his administration began the process of renegotiating the 23-year-old deal, which Trump says is not fair to American workers. The former businessman has made reforming America's economy a centerpiece of his brand. His timing has been auspicious, entering office after the recovery from the Great Recession was well entrenched and with the labor market approaching full employment. "Jobs are the best they have been in 17 years, the stock market hit another all time high today, we're doing trade deals," he said, marking that progress. "People are coming back, if you look at Ohio, if you look at Michigan and other places the auto industry is starting to come back in a very, very big way." 8 people found dead in truck in 'human trafficking crime' SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Eight people have been found dead in a tractor-trailer outside a Walmart in Texas in what police are calling a horrific human trafficking case. Several other people, possibly dozens, were found in the truck, which didn't have a working air conditioning system, and they were taken to hospitals, firefighters said. A person from the truck approached a Walmart employee in a parking lot and asked for water late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, San Antonio police said. The employee gave the person the water and then called police, and when officers arrived they found the eight people dead in the back of the trailer, police Chief William McManus said. Investigators checked store surveillance video, which showed vehicles had arrived and picked up other people from the tractor-trailer, police said. "We're looking at a human trafficking crime this evening," McManus said. ___ Israel installs new security cameras at Jerusalem holy site JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel installed new security cameras Sunday at the entrance to a sensitive Jerusalem holy site, as officials began indicating it was considering "alternatives" to the metal detectors at the contested shrine that set off a weekend of violence and raised tensions in the region. Israel set up the new security measures last week after Arab gunmen opened fire from the shrine, killing two Israeli policemen. It said they were a necessary measure to prevent more attacks and were deployed routinely at holy sites around the world. But Muslims alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the Muslim-administered site and have launched mass prayer protests. Three Palestinians were killed in street clashes Friday in some of the worst street violence in years, and later a Palestinian stabbed to death three members of an Israeli family. Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, who heads the Israeli defense body for Palestinian civilian affairs, said Israel was open to alternatives to lower the tensions. "The only thing we want is to ensure no one can enter with weapons again and carry out another attack," he said. "We're willing to examine alternatives to the metal detectors as long as the solution of alternative ensures the prevention of the next attack." ___ Divided UK, inconclusive election could put brakes on Brexit LONDON (AP) - Lucy Harris thinks Britain's decision to leave the European Union is a dream come true. Nick Hopkinson thinks it's a nightmare. The two Britons - a "leave" supporter and a "remainer" - represent the great divide in a country that stepped into the unknown just over a year ago, when British voters decided by 52 percent to 48 percent to end more than four decades of EU membership. They are also as uncertain as the rest of the country about what Brexit will look like, and even when it will happen. Since the shock referendum result, work on negotiating the divorce from the EU has slowed to a crawl as the scale and complexity of the challenge becomes clearer. Harris, founder of the pro-Brexit group Leavers of London, says she is hopeful, rather than confident, that Britain will really cut its ties with the EU. "If we haven't finalized it, then anything's still up for grabs," she said. "Everything is still to play for." ___ AP Interview: Ex-Gaza chief says Hamas deal will open border RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - An exiled Palestinian politician has detailed his Gaza power-sharing deal with former foe Hamas for the first time. He says the understandings reached in quiet negotiations could lead to a better future for the long-suffering territory. Mohammed Dahlan tells The Associated Press he expects to see the opening of blockaded Gaza's border with Egypt by late August. The former Gaza security chief says a $100 million Gulf-funded power plant would eventually be built to ease crippling electricity shortages. Dahlan says chemistry between him and Gaza's new Hamas chief helped forge the once unthinkable alliance. The two, both in their mid-50s, grew up in the same Gaza refugee camp. Dahlan said by phone Saturday that he and Hamas chief Yehiyeh Sinwar "realized it's time to find a way out" for Gaza. ___ Rookie from New Jersey wins World Series of Poker, $8.1M LAS VEGAS (AP) - A New Jersey man with a degree in accounting is this year's World Series of Poker champion. Scott Blumstein won the series' marquee no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event early Sunday in Las Vegas surrounded by dozens of supporters including relatives and college friends. He is now more than $8.1 million richer after eliminating Pennsylvania's Daniel Ott on the 246th hand of the final table, more than 60 hands with just the two of them with bricks of bills and a gold bracelet separating them. "I'm really happy about how I played tonight," said Blumstein, who's 25. "... This is just one poker tournament. It takes variance and luck and playing your best, and all those things came together, and I'm happy to be the winner." Blumstein's final hand of an ace of hearts and a two of diamonds ended up being stronger than that of Ott, who went all in with an ace of diamonds and an eight of diamonds. The community cards were a jack of spades, a six of spades, a five of hearts, a seven of hearts and a two of hearts. It was the last card that prompted Blumstein's supporters to erupt. "I'm really happy with the result, really happy with the deuce because I was playing good, but I'm pretty tired of poker at this point honestly, and to have to go back and battle pretty deep again, I wasn't looking forward to it," said Blumstein, who fell to his knees near his supporters after the two of hearts was revealed. ___ Trump asserts all agree he has 'complete power' to pardon WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has "complete power" to issue pardons, an assertion that comes amid investigations into Russian interference in last year's presidential election. It was one of many topics that appeared to occupy the president's mind as the day broke. On a day when most people are ready to forget about the issues that nagged them during the week, Trump revved up. In an early morning flurry of 10 tweets, he commented about pardons, former presidential rival Hillary Clinton, son Don Jr., health care, the USS Gerald Ford, the attorney general and other issues. Trump said in one of his 10 messages: "While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS." The Washington Post recently reported that Trump has inquired about the authority he has as president to pardon aides, relatives or even himself in connection with the widening investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether any Trump associates were involved. The president has long criticized leaks of information about the investigation, and has urged authorities to prosecute leakers. ___ Trump: USS Ford is '100,000-ton message to the world' NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - With praise and a blessing for the military, President Donald Trump helped hand over the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Navy on Saturday and said the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier will send a "100,000-ton message to the world" about America's military might when it is ultimately deployed. U.S. allies will rest easy, Trump said, but America's enemies will "shake with fear" when they see the Ford cutting across the horizon. The president and commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces likened the $12.9 billion warship to "an incredible work of art" and boasted about the American labor that went into building a vessel that eventually will house thousands of sailors and crew members. Trump's participation in the ceremony also capped "Made in America" week at the White House, during which the president and administration officials sought to draw attention to U.S. manufacturing. "American steel and American hands have constructed this 100,000-ton message to the world," Trump said of the Ford during a speech that praised the bravery and spirit of U.S. service members and referenced his desire for a buildup after years of spending restrictions. ___ Lawmakers herald agreement on sweeping Russia sanctions bill WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional Republicans and Democrats announced Saturday they had reached an agreement on a sweeping Russia sanctions package to punish Moscow for meddling in the presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, said lawmakers had settled lingering issues with the bill, which also includes stiff economic penalties against Iran and North Korea. The sanctions targeting Russia, however, have drawn the most attention due to President Donald Trump's persistent push for warmer relations with President Vladimir Putin and ongoing investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign. Passage of the bill, which could occur before Congress breaks for the August recess, puts Capitol Hill on possible collision course with Trump. The White House had objected to a key section of the bill that would mandate a congressional review if Trump attempted to ease or end the sanctions against Moscow. But if Trump were to veto the bill, he risks sparking an outcry from Republicans and Democrats and having his decision overturned. The sanctions review was included in the bill because of wariness among lawmakers from both parties over Trump's affinity for Putin. The precise mechanics of how involved House Democrats would be in the review process had been a key sticking point, but Hoyer said he's satisfied with the outcome. "The legislation ensures that both the majority and minority are able to exercise our oversight role over the administration's implementation of sanctions," Hoyer said. ___ Princes William, Harry remember their final call with Diana LONDON (AP) - It was a typical phone call between two boys and their mother, who was on vacation in France. It was brief - the boys wanted to get back to playing with their cousins, not spend time on the phone chatting. The brevity of that 1997 call haunts Prince William and Prince Harry to this day - for their mother, Princess Diana, would die in a car crash that night. "Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know 'see you later'... If I'd known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn't have been so blase about it and everything else," William says in a new documentary. "But that phone call sticks in my mind, quite heavily." Harry tells the filmmakers the final chat is something he will regret until the end of his days. "Looking back on it now, it's incredibly hard. I'll have to sort of deal with that for the rest of my life," Harry said. "Not knowing that was the last time I was going to speak to my mum. How differently that conversation would have panned out if I'd had even the slightest inkling her life was going to be taken that night." ___ Charlie Gard protesters to rally as hospital reports threats LONDON (AP) - Protesters who want critically ill British baby Charlie Gard to receive an experimental treatment are planning a rally and prayer vigil and hospital officials say they have received death threats in the heartbreaking case. Activists supporting Gard's parents will gather Sunday outside the High Court in London where legal proceedings will resume Monday with new medical evidence expected. Gard's parents are fighting to get more medical care but Great Ormond Street Hospital officials say the experimental treatment won't work and will just cause the 11-month-old more suffering. They argue his life support should be turned off. Hospital chairwoman Mary MacLeod says doctors and nurses have been subjected to abuse on the streets and have received thousands of threatening messages. Charlie has a rare genetic condition and suffers from brain damage. HONOLULU (AP) - When Moon Yun Pellerin's parents bought a 27th-floor apartment in a high-rise overlooking Waikiki about 15 years ago, they didn't realize the wave-shaped building had no fire sprinklers. "We didn't even consider it," Pellerin said. But a week after a massive fire broke out one floor below her apartment, killing three neighbors, Pellerin and her family "definitely want sprinklers" installed - even if it means spending thousands of dollars. FILE - In this July 15, 2017 file photo the Marco Polo building is shown after a fire the day before gutted several of the top floors of the residential high-rise in Honolulu. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly blaze in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File) The Marco Polo Apartments were built in 1971, before sprinklers became mandatory for new construction in Honolulu. Despite local lawmakers' efforts to require older buildings to install sprinkler systems, officials estimate about 300 high-rises on Oahu still lack the fire prevention measure. Across the United States, cities have a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many - including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco - still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited. But after Honolulu's deadly July 14 fire, some question whether financial concerns outweigh the potential for tragedy. Here's a look at how the sprinkler debate is playing out in several U.S. cities: ___ HONOLULU In the inferno's aftermath, Honolulu's fire chief said sprinklers would have contained the blaze to the unit where it started, possibly saving the lives of those who died in nearby apartments. Mayor Kirk Caldwell introduced a bill a few days later that would require all high-rises to have sprinklers, even older ones. "I don't know what it's going to take for apartment owners as well as associations to see the value of human life," said Hawaii state Sen. Glenn Wakai, who plans to introduce legislation offering homeowners incentives to install sprinkler systems. The fire was not the first one at the 36-story Marco Polo building - and not the first time the question of installing sprinklers has come up. After a 2013 fire, the building's association asked an engineering firm for cost estimates to replace the fire alarm system and install sprinklers. The company concluded it would be about $8,000 per unit to install sprinklers, or about $4.5 million for the whole building. Sprinklers were never installed. "It's a tough issue for these associations because they are grappling with a lot of different costs," said Evan Fujimoto, president of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. "When you're dealing with an association, you might have 500 different people. How do you get people to agree on it?" Constraints on city and state budgets also play a role. Wakai first introduced legislation in 2005 after another deadly fire, proposing incentives that would cover 35 percent of the cost. But the budget was tight, and the bill ultimately failed after the incentive was reduced to just 5 percent. ___ SAN FRANCISCO A pair of deadly 2015 fires in San Francisco prompted city leaders to look at requiring automatic sprinklers in older residential buildings. But the idea faltered after landlords and officials raised concerns about the cost and logistics. "The sprinklers work - we know that - but the problem is, you've got these old buildings, and it's expensive, and there's going to be resistance on the part of the landlords," said Tommi Avicolli Mecca, director of counseling programs at the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. In 1993, San Francisco required that high-rise commercial buildings and tourist hotels be retrofitted with sprinklers, but the mandate excluded residential and historical buildings. ___ CHICAGO In Chicago, a fire that killed six people at a downtown county government building in 2003 prompted officials to enact a host of safety measures. Just weeks after the fire, in which victims died in stairwells after doors locked behind them, the City Council passed an ordinance requiring that the doors of the high-rises remain unlocked. Two years later, the city passed what is called the Life Safety Evaluation Ordinance, which requires residential buildings 80 feet (24 meters) or higher that were built before 1975 to be equipped with various safety features such as voice communication systems and fire-rated doors and frames in stairways. But it does not require them to retroactively install sprinklers. The city requires most of its older commercial buildings to be retrofitted with sprinklers, but not residential buildings. ___ NEW YORK: New York City requires sprinkler systems in new construction and in older commercial towers. But it mandates residential high-rises to retroactively install sprinklers only if they undergo significant renovations or change the building's use, according to the city's Department of Buildings. Alan Schulkin, 68, lives in a 39-story building in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood that was built in the 1970s and does not have sprinklers. "If (sprinklers) save lives and there's one fire, of course it's worth it," Schulkin said. ___ DALLAS The city of Dallas said the fire department has 89 high-rise residential structures on record, and 23 have some but not complete sprinkler coverage. Three residential high-rise buildings in the city have no sprinklers at all, though they met the requirements of building and fire codes in effect when they were constructed, according to officials. If a structure's occupancy use stays the same, and the building has had no significant renovations, the requirements of the code under which it was built continue to stand, the city said. ___ Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu, Karen Matthews in New York, Janie Har in San Francisco, Don Babwin in Chicago and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report. FILE - In this July 14, 2017 file photo, firefighters on several balconies spray water upwards while trying to contain a fire at the Marco Polo apartment complex in Honolulu. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly blaze in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File) FILE - In this July 15, 2017 file photo provided by KITV, fire damage from a blaze that killed three people and left 12 injured in the Marco Polo building in Honolulu is shown. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly blaze in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (Brenton Awa/KITV via AP, File) FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2010 file photo, the Chicago skyline is reflected on a sculpture in the city's Millennium Park. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly July 14 fire in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) FILE - In this March 24, 2009 file photo, lights shine from high-rise buildings in New York. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly July 14 fire in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File) FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2012 file photo, the Dallas skyline is reflected in the Trinity River in Dallas. Across the United States, there is a mixed bag of laws on whether older high-rise apartment buildings must install fire sprinklers that weren't required when the towers were first built. Many cities _ including New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco _ still have high-rises without the safety measure. Cost is often cited, but after the deadly July 14 fire in Honolulu, many question if the economics outweigh the potential for tragedy. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File) BOSTON (AP) - The Latest on the USS Constitution's return to Boston Harbor (all times local): 7:45 p.m. Hundreds of spectators were watching workers prepare for the world's oldest commissioned warship to return to Boston waters. The USS Constitution is undocking late Sunday night after two years of restoration work. The Boston Globe reports (http://bit.ly/2uo32o0 ) that about 300 people were gathered around the ship Sunday afternoon. "Old Ironsides" enters dry dock about every 20 years for below-the-waterline repairs. Officials say the dry dock at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard will be flooded, and the ship will be towed out and will float into Boston Harbor. The ship, which was launched in 1797, earned its famous nickname notching victories in the War of 1812. Once the vessel is refloated, it will be temporarily docked at a nearby pier until September, when it will reopen for public tours. ___ 9:45 a.m. The world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat is returning to Boston's waters. The USS Constitution is undocking Sunday, marking the end of restoration work that started two years ago. "Old Ironsides" enters dry dock about every 20 years for below-the-waterline repairs. The most recent work included installing 2,200 new copper sheets and replacing 100 hull planks and gun deck waterways. Officials say the dry dock at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard will be flooded, and the ship will be towed out and will float into Boston Harbor. The ship, which was launched in 1797, earned its famous nickname notching victories in the War of 1812. Once the vessel is refloated, it will be temporarily docked at a nearby pier until September, when it will reopen for public tours. NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Times is asking Fox News' morning show "Fox & Friends" to apologize for what the newspaper calls a "malicious and inaccurate segment" about the newspaper, intelligence leaks and the Islamic State that aired Saturday. New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said Sunday that she requested an "on-air apology and tweet." The paper, she wrote, took issue with a Fox host on the segment saying that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "was able to sneak away under the cover of darkness after a New York Times story" in 2015 and a host's comment that the U.S. government "would have had al-Baghdadi based on the intelligence that we had except someone leaked information to the failing New York Times." The segment referred to comments by a top military official noted in a Friday Fox story . In the Fox story, Gen. Tony Thomas, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, said his team was "close" to al-Baghdadi after a 2015 raid but the "lead went dead" after it "was leaked in a prominent national newspaper." The Fox story connected Thomas with the Times, saying that Thomas "appeared to be referring to a New York Times report in June 2015 that detailed how American intelligence agencies had 'extracted valuable information.'" The FoxNews.com story was updated online Sunday with a Times statement. "Fox & Friends" will "provide an updated story to viewers tomorrow morning based on the FoxNews.com report," the company said in a statement emailed by Fox spokeswoman Caley Cronin Sunday. The Times wrote a story Sunday saying President Donald Trump was wrong when he tweeted Saturday morning that the "failing" New York Times "foiled" a government attempt to kill al-Baghdadi, apparently a reaction to Fox's story. The Times also pushed back against Fox's story, noting that the Pentagon issued a news release more than three weeks before the Times article that could have tipped off al-Baghdadi. The paper also said the Pentagon "raised no objections" with it before the 2015 article on the intelligence gleaned from the raid was published. MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - At least eight people are dead after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. It was the first major attack on a displaced persons camp in Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram extremist insurgency. The attack started late Sunday night and left another 15 people wounded, spokesman Bello Danbatta with the Civilian-JTF group told The Associated Press. The Nigeria-based extremist group Boko Haram often targets the city with suicide bombers and increasingly has been using female ones. Nigeria's government late last year declared the group "crushed" but dozens of such attacks have been carried out this year. Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July 24, 2017. People were killed after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) The latest bombings occurred a few days after Nigeria's army chief of staff issued a 40-day deadline for troops to flush out Boko Haram's leader and finish off the extremist group. Danbatta said one bomber sneaked into the Dalori camp and detonated, and two other attackers exploded on or near the camp's perimeter fence. Another bomber detonated early Monday morning. Thousands of people continue to shelter in camps after being forced from their homes by Boko Haram. The extremist group's eight-year insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people, kidnapped thousands of others, spilled into neighboring countries and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. Nigeria is moving closer to famine, with more than 5 million people expected to face "crisis, emergency and famine conditions" by the end of August as the lean season continues, the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement Monday. The unrest has disrupted farming and access to markets in the region. Threats to displaced person's camps have included Nigeria's own military. On Monday, the air force issued a statement expressing its "deepest regrets" for mistakenly bombing a camp in the town of Rann in January. A Borno state government official said more than 230 people were killed when the air force bombed the camp multiple times. Last week the military said the camp was not appropriately marked as a humanitarian base on its operational maps. Women mourn for the death of a family member after a suicide attack at a camp of people displaced by Islamist extremist in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July. 24, 2017. Female suicide bombers attacked two camps for displaced people in northeastern Nigeria's main city, leaving many dead and injured Monday according to a civilian self-defense group. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July 24, 2017. People were killed after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at a camp for people displaced by Islamist extremist in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July. 24, 2017. Female suicide bombers attacked two camps for displaced people in northeastern Nigeria's main city, leaving many dead and injured Monday according to a civilian self-defense group. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at a camp of people displaced by Islamist extremist in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July 24, 2017. People were killed after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Women mourns for the death of a family member after a suicide attack at a camp for people displaced by Islamist extremist in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July. 24, 2017. Female suicide bombers attacked two camps for displaced people in northeastern Nigeria's main city, leaving many dead and injured Monday according to a civilian self-defense group. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July 24, 2017. People were killed after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) Rescue workers remove a body following a suicide attack at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Monday, July 24, 2017. People were killed after female suicide bombers attacked two displaced persons camps in northeastern Nigeria's main city, a civilian self-defense group said Monday. (AP Photo/Makama Sule) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and the Russia investigations (all times local): 6:30 p.m. Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is denying that he colluded with Russians in the course of President Donald Trump's White House bid. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, July 24, 2017, after meeting on Capitol Hill behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Kushner is also declaring that he has "nothing to hide." Behind closed doors, the Trump son-in-law spoke Monday to staff members of the Senate intelligence committee for nearly three hours at the Capitol, then made a brief public statement at the White House Kushner issued an 11-page statement hours before the Capitol session. He detailed four contacts with Russians during Trump's campaign and transition. Kushner is trying to explain inconsistencies and omissions in a security clearance form that have invited public scrutiny. ___ 3:05 p.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The California senator is the top Democrat on the committee. In a letter to committee chairman Sen Chuck Grassley, Feinstein notes that Sessions hasn't been before the committee since his January confirmation hearing. She says it's important the committee hear directly from Sessions in light of a Washington Post report last week. That story said intelligence intercepts showed the Russian ambassador to the U.S. told Moscow that he and Sessions had discussed campaign-related issues. Sessions has said he has no recollection of ever discussing the Trump campaign with the ambassador. Trump recently lashed out at Sessions in a New York Times interview. He also described Sessions as "beleaguered" in a tweet Monday. __ 1:25 p.m. White House senior adviser and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner says he did not collude with Russia. Kushner spoke to reporters at the White House Monday after meeting with Senate investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. Kushner told reporters he wanted to be "very clear." He said he "did not collude with Russia nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so." Kushner says he "had no improper contacts" with Russia and says his actions were entirely "proper." Kushner left his private meeting with Senate investigators, nearly three hours after it began. He delivered a brief statement upon his return to the White House but did not answer reporters' questions. __ 12:30 p.m. President Donald Trump's son-in-law has concluded his meeting with Senate investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Jared Kushner left the private meeting around 12:25 p.m., nearly three hours after it began. A man tried to hand him a Russian flag and police stopped him. Kushner is to make a public statement from the White House Monday afternoon. In a written statement released before the committee meeting, Kushner said he never colluded with Russians looking to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton and does not know of anyone who did. He disclosed four interactions with Russians during the campaign and transition, saying he had nothing to hide. Those were with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., a Russian banker and a Russian lawyer said to have damaging information about Clinton. Kushner was to meet Tuesday with the House intelligence committee. __ 11:10 a.m. House Speaker Paul Ryan says special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, isn't a biased partisan. Ryan's comments in a radio interview in Milwaukee come as President Donald Trump repeatedly has dismissed Mueller's investigation as a political witch hunt. On the "Jay Weber Show," Ryan was asked why more Republicans aren't defending Trump in light of the Mueller investigation. Ryan says the facts uncovered through the Mueller and congressional investigations will "vindicate themselves." And he says there's no question that Mueller is a Republican, noting that he was first appointed FBI director under Republican President George W. Bush in 2001. Ryan says, "I don't think many people are saying Bob Mueller is a biased partisan. He's anything but." ___ 9:45 a.m. President Donald Trump's son-in-law has arrived for questioning by Senate investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign. Jared Kushner is speaking in a closed session Monday to staff on the Senate intelligence committee. Earlier, he released an 11-page statement detailing four contacts with Russians during Trump's campaign and transition. Kushner in those prepared remarks says he "did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government." Kushner is to meet with lawmakers on the House intelligence committee Tuesday. __ 9:20 a.m. President Donald Trump is calling the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel "sleazy" for conducting what he says is a "biased" Russia investigation. The president tweeted Monday that "Sleazy Adam Schiff, the totally biased Congressman looking into 'Russia,' spends all of his time on television pushing the Dem loss excuse!" Trump has repeatedly called the investigation a "witch hunt" spearheaded by Democrats because of the Republican victory in 2016. California Rep. Schiff has been an outspoken advocate of hearing testimony from Trump associates on their contacts with Russian officials during last year's election. ___ 9 a.m. President Donald Trump is questioning why those investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion by members of his campaign aren't digging into Hillary Clinton's "crimes & Russia relations." In doing so, the president took his latest swipe at Attorney General Jeff Sessions, including him in the list of people who he says should be investigating Clinton's potential Russia links. Trump tweeted Monday, "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Sessions recused himself from the investigation earlier this year after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump condemned Sessions' recusal in a New York Times interview last week, saying he never should have taken the job as attorney general. __ 7:20 a.m. President Donald Trump's son-in-law says he received a "random email" during the presidential campaign from someone claiming to have Trump's tax returns and demanding ransom to keep the information secret. Jared Kushner says he interpreted the email as a hoax. Kushner says the email came from a person going by the name "Guccifer400." The name is an apparent reference to Guccifer 2.0, an anonymous hacker who has claimed responsibility for breaking into the Democratic National Committee's computer systems. Kushner says the emailer demanded payment in Bitcoin, an online currency. Kushner says he showed the email to a Secret Service agent, who told him to ignore it. Kushner disclosed the details of the email ahead of a closed-door interview Monday with a Senate committee investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. __ 6:33 a.m. The son-in-law of President Donald Trump is blaming his assistant for filing a version of his security clearance questionnaire that left off any contacts with foreign governments. Jared Kushner says the assistant accidentally filed the questionnaire while it was still being prepared. He says the initial form left off all foreign contacts, not just ones with Russians. Kushner says he eventually disclosed more than 100 contacts with people from more than 20 countries. Kushner says that list includes the King of Jordan, the prime minister of Israel and a high-ranking Mexican government official. Kushner is disclosing the information about his foreign contacts just hours before he speaks behind closed doors with a Senate committee investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and any possible collusion with Trump associates. ___ 6:06 a.m. The son-in-law of President Donald Trump says a June 2016 meeting with a Russian-American lawyer was such a "waste of time" that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. That's according to a statement Jared Kushner is providing to congressional committees this week. Emails released this month show Donald Trump Jr. accepted the meeting at Trump Tower with the idea that he would receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton. But Kushner says he hadn't seen those emails until recently shown them by his lawyers. Kushner says in his statement that Trump Jr. invited him to the meeting. He says he arrived late and heard the lawyer discussing the issue of adoptions. He says he texted his assistant to call him out of the meeting. ___ 6:00 a.m. President Donald Trump's son-in-law says that he only had four contacts with Russians during the campaign and presidential transition and that none of them were improper. Jared Kusher also says he never colluded with any foreign government during the presidential campaign. He also is denying that Russians finance any of his business in the private sector. Kushner is disclosing the information in an 11-page statement provided to The Associated Press. The release of the statement comes just hours before he is to be interviewed by a Senate committee investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and any possible collusion by Trump associates. The interview with the Senate intelligence committee is behind closed doors. ___ 3:20 a.m. Congressional investigators probing Russia's meddling in the U.S. election will have their first opportunity this week to hear from someone in President Donald Trump's innermost circle: son-in-law Jared Kushner. Kushner, who is a senior adviser to the president and is married to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, will talk to staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday behind closed doors. On Tuesday, he'll talk privately to members of the House Intelligence Committee. Both panels are investigating Russian interference and possible connections to Trump's campaign. Kushner has attracted attention for a December meeting with a leading Russian diplomat. He oversaw digital strategy for the campaign, and some lawmakers have said they want more answers about whether Russian social media "trolls" were connected to Trump's election efforts. FILE - In this June 21, 2017 file photo, special counsel Robert Mueller departs after a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election and possible connection to the Trump campaign, at the Capitol in Washington. President Donald Trump's legal team is evaluating potential conflicts of interest among members of Mueller's investigative team, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The revelations come as Mueller's probe into Russia's election meddling appears likely to include some of the Trump family's business ties. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) White House senior adviser Jared Kushner arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington., Monday, July 24, 2017, to meet behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee on the investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) LONDON (AP) - Shakespeare's Globe - London's open-air, Elizabethan-style playhouse - has appointed Olivier Award-winning actress Michelle Terry as its new artistic director. The London theater says Terry will take up the post in April 2018. She replaces Emma Rice, who is leaving early after claiming a lack of support from the company's board. Terry's roles at the Globe include Rosalind in "As You Like It" and Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She has also performed for Britain's National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and played the lead in "Henry V" at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Terry said Monday she was looking forward to helping artists and audiences "reclaim and rediscover" the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as new writers. VIENNA (AP) - Austrian police say they have found one of two suspects who allegedly discussed setting off a bomb in an Arabic conversation on a Vienna subway, but he denies any talk of a bomb. Police say the man turned himself in after photos of him and a fellow suspect were published. The search for them was launched last week, when other passengers who understood Arabic notified police about the conversation after leaving the subway car. The train then was stopped and officers looked for the suspects but found no trace of them or a briefcase they were carrying. One was allegedly overheard saying he had set "the bomb at five minutes." Police said Tuesday that the suspect claims the witnesses must have misheard their discussion. PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) - Kosovo's president has failed to secure a compromise among political parties to create a new government. His ethnic Albanian bloc of former independence war leaders holds 39 seats in the 120-seat parliament, the largest single group following a June 11 popular vote. To form a cabinet, it must muster a coalition with other political parties, or persuade individual lawmakers to support it. Hashim Thaci's consultative meeting on Monday was not attended by the other main players: the nationalist Movement for Self-determination, as well as a coalition led by former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the main ethnic Serb minority party. All boycotted the meeting, saying the president was favoring his former comrades-at-arms. Thaci decreed that parliament was to convene on Aug. 3. Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008. BEIJING (AP) - One-time rising Chinese political star Sun Zhengcai is being investigated for violations of party discipline, the ruling Communist Party announced Monday, making him the highest-ranking serving official to be ensnared by President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign, now in its fifth year. The party's anti-corruption watchdog agency said Sun, the leader of the mega-city of Chongqing until last week, is suspected of "serious violation of discipline," its usual shorthand for corruption and abuse of power. No details were given in Monday's one-sentence announcement, which comes ahead of a party congress at which Xi is expected to receive a second five-year term as party chief and unveil a new slate of top leaders loyal to him alone. In this March 13, 2017 photo, the then-party secretary of Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, attends a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party said Monday, July 24, 2017, that the former leader of the mega-city of Chongqing is suspected of "serious violation of discipline," its shorthand for corruption and abuse of office. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) "It's a big show of force," said Willy Lam, a long-time observer of China's elite politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "It shows how over the last five years, Xi has really built up his own faction while the others have been marginalized." Sun, 53, sat on the party's 25-member Politburo and had been seen as a candidate for promotion to the body's Standing Committee, the select group of leaders who constitute the apex of political power in China. He was removed suddenly from his Chongqing post last week and replaced by protege Chen Min'er, who is tipped to be promoted to the Politburo, but not its Standing Committee. The elimination of Sun, who was identified most closely with the China Youth League faction around Xi's predecessor, Hu Jintao, will help ensure that Xi's supporters will hold strong majorities on both the Politburo and the smaller Standing Committee, Lam said. "This demonstrates Xi's solid grip on personnel arrangements for the party congress," he said. Aside from creating an opening to elevate Chen, a Xi loyalist, Sun's removal is seen as a demonstration of Xi's political muscle and power over the party's factions. Fighting corruption has been a vehicle for Xi to show his influence, and he has pledged to take down both high-ranking officials, known as "tigers," and rank-and-file members, known as "flies." In China's political parlance, Xi is showing that he remains serious about tackling corruption at the highest levels in the run-up to the party congress that will take place in the autumn, said Qiao Mu, a Beijing political commentator. "Sun was seen as a rising star, and unlike other high-level officials Xi has gone after, he was not yet retired," Qiao said. Even after retirement, Politburo members had been seen as practically untouchable in recent decades until Xi took power as party leader in 2012. Xi shook up China's political establishment by quickly taking down four members of the previous Politburo who left office upon his appointment to the top party post. They consisted of a former security czar, two top generals and the former leader of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, all of whom were accused of corruption. But until Sun's downfall this month, Xi's campaign had not netted a high-profile "tiger" in years, leading political observers to question whether the campaign was running out of steam. Chen's appointment also ensures that Xi supporters control all four of China's major cities that are directly administered under the central government, giving them status equivalent to entire provinces. It's also a signal to party delegates that "Xi is in charge and if they want to advance, they need to profess loyalty to him," Lam said. ___ Associated Press writer Gerry Shih contributed to this report. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - An American university student is free after being detained for a week in China for allegedly injuring a taxi driver who manhandled his mother during a fare dispute, in a case that brought U.S. lawmakers to the student's defense. Guthrie McLean, a University of Montana student, was released from a Zhengzhou detention center early Monday, according to his mother, Jennifer McLean, a teacher who lives in the central Chinese city. "We are very, very, very, very happy," Jennifer McLean wrote in an email to The Associated Press. She said the release - at 2 a.m. local time, when her son was delivered to her doorstep - came as a surprise after she was twice told to anticipate his release only to be disappointed. FILE - This undated file photo provided by Jennifer McLean shows her son, University of Montana student Guthrie McLean, on the Great Wall of China. Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines says police in central China freed 25-year-old Guthrie McLean early Monday, July 24, 2017, local time, after he was arrested in China a week earlier after reportedly injuring a taxi driver who was roughing up his mother in a fare dispute. Jennifer McLean told The Associated Press her son's actions were justified because the taxi driver was hurting her. (Jennifer McLean via AP, File) "They have not finished the process completely, but we are hopeful it will go smoothly from here on," Jennifer McLean said. The U.S. State Department confirmed Guthrie McClean's release but provided no details, citing privacy concerns. "The safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is one of the Department's highest priorities," it said in a statement. Guthrie Mclean's release followed an agreement with Chinese authorities to drop any charges against him, according to Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. Details on the deal were not disclosed. Daines and Montana's other congressional delegates - U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Rep. Greg Gianforte - had pressed McLean's case with China's ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The lawmakers said Guthrie McLean had justifiably defended his mother, who is deaf, from the driver, whose knee was reportedly hurt in the encounter. Jennifer McLean told the AP the taxi driver was shoving her and hurting her when her son intervened and pushed the taxi driver to the ground. Jennifer McLean said that when police detained her son five weeks later on charges of intentional injury, they demanded the equivalent of $7,400 in compensation and threatened to imprison him for up to three years if they refused to pay. People who answered the phones at Zhengzhou police headquarters said there was no one available to comment on the case. The family did not pay $7,400, according to Daines, who added that more details would be released at a later time. "After two 20-hour days in back and forth negotiations with Chinese officials, we were able to come to an agreement that worked for everybody, most importantly for Guthrie and for Jennifer," Daines said in a conference call with reporters. Daines said he spoke with Guthrie McLean after his release, and he plans to return to Montana to resume his studies next month. Tester and Gianforte issued statements Sunday saying they were pleased with the outcome. Guthrie McLean has been majoring in East Asian studies at the University of Montana in Missoula for about two years and works in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, according to school officials. He is a U.S. citizen but he largely grew up in China after living in Missoula as a young child while his mother was studying at the university, according to his boss, Olivia White. ___ Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Beijing contributed to this report. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Police are searching for a man wanted in connection with the robbery of a popular Ocean Springs eatery Sunday night. According to Ocean Springs Police Capt. Chuck Jackson, the suspect entered the Crawfish House on Government Street by breaking down the door with his body. He then took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene. Police have obtained surveillance video and photos of the suspect and are asking for the public's assistance in locating him. Anyone with information on the suspect's identity or whereabouts is asked to call the Ocean Springs Police Department at 228-875-2211 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Firefighters are bracing for the possibility of dry lightning as they battle a stubborn blaze that has scorched nearly 120 square miles (308 square kilometers) near California's Yosemite National Park. The wildfire burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills was 50 percent contained Monday. But the state's fire protection agency says it could take crews another two weeks to fully surround it. More evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday, but flames continue to threaten about 1,500 structures in Mariposa County. The fire is burning about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Yosemite, but the park remains open. The blaze is one of more than a dozen that have ravaged California in recent weeks. PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on the rescue of hikers stranded by a flash flood (all times local): 4 p.m. The rescuer who hung from a helicopter and plucked stranded hikers from a flooded creek in Arizona says he wrapped his arms around a 4-year-old boy because he feared a harness wouldn't secure the child's small frame. Pima County sheriff's Deputy Steve West said he was relieved when the boy was safety hoisted into the rescue helicopter, away from raging rapids that stranded him and his father on a boulder Sunday. Seventeen hikers got stuck when a flash flood tore through a canyon on the outskirts of metro Tucson. All were rescued by Monday morning. Authorities initially said that one group of hikers were members of the same family but said later that they could confirm only three of them were related. Authorities also said that the group of people numbered eight, not 10 as previously reported. The circumstances are similar to those of an Arizona flash flood just over a week earlier that killed 10 relatives at a swimming hole. West says the tragedy was on rescuers' minds when they were called in. ___ This version corrects that one group of hikers described as related to each other had three people who were related and that there were eight, not 10, people in the group. ___ 7 a.m. The last of 17 hikers stranded by a flash flood in Arizona have been rescued. A rescue helicopter picked up the last two people Monday morning after they spent the night in a scenic canyon popular with hikers on the outskirts of metro Tucson. The other 15 hikers stuck at Tanque Verde Falls, in Redington Pass, were lifted out by helicopter Sunday or were walked out by rescue teams. Those 15 included a 4-year-old boy. Search and rescue teams had dropped food, water and blankets to the two remaining hikers. Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Code Gress says the incident is a reminder of the dangers of flash flooding. Eight days ago, a flash flood killed 10 members of an extended family in Tonto National Forest about 190 miles (300 kilometers) north of where Sunday's flooding occurred near Tucson. ___ 12:05 a.m. Rescuers in southeastern Arizona say they expect to work late into the night to lead all 17 hikers stranded by a flash flood to safety. By late Sunday, a Pima County Sheriff's Department helicopter had rescued 8 people, including a 4-year-old boy, from the raging waters after heavy rains. Deputies say rescue teams hiking to the others plan to walk them out when the water subsides in the area 25 miles northeast of Tucson. Officials said one of the remaining nine may have to be airlifted due to his location at Tanque Verde Falls in Redington Pass. Ten members of an extended family were killed eight days ago by a flash flood in Tonto National Forest about 190 miles north of Sunday's Pima County flooding. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (all times local): 9:40 p.m. President Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions. FILE - In this July 21, 2017 file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks in Philadelphia. President Donald Trump took a new swipe at on Monday, July 24, 2017, referring to him in a tweet as "beleaguered" and wondering why Sessions isn't digging into Hillary Clinton's alleged contacts with Russia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Trump continues to rage against Sessions' decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation. The president's anger again bubbled into public view Monday as he referred to Sessions in a tweet as "beleaguered." Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions. That's according to three people who have recently spoken to the president and demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. ___ 3:10 p.m. President Donald Trump took a new swipe at Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday, referring to him in a tweet as "beleaguered" and wondering why Sessions isn't digging into Hillary Clinton's alleged contacts with Russia. Fuming about the ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and questions as to whether his campaign colluded with foreign officials, Trump again focused his ire on Sessions, who was once one of the president's closest allies. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Trump tweeted Monday. His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, traveled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should resign. The president's tweet about Sessions comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe, saying he should never have taken the job as attorney general. Sessions recused himself from the investigation earlier this year after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. The attorney general said last week that he planned to stay in the post. Trump has seethed about Sessions' decision for months, viewing it as disloyal - arguably the most grievous offense in the president's mind - and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. The men have not spoken since the publication of the Times interview, according to Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. And their conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent as Trump has been unable to forget the attorney general's action, according to three White House and outside advisers. The men used to be close: Sessions first appeared with Trump at a rally in the then-senator's home state of Alabama in August 2015, an event that drew a massive crowd and was, for many members of Trump's inner circle, one of the first signs that their candidate was catching on. Sessions then became the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump and a frequent campaign adviser. When Trump was elected, Sessions was given a pick of prime Cabinet spots and expressed interest in being attorney general, giving up a safe Senate seat and decades of seniority. The broadside against Sessions in the interview was not a calculated ploy to force the attorney general to resign but rather Trump's frustration with his longtime ally bubbling to the surface, according to the advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Several people close to Trump - including his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, who has also been ensnared in the Russia probe - have also told the president that they believe Sessions' decision to recuse himself was a mistake. That has only fueled Trump's obsession with the probe, which has dogged his White House since Inauguration Day. Despite his protests to the contrary, Trump continues to watch and obsess over cable news coverage and he frequently interrupts conversations about other topics to complain bitterly about the probe or, on occasion, predict that it'll soon be behind him. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey contributed reporting. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Colvin at http://twitter.com/@colvinj WASHINGTON (AP) - At the twilight of a storied career and battling a brain tumor, Sen. John McCain stands poised to deliver for his party and his president on the issue that's defined the GOP for the past seven years. It's a situation heavy with drama and symbolism. The 80-year-old Arizona senator will return to Washington just days after a cancer diagnosis, to cast what could be the deciding vote Tuesday to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare." McCain himself campaigned heavily on the "Obamacare" repeal issue last year as he won re-election to a sixth and almost certainly final Senate term. And there could be sweet revenge in defying cancer to undo the signature legislation of the man who beat him for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama. FILE - In this July 11, 2017, file photo, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington. The office of Sen. John McCain says the ailing Arizona Republican will return to the Senate on July 25, the day of the health care vote. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) The Arizona senator would also deliver a key victory to President Donald Trump, despite emerging as one of the president's most outspoken GOP critics on Capitol Hill. During last year's campaign Trump shockingly ridiculed McCain over his years as a POW during the Vietnam War. And the situation was eerily reminiscent of a similar scenario involving McCain's good friend, the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, who returned to the Senate in July 2008 while battling brain cancer to vote on Medicare legislation, his dramatic entry in the chamber eliciting cheers and applause. Kennedy died of cancer in August 2009. The possibility of McCain returning had been discussed around the Capitol on Monday, yet the press release from his office late in the day came as a surprise. Nor did it guarantee success on Tuesday's vote for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is managing a balky GOP caucus with almost no room for error in the closely divided Senate. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said. McCain has not been overly enthusiastic about the GOP health bill or the partisan process through which it's emerged. After an earlier version was poised to fail, he called on McConnell to reopen the process with a bipartisan approach, advice the majority leader ignored. But McCain's best friend in the Senate Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and other colleagues who've spoken with McCain of late, say he's been itching to get back to the Senate, impatient to return to work. And he's expected to support McConnell and Trump and vote to move forward with the GOP health bill. "I have a feeling if there's any way he can be back he'll be here, whether or not his doctors like it, knowing John," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said earlier Monday. And sure enough, he will. ___ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report. MERCED, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a fatal car accident in California that was livestreamed on Instagram (all times local): 7:45 p.m. The parents of a teenage driver who livestreamed on Instagram the fatal crash that killed their younger daughter in California say they believe their daughter didn't mean for her sister to die. This July 22, 2017 photo provided by the Merced County Sheriff, shows Obdulia Sanchez in Merced, Calif. Sanchez has been arrested in California on suspicion of causing a deadly crash that she recorded live on Instagram. She was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter after Friday's crash that killed her 14-year-old sister and badly injured another 14-year-old girl. (Merced County Sheriff via AP) Nicandro Sanchez of Stockton tells Fresno television station KFSN (http://abc30.tv/2tSlnpX ) he believes his 18-year-old daughter Obdulia Sanchez knowns she did something wrong but doesn't know what happened. Authorities say Obdulia Sanchez lost control and the car veered off a San Joaquin Valley road and flipped over, ejecting 14-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez through the back window. A recording of the livestream shows Obdulia Sanchez shaking her unresponsive younger sister after the crash and saying she was sorry. Nicandro Sanchez tells the television station Obdulia Sanchez graduated from high school last year and that in the past two years she was in the custody of Child Protective Services. ___ 11:55 a.m. Authorities have released the name of a California girl killed in a crash that occurred as her older sister was livestreaming while driving the car. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke identified the girl Monday as 14-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez of Stockton. Authorities say she was ejected Friday from the car that flipped over after veering off a San Joaquin Valley road. Her 18-year-old sister Obdulia Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter. A recording of the livestream shows the driver shaking the girl after the crash and saying she was sorry. Merced County prosecutor Rob Carroll says video of the livestream will be a key piece of evidence. Neither Sanchez nor an attorney representing her could be reached for comment. ___ 10:25 a.m. A teenage driver lost control of her car while she was livestreaming on Instagram and recorded part of the crash that killed her younger sister in California. After a gap in the livestream, the driver is seen standing over the body of the dead girl, saying she was sorry and it was the last thing she wanted to happen. She also says she will go to prison but doesn't care. The California Highway Patrol says 18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez was driving the car Friday when it veered onto the shoulder of a road in the San Joaquin Valley. It says she overcorrected, causing the vehicle to swerve and overturn into a field. Relatives confirmed to KFSN-TV (http://abc30.tv/2tSlnpX ) that Sanchez was livestreaming at the time of the crash that killed her 14-year-old sister. The station says the livestream was recorded by someone who viewed it. Authorities did not know if Sanchez has an attorney. The CHP is examining the video as part of its investigation. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on wildfires burning in California (all times local): 8:30 p.m. Fire crews have made gains against a blaze that has scorched more 120 square miles (308 square kilometers) of dense brush and dead trees near California's Yosemite National Park. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Monday evening the blaze is 60 percent contained. The wildfire burning for more than a week has destroyed 63 homes and 68 other buildings. Officials say it could take crews another two weeks to fully surround it. The blaze is burning about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Yosemite and continues to threaten about 1,500 structures in Mariposa County. More than 5,000 firefighters fought the blaze using air tankers and fleets of helicopters and bulldozers. Some residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday, but mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for parts of the county. The blaze is one of more than a dozen that have ravaged California in recent weeks. ___ 8:05 p.m. Firefighters are bracing for the possibility of dry lightning as they battle a stubborn blaze that has scorched nearly 120 square miles (308 square kilometers) near California's Yosemite National Park. The wildfire burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills was 50 percent contained Monday. But the state's fire protection agency says it could take crews another two weeks to fully surround it. More evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday, but flames continue to threaten about 1,500 structures in Mariposa County. The fire is burning about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Yosemite, but the park remains open. The blaze is one of more than a dozen that have ravaged California in recent weeks. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - The Australian foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the United Nations refugee agency's allegation that her government reneged on a deal to resettle some refugees who attempted to reach Australia by boat. The UNHCR said on Monday it had agreed to facilitate a deal in which the United States would take up to 1,250 refugees among more than 2,000 asylum seekers languishing in immigration camps on the impoverished Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru "on the clear understanding that vulnerable refugees with close family ties in Australia would ultimately be allowed to settle there." U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi's statement is the first indication that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government had ever discussed backing down from its 4-year-old policy that no refugee who attempts to reach Australia by boat will ever be allowed to stay. FILE - In this May 12, 2013, file photo, Iranian refugees who were caught in Indonesian waters while sailing to Australia sit on a boat at Benoa port in Bali, Indonesia. Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, rejected the United Nations refugee agency's allegation that her government reneged on a deal to resettle some refugees who attempted to reach Australia by boat. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File) But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said her government had never wavered from its tough policy that stopped asylum seekers from paying people smugglers to bring them from Indonesia aboard overcrowded fishing boats. "The Turnbull government's position has been clear and consistent throughout, and that is that those who seek to come to Australia illegally - who pay people smugglers that are criminal networks and have then gone to regional processing centers - will not be resettled in Australia," Bishop, who is deputy leader in the ruling center-right Liberal Party, told reporters. "That's been our clear and consistent position throughout," she added. Grandi said his agency had only recently been told that the only options for refugees on Nauru and Papua New Guinea were to stay on the islands or relocate to the United States or Cambodia. Australia pays Papua New Guinea and Nauru to look after the asylum seekers who are legally Australia's responsibility. Australia also pays Cambodia to resettle refugees, but few have taken that option. Vulnerable refugees subjected to four years of "punishing conditions" on the islands should be reunited with their families in Australia, Grandi said. "The Australian government's decision to deny them this possibility is contrary to the fundamental principles of family unity and refugee protection and to common decency," Grandi said. President Barack Obama's administration agreed to accept some of Australia's refugees - mostly from Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka - in a deal some saw as repayment for Australia agreeing to accept Honduran and Salvadoran refugees under a U.S.-led resettlement program from a camp in Costa Rica. President Donald Trump described the deal as "dumb" but has agreed to honor it. The UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volker Turk said his agency had identified 36 refugees with close family links to Australia for the government to consider resettling. Discussions had included senior Australian officials including Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton, who had the discretion to accept the refugees, Turk said. "He didn't give us assurances because we didn't present cases yet, but he did agree that we would be able to present such cases," Turk told Australian Broadcasting Corp. late Monday. Dutton's office said in a statement his government's position "has been clear and consistent: those transferred to" Papua New Guinea and Nauru "will never settle in Australia." JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesia's navy has disputed reports that four Vietnamese fishermen were wounded in a weekend incident that was the second clash between the two countries in the South China Sea in two months. Navy spokesman Gig Jonias Mozes Sipasulta said a warship fired a warning shot when two Vietnamese boats that were intercepted four nautical miles inside Indonesian territory on Sunday sailed toward its bow. In a statement released Monday evening, Sipasulta said reports of Vietnamese being shot were untrue. He said the two fishing vessels immediately left Indonesian waters after the KRI Wiratno-379 fired its warning shot. According to Vietnam's Binh Din newspaper, which quoted boat captain Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, the Vietnamese vessels were within their country's sovereignty, about 100 nautical miles southeast of Con Dao island, when attacked by the Indonesian navy. Four Vietnamese were shot and wounded, two seriously, both who are now being treated in Ho Chi Minh city, according to the report. Several Vietnamese fishing vessels escaped Indonesian interception in May following a show of force by Vietnam's coast guard in the South China Sea, where China's expansive territorial claims overlap with the waters of several Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, with more than 13,000 islands, has become increasingly assertive in defending its maritime territory and exclusive economic zone. It has destroyed hundreds of foreign fishing vessels caught in its territory and earlier this month said it had renamed the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea. Experts said that move was aimed at protecting its exclusive economic zone north of the Natuna island chain, which overlaps with China's nine-dash line that roughly demarcates its claim to the South China Sea. SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Investigators believe a truck driver accused in the deaths of 10 people found inside a packed, sweltering tractor-trailer is just one member of a larger organization involved in human smuggling that they are looking to identify and dismantle, a U.S. immigration official said Tuesday. Some of the 29 identified survivors have told authorities they hired smugglers who brought them across the U.S. border, loaded some of them onto trucks that took them to the tractor-trailer, and marked them with different colored tape to identify them to various smugglers who would be picking them up after the tractor-trailer reached its destination. "We're certainly not stopping at looking at the driver. We're trying to investigate and identify the different cogs, the stash houses, the other members, where the money came from," Shane Folden, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations office in San Antonio, told The Associated Press. A bottle of water, flowers, candles, and stuffed animals help form a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Monday, July 24, 2017. Several people died and others hospitalized after being crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the midsummer Texas heat, according to authorities in what they described as an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) The driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida, is facing charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. Bradley could face the death penalty. Authorities allege he drove a trailer full of immigrants from South Texas that was discovered in the parking lot of a Walmart in San Antonio early Sunday morning. Folden said charging Bradley is just the first step in the case as investigators work to find others involved in the scheme, including those responsible for facilitating money transfers and bringing the immigrants across the border. "The ultimate goal is to dismantle the complete organization. You don't get there by only focusing on one aspect. You have to look at potential targets and potential related locations, both north and south," he said. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar from Texas said he was informed by law enforcement the tractor-trailer had cleared a Border Patrol checkpoint 29 miles north of the border on Interstate 35 near Laredo. Cuellar said he didn't know whether the immigrants were loaded into the truck before or after it crossed the checkpoint. U.S. authorities are still trying to determine how many people were inside the tractor-trailer because some fled before police arrived, Folden said. Thirteen people who rode in the trailer remained hospitalized Tuesday in San Antonio, said ICE spokesman Greg Palmore. He declined to say how many were critical or in life-threatening condition. Officials say at least 29 people survived the smuggling attempt. Delmin Dario Lopez Colomo, 23, a Guatemalan survivor who remains hospitalized, said the migrants in the tractor-trailer were delivered by various different smugglers, according to Cristy Andrino, the consul of Guatemala in McAllen, Texas. Adan Lara Vega, 27, a migrant from Mexico who survived the smuggling attempt, told the AP on Monday that they boarded the truck on a Laredo street Saturday night for the two-hour trip to San Antonio. He said the trailer was already full of people, but it was so dark he couldn't tell how many. At least some of the survivors are likely to become witnesses and receive consideration to remain in the United States to testify, Folden said. It's likely that most if not all of the survivors will be allowed to stay in the country to help authorities in their investigation, said Jeff Vaden, a former federal prosecutor who helped oversee the prosecution of a 2003 smuggling attempt in Victoria, Texas, in which 19 people died. Many of the more than 50 immigrants who survived that attempt "were able to identify the people who harbored them or transported them or to whom they paid or spoke. That's what enabled the government to put together the larger smuggling case above just the driver. Just like in any crime, the victims are critical witnesses," said Vaden, who now is a partner at the Houston law firm of Bracewell LLP. Jacob Monty, an immigration lawyer in Houston, said the help the survivors give to authorities could "lead to permanent residency." The driver, Bradley, remained jailed on Tuesday. He had his commercial driving privileges for a truck driver suspended by Florida three months before Sunday's deadly smuggling attempt, officials said Tuesday. Court records show that Bradley had been cited repeatedly for violating federal motor carrier safety regulations in Iowa dating back to 1995. At least two of the tickets were for logging more hours than allowed. Federal regulators said they are also conducting an investigation into an Iowa trucking company whose name was on the trailer. Brian Pyle, owner of Pyle Transportation, said the trailer had been sold on May 10 to an individual in Mexico and Bradley was working as an independent contractor to drive it to Brownsville, Texas, to carry out the sale. It's unclear what will happen to one of the migrants who died, identified as 19-year-old Frank Guisseppe Fuentes. His parents, who live in Maryland and are in the U.S. illegally, haven't yet told Guatemalan officials what they want done with his body, apparently fearing ICE agents could come after them if they claim their son, Andrino said. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. Associated Press writers Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky; and Emily Schmall in Fort Worth, Texas, contributed to this report. James Mathew Bradley Jr., left, arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing, Monday, July 24, 2017, in San Antonio. Bradley was arrested in connection with the deaths of multiple people packed into a broiling tractor-trailer. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Shoppers pass a group visiting a make-shift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Monday, July 24, 2017. Several people died and others hospitalized after being crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the midsummer Texas heat, according to authorities in what they described as an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Flowers, candles, and stuffed animals help form a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Monday, July 24, 2017. Several people died and others hospitalized after being crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the midsummer Texas heat, according to authorities in what they described as an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A group visits a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Monday, July 24, 2017. Several people died and others hospitalized after being crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the midsummer Texas heat, according to authorities in what they described as an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) When a long-haul truck driver called his fiancee Sunday from a jail more than 1,000 miles from home, he had only a few minutes to describe the gruesome events that led to him being charged with a crime in which he could face the death penalty. Darnisha Rose said James Matthew Bradley Jr., who she described as a generous person, claimed he had no idea how so many people - maybe 90 or more - came to be crammed inside his pitch-black trailer in the Texas heat, taking turns to breathe through a hole in the wall. Ten of the immigrants died. The 60-year-old Bradley, a diabetic with a criminal history that includes a conviction in a felony domestic violence case, told Rose that he'd stopped his truck at a Walmart in San Antonio and went inside to use the bathroom. He told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. Scroll down for video The fiancee of truck driver James Bradley is speaking out to defend him, after 10 illegal immigrants died after being smuggled the back of his sweltering tractor-trailer on Sunday Bradley, 60, of Clearwater, Florida, is pictured above arriving at a federal courthouse on Monday for his first hearing. He faces charges of smuggling illegal immigrants He claimed that when he returned to his truck, he noticed the trailer rocking back and forth. He said he'd heard nothing before that, though the people in the back later told police they'd been frantically banging on the walls. Bradley opened the door. 'He said he saw the people in there, laying everywhere,' Rose said Monday from her home in Louisville, Kentucky. 'He said he didn't know what to do, which way to go. He was crying, distraught. He was scared. You could tell it in his voice.' Court documents say that Bradley did not call 911 after discovering the suffering immigrants in the trailer, even though at least one of them was already dead and others were in such grave condition they had to be hospitalized for dehydration and heatstroke. Many of the immigrants had hired smugglers who brought them across the US border, hid them in safe houses and then put them aboard the tractor-trailer for the ride northward, according to accounts given to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he knew the trailer refrigeration system did not work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation of Schaller, Iowa. Company president Brian Pyle said he had sold the truck to someone in Mexico and that Bradley was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. Mr Pyle said: 'Im absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. Its shocking. Im sorry my name was on it (the truck)'. He said he had no idea why Bradley took the roundabout route he described to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo which would have been out of his way if he were travelling directly to Brownsville to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. He said he saw the people in there, laying everywhere. He said he didn't know what to do, which way to go. He was crying, distraught. he was scared. You could tell it in his voice. Rose defended her fiance as a good man who would always try to help people in need, though she acknowledged he has a criminal history. Documents show his record dates back until at least the 1990s and spans multiple states. In 1997, Bradley pleaded guilty in a felony domestic violence case in Colorado and was sentenced to two years' probation, said Rich Orman, chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District in suburban Denver. Records indicate supervision of Bradley's probation was transferred to Gainesville, Florida. Then in 1998 he was arrested in Ohio and extradited to Colorado for violating his probation, Orman said. Records show that at that time, Bradley also was wanted by a Texas agency for an unknown charge. Another probation violation complaint came in 1999, but Bradley wasn't arrested and returned to Colorado until 2003. He was sentenced to three years in a halfway house, but he violated terms of that sentence - apparently walking away from the facility - and in 2005 was sentenced to one year in a Colorado prison, Orman said. Bradley told his fiancee that he had no idea there were dozens of illegal immigrants in the back of his tractor trailer (seen above on Sunday) Bradley also told authorities that it wasn't until he stopped at a Walmart to use the restroom that he noticed the van shaking back and forth, and opened the trailer to find immigrants in the back Eight of the 39 immigrants were dead at the scene. Another two died after being taken to the hospital. Above, the Walmart where Bradley stopped early Sunday morning to use the restroom Mia Gonzalez holds a flower and artificial candle as she takes part in a vigil at San Fernando Cathedral for the victims on Sunday He was released in 2007, according to the Department of Corrections, and remained on parole until 2009. Authorities list Bradley as being from Clearwater, Florida. Rose said Bradley has been staying in Louisville for a couple years. He grew up in Florida and moved around, spending most of his time on the road. She said he had spent more time in Louisville lately as he recovered from having his leg amputated in the spring. Bradley is pictured above in his mugshot, after his early Sunday morning arrest Bradley had diabetes that he hadn't properly treated, got a prosthetic leg earlier this month and wanted to get back to work, Rose said. As for his latest truck trip, she expected him to be gone about two weeks. Rose apparently missed an earlier call from Bradley, who faces charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. He told investigators he didn't call 911 but that he did get back in his truck and called his wife, who didn't answer. Bradley often referred to Rose as his wife, though they were not married. Rose said she tried calling him back after that overnight call, but didn't reach him. The next time she heard from him was Sunday morning when he called from jail. She said he did not explain during their brief conversation how the immigrants might have been loaded into his trailer without him knowing about it. SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Adan Lara Vega said he was told the $5,500 he was being charged to be smuggled into the United States would include an air-conditioned truck ride. Instead, the 27-year-old Mexican laborer climbed with his friends into a pitch-black, metal tractor-trailer compartment that lacked ventilation - a deadly oven that would claim 10 lives. "After an hour I heard ... people crying and asking for water. I, too, was sweating and people were despairing," Lara Vega told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Monday from his bed in a San Antonio hospital. "That's when I lost consciousness." A bottle of water, flowers, candles, and stuffed animals help form a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of a Walmart store near the site where authorities Sunday discovered a tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Monday, July 24, 2017. Several people died and others hospitalized after being crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the midsummer Texas heat, according to authorities in what they described as an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone wrong. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) By the time he regained it Sunday, he was in the hospital, where his ID bracelet identified him by the last name Lalravega. Mexican consulate and U.S. officials later told AP the correct spelling was Lara Vega. He told the AP it all started when he climbed aboard the tractor-trailer in the border city of Laredo, Texas, with six friends from the state of Aguascalientes after the group waited nearly two weeks in a safe house. "The guy we were with in the house told us they'd be putting us in a refrigerated compartment, a refrigerated compartment with air. But that didn't happen," he said. The trailer was already full of people when the door opened up on a Laredo street. Lara Vega said it was so dark he couldn't see how many there were. A few were children, he said, whose voices he later heard begging for water. He said the smugglers didn't offer passengers water, and he and his friends hadn't brought any with them. The ride to San Antonio would only be 150 miles (240 kilometers). Lara Vega said he never saw the driver of the tractor-trailer. He said that when people are being smuggled, they are told not to look at the faces of their handlers - and it's a good idea to obey. The packed tractor-trailer was found early Sunday outside a Walmart store. As many as eight passengers were dead, and two more would soon die. The driver has been charged in the deaths. When Lara Vega woke up, he was in a hospital tossing and turning. He said he tried to get up "but I lost my balance and fell." "I needed to drink a lot of water to get control of myself," he said, recounting his story in Spanish while eating lunch in his hospital bed, cardiac-monitoring sensor still affixed to his bare chest. He was no longer attached to an intravenous drip for rehydration. Lara Vega, a spare, muscular man with a trim mustache and thick black eyebrows, said all his friends survived as far as he knew, though some were hospitalized. Some have cousins and siblings in San Antonio, he said. A fellow smuggled immigrant was in the hospital bed next to him, but declined to speak with a reporter. Another passenger on the truck told investigators that he also was from Aguascalientes. Before the trucked reached its final destination, he said, the immigrants were given different colored tape "to identify to the waiting smugglers which group they would be picking up." When the truck stopped, the rear doors were opened and people started swarming out. Six black SUVs were waiting and were filled within a matter of minutes before driving off. The man, identified only by his initials, said he did not see who opened the trailer doors nor did he see the truck driver, according to a criminal complaint filed against the driver. Lara Vega, who didn't pay the smugglers, said he was hoping for a construction job. This was his second attempt to enter the United States. He said he was deported when he tried three years ago but decided to take another chance because the economy is depressed where he lives with his wife, 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. "A person makes decisions without thinking through the consequences," he said, "but, well, thanks to God, here we are." Lara Vega said he didn't know his legal status. Mexican consular officials say they are providing legal representation for the survivors and that Lara Vega had been visited by one. BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian rebels and activists are warning that an al-Qaida-linked jihadi group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the country's uprising in northwestern Syria, after the extremists seized control of the opposition-held regional capital, Idlib, last weekend. With the jihadis cementing their authority over the city and its province, also called Idlib, Syrian President Bashar Assad has been supplied with a useful pretext for a long-expected assault against the rebellious province: that the uprising against him is largely driven by Islamists and terrorists. "There is the real possibility that because of the Nusra Front's domination, the regime will enter the area with international approval," said Lt. Col. Fares Bayoush, a longtime opponent of Assad, who has been leading a rebel faction in north Syria. This Sunday, July 9, 2017 photo, released by Ibaa news agency, the communications arm of the al Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee, outlet that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows al-Qaida-linked fighters after they detained alleged members of the Islamic State group in the northwestern Syrian village of Sarmin in Idlib province. Syrian rebels and opposition activists say an al-Qaida-linked group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the 2011 Syrian uprising against President Bashar Assad in northwest Syria. Arabic reads, "Detaining members of the Islamic State group in the city of Sarmin." (Ibaa News Agency, via AP) The Nusra Front is one of the many names for the al-Qaida-affiliate that now heads the mighty Hay'at Tahrir al Sham militant alliance - Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee - that seized the city of Idlib, as well as two border crossings with Turkey to feed its coffers. It is also known as HTS. In July last year, the Nusra Front changed its name to Fatah al-Sham Front and said it was cutting all its links with al-Qaida, an aesthetic move seen by many as an attempt to improve its image and market itself as a faction defending the Syrian people. It abides by a deeply conservative code for ethics and jurisprudence and tolerates no dissent - leading many who live under its rule to complain they are no better than the government they sought to overthrow in 2011. The fresh gains by HTS in northern Syria come at a time when its rival, the Islamic State group, is suffering defeats at the hands of U.S.-backed Iraqi and Syrian forces in both countries. In Idlib demonstrations last week, the group's members shot at protesters waving the tri-color flag of the Syrian uprising. HTS will only accept their own, jihadi-inspired black flags to be flown in their presence. "Any party that tries to confront HTS will be crushed," said an activist based in northwest Syria. "This is a big blow for the Syrian revolution. Bashar will look like he is fighting terrorism," the activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the HTS. With its previous incarnations, Hay'at Tahrir al Sham has long been the top dog in Idlib province but the putsch has had the effect of making it feel official. In recent weeks, the group deployed masked gunmen and carried out raids in search operations for alleged IS members. HTS deployed across Idlib city last weekend after a rival faction, the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham group, withdrew. Five days of clashes around the province left 77 fighters and 15 civilians dead, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Other factions, including many once financed and armed in part by the CIA, kept to the sidelines. They are hoping to win a share of the revenues from the lucrative Bab al-Hawa border crossing, said a Turkey-based opposition activist who liaises with Syrian rebels and their state sponsors. He asked for anonymity so as not to jeopardize his position. That crossing used to bring Ahrar al-Sham over $1 million in revenues a month, according to a senior Ahrar al-Sham official, who also asked for anonymity for the same reason. The group will now have to share those revenues with HTS after forfeiting its monopoly over it to a "civilian administration" forced in by the extremists. HTS also seized Sarmada - the first town after the Bab al-Hawa crossing and an important trade hub in north Idlib - and Khirbet al-Jouz, home to a second, less important crossing with Turkey. "Ahrar al-Sham no longer has a real on-the-ground presence in Idlib province. It's over," said the Observatory's chief, Rami Abdurrahman. HTS and Ahrar have long been at odds over Idlib, but the rout last week nevertheless carried a hint of betrayal, as the two sides fought side by side in 2015 to throw the government out of the province once and for all. Armed with anti-tank missiles supplied to supporting moderate opposition forces, some of which ended up in the hands of the Nusra Front, the coalition's advantage was so great that Assad conceded, for the first time in the war, that he might not be able to retain control over all of Syria. But Russia intervened with a bruising aerial campaign that drove the rebels and insurgents back on all fronts. Further infighting between the factions has all but doomed any hopes of rebels reaching the Syrian capital, Damascus. Assad, who has long eyed Idlib province since he lost it, will be further emboldened by a White House decision to halt the CIA supply-and-equip program for Syrian rebels. It was first reported by the Washington Post last week. Opposition activists saw it as an acknowledgement that HTS was exploiting its position in northwestern Syria to pilfer weapons from vetted opposition groups. "It means HTS will have less access to arms," said the Turkey-based opposition activist. But it is also a sign of growing closeness between the White House and the Kremlin over Syria. Russia, a strong backer of Assad, had long pushed the United States to end the program. And U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was reported to have told U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres earlier this month that the U.S. was leaving "Syria's fate in Russia's hands now," according to Foreign Policy magazine. This Sunday, July 9, 2017 photo, released by Ibaa news agency, the communications arm of the al Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee, that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows al-Qaida-linked fighters gathering ahead of raids in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in search for members of the Islamic State group. Syrian rebels and opposition activists say an al-Qaida-linked group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the 2011 Syrian uprising against President Bashar Assad in northwest Syria. Arabic reads, "Convoys of Levant Liberation Committees head to carry out raids on cells of the Islamic State group in the city of Idlib." (Ibaa News Agency, via AP) BERLIN (AP) - The suspect in a chainsaw attack on a health insurer's office in Switzerland that left five people wounded was caught on Tuesday after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis was arrested in Thalwil, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the scene of Monday morning's attack in Schaffhausen, police said. The lakeside town is in Zurich canton (state), Schaffhausen's southern neighbor. Police issued a brief statement announcing the arrest but said they would give no further details before a news conference scheduled in Schaffhausen on Wednesday. This undated photo provided by the Schaffhauser Polizei shows the suspect in a chainsaw attack in Schaffhausen, Switzerland on Monday. The man suspected of wounding five people with a chainsaw was still on the loose Tuesday, July, 25, 2017 and a massive manhunt was taking place on the Swiss-German border. (Schaffhauser Polizei via AP) Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Wrousis, whom they described as aggressive and psychologically unstable. They said the 50-year-old has two previous convictions for weapons offenses and no fixed residence. Wrousis is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company at their office in Schaffhausen's old town. One of them was seriously hurt, though the injuries were not considered life-threatening. Authorities say Wrousis, a client of health insurer CSS, targeted the agency, although a motive remains unclear. Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. All but one of the five have left the hospital. In recent weeks, Wrousis was seen several times in forests just south of Schaffhausen. Police found a minivan he was believed to have been driving shortly after the attack, and searched the region near the German border with helicopters and sniffer dogs. On Tuesday, they urged people to exercise caution when in the area's forests as long as the suspect remained at large. As the manhunt continued, the insurance company said it was keeping its offices in Schaffhausen and five other nearby towns closed for now "in view of yesterday's attack." Police had described Wrousis as potentially dangerous and warned he might be armed. They also published several photos of the suspect, one of them taken shortly before the attack. It showed a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag. This undated images released by the KAPO Schaffhausen shows the alleged attacker who injured several people in Schaffhausen Switzerland Monday, July 24, 2017. An unkempt man armed with a chainsaw wounded five people Monday at an office building in the northern Swiss city of Schaffhausen and then fled, police said. A manhunt was on for him. (KAPO Schaffhausen via AP) The police investigate in the old town of Schaffhausen in Switzerland, where they search for an unknown man who attacked people, Monday, July 24, 2017. Swiss police say several people have been hospitalized, two of them with serious injuries, following the apparent attack in the northern city of Schaffhausen. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP) The police investigate in the old town of Schaffhausen in Switzerland, where they search for an unknown man who attacked people, Monday, July 24, 2017. Swiss police say several people have been hospitalized, two of them with serious injuries, following the apparent attack in the northern city of Schaffhausen. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP) NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) - A man and a woman were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with Las Vegas police after a vehicle chase that began with an investigation of a weekend shooting ended in neighboring North Las Vegas, authorities said. The shooting happened a little after 7:15 p.m. Monday after a lengthy pursuit of a Honda sedan believed to have been used as the getaway car in a Sunday shooting that left a man on a bicycle wounded, Las Vegas police Capt. Kelly McMahill said. Patrol cruisers and a police helicopter followed before the chase ended on a street in North Las Vegas. McMahill said a man matching a description of the shooter in the Sunday incident got out of the car, pointed a gun at police and fired two or three shots. Two officers returned fire, striking the man several times. McMahill said a woman in the car was wounded in the wrist, but investigators weren't immediately sure if it was from police gunfire or a shot fired by the male suspect. The man and the woman were taken to University Medical Center, where McMahill said both were in stable condition. Neither was immediately identified. A gun was recovered near the wounded man, and McMahill said another gun was found in the car. The officers involved in the shooting were a field training supervisor and a rookie trainee, McMahil said. Their names were being withheld for 48 hours according to department policy, and both were put on paid leave pending departmental and district attorney reviews of the shooting. It was the 13th officer-involved shooting involving Las Vegas police in 2017. The man wounded in the Sunday shooting in northwest Las Vegas was recovering from a gunshot to the leg, McMahill said. ___ This story has been corrected to 7:15 p.m., not 6:15 p.m., for the shooting time. WASHINGTON (AP) - Strong congressional support from Republicans and Democrats for a new package of Russia sanctions effectively scuttles the potential for President Donald Trump to derail the legislation. The House is set to vote Tuesday on the penalties that aim to punish Moscow for its meddling in the presidential election and military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. The Senate is expected to act soon after that, which means the measure could be sent to Trump before the GOP-led Congress breaks for its August recess. The bill also would hit Iran and North Korea with fiscal and economic penalties. Both chambers are positioned to approve the legislation by veto-proof margins. FILE- In this June 30, 2017, file photo, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington. The White House indicated Sunday, July 23, that President Donald Trump would sign a sweeping Russia sanctions measure that requires him to get Congress' permission before lifting or easing the economic penalties against Moscow. Sanders, the newly appointed White House press secretary, said the administration is supportive of being tough on Russia and "particularly putting these sanctions in place." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) With those numbers looming, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has delivered slightly mixed messages. She indicated Sunday the president would sign the sanctions bill. But on Monday, Sanders said Trump is "going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like." "The president very much supports sanctions on those countries but at the same time wants to be sure we get good deals," she told reporters on Air Force One. "Those two things are very important." Signing a bill that sanctions Russia would mark a significant shift for Trump. He's repeatedly cast doubt on the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia sought to tip the election in his favor. The president also has pushed for cooperation between Moscow and Washington on various matters, such as counterterrorism and the conflict in Syria, and more sanctions against Russia could imperil that effort. Trump's persistent overtures to Russia drove lawmakers to include a section that mandates a congressional review if Trump attempted to suspend or terminate the sanctions on Moscow. The White House had objected to the review requirement, arguing it would infringe on the president's executive authority and tie his hands as he explores avenues of communication between the two former Cold War foes. But the review section remained in the bill as a bipartisan team of House and Senate negotiators late last week resolved several lingering procedural and technical issues. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat who's been sharply critical of Trump's stance on Russia, said he was satisfied the bill ensures his party's ability to exercise rigorous oversight "over the administration's implementation of sanctions." According to the bill, Trump is required to send Congress a report explaining why he wants to suspend or terminate a particular set of sanctions. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to decide whether to allow the move or reject it. The legislation also hits Iran and North Korea with additional sanctions. A version of the bill that only addressed Russia and Iran cleared the Senate nearly six weeks ago with 98 votes. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pushed to add the North Korea sanctions to the Senate-passed package. The House passed a separate bill in May by a 419-1 vote to hit Pyongyang with additional economic penalties, but the Senate had yet to take up the North Korea-only bill. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters Monday the speed with which the Senate will move may depend on how many questions senators have about the North Korea section of the sanctions bill. "There's no real daylight between us," he said of the House and Senate. "But when you get down to the final throes, members want to weigh in." ___ Contact Richard Lardner on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rplardner WASHINGTON (AP) - Records show the head of the Environmental Protection Agency spent weekends in his home state during his first three months in office, frequently flying to and from Oklahoma at taxpayer's expense. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's expense reports from March, April and May were released following a Freedom of Information request filed by Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit watchdog group. The records show Pruitt traveled home at least 10 times, typically leaving Washington on Fridays and returning on Mondays. Pruitt was either in Oklahoma or on trips that included stops there for nearly half the days encompassed in the three-month period, costing more than $15,000. FILE - In this June 2, 2017, file photo, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt looks back after speaking to the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Records show Pruitt spent weekends in his home state during his first three months in office, frequently flying to and from Oklahoma at taxpayer's expense. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman did not respond to emails or phone messages from The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment. Pruitt, a Republican, served as Oklahoma's attorney general prior to his appointment by President Donald Trump to lead EPA. Married with two children, Pruitt owns a home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were a couple of occasions where Pruitt traveled on a trip for EPA and then paid out-of-pocket to fly to Tulsa before returning to Washington at government expense. AP reported earlier this year that while Pruitt was in his state job, he was in frequent contact with political donors, corporate executives and industry groups opposed to new environmental regulations enacted under the Obama administration. He appears to have continued that practice since coming to EPA, including traveling to accept an award from the Oklahoma Well Strippers Association, making a keynote address to a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council and delivering a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers. EPA records indicate Pruitt also attended "informational meetings" during the trips, which were first reported by The New York Times. Though a trip to Oklahoma might last three or five days, it was not unusual for only one such meeting to be listed during Pruitt's time away from Washington. An example is Pruitt's reported trip to Tulsa on Friday, May 19, on a flight scheduled to depart Washington at 5:37 p.m. The listed purpose of the trip was an "informational meeting" at the Brainerd Chemical Company in Tulsa. Pruitt's return flight to Washington was scheduled to depart the following Monday morning at 6 a.m. local time. Records show EPA paid $1,980 for Pruitt's roundtrip ticket on a commercial airline, well in excess of what an economy class ticket typically costs on that route. Federal regulations allow government travelers to fly business class or first class only when no cheaper options are "reasonably available." Pruitt was also reimbursed $127 for meals and expenses, according to the records. Among the questions to which Bowman did not respond was whether EPA staff or members of Pruitt's full-time security detail traveled with him. She also did not answer questions about the official purpose of specific trips or whether Pruitt flew first class. A call to the family-owned distribution company's chairman, Mat Brainerd, was not immediately returned. He testified before congressional panels in favor of extending the Keystone XL oil pipeline and against part of the Clean Air Act. In a statement to the Times, Bowman said: "The administrator's travel, whether to Utah, Michigan or Oklahoma, all serves the purpose of hearing from hard-working Americans about how EPA can better serve the American people." On a different May trip, records show Pruitt flew to Colorado to give a speech to the Heritage Foundation before buying his own ticket to Tulsa for the weekend and then returning to Washington. On that trip, EPA paid $2,690 in commercial airfare. The Heritage Foundation, a free-market think tank that receives funding from groups tied to the fossil-fuel industry, paid for Pruitt's hotel room in Colorado Springs, according to his travel form. Though Pruitt's expense report indicates an "ethics form is prepared" to allow the outside group to pick up his hotel tab, a copy of that form was not provided by the EPA. Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said the records obtained by his group reflect Pruitt's priorities. "These travel records show that Administrator Pruitt is more focused on cultivating his relationships with industry and conservative political organizations in his home state of Oklahoma than he is on protecting the environment and the public health for the rest of America," said Schaeffer, who served as the head of EPA's office of civil enforcement from 1997 to 2002. ___ Associated Press writer Adam Kealoha Causey in Oklahoma City contributed to this story. ___ Follow AP environmental writer Michael Biesecker at www.Twitter.com/mbieseck LONDON (AP) - In a bid to burnish its brand image, American bag and accessories maker Michael Kors is buying luxury shoemaker Jimmy Choo in a deal worth $1.35 billion (896 million pounds). Jimmy Choo, which counts Jennifer Lopez, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Beyonce among its fans, has a high-level profile that tempted Michael Kors to pay a premium. Shareholders in Jimmy Choo will get 2.3 pounds in cash for each share, about 36.5 percent above the firm's share price of 1.685 pounds on April 21. FILE - This is a April 24, 2017 file photo of the Jimmy Choo shop on New Bond Street, London. American fashion brand Michael Kors has bought luxury shoemaker Jimmy Choo in a deal worth $1.35 billion (896 million pounds.) Kors said Tuesday July 25, 2017 the London-listed Jimmy Choo is "the ideal partner" that will be bolstered with further development of its online presence. (Lauren Hurley/PA, File via AP) Michael Kors has struggled recently, announcing in May that it would close up to 125 stores due to weak sales. It said that Jimmy Choo is "the ideal partner" and will have its online presence bolstered as a result of the deal. Jimmy Choo CEO Pierre Dennis and Creative Director Sandra Choi will remain in their jobs. "Jimmy Choo is poised for meaningful growth in the future and we are committed to supporting the strong brand equity that Jimmy Choo has built," said John Idol, CEO of Michael Kors. Analysts from Jefferies said the deal could help Michael Kors rebuild its brand name, though that would happen in the longer-term and not have an immediate impact on the company's stock. "We believe the strategic steps Kors is making to elevate its own brand are working, and believe the addition of Jimmy Choo, an iconic premium luxury brand, should be beneficial," the analysts said in a note to clients. Shares in Jimmy Choo were up 17 percent at 2.28 pounds on Tuesday, while Michael Kors was down 2.5 percent at $34. BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on talks between Turkish and European Union officials in Brussels Tuesday (all times local): 12:10 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-Western rhetoric, saying the era of a submissive Turkey bowing to every Western demand is over. Erdogan's comments comes as top European Union officials hold talks with Turkey's foreign minister in Brussels on Tuesday. Turkey has been mired in an escalating diplomatic row with Germany following the arrests last week of a group of human rights activists, including a German national, over terror-related charges. Earlier, a German-Turkish journalist was arrested for allegedly spying and aiding Kurdish rebels. Erdogan said: "the West wants Turkey to bring about their demands no questions asked... I am sorry to say that Turkey no longer exists." The Turkish leader refused to back down in the feud with Germany, saying his country would continue "to breathe down the neck of agents who run around freely" in Turkey. __ 10 a.m. Top European Union officials are to hold talks with Turkey's foreign minister against a backdrop of growing concern that Ankara is sliding away from EU values as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tightens his grip on power and cracks down on perceived opponents. Tuesday's talks come with Turkey's long-standing bid for EU membership in the deep freeze and criticism of Erdogan's authoritarian rule swelling, particularly in powerful EU member state Germany. Those strained relations will likely cast a shadow over discussions between EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU affairs ministers Omer Celik in Brussels. Discussions are expected to touch on issues including Ankara's EU accession, immigration, Turkey's demands for visa-free travel for its citizens, the fight against terrorism and energy and trade ties. MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his second state of the nation speech to a joint session of Congress on Monday, vowing to continue his bloody war on illegal drugs despite international and domestic criticism. The tough-talking president also insisted he would not hold peace talks with communist rebels because of continuing attacks. The Associated Press' chief Manila correspondent, Jim Gomez, who has covered regional politics for more than two decades, discusses the speech and the reaction: ___ FILE - In this Monday, July 24, 2017, file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his second State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR In comparing Duterte's state of the nation speech on Monday with his first one last year, the Duterte that I heard this week was essentially the same guy that I heard a year ago. His obsession with eradicating drugs, crime and corruption and the kind of rhetoric that he employs to express his hatred for these problems are essentially the same. What was different was that he has more problems on his lap now than last year, and the biggest, of course, is the crisis in the southern city of Marawi, where Islamic State group-linked militants have laid siege to the city since May. His handling of the communist insurgency has also evolved. In last year's address, he talked about initiating peace talks with the rebels. Now, a full year later, the rhetoric was that he would no longer talk with the guerrillas because he's angry over recent attacks against government forces, including fighting that left five of his presidential guards wounded last week. He has grown more grounded on the realities of the insurgency. Duterte appeared more comfortable when he went off-script on Monday as compared to last year, and in expressing his world view. He was talking about protecting the environment, expressing his anger with mining companies. Overall, he sounded more relaxed on Monday than during last year's state of the nation speech. ___ THE RHETORIC TOOL KIT Duterte has become known for his tough talk, and some of that talk has been translated into action, especially regarding his anti-drug crackdown. His tough talk has sent a message to criminals. The scale of the anti-drug crackdown has been unprecedented. It's the largest number of anti-drug raids that I have seen at any time since I became a journalist. The police have acknowledged that they have killed more than 3,000 drug suspects in their operations. Duterte's tough talk has translated into change in that he belts out orders to the police to really crack down hard on illegal drugs, and they follow. He has promised the police that he will pardon them for any offenses they may commit while carrying out his orders, and this has emboldened them. Duterte was known for his tough talk when he was mayor of the southern city of Davao, so both critics and supporters know that when he talks tough, it's not empty talk. But he's president now, and he's discovering that there are a lot more checks and balances he has to wrestle with now than when he was a mayor. ___ RESPONSE FROM HIS CONSTITUENTS The state of the nation speech was well-received in Congress, where Duterte enjoys strong support. While he was delivering the speech, his followers in Congress were applauding, and afterward they told reporters that he was consistent with his messages on drugs and the communist and Muslim insurgencies. But his critics, as expected, expressed alarm over the rantings and the death threats in the speech, even though there has been a year of that. One of Duterte's most vocal critics, Sen. Leila de Lima, who is in prison on drug charges that she denies, said in a statement that the address turned out to be another venue for Duterte to unload his rants on certain sectors, especially his critics. ___ TAILORING TO AUDIENCES While many politicians may tailor their speeches to the audience they are speaking to, this is not the case with Duterte. He really doesn't care what type of audience he's facing. As soon as he gets off the script - which he always does - the rants and curses start to flow out. Almost all of his speeches feature tough talk on his crusade against illegal drugs, whether it's an audience of business executives or government troops. In his state of the nation speech, some wanted to hear more details on his policies and policy direction. When he went off-script, the crowd expected to hear the flow of expletives and threats and other informal talk. Everybody expected an out-of-the-box state of the nation speech, and that is what they got. Providence Foundations of Oregon announced today a $2 million gift from Columbia Sportswear President and CEO Tim Boyle and his wife, Mary, to Providence Heart Institute, Oregon's leading provider of cardiac care. The gift in support of Providence Heart Institute's "We Love That!" campaign, will fund the establishment of the Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research and Data Science, or CARDS. Providence Heart Institute has long been a leader in analyzing cardiac data to drive improved clinical care. With this gift, Providence Heart Institute will create one of the few fully dedicated cardiac outcomes research centers in the country. "We are grateful for this remarkable gift, which continues the Boyle family's lifelong legacy of philanthropy to the Portland community, as well as their commitment to improving people's lives," said Dave Underriner, chief executive Providence Health & Services, Oregon. "Gifts such as this allow us to continue providing the most innovative and comprehensive cardiac care in Oregon while growing as a global leader in heart data outcomes research." The center will support cardiovascular outcomes research to evaluate the treatments, technologies, and public policies that lead to the best patient outcomes and create the highest value in cardiac care. The Boyle family experienced the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease first hand when Tim Boyle's father, Neal Boyle, died from a sudden heart attack in 1970 at age 47. Tim and Mary see the potential in using cardiovascular outcomes research to create real personalized cardiac care out of these vast databases. Tim noted, "Mary and I are thrilled to provide support for Providence St. Vincent's cardiovascular research efforts and look forward to seeing the impact of these efforts for the people of Oregon and beyond." "The Boyles have been longtime supporters of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Foundation and Providence Heart Institute, and have a deep regard for high quality heart care," said Dan Oseran, M.D., executive medical director for Providence Heart Institute. "Given our existing expertise in the area of outcomes research, the Boyles have provided us with a tremendous opportunity to advance this work. While there will always be new discoveries and technologies, one of our greatest opportunities is to understand how to apply our existing treatments to more patients in the most effective way. We also are thrilled that Dr. Ty Gluckman, a national leader in this field, has agreed to become the medical director of our new center." Click here to learn more about Providence Heart Institute and the "We Love That!" campaign. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump cranked up the heat Tuesday on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, scorning him as "very weak" and refusing to say whether he'll fire the nation's top law enforcement officer and his onetime political ally. It was an extraordinary public rebuke, and even fellow Republicans pushed back forcefully. All through a day of anything-but-subtle tweets and statements, Trump rued his decision to choose Sessions for his Cabinet and left the former senator's future prospects dangling. "We will see what happens," Trump said. "Time will tell. Time will tell." President Donald Trump listens to a question during a joint news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) His intensifying criticism has fueled speculation that the attorney general may step down even if the president stops short of firing him. But several people close to the former Alabama senator have said he does not plan to quit. In private, Trump raged to confidants that Sessions had been disloyal in recusing himself from the federal investigation of Russia's meddling in the presidential election and the possibility of collaboration with the Trump campaign. Sessions himself had met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before the election as a representative of the Trump campaign and thus stepped aside from the probe. As he has previously, Trump said he would have "quite simply picked someone else" for the job if he'd known Sessions would recuse himself. He called Sessions' decision a "bad thing for the presidency," changing a word from his previous comments that it had been bad for "the president." He also said the attorney general ought to get cracking on stopping leaks from federal intelligence agencies. The president's first broadside of the day came in a tweet: "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump's harsh words drew a strong response from a number of Sessions' former Senate colleagues, suggesting that all Republicans may not fall in line this time behind the president. "Jeff Sessions is one of the most decent people I've ever met in my political life," said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. "President Trump's tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate." Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and others also voiced support of their former colleague, as did several key conservative religious leaders and Breitbart News, the conservative news site formerly run by White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said he understood Trump's frustration with "the endless media obsession over Russia" and his inability to get his agenda through Congress. But he cautioned that "pushing Jeff Sessions out won't get Congress to move forward on his policies or stop liberals attacks. And Trump would lose a great ally and widely respected advocate for the rule of law." Statements of support came from Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Jenny Beth Martin, who leads the Tea Party Patriots House Speaker Paul Ryan took a hands-off approach, saying simply: "The president gets to decide what his personnel is." Some White House aides and Trump confidants have begun discussing how to move on beyond Sessions, while others have cautioned the president against firing a figure popular among conservatives - especially during the heat of the Russia probe. Should Sessions depart, several scenarios could unfold. If Trump follows his own executive order outlining a succession plan, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would become acting attorney general until a successor was nominated and confirmed by the Senate. That would leave the president, at least initially, with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe. But Trump also could invoke his authority under the federal Vacancies Act to temporarily fill the slot with someone of his choice who has already been confirmed by the Senate to another position. That could include Cabinet members or other top Justice Department officials- but only if the attorney general resigned as opposed to being fired, said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck. Another option: A recess appointment would allow Trump to appoint anyone of his choosing to be attorney general if the Senate recesses for 10 days or more in August. This would allow the president to bypass Senate confirmation until 2019. But the length of an August recess remains uncertain, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has vowed to fight such an appointment. Sessions' exit could also raise the specter of Trump asking Rosenstein - or whomever he appoints to fill the position - to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump's campaign. That would seem to fulfill the vision of the Justice Department that Trump's critics believe he articulated during the campaign: a place that, at his direction, will punish his political enemies. The White House was intent on tightening the vise on Sessions. Anthony Scaramucci, the president's new communications director, said in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt that Trump is "obviously frustrated" with Sessions. When Hewitt said it was clear that Trump wants Sessions gone, Scaramucci replied, "You're probably right." White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" that the president was "frustrated and disappointed" with Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe. "That frustration certainly hasn't gone away. And I don't think it will," she said. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Steve Peoples, Jill Colvin and Eric Tucker contributed reporting. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Colvin at http://twitter.com/@colvinj FILE - In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, as he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. Trump's withering invective about Sessions over the last week suggests an effort to pressure the attorney general into resigning with a possible eye toward replacing him and ending the Justice Department investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Police say two women and a man were killed when a minibus crashed into the back of a truck that had stopped on the shoulder on a Hungarian highway. Romania's foreign ministry said Tuesday that the two victims, as well as six others injured in the accident, are all Romanians. The ministry said the minibus was traveling toward Romania but did not have more information about the passengers. Police said they were still investigating the crash, adding that the driver of the minibus, which had Bulgarian license plates,likely fell asleep at the wheel. The injured, including two people in life-threatening condition, were being treated at a local hospital. The crash took place on highway 42, near the eastern Hungarian town of Biharkeresztes. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - An Australian government minister quit the Cabinet on Tuesday after his mother told him he might be Italian and therefore ineligible to be a lawmaker. Resources Minister Matt Canavan's shock announcement that the Italian government lists him a citizen followed the resignations this month of two senators who discovered days apart that they had technically never been elected because there were dual citizens. Australia's constitution states that a "citizen of a foreign power" is not eligible to be elected to Parliament. Canavan said his mother contacted him last week with news that he might be Italian after publicity surrounding the resignations of the minor Greens party's co-deputy leaders Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters. Ludlam was born in New Zealand and Waters was born in Canada, but they had not realized that they had retained the citizenship of those countries, which they had left as young children. Canavan's predicament is embarrassing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who had ridiculed the Greens over their bungled screening of candidates and could force a Cabinet reshuffle. It also amplifies calls for changes to a section of the constitution penned in the 19th century that has ousted four senators since the last election a year ago and threatens two other parliamentary careers. Turnbull said Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will take on Canavan's ministerial responsibilities until his citizenship status was resolved. Canavan said his mother Maria Canavan applied to the Italian Consulate in Brisbane in 2006 to become an Italian citizen and "it would appear that she made an application for me to become an Italian citizen as well." He was 25 years old and has never been to Italy. "I've not been able to obtain definitive legal advice as to whether my registration as an Italian citizen without my knowledge or consent was valid under Italian law," Canavan told reporters. "I am seeking to obtain that advice at present." Canavan has resigned his portfolios but has not quit the Senate until the Italian citizenship is settled. A parliamentary committee recommended in the 1990s a referendum to amend Section 40 of the constitution that stipulates vague and complex circumstances in which Australians are disqualified from sitting in Parliament. But no referendum resulted. Attorney General George Brandis said his preliminary view was that the Italian citizenship gained without Canavan's consent did not breach the section, but the High Court would decide. Since the last election, a senator has quit because his indirect ownership of a building in which the government leased his office breached the section because he was deemed to have had a pecuniary interest in the government contract. The High Court fired another senator who had breached the section twice by being bankrupt and having a criminal record for stealing the keys from a tow truck to prevent his truck from being repossessed three years ago. A government lawmaker in the House of Representatives faces disqualification by the High Court because a shop in a retail mall he owns has a postal service contract which the opposition argues amounts to a pecuniary interest in a government contract. Ludlam and Waters' senate seats will be filled by a recount of votes at the last election. Waters' seat will likely pass to Greens candidate Andrew Bartlett. But lawyers argue he might be disqualified because working for one day a week at a government-owned university could qualify as a pecuniary interest in a government contract. DILLON, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina sheriff's office says an officer shot and killed a man earlier this month because the officer feared for his life. Dillon County Capt. Cliff Arnette said in a news release Monday night that deputies were looking for 40-year-old James Gerald Davis on a domestic violence charge July 13 and were unable to find him at his home in Lake View. Arnette said after deputies left, they were told Davis was threatening to harm himself. Deputies returned and Arnette said an officer who feared for his life shot Davis. The deputy's name hasn't been released. The officer wasn't hurt. The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating. The officer and suspect's race haven't been released. Lake View is about 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Charleston. LONDON (AP) - Chelsea has sent Brazilian defender Kenedy home from its Asian tour after he made offensive comments about China on social media. Kenedy and Chelsea previously issued apologies for the comments made ahead of Chelsea's 3-0 friendly win over Arsenal in Beijing on Sunday. The since-deleted messages featured a profanity relating to China and a message mocking a security guard he photographed. The 21-year-old was "strongly reprimanded and disciplined," Chelsea said Sunday. CAPTION CORRECTS THE NAME - Arsenal's Mohamed El Neny, left, tackles Chelsea's Kenedy during the second half of their friendly soccer match in Beijing, Saturday, July 22, 2017. Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-0. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Chelsea is now in Singapore ahead of friendlies against Bayern Munich on Tuesday and Inter Milan on Saturday. Kenedy was sent to Watford on loan last season, where he played just one Premier League game, in part due to a knee injury. He then made another league appearance for Chelsea after the loan was cut short. BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union has extended the mandate of its naval operation targeting migrant smuggling in the Mediterranean and tasked it with monitoring illegal oil trafficking from Libya. Operation Sophia, which has naval ships and aircraft monitoring the Mediterranean, aims to disrupt smuggling networks and train Libya's coastguard as a way of stemming the flow of desperate migrants attempting the risky crossing from Libya to Italy in unseaworthy boats. On Tuesday, the European Council broadened the operation's mandate to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence on illegal oil exports from Libya, monitor Libyan coastguard members it has trained and enhance information sharing between EU member states and enforcement agencies. The operation's mandate, which had been due to expire Thursday, has been extended until the end of 2018. "The Lost Ones: a Novel" (William Morrow), by Sheena Kamal Vancouver research assistant/receptionist Nora Watts technically isn't a detective - though she works for a private investigating firm - but her skills at finding people and detecting liars is almost peerless. She also barely holds her life together. She lives, unknown to her bosses, in the firm's basement with Whisper, her rescue dog and her one "lifeline" to humanity. Whisper brought to Nora's life "a kind of fullness and peace" that was missing. Nora believes her meeting with Lynn and Everett Walsh is a simple case of trying to locate their daughter Bonnie. But this is no ordinary case of a missing child. The 15-year-old recently learned that Nora is her biological mother and the Walshes believe Bonnie is trying to find her. The emotionally distant Nora wants nothing to do with the case, or finding Bonnie. The girl was the result of a brutal rape that put Nora in a coma for six months. Still, almost against her will, Nora thinks about the child she has tried to put out of her mind for years. She and Whisper roam the streets of Vancouver at night searching for Bonnie. It soon becomes clear that someone else is also looking for her. This cover image released by William Morrow shows "The Lost Ones," by Sheena Kamal. (William Morrow via AP) The plot of "The Lost Ones" by Sheena Kamal occasionally veers into the unrealistic and meanders a bit before getting back on track. This almost loosens the impact of the unusual - and believable - twist. But Kamal never loses her focus on social issues that she expertly weaves into the novel, such as the treatment of Canada's indigenous people. What makes "The Lost Ones" work is the enigmatic Nora, who is realistically explored. Kamal employs several tropes familiar to the private detective novel - Nora is a loner, a recovering alcoholic, moody - but avoids cliches in using these characteristics. As a child, Nora had been bullied for her biracial background. She has trouble trusting anyone, or believing in happiness, having grown up in foster homes. She considers herself a survivor, not a victim, of a horrendous crime, though her solace has often come from alcohol. Nora's loneliness is heart-wrenching, as is her transient nature. But Whisper gives Nora a reason to get up in the morning and choose to be a part of society. SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - A Macedonian appeals court has rejected a prosecutor's bid for former prime minister Nikola Gruevski to be remanded in custody pending trial on charges connected with a wiretapping scandal. But the court Tuesday upheld a previous court decision banning Gruevski and four senior officials in his conservative party from leaving the country, and confiscating their passports. A special prosecutor investigating the wiretaps has charged Gruevski and his four aides with alleged electoral violations and misusing public funds during an electoral campaign. In the scandal, the telephone conversations of about 20,000 people were illegally recorded. Gruevski denies wrongdoing and blames foreign spies. The scandal triggered a political crisis and an election last December that ended the 10-year rule of Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party. FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) - If you ask Bill Ratliff, a rising sophomore at J.E.B. Stuart High School in northern Virginia, his school might just as well be named for Osama bin Laden. "They're both terrorists. They both murdered American soldiers," he said outside a school board work session where 11 board members tried to figure out what to do about a school named for a slaveholding Confederate general. For two years, they have hemmed and hawed over a request to change the name from those who believe it's wrong for Fairfax County to continue to honor Stuart, who was mortally wounded in an 1864 battle. In this photo taken July 20, 2017, the sign for J.E.B. Stuart High School is photographed in Falls Church, Va. A two-year debate over whether to change the name of a northern Virginia high school honoring a Confederate general is coming to an end. The Fairfax County school board is scheduled to vote Thursday, July 27, 2017, on whether to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High in Falls Church. (AP Photo/Matt Barakat) A year ago, the board pawned off the decision to a task force that it hoped would find a compromise. Instead, the task force fractured so badly it issued two separate reports - one in favor of changing the name, one opposed. The reports delved into the age-old thicket of whether slavery was the Civil War's primary cause. Stuart High, as it's more commonly known, opened in 1959. The school board chose the name in 1958, during the years in which Virginia was embroiled in what became known as Massive Resistance to federal desegregation efforts. There's dispute as to whether the Stuart name was picked as a subtle jab at integration, or whether they simply chose to honor Stuart, a native Virginian who at the school site once famously fooled the Union Army into inaction by displaying so-called Quaker cannons - tree trunks that from a distance looked like an array of imposing artillery. Today, Stuart is one of the most diverse schools in Fairfax County, which hosts the 10th largest school district in the nation and one of the wealthiest. Fairfax County has grown into a sprawling suburb of the nation's capital, and while some families have lived in the area for generations with firmly planted Virginia roots, students at Stuart are more likely to come from India or Somalia or Vietnam than from a multigenerational Virginia family. The debate over the school name comes as the national question of how to honor Confederate heroes, if at all, is flaring up again. In Virginia, Republican Corey Stewart nearly pulled off an upset in last month's GOP gubernatorial primary by making defense of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville that had been targeted for removal a top issue in his campaign. In New Orleans, Richmond and elsewhere, civic leaders have weighed removal of Confederate monuments. The debate over the Stuart name change kicked off in earnest in 2015 when actress Julianne Moore, who attended Stuart in the '70s, and Hollywood producer Bruce Cohen, a Stuart alumnus, launched a petition demanding the name change. Proponents of a change say it's especially hurtful for students of color to have to attend a school named for a defender of the Confederacy. Bill Ratliff's mother, Debbie Ratliff, said opposition to the change shows that the Old South lives on, even in booming Fairfax County. "It's the old Lost Cause arguments," she said, referring to the school of thought that casts the Confederacy in heroic terms. "This is still Virginia, and this debate more than anything brings that home." Opponents cite estimates indicating it would cost $600,000 to $900,000 to change the name - removing Stuart from the school facade, a stone monument, athletic turf, scoreboards, team uniforms and everything else, though name-change supporters have questioned whether the figure is inflated. Opponents also cite surveys indicating students and alumni are split or ambivalent on the issue. Some see it as an attack on Southern heritage. Chica Brunsvold wore her daughter's '80s vintage letter jacket to the board's work session and said students take pride in the Stuart name. "The Civil War is long over. This is punishing the South. Abraham Lincoln didn't want to punish the South," she said. "Just because a couple Hollywood types say we should change - give me a break!" Another complication: If the board votes to remove Stuart's name, what will it do about another Fairfax County school, Robert E. Lee High in nearby Springfield? Board members say there appears to be no appetite in the Lee community for a name change, and several questioned whether pulling Stuart but leaving Lee will leave them open to charges of hypocrisy. The board is scheduled to vote Thursday and seems evenly split. Member Ryan McElveen suggested renaming the school for portraitist Gilbert Stuart, so the Stuart name would continue without honoring a Confederate. Numerous members lamented the difficulties of finding a compromise and worried that a close 6-5 vote will feed the divisiveness that the issue has exposed. "I understand now why some districts just call their schools P.S. 143," board member Megan McLaughlin said. In this photo taken July 20, 2017, the sign for J.E.B. Stuart High School is photographed in Falls Church, Va. A two-year debate over whether to change the name of a northern Virginia high school honoring a Confederate general is coming to an end. The Fairfax County school board is scheduled to vote Thursday, July 27, 2017, on whether to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High in Falls Church. (AP Photo/Matt Barakat) SAN DIEGO (AP) - When Thomas Homan, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was awakened Sunday morning with news that migrants were found dead inside a sweltering tractor-trailer outside a San Antonio Walmart, his mind flashed back to 2003, when he stood at the back of a truck about 120 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio that carried 19 dead migrants. "It is sad that 14 years later people are still being smuggled in tractor-trailers," he said. "There still isn't water, there still isn't ventilation. These criminal organizations, they're all about making money." The striking similarities of the Texas tragedies demonstrate how smugglers have found a durable business model carrying large groups - often in big rigs - through an elaborate network of foot guides, safe house operators and drivers. A criminal complaint about Sunday's discovery that 10 were dead and dozens injured in the truck opens a window on their degree of sophistication and organizational muscle: passengers had color-coded tape to split into smaller groups; and six black SUVs awaited them at one transit point to bring them to their destinations. FILE - This May 17, 2011 handout X-ray file photo, provided by Chiapas State Attorney General Office, shows, according to the attorney's office, migrants from Latin America and Asia inside a truck heading to the US at a checkpoint near Tuxtla Gutierrez, in Mexico's southern Chiapas state. Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were then the busiest corridors for illegal crossings. (AP Photo/Chiapas State Attorney General, File) Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were then the busiest corridors for illegal crossings. Before that, people paid small fees to mom-and-pop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border. As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror strikes in the U.S., migrants were led through more dangerous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a political scientist who teaches at University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, said migrants she interviewed last year in South Texas paid $2,000 to $3,000 more to ride in the crammed tractor-trailers, considering them more effective, faster and safer than walking through the desert to a pickup point far from the border. Hundreds of border crossers perish each year in the desert, getting lost and dehydrated in extreme heat. The growing use of trucks coincided with increased trade with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement, allowing smugglers to more easily blend in with cargo, particularly on Interstate 35 from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio, Correa-Cabrera said. Walking in the open desert more easily exposes them to U.S. Border Patrol agents. Women, some carrying children, think they are less likely to be raped on a truck than in the open desert because there are more witnesses, Correia-Cabrera said. Riding in a big rig, she said, is "the VIP treatment." For smugglers, the advantage of tractor-trailers boils down to scale. "It's like any other business: the more they move, the more profit they make," Homan said. "Rather than taking four in a car, the profit margin on tractor-trailers is a lot more." Alan Bersin, a former federal prosecutor who was President Bill Clinton's "border czar" and a high-ranking Homeland Security official under President Barack Obama, said immigrant smugglers have taken a cue from groups that bring drugs from Mexico to the United States and guns and cash from drug sales to Mexico from the United States. They break into small groups or loads to get across the border, lessening the chances of getting caught by inspectors and minimizing losses if they are discovered. Once they clear the border, they regroup. Truck drivers are low-level cogs in a big machine, recruited in the U.S. at casinos and other places where smuggling organizations look for people who are down on their luck, desperate for quick cash and disinclined to ask questions. James Matthew Bradley Jr., who made an initial court appearance Monday in San Antonio on smuggling charges, told authorities he was delivering what he thought was a sold vehicle from Schaller, Iowa, to Brownsville, Texas, and that he didn't know what was inside, according to the complaint. He said he was given no deadline or address to deliver the truck. Other guides take migrants across Mexico by bus. Others join them on a raft across the Rio Grande or through the desert to a hideout or to a nearby house where they may wait days or weeks. Eventually smuggling organizations get them to major cities like Phoenix, Houston or San Antonio. "I have to imagine that their winning percentage is really, really high," said Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy group. "Whatever reputation they lose from episodes like this, their profit margins are still high enough to make it work. Otherwise people wouldn't pay." ___ This story has been corrected to show that the truck began its journey in Schaller, Iowa, not Schiller. James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida, center, is escorted out of the federal courthouse following a hearing, Monday, July 24, 2017, in San Antonio. Bradley was arrested in connection with the deaths of multiple people packed into a broiling tractor-trailer. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Florida, left, arrives at the federal courthouse for a hearing, Monday, July 24, 2017, in San Antonio. Bradley was arrested in connection with the deaths of multiple people packed into a broiling tractor-trailer. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) DETROIT (AP) - A German Volkswagen executive who has been in a Michigan jail for months plans to plead guilty in the company's U.S. emissions scandal, a court spokesman said Tuesday. Oliver Schmidt, former manager of a VW engineering office in suburban Detroit, will appear in federal court on Aug. 4. His lawyers disclosed the plan during a brief conference with a judge, spokesman David Ashenfelter said. Schmidt is one of many VW employees charged in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles, but most are in Germany and out of reach of U.S. authorities. He's been in custody since January when he was arrested while on vacation in Miami before he could return to Germany. FILE - This January 2017 file photo provided by the Broward County Sheriff's Office shows German Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt. A court spokesman in Detroit said Tuesday, July 25, 2017, that Schmidt plans to plead guilty in the company's U.S. emissions scandal. Schmidt will appear in federal court on Aug. 4. He's been in custody since January when he was arrested while on vacation in Miami. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) VW admits using software to get around diesel emission standards. Schmidt is charged with conspiracy and fraud. He's accused of lying to U.S. regulators by saying technical problems - not sneaky software - were to blame for the difference in emissions in road and lab tests. A message seeking comment was left for Schmidt's lawyer. "I'm unable to comment on what the terms of the plea agreement might be," said Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for prosecutors. VW pleaded guilty in March and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties, on top of billions more to buy back cars. U.S. District Judge Sean Cox has refused to release Schmidt on bond, saying he might flee. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Officers fatally shot a man who was making threats as he walked around Virginia's capital city with an ax and a long knife, wearing nothing but a kilt and combat-style boots, police and witnesses said. Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham told reporters that his officers encountered the man after receiving complaints from several locations around town Tuesday morning. The chief said they tried to get him to drop his weapons, using "de-escalation techniques" and deploying a Taser, but he wouldn't comply. Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham addresses reporters near the scene of a shooting in the city's downtown, Tuesday, July 25, 2917, in Richmond, Va. Durham said police shot and killed a man carrying an ax and a knife. Durham said one officer was hit in what appears to be friendly fire, but Durham said the officer's body armor prevented him from being seriously injured. (AP Photo/Alanna Durkin Richer) The police chief said his officers then shot the man, who was pronounced dead at a hospital. Durham said one officer was hit in what appears to be friendly fire, but his body armor prevented serious injury. The shooting happened just outside the 3rd Street Diner, where bartender Taryn Kelly was working. "The first thing I saw was a bunch of police approaching with their service weapons drawn," she said. Kelly said she saw around 10 officers. She said the man, whom police did not immediately identify, was white and appeared to be in his 30s with a red beard. He was acting erratically, kicking his legs in the air and waving the weapons at one officer in particular, she said. "Then everyone shot him, and he died immediately," Kelly said. Kelly said she could hear the officers giving the man orders and could see them trying to de-escalate the situation. "It definitely wasn't a police brutality thing," Kelly said. "I knew what was going to happen when I saw him attacking them, basically." Police said in a statement that detectives have interviewed the officers involved and several eyewitnesses, and will review body camera videos. The officers involved are on administrative leave, Durham said, and he'll release their names once he's "assured there is no threat of retaliation against them." A former Marine believed so strongly in the war against the Islamic State group that he secretly traveled to Syria, where he was killed this month while fighting for a Kurdish militia group. David Taylor, a 25-year-old former Florida resident, had kept his plans to join the Kurdish group a secret from his family and only told a high school friend, who he swore to secrecy. Taylor's father said Tuesday that he didn't even know of his son's plans until after he had arrived in Syria last spring and was training with the group known as YPG. 'I got an email and he said, "Pops, don't worry. I'm with the YPG",' David Taylor Sr told The Associated Press from his West Virginia home. 'He said, "I'm doing the right thing. It's for their freedom".' 'He loved his country. He loved democracy,' the father said. 'He had a mission, to go over there and advance democracy and freedom like we have it over here. It came at a horrible price.' Scroll down for video David Taylor, a 25-year-old former Florida resident, had kept his plans to join the Kurdish group a secret from his family and only told a high school friend, who he swore to secrecy Taylor Sr said when his son set his mind on something, he did it. 'There was no middle ground. He wasn't wishy-washy,' the father said. A Kurdish militia group released a video saying Taylor was 'martyred fighting ISIS' barbarism' on July 16. The US State Department said in a statement that it was aware of reports of a US citizen being killed while fighting in Syria but offered no further comment. Taylor's father, David Taylor Sr (left), said Tuesday that he didn't even know of his son's plans until after he had arrived in Syria last spring and was training with the group known as YPG Taylor's dad said the family was told about the death last weekend by a US consular official. Taylor's high school friend emailed the father after he learned of the death. The friend said Taylor told him during a visit to St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, last February that he believed the Islamic State group needed to be stopped. 'One night he got drunk and told me of the atrocities he had witnessed in the Middle East during his time in the Marine Corps,' the friend, Alex Cintron, wrote in an email to Taylor's parents. 'He said to the effect that "Isis was the bane of modern existence and needed to be stopped before they destroy any more lives and priceless works of human achievement,'" Cintron said in the email. Taylor's father shared the email with AP on Tuesday. Cintron didn't respond to a message for comment sent via social media. Cintron said in the email that Taylor died from an improvised explosive device. The YPG video offered no details on how Taylor died. Taylor grew up in Ocala, Florida, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. He attended college in Florida and West Virginia before joining the Marines. He was deployed in Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea and spent time in Jordan before he was discharged last year, said David Taylor Sr. Taylor Sr received periodic updates from his son about his travels in Europe until there was a period of silence for several weeks. Soon afterward, the elder Taylor received an email from his son, saying he had joined the Kurdish militia group After his discharge, he came to the United States and visited family and friends in West Virginia, Philadelphia and Florida. Last spring, he asked his father to drive him to the airport because he had decided to visit Ireland, where his family has ancestral ties. Taylor Sr received periodic updates from his son about his travels in Europe until there was a period of silence for several weeks. Soon afterward, the elder Taylor received an email from his son, saying he had joined the Kurdish militia group. The consular official told Taylor Sr that the YPG is paying to transport Taylor's body back to the United States. ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - A senior Algerian aviation official says a Turkish Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Algiers airport after a false bomb alert on board. The Air Algeria official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as she was not authorized to speak to reporters, said the pilot decided Tuesday afternoon to land the Morocco-bound plane in neighboring Algeria's capital after a female passenger claimed she possessed a bomb. The official said authorities carried out a "systematic search" of the plane, which flew from Istanbul and was headed for Casablanca. No explosive devices were found. The official added that the woman is not Algerian and that the Algerian security services are holding her for questioning. The plane has not yet resumed its flight. MIAMI (AP) - Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay cooked up a unique dish while filming in Florida: Burmese python. Ramsay joined Kyle Penniston of Miami on July 15 to hunt invasive pythons in the Everglades for an upcoming episode of his competitive-cooking television variety show "The F Word with Gordon Ramsay." Penniston hunts pythons for the South Florida Water Management District , the state agency that oversees Everglades restoration. Researchers say pythons are decimating populations of native mammals that live in the vast wetlands. According to a statement Tuesday from the district, Ramsay and his son, Jack, helped Penniston kill three pythons in western Miami-Dade County. The district says Ramsay cooked one python alongside a levee in a portable oven. Penniston said it was an honor to have his first taste of python cooked by Ramsay. WARSAW, Poland (AP) - In Poland's most-watched political satire, the president is mocked as a marginal and pitiful figure. He waits endlessly outside the office of the country's powerful ruling party chairman, who can never be bothered to see him, the chairman's secretary not even aware of the president's position or real name. The writers of the hit series "The Chairman's Ear" will now have to change their script. This week President Andrzej Duda took the country by surprise by vetoing two of three contentious laws seen as an attack on an independent judiciary after days of mass nationwide protests. In this Monday, July 24, 2017 photo Polish President Andrzej Duda makes a statement, in Warsaw, Poland. For nearly two years Duda has been widely derided as a marginal figure, a man chosen by the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski for his loyalty whose role was to rubber-stamp the party's populist nationalist program. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) It was Duda's first substantial independent act in nearly two years of approving every key law the ruling Law and Justice party has passed, even moves seen as violations of the constitution in the young democracy. Hand-picked as the party's candidate in 2015 elections by party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Duda has been commonly described by critics as a "puppet" or a "notary" who merely rubber-stamps the party's populist program. A feature of anti-government street protests in recent months has been an effigy of Kaczynski controlling two puppets, Duda and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo. "It took Andrzej Duda two years to understand that being Poland's president does not mean the passive signing of legislation that the ruling party puts on his desk," Robert Felus, editor of the Fakt daily, wrote Tuesday. Duda's decision to veto two bills gave hope to the many thousands of Poles who have been protesting for more than a week, afraid the overhaul of the court system spelled an irreversible step toward authoritarianism. They have rejoiced at the way their protests stopped two of the bills, despite disappointment he signed the third on Tuesday. Law and Justice says that Poland's justice system is corrupt and inefficient and is calling for deep changes, including a purge of many judges. It is a view that is shared by many Poles, including President Duda. Political observers in Poland believe Duda's independent decision however signals a rift in the ranks of the ruling party and raises Duda's chances if he chooses to run for second term in 2020 by giving him an independent profile. Duda said he believed the bills he rejected would not increase a sense of security or justice in society, and said he was taking full responsibility for his decision. There are hints he finally revolted against being taken for granted by the party leadership. In explaining his decision he voiced irritation that he had not been consulted by the party lawmakers who drew up the legislation. One of the bills he chose to veto would have changed the functioning of the Supreme Court, calling for the immediate dismissal of all its judges and giving power to replace them to the justice minister. Following an earlier contentious change, the justice minister is now also the prosecutor general. "We have no tradition of the prosecutor general being able to interfere in the work of the Supreme Court," he said. One of the Supreme Court roles is to confirm election results, and critics feared the ruling party would be tempted to abuse that new power. Duda was just 43 when he was elected in 2015. A little-known European Parliament lawmaker for Law and Justice at the time, Duda was picked by Kaczynski because he had been a loyal aide to his late twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, the president who perished in a plane crash in Russia in 2010. A lawyer by education, Duda took steps early in his term to bolster the party which were seen as violations of the law. First, he pardoned a ruling party member, Mariusz Kaminski, who had been convicted of abuse of power and whose case was still awaiting appeal. The decision was described as a violation of the constitution by some legal experts. He later drew stronger condemnation by helping Law and Justice take political control of a key court, the Constitutional Tribunal, by changing its rules and some of its members. Getting the court under party control removed a key check on its power, allowing it to pass laws with little risk of them getting struck down as unconstitutional. The joke from the political satire about the humiliations suffered by the president featured in the protests of the last days. In the show, the party chief's secretary always calls the waiting president "Adrian" instead of by his real name, Andrzej. "Adrian, become Andrzej!" protesters have shouted in urging him to finally emerge as his own person, even in defiance of his powerful patron. Some now say he has. Jaroslaw Kurski, deputy editor of the liberal Gazeta Wyborcza daily, wrote Tuesday that Duda "has many times violated the constitution that he had sworn to protect and has led to the destruction of the Constitutional Tribunal." "But we must admit, he has refused to take part in the total destruction and submission of the justice system to one party," Kurski said. "President Duda has not stopped being his party's son, but he has just cut the umbilical cord." FILE - In this May 6, 2017 file photo demonstrators hold puppets featuring images of leader of Law and Justice party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, top, Prime minister Beata Szydlo, left and President Andrzej Duda during the Freedom March in Warsaw. For nearly two years Duda has been widely derided as a marginal figure, a man chosen by the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski for his loyalty whose role was to rubber-stamp the party's populist nationalist program. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file) FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2015 file photo Polish President Andrzej Duda, center, and the leader of Law and Justice party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, second left, attend a ceremony in the Presidential Palace, Warsaw, Poland. For nearly two years Duda has been widely derided as a marginal figure, a man chosen by the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski for his loyalty whose role was to rubber-stamp the party's populist nationalist program. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file) Polish President Andrzej Duda makes a statement in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, July 24, 2017. Duda announced that he will veto two contentious bills widely seen as assaults on the independence of the judicial system. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) FILE - In this July 18, 2017 file photo protesters raise candles during a protest in front of the presidential palace, as they urge Polish President Andrzej Duda to reject a bill changing the judiciary system, in Warsaw, Poland. For nearly two years Duda has been widely derided as a marginal figure, a man chosen by the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski for his loyalty whose role was to rubber-stamp the party's populist nationalist program. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz, file ) People gather for candle lit protest in front of the Supreme Court in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, July 24, 2017. Polish President Andrzej Duda announced earlier that he will veto two contentious bills widely seen as assaults on the independence of the judicial system, but the protesters demand a veto for a third bill. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) NEW YORK (AP) - Delta Air Lines is apologizing after an argument between a pilot and a flight attendant delayed a flight from New York to Portland, Maine. A Delta spokesman said Tuesday that the crew members were replaced before the plane took off. He said the incident does not reflect the professionalism the airline expects from employees, and that the company is investigating. The confrontation occurred Monday before the Delta Connection flight left LaGuardia Airport. The New York Daily reports that the pilot called the flight attendant a derogatory name after the two argued in the aisle. FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, file photo, a Delta Air Lines sign overlooks the unloading area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta. On Tuesday, July 25, 2017, Delta Air Lines apologized after an argument between a pilot and a flight attendant delayed a Delta Connection flight on Monday from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Portland, Maine. The flight was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) According to tracking service FlightAware.com, the 76-seat plane left the gate two hours late and spent another hour taxiing before takeoff for the one-hour, 45-minute flight to Portland. It was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air. SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) - The Latest on the funeral for 10 members of an Arizona family killed in a flash flood. (all times local): 12:45 p.m. As "Ave Maria" played, more than 1,000 people said goodbye to 10 members of an extended family who died in a flash flood in Arizona. Hearses of the family members who were killed in a flash flood are parked outside St. Patrick church, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ten members of an extended Arizona family were killed earlier this month in flash flood while they celebrated a birthday are being remembered as hard-working immigrants from Mexico trying to provide a better life for their children. (AP Photo/Matt York) The 10 white caskets were arranged in two rows facing the altar for a funeral Mass celebrated in English and Spanish on Tuesday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Scottsdale. The Rev. Eric Tellez remembered the three generations of a Mexican immigrant family as hardworking people, many of whom worked in the restaurant industry. The pastor likened feeding people to a ministry. He gave a message of Christian hope of resurrection and eternal life. The family died when a torrent of water rushed through the swimming hole where they were celebrating a birthday on July 15, taking a grandmother, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren. ___ 11:30 a.m. Hundreds of people have packed into a Catholic church in Arizona to mourn 10 members of a family killed in a flash flood. Ten white caskets belonging to three generations of the same family were arranged in two rows facing the altar for the Tuesday morning funeral Mass. They died together in mere seconds when a torrent of water rushed through the swimming hole where they were celebrating a birthday on July 15, taking a grandmother, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren. The flood was caused by a thunderstorm upstream in Tonto National Forest. ___ This item has been clarified to show that the caskets were arranged in two rows facing the altar, not in a horseshoe. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's intelligence agency detained two more judges Tuesday that the government-stacked Supreme Court had threatened with arrest after they were appointed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Jesus Rojas Torres and Zuleima Gonzalez were taken into custody by SEBIN agents in Anzoategui, a state in northeastern Venezuela, the National Assembly announced on its Twitter account. The magistrates are among 33 judges the National Assembly appointed Friday to replace the current Supreme Court. In this July 21, 2017 photo, newly-appointed Supreme Court justice Zuleima Gonzalez holds a Venezuelan flag as she poses for photos after her swearing-in ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela. Gonzalez, one of 33 of magistrates appointed by the opposition-led National Assembly last week, was detained by political police (SEBIN), along with another judge, on suspicion of treason, in eastern Venezuela, according to the legislature on July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) The troubled nation's highest court quickly declared the appointments unconstitutional and said the judges would be illegally usurping power and betraying the nation if they fulfilled their new posts. Angel Zerpa - another of the new magistrates - was detained on Saturday. The Supreme Court has been at the center of nearly four months of political unrest in Venezuela. In late March, the court issued a ruling that stripped the National Assembly of its remaining powers. The decision received international condemnation and was later reversed but sparked nearly-daily protests that have left nearly 100 dead. More recently, the court has backed President Nicolas Maduro as he pushes forward with a July 30 election to select delegates to a special assembly that will rewrite the constitution. Critics contend Maduro must let Venezuelans decide whether they want to rewrite the constitution first, but the Supreme Court has repeatedly sided with the president. The opposition appointed the new slate of judges arguing that they no were no longer impartially upholding the rule of law and had been illegally ushered into power in December 2015, shortly after the opposition won a majority in legislative elections, in order to ensure that the ruling party kept control of the Supreme Court. Zerpa is being accused of betraying the nation and is being tried in a military tribunal, according to Alfredo Romero, head of the Foro Penal, a non-profit group of lawyers. He is currently on a hunger strike in opposition to the detention. Maduro has expressed his support for detaining the judges, saying Sunday that "one by one" they would be jailed. Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, the Washington-based organization tasked with defending democracy in the hemisphere, said Tuesday he was designating a former prosecutor with the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation in Venezuela and help decide a course of action. The prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, prosecuted Syrian President Bashir al-Assad for genocide and former Libyan leader Moammar Gadafi for crimes against humanity during his time at the ICC. Because Venezuela ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty that set up the ICC, the court has jurisdiction over what happens in Venezuela and can potentially try leaders accused of atrocities, Almagro said. "The citizens of Venezuela live in terror," Almagro said. "And the terror has its origins in the state from a deliberate, methodical and systemic strategy." SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah women are choosing home birth at a rate double the national average, and mothers who do so tend to be older and have more education than women who decide to give birth in hospitals, according to a state health department report released this month. Planned home births made up 2.12 percent of all births in Utah in 2013, according to the report from the Utah Department of Health. The U.S. national rate is less than 1 percent. Utah has one of the highest overall birth rates in the country, influenced by a Mormon culture that tends toward larger families. Women who had a planned home birth in Utah were more likely to be 35 or older, have education beyond high school, be married and have other children, study author Shaheen Hossain, the health department's data resources program manager, said Tuesday. Interest in home birth has been growing since the 1970s, but has picked up in recent years with movies like "The Business of Being Born" and people posting about home birth on Facebook and Instagram, said Salt Lake City midwife Eve German. German is a licensed midwife who carries a birthing room full of high-tech medical equipment in duffel bags in her car and quickly transfers women to a hospital if something goes awry. "There are plans and protocols and training and mechanisms to keep people safe without having to count on things going well and being normal," she said. Still, she says home birth is not typically a good option for women with more complicated or higher risk pregnancies, like twins or babies in a breach position. "Midwives are specialists in low-risk births," German said. Salt Lake City mother Summer Curry, 36, says she had a home birth because she wanted to have her baby without pain medication or medical interventions. Curry had her second daughter in an inflatable birthing tub on Saturday. She said she liked not having to rush to the hospital, and gave birth while her 4-year-old daughter played with her grandmother in the living room. "It was just seamless, and I was comfortable," she said. The report found that in low-risk pregnancies, the health of babies born at home compared generally well to babies born in hospitals, Hossain said, though home-birth babies tended to score somewhat lower on health exams given five minutes after birth, she said. Exactly what that means in the long run, though, is unclear, and points to the need for more study, especially given the relatively high rate of home births in Utah, Hossain said. Women who labored at home were less likely to have medical procedures like medicine to jump-start labor or epidurals, though they also tended to have more prolonged labor and water that broke before active labor began. The report based on birth-certificate data analyzed from 205,486 births among Utah mothers between 2010 and 2013, of which 3,701 were home births. It did not look at birthing centers or babies accidently born at home. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri woman whose 9-year-old daughter was killed by a teenage neighbor in 2009 has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that requires the imprisoned killer to pay her more than $5 million. Patricia Preiss signed a deal Monday to settle the lawsuit she filed against Alyssa Bustamante, who was 15 when she killed Preiss' daughter, Elizabeth. Prosecutors alleged Bustamante committed the crime to see how it felt to kill someone. Bustamante, who is now 23, confessed to the killing. She was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. It's unclear if Bustamante has the means to pay the settlement. Attorneys for her and Priess did not immediately return phone calls seeking details Tuesday from The Associated Press. Bustamante signed the settlement agreement in March, but documents show Preiss didn't agree to the deal until Monday, The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2eKromR ). A trial was scheduled to begin on Aug. 7. Bustamante is serving her sentence at the Women's Eastern Missouri Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia. Bustamante pleaded guilty in 2012 to luring Elizabeth to the woods in the small town of St. Martins, just west of Jefferson City. She slit the girl's throat and strangled her before burying her in a grave she had dug several days in advance, according to investigators. Under the lawsuit settlement, Preiss agreed to dismiss any remaining counts. Bustamante also is required to notify Preiss if she receives any compensation arising from publicity about the case. ___ Information from: Jefferson City News Tribune, http://www.newstribune.com The mayor of Pennsylvania's third-largest city was charged Tuesday as part of a long-running federal corruption probe, according to his lawyer. Jack McMahon told The Associated Press that Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is named in an indictment. Pawlowski has consistently denied misusing his office, and McMahon said the mayor, who is running for a fourth term, will vigorously contest the charges. "There will be nothing but fight in Ed Pawlowski, because he did nothing wrong," McMahon said. The indictment was temporarily sealed. McMahon said the defense would have more to say after it sees its contents. The criminal case culminates an investigation that began in 2013 and led to charges against a slew of lower-ranking city officials and contractors in a pay-to-play scandal. Nine people have pleaded guilty. Court documents in the earlier cases allege that Pawlowski, identified as Public Official No. 3, ordered Allentown officials to give "preferential treatment" to political donors as the Democrat raised money for unsuccessful runs for governor and the U.S. Senate. Developer Ramzi Haddad, who earlier pleaded guilty to a federal bribery conspiracy charge, admitted that he raised tens of thousands of dollars for Pawlowski's Senate bid after the candidate "made clear" to city vendors, including Haddad, that giving campaign cash "was a necessary condition for receiving certain favorable treatment from the city of Allentown," according to court documents in that case. Separately, the city's top administrator, Fran Dougherty, admitted he helped rig a $3 million contract to replace the city's streetlights so it would go to a company whose executives and consultants gave thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to Pawlowski. Dougherty pleaded guilty and agreed to testify about "corruption in Allentown." Pawlowski did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment. The FBI is running a parallel probe in nearby Reading, and it appeared charges might be imminent there, too. Federal prosecutors, the FBI and the IRS planned a Wednesday news conference to announce charges "in matters concerning Lehigh and Berks Counties." Allentown, which has about 120,000 residents, is in Lehigh County. Reading, with a population of about 88,000, is in Berks. WASHINGTON (AP) - Police say two Burundian teens who disappeared from an international robotics competition in Washington have been found safe. A Metropolitan Police statement Tuesday said Don Ingabire and Audrey Mwamikazi, who were seen crossing into Canada, "have been located safely." A police spokesman declined to comment on where they were found, citing department policy for missing person cases. Police are still investigating the whereabouts of the other four teens on the team who disappeared. Authorities have said there are no indications of foul play. This combination of photos provided by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department shows six Burundi teenagers who were reported missing on July 19, 2017, after participating in an international robotics competition in Washington. The two girls and four boys ranging in age from 16 to 18 are, from top left, Richard Irakoze, Kevin Sabumukiza, Nice Munezero, and from bottom left, Aristide Irambona, Don Ingabire, and Audrey Mwamikazi. Esperence Niyonzima is the director of Iteletique in Burundi, which sent two teens. She said Monday, July 24, the teenagers probably left because life is hard in the East African nation, not because they feared insecurity at home. Parents she spoke to "were not concerned." (Washington Metropolitan Police Department via AP, File) Event organizers believe the teens may have planned their disappearance. Members of the Burundi-American community say they have little doubt the teens are planning to seek asylum, either in the U.S. or in Canada. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Mayor Betsy Hodges had barely begun explaining why she demanded the resignation of the Minneapolis police chief following another fatal officer-involved shooting when some of the protesters who backed her decision interrupted the news conference with an ominous warning. "Bye bye, Betsy," they chanted while waving signs that read, "You are next." Minneapolis was among several major cities where progressive politics were clashing with policing, even before the death of 40-year-old Justine Damond of Australia. The brighter spotlight on the city comes at an awkward time for Hodges, who is up for re-election in November against challengers charting more drastic responses to recent fatal police shootings. FILE - In this Thursday, July 20, 2017 file photo, Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau, center, stands with police inspector Michael Kjos, left, and assistant chief Medaria Arradondo during a news conference Thursday, July 20, 2017, Minneapolis. People who have worked closely with Arradondo tapped to lead Minneapolis' embattled police department say he has qualities that will fit well with the role: He's friendly, forthright, has deep city roots and is African-American, which could help improve sour relations between the police and the city's black community, Saturday, July 22, 2017. (Maria Alejandra Cardona/Minnesota Public Radio via AP, File) "Politics are the last thing on my mind at a time when we have this tragedy," Hodges said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, stressing that she's working to improve police-community relations. Damond was shot as she approached a squad car responding to her 911 call about a possible assault. Before she was asked to resign, police Chief Janee Harteau defended the training of Mohamed Noor, the Somali-American officer who fired the fatal shot. Soft-spoken and deliberate, Hodges has approached the job as head of Minnesota's most liberal city differently than her popular, crowd-surfing predecessor R.T. Rybak. A Bryn Mawr graduate with a knack for digesting big numbers and cranking out budgets, Hodges parlayed eight years on the city council to win the mayor's office in 2013 after campaigning largely on reducing the city's racial inequities. Despite overseeing the creation of a new sick and family leave policy and a recently passed $15 minimum wage hike, much of her tenure has been defined by tension with the police department - including public clashes with Harteau and her ongoing efforts to improve it. "The conversation about city leadership this year has already been about policing and ... and public safety," Hodges said. "That remains true and will remain true." A simple photo of Hodges and a black man pointing at each other consumed local politics for weeks in 2014 after a top-ranking police official suggested the pair were flashing gang signs and endangering officers; Hodges later blocked the promotion of that police lieutenant. Those tensions exploded the following year when a Minneapolis officer shot and killed 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who was black, after what onlookers described as a struggle. Protesters surrounded the area's police precinct for 18 days. Hodges weathered critiques from all sides that she both oversaw a heavy-handed police response that swept the encampment away and allowed a lawless protest to fester for more than half a month. She's been accused by community organizations of being unwilling to challenge law enforcement, and by the police themselves of handing the city's reins off to advocacy groups who would rather dismantle the department altogether. "This was about resurrecting a failing re-election campaign. That was the politics of the chief's resignation," said Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. The aftermath of fatal police shootings has spilled into politics in other cities. Outrage over the 2014 shooting death of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald powered Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's defeat last year and put mayor Rahm Emmanuel on defense. After heavy criticism for her handling of protests prompted by the 2015 death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake decided not to seek another term. Hodges was spurred into politics by police violence. She cites the Los Angeles riots after a jury acquitted the officers charged with beating Rodney King in 1992 as her motivation. Since taking office, she's pushed the Minneapolis police department to adopt new use-of-force guidelines that train officers to exhaust all other options before pulling a trigger. She spearheaded a body camera pilot project as a city councilor and oversaw its department-wide implementation last fall as mayor. "There isn't another mayor who has done more or invested more in changing policing in the 21st century than I have done," she said. She faced election pressures well before Damond's death - much of it from more liberal factions. Among her challengers is the area's former NAACP president who led weeks of anti-police violence protests after Clark's death and a state lawmaker who responded to Damond's shooting by calling to "disarm officers." University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs said Hodges' challenge is less about her track record than her ability to promote it. He believes her when she says she's not thinking about re-election - but he thinks that could wind up hurting her. "She's an inside player at a time when outside political skills are necessary. I've been looking for the political side to Betsy Hodges for months," he said. Local union president and ardent Hodges supporter Javier Morillo said Damond's death, along with Clark's in November 2015, is testing Hodges after she has raised what he called "the question of our time: How do police engage with community? "We could have had a mayor who did not run on racial equity, did not run on body cams," he said. "She raised the bar that she's being judged by." ___ Associated Press reporter Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this story. A fake street sign is mounted on the same pole as legitimate ones at the intersection of Cedar and Riverside Aves. Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Minneapolis. The fatal shooting of an Australian woman by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked the posting of at least two fake street signs warning people of "easily startled" officers. The Star Tribune reports the signs were spotted this weekend, one in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul. The official-looking orange metal sign reads: "WARNING: TWIN CITIES POLICE EASILY STARTLED." (Erin Adler/Star Tribune via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Nationals are hopeful that Stephen Strasburg will make his next scheduled start despite exiting Sunday's outing after two innings with pain in his forearm. The right-hander met with team doctors but did not undergo an MRI, Washington manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday. Team spokeswoman Amanda Comak later told reporters that Strasburg was diagnosed with a nerve impingement that is no longer a problem, without providing further details. "The doctor said he's doing fine. Hoping he'll progress enough to make the next start," Baker said. Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Following Sunday's start at Arizona, Strasburg described the problem as slight "achiness" in his forearm and said the early exit was a precaution. Strasburg (10-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 20 starts) is scheduled to start Friday against the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old Strasburg had Tommy John surgery in 2010. His more recent injuries include a forearm strain last season. "He said he's feeling good," Baker said following a conversation earlier Tuesday. "He's not alarmed, didn't look alarmed." Shortstop Trea Turner, sidelined since June 30 with a right wrist fracture, was expected to have an X-ray, Baker said. Turner fielded grounders before Tuesday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers but did not throw. Left-hander Enny Romero also left Sunday's game with an injury, but Baker said the reliever's back spasms subsided. WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican senators - Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska - broke with their party and opposed the Senate vote to move ahead on a health care overhaul. The votes by the two women drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who said, "So we had two Republicans that went against us, which is very sad, I think. It's very, very sad for them." But their actions earned a shout-out from Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, who hailed the votes as "an act of political courage" that will be remembered by history. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine is surrounded by reporters as she arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, before a test vote on the Republican health care bill. The bill has faced opposition and challenges within the Republican ranks, including by Collins. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Collins, 64, in her fourth term, is a moderate known for working with Democrats. Last year, the lifelong Republican announced she would not vote for Trump for president. Trump "does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country," Collins wrote in an op-ed column in The Washington Post. Collins has consistently opposed the GOP health care bill, saying it would impose deep cuts to Medicaid that would affect "some of the most vulnerable people in our society," including disabled children and poor seniors. The GOP bill also would cut money for rural hospitals and nursing homes that already are struggling to serve vulnerable populations, Collins said. "You can't take more than $700 billion out of the Medicaid program and not think that it's going to have some kind of effect," she said earlier this month. Murkowski, 60, is in her fourth term representing the nation's largest state and chairs the powerful Senate Energy Committee. Murkowski, whose father served as senator and governor, survived a near-death political experience in 2010 when she lost her party's primary but retained her seat as a write-in candidate. Like Collins, Murkowski has expressed concerns about deep Medicaid cuts in the GOP bill and has called for a bipartisan process to address shortcomings of the current health care law and stabilize individual markets. Alaska and other rural states have seen insurance markets deteriorate under the law, Murkowski said, with premiums increasing by more than 200 percent in some cases. Only one insurer remains on the state's individual market, and Alaska was forced to enact a costly reinsurance program to keep its sole remaining provider from leaving, she said. "I cannot vote to proceed to repeal the ACA (Affordable Care Act) without reform that allows people the choice they want, the affordability they need and the quality of care they deserve," Murkowski said. Collins was the target of a jab this week from Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, who blamed "some female senators from the Northeast" for blocking the health care legislation. Farenthold said he wished he could challenge them to a duel "Aaron Burr-style." A live microphone caught Collins Tuesday as she mocked the heavy-set Farenthold: "I don't mean to be unkind but he's so unattractive it's unbelievable." Collins later said she received a handwritten apology from Farenthold, and she accepted. She also offered him an apology. GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) - A man has been found guilty of fatally shooting a transgender woman near a Maryland shopping mall nearly two years ago. Media outlets report 22-year-old Rico LeBlond of Germantown was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday in the killing of 21-year-old Zella Ziona. Police say the two had known each other for years. Ziona had transitioned from male to female in the months before she was shot in a service alley behind a Gaithersburg mall. Authorities say LeBlond was embarrassed when Ziona flirted with him in front of friends. They say she was lured into the alley and shot several times by LeBlond. LeBlond's first trial ended in a mistrial in January. His attorney says several witnesses have given different accounts of how Ziona died. LeBlond faces a maximum life sentence. ENID, Okla. (AP) - An Oklahoma sheriff is among six people facing manslaughter charges in the 2016 death of an inmate found unresponsive after being tied to a chair. A grand jury indicted Garfield County Sheriff Jerry Niles and five others who worked at the jail on second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of 58-year-old Anthony Huff. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced the charges Tuesday. Attorney Stephen Jones entered a not-guilty plea for Niles. Jones says Niles was booked and released at the Garfield County jail after posting $15,000 bond. Niles could not be reached for comment. The indictment says Huff was left in the restraint chair for 48 hours without enough food or water. He was pronounced dead June 8, 2016, four days after being jailed on a public intoxication complaint. Scientists and fertility experts at Longleat Safari Park are attempting a world first IVF treatment to try to save a rhino subspecies with only three individuals left. The three remaining northern white rhinos all live under armed guard in Kenya, and are too old to naturally reproduce. So in a last ditch attempt to save the endangered subspecies, scientists have extracted eggs from three southern white rhinos, a more common breed, that are living at Longleat, to make the first test-tube rhinos. (PA) Could IVF save the Northern White Rhino from extinction? There are only 3 left in the world... pic.twitter.com/sPESaFwYHD BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 23, 2017 The nine eggs extracted from female southern rhinos earlier this week have been transferred to a laboratory in Italy to mature, before they are are fertilised with southern rhino sperm to hone the IVF process, before it is attempted in the rarer northern species. Jon Merrington, head of safari at Longleat, told BBC Breakfast on Sunday that scientists working together on the project across Europe will soon know if the initial stage of the process has worked. Rhinos are a two tonne animal, he said. Even to extract the eggs is 1.5 metres inside the animal its such a complicated procedure. This iconic species needs our protection - look away and we could lose them forever #EyesonRhinos https://t.co/NAgwwmvrR1 pic.twitter.com/zgmuvrbgPp Helping Rhinos (@HelpingRhinos) July 11, 2017 If these eggs successfully mature, they will be mixed with rhino sperm and cryogenically stored, before female southern white rhinos, potentially those at Longleat, are given a course of hormones to prepare them for a 16 to 18 month pregnancy. This is a groundbreaking procedure, Mr Merrington said, creating an embryo outside a rhino hasnt been done before. The name rhinoceros comes from the Greek words for nose (rhino) and horn (ceros). #AnimalFact pic.twitter.com/8BM0Fdw70S Longleat (@Longleat) July 16, 2017 If all goes well, northern rhino sperm and eggs will be harvested from the remaining members of the species, but because there are limited amounts to extract from these animals, IVF in more common southern rhinos is being tested first. And if they cannot make a pure bred test-tube northern white rhino, they will try to create hybrid animals from sperm and eggs of the two closely related species. Mr Merrington said that without human interference driving them to the point of extinction, the two populations would have likely mixed anyway. What were doing here probably isnt too far removed from what could have happened in the wild. Jose Mourinho insists Manchester Uniteds hectic-looking pre-season schedule will help rather than hinder, going as far to say as their American tour is perfect. Complaints about the Reds fixtures list dominated the end of last season, with the Portugueses side not only juggling domestic exertions but their run to Europa League glory. It was therefore a little bit surprising to see how packed their 2017-18 preparations have been, with Sundays penalty shootout win against Real Madrid their fourth friendly in nine days. Jose Mourinho signs autographs in Los Angeles Matches against the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Manchester City in Houston preceded the Santa Clara encounter, with United then heading to Washington to take on Barcelona in Wednesdays final match Stateside. Friendlies in Norway and Ireland follow before the UEFA Super Cup in Macedonia on August 8, but Mourinho does not fear the schedule will negatively impact United. Asked if the air miles being put into his players legs were a concern, the United boss retorted: No, no, no. For us, not a lot of travelling. We managed to organise the pre-season in a way where we were based in LA for 15 days, which is fantastic to be always in the same hotel, always in the same training ground. The flights were quiet, short flights to go to Real Salt Lake, Houston was not a problem, and now we are on our way back home. We come here and now we go to DC and DC is halfway home, almost. In terms of jet lag, it is halfway home, so these next three days in DC is not a problem, it is just a good thing for us on our way back. And after that we have two more matches to play in Norway and Ireland, travelling in the same day, short flights, so I am really happy with our pre-season. And if (Juan) Mata and Ander (Herrera) are not a real problem in terms of injuries, I would say perfect pre-season for us. Uniteds American tour has certainly gone far smoother than last years farcical trip to China. Ronald McDonald leads the Manchester United & Real Madrid players out pic.twitter.com/yQ3lslLAXQ Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) July 23, 2017 Bureaucracy, disorganisation and bad luck meant their money-spinning International Champions Cup involvement ended shambolically, with the friendly against City in Beijing called off to the quagmire Birds Nest surface. Mourinho has long preferred pre-season taking place in the USA, in particular Los Angeles, and will be pushing to come back across the Atlantic next year. Here it is about the facilities, about the organisation and everything is perfect, so we are going to try to persuade the club and Relevent (ICC organisers) to bring us back again, Linguists are undecided about Esperanto: is it closer to the Asian or the European languages? Its vocabulary is certainly more European, but its structure is similar to that of some Asian languages. In any case, Esperanto started to be known in Asia at almost the same time that it appeared in Europe. The first mention of Esperanto in Japan was in the late 1880s in relation to a brief flurry of interest in another artificial language, Volapuk. It really arrived in 1906 in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War. A body of learners, advocates, and users emerged which was notably diverse right from the outset. A sample of some of the early participants serves to illustrate this: Futabatei Shimei, the Russophile and novelist, encountered Esperanto in Vladivostok. His textbook, translated from Russian, was one of the most popular of the early ways to learn. Osugi Sakae, one of the most significant Japanese anarchists, was in prison in 1906 when the first Esperanto meetings were being held, but while there he began to study the language and on release was a very active participant, writing the first Japanese to Esperanto translation, setting up an Esperanto night school, and introducing the language to a number of expatriate Chinese students who went on to form the foundation of the Esperanto (and Anarchist) movement in China. Cover of: Victor Garcia. Three Japanese Anarchists: Kotoku, Osugi and Yamaga (London. 2000). YC.2000.a.4780 In 1907 a Chinese-language magazine was published in Paris with the title Hinshi-gi (New Century), in which anarchist Chinese students called for Esperanto to come into general use in China. The first Esperanto courses in China began in 1906 in Shanghai. Five issues of Orienta Azio in the British Library's collection. Hand written, hand-bound, printed on Washi paper. (Tokyo, 1913-1914). YF.2016.a.7793 And then there was Ho Chi Minh, a young revolutionary who was travelling the world. In 1915 he was living in Crouch End, London, and he learned Esperanto at around this time. He would go on to make use of it in 1945 when the Vietnamese radio service informed the world of the states declaration of independence. Title page of the collection of poems of Ho Chi Min Tagkajero en prizono (Prison Diary) in Esperanto translation (Hanoi, 1966). YF.2016a.7793. Esperanto was introduced into Korea by students who had learnt it in Japan. However, it would take too long to describe Esperantos fortunes in every country in Asia. Just after the First World War, one of Esperantos early heroes was the Japanese Nitobe Inazo. When the League of Nations was established in 1920, Nitobe became one of the Under-Secretaries General of the League. He became a founding director of the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation (which later became UNESCO). Title page of: Nitobe Inazo. From Bushido to the League of Nations. Edited by Teruhika Nagao (Sapporo, 2006) YD.2006.a.3871 In August 1921, Nitobe took part in the 13th World Congress of Esperanto in Prague as the official delegate of the League of Nations. His report to the General Assembly of the League was the first objective report on Esperanto by a high-ranking official representative of an intergovernmental organization. Although the proposal for the League to accept Esperanto as their working language was accepted by ten delegates, mainly from Asian countries, the French delegate used his power of veto to block the issue. In honour of Nitobe, a regular feature of World Esperanto Congresses over the last twenty years has been the Nitobe Symposium, in which well-known linguists discuss global language problems. Cover page of: Al justa lingvopolitiko en Azio. Towards Equitable Language policy in Asia. (Tokyo, 2008). YF.2009.b.2191 Esperanto also prospered in China during the same period. Among its supporters was the famous writer Lu Xun. The Chinese Esperanto movement soon became linked to other progressive cultural movements, and the language was learned by numerous intellectuals and revolutionaries. Cover of: Lu Sin, Elektitaj noveloj. (Hong Kong, 1939). YF.2010.a.24509 Esperanto speakers accompanied Mao Zedong on the Long March, and after visiting an exhibition about Esperanto, Mao wrote, If Esperanto is used as a means for presenting ideas which are truly internationalist and truly revolutionary, then Esperanto can and should be studied. Maos comment opened the way for Esperanto in China. Covers of: Prezidanto Mau Zedong. Pri popola milito (Pekino, 1968) YF.2014.a.16361 and Vortoj de Prezidanto Mau Zedong (Pekino, 1967) YP.2011.a.378 In the meantime Esperanto had found adepts in most other Asian countries. Some phenomena are difficult to explain. Iran is one of the Asian countries where the movement has done well from the early 20th century onwards throughout all political upheavals and revolutions. Both the Shah and the Ayatollahs approved its use, and the national movement celebrated its centenary in 2016. And what about Pakistan? The national Esperanto association formally joined the World Esperanto Association in 1978, and continues to hold conferences and publish textbooks in Urdu. For more detailed information about the movement in other Asian countries the best source is Gvidlibro pri Esperanto-movado en Azio (Guidbook to the Esperanto movement in Asia) by Chieko Doi (Yokohama, 1995; YF.2009.a.6158; Cover below). There is no country in Asia without its Esperanto speakers, from Mongolia to Myanmar, including Kazakhstan, Indonesia, the Philippines and others. An Asian congress of Esperanto takes place every three years. The 8th Asian Congress took place in the Chinese city of Quanzhou in November 2016 with participants from 20 countries. The 9th Congress will be in the Vietnamese city of Da-Nang in 2019. In addition, the Chinese and Japanese are the most prolific publishers of books in Esperanto. The Chinese Esperanto magazine El Popola Cinio (From Peoples China; ZF.9.a.6337) is produced by the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing which has also published almost 200 books in Esperanto. China Radio International broadcasts regularly in Esperanto and recently has also started producing films for distribution on the Internet. Books for children published in China and South Korea, from Esperanto Collections of the British Library. Considering the strength of the Esperanto movement in Asia, on the day when the 102nd World Esperanto Congress is opening in Seoul we can certainly claim that Esperanto is as much an Asian as a European language. Renato Corsetti, Professor Emeritus of Psycholinguistics at La Sapienza University in Rome, former president of the World Esperanto Association. Inumaru Fumio, Vice President of the Commission for the Asian Esperanto Movement of the World Esperanto Association. A hotelier who scooped more than 100,000 by backing Donald Trump to win the US election has met the president and his wife. John Mappin, owner of the Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel, Cornwall, met Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at a Republican party fundraising event in Washington. Mr Mappin, 51, won 110,767 after placing 33 bets with William Hill on the billionaire businessman beating Hillary Clinton. He attended the fundraising event on June 28 at the Trump International Hotel and was ushered to a private room to meet the president and first lady before dinner. Donald Trump at his Turnberry resort (Andrew Milligan/PA) I was honoured and privileged to be invited into a private room for a reception with the president and first lady, Mr Mappin said. I was introduced to him as the fellow who had backed him. He had with him one of the newspaper articles that reported the bet. He turned to his wife and said: This is fantastic, this guy has made a lot of money backing me. I replied: Well sir, Mr President, when you back a winner you win. No photographs were taken of the private meeting. Mr Mappin, who is a member of the family behind Bond Street jewellers Mappin and Webb, said Mr Trump and his wife seemed completely delighted to meet him. It was a brief meeting but it was long enough to get a measure of him as a person, he added. Despite what everybody else has said about this fellow, he is a wonderful person. He loves his country. He loves the people of America. He has been completely misjudged. Mr Mappin hopes Mr Trump will come to visit him in Cornwall, where he lives with his wife Irina and their young son Caspian. The father of missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague is reported to have blocked the entrance to a landfill site where police were searching for his son. Officers sifted through 6,500 tonnes of waste at a site in Milton, Cambridgeshire, in an unprecedented search for the 23-year-old who disappeared from Bury St Edmunds following a night out in September. The search, which began in March, was halted last week after no trace of the serviceman was found. The search of a landfill site to find anything related to missing Corrie McKeague will be completed this afternoon - https://t.co/bilsydCxEw Suffolk Police (@SuffolkPolice) July 21, 2017 His father, Martin McKeague, was photographed at the landfill site near Cambridge with his motorhome blocking the entrance. He told the Cambridge News: I hope they make the right decision to continue to look for my son. The facts and all the evidence lies in this landfill site and as father, or mother, or anybody, I think you would probably do the same thing. I need them to do the right thing and continue to look for Corrie. Corries mother Nicola Urquhart has previously said she is considering taking out an injunction to stop officers filling in the 48-hectare Milton landfill site until there is more honesty and plain speaking from the police. Corrie McKeague went missing in September (Family handout/PA) Police said Mr McKeague, from Fife, Scotland, but based at Honington, Suffolk, had a history of falling asleep in unusual places, including in bins. A bin lorry was seen on CCTV near Brentgovel Street in the Bury St Edmunds around the time Mr McKeague was last seen, and it took a route which appeared to coincide with the movements of his phone. The bin lorry linked to the disappearance of Mr McKeague was initially thought to have collected an 11kg (1st 10lb) load, but police said it was later found to be more than 100kg (15st 10lb). Detective Superintendent Katie Elliott of Suffolk Police said any new lines of inquiry would be pursued vigorously, adding: We have searched the whole area where we believed Corrie could be. Please sign and share. If corrie is In the landfill they need to find him.#Findcorrie https://t.co/sj03euEYW6 Find Corrie (@findcorrie) July 22, 2017 We had compelling information that directed us to this area, however we havent found Corrie and this is bitterly disappointing. Its never been about money in this investigation. We have searched the areas where we have information where that waste was deposited. Beyond that its very difficult to establish exactly where we would search for Corrie. Asked if she thought Mr McKeague was still on the landfill site, she replied: I do. Mr McKeagues girlfriend April Oliver announced last month that the missing serviceman had become a father with the birth of their daughter. New Pictish remains have been discovered at a fort thought to have been largely destroyed by a 19th-century development. Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen uncovered a longhouse and an 1,100-year-old anglo Saxon coin in a dig at Burghead Fort near Lossiemouth, Moray. Experts believe the fort was a significant seat of power within the Pictish Kingdom, dating between 500AD and 1000AD. (University of Aberdeen/PA) Artefacts including the Burghead Bull carvings and a mysterious underground well were discovered in the 1800s, but it was thought further remains were destroyed when a new town was built on top of the fort around the same time. A new dig that started in 2015 has now led to fresh discoveries. The university team uncovered a Pictish longhouse, within which an anglo Saxon coin of Alfred the Great was found, providing key dating evidence for the use of the house and fort. A 1,100-year-old Anglo Saxon coin found at their archaeological dig at Burghead Fort Archaeologists said the coin dates to the late ninth century when Viking raiders and settlers were leading to major changes within Pictish society. Dr Gordon Noble, senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, said: The assumption has always been that there was nothing left at Burghead; that it was all trashed in the 19th century but nobodys really looked at the interior to see if theres anything that survives inside the fort. Beneath the 19th-century debris, we have started to find significant Pictish remains. We appear to have found a Pictish longhouse. (University of Aberdeen?PA) This is important because Burghead is likely to have been one of the key royal centres of northern Pictland and understanding the nature of settlement within the fort is key to understanding how power was materialised within these important fortified sites. There is a lovely stone-built hearth in one end of the building and the Anglo-Saxon coin shows the building dates towards the end of the use of the fort based on previous dating. The coin is also interesting as it shows that the fort occupants were able to tap into long-distance trade networks. The coin is also pierced, perhaps for wearing; it shows that the occupants of the fort in this non-monetary economy literally wore their wealth. Overall, these findings suggest that there is still valuable information that can be recovered from Burghead which would tell us more about this society at a significant time for northern Scotland just as Norse settlers were consolidating their power in Shetland and Orkney, and launching attacks on mainland Scotland. The archaeological dig at Burghead Fort which uncovered a Pictish longhouse and coins dating back more than 1,000 years. The dig has been carried out with the Burghead Headland Trust and Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service. Council archaeologist Bruce Mann said: Burghead Fort has long been recognised as being an important seat of power during the early medieval period and is known as the largest fort of its type in Scotland. Its significance has just increased again though with this discovery. The fact that we have surviving buildings and floor levels from this date is just incredible and the universitys work is shedding light on what is too often mistakenly called the dark ages. Luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo is to be acquired by US fashion brand Michael Kors in an 896 million deal. London-listed Jimmy Choo put itself up for sale as part of a strategic review in April and on Tuesday Michael Kors said it is the ideal partner for the firm. The group said in a statement that it will support the growth of Jimmy Choo through retail store openings and further development of its online presence, adding that the shoe firm will operate under its existing management team, including chief executive Pierre Denis. Under the terms of the deal, Jimmy Choo shareholders will receive 230p in cash for each share, a premium of 36.5% on the firms share price of 168.5p on April 21. John Idol, chairman and chief executive of Michael Kors, said: We believe that Jimmy Choo is poised for meaningful growth in the future and we are committed to supporting the strong brand equity that Jimmy Choo has built over the last 20 years. Jimmy Choo was one of the founders of the eponymous brand (PA) In March, Jimmy Choo cheered record revenues and profits thanks to a boost from the Brexit-hit pound and strong sales across Asia. The designer firm saw annual revenues climb 15% to 364 million in the year to the end of December, while earnings lifted 16% to 59 million over the period. Jimmy Choo counts Jennifer Lopez, the Duchess of Cambridge and Beyonce among its fans. Chairman Peter Harf said: A combination with Michael Kors will allow Jimmy Choo to embark on its next phase of growth and provide opportunities for the benefit of Jimmy Choo customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Shares in Jimmy Choo rose 17% in morning trading. Angus Grierson, managing director of LGB Corporate Finance, said: Michael Kors acquisition of Jimmy Choo follows strong performance by the British luxury brand, which reported record profits in March, boosted by the fall in sterling and robust sales across Asia. The deal is characteristic of a wider trend towards consolidation across a slowing luxury sector and follows rival Coachs acquisition of Kate Spade in May. A man who battered a five-year-old boy to death in a park for losing a trainer has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, flew into a rage and subjected his girlfriends son, Alex Malcolm, to a brutal attack in Mountsfield Park in Catford, south-east London. He was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court by Judge Mark Dennis QC, who said the child killer has a deeply entrenched character flaw that leads him to overreact and lose his temper. Iheanacho was sentenced to 18 years but, due to time served on remand, the judge said he would serve at least 17 years and 119 days. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp finally has his full squad to work with after forwards Sadio Mane and Danny Ings joined team training together with returning midfielder Emre Can. Mane and Ings have been working separately from the main group as they finalised their recovery from knee injuries which ended their seasons in April and October respectively, while Can came back for pre-season testing at the weekend after extended lead following his involvement in Germanys Confederations Cup victory in Russia. New signing Andrew Robertson will also train with his new team-mates for the first time as his 8million move from Hull was competed while the majority were in Hong Kong for the Premier League Asia Trophy. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a fullly fit squad for trip of Germany Liverpool fly out to Germany on Wednesday for a training camp and three friendlies against Hertha Berlin, Bayern Munich and either Atletico Madrid or Napoli and Robertson is likely to get his first outing on Friday in Berlin as first-choice left-back James Milner returned from the Far East with a minor thigh problem. Early assessments show that Milners problem is not serious but he will complete a specific training programme this week in order to manage his availability to Jurgen Klopp before rejoining his team-mates in their full pre-season schedule, read a Liverpool statement. Captain Jordan Henderson admits he has had to learn how to deal with injury frustration after a foot problem saw him miss the final three months of the campaign. Andy Robertson and Emre Can will join their #LFC teammates in training today. More: https://t.co/5qkIOwQiPq pic.twitter.com/0WL3hNyQ0f Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 25, 2017 He has played in all four friendlies to date and is looking forward to the new season. I cant remember the last time I had a full pre-season so hopefully this one I can stay injury-free, complete pre-season and be feeling good, he told liverpoolfc.com. Hopefully that will stand us in good stead going into the new season. "Hopefully at the end of pre-season Ill be as fit as Ive ever been.@JHenderson on preparing for a new season: https://t.co/OAjJmK7LVV pic.twitter.com/u2PCfdpZvp Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 25, 2017 As a player, you want to be back as quickly as possible and you might go through a bit of pain and a bit of discomfort just to get back out there, but sometimes that isnt ideal and it could make it worse. Thats another thing Ive learned probably over the last few months: sometimes youve got to listen to your body and not push yourself too much if theres some pain. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has arrived in Australia on the latest leg of his extended overseas mission to drum up trade deals for the UK after Brexit. Mr Johnson will meet his opposite number Julie Bishop and join Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon to take part in the annual Aukmin summit of UK and Australian ministers to discuss defence and foreign affairs on Thursday. But he said post-Brexit trade will be top of the agenda for the three-day visit, which follows stops in Japan and New Zealand. The bonds of kinship between Britain and Australia are deep and enduring, said Mr Johnson. It is fantastic to be back in Australia, my first time as Foreign Secretary. Our relationship is based on shared history, interests and values, with large numbers of our nationals making each others countries home. I look forward to strengthening even further our partnerships on global challenges and opportunities, such as North Korea, the fight against extremism and terror, modern slavery and trade. Talks with businesses and government on boosting trade between us when we leave the EU will also be at the top of agenda. I cant wait to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. Boris Johnson holds a native tuatara lizard at Zealandia nature reserve (Hagen Hopkins via AP) Before flying to Australia, Mr Johnson toured the Zealandia wildlife sanctuary for indigenous species near Kiwi capital Wellington, where he held a tuatara lizard and took snaps of the flightless takahe bird on his smartphone. After being greeted by a shout of Boris for PM at a ceremony in Wellington, the Foreign Secretary played down the idea that he was in the running to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister. Insisting that the call was diametrically opposed to his own opinion, Mr Johnson said: What the British people want to see is a government that gets on with the job and theyve got that with Theresa and we are going to deliver a great Brexit deal They see no need for any more political kerfuffle. "It's an honour to visit this magnificent @NZParliament - so reminiscent of the one I know in Westminster" - @BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/AokXZRPpIO UK in New Zealand (@UKinNZ) July 24, 2017 When asked if infighting could compromise progress in trade discussions, Mr Johnson said any suggestion of discord in the Conservative Party had completely passed me by. Lets be clear, the election did not evolve entirely in the way the Government had hoped or would have wanted, he said. But the Labour Party did not win, they were 50 seats behind. Mr Johnson also reiterated his view that Brexit was not about Britain becoming more isolationist. Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world, he said. Met with @BorisJohnson today. It was a wide-ranging and entertaining conversation. pic.twitter.com/8xX5gxCrgK Bill English (@RtHonBEnglish) July 24, 2017 On the contrary, it is about us wanting to keep great relations with European friends and partners and do a great free trade deal with them, but it is also about rediscovering and intensifying friendships and partnerships around the world. New Zealands foreign minister Gerry Brownlee said there was a strong interest in swiftly concluding a free trade agreement with the UK after Brexit adding it will bring our two countries closer together. While in Australia, Mr Johnson is also due to deliver a high-profile lecture to the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on Thursday, and take a tour of the citys world-famous Opera House, currently being refurbished by UK company Laing ORourke. Hundreds of firefighters are battling blazes fanned by high winds in more than a dozen zones in the Riviera region of southern France. Four firefighters have been injured tackling the wildfires. The prefecture of the Var said about 100 people had been evacuated in Ramatuelle, while five hectares burned in Saint-Tropez. A wildfire burns in Ramatuelle, southern France (AP) Flames burned almost 2,000 acres around the Var, with two villas destroyed in La Croix Valmer, seven miles west of Saint-Tropez. A huge fire in the neighbouring Luberon region is now said to be under control. The largest blaze was in northern Corsica, with nearly 5,000 acres burned. There have been no reports of injuries among residents or tourists. Eight penguins were slaughtered by a fox at Chessington World of Adventures after it broke into their water enclosure. Staff at the park say the attack involved five adult and three infant Humboldt penguins, blaming an urban fox for the killings. A ninth penguin at the Surrey resort was also injured. Lisa Britton, assistant zoo manager at Chessington World of Adventures, said: It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of eight of our Humboldt penguins, which it is apparent were killed by an urban fox that infiltrated their home at Penguin Bay overnight at the end of June. Another penguin was injured, but received veterinary care and has made a full recovery. You may have seen reports in the media about the death of eight of our Humboldt Penguins. Lisa Britton, Zoo Manager, explains. pic.twitter.com/z5Gad3vOPy Chessington World of Adventures Resort (@CWOA) July 25, 2017 An investigation is now under way to find out how the fox managed to get into Penguin Bay despite measures having been put in place to deter foxes from the enclosure. The remaining 20 penguins have been moved to a secure location. Ms Britton added: We are investigating why this happened, as Penguin Bay, only built in 2015, had special measures put in place specifically to deter foxes and therefore we are shocked and saddened at this news. The eight Humboldt penguins, five adults and three infants, were part of a group of 28 here at the resort, which we know are extremely popular with our guests, and much loved by all of us here, especially our dedicated zoo team. Humboldt penguins at Chessington World of Adventures, where eight penguins were slaughtered by a fox after it broke into their water enclosure Our remaining penguins have been moved to a secure area while we take additional measures to secure Penguin Bay, which we hope to reopen as soon as possible. The health, safety and welfare of our animals is the primary concern to us here at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. We are a member of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums), and BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums), both of which have strict codes of practice and ethics covering animal management, conservation, education research and operations. A note on the adventure parks website reads: Our Humboldt penguins are currently enjoying their other home behind-the-scenes while we make alterations to Penguin Bay. Chessington World of Adventures features a theme park with more than 40 rides as well as a zoo and sea life centre. Castleford forward Kevin Larroyer has accepted a two-match ban for his squirrel-grip tackle on fellow Frenchman Vincent Duport. The former Hull KR and Catalans Dragons second rower was charged with a grade C offence of other contrary behaviour after grabbing his opponent between the legs to complete a tackle during the Tigers win over the French club in Perpignan on Saturday. Larroyer, who was sin-binned for the offence, avoided a disciplinary hearing after submitting an early-guilty plea and will miss Castlefords opening two matches of the Super 8s, the fixtures for which will be announced on Wednesday morning. Larroyer will miss Castleford's opening two matches of the Super 8s DISCIPLINARY: Details of tonight's hearings and outcomes of Early Guilt Pleas submitted DETAILS => https://t.co/FYLgKHBruB pic.twitter.com/c4wKeAifTI Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) July 25, 2017 Castleford winger Joel Monaghan is free to play in the next phase of the competition after admitting a grade A dangerous tackle in the same game. Widnes prop Alex Gerrard was handed a two-match ban after pleading guilty to a grade C charge of dangerous contact on Warrington second rower Ben Currie during his sides derby defeat last Thursday. Meanwhile, former London Broncos forward Erjon Dollapi was given a two-match ban for using foul and abusive langue towards a match official while playing for League 1 club London Skolars. Two Indiana GOP congressmen could be rivals for the Senate in 2018, and school choice might be an automatic winner. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, longtime advocates for public and private school choice, are both strongly rumored to be seeking the Republican spot to face off against incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly next year. In February, Rokita introduced legislation to create a federal tax credit for donations to groups providing scholarships to private schools. And earlier this year, Messer indicated his continuing support for converting federal dollars for public schools into vouchers . Neither is officially running for the Republican nomination for Senate yet, but theres already bad blood betwen the two: Theyve started trading accusations about lies and baggage. Theyre also sparring about fundraising power . So will the two lawmakers bring up school choice if they do run for Senate, and will they try to one-up each other somehow? Indiana GOP Rep. Robert Behning, the chairman of the Indiana House education committee and a big backer of Indianas various choice policies, said it depends on the context. In a statewide race, he noted, both could raise the issue to address voters in urban areas, where there are more school choice opportunities. But right now, he noted, neither Messer nor Rokita represents a big population center in their respective congressional districts, so it would require something of a rhetorical shift for both lawmakers. And while Rokita, the former Indiana secretary of state, has, unlike Messer run a statewide race, Messer (a former member of the Indiana House) has been more active in education circles in Indiana, according to Behning. Regardless, the state lawmaker is still pleased by the prospect that they are in lockstep with his views on K-12. Itd be great to have someone in the Senate that thinks more like me, said Behning, who said he hasnt endorsed either for Senate but has been lobbied by both lawmakers. As for education issues other than school choice, Behning said Rokita might be more likely to highlight his role in getting the Every Student Succeeds Act through Congress in 2015. I can see Todd using ESSA and the fact that he was involved in helping negotiate less federal intervention in education, Behning said. I dont know that I see them using school choice as something theyre battling over. On their campaign websites, which dont specifically mention the Senate race, Messer and Rokita promote school choice. Rokita also stresses his conservative approach to the issue: I believe Washington has no business in our childrens classrooms, and I have worked diligently and successfully to give the power of educating our children back to those who know best, our parents and teachers. Work in Congress Rokita is the chairman of the K-12 subcommitee on the House education committee. (Both lawmakers are on the full House committee.) Compared to Messer, Rokita has the more recent education feather in his cap when it comes to action in Congress: He was the lead sponsor of the resolution that repealed the Obama administrations accountability rules for ESSA. Meanwhile, Messer has been perhaps the biggest proponent in Congress of allowing students to take some federal K-12 funding and use it at the public or private schools of their choiceknown in Washington jargon as Title I portability. Trumps campaign tapped Rob Goad, who at the time was a staffer in Messers office, to oversee education issues. Messers also served as president of School Choice Indiana and got the Congressional School Choice Caucus started. Messer is physically, as well as rhetorically, animated about school choice: Back in January, he led a group of students in cheers and scarf-waving during a School Choice Week lobbying event on Capitol Hill . Its not all bad blood all the time between the two lawmakers. In 2015, Messer and Rokita teamed up to come down hard on then-Indiana Superintendent Glenda Ritz for the way she was handling federal charter school money in Indiana. Behning said he likes the idea of a federal tuition tax credit for private school choice (generally along the lines of what Rokitas proposed), although he stressed that any such program has to address key issues such as eligibility. The devil is in the details, Behning said. Photos from left: Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., in 2015 (Andrew Harnik/AP); Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Ind. (Darron Cummings/AP) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Donald Trump has talked up the prospects of a very big and exciting post-Brexit trade deal between the US and UK, amid controversy over whether Britain would have to relax food standards to secure an agreement. In an early-morning tweet, the US president hit out at the protectionist EU and said work was under way on what could be a major deal with the UK. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who is in Washington for talks with US trade representatives, said that Brexit offered an unprecedented opportunity to reshape Britains independent trading ambitions. Liam Fox is in Washington for talks with US trade representatives Our special relationship w/ UK is going to be even better. @USTradeRep & UKs @LiamFox met today to begin new chapter for stronger trade! President Trump 45 Archived (@POTUS45) July 25, 2017 He played down critics fears that British markets could be opened up to US agricultural products currently blocked by EU food standards rules, including controversial chlorine-washed chicken. The comments came as a cross-party House of Lords EU committee warned that the Governments desire to secure free trade agreements after leaving the European Union could result in a race to the bottom on animal welfare standards as UK producers are forced to cut costs. Mr Trump said on Monday that talks between Dr Fox and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer marked the opening of a new chapter for stronger trade which could make the trans-Atlantic special relationship even better. And on Tuesday morning, he followed up with a message: Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP! This shows there's a big world for the UK outside the EU. https://t.co/q1xuqYdLuA Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 25, 2017 Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Trumps comments showed there was a big world for the UK outside the EU. Following controversy over the US practice of washing poultry carcasses in chlorinated water to reduce the risk of contaminated meat, Labour accused Dr Fox of being prepared to abandon British poultry farmers in favour of cheap US imports that do not meet our sanitary or animal welfare standards. Campaigners against a hard Brexit challenged the International Trade Secretary to eat a chlorine-washed chicken on camera to prove he is happy that they meet the standards required by UK consumers. But Dr Fox condemned media obsession with the issue, which he said would be only a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. Intl Trade Sec @LiamFox : Honour to meet US @VP Mike Pence with @USTradeRep Robert Lighthizer in the White House this afternoon pic.twitter.com/9uaFYADSed Department for International Trade (@tradegovuk) July 24, 2017 The House of Lords Energy and Environment sub-committee warned that animal welfare standards could be undermined if post-Brexit trade deals leave UK farmers competing against less-regulated foreign rivals. The peers also raised concerns about the overwhelming reliance on EU citizens in crucial veterinary positions and urged ministers to make sure the industry was able to fill those roles after Brexit. The report said: Our evidence strongly suggests that the greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Unless consumers are willing to pay for higher welfare products, UK farmers could become uncompetitive and welfare standards in the UK could come under pressure. UK is a world leader in farm animal welfare read EU Cmttee recs for maintaining that status after #Brexit https://t.co/w0tYMrTyY0 Lords European Affairs Committee (@LordsEUCom) July 25, 2017 At a breakfast meeting on Tuesday with members of Congress, Dr Fox outlined a UK report showing trading relationships between Britain and each of the 435 US Congressional districts. A new US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group will seek to expand commercial links already worth more than 150 billion (200 billion US dollars) a year, he said. He is also due to travel to Mexico to meet Mexican economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo to discuss the UKs post-Brexit trading relationship and then to Houston to hold meetings with the oil and gas industry representatives. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could be without his two main strikers for the Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg on Wednesday night. The Northern Irishman claimed the Parkhead club are 100 per cent not talking to Marseille about the possible transfer of Moussa Dembele, who scored 32 times last season after moving from Fulham. However, the former Swansea and Liverpool boss revealed a hamstring complaint makes the 21-year-old French striker a doubt for the first leg of the third qualifier against the Norwegian outfit at Celtic Park. Dembele has a hamstring problem With Leigh Griffiths serving a one-game ban, the Hoops could be left with no recognised centre-forward. We are looking at a possible injury he may have, said Rodgers. He could be (a doubt) so we could be without him and Leigh so we need to find a way. We do what we always do, we will try to find a solution within the team to make it work. BR: "So could be without @MDembele_10 and @Leighgriff09 tomorrow night. It happens. We need to find a solution in the team to make it work." Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 25, 2017 On speculation linking Dembele with Marseille, Rodgers said: I counted the other day, Moussa has been linked with 10 clubs. It was Marseille the other day, I saw Arsenal the other week, there was PSG, there was Chelsea so there is nothing in it from our perspective. I felt if he progressed the way we thought hed progress and if he wanted to move any time it would be after the second year. There is no rush from Moussas perspective. Erik Sviatchenko is a doubt for the game against Rosenborg He is a player that we really want to keep and if anything (offer) did come in we would assess it. Defender Erik Sviatchenko is carrying a knock which means he could well miss this game and with fellow stopper Dedryck Boyata out longer term, 19-year-old defender Kristoffer Ajer could potentially come into contention. Thats why we have a big squad, said Rodgers, who is also a left-back down after Emilio Izaguirre joined Saudia Arabian club Al-Fayha after seven seasons at Parkhead. The Celtic boss said: On behalf of us all we wish Emilio all the best, he was a brilliant servant. In terms of finance, he was offered the chance of a lifetime and it was something the club respected. We have other talents like Kieran Tierney, below that Calvin Miller, who is progressing very well, Tony Ralston can play there as well and Jonny Hayes can play there so we are covered but we will assess that over time. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said he hopes and believes Theresa May will last as Prime Minister, as he insisted he is absolutely not interested in the job. Speaking to Australias Fairfax Media ahead of a visit to Sydney for an annual summit of UK and Australian defence and foreign ministers on Thursday, Sir Michael insisted that Mrs May was being loyally supported at the moment by Conservative colleagues. The former Conservative deputy chairman is sometimes mentioned as a possible future leadership candidate, who could bridge party divides over Europe and be seen as a safe pair of hands. Sir Michael Fallon has no interest in becoming Prime Minister But asked whether he had ever contemplated a bid for the leadership, he replied: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Ive never considered that. We have a Prime Minister and I want to see her, as she is doing, being loyally supported at the moment. In the interview, published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Sir Michael rejected suggestions that Mrs Mays minority administration was unstable. And asked whether Mrs May herself would last as PM, he replied: I hope so, absolutely. She led us into the election and we didnt get the majority she wanted but she won the most seats, she won the most votes. I think she will last. Manchester United are still two signings short this summer, but Jose Mourinho is confident executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has the situation under control. After making four acquisitions in his first summer at the Old Trafford helm, the plan was to make a further four top-quality additions ahead of the 2017-18 season. So far defender Victor Lindelof has arrived from Benfica, with Everton striker Romelu Lukaku snared in a deal worth an initial 75million. Jose Mourinho on transfers: "I have balance. I understand the situation and the market. I'm calm - I like my squad. I trust them." #MUTOUR Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 25, 2017 However, progress on the final two signings has been slow with Mourinho even saying in recent days that one acquisition would now be enough. Woodward joined up with Uniteds American pre-season tour having stayed back to work on deals that the United manager is confident the executive vice-chairman has a grip on. I dont know," he said when asked if any progress had been made on transfers. New arrivals & emerging talent - just two of the reasons why @WesBrown24 has high hopes for #MUFC ahead of 2017/18: https://t.co/zbU5i3uofk pic.twitter.com/C9WtiHZhAA Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 25, 2017 "Honestly, I dont know. Ed is in control. He did Lindelof and Lukaku, he knows that I would like two more players, but he also knows that I have balance. I understand the situation, I understand the market and if my club is not able to do two players and do just one, I will accept that as a consequence of the market now. Our relation is good and I just wait for good news and he knows that for me good news is to have the players, or in this case maybe just the player as soon as possible because to work together with the team is really, really important. But Im calm. I like my players, I like my squad, I trust them, so Im calm and thats important. Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic has been targeted this summer, while there is interest in Chelsea defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic and Tottenhams Eric Dier. Im happy with my squad, but I would like to have two more players I never hide that, Mourinho said ahead of the International Champions Cup match against Barcelona in Washington. Nemanja Matic One player would be a midfield player that gives me more options, more balance to the team, our needs. Another one, an attacking player, especially that can play through the wings to give me also more attacking options. But I never speak about players that belong to other teams. I dont like if any manager comes now and says that he would say he would like one of my players. Thats not ethical, thats not correct. Mourinho has, though, in recent months admitted there are certain players that he would have kept at United. The Portuguese says he would never have sold Angel Di Maria, Danny Welbeck or Javier Hernandez, saying the latter was the kind of killer striker United would have loved last season. Two years after Louis van Gaal allowed the Mexico international to leave Old Trafford for Bayer Leverkusen, he is back in the Premier League and could be lining up against United for West Ham on the opening day. Chicharito is a Hammer pic.twitter.com/LFOxTugBOX West Ham United (@WestHam) July 25, 2017 Asked if he was tempted to bring Hernandez back to the club, Mourinho said: No, because he left the club a few years ago. I am not sure that it was his decision or the managers decision. But hes a good player, hes a player that will always score goals, so he is a player I would always welcome in my squad because he doesnt need many minutes on the pitch to score a goal. But we moved in another direction and a younger player in Lukaku. We have (Marcus) Rashford that can be also a striker, he is originally a striker, so we didnt feel that need. But no doubt that for West Ham to get a player with his experience and his quality is very, very good. DOHA, July 24 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan left Qatar on Monday after two days in the Gulf trying to mediate in the worst row among Arab states for years but there was no sign he had made any progress. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants. Doha denies the claims. Turkey has been Qatar's most powerful ally in the dispute, rushing through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha as a sign of support. Kuwaiti and Western efforts to end the crisis have yielded little so far. The four Arab states want Qatar to reduce ties with their arch-foe Iran, close down the Turkish military base and shut the Al Jazeera TV channel, which they view as critical of their governments. Qatari state news agency QNA said that Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had "reviewed regional developments, specifically the Gulf crisis and efforts to contain it and to resolve it through diplomatic means..." in talks with Erdogan. The agency said the talks also covered joint efforts to combat terrorism and reviewed defence and economic cooperation. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said Qatar would achieve more by reconsidering its position. "The Turkish president's visit did not carry anything new, and the hasty stand his country had taken made neutrality as the best option for Ankara" Gargash wrote on his Twitter account. "A Qatari review will achieve more than repeated visits." Erdogan was the latest senior official to tour the region to try to resolve the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and foreign ministers from France, Britain and Germany also toured the area in recent weeks. Several contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived in Doha since the crisis erupted on June 5. Under a 2014 agreement, Ankara could send in as many as 1,000 troops. Turkey and Qatar have been important backers of the Muslim Brotherhood movement that has challenged entrenched Arab rulers and Erdogan has his roots in an Islamist political party. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. Before he arrived in Qatar, Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In Saudi Arabia, he discussed with King Salman "efforts to combat terrorism and its sources of funding", state news agency SPA said, without elaborating. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Doha and Ali Abdelaty in Cairo; Editing by Louise Ireland and Andrew Hay) HANOI, July 25 (Reuters) - Police in Vietnam have arrested a prominent dissident they have accused of conducting activities aimed at overthrowing the government, in what appeared to be latest effort by the Communist-ruled country to crack down on critics. Police in central Nghe An said Le Dinh Luong, 51, was arrested on Monday. They said on their news website Luong had conducted "regular activities with the aim to overthrow the authority and complicate local security" but did not elaborate. It was not possible to contact Luong and it was not known if he had legal representation. Despite sweeping reforms to the economy and growing openness to social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism. Several dissidents and bloggers voiced support for Luong online. With information tightly controlled by the government, some critics take to web blogs to air their grievances and social media sites, including Facebook, are hugely popular. In June, a Vietnamese court jailed prominent blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom) for 10 years for publishing propaganda against the state. According to her lawyer, Quynh was found guilty and sentenced at a one-day trial, six months after she was arrested for posting what police described as anti-state reports, including one about civilians dying in police custody. Luong and Quynh had both spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam's biggest environmental disasters in April. New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report earlier last month that said Vietnamese human rights bloggers were being beaten and intimidated. Separately, dissident Tran Thi Nga, who was also arrested in January on charges of promoting propaganda against state, was due to go on trial later on Tuesday. (Editing by Paul Tait) By Jamie Freed SINGAPORE, July 25 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines Ltd's budget arm Scoot on Tuesday said it would take over two routes from sister carrier SilkAir as the parent company conducts a wide-ranging strategic review designed to cut its cost base. Singapore Airlines (SIA) has said the review, announced in May after a surprise fourth-quarter loss, could result in job losses and changes in its network and fleet as it battles intense competition that has slashed ticket prices. SilkAir, SIA's premium narrowbody arm, said it would transfer to Scoot its services from Singapore to Kuching, Malaysia and from the city-state to Palembang, Indonesia from October and November, respectively. "There are sometimes opportunities whereby the budget side of the business can do a more effective job of serving the route," Scoot Chief Executive Lee Lik Hsin told reporters on Tuesday. He cited a previous shift of the Hangzhou route from SilkAir to the budget carrier. Scoot plans to double the size of its fleet over the next five years, driven primarily by an expansion of the narrowbody A320 fleet, Lee said. He did not rule out acquiring routes from SilkAir or Singapore Airlines as part of that process. Scoot completed on Tuesday its merger with budget carrier Tiger Airways, marking the end of the latter brand. Tiger was set up by SIA and Singapore's national investment firm Temasek Holdings in 2004. Lee said combining the two airlines under the Scoot banner would result in cost savings with suppliers and could boost connecting traffic. In addition to the Kuching and Palembang routes, Scoot will be flying from its Singapore hub to Honolulu in the United States, Kuantan in Malaysia and Harbin in China by June 2018. Honolulu is Scoot's second long-haul destination, after Athens. That flight will be routed Singapore-Osaka-Honolulu, meaning it will compete on the Osaka-Honolulu route with rival low-cost carrier AirAsia X Bhd. "Competition is just par for the course," Lee said. "We just have to face it and try to win customers to our product." (Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar) COLOMBO, July 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's cabinet approved a revised port deal with China Merchant Port Holdings on Tuesday, cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera told Reuters, after terms of the first agreement sparked widespread public anger. "The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for parliamentary approval this week," Jayasekera said. He said the Chinese firm would get an overall 70 percent stake in the port deal, less than the earlier agreed 80 percent. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez) ALMATY, July 25 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan plans to free up its tightly regulated foreign exchange system as a matter of priority, the International Monetary Fund said after visiting the country. The former Soviet republic's elaborate system of currency controls and restrictions is the main obstacle to foreign investment, according to both businesses and officials. "The (IMF) mission especially welcomed the authorities plan to frontload reforms of the foreign exchange system," the IMF said in a statement published late on Monday. Sources told Reuters this month Uzbekistan had allowed a limited number of banks and companies to trade foreign currency at the market rate in a pilot project that could lead to the introduction of full convertibility of the sum currency. 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, 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. The IMF said in the same statement that unifying exchange rates would allow Uzbekistan's central bank to strengthen its monetary policy and promote job creation and growth. ""The reform of the foreign exchange system would need to be backed up by restructuring state-owned enterprises and state-controlled banks, removing other bottlenecks to international trade and FDI, and streamlining laws, regulations, and practices that unnecessarily raise transaction costs for businesses, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises crucial for promoting job creation," it said. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) Bilingual children are better than their monolingual peers at recognizing and distinguishing voiceseven in a language they dont know, according to new research from New York University. Published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, the study examined how children process information about who is talkingand joined a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of bilingualism. In the study, 41 children22 English-only speakers and 19 bilingual childrenlistened to different voices speaking English and Germanthen had to determine whether a pair of words was spoken by the same person or two different people. The children classified as bilingual all spoke English and had daily exposure to a second language, (other than German) through a family member living in the household. When listening to English, bilingual children were better at discerning and learning to identify voices. They were also faster at learning voices. When hearing German, bilingual children were better at discerning voices. The study is a strong test of the benefits of bilingualism because it looked for differences in both a language familiar to all participants and one unfamiliar to them, said lead researcher Susannah Levi, an associate professor in the department and communicative sciences at New York University. The bilingual advantage occurred even in a language that was unfamiliar. Research on bilingual children has found them to be better at some cognitive tasks and things like taking on the perspective of another person. These findings, and others like it, are an indication of why more school districts and states are embracing the benefits of bilingualism in particular, supporting dual-language programs and seals of biliteracy , a form of special recognition on high school diplomas for graduates who demonstrate fluency in two or more languages. Photo Credit: First-grade teacher Amy Grow high-fives Asmo Isse, 6, during a parent-teacher conference at Discovery Community School while Asmos mother, Safia Tohyare, left, watches. --Swikar Patel/Education Week Further Reading Just 20 Percent of K-12 Students Are Learning a Foreign Language How Much Foreign Language Is Being Taught in U.S. Schools? Schools Falter at Keeping ELL Families in the Loop JAKARTA, July 25 (Reuters) - A speed boat capsized off Indonesia's Borneo island on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people with several others believed missing, police and rescue officials said. Indonesia's search and rescue agency said in a statement that 40 people were estimated to have been on board at the time of the accident off North Kalimantan province. "For the time being the number of people on board is still an initial estimation. There could be people who are not on the manifest. We are waiting for people who may be reported missing by family members," a search and rescue official said. There have been several accidents in the waterways between Indonesia and Malaysia. In November, more than half of the 101 passengers aboard a boat died after it hit a reef and sank off the Indonesian island of Batam, south of Singapore. Four months earlier, a boat sank while en-route to Batam. Malaysian authorities recovered eight bodies and rescued 34 people. (Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Nick Macfie) The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - This year only eight non-government organisations, compared with 43 last year, were registered as "foreign agents" in Russia, which some analysts view as a new tendency in the authorities' attitude towards local human rights activists, the daily writes. - President Vladimir Putin has asked Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin to raise the issue of increasing the oil company's dividend payout to the federal budget to 50 percent of its net profit when he chairs the next board meeting on July 27. - Global IT solutions and services provider Softline is acquiring the Russian division of Insight, one of the largest partners of Microsoft, the daily reports. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - The government has asked the defence ministry to buy up to 12 Sukhoi-30SM fighters from the Irkut plane maker which will later spend the proceeds to develop Russia's new passenger airliner MS-21, whose test flights are now at a final stage. - The United Shipbuilding Corporation has decided to move the construction of the diesel-powered icebreaker "Viktor Chernomyrdin" from the Baltiisky Yard to the Admiralty Yard in St Petersburg to speed up its completion delayed by financial problems, the daily writes. The Baltiisky Yard will now focus entirely on building Russia's new generation of nuclear-powered icebreakers, the daily reports. IZVESTIA www.izvestia.ru - Russia's world-renowned paediatric surgeon Leonid Roshal has urged the government to raise budget spending on the national healthcare system to at least 5 percent of gross domestic product instead of the current 3.4 percent, while accusing the finance ministry of distorting information on the state of medical services in a bid to cut funding. ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA www.rg.ru - Russia's Investigative Committee wants to punish corrupt officials by confiscating their property, the committee head, Alexander Bastrykin, says in an interview. Prosecutors have returned to the state coffers 24 billion roubles ($401.07 million) in illiberally earned gains in the last five years and arrested property worth another 40 billion roubles ($668.45 million), Bastrykin adds. NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA www.ng.ru - Russia's Energy Ministry will announce in the very near future the terms of a tender for rights to build a new power plant in western Crimea. The equipment for the station will be most likely produced in Russia, the daily writes. ($1 = 59.8400 roubles) (Reporting by Tatiana Ustinova; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov) FRANKFURT, July 25 (Reuters) - Software AG said on Tuesday it is mounting an internal probe after a media report alleged it had paid kickbacks as part of a wide-ranging South Africa government bribery scheme that has also ensnared fellow German software maker SAP. "Software AG is not aware of any non-compliant business practices in its South Africa operations," a company spokesman told Reuters, but added: "Based on current media speculations, the company has started an internal review." The spokesman said Software AG cannot make further comment until its review has been completed. The report, published jointly on Tuesday by the Amabhungane and the Daily Maverick's Scorpio investigative reporting teams, alleges Software AG entered into an apparent kickback deal with a politically connected South Africa family to win contracts. It said Software AG agreed to pay an intermediary company linked to the Gupta family, who are close allies of President Jacob Zuma, in order to win deals with state-controlled companies or agencies or private firms (https://goo.gl/ctH8TS). Earlier this month, SAP named a new executive team in South Africa after it put four senior managers on leave, pending its investigations into allegations that it was involved in making kickbacks to win government contracts. (http://reut.rs/2ty4SAd). (1 euro = 15.1280 rand) (Reporting By Eric Auchard; Editing by Maria Sheahan) HANOI, July 25 (Reuters) - A court in Vietnam jailed a prominent dissident for nine years and gave her five years of probation for spreading propaganda against the state, her lawyer said on Tuesday, in what appeared to be the Communist-ruled country's latest crackdown on critics. Despite sweeping reforms to its economy and growing openness to social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism. Blogger Tran Thi Nga was found guilty at a one-day trial in the northern province of Ha Nam, six months after being arrested for posting the offending material on the internet, lawyer Ha Huy Son said. "This is an unfair verdict," he said. "Nga is not guilty as stated by the court." The charges against Nga are "bogus", said New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The Vietnamese government consistently goes to extremes to silence its critics, targeting activists like Tran Thi Nga with bogus charges that carry a long prison sentence, and subjecting their families to harassment and abuse," its deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said in a statement. Separately, police on Monday arrested a prominent dissident they have accused of conducting activities aimed at overthrowing the government. The arrest of Le Dinh Luong, 51, followed his "regular activities with the aim to overthrow the authority and complicate local security," police in the central province of Nghe An said on their news website, but did not elaborate. It was not possible to contact Luong and it was not known if he had legal representation. Nga's verdict and Luong's arrest come just a month after a court jailed prominent blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as "Me Nam", or Mother Mushroom, for 10 years for publishing propaganda against the state. Several dissidents and bloggers voiced support online for both Nga and Luong. With information tightly controlled by the government, some critics take to web blogs to air grievances and social media sites, including Facebook, are hugely popular. Luong and Quynh had both spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam's biggest environmental disasters in April. (Editing by Paul Tait and Clarence Fernandez) TORONTO, July 25 (Reuters) - Freeport-McMoRan Inc reported a second-quarter adjusted profit on Tuesday and said it was encouraged by recent progress in talks with Indonesia to resolve a lengthy permit dispute for its massive Grasberg mine. Arizona-based Freeport, the world's biggest publicly listed copper miner, resumed copper concentrate exports from Grasberg in April after a 15-week outage related to the licensing row, but a permanent solution is yet to be found. Freeport reported an adjusted profit of $241 million, or 17 cents a share, compared to an adjusted loss of $27 million, or 2 cents per share, in the same period last year. (Reporting by Susan Taylor) ABUJA, July 25 (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari will return to his official duties as soon as doctors advise that he can end his medical leave, according to a statement from the presidency on Tuesday. Amid conflicting reports on the health of the 74-year-old president, his office released a photograph on Sunday - the first for almost three months - showing a smiling Buhari looking less gaunt than when he was last seen on television in Nigeria. Buhari left Abuja for London on May 7 for treatment of an unspecified illness, his second trip abroad this year for health reasons. The first trip, also to London, lasted nearly two months and a number of photographs of him were published. "I am making good progress, and as soon as doctors advise, I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery," Buhari said in a letter to Guinea President Alpha Conde, dated July 24, according to the presidency statement. Buhari, a former military ruler who took office in May 2015, handed over to his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, to allay concerns about a possible power vacuum in his absence. With the economy in recession, Nigerian authorities are also fighting an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and trying to maintain a fragile ceasefire by militants whose attacks in the Niger Delta last year cut oil production by more than a third. The refusal of officials to disclose details of Buhari's illness has triggered fierce speculation in Nigeria's media and on social media over the last few months about whether he will seek a second term in the 2019 election. (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Louise Ireland) By Colin Packham SYDNEY, July 25 (Reuters) - Australia will accept several dozen Central American refugees within the next few months, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters, the first transfers under a controversial refugee swap arrangement agreed with the United States. Canberra pledged to take an unspecified number of Central American refugees under a deal struck with former U.S. President Barack Obama late last year. In exchange, Washington said it would accept up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in Australian immigration centres in the Pacific Island nations of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru that Australia wants to close. A group of approximately 30 refugees from El Salvador currently being held in Costa Rica will move to Australia in the next couple of months, the two sources said, with a second group of a similar size to follow shortly afterwards. "The group have been vetted and will likely move in the (northern hemisphere) fall," said one source, who was not authorised to speak to media about the arrangements. A spokesman for Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton declined to comment. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said although the United States has reached a 50,000 cap on refugee admissions this fiscal year, the U.S. government continues to process refugee applications from Nauru and Manus. "United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not yet concluded its adjudications of any refugees being considered for resettlement out of Australian facilities in Nauru and Manus islands," the spokeswoman said. "USCIS does not make public the exact schedules of their interview teams, but they are planning return trips to the islands." The transfer of the Salvadoran refugees to Australia will focus attention on U.S. steps to uphold its end of the agreement, described by President Donald Trump as a "dumb deal" for America. None of the refugees on PNG's Manus Island or Nauru - mostly men from the Middle East and South Asia - have been approved to move to the United States yet. Earlier this month, U.S. officials halted screening interviews after the United States reached its annual refugee intake cap. POINT OF TENSION There are about 200 refugees in Costa Rica as part of a programme set up by former President Obama last year for people deemed too vulnerable to remain in their Central American homelands. Once vetted for criminal associations, including gangs, they are eligible for resettlement in the United States, while others can be transferred to third countries as part of a United Nations scheme. The Trump administration has said it would honour the swap agreement to maintain its strong relationship with Australia, subject to the refugees satisfying strict vetting checks. Trump's initial resistance to the deal strained relations with a key Asia Pacific ally, triggering a fractious phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year. Turnbull, under pressure in opinion polls and from within his own party, can ill afford for the United States to renege on the agreement, said Sean Kelly, an adviser to former Australian Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. "The deal has become yet another test of (Turnbull's) leadership," Kelly said. "If it fails, that will be a big black mark against him, and he knows that." Australia's hardline immigration policy requires asylum seekers intercepted at sea to be sent for processing at the camps on Manus and Nauru. The system, criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups, has cost taxpayers A$4.9 billion ($3.9 billion) since it was introduced in 2013, Australian officials said earlier this month. Refugees are told they will never be settled in Australia. Australia had hoped to have the bulk of the refugees resettled in the United States by the end of October, when the centre on Manus will close after a PNG court ruling. ($1 = 1.2598 Australian dollars) (Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in WASHINGTON; Editing by Lincoln Feast) JOHANNESBURG, July 25 (Reuters) - Acacia Mining's shares fell for a sixth straight session on Tuesday, a day after the gold miner was hit with a tax bill of more than $190 billion by the Tanzanian government. Shares in the London-listed miner closed 8.5 percent lower at 169 pence, having had more than two-thirds wiped of their value since a ban on the export of gold and copper concentrates was imposed in Tanzania on March 3. Acacia, the biggest gold miner in Tanzania, received a notice from Tanzania on Monday for $190 billion unpaid taxes dating back over 10 years. Acacia said it did not believe it owed the money and reiterated that it had fully declared all revenues. The Tanzanian revenue authority has not immediately responded to Reuters' requests to comment. The London-listed company, majority owned by Canada's Barrick Gold, is caught up in sweeping changes to Tanzania's mining industry spearheaded by President John Magufuli who believes the country is not getting its fair share of profits from the sector. The tax bill is four times the GDP of Tanzania and is 32 times larger than Acacia's revenue from the two of its mines over the last ten years, according to World Bank data and research from BMO Capital Markets. "$190 billion is simply an absurdly high number- it will not be paid," Jefferies analyst Alan Spence said. "Even if a resolution is found you can't have same amount of confidence in Tanzania that this wont happen to another company again." Magufuli last week threatened to shut all gold mines in Tanzania if mining companies delayed talks to resolve the dispute over billions of dollars in back taxes the government says they owe. "These claims are hard to fathom when compared with the total revenue from these mines of $9.4 billion since inception and Tanzania's GDP of $46 billion," Barclays said in a note. The government and Barrick have agreed to start talks about the ban on concentrate exports. (Reporting by Zandi Shabalala in Johahannesburg, Additional reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala in Dar es Salaam. Editing by Jane Merriman) BERLIN, July 25 (Reuters) - A total of four German citizens are among a group of women captured by Iraqi forces in the Iraqi city of Mosul last week, a foreign ministry source said on Tuesday. The foreign ministry on Monday said that two women were among those seized, including a 16-year-old teenager who had run away from her home in the state of Saxony last year. The source on Tuesday said that two others had now been confirmed as German citizens by consular officials who visited them. German prosecutors on Monday said they were investigating the teenager, Linda Wenzel, on suspicion of membership in a foreign terrorist organisation, alongside with some others. The group of 20 women were captured in Mosul by Iraqi forces when they retook the Islamic State stronghold. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Richard Balmforth) BOGOTA, July 25 (Reuters) - Colombia's ELN rebel group said on Tuesday it had proposed a three-month ceasefire to the government during peace talks in Ecuador, where the two sides are negotiating an end to more than a half century of war. The National Liberation Army (ELN) and the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos, which started formal talks in February, began a fresh cycle of negotiations this week. Both sides say they want to work toward a ceasefire. "This would be a starting bilateral ceasefire, it's not the end of the conflict, it's temporary - with the possibility of extending it to generate trust," Bernardo Tellez, a member of the ELN negotiating team, told journalists in Quito. "The idea is for the temporary ceasefire to be for three months and to take actions to alleviate the civilian population," he added. Santos has in the past demanded that the rebels end all kidnappings and attacks on oil infrastructure. A recent bomb attack by the rebels has kept the Cano Limon crude pipeline stopped for 56 days. The ELN has some 2,000 combatants and has long been considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by Leslie Adler) As Senators vote on proceeding to debate the secret Trump/GOP health care plan aka Obamacare repeal plan *they haven't even seen,* protesters in the senate chambers and outside shouted "Kill the bill, don't kill us." HuffPo politics reporter Jennifer Bendery said reporters on site are being told to delete their photos. Protesters chant "Kill the bill! Don't kill us!" in the Senate gallery as Senate votes on motion to proceed on health care pic.twitter.com/G4AvutgyfA Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 25, 2017 Protesters are chanting "Kill The Bill, Don't Kill Us" in the Senate pic.twitter.com/FbpLmGeHtE Colin Jones (@colinjones) July 25, 2017 Reporters blocked from Senate halls where protesters being arrested, shouting, "Kill the bill!" Being told, "no photos. Delete your photos." Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) July 25, 2017 About 10 protesters were handcuffed & removed from hallway outside Senate chamber. We were told it's a "crime scene" & not to take photos Gabby Morrongiello (@gabriellahope_) July 25, 2017 BRASILIA, July 25 (Reuters) - Brazil's government unveiled sweeping changes to its mining code on Tuesday, boosting royalties in the latest move to reduce a budget deficit amid a sluggish recovery from the country's worst recession on record. Royalties for iron ore will rise to as much as 4 percent, depending on market prices, from 2 percent currently, according the mining ministry website. The new rules, effective immediately, include creation of the National Mining Agency to oversee the mining industry. "Brazil lagged behind in the royalties it charged," Mining Minister Fernando Coelho Filho said at the event where the new rules were unveiled. These also included plans to shorten wait times for mining licenses. "These measures will be fundamental to accelerating the speed of growth of the Brazilian economy," he added. Brazil's slow economic recovery has weighed on tax revenue, forcing the government to find new sources of funding. Last week, the government said it would raise taxes on fuel and increase a public spending freeze by 5.9 billion reais ($1.9 billion) this year. The changes announced Tuesday were put into effect through a temporary decree which will require approval by Congress within 90 days, jump-starting reforms to mining regulations dating from 1960 that have languished in the legislature for years. The rules also raise gold royalties to 2 percent from 1 percent, while hiking diamond levies from 2 percent to 3 percent. The measures also increase fines for environmental damage up to a ceiling of 30 million reais ($9.47 million) and expressly require companies to clean up degraded areas, in the wake of the Samarco mining disaster in November 2015. In that instance, a tailings dam burst at the mine owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, unleashing enough mud to fill 12,000 Olympic swimming pools and killing 19 people. ($1 = 3.1692 reais) (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Jake Spring; Editing by Brad Haynes and David Gregorio) The Cabinet today approved the proposal to lease out the Hambantota Port to China Merchants Company, Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. Earlier, it was reported that two separate companies would be formed to deal with administrative and commercial operations of the port. The majority equity of the company to be formed for administrative operations would be vested with the Sri Lankan side, he said. However, the Chinese company would possess majority equity in the company proposed for commercial operations of the Port. By Pradeep Dilrukshana The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China, offers many opportunities for countries like Sri Lanka that requires substantial infrastructure development. At the same time, implementing prudent economic policies and balancing regional rivalries are challenges that need to be dealt with, according to Luxman Siriwardena, Executive Director of the Pathfinder Foundation who delivered a speech at the Third Trans Himalaya Development Forum (THDF) in Mangshi, Yunnan Province, China recently. Participant of the third Trans Himalaya Development Forum The China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) in collaboration with the Dehong local government of Yunnan Province organized this conference. The theme of the conference was Industrial Capacity Cooperation and Shared Development and the aim of the conference was to explore cooperation in industrial capacity and develop a coordinated strategy to boost shared development in the region. The conference brought together around 50 high-level officials, business leaders and distinguished scholars from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and China. Siriwardena, further elaborating on the challenges faced by the countries in the region emphasised the need for comprehensive infrastructure development in areas such as modernisation of sea and airports, construction of highways, improvement of digital connectivity and further opening of the economy to the globalisation process. UK, (Daily Mail), 23 July 2017 - Adults will be able to choose their sex legally without the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria under government plans. Men will be able to identify themselves as women - and women as men - and have their birth certificates change to record their new gender. Minister for Women and Equalities Justine Greening said she wanted to cut the stigma faced by transpeople. At present they have to provide evidence that they have been in transition for at least two years before they can apply to legally change their gender. Reforms to help transgender people choose their legal sex, which include speeding up the bureaucratic process, will go out to consultation in the autumn. It comes after Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this week suggested she was preparing to reform the Gender Recognition Act. Visiting UN officials and 2015 HRC resolution: It seems to have become customary for the yahapalana government to make significant gestures towards compliance with the demands of the 2015 US-led Human Rights Council resolution, to coincide with visits by foreign officials. UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman with President Maithripala Sirisena Its notable that President Sirisena gazetted the controversial Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Act during the visit to Sri Lanka of Jeffrey Feltman (19-21 July), UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs. Similarly it appears that high profile arrests of officials associated with the governments political rivals from the previous regime, also tend to take place during these visits as if to prove a point to external observers. The unprecedented arrest of Commodore D. P. K. Dassanayake took place while Ben Emmerson, UN Special Rapporteur on counter terrorism was in the country (10-14 July), leading Emmerson to (inappropriately) remark on it at the press briefing. The government has good reason to be worried about the intentions of these visiting officials in UN garb, ostensibly to promote peace and reconciliation. Jeffrey Feltmans visit came within five days of Emmersons departure, but little is known as to what transpired during his interactions with government and the TNA and in the Eastern Province, apart from his vague pledge that UN would continue to extend fullest support to Sri Lankas development process and reconciliation. One should not forget that Feltman is the second highest official in the UN system after the Secretary General, and advises the UNSG on peace and security issues globally. What was his real mission? The background of Feltman might suggest some answers. Feltman is an American who was appointed to the position of UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs in July 2012 after having worked for 30 years in the US foreign service, including in the office of Deputy Secretary of State. His last position was as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He was preceded in the UN post by Lynn Pascoe, also a former US diplomat. The US essentially owns this UN position wrote Daya Gamage, political correspondent for the Asian Tribune. In a comment on Feltmans first visit to Sri Lanka in February 2015, to prove this point Gamage described how: At the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon last year, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey D. Feltman, filled in for US Secretary of State, John Kerry, when the latter had to leave to attend to the Ukraine crisis. This shows that Feltman is not an international civil servant, but a U.S. official attached to the United Nations. He retains his prerogatives as former Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East Affairs and combines them with his new international functions. Govt. has reason to worry over these visiting officials intentions Feltmans visit came within five days after Emmersons departure Jeffrey Feltman worked for 30 years in the US Foreign Service His name cropped up in relation to US backed coup in Ukraine Ben Emmersons pompous behaviour widely seen as overstepping his mandate UN Special Rapporteur on counter terrorism Ben Emmerson Gamages profile of Feltman came with the warning that Sri Lanka is on a constitution-making, and most importantly, national government making when Feltman arrives in Colombo (Divisive and Manoeuvring UN (or US ?) top official - Jeffrey Feltman - in Sri Lanka - 26.02.15) It may be also relevant to recall that Feltmans name cropped up in relation to the US backed coup in Ukraine that ousted democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovich in 2014. This came to light in the infamous leaked phone call between Victoria Nuland, then Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, and Geoff Pyat, then US ambassador to Ukraine, where Nuland unabashedly referred to the need to get UN officials into the picture during the US manoeuvring (which sought to exclude the EU) in order to give a vestige of credibility to the coup, or, to glue this thing, as she put it. Her remarks suggest that Feltman, the UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, was used, to serve the US agenda: Nuland: when I talked to Jeff Feltman this morning, he had a new name for the UN guy Robert Serry hes now gotten both Serry and Ban Ki-moon to agree that Serry could come in Monday or Tuesday so that would be great I think to help glue this thing and have the UN help glue it and you know f*** the EU. (Counterpunch 05.03.14) UN Special Rapporteur on counter terrorism Ben Emmerson visited Sri Lanka just ahead of Feltman. His pompous behaviour was widely seen as overstepping his mandate, by bullying, threatening and taking sides in the host countrys politics. In a scathing critique, two former UN Permanent Representatives (in Geneva and New York respectively) Tamara Kunanayakam and Dr. Palitha Kohona said in a newspaper article published on Saturday, that Emmersons report and remarks were arbitrary, judgemental, arrogant, accusatory, threatening, interventionist, and insulting. They further said: His integrity, independence and impartiality, as well as his professionalism were brought into question by the threat he was reported to have made at the media briefing in Colombo that a range of consequences will befall Sri Lanka if it failed to meet the United Nations Human Rights Council commitments. "Jeffrey Feltmans visit came within five days of Emmersons departure, but little is known as to what transpired during his interactions with Govt. and TNA" The two former ambassadors said Emmersons professionalism was called into question by his listing, among possible measures, unilateral coercive measures that were contrary to international law and others that were the sole prerogative of the Council: (a) the revocation of Sri Lankas newly regained GSP+ facility by the European Union; (b) potentially increasing the various measures by the Human Rights Council or indeed a reference to the Security Council decisions that are the prerogative of the Human Rights Council; and (c) a range of measures increasing in severity that are potentially available to an international community, that he does not define. They asked: If Emmerson was not acting within the scope of his mandate and in the interest of the UN, then the legitimate question is for whom was he acting, in whose interest? A clue to the answer, they said, was to be found in Emmersons identification, at the Colombo media briefing, with the party likely to initiate a follow-up resolution in March 2019, when the HRC discusses implementation of the 2015 resolution: Emmerson said all of that, we [our emphasis] will have to look at, at the end of the current extension Emmersons alignment is clear, as the two diplomats show. After Emmerson left the country the government expressed dismay to the media saying it was unhappy with his report. President Sirisena is reported to have queried who gave permission for Emmerson to meet LTTE detainees. These reactions are surprising considering that it was the Government of Sri Lanka that invited Emmerson and allowed him to go wherever he wanted and meet whoever he chose. Is the government trying to play good cop, bad cop - in a bid to pander to the western architects of the HRC resolution on the one hand, and placate outraged public opinion and avoid disaffection within its ranks, on the other? For how long will people be fooled? Chevron Lanka says market may have grown no more than 3-4% PUCSL report states a sales growth of 11.4% LIOC believes PUCSL numbers correct due to higher vehicle imports By Chandeepa Wettasinghe Sri Lankas lubricant industry market leader, Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, yesterday contradicted the market regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), on the growth of the lubricant market during last year. Over the past few years, there have been growths and declines. So the compounded annual growth for the past five years was around 2 percent. Last year, I think there was no more than 3-4 percent growth maximum. You can ask any of the other lubricant players. I dont think they felt an 11 percent growth, Chevron Managing Director Kishu Gomes told Mirror Business. The lubricant industry regulator, the PUCSL, in a market report published recently said that the lubricant market sales volumes for 2016 grew by 11.4 percent, while the sales values grew by 11.3 percent compared to 2015. During the year, Chevrons market share fell to 45.29 percent, from 47.58 percent year-on-year (YoY), although the sales volumes increased to 29,251.30 kilolitres (kL), from 27,585.20 kL, which was a 6 percent YoY growth. The next largest competitor, Lanka IOC PLC, increased its market share up to 16.40 percent from 14.86 percent. Kishu Gomes Lanka IOC (LIOC) Managing Director Shyam Bohra placed his confidence in the official statistics. There was a growth. The numbers published are correct because you see the increase in the number of vehicles imported last year and they require lubricants, which increases the demand. There was an increase in some industrial activities also, he said. However, it should be noted that the vehicle imports fell by 26 percent in 2016, after reaching record levels in 2015 through populist policies to gain votes in the August 2015 parliamentary elections. The government last year chose to liberalize the lubricant import licences to the country to give a greater choice for the customers, despite the three local blenders, Chevron, Lanka IOC and Laugfs Lubricants Limited, combined having three times the production capacity to meet the local demand. There are also 10 other reputed licensed lubricant importers to Sri Lanka. However, despite the licensing fee being reduced drastically, the number of licensees has not increased. Liberalization hardly makes any difference as no new companies want to enter because this market is already saturated. There are 13 companies competing for a market of 64,000 kL, which is not that big of a volume, Bohra said. He said that more than liberalization, the reduction of import duties plays a major role. The duties for imported finished products came down slightly, so it had an effect on the companies who provide employment and blend lubricants locally, he said. Meanwhile, Gomes noted that the number of sellers in the black and grey marketswho undercut the licensed suppliers with low-quality productshas increased, which has put pressure on the legitimate sales. The main suspect in the shooting at Nallur in Jaffna on Saturday, where Jaffna High Court Judge M. Ilancheliyan and his security detail were shot at killing a police sergeant, surrendered to police short while ago. Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said 39-year-old Selvarasa Jayandan was arrested after he surrendered to the Jaffna Police Station this morning. On Sunday, the Police arrested two suspects at the scene in connection with the shooting and investigations revealed the suspects were brothers and a relative of the main suspect in the shooting. Police had deployed several teams to arrest the main suspect. Jaffna High Court Judge M. Ilancheliyan, his driver and constable Wimalasiri were traveling in a car at the time of the incident, and sergeant Premachandra was escorting the car in a motorcycle providing security. The 51-year-old Police sergeant Sarath Premachandra was killed and Police Constable Wimalasiri was injured in the shooting.(Darshana Sanjeewa) Video by Gobi Ranjan The Maldivian opposition says the military has locked down parliament on the orders of the countrys president in a bid to prevent lawmakers from taking part in a vote to impeach the parliamentary speaker. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party says that on the orders of President Yameen Abdul Yameen, the gates of the parliament were padlocked by members of the armed forces on Monday and lawmakers were forcibly prevented from entering the parliamentary compound. A no-confidence motion against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was scheduled to be taken up on Monday. The opposition says the motion has gained the support of 45 lawmakers in the 85-member house. The motion deals a severe blow to Yameen, whose control over parliament was threatened by a coalition of four main opposition parties. - DAILY MAIL, 24th JULY, 2017 Days after President Maithripala Sirisena signed the Office of Missing Persons Act, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has written to the Mahasanga saying this was one of several institutions the yahapalana government had agreed to set up to deal with the past in terms of the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 of October 14, 2015. Under section 13(1)(i) of the Act, the information gathered by the OMP can be referred to the relevant law enforcement or prosecuting authorities, he said in the statement. Even though the body to be set up under this law is referred to as an office, Section 12 of the OMP Act makes it clear that it will in actual fact be a tribunal which can receive complaints, carry out investigations, examine witnesses, issue summons and hold hearings. Its officers can enter without warrant at any time of the day or night any police station, prison or military installation and seize any document or object they require. Anyone who fails or refuses to cooperate with the OMP may be punished as if it were an act of contempt against the Court of Appeal. Section 21 of the Act empowers the OMP to receive funding from any source local or foreign. Hence this body can receive funding from foreign governments, international NGOs and even from pro-LTTE Diaspora organisations that have not been banned. Section 12 (c) (iii) of the Act allows the OMP to admit as evidence any statement or material disregarding all criteria laid down in the Evidence Ordinance. Disregarding the Evidence Ordinance will result in the common safeguards available even to the accused in ordinary criminal courts in this country being denied to those brought before the OMP. Under Section 12(e) of the Act, all government bodies including the armed forces and intelligence services have to submit all required information and documents to the OMP even in contravention of the Official Secrets Act. According to Section 15 of the Act, no court, not even the Supreme Court can order officers of the OMP to submit to courts any material communicated to them in confidence. The provisions of the Right to Information Act will also not apply to the Office of Missing Persons. Under Section 25 of the Act, all officers of the OMP have been granted complete immunity from civil and criminal liability for any act or omission on their part or the contents of any report they may publish. Nothing that the OMP does can be called into question by any court of law except the Supreme Court under Articles 126 and 140 of the constitution. However, as the OMP can withhold information under Section 15 of the Act, there will be no practical use in moving even the Supreme Court against the OMP. Caryll Van Dort Group Director of MSLGROUP Sri Lanka receiving the Silver award in the Advertising category as an acknowledgement for her leadership in this field at the Professional Career Women Awards organized by Women in Management Caryll Van Dort, Group Director of MSLGROUP Sri Lanka was recently recognized for her contribution to the advertising industry at the Professional Career Women Awards organized by Women in Management. Caryll received the Silver award in the Advertising category as an acknowledgement for her leadership in this field. The Professional and Career Women Awards, launched in 2011, seeks to recognize and honour women who have contributed to economic growth in Sri Lanka and globally, by seizing opportunities and overcoming challenges. This award places Caryll amongst a select group of women achievers in Sri Lanka who have broken through the glass ceilings imposed by cultural norms and social systems, to become inspirational role-models for the next generation of aspiring young women. I am immensely proud of Caryll and her success. This award recognizes the leadership she has demonstrated and the results she has achieved in leading MSLGROUP Sri Lanka to succeed in Sri Lanka within a brief period. It is hard earned and very well deserved. said Ranil de Silva Managing Director, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka. In a career spanning almost two decades, Caryll has demonstrated her competency as a pioneering leader in the Public relations industry. The business result she has achieved, the work she has fulfilled and the accomplishmentsshe has secured for her clients is what has brought her this success. Her dynamic leadership has made the MSLGROUP Sri Lanka a very successful PR company within a short span of time. She has achieved growth for the company and inspired her team to be trail blazers in very demanding industry. Caryll Van Dort Group Director of MSLGROUP Sri Lanka with the Silver award at the Professional Career Women Awards organized by Women in Management This Professional and Career Women Award is a true honour, stated Caryll Van Dort. I am happy to receive this award, but am also humbled by this recognition, I would like to recognize the many different people both men and women who have invested in me, helped me to grow and challenged me every step of the way. To everyone one of them Id like to say a heartfelt thank you. Its never easy to be a leader in a competitive business environment, but I am inspired everyday by the amazing people with whom I work in my own team as well as across the PR industry, ranging from Clients and media to the several other partners with whom I engage. In 2016, Caryll was named as one of Campaign Asias Top 40 Women to Watch, a list which celebrates women in the Asia-Pacific region who are disrupting the marketing communications industry and achieving success against all odds. Caryll is renowned for her passion, her unwavering dedication and her effervescent personality. Under her leadership, the MSLGROUP in Sri Lanka has grown from strength to strength recording a growth of 53% in 2015 and by 39% in 2016. The MSLGROUP is also the countrys most awarded PR Company. Caryll has tripled the size of her team in just two years in 2014, her team won the first-ever gold Spike for the country in the Public Relations and Corporate Responsibility category at the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity. This was followed by a coveted gold award for the Best Corporate CommunicationsTeam of the year in South Asia as well as the Bronze award for the PR Agency of the Year beating other agencies in South Asia. They walked away once again with the Bronze for PR Agency of the year in 2015. In 2016, Caryll helped steer her team through a crucial transition; when the PR arm of the Agency which functioned as Arc Worldwide became a member of the prestigious MSLGROUP. Caryll currently handles a rapidly expanding portfolio of over 25 retainer clients, including global giants such as Coca-Cola, Jaguar Land Rover and Oman Air. She also manages leading local clients such as Mobitel, Ceylon Biscuits, DFCC Bank, SriLankan Airlines, Blue Mountain and Serendib Flour Mills. News / Education by Stephen Jakes More than 30 students from the Department of English and Communication at Solusi University could not contain their Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on the Amagugu experience.In a quest to immerse themselves in the Amagugu cultural experience the English majors spent the weekend of 14 - 16 July 2017 at the Center in a camp-out experience that was described by some of the students as 'insightful and liberating'.During their two-nights stay, the students enjoyed the quiet of rural life as they had time to bond and know more about each other. Their program was packed with team building exercises which included mountain climbing, traditional games and a bonfire.The trip was educational as the students toured the murals to understand more about African culture, philosophy and worldview. There was also a tour of rock paintings and traditional kitchens in the surrounding villages.We invite other groups to try out our facilities for camping and team building exercises. Police Sergeant Sarath Premachandra (24330), who died in the Nallur shooting while escorting a High Court Judge, was posthumously promoted to Sub Inspector (SI) rank, Police said. They said the Police Sergeant was killed in the line of duty when escorting Jaffna HC Judge M. Ilancheliyan and his security detail at Nallur in Jaffna on Saturday (22). Another Police constable sustained injuries and is receiving treatment in hospital. Yesterday Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his condolences on the death of the Police Sergeant. Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganeshan, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, spoke about the current status of the constitution making process and the role of NGOs. The excerpts of the interview: There are different activities- cultural events - being conducted for the promotion of reconciliation. Yet, there is a school of thought by some Tamil leaders that none of them will serve the real purpose without a new Constitution. What is your position regarding this as the Minister? Obviously, my position is that both are necessary. Both are two different avenues. These are like two rails running parallel. One cant override the other. Both are interlinked. One can qualify the other. How do you feel about the work of the present government towards reconciliation? I am happy. But, as a person generally not being satisfied with anything, I keep on insisting on the best. There is nothing called a perfect system. Its better than the last regime. Yet, its not the best. We will have to move forward. Does it mean the Government has done a lot and only a little more remains to be done, or the other way round? I dont measure the amount of work done. Simply, I am saying that we have come a long way and another long way is there ahead of us. "Electoral reforms shouldnt in any way reduce representation for the minority communities. We should ensure more space for the minorities at every level of governance - Legislature, the Provincial Councils and Local Authorities. We should rely on the ballot, not on bullets." What is the most important thing to be done next in your view ? We have a constitutional process going on. Thats very necessary. Through that process, we will set up a legal framework. Within that, we will work towards power sharing and electoral reforms. Electoral reforms shouldnt in any way reduce representation for the minority communities. We should ensure more space for the minorities at every level of governance - Legislature, the Provincial Councils and Local Authorities. We should rely on the ballot, not on bullets. On the other hand, there should be power sharing. In the Steering Committee, we are discussing various proposals in terms of power sharing. We havent finalized anything. We have received proposals and discussed about them. I can say that power should be devolved to the provincial units to maintain an undivided Sri Lanka. The province is the unit. "Weerawansa even demanded that Joint Opposition MPs Dinesh Gunawardane and Prasanna Ranatunga leave the process. Luckily, they havent responded to it. That is a positive stand. I am very optimistic. The Mahanayake Theras have been fed with misinformation." Does it mean the current Provincial Council system is the basis for devolution? There are different proposals. There is a proposal to devolve power to merge the North and the East. Thats a demand from the Tamil side. Theres another proposal to consider the district as the unit. We have to strike a balance. We have decided that the province should be the unit of devolution. On the other hand, the constitution isnt to be called Federal. Federalism isnt being discussed by the Steering Committee. We will strengthen the 13th Amendment. We will also establish a Second Chamber. Thats to address the north and east problem. But, the Tamil peoples issue isnt restricted to the north and the east only. It is a national issue. Out of the 2.3 million Tamil community, exactly 50 percent live outside the north and the east. The Central, Western, Uva and Sabaragamuwa are the four provinces where other Tamils are living. Most of them are of Indian origin. The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) led by me represents the aspirations of these Tamils. Our proposals are different from the demands of those in the north and the east. We consider the local government entities- Pradeshiya Sabhas, Urban Councils and Municipal Councils- as the unit of devolution. Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshes allegations against NGOs baseless There are wrongdoers everywhere Most NGOs are civil society movements They (NGOs)helped in changing the regime We cant simply forget their (NGOs) contribution 13th Amendment needs to be implemented in full to resolve ethnic issue Re-merger of North and East and devolving power to that unit is a demand by Tamils there Hill country Tamils want to have more local authorities Foremost place for Buddhism wont be compromised Federalism as a concept has been misinterpreted Does it mean that you demand the decentralization of administrative power to the estate sector? Yes, it is. I dont use the word estate Tamils though. "The TNA leader is the Opposition Leader. He has become part of Sri Lanka. To be frank, TNA leader R. Sampanthan isnt the national opposition leader. He isnt doing that job properly." What is the terminology you prefer to use? Indian Origin Tamils. In fact, we want to drop the word Indian and call ourselves hill country Tamils. However, its not a secret that they are of Indian origin. When you call them Tamils of Indian origin, wont it amount to the alienation of them from mainstream Sri Lankan society in a way? That is the reason for us to consider the use of terminology hill country Tamils. As far as the North and the East are concerned, what is the amount of power to be shared between the centre and the periphery? We already have a piece of law. That is the 13th Amendment. That has to be implemented fully. When you say fully, does it mean the abolition of the concurrent list? We are now discussing about the concurrent list, the provincial list etc. There are proposals to abolish the concurrent list. "Indian Origin Tamils. In fact, we want to drop the word Indian and call ourselves hill country Tamils. However, its not a secret that they are of Indian origin" Then, what are the powers to be vested with the centre? The centre is responsible for the national defence of the country. The other one is finance. When it comes to defence and finance, the centre should have sole authority. On the other hand, land and police powers are also being discussed. Now, we have the independent police commission. We dont see the police as central or provincial. We say the police is an independent entity. As for land power, we are trying to work out a national land policy. Thats to outline how the land should be distributed and shared between the centre and the provinces. For the hill country Tamils, are you seeking a separate administrative zone? We arent demanding any such zone. As I said, our proposal is to strengthen the local government authorities. There should be more local bodies. In the north and the east, they want the merger. We want to divide our localities into more and more local authorities. Then, administration reaches the lowest bottom of our society. Now a section of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs threatens to quit the Government. Also, the Mahanayake Theras said that there is no need for a new Constitution. How optimistic are you of the constitution making process now? I learned that the National Freedom Party (NFP) MPs decided to leave the process. Its leader MP Wimal Weerawansa wrote to the Speaker. His party hasnt been recognized in Parliament. The Speaker should ask for such letters from each MP, not only from Weerawansa. By sabotaging the constitution making process, Weerawansa is trying to sabotage the whole country. He will be considered the worst separatist. The Tamil community dropped the demand for Eelam and the armed struggle. The TNA leader is the Opposition Leader. He has become part of Sri Lanka. To be frank, TNA leader R. Sampanthan isnt the national opposition leader. He isnt doing that job properly. I must confess that. On the other hand, he has given a favourable signal to southern Sri Lanka by talking up this job as the Opposition Leader. The message is that he dropped the Eelam concept. Weerawansa even demanded that Joint Opposition MPs Dinesh Gunawardane and Prasanna Ranatunga leave the process. Luckily, they havent responded to it. That is a positive stand. I am very optimistic. The Mahanayake Theras have been fed with misinformation. "By sabotaging the constitution making process, Weerawansa is trying to sabotage the whole country. He will be considered the worst separatist. The Tamil community dropped the demand for Eelam and the armed struggle. The TNA leader is the Opposition Leader." Though you say the Tamils have dropped extremist demands, some leaders still talk about nothing but Federalism. What is your view? I must tell you that Federalism isnt separatism. It is a democratic political demand. One may agree or disagree. Its there in many other countries. Yet, Sri Lanka is a country afflicted by separatist ideology. So, some view Federalism is a stepping stone to a separate state. What do you say about that fear? You are correct. The concept of Federalism has been misinterpreted for decades. Therefore that fear is justified. If you ask me personally, I am for Federalism. I am for a secular country. I want to keep the religion away from the state. Yet, we have decided to give the foremost place for Buddhism. We will not change a single word here. I am telling it with responsibility that the current provision related to Buddhism will not be altered. I am a Hindu. But, I can call myself a Buddhist. I have dedicated a place in my Pooja room for a Buddha statue. We are close to each other. I follow the principles of Buddha Dhamma. In the Steering Committee, I proposed not only to give the foremost place to the Buddha Sasana, but also to protect Buddhist philosophy. Yet, the Prime Minister told me, Mano, I understand your view. But, let us not change the current position. You are trying to qualify it. But, some will misinterpret it. Let us go by what is there now! Its said that the constitution making process is lopsided and geared towards extremist demands of the minority communities. Justice and Buddha Sasana Affairs Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said such activities by the extremist groups had posed a threat to Buddha Sasana. How do you respond? I disagree with Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. I dont know how he can say that. I think its baseless fear. You can create such stories and keep on postponing solutions to the ethnic issue. That way, you can keep on rejecting any proposal. Somehow, you have to find ways and means to accommodate the minorities. "I am a Hindu. But, I can call myself a Buddhist. I have dedicated a place in my Pooja room for a Buddha statue. We are close to each other. I follow the principles of Buddha Dhamma." The matters related to the NGOs come under your purview. Minister Rajapakshe said that some NGOs pose a threat to national security and the interests of the country. What is your response? I dont agree. There are mischief makers in Parliament, the Army, the police and even in the Cabinet. We have to identify such elements and remove them. You cannot simply generalize everything. You cannot dissolve Parliament by saying there are rogues in it. If there are wrongdoers in the Army, they will have to be removed without generalizing allegations against all. It means there are miscreants within the NGO community? At the moment, I am conducting investigations against two NGOs for financial frauds. I cant name them. One is a local NGO and the other a foreign-funded one. Do you mean to say that theres no need to have new regulations? I am conducting investigations against them because there are regulations available at the moment. I am referring to a new piece of legislation to regulate the NGO operations There is no need. Most NGOs are civil society organizations. I am a person who grew up with the civil society. The civil society contributed to the power change in the country. That was to bring about good governance from an era of autocracy. We cant simply forget about their contribution and portray them in a negative manner. If Wijeyadasa Rajapakse can name an NGO and submit me details, I can take prompt action. I cant blame all. They were with us in the opposition at that time. PM marks 40 years in politics: Elaborate plans to celebrate Premiers milestone in parliament Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene and Minister of Regional Development Sarath Fonseka rime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who met the old guards of the United National Party (UNP) in Biyagama, during an event held on Saturday to mark his 40th year in Parliament as an MP, went down memory lane reflecting about his political career and also took the opportunity to stress the need for securing a future for the youth. What we did in Biyagama from the time I entered politics was to build a future for the youth. Its important to build a secure future for the youth and for the future generations, Wickremesinghe said when he met party old guards in the Biyagama electorate. Premier Wickremesinghe thanked late President J R Jayewardene for appointing him as the UNP organizer for Biyagama. I am in debt to late President Jayewardene for introducing me to competitive politics and giving me a role to play in the revolution he created in 1977, he said. Questions were raised from me as to what I was going to do for Biyagama. Jayewardene began the Mahaweli Projects and the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. Then he questioned me as to what I was doing. Accordingly we came up with a plan to develop Biyagama. Some criticize me even now. They question as to what I have done during the past two years. We had to face a huge challenge in developing Biyagama. Some people in Biyagama were involved in brewing illicit liquor. Some were producing Beedi. There was no proper road network in the area when I first became the organizer. We wanted to change these and there are more than 100 factories, diesel power plants and many more in Biyagama today. It has also become an energy hub today, he said. He said State Minister Ruwan Wijewardene has been given the task of developing Biyagama today. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe offers flowers at the Kelaniya Temple Today we have given the contract to construct the first phase of the Kadawatha Circular Highway to a Chinese company. The second phase will be done by a local company and the third phase will be done by Japanese Company. We will sign the Hambantota Port Development agreement in August Today we have given the contract to construct the first phase of the Kadawatha Circular Highway to a Chinese company. The second phase will be done by a local company and the third phase will be done by Japanese Company. We will sign the Hambantota Port Development agreement in August, he said . He mentioned that Minister Sagala Ratnayake had been entrusted with the task of developing the South and Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had been assigned to bring about reforms in the education sector. "I am in debt to late President Jayewardene for introducing me to competitive politics and giving me a role to play in the revolution he created in 1977" We will make Sri Lanka a debt free nation by the year 2025. Biyagama development was implemented for the youth. Likewise this government will implement all these projects for the youth, Wickremesinghe further said. He then went on to pay tribute to late Presidents Premadasa and D B Wijetunga saying they had helped him in his career. Some who entered the political field with me are no more today. They include late Gamini Dissanayake, Gamini Athukorala and Weerasinghe Malimarchchi. I pay a tribute them as well. He also paid tribute to the late Cyril Mathew from whom he took over the post of Kelaniya organizer. During this time he took over the post of Biyagama organizer. He further paid tribute to old UNPers in the Biyagama Bala Mandala including Andrew Silva, Jaganth Rajakaruna, Henry Gunasekera, Sunil Gunasekera and Shelton Sebastian. Premier Wickremesinghe with well- wishers Pix by Damith Wickramasinghe "We will make Sri Lanka a debt free nation by the year 2025. Biyagama development was implemented for the youth. Likewise this government will implement all these projects for the youth" Meanwhile Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunatileka told a media briefing that Parliament will be celebrating this special occasion this week. He said that Wickremesinghe had served the nation for four decades in various capacities, as a minister, leader of opposition and as the Prime Minister. He said that there were also those who criticized Wickremesinghe. Venerable Thiyawala Palitha Thera, speaking at a religious ceremony held at Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara to mark Premier Wickremsinghes 40 years in Parliament, suggested that 40 development projects be implemented to mark the occasion. Working for the people is important and celebrating your feat should be made meaningful, the Thera said. A special session in Parliament is to be held to pay tribute to the Prime Minister. Several other religious programs have been organized at Kolonnawa Purana Rajamaha Vihara and at Jumma Mosques in Kolonnawa today. Wickreemsinghe entered active politics in 1976 when he was appointed as the UNP organizer for Biyagama. He later entered Parliament in 1997. He then became the minister of Education and Youth Affairs and then became the leader of the House in 1989 under late President Premadasa. He became the Prime Minister in 1993. Later President Wijetunge appointed him as the minister of industries. He became Leader of the Opposition for the first time in 1994 following the assassination of Gamini Dissanayake. Wickremesinghe became the Leader of the Opposition in 1999, 2004 and in 2010. He became Prime Minister for the second time in 2012 and for the third time in January 2015. He became the Prime Minister yet again after the general elections held in 2015. Police opened fire at two armed robbers and one was killed when they first shot at the police while on their way to rob a gold gem studded statue at a temple at Lassanagama in Meegalewa, Anuradhapura last night. Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the Meegalawa police received a tiff off that two armed gangsters were planing to rob the temple. Acting on the information police attempted to stop and inspect the suspects who were coming in a motorcycle. The suspects had then fired at police. The two suspects were injured as the police had returned fired at them. The injured were admitted to the Meegalawa Hospital and one of the suspect succumbed to his injuries. The other suspect was transferred to the Anuradhapura Hospital. SP Gunasekara said the police recovered a T56 weapon, A pistol and a hand granade from the suspects possession. The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said today as the head of state, President Maithripala Sirisena should be fined for the increasing number of Dengue breeding grounds in the country. Addressing a news conference, PHU General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila said the government took legal action against those who failed to clear Dengue breeding grounds. If house and factory owners and school principals are fined for having Dengue breeding grounds at their premises, then who else should be fined for having Dengue breeding grounds in the country other than the president himself? We hereby call for the government to declare a state of emergency as it has failed to control the epidemic for over three months, he said. Meanwhile, MP Gammanpila said the government should divert its attention to Ayurvedic medicine to treat Dengue patients. Western medicine cannot treat Dengue, but Ayurvedic medicine can. I am aware of Dengue patients who were cured from Ayurvedic treatment. The lives of hundreds and thousands of Dengue patients could be saved with Ayurvedic treatment, he said. (By Lahiru Pothmulla) A counsel appearing for former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday informed the PCoI that the minister would not be able to appear at the PCoI today to summoned to do so. The PCoI had earlier summoned the minister to testify at the PCoI. Counsel Sandun Gamage appearing for the minister said according to his limited instructions, the minister would not appear before the PCoI today and that the minster had said he would inform the PCoI of the date he would be able to attend the inquiry. The submission was made at the end of yesterdays PCoI proceedings by Minister Karunanayake's counsel. Subsequent to the submission, there was a heated argument between Additional Solicitor General, Dappula de Livera and the minister's counsel. The ASG was of the view that the counsel should have informed the PCoI about the matter at the beginning of the proceedings and the reason for the failure to appear before the PCoI clearly mentioned. The counsel said he was instructed by the minister about a Cabinet meeting. Then the Commission questioned the counsel whether Cabinet meetings were normally held in the evening. However, the ASG was of the view that if the reason was to attend a Cabinet meeting then the reason must be clearly mentioned with the details. The ASG informed the PCoI that they had not lined up another witness to testify at the PCoI today in place of the former finance minister. The PCoI also emphasized that it would consider the minister's request and directed the counsel to inform the earliest date on which his client would attend the inquiry. The Commission made these directions considering the time constraints. (Shehan Chamika Silva) With the long August school vacation looming, ideas to entertain the family during the holiday season are uppermost in most peoples minds. While some may opt for vacations in foreign climes, others will take the opportunity of exploring Sri Lanka. If a staycation is your choice, here are some ideas that may help you decide where to spend the holiday season. Trincomalee is a coastal bastion which has been an attraction for visitors from time immemorial. It is blessed with a natural harbor which is the envy of the entire world while white sandy beaches and historic sights add to the allure of Trincomalee, making it the jewel of the North Eastern Crown. During the second world war, Trincomalee was the British naval headquarters and had an airfield from which US planes operated against the Japanese in Myanmar and Malaya. The town has a distinct charm with sleepy backstreets dotted with colonial villas that stand next to mosques, Hindu temples and churches. Steeped in history, various ethnic groups call Trincomalee their home which is melting pot of religions and cultures. Situated 273 km away from Colombo, Trincomalee is serviced by busses and trains from Colombo. Train timetables are available on the internet but subject to change. Busses offer a more frequent travel service departing from the main bus terminal in Fort. Swami Rock Lovers Leap as this is also called is a high cliff which has a touching story behind it. Attested by an inscription on a pillar at Swami Rock the story goes that in 1687 Francina Van Reed the daughter of a gentleman of rank in the civil service of Holland was engaged to a young Dutch officer. He broke off the engagement and when his period of foreign service was over, left for Holland. The distraught girl watched the vessel from the promontory of Swami Rock and as the ship, taking away the man she loved, passed the precipice, she flung herself from the rock into the sea a sheer drop of almost 130 meters where she ended in a watery grave. Koneswaran Temple Next to Swami Rock stands the Koneswaran Temple, one of the islands temples dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva. Hoods Tower Museum The naval museum of the Sri Lankan navy is located at Ostenburg in the peninsular within the naval dockyard. The museum is named after Samuel Hood, who was the Commander of the East Indies Station. There is also an observation tower called Hoods Tower. In the nineties, the navy developed the museum which has many artifacts. Much of the museum is housed at ground level with some underground casements built during World War 11. Housed underground is a collection of weapons -equipment and weapon system used by the Navy. Please obtain prior permission before visiting. Dutch Bay Slap bang in the middle of Trinco is the most scenic bay. This picturesque Dutch Bay is more a place for strolling and enjoying an ice cream. An ideal beach front location to indulge in people watching while enjoying the sea breeze. In the evening the place comes alive with food sellers offering hawker style street food. Swimming is possible but be aware of dangerous undertows. The Commonwealth War Cemetery During World War II, this naval bastion played host to several thousands of allied forces. Many of those that perished during the Japanese bombing of Trincomalee in 1942 are buried at the Commonwealth War Cemetery. Row upon row of headstones stand to attention amidst perfectly manicured lawns lending an aura of nostalgia to the surroundings. Located near Nilaweli, a visit to this is recommended to appreciate the beauty of one of the last vestiges of the second world war on Sri Lankan soil. Nilaweli Beach By far one of the best stretches of beaches in Sri Lanka, the Nilaweli beach has miles and miles of pristine golden sand and azure waves that lap gently on the shore. A true idyll, this is perfect for some serious rest and relaxation. Pigeon Island which lies off the coast of Nilaweli is also worth a visit. Boat rides can be negotiated from the few hotels that dot the beach. Fort Federick Built by the Portuguese, this fort was initially a triangular fort named the Fort of Triquilimale by the Portuguese who equipped it with guns captured from a Danish fleet ship. In later years the Fort was rebuilt by the Dutch. Today British Insignias crown the tunnel like gateway that pierces the forts massively thick walls. Author : Tina Edward Gunawardhana Photos by Manoj Ratnayake Life Online A tense situation arose at the Southern Provincial Council when UPFA Councilor Channa Saliya brought a donation till to the Council session this morning. The move had set off members of the opposition who accused the Councillor of bringing in a bomb to the session. The tense situation arose when several councilors had attempted to wrestle the till out of Saliyas hands. (NIimal Algewatte) At first glance, Uniquely Sri Lankan might look like just another of that abundant crop of travel books on Sri Lanka. But authors Siri Ipalwatte and Kim Wells have chosen their themes well, and have done their homework, and the result is a rewarding piece of reading accompanied by excellent photographs. Siri Ipalwatte left Sri Lanka in the early 70s looking for better prospects in the UK. Kim Wells has often accompanied him to Sri Lanka over the years, and they share a passionate interest in the history of Robert Knox, the English sailor who was held captive in Kandy by King Rajasinghe II in the 17th century. In fact, the story which traces Knoxs route during his escape to Dutch-held East is the first in a series of fourteen chapters, which explore various facets of Sri Lankas history and culture, ranging from the aadivasi community (the Veddahs) to the rituals of exorcism. Traces Knoxs route during his escape to Dutch-held East Knox the English sailor was held in Kandy by King Rajasinghe II in the 17th century Exorcism explored without condescension and with awareness that ritual isnt unique to Sri Lanka This empathy with local tradition and psyche runs through the book What sets it apart from the usual travel book is the reminiscing both writers recall earlier experiences while living and travelling in the island, which lends the writing a kind of depth lacking in a purely contemporary account. The second chapter titled Peddling to freedom too, is an original piece of writing whereby Kim Wells traces the footsteps of the two English escapees Robert Knox and Stephen Rutland in their all-out bid for freedom, and the writer has literally done the leg work. This isnt just a series of vistas seen through a car window. Its a good detective story, too, as Knox didnt leave behind a detailed map of his escape route. It is doubtful if Knox had seen any map of the island; in any case, 17th century maps of the island still left much to the imagination. It is good luck and dead reckoning which got Knox and his partner to safety. The authors passion for this particular historical incident can be felt through the illustrated account. As they say in their own words: Our own pursuit of Robert Knox and Stephen Rutland had taken even our much-travelled driver into new territory and heightened our admiration for the resilience and resourcefulness of the two. Could we have done it? Maybe, but by now we have the excuse of the ages age itself and a predilection for comfort! Exorcism is a hackneyed theme in travel writing. But it is explored in this book without condescension, and with awareness that the ritual isnt unique to Sri Lanka (a modern case from Australia is given). What sets it apart from the usual travel book is the reminiscing both writers recall earlier experiences while living and travelling in the island, which lends the writing a kind of depth lacking in a purely contemporary account. The writers discuss the struggle of present-day practitioners to keep alive this ancient ritual, and offer a detailed account of an actual ceremony in the case of a possessed young woman. As they put it: Thovil is part of a holistic understanding that the physical condition of the body is inseparable from the mental condition. Modern common sense might suggest that the practice we saw should by now have been relegated to oblivion; yet it is still alive and well and being defended, even in its extreme forms, as in the manslaughter case from Australia. The presence of a demonic spirit in the body is believed to override the physical body of the possessed and to control their every move. A sense that the yakka was truly present implicates all parties, not only yakkadura and the patient, but also spectators, as complicit in expelling the yakka from its human host. Before assuming that science is antipathetic to certain types of belief system, it is worth bearing in mind that medical science can now be used in modern ways to support such beliefs and rituals if that helps people and communities. This empathy with local tradition and psyche runs through the book. In describing a visit to the ancient Buddhist shrine of Divaguhawa, the authors try to view the pilgrimage through the eyes and mind of a pilgrim in this case, an old woman clearly exhausted by the rigorous climb. All in all, this a very intelligently written book, articulate, sympathetic though not sentimental, a visual and cerebral pleasure as far as both print and images are concerned. Why risk your health by walking up to the top? I asked her. Saman Deviyo will look after me, smiled hopefully and took a drink from her water bottle. Then she said: You have to give before you can expect to receive. The writers have the knack of describing the highlights of a place, or that crucial moment of a visit which lifts it above the ordinary, with simplicity and clarity. This is how sighting a leopard at Yala is described: Right there, 20 meters from us, a leopard was sitting yawning unperturbed by our presence. For about five minutes, one of the greatest leopard shows on earth took place right before my eyes. I fumbled with my camera to capture the moment, but also made sure to watch without looking through the lens. I wanted to remember this. It was the very best of Discovery Channel coming to me live and in 3D. For a minute or two it stared straight at us eyes locked on ours with the intense scrutiny of a supreme predator. And then, in a flash, he was gone. We stood there, stunned. I sat back, feeling a little drained sad, too. It was the briefest of encounters an exchange of glances that jolted the senses, seared the mind. Siri Ipalwatte strikes a personal note, heavy with nostalgia, in Coming home. The southern fishing port and coastal town of Weligama is the location, last visited by him in 1978 when his father died. Its a rambling narrative about change, childhood memories, and the culture, crafts and atmosphere of the place. Other chapters cover the cinnamon trade, wild elephants of Minneriya, the Jaffna peninsula, a drive along the East Coast, Sinharaja forest, the ancient monastery of Ritigala and vistas from Galle to Dondra. All in all, this a very intelligently written book, articulate, sympathetic though not sentimental, a visual and cerebral pleasure as far as both print and images are concerned. News / International by Stephen Jakes Former ZBC presenter Ezra Tshisa Sibanda has condemned the Zimbabwean [political parties sloganeering which is based on ridiculing each other saying it is getting to mad levels."Zimbabweans sloganeering, ridiculing fellow opposition parties, getting mad at those that announce themselves on the political field, fighting & jostling for positions, organising big rallies etc won't bring about change to our beautiful nation," Sibanda said."I realised a lot of time is spent concentrating on Zanu PF infighting instead of finding a proper strategy on how to defeat them in 2018 elections. We had 5 years as citizens to reorganise and push for reforms but did nothing and less than a year to the elections we still don't have voters roll.""Are we really serious we want to enter these 2018 elections when it's a foregone conclusion the results will be the same? ZEC says it doesn't have 2013 voters roll and doesn't know how many people were registered to vote by then and we take their word, enter 2018 elections as if all is well ,unbelievable madness."He said ZEC should be forced by courts to avail voter's roll for 2013 and need it to be destroyed in public."We need a strategy, we need intelligence, we need proper research and reorganisation before even thinking of entering the 2018 elections. Trust the new biometric voters registration at your own peril and don't be shocked names of the deceased people finding their way into the new voters roll," he said. By putting up of a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind, as its candidate for the Indian Presidency and ensuring his victory with a 65% majority, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reached a high watermark in its bid to be accepted by all sections of Hindu society, including the Dalits, Indias most depressed caste group previously shunned as untouchables. Kovinds candidature and election are significant because, historically, the BJP has been known as a party of the Hindu upper castes, principally, the Brahmin and Bania (trader) castes. Its political and social base was too narrow for it to make a national impact. The opposition Congress party, in contrast, was socially and economically broad-based. Politically, the Congress was Centre-Left. It also had a truly pan-Indian appeal But today, the BJP, based on the Hindu-nationalistic or Hindutwa ideology, is forging ahead of its rivals to become broad-based in every way in terms of caste, class, and regional appeal. Hindutwa is no longer a passion or a hobby horse of some upper castes in Hindi-speaking North India, but is accepted by Backward Castes, Dalits and tribes, and in the Hindi and non-Hindi speaking states also. The reason for the BJPs confidence lies in the growing appeal of Hindutwa in North and East India. There are also signs that Hindutwa might catch up in the South. Already it has a presence in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and, before long, could make inroads in Kerala too. Only Tamil Nadu appears to pose a formidable challenge, as it is still in the hold of the secular Dravidian Tamil sub-nationalist ideology at least in the political field. OBCs and Dalits The most striking new phenomenon is the BJPs growing appeal in North India among the non-Brahmin and non-Bania (trader) Hindu Backward castes (called Other Backward Castes of OBCs in official parlance) and Dalits. The OBCs, who tended to gravitate to the Congress and the Left parties because of their contradiction with the socially and economically well-placed Upper Caste Brahmins and Banias, are now strongly backing the BJP. And so are the Dalits, who had earlier thronged the Congress because it was the party of Mahatma Gandhi, the first Indian political leader to take up the issue of untouchability at the national political level. Gandhi had re-named the Dalits, then known as Untouchables, as Harijans or the Children of God. He set an example to others by staying in a Harijan colony in Delhi. He strove to get the upper Hindu castes to accept the Dalits as Hindus and not outside the pale of Hindu society as was the case from time immemorial. Ram Nath Kovind "Kovinds candidature and election are significant because, historically, the BJP has been known as a party of the Hindu upper castes, principally, the Brahmin and Bania (trader) castes" Historical Context The shift from the secular Congress and the Left to the BJP, is rooted in the recent history of India. In pre-independence days, because of the overwhelming appeal of Gandhi, the Dalits were with the Congress disregarding the anti-Hindu and anti-Gandhi tirade of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Dalit legal luminary who wanted to take over the leadership of Dalits. Clearly, the majority of Dalits, even at that time, wanted to be within the Hindu fold and get recognition in it, and not leave it to become Christian or Muslim. When in the 1950s, Ambedkar converted to Buddhism, only some in his own Mahar caste in Maharashtra, joined him. Dalits across the country and the political spectrum did look upon Ambedkar as their icon and worshipped him, and do so even today. But they did not and do not follow his anti-Hindu and separatist ideology. As former Delhi University Social Anthropologist Prof. Jit Singh Uberai put it: In India there has always been a rush to get into the system, not to get out of it. The Dalits wanted to remain in the Hindu system and get recognition and a better deal in it and not alienate themselves from it. Role of Reservations The incentive to remain in the Hindu fold magnified after India became independent. The new constitution drafted by Dalit leader Ambedkar gave 15% reservation to the Dalits in educational institutions and government jobs from the bottom to the top rung. Electoral constituencies were reserved for them to enable them to contest for political office. Although it took decades for the long-deprived Dalits to make use of the reservations, a Dalit middle class eventually emerged. Economic growth, industrialization and urbanization blurred caste distinctions at least in the urban milieu. The legal ban on hate speech against Dalits also helped tone down animosities. Political parties started cultivating Dalits as they were turning out to be exceptionally enthusiastic about exercising their franchise. BJP Becomes Reformist In the early decades of independent India, the Hindutwa predecessors of BJP were not into social reform or acceptance of marginalized Hindu groups into the Hindu fold through a re-worked concept of Hinduism. They were primarily anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan and sought to militarise the Hindus against Muslims. In fact, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu Mahasabha (HM) ran a tirade against the social reform provisions in Indias new constitution saying that these were alien to the culture of Bharat. The political party that the RSS spawned, the Jana Sangh, was also not into social reform. And, as a party of Brahmins and Banias, Hindu revivalists and anti-Muslim Hindu nationalists, it had only limited appeal. In the 1980s, when the V.P. Singh government sought to introduce 27% reservation for the OBCs in educational institutions and government jobs, Hindutwa forces not only opposed it violently but floated a parallel anti-Muslim movement to destroy the Babri mosque in Ayodhya and build a Lord Rama temple in its place. However, a growing country-wide disenchantment with the Congress saw the non-Congress and non-Leftist parties taking Centre-stage in Indian politics. Caste-based parties and coalitions of small parties came to power in some states. By then, the Hindutwa forces had formed the BJP, which sought a wider voter base by shedding its earlier social inhibitions. The BJP started cultivating the OBCs and the Dalits with single-minded devotion. Dalit Response By this time, the Dalits were ready to lend an ear to the BJP and the Hindutwa organizations associated with it (collectively called the Sangh Parivar). Sangh Parivar organizations started projecting a non-Brahminized and non-caste type of Hinduism which stressed Hindu culture, beliefs and mythologies and avoided caste inequalities. Hindutwa leaders like Narendra Modi also began to co-opt Dalit deities into the Hindu pantheon by participating in their worship. They shed their antipathy to Ambedkar and brought out a book praising him as a Hindu icon. Pictures of Modi bowing low before idols of Dr. Ambedkar were seen as a mark of acceptance. Dalit-Muslim Conflict The Dalits and OBCs had by now developed contradictions with the Muslims whose bid to secure reservations on par with them was opposed. Many Hindu-Muslim riots were actually Dalit/OBC Muslim riots. The contradiction with the Muslims made the Dalits and Muslims accept Hindutwa. The other factor which worked in favour of the BJP was its policy of giving a place to the Dalits in its political leadership in contrast to the Congress and the Left which kept them as subordinates and treated them merely as a vote bank. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's statement in Parliament on the Doklam plateau standoff should be commended. It was restrained, unlike the belligerent statements emanating from the Chinese foreign office. By declaring that China's road building activity in Doklam was a threat to India's security, she sent a firm message that India will resist Chinese attempts to determine the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction unilaterally in violation of its understandings both with Bhutan and India. Approach Her approach that the solution to the impasse in Doklam lay in both countries withdrawing their soldiers to previous positions and restoring the status quo ante is eminently reasonable. She has implicitly dismissed China's imperious demand that India must first withdraw its troops from "Chinese territory" prior to any dialogue. This attempt to dictate terms to India by a country that has deliberately triggered the current confrontation through a calculated act that it knew would attract an Indian response has been rejected. India and China have had a conflict in this general area in 1967 but, more pertinently in terms of more recent experience, the two countries were locked in a confrontation in Depsang (2013) and Chumar (2014). China has, therefore, not walked into the current border standoff as an unwary party falling victim to unprovoked warmongering by a third country. Swaraj's statement is significant as it follows a spate of dire warnings from China, officially and through its state controlled press, that India should heed the lesson of 1962, that China will not compromise on the issue as it involves its sovereignty, that as its patience eventually runs out, China will use force to evict the Indian troops and so on. If the purpose of employing thunderous language was to intimidate India and unnerve its leadership, the external affairs minister's statement shows these tactics have failed. The government is showing signs of confidence in dealing with the situation despite China's psychological warfare against us getting a boost from some Indian commentators who have purveyed the Chinese line with some gusto and much of our media that has been uncritically disseminating China's propagandist versions of the standoff and echoing its menacing statements as well. Preposterous explanations have been given by some China apologists in our country that China is building the road in Doklam because its infrastructure companies have run out of orders, and as its military have large budgets to spend, some powerfully connected construction company is trying to fill its order book! One thought that the humongous Belt and Road Initiative, the $50 billion China intends to spend on infrastructure in Pakistan, and $20 billion that it is committed to spending on developing ports to facilitate the use of the Arctic route for trade with Europe provide massive opportunities for Chinese infrastructure companies. That a line like this can be purveyed, fed probably by the Chinese embassy, with accusations against the Prime Minister for making a series of provocative moves against China and peddling scenarios of a crushing, humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chinese of our unprepared army headed by a politically appointed army chief, shows the extent to which we are ready to sap the national morale to the advantage of an external adversary because of internal political prejudices. Reality In reality, China's diplomatic and media-channelled tongue-lashing against India reflects its frustration at not being in a position to take India head-on militarily in a localised conflict in this theatre without suffering heavy casualties. Talk of evicting Indian soldiers from this area by force is just bluster. If it opens a front in a disputed area elsewhere where it is advantageously placed - though we will be able to monitor a Chinese build up through our technical means and prepare ourselves - it will be seen as responsible for broadening the conflict. If we, in return, opted to retaliate in disputed areas where we have an advantage, it will mean a further step on the escalatory ladder. China has no easy options just as we do not either. A sane Chinese approach, in its own interest, would be to resolve the current standoff diplomatically on an equitable basis and tone down its trade-mark arrogant and crude behaviour. If the Chinese up the ante in Kashmir or the Northeast, they must think of their political vulnerabilities in Tibet and Taiwan. Reservations Much is being made by some in Indian quarters of Bhutan's reticence on the developing situation as a sign of its reservations about our intervention. This too contributes to the Chinese game of weakening India's position. It is politic on Bhutan's part not to get caught too much in the cross-fire between China and India and let the latter handle the situation. Bhutan's statement about China violating bilateral understandings over this disputed area is sufficient. By being too vocal and inviting more Chinese bullying, it will draw India into the quarrel even more, which would be undesirable for both Bhutan and India. Some Bhutanese may prefer to distance themselves from India-China frictions for sovereignty reasons, but in falling prey to China's strategy of destabilising India's neighbourhood they would seriously hurt their own self-interest. That Swaraj's enunciation of India's position has come before the national security adviser visits Beijing for a BRICS NSAs meeting means that any dialogue in Beijing will have to be within its scope. India should neither seek escalation nor accept China's hegemonic conduct. The Nithari serial killings unearthed in 2006 would go down in history as one of the most gruesome as well as perplexing cases of murders, of children and young girls at that, which despite conviction in eight of the 16 cases so far, remain shrouded in mystery, psychopathological intrigue as well as social incomprehension. Ever since they came to light, they have continued to rattle legal and forensic minds, criminal psychologists and commentators, insofar as the extreme brutalities uncovered rape, murder, abduction, dismemberment, beheadings, perhaps even cannibalism and evidence tampering did not have any definite crime triggers, no motive as such, other than what lies in the unfathomable depths of the human mind, currents, and tendencies that rarely ever reach the surface, and when they do, they instill fear in the hearts of those outside its murky realm of violence and desire. The two accused in the Nithari serial killings the businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli have once again been awarded the death sentence by a CBI court on July 24, for the murder of 20-year-old Pinki Sarkar. This is the sixth time Koli has been sentenced to death, of the eight cases heard so far. Kolis confessions in custody after the CBI took over the investigation in the case, have, however, been shrouded in allegations of torture. In September 2014, high-profile anti-death penalty advocate, Indira Jaising, saved Koli from the gallows at the nick of time in a midnight intervention. Justice Chandrachud commuted Kolis death sentence to life citing inordinate delay in his mercy petition. Previously, former President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected Kolis mercy petition. The question of serial killings As many as 50 children and young persons went missing in and around Nithari during the time, but the remains of only 19 have so far been discovered, that too after much prodding from the residents. Yet, the question of serial killing remains one of the most ill-understood aspects of violent crimes that have a pattern, but not enough motive. Nithari killings are a testimony to the limits of criminal psychology, social anthropology as well as the forensic sciences to adequately comprehend what prompts human beings to resort to such heinous crimes again and again. Evidently, mere sociological explanation, or even establishing without a doubt the criminal responsibility of the perpetrators, fail to address the extremeness of the cruelties displayed, again and again. Though on multiple occasions, the Nithari serial killings have been dubbed barbaric, the distinction between whats civilized and whats not is really blurry and actually false. Nithari is in Noida, or the New Okhla Industrial Development Authoritys planned industrial city, in its Sector 31. Its barely away from the plush residential and office complexes of Film City in Sector 16A, the highrises in this NCR suburb thats synonymous with Indias 21st century aspirations. Noida is one of the beating hearts of our many-hearted country that sees its sub-cities as hubs of accelerated development. Pandher, a businessman, could have been the new Indian ideal entrepreneur, but he turned out to be a possible, now convicted, serial killer. Criminal anthropology had come a long way from the late 19th century days of Italian school of criminal positivism, led by Cesare Lombroso, who proposed the now utterly discredited notion of the born criminal. However, the Chicago schools environmental criminology brought in aspects of nurture, as opposed to nature in finding explanations behind criminal behaviour. Of course, late 20th century strides in social anthropology and forensic psychology have done much to disentangle racist, gender and religious prejudices in criminal profiling. Nevertheless, serial killing has remained one of the most confounding aspects of criminology. In fact, comparisons have been drawn between Nithari killings and the serial murders in Ipswich, a town in the United Kingdom, where sex workers were being targeted and killed. Eventually, the British police arrested Stephen Wright, a driver of trucks and forklifts, in connection with the case. Even the then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair had issued a statement saying the events were terrible and the nation should learn a lesson from that. What was that lesson, though? Crime and cover-up In addition to the incomprehensibility as to the motives of the serial murders, the Nithari case is also a major document of police ineptitude, its politicisation, its tendency to cast a blind eye to crimes when they are inconvenient, corruption, nepotism and other such malaises. It took the residents of Nithari and their dogged pursuit of the missing children to search the municipal water tank and the connected drain in house number D5 to uncover the very first remains a decomposed hand of a child. The families of the missing children naturally accused the police of negligence, as Noida police denied any criminal angle initially.Eventually, more body parts were found after a wide-scale digging of the area around D5, skulls, bones, skins, viscera in polythene bags, parts of the torso, amputated limbs, hair, and many items that belonged to the children 11 of them girls. The victims identities were established in many cases with DNA analysis, and samples were sent to Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, an autonomous organisation funded by the Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology.What made the police so uncooperative in the beginning? Why was it that aggrieved families and bewildered residents of Nithari had to pelt stones at the cops in frustration? Why were a number of cops suspended on December 31, 2006 for dereliction of duty? Why was the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh caught napping when the residents kept alleging that children were going missing for over a year in the Nithari region? It was only when the case was handed over to the CBI after a formal request that it saw arrests and more evidence to suggest the brutalities. Peoples faith in the police machinery had dwindled, but the UP government was more interested in keeping the crime rates low and not registering cases than actually helping the denizens of Nithari. But the entanglement of the irrepressible serial crimes and the procedural lapses that are otherwise routine made the intersection a headline-hogging story of cruelty, sensationalism, barbarity and other media. Victims of inequality Yet, we still need to ask why and how Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli chose their alleged victims, who were mostly children, and that too girls. In his confessions, which were extracted in CBI custody and after brain mappings, narco analysis and other forensic and neuropsychological examinations that claim to paint the unpaintable human mind and its triggers. Koli had allegedly said that hed have an irrepressible urge to have sex when hed cook for his employer Pandher, whod be engaging the services of sex workers on most days and evenings when his wife and son were not around. In his confessions, he said that hed lure the young girls in tempting them with chocolate, or the few adult women, such as Pinki, on the pretext of offering them housework and good pay. The Hindustan Times report on the latest sentencing of Koli and Pandher says:But this time, the CBI found that he was in Noidas Sector 2 till about 1.30pm on October 5, 2006, and then left for Dehradun. That day Koli lured Pinky Sarkar, a 20-year-old domestic help, to Pandhers home. The charge sheet states that Pinky worked at a house in Sector 30, where she watched a serial on television from 1pm. She left afterwards and disappeared. Her clothes were found at Pandhers backyard. The location and time were crucial to nail Pandher as investigators said he was in Noida when Pinky vanished. He returned to Noida on October 14.Its clear who become the victims of such psychopathology overlapping with the criminal and the convicted. The unattended children out in the open, whether enjoying public space, or engaged in illegal child labour, are bitterly unsafe, whether from pedophile murderers or traffickers. Moreover, vulnerable women, looking for domestic work in an upscale residential complex, the real urban poor in a fast developing and jostling conglomeration such as Noida, the female migrant labourer, the poor woman, the gendered itinerant become the chosen sacrifices at the altar of development, part of the black hole of crime and punishment. Against death penalty After luring them in, subsequently, Surinder Koli indicated that hed rape them in his words, hed try having sex with them. He has said in his confessions: After that, without realising in my mind, bad feelings started coming to kill and hack someone, blood, that kind of bad feelings started coming in my mind It used to control my mind absolutely. Theres hardly any remorse in Kolis confessions, or even empathy, an understanding of what he and his employer Pandher have done. In addition, most of the allegations, the tabloid stories and headlines, and even the death sentences, have involved Koli, while leaving out Pandher. The July 24 2017 CBI court sentence, however, pronounces death penalty for both.Was Koli really fit to be tried so? In the motiveless malignity that Koli displayed, its pretty clear that he doesnt need the hangmans noose but a clinical psychologist. Koli needs medical help because the killings were hardly done in a state of sanity. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, competence to stand trial and face execution is an important component of the criminal justice system. Is Koli competent enough to face the gallows?Was it once again about the collective conscience of the nation, in which a servant was pronounced guilty even though his mental health is under the scanner? The death penalty is hardly a deterrent to any crime, particularly crimes that have subterranean impulses and desires as their origin, connected to unrequited social and sexual proclivities, and violence thats perhaps lurking in all of us deep within.Koli and Pandher mustnt be case studies in India sending its criminally insane to the gallows, but perhaps as test cases to assess patterns, desires, motives etc. in matters where forensic and criminal psychology run into a wall. As many as 39 Indian labourers, mostly from Punjab, were abducted by the ISIS around mid-June in 2014 from Iraq's Mosul. Informing Parliament, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj recently said: "Sources there told VK Singh that the missing Indians are most probably in a jail in Badush where fighting is still going on." However, a reality check in Iraq has revealed that there was no sign of the missing Indians in the restive region. The jail had been flattened to the ground. So, is the government misleading the nation on the missing Indians in Iraq? The external affairs minister, on one hand, said the abducted Indians could be in jail, on the other, BJP chief Amit Shah comes to the ministers rescue and said the government is not misleading the nation and the search is underway to locate the 39 missing Indians. Clearly, it seems the party doesn't have any credible information on Indians trapped in Iraq. The external affairs ministry should have verified the information before coming out publicly. Buildings in ruins in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. (Credit: Reuters photo for representative purpose). The issue echoed in Parliament when SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra sought answers from the government on the issue. He said most of the missing citizens are from Punjab and the truth must be let out. The Opposition has decided to corner the government on this issue in Parliament. The Congress has said it would submit a privilege motion against the minister in the Lok Sabha for "misleading the nation, Parliament and families" of the kidnapped Indians. Rajya Sabha Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa said he would move a privilege motion against Swaraj for lying to the Lok Sabha about the whereabouts of 39 Indian youths missing in Iraq. Bajwa, has also demanded a parliamentary committee to look into the issue and said it should be sent to Mosul in Iraq to know the reality first-hand. VK Singh should also go." The fact is, India pushed for information about the 39 Indians after Iraqi forces liberated Mosul this July after three years. The Indian government had sent two delegations to Iraq to check how these people could be traced and rescued. The Iraqi mission reiterated the move. But still there is no news on the whereabouts of the missing Indians. In early June, a report surfaced that a group of 25 Indians were sighted near a church in an area controlled by the Islamic State. But Iraqi Ambassador to India, Fakhri H Al-Issa, said: "I don't want to say anything. I have no information. Sometimes no news is good news. They might be in Badush prison." This further heightened the uncertainty about the missing Indians. Even the visiting Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said, Have no substantial evidence that they were killed/still alive, can't give anything in that regard. Does it mean that our external affairs minister was just beating around the bush, the ministry has had no information and was just misleading the nation? It is nothing but egg on her face. Swaraj, along with MoS for MEA MJ Akbar and MoS VK Singh, had met the families of the 39 missing Indians. She had assured the families saying, "Once fighting stops in Badush and the area is cleared, we can probably find out about the whereabouts of the missing nationals." Now that the situation has returned back to normal, the government should go all out to find the truth about these people. The government insists that without information otherwise, the workers are still considered alive. But Harjit Masih, the only Indian to have escaped ISIS's clutches, claimed to have witnessed the execution of the others. He has claimed that ISIS terrorists abducted him and the other Indians on June 11, 2014, and executed them near Badush deserts on June 15. He said, "I have repeated it so many times... they took us in a container-like truck... we were lined up and shot from behind, I was the only survivor, I called names of my friends but nobody replied... they were all dead, around that area I saw many dead bodies rotting." But the government has rejected his version. After his return to Gurdaspur's Kala Afghana village, Masih now is facing a difficult time. He says, "They are blaming me for the missing 39 Indians. I have been booked by police. My life has become hell... is it my fault that I managed to escape? Sometimes I feel I too should have died." According to this report, he also alleged that he was promised a government job for keeping quiet (about the entire episode). But, as I opened by mouth, I was implicated in a fake case and sent to jail for six months. My father died during this period. Even now, intelligence agencies visit me regularly, he added. Why should a person who escaped the death be hounded and humiliated? If Masih is lying why has the government not been able to produce proof that the 39 hostages are still alive? The families have been given false assurances in every meeting that they have held with the ministers. In recent times, the government has been giving a lot of assurances. First it said the missing men were at a Church in Mosul, then it said they were in the Badush prison. Now, there are reports that the prison has been completely destroyed. News / National by Staff reporter VIVA Zimbabwe leader William Mutumanje, alias Acie Lumumba, who is accused of insulting President Robert Mugabe during the launch of his opposition party last year, has accused the State of delaying his trial after the Prosecutor-General's (PG) Office sought another postponement of the matter.Mutumanje claimed he was last month made to believe his matter would be withdrawn by the State, but after leaving the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), the State indicated that it was pushing for his trial.Prosecutor Oscar Madhume yesterday told the court that Mutumanje's docket had been sent to the PG's Office for perusal and for a possible trial date."We are not withdrawing the charges and we seek postponement of the matter so that we can be provided with a prosecuting certificate from the Acting PG," Madhume said."If accused wants to reinstate his application at the ConCourt, he is free to do so."Mutumanje's lawyer David Hofisi said the ConCourt findings were binding to the court."It is not in dispute that the State committed to withdraw the charges in a superior court. We can only seek for the withdrawal and for anything else the State is free to approach the ConCourt to change its commitment," Hofisi said."It is absurd for the State to suggest that we reinstate the matter. The accused (Mutumanje) cannot speak for the State and tell the apex court that the State has had change of heart. The ConCourt commitment continues to be defied although the court's transcript was provided. There is no basis to prosecute. " News / National by Staff reporter FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe has admitted that her two sons - Robert Junior and Chatunga Bellarmine - notorious for a wild partying lifestyle, have taken to beer binges and drugs.Grace told family and friends at her sister's birthday party in Shamva on Sunday that her two sons were giving her sleepless nights."Nowadays there are spirits attacking our children. The spirit of drinking, drug abuse and doing other abnormal things way beyond their age," Grace said, indicating she could be on the verge of a breakdown."If I am to say women stand up to talk about your children, very few women can be brave enough to talk about that without breaking down."President Robert Mugabe has in the past also complained about his two sons' wayward behaviour. Grace said that like any other children, Mugabe's sons were prone to the problems facing ordinary families."I am telling you because the behaviour of children does not matter if they are the President's children or not. All children are mischievous these days."I have seen parents wearing torn clothes because their kids are demanding top-end trending clothes. In schools and universities, children are competing on fashion and they do not heed to parental advice," she said.Chatunga and Robert Jnr were reportedly evicted from a luxurious apartment in South Africa's most affluent area of Sandton in Johannesburg after a violent brawl that left one security officer with a broken leg and arm, our sister publication the Zimbabwe Independent exclusively reported a fortnight ago.Grace missed Mugabe's youth interface rally in Masvingo three weeks ago after she went to sort out the mess created by her sons in South Africa.The pair was reportedly evicted from a luxurious apartment where other tenants were complaining of their wayward behaviour.Before settling in South Africa, Mugabe's children were in the United Arab Emirates where they reportedly had some brushes with the law mainly over fights and banned substances.Grace's first child from an earlier marriage, Russel Goreraza, has also not been spared from controversy with reports claiming he was eyeing to join the legislature. The First Lady has reportedly set her sights on Harare South. News / National by Staff reporter THE MDC-Tsvangirai is reportedly plotting to recall its Kwekwe councillor, Aaron Gwalazimba, accusing him of backing Zanu-PF's John Mapurazi to land the deputy mayor's post ahead of the opposition party's preferred candidate, Janet Ticharunga.Gwalazimba is being accused of voting for Mapurazi in a secret ballot held last month to choose a replacement for the late deputy mayor Aaron Sithole. The MDC-T had initially suspended all its six councillors to expedite investigations before zeroing in on Gwalazimba.A probe team led by MDC-T Midlands North provincial deputy secretary for local government, Tendai Kokera, recommended that Gwalazimba be reduced to an ordinary card-carrying member for the next two years.Sources in the probe team said the councillors were informed of the findings on July 14, adding Gwalazimba would soon be recalled from council after he was found guilty."I think this was more of a personal issue because it's not clear how we can find one person guilty of voting for Zanu-PF in a secret ballot. I was against that decision, but that's the recommendation," the source said.Gwalazimba yesterday declined to comment on the matter, referring all questions to provincial secretary Felix Zifunze, who confirmed that the probe team had completed its work but was yet to brief the provincial executive of its findings."They completed the probe into the allegations and what they must now do is appraise the provincial executive which will either uphold their recommendation or veto it. So as far as we are concerned that has not yet happened," Zifunze said.Prior to Sithole's death, both the MDC-T and Zanu-PF had seven seats each at Kwekwe City Council. Divers found Michael Wood, 58, of Nelson County, around 1 p.m. near the dock at the Pelican Point Yacht Club in Union Hall, according to Sgt. Karl Martin with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. He said authorities believe Wood died from drowning and no foul play was involved, but the investigation is ongoing. Woods body was taken to the medical examiners office in Roanoke to determine the cause of death. News / National by Staff reporter A MAN was found dead in a ditch in Bulawayo's Pumula East suburb on Saturday morning.Obert Ndambakuwa was allegedly drinking with his friends at Cover Shopping Centre in Pumula on the night before he was found dead.His body and bicycle were discovered in a storm drain by passersby who reported the matter to the police on Saturday morning.Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said police were investigating the case."For now we are treating the case as sudden death. We do not have details for us to say it was a murder but investigations are in progress."The man was found about 100m away from where he is said to have been drinking with friends and his bicycle was in the drainage where his body was found," she said.Residents believe Ndambakuwa must have been too drunk to cycle resulting in him falling into the storm drain."Obert was drinking at Cover Supermarket and I think he fell into the drainage because he was too drunk," said a resident, Mr Honest Moyo.Ward 19 Councillor Clayton Zana, under whose jurisdiction Pumula East falls, said he was called by residents in the morning to witness the incident which had happened overnight.According to the councillor, Ndambakuwa had received false news that his mother had died on Friday.He later found out that his mother was only ill and decided to go drinking that same night.Clr Zana urged residents to exercise responsibility when stressed and to be cautious at night."When people are stressed they should always be responsible and not drink."Also people should desist from travelling alone at night as this is dangerous," he said. News / National by Staff reporter COALITION talks between MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai (pictured) and his People's Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Tendai Biti are reportedly on the verge of collapse amid reports Biti is demanding the 21 parliamentary seats he took away with him when he broke ranks with the MDC-T in 2014.The former Premier in the unity government was reportedly working around the clock to put together a formidable coalition that he believes would help him unseat Zanu-PF's President Robert Mugabe in next year's elections.But, the process was reportedly dogged by disagreements over who will lead the coalition and the sharing of parliamentary seats, among other topical issues.Informed sources told NewsDay yesterday that Biti's demands could stall the alliance talks, as Tsvangirai was allegedly insisting that the PDP leader lost the seats when he and his fellow "rebel legislators" were expelled from MDC-T and recalled from Parliament."Biti has demanded the 21 seats as part of the bargain. He wants Tsvangirai to guarantee that these seats will be left to the PDP representatives at the elections next year," a source said."On the other hand, Tsvangirai and his negotiators are not totally against the idea, but they have thrown in the (MDC leader) Welshman Ncube angle."Tsvangirai and Ncube have inked a pre-election pact in which the MDC leader was allegedly promised a few seats in Harare and Bulawayo with the MDC-T claiming the bulk of the contested seats.Contacted for comment, MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu would not "disclose details" of discussions between the two parties."The finer details of discussions towards the coalition will not be discussed in newspapers before they are finalised," Gutu said."We will make an announcement on what would have been agreed when the time is right. For now, let us give the process a chance and allow the negotiators to arrive at a logical conclusion."PDP spokesman Jacob Mafume would neither deny nor confirm the development."We need to agree on the principle of a coalition and the ultimate goal of removing (President Robert) Mugabe as well as the Zanu-PF system," Mafume said."As regards specific details of discussions, these remain confidential until the coalition proper is put together."In 2015, the MDC-T triggered by-elections in 21 constituencies mostly in Harare and Bulawayo after the expulsion of Biti and his camp following their acrimonious fallout with Tsvangirai over the outcome of the 2013 harmonised elections.Zanu-PF won all the by-elections after the MDC-T boycotted the elections, culminating in other opposition parties accusing Tsvangirai of donating the seats to Mugabe.It is understood that Biti was unsure of how to deal with National People's Party leader Joice Mujuru following her axing from Zanu-PF and the subsequent fall-out with former lieutenants Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo."It's difficult to make a decision because Mujuru does not look decided," a senior PDP official said."She might rejoin Zanu-PF or agree with Tsvangirai. Her idea is to join with Biti and then bargain from a stronger position with Tsvangirai."But there is an uneasiness given she has failed to implement some agreements she made with Biti previously. We would rather join hands with Tsvangirai than go the longer route." News / National by Simbarashe Sithole A Guruve tobacco farmer allegedly neglected his first wife after he made huge sums of money and snatched his nephew's wife making her his second wife.Aron Joe (32) reportedly married Nyasha Kanguma (25) after his first wife Yvone Midzi (28).It emerged at Guruve court today that the two allegedly fought on 30 June 2017 and the husband restrained the two before accompanying his second wife to file a report against the first wife.Ms Venesencia Musiiwa told the court that on 30 July the accused alleges she was bashed by the first wife with clenched first stating Joe as the only witness.The matter continues on 2 August 2017. News / Regional by Stephen Jakes Mthwakazi Republic Party has said it believes that Mthwakazi is a country on its own and was colonised firstly by the White colonialists in 1893, before the British merged it with Mashonaland in 1923.The party through a statement said it would like to inform the Zimbabwean government that, Mthwakazi is a great country that is ready to revive its own economy, culture, and its heritage."We would like to warn the colonial Zimbabwe to please stop using our people as condoms that can be used only for few hours before they are rendered useless for the rest of their life. We travelled to Nkayi district on the 22nd of July 2017, what we came across was a pathetic and too desperate regime sending its thugs to intimidate us. There were too many obstacles that were used to intimidate our people as well as the leadership of the party by the CIO and some war veterans working in cahoots with state security," said MRP."Many people we engaged around Mpumelelo area both the business people and the people from the Community narrated to us their ordeal in the hands of the Satanists. We discussed with some community members who live in the area and they have been there for between forty to fifty years."MRP said the old men complained about the evil Headmistress at Mpumelelo Secondary school who is now blocking people from using the school borehole."She is claiming that they will steal from the school. Surprisingly this Headmistress is not from the area and her age is way below that of most of community elders that she is ill treating and Mpumelelo High school is way older than her age," said MRP."How can people from the area steal from the school they benefited from?. Why now? Clearly these people are not here to serve any purpose but are here to destroy uMthwakazi as a whole. Why make our people suffer like that? Why is Mrs Masunda humiliating our people in their own area? Its high time this woman should go and leave our people in peace sikhathele ngaye and Asifuni Bumbulu this time."MRP said the business people who spoke to us also complained about this woman's behavior."There is also a staff teacher a Mlambo who is now illegally running a tuck shop at Mpumelelo High school. He also owns a Shop at the business centre. As a result of that, they are now conniving with each other to block students from buying out of the school so that he can supply them within their school yard. To us we see this as the implementation of the 1979 Grand plan," said the party."The question is, is this tuck-shop cleared to sell groceries within the school yard? Does it have a license to do so? What is the public service commission saying about this? Remember these people who are owning the shops at that area are paying tax."MRP said thirdly there are a lot of young people who are not working and spend their time rooming around the area yet they are suppose to be working given the abundance of natural resources in their province but Harare will not allow them."The so called war vets are threatening them to not attend meetings convened by MRP or any other party except if they are for ZANU PF. We don't know whether these guys who call themselves war vets have ever met the Zimbabwe Constitution which clearly states that we are free to sell our political ideas to the people without fear or intimidation? We don't expect umuntu onjengo Sandlana, Mhlanga and Tshuma to be used by ZANU to divide us as abantu bakaMthwakazi." said the party."We want to emphasize on this that we cannot allow such things to happen to our people, own land and own resources never never again. People of Mthwakazi should govern their resources within their boundaries because they are also entitled to self-determination. Mthwakazi is not going back whether they kill us, punish us, arrest us or even make us disappear. These warvets should stop creating enemies where there are no enemies. We will not allow anyone to touch any member of Mthwakazi anymore we will also fight back so Sandlana we strongly warn you against intimidating our people." New Delhi: Charges as levied by an operator on incoming calls landing on its network have no relation with tariff, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told regulator Trai, pitching for continuation of interconnect user charge (IUC). Mittal said the free or affordable phone calls customers are enjoying prove that IUC does not come in the way of affordable rates. "IUC has no relation to customer tariff and that customers are enjoying free or affordable calls is a testimony that the current IUC regime is not coming in the way of affordable tariffs," Mittal said in a letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Reliance Jio offers free voice calls while other telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, have slashed call rates. Trai fixes IUC that has several components. Charges levied for interconnecting mobile calls are at the centre of the IUC issue. A telecom operator charges 14 paise per minute for every incoming mobile call, called mobile termination charge (MTC), received from the other network. Reliance Jio, Reliance Communications, Aircel, MTNL have demanded scrapping of the IUC regime and moving to the Bill and Keep (BAK) regime under which no operator raises such demand. Established players -- Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular -- on Tuesday sought doubling of MTC, part of IUC, saying termination of incoming calls on their networks costs 30-35 paise per minute. "The current IUC at 14 paise is already well below cost and it will be in fitness of things that while taking a final decision, the Authority upholds the principle of compensation of work done by each operator and the IUC is set at costs discovered through a fair and transparent mechanism," Mittal added. He raised the issue of termination charges levied on incoming calls from overseas destinations, fixed at 53 paise per minute by Trai, and "no one has even talked about IUC for an international call settlement". According to Mittal, Indian telecom operators are required to pay approximately 1 cent for every calls that originate from their network and terminate on that of foreign operators. "Trai not even debating this issue, therefore, confirms the Authority's acceptance to the principle that IUC is indeed settled global practice built on fair and equitable settlements for work done by each operator for carrying each other's call," Mittal said. He felt that BAK should be rejected and India should not be subjected to a regime which is alien to the mobile industry the world over. The Niti Aayog cited Air India's "fragile finances" as the main reason for recommending the airline's disinvestment. New Delhi: The Niti Aayog cited Air India's "fragile finances" as the main reason for recommending the airline's disinvestment, Union Minister Jayant Sinha informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), on June 28, gave in-principle nod for the strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries. In its recommendations, the Niti Aayog had given the rationale for the disinvestment of Air India and attributed the main reason as "fragile finances" of the company, Sinha said in a written reply. "Niti Aayog in its report on Air India says that further support to an unviable non-priority company in a matured and competitive aviation sector would not be the best use of scarce financial resources of the government," he said. The minister of state for civil aviation was responding to a query on the main reasons behind the proposed disinvestment of Air India. "Air India has been incurring continuous losses and has huge accumulated losses," he said. NITI Aayog submitted its recommendations (fourth tranche) on strategic disinvestment of the central public sector enterprises on May 12. To take forward the CCEA decision, an Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism has been set up. The airline's total debt stood at Rs 48,876.81 crore at the end of March 2017. Out of the total amount, Rs 17,359.77 crore are aircraft loans while Rs 31,517.04 crore are working capital loans. "The rates of interest on aircraft/ working capital loans are linked to the respective bank's prime lending rates/base rate/libor plus margins prevalent at the time when these loans are taken," Sinha said. Till March 2017, Air India purchased 86 aircraft, including Boeing 787-8s and Airbus 320s. "Out of the 23 B-787 aircraft, 21 B-787 Dreamliner aircraft have been acquired under the Sale and Lease Back (SLB) arrangement and the remaining 2 aircraft have been procured under bridge loans till their SLB financing is finalised. "As per the turnaround plan, approved by the government for Air India, these aircraft were to be procured by Air India under SLB arrangement," the minister said. New Delhi: Insurance accruals lying unclaimed for a period of over 10 years as on September 30 will have to be deposited into a fund meant for senior citizens by March 1 next year, an Irdai order said today. "All insurers having unclaimed amounts of policyholders for a period of more than 10 years as on September 30, 2017 need to transfer the same to the Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund (SCWF) on or before March 1, 2018," it said. Sectoral watchdog Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has asked insurance companies to get details of such accounts and the prescribed format in which the unclaimed deposits have to be submitted from Department of Financial Services. Thereafter, insurers will have to transfer the unclaimed deposits of policyholders every financial year as per the SCWF Rules, 2016, said the order. The latest direction is in continuation of Irdai's previous orders regarding unclaimed amounts of policyholders. The Centre brought in Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund Act, 2015 (SCWF) as part of the Finance Act, 2015, which mandates transfer of unclaimed amounts of policyholders to the fund (SCWF) after a period of 10 years. There are rules under SCWF, specifying about the entities required to transfer such amounts to the fund and its administration. The rules apply to all life, general and health insurers. Ten state-owned banks have submitted their turnaround plans to the government, which is a pre-requisite for getting fund infusion. (Representational Image) New Delhi: As many as 10 state-owned banks including Bank of India, IDBI Bank and Union Bank, have submitted their turnaround plans to the government, which is a pre-requisite for getting fund infusion, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Central Bank of India, Dena Bank, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra are the other public sector lenders who have submitted their plans. Indian Overseas Bank is currently in the process of preparing its turnaround plan, said Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. "It has been decided that any future capital infusion in these banks shall be subject to achievement of select agreed upon milestones as per turnaround plan on quarterly basis," the minister said. A monitoring mechanism has been put in place, whereby quarterly performance of these banks would be monitored by SBI Capital Markets, who in turn would keep the Department of Financial Services informed about the same. "Banks that will not be able to deliver on the agreed upon turnaround plan for a period of two years will be identified as banks eligible for alternative recourse," Gangwar added. During recapitalisation exercise undertaken last fiscal, the government had decided that 25 per cent of the total capital requirement of banks (Rs 8,586 crore) will be allocated after achievement of benchmarks set up for select parameters. There are 21 public sector banks. Mumbai: With that swagger, that confidence, that attitude, and that smile - Pee Cee, for sure, knows how to ace a photo shoot. Global star Priyanka Chopra is not only ruling the world with her acting skills but also fashion choices. This lady has a knack for pulling off unexpected outfits in the most smashing way. For a magazine photo shoot recently, the actress looked beyond gorgeous in a red knit dress with a cape styled detail on the neckline, with bold graphic liner on the eyes and a red lipstick. But what blew the mind was the blonde wig that Priyanka is donning. A post shared by Priyanka Borkar (@hairbypriyanka) on Jul 24, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT On the work front, she has two Hollywood projects in her kitty currently ,namely 'A Kid Like Jake' which also stars Jim Parsons, Claire Danes and Octavia Spencer and 'Isn't It Romantic' which starring Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine and Liam Hemsworth. Farah Khan with customised hand-fan with her picture on it at the opening night of her film 'Om Shanti Om's play. Mumbai: Bollywood blockbuster 'Om Shanti Om' directed by Farah Khan has now been recreated into a play in Japan by Takarazu , the biggest theater company in Japan. Om Shanti Om still runs in theatres across Japan for the last three years and now becomes the first film from the Indian film industry to receive such an honor. Filmmaker Farah Khan flew to Japan this week, for the opening night of the play, for which she was specially invited as a front row guest. Farah spent a considerable amount of time backstage with the lead pair Kurenai and Kasuki, who essay Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's part. Ironically, Takarazu is an all female theater company with an actress playing the hero's role. Farah was overwhelmed to see her fans standing with her posters and waving out with Japenese hand fans with her face printed on them , which were later distributed in the theater. When contacted said Farah,"I'm thrilled and honoured that Takarazu has made my most loved film into a musical..proving that our countries may be far apart but our hearts have the same emotions". Here are some pictures straight from Japan: This undated photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a scanning electron micrograph of multiple round bumps of the HIV-1 virus on a cell surface. In a report released on Monday, July 24, 2017, researchers said a South African girl born with the AIDS virus has kept her infection suppressed for 8 1/2 years after stopping anti-HIV medicines _ more evidence that early treatment can occasionally cause a long remission that, if it lasts, would be a form of cure. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) London: A South African child born with HIV has surprised experts by appearing to be effectively cured of the AIDS virus after just a year of treatment followed by eight and a half years drug-free. Patients with HIV would normally need to stay on antiretroviral (ART) drugs for the rest of their lives to keep AIDS at bay. But this child, still off treatment and now almost 10 years old, has no signs of the disease. This and other recent, isolated cases of remission have given additional hope to the 37 million people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Yet experts urged caution, saying the case is extremely rare and does not suggest a simple path to a cure. "It's a case that raises more questions than it necessarily answers," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS), which is holding a conference in Paris this week. "It does raise the interesting notion that maybe treatment isn't for life. (But) it's clearly a rare phenomenon." The child, whose name and gender were not disclosed, was part of a clinical trial in which researchers were investigating the effect of treating HIV-positive babies in the first few weeks of life, and then stopping and starting the ART medicines whilst checking whether their HIV was being controlled. The United Nations HIV/AIDS agency said last week that 19.5 million people - more than half of the 37 million patients with HIV - are now on treatment. The vast majority of patients with HIV suffer an increase in the amount of the virus circulating in the body if they stop treatment, but this child was different, the South African researchers said. "To our knowledge, this is the first case of sustained virological control from a randomized trial of ART interruption following early treatment of infants," they said in a summary of findings presented at the IAS conference on Monday. The baby contracted HIV from its mother. Treatment with ART started when it was almost nine weeks old but was interrupted at 40 weeks when the virus had been suppressed, and the child was monitored regularly for any signs of relapse. "At age 9.5 years, the child was clinically asymptomatic," the researchers said. Sharon Lewin, an HIV expert at the University of Melbourne and co-chair of the IAS's HIV Cure and Cancer forum, said the case threw up possible insights into how the human immune system can controls HIV replication when treatment is interrupted. Yet in terms of the scientific search for a cure for HIV and AIDS, she told Reuters, it appeared only to confirm previous reports of similarly rare cases. "We know that very rarely, people who have had treatment and stopped it are then able to control the virus." The HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. Opinion / Columnist Tendai Ruben Mbofana is Programmes Director at the Zimbabwe Network for Social Justice (ZimJustice). Please WhatsApp/call: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com. Please 'Like' the ZimJustice page on Facebook for updates. It was not only shocking, but bewildering, to read - in a recent edition of the state-run The Herald newspaper - that Zimbabwe Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko recklessly referred to the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s as 'disturbances'.A quick search in my trusty dictionary revealed that a 'disturbance' was defined as, ' the interruption of a settled and peaceful condition'.The first thing that came to my mind after reading this definition was a brawl at a party - when two or so people fiercely argue over something and end up in a fist fight.That is clearly a 'disturbance'.However, the deliberate killing of nearly 50,000 people mainly of a particular ethnic group can never be described as a 'disturbance', but is unequivocally 'genocide'.'Genocide', is thus defined as, 'the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group'.As such, if I were to ask VP Mphoko to honestly choose between the two definitions of 'disturbances' and 'genocide' to describe what happened during Gukurahundi, which would he consider most appropriate?The man would be clearly disingenuous if he were to deny that what happened in the Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands provinces of Zimbabwe in the 1980s was a genocide - and he should be man enough to admit it.What is more disturbing is that he was one of the high ranking officials of ZAPU during those days - a party that was also the target of these atrocities during Gukurahundi.Not only that, but also he is of the ethnic group that was targeted by the ZANU PF government and its North Korean trained 5th Brigade in the genocide.Does he have some sort of selective amnesia?Or does his hypocritical statements reveal something else more sinister, as selling his soul on the alter of power and money, as he has chosen to join ranks with the very people who killed his own kith and kin?Is that what is meant by 'the love of money is the root of all evil'?Mphoko's trivialisation of the genocide is betrayal of the highest order.Rwanda experienced genocide of the gravest proportions between 7 April 1994 and July 1994, whereby between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsis were massacred by Hutus.That genocide is recognised as such - a genocide, and it is not referred to as 'the 1994 disturbances'.That does not mean that those two ethnic groups in Rwanda have not largely reconciled, but in fact, the acknowledgement by both groups that what happened was a genocide helped in the tough reconciliation and healing process.The same is needed in Zimbabwe.We expect leaders such as VP Mphoko - who is also responsible for the peace and reconciliation ministry - to be in the forefront in calling for the official recognition of Gukurahundi as what it is - a genocide.There will never be true reconciliation in Zimbabwe unless the ZANU PF government acknowledges that it committed genocide against mainly the Ndebele ethnic group, and apologises.Mphoko's feeble and shameful attempts to portray President Robert Mugabe's 'moment of madness' statement as an apology, should be treated with the scorn they deserve.Those who bore the brunt of Gukurahundi deserve and expect a genuine apology from those who perpetrated these atrocities - and nothing short will do.Any form of reconciliation - even in a family - starts off with an apology and acknowledgement, then the rest follows.An apology is not a sign of weakness, but of strength, as it takes more courage to apologise than to remain defiant.The ZANU PF government should now show that it has courageous men and women who are prepared to come forth and acknowledge and apologise for what they did.This is not opening old wounds, but an exercise in true reconciliation.The longer someone pretends that they never wronged another, the more the wronged party becomes enraged.Trivialising the genocide will only make matters worse, as this only serves to further anger those who were affected.Moreover, shifting the blame onto a third party - particularly, Western countries, without proffering any shred of evidence - further worsens an already critical situation.Can Mphoko please explain to the nation exactly how Western countries were involved in the 1980s genocide.The atrocities were undoubtedly one-sided, as such, the only other foreign entity that I know of was North Korea, which trained the 5th Brigade - other than that, would Mphoko care to enlighten us all.It should be made very clear that there was no civil war going on in Zimbabwe at that time.This was an army that was deployed to massacre innocent civilians.It also had absolutely nothing to do with the so-called 'dissidents'.If Mphoko is trying to covertly suggest that the 'dissidents' - who barely numbered much - were Western-backed, that still does not explain why the ZANU PF government deemed it prudent to deploy the notorious 5th Brigade to massacre nearly 50,000 innocent men, women, and children.What did Western governments have to do with that?As the VP was busy officiating at the launch of the national identification programme in Tsholotsho, so as to provide ID cards to those who lost their parents to the genocide, did he bother to be apathetic enough to consider how they felt as he trivialised what happened to their parents as mere 'disturbances'?When he was talking about reburying victims of Gukurahundi, and mass graves, did it ever occur to him that these were more than just 'disturbances'?As a member of both government and the ethnic group that was targeted in the Gukurahundi genocide, Mphoko should now step up and do the right thing.He should stop placing his personal and selfish political power ambitions ahead of his own people and national responsibility.We expect him to be the trailblazer in pushing for the official recognition of what happened in the 1980s as genocide.Even Germany officially recognised, decades ago, that what they did under Adolf Hitler and the Nazis was a Holocaust.It is actually a punishable crime to deny the Holocaust in Germany, and the West at large.The same approach is required for Zimbabwe, as we need official policy that also makes it a punishable crime to deny the 1980s Gukurahundi as genocide.The acknowledgment should be accompanied by an official apology from the president himself - as head of state and government, and commander in chief of the defence forces, both today and during the massacres.Compensation will then be discussed with those affected by the genocide.That is the only serious way to genuine peace and reconciliation in post independence Zimbabwe - if ever we are to avoid a reversal of the genocide in the future.It is very unfortunate that ZANU PF's divisive racist and tribalist policies sought to give the impression that they represented the Shona, which they clearly did not.This is ingrained in a significant portion of those affected by the genocide to view it as having been a Shona against Ndebele massacre - in the same mould as the Rwandan Hutu against Tutsi genocide.It is evidently not true, as it was solely a ZANU PF massacre of the Ndebele, and it is that party that must be held to account.The time has come for leaders as Mphoko to show that they are true leaders who will stand by those that they proclaim to be one with.They need to stop trivialising the genocide, and be seen to be in government not for self-aggrandisement, but to be the true voices of the victims of the Gukurahundi, and that they finally receive justice. Back in the 1960s there were around 2,000 northern white rhinos in the wild, but they were all wiped out by poachers for their ivory in three decades of poaching. (Photo: Pixabay) Wildlife lovers and conservationists are now making a last-ditch attempt to save the critically endangered northern white rhino from extinction. Scientists and fertility experts at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire are attempting the worlds first IVF treatment to save the northern white rhino whose numbers have plummeted to just three after decades of poaching. The three remaining northern whites all live under armed guard in Kenya and are too old to naturally reproduce.. Back in the 1960s there were around 2,000 northern white rhinos in the wild, but they were all wiped out by poachers for their ivory in three decades of poaching. So in an effort to save the endangered subspecies scientists have extracted eggs from three southern white rhinos, a more common breed, to make the first test-tube rhinos. The nine eggs extracted from female southern rhinos have been transferred to a laboratory in Italy to mature before they are fertilised with southern rhino sperm to hone the IVF process, before it is attempted in the rarer northern species. The last remaining northern white male, Sudan, is 43-years-old and reaching the end of his life. Both surviving females have medical problems which prevent them from conceiving naturally. If all goes well northern rhino sperm and eggs will be harvested from the remaining members of the species but because there are limited amounts to extract from these animals, IVF in more common southern rhinos is being tested first. And if they cannot make a pure bred test-tube northern white rhino, they will try to create hybrid animals from sperm and eggs of the two closely related species. If the treatment proves successful it is hoped it could be used alongside conservation programmes to help boost numbers of other highly endangered species. However experts admit this last-ditch attempt to save the northern white rhino could end in 'failure' because of the complexity of using IVF treatment on a two tonne animal. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kovalam MLA M. Vincent had sexually assaulted the homemaker twice, according to the police. The remand report filed by the police at the Neyyatinkara magistrate court on Saturday said that there was evidence showing that the MLA had raped the woman on September 10 and November 11. The phone call records and tower locations were crucial supporting evidence. This comes amidst the support extended to the MLA by Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and the protest launched by a group of women, including Congress activists, against the woman who raised the rape allegations. Mr. Chandy, who called on Mr Vincent's family on Monday, alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the case and that Mr Vincent was not given the consideration extended to even an ordinary person. A group of women protested against the woman, who was discharged from hospital on Monday. Attempts were also made to throw rotten eggs at her. Subsequently, she was given police protection. The traffic along Balaramapuram-Vizhinjam stretch was affected for over two hours in the evening owing to the protest. Meanwhile, the court will consider a request of the investigation team for a five-day custody of Mr Vincent for gathering more evidence on Tuesday. The court will consider his bail application also on Tuesday. Though the petition was scheduled to be considered on Monday, Mr Vincent's lawyer informed that he did not get any details of the case from the police. Subsequently, the court ordered the police to give the details to the lawyer. The court also directed that Mr Vincent should be produced in the court on Tuesday. Police suspect an old enmity to be the motive behind the murder. (Photo: File/Representational) Thanjavur: An unidentified gang on Tuesday hacked a 32-year-old man to death and beheaded him near a railway level crossing in the district, police said. The victim Rajeshsimman, the son of a former AIADMK town secretary in Ammapettai, was travelling to Saliyamangalam when the incident happened, they said. When Rajeshsimman stepped out of his car, four men on two motorcycles attacked him with sickles before beheading him, police said. Police suspect an old enmity to be the motive behind the murder. Hyderabad: The Narcotics Control Bureau is working on leads outside the state leading to the drug racket in the city. NCB deputy director-general Rajendra Pal Singh will arrive in the city later this week to discuss the different aspects of the investigations with officials of the excise Special Investigation Team. Excise SIT chief Akun Sabharwal said the assistance of the NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence was being taken in the probe to track the links outside the state. NCB Bengaluru zonal director S.K. Sinha said, The seizure of drugs has increased. It does not mean that addiction has increased, it is only that detection has increased. Our agencies are able to detect more cases of drugs being peddled. Addicts may also turn into peddlers, Mr Singh said. He added, Usually in metros, there would be multiple sm-all groups of peddlers ope-rating. These groups may have connections so that the supply chain is maintained. Mr Singh said that as per the law, 0.1 gram of LSD was a commercial quantity. LSD is smuggled in small quantities and it is very difficult to detect it. There could be multiple sources of the drug, he said. Asked about the status of the NCBs role in the ongoing investigations, Mr Singh said, Investigation into the Hyderabad racket is being done by the state excise department right now. Once the international links emerge, we will be following up them up. Currently we are working with Excise SIT. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers sweet to Ram Nath Kovind as he congratulates him on being elected as the President in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind was on Thursday declared elected the 14th President of India. Mr Kovind trounced his rival and Opposition candidate Meira Kumar by securing 65.65 per cent of the votes. Mr Kovind will be the second Dalit President, after K.R. Narayanan, and the first former BJP member to hold the office of the President. He will be sworn in on July 25. Ms Kumar, who promised to continue the ideological battle after the results were announced, lagged far behind with 34.35 per cent votes. On hearing of his victory, Mr Kovind, whose selection had surprised many even within the BJP, said that it was an emotional moment. Reminiscing on his journey thus far, which will culminate in Rashtrpati Bhavan, Mr Kovind recalled the time when the thatched roof of his mud hut would leak. Today there are many Ram Nath Kovinds who are getting drenched in the rain, working hard, toiling in the fields for one square meal in the evening, he said. The President-elect said he would be their representative in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In five days, Mr Kovind will move into the five-acre presidential palace built on the 330-acre estate in the heart of the national capital. BJP chief Amit Shah hailed Mr Kovinds victory as historic. Cross-voting in favour of Kovind Ram Nath Kovinds triumph was a foregone conclusion given the NDAs numerical superiority over the opposition, but his presidential bid got a push with lawmakers from rival parties cross-voting for him in several states including poll-bound Gujarat and Mamata Banerjees West Bengal. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovinds key election manager, claimed close to 116 lawmakers from rival parties, including the Congress, appeared to have voted for the NDA candidate. The 71-year-old Kovind defeated joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, after garnering 65.65 percent of the votes in the electoral college. A former Bihar governor, Kovind received 2930 votes with a value of 7,02,044, said election returning officer Anoop Mishra. Kumar got 1844 votes with a value of 3,67,314. The states from where Kovind got votes from the rival camp included West Bengal, where the BJP is locked in a bitter, and often bloody, fight with the ruling Trinamul. Kovind clinched the votes of 11 MLAs in the state, five more than NDAs tally of six. He also managed to secure votes of seven lawmakers in the Left-ruled Tripura, where BJP or its NDA allies do not have any MLA. These included six TMC MLAs who are likely to join the BJP. The Congress has much to worry about Gujarat where Assembly elections are due later this year, with at least eight of its MLAs appeared to have voted for the NDAs candidate. The party has 57 MLAs in the state but Meira Kumar got only 49 votes. In Maharashtra, the NDA nominee got 20 votes more than the alliances strength of 188 in the state assembly. Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are among other states that witnessed cross-voting in Kovinds favour. Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested seven second-rung Kashmiri separatist leaders and activists on the charges of terror funding. The NIA has been probing alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley after a national TV channel had in May this year in a sting operation showed three separatist leaders admitting on camera that they had received funding from Pakistan and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the chief or amir of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah, which has had sanctions placed against it as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations. Those who were arrested include Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Fantosh, a son-in-law of separatist patriarch Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Shah, perceived as an influential force in Geelanis Tehrik-e-Hurriyat party, was in the custody of Jammu and Kashmir police after he was taken into prevention detention in the last week of June following a request from the NIA. Also Read: NIA arrests 6 separatists, Geelani's son-in-law for funding terrorism The others arrested on Monday are Ayaz Akbar, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal and Peer Saifullah all close aides of the octogenarian separatist leader-, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bita Karate, a leader of a faction of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Naeem Ahmed Khan, the leader of National Front. Also arrested by the NIA is Shahid-ul-Islam who is the media advisor/secretary to another prominent separatist leader and Kashmirs Chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. An alliance of key separatist leaders has called for a shutdown in Kashmir on Tuesday against revengeful, arbitrary and illegal arrests. The alliance which calls itself Joint Resistance Leadership and has Geelani, the Mirwaiz and JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on it said in a statement, They have been arrested by the NIA on fabricated charges. It added, The leadership expressed serious concern about the safety of these people after their sudden arrests as no one has been able to establish contact with them and their whereabouts are not known. The NIA had a few weeks ago conducted raids at 23 places in Srinagar, Delhi and Haryana in connection with alleged hawala operations between Pakistan-based terror groups and Kashmiri separatists and claimed seizing about Rs 20 million cash, incriminating documents, letter-heads of some militant outfits, laptops and mobile phones. Those whose houses and offices were searched besides Khan, Dar, Islam and Saifullah Gazi are Javed Baba, Zaffar Akbar Butt alias Saif-ul-Islam and business tycoon Zahoor Ahmed Watali. Later, some of these leaders and activists were called to Delhi by the NIA for further questioning. They were accused of funding the unrest in the Kashmir Valley and the NIA claims that it has obtained irrefutable evidence pointing out to involvement of the accused in terror funding and other subversive activities. But the separatists alliance on Monday reiterated, It is a drama enacted by the Government through its agency, the NIA, of first raiding, then questioning and now arresting these people and thereby giving the impression that law and procedures had been followed and then these people arrested on grounds of some evidence being found to link them to the alleged charges. It alleged, The sensationalizing propagandist anti-Kashmir electronic media of India was also brought into play to aid and abet this drama and deceit. The NIA had in June registered an FIR in which Hafeez Saeed has been named as an accused besides both factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Geelani and the Mirwaiz, militant outfit Hizb-ul- Mujahideen and all-women rightwing Dukhtaran-e-Milat organization. The houses of those arrested had been raided by NIA sleuths in June. (Representational Image) New Delhi: Seven Kashmiri separatist, including the son-in-law of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, were sent to 10 days' NIA custody by a Delhi court on Tuesday in a terror funding case on the agency's plea that their custodial interrogation was needed. District Judge Poonam A Bamba passed the remand order while partly allowing the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) plea which had sought the custody of the accused, arrested on Monday, for 18 days in connection with the probe into a case alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley. The NIA told the court that the accused - Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Shahid-ul-Islam, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Nayeem Khan and Farooq Ahmed Dar - were to be confronted with each other and with other incriminating evidences. It also submitted that they have to be taken to various places for the purpose of investigation. Advocate Rajat Kumar, appearing for the accused, however, opposed the agency' plea saying that the NIA has already been probing the case for one month. Shah, the son-in-law of hardline separatist leader Geelani, was in the custody of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who had put him under preventive detention immediately after the festival of Eid earlier in July. Geelani's close aides Tehreek-e-Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar and Peer Saifullah were arrested by the NIA from the Valley. Shahid-ul-Islam is the spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. Hafeez Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of the Jamaat-ul Dawah, the front of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), has been named in the FIR as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Milat. The houses of those arrested had been raided by NIA sleuths in June. The raids were part of the NIA's efforts at clamping down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the Valley. The NIA had claimed that it recovered account books, Rs 2 crore in cash and letterheads of banned terror groups, including of the LeT and the HM, during the raids. On July 19, Tamil Nadu MPs, belonging to both, the DMK and the AIADMK, came together in the Rajya Sabha demanding exemption from the NEET. (Photo: DC) Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday said the Centre was reluctant in giving exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) as they want to deprive the backward class of availing benefits. Tamil Nadu is irked over the NEET examination being concentrated on CBSE syllabus, with 98 percent of students studying the state syllabus, leading to a poor result in the test. DMK spokesperson Saravanan said the state government is not asking for any favour from the Centre, but it is their right to demand so. He said when the bill is sent for the President's assent, he gives his approval, but in this case the Centre is delaying the process. "I think this is because the Centre thinks giving NEET exemption would not align with their policies. Their policy is to ensure that the backward class does not get benefits, and whatever benefits they are getting, they should be denied of it. That is why the Central Government is reluctant to give exemption from NEET," Saravanan said. The DMK spokesperson also targeted guns at the Tamil Nadu Government and said it is not serious about the issue, but is posing as if it is doing its best in the matter. "They want to use these leverages to escape prosecution from several cases staring at the AIADMK ministers, including the Chief Minister. We don't expect them to do something for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. They are there save their skins. That is why they don't put pressure," he said. On July 20, DMK working president MK Stalin had demanded that if the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is tendering its support to the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Vice-Presidential nominee, then it should also demand exemption from the medical entrance exam from the Centre. "The ruling party (AIADMK) should demand exemption from the NEET for their support to the Vice-Presidential election," Stalin said. On July 19, Tamil Nadu MPs, belonging to both, the DMK and the AIADMK, came together in the Rajya Sabha demanding exemption from the NEET. Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javedekar said the government has "taken note of everybody's pleas" and the issue was discussed with everyone. The government also said that it had given its views on the legislation passed by the state government for exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET and it was now up to the President to take a view on it. On July 27, the DMK will be holding a human chain protest against the NEET in all the districts of the state. Chennai: Setting aside the charges framed against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Egmore in a two-decade-old Fera violation case, the Madras high court has directed the ACMM to grant one-day time to him to put forth his arguments with regard to framing of charges on or before July 31 and then proceed with the trial and conclude the proceedings within three months. Allowing the petition filed by Dinakaran, Justice MS Ramesh said the petitioner is permitted to put forth his arguments on the charges framed in FERA case. Such an exercise shall be completed within one working day and such date shall be fixed by the ACMM on or before July 31. It is made clear that I have not expressed any of my views with regard to the merits of the petitioners case and it is open to the ACMM to frame charges against the petitioner, if such arguments are not advanced on the stipulated date, the judge added. The judge said, Though I have not attributed the delay either on the prosecution or on the petitioner, the fact remains that the proceedings had been dragged on for an unreasonable long period. The allegations leveled against the petitioner are of serious in nature and in order to secure the ends of justice, a speedy trial is undoubtedly warranted in the present case. In view of the same, the ACMM is directed to conclude the main proceedings, within3 months and if need be, on day-to-day basis. The judge said in the present incident, the petitioner had sought for only a days time for advancing his arguments with regards to framing of charges but the same was denied and the charges were framed on April 19, 2017. The prosecution had put forth their arguments only on April 10- and on the next hearing, the Magistrate had rejected the petitioners request for adjournment and expressed his opinion that a prima facie case was made for framing charges. In my considered view, one day adjournment could not have caused grave miscarriage of justice but on the other hand, would have extended an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. It is needless to mention that no prejudice would be caused to the prosecution if the petitioner was permitted to put forth his argument within a stipulated time limit of one day alone, the judge added. The judge said, I am conscious of the fact that by this order, the petitioner should not take advantage and protract the proceedings. Likewise by rejecting this petition, I am of the considered view that it would amount to denial of a reasonable opportunity of argument since framing of charges is an important event in the trial of warrant cases. In order to strike the balance between the prosecutions objections and the petitioners request, it would be appropriate to direct the court below to grant one day time for the petitioner to put forth his arguments with regard to framing of charges. According to Enforcement Directorate, as the sole director of M/s Dipper Investments Limited, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, Dinakaran had transferred 1 crore US dollars without RBI permission. The company maintained a bank account in UK with Barclays bank Suttan Surrey and during the year 1994 about 21 cheques, totaling the value of US$ 1,04,93,313 were deposited in the account of M/s Dipper Investments in the Barclays Bank. The money was transferred through a person who was not an authorized dealer in foreign exchange and without general or special permission of the RBI. A case was registered on Thursday against Congress MLA M Vincent, who represents the Kovalam segment, on charges of stalking, rape and abetment of suicide based on the statement given by the woman. (Photo: YouTube | Screengrab) Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA M Vincent was on Tuesday sent to one day police custody after he was arrested on a rape charge filed against him on the basis of a woman's complaint. The first time MLA, M Vincent, who represents Kovalam constituency, was booked for alleged rape, stalking and abetment to suicide of a housewife at nearby Balaramapuram. Vincent has maintained throughout that the allegation against him was baseless and was "politically motivated." "The MLA has been arrested in the case," Kollam Police Commissioner Ajeetha Begum, who is heading the investigation team, said. The case was registered against the legislator for alleged rape, stalking and abetment to suicide, police sources said. The incident came to light on July 19 after the 51-year-old woman attempted suicide by consuming an overdose of pills and her husband filed a police complaint against the MLA, alleging that he used to repeatedly call her over the phone and harass her. Police said the MLA had allegedly made more than 900 calls to the lady in the past few months. She later filed a statement before the magistrate and police, levelling serious allegation of rape against the MLA. Police had questioned Vincent for over three hours at the MLA's hostel here after which he was arrested. Reacting to the arrest, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said government was committed to provide equal justice and protection to women. "Government will ensure that the accused, however high, will get the punishment he deserves," he said in Delhi. No mercy would be shown to those committing atrocities against women, he said, adding the government views such cases very seriously. The development, which has stunned the Opposition Congress-led UDF, comes hardly a week before the state assembly is to meet. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former KPCC President K Muraleedharan said that a transparent and impartial probe was needed. Kerala Women's Commission chairperson MC Josephine said the statement of the woman victim was very clear. In such cases, the statement of the victim is important. The MLA also moved an anticipatory bail before a court in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Activists of DYFI, the youth wing of CPI(M), took out a march demanding his resignation and burnt his effigy in front of the MLA hostel here. Following the MLA's arrest, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) stated that the Congress should take disciplinary action against him and ensure that he resigns from his post. CPM leader Brinda Karat said, "It's a very serious case, especially after the MLA getting arrested. It is a shame to the party. The Congress must take an action as it is necessary for them to know what is right or wrong. They should also ensure that Vincent resigns. This is the least that they can do". The CPI(M) has also said that the party would launch agitations till he resigns and also boycott his public functions in his constituency. Opinion / Columnist Concept of Governance Accountability of Public Resources Are Our People Empowered? Areas of Governance That Are Critical Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Director of Southern Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (SIPAR) which is responsible for Policy analysis and Research. He is an academic and researcher. He can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com Governance relates to consistent management in our own resources. It also relates to cohesive policies, processes and decision making. Rights for a given area of responsibility. Proper oversight and accountability. Accountability if fundamental of good governance. Zimbabwe is a blessed country with so many natural resources which can benefit Zimbabweans, but a number of factors have made this to fail most probably because of bad governance and mismanagement of our own resources. We had more than 60 billion worthy of alluvial diamonds in Marange but up to now no explanation was given pertaining to the disappearance of these precious germs. There is need for proper governance and institutional framework to be put in place to avoid leakages. As we relate natural resources to entrepreneurship it is important to note that we have all what it takes in Zimbabwe to afford a decent meal on a daily basis if proper reforms and policies are put in place which are broad based and pro poor to benefit many. How do we define Governance of our own resources when most institutions have been staffed with inexperienced people, relatives, friends, spouses leaving out the experienced and qualified, replacing them with cadres who have the knowledge of patriotism and loyalty at the expense of the beautiful nation? We are the second platinum producer in Africa if not in the world, but do our communities resemble that? What shows that we have those resources? Who benefitted from the land reform? Was it the majority or it was only the political elite? Was the land put into proper use? Did we resolve the housing problem? Was the land question positive? Did it adhere to the development question? Who benefitted? Was it the masses or it was the political elite? Where is the problem? Do the public have a right to demand public governance?When we define governance, we are dealing with the issue of establishment of policies and continuous monitoring of resources f their proper implementation by members of the governing body of an organization. My question is do we have proper governance structures in Zimbabwe? If yes then why are we ranked as the second poorest country in the world with so many precious minerals? If not what is the root problem of governance in our institutions? It includes mechanism required to balance the powers of members and their primary duty of enhancing the prosperity and viability of the organization. We have so many policies at board but have they been implemented? We have JUICE, ZIM ASSET and BUILD, so what is the problem? Within a short space of time we have 10 point plan. We now have command economy. Do we have practicality in all these documents? Were the previous documents implemented? Do we have consistency in our policies or we have a guess work platform. Do we do feasibility studies before we carry operations? We just give away. It is very painful that we have lost so many precious minerals and natural resources to thieves who come purporting to be investors robbing our nation of resources. There is need for serious cleansing exercise in Zimbabwe.The concept of accountability in the public sector primarily evolves from stewardship functions for public resources entrusted to the executives. We have the judiciary, the executive and the parliament and all these three arms of Government are expected to uphold the rule of Law and have transparency in all their operations. We have a land question which was not resolved. We have the issue of diamonds which was not addressed properly. Many people enriched themselves without implementing pro poor based policies which benefitted the masses. Figures with the treasury could not tally or reconcile with what was on the ground. Do we need foreign funding? Do we need aid? We have ZISCO STEEL during the time of Welshman Ncube who was running the Industry Ministry nearly handed over ZISCO STEEL to Indians on a silver platter. What was the problem? We have a problem of rushing to sign deals and give it away without engaging experts in those areas who can have feasibility studies. Some they purported to be investors and then fraudulently got away with minerals and wealth from our beautiful nation just because they are no proper mechanism to avoid leakages in public institutions. What is the other problem? Giving positions to cadres, loyalists, inexperienced, relatives without considering the damage and repercussions on our wealth. Look at all state companies in Zimbabwe, they have been run down by few individuals who have staffed those institutions with girlfriends and cadres and what do you expect next? We are sitting on a time bomb. There is need for accountability and proper governance in our institutions. We have had of fake PHDs all over, people purporting to have knowledge to deal with situations but they get aboard they mess up because of lack of knowledge and understanding of how things are done. So what should be done? There is need to put proper institutions and establish independent audits to deal with such matters.We have a new economy that is emerging in Zimbabwe. The new economy is called entrepreneurship. We have a group of potential entrepreneurs in this country, if given the opportunity they can deliver the best results. His excellency Cde R.G Mugabe introduced the black empowerment scheme in the 80s and 90s and it benefitted some black majority such Nigel Chanakira ( Kingdom Bank Mogul), Strive Masiyiwa ( Econet Boss), we have Phillip Chiyangwa ( Former AAG Vice President), We have James Makamba ( Telecel Boss), Tawanda Nyambirai etc. so many others. These are just few people comparing to the black majority we have in Zimbabwe. today we have over 86% of people not working in Zimbabwe, most of them they have dependants whom they look after, so instead of looking for jobs there is need to empower the majority not along partisan lines but policies and other measures should be broad based covering the pro poor majority who are languishing in poverty. We have people who cannot afford a meal in Zimbabwe, we have so many children on the streets, we have so many vendors, and we have so many jobless people. How then do we solve this equation? The best is to repossess assets of those who looted in this country, starting with life style audits. So many Government projects have been availed but who has benefitted? We have big projects in Zimbabwe but still the issue of poverty is not yet addressed. How then do we solve this issue?There is need to ensure that there is sanity in all public institutions. We cannot have a same institution being run by someone for 30-40 years there is need for new ideas and leadership. There are processes that are designed to ensure accountability, rule of Law, stability, equity, inclusiveness, empowerment and broad based participation in all governance of our own resources. We have a cancer of corruption in all state entities and the private sector. It is difficult to attract meaningful Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) because of safety of public investments. We have areas such as public affairs management, institutional frameworks, reforms and development policy. We have a bloated cabinet with about 33 ministries with an average age of 75 years which clearly violates labour laws of any given normal country. How then do we govern our own resources using that criteria of selection of human resource? Transfer duty is meant to fund local bodies so that basic amenities can be provided to citizens. Hyderabad: Crores of rupees collected from property buyers in the form of fees and taxes at the time of registration of property is not being utilised for the intended purpose. The government collects 4 per cent stamp duty, 0.5 per cent registration fee and 1.5 per cent transfer duty on every property document registered with the stamps and registration department. The transfer duty is meant to fund local bodies so that basic amenities can be provided to citizens. But the government has not transferred Rs 300 crore collected as transfer duty in the past 15 months to the local bodies. The funds are instead being diverted to other purposes even as local bodies are struggling for funds to develop cities and towns. Successive governments in undivided AP too had not transferred these funds to the local bodies. After Telangana State was formed in June 2014, the state government transferred these funds to local bodies promptly, but only for a year. No funds have been transferred for the past two years. Areas within GHMC limits and HMDA limits would be the major beneficiaries if funds are transferred, as Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts contribute a major share to the revenue of the stamps and registration department as property prices here are high. Of the Rs 300 crore, the government owes, the local bodies in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy will alone get nearly Rs 200 crore. The local bodies, which include gram panchayats on the citys outskirts which come under Ranga Reddy district, are not in a position to build basic civic infrastructure such as roads, drainage systems, sanitation etc due to scarcity of funds. For the past two years, office-bearers of local bodies have been running around the finance department in the Secretariat trying to get the property transfer funds released, but in vain. Local bodies themselves are often at fault for not using the funds they collect. The library cess that is collected by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from citizens is not being used for the development and proper maintenance of public libraries in the city. The GHMC owes over Rs 300 crore to libraries. Same is the case with other local bodies that argue that they will clear the arrears once the government gives them the property transfer funds. Employees associations of local bodies are demanding that the government release property transfer funds promptly so that they can take up civic work on their own without relying on government for funds for basic amenities. Property transfer fund issue should be the main item on the agenda of the extended meeting of local bodies to be conducted by municipal minister KTR Rao in the first week of August. The funds allocated by government to local bodies in the Budget were enough to meet salaries of the staff. The government has to release the share in property transaction taxes to enable local bodies to become financially viable, said P. Mallikarjun, executive member of the employees association. The association wants the state government to devise an online fund transfer mechanism wherein the share of local bodies gets credited directly and automatically in their accounts once a property registration is completed at the sub-registrars office. If this is done, the problem of arrears will never arise. The rescue work is going on a war-footing. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Mumbai: Eight including six women were killed and eight others were injured after a three-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai on Tuesday, civic officials said. Many people are still trapped and search operations are still on to extricate those trapped under the concrete rubble. Eyewitnesses said four persons were taken out from the rubble of the building that caved-in, and rushed to hospital. The structure that came down on Tuesday morning at the Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area housed around 15 families. Most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be elderly and women. The civic body's control room received a call at around 10:43 am about the accident, a BMC official said. Fire engines, a rescue van and ambulances were rushed to the spot immediately, he said. According to the fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses said in the morning they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning since it is monsoon season. "Then I came out of my building and found lot of dust, cries and noise of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapsing," an eyewitness living in the neighbourhood said. According to a local resident, it was a 35-year-old building. The city and its suburbs had received heavy rains over the last several days, though there had been some respite since Monday with showers becoming intermittent. The Mumbai Police cordoned off the area while traffic was blocked on the Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a 'green corridor' to rush the rescued to hospital. A resident of the collapsed building, whose mother and two other family members are feared trapped in the debris, lamented that the chances of their survival are slim. Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the same building, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might be the reason for the collapse of the building. He said he was saved as he had left for his office before the building collapsed. The building was not listed in the dangerous category, as per locals. Rameswaram: The majestic memorial for the late President and Indias Missile Man, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam is ready and is all set for a grand inaugural at the hands of the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi at Peykarambu here on July 27. The memorial has been built near the tomb where Dr Kalam was laid to rest exactly two years ago on that date. Meanwhile, officials of Revenue, Police, IB, Central security forces, DRDO and other concerned departments held a top-level security review meeting at the premises of the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial here on Monday, which the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate on July 27. The team inspected the helipad got up near Dr Kalams tomb at Peykarumbu and the venue of the public meeting. Earlier, Ramanathapuram district collector Dr S Natarajan welcomed all the officials and led them to the meeting hall in the best traditions of Tamil hospitality. BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING: Designed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organistion (DRDO) at a cost of about Rs 15 crore, this aesthetically fitting structure with a central domed-hall in memory of Dr Kalam has a pleasing green belt abutting it and set amid coconut and other trees in this pilgrim-island. While a life-size seven-foot tall bronze statue of Dr Kalam has been placed behind the memorial building, a model of a 45-foot tall four tones weighing Agni-II missile, a project with which Dr Kalam was intensely involved when heading the DRDO, has been installed at the rear. This is a huge attraction with the tourists and locals here. The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi on the inaugural day, is all set to flag off a Kalam 2020 Science Vehicle that day for the benefit of the people at large. This vehicle that can go places is a unique digital resource-based mobile museum, showcasing through exhibits, write-ups and photos the life and times and scientific achievements of Dr Abdul Kalam, including his extensive work at DRDO and during the Pokhran-II nuclear tests. This Science Vehicle, after being flagged off by the Prime Minister at Rameswaram will traverse through 17 States including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The science vehicles yatra will culminate at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on October 15, the birthday of Dr Kalam, according to the late Presidents grandnephew Salim. Members of our extended family and the people of Rameswaram are extremely happy at these initiatives coinciding with the second death anniversary of Dr Kalam, he added. PM visit: Social media campaign launched Aiming to make Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the temple town of Rameswaram on July 27 a historic one, the State unit of the BJP launched a social media campaign glorifying former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The PM scheduled to arrive at Rameswaram at about 10.45 am will dedicate the memorial of the Peoples President that has been built at Pei Karumbu near Rameswaram by the Defence Research and Development Organisation on July 27, coinciding with Kalams second death anniversary, and then proceed to address a public rally at 12 noon. In view of his visit, the BJP launched a social media campaign highlighting the achievements of Kalam and also tweeting Modis tributes on the former President. The party led by its president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan is making arrangements for the vis-it. According to sources, during his visit, Modi will hoist the national flag in front of Kalam memorial before inauguration. At the Parliament, Kovind will be received by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: President-elect Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn-in as the 14th President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday in a glittering ceremony. Chief Justice JS Khehar will be swearing in the new President at a ceremonial function in the Parliament House. Kovind, along with wife Savita Kovind visited Rajghat and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Ram Nath Kovind pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Then, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind will have a one-on-one discussion on important files and policies before leaving for the Central hall. At the Parliament, both will be received by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The stage will be shared by President and President-elect, Speaker, Vice President and Chief Justice of India. After the oath of new President a 21-gun salute will be honored followed by the acceptance speech of President elect Kovind. After the event the new president and Mukherjee will proceed towards Rashtrapati Bhavan where outgoing President will give Kovind a tour of the official residence. Following which, the new president will proceed towards his new residence - 10, Rajaji Marg. Kovind, a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee last Thursday won the presidential elections by defeating Opposition candidate Meira Kumar. After final round of counting, Kovind got 7,02,044 votes out of a total of 10,69,358 while his opponent and former Lok Sabha speaker Kumar secured 3,67,314 votes. A lawyer by profession, Kovind has worked extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Kovind has been the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Scheduled Caste Morcha chief (1998-2002) and the President of the All-India Koli Samaj. He also served as the national spokesperson of the party. The saffron party had even tired to project him as an alternative to Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. He was enrolled as an advocate in 1971 with the Bar Council of Delhi. He became the Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court in 1978 and practised in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for about 16 years till 1993. He was appointed as the Governor of Bihar on August 8, 2015. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh during the two terms of 1994-2000 and 2000-2006. Kovind served as member of the board of management of the BR Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He also served as member of board of governors of Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Kovind also represented India in United Nations (New York) and addressed the UN General Assembly in October, 2002. Kanpur: Students, teachers and staff of the college where Ram Nath Kovind studied up to intermediate level are planning hearty celebrations for Tuesday when he will be sworn-in as the 14th President of India. Thrilled over one of their own ascending to the top-most constitutional post in the country, the management of the BNSD Intermediate College has decided to illuminate the premises and organise a community feast on Tuesday. The college is also busy making preparations for a live telecast of the oath-taking ceremony for its enthusiastic students and staff members. Kovinds sister-in-law who left for the swearing-in ceremony, prepared Rasiaur, a sweet dish made with rice and sugarcane juice, and Laddus, which are among Kovinds favourite foods. Principal R.C. Singh said the students would distribute sweets outside the college in the city. The farmers are protesting at Jantar Mantar for nine days demanding farm loan waiver, crop insurance and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: A Tamil Nadu farmer protesting at Jantar Mantar on Monday allegedly tried to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills but the police termed it a case of drug overdose. Farmers' leader P Ayyakkannu said that Subramaniam, a resident of Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district, "attempted suicide out of frustration as there is no response from governments to their agitation". "He tried to end his life thinking the governments would take action," Ayyakkannu said, adding that he never encouraged such acts. However, police officials said the man was suffering from depression and insomnia and took extra pills last night as he was having trouble falling asleep. "He felt dizzy when he woke up this morning. The police were informed and he was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. His condition is stable now," a senior police official said. A senior doctor at the hospital said the farmer claimed to have consumed some tablets due to which he felt dizzy and was brought to the hospital. "He was admitted to the casualty ward and his condition is stable now. He will be kept under observation for at least 24 hours," the doctor said. The farmers are protesting at Jantar Mantar for nine days demanding farm loan waiver, crop insurance and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought an exemption for the state from the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test. "The chief minister insisted that exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu should be given considering the welfare of the students of the state," said an official release quoting what transpired at the two leaders' meeting. Palanisamy's meeting with Modi comes amid ministerial delegations from the state meeting and discussing the matter with the top echelons of the Central government since last Thursday. His meeting also assumes significance as the Opposition, especially DMK, has been training its guns at both the Centre and the state government level on the issue. On July 20, state ministers had met Modi and Union ministers for Health and HRD, J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar, respectively, on NEET exemption. They had then submitted a memorandum with the Prime Minister seeking presidential approval for the two bills passed recently by the state Assembly aimed at exempting the state from NEET and pending with the Centre. The bills would pave the way for the continuation of undergraduate medical admissions on the basis of Class 12 marks, exempting Tamil Nadu from the ambit of NEET. On Tuesday, a group of state ministers accompanied by senior party leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi and took up the issue. The stepped up efforts by the state government come amid criticism from the DMK-led Opposition parties over its "failure" to protect the interest of the state's students. DMK working president M K Stalin had accused the central and state governments of "betraying" the interests of the state's students. Medical counselling was being deferred and parents were also worried, he had said last week. The AIADMK, DMK and other parties in the state have been opposing NEET, saying state board students, especially from rural areas, would find it difficult to compete with their peers from CBSE. Chennai: AIADMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, on Monday said that it will take legal action against Karnataka former DIG prisons, D. Roopa Moudgil, if she did not withdraw her charges that party general secretary V.K. Sasikala was given special facilities at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison illegally. AIADMK mouthpiece, Namadhu Dr MGR, quoted Perambur MLA and district secretary P. Vetrivel and Karnataka state unit secretary V.A. Pugazhendi as saying that legal action would be taken if Roopa did not withdraw her false charges. The AIADMK mouthpiece explained the rules that permitted amenities for inmates lodged for simple cases with respect to women. Convicts undergoing simple imprisonment are allowed to wear their own clothes and use their own mattress. With the permission of the jail superintendent, the class-1 prisoners could cook their own food using their money and may get help from other prisoners in this regard as well, the daily said. They are entitled to a table, a chair and a mirror. Though she was entitled to such amenities, Sasikala did not even fully utilise them, the ruling party's mouthpiece, which is perceived to have the backing of party deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran's faction, said. While this is the real status, former Karnataka Prison DIG Roopa is making allegations. There is not even an iota of truth in any of her charges and she has not released any evidence for the same, the daily said, attributing it to the party functionaries. It is obvious that Chinnamma is fully following all the rules and she was not provided any special treatment which flouted laws. The Karnataka government shunted out Roopa on July 17. New Delhi/Beijing: A section of the Chinese state-run media on Tuesday accused NSA Ajit Doval of being the main schemer behind the deployment of Indian troops in Doklam, even as Indian Army Vice-Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand said China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas and is bound to be a threat in future. Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi, meanwhile, said that India should conscientiously withdraw its troops from Doklam for a simple solution to the standoff. The rights and wrongs are clear. Indian officials have stated that Chinese troops did not enter Indian territory. Reports say Chinese troops entered Bhutans territory Foreign policy observers in New Delhi, however, point out that Chinese troops have entered Bhutanese territory in Doklam which India is obliged to protect due to the special relationship between India and Bhutan. Beijing is therefore seen by foreign policy-watchers in New Delhi to be cleverly deflecting the issue. Ahead of NSA Ajit Dovals visit, Chinas state media struck two different notes with the China Daily hopeful of a peaceful resolution to the deadlock with India while the Global Times said the main schemers trip wouldnt sway Beijing. In its editorial, Its never too late for India to mend its way the China Daily pressed for exploring ways to avoid confrontation. The Global Times editorial, part of the Communist Partys publication group, Doval visit wont sway China over border standoff, said Beijing would not talk until Indian troops were withdrawn. As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute, the daily said. New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval' Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the stand-off in accordance with Indias will, it said. Chennai: Vande Mataram, the patriotic song that had a major role to play in Indias independence movement for over a century, will have to be played at least once a week in government and private schools, colleges, universities and industries, the Madras High Court ruled on Tuesday. Seven months after the Supreme Court directed all cinemas halls to play Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem, before a film is screened, the Madras High court ordered the State government to take steps to play the National Song Vande Mataram in all schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions at least once a week. The song shall also be played and sung in all government offices and institutions, private companies, factories and industries at least once a month. When a petition filed by K.Veeramani, an aspirant for the post of BT Assistant, came up for hearing before Justice M.V. Muralidaran, the judge passed the order stating that patriotism is an essential requirement for every citizen of this country. Our Motherland should always be remembered by every citizen of this country. Several people sacrificed their lives, and families too, during the struggle for independence and songs like our national song Vande Mataram created a sense of belief and confidence among the people. The judge said our independence struggle had been one of the toughest freedom struggles across the world. In order to unify and to create a feeling of oneness amongst all in the country, several renowned leaders and authors composed several songs, poems, verses and also enacted several street plays and dramas to bring together the people for the sustained struggle for independence. He elaborated that one such song - Vande Mataram which meant I bow to thee, Mother - touched thousands of people and acted as unifier. Vande Mataram was originally penned as Bondey Matorom by Bongkim Chondro Chottoapadhyay in Bengali. It was later translated into Sanskrit as Vande Mataram. Though Sanskrit has been used in the song cursorily, the song was written in Bengali, he pointed out. He noted that perhaps in todays modern era where we have marched ahead with technology, our lives have changed a lot. We have become busy with our own lives that sometimes we forget our nation. Stating that considering the larger public interest and to instil a sense of patriotism in every one, the judge said the court passed the order and said in the event, any person/ organisation faces difficulty in singing or playing the national song, he or she shall not be compelled to sing it, provided there are valid reasons. TRB candidate gets HC relief in Vande Mataram question row The Madras High court directed TRB to appoint Veeramani as B.T. Assistant, if otherwise eligible, in four weeks. In the petition, Veeramani sought direction to Teacher Recruitment Board, which conducted recruitment for BT Assistant, to award one mark for the answer attended by him in the competitive examination for the question No: 107 (D-Type) (Paper II), in which it was asked to answer In which language the song Vande Mataramwas written first. It was asked to choose right answer among four choices - (A) Bengali (B) Urdu (C) Marathi (D) Sanskrit. Veeraman marked Bengali as correct answer and however TRB stated it was a wrong answer. The TRB had unfortunately not correctly valued his answer sheet and due to this was declared as an unsuccessful candidate. Aggrieved over this he filed the petition seeking direction to TRB to award one mark for the question and also sought a direction to reserve one post of BT Assistant in Government High School. Though initially, Advocate General R. Muthukumarasamy, informed the court that the song was written in Sanskrit, later he also accepted the fact that the it was originally written in Bengali. Court has placed its appreciation for assistance provided by advocates Sujatha, Bilal and Annadurai for taking pains in providing voluminous material for resolving the issue. Hyderabad: Despite the presence of the Chief Ministers of both TS and AP in New Delhi on Tuesday, there was no headway on the much-awaited delimitation Bill to hike Assembly seats in the two states. According to sources, when AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Union home minister Rajnath Singh over the issue, the latter conveyed to him that a political decision would be taken soon and it was likely that the Bill would be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. This means that the Bill would not be introduced in the ongoing session that concludes on August 11. Since it will take a minimum of six months for the delimitation commission to complete its task of identifying the constituencies with new boundaries, it would be prudent for the Cabinet to approve the Bill and introduce it in the ongoing Parliament session, Mr Naidu reportedly told the Union home minister. Mr Singh in turn conveyed to Mr Naidu that it was only possible in next session of Parliament, according to sources. Meanwhile, TRS sources said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who met Mr Singh at his residence, only discussed the issue strengthening the police force in Telangana state and also sought funds for establishing various battalions in the state. TRS sources said that the TS Chief Minister took DGP Anurag Sharma along with him to meet Mr Singh and they held discussions on issues related to the police department and not on delimitation. The sources said that Mr Rao may meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in New Delhi, most probably in the next couple of days where he will bring up the delimitation issue. After meeting several Union ministers on Tuesday, Mr Naidu said that among other things, he also brought up the issue of delimitation of Assembly seats that was promised in the AP Reorganisation Act with Mr Singh. Mr Naidu met the Union ministers before leaving for Amaravati later in the evening. Sources said he did not try to get an appointment with the Prime Minister. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With more skeletons tumbling out of BJP cupboard, the CPM state leadership is gearing up to unleash a state-wide campaign to expose the rampant corruption allegedly involving top leaders. For the CPM, the corruption charges against BJP leaders could not have come at a better time. The party believes that BJPs credibility has taken a hit following the medical college bribe allegations and it was the right time to expose their corrupt deal. The CPM is of the view that these corruption charges would prove quite handy in countering BJPs offensive campaign in the state besides neutralising Amit Shahs desperate move to expand partys electoral base in the state during next Lok Sabha polls. The Marxist leadership is using all possible means including house-to -house campaigns, social media and public platform to expose BJPs claim of being a clean and corruption free party. The CPM strategy is to put the BJP on the defensive ahead of Amit Shah's next visit to Kerala on October 22. Apart from the state leadership, the party is also targeting BJP national leaders to expose what it alleges the corrupt practices happening right under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nose in Delhi. Without the help of BJP top brass such corrupt deals could not have been possible. Such assurances are beyond the capacity of local leaders. It is a clear case of corruption involving the central leadership and the central government, pointed out CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. During the first leg of its house-to-house campaign, the CPM had adopted a twin strategy of highlighting Modi governments anti-people policies and its silence over attacks on the minorities and dalits in the name of gau raksha. But in the next leg, the Marxist leadership plans to bring the corruption issue right on the top of its agenda. With fresh allegations of corruption to misuse of election funds surfacing, the CPM leaders are hopeful of getting enough ammunition to target the BJP. The Moon, long thought to be a dry, inhospitable orb, hosts surprisingly large sub-surface water reserves, which one day may quench the thirst of lunar explorers from Earth, scientists said Monday. "We found the signature of the lunar interior water globally using satellite data," Shuai Li, co-author of a study by scientists at Brown University in the United States, told AFP. "Such water can be used as in situ resources for future exploration," said Li, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii and Brown Ph.D graduate. Li noted scientists had believed the Moon to be "bone dry" until about a decade ago, when scientists found evidence of water -- an essential ingredient for life -- in pebble-like beads brought back by Apollo missions. The Brown findings show numerous volcanic deposits distributed across the surface of the Moon contain "unusually high amounts of trapped water" compared with surrounding terrain. They say discovery of water in the ancient deposits, which are believed to consist of glass beads formed by the explosive eruption of magma from beneath the Moon's surface, boosts the idea that the lunar mantle is surprisingly water-rich. "The key question is whether those Apollo samples represent the bulk conditions of the lunar interior or instead represent unusual or perhaps anomalous water-rich regions within an otherwise 'dry' mantle," said Ralph Milliken, lead author of the new research, published in the Nature Geoscience journal on Monday. "The distribution of these water-rich deposits is the key thing," Milliken said. "They're spread across the surface, which tells us that the water found in the Apollo samples isnt a one-off," he added. "By looking at the orbital data, we can examine the large pyroclastic deposits on the Moon that were never sampled by the Apollo or (Soviet) Luna missions," said the associate professor at Brown's Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. "The fact that nearly all of them exhibit signatures of water suggests that the Apollo samples are not anomalous, so it may be that the bulk interior of the Moon is wet." Scientists believe the Moon formed from debris left behind after an object about the size of Mars slammed into the Earth early in solar system history. They had assumed it was unlikely that any of the hydrogen needed to form water could have survived the heat of that impact. "The growing evidence for water inside the Moon suggests that water did somehow survive, or that it was brought in shortly after the impact by asteroids or comets before the Moon had completely solidified," said Li. The volcanic beads contain only tiny amounts of water but the deposits are large and the water could potentially be extracted. "Other studies have suggested the presence of water ice in shadowed regions at the lunar poles, but the pyroclastic deposits are at locations that may be easier to access," said Li. "Anything that helps save future lunar explorers from having to bring lots of water from home is a big step forward, and our results suggest a new alternative." Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Artificial Intelligence or AI is growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the technology holds the potential to fundamentally transform the world we live in. It is present in our everyday activities, take for instance the smart recommendation systems on e-commerce platforms, image recognition systems on our smartphones, email spam filtering and speech recognition to name a few. Most researchers agree that a super-intelligent AI is unlikely to exhibit human emotions like love or hate, and that there is no reason to expect AI to become intentionally benevolent. However, the possibility of the same being used to do something devastating is highly likely and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk agrees. Earlier this month, Musk appeared before a meeting of the National Governors Association wherein he described AI as the greatest risk we face as a civilisation. On the artificial intelligence front, I have access to the most cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it, he said. This isnt the first time that Musk has described AI to pose an existential threat to humanity. But his statements before the nations governors were notable both for their dire severity and his call for government intervention. AI expert, Manuela Veloso of Carnegie Mellon University doesnt believe that the human race is even close to the point where AI might pose a superior threat. She however adds that the government must implement regulations on any AI-related products to ensure consumer safety. I believe there should be regulation (of AI) the same way if you and I would create some kind of milk in a factory, Veloso said. At the same time she also believes that scientists must be given the freedom to push the limits of AI as far as they can within the safety of their labs. I think the research, before it becomes a product, you can experiment, you can research or anything, otherwise well never advance the discoveries of AI, she said. While researchers and experts agree that regulations need to be put in place, the question of exactly who should be responsible for this task still remains unanswered. Since the government doesnt have a dedicated regulatory body to ensure appropriate functionality of AI, it is really difficult to think of any other alternative to carry out this task. Its high time the government of leading nations start considering the fact that it is important for them to establish a panel that will take shape soon and will begin offering rules on this matter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Employees will be implanted with a RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, login to computers, use the copy machine, etc. (Image: Three Square Market) Three Square Market (32M) is offering implanted chip technology to all of their employees on August 1st, 2017. Employees will be implanted with a RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, login to computers, use the copy machine, etc. This program, offered by 32M, is optional for all employees. The company is expecting over 50 staff members to be voluntarily chipped. 32M is partnering with BioHax International and Jowan Osterland, CEO, based out of Sweden. RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identification uses electromagnetic fields to identify electronically stored information. Often referred to as "chip" technology, this option has become very popular in the European marketplace. The chip implant uses near-field communications (NFC); the same technology used in contactless credit cards and mobile payments. A chip is implanted between the thumb and forefinger underneath the skin within seconds. A micro market, also known as a break room market, has become a staple in the US with over 20,000 locations and growing. While in existence for over a decade in the American workplace, the international community began to embrace this only a few years ago. A micro market is a mini convenience store located right in the employee break room using a self-checkout kiosk, similar to what is found at many major retailers. Businesses see multiple benefits when adding a micro market to their location, such as increased employee morale and productivity. 32M entered this growing industry over four years ago and is rapidly growing in market share and believes this technology will help it continue this trajectory. "We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals. Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc." commented 32M CEO, Todd Westby. "When working with our operators over in Europe, we came across a company of chipped employees at BioHax International and the concept of using RFID with micro markets quickly grew," commented 32M VP of International Sales, Tony Danna. "We see chip technology as the next evolution in payment systems, much like micro markets have steadily replaced vending machines. As a leader in micro market technology, it is important that 32M continues leading the way with advancements such as chip implants" added Mr. Westby. "The international market place is wide-open and we believe that the future trajectory of total market share is going to be driven by who captures this arena first," said 32M COO Patrick McMullan. "Europe is far more advanced in mobile and chip technology usage than the US and we are thrilled with the growth opportunity this enhancement will bring to us. Thanks to our market partners in Sweden, we met this innovative company and look forward to working with them to take our market share to another level." 32M is envisioning this technology to help it grow its other self-checkout businesses. "We see this as another payment and identification option that not only can be used in our markets but our other self-checkout / self-service applications that we are now deploying which include convenience stores and fitness centers," added Mr. McMullan. Employees will be chipped at the 32M inaugural "chip party" hosted at their headquarters in River Falls, WI on August 1, 2017. 32M based in River Falls, WI, is considered a leader in micro market technology. With its' patented technology and industry-leading smart phone application and inventory intelligence, 32M has grown to over 2,000 kiosks in operation in nearly 20 different countries plus it operates over 6,000 kiosks in its' corrections industry business, TurnKey Corrections. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Xiaomi claims that there is no evidence in the video to suggest that the device is a Redmi Note 4 or any other Xiaomi phone. Smartphone manufacturers are extremely careful about the safety of their products, especially after Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. OEMs across the world have ensured stringent safety regulations before each device leaves the production line. However, a recent video circulating on the social media has been showing a device exploding while it is inspected by the dealer. The video allegedly claimed the device to be Xiaomis Redmi Note 4. Now, no company wants to suffer from the crisis that Samsung went through last year. Therefore, Xiaomi swung into action and investigated the case. Their investigation revealed that the exploding device on the footage doesnt belong from Xiaomis portfolio. In an official press statement, the company has claimed that the footage has no relation with any of its products. The company claims that in an earlier incident, one of their Redmi Note 4 customers reported to a service centre in Bangalore with faults in the device. After inspection, they found out that the concerned unit had received damages due to the use of a faulty third-party charger along with evidence of physical damage to the unit. Xiaomi says that the unit was replaced with a brand new Redmi Note 4, despite the customer-induced damage. Regarding the circulated video, Xiaomi claims that: 1. The video was attained from a random WhatsApp group and has nothing to do with this recent Redmi Note 4 case. 2. In fact, there is no evidence in the video to suggest that the device is a Redmi Note 4 or any other Xiaomi phone. 3. The video is not from the aforementioned Poorvika store or any other Poorvika store. On further investigation, they found that the CCTV video was from a retailer in Anamangad, Kerala. Xiaomi India only started selling devices at 3G and Fone 4 stores a few weeks ago in Kerala. 4. The CCTV video was recorded on a different date, not 1st June (when the customer bought the phone) or 17th July (when his phone got damaged). 5. The customer in the video is not the one they dealt with regarding the unit replacement case. The customer has confirmed to Xiaomi that the people in the video do not include or represent him or any of his relatives. As for the video, a report from News18 claims that the same video has been used on YouTube to depict an exploding OPPO smartphone. Upon close inspection, it seems impossible to identify the handset from the low-resolution video. Therefore, it seems that this video has no logical relation to any particular product from Xiaomi or OPPO. Xiaomi stresses on the fact that they have been following strict quality control measures to deliver the best experience from their products. The company says that they find the action very disturbing and will be taking a legal action against the original publisher of the incident. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Since December, ISIS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. (Photo: Representational/File) Cairo: Seven civilians, including two children, were killed when a car bomb exploded near a military checkpoint in North Sinai, the Egyptian army has said. The explosion happened 200 metres from its military target, "when an Egyptian soldier used a tank to stop the vehicle," according to the army statement on Monday. The victims three men, two women and two children "happened to be in the area in front of the ambush during the blast," the statement added, without saying when the incident happened. "The explosion was large, carrying about 100 kilograms of high explosives," an army spokesman said in the statement. Egypt's military is battling a local affiliate of the Islamic State group that has waged a deadly insurgency in the northern Sinai, killings hundreds of members of the security forces. Since December, ISIS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. The jihadists have threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90 million people. The bombing by ISIS of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a South Sinai resort in 2015 killed all 224 people on board and severely damaged the country's tourism sector. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. (Photo: File) Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced he had ended a programme to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad" Trump tweeted. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State. Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred during the 1991-92 school year, and that the boy was given milk and cookies afterward. (Photo: Pixabay/Representational) Lower Burrell (US): A now-retired Roman Catholic priest is accused of forcing a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy to perform oral sex on him after counselling the 4th-grader about misbehaving on a school bus. The state attorney general's office on Monday said that the Rev. John Thomas Sweeney committed felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse against the boy at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell. Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred during the 1991-92 school year, and that the boy was given milk and cookies afterward. The Greensburg Diocese says the 74-year-old Sweeney was removed as pastor of Holy Family Parish in West Newton in 2016 after church officials learned of the allegation. Court and diocese officials were unable to identify a defence lawyer for Sweeney. Sweeney made no comment to reporters when he turned himself in. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. (Photo: AP/Representational) Madrid: A knife-wielding man shouting "Allahu Akbar" charged across the border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla on Tuesday, attacking and injuring a police officer, authorities said. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police) shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greatest), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla said. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between both territories or try and smuggle themselves in, but this is the first attack of this type. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by al-Qaeda-inspired militants. Morning News Brief For July 25, 2017 Morning Minute: New 007 Movie Has A Date + McDonald's Big Bet Pays Off As you start your day, it can be overwhelming to try to make sense of everything you missed while you were getting on with your life. Morning Minute is here to bring you the news you need to know to start your day, all broken down into tidbits you can consume before you finish your morning constitution. Here are this morning's headlines. Daniel Craig's Fifth Bond Movie Has A Release Date According to sources with knowledge of the proceedings, the next 007 film will be released November 8, 2019. And, following earlier reports, it seems Daniel Craig will indeed reprise the role. Though he probably won't command the rumored $150 million payday for it, he's still gonna make a lot of money. [Vanity Fair] McDonald's Brand Revamp Pays Off In A Big Way After launching a costly campaign to introduce new menu items and modernize their restaurants, McDonald's quarterly earnings reports reveal the company obliterated analyst expectations in key areas like EPS, revenue and same-store sales. The company credits their $1 beverage campaign and their new Signature Crafted sandwiches for much of the boost. I dunno about the new food, but if you've been inside a newly renovated McDonald's recently, it's a pretty nice experience. [CNBC] Scientists Marvel At Child 'Virtually Cured' Of HIV A South African child has lived most of its 9 years without drugs or therapy after being given a heavy dose of treatment for HIV shortly after birth. Scientists aren't sure why the child is so resistant to the virus, but they'd like to be able to replicate it for more widespread treatment. [BBC News] Trump Uses Scout Jamboree As Opportunity To Fill His Diaper Onstage For 80 years, presidents have spoke at the National Scout Jamboree to encourage citizenship, fellowship, hard work, etc. In West Virginia yesterday in front of a crowd of about 40,000, Trump instead rambled about Barack Obama, crowd sizes, Hillary Clinton and the "fake news media." He even threatened to fire his HHS secretary a former Eagle Scout, on stage for the event if Republican senators couldn't manage to pass the healthcare bill. [Washington Post] Roomba Maker Wants To Sell Your Home Layout To Tech Companies iRobot, the company behind the automated Roomba vacuums, wants to sell the floorplan data collected by their machines to smarthome companies like Apple, Google and Amazon. Using Roomba data, they argue that customers could achieve enhanced smarthome functionality sound systems that adapt to a room's acoustics, or air conditioning that meters airflow by room size, for instance. [Geek.com] Wisconsin Company To Implant Employees With Microchips Three Square Market, a Wisconsin-based tech firm, has begun implanting employee volunteers with microchips that allow them to access the building, log into computers, buy snacks in the break room and other functions usually performed by physical cards. Some experts have privacy concerns, of course. [CBS News] Lyft And Taco Bell Partner To Offer Late Night Pit Stops Lyft wants to let you know that it's totally ok to add a Taco Bell pit stop on your way home from a night out: They're partnering with the fast food retailer to beta test a "Taco Mode" that would highlight the detour opportunity, offer special in-car menus, promotions and more. For right now it's limited to an extremely narrow test window, but they hope to roll it out nationwide if successful. [TechCrunch] A US Navy surveillance aircraft was intercepted by two Chinese J-10 fighter jets in an "unsafe" manner over the East China Sea on Sunday, prompting evasive action by the former's pilot to avoid a collision, the Pentagon has said. "(The US Navy aircraft) EP-3 flying in international airspace on the East China Sea was intercepted by two Chinese J-10s. One of them came underneath it at a high rate of speed, then slowed and pulled up. This caused the EP-3's T-Cast alarm to go off essentially, and it was forced to take evasive action to prevent the possibility of collision," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters yesterday. "Obviously it's something we watch very closely," he said. Another Pentagon official later described the Chinese action as "unsafe". Davis said the incident took place on Sunday in the area between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean peninsula and east of Qingdao. He said the Chinese fighter jets were there for a while and "flying wing-to-wing" as well. "Again, such intercepts, when they're conducted safely, are not uncommon. This particular manoeuver that took place during the course of it was not safe," Davis said in response to a question. According to the Pentagon spokesman, the vast majority of interactions that they have with the Chinese military are perfectly safe. "This was the exception, not the norm," he said. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday questioned the silence of the BJP on the issue of the move of the Karnataka governments to have its own state flag. States like Karnataka are demanding their own flagsleave the Congress, but what about the BJP, Thackeray said in an interview to Marathi mouthpiece, Saamana, and its Marathi tabloid version, Dophar ka Samaana, on the eve of his 57th birthday on 27 July. First lower the flag of Jammu & Kashmir (that has a separate flag of its own) how long this unfortunate politics would go on, he said in the interview. This is the second time in nearly a weeks time that the Shiv Sena had targeted the BJP and the Congress on this issue. On 20 July, in an editorial published in the Sena organs, it demanded that the Narendra Modi-led Centre should dissolve the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka or stop all assistance to it. Besides, the Shiv Sena also dared Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and partys Vice President Rahul Gandhi to remove Siddaramaiah from the post of the Chief Minister. tomorrow rulers of Karnataka would demand a separate Constitution and separate armed forceswhile the the country is faced with the vexed issue of the special status accorded to Jammu & Kashmir, the Congress has back-stabbed the nation with such a move.., the editorial had said. President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, who will be sworn in as India's 14th president today, offered his respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. After offering floral tributes at the Mahatma's memorial, the 71-year-old leader returned to his 10, Akbar Road residence. At around 11.15 AM, a carcade arrived from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to take him for the elaborate oath-taking ceremony. At the presidential palace, which will soon be his new home, Kovind, accompanied by his wife, met President Pranab Mukherjee who was waiting for them in the study. The Lok Sabha on Tuesday was adjourned for the day after Opposition created ruckus in the House over a range of issues including two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members' remarks against Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia portraying him as anti-dalit. Amid uproar, the Opposition also pressed for holding a discussion in Lok Sabha on various incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection in different parts of the country. BJP members Virendra Kumar and Manohar Utwal, while speaking in the House during Question Hour on Monday, claimed that Scindia recently made insensitive comments and participated in anti-Dalit activities at an inauguration of a trauma centre in Madhya Pradesh. They have made false accusations against me. My image has been tarnished, a visibly angry Scindia was said, raising the issue in the Lok Sabha after it reassembled at 3 PM on Tuesday. A local dalit MLA of the BJP Gopilal Jatav recently inaugurated a trauma centre at a government hospital in Ashoknagar under Guna parliamentary constituency of Scindia, a day ahead of scheduled opening of the centre by the Congress leader on 22 June. After this incident, Scindia's local representative Amit Tawre said that the trauma centre would be sanctified by Ganga water. Tawre, however, was expelled subsequently by the district Congress unit for his statement. They (BJP members in Lok Sabha) are saying that I made remarks against dalit and that venue of the public meeting (at the trauma centre in his parliamentray constituency in Madhya Pradesh) was sanctified by Ganga water. Nand Kumar Singh (BJP member) also said the same thing about me. These charges are absolutely incorrect. I challenge them, Scindia said. The Congress leader also offered to resign if the BJP members accusations were true. Other wise, I demand that they must resign from this House if they are wrong. They must also publicly apologise, Scindia said. He also gave a notice for initiating a privilege motion against the BJP members for their remarks against him. Congress' leader in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, urged House to revoke suspension of the six members of his party, calling Speaker Sumitra Mahajan a kind-hearted person. "This is why you throw anything (on me)," Mahajan, however, said in her immediate response. Members of other Opposition parties including Trinamool Congress also urged the Speaker to revoke the suspension of the Congress members. As the commotion continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day, saying, "If you are bent upon creating a ruckus, how will the House run? I have told you to raise your concerns under the rules. Earlier in morning, the Opposition created ruckus in the Lok Sabha over cow vigilantes and incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection soon, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House within few minutes after it assembled for the day in morning. The Opposition on Tuesday created ruckus in the Lok Sabha over cow vigilantes and incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House. "So, you don't want the House to function. It is Okay. I am adjourning the House to allow members and ministers participate in the oath taking of the 14th President and other ceremonies," Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, adjourning the proceedings till 3 pm. The Speaker had to adjourn the proceedings to enable members attend the oath taking ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind which was scheduled to be held at 12.15 pm. As soon as the House assembled for the day and the Question Hour began, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of cow vigilantism and the "repeated" incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection. Madam, the ex-Chairman of the ISRO (UR Rao) has expired. Therefore, condolence should be expressed in the House, the Congress member also said, amid disruptions. Kharge had given a notice to adjourn the Question Hour. Mahajan, however, refused to allow Kharge's notice, saying there was no rule for it. Incidentally, the first question to be take up in the House was "whether it is a fact that 99.19 per cent cows and 99 per cent oxen are productive in the country." The question, however, could not be answered by the Minister concerned as the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, amid noisy protest by the Opposition. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I am excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Larry Page, CEO of California-based US multinational conglomerate Alphabet, said in a statement yesterday. A long-time Google employee, 45-year-old Pichai, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus born in Chennai, has been leading the company for the past two years. As Google's Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for Google's product development and technology strategy, as well as the company's day-to-day-operations. Pichai joined Google in 2004 and helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people. In 2014, he took over product, engineering, and research efforts for all of Google's products and platforms. After years of working closely with Google's co-founders, Page and Sergey Brin, he became Google's CEO in August 2015. Under Pichai, Google has boosted sales from its core advertising and YouTube business, while also investing in machine learning, hardware and cloud computing. Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of Alphabet, the search giant's parent company has said. Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that India should conscientiously withdraw its troops from the disputed Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector for a simple solution to the over a month-long border standoff. Putting the onus on India to end the border stalemate, Wang also claimed that India admitted to entering Chinese territory. Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face-off in the Dokalam area for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area. China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops. But External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Parliament last Thursday that both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff. The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory, Wang said. In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. The solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw, he said. They were accused of raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including hawala, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and for causing disruption in Kashmir Valley by way of pelting stones on the security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India. The NIA court on Tuesday sent seven Hurriyat leaders to ten days police custody as the agency started the hunt for "big fishes" in the terror funding case.Sources said the next course of action by the investigators is likely to send notices to top separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik.Investigators are also trying to find the chain of command behind the financing of terrorist activities.The agency sought 18 days of custody but district Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed only ten days custody in connection with its probe into a case alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir.The NIA told the court that all the accused -- Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Shahid-ul-Islam, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Nayeem Khan and Farooq Ahmed Dar -- were to be confronted with each other and need to be taken to other places.Opposing the NIA plea, the accused's lawyer argued that the probe is on for about a month.The houses of those arrested had been raided by NIA sleuths last month.The raids were part of the NIA's efforts at clamping down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the Valley.The NIA had claimed that it recovered account books, Rs two crore in cash and letterheads of banned terror groups, including of the LeT and the HM, during the raids.The NIA had on May 30 against "separatist and secessionist" leaders, including the members of Hurriyat Conference, who have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Dukhtarane Millat, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and other terrorist organizations/associations and gangs. Washington's ban on US citizens travelling to North Korea will have no effect on the country's tourism industry and Pyongyang does not care about it "at all", a senior development official insisted today. The measure is due to be enacted this week and once it goes into force US passports will no longer be valid for travel to the isolated country, which is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. Around 5,000 Western tourists visit the North each year, tour companies say, with about 20 percent of them Americans. Standard one-week trips cost about USD 2,000. But Han Chol-Su, vice-director of the Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, denied the loss of business would have any impact. "If the US government says Americans cannot come to this country, we don't care a bit," he told AFP in Pyongyang. Washington announced the move after the death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in the North for trying to steal a propaganda poster. Warmbier was sent home in a mysterious coma last month -- Pyongyang said he had contracted botulism -- and died soon afterwards, prompting US President Donald Trump to denounce the "brutal regime". The State Department has long warned its citizens against travelling to North Korea, telling them they are "at serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement", which "imposes unduly harsh sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes in the United States". Showing disrespect to the country's leaders and proselytising are among the actions that can be treated as crimes, the State Department warns, saying it is "entirely possible" that money spent by tourists in the North goes to fund its weapons programmes. Han's organisation is trying to promote the Wonsan-Mount Kumgang International Tourist Zone, a grandiose vision of a tourism-driven development hub on the east coast. He said Washington's move was politically motivated. "The US has been continuing with sanctions against us but we don't care at all," he said. Tour companies say business has already been hit hard by recent developments, including tensions over the North's weapons programmes, which have seen Trump administration officials warn that military action was an option on the table. "Certainly, of all the dramas that have gone on lately, the Warmbier issue is the biggest one for tourism," said Simon Cockerell, general manager of market leader Koryo Tours which has seen bookings fall 50 percent. "It's depressed the market quite considerably." The latest US move, he said, would hit North Koreans working in the tourist sector, and wipe out "any possibility of a humanising human element between those two sides who demonise each other so much". Matt Kulesza, of Young Pioneer Tours -- the company which brought Warmbier to the country -- said the ban's effect on the North would be "absolutely nothing". But Americans, he added, would lose "the freedom to travel to DPRK (North Korea) and experience the DPRK for themselves and another side to this country that's not often portrayed in the media". India's food regulator has asked the tea bag manufacturers not to use staple pins in the tea bags as loose staple could be a potential health hazard to consumers. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has asked the industry to discontinue the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of stapled tea bags from January 1. 2018, the FSSAI said in an order. At present, there are two types of tea bags available in the market like stapled tea bags and knotted tea bags. Use of stapled pins in tea bags poses potential hazard to consumers since any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with tea may cause serious health hazard, according to the order issued earlier this month. The regulator has also defined the tea bags in its Tea (Marketing) Control order 2003. Tea bag is defined as packet containing tea in bags made of filter paper, nylon net and any other acceptable material conforming to international norms and standards for brewing of tea liquor by direct immersion of such bags in hot or cold water. Majority of tea bags being sold in the market use staple pins. Tea bags are among the fastest growing segments in the tea business. Former Calcutta High Court judge Justice C S Karnan on Tuesday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to remit the six-month jail term awarded to him by the Supreme Courts nine-judge bench on May 9 for contempt of court. Nowhere in the world, a person accused of an offence could have been sentenced without a charge, without a lawyer, without his presence secured, without a judgement, nay, a judgement being authored after the execution of the sentence. Justice Karnans case could be the sole exception, stated a letter petition sent by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara and others. The petition, claimed to have been sent on behalf of Justice Karnan, further contended, Your Excellency being a lawyer for more than half a century, an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India, will be shocked by the injustice done to Justice C S Karnan and more than that the flagrant violation of the constitutional provisions by none other than the institution of Supreme Court, the very protector of the Constitution and the law. The counsel sought the Presidents intervention by remitting the sentence or suspending it till the review and recall application filed by Justice Karnan. President Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, officials say, and launched a fresh Twitter tirade today against the man who was the first US senator to endorse his candidacy. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump tweeted. The president's anger over Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the government's investigation of Russian meddling in the US election had burst into public view yesterday when he referred to Sessions in a tweet as "beleaguered." Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump earlier this month assailed Sessions in a New York Times interview for taking himself out of the Russia probe, saying that if he'd known Sessions would choose that course he wouldn't have installed him at the Justice Department. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered AG, looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" the president tweeted yesterday. His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, traveled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. Trump's rapid-fire tweeting resumed at daybreak today, with the president wondering aloud about Sessions' "VERY weak" position on "Hillary Clinton crimes." In another post to his Twitter account, Trump said: "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign quietly working to boost Clinton. So where is the investigation AG." Trump's intensifying criticism of Sessions has fueled speculation that Sessions may resign even if Trump opts not to fire him. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Trump were to fire Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It could also raise the specter of Trump asking Rosenstein or whomever he appoints to fill the position to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump's campaign. The name of one longtime Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was floated yesterday as a possible replacement for Sessions, but a person who recently spoke to the former New York City mayor said that Giuliani had not been approached about the position. Giuliani told CNN yesterday that he did not want the post and would have recused himself had he been in Sessions' position. The president's tweet about the former Alabama senator comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, said that Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump has seethed about Sessions' decision for months, viewing it as disloyal arguably the most grievous offense in the president's mind and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. Though Vaghela has clarified that he was not interested in fighting Rajya Sabha polls, BJP is keeping its strategy close to its chest and sending out mixed signals. A section in BJP is of the opinion that they should either have three candidates of their own. However, if party decides to go ahead with only two official candidates, it should be open to support a third outsider so that Ahmed Patel is unable to make it to Upper House for the fifth time. Ahmed Patel is expected to file his nomination from Gujarat on Wednesday and has already been officially supported by lone JD(U) and two of the NCP legislators. The Congress in Gujarat on Tuesday claimed that senior political leader and former chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela was putting pressure on the party to declare him the chief ministerial candidate during the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.This was not acceptable to the party at any cost, Ashok Gehlot, Congress party in-charge, said about the differences between Vaghela and Congress.Vaghela had on July 21 announced his decision to quit Congress alleging that the party was involved in severe infighting and not willing to do homework to wrest control of government in the state from BJP after gap of 22 years. Though Vaghela had said that he was not retiring nor joining any political party, there had been murmurs of his likelihood of coming back to Congress fold as he had stopped short of criticising Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.However, with Gehlot's statement, that possibility now appears distant.Gehlot said that Vaghela had acted under duress to cause harm to Congress and under pressure from CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. Gehlot was speaking to media persons after the party held its state executive meeting on Tuesday to discuss its strategy for the upcoming elections after exit of Vaghela. The party is also likely to review its earlier decision of fielding all the sitting 57 legislators as its candidates for assembly polls, leaving some of Vaghela supporters out from the race.The party is also in huddle to ensure that Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi, can easily scrape through in forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls on August 8. Gujarat, that would elect three representatives to the Upper House, would have seen two persons from ruling BJP and one from Congress sail through in normal circumstances. The Congress candidate needs 46 first preference votes, that he should normally get. However, with 11 of the 57 legislators voting for Ramnath Kovind in presidential polls recently and Vaghela quitting party, the scenario has become completely puzzling for Congress. Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has sought early retirement and his request has been accepted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a media report said today. Basit, who was set to retire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2018, had "submitted an application to Prime Minister Sharif for his early retirement which was accepted," Geo News reported, citing sources. The channel did not give any reason for Basits premature retirement but foreign office sources earlier told PTI that he was unhappy over the appointment of current foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua, who is junior to Basit. Basit joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and held several diplomatic assignments at Pakistani missions abroad. Prior to his appointment as the High Commissioner to India in 2014, Basit had served as Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany from May 2012 till March 2014. Basit has already completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi. Sohail Mahmood, the new designated High Commissioner to India, is expected to take up his responsibilities next month, the channel reported. Mahmood, 55, currently Pakistan's envoy in Turkey, is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Service in 1985. China today defended the action of its fighter jets flying close to a US naval plane in the East China Sea, saying American aircraft coming near China's border and carrying out reconnaissance has threatened China's national security. China's Defence Ministry was responding to a report that the US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft had to take evasive action on Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane zoomed underneath it. The ministry said the action of its pilots was "legal, necessary and professional". "The US military aircraft coming near China's border and carrying out reconnaissance has threatened China's national security, damaged Sino-US military air and sea safety, endangered the personal safety of both pilots," it said in a statement. "The US side should immediately stop such unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly dangerous military activities and take practical measures to add positive energy to the development of Sino-US military relations," it said. Reports from US quoting Pentagon as saying that the US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft had to take evasive action on Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane conducted sorties perilously close to it. The Chinese jet reportedly flew beneath it, slowed down and appeared in front of it, the Pentagon said earlier. The East China Sea is part of the Pacific and home to small islands whose ownership is disputed by China, Japan and Taiwan. China also claims a string of islets across the South China Sea. The US accused China of conducting unsafe intercepts twice in May, when similar encounters occurred between a WC- 135 "nuclear sniffer" plane and Chinese SU-30 fighters over the East China Sea and later in the month between a US Navy P-3 and Chinese J-10s over the South China Sea. The long-pending demand of the residents, here, for railway over-bridge or under-bridge to ease vehicular traffic, at the railway level-crossing, is all set to be fulfilled. If all goes as per plan, the city will get four railway bridges. The residents of the city have been seeking an over-bridge at Market Road, between Jain Street and Mahaveera Circle, connecting the old town with the new city areas. Hundreds of vehicles ply on the Market Road and Jain street every day, but have to stop inevitably at the railway gate, every time the train passes, causing traffic jam and irritation to vehicle users. The struggle by the Mandya Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI) and others has finally yielded results as the department of Infrastructure Development has approved the construction of four Railway Over Bridges (ROB) or Railway Under Bridges (RUB) in the city limits. M P Mahendra Babu of the MCCI said, many have lost their lives due to accidents near the railway gate. As the road is narrow, vehicle density is more and are prone to mishaps. Construction of a railway bridge was the main demand of our organisation and we had submitted a number of memoranda to many officials. Now, our efforts have yielded results, he added. Railway bridges Approval has been given for construction of four railway bridges at Hanakere railway gate on Mysuru-Bengaluru rail route, Mandya-Yeliyuru gate (73rd level crossing), Kallahalli railway gate (75th level crossing) and V C Farm railway gate (76th level crossing). Experts will make spot inspection and decide on the construction of an over-bridge or an under-bridge. Both the Centre and the state governments are funding on 50:50 basis. No objection With the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, and Assistant Commissioners issuing no objection certificates (NOC) for the project, the works will begin soon. However, there is a need for acquiring private lands for the purpose in the city. The land owners have agreed to part with their lands if the compensation is paid as per the Land Acquisition Act rules. Farmer leader Rajegowda said, sugar cane laden bullock carts move on the Kallahalli and V C Farm railway gates and sometimes, there is no clue about the moving train, resulting in mishaps. The decision to construct the bridges is a welcome move, he said. Demands for release of water into canals has intensified with pro-Kannada organisations issuing suicide threats and planning a protest and Maddur bandh on July 27. If the state government does not release water from KRS dam to Visvesvaraya Canal before July 28, the members of the organisation will commit suicide on the Maddur lake bed, warned Ramesh Gowda, president of Karnataka Janapara Vedike, here on Tuesday. The indefinite protest, being staged by the organisation, entered its 18th day on Tuesday. Gowda told reporters that a woman sadhwi called Honnamma sacrificed her life for the construction of Maddur lake. Similarly, five members are ready to sacrifice their lives for water. The government should not neglect our demand. It should release water, he said. He said that a mega protest will be staged on the lake bed on July 27. Seers of various mutts, film actors, leaders of pro-Kannada organisations, legislators, hundreds of farmers with their tractors, bullock carts and cattle will participate. More than 20,000 farmers are expected to participate, Gowda said. Traders Union president Veerabhadraswamy said that shops will voluntarily down their shutters to extend support to the bandh on July 27. Members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha also staged a protest by blocking the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway at Koppa Circle demanding the release of water into canals. Demanding release of water into canals in the KRS command area, Congress workers staged a protest and laid siege to the Cauvery Neeravari Nigams office at KRS in the taluk on Tuesday. Hundreds of workers, led by district convenor M Puttegowda, urged the officials to release water into the canals. He said that the canals were laid 80 years ago and this is the first time water has not been released during monsoon. The farmers are already worried as they are not able to take up agricultural activities. There is insufficient water for drinking and feeding the livestock. If at least 25% of the water that is being released to Tamil Nadu is diverted into the canals, farmers will benefit. The government should immediately issue an order to release the water, Puttegowda said. Earlier, Congress workers visited several government offices and listed out a few demands. They first visited the DySPs office in the town and urged him to install signal lights and road humps on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway at accident prone zones. Later, they visited the PWD and BEOs offices and urged BEO Ruksana and Assistant Engineer Ramakrishnegowda to provide basic amenities to the government schools and to renovate the dilapidated government school buildings in the taluk. They also visited Sri Ranganathaswami temple and sought distribution of prasad to the devotees similar to the practice followed in temples in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Scoot, the low-cost long-haul carrier owned by Singapore Airlines, is eyeing greater opportunities in Indias tier II cities, looking at flights to Mangaluru, Guwahati, and Bhubaneswar, among others, over the next three to four years. We want to tap markets like Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Mangaluru to name a few, as we become more bullish on tier II cities. This is our long-term goal, which could take three to four years. Metro cities have seat constraints, while there are 18 tier II cities with an open skies policy, which allows any number of flights to operate, and it is here that we see opportunities, Scoot India Country Head Bharath Mahadevan told DH, adding that even Pune, Madurai and Chandigarh are under consideration, depending on the required bilaterals. Mahadevans statement comes by the backdrop of Scoot merging with sibling Tigerair on Monday, in a bid to derive greater cost synergy, leading to offer seamless customer service. The merger will get both airlines under one brand Scoot and sporting the same livery. Besides, Scoots fleet of 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with Tigerairs 23 Airbus A320s will be able to serve respective circuits seamlessly 65 destinations in total across 18 countries. With its dual fleet operating in India, Scoot will fly Bengaluru, Lucknow, Thiruchirapalli, Kochi, Hyderabad and Jaipur with the A320, while Chennai and Amritsar will be served with the 787. In all, 50 weekly flights will be served between India and Singapore. Considering the entire Singapore Airlines Group Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Scoot, and Tigerair 185 weekly flights are served between Singapore and India, through 15 destinations. There would be very little cannibalisation across our brands. As far as low-cost offerings are concerned, between Scoot and Tigerair, we enjoy 80% load factor, which is expected to grow by 3-4% after the merger, thanks to a unified network and competitive fares, Mahadevan said. Talking about the UDAN scheme, he said that Scoot would be benefited, as a lot of traffic is expected to come from neighbouring markets. For instance, over the last few years, we've seen huge growth in leisure traffic to Singapore from various parts of Karnataka Belagavi, Mysuru and Mangaluru, while we've also seen heavy growth in inbound tourists to Karnataka. We also want to increase flights to Bengaluru as well as other destinations in India," he added. The Bharatiya Janata Party threatened to paralyse the functioning of the Bihar Assembly in the ensuing Monsoon session slated to start from July 28 if Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav does not resign by July 27. Either Tejashwi quits before the Monsoon session begins or the BJP wont allow the House to run smoothly, said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. Tejashwi, who has been in the limelight since the CBI named him an accused in the land-for-hotels scam, has so far shown no sign of quitting. We will wait until July 26 when Nitish Kumar has convened a Cabinet meeting in Patna. And if Tejashwi does not resign by July 27 or is sacked by Nitish (who swears of showing zero tolerance towards corruption), then the BJP wont allow the House to run from July 28, Modi said. The ball is now in the court of the top leadership. Whatever comment has to be made, it will be made by the partys top brass, said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar. The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Tuesday after the Opposition created a ruckus over a range of issues. This included two BJP members remarks against Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, portraying him as anti-Dalit. Amid the uproar, the Opposition also pressed for holding a discussion in the Lok Sabha on various incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection. BJP members Virendra Kumar and Manohar Utwal, while speaking in the House during the Question Hour on Monday, had claimed that Scindia had recently made insensitive comments against Dalits and participated in anti-Dalit activities. They have made false accusations against me. My image has been tarnished, a visibly angry Scindia said, raising the issue in the Lok Sabha after it reassembled at 3 pm on Tuesday. A local Dalit MLA of the BJP, Gopilal Jatav, recently inaugurated a trauma centre at a government hospital in Scindias Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh, a day ahead of its scheduled opening by the Congress leader. After this incident, Scindias local representative Amit Tawre said the trauma centre would be sanctified by Ganga water. Tawre, however, was expelled by the district Congress for his statement. They are saying that I made the remarks against Dalits... These charges are absolutely incorrect. I challenge them, Scindia said. He also offered to resign if the accusations against him were true. Otherwise, I demand that they resign from this House. They must also publicly apologise, Scindia said. He also gave a notice for initiating a privilege motion against the BJP members for their remarks against him. Meanwhile, the Congress' leader in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, urged the House to revoke the suspension of six members of his party. Members of other Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, also urged the Speaker to revoke the suspension. A close scrutiny of around 50 Kashmiri youths and their telephone records had led to the arrest of seven second-rung Hurriyat leaders on charges of funding violent protests. According to sources, the National Investigation Agency has been monitoring the mobile phone records of these youths for the past two months and it came to light that they were monetarily fed by local leaders linked to the Hurriyat. The middle-level Hurriyat leaders operated through their local counterparts to reach out to the youths, who were given funds to organise stone-pelting protests after suspected Hizbul Mujahideen miltant Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in July last year. Sources claimed the NIA has collected digital and electronic evidence to link the Hurriyat leaders to the stone pelters. They said over the past 11 months, the youths were in touch with Hurriyat leaders, particularly those belonging to the Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction. They said the interactions between stone pelters and separatist leaders were on multiple levels and it showed that it was done in an organised manner. The investigators are also analysing Facebook posts of some prominent protesters and have collected solid evidence against a dozen others. Seven people, including Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, were on Monday arrested by the NIA in connection with its probe into the funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley. The houses of those arrested had been raided by NIA sleuths last month. The NIA had on May 30 registered a case against separatist and secessionist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference, who have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed groups Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, LeT and other outfits and gangs. The promoter of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project has refused to roll back the recent hike in toll on its peripheral and link roads in Bengaluru. In a nine-page reply to the notice issued by the state government recently, Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprises Ltd (NECEL) has refuted the governments argument that enhancement of toll prices is against the projects Frame Work Agreement (FWA), including the Toll Concession Agreement (TCA). The right to collect and revise toll is not connected to converting the existing bituminous road into concrete road, the company said. The Public Works Department (PWD), which is the nodal department for implementing the project, had issued a notice on July 7 to the company, asking it to withdraw the hike in toll within seven days or face legal action. The PWD had termed the toll hike illegal as it was done without obtaining its permission. The company recently increased the toll by 14% to 25% on 41 km of peripheral road and 9.1 km of link road. The PWD had said that the promoter cannot increase the toll rates when a case pertaining to the default notice is still pending before the Karnataka High Court. The department had last year issued the default notice to the company for not developing concrete roads as per the FWA and asked it to rectify the lapse within 180 days. But the company subsequently obtained a court stay in this regard. PWD Additional Chief Secretary M Lakshminarayana said the department has decided to seek legal opinion on the reply given by the company. The government will take appropriate action based on the legal opinion, he added. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the loudmouth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with zero achievements has mastery over marketing. Speaking at the inauguration of various welfare schemes of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for weaker sections, Siddaramaiah said, I am accused of not marketing the state governments welfare scheme. We believe in work and not tom-tomming our good deeds. The Central government does the reverse. It does not work because it believes in false propaganda. Calling Achche Din an empty slogan, Siddaramaiah sought to know, Former prime minister A B Vajpayee had coined the slogan India Shining but did that illuminate the houses of Dalits, minorities and economically weaker sections? On former chief minister and state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, he said: People have seen how Yeddyurappa brought hotel-made idli and sambar to have meals at a Dalits house. Even the banana was brought from the hotel. If they are really concerned about uplifting Dalits, then let them break the barriers of casteism and encourage inter-caste marriages, said Siddaramaiah. Comparing the BJP with scissors and the Congress with needle, he said the BJP believes in dividing society while the Congress believes in uniting it. Siddaramaiah called the JD(S), which is the Congress ally in the BBMP, a party of opportunists. These opportunists, who are supporters of hung Assembly, can align with any party. The JD(S) has no belief in social justice and secularism. Minorities must refrain from giving space to such hypocrites, else it will indirectly support the BJP, warned the chief minister. At the programme, 892 unemployed people were given cars to start their business whereas under the Sarathi Scheme, 665 people were given autorickshaws. In all, 285 differently abled persons were given motorised tricycles while 23 mentally challenged people were provided financial aid. Fees of 584 students studying in government schools were refunded. Water Resources Minister M B Patil on Tuesday said the Centre should take note of the demand of Veerashaiva-Lingayats and declare their dharma as a separate religion. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Patil said there has already been a delay in meeting the long-standing demand of the Veerashaiva-Lingayats for a separate religion. He said leaders campaigning for the separate religion are even ready to launch a legal battle if the Centre does not pay heed to their demand. We will convince the state Cabinet to send a proposal to the Centre, he said. On division in the community on having an independent religion, the minister said, There are some seers in the community who do not follow the tenets of Basavanna. Let them continue to follow Hindutava, we do not mind. Patil claimed that BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa was opposing the separate religion demand as he is in the clutches of the RSS. Yeddyurappa should have supported the call. He fears going against the RSS doctrine for his own political and electoral future.....But, he is making a mistake, Patil, who is one of the prominent Lingayat leaders in the Congress, said. Patil said both Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one and the same. Lingayat dharma was founded by Basavanna. There are a lot of differences between the Hindus and Lingayats. But some people among Lingayats dont subscribe to what Basavanna has taught. Those belonging to Panchapeeta dont follow Basavannas teachings. So, a team of ministers led by Basavaraj Rarareddy will tour the state and seek the support of such people for separate religion status to the Lingayat dharma, he added. Patil took exception to Pejawar Mutt seer Vishvesha Teertha Swami requesting the Lingayats to drop their demand for a separate religion. There is no need for the Pejawar Mutt seer to interfere. He follows the RSS philosophy and ideology, he said. Speaking in Udupi on Tuesday, Vishvesha Teertha Swami had stated that the demand for a separate religion by the Lingayats is a matter of concern. When Christians and Muslims are getting organised, there should not be a division among the Hindus, he had said. Patil said, Let him not interfere.....We have our own seers to advise us. Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy on Monday said five Lingayat ministers will soon tour the state to campaign in favour of separate religion status for Veerashaiva-Lingayats. KPCC working president (North Karnataka) S R Patil said Veerashaiva-Lingayat has all requisites to be declared an independent religion. Speaking to reporters in Raichur, he said the Congress is not dividing religions. The BJP has created walls among castes. But the Congress is trying to remove those walls, he said. Patil said Congress will not have a truck with other parties. Reports that the JD(S) and the Congress have a secret understanding is just a rumour, he stated. Hauled up by the state government, Namma Metro on Tuesday said it would stop using Hindi on its signboards. Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, announced he would abide by the directions of the Kannada Development Authority, an autonomous body set up by the state government. The announcement came on a day KDA chairman S G Siddaramaiah visited the BMRCL office to review its use of Kannada. Online and offline campaigns have protested the use of Hindi at the stations. Last month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out against Hindi imposition on the Metro. Appreciating Kharolas efforts to complete Phase 1 and 2 speedily, KDA chairman Siddaramaiah warned BMRCL it could invite breach of privilege proceedings if it continued to use Hindi. The organisation is bound by the Metro Railways Act, and the Centre cant impose its rules on it, he said. Ignore the letter by a central minister suggesting that Hindi be used in Namma Metro as an official language. A mistake by officials in 2011 has opened the space for Hindi in the project, he said. Siddaramaiah stressed BMRCL was not a central government undertaking, and was therefore exempt from using Hindi. Siddaramaiah was also upset BMRCL was responding in English to RTI queries filed in Kannada. About 20% of the staff dont know Kannada. Why didnt you tell contractors to appoint those who know Kannada? he said. Kharolas announcement to give up Hindi was verbal, and no written agreement was signed on Tuesday. The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider after two weeks a petition filed by the Karnataka government against a high court order that quashed the sanction for prosecution of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in land scam cases. Additional Advocate General Devdutt Kamat pointed out before a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer that the state government has also filed a special leave petition in the matter, which should be heard with a similar plea made by a private person. The court put the matter for consideration after two weeks on a request made by a counsel, representing Sirajin Basha, the private person. Basha had challenged the High Court of Karnataka order of November 2015, which had quashed the sanction by previous Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj for prosecution of Yeddyurappa. He also sought direction for transfer of a pending writ petition before the high court challenging Governor Vajubhai Valas order of December 4, 2015, who too subsequently declined the sanction for prosecution of Yeddyurappa. In a fresh move, the Karnataka government joined the petitioner, challenging the high courts order. The high court had in November 2015 cited uneasy relationship between the then chief minister Yeddyurappa and the then Governor Bhardwaj and set aside the January 21, 2011 sanction. It had also noted that the Governor did not advert to the advice of the Council of Ministers in granting permission for prosecution of the senior BJP leader in five cases of land denotification. Yeddyurappa had claimed that Bhardwaj had acrimonious relation with him and the complainant, being associated with a rival political party, just walked into the Raj Bhavan and got sanction without following the due process of law. The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday issued notice to the Department of Parliamentary Affairs and to the Department of Primary and Higher Secondary Education on a petition challenging the amendment to the Karnataka Education (second amendment) Act, 2017. The petitioners, Associated Managements of Government Recognised English Medium Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) and others challenged the amendment contending that it is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of India. The petitioners contended that the introduction of Section 5A safety and security of children and section 112A penalty for contravention of section 5A where any employee or member of the management of an educational institution who contravenes Section 5A shall be punished with imprisonment for a minimum of six months and with a fine of Rs 1 lakh, is against the provisions of the Constitution of India. The petitioners contended that the amendment overrides the central acts in relation to child safety like Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 - Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The petitioners have opposed the appointment of the deputy commissioner as the District Regulation Authority saying that the DC is the head of the revenue department and has nothing to do with the education department. Further, they said the amendment to the act has only the Governors assent and not the assent from the President. The petitioners sought directions to strike down the amended section. Justice L Narayanaswamy ordered notice in the matter. HC bench recuses A division bench, headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, has recused itself from hearing a PIL seeking appropriate medical facilities to prisoners in the state. The High Court Legal Services Committee filed a PIL seeking directions to provide psychiatrists, assistant medical officers and paramedical staff at the Central Prison. The petitioner contended that various news reports from different districts are pouring light on the pathetic conditions and about inadequate medical facilities in jails. Inmates serving jail term were grappling with problems which grossly infringe upon their fundamental right to live. The petitioners said, there are only three medical officers, including a psychiatrist, for 4,400 inmates. Further, they say, six jail inmates are HIV+ and are on anti-retroviral therapy, 12 of them have advanced tuberculosis, 60 are suffering from epilepsy and 140 are psychiatric patients. Medical infrastructure is inadequate, according to senior prisons officials. Justice Mukherjee in his order said, Since one of us is not inclined to take up this matter on his personal ground, let this matter go out of the list. A warder was injured after six undertrials attacked him when he conducted surprise checks at the Central Prison in Kalaburagi on Tuesday morning. Acting on a tip-off that inmates were using smart phones, warder Vasant Sulfi and staff raided Barrack 1 around 10.30 am. Six undertrials Umesh, Tankya, Babu, Gangappa, Sagar and Market Satish objected to the raid. Following a heated argument with yhe warder, they attacked Sulfi. Tension prevailed for sometime after the six inmates along with others rushed towards the main gate. However, they were stopped by the prison officials who brought the situation under control. In-charge Superintendent of the prisons, Bhagawantraya Mali Patil, has lodged a case against the six inmates at the Farhatabad police station. One of the six inmates, Satish, has been shifted to Hindalga prison in Belagavi. The jail superintendent has sought permission from his superiors to shift the other five inmates, Inspector General of Police (Northeastern range) Alok Kumar told reporters. Following a request by the prisons superintendent and after speaking to the ADGP (Prisons) N S Megharikh in Bengaluru, a huge team of policemen comprising 5 DySPs, 12 inspectors, 22 PSIs and 200 constables was rushed to the prison to support the jail staff in conducting the raids and also to instil fear among the inmates, he said. A team led by Alok Kumar and Kalaburagi Additional SP Jayaprakash conducted raids at the central prison. Policemen unearthed Rs 1.2 lakh in cash, five mobile phones, memory cards, memory card readers, knives, scissors, ganja, chillums, tobacco products and pan masala sachets from the inmates during the simultaneous raid conducted at all the 19 barracks, including two womens barracks. Alok Kumar said the inmates from whom these items were seized will be taken into custody and investigation conducted. The prison has 839 inmates. However, there are only 92 prison staff to manage the prison. Besides, many notorious criminals are lodged in the jail and this is creating problems for the understaffed prison, he added. Trapped in its own decay, the sprawling 119-acre NGEF land in Baiyappanahalli is today a monumental mess. Months of unregulated auctioning of its machinery and other valuable assets threatens to hijack a late, desperate attempt to salvage whatever is left of this wasted industrial heritage Bengaluru was once so proud of. Instead, why not turn this green expanse into an open public park, a lung space rivalling Cubbon Park and Lalbagh and repurpose the built-up infrastructure for arts, culture, theatre or film production? This is the collective yearning of urban planners, architects, artistes and citizen activists, desperate for a complete, dynamic upgrade of the place. Bengaluru, an over-concretised city with its shrinking green space demands that this large tract of land, accessible by both Metro and rail, is re-imagined as a wooded public area, says V Ravichander, an urban policy expert. There is now a deep sense of urgency. Mammoth warehouses, designed and built with finesse by Indian and German architects and engineers are being wantonly pulled down. Assets worth hundreds of crores of rupees have already vanished. The skeletal structures of the old factory are awaiting that final demolition. In despair, a motley group of concerned citizens, architects and urban planners are crying halt. Stop the demolitions, repurpose the entire complex as a dynamic, working public space, they plead. Assets auctioned off Completely oblivious to these pleas for a creative transformation of the land, the personnel manning the factory gates have seen the assets auctioned off in droves. Transformers, motors, teak furniture, machinery of varying degrees of sophistry and other assets of German vintage have been carted away for a song. Whatever is left has been dumped out in the open, to the vagaries of nature. A DH team, masquerading as artefact hunters, found these assets still available for sale near the main gate. But the guards would not let anyone any deeper into the premises. Chased by the guards, the team ventured inside to find hundreds of electric motors, vintage ceiling fans, machinery lined up inside a warehouse for more auctions. Old factory pick-up trucks and mini vehicles lay abandoned on the sidewalks, rusted and masked by wildnerness. Halt this open loot Pushed by the Karnataka High Court, the government might just work out a plan. But first, the citizens want the open loot to be halted. The process should be democratically decided. The assets cannot be sold off in parcels. The public should have a say, contends Raghu Tenkiala, a lawyer advocating a sea change in the governments approach. Besides the built-up infrastructure, the greenery is also under threat. Many sandalwood trees have been felled. We were told that these trees were sometimes cut to light a fire. We didnt know the liquidation process would be so cannibalistic, he says. It is not late even now, feels Raghu. Preserving what is left, the space and the infrastructure can be modelled for adaptive reuse. Re-imagine the space. Architects and artistes are desperate for open spaces. Many of these structures here are perfect for film productions. What you can do with a place like this is endless. Three-year-old zebra Hemavathi died at the Bannerghatta Biological Park in the wee hours of Tuesday. BBP executive director Santosh Kumar admitted that the death was due to the negligence of the staff. According to veterinarians, the animal died after falling into a pit late on Monday night. The incident has now irked the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which has issued a warning to the BBP staff and slapped a notice on them accusing them of negligence. BBP, for long, housed a lone male zebra. Its efforts to pair it failed as the animal died. After its death, the BBP waited for four years to get four zebras from the Zoological Centre Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan (Safari), Israel as a gift. The BBP had not given any animals in exchange for the two male and two female zebras. The BBP management had spent over Rs 38 lakh for transporting the animals, their quarantine and medication. It is a huge loss. Action will be taken against the erring staffers, Santosh Kumar said. He said the staff and biologist had dug a pit three feet by three feet wide and four feet deep to erect a scratch portion (a wooden log) for the animals to scratch themselves and relax. The pit was dug on Saturday and should have been filled up immediately by the staff after erecting the log. The staff told me that they were to complete it on Tuesday morning, but before that the incident happened, he added. Nearly a month after the government issued the order to trifurcate Bangalore University, the first Vice-Chancellors of the newly created Bangalore North University, Kolar, and Bangalore Central University, Central College campus, have been appointed. Prof S Japhet, who had been the Special Officer for Bangalore Central University during the trifurcation, has been appointed the vice chancellor of the said university. Prof Japhet has been a professor at National Law School of India University (NLSIU) since 1990. Special Officer for Bangalore North University, Prof T D Kemparaju, has been appointed the vice-chancellor of the university. Prof Kemparaju was a professor in the department of Library and Information Science in the parent Bangalore University. He was also the Registrar of Mangalore University and had served as the Registrar of BU for a short period of time. The state government is planning to invite former prime minister and renowned economist Dr Manmohan Singh to conduct a class for the first batch of students of Bengaluru Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) to mark the start of the academic year. According to sources, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy has sought an appointment with Dr Singh in this regard. BASE is proposed to be developed as an institution of excellence of global standards and is coming up on a 50-acre plot on Bangalore University campus. The intake for the first batch of BSc (Honours) Economics course is 50 and entrance examination for admission will be held on July 30. The academic year is scheduled to start on August 23. A Nepali couple reportedly stole about 400 grams of gold jewels from a businessmans residence in Kadugodi. According to the police, the theft took place when Vinay Agarwal, who resides in a flat at Sigehalli, had gone to Hyderabad along with his family some two days ago. On July 12, Agarwal had employed a couple from Nepal for security duties. However, he had not verified the couples background before employing them. He had not even collected their complete details, said the police. The duo stole the valuables that were kept in a cupboard and escaped. The theft came to light when Agarwal returned to the city, said the police. An aircraft maintenance technician working with Jet Airways at the Mangaluru International Airport was arrested on Tuesday by the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mangaluru for his alleged involvement in smuggling gold. DRI deputy director Vinayak Bhat said that the intelligence input of the DRI Mangaluru indicated that gold smuggling was going on through the International Airport by adopting a modus operandi where gold bars of foreign make would be concealed inside toilets of aircraft flying from Gulf countries to Mangaluru. Upon arrival at Mangaluru, Lalbin Jeen, a maintenance staff at Jet Airways, who has connived with the smugglers, would board the aircraft on the pretext of maintenance work and retrieve the gold bars to be handed over to the agents of the smugglers at a designated place in the city. Close watch Acting on the tip-off, the intelligence, the officers of DRI mounted surveillance at the airport on Tuesday and kept a close watch on the movements of the offender. The officers intercepted Jeen as he got off the Jet Airways flight 9W 531 that had arrived from Dubai. During the interrogation, Jeen confessed to the crime and produced two packets containing 5 thola bars of gold each, which he admitted to have retrieved from the toilet of the said flight, a few minutes before his arrest. He also informed the investigation team that the smuggled gold was supposed to be handed over to an agent at a mall in Mangaluru and the remuneration for his work was Rs 20,000. The smuggled gold, totally weighing 1166.5 gm and worth Rs 34.41 lakh, was seized by the officers and is liable for confiscation for violation of the provisions of Customs Act 1962. Lalbin Jeen was produced before the Magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody. Further investigation is on. The Association for Visual Arts (AVA) board of directors announced today that Jennifer Lewis has been appointed as its Interim Executive Director. Ms. Lewis, who will join AVA in August 2017, brings extensive experience in program development, non-profit leadership, the arts, and a record of impact-driven results. "We are ecstatic to welcome Jennifer Lewis as the new Interim Executive Director of AVA. She brings a wealth of experience in business operations, program management, and donor relations to the role. Ms. Lewis is excited to bring her family to Chattanooga, noting she is especially impressed by its innovative spirit, revitalized downtown, and outdoor activities. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara, she began her career planning teen activities and served as a camp director for a childrens theatre program while taking graduate courses in nonprofit business management. She later brought those skills to Memphis, where she held a similar post. When graduate school took her husband to Jerusalem for a year, Ms. Lewis worked part-time creating curriculum for Jewish teens and pursued her interest in ceramic arts. After moving to Cincinnati, OH, she began teaching classes in pottery, including basic hand building and advanced wheel throwing. When her husbands career took the family to Orange County, CA, she returned to non-profit management as the Cultural Arts Director for the Jewish Community Center in Irvine where she planned multiple festivals and ran a gallery featuring local artists. Most recently, before her move to the Scenic City, Ms. Lewis was living in Lincoln, NE, where she worked on the management team for a non-profit which serves adults with developmental disabilities. Among her proudest achievements there was the creation of the Live Yes Studio, a day program that developed her agencys clients into budding artists who had opportunities to work in media ranging from music, to drawing, to three-dimensional art. Live Yes even has a gallery where their work is displayed and sold in the citys First Friday events, bringing recognition and income to the artists. Ms. Lewis is thrilled to call Chattanooga home and has fallen in love with the city. She is married to Craig who serves as the Rabbi of Mizpah Congregation. They have a son, Eden, a budding artist in his own right, who loves Legos, Super Heroes, musical theatre, and Yugi-Oh. Together the family shares a love of animals with two dogs, Rocket and Tipper, and a cat named Daisy. In their free time, the Lewis family enjoys exploring all that there is to do in and around their new home on the Tennessee River as they look forward to building their lives here. Leah Humble Jasmine Ngo Lyrikal Jenkins Karis Mitchell Previous Next Sevier Countys Leah Grace Humble, who completed her year of service as Miss Tennessees Outstanding Teen in March, was named the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee on Saturday evening at the Conn Center on the Lee University campus in Cleveland. The senior at Seymour High School who performed a clog routine to Great Balls of Fire became the first to win both state titles. She was the only one of the 26 contestants to win preliminary awards in all five judging categories: Fitness, Interview, Scholastics, Self- Expression and Talent. Miss Humble also received a four-year scholarship valued at over $64,000 to Lee in addition to state awards totaling $6,000. She will travel to Mobile next June to compete in the national finals. The alternates were Walker Valley High Schools Jasmine Ngo of Cleveland and Karis Mitchell of McMinn County. East Memphis Lyrikal Jenkins received the coveted Spirit Award which is determined by contestant voting. Misses Ngo and Mitchell both received Talent and Interview Awards and Miss Mitchell added a third in Fitness. Notre Dame High Schools Rose Albert representing Hamilton County won awards in Interview, Scholastics and Self- Expression. Miss Albert was one of three Notre Dame students competing along with Alexis Brown of Red Bank and Jo-Hannah Valentin of Chattanooga. Miss Humble is actively involved with Soles 4 Souls the non-profit headquartered in the Nashville suburb of Mount Juliet. The organization has donated over 30 million pairs of shoes worldwide primarily to third world nations. Final Results Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee 2018 - Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) First Alternate Jasmine Ngo (Cleveland) Second Alternate Karis Mitchell (McMinn County) Spirit of Junior Miss Lyrikal Jenkins (East Memphis) Fitness Karis Mitchell (Mc Minn County) Peyton King (Music City) Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) Jessica McChesney (Tullahoma) Interview Jasmine Ngo (Cleveland) Rose Albert (Hamilton County) Karis Mitchell (McMinn County) Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) Scholastic Rose Albert (Hamilton County) Ella Tiller (Loudon County) Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) Mia Rodriguez (Sumner County) Self-Expression Zhariah Walker (Germantown) Rose Albert (Hamilton County) Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) Mia Rodriguez (Sumner County) Talent Jasmine Ngo (Cleveland) Karis Mitchell (McMinn County) Peyton King (Music City) Leah Grace Humble (Sevier County) Participants Caitlin Munn (Marion County) Grace Johnson (Jefferson County) Ashley Stewart (Franklin County) Reba John (East Brainerd) Chanteria Milner (Memphis) Charlotte Smith (Signal Mountain) Carson Eskew (Smoky Mountains) Alexis Brown (Red Bank) Jo-Hannah Valentin (Chattanooga) Macey Daniel (Soddy-Daisy) Christen Coyle (Shelby County) Jodee George (Cumberland Valley) Desire Phillips (Collierville) Kolbey Ferguson (East Hamilton) Melody Nolte (Loudon) Kyra Brady (Rhea County) Inner Peace Church, 2125 Tunnel Blvd. in Chattanooga, will be celebrating the 13th pastoral anniversary for Pastor and Mrs. Ron King, Sr. this Sunday at 11 a.m., with Pastor A.D. Davis of Huntsville, who will be preaching God's word. Officials said, "He has been teaching and preaching 'nothing but the truth' for a total of 17 years. This is a community and pubic invitation to everyone to come and worship with us." Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m. United we stand, divided we fall. Divided, Marvels unlikely superheroes did pretty decently for themselves and their individual Netflix shows (except for Iron Fist of course). Daredevil had a fast-paced storyline and an awesome protagonist in Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter did her bit as the hot-tempered private detective defeating David Tennants Purple Man, Luke Cage was a tad protracted but still managed to find its cool thanks to actor Mike Colter. The only disappointment was Iron Fist with Finn Jones confused portrayal of K'Un Luns best. Sadly, Iron Fist has been renewed for another season and we hope this is only for the sake of extending The Defenders storyline. United, the four superheroes get together in Marvels The Defenders which is set to premiere on Netflix come August 18. For someone who patiently binge watched all the previous individual shows, The Defenders may be a slight letdown. The show picks up right where each individual mini series ended. Jessica Jones has gone from binge drinker to a full-blown drunk, who seriously needs AA and should not be trusted to save New York city in her inebriated state. That said, she does suffer from PTSD even in the comic books and drinks to wipe everything Killgrave from her memory. Luke Cage finally gets out of jail and reunites with his boo, the Night Nurse A.K.A Claire Temple, also known as Rosario Dawson in real life. Cage tries his best to keep his head above water, but someones been recruiting impressionable young men from Harlem and that doesn't sit well with the bullet-proof protector. Charlie Coxs Daredevil A.K.A Matt Murdock has hung up his red suit to help the poor with their legal hassles. Murdock has been separated from his best friend and confidant, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) who now works for Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), but occasionally tosses a juicy case or two towards his buddy with super senses. Lastly, Iron Fist A.K.A Danny Rand is as clueless as ever in his search for supervillain organisation The Hand and its supremo. The show opens with Rand in a fist-sword fight with the resurrected Elektra Natchios who would have beaten him to a pulp if not for Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) and her expert martial art skills. Sigourney Weaver as Alexandra Dont expect the foursome from Marvels Cinematic Universe to team up from the get go. In fact, the first three episodes are dedicated to building up the mystery around series supervillain Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver) and the Hands ultimate weapon - The Black Sky. Jessica Jones takes up a missing persons case which eventually has her crossing paths with the Devil of Hells Kitchen, while Luke Cages philanthropic efforts to save Harlems youth results in him taking an Iron Fist to his face (You saw that in the first trailer). What we loved most about the first four episodes of Marvels Defenders is Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung) and her enhanced combat skills. Her use of the Okinawan Sai, daggers and Katanas lend the classic comic book touch to her character. Since we cant discuss specific plot details before the show officially releases, lets just say that there are only two new characters to look forward to in The Defenders - Alexandra and Elektra Natchios. Its business as usual with the superhero ensemble, and as with Iron Fist, Netflix and Marvel have stuck to the formula of short bursts of energy as the show progresses. Honest to god! there were moments where we (My binge watching partner and I) dozed off due to the lack of excitement and long periods of explanations offered by characters at different intervals in the show. Elodie Yung as Elektra Natchios It was only when episode 4 ended that we wanted more. We cant wait for all the five fingers of the Hand to get together for some crazy badassery. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. XCeed Events and G2G Salsa have come together to bring the first Salsa on the Southside Dance Social at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo's Revelry Room on Tuesday, Aug. 4. "Grab your friends, learn some basic steps, and dance the night away to your favorite Latin music played by the best Latin DJ in the Southeast, DJ Mike Arana," officials said. A complimentary dance lesson will be taught at the beginning of the night by local dance instructor and founder of G2G Salsa Jesse Ramos. "Ramos has been hosting dance socials on the first Friday of every month at his studio on Lee Highway but has decided that it is time to bring the party downtown, with the intent of reaching more people and making it more centrally located. All community members are invited to a night of dancing in one of Chattanoogas classiest venues. This event is for people that are passionate about dancing or those that are feeling tropical and adventurous and want to learn some new dance moves. For our kickoff event, we have reached out to some friends from the Huntsville-based dance crew, Clave y Tumbao Bamacitas, which will be performing some of their world-class routines. Drinks will be available for purchase. As always, dress to impress," officials said. Doors open at 8 p.m., salsa lesson starts at 8:30 p.m., and the dance social starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at www.RevelryRoom.co. Lovers of good food and music are in for a treat this weekend with the inaugural Off The Street Letterkenny Food festival taking place in the town centre. Over two days on Saturday and Sunday the street food festival will showcase the best in local cooking talent, food production and music. The event takes place at the rear of the AIB bank on the main street and access is via Justice Walsh Road. There will be over ten stalls from local chefs cooking up a storm and in total there will be 50 stalls with a wide range of food producers displaying their tasty wares. The event is the brian child of Derek Walker from the Letterkenny Artisan market and chef Christopher Molloy of the Lemon Tree restaurant. As part of the food festival the popular artisan market will relocate to the festival site in the town centre over the weekend. Christopher explains that there will be talks on a range of subjects including food production and growing, cooking demonstrations, as well as live music from a host of top artists. The popularity of street has really grown in the last couple of years so we just wanted to try an run an event like this in my home town. Myself and Derek of the artisan market had a go this at Christmas with the Twilight Market where we put in four of five street food stalls and music. It got a great crowd and the interest in it was massive, he explained. He said it will feature a range of top local chefs including world champion chowder maker Kieran Duey Doherty from Nancys Barn in Inishowen and Dublin Chef of the Year winner, Donegals Ciaran Sweeney of Forest & Marcys. Entry is just 3 per ticket, 5 for a couple or a full weekend ticket and children go free. See ww.offthestreetfoodfest.com A dozen local host families gathered Friday to welcome and take home the 16 exchange students who are visiting from China this week. The group, eight boys and eight girls, arrived here last Friday to a big welcome at Rivertown Community Church. Two secretaries at the church are among the families who agreed to give the children a place to live while theyre here. Theyll be in the area through early next Tuesday morning, and their days in Jackson County are filled with activities that immerse them in the rural American experience. During their welcome party, they played a bag-toss game, kickball and had a big group meal. In the mornings, they take English classes from program leader Jahnie Economou, a teacher who is also hosting two of the female students. But their afternoons are designed to get them out of the classroom and into the larger local world. They took a pontoon boat ride to Jackson Blue Springs and swam there Monday afternoon. Bowling and then a pool party were on the agenda for Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, theyre scheduled for a trip to a church in Altha, where theyll have Christmas in July, complete with a Christmas tree, presents, a holiday feast, and the biblical story of Jesus. On Thursday, theyll head to Dothan, AL for a mall-shopping spree--they bring money of their own for certain excursions like that. Friday, theyll visit the Pioneer Settlement in Calhoun County and later that day theyll have a graduation ceremony as their trip begins to wind down. During that event, theyll do a presentation to express their appreciation for the hospitality and opportunities they were provided. On Monday, theyll be off to Panama City, where the beach and a trip to Shipwreck Island await. Theyll have plenty of individual experiences to share on their way back home, as well, since they go their separate ways during the evenings to be with their host families and learn more about everyday life in their assigned households. Besides the two church secretaries and Economou, the host families include an insurance agent and his wife, who many years ago adopted their daughter from China. Shes now 10 years old. Their exchange student is a 10-year-old girl, too. Teacher and youth pastor Daniel May and his wife, Leigh, are hosting two boys. Those visiting youngsters will make an already bustling household a little busier still. The Mays have four biological sons and a foster child under roof already. The Mays are the ones hosting the big pool party. There are stay-at-home moms, two dental hygienists, a retired singled dad, a retired engineer who drives a bus in his retirement years, and theres a retired teacher who is hosting a 13-year-old boy and his 9-year-old sister from the group. There are other hosts in the mix as well. The HomeStay exchange program is all about giving the visitors a deep-as-possible immersion in the culture of the area and the families who call it home, Economou says, and the variety of family make-ups will give them, as a group, a wider range of experiences and memories to share as they make their way back home. That happens soon after they make their last big stop in America, Orlandos Disneyworld. The trip goes fast, Economou said, but positive memories, she hopes, will last a lifetime in the minds of the children and the families who took them in. All you have to do is look down as you enter Bird & Bean Coffee House to see a piece of Dothan history. Light green terrazzo tile marks the entrance of what was once Baxters Shoe Store. The tile had been covered by a stage and expanded entrance to the building by a previous owner. If you want more, step inside. There, youll find a bright and airy coffee shop with large skylights, open rafters, heart pine floors and table tops constructed from the former shoe store shelving with years of different paint colors showing through. Hand-forged nails jut out from a ceiling beam under the back skylight left in place because owner Christy Keyton thought they were too cool to be removed. Canvas prints of old Baxter family photos are framed and hang on the coffee shops walls, showing the store how it looked in the 1930s. Keyton even found and framed an old piece of shoe box tissue that encourages people buy war bonds and remember Pearl Harbor. Its just like preserving a piece of downtown history, and thats what I love about it so much, Keyton said. Its exceedingly, abundantly beyond all I ever asked or thought this could be. When Keyton and her husband, Johnny, bought the building at 144 N. Foster St., they knew it needed work. It felt like a cave with a black drop-tray ceiling, black carpet and brown walls. They had no idea it would take more than a year, and they had no idea what the end result would look like once they stripped the interior down to original flooring, walls and ceiling. Still, all their hard work seems to be paying off. Keyton said she knew a downtown coffee shop would do well based on the number of inquiries she received at her Naomi & Olive store, which now connected to the coffee shop via a brick archway. Not even open a full two weeks, the new coffee house in downtown Dothan has seen a surprising response from local coffee lovers. So much so, they keep running out of milk. And, theres already a Friday coffee group dubbing themselves the Bird & Bean Boys. Im shocked that weve done this well, Keyton said. I expected it would go over, but I expected it would take a while. Customers have kept the coffee shop hopping since it opened, Keyton said. Even on social media, the response has surpassed anything they experienced with Naomi & Olive. It has taken Keyton two years to amass 1,300 followers for Naomi & Olive on Instagram. Bird & Bean reached 1,000 followers in just three days. Naomi & Olive, recently nominated for the Alabama Retail Associations Customers Choice award, is celebrating its second anniversary with a birthday bash on Saturday featuring a silhouette artist and a water color artist. The retail store has benefitted from the coffee shop. Since the two businesses are connected, customers tend to visit both sides. The two businesses share similar images (a birds feather) and colors. Keyton said she hopes people will find an inviting spot a cozy nest, if you will when they visit both businesses. I just want people to come in here and feel warm and feel welcome, Keyton said. Thats why we have games. I looked up the other day and there was a couple in the front window playing Scrabble, there was a family playing Candy Land, there was a table full of teenagers playing cards, and I just thought my heart would burst open I was so happy. The Alabama Department of Corrections is investigating an inmates death that was reported Saturday at the St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville. At approximately 2:15 p.m., correctional officers found Joseph Michael Wood, 33, unresponsive in his cell during a security check in the facility. Investigators said Wood was alone in a two-person cell and lying on the floor unconscious. A nurse was called to Wood, where she stated he was deceased. Prison officials stated there were no visible stab wounds on the body and the cause of death will be determined by the county coroner. Wood was serving a life sentence on a 2011 first degree robbery conviction in Houston County related to the robbery of two Hobo Pantry convenience stores. A second inmate, who was assigned to the cell with Wood, is being questioned. The facility has been placed on lockdown while the Alabama Department of Corrections investigates the death. The department is not releasing any additional details at this time pending the investigation. Dothan and the surrounding area are home to many women who have found success in virtually every field, and have made great strides in every sector of the economy by forging their way with exceptional business skills. However, it really hits home when many of these industrious people are brought together for recognition, giving the community a glimpse of the depth of their contributions. Last week, 50 area women were recognized for their extraordinary ability to succeed in their chosen endeavors during the SWELL awards ceremony, arranged by Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz and Mercedes-Benz of Dothan. SWELL Savvy Women Entrepreneurs, Luminous and Limitless gave a nod to businesswomen who have enjoyed success in their initiatives, from law and medicine to artistic businesses such as dance, real estate operations, insurance companies, and restaurants. Its impressive to see such a group of high achievers, and the recognition of these women is well-deserved. The SWELL awards also indicate the rich fertility of the Wiregrass area for those with ambition, a solid business plan and a willingness to work hard. The list is not exhaustive; there are surely other vibrant women entrepreneurs who havent created the number of jobs necessary for inclusion, but whose endeavors have been greatly successful. Congratulations to our areas high achievers. Louth TD Gerry Adams has called for the immediate publication of the HSE report from its audit of St John of God Services. The report was discussed in the media in June noting evidence of secret payments to senior managers, yet remains unpublished. The Sinn Fein president said: The ongoing scandals around secret payments to senior managers, and the failure of the St John of God organisation to comply with public pay policy for 30 years, remains a cause of serious public concern. I have previously raised concerns with the government over a number of years around reported senior management receiving secret top up payments. I have also recently called for An Garda Siochana to investigate these top ups. St John of God is a Section 38 organisation receiving significant funding from the state. In a flagrant breach of public pay policy, the organisation has forked out eye-watering top-up payments to senior executives while in receipt of this funding. It is nothing short of scandalous. Dr Geraldine Smith of the HSE told RTEs News at One some weeks ago that a draft report of the HSE audit identified private payments to senior management, payments ranging from 23,000 to 107,000 per annum. Her comments on the draft report were scathing. It is unacceptable that the findings of this important report remain locked away. The report must be published immediately. I meet regularly with families and friends of those who use St John of God services in Louth. They are absolutely outraged and they want to know what is going to be done. The HSE must publish its audit findings in full. The government must ensure proper control of public monies for these services. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. I often find it frustrating when I hear or see people from startups actively chasing the help and financial support of an accelerator. For those that dont know, startup accelerators offer funding initiatives, mentor programs and other resources for startup businesses. Its not to say that these are not useful, far from it. As Im sure there are businesses out there who have benefited from some of these incentives. But in the early stages of a business, when things are still an entrepreneurial idea or even once a business has emerged, there needs to be space and freedom for the founding members to start defining and establishing everything themselves. This will help shape the direction of the business with the intentions of the founders being placed front and centre. More often than not, individuals can be quickly deterred or demotivated when they dont obtain the backing they hoped for from an accelerator. Spending time dwelling on what has been missed is only detrimental to the business. And just because one person or one company isnt keen to throw their support behind you, it certainly doesnt mean your business is worthless or doomed for failure. You arent the only one to miss out When you look at the stats, the likelihood of getting accepted by an accelerator is very slim. Well known accelerators like Techstars only accept 1-2% of applicants and 500 Startups take in less than 6% of applicants. You need to weigh up if the time spent applying to get into an accelerator program is worthwhile given the low acceptance rates. Im sure there are other uses for your energy, such as gearing it toward other aspects of your business. Remember your purpose The spotlight shouldnt necessarily focus on concepts associated with market growth prospects and skyrocketing profits. More importantly, it is about purpose. Your purpose is self-defined by you and what you are hoping to achieve through your business. Your aim could be as simple as replacing your income from your current job, or targeting a niche sector where you know you could add value. With a clearly set out objective, it is important to be self-actualising and driven. You have to remain loyal to your original ideas and dreams for the business. Whether your idea is big or small, theres no shame in trying to realise it yourself. Input doesnt have to be in the form of money A huge contributor to the success of a venture can often stem from the level of self-investment, but dont make the mistake of assuming that self investment always refers to what you put into the business financially, it is far more reaching than that. Input in a business can also be in the form of commitment. Having that sense of control over the destiny of your own business can be a huge motivator and be an incredibly empowering force. Utilising your own network, or taking some time to do networking yourself is also a way to create value for your business and offer input in a non-monetary sense. Determination will get you through Dont forget that hard work is essential. You must be willing to make sacrifices early on and this means investing huge amounts of time and effort that only you will be able to put in. Its crucial that you keep up momentum and hold onto that passion that first got you started. With your own perseverance and patience, youll probably soon forget that you were considering going for an accelerator program in the first place. About the author Casual workers will be given the right to convert to part-time or full-time employment, and receive new minimum engagement periods, the Fair Work Commission announced earlier this month. The Commission has decided to give employees across most industries and occupations the right to request permanent employment status after 12 months of regular and systematic employment. The decision was well received by the union movement but equivalently criticised by employer groups. However, the right of long-term casuals to convert to permanent and minimum engagement periods isnt totally novel. Similar provisions have been in most Awards for years. What the Commission has done, is extend the same rights to all the other Awards the documents that set down minimum employment standards and pay rates in most industries. While the specifics of the decision are yet to be confirmed, the decision means most casual workers now have the right to request permanent employment if they work regular and systematic hours over a full year. It does not mean that they are entitled to be converted to a permanent position as there are explicit conditions that must be met. What are the proposed conditions? a qualifying period of 12 consecutive calendar months is met the casual employee must have worked a pattern of hours on an ongoing basis over the 12 month period which could continue to be worked on a full-time or part-time basis without significant adjustment the employer must provide all casual employees with a copy of the casual conversion clause within the first 12 months after their initial engagement Conversion may be refused by the employer on reasonable grounds if: it would require a significant adjustment to the casual employees hours of work to accommodate them in part-time or full-time employment in accordance with the terms of the applicable Modern Award, or if it is known or reasonably foreseeable that the casual employees position will cease to exist or the employees hours of work will significantly change or be reduced within the next 12 months; or on other reasonable grounds based on facts which are known or reasonably foreseeable What are the new minimum engagement periods? Controversy around the minimum engagement periods continues with the Commission also proposing in the same decision, new standards for Awards to require a daily minimum engagement period of two hours for casual and part-time employees. Minimum engagement periods are also not a novel decision. They were introduced and exist in some Awards and were intended to protect employees by ensuring that the time worked is worth the travel time and costs. What should employers do now? These changes arent finalised, so they dont apply yet. The Commission is giving interested parties until 2 August 2017 to make further submissions about the terms of the proposed casual conversion clause and further hearings will likely be held prior to the Commission making final determination. Now is the time to review your current use of casuals not just how many casual employees you engage, but why and how often you engage them. If you have casual employees working systematic, or regular hours for more than a six-month period, start considering the implications for your business. About the author Josh Vikis is the Head of Advice at Australias leading workplace specialists Employsure. Josh has a wide range of employment relations experience. Prior to joining Employsure, he was a union representative and majored in Human Resources and Employment Relations at the University of Newcastle. 1 Dead, 7 Injured In Crash On Lake Shore Drive Near Uptown Monday Evening By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jul 25, 2017 5:06AM 4700 block of North Lake Shore Drive via Google Street View. One person was killed and seven more were injured in a crash on Lake Shore Drive Monday evening, according to authorities. A Chevrolet driving southbound just before 6:00 p.m. in the 4700 block of North Lake Shore Drive reportedly crossed over into the northbound lanes of the drive, and in the process struck three other cars. According to police, the driver had been attempting to change lanes and may have lost control of the vehicle do to its speed. The driver, a woman, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and pronounced dead, according to police. A police update on the crash says, "Preliminary information indicates speed to be a factor when the driver of the Chevy was attempting to change lanes." Seven others were injured and six of them were treated in hospitals, three of whom were in serious-to-critical condition, according to the Sun-Times. The other three were in fair-to-serious condition, while a seventh injured person refused treatment. North and southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive were closed around the site of the collision earlier Monday evening, and southbound lanes were reopened around 9:20 p.m. The Chicago Fire Department tweeted updates on the collision: Chicago Uber Rider Says Driver Received Oral Sex During Ride In Viral Facebook Video By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jul 25, 2017 5:47PM A man who took an Uber ride in Chicago earlier this month says his driver received oral sex during his ride from a woman who was sitting in the front seat. The man, a Boston resident who was visiting Chicago, complained to Uber and later shared a video of the ride on Facebook that has since gone viral. The passenger, Aner Manuel, told Esquire magazine that he had caught the ride on July 17 around 2:43 a.m. after an evening out in Wrigleyville. He was confused when he saw that there was a woman sitting in the front seat of the Uber (he had not called a shared Uber Pool-type ride) but that he got in the car anyway. That's when things got weirder: the woman in the front seat seemed to be "clearly on drugs," and Manuel began recording what was happening on his cell phone as the driver and his companion began kissing. Then, as the Facebook video shows, the woman appears to begin performing oral sex on the driver as he continues to drive the car. That's when Manuel asked the driver to pull over and let him out, about eight minutes into the ride. Uber representatives reportedly offered Manuel a $10 ride credit and said they would investigate what happened. Chicagoist has reached out to both Manuel and Uber, and will update the post if we hear back. An Uber rep told Esquire and Chicagoist that the driver's access to the app has been removed, and "the behavior of this former driver is appalling and is not tolerated on the Uber app." "As soon as this situation was reported to us, we immediately removed this driver's access." Manuel described the drive as "the most dangerous and inappropriate Uber ride ever" in his Facebook post complaining to Uber's page. As I approached my uber, I noticed there was a passenger in the front seat. I double checked to make sure I didn't select UberPool, and then approached the car. I assumed it may have been a family member of some sort. As we pulled off the female in the front (who was clearly on drugs) attempted to open the door and could not even sit straight as the vehicle was in motion. She then began to grope him and grab him. They began to kiss and she began loosening his belt. As we got further and further from my pickup location I had no idea where I was, so I had to stay in the car. She then proceeded to perform oral sex. This was my last straw. I asked the driver to drop me off. Since I've contacted uber and they refunded me for trip and gave me a "$10 credit". They've seen this video and are still "investigating". They have been extremely bad at answering any messages I've sent, and I demand something gets done. This is not okay! Chicago Has Exciting New Plans To Kill & Chemically Castrate Its Rats By Mae Rice in News on Jul 25, 2017 6:22PM Darryl Weddington The City of Chicago will pilot two new rat-control techniques this summer, in the hopes of preventing issues like the rat who loved urgent care too much. (Never forget.) One technique will use dry ice to kill rats in their burrows; the other, a new bait called Contrapest, will render the rats infertile. Thsi is not a response to a particularly thorny rat infestation in Chicago, according to officials. "The problem is not pervasive," Sara McGann, director of public affairs at Streets and Sanitation, told Chicagoist. In fact, McGann and Josie Cruz, deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Rodent Control, told me that Chicago's 311 line actually received a slightly lower number of rat complaints this year than last year. In 2017, 311 has received just shy of 21,000 rat calls; last year, through July 24, the line received 21,365 rat complaints. So complaints are down 2.5 percentbut we're still on pace for 40,000 rat calls this year. Hence the imminent return of the dry ice technique, which the city first piloted in public parks and green spaces last year. This technique involves putting dry ice in rat burrows"you shovel it in there," as McGann put itand then stopping up the entrance. The dry ice turns to gas, and gasses the rats. This sounds horrendous from a rodent perspectivePETA, unsurprisingly, doesn't approvebut it keeps rat corpses out of human sight. The city's other pilot, a six-month test of a rat bait called Contrapest, is already underway at the garbage transfer station at 34th & Lawndale. The city has put 25 bait boxes in the facility, McGann and Cruz said, and the hope is that it will cut down on rat breeding in the facility. It's a slow-acting bait, though; rats must "feed continuously," as they put it, for it to work. The initial pilot of the dry ice technique was suspended last year because dry ice was not a federally-approved rodenticide, McGann and Cruz explained. It was recently cleared by the Environmental Protection Agency, though, and should go back into effect in Chicago shortly. [H/T DNAInfo] You are here: Home Police in south China's Guangdong Province have seized more than 10,000 wild animals and nearly 1,000 kilograms of products derived from wild animals, they announced Monday. The provincial police department launched a crackdown on the illegal online trading of wild animals in April after police in the capital Guangzhou received a report that rare wild animals were being sold via WeChat, a popular massaging app in China. Over the past three months, police have monitored major social media platforms, including messaging apps WeChat and QQ, Twitter-like Weibo, and some live broadcasting websites, said Li Wenjiang, deputy director of the provincial forest police bureau. Li said they found a total of 5,380 messages related to illegal animal trading during the crackdown. In one case, police used WeChat messages to locate and arrest three suspects. They seized 146 wild animals including rhesus monkeys, gold pythons, and African spurred tortoises in a rented house in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou. Police also seized the remains of 120 dead state-protected animals in another house in the city of Huizhou. Police in Shaoguan seized 74 cobras and a Tibetan macaque after they received a report of video showing suspects poaching the animals on a live broadcasting platform. In another case, police seized a vehicle, 32 cobras and more than 1,000 other live wild animals in a market in Guangzhou. Chinese law on the protection of wild animals bans the hunting, sale, purchase, and use of state-protected animals or derived products. Guangdong police said they will continue tough measures to combat the illegal poaching, trading, purchasing, transporting and storing of wild animals. Its hard to believe that the founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX could have such reactionary views about artificial intelligence. Elon Musk last weekend had some very un-Musk-like things to say about AI when he addressed the U.S. National Governors Association meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. AI is a fundamental existential risk for human civilization, and I dont think people fully appreciate that, Musk said. He even suggested that government ought to regulate the nascent industry but its hard to regulate that which isnt yet formed. Its reminiscent of what happened when the George W. Bush administration decided to restrict stem cell research. The regulation didnt work because the research simply moved to more friendly jurisdictions. It harkens back to the warning of Jurassic Park character Dr. Malcolm that life always finds a workaround. AI will be no different, so we need to embrace it and work with it. Whats striking is that those pronouncements came from the man who reinvented the space program as a for-profit industry, and who also took the electric car to the edge of technological capability and then busted through all barriers. In both cases, something new and good resulted. In space, Musks company this year demonstrated lift capacity to launch 10 satellites at once and return its booster rocket to Earth for an upright landing. His other companys cars, though expensive, gradually have been reaching the general marketplace, and there is a multibillion dollar waiting list for the next model. Fly Like Lindbergh It would be Pollyannish not to acknowledge that things dont always work out, but then again, even when things go sideways its exceedingly rare that they threaten human civilization. To unpack this: For all the notoriety Musks success has brought him, its worth remembering that his greatest successes have been in reimagining existing paradigms, like cars and space. Before that Musk had a lot to do with getting PayPal up and running. Theres nothing wrong with any of that. Musk has shown that you can make a lot of money building a better mousetrap. However, his comments suggest that he might not be as well positioned on the cutting edge as weve been led to believe. Way out there on the cutting edge, there are no paradigms to improve. You have to make things up out of whole cloth, and its hard. Consider the difference between John Harrison and Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh, an aviator, was first to cross the Atlantic in an airplane, and he won the US$25,000 Orteig prize (more than $300,000 in current funds) for doing so. If he hadnt been the one, some other person would have performed the feat, because there were multiple teams jockeying for position at the time. Most importantly, the solution to the problem was constructed from off-the-shelf parts. It takes nothing away from the courage and stamina of the man who could stay awake for more than 33 hours to make the trip to recognize that Lindberghs feat was of a different order than Harrisons accomplishment. Navigate Like Harrison Two centuries earlier, Harrison figured out how to determine longitude at sea and won most of a prize established in 1714 by the British parliament for a successful solution. The Longitude Prize was worth a cool Pounds 20,000 equal to about Pounds 2.5 million today. Harrison was a carpenter and clock maker. He knew a lot about making a standing pendulum clock with wooden gears. However, his solution to longitude involved building a clock out of metal, without a pendulum, and capable of precision not seen up to that time. Harrison had to reinvent timekeeping, and the result was the first chronometer capable of encountering life at sea and maintaining the correct time within a small margin. So perhaps Musk is more Lindberghesque than Harrisonian more into improving solutions than inventing his own. The whole idea of the brave new world of AI can seem scary to him and thus his crusade to save us. Musks Providence pronouncements were not the first cautionary words he has offered on AI. His warnings earned a lengthy treatment earlier this year in a Vanity Fair article by Maureen Dowd, Elon Musks Billion-Dollar Crusade to Stop the A.I. Apocalypse, which details his efforts to save humanity from machine-learning overlords. Really? On the other hand, Musks Tesla factories are models of robotic efficiency and seem to be a significant counterfactual to his statements in Providence. However, robotic assembly lines might be drone-like compared with Musks vision of powerful AI. Possibly, he is angling to clear out some space for a new venture hes been incubating. Neural Lace Musks new company, Neuralink, might be an attempt to build what hes called a neural lace, which might function as a kind of interface between the human brain and machines. There arent many details yet, so keep an eye out for whatevers next. Meanwhile, Id take the Providence declaration with a bowl of chowder. Everywhere we look today, things are changing in fundamental ways. The AI scare and thats what it is was forecasted a few years ago in The Second Machine Age, by a couple of MIT professors who warned that the acceleration and disorientation we feel is exactly what happens in the second half of an exponential growth curve. Theres no doubt that job losses can be scary, and the new era never arrives in time to short-circuit the pain associated with the end of a prior era. Still, there are lots of things we can do to smooth the situation. First and foremost, we can quit the unproductive doomsday talk and figure out in earnest how to take advantage of whats before us. We also can embrace the change and actively participate in its rollout. Participation yields control, and thats far more useful than trying to shut something down. Were looking at a free market phenomenon, which means it has a momentum of its own that wont be stopped by regulation more or less the same situation Dr. Malcolm found himself in. By the way, electric cars are the same type of free market phenomenon, so its a pity their patron hasnt seen that yet. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on botanists worldwide to increase cooperation in protecting biodiversity and promoting green development. Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the International Botanical Congress (IBC), which opened in Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province on Monday. Noting that plants are the primary producer in the ecosystem and have a profound impact on Earth's ecology, Xi said human beings have never ceased their exploration of botany, and the utilization and protection of plants have promoted the progress of human civilization. China is among the countries with the richest plant species in the world, and its people have displayed affection for nature and plants since ancient times, Xi said in the letter. The president noted that China has made remarkable achievements in rice breeding, genomics, evolutionary biology and biotechnology, among other areas. China will uphold the concepts of innovative, balanced, green, open and shared development, strengthen ecological improvement, and build a beautiful country, said Xi, adding China will carry out international cooperation in botany and work together with other countries to protect Earth. Premier Li Keqiang said in a written instruction that the IBC features an international academic conference at the highest level in the field of plant sciences and plays an important role in global botanic development. The conference will help China's worldwide exchanges in plant sciences and improve the scientific research level of global botany, Li said. The Chinese government has insisted on a fundamental national policy of saving resources and protecting the environment, placed ecological improvement at a prominent position, and reinforced research and international cooperation in plant sciences, he said. The IBC was established in 1900. About 6,000 experts, scholars and delegates from nearly 100 countries and regions attended this year's conference. A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs decision to pursue a new direction in processing health records has created a highly visible endorsement of the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) information technology by federal agencies. President Trump cited the VAs action as an example of the administrations commitment to vastly improve federal IT management. The VA earlier this month awarded a contract to Cerner to develop an electronic health record (EHR) system for the department. The Cerner program will replace the existing VA patient data system, known as VistA, which was developed in-house and has been in use for at least 30 years. The sheer size of Veterans Affairs, which serves 8.7 million veterans through 1,700 facilities, makes the decision to use an outside contractor noteworthy, as federal agencies strive to meet recently introduced initiatives promoting the outsourcing of information technology. For vendors, the policy turn indicates more potential in the federal market. VA did not immediately disclose the value of the Cerner contract, but it could amount to several billion dollars. The U.S. Department of Defense in 2015 awarded a similar medical records contract to a consortium of companies including Leidos, Cerner and Accenture, which was valued at US$4.3 billion. DoD noted that the eventual cost of the program could reach $9 billion. Time for a Change The VistA system, which VA personnel designed in their off hours decades ago, has been heralded as a pioneering effort in EHR management. The program became a template for both government and private healthcare providers. However, VA Secretary David Shulkin recently decided that it would be more appropriate for the agency to concentrate on healthcare and leave data processing to commercial specialists. The departments system is in need of major modernization to keep pace with the improvements in health information technology and cybersecurity, Shulkin said. Software development is not a core competency of VA, he added. I said recently to Congress that I was committed to getting VA out of the software business, that I didnt see remaining in that business as benefiting veterans, Shulkin said, and because of that, were making a decision to move towards a commercial off-the-shelf product. In addition to the need for modernization, the shift to the Cerner offering was triggered by the VA and DoDs shared goal to create a seamless health record that would follow service personnel from active duty through veteran status. After spending hundreds of millions on the effort, the agencies abandoned the project, largely because of the inability to provide proper interoperability functions, according to Shulkin. DoD then engaged the consortium of Leidos, Cerner and Accenture to provide EHRs for the military. The prudent course for VA would be a similar approach based on the same technology, Shulkin concluded. As a result, the Cerner contract was issued as a sole source, noncompetitive transaction that potentially will assure compatibility by way of Cerners Millenium offering as the core technology for both the DoD and VA. Another benefit of the sole source award is that it will save time, given that the DoD competitive process took more than two years from the initial Request for Proposals to the final contract award, Shulkin noted. The emphasis on commercial off-the-shelf solutions began late in the Obama administration. Agencies need a more centralized and collaborative software management approach so that they can optimize utilization of commercial and COTS software licenses and maximize the use of best-in-class software purchasing and management solutions, Anne Rung, then U.S. chief acquisition officer, said last year. The effort to upgrade federal IT has been reinforced by the Trump administration. Our goal is to lead a sweeping transformation of the federal governments technology that will deliver dramatically better services for citizens [and] stronger protection from cyberattacks, the president said in a recent meeting with technology executives. VA Secretary Shulkin recently announced that were upgrading technology to allow the seamless transfer of veterans medical records from the Defense Department, which has been a huge problem for decades and decades for our great veterans, Trump said. Conversion Challenges The VA could encounter significant hurdles in implementing the COTS system. Many COTS solutions are built around private sector healthcare models and workflows with zero direct application to how the VA actually works, while VistA was developed specifically to meet VAs needs according to its best practices, noted Deanne Clark, senior health informatics consultant for DSS, in an online post. Many private sector COTS vendors of EHR programs have failed to meet federal interoperability standards, she pointed out. Additionally, the VistA system, as an open technology government-developed program, has been adopted widely for use in the private sector health system, Clark said, and it received a top ranking by 20,000 clinicians. The VA will face challenges switching to an unproven system while simultaneously maintaining the existing VistA system during the conversion period, she said. Despite those misgivings, Clarks company, which has been a supporting contractor to VA, hopes to remain steadfast in that role. We want to see VA succeed at this effort, she told the E-Commerce Times. While the VA will switch out of VistA, Clark still sees value in the private sector version of VistA that will remain a service provided by her company. We support VA and our veterans, but we will continue to innovate, enhance, and modernize VistA for our present and future commercial clients, and hopefully throughout the duration of VAs transition to COTS, she said. Multiple factors went into VAs choice to use the COTS approach, Clark acknowledged. I know that Secretary Shulkin based the decision on a number of factors, and I am not aware of all of the information he had available to make that decision, she said. Contracting Competitors Busy at VA While potential competitors for the VA contract could be miffed that the department used a sole source procurement, several seem satisfied with their existing business with the department. For example, VA early last year gave 21 companies spots on a multiyear IT support contract known as T4NG, with a potential value of $22 billion. The department in 2015 awarded a $624 million IT contract for health scheduling services to a former Lockheed Martin unit that is now a part of Leidos, along with Epic Systems, a major health IT provider. We remain focused on and committed to our mission of delivering a world-class electronic health records [system] to the men and women of our Armed Forces, said Leidos Senior Vice President Jerry Hogge. Our MHS Genesis solution was designed with system interoperability in mind. The VA Secretarys decision to accelerate getting the DoD and VA on a common electronic health record system represents a profoundly important milestone for our nations veterans, their families and beneficiaries, he told the E-Commerce Times. Epic declined to comment directly on competitive issues but noted its continuing work with VA. The company is proud to serve our veterans both through the VA scheduling project and through our customers that care for millions of veterans across America, Epic said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Meghan Roh. In fact, there is a good possibility that Cerner might enlist other companies to support the COTS contract with VA. We look forward to sharing more information as we build the team of innovative and experienced partners that will join us to complete this vital work, Cerner said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Dan Smith. In cooperation with the DoD, the VA project will improve interoperability, Cerner said, as well as the creation of a single longitudinal health record that can facilitate the efficient exchange of data for current and former service members. Olivia Duane Adams is chief customer officer and cofounder of Alteryx. Alteryx Chief CustomerOfficerOlivia Duane Adams In this exclusive interview, Adams speaks with TechNewsWorld about her passion for analytics, and the role of women in an analytics-driven future. TechNewsWorld: Can you give me some background on Alteryx? What prompted you to start the company? Olivia Duane Adams: We founded the company because we thought that analytics needed to be easier for people to understand and consume. Today, our technology is a leading platform for self-service analytics. Anybody in a company is able to use Alteryx to find data and analyze it, and theyre able to do it in a repeatable workflow. A lot of times, analysts get asked the same questions, and repeatability saves them a lot of time. Data needs to be delivered at the time a question is asked. Its got to be delivered in a matter of minutes, hours or days, and thats what our technology allows our user community to do. Its an exciting time to be in this analytic space. TNW: Why do you have a passion for analytics? Adams: Its about having a sense of curiosity the ability to look at data and say, what is it telling me? I define analytics as the ability to ingest any and all relevant sources of data that might help answer a question being asked. Analytics is the ability to use all the data you have to answer a question, or at least to drive insight to get to a better answer. Analytics is everywhere, and thats because data is everywhere. When you think about data as an asset, that asset is going to drive answers, and hopefully action. That action could be to start doing, or to stop doing, or to modify what youre already doing. Analytics impacts every department in every company, and if they want to become smarter, all they have to do is become data-aware. If you think about the data you have, youre able to move seamlessly forward in this world of analytics. TNW: What challenges have you faced in your career as a woman in tech? Adams: There is a perception that women are more approachable. This can be a challenge, because people will use me as a sounding board. What do you think? How would you handle this? What do you think? And so I always turn those into opportunities to help people understand where theyre coming from, and what change they want to make. TNW: How can womens participation in STEM fields and specifically analytics be supported and promoted? Adams: I see such huge opportunity, because I believe that women do think differently. Well always look at things differently, and thats of huge value to the departments and teams and companies we work for, since it gives another perspective on how to approach a problem, how to solve a problem. I see huge opportunities for women in STEM fields, and I would like to see more colleges and universities and K-12 grades motivating everyone, including women, to understand the opportunities and to demystify them for women. Sometimes theres a disconnect, where undergraduate students think the real world is so far away. How do we help them see the reality of these careers, and how they can have an impact in them? Id love to see colleges and universities putting students in the real world, so theyre ready to take these jobs when they graduate. One program that we have is the Alteryx for Good program. Were giving our technology to universities that want to teach analytics in their courses. Its free for the university when its being taught in the classroom. It puts the students in a position to use technology thats very employable when they graduate, and it gives them a taste of what its like to use this technology in a real-world situation. It gives them a sense of what it feels like to be in the real world. Our passion is to make sure that those students are using state-of-the-art technology. We hear great feedback about the technology, and they love using it in their courses. At one university, for instance, theyre using Alteryx in their journalism program, because when youre a journalist, you need to be able to quote facts. Where do you find those facts? In the data thats available. TNW: Whats in the future for the field of analytics, and for Alteryx? How are things evolving? Adams: As we talk to senior leaders from organizations around the world, we continuously hear them say that their companies need to be more analytic. Data is everywhere, and companies are becoming data-aware. As data continues to grow, organizations are asking tougher questions that they need to be able to answer in a timely manner. The United Kingdoms Parliament on Monday reported a cyberattack on its email system over the weekend, when hackers attempted to access user accounts without authorization. Due to the robust measures in place to protect the legislative bodys accounts and networks, fewer than 1 percent of the 9,000 accounts on the network were compromised, officials said in a statement. Accounts that were compromised had weak passwords that did not conform to guidance on creating strong passwords from the Parliamentary Digital Service, according to the statement. Individuals with compromised accounts have been notified and investigators are determining if the victims lost any data. Its unlikely that any data that might have been lost would have included any information gems. Big secrets are usually shared through unofficial email accounts, said Csaba Krasznay, a product evangelist with Balabit. An attack against some Gmail accounts promises much bigger gain, he told TechNewsWorld. Childs Play The attack on its networks doesnt appear to have been very sophisticated, based on the information Parliament has released so far. They used a brute force attack to find users on the system with weak passwords, said Asaf Cidon, vice president for content security services at Barracuda Networks. Any teenager who knows how to download a script from the Web could do this. Its one of the most classic attacks in the book, he told TechNewsWorld. The Parliament attack was like going door to door and trying doorknobs until you find an open door, notedLastline CTO Giovanni Vigna. As organizations have moved to cloud email and collaboration platforms, attackers have adapted their tradecraft away from targeting networks to targeting people and their credentials, explained Ryan Kalember, senior vice president of cybersecurity strategy at Proofpoint. As weve seen in prior attacks on governments and politicians, he told TechNewsWorld, few things are as valuable as a compromised email account. A Preventable Attack One way to foil attacks like the one on Parliament is to deploy two-factor authentication. That method requires something in addition to a user name and password to get into an account typically a six-digit number sent to a mobile phone in a text message. I am surprised Parliament isnt using two-factor authentication, which is something that would have removed the problem even in the case of weak passwords, Lastlines Vigna told TechNewsWorld. Thats because in order to compromise your email account, they also have to compromise your phone, which raises the bar considerably, he explained. Although Parliament has guidance in place for stronger passwords, requiring strong passwords would be more effective, Barracudas Cidon pointed out. You can have your email system reject a password automatically if its not strong enough, he said. There really is no excuse for not enforcing a policy for ensuring that passwords are of a minimum length and complexity to help prevent a brute-force attack like this, especially for a communications system that contains highly sensitive data, observed Patrick Tiquet, director of security and architecture at Keeper Security. Any email system that does not enforce strong passwords or enforce multifactor authentication is vulnerable to this kind of attack, he told TechNewsWorld. Congress Next? This attack on Parliaments email network is an outcome of a continual lack of investment by government in security strategies that have become standard operating procedure in the private sector, maintained Spencer Young, regional vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Imperva. This attack was unfortunately just a matter of time, he told TechNewsWorld. The cyberattack on the UKs Parliament raises the specter of a possible attack on the U.S. Congress. Since, like Parliament, Congress is comprised of a group of humans and members of both groups likely have bad password habits this type of attack easily could hit the U.S. as well, suggested Jonathan Sander, CTO of Stealthbits Technologies. This attack is like a break-in targeting a house in a wealthy neighborhood where the bad guys expect that there is something worth stealing inside, he told TechNewsWorld. You can easily see that the UK Parliament is only one house on that block, Sander continued, and the U.S. Congress may as well be right across the street. Even with good security hygiene, any institution is vulnerable to determined attackers. The attack on Parliament was very simple compared to something like the Russia-backed theft of the emails of John Podesta, former chairman of the 2016 presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton. The Podesta theft included a targeted phishing campaign and a domain scheme to capture information. If the Chinese can hack the F-35, the Russians can hack Capitol Hill, which is a much softer target, said Kenneth Geers, a senior research scientist at Comodo. Cybersecurity is more Sun Tzu than Stalingrad, he told TechNewsWorld, and politicians are easier prey than soldiers. Malware targeting Linux systems is growing, largely due to a proliferation of devices created to connect to the Internet of Things. That is one of the findings in a report WatchGuard Technologies, a maker of network security appliances, released last week. The report, which analyzes data gathered from more than 26,000 appliances worldwide, found three Linux malware programs in the top 10 for the first quarter of the year, compared with only one during the previous period. Linux attacks and malware are on the rise, wrote WatchGuard CTO Corey Nachreiner and Security Threat Analyst Marc Laliberte, coauthors of the report. We believe this is because systemic weaknesses in IoT devices, paired with their rapid growth, are steering botnet authors towards the Linux platform. However, blocking inbound Telnet and SSH, along with using complex administrative passwords, can prevent the vast majority of potential attacks, they suggested. New Avenue for Hackers Linux malware began growing at the end of last year with the Mirai botnet, observed Laliberte. Mirai made a splash in September when it was used to attack part of the Internets infrastructure and knock millions of users offline. Now, with IoT devices skyrocketing, a whole new avenue is opening up to attackers, he told LinuxInsider. Its our belief that the rise were seeing in Linux malware is going hand in hand with that new target on the Internet. Makers of IoT devices havent been showing a great deal of concern about security, Laliberte continued. Their goals are to make their devices work, make them cheap, and make them quickly. They really dont care about security during the development process, he said. Trivial Pursuits Most IoT manufacturers use stripped down versions of Linux because the operating system requires minimal system resources to operate, said Paul Fletcher, cybersecurity evangelist at Alert Logic. When you combine that with the large quantity of IoT devices being connected to the Internet, that equals a large volume of Linux systems online and available for attack, he told LinuxInsider. In their desire to make their devices easy to use, manufacturers use protocols that are also user-friendly for hackers. Attackers can gain access to these vulnerable interfaces, then upload and execute the malicious code of their choice, Fletcher said. Manufacturers frequently have poor default settings for their devices, he pointed out. Often, admin accounts have blank passwords or easy-to-guess default passwords, such as password123,' Fletcher said. The security problems often are nothing Linux-specific per se, said Johannes B. Ullrich, chief research officer at the SANS Institute. The manufacturer is careless on how they configured the device, so they make it trivial to exploit these devices, he told LinuxInsider. Malware in Top 10 These Linux malware programs cracked the top 10 in WatchGuards tally for the first quarter: Linux/Exploit, which catches several malicious trojans used to scan systems for devices that can be enlisted into a botnet. Linux/Downloader, which catches malevolent Linux shell scripts.Linux runs on many different architectures, such as ARM, MIPS and traditional x86 chipsets. An executable compiled for one architecture will not run on a device running a different one, the report explains. Thus, some Linux attacks exploit dropper shell scripts to download and install the proper malicious components for the architecture they are infecting. Linux/Flooder, which catches Linux distributed-denial-of-service tools, such as Tsunami, used to perform DDoS amplification attacks, as well as DDoS tools used by Linux botnets like Mirai.As the Mirai botnet showed us, Linux-based IoT devices are a prime target for botnet armies, the report notes. Web Server Battleground A shift in how adversaries are attacking the Web has occurred, the WatchGuard report notes. At the end of 2016, 73 percent of Web attacks targeted clients browsers and supporting software, the company found. That radically changed during the first three months of this year, with 82 percent of Web attacks focused on Web servers or Web-based services. We dont think drive-by download style attacks will go away, but it appears attackers have focused their efforts and tools on trying to exploit Web server attacks, report coauthors Nachreiner and Laliberte wrote. Theres been a decline in the effectiveness of antivirus software since the end of 2016, they also found. For the second quarter in a row, we have seen our legacy AV solution miss a lot of malware that our more advanced solution can catch. In fact, it has gone up from 30 percent to 38 percent, Nachreiner and Laliberte reported. Nowadays, cyber criminals use many subtle tricks to repack their malware so that it evades signature-based detection, they noted. This is why so many networks that use basic AV become victims of threats like ransomware. (Photo: Nooitgedacht Village, Stellenbosch website)Aerial view of Stellenbosch, South Africa with the town's university on the left. South Africa is mourning the death of Russel Botman, a Reformed theologian and the first black rector of Stellenbosch University. Stellenbosch is one of the country's top schools and while it was a whites-only institution in the apartheid era it was renowned for producing prime ministers. "Prof Hayman Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University passed away in his sleep at his home in Stellenbosch last night" the university said in a statement on Saturday. Botman was scheduled to make an overseas trip in the coming week and was scheduled to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in July. "Over the past few years Stellenbosch University benefited from his visionary leadership which portrayed his philosophy that SU's excellent research and teaching should make a difference in society," the university council's chairman George Steyn said. "South Africa has lost one of the leading lights of our higher education transformation," said South African President Jacob Zuma in a tribute to Botman. An ordained minister, Botman was instrumental in the formation of the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa (URCSA). He remained a staunch proponent of church unity within the Dutch Reformed Church Family to the end, the statement said. Botman's death at the age of 62 was a loss for educational institutions, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Noble Peace Prize laureate said Saturday. "He demonstrated that black people can manage complex educational institutions splendidly and we were very proud of him," Tutu said. (Photo: University of Stellenbosch website) Professor Russel Botman He said Botman was a precocious and courageous young church leader who emerged in the cauldron of the 1980s peoples' struggle against apartheid to put the feet of older church leaders to the fire. Botman was born in Bloemfontein, in the Free State province on October 18 1953. SOWETO UPRISING In 1976, the year of the Soweto uprising by black South Africans, while he was a student at the University of Western Cape Botman led his fellow students in human rights protests against apartheid laws. He was ordained in 1982 and served as a minister for the Wynberg congregation of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church from 1982 to 1993. In 1994, he joined the University of Western Cape as a senior lecturer in practical theology. Botman was promoted to associate professor and dean of the faculty of religion and theology in 1999. In 2000, he joined Stellenbosch University as a professor in missiology, ecumenism and public theology in South Africa's second oldest city that is a center for wine growing set in a pictureque setting near Cape Town. From 2001 to 20012 he was principal of the Theological School of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. He became vice-rector for teaching at Stellenbosch University in 2002 and served in that position until his historic appointment as the institution's first black rector and vice-chancellor in 2007. He served as president of the South African Council of Churches from 2003 to 2007. Botman served as a research consultant to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches from 2001 to 2004, before it became the World Communion of Reformed Churches. In April 2013 he received Princeton Theological Seminary's Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Theology and Public Life. That was followed in March 2014 with the award of an honorary doctorate by Hope College in Michigan for leadership in higher education and the Reformed church to promote a more just society for all South Africans Botman had received honorary membership of the United Nations Association of South Africa for advancing the Millennium Development Goals to advance disadvantaged people. The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba praised Botman for the special concern he showed for poor and disadvantaged students, creating an enabling environment in which they could succeed. "Russell's contribution, especially within the ecumenical movement, will be remembered and be hopefully recorded," he said. "May this great South African a husband, a preacher, teacher, an ecumenist and a leader rest in peace." (Photo: South African Council of Churches)Former South African Anglican leader, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, interviewed by South African journalist Hennie Serfontein in the 1980s. South African journalist Hennie Serfontein was a special kind of Afrikaner because he chose to turn his back on apartheid when most whites in his country found the easier option to support it or stay silent while he covered church and society, often at great risk. The veteran Afrikaans political journalist and documentary filmmaker often known as JHP Serfontein died peacefully in his sleep in Sandton near Johannesburg in South Africa on July 24. Serfontein was 83 years old. Family members said his wife for 60 years was at his side. The former journalist was best known for his exposes whilst working for South African newspapers in the mid-sixties and 1970s on the dreaded Broederbond, the secret organization of select Afrikaners who set government policy before the whites-only parliament debated it. Serfontein once said, "There is no such thing as objectivity in journalism but your facts have to be one hundred percent right." He also said, "At the end of the day it is more important to follow your own conscience than to be like a sheep and follow the flock." His patch held its dangers and the South African government of the time did not want him to report on it as he delved into the role of the churches in both supporting apartheid, and fighting it. His daughter Anli Serfontein, who lives in Berlin and is a correspondent for Ecumenical News said, "My beloved Dad followed his conscience as an Afrikaner vehemently opposing apartheid and speaking up for the truth. He did this fully knowing how bad the backlash would be, and he never wavered." As a journalist specializing on church matters, Serfontein met Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the 1970s and had close dealings with him later as secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches. At the time Tutu was in the forefront of non-violent resistance to apartheid in the country, before going on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. In 1995 Serfontein made a documentary on Tutu, visiting among other things the concentration camp in Dachau to establish a link between what happened in South Africa and what happened in Nazi Germany. RELATIONSHIP WITH BEYERS NAUDE Serfontein's relationship with the well-known Afrikaans anti-apartheid theologian Beyers Naude went back to the early 1950's in Pretoria when Serfontein was a student and a member of the Dutch Reformed Church which had supported apartheid. Serfontein got into journalism in 1963 with the Broederbond exposes the first ones were based on Naude's documents. Naude was at that point still a member of the Broederbond the ultra-secret Afrikaner organization which with its octopus-like powers that was involved in every major Cabinet and apartheid policy decision. Because of these exposes and his friendship with Naude, the Dutch Reformed Church refused to baptize his daughter in 1965. Naude founded the Christian Institute, which the government declared a banned organization in 1977, along with its founder which meant he was under virtual house arrest and unable to make contact with more than two people at a time. For European broadcasters, Serfontein recorded and illustrated the effects of the banning order on Naude, his total ostracization from his Afrikaner community and his belief in a non-racial society. After 1994 he also did portraits for the national broadcaster, the SABC. The friendship with Naude was one of the most important one's in his life, spanning five decades. Serfontein's last broadcast for IKON in 1995 was then also aptly a profile on Naude. NICO SMITH There are also unique footage of another anti-apartheid theologian, former University of Stellenbosch professor, Nico Smith a Dutch Reformed pastor who had moved to the black Mamelodi township in 1987 where he was a pastor, to live among the people he was serving. Another important aspect was recording and exposing the heartbreak caused by the stance of the Afrikaans churches to justify apartheid on the basis of the Bible and the reaction of the international Reformed church body which in 1982 in Ottawa declared that apartheid is a heresy. In in the late 1970s and 1980s Serfontien became a correspondent for the Dutch daily newspaper Trouw and the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. He also produced films for several TV stations in The Netherlands IKON, NCRV, VARA at a time when Dutch journalists were often refused visas to enter South Africa. JHP (Hennie) Serfontein spent his formative years in Pretoria in the heart of conservative Nationalist Afrikanerdom. He was head boy of the prestigious Afrikaans Hoer Skool in Pretoria. He was also a leadership contemporary of the last apartheid president FW de Klerk and his Foreign Minister Pik Botha in the Nationalist Party Youth organisations, before turning his back on what could have been a brilliant political career and opting for journalism and exposing apartheid. Working for the (Johannesburg) Sunday Times, in the late sixties and early seventies, he made his name in his sensational exposes of the Broederbond as it was for the first time exposed to the full glare of publicity. For years Serfontein was acknowledged as the foremost writer on the National Party and Afrikaner affairs in the liberal English press. For this he was branded a traitor to the Afrikaner cause and he and his family were ostracized from the Afrikaner community. In 2015 he explained, "I'm not a church person, but I took my decision that apartheid is against the Word of God full-stop." Throughout his life he was a close confidante of Beyers Naude whom he first met in 1950 as a student and their opposition to apartheid followed the same path as of the 1960's when they often consulted each other. You are here: Home A prototype of a mounted monorail train is tested at CRRC Qingdao Sifang.[Provided to China Daily] Chinese rail car manufacturer CRRC Qingdao Sifang has unveiled a prototype of a mounted monorail train with a maximum operating speed of 70 kilometers per hour, the fastest of its kind in China. Driven by a high-efficiency magnet motor, the experimental train runs along an overhead monorail. The mounted monorail train is a rising new mode of transportation featuring light weight, moderate speed and low manufacturing cost. Liu Yuwen, deputy head of the company's technology center, said the train can comprise three or five cars, with a passenger capacity of 300 to 510 people. "The train has a strong climbing ability, with a maximum rise of 100 meters over a distance of 1,000 meters," Liu said. "The mounted monorail system is suitable for passenger transport in scenic areas, mountainous regions and urban areas where road traffic is heavy." The train is built to the strictest European safety standards, with various safety devices, including a whole-train monitoring system that can help passengers escape in the event of danger. The company, based in Qingdao, Shandong Province, is undertaking China's first overhead monorail project in Hancheng, Shaanxi Province. The construction of the line, which is designed to stretch 55 kilometers, began in November. Wang Mengshu, a railway expert and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering in Beijing, applauded the breakthrough. "Mounted monorail does not rely on land facilities, and is even immune from bad weather such as a big snowfall or frost. It should be an important part of China's urban transportation network," Wang said. Moreover, it costs only about one-third of what a subway costs. Building one kilometer of subway or light rail generally costs 500 to 800 million yuan (US$74 million to 118 million). China plans to complete more than 2,500 kilometers of rail transportation in major cities during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), at an estimated cost of 1 trillion yuan. "If one-fifth of the investment is put into mounted monorail projects, loads of money will be saved," Wang said. The success of T-Hub, the software, and services startup incubator, followed by the decision to launch another incubator for e-hardware start-ups may have put Telangana in limelight, but Osmania University failed to monetize it. Not only was the Central Facilities for Research and Development at the OU campus the first choice of the government for setting up of the incubator, it was also reported that lab would be launched at the varsity during the centenary celebrations. The varsity, however, expressed its inability to vacate the building in the given time frame. Following which last month, Jayesh Ranjan, the state information technology secretary announced that T Works will come up in a private building in Gachibowli. They wanted a building where we currently have a lab. It's full of heavy equipment. Central Facilities For Research and Development is operational and scientific research is happening there. We can't vacate it all of a sudden Dr Gopal Reddy, Registrar, Osmania University Speaking to Edexlive, Dr Gopal Reddy, registrar of the varsity said that there was a proposal from the government. "They wanted a building where we currently have a lab. It's full of heavy equipment. Central Facilities For Research and Development is operational and scientific research is happening there. We can't vacate it all of a sudden. Besides time we also need a place to shift the lab. So we told them that it was not possible and gave them alternatives, which they didn't find suitable." With a budgetary allocation of Rs 5 crore, T-Works is expected to be launched by the year-end. Designed on the lines of a prototyping lab, iHub in Los Angeles, which will also share the know-how of setting up the lab, the proposed start of art incubator will provide sophisticated equipment to design hardware and semiconductors. The idea is to attract electronic firms through the available talent pool and entrepreneurial ecosystem. OU students, however, are not happy with the missed opportunity and blame the nonchalance of the administration. This was an opportunity that would have put the varsity on the world map. But the delay and the indifferent attitude of the administration is to be blamed, A said B Venkatesh, a PhD scholar. From being known for protests to its reputation of having the worse hostels, this was OUAs chance to be known for something big. But they blew it up too, said Suresh Rao, another student. In the increasingly popular fields of student engagement, social-emotional learning, and school climate, educators and researchers sometimes feel like they are working in totally different worlds. While researchers tout long-term studies that show economic and academic benefits of such efforts, teachers say they sometimes struggle to apply the findings in classrooms . And while many education leaders and policymakers espouse great enthusiasm for teaching students how to learn through problems and to resolve conflicts, they sometimes fail to see the nuance and limitations in existing research. That means some who buy in to programs pitched as silver bullets may end up without meaningful solutions. So, when a national organization set out to craft a research agenda for what it calls social, emotional, and academic development of students which encompasses issues related to students mindsets, relationships, and engagement in the classroomorganizers sought to build a bridge between the two worlds, inviting both educators and scientists to the table to discuss what excites them, what challenges them, and what should come next. Researchers are often quite removed from the actual [school] setting, said Michael McGarrah, a research and policy associate for the Aspen Institutes National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. Its difficult unless youre doing the actual practitioners work day to day to have the full insight into all of their considerations. While many researchers work with schools to carry out studies on specific interventions, they may be less familiar with how other schools apply the findings after they are published, educators say. Shaping a Research Agenda The national commission, made up of current and former leaders from the worlds of education, policy, government, and business, has an ambitious agenda to try to define commonalities in the emerging and overlapping fields of social-emotional learning, deeper learning, mindsets, and student engagement. Among the commissions projects is the research agenda, which organizers hope will aid academics and philanthropic organizations as they find new directions for the work. The commission convened a panel of scientists who study such issues as engagement, social-emotional development, student attendance, and economics to help draft research recommendations. To ensure that their thinking incorporates classroom-level concerns, the scientists reached out to the commissions panel of educators who are interested in incorporating a more whole child approach into their work. They started small: Over the course of a few weeks, educators and scientists broke up into six pairs and spent an hour on the phone with each other, answering questions and identifying challenges in their work. For example, Marc Brackett, the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, called Josh Garcia, the deputy superintendent of the Tacoma, Wash., schools, who has led the effort in his district to incorporate nonacademic factors into its accountability system. Robert Balfanz, a research professor at Johns Hopkins University and the director of the Everyone Graduates Center, spoke with David Adams, the director of social-emotional learning at Urban Assembly, a network of public schools in New York City. Recognizing the interest in their work, scientists in these fields are increasingly taking on more public roles to share and explain their insights and concerns, but the phone calls organized by the commission allowed for more personal conversations. The pairs tackled topics ranging from how to ensure that social-emotional learning isnt seen as just a fad, how to communicate its importance to families and community members, and how schools should measure the results of their work in a way that is accurate, consistent, and useful for teachers. Researchers have cautioned educators not to lean on using measures of students social and emotional skills for high-stakes purposes like placement, teacher evaluation , and accountability. They say such measures are still being refined so they wont be prone to bias and inaccurate or inconsistent results. But some ability to observe, document, and track results would help teachers as they implement new programs in fields that are still developing, Adams said. Not Another Trendy Program Some of his schools track and report teachers observations of students relationships and behaviors . While researchers often explore large population changes over time, educators need tools to track smaller changes within a school year so they can see if they are affecting students in positive ways, Adams said. That might help convince educators that social-emotional learning and student-engagement work arent trendy programs that are quickly adopted and discarded, he said. Every three to five years, theres a new shift in education that really grabs the attention, Adams told Balfanz. Its difficult to maintain focus on the not-sexy things that really move the needle around achievement. Other conversations focused on the tendency among researchers to home in on very narrow ideas, such as empathy, persistence, or learning through failure. Its difficult for educators to navigate all that research and chart a path for their own schools and classrooms, participants said. In her call, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, an associate professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, said social-emotional-learning research also needs to be sensitive to cultural, developmental, and geographic contexts. Even when there are things that seem to be working really great, we cant just copy them, she said. Rather, researchers need to help educators devise larger strategies for creating their own approaches that work with their students and schools, she said. The panel of scientists will continue to meet, using their conversations with educators as they make recommendations for the commission about exactly what questions they should be asking in the future. Decades of research have shown that students emotional and social development is tied to their success in the classroom, McGarrah said, and there is building enthusiasm for social-emotional learning. The commission, he said, hopes a research agenda will help build on that momentum. Theres a lot of confidence about where we stand, McGarrah said, but saying where we need to go is a tall order. Cobb Germany acquires substantial stake in Russian hatchery business Cobb Germany, a distributor for Cobb-Vantress, has acquired a substantial stake in a fellow Cobb grandparent distributor Broiler Budeshego, one of the largest suppliers to the Russian poultry meat industry. This significant shareholding has been bought from Cobb-Vantress' Samuel Lipman, one of the first US investors in the Russian poultry industry. One of Europe's leading distributors of broiler breeding stock, Cobb Germany is part of the Wimex Group which is based in Regenstauf, Germany, and has expanded in the past 30 years to become a major producer of hatching eggs and broiler chicks for the European poultry industry. The company is the distributor of Cobb breeding stock in more than 20 countries of central and eastern Europe. Broiler Budeshego - which literally, in Russian, means "Broiler of the Future" - began hatching Cobb parent stock chicks at a new facility at Stromyn near Moscow, in 2014 and is now selling more than seven million chicks a year to the Russian industry which has been quickly expanding towards self-sufficiency in chicken production. In a separate move, Broiler Budeshego has signed an agreement with the Prioskolie group to take over its grandparent production facilities and supply it with Cobb parent stock. Prioskolie is the market leader for chicken meat in Russia with annual production of more than 600,000 tonnes. Leo Graf von Drechsel, director of the poultry branch of Wimex, said they would become a strong partner in Broiler Budeshego with their market knowledge and technical expertise, helping to increase production to satisfy the growing demands of the Russian industry. He added: "Prioskolie sees the advantage of the world leading genetics of the Cobb breed and has therefore decided to go with Cobb. With these two important moves, Broiler Budeshego has taken major steps forward in expanding its production base in Russia and growing its market share." Roy Mutimer, Cobb vice president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, commented: "It has been thrilling to watch the efforts of our Russian colleagues deliver such fantastic growth for Cobb in Russia in recent years. This is an extremely positive move for Cobb Russia and the team whose hard work has made a major contribution to the expansion of the business." "Increasingly, the clear advantages that the Cobb product brings across all stages of production are being recognised by Russian integrators which is making Cobb the breed of choice," Mutimer added. "I am certain that Cobb Germany's greater involvement in the market, coupled with Prioskolie's move to Cobb, will further enhance our ability to support our Russian customers and continue to grow our market share in Russia." Mark Sams, general manager of Cobb Europe, added: "With the support of Cobb Germany, I'm confident that Broiler Budeshego will continue to thrive in the market and build on the exceptional growth and performance they have proudly achieved. Cobb Europe will continue to fully support the business as our distributor going forward." "Personally, I would like to thank the entire Russian team for their dedication and commitment that has made the business such a success and helped Cobb to become a market leader in Russia," Sams said. - Cobb Search All categories Advertising General Aerospace General Agriculture General Airlines General America - Post 9/11 General Apparel General Apple Products General Architectural General Architecture Architecture Art & Entertainments Books Celebrities Country Music Dance Magazines Movies Museums Music Music Downloads News & Talk Shows Performing Arts Photography Television Web Sites Arts/Culture General Auction General Automotive Aftermarket Classic Autos Consumer Publications General Motorcycle & Bike Racing Recreational Vehicle Repair & Service Trade Publications Blogging & Social Media Blogging & Social Media Business Advertising / Marketing Books Consumer Research Direct Marketing e-Commerce Entrepreneurs Finance Franchise Human Resources Insurance Investment Management Markets 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Weather Weather Beamline scientist Mahmoud Abdellatief is the first staff member from the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications In the Middle East (SESAME) to come to the ESRF in the framework of the OPEN SESAME programme. The initiative promotes interaction among personnel from various synchrotrons and SESAME to assist in the construction phase of the machine. This experience will help me to figure out the best design for our beamline so that we can exploit it to the maximum with the scientists in the community, says Mahmoud Abdellatief, beamline responsible at SESAME. He is at the ESRF during three weeks to exchange views with ESRF scientists on the specifications of the diffraction beamline at SESAME, thanks to the EU programme OPEN SESAME. He will then stay at ALBA, the Spanish synchrotron source. His goals for his stay include finishing the technical specifications for the diffractometer and defining what set-ups and techniques the experimental station will enable. He is on ID22, the beamline led by Andy Fitch, but he will be meeting up with other scientists during his stay. SESAME is the new synchrotron currently being built in Jordan for the Middle East scientific community. The facility is in its early days, so there are some hurdles to overcome: The beginings of a project like this one are always tough, and it wont be until we have the first results that non-scientists will start believing in it, he says. The challenge is big: there is no other synchrotron source in the Middle East, there are sometimes delays in the arrival of material and there are many cultural differences between the member states. Abdellatief explains that this situation is relatively common in almost all synchrotrons, which are places where many different scientists work towards the same target: to let knowledge lead to a better future. Our countries are close to each other but we are very different. I think we have to embrace diversity because at the end of the day it brings up good ideas to the table. Mahmoud Abdellatief and Andy Fitch have worked together to define the specifications of the diffraction beamline at SESAME. Credits: C. Argoud. Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny Flash White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner on Monday denied having colluded with the Russian government despite four meetings with Russian nationals during the campaign and the transition period. White House Senior Advisor and U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner reads a statement after testifying at a closed-door hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 24, 2017. [Photo / Xinhua] "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner said in a 11-page statement. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump said. Kushner said he first met with former Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak in April 2016 at a Trump speech in Washington, where he exchanged pleasantries and business cards with four ambassadors. Kushner does not name the other three ambassadors he met at the meetings. "Each exchange lasted less than a minute," Kushner said. The second meeting, in June 2016, was set up by Donald Trump Jr. and involved a Russian lawyer who was said to possess damaging information on Trump's rival Hillary Clinton. Kushner said conversations in the meetings focused on a ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children and was "a waste of time." "I had not met the attorney before the meeting nor spoken with her since," he said. Kushner said his first Russia meeting after election occurred on Dec. 1, 2016, when he met with Kislyak in Trump Tower NYC to discuss future U.S.-Russian ties. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn attended the meeting. Both sides agreed to discuss in depth such issues as the Syrian crisis after inauguration for a lack of secure communication channels at the time, according to Kushner. Kushner said he then met with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov on Dec. 13 at the request of Kislyak, during which no specific policies nor business involving Kushner's companies were discussed. Kushner said he agreed to the meeting after learning Gorkov had "direct relationship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I have nothing to hide," he said. The statement was released before his close-door testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Kushner is due to appear in front of the House Intelligence committee Tuesday for a similar hearing. In a separate hearing, Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. and Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort will appear before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Wednesday to answer questions regarding their ties with Russia. The questionings are parts of an ongoing investigation to determine whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia, an accusation Trump and members of his inner circles repeatedly denied. First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans has criticized Poland for its planned reform of the judiciary system that is seen by many as a threat to the separation of powers, democracy and the rule of law. Mr. Timmermans said that the EU executive was seriously pondering triggering Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty, which presupposes sanctions. In response to this threat, Stanislaw Pieta of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) commented that Mr Timmermans doesnt impress us at all. According to PiS MEP Zdzislaw Krasnodebski (ECR), Mr Timmermans threats are an attempt at applying psychological pressure on PiS government. He added that the Commissions role is not to run the Polish legislative process. A function of a European Commission Vice-President is nowhere to be seen in the lawmaking process in Poland. The ECs role is to guard the treaties and if, after a bill is passed, it decides the law has been violated, it is time to voice a problem and take action. The Polish government has been continuously moving against democratic norms by increasing government control over the news media outlets, cracking down on public gatherings and restricting activities of nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. In its latest move, the Law and Justice party wants to take control of the last major independent institution in the country the courts. The party is pushing for a number of bills into law one would force Polands top judges to resign unless they were appointment by the government. Another bill, which has already been approved, would give the government control over who can become a judge. According to Article 7 that the Commission is considering, the EU member states may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach by a member state of the [EUs] values in which case the Council will hear the member state in question and eventually also decide to suspend some of its rights, including the voting rights of the representative of the government of that member state in the Council. Google has reported its second quarter results for the year 2017. The California based technology company says its fastest growing business is the cloud business, which means the growth refers to Googles productivity tools in G suite and the Google cloud platform. There have also been new additions in headcounts in the quarter as the company sized up by 1614 new hires. Parent company Alphabet reported a 27.7% drop in quarterly profit as the company recorded a previously announced charge related to a record $2.42 billion Euros fine imposed on its Google unit by the EU. "With revenues of $26 billion, up 21% versus the second quarter of 2016 and 23% on a constant currency basis, we're delivering strong growth with great underlying momentum, while continuing to make focused investments in new revenue streams," said Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet. During the second quarter (on June 27) Google was fined by the European Commission regarding the display and ranking of shopping search results and ads that infringed European competition law. The EC imposed a fine of 2.42 billion Euros, which was included in the accrued expenses and other current liabilities of the consolidated balance sheet. Though the EC fine has failed to dent Googles growth, the profit has recorded a decline. According to reports, analysts were anticipating earning of $4.46 per share and revenue of $25.64 billion. Q2 2016 vs Q2 2017 (YOY) We make a comparison between the second quarter last year (2016) and this year (2017) to see a year on year differentiation in the growth of Google: In terms of paid clicks and cost-per-click information the aggregate paid clicks have grown 52 per cent, paid clicks on Google websites have grown 61 per cent while the paid clicks on Google Network Members websites has grown 9 per cent. The aggregate cost-per-click has grown 23 per cent, the cost-per-click on Google websites have grown 26 per cent while the cost-per-click on Google network members websites have grown 11 per cent. The traffic acquisition costs (TAC) to Google Network members and distribution partners can also be compared year on year. TAC to Google Network members at the end of the second quarter last year was recorded at $2,623 million compared to $3,042 million this year. There has been a two per cent rise in the TAC to Google network members as percentage of Google network members properties revenues. TAC to distribution partners has grown by $697 million to $2,049 million this year as compared to the second quarters $1,352 million last year. The TAC to distribution partners as percentage of Google properties revenues has grown by two percent up 11 percent as compared to 9 percent in the same time last year. The total traffic acquisition costs have grown by $1,116 million to $5,091 million as compared to $3,975 million last year. Alphabets operating losses is recorded at $772 million as compared to last years, $855 million. The operating income has grown by $813 million to $7803 million as compared to $6990 million. Alphabet's "other bets" division which includes acquisitions like Nest and other longer-term projects being developed through its X lab has grown by $63 million to $248 million as compared to $185 million last year while Googles revenues rose to $3090 million this year in the second quarter as compared to $2172 million last year in the same quarter. Other Bets operating losses is recorded at $772 million as compared to last years, $855 million. The operating income has grown by $813 million to $7803 million as compared to $6990 million. Googles advertising revenues have grown to $22,672 million as compared to $19,143 million in the same period last year. "YouTube is one of those products scaling really well globally, just like search did, we're seeing real strong growth on mobile. I think there's a lot more growth ahead," said Google CEO Sundar Pichai during Alphabet's earnings call with investors. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) Flash At least 26 people were killed and 49 others injured as a suicide blast hit the downtown area of Pakistan's eastern city Lahore Monday afternoon, officials said. Security officials examine the blast site in eastern Pakistan's Lahore, on July 24, 2017. At least 26 people were killed and 49 others injured as a suicide blast hit the downtown area of Pakistan's eastern city Lahore on Monday afternoon, officials said. [Photo / Xinhua] Khawaja Salman Rafique, health minister of the country's eastern Punjab province, said that so far 26 people, including nine policemen, have lost their lives in the blast while 49 others are under treatment at three different hospitals in the city. Hospital sources said that the death toll might further rise as at least 15 of the injured are still in critical condition. According to local media reports, the blast took place at about 4:00 p.m. local time when a suicide bomber hit policemen escorting a local anti-encroachment team demolishing illegal buildings of a vegetable market near a Technology Park in downtown Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province. Haider Ashraf, deputy inspector general of police, confirmed that it was a suicide blast and the target was the police, adding that two police inspectors are among the deceased. Ashraf said the bomber hit the policemen when they were having a roadside meeting to establish check posts to stop encroachers to enter the vegetable market. Several buildings, ten motorbikes and one vehicle near the blast site were also damaged, according to local media. Security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site shortly after the blast was reported and shifted the bodies and injured to the hospitals. An emergency has been declared in all hospitals in Lahore. Bomb disposal officers claimed to have found the head of the suicide bomber, adding that around 10-12 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrows over the loss of precious lives. PM Sharif directed the authorities concerned for extending best possible medical treatment for the injured. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Ahmad Shah Masood, a splinter group of Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the suicide blast, local media reported. The group, in its message, said that a 13-year-old boy had conducted the suicide attack. The GBP EUR exchange rate has fallen marginally today, owing to continued fears about the UKs economic stability. Pound Sterling Update: GBP Dips as Brexit Talks Remain Limiting Factor The Pound has slipped against the Euro today, owing to a continued negative reception to Mondays International Monetary Fund (IMF) news. The IMF notably downgraded its UK growth forecast for 2017, citing continued concerns about Brexit as the reason. Today has brought a mix of UK news, mainly covering Confederation of British Industry (CBI) statistics. The CBI has posted a rise in business optimism in Q3, from 1 point to 5. Less supportively, the July industrial orders level has slowed from 16 points to 10 instead of the forecast 12. Euro Advances on German Confidence and Greek Bond News A pair of Eurozone developments have boosted the Euro today, the first being German confidence scores for July. German statistics company IFO has released its results for business climate, current condition and expectation surveys. In all cases, index scores have risen by more than forecast. The business climate result was especially positive, rising to 116 points. For context, this was the highest recorded level in over 10 years. Commenting on the figures, IFO President Clemens Fuest said; Companies satisfaction with their current business situation reached its highest level since Germanys reunification. Their short-term business outlook also improved. Germanys economy is powering ahead. This news has not been universally well-received, however, as Capital Economics Chief European Economist Jennifer McKeown has shown. Giving a more cautious reading, McKeown stated; Julys rise in German IFO business sentiment suggests that the economy has been encouragingly resilient to a stronger Euro and hints of QE tapering so far. The IFO index is now at a new record high and, on past form, it appears consistent with a sharp rise in annual GDP growth to 4% or more, from Q1s rate of 1.7%. Both the expectations and current conditions indices increased. There are good reasons not to take this at face value. The IFO has been too optimistic for a few months now, pointing to a pick-up in GDP growth which hasnt materialised. And while the PMI is not a perfect indicator either, it points to a slight slowdown in the quarterly pace of growth from Q1s 0.6%. On balance, we believe the message from the hard data that Q2 will be very strong, but we suspect that growth will slow a bit thereafter. Todays other supportive Eurozone news has covered the Greek economy. After struggling to implement austerity measures and facing continued funding concerns, the Government has finally restarted the sale of bonds. Covering 5 years initially, these sales indicate that the Government is sufficiently confident in being able to repay the bonds once they mature. Speaking as the bond sale started, European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici stated that; Confidence in Greece is really coming back, but we need to continue the good work. We need to be on the bicycle, and keep on pedalling. Thats the case for Europe as a whole. If you dont go that way, then the bicycle falls. What matters first and foremost is the future of this great country, inside the Eurozone, inside Europe, whoever runs it. GBP EUR Forecast: Sterling Slide Possible on UK GDP Stats The Pound may remain down against the Euro in the near-term, when GDP growth rate figures come out. In the second quarter, expectations are for an annual slowdown from 2% to 1.7%. While seemingly a minor dip, this result could still weaken the Pound as it would paint a worsening picture of the UK economy. Upcoming Eurozone news may be more positive overall, as it will cover Italian confidence on Wednesday as well as another German confidence figure on Thursday. Slight declines are predicted for Italian business and consumer confidence, while the GFK German index is expected to remain at 10.6 points. Unexpected growth in all three fields could trigger a Euro rally, as higher confidence figures would stack on the IFO results seen today. Dear all, I am new to this forum. Hope you can answer my questions. I have got an offer to work in Abu Dhabi in May. I signed the MOL in early June. Further, I sent all the required documents to the HR department on July 9th. However, I have not received any entry permit visa till now. Anyone could advise how long it normally takes to issue entry permit visa ? Anyone can also recommend an area or available studio that is not too far from Mussafah area ? and How much does a studio cost in average ? Thank you Know I comm'd with you separately, but I've been told by embassy sponsored employee(s) whose kids went to both schools you mentioned, said the one in Manila is as good as one in Singapore, If we are talking about the International School in both locations. Very expensive, but good. I've also comm'd w/ another Expat whose kid went to high end private school in Cebu who said his daughter was Ahead of her peers when she went back to US to continue schooling later. Take into account that with the horrible traffic in Manila, you will need to live relatively near the school, balanced with hubby's place of employment location, to avoid the nightmare commutes that Manila certainly "offers". Good luck. Flash The emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss Israeli aggression over Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem has been delayed to Thursday, the Cairo-based Arab League (AL) said in a statement on Sunday evening. Requested by Jordan and supported by several Arab states, the emergency meeting was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, but the AL said the delay is to guarantee largest number of participant ministers. The meeting is intended to discuss the latest Israeli aggressions and measures in East Jerusalem and its Al-Aqsa Mosque shrine. The AL said that it also coordinated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the issue in its ministerial meeting next week. Tensions between Israel and Palestinians have been rising since July 14 when Israel installed checkpoints and metal detectors at the entrances of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after three Israeli Arab gunmen shot dead two Israeli policemen near the holy site. The three were later killed by the Israeli police. Since then, daily clashes have been erupting between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters at the gates of the mosque compound and elsewhere in the West Bank. In clashes during a massive protest on Friday, Israeli security forces killed three Palestinians and injured hundreds of others. On Sunday, Israel further installed security cameras around the holy site, yet it remains unclear whether the cameras will replace the metal detectors that sparked Palestinian rage. The AL has repeatedly condemned the Israeli practices at Al-Aqsa Mosque as a blatant breach of the right of worship and violation of relevant international laws and UN resolutions. In an earlier statement on Sunday, the pan-Arab organization referred to the recent Israeli measures as "playing with fire," stressing that Jerusalem is "a red line." Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site for Jews. It has been a flashpoint site for Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past decades since the 1967 Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. The recent Israeli measures led to new tensions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that has lasted for decades, since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. Israel is blamed by the international community for the current deadlock of the peace process because of its settlement expansion policy, which is rejected even by the United States, its strongest ally. The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital city in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas small businesses could bear the brunt of economic losses if Texas lawmakers pass a so-called transgender bathroom bill, a group of small business owners said Monday. Business leaders in Texas and around the U.S. have grown increasingly vocal in their opposition to state lawmakers efforts to regulate transgender bathroom use. Nearly two dozen executives in San Antonio and Dallas have blasted bathroom bill proposals as distractions and damaging to the states ability to attract businesses and talent. Major tech CEOs, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Tim Cook of Apple, have implored lawmakers not to seek the legislation. And IBM has said it could reassess its commitment to Texas should a bathroom bill pass. Now, small businesses are publicly speaking out. A group of five small business owners said Monday their companies could pull back on planned investments, lose potential projects and fail to attract customers and workers if state lawmakers efforts to bar transgender men and women from bathrooms that match their gender identity. Were great for talking points about being the heart and soul of Texas but when we stand up to say that our businesses are in jeopardy, those same folks dont seem to listen, Amber Briggle, owner of Soma Massage Therapy in Denton, said on a conference call Monday organized by Texas Competes, a business coalition that opposed bathroom legislation. Briggle said she planned to hire two new employees to service potential convention clients who travel to the citys new convention center. But its unclear whether convention groups will book enough events at the center to justify the new hires if a bathroom bill passes, Briggle said. And Briggle isnt the only person in her family affected by the ban. Her husband, a University of North Texas professor, attempted to convene a philosophy conference but was thwarted after California banned state employees from using taxpayer dollars to travel to Texas, preventing potential California convention-goers from attending, Briggle said. The couples 9-year-old son is also transgender, Briggle said. California enacted its travel ban after Texas lawmakers passed a bill allowing adoption groups with religious affiliations deny adoptions over sincerely held religious beliefs, which opponents say will lead to discrimination against LGBT couples who want to adopt. State lawmakers who back bathroom bill have downplayed the business communitys concerns, saying such a bill is necessary to protect women. John Wittman, spokesman for Gov. Greg Abbott, said businesses see Texas as attractive because of the states low taxes, right-to-work laws, litigation reform and regulatory climate. People who come to Texas want to do business and raise their families in a state that has safe communities, and this law helps achieve that, Wittman said. The truth is that businesses look at what is best for their bottom line, and Texas is that place, Wittman said in a statement. After hearing hours of testimony from citizens and business groups, the state Senate State Affairs Committee voted Sunday to move Senate Bill 3 which would bar local governments and school districts from enacting policies that allow transgender men and women from using bathrooms, showers and changing facilities tied to their gender identity to the full Senate for a vote. We must put our daughters before dollars on this issue, state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Brenham Republican and the bills author, said in a statement. Opponents predictions of economic fallout stemming from a bathroom law are not based in fact, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement. Patrick pointed to the citys vote on the HERO ordinance in 2015, when Houston voters rejected a proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the citys nondiscrimination ordinance. Houston hosted the most successful Super Bowl of all time this year and I am not aware of one business that did not come to Houston or one dollar the Texas economy lost as a result of the Houston vote, Patrick said in a statement, adding that North Carolina had a record year in hotel occupancy and the tourism sector is booming after passing similar legislation last year. Texas tourism leaders have cautioned bathroom bill supporters against looking to North Carolinas recent performance as a reliable marker of the effects of that states bathroom legislation, which was repealed and replaced earlier this year. Convention groups plan years in advance, Visit San Antonio CEO Casandra Matej told lawmakers Friday, so the effects of any canceled events wont be seen for years. North Carolina lost dozens of events and projects in the aftermath of the bills passage. The bathroom bill debate has already cost the state $66 million in convention business, Phillip Jones, CEO of Visit Dallas, told state senators during a committee hearing Friday. The state could lose more than $1 billion in additional convention business should Texas lawmakers pass the bill, Jones said. San Antonio hotels have lost 43,623 booked hotel room-nights from convention groups that canceled because of the bathroom bill debate, said Justin Holley, owner ABH Hospitality Management, said on the conference call Monday. The management group owns four hotels in San Antonio. San Antonio has already lost three conventions valued at $3.1 million because of the debate, Matej told the state Senate State Affairs Committee during a hearing on the bill Friday. Another 15 convention groups have threatened to cancel their events should a bathroom bill become law, taking with them $41 million in local spending, Matej said. Further event cancellations stemming from a potential bathroom law would harm hotel employees who depend on local convention business, Holley said. Were all about welcoming people, Holley said of the hospitality industry. This sends the message that, as a state, we pick and choose who we welcome. Austin stands to lose up to 30 convention groups worth $133 million if the bathroom bill passes, Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan told lawmakers Friday. Meetings worth $10 million have already been canceled because of the bathroom bill debate, Noonan said. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. On Thursday, the Association of American Law Schools became the latest group to pull its event from Austin over the bathroom bill and Senate Bill 4, the sanctuary cities bill passed by the Legislature earlier this session. The association relocated the four-day 2018 conference to Chicago and wont consider Texas for future meetings because of the two bills, Paul Marcus, the associations president, told Austin Mayor Steve Adler in a letter Thursday. Austins event planning industry including caterers and audio technicians could take a serious hit if groups follow through on their threats to leave the city, Cindy Lo, owner of Red Velvet Events in Austin, said Monday. When we see tourists vote with their feet, its these small businesses and individuals who will suffer first, Lo said. Concerns over the bathroom bill extend outside of the tourism and hospitality industry. Mary Ann Guido, CEO of San Antonio-based construction firm Guido & Companies Inc., said businesses looking to relocate could pass over San Antonio, taking with them construction contracts worth millions of dollars. Why would they think of coming into Texas when theres not an inclusive attitude? Guido said. And the states tech industry would have a hard time recruiting young, talented workers who expect an LGBT-friendly atmosphere, said Jason Bodor, owner of Denton-based technology services firm GSATi. Attracting the best talent isnt optional, Bodor said. Its crucial to keep our competitive edge and our business success. jfechter@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The sun had only been up for a few minutes, but Eric Baeuerle and Charlie Deese already were down to the crumbs. The two were among the first customers at Maybelles Donuts, one of several new businesses to launch inside The Bottling Department, the new food hall at The Pearl, which opened to the public at 7 a.m. Monday. I would say were doughnut aficionados, Baeuerle said while brushing away the last of the sugary evidence. This is a nice little experience San Antonio hasnt had before. While Maybelles and The Good Kind Market & Cafe served breakfast, the other four food and drink vendors in The Bottling Department didnt open until 11 a.m. Still, cooks there could be spotted early Monday morning preparing for the lunch rush. Pieter Sypesteyn, owner of Buds Southern Rotisserie, wasnt taking any chances on customers going hungry. By 9 a.m., hed already cooked 20 chickens and had a pair of hulking 24-pound porchettas pork roasts on the spit. Sergio Remolina, owner of Fletchers Hamburgers, was expecting to serve up more than 100 pounds of ground beef in his debut in the neighboring stall. I think were all trying to prepare for a very busy day, Sypesteyn said. Most of the time when things go bad in a new restaurant its because they werent prepared, so were all on our toes. And its a good thing they were ready. The lunch rush brought a ravenous crowd that quickly swarmed to every free inch of table, counter and windowsill. Families with strollers vied for tabletops with a contingent of food bloggers documenting every bite with sophisticated camera gear. A trio of of students from the neighboring Culinary Institute of America campus squeezed around a high-top table to try the new fare. We eat the food over there all the time, student Amber Moore said. Its nice to have a break every once and a while. From a corner of the room, Pearl culinary director Shelly Grieshaber watched as erratic lines of hungry patrons spontaneously snaked in unpredictable directions across the floor. I essentially opened five restaurants and one bar in a day. Its hard enough to open one, Grieshaber said while surveying the crowd. But Im really thrilled because I see every generation here. Its such an amazing mix of people. Maybelles, a highly anticipated confectionery from the team behind Bakery Lorraine, sold six dozen doughnuts in its first 30 minutes of business, said operator Charlie Biedenharn. I think we were surprised to see how busy it was right out of the gates, but the real test will be Saturday, Biedenharn said. The Bottling Department is just steps away from a plaza perused by thousands of customers during a bustling weekend farmers market at The Pearl, a residential and retail complex north of downtown. Jackie Beretta and her grandson, Waylon Ford, were among the early customers to queue up at Maybelles. Ford wore a crimson streak from a raspberry hibiscus doughnut across his cheeks, while Beretta snapped photos of the remaining pastries with her cell phone. Monday was not Berettas first visit to a food hall, and she gave San Antonios entry into a growing nationwide trend high marks. Everywhere my husband and I go we try to visit food halls. We love the variety, being able to walk into one place and try different things, Beretta said. What The Pearl is doing here is making San Antonio more world class. PStephen@express-news.net Twitter: @pjbites Instagram: @pjstephen A military appeals court has overturned a 20-year sentence handed to a former training instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland who had been found guilty of raping his wife and another woman, a recruit he once trained, in separate incidents. The decision marked the second time an appeals court has reversed a verdict stemming from the instructor misconduct scandal at Lackland, which saw a total of 30 trials take place in San Antonio over several years. Airman Basic Michael Silva remained a prisoner Monday, his future still in doubt after last weeks decision by the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. If the Air Force decides not to try him again, he would be freed from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Air Force spokeswoman Brooke Brzozowske said the service has one month to make that decision, adding, As the judicial process is still currently underway, it would be inappropriate to speculate on further actions at this time. Only two other sentences handed down during the scandal, which broke in in 2011 and saw 35 basic training instructors investigated for assaults and harassment of 69 recruits and technical training students, were as harsh as the one given Silva, the son of an Army sergeant major. A 23-year Air Force veteran, Silva was charged with raping three women. In late January 2015, a panel of officers and enlisted personnel convicted Silva, then 44 and a master sergeant, of raping a recruit twice at Lackland in 1995 and of raping his then-wife who also had served in the military in Wyoming in 2007. Prosecutors said he choked them during the assaults. He was found not guilty of the third charge, involving another woman in North Carolina he had married. The defense contended that there were seven elements of error, but the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals based its decision on just one: the judges instructions to the jury. Six women in all testified in the case, including the three Silva was charged with assaulting. Five of them said he choked them. None of them knew each other. The former recruit, identified as SCG, said Silva pulled her out of her dorm a few nights after she arrived at basic training Sept. 20, 1995, and took her to a car, where he raped her, and then threatened to ruin her career if she reported what had happened. He put a hand on her throat making it difficult for her to breathe while raping her in a different building several nights later, she said. SCG stated that she was later placed in a medical hold squadron and told a doctor that she had been sexually assaulted. The appeals court decision noted that she testified that the physician would not put his career on the line by reporting the matter and that the doctor gave her an unsupported diagnosis regarding migrane headaches, which resulted in her medical discharge. She reported the incident to Air Force investigators in 2012. In the 2007 case, a woman identified as JB said she married Silva after they dated for two weeks while both were assigned to an Air Force base in Wyoming. She said they engaged in consensual sex even after separating that February, but that he raped her later in the spring. JB told her mother, sister and co-worker of the incident and told Air Force investigators that she did not believe she had been raped. Investigators re-interviewed her in January 2013, and prosecutors charged Silva with one specification of rape. In the North Carolina case, another former wife, identified as BS, testified that she had consensual and nonconsensual sex during and after their marriage and that he put her in a closet on multiple occasions, slapped her head with an open hand, was controlling, would abuse her and choked her while pushing her against a wall. The incidents occurred between Oct. 23, 1992, and Dec. 31, 1993, she said. It was the oldest case the Air Force tried in the scandal. A fourth woman identified as a chief master sergeant testified that she met Silva when she was in basic training in 1995 and knew him later but did not have a dating or sexual relationship with him, she said. In 2002, she said, Silva choked her at her apartment while forcing her to perform a sexual act, but she did not report it until Air Force investigators contacted her in 2013. Silva was not charged in that incident, but the woman took the stand, as did two other women who alleged that he choked them while having consensual sex. Silva was given a dishonorable discharge and reduced to the services lowest rank, in addition to receiving the lengthy sentence. He maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, expressing sorrow to the Air Force, his family and the jury in a statement at the end of the trial but not to the women he was accused of victimizing. At his trial, the military judge, Natalie D. Richardson, told jurors that they could use the testimony of BS, SCG, JB and the chief master sergeant to potentially find (Silva) had a propensity to commit sexual assault, though they could not convict Silva solely because they believed that he had committed other offenses or had such a propensity, the ruling from the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals noted. The court cited United States vs. Hills, a 2016 case brought before a different panel, the Court of Criminal Appeals for the Armed Forces, after Silvas conviction, to decide that the judge undermined Silvas presumption of innocence by allowing the testimony of the four women to support a finding of guilt on other charges. In conceding that Richardson erred, prosecutors argued that it was nonetheless harmless. The appeals court disagreed, stating that the judges instruction played directly into one of the strengths of the prosecutions case: that the women had no connection with each other. Two longtime observers of military trials said the appeals court had no choice. The courts reliance on an opinion that was announced after Silvas trial may seem unusual or odd, but its an application of an established doctrine called retroactivity, which gives defendants whose cases are still on appeal the benefit of any new rule established while the appeal is pending, said Geoffrey Corn, a professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston. Corn and retired Army Lt. Col. Dru Brenner-Beck said the doctrine was established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. It can be controversial, depending on where you come from, Brenner-Beck added, calling it a complicated area of law. Corn said the instruction was a clear error and noted that even the government conceded the point. How do you prove that such a flawed instruction, allowing the jury to consider allegations of sexual misconduct to show propensity, had no impact on the outcome? he asked. In other words, how can you show the jury would have convicted the defendant even without considering that evidence? Corn said a decision to seek a new trial could hinge on the willingness of the women to testify again. Doing a retrial for a 3-year-old reversal in the military is very hard, because there is so much turnover in prosecutors and witnesses, he said. But they have the opportunity, and who knows? sigc@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The driver of a tractor-trailer in which several immigrants died has a criminal record that dates to 1997 and a life as mobile as his job. James Matthew Bear Bradley Jr., 60, said little when informed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney that the human trafficking charge he faces carries a maximum life sentence and the possibility of death. Bradley was scheduled for a bail hearing Thursday, when his criminal history could come into play and keep him jailed, as prosecutors are expected to argue that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk because he faces a possible stiff sentence and has a record of not appearing at scheduled court hearings or not complying with the law. According to public records, Bradley has compiled a criminal record at least since 1997, with arrests in multiple states on charges including menacing others, assault, grand theft, escape and several traffic offenses. Most recently, he lived in Louisville, Kentucky, according to public records and his recent employer, Pyle Transportation of Iowa. Bradleys fiancee, Darnisha Rose, also of Louisville, told the Associated Press that Bradley had no idea how the immigrants got into his trailer. I just cant believe it. Im stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this, Rose said. He helps people, he doesnt hurt people. Neighbors said Bradley lives with a relative but that they keep to themselves. For more than a month, a truck matching the description of the one located at the deadly scene in San Antonio had been parked outside the house. Theyre just not very friendly, said one of his Louisville neighbors, Irene Poynter. They dont talk to you or have anything to say to you. Court records show that Bradley was arrested in 1997 in Arapahoe County, Colorado, on charges of felony menacing, menacing with a deadly weapon and third-degree assault. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to the felony menacing charge, and the others were dropped, records show. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation. The probation was revoked in 2003 and he was arrested a year later on a felony escape warrant while in Hillsborough County, Florida. He was also charged in Florida with grand theft, but the charge was dropped after he spent more than a month in jail. He was then extradited to Colorado, where he received one year in prison on the escape charge. His probation was revoked again, in 2005, and he was again sent to prison in Colorado, court records show. He has also been convicted of several driving offenses in various states, including speeding, being over weight on his axles, misuse of equipment and driving without evidence of financial responsibility (insurance), according to court records. Though public records and his latest employer say Bradley, who has been married twice, most recently lived in Louisville, federal agents and prosecutors identified him as being from Clearwater, Florida. He has also lived in Sacramento and Rancho Cordova, California, along with Denver, Aurora and Broomfield, Colorado. Bradley has been a truck driver for several years, according to court records. When he was arrested in 2004 in Florida, he listed his employment as a trucker for IBS Transportation. His Florida drivers license information page also said he has endorsements to haul dual trailers. According to federal records, he was one of 15 drivers for Pyle Transportation, which is authorized to haul general freight, fresh produce, meat, refrigerated foods and paper products. Pyle company officials have described Bradley as an owner-operator, who made his own decisions and bought his own fuel, though he was covered under the companys insurance. GContreras@express-news.net Twitter: @gmaninfedland Staff Writer Caleb Downs contributed to this report. You are here: Home Flash More than 1,200 soldiers from 22 countries have arrived in Russia for annual military games set to start later this month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. The teams from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, South Africa and other countries are getting ready for the various competitions of the two-week long International Army Games 2017, scheduled for July 29 to Aug 12. The military games, first held in 2015 as an initiative by the Russian Defense Ministry, will be co-organized this year by Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and China. Events to be held in Russia will include a tank biathlon, military medical relay race, army scout masters and field kitchen competitions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The tractor-trailer would have air conditioning, a necessity in the triple-digit summer heat, the smugglers assured the dozens of immigrants who piled into the parked trailer in the border city of Laredo. But when the doors closed Saturday night, the container was already very hot and the people, who had crossed into the U.S. illegally, were thirsty and sweating, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. They werent provided food or water. The driver later told police that the trucks refrigeration system was broken and that the trailers four vents were likely clogged. For the first hour of the 150-mile drive to San Antonio, everything was fine, several immigrants later told investigators. Then people started to lose consciousness. One person said that at least 70 people had been packed into the trailer. Another said it could have been as many as 200. They crowded around one small hole, taking turns gulping fresh air. They banged on the trailers walls, but the truck didnt stop. More for you How heat-related illness kills By the time police discovered the human cargo at an otherwise empty Walmart parking lot on the Southwest Side after one man had stumbled out and a store employee had called 911 eight people were dead. Two more have since died. The details of the harsh conditions endured by the dozens of undocumented immigrants on their journey were revealed Monday in a criminal complaint against the trucks driver, 60-year-old James Matthew Bradley Jr. Bradley, of Louisville, Kentucky, faces up to life in prison or the death penalty on one count of transporting immigrants who are in the country illegally. Hes being held without bail until a hearing Thursday. An affidavit for his arrest, sworn out by an agent with Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal investigative branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, described interviews with Bradley and several of the survivors. Many immigrants were apparently picked up by smugglers before the Walmart employee called police. Of the 39 in and near the truck when police arrived, 31 were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Bradley told investigators that he didnt know there were people in the trailer and that he stopped in the Walmart parking lot to use the bathroom. When he got out of the truck, the trailer was shaking and people inside were banging on the walls. Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, ICE agent James Lara wrote in the complaint. Bradley said he then noticed bodies just lying on the floor like meat. Bradley said he knew at least one of them was dead. Bradley was in the trucks camper when police arrived, alerted by the Walmart employee, whom one of the immigrants asked for water, according to the complaint. The driver told investigators he called his wife, who didnt answer, but didnt call 911 after finding the immigrants, according to the complaint. Bradley told police he had picked up the trailer in Iowa and was delivering it to Brownsville, 165 miles southeast of Laredo, where he had it detailed before driving to San Antonio, 150 miles north. The immigrants described the stop in the San Antonio Walmart not as a chance bathroom break but the next step in a highly coordinated smuggling effort. After different groups of immigrants one smuggler was taking 28, another 24 converged on the trailer in Laredo on Saturday morning, they were ushered inside and the doors were closed. They wouldnt leave until after 9 p.m. The smugglers closed the door, and the interior of the trailer was pitch black and it was already hot inside, Lara wrote in the complaint. (An immigrant) stated they were not provided with any water or food. People inside were making noise to get someones attention, but nobody ever came. One immigrant from the Mexican state of Aguascalientes told investigators that hed already paid 11,000 pesos, a little more than $600, in protection money to the Zetas drug cartel and 1,500 pesos, about $80, to cross the Rio Grande. He was told hed have to pay an additional $5,500 when he reached San Antonio, where he planned to stay. One of the immigrants told agents he was traveling to San Antonio with seven family members. He spent 11 days in Laredo in a stash house before being loaded onto the trailer. Another immigrant, who was going to Minnesota with his brother, estimated that there were 180 to 200 people in the truck, which is considerably higher than previous estimates. The immigrant from Aguascalientes told investigators that when they reached San Antonio, six black SUVs were waiting and left within minutes full of immigrants. Earlier, before leaving Laredo, the smugglers had handed out differently colored strips of tape to each group so they knew whom to leave with upon arrival in San Antonio. Such a sophisticated smuggling system is not unusual at all, said Julian Calderas, former deputy field office director for ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations branch in San Antonio. They are very sophisticated, Calderas said of the smuggling organizations. Its a several-step process, from the time they get them across the border on foot, they stage them in a stash house and then stage them for the potential transport. There are people involved at each one of those stages, and it requires a lot of logistics. Nor is it unusual for the Zetas to charge protection money for crossing the Rio Grande in regions they control, he said. Theyre very territorial, and those smuggling routes are very lucrative, Calderas said. Thats why theyre battling over them all the time. If youre using those roads and youre going north, whether its drugs, smuggled humans or legitimate commerce, everybodys got to pay. Another survivor from Aguascalientes, Adan Lara Vega, told the Associated Press that he and six friends left behind a region of Mexico without any employment opportunities. He said the group waited nearly two weeks in a Laredo safe house. They were told they would be traveling in a refrigerator, a refrigerator with air. But that didnt happen. After an hour, I heard crying people crying and asking for water. I, too, was sweating, and people were despairing, Lara Vega told the AP on Monday from his bed in a San Antonio hospital. Thats when I lost consciousness. He woke up the next day in the hospital, the AP reported. Late Monday, a pair of men who had been among those transported by Bradley quietly appeared for a hearing in federal court in San Antonio. The men, both from unspecified parts of Mexico, were held as witnesses and will give a videotaped statement about the matter. U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney appointed lawyers for the pair. We are never going to face the accused, are we? one of them asked. Chestney replied that he would have to speak to his lawyer about that. JBuch@express-news.net Twitter: @jlbuch Staff Writers Kelsey Bradshaw and Guillermo Contreras contributed to this report. At least six survivors who were found suffering from heat-related illnesses inside a sweltering trailer on Saturday evening have been released from the hospital. Four patients at the Baptist Health System and two patients at University Hospital were released over the last two days, the hospitals announced Monday. The Iowa trucking company linked to the immigrant trafficking case that left 10 people dead has a history of safety violations, records show. Last month, Pyle Transportation, which has 15 drivers and 18 trucks that haul fresh produce, meat and paper products, was fined more than $50,000 for not keeping proper logs. In 2015, it faced a $90,000 penalty for a similar infraction, according to records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The records also show: Since 2015, the company received more than 150 violations, but only four resulted in fines. In 2014, it was fined another four times. The infractions included five violations for improper log keeping; using a driver known to have used a controlled substance; operating a motor vehicle without proper financial responsibility coverage; and having an expired medical examination certificate. Its vehicles have an infraction rate lower than the national average, but its drivers have an infraction rate above the national average. Five Pyle Transportation vehicles have been involved in crashes since 2015, one of which was fatal. In that case, a 47-year-old driver working for the company was killed in a crash in southeastern part of Iowa while driving a 26,000-pound tractor in the snow and dark. The company also was sued by the federal government to prevent it from pyramiding its employment taxes. According to the suit filed in Iowa, the company owed more than $151,000 in employment taxes. More Information Pyle Transportation violations Since 2015, Pyle Transportation has had 154 violations. They include: Unsafe driving violations: 26 Hours of service compliance violations: 46 Vehicle maintenance violations: 79 Driver fitness violations: 2 Drugs and alcohol violations: 1 See More Collapse The suit resulted in an injunction in March 2015, with the judges order instructing Pyle to provide proper documentation to the IRS for five years about employment taxes and also to deposit the funds for taxes in a bank account that the government could monitor. Late Saturday, a trailer that belonged to Pyle Transportation was found in the parking lot of the Walmart at 8538 S. Interstate 35 on the South Side. Inside the sweltering container, police discovered eight dead immigrants and 30 others suffering from heat-related illnesses and asphyxiation. Another survivor was later found nearby. The driver of the tractor-trailer, James Matthew Bradley Jr., told authorities he was hauling the trailer for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville and made some stops along the way. He apparently left Laredo about 9 p.m. and said he was unaware people were inside until he parked and got out to urinate. Bradley, 60, was charged Monday with human trafficking. Pyle Transportation confirmed that the trailer was being transported to Brownsville because it had been sold. However, the company said Bradley wasnt authorized to carry any cargo and that it had no idea there was anyone inside. This is terrible, Brian Pyle, the companys owner, said Sunday. Tom Kolpin, an in-law of the owners of Pyle Transportation, said Monday he felt betrayed by Bradley, but his in-laws are more so. Bradley had worked off and on for Pyle over five years but only recently had bought his own truck and became an owner-operator still using the Pyle name. Kolpin said its true that Bradley was dispatched from Iowa to Brownsville to deliver the trailer that Pyle had sold to a Mexican buyer similar to what Bradley reportedly told authorities but the rest of Bradleys story sounds fishy. He left Iowa with an empty trailer; there was no product in it because the (refrigeration system) didnt work, Kolpin said. You explain to me how he ended up in Laredo and San Antonio. His story just doesnt match up. Hes blowing smoke is what hes doing. eeaton@express-news.net Twitter: @emilieeaton Ten people found in a trailer at a San Antonio Walmart have died and authorities believe at least eight of them suffered from heat-related illness. Moreover, local fire officials indicated some of the 29 others found in the trailer could suffer brain damage and other organ failure as a result of prolonged heat exposure. While we don't yet know how long the passengers were in the un-air conditioned tractor trailer, evidence suggests that the heat inside the enclosed area could have had catastrophic effects. Jan Null, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University who tracks U.S. child deaths in vehicles on his website, www.NoHeatStroke.org, told the Associated Press that 101 degrees in San Antonio could have risen to 120 in 10 minutes. He notes that could have escalated to 130 degrees in 20 minutes. It's at least a two-hour drive from the Mexico border to San Antonio. Heat exhaustion begins when the body's temperature reaches a little more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Johns Hopkins University. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that around 107 degrees cells start to die and organs can begin to fail. Null added the humidity in the trailer would have added to the danger because it wouldn't allow perspiration to evaporate, which is the body's way of cooling itself. Paramedics on the scene found survivors had heart rates of about 130 beats per minute, said San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood. The heart rate of a resting adult ranges from about 60 to 100 beats per minute, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hood also noted the survivors' skin was hot to the touch. Border patrol agents have warned against the dangers of smuggling migrants in extreme temperatures and enclosed spaces where temperatures can rise quickly. Doing so could lead to dehydration, heat stroke and even suffocation. While border heat-related deaths were not available, U.S. Border Patrol said deaths along the Texas border rose from 2015 to 2016. Laredo saw 57 border deaths in 2015 and 68 in 2016, while deaths in the Rio Grande Valley rose from 97 to 130 in that time. According to the National Weather Service, Texas had six heat-related deaths in 2016, including three that occurred in vehicles. The three deaths were second only to Georgia, which had four. In 2016, Texas tied for third in state heat-related deaths. Overall in 2016, heat-related deaths in vehicles comprised 11.7 percent of all heat-related fatalities in the United States. However, in the last 30 years more people have died from extreme heat than any other weather fatality. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Serving as the gateway to South Texas and the states Hill Country, San Antonio has a rich, diverse history shaped by a large population of residents with Mexican ancestry dating back before the Texas Revolution. This history is reflected in the fact that one of the citys early mayors was of Mexican descent. But it took more than a century for San Antonio to elect its next Latino mayor. In recent years, the city has had a handful of mayors blaze the trail for historically disenfranchised groups. Weve had a lot of firsts for the very short history that weve been a part of the United States, said Sharon Navarro, an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She said San Antonio is better than other cities in Texas at mayoral firsts. With a majority-minority population in a very conservative state, that says a lot about the diverse population in our city willing to elect people from other backgrounds, she said. The city, now the seventh largest in the country and the second largest in Texas, has a population of nearly 1.5 million, with a demographic breakdown of 73 percent white, 7 percent black, and 2 percent Asian, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2010 survey data. When factoring in ethnicity, the city is 63 percent Hispanic or Latino of any race. But even with such a large Latino population, the number of elected mayors from that community can be counted on just one hand. The citys first mayor of Mexican descent since Texas independence may sound familiar. Juan Seguin, whose last name can be found not just on maps showing the city east-northeast of San Antonio but on roads and buildings throughout the metro area, served as mayor from 1834 to 1835 and again in 1841 after the states founding as a republic, in which he played an instrumental role in serving as a military leader in the Texas Revolution. Seguin, who was also the first Tejano to serve in the Republics Senate, oversaw the city during a time of great tension between Anglos and Mexican Texans. He resigned in April 1842, fleeing for his life to Mexico when he was accused of aiding the Mexican military. Nearly a century and a half later, in 1981, Henry Cisneros, the youngest City Council member in San Antonio history, became the first Latino to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city during the 20th century. He was re-elected three times, ending his tenure in 1989. He was the first modern Latino mayor, Navarro said. It was pretty much an all-white City Council and a majority white community, and by being politically savvy, he was able to overcome several barriers to get into elected office, she added. Cisneros succeeded by building the right coalitions and having a progressive vision needed to win elections. The path he took is one any other Latino or member of a minority community should replicate in running for mayor, Navarro said. After serving as mayor for two terms, Cisneros took his expertise in city planning to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration, where he served as secretary from 1993 until 1997. Hes still a very important role model for the Latino community here in San Antonio, Navarro said. Mayor Julian Castro, only the third modern day Mexican-American mayor, followed in Cisneros footsteps by leaving City Hall to serve as HUD secretary in the Obama administration in 2014. Ed Garza was mayor from 2001-2005. In the void left by Castros resignation, the City Council unanimously selected Councilwoman Ivy Taylor as the citys next mayor. Taylor, who went on to run for the seat in 2015 and for re-election in 2017, became San Antonios first African-American mayor. At the time, Taylors selection as mayor made San Antonio the largest city in the U.S. to have an African-American woman in power. It certainly was cutting edge at that time, said Jim Brooks of the U.S. Center for City Solutions, an urban research arm of the National League of Cities. But after Taylor was first sworn-in, she tended to downplay her historic election, instead focusing on her plans for the city rather than herself. I'm humbled and honored to be able to ... fill a page in the history books. I certainly believe that the skill set and experience I bring to the table surpass those characteristics about myself, Taylor said at her first news conference as mayor. But I'm excited that the statement's been made that San Antonio is an inclusive community where anyone can serve in the highest office here in our city. Taylor, who was recently defeated in the mayoral election by Ron Nirenberg, was also only the second woman to hold the mayorship in San Antonio history. The title of the citys first female mayor belongs to Lila Cockrell, who served in the office for four two-year terms after sitting on the City Council for almost a decade. First elected in 1975, Cockrell led San Antonio through a time of great economic and population growth, helping bring the HemisFair to the city in 1968. She also helped guide the City Council from at-large representation to single-member districts. (At the time,) we were a very macho, very male-centered city with a male-centered city council, Navarro said. For her to be able to overcome the political landscape in winning says a lot about breaking that glass ceiling, she added. She was fighting that old guard still, but she managed to break into a very close-knit (group) of elected officials. Cockrell served as mayor from 1975 to 1981, when she left office to take care of her ill husband. Then, after Cisneros decided against running for re-election in 1989, she was persuaded to run for a fourth term and won. She was defeated in 1991 for a fifth term when she placed third behind two City Council members. Since her tenure, there have been several unsuccessful attempts by a few Latinas to run for mayor, including Leticia Van de Putte, a former state senator, who ran against Taylor in 2015. Their run-off election was the first for the city with two women of color. Nirenberg, the citys current mayor, is the first in the city to have Asian roots, with Malaysian ancestry on his mothers side and Russian and Polish ancestry on his fathers side. While I value what my election has done for the Asian American community, Nirenberg said, the focus for me is the fact that voters felt re-energized by a message that spoke to all San Antonians. So whats next in San Antonio history? Navarro said the city has yet to have a Muslim or a member of the LGBTQ community as mayor, but its not inconceivable. Theres a shift thats occurring, Navarro said. And it seems to be in a progressive route. fmilburn@express-news.net COMING WEDNESDAY: East French Place proposed as historic district. Flash Indian border guards' trespassing into the Chinese territory would risk repeating the mistakes of the Sino-India border conflict in 1962, a former Australian journalist warned. The latest border standoff flared up in mid June when Indian troops were sent to disrupt Chinese construction workers building a road project in a plateau of land known as Doklam in China's southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region. Neville Maxwell, 91, who was on the ground at the time of the 1962 conflict and worked as a Southeast Asian correspondent for the London Times, emphasized that India is echoing events of 1962 with continued violation of China's sovereignty. The Doklam area lies in the midst of a three way Himalayan junction between China, the northeast of India and the Kingdom of Bhutan, and Doklam has long been a demarcated section of China under international law. Beijing's historical claim dates back to the Convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), an agreement that has been repeatedly reconfirmed under a UN Charter, in writing, by successive Indian governments. But despite the treaty, Indian has continued its aggressive and dangerous stance toward China and enacted the false notion that their presence inside China's border is at the request of Bhutan. However, since 1980, China and Bhutan have held 24 separate border negotiations. Although a boundary has not officially been demarcated, both countries have a clear consensus on the practical condition of the border line. CHINA'S DIPLOMATIC ACHIEVEMENTS WITH REGIONAL NEIGHBORS Maxwell emphasized the importance China's remarkable diplomatic achievements with its regional partners. Over the years, China has been able to negotiate boundaries with 12 of its 14 sovereign neighbors, the only two exceptions of course, have been India and Bhutan. "Modern states need boundaries, not borders, not frontiers - Boundaries," Neville Maxwell told Xinhua recently. "A boundary is a line jointly agreed between two neighboring states in a process of diplomatic negotiations, jointly marked out on the ground and sealed in a treaty - that makes a boundary." For Maxwell, India's repeated signs of aggression and failure to comply with international law stems from two great delusions of the former British colony. The first is the false narrative that Chinese forces were the instigators in the 1962 conflict and the second is the belief of the Indian ruling class that the country's borders can be drafted unilaterally. Under the pretence of the illegal "McMahon Line" which is never recognized by China, India at the time declared a number of southwestern Chinese regions as their own and continued to push those areas forward in an attempt to grow their territory. "In the mid 1930s, the British became apprehensive about a resurgent China and decided they should have a boundary, so they made one unilaterally, without consulting China." "They moved forces forward and they found a line which suited them and they declared falsely that the line reflected an agreement reached between Britain and China in 1914." Further reckless disregard continued in the lead-up to the Sino-Indian conflict in 1954, when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru adopted the policy that India could align its borders based on so-called historic research, meaning India's borders would be defined by what they displayed on their official maps. "Indians have convinced themselves that if they declare a tract of territory to be Indian, it becomes Indian, which is nonsense," Maxwell said. "The ownership of territory can only be decided by diplomatic discussion between the two parties concerned." Despite the growing risk to their sovereignty, Chinese forces in the years prior to 1962 did not engage in conflict with the Indian side. China instead issued a series of warnings and urged India to hold negotiations. "Those warnings became more and more explicit but constantly ignored until October 1962, the Chinese at last met this constant Indian military pressure with an overwhelming, crushing counterattack." According to Maxwell, the devastating battle was a humiliation for India's political class and viewed by the Indian government as a stark warning by China. "(China as the aggressor) was a misconception, fostered of course by India, which put forward the absurd lie that they had been the victim of unprovoked Chinese aggression," Maxwell said. "But that is not the case, they brought a Chinese counter attack upon themselves by their own wrong-headed border policy." INDIAN PROVOCATIONS BROUGHT ABOUT CHINESE COUNTERATTACK At the time, Maxwell's reports were contested and had him all but expelled from New Delhi, but in 2014, the acclaimed writer and Oxford scholar released a document called the Henderson-Brooks Report, which confirmed his long held account. "The Henderson-Brooks Report, which was the Indian Army's own account of the events of the war, makes quite clear the truth ... that it was Indian provocations that brought about a forewarned Chinese counterattack," Maxwell said. "My motivation was one that I hope every journalist has the wish to get the truth on record." Unfortunately, the stance taken by Nehru all those years ago, is one that still remains a key component of India's modern outlook, when it comes to its border policy. Every generation of leaders in India promotes the erroneous account of national oppression at the hands of China and indoctrinates its citizens into believing their northern territory is occupied, he said. For Maxwell, negotiations and cooperation to resolve the dispute should be the highest priority, along with finding ways for the neighboring countries to work together. He believes China's Belt and Road Initiative could present the solution to the boundary unrest. "Cooperation on infrastructure is at the heart of Belt and Road concept, so I think this will be a way ahead," Maxwell said. "I see the Belt and Road Initiative as a possible line of hopeful human development, in which national interests will be submerged in a sense of what is in the greater interest of humankind," he said. Enditem Ohio State agriscience education students Haley Sherman and Sarah Landis were selected to attend the Future Agriscience Teacher (FAST) Symposium as part of the National Teach Ag Day celebration in September. Sherman and Landis are two of 17 agriscience education students from across the nation who will spend three days receiving professional development that will help them in their future careers as classroom agriculture teachers. The symposium will include training in inquiry based classroom instruction, classroom management techniques, cultural competence training and the development of engaging agricultural curriculum to promote and enhance the science in agriculture. The opportunity for Haley and Sarah to attend the FAST Symposium will provide them with additional training that will benefit them in their future classroom, but also the students they will be educating, said Dr. Tracy Kitchel, professor of agriscience education and chair of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership. I am very proud of them for taking the initiative to apply for this program and look forward to watching them share their new skills with their classmates and instructors. Landis, of Farmersville, and Sherman, of Kenton, will be seniors studying agriscience education this fall. Landis will begin her student teaching in January at Edgewood High School under the supervision of agricultural educator Kellie Beiser. Sherman, of Kenton, will complete her student teaching at Westfall High School with Megan Morman as her supervisor. The agriscience education major at Ohio State prepares its students you to acquire a license to teach agricultural science in secondary high schools in Ohio and across the country, with extensive training in agricultural science, educational psychology, instructional methods, and youth development. For additional information on the agriscience education major, visit acel.osu.edu or call 614-247-6358. A town were spooked when they saw six strange lights in the sky. UFOs spotted in Serbia The unusual sightings were captured by residents in Donji Milanovac in eastern Serbia and led the small area to believe they were being visited by UFOs, the Daily Mirror has reported. The two-minute footage, which was captured on mobiles, was shared online on YouTube and depicts triangular shaped lights flying about in one specific area at 10pm before they shot off into another direction one by one. However, other residents failed to believe the UFO theory and many social media users have claimed the supposed alien visitation were planes or stars. To celebrate the release of her new book Gather The Daughters, author Jennie Melamed tells us a little bit about herself. Jennie Melamed by Jennifer Boyle I like to swim with sharks. I recently went on a scuba diving trip to the Bahamas, where I learned this about myself! You can read more on my blog at www.jenniemelamed.com/blog. I am crazy about dogs. Once I walked full on into a plate glass window at a very fancy restaurant because I was distracted by a cute golden retriever outside. I feel like dogs are evidence that there is goodness in the world. I have OCD, anxiety, and depression. This was a huge secret in my twenties. Working with the younger generation has helped me realize that mental illness no longer has to carry stigma and shame. I love learning. I have two undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees, and this is why I'm drowning in student loan debt. I still have a wish list for what I want to study when I pay off my loans, though! I talk to my mother every day. As I teen, I loudly predicted to her many times that I would never talk to her again as an adult. And here we are, chatting daily. I have an amazing mother. I am terrible at most of my hobbies. I am an awful runner, can barely knit a scarf straight, and have no sense of navigation while sailing. I love going to New York City because I can do whatever I want. No matter what I do, there is somebody doing something stranger nearby. I sing songs, walk barefoot, yell cheerfully at my brother. It's fun. I considered a career in musical theater. I sing well, and act well. Unfortunately, I dance terribly. I'm a Jewish atheist. It sounds paradoxical, but really there are a lot of us around. I once put Gather the Daughters away as unpublishable. It took so long to find an agent willing to represent me. Taking it off the shelf was one of the best things I ever did. If you know you have something good, keep trying. I love music While in University I was a DJ at the campus radio station. Popular music always appealed to me even though I was raised on the classics. I played the piano from four years old and later the French horn. I played my French horn in marching bands and concert bands. Today my preference is light jazz, but I still enjoy a concert or two from aging rockers. Neil Anthes I come from a large family I was raised with four sisters so when the womens lib movement arrived I had already seen how women were always equal, and at times, better than men. My oldest sister was the first woman to obtain her Masters Degree in mathematics. I enjoy cooking The first dish I learned to cook was Mac and cheese. I soon graduated to the BBQ where pork ribs are my favorite. I do more than that now, my Caesar salad is always in high demand. Some of my meat marinates are family favorites. I always cook with wine , more on that later. I like animals I have never owned a horse, only ridden one twice. Each time the horse went under a tree branch only it would clear. I survived to tell the stories. Ive never had a dog, but I like well behaved dogs. I prefer household cats. However, wild African cats are a thrill to watch as are all wild animals from grizzly bears to colorful birds. Ive had more than one job My first job was collecting tickets on a merry-go-round at a summer fair. I was 10 years old. There were no child labor laws then. When I finished school, my shortest job was for 5 days as a head hunter in downtown Toronto, Canada. I worked in several industries over the years including real estate, advertising and retail sales. I gave up a promising career in the music industry (selling pianos) to enter the medical supply field which I stayed in for 20 years. I like travel The longest flight I endured was 48 hours from Toronto to New Delhi. Air traffic controllers went on strike in Toronto 2 hours before our departure for New York. I then missed my flight to Heathrow and all the remaining connections. I prefer my motor home now, I do not have to worry about making connections or fighting for the arm rest with the passenger in the next seat. I can pull over for a snack any time I wish. I dislike paying rent When I left school and started working, it seemed rent consumed a high percentage of my pay cheque. After completing a job that included rent, I couldnt bear the thought of paying rent again. I bought my first home when I was 22 years old with the help of one of my sisters. I like wine I live in a wine growing area of western Canada. It attracts thousands of tourist year around. The wine is award winning and varied. The summer temperatures are hot , ideal for wine making. However, I prefer Australian reds. I enjoy photography I got my first camera when I was 9 years old. It was a box film camera. I now photograph mostly nature with a digital SLR. I enjoy creating abstract images and have published a photography book of these types of photographs. I have also participate in gallery shows in central and western Canada. I currently teach photography with my wife Mary. I enjoy research Contrary to Popular Belief required hours of research. It was like taking a journey through time stimulating my imagination. I had the idea for the book but needed to learn much about the era it would be set in. I seemed to have re-lived several lifetimes writing the book. I was a wild ride. Contrary to Popular Belief by Neil Anthes (published by Clink Street Publishing June 25th, 2017 in paperback RRP 8.99 and ebook RRP 4.99) will be available to purchase from online retailers including Amazon and to order from all good bookstores. For more information, please visit http://www.neilanthes.com. Joe Russo has teased that 'Avengers: Infinity War' will have some "intense surprises". Anthony and Joe Russo The next two Avengers movies have been announced as the end of Phase 4 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the filmmaker - who is helming the two films with his brother Anthony Russo - accepts that fans believe they know what will happen in the plot from watching the other Marvel movies but he insists there's going to be some shocks for cinema goers. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Russo said: "I think fans should be prepared for some very intense surprises in these movies. My brother and I believe in stakes; I believe that everything has to come to an end at some point, in order for it to have value, and so I think the audience should be prepared." Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige also reiterated the filmmaker's hints and promises that it's going to be an "emotional" roller coaster. Feige said: "I think it will be emotional for a lot of different reasons. "And I think as all of our films try to do, we want to have laughs, we want to have the heart, we want to have the humour, and 'Infinity War' has all that." 'Avengers: Infinity War' will see the hero squad - Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) - join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy. The two teams will have to work together to fight Thanos, with some help from newcomers Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the screen debut of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Russo also revealed at Comic-Con that 'Infinity War' is currently the longest 'Avengers' movie so far. He said: "The current cut is over two-and-a-half hours. Most of it's a movie you could show, but there's still a lot of work left to be done, I still have a couple of scenes that we haven't finished from Avengers 3 that I'm shooting in the next few months with my brother and it's certainly gonna be a film that lives in the two and half hour, two and a half hour-plus range." Deshbandhu Textile Mills, a member of Deshbandhu Group, a leading corporate house in Bangladesh, will set up a garment factory in Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Nilphamari, part of Rangpur division in Northern Bangladesh. Deshbandhu has signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) for setting up the factory. As per the agreement, Deshbandhu will invest $53.77 million or Tk 435 crore to set up the factory in Uttara EPZ, managed by BEPZA. The factory will have capacity to produce 27.6 million pieces of denim and woven trousers per annum. It will employ more than 3,700 persons, according to a BEPZA statement. Deshbandhu Textile Mills, a member of Deshbandhu Group, a leading corporate house in Bangladesh, will set up a garment factory in Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Nilphamari, part of Rangpur division in Northern Bangladesh. Deshbandhu has signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) for setting up the factory.# The agreement was signed by Sarwar Jahan Talukder, an adviser to Deshbandhu Textile Mills, and Zillur Rahman, member of the BEPZA, in presence of Deshandhu Group chairman Golam Mostafa at the BEPZA office in Dhaka. Deshbandhu Textile Mills has a 100% export-oriented unit at Kumajpur, Nalka in Sirajganj, about 150 km from Dhaka. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Egypt has signed a 1.5 million ($1.74 million) cooperation agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation to develop Egyptian cotton production. The agreement aims at enhancing the quality and quantity of Egyptian cotton for both domestic and export markets. The project titled Cotton: from seeding to weaving aims to raise the capacity of cotton farms in terms of sustainable agricultural practices for growing organic cotton. It also aims to improve the economic performance of projects operating in the field of manufacturing long-staple cotton, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), developing supply chains, managing production, and developing industrial technologies and marketing systems. The project further aims to raise the skills of textile workers, and thereby increase the production capacity of private sector companies working in the textile industry. UNIDO, the Italian agency and the Egyptian government will offer training programmes for cotton growers, technicians working in textile companies, as well as students in industrial and agricultural schools. Egypt has signed a 1.5 million ($1.74 million) cooperation agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation to develop Egyptian cotton production. The agreement aims at enhancing the quality and quantity of Egyptian cotton for both domestic and export markets.# Egyptian minister of industry and trade Tarek Kabil said that the projects duration will be of two years, during which 400 farmers would be trained on sustainable agricultural practices, particularly, growing organic cotton. In addition, production capacities would be strengthened at 15 companies from the private sector operating in the textile industry. Around 300 workers would benefit from skill development, while training programmes in industrial and agricultural schools would benefit 300 students. The new project will benefit from UNIDOs experience in the value chain system, and it will promote organic cotton and support cotton manufacturing through optimal and efficient use of resources, said Giovanna Ceglie, director and UNIDO representative at Egypt. The spinning and weaving industry contributes 3 per cent to Egypts gross domestic product (GDP), and employs about one-third of the industrial labour manpower. The industry earns $2.6 billion in foreign exchange, and accounts for 15 per cent of Egyptian non-petroleum exports. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Global fashion luxury brand Michael Kors Holdings Limited has reached an agreement to acquire Jimmy Choo Plc, a premier global luxury footwear and accessories brand. The acquisition of iconic brand would expand Michael Kors leadership position in the global fashion luxury segment and strengthen its future growth opportunities, Michael Kors said. Under the terms of the transaction, Jimmy Choo shareholders will receive 230 pence per share, with an enterprise value of approximately $1.350 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo. We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Jimmy Choo, an iconic brand with a rich history as a leading global luxury house. Jimmy Choo is known worldwide for its glamorous and fashion-forward footwear. The company is a leader in setting fashion trends. Its innovative designs and exceptional craftsmanship resonate with trendsetters globally. We believe that Jimmy Choo is poised for meaningful growth in the future and our company is committed to supporting the strong brand equity that Jimmy Choo has built over the last 20 years, said John D Idol, chairman and chief executive officer of Michael Kors. Global fashion luxury brand Michael Kors Holdings Limited has reached an agreement to acquire Jimmy Choo Plc, a premier global luxury footwear and accessories brand. The acquisition of iconic brand would expand Michael Kors' leadership position in the global fashion luxury segment and strengthen its future growth opportunities, Michael Kors said.# Post acquisition, Pierre Denis will continue in his role as chief executive officer of Jimmy Choo. Additionally, creative director Sandra Choi will continue to lead the creative and design teams at the company. This continuity of leadership will ensure that the DNA of Jimmy Choo is maintained as we work together to continue to grow the brand globally, said Idol. Michael Kors, honorary chairman and chief creative officer of Michael Kors, said, We admire the glamorous style and trendsetting nature of Jimmy Choo designs. We look forward to welcoming Jimmy Choo to our luxury group. We look forward to working closely with the leadership and team at Michael Kors Holdings Limited to further develop our iconic brand. Our two companies share the same vision of style and trend leadership. Our luxury heritage is the foundation of Jimmy Choo and we will continue to bring our brand vision to consumers globally, Pierre Denis, chief executive officer of Jimmy Choo, said. With approximately 150 company-operated retail stores, 560 multi-brand doors and more than 60 franchise stores in premier locations worldwide, Jimmy Choo has a successful, balanced distribution network. The company has a strong presence in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. In addition, Jimmy Choo continues to invest significantly in its online platform, which has experienced strong revenue growth in recent years. The acquisition of Jimmy Choo is expected to deliver a number of benefits, including the opportunity to grow Jimmy Choo sales to $1 billion, a more balanced portfolio with greater product diversification, an enhanced positioning in the attractive and growing luxury footwear segment, the opportunity to grow in the mens luxury footwear category, further expansion in the luxury accessories market, greater exposure to global markets, particularly the fast-growing market in Asia, and the potential to create long-term operational synergies. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U S A, has added two flatbed cutter models to their Colex Sharpcut product offering. The Colex Sharpcut Digital Finishing System was introduced last year as an entry-level cutting solution for customers looking to help grow their business through increased application capability.With the expansion of the finishing solution developed by Colex, Canon Solutions America aims to help provide dynamic workflow possibilities for every customer. Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U S A, has added two flatbed cutter models to their Colex Sharpcut product offering. The Colex Sharpcut Digital Finishing System was introduced last year as an entry-level cutting solution for customers looking to help grow their business through increased application capability.# In addition to the Sharpcut SX3216, Canon Solutions America now has commercially available the new Sharpcut SX1616 and the Sharpcut SX3232C for super wide applications. These products are manufactured in the United States using the same technologies as the Sharpcut SX3216. Both models serve markets requiring automatic knife cutting, creasing, and routing operations at a competitive price point. Each model includes a fixed knife, oscillating knife with an optional 3HP router upgrade, and additional tools to customise the customer's workflow, allowing the capability for a multitude of applications.The applications include three-dimensional product displays by contour cutting, trimming, routing, and creasing for both rigid and flexible media. In addition, samples for corrugated, folding carton, foam, and other packaging needs are produced easily with automatic cutting and creasing, while two-dimensional signs, decals, banners, outdoor exhibits, and intricate lettering can all be cut, trimmed, or routed within minutes"The alliance with Colex has allowed us to offer our customers robust equipment that complements Canon technology and paves the way for new revenue opportunities," said Sal Sheikh, vice president, Marketing, Large Format Solutions, Canon Solutions America. "Collaborating with Colex has brought tremendous success for our customers and we are excited to introduce the SX1616 and SX3232C to the product lineup."The Colex Sharpcut Series combines versatility, speed, and accuracy at an affordable price, already validated by the success of the original Sharpcut SX3216. With two additional table sizes, the flexible Colex Sharpcut Digital Finishing System can help customers looking to maximise the full potential of their flatbed printers."We at Canon Solutions America have the responsibility to provide the best solutions for our customers and consistently evolve to meet their specific requirements," added Sheikh. "In line with the Canon Solutions America philosophy, Colex takes great pride in its products and offers the highest level of service to each customer. We are confident that this collaboration will continue to provide excellent results and give our customers the necessary tools to produce a greater range of applications on a wide variety of materials."Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. (SV) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India CARDSTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/24/17 -- American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: AMK) ("American Creek") ("the Corporation") is pleased to announce the voting results of the Annual General Meeting of shareholders held on July 20, 2017. All motions put forward by American Creek management were carried. Shareholders voted to re-elect the Corporation's Board of Directors. The voting was as follows: Darren Blaney: 99.19% Robert Edwards: 99.19% Sean Pownall: 99.12% Dennis Edwards: 99.12% Appointment of Auditors: 99.80% Approval of Stock Option Plan: 98.85% The Corporation is also pleased to announce that the American Creek corporate website is being upgraded and has a newer modern look. The website can be accessed here: http://www.americancreek.com/ The Corporation also reports that JV partner and operator Tudor Gold Corp. ("Tudor") is advancing their 2017 drill program to define a gold resource(s) at the Treaty Creek Project located in BC's "Golden Triangle" immediately north of, and in the same hydrothermal system as, Seabridge Gold's KSM project and Pretivm's Brucejack project. Two drills are on the property drilling the Copper Belle and GR2 zones respectively. Tudor's main goals for the 2017 Treaty Creek program as outlined in their previous April 4, 2017 news release are: "Two of the primary goals of the 2017 exploration program on the Treaty Creek claims are to develop a primary resource estimate on the Copper Belle zone and to determine how much further drilling is required to develop a preliminary resource estimate on the GR2 zone." The Treaty Creek Project is a joint venture between Tudor, Teuton Resources Corp., and American Creek. Tudor is the operator and holds a 60% interest with both American Creek and Teuton each holding respective 20% carried interests in the property (fully carried until a production notice is given). About American Creek American Creek holds a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia. The portfolio includes three "Golden Triangle" gold/silver properties; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint ventures with Walter Storm/Tudor as well as the recently acquired 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine group of properties. Other properties held throughout BC include the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, Red Tusk and Glitter King. Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com. 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: American Creek Resources Ltd. Kelvin Burton 403 752-4040 info@americancreek.com www.americancreek.com VANCOUVER, BC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 --Liberty One Lithium Corp. ("Liberty One Lithium" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: LBY) (OTCQB: LRTTF) (FRANKFURT: L1T), an emerging exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of high grade lithium brine deposits, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Brad Nichol, P. Eng., MBA to the position of Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company. Mr. Nichol is an international entrepreneur who has served and advised corporations on strategy and finance for over 25 years. Throughout his career he has served as both senior executive and director of a number of public and private enterprises across the finance and resource sectors. Since 2005, he has led the development of several exploration & production companies in the oil and gas sector, principally based in Calgary, Alberta. During this period, he led each successive organization through multiple rounds of private and public project financings, initiated and executed dual listings, established key international and domestic financial relations, oversaw M&A, technical, operational, HR, investor relations, legal and regulatory functions as well as closing several accretive asset acquisitions and financings in multiple jurisdictions. Prior to this, Brad served as a Management Consultant at a top-tier international firm in New York and London advising Fortune 50 corporations on business and corporate strategies. Previously, Mr. Nichol worked at Schlumberger, the world's largest oil and gas services firm. He served in various technical, managerial, marketing and sales roles in North America, South America and Europe. The majority of his work focused on reservoir evaluation and production enhancement strategies. From 1992 until 2001 Mr. Nichol managed operations and executed projects in Canada, the United States and South America, including responsibility for reservoir stimulation and wellbore construction services for BP in Colombia. Mr. Nichol left Schlumberger to pursue his MBA at one of the world's top ranked business schools, the London Business School, in the UK and graduated with honors in 2003. Mr. Nichol also holds a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and has been a registered Professional Engineer since 1994. Company Director and CFO, Morgan Tincher, states, "We are delighted to have Brad join with us today. His background in corporate finance as well as his extensive understanding of resource development is a huge plus for our growing operation. Liberty is about to execute on several operational activities and having an experienced hands-on operator will be instrumental in achieving maximum benefits for our shareholders. We look forward to Brad's guidance as we strive to become one of the leading operators in the lithium brine space." In related news, the Company's Board of Directors wishes to advise that Mr. Bradley Hoeppner has stepped down from the role of President and CEO effective immediately. Mr. Hoeppner remains as a Director and valued advisor of the Company, with many thanks for his dedication and timely service during the Company's period of formation. For further information about Liberty One Lithium Corp., please visit www.libertyonelithium.com or view the Company's filings at www.SEDAR.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "/s/ Morgan Tincher" Morgan Tincher Director & CFO About Liberty One Lithium (TSX VENTURE: LBY) (OTCQB: LRTTF) (FRANKFURT: L1T) Liberty One Lithium Corp. is an emerging exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of high grade lithium brine deposits. The Company believes that strategic global resources are the key to a robust energy strategy to protect economic stability worldwide. Find out more at: www.libertyonelithium.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACT Walter Spagnuolo Invictus Investor Relations Office: +1.604.343.8661 Email: investors@l1lithium.com Website: www.libertyonelithium.com DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2017 / China has begun to consider implementing its own form of digital currency to compete with or even replace the current reigning cryptocurrencies within its borders. Digitally exchanged monetary systems have had a tremendous impact on the People's Republic's commerce, despite some initial resistance. The government of the populous nation has been cautiously toying with the idea of their own state-sponsored cryptocurrency for quite some time, however, experts such as Shaun G. Morgan, Managing Director of the Emirates Consolidated Investments and frequent consultant for China-based business interests, say that this Chinese digital tender (under the working English title, "Sinocoin") may soon become a reality. Strictly digital currencies have come and gone since the 1990's, often with mixed to negative results. A major roadblock for sustainability of these alternative payment methods against physical tender has been combining the anonymity with transparency, which has led to several legal scandals, criminal investigations, and ultimately shutdowns of the exchange systems. This was rectified by newer services such as Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 and hosted a public ledger to record all transactions. Keeping the purchases open allowed for less centralized oversight, while encryption kept personal information safe. The startling success of Bitcoin has caused it to grow exponentially in the years since and led to the creation of many similar products. Shaun G. Morgan has recommended vetted cryptocurrencies as a possible investment option due to the potentially positive returns. Alexandr Nellson, writing for the Medium, also posits that Bitcoin is very likely to continue growing based on previous trends, and investors would see a positive increase down the road from purchases made now. The benefits of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have also convinced other national governments to begin looking into forming their own digital alternatives. However, China has experienced some of the largest growth in digitally exchanged currencies in the world, with a highly active and robust crypto-economy. This has worried China's central bank in the past and some officials have claimed that services like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and others lead to the diminishment of the Chinese yuan. The People's Bank of China (PBoC) initially forbid cryptocurrency trading, and even after exchanges were finally allowed, they were scrutinized heavily. However, there are signs that the PBoC is changing its position. The Chief China Strategist of the Bank of Communications, Hao Hong, told the South China Morning Post that the government's attitude towards cryptocurrencies is "shifting." Bloomberg News has pointed out that Chinese citizens rely heavily on online transactions for their purchases, and that trend does not look likely to slow down. After a freeze of Bitcoin by China this past June, Business Insider reported that once withdrawals were resumed, the currency reached a peak value of approximately 2400 dollars a coin. All of the evidence indicates that digital currency will remain a driving force in the Chinese economy for some time and that launching Sinocoin might, in fact, become a necessity for the PBoC. Shaun G. Morgan is a Managing Director for Emirates Consolidated Investments, CEO of SG Morgan Investment Bank, a Chairman of Greater China Acquisition Corp., and a key shareholder in several other institutions. He has been involved in enterprises all across the globe, including Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and many others. Morgan has been an advisor and consultant for almost 20 years, with a focus on investment banking and cross-border credit lending. He also participates in philanthropic activities, including donating 500 tablets to the Fujairah Welfare Association. Shaun G. Morgan - Managing Director of Emirates Consolidated Investments: http://shaungmorgannews.com SG Morgan Investment Bank - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SG-Morgan-Investment-Bank-1791608931082759/ SG Morgan Financial Services LLC: http://sgmorgan.com Contact Information: ShaunGMorganNews.com http://shaungmorgannews.com contact@shaungmorgannews.com SOURCE: Shaun G. Morgan Regulatory News: Dassault Systemes (Paris:DSY) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced IFRS unaudited financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017. These results were reviewed by the Company's Board of Directors on July 24, 2017. Summary Second Quarter and First Half 2017 Highlights (Unaudited; revenue figures in constant currencies; non-IFRS) Q2 results well aligned with Dassault Systemes guidance: software revenue up 7%, new licenses revenue up 8%, operating margin of 30.1% and EPS at 0.62, up 9% Q2 SOLIDWORKS software revenue up 14% on multiple global demand drivers Strong cash-flow from operations, up 32% at 592 million in H1 2017 non-IFRS financial objectives updated: Confirming revenue growth constant currency objective, updating reported revenue range and EPS in euros for currency weakness Boeing will expand its deployment of Dassault Systemes' products across its commercial aviation, space and defense programs to include DS' 3DEXPERIENCE platform 2017 Second Quarter and First Half Financial Highlights (Unaudited) In millions of Euros, except per share data IFRS Non-IFRS Change Change in cc* Change Change in cc* Q2 2017 Total Revenue 806.4 7% 6% 810.6 8% 6% Q2 2017 Operating Margin 21.0% 30.1% Q2 2017 EPS 0.48 23% 0.62 9% In millions of Euros, except per share data IFRS Non-IFRS Change Change in cc* Change Change in cc* YTD 2017 Total Revenue 1,566.2 8% 6% 1,576.3 9% 7% YTD 2017 Operating Margin 18.4% 28.2% YTD 2017 EPS 0.81 9% 1.15 6% *In constant currencies Bernard Charles, Dassault Systemes' Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "In the second quarter, we entered into a new and expanded strategic partnership with Boeing. This agreement spans Boeing's Commercial Aircraft, Space and Defense divisions, with Boeing adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform for Manufacturing Operations Management and Product Lifecycle Management and extending our software usage for design, engineering simulation and digital manufacturing software. "This new agreement, with the deployment of our 3DEXPERIENCE platform to support Boeing's complete value chain, from innovation to manufacturing and after sales, as well as enhancement of data thus created, represents a new step, equivalent to or even more important in potential reach than the previous one, thanks to the ability to holistically evaluate, with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, all data produced from the different value streams, and to convert this data into assets, thus delivering massive benefits for users and their corporations. "Looking back, twenty-five years ago, the importance of the digital world's role in innovation was truly first revealed thanks to Boeing's historical decision at that time to rely on Dassault Systemes' Digital Mock-Up software to design the new B-777, paving the way for digital twins of products. "Finally, while we were pleased with second quarter results having reached the high-end of our objectives for software revenue and EPS, it is only a step on a trajectory on which Dassault Systemes should see an acceleration of its growth, based upon the multiple strategic clients' decisions, like Boeing's, demonstrating our ideal positioning to bring value to all the industries we serve." 2017 Second Quarter Financial Summary (Unaudited) In millions of Euros, except per share data IFRS Non-IFRS Change Change in cc* Change Change in cc* Q2 2017 Total Revenue 806.4 7% 6% 810.6 8% 6% Q2 2017 Software Revenue 718.5 7% 6% 722.7 8% 7% Q2 2017 Service Revenue 87.9 4% 3% 87.9 4% 3% Q2 2017 Operating Margin 21.0% 30.1% Q2 2017 EPS 0.48 23% 0.62 9% Total Software Revenue in millions of Euros IFRS Non-IFRS Q2 2017 Q2 2016 Change in cc* Q2 2017 Q2 2016 Change in cc* Americas 224.4 202.0 8% 225.7 202.0 9% Europe 297.4 282.2 6% 300.1 282.2 7% Asia 196.7 185.2 4% 196.9 185.2 4% *In constant currencies IFRS total revenue increased 6%. Non-IFRS total revenue increased 6% with software revenue growth of 7% and services revenue growth of 3%. Second quarter financial results include CST, an acquisition completed on September 30, 2016. (All growth rates in constant currencies.) Core Industries represented 67% of non-IFRS software revenue for the second quarter 2017 while Diversification Industries represented 33%, growing from 31% in the prior year period. Aerospace Defense and Industrial Equipment grew double-digit, while Transportation Mobility showed stability. (All growth references are in constant currencies.) In Diversification Industries, total non-IFRS software revenue increased double-digits and by industry included High Tech, Life Sciences, Architecture, Engineering Construction and Consumer Products Good-Retail. (All growth references are in constant currencies.) Non-IFRS Software revenue increased 9% in the Americas, with double-digit new licenses revenue growth reflecting strong growth in North America, and growth in recurring software revenue. In Europe non-IFRS software revenue increased 7%, with double-digit new licenses revenue growth reflecting strong performances in Central and Southern Europe. In Asia, non-IFRS software revenue increased 4%, reflecting strong growth in South Korea and Asia Pacific South offset in part by muted results in Japan and China. (All growth figures in constant currencies.) Recurring non-IFRS software revenue increased 6% in constant currencies on strong maintenance subscription performance on a global basis and represented 71% of total software revenue in the 2017 second quarter. New licenses and other software revenue increased 8%. (All references to growth rates are in constant currencies.) By product line, SOLIDWORKS non-IFRS software revenue increased 14% led by strong growth in new licenses revenue. During the second quarter, CATIA non-IFRS software revenue increased 1% with double-digit new license revenue growth in North America and Europe, offset by a lower contribution most notably from China. ENOVIA non-IFRS software revenue was up 2% on a high comparison base. Other Software non-IFRS revenue increased 9% in total, led by QUINTIQ. (All growth comparisons are in constant currencies.) IFRS operating income increased 5%. Non-IFRS operating income increased 6% to 243.8 million. The non-IFRS operating margin decreased 30 basis points year over year to 30.1% on higher investments, particularly in research development and sales, as well as acquisition dilution, which was partly offset by net favorable currency fluctuations. The IFRS effective tax rate increased 40 basis points to 33.5% from 33.1% in the year-ago quarter. On a non-IFRS basis, the effective tax rate decreased 60 basis points to 34.5% from 35.1% in the year-ago quarter principally due to lower tax on dividends. IFRS diluted net income per share increased 23% to 0.48. Non-IFRS diluted net income per share of 0.62 increased 9% on revenue and operating income growth. Currency had a net neutral impact on diluted net income per share growth. 2017 First Half Financial Summary (Unaudited) In millions of Euros, except per share data IFRS Non-IFRS Change Change in cc* Change Change in cc* YTD 2017 Total Revenue 1,566.2 8% 6% 1,576.3 9% 7% YTD 2017 Software Revenue 1,388.7 8% 6% 1,398.8 9% 7% YTD 2017 Services Revenue 177.5 8% 7% 177.5 8% 7% YTD 2017 Operating Margin 18.4% 28.2% YTD 2017 EPS 0.81 9% 1.15 6% Total Software Revenue in millions of Euros IFRS Non-IFRS YTD 2017 YTD 2016 Change in cc* YTD 2017 YTD 2016 Change in cc* Americas 425.7 387.4 6% 428.9 388.4 7% Europe 578.1 540.5 7% 584.4 540.9 9% Asia 384.9 353.7 5% 385.5 354.0 5% *In constant currencies IFRS total revenue increased 6% in the 2017 First Half. On a non-IFRS basis, total revenue increased 7%, with both software and services revenue growing 7%. First Half 2017 financial results included acquisitions completed during the 2016 Second Half, the most material of which was CST Computer Simulation Technology AG, a technology leader in electromagnetic and electronics simulation which was acquired on September 30, 2016. Excluding acquisitions, non-IFRS total revenue and software revenue growth was 5%. (All growth rates in constant currencies.) Core Industries represented 68% of non-IFRS software revenue for the first half of 2017 while Diversification Industries represented 32%, growing from 31% in the prior year period. In Core industries, Transportation Mobility and Aerospace Defense grew slightly below the 7% software growth rate of the Company, with Industrial Equipment and Business Services achieving double-digits software revenue growth. (All growth references are in constant currencies.) In Diversification Industries, total non-IFRS software revenue increased double-digits and included High Tech, Consumer Products Good-Retail and Architecture, Engineering and Construction. The Company noted an improvement in Natural Resources. (All growth references are in constant currencies.) On a regional basis, non-IFRS software revenue was up 9% in Europe on both solid new licenses and recurring revenue performance and was led by Southern Europe and France. In the Americas, non-IFRS software revenue increased 7%, with strong new licenses revenue growth in North America and Latin America. In Asia, non-IFRS software revenue increased 5% with solid new licenses growth in South Korea and good non-IFRS software revenue growth across most geos, offset in part by weakness in Japan. (All growth rates in constant currencies.) Non-IFRS new licenses revenue and other software increased 7% and represented 28% of total non-IFRS software revenue. (All growth rates in constant currencies.) For the 2017 First Half non-IFRS recurring software revenue, representing 72% of total software revenue, increased 7% in constant currencies on strong maintenance subscription performance in all sales channels. Service non-IFRS revenue increased 7% in constant currencies during the 2017 First Half, led by 3DEXPERIENCE and manufacturing service engagements. The Company is continuing to pursue its objective of expanding its relationship with system integrators for 3DEXPERIENCE deployments. By product line and on a non-IFRS basis, SOLIDWORKS software revenue increased 13% led by strong new licenses activity across the globe. CATIA software increased 3% on solid growth in the Americas and Europe offset in part by a lower activity level in Asia. ENOVIA software revenue was up 2% on a high comparison base. Other Software increased 9% in total reflecting the addition of CST where revenue results were well in line with the Company's expectation and, on an organic basis, growth was led by QUINTIQ. (All growth comparisons are in constant currencies.) IFRS operating income increased 2%. Non-IFRS operating income increased 8% to 444.5 million. The non-IFRS operating margin was 28.2%, representing a decrease of 20 basis points and reflecting higher investments, particularly in research development and sales, as well as acquisition dilution, partly offset by net favorable currency fluctuations. For the 2017 First Half, the IFRS effective tax rate was 32.8% compared to 27.5% in the prior year period. The non-IFRS effective tax rate increased to 33.3% from 31.1% in the 2016 First Half. The year-ago period IFRS and non-IFRS effective tax rates benefited from a tax reserve reversal. IFRS net income per diluted share increased 9% to 0.81. Non-IFRS net income per diluted share of 1.15 increased 6% or 12% excluding a 5 cents impact from a reversal of tax reserves in the 2016 First Half. Currency had an estimated net positive impact of 3 points. Cash Flow and Other Financial Highlights Net operating cash flow increased 32% to 592.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to 449.1 million for the 2016 First Half, reflecting higher net income and working capital improvements. In the 2017 First Half, the Company uses of cash were principally for cash dividends of 51.3 million (based on the shareholders electing payment of the dividend in cash); share repurchases of 44.8 million; capital expenditures of 45.8 million and payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired of 8.0 million and for acquisition of non-controlling interests of 14.1 million. The Company received cash for stock options exercised of 21.8 million. Dassault Systemes' net financial position totaled 1.82 billion at June 30, 2017, compared to 1.49 billion at December 31, 2016, reflecting an increase in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments from 2.49 billion to 2.82 billion, with long-term debt unchanged at 1.00 billion. Summary of Recent Business, Technology and Customer Announcements Customers In a separate press release issued today, Dassault Systemes announced that it has entered into a new, extended strategic partnership agreement with The Boeing Corporation. Pursuant to the agreement, Boeing will expand its deployment of Dassault Systemes' software across Boeing's commercial aviation, space and defense programs to include Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This decision follows a competitive process that included the rigorous analysis of technical and functional capabilities, cost and business benefits across the value chain. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform can reduce integration and support costs, improve productivity, foster new innovation, and aid in the introduction of best practice processes to deliver standard work across the value chain. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform cannot only simulate products and processes, but also find and eliminate potential risks and quality issues before production. The platform's single source of data across all applications will provide reliable and actionable real-time information and seamless communication throughout the entire enterprise and supply chain as well as across product generations. This digital continuity will improve data and analytics capabilities. On June 22, 2017 Dassault Systemes and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) jointly announced the signing of a contract to establish a Sino-French Industry Joint Innovation Center that will operate across the complex system lifecycle specific to the aviation industry and its entire industrial chain. Dassault Systemes and AVIC will strive to make the center an important contributor of the "Made in China 2025" and "Industrie du Futur" cooperation framework through sustained investment by both companies. The Sino-French Industry Joint Innovation Center will be located in the China Aviation Industry Science and Technology Park of Zhongguancun, Beijing. Investments On June 20, 2017, Dassault Systemes announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Outscale, a leader in enterprise-class cloud services, thereby strengthening the Company's position to provide an extensive cloud software offer in its market. Founded in France in 2010, Outscale is an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 security certified company that provides enterprise-class cloud computing infrastructure services (IaaS) to customers through its ten data centers in Europe, North America and Asia. With this investment, Dassault Systemes is now able to adjust and control its cloud resources and services to manage peaks in activity, further diversify its industry segments, deploy new features, and provide advanced on premise, private and hybrid cloud solutions for its customers. The acquisition does not have an impact on the Company's revenues as it was the principal customer of Outscale prior to this acquisition. On June 12, 2017 Dassault Systemes announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire AITAC BV, a Dutch company specialized in marine and offshore engineering software. With this acquisition, Dassault Systemes will further strengthen its solutions designed to bring digital transformation to the marine and offshore industry by providing cutting-edge, industry-specific technologies for its 3DEXPERIENCE platform customers. AITAC's Smart Drawings software application is used by shipyards and offshore companies to automate the creation of drawings from a master 3D model of a ship, platform or other structure designed using Dassault Systemes' CATIA applications. Products and Industry Solution Experiences On June 27, 2017, Dassault Systemes announced that it is working with PSA Retail, the leading automotive distributor in France and second-leading in Europe, and the automotive distribution arm of PSA, to help it transform the customer car buying journey with a compelling digital in-store automotive dealership experience. PSA Retail is using Dassault Systemes' "Virtual Garage" industry solution experience to create a digital in-store retail format that infuses high-end digital visualization into the physical showroom sales process. On June 8, 2017 the Company announced a renewed agreement with Rockwell Collins to extend their PLM journey using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative aviation and high-integrity solutions for both commercial and government applications. Rockwell Collins is currently deploying ENOVIA and EXALEAD applications from Dassault Systemes' "Co-Design to Target" industry solution experience to build a PLM environment for its engineering and technology sectors around the world. Rockwell Collins invested in Dassault Systemes' technologies to improve collaboration across its research, development and manufacturing processes, streamline workflows and change management, and help to reduce management costs for increasingly complex systems. Dassault Systemes' solution operates seamlessly on a secure government cloud environment, a vital requirement for Rockwell Collins. Business Outlook Thibault de Tersant, Senior Executive Vice President, CFO, commented, "During the second quarter, we delivered our key financial metrics software, new licenses revenue, earnings per share at the high end of our guidance and reported a strong operational cash flow increase. The signing of the extended strategic partnership with Boeing was a remarkable milestone. Its ramp-up, starting in 2018, should drive revenue growth for several years and represents a key inflection point in 3DEXPERIENCE adoption by the market. "Looking forward, we are reconfirming for 2017 our constant currencies objectives for total revenue growth of 6% to 7%, new licenses revenue growth of 8% to 10%, which implies a two-digit new licenses revenue growth in the second half of 2017, and recurring revenue growth of about 6%, with the year as a whole reflecting further strengthening of our competitive positioning. "While maintaining the revenue and new license growth rate of our objectives, excluding currency impact, we are reflecting the recent strengthening of the euro against all our major currencies, leading to a reduction of our reported revenue range of 50 million. While preserving our investments, we managed to keep our margin target unchanged at around 31.5% and reflected the reduction of reported revenue on EPS." (All figures on a non-IFRS basis.) The Company's third quarter and full year 2017 financial objectives are as follows: Third quarter 2017 non-IFRS total revenue objective of about 760 to 775 million based upon the exchange rates assumptions below, growing about 6% to 8% in constant currencies; non-IFRS operating margin of about 31.0% to 32.0%; and non-IFRS EPS of about 0.62 to 0.65; 2017 non-IFRS revenue growth objective of about 6% to 7% in constant currencies at 3.240 to 3.265 billion (reflecting the principal 2017 currency exchange rate assumptions below for the US dollar and Japanese yen as well as the potential impact from additional currencies representing about 10% of the Company's total revenue in 2016); 2017 non-IFRS operating margin of about 31.5% compared to 2016 where the non-IFRS operating margin was 31.2%; 2017 non-IFRS EPS of about 2.62 to 2.66, representing a growth objective of about 5% to 7%; Objectives are based upon exchange rate assumptions of US$1.15 per 1.00 for the 2017 third quarter and US$1.12 per 1.00 for the full year; and JPY130 per 1.00 for the 2017 third quarter and JPY125.9 per 1.00 for the full year before hedging. The Company's objectives are prepared and communicated only on a non-IFRS basis and are subject to the cautionary statement set forth below. The 2017 non-IFRS objectives set forth above do not take into account the following accounting elements and are estimated based upon the 2017 principal currency exchange rates above: deferred revenue write-downs estimated at approximately 12 million, share-based compensation expense, including related social charges, estimated at approximately 99 million and amortization of acquired intangibles estimated at approximately 161 million. The above objectives also do not include any impact from other operating income and expense, net principally comprised of acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, from one-time items included in financial revenue and from one-time tax restructuring gains and losses. Finally, these estimates do not include any new stock option or share grants, or any new acquisitions or restructurings completed after July 25, 2017. Today's Webcast and Conference Call Information Today, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, Dassault Systemes will first host from Paris a webcasted meeting at 9:00 AM London time/ 10:00 AM Paris time and will then host a conference call at 9:00 AM New York time/ 2:00 PM London time/ 3:00 PM Paris time. The webcasted meeting and conference call will be available via the Internet by accessing http://www.3ds.com/investors/. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the webcast or conference call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. The webcast and conference call will be archived for one year. Additional investor information can be accessed at http://www.3ds.com/investors/ or by calling Dassault Systemes' Investor Relations at 33.1.61.62.69.24. Key Investor Relations Events Third Quarter 2017 Earnings, October 25, 2017 Forward-looking Information Statements herein that are not historical facts but express expectations or objectives for the future, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company's non-IFRS financial performance objectives, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on Dassault Systemes management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or performances may differ materially from those in such statements due to a range of factors. The Company's current outlook for 2017 takes into consideration, among other things, an uncertain global economic environment. In light of the continuing uncertainties regarding economic, business, social and geopolitical conditions at the global level, the Company's revenue, net earnings and cash flows may grow more slowly, whether on an annual or quarterly basis. While the Company makes every effort to take into consideration this uncertain macroeconomic outlook, the Company's business results, however, may not develop as anticipated. Further, there may be a substantial time lag between an improvement in global economic and business conditions and an upswing in the Company's business results. The Company's actual results or performance may also be materially negatively affected by numerous risks and uncertainties, as described in the "Risk Factors" section of the 2016 Document de Reference (Annual Report) filed with the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) on March 22, 2017, and also available on the Company's website www.3ds.com. In preparing such forward-looking statements, the Company has in particular assumed an average US dollar to euro exchange rate of US$1.15 per 1.00 for the 2017 third quarter and US$1.12 per 1.00 for the full year 2017 as well as an average Japanese yen to euro exchange rate of JPY130 to 1.00 for the third quarter and JPY125.9 to 1.00 for the full year 2017 before hedging; however, currency values fluctuate, and the Company's results of operations may be significantly affected by changes in exchange rates. Non-IFRS Financial Information Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measurements. Also, the Company's supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled non-IFRS measures used by other companies. Further specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures, and the reasons for presenting non-IFRS financial information, are set forth in the Company's 2016 Document de Reference filed with the AMF on March 22, 2017. In the tables accompanying this press release the Company sets forth its supplemental non-IFRS figures for revenue, operating income, operating margin, net income and diluted earnings per share, which exclude the effect of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies' deferred revenue, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, the amortization of acquired intangible assets, other operating income and expense, net, certain one-time items included in financial revenue and other, net, and the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments and certain one-time tax effects. The tables also set forth the most comparable IFRS financial measure and reconciliations of this information with non-IFRS information. Information in Constant Currencies When the Company believes it would be helpful for understanding trends in its business, the Company provides percentage increases or decreases in its revenue (in both IFRS as well as non-IFRS) to eliminate the effect of changes in currency values, particularly the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, relative to the euro. When trend information is expressed herein "in constant currencies", the results of the "prior" period have first been recalculated using the average exchange rates of the comparable period in the current year, and then compared with the results of the comparable period in the current year. This press release constitutes the quarterly financial information required by article L.451-1-2 IV of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code Monetaire et Financier About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systemes' collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 220,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. 3DEXPERIENCE, the Compass logo and the 3DS logo, CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, ENOVIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, 3D VIA, BIOVIA, NETVIBES and 3DEXCITE are registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. (Tables to Follow) TABLE OF CONTENTS Non-IFRS key figures Condensed consolidated statements of income Condensed consolidated balance sheets Condensed consolidated cash flow statements IFRS non-IFRS reconciliation DASSAULT SYSTEMES NON-IFRS KEY FIGURES (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data, headcount and exchange rates) Non-IFRS key figures exclude the effects of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies' deferred revenue, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, amortization of acquired intangible assets, other operating income and expense, net, certain one-time financial revenue items and the income tax effects of these non-IFRS adjustments. Comparable IFRS financial information and a reconciliation of the IFRS and non-IFRS measures are set forth in the separate tables within this Attachment. In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Change Change in cc* June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Change Change in cc* Non-IFRS Revenue 810.6 754.0 8% 6% 1,576.3 1,447.5 9% 7% Non-IFRS Revenue breakdown by activity Software revenue 722.7 669.4 8% 7% 1,398.8 1,283.3 9% 7% of which new licenses and other software-related revenue 211.8 194.5 9% 8% 384.8 354.7 8% 7% of which periodic licenses, maintenance 510.9 474.9 8% 6% 1,014.0 928.6 9% 7% Services revenue 87.9 84.6 4% 3% 177.5 164.2 8% 7% Non-IFRS software revenue breakdown by product line CATIA software revenue 249.7 244.0 2% 1% 486.2 465.5 4% 3% ENOVIA software revenue 84.4 81.7 3% 2% 158.0 152.6 4% 2% SOLIDWORKS software revenue 176.7 152.2 16% 14% 350.9 303.7 16% 13% Other software revenue 211.9 191.5 11% 9% 403.7 361.5 12% 9% Non-IFRS Revenue breakdown by geography Americas 258.1 232.9 11% 8% 493.9 449.3 10% 6% Europe 337.1 320.2 5% 6% 660.1 613.2 8% 8% Asia 215.4 200.9 7% 5% 422.3 385.0 10% 6% Non-IFRS operating income 243.8 229.2 6% 444.5 410.9 8% Non-IFRS operating margin 30.1% 30.4% 28.2% 28.4% Non-IFRS net income attributable to shareholders 159.4 146.3 9% 295.1 277.4 6% Non-IFRS diluted net income per share 0.62 0.57 9% 1.15 1.08 6% Closing headcount 15,456 14,310 8% 15,456 14,310 8% Average Rate USD per Euro 1.10 1.13 -3% 1.08 1.12 -4% Average Rate JPY per Euro 122.6 121.9 1% 121.8 124.4 -2% In constant currencies DASSAULT SYSTEMES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (IFRS) (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data) In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30 2016 June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 New licenses and Other software revenue 211.8 194.5 384.8 354.1 Periodic and Maintenance revenue 506.7 474.9 1,003.9 927.5 Software revenue 718.5 669.4 1,388.7 1,281.6 Services revenue 87.9 84.6 177.5 163.8 Total Revenue 806.4 754.0 1,566.2 1,445.4 Cost of software revenue (excluding amortization of acquired intangibles) (38.0) (37.7) (78.4) (75.2) Cost of services and other revenue (79.0) (78.7) (161.8) (155.8) Research and development (156.2) (138.7) (305.9) (269.2) Marketing and sales (258.5) (232.2) (518.3) (460.0) General and administrative (61.5) (56.0) (121.8) (110.4) Amortization of acquired intangibles (39.3) (38.2) (80.5) (77.4) Other operating income and expense, net (4.5) (11.1) (10.6) (13.5) Total Operating Expenses (637.0) (592.6) (1,277.3) (1,161.5) Operating Income 169.4 161.4 288.9 283.9 Financial revenue and other, net 15.3 (7.6) 22.5 (16.8) Income before income taxes 184.7 153.8 311.4 267.1 Income tax expense (61.8) (50.9) (102.1) (73.5) Net Income 122.9 102.9 209.3 193.6 Non-controlling interest 0.1 (1.6) (1.3) (2.4) Net Income attributable to equity holders of the parent 123.0 101.3 208.0 191.2 Basic net income per share 0.48 0.40 0.82 0.75 Diluted net income per share 0.48 0.39 0.81 0.74 Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in millions) 254.5 253.8 254.2 253.8 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in millions) 257.9 257.3 257.1 257.3 IFRS revenue variation as reported and in constant currencies Three months ended June 30, 2017 Six months ended June 30, 2017 Change* Change in cc** Change* Change in cc** IFRS Revenue 7% 6% 8% 6% IFRS Revenue by activity Software revenue 7% 6% 8% 6% Services Revenue 4% 3% 8% 7% IFRS Software Revenue by product line CATIA software revenue 2% 1% 4% 3% ENOVIA software revenue 3% 2% 4% 2% SOLIDWORKS software revenue 16% 14% 16% 13% Other software revenue 8% 7% 9% 7% IFRS Revenue by geography Americas 10% 7% 9% 6% Europe 4% 5% 7% 7% Asia 7% 5% 10% 6% *Variation compared to the same period in the prior year. **In constant currencies DASSAULT SYSTEMES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (IFRS) (unaudited; in millions of Euros) In millions of Euros June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents 2,769.2 2,436.7 Short-term investments 48.2 56.1 Accounts receivable, net 610.3 820.4 Other current assets 264.2 257.2 Total current assets 3,691.9 3,570.4 Property and equipment, net 156.7 135.4 Goodwill and Intangible assets, net 2,770.6 2,926.5 Other non-current assets 286.5 310.7 Total Assets 6,905.7 6,943.0 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Accounts payable 137.3 144.9 Unearned revenues 928.7 853.1 Other current liabilities 501.0 467.6 Total current liabilities 1,567.0 1,465.6 Long-term debt 1,000.0 1,000.0 Other non-current obligations 545.5 594.6 Total long-term liabilities 1,545.5 1,594.6 Non-controlling interests 2.5 22.6 Parent shareholders' equity 3,790.7 3,860.2 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' equity 6,905.7 6,943.0 DASSAULT SYSTEMES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS (IFRS) (unaudited; in millions of Euros) In millions of Euros Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Change June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Change Net Income attributable to equity holders of the parent 123.0 101.3 21.7 208.0 191.2 16.8 Non-controlling interest (0.1) 1.6 (1.7) 1.3 2.4 (1.1) Net Income 122.9 102.9 20.0 209.3 193.6 15.7 Depreciation of property equipment 11.1 10.9 0.2 22.9 21.4 1.5 Amortization of intangible assets 41.3 40.5 0.8 84.6 81.7 2.9 Other non cash P&L Items 2.6 0.5 2.1 10.4 (8.8) 19.2 Changes in working capital 66.7 (15.0) 81.7 265.2 161.2 104.0 Net Cash provided by operating activities 244.6 139.8 104.8 592.4 449.1 143.3 Additions to property, equipment and intangibles (27.4) (9.6) (17.8) (45.8) (18.4) (27.4) Payments for acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (7.6) (11.2) 3.6 (8.0) (11.2) 3.2 Sale (purchase) of short term investments, net 12.5 (1.0) 13.5 3.7 19.8 (16.1) Investments, loans and others (0.5) 0.5 6.4 0.6 5.8 Net Cash provided by (used in) investing activities ( 22.5) ( 22.3) ( 0.2) ( 43.7) ( 9.2) ( 34.5) Acquisition of non-controlling interests (14.1) (14.1) (14.1) (14.1) (Purchase) Sale of treasury stock (47.9) (9.0) (38.9) (44.8) (43.3) (1.5) Proceeds from exercise of stock-options 16.5 7.3 9.2 21.8 10.5 11.3 Cash dividend paid (51.3) (100.1) 48.8 (51.3) (101.9) 50.6 Net Cash provided by (used in) financing activities ( 96.8) ( 101.8) 5.0 ( 88.4) ( 134.7) 46.3 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (121.5) 28.1 (149.6) (127.8) 0.1 (127.9) Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 3.8 43.8 ( 40.0) 332.5 305.3 27.2 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 2,765.4 2,542.0 2,436.7 2,280.5 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 2,769.2 2,585.8 2,769.2 2,585.8 DASSAULT SYSTEMES SUPPLEMENTAL NON-IFRS FINANCIAL INFORMATION IFRS NON-IFRS RECONCILIATION (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data) Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measurements. Also, the Company's supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled non-IFRS measures used by other companies. Further specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures, and the reasons for presenting non-IFRS financial information, are set forth in the Company's Document de reference for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the AMF on March 22, 2017. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read not in isolation, but only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Three months ended June 30, Change 2017 IFRS Adjustment (1) 2017 non-IFRS 2016 IFRS Adjustment (1) 2016 non-IFRS IFRS Non-IFRS (2) Total Revenue 806.4 4.2 810.6 754.0 754.0 7% 8% Total Revenue breakdown by activity Software revenue 718.5 4.2 722.7 669.4 669.4 7% 8% New licenses and Other software revenue 211.8 211.8 194.5 194.5 9% Periodic and Maintenance revenue 506.7 4.2 510.9 474.9 474.9 7% 8% Recurring portion of Software revenue 71% 71% 71% 71% Services revenue 87.9 87.9 84.6 84.6 4% Total Software Revenue breakdown by product line CATIA software revenue 249.7 249.7 244.0 244.0 2% 2% ENOVIA software revenue 84.4 84.4 81.7 81.7 3% 3% SOLIDWORKS software revenue 176.7 176.7 152.2 152.2 16% 16% Other software revenue 207.7 4.2 211.9 191.5 191.5 8% 11% Total Revenue breakdown by geography Americas 256.8 1.3 258.1 232.9 232.9 10% 11% Europe 334.4 2.7 337.1 320.2 320.2 4% 5% Asia 215.2 0.2 215.4 200.9 200.9 7% 7% Total Operating Expenses ( 637.0) 70.2 ( 566.8) ( 592.6) 67.8 ( 524.8) 7% 8% Share-based compensation expense (26.4) 26.4 (18.5) 18.5 Amortization of acquired intangibles (39.3) 39.3 (38.2) 38.2 Other operating income and expense, net (4.5) 4.5 (11.1) 11.1 Operating Income 169.4 74.4 243.8 161.4 67.8 229.2 5% 6% Operating Margin 21.0% 30.1% 21.4% 30.4% Financial revenue other, net 15.3 (16.0) (0.7) (7.6) 6.4 (1.2) -301% -42% Income tax expense (61.8) (22.0) (83.8) (50.9) (29.2) (80.1) 21% 5% Non-controlling interest 0.1 0.1 (1.6) (1.6) -106% -106% Net Income attributable to shareholders 123.0 36.4 159.4 101.3 45.0 146.3 21% 9% Diluted Net Income Per Share (3) 0.48 0.14 0.62 0.39 0.18 0.57 23% 9% (1)In the reconciliation schedule above, (i) all adjustments to IFRS revenue data reflect the exclusion of the deferred revenue adjustment of acquired companies; (ii) adjustments to IFRS operating expense data reflect the exclusion of the amortization of acquired intangibles, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, and other operating income and expense, (iii) adjustments to IFRS financial revenue and other, net reflect the exclusion of certain one-time items included in financial revenue and other, net, and (iv) all adjustments to IFRS income data reflect the combined effect of these adjustments, plus with respect to net income and diluted net income per share, the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments. Three months ended June 30, In millions of Euros 2017 IFRS Adjustment 2017 non-IFRS 2016 IFRS Adjustment 2016 non-IFRS Cost of revenue (117.0) 1.3 (115.7) (116.4) 0.8 (115.6) Research and development (156.2) 11.1 (145.1) (138.7) 7.4 (131.3) Marketing and sales (258.5) 8.8 (249.7) (232.2) 6.6 (225.6) General and administrative (61.5) 5.2 (56.3) (56.0) 3.7 (52.3) Total share-based compensation expense 26.4 18.5 (2) The non-IFRS percentage increase (decrease) compares non-IFRS measures for the two different periods. In the event there is non-IFRS adjustment to the relevant measure for only one of the periods under comparison, the non-IFRS increase (decrease) compares the non-IFRS measure to the relevant IFRS measure. (3) Based on a weighted average 257.9 million diluted shares for Q2 2017 and 257.3 million diluted shares for Q2 2016. DASSAULT SYSTEMES SUPPLEMENTAL NON-IFRS FINANCIAL INFORMATION IFRS NON-IFRS RECONCILIATION (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data) Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measurements. Also, the Company's supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled non-IFRS measures used by other companies. Further specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures, and the reasons for presenting non-IFRS financial information, are set forth in the Company's Document de reference for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the AMF on March 22, 2017. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read not in isolation, but only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Six months ended June 30, Change 2017 IFRS Adjustment (1) 2017 non-IFRS 2016 IFRS Adjustment (1) 2016 non-IFRS IFRS Non-IFRS (2) Total Revenue 1,566.2 10.1 1,576.3 1,445.4 2.1 1,447.5 8% 9% Total Revenue breakdown by activity Software revenue 1,388.7 10.1 1,398.8 1,281.6 1.7 1,283.3 8% 9% New licenses and Other software revenue 384.8 384.8 354.1 0.6 354.7 9% 8% Periodic and Maintenance revenue 1,003.9 10.1 1,014.0 927.5 1.1 928.6 8% 9% Recurring portion of Software revenue 72% 72% 72% 72% Services revenue 177.5 177.5 163.8 0.4 164.2 8% 8% Total Software Revenue breakdown by product line CATIA software revenue 486.2 486.2 465.5 465.5 4% 4% ENOVIA software revenue 158.0 158.0 152.6 152.6 4% 4% SOLIDWORKS software revenue 350.9 350.9 303.7 303.7 16% 16% Other software revenue 393.6 10.1 403.7 359.8 1.7 361.5 9% 12% Total Revenue breakdown by geography Americas 490.7 3.2 493.9 448.2 1.1 449.3 9% 10% Europe 653.8 6.3 660.1 612.6 0.6 613.2 7% 8% Asia 421.7 0.6 422.3 384.6 0.4 385.0 10% 10% Total Operating Expenses ( 1,277.3) 145.5 ( 1,131.8) ( 1,161.5) 124.9 ( 1,036.6) 10% 9% Share-based compensation expense (54.4) 54.4 (34.0) 34.0 Amortization of acquired intangibles (80.5) 80.5 (77.4) 77.4 Other operating income and expense, net (10.6) 10.6 (13.5) 13.5 Operating Income 288.9 155.6 444.5 283.9 127.0 410.9 2% 8% Operating Margin 18.4% 28.2% 19.6% 28.4% Financial revenue other, net 22.5 (22.7) (0.2) (16.8) 11.8 (5.0) -234% -96% Income tax expense (102.1) (45.8) (147.9) (73.5) (52.6) (126.1) 39% 17% Non-controlling interest (1.3) (1.3) (2.4) (2.4) -46% -46% Net Income attributable to shareholders 208.0 87.1 295.1 191.2 86.2 277.4 9% 6% Diluted Net Income Per Share (3) 0.81 0.34 1.15 0.74 0.34 1.08 9% 6% (1)In the reconciliation schedule above, (i) all adjustments to IFRS revenue data reflect the exclusion of the deferred revenue adjustment of acquired companies; (ii) adjustments to IFRS operating expense data reflect the exclusion of the amortization of acquired intangibles, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, and other operating income and expense, (iii) adjustments to IFRS financial revenue and other, net reflect the exclusion of certain one-time items included in financial revenue and other, net, and (iv) all adjustments to IFRS income data reflect the combined effect of these adjustments, plus with respect to net income and diluted net income per share, the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments. Six months ended June 30, In millions of Euros 2017 IFRS Adjustment 2017 non-IFRS 2016 IFRS Adjustment 2016 non-IFRS Cost of revenue (240.2) 2.3 (237.9) (231.0) 1.4 (229.6) Research and development (305.9) 22.9 (283.0) (269.2) 13.9 (255.3) Marketing and sales (518.3) 18.1 (500.2) (460.0) 11.8 (448.2) General and administrative (121.8) 11.1 (110.7) (110.4) 6.9 (103.5) Total share-based compensation expense 54.4 34.0 (2) The non-IFRS percentage increase (decrease) compares non-IFRS measures for the two different periods. In the event there is non-IFRS adjustment to the relevant measure for only one of the periods under comparison, the non-IFRS increase (decrease) compares the non-IFRS measure to the relevant IFRS measure. (3) Based on a weighted average 257.1 million diluted shares for H1 2017 and 257.3 million diluted shares for H1 2016. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724006297/en/ Contacts: Dassault Systemes: Francois-Jose Bordonado/Beatrix Martinez, +33.1.61.62.69.24 or United States and Canada: Michele.Katz@3ds.com or FTI Consulting: Rob Mindell, +44.20.3727.1000 or Arnaud de Cheffontaines, +33.1.47.03.69.48 STOCKHOLM, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii AB plans to publish the interim report for the period January 1-September 30, 2017 on October 26 at 8:00 a.m. CET. Following this report, Tobii will arrange a conference call with web cast presentation for investors, analysts and media. Tobii's President and CEO Henrik Eskilsson and CFO Johan Wilsby will present and comment on the report. After the presentation there will be time for questions. The presentation will be held in English. Time: Tuesday, October 26, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. CET Phone numbers for participants: SE +46(0)8-5065-3934 (national toll free: 0200 883 443) NO +472350-0485 (national toll free: 800 56052) DK +4532-71-16-64 (national toll free: 80 70 35 66) FI +358(0)9-2310-1618 (national toll free: 0800 772 219) UK +44(0)20-3364-5729 (national toll free: 0800 279 4842) US +1646-254-3369 (national toll free: 1877 280 3488) Confirmation code: 6185592 Make sure you are connected to the conference call by calling or logging in and register a few minutes before the presentation begins. Web presentation: Link to the web cast presentation The link to the web cast presentation is also available onTobii's web site under interim report Q3 2017. The presentation and the report will be available onthe same page after publication and presentation. Welcome! Contact Sara Hyleen Director of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Tobii AB Phone: +46-709-16-16-41 Email: sara.hyleen@tobii.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/invitation-to-tobii-s-conference-call-following-the-q3-2017-interim-report,c2363675 The following files are available for download: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- iManage, the company dedicated to transforming how professionals work, today announced that Potter Clarkson LLP -- a top-tier firm of European patent and trademark attorneys and one of the largest full service intellectual property practices in Europe -- has selected iManage Cloud to deliver optimal document and information management. The firm chose iManage Cloud as the best solution to move from paper-based files and an existing in-house document management system to a modernized and efficient cloud-based solution. iManage Cloud will provide a seamless integration of technology to improve workflows and cross-firm collaboration. Future integration with Potter Clarkson's planned business process application will allow the firm to pull together its different data sources including client, matter and operational information to help achieve greater business insight and value from their data. Additionally, the scalability and security of iManage Cloud were particularly appealing for Potter Clarkson. "iManage Cloud will significantly improve efficiency throughout our business, enhancing our Microsoft Office 365 investment and providing the capability to work securely with matter and client files from anywhere on just about any device," said Philip Morris, Practice Manager, Potter Clarkson. "The mobility, collaboration and resilience delivered by the product is incredibly important to us, while iManage's UK-based data centres ensure the integrity and security of our data." iManage partner Phoenix Business Solutions is assisting Potter Clarkson with the implementation. The firm plans to roll out the solution by the beginning of November 2017, with an expected 160 users throughout the organization. "Professional firms of all sizes recognize the agility and simplicity cloud computing can bring to work product management," said Geoff Hornsby, General Manager, EMEA, iManage. "By deploying iManage Cloud, Potter Clarkson will provide its patent attorneys with innovative tools that enable them to deliver more responsive service to their clients without compromising security." Follow iManage via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanageinc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iManageinc/ Blog: https://imanage.com/blog/ Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/imanage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imanage About iManage iManage transforms how professionals in legal, accounting and financial services get work done by combining the power of artificial intelligence with market leading document and email management. iManage automates routine cognitive tasks, provides powerful insights and streamlines how professionals work, while maintaining the highest level of security and governance over critical client and corporate data. Over one million professionals at over 3,000 organizations in over 65 countries -- including more than 2,000 law firms and 500 corporate legal departments -- rely on iManage to deliver great client work. Press Contact Information: Manjul Gupta Head of Corporate Communications iManage Phone: 669-777-3430 Email Contact 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. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) reported earnings for its fourth quarter that increased compared to the same period last year. The company said its bottom line advanced to $473 million, or $0.29 per share. This was higher than $389 million, or $0.23 per share, in last year's fourth quarter. The company said revenue for the quarter rose 4.6% to $7.66 billion. This was up from $7.32 billion last year. Hewlett Packard Enterprise earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q4): $473 Mln. vs. $389 Mln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 21.6% -EPS (Q4): $0.29 vs. $0.23 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 26.1% -Revenue (Q4): $7.66 Bln vs. $7.32 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): 4.6% -Guidance : Next quarter EPS guidance: $0.20 to $0.24. Next quarter revenue guidance: $28.9 Bln 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. US Study results presented at European Burns Association (EBA) Annual Meeting The ReCell Autologous Cell Harvesting Device effectively reduces the amount of skin harvesting required relative to conventional treatment of burn injuries, which has important benefits from both clinical and economic perspectives, according to burn surgeons presenting at a major burns conference this past week. Avita Medical Ltd. (ASX: AVH), (OTCQX: AVMXY), a regenerative medicine company specializing in the treatment of wounds and skin defects, reports that key findings were presented by U.S. surgeons, alongside German and British surgeons who presented on their routine use of ReCell this week at the 17th European Burns Association Congress, held September 6-8, 2017 in Barcelona. In reporting on the largest prospective study of the ReCell device in treatment of second-degree burn injuries, Dr William Hickerson (Firefighters Regional Burn Center, Memphis, Tenn.) reviewed outcomes from 101 subjects studied in the U.S., showing a 97.5% reduction in donor skin harvested for treatment of second-degree burn injuries, which yielded a 4.4 times greater likelihood of donor site healing after one week. Dr James H Holmes IV (Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) highlighted the successful co-primary endpoint outcomes in the U.S. confirmatory trial for the Company's premarket approval (PMA) study for the U.S. FDA. Dr Holmes reported on treatment of 30 patients who sustained third-degree burn injuries and concluded that relative to conventional skin grafting treatment, use of the ReCell device achieved comparable short-term healing and long-term scar and satisfaction outcomes using less donor skin, with no safety concerns. On average, in this randomized control trial, a 32% reduction in use of donor skin was observed. Dr Holmes further presented a clinical case conducted under Compassionate Use, highlighting how autograft-sparing with ReCell translates into life-saving treatment of an extensive burn injury. Ms Isabel Jones (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London) reviewed the algorithm established for treatment of acute facial burns at the burn center she directs, and Dr Simon Kuepper (Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin) reviewed the integration of the ReCell device into the burn care pathway at his burn center in Berlin. "Presentations of positive outcomes for treatment of burn injuries of both second- and third-degree, ranging from the face to massive total body surface area injuries, validates the broad implications for application of ReCell in elevating the standard of care in burns, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to launch the ReCell device in the United States," said Erin Liberto, Chief Commercial Officer. ABOUT AVITA MEDICAL LIMITED Avita's patented and proprietary collection and application technology provides innovative treatment solutions derived from the regenerative properties of a patient's own skin. Our medical devices work by preparing a Regenerative Epithelial Suspension (RES), an autologous suspension comprised of the patients' own skin cells and wound healing factors that are necessary to regenerate natural healthy skin. This is then applied to the area to be treated. In all countries outside of Europe, our portfolio is marketed under the ReCell brand to promote skin healing in a wide range of applications including burns, chronic wounds and aesthetics. ReCell is TGA-registered in Australia, and CFDA-cleared in China. In the United States, ReCell is an investigational device limited by federal law to investigational use. In Europe, our portfolio of medical device products received CE-mark approval as three tailored product presentations, with three individual brand names. ReCell is designed for the treatment of burns and plastic reconstructive procedures; ReGenerCell has been formulated for chronic wounds including leg and foot ulcers; and ReNovaCell is tailored for aesthetic applications including the restoration of pigmentation. To learn more, visit www.avitamedical.com. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This letter includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "could," "may," "will," "believe," "estimate," "look forward," "forecast," "goal," "target," "project," "continue," "outlook," "guidance," "future," other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this letter include, but are not limited to, statements concerning, among other things, our ongoing clinical trials and product development activities, regulatory approval of our products, the potential for future growth in our business, and our ability to achieve our key strategic, operational and financial goal. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Each forward-looking statement contained in this letter is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the timing of regulatory approvals of our products; physician acceptance, endorsement, and use of our products; failure to achieve the anticipated benefits from approval of our products; the effect of regulatory actions; product liability claims; risks associated with international operations and expansion; and other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the company's control. Investors should not place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this letter. Investors are encouraged to read our publicly available filings for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this letter speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170911006350/en/ Contacts: Australia Monsoon Communications Sarah Kemter Phone: +61 (0)3 9620 3333 Mobile: +61 (0)407 162 530 sarahk@monsoon.com.au or USA Westwicke Partners Jamar Ismail Phone +1 (415) 513-1282 jamar.ismail@westwicke.com HONG KONG, Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/-- Nord Anglia Education, the world's leading premium schools organisation, today announced that 47% of grades received were the highest levels of A* or A in GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and IGCSE (International GCSE), up from 45.9% last year. This is more than double the UK average of 20%. 88% of Nord Anglia Education students' grades were A*- C, exceeding the UK average by 22 percentage points. 87.5% of students also received 5 or more A*- C. For five consecutive years in a row, Nord Anglia students have far exceeded UK averages in A*- A grades and A*- C grades. Nord Anglia Education's I/GCSE results at a glance: 1,256 Nord Anglia Education students took the I/GCSEs in 2017 47% of all I/GCSE grades achieved byNord Anglia Educationstudents were at the highest levels of A* or A. This is more than double the 2017UK average of 20%. The pass rate of Nord Anglia Education students for I/GCSE was 88% For the second year in a row, nearly 90% of our students, including those in our bilingual schools, gained 5 or more A*- C grades Andrew Fitzmaurice, Chief Executive Officer of Nord Anglia Education said, "We are extremely proud of our students' IGCSE and GCSE results this year. For a fifth year in a row, students have far exceeded UK GCSE averages which is a testament to our students' and teachers' hard work, dedication to academic excellence, and our Be Ambitious philosophy. Congratulations to all our students on their outstanding results." The GCSEs are qualifications studied by children age 14-16 in the British education system. Students study a wide range of subjects for two years, including extended assessed coursework and challenging terminal examinations. IGCSEs are a version of these programmes designed for students outside the UK. They are worth the same as a standard GCSE, and are equally recognised by education institutions in the UK and around the world. About Nord Anglia Education Nord Anglia Education is the world's leading operator of premium international schools, serving students from kindergarten through the end of secondary school (K-12). We teach over 39,000 students at our 46 premium schools inChina,Europe, theMiddle East,Southeast Asiaandthe Americas.We are driven by one unifying philosophy-- we are ambitious for our students, our people and our family of schools. Our schools deliver a high quality education through a personalised approach enhanced with unique global opportunities to enable every student to succeed. Nord Anglia Educationis headquartered inHong Kong.Our website is www.nordangliaeducation.com. For further information, please contact: Media: Connie Young Communications Manager Tel: +852-3951-1147 Email: connie.young@nordanglia.com Sarah Doyle Head of Brand Tel: +852-3951-1144 Email: sarah.doyle@nordanglia.com Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/471785/Nord_Anglia_Education_Master_20170228LOGO_Logo.jpg IRW-PRESS: YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc.: YDreams Global: Neueste Entwicklungen im Unternehmen YDreams Global: Neueste Entwicklungen im Unternehmen 9. August 2017 - YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. (YDreams Global oder das Unternehmen) (TSXV: YD; YDRMF: USA; FSE: A2AP0L) mochte den Aktionaren einen Bericht seines CEO, Daniel Japiassu, uber die jungsten Entwicklungen im Unternehmen bereitstellen. Ich danke Ihnen, dass Sie YDreams Global unterstutzen und als Aktionar am Unternehmen beteiligt sind. Es ist etwas mehr als ein Jahr her, dass YDreams Global zu einem an der TSX-V notierten Unternehmen wurde. Ich mochte Sie gerne uber unsere Vision, unsere Ergebnisse und unsere Plane informieren, YDreams Global als ein internationales Referenzunternehmen fur immersive Technologie und Innovation in den Bereichen Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Internet der Dinge und kunstliche Intelligenz zu etablieren. Die Herausforderung im Jahr eins nach der Borsennotierung bestand darin, YDreams zu einem international aufgestellten Unternehmen zu entwickeln. Die intern entwickelte Technologie, die Projekte, die wir seit gut zehn Jahren durchfuhren, und unser exzellentes Design zeichnen sich weltweit durch hochste Qualitat aus. Dies hat sich auf jeder internationalen Tagung, an der wir in diesem ersten Jahr teilgenommen haben, bestatigt. Ich hatte die Gelegenheit, YDreams Global renommierten Marken, professionellen Sportmannschaften und Ligen, staatlichen Behorden in China, Dubai, Frankreich und Kanada, mehreren Fonds und namhaften Museen vorzustellen. Immer wieder konnten wir mit unserem Technologie- und Design-Portfolio in Staunen versetzen, und dies bekraftigt unsere Stellung als ein Referenzunternehmen. Infolge dieser Meetings ergaben sich zahlreiche Gesprache uber geschaftliche Chancen. Es ist wichtig anzumerken, dass sich dadurch unsere Pipeline diskutierter Angebote vom zweistelligen in den dreistelligen Millionenbereich verlagert hat. Groere und komplexere Projekte bedingen auerdem langere Verhandlungszeitraume, in denen der Wahrung der Vertraulichkeit groere Bedeutung zukommt. Im Jahr eins haben wir dafur Sorge getragen, starke strategische Partnerschaften aufzubauen. Dabei haben wir uns vor allem auf China, Dubai und Nordamerika konzentriert. Ich mochte mir hier kurz die Zeit nehmen, Sie uber unsere aktuelle Planung und unsere bisherigen Fortschritte zu informieren, damit Sie eine klare Vorstellung von unserer Vision erhalten. Wenn Sie unsere Unternehmensnachrichten verfolgen, ist Ihnen bekannt, dass wir eine Partnerschaft mit einer wichtigen Gesellschaft in Dubai eingegangen sind. Diese vermittelte uns Kontakte mit Entscheidungstragern der Regierung von Dubai; weniger als zwei Monate nach Unterzeichnung der Partnerschaftsvereinbarung befinden wir uns nun in Verhandlung uber Angebote mit enormem Potenzial, was ein gutes Indiz dafur ist, dass sich diese Partnerschaft langfristig und sehr erfolgreich gestalten wird. Sie haben moglicherweise auch uber die Planung eines Joint Ventures mit einer traditionellen deutschen Gesellschaft gelesen, hinter der ein milliardenschwerer Fonds steht, der den Eintritt in den gigantischen chinesischen Markt ermoglicht. Diese Planung schreitet ebenfalls voran, sodass wir demnachst uber eine Prasenz in China verfugen durften. Damit komme ich zum Jahr zwei und zu unseren Expansionsplanen, mit denen bedeutende Projekte und Umsatze generiert werden sollen. Wir hoffen, dass das zweite Jahr nach der Borsennotierung bahnbrechend wird. Wir sind momentan dabei, unser neues Produkt, Arkave VR, am Markt einzufuhren. Ziel ist die Einrichtung eines weltweiten Netzwerks von Virtual-Reality-Arenen, hunderten von im Franchising organisierten Stores, die unsere patentierte Technologie und unsere Games einsetzen. Arkave VR ist ein Produkt mit dem Potenzial, weltweit sehr viel lukrativere Geschafte zu generieren als andere gleichartige Produkte. Und dies ist erst der Anfang. Daher haben wir einen neuen Unternehmensbereich geschaffen, YDreams Ventures, um auf der Grundlage unserer Technologie neue Geschaftsfelder zu erschlieen, die sich jeweils auf die Einfuhrung von Produkten und die Erzielung von exponentiellem Wachstum konzentrieren. Mit diesem Unternehmensbereich werden zudem ausgewahlte Startups beschleunigt und unterstutzt, die in unseren Kompetenzbereichen tatig sind: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Internet der Dinge und kunstliche Intelligenz. Wir fuhren auerdem neue interaktive Ausstellungen ein, die intern konzipiert und umgesetzt wurden. Im Juli haben wir eine groe und umfassende immersive Ausstellung eingefuhrt, mit der junge Menschen daruber informiert werden, wie man Krebs verhindern kann und wie wichtig die Fruherkennung ist. Das Projekt lief ein Jahr lang und generierte erhebliche Einnahmen fur YDreams Global. Dies war ein schones, universelles Projekt, eine einmalige Erfahrung, die wir gerne mit dem Rest der Welt teilen mochten, indem wir die Ausstellung weltweit in Lizenz vergeben. Wir gehen davon aus, dass wir bald weitere Einzelheiten zu neuen Projekten und zu unserem Expansionsplan fur Arkave VR, unter anderem einen Termin und Standort fur unseren Flagshipstore, bereitstellen konnen. YDreams Global besitzt das Potenzial, sich zu einer gigantischen Marke zu entwickeln. Wir arbeiten intensiv daran, dass dieser Traum tatsachlich Wirklichkeit wird. Wenn uns die Erfahrung von Jahr eins etwas gezeigt hat, dann dies: Es ist nicht nur moglich, diesen Traum zu verwirklichen, sondern auch der Zeitpunkt dafur ist ideal, da er mit der massenhaften Verbreitung von Technologien zusammenfallt, die wir in den vergangenen Jahren entwickelt und erprobt haben. Ich danke Ihnen fur Ihre Unterstutzung unseres Unternehmens und freue mich auf die viel versprechende Zukunft, die vor uns liegt. Wenn Sie Fragen haben, konnen Sie sich gerne an uns wenden; wir werden dafur sorgen, dass Sie eine Antwort erhalten: hey@ydreamsglobal.com Uber YDreams Global YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. (www.ydreamsglobal.com) ist ein Technologieunternehmen mit Niederlassungen in Vancouver, Dubai, Sao Paulo und Rio de Janeiro, das Augmented Reality- und Virtual Reality-Technologien, Design und Informationen miteinander kombiniert, um auf die Herausforderungen und Bedurfnisse der Benutzer und Konsumenten von heute zu reagieren. YDreams Global unterstutzt Unternehmen und Marken als Partner bei der Neugestaltung ihrer Strategien durch Projekte, bei denen der Mensch im Mittelpunkt steht, und vernetzt digitale Erfahrungen mit physischer Prasenz und physischen Standorten. YDreams Global nimmt zukunftige Herausforderungen vorweg und verbindet sie mit den Bedurfnissen des Marktes, erstellt innovative Konzepte und bringt sie mit internationaler Kompetenz zur Geltung. YDreams Global hat bereits mehr als 1.000 Projekte fur internationale Kunden wie Adidas, Cisco, Nokia, Nike, Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola, Santander, AmBev, Qualcomm, Unilever, City of Rio und Fiat entwickelt. Nahere Informationen erhalten Sie uber: Daniel Japiassu Director & Chief Executive Officer Tel: 604-646-6910 hey@ydreamsglobal.com | www.ydreamsglobal.com | www.youtube.com/ydreamsglobal YDreams Global Technologies Inc. # 1470 - 701 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V7Y 1C6 Die TSX Venture Exchange und deren Regulierungsorgane (in den Statuten der TSX Venture Exchange als Regulation Services Provider bezeichnet) ubernehmen keinerlei Verantwortung fur die Angemessenheit oder Genauigkeit dieser Meldung. Die Ausgangssprache (in der Regel Englisch), in der der Originaltext veroffentlicht wird, ist die offizielle, autorisierte und rechtsgultige Version. Diese Ubersetzung wird zur besseren Verstandigung mitgeliefert. Die deutschsprachige Fassung kann gekurzt oder zusammengefasst sein. Es wird keine Verantwortung oder Haftung: fur den Inhalt, fur die Richtigkeit, der Angemessenheit oder der Genauigkeit dieser Ubersetzung ubernommen. Aus Sicht des Ubersetzers stellt die Meldung keine Kauf- oder Verkaufsempfehlung dar! Bitte beachten Sie die englische Originalmeldung auf www.sedar.com , www.sec.gov , www.asx.com.au/ oder auf der Firmenwebsite! Die englische Originalmeldung finden Sie unter folgendem Link: http://www.irw-press.at/press_html.aspx?messageID=40581 Die ubersetzte Meldung finden Sie unter folgendem Link: http://www.irw-press.at/press_html.aspx?messageID=40581&tr=1 NEWSLETTER REGISTRIERUNG: Aktuelle Pressemeldungen dieses Unternehmens direkt in Ihr Postfach: http://www.irw-press.com/alert_subscription.php?lang=de&isin=CA98421 E1043 Mitteilung ubermittelt durch IRW-Press.com. Fur den Inhalt ist der Aussender verantwortlich. Kostenloser Abdruck mit Quellenangabe erlaubt. ISIN CA98421E1043 AXC0116 2017-08-09/11:09 SAN FRANCISCO, August 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global coating equipment marketis expected to reach USD 22.23 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The industry is expected to witness significant growth on account of high application scope coupled with growing consumption from the automotive application. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371361LOGO ) Robust growth in the consumption owing to rising government spending, fast-growing population, and continued progress on infrastructure projects in Middle Eastern economies is likely to augment product utilization in the residential sector.Africa residential sector is expected to witness growth on account of increasing foreign direct investments and rising consumer's willingness to spend. Governments of Middle East have framed favourable policies to promote investments in the automotive sector. In addition, expansion of road networks along with urban population growth has played a crucial role in increasing sales of automotive vehicles in Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. The global coating equipment market is expected to witness significant competitive rivalry due to the presence of numerous players across the industry. As a result of changing consumer trend, various companies are launching new products to expand their product offerings and put up with the competition in the market. Browse full research report with TOC on "Coating Equipment Market Analysis By Product (Specialty Coating equipment, Powder Coating Equipment, Liquid Coating Equipment), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/coating-equipment-market Further key findings from the report suggest: Powder coating equipment accounted for a share of 38.7% of global market revenue in 2016 owing to low cost as compared to specialty coatings Powder coating equipment has the ability to produce thin films which are utilized by aerospace and automotive industry due to their lightweight Development and utilization of machinery in agriculture sector has witnessed significant growth globally which is anticipated to provide positive scope for product demand as the machinery typically requires coating South Korea is expected to show high growth in the construction industry owing to private and public investments in commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects is expected to show high growth in the construction industry owing to private and public investments in commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects Key players in the industry perform distribution directly to the end user rather than distributing the product through third party sources. Wide distribution channel in the market is achieved through both physical retail stores and online retailing. In March 2017 , Oerlikon acquired novel technologies which enabled the company to strengthen its business position in coatings & equipment market , Oerlikon acquired novel technologies which enabled the company to strengthen its business position in coatings & equipment market In December 2016 , Sata GmbH & Co.Kg introduced Satajet 4800 K spray mix to serve high pressure applications Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Radiation Cured Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/radiation-cured-market Marine Coatings Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/marine-coatings-market Silicone Coatings Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/silicone-coatings-market UV Coatings Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/uv-coatings-market Grand View Research has segmented the global coating equipment market on the basis of product, application, and region: Coating Equipment Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Specialty coating equipment Powder coating equipment Liquid coating equipment Coating Equipment Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Automotive Aerospace Construction Industrial Other Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK Asia Pacific China Japan India Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa Read Our Blog By Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/bulk-chemicals About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. Thecompany provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com Best Practices Empower Large Global Enterprises to Better Leverage High-Value Systems of Record in Fast-Moving Digital Markets -- Modernized mainframe systems of record are critical digital investments for large global enterprises-delivering unmatched reliability, scalability, performance and security. -- Unfortunately, outdated processes and tools often prevent enterprises from adapting their existing mainframe applications to meet changing business needs with the same agility achieved on other platforms. -- Compuware and Wipro are addressing this challenge through a joint Mainframe Center of Excellence (CoE) that enables Wipro to formulate best practices for achieving mainframe agility and cross-platform DevOps integration, as well as gain mastery of Compuware's software. -- By leveraging Compuware's software and Wipro's best practices, enterprises can gain the combined competitive advantages of scale and speed, while also successfully navigating a difficult generational shift in mainframe stewardship. DETROIT, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compuware Corporation today announced the launch of a Mainframe Center of Excellence (CoE) in partnership with Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) (BSE:507685) (NSE:WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. The Mainframe CoE will be dedicated to helping large global enterprises better leverage their systems of record for competitive advantage in fast-moving digital markets. Enterprise IT leaders grapple with mainframe environments that are mired in traditional "waterfall" development, inadequately integrated into cross-platform DevOps workflows and foreign to the Millennials who will ultimately be responsible for the platform's future. The innovative Mainframe CoE, which Wipro will operate, strengthens the company's ability to transform customers' mainframe environments and drive competitive advantage through the adoption of cross-platform Agile and DevOps best practices. Compuware is enabling Wipro technical consultants, via hands-on access to Compuware's proven solutions and ongoing training, to establish industry-leading expertise in: agile development on the mainframe, integration of mainframe dev/test/release processes into multi-platform enterprise DevOps toolchains, and modernized workspaces that empower Millennials to effectively work with mainframe resources in the same manner as they work with other platforms. Wipro's extensive experience along with this deep expertise of Compuware's mainframe software, will provide an empirical foundation for the CoE's best-practice recommendations. The collaboration also serves as another resource for continual improvement towards an Agile mainframe. With direct experience using Compuware's products to discover better ways to leverage mainframe applications and data, Wipro can assist their enterprise clientele in achieving greater innovation throughput and quality that's essential to competing in the digital age. Benefits to enterprise customers include: -- Dramatically improved digital agility -- Substantial reductions in mainframe TCO -- Greater business value and competitive differentiation from investments in mainframe applications, data and processing power -- Successful transition of mainframe stewardship from Baby Boomers to less specifically mainframe-experienced Millennials For large global enterprises, mainframes are irreplaceable and invaluable systems of record. They are repositories of business logic, customer data and other intellectual property that have been carefully and continuously honed over many decades. Unfortunately, a combination of outmoded processes, tools and culture renders many enterprises incapable of quickly adapting their systems of record as necessary to fulfill the relentlessly changing needs of the business. This lack of speed is in marked contrast to the Agile, DevOps and Continuous Delivery disciplines that they have been able to apply to applications running on other platforms such as private and public clouds. This can greatly hamper competitiveness of large enterprises vis-a-vis smaller, nimbler companies. The new Mainframe CoE addresses this critical challenge by capturing and sharing best practices for optimizing mainframe agility and mainstreaming of the mainframe into broader multi-platform enterprise architectures. "Compuware's focus on mainframe Agility and DevOps enablement aligns with our own approach to mainframe applications. We believe this CoE will accelerate the digital journeys for our global clients especially those of large enterprises," said Jatin Mehta, Head, Mainframe Application Services, Wipro Limited. "By leveraging Compuware's technology in the context of a broader enterprise strategy for digital excellence, Wipro can substantially enhance our enterprise customers' ability to innovate in a marketplace where rapid parity is a must," he added. "Partnering with Wipro on a mainframe-centric CoE affords us a great opportunity to demonstrate exactly how our technology supports the kind of aggressive evolution enterprises absolutely must bring to bear on their mainframes. This will be key to their ability to survive and thrive in an innovation-based economy," said Compuware CEO Chris O'Malley. "We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with Wipro-which clearly has tremendous visibility into both the nature of the enterprise's current mainframe challenges and the path to helping these users overcome those challenges in a timely manner." Compuware Corporation Compuware empowers the world's largest companies to excel in the digital economy by fully leveraging their high-value mainframe investments. We do this by delivering highly innovative solutions that uniquely enable IT professionals with mainstream skills to manage mainframe applications, data, and platform operations. Learn more at compuware.com. Follow us on: -- Twitter -- LinkedIn -- YouTube -- Facebook -- Inside Tech Talk -- Google + Press Contact Kristina LeBlanc, The Medialink Group, kristinawleblanc@gmail.com, (508) 930-5636 Mary McCarthy, Public Relations Manager, Compuware, mary.mccarthy@compuware.com, (313) 227-7088 For Sales and Marketing Information Compuware Corporation, One Campus Martius, Detroit MI 48226, 800-521-9353, compuware.com. Copyright 2017 Compuware Corporation. Compuware, the Compuware logo, and Topaz are registered or pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nokian Tyres held a groundbreaking ceremony today to celebrate the beginning of the building work of the Company's third factory. The new factory will be the Company's first manufacturing facility in North America. The new greenfield factory will be located in Dayton (Rhea County), Tennessee, USA. The annual capacity of the factory will be 4 million tyres with an expansion potential in the future. The site will also house a distribution facility with a storage capacity of 600,000 tyres. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2018 and the first tyres are to be produced in 2020. "Nokian Tyres' investment in Tennessee is supporting our growth ambition and commitment to serve our customers in North American market," says Hille Korhonen, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres. During the ceremony, Korhonen reaffirmed the company's ambition to doubling sales in the next five years within North America. She also highlighted Nokian Tyres' goal to lead the tyre industry in sustainable manufacturing as well as making sure the company is the employer of choice within the greater communities it serves. Growing global product portfolio, improved customer care First tyres will be produced in the new plant in 2020. Overall, the plant will focus on the increasing range of North American-specific car and light truck tyres. Total manufacturing capacity of 4 million tyres will be taken into use by 2022 and this will allow Nokian Tyresto meet the increasing demand throughout North America. Customer service will be improved through shorter lead times and improved flexibility. While the Dayton factory will serve North American customers more efficiently, it will also release capacity from other factories to serve other growth markets. "We are investing in the future growth. Total sales are estimated to increase and additional production capacity will be needed. All three factories will have important roles in Nokian Tyres' growth plan, serving different market areas," says Pontus Stenberg, Vice President of Sales. "We will be able to strengthen our global competitive position by installing leading edge technology. Also having increased production capacity enables us to reduce delivery times, grow our product portfolio and strengthen our overall ability to serve our customers globally." Stenberg summarizes. More info: www.nokiantyres.com/daytonfactory Further information: Antti-Jussi Tahtinen, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, tel. +358-10-401-7940 antti-jussi.tahtinen@nokiantyres.com Twitter I YouTubeI FacebookI LinkedIn This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The following files are available for download: INDIANAPOLIS (dpa-AFX) - Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) announced the company has revised certain elements of its 2017 financial guidance on a reported basis and on a non-GAAP basis. Earnings per share guidance was decreased to be in the range of $2.51 to $2.61 on a reported basis. On a non-GAAP basis, 2017 earnings per share guidance was increased to be in the range of $4.10 to $4.20. Eli Lilly now anticipates 2017 revenue between $22.0 billion and $22.5 billion. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates, the company expects revenue growth from new pharmaceutical products including Trulicity, Taltz, Basaglar, Cyramza, Jardiance and Lartruvo, as well as a number of established pharmaceutical products including Trajenta, Forteo and Humalog. On a non-GAAP basis, in the second quarter of 2017, net income increased 30 percent, to $1.177 billion, and earnings per share increased 29 percent, to $1.11, compared with $908.8 million and $0.86, respectively, in the second quarter of 2016. Worldwide revenue was $5.824 billion, an increase of 8 percent compared with the second quarter of 2016. The company said the revenue increase was driven by a 5 percent increase due to volume and a 4 percent increase due to realized prices, partially offset by a 1 percent decrease due to the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates. 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. ANAHEIM, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2017 / BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) (the "Company"), a developer and provider of advanced solutions in the treatment of alcohol and opioid addictions, today announced that EnLite Clinics will implement the BioCorRx Recovery Program in three of its locations in Ohio. EnLite Clinics is the first group of centers in Ohio to implement BioCorRx Recovery Program, a non-addictive, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program. The program combines a proprietary compounded naltrexone implant with a structured, proprietary counseling program specifically tailored for the treatment of alcoholism and opioid use disorder. Brady Granier, CEO, President, and Director of BioCorRx, stated, "We believe that Ohio is a grossly undeserved addiction treatment market that is considered by many to be the epicenter of the opioid crisis with a reported 3,050 overdose deaths in 2015. Many in Ohio expect the number from 2016 to be even worse once finalized, making it the leading cause of accidental deaths in the state. One Ohioan is dying from a drug overdose every few hours, so hopefully our partnership with EnLite Clinics and Dr. Garcia will make a positive impact in the state. Together we will strive to bring awareness about our program to locals around Ohio." Dr. David Garcia, Medical Director of EnLite Clinics, commented, "We are happy to offer our patients BioCorRx's innovative drug recovery program, a comprehensive, naltrexone focused medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for alcohol and opioid addictions. We believe this cutting-edge and highly effective treatment modality has the potential to save many lives from this current epidemic. We plan to offer this program to those individuals who desire to wean off of buprenorphine treatment." About EnLite Clinics EnLite Clinics provides a Suboxone Detox and Maintenance treatment program. EnLite Clinics has been providing confidential treatment and promoting recovery to our patients since 2006. EnLite treats patients with Suboxone Films to manage the physical symptoms of opioid addiction. EnLite also provide referrals to 12 step programs and/or counseling to address patient's behavioral patterns of addiction. EnLite individualizes treatment plans specific to each of our patient's needs. We provide every patient with the utmost care; giving them the individual attention they need to succeed in the recovery process. EnLite has a staff of four doctors and three locations in Ohio. Clinics are located in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. About BioCorRx BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) is an addiction treatment company offering a unique approach to the treatment of substance abuse addiction. The BioCorRx Recovery Program, a non-addictive, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, consists of two main components. The first component of the program consists of an outpatient implant procedure performed by a licensed physician. The implant delivers the non-addictive medicine, naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that can significantly reduce physical cravings for alcohol and opioids. The second component of the program developed by BioCorRx Inc. is a proprietary counseling program (plus peer support program) specifically tailored for the treatment of alcoholism and other substance abuse addictions for those receiving long-term naltrexone treatment. The Company also has an R&D subsidiary, BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals, which is currently developing a new injectable naltrexone technology (BICX101) through a partnership with TheraKine Ltd. The company plans to seek FDA approval for BICX101 and/or its naltrexone implant product(s). For more information on BICX, visit www.BioCorRx.com. Safe Harbor Statement The information in this release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "estimate," "become," "plan," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. BioCorRx Inc. investors@BioCorRx.com 714-462-4880 Investor Relations: Crescendo Communications, LLC (212) 671-1020 x304 bicx@crescendo-ir.com SOURCE: BioCorRx Inc. -Saudi Arabia's Leading Low-Cost Carrier Selects Fusion to Enhance Merchandising Experience Online - RICHMOND, Virginia, Oct. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fusion, a company that drives the increased performance of core flight and ancillary products for global travel companies, has been selected by flynas, Saudi Arabia's leading low cost carrier to improve product offering and online sales. Fusion's role will involve implementing a digital merchandising strategy that uses sophisticated segmentation along with product scoring and real-time decision to personalize user's online experience. This integration will enable flynas to engage users with more relevant content in the booking path for the purpose of improving overall customer experience and achieving higher purchase rates. Fusion's services for flynas will be highlighted by Web Conversion and Ancillary Product Optimization solutions. The content that Fusion will present in the booking path will utilize the unique traveler profile and optimize offer elements such as product, price, placement and message through ongoing A/B and multivariate testing. The ancillary products to be optimized initially include baggage and seats, with an option to add more in the future. flynas is a leading low-cost carrier from Saudi Arabia with a young fleet of 29 aircraft, operating nearly 1000 weekly flights to 33 destinations within and outside of Saudi Arabia. Launched in 2007, flynas has successfully operated over 270,000 flights carrying more than 32 million passengers and was awarded the Middle East low cost carrier of 2015 and 2016 by the World Travel Awards. "Fusion's proven experience and attractive commercial model presented a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for us. We look forward to working with them to provide customized product options to our travelers while elevating our overall customer experience," said Steve Allen, Chief Commercial Officer, flynas. "We couldn't be more pleased to be selected by flynas," said Bob Dufour, CEO and President of Fusion. "During our engagement, Fusion will deliver a proven and tailored optimization program driven by our team of marketing, optimization and analytics experts that will deliver real-time, relevant product offers driving customer satisfaction and incremental revenue growth for the airline." About Fusion Fusion brings together cutting-edge data science, an all-encompassing ancillary product suite, and ongoing merchandising test strategies to deliver targeted, relevant e-commerce product offers. By delivering a personal customer experience, Fusion converts shoppers into buyers faster, better, more accurately, and more profitably. Fusion works with leading brands across more than 40 countries in the travel, healthcare, auto, entertainment, and insurance industries. Follow Fusion on Twitter and LinkedIn. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 8, 2017) - Kaizen Discovery Inc. (TSXV: KZD) today announced that the Pinaya Copper-Gold Project in Peru has entered the final stage of government review prior to the Peruvian General Directorate of Mining (DGM) issuing Kaizen with authorization to commence drilling. Kaizen also announced that it is increasing its ownership of the Aspen Grove Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia from 60% to 100%, by purchasing the 40% held by its joint-venture partner, ITOCHU Corporation. Kaizen's Peruvian subsidiary, which holds the Pinaya Project, received notification from the DGM that it has entered the final stage of review - a "Consulta Previa" or "prior consultation" review - prior to the DGM issuing Kaizen with the Authorization to Commence Activities for the company's planned drilling program at the Pinaya Project. Under Peruvian law, the government-led prior consultation process verifies that the considerations of any local peoples that could represent an indigenous population have been recognized. This process is designed to ensure that, as the project advances, future community stakeholder relations are managed in a transparent and comprehensive manner. The company is assessing its options and the possible implications for its planned 2017 exploration program. Kaizen will provide an update on its planned drilling program at Pinaya once the Ministry of Energy and Mines completes the prior consultation process. Kaizen to acquire 100% ownership of the Aspen Grove Project On August 31, 2017, Kaizen and ITOCHU Corporation entered into a sale-and-purchase agreement that will provide Kaizen with 100% ownership of the Aspen Grove Project, located in southern British Columbia. Under the provisions of the agreement, Kaizen's ownership of KZD Aspen Grove Holding Ltd., which holds title to the Aspen Grove property, will increase from 60% to 100%, and ITOCHU will receive C$293,200 in exchange for relinquishing its 40% stake. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, which are expected to be completed later this month. Kaizen is assessing its options for the Aspen Grove Project, and discussions are ongoing with potentially interested parties for the possible sale or joint venture of the project. About Kaizen Discovery Kaizen is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company with exploration projects in Peru and Canada. More information on Kaizen is available at www.kaizendiscovery.com. Information contact Bill Trenaman +1-604-669-6446 info@kaizendiscovery.com 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. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation (i) statements regarding the expected closing date of the sale-and-purchase agreement with ITOCHU. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Kaizen Discovery, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. MUMBAI, October 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dairy-Based & Soy-Based Desserts (Dairy & Soy Food) Market in the United States of America - Outlook to 2021: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a new report Bharat Book Bureau has added to its offerings. It is a broad level market review of Dairy-basedand Soy-based Desserts market in United States of America. Puddings/Desserts - includes trifles, fools, mousses, cheesecakes and dairy-based flans, frozen desserts and Soy Dessert. Dairy-based and Soy-based Desserts market in United States of America registered a positive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.97% during the period 2011 to 2016 with a sales value of USD 4,943.05 Million in 2016, an increase of 2.02% over 2015. The research handbook provides up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2016 and illustrative forecast to 2021 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Dairy-basedand Soy-based Desserts and its variants Cheesecakes, Creme Caramel, Custard Ready to Eat, Flans (Puddings/Desserts), Fools, Frozen Puddings/Desserts, Mousses, Other Dairy-based Desserts, Soy-based Desserts, Trifles. View pages of the Dairy-basedand Soy-based Desserts Market Report: https://www.bharatbook.com/request-sample/800861 Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2013 to 2016, Demographic Analytics and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable. The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or planning to venture in to United States of America's Dairy-basedand Soy-based (Dairy & Soy Food) market. The comprehensive statistics within the research handbook provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting. Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency of country and Volumes are represented in M Kilograms. Scope - Overall Dairy-basedand Soy-based Desserts (Dairy & Soy Food) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2021. - Value terms for the top brands. - Distribution channel sales analytics from 2013-2016. Reasons to buy - Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Dairy-basedand Soy-based Desserts (Dairy & Soy Food) market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them. - Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends. - Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns. - Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future. Download the full report: https://www.bharatbook.com/dairy-market-research-reports-800861/dairy-soy-desserts-united-states-america.html About Bharat Book Bureau: Bharat Book Bureauis the leading market research information provider for market research reports, company profiles, industry analysis, country reports , business reports, newsletters and online databases Bharat Book Bureau provides over a million reports from more than 400 publishers around the globe. We cover sectors starting from Aeronautics to Zoology.In case the reports don't match your requirement then we can do a specialized Custom Research for you. Contact us: Bharat Book Bureau E: info@bharatbook.com P: +91-22-27810772 / 27810773 W: http://www.bharatbook.com LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/company/bharat-book-bureau Twitter:https://twitter.com/researchbook Blog:https://www.bharatbook.com/blog/ LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 10/19/17 -- mCig, Inc. (OTCQB: MCIG), a diversified company servicing the legal cannabis markets, announced today that the company will spin-off its technology division as a stand-alone public company. In conjunction with the spin-off, mCig shareholders will be awarded shares in the proposed public entity based on their holdings in MCIG. mCig Inc. expects to file the appropriate documents with the SEC within the next 45 days. The implementation for a spin-off was originally planned from the beginning, during the initial establishment of GigeTech, Inc., MCIG's technology subsidiary, which provides a wide range of services such as software solutions, advertising, e-commerce, advisory services and consultations, financial services, blockchain integrated technologies, product design, branding, and various other technology offerings. The move will allow for GigeTech to expand its operations into other markets and industries while continuing to provide solutions and expand its services in the cannabis space. Most recently, GigeTech entered into an agreement for the use of its proprietary advertising technology with its first non-cannabis related customer. "We are astounded as to how quickly we have come to the execution of this plan. Many of our shareholders have probably wondered if we had a clear vision of where we want to go with MCIG. Rest assured we have! As we have begun the process of moving in the direction of cultivation, distribution, and production in both Nevada and California (while reviewing other states as well), we have systematically divested ourselves of businesses that will continue to provide us resources to achieve our end goal. These divestitures have and continue to create cashflow, allowing us to maintain our 'ZERO TOXIC DEBT' mantra. This solidifies our continued growth and will allow us to achieve a higher profit margin, thus increasing shareholder wealth," said Paul Rosenberg, MCIG's Chief Executive Officer. He went on to say, "Spinoffs are a great way to enhance shareholder value and it will continue to be a major part of our business model." For more information visit our websites: For more information about mCIG visit: www.mciggroup.com For more information about Grow Contractors visit: www.growcontractors.com For more information about the Cannabis Advertising Network visit: www.eHesive.com For more information about Blockchain / Cryptocurrency visit: www.renderpayment.com For more information about Cannabiz Supply in Nevada visit: www.cannabizsupply.com For more information about Cannabiz Supply in California visit: www.cannabiz.supply For more information about VitaCIG visit: www.vitaciggroup.com For more information about VitaCBD visit: www.vitacbd.com For the latest cannabis news visit: www.weedistry.com Download 420Cloud on iTunes or Google Play and make a connection at: www.420cloud.com For the latest jobs in the cannabis industry visit 420Jobsearch at: www.420jobsearch.com For the marijuana recipes and cooking tips visit: www.mj.recipes For more information about Marketaro visit: www.marketaro.com Follow us on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/mciginc/ Visit us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/mCigInc/?ref=br_rs Follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/mcigInc About MCIG Group (OTCQB: MCIG) Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, mCig, Inc. (OTCQB: MCIG) is a diversified company servicing the legal cannabis, hemp and CBD markets via its lifestyle brands. mCig, Inc. is committed to being the leading distributor of technology, products, and services to fit the needs of a rapidly expanding industry. mCig, Inc. has transitioned from a vaporizer manufacturer to industry leading large scale, full service cannabis cultivation construction company with its Grow Contractors division currently operating in the rapidly expanding Nevada market. mCig, Inc. also employs a world renowned tech team and has recently entered the tech space to satisfy its evolving role in technology and in keeping its growing following up to speed. The company looks forward to growing its core competencies to service the ancillary legal Cannabis, Hemp and CBD markets, with broader expansion to take place once federal laws change. With over seventy five years of experience combined between the key players that make up the Cannabis Grow Contractors Division, mCig Inc. is proud to work with Cannabis Industry leaders and provide broad and rounded solutions for legal growers nationwide. Safe Harbor Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's ability to develop, market and sell products based on its technology; the expected benefits and efficacy of the Company's products and technology; the availability of substantial additional funding for the Company to continue its operations and to conduct research and development, and future product commercialization; and the Company's business, research, product development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies. This release contains a non-GAAP disclosure, EBIDTA, which consists of net income plus interest expense, net, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. This term, as the Company defines it, may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure used by other companies and is not a measure of performance presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company uses EBIDTA as a measure of operating performance. EBIDTA should not be considered as a substitute for net income. Contact: Paul Rosenberg CEO mCig Inc. paul@mciggroup.com LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- (Black Hat USA 2017, Booth 1465) -- Cloudwick, the developer of CDL, the World's First Neural Security System of Intelligence for Cybersecurity, and Logtrust, the Real-time Big Data-in-Motion as-a-Service firm for Fast Data, Big Data analytics, today announced an OEM partnership to deliver the world's first neural system of intelligence for cybersecurity. The companies are partnering on CDL (see press release "Cloudwick Launches CDL, world's first Neural System of Intelligence for Cybersecurity at Black Hat USA 2017"- dated July 25, 2017) to enable security organizations to rapidly detect, respond to and resolve complex security threats using telemetry data (network packets, logs, alerts, netflow, etc.). The alliance will combine the strengths of both companies to address enterprise cyber security needs, especially against today's top digital business threats including malware, ransomware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), insider threats, denial of service, botnets and nation state attacks. CDL is designed to democratize security analytics at scale, unlock the potential of today's siloed security solutions, and provide a converged security analytic platform for enhancing and extending traditional security systems (IDS, IPS, SIEM, etc.) as well as powering User and Entity Behavior Analytics, machine learning, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence solutions. "CDL is the system of intelligence for security at scale, enhancing, extending and expanding the capabilities and performance of legacy solutions and enabling newer machine learning, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence," said Mani Chhabra, CEO and founder of Cloudwick. "Logtrust provides real-time data in motion, giving the SOC insight into every stage of an attack. The integration enables enterprises to leverage automation, forensics, investigation and response." "Through this unique partnership with Cloudwick, Logtrust enhances CDL with disruptive real-time threat hunting capabilities at scale and velocity," said Pedro Castillo, CEO Logtrust, Inc. "Now businesses can complement their SIEM with a single source of truth to pinpoint cyber security attacks and unusual behavior, visualize attack graphs, detect intruder paths and vulnerabilities, and access all data that is always hot." CDL Demonstration at Black Hat USA 2017 Black Hat 2017 attendees can see CDL in action at Black Hat USA in Las Vegas Wednesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 27 in booth 1465. Additionally, every half hour, Cloudwick and Logtrust executives, as well as other ecosystem partners, will be presenting on cybersecurity topics in the booth. About Logtrust Logtrust is a Real-Time Big Data-in-Motion platform offering Fast Data, Big Data analytics through a solution that enables real-time analytics for security, IT operations, fraud, compliance, IoT, and other aspects of business. Recognized as a Gartner Cool Vendor 2016, Logtrust is intuitive, interactive, and collaborative, with no coding required, guided widgets, and out-of-the-box advanced interactive contextual dashboards. The platform provides a completely real-time experience, with new events always available for query and visualization, and pre-built queries always updated with the most recent events. The highly customizable solution works non-intrusively with your system, with agentless collectors and forwarders, platform remote APIs to check health, and all capabilities callable via REST APIs. Service is always on with cross-cloud region disaster recovery, and data is always hot and unmodified (to meet data reliability and integrity compliance requirements). Logtrust is located at the epicenter of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, CA, and further serves its global clients through offices in New York and Madrid. Visit www.logtrust.com for more information. About Cloudwick Cloudwick developed CDL, the world's first Neural System of Intelligence for Cybersecurity with leading analytics, data center, cloud and security vendors, including Intel, Logtrust, ProtectWise, Bricata, SolarFlare, H2O, AWS and others. CDL is designed to democratize security analytics at scale, unlock the potential of today's siloed solutions, and enable enterprises to win the war against today's top digital business threats including malware, ransomware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), insider threats, denial of service, botnets and nation state attacks. For more information, visit www.cyberdatalake.com. CDL is a trademark of Cloudwick. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. Media contacts: Cloudwick Mark Schreiber Email Contact TAMPA, FL--(Marketwired - July 25, 2017) - United Consortium Ltd. (OTC PINK: UCSO), an acquisition and development Company focused on creating shareholder value through its subsidiary Companies by identifying and monetizing opportunities in Technology, Internet, New Media and the Emerging Cannabis Space, today announcing that it has received notice that the Company is now DTC eligible by The Depository Trust Company for its shares of common stock. The Depository Trust Company (DTC) is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). The Company manages the electronic clearing and settlement of the stock of publicly traded companies. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through the Depository Trust Company are considered "DTC eligible." The electronic method of clearing securities helps expedite the receipt of stock and cash, thus accelerating the settlement process for stock investors. UCL Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Scott Gallagher commented, "This is the first step towards turning the UCL and First Canna brands into a viable publicly traded emerging growth Company. Being DTC Eligible is an absolute necessity in achieving that goal, as will be the upgrading of our reporting status with OTC Markets. We have begun actively preparing the financial statements and related documents that will need to be filed with OTC Markets in order for the upgrade of our trading status to be completed." "The Company will host an investor conference call after the market closes on August 15 th . On that call we'll discuss the upgrade, reporting process and timeline in more detail, as well as our forward looking operational goals and targets for both the LawyersNetwork.com, Inc. and First Canna Corp." UCL will be hosting its first ever investor conference call at 4:15 PM EST on August 15 th , 2017.The company will provide additional access information and other details a few days prior to the call. About United Consortium Ltd. (UCL) UCL is an acquisition and development Company focused on creating shareholder value through building its subsidiary Companies; LawyersNetwork.com, Inc. and First Canna Corp. and by identifying and monetizing opportunities in the lawyer marketing and technology space and the emerging legal medical cannabis space. The Company is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The most current information about the Company can be found on OTCMarkets.com or by visiting the Company's website at www.UCLVentures.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements that relate to future events or United Consortium Ltd. (UCL's) future performance or financial condition. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact, such as the statements above and including statements containing the words "plans," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions, should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in United Consortium Ltd's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, OTC Markets or statement on the Companies websites. United Consortium Ltd. And all of its subsidiary companies undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein. For additional information contact: Scott Gallagher/CEO FirstCanna@Gmail.com 727-417-7807 WEST CHESTER, OH -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) today reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2017. 2nd Quarter 2017 Highlights Net income of $61.2 million, or $0.19 per diluted share Adjusted EBITDA of $142.0 million increased 43% from the second quarter 2016 Adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 9.1% from 6.7% in the second quarter 2016 Completed actions to reduce long-term debt by $130 million Reached agreement to acquire Precision Partners; transaction closing expected in the third quarter AK Steel reported net income of $61.2 million, or $0.19 per diluted share of common stock, for the second quarter of 2017, compared to net income of $17.3 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2016. The company's adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below) of $142.0 million, or 9.1% of net sales, for the second quarter of 2017 increased 43% from adjusted EBITDA of $99.3 million, or 6.7% of net sales, for the year ago second quarter. "Our second quarter performance highlights the continued benefits achieved through the strategic initiatives implemented during the past year and a half," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "We are executing on the strategy that we laid out in early 2016 as further evidenced by our pending acquisition of Precision Partners. This step strengthens our position as a provider of value-added materials and design solutions." Net sales increased 4% to $1.56 billion for the second quarter of 2017 from $1.49 billion for the second quarter of 2016. Second quarter shipments declined 6% to 1,465,200 tons compared to the second quarter a year ago, primarily as a result of a decrease in automotive demand. Average selling price per ton increased 11% to $1,058 from $957 in the same quarter a year ago, primarily as a result of a higher average selling price on both contract and spot market sales and higher surcharges on specialty steel products. The increase in net sales and our continued focus on cost management, partially offset by higher raw material and energy costs, contributed to the 43% increase in adjusted EBITDA to $142.0 million for the second quarter of 2017 from $99.3 million for the second quarter a year ago. Results for the second quarter of 2017 included a LIFO charge of $23.9 million, compared to a LIFO charge of $20.7 million in the second quarter a year ago. Costs for planned maintenance outages for the second quarter of 2017 were $22.4 million, as compared to $19.7 million from the same quarter a year ago. The recent second quarter includes $10.1 million of refundable state incentive credits for the 2015 and 2016 years that became realizable during the quarter. The company ended the second quarter of 2017 with total liquidity of approximately $1.4 billion, consisting of cash and cash equivalents and $1.3 billion of availability under the company's revolving credit facility. Six-Month Results For the first six months of 2017, the company reported net income of $123.7 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, compared to net income of $3.7 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the corresponding six months of 2016. Sales for the first six months of 2017 were $3.09 billion compared to sales of $3.01 billion in the same period a year ago. Shipments for the first half of 2017 were 2,952,100 tons compared to 3,213,700 tons in the first half of 2016. The reduction in shipments was primarily a result of continued efforts to reduce sales of lower margin products as well as a decrease in automotive demand. The company's average selling price for the first half of 2017 was $1,040 per ton, an increase from $935 per ton for the first half of 2016. The higher sales reflect an increase in average selling price on both contract and spot market sales, higher surcharges on specialty steel products, and an improved product mix. Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2017 was $284.9 million, an increase of 58% over adjusted EBITDA of $180.4 million for the same period last year. The company's adjusted EBITDA margin as a percent of net sales improved to 9.2% for the first six months of 2017 from 6.0% for the same period a year ago. The improvement was principally driven by the company's strategy to focus on higher margin products, optimize its manufacturing footprint, and maintain its focus on cost control. The first half of 2017 included LIFO charges of $59.3 million, compared to LIFO charges of $8.4 million in the first half of 2016. The company recorded costs of $29.7 million during the first six months of 2017 for planned maintenance outages, compared to $23.1 million during the first six months of 2016. Iron Ore Derivatives The company routinely uses iron ore derivatives to reduce the volatility in the cost of its iron ore purchases. Historically, these derivatives qualified for hedge accounting -- meaning that gains and losses on derivatives were reflected in the company's financial results in the same period that the hedged iron ore purchases affected earnings. Beginning in the third quarter of 2016, the company's iron ore derivatives no longer qualify for hedge accounting treatment. Therefore, adjustments to mark these derivatives to fair value each period are recognized immediately in the company's financial results, versus being recognized in the period that iron ore purchases affect earnings. In the second quarter of 2017, the fair value of the company's iron ore derivatives decreased due to a reduction in the market price of iron ore, which resulted in the company recognizing mark-to-market losses of $8.4 million in its second quarter results. The company has net mark-to-market gains of $7.9 million in its results for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Not included in the financial results for the second quarter of 2017 were $8.9 million of gains from iron ore derivative contracts that settled during this period, as those gains were recognized in prior periods as a result of those hedges no longer qualifying for hedge accounting treatment. For the first six months of 2017, the company had $20.3 million of gains from iron ore derivative contracts that were not recognized in the financial results during that period as those gains were recognized in prior periods. Acquisition of Precision Partners Holding Company Effective June 30, 2017, the company signed an agreement to acquire Precision Partners Holding Company for $360.0 million in cash. Precision Partners is a leading North American automotive market company that provides engineering, tooling, die design and hot and cold stamped steel components. The company is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, and has more than 1,000 employees, including about 300 engineers and skilled tool makers, across eight plants in Ontario, Alabama and Kentucky. On July 14, 2017, AK Steel received U.S. antitrust clearance for the transaction. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval in Canada. Depending on the timing and outcome of the regulatory reviews, we expect the closing to occur during the third quarter of 2017. The company expects to initially fund the acquisition with cash on hand and borrowings under the company's revolving credit facility. Senior Notes Offering and Debt Redemption During the second quarter the company completed actions to reduce its long-term debt by $129.8 million. In March 2017, the company issued $400.0 million of 7.00% senior unsecured notes due 2027. Through a concurrent tender offer for its 7.625% senior unsecured notes due 2020, and subsequent redemption, the company retired all $529.8 million in principal of the 2020 notes in the first half of 2017. Included in other income (expense) in the second quarter of 2017 was $3.4 million of expense related to the debt redemption. The company recorded other expense of approximately $13.1 million in the first half of 2017 related to the issuance of the 2027 notes and redemption of the 2020 notes. AK Steel AK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, and carbon and stainless tubular products, primarily for automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, electrical power generation and distribution markets. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company employs approximately 8,500 men and women at eight steel plants, two coke plants and two tube manufacturing operations across six states (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia) and one tube plant in Mexico. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements made or incorporated by reference in this earnings release reflect management's estimates and beliefs and are intended to be "forward-looking statements" identified in the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "plans," "estimates" and other similar references to future periods typically identify forward-looking statements. The company cautions readers that forward-looking statements reflect the company's current beliefs and judgments, but are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes. They are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently affected by economic, competitive, regulatory, and operational risks, uncertainties and contingencies that are beyond the company's control, and upon assumptions about future business decisions and conditions that may change. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties, resulting in the possibility that actual events or performance will differ materially from such predictions as a result of certain risk factors, including that our acquisition of Precision Partners may not be consummated, or may not be consummated in a timely manner; that regulatory approval may not be obtained or may only be obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; that we will not integrate Precision Partners successfully following the consummation of the acquisition; and that potential growth opportunities, accretion to earnings and cash flow and other anticipated benefits and opportunities from the acquisition, such as providing enhanced customer solutions and accelerated research and innovation, may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected. In addition, factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition and any benefits from the acquisition, if consummated, to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include reduced selling prices, shipments and profits associated with a highly competitive and cyclical industry; domestic and global steel overcapacity; changes in the cost of raw materials and energy; the company's significant amount of debt and other obligations; severe financial hardship or bankruptcy of one or more of the company's major customers or key suppliers; the company's significant proportion of sales to the automotive market; reduced demand in key product markets due to competition from aluminum or other alternatives to steel; excess inventory of raw materials; supply chain disruptions or poor quality of raw materials; production disruption or reduced production levels; the company's healthcare and pension obligations; not reaching new labor agreements on a timely basis; major litigation, arbitrations, environmental issues and other contingencies; regulatory compliance and changes; climate change and greenhouse gas emission limitations; conditions in the financial, credit, capital and banking markets; the company's use of derivative contracts to hedge commodity pricing volatility; potential permanent idling of facilities; inability to fully realize benefits of margin enhancement initiatives; information technology security threats and cybercrime; as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed in more detail in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as updated in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. As such, the company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only to the company's plans, assumptions and expectations as of the date hereof. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (Dollars and shares in millions, except per share and per ton data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, -------------------- -------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 --------- --------- --------- --------- Shipments (000 tons) 1,465.2 1,555.5 2,952.1 3,213.7 Selling price per ton $ 1,058 $ 957 $ 1,040 $ 935 Net sales $ 1,557.2 $ 1,492.2 $ 3,090.6 $ 3,011.0 Cost of products sold 1,343.7 1,325.0 2,654.5 2,690.5 Selling and administrative expenses 65.1 62.2 136.3 125.7 Depreciation 55.1 54.3 110.2 108.0 Pension and OPEB expense (income) (16.2) (11.9) (32.4) (23.8) --------- --------- --------- --------- Total operating costs 1,447.7 1,429.6 2,868.6 2,900.4 --------- --------- --------- --------- Operating profit 109.5 62.6 222.0 110.6 Interest expense 38.2 41.4 77.6 84.2 Other income (expense) (3.6) 2.1 (11.4) 1.4 --------- --------- --------- --------- Income before income taxes 67.7 23.3 133.0 27.8 Income tax expense (benefit) (8.7) (10.6) (22.1) (10.5) --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income 76.4 33.9 155.1 38.3 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 15.2 16.6 31.4 34.6 --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income attributable to AK Steel Holding Corporation $ 61.2 $ 17.3 $ 123.7 $ 3.7 ========= ========= ========= ========= Net income per share attributable to AK Steel Holding Corporation: Basic $ 0.19 $ 0.08 $ 0.39 $ 0.02 ========= ========= ========= ========= Diluted $ 0.19 $ 0.08 $ 0.38 $ 0.02 ========= ========= ========= ========= Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 314.3 216.4 314.2 197.0 Diluted 319.0 217.2 322.8 197.6 AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts) June 30, December 31, 2017 2016 ------------ ------------ ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 136.3 $ 173.2 Accounts receivable, net 530.9 442.0 Inventory, net 1,103.5 1,113.9 Other current assets 83.7 94.6 ------------ ------------ Total current assets 1,854.4 1,823.7 Property, plant and equipment 6,609.7 6,569.0 Accumulated depreciation (4,663.5) (4,554.6) ------------ ------------ Property, plant and equipment, net 1,946.2 2,014.4 Other non-current assets 205.0 197.9 ------------ ------------ TOTAL ASSETS $ 4,005.6 $ 4,036.0 ============ ============ LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 672.8 $ 589.9 Accrued liabilities 212.9 234.1 Current portion of pension and other postretirement benefit obligations 41.3 41.3 ------------ ------------ Total current liabilities 927.0 865.3 Non-current liabilities: Long-term debt 1,689.7 1,816.6 Pension and other postretirement benefit obligations 1,057.1 1,093.7 Other non-current liabilities 146.2 148.4 ------------ ------------ TOTAL LIABILITIES 3,820.0 3,924.0 EXCHANGEABLE NOTES EXCHANGE FEATURE -- 21.3 Equity: Common stock, authorized 450,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value each; issued 315,712,590 and 314,739,500 shares in 2017 and 2016; outstanding 314,817,492 and 314,160,557 shares in 2017 and 2016 3.2 3.1 Additional paid-in capital 2,882.6 2,855.4 Treasury stock, common shares at cost, 895,098 and 578,943 shares in 2017 and 2016 (5.4) (2.4) Accumulated deficit (2,941.1) (3,064.8) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (106.1) (63.5) ------------ ------------ Total stockholders' equity (deficit) (166.8) (272.2) Noncontrolling interests 352.4 362.9 ------------ ------------ TOTAL EQUITY 185.6 90.7 ------------ ------------ TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 4,005.6 $ 4,036.0 ============ ============ AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions) Six Months Ended June 30, -------------------------- 2017 2016 ------------ ------------ Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 155.1 $ 38.3 Depreciation 101.8 100.8 Depreciation--SunCoke Middletown 8.4 7.2 Amortization 11.7 9.9 Deferred income taxes (17.9) (7.2) Pension and OPEB expense (income) (32.4) (23.8) Contributions to pension trust (6.0) -- Other postretirement benefit payments (21.5) (16.0) Changes in working capital 6.5 122.2 Other operating items, net (2.5) 41.6 ------------ ------------ Net cash flows from operating activities 203.2 273.0 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital investments (52.1) (53.9) Cash held for retirement of debt -- (135.4) Other investing items, net 2.9 2.1 ------------ ------------ Net cash flows from investing activities (49.2) (187.2) Cash flows from financing activities: Net borrowings (payments) under credit facility -- (400.0) Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 400.0 380.0 Redemption of long-term debt (538.2) (259.0) Proceeds from issuance of common stock -- 249.4 Debt issuance costs (8.3) (19.3) SunCoke Middletown distributions to noncontrolling interest owners (41.9) (37.0) Other financing items, net (2.5) (0.3) ------------ ------------ Net cash flows from financing activities (190.9) (86.2) ------------ ------------ Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (36.9) (0.4) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 173.2 56.6 ------------ ------------ Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 136.3 $ 56.2 ============ ============ AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions) In certain of its disclosures in this news release, the company has reported adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin that exclude the effects of noncontrolling interests. EBITDA is an acronym for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. It is a metric that is sometimes used to compare the results of different companies by removing the effects of different factors that might otherwise make comparisons inaccurate or inappropriate. For purposes of this news release, the company has made adjustments to EBITDA to exclude the effect of noncontrolling interests. The adjusted results, although not financial measures under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and not identically applied by other companies, facilitate the ability to analyze the company's financial results in relation to those of its competitors and to the company's prior financial performance by excluding items that otherwise would distort the comparison. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are not, however, intended as alternative measures of operating results or cash flow from operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Neither current nor potential investors in the company's securities should rely on adjusted EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA margin as a substitute for any GAAP financial measure and the company encourages current and potential investors to review the following reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA. Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA (dollars in millions, except per Three Months Ended Six Months Ended ton) June 30, June 30, -------------------------------- -------------------- -------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income attributable to AK Steel Holding $ 61.2 $ 17.3 $ 123.7 $ 3.7 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 15.2 16.6 31.4 34.6 Income tax expense (benefit) (8.7) (10.6) (22.1) (10.5) Interest expense 38.2 41.4 77.6 84.2 Interest income (0.4) (0.6) (0.8) (0.9) Depreciation 55.1 54.3 110.2 108.0 Amortization 1.0 1.1 4.8 3.1 --------- --------- --------- --------- EBITDA 161.6 119.5 324.8 222.2 Less: EBITDA of noncontrolling interests (a) 19.6 20.2 39.9 41.8 --------- --------- --------- --------- Adjusted EBITDA (b) $ 142.0 $ 99.3 $ 284.9 $ 180.4 ========= ========= ========= ========= Adjusted EBITDA margin 9.1% 6.7% 9.2% 6.0% ========= ========= ========= ========= (a) The reconciliation of EBITDA of noncontrolling interests to net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended (dollars in millions) June 30, June 30, ------------------------------------ ------------------- ------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests $ 15.2 $ 16.6 $ 31.4 $ 34.6 Depreciation 4.4 3.6 8.5 7.2 --------- --------- --------- --------- EBITDA of noncontrolling interests $ 19.6 $ 20.2 $ 39.9 $ 41.8 ========= ========= ========= ========= (b) Included in adjusted EBITDA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, were $(8.4) million and $7.9 million of unrealized gains (losses) on iron ore derivatives. AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION STEEL SHIPMENTS (Unaudited) (Tons in thousands) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, ------------------ ------------------ 2017 2016 2017 2016 -------- -------- -------- -------- Tons Shipped by Product Stainless/electrical 210.5 227.1 420.4 450.9 Coated 763.8 819.4 1,543.1 1,656.5 Cold-rolled 241.7 256.7 487.9 558.6 Tubular 30.9 31.3 61.6 60.7 Hot-rolled 183.8 183.9 362.4 404.3 Secondary 34.5 37.1 76.7 82.7 -------- -------- -------- -------- Total shipments 1,465.2 1,555.5 2,952.1 3,213.7 ======== ======== ======== ======== Shipments by Product (%) Stainless/electrical 14% 15% 14% 14% Coated 52% 52% 52% 51% Cold-rolled 17% 17% 17% 17% Tubular 2% 2% 2% 2% Hot-rolled 13% 12% 12% 13% Secondary 2% 2% 3% 3% -------- -------- -------- -------- Total shipments 100% 100% 100% 100% ======== ======== ======== ======== Contacts: Media Lisa H. Jester Corporate Manager Communications and Public Relations (513) 425-2510 Investors Douglas O. Mitterholzer General Manager, Investor Relations (513) 425-5215 NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - July 25, 2017) - The cosmetics industry has been under more and more pressure to promote messages of positive self-image and confidence. A new analysis released by Engagement Labs reveals that cosmetic brands are stepping up to the challenge and are generating strong, positive consumer conversations, both offline and online. Engagement Labs released its TotalSocial rankings of the top performing cosmetics brands in the U.S. with respect to consumer conversations over the last 12 months. The rankings are based on Engagement Labs' proprietary TotalSocial data, which continuously measures the most important drivers of brand performance with respect to social media and word of mouth conversations. According to the analysis, top performers in the cosmetics category perform substantially better offline (i.e., via face-to-face conversations) as compared to online (social media posts or comments). However, the brands tracked perform strongly in both important categories. In fact, seven out of the ten brands in the ranking are categorized by Engagement Labs as "Conversation Commanders," which are defined as brands that perform above average both online and offline relative to more than 500 brands across a range of categories. "Cosmetics marketers are embracing the use of online influencers, and our analysis shows there is quite a positive conversation happening online," said Ed Keller, CEO of Engagement Labs. "However, what is most notable about this analysis is the significance of offline conversation among the top performers in the category -- especially the strong performance among offline, 'everyday' influencers." Keller added, "These are not the YouTube stars with millions of followers, but rather, people consumers know personally who are knowledgeable, trusted and are approached for advice and recommendations. They are an extremely important part of the social engagement equation for cosmetics brands, and should be embraced actively by cosmetics marketers as a critical part of the marketing funnel." L'Oreal ranks at the top of the category due to having the strongest sentiment among all of the brands measured. The brand's ability to garner positive conversations from consumers can be attributed to its "Your Skin, Your Story" campaign, launched in January 2017, which celebrates diversity and promotes equal representation among models, actors and influencers with various ethnic backgrounds. However, compared to its peers, L'Oreal has much lower volume -- which means that fewer consumers talk about the brand -- both online and offline. On the other hand, Sephora, ranked second in the category, has both strong volume and sentiment in offline conversations, but falls behind in online conversation sentiment -- indicating a key point of improvement for the beauty retailer. Meanwhile, at number four, Avon leads the group for online volume of conversations. The brand relies heavily on its sales force of representatives based in various regional hubs, which results in an ongoing dialogue with consumers. Additionally, the brand's high volume of conversations occurring via social media is a result of their "This is Boss Life" campaign, launched in fall 2016, which is aimed at millennials and provides an update to the brand's image. To learn more about Engagement Labs and its TotalSocial insights, as well as how to increase your brand's word of mouth in real life and online, reach out at: totalsocial@engagementlabs.com. About Engagement Labs Engagement Labs (TSX VENTURE: EL) is the world's first TotalSocial company, offering intelligent data, analytics and insights for marketers. We are leaders in tracking, measuring and benchmarking the impact of conversations happening around a brand and industry -- both online and offline. Consumer conversations are a proven driver of critical business outcomes, including sales. The patent pending TotalSocial data solution provides brands with unique insights and powerful analytics to understand online and offline social impact and drive business results. TotalSocial demonstrates to marketers how their online and offline conversation compare and contrast and helps identify areas of competitive opportunity or significant emerging threats. TotalSocial is an "always-on" proprietary scoring system, based on the most important drivers of brand performance: Volume, Sentiment, Brand Sharing and Influence. TotalSocial was built on the pillars of Engagement Labs' patented social media measurement tool and the world's only offline word of mouth tracking system for brands and tracks 500 brands across 16 major industry categories within the U.S., and 350 brands across 18 industry categories in the UK. To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com / www.totalsocial.com. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/7/20/11G143036/Images/mw1blgtb49l1bdu1gi8ihg1k011slq2-faa29b76fc3a8e35b72b8aa5fc675fd0.jpg For media inquiries please contact: Kate Tumino / Amrita Singh KCSA Strategic Communications ktumino@kcsa.com / asingh@kcsa.com 212-896-1252 / 212-896-1207 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Trevali Mining Corporation ("Trevali" or the "Company") (TSX: TV)(OTCQX: TREVF)(LMA: TV)(FRANKFURT: 4TI) is pleased to announce the remaining results from its drill program on the Heath Steele project, located adjacent to the Company's Stratmat deposit in the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada. The drill program tested the E-zone at Heath Steele, an advanced-stage, near-surface target with a historic, non-National Instrument 43-101-compliant resource. Heath Steele As part of the recently announced definitive agreement to acquire a portfolio of zinc assets from Glencore PLC (see March 13, 2017 news release TV-NR-17-06), Trevali has undertaken exploration on the Heath Steele claim group (Figure 1). Mining operations at Heath Steele were carried out by a variety of companies (including Noranda) discontinuously between 1957 and 1999. Over Heath Steele's long mine life, zinc, lead, copper, silver and gold were extracted from several zones on the property (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Multiple exploration campaigns over the Heath Steele property identified and tested several targets. One of the more advanced targets from this work is the E-Zone. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Million Zn Pb Cu Ag Mined Zone Tonnes (%) (%) (%) (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boundary Zone and N-5 1.137 8.11 2.98 0.35 44.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heath Steele ACD Zone 2.472 7.38 1.73 0.73 76.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heath Steele B Zone 20.723 4.79 1.75 0.98 65.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combined Total: 24.332 5.21 1.81 0.93 65.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1: Historic mine production from various zones on the Heath Steele property, from Goodfellow, 2007 2017 Drill Program During the first half of 2017 Trevali completed a 7-hole, 1,200-metre diamond drill program to validate historic data and to collect material for metallurgical test work at the E-Zone (Figures 2 and 3). The first drill hole, HS17-001, successfully intersected 56.2-metres of massive sulphide mineralization grading 3.84% Zn, 1.51% Pb, 2.15% Cu, 64.3 g/t Ag and 1.01 g/t Au, within which significantly higher-grade intervals occur including 23.25 metres grading 5.8% Zn, 2.4% Pb, 3.2% Cu, 92.0 g/t Ag and 1.7 g/t Au (see May 5, 2017 news release NR-17-09 for details). Results from the additional drilling continue to validate the historic data intersecting broad intervals of polymetallic massive sulphide mineralization within which higher-grade intervals occur. Highlights of the results are summarized in Table 2. To view Figure 1: Location map of the Heath Steele and Stratmat claim groups showing location of historic mine production, defined resources and known prospects, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1099725-F1.pdf To view Figure 2: Map of the Heath Steele E-Zone showing historic drill hole locations (yellow) and recent drilling, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1099725-F2.pdf ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Core Length From - To Interval Zn Pb Cu Ag Au Hole ID (metres) (metres) (%) (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17-002 34.88 - 70.31 35.43 4.15 1.68 0.49 52.08 0.63 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 34.88 - 47.37 12.49 5.93 2.71 0.82 76.98 1.35 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 34.88 - 39.11 4.23 11.36 4.94 0.84 117.21 1.59 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 62.74 - 70.31 7.57 7.29 2.59 0.12 67.66 0.20 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 64.74 - 70.31 5.57 9.14 3.34 0.12 84.73 0.19 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17-003 38.85 - 78.04 39.19 4.57 1.73 2.33 81.73 1.07 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 38.85 - 42.37 3.52 8.89 3.87 0.94 78.65 0.72 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 42.99 - 50.00 7.01 2.19 0.74 5.73 114.56 1.26 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 47.00 - 57.00 10.00 4.85 1.27 2.24 95.97 0.86 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 67.00 - 78.04 11.04 7.40 3.22 0.66 108.73 0.78 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17-004 No Significant Intercept ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17-005 208.20 - 228.42 20.22 5.73 2.65 1.54 102.47 1.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 211.00 - 226.86 15.86 7.01 3.28 1.09 120.78 1.06 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 215.86 - 221.86 6.00 10.48 5.42 0.64 159.02 1.06 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 254.43 - 276.77 22.34 7.86 2.63 0.32 82.46 0.82 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 270.79 - 276.77 5.98 11.84 4.15 0.50 136.52 1.44 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17-006 28.00 - 40.20 12.20 0.65 0.18 1.47 18.52 0.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 44.30 - 75.00 30.70 7.56 2.34 0.29 72.00 0.48 ------------------------------------------------------------------- incl. 60.10 - 70.10 10.00 15.32 4.50 0.07 90.45 0.22 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HS17- 007(i) 65.07 - 67.12 2.05 18.28 5.56 2.29 182.34 0.61 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 73.80 - 75.65 1.85 11.98 2.73 0.04 87.23 0.36 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 83.65 - 93.00 9.35 4.83 2.08 0.28 60.86 0.35 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 116.20 - 133.30 17.10 5.15 2.35 1.48 127.33 1.83 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 229.92 - 233.58 3.66 6.54 3.30 0.90 165.54 0.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2: Length and Specific Gravity weighted composite intervals. True thickness is estimated to be approximately 75-90% of the reported interval. (i)Hole HS17-007 true thickness is estimated at 50-70%. E-Zone Sulphide mineralization at the E-Zone is exposed at surface and is tested and defined by more than 150 historic drill holes. The E-Zone appears to be comprised of two stacked sulphide lenses each approximately 150-metres long, with thicknesses ranging from 5-30 metres. The lenses merge towards the surface and have a vertical continuity of approximately 200 metres (Figures 3 & 4). To view Figure 3: Various plan and 3-D section views of the Heath Steele drill hole data and the E-Zone, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1099725-F3.pdf To view Figure 4: Cross section through the Heath Steele E-Zone, looking WNW, section width is 80 metres, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1099725-F4.pdf Metallurgical testing will commence in the second half of 2017. A detailed review of the available historic data is currently underway. Results from this data review will prioritize exploration efforts with the goal of quickly adding potentially mineable resources to Trevali's growing operations in the Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. Option Agreement The Company, as part of its definitive agreement to acquire Glencore PLC's Perkoa and Rosh Pinah African zinc assets, has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the former producing Heath Steele property and related exploration properties and assets in the Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance EurGeol Dr. Mark D. Cruise, Trevali's President and CEO and Daniel Marinov, P.Geo, Trevali's VP Exploration, are qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101, have supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Marinov is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance programs. Dr. Cruise is not independent of the Company, as he is an officer, director and shareholder. Mr. Marinov is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder. On-site personnel at the project rigorously collect and track samples which are then security sealed and shipped to Bureau Veritas Laboratories (Bureau Veritas) preparation facility in Timmins, ON for crushing and splitting then the pulp samples are shipped to Vancouver, B.C. for assay. Zinc, lead, copper gold and silver, assays were obtained by four acid Aqua-Regia dissolution followed by Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) measurements. Values of zinc, lead and copper over 10% are assayed by volumetric method. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control is further assured by the use of international and in-house standards. Blind certified reference material is inserted at regular intervals into the sample sequence by Trevali personnel in order to independently assess analytical accuracy. Bureau Veritas' quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples are routinely forwarded to an ISO compliant third party laboratory for external quality control. ABOUT TREVALI MINING CORPORATION Trevali is a zinc-focused, base metals mining company with two commercially producing operations. The Company is actively producing zinc and lead-silver concentrates from its 2,000-tonne-per-day Santander mine in Peru and its 3,000-tonne-per-day Caribou mine in the Bathurst Mining Camp of northern New Brunswick. Trevali also owns the Halfmile and Stratmat base metal deposits, located in New Brunswick, that are currently undergoing a Preliminary Economic Assessment reviewing their potential development. Additionally, the Company has entered into a definitive agreement with Glencore PLC to acquire a portfolio of zinc assets from Glencore, including an 80.08% interest in the Rosh Pinah mine in Namibia, a 90% interest in the Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso, an effective 39.24% interest in the Gergarub project in Namibia, an option to acquire 100% interest in the Heath Steele property in Canada and certain related exploration properties and assets. The common shares of Trevali are listed on the TSX (symbol TV), the OTCQX (symbol TREVF), the Lima Stock Exchange (symbol TV), and the Frankfurt Exchange (symbol 4TI). For further details on Trevali, readers are referred to the Company's website (www.trevali.com) and to Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of TREVALI MINING CORPORATION Mark D. Cruise, President Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation to, update such statements containing the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to statements as to: the expected benefits of the proposed Transaction, the closing the Transaction, including the anticipated timing thereof, the satisfaction of all conditions to closing the Transaction and the subscription receipt offering which closed in escrow on March 31, 2017, including, without limitation, obtaining all necessary consents and approvals, the completion of the debt financing, the Company's plan to prepare a new PEA for its Halfmile and Stratmat properties, the accuracy of estimated mineral resources, anticipated results of future exploration, and forecast future metal prices, expectations that environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, political, marketing or other issues will not materially affect estimates of mineral resources. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in spot and forward markets for silver, zinc, base metals and certain other commodities (such as natural gas, fuel oil and electricity); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar and Peruvian sol versus the U.S. dollar); risks related to the technological and operational nature of the Company's business; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States, Peru or other countries where the Company may carry on business in the future; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom the Company does business; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources as properties are mined; global financial conditions; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; the Company's ability to complete and successfully integrate acquisitions and to mitigate other business combination risks; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Company's title to properties and continued ownership thereof; the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, and changes in project parameters to deal with unanticipated economic or other factors; increased competition in the mining industry for properties, equipment, qualified personnel, and their costs. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty or reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. Trevali's production plan at the Caribou Mine is based only on measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources, and not mineral reserves, and does not have demonstrated economic viability. Trevali's production plan at the Santander Mine is based on both proven and probable reserves and on measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources; mineral resources by definition do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is therefore no certainty that the conclusions of the production plans and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will be realized. Additionally, where Trevali discusses exploration/expansion potential, any potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. We advise US investors that while the terms "measured resources", "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the US Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. Contacts: Trevali Mining Corporation Steve Stakiw, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications (604) 488-1661 / Direct: (604) 638-5623 sstakiw@trevali.com www.trevali.com MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. ("MOBI724" or the "Company") (CSE: MOS)(CSE: MOS.CN)(CNSX: MOS)(OTCQB: MOBIF), a fintech leader offering all in one fully integrated EMV payment, card link couponing and digital marketing solutions, announces its intention to apply immediatly to list its shares on the Toronto Stock Venture Exchange (TSXV). "During our funding efforts in the first quarter of 2017, many of our investors requested that the Company list its shares on the TSXV. As announced last Friday, that the Company had filed and received a receipt for its final short form prospectus. The completion of this very important step shows that the Board of Directors and the management of the Company continue to take steps towards the eventual attainment of this milestone." Says Marcel Vienneau, CEO MOBI724. About MOBI724 Global Solutions MOBI724, a leader in the fintech industry based in Montreal (Canada), offers a unique and fully integrated suite of payment & digital marketing solutions with a combined EMV Payment, Card Linked Offers, and Digital Marketing platform that works on any card and any mobile device. MOBI724's solutions add value to all types of transactions benefiting banks, retailers and cardholders by leveraging available user and purchasing data to increase transaction volumes and spend. MOBI724 provides a turnkey solution to its clients to capture card transactions on any mobile device, at any point of sale or from any payment card. MOBI724 provides its customers with full and comprehensive traceability and enriched consumer data through its offering. Its solutions enable card associations, retailers, manufacturers, offer providers, mobile operators and card issuers to create, manage, deliver and "track and measure" incentive campaigns worldwide to any mobile device and allow its redemption at any point of sales. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regard to the Company's future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to the Company or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. Contacts: MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. Marcel Vienneau 1-514-394-5200 x 413 www.mobi724globalsolutions.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 25, 2017) - Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (OTCQB: ATTBF) (CSE: ATT) (the "Company" or "Abattis") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Wei Ma to oversee export and business development in Asia, in an effort to further expand and strengthen the Company's Asian distribution channels. Mr. Ma has over 15 years of experience in international trade, with a focus on importing and exporting in Asia. His deep understanding and knowledge stems from his experience as a senior manager of international marketing and sales for two of Asia's largest plastic companies. He has also served as the general manager for a Hong Kong-based trade company and as a sales manager focused on exports into Asia for a major Canadian health food manufacturer. "It is a great pleasure to be joining a company that has the opportunity to be a significant global leader in a rapidly growing industry," said Mr. Ma. "I look forward to working with Abattis' distribution teams and leveraging my experience and network in Asia, with the goal of exponentially growing the Company's sales." Mr. Ma's experience is expected to play a significant role in boosting sales into Asia by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals Ltd, dba Vergence Naturals. ("Vergence"). Vergence continues to pursue lucrative distribution agreements for both domestic and international sales. "We are very excited about the addition of Mr. Ma," said Vergence General Manager, Mark Mansfield. "The distributors we have been speaking with about his appointment are eager to discuss the opportunity to extend their reach into Asia." Wei Ma received a degree from Zhejiang University, one of China's oldest, most selective and most prestigious institutions of higher education. He later went on to earn a Masters in Business Administration from Trinity Western University in Canada. "Wei will play a significant role in identifying products for export into Asia and further extending our business development efforts in China," said Abattis President and CEO, Robert Abenante. "He brings a wealth of experience in organizing logistics, customs handling and distribution into Asia." About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. Abattis is a life sciences and biotechnology company which aggregates, integrates, and invests in cannabis technologies and biotechnology services for the legal cannabis industry developing in Canada. The Company has successfully developed and licensed natural health products, medicines, extractions, and ingredients for the biologics, nutraceutical, bioceutical, and cosmetic markets. The Company is also seeking to acquire exclusive intellectual property rights to agricultural technologies to be employed in extraction and processing of botanical ingredients and compounds. The Company follows strict standard operating protocols, and adheres to the applicable laws of Canada and foreign jurisdictions. About Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals Ltd. Vergence is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abattis, based in Vancouver, BC. The Vergence team is comprised of bioceutical marketing specialists focused on the sales and distribution of health products to penetrate the fast-growing market for natural, safe and effective products that meet unmet wellness needs. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, ABATTIS BIOCEUTICALS CORP., "Rob Abenante" Robert Abenante, President & CEO For more information, please visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com or www.northernvinelabs.com For inquiries, please contact the Company at (604) 336-0881 or at news@abattis.com. FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates", "expects", "may", "will" and "projects". 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. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the ability of Mr. Ma to exponentially grow the Company's sales in Asia and his ability to further extend the Company's business development efforts in Asia. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including that Mr. Ma's appointment may not have the expected impact on the Company's growth in Asia and other factors beyond the Company's control. Additional risk factors with respect to the Company's business are included in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements are made as at the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Healthtalk Live, Inc. (OTCQB: HLTK), a fully reporting consumer goods company specializing in hemp-infused food and beverage products, today announces that Sunshine Specialties has signed a brokerage deal to represent Humbly Hemp products. Sunshine has a wide area of established Natural Food Product retail clients in Southern California and Arizona who would easily identify with the Humbly Hemp product line. The philosophy of Sunshine Specialties is to focus on quality manufacturers who have the potential for growth and also adhere to a marketing policy that emphasizes creative and innovative ideas. Sunshine Specialties has many well known retail clients that they service such as Whole Foods, Clark's Nutrition and Natural Foods Markets and Sprouts Farmers Market to just name a few. "Michael Iannotti, and all of their sales personnel have extensive backgrounds in the Natural Products Industry," says Daniel Crawford CEO. "Sunshine Specialties has developed a respect and rapport with manufacturers, distributors, and customers. Their history of success with small innovative companies such as Humbly Hemp and well known established natural food brands speaks for itself. With Sunshine Specialties representing our product line, we know our products will get product placement and retail support in Natural Food specialty retailers' shelves. About Sunshine Specialties: Here at Sunshine Specialties, we embrace natural living with the products we represent and the customers we serve. Our unique, hands-on approach allows us to select the purest and cleanest products on the market, offering a healthy and all-natural way of life. We only sell products we wholeheartedly believe in and use ourselves. Sunshine Specialties offers premium service by maintaining a symbiotic relationship between manufacturers and retail clients is our number one priority. Our dedication to clients, exemplary service, and commitment to promoting a whole and healthy life is unparalleled service at the highest level. About Humbly Hemp Bars: Humbly Hemp snack bars are straightforward, delicious, and jam-packed with the best ingredients on earth. Each bar is kosher, vegan, soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and free of all top 11 allergens. All of our bars start with a base of Gluten Free Rolled Oats, Hemp seeds, and Plant Protein. We offer three flavors Cinnamon Date, Berry Vanilla, and Cocoa + Sea Salt. Order from Humbly Hemp on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_0?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Humbly+Hemp About Healthtalk Live, Inc.: Healthtalk Live Inc., a Santa Monica California based consumer and media company specializing in brand development of health conscious, hemp-infused food and beverage products. Humbly Hemp is a product line of delicious hemp based products. The snack line will feature hemp and CBD based foods that will delight the palette of consumers and thrill retailers with America's fastest growing food category. A new CBD hemp based water line will be soon introduced sourced from an exclusive spring that is high in alkalinity and pure as the driven snow from where it came. Interested investors, our stock symbol is HLTK. Corporate Website: Order product online and join our email list To stay informed with up-to-the-minute details on the upcoming launch and local happenings, friends and fans of the hemp-friendly company can sign up for the Humbly Hemp Founders Club by visiting the official website: http://www.HumblyHemp.com Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humblyhemp/?fref=ts Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HumblyHemp?lang=en Visit us on Investors Hangout: http://investorshangout.com/HealthTalk-Live-Inc-HLTK-91651/ Investors Hangout is the only authorized Investors blog page for Health Talk Live, Inc. Safe Harbor Act: This release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involves risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive products, the ability to meet customer demand, the ability to manage growth, acquisitions of technology, equipment, or human resources, the effect of economic business conditions and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. The Company is not obligated to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3157964 For Humbly Hemp Distribution Contact: Daniel Crawford (424) 259-3521 Daniel.Crawford@HumblyHemp.Com India's Longest Running, Classroom-Based Big Data Analytics Certification Program, with Special Emphasis on AI and Data Science, Commences on September 23, 2017 and September 30, 2017 for American Students DUBLIN, OH / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2017 / The International School of Engineering (INSOFE), a globally-recognized Data Science institute established to cultivate quantitative and Machine Learning skills, in tandem with Soothsayer Analytics, a US-based Data Science & Artificial Intelligence firm, are pleased to announce an upcoming 6-month Big Data Analytics training program along with career services and corporate induction that synthesizes world-class education with real-world experience and help students build exceptional careers in Data Science. This program is augmented with features that specifically help American students transform to data scientists quickly and economically. The program will provide students with industry leading skills in arguably the most in-demand field of Data Science. INSOFE's intensely research-driven and innovative instruction takes place in a collaborative environment that emphasizes personal interaction with faculty and peers, real world experience, and the ability to work with cutting-edge technology. Students will also interact with industry leaders and participate in novel research through our specialized internship program. Classes will take place in Hyderabad & Bengaluru, India starting on September 23, 2017. INSOFE has trained and certified over 1,300 students and professionals since its inception in 2011. To learn more about the program, visit: http://www.soothsayeranalytics.com/education. As a spokesperson for the Data Science Training institute noted, they are inviting people interested in Data Science & Big Data Analytics training and careers to register for this program. The total cost of the immersive 6-month training program is NET $11,490 - including tuition fees, accommodations, subsistence, two-way international airfare, and cultural experiences. While pursuing a Certificate in Big Data Analytics, students will gain invaluable real-world work experience and exposure to industry projects through internships with Soothsayer Analytics or its clients. Following successful completion of the program, Soothsayer Analytics will help students secure Data Sciencecareers in the United States. "Students will learn from a diverse team of Mentors from top universities - such as Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, Univ. of Texas, University of Illinois, SUNY, and other leading universities - and consult with globally recognized corporations to solve their most pressing Data Science problems," noted a spokesperson for INSOFE and Soothsayer. In addition to developing skills that will put them at the forefront of technology, students will benefit from an immersive cultural experience that only international exposure can provide. "Our intensely research-driven and innovative instruction takes place in a collaborative environment that emphasizes personal interaction with faculty and peers, real-world experience, and the ability to work with cutting-edge technology." As the spokesperson noted, the timing is ideal for the 6-month training program. Many companies are looking to find people who have the ability to synthesize complex math, computer science, engineering, and creativity. About 98% of INSOFE graduates have found careers, progressed to higher education, or pursued their passion within 6 months of completing the program. INSOFE graduates work at some of the most respected and innovative companies in the world and have reported as much as a 65% increase in their average salary following the program. About INSOFE: The International School of Engineering (INSOFE) is a globally-recognized data science school that was established to cultivate analytical and quantitative skills. The American IT publication, CIO.com, lists INSOFE's certification among the world's "18 big data certifications that will pay off" - ranked right in-between Columbia and Stanford. To learn more, please visit www.INSOFE-edu.in. About Soothsayer Analytics: Soothsayer Analytics is a Midwest-based Data Science firm that builds Artificial Intelligence-driven business solutions and intellectual property for many of the largest companies in the world. They help companies leverage Data Science to explain the unknown, predict the future, and optimize their business. For more information, please visit www.SoothsayerAnalytics.com. For more information, please visit http://soothsayeranalytics.com/education, or contact 844-44-SOOTH. Media Contact: Christopher Dole +1-614-902-0294 Chris@SoothsayerAnalytics.com SOURCE: The International School of Engineering (INSOFE) LONDON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The competition deadline has now been extended to 30 September 2017 giving entrants another couple of months to take part in the 2017 compeition. In addition a fantastic array of prizes for the winners of the competition have now been announced. You can win some mentoring from top industry professionals or a day on a film set as well as a private screening of your film. At a minimum, the prizes in the different categories will be: Best short film Under 16 A day on a film set A private screening of the winning film A BBFC rating applied to your film Best short film Over 16 Mentoring from Lord Puttnam Work experience at Sky A private screening of the winning film A BBFC rating applied to your film Best script Under 16 A private screening of the film from the winning scriptwriter Mentoring from a professional scriptwriter A BBFC rating applied to your film Best script Over 16 A private screening of the film from the winning scriptwriter Mentoring from a professional scriptwriter A BBFC rating applied to your film ABOUT THE COMPETITION The Film the House competition is this year headed up by Nigel Adams MP, Kevin Barron MP and Lord Tim Clement-Jones. Film the House is a competition run by MPs to find the filmmakers of the future. It also raises awareness of the importance of protecting IP rights among creators, legislators and the general public. The creative industries are one of the United Kingdom's biggest success stories - contributing about 10 million per hour to the UK's economy. So it is essential that creators know their rights and that parliamentarians can knowledgably consider the industry and the almost 3 million people who work in and around it when debating any new legislation. According to the British Film Institute, the UK film industry contributes over 4.6 billion to the UK GDP and supports over 117,000 jobs. The Film the House competition invites filmmakers to enter their original material to their MP, who will choose one entrant per category to represent their constituency. A national industry judging panel then will preside over choosing the finalists and winners, who go on to have their work screened in Parliament. Winners will receive prizes - which may be equipment, work experience, professional advice from writers and industry experts and/or a screening of their film. The Film the House competition has huge cross-party support and is a great way for parliamentarians to engage with the UK's grass-roots creative future, as well as providing the creative community with a way in which to communicate directly with their MPs in a fun and unusual way, emphasising the importance of protecting IP within the political agenda. Applicants can apply via http://www.filmthehouse.co.uk The timeline for this year's competition is: Applications deadline: 30 September 2017 **DEADLINE EXTENDED** Awards in Parliament: 6 February 2018 **NEW DATE** What supporters of IP and the competition are saying: Kevin Barron MP: "As the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Film Group, I recognise the importance of Intellectual Property: it enables filmmakers and scriptwriters to earn recognition and/or financial benefit from what they create. It is hard to think of a service, product or activity which in some way does not depend on IP. I believe that the IP system must aim to create an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish." "I would urge you all to enter the Film the House short film competition as it is a great way of getting wider exposure for your films." Lord Puttnam, Producer of Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields: "The UK has always been a hotbed of cinematic talent, which is why it's crucial to constantly remind legislators of the importance of protecting and supporting this rich cultural economy. Film the House is an imaginative Parliamentary competition which manages to be fun whilst giving young creatives an opportunity to engage with their MPs, win fantastic prizes and all the while promote the importance of intellectual property rights. Those rights are the seed corn of your future; that being the case, I can only urge every would-be filmmaker to give it a go!" Adrian Hodges, scriptwriter for My Week with Marilyn, The Musketeers, Primeval: "For me, as a writer of original Television and film screenplays, the value of an IP is impossible to overestimate. A hit show might be worth many thousands of pounds in future income, but if I don't own or retain a share of the IP, all that revenue goes to people who didn't, at the end of the day, create the show. Losing an IP in perpetuity is like losing a pension and potentially just as disastrous for writers." Notes for Editors Film the House was set up by former MP and IP adviser to the Prime Minister, Mike Weatherley. The competition was set up to: "Educate parliamentarians about the importance of the creative industries to the British economy and how, without protecting intellectual property, we are putting important industries and revenue streams in jeopardy." Film the House was launched as a fun way to educate parliamentarians and young people about the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy and the many ways in which we can nurture and protect our creative industries. Together with partner competition Rock the House, it is now one of Parliament's largest competitions and is just one of a number of initiatives that is aimed at significantly raising awareness of the need to protect creativity and copyright by bringing together young filmmakers and parliamentarians. Film the House is intended to invite and to showcase the'best'film-makers and scriptwriters across the UK - with particular emphasis on young participants and people who have not, yet, been noticed and realised their potential. It is also a way for participants to meet their local MP and to learn a little more about how 'Parliament in Westminster' works. As of April 2017, Film the House is being run by its industry sponsors: 21st Century Fox ALCS Lionsgate The Motion Picture Association NBC Universal Sky Warner Bros. Entertainment Viacom The following organisations are also supporting the competition: Cority makes the biggest jump in product capabilities as independent analyst firm gives top scores in several categories, validating position as the most trusted EHSQ software for assuring client success TORONTO, 2017-07-25 16:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cority (formerly Medgate), the most trusted EHSQ software for assuring client success, has been named a market leader in the 2017 Verdantix Green Quadrant released today. The company was named a Leader in 2016, and in 2017 it made the greatest year-over-year improvement on product capabilities of any of the vendors in the report. The Green Quadrant offers insights and advice for organizations looking to purchase EHS software. The recommendations state that Cority is an ideal offering for firms of all sizes who are seeking a full-service solution that encompasses all sides of EHSQ. "Our detailed assessment found that Cority has an incredibly well-designed core application" commented Trevor Bronson, Verdantix analyst. "In the last eighteen months Cority has built on this foundation to meet the diverse needs of customers across diverse EHSQ processes." In the Verdantix report, Cority earned praise for many factors, including user interface (UI) and user-friendly business intelligence capabilities, along with its strong offerings in both Incident Management and Management of Change. Verdantix also noted Cority's acquisitions of Quality Management software provider IQS and Environmental Management software provider regAction, both in early 2017. They also hail Cority for strengths in both Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health, for which Cority received the highest scores out of all EHS software providers. Among the reasons for its Green Quadrant-leading scores were stand-out capabilities in risk assessments, workflow processes, and compliance frameworks. Cority's strong performance on the Green Quadrant comes after a series of strategic decisions made by the company's management team. Cority has received attention for their increased investment in R&D, in particular, its Analytics Program, garnering industry recognition for the software's leading-edge business intelligence capabilities. In addition to this, the company made two strategic acquisitions in the past six months, furthering their industry leading capabilities while contributing to their global expansion. All this activity has taken place following the strategic investment into Cority by Norwest Venture Partners in March of 2016. "Performing so well in the Green Quadrant is great news for Cority and validation for our loyal clients," said Cority CEO Mark Wallace. "The Green Quadrant is the most trusted report on EHS software vendors, and much hard work has gone into achieving such a strong score. We're pleased to have been recognized by Verdantix and look forward to our continuous innovations which will surely propel us further." About the Verdantix Green Quadrant The Green Quadrant is a detailed fact-based report published by Verdantix which compares the most prominent EHS software suppliers globally. Published annually, this report is based upon benchmark data from two-hour live demonstrations, responses to a 251-point questionnaire, and interviews with an independent panel of several customers across numerous industries who have bought, or are planning to buy, EHS software. About Cority Cority (formerly Medgate) is the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success. Cority enables organizations to utilize EHSQ software to advance their journey to sustainability and operational excellence by combining the deepest domain expertise with the most comprehensive and secure SaaS platform. With 30+ years of innovation and experience, Cority's team of 250 experts serve more than 800 clients in 70 countries, supporting millions of end users. The company enjoys the industry's highest levels of client satisfaction and has received many awards for its strong employee culture and outstanding business performance. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/98278f1a-2a14-408d-81b3-8f5ed e7988b3 Media Contact Cority Software Inc. media@medgate.com Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Mainz (ots) -- Querverweis: Bildmaterial ist abrufbar unter http://www.presseportal.de/bilder -Terroranschlage erschuttern die Welt, in London sollen die Doppel-Null-Agenten abgeschafft werden, und Geheimagent James Bond sieht sich mit einem Feind aus seiner Vergangenheit konfrontiert. Zum Abschluss seiner "James Bond 007"-Reihe prasentiert das ZDF am Mittwoch, 17. Januar 2018, 20.15 Uhr, die Free-TV-Premiere von "Spectre". Regie beim vierten "Bond" mit Daniel Craig in der Hauptrolle fuhrte Sam Mendes nach einem Drehbuch von John Logan und Jez Butterworth. Bonds Widersacher wird von Christoph Waltz verkorpert. In weiteren Rollen sind Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Jesper Christensen und Andrew Scott zu sehen.Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), der neue Leiter des "Centre for National Security", zweifelt an der Relevanz des MI6 - und an der des besten Agenten der Behorde: James Bond (Daniel Craig). Zur gleichen Zeit kann Bond in Mexiko City in letzter Minute einen Anschlag auf ein Stadion verhindern, indem er den Drahtzieher des Anschlags, Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona), aus einem Hubschrauber wirft. Kurz darauf trifft 007 in Rom Sciarras schone Witwe Lucia (Monica Bellucci), mit deren Hilfe er der Geheimorganisation "Spectre" auf die Spur kommen will. Bond infiltriert ein geheimes Treffen von "Spectre".Die Spur fuhrt ins osterreichische Altaussee, wo Bond einem alten Bekannten wiederbegegnet: Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). Er hat sich von "Spectre" abgewendet, ist bereits schwer radioaktiv vergiftet und begeht Suizid. Kurz zuvor legt er das Leben seiner Tochter Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) in Bonds Hande. Bond kann Madeleine vor dem Zugriff "Spectres" retten. Gemeinsam reisen die beiden nach Tanger und von dort in die Wuste Marokkos, wo "Spectre"-Chef Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) residiert. Dieser gibt sich als Ernst Stavro Blofeld zu erkennen, ein Abkommling des alten Blofeld. Er strebt wie sein Namensvetter nach der Weltherrschaft - mit modernsten Mitteln, digitaler Uberwachung und Datensammlung.https://presseportal.zdf.de/pm/james-bond-007-schwerpunkt-im-zdf/http://twitter.com/ZDFpressehttp://twitter.com/ZDFhttp://facebook.com/ZDFAnsprechpartnerin: Cordelia Gramm, Telefon: 06131 - 70-12145; Presse-Desk, Telefon: 06131 - 70-12108, pressedesk@zdf.deFotos sind erhaltlich uber ZDF Presse und Information, Telefon: 06131 - 70-16100, und uber https://presseportal.zdf.de/presse/jamesbondOTS: ZDF newsroom: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/7840 newsroom via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_7840.rss2Pressekontakt: ZDF Presse und Information Telefon: +49-6131-70-12121 IoT solution enables farmers to maximize crop performance, yields and profits Senet, a leading provider of global connectivity and network management for the Internet of Things, and Sensoterra BV, a leading provider of low-cost, wireless soil moisture measurement sensors, today announced a multi-year partnership to operate Sensoterra's soil moisture system on Senet's standards-based IoT network. Monitoring soil moisture allows farmers to make effective irrigation decisions. However, most sensors are wired and expensive with limited deployment range, making them unsuitable to monitor multiple points in outdoor farm fields. Sensoterra addresses these issues with a rugged, self-sustaining, low-cost, wireless solution purpose built to operate on LoRaWAN infrastructure and capable of meeting the most demanding use cases at the lowest possible total cost of ownership. "We are extremely pleased that Sensoterra has selected Senet as their IoT network service provider to deliver productivity enhancing and environmentally conscious solutions to the agriculture market," said Bruce Chatterley, CEO President at Senet. "With Sensoterra's easy to install, low-cost wireless system, farmers can gain real-time insight into the soil moisture condition of their crops to maximize crop performance, yields and profits. The Senet network delivers the right coverage, performance, device battery life and cost to deliver on Sensoterra's value proposition." Ease of installation and operation are significant differentiators of the Sensoterra soil moisture system. Sensors can be installed in a matter of minutes and data is viewable online less than one hour after installation. A free app is available for download and can operate on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Users have the ability to manage their installations through an easy to use dashboard and an open API is available for data integration. "Today's sensors must be low cost, easy to install and last for long periods of time in the field. Only these characteristics will allow growers to scale their deployments and benefit from true operational visibility," said Jurriaan Ruys, CEO of Sensoterra. "By operating our solution on Senet's IoT network, we are able to achieve our cost and performance thresholds, which could not be achieved with other network technologies." Senet and Sensoterra are both sponsors of the 2017 InfoAg Conference being held July 25 27, 2017 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Senet is exhibiting in booth #64 and will be presenting on the various types of networks available to support IoT applications, with a focus on Low Power Wide Area technologies for smart agriculture and water management, while Sensoterra will be exhibiting in booth #24 and presenting case studies on the use of its LoRa soil moisture sensors deployed in more than 10 countries. About Senet, Inc. Senet is the leader in global Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity used to instrument the physical world and enable businesses to revolutionize their operations. With core values centered around changing the world for the better, Senet is committed to promoting IoT Network and Network Management innovation, and supports an open partner ecosystem to ensure that IoT realizes its full potential of delivering economic, environmental, and social improvements. A contributing member of the LoRa Alliance, Senet is dedicated to supporting the LoRaWAN protocol as the open global standard for secure, carrier-grade IoT Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) connectivity for IoT solutions across all industries. For additional information, visit http://www.senetco.com. About Sensoterra Sensoterra has developed a wireless, self-sustaining, low-cost system to measure soil moisture in real-time. Sensoterra is purpose built to operate on LoRaWAN infrastructure and capable of meeting the most demanding customer specifications at the lowest possible total cost of ownership. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725006030/en/ Contacts: Senet media contact: Elevate Communications Matt Farhadi Account Executive mfarhadi@elevatecom.com or Sensoterra Contact: Bas van der Velden, +31-6-50882863 Sales Director Bas.van.der.velden@sensoterra.com NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG) ("Tauriga" or the "Company"), engaged in the building of life sciences businesses and technologies, today announced that, in cooperation with its licensor Ice + Jam LLC ("Ice + Jam"), it is working with New Jersey based Cosmetics R & D Laboratory, Ariel Laboratories ("Ariel Labs"), to reformulate its proprietary Cupuacu Lip Balm Product (Branded as: "HerMan"). In preparation for its anticipated Autumn 2017 commercial product launch, Tauriga has prioritized this laboratory work aimed at improving the texture and viscosity of the underlying Cupuacu Butter lip treatment. As previously disclosed on June 16, 2017, Tauriga and Ice + Jam have already incorporated the new and improved label design and graphics for the packaging of the HerMan product. The Company is hopeful that it can produce samples of the Final product within the next 6-8 weeks and then obtain some feedback from potential retailers and customers. Also as previously disclosed during late June 2017, the Company expects that an initial inventory base of 10,000-15,000 units with completed display cases will be available for the contemplated product launch. From a composition analysis, HerMan is primarily composed of the compound Theobroma Grandiflorium ("Cupuacu Butter" or "Superfruit") to leverage the potential benefits that have been well documented historically (see paragraph directly below). The Reformulation process specifically addresses the following two issues: maintaining a formula as close as possible to 100% Cupaucu Butter and preventing the drying out of the product in the tube (package). This will be accomplished through testing the product with various natural Emollients -- to determine the best way to maintain the Superfruit's natural state and texture. Cupuacu Butter is derived from the fruit of the Cupuacu Tree; a tropical rainforest tree related to Cacao (the base of chocolate production). Common throughout the Amazon basin (South America), it is widely cultivated in the jungles of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru and in the north of Brazil, with the largest production in Para, followed by Amazonas, Rondonia and Acre. Cupuacu Butter is a good, plant, alternative to lanolin, offering the capacity to attract 240% more water allowing it to function much more effectively as a skin hydrator and moisturizer. In addition though it's not recognized as an SPF (Sun Protection Factor), Cupuacu Butter is well known for its ability to absorb damaging UVA / UVB rays ("Ultra Violet Rays") for natural sun protection. Tauriga's Chief Executive Officer Seth M. Shaw expressed, "The Company is most concerned with creating a final product of outstanding quality that the potential customers can enjoy. Both Tauriga and Ice + Jam are working diligently towards the goals of both a timely and successful commercial product launch planned for mid-late Autumn 2017. There will be continual updates as things progress over the next several months." ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES, INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG) is a fully reporting life sciences company engaged in the development, marketing, distribution and potential licensing of a broad array of products and technologies that may help individuals who are affected by muscle tension. The Company has already identified potential products and technologies of interest and is actively working towards the goal of creating an innovative product line to launch the business activities of ColluMauxil Therapeutics LLC (The Company's previously announced new planned wholly owned subsidiary). The Company believes that one of its most important strengths is its access to and relationships with potentially substantial distribution systems and networks. The Company intends to capitalize on distribution opportunities and will continually update shareholders on such developments. The Company is also prosecuting (as Plaintiff) its ongoing malpractice lawsuit against its predecessor audit firm, for which it's seeking monetary damages in excess of $4,500,000 USD. ABOUT ICE + JAM LLC Ice + Jam LLC is a fast growing cosmetics products firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Ice + Jam LLC fuses bold color & luxe ingredients with a dash of wit to create rule-breaking beauty products with one goal in mind: empower your lips. Founded in June 2013 by Ivy Evans & Jamie A. Murphy, Ice + Jam harnesses their industry experience, passion and creativity into a beauty brand that's all about being crazy, clever and confident. It's time to put your best lip forward with Ice + Jam's unreal lip-plumper and bold, long-lasting colors. The company's website: (www.iceandjam.com) NON SOLICITATION: This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. Any securities offered or issued in connection with the above-referenced merger and/or investment have not been registered, and will be offered pursuant to an exemption from registration. DISCLAIMER: Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation: expectations, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, beliefs, plans and objectives regarding the development, use and marketability of products as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones (i.e. SEC Periodic Filings, Filing of Proxies, etc.). Such forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on Tauriga's predictions with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences and timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to fund operations and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in documents filed from time to time by Tauriga with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any of the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. The securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration, or an applicable exemption from registration, under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release contains information about Ice + Jam, its business, products and other information contained on Ice + Jam's website. Tauriga is not responsible for this information, the accuracy of it or the practices of Ice + Jam or the content or the information on Ice + Jam's website, nor is any such information deemed to be or actually incorporated into Tauriga's website or this press release. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. Mr. Seth Shaw Chief Executive Officer Tel: 1-917-796-9926 Email: sshaw@tauriga.com The global smartphone market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest market research. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005585/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global smartphone market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this market research report, Technaviocovers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global smartphonemarketfor 2017-2021. The market is further categorized into three segments based on technology which are Android, iOS, and windows phone. The Android phonessegment accounted for close to 80% of the market share in 2016. "A strong characteristic that defines the smartphone market is the variety of features offered in smartphones. Earlier, the touch feature of smartphones attracted customers. Today, with 20-megapixel cameras, eight-core chips in a processor, full HD displays, and rapid charging technologies becoming standard in smartphones, customers continue to seek new features in phones," says Jujhar Singh, a lead retail goods and services research expert from Technavio. Technavio's research analysts segment the global smartphone market into the following regions: APAC Americas EMEA Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Smartphone market in APAC The smartphone market in APAC has witnessed tremendous growth in the past few years. China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia are some of the APAC countries that are driving the growth of the smartphone market. After facing saturation in developed markets leading manufacturers of smartphones such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, and HTC, launched models that focused on emerging markets. These products were well-priced, competitive, and gave customers the best value for their money. Even Apple, a premium manufacturer, launched the iPhone 5c in 2013 and iPhone SE in 2016 to tap this market. In July 2016, one of Apple's top executives announced that iPhone sales, which witnessed a 51% year-over-year growth, have given confidence to the company to establish retail outlets in India in the coming years due to the past success of the company's products. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. Smartphone market in Americas The Americas is the region that started the smartphone era, and it is responsible for a lot of the R&D that has gone into smartphones, courtesy Apple's innovations. However, it has witnessed a decline in its revenue and shipments in the past couple of years as the market became saturated. Moreover, smartphones are much more stable and durable compared to previous models. This has reduced the need to replace smartphones on a year-over-year basis. "Customers in the region tend to be brand conscious and prefer opting for flagship smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S series or the iPhone, unlike APAC and EMEA, where mid-range smartphones see the most success," says Jujhar. Smartphone market in EMEA EMEA is the fastest-growing region and is expected to drive the smartphone market during the forecast period. Though EMEA accounted for the smallest share of the market, the countries in the region show immense potential for growth. Europe has a mix of brand-conscious countries, such as the UK, France, and Italy, and countries that are not brand conscious, including Spain, Turkey, and Germany. Flagship brands, such as Apple and Samsung, have a major advantage in brand-conscious countries. The countries that are not brand conscious enjoy the presence of low-cost brands, mostly Chinese brands. Customers do not generally prioritize on a premium phone in these markets. Owing to this, companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and ZTE have been able to penetrate these markets quite easily. Some of the top vendors in the global smartphone market as highlighted in this market research analysis are: Apple Samsung Huawei OPPO Vivo Browse Related Reports: Global Grass Trimmer Market 2017-2021 Smart Home Speaker Market in US 2017-2021 Global Breastfeeding Supplies Market 2017-2021 About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005585/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Precipitate Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Precipitate") (TSX VENTURE: PRG) is pleased to announce results and interpretation from the latest geophysical and geochemical surveys at the "Melchor" and "Peak" Zones located at the southeastern end of the Company's 100% owned Juan de Herrera project in the Dominican Republic. Precipitate has completed a comprehensive interpretation of recently collected geophysical and geochemical survey data at the Melchor and Peak Zones, located approximately 12 kilometres ("km") southeast of the Company's Ginger Ridge Zone. Together, soil and rock sample results, induced polarization ("IP") and airborne magnetic geophysical survey data identify multi-layered target areas for both the Melchor and Peak Zones. See the accompanying two maps or the Company's website for both Zones gold-in-soil anomalies and IP + magnetics geophysics illustration maps. Highlight results for the combined newly generated geochemical and geophysical data for the Melchor and Peak Zones is as follows: Melchor Zone -- Target area measuring 2.2 km by 0.6 km including three parallel and fairly well defined multi-element soil anomalies with gold up to 181 parts per billion ("ppb"); -- Highlight rock grab sampling with gold values up to 7.7 g/t Au; -- The three southeast trending soil anomalies are further defined by various geophysical features of mixed moderate-high and low IP chargeability-resistivity and magnetic low signatures, important for potential gold mineralization in the region; and -- Geological mapping indicates much of the area to be underlain by regionally favourable rhyolite and dacite rocks. Peak Zone -- Target area measuring 2.0 km by 0.7 km, includes four loosely outlined multi-element soil anomalies with gold up to 286 ppb; -- Highlight rock grab sampling with gold values up to 1.57 g/t Au and copper values to 0.6%; -- Geophysical responses including mixed moderate-high and low IP chargeability-resistivity and magnetic signatures; are coincident with the soil anomalies; -- Located 4.5 km southeast of GoldQuest Mining's Jengibre zone, where past work reported highlight rock channel sampling results of 59.5 metres grading 1.58 g/t gold (see GoldQuest news release of October 7, 2009) and rock samples to 17.7 g/t gold and 1.4% copper; and -- Sampling of other areas between Peak and Melchor zones has reported gold-in-soil values up to 490 ppb and a rock grab sample with 0.47 g/t gold and greater than 1% zinc. Jeffrey Wilson, Precipitate's President and CEO commented, "We are pleased that our extensive ground exploration work over recent months continues to yield encouraging results. Collectively, IP and airborne geophysical surveys, early stage geochemical sampling, along with the region's first modern geological mapping work have delineated additional prospective exploration targets that warrant drill targeting in the future. The fact that we have now identified four targets in addition to Ginger Ridge clearly demonstrates the metallogenic potential of this volcanic belt." Early stage soil sampling at the Melchor and Peak Zones covers an expanse measuring about 6.0 km by 1.5 km covering the prospective Cretaceous aged Tireo volcanic rocks. Current soil sample density is generally wide spread with samples collected at 50-100m intervals along local ridges and paths; additional soil sampling is essential and planned for the area. The gold-in-soil anomalies are defined by values exceeding the 70th percentile or 4.0 ppb. To date, gold-in-soil values for the two zones range from nil to 490 ppb. These two early stage target areas and other nearby anomalous gold-zinc sample locations are the focus of ongoing follow up exploration work. Rock and soil samples were bagged, sealed and delivered directly to Bureau Veritas ("BV") preparation facility in Maimon Dominican Republic where they were dried, crushed (or sieved in the case of soils) and pulped. Sample pulps were then delivered to BV facilities in Vancouver BC (an ISO 9001 accredited facility) for analyses. Samples were crushed (or sieved) to with up to 80% passing 2mm and split using a riffle splitter (code PRP70-250). An approximate 250 gram sub-sample split was pulverized to minus 200 mesh (74micron). A 15 gram sub-split from the resulting pulp was then subjected to aqua regia digestion and multi-element ICP-MS analysis (code AQ201). Rock sample results with gold greater than 1,000 ppb were subjected to fire assay (ICP-ES finish) analysis (30 g pulp; code FA330-Au). The induced polarization/resistivity survey was carried out by Matrix Geotechnologies Ltd of Toronto Ontario, using a 10 kW generator Time Domain IP system using the Elrec Pro 10 channel receiver with a receiver dipole spacing of 25 metres, (pole-dipole array), which provides quality subsurface resolution for 2D Quantitive Sections and 3D voxel modelling for exploration drill targeting. The figure accompanying this release shows a plan view of interpreted gradient chargeability. This news release has been reviewed by Michael Moore P. Geo., Vice President, Exploration of Precipitate Gold Corporation, the Qualified Person for the technical information in this news release under NI 43-101 standards. About Precipitate Gold: Precipitate Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring and advancing its mineral property interests in the Tireo Gold Trend of the Dominican Republic. The Company also maintains assets in British Columbia and southeast Yukon Territory and is actively evaluating additional high-impact property acquisitions with the potential to expand the Company's portfolio and increase shareholder value. Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.precipitategold.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Precipitate Gold Corp., Jeffrey Wilson, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Precipitate Gold Corp.'s ("Precipitate" or the "Company") current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Company and on assumptions it believes are reasonable. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Precipitate to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the exploration concessions may not be granted on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the concessions acquired by the Company may not have attributes similar to those of surrounding properties; delay or failure to receive governmental or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation affecting mining; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Precipitate has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Precipitate does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Precipitate Gold Corp. 604-558-0335 Toll Free: 855-558-0335 investor@precipitategold.com IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- In today's fast track business and global environment, emphasis is placed on how to increase project production efficiency with limited available resources. The University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (DCE) announced today a new four-course Applied Project Management Certificate Program offered in on-campus, online, on-site, and compressed formats. The Applied Project Management Certificate Program covers A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), which serves as the fundamental knowledge base for project management. The certificate program will feature four required courses geared for individuals in any discipline who work on projects in either the public or private sector, or who are preparing to pursue career opportunities in the area of project management. The courses are offered in close succession so participants have the opportunity to earn their certificate in under six months. "With much of the available talent reaching retirement age, those seeking to start a career in project management have a great outlook. According to the Project Management Institute, by 2027 employers will need 87.7 million individuals working in project management oriented roles," said Stephane Muller, UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education director of Business Programs. "This new, streamlined certificate was developed based on feedback from project management industry veterans and our expert advisory team -- resulting in this program being one of the first in the nation to offer a curriculum structured and taught by order of Project Management Process Groups, rather than Knowledge Areas. By offering all four courses back to back, eager participants have the ability to study the curriculum and be ready to sit for the Project Management Professional Exam in two quarters." Applied Project Management Certificate Program participants will learn effective project management tools and techniques to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control and close a project. Participants will earn continuing education credits for professional certifications (PMI REP number 1043) and will satisfy the education requirements to sit for the Project Management Professional Exam (PMP certification). The four required courses offered include: "Project Launch" - Participants will learn to justify and select projects and how stakeholders influence projects, develop requirements necessary to define project scope and create a list of tasks necessary to accomplish the scope, create effective communication plans and assign responsibilities. "Project Planning" - This course will take participants through critical project planning basics so they can begin to think about project schedules, estimate how long the work will take, arrange the project work in the required sequence and develop an understanding of what it is meant when someone refers to the critical path. "Project Execution" - Participants will develop a fundamental project management discipline for continuously identifying risks and resulting changes to keep projects on course, leverage project plans to develop effective project reporting and manage the projects using Earned Value Management and Trend analysis. "Project Practicum with Multiple Projects" - This advanced hands-on course builds on the project managers' previously acquired knowledge and skills in the areas of scope, time, cost, risk, human resources, leadership, and teambuilding through team-based learning exercises. And puts into practice the project process groups and knowledge areas that are outline in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK Guide). For more information about the Applied Project Management Certificate Program or to register for the courses, please visit here or call Vonessa Low at (949) 824-7774. About UCI Division of Continuing Education: The University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (DCE) provides lifelong learning opportunities to thousands of students worldwide each year -- fulfilling the school's 60-year curriculum platform to connect degree programs to the world of work and achievement after graduation. The Division offers a broad range of certificate programs, specialized studies, and sequential courses to local, regional and global markets through online, on-campus and on-site delivery. A leader in the open education movement, the Division offers free Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and content through the UCI Open initiative. For more information about UCI Division of Continuing Education, visit here. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities, it's Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. CONTACT: Vivian Slater (714) 573-0899 x 235 Email Contact TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- To help the thousands of British Columbia (BC) residents affected by the wildfires, Green Shield Canada (GSC) has donated $35,000 to the Canadian Red Cross BC Fires relief efforts. In addition, GSC, one of Canada's largest administrators of health benefits, is making sure that impacted plan members get the medications they need by allowing BC pharmacies to refill prescriptions sooner than usual as many people have lost their medications or cannot access them due to the fires and evacuations. GSC's donation will help the Canadian Red Cross provide immediate relief including cots, blankets, and family reunification as well as financial assistance so individuals and families can get food, clothing, shelter, and anything else that can help them recover from this tragedy. "At GSC, our mission is focused on social responsibility so we have an Emergency Relief Fund that enables us to respond quickly to help those most in need," said Steve Bradie, president and CEO of GSC. "In addition to immediate needs like food and shelter, GSC's donation will also help the Canadian Red Cross reunite families separated by the disaster. In the bigger picture, it will also help with long-term recovery and ongoing emergency preparedness efforts." To provide even more support, the GSC Employee Matching Program means that GSC is matching all donations to the Canadian Red Cross BC Fires relief efforts made by GSC staff members. As Steve Bradie explains, "We hope that our matching efforts will not only encourage GSC staff members to make donations, but also motivate others outside of GSC to do their part by making donations or setting up matching programs." About Green Shield Canada As Canada's only national not-for-profit health and dental benefits specialist, GSC offers group and individual health and dental benefits programs and administration services. But its reason for being is the enhancement of the common good. GSC seeks out innovative ways to improve access to better health for Canadians. From coast-to-coast, its service delivery includes drug, dental, extended health care, vision, hospital and travel benefits for groups, as well as programs with a focus on individuals. Supported by unique claim management strategies, advanced technology and exceptional customer service, GSC creates customized programs for over two million plan participants nation-wide. greenshield.ca Contacts: Sarah Murphy Director, Strategic Market Solutions 416.221.7001 ext. 4278 sarah.murphy@greenshield.ca TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Five Star Diamonds Limited (TSX VENTURE: STAR) (the "Company" or "Five Star Diamonds") is very pleased to provide the following update on its 100% owned Jaibaras Diamond Project (the "Jaibaras Project" or "the Project") in Para State, Brazil. Highlights -- Construction of the 0.5tph bulk sampling plant at Jaibaras is completed. -- A 20t bulk sampling has commenced on the J3 kimberlite target. -- On completion of bulk sampling at J3 kimberlite, the Company will process similar sized samples from J1, J2 and J4 kimberlite pipes. J5-J8 kimberlite pipes remain under assessment. -- The Company has two diamond core drilling rigs operating on the Jaibaras Diamond Project. Initial drilling results from the J1 and J2 kimberlite pipes are meeting the Company's expectations. -- A total of 34 diamond core drill holes have now been successfully completed on the J1 and J2 kimberlite pipe. -- Both drilling rigs are currently operating on the J2 kimberlite pipe and 14 holes have been completed. JAIBARAS DIAMOND PROJECT, PARA STATE The Company has commenced its bulk sampling and continues its drilling programme at the Jaibaras Diamond Project. The Company maintains two drilling rigs on site and has commenced a 20t bulk sampling on the J3 kimberlite target. Similar samples will be processed from the J1, J2 and J4 kimberlite pipes. A total of eight kimberlite pipes (J1-J8) have been identified and continue to remain under assessment and evaluation at Jaibaras. Previous mini bulk sampling of the J1 and J2 kimberlite pipes has already resulted in the recovery of gem quality macro diamonds from clay weathered kimberlite. Construction of the 0.5tph bulk sampling plant is now completed and will commence processing a 20t sample from the J3 kimberlite pipe. The bulk sampling plant is a 0.5tph mobile wash and jig concentrate sampling plant which recovers diamonds above 1.5 mm in size. As observed from recently completed programmes the kimberlite pipes at Jaibaras occur on or very close to surface which allows the Company to quickly test the diamondiferous quality of the pipes. Initial results from the bulk sampling programme should be available in the coming month. To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Bulk-Sampling-plant-at-Jaibaras.pdf. Diamond core drilling focusing on the J1 and J2 kimberlite pipes is well underway with 20 drill holes completed at the J1 kimberlite pipe and 14 drill holes completed at the J2 kimberlite pipe. Initial results are meeting the Company's expectations with a total of 1,064 meters completed to date. The key objective of the drill programme is to cross cut the clay weathered zone and penetrate approximately five metres into the fresh rock. This has been successful to date and will allow the Company to delineate the lateral boundaries of the pipe and the vertical depth extent of the clay weathered zone. Once completed this will then provide the necessary data to conduct a tonnage estimation of the J1 & J2 clay weathered zones. The 5tph Pilot Plant wash and rotary pan concentrate plant, used to complete the pilot programme at the Company's Catalao Diamond project, has been dismantled and is awaiting granting of the trial mining licence prior to mobilisation to the Jaibaras Project. To view the images associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/J1-Kimberlite-Diamond-Core-Drilling-Programme.pdf. ABOUT FIVE STAR DIAMONDS The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol STAR. The Company controls a dominant and highly enviable position in the Brazilian kimberlite diamond sector owning 23 diamond kimberlite projects comprising an aggregate of 72 exploration licences and applications across 123,667 hectares. Five Star Diamonds is focused on acquiring and developing advanced staged diamond projects in Brazil. Since it was established, it has pursued an accelerated growth strategy and aims to be one of the first producers of diamonds from kimberlite deposits in Brazil. The Company is focused on the development of sustainable kimberlite pipes and is not involved in alluvial diamond mining with its associated environmental issues. The Company works closely with local, state and federal authorities in Brazil to foster an open, transparent and legal diamond industry in Brazil. This release is an update by the Company on its 100% owned Jaibaras Diamond Project. The Company is also running active programmes across its 100% owned Catalao, Riacho, Verissimo and Caiapo Diamond Projects. It is expected that the company will be able to provide further updates over the coming months and we look forward to keeping shareholders informed of our progress as we move towards building a truly unique Brazilian Diamond Company. Qualified Person Mr Paulo Ilidio de Brito, BSc Geology Mr. Paulo de Brito is a geologist based in Brazil, has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, dealing primarily with gold, copper, nickel, iron, industrial minerals and more recently diamonds. Mr. Brito is a Principal of consulting group Brasgeo and was until recently Exploration Manager of Paringa Resources Limited. Previously, he worked as a senior geologist with WMC Resources Ltd for 18 years until the closure of their activities in Brazil in 2002. The exploration activities and their related results included in this announcement were directly supervised and managed by Mr. Brito. According to Mr. Brito, all exploration work carried out to date on the Projects mentioned in this release follow clear mining industry standards. Mr. Brito, is a member of AIG (Australian Institute of Geoscientists), a member of AusIMM (The Minerals Institute) and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Brito reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release. On behalf of the Board Five Star Diamonds Limited Matthew Wood Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, significant downward variations in the market price of any minerals produced, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. 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. Contacts: Five Star Diamonds Limited Joe Burke GM Marketing jburke@fivestardiamonds.net Rajan "Raj" Rai rrai@fivestardiamonds.net +1 778 835 9200 Excellent momentum for theranostics sales: +43% Second-quarter revenue growth: +12% Regulatory News: THERADIAG (Paris:ALTER) (ISIN: FR0004197747, Ticker: ALTER, PEA-PME eligible), a company specializing in in vitro diagnostics and theranostics, today reported its consolidated revenues to June 30, 2017. In thousands of euros June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Change Revenues 5,042 4,631 +9% o/w Lisa Tracker revenues 2,392 1,672 +43% o/w IVD revenues 2,650 2,959 -10% In the second quarter of 2017, Theradiag recorded a +12% increase in revenues compared with the same quarter of 2016, following the 5% growth recorded in the first quarter of 2017, enabling its consolidated revenues to total 5 million at the end of June 2017. Over the first six months of the year, the Theranostics Business Unit recorded a +43% jump in sales to 2.4 million; the main reason for this growth was the volume of export sales, despite the launch of activity in the United States being slower than expected. Sales of other IVD products were down 10%, in line with the trend recorded over the first quarter according to our expectations. However, the effective launch of BioCLIA has been postponed, due to a delay, in adapting to standards as well as our clients' expectations in Europe, and due to discussions regarding contract renegotiations initiated by our partner HOB biotech. International sales totaled 2.7 million, and this activity now accounts for 53% of total revenues. Michel Finance, Theradiag's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The growth in our theranostics sales and the agreements signed with pharmaceutical companies confirm our strategic development choice. The 4 million capital increase carried out in the second quarter strengthens our development capabilities Theradiag's Annual General Meeting confirmed the appointment to the Board of Directors of Dominique Costantini, Dominique Takizawa and Vincent Fert, previously co-opted by the Board., and the appointment to the Board of John Li, President and CEO of HOB Biotech Group. Having obtained his Masters degree in economics from Ohio State University in the United States, John Li has worked in management positions at Alcon, Black&Decker and Brady Corp. In 2007, he founded HOB Biotech, which has since become the market leader in allergy diagnostics and a major player in the diagnosticis of auto-immune diseases in China. About Theradiag Capitalizing on its expertise in the distribution, development and manufacturing of in vitro diagnostic tests, Theradiag innovates and develops theranostics tests (combining treatment and diagnosis) that measure the efficiency of biotherapies in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer and AIDS. Theradiag notably markets the Lisa Tracker range (CE marked), which is a comprehensive multiparameter theranostic solution for patients with autoimmune diseases treated with biotherapies. With its subsidiary Prestizia, Theradiag is developing new biomarkers based on microRNAs for the diagnosis and monitoring of rectal cancer, auto-immune and inflammatory diseases and HIV/AIDS. Theradiag is thus participating in the development of customized treatment, which favors the individualization of treatments, the evaluation of their efficacy and the prevention of drug resistance. The Company is based in Marne-la-Vallee, near Paris, and in Montpellier, and has over 75 employees. For more information about Theradiag, please visit our website: www.theradiag.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005900/en/ Contacts: Theradiag Investor Relations Fabienne Francois, Tel.: +33 (0)1 64 62 10 12 CFO contact@theradiag.com or NewCap Financial Communications Investor Relations Valentine Brouchot, Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 theradiag@newcap.eu or Alize RP Press Relations Caroline Carmagnol, Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 54 36 64 theradiag@alizerp.com NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Envision Healthcare Corporation ("Envision" or the "Company') (NYSE: EVHC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether Envision 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 24, 2017, The New York Times reported that physicians associated with Envision's subsidiary EmCare Holdings Inc. were disproportionately likely to engage in "surprise billing," in which patients who go to in-network hospitals are treated by out-of-network doctors and subsequently billed at higher rates. On this news, Envision's share price fell $2.33, or 3.72%, to close at $60.28 on July 24, 2017. 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. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Wisconsin-based Three Square Market is offering its employees to implant a tiny microchip into their hands. The small radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip worth $300 will allow employees to open doors, log in to computers and even buy snacks and lunch. Although the program is not mandatory about 50 out of 80 employees at Three Square's headquarters have volunteered for it. RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identification uses electromagnetic fields to identify electronically stored information. Often referred to as 'chip' technology, this option has become very popular in the European marketplace. The chip is implanted between the thumb and forefinger underneath the skin within seconds. 'We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals. Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc.' said CEO Todd Westby. Employees will be chipped at the 32M inaugural 'chip party' hosted at their headquarters in River Falls, WI on August 1, 2017, according to the company. 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. RONKONKOMA, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- ExcelAire, one of the nation's premier boutique aircraft management and charter firms, today announced it is hosting an exclusive VIP event to benefit the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. Called "Wings & Wheels," the event will be held on Thursday, August 10, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at ExcelAire's private jet hangar and FBO located at MacArthur Airport (ISP) on Long Island. ExcelAire has partnered with leading private jet manufacturers, including Cessna, Embraer, and Gulfstream, to showcase their latest private jets at the event. In addition, HeliFlite is a sponsor of the event. For more information on this invitation-only event, contact: wingsandwheels@excelaire.com. All proceeds (silent and live auction) from the Wings & Wheels event will go to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, established in 1996 by Mrs. Baldwin and her children. This not-for-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization is a single purpose fund. All proceeds support breast cancer research at Stony Brook University. "This is shaping up to be one of the best parties of the year for those interested in private jet travel," said Keith Ruggirello, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, ExcelAire. "We expect a fantastic showing of celebrities and business leaders at this one-of-a-kind event. Plus, for those traveling to the Hamptons for the weekend, party-goers can have fun and support a great cause on their way there." About ExcelAire A Hawthorne Global Aviation Services company, ExcelAire specializes in worldwide jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance, and sales. Further information about the ExcelAire fleet, including photos and individual aircraft specifications, is available at www.excelaire.com, or by calling 631-737-0477. About Hawthorne Global Aviation Services Hawthorne Global Aviation Services is a premier provider of general aviation services, with a rich history in the industry dating back to 1932. Hawthorne operates six premier Fixed Based Operators (FBO), including Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY (KISP), Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Ga. (KRYY), Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, Ill. (KPWK), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. (KEAU), Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (KTCL) and Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa (KSUX). Its Long Island MacArthur Airport FBO in Islip, NY (KISP) offers private jet charter, maintenance and avionics; the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. (KEAU) FBO offers private jet charter and maintenance; the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport FBO in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (KTCL) offers private jet maintenance and the Sioux Gateway Airport FBO in Sioux City, Iowa (KSUX) offers private jet maintenance and avionics. For more information on Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, please visit www.hawthorne.aero. For more information, contact: Lisa Hendrickson LCH Communications 516-767-8390 Email Contact Regulatory News: For its second participation in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), Mercialys (Paris:MERY) retained its Green Star* status and was ranked 26th in the Global Retail category, up 42 places. Each year, this leading international benchmark assesses the CSR policies and performances of real estate companies. With an excellent overall result of 84/100, Mercialys is demonstrating its ability to successfully implement its strategy and meet its environmental, societal and governance commitments. Mercialys climbed 42 places this year and was ranked 26th out of 138 firms in the Global Retail category. It achieved outstanding scores in particular for its governance (90/100) and environmental management (84/100). Mercialys retained its 2nd place for the France Retail scope. Lastly, all sectors combined, Mercialys moved into the top decile of the global GRESB benchmark, ranked 75th out of the 823 companies assessed. Eric Le Gentil, Mercialys' Chairman and CEO, announced: "We are very proud of Mercialys' progress in this benchmark. This result recognizes the dedication and quality of work achieved by our teams on all aspects of our ambitious CSR strategy, Mery'21. This performance reflects our commitments in terms of sustainable development and long-term value creation for all our stakeholders". The ambition with Mery'21 is to enable Mercialys to actively engage in its region's social and ecological transition. Adopted in 2015, it sets various targets looking ahead to 2020 in 15 key areas and maps out an operational action plan to be deployed across the portfolio, while taking specific local features into consideration. *Green Star: highest category in the GRESB rankings This press release is available on www.mercialys.com About Mercialys Mercialys is one of France's leading real estate companies, focused exclusively on retail property. At June 30, 2017, Mercialys had a portfolio of 2,108 leases, representing a rental value of Euro 174.6 million on an annualized basis. At June 30, 2017, it owned properties with an estimated value of Euro 3.7 billion (including transfer taxes). Mercialys has had "SIIC" real estate investment trust (REIT) tax status since November 1, 2005 and has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A (ticker: MERY) since its initial public offering on October 12, 2005. At June 30, 2017, there were 92,049,169 shares outstanding. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets. These forward-looking statements are subject by definition to certain identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results forecast in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Mercialys shelf registration document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2016 for more details regarding specific risk factors that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys gives no undertaking whatsoever to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, or to report new information, new future events or any other circumstances that might cause these statements to be revised. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170913006176/en/ Contacts: Mercialys Analysts investors: Alexandre Leroy, Tel: +33(0)1 53 65 24 39 or Press contact: Gwenaelle Allaire, Tel: +33(0)1 53 70 23 34 CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. ("DIRTT" or the "Company") (TSX: DRT), a leading technology-enabled designer, manufacturer and installer of fully customized, prefabricated interiors, will release its fiscal 2017 second quarter financial results on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 after markets close. A conference call and webcast for the investment community will be hosted by Chief Executive Officer Mogens Smed and President Scott Jenkins on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 9 a.m. ET (7 a.m. MT) to discuss the second quarter results in greater detail. To access the conference call by telephone, dial +1 877.479.7708 (toll-free in North America). Please dial-in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. In addition, a live webcast (listen-only mode) of the conference call will be available at: http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/aikuojsi. Investors are invited to submit questions by email before and during the conference call. Please send them to ir@dirtt.net. A replay of the conference call will be available at +1 855.859.2056 by entering passcode 60139898, from noon (ET) Thursday, August 3, 2017 until midnight (ET) Thursday, August 10, 2017 at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/aikuojsi, and on DIRTT's website at www.dirtt.net/company/investor. About DIRTT DIRTT Environmental Solutions (Doing it Right This Time) uses its proprietary 3D software to design, manufacture and install fully customized prefabricated interiors. The Company's customers in the corporate, government, education and healthcare sectors benefit from DIRTT's precise design and costing; rapid lead times with the highest levels of customization and flexibility; and faster, cleaner construction. DIRTT's manufacturing facilities are in Phoenix, Savannah, Kelowna and Calgary. DIRTT's team supports more than 100 sales distribution partners throughout North America, the Middle East and Asia. DIRTT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DRT." For more information visit www.dirtt.net. Contacts: Scott Jenkins President DIRTT 403.723.5009 sjenkins@dirtt.net Kim MacEachern Investor Relations DIRTT 403.618.4539 KMacEachern@DIRTT.net COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) (the "Company") declares its monthly instituted dividend of 1/6 of a cent per common share for July 2017 payable on August 23, 2017 to shareholders of record as of August 11, 2017. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has returned $110 million to shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends and take delivery in physical gold and silver. For more information on Gold Resource Corporation's physical dividend program, visit the Company website at http://www.goldresourcecorp.com/gold-silver-dividends.php. Dividends may vary in amount and consistency or be discontinued at the Board of Directors' discretion depending on variables including but not limited to operational cash flows, Company development requirements and strategies, construction, spot gold and silver prices, taxation, general market conditions and other factors described in the Cautionary Statements below and the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. About GRC: Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has 56,839,823 shares outstanding, zero warrants and has returned $110 million back to shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved. Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC. Contacts: Corporate Development Greg Patterson 303-320-7708 www.Goldresourcecorp.com CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Media Advisory - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP)(NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today was notified that PETRONAS affiliate Pacific NorthWest LNG (PNW LNG) would not be proceeding with their proposed LNG project near Port Edward, British Columbia. Following is a statement from Karl Johannson, TransCanada's executive vice-president and president, Canada and Mexico natural gas pipelines and energy: With this news, we are reviewing our options related to our proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) project as we continue to focus on our significant investments in new and existing natural gas infrastructure to meet our customers' needs. As part of our agreement with PETRONAS affiliate, Progress Energy, following receipt of a termination notice, TransCanada would be reimbursed for the full costs and carrying charges incurred to advance the PRGT project. We expect to receive this payment later in 2017. We are proud of the work we have done along the PRGT route, which has allowed us to sign 14 Project Agreements with First Nations and secure the key regulatory approvals and permits. We have built strong new relationships, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnerships with First Nations and communities in B.C. as we develop other natural gas assets, including our North Montney Mainline project. This important project is backed by independent 20-year commercial service agreements with 11 shippers (including Progress Energy), and pending regulatory approvals, we remain ready to move forward. There is still a strong need for Canadian natural gas supplies to get to market, and the infrastructure we are building in Alberta and British Columbia - including recently announced multi-billion dollar investments in our NGTL system and North Montney Mainline - are designed to help move natural gas supplies to markets where they are needed. With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 91,500 kilometres (56,900 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 653 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in approximately 6,200 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extends over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media. Contacts: Media Enquiries: Mark Cooper / Shawn Howard 403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859 TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries: David Moneta / Stuart Kampel 403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522 ARLINGTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2017 / D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI) will host a conference call to discuss the results of the third quarter 2017, to be held Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. Live Event Information To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event. Date, Time: July 26, 2017 at 8:30 AM ET Toll Free: 877-407-8033 Replay Information The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight eastern on August 2, 2017. Toll Free: 877-481-4010 Replay ID#: 10415 About D.R. Horton, Inc. D.R. Horton, Inc., America's Builder, has been the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States for fifteen consecutive years. Founded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas, D.R. Horton has operations in 78 markets in 26 states across the United States and closed 43,075 homes in the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2017. The Company is engaged in the construction and sale of high-quality homes through its diverse brand portfolio that includes D.R. Horton, Emerald Homes, Express Homes, and Freedom Homes, ranging from $100,000 to over $1,000,000. D.R. Horton also provides mortgage financing and title services; for homebuyers through its mortgage and title subsidiaries. SOURCE: Investor Network VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Anfield Gold Corp. ("Anfield" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ANF) announces the results of the Feasibility Study (the "Study"), prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), for its 100%-owned Coringa Project ("Coringa" or the "Project"). The Study was compiled by MTB Project Management Professionals Inc. ("MTB") and demonstrates that Coringa has the potential to be an economic, high-grade underground gold mine. Marshall Koval, Chairman and CEO, commented: "We are pleased to deliver a report that confirms strong economics at Coringa and believe that the Project has the potential to add substantial value to shareholders and the surrounding community over the coming years. Once Anfield receives the required permits from the Brazilian authorities, our experienced operating team led by Andrew Storrie can commence re-constructing the same plant that he and his team operated while working at the nearby Andorinhas mine." Anfield will continue to explore for areas where value can be added to the Project. There are approximately 40,000 gold ounces of the estimated Inferred mineral resource, which are not included in the Study's mine plan,(1) that are adjacent to areas mined as part of the Study. In addition, the Company controls a twenty kilometre area in the district with delineated gold soil anomalies, of which, the drill-defined mineral resource strike length is approximately two kilometres. 1. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that any or all mineral resources can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration. Feasibility Study Summary The Study was initiated in June 2016 by MTB, with contribution by several consultants that have extensive expertise in their respective fields. Further details on the contributors can be found in the Qualified Persons section of this news release. All currencies are in United States dollars unless otherwise specified. Base case economics are based on a gold price of $1,250 per ounce ("oz"), silver price of $18.00 per oz and an exchange rate of 3.2 (US$:R$). The effective date of the Study is July 1, 2017 and it incorporates all expenditures prior to that date. A technical report relating to the Study will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release. The Study and Project highlights include the following estimates: -- Gold production of approximately 32 koz per year averaged over a 4.8 year mine life -- Average life of mine process fully-diluted gold grade of 6.5 grams per tonne ("g/t") -- Post-tax internal rate of return of 30.8% -- Post-tax net present value of $31.0 million at a 5% discount rate -- Initial capital costs of $28.8 million -- Average net cash operating costs of $585/oz and all-in sustaining costs of $783/oz -- Probable mineral reserves of 161 koz of gold and 324 koz of silver -- 23% of engineering for the process plant and related infrastructure has been completed and 100% of engineering for the tailings storage facility has been completed Table 1: Summary of Coringa Economic Results by Gold Price ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Price (per oz) Units $1,125 $1,250 $1,375 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Tax NPV (5%) $M $17.6 $34.0 $50.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Tax IRR % 19.6% 32.9% 45.5% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post-Tax NPV (5%) $M $16.0 $31.0 $45.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post-Tax IRR % 18.4% 30.8% 41.7% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2: Coringa Life of Mine Capital Expenditure Estimate Breakdown ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial Capital ($M) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Process & Infrastructure $13.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-production Mine Development $3.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equipment $1.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct and Indirect Owner Costs $8.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contingency (7.5%) $2.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Initial Capital (excluding working $28.8 capital) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working Capital $1.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sustaining Capital ($M) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life of Mine Sustaining Capital $28.7M ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Life of Mine Sustaining $5.9M Capital ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3: Summary of Coringa Operating Cost Estimates and Cash Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Life-of-Mine Operating Costs per Tonne Milled ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining Costs $41.68 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Processing Costs $33.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- General, Administrative and Site Costs $33.14 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Operating Costs $108.33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Life-of-Mine Cash Costs per Ounce ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating Costs $558 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver By-Product Credits ($23) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sandstorm 2.5% NSR Royalty $31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Government 1.5% NSR Royalty (1) $19 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C1 Cash Costs Net of By-products (2) $585 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sustaining Capital and Closure Costs $197 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All-in Sustaining Cash Cost (3) $783 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1): Includes 1.0% NSR royalty to the Brazilian government and 0.5% NSR royalty payment for surface rights (2): (Refining Costs + Insurance + Transport Costs + Third Party Royalties + Operating Costs) / Payable Au oz (3): (Refining Costs + Insurance + Transport Costs + Third Party Royalties + Operating Costs + Sustaining and Closure Capital Costs) / Payable Au oz Coringa Estimated Mineral Reserves and Resources The estimated mineral reserves for Coringa are based on the conversion of Indicated mineral resources to Probable mineral reserves based on the Study's estimated mine plan. The total fully-diluted mineral reserves for the Coringa Project are shown in Table 4. Table 4: Coringa Estimated Mineral Reserves and Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classification Contained Cut-off Tonnes Au Grade Ag Grade Contained Silver Grade (000's) (g/t) (g/t) Gold (koz) (koz) (g/t Au) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serra Probable 498 6.0 12.8 97 204 2.50 Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meio Probable 196 7.4 14.6 46 92 2.38 Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galena Probable 74 7.1 11.2 17 27 2.50 Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Probable 769 6.5 13.1 161 324 Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Indicated 726 8.4 17.0 195 396 2.00 Resource ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Inferred 1,301 4.3 5.1 181 215 2.00 Resource ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Note: Additional information, including with respect to the mineral resource estimate, metallurgy, data verification and quality control measures, can be found in Anfield's technical report titled "Coringa Gold Project, Brazil, NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of May 3, 2017, which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Totals in the above table may not add due to rounding. Resource Notes: Minimum thickness is 0.8 m horizontal. Effective date of May 3, 2017. Indicated mineral resources are inclusive of mineral reserves. Reserve Notes: Effective date of July 1, 2017. Grades are reported on a fully-diluted basis. Mining The Study contemplates underground mining using a 100% owner operated equipment fleet, most of which was acquired from Troy Resources Limited's ("Troy Resources") Andorinhas mine and is on site. The three mining areas that make up the Project will use a shrink stoping method to extract ore. Coringa has been designed to deliver an average of 159 thousand tonnes per year (approximately 460 tonnes per day) of mill feed. The Study contemplates a mine that will extract ore over a 4.8-year period with a delivered fully-diluted gold head grade of 6.5 g/t. Ore will be sourced from the Serra zone in years 1 to 4, the Meio zone in years 3 and 4 and the Galena zone in the final year of mining. Metallurgy Extensive feasibility level test work was completed by C.H. Plenge & CIA S.A. at its laboratory in Lima, Peru, using representative composites, that confirmed the material from Coringa is amenable to a conventional crush, grind, gravity concentration and carbon-in-leach flow sheet. Test work results indicated that 40% to 50% of the gold will be recovered in a gravity concentrate. The overall estimated gold and silver recovery based on all ore types being processed during the life of mine is 95.4% and 61.2% respectively. Infrastructure The Coringa Project is located in Para State, approximately 70 kilometres south-east of the city of Novo Progresso. Access to the mine site from the city of Novo Progresso is by way of existing paved and gravel roads and the driving time from Novo Progresso to the Coringa camp is typically two hours. Camp and Existing Infrastructure: The existing Coringa camp has been upgraded with the addition of new accommodations for 212 permanent operations staff and a new cafeteria/kitchen facility to serve the expected workforce. Additionally, a leased and contract-catered camp for construction contractors, capable of accommodating 128 individuals, has been retained at Coringa following the completion of infill drilling. The entire camp complex has been secured with perimeter fencing, perimeter lighting, and access control by security staff. Power for the Camp and Mine: Total Project electrical demand during full mine and process plant operation is 3,039 kilowatts ("kW") (3,799 kilovolt amps "kva"). Initially, until commercial power can be designed, permitted, constructed, and supplied by CELPA (the regional utility), power supply for the plant, mine, and camp will be supplied by seven diesel generators (six operating and one on standby), each rated at 750 kva. Power will be distributed from a central power station at the plant site via an overhead 34.5 kilovolt transmission line to the mine portals and to the camp. Completion of the incoming CELPA transmission line is expected to take 12-18 months. The camp load of 90 kW (112.5 kva) has been, and will continue to be, provided by a 310 kva generator with a 500 kva generator as back-up. Both camp generators were obtained from Troy Resources. The power supply for the camp will continue to be supplied by generators until the power station at the plant and the overhead transmission line from the plant to the camp have been completed. Water Requirements for the Camp and Mine: During production, the mine, plant, and camp water requirements will be approximately 140m3/day, 770m3/day, and 35m3/day, respectively. Additionally, approximately 40m3/day will be needed during the six-month dry season each year for dust control on site roads and in working areas to maintain safe and healthy working conditions. Mine and plant water needs will be sourced from mine dewatering, which is modelled to significantly exceed the total requirements for both. Camp water needs are expected to be sourced from a well near the camp. During the three to six months of plant startup when reclaimed water from the tailings storage facility is not yet available, water to the process plant will be sourced from behind a temporary coffer dam constructed within the tailings storage facility footprint to provide a dry area for construction of the tailings embankment. Approximately 520m3/day of the 770m3/day required for plant operation will come from reclaim of process water from the tailings storage facility. Only 250m3/day of raw water from mine dewatering will be required for plant makeup water. Taxes The Study incorporates assumptions about Anfield's ability to use income tax deductions made available under a government economic stimulus program to companies for industrial projects developed in the Amazon region of Brazil. The program reduces the Brazilian corporate income tax rate by 75%. The assumed income tax rate used in the financial model is 15.25%. Construction Timeline and Permitting The Study evaluates a construction period of ten months from start to completion. The Company continues to engage with the Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade ("SEMAS") to receive the required permits to commence construction and hope they will be forthcoming in the near-future. Qualified Persons The scientific and technical information contained in this news release pertaining to the Project has been reviewed and approved by the following Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101: Robert Sim, P.Geo. (Mineral Resource), of SIM Geological Inc.; Neil Prenn, P.Eng. and Edwin Peralta, P.Eng. (Mining), of Mine Development Associates; Robert Michel, SME Registered Member (Economic Analysis and Infrastructure) of Robert Michel Enterprises; Nelson King, SME Registered Member (Metallurgy and Process); Mark Smith, P.E. (Tailings Management Facility) of RRD International LLC and Larry Breckenridge, P.E. (Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, and Infrastructure) of Global Resource Engineering, Ltd. All of the Qualified Persons are independent of Anfield. About Anfield Gold Anfield Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: ANF) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious metal exploration and development company focused on the development of the Coringa Project located in Para State, Brazil. Anfield's strategic plan includes the acquisition of other gold projects with the goal of becoming a mid-tier gold mining company. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://anfieldgold.com Anfield Gold Corp. Marshall Koval, Chairman & CEO 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 news release. Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "will", "expected" or variations of such words. Forward looking statements or information in this press release include, but are not limited to, Anfield's strategic plan to acquire other gold projects with the goal of becoming a mid-tier gold mining company; the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Project; that the Project has strong economics; the internal rate of return of the Project; the annual production of the Project; the net present value of the Project; the life of mine of the Project; the capital costs, operating costs and other costs estimated for the Project; required infrastructure for the Project; how infrastructure for the Project will be sourced; the timing required to complete construction at the Project; and that construction of the Project will occur at all. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, Anfield has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on information currently available to Anfield as well as Anfield's current beliefs and assumptions (including Anfield's belief in the results of the Study). Although Anfield considers these beliefs and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates, and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; risks associated with the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, and the grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the timing of mining the three zones of the Project; the annual mill feed for the Project; gold recovery rates; power and water requirements for the Project; that mineral resources may never become mineral reserves and do not demonstrate economic viability, Anfield may not be able to achieve the base case during actual mining at the Project, risks associated with the business of Anfield, risks relating to exploration and potential development of the Company's projects; risks related to obtaining the permits and approvals necessary to develop and commission the Project on terms that are acceptable to Anfield; risks related to Anfield identifying suitable acquisition targets; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; prices for commodities to be produced and changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of mineral resources and mineral reserves); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and changes to business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally. Forward-looking information and statements are in addition based on various estimates, forecasts and projections as well as expectations, beliefs and assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold; that the Company can access financing and that the political environment where the Company operates will continue to support the development and operation of mining projects. Although Anfield has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Anfield does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Anfield Gold Corp. Scott Hicks +604 646-1884 +604 687-7041 (FAX) https://anfieldgold.com OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/25/17 -- Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (CSE: TBP)(CSE: TBP.CN)(CNSX: TBP)(OTCQB: TBPMF), announces that it has made a grant of stock options under its stock option plan to the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Fortier to acquire a total of 400,000 common shares of the Company. All of the options are exercisable at a price of $0.80 per share. All of the options will vest immediately of the date of grant. The options have a term of 4 years and are subject in all respects to the terms of Tetra's stock option plan. About Tetra Bio-Pharma: Tetra Bio-Pharma is a multi subsidiary publicly traded company (CSE: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) engaged in the development of Bio Pharmaceuticals and Natural Health Products containing Cannabis and other medicinal plant based elements. Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on combining the traditional methods of medicinal cannabis use with the supporting scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing bio pharma industry by regulators physicians and insurance companies. More information is available about the company at: www.tetrabiopharma.com. Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. Forward-looking statements Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, GrowPros MMP Inc., to obtain a licence for the production of medical marijuana; failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation. Contacts: Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. Edward Miller Vice President, IR & Corporate Communications (514) 360-8040 Ext. 203 edward@tetrabiopharma.com www.tetrabiopharma.com PhysIQ, a Chicago, IL-based developer of solutions that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to empower digital health for ambulatory patient monitoring and clinical trial support, closed an $8m Series B financing. The round was led by 4490 Ventures with participation from the Global Health Sciences (GHS) Fund through Quark Venture Inc. and GF Securities, along with existing investor LionBird and others. In conjunction with the funding, Dan Malven, Managing Partner at 4490 Ventures, and Zafrira Avnur, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Quark Venture, have also both joined PhysIQs Board of Directors. The company intends to use the funds for the commercial launch of the physIQ VitaLink solution. Led by Gary Conkright, CEO, Director and Founder, physIQ VitaLink collects continuous physiological patient data from wearable and implantable sensors and applies AI technology to transform this data into personalized patient insight. Healthcare providers, payers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies are leveraging the FDA-cleared personalized analytics to manage at-risk ambulatory patients while pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers integrate VitaLink into their clinical trials in order to capitalize on new, real world data sets to validate the safety and efficacy of their products. The VitaLink end-to-end solution includes: the physIQ software platform and AI analytics suite, third-party wearable biosensors, a mobile Android device for secure patient data transmission, and a clinician user interface. As a data- and device-agnostic platform, it can accommodate any Bluetooth-enabled biosensor and has been engineered to be massively scalable and capable of continuously monitoring tens of thousands of patients at a time. The condition-agnostic personalized analytics solution is being studied and evaluated across multiple clinical use cases (e.g. post-acute skilled nursing, home health and clinical trials) and patient populations (e.g. heart failure, COPD, oncology and chronic pain). FinSMEs 25/07/2017 Vicarious, a San Francisco, CA-based artificial intelligence company, raised $50M in Series C funding. The round was led by Khosla Ventures. In conjunction with the funding, Khosla Ventures CTO Sven Strohband, will be joining Vicarious board of directors. Founded in 2010 by Dr. Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix, Vicarious is developing artificial general intelligence which combines insights from generative probabilistic models and neuroscience to enable robots to work effectively in a variety of environments without reprogramming. FinSMEs 25/07/2017 THE PRESS RELEASE Vicarious Announces $50M Series C Funding Led by Khosla Ventures SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ Vicarious, an artificial intelligence company, today announced a $50M Series C round of financing led by Khosla Ventures, a venture capital fund founded by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a former general partner of Kleiner Perkins. Vicarious is developing artificial general intelligence for robots. By combining insights from generative probabilistic models and neuroscience, the company has developed unique architecture that trains faster, adapts more readily, and generalizes more broadly than other AI approaches that are more commonly used. For over a decade, robots have possessed the physical dexterity necessary for a wide range of tasks, but are limited by their reliance on expensive hand-coded software and high-precision mechanical parts. The software that Vicarious is building will help change that, said Mr. Khosla. Vicarious approach to artificial intelligence allows robots to behave in smarter and more human-like ways than other approaches, added Khosla Ventures CTO Sven Strohband, who will be joining Vicarious board of directors. This is a big step forward for us. Robotics is a domain where causal understanding and dealing with uncertainty are very important. Our researchers are excited to be tackling the problems that touch many industries, said Vicarious co-founder Dr. Dileep George. The partnership with Khosla is an obvious fit. They share our vision of the future and understand the incredible implications of building truly intelligent machines, added Vicarious co-founder D. Scott Phoenix. About Vicarious Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company that uses the computational principles of the brain to develop general intelligence for robots. The company was founded in 2010 by Dr. Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix. Previously Dr. George was Chief Technology Officer at Numeta, a company he co-founded with Jeff Hawkins and Donna Dubinsky (PALM, HAND) while completing his PhD at Stanford University. Before co-founding Vicarious, Mr. Phoenix was Entrepreneur in Residence at Founders Fund and CEO of Frogmetrics, a touchscreen analytics company he co-founded through the Y Combinator program. For more information about Vicarious, please visit www.vicarious.com. About Khosla Ventures Khosla Ventures is a venture capitalist firm that provides venture assistance and strategic advice to entrepreneurs working on breakthrough technologies. The firm was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. The firm focuses on transformative technology in consumer, enterprise, education, advertising, financial services, semiconductors, health, big data, agriculture/food, sustainable energy and robotics. Khosla Ventures is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information about the firms activities, please visit https://www.khoslaventures.com. Media Contact: Devin Gribbons Email: [email protected] Back in 1980s, in Kerala, there were protests from trade unions, mostly left-backed ones, against computerisation. Trade unions then said computerising their offices would mean less requirement of human intervention and, thus, less number of jobs. The line of their argument was computers are capitalist evil that will steal jobs from the laborers overnight. Those protests during mid-80s went on for some time and, arguably, delayed the modernisation process of offices and industries in the state but later the change came. Gradual computerisation happened in Kerala and life adapted to the change. People learned how to improve their skills to accommodate themselves in the computerised world. Had Kerala listened to the trade unionists and continued with the paper ledgers, the Gods Own Country would have got stuck in 1980s while rest of India advanced to embrace the opportunities of the modern world. The point of revisiting the 1980s' agitation is in the context of Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari's statement that the Narendra Modi government will not allow driver-less cars in India. "We will not allow driver-less cars in India. India suffers a huge shortage of 22 lakh drivers...Cab aggregators take advantage of these. We are not going to promote any technology or policy that will render people jobless," Gadkari said. According to the minister, to meet the demand of 22 lakh commercial drivers in India at present, the government has planned to open 100 driver training institutes across the country. Five lakh people will get jobs over the next five years, Gadkari said. Gadkaris intention is good to save jobs and it goes without saying that much of the crowded, potholed Indian roads are ill-prepared to accommodate driverless cars. It will certainly take years of preparation before India could implement something like this on Indian roads. But, the problem with Gadkaris statement is when he says we are not going to promote any technology or policy that will render people jobless", this is an fundamentally flawed logic. Gadkaris grudge against the new technology as an impediment for job creation reminds one of the 1980s anti-computer protests. Adapting to new technology is inevitable for India, for that matter any developing country, in the modern world. It will be a cardinal mistake if the nation holds back new technology just for the sake of saving jobs. This will not only slowdown an efficient economic growth but will put India on a backfoot as it tries to achieve the position of worlds manufacturing hub. Instead, the right approach will be to invest in skill-development and make people useful for new types of vocation. Even in this particular case, what is interesting is that Gadkaris statement against driver-less cars goes against a major provision of the proposed Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, pending in Rajya Sabha (read an HT report here), which talks about testing such a new technology. In order to promote innovation and research and development in the fields of vehicular engineering, mechanically propelled vehicles and transportation in general, the central government may exempt certain types of mechanically propelled vehicles from the application of the provisions of this Act, reads a clause in the Bill. Moreover, it also goes against Prime Minister Narendra Modis aggressive drive to introduce various facets of technology as a key driver for growth. Had India showed aversion to technology seeing it as an impediment to jobs, computerisation would have never happened in the country, industrialisation wouldn't have taken place ever and Indian factories would have still languished in terms of efficiency with human-machine system in front of a world that is advancing at a maddening pace. Indian banks would have still operated with paper-ledgers and challan. Construction activities would not have grown at a rapid pace, as the country would have still primarily depended on human force on sites. Utility bill payments would have still been a nightmare as we wouldnt be paying online or through mobile but would have still dependent on the clerk at the office counter. Technology has come in all these areas and made our life easier, of course in effect cutting down the number of jobs. But, those people have adapted to new skills and jobs. Indeed, rising unemployment is a reason for worry, particularly in the unorganised sector. There needs to be a well thought out long-term plan, at least for the next few decades on how to enhance skill-development and shape the education system to produce millions of workforce who will enter Indias job market every year. But, holding technology as a villain for unemployment, as a state policy, is nothing short of a disaster. New Delhi: The Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will not have to give details of their bank accounts held outside the country while filing their income tax returns, if they are not seeking refunds, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on Monday. "It (providing details of foreign bank accounts) is not mandatory. It is optional. It is for cases where refund is sought," CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra told reporters on the sidelines of an event to celebrate the 157th Income Tax day here. The department's top boss said this when asked to clarify if it was mandatory for NRIs to provide the details of their foreign bank accounts in certain return forms like the ITR-2. That column in the income tax returns (ITRs), Chandra said, is to be filed in "only one condition, that is, if they (NRIs) are seeking a refund." The CBDT (policy-making body for the I-T Department) had brought out new ITRs on 31 March this year and a newly introduced column in the ITR-2 seeks "details of foreign bank accounts held (including any beneficial interest) at any time during the previous year" from the assessee or the filer. The last date for filing ITRs for assessment year 2017-18 is 31 July. Srinagar: Trade across the Line of Control (LoC) between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was suspended on Tuesday after authorities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) said no trade will take place this week. Authorities at the Trade Facilitation Centre near the border town of Uri in Baramulla district said they had received a letter from authorities in Pakistan saying there would be no cross-LoC trade this week. Pakistani authorities gave no reasons for suspending the trade that takes place from Tuesday to Friday every week. Police on the Indian side last week had arrested a driver, Muhammad Yusuf Shah from Chakoti near Muzaffarabad, after recovering 66 kg of narcotics from boxes in his vehicle. Srinagar is the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir while Muzaffarabad is the capital of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by 7 September. The court also passed a directive to start proceedings to auction Rs 39,000 crore Amby Valley properties owned by the group. The bench was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, that the Sahara chief has deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore which was to be deposited in the refund account by 15 July. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, that the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore out of the Rs 552.21 crore would be deposited by 12 August. The bench, however, said that Rs 1,500 crore which Roy would deposit by 7 September would also include the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore. The apex court extended the parole granted to him earlier till 10 October. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to proceed with the publication of sale notice with regard to auctioning of Sahara's prime property at Aamby Valley. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on 11 September. On 5 July, the apex court had noted that Roy had deposited Rs 710.22 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account, but had warned him that his cheque of Rs 552.21 crore must be realised within the 15 July deadline. Roy had earlier told the court that he will pay Rs 1,500 crore on or before 15 June and Rs 552.22 crore exactly a month thereafter. He has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since 6 May last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. New Delhi: The government is considering giving telecom companies more time to pay for the spectrum they bought, in a bid to give relief to the sector reeling under massive debt and profitability issues, according to an official source. The finance minister held discussions on the relief measures being proposed for the sector with his officials as well as the telecom secretary last week. When contacted, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Department of Telecom (DoT), told PTI: "I met the finance minister and we had a preliminary discussion. The recommendations are yet to be finalised." Sundararajan declined to comment further on the matter. A telecom ministry senior official, however, said the inter-ministerial group (IMG) constituted to look at measures to mitigate the financial stress of the sector is favourably considering relaxing the period of deferred spectrum payment to 16 years. This, said the official, will improve the cash flow of telecom companies. At present, a portion of spectrum auction amount is taken as upfront payment by DoT, and the rest after a two-year moratorium is paid out every year in 10 instalments. "Relaxing the payment period to 16 years could increase telcos' cash flows by Rs 55,000 crore," said an industry official who did not wish to be named. Other proposals being actively considered include shifting from PLR (over 13 percent) to MCLR (8 percent) for interest on deferred payments, and convergence between DoT guidelines and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines on the issue of allowing spectrum as a collateral. "The inter-ministerial group is still exchanging ideas, and the date of the next meeting is yet to be finalised," the DoT official said. The IMG, last month, had held extensive dialogue with all telecom players as well as large banks to discuss the industry's financial difficulties and suggest measures to ease the situation. Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha has promised that the government will act swiftly on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial panel, and that report of the panel is expected soon. United against Reliance Jio, three established operators Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have cited Rs 4.6 lakh crore of cumulative industry debt to demand raising of the call termination charges from the current 14 paise per minute as well as reduction in licence fee, spectrum usage charges and GST, besides relaxation in deferred payment norms for the spectrum acquired. Jio, backed by Mukesh Ambani, has ascribed the financial stress in the telecom sector to existing operators like Bharti and Idea running businesses on debt and investing heavily in unrelated sectors, a charge that has outright been dismissed by the established operators. Mumbai: Varun Dhawan and Shoojit Sircar are collaborating on a slice-of-the-life love story October, which will be shot in Delhi. The production is set to begin this September. The movie also brings back Sircar's dream team of writer Juhi Chaturvedi and co-producer Ronnie Lahiri after Vicky Donor and Piku. Sircar, who grew up in Delhi and is familiar with the city like the back of his hands, said he always wanted to explore the concept of love in one of his films. "The title of the film is October. I cannot reveal much at this point but I am really looking forward to this story. I usually work with an idea and this time I am exploring the idea of love or how I see it. This one came from a newspaper clipping that I happened to read," Sircar told PTI. Varun and Sircar were already in discussion about a possible collaboration and this story seemed like a natural fit for the actor. "I remember meeting Varun at my office and while we were having tea I realised that he would be perfect for the story that I was writing with Juhi. After he left, I called Juhi and asked whether she had ever met Varun. She told me that his name had cropped up in her mind as well. I immediately called him back to narrate the idea as I did not know how he would react. But he was also looking for something unusual," Sircar said. Varun, who is currently busy with his next film Judwaa 2, said he is looking forward to working with Sircar and Juhi. "I like to do films that are entertaining and out-of- the-box. I have been an ardent fan of Shoojit da's films and have always wanted to work with him. October is a beautiful story in which I play a character with many layers. It's a difficult character to play and something that will challenge me as an actor. I hope people get to see a new side of me with this film," he said. Sircar said as a director he always looks for stories that inspires him as a human being. Like his previous projects, Delhi will play an important role in October as well. The leading lady of the film is yet to be finalised but producer Lahiri, who runs Rising Sun Films with Sircar, hopes to release the film sometime early next year. Last week there were a few audible gasps in the world with the news of an iceberg the size of Bali breaking off the Antarctic shelf. The most shocking aspect isnt the fact that the incident happened its that over the past few years weve become accustomed to such incidents becoming routine. The audible gasps, however, have become more and more muted, as more of us treat such things as another Earthquake that we can just ignore because Mother Nature simply works this way. I went to Amsterdam in February in the hope of seeing snow for the first time so it came as a rude shock to me that not only did it not snow but that the winter temperatures had steadily increased over five years shifting from an average of -25 degrees centigrade to -2. I also found out that the markets that sold heavy winter clothes were in heavy losses and shops that sold shoes meant to walk on ice have shut permanently. Theres also fresh news that the water levels around the coast of Mumbai will rise sharply enough to submerge half the city within a few decades. And yet there are YouTube videos of progressive world leaders like Narendra Modi telling people that the climate hasnt changed, we have. For anyone who still hasnt realised how screwed we are by climate change, Chasing Coral, directed by Jeff Orlowski will function as a stunning wake up call, and for those who love nature and everything it offers us humans, it serves as a terrifying horror movie. The film works as a spiritual sequel to Orlowskis film Chasing Ice which brilliantly chronicled a scientists research on depleting arctic shelf. Chasing Coral takes us on an emotional, and sometimes harrowing journey into the ocean to tell us about coral, and how their rapid extinction could signal the end of the world. Much like his previous film, Orlowski introduces us a young scientist who seems obsessed with an idea corals in this case and shows you how it functions as a basic building block of life on the planet. Its sickening when the film explains how greedy and careless human interaction with the sea has been singly responsible for corals dying, and also rather frightening when it becomes clear that dying coral reefs is going to accelerate the extinction of our own species. To most the Great Barrier Reef in Australia seems like a bucket list tourist attraction, and Orlowskis cameras go beneath the ocean to tell you how bad an idea that is. In one of the films emotional high points theres a heartbreaking scene where a coral researcher who has been trying for months to capture on camera coral depletion emerges from the water to see a boat full of partying youngsters completely oblivious to whats happening underneath them. The sight of magical looking colorful corals is juxtaposed with beer bottles floating in the sea. It becomes hard not to question how we got here, that we allowed our planet to become a garbage dump. The film should resonate the most with Indians, considering how we are at the very bottom of the list of environmentally friendly nations. Our capital is borderline inhabitable because of ridiculous amounts of pollution levels in the sky. For every frivolous Swacch Bharat campaign speech we have a tweet about factories dumping toxic waste into the Arabian sea. Municipal authorities dont take any responsibility and the tax paying citizens have to take matters in their own hands to clean up Juhu and Versova beaches. Aarey colony, the last bastion of hope for oxygen in Mumbai is going to be deforested to build a railway garage. A building in Ghatkopar came crumbling down on Tuesday afternoon, trapping fifty people in the rubble. Were the ones accelerating our own end one wishes Orlowski decides to come to India to make a film, a viewing of which would be made mandatory in schools. After watching this film its shattering that Indias response to environmental protection is opening the biggest coal extraction mine of all time in Australia, which is guaranteed to kill all existing coral at the Great Barrier Reef. Perhaps we deserve the flood. 'Chasing Coral' is available to stream on Netflix India Christopher Nolan is, after Ridley Scott, perhaps the most successful British film-maker on the international scene today. He has made his presence felt with three Batman movies and films like Memento (2000) Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014) in which he experiments with narrative, usually incorporating fantastic notions without rigorously working out the consequences of his central premises. In Interstellar, for instance, he tries for scientific plausibility and introduces concepts like black holes and time warps but also relies on simultaneity for emotional effect through crosscutting across distances measurable in hundreds of light-years; students of the physical sciences know that the simultaneity is not a valid concept across distances of such magnitude. One might plead that Nolan only wishes to entertain and he cannot become too exact about scientific principles, but that would also detract from his claims to being a serious film-maker. Dunkirk is a change for Nolan since he is dealing with a key historical event from World War II, one of particular importance to the British who were defeated in battle but evacuated 300,000 soldiers from France so that they could continue Britains fight. Dunkirk is a war film dealing with Britains WWII experiences and there have been few such films from Britain in the recent past. War films, like other historical films, are attempts at recreating the past based on the exigencies of the present and they usually tell us more about the present than about the past. Steven Spielbergs Saving Private Ryan (1998), which is about a group of soldiers sent on a mission risking their lives to save an American private fighting on the battlefield because his mother has already lost her other sons in the same war, deals with a particularly contemporary concern. It may be based on a true story of sorts but it reflects on the value placed by America on American lives today, and on what is termed the zero-casualty war in which so many die on the other side. The Imitation Game (2016), also set during WWII, reminded us of the British father of computer science just when America was celebrating loudly Steve Jobs less important contribution to the field. The British have fallen behind while the US has surged ahead and this may have initiated the reminder. War films celebrating fortitude and courage appear largely in upbeat periods of national history when heroism is recollected and Britain as a country has generally been in decline in the past few decades; that could explain some aspects of Dunkirk. Christopher Nolan has evidently studied wartime photographs assiduously but he has a penchant for impeccable pictorial compositions and that may explain the incongruous sense of order that permeates Dunkirk. The film begins with British soldiers walking through a deserted town which has been in a battle but the buildings are intact and there is no suggestion that it might have just seen violence. Crossing the barricades, the soldier in focus reaches the seaside, once again exemplary in its order, the prospective evacuees standing in line waiting for the boats to take them to England. There are other characters in the film apart from this soldier and among them are the Spitfire pilots engaging with the German Stuka dive bombers and we get part of the action through their eyes both dogfights and views of the beaches below with the soldiers waiting. Some of this is breath-taking, visually, but one wonders if an operation as massive as the one in Dunkirk would not have generated more confusion and chaos. Tasteful compositions are what Nolan is largely offering us in Dunkirk and these seem of small avail. Like most other war films dealing with major battles there are large number of characters in the film, several of them played by major stars (Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy). This is a strategy often used in works like Terrence Malicks The Thin Red Line (1998) and, for one thing, the billing of big stars in small roles announces the scale of the film. But their casting in major films like Malicks is not gratuitous and they are required to impart intensity to individual scenes, which smaller actors may not be able to do. War involves intense human interactions of various sorts (between comrades, between soldiers and civilians, between soldiers of different ranks, between politicians etc.) and stars bring more than their physical presence to roles in war films. As illuminating instances one could cite Elias Koteas, Sean Penn and Jim Caviezel who make moments of The Thin Red Line memorable. Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh who appear in Dunkirk are Shakespearean actors but neither is given a part of much consequence. All Branagh is allowed to do is look out grimly over the Channel for English boats. Tom Hardy, as a pilot, even wears an aviators mask and hardly reveals himself; the actor was masked in earlier films (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises) and this may be an in joke but what is a joke doing here? Also difficult to make sense of is the absence of key components of war films emotional scenes involving the personal lives of soldiers and civilians as well as political happenings. Something as massive as this would involve decisions of importance and the participation of statespersons. Similarly missing is a sense of how the action played out historically in 1940. Judging from reviews, the emphasis is on the human scale of Dunkirk but human detail in the shape of stories is non-existent. Even the short interludes when something is happening to someone are rudely interrupted and one rarely sinks ones teeth into any stretch of continuous action. The film is not overly long (106 min) and its general vacuity may be sensed from much of the action (like the dogfights) being repeated so often and essentially in the same way. Whenever a film has as little of emotional/observational value to offer as Dunkirk the critic is tempted to examine (by default) what it divulges involuntarily and this may be the best course open here. A motif which recurs in the film is the unwelcome presence of the French on British ships. The first time this happens a French soldier is told that there is passage to England only for British soldiers. On another occasion a soldier who does not speak English is discovered on a boat and taken to be a German spy until his French nationality is learnt. The immediate response of the others is to call him a frog a familiar term of derision directed at the French. This lack of empathy for a military ally is not often encountered in war films and one is tempted to associate it with Britain and France having a rather cold relationship today, especially after Brexit; in fact there has been much greater solidarity between France and Germany, who were wartime enemies, in the recent past. The absence of Churchill, once the British hero of WWII, in the film also deserves attention. There is a suggestion that so many soldiers were rescued despite rather than because of governmental action. Civilian boats transport the soldiers jubilantly to Britain rather than warships, mostly sunk. This is tantamount to making a direct association between the British people and happy outcome of the War, while simultaneously discounting the idea that the government also played a praiseworthy role. The Imitation Game, one recollects, painted the government as an obstacle to individual initiative and this antipathy is perhaps not so much a commentary on British WWII statesmen like Churchill as much as on British politicians of today people like Boris Johnson, widely despised by the liberal class. Since the political class is despised it would be anachronistic to praise politicians of the past, seems the logic. The United States and the United Kingdom were allies in WWII and describe many of the same experiences in their respective war films. But what is striking is how upbeat American war films generally are about patriotic values and how downbeat Dunkirk is although it strives to present itself as an affirmation. The argument here is that how a country looks at a past military engagement today depends more on the present strength of that countrys nationhood than its actual fortunes in that engagement. MK Raghavendra is a Swarna Kamal winning film scholar and author of The Oxford India Short Introduction to Bollywood (2016). An actress who was a part of Jean Paul Lal's Malayalam ensemble film Honey Bee 2: Celebrations, has filed a case against the filmmaker, co-star Sreenath Bhasi, and technicians Anirudh and Anoop for allegedly passing lewd comments on her. Manorama Online reports that the actress told the Panangad police that she went to a hotel to ask for her remuneration for doing Honey Bee 2: Celebrations. However, the four accused returned the favour by passing lewd remarks on her and refused to pay her. Subsequently, she filed a case with the Panagad police since the hotel, where the incident happened, falls under their jurisdiction. The same report states that the police is investigating the matter. Malayalam film industry has recently been in news for another similar case, though much graver in nature. Kerala High Court rejected the bail plea of Malayalam superstar Dileep who is the chief accused in the assault and abduction case of a popular Malayalam actress. Thus, Dileep is not only looking at his two-week jail stay being prolonged, but also the loss of his stardom. While those in the legal fraternity point out that denial of bail should not be taken as the court's verdict, as a celebrity whose career depends on his public reputation, Dileep would find it very difficult to stage a comeback. Its been a fabulous year so far for Priya Anand, who has two blockbusters Ezra and Raajakumara - to her credit, and the success of these films couldnt have come at a better time for the English Vinglish actress. Talking about the current phase of her career, a jubilant Priya says, I did these movies for different reasons and Im glad they turned out to be successful. Im happy for the producers. In hindsight, it was really exciting being part of the projects where I got the opportunity to do something different and enjoy myself in the process. Ask her if 2017 could be termed as the best year of her career, pat comes the reply. I dont think so. Agreed, I tasted back-to-back hits but success, most of the times, depends on what you want at that point in time. Regardless of the result, I want to be part of films that challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone. She says she wants to surprise audiences with different kind of roles. I dont want to get too comfortable doing something. I love to be part of projects where I'm insecure about myself as an artiste and wonder if I'd be able to do a certain role. Audiences know what to expect when they see my name on screen. I want to surprise them by doing something totally unexpected, she explains. Priya admits Malayalam film Ezra, a horror-thriller set against a Jewish backdrop, challenged her. Malayalam industry is very progressive, both in terms of storytelling and even technically. I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and it was equally challenging because it was a new industry and language. I had to think about my shots before going for the shoot. This is the kind of excitement that keeps me motivated, she says. The film, directed by debutant Jay Krishnan, turned out to be a money-spinner at the box-office. However, theres no guarantee for such glorious roles to keep coming a heroines way, and Priya nods in agreement. Im well aware of it. But Im a pan-Indian actor and I have worked in five industries so far. Ive played characters from all walks of life and I believe there is so much more to explore. I always keep my options open and Im willing to experiment, given the opportunity," she informs, adding, I followed up Ezra with my first Kannada film Raajakumara, and I did that film knowing it was an out-and-out commercial one. In the last year or two, the Kannada industry has truly changed, thanks to some new-age filmmakers and films such as U-Turn and Lucia. I thought this was the best time to enter the industry and leave a mark. Raajakumara also gave me the opportunity to team up with one of the biggest stars, Puneeth Rajkumar, and I couldnt have asked for a better launch, she said. In between Ezra and Raajakumara, Priya had a Tamil release called Muthuramalingam, a rural drama about valour and good deeds. After much delay, the film hit the screens earlier this year and was heavily panned by critics and audiences alike. Despite the films poor show, Priya did have her own reasons to be part of the project. 2017 has been about doing things I dont usually do in films. In Muthuramalingam, I played a village belle for the first time and I also learnt Silambam (the ancient form of martial arts with a bamboo stick)," she informs, adding, "When we started shooting, I wondered who really cares about Silambam. It was not until we reached the interiors of Pollachi and Theni, did I realise its importance in their lives. Children in these villages still practice Silambam with passion and conviction, and it was really nice to see people still hold on to their culture and tradition. Priyas fourth release of the year is the Tamil film Kootathil Oruthan (which releases on Friday), a moving story about an average Joe. Unlike Ezra and Raajakumara, this film doesnt feature a star hero. Then what excited her about the project? This is the story about the underachiever. We always talk about underdogs and successful people. Nobody really wants to talk about people in between. Nobody wants to talk about the middle benchers in college. Its this story of an average person that really got me excited, and Im sure audiences will easily relate, she explained. Talking about Fukrey Returns, which might hit the screens later this year, Priya said she is asked about it wherever she goes. Its going to be a fun film. There will be this crazy wedding song, on the lines of the popular 'Ambarsariya' from the first part, she signs off. Prakash Raj's Hindi directorial debut Tadka, starring Taapsee Pannu, Ali Fazal, Nana Patekar and Shriya Saran has been delayed once again, this time due to the unavailability of dates from Taapsee Pannu and Ali Fazal. Pannu and Fazal are having scheduling conflicts as both the actors have gotten busy with the shooting and promotions of their upcoming movies Judwaa 2 and Victoria and Abdul, respectively, according to a Mumbai Mirror report. A schedule of the movie was shot in Goa last May, and the shooting was to resume in June however due to unforseen circumstances the schedule had to be left midway and was incomplete. After that Ali Fazal got busy with his upcoming movie titled Victoria and Abdul (based on a true story). Taapsee Pannu also moved on to her recently released Naam Shabana after that and has currently jetted off to Mauritius for her upcoming Judwaa 2, and now it seems that both the actors are having trouble coinciding their dates so that they can shoot their leftover scenes together. There is reportedly one song and a couple of scenes with the actors' love story being championed that are yet to be shot, and their unavailability of dates is what has caused the latest delay as these scenes cannot be shot separately. Pannu and Fazal's spokesperson's said, We are trying to work out her dates but they are blocked," according to the same Mumbai Mirror report. Pannu's upcoming Judwaa 2 starring Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez alongside the actor is all set to release on 29 September, whereas Ali Fazal's Victoria and Abdul is slated for a 22 September release. Do I hate the government? The jury is out on that one, but the sentence is long passed on my hatred of the governments undue process. My ongoing battle with Aadhaar has rekindled a vicious dislike for paperwork tigers who wish to order and reorder our lives and livelihood. It leaves me little choice to offer up a curse, first employed several decades ago, during my first major paperwork confrontation with a government employee. May you be reborn as a wart on a salamanders tongue! The pompous Indian Administrative Service officer was quite offended, and that was the point. I couldnt write a negative assessment of him to ruin his career; I couldnt fire him; or vote to have him kicked out of a position earned with an opponents congenital weakness, and backed by a vicious and often vacuous army of lying trolls. There was reason for my dislike and it had nothing to do with him personally, but the government. You see, the government got me married before the fact, and then wouldnt let me get married as I had already been married. At the time my partner and I lived in an apartment in South Delhi. Those were the early years of what is today called 'Voter ID'. A middle-aged gentleman came by one weekend to enroll us for the process. For me provenance was quite simple. At 'S/o', he wrote my fathers name. When it came to my partner and her insistence (and mine) for D/o, he switched off. He simply wouldnt write her fathers name. He moved erringly to W/o', and wrote my name. Every effort to subsequently have the error corrected failed. The government would not accept that this lady wished to have W/o correctly changed to D/o. Moreover, we were told by various government officials that in their error lay our legitimisation. Some years later we went to marry, after having duly filed an application with the court at Tis Hazari, using our Voter IDs as ID. I received a summons from the ranking IAS officer 'in-charge' of marriages. He berated me for wasting the governments time. I told him why. He then berated me for trying to deceive the government. How would India ever progress if educated people like us lied to the government? I told him of my fervent wish that he be reborn as a wart on a salamanders tongue. Honest citizens, my partner and I approached a temple in Jangpura Extension. We werent religious people, but she and I figured the only way to deal with the government was to employ God. It worked. We were finally, legally, correctly married. The government was happy too as everything was neatly reconciled. My partner and I had finally caught up with our early paperwork marriage; we had literally earned that phrase beloved of government: retrospective effect. Several years later I had to renew my passport. By then we had moved from the National Capital Region to Goa. Everything went well, till I received a letter a couple of months later mentioning my application was held up. Upon enquiry at the local passport office, I was told that the number of one of the several passports issued to me earlier had also been issued to someone else, as it turned out, in London to an Indian lady. I explained that the particular passport number issued to me in New Delhi had been done as an emergency measure as I had to accompany a prime minister of India as part of the media delegation, and the Ministry of External Affairs had correctly used its authority to issue me a perfectly legal passport to bridge the gap between my expired passport and a new, long-duration one that could take a month or more to issue through ordinary channels. The stand-in passport officer (the regular chap was 'on leave') looked at me as if I had committed a grave crime. I showed him all passports ever issued to me by the Government of India, all with perfectly legal entry and exit stamps, all perfectly, legally imprinted with official stamps of the passport issuing authority. "Are you telling me that we dont know our job?" he said. "Go. We will get back to you," he added. I told him that he ought to be reborn as a wart on a salamanders tongue, and stormed out as elegantly as I could. As my effort to follow due process had come to nothing for several months, I gave up on being a citizen who generally refuses to use any influence, and follow undue process. This time I invoked that rare God of journalism, a well-known and actually honest and thoroughly professional television anchor. We had been colleagues during my time as an editor with a media house. I sent him a detailed email. He passed that on to a friend, who happened to be the boss of New Delhis passport office. Within a week I received a call from the passport officer in Goa, who sounded as if he would be delighted to caress my little toe with his (soon-to-be) salamanders tongue. Two days after that I had the brand new and perfectly legal passport in my hands as perfectly legal as all my previous passports. There is no real need for me to possess an Aadhaar card, issued by a firm that now resembles a firm of stormtroopers, the Unique Identification Authority of India. I dont need any subsidy from any government of India, central or in the states. I have a Voter ID the same one a PAN card, a passport and a driving license. But the government wants that I absolutely must possess an Aadhaar card or else I should soon be illegal despite my several perfectly legal and perfectly adequate IDs issued for various purposes. Of course it has not explained its own illegalities, such as insisting that I cannot pay my electricity bill without an Aadhaar card. This actually happened to me as far back as 2012 when Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister of Goa, and I went to pay the utility bill at the branch of a local cooperative bank in Moira village. "Where your udder card?" the lady at the counter demanded. "I dont have one," I replied. No-udder-card no bill-men, she pronounced. I had to request my housekeeper, who had got herself such a card to benefit from several subsidies, to pay the bill on my behalf. Later, I encountered a very close friend of Nandan Nilekani the man behind it all at dinner during the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2013. He laughed a little embarrassedly, and confessed Parrikar and Nilekani had been buddies from their days as students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Belonging to different political parties would hardly come in their way. And now, with the government having adopted Aadhaar with ill-disguised fervour of the control-freak, such political lines have long since blurred. After strenuously resisting Aadhaar for several years, I may now be compelled to give in, be denied my rights to question the illegal activities of the government. So, one Friday in May this year, I joined the queue at the local Aadhaar enrollment centre for North Goa in Mapusa. It is on the first floor of the large and busy district hospital, and it seems apt, as it is still unclear whether Aadhaar is a disease or partial cure or political prophylactic. The queue was long. When I got to the door manned by an outsourced security fellow, I was told to arrive on a Saturday, as a 'token' was given out only on a Saturday. I showed up the next day, to be a given a token for the following Thursday. But I would be out of the country then so another day perhaps? No. Go. I didnt have the Hindi word for salamander. Besides, it wasnt his fault. I returned to the same place, and familiar odours of rot, helplessness, and seemingly ineffective disinfectant, on 21 July, even though it was not a Saturday. The queue had gotten longer. Indeed, there were two queues, one for folks who had arrived for biometrics, and a longer one for those who had come to get errors in their Aadhaar card sorted out. But they gave me a token for 11 August to complete my biometrics. There was simply no slot before that. I will have to break a travel schedule decided several weeks earlier in order to not be deemed illegal in my own country, even after possessing four legal, digitally recorded IDs of which three are also biometrically recorded. Are they dumb? Cant one bit of artificial intelligence talk to another? If so many people are still queuing up when the Goa government has repeatedly claimed the highest enrollment numbers for Aadhaar, could this claim have by some chance been faked? Or, executed with a massive volume of error? I dont know if I should wish Nilekani to be reborn as a wart on a salamanders tongue. Hes a nice guy, a go-getter, bright. I like him. But Parrikar and his kind already have forked tongues. For them it wouldnt even be a leap of faith. The author is an award-winning writer, columnist, and consultant to think-tanks and the media. He tweets @chakraview Beijing A leading Chinese daily has called India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval "one of the main schemers" behind the border row, and said his trip to Beijing on Friday won't help settle the row. In a scathing editorial, the State-run Global Times said, "Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff. Doval will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain with Beijing over the border disputes." Reiterating that the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam was a "precondition", it said Doval's visit for a meeting of BRICS NSAs meet will not change Beijing's stance on the issue. "India's withdrawal from Chinese territory is a precondition and a basis for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides. The Chinese side will not talk with India on the issue before the Indian troops' unconditional withdrawal." The NSAs meet was in preparation for the BRICS Summit in July and not a platform to address border skirmishes, the daily said. If Indian troops don't pull back, New Delhi "will have to pay a heavy price", it warned. "India's unconditional withdrawal is China's bottom line ... If India complies with international laws, the withdrawal will display dignity. Beijing has no obligation to coordinate with New Delhi to withdraw its troops or suspend its road construction." India stopped road construction by Chinese troops in Doklam saying the area was Bhutan's and the road would endanger New Delhi's strategic interests. India has also said that both Beijing and New Delhi should pull back forces from Doklam before they can talk. "India is wrong by brazenly crossing the Sino-Indian border in the Sikkim sector and must correct its mistakes. China will neither jeer nor express gratitude for India's retreat," the Global Times said. "New Delhi must give up all its illusions. People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces are being deployed to the border area, and will take effective countermeasures if India refuses to pull back voluntarily. "The PLA is capable enough to take actions that neither Indian troops nor the government can afford." the daily said. China doesn't believe India was ready for a military showdown, the editorial said. "India's voluntary withdrawal will incur the least cost to it. If Beijing takes countermeasures, New Delhi will be mired in a more passive political and military situation, and face its most serious strategic setback since 1962." Beijing: Ahead of NSA Ajit Doval's visit, China's state media struck two different notes with the China Daily hopeful of a peaceful resolution to the deadlock with India while the Global Times said the "main schemer's" trip wouldn't sway Beijing. In its editorial, 'It's never too late for India to mend its way', China Daily pressed for exploring ways to avoid confrontation. The Global Times editorial, 'Doval visit won't sway China over border standoff', said Beijing would not talk until Indian troops were withdrawn. Doval is to visit China for a meeting of NSAs from BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - on 27, 28 July . He is expected to discuss the standoff with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. Both officials are also the Special Representatives of their countries for the boundary talks. The military standoff began on June 16 after the Chinese army tried to build a road near the Bhutan trijunction. India has protested the construction of the road, fearing it would allow China to cut India's access to its northeastern states. "There are still hopes that the deadlock can be resolved peacefully, which serves both countries' best interests," the China Daily said. Doval's visit is "hoped" to "carry on that slight shift in India's previously bellicose stance", it said, referring to Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's recent comments that both the countries should not let their "differences become disputes". "The two sides need to explore ways to avoid confrontation. It would be damaging to both countries and regional stability if India cannot use its reason and wisdom to avoid the military collision both countries are currently on course for," it said. But The Global Times, part of the Communist Party's publication group, said in its editorial that Beijing will not "talk" until Indian troops were withdrawn. As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute," the daily said. "New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff in accordance with India's will," it said. It added that India should not take lightly Monday's comments by the Chinese Defence ministry that New Delhi should not "harbour any illusions" and withdraw troops. The two editorials come a day after the Chinese Foreign Ministry hinted that a bilateral meeting between Doval and Yang could happen on the sidelines of a BRICS NSAs' meet. India has maintained that both the countries withdraw troops from the disputed area and resolve the issue through talks. Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's mother 'Rajmata' Mohinder Kaur passed away on Monday evening after prolonged illness at her residence in Patiala. She was 96. A former Congress MP, she had been keeping unwell for sometime. She breathed her last at the family's Moti Mahal residence in Patiala at 7.24 pm, as a result of multiple system failure triggered by a natural weakening due to old age, an official spokesperson said. The chief minister has gone to Patiala to perform the last rites, which will be conducted on Tuesday. The cabinet meeting and other programmes scheduled for tomorrow stand cancelled, the spokesperson said. The Rajmata had not been keeping well for some months and had been hospitalised at PGI Chandigarh in March. She is survived by two sons and two daughters. Kaur, the wife of late Maharaja of Patiala Yadavindra Singh, was born in Ludhiana to Harchand Singh Jaijee, a nobleman and member of the Patiala Riyasat Praja Mandal (Patiala State Peoples' Forum, an affiliate of the Indian National Congress). She got married at the age of 16. A former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha member, the Rajmata was actively involved in various political, social and other philanthropic activities. Kaur was Rajya Sabha member from 1964 to 1967. In 1967, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Patiala. Several dignitaries from across the country have mourned the death of the royal matriarch. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders of the Congress called the chief minister to express their condolences. Punjab governor VP Singh Bhadnore, Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Rana KP Singh, deputy speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti, several state ministers, legislators among others had called Amarinder. The cabinet meeting slated for tomorrow and the launch bike taxis by a cab aggregate stand cancelled. New Delhi: A Chinese national has been arrested by the customs at the Indira Gandhi International airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle out over 86 kg of red sanders. The accused was intercepted when he was proceeding to depart to Kunming in China on Sunday. "A thorough search of the passenger's baggage resulted in the recovery of 86 kg of red sanders," a senior customs official said today. Red sanders, a prohibited item for export, is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, it is traded illegally in the international market as it is used in the manufacturing of medicinal products and aphrodisiacs. The wood costs about Rs 10,000 per kg in India and it is in high demand at much higher price in China, Japan and other East Asian countries. The value of the 86 kg of seized wood is about Rs 8.6 lakh. The passenger, who is 48-year-old, has been arrested, he said. In another incident, an Indian has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold valuing about Rs 43 lakh. The accused was intercepted after his arrival from Dubai on 23 July. He had concealed gold in the form of wires in his baggage, the official said. The gold weighing 1.5 kg has been seized and the man has been arrested, he said. Indian authorities haven't displayed as much determination and resolve in the recent past as they did in the last one week while dealing with the Kashmir unrest. Be it eliminating terrorists or curbing terror funding, there have been a series of substantial and meaningful developments. In a bold move, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven separatist leaders from the Hurriyat Conference on Monday. Those arrested included the son-in-law of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and a close accomplice of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, both on charges of perceived terror funding from Pakistan. Those apprehended include Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Funtoosh, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, and Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid ul Islam. Incidentally, the latter is Mirwaiz's press secretary. Protesting the arrests, separatists called for a bandh in Kashmir on Tuesday. However, with authorities clearly in no mood to relent, the bandh is unlikely to have the desired effect. The NIA has registered cases against those arrested and charged them with raising funds through unlawful means, including hawala, for financing terror acts in the Valley. They have also been accused of several acts of subversion, including pelting stones at security forces, burning schools, and most importantly, waging war against India. Meanwhile, various media reports have also highlighted how terrorists are increasingly on the run in areas of Kashmir like Budgam. The intelligence fraternity is now more proactive, constantly being on the offensive and promptly sharing actionable intelligence which has often resulted in tangible outcome against members of Hizbul Mujahideen and their affiliates, which had been operating in the Valley. But security forces are now more energised especially the Jammu and Kashmir police, which seems determined to avenge the mob lynching of DSP Ayub Pandith. The Inspector-General of Kashmir held a press conference on Monday, where he claimed the recovery of Pandith's mobile phone. It is more than evident now that the state police means business. Their anger was also stoked by the earlier killing of comrade-in-arms Lt Umar Fayaz. One can therefore afford to be optimistic, with a reasonably large section of the population and the local police now focussed on taking on the militants with a robust resolve to eliminate terror. The CRPF and army columns are all present, but the state police coming on board means a lot. Also, there hasn't been any spurt in stone pelting cases in the last few weeks. Nor have we come across any acrimonious rhetoric against the Indian government or military. Bad blood still exists, but it hasn't surfaced in the fresh cases. In the midst of all this, National Conference (NC) leader and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was rather tactless in calling for China and Pakistan to mediate in the issue. Considering the country is already engaged in aggression with China, while relations with Pakistan are at their worst ebb, Abdullah's comments have caused huge damage to efforts to contain violence in the Valley. Why did he choose this particular time to make these statements though? The same tenor and syntax was noted in Abdullah's previous statements as well, which came around the Srinagar and Anantnag by-elections earlier this year. But even more surprisingly, the ruling party in the state, the PDP, appeared to resonate these views. The pattern is beginning to emerge, where the present scene is a concerted attempt to derail any positive moves. But fortunately, opportunists like Abdullah are miniscule in number. Through intelligence operations, links with his "mentors" must also be severed. This will have the added advantage of acting as an effective deterrent. If the local populace is in control, then even the best efforts and subversive designs by Pakistan or the ISI will continue to be foiled. With the US drastically slashing funding to Pakistan on terror and terror-related projects, ISI will face a cash crunch, since most of the money it receives is generally considered to be channeled to foment terror in Kashmir. Arrests of separatist leaders by the NIA, regular encounters, and taking the Jammu and Kashmir state police on board all mean that the scene looks brighter. It can only be hoped that there is no lowering of guard and the authorities continue to pursue their goals aggressively. The writer is a retired IPS officer and has also been a member of the intelligence community. Views expressed are personal New Delhi: Even as Delhi is struggling hard to cope with the challenge of vector borne diseases, the dreaded swine flu makes a visit to the capital city yet again with the number of infected patients fast increasing in the city hospitals. Lok Nayak Hospital that has admitted three swine flu patients has kept 93 beds vacant to accommodate more patients in case of an outbreak. "Apart from the swine flu patients we have treated 63 dengue, 20 malaria and 131 chikungunya patients till now," said JC Passey, medical superintendent, Lok Nayak Hospital. Passey said there has been no casualty due to swine flu so far in the hospital although it saw one death due to dengue this year. Lok Nayak Hospital is not the only hospital that has admitted swine flu patients. The India Today reported quoting doctor Smriti of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital that the facility screened 25 suspected H1N1 patients out of which at least 10 cases proved positive. It also reported that Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, another leading medical facility in the city, has seen at least six to seven H1N1 cases in the past two weeks. Passey, told Firstpost that rains have a lot to do with the increase in viral infections like swine flu. "Hot and humid atmosphere is always considered to be convenient for viruses to mutate. In Delhi, swine flu infection has always been a seasonal affair. But this time around due to erratic rains the virus has spread faster," he said. The medical superintendent said that rains do not necessarily make the Delhi weather cold. Rather it increases the moisture content in the hot atmosphere more available. "This weather helps the virus to spread faster," Passey said. In Delhi, 241 people have tested positive for H1N1 virus till 9 July and four among them have died, said a Times of India report. India has seen an abrupt rise in the number of swine flu infections and deaths in 2017. As per media reports the country recorded 600 deaths due to swine flu against 12,500 cases of infection this year alone. This number is more than double than the last year in which the pandemic claimed 265 lives. The swine flu threat comes along with the challenges thrown in by vector borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria. The vector diseases are dealt with by the municipal corporations of Delhi and swine flu is taken care of by the Delhi health department. Arun Chouhan, a health official with South Delhi Municipal Corporation, told Firstpost that measures to contain the vector borne diseases include checking of mosquito breeding in households, destroying larvae and fogging. While speaking on differences in the symptoms of swine flu, dengue, malaria and chikungunya, he said, "Swine flu causes high fever associated with a cough, nausea and feeling of chilliness. The condition of patients deteriorates very fast." A dengue patient may not necessarily suffer from a cough or nausea, though high fever is a common symptom among dengue patients. "Malaria causes high fever with a feeling of chilliness. Moreover, the malaria parasite increases the body temperature in cycles. The body temperature increases after an interval and milds down again," Chouhan said. The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Maharashtra, will release the provisional allotment list for Engineering Common Admission process (CAP) Round III on Monday after 9pm. Candidates can check their provisional merit status from the DTE Maharashtra official website, www.dtemaharashtra.gov.in. This year, DTE is holding a centralised counselling for the candidates who qualified for the Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MHT CET), according to Exams Watch. The list for round two of the CAP and the status of vacant seats was released on 16 July. If a candidate is allotted a seat for the first time, he/she will have to report to the Admission Reporting Center (ARC) as per the given allotment. The dates for reporting for such candidates are from 25-28 July upto 5 pm. To confirm the admission, the required documents and the fees should be submitted on or before 29 July. Candidates can follow these steps to check their provisional allotment in the Engineering CAP round III: Srinagar: The first Haj flight with 420 pilgrims aboard took off from Srinagar on Tuesday for Saudi Arabia. Although the flight was scheduled to leave at 9 am, it got delayed and took off at 10.05 am for Medina in Saudi Arabia. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Haj and Auqaf Minister Farooq Andrabi saw off the pilgrims at the Srinagar international airport. Mehbooba requested the pilgrims to pray for peace and prosperity in the Jammu and Kashmir. The second direct flight from Srinagar to Medina carrying another 420 pilgrims will leave at 11.35 am on Tuesday. Officials said two direct flights carrying 840 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir to Saudi Arabia will operate daily from Tuesday till 5 August. This year, 8,106 pilgrims are scheduled to perform the holiest Muslim pilgrimage of Haj from Jammu and Kashmir. Two assistants, especially trained by the Haj committee, are accompanying the pilgrims in each flight. At least 40 such assistants called 'Khudam-ul-Hujaaz' will remain on duty with pilgrims during this year's Haj. The pilgrims have been advised not to carry in the flight intoxicating agents such as tobacco, snuff and medicines containing high content of alcohol. President Pranab Mukherjee will demit office on Tuesday when successor Ram Nath Kovind will take over the office. Kovind will take oath as India's 14th President on Tuesday at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and President-elect Kovind will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Jusitce of India J. S. Khehar. He will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new president will then deliver his address. In his last address to the nation as the President, Mukherjee made an impassioned case for freeing public discourse from all kinds of violence. Mukherjee said the capacity for compassion and empathy is the "true foundation" of India's civilisation. Read the full address: Fellow citizens: On the eve of stepping down from office, I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude for the people of India, their elected representatives and the political parties for the trust and confidence they reposed in me. I am humbled by their kindness and affection. I have received much more from the country than I have given. For that, I will remain ever indebted to the people of India. I congratulate and extend a warm welcome to Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the President-to-be and wish him success and happiness in the years to come. Fellow citizens: Our founding fathers, with the adoption of Constitution, set in motion powerful forces that liberated us from the stranglehold of inequity in gender, caste and community along with other fetters that had tied us for too long. It inspired a social and cultural evolution which put Indian society on the track to modernity. A modern nation is built on some essential fundamentals - democracy or equal rights for every citizen, secularism or equal freedom to every faith, equality of every region, and economic equity. For development to be real, the poorest of the land must feel that they are a part of the nations narrative. Fellow citizens: Five years ago, when I took the oath of office of the President of the Republic, I promised to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution, not just in word but also in spirit. Each day of these five years, I was conscious of my responsibility. I learnt from my travels across the length and breadth of the country. I learnt from my conversations with young and bright minds in colleges and universities, scientists, innovators, scholars, jurists, authors, artists and leaders from across the spectrum. These interactions kept me focused and inspired. I strove hard. How successful I was in discharging my responsibilities will be judged, over the time, by the critical lens of history. Fellow citizens: As one advances in years, so does ones propensity to sermonize. But I have no sermon to make. For the past fifty years of my public life, - My sacred text has been the Constitution of India; My temple has been the Parliament of India; and My passion has been the service of the people of India. I want to share with you some truths that I have internalised in this period: The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. India is not just a geographical entity. It carries a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, industrial genius, craft, innovation and experience. Plurality of our society has come about through assimilation of ideas over centuries. The multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. We derive our strength from tolerance. It has been part of our collective consciousness for centuries. There are divergent strands in public discourse. We may argue, we may agree or we may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought process will wither away. The capacity for compassion and empathy is the true foundation of our civilization. But every day, we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal. Only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the marginalized and the dispossessed in the democratic process. Power of non-violence has to be resurrected to build a compassionate and caring society. 10.Protection of the environment is essential for our survival. Nature has been kind to us in its bounty. But when greed exceeds need, nature lets loose its fury. We often see some parts of India affected by devastating floods while others reel under severe drought. Climate change has put farming sector under tremendous stress. Scientists and technologists have to work with millions of farmers and workers to revive the health of our soil, arrest the decline in water table and restore the ecological balance. We all have to act together now for the future may not give us another chance. As I had said on assuming the Office of the President, education is the alchemy that can take India to its next golden age. A reordering of society is possible through the transformative power of education. For that, we have to upgrade our higher institutions of learning to world-class levels. Our education system must accept disruption as a norm and prepare our students to manage and build upon the disruptions. Our universities should not be a place for rote-memorizing but an assembly of inquisitive minds. Creative thinking, innovation and scientific temper have to be promoted in our institutions of higher learning. It calls for application of logic through discussion, argument and analysis. These qualities have to be cultivated and autonomy of mind has to be encouraged. For us, creation of an inclusive society has to be an article of faith. Gandhiji saw India as an inclusive nation where every section of our population lived in equality and enjoyed equal opportunity. He wanted our people to move forward unitedly in ever-widening thought and action. Financial inclusion is at the core of an equitable society. We must empower the poorest of the poor and ensure that the fruits of our policies reach the last person in the line. To lead healthy, happy and productive lives is the basic right of our citizens. Happiness is fundamental to the human experience of life. Happiness is equally the outcome of economic and non-economic parameters. The quest for happiness is closely tied to the quest for sustainable development, which is the combination of human well-being, social inclusion and environmental stability. Eradication of poverty would provide a strong boost to happiness. A sustainable environment would prevent damage to the planetary resources. Social inclusion would ensure access to the fruits of progress to all. Good governance would provide the ability to people to shape their own lives through transparent, accountable and participatory political institutions. Fellow citizens: During my five years in Rashtrapati Bhavan, we tried to build a humane and happy township. We found happiness that is associated with joy and pride, smiling and laughter, good health, feeling of safety and positive actions. We learnt to wear a smile always; to laugh at life; to connect with nature and get involved with the community. And then, we extended our experience to a few villages in the neighbourhood. The journey continues. Fellow citizens: As I get ready to leave, let me repeat what I said in my first Address to the Nation on the eve of Independence Day 2012: "Words cannot adequately express my gratitude to the people and their representatives for the honour of this high office even as I am deeply conscious of the fact that the highest honour in our democracy does not lie in any office but in being a citizen of India, our motherland. We are all equal children before our mother and India asks each one of us in whatever role we play in the complex drama of nation building to do our duty with integrity, commitment and unflinching loyalty to the values enshrined in our Constitution. When I speak to you tomorrow, it will not be as the President but as a citizen a pilgrim like all of you in Indias onward march towards glory. Thank you. Jai Hind. The entire text has been taken exactly as posted by the official website of the President of India and has not been edited by Firstpost. New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday briefed Union home minister Rajnath Singh about the prevailing situation in Darjeeling, where normal life has been hit due to an ongoing strike demanding a separate Gorkhaland state. During the 20-minute meeting here, Banerjee apprised Singh about the security situation in the hill district and the steps taken by her government to bring back normalcy in the region, an official privy to the meeting said. The home minister assured Banerjee of full cooperation and asked her to take all necessary steps to restore normalcy in Darjeeling, the official said. Darjeeling has been witnessing indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland, since 12 June. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union minister of state for home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said there was no proposal to constitute a committee to look into the separate state demand of the Gorkhas and others agitating in Darjeeling. Todays Times of India (25 July) reports that Colonel Mukul Dev, a senior army officer presently holding the rank of Deputy Judge Advocate General of Headquarters 12 Corps, has threatened the government that he would move court if the Centres decision to abolish free rations to army officers in peace areas is not reversed within 60 days. It may be recalled that the decision of the government regarding the revised allowances for 3.4 million civilian and 1.4 million defence personnel was notified in the first week of this month. This revision was in continuation of the revised salaries granted to these 4.8 million privileged employees whose salary is billed to the state exchequer who had been awarded a generous pay hike by the Seventh Central Pay Commission. The government had accepted the pay hike recommendations in toto. The Seventh Pay Commission had, while recommending the steep pay hike, had also suggested that many of the existing allowances admissible to these employees must be restructured some should be abolished and some others should be subsumed under other allowances, instead of being provided as a separate allowance. The Pay Commission had considered 197 special allowances given to a different set of employees and had come to a consensus that 53 of them should be done away with and 37 be clubbed with other existing allowances. The Pay Commissions recommendation was guided by two considerations: that the salaries of both civilian and defence forces had been made so handsome, compared to the average earning in a country in India, that the special allowances given to some set of employees did not have any rationale at all. The Commission also said that the general allowances admissible to all government functionaries were also being raised significantly to offset any loss on account of stoppage of special allowances. The Pay Commissions decision was also influenced by the fact that monitoring a large number of allowances for sporadic employees in different parts of the country involved huge time and effort of the government machinery which could be gainfully utilised for more productive purposes. Despite these two-fold obvious reservations, the Seventh Pay Commission had recommended several special allowances (107, to be precise) for both civilian and defence forces to continue unchanged. The government implemented the new pay structure, on the guidelines of the Seventh Pay Commission, from August last year. That involved an additional expenditure of more than Rs 1,00,000 crore annually. The government had last year announced that the increased allowances would be notified after due deliberations. It is in that process that the government came out with the notification earlier this month to announce the new allowance policy. It was officially stated that by rolling out the hike in allowances, the government would end up spending an additional amount of Rs 31,000 crore every year. It was interesting that while the government largely agreed with the Seventh Pay Commission regarding the quantum of hike in salaries and, it must be noted, it increased the quantum for several allowances that made the government job the biggest aspiration for the youth it did not fully endorse the Pay Commissions recommendations on abolition and subsuming of certain category of allowances. Keeping in view the larger interest of both the civilian and defence personnel, the government notified that it would retain 12 of the 53 special allowances, some partly and some fully, that the Pay Commission had recommended to be abolished. One of such recommendations pertained to free rations for the army. The existing practice was that the army personnel received free rations and ration money allowances irrespective of whether they were posted in conflict zones or in peace areas. The Seventh Pay Commission had recommended that the free ration and ration money allowance be continued as usual in conflict zones but both should be done away with in the peace areas. The government accepted the recommendation for the conflict-prone areas and continued with both the facilities. But, with regard to peace areas, it accepted part of the recommendation: it abolished the free rations for the defence personnel but continued with the provision of the ration money allowance. Colonel Devs notice to the central government is a consequence of this government notification earlier this month. Colonel Dev has argued that such a decision by the government was illegal as it violated the basic terms and conditions of the appointment on the basis of which he had joined the ranks of defence services. But then Colonel Dev is acting myopically. He should also have taken notice of the fact that his service contract had not envisaged such huge jumps in salaries and allowances that he is receiving today. Would he be ready to forsake this to maintain the sanctity of the original contract? Colonel Dev, of course, has not served this notice just as an individual officer. He is speaking for the entire 1.4 million defence personnel who have joined the services under similar terms and conditions that he has alluded to. He has started the symbolic protest; other fellow officers would possibly wait and watch if the government would buckle down under pressure and restore free rations in the peace areas before they decide to raise the demand in unison. It is time for the government to remain firm. It has taken a well-thought-out decision to retain the ration in conflict areas which is what it should be: our defence forces operating in difficult and dangerous terrain need this support but a large majority of our defence personnel are deployed in non-conflict zones only preparing for war-like situations. They get a handsome salary to meet all their requirements. Still, the government, as a goodwill gesture, has retained the ration money allowance for them. They should be happy with that. If the threat to move court against changing the terms of service agreement holds good for the defence services, then the same argument would be equally valid for the civilian personnel. The government of the day cannot be held to ransom to such trivial threats especially when it has invested a great deal of taxpayers money to shower huge benefits on both the civilian and the defence personnel. Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced an interim assistance of Rs 500 crore for Gujarat where two districts continued to reel under floods. Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, said 10 more IAF helicopters would be pressed into service for rescue and relief operations. The central government will provide an immediate assistance of Rs 500 crore to the state, and after a detailed survey has been conducted, it will give whatever is additionally required, he said in a statement after reviewing the situation. "Everything possible will be done to help the farmers who suffer immensely due to floods," Modi said. He said though the state government has provided immediate relief to those who lost their kin in the deluge, an additional ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh would be extended to them from the PM's relief fund. Those injured would be given Rs 50,000 by the Centre which would be over and above the assistance extended by the state government. He said teams will be despatched by the Centre to assess the damage caused to property and standing crops in urban and rural areas at the earliest. Heavy rains have caused floods in Banaskantha and Patan districts of Gujarat after which Army, India Air Force (IAF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been called out for rescue and relief operations. After arriving here this evening, Modi chaired an hour-long meeting with state officials at the airport where Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and senior officials of the state government were present. Former chief minister Anandiben Patel also attended the meeting. "A detailed presentation on the situation caused by heavy rains was shared with the prime minister," official sources said. Later Modi boarded a helicopter with Rupani for an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. Earlier in the day, Rupani, who was in New Delhi for the swearing-in of Ram Nath Kovind as President, met the prime minister at Parliament House and apprised him of the situation. The prime minister then decided to undertake an aerial survey to personally take stock of the situation in his home state, the PMO said. During the last 24 hours, at least 12 talukas of Banaskantha, Patan and Sabarkantha districts have received over 200 mm of rainfall, a release issued by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said. Dantiwada in Banaskantha remained the worst-hit, recording 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm), Vadgam (357 mm), Amirgadh (337 mm) and Lakhani (305 mm). More than 1,000 people have been rescued and 46,000 shifted to safer locations from low lying areas, deputy chief minister Patel said. "Four choppers of IAF are involved in rescue operations, while two columns of the army are engaged in rescuing people stranded due to heavy rains," Patel said. Eight teams of NDRF have been deployed in Banaskantha district for rescue operations. Elaborate arrangements are being made to supply food and drinking water to the people stranded in floods, he said. The swollen Banas river passing through Banaskantha and Patan districts has flooded the villages and towns around it, health minister Shanker Chaudhary, who is stationed at Deesa to oversee the rescue operations, said. As the rains took a break this morning, rescue operations in Banaskantha and Patan districts gained momentum, an official said. Hundreds of people are still waiting to be shifted to safer places, as several parts of these districts are flooded, he said. Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been deployed in Banskantha to evacuate those marooned as also to distribute food packets. Two columns of Indian Army, comprising about 200 personnel, have been pressed into service to rescue people. Since morning, 113 people stranded in Shihori village of the district have been rescued and shifted to safer locations by the Indian Army personnel, who have been conducting the rescue operation using boats, said a release by the Defence PRO. "One MI-17V5 took off from Deesa this morning and proceeded to Totana village and rescued 14 people stuck in the midst of raging flood water to safety," Defence Public Relations Officer Abhishek Matiman said. The IAF is also air dropping food packets in the affected areas. "Over 300 kgs of food packets were air dropped at Gugal, Jenal Varan and neighbouring villages to aid the people marooned since yesterday," he added. Kolkata: A joint exercise by the Coast Guards of India and Bangladesh to increase synergy and coordination between the two forces commenced on Tuesday at the regional headquarter (North-East) of Coast Guard in Kolkata. "The Bay of Bengal is a hot spot of maritime trade and ships of both countries are at risk. A strong search and rescue setup is the need of the hour," Coast Guard regional commander (NE) IG Kuldip Singh Sheoran said after inaugurating the exercise. The two-day exercise, which is being conducted through simulation at the regional headquarter, is being participated by senior officers of Coast Guards of both the countries, an ICG spokesman said. Commander Mohammad Radwan and Lt Commander Fariduzzaman from Bangladesh Coast Guard are taking part in the exercise aimed at bolstering India-Bangladesh joint search and rescue operations in the Bay of Bengal, ICG spokesman Avinandan Mitra said. "The iconic India-Bangla search and rescue operation in August 2016 where more than 300 lives were saved showcases the synergy and coordination of both the forces," said Commander Radwan. "The exercise will take the participants through a dummy mass rescue operation in the bay," Mitra said, adding search and rescue at sea is a complex mechanism involving many stake holders and foreign nations. The exercise will involve rescue, medical aid, media management, immigration and other challenges and processes. The Indian Coast Guard and its Bangladesh counterpart have established standard operating procedures with regard to these issues in April 2017, Mitra said. A day after China said that it would safeguard its security interests at "any cost" as its sovereignty was "indomitable", amid a standoff with India in the Sikkim sector, China's state-run media yet again fired a fresh salvo at India on Monday. An editorial in the English language daily Global Times urged China to "teach India a second lesson", in an apparent reference to the 1962 Indo-Sino war. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Monday maintained China's hardline stance on the issue. Wu told a media briefing that the willingness and resolve of China to defend its sovereignty was "indomitable". Wu made this assertion ahead of this week's National Security Advisors' (NSA) talks to resolve the standoff. Meanwhile, the opinion-editorial, written by John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, accused India of transgressing China's borders and trying Chinese people's patience in the ongoing standoff. The article in the Global Times backed Chinese Consul General in Mumbai, Liu Youfa, who had urged Chinese troops to capture Indian soldiers, allegedly camping inside Chinese territory, and kill them. Liu had told state-run CCTV: "According to what I understand of international law, when people in uniform get across the border to move into the territory of the other side, they naturally become enemies who will have to face three consequences: First, they can go out voluntarily, or they may be captured or when the border dispute should escalate, they may be killed." Rubbishing India's concerns over China's road construction along the Sikkim-Bhutan-China tri-junction posing a threat to India's strategic instrests, the editorial said that China was not bothered about the the Chicken's neck which connects North East India to the rest of the country. The editorial added that China was concerned about improving its own road connectivity in the border areas and not bothered about the quality of road in India. Bhutan, which has no diplomatic ties with China, is also a party to the dispute as the Doka La area comes under its territory. However, the editorial dismissed Thimpu as New Delhi's "vassal" and "protectorate". Reiterating China's claim over Doka La, the editorial, while toeing the government's line, slammed India for using road construction as an excuse to "invade" China. The language became more and more acerbic in the latter half of the editorial where it accussed India of harbouring Dalai Lama in order to launch terror attacks in China. "Underneath the Dalai Lama's facade of peace, there lies a trace of violence at least half a century old. Immediately after he fled to India in 1959, the Dalai Lama became the CIA's henchman in engaging in a terrorist guerrilla war on China" the editorial read. Warning India to not take China lightly, the editorial stated that Beijing is not Bhutan or Sikkim, where it claimed India's "hegemonic tactics" will work. In fact, the editorial mentioning Sikkim with Bhutan, came as a surprise as China had already recognised India's sovereignity over Sikkim in 2003. Blaming India for transgressing China "on behalf" of Bhutan, the editorial claimed that Indian troops entered Doka La through China's border with Sikkim. The editorial then warned India that China too can enter Jammu and Kashmir on Pakistan's behalf. Urging China to remind India of the 1962 war debacle, the editorial said that New Delhi's bravado was never backed by substance when it came to taking on China's military might. In the two week-long war, the Chinese army invaded India and marched up to the Brahmaputra before unilaterally withdrawing to the pre-war borders. This is not the first time that the Chinese media has taken the liberty of raising a war hysteria over the ongoing bedlam in the border area of Sikkim. While the stalemate continues, Chinese media, and especially Global Times, have come out with several scathing op-ed which ratcheted up its rhetoric against India. Global Times, warned that Beijing may support "pro-independence appeals in Sikkim" if New Delhi did not stop pursuing "regional hegemony" through the border face-off. "In the past, China was wary of India playing the Dalai Lama card, but this card is already overplayed and will exert no additional effect on the Tibet question. But if Beijing adjusts its stance on India-sensitive issues, it could be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi," the paper wrote in an article titled China can rethink stance on Sikkim, Bhutan. Global Times, a hardline, party-run tabloid published by the official People's Daily known for its hawkish views, published more than one opinion-editorial pieces, which not only takes almost warlike stance against New Delhi, but it also warns India's political leadership on many instances and advices New Delhi on its foreign policy as far as Beijing is concerned. Read articles here, here, here and here. With inputs from IANS While India and China still remain mired in the ongoing border dispute in Sikkim, Beijing has, repeatedly, fired warnings at New Delhi to not harbour any illusions about the Chinese military's ability to defend its territory. Comments from the Chinese defence ministry came three days before National Security Advisory Ajit Doval is scheduled to visit China on 27 and 28 July for the BRICS NSA meeting. China on Tuesday hinted that a bilateral meeting between Doval and his Chinese counterpart State Councillor Yang Jiechi could take place on the sidelines of the summit. However, the meeting is still in the realm of speculation. Over the years, the two countries have developed dialogues in areas as diverse as politics, economics, regional and international affairs, and culture. There are about 30 different dialogue mechanisms between the two countries. Since the advent of the 21st century, economic relations and mutual co-operation in various sectors helped bring an upward swing in the bilateral ties, relegating border talks to a sideshow. NSAs BRICS summit is not one of the officially-recognised dialogue mechanism. Special Representatives Meeting on the India-China Boundary Question (SRM) One of them is the Special Representatives Meeting on the India-China Boundary Question (SRM). Notably, Doval and Yang are the Special Representatives to the meeting. The SRM was formed after the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited China in 2003. As the name suggests, the mechanism was established to revitlaise talks over the border dispute along the McMahon Line. However, The Diplomat report stated that after the signing of the 2005 Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement, the mechanism stalled as the two countries refused to budge from their point of view. The last SRM took place in 2016, when both countries agreed to continue the negotiation on the border dispute. "Both sides agreed that the negotiation on India-China boundary maintains a positive momentum, with boundary disputes effectively controlled and boundary regions generally peaceful and stable," the statement read. "Starting from the big picture of long-term development of bilateral relations, both sides will, with the positive attitude of mutual respect and understanding and on the basis of existing results from negotiations, stay on the track of political settlement, stick to peaceful negotiations to resolve the boundary question, meet each other halfway and continue to promote the process of framework negotiation so as to strive for a fair and reasonable solution that both sides accept," the statement added. If the border SRM is proving to be a dampener, then there is India-China Strategic Dialogue. India-China Strategic Dialogue In 2017, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited China for the India-China Strategic Dialogue. During his visit, foreign secretary called on Yang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During these meetings, the two sides held in-depth discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The Strategic Dialogue was preceded by senior official level dialogues between India and China covering issues of Afghanistan, multilateral diplomacy including counter-terrorism, nuclear issues as well as bilateral relations. The Strategic Dialogue was established in 2005. However, experts believe there is no real strategic convergence between the two Asian rivals. An editorial in Livemint noted that the strategic dialogue revolves more or less around the border issue as well as trade and economic ties. Mechanism of India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) India and China have a bilateral trade of $70.4 billion (as of 2015). This statistic is the testimony to the fact that economic ties have taken precedence over border issues. The Mechanism of India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) was established in December 2010. The previous three meetings of the SED were successfully held in September 2011, November 2012, and March 2014. The five working groups of the SED cover the fields of infrastructure, energy, environment, new and renewable energy and high technology cooperation. The official statement of the fourth edition of the meeting in October 2016 read: The two sides exchanged views on global economic trends and the macro-economic situation of both countries and held in-depth discussions on enhancing bilateral co-operation. In view of the uncertainties characterising global economic recovery, the two sides concluded that dialogue and communication can serve as powerful instruments of development and prosperity in India and China. Moreover, the countries agreed that cooperation between the them would help promote regional and global growth. High Level Dialogue Mechanism on Counter Terrorism and Security India and China established a High Level Dialogue Mechanism on Counter Terrorism and Security, led by RN Ravi, Chairman and Wang Yongqing, Secretary General of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of China. The first meeting of the mechanism was held in Beijing in September 2016. "The two sides had in-depth discussions on enhancing cooperation in counter-terrorism, security and on measures to jointly deal with security threats and reached important consensus in this regard," said an Indian government official. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: India on Tuesday reacted strongly to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir during its foreign ministers' meet recently, terming them as "misleading" and asked it to refrain from making such references. Rejecting "outrightly" all such references, the external affairs ministry said, "The OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future." India notes with "utmost regret" that the OIC, during its 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire on 10-11 July, again adopted certain resolutions which contain "factually incorrect and misleading references" to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is the country's integral part, it said. At the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir meet, its secretary general Yousef A Al-Othaimeen highlighted the OIC's activities in dealing with the question of Jammu and Kashmir. He also re-affirmed "the principled position of the OIC in fully supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle to achieve their legitimate rights, in particular the right to self-determination and human rights". The OIC has 57 states as its members that include Turkey, UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Kabir once wrote: if worshipping a stone helps meet Hari (God), he would happily worship a mountain. For the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) this advice could be really helpful in his bid to bring about an epidemic of nationalism on the university campus. In his own version of meeting God via a stone, Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar wants a tank on the campus to instil deshbhakti and love for the Indian Army among students. Kumar suggested the nostrum during a celebration the first-ever on the campus of Kargil Vijay Diwas at JNU. The vice chancellor's idea could have been dismissed as a momentary fancy inspired by the spirit of the moment, especially by the sight of the tricolour and sound of slogans during the celebration on the campus. But, this wasn't the first time Kumar talked about war toys as inspiration. Soon after the February 2016 incident, when some students were arrested over allegations of sedition, the JNU administration had argued that students be injected with a dose of deshbhakti through tanks and by flying the tricolour. The idea that valour, patriotism and nationalism could be inspired by the mere presence of an army tank is as fantastic as arguing that the presence of Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi, who, incidentally, also participated in the celebrations, can bring about a handlebar moustache revolution among the youth. And, as Kabir would have argued, if a tank can do it, why not station an entire squadron of war planes in the middle of every Indian city? To argue that citizens, in this case students, can be made to appreciate the sacrifices of the army or imbibe patriotism through tokenism is absurd. Love for the country and respect for its armed forces are private emotions, which depend on the mental and emotional experiences of an individual. They are not mechanical responses that can be triggered by the display of military equipment or state-sponsored lessons. If citizens find their country worthy of their love and respect, they will automatically have these feelings for it. If a country's army is a paragon of virtue, bravery and sacrifices, its citizens are likely to respect it, hold it in high esteem. The onus, in many ways, is on the institutions to become worthy of love, respect and admiration. They can't demand it as a right from individuals. For, there is nothing as perilous and counterproductive as demanding (as against deserving) love, respect and admiration. Love and respect as entitlements thrive only in the fantasy of despots and paranoids. People love their country not because its leadership demands it. This is underlined nowhere better than in the history of World War II, when in spite of state-sponsored projects for inspiring nationalism and purges aimed at wiping out 'dissenters', the people of Russia actually welcomed the Nazi forces as liberators from Stalin's regime. None of the Communist propaganda aimed at making the citizens more nationalist worked because many Russians just didn't want to live under Stalin's iron fist. Also, it is silly to argue that love for the country can be manifest only through sloganeering, flag-waving and public display of awe and admiration for the army. These are just the favourite rituals of faux-nationalism. Citizens have their own way of displaying patriotism and most of it is through actions aimed at serving the country and its people through honesty, integrity and adhering to the virtues of love and kindness. In the end, a citizen who pays his taxes is much more patriotic than a tax evader who starts screaming slogans at the sight of a tank or the tricolour. Though reasons could vary because of individual preferences, any country that allows its people, as Franklin Roosevelt argued in his famous speech, freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship God in their own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear, is likely to be loved, admired and idolised. In the absence of any of these freedoms, even a Panzer division is unlikely to inspire patriotism. A tank on a campus a symbol of militarism, fear and oppression is the very anti-thesis of the idea that liberal education, critical thinking, freedom of expression and speech are the building blocks of an intelligent society. To love a country and respect an institution, people need to have the ability to question, analyse, debate and understand. Anything else is either a blind and irrational feeling or a performative gesture necessitated by a paranoid and insecure state. Instead of putting a tank on the campus, Kumar would be better off turning JNU into a bastion of critical thinking, liberal ethos and competing intellectualism. More patriots are likely to come out of such an institute than a campus that is home to toys of war and destruction. Or, as Kabir argued, why just stop at a tank? Why not a Bofors gun, a Mirage jet fighter or a tactical nuclear weapon, if possible, mounted on a ballistic missile? Srinagar: A brief exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants in Bandipora district late Monday night, police said on Tuesday. A joint party of the army and police signalled a taxi to stop at Bandipora late Monday night during routine checking, a police official said. He said the driver of the vehicle ignored the signal and brought the vehicle to a halt some distance away. "The militants disembarked from the vehicle and opened fire towards security forces who retaliated. However, the militants managed to escape from the spot under the cover of darkness, leaving behind the vehicle they were travelling in," the official said. He said the vehicle was seized and during search, the security forces recovered a hand grenade and some empty cartridges from it. This comes just days after a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was arrested from Bandipora and arms and ammunition recovered from his possession. The newly-recruited LeT militant was identified as Shahbaz Rasool Mir, a resident of nearby Hajin. Mir was nabbed during a search operation in an orchard area in Markundal village in Sumbal area of the district, a police official said. A Chinese pistol, a pistol magazine, four pistol rounds, a hand grenade, a knife and other items were recovered from his possession, the official said, adding a case has been registered. New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday remanded seven Kashmiri separatists, arrested a day earlier on charges of taking funds from Pakistan to sponsor terror activities and stone pelting in the Kashmir Valley, in National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody for 10 days. During the in-camera proceedings, District Judge Poonam Bamba allowed the NIA to quiz Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate till 4 August. Allowing the NIA plea to quiz them, the court said they needed to be taken to Jammu and Kashmir and other places for investigation. "... the ends of justice would be met by granting 10 days of police custody to enable the NIA to interrogate the accused to unearth the entire conspiracy," the court said. Six of the separatist leaders were arrested from Srinagar on Monday and later flown to Delhi. Farooq Ahmad Dar was held in Delhi. They have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. Altaf Ahmad Shah is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan. Islam is a close aide of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Ayaz Akbar is the spokesperson of Geelani-led Hurriyat. NIA Public Prosecutor Surender Singh told the court it was unfortunate that the accused, under the security cover provided by the government of India, were doing illegal acts to cause unrest. The NIA said it had credible information that Hafiz Mohammad Saeed Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and other separatist leaders, including Huriyat Conference members, were acting in connivance with militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups to raise funds in India and abroad through illegal channels to fund terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. They entered into a larger conspiracy to wage war against India, it said. The agency told the court that their custodial interrogation was required to unearth the conspiracy hatched in connivance with other accused and to ascertain the modus operandi of raising funds for secessionist and terror activities in the Kashmir Valley. Their custody was also required to confront them with other accused, witnesses and seized documents, the agency said. The NIA said searches at different locations and buildings had led to seizure of documents apart from electronic gadgets that have since been sent for forensic examination. Defence counsel Ravi Qazi, Shikha Pandey, Rajat Kumar and Harsh Bora opposed the NIA plea for custody and said the accused have been falsely implicated and the charges of they being threat to national security were baseless. Kolkata: A city court on Tuesday turned down the CBI's plea for an arrest warrant against GJM president Bimal Gurung and 21 others who did not appear in court for hearing on framing of charges in the Madan Tamang murder case. Chief judge, City Sessions Court, Kundan Kumar Kumai refused the CBI's plea that arrest warrant be issued against the accused persons who did not appear before the court in contravention of the Calcutta High Court order. CBI counsel Arun Bhagat had prayed for arrest warrant against Gurung, his wife Asha and 20 others including senior GJM leaders when they failed to appear before the court on Monday for hearing on framing of charges. The judge fixed the period between 1 August to 4 August for day-to-day hearings for framing of charge against the accused persons, as also for hearing of discharge petitions filed by those accused in the killing of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang. The judge also directed Bidhanagar Police and Kolkata Police authorities to file reports before the court on allegations that some of the accused were questioned and followed after they left the court premises on Monday. Their counsel Sayan De claimed before the court that some of his clients were questioned and followed by policemen after they left the court premises and went to Gorkha Bhavan in Bidhannagar, where they were staying for the night. Of the 48 accused in the case against whom CBI has sought framing of charges for the murder of Tamang in the heart of Darjeeling in May 2010, 26 accused were present. Auto refresh feeds "I want people to know that I will fulfill my duties towards them," he said. "It was in this central hall that I had discussions with many of you. We've had our agreements and disagreements but we learnt to respect each others' views This is the beauty of democracy," he said. "I am taking charge of this post with humility," said Kovind. Ram Nath Kovind tweets for the first time as the President of India "We constantly need to think about whether development in the country reaches the person stand last in a line or in the most backward community," he said. "We have achieved a lot by being one nation, But we need to strive for more and for better," Kovind said. "It will only be right that India strives for peace and equality in the world," he further said. "The teachers who inspiring youth are nation-builders. Several women who are looking after their families and making their children proud citizens this country are nation-builders," said Kovind as he said that we need to be proud of all occupations in India. "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility," he further said. "I am aware that I'm carrying forward the legacy of great leaders like Dr Rajendra Prasad," he added. We are now in the second half of the 21st century. We are proud of Indias diversity, heritage, development, & its citizens: #PresidentKovind pic.twitter.com/isNnQy0tix UP: People celebrate at village of President #RamNathKovind in Kanpur Dehat district after being sworn-in as the 14th President of India pic.twitter.com/j7zL4q986U The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with jawans of the armed forces. PTI He and his successor then drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of the Parliament in a black limousine. Escorting them was grand equestrian procession by the PBG, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work. Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard (PBG) with President-elect Kovind standing to his left. The two leaders then went to the grand Rashtrapai Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais. It was Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla, inviting 71-year-old Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Pranab Mukherjee was waiting for them in the study. The elaborate ceremony for change of guard in India's highest Constitutional office started with a gentle knock on the door of President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's Akbar Road residence. How the change of guard at the Rashtrapati Bhavan unfolded Very inspiring address by President Ram Nath Kovind Ji, which beautifully summed up the essence of Indias strengths, democracy & diversity. Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji on taking oath as the President of India. @RashtrapatiBhvn The Economic Times in an article stated an interesting fact: Newly sworn-in President Ram Nath Kovind, as the head of government, has now become the ceremonial owner of 51 percent of all central government PSUs worth lakh of crores. Ram Nath Kovind, the country's president-elect, will take the oath of office administered by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar on Tuesday. Kovind will be sworn-in as the 14th President of India. A low-key lawyer-turned-politician, Kovind was elected on Thursday as the president the first BJP member and second Dalit to occupy the country's highest office. The 71-year-old defeated joint Opposition candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, after garnering 65.65 percent of the votes in the electoral college. The president-elect and the outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee will arrive in the Central Hall of the Parliament House in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath. He will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new president will then deliver his address, according to IANS. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union ministers, governors, chief ministers, ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers will be among those present. After the ceremony ends, the new president will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in its forecourt. Mukherjee will leave for his new address, 10 Rajaji Marg. Earlier in the day, Kovind will visit Rajghat to pay his respect to Mahatma Gandhi and then go to Rashtrapati Bhavan where he will be received by Mukherjee and then both will proceed to Parliament. A former Bihar governor, Kovind received 2930 votes with a value of 7,02,044, election Returning Officer Anoop Mishra had said. Kumar got 1844 votes with a value of 3,67,314. The winning margin was not as big as forecast by the BJP, which had projected a 70 percent vote for Kovind. Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee had received votes valued at 7,13,763. "I never aspired to be the president. My win is a message to those discharging their duties with integrity. My election as the President is an evidence of the greatness of Indian democracy," Kovind had told the media after his victory was announced. Kovind's victory is partly due to the BJP's massive victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections earlier this year. This gave the party a big boost in the electoral college numbers, according to PTI. Even after the Uttar Pradesh victory, the BJP-led NDA was slightly short of majority. However, it was able to garner support of several non-NDA parties such as TRS in Telangana, AIADMK factions and DMK in Tamil Nadu, the JD(U) in Bihar, and BJD in Odisha, after appointing a non-controversial Dalit leader in a political masterstroke. The party's decision to field a Dalit candidate is also being seen as part of its outreach to woo the backward communities, which several opposition parties found difficult to oppose, given the political sensitivites. This forced the opposition to follow suit and put up Kumar, a diplomat- turned-politician, in a Dalit vs Dalit fight. With inputs from agencies Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister Naseem Khan on Tuesday suggested that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should be split into three civic bodies for more efficient functioning, on the lines of New Delhi, where multiple municipal corporations have been formed. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Khan said, "The efficiency of the BMC staff is in question as it is almost difficult to manage the city due to its huge size." Khan also raised the issue during the Zero Hour of the state legislative assembly through a point of information. "Mumbai city is growing every day and at present it caters to over 1.5 crore population in addition to floating population of five million people," the Congress leader said. Khan alleged that although BJP and Shiv Sena, which share power in the state, are also helming the BMC, they have not succeeded in providing the civic amenities. "There is a need for splitting the BMC into three municipal bodies- South Mumbai and Eastern suburbs and Western suburbs," he said. Khan pointed out that since Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis heads the urban development department, he should take this decision in the interest of Mumbaikars. Nashik: Independent MLA from Maharashtra Bacchu Kadu was arrested on Monday for allegedly abusing the city's civic chief and raising hands on him, police said. The legislator was booked under IPC section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), Commissioner Ravindra Singhal said. A conviction under the section invites jail term extending up to two years, or fine, or both. The incident took place when Kadu, who also heads NGO, Prahar Sanghatana, went to meet Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) Commissioner Abhishek Krishna in his office to submit a memorandum. In the memorandum, the MLA demanded immediate payment of financial aid stipulated under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojna to beneficiaries. Under the scheme, the Maharashtra government provides a sum of Rs 600 per month to destitute persons, disabled, widows and persons suffering from major illnesses, among others. While discussing the issues raised in the memorandum, an argument broke out between the civic commissioner and Kadu, who was accompanied by activists of Prahar Sanghatana, the police said. Things got heated up when Krishna asked Kadu's supporters to move away from his chair and stand at another spot in his office. This angered Kadu who allegedly abused the civic chief and raised his hands on him, they said. Police personnel rushed to the spot and took the lawmaker and his supporters out of Krishna's chamber. Haribhau Phadol, a deputy civic commissioner, later lodged a police complaint against the three-term MLA from Achalpur in Amravati district. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Kadu in the afternoon. The legislator was later produced in a court here, which granted him bail, the police said. Earlier in the day, members of Prahar Sanghatana, led by the MLA, staged an agitation in front of the main building of the civic corporation in support of their demand. According to NMC sources, the corporation has not received grants under the scheme from the government since past three months. Jammu: The All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) on Monday sought guarantee of "fool-proof" security to 1,700 Kashmiri Pandit employees ahead of them returning to their duties in the Kashmir Valley. The organisation for displaced Kashmiri Hindus along with over 500 employees held a protest for the "failure" by the various government departments to release their salaries. "We have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with copies to the home minister, the governor, and the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister seeking guarantee of foolproof security to migrant employees working in the Kashmir valley before they re-join their duties," APMCC chairman Vinood Pandita told reporters. He claimed that over 1,700 Kashmiri Pandit employees migrated to Jammu after their camps in the Kashmir Valley were subjected to stone-pelting after the killing of Hizbul Mujhahideen commander Burhan Wani on 8 July. "The letter has been given to the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) Jammu," Pandita said. The commissioner visited the protest venue and assured dispatching our letter to the prime minister, he said. The Parliament, on the seventh day of the Monsoon Session, will discuss four bills in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha too has four bills on the agenda, including one relating to the Indian Institutes of Managements will be introduced and discussed in the Rajya Sabha. Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar will move to further amend The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Rajya Sabha. Collection of Statistics Amendment Bill, Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, and National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill are also listed for discussion. In the Lok Sabha, Javadekar will move to pass another set of amendments to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley will move amendments to the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017. Although the Opposition is likely to raise protest in the Lower House over the suspension of six of its MPs for disrupting the House on Monday, the government is looking at pushing through its legislative business. After the first week of Parliament was consumed by fiery debates and protests little legislative business could be transacted Monday saw a slew of bills being passed. Despite Opposition's persistent disruptions in the Lok Sabha which ultimately led to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspending six Congress members for five days, over their "highly unbecoming behaviour" the Centre managed to push through the Maritime Admiralty Bill in Rajya Sabha. In Lok Sabha was adjourned after 2 pm. Earlier, BJP member Nishikant Dubey hit back at the Congress, demanding the reopening of the Bofors case. The Opposition is going to use the Question Hour to corner the government. After Mahajan did not allow Congress members' adjournment notice for debate on cow vigilantism, members of Opposition have several questions lined up. The issue of farmers' crisis and security situation in Jammu and Kashmir will also be taken up in the Lower House. A four-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar on Tuesday morning, killing twelve people and injuring eleven other individuals. The structure, Siddhi Sai Apartment, came down on at Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area and housed around 15 families. Search operations are still on to extricate the people feared trapped under the concrete rubble. IANS reports that at least 30 to 40 people are feared to still be trapped in the rubble. "Until 9 pm, 23 people were extricated from under the rubble, out of whom twelve were declared dead while eleven injured have been admitted in various hospitals," said Mahesh Narvekar, Head, Disaster Management cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be elderly and women. The civic body's control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident. Fire engines, a rescue van and 108 ambulances were rushed to the spot immediately. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials were also deployed to address the incident. A total of 60 NDRF jawans along with sniffer dogs were pressed into service. According to an official, sniffer dogs helped in rescuing two people alive from under the debris. NDRF team moved to Ghatkopar, near Damodar Park, LBS Marg, Mumbai where 04 storey building collapsed. some persons trapped in the debris. NDRF (@NDRFHQ) July 25, 2017 According to the fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 18 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Two of those rescued were firefighters Ganesh Khandge and his associate, who suffocated due to a gas leak while trying to rescue a woman, as reported by Hindustan Times. Temporary shelters were also arranged in municipals schools around the locality. The schools had facilities for food and water, but most of the victims chose to reside with their relatives. The following are the victims of the building collapse: Renuka Thak (3-months-old), Amruta Thak (31), Krishu Dongre (13), Pandarinath Dongre (75), Manorama Dongre (70), Sulakshana Khanchadani (80), Mikul Khanchandani (22), Kishore Khanchandani (50), Mansukhbhai Gujjar (75), Divya Paras Ajmeri (48), and Rutvi Pritesh Shah (14). One of the most tragic victims of the collapsed was a 3-month-old baby, V Renuka Lalit. She was sent to Rajawadi hospital and pronounced dead there. Of the individuals admitted in Shantiniketan hospital, two died and four were discharged from the hospital. In Rajawadi hospital, five victims were pronounced dead and two were discharged after treatment. Eyewitnesses said in the morning they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning since it is monsoon season. "Then I came out of my building and found a lot of dust, cries and noise of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapsing," an eyewitness living in the neighbourhood said to PTI. IANS reports that the 40-year-old building was on BMC's list of "dangerous buildings." Identified in a structural audit by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, a DNA report states that such buildings were given permission for redevelopment. The city and its suburbs had received heavy rains over the last several days, though there had been some respite since Monday with showers becoming intermittent. The Mumbai Police cordoned off the Sanghani Junction area in Ghatkopar while traffic was blocked on the Lal Bahadur Shastri road to provide a 'green corridor' to rush the rescued to the hospital. The traffic from LBS Road was diverted to the Eastern Express highway due to this development. A resident of the collapsed building, whose mother and two other family members are feared trapped in the debris, lamented that the chances of their survival are slim. Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the same building, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might be the reason for the collapse of the building. He said he was saved as he had left for work before the building collapsed. Locals also speculate that the building, which is allegedly owned by Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap, caved in due to renovation work being held by in the complex by the leader. Congress leader Pravin Chheda went on to tell ANI that Shitap was planning to run a guest house in the building, and hence the onus of the tragedy lies on him. Construction works were allegedly being undertaken on the ground floor of a nursing home in the building. BMC Mayor, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, initially said that officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the building collapse in Ghatkopar, and said that an inquiry will be held regarding the allegation on Shitap. Shitap was later on Tuesday evening booked under sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). Property belongs to Sena's S Shitap,he was running hospital on ground floor&was now going to run guest house, onus lies on him-P Chheda,Cong pic.twitter.com/bikiwNjFK6 ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Maharashtra's finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an enquiry into the issue. He added that those responsible for the tragedy "will not be spared." CM has ordered an investigation; guilty will not be spared: Maharashtra's finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Ghatkopar building collapse pic.twitter.com/tRq7wRACur ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has also announced an inquiry into the collapse of Saidarshan Apartment. Sources state that the report on the incident will be submitted in 15 days. The issue was also raised in the Maharashtra Legislative Council by Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap, reports the Financial Express. A BMC report reveals that there are over 791 dilapidated buildings in Mumbai. In the C-1 category, which according to the reports comes under the 'Action against ruinous structures' category, there were about 186 demolished before the monsoon. 117 other structures have been evacuated, the report adds. However, there are still over 488 dilapidated buildings that citizens in Mumbai still reside in. With inputs from agencies This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later! Auto refresh feeds Reports states that she was the third victim of the collapse. V Renuka Lalit, a 3-month-old baby who was sent to Rajawadi hospital, has been pronounced dead. A BMC report reveals that there are over 791 dilapidated buildings in Mumbai. In the C-1 category, which according to the reports comes under the 'Action against ruinous structures' category, there were about 186 demolished before the monsoon. 117 other structures have been evacuated, the report adds. However, there are still over 488 dilapidated buildings that citizens in Mumbai still reside in. 62-year-old Ranjanben Shah, 89-year-old Sulkshana Khanchandani and 3-month-old V Renuka Lalit Thak died in the collapse. The death toll stands at 3. In this picture, 20-year-old Varsha Sakpal, who was injured in the collapse, is being discharged from the hospital. She worked in the nursing home that was on the ground floor of the building. A senior BMC official has said that the death toll is now feared to have reached 7. The official added there is a family trapped in the debris, and that rescue operations continue to take place. ANI reports that locals believe that renovation work was responsible for the collapse. The nursing home, on the ground floor of the building, was allegedly owned by Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap. The report adds that BMC officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the building collapse in Ghatkopar. Construction on the nursing home owned by Shiv Sena's Sunil Shitap responsible for collapse? CNN News18 reports that two firemen were injured in rescue operations in Ghatkopar. According to Hindustan Times, firefighter Ganesh Khandge and his associate suffocated due to a gas leak while trying to rescue a woman. They have been admitted to the ICU in Shantiniketan hospital. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar has confirmed the death toll of the collapse to 5, adding that 8 people have been seriously injured. Regarding speculation over the involvement of Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap in the issue, he says that an inquiry has been ordered. PTI reports that the structure that came down this morning at the Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area housed around 15 families. According to fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Oddly enough, the building was not listed in the dangerous category, as per locals. The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in Ghatkopar has reached 7, officials confirm. Media reports state that most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be the elderly and women. Local corporators confirm that the BMC had issued 2 notices regarding the building since the past three months. However, no evacuation efforts were conducted, which culminated to this tragedy. Rescue operations continue as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis orders an inquiry into the Ghatkopar building collapse. Here is an image from the location. A total of 16 people were rescued from the wreckage of the building collapse in Ghatkopar. The death toll rises to 8 in the tragedy, 6 of whom were women. According to officials, 8 individuals are reported to be injured. Five people have died, 8 seriously injured. Don't know about Sunil Shitap, have ordered an inquiry: BMC Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar pic.twitter.com/1QpAu2kVFs Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar has confirmed the death toll of the collapse to 5, adding that 8 people have been seriously injured. Regarding speculation over the involvement of Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap in the issue, he says that an inquiry has been ordered. PTI reports that the structure that came down this morning at the Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area housed around 15 families. According to fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Oddly enough, the building was not listed in the dangerous category, as per locals. The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in Ghatkopar has reached 7, officials confirm. Media reports state that most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be the elderly and women. Local corporators confirm that the BMC had issued 2 notices regarding the building since the past three months. However, no evacuation efforts were conducted, which culminated to this tragedy. Property belongs to Sena's S Shitap,he was running hospital on ground floor&was now going to run guest house, onus lies on him-P Chheda,Cong pic.twitter.com/bikiwNjFK6 Congress leader Pravin Chheda tells ANI that the residential building that collapsed in Ghatkopar belonged to Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap. He goes on to say that Shitap was planning to run a guest house in the building, and hence the onus of the tragedy lies on him. Rescue operations continue as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis orders an inquiry into the Ghatkopar building collapse. Here is an image from the location. CM has ordered an investigation; guilty will not be spared: Maharashtra's finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Ghatkopar building collapse pic.twitter.com/tRq7wRACur A total of 16 people were rescued from the wreckage of the building collapse in Ghatkopar. The death toll rises to 8 in the tragedy, 6 of whom were women. According to officials, 8 individuals are reported to be injured. IANS reports that Saidarshan Apartment, the residential building that collapsed on Tuesday was on the "dangerous buildings" list. Identified in a structural audit by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, a DNA report states that such buildings were given permission for redevelopment. Building that collapsed was on BMC's list of "dangerous buildings" According to ANI , former housing minister and ex-chairman of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Sachin Ahir has demanded an FIR under Section 304A (Causing death due to negligence) against those who are responsible for the incident. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has announced an inquiry into the collapse of Saidarshan Apartment in Ghatkopar. Sources state that the report on the incident will be submitted in 15 days. Mumbai: A four-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar Tuesday morning and several persons are feared trapped under the debris, an official of the city's civic body said. Around eight to 10 persons are feared trapped under the debris of the structure which collapsed in Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) fire brigade department chief PS Rahangdale said. The civic body's control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident, he said. Around eight fire engines, a rescue van and an ambulance have been rushed to the spot, he said. "Our rescue team, fire brigade jawans and other senior officials of the BMC have also reached the spot. The rescue work is going on a war-footing," he said. With inputs from agencies Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap was on Tuesday booked for culpable homicide for the collapse of a four-storey building at Ghatkopar in suburban Mumbai that has so far claimed 12 lives and injured eight even as rescue operations are going on in a war-footing. As details are trickling out as to what might have triggered the collapse, the role of the Shiv Sena leader has come under a scanner as he was allegedly carrying out construction work in the building compromising the safety of the structure. According to a Firstpost correspondent, Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap has been detained under Sections 304(2), 336 and 338 of the IPC. The leader and others associated with the case have been taken to the Parksite police station in Vikhroli for further questioning. CNN News18 adds that the leader has been charged with negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. #Breaking FIR lodged against Sena leader Sunil Sitap over building collapse. pic.twitter.com/ZrwDVeaDAa News18 (@CNNnews18) July 25, 2017 Earlier in the day accompanied by state housing minister Prakash Mehta, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the building collapse site. Fadnavis said that the BMC has ordered an enquiry into the incident and that the report will be available in 15 days. He also said that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the collapse. "The government will take stringent action against the culprits," Fadnavis said. CM @Dev_Fadnavis visits #GhatkoparBuildingCollapse site and takes stock of the relief operations being carried out. pic.twitter.com/P4l1Gg5jKe CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 25, 2017 Locals had been speculating right from the beginning that the building, which is owned by Shitap, caved in due to renovation work being held by in the complex by the leader. Congress leader Pravin Chheda went on to tell ANI that Shitap was planning to run a guest house in the building, and hence the onus of the tragedy lies on him. Property belongs to Sena's S Shitap,he was running hospital on ground floor&was now going to run guest house, onus lies on him-P Chheda,Cong pic.twitter.com/bikiwNjFK6 ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Search operations are still underway to save the people feared trapped under the concrete rubble. IANS reports that at least 30 to 40 people are feared to still be trapped in the rubble. The report adds that the building in question, Saidarshan Apartment, was on the BMC's list of "dangerous buildings." A BMC report reveals that there are over 791 dilapidated buildings in Mumbai. In the C-1 category, which according to the reports comes under the 'Action against ruinous structures' category, there were about 186 demolished before the monsoon. 117 other structures have been evacuated, the report adds. However, there are still over 488 dilapidated buildings that citizens in Mumbai still reside in. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the death of Professor Yash Pal saying that the country has lost a brilliant scientist and academician. "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist and academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education," Modi said in a tweet. Sharing his picture with the eminent scientist, Modi said: "Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions including the National Children's Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009." Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist & academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2017 Yash Pal passed away at the age of 90 late on Monday night at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Noida. He was born in 1926 in Jhang, now in Pakistan, and was raised in Kaithal in what is now Haryana. The Congress party also expressed grief over the demise of the eminent scientist and said, "We condole the passing away of Professor Yash Pal, Padma Vibhushan." "Education should be based on real life experience, observation and happenings," it said. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi described his death as a great loss to the nation. "A scientist and a passionate educator who understood the true value of learning, Professor Yash Pal's passing is a great loss for all of us," Gandhi said. Yash Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 for his contribution to science and space technology. In October 2011, he was awarded the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management. Yash Pal was known for his contribution to the study of cosmic rays, he had graduated with a master's degree in Physics from Panjab University in 1949. He gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. Ahmedabad: The city police's special operations group (SOG) has arrested two convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case who had jumped parole. Pintu Jadeja and Dinesh Barge were released on parole in May and June respectively, the SOG said in a statement. They were nabbed on Monday from different areas in Ahmedabad, the statement said. With their arrest, three of four convicts who jumped parole in the case have been caught. The Sabarmati central jail authorities had lodged a case when the four did not return after their parole ended, following which the police launched a search. On Sunday, the police arrested Prakash Chhara, one of the four who was absconding. Police is on the look out for the fourth convict, Shasikant Kadam. All four were awarded were sentenced to life in prison by a special SIT court on 30 August, 2012 for their role in the Naroda Patiya massacre. As many as 32 accused, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. Their appeals challenging the sentence are being heard by the Gujarat High Court. Ninety-seven people belonging to the minority community were killed in a riot in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on 28 February, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 kar sevaks were killed. Guwahati: A suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militant was on Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Kokrajhar district of Assam, defence sources said. The encounter took place between a joint team of Army and police personnel and the militants at Bansbari village under Panbari police station limits, a defence spokesman said. The joint team had launched an operation at the village on Monday night on the basis of specific information that some militants were moving around in the area. An AK series rifle, several rounds of ammunition and a grenade were recovered from the spot. Combing operations were continuing, the spokesman said. Washington: Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari has asked Pakistan to not blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi but their own policy of using terror groups for a proxy war against India for the current low-ebb in the relations between the two countries. "The infliction point in India-Pakistan relations was 26/11 (Mumbai attacks). After 2008, irrespective of the fact that whether there was a UPA Government, or that was succeeded by a BJP-led NDA Government, the relationship with Pakistan has been in a deep freeze," he said while speaking at an event organised by the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council on Monday. "There is a very widespread feeling among the people of India, not limited to the government, that actions against the perpetrators of 26/11 is a pre-requisite for forward movement between India and Pakistan," he said. Tewari said at a time when Modi spontaneously decided to land in Lahore to attend Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding, the move was followed by the Pathankot airbase attack in India. "And post the attack on Pathankot airbase, when India invited the Joint Investigating Team (JIT) from Pakistan, which consisted of people from across the agencies and gave them access to actually have a look at the evidence which pointed to the fact that this was an attack which was sponsored from across the border, rather than taking that evidence on board, you saw a knee-jerk reaction saying that this was a false flag operation and the Indians have done it themselves," he said. "So, it's very easy to blame Modi or the right-wing approach, which they as a government have, but in reality, the infliction point between India and Pakistan is 26/11," Tewari said while responding to senior Pakistani leader Mushahid Hussian's remarks that Modi's right-wing policies have resulted in the current low-ebb in relationship between Indian and Pakistan. Hussain, however, claimed that India seems to be pursuing an "ideological foreign policy via Pakistan", which is based on the ideology of Hindutva and is an extension of what is happening to the Muslim population in India. "That is creating more complications (in India-Pakistan ties) and also leading to bigotry and also certain kind of chasm between communities which is sanctioned by the state at times," he said. "For instance, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, his mindset, his attitude and things like there was for the first time there was no Muslim representation in his government. So symbolism often becomes substance in these situations," he added. Responding to a question on China, the former Pakistan minister said that India is currently isolated in the region on the issue of One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative of China. "Some people want India to play the role of a counter weight to China to short play the China card, to some people in America, Japan may want that. Others would like that India should be part of the mainstream, which is the Asian century. Pakistan is part of that: OBOR," He said that Pakistan sees China as a source of strength and a source of stability in the Asian context. "We feel that India too should be part of that broad Asian mainstream when we talk of the Asian century," Hussain said. New Delhi: A draft of the National Medical Commission Bill, with some modifications, has been approved by a Group of Ministers (GoM), the government on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha. The GoM was constituted to have a "relook" at the National Medical Commission Bill which was drafted by a four-member committee, headed by vice chairman of NITI Aayog, to examine all options for reforms in the Medical Council of India (MCI) and suggest a way forward, Minister of state for health Faggan Singh Kulaste said in a written reply. "The committee has framed a draft NMC Bill which provides for constitution of the NMC in place of the MCI," he said, adding, "The draft Bill has been relooked by a Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted for the purpose. The GoM has approved the draft bill with some modifications." Kulaste pointed out that the NITI Aayog committee had consulted all the states and the Union Territories while framing of the draft Bill. "The opinion of experts and academicians was elicited through discussions," he added. The draft Bill was also hosted on the website of NITI Aayog inviting public comments while representation of IMA was also received in the matter which has been considered while framing the draft Bill, he said. The bill seeks to replace the MCI with a new commission to steer medical education in the country. Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police played an important role in the ongoing National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against seven separatist leaders, who were sent for 10-day police custody by a Patiala court on Tuesday. The NIA investigation, which began way back in May 2017 after the agency registered a preliminary inquiry into the funding of separatist leaders in the Valley, was made possible because of a dossier made of reports prepared by concerned senior superintendent of police (SSPs) while investigating the involvement of Kashmiri youth in the burning of schools and separatist leaders in fanning the Kashmir unrest that began in July 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani. The state police had arrested a number of youth in cases involving burning of schools, and had even detained some of the separatist leaders for fanning the unrest under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Inspector General of NIA, Alok Mittal, said that the investigating agency relied on the Jammu and Kashmir police investigations as well as the findings of its probe before arresting the seven Hurriyat leaders. Who are the separatist leaders? On Monday, the NIA arrested seven Kashmiri leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah (also known as Altaf Fantoosh), Hurriyat Conference (Geelani) spokesman Ayaz Akbar, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) district president Merajuddin Kalwal, Geelanis personal assistant Peer Saifullah, Shahid-ul-Islam (media advisor of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led faction of Hurriyat Conference), Jammu and Kashmir National Front (JKNF) chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate. The NIA was investigation funding of Hurriyat leaders and others in the state by Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Muhammed Saeed and other Pakistan-based militant organisations to carry out subversive activities in Kashmir and for damaging public property, stone pelting on the security forces, burning of schools and other government establishments". In the FIR, which was registered against the seven separatist leaders on Monday, the NIA has noted that the separatists leaders have been "acting in connivance with active militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other militant organisations/associations and gangs for raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including hawala, for funding separatist and militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir and for causing disruption in the Valley by way of pelting stones on the security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India." According to NIA officials, the investigation agency conducted searches on the premises of arrested Hurriyat leaders in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the states of Delhi and Haryana, and has recovered cash worth crores besides electronic devices. The NIA also seized documents related to ownership of their properties and vehicles. Except for Altaf Fantoosh and Ayaz Akbar, all the separatist leaders were former militants before they gave up arms to join the separatist political parties. The NIA also found that money had been reaching separatist leaders through hawala operatives to fan the unrest in Kashmir. The arrests, however, were made only after the questioning of the separatist leaders and when the agency had gathered "conclusive evidence about their involvement in the case", NIA officials said. The NIA relied a lot on investigations by Jammu and Kashmir Police on the involvement of lower rung separatist leaders in leading the anti-India protests and that of the local youth in burning schools and damaging public property in the agitation that followed the killing of Wani. Earlier, the police had recovered 68 kilogrammes of heroin valued at over Rs 476 crore, from a truck that was involved in cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade. Investigation in the case has revealed that the consignment was to be shipped to a person at Parimpora fruit market in Srinagar, and the money to be recovered from it was to be provided to some people linked to the separatists in south Kashmir. Apart from Hurriyat Conference leaders, the NIA has also summoned the office bearers of the Anjuman-e-Auqaf, which runs the affairs of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, and Anjuman-e-Nusrat-ul-Islam, an educational trust which runs religious schools and is headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Syed Shams Rehman, secretary, Awami Action Committee, a political party headed by Farooq, said that a meeting of the Anjuman-e-Auqaf and Anjuman-e-Nusrat-ul-Islam was held recently, in which it was decided that the "oppressive action of Indian government will be resisted tooth and nail". The NIA raids are seen as a way to counter pro-freedom political activities in Kashmir, even though the police has been putting both Geelani and Mirwaiz as well as several other separatist leaders under detention during their calls for strikes and protest marches. Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, chairman of the Peoples League, said that he has faced frequent detentions at his Anantnang residence in south Kashmir and was not even allowed to offer Friday prayers. "Even some of the members of Peoples League from Tral, home town of Wani, were detained under PSA," he said. After being sworn-in as the 14th President of India on Tuesday, an elated Ram Nath Kovind expressed gratitude for being entrusted with the top position, and made a strong pitch to inculcate a sense of national pride among Indians. Kovind was addressing a gathering, which included Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing president Pranab Mukherjee and former president Pratibha Patil. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Devegowda, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and former Lok Sabha speaker and Kovind's presidential poll rival Meira Kumar were also in the audience. Lauding India's democracy, he said, "I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me. I am conscious of following in the footsteps of stalwarts such as Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr S Radhakrishnan, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, and my immediate predecessor, Mukherjee, whom we address out of affection as 'Pranabda'." Appreciating other parties' mutual understanding of each other, he said, "We've had our agreements and disagreements but we learnt to respect each others' views. This is the beauty of democracy." The 71-year-old, who took his oath in Hindi, is the first BJP leader and the second Dalit to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was administered oath of office on Tuesday to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and law" by Chief Justice of India JS Kehar. The former Bihar governor had spoken highly of India's diversity on Tuesday. "We are all very different but we are one. We are in the 21st Century. We all believe that this century belongs to India," Kovind said in the Central Hall of Parliament. He also expressed hope that India will be a country that will combine its traditions and values with modern ideas. After taking oath, Kovind was given a 21-gun salute to mark assumption of the highest constitutional office in the country. Mukherjee and Kovind exchanged seats on the dais, after which the latter delivered his maiden speech as president. Speaking on nation-building, Kovind said that government can only be a guide in the process. "National pride is what contributes to nation-building," he said. He also conveyed that the government took pride in each citizen of the country, even those belonging to poorer backgrounds. Kovind also acknowledged the role of women in the country. "Teachers who inspire youth are nation-builders. Several women are looking after their families and are making their children proud citizens of this country. They too are nation-builders," he added, while emphasising on the need to respect all occupations. Kovind was elected with 65 percent votes, defeating Meira Kumar to become president. "India's voice counts in today's world. The entire planet is drawn to Indian culture and soft power. The global community looks to us for solutions to international problems whether terrorism, money laundering or climate change. In a globalised world, our responsibilities are also global." he said. A commerce graduate, Kovind studied law at the Kanpur University, practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He was also the central government's standing counsel in the apex court from 1980 to 1993. "We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless. This is especially so as we approach the 75th year of our Independence in 2022," Kovind said. "We constantly need to think about whether development in the country is reaching the person standing last in a line or in the most backward community," he added. The Kanpur-born leader had also earned support from JDU, which broke ranks with the mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar because of his non-confrontational approach as governor of the state. "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility," he further said. The elaborate ceremony for change of guard in India's highest Constitutional office began with Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla, inviting Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, where Mukherjee was waiting for them. The two leaders then went to the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais. Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard with Kovind standing to his left. Swearing-in ceremony | 14th President of India- Sh.Ram Nath Kovind: https://t.co/YYl9STSpSj via @YouTube Rajya Sabha TV (@rajyasabhatv) July 25, 2017 The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional 'hazaar salaam' to the president, who is the supreme commander of the defence forces. Ansari, Mahajan and Khehar received Mukherjee and Kovind, who were then taken to the Central Hall. After the oath-taking ceremony, Kovind met leaders in Central Hall before leaving for the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine. With inputs from PTI NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind was on Thursday elected the 14th President of India after garnering 65.65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College and defeating Opposition candidate Meira Kumar. Kovind is only the second Dalit to be elected president. He will be sworn-in by the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar in the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday, when the term of incumbent Pranab Mukherjee ends. Here is how the entire swearing-in ceremony will take place: 1. Ram Nath Kovind will take oath in the presence of the Chief Justice of India or in his absence, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court. For the swearing-in ceremony, Kovind will first leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan from 10 Akbar Road at 10.15 am. 2. Kovind would first visit Rajghat in the morning at 10.30 am and from there, he will be escorted by the military secretary to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. 3. Mukherjee and Kovind will have a one-on-one discussion on important files and policies related to defence, external affairs and finance. After this, the president-elect and the president will travel in the same car in a ceremonial cavalcade to the Parliament at 12.03 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Vice-President Hamid Ansari will receive the two at the Parliament building where they will be taken to the Central Hall. 4. Members of the council of ministers, governors, chief ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, members of Parliament and principal civil and military officers of the Government of India will assemble in the Central Hall for the ceremony. 5. There, the stage would be shared by both president and president-elect, Lok Sabha speaker, vice-president and Chief Justice of India. The ceremony of assumption of office by Kovind will be held at 12.15 pm in the Central Hall of Parliament House. The CJI will administer oath to the new president. The president-elect will take an oath or affirmation in the following form: "I, Ram Nath Kovind, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of President (or discharge the functions of the president) of India and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of India." 6. After the president-elect takes the oath of office in the presence of the CJI, a 21-gun salute will be fired, followed by Kovind's acceptance speech. Mukherjee and Kovind will then exchange seats. 7. The event will be wrapped up by 12.36 pm when the new president and Mukherjee would proceed towards Rashtrapati Bhawan. Thereafter, outgoing president Pranab Mukherjee will give him a tour of the official residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 8. The new president will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan, where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in the forecourt and courtesies will be extended to the outgoing president. After the tour, Kovind will drop off Mukherjee at his new residence, 10, Rajaji Marg. The president shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters the office, according to Article 56 of the Constitution of India. Follow live blog on Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in ceremony here New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking its permission to allow a 10-year-old rape survivor to terminate her 26-week-old pregnancy. A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud asked the member secretary of Chandigarh Legal Services Authority to assist it as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) and get the rape survivor examined by a board of doctors on 26 July. The bench also said that the medical board will have to examine the aspect whether if they allow the girl to abort the foetus, then what could be the possible risk on her life. It has asked the member secretary to ensure that the rape survivor and one of her parents are accorded proper transportation facility for her examination at PGI, Chandigarh. The court has now fixed the matter for hearing on 28 July, and said the medical report be filed in a sealed cover before it and asked the counsel for the rape victim to provide her address to the member secretary instantly. The PIL was filed after a Chandigarh district court on 18 July refused to let the girl undergo the abortion after it was confirmed that she was 26-weeks-pregnant. Courts allow medical termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and can make an exception if the foetus is genetically abnormal. The petition, filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, has also sought appropriate guidelines be framed by the top court to set up a permanent medical board in each district of India for expedient termination of pregnancies in exceptional cases involving child rape survivors under the best possible medical facilities. "Medical experts have categorically opined that if the 10-year-old rape survivor is forced to give birth through normal delivery or C-section, it may be fatal to the life of the girl as well her child," the petition filed through advocate Kedar Nath Tripathy had said. The petition had also sought direction to the Centre to amend Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, so as to permit termination of pregnancies of more than 20 weeks, particularly involving child rape survivors after obtaining requisite opinion from a permanently constituted medical board. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by 7 September. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, that the Sahara chief has deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore which was to be deposited in the refund account by 15 July. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and AK Sikri, that the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore out of the Rs 552.21 crore would be deposited by 12 August. The bench, however, said that Rs 1,500 crore which Roy would deposit by September seven would also include the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore. The apex court extended the parole granted to him earlier till 10 October. The bench asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to proceed with the publication of sale notice with regard to auctioning of Sahara's prime property at Aamby Valley. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on 11 September. On 5 July, the apex court had noted that Roy had deposited Rs 710.22 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account, but had warned him that his cheque of Rs 552.21 crore must be realised within the 15 July deadline. Roy had earlier told the court that he will pay Rs 1,500 crore on or before 15 June and Rs 552.22 crore exactly a month thereafter. He has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since 6 May last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary were arrested for failure of the group's two companies Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) to comply with the court's 31 August, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. Srinagar: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protests against the arrest made in a terror funding case. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who had called for the shutdown were placed under house arrest in Srinagar, while Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. The District Magistrate has ordered restrictions under section 144 of the CrPC in the old city area including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal. Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other district headquarters in the valley. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown and the city outskirts. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested several separatist leaders in the terror funding case on Monday. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani, and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of Umer Farooq, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal. Beijing: China's foreign minister Wang Yi has claimed that India "admitted" to entering Chinese territory and said the solution to the standoff was for its troops to "conscientiously withdraw" from the Doka La area in the Sikkim sector. "The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory," Wang said on Monday in Bangkok, commenting for the first time over the standoff between the troops from the two countries. "In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. The solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw," he said in a brief quote in Chinese posted on China's foreign ministry's website on Tuesday. The standoff has happened in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan after the Chinese army tried to build a road in the disputed area. India has said the "unilateral" Chinese action to change the status quo near the Bhutan trijunction poses a challenge to India's security. In her address to the Rajya Sabha last week, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj accused China of building roads using bulldozers and excavators, which has been protested by Bhutan in writing to Beijing. She also said India was not "unreasonable" on the issue and all nations were with it. The issues are expected to be discussed during the visit of Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to Beijing for a meeting of the NSAs of BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa on 27-28 July. On Monday, the Chinese defence ministry said its military will safeguard China's security interests at "any cost". Rameswaram: Three fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing off Neduntheevu near the Lankan coast, the sixth such incident this month. The fishermen from Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai district have been taken to Kangesanthurai port, police said. Their boat was also seized for allegedly intruding into Lankan territory and poaching in their zone, they said. On Friday, eight fishermen from Nagapattinam district were arrested for allegedly fishing off Neduntheevu, while four fishermen from Jagadapattinam in Pudukottai district were arrested on 17 July. On 13 July, seven fishermen from Mandapam were arrested for allegedly fishing in Lankan waters. Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in finding a permanent solution to the recurring mid-sea arrests. The state government has maintained that restoration of Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, was the "only solution" to the vexed fishermen's issue. The Madras High Court on Tuesday made it compulsory for Vande Mataram to be played and sung in all schools, colleges and universities at least once a week, preferably on Monday or Friday across Tamil Nadu, ANI has reported. Vande Matharam to be played and sung in all schools/colleges/Universities atleast once a week (Preferably on Monday or Friday):Madras HC ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 The court has also asked all government offices, institutions, private companies, factories and industries to do the same at least once a month. It also said that if anyone has difficulty in singing the song, they shall not be compelled or forced provided there are valid reasons. Vande Matharam be played and sung in all Govt Offices and Institutions/Pvt companies/Factories&Industries at least once a month:Madras HC ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 According to News18, the court has also asked the Director of Public Information to upload and circulate the translated version of Vande Mataram in Tamil & English. #UPDATE The Director of Public Information is directed to upload and circulate the translated version of Vande Matharam in Tamil & English News18 (@CNNnews18) July 25, 2017 This comes only a few months after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre on a plea which sought to make the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in all educational institutions. The next hearing on the issue is scheduled to take place on 23 August. On 17 February, 2017, the Supreme Court had refused to enter into the debate on the plea seeking the declaration of Vande Mataram as the National Song. "...We do not intend to enter into any debate as far as the National Song is concerned," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Mohan M Shantanagouder had said, declining the plea by a lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay. The Madras High Court's order is not the first time that the judiciary in the country have asked for overt displays of patriotism. In November 2016, the Supreme Court had ordered that the National Anthem must be played in public theatres across the country before a movie, minus any dramatisation. It had also ordered that the National Flag be shown on screen when the anthem is played. A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy had said that this would instil a feeling of constitutional patriotism and nationalism. "It is the duty of every citizen to abide by the ideals ingrained in the Constitution and as such show respect to the National Anthem and the National Flag," the bench had said. "People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," the bench had said. "At the root of protocol for National Anthem, is respect for national identity, integrity and constitutional patriotism," it had added. With inputs from agencies Let's get this straight. The executive head of one of India's best-known central universities wants to install an army tank inside the university's campus. The outlandish demand, which was put forth even last year by a group of ex-servicemen led by Major General (retd) GD Bakshi, was raised this year during a tiranga (tricolour) march on 23 July at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by Jagadesh Kumar, the university's vice-chancellor (V-C). The lavish flag march, organised on the eve of 'Kargil Day' (26 July), was peopled by prominent veterans, including Maj Gen Bakshi and more significantly, the Minister of State for External Affairs, VK Singh, another retired army general. What do you make of this bizarre militarism of India's administrative and political elite? The V-C says that the sight of a tank "will remind thousands of students about the great sacrifices and valour of our Indian Army". But, the exact thinking pathologies behind this demand are different and rather uncomplicated, much like the brand of nationalism that his hyper-nationalist coterie promotes: to put on display the state's offensive capabilities, and crush critical consciousness by introducing architectures of militarism in the country's intellectual spaces. But, why a tank? Why not a simple martyrs' memorial? Because the tank is a double-edged sword. Unlike the assault rifle, the artillery gun, or the grenade, it is a super-weapon in the conventional territorial battlefield that, besides being a tactical force multiplier against a land-based enemy, is also a time-tested instrument of psychological warfare. The sight of the rumbling machine, complete with its nasty gun-turret and heavy chain links, can invoke a visceral sense of fear amongst enemy ranks, especially if they are lightly armed or unarmed. This specific attribute of the tank was demonstrated to the world during the historic Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989, when the Chinese army rolled in a convoy of Type 59s into the city's main public square to successfully force nonviolent, pro-democracy dissenters into submission. That, precisely, is what the tank is supposed to do in JNU: intimidate the unarmed 'enemy', which in this case, is a bunch of young, socially-conscious, politically-aware Indians who dare to question the State and its various organs, army included. The exhibitionist logic of placing a tank in an university space, which is generally viewed as an intellectual challenge to the State, is pretty clear: to send an unyielding message that the State is capable of liquidating by force those who challenge its authority. The V-C could have simply asked for a memorial to commemorate the Kargil martyrs. But, he asked for a piece of battlefield hardware whose only purpose is to kill and maim. How must one overlook the obvious semantics here, despite the overtly macabre subtext? The other obvious motivation behind this drastic demand is to reclaim the university's public space from its traditional 'owners': the left-liberal body politic that identifies with the progressive, rather than nationalistic, line of thought. In this regard, the tank must be seen in a broader context of architectural overhaul. That the current administrators want to wholly replace the infrastructures of resistance characteristic of the JNU space (posters, placards, graffiti, and overnight dhabas) with an infrastructure of nationalism (more flags, marching bands, and a tank) is evident. The decision to put barricades around the common area outside the administration block, frequently used by student bodies to organise public meetings, is further testimony to this. Thus, one must be careful of attaching any real meaning to the abstract rationale of 'patriotic inspiration' put forward by the V-C and his friends. It is nothing but a veil on the core logic of psychological subversion, a logic that is more strategic than metaphorical. The central idea is to recalibrate the entire discourse around JNU by systematically subduing intellectual opposition to the state that is now colloquially and deceitfully referred to as 'anti-nationalism'. This, the current administrators plan to accomplish through a mix of ways: institutional reforms, ghettoisation of the university space, and psychological intimidation. The tank forms an essential part of this radical plan, aimed at evoking a very specific imagination of a battle-ready, sacrificial India. At the nucleus of it all, lays the larger agenda of wholesale ideological reformation of the millennial, university-going Indian crowd. To realise this, one does not have to look beyond what Maj Gen Bakshi said during the tiranga march: "See how we turned things around." Turn around, it sure is. The V-C's demand for a tank is also reflective of a certain brand of nationalism that has taken centre-stage in the broader nationalistic public discourse in India, one that is based on militaristic violence rather than intellectual consolidation. His nationalism begins and ends at the barrel of the gun (or the tank's turret). But, then again, one cannot expect much openness of thought or critical reasoning from an administrator who misleadingly declares, "In no other country, is the army being questioned." What Jagadesh Kumar and Co. expect from the university crowd is clear: to abandon the various questions, and embrace the single answer. What happens if students dismiss the answer? Well, there's a tank standing right outside your college canteen. New Delhi: The AAP on Monday asked the Election Commission to tally Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with EVM results in the upcoming Bawana bypoll, in the backdrop of reports of malfunctioning of a voting machine in zilla parishad poll in Maharashtra. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti, the party said the poll body's decision to tally slips of VVPAT with the results of Electronic Voting Machines in five per cent of polling stations in each seat in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls should be tried in Bawana. "The by-election of the Bawana Assembly constituency is due anytime. This provides an ideal opportunity to the Election Commission to implement the decision to tally the VVPAT slips with the votes recorded by the EVMs," he said. Bypoll to the Bawana constituency was necessitated after AAP MLA Ved Prakash resigned to join the BJP, days before the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls, held in April. The commission is yet to declare dates for the Assembly bypoll. The AAP has been questioning the credibility of the EVMs after its poor show in Punjab and humiliating defeat in the MCD polls. The issue has got a traction after Buldhana district collectorate recently admitted that one of the EVMs that was used in the local body polls held in February was malfunctioning. An independent candidate Asha Arun Zore, who contested the zilla parishad elections, had raised objection in this regard after it was found that the votes were getting registered in favour of the BJP despite pressing the button indicating her symbol. Chennai: Ruling AIADMK on Tuesday hit out at arch rival DMK for its horse trading taunt against the Palaniswamy regime, alleging it was the M Karunanidhi-led party that had indulged in such acts to save its 'minority' government in 2006-11. Referring to the oft repeated allegation of DMK working president MK Stalin that the AIADMK government was a "horse trading regime", the ruling party's mouthpiece "Namadhu MGR" said the DMK then had 95 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly and ran a "minority government." "It is them (DMK) who did shameless politics to bring majority for the minority regime by indulging in horse trading with Tirupur Govindasamy and S Ve Shekar who won on an AIADMK ticket from Mylapore," said a Tamil daily, perceived to have the backing of AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran. CPM Tirupur MLA C Govindasamy, who had hobnobbed with DMK leaders, was expelled from the party for anti-party activities and he later joined the DMK in 2010. Actor-politician Shekar was expelled from AIADMK in 2009 following differences with party chief late J Jayalalithaa. He functioned as an "unattached member" since then and joined BJP after a brief stint in Congress. During 2006-11, though DMK did not have numbers to make up majority on its own, it had the support of 34 Congress MLAs and AIADMK had 61 MLAs. Contrasting the past with the present situation, the party mouthpiece said the AIADMK now had a majority with 122 MLAs. In a veiled reference to former chief minister O Panneerselvam-led faction, the party in a conciliatory note said, "Those who are joining and who will be joining belong to the same family. All contested on the same symbol (Two-leaves)." VC Arukutty, MLA, a loyalist of Panneeerselvam, recently joined Chief Minister K Palaniswamy faction. The AIADMK daily also trained its guns on Stalin for ridiculing Palaniswamy as playing to the tunes of the Centre. It asked: "Who signed the MoU for extraction of Methane Coal bed project at the instance of Congress party? It took pot shots at DMK, accusing it of changing stand in respect of the project, initiated during its regime. In January 2011, Stalin as deputy chief minister had signed a MoU with Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited for the project in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts. On Stalin's allegation that there was a collusion between "corrupt" AIADMK and BJP, the daily hit back by listing several corruption allegations like 2G Spectrum case when DMK was a part of the Congress-led UPA regime at the Centre. New Delhi: Activists of the All India Mahila Congress on Tuesday staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar and slammed the Centre over its alleged "anti-women" policies. The demonstrators participating in the protest tried to march towards the Parliament building but were stopped at a police barricade. Members of Mahila Congress from Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh participated in the protest. They carried posters and placards carrying 'Teen Sal Desh Badhal' and other slogans, slamming the Modi government. "Crime against women has increased by 30 percent under the Modi government. Imposing GST on sanitary napkins exposes the insensitivity of the government towards women," said Shobha Oza, national president of the Mahila Congress. She said that Mahila Congress is pledged to expose the "anti-people" policies of the Modi government and uproot it in the Parliamentary elections in 2019. President Pranab Mukherjee demits office today. His presidency was the culmination of extraordinary career of a political leader. India has seen only a few politicians like him who had the capacity to evolve into a statesman irrespective of their political affiliation and the office that they held. Mukherjee is one such leader who brought dignity to every office that he held. My first contact with him started when he, along with Manmohan Singh, was occupying the Opposition benches during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He chaired important Standing Committees which had the responsibility of clearing several legislations. Three of them were important Constitution amendments. One related to the freezing of seats in the Lok Sabha and the state legislatures despite demographic changes in several states. The second involved review of the Anti-Defection Law and the third one dealt with limiting the size of the Council of Ministers both in the Centre and the states. His committee expeditiously considered these amendments and improved upon the drafts that the government had prepared and produced a much better document. He evolved a consensus on all these issues. Even in Opposition he was never an obstructionist. He was a product of the parliamentary system and favoured using Parliament for larger national interest. In his later years, I closely observed him both as a MP and subsequently as a Leader of the Opposition. His natural ability was to rise above partisan arguments. In Parliament, he almost spoke like an amicus curiae a friend of the House, rather than a party leader. This quality enabled him to evolve a consensus in favour of the argument that he advanced. Very rarely did he lose his cool, but if he did, he was smiling a minute later and making up with his opponent through some complimentary references. He had a great sense of history which blended with his vision of constitutional propriety. The democrat in him insisted that the government and the Opposition had to work in tandem on major issues. He could recollect parliamentary and judicial precedents to decide which was the right course that had to be pursued. As the President of India, he was unquestionably the guardian of the Constitution. He realised that in a democracy there could only be one power centre i.e. the elected government and the Prime Minister. He, therefore, actively associated with two different governments during his presidency with equal ease. He ensured that all decisions of the Council of Ministers had to conform to Constitutional propriety. On some occasions, he wanted to be satisfied before he accorded his approval to those decisions. I was usually sent to interact with him. He was always well-prepared on facts, on Constitutional requirements and the need for fairness. These essentials had to be balanced with the requirement of the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers being forwarded to him. This delicate balance he maintained throughout his tenure. He always accepted the advise of the Council of Ministers. Mukherjee exhibited a unique charm which won him many admirers. He made dealing with him a matter of delight. He put all his interlocutors at ease. He grew in stature with each day. His transformation from a senior Minister to a President was exemplary. As president he was completely non-partisan and conducted himself as an advisor and a guide to his Governments. He owned up the programmes of the Government and became their advocate. He once told me that he had the unique privilege of moving before Parliament the Constitution amendment of Good and Services Tax. He wanted to approve the Constitution amendment during his tenure as the President. It gave him great satisfaction when he did so. He exits from the Rashtrapati Bhawan with a great stature. He will now assume a greater role of advising and guiding the nation as an amicus curiae which he always was. Mumbai: After holding separate press conferences on the eve of Maharashtra legislature's monsoon session, the opposition of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday said they would take on the government together. On Sunday, the NCP and Congress held separate press conferences, in a departure from the tradition of holding a joint press conference of opposition ahead of the session. NCP was riled as the Congress leaders sent a letter to the chairman of Legislative Council, asking him to give precedence to a proposed resolution discussing former prime minister Indira Gandhi's contribution to the country over another resolution congratulating the NCP chief Sharad Pawar on completing 50 years of parliamentary career. The NCP alleged that the Congress did not bother to consult it before sending the letter. However, on Monday the two parties held a meeting where it was decided that the two resolutions would be discussed on separate days to avoid a clash. The resolution congratulating Pawar and Peasants and Workers Party veteran Ganpatrao Deshmukh would be discussed on 5 August, while the one on Indira Gandhi will be tabled on 9 August, said former chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday. The two parties also decided to corner the BJP-led government over the ambiguities in the farm loan waiver scheme announced in June. "We want the government to announce exact number of (would-be) beneficiaries of loan waiver. It should also declare the number of farmers who were given Rs 10,000 for kharif season. The opposition has a right to know how many district central banks extended loans to farmers," said NCP leader Ajit Pawar. New Delhi: The Congress on Monday filed a complaint against BJP MP Anurag Thakur for what the opposition party said was filming Lok Sabha proceedings. The party also requested the Lok Sabha secretary general for a copy of the unedited recording of the house proceedings between noon and 1 pm and also demanded action and inquiry against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Congress MP Sushmita Dev, who was one of the six Congress members suspended from the Lok Sabha for five consecutive sittings after they tore papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speaker's podium, wrote to the Lok Sabha Secretary General on the issue. Another Congress leader KC Venugopal also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and requested her to take immediate action against him to "preserve the sanctity of the proceedinsg of the house". "BJP MP Anurag Thakur was caught filming the house proceedings. This, according to the rules, is forbidden. The Congress requests immediate action to preserve the decorum of the house proceedings," Dev said in a statement. "Just like in case of Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann, an inquiry should be ordered and immediate action taken against Thakur for flouting house rules and endangering its security," she said. The Congress said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government cannot use its brute majority to intimidate the Opposition. "The opposition keeps the government accountable. We have every right to raise issues of public importance. The government time and again uses its majority to suppress, repress, and stifle the opposition's voice," she added. Mumbai: The politics surrounding the farm loan waiver refuses to die down as the BJP on Tuesday termed its loan waiver decision as a bold, courageous and historic one while the Opposition Congress-NCP slammed the government for the inordinate delay in announcing it. Opening the debate in the legislative council, BJP MLC Sujitsingh Thakur termed the Rs 34,000 crore Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Saanman Yojana as "historic". He said that in the last two-and-half years the government has made Rs 40,000 crore investment in the agriculture sector so as to make the farmer self-reliant. Thakur slammed the previous Congress-NCP government accusing it of making the farmer dependent on the state and forcing them to commit suicide. The debate was briefly adjourned for 30 minutes as the opposition raised the objection to the absence of bureaucrats and officials in the officer's gallery. Leading the Opposition charge leader of Opposition in the legislative council, Dhananjay Munde accused the government of not being serious on the issue of loan waiver. Slamming the government for moving a congratulatory motion, he said, "the government took three years to announce the decision and that too after 15,000 farmers had committed suicides in the state due to bad debt." Tearing apart the government's claim of it being a historic decision, Munde sarcastically said that not a rupee has reached the indebted farmer and the government has splurged Rs 36 lakh on advertisement blitz on its decision. "Even now after one-and-half months, the government is still undecided on who is entitled to avail loan waiver. The government is taking credit for rise in agriculture produce due to good rainfall last year. Despite the bountiful harvest the demonetisation proved to be a bad omen for the farmers. Exasperated farmers had to go on strike," he said. Sena MLCs Anil Parab and Neelam Gorhe supported the government motion after it had in the recent past slammed the government and even threatened to walk out of the government. Terming the loan waiver as a "good step", Parab justified the Sena's aggressive stand as a way to ensure that the farmers are not left to fend for themselves in their hour of crisis. Both Parab and Gorhe demanded that the government extend the deadline till 31 March, 2017 for availing loan waiver to all those farmers who have had debt burden. Parab further demanded that the government increase the compensation to farmers who repay their loans regularly to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 25,000 as announced by the state. Parab clarified that the Sena stood by the government's decision to ensure that the farmers get their due and their honour restored. Gorhe, on the other hand, demanded that the 30 Jun 30, 2016 cut off set by the government for indebted farmers to avail of loan waiver be extended till June 2017. "The government should withdraw the cases filed against agitating farmers," she said. She further pointed out that not all farmers can fill the online registration form. "The loan waiver decision will be a ray of hope for farmers which keeps their faith alive. The house should not indulge in politics over the issue and if the government is doing some good work there is no need to show narrow mindedness," Gorhe said. In the wake of failure in disbursing scholarships to students of government schools, the Delhi government on Monday issued an order to its officials, including the chief secretary, directing them not to take any decision without the approval of the minister concerned or the chief minister. The standing order has been issued by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Public Works Department minister Satyendar Jain. Taking a stern stand, the Delhi government asked its bureaucrats not to deal with files secretly while also stating that any communication from the Centre should immediately be brought to the notice of the minister concerned. The order underlined that no further communication be made with any other department or ministry without the approval of the minister-in-charge of the department concerned. What the order says? "In the last few months, there have been several instances when matters of urgent and great public importance were dealt behind the back of the elected government. The files were dealt secretly by some bureaucrats keeping their minister and the chief minister in the dark," the official order read. "No decision will be taken and no order will be passed by any secretary/principal secretary/chief secretary without the approval of (the) minister-in-charge. Likewise, the views of the department on any issue shall not be communicated without the approval of (the) minister-in-charge, it stated. Citing Rule (21) of Transaction of Business of Government of NCT of Delhi Rules 1993 (TBR), the order further stated, All communications received from the central government (including those from the prime minister and other ministers of the central government, other than those of a routine or unimportant character) shall, as soon as possible after their receipt, be submitted by the secretary to the minister-in-charge, the chief minister and lieutenant governor for information. What led to issuance of the order? In the order both Sisodia and Jain have mentioned that over the last few months, There have been several instances when matters of urgent and great public importance were dealt behind the back of the elected government. The order was issued after it came to the knowledge of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal that there had been a failure in disbursement of scholarships to SC/ST students of government schools in Delhi. "There are scholarship schemes for school children from SC/ST background. The chief minister during one of his daily 'janata darbar' where he meets citizens without prior appointment, came to know that the scholarships meant for the students were not disbursed. It has affected more than five lakh students. Weve come to know that some of the officials without informing the minister concerned send files 'secretly' to L-G's office. After all whos accountable for any failure in deliverance? Itll be the elected representatives like ministers and MLAs and not the officials. Keeping this in mind, this order has been issued," an official source in the Delhi government told Firstpost. After being informed about the 'scholarship mess', Kejriwal had written a letter to Delhi chief secretary MM Kutty on 30 June about the non-disbursal of scholarships to students of the Delhi government, municipal and New Delhi Municipal Council schools. A report on the issue by the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC), revealed that lakhs of beneficiaries (students) had not received their scholarships for over 16 months. "The DDC report has clearly mentioned that government was kept in the dark by the bureaucracy. The files were not given to the minister concerned between 2015 and 2017. More than five lakh scholarships are yet to be disbursed in Delhi, due to complete abdication of responsibilities, apathy, insensitivity and dereliction of duty by the senior most officials of the Delhi government," the official source added. Order leaked? The Delhi government has alleged that the order was leaked to the media. Sisodia took to Twitter and alleged that the office of the lieutenant governor leaked the copy of the order to the media. Those in the government say that this incident may further escalate the tussle between the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government. It was an uneventful seventh day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, with the Lok Sabha unable to get any business done following two adjournments. The first adjournment was called to allow ministers to partake in the swearing-in ceremony of the 14th President of India and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the Lower House for the day after the Opposition started demanding the revocation of suspension of the six members of Parliament who were suspended on Monday. Prakash Javadekar had tried to introduce the IIIT Bill, but was cut short by shouting Opposition members. Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha urged "kind-hearted" Mahajan to revoke the suspension of six MPs. Mahajan, however, said she didn't want to comment on the issue immediately. The six Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and MK Raghavan were suspended on Monday for causing "grave disorder" by storming the Well, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair during their protest over growing incidents of lynching by cow vigilantes. Raising the issue in the House, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to the Speaker to revoke the suspension of the six party members. "Madam, we appeal to the House to revoke the suspension of six of our members. You are very kind-hearted," Kharge said. Following the ruckus created by the Opposition, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. Opposition parties, led by Congress, protested the suspension at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament House on Tuesday. Leaders of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, RJD, JDU and Left parties shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government and urged Mahajan to reconsider her decision. Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, JDU's Sharad Yadav, CPI's D Raja, NCP's Supriya Sule and TMC leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee, were among those who led the protests. Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha chairman informed the Upper House of the demise of former Member of Parliament Shivajirao Girdhar Patil and the House paid its respects to the departed member. During a discussion on the agrarian crisis, the Congress blamed the central government and said that fixing of import-export levies on foodgrains was one of the biggest scams impacting the farmers. Initiating a short-duration discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of their suicide", Congress leader Digvijaya Singh accused the government of being "insensitive" to the plight of the agriculturists. He said farmers in Madhya Pradesh had faced bullets on the centenary of the Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. Sh. Digvijaya Singh's Speech | Discussion on farmers distress: https://t.co/e3mObLvHps via @YouTube Rajya Sabha TV (@rajyasabhatv) July 25, 2017 Singh said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 percent from 25 percent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers, because imported wheat was available at cheaper prices. Singh quoted agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside. The Congress leader also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). He alleged that after demonetisation, restrictions on cattle sale hit farmers. He also said that he has very little hope from the agriculture minister because the seat of power in the BJP-led Central government rests in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Prabhat Jha of BJP hit back at Singh and said that Madhya Pradesh (ruled by the BJP) is the first state to implement the MS Swaminathan report. Meanwhile, Derek O'Brien of the TMC urged all states to follow West bengal's model of crop insurance. "The annual income of farmers from 2010 to 2016 in Bengal has moved up from Rs 91,000 to Rs 2,00,000. I request everyone to look at Bengal's model, which is working very well. What is unique in Bengal is that the state and central government give the entire money. The farmer doesn't even pay one rupee," he said. The Opposition also raised the issue of preparedness of the defence forces, in the wake of a CAG report flagging that the Indian Army was facing a critical shortage of ammunition, which would last just 10 days of war. To this, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley replied that the armed forces are "reasonably and sufficiently equipped" to defend the sovereignty of the country. Jaitley said the CAG report has a reference to the shortage of ammunition regarding a particular point of time. "Subsequently thereafter, significant progress has been made," he said. The Opposition also sought to know why the Reserve Bank of India has not yet provided the number of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes returned in the banking system, even nine months after the note ban decision. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Anand Sharma of Congress said, "Even a child is delivered in nine months," but the country doesn't know how many of the old and junked currency notes were returned. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and Congress members as party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia denied he was "anti-Dalit" and demanded an apology from BJP members who said so a day earlier. "Some baseless allegations were made against me in the house yesterday (Monday) by three Bharatiya Janata Party members. They sought to portray me as anti-Dalit. My image has been tarnished," Scindia said in the Lok Sabha soon after the house met at 3 pm. BJP's Tikamgarh MP Virendra Kumar claimed during Zero Hour on Monday that the Congress MP got a hospital in his parliamentary constituency Guna in Madhya Pradesh "purified" by sprinkling Ganga water and re-inaugurated it even though it had been earlier inaugurated by a Dalit BJP MLA. Kumar was supported by BJP MPs Manohar Utawal and Nand Kumar Chauhan. An infuriated Scindia, the Congress Chief whip in the Lok Sabha, asked the BJP members to prove their charges or else resign. "I have recordings of that event. I challenge them to prove the charges. If they prove it, I will resign from the house or else the three MPs should resign," the Congress leader said. Scindia said the members concerned should at least apologise. Congress members, including Scindia, rushed towards the Speaker's podium and sought an apology from Virendra Kumar, who was present in the House. Kumar wanted to respond but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow. Amid the din, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to speak, but was denied permission by the Speaker. Kharge said his voice was being suppressed. Kharge's remarks agitated the treasury benches and led to a heated argument with Parliamentary Affairs Minister HN Ananth Kumar. Ananth Kumar said Kharge's remarks were against the Chair and this cannot be tolerated. Mahajan said she had allowed Scindia to speak, but he rushed towards the Speaker's podium with other Congress members. "If you come towards the podium every now and then, how will the house function? You will have to understand this. If you don't want the house to function, tell me in advance. I will adjourn the house." The Speaker said she was not against discussion but the issues need to be raised properly in the House. Kharge, who was then given permission to speak, said he was not raising the issue of cow vigilantism but wanted to raise the matter concerning Scindia, "whose image is being tarnished". "He is a young leader with 15 years of parliamentary experience. I know him. He can't be anti-Dalit. Many a time, he spoke in favour of the Dalits in this House. It was not good to tarnish his image," Kharge said. Kharge targetted Ananth Kumar, saying "instead of solving a crisis he instigates it". He took a dig at former Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who is now the National Democratic Alliance's vice presidential candidate. "Jaisa Naidu sahab karte the, ye bhi waisa hi kar rahe hain (he is doing the same as Naidu used to do)," Kharge remarked. Ananth Kumar hit back: "Don't give us lessons in parliamentary democracy. Those who have murdered democracy are teaching us parliamentary democracy." Taking a dig at Kharge, the minister said the Congress member is an experienced leader "who knows how to ignite fire and douse it". Kharge later raised the issue of suspension of six Congress MPs for five sittings and demanded that it be revoked. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over BJP members' absence from both Houses of Parliament leading to trouble or embarrassment for the government. Modi's remarks came during weekly BJP parliamentary party meeting just after parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar and his junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's reference to incidents and problems arising out of lack of quorum. In his response, the prime minister said that "he was worried and not satisfied with members' percentage of presence in houses," according to a BJP MP. The government had to face an embarrassing situation in the Rajya Sabha last week when a bill on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims could not be taken up due to lack of quorum. Modi also called upon the BJP MPs to observe fortnight programmes of Sankalp Yatra and hold Tiranga Yatra in their constituencies to celebrate 70th Independence Day. "The prime minister said that this year there will be nationwide celebrations starting from 9 August till 15 August. After this, for 15 days a sankalp yatra will be conducted throughout the nation, pledging development of nation and every individual," Kumar told reporters after the meeting. "The prime minister also stated that from 1947 till now, India reached new heights but till 2022, India will become a power to reckon with in the world," he added. Kumar also said that the prime minister said that they have to change the lives of poor by three ways by welfare, by social harmony and by good governance. Modi also said that Ram Nath Kovind taking oath as 14th President of India is a historic day in BJP's journey, started by Syama Prasad Mookerjee", according to a BJP leader. The BJP Parliamentary party also condemned the "atrocious behaviour" of six Congress Lok Sabha MPs who were on Monday suspended for five consecutive sittings after they tore up papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speaker's podium. New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday blamed the government for the agrarian crisis in the country and said that fixing of import-export levies on foodgrain was one of the biggest scams impacting the farmers. Initiating a short-duration discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of their suicide" Digvijay Singh of Congress accused the government of being "insensitive" to plight of the agriculturists. He said farmers in Madhya Pradesh had faced bullets recently on the centenary of Champaran agitation, in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams. Singh said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 percent from 25 percent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers adversely as imported wheat was avaiable at cheaper prices. Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014-15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said. Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12. Singh quoted Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside. He said there is a need for fixing import-export levies by the commerce ministry in consultation with agriculture ministry. Expressing concern over 42 percent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 percent to the GDP. The Congress leader also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). He alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers. He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said that others in the Cabinet were helpless as it was the prime minister who decided everything. He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but to benefit industrialists. New Delhi: Opposition parties led by the Congress on Tuesday protested against the suspension of six Congress MPs from Lok Sabha at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament House. Leaders of the Congress, Left, the Trinamool Congress, the RJD, the JD(U) shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government over the suspension of the MPs for five days and said they would protest inside Parliament also. They urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to reconsider the suspensions of MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Sushmita Dev, Ranjeet Ranjan, Adhir Ranjan Choudhry, K Suresh and MK Raghavan. Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, JD(U)'s Sharad Yadav, CPI's D Raja, NCP's Supriya Sule and TMC leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee, were among those who led the protests. The six suspended MPs were also present at the protest. Earlier, the Congress held a strategy meeting to discuss the suspension of its MPs. The Congress members were on Monday suspended from Lok Sabha by Mahajan for causing "grave disorder" by storming the Well, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair during their protests over the lynching issue. Ordering their suspension amid noisy protests by Congress members and counter-slogans of shame, shame from the BJP benches, the speaker said their conduct was "highly unbecoming" and had undermined the Chair's dignity. In her piece for The Indian Express, columnist Tavleen Singh raised a pertinent question. Looking at BJP's pan-India rise, the shifting of power equation and the frequent chest-thumping by senior leaders on the "absolute certainty" of a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she asked whether the triumphalism could be misplaced. She offered anecdotal logic. "The more I have heard this said, the more I am reminded of the summer of 2004 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee seemed invincible. Just before the election results, I remember being asked by CNN if there was any chance of Sonia Gandhi springing a surprise, and me recklessly declaring that there was none. We know what happened." The question is interesting primarily because we have still not fully understood the reasons behind Vajpayee's unexpected loss. Most conventional explanations about the NDA ignoring its base or 'India Shining' backfiring as a campaign slogan do not adequately capture the turn of events. Vajpayee was riding a wave of confidence and the party's internal assessments had favoured early elections. There is not an iota of doubt that Vajpayee's shock defeat reset Indian politics to a socialist median with far-reaching implications. A Congress government fronted by "free-market hero" Manmohan Singh and led by Sonia Gandhi summoned the ghosts of India's socialist era, but eventually paid the price for this. The repercussions of that defeat still linger, with even Modi's ostensibly Right-of-Centre government struggling under its shadow. Socialism champion PM Modi has buried CM Modi's 'business friendly' credentials six feet under the ground. Be that as it may, the question central to this piece is how likely is it for Modi to suffer Vajpayee's fate. Is there a possibility of Congress making a return in 2019, albeit propped by an alliance of varied interests? Let us approach the question from three angles: Opposition's ability to remain united and offer a counter-narrative; BJP's hegemonic rise under Modi and Amit Shah; and the prime minister's mass appeal. Between 2004 and now, Congress has undergone more of a transformative change than BJP has. It is now an apparition led by a dynast who has failed to step up. An unwell Sonia Gandhi may well be ready to hand over the family business to her son, but nothing in Rahul Gandhi inspires confidence. As Congress grapples with a million mutinies and a rapid erosion of its mass base, Rahul comes across as a flippant politician, the most serious flaw in a leader. For instance, addressing a farmers' rally in Rajasthan on Wednesday, the Congress vice-president blasted the government for refusing to discuss the farmers' distress in Parliament, the very day that agitation and sloganeering over the agrarian crisis forced adjournments of both houses. The government, it appears from media reports, was ready to answer "all questions" from the Opposition under Rule 193. The Speaker had stressed that a debate was scheduled for later in the day, but Opposition leaders from Congress, NCP, TMC, Left, RJD and National Conference who had been interfering with proceedings by running repeatedly into the Well, ultimately staged a walkout. So either the Congress vice-president wasn't aware of the House proceedings or he decided to anyway press ahead with the rhetoric no matter how ridiculous it makes him appear. Umm... On the day that the Lok Sabha discussed 'agrarian crisis' for hours. Might've been better to have participated ?? pic.twitter.com/q7Juq9wpMv Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) July 20, 2017 This cognitive dissonance is symptomatic of a party gripped with panic. On the organisational side, it sways between centralised decision-making and a free run to local power centres; it tramples on the egos of senior leaders and fails to retain talented ones. On the ideological side, it has failed to counter BJP's "nationalism" narrative, appearing far too often on the wrong side. Here, Congress' biggest problem is that it needs to restore the sanctity of a "secularism" debate. Right now the word is discredited beyond repair. As far as Opposition unity is concerned, Modi is in a better position compared to Vajpayee. The subaltern movement was enjoying high noon in the early part of the millennium and Mayawati was in firm control of the Dalit narrative. That she now has to stage a resignation drama in the Rajya Sabha to reclaim her base speaks volumes about the shifting of sands that has taken place. Mayawati's fall isn't just the fading away of a Dalit leader, it is the biggest symptom yet of the changes that took place among the subaltern underclass since the '90s, which one of the tallest Dalit leaders failed to appropriate. The assertion of identity has given way to a search for economic opportunities, which the BJP has been able to tap through social engineering and careful messaging. BJP has split Mayawati's base and carved its own niche, a project that is likely to gain more force with Ram Nath Kovind's ascension to the presidency. At the other end, Mulayam Singh Yadav is now a rebel in a party he founded, while Lalu Prasad Yadav's transgressions are catching up with him and his progeny; Nitish Kumar, one of the tallest Opposition leaders, is cleaved between saving his government and protecting his image; and Naveen Patnaik is feeling the heat in Odisha. In the South, the BJP has emerged as a major player by gaining strength in Kerala and smelling an opportunity to break the AIDMK-DMK duopoly in Tamil Nadu. Except Mamata Banerjee in the East, none of the Opposition leaders appear to be comfortable. And while the Opposition is struggling to stay relevant in national politics, BJP has substantially gained in strength compared with what it was during the Vajpayee-Advani era. The party of the elite upper classes is now claiming the pro-poor mantle. Modi and Shah obviously feel that this spread will give them better insurance against future uncertainty, and both have moved aggressively to recast the party's core base. In fact, there are murmurs among the trading community that the BJP has abandoned them a result of the rapid formalisation of the economy hastened by demonetisation and GST but a lack of options might end up serving BJP's cause. Finally, while well-being, security, infrastructure, policies, implementation and governance are all important determinants during an election, we tend to underestimate the importance of communication. And it is here that Modi scores big. He is the most talented politician among his peers and his communication skills and strategies are second to none. It is difficult to imagine any other leader pulling off as disruptive a stunt as demonetisation and yet come out largely unscathed. Early signs indicate that even GST might not be as disruptive a change as was feared, though the last word on this has not been heard yet. Short point is, Modi has grasped the truth better than any of his peers, that sustained communication with the masses (talking and listening to them and not just talking down at them) provides a surprising leeway for mistakes. This could explain why Modi government in its third year retains the trust of 73 percent Indians the third highest in the world after Indonesia and Switzerland. Using social media and his monthly radio programmes, Modi has remained in constant touch with the people throughout his tenure, and has relentlessly worked on his communication strategy frequently co-opting technology to serve his purpose. As Arun Jaitley said recently during the launch of a book on the prime minister's Mann Ki Baat programme, "Merely giving an interview to half a dozen TV anchors or addressing a ritual or a press conference in Vigyan Bhawan is not the art of communication. Do you have the ability to go above their heads and talk to the people directly? I think his (Modi's) experience in Gujarat, particularly from 2001 and 2002 onwards, helped him replicate that example, that talk to the people directly over the heads of over a half a dozen people who thought that they have sole monopoly in conveying and communicating." So, we find people are far more receptive to Modi's radical ideas, far more willing to forgive his mistakes, and ready to give him a longer rope than they would give to his rivals a puzzle which the Opposition could never really crack. It is always hazardous to prophesise on politics and it is possible that we could be wrong again. But a combination of these factors suggest that Modi may retain power in 2019. New Delhi: A delegation of DMK members of parliament on Monday met Union minister JP Nadda and urged him to hasten the process of getting president's nod for two bills passed in Tamil Nadu Assembly over exempting the state from the National Entrance Cum Eligibility Test (NEET). DMK Rajya Sabha MPs Tiruchi Siva, TKS Elangovan and RS Bharathi met the Union health minister and apprised him about the issue. "There has been too much delay on the issue. The state (TN) ministers are now taking efforts after we (opposition DMK) announced a human chain agitation on the matter," Siva said, adding that students have been affected by the common medical entrance examination. The DMK had announced to hold a human chain protest on 27 July across all districts of the state seeking presidential assent to the bills. Similarly, the ruling AIADMK ministers from the state headed by Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai earlier met Home Minister Rajnath Singh to exert pressure on the Centre regarding the issue. The delegation had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers last week regarding the matter. The AIADMK, DMK and other parties in the state have been opposing the NEET, saying state board students, especially from rural areas, would find it difficult to compete with CBSE students. Auto refresh feeds Union finance minister Arun Jaitley will move amendments to the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017. In the Lok Sabha , Javadekar will move to pass another set of amendments to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017. Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar will move to further amend The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Rajya Sabha. Collection of Statistics Amendment Bill, Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, and National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill are also listed for discussion. However, later in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended six Congress MPs for five consecutive sittings for improper conduct after they tore up papers and threw them towards her podium. The Parliament met on the sixth day of the Monsoon Session on Monday, where a slew of legislations were debated despite persistent disruptions. While the Centre seemed keen on passing key bills, the Opposition, much like the initial days of the proceedings, took the BJP-led government to task on issues like mob lynching across India and demonetisation. This time, the BJP seemed to have fought back as well, with the ruling party members demanding a reopening of investigations into the Bofors scam. Rajya Sabah Chairman Hamid Ansari informed the House of the demise of former Member of Parliament Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, reading out the obituary references. The House then paid its respects to the departed member Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House proceedings till 3.00 pm soon after the House was convened, to allow the Union ministers to partake in the swearing-in ceremony of 14th President of India Opposition MPs protesting on the recent incidents of lynching and farmer issues at Gandhi statue outside Parliament He said that the members should not raise issues merely for publicity. Javadekar, however, said that certain factual errors relating to Tagore have been marked out for correction. After O'Brien raised the issue that RSS member Dinanath Tagore suggested removal of text related to Rabindra Nath Tagore, Prakash Javadekar said that the government is not doing any such thing. Quoting the MS Swaminathan report, Singh said that importing foodgrains is like "outsourcing your farmers' interest to foreign countries.' Congress leader Digvijay Singh cornered the government soon after the Rajya Sabha reconvened after Presidend Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in ceremony. He said that cheap imports and neglegible import duty has killed the demand for Indian produces. He said that the government must start announcing the MSPs three month before they come in effect so that the farmers can plan the payoffs before planting the crops. Commenting on the excessive pulse produce this year, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that the government has changed the minimum support price for pulses, which disappointed the farmers, who had planted the crop expecting a different price. MSP should be announced three months before changes come in effect: Digvijay "And PM Modi, what do I say about him. He only believes in imposing his wishes. (Ye sarkar meri marzi ke usulo pe hi chal rahi hai,)" he said. Digvijay Singh said that he has very little hope from the agriculture minister. He said that the minister is listening to his arguments but he wouldn't be able to do much as the seat of the power in the BJP-led central government is in the Prime Minister's Office. Prabhat Jha said that unlike Congress, the BJP doesn't just quotes MS Swaminathan report. He said that Madhya Pradesh (a BJP-ruled state) is the first state to implement the report. Prabhat Jha of BJP hits back at Digvijay, says Modi's vision is to make farmers self dependent He said that the government must start announcing the MSPs three month before they come in effect so that the farmers can plan the payoffs before planting the crops. Commenting on the excessive pulse produce this year, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that the government has changed the minimum support price for pulses, which disappointed the farmers, who had planted the crop expecting a different price. MSP should be announced three months before changes come in effect: Digvijay "And PM Modi, what do I say about him. He only believes in imposing his wishes. (Ye sarkar meri marzi ke usulo pe hi chal rahi hai,)" he said. Digvijay Singh said that he has very little hope from the agriculture minister. He said that the minister is listening to his arguments but he wouldn't be able to do much as the seat of the power in the BJP-led central government is in the Prime Minister's Office. Prabhat Jha said that unlike Congress, the BJP doesn't just quotes MS Swaminathan report. He said that Madhya Pradesh (a BJP-ruled state) is the first state to implement the report. Prabhat Jha of BJP hits back at Digvijay, says Modi's vision is to make farmers self dependent "The annual income of farmers from 2010 to 2016 in Bengal have moved up from Rs 91,000 to Rs 2,00,000. I request everyone to look at Bengal's model, which is working very well. What is unique in Bengal is that the state government gives the entire money and the rest comes from Central government. The farmer doesn't even pay one rupee. I urge states to follow this model," says Derek O'Brien. Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day after slogans by Opposition over revocation of suspension of Congress MPs. Acharya congratulated the government for 4.3% growth in agriculture but said, "If there is growth, why are farmers agitating or committing suicide? That is because the benefits of growth doesn't reach the farmers. The monsoon or nature has not cheated the farmers, it is the government that has cheated the farmers." "Even though majority of the population is engaged in farming, only 20 percent of the GDP comes from farming. We have achieved bumper harvest. We are exporting sugar. We are largest producer of milk and wheat. This is only because of the farmers," he said. Monday saw a stormy session in Parliament as six Congress members were suspended from the Lok Sabha for five days by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for causing "grave disorder." However, the House proceedings went on for several hours before the Opposition stormed the Well, tore papers and threw them at the Chair, protesting lynchings. Ordering their suspension amid noisy protests by Congress members and counter-slogans of "shame, shame" from the BJP benches, the Speaker said the conduct of Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and MK Raghavan was "highly unbecoming" and had undermined the Chair's dignity. Members of the Congress and some other Opposition parties stormed the Well, raising slogans against the government and protesting lynching incidents in the name of cow protection almost since the House assembled in the morning and took up the Question Hour. However, after some time, only the Congress members remained in the Well and the ruckus continued during the Zero Hour in the afternoon, forcing an adjournment till 2.00 pm. Mahajan pronounced her order as soon as the House reassembled at 2.00 pm and once again adjourned it till 2.30 pm due to the protests by Congress members that followed. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also in the House. "The conduct of the members is highly unbecoming and in abuse of the rules of the House. It seeks to undermine the dignity of the House. These members were persistently and willfully obstructing the business of the House and have caused grave disorder," the Speaker said. In her statement in the House, Mahajan said all this had happened despite her agreeing to a discussion under proper notice the issue of atrocities against Dalits and Muslims which was raised by leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and a few other members. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar had also agreed to a discussion on the issue, she said. Despite this, the members stormed the Well, she said, while pronouncing the order. They did not stop despite her repeated requests for them to return to their seats, she said. Meanwhile, despite the din, finance minister Arun Jaitley introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to authorise the RBI to direct banks to resolve the problem of stressed assets, which have reached "unacceptably high levels". The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which was promulgated in May. The measure allows the RBI to initiate insolvency resolution process on specific stressed assets. The RBI would also be empowered to issue other directions for resolution, appoint or approve for appointment, authorities or committees to advise the banking companies for stressed asset resolution. The government also introduced a bill providing for allocation of about Rs 2,000 crore from Central Road Fund (CRF) for developing national waterways (NWs). The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to further amend the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 was moved by Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan in absence of Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari. Ahmedabad: Ahead of the 8 August Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, the top brass of the ruling BJP in the state on Monday night held a meeting to discuss the names of the probable candidates. The Opposition Congress, reeling under the impact of resignation of its senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela, has called its own meeting on Tuesday to chalk out its strategy for the polls. Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha members from the state, the term of three of them - Smriti Irani and Dilipbhai Pandya (both BJP) and Congress' Ahmed Patel - is coming to an end on 18 August. While the Congress has indicated it would re-nominate Patel, the state BJP is expected to send the names of probable candidates to its central Parliamentary board, which will make the final announcement later, said party office-bearers. BJP's state Parliamentary Board on Monday night held a meeting in Gandhinagar in the presence of Gujarat unit president Jitubhai Vaghani and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, said a party release. The meeting was convened to discuss the names of probable nominees, it said. "The meeting was held at the chief minister's bungalow in the presence of several key BJP leaders," said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya. "As per party procedure, the board here engaged in discussion before finalising the names of probable candidates. If needed, the board may meet again before sending the names to the central Parliamentary Board, which would then announce the final nominees," said a party leader. A meeting of Congress MLAs has been called on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action for the 8 August polls to the Upper House of Parliament, said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi. The Congress has 57 MLAs in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly. It needs the support of 47 of them to get its candidate through. The main Opposition party also has the support of two NCP legislators and one of JD(U). However, cross-voting by its MLAs in favour of NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the July 17 election has left the party worried. The meeting is taking place at a time when the party is going through a major turmoil after the exit of Vaghela last week. The 77-year-old veteran politician has quit the post of Leader of Opposition, but he remains an MLA. The former chief minister has assured the Congress leadership he will resign from the assembly membership only after the Rajya Sabha polls are over. Though at least nine of its MLAs cross-voted in the presidential polls, the party leadership claimed there are no chances of that happening in the RS elections. Any such "indiscipline" by MLAs in the Rajya Sabha polls would invite disqualification for six years, the party officials said. Parties generally issue whip to their members during a Rajya Sabha poll and those defying it could be debarred from contesting any elections for six years. Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress has called a meeting on Tuesdsay to chalk out its strategy for the 8 August Rajya Sabha polls. The top brass of the ruling BJP in the state had held a meeting last night to discuss the names of the probable candidates. Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha members from the state, the term of three Smriti Irani and Dilipbhai Pandya (both BJP) and Congress' Ahmed Patel is coming to an end on 18 August. The Congress has indicated that it would re-nominate Patel. The state BJP is expected to send the names of probable candidates to its central Parliamentary Board which will make the final announcement later, said party office bearers. The Congress has 57 MLAs in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly. It needs the support of 47 of them to get its candidate through. The main opposition party also has the support of two NCP legislators and one of the JD(U). However, cross-voting by its MLAs in favour of NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the 17 July election has left the party worried. The meeting is taking place at a time when the Congress is going through a major turmoil after the sudden exit of its senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela last week. The 77-year-old veteran politician has quit the post of the leader of opposition, but he remains an MLA. The former chief minister has assured the Congress leadership he will resign from the assembly membership only after the Rajya Sabha polls are over. Though at least nine of its MLAs cross-voted in the presidential polls, the party leadership claimed there are no chances of that happening in the RS elections. Any such "indiscipline" by MLAs in the Rajya Sabha polls would invite disqualification for six years, the party officials said. Parties generally issue whip to their members during a Rajya Sabha poll and those defying it could be debarred from contesting any elections for six years. BJP's state parliamentary board held a meeting in Gandhinagar Monday night in the presence of Gujarat unit president Jitubhai Vaghani and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, said a party release. The meeting was convened to discuss the names of probable nominees, it said. "The meeting was held at the chief minister's bungalow in the presence of several key BJP leaders," said Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya. "As per party procedure, the board here engaged in discussion before finalising the names of probable candidates. If needed, the board may meet again before sending the names to the central parliamentary board, which would then announce the final nominees," said a party leader. New Delhi: NDA's vice presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday suggested to the BJP workers that the party was like "mother" and they should never forget her. "Fondly reminisce days I spent with @BJP4India. My advice to party workers is - The party is like mother & we should never forget our mother," he said in a tweet. Fondly reminisce days I spent with @BJP4India. My advice to party workers is- The party is like mother & we should never forget our mother. pic.twitter.com/2kUBfP9yZj M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) July 25, 2017 Naidu also met with around 40 BJP central office staff, including drivers, sweepers and telephone operators, at his residence. He also posted a picture of him with the party workers and staff. "Sharing some happy moments as I bid farewell to entire staff of BJP central office right from attendants, drivers, workers & other officials. Sharing some happy moments as I bid farewell to entire staff of BJP Central office right from attendants, drivers, workers & other officials pic.twitter.com/AwJn5Ppa82 M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) July 25, 2017 It has been a great experience to work with all of them when I was General Secretary, @BJP4India Party National President and a Minister. pic.twitter.com/08A27D3uEZ M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) July 25, 2017 "It has been a great experience to work with all of them when I was General Secretary, @BJP4India Party National President and a Minister," Naidu said in a series of tweets. Hong Kong: A plan for mainland border staff to be stationed on Hong Kong soil as part of a new rail link to China sparked a backlash on Tuesday as concern grows about Beijing's reach into the city. It is illegal for mainland law enforcers to operate in semi-autonomous Hong Kong under the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law. But there are already concerns that Chinese operatives are working undercover after the alleged abductions of a city bookseller and a reclusive Chinese businessman. The rail link plan comes at a time when fears are worsening that Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an ever more assertive Beijing. The high-speed connection out of the harbourfront West Kowloon station is set to open in 2018, linking to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou 130 km away and then onto China's national rail network. A proposal approved by the Hong Kong government's top advisory body on Tuesday would see parts of the Hong Kong terminus fall under Chinese jurisdiction. There are already numerous transport connections between Hong Kong and the mainland, but Chinese immigration checks are done on the other side of the border. City leader Carrie Lam insisted the new checkpoint arrangement was not a breach of the Basic Law and was designed to cut travel time. "The crux of the matter is really to find a means that is legal to support this convenience for the people of Hong Kong," Lam told reporters. 'State property' The government's pro-Beijing camp has said Hong Kong is simply "leasing" the portion of land at the terminus to China. But veteran lawyer and democracy advocate Martin Lee, who helped draft the Basic Law in the 1980s, said creating an exception within Hong Kong where mainland Chinese laws are enforced would set a "dangerous precedent". It would put at risk the semi-autonomous "one country, two systems" set-up guaranteed when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Lee told AFP. The government wanted to force through the plan to make Hong Kong people "feel closer to Beijing, the sovereign power", added opposition legislator Claudia Mo. Faced with a barrage of reporters' questions on Tuesday afternoon, justice secretary Rimsky Yuen pointed out that, under the Basic Law, Hong Kong's land and natural resources were "state property". He said the mainland area of the terminus would be regarded as outside the territorial boundary of Hong Kong and that Chinese rules would apply. Yuen was unsure whether websites like Facebook, banned on the mainland, would be accessible in China's portions of the station. Parts of the arrival level and departure level of the terminus will be under Chinese jurisdiction, as will the platform level and train cabins. Mainland staff stationed at the terminus will include customs, immigration and health officials, as well as police. The plan now needs approval from the city's legislature, which is weighted towards the pro-China camp. The rail link is one of a number of cross-border infrastructure projects which have stoked fears Hong Kong is being swallowed up by the mainland. Passengers from Hong Kong could reach Beijing in under 10 hours on the new line, but controversies have plagued the project, with snowballing costs now at HK$84.42 billion ($10 billion). Beijing: China on Tuesday called on the United States to stop "unfriendly" and "dangerous" military flights after two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American surveillance plane over the East China Sea. The US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft took evasive action Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane zoomed underneath it, slowed down and pulled up in front of it, the Pentagon said earlier. China's defence ministry said the action of its pilots was "legal, necessary and professional". "The US military aircraft coming near China's border and carrying out reconnaissance has threatened China's national security, damaged Sino-US military air and sea safety, endangered the personal safety of both pilots," it said in a statement. "The US side should immediately stop such unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly dangerous military activities and take practical measures to add positive energy to the development of Sino-US military relations." Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the incident, which occurred west of the Korean peninsula, was an "uncharacteristic" example of unsafe behaviour by the Chinese military. "There are intercepts that occur in international air space regularly, and the vast majority of them are conducted in a safe manner," he said. The US accused China of conducting unsafe intercepts twice in May, when similar encounters occurred between a WC-135 "nuclear sniffer" plane and Chinese SU-30 fighters over the East China Sea and later in the month between a US Navy P-3 and Chinese J-10s over the South China Sea. In April 2001 a Chinese fighter jet collided with a US Navy EP-3 spy plane around 110 kilometres (70 miles) off Hainan Island over the South China Sea. One Chinese pilot died and the US plane made an emergency landing on Hainan, where China held the 24-member crew for more than a week until Beijing and Washington cut a deal for their release. The East China Sea is part of the Pacific and home to small islands whose ownership is disputed by China, Japan and Taiwan. China also claims a string of islets across the South China Sea and its military expansion in the contested waterway has sparked heightened tensions with regional neighbours and the United States. Washington: Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a United States Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, with one jet coming within about 300 feet of the American aircraft, United States officials said on Monday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports showed one of the Chinese J-10 aircraft came close enough to the United States EP-3 plane on Sunday to cause the American aircraft to change direction. One of the officials said the Chinese jet was armed and that the interception happened 80 nautical miles (148 km) from the Chinese city of Qingdao. The Pentagon said that the encounter between the aircraft was unsafe, but added that the vast majority of interactions were safe. Incidents such as Sunday's intercept are relatively common. In May, two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a United States aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea. China closely monitors any United States military activity around its coastline. In 2001, an intercept of an American spy plane by a Chinese fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on Hainan. The 24 United States air crew members were held for 11 days until Washington apologised for the incident. That encounter soured United States-Chinese relations in the early days of President George W Bush's first term in office. Separately, the Pentagon said the American military would soon carry out another test of it's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. "These tests are done as a routine measure to ensure that the system is ready and... they are scheduled well in advance of any other real world geopolitical events going on," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. The director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant-General Sam Greaves, said in a statement that a test would be carried out at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. In June, the United States shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile similar to the ones being developed by countries like North Korea, in a test of the nation's THAAD missile defences. The United States deployed THAAD to South Korea this year to guard against North Korea's shorter-range missiles. That has drawn fierce criticism from China, which says the system's powerful radar can probe deep into its territory. Washington: President Donald Trump made a last-ditch plea to United States Senate Republicans on Monday to "do the right thing" and fulfill seven years of campaign promises to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law. The Senate will vote on Tuesday on whether to open debate on an overhaul of the law, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell promising an open amendment process and a "robust" debate. "To every member of the Senate I say this: The American people have waited long enough. There's been enough talk, and no action. Now is the time for action," Trump said on Monday at the White House. Standing in front of families who he said had been hurt by the law popularly known as Obamacare, Trump said, "So far, Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare." Even as it remained unclear on Monday whether McConnell had enough votes in the Senate to open debate, he said the vote would take place regardless. "I know many of us have waited years for this moment to finally arrive. And, at long last, it finally has. I would urge every colleague to join me," McConnell said. Senator John McCain, who has been battling brain cancer in his home state of Arizona, is expected to return to the Senate to cast a vote, his office said on Monday. Moderate Senator Susan Collins, who has vocally opposed McConnell's efforts so far, said on Monday she would vote "no" on a motion to proceed. Republicans have been under heavy political pressure to make good on their longstanding campaign promises to gut the 2010 law, which they view as a government intrusion in the healthcare market. But the party is deeply divided between moderates concerned the Senate bill would eliminate insurance for millions of low-income Americans and conservatives who want to see even deeper cuts to the Obamacare legislation. Senate Republicans have been unable to reach consensus on an approach, with McConnell failing to secure enough votes for either a repeal and replacement of Obamacare or a straight repeal. Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the 100-member Senate. With Democrats united in opposition, McConnell can only afford to lose two Republican votes. Forgotten Victims "The question for every senator, Democrat or Republican, is whether they will side with Obamacares architects, which have been so destructive to our country, or its forgotten victims?" Trump said. While Trump has repeatedly called on Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare, he has shown little interest in the policy specifics. Trump last week initially suggested he was fine with letting Obamacare collapse, then urged Republican senators to hash out a deal. His remarks on Monday were among the lengthiest statements he has made regarding healthcare. "Obamacare is death. That's the one that's death," Trump said. "And besides that, it's failing so you won't have it anyway." McConnell will ask senators whether to begin debate on the healthcare bill passed in May by the House of Representatives. If that procedural vote succeeds, the House bill would then be open for amendment on the Senate floor. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the Senate's replacement bill could lead to as many as 22 million fewer Americans being insured. A plan to repeal Obamacare without replacing it could cost 32 million Americans their health insurance by 2026, CBO estimated. At the same time, premiums on individual insurance plans would rise 25 percent next year and double by 2026 if Obamacare is repealed, CBO said. Uncertainty over the future of healthcare has left health insurance companies and American states as well as hospitals and doctors unclear about future funding and coverage. Public opinion polls also show Americans worried about potential changes to the healthcare system. Washington: President Donald Trump has assailed The Washington Post in connection with a story about termination of United States efforts to aid rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad. In a post on his Twitter account Monday, Trump said, "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad." The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 United States officials told the newspaper in a story published 19 July that ending the secret program was related to Trump's concerns about re-establishing a working relationship with Russia. So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders declined at the time to discuss cessation of the program, telling reporters she didn't know if it had come up in discussions that Trump had with Russian president Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Donald Trump enters his sixth month in office with a historically low approval rating and zero legislative accomplishments. The Oval Office has been an ever-revolving door: Hirings, firings, resignations and embarrassing withdrawals. On Friday, Sean Spicer resigned in a huff after he was caught off guard by the president hiring Anthony "the Mooch" Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier, as the new White House communications director. Spicer had coveted that role for himself and was reportedly blindsided by the president's move. Meanwhile, the presidency is under siege. The Russia cloud that has gripped the administration refuses to disperse. Meanwhile, the pressure is mounting as Special Counsel Robert Mueller expands his investigation from the president's campaign and its alleged ties to Russia during the 2016 election into his finances. Trump meanwhile, has been tweeting (even his supporters say that's not helpful): As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2017 So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017 Of course, this is only the public facade of the White House. It is behind the scenes, within the corridors of power, where the true battle is raging. Between three very different wings The Populist Wing, The New York Faction and The Establishment the war for the soul of Donald J Trump. The Populist Wing: Steve Bannon Steve Bannon, who Time Magazine described as The Great Manipulator, was said to be the power behind the throne in the early days of the administration. Bannon, the former editor of the right-wing conspiracy theory website Breitbart News which has been accused of providing a platform for white nationalists has reportedly described himself as a Leninist who wants to tear down the administrative state. Bannon jumped on the Trump train early, viewing the reality television star as a tool to propagate his theory of economic nationalism and anti-globalisation, which has been dubbed as "Bannonism." His star fell when his fame seemed to eclipse the president's (the Time Magazine cover didn't help) and he reportedly had a falling out with Trump son-in-law and Secretary of Everything Jared Kushner. Bannon was removed from the US National Security Council by the president on 5 April and was thought to be on the outs with Trump. However, the jettisoning of Sean Spicer has provided an opportunity for Bannon to make a comeback. The Populist Wing may be down, but it's far from out. The New York Faction: Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Anthony Scaramucci Bannon, dripping with disdain for his rivals, has reportedly rubbed the New York Faction as Jivanka. Jared and Ivanka, have been described as moderating influences on the president (despite mounting evidence to suggest otherwise), are the only truly indispensable and irreplaceable advisors: Because they are family. Kushner, who seems like a nice young man, has been tasked with: Bringing peace to West Asia, solving the opioid crisis, redesigning government to make it more efficient, running the White House office of Innovation (whatever that is). His main qualification? He's married to Ivanka Trump, who is best known for being a model and designing handbags. Anthony Scaramucci, the latest addition to the White House, is the ultimate loyalist. He has repeatedly said that he loves Donald Trump and stated that the president is his own best communicator. Scaramucci seems to be a big fan of the "Let Trump be Trump" strategy, which is surely music to the president's ears. The New York Faction is ascendant. For now. The Establishment: Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer Of all three factions, it is The Establishment whose influence has waned the most. And it is, to an extent, understandable. After all, Trump ran for the presidency and won by railing against Washington insiders. And Priebus is the ultimate Washington insider. The former chairman of the Republican National Committee has been described by senior White House officials as "a dead man walking." And with good reason. Priebus reportedly urged Trump to turn to healthcare first instead of taxes or infrastructure and Trump holds him responsible for the current Republican healthcare mess. According to a report in Politico, speculation is already rife where Priebus will go next newspapers have speculated that he might be named ambassador to Greece yet he continues to show up for work, burning the midnight oil as he tries frantically to right the sinking ship. The dynamics make it mission impossible for him, Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers, a recently published book about White House chiefs of staff told Politico. Its totally unusual to have all these rumors out there about a chief of staff, but there has never been a White House this dysfunctional. The Establishment seems down for the count. But nothing is forever in Trumpland. Except Jivanka. Because they're family. Washington: President Donald Trump is "proud" of his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner for being transparent about his interaction with Russians and laying out everything clearly to expose the "witch hunt" that the probe has been, a White House official has said. "The President was very proud of Jared for voluntarily going to the Hill and being very transparent with every interaction that he's had," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters onboard the Air Force One with the president on Monday. Her remarks came hours after Kushner went to Capitol Hill to meet investigators of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to respond to their questions on his interaction with foreign governments, particularly the Russians. "He (Trump) thought Jared did a great job and was very glad that he was able to go through that process and lay everything out and I think show the members of that committee, as well as everybody else, what a witch hunt and hoax this whole thing is," she said. Sander said that they will continue pushing forward and focus on things the American people actually care about and Russia is not one of them. Kushner would testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday after submitting an 11-page statement to the committee's staff on Monday in which he flatly denied colluding with Russia during the 2016 election and he had no "improper" contacts with the Russian officials. Talking to the press at the White House after the meeting, he said that he is innocent and has done nothing wrong. "Let me be very clear, I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses, and I have been fully transparent in providing all requested information," Kushner said. He said when his father-in-law decided to run for president, he served his campaign the best he could, because he believes in him and his ability to improve the lives of all Americans. "And now, serving the president and the people of the United States has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work on important matters such as the Middle East peace and reinvigorating America's innovative spirit. Every day, I come to work with enthusiasm and excitement for what can be," Kushner said. "I have not sought the spotlight. First in business, and now in public service, I have always focused on setting and achieving goals and have left it to others to work on media and public perception," he added. The senior White House adviser said he has been consistently saying that he was eager to share any information he has with the investigating bodies ever since the allegations were raised against him. "The record and documents I have voluntarily provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign," Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, said. However, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) termed Kushner claiming to be transparent by going to the Senate is laughable. "Once again, the Trump team is laughably trying to redefine transparency as disclosing information after you have been caught lying," DNC deputy Communications Director Adrienne Watson said. "Kushner's clearance should be denied and he should lose his job," he said. Washington: US president Donald Trump has attacked The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, alleging that the daily is being used against Congress for mounting pressure on politicians so that they do not look into the e-commerce giant's alleged tax-monopoly. Trump accused The Post of filing incorrect stories. "Is fake news Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?" he said in a series of tweets late last night. "So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes?" Trump said. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad," he said as he challenged The Post for writing a story on Syria, which he said is wrong. In a lead story, the Post said that cooperation with Russia is becoming a central part of the Trump administration's counter-Islamic State strategy in Syria. US military planners are counting on Moscow to try to prevent Syrian government forces and their allies on the ground from interfering in coalition-backed operations against the militants, the daily said. However, according to the daily, some lawmakers and White House officials have expressed concern that the shortsighted strategy gives the long-term advantage in Syria to Russia, Iran and Assad, and ultimately leaves the door open for a vanquished Islamic State to re-establish itself. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, alleged that by doing so the Trump administration is playing into the hands of the Russian president Vladimir Putin. In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Trump administration seems to want to find some agreement with Russia to stabilise Syria even if that means entrenching Assad and the Russian and Iranian military presence. The White House, meanwhile, reiterated its support to the Russia sanctions bill. "The president has been very vocal about his support for continued sanctions on those three countries. He has no intention of getting rid of them, but he wants to make sure we get the best deal for the American people possible. Congress doesn't have the best record on that," said White House press secretary Sarah sanders. Washington: American lawmakers have slammed the Trump administration for lacking a "compelling" strategy to fight terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even as a top military commander said that the US will have an "enduring" military and diplomatic presence in the war-torn country. The criticism for the six-month-old administration came as Pakistan and Afghanistan were hit by suicide bombings on Monday in which 52 people died. Many more were injured. The attack in Afghan capital Kabul was claimed by the Taliban, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan said it targeted the provincial capital of Punjab province, Lahore. "Disgraceful we still have no strategy for Afghanistan," said Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who this month visited Pakistan ahead of the Trump administration's review of the Afghan war strategy. Reports have said that the administration could be exploring how to harden its approach towards Islamabad over Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in Afghanistan, where the US and NATO troops have been fighting militants for more than 16 years. Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that even after six months in office President Donald Trump has offered "no clear or compelling strategy" to approach the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Republican Congressman Walter B Jones in a tweet released his 21 July letter to Trump, in which he demanded that the US pull out of Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires! We do not want a tombstone to read 'United States of America'," Jones said. Both the White House and the Pentagon have said that no decision has been taken on the Afghan strategy yet. Meanwhile, Gen Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US will not have an artificial timeline to exist Afghanistan. "There's a lot of lessons learnt from our experience over the last decade-and-a-half. One of the things is that when you put artificial timelines on things, they seldom obtain," he said at the Aspen Security Forum on Sunday night. "Any place that we have national interests or vital national interests, we're going to have an enduring diplomatic, an enduring economic, and enduring military presence," he said. General Dunford said defence secretary Jim Mattis has not made his decision on additional forces in the war-torn country "because he wants to get the greater strategy correct. The strategic framework looks at the area from New Delhi to Teheran with particular attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "We cannot be successful in Afghanistan unless we have a higher degree of cooperation from Pakistan," he said. Ankara: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged all Muslims to visit and protect Jerusalem after violence broke out over metal detectors that Israel installed and later removed from a sensitive holy site in the city. "From here I make a call to all Muslims. Anyone who has the opportunity should visit Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa mosque," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Come, let's all protect Jerusalem." He was referring to the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, which is central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel installed metal detectors at entrances to the site, which also includes the Dome of the Rock, following an attack on 14 July that killed two Israeli police officers. Palestinians viewed the security measures as Israel asserting further control over the site and deadly clashes erupted during protests. "They are attempting to take the mosque from Muslim hands on the pretext of fighting terrorism. There is no other explanation," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers in parliament. He said Israel's legitimacy rested on the extent of the respect it showed to Palestinians and their rights. Erdogan also denounced attacks on synagogues in Turkey, referring to reports that an ultra-nationalist group threw stones at a synagogue in Istanbul last week. "It does not make sense to attack synagogues here because something has happened at Al-Aqsa mosque. This does not suit our religion and it is not allowed," he said. Washington: At the twilight of a storied career and battling a brain tumour, Senator John McCain stands poised to deliver for his party and his president on the issue that's defined the GOP for the past seven years. It's a situation heavy with drama and symbolism. The 80-year-old Arizona senator will return to Washington just days after a cancer diagnosis, to cast what could be the deciding vote Tuesday to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare." AFP tweeted: AFP profile of US Senator John McCain, who will return to Washington DC Tuesday for the first time since being diagnosed with brain cancer pic.twitter.com/6DXZsADlWj AFP news agency (@AFP) July 25, 2017 McCain himself campaigned heavily on the "Obamacare" repeal issue last year as he won re-election to a sixth and almost certainly final Senate term. And there could be sweet revenge in defying cancer to undo the signature legislation of the man who beat him for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama. The Arizona senator would also deliver a key victory to President Donald Trump, despite emerging as one of the president's most outspoken GOP critics on Capitol Hill. During last year's campaign Trump shockingly ridiculed McCain over his years as a POW during the Vietnam War. And the situation was eerily reminiscent of a similar scenario involving McCain's good friend, the late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, who returned to the Senate in July 2008 while battling brain cancer to vote on Medicare legislation, his dramatic entry in the chamber eliciting cheers and applause. Kennedy died of cancer in August 2009. The possibility of McCain returning had been discussed around the Capitol on Monday, yet the press release from his office late in the day came as a surprise. Nor did it guarantee success on Tuesday's vote for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is managing a balky GOP caucus with almost no room for error in the closely divided Senate. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said. McCain has not been overly enthusiastic about the GOP health bill or the partisan process through which it's emerged. After an earlier version was poised to fail, he called on McConnell to reopen the process with a bipartisan approach, advice the majority leader ignored. But McCain's best friend in the Senate Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and other colleagues who've spoken with McCain of late, say he's been itching to get back to the Senate, impatient to return to work. And he's expected to support McConnell and Trump and vote to move forward with the GOP health bill. "I have a feeling if there's any way he can be back he'll be here, whether or not his doctors like it, knowing John," Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, said earlier Monday. And sure enough, he will. With inputs from agencies Madrid: A knife-wielding man charged across the border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla on Tuesday, attacking and injuring a police officer, authorities said. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla, told AFP. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between both territories or try and smuggle themselves in, but this is the first attack of this type. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by Al Qaeda-inspired militants. Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa conveyed his serious concern to visiting top American general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson about the efforts in the US to "undermine Pakistan's contributions towards war on terror". General Nicholson on Monday met the Pakistan Army chief days after Pentagon decided to withhold $50 million of the coalition support fund (CSF), Xinhua news agency reported. The US media reported last week that Defence Secretary James Mattis informed the Congress that he could not certify Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network. "The COAS (Chief of the Army Staff) raised concern over the blame game perpetrated by some quarters in Afghanistan and USA to undermine Pakistan's contributions towards war on terror," the military said after the US commander met General Bajwa at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. The army chief said that it is not a coincidence that this theme is being played at a time when policy review is being undertaken in the US. "Despite provocations, Pakistan will continue to act positively as we consider defeat of terrorism as a national interest," an army statement quoted General Bajwa as telling the American general. The statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said regional security situation and border management issues were discussed and both agreed on need for continuous engagement and coordination for peace and stability in the region. "Nicholson reiterated his appreciation of the professionalism of Pakistan Army and his admiration for resilience of people of Pakistan," the statement said. Seoul: Russia's deputy nuclear negotiator has visited North Korea to discuss issues on the divided peninsula, Pyongyang's state media reported on Tuesday. Oleg Burmistrov, Russia's ambassador-at-large, met with North Korea's vice-foreign minister Sin Hong-chol and also talked with a director in charge of North America affairs, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Burmistrov is known to also serve as Moscow's deputy negotiator to the now-stalled six-party denuclearisation talks involving South and North Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia, reports Yonhap News Agency. He arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday for a four-day visit. "We told him that if Washington does not give up its hostile policy toward the North and end its nuclear threats, we will not put nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles up for negotiation," KCNA said in a report. "We also made it clear that we will not budge an inch from our firm will to strengthen our nuclear force." North Korea test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 4 July, claiming that it can hit targets anywhere in the world. The UN Security Council (UNSC) is working on a new sanctions resolution for Pyongyang's latest ICBM test. Riyadh: Saudi Arabia and its allies on Tuesday announced they had blacklisted charity groups and individuals with ties to Yemen, Qatar and Libya, labelling them "terrorist" over suspected ties to Islamist extremism. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt released a joint statement naming nine charity organisations and nine individuals "directly or indirectly linked to Qatari authorities" as "terrorist", according to a statement carried by the SPA state news agency. The four Arab states last month suspended ties with Qatar over allegations the Gulf state bankrolled Islamist extremism, an accusation Doha has consistently denied. The four states recalled their ambassadors from Doha, banned Qatar from using their airspace and ordered all Qataris to repatriate. Among the demands of Riyadh and its allies are the closure of Qatari broadcast giant Al-Jazeera, which has been banned in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Three organisations in Yemen and six based in Libya were accused of ties to Al-Qaeda and a Syrian affiliate of the group in Tuesday's statement. The statement also said three Qatari nationals, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti citizen were involved in "fundraising campaigns to support Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist militias in Syria". Kuwait has not joined the states boycotting Qatar and is leading mediation efforts to resolve the crisis, the worst to hit the Gulf since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981. Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead an Arab military coalition allied with the Yemeni government in a violent war against Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels. The war has killed more than 8,000 civilians since the coalition intervened in 2015, according to the World Health Organization. Manila: Beijing urged Southeast Asian nations on Tuesday to unite and "say no" to outside forces seeking to interfere in the South China Sea dispute, in an apparent swipe at the United States ahead of a regional summit. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi made the statement in Manila where he hailed the "strong momentum" in improving ties with the Philippines, a longstanding American ally which has moved closer to China under President Rodrigo Duterte. Wang's visit came a week before he was set to return to Manila for a meeting of foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners, which include China and the United States. Wang said warming relations between Beijing and Manila had helped ensure stability in the South China Sea, where rival claims have long made it one of Asia's potential military flashpoints. "If there are still some non-regional forces or forces in the region that don't want to see stability in the South China Sea and they still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and say no to them together," Wang told reporters. China claims nearly all of the strategically vital sea, even waters approaching the coasts of its neighbours. ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, claim parts of the sea. While the United States is not a claimant and says it takes no sides in the disputes, it has criticised what it has termed Chinese "militarisation" of the sea. Washington has repeatedly sent warships close to Chinese-occupied islands in the sea in recent years, triggering angry responses from Beijing. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has loosened his nation's 70-year-old alliance with the United States while looking to build stronger relations with China and Russia. Duterte has downplayed the Philippines' dispute with China, declining to use a favourable ruling from a UN-backed tribunal last year on the issue to pressure Beijing. He has said better relations with China, following six years of tension under his predecessor who took a hard line with Beijing over the dispute, will generate billions of dollars in promised Chinese investments and aid. Duterte said on Monday the Philippines and China were in talks for joint exploration in the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. Wang on Tuesday pledged 20 million renminbi ($3 million) to help rehabilitate the war-torn southern Philippine city of Marawi, where a US-backed military offensive is seeking to flush out pro-Islamic State group militants. Colombo: Sri Lanka's Cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the world's busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings, which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day "Silk Route" across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the country's sovereignty. Details of the new agreement have not yet been made public. But according to parts of the document seen by Reuters, two companies are being set up to split the operations of the port and allay concerns, in India mainly but also in Japan and the United States, that it won't be used for military purposes. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 percent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The company's capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 percent stake and the Chinese 49.3 percent, according to the document. China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 percent after 10 years, the document says. "The Cabinet approved the deal and now it needs Parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week," Cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didn't provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lanka's concerns had been addressed. "They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue," the source said. The latest agreement relates to the port while the pact for the industrial zone will be handled separately, Sri Lankan officials said. Two Sri Lankan sources familiar with the deal said the Sri Lankan Ports Authority would have the right to inspect ships entering Hambantota. "Sri Lanka will have control over port activities including security, which various parties have raised concerns over earlier," one source told Reuters. "The agreement clearly says no military ships will be allowed in the port." New Delhi in 2014 was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against China's expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. Lenovo launched the Vibe K5 Note smartphone powered by MediaTek Helio P10 back in August last year, after few months it launched the K6 Note powered by Snapdragon 430 in December. Today it has released a new teaser for the #KillerNote, its upcoming Note series phone that hints at the new processor that will power the phone. The caption for the video says: Ordinary performance will be a thing of the past. The new #KillerNote is set to blow you away! [HTML1] It first teaser video shows a phone from Brand A with Snapdragon 430 and calls it very ordinary and the Brand B phone with Snapdragon 625 and calls it ordinary and says that the processor that will power the upcoming Note series phone will be killer. This could be more powerful Snapdragon 630 that is said to power the Moto X4 or the Snapdragon 660 that is powering the OPPO R11 and is said to power the HTC Ocean Life. There are also chances for the company to go with MediaTek again since we have seen a lot of latest Moto devices powered by MediaTek SoCs. Lenovo says that the new Note smartphone will arrive soon. It could be launched sometime in August. What are your expectations for the upcoming Lenovo K7 Note? Updated on July 26 at 5:00pm The Organic Consumers Association announced Tuesday that it found traces of glyphosateaa controversial herbicide found in Monsantoas (NYSE:MON) Roundupain 10 of 11 samples of Ben & Jerryas ice cream, which was first reported by The New York Times. The levels, however, are far below the ceiling set by the Environmental Protection Agency. But the news comes as a surprise to many consumers since the company has been marketing itself as non-GMO since 2014. Though, according to Ben & Jerryas website, they based their non-GMO standard on the amandatory declaration requirements of European regulations and the GMO labeling law passed in [their] home state of Vermont,a which allows their dairy and egg suppliers to use conventional animal feeds that contain GMO grains. Rob Michalak, global director of social mission at Ben & Jerryas, told The New York Times, that while they are working to ensure all ingredients in its supply chain come from sources that do not include any GMOs, none of its plant-based ingredients come from any GMO crops, such as corn or soy. Additionally, the company is trying to figure out a more cost-effective way for dairy farms that supply its milk to use non-GMO feed. aWeare working to transition away from GMO, as far away as we can get,a Michalak told The New York Times. aBut then these tests come along, and we need to better understand where the glyphosate theyare finding is coming from. Maybe itas from something thatas not even in our supply chain, and so weare missing it.a While the levels of glyphosate were well below the legal limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) argues that any presence of the pesticide product is misleading to the consumer. "It's time for Ben & Jerryas to announce it will immediately begin transitioning to 100 percent organic. Otherwise conscious consumers have no choice but to launch a national and, if necessary, international protest campaign and boycott,a the OCA said in a post on its website. Additionally, the OCA says reports published by Regeneration Vermont reveal that Ben & Jerryas suppliersaand Vermont and U.S. (non-organic) dairy farmers in general, ahave gone backwards, rather than forward over the past 15 years in terms of environment sustainability, food safety, and nutrition and greenhouse gas pollution.a The organization has also called on the company to stop labeling its ice cream as anatural.a GMOs, specifically glyphosate, have been a hot-button issue for consumers in recent years. In 2015, the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a aprobable carcinogena and last month, California became the first state to require Roundupabecause its main ingredient is glyphosateato come with a label warning that itas known to cause cancer. However, Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, has hard-fought any criticisms regarding the herbicide. "Hundreds of scientific studies over 40 years have determined that glyphosate is safe for use, and no regulatory agency in the world has concluded that glyphosate is carcinogenic. IARC's flawed classification is the sole outlier," Monsanto's vice president of strategy, Scott Partridge, told FOX Business. Additionally, a Ben & Jerry's spokesperson fired back and told FOX Business that while they're aware of the recent New York Times article, they have not yet seen the results, but they can confirm that "all Ben & Jerry's products are safe to consume." "Even if the reported results are accurate, as the laboratory that conducted the test stated, a person would have to conume 145,000 eight-ounce servings PER DAY to reach the limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)," a Ben & Jerry's spokesperson said. Barnes & Noble shares jumped more than 12% in early trading Tuesday after an activist investor purchased a meaningful stake in the bookseller and called on the company to sell itself. Sandell Asset Management Corp. CEO Thomas E. Sandell, in a letter to Barnes & Noble's board, said "the public market for retail stocks is contributing to a risky and inhospitable environment" and the company would be better served if it were private or part of a larger company. He did not disclose the amount of Sandell's stake. In the letter to board, Sandell said the company is the only "truly national bookstore chain" and compared its locations to "beachfront property." He said the company could get more than $12 per share. Barnes & Nobles stock was trading at roughly $8 as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Sandells investment came about one month after the bookseller reported smaller-than-expected losses in its most recent fiscal quarter. Barnes & Noble CEO Demos Parneros said fiscal 2017 proved to be a very challenging year for the brand and attributed some of the struggles to lower in-store foot traffic. We are well aware of the challenges that the company and the industry are facing. We view these challenges as great opportunities, Parneros said at the time. Theres no question that retail is changing and customers are shopping differently. We dont view this as a winning or losing proposition, its just simply changing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) executives are expected to update investors on recent food safety scares in Virginia and Texas that roiled its stock price in recent days when the company announces second-quarter earnings on Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant chains stock fell more than 12% last week after more than 100 customers and employees fell ill after eating at a Chipotle location in Sterling, Virginia. Two customers later tested positive for norovirus. The incident occurred nearly two years after a wave of foodborne illness outbreaks forced the temporary closure of hundreds of Chipotle restaurants. It is unfortunate that anyone became ill after visiting our restaurant, and when we learned of this issue, we took aggressive action to correct the problem and protect our customers, Chipotle Chief Executive Steve Ells said in a statement addressing the Virginia incident. Analysts expect Chipotle to report earnings per share of $2.18 and quarterly revenue of $1.19 billion, up from $0.87 EPS and $998.39 million in revenue for the same period one year ago. News of the Virginia norovirus cases was made worse by a viral video that showed several mice crawling around a Chipotle in Dallas, Texas. Patrons said the mice fell from the ceiling, according to multiple reports. The incidents once again raised public concerns about Chipotles food safety practices. The chains quality rating fell more than 50% compared to its score on July 18 before the events occurred, according to YouGov BrandIndex data obtained by the Wall Street Journal. Chipotles stock was up 2% to $347.42 in Tuesday trading ahead of the earnings announcement. A German Volkswagen executive who has been in a Michigan jail for months plans to plead guilty in the company's U.S. emissions scandal, a court spokesman said Tuesday. Oliver Schmidt, former manager of a VW engineering office in suburban Detroit, will appear in federal court on Aug. 4. His lawyers disclosed the plan during a brief conference with a judge, spokesman David Ashenfelter said. Schmidt is one of many VW employees charged in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles, but most are in Germany and out of reach of U.S. authorities. He's been in custody since January when he was arrested while on vacation in Miami before he could return to Germany. VW admits using software to get around diesel emission standards. Schmidt is charged with conspiracy and fraud. He's accused of lying to U.S. regulators by saying technical problems not sneaky software were to blame for the difference in emissions in road and lab tests. A message seeking comment was left for Schmidt's lawyer. "I'm unable to comment on what the terms of the plea agreement might be," said Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for prosecutors. VW pleaded guilty in March and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties, on top of billions more to buy back cars. U.S. District Judge Sean Cox has refused to release Schmidt on bond, saying he might flee. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap American toy manufacturer Mattel, the maker of popular toy brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, opened a new East Coast hub where it plans to hire hundreds of employees. The distribution center, located in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, will package popular toy brands and also handle Mega Brands, and eventually Fisher-Price. The company said it will hire about 400 workers to staff the 1 million square-foot center during peak season. The center is located at the junction of Interstates 81 and 78. It will be Mattel's East Coast hub because it's centrally located to most customers in that region. Mattel is headquartered in El Segundo, California. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Jailed Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt will plead guilty to charges related to the automakers diesel emissions scandal in the U.S., according to a court spokesperson in Detroit. Schmidt, former manager of a VW engineering office in suburban Detroit, will appear in federal court on Aug. 4. His lawyers disclosed the plan during a brief conference with a judge, spokesman David Ashenfelter said. Schmidt is one of many VW employees charged in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles, but most are in Germany and out of reach of U.S. authorities. He's been in custody since January when he was arrested while on vacation in Miami before he could return to Germany. VW admits using software to get around diesel emission standards. Schmidt is charged with conspiracy and fraud. He's accused of lying to U.S. regulators by saying technical problems - not sneaky software - were to blame for the difference in emissions in road and lab tests. U.S. District Judge Sean Cox refused to release Schmidt on bond, saying he might flee. VW pleaded guilty in March and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties, on top of billions more to buy back cars. Volkswagen also faces new allegations that it participated in anti-competitive behavior with German auto rivals Daimler and BMW. The European Union is looking into the claims, which first surfaced in a report from newsmagazine Der Spiegel. The Associated Press contributed to this report. In an attempt to turn Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) from a no to a yes on the Senate health care bill, White House officials and advisers assured him that his Consumer Freedom Amendment will be fully implemented in the new health care bill, FOX Business has learned. FOX Business confirmed through Lees spokesman, Conn Carroll, that the senator received a call on Saturday from one of President Donald Trumps advisers, who assured him that the full amendment and not a watered down version that caused Lee to initially oppose the Senate health care bill will be in the latest version of the Senates bill. Carroll also told FOX Business that Lees office was contacted by a White House official on Monday, who reinforced to them that the amendment will be added to the bill if the Senate agrees to a motion to proceed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to call for a motion to proceed vote on the House health care bill on Tuesday. Lee, a leading conservative opponent of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has been a key holdout among Republicans and the Trump Administration looking to reform the law. Lee has always been adamant to Senate leadership and the White House that he would vote no to repeal and replace Obamacare, unless the bill reflected more free-market reforms to the law that included his amendment. If he votes yes on the bill, it puts the Senates repeal and replace effort one step closer to realitya move that could give President Trump his first major legislative achievement. Carroll, Lees spokesman, told FOX Business that if the full amendment is in the bill, Lee will likely switch his vote to a yes, even if the bill will need other hold outs to gain the necessary 51 votes for passage. Indeed, other GOP senators, like Susan Collins (R-Maine) still say they oppose the bill. Lees amendment, known as the Consumer Freedom Amendment, was crafted by Lee and Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as a way to get the two conservative lawmakers to support the Senate leaderships health care initiative. Their amendment is supposed to give health insurance companies the option of selling plans that dont comply with Obamacare mandates. According to Cruzs press release describing the amendment, the change to the bill would give insurers who sell a sufficient number of Obamacare compliant plans with a rating area of a states exchange, then that insurer may sell any other plan with that rating area that consumers desire off exchange. After changes were made to the original bill during the July 4 recess, Cruz said he could vote yes. But Lee said not enough of the amendment was reflected in the legislation. A spokesman for Cruz did not return calls for comment. The White House has been determined to get Lee to come on board and vote yes on the bill since at least last week, according to sources familiar with the matter. On Tuesday, Lee met with former Trump Deputy Campaign Manager David Bossie and former Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski, who were determined to get Lee to change his mind a day after Lee announced through Twitter he would not vote yes. Lee, according to congressional aides, stood his ground and repeated what he said publicly: he would come back to the negotiating table if Senate leadership was willing to add his entire amendment to the bill. After meeting with Bossie and Lewandowski, Lee received a phone call from President Trump who also tried to change Lees mind. A White House spokeswoman confirmed the phone call on Tuesday but did not elaborate on officials guaranteeing Lee that his full amendment would be in the Obamacare repeal bill, known as Better Care Reconciliation Act. According to a report by The Daily Caller, the FBI has seized smashed hard drives from the home of an IT worker employed by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). And at the center of the investigation are three Pakistani brothers who have worked for Democratic lawmakers. The suspects in this probe are people who worked for a long time for Democratic members in the House brothers named Imran Awan, Abid Awan and Jamal Awan and they are criminal suspects, they worked for, Imran worked for Debbie Wasserman Schultz for a long time, Daily Caller investigative reporter Luke Rosiak told the FOX Business Networks Stuart Varney. The large sums of money Imran Awans family received when he got the job with Schultz raised suspicions as well. Soon after this guy Imran started working for Debbie Wasserman Schultz all of his relatives appeared on the payroll and they collected $4 million, very unusual. According to Rosiak, one of the allegations against the brothers is that, they were sending information to an offsite server and when you look into their backgrounds these guys have been accused of fraud repeatedly in civil lawsuits. Rosiak was surprised by Shultzs reaction to the investigation, saying, You would think that Debbie Wasserman Schultz would say, I cant believe my IT guy was allegedly hacking, I want him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But Rosiak says Schultz has been fighting with the Capitol Police to get back one of her laptops. Instead, a laptop was separately seized from a House office building and she is blocking the Capitol Police from reviewing iteven threatening the Capitol Police with consequences if he doesnt give it back. On the eve of the Senates historic vote on whether to move to debate health care reform, Sen. Mike Lee met with Vice President Mike Pence to inform him that his Consumer Freedom Amendment will likely not be part of the final version of the Senates health care bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare, FOX Business has learned. On Monday, Pence asked to meet with Lee, the conservative senator from Utah, to discuss the challenges of getting the amendment he worked on with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) across the finish line and into law, according to aides familiar with the matter. According to Lees spokesman Conn Caroll, the meeting turned into a hard pitch on health care, with the vice president first informing the senator that lawmakers will be voting on the motion to proceed on House Speaker Paul Ryans, (R-Wis.), health care law, the American Health Care Act, and are hoping to later add an amendment thats reflective of the 2015 bill that was meant to fully repeal ObamaCare with no immediate replacement. The 2015 bill was originally vetoed by President Obama after it passed the Senate by a slim majority. Pence then explained to Lee that while they are planning to bring his amendment up for a vote, the chance of it passing is unlikely due to the budget reconciliation rules. The rules explain that while a bill or an amendment can pass with just 50 votes, the legislation has to have been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in order for the procedure to be implemented. If not, the Senate has to rely on a 60 vote majority to pass and hope that some Democrats will jump on board. A spokesman for Pence would not comment on the matter, but did not deny the substance of the conversation between the vice president and Lee. In the case of the Cruz-Lee amendment, while it has been submitted to the CBO, theres still no score and aides from the Senate Budget Committee say they dont expect to see one before the end of the week. The CBOs score on the bill that would fully repeal Obamacare without an immediate replacement showed that, if passed, it would leave 32 million more people uninsured and would double premiums over the next decade. According to Cruzs press release describing the amendment, the change to the health care legislation would give insurers who sell a sufficient number of ObamaCare-compliant plans with a rating area of a states exchange, then that insurer may sell any other plan with that rating area that consumers desire off exchange. Cruz announced Monday through his Facebook page that he would support the motion to proceed and is hoping to eventually see the Senate take up the full repeal of ObamaCare without a replacement plan or the Senates Better Care Reconciliation Act, with his Consumer Freedom Amendment as part of the legislation package. A spokesman for Cruz did not return calls for comment. After the meeting, Lee came back to his office and voiced his frustrations with the entire health care lawmaking process, calling it crazy and ridiculous, according to people familiar with the matter. Still, Lee has not yet decided whether he will vote yes on the motion to proceed. According to Caroll, he will agree to vote yes if the final product either includes his amendment or a skinny Obamacare repeal bill that reflects cuts to the employer mandate, individual mandate and Obamacare taxes. The message from Pence to Lee also counters the narrative the White House has been pushing to Lees office. As FOX Business first reported, Lee has been assured twice in recent days by White House officials that his amendment will be in the final Senate health care bill in an effort to get him to vote yes. Last week, Lee met with former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who were determined to get Lee to change his mind a day after Lee announced through Twitter he would not vote yes. That same day, Lee also received a phone call from President Trump who also tried to change Lees mind. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made another threat early Tuesday to strike the U.S. with a apowerful nuclear hammer.a The Chinese military is reportedly preparing for a potential disaster with North Korea, including the possibility of a U.S. strike, by building up its defenses along its 180-mile shared border. However, retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis warned a preemptive strike by the U.S. would have dire consequences. aThe worst option would be a preemptive strikeabecause probably 10 million people would get killed in the northern part of South Korea, Seoul, the capital just below the border,a Stavridis said on FOX Business. aThe North Koreans would be able to see the preparations for that military strike. They could use artillery, conventional weapons or their nuclear weapons in cloves and we would lose millions of people, including Americans.a Meanwhile, Hawaii has become the first U.S. state to prepare for a possible nuclear missile attack from North Korea. While the country may have the ability to launch a ballistic missile that could reach Alaska and Hawaii, Stavridis said it is about 18-20 months away from affixing a nuclear weapon. aWe need to think about North Korea kind of like two streams crossing; One is nuclear weapons themselves. The other is the ability to deliver them at range with intercontinental ballistic missilesayou donat want those streams to cross,a he said. In his opinion, the best option for the Trump administration now is to impose secondary sanctions on Chinese firms doing business with North Korea. aAll roads to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, lead through Beijing,a he said. As the end of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellens term approaches in February, President Donald Trump has not ruled out re-nominating her, he told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. Trump said that while Yellen is still in the running, he is also considering replacing her with another candidate National Economic Director Gary Cohn. The president said he has a "lot of respect" for Yellen and thinks she is serving capably. But, he says he's also considering other candidates, including Cohn, who joined the Trump administration after a 26-year career at Goldman Sachs. Yellen has declined to say whether she wants to serve another term. In a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee earlier this month, the current Fed chair skillfully dodged questions about her future at the central bank. Its something that hasnt been an issue so far, its not been something thats come up. But I would certainly, its something I would discuss with the president, obviously, Yellen said, indicating she has not yet had a conversation with President Trump about her future at the Fed. Trump says Cohn, who was present for the interview, didn't know he was under consideration for the Fed job. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This isn't anyone's idea of a refreshing beverage. A New Zealand woman claims to have found a decomposing Australian lizard in the Pure Blonde beer that she was drinking Saturday. "I was drinking it and not paying it any attention, and something touched my mouth. It looked like a little baby lizard, and I instantly felt really sick and thought 'oh, you've got to be joking me'," Donna Metcalfe, of Christchurch, told Stuff.co.nz. "Australia does have a lot of poisonous animals, so I rang the National Poison Center immediately," she added. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Carlton & United Breweries, the beers Australian-based bottler, said it took Metcalfes complaint seriously and is conducting an internal investigation. "We have reached out to the consumer to understand the facts and check to see if she has any health issues," Corporate affairs advisor Sabine Wolff told Stuff.co.nz. A Texas dentist was indicted Monday over a 2016 incident that left a 4-year-old pediatric patient with permanent brain damage. Dr. Bethanial Jefferson is accused of intentionally and knowingly by omission causing serious bodily injury to a child by failing to seek and provide adequate medical attention, the Houston Press reported. Courissa Clark brought her daughter, Nevaeh Hall, to Jeffersons office at Diamond Dental in Houston, in January 2016 to have a tooth pulled. Clark said that Nevaeh was given too many sedatives and other drugs that caused a seizure and her oxygen levels to drop, Click 2 Houston reported. CTE FOUND IN BRAINS OF 110 OUT OF 111 DECEASED NFLERS Jefferson allegedly placed Hall in a recovery room for hours before calling 911. The incident left Hall with severe brain damage that robbed her of her ability to walk, talk or see. To have a normal kid one day and then thats taken away all of a sudden, its hard, Clark told Click 2 Houston. Her life was definitely taken away from her. NEUROLOGIST BACKS FAMILY'S FIGHT TO OVERTURN TEEN'S DEATH CERTIFICATE Jefferson was suspended from practice by the Texas Board of Dental Examiners and on Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for her arrest. The familys attorney said an indictment should send a strong message to physicians across the country. Its going to tell them, You are going to be held accountable if you kill or maim our children, Jim Moriarty, who represented the family in a civil lawsuit, told Click 2 Houston. A Northern California family fighting to have their daughter's death certificate revoked has won the backing of a retired neurosurgeon who is a longtime critic of how brain death is classified. Jahi McMath was declared brain dead after a 2013 tonsillectomy went awry. McMaths mother, Nailah Winkfield, previously acknowledged that her daughter suffered severe and irreparable brain damage, but said her Christian beliefs compel to her to continue fighting to keep the teen on life support. In court documents filed last month, Dr. Alan Shewmon, a professor emeritus of pediatrics and neurology at UCLA, said videos of the teen taken between 2014 and 2016 prove that McMath is alive, and that her condition is improving. Jahis subsequent course defied all predictions of what must happen to dead bodies maintained indefinitely on ventilators, Dr. Shewmon said in his filing. Jahi McMath is a living, severely disabled young lady, who currently fulfills neither the standard diagnostic guidelines for brain death nor Californias statutory definition of death. CHARLIE GARD CASE: PARENTS WITHDRAW APPLICAITON TO BRING SICK BABY TO US While a judge is expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks, several doctors have cautioned that brain-dead patients retain the ability to twitch and move slightly. Lawyers for Childrens Hospital in Oakland, where McMath was declared brain dead, said the familys attorneys have declined to turn over the most recent clips of the teen. They argue that most videos viewed by the legal team are taken with McMath under blankets, making it difficult to tell whether outside factors are manipulating movements. Often the camera only shows a convenient angle, such as a close up of her foot or hand, Jennifer Still, a hospital lawyer, wrote in a July 6 filing. In 2014, the family gained custody of McMath, who was classified by Childrens Hospital officials and the Alameda County coroner as a corpse, and moved her to an undisclosed location in New Jersey. The state is the only one in the U.S. with a law that prohibits doctors from removing brain-dead patients from ventilators over families religious objections, the San Francisco Chronical reported. Winkfields 2015 malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and state claims the coroner wrongly declared the teen dead. If the court overturns the death certificate, the family could move the teen back to California and seek medical care. On Monday, Still told the Associated Press that the family has not subjected McMath to tests accepted by the American Medical Association to determine whether someone is brain dead. WOMAN TOLD SYMPTOMS WERE IBS DISCOVERS ACTUAL CAUSE 4 YEARS LATER The judges ruling will come after the world watched Charlie Gards case playout in the U.K. courts. Charlies parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, had been fighting to bring their terminally ill son to the U.S. for an experimental medical treatment. But on Monday, an attorney told Londons High Court that it was too late for the 11-month-old to receive treatment after medical tests revealed irreversible muscular damage. As Charlies devoted and loving parents we have decided that its no longer in Charlies best interest to pursue treatment and we will let our son go and be with the angels, Yates told the court. Charlie was born Aug. 4, 2016, and diagnosed with Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. He suffered brain damage and is unable to breathe on his own. His parents had been in a legal battle with doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital where doctors argued treating the child would cause him pain. "There has never been any proof that he was and we still don't think that he's in pain or suffering to this day," Yates said in court on Monday. "Having said that, we have decided to let our son go and that's for one reason and one reason only. It is because the prospect of improvement is unfortunately now too low for Charlie," she added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A foul odor has caused some turbulence for American Airlines passengers and crew members. At least three people have been taken to the hospital after falling ill on an American Airlines flight from Houston, Texas, to Miami, Fla., this morning. The reason for the illness may have been a foul smell that many detected before the plane landed at its destination. GET THROUGH THE AIRPORT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE An American Airlines representative told Fox News: Prior to landing at Miami International Airport (MIA), three crew members reported a possible odor in the cabin of American Airline flight 1625. Once the aircraft carrying 98 passengers and five crew members landed at the airport, three of the crew members asked to be taken to the local hospital to be evaluated. An American Airlines source said one passenger was also evaluated by medical personnel at the gate, but the passenger did not ask for any additional medical attention. The source also said the aircraft is currently being inspected by the maintenance team. The cause of the smell remains under investigation. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Though this is not the first time American Airlines has been caught in a smelly situation. This incident comes a week after passengers on a Raleigh-Durham flight detected an unpleasant odor during the flight, causing one of the passengers to request medical attention after the plane had landed and everyone had gotten off. It also comes two weeks after a plane had to be delayed in Los Angeles because of a strong urine smell coming from the cabin. A popular Spanish hunter took her life after receiving threats on social media from animal rights activists, according to reports. Melania Capitan, 27, was found dead Wednesday from an apparent suicide at her apartment in Huesca, Spain, according to Crime Online, citing Spanish hunting magazine Jara y Sedal. Capitan, from Catalonia, Spain, had amassed a huge fan base on social media posting images of herself hunting. Her Facebook page, where she shared hunting tips, had nearly 39,000 followers. Some posts, however, were controversial for animal rights activists who would leave harassing messages, The Daily Mail reported. It is not known if her death was related to the cyberbullying. The Daily Mail reported that the blond huntress left a suicide note for friends, but the contents of the letter have not been released. Critics continued to flood her Facebook page with messages even after she died. Shes finished the lives of many animals and no one defended the death of them I think our [lives are] worth the same as theirs, one person wrote. Others mourned her death, saying the loss was a shame. I do not like hunting, defending animals and killing for [hobby] seems horrible to me. But its a shame that this girl took her life, another user wrote. This article originally appeared in the New York Post. Singapore Airlines is yet another airline reviewing its policy on serving peanuts on board its flights after a three-year-old with a severe peanut allergy suffered a potentially life-threatening reaction when passengers around him opened packs of peanuts. According to the BBC, toddler Marcus Daley went into anaphylaxis, which can be triggered by food including peanuts and shellfish, while he was traveling with his parents to Melbourne after a vacationing in Thailand. His father, Chris Daley, told the Australian Broadcast Corporation that his son was given a special nut-free meal but became severely ill when people around him were eating their packages of nuts. He started vomiting, his eyes were starting to swell and he couldn't speak properly, Daley said. Qantas, Air New Zealand and British Airways are among the airlines that tout nut-free cabins. As soon as our crew were made aware of the situation, they immediately removed all packets of peanuts from the area around the affected passenger and his family," Singapore Airlines said in a statement. The crew suspended service of any peanuts in economy class for the remainder of the flight. The Daleys also carried anti-allergy medication to keep the situation under control until they had landed. Marcuss reaction occurred with only one hour until landing in the seven hour flight, according to the BBC. Singapore Airlines statement also said that while passengers may request nut-free meals, they could not guarantee a nut-free cabin at this time. It can be difficult for airlines to guarantee nut-free cabins, as many passengers also bring their own snacks as well. The latest object of the Internet's fascination is a fit Singaporean male model. When we put it like that, it's not exactly the most surprising thing in the world to read, is it? However, there's a twist. The man, Chuando Tan, is shocking everyone because of just how young and cut he's looking at his age. RELATED: HERES EXACTLY HOW THE ROCK KEEPS HIS FACE LOOKING YOUNG How old would you guess that Tan, who boasts a six-pack and a full, colorful head of hair, is? It's hard to say; in some photos, he doesn't appear to look much older than 25. As it turns out, though, you have to double that number to arrive at the correct answer; that's right, Tan is a 50-year-old man. A former pop star who now doubles as a photographer to supplement his modeling career, Tan cites regular work-outs, and the "habit of not bathing late at night or early in the morning" as his secrets to keeping his appearance so youthful, per the Daily Mail. RELATED: THIS EXACT WORKOUT ROUTINE MAY ACTUALLY REVERSE AGING That's likely far from the full story of how exactly Tan is able to maintain his sprightly visage, though. If you're already living the way of Tan, but still feel like you could stand to look younger, try a high-intensity interval training workout. A recent study found that HIIT provides cellular benefits that may reverse aging when you do it at least three times a week. This article originally appeared in Men's Health Knowing they need a positive agenda, Democrats have spent months preparing to offer more than blind resistance to virtually everything President Trump does or says. After countless focus groups and consultations with all of the partys ideological grouplets, party leaders unveiled a new slogan Monday they hoped would rival Trumps famous Make America Great Again. The new Democratic slogan is significantly less great and more wordy: A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future. And in a bit of terrible timing, top Democrats announced their new slogan just as cable news networks were giving live coverage to presidential son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who spoke at the White House to deny improper actions involving Russia. Like a faulty rocket, the Democratic slogan never got very far and quickly fell to Earth. Vox congressional reporter Jeff Stein notes that a Democratic member of Congress told him the slogan was the result of months of polling and internal deliberations among the House Democratic caucus." But if thats true, youd think they would have figured out the new slogan is strangely similar to the current pitch for Papa Johns Pizza: "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John's." Democrats who are veterans of Barack Obamas two successful presidential races were quick to heap scorn on what one called the rhetorical equivalent of a soggy, tasteless slab or pizza dough. If your slogan uses a colon or a comma, back to the drawing board, tweeted Jon Favreau, the former head of speechwriting for President Obama. Fire every consultant involved, added Jon Levitt, another former Obama speechwriter. To make matters worse, within days of unveiling a preliminary version of the slogan, it was learned it had also been lifted in part from a May 24 USA Today op-ed by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who was Hillary Clintons running-mate last year and helped take the Democratic Party into an historic and unexpected defeat. Kaine summarized his message in his USA Today piece as: Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages, and called this a pro-growth economic message that is true to who Democrats are. Its certainly true that even with the stolen slogan, the new Democratic message is an improvement over Hillary Clintons vapid 2016 race (where her slogan, Stronger Together, was notably weak). The new slogan contains some valuable insights on how to make job training programs more relevant and encourage apprenticeships. But too much of it is a series of warmed-over excuses for higher government spending on dubious programs and pump priming. The Democratic proposals will lead many independent and moderate voters to conclude the new slogan is trying to sell them on the policy equivalent of a mediocre slab of pizza slathered with 40-year-old ingredients and precious little meat. Theres just not that much of a market for a stale product like that. Herbert Hoover was elected president in 1928 on a slogan of A chicken for every pot. Will the Democrats next try updating that to A pizza for every plate? What Jared Kushner did is neither improper nor different than what other incoming presidential administrations have done. It certainly does not constitute a crime. After the election and before President Trump took office, Kushner received over 50 contacts with people from more than 15 countries while he was acting on behalf of the president-elect. Previous entering presidents and their transition teams have engaged in similar contacts and conversations. According to Kushners public statement, he met with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, to discuss improved relations and to address U.S. policy in Syria. Later, Kushner met with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, who could give insight into how President Putin was viewing the new administration and best ways to work together. Exactly how are those meetings counterproductive, uncommon or illegal? They are not. I spoke with Professor W. David Clinton, Chairman of the Political Science Department at Baylor University, who co-authored the seminal book, "Presidential Transitions and American Foreign Policy." Having read Kushners statement, the professor remarked that he found nothing wrong with these meetings. He pointed out that it is the very same practice employed by other presidential transitions: It is common for representatives of other governments to get in touch with the incoming presidential administration to begin informal relationships and address relevant issues. It is not unusual. Transitions are fairly long. The incoming administration needs to inform itself of foreign policy. Getting to know people and foreign governments is widely done and beneficial to the U.S. Accusations that Kushner violated the Logan Act are without merit. The act prohibits private citizens from interfering in diplomatic disputes with foreign governments. If Kushners statement is true, then he did nothing of the sort. Having a discussion about improved diplomatic relations, or how to better handle the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria, does not violate the Logan Act. Passed in 1799, no one has ever been convicted under the Act largely because it is regarded as an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. Kushner was not acting as a private citizen, as the law defines it. He was acting in a wholly different capacity as a government representative of a president about to assume office. Moreover, he was not interfering in a diplomatic dispute. Just the opposite. He was preparing the incoming administration for the foreign policy challenges that lay ahead and establishing the kind of vital contact that assists a new president in formulating effective relationships and policies. In other words, Kushner was doing his job. He did it in the same manner that other transition officials have done in previous administrations. By his statement, Kushner disabused the media report that he sought some secret back channel to the Russian government. Russian generals apparently wanted to provide information on Syria that might prove helpful. An attempt, perhaps, at cooperation and future coordination as the U.S. seeks to destroy ISIS in Syria. The Russian ambassador asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct such a conversation. There wasnt. Kushner, interested in defusing the humanitarian crisis in Syria, asked if the existing communications at the embassy could be used. It could not. End of discussion. Secure lines are not an extraordinary means of communicating with foreign governments. Indeed, they are routine, especially when prospective military information is being shared. It is neither nefarious nor criminal. Why did Kushner not mention these meetings when he submitted his Security Clearance Form on January 18, 2017? As he explained, his assistant mistakenly sent what was only an uncompleted draft. It omitted all foreign contacts, not just the Russian meetings. The error was noticed immediately, the transition team notified that night, and the FBI informed the next day and given supplemental information that disclosed numerous contacts with foreign officials. A complete and accurate list was forthcoming which later disclosed over one hundred contacts from more than twenty countries. In fact, the Security Clearance form instructs that the document can be updated and clarified as part of the clearance process. There is no evidence Kushner tried to deliberately deceive the government. Kushner admits he dropped in on the now-infamous meeting that Donald Trump Jr. held at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer and others during the campaign. He insists he arrived late, had no idea what the meeting was about, and left quickly when he realized the subject matter was all about the issue of the U.S. ban on Russian adoptions. Though he heard no talk at the meeting of campaign activity, such a discussion would not have been prohibited under law, as explained in an earlier column. Yet for months, Jared Kushner has been mugged by the media mob. His crime appears to be no crime at all. There was never an effort to place his meetings in the context of historical precedence, as Professor Clinton has done. There was no attempt at fairness or reasoned analysis. Now, it is the media that deserves a good mugging. Public libraries across the fruited plain are inviting drag queens to read story books to small children -- leading some folks to wonder what in the name of Captain Kangaroo is going on? A trio of drag queens, decked out in full regalia, recently held court at the Indianapolis Central Library -- gabbing about superheroes and cookies. Click here for a free subscription to Todd's newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives! "Some parents choose to expose their children to religion, some parents choose to expose their children to culture, the arts," parent Heather Pugh told USA Today. "I'm working to teach my children to be open-minded, loving, accepting people." And that's the point of Drag Queen Storytime -- indoctrination. "I want kids to experience just the fun of being around drag queens, the creativity, their style, their expression of their individuality," said Stephen Lane. Mr. Lane is the library's point man for planning programs for children, USA Today reports. The Brooklyn Public Library held a similar event in May -- funded by our tax dollars. Get a load of how the library promoted the event: "What do drag queens and children have in common? They love dressing up and all things sparkly and fancy! Drag Queen Story Hour captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models." A library spokesperson for the Indianapolis library told me there is nothing wrong with teaching small kids about gender fluidity. "Young children often exhibit gender fluidity in their play, and Drag Queen Story Hour reinforces for them that there is nothing wrong with that," the spokesperson said in a written statement to my new radio show The Todd Starnes Show Who knew that's what the toddlers were talking about around the sippy cups these days? To be fair, the Brooklyn library said the response to what they call Drag Queen Story Hour has been overwhelmingly positive. "Many of the parents who choose to bring their families to Drag Queen Story Hour do so because they would like their children to learn to love and accept themselves, and other people, as they are," the spokesperson told me. So in the spirit of tolerance and acceptance, I asked the Brooklyn Public Library if they would ever allow ministers to dress up in clerical garb and read Bible stories to the children. Let's just say the library's tolerance and acceptance does not extend to those people with religious beliefs. However, they said they would be glad to let a religious leader reserve a community room to conduct a story hour. And by community room, I suspect they mean a closet. Welcome to the 21st century, America -- where childhood traditions have been upended to appease the sex and gender revolutionaries. That being said - don't be surprised if Jack dresses like Jill or if the Old Lady in the Shoe has a beard and wears size 13 pumps. And whatever you do - don't ask what the three men in a tub are doing. Alan Futerfas is the most recent lawyer hired to run interference with the Russian probes plaguing the Trump administration. Donald Trump, Jr. retained Futerfas amid suspicions he met with a Russian lawyer last year who allegedly promised to give him damaging information about his fathers then-rival, Hillary Clinton. An accomplished defense lawyer, Futerfas resume includes representing members of high-profile crime families and white-collar criminals. Most recently, the veteran litigator defended a Russian citizen who created malware that made users bank accounts vulnerable to cyber criminals. Futerfas grew up west of Miami in suburban Westchester, Florida. He attended New Yorks famed Juilliard School where he studied bass trombone. Futerfas continues to play the instrument in the esteemed Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. Following Juilliard, he began his law career enrolling at Yeshiva Universitys Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. While in law school, he worked with criminal defense attorney Gerald Shargel. I met Alan back in the day when there were ten defense attorneys on one case. Alan and I were working on the same case but not for me. I quickly recognized how smart he was and later hired him, Shargel tells Fox News. Shargels says aside from being a brilliant, moral and ethical attorney, Futerfas is quite the Renaissance man. Occasionally after work hed have his chamber group come by and play. People in the building would gather by the office. Now, they may have called it practice but I thought they were very good, Shargel fondly remembers. David Bernard, music director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, concurs. Bernard has known Futerfas for over 15 years and understands why hes such an accomplished attorney. Bernard tells Fox News, In addition to being a conscience and detail-oriented musician who performs at a very high professional level, Alan is affable and empathetic. Hes always aware of others feelings and reads people very well. The Daily Beast writer who called White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders a butch queen on Twitter Friday apologized for the offensive comments. Ira Madison, a culture writer who has also written for GQ and New York magazine, issued his mea culpa on Twitter on Monday. Apologies to Sarah H. Sanders for the ill-judged joke tweeted Fri, deleted this AM, wrote Madison. I didn't mean to offend anyone & I'm sorry that I did! Twitter users continued to call him out for the offensive tweet. Apologies are great, but not doing in the first place is even better, wrote one user. Try to put your nice cap on next time. Others were not buying into his sincerity. According to Urban Dictionary, a butch queen is a gay man that is neither extremely feminine, nor extremely masculine and can easily portray both mannerisms. So sexist and misogynistic comments are acceptable as long as they're aimed at Conservative women, wrote one user on Twitter when tweet first went viral on Monday morning. Thanks for clarifying those rules. Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture at the Media Research Center, called the tweet disgusting. Since The Daily Beast says it values an inclusive culture, committed to the public good, I assume this is the last time Ira Madison III will be writing for them, Gainor told Fox News. It goes to a larger point. Liberals get away with personal attacks that would ruin the careers of people on the right. This is demented, but watch how little attention it gets from the national press. The Daily Beast did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has chided the Pentagon for its cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an effective and wasteful manner, cautioning the department that such missteps are not to recur. The memo, obtained Monday by Fox News, highlights a June report by the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan (SIGAR) which found that as much as $28 million had been wasted by the Pentagon over a ten-year period on uniforms for Afghan soldiers with a camouflage pattern deemed unsuitable for the countrys predominantly desert terrain. These actions connect directly to our mission and budget situation, Mattis said in a July 21 memo to the Defense Departments acquisition, policy and finance chiefs. The purpose of equipping the Afghan National Army is to bolster the Afghan Governments capacity to provide for its own security, and ultimately, to help defend our country from a terrorist attack. INSIDE AFGHANISTAN: ARE MORE U.S. TROOPS WHAT AFGHANS WANT? The Defense Secretary goes on to state that, in his view, the SIGAR report not only exposes waste and captures how funds were diverted away from other mission priorities but also serves as an example of a complacent mode of thinking. Mattis concludes the memo with a stern warning that such blunders must not happen again. This principle applies equally from the smallest procurement to the Departments largest programs, he added. Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all DoD organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices and take aggressive steps to end waste in our Department. Im counting on all hands to take effective action. TALIBAN CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR KABUL BOMBING THAT KILLED AT LEAST 24 The Afghan uniform debacle is slated to be a key topic of discussion on Tuesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. The U.S has been involved in the seemingly intractable Afghanistan war for almost 16 years, with the deployment of several more thousand troops likely in the coming months. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., will return to the Senate on Tuesday -- the day of a crucial vote to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare, his office announced on Monday night. McCain, 80, has been recovering at home in Arizona following a brain tumor diagnosis. Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said in a statement. With McCain's return - and barring any other absences - there will now be a full complement of senators on hand for the health care test vote. JOHN MCCAIN HAS BRAIN TUMOR, HOSPITAL SAYS That includes 52 Republicans and 48 senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republicans can lose only two votes and have Vice President Pence vote to break the tie and start debate. A tweet from McCain's account Monday night read: "Look forward to returning to Senate tomorrow to continue work on health care reform, defense bill & #RussiaSanctions." McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor following a July 14 craniotomy to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix said last week. The hospital's examination of the tissue revealed that a primary brain tumor, know as a glioblastoma, was associated with the blood clot. TRUMP CALLS OBAMACARE 'BIG, FAT, UGLY LIE' Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, discussed plans to get McCain back to the Senate. "They were trying to get approval [from his doctors] for his travel arrangements. I've personally volunteered to rent an RV," Cornyn said, according to Politico. Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Alabama congressional Republicans have rallied behind embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who served in that delegation nearly 20 years before being appointed by President Trump as the countrys top law enforcement officer. I know Jeff Sessions to be a man of great character and sound judgment, Alabama GOP Rep. Martha Roby told reporters, as Trump continues to rail against the attorney general for recusing himself from a Justice Department probe into Russia's election meddling. His decision to recuse himself was the right thing to do, not just for himself, but for the administration, continued Roby, who considers Session a mentor and rigorously defended Sessions' character during his Senate confirmation hearings. This country needs Jeff Sessions as attorney general. She argued that Washington has done more to crack down on illegal immigration since Sessions became attorney general than in all of the prior eight years. Sessions, an immigration hawk while in Congress, was among Trumps earliest and most ardent campaign supporters. His backing helped the first-time candidate and former New York real estate mogul win big across the Deep South in the 2016 presidential race. Trump initially defended Session for recusing himself in March, after failing to properly report two meetings with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. However, the president has recently has become agitated by Sessions' decision, as the Russia probes have expanded into whether Trump campaign officials colluded with Russian officials in the race and other areas. The federal investigation is now being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, with Sessions on the sidelines. Trump recently told The New York Times that he would not have hired Sessions had he known he would recuse himself. And speculation is mounting that Trump could fire and replace Sessions. Alabama senior Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican, on Tuesday said didnt agree with Trumps assessment that Sessions isnt doing his job. However, he made clear the matter is between Trump and Sessions. Im not the president, Shelby told Fox News. But I have a lot of respect for Jeff Sessions. What goes on between the attorney general and the president Im not privy to. But I know Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity, a man of purpose and a man of substance. I hope he will stay. Other members of the Alabama GOP congressional delegation coming to Sessions support Tuesday included Rep. Mo Brooks, also an immigration hawk. Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity -- keeping us safe by faithfully enforcing our laws & supporting our brave law enforcement officers, Brooks tweeted. Alabama GOP Rep. Bradley Byrne tweeted: I continue to stand behind Jeff Sessions. He is exactly the right fit for our Attorney General. The top government watchdog for Afghanistan reconstruction testified Tuesday that a criminal investigation has been opened into the controversial purchase of forest camouflage-patterned uniforms for Afghan National Army soldiers. The U.S. military has been accused of wasting millions on the dark green "relish" uniforms that stand out in the desert setting. Only 2 percent of Afghanistan is covered by forests. These problems are serious, Special Inspector General John Sopko told the House Armed Services Committee. They are so serious that we started a criminal investigation related to the procurement of the ANA uniforms. Sopko said he also wants a review of all organizational clothing and individual equipment contracts made by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A), which is responsible for the bulk of the training, advising and assisting of Afghan security forces. Sopko said CSTC-A bought more than 1 million uniforms with a proprietary pattern without testing its effectiveness between 2007-2015. The purchase came with a $93 million pricetag of which up to $28 million could have been shaved off. This $93 million procurement demonstrates what happens when people in the government dont follow the rules, Sopko told the panel. He highlighted 10 specific areas of concern with the CSTC-A, including that it only showed the Afghan minister of defense proprietary camouflage patterns owned by one company Canadian manufacturer HyperStealth Biotechnology Corp. CSTC-A failed to consider other available camouflage patterns including those owned by the Department of Defense which would have been cheaper perhaps and equally effective, Sopko said, faulting CSTC-A for not testing the effectiveness of the pattern. At the time, the Afghan minister of defense reportedly liked the woodland, urban and temperate patterns which came at an additional cost of $28 million. Sopko also called out U.S. commanders for buying uniforms that came with pricier features like zippers instead of buttons and 88,000 extra pairs of pants. In a memo obtained by Fox News on Monday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis cited Sopkos report and criticized the Pentagon for its cavalier spending on uniforms for the Afghan National Army. Mattis highlighted the overspending in a July 21 memo to the Defense Departments acquisition, policy and finance chiefs. He called the purchase an example of a complacent mode of thinking and cautioned the department that the missteps are not to recur. He added that buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a ten-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the department's responsibilities and budget. The U.S. has been involved in the Afghanistan war for almost 16 years. Nearly $110 billion has been appropriated in Washington for reconstruction in Afghanistan. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. A House IT staffer at the center of a congressional computer equipment scandal has been arrested by federal officials and charged with bank fraud, Fox News has learned. Fox News is told officers and agents from the U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI and Customs and Border Protection were involved in the arrest of Imran Awan at Dulles International Airport. Awan, 37, of Virginia, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of bank fraud during his arraignment in federal court in Washington, D.C. He was released but will have to wear a GPS monitor and abide by a curfew. Awan also was ordered to turn over all his passports. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21. Law enforcement authorities for months have been looking into how Awan may have double-billed the House for equipment like computers, iPads, monitors, keyboards and routers. Several relatives of Awan worked for House Democrats and were fired months ago. Awan, however, was kept on staff by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., even though he was no longer allowed access to the House server network. Wasserman Schultz, though, has now fired Awan. Spokesman David Damron said Tuesday in a statement: "Mr. Awan previously served as a part-time employee but his services have been terminated. No charges, evidence or findings from the investigation have been formally shared with our office, so we cannot comment on them." Authorities also have looked into IT workers putting sensitive House information on the cloud and potentially exposing it to outside sources. Fox News is told that federal officials arrested Awan at Dulles airport in suburban Virginia as he was trying to leave the country. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TO ALLOW LAPTOP SCAN AFTER STONEWALLING The criminal complaint and affidavit said he had bought a ticket to fly Monday to Doha, Qatar, and then Lahore, Pakistan, with a return flight booked for early January. The affidavit specifically alleged he engaged in a scheme to defraud a Congressional Federal Credit Union. It did not appear to go in depth into the other matters investigators have been looking into. Meanwhile, the counsel for Wasserman Schultz, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, recently began negotiating with Capitol Police for access to her laptop in the case. Until this point, she had resisted USCP efforts to look at her computer even suggesting consequences for the agency if the computer was not promptly returned. Fox News first reported last week that arrests were coming in the case. Awan and his relatives worked for House Democrats for more than a decade, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Awan declared bankruptcy in 2012. Awan is of Pakistani descent, and Democratic sources have argued the familys ethnicity is a factor in the attention theyre receiving. Fox News' Chad Pergram and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. The House overwhelmingly passed legislation on Tuesday that punishes Russia for its election meddling while also keeping President Trump from easing the penalties without congressional approval. Lawmakers voted 419-3 to approve the bill, which also includes sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The multitude of threats posed to our national security by Iran, Russia, and North Korea cannot be understated," House Speaker Paul Ryan said after the vote. "These bad actors have long sought to undermine the United States and disrupt global stability." The three lawmakers to vote no were all Republicans: Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, Tennessee Rep. Jimmy Duncan and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. The House and Senate bills are not quite in alignment, with North Koreas inclusion in the measure. This would have to be resolved in both bodies before it goes to the president. The sanctions targeting Russia, however, have drawn the most attention due to the presidents persistent push for warmer relations with President Vladimir Putin and ongoing investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign. The White House had objected to a key section of the bill that would mandate a congressional review if Trump attempted to ease or end the sanctions against Moscow. But lawmakers from both parties opted to keep the sanctions review due to wariness over the relationship between Trump and Putin. The Senate is expected to act soon on the legislation and the measure could be sent to Trump before Congress breaks for its August recess. Both chambers are positioned to approve the bill by veto-proof margins. Trump hasn't threatened to reject the bill, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other senior administration officials had objected to a mandated congressional review should the president attempt to ease or lift the sanctions on Russia. They've argued it would infringe on the president's executive authority and tie his hands as he explores avenues of communication and cooperation between the two former Cold War foes. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday that Trump is "going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like." "The president very much supports sanctions on those countries but at the same time wants to be sure we get good deals," she told reporters on Air Force One. "Those two things are very important." Signing a bill that penalizes Russia in part for interfering in 2016 campaign would mark a significant shift for Trump. He's repeatedly cast doubt on the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia sought to tip the election in his favor. He's blasted as a "witch hunt" investigations into the extent of Russia's interference and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. According to the bill, Trump is required to send Congress a report explaining why he wants to suspend or terminate a particular set of the sanctions on Russia. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to decide whether to allow the move or reject it. The North Korea-related sanctions bar ships owned by the reclusive nation or by countries that refuse to comply with U.N. resolutions against Pyongyang from operating in American waters or docking at U.S. ports. Goods produced by North Korea's forced labor would be prohibited from entering the United States. The sanctions package also imposes mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. The measure would apply terrorism sanctions to the country's Revolutionary Guards and enforce an arms embargo. Fox News Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. From a world-class legal mind to beleaguered, it took less than six months for President Trump to change his opinion on his attorney general. Trump said in May a little more than a year after Jeff Sessions recused himself from the ongoing Russia investigation that he wishes he would have picked someone else to head the Department of Justice. Trumps public criticism of Sessions is a far cry from the praise he heaped on the former Alabama senator during the campaign when he once retweeted someones request for him to select Sessions as his running mate. Heres a look at how Trumps public relationship with Sessions has changed over time. The campaign While Trump was still battling Democrat Hillary Clinton for the White House, Trump often praised Sessions, an early supporter of the bombastic Republican. Trump thanked Sessions for his endorsement in a lengthy Facebook post in February 2016, saying he was deeply honored to have Sessions support. He has been called the Senates indispensable man and the gold standard, Trump said. In June 2016, Trump responded to a Twitter user who suggested Trump tap Sessions as his running mate. Trump shared the suggestion and added, He is a great guy! The nomination Trump introduced Sessions with great pride as the countrys attorney general on Feb. 9, 2017. Hes a man of integrity, a man of principle, and a man of total, utter resolve, Trump said at the time. WHO IS IN TRUMP'S CABINET? These dangerous times require a determined attorney general, which is what Jeff is, Trump said. Jeff understands that the job of attorney general is to serve and protect the people of the United States, and that is exactly what he will do, and do better than anybody else can. Hes trained better for it than anybody else. The conflict In March 2017, Trump initially defended Sessions as he was criticized for meeting with a Russian ambassador. But since, Trump has lambasted his attorney general on social media and to press, calling him beleaguered and slamming him for not investigating Clinton even though Trump himself said after he was elected that he didnt plan to pursue an investigation into her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Trump told The New York Times in August 2017 that he wouldnt have picked Sessions to lead the Justice Department if he knew he would recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation. Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else, he said. Trump repeated that line of attack in a series of tweets in May. The president quoted comments from House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, a Republican, who disputed suggestions that a conversation Trump had with Sessions about his recusal strayed into obstruction of justice territory. I think what the president is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward, Gowdy told CBS News. If I were the president and I picked someone to be the countrys chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, Oh, by the way, Im not going to be able to participate on the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too. There are lots of really good lawyers in the country. He could have picked someone else, Gowdy continued. Trump quoted Gowdys remarks and added, And I wish I did! The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sen. John McCain returned to the Senate Tuesday afternoon for the first time since his brain cancer diagnosis, delivering powerful remarks from the floor addressing the need for bipartisanship amid the gridlock facing the chamber. McCain, R-Ariz., returned to help GOP colleagues advance their health care bill. As he arrived, he was greeted by a round of applause and hugs from his fellow senators. Make no mistake, my service here is the most important job I have had in my life. And I am so grateful to the people of Arizona for the privilegefor the honorof serving here and the opportunities it gives me to play a small role in the history of the country I love, McCain said, acknowledging senators hes known and admired. But they knew that however sharp and heartfelt their disputes, however keen their ambitions, they had an obligation to work collaboratively to ensure the Senate discharged its constitutional responsibilities effectively. But McCain stressed that the Senates deliberations are more partisan, more tribal than any time he remembers. Our deliberations can still be important and useful, but I think wed all agree they havent been overburdened by greatness latelyand right now they arent producing much for the American people, McCain said. McCain blamed both sides for the lack of cooperation. Weve been spinning our wheels on too many issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. Thats an approach thats been employed by both sides, McCain said. He added: "Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet. To hell with them. They dont want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood." The test vote on the health care bill Tuesday allows lawmakers to start debate. With McCain's support and a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Pence, it cleared the hurdle on a 51-50 vote. McCain warned he won't support the bill in its current form. I will not vote for the bill as it is today. Its a shell of a bill right now. We all know that, McCain said. Weve tried to do this by coming up with a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, then springing it on skeptical members, trying to convince them its better than nothing, asking us to swallow our doubts and force it past unified opposition. McCain said he didnt think that would work, and added that it probably shouldnt. President Trump was not mentioned by name in McCains speech, but the senator did go on to mention that the Senate is an important check on the powers of the Executive. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the Presidents subordinates. We are his equal, McCain said. As his responsibilities are onerous, many and powerful, so are ours. McCain went on to thank fellow senators for their kind words and prayers after the news of his diagnosis. Ive had so many people say such nice things about me recently that I think some of you must have me confused with someone else, McCain joked, drawing laughter from the chamber. I appreciate it though, every word, even if much of it isnt deserved. McCain said he would spend a few days in Washington and plans to manage the floor debate later this week on the defense authorization bill. McCain concluded his remarks with a promise that he had every intention of returning to Washington after spending time at home to treat his illness. I have every intention of returning here and giving many of you cause to regret all the nice things you said about me, McCain joked. And, I hope, to impress on you again that it is an honor to serve the American people in your company. Washington couldn't even wrangle the votes to pass a resolution honoring the American cowboy. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., typically sees bipartisan, unanimous support on a resolution to mark July 22 as the National Day of the American Cowboybut not this year. It's been stalled by Senate gridlock, reportedly for the first time since the tradition started in 2005. Unanimous consents arent getting passed right now, Enzi spokesman Max DOnofrio told the Casper Star Tribune. The 'unanimous consent' term refers to the effectively automatic approval of noncontroversial items. But Democrats are forcing debate and roll-call votes on nearly every item brought to the floor, as they focus their opposition on plans to repeal ObamaCare. There were 14 co-sponsors to the resolution this year, six of which were Democrats, from states like the Dakotas, Idaho and Montana. These resolutions arent necessarily a time-consuming process, so it doesnt impact his ability to do any of the important other things hes working on, DOnofrio told the Star Tribune. The cowboy image is something people in Wyoming care about. Multiple former Republican National Committee officials who followed Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer to the White House are seriously concerned about their jobs now that President Trump tapped Anthony Scaramucci as his new communications director, White House sources told Fox News. The sources said Scaramucci's influence has skyrocketed inside the West Wing. The Washington Post reported that Scaramucci has moved into Trumps inner sanctum and is now described by some colleagues as almost family to the president. Priebus, the White House chief of staff, said in an interview that he supports Scaramucci 100 percent, despite reportedly trying to prevent the financier from getting multiple administration positions. Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, and her husband, senior aide Jared Kushner, had known Scaramucci for years from New York and pushed for his hire. Lindsay Walters, the White House deputy press secretary, said Priebus is focused on driving the presidents bold agenda, and that has been and always will be his top priority. A White House official told Politico that Scaramucci is being considered to succeed Priebus. Scaramucci has made it clear on Twitter that he answers only to Trump. The Post, citing several unnamed officials, reported that Scaramucci has started an audit on staffers. He is reportedly meeting with them and weeding out those he determines are not working hard enough to defend the president. The staffers whose jobs are secure are Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Hope Hicks and Dan Scavino. Spicer, the outgoing White House press secretary, resigned Friday over Trumps decision to tap Scaramucci to lead the communications team. The departing spokesman said the president could benefit from a clean slate as he seeks to steady operations amid the Russia investigations and ahead of a health care showdown. Spicer said during a brief phone conversation with The Associated Press that he felt it would be best for Scaramucci to build his own operation and chart a new way forward. He tweeted that it had been an honor and privilege to serve Trump and that he would remain in his post through August. Scaramucci told Fox News on Sunday that one of his top priorities is stopping the leaks coming from the White House. We have to get the leaks stopped, Scaramucci, named Friday to the post, told Fox News Sunday. Whats going on right now is a high level of unprofessionalism, and its not helping the president. I will take drastic action to stop the leaks. Fox News' Serafin Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report Seattles LGBTQ Commission is demanding the citys openly gay mayor resign immediately following allegations that he sexually abused his teenage foster son and three others in the 1980s. In a scathing letter sent to Mayor Ed Murray on Monday, the commission referenced a child welfare report filed with the state and published by The Seattle Times that seemed to indicate that Murray sexually abused his foster son Jeff Simpson when he was a teenager. Murray has strongly pushed back on the claims and labeled them homophobic something the citys LGBTQ commission took issue with. We perceive your attempt to dismiss these claims as a politically motivated monolithic issue of homophobia to be a maneuver that is divisive and damaging to our community, the letter said. Claiming homophobic intent to shield yourself from accountability and erase the experiences of survivors of sexual abuse is silencing, manipulative, and morally repugnant. The commission said the mayors response to the allegations have been harmful and inappropriate. No criminal charges were ever filed in connection with the May 20, 1984 Oregon Child Protective Services report, though the report recommended that under no circumstances should Mr. Murray be certified as a foster parent in the future. The three other boys who claimed they were sexually abused ranged in age from 13 to about 15 years old. CALLS GROW FOR SEATTLE MAYOR TO RESIGN AFTER SEXUAL ABUSE REPORT The disturbing details of the report have several city leaders calling for Murray to resign ahead of the November election. Noting both that you are the first openly gay Mayor of Seattle, and that many individuals on the Seattle LGBTQ Commission were appointed by you, we do not take our decision to call for your resignation lightly, the letter said. While some may say that you should be given the opportunity to serve out the remainder of your term, we feel that would be inadequate. With both moral and pragmatic motivations, we feel we must call for your resignation." Last week, current mayoral candidate Jessyn Ferrell and former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn called for Murray to step down. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, apologized to Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, after she was caught on a hot mic making derogatory comments about Farenthold at the end of a Senate hearing Tuesday. "Neither weapons nor inappropriate words are the right way to resolve legislative debates," Collins said in a statement Tuesday to CNN. "I received a handwritten apology from Rep. Farenthold late this morning. I accept his apology, and I offer him mine." In a statement to the Washington Examiner earlier Tuesday, Farenthold had no comment on Collins' statements. Collins issued her apology after she was heard telling Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that Farenthold is "so unattractive it's unbelievable" after a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday. "Well, fat guy. He's huge," Collins told Reed. "He's so he's so unattractive, it's unbelievable. Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this bunny, this Playboy bunny?" Collins and Reed were discussing comments Farenthold made in an interview with a Texas radio station, during which Farenthold blamed the Senate's failure to pass a bill repealing and replacing Obamacare on "some female senators from the Northeast" and said he would've challenged any opposing senators to a duel had they been men from his home state of Texas. Click for more from The Washington Examiner. Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday hell vote later in the day to advance the chambers ObamaCare overhaul bill but again suggested he wont give final support to legislation that doesnt have input from him and other conservative senators. Nobody in Congress is more for repealing ObamaCare and replacing all of it then me, Paul said on Fox & Friends. Im not for [the bill]. Ill vote to get the bill out. But I want some assurance that well have a vote on a clean repeal. I think conservatives have been treated shoddy. The Republican-led House has already passed its ObamaCare overhaul measure. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to get enough votes in his chamber to even take a preliminary vote like the one scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The Kentucky Republican will need support from at least 50 of the chambers 52 GOP senators, with Vice President Pence casting a tie-breaking vote. President Trump is pushing the Republican-led Senate to pass an overhaul bill before Congress August recess begins next week. Paul, elected in 2010 in the Tea Party wave, says he and others like Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz have offered conservative amendments to lower insurance costs for Americans and cut billions in insurance company subsidies. However, he argues the text of the overhaul legislation being considered Tuesday has not been reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office, which means those amendments cannot pass without getting 60 votes. We haven't gotten zip from leadership, said Paul, who says he and others also are still not sure whether the bill calls for a full or partial repeal of ObamaCare. I have a lot of problems with this process, he said. Conservatives are getting nothing. The Senate Judiciary Committee has rescinded its subpoena compelling Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign manager, to testify at a public hearing later this week. Committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Tuesday the subpoena had been withdrawn after Manafort began the process of handing over documents to the committee and "committed to negotiating in good faith a date for a future interview." Feinstein told Fox News that neither Manafort nor Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, would appear before the committee Wednesday -- but "hopefully" both will appear in September. "The staffs are negotiating and it just got too close," Feinstein said, "and members need to prepare and they need to get documents to be able to prepare, so that's what we've set upon now." Manafort had been subpoenaed late Monday to testify at Wednesday's hearing, which is part of the ongoing congressional investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign officials in the 2016 presidential election. Lawmakers were expected to ask Manafort and Trump Jr. about their June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and her associates. Emails posted by Trump Jr. on Twitter earlier this month suggested he took the meeting with the expectation of receiving damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Manafort met Tuesday with the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation into Russian actions during last year's campaign. Last Friday, the Judiciary Committee also subpoenaed Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of the research firm that allegedly hired a British intelligence officer to compile a dossier of allegations involving Trump and his ties to Russia. However, Simpson has since agreed to a transcribed interview and will not testify in public. Fox News' Pamela Browne, Catherine Herridge and Jason Donner contributed to this report. President Trump took to Twitter late Monday to call out The Washington Post and ask if the paper is being used as a 'lobbyist weapon' for internet giant Amazon. Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? Trump tweeted. Billionaire Jeff Bezos owns the paper and is the founder of Amazon. Amazon.com collects state sales taxes in all 45 states with a sales tax and the District of Columbia, according to their website. State governments have sought to capture sales taxes lost to internet retailers, though they have struggled with a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that retailers must have a physical presence in a state before officials can make them collect sales tax. Trump was apparently upset with the paper's report on Syria from last week on the phasing out of an Obama Administration program in which the CIA covertly armed and trained moderate rebels battling Assad forces in the countrys civil war. Trump scrapped the program nearly a month ago after he met with advisers ahead of a July 7 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is not the first time that Trump has taken aim at the websites use of the tax system. In June, Trump took to Twitter and blasted the #AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet takes (which they should). Both Amazon and The Post, in June, did not respond to Trumps tweet. Kim Ruebin, a senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, told CBS MoneyWatch at the time, "They're (Amazon) being good citizens, and they're collecting the taxes and remitting it. If you want more and more of your deliveries to be done in a day or two, you actually need warehouses and physical presence in places to get your goods to other places." Bezos was one of a number of technology executives who visited the White House recently for a strategy session on modernizing government. In 2015, he wrote that Bezos bought the Post for purposes of keeping taxes down at his no profit company, @amazon. He added that If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it! The Associated Press contributed to this report The spectacle of wealthy left-wing Hollywood elites publicly knocking members of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) because of their robust cheering for President Trump as he addressed their national gathering is producing a backlash among those familiar with both the White House and the 107-year-old youth organization. Earlier this week, Trump gave a speech in West Virginia to the National Scout Jamboree, a yearly gathering of more than 40,000 Scouts, leaders and volunteers. Besides lauding Scouts values, Trump blasted his predecessor and made other highly partisan comments. Throughout the speech, the boys gave him frequent enthusiastic applause. Criticism from across the political spectrum focused on the partisan tone of the speech, and the groups leadership even issued a statement distancing itself from Trumps comments. The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. The invitation to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies, the BSA statement said. But while there was bipartisan criticism of Trump for injecting politics into the Boy Scouts meeting, some on the left also ridiculed the Scouts themselves for cheering Trump. Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore and soap opera actress Nancy Lee Grahn, for example, both likened the Boy Scouts meeting as reminiscent of Hitler Youth rallies. [Boy Scouts of America] is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. Boy Scouts of America The Hitler invocations are not new where Trump is concerned. Many progressives routinely compare Trump to the Nazi leader. Theres even a Twitter account named @TrumpandHitler. Moore tweeted: I'm an Eagle Scout. Trump using the 30,000 Boy Scouts as his props tonight was a scene out of Triumph of the Will. Shocking abuse of children. Grahn, who appears on the soap opera General Hospital, tweeted: Tragically, #boyscouts in 2017 applaud Trump just like the all blonde blue eyed youth did for Hitler in the 30's. Many say those who are drawing parallels to Hitler and young Nazis are being vicious and irrational. Its customary to invite the president, said John Stemberger, an Eagle Scout and a former Scoutmaster who founded Trail Life USA, a conservative group that opposes homosexuality and was formed as an alternative to Boy Scouts. If youre going to invite President Trump, you need to know hes going to be President Trump. He was doing what he does. Though Stemberger has been a vocal opponent of the Boy Scouts more progressive moves, such as allowing gay members and troop leaders, as well as transgender Scouts, he said he objects to the criticism that has been heaped upon the youths after Trumps speech. There are many legitimate criticisms of the Boy Scouts of America, but its nonsense to compare them to Hitler youth, Stemberger said. Its an irresponsible comment. The left is critical of anything that tries to promote uniformity and character-building. Thats a problem for them. Richard Painter, chief ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration and now chairman of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called Trumps speech highly inappropriate. In a speech to the Boy Scouts, of course the president should go and speak, and give views on policy, on the health care bill," Painter said, But I dont think that in front of the Boy Scouts you attack your predecessor, President Obama, and the Boy Scouts to cheer, or attack Hillary Clinton for an election thats over. Youre using the Boy Scouts for a political rally. That said, Painter noted, tossing out terms like "Hitler youth" is unfair. I dont want this to be an attack on the Boy Scouts, said Painter, adding that the organization has to invite all presidents. I think it would be sad for people to turn on the Boy Scouts and portray them as a right-wing organization. Scouting prepares Democratic and Republican [boys] alike to be loyal to their country, their values transcend political party, and patriotism is critical [to them], he said. They have an American flag on their sleeve, not a picture of Donald Trump. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing on Russias influence on the 2016 presidential election on Wednesday and at least one key campaign aide to President Donald Trump could appear. The committee issued a subpoena to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort Monday night to compel him to appear at the public hearing. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a joint statement that the committee had been willing to work with Manafort in his request to aid the investigation without appearing at the hearing, but they were unable to reach an agreement for a voluntary transcribed interview. So Manafort is slated as a witness for the hearing, called Oversight of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections: Lessons Learned from Current and Prior Administrations. Heres what to know about the hearing and how it pertains to the investigation into potential Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election. Who is Manafort? Manafort resigned from the Trump campaign in August 2016 just a few months shy of his boss election. He is under investigation by multiple federal agencies, including the F.B.I., regarding his business dealings with Ukraine and a pro-Russia political party. Manafort retroactively registered as a foreign agent on June 27, 2016. Manafort also attended the contentious meeting in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damaging information about Trumps political opponent, Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr., the presidents oldest son, came under fire after details of the meeting were revealed, especially as publicized emails about the meeting said the information was part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump. TRUMP AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW The Senate Judiciary Committee said Manafort would be excused from the hearing if he would be willing to agree to production of documents and a transcribed interview, with the understanding that the interview would not constitute a waiver or his rights or prejudice the committees right to compel his testimony in the future. A spokesman for Manafort said later Tuesday morning that Manfort met with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier in the day and answered their questions fully. What about Trump Jr. and Kushner? Trump Jr. is also listed as a witness for Wednesdays hearing. The presidents son could be allowed to testify in private, according to the Associated Press. Feinstein said on Twitter that the committee will talk to Trump Jr. and Manafort in private before they testify in public. But Grassley tweeted later the same day that Trump Jr.s testimony albeit not public, will be on the record. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and adviser, met with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors on Monday and discussed the handful of meetings he took with Russians during and after the campaign. Kushner, a quiet insider who generally avoids the spotlight, was the first top Trump lieutenant to be quizzed by the congressional investigators probing Russias meddling in the election. PAUL MANAFORT SUBPOENAED BY SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE Following the meeting, Kushner publicly said outside the White House that he did not collude with Russia and is not aware of anyone else in the campaign who did so. What can we expect from the hearing? The hearing will review a law that oversees the registration of foreign agents. Feinstein, the top Democrat on the panel, said special counsel Robert Mueller did clear Trump Jr. and Manafort for public testimony. The panel had issued a subpoena for Glenn Simpson whose firm hired a British intelligence officer who compiled a dossier of allegations pertaining to Trump and his ties to Russia for Wednesdays hearing but withdrew it after Simpson agreed to a private testimony. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump touted Jared Kushners Monday appearance on Capitol Hill ahead of his son-in-laws next meeting with yet another congressional panel -- but in a sarcastic tweet, suggested his 11-year-old son Barron could be next. Jared Kushner did very well yesterday into proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump! he tweeted Tuesday. Kushner is set to meet behind closed doors with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Tuesday morning, lead by acting chairman Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and the top Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., whom the president called "sleazy" on Monday. Kushner met on the Senate side Monday. Trump also used his Twitter account to tee up a Big day for health care. Big day for HealthCare. After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate! Trump tweeted. KUSHNER VOWS 'I DID NOT COLLUDE WITH RUSSIA,' AFTER SENATE INTERVIEW Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promised a procedural vote Tuesday to begin floor discussions on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare. ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand, Trump wrote. Trumps tweets on health care follow remarks Monday from the Blue Room at the White House where he warned inaction was not an option. Trump called out Senate Republicans and said they have not done their job. On Sunday, Trump said that if Republicans fail to pass legislation on health care, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand. TRUMP CALLS OBAMACARE 'BIG, FAT, UGLY LIE' AHEAD OF KEY SENATE VOTE The vote will see a full roster of senators, as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will return to the Senate on Tuesday for the first time following his brain tumor diagnosis. So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave American hero! Thank you John, Trump tweeted. With McCains return, barring any other absences, the vote will see a full 52 Republicans and 48 senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republicans can only afford two defections, and can use Vice President Pence as a tie-breaker. The top White House spokesperson warned Tuesday that President Trumps frustration with Jeff Sessions is not going away, moments after the president tore into his attorney general on Twitter as VERY weak on Hillary Clintons supposed crimes. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, speaking with Fox & Friends, also neither confirmed nor denied reports that Trump has discussed the possibility of firing Sessions and did not rule it out. She said she hasnt been part of any conversations discussing any potential replacements, but made clear that Trump is frustrated and disappointed in the attorney general for recusing himself from the Russia meddling probe. That frustration certainly hasnt gone away, and I dont think it will, Sanders said. As for whether Trump wants Sessions out, she said, Thats a decision that if the president wants to make, he certainly will. She also addressed rumors about former federal prosecutor and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani being considered for the job. She said Giuliani is someone Trump respects but, "Right now, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is the attorney general." Earlier Tuesday morning, Trump unleashed a battery of tweets berating Sessions, first for the absence of an investigation into Clintons connections to Ukraine and then for the AG's alleged stance on other Clinton controversies. Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.," he began, tweeting at Fox News' Sean Hannity. Moments later, he added: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Sessions has been under fire since last week, when Trump leveled harsh criticisms in a New York Times interview, calling Sessions recusal very unfair to the president and adding that he never would have appointed him attorney general had he known he would do so. Sessions, though, said he would stay put. And Sanders had told reporters last week that the president clearly has confidence in him or he would not be attorney general. The Associated Press, citing three people who have recently spoken to the president, reported that Trump continues to rage against Sessions' decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation -- and has talked to aides about the possibility of firing him. Those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. Sessions was at the White House Monday for a standing meeting he has at the White House every week. Trump was not at the meeting, which is not unusual, officials said. Department of Justice officials told Fox News that Sessions is in "good spirits." Trump's intensifying criticism has fueled speculation that Sessions may resign even if Trump opts not to fire him. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Trump were to fire Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It could also raise the specter of Trump asking Rosenstein or whomever he appoints to fill the position to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump's campaign. The president's tweet about the former Alabama senator comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, said that Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump and Sessions' conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent. Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, said that the president, with his criticisms of Sessions, was simply venting and being "honest about his feelings. But that doesn't mean he's going to do anything," Gingrich said. Still, he said the president's comments would have repercussions when it comes to staff morale. "Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team," Gingrich said. Sessions and Trump used to be close, sharing both a friendship and an ideology. Sessions risked his reputation when he became the first U.S. senator to endorse the celebrity businessman and his early backing gave Trump legitimacy, especially among the hard-line anti-immigration forces that bolstered his candidacy. Several of Sessions' top aides now serve in top administration posts, including Stephen Miller, the architect of several of Trump's signature proposals, including the travel ban and tough immigration policy. After Trump's public rebuke last week, Sessions seemed determined to keep doing the job he said "goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself." "I'm totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way," Sessions said last week. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Its been nearly 500 days since the presidential election, but even still, President Trump and Hillary Clinton havent stopped their bickering. Once friends Clinton was even a guest at Trumps third wedding in 2005 the two New Yorkers havent left their squabbling behind in what was a volatile campaign season. Heres a look at the jabs Clinton and Trump have taken at one another since Nov. 8, 2016. March 17: 494 days since the election In a lengthy Facebook post, Clinton sought to clarify remarks she made about voters, particularly women, who cast their ballot for Trump in 2016. In particular, she said men pressured white women to vote for Clinton. During an interview last week with an Indian news publication, I was asked about 2016, and whether Trump is the virus or a symptom of something deeper going on in American society. Like most Americans, people overseas remain shocked and dismayed at what they are witnessing daily, Clinton said. Clinton said she understood that many people were upset over her misinterpreted comments and stressed that there are women in the U.S. who question whether powerful women do have the ability to be leaders. I know this because even I spent parts of my life wondering if I could achieve the same as male leaders, and a lot of that insecurity stemmed from my gender and how society views women, she said. When I was serving in various roles in public life, I was always more popular when I was working for or defending a man then when I was out there on my own. Thats the point I was making, in an effort to explain to an audience some of the many dynamics that have gone into these tumultuous last few years. In her post, Clinton continued with a jab at Trump and his iconic slogan. As I said throughout the campaign, Trumps message was dark and backwards looking, she wrote. I dont need to list the reasons, but the foundation of his message, Make America Great AGAIN suggests that to be great we have to go back to something we are no longer. I never accepted that and never will. March 10: 487 days since the election While on a trip to India, Clinton sat down for an interview during the India Today Conclave 2018 conference in Mumbai and castigated the president. She accused Trump of having quite an affinity for dictators and said he really likes their authoritarian posturing and behavior. And as for her election loss more than a year ago, Clinton said the Democratic Party does not do well with white men or married, white women. And part of that is an identification with the Republican Party, and a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should, she told India Today editor-in-chief Aroon Purie. She added that Trump ran a backwards campaign that appealed to misogynists and racists. His campaign slogan Make America Great Again was looking backwards," she added. She claimed Trumps message to voters was: You know, you didn't like black people getting rights, you don't like women, you know, getting jobs. You don't want, you know, to see that Indian American succeeding more than you are. "I won the places that represent two-thirds of America's gross domestic product, Clinton continued. So I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward. March 5: 482 days since the election In a tweet, Trump accused the Obama administration of launching an investigation into his campaign in order to help Clinton or Crooked H, as he called her win the election. Why did the Obama Administration start an investigation into the Trump Campaign (with zero proof of wrongdoing) long before the Election in November? Trump said. Wanted to discredit so Crooked H would win. Unprecedented. Bigger than Watergate! Plus, Obama did NOTHING about Russian meddling, he continued. Feb. 28: 477 days since the election Linking to a Washington Post report detailing a testimony from Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the head of U.S. Cyber Command who also directs the National Security Agency, Clinton warned in a tweet the Russians are still coming. Rogers recently told the Senate Armed Services Committee that were probably not doing enough to deter Russians from interfering in future elections, including the 2018 midterms. Our intelligence professionals are imploring Trump to act. Will he continue to ignore & surrender, or protect our country? Clinton asked. Feb. 23: 472 days since the election During his speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Trump called out the crooked media and the crooked candidate, referring to Clinton. His remark led the crowd to begin chants of lock her up, a common refrain at Trump campaign rallies. Jan. 12: 430 days since the election After reports surfaced that Trump lamented immigration from s---hole countries, Clinton took aim at the president in a tweet. She lambasted his ignorant, racist views of anyone who doesnt look like him. The anniversary of the devastating earthquake 8 years ago is a day to remember the tragedy, honor the resilient people of Haiti, & affirm Americas commitment to helping our neighbors. Instead, were subjected to Trumps ignorant, racist views of anyone who doesnt look like him. A day prior, Clinton retweeted conservative commentator Bill Kristol. Two weeks ago a 26-year old soldier raced repeatedly into a burning Bronx apartment building, saving four people before he died in the flames. His name was Pvt. Emmanuel Mensah and he immigrated from Ghana, a country Donald Trump apparently thinks produces very subpar immigrants, Kristol tweeted. Jan. 11: 429 days since the election In an early morning tweet, Trump called Clintons missing emails into question. Did Dems or Clinton also pay Russians? Where are hidden and smashed DNC servers? Where are Crooked Hillary Emails? What a mess! Jan. 7: 425 days since the election On Twitter, Trump quoted parts of a column by the New York Posts Michael Goodwin, which had praise for the current administration and criticism for Clinton. Goodwin said in his column, as Trump quoted, that the mere thought of Clinton in the White House, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. Jan. 6: 424 days since the election Trump slammed Clinton and others who questioned his intelligence in a series of weekend tweets. He said his former opponent went down in flames. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence, Trump said. Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try), Trump continued. I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius and a very stable genius at that! Jan. 5: 423 days since the election A scathing, tell-all book about the Trump White House hit the shelves, and the president used his former opponent to criticize the media coverage of it. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad! Dec. 31: 418 days since the election On New Years Eve, Trump said a Clinton presidency would have lowered the value of stocks by 50 percent. If the Dems (Crooked Hillary) got elected, your stocks would be down 50% from values on Election Day, Trump said in a morning tweet. Now they have a great future and just beginning! Dec. 11: 398 days since the election In Seattle, Wash., to discuss her book What Happened, Clinton blamed her presidential loss, in part, on Russian hackers influencing social media and massive voter suppression, the Seattle Times reported. She also said Trump doesnt just like Putin, he wants to be like Putin. Dec. 2: 389 days since the election After Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in regards to its investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election, Trump compared Flynns situation to that of Clintons. "So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday 'interrogation' with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?" Trump tweeted. Clinton, too, took digs at Trump while she was at a Teen Vogue summit in California. Speaking to Black-ish star Yara Shahidi, Clinton addressed the presidential debate when Trump stood closely behind her as she moved around the stage, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She also discussed some of the things Trump said about her, particularly him calling her a nasty woman. All of that stuff he did didnt end up hurting him that much because men are given a much broader range of emotions to demonstrate their authentic feelings, Clinton said. Nov. 18: 375 days since the election Trump encouraged Clinton to get on with [her] life while he also seemingly encouraged her to run for president again. Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and biggest) loser of all time. She just cant stop, which is so good for the Republican Party, the president tweeted. Hillary, get on with your life and give it another try in three years! Nov. 17: 374 days since the election In a video for the progressive Mother Jones website, Clinton questioned the legitimacy of Trumps presidency. I think there are lots of questions about its legitimacy, the former secretary of state said. She also suggested that she believes Trumps campaign colluded with Russian officials to win the election. Nov. 3: 360 days since the election Trump again castigated the DNC and Clinton over allegations that the party colluded with Clinton to hand her the nomination. Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isnt looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems, Trump said on Twitter. New Donna B book says she paid for and stole the Dem Primary. What about the deleted E-mails, Uranium, Podesta, the Server, plus, plus People are angry. At some point the Justice Department, and the FBI, must do what is right and proper. The American public deserves it! The real story of Collusion is in Donna Bs new book. Crooked Hillary bought the DNC & then stole the Democratic Primary from Crazy Bernie! Trump also noted that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. who he referred to as Pocahontas answered in the affirmative when asked by CNN if she believed the DNC was rigged in favor of Clinton. Nov. 2: 359 days since the election Former interim DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile claimed that the party rigged the primary in favor of Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. In response, Trump alleged that Clinton broke campaign finance laws and is guilty of money laundering. Donna Brazile just stated the DNC RIGGED the system to illegally steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders. Bought and paid for by Crooked H, Trump said. This is real collusion and dishonesty. Major violation of Campaign Finance Laws and Money Laundering where is our Justice Department? Later, in an interview with Fox News The Ingraham Angle, Trump continued to criticize the DNCs apparent involvement with Clinton. Oct. 19: 345 days since the election Trump used news about a controversial Obama-era 2010 uranium deal to blast the media using Clinton to do so. Uranium deal to Russia, with Clinton help and Obama Administration knowledge, is the biggest story that Fake Media doesn't want to follow! Trump tweeted. Oct. 18: 344 days since the election In response to the revelation that Comey drafted a statement about the Clinton email investigation months before the probe was completed or he even interviewed her, Trump blasted both his former FBI director and former opponent online. As it turned out, James Comey lied and leaked and totally protected Hillary Clinton. He was the best thing that ever happened to her, Trump said. He also implied that the letter Comey wrote exonerating Crooked Hillary Clinton was obviously a fix. Oct. 16: 342 days since the election Trump said he would like to see Clinton challenge him in 2020. "I was recently asked if Crooked Hillary Clinton is going to run in 2020," Trump tweeted. "My answer was: 'I hope so!'" Trump later reiterated his desire for Clinton to run during a press briefing in the Rose Garden. He also criticized her for sticking up for professional athletes who have chosen to kneel during the national anthem in a sign of protest. Oct. 13: 339 days since the election While discussing the multiple sexual assault and harassment allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Clinton said there is someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office. The really sad part of the campaign was how this horrific tape, what he said about women in the past, what he said about women during the campaign, was discounted by a lot of voters, Clinton told the BBC. Clinton was most likely referring to the infamous Access Hollywood tape from 2005 that caught Trump bragging that he could do anything to a woman because of his status. He also said he could grab them by the p----. Trump later apologized for his comments and chalked them up to locker room talk. Sept. 21: 317 days since the election When Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the Asian leader used a word that Trump liked to hear deplorable. Using a translator, Moon said North Koreas actions were deplorable. I am very happy that you used the word 'deplorable,' Trump said. I was very interested in that word. In Clintons new memoir about the presidential election, she blamed her use of the word deplorables to describe Trumps supporters, in part, for her loss. Sept. 13: 309 days since the election As Clinton began her book tour across the country, promoting her memoir of the 2016 election, Trump dusted off his favorite campaign nickname for her. Crooked Hillary Clinton blames everybody (and every thing [sic]) but herself for her election loss. She lost the debates and lost her direction! Trump said. The deplorables came back to haunt Hillary. They expressed their feelings loud and clear, he continued in another tweet. She spent big money but, in the end, had no game! While Clinton apologized for calling Trump supporters deplorable at the time, she defended her use of the word in an interview with CBS News. I thought Trump was behaving in a deplorable manner. I thought a lot of his appeals to voters were deplorable. I thought his behavior, as we saw on the Access Hollywood tape was deplorable. And there were a large number of people who didnt care. It did not matter to them, Clinton said. As the Daily Caller noted, the deplorable comment came almost a full month before the Access Hollywood tape was released. July 24: 258 days since the election Trump addressed approximately 40,000 people in West Virginia for the annual Boy Scout Jamboree and couldnt resist taking a few jabs at Clinton. He told the crowd that the reason he won Michigan was because he worked hard there unlike Clinton. You know, my opponent didnt work hard there because she was told she was going to win Michigan, Trump said. Trump also repeated his questions about the investigation into possible collusion between the Russian government and his campaign during the presidential election continues. So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered [Attorney General Jeff Sessions], looking into Crooked Hillarys [sic] crimes & Russia relations? Trump tweeted. July 22: 256 days since the election Trump asked on Twitter why a special counsel or the attorney general isnt investigating more alleged crimes committed by Comey and Clinton. In his tweet, Trump referenced the emails deleted from Clintons private server she used during her tenure as secretary of state. In an additional tweet, Trump again compared his sons publishing of emails pertaining to a meeting with a Russian lawyer to Clintons own handling of her email server. July 16: 250 days since the election As Trumps son is criticized for meeting with a Russian lawyer who was supposed to have damaging information about Clinton during the presidential campaign, Trump defended his son on social media while still criticizing his former opponent. Hillary Clinton can illegally get the questions to the Debate & delete 33,000 emails but my son Don is being scorned by the Fake News Media? Former CNN commentator and interim Democratic National Committee chairwoman Donna Brazile admitted in March 2017 to sharing debate questions with the Clinton campaign ahead of the primary town hall event. July 12: 247 days since the election On Twitter, Trump railed on the alleged double standards for Democrats. Why arent the same standards placed on the Democrats, Trump tweeted. Look what Hillary Clinton may have gotten away with. Disgraceful! July 10: 244 days since the election As Trump came under fire for allowing his daughter, Ivanka, to sit in his place during a meeting at the G-20 summit, the president attempted to turn the tables on Clintons own daughter. In a tweet, Trump alleged that if Clinton would have let daughter Chelsea Clinton sit in for her, the media would have heralded the decision. If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother, as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES! Chelsea Clinton got in on the feud and responded on social media. Good morning Mr. President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not, she said. May 31: 204 days since the election After Clinton placed the blame of her presidential loss on a variety of reasons misogyny, Facebook and the Democratic National Committee, to name a few Trump took to Twitter. Crooked Hillary Clinton now blames everybody but herself, refuses to say she was a terrible candidate. Hits Facebook & even Dems & the DNC, Trump tweeted. Clinton fired back less than an hour later, mocking Trump for an erroneous but viral tweet he sent earlier in the day. People in covfefe houses shouldnt throw covfefe, she said. May 26: 199 days since the election Clinton didnt miss an opportunity to criticize the president while she delivered the commencement address at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society, Clinton said. That is not hyperbole; it is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done They attempt to control reality. May 24: 197 days since the election Clinton harshly condemned Trumps proposed budget plan after she was honored by the Childrens Health Fund, a nonprofit in New York City. Clinton said Republican lawmakers are mounting an onslaught against the needs of children and people with disabilities, women and seniors. The budget shows an unimaginable level of cruelty and lack of imagination and disdain for the struggles of millions of Americans, including millions of children, she said. None of us can remain silent in the face of these attacks. "It hurts the well-being of children," Clinton continued. "It's time to send a resounding message that we will not stand for this attack on the most vulnerable among us." May 3: 176 days since the election Focusing on national security threats from North Korea, Clinton criticized Trump for his penchant for tweeting. "If [Trump] wants to tweet about me I'm happy to be the diversion because we've got lots of other things to worry about. And he should worry less about the election, and my winning the popular vote, than doing some other things that would be important to the country," Clinton said at an event in New York City. May 2: 175 days since the election Clinton took a jab at Trump during a television interview as he continuously focused on his loss of the popular vote in the election. He should worry less about the election and me winning the popular vote and more about other things, the former secretary of state said. Remember, I did win more than 3 million votes than my opponent, Clinton added. She also said that shes now a private citizen and part of the resistance. April 23: 166 days since the election Trump seemed to continue to compete with Clinton for the popular vote. New polls out today are very good considering that much of the media is FAKE and almost always negative, Trump tweeted. Would still beat Hillary in popular vote. Trump then cited an ABC News/Washington Post poll that he said showed almost all stand by their vote for Trump. March 29, 2017: 141 days since the election In one of her first public speeches since she lost the election, Clinton excoriated the Trump administration without actually using Trumps name. Of Trumps policies, Clinton encouraged the women gathered to resist, insist, persist, enlist. These are bad policies that will hurt people and take our country in the wrong direction, she said. Dec. 23: 45 days since the election Trump quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin to express his opinion on his former opponent. Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems: In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity. So true! Trump tweeted. Dec. 21: 43 days since the election Trump criticized Clintons campaign style in a tweet, arguing that she focused on the wrong states. Campaigning to win the Electoral College is much more difficult [and] sophisticated than the popular vote, Trump said. Hillary focused on the wrong states! Nov. 27, 2016: 19 days since the election Trump claimed that Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million people because millions of people voted illegally. In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, Trump, then the president-elect, tweeted. Fox News Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. White House Senior Assistant Press Secretary Michael Short resigned on Tuesday, amid reports that new Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci is looking to remove people tied to the RNC, Fox News confirmed. I resigned, effective immediately, Short told Fox News. It was a privilege to serve the President of the United States. Short told Fox News that the White House did not request his resignation. When he offered, his resignation was accepted. Short worked for the Republican National Committee prior to his work in the White House, under then-RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, now White House Chief of Staff, and the chairman who preceded him, Michael Steele. The White House issued a brief statement on Short saying: "Today, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders accepted the resignation of Senior Assistant Press Secretary Michael Short. We are grateful for Michael's service and wish him well in his future endeavors." White House sources told Fox News on Monday that multiple former Republican National Committee officials who followed Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer were seriously concerned about their jobs. RNC OFFICIALS WHO FOLLOWED SPICER, PRIEBUS TO WHITE HOUSE WORRIED ABOUT JOBS, SOURCES SAY Spicer resigned from his post as press secretary last Friday after reports that Scaramucci would be brought into the administration to fill the vacant White House communications director post, once held by Michael Dubke, who resigned in May. Scaramucci told Fox News on Sunday that one of his top priorities was stopping the leaks from coming from the White House. We have to get the leaks stopped, Scaramucci said. Whats going on right now is a high level of unprofessionalism, and its not helping the presidentI will take drastic action to stop the leaks. Fox News Serafin Gomez contributed to this report. The Trojan asteroids that follow Mars in its orbit might have come from the planet itself, blown off in an ancient impact rather than being late arrivals, a new study suggests. Several planets in Earth's solar system have Trojan asteroids bodies that run ahead of or behind the planet. Jupiter, for example, has thousands. Earth has at least one, discovered in 2010. Uranus, Neptune and Venus also have them. Trojan asteroids are so called because the first ones to be discovered were named for figures from the Trojan War, including Achilles and Agamemnon. NASA plans to launch a mission in 2021, called Lucy, to study six of Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. David Polishook, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute in Israel and lead author on the new study, posits that the Trojans following Mars were blasted off the surface of the young planet at least a billion years ago, and settled into their current positions soon after that. [Mars Myths & Misconceptions: Quiz] Trojans orbit at Lagrange points, regions of gravitational stability numbered 1 through 5, where an object that is a small fraction of the mass of a planet and the sun, such as an asteroid, will maintain its position. Around Mars, for example, Lagrange point No. 1 (or L1) is on an imaginary line connecting Mars and the sun, while L2 is directly behind the planet if one extends that same line. Extend the line through the sun so that it touches the point in Mars' orbit exactly opposite the planet to reach L3. L4 and L5 are at points 60 degrees ahead and behind Mars along its orbit. (If you draw lines between L4, L5, Mars and the sun, you get two equilateral triangles.) Mars' Trojan asteroids are at L4 and L5. Mars has nine Trojan asteroids, the study notes. One, called 1999 UJ7, runs ahead of the planet at the L4 position. Three others, 5261 Eureka, 2001 DH47 and 2007 NS2, travel behind at L5. Astronomers had already studied the reflected light from Eureka and noted that the object was rich in the mineral olivine. The new study shows that 2001 DH47 and 2007 NS2 also are rich in olivine. Olivine is rare in asteroids, but it is common in larger bodies and occurs on Mars in impact basins. "This mineral crystallizes in high pressure, for example in the mantle of terrestrial planets," Polishook told Space.com, "Mars, Earth and Venus have olivine, too, but dynamically speaking, it is much easier for Mars to capture Martian ejecta than to capture Earth, lunar or Venus ejecta." That, Polishook told Space.com, is one good reason to think that the Trojans were pieces of Mars. Earlier studies estimated the age of Eureka is about 1 billion years, so that means the cluster of Trojans has to be at least that old. The question, though, is how such large pieces of Mars settled into the Trojan orbit at the L4 and L5 points. Polishook thinks it happened because Mars and Jupiter the latter, especially have both migrated from the positions they were in when they formed. Mars' orbit, like many of the planets, changed in the early solar system. As this change progressed, bits of the planet that blasted off in an impact, which might ordinarily have escaped or remained in orbit around the planet itself, ended up as Trojan asteroids, Polishook said. "If ejecta are present within a new orbit of Mars, then they may be captured into a Trojan orbit." The Trojans could be captured this way only early in the solar system's history once the planets settled into their current positions, any bodies that ended up in Trojan orbits would tend to stay there, and any subsequent planetary migrations would free existing Trojans, Polishook said. The study appears in Monday's (July 17) issue of the journal Nature Astronomy. Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com . Last week, during a routine inspection tour, a ski-lift technician for the Swiss adventure resort Glacier 3000 found what he thought was a collection of black rocks near the Tsanfleuron glacier in the western Bernese Alps, reported The New York Times. Upon close inspection, though, he discovered that the rocks were, in fact, mummified bodies. DNA testing has now confirmed that the bodies are those of Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin, spouses that had been lost ever since they left home to feed their cattle the morning of Aug. 15, 1942. So how did the bodies become preserved in the glacier? Whether the Dumoulins fell into a crevasse remains a mystery, but it may be that a snowstorm covered them, making it impossible to find the couple by sight. But regardless of what happened, the water inside their bodies eventually froze. Still, the ice crystals in their tissues likely didn't stay put, said Dan Fisher, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in identifying the remains. [25 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries] "The tissue starts out with a high water content, but that water would freeze, and in many cases,actually under those frozen conditions, when surrounded with [air] with low water-vapor content, the ice crystals in the tissue can sublimate," Fisher told Live Science. Sublimation is the process by which solid ice transitions directly into water vapor without ever becoming liquid. In other words, the tissue dried out, Fisher said. As such, it was both the cold and the dry conditions that inhibited the work of bacteria and fungi, as well as the chemical processes that would normally break down human tissue, leaving the bodies well-preserved. Additionally, the bodies remained relatively intact likely because the Tsanfleuron glacier may be relatively stable, even though glaciers, rivers of slow-flowing ice, are in constant motion. They advance when more ice and snow are added than lost, and retreat when more ice and snow is lost, according to Martin Callanan, an associate professor of archaeology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who was not involved in identifying the remains. This retreat makes it possible to glimpse even further back into the past. In 2003, less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from Tsanfleuron, at the Schnidejoch glacier, coins, leather, a piece of a wooden bowl and a bow and arrows were among items discovered. Those objects date from Medieval times, all the way back to nearly 4500 B.C., during the Neolithic age. "There is a definite increase in the number of objects that we're finding and in the number of different regions that are reporting finds," said Callanan, mentioning that he couldn't speak to whether this was true specifically for bodies as well. Callanan attributed this increase in discoveries, in part, to global warming. Global temperatures in 2014, 2015, and 2016 each broke the record for the hottest year on the planet since recordkeeping began in 1880, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told Live Science. This warming is causing glaciers worldwide to shrink, a 2016 study in Nature Geoscience confirms with 99 percent certainty. The recent discovery and identification of the Dumoulins is a great relief to the couple's daughter Marceline Udry-Dumoulin. Udry-Dumoulin, one of seven children, was only 4 when her parents went missing. After their disappearance, local rescue teams searched crevasses for more than two months but found nothing. "I climbed the glacier three times afterwards, always looking for them," Udry-Dumoulin told the Swiss newspaper Le Matin. "I kept wondering if they had suffered and what had become of them. Now I have the pleasure of having answers to these questions." Original article on Live Science . The elusive new species, named the Hoodwinker Sunfish, was found by a team of experts from Australia's Murdoch University. The giant fish, which had eluded discovery for centuries, was uncovered by Marianne Nyegaard, a doctoral student at Murdoch Universitys School of Veterinary and Life Sciences. Nyegaard spent four years searching for the fish, which like other sunfish species, can weigh more than two tons and grow to more than 9.8 feet in length. The quest began after she noticed genetic differences in sunfish samples from the Australian and New Zealand longline fishery. GREAT WHITE SHARK LURKS OFF CALIFORNIA BEACH IN STUNNING DRONE VIDEO A Japanese research group first found genetic evidence of an unknown sunfish species in Australian waters 10 years ago, but the fish kept eluding the scientific community because we didn't know what it looked like, she said, in a statement. Finding these fish and storing specimens for studies is a logistical nightmare due to their elusive nature and enormous size, so sunfish research is difficult at the best of times. Early in her research, Nyegaard was even asked if she would be bringing her own crane to receive a sunfish specimen. I knew I was in for a challenging but awesome adventure, she said. The researcher collected data from 27 samples of the new species over a three-year period, sometimes travelling thousands of miles. CECIL THE LIONS SON KILLED BY HUNTER IN ZIMBABWE Apparently preferring cold water, the new species has been found around New Zealand, along the south-east coast of Australia, off South Africa and Southern Chile. The new species managed to evade discovery for nearly three centuries by hiding in a messy history of sunfish taxonomy, partially because they are so difficult to preserve and study, even for natural history museums, Nyegaard said. That is why we named it Mola tecta (the Hoodwinker Sunfish), derived from the Latin tectus, meaning disguised or hidden. To confirm the first addition to the Mola genus in 130 years, experts had to consult publications dating back to the 1500s during their research. Some of the texts even included descriptions of mermen and fantastical sea monsters, according to Nyegaard. PANGOLIN FACES EXTINCTION BUT 5-YEAR-OLD RAISES AWARENESS FOR ENDANGERED MAMMAL The researchers paper on the new species has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Like its two sister species, Mola mola and Mola ramsayi, Mola tecta also has the appearance of half a fish, although it lacks the lumps, bumps and protruding snout found on Mola mola and Mola ramsayi, according to Murdoch University. In addition to Murdoch University, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the University of Otago, Hiroshima University and the University of Tokyo participated in the research. In less than a month, Samsung will officially announce the Galaxy Note 8, a phone that's hardly a well-kept secret. Meant to restore the Note line to glory after last year's Note 7 debacle, the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to be a variation of the Galaxy S8, which is easily one of the best Android smartphones you can buy right now. The new Note will come with stylus features built into the software, and it'll ship with an S Pen accessory just like every Note that preceded it. Other than that, the Galaxy Note 8 will have only one feature that's not found on the Galaxy S8, and that's a dual rear camera. But it appears Samsung may also have one other surprise for buyers looking to buy a new Note instead of a Galaxy S this year. According to WinFuture's Roland Quandt, Samsung is working on various colors for the upcoming Galaxy Note 8, including a brand new option that's not available on the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy Note 8 will ship in "Black, Orchid Grey, and a new Deep Blue," the blogger said, suggesting that Samsung may launch other color versions in the future. That's a minor detail, yet it's a significant one for some smartphone buyers, who value color options so they can separate themselves from the pack. That's why Samsung keeps updating its color palette for its flagship smartphones in the months that follow the official release. The same thing happened with the Galaxy S8 just recently, with Samsung launching new pink and blue versions of the handset. The Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled on August 23rd in New York City and should go on sale in the weeks that follow. On Sunday, United Airlines posted a message to all Comic-Con attendees traveling through San Diego, informing them that they would not be able to fly with comic books in their checked baggage. The airline even clairified on Twitter that the TSA handed down this edict, which applied to all airlines operating out of San Diego. There was just one problem with United's announcement: It wasn't true. In a statement obtained by Fox News, United claims to have "misunderstood" the TSA's instructions regarding comics even though a TSA spokesperson has since claimed that the agency never issued any instructions of the sort. I dont know how United went ahead and stated a TSA policy incorrectly, said Lorie Dankers, a TSA spokeswoman who spoke to Ars Technica. HOW TO GET THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE United Airlines initially posted its flawed message in the San Diego International Airport on Sunday, but confused comics fans soon responded on Twitter, prompting the airline to explain that the restrictions came directly from the Transportation Security Administration. At the time, United also claimed that all airlines operating out of San Diego and not just United were affected by the order. But according to the TSA itself, there was never any such order to restrict comic books from checked luggage at San Diego International Airport. I can say that TSA has advised in the past that if people bring several of the same type of item, it can alarm the checked baggage screening, but there is no prohibition on bringing things that are not a security threat, Dankers told Ars Technica. HOW TO SCORE AFFORDABLE TRAVEL THIS AUGUST Dankers also claimed that comic books are not considered a security threat, and that the TSA encourages travelers to check comic books if they so choose. On Monday, the TSA even took to Twitter to refute Uniteds claims, to the astonishment and amusement of several concerned travelers. A United spokesperson did not reveal the source of the airlines information, but admitted the airline misunderstood the TSAs restrictions. While TSA is recommending that customers keep their comic books in their carry-on bags, there are no restrictions on packing them in checked luggage, said a United spokesperson in a statement obtained by Fox News. We misunderstood TSAs instructions and regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Even though United declined to reveal its TSA source, its possible the airline made Sundays announcement based on an older @AskTSA blog post published during 2016s San Diego Comic-Con, in which the TSA advised against packing stacks of brochures and assorted comic books in checked baggage, lest they set off any alarms and slow down the screening process. At the time, the TSA also recommended removing such items from carry-on luggage at screening checkpoints, and placing them in a separate bin where they could be x-rayed more easily. In more recent blog post concerning books and carry-on bags, the TSA stated that, occasionally, our officers may recommend passengers remove items such as heavy, glossy programs during a special event with a lot of travelers, such as Super Bowl programs, but nowhere does the post mention that such items could be banned from checked bags. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS A representative for United was not immediately available for comment. A woman accused of intentionally drowning her fiance in the Hudson River by tampering with his kayak in a plot to collect on his life insurance has dodged murder and manslaughter raps pleading guilty Monday to the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. Angelika Graswald, 37, now faces as little as 1 1/3 to 4 years behind bars. But the permanent US resident will face deportation back to her native Latvia, prosecutors said. Graswald admitted that she pulled the plug from husband-to-be Vincent Viafores boat before watching him drown as his kayak capsized during a boating trip in April 2015, prosecutors said Monday. DYLAN REDWINE'S MOM SAYS SHE'S KNOWN SINCE 'DAY 1' HER EX WAS THEIR SON'S KILLER She also admitted she knew that the ring for his paddle was missing, and that he was not wearing a life vest or a wet suit despite heading into dangerously cold and rough conditions. Her lawyer had previously argued Viafore capsized because hed been drinking, and the pinkie-sized drain plug which was found in Graswalds car made no difference. But Graswald told police, I wanted him dead, in an interrogation, during which she also bizarrely performed yoga poses. She told cops Viafore who would have been her third husband had pressed her for sexual stuff she wasnt ready for. Graswald has been in custody awaiting trail. Her sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1. READ MORE FROM THE NEW YORK POST. A man whose 6-year-old son vanished in 1997 was sentenced Monday in a Hawaii courtroom to 20 years in prison for manslaughter, fulfilling a deal with prosecutors that required him to reveal the location of his son's body. The boy's father, Peter Kema Sr., also was sentenced to five years for hindering prosecution -- a sentence that will run concurrently, KHON reported. He must serve a minimum of six years and eight months. Prosecutors have said the child apparently was abused and died from septic shock after a festering arm sore went untreated. The boy was known as "Peter Boy" and "Pepe," the Hawaii Herald-Tribune reported. Kema led police and prosecutors to a remote coastal area of the Big Island in April, but water and time kept investigators from finding any remains, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Rick Damerville said. Kema later passed a polygraph test, which said he was telling the truth about where he disposed of the remains and allowed his sentencing to move forward. The boy's mother, Jaylin Kema, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2016. In June of this year, she was sentenced to 10 years' probation for manslaughter and one year in jail, which she'd already served, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported. She was released from jail in April. MOTHER OF HAWAII BOY MISSING FOR 20 YEARS RELEASED FROM JAIL Peter Kema told authorities that he took his son from the Big Island to Oahu and gave him to someone named "Aunty Rose Makuakane" in an informal adoption. Police were unable to find a woman as described by Kema or airline records that indicated he had flown there. Sometime between May and June 1997, the couple's then-4-year-old daughter heard Jaylin Kema calling out for her husband and saw her trying to resuscitate the boy, according to prosecutors. The girl later saw her brother in a box, prosecutors said. Peter Kema Sr. declined to speak at the sentencing, which Jaylin Kema and Peter Boy's family reportedly attended. The child's grandfather James Acol Sr. told the Tribune-Herald, "I thought hed at least turn to us and look at us and apologize, say something. If youre human, say something. He didnt say anything. No remorse, nothing." The Associated Press contributed to this report. The driver of a stifling tractor-trailer packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio, Texas, over the weekend had his commercial driving privileges revoked in April, according to Florida driving records obtained by Fox News. Eight people died in the packed truck, with two others dying at the hospital. And the driver in the alleged human smuggling case, 60-year-old James Matthew Bradley, Jr., was charged with transporting illegal aliens. Heres what we know so far about the incident and how it unfolded. What happened? Someone from the truck approached a Walmart employee and asked for water late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. The employee gave the person water and then called police. San Antonio police officers responded to the Walmart shortly after midnight Sunday, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) release. A police officer saw a number of people standing and lying in the rear of the trailer, and the driver, Bradley, in the cab, it said. Bradley said he didn't know the trailer had people inside, that he discovered them only when he exited the vehicle to relieve himself and he tried to administer aid, according to the release. He also claimed to have been taking the trailer from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. San Antonio police said that they "found eight deceased persons and 30-40 others, all undocumented aliens," it said. The temperature in the Texas city hit 101 degrees on Saturday and didnt go below 90 degrees until after 10 p.m. The truck didnt have working air conditioning, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. What do we know about the people in the truck? Eight bodies were found by authorities inside the 18-wheeler, while another two people died at the hospital. The ten dead victims are adult men, San Antonio Patch reported. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents spoke to some of the people who had been in the trailer, who "described how they had been smuggled across the Rio Grande River near Laredo at different times and as part of different groups," the DOJ release said, adding that the groups were gathered in the trailer Sunday. To maximize their criminal profits, these human smugglers crammed more than 100 people into a tractor trailer in the stifling Texas summer heat resulting in 10 dead and 29 others hospitalized, Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan said in a statement. Officials said 39 people were inside when rescuers arrived, and the rest were believed to have escaped or hitched rides to their next destination. Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement that, according to preliminary information, of the people inside the rig, 25 of them were Mexican. Of the 25, four were among those who died and the rest were hospitalized. Agents have interviewed just five of the dozens of people on board the trailer. Twenty-two people remain hospitalized. A spokesman for Guatemalas Foreign Ministry has said that one of the victims who died was 20-year-old Frank Guisseppe Fuentes Gonzales. Two other Guatemalans, ages 17 and 23, survived and were said to be in stable condition. Survivor Adan Lara Vega, 27, said he lost consciousness while sweating profusely without water inside the pitch-black compartment without any ventilation -- and awoke in a San Antonio hospital bed. Lara Vega told The Associated Press on Monday that people cried and pleaded for water and that he heard children's voices whimper. He said smugglers who hid him and six friends in a safe house in Laredo, Texas, claimed they'd be riding in an air-conditioned space. The trip from Laredo to San Antonio is about two hours. Lara Vega said he and his friends got in the trailer between 10 and 11 p.m. He also said that he never saw the truck driver and was never offered water. He said they were being charged $5,500 for the trip and the money was never collected. SAN ANTONIO TRAILER DEATHS: SUSPECT DUE IN COURT AFTER 10 DIE IN SWELTERING TRUCK What about the driver? Bradley, Jr., of Clearwater, Fla., has been charged with one count of transporting illegal aliens, according to the DOJ, which said a "federal alien smuggling charge" was filed against Bradley. Bradley was questioned by authorities and claimed to have been traveling from Laredo to San Antonio, after having the tractor-trailer washed and detailed at a truck stop near Laredo, according to the DOJ release. Bradley said he was taking the truck to its new owner in Brownsville, Texas, the criminal complaint said. Bradley claimed he heard banging and shaking in the trailer when he got out of the cab at the Walmart, and he told investigators he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, the complaint added. Bradley said he saw bodies on the floor and that he knew at least one person was dead, according to the complaint. Bradley said he contacted his wife, who didnt pick up, but that he didnt contact 911, the document said. Bradley called his fiancee, Darnisha Rose, from jail on Sunday. Bradley often referred to Rose as his wife, though they are not married. SAN ANTONIO TRAILER DEATHS: DRIVER HAD LICENSE REVOKED IN APRIL, CRIMINAL HISTORY "He said he saw the people in there, laying everywhere," Rose told the AP. "He said he didn't know what to do, which way to go. He was crying, distraught. He was scared. You could tell it in his voice." Rose defended Bradley as a good man who would always try to help people in need, though she acknowledged he has a criminal history. Documents show his record dates back until at least the 1990s and spans multiple states, the AP reported. Court records also show that Bradley had been cited repeatedly for violating federal motor carrier safety regulations in Iowa dating back to 1995, according to the AP. At least two of the tickets were for logging more hours than allowed. Shane Folden, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations office in San Antonio, told The Associated Press Tuesday that agents want to "dismantle the complete organization" behind the smuggling operation. Folden says that could include money transfers, stash houses for immigrants smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border, and other people involved in planning the operation. Folden declined to say whether Bradley was cooperating with authorities. Fox News Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A homeless man was attacked by an alligator while he was bathing in a Florida retention pond Monday, officials said. The 9-foot-alligator attacked the man around 10 a.m. in Port Charlotte, located south of Tampa, WFTX reported. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the victim as 68-year-old Fredric Iman, who is reported to be homeless. He sustained injuries to his left foot and leg, left hand, and groin. Official said after the attack, Iman went to a nearby surgery center where an employee called 911. In a recording of the 911 call released by authorities, the employee is heard saying "it looks like his, his pants are torn. It ate his toes off." WHY ALLIGATOR ATTACKS ARE SPIKING IN FLORIDA Iman was airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, where his condition has improved from serious to stable. While some neighbors were shocked at the gator attack, one told WWSB-TV she always looked forward to seeing the gator she named "Charlie" "I'm a little upset because the gator is probably going to be euthanized," Lisa Posten said. "People that live in Florida, they know not to go in these waters, this is where these gators live." A divided federal appeals court said Tuesday that a District of Columbia law restricting the right to carry a concealed firearm in public was a violation of the Second Amendment. D.C. requires gun owners who want a concealed-carry permit to show a good reason to fear injury or a proper reason such as transporting valuables. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declared the regulation too restrictive in a 2-1 decision, The Washington Post reported. The good-reason law is necessarily a total ban on most D.C. residents right to carry a gun in the face of ordinary self-defense needs, where these residents are no more dangerous with a gun than the next law-abiding citizen, Judge Thomas B. Griffith wrote. At the Second Amendments core lies the right of responsible citizens to carry firearms for personal self-defense beyond the home, subject to longstanding restrictions, the judge said. These traditional limits include, for instance, licensing requirements, but not bans on carrying in urban areas like D.C. or bans on carrying absent a special need for self-defense. In fact, the Amendments core at a minimum shields the typically situated citizens ability to carry common arms generally. The Districts good-reason law is necessarily a total ban on exercises of that constitutional right for most D.C. residents. Judge Stephen F. Williams joined Griffith in the decision. The decision deals another legal blow to efforts by city officials to rewrite gun regulations since the Supreme Court declared a Second Amendment right to gun ownership in a 2008 D.C. gun case, The Post reported. Griffith said the Supreme Courts decision in that case made it clear that the Second Amendment erects some absolute barriers that no gun law may breach. John R. Lott, Jr. of the Crime Prevention Research Center called the decision huge victory for gun rights advocates. Right now, there are about 124 concealed handgun permit holders in D.C., Lott told Fox News. If D.C. were like the 42 right-to-carry states, they would have about 48,000 permits. Right now D.C. prevents the most vulnerable people, particularly poor blacks who live in high crime areas of D.C., from having any hope of getting a permit for protection. The lone dissenter, Judge Karen Henderson, said the districts regulation passed constitutional muster. The District identifies two important government objectives underlying its licensing regime: the prevention of crime and the promotion of public safety, Henderson said. Two lower court judges disagreed on whether the regulation infringed Second Amendment rights. Gun rights groups and Republican attorneys general from more than a dozen states told the court that the Districts system was unconstitutional because the typical law-abiding citizen could not obtain a permit, The Post reported. City officials could ask all the judges on the circuit to rule on the matter, if they elect to appeal the decision. Arizona unveiled a new drivers manual that includes tips on how armed drivers could avoid deadly encounters with police. The Grand Canyon state, which allows residents to carry weapons without permits, changed its driving rule book after the fatal police shooting Philando Castile. The Minnesota man, who had a gun permit, was fatally shot during a 2016 traffic stop after telling an officer he was armed and then reaching for his wallet. Arizona is one of the few states that has a manual letting drivers know what to expect during a traffic stop. 17 HIKERS IN ARIZONA RESCUED AFTER BEING TRAPPED BY FLASH FLOOD State Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, said Castiles death inspired him to make changes to the states drivers manual. The lawmaker, who is black, said revisions were necessary because Arizona does not require gun permits and some owners have not been trained to handle firearms. When you look at whats taken place across the country, you have seen a majority of individuals who are people of color that have had higher incidence of interactions with law-enforcement officers, particularly in shootings, Bolding told Tucson.com. Hopefully, we can get to a place where thats not the reality. The new drivers manual, which was released last month, advises drivers with guns to keep their hands on the steering wheel during traffic stops and tell officers right away that theres a firearm in the car. It also advises drivers not to reach for anything inside the vehicle without the officers permission. And officers can take possession of guns, for safety reasons, until the stop is completed. The firearms would be returned if no crime has been committed. Lawmakers in Tennessee, Virginia and Illinois have enacted laws over the last year that require driver education courses to teach people how to react when they are pulled over. Unlike the guidelines published in Arizona, none of the laws explicitly mention what to do when motorists are stopped. Arizonas revised manual would mostly be seen by those who are getting a drivers license for the first time. Most people who move to Arizona and have a license from another state do not have to take a written test. Thats also true for Arizonans renewing their license. The changes to the manual occurred without a law being passed. The Department of Public Safety worked with Bolding to produce the new guidelines. MCCAIN TO RETURN TO SENATE ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF CRUCIAL HEALTH CARE VOTE It all comes down to safety, said Quentin Mehr, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety. But not everyone is pleased with the new manual. Will Gaona, policy director for the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the booklet fails to mention the drivers rights. You also need to tell them what their rights are not just what you think they should do, but also what they are allowed to do, Gaona said. The material from the new section of the Arizona manual could appear on driver's license tests, said Doug Nick, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division, which produces the rule book. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The transit system that serves San Francisco is under fire for refusing to release video from surveillance cameras that captured several recent train attacks by gangs of young black riders. Assault, robbery and rape are up 41 percent over last year on the vast train system known as BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit. But several recent attacks by gangs of young men has the agency under public scrutiny. One victim is suing to warn riders of the risk they face when riding BART. BART OFFICIALS UNDER FIRE FOR WITHHOLDING CRIME SURVEILLANCE VIDEOS TO AVOID RACIAL STEREOTYPES "Approximately 30 of them invaded our car. They beat and robbed a number of individuals," said Rusty Stapp, who was returning home with his wife and 19-year-old daughter. "They jumped on me, and began kicking me in the ribs. The individuals (police) saw on video were repeat offenders. They knew who they were. They had them in the system." Yet BART refused to release the video, claiming several of the alleged gang members might be under 18. "Especially when (a crime) is involving juveniles as these last two incidents have, the police department makes the determination that there is not a public interest in sending all that information out," said BART spokesman Taylor Huckaby. But Debora Allen, one of nine BART directors, said the agency is concealing the real reason putting political correctness over public safety. "They want to withhold the video release for fear of creating racial stereotyping," Allen told us last week. BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT: DOZENS OF OAKLAND TEENS REPORTEDLY STORM TRAIN, ROB RIDERS She cited a July 7, 2017, internal memo to BART directors. The agency said it would not issue a press release on a similar mob attack in June because it would "paint an inaccurate picture of the BART system as crime ridden." It would also "unfairly affect and characterize riders of color, leading to sweeping generalizations in media reports and a high level of racially insensitive commentary," the memo said. Allen questioned BART Assistant General Manager Kerry Hamill about that explanation, saying "I don't understand what role the color of one's skin plays in this issue. Can you explain?" Hamill responded that members of the media only wanted to sensationalize the story and were only interested in ratings and clicks. "If we were to regularly feed the news media video of crimes on our system that involve minority suspects, particularly when they are minors, we would certainly face questions as to why we were sensationalizing relatively minor crimes and perpetuating false stereotypes in the process, said. Allen told Fox News she was disappointed to read the memo. Race should play no role, she said. With respect to the video, I think it is important for the riding public to see some of the ways people steal and assault people on the trains." Stapp appeared last week before the BART board to complain. "I think if you were truly committed to (public safety) there would be a lot more interaction with the public, like making the video available of these incidents," Stapp said. Stapp is seeking to sue BART for $3 million for gross negligence. "It's the closest I've ever been to feeling like I might die," he told Fox News. Paul Justi, Stapp's attorney, said BART should release the surveillance videos. Others said there is a fine line between privacy and protecting the public. "We have a lot of videos in this district" admitted Board Director Joel Keller. "There is this balance between privacy and openness." A decision on releasing crime video is expected next month. By most accounts, Hugh Williams' life represents the American Dream -- a Jamaican immigrant who came to Connecticut nearly 20 years ago, working as a supervisor at the Home Depot to provide for his wife and three sons, one of whom is in the U.S. military. But Williams is set to be deported Thursday to his native Jamaica over a 2002 felony marijuana conviction his lawyer said was the result of shoddy legal advice given by an attorney who is now disbarred. Williams' last hope, he said, is a pardon from President Trump. "It's broken my life apart," Williams, 37, said of the deportation order, which was issued in 2012 but not enforced until President Donald Trump unveiled new immigration policies that have consequently brought old deportation orders to new life. "He's the boss -- I know he can help me," Williams said of Trump, who -- in a twist of irony -- was his pick for president during the 2016 campaign. Williams was arrested in 2002 for felony possession of marijuana -- his first and only arrest in his life, his lawyer, Ryan McGuigan, told Fox News. Based on advice from his attorney at the time, Williams pled guilty to felony possession of marijuana and served three years of probation without incident. The attorney, Joseph Dimyan -- who was later disbarred for stealing money from his own clients -- also advised the father of three to use a pseudonym while he was in court, according to Williams. "Had Mr. Williams been charged with the same offense today, he could have used a drug program or pled to an infraction," McGuigan said. On a return trip from Jamaica in 2012 -- 10 years after the marijuana arrest -- Williams was held up in U.S. Customs at John F. Kennedy International Airport after a fingerprint scanner revealed he had previously been convicted of a drug charge using a false name. Williams was soon issued a deportation order, though it was not enforced. Under the Obama administration, many immigration lawyers said their clients often were told they faced no immediate risk of being deported and could temporarily remain, so long as they committed no crimes. Shortly after Trump took office, however, Williams was told his time here is up. "It was the new enforcement from the Trump administration that became the issue," McGuigan said. "This is what happens when you cast a wide net. Obviously there are dangerous felons who need to be deported -- people who came here illegally with the intent of committing crimes in our country. And then there are many people, like Mr. Williams." In early June, Williams was informed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he will be deported to Jamaica on Thursday, July 27. An ICE spokesman, meanwhile, was not immediately available when contacted Thursday. The agency told the Associated Press last month that it is tracking nearly 970,000 immigrants with deportation orders. The majority 82 percent have no criminal record, according to the AP. Williams, who lives in Waterbury, Conn., with his wife, a U.S. citizen, said the imminent deportation order is "tearing his family apart." "Our family has suffered an emotional breakdown," echoed his wife, Carolene. Williams -- a longtime supervisor at a nearby Home Depot -- has three teenage children. His 19-year-old son is currently training with the U.S. military. "Mr. Williams has led his life in an exemplary fashion ever since his first and only arrest," said McGuigan. "Because of the bad advice of Mr. Dimyan, Mr. Williams is to be deported this Thursday." But McGuigan said he's certain Trump could intervene in the final hour. "The president of the United States can stop the execution of any deportation," McGuigan said. "I'm confident if he [Trump] got word of this, he would have some compassion." "This would be a wonderful opportunity for the administration to show good judgment," he said. "Anybody with a heart would feel for this man." A Florida couple is accused of mutilating a trapped alligator just to cut off its tail and attempt to sell it door-to-door. Shaun Edward Sparks, 33, and Christy Vincent, 27, were arrested Sunday after residents in Lake Parker reported seeing the couple attempting to sell an alligator tail, FOX 13 reported. Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered the dead reptile in the afternoon when someone went to check a trap put out to catch a "nuisance" gator that was running toward people in the neighborhood. The small alligator was found stabbed multiple times in the head, the trapper told FOX 13. FLORIDA GIRL, 10, PRIES OPEN ALLIGATOR'S JAWS TO FREE HERSELF Neighbors identified the couple to FWC officers, saying the pair offered to sell them the 3-foot alligator tail. "To be walking around door-to-door and saying, 'hey,' to neighbors, that's bad," resident Greg Chronis said Officers said they found Sparks and Vincent in their home and spotted the gator tail inside. Sparks allegedly "spontaneously uttered" that he took a large knife and stabbed the gator before cutting off its tail, according to The Ledger. He then went home and showed off his "prize catch" to his girlfriend. WHY ALLIGATOR ATTACKS ARE SPIKING IN FLORIDA "The two then went around the neighborhood trying to get people to buy the alligator tail," the arrest report stated. Sparks was charged on Monday with intentionally covering and killing an alligator, and possession of an alligator. Vincent is also charged with illegally selling alligator meat. Residents must obtain a special permit to sell gator meat and pay for a trapping license during the period from Aug. 15 to Nov. 1 -- the official Florida alligator season. Click here for more from Fox 13. An illegal immigrant living in New York allegedly raped a girl several times when she was 12 and 13 years old -- including once in front of a baby. Fernando Alvarado-Perez, 37, was charged with first-degree rape, criminal sexual act and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the Livingston County News reported. The Genessee Sun reported Alvarado-Perez had sex with the girl while in front of a baby, however, additional information surrounding the case was not available. Its unclear when the alleged rapes occurred. NORTH CAROLINA MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL Alvarado-Perez told police he had come to the United States illegally about 10 years ago, officials said, adding that Border Patrol and immigration officials were notified. An immigration detainer was issued by the Department of Homeland Security to the Livingston County Jail where Alvarado-Perez is being held without bail. The Livingston County News reported a new policy dictating how Geneseo police officers are supposed to interact with individuals who may be illegal immigrants did not come into play when investigating and arresting Alvarado-Perez. Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian told the Livingston County News in an email Monday: Our officers were concerned about investigating this incident and assisting the family the best we could with referral services to other agencies. His immigration status wasnt a priority to us. The police department adopted the policy in May after a traffic stop in March involving two adult women and six children suspected of being in the country illegally. Renda Cole, a resident of Geneseo, launched a GoFundMe page to aid Alvarado-Perezs alleged victim in finding the help she will need for the rest of [her] life professionally and emotionally in the form of counselling and anything medically. Anyone affected by rape knows how difficult it can be and how physically draining it is on a family, Cole wrote on the fundraiser page. Five U.S. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders were barred from going to Israel under a new law that prohibits entry to the Jewish state by foreign activists who advocate a boycott of the country. Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement Tuesday that the five had a long record of advocacy for the movement known as BDS, which seeks to ostracize Israel by lobbying corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with the Jewish state. It is the first time the Israeli government has implemented the policy, which won approval in March, allowing authorities to keep out non-citizens who publicly support a boycott of Israel or work for an organization that does. Supporters of BDS which stands for boycott, sanctions and divestment say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian independence efforts. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups as well as some Jews. Israel says the campaign goes beyond fighting its occupation of territory Palestinians claim for a state and often masks a more far-reaching aim to delegitimize or destroy the Jewish state. Some critics accuse the BDS movement of anti-Semitism because it singles out Israel for boycott while overlooking the Palestinian part in the conflict and ignoring countries with poor human rights records. The five American leaders who were barred from entry were from the advocacy groups Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, which is active within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a Protestant denomination that voted three years ago to divest from some companies in protest of Israeli treatment of Palestinians. Rabbi Alissa Wise, deputy director of Jewish voice for Peace, which has chapters around the country, said she and four other leaders were scheduled to join a larger interfaith delegation that planned visits with human rights activists in Israel and the West Bank. She said they went to check into a Lufthansa flight last Sunday night at Washington Dulles International Airport when they were told that the airline had an order not to allow them to fly all the way to Israel. They were told they could fly as far as Frankfurt, Wise said. Tal Muscal, a spokesman for Lufthansa, said each country sets its own entry requirements. "Lufthansa has no influence regarding the implementation or enforcement of such regulations," Muscal said. Tzahi Gavrieli, an official at Israel's ministry of strategic affairs, said the entry ban is strictly for those who are "undertaking ongoing consistent and significant actions to promote and advance a boycott of Israel." He said the ban is aimed at "individual activists who are major players, senior leadership in the BDS movement worldwide." Wise said the policy calls into question Israel's commitment to democracy. "It crosses the line to stop peace activists from entering the country," she said in a phone interview from her Philadelphia home. She said she wasn't surprised by what happened, given the new Israeli policy, but said, "it's much more heartbreaking than I even anticipated." ___ Associated Press writer Ian Deitch contributed to this report from Jerusalem The Latest on the shooting in Virginia at an auto body shop (all times local): 5:35 p.m. An auto body shop worker who was shot multiple times in Virginia has been listed in stable condition. The shooting suspect has been charged with attempted murder. York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs said in a statement Tuesday that 40-year-old Michael Sean Taylor shot the unidentified victim over an undisclosed dispute. The shooting occurred shortly before 9 a.m. at Ebby's Auto Painting & Collision Repair in Williamsburg. Fellow employees rushed the victim to a parking lot. Sheriff's deputies and EMS personnel provided first aid and took him to a hospital. Taylor allegedly barricaded himself inside the shop before deputies broke through the door and subdued him with tear gas and a Taser. ___ 1:30 p.m. Authorities in Virginia say they used tear gas and a Taser to take a gunman into custody after he shot an auto shop employee and barricaded himself in the business for more than three hours. York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs told reporters Tuesday the shooter was 40-year-old Michael Sean Taylor of Hampton, Virginia. Diggs said Taylor entered Ebby's Auto Painting & Collision Repair in Williamsburg about 9 a.m. and shot a male employee several times to settle a dispute. Diggs did not identify the victim and said he needed surgery. Diggs said deputies entered the body shop because of Taylor's actions during negotiations, which were beginning to deteriorate after three hours. Diggs did not elaborate on what those actions were. Diggs said no one else was injured. The manhunt for an armed suspect believed to be hiding in a national forest in North Carolina is keeping visitors away during one of the tourist attraction's busiest times of the year. Authorities on Tuesday continued to scour Pisgah National Forest for 38-year-old Phillip Michael Stroupe II, who is described as a suspect in a break-in who allegedly later robbed a man of his mountain bike at gunpoint as Stroupe was fleeing police. The area of the forest between U.S. 276 and the Blue Ridge Parkway was evacuated Saturday, including popular areas such as Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock and the Cradle of Forestry, located 40 miles southwest of Asheville. During a news conference Monday, deputies said Stroupe has a history of kidnapping, resisting arrest and violence toward law enforcement, FOX Carolina reported. Stroupe has active warrants for kidnapping out of Buncombe County and had just been released from jail in Jackson County on Thursday. Officials believe Stroupe is armed with a .38 caliber revolver, and is likely still traveling on the stolen mountain bike. The area has been experiencing heavy rain in recent days, but officials are using the scent from an item Stroupe left behind in a car to aid K-9 units searching for him. Deputies on Monday said they arrested 62-year-old Norma Stroupe Goforth, the suspect's aunt, who is charged with obstructing the search after Goforth allegedly refused to leave the investigation perimeter after she was asked to do so. About 10,000 people usually visit the area on a summer day, according to Transylvania County Sheriff's Capt. Jeremy Queen, though police haven't evacuated that many people as a result of the manhunt. Visitors with reservations at a nearby campground and some employees are being allowed into the area, Queen told the Citizen-Times newspaper. Businesses that depend on tourism near the search area say sales have dropped as the manhunt has continued. Jordan Salman, an employee at The Hub, an outdoor gear store, told the Citizen-Times that sales are down 15 to 20 percent. "This is huge for us," Salman told the newspaper. "July is one of the only times we actually make money." Read more from FOX Carolina. Read more from the Citizen-Times. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Maryland police officer went above and beyond the call of duty when he purchased diapers for a woman accused of stealing them. Rookie Officer Bennett Johns of the Laurel Police Department responded to a call at a local grocery store this weekend after a woman was accused of stealing $15 worth of diapers, the department said in a Facebook post. NYPD COPS SAVE WOMAN, GRANDSON FROM HOUSE FIRE The woman told Johns that she had purchased some groceries but did not have enough to buy the two packs of diapers she needed for her 2-year-old son. Johns issued the woman a criminal citation for the theft, but told Fox 32 that he still wanted to help her out. This mother was going out of her way and doing everything she can to provide for her kid and I can respect that, he told the TV station. I can sympathize with that as well so that is why I felt compelled to help the mother in purchasing the diapers for the kid. Laurel Police Chief Richard McLaughlin applauded his police officer, saying that this was the kind of community policing his department aspires to do on a daily basis. HOMELESS, 84-YEAR-OLD WAR VETERAN TWINS HELPED BY VETERANS AFFAIRS, DONATIONS FROM COMMUNITY Im very proud of my officers, he said. All of my officers and particularly this one. I think it speaks volumes that they are doing the right thing for the right reason when nobody is watching. The police department shared a photo of Johns purchasing the diapers. Though it's but a snapshot of some of the work your officers are doing daily, we still wanted to take a moment to thank Officer Johns for not just fairly enforcing the law, but also showing empathy to an innocent child put in a difficult situation, the post read. Johns said the womans struggle reflected much of his own upbringing. I see [the toddler] and I see myself growing up with a single mother and I want him to have a better life, too, he said. An Oklahoma school district settled a lawsuit over a 31-year-old English teacher who had sex with an eighth-grade student. The students family was paid $125,000, The Daily Mail reported. The Oklahoman reported in June that Jennifer Caswell pleaded guilty to second-degree rape and other charges in Harmon County District Court. Sentencing was set for Aug. 31. The boy's father said in a federal lawsuit that local school officials let Caswell resign and keep her teaching credentials. He was seeking $1 million for pain, suffering and his son's mental and emotional anguish. The district denies wrongdoing. The father alleged at least two people saw Caswell engaged in sexual acts with his son in her classroom, when she taught under the name Jennifer Sexton. After she resigned in April 2014, she had sex with the boy in a vehicle, her house and the boy's father's house, according to prosecutors. After the woman followed him to Mississippi, where he had been sent to stay with his mother, the boy began cooperating with authorities. The boy was 15 at the time of the crimes. The paper reported that Caswell was sentenced to 10 years in prison. "The district's overall position is that they acted appropriately once they were aware of an issue," lawyer Andy Fugitt told the newspaper. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A spate of anti-police graffiti popped up on a busy street in South Philadelphia on Monday night, spurring authorities to hunt for the vandals who may have also been responsible for an earlier anti-cop spray-painting incident. One stenciled slogan depicted a person with a flaming bottle in his hand and the phrase: "Let's toast the pigs with our choice of cocktail." People have the right to free speech and express themselves, but what you dont have a right to do is vandalize public or private property, Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew told FOX 29. According to reports, neighbors along 25th Street complained about multiple spray-painted pictures and phrases that advocated for harming and killing police officers. POLICE MOCKED IN FAKE STREET SIGNS ILLEGALLY INSTALLED IN TWIN CITIES I think its just kids, one resident, Dashon Nicholas, told FOX29. I think it is pretty disturbing, but this whole area down here is disturbing. This is the second time a South Philadelphia neighborhood has been vandalized with similar anti-police graffiti this year. At the end of June, vandals struck near Passyunk Avenue. We certainly have a link between todays episode and what we saw at the end of June, Kinebrew said. Definitely a link there. Police said at least one spray can and two stencils used to make the graffiti were found. Authorities have no suspects in Monday's episode and have reported no arrests stemming from the earlier incident. The Fraternal Order of Police has put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the vandals. Do men at Princeton University need special guidance so that they dont become violent, aggressive stalkers or rapists? A paid position at the Ivy League school -- part of its Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office focuses on promoting an environment for healthy male social development by challenging belief systems and social constructs that contribute to violence Colleges and universities across the country have been grappling with how to address what seems to some like an increasing number of reported sexual assaults on campus sometimes referred to as a campus rape culture -- with decidedly mixed results and even some backlash. Princetons program is consistent with established best practices that encourage both men and women to create and foster a culture in which there is no place for interpersonal violence, the universitys communications office said in a statement to Fox News. Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture at the Media Research Center, said the idea of preventing violence is commendable, but blasted the universitys foray into teaching men how to be men. Since when is it a university's role to teach healthy masculinity? I doubt seriously that most Princeton academics have a clue what masculinity really means, Gainor said. The job also calls for challenging belief systems and social constructs. More lefty social garbage trying to remake men so they arent men. According to a 2016 SHARE survey, 25 percent of undergraduate women and 16 percent of graduate women at Princeton experienced some type of sexual misconduct during the previous school year. We have seen increased demand by men on our campus to play a more active role in preventing interpersonal violence, and we are pleased to support this growing interest, the University said in its statement to Fox, noting that they want men to be agents of positive change. The New Jersey institution expects the person in this role to also lead and grow various anti-violence initiatives and promote an environment for healthy male social development by challenging belief systems and social constructs that contribute to violence. With plans for compulsory accountability program for students accused of sexual misconduct under Title IX, this appears once more that Princeton is getting involved in places it lacks the skill set to handle, said Gainor, noting the job posting uses the term accused, not convicted. In other words, if you are a parent, dont send your sons to Princeton. Prospect Park-goers can rest easy Cujo the squirrel has probably perished, a city health official said. The possibly rabid rodent, which attacked five people in the Brooklyn oasis between last Tuesday and Thursday, hasnt been heard from since. The squirrel is likely dead, said Sally Slavinksi, a rabies expert with the city Health Department. NEW YORKERS AREN'T AFRAID WITH PSYCHO SQUIRREL ON THE LOOSE Rabies is a progressive, deadly virus that dehydrates the brain, and the stage when its victims become demented and aggressive usually signals the end is near. The crazed critter attacked park-goers including a 7-year-old girl near the entrance at Parkside and Ocean avenues. There have been no known cases of squirrels passing rabies to humans in the United States, the department has said. Read more from The New York Post. The Florida man accused of allowing 10 people to bake to death inside a sweltering tractor-trailer early Sunday morning had his commercial driving privileges revoked in April -- in addition to a criminal history that includes an arrest for grand theft and a conviction in a felony domestic violence case. James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, of Clearwater, Fla., appeared in federal court Monday on charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. He did not enter a plea or say anything about what happened, and was ordered held for another hearing on Thursday. Florida driving records obtained by Fox News show the state had Bradley's commercial driving privileges revoked in April. A separate set of documents obtained by the Associated Press show Bradley had a criminal record dating back to the 1990s and spanning multiple states. In 1997, Bradley pleaded guilty in a felony domestic violence case in Colorado and was sentenced to two years probation, Rich Orman, chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District in suburban Denver, told the AP. Records indicate supervision of Bradley's probation was transferred to Gainesville. He was then arrested in Ohio in 1998 and extradited to Colorado for violating his probation, according Orman said. Records show that at that time Bradley also was wanted by a Texas agency for an unknown charge. Another probation violation complaint came in 1999, but Bradley wasn't arrested and he returned to Colorado until 2003. He was eventually sentenced to three years in a halfway house, but he violated terms of that sentence apparently walking away from the facility and in 2005 was sentenced to one year in a Colorado prison, Orman told the AP. SAN ANTONIO TRAILER DEATHS: DRIVER CHARGED AFTER 10 DIE IN SWELTERING TRUCK Bradley was released in 2007, according to the Department of Corrections, and remained on parole until 2009. Authorities list Bradley as being from Clearwater, Fla., but his fiancee, in an interview with the AP, said he has been staying in Louisville for a couple years. FOX 13 Tampa reported Bradley was arrested for grand theft in Hillsborough County, Fla., though it was unclear what year the incident occurred or what became of the charges. In a complaint filed Monday, federal prosecutors said Bradley called his fiancee, Darnisha Rose, who didn't answer, but did not call 911 when he made the gruesome discovery in the back of his truck in the Walmart parking lot. Rose defended Bradley as a good man who would always try to help people in need. Rose said when he called her from jail Sunday, he claimed he had no idea how so many people were crammed into his trailer. "He said he saw the people in there, laying everywhere," Rose told the AP. "He said he didn't know what to do, which way to go. He was crying, distraught. He was scared. You could tell it in his voice." Bradley had diabetes that he hadn't properly treated, got a prosthetic leg earlier this month and wanted to get back to work, Rose said. Rose added that Bradley did not explain during their brief conversation how the illegal immigrants might have been loaded into his trailer without him knowing about it, as he allegedly told police. TEXAS' LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BLAMES TRUCK DEATHS ON SANCTUARY CITIES THAT 'ENABLE HUMAN SMUGGLERS' The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation Inc. of Schaller, IA. President Brian Pyle said that he had sold the truck to someone in Mexico and that Bradley was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. "I'm absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. It's shocking. I'm sorry my name was on it," Pyle said, referring to the truck. He said he had no idea why Bradley took the roundabout route he described to investigators. In addition to at least 10 dead, nearly 20 others rescued from the rig were hospitalized in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. Mexico's foreign ministry released a statement Monday night that said "according to preliminary information" 25 of the people inside the rig were Mexican nationals. Four of those who died and 21 of those hospitalized are Mexican, the statement said. Some of the others inside the sweltering truck were from Guatemala. Many of the immigrants had hired smugglers who brought them across the U.S. border, hid them in safe houses and then put them aboard the tractor-trailer for the ride northward, according to accounts given to investigators. "Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you there's going to be many more people we're looking for to prosecute," said Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The man accused of launching a chainsaw attack that wounded five people at an insurance office in Switzerland has been taken into custody, police announced Tuesday. Franz Wrousis was arrested in the town of Thalwil, ending the manhunt, Zurich police wrote on Twitter. The 51-year-old wounded five people, including two health insurance employees, before escaping, according to investigators. Wrousis was reported to have been seen multiple times in the area in the past few weeks by a local dog walker. CHAINSAW ATTACK: 5 INJURED IN SWISS TOWN; MANHUNT ON FOR SUSPECT Wrousis has been previously registered as living in the southeastern Swiss state of Grabuenden. He has two previous convictions for violations of weapon laws in 2014 and 2016. Police announced they will hold a news conference Wednesday morning. A Hawaii-based U.S. Army soldier who faces charges for trying to support the Islamic State group pleaded not guilty during a court hearing on Monday. Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang was indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu last week. He was charged with four counts of attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group. According to the indictment and an FBI affidavit, Kang met with undercover agents he believed were members of ISIS. He allegedly provided them with classified military information, a drone, military equipment and training in combat fighting. He also pledged allegiance to the brutal organization and kissed an Islamic State flag, court records show. HAWAII GRAND JURY INDICTS US SOLDIER ON TERRORISM CHARGES FOR TRYING TO AID ISIS "Kang's military training, weapons abilities and personal combat skills, coupled with his strong stated desire to kill people in the name of Islamic State, makes him one of the more dangerous criminal defendants to have been charged in this judicial district," prosecutors wrote in a motion to revoke bail. CALIFORNIA MAN ACCUSED OF TRYING TO SUPPORT TERRORIST GROUP Kangs defense attorney, Birney Bervar, said his client may be suffering from service-related mental health issues that the government was aware of but neglected to treat. Bervar is seeking a mental health evaluation for Kang. Kang is being held without bail and his trial is set for September. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A unique program is trying to ensure veterans who've served time in prison don't face a tough battle for a job when they're released. Soldier On, a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts, runs an incarcerated veterans program focused on training and preparing inmates for life after prison. The program is now in its third year after recently expanding into Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Corrections implemented the concept at one of its facilities in 2016, and so far the initiative has helped at least 56 former inmates and veterans get back on their feet after spending time behind bars. Programs like this are going to save the state money because we'll have fewer people in prison and more rehabilitated people getting on the right track and improving their lives, their family and their community, MDOC commissioner Pelicia E. Hall said in a news release about the program. This is a workforce development program that changes the direction of people who may have gone down the wrong road. This turns them into tax payers rather than tax burdens. The initiative is based on a program started in 2014 by Soldier On at the Albany County Correctional Facility in New York. Soldier On administers programs assisting veterans in several other states. The counterpart inmate veterans program in Mississippi was started with the help of Voice of Calvary Ministries, which assists homeless veterans and their families. Phil Reed, president and CEO of VOCM says the core of the initiative is centered around Moral Reconation Therapy. It really is a well put together program that works with the veterans, Reed told Fox News. [It makes them think about] what kind of choices did you make to get you here and what are you going to do differently starting today and especially when you get out so you dont make the choice to come back?" B.R. Hawkins, the grants manager for Soldier On in Mississippi, says the program is supported by federal grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor at no cost to state taxpayers. The goal is to reduce the chances of an inmate returning to prison. We work with them in getting stable housing before they come out, Hawkins told Fox News. And work with them as much as possible to get a job before they come out. So right now we have about 38 veterans enrolled in our program. According to Soldier On, 277 veterans at the Albany County Correctional Facility have been admitted into the program since 2014. Only 12 veterans have returned to prison due to a new charge. Hawkins said she and her team personally follow up with each former inmate helping them restart their lives. She notes many employers may have an issue with hiring a convicted felon, but shes found employers willing to give those released a new shot at life. Eligible participants in the program are moved or transferred to a special pod or group located at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Once there, the inmates take part in daily classes at the prison. One of those former inmates is Otis Banks, who served in the National Guard before being convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping. He served 15 years in prison after his conviction. I didnt have to do what I did, but we all make bad choices at times, we have to live with those choices, Banks said, reflecting on his past. Now that hes out of prison for nearly a year, he has a car, an apartment and a good paying job. Banks describes himself as a devout Christian and said he feels he has a new lease on life after his experience. It was hard for me to acquire my social security card or a drivers license or an ID and you understand that you need that to even find a job, Banks said. It was so many people that was going out of their way to make sure that I had these items. The program is truly a blessing. Banks said the other inmates in the program value their experiences because it offers them another shot at life beyond prison walls. Although some of his former prison mates will never be released, Banks said a sense of camaraderie still existed within the special wing they were assigned to. According to a spokesperson for MDOC, the program will continue to be administered at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Hawkins said she hopes to have 60 veterans enrolled in the classes in Mississippi by the end of the year. A housekeeper and mother of four who has secured sanctuary inside a church says she's comfortable being a symbol in the push to change immigration laws. Nury Chavarria says she's unsure how long she'll stay at Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal church in New Haven. She sought refuge there last week rather than obey a U.S. immigration order to leave her home in Norwalk and board a flight to Guatemala, where she hasn't lived for 24 years. A lot of Hispanics are in similar situations, she said. "I'm here to raise my voice to tell we are not criminals," she told The Associated Press during an interview inside the church Monday. "We are people, hardworking, who came to this country to get a better life." Chavarria is among at least 13 people across the United States living in churches to avoid deportation, according to Church World Service and the Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice Center for Community Change. She says she needs to stay in the United States for her children, all U.S. citizens. The children range in age from 9 to 21, and the oldest has cerebral palsy. Chavarria is living with her youngest, Hayley, in a converted Sunday school room inside the small annex of the church. The bathroom is through a common room, near the church's sanctuary. There is no real shower, though a plumber has volunteered his time to make one. Relatives are caring for Chavarria's other three children, including her oldest, Elvin. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, Khaalid Walls, said the agency considers Chavarria a fugitive but has a policy to avoid conducting enforcement activities inside sensitive locations, such as churches. There are about 800 churches in the U.S. that have agreed to be sanctuaries, up from about 400 a year ago, said the Rev. Noel Anderson, the grassroots coordinator for the sanctuary movement with Church World Service. The group is holding a national meeting in Austin, Texas, this week to discuss strategies for what it sees as a growing need. Iglesia De Dios is among three churches in Connecticut that have agreed to open their doors in certain deportation cases, said the Rev. Hector Otero, the church's pastor. The idea came up during an interfaith service last Thanksgiving with other religious leaders from the area who had been discussing the recent presidential election and what it might mean for New Haven's immigrant and refugee population, he said. That led to a larger meeting in February with national sanctuary organizers from 40 churches and synagogues across Connecticut. All of those institutions agreed to help in some way, such as accompanying people to immigration hearings, said Rabbi Herbert Brockman, with Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden. Otero said his church planned for months to become a sanctuary, getting legal advice and making other preparations. It developed detailed criteria. It will not, for example, accept anyone who has a criminal history. He said people have threatened to burn his church and have him arrested for harboring a fugitive. "We don't want to do anything that is against the law," he said. "In this case, we do the right thing." Chavarria acknowledges defying a deportation order in 1999, but she has checked in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement yearly since 2009. During each visit, she was given a deferral and a work permit, until last month. This time, she was fitted with an ankle bracelet and ordered to get on a plane by July 20. She said she was given no explanation. "I was in shock," she said. "My daughter, Haley, was with me at the time. We both cried, a lot." She does not consider herself a fugitive. She still wears her ankle bracelet and said immigration officials know where she is but have not contacted her. With President Donald Trump's administration, Anderson said, "the patterns are not very clear to us as to when ICE uses its discretion to let people stay and when they don't." Chavarria said she understands it could be months before she can leave the church. But, she is hopeful that support from people such as Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Connecticut's two U.S. senators will prompt ICE to take another look at her case. Brockman called her "the poster child for why not to have this deportation policy." "It just does not make a lot of sense," the rabbi said. "Why with all these drug dealers and gang members out there, why pick on her?" As for the Republican president? "I would say to him, 'I am not a criminal,'" Chavarria said. "I want to tell him (to have) compassion for us." ___ This story has been corrected to show the name of the organization is Church World Service, not Church World Services. After a decades-long legal fight, two former leaders of an isolated polygamous community in Canada were convicted of practicing polygamy. Mondays conviction sets up another potential court battle over the constitutionality of Canada's polygamy laws. Winston Blackmore, 60, was found guilty by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Sheri Ann Donegan, who said the evidence was clear that Blackmore was married to 25 women at the same time. Blackmore has never denied having multiple wives. He said polygamy is part of his religious beliefs that call for "celestial" marriages. "I'm guilty of living my religion and that's all I'm saying today because I've never denied that," Blackmore told reporters after the verdict. "Twenty-seven years and tens of millions of dollars later, all we've proved is something we've never denied. I've never denied my faith. This is what we expected." PROSECUTION DEFENDS EVIDENCE IN FINAL DAY OF POLYGAMY TRIAL In addition to Blackmore, James Oler, 53, was found guilty of being married to five women. Blackmore and Oler are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect that believes in plural marriage. The group's main base is in a small community on the Utah-Arizona border in the United States. Oler was chosen to lead the Canadian community just north of Idaho following Blackmore's excommunication from the sect in 2002 by Warren Jeffs, considered the prophet and leader of the group who is now in a Texas prison, serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. The mainstream Mormon Church renounced polygamy in the late 19th century and disputes any connection to the fundamentalist group's form of Mormonism. NOT GUILTY PLEAS ENTERED FOR ACCUSED IN CANADA POLYGAMY CASE The investigation and attempted prosecution of Blackmore and Oler began in the 1990s and dragged on for years due to uncertainty about Canada's polygamy laws. After a constitutional reference question was sent to the British Columbia Supreme Court, the court ruled in 2011 that laws banning polygamy were valid and did not violate religious freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Blackmores lawyer, Blair Suffredine, has already said he would challenge the constitutionality of Canada's polygamy laws if his client was found guilty. Under Canadian law, the maximum penalty they will each face is five year in prison. The two will be sentenced at future hearings. The Associate Press contributed to this report. The Chinese military has reportedly been building up defenses along its border with North Korea that coincide with warnings by President Trump that he is considering military action over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons push. The Wall Street Journal, citing a review of official military and government websites and interviews with experts, reported that Beijing has built bunkers to protect against nuclear blasts, established a new border brigade and a 24-hour surveillance of the mountainous frontier. The preparations are intended to respond to worst-case scenarios, like an economic collapse, nuclear contamination or a conflict, the experts told the paper. The Chinese government has not spoken out about the report of preparations. An official from its defense ministry said in a statement that the forces maintain a normal state of combat readiness and training. Military means shouldnt be an option to solve the Korean Peninsula issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Mark Cozad, who works at the Rand Corp think tank, told the paper these preparations go well beyond creating a buffer zone at the border. If youre going to make me place bets on where I think the U.S. and China would first get into a conflict, its not Taiwan, the South China Sea or the East China Sea: I think its the Korean Peninsula, he said. The Trump administration is searching for more effective ways to ramp up pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. Pyongyangs recent successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile the first by the North has created even more urgency as the U.S. seeks to stop North Korea before it can master the complex process of putting a nuclear warhead atop a missile capable of hitting the United States. President Trump has expressed frustration that his initial strategy enlisting Chinas help and influence to squeeze the North economically and diplomatically has not yielded major results. Trumps administration is also considering other economic steps including secondary sanctions that could target companies and banks mostly in China that do even legitimate business with North Korea, officials said. The Associated Press contributed to this report In the wake of escalating tension between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, representatives of both countries called for the United Nations to help restore calm to the region. Despite Israels decision Monday night to remove metal detectors from an area known to Israelis as the Temple Mount and by Palestinian as the Al Haram Al Sharif, Palestinians reject proposed changes in security. Earlier this month, two Israeli border policemen were killed by Arab Israeli attackers at the site that is home to the Al Aksa Mosque. It is an area considered holy to both Muslims and Jews. ARAB GUNMEN KILL 2 ISRAELI POLICEMEN AT JERUSALEM SHRINE The Palestinian Authoritys UN representative, Riyad Mansour, told the Security Council de-escation is urgent. He accused Israel of provocative violations of the historic status quo. Mansour said Israel had aggravated religious sensitivities to the point of eruption. Mansour did not mention last weeks knife attack by a Palestinian that left three Israelis dead at a West Bank settlement. He told the council Palestinians are an unarmed and defenseless people. The attackers father said his son launched the rampage because he wanted to protect the honor of the Al Aksa Mosque. Israels UN ambassador, Danny Danon, called the attack at the Halamish settlement an atrocity that did not happen in a vacuum. He accused the Palestinian leadership of inciting violence. He said Israels top priority is to maintain the safety and security of all Temple Mount visitors." JERUSALEM VIOLENCE LEAVES THREE DEAD, CLOSE TO 400 INJURED Sitting behind Danon as he spoke was Oran Almog, who was blinded and suffered other serious injuries when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up in 2003 at a restaurant in the Israeli city of Haifa. Danon said the bomber's family and her accomplices received more than half a million dollars in total terror payments from the Palestinian Authority. Danon said the Palestinian Authority in 2016 spent more than $300 million rewarding mass killers with innocent blood on their hands. He said the Authority spends more on paying terrorists than on higher education. He told the council almost 30 percent of foreign aid meant for humanitarian purposes ends up in the hands of terrorists and their families. U.S. United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley briefly addressed the council on the recent violence and tension at the Temple Mount. It is vital, she said, both access and security is ensured. A knife-wielding man who shouted "Allahu Akbar" was arrested Tuesday after he attacked a Spanish police officer near the Spanish-Moroccan border, authorities said. The man, who appeared to be Moroccan, carried out the apparent terror attack about 7:35 a.m. local time at the Beni Enzar access to the Spanish enclave of Melilla, a spokeswoman with the local office of the Interior Ministry said. Hundreds of people were gathered in the area -- the frontier between Spain and Morocco -- to cross the border. The attacker pulled out a knife and shouted the Arabic phrase "God is Great," striking the officer in the finger, an official said. Officers nearby restrained the man. He was arrested and was being questioned by police. The Associated Press contributed to this report. As despot Kim Jong Un prepares Pyongyang to flout international pressure with yet another intercontinental ballistic missile test, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has hinted there may be only a few more months left to solve the North Korean dilemma via diplomacy. U.S. officials have told Fox News there has been activity in North Korea in recent days including moving a variety of gear at a launch site where Pyongyang previously test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile, known as the KN-20, on July 4. The rogue regimes test may come as soon as Thursday which marks 64 years since the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which established the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and put a cease-fire into effect. The missile tested earlier this month flew more than 1,700 miles into space before a re-entry vehicle sped back to Earth, splashing down in the Sea of Japan. Last week, North Korea performed an ejector test from a ballistic missile submarine below the sea the first stage necessary to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile while submerged. North Korea first test-launched a missile from a submarine in April 2016. The latest possible escalation comes as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford said Americans must prepare for the possibility of a military confrontation and suggested the Trump administration is giving diplomacy only a few more months. CHINA REPORTEDLY PREPS FOR CRISIS ALONG BORDER WITH NORTH KOREA While speaking Saturday at the Aspen Security Forum, Dunford described North Koreas nuclear ambitions as our number one challenge from a sense of urgency perspective. Many people have talked about military options [against North Korea] with words like unimaginable, Dunford said. I would shift that slightly to horrific. It would be a loss of life unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes. Anyone who has been alive since World War II has never seen the loss of life that could occur if there is a conflict on the Korean peninsula. He added: It is not unimaginable to have military options on the Korean peninsula. What is unimaginable to me is allowing a nuclear weapon to land in Denver, Colorado. My job will be to develop military options to make sure that doesnt happen. While Dunford said the best approach to dealing with North Korea is through the diplomatic and economic realms that are the forte of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he pointed out Kim Jong Un's grip on power is inextricably linked to nuclear weapons. So, I think for all of us, we should give Secretary Tillerson full support in attempting to resolve this diplomatically and economically, even as we recognize that it may not happen, and there may have to be a follow-up option, which is the military option, Dunford said. We can wring our hands and say it will never happen, or we can roll up our sleeves and make an effort to have a concerted economic and diplomatic plan that does cause KJU, Kim Jong Un, to come to the table and begin to have a conversation, at least stop the path that hes on right now, which is further development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear capability. And to me it makes all the sense in the world to prove the theory of the case and to work this for a few more months. DEFECTORS, GOOGLE EARTH MAP DECADES OF HORROR IN NORTH KOREA On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported the Chinese military has been building up defenses along its border with North Korea, citing a review of official military and government websites and interviews with experts. The paper reported that Beijing has built bunkers to protect against nuclear blasts, established a new border brigade and is engaging in 24-hour surveillance of the mountainous frontier. The preparations are intended to respond to worst-case scenarios, like an economic collapse, nuclear contamination or a conflict, experts told The Journal. The Chinese government has not spoken out about the report of preparations. An official from its defense ministry said in a statement that the forces maintain a normal state of combat readiness and training. Military means shouldnt be an option to solve the Korean Peninsula issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Mark Cozad, who works at the Rand Corp think tank, told The Journal these preparations go well beyond creating a buffer zone at the border, however. If youre going to make me place bets on where I think the U.S. and China would first get into a conflict, its not Taiwan, the South China Sea or the East China Sea: I think its the Korean Peninsula, he said. Fox News' Greg Palkot and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. North Korea will launch a powerful nuclear hammer at the heart of the United States if President Trump attempts a regime change in Pyongyang, North Koreas state news agency warned Tuesday. The statement comes amid heightening tension between the two nations, including a recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch showing the rogue state has the capacity to deliver a nuclear warhead as far as Alaska - as well as shows of force by the US Air Force and Navy, and recent comments by CIA Director Mike Pompeo at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado last week. Although Pompeo did not explicitly state that regime change is on the table, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that his remarks have gone over the line, and it has now become clear that the ultimate aim of the Trump Administration is the regime change. Therefore, the North Korean news agency warned that even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership will lead to a merciless blow with its powerful nuclear hammer. Pompeo, however, barely alluded to regime change in an interview where he focused on the importance of separating the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from his burgeoning nuclear arsenal. These weapons systems still need development and testing, said Pompeo, to the extent we can convince China its in its best interest to help us convince Kim its not in his best interest to move down that path. There are lots of ways to narrow the (nuclear) capacity band. Pompeo said the subject of North Korea comes up in almost every meeting he has with Trump. And he said the CIA is working on a wide range of options to deal with the threat, and those answers will be delivered almost certainly alongside our partners at the Department of Defense. There are things we can do to keep the (nuclear) capability out of Kims hands, Pompeo said before addressing a direct question about regime change. As for the regime, I'm hopeful we will find a way to separate that regime from this system. The North Korean news agency said those remarks demonstrate Pompeos illiteracy about North Korea and an explicit illustration of incompetence of the U.S. intelligence community. It then went on to threaten Pompeo directly, saying he will bitterly experience catastrophic and miserable consequences by daring to shake his little fists at the Kim regime. If its supreme dignity is threatened, North Korea must preemptively annihilate those countries and entities that are directly or indirectly involved in it by mobilizing all kinds of strike means including the nuclear ones, according to the KCNA. Pompeo actually argued in Aspen that he believes that Kim understands his core mission is to keep himself in power. Thus, Kim has taken what Pompeo believes are rational responses to the uptick in threat posture from the U.S. military such as reaching out for help from South Koreas new president to get us to back off and stop pressing just as hard as he is. You can certainly characterize that as a rational response to the threat he perceives from the U.S. and our allies, said Pompeo, Kim is certainly capable of responding to things that are in his regimes best interest. Asked for comment, a CIA spokesperson said, "We will let the Directors words stand without additional comment." A leading North Korea expert said the country is a year and a half away from creating a nuclear missile capable of reaching the United States. Some time in the next year, North Korea expert Gordon Chang told Fox News, they will have a nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States and we will have to make a decision about how we deter North Korea. More recently, South Korea said it was noticing new activity at a site from where Pyongyang has launched missiles in the past. Chang believes the Trump administration understands the threat. At a security conference in Aspen over the weekend, Gen. Joe Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that diplomacy should be allowed to play out for a few more months and then there may have to be a follow-up option, which is the military option. NORTH KOREA MAY TEST ANOTHER MISSILE, AS US OFFICIAL SAYS DIPLOMACY MAY HAVE 'A FEW MORE MONTHS' Chang said the timing is significant. It is an indication that the administration is thinking of an accelerated time frame regarding the North Korean issue. Chang had praise for the pro-active approach of the Trump administration compared to the strategic patience approach of the Obama administration. Im not inclined to give them a pass, but I think they are doing a very good job, Chang noted, First of all, they are dealing with it. The approach does have its risks, however, including a war of words which could literally turn into a war. At that same Aspen security conference late last week, referring to the North Korean nuclear threat and the countrys leader Kim Jong Un, CIA Director Mike Pompeo remarked the most dangerous (thing) about it is the character who holds control over them today. That was the most aggressive comments from the Trump administration. And a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman shot back with a vengeance. CHINA REPORTEDLY PREPS FOR CRISIS ALONG BORDER WITH NORTH KOREA Should the U.S. dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership, the spokesman said, we will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the U.S. with our nuclear hammer. Still, as regional expert Chang notes, any activist stance regarding North Korea is not without problems. It will be dangerous, he warns, everything is dangerous. But according to Chang and others experts doing nothing at all about the North Korean menace might hold the most danger of all. A British zoo is accused of hiding a penguin massacre at its facility after it left a sign claiming alterations were being done at the enclosure -- only to announce weeks later a fox had sneaked in and killed the birds. Chessington World of Adventures, south of London, announced on Tuesday an urban fox "infiltrated" Penguin Bay in June, killing five adult and three infant Humboldt penguins. Another male penguin was injured, but has since made a full recovery. "We are investigating why this happened as Penguin Bay was only built in 2015 and had special measures put in place specifically to deter foxes, and therefore we are shocked and saddened by this news," Lisa Britton, the assistant zoo manager, said in a video posted on the Facebook page. HAMERTON ZOO PARK: ZOOKEEPER KILLED BY TIGER IN ENCLOSURE IN UK However, for weeks the zoo explained the closing of the popular exhibit as being for "alterations" to the area. A statement on the Chessington website stated: "Our Humboldt Penguins are currently enjoying their other home behind-the-scenes while we make alterations to Penguin Bay." A source also told The Telegraph that security and zoo staff were not monitoring the enclosure when the attack happened in June. Workers were allegedly also not allowed to talk about the penguin massacre. A zoo spokeswoman vehemently denied the claims to the news site, saying they had no obligation to reveal what happened to the dead penguins. "Its a fine line between alerting our guests, because some of our animals do die, and actually its not something our zoo license says we have to do," she told the site. "Its certainly something we never hid from any of our guests, our penguins were our number one priority." ANIMALS STILL IN CAGES A YEAR AFTER BUENOS AIRES ZOO CLOSURE The rest of the 20 penguins in the enclosure were removed to a "secure area" as the staff renovates the space to prevent another fox from lurking in, according to Britton. "The health, safety and welfare of our animals is the primary concern to us here at Chessington World of Adventures Resort," she said. A U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots at an Iranian ship in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, two U.S. defense officials confirmed to Fox News. The American coastal patrol ship fired warning shots from its .50-caliber machine gun at an Iranian patrol boat when it came within 150 yards of the U.S. vessel, the officials said. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ship ignored repeated radio calls from the USS Thunderbolt, which also launched flares and sounded the danger signal five short blasts to warn the fast-approaching Iranian ship, officials said. The incident occurred as a formation of U.S. Navy warships was conducting an exercise in the Northern Persian Gulf. Its also the first time since President Trump took office in January that a U.S. ship has fired warning shots at an Iranian ship. "The Iranian vessel's actions were not in accordance with the internationally recognized COLREGs 'rules of the road'nor internationally recognized maritime customs, creating a risk for collision," the U.S. Navy said in a statement. "We see increased aggression all over the world," said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Tex., the chairman of the House armed services committee. "Recently, we also had aggressive activity by the Chinese. Of course, we've seen a pattern of this from the Russians. And now the Iranians. So it's clear people are testing us from all around the world." The U.S. military has recorded approximately 60 unsafe interactions with Iranian ships in the Gulf since 2015. Congress was set to vote on new sanctions on Iran on Tuesday afternoon. These patents were issued to Fredericksburg-area inventors during June, 2017: U.S Patent 9,683,817 "Detection and detonation of improvised explosive device with magnetic fields" Granted:June 20, 2017 Abstract: "A magnetic coupling (MC) circuit is provided for detecting an obscured object. The MC circuit connects to a current measuring instrument and includes a Marx bank having a plurality of stages; a peaking circuit; and an induction loop. Each stage of the Marx bank includes a resistor-capacitor (RC) loop having a first resistor connecting to a breakdown circuit. The Marx bank connects to a fixed potential known as ground. The breakdown circuit includes a breakdown switch, a second resistor and a bank capacitor. The voltage source connects to the Marx bank. The peaking circuit includes a peaking inductor, a peaking capacitor and a peaking switch disposed in parallel. The peaking switch connects the Marx bank to the peaking capacitor. The induction loop includes an impedance inductor connecting to the peaking switch. The instrument measures a first current in absence of the object and a second current in presence of the object, and detects the object based on difference between the first and second currents." Inventor/ applicant: James Thomas Camp, Colonial Beach, VA. Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC. U.S. Patent 9,683,803 "Tripod mount with a traverse support mechanism" Granted: June 20, 2017 Abstract: "A tripod is provided for mounting a machine gun between a front pintle and a traverse-and-elevation (T&E) device, being mechanically alterable between stowage and deployment configurations by means of a curved traverse bar. The tripod includes a head member for receiving the front pintle, a fore leg, first and second rear legs, and the traverse bar. The fore leg connects to the head member at a fore pitch hinge, and extends in the deployment configuration and folds aft beneath the head member in the stowage configuration. The first and second rear legs connect to the head member by corresponding rear lateral hinges. Each rear leg has a rail member that slides longitudinally therealong. The rear legs splay outward from the head member in the deployment configuration and contract substantially parallel in the stowage configuration. The traverse bar includes an elongated member for mounting the T&E device, first and second terminals at opposite ends of the elongated member, and a sprocket. The elongated member has an arc curvature that enables the T&E device to travel along the elongated member with constant elevation of the machine gun. The terminals respectively attach to the first and second legs by respective orifices. The first terminal includes a circular serrated cavity to receive the sprocket that has the first pivot orifice being offset from its axial center. The sprocket is removable to rotate the first pivot orifice for subsequent reinsertion into the serrated cavity." Inventors/ applicants: Stephen M. Dix, Fredericksburg, VA; Tracy V. White, Dunnsville, VA. Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC. U.S. Patent 9,691,245 "Method for remote initialization of targeted nonlethal counter measures in an active shooter suspect incident" Granted: June 27, 2017 Abstract: "The present invention is directed to providing a method and system that enables a first responder police Incident Commander to take command and control of a building having an active suspect ongoing event. Using the method and system herein, the Police Incident Commander is able to clearly distinguish the positions of his building entry teams (BETs) in the building relative to the position of the suspect through a graphic display of Friend and Foe designation whereupon he can precisely direct their maneuver to close with the suspect. The incident commander communicates to a Command and Control Center to arm non-lethal chemical canisters pre-located in "Hot Zones" for use in remotely incapacitating the intruders. When the intruders, boxed in by the BETs, enter a "Hot Zone" the incident commander gives the command to release the non-lethal chemical/smoke, ammonia spray that disorients and blinds the intruders allowing the BETs to safely end the incident." Inventors: Donald R. Jones, Jr., New Canton, VA; Ronald Dubois, Dumfries, VA; Mason B. Wooldridge, New Canton, VA. Assignee/ applicant: NetTalon Security Systems, Inc., Fredericksburg, VA. U.S. Patent 9,688,364 "Modular floatable dock section, dock assembly, and method for constructing a dock assembly" Granted: June 27, 2017 Abstract: "A modular floatable dock section comprises a fluid bladder having substantially flat top and bottom surfaces, and a perimeter around the top and bottom surfaces. The fluid bladder is designed for being selectively inflated in a deployed condition and deflated (collapsed) for transport and storage. A generally rigid continuous-surface deck is mounted adjacent the top surface of the fluid bladder, and defines a deck perimeter substantially coincident with the perimeter of the fluid bladder." Inventors: Charles Louis Fuqua, Woodbridge, VA; Steven Scott Kahre, Spotsylvania, VA. Assignee/ applicant: Patriot3, Inc., Fredericksburg, VA. Exhibit runs through Aug. 1 COLUMBUS -- Columbus Area Artists members are currently exhibiting original artwork at the Platte River Gallery in the basement of Columbus Public Library, with special exhibitor Jerene Kruse showing her decorative/functional glass and pottery. Other exhibiting club members are Christine M. Bartek, Phyllis Blaser, Jim Davis, Donna Dubsky, Debora Gonsoir, Doris Ann Hicks, Elizabeth Hicks, Carri Cooper Mattan, Lauralyn Pilakowski, Barb Pokorny, Lois Smith, Regina Steffen, Rod Supencheck, Amy Tomasevicz and Patrice Wielgus. This exhibit runs through Aug. 1. The gallery is open during library hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday 1:30-5 p.m. Workshop on land leases COLUMBUS -- A landlord/tenant cash lease workshop will be offered 6:30-9 p.m. Aug. 3 at Pinnacle Bank, 210 E. 23rd St. The workshop is designed to help landlords and tenants put together a lease that is right for both parties involved and help maintain positive farm leasing relationships. Topics will include information about land values and cash rental rates, lease communication, determining appropriate information sharing for both the tenant and landlord, lease terminations, legal issues related to land ownership and flexible lease arrangements. The workshop is free, but registration is requested by calling the Nebraska Extension Office in Platte County at 402-563-4901 by Friday. Area man dies in wreck BRAINARD A Dwight resident died after a crash in Butler County early Saturday morning, according to a sheriff's office release. Donald Nichelson struck a parked car in Brainard a little before 5 a.m. Saturday, according to the release. Nichelson was taken to a Butler County hospital, where he died. Officials believe alcohol played a factor in the crash. Musician dies in accident DESHLER A musician who performed Friday and Saturday at the Thayer County Fair died early Sunday after she was found injured on the fairgrounds, the Nebraska State Patrol said. Abby Uecker, who performs under the name Abby Nicole, was found with injuries from an accident involving a utility-type vehicle on the fairgrounds in Deshler around 4:20 a.m. Uecker, 25, was taken to Thayer County Health Services in Hebron, where she died at 5:30 a.m. Deshler Rescue and the Thayer County Sheriff's Office responded to the initial 911 call. The State Patrol is investigating the incident. Uecker, a country musician from Norfolk, performed with her band County Road at a free concert at the fair on Friday night and again on Saturday, following races at the Thayer County Speedway. A man armed with a note got away with an undisclosed amount of money after robbing a bank in Spotsylvania on Monday, police said. Sheriffs Capt. Liz Scott said the robbery took place about noon at the Union Bank at 5510 Morris Road in Thornburg. The robber walked in and handed a clerk a note demanding money. The clerk complied and handed money to the man. No weapon was displayed during the robbery, Scott said. The man immediately left the bank and was last seen walking on Jefferson Davis Highway. Scott said deputies were in the area within minutes but could not find the robber. The robber (pictured below) was described as a black male, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall with a heavy build. He wore a black hat and jeans. Anyone with information is asked to call Spotsylvania Crime Solvers at 540/5825822 or 800/9255822. A Maryland woman is accused of throwing a bottle of mouthwash at a fellow motorist and other offenses during a road rage incident that stopped traffic on U.S. 301 in King George County, authorities said. Sheriffs spokeswoman Kecia Wharton said the incident began about 5 p.m. Friday at the toll lanes at the Harry Nice Memorial Bridge, which leads from Maryland into King George. The victim reported that a red Ford Focus struck her SUV while trying to merge back into traffic. As both vehicles continued south, witnesses said the Focus driver threw a bottle out of her window, striking the SUV. The Focus then bumped the SUV a second time before both vehicles stopped on U.S. 301 in the area of the Verizon store in Dahlgren. Wharton said the victim and her passenger remained in the SUV while the driver of the Focus jumped on her bumper and tried to rip off her side-view mirror. The victim reported that as she was calling 911, the woman opened her door and tried to take the phone from her. Southbound traffic was blocked by the vehicles and by the woman carrying on in the roadway, Wharton said. The victim, also a Maryland resident, closed her door and struggled to keep it closed while the woman kept trying to get inside. The SUV passenger recorded part of the attack on her cellphone, Wharton said. Deputies arrived and arrested 25-year-old Monique Janae Jones of Mechanicsville, Md., Wharton said. Jones was charged with throwing a missile at an occupied vehicle, reckless driving to endanger life and limb, two counts of assault and battery, trying to prevent a 911 call, disorderly conduct, destruction of property and possession of marijuana. She was placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under a $6,000 bond. In a rare legal development, a Stafford County judge has granted a Henrico County mans request to withdraw his guilty plea to first-degree murder and take his case to trial. Corey Andrew Terry, 28, pleaded guilty Nov. 30 in connection with the May 20, 2016, slaying of 20-year-old Austen Agnor in the parking lot of the former Exxon station on Courthouse Road in Stafford. Agnor was in his car with the door closed and windows rolled up when he was shot seven times during what was supposed to be a court-ordered child custody exchange between Terry and Agnors wife, Crystal Agnor. Crystal Agnor has a child in common with Terry from a previous relationship. Terry pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder charge and had a related firearms charge dropped in exchange. Judge Victoria Willis asked Terry the usual litany of questions prior to accepting his plea in an effort to make sure he understood the ramifications of his decision. But Mark Murphy, Terrys new attorney, said the record makes it clear that Terry did not understand what he was doing. Calls and notes to his former attorneys, Elizabeth Hutson and Amr Ahmed, show that Terry believed he would be able to argue for a lesser conviction at a later date. Willis heard extensive evidence regarding Terrys request on June 29. The evidence included testimony from both former lawyers, who said theyd gone over the plea in great detail with Terry. Hutson and Ahmed denied pressuring Terry to take the deal, though they agreed they didnt feel it was in his best interests to take the case to a jury. Prosecutors Lori DiGiosia and Ryan Frank argued there was no reason to let Terry withdraw his plea. They said he was represented by experienced attorneys and knew what he was agreeing to. Willis took the request under advisement and sent a letter to both sides Friday in which she granted Terrys motion. A new trial will be scheduled in Stafford Circuit Court at a later date. In the 12-page letter, the judge referred to Terrys limited reading and comprehension abilities and said the prosecution would not be disadvantaged in taking the case to trial. Veteran attorneys in Stafford and Spotsylvania said they could recall few, if any, instances in which a judge allowed the withdrawal of a guilty plea. Bill Neely, who served as commonwealths attorney in Spotsylvania for 27 years before leaving office in January 2016, said he could remember only a couple of cases during his tenure in which guilty pleas were withdrawn. None of those cases involved murder, Neely said. Court records show that Terry and the Agnors had a contentious relationship prior to the slaying that included nasty or threatening remarks on the telephone and on social media. Terry threatened to smoke your family and his family during a phone conversation with Crystal Agnor that day, the evidence showed, but the Agnors did not take the threat seriously. Terry told police after the shooting that he was protecting himself when he shot Agnor. Murphy said the defense believes a case can be made for something less than first-degree murder. Fuller Benefit August 6 at Subway The Subway restaurant in David City is holding a benefit for the family of Chad Fuller, the assistant principal at David City High School. On Aug. 6, the restaurant will donate 25 percent of all sales to a fund that will assist the family. Chad broke his neck July 8 in a lake accident at a family gathering near St. Paul. The injury left him paralyzed, facing a long road to recovery. Chad moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln on July 19, his brother Rusty Fuller said. Blood drive August 1 in DC The David City Municipal Auditorium will host an American Red Cross Blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 1. The Red Cross has reported an ongoing emergency need for blood and platelets. A blood emergency means there may not be enough for those in need and patients care could be delayed. Schedule an appointment with Mark Mohler at 367-3775. Donors are encouraged to use RapidPass the day of the drive to speed up the donating process. Donors are encouraged to drink plenty of liquids before the drive. --Marilyn Arnold Blood Drive Coordinator NSP: Watch for motorcycles The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Transportation are reminding motorists to pay attention for motorcycles on Nebraska roadways. There have been 13 motorcyclists killed on Nebraska roads since the start of the summer travel season around Memorial Day weekend. The Nebraska State Patrol reminds drivers to safely share the road with motorcyclists by staying alert. Summer driving always brings more motorcycles to Nebraska roads, said Major Russ Stanczyk, Acting Superintendent for the Nebraska State Patrol. Its especially important that drivers keep that in mind to help keep roadways safe for cars, trucks and motorcycles alike. The Nebraska Department of Transportation will utilize overhead message boards Friday to help remind motorists to share the road safely. The message will read: I WATCH FOR MOTORCYCLES. DO YOU? Nebraska Archaeological Society meets in Aurora The Nebraska Archaeological Society (NAS) will hold its next meeting on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alice M. Farr Library, 1603 L St., Aurora. All meetings of the NAS are open to the general public and everyone interested in archaeology is encouraged to attend. A Show and Tell will be held after the meeting. This is a great opportunity for members and non-members to bring in their artifacts for possible identification by members of the society. The Nebraska Archaeological Society endeavors to develop and maintain a better understanding among students and collectors of archaeological material, and professional archaeologists, as well as museums and universities. Our 13th annual Archaeology Show will be held Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Harvest Hall, Seward Co. Fairgrounds, in Seward. Highlights include world-class displays of archaeological artifacts, flint knapping demos, and professional identification of artifacts and bone. Admission is only $5.00, kids under 12 are free. More information on the Nebraska Archaeological Society can be found on their web site: https://sites.google.com/site/webnas/home. The Nebraska Archaeological Society is a member of the Central States Archaeological Society and further information is available at their web site: http://www.csasi.org/index.htm For more information, please contact Tom Bryan tkbryan@live.com, 402-564-4572 or Kevin Hammond at Hammond100@windstream.net. Please put NAS in subject line. Barbara Blake Burckell, 85, of Durham, N.C. died peacefully on Wednesday July 12, 2017. BB as she was known to her friends and family was born in Richmond, Va., and was the widow of Thomas J. Burckell. Survivors include a daughter, Maureen B. Schell of Durham, N.C., with whom she made her home for the last 10 years; a son Thomas B. Burckell and his wife, Janet F., of King George; four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by sister, Jacqueline B. Caravati. The family would like to acknowledge two special people, Paula Oxendine and Nancy Parker who were BB's caregivers. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 29, 2017 at Sacred Heart Chapel in Dahlgren, Va. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service. A private burial will be held at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, Va. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Gertrude High School, 3215 Stuart Ave., Richmond, Va. 23221. Condolences may be left for the family at www.storkefuneralhome.com. Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Detention Center The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Monday was 51, with 43 from Platte County and 8 from out of county. Police July 13 1:55 p.m. In the 1700 block of 14th Street, Orlanda Provost, 20, Columbus, was jailed for driving under the influence and cited for driving left of center. July 16 1:45 a.m. At 4704 Howard Blvd., Oliver Izaguirre, 19, 2123 Sixth St., was cited minor in possession/consumption of alcohol. July 20 6:20 .m. In the 1900 block of 14th Street, a vehicle driven by Wayne Zysset, 51, 1918 14th St., struck a parked vehicle owned by Manuel Robledo, 1915 14th ST. 5:18 p.m. At the intersection of Sixth Street and 26th Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Robert Zegers, 52, Bellwood, and Thea Moore, 16, 2518 Fifth St. 8:15 p.m. In a parking lot at 517 E. 23rd St., an unknown vehicle struck a parked vehicle owned by Mark Avis, 2065 18th Ave., and fled the scene. July 21 9:20 a.m. Theft from a vehicle at Jackson Services Inc., 3321 17th St., wallet, $23 cash, operators license and credit card stolen, no total loss amount. 2:10 p.m. Theft from a perch at 3321 17th St., four bicycles stolen, no loss amount. July 22 10:29 a.m. Theft at 1568 Sunset Drive, $30 loss. Sheriff July 21 2 a.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of U.S. Highway 81 and 63rd Avenue, Samantha Graham of Osceola cited for speeding. 3:57 a.m. Traffic violation on U.S. Highway 30 near Behlen Mfg. Co., Jose Alonso-Salazar of Schuyler jailed for no operators license and cited for speeding. 11:51 a.m. Theft from a parked vehicle, tires and rims stolen, no loss amount. 3:15 p.m. Theft at 903 Highway 30 in Duncan, $140 loss. 8:34 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 48th Avenue, Melissa Coble of Columbus cited for speeding. 8:59 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 325th Street, Dustin Griesman of Columbus jailed for driving under the influence of alcohol and resisting arrest and cited for speeding and an open container of alcohol. 10:07 p.m. Traffic violation on East Eighth Street near the Archer Daniels Midland plant, David Morfin of Schuyler jailed for driving under suspension. July 22 2:44 a.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 51st Avenue, Stacie Micek of Monroe jailed for driving under the influence of alcohol and cited for speeding. 11:25 a.m. Wanted person at 1619 19th St., Tiffany Yates of Columbus jailed on a Platte County warrant. 1:09 p.m. Traffic violation on East Eighth Street, Levi Jensen of Columbus cited for no motorcycle operators endorsement. 1:23 p.m. Traffic violation at Lakestop, Memorie Christensen of Leigh cited for no valid registration and no proof of insurance. Fire July 21 10:30 a.m. In the 3200 block of 29th Avenue, medical. 7:25 p.m. In the 2200 block of 25th Street, medical. 7:47 p.m. Grass fire at the intersection of 40th Avenue and 53rd Street. July 22 2:10 a.m. In the 3900 block of 25th Street, medical. 2:59 a.m. In the 1300 block of Eighth Street, medical. 11:50 a.m. In the 2500 block of 33rd Street, medical. 11:56 a.m. In the 4700 block of 38th Street, medical. July 23 1:17 p.m. In the 1900 block of 27th Street, medical. 1:52 p.m. In the 1800 block of 45th Avenue, medical. 2:47 p.m. In the 2800 block of 40th Avenue, medical. 7 p.m. In the 3200 block of 22nd Street, medical. July 24 2:20 a.m. In the 400 block of 28th Street, medical. COLUMBUS A new group with a new mission is calling the local Armed Forces Readiness Center home. An activation ceremony was held Saturday for the Nebraska Army National Guard 128th Engineer Battalion, which replaced the 1075th Transportation Company formerly headquartered in Columbus. The change, part of the states largest Army National Guard restructuring in two decades, is expected to improve and diversify opportunities for soldiers while creating Nebraskas first engineer battalion in several decades. Col. Craig Strong, commander of the newly organized 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based in Lincoln, called the activation ceremony a day to remember. You are at the dawn of a new history, a new chapter for the United States Army and the Nebraska National Guard, he told soldiers during the local event, adding that theyre part of a proud history of Army engineers who can be credited with building the nation. The 128th Engineer Battalion is responsible for ensuring mobility on the battlefield by removing obstacles, keeping roads open and performing other engineering tasks. You are first in and last out, Strong told battalion members. You embody service above self. And above all, all hell cannot stop you. The battalion includes a headquarters company based in Columbus, forward support company based in Hastings, the 623rd Engineer Company based in Wahoo with a detachment in York and the 181st and 317th Engineer Firefighting Teams, both based in Norfolk. There are about 350 total soldiers in the newly formed battalion, with around 100 using Columbus as their training base. The battalion will maintain some of the duties and members from the 1075th Transportation Company, which relocated to North Platte, while offering new opportunities, including higher ranks and pay grades for soldiers and officers. Lt. Col. Todd Stevens, who was called upon to help form the engineer battalion, noted that less than 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the military, making it an elite organization. The job of an Army engineer shouldnt be taken lightly, according to Stevens, who lives in Rock Port, Missouri, and works as a senior project manager at Nebraska Public Power Districts Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville. The Army cannot do much without us, he said. Stevens was installed as the Nebraska Army National Guard construction and facilities management officer during Saturdays ceremony. Lt. Col. Peter Gierasch, a project manager at Conagra Brands who lives in Omaha, is the new commander of the 128th Engineer Battalion. DAVID CITY As three busloads of bleary-eyed teenagers unloaded into a cornfield west of David City, Buresh Detasseling office manager and weekend cheerleader Steph Canning got them moving. You taking a nap already? she asked one slow-moving kid. They say Im way too cheery in the morning. No one claims detasseling is exciting work. After receiving their assignments from brothers and business owners Stacey and Tyson Buresh, the youths worked their way through the field, pulling down all the tassels in one row before heading up the next. Some of the young workers entertain themselves by blaring music from their cellphones Mexican folk music, rap, country and pop played from among the stalks. Others, like Ryan Jelinek, Jaden Dryden and Lucas Morgan from the Valparaiso area, lined up together so they could chat while walking the rows. If you have a group of friends, its fun, said Jelinek. They didnt want to disclose what they talk about. What happens in the corn, stays in the corn," Dryden said. Detasseling is one of the few jobs available to those younger than 15, and it pays pretty well for kids that age. Starting pay is $9 an hour, but detasselers who are fast and experienced enough can get paid by the row. Tyson Buresh said some of those workers earn up to $25 an hour. Javier Vazquez, a 13-year-old from Columbus, applied for the job to earn money for a new bike. I expected it to be harder, he said. It just wears out your feet. This is Faith Dills third season with the Ulysses business. Shes saving up this summer to pay half the insurance for her car. The 15-year-old from Columbus started when her mother told her she needed to get a job. Its good money, so I came back, Dill said. She also enjoys joking around with the Buresh brothers. Can I just break all the stems? she jokingly asked before heading down her row. Is that OK? As some of the newer kids emerged from their rows, an authoritative but young voice said hed check their work. That's 18-year-old Devan Burescher, whos worked for Buresh Detasseling for six years and been promoted to supervisor. It makes me feel like Im part of something, Burescher said. As a supervisor, hes learning a lot of valuable lessons about leadership and communication. You learn a lot about how to talk to people, he said. Theres a right way and a wrong way of saying stuff. Say it the right way and people follow. Lyle Divis has worked for Buresh Detasseling for 19 years. While its important for the kids to have fun, he said they still have a job to do. They better not think they can come out here skipping through the park, he said. Divis was good friends with Dan Buresh, who started the business 37 years ago and passed away in September 2016. His sons Tyson and Stacey run the show now. Divis remembers watching Tyson when he first started detasseling at the age of 10. He was flying through the rows like Superman, Divis said. Tyson said his father gradually gave the brothers more responsibility over the years, making the transition easier. We try and keep everything the same," he said. They emphasize safety on the job. Each kid brings a water bottle they leave at the end of the row, and as they emerge Canning reminds them to "drink, drink, drink." They're also required to wear safety glasses, gloves and long-sleeve shirts, which aren't always comfortable in the summer heat but prevent the workers from getting cut up by the corn. It is a lot to organize, said Tyson. This year, the weather has been fairly cooperative. Weve had nice weather to get the kids in and get all the work they need to. It slowed down when the heat came in," Tyson said. When the temperature hits 100 degrees, the kids are pulled from the field and they head home. There's also a nurse on site to watch for signs of heat exhaustion. And everyone on the crew will happily spray water on the kids to help them cool off and treat them to Dairy Queen on especially hot days. We try to make it fun, Tyson said. There currently are 93 Fisher Houses in the United States and in Europe with plans for more. Asha Pantula wore a radiant orange Sari with pants as she danced onstage Saturday in an auditorium at the Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath. Metallic bells had been tied to Pantulas ankles and jingled each time her feet hit the ground. Jewels adorned the 16-year-olds face as she performed an Indian classical dance called Bharathanatiyam. Pantula, who is a student at the NATYA Dance Academy, was one of many performers at the museums second annual Family Day. This years theme, tied to the museums current exhibition, was "Around the World from 80 Countries." People from more than 10 local organizations performed cultural dances and played musical instruments. Hundreds of people participated in the festivities. Outside the museum, a group of women wearing red and yellow skirts with ruffled floral tops danced to the banda style of music from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The dancers, from the Ballet Folklorico Alma Latina of Corvallis, held their flowing skirts with their fingertips and flapped them as they danced. In front of the women, Antonio Huerta, a Mexican charro, or cowboy, performed rope tricks. He swung a ranching rope around his body and then jumped through it, eliciting applause from the audience. Terri Thomas, the museums membership and events coordinator, said she hopes the performances, and many others held that day, helped museum visitors connect the artifacts they saw in the museum to their local community. How is what we exhibit here in the museum relevant to our county and culture today? Thomas said. It was to show that these cultures are here and contributing to our daily lives in a really rich way. She hopes the days activities deepened community members engagement with one another. Some of the performers were children and Thomas said she wanted children who were visiting the museum to see their peers demonstrating their culture and being proud of it. One of the performing groups was Aloha Hula Northwest, which demonstrated the traditional hula dance and offered lessons on how to dance the hula. The International Ambassadors of Dance performed traditional folk dances from different parts of the world and encouraged the audience to learn the steps. Children from the 4-H Folklorico Mexicana also performed traditional dance, as did the East Dream Chinese Dance Corporation. A Flamenco guitarist from the Corvallis guitar society also performed. The Corvallis Chinese School provided traditional tea for visitors to taste. Students from the Corvallis Waldorf School played Japanese taiko drums. Its really nice to be able to share this with the community, said Chris Highfield, a teacher at the school who was directing the students during the performance. The students are really passionate about it. The eight students who performed ranged in grade level from fifth through ninth. The kids stood two to a drum and used bachi sticks to create booming rhythmic beats. Taiko in general, its such a powerful style of music, said 14-year-old Malia Detar Chung. It makes you feel really grounded, like youre part of the ground and the beat. Its an amazing opportunity to get to play and share it with people. The museum also offered many hands-on activities for kids to do. The Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center brought eating utensils from around the world for kids to try using. They also provided recycled materials for children to use to make their own musical instrument. The day also included a labyrinth walk on a floor cloth and kids were invited to draw their own labyrinths. The Chintimini Spinners taught children to do drop spindle spinning. Representatives from the University of Oregon Natural and Cultural History Museum brought Native American basketry and taught kids to do basket weaving. I hope (visitors) saw things and learned things about the communities and organizations in Benton County that they didnt know before, Thomas said. Families were also encouraged to peruse the museums exhibition, which features almost 200 artifacts from all over the globe, including textiles, pottery, clothing, tools and more. The artifacts were formerly part of the Horner Museum collection at Oregon State University, Thomas said. Much of the Horner collection is in storage in a building behind the museum. Officials hope to display more of it when their downtown Corvallis museum opens, perhaps by the end of next year. I was in Home Depot recently looking for parts to repair a sink. The perfect repair kit was offered, but all of the hard-to-find connectors were missing out of all six of the kits. This is what is wrong with whatever the thief was thinking: First, the corporation already charges a higher price or offers lower quality to compensate for such thefts. It is the customer that suffers, not the corporation. Secondly, your neighbors suffer because they can't get the parts and must jury-rig something to get the sink fixed. Thirdly, the employees are blamed for theft and are not given raises or are terminated. Shrinking manpower : Surge of resignations at Solarworld in Bonn Bonn Since the Bonn head offices announced insolvency proceedings, nearly 60 employees handed in their notice. Now the company is hoping to introduce short-time work. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Employees are running away from Bonn head offices of the solar technology manufacturer Solarworld. As the works council chairman, Peter Finger, announced on Monday, 50 to 60 employees have handed in their notices since the beginning of insolvency proceedings on May 11, 2017. The manpower has shrunk to just 200 employees. To put a halt to that process, the works council has suggested to the insolvency administrator Horst Piepenburg to introduce short-time work. That way the contracts can be kept and the shortfall net wage will be provided by the Federal Employment Agency, explained Finger. Depending on family status, the Federal Employment Agency bears between 60 and 67 per cent of the lost salary. The employer has to continue paying the social security contributions, which are calculated on 80 per cent of the gross salary. A spokesperson for Piepenburg valued the short-time work offer as a sign of remarkable commitment by the Solarworld employees. Piepenburg takes over the insolvency administration fully on August 1. He had announced further leave of absence for more staff since 400 positions have already been cancelled in Bonn as well as in two other production locations in Freiberg and Arnstadt. From Fingers point of view, the leave of absence announcements contradict Piepenburgs plan to keep the company Warm for a future investor. Nobody wants to buy a dead company, he declared. And if Piepenburg finds no investors, the lights will go out at Solarworld. The Bonn headquarters house the distribution offices, marketing, IT, human resources and costumer relations. Our employees have international contacts world wide, you cant just replace them easily if they are all gone, Finger explained. He is expecting more jobs to be axed on an hourly basis. There are approximately 1,000 staff members employed at the Freiberg branch, and 650 in Arnstadt. On August 1, the insolvency payments will run out. The employees will then have to be paid out of the current operations. Hes Australian, around half a centimetre long, fairly nondescript, 300 million years old, and hes currently causing astonishment among both entomologists and palaeontologists. The discovery of a beetle from the late Permian period, when even the dinosaurs had not yet appeared on the scene, is throwing a completely new light on the earliest developments in this group of insects. The reconstruction and interpretation of the characteristics of Ponomarenkia belmonthensis was achieved by Prof. Dr Rolf Beutel and Dr Evgeny V. Yan of Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany). They have published this discovery together with beetle researcher Dr John Lawrence and Australian geologist Dr Robert Beattie in the current issue of the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. It was Beattie who discovered the only two known fossilised specimens of the beetle in former marshland in Belmont, Australia. Beetles, which with nearly 400,000 described species today make up almost one-third of all known organisms, still lived a rather shadowy and cryptic existence in the Permian period, explains Jena zoologist Beutel. The fossils known to date have all belonged to an ancestral beetle lineage, with species preferring narrow spaces under bark of coniferous trees. They exhibit a whole series of primitive characteristics, such as wing cases (elytra) that had not yet become completely hardened or a body surface densely covered with small tubercles. Earliest form of the modern beetle In contrast, the species that has now been discovered, assigned to the newly introduced family Ponomarenkiidae, can be identified as a modern beetle, in spite of its remarkable age. Modern characteristics are the antennae resembling a string of beads, antennal grooves, and the unusually narrow abdomen, tapering to a point. What is more, unlike previously known Permian beetles, the wing cases are completely hardened, the bodys surface is largely smooth, and the thoracic segments responsible for locomotion show modern features, notes insect palaeontologist Yan. In addition, it appears that this little beetle had stopped living under tree bark, the habitat favoured by its contemporaries, and had adopted a much more exposed lifestyle on plants. A significant fact is that, due to its unorthodox combination of ancestral and modern characteristics, this genus does not fit in any of the four suborders of beetles that still exist, which is why Yan and Beutel have given it the nickname Bad Boy. Ponomarenkia belmonthensis shows above all that the first major events of radiation in the evolution of beetles took place before the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, says Rolf Beutel. Beetles as a whole survived this dramatic event, which saw the acidification of the seas and major volcanic eruptions, considerably better than most other groups of organisms, presumably because of their terrestrial life style and hardened exoskeleton. However, the Bad Boy ran out of luck, as there are no more traces of its existence in the Mesozoic era. Name honours eminent palaeontologist The Jena researchers dedicated the genus and family to Moscow palaeontologist Prof. Alexander G. Ponomarenko. He has had a strong influence on beetle palaeontology for decades and supervised Dr Evgeny V. Yans doctorate. Yan obtained his doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences, spent five years as a postdoc at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Nanjing, and since June 2016 he has done research at the Institute of Systematic Zoology and Evolutionary Biology with Phyletic Museum of the University of Jena as a guest researcher funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. It is Yans elaborate reconstructions on the computer that have provided the precise insights into Ponomarenkia belmonthensis. In the first stage, some 40 photographs were taken of the two specimens, which were available as impressions on stone. With this series of photographs an accurate 2D reconstruction was possible, with which we were able to correct for deformations in the original fossil. This allowed us to get closer to the actual beetle, explains Dr Yan. Based on precise drawings and with the help of a special computer program that is also used for animation and computer games, a very informative 3D model was created. The 3D reconstruction also enables us to draw conclusions about the way the beetle moved and lived, the palaeontologist adds. He has developed this method of visualisation, as well as the analytical process in which he also includes hypothetical ancestors of the beetle, since his arrival in Jena. We have already been able to apply this process to three newly discovered ancient beetle species, Prof. Beutel is happy to report. In this way, we have made significant steps towards deciphering the earliest stages in the evolution of an extremely successful genus of animals. Reference: Evgeny Viktorovich Yan, John Francis Lawrence, Robert Beattie, Rolf Georg Beutel. At the dawn of the great rise: Ponomarenkia belmonthensis (Insecta: Coleoptera), a remarkable new Late Permian beetle from the Southern Hemisphere. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2017.1343259 Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena. An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand. In June I had the great fortune to attend my first meeting of the Board of Advisors at Lowell Observatory. This great institution is unique in the astronomy world, as Ive written before, and should be treasured by all who adore the stars. Ive been here, there, and everywhere since, and finally have my feet back on the ground in Wisconsin for more than a few days. This situation allows me to finally share some photos by a fellow board member, Art Storbo, who sent me these nice images a few weeks ago. During part of one day on the Lowell visit I joined a small group including Art and his lovely wife Sharon and Lowell astronomer Gerard van Belle. We headed to Anderson Mesa, some 15 miles southeast of Flagstaff, where Lowell and the U.S. Naval Observatory have facilities. I had been out to Anderson Mesa a couple times before once long ago to observe to see the 1.8-m Perkins Telescope and the 1.1-m John Hall Telescope. The former originally (1931) stood at Perkins Observatory in Delaware, Ohio, and was moved to Arizona for better skies in 1961. Its a joint venture of Lowell, Boston University, and Georgia State University. The Hall Telescope was installed at Anderson Mesa in 1970. Both telescopes have performed incredible, workhorse duty for all manner of astrophysics projects over the years, and are now considered to be elder statesmen. Our main objective stood nearby: the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI). This joint project of the U.S. Naval Observatory, the Naval Research Laboratory, and Lowell represents the kind of cutting-edge instrumentation that will revolutionize astronomy. As such, you should definitely be aware of this facility and whats happening here. Our group was proud to be given a tour of the facility, which is laid out in a triaxial arrangement, by Gerard, as this summer he was announced as Director of NPOI. We were getting a ground tour of the facility from the head man. NPOI is an optical interferometer that uses, splayed out on its tracks, multiple telescopes to create the effect of a single, enormously large instrument. The interferometric technique is analogous to that used by the Very Large Array radio telescope, although this one is of course an optical instrument. NPOI is the largest such facility in the world, employing potential telescope separations of up to 432 meters and is the only one specifically for the challenges of visible light work. By precisely beaming the light from up to six telescopes through long tubes and reassembling them at very high precision, the facility can produce extraordinary image detail from the resulting data. You can read more about NPOI and take an online tour here: http://www2.lowell.edu/rsch/npoi/index.php Enjoy! And many thanks to Art Storbo for the great photos used here. Stephanie Taylor stepped into her role as Carlisle Boroughs first public information coordinator this month. In her first weeks, shes launched the boroughs first official social media accounts, which are bringing residents essential notices as well as stories about how borough officials have been active in the community. Created in the boroughs 2017 budget, the position works with the borough manager, assistant manager, elected officials and department heads to make sure accurate and consistent information is provided to the public. Q. First, tell us a little about your background. A. I grew up right here in Carlisle. All of my family is pretty much right here in central Pennsylvania. My family did move down south for a bit first to Alabama and then to Florida when I was in fifth grade. My parents moved back to Pennsylvania when I graduated high school but I stuck around Florida for four more years and got my degree in communications from the University of Florida. I came back to Pennsylvania for what I thought was just going to be a summer, but I ended up taking a job at CBS 21 in Harrisburg as a production assistant. From there I worked my way up to being the 5 p.m. newscast director. Ive worked for just about all of my professional life in local broadcast news. The last five years before I came to work for the borough, I was directing the news at ABC 27. During that time, I also bought my very first house right here in Carlisle. I got excited when this public information coordinator job opened up. I was looking for a professional change, and this was the perfect opportunity to use all of my communications skills and experiences right in the place where I live and the place I grew up in. Q. The role youve taken on at the borough is a new position. Would you tell us more about it? A. I will be working with the borough managers, department heads and elected officials to make sure information is getting to the public accurately and consistently. I will be keeping borough residents, business owners and community stakeholders updated about news that directly affects them through our website (www.carlislepa.org) and through social media channels. So far we have Facebook (www.facebook.com/carlislepa) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/carlisleborough) started. Since this is a brand new position for Carlisle, there are still a few unknowns, but Im excited for the challenge. Q. Youve already set up social media for the borough. What can we expect to see in those venues? A. Through Facebook and Twitter, residents can expect regular updates on borough business and events. Information about borough council meetings, such as agenda highlights and a meeting recap, will be available. Things that directly affect Carlisles residents, like road work and traffic detours, will be posted on social media. We also want to highlight the good that our borough is doing for the public. For example, police officers from the Carlisle Police Department are taking time out of their days this summer to read to children at the Carlisle YWCA. Chief Taro Landis was the first to read to the kids, and the post on our Facebook page is already the most popular and has received positive feedback. Our social media outlets can also be an additional source for information during emergencies. Residents will still be updated through the traditional channels such as our emergency notification alert system, website and press releases. However, social media, especially Twitter, can also provide citizens with up-to-the-minute information during a crisis. Q. What is your goal for communicating with the residents of the borough? A. The main goal, obviously, is to keep residents inthe-know about things in the borough that directly affect them. We also want to increase transparency with our residents. While they may not attend a borough council meeting, we can get them the highlights so they can stay informed. Another goal, especially with social media, is to have open lines of communications. If residents pose questions on Facebook and Twitter, we can do our best to get them the answer they are looking for. Q. What do you see as the greatest challenge facing a public information coordinator for a borough like Carlisle? A. I think the biggest challenge is keeping residents informed of the important issues that may not be as interesting to them but are very vital to the borough and to them. Infrastructure projects, including work on the sanitary sewer system, the water distribution system and the storm water system are big items on the boroughs agenda. They may not create as much interest as a free concert in one of our parks or road work in your neighborhood, but they are still important and residents deserve to be informed. Article 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. Ex Aviation Minister, Femi Says Latest Photo Showing Buhari, APC Gov.& Party Chairman Is Fake & Old felicilin at 24-07-2017 01:33 PM (5 years ago) (f) Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode says the latest picture showing some APC Governors, party Chairman, John Oyegun and President Muhammadu Buhari, purportedly taken in London, is old and fake. This is contained in snippets of his news article sent to Gistmania on Monday. Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode says the latest picture showing some APC Governors, party Chairman, John Oyegun and President Muhammadu Buhari, purportedly taken in London, isThis is contained in snippets of his news article sent to Gistmania on Monday. He said: He said: Quote I have been reliably informed that the picture was taken in Abuja some time back and not yesterday in London. Quite apart from that, even though the picture was meant to have been taken in London curiously all the drinks on the table are Nigerian products and Nigerian-made. Did the Governors take all those drinks along with them to London when they went to see the President? Is Buhari not coming home soon again? Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo and some government officials told us that he would be back on the 28th of July which is just a few days away. Why the need for the APC Governors to visit him in far away London if he will be back in Nigeria in a few days? Buhari: Photo showing Oyegun, Governors fake, taken in Abuja long ago Fani-Kayode What was the purpose and point of this fake photo-shoot and this strange breakfast meeting? What was the purpose and objective of this monumental fraud and deceit? Whatever the answers may be to these questions the curtain must be brought down on what can only be described as a puerile and nauseating conspiracy. For those who still believe that the meeting actually took place there are some nagging questions that need to be answered. For example why were the Nigerian and foreign media not allowed to cover the proceedings and participate in this celebrated photo-soot and merry London feast? Why did the Villa press corps not take one of their own camera men to London and make a short video of the event? Why was the whole event shrouded in so much secrecy? Why is it that only one picture was taken? Why were more pictures not taken? Why was Buhari not put on audio tape and recorded talking to his guests? Post Reply Posted: at 24-07-2017 01:33 PM (5 years ago) | Hero tegonwa at 24-07-2017 01:39 PM (5 years ago) (m) This Fearless FFK Seems To Be Talking Sense Here.Anyway Let's Wait For 28.I Hope 28 Will Prove Everything.Quite Hopeful And Not Hopeless. Posted: at 24-07-2017 01:39 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac This Fearless FFK Seems To Be Talking Sense Here.Anyway Let's Wait For 28.I Hope 28 Will Prove Everything.Quite Hopeful And Not Hopeless. Reply christianity at 24-07-2017 01:44 PM (5 years ago) (m) their palava,not mine Posted: at 24-07-2017 01:44 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac their palava,not mine Reply pricklong at 24-07-2017 01:46 PM (5 years ago) (m) FKK you speak the truth all the drink in the table are from naija Posted: at 24-07-2017 01:46 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac FKK you speak the truth all the drink in the table are from naija Reply livingstone80 at 24-07-2017 02:32 PM (5 years ago) (m) I love this man, always saying the truth as it is Posted: at 24-07-2017 02:32 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming I love this man, always saying the truth as it is Reply ruthie at 24-07-2017 03:17 PM (5 years ago) (f) THIS FFK SHOULD MIND HIS BIZ.... Posted: at 24-07-2017 03:17 PM (5 years ago) | Hero THIS FFK SHOULD MIND HIS BIZ.... Reply benosky4 at 24-07-2017 03:33 PM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: ruthie on 24-07-2017 03:17 PM THIS FFK SHOULD MIND HIS BIZ.... Is like ur brain does not control ur fingers. Smbdy is shedding light for us but u prefer darkness. #MyVerdict. Posted: at 24-07-2017 03:33 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Is like ur brain does not control ur fingers.Smbdy is shedding light for us but u prefer darkness. Reply james987 at 24-07-2017 03:42 PM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: pricklong on 24-07-2017 01:46 PM FKK you speak the truth all the drink in the table are from naija TQ Posted: at 24-07-2017 03:42 PM (5 years ago) | Hero TQ Reply Bebold at 24-07-2017 04:55 PM (5 years ago) (m) I hope people with brain will understand this truth Posted: at 24-07-2017 04:55 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac I hope people with brain will understand this truth Reply Patrioti at 24-07-2017 05:38 PM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: christianity on 24-07-2017 01:44 PM their palava,not mine You must be one of those Liberia / Nigeria mixed blood born by Fulani ECOMOG soldier during the Liberia civil war. If not, it should have concern you that your President is incommunicado and medically unfit in far away London for months and the country is been run by illiterate cabals. If for instance Nigeria is under attack by enemy country as the President and C in C of the Arm Forces is not around, who will give orders? Posted: at 24-07-2017 05:38 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming You must be one of those Liberia / Nigeria mixed blood born by Fulani ECOMOG soldier during the Liberia civil war. If not, it should have concern you that your President is incommunicado and medically unfit in far away London for months and the country is been run by illiterate cabals. If for instance Nigeria is under attack by enemy country as the President and C in C of the Arm Forces is not around, who will give orders? Reply gogoman at 24-07-2017 10:27 PM (5 years ago) (m) this guy dey mad!!! that picture is as real as SUN Posted: at 24-07-2017 10:27 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero this guy dey mad!!! that picture is as real as SUN Reply dareper at 24-07-2017 11:05 PM (5 years ago) (m) thank u ffk. Posted: at 24-07-2017 11:05 PM (5 years ago) | Hero thank u ffk. Reply christianity at 25-07-2017 12:20 AM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: Patrioti on 24-07-2017 05:38 PM You must be one of those Liberia / Nigeria mixed blood born by Fulani ECOMOG soldier during the Liberia civil war. If not, it should have concern you that your President is incommunicado and medically unfit in far away London for months and the country is been run by illiterate cabals. If for instance Nigeria is under attack by enemy country as the President and C in C of the Arm Forces is not around, who will give orders? Newbie seeking for cheap attention, I won't give u that.by the way, do u know where I live for me to care where ur so called President is?? Posted: at 25-07-2017 12:20 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Newbie seeking for cheap attention, I won't give u that.by the way, do u know where I live for me to care where ur so called President is?? Reply kacylee at 24-07-2017 07:55 PM (5 years ago) (f) Four former Lloyds employees were among seven people jailed for 38 years for raiding bank accounts of wealthy clients to fund their luxury lifestyles. Four former Lloyds employees were among seven people jailed for 38 years for raiding bank accounts of wealthy clients to fund their luxury lifestyles. Bank workers Courtney Ayinbode, 29, Tajinder Galsinh, 35, Molly Jones, 24, and Benjamin Omoregie, 26, were all involved in the 'high-level and sophisticated' scam that took place between 2012 and 2013. The four insiders scoured the computer system for rarely-accessed accounts holding large sums of money before passing the details to the criminal gang. They also ordered new bank cards so impostors could pose as the customers and set up transfers of hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time. The money was then laundered through a series of bogus companies before being moved offshore to prevent it being recovered. Courtney Ayinbode, 29, and Molly Jones, 24, were all involved in the 'high-level and sophisticated' scam that took place between 2012 and 2013 One victim lost more than 750,000 after a unknown man used a fake driving licence in his name to set up two transfers over three days. Another customer with 3 million in the bank only avoided becoming a victim when another member of staff became suspicious and rang him up to check. The money was handled by 'bespoke money launderer' Eddie Lakes, 41, and his henchman Kushveer Raulia, 25, through a complicated network of fake companies and accounts with the help of Parvez Hussain, 50. Kushveer Raulia, 25, (pictured) is said to have operated a network of bogus companies to launder the proceeds while Parvez Hussain, 50, allegedly laundered some of the cash Parvez Hussain, 50, (pictured) allegedly laundered some of the cash during the scam Bank workers Courtney Ayinbode, 29, Tajinder Galsinh, 35, Molly Jones, 24, and Benjamin Omoregie, 26, were all involved in the 'high-level and sophisticated' scam that took place between 2012 and 2013.The four insiders scoured the computer system for rarely-accessed accounts holding large sums of money before passing the details to the criminal gang.They also ordered new bank cards so impostors could pose as the customers and set up transfers of hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time.The money was then laundered through a series of bogus companies before being moved offshore to prevent it being recovered.One victim lost more than 750,000 after a unknown man used a fake driving licence in his name to set up two transfers over three days.Another customer with 3 million in the bank only avoided becoming a victim when another member of staff became suspicious and rang him up to check.The money was handled by 'bespoke money launderer' Eddie Lakes, 41, and his henchman Kushveer Raulia, 25, through a complicated network of fake companies and accounts with the help of Parvez Hussain, 50. Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 24-07-2017 07:55 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero Olumba Olumba Gives Stern Warning To Nnamdi Kanu And Biafra Agitators bayonel3 at 25-07-2017 10:04 AM (5 years ago) (m) The spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu has cautioned Nnamdi Kanu and all those behind the agitation for Biafra nation to desist from it as such will never happen. The spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu has cautioned Nnamdi Kanu and all those behind the agitation for Biafra nation to desist from it as such will never happen. The spiritual leader said this while addressing a congregation of adherents and guests at the Church headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Sunday, the Clergyman disclosed that the agitators were after their own pockets. He said the agitators should rather emphasise on unity, love and forgiveness for one another in the country. How many of those agitating for secession actually witnessed the last Biafra war? Or are they looking for another war? Do they think Nigeria will fold its arms and watch them? They can go ahead with the referendum. Anybody who wants to go with them can so. They should stop this Biafra thing because it will never work he emphasised. The spiritual leader used the opportunity to again assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will not die but will return to the country with good health to complete his tenure. President Buhari is executing an assignment saddled him with by God, adding that those unhappy with his efforts at combating corruption and exposing those that have misappropriated state resources are those bent at seeing his end. God will not allow them to end the life of the president. The president is on special assignment by God. Until he finishes it, he will not die. He will return to the country with good health, he declared. The spiritual leader said this while addressing a congregation of adherents and guests at the Church headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Sunday, the Clergyman disclosed that the agitators were after their own pockets. He said the agitators should rather emphasise on unity, love and forgiveness for one another in the country. he emphasised.The spiritual leader used the opportunity to again assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will not die but will return to the country with good health to complete his tenure.adding that those unhappy with his efforts at combating corruption and exposing those that have misappropriated state resources are those bent at seeing his end.he declared. Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. [email protected] Posted: at 25-07-2017 10:04 AM (5 years ago) | Hero Patrioti at 25-07-2017 10:23 AM (5 years ago) (m) This OOO have become a paid agent by the FG. So because Biafra fought for their rights and lost the war and the same injustice persists; they won't seek for freedom again? Nobody is afraid of war, so if they exhaust all avenues of peaceful referendum, the last resort may be war because Freedom is not given...it is taken. USA fought World War 1 with their allied forces against Germany but didn't succeed to become a Global Superpower they seriously desire until another World War 2 which reshaping the world political system and lunch USA as the greatest super power. During the WW2, more than 60 million people lost their lives and properties destroyed. That was the sacrifice USA and Europe paid to achieve stability, peace, democracy and development, etc. Therefore, if Biafrans no longer care about their assets in Abuja and other parts of the country, and want to secede, it means they have pushed beyond the limit by the Hausa / Fulani oligarchy. Posted: at 25-07-2017 10:23 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming This OOO have become a paid agent by the FG. So because Biafra fought for their rights and lost the war and the same injustice persists; they won't seek for freedom again? Nobody is afraid of war, so if they exhaust all avenues of peaceful referendum, the last resort may be war because Freedom is not given...it is taken. USA fought World War 1 with their allied forces against Germany but didn't succeed to become a Global Superpower they seriously desire until another World War 2 which reshaping the world political system and lunch USA as the greatest super power. During the WW2, more than 60 million people lost their lives and properties destroyed. That was the sacrifice USA and Europe paid to achieve stability, peace, democracy and development, etc.Therefore, if Biafrans no longer care about their assets in Abuja and other parts of the country, and want to secede, it means they have pushed beyond the limit by the Hausa / Fulani oligarchy. Reply benosky4 at 25-07-2017 10:27 AM (5 years ago) (m) Politically speaking #MyVerdict. Posted: at 25-07-2017 10:27 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Politically speaking Reply tegonwa at 25-07-2017 11:28 AM (5 years ago) (m) In fact I will by this Olumba a carton of fine wine.He spoke the bitter truth.Seeking Biafra is a venture that might not yield any positive result.It may be quite hopeless at last.Fruitlessly hopeless. Posted: at 25-07-2017 11:28 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac In fact I will by this Olumba a carton of fine wine.He spoke the bitter truth.Seeking Biafra is a venture that might not yield any positive result.It may be quite hopeless at last.Fruitlessly hopeless. Reply freethinker at 25-07-2017 11:52 AM (5 years ago) (m) I WILL RATHER LISTEN TO NATIVE DOCTORS BABA ALAWO THAN TO LISTEN TO THIS OCCULTIST.... HE IS SEEKING FOR ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN............. Posted: at 25-07-2017 11:52 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac I WILL RATHER LISTEN TO NATIVE DOCTORS BABA ALAWO THAN TO LISTEN TO THIS OCCULTIST....HE IS SEEKING FOR ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN............. Reply ruthie at 25-07-2017 11:58 AM (5 years ago) (f) TELL THEM Quote from: tegonwa on 25-07-2017 11:28 AM In fact I will by this Olumba a carton of fine wine.He spoke the bitter truth.Seeking Biafra is a venture that might not yield any positive result.It may be quite hopeless at last.Fruitlessly hopeless. Posted: at 25-07-2017 11:58 AM (5 years ago) | Hero TELL THEM Reply ruthie at 25-07-2017 11:59 AM (5 years ago) (f) I DONT CARE FOR THIS MAN REALLY BUT HE IS SPEAKING THE TRUTH..THOSE BLINDED PEOPLE WONT SEE THAT Posted: at 25-07-2017 11:59 AM (5 years ago) | Hero I DONT CARE FOR THIS MAN REALLY BUT HE IS SPEAKING THE TRUTH..THOSE BLINDED PEOPLE WONT SEE THAT Reply CHRISETTE at 25-07-2017 04:31 PM (5 years ago) (f) Where that one comot from? Posted: at 25-07-2017 04:31 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Where that one comot from? Reply tegonwa at 25-07-2017 05:40 PM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: ruthie on 25-07-2017 11:59 AM I DONT CARE FOR THIS MAN REALLY BUT HE IS SPEAKING THE TRUTH..THOSE BLINDED PEOPLE WONT SEE THAT Don't Mind Them.They Did Not Fight The Biafran War. Posted: at 25-07-2017 05:40 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Don't Mind Them.They Did Not Fight The Biafran War. Reply A Maryland man faces aggravated assault charges after an incident at a hotel in Fairview Township Sunday. David A. Tyer II, 35, of Brandywine, Maryland, was charged with aggravated assault, public drunkenness, two counts of terroristic threats and three counts of simple assault after the incident at 2:04 a.m. Sunday off Commerce Drive. Police said Tyer had gotten into an argument with a man at the hotel. Tyer pulled out a knife and held it to the mans face, cutting him, according to police. The victim was able to get away and called police. Tyer remains in York County Prison on $50,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 23. The residents of Nkumba Central, Wakiso District of Uganda were left in a state of shock on Monday after the body of a hairdresser identified as Rose Nakimuli, 27 was found n*ked and a stick inserted in her private part. She was found dumbed at a banana plantation. According to Reporters, this comes barely three days after a 17- year-old girl, Norah Wayana was discovered killed in the same manner and body dumped in a banana plantation near her parents home in the same area. Mr Anatori Ndyabajeera, the deceaseds husband said he last saw his wife on Sunday evening. Quote I was with my wife on Sunday at 5pm, after which I left for my home in Kawafu zone. Later, I called her phone at 7pm to check on her and we chatted for some good minutes, he said. However, this morning I tried to call her but she wasnt answering her phone and I was saddened to hear that she had been found dead. Mr Emmanuel Kibirige, the Kitala youth chairman called on residents to work together and ensure that this new kind of terrorism stops in the area.Nakimuli has become the fifth woman to lose her life in the seemingly increasing serial murders in the area.Entebbe District Police Commander Godfrey Ninsiima told journalists at the scene that so far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the murders.He said a 10pm curfew has been imposed in Entebbe Town and the neighboring Katabi Town Council as a measure to curb the ongoing murders. Quote We already have suspects in custody. Some are already in Kigo Prison. Its an organized group with ill intentions targeting women, he said.Kampala Metropolitan South Regional Police Commander ACP Siraje Bakaleke called on women to avoid moving alone at night and warned that bars that would be found operating beyond 10pm would be closed. Quote We are not going to sleep. We have started making operations in Entebbe and have introduced bylaws to curb the increasing murders, he said. clarajancita at 25-07-2017 11:19 AM (5 years ago) (f) Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and video artist based in liminal spaces. Her debut autobiographical novel, FRESHWATER, is forthcoming from Grove Atlantic in February 2018 and her short story Who Is Like God won the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and video artist based in liminal spaces. Her debut autobiographical novel, FRESHWATER, is forthcoming from Grove Atlantic in February 2018 and her short storywon the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. She recently made a cameo in the music video for Jay-Zs title track 4:44, directed by Arthur Jafa. Kanyinulia.com presents you with quick facts about her. 1. Born in Umuahia and raised in Aba, Nigeria, Awake holds two degrees, including an MPA from New York University. 2. In 2017, she was awarded a Global Arts Fund grant for the video art in her project The Unblinding, and a Sozopol Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction. She recently made a cameo in the music video for Jay-Zs title track 4:44, directed by Arthur Jafa. Kanyinulia.com presents you with quick facts about her.1. Born in Umuahia and raised in Aba, Nigeria, Awake holds two degrees, including an MPA from New York University.2. In 2017, she was awarded a Global Arts Fund grant for the video art in her project The Unblinding, and a Sozopol Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction. Quote my short story 'who is like god' is now up on @granta_magazine! this is a dope moment for me because i midkey always wanted my work published there + it was just extra nice to have it get in as the winner of the 2017 commonwealth short story prize for africa. click the link in my bio to see a short video in which i talk about divinity + deviance, as well as to finally read the full story. portrait by the amazing eloghosa osunde (@theforgetterseye) 3. She received a 2015 Morland Writing Scholarship to write her second novel, and is a 2016 Kimbilio Fellow. Akwaekes writing has been published by Granta Online and Commonwealth Writers, among others, and her cultural commentary has appeared on Vogue 4. Her memoir work was selected and edited by Chimamanda Adichie (Sometimes The Fire Is Not Fire) and included in The Faders Best Culture Writing of 2015 (Who Will Claim You?) 5. Her experimental short UDUDEAGU won the Audience Award for Best Short Experimental at the 2014 BlackStar Film Festival and has screened in over thirteen countries. 3. She received a 2015 Morland Writing Scholarship to write her second novel, and is a 2016 Kimbilio Fellow. Akwaekes writing has been published by Granta Online and Commonwealth Writers, among others, and her cultural commentary has appeared on Vogue4. Her memoir work was selected and edited by Chimamanda Adichie (Sometimes The Fire Is Not Fire) and included in The Faders Best Culture Writing of 2015 (Who Will Claim You?)5. Her experimental short UDUDEAGU won the Audience Award for Best Short Experimental at the 2014 BlackStar Film Festival and has screened in over thirteen countries. Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 25-07-2017 11:19 AM (5 years ago) | Hero Overall, dont let the bhoot mislead you, nothing bhootiya about this story. Had the makers tried to push the envelope, the idea could have been outstanding for a bhootiya comedy. HARRISBURG The news isnt all bad at the Capitol. A budget is in place, programs are being funded, bills are being paid, said House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin. The budget is almost done, which, of course, means its not. Everyone has agreed to spend just under $32 billion. Miskin says the state can reasonably assume $31.3 billion in revenues. That leaves $700 million in red ink. Combine that with the $1.5 billion deficit in 2016-17, and it means a $2.2 billion hole to fill. It appears leaders will agree to borrow $1.5 billion against the roughly $300 million a year Pennsylvania gets from a tobacco settlement. Republicans call the borrowing securitization, and they say its the least bad of their revenue options. If you dont do securitization, youre doing a personal income tax increase which nobody wants to do, said Sen. Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, so thats off the table. Corman says an extraction tax on gas drillers is also off the table, but he concedes that lawmakers are looking at taxing natural gas users. Right now, we pay a gross receipts tax on electricity, so if you heat your home with electricity, youre paying that tax, Corman said. If you heat your home with natural gas, youre not paying that tax, so there is a question of fairness. House Republicans are eyeing numerous pots of money sprinkled throughout state government including the $250 million horse racing development fund. There are no sacred cows, Miskin said. Our job is not to go back and tax Pennsylvanians. Thats the easy answer. Its a tough vote, but its a very easy answer. The tough decisions are emptying the cupboards before we go to those taxes. Finding the funding to finish the job is exactly where the legislature was 10 days ago. Its like a soap opera, Corman said with a chuckle. You miss a whole lot and catch up in an hour. But the $700 million must come from somewhere, and not everyone will be amused when the final deal is done. Theres a variety of ways to doing that, Corman said. Obviously, none of them are pretty, but we passed a spending plan. We need to pay for it. Thats the responsible thing to do. The Senate was not in session Tuesday, but Corman said hes optimistic his chamber can pass a revenue package by the end of the week. Iraqi Forces Control Mosul, Fighting Continues in Raqqa By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 24, 2017 Iraqi forces now control all parts of Mosul, Iraq, while tough fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria continues in Raqqa, Syria, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters here today. Since the height of ISIS's power in 2014, the coalition has retaken more than 70 percent of formerly ISIS-controlled territory in Iraq and 50 percent in Syria, he said, and the coalition fighting ISIS continues to grow. "There are now 73 partners in that coalition, which is 69 countries plus the European Union, NATO, the Arab League and Interpol," the International Police Organization, he said, noting that coalition partners in Iraq and Syria have retaken more than 44,400 square miles of territory, and freed 5 million people from ISIS control. Iraq Operations In an update of operations beginning with Iraq, Davis said that Iraqi forces continue to conduct detailed clearance operations of rebel caves and tunnel systems in Mosul's old city, looking for any remaining ISIS fighters and seeking to identify explosive devices that could threaten friendly forces or civilians. The old city is the focus of cleanup operations, he said, and the Iraqi army, the Emergency Response Division forces, the Counter Terrorism Service and federal police are holding sectors in Mosul until the holding force takes over security. "There's been only one coalition strike in Mosul in the last week and a single-digit number of direct-fire engagements in Mosul in the last week. These are indicators of the improved security and stability situation there," Davis said. Before the single strike over the past week, the last time the coalition made no strikes on Mosul was Sept. 15, he added. The coalition has conducted multiple strikes in Tal Afar this week against supply caches, vehicle-borne bomb factories and command-and-control locations, Davis said. "[Iraq's] forces will decide when it's best to begin the offensive operations to defeat ISIS in Tal Afar, and when [they are] ready, the coalition will be there to support," he said. Syria Operations Davis said that today is the 50th day of operations to defeat ISIS in Raqqa and about 40 percent of the city is now under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and yesterday the SDF liberated about 2 square miles of terrain in and around Raqqa as they fought off stiff resistance along three axes. On the city's western axis, he added, the SDF gained ground along a corridor south of the main supply route despite heavy ISIS resistance with small arms, machine-gun fire and homemade bombs. "On the eastern axis, the SDF made incremental gains and repelled ISIS counterattacks, and incorporated indirect fires and vehicle-borne [improvised explosive devices], Davis said. "On the southern axis south of the Euphrates River the SDF cleared about 1.5 square miles, despite ISIS counterattacks from area villages." He also said the east-west deconfliction line south of the Euphrates is holding, referring to the boundary established through the Russian channel to deconflict the advance of regime forces. "Regime forces further to the south are moving ... in the direction of Dar Azar," Davis said, "and this deconfliction mechanism has worked effectively to ensure that there are no skirmishes between SDF fighters and regime fighters as the regime moves further downriver." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as 14th President of India Published: July 25, 2017 Ram Nath Kovind (71) sworn in as the 14th President of India. He was administered oath to the office by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar in Parliaments Central Hall. With this, he became the second Dalit President of India after late President K.R. Narayanan. He is also the first person from Uttar Pradesh to hold the office of President since Independence. Ram Nath Kovind Mr Kovind was born on 1st October 1945 in Paraukh village in the Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh. He had completed graduation in law from a Kanpur college. Before starting his career as a lawyer, he cleared the civil services examination but did not join as he was selected for an allied. He had joined the BJP in 1991. He was President of the BJP Dalit Morcha between 1998 and 2002. He also served as Member of Rajya Sabha from 1994 to 2006. Prior to getting elected as President, Mr. Kovind had served as the 35th Governor of Bihar. President of India President of India is top constitutional post as he is head of the Indian state, first citizen of India and supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. He is elected indirectly for a term of 5 years by an electoral college consisting of elected members of parliament (MPs from Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha) and elected members of State legislative members, including that if NCT of Delhi and Pondicherry. He is eligible to re-elect for the same office for unlimited times. Oath or affirmation by the President According to Article 60 of the Constitution of India, every President and every person acting as President or discharging the functions of the President before entering upon office shall make and subscribe oath to the office. The oath inter alia includes the oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution . In this sense, President takes oath as guardian of Indian Constitution . The oath is administered by Chief Justice of India or in his absence by the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court available. Month: Current Affairs - July, 2017 Category: Awards, Persons & Places in News Topics: appointments Article 60 Persons in News President of India Ram Nath Kovind Latest E-Books Army Soldiers prove their mettle, readiness in Australian exercise By SGT Frank Strumila July 24, 2017 QUEENSLAND, Australia -- Australia is not for the faint of heart. Scorpions, snakes, and spiders lurk in the Australian Outback; treacherous terrain crisscrosses the northeastern countryside; extreme temperature shifts can swelter during the day and chill to the bone at night. These challenges did not deter the Soldiers of the United States Army's 25th Infantry Division as they trained alongside their Australian counterparts during Talisman Saber 17. Talisman Saber is a multinational, multi-echelon exercise held in Australia every other year. This year, 33,000 troops from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan trained alongside Americans from all military branches. As part of Talisman Saber, the Australian Defence Force's 3rd Brigade conducted a certification field training exercise called Operation Hamel. The Soldiers associated with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Alaska, Hawaii, and around the Pacific, supported 3rd Brigade's certification as a subordinate maneuver force. For the Tropic Lightning Soldiers from Alaska, Talisman Saber 17 also represented the first stop in a set of three exercises supported by Pacific Pathways, a U.S. Army Pacific initiative of exercises that take place annually around the Asian Pacific region. After completing Talisman Saber 17, the Task Force will travel next to the Hanuman Guardian exercise in Thailand and then to Orient Shield in Japan to build both readiness and interoperability with multinational partners. Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team formed the nucleus of the American Army operations in the field training exercise portion of Talisman Saber 17. Fighting alongside the 3rd Battalion Soldiers during the field training exercise was the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, and the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. For the Tropic Lightning Soldiers, Talisman Saber 17 kicked off with a 19-hour direct flight for a task force of paratroopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division and a company from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on July 13th. The paratroopers conducted a forced entry parachute assault from six Royal Australian Air Force and United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planes into the rugged terrain near Williamson Airfield in central Queensland to secure the airfield and establish a strategic blocking position on the battlefield. Once in place, the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division then executed a prearranged hand-over to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment task force and Australian soldiers of 3rd Brigade. "We started in Fort Richardson, Alaska, as a joint force that consisted of U.S. troops as well as our Canadian counterparts from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. As we look at the operation and really the bigger picture for the operation here within the Pacific area of responsibility is assuring our allies and assuring our partners here and then deterring our adversaries," said Col. Jeffery Crapo, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. "That's really why we conduct an airborne operation clear from Alaska all the way into Australia." After the parachute assault, the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment and its supporting units conducted decisive action operations in support of the Australian 3rd Brigade. Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, conducted a tactical foot march while Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, boarded helicopters for an air assault. Both companies had similar objectives: to establish battle positions to block main avenues of approach enemy forces could use to attack the Australian 3rd Brigade. After several days of the infantry task force gaining and maintaining contact with the elusive "enemy," the American task force participated in the final assault on the enemy's last-ditch positions on Sam Hill and Raspberry Creek on July 20th. The Soldiers who participated in Talisman Saber 17 received incredible small unit training, new field craft skills, and an enhanced ability to work with allied militaries in an unfamiliar environment. Interoperability was one of the key training objectives of the exercise. Soldiers of 3rd Battalion conducted tactical operations in Australia's Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) and with New Zealand's Lorries. During an air assault mission, a task force of helicopters from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand delivered the Tropic Lighting Soldiers to the landing zone. The air assault was the epitome of integration with allied partner battle networks, strengthening allied partner capabilities with international forces for true warfighting interoperable challenges that may arise in operational environments. Talisman Saber 17 provided the Alaskan and Hawaiian Soldiers an invaluable opportunity to conduct combined, joint, and interagency operations in a new and tough environment. As the first leg of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat team's Pacific Pathways, Talisman Saber 17 laid the groundwork for the rest of the deployment. The exercise gave the Tropic Lightning Soldiers confidence that they could travel anywhere in the Pacific region, integrate with their foreign counterparts, and conduct effective operations in an unfamiliar location -- proving they are ready to fight and win at any time on any battlefield. "Talisman Saber is an excellent builder of readiness, both multinational readiness and unilateral readiness within the United States Army. Being able to train with our allies and partners brings about a level of readiness that is not achievable anywhere else," according to Lt. Col. Josh Davis, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment. "We get the opportunity in the States to train in the deserts of California, the woodlands of Louisiana, and the mountainous and freezing Arctic conditions of Alaska, but being able to train somewhere you're not accustomed to, brings a level of readiness and confidence that the Soldiers would just not get anywhere else," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York Army National Guard engineer training helps Fort Drum By Sgt. Harley Jelis, 138th Public Affairs Detachment, New York Army National Guard July 24, 2017 FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Nearly 300 Soldiers from the Binghamton, N.Y. based 204th Engineer Battalion used their summer annual training to prepare for overseas deployments and domestic operations while building lasting projects across three ranges and four construction sites in Fort Drum, N.Y. in July, 2017. "Not only are we training to deploy but we're also doing real world construction tasks to assist both in improving our job proficiency, as well as getting some tasks accomplished for Fort Drum that they just don't have the resources to do," said Maj. Bryan Reed, the executive officer for the 204th Engineer Battalion. The 204th Engineer Battalion is comprised of six subordinate units that all specialize in different areas of engineering. This diversity enables the battalion to tackle a wide range of missions, including tasks relevant for both domestic and deployed combat operations missions. "Our engineers run a full gamut; we do everything from route clearance, finding IEDs and getting rid of them, to building a shed and everything in between," Reed said. This year's annual training provided the opportunity for the battalion to work together with active duty units from Fort Drum, including military police and field artillery. "This weekend we'll be working with the military police for a combined arms exercise," said Reed. "It's really the first time we've combined at this level so that we can come together and generate some effective training for the both of us." Every year a unit's annual training allows its Soldiers to refresh their technical skills while giving newer Soldiers a chance to apply what they learned in to school to real life. These tasks, like the two storage sheds that Sgt. Javier Mercado, a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 1156th Engineer Company, built for use on Ft. Drum, gave him experience on everything from design work and project management to carpentry. "Every year we progress in our training; our skill levels increase because every time we come to annual training there are projects for us to do," Mercado said. "We are getting better at what we do, it feels really good to come out and practice our jobs." The battalion's construction projects can have applications for deployed environments as well, such as the unit's work on repairing Fort Drum's Forward Landing Strip (FLS). The strip, which is the only one in the northeast, simulates a forward airfield that would be created in a deployed combat environment that brings in supplies from cargo planes. "We're here to resurface the Belvedere FLS, and this is very important because the next closest FLS is in South Carolina," said 1 Lt. Kevin Valenti, a platoon leader with the 152nd Engineer Support Company, 204th Engineer Battalion. "We're repaving and making a bypass road so vehicles don't need to cut across it and damage the surface." This year the battalion has also been able to focus on realistic training and meeting the need for security in a deployed environment. "We've really pushed to bring everything together tactically," said Valenti. "Now we're trying to come out before we even start the construction; we're setting work-site security, all of this is going to be the same stuff we'd be doing while deployed." The Soldiers of the 827th Heavy Engineer Company have been able to focus on the tasks they would be expected to do in a deployed environment. They've been building fighting emplacements for everything from individual positions to artillery batteries to defilades meant to hide tanks. According to 1st Lt. Stephen Hetman, a platoon leader with the 827th Heavy Engineer Company out of Walden and Horseheads, N.Y., this training has been invaluable for the Soldiers, allowing them to practice on tasks and with units they couldn't back at their home stations. "It's a phenomenal work experience," said Hetman about working with the field artillery. "There's a lot of learning behind it, but it's not something they were able to do before." The focus on training for both domestic and international operations is what is tying all of the 204th Engineer Battalion's tasks together. Getting the job done, doing it well and giving each Soldier the opportunity to say, "yeah, we built that," makes it all worthwhile, said Maj. Bryan Reed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) Completes Final Contract Trials Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170724-12 Release Date: 7/24/2017 10:23:00 AM From Team Ships Public Affairs SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) returned to Naval Base San Diego, July 21, after successfully completing Final Contract Trials (FCT). The USS John P. Murtha was commissioned in October 2016 in Philadelphia and arrived at her San Diego homeport in November 2016 to commence her Post Delivery Test & Trials period. The Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey conducts FCT as a final in-depth examination of a newly constructed ship to ensure it meets Navy standards and requirements. "USS John P. Murtha and her crew have proven with every test that she is capable and ready for deployment," said Capt. Brian Metcalf, LPD 17 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "LPD 26 is the 10th ship in the San Antonio class to join the fleet. With this ship, the U.S. Navy gains another versatile platform that will be utilized in a variety of missions." The FCT tests and trials were demonstrated over a five-day period and consisted of both in-port and at-sea evaluations. During the at-sea phase, the crew demonstrated full power runs, self-defense detect-to-engage exercises, evaluations of key combat and communications systems, rapid ballast/de-ballast operations, steering checks, and anchor handling demonstrations to certify the readiness of all systems for operational tasking. LPD 17 class amphibious transport dock ships transport and deploy the necessary combat and support elements of Marine expeditionary units and brigades. The ship will carry troops and have the capability to transport and debark air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (MV-22). These ships will support amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century. Two additional San Antonio-class ships, Portland (LPD 27) and Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), are currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Navy awarded a contract to HII for long lead time material and advance procurement in support of LPD 29 in June 2017. As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address America ARG, 15th MEU Enter 7th Fleet Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170724-10 Release Date: 7/24/2017 10:10:00 AM From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, July 23, after concluding operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. While in 7th Fleet, the America ARG/15th MEU will participate in bilateral training exercises and conduct operations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The series of scheduled bilateral engagements is meant to strengthen interoperability with allies and partners in order to enhance regional security and stability. "Our blue-green team is a highly lethal, mobile, and ready force and we are looking forward to the opportunities that are in front of us," said Capt. Rome Ruiz, commander, Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 3. "Our time in 7th Fleet will allow us to work with different partner nations, experience their rich cultures, and demonstrate our commitment to contributing to regional stability." Following their departure from their homeport of San Diego, the ARG/MEU conducted training in Hawaii, which allowed Sailors and Marines to sustain some of the skills they developed during a comprehensive six-month pre-deployment training cycle. "What makes this naval, expeditionary force so unique is our ability to operate simultaneously on the sea, ashore, and in the air, and to move seamlessly between those domains. That is the value of amphibious forces," said Col. Joseph Clearfield, the 15th MEU commanding officer. "This Navy/Marine Corps team prides itself on the expeditionary capabilities we bring to the 7th Fleet as a ready and responsive force." The America ARG/15th MEU will provide senior U.S. military leadership and coalition partners with a flexible force which can rapidly respond to contingencies and crises within a region. With ships, aircraft, troops, and logistical equipment, the ARG/MEU is a self-contained and self-sustained task force, capable of conducting everything from combat operations to humanitarian assistance. The America ARG, commanded by CPR 3, consists of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22), and the amphibious dock-landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52). They will operate with embarked forces of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), the "Wildcards" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, and detachments from Assault Craft Unit 5, Naval Beach Group 1, Beachmaster Unit 1, Fleet Surgical Team 1 and Tactical Air Control Squadron 11. The 15th MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force comprised of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; an aviation combat element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced); and a combat logistics element, Combat Logistics Battalion 15. The 7th Fleet's area of operation spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Pearl Harbor Departs Hawaii, Continues Deployment with America ARG Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170724-08 Release Date: 7/24/2017 10:08:00 AM By MC3 Tarra Samoluk, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) departed Hawaii after a scheduled port visit, July 22. The ship's departure from her namesake location followed a brief port visit, which marked the first time Pearl Harbor has visited Hawaii since completing Pacific Partnership in 2013. The visit held a special significance for the Sailors and Marines aboard, as she is named for the historic events that took place in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, resulting in the United States' entrance into WWII. "The crew got the opportunity to get out, experience a bit of Hawaii, and see some humbling historical sites," said Command Master Chief Thane Douglass, Pearl Harbor's command master chief. "We were able to provide a tour for some of our hardest charging Sailors, where a few of them had the opportunity to reenlist at the USS Arizona memorial." The tour was a two-hour remembrance tour, which consisted of a harbor cruise and, most notably, a tour of the USS Arizona memorial. "My favorite thing about being in Hawaii was getting to visit the USS Arizona memorial," said Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Tiana Street, a native of Richmond, Virginia, assigned to the administrative department aboard Pearl Harbor. "I was able to reenlist at the memorial, which was an incredible experience. I don't think many Sailors get the opportunity to reenlist at a place where so much history took place and where their ship is named after." Pearl Harbor will continue on her scheduled deployment as a part of the America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). Pearl Harbor is currently deployed as part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, commanded by Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 3. The ARG also consists of the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) and the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). They are operating with embarked forces of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), the "Wildcards" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, and detachments from Assault Craft Unit 5, Naval Beach Group 1, Beachmaster Unit 1, Fleet Surgical Team 1 and Tactical Air Control Squadron 11. The America ARG/15th MEU will provide senior U.S. military leadership and coalition partners with a flexible force which can rapidly respond to contingencies and crises within a region. With ships, aircraft, troops, and logistical equipment, the ARG/MEU is a self-contained and self-sustained task force capable of conducting everything from combat operations to humanitarian assistance. The America ARG is part of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 and U.S. 3rd Fleet. Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dewey Visits Pearl Harbor Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170724-03 Release Date: 7/24/2017 8:25:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kryzentia Weiermann, Commander, Third Fleet Public Affairs JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (NNS) -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the final port visit in their Western Pacific deployment, July 21. Dewey and embarked Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 78, along with USS Sterett (DDG 104) and embarked HSM 49, deployed as part of the Sterett-Dewey Surface Action Group (SAG) and departed San Diego for the Western Pacific, March 31. Under the operational control of U.S. 3rd Fleet, Dewey conducted routine patrols, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation activities with allies and partners to enhance regional security and stability throughout their deployment. Dewey participated in several multilateral exercises with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and joint exercises with the U.S. Air Force. "I am extremely proud of our Sailors for their hard work and dedication to the mission throughout deployment," said Cmdr. Anthony Webber, Dewey commanding officer. "We are all excited to visit Hawaii once again and to welcome our friends and family aboard for Tiger Cruise." While in Hawaii, the ship will be embarking riders for a tiger cruise. Tiger cruises provide family members and friends of the crew the opportunity to stay aboard the ship to experience the daily operations of a surface naval vessel. As established during the three-ship Pacific Surface Action Group deployment in 2016, Sterett-Dewey SAG remained under U.S. 3rd Fleet control, including beyond the international dateline which previously divided operational areas of responsibility for 3rd and 7th Fleets. Third Fleet operating forward offers additional options to the Pacific Fleet commander by leveraging the capabilities of both fleets. This operational concept allows both numbered fleets to complement one another and provide the foundation of stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the Pacific theater of operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address McCampbell Arrives in Sydney Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170724-02 Release Date: 7/24/2017 8:19:00 AM By Lt. j.g. Soon Kwon, USS McCampbell (DDG 85) Public Affairs SYDNEY, Australia (NNS) -- The forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) pulled into Sydney, Australia, July 23. The port visit marks the end of McCampbell's participation in the biennial, U.S.-Australia, multi-domain exercise Talisman Saber 2017 (TS 17). This was an exercise that focused on joint training among U.S. forces to conduct a range of missions in the air, sea, land, and cyberspace. US Navy participants included USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Carrier Air Wing 5, USS Shiloh (CG 62), USS Barry (DDG 52), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), USS Green Bay (LPD 20), USS Germantown (LSD 42) and USS Sterett (DDG 104). More than 33,000 forces from the U.S. and Australia have participated in TS 17. Although TS 17 remained a bilateral exercise, members of the New Zealand Defense Forces participated under the command of Australia, and members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force participated under U.S. Command. Among various events in TS 17, McCampbell and Royal Australian Navy ships conducted replenishments-at-sea and simulated warfighting scenarios that included surface action group maneuvers and anti-submarine training. "Talisman Saber 2017 provided a rare and valuable opportunity for our Sailors to work alongside the Royal Australian Navy," said Cmdr. Ed Angelinas, commanding officer of McCampbell. "This exercise greatly enhanced our interoperability skills and displayed great teamwork in a combined maritime environment." Australians and Americans have fought alongside each other in every major conflict over the past century. The United States has deep, sustained ties with its five bilateral defense treaty allies (Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand) and strong emerging partnerships with many other nations in the region. While in Sydney, Sailors will have the opportunity to enjoy local sights and volunteer at a local hospital. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Eric Johnson, from Birmingham, Alabama, said, "This will be my first time in Australia, so I am excited to learn about the country and its culture. I have been looking forward to visiting popular tourist attractions and enjoying local foods." McCampbell is currently on patrol with the Carrier Strike Group Five (CSG 5) in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China urges India to abandon illusions People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:39, July 24, 2017 China Monday urged India to immediately withdraw all troops that have illegally entered China, stating that the nation would defend its territorial sovereignty "at all costs." "The Chinese border troops have taken initial counter measures at the site and will step up targeted deployment and training," said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense at a press conference. Indian troops crossed the China-India boundary into Chinese territory in mid-June to obstruct road construction in Donglang region. Wu urged India to immediately withdraw it troops, describing the request as a prerequisite to resolving the situation. "We strongly urge India to take solid measures to correct its mistakes and desist from provocation," Wu said, calling for a joint effort to maintain peace in the border areas. The spokesperson warned India to abandon any impractical illusions. The history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the past 90 years has demonstrated its increasing capacities and unshakable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. "It's easier to shake a mountain than the PLA," Wu said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese jets intercept US surveillance plane over East China Sea: US officials Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:23PM Two Chinese fighter jets have intercepted a US Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea, American officials claim. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Chinese J-10 fighters came close to the US EP-3 plane in an "unsafe and unprofessional" manner on Sunday and caused the American aircraft to change direction. One of the Chinese aircraft was armed with air-to-air missiles and passed in front of the American surveillance plane at a distance of about 90 meters, forcing it to "take evasive action to avoid a collision." The officials claimed that the US aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace at the time of the intercept. The Pentagon also confirmed the Sunday report. The encounter was the first incident of its kind since May 24, when two Chinese J-10s intercepted a US surveillance plane in international airspace above the contested South China Sea. On May 18, the US Air Force said two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets had reportedly came within close proximity of an American four-engine WC-135 jet over the East China Sea, forcing it to descend hundreds of feet from its position. Beijing later denied the claim and said that its aircraft had acted "in accordance with the law." Chinese forces conducted two such interceptions last year, one in the South China Sea and one in the East China Sea. In the second case, a Chinese J-10 fighter came within 100 feet of a US Navy RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft. Beijing and Tokyo have been involved in a territorial dispute in the East China Sea over the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyus in China. China says the islands have been part of its territory since ancient times. Beijing has also called on the US "to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks ... and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation." China is also involved in a dispute with the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Vietnam over territory in the South China Sea. China says the US's military presence in the region causes unnecessary tensions. There are 77,000 US soldiers based in Japan and neighboring South Korea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fight against militant groups along border with Syria nearing end: Hezbollah Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 2:56PM The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says its military operations against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants along the eastern border with war-ravaged Syria is "nearing its end" after its fighters regained control over the last stronghold of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham extremists there. Hezbollah's media bureau announced in a statement on Monday that resistance fighters had seized Wadi al-Khayl area, one of the most important strongholds of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham previously known as the Nusra Front militants on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, located about 124 kilometers northeast of the capital Beirut. The Lebanese resistance fighters also took control over Jabhat Fatah al-Sham's positions in Wadi Maarouf, Wadi al-Khayl, Wadi Zaarour, Wadi al-Dam and Wadi al-Daqayeq. The Hezbollah statement further called on the remaining militants to disarm and save their lives. "The battle with the Nusra Front is almost over and so we call on all gunmen who remain in the outskirts of Arsal to spare their blood by laying down their weapons and surrendering themselves with guarantees for their safety," it pointed out. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that army soldiers and the Lebanese Red Cross staff had helped 79 women and children refugees fleeing Jurud Arsal camps around Arsal into the town. Meanwhile, the Arabic-language al-Joumhouria (The Republic) daily newspaper, quoting an unnamed security source, reported that the Lebanese army has adopted precautionary measures along Arsal in the wake of suggestions that militants may attempt to kidnap military personnel. Hezbollah launched a major push last Friday to clear both sides of Lebanon's border with Syria from "armed terrorists." In August 2014, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and Daesh terrorist groups overran the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal, killing a number of Lebanese forces. They took 30 soldiers hostage, most of whom have been released. Since then, Hezbollah and the Lebanese military have been defending Lebanon on the country's northeastern frontier against foreign-backed terrorist groups from neighboring Syria. Hezbollah fighters have fended off several Daesh attacks inside Lebanon. They have also been providing assistance to Syrian army forces to counter the ongoing foreign-sponsored militancy. The movement has accused Israel of supporting Takfiri terrorists operating in the Middle East. Israel, which continues to occupy Lebanon's Shebaa Farms and Syria's Golan Heights, is widely reported to be offering medical help to Takfiri terrorists injured in Syria. In December 2015, British newspaper the Daily Mail said Israel had saved the lives of more than 2,000 Takfiri militants since 2013. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Christian motorcycle organization volunteered its time Saturday morning to help the "Adults in Action" ministry group prepare back-to-school backpacks for foster kids in the area. About 15 members of the Christian Motorcycle Association gathered in the Presbyterian Church of Farmington fellowship hall, along with Adults in Action members and other volunteers, to tackle the job of filling a mound of backpacks. While children in St. Francois and surrounding counties receive backpacks with emergency supplies such as clothes and other items when sent to a foster home to stay, Adults in Action leader Shanda Arnold said the backpacks put together Saturday were strictly filled with school supplies and other practical items. "We do other packs that have clothes and things like school supplies and toys, but these had paper, pencils, Crayola crayons, glue sticks, combs, brushes, deodorant and scissors whatever was donated by people in St. Francois and Iron County," she said. "Subway, Pizza Hut and 7-UP donated for the packing party part of it. Save-A-Lot in Farmington and Ironton, Sun Loan, Banner Finance also helped us out." When the job was complete and pizza served, 230 backpacks had been completed and ready for pick up later in the day by workers with the Missouri Department of Family Services. Arnold explained that the group, which holds its meetings at the Presbyterian Church, was very appreciative of the assistance they received from members of the CMA and other volunteers in the backpack stuffing job. "None of the volunteers that came out today have every helped Adults in Action before," she said. "They're all new. We want to thank all of our volunteers today and especially the CMA. They all stepped up when we really needed them." Asked how the CMA became involved in helping stuff backpacks for Adults in Action, spokesperson Kevin Sumpter said, "One of our members, Jeff Thomas, was in contact with this church and it looked like a good opportunity for the CMA to perform an outreach for the community. We like to do our part whenever we're able to. It was an honor and a privilege for us to come out and help today." As far as backpacks, Arnold noted that her organization's job isn't totally over yet there's more backpack stuffing still needing to be done. "We're going to hold a second packing party the first or second week of August over at East Missouri Action Agency to finish off what we can," she said. "We're so happy that we can help out foster children in this way." Polish president to veto controversial bills on judicial reforms Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:42PM Polish President Andrzej Duda has announced that he would use his authority to veto controversial bills on reforms in Poland's judicial system, a move largely inspired by nationwide protests that have gripped the country for the past several days. Duda said Monday that he would veto two of the three bills recently passed in the Polish Parliament to overhaul the country's judicial system. One bill, the most controversial of all, would give Poland's justice minister, who is also the country's prosecutor general, the power to appoint judges in the Supreme Court. That would effectively put the court under political control of the ruling party. Duda said lawyers, sociologists, politicians and even philosophers, who contested the bill, were consulted for the decision to veto it. He also said the protests in recent days in various cities also showed that the changes would divide the society. The president, who is also from the ruling Law and Justice party and has on various occasions supported the party's conservative, nationalist agenda, did not mention having consulted with either party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski or Prime Minister Beata Szydlo. The two had eagerly campaigned for judicial reforms and expected Duda to endorse the changes. Duda said the planned overhauls, as stipulated in the bill, would create an oppressive system in Poland and that traditionally it was unprecedented for a prosecutor general to have such large powers. People demonstrated outside the presidential palace in Warsaw and chanted slogans in support of Duda. That came after more than a week of protests against the bill. Duda said he would also veto a bill on reforms in Poland's National Council of the Judiciary, saying he was opposed to giving greater power to lawmakers over the council. The Polish president said he would consult with experts for the next two months to present new draft laws on reforms in the Supreme Court and the Council. To the dismay of anti-government protesters, Duda said he would sign a third bill that reorganizes the functioning of the lower courts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump's son-in-law denies collusion with Russia Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:8PM Senior White House adviser and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has denied colluding with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. Kushner made the remarks in a written statement issued on Monday to congressional investigators probing alleged Russian meddling in last year's election. He is scheduled to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed hearing later in the day where he will deliver the 11-page statement. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," he said. "I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," Kushner said. He said that he is "happy to share information" with investigating bodies and has "nothing to hide." "The record and documents I am providing will show that I had perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives out of thousands during the campaign and transition, none of which were impactful in any way to the election or particularly memorable," he said. Earlier this month reports revealed that Kushner, along with other Trump campaign aides, last year held a meeting with a Russian lawyer who offered compromising information about Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 presidential rival. An intensive investigation has been launched to find out whether the Russian government coordinated with Trump's associates during the 2016 campaign and transition. Meanwhile, Trump's lawyers were looking into his authority to grant pardons in the probes into Russia's role in the 2016 election and his associates' possible collusion with the Kremlin. Trump has himself spoken with his advisers about the power to pardon aides, family members and even himself, according to a Washington Post report on Thursday. The Trump administration is also under pressure over recent revelations about a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, with the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, also present at Trump Tower in the summer of 2016. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban attack leaves 35 dead at hospital in central Afghanistan Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:3AM At least 35 people have been killed when heavily-armed Taliban militants launched a deadly attack on a hospital in Afghanistan's central Ghor province. "When the Taliban entered the hospital they killed 35, all civilians," Shah Hussain Murtazawi a presidential spokesman confirmed on Monday, without specifying if they were patients or staff. He added, "This is a cruel crime against humanity." Local media reported late Sunday that Taliban militants had set the local hospital alight and killed those inside without giving any casualty figures. A spokesman for Taliban militants has said that parts of the hospital were damaged in the ongoing fierce fighting in the troubled area. The developments come after the Taliban captured Taywara district in Ghor Province following days of intense fighting with Afghan troops. Provincial governor spokesman, Abdul Hai Khatibi, has confirmed militants' seizure of Taywara district. According to a report by a US watchdog in May, Afghan forces are currently in control of 59.7 percent of the war-ravaged country. However, Taliban militants have intensified a campaign of killing Afghan security personnel and civilians across various regions of the war-ravaged country in recent weeks. In April, the group announced the start of its annual spring offensive against Afghan security forces and US-led foreign troops. Insecurity has gripped Afghanistan since 2001, when the United States and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops. Over the past 16 years, the Taliban militants have been conducting terrorist attacks across the country, killing and displacing civilians. In addition, the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has managed to take recruits from Afghan Taliban defectors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah fighters liberate key Arsal valley from terrorists' grip Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 9:48AM Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement says its fighters have wrested control over a strategic valley in the highlands of Arsal in their latest push against militants on the Syrian border. The media bureau of Hezbollah Operations Command announced on Monday the recapture of Wadi al-Khayl Valley, which has served as a stronghold for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front. The development came after the resistance fighters advanced on the area from several directions, it added. The Hezbollah fighters, backed by Lebanese and Syrian armies, launched an operation to dislodge terrorists from the border on Friday. Hezbollah has reported rapid gains in its battle. On Sunday, the Lebanese fighters retook the Arsal areas of Wadi al-Owaini and Shubat al-Qala'a. Local media reported that the next stage of the offensive will focus on the region held by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. The operation has so far killed 19 Hezbollah fighters and 143 militants. Separately on Monday, Lebanese lawmaker Amal Abou Zeid hailed the "dauntless endeavors of the resistance fighters" and the Lebanese army in dislodging militants from Arsal. Arsal was hardly hit by the spillover of the Syria crisis in 2014, when militants managed to overrun the town for a brief period. Thousands of Syrian refugees live in informal camps in Arsal after having fled the foreign-sponsored militancy in their home country. Hezbollah has played a critical role in campaigns against militants along Lebanon's border and fought for years alongside Syrian army troops against terrorists wreaking havoc in the Arab country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China tells India to stop meddling in contested Himalayan region Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 8:56AM China has called on India to withdraw its troops from a Himalayan region, disputed by both China and New Delhi's ally Bhutan, vowing that it will defend its sovereignty "at whatever cost." "The crossing of the mutually recognized national borders on the part of India... is a serious violation of China's territory and runs against the international law," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a press conference on Monday. A standoff broke out between New Delhi and Beijing on June 18, when Indian troops moved into Doklam, a remote plateau in the Himalayas, to stop the Chinese army from building a road there. Bhutan says China's construction activities in the region are "a direct violation" of deals between the two sides. India, itself, has no claim to the territory and says it intervened in support of Bhutan's interests. The official further said China would step up its troop deployment to the region in the face of Indian meddling. "Do not push your luck and cling to any fantasies," the Chinese Defense Ministry official told the press conference, which marked the upcoming 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). "The history of the PLA over the past 90 years has proven our resolve to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity" he said, urging India not to underestimate Beijing's determination to safeguard what it considers sovereign Chinese territory. "Donglang [another name for Doklam] is China's territory and China building a road on its territory is normal, which is an act of China's sovereignty and is legitimate," he said. "China's determination and resolve to safeguard national security and sovereignty is unshakable," Wu added. "It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA." Heated rhetoric in both Beijing and New Delhi has raised concern over a renewal of hostilities that resulted in a short but deadly frontier war between the two sides in 1962, in which China emerged victorious. The nuclear-armed powers share a 3,500-kilometer border, much of it is disputed between the two neighbors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maduro vows to go ahead with referendum despite 'imperial' threats Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:10AM Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to go ahead with a vote next week to elect a new national assembly, which would have the power to re-write the constitution, despite opposition pressure and a threat by the US to slap more sanctions on the country. "This time next week Venezuelans will vote for a Constituent Assembly," Maduro said in a televised speech on Sunday. The left-wing president has been under pressure to revoke the decision to hold the July 30 vote. He says, however, that the new assembly, which would be empowered to dissolve government institutions, is a must to bring back peace to the country. Maduro further described the vote as a chance for Venezuelans to decide "between peace or war, violence or the Constituent Assembly." "The imperial right wing believes it can give orders to Venezuela, the only ones who give orders here are the people," said Maduro, in reference to a recent threat by US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Caracas if the vote is not aborted. The US and its allies in South America have sided with the opposition amid the political tensions gripping Venezuela over the past months. The president also slammed an opposition call for the boycott of the Constituent Assembly vote. "Who doesn't go vote next Sunday is hurting the Republic of Venezuela, is hurting the right for peace, because what we are deciding here next week is between peace or war, violence or the constituent assembly," he said. He urged the opposition to let people cast their ballots in peace, warning that special election centers would be set up to accommodate those blocked by "fascists" at their local vote point. "They have not toppled me nor will they topple me," the president stressed. Maduro further vowed to imprison members of a new alternative Supreme Court panel appointed by the opposition in defiance of the government. "They are all going to jail, one by one. And all their property and accounts will be frozen," he promised. Opposition leaders have called for a week of protests against the vote, including a two-day national strike in Caracas on Wednesday and Thursday. They say writing a new constitution would give the president an excuse to put off regional elections scheduled for this year and a presidential election slated for 2018. An opposition member of parliament, Simon Calzadilla, called on Venezuelans to go to electoral centers and place protest banners and signs that would say "in my voting place, there won't be a constituent assembly." He also urged people to attend a rally in Caracas on Friday to "demand massively" that Maduro's government halt the vote. The opposition held a symbolic vote against Maduro on July 16, demanding conventional free elections, including for a new president. It said more than seven million people voted in the referendum, which was boycotted by government supporters. Venezuela has recently been the scene of intense protests, which broke out after the Supreme Court stripped the opposition-controlled parliament of its powers in April. The decision later was revoked later, but tensions have continued unabated. More than 100 people have so far died. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top UN delegation visits crisis-stricken Yemen Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:7PM A high-ranking United Nations delegation has made a rare visit to Yemen, as the impoverished country is grappling with war, a cholera epidemic and looming famine. The executive directors of the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme arrived in Yemen on Monday, visiting the war-wrecked southern province of Aden and the country's capital Sana'a. The UN representatives declined to elaborate on the visit, however, Yemen's official Saba news agency said the officials had met self-styled prime minister Ahmed bin Dagher for talks on international humanitarian aid, adding that the visit aimed to contain "the cholera epidemic which has spread to all provinces." The visit came a day after the UN warned that two thirds of Yemen's population was in dire need of humanitarian assistance and the country teetered on the edge of famine. The WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also raised alarm that cholera outbreak had independently claimed 1,800 lives and infected more than 370,000 others in the war-torn country, with more than 600,000 Yemenis expected to contract cholera by December this year. The World Food Programme had previously described the situation in Yemen as "the largest humanitarian crisis happening in the world at the moment." Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection that is spread through contaminated food or water. It can be effectively treated with the immediate replacement of lost fluids and salts, but without treatment it can be fatal. Cholera infection first became epidemic in Yemen last October and spread until December, when it dwindled. The second outbreak began in the Arabian Peninsula country in late April. Meanwhile, nearly 3.3 million Yemeni people, including 2.1 million children, are currently suffering from acute malnutrition. Since March 2015, Yemen has been under relentless airstrikes by Saudi fighter jets as part of a brutal campaign against the Arabian Peninsula country in an attempt to crush the Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall the former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh. The campaign has seriously damaged the country's infrastructure. Local Yemeni sources have put the death toll from the Saudi war at over 12,000, including many women and children. The US and the UK have been the main purveyors of weapons, training and intelligence to Saudis during the course of the unprovoked war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dozens Killed In Taliban Suicide Car Bombing In Kabul RFE/RL July 24, 2017 Afghan officials say a Taliban suicide car bombing has killed at least 26 people and wounded 41 others in the capital, Kabul. The July 24 attack came as a presidential spokesman said the militant group also killed 35 civilians in an attack on a hospital in central Ghor Province over the weekend. The deadly attacks came amid a surge of violence in Afghanistan, where the United Nations says more than 1,700 civilians have been killed this year. The Taliban said in a statement that the bombing targeted two minibuses belonging to the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the country's spy agency, and claimed to have killed 37 personnel. However, the government said their intelligence staff never travel in minibuses. There were conflicting reports on the death toll. Reuters quoted a senior government official speaking on condition of anonymity as saying the death toll stood at 35, while The Guardian cited unnamed officials reporting at least 38 dead. Afghan presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi said 26 were killed and 41 wounded in the Kabul attack. At a press conference, Murtazawi also said the Taliban killed 35 people in the hospital attack in Ghor's Taywara district, captured by the Taliban over the weekend. Murtazawi said all the victims were civilians, without specifying if they were patients or staff. "This is a cruel crime against humanity," he added. EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the "targeting of civilians, particularly doctors and patients in a hospital, is a clear breach of international humanitarian law." The Taliban denied the claim and reports that they had burned down the hospital, although a spokesman said parts of the building were damaged in clashes with government forces. Witnesses said the Kabul attacker appeared to have rammed into a bus. Shattered glass from nearby buildings was scattered over the roadway after the blast. Danish said the bus was badly burned. He could not confirm if the occupants were all government employees. In a statement, the Interior Ministry called the attack a "criminal attack against humanity." Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the bombing. "Once again, these terrorist are attacking civilians and targeting government staff," Ghani said in a statement. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack and urged restraint. "I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians," said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA. "The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity." The attack came as Hazaras, a Shi'ite ethnic minority in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan, planned to hold a demonstration to mark the one-year anniversary of twin bombings that killed more than 80 people and wounded 230 others, most of them Hazaras. But the protesters had agreed to delay the demonstration over security fears and after meeting with Ghani on July 23, a presidential statement said. The bombings on July 23, 2016, were claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. Police cordoned off the scene of the July 24 blast, located near the residence of Mohammad Mohaqiq, the deputy to Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. A spokesman for Mohaqiq said he was not injured. The July 24 blast adds to the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan, where at least 1,662 civilians were killed in the first half of the year, according to the United Nations. It was also the 10th major attack this year in Kabul, which has accounted for at least 20 percent of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2017. The Taliban has launched a series of attacks around the country in recent days, prompting clashes in more than half a dozen provinces. On July 23, the Taliban overran two districts in northern and central Afghanistan. There was also fighting reported in Baghlan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan provinces, according to officials. With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-kabul-car- bomb-death-toll/28634452.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump's Son-In-Law Kushner Says 'No Improper Contacts' With Russians RFE/RL July 24, 2017 WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law said that he has not colluded with any foreign government and had "no improper contacts" with Russians during the U.S. presidential campaign or the transition period. Jared Kushner made the remarks July 24 after meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee, one of several congressional committees looking into interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials and Russia's alleged meddling in last year's election campaign. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who did so," said Kushner, who is a senior White House adviser. "I have had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses," he told reporters outside the White House. In a written statement released ahead of his Senate meeting, Kushner said he had "perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives" during the campaign and the transition period after Trump's victory on November 8. In the statement, Kushner also said that a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, was a "waste of time." He said that, prior to the meeting, he had not seen e-mails suggesting that the attorney would provide information that would be damaging to Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. He also denied that he suggested a "secret back channel" for communications with Moscow -- a reference to U.S. media reports that he made such a suggestion at a meeting with the then Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, at the Trump Tower in New York in December 2016. Kushner said that conversation was about Syria and that when Kislyak asked whether there was a secure line for him to provide information on Syria from what Kislyak called his "generals," Kushner asked if there was an existing communications channel at the embassy that could be used. Kushner says he never proposed an ongoing secret form of communication. Kushner was scheduled to meet on July 25 with the House Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating the matter. Adam Schiff, the leading Democrat on the House committee, said earlier that Kushner would be questioned about his meetings with Russia's ambassador, the head of a major Russian bank, and a Russian lawyer, among other things. "We certainly want to know about several of the meetings that have been alleged to have taken place," Schiff told CBS television's Face the Nation program July 23. Schiff said that lawmakers "expect this is just going to be the first interview." But Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, said he hoped the appearances would be "the last time that he has to talk about Russia." The congressional investigations are being conducted separately from a probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed by the Justice Department in May to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the election and any possible collusion by Trump's team. The U.S. intelligence community issued an assessment in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an "influence campaign" targeting the U.S. election, with goals that included undermining trust in the U.S. electoral process, denigrating Clinton, and helping Trump. Russia denies meddling, despite what critics say is strong evidence, and Trump denies any collusion. The controversy has cast a shadow over Trump's presidency and hindered what he suggested during the campaign would be efforts to improve badly strained ties between Washington and Moscow. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kushner-russia -senate-committee/28634536.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Polish President Says He Will Veto Controversial Judicial Reform Bills RFE/RL July 24, 2017 Polish President Andrzej Duda says he will veto controversial judiciary reform legislation that has sparked large protests and drawn warnings from the European Union. Duda said on July 24 that would veto two of three bills that opponents fear would erode the division of powers in the EU country and give the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) too much influence over the courts. "I have decided that I will send [the bill] back to [the] Sejm (lower house of parliament), which means I will veto the bill, on the Supreme Court, as well as the one about the National Council of the Judiciary," Duda said. Before the reforms became law, they required the approval of the Duda. "As president, I don't feel this law would strengthen a sense of justice," Duda said in a statement broadcast on national television. The Supreme Court bill would have given the justice minister, who is also the prosecutor-general, power to appoint judges. Duda spoke ahead of planned discussions with top judiciary officials that were aimed at resolving the dispute over the reform bills, which were initiated by PiS and passed by the Senate. Duda is closely aligned with the PiS and has backed its agenda since he became president in 2015. The PiS has rejected claims that the reforms were a move toward authoritarian rule. The European Commission had warned that it could suspend Poland's voting rights if it went ahead with the changes. German Justice Minister Heiko Maas on July 23 told the German newspaper Bild Am Sonntag that "the independence of the judiciary is in danger in Poland." Tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated across Poland since July 19 to oppose the legislation and urge Duda to veto it. In the capital, Warsaw, demonstrators on July 23 rallied in front of the presidential palace, waving Polish and European Union flags and signs and shouting, "We want a veto!" "Free court!" "Freedom, equality, democracy!" and "Free Poland!" Rallies against the legislation also took place in Krakow, Wroclaw, and other Polish cities. Polish supporters held smaller rallies in Paris, Brussels, London, and other European cities as well. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/poland-protests -judiciary-supreme-court-duda- opposition-/28634371.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian Investigators Arrest Kashmiri Separatists Over Terror Funding Sputnik News 17:57 24.07.2017 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested seven Kashmiri separatist leaders on charges of terror funding in Kashmir. New Delhi (Sputnik) In the major crackdown against terror funding in the Indian side of Kashmir, India's premier investigating agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has arrested seven leaders. Among the arrested are Altaf Shah, the son-in-law of All-Party Hurriyat Conference chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Other arrested persons include Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shadid-ul-Islam, Peer Saifullah, Bitta Karate and Nayeem Khan. The NIA is investigating if funds from Pakistan were used to fuel unrest in the Indian side of Kashmir. According to the agency, these separatist and secessionist leaders have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtarane Millat, Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terrorist organizations for raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, and causing disruption in the Kashmir Valley by way of pelting stones at security forces, burning schools and damaging public property. Meanwhile, the Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have given a call for a complete strike in Kashmir tomorrow in protest against the arrests. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Urges India to 'Immediately' Withdraw Troops From Disputed Himalayan Area Sputnik News 09:20 24.07.2017 Chinese military called on India to withdraw its troops from the Himalayan mountains, saying that New Delhi "should abandon unrealistic illusions" of owning the disputed territory as Beijing is ready to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security. BEIJING (Sputnik) Chinese Defense Ministry's spokesman Wu Qian urged India on Monday to withdraw its troops from the territory in the Himalayan mountains and cease provocations for the sake of regional stability and peace amid escalation of standoff between the two countries on their disputed border. "We strongly urge India to immediately withdraw servicemen who violated the border, which constitutes an essential precondition for the settlement of the situation on the border," Wu said. The spokesperson noted that "peace and tranquility in the border areas, which are also linked to regional stability, are in line with the interests of both countries." "We call on India to take all the necessary effective measures to correct the past mistakes, stop any provocations and, together with China, move towards to the joint protection of peace and tranquility in the border areas," Wu stressed. The Indian side "should abandon unrealistic illusions" as China will strive to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, the spokesperson said. On July 5, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in India Xie Liyan said Beijing blocked in June one of two official border passes to Kailash Manasarovar Yatra religious route in the Xizang Autonomous Region, better known as Tibet, to ensure safety of Indian pilgrims, the yatris. According to Xie, days before the departure of the yatris, "the Indian border troops crossed into the Chinese territory and obstructed the Chinese border troops' normal activities in Doklam [plateau]." Border face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops occur on an almost daily basis at different parts along the 4,057-kilometer (about 2,521 miles) Line of Actual Control between the two nations. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) clashed with Indian forces twice in the Sikkim region in 1967. Sikkim became an Indian State in 1975 and China indirectly recognized India's control over Sikkim in 2003, upon agreement that India accept Tibet as part of China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany Must Push NATO to Settle Issue With Konya Base in Turkey Official Sputnik News 07:05 24.07.2017 Turkey banning German lawmakers from visiting German personnel at the NATO military base in Konya is a matter of relations within the alliance, and Berlin must urge NATO to settle the issue, chairman of the Defense Committee of the German Parliament Wolfgang Hellmich said on Monday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in July, the German Foreign Ministry had informed a group of lawmakers that their visit to Konya base, initially scheduled for July 17, was banned by Ankara. German government spokesman Steffen Seibert later explained that the visit was not canceled, but postponed to a later date. However, no information on the possible new date of the visit was provided. "After all, this is a NATO base, so it is not a bilateral question, as in case of Incirlik. It is an alliance question. The federal government must strongly push for NATO to completely clarify the issue," Hellmich said in an interview with Die Welt newspaper. Hellmich stressed that Germany does not want and cannot afford to depend on "case-to-case" decisions of Ankara. In May, Ankara canceled a German delegation's visit to the Incirlik airbase, where German military personnel and jets were stationed, the day before the visit was scheduled to begin. In early June, Berlin responded to Ankara's move by announcing the withdrawal its troops from the base, which started in July. The relations between Berlin and Ankara became tense after German-Turkish reporter of Die Welt newspaper Deniz Yucel was arrested in Istanbul in February over alleged links to terrorist organizations and propaganda. The situation between both nations worsened after Germany banned Ankara's from holding pre-referendum rallies on German soil. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan: UN condemns attack on civilians in Kabul 24 July 2017 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned today's bomb attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul, warning that attacks on civilians may constitute a war crime. In a statement from his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres expressed his deepest sympathy to the families of those killed, and reaffirmed the UN's solidarity with the people and Government. He also stressed that "the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime." Also today, a senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called the attack "cowardly." "I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians," said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. "The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity." The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in the Ghulayee Dawa Khan area of Kabul, which killed more than 20 civilians and injured more than 40, the UN Assistance Mission (UNAMA) said. The attackers targeted a bus carrying civil servants to work during morning rush hour in the city. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilians casualties this year, according to UNAMA's midyear report on civilian protection released last week. Today's attack came amid planned commemorations for the 23 July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which killed and injured hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. "In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last year's attack through dialogue, not violence," said Ms. Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN chief condemns killing of peacekeeper in Central African Republic 24 July 2017 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the killing of a UN peacekeeper on Sunday in the Central African Republic, urging the country's authorities to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. "The Secretary-General is appalled by attacks against United Nations peacekeepers," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in a statement issued overnight. A Moroccan peacekeeper of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed in the south-eastern city of Bangassou in an attack allegedly carried out by anti-Balaka militias. Three others were injured. The Secretary-General "is deeply concerned" about the continued fighting in the country's southeast and calls on all parties to cease violence, the spokesperson said, noting that the UN chief offered his condolences to the bereaved family and to the Government of Morocco, and wished speedy recovery to those injured. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 35 in Afghan Capital By Ayaz Gul July 24, 2017 A Taliban suicide car bombing has killed at least 35 people and injured dozens more in the Afghan capital, Kabul. An Interior Ministry spokesman, Najib Danish, while confirming the casualties, explained that a bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a minibus packed with civilian government workers in a western part of the city. The blast took place while the bus was passing through a crowded marketplace, inflicting casualties on shopkeepers and passers-by, eyewitnesses told reporters. Hospital officials expected the death toll to rise. A Kabul police spokesman told VOA the victims were mostly employees of the mining and petroleum industry. The Taliban swiftly took credit for plotting the violence, claiming its bomber targeted two minibuses carrying personnel of the Afghan intelligence agency, or NDS, and 38 of them were killed. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the bombing of civilians as appalling and cowardly. Amnesty International has denounced the attack on civilians, saying it constituted a war crime and demanded the Afghan government ensure protection of its citizens. "A record number of civilians have been killed in the first half of this year, with women and children being the worst affected. And neither the Afghan government nor the international community is paying enough attention to their plight," the rights watchdog lamented while responding to Monday's attack. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented nearly 1,700 civilian deaths from January 1 to June 30, with Kabul accounting for 20 percent of the casualties. Monday's deadly blast came amid revelations by the Taliban that one of the three suicide bombers who attacked Afghan forces in the southern Helmand province this past week was the middle son of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamist insurgency. The 22-year-old bomber was identified as Abdul Rahman who had signed up for a suicide mission a year ago, say Taliban sources and independent Afghan researchers. Government officials, however, dismissed the claims as untrue and propaganda. The Afghan government has along alleged that Taliban leaders and their families reside in neighboring Pakistan and in the gulf state of Qatar. Observers say, if true, the claim would boost credibility of the Taliban chief, who has struggled from the outset to maintain unity among insurgent ranks. It would also give insurgents additional fuel to intensify their propaganda in a country where rulers have long been under fire for keeping their families out of violence-hit Afghanistan. The Taliban has also stepped up battlefield attacks across most of the 34 Afghan provinces. The insurgents overran several more districts this week, increasing their territorial influence in the country where the government is in control of less than 60 percent of the territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Jets Intercepted US Military Plane Over E. China Sea By VOA News July 24, 2017 Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea, U.S. officials said Monday. The incident happened over the weekend. Two U.S. military officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that one of the Chinese J-10 fighter jets flew directly in front of the U.S. Navy EP-3, forcing the American aircraft to take "evasive action" to avoid a collision. One of the Chinese jets was armed. The American reconnaissance plane was conducting normal operations over international waters 80 nautical miles from the Chinese city of Qingdao when the incident occurred. Such incidents are becoming increasingly common around China's coastline. In May, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. plane designed to detect radiation as it flew over international waters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines Pokes China With Intent to Drill for Oil in Disputed Sea By Ralph Jennings July 24, 2017 Plans in the Philippines to reopen a tract of the disputed South China Sea for oil and gas exploration are likely to complicate the foreign policy of Manila's new friend Beijing, which claims the same waters, and adds to a regional pushback against Chinese maritime influence. Philippines oil drilling plans The Philippine Department of Energy is ready to restart drilling at Reed Bank, an 8,866 square-kilometer table mount west of Palawan Island, domestic news reports say. In December 2014 the government suspended those plans to prepare for world court arbitration over which country had a stronger claim to the feature. That court in The Hague ruled that Reed Bank falls within a Philippine ocean exclusive economic zone. China rejected the outcome and in May warned Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against reopening it for exploration, Philippine media reports say. China claims more than 90 percent of the sea. "You had Duterte saying he spoke to (Chinese President) Xi Jinping in May and China threatened to take action if they started drilling," said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at The University of New South Wales in Australia. "It's a sensitive time. July 12 was the anniversary of the arbitral tribunal decision." Ismael Ocampo, director with the Department of Energy's Resource Development Bureau, said this month he expected the country to lift the drilling suspension by December, per news reports from Manila. The department did not answer a VOA request for comment. China with a 'wait and see' strategy Chinese officials have kept quiet about Reed Bank this month, though on July 12 a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing said China was "dedicated from start to finish to negotiating with related countries to resolve disputes" related to maritime sovereignty. The Philippines may be using Reed Bank to see how far it can push China, said Fabrizio Bozzato, a Taiwan Strategy Research Association fellow specialized in Asian political issues. "Probably Mr. Ocampo's statement is a way that Manila has to test China's resolve or restraint or even to elicit some cooperative stance from China without risking to irritate or antagonize Beijing," Bozzato said. China might answer any drilling at Reed Bank by withholding aid or investment as promised or allocated to date, Bozzato said, hurting Duterte's ambition for economic development. Chinese officials could restart any suspended aid if relations improved. China had pledged billions in aid China pledged $24 billion for the Philippines in October, and Duterte's government set aside the maritime sovereignty dispute with China, which claims waters off most of his archipelago's west coasts. Duterte is tapping China now to help fund parts of a $167 billion plan for new public infrastructure by 2022. His predecessor, in contrast, had filed for the world court arbitration. A strained friendship with Beijing would push Manila back toward Washington. Duterte has resisted U.S. military aid in his 13 months in office so far, delighting China. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam as well claim parts of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea, prized largely for its oil and gas reserves. Beijing officials are probably taking a long view of ties with Duterte, who they see as more volatile than other world leaders, so they may cut him slack, experts said in April after another flap involving China. Fewer than half of Filipinos surveyed in the first quarter of 2017 trust China, research institution Social Weather Stations found, and analysts say Duterte must bear that in mind as an elected official. Other countries testing China China may also see a trend of resistance developing beyond Reed Bank, experts say. They point to Vietnam's agreement this month with India's offshore oil and gas driller to explore in a tract that Beijing claims and to Indonesia's deletion of the word "China" from its official name of the sea near the island of Borneo. "I think the worst case scenario is that the Southeast Asians (are) divided, look over their shoulder and one by one start making their accommodations to China," said Euan Graham, international security director with the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney. "We're not seeing it when it comes to these key countries," he said. "Indonesia, the Philippinescertainly the Vietnamese are continuing I think their sort of steady push to try to assert control." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli-Palestinian Tensions Spill into Jordan By Robert Berger July 24, 2017 Tensions surrounding a disputed Jerusalem holy place that is sacred to Muslims and Jews has spilled across the border into Jordan. Angry protests have erupted in Amman, where a guard at the Israeli embassy Sunday shot dead two Jordanians who attacked him with a screwdriver. The incident complicates Jordanian efforts to resolve a dispute over new Israeli security measures at the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. The installation of security cameras and metal detectors at the holy site in Jerusalem's Old City has sparked Palestinian riots and stabbing attacks. Jordan is the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Although Jordan is a key mediator because it has good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians, it now finds itself locked in a diplomatic dispute with the Jewish state over the shooting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is holding contacts with senior officials in Jordan to end the crisis quickly and peacefully. Israel fears that violence could escalate into a third Palestinian uprising. As tensions remain high, observers say resolving the dispute may prove more difficult. Israel says the measures are necessary to prevent terror attacks like the one by Arab gunmen that killed two police officers on the site nearly two weeks ago. Palestinians say any security checks at the mosque humiliate Muslims and accuse Israel of trying to seize control of the third holiest place in Islam. In Washington, the Trump administration has expressed concern over the situation, and U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt is in the region to try and mediate a compromise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Son-in-Law Denies Collusion With Moscow By Michael Bowman, Chris Hannas July 24, 2017 Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, denied Monday that he or anyone else with the Trump campaign had any improper contacts with Russia leading up to or after the 2016 election. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so," Kushner said at the White House in a brief statement after answering questions in a closed-door meeting with Senate Intelligence Committee investigators, the first of two congressional interviews for Kushner this week. "I had no improper contacts," Kushner said. "I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses, and I have been fully transparent in providing all requested information." He said that all of his "actions were proper, and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign." The president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former campaign manager Paul Manafort are also sharing information with another panel, the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, also an adviser to her father, told reporters that "serving the president and the people of the United States has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work on important matters such as Middle East peace, and reinvigorating America's innovative spirit." He took no questions from reporters. In a written statement issued before his appearance on Capitol Hill, Kushner confirmed that he, the younger Trump and Manafort met with a Russian lawyer and other figures tied to Moscow last June, but asserted he arrived late to the meeting and heard no discussions of the presidential campaign. That meeting has become a focal point for numerous investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election aimed at helping Trump win after his son Donald Jr. released emails expressing eagerness for what he expected the Russian attorney would provide: incriminating material about Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election opponent. No mention of key events Kushner's statement made no mention of some key events that are pertinent to the Russia probe, including President Trump's firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, who was leading the agency's Russia probe before Special Counsel Robert Mueller, another former FBI director, took over. Kushner's statement does not rule out the possibility of Russian election interference, which the U.S. intelligence community has concluded was directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rather, it asserts that Kushner himself had no interactions or knowledge about plots from Moscow by himself or anyone else. Congressional reaction Kushner's closed-door cooperation with congressional committee's whetted some lawmakers' appetites for public testimony. "Kushner's statement raises far more questions than it answers," said Senate Intelligence Committee Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon. "It is imperative that the public hear Jared Kushner testify in an open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee, under oath, and support his claims with full transparency in the form of emails, documents and financial records. "There should be no presumption that he is telling the whole truth in this statement," Wyden added. As Kushner left Capitol Hill after Monday's closed door testimony, he was approached by a protester who tried to give Kushner a Russian flag. Trump attacks probe Meanwhile, President Trump once again assailed the Russia probe. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G. [Jeff Sessions], looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump last week rebuked Sessions for removing himself from Justice Department oversight of the agency's Russia investigation, which led to the appointment of Mueller. Trump Jr, Manafort testimony postponed Donald Trump Jr. and Manafort were initially scheduled to appear this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But that testimony has been postponed based on an understanding that the two men will provide the committee with records and other information. With the Russia investigations now scrutinizing those closest to Trump, questions have arisen about possible presidential pardons. Trump's legal team noted the Constitution grants the president broad pardoning powers, but insisted that nothing is being contemplated. At the same time, the White House insisted the news media's focus on the Russia probe is misguided. "The top three issues that Americans care about are immigration, health care, and jobs," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday, also on "This Week." "The top three issues that the media cares about are Russia, Russia, and Russia." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Opportunity is built explicitly into the American social contract," writes J.D. Vance, author of the best-selling "Hillbilly Elegy," in his introduction to the Heritage Foundation's upcoming Index on Culture and Opportunity. He highlights the nonpartisan nature of opporutnity. "We declared independence by noting a God-given right to pursue happiness," he writes, "and one of the few philosophical issues that unite both sides of our political spectrum is the idea that we should have some measure of 'equality of opportunity' in our society." It's "one of the few contemporary pieces of evidence of our shared national identity," he says. You don't even have to look at a newspaper or turn on the TV to know that the day-in, day-out slog of politics involves a near-total squandering of opportunity. But on the campus of Villanova University this past week, I saw something else budding. About 70 conservative college newspaper editors were at a boot camp organized by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI). One student told me how listening to an archbishop from Iraq last summer, at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, had rerouted his priorities and aspirations. He realized the impact the media can have by what an editor, for example, chooses to cover and highlight. Another asked me how to avoid falling into the traps of "fake news." The answer lies in telling the truth, of course, and in refocusing our lens on good stewardship, human dignity and the opposite of today's constant avalanche of bad news. This is what so many of these students want to be about, if their questions and conversations were any indication: clarity in the midst of confusion. Rising above the noise and lifting people up. Some cultural indicators show signs of improvement; others, not so much. As Dr. Aaron Kheriaty notes in an August "First Things" article: "Depression is now the most common serious medical or mental health disorder in the United States." Also: "Suicide is now the leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults, and the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States." The American Dream is in crisis on both spiritual and cultural levels, as Vance commented. "Culture," he writes, "must serve as the beginning of a conversation, not the end of one, and proper conversation about culture will never be used as a weapon against those whom Christ described as 'the least of these.' It will be a needed antidote to a simplistic political discourse that speaks often about the vulnerable even as it regularly fails to help them." Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in a recent TED Talk on facing the future together without fear, pointed out that "when you tell a story and your identity is strong, you can welcome the stranger, but when you stop telling the story, your identity gets weak and you feel threatened by the stranger." Sacks advises that the road to rediscovery of identity starts in overhauling today's radical individualism -- perhaps best symbolized by the selfie. Next time you're tempted to turn the phone around, turn the eyes of your heart toward some other person who might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten. In 1988, at ISI's 35th anniversary dinner, William F. Buckley Jr. said, "We are basket cases of ingratitude, so many of us. ... To live without any sense of obligation to those who made possible lives as tolerable as ours, within the frame of the human predicament God imposed on us --without any sense of gratitude to our parents, who suffered to raise us; to our teachers, who labored to teach us; to the scientists, who prolonged the lives of our children when disease struck them down -- is spiritually atrophying." Being grateful for any and all opportunities may be the place to start, along with helping others see those same opportunities and soar in the possibilities. It will require fewer selfies, though, for sure. Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review Online and founding director of Catholic Voices USA. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com Poland's President to Veto 2 Controversial Bills on Judiciary By VOA News July 24, 2017 Poland's president says he is vetoing two of three bills recently passed by lawmakers to reform the country's judicial system. Andrzej Duda announced his decision on television Monday, days after mass street protests. "I have decided to send back to parliament, which means I will veto, the law on the Supreme Court, as well as the one about the National Council of the Judiciary," he said. Both bills are generally seen as challenges to the independence of the judicial system and are part of a legal overhaul, planned by the ruling Law and Justice Party. The third bill reorganizes the functioning of local courts and Duda said he would sign it. The bill on the Supreme Court would have put the judiciary under the political control of the ruling party, with the justice minister, who is also prosecutor general, having the power to appoint judges. Duda has rejected such power for a prosecutor general. In making his decisions, Duda broke openly for the first time with Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is the leader of Law and Justice Party, de facto leader of the country, but does not hold a formal government post. The president said he believed that Poland badly needs reform of the judiciary, but he did not feel that these bills would raise the sense of security and justice in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to conduct THAAD missile test in Alaska Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:28AM The US military is preparing for an upcoming test of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, which is often touted by Washington as a deterrent against what it calls missile threats from North Korea. The US Coast Guard issued a notice on Sunday, advising people to steer clear from Alaska's Kodiak Island next weekend because the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) was likely to test-fire a missile at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska. During the operation, the THAAD missile's ability to intercept a medium-range ballistic missile within the earth's atmosphere would be put into test, said Leah Garton, with the MDA's public affairs. US Army Soldiers were temporarily stationed at the test site to assist the process, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported. Earlier this month the MDA announced that it had successfully completed a Flight Test THAAD-18 operation in Kodiak. Chris Johnson, the MDA's director of public affairs, said the test "validated THAAD's ability to intercept intermediate range ballistic missiles." The two stage test, which marked THAAD's 14 successful test, included the launch of "two interceptors from two co-located launchers," according to Johnson. "The first missile engaged the target. The second interceptor was launched to test operational procedures," he told the Mirror. The test is likely to escalate in the already heated standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's development of missiles and nuclear deterrents. The US has placed the advanced missile system to its bases in Guam and South Korea to counter missile threats from North Korea. Earlier this month, the North successfully test-fired what the US insists was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with an estimated range of 5,500 kilometers and capable of hitting Alaska. Unsettled by Pyongyang's military programs, the administration of US President Donald Trump has adopted a war-like posture, repeatedly warning the North of military action in case the tests continue. The US Navy has sent a strike group to conduct joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea off the peninsula's coast. In late June, the US military said it had failed to intercept a ballistic missile during a joint test with Japan off Hawaii. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Xian H-6 bombers again approach Taiwan, Japan Central News Agency 2017/07/24 15:21:16 Taipei, July 24 (CNA) Four Chinese Xian H-6 strategic bombers were spotted in two formations flying close to Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, passing through the Bashi Channel and the Miyako Strait south of Okinawa before returning to Chinese airspace, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that day. The bombers, part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, were taking part in a long-range drill in the Western Pacific, according to the ministry. The Miyako Strait, a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific between the Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa, offers a small strip of international waters and airspace through Japan's exclusive economic zone, the ministry said, adding that all Chinese military movements are closely monitored by the ministry. The drill came after the ministry detected Chinese military aircraft, including the H-6 bombers, flying near Taiwan's ADIZ and the Miyako Strait on July 13 and again on July 20. The Chinese air force confirmed to the media that its warplanes had conducted long-range drills over the Bashi Channel and the Miyako Strait "several times" over the past few weeks, testing actual combat abilities over the sea. (By Claudia Liu and Evelyn Kao) ENDITEM/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA vows to defend sovereignty and territorial integrity ahead of 90th anniversary People's Daily Online By Wang Xuejing (CNTV) 10:42, July 24, 2017 Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the spokesman of China's Ministry of National Defense, said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is determined to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the ongoing border standoff with India. Wu made the remarks at a press conference on Monday on the achievements of the PLA in the 90 years since its founding. When China tried to build a road in the Doklam border region last month, India sent troops to block the construction efforts, saying it was helping its neighbor, Bhutan, the spokesman said when answering a question from India Today. "We urge India to withdraw the troops unconditionally and to stop provocative actions," Wu said. Adding maintaining the peace and stability in the region is beneficial for both Chinese and Indian people. "It is easy to shake a mountain, but no way to shake the PLA," he said. South China Sea When referring to the recent report of a Chinese navy ship sailing near the northeastern coast of Australia, Wu said China has the right of freedom of navigation in international waters just like any other countries. On Saturday, Australia claimed it detected a Chinese observation ship sailing near a joint exercise between the US, New Zealand and Australian navies, off its northeastern coast. A reporter from CNN raised the question and described it as a "high-profile" and "new normal" activity. China is actively participating in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid activities around the world and it is taking the responsible role in maintaining global and regional peace and stability, Wu said. Speaking of Vietnam's recent oil drilling in the South China Sea, Wu reaffirmed China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the area, but denied the reports saying Chinese vessels destroyed a Vietnamese fishing ship. Vietnam began the drilling expedition last month in a sea area about 400 km off its southeastern coast. Reports came in over the weekend saying Vietnamese ships were under threat by Beijing. Wu said he is not aware of such reports. Discipline troops The PLA will fully implement governance by law and crack down on corruption following President Xi Jinping's instructions, senior officials told reporters. The army has improved the military legal system with Chinese characteristics, while advancing the governance of defense and military development. Meanwhile, it will continue to carry out reforms, address institutional impediments, and fight corruption to set up the framework of a new military system. Officials also outlined the achievements of the ongoing reform on the Chinese armed forces PLA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese naval fleet arrives in Greece for friendly visit People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:37, July 24, 2017 A Chinese naval fleet arrived on Sunday at Piraeus port for a four-day friendly visit to Greece, conveying a message of friendship and cooperation. Missile destroyer Changchun, missile frigate Jingzhou and supply vessel Chaohu docked at Piraeus, Greece's largest port, receiving a warm welcome by Greek and Chinese officials, and more than 1,000 Chinese living in Greece, as the Philharmonic band of the Municipality of Piraeus performed. "I want to welcome you and your ships in the port of Piraeus. The recent relationship between our countries is in a very high level due to commercial and cultural cooperation and we are looking forward to be better," Commodore Georgios Agrafiotis, Commander of the Naval Command of Aegean, said during the welcome ceremony, as the crowd was waving Greek and Chinese national flags. "The Naval Task Group 150 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army departed from Shanghai on April 23 and during the mission we will conduct maritime training and goodwill visits to Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania," said Rear Admiral Shen Hao, Commander of the Chinese navy fleet, while addressing the event. The Chinese officer expressed confidence that the good will port call in Greece will help further advance bilateral cooperation, receiving the warm applause of the crowd. The Escort Task Groups of the Chinese Navy have been offering protection to Greek commercial ships since 2008, while the Greek Navy has helped the Chinese side evacuate overseas Chinese from war-torn areas in recent years, Gao Wenqi, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Greece, noted, delivering a speech during the ceremony. As this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Greece, the visit of Task Group 150 will reinforce the friendship between the armed forces and ties between the two countries and peoples, he said, highlighting that Piraeus is a great example of win-in bilateral cooperation in recent years, since Chinese giant COSCO Shipping has taken over the management of Piraeus Container Terminal and Piraeus Port Authority. "The Piraeus port, which the Task Group 150 is visiting, is a pearl of the Mediterranean, the pride of Greece, the lodestar of China-Greece cooperation, and a place where our joint dreams come true," Gao Wenqi stressed. "China and Greece are promoting the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line in which Piraeus is a key port. Our two ancient nations, inheritors of illustrious civilizations, are marching hand-in-hand towards their common goal of rejuvenation," the Chinese diplomat added. Two Greek girls from the Hellenic-Chinese Centre for Entrepreneurship dressed in ancient Greek costumes greeted Rear Admiral Shen Hao with olive branches as a symbol of peace and cooperation, after the impressive performance of martial arts by young students of an Athens Kung Fu Art Shaolin school. After the ceremony the Greek Navy officers, Chinese embassy officials and overseas Chinese in local communities visited the ships which will depart Piraeus on Wednesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Germany in Race for Indian Navy's $7.8 Billion Submarine Tender Sputnik News 16:38 24.07.2017 India's Ministry of Defense has asked six foreign shipbuilders to respond to the Indian Navy's long-delayed Project 75 India (P-75I) program, which is worth over $7.8 billion. New Delhi (Sputnik) The request for information (RFI) has been sent to six selected overseas naval shipbuilders asking for details about locally building six diesel-electric submarines under newly-formulated strategic partnership model under which India's private defense shipbuilder will collaborate with a foreign manufacturer. Official sources told Sputnik that Indian Navy had issued RFI on July 19 to Russia's Rosoboronexport Rubin Design Bureau, France's Naval Group, Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Spain's Navantia, and Sweden's Saab. Companies will have to respond to the Indian Navy's request by September 15 this year with operational details of their respective submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems and anti-surface, anti-submarine and land-attack capabilities. "As all these submarines will be non-nuclear, AIP system will play a crucial role in getting Indian Navy's contract. Companies like ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Naval Group are offering their AIP technology to India," said an industry source. This project will provide a major boost to country's private defense firms like Larsen and Toubro, and Reliance Defence who are waiting since long for this delayed project. "Scorpene project was delayed by years due to India's state-owned shipbuilder MDL was not able to absorb the technology provided by original manufacturer DCNS and also it delayed due to several gray areas presented in the contract. Last time, the government had selected the company and configuration of the submarine, but this time under P75I, the government will shortlist the submarine and then ask the Indian private company to partner with the manufacturers. A number of private sector companies will participate in the bid and whoever gives the best deal will be selected for the project," Laxman Kumar Behera, Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), said. It is expected that request for proposal of the project will only be issued after 2019 and the availability of the submarine will take another seven to eight years if everything goes according to plan. But the lack of experience of the private sector in the submarine manufacturing may pose a challenge to complete the project within a fixed time-frame. Presently, Indian Navy has 13 diesel-electric submarines in service9 Kilo-class and four Shishumar (Type 209/1500)-class, but only half of them are operational at any time. India has planned 18 conventional submarines apart from current 13 which are 17 to 31 years old. Two P-75 submarines are expected to join Indian Navy this year. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: US sanctions on IRGC strategic mistake IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 24, IRNA -- Any US Sanctions against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) would be a strategic mistake, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi warned on Monday. "Our position would be declared if new sanctions are approved in US Congress, but our general position is against any sanctions by countries against other countries," Bahram Qasemi said in his press conference, referring to US new sanctions against Iran being discussed in the Congress. Sanction is an unjust, ineffective means, he pointed out, noting that in the past, Iran was able to use its capacities more than before in many sectors despite facing sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokesman described the US measures, including sanctions, as "unacceptable" and affirmed that such moves do nothing but escalate tensions and hostilities. "The moves mean hostility towards a nation that has recently held a glorious election, and shows their reaction to Iran in comparison to them dealing with the dictators whose only asset is their petrodollars," he argued. "US administration has not refrained from hostility and stubbornness towards Iran and has proved that it is not trustworthy," Qassemi said. He wnt on to say that the US is trying to deny Iran the advantages of the nuclear agreement. Pointing out that Iran is a country that makes its way without relying on others, the spokesman added that the country's authority worries them and the US is concerned that the power will rise in the future. They might resort to anything, but sanctioning IRGC is a strategic mistake, he affirmed. As to any possible talks between the US and Iran, the spokesman said that Iran is suspicion of the US, and for any future talks with Washington, "we should consider to see if it is possible, or not.' 'Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Americans proved that they are not trustworthy, and they made the wall of distrust higher by their lack of commitment towards the nuclear agreement," he asserted. 9156**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US worried as Iran, Iraq forge close security ties Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:0AM Iraq, fresh from liberating Mosul in its most serious blow to Takfiri terrorists, is reaching out to Iran which, according to most senior Iraqi officials, prevented Baghdad from falling to Daesh. Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hiyali was in Tehran on Sunday, signing an agreement to step up military cooperation and the fight against "terrorism and extremism". Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari was in Baghdad where Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, a Sunni Muslim, stressed the need for the two neighbors to continue their cooperation in fighting terrorism. Iran provided Iraq with a steady contribution of military advisers who were key to pushing back Daesh terrorists. Iran's charismatic military commander Major General Qassem Soleimani famously rushed to Iraq's help when Daesh was closing in on Baghdad in July 2014. That was when the Takfiri militants had captured Iraq's second city of Mosul and swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014 in a blitz that placed nearly a third of Iraq under Daesh's control. The lightning attacks saw some of the worst atrocities in the region's memory, including the massacre of Sinjar and summary executions of at least 1,566 Iraqi Air Force cadets at Camp Speicher in Tikrit. Some unusual events also came to pass, including a cakewalk march of Daesh armored vehicles in a single column into Ramadi where only one airstrike by the US and its allies could have taken them out. The United States, however, started its airstrikes in Iraq when the Takfiris evidently could not gain more ground and were rather being driven back, thanks to Iranian arms and weapons shipped to the Arab country. When Iraq started to retake Mosul, US and other Western media initially described the attempt as an impossible mission but later tried to portray America in the lead as advances began to fall in the Iraqi army's way. Earlier this month, the spokesman for Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters Karim al-Nouri said the US had no role in Iraq's recapture of Mosul despite Western reports characterizing American troops as leading the operation. Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'afari told Jaberi Ansari in Baghdad that "if it were not for Iran, Iraq would have been lost," the Akhbar al-Araq newspaper reported. Ties between the neighbors have improved since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003, years after they fought the 1980-88 bloody war. On Sunday, Reuters news agency said the military cooperation agreement signed between Iran and Iraq was set to raise concerns in Washington. Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani told Hiyali in Tehran that the Islamic Republic was determined to stand by Iraq in its reconstruction, "just as we stood by the Iraqi people and government in fighting terrorism." "We believe that all Iraqi ethnic groups should be present at the political and governmental scene and not allow enemies to intervene in determining their fate," the Iranian speaker said. Larijani said Iraq should not rest on laurels of its victory, citing a series of threats which were targeting the country's integrity. "Certain countries are after internal divisions and are raising the issue of Iraq's breakdown; they are certainly not your friends," he told Hiyali, referring to a referendum plan for the Iraqi Kurdistan's secession. "With the achievement of this victory in Mosul, you will not find complete peace and there are concerns that Israel is constantly looking for new scenarios," Larijani said. Moreover, "terrorist forces are constantly looking for ways to (expand their) influence, which is why it is very important to boost security and intelligence and we will continue to support you as a neighboring country and friend," he added. Hiyali said, "The Iraqi people and government will definitely never forget the support of those who did not leave them alone in this war, just as they will not forget those who sent Daesh to Iraq." The Iraqi minister further thanked Iran for "its brotherly and cordial cooperation," calling for the two countries to reinforce their relations, the IRNA news agency reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IS Fighters in Disarray in Iraq Due to Air Power, says US General By Jamie Dettmer July 24, 2017 Islamic State fighters in Iraq appear to be in disarray and are managing only sporadic counterattacks, after losing the months-long battle for the city of Mosul, says a top U.S. general. According to Gen. Andrew Croft, the highest ranking U.S. Air Force officer in Iraq, the jihadists are struggling to regroup with their fragmented forces, due to coalition air power restricting one of their past battlefield strengths, the ability to move rapidly and amass fighters. In 2015, IS demonstrated its mobility, enabling it to counter-punch and score episodic successes to establish a pattern of jihadist wins. After being ousted from Tikrit, the first substantial city lost by IS, the militants pulled off a series of battlefield counterattacks. They forced Iraqi government forces to abandon their positions in Ramadi, the provincial capital of Iraq's Anbar province, while launching a powerful attack more than 96 kilometers away on Syria's Palmyra, the desert town containing one of the world's most important ancient Roman heritage sites. Those days appear gone, although the terror group remains dangerous and retains strongholds in the Euphrates River Valley and other parts of Iraq. Croft and other U.S. commanders are not discounting the insurgency IS can still mount, but say air power has given the anti-IS coalition a significant battlefield advantage. Night and day tracking "The revolution in warfare has been our unmanned aircraft and the capability to see day and night," Croft told VOA in a Skype interview. "We can launch precision strikes in the middle of nowhere, where IS thinks it has a sanctuary and it really doesn't. We can track them in the desert, we can track them on the water and we can track them in open areas." Croft oversees the anti-IS coalition air war in Iraq. He characterized IS attacks now as "sporadic" and said the fighters appear to be "in disarray" with their units "fragmented." "We have sensors on the aircraft, all different variations of sensors; in the grand scheme of things, they are relatively inexpensive, so we can build a lot of them and we network them together. That networked warfare with precision sensors is a game-changer," he said. He cited a recent skirmish in which Islamic militants tried to cross the Tigris River near Mosul. "We could tell the IS fighters were really capable, the way they moved tactically on the ground, the way they avoided some of our capabilities; but, we were able to catch seven of the guys in a boat trying to get away from us at night and we were able to launch a precision airstrike." Croft says foreign fighters are among the IS forces. "One of the dynamics you see is that foreign fighters can't just blend in with civilians and go to an IDP camp. So the foreign fighters often move around in groups and they will often fight to the death." "They are essentially coming to Iraq and dying for nothing," he added. Human shields A jump in reported civilian deaths from U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, since campaigns to capture Raqqa, Syria and Mosul from IS started to escalate, has prompted alarm from Syrian opposition and international rights groups. Syrian political activists blame the coalition airstrikes for the deaths of at least 370 civilians, more than 100 of them women and children, last month in Syria. That's half of the 740 civilian deaths activists say they documented in June. Earlier this month, an Amnesty International report detailed the loss of civilian life in the battle for Mosul, documenting 400 civilian deaths between January and mid-May. While acknowledging IS fighters ruthlessly exploited noncombatants to use them as human shields, Amnesty faulted the coalition for using indiscriminate tactics. Croft rejects the allegation, saying the coalition has been restrained and striven to minimize civilian deaths. "We have had zero civilian casualties as a goal. Obviously, that's very difficult to achieve. We do things that are as discriminate as possible, as precise as possible and as proportional as possible." He adds, "IS will put snipers on a mosque or a school or use mortars and start firing at us knowing we will not strike those targets because it is a violation of the laws of armed conflict. So, what we will do is use an extremely precise bomb or rocket that has the ability to strike within feet with a very small amount of explosives on it in an attempt to try to neutralize that sniper." He says, "We use proportionality as a rule of thumb of whether it is even worth striking and sometimes we will not strike because we don't want to cause any undue damage or civilian casualties." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Okinawa Government Files New Lawsuit Over US Air Base Relocation Sputnik News 13:02 24.07.2017 The government of Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture filed yet another lawsuit in the Naha Regional Court, protesting against the relocation of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the city of Ginowan to Henoko district in the city of Nago, local media reported Monday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In December, the national government won a lawsuit against the prefectural government, forcing the latter to allow the move of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to the Henoko Bay in Nago. The construction works at the site resumed in April 2016, continuing to crush reefs despite the expiration of prefectural government's permission in March. According to the Kyodo news agency, the local government stressed in its appeal that the central government's approval of the construction works, which poses a threat to the destruction of reefs in the area, and without the permission of the Prefectural governor Onaga Takeshi, is illegal. The prefectural government also demands temporary halting of the construction works until the trial. According to the media outlet, the central government, on the other hand, insists that the prefecture's filing of the lawsuit is inconsistent with precedents and that there was no need for the permission of the prefectural governor. The plans to relocate the Futenma Airbase were formulated in the 1960s, but ever since then, the process has been put on halt several times. The base is currently located in a densely populated area in Okinawa's city of Ginowan. The government's plans to relocate the base to the less populated Henoko district of Nago in the northern part of Okinawa, to spare Ginowan's residents from the dangers of US military helicopters and aircraft. However, the inhabitants of the prefecture demand the complete removal of the US army facility from the prefecture. Okinawa occupies less than 1 percent of Japanese territory but hosts some 74 percent of the country's total US military presence. The US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma houses 25,800 US members of the armed forces along with 19,000 family members and civilians, according to the prefecture's figures. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Back from visit to Myanmar, independent UN rights expert says situation 'worsening' 24 July 2017 While no one expects an overnight transition to democracy in Myanmar, there has to be real progress on human rights, an independent United Nations expert today said, highlighting reported killings, tortures, and an "ongoing humanitarian crisis" for the Rohingya people and other minorities. In a statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee accused national authorities of "presiding over a worsening security and human rights situation" in the country. Ms. Lee said she catalogued a list of concerns during her 12 day visit to the country, which was held at the invitation of the Government, which also included the use of human shields by security forces and deaths in custody. "I am disappointed to see the tactics applied by the previous Government still being used," said Ms. Lee, who wrapped up her visit on 21 July. "We are told not to expect Myanmar to transition into a democracy overnight that it needs time and space," she continued. "But in the same way, Myanmar should not expect to have its close scrutiny removed or its special monitoring mechanisms dismantled overnight. This cannot happen until there is real and discernible progress on human rights." The independent expert also raised concern about the situation of the Rohingya people, and said that State protection and security extend "not only to the Rakhine but also the Muslim communities." 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. Ms. Lee said she was particularly dismayed to learn that the situation in northern Shan State was deteriorating, with reports of more conflict, alleged rights violations by security forces and armed groups, and inadequate assistance for civilians. "There have been numerous reports of killings, torture, even the use of human shields by the armed forces, allegedly in some cases accompanied by threats of further violence if incidents are reported," said Ms. Lee. The Special Rapporteur, who visited Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw as well as parts of Rakhine, Shan and Kayin States, said she had been "astonished" at Government attempts to limit her activities and movements. The Special Rapporteur also highlighted the confiscation of land to create so-called Special Economic Zones, where land has been confiscated but some farmers still have to pay tax on it. Ms. Lee will present a full report on her visit to the UN General Assembly in October 2017. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Explosion claims 26 lives in Pakistan's city of Lahore Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:18PM A powerful explosion has claimed the lives of at least 26 people and injured dozens more in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. The powerful explosion hit a bustling main road in the south of Lahore on Monday and blew out windows in nearby buildings. Haider Ashraf, deputy inspector general of Punjab police, said the explosion took place when a bomber on a motorcycle struck near police guarding a demolition site at Kot Lakhpat's vegetable market on the outskirts of Lahore., adding that "police were the target." He said the explosion killed at least 26 and injured 54 others, many of them police officers. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also said most of the casualties were police officers and some bystanders. Rana Sanaullah, the home minister of Punjab province, said anti-state elements who want to see instability in the country were behind the attack. "No matter what name they use, these terrorists are one but they cannot demoralize the Pakistani nation," said Sanaullah. The bombing was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, in a message sent to the media by its spokesman Muhammad Khurassani. In a statement, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and "directed for extending best possible medical treatment for the injured." Bomb blasts by militants are common in Pakistan, especially in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. However, attacks in Lahore have become less frequent recently. In early April, an attack on an army census team in Lahore killed at least six people and wounded 18 others. A city of around ten million people, Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province, is Pakistan's cultural hub. Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US in the so-called war on terror. Thousands more have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping across the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, EU Voice Concern About Proposed U.S. Sanctions RFE/RL July 24, 2017 Russia and the European Union are both expressing concern about proposed new U.S. sanctions against Moscow, focusing in particular on how they might affect joint energy projects. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman and EU officials spoke on July 24, a day after the White House said that President Donald Trump is open to new legislation that would slap fresh sanctions on Russia and limit his ability to ease or lift them by himself. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives reached agreement on the legislation last week, and the House could vote on it on July 26. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia is "working with our European partners on implementing a number of large-scale projects," when asked about the possible impact of the new U.S. sanctions on projects like Nord Stream 2. "It goes without saying that we and our European partners attach great importance to finishing these projects and we will work towards this," Peskov said in response to a question about the potential effects of sanctions on projects such as Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that is to carry Russian gas across the Baltic Sea to Europe. "That is why discussions about 'sanctions themes' -- which could potentially obstruct these projects -- are a cause of concern for us," he said. In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said that the EU is "activating all diplomatic channels to address these concerns [about] the U.S. measures with our U.S. counterparts." "For us, G7 unity regarding sanctions is of key importance, as...is respect of the implementation of the Minsk agreement," he said, referring to the Western-backed 2015 agreement on a cease-fire and steps to end the conflict between Russia-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. "So we in the European Union will have interest in this discussion and we expect these interests to be addressed by the...legislative process which is ongoing in the U.S.," Schinas told a news conference. The EU and the United States have imposed sanctions on Russia over its involvement in the war, which has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014, and over Russia's occupation and seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014. On July 23, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "We support where the legislation is now and will continue working with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved." Trump has repeatedly said he wants to improve ties with Moscow, triggering bipartisan concern in Congress that he could lift or ease sanctions against Russia. The bill would require Trump to send a report to Congress outlining why the administration wants to suspend or terminate any sanctions against Russia. Lawmakers would then have one month to decide whether to allow such a move. His refusal to do so would be likely to trigger political backlash in Washington, given the ongoing FBI and congressional investigations into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election and contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials. But two senior U.S. senators said on July 23 that the legislation is likely to pass the Senate with enough support to override a possible veto by Trump. With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels, Reuters, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia- european-union-sanctions-concerns-trump- ukraine/28635288.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Military Police Deployed to Monitor Syria Safe Zones By VOA News July 24, 2017 Russia has started to deploy military police to Syria to monitor a cease-fire in two newly established safe zones, Russian authorities said Monday. Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said Russian forces had set up checkpoints and monitoring posts around safe zones in southwest Syria and in Eastern Ghouta - a suburb of Damascus. In May, Russia, Iran, and Turkey approved a plan to establish four safe zones in Syria in an effort to de-escalate the six-year-old conflict. Under the plan, Syrian President Bashar Assad's military and air force will cease operations in the designated areas. About 2.5 million people live in the four zones. The cease-fire between Assad forces and Syrian rebels in Eastern Ghouta was negotiated Saturday under Egyptian mediation in Cairo. The Russian military said that the cease-fire agreement "fix[es] the borders of the de-escalation zone, locations, and authorities of the forces observing the de-escalation, as well as routes for delivery of humanitarian aid and free movement of the civilians," according to the Russian press agency TASS. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since 2011, when anti-government protests grew into a civil war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia creates military posts to monitor ceasefire in safe zone in Syria Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:12PM The Russian army says it has established military posts in order to monitor the ceasefire in a safe zone in the eastern suburbs of Syrian capital Damascus. Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, the head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Department, made the remarks in a press conference on Monday, saying Moscow had set up two check-points and four monitoring posts in the area known as the Eastern Ghouta district near Damascus. Rudskoi's comments came a week after the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Syrian army and the armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on the exact boundaries of the de-escalation zone. Back in early May, Iran, Russia and Turkey signed an agreement, proposed by Moscow, on creating four de-escalation zones in four areas in northern, central and southern Syria, where the most intense fighting is underway between the Syrian government and different militant outfits. The four safe regions are situated across eight of Syria's 14 provinces. The first zone includes the northwestern province of Idlib, the western province of Latakia, the west-central province of Hama, and the northern province of Aleppo. The second zone covers the northern parts of the central Homs Province. The third zone encompasses the Eastern Ghouta district near the capital Damascus, while the fourth zone includes southern Syria, particularly Dara'a and Quneitra provinces. The four zones are only safe for the so-called armed opposition factions and exclude the Takfiri terrorist groups of Daesh and the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front. Under the agreement, Syrian warplanes would halt sorties over designated areas across the war-torn country. Elsewhere in his remarks, Rudskoi said that since June 1, the Syria Arab Army had regained control over 150 kilometers of border with Iraq, and further restricted the capabilities of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in movement of its militants and arms. He added that during the previous two months some 20,000 square meters of the Arab country's territory had been liberated from the clutches of the terror group. "In the northeast of Aleppo province, in the area of the Euphrates River, the Syrian armed forces continue an offensive against the Daesh terrorists. At least 55 populated areas were liberated in the region since June 1," Rudskoi further said. Moscow launched its campaign against Daesh and other terror outfits in Syria at the Damascus government's request in September 2015. Its airstrikes have helped Syrian forces advance against militant groups fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad's government. Syria has been fighting different foreign-sponsored militant and terrorist groups since March 2011. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated last August that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address British General Says Victory In Raqqa Would Not Be End Of Fight Against Islamic State July 24, 2017 A top British general in the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria says a defeat of the militant group in Raqqa would not be the end of the fight. British Major General Rupert Jones told reporters on July 23 that the coalition will have "a great deal more" to do in Syria even after it pushes IS out of its Raqqa stronghold. The extremist group "is not defeated with the liberation of Raqqa," Jones said, pointing out that IS continues to put up resistance in Iraq after it was driven from its former stronghold there, the northern city of Mosul. "The liberation of Raqqa, as with the liberation of Mosul, is not the end," he said. "It's actually the start of the process." "We know as an international coalition there's still a great deal more to do here in Syria," said Jones, speaking in the town of Ain Issa, about 50 kilometers north of Raqqa. He praised the Arab-Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, saying the U.S.-backed fighters "have proved themselves to be a reliable counter-Daesh partner," using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Islamic State fighters captured large swathes of territory in 2014 from Syrian and Iraqi government forces. But U.S.-backed forces have driven the extremist group from much of their lands and are severely pressuring them in Raqqa. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Rudaw Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-raqqa-britain-us-arab- kurdish-islamic-state-coalition/28634367.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Forces Advancing on Key Town En Route to Deir ez-Zor Sputnik News 17:50 24.07.2017 The Syrian troops are successfully executing an offensive on a key town on a way to the city of Deir ez-Zor that is held by the government forces, the Russian military said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Syrian governmental forces are successfully advancing against the Daesh terror group (outlawed in Russia) in the direction of As Sukhnah, a key town en route to besieged government-held Deir ez-Zor, Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said Monday. "Currently, the offensive in the direction of As Sukhnah, a key settlement en route to Deir ez-Zor, is successfully developing," Rudskoy said. Rudskoy explained that the Syrian governmental forces had undertaken an offensive in the northwestern, eastern and southeastern directions from Palmyra. Terrorists were expelled from the strategically important settlement of Arak, Rudskoy noted. Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Restore Control Over 150km of Border With Iraq Sputnik News 15:40 24.07.2017(updated 18:13 24.07.2017) The Syrian Arab Army has restored control over 150km of border with Iraq, lowering Daesh capabilities in movement of militants and arms, the chief of the Russian General Staff said on Monday. Syrian government forces have successfully taken back control of a 150-kilometer (93 miles) stretch of Syria's border with Iraq, the Russian General Staff said Monday, adding that four border posts and 22 checkpoints have also been set up. "To date, control of the 150-kilometer stretch of the Syrian-Iraqi border has been restored. Four border posts and 22 checkpoints have been set up. This allowed to significantly reduce the capabilities of the IS [Islamic State] terrorist group [banned in Russia] to transfer militants and weapons from Iraq to Syria," chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said at a news briefing. Rudskoy stressed that the Syrian government troops also took control over 211 kilometers of the Syrian-Jordanian border in As-Suwayda and Damascus provinces. Moreover, some 20,000 square meters of the Syrian territory was freed from terrorists in past 2 months, which is 40 percent of whole liberated territory, chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said. Since June, the Syrian government forces have liberated from Daesh 55 towns in Aleppo province. "In the northeast of Aleppo province, in the area of the Euphrates River, the Syrian armed forces continue an offensive against the Daesh terrorists. At least 55 populated areas were liberated in the region since June 1," Rudskoy said. Earlier it was reported, thatSyrian Army regained control over the settlement of al-Dakhilah and the As-Sabhavi gas field, located about 18 miles south of Raqqa, Syrian military source told Sputnik. "The units of the Syrian Arab army regained control over the settlement of al-Dakhilah, the well of as-Sabhavi and the gas field of the same name in the southern vicinity of Raqqa. A large number of members of the IS terrorist group (Islamic State, banned in Russia) were eliminated," the source said. Retaken territories allow government troops to quickly reach the bank of the Euphrates River and continue the offensive in the direction of the so-called "Daesh capital". Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish president continues Persian Gulf tour to resolve Qatar crisis Iran Press TV Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:43AM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has traveled to Kuwait after visiting Saudi Arabia as part of a regional tour to help resolve a dispute among several Arab countries in the region. Erdogan and an accompanying delegation arrived in Kuwait City late on Sunday and were received at the airport by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Turkey's state Anadolu Agency said Erdogan held a meeting with the Kuwaiti Emir at Dar Salwa Palace, "which lasted an hour." But it did not disclose the details of the discussion or what the outcome of the meeting had been. Kuwait's news agency, KUNA, also did not reveal details. The Turkish president is touring regional countries in an attempt to resolve the dispute between four Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, on the one side and Qatar on the other. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt broke off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. They also suspended all land, air, and sea traffic with Qatar. Doha has denied the accusations and has refused to meet a list of demands forwarded to it by the boycotting countries. Kuwait has been mediating between the disputing parties. Unwelcome diplomacy? President Erdogan has previously said that his tour should not be taken as an effort at "mediation." But that only seems to be the purpose, even as he runs little chance of contributing to a resolution. Ankara is already perceived to be tilted toward one side of the dispute Qatar and Erdogan has upset the Saudi-led countries by making strong statements in favor of Doha. Soon after the diplomatic standoff erupted, Turkey also approved the dispatch of thousands of more troops to a base it maintains in Qatar in an apparent bid to signal to Doha that it would have its back should the dispute escalate into a military one. The boycotting countries were quietly displeased, and when they later issued the list of demands from Qatar, they included one that asked Doha to close the Turkish military base permanently. On Sunday, Erdogan was in Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. No details were available about the potential outcome of those meetings, either. Erdogan is due in Qatar on Monday. A European mediator Meanwhile, the European Union (EU)'s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has traveled to Kuwait to also mediate between the feuding sides. High Representative Mogherini visited Kuwait on Sunday. She held talks with the Kuwaiti emir and other officials, praising the country's mediation efforts in the dispute with Qatar. She also said that the crisis "should be resolved through dialogue and without delay," according to an account of the trip provided on the website of the EU's External Service. Mogherini "called on all the parties to enter into negotiations to agree clear principles and a roadmap for a swift resolution of the crisis." She said the crisis would be more damaging both to the disputing parties and to the "stability of our common neighborhood" the longer it lasted. The United States, too, has previously attempted to mediate but has failed to prompt a breakthrough in what the Arab countries themselves say is a dispute unlikely to be resolved any time soon. Probing the blockade In a related development, a Brussels-based human rights group has called for an end to the Saudi-led siege on Qatar. The Alliance for Freedom and Dignity (AFD) said on Sunday that the blockade was impacting ordinary Qatari citizens. A 16-member delegation from the AFD has traveled to Qatar to "investigate and document" the impacts of the siege on Qatari citizens, according to Al Jazeera. It has been meeting with those affected by the restrictions to probe the matter. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish Opposition Leader Calls Ankara's Meddling in Syrian Conflict a Mistake Sputnik News 18:49 24.07.2017(updated 18:56 24.07.2017) The leader of the largest opposition political party in Turkey sharply criticized Ankara's foreign policy, especially regarding the Syrian conflict and the Qatari diplomatic crisis. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), which is the main opposition party in the Turkish Parliament, told Sputnik Turkiye during an exclusive interview that his country currently has serious problems in relations with many countries. "Rather than conducting a reliable and consistent foreign policy, the authorities base their strategy on hostility and pressure, which leads to tensions in relations with everyone Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Libya and even with the EU," he explained. According to Kilicdaroglu, the CHP intends to help forge peaceful relations with all of Turkey's neighbors. "We do not intend to meddle in the Arab world's internal problems in the Middle East. We do not seek to directly participate in a regional conflict or to become a part of it our goal is to play a key role in its resolution," he said. The politician also added that the CHP seeks to implement all necessary steps to ensure Turkey's democratization because "Turkish people should not content themselves with merely a third-rate democracy, with its sham." "Sending weapons to the Jabhat an-Nusra (al-Nusra Front) group in Syria, meddling in that country's internal affairs and encouraging bloodshed there this is simply unacceptable. I said it before and I keep saying it now: what problems do we have in relations with Syria? Why do we meddle in its internal affairs? What national interests might Turkey have there?" Kilicdaroglu said. He pointed out that the Turkish Middle Eastern policy resulted in serious losses for Ankara. "Only recently Daesh terrorists executed 200 more Turkmen. Civilians had to flee their homes and seek shelter in other parts of Syria and abroad. There is a similar situation in Iraq as well. All those people were doing well for themselves before; they were acting as a sort of bridge between Turkey and Syria. There could've been a very positive development in relations, but unfortunately we scrapped it," the politician lamented. Kilicdaroglu also took a dim view of Ankara's decision to deploy military personal to Qatar amid the diplomatic crisis in the region. "We immediately regarded it as a wrong move because it made Turkey a direct participant of a conflict that should be resolved by Arab states. By moving against the entire Arab world, Turkey became a country that further escalates the crisis," Kilicdaroglu said. He also added that the fact that Qatar moved to cover the expenses related to the Turkish military deployment worries him because it looks like Ankara essentially rents its troops to Doha. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship UK Armed Forces Face 'Very Dangerous Crisis' as Troop Numbers Fall Below 80,000 Sputnik News 18:25 24.07.2017(updated 18:26 24.07.2017) UK army personnel statistics show the number of fully trained soldiers has dropped below a previous "trained strength" target of 82,000 to 78,010 a shortfall of 3,990 fully trained troops, and the lowest total since the 18th century and critics say the country's military faces a "potentially very, very dangerous crisis" as a result. The figures were published July 21 as parliament closed for summer, potentially as a way of "burying bad news." On top of the drop below a previous "cast iron" minimum, the number of people leaving the part-time Army Reserve (previously the Territorial Army) increased by 20 percent between June 1, 2016 and June 1, 2017 while intake simultaneously fell 18 percent. The figures raise serious questions about the UK government's aim to boost reserve figures to 30,000 by 2020, a figure fundamental to future armed forces planning since 2012, when then-Defense Secretary Philip Hammond announced cuts of 20,000 to full-time soldier numbers. There are even suggestions the figures could covertly underplay the true scale of the forces' sizes, as the government has redefined the term "trained soldiers" to allow many reservists to be counted in the forces' "trained strength" numbers. Whereas previously soldiers had to complete both basic training and more advanced training to be counted among the "trained strength" numbers, now they need only to have completed basic training. While the Ministry of Defense is adamant the amendment was enacted to maximize the force available in the UK, rather than manipulate statistics, the alteration meant the "trained strength" of the Army Reserves rose 2,440 in the space of a single month, from 23,750 in September 2016 to 26,190 in October 2016. The creative accounting allows the "trained strength" of the regular army to stand at 82,210, just meeting the 82,000 target set in 2012. Under the old definition of "trained strength," the number would stand at 78,010, but according to both measures, the number of trained troops is falling. While there were 83,260 soldiers with at least basic training in January, there are now 82,210. The number of fully trained troops has fallen consistently from 82,230 in April 2015 to 79,750 in April 2016, to 78,010 as of June an overall loss of over 4,000 fully-trained soldiers in the space of around two years. In the Army Reserves, there are 26,730 "trained" troops, just meeting a target of having 26,700 trained reservists by April. Ever since Hammond's cutting drive, critics have suggested such projections which would entail a boost in recruitment by 58 percent were fantastical. In June 2015, the independent Major Projects Authority gave the plan a "red" rating, denoting a scheme that was unachievable. Speaking to the mainstream media, Colonel Richard Kemp, who headed British forces in Afghanistan in 2003, said he was "extremely worried" by the figures, and blamed the government for "betraying" the country's "very high caliber" military. "It is a very dangerous economy to make. The current size of the Armed Forces is the most worrying I have ever known it to be. We are facing an increasing threat, while reducing our capacity to deal with it. It doesn't take a genius to see we, as a country, are in a very dangerous situation now. The level of instability around the world is increasing daily. We are denying ourselves the ability to protect ourselves or to deter those who pose very serious potential threats to us. We will pay for this in the end, as we did in the 1930s," he said. The figures will surely add further pressure on the government to boost spending and recruitment numbers. On July 19, Conservative MP Bob Stewart, a former United Nations commander, described the size of the UK's armed forces as "laughable" and "disgraceful" at a Westminster Hall debate, and called on ministers to exceed the NATO target of spending two percent of GDP on defense. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kremlin Comments on Claims of Russian Reinforcements Near Ukrainian Border Sputnik News 15:34 24.07.2017 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Monday on the Ukrainian military's claims of Russian reinforcements near its borders. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia is free to change the configuration of its Armed Forces within its territory as it sees fit, Peskov said Monday in response to the reports. "Russia, first of all, is free to change the configuration of the armed forces on its territory in accordance with the degree to which it is deemed appropriate," Peskov told reporters. He referred further comment to the Russian Defense Ministry. Kiev entered into deadly armed confrontation with Donbass militia in 2014, after the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government that came to power in what they perceive to be a coup. The sides to the conflict continue to exchange fire, despite the ceasefire deal that reached in Minsk in February 2015. The peace deal was brokered by the so-called Normandy Four (Normandy Quartet) that comprises Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Heron secures complete A$240 million funding package 1 for development of its Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project for development of its Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project Heron to be fully funded through construction and ramp-up at Woodlawn US$60 million 2 senior secured loan facility, US$16 million silver stream prepayment and A$29 million 3 equity investment from Orion Mine Finance senior secured loan facility, US$16 million silver stream prepayment and A$29 million equity investment from Orion Mine Finance A$32 million raised from new and existing investors in oversubscribed placement Up to A$5 million Share Purchase Plan to allow eligible existing retail shareholder participation Transaction is subject to various conditions precedent including Heron shareholder approval and Castlelake FIRB approval Herons Independent Directors unanimously recommend shareholders vote in favour of all resolutions at a planned General Meeting on 17 August 2017 Heron to commence construction works immediately with first production targeted during late 2018 Sydney, July 25, 2017 - Heron Resources Ltd. (Heron or the Company) (ASX:HRR TSX:HER) is pleased to advise that a Financial News Network interview with Herons Managing Director, Mr. Wayne Taylor, covering the recent Woodlawn Project financing package is now available on the Heron website. The interview can be accessed at www.heronresources.com.auHighlights: -------------------------------------------------- 1 Assumes full take-up of the A$5 million SPP and exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.76 2 Plus interest capitalised during a 15 month period from first drawdown 3 Assumes exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.76 ----------------------------------------------- Finance News Network interview: Jessica Amir: Hello Im Jessica Amir for the Finance News Network. Joining me from Heron Resources Ltd. (ASX:HRR/TSX:HER) is Managing Director and CEO, Wayne Taylor. Wayne welcome to Finance News Network. Wayne Taylor: Thank you Jessica. Jessica Amir: First up Wayne, can you give us an introduction to Heron Resources? Wayne Taylor: Heron is a resource company with a project, the Woodlawn project, which is zinc-copper located in New South Wales. The project, high-grade polymetallic project principal commodities are zinc-copper, but also appreciable lead, silver and gold. Current market caps around $32 million. Jessica Amir: Youre seeking a shareholder approval for a $240 million funding package. What does it contain? Wayne Taylor: It contains both debt and equity. In the debt we have two components, a $USD60 million senior secured loan and a $USD16 million silver pre-payment. On the equity side we have cornerstone investments to the tune of $AUD104 million, a private placement to the tune of $AUD31 million and a $5 million share purchase plan. Jessica Amir: What does the proposed funding package mean for the project and existing shareholders? Wayne Taylor: The proposed funding package provides us with full project funding, through construction, through commissioning and through into full production. So this is realising a goal that weve set out for ourselves three years ago, when we merged with TriAusMin Limited (ASX:TRO/TSX:TOR). So the shareholders are seeing us bring to fruition what was outlined some years ago. Jessica Amir: And youve already got some private equity providers. So whos supporting the project? Wayne Taylor: We have three, Greenstone whos currently our largest shareholder. Between Greenstone and their partners, theyll be contributing around $42 million. We have Orion Mine Finance with their debt, silver and equity components, contributing about $130 million. And then we have Castlelake, a more diverse fund and theyll be contributing around $33 million. Jessica Amir: And of course, whats the Board recommending? Wayne Taylor: The Board is recommending that all shareholders support all resolutions, to give effect to the funding package and allow us to start construction immediately. Jessica Amir: Now to the Woodlawn project in a little bit more detail. Can you tell us about the timeline, the resource and the economics? Wayne Taylor: Woodlawn is a project that consists of two production sources. We have the high-grade underground, around 6.5 million tonnes in resources, which through our conversion process, produces about 2.8 million tonnes of reserves. It is what we consider a starter case on the underground, given that all weve done is outlined enough to get the project financed, at this point in time. The other production source is the tailings. We have 11 million tonnes in resources there, around about six per cent zinc equivalent, about 9.5 million tonnes reports to reserves. That will be processed through a single process plant to produce zinc, lead and copper concentrates with some precious metal credits. In terms of the economics, weve produced a feasibility study around 12 months ago. That generated 9.3-year mine life on reserves only, over $400 million in post-tax free cash and an IRR post-tax of 32 per cent. A cost base, which should see us in the lower half of the producer cost curve. From a revenue perspective, around 52 per cent of our revenue from zinc, 23 from copper, 15 from lead and around 10 from the precious metals. Looking at the timeline, we expect to be into production at the tail end of 2018/early 2019, which is a good time in terms of delivery of zinc into the marketplace at the moment. Jessica Amir: A more general question now Wayne. Can you tell us about your outlook for copper and zinc prices and what type of interest youve had from offtake partners, say commodity traders? Wayne Taylor: Zinc is the strongest in terms of supply demand fundamentals in the base metal complex. There is a shortage of supply at the moment and thats been driven by a lack of investment in zinc mines, for quite a number of years. And for that reason with consumption growing, weve got a gap and that is drawing on stocks, and giving good support to the price. We do expect that to continue for the short to medium term and thats a part of the market that we want to go and enjoy being in. Copper, probably not quite as strong fundamentally at the moment, but in the medium to long-term its still looking very, very good, driven by everything thats electric. And we see that being a good space to be involved in, as Woodlawn progresses. Offtake, weve signed up an agreement with Louis Dreyfus Metals Company after a very competitive process, with quite a number of off takers. And it just showed that there is a shortage of material. The terms weve got are very attractive and were very pleased with that result. Jessica Amir: Last question now Wayne. Whats your goal for the next 12 months and whats your long-term ambition for the company? Wayne Taylor: Our objectives for the next 12 months are very clear. Weve got the construction of Woodlawn to see through and get that into production. Beyond that we have a great portfolio of projects or tenements around Woodlawn, where we can see some more organic growth coming from. And once weve got Woodlawn bedded down, well then were quite happy to look beyond that. Probably of note, we cleaned up our project portfolio earlier this year, through the spinout of our non-Woodlawn assets into Ardea Resources Ltd. (ASX:ARL), which became an IPO listing in February, so we were able to return, through an in species distribution, shares to our shareholders. That means that were now able to fully focus our time and effort on Woodlawn. Jessica Amir: Wayne Taylor, thanks so much for the update and good luck with the funding proposal. Wayne Taylor: Thank you Jessica. ENDS About Heron Resources Limited Herons primary focus is the development of its 100% owned, high grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This report contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this report. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this report is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this report. For further information regarding Heron please visit www.heronresources.com.au or contact: Heron Resources, Mr Wayne Taylor Managing Director and CEO Heron Resources Ltd. Tel: +61 2 9119 8111 Email: heron@heronresources.com.au Heron (Canada) Tel: +1 647-862-1157(Toronto) VANCOUVER, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: MRZ, "Mirasol") is pleased to report that the Company has expanded its claims holdings at the Odin copper project in the prolific Oligocene age copper belt of northern Chile from 900 ha to over 5,660 ha securing significant extensions to the district scale alteration system previously reported at the project. The Odin project is located (figure 1) 35 km north of BHP's giant La Escondida copper mine giving Odin key operational advantages in infrastructure and access. Odin is localised at the intersection of the Domeyko fault system, a continental scale structure that has influenced emplacement of a number of giant Oligocene age porphyry deposits in Chile and parallel structures to the trans-orogen Archibarca structure. This structural setting is analogous to that of the nearby Escondida copper district. Stephen Nano, Mirasol's CEO commented: "Mirasol now controls a significant claims package at Odin, an area that hosts a compelling conceptual porphyry Cu target, along trend for one of the world's premier copper mines. Early exploration results have increased the prospectivity of the project and suggest the potential to develop further targets at the property." Odin is centred on a large alteration system that is evident from the Companys Landsat 8 alteration processing (figure 2). Field follow-up with ground based alteration mineralogy measurements and geochemical sampling has defined a previously untested conceptual porphyry target (see news release March 2, 2017) concealed beneath a geochemically barren alteration lithocap at Odin. Recent staking of new claims has significantly expanded the area of alteration controlled by Mirasol at the Odin project from the original 2.6 to 6.5 sq kms. Systematic field exploration will determine if the recently staked claims could potentially host additional porphyry copper targets. Mirasol has expanded reconnaissance rock chip sampling outward from the original Odin target into the new claims. Initial results have returned encouraging Cu + Mo + Au assays (figure 3) from narrow structures that may vector toward new conceptual targets at the project. Detailed analysis of the satellite base alteration processing suggests zoning patterns that could indicate higher temperature centres within the larger alteration system. These areas will be the focus of future exploration. The Odin Project was staked as part of Mirasol's Chilean copper strategy aimed at building a portfolio of high quality copper projects in the world class northern Chile copper belt. Mirasol has received strong interest in Odin and the recently announced porphyry targets at Rubi project adjacent to the Giant El Salvador copper district. Mirasol is actively seeking joint venture partners to drill test and develop these projects. Corporate Rebranding Mirasol is pleased to announce the launch of its new website and corporate branding. To follow the Odin story, please visit www.mirasolresources.com Stephen Nano, President and CEO of Mirasol, has approved the technical content of this news release and is a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101. Quality Assurance/Quality Control of the Odin exploration program: All exploration on the project was supervised by Mirasol CEO Stephen C. Nano, who is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mirasol applies industry standard exploration sampling methodologies and techniques. All geochemical rock and drill samples are collected under the supervision of the company's geologists in accordance with industry practice. Geochemical assays are obtained and reported under a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Samples are dispatched to an ISO 9001:2008 accredited laboratory in Chile for analysis. Assay results from surface rock, channel, trench, and drill core samples may be higher, lower or similar to results obtained from surface samples due to surficial oxidation and enrichment processes or due to natural geological grade variations in the primary mineralization. Forward Looking Statements: The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding future exploration programs, operation plans, geological interpretations, mineral tenure issues and mineral recovery processes. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Mirasol disclaims any obligations to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable 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. SOURCE Mirasol Resources Ltd. Government has an IT gap. Large cities and counties, able to afford the digital infrastructure, platforms and software applications that the public sector increasingly relies on to deliver services, are pulling ahead of smaller cities and towns that get by with servers in closets, out-of-date software and virtually no cybersecurity protection. The problem is widespread and can be found in every state where the urban-rural divide is acute.Take Michigan, which has nearly 1,300 municipalities. The smaller jurisdictions there are struggling to keep up with the latest technological advances: Most are lucky if they have a single employee designated to handle IT, and almost all lack the money.In Michigan, local governments are limited constitutionally on how much they can raise property taxes, restricting one of the few sources of revenue for cities and towns. Making matters worse, the state is returning less money to local governments through revenue-sharing payments -- $1.2 billion in 2016, down from nearly $1.6 billion in 2001. It adds up overall to fewer dollars to cover government operations, which means skimping on quality IT.A 2015 survey of 200 small local governments in Washington state by the nonprofit Municipal Research and Services Center found that a majority of respondents didnt have any staff members dedicated to IT, let alone IT security. While it pertains to just one state, the numbers reflect what is happening more broadly.To Phil Bertolini, CIO of Oakland County, Mich., these are big problems. When you are managing IT with such limited resources, he says, to have a breach to a critical system, such as local tax collection, could really cost you.Oakland County, with a population of 1.2 million people and an annual IT budget of $55 million, has the IT resources that most local governments in Michigan lack. And Bertolini wants to share them. The small towns in Michigan dont have the resources or the money, but we are large and have the capabilities, he says. I look at assisting the smaller governments as part of our mission.That philosophy has been turned into a unique service known as the G2G Marketplace -- part expert advice, part technology transfer and part helping hand -- that is aiding more than 100 government entities both in Oakland County and in the rest of the state. Starting modestly in 2011 to provide small governments transactional e-commerce assistance, the county has expanded its offerings to include cloud computing, online workforce management services and security tools. Local governments arent charged anything to participate. Instead, Oakland takes a share of any access fee a city or town might charge for a service that takes place over the countys computers.The G2G Marketplace is appealing to small municipalities because theyre dealing with another government that understands their business and their needs. They know we arent trying to sell them something they dont need, says Bertolini, and we are not trying to make a profit out of this.A handful of counties in Florida, Maryland and Virginia are also providing IT support and services to the smaller cities and towns in their jurisdictions. But Bertolini says the idea has been slow to spread. He explains that some vendors arent happy with the competition, with the fact that a government is offering IT services at a lower cost. This is unique, he adds. Some large governments are too consumed with their own problems to venture out and help smaller governments. You have to really want to do this. You have to be passionate about this idea of helping smaller governments. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has summoned lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session Wednesday after Democrats who control the General Assembly did not meet his noon Monday deadline to send him an education funding formula bill crucial to getting state money distributed for the upcoming school year.With an income tax hike and budget already approved over Rauner's objections at the start of the month, the schools measure is the biggest remaining flashpoint between the governor and lawmakers. So far, the two sides can't even agree on how to return to the negotiating table, as the finger-pointing and blame game that marked a record stalemate continues.Lawmakers passed a bill at the end of May rewriting how the state divides school money. Rauner quickly threatened to veto it, and Democratic leaders put a hold on it in the hopes of working out a compromise.During the past week, Rauner repeatedly demanded that lawmakers release it so he could use his veto pen to rewrite the bill, which he calls a bailout for Chicago Public Schools. On Friday, the governor warned he'd call a special session if the bill wasn't on his desk by midday Monday.Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, whose chamber is holding onto the bill, has pushed for a meeting between Rauner and legislative leaders."We slowed down the process in the Senate in order to let everyone blow off some steam, politically speaking," Cullerton said in a statement issued before the governor's special session call went out. "Six weeks later, the governor's temper continues to flare. I don't want him making statewide classroom funding decisions out of a position of anger. I'd like the opportunity to make sure he knows what is in the proposal from the people who wrote it so he can make a rational decision."Rauner said he is eager to ink his rewrite to the legislation and accused Democrats of "playing political games with our children's education.""There is no legitimate reason, none, for (Senate Bill 1) not to be on my desk," Rauner said during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop. "How many bills have they sent to my desk that I was going to veto? That doesn't stop them."A couple of hours after the news conference, Rauner issued special session proclamations covering Wednesday through Friday and the following Monday.While the move allows Rauner to look like he's pressing for a resolution, lawmakers were going to be headed back to the Capitol anyway to deal once the governor vetoed the bill.The special session speeds up their return, and time is a factor in this fight, as the first round of general state aid payments are due to schools by Aug. 10. Missing that payment won't necessarily keep schools from opening their doors for the new school year -- most districts have reserves on hand that could keep operations going for at least a few weeks or months -- but it would certainly ratchet up pressure for a deal.What happens in the special session depends on whether lawmakers send Rauner the bill. If they do, and if he uses his amendatory veto powers to rework the measure, it would take three-fifths of lawmakers to override him. That would require Republicans to split with their governor like they did in passing a tax hike and budget, and it remains to be seen whether enough Republicans would join Democrats on the school funding bill.Lawmakers and the governor also could ditch the current legislation and come up with a new bill. So far, neither side has publicly indicated an interest in that approach.At issue are provisions in the education funding formula legislation that provide extra dollars to CPS, the only school district in Illinois that has to cover the costs of its teacher pension system. Democrats have made several attempts in recent years to give more money to the city school district, while Rauner has tried to leverage the issue for his other legislative aims.The measure on hold in the Senate bases the way school dollars are doled out on a new "evidence-based" approach, which both sides agree is the best way to distribute dollars equitably. Both sides also agree that no school district should lose money as a result of the change, meaning that the formula should be used only on "new" dollars set aside for education above the amounts that were sent out last school year. That's where the agreement stops.Democrats say that CPS, which receives about $250 million in extra grant money each year, should be able to keep it as part of its funding base. Additionally, they say the district should receive about $215 million extra to help cover the cost of its teacher pensions. The state picks up those costs for suburban and downstate teachers.Republicans counter that CPS has been getting a special deal -- the $250 million in extra grant money -- that makes up for the lack of state pension funds. And the GOP contends the district's financial troubles, particularly its pension debt, are the result of CPS leaders skipping pension payments for more than a decade.The extra pension money was baked into the Democratic bill, and that's what's in Rauner's sights. The governor argued Monday that the measure "diverts money from the rest of the state and the suburbs to Chicago."Under the Democrats' bill, however, every school district would start with the same amount of funding it received last year. In addition, each would get a portion of the additional $350 million in education funding that was enacted as part of the budget and tax increase that Rauner opposed. CPS would receive about $71 million of that money, as well as the $215 million to help cover its pension costs.Rauner said Monday he wants to take that CPS pension money and spread it around to other districts. How he would do that is unclear. A spreadsheet posted online by the governor's office shows that Rauner's proposal would take about $145 million from what CPS would receive under the bill and distribute the money to other districts around the state. Neither Rauner nor his education secretary, Beth Purvis, would say how they arrived at that number, however."I need it on my desk and you will see," Rauner said when asked if he planned to slash CPS special grant dollars in addition to pension money.Purvis told the Tribune that the administration is "not going to issue the specifics of the (amendatory veto) until the bill is on his desk."As the governor tries to build support, a re-election-seeking Rauner spent the past week visiting rural schools, where he's promised extra money to their districts if lawmakers approve his changes.As Rauner talked policy Monday, the Illinois Republican Party he subsidizes launched digital ads blasting Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for "holding schools hostage."Asked to respond to Rauner's special session call, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he had "no response."In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the governor should approve the bill as-is, calling it an historic opportunity to "fund education equitably and fairly and treat all children, regardless of income or regardless of race, fairly across the state."The mayor also said he discussed CPS funding during a City Hall meeting with Madigan and Cullerton, but declined to say whether they were working on a plan on how to proceed if the governor vetoes the bill."We talked about making sure, and I want to be very clear, the children of the city of Chicago will be in school at the start of the school year, and they will be in school with a full school day and a full school year, because that's where they belong," Emanuel said. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of churches' free speech. The case had nothing to do with panhandling, but it set a new legal precedent that's now being used to take down panhandling laws in cities across the country.In Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona, the court ruled that government regulations curtailing free speech have to be as narrow as possible and must fulfill a compelling government interest. At issue was a town ordinance that restricted where signs for religious services could be displayed. But the decision, which applies to any local rules that limit certain types of speech, has caught some cities by surprise."It's an unanticipated consequence," says Joshua Cox, chief counsel with the city attorney's office in Columbus, Ohio, where police recently announced they would stop enforcing a ban on aggressive panhandling. Cox remembers reading about the Reed case: You dont typically look at a graphics case and think, I wonder if this affects our panhandling ordinance.The ACLU and other civil liberties groups had long argued that it was unconstitutional for municipalities to prohibit people from begging for money in public spaces. The Reed decision,which some legal experts say is a game changer, strengthened their argument.Within two months of the decision, a federal appeals court deemed a panhandling ban in Springfield, Ill., unconstitutional. In the past two years, federal courts have also struck down panhandling laws in Grand Junction, Colo.; Tampa, Fla.; Portland, Maine; and Worcester and Lowell, Mass. In Ohio alone, lawsuits brought by the ACLU have led Akron, Cleveland and Toledo to repeal all or parts of their panhandling bans.Most cities have some kind of ban on panhandling. Last year, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found that 61 percent of 186 cities had laws banning begging in particular public places, such as commercial or tourist districts. The same report found that such laws in those cities had become more common over the past decade.City councils often enact these bans in response to complaints from local businesses that say panhandlers scare away their customers. Though cities typically already have laws on the books to address disorderly conduct and threats of violence, councils justify panhandling bans as a further way to protect people from feeling unsafe.That goes too far, says Elizabeth Bonham, staff attorney for the ACLU of Ohio."Cities cant curb free speech because begging makes people uncomfortable, she says. There is no constitutional right to not feeling bothered by confronting homelessness and poverty."While some civil liberties groups argue the bans have always violated free speech rights, some say municipalities believed they were following the law.This is not one of these situations where the states and cities have been doing something wrong all along, says Michael Mosley, a staff attorney with the Arkansas Municipal League who is helping two cities rewrite their panhandling laws. You've got to take a fresh look after a Supreme Court decision. That's what's going on here.As part of negotiations with the ACLU, the towns of Rogers and Hot Springs, Ark., plan to limit their bans on public begging to dangerous situations, such as approaching a vehicle at an intersection.The way we view it is," he says, "its a public health and safety issue, keeping people out of the streets."He argues that the language in the previous bans adhered to the consensus view -- at the time -- of how certain types of speech could be regulated. In fact, federal courts had upheld several panhandling bans before the Reed case and then reversed their decisions based on the new legal precedent.Instead of criminalizing panhandling, homeless advocates say cities should invest in housing and employment programs to bring panhandlers out of poverty.I hope [the panhandling bans] are replaced by more constructive approaches to begging," says Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.Her group helped launch Housing Not Handcuffs, a campaign that seeks broadly to stop the institutional practice of criminalizing homelessness by making it illegal for people to sit, sleep, and even eat in public places, even in the absence of adequate alternatives.Foscarinis also points to a program launched in 2015 in Albuquerque, N.M., as an innovative way of dealing with panhandlers: The city offers panhandlers day jobs doing work for the public works department. Chicago and Portland, Maine, have already copied the idea.The issues that cities are concerned about -- about public space, about people, about visible poverty -- these are not unreasonable concerns," says Foscarinis. "But the issue is, what do you do about them? Natalie previously covered immigrant communities and environmental justice as a bilingual reporter at CityLab and CityLab Latino. She hails from the Los Angeles area and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in English literature. Becoming a law enforcement officer in South Carolina will require psychological testing under a new requirement aimed at weeding out people not suitable for the job.The board that oversees the state's Criminal Justice Academy voted unanimously last week to mandate the screening for all aspiring officers. Starting Jan. 1, all law enforcement agencies' potential new hires must bring proof of the testing to enroll for training."In the environment we're policing in today, with the scrutiny of law enforcement, obviously this is more important than ever," said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, chairman of the Law Enforcement Training Council.Psychological screening is already a standard part of the hiring process for the 59 agencies in South Carolina that are either state or nationally accredited, said the academy's director, Jackie Swindler. But there are nearly 300 law enforcement agencies statewide.Lawmakers provided $550,400 for the tests in the budget that took effect July 1, as the council requested.That will be used to reimburse agencies, up to $300 per screening, Swindler said. Starting in November, Hawaii residents statewide will hear an air raid warning siren test that's not been heard since the Cold War: a wailing alert that potentially would be used to warn of a North Korean missile attack.The new tone -- which differs from the more familiar "attention alert" steady sound for threats such as hurricanes and tsunamis -- is part of a new state preparedness and information campaign aimed at addressing the growing North Korean threat.That threat level -- potentially delivering the destructive force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 -- has ushered back some 1950s-era practices that would be almost pointless with the megaton yields and multiple warheads of today's Russian and Chinese nuclear weapons.Elements of the plan were detailed Friday by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, which is attempting to walk a fine line between preparing the state for the unlikely event of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile attack and not causing unnecessary alarm in a state dependent on tourism."We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public; however, we have a responsibility to plan for all hazards. We don't know the exact capabilities or intentions of the North Korean government, but there is clear evidence that it is trying to develop ballistic missiles that could conceivably one day reach our state. Therefore, we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what to do if such an event occurs," Vern Miyagi, HEMA administrator, said in a media release Thursday.Miyagi said Friday in an interview that "the question comes up: Why now?" with the preparedness plan, given that the threat level is low. However, Hawaii residents repeatedly ask, "What is Hawaii doing?" Miyagi said.Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, a state Department of Defense spokesman, said, "We've been told that every single town hall that (Gov. David Ige) holds, the question comes up about what Hawaii is doing" about North Korea's capabilities.The wailing siren that will be tested in November actually harks back to World War II air raid sirens used in Hawaii, said Toby Clairmont, HEMA's executive officer."That capability has been in our state for all these years, but we haven't had to use it," Clairmont said. The air raid siren will be tested to see how well it is differentiated from the regular "attention alert" tone."So we need to start getting people thinking about this, because we are going to be triggering these sirens in November," Clairmont said. Both alerts will be broadcast on the same system of about 400 sirens during the regularly monthly test, the agency said.State officials are postulating a possible 15-kiloton North Korean nuclear device detonated 1,000 feet above Honolulu, which would be survivable for the vast majority of the state's residents. For comparison, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 also was 15 kilotons.The state plans to run public service announcements starting in September and provide other information that stresses immediately seeking shelter in a building, preferably with thick concrete, in an attack.Hawaii would have just 20 minutes from launch of a North Korean ICBM until impact. About five minutes would be needed for U.S. Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith to characterize the launch, Clairmont said. The command would then call over to what's known as the "state warning point" at HEMA's underground Birkhimer tunnel at Diamond Head, which is manned around the clock.That would leave 12 to 15 minutes to warn the public.New guidance on HEMA's website advises to "get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned" to local AM-FM broadcasts."Surviving the immediate effects of a nuclear detonation (blast, shock, thermal radiation, initial nuclear radiation) requires sheltering in resistant structures," the guidance states.Schools already practice for "active shooter" scenarios, and those drills, including moving children to the center of the building and locking doors, provide double duty for nuclear preparedness, officials said.A nuclear device results in two sources of radiation, including high-dose gamma radiation emitted from the detonation, and fallout from debris that carries radiation into the sky that then rains down, Clairmont said.Structures miles from the blast hypocenter can provide varying degrees of protection, with thick concrete -- such as in high-rises and parking structures -- providing more protection.The Hawaii Tourism Authority raised concerns about the preparedness campaign, given the threat level is deemed low."From the governor's office, it's extremely important to say that Hawaii is open for business. We're still the best destination for visitors," said Maj. Gen. Arthur "Joe" Logan, who directs the state Department of Defense. "This is just another hazard that we're preparing for. We don't want to scare anybody and say, 'Don't come to Hawaii.'"With the collapse of the Soviet Union, ICBMs came off Hawaii's threat list of mostly natural hazards in the late 1990s. With North Korea's advances, such missiles are returning as a concern. It is illegal for offices to hold people based solely on their immigration status, the highest court in Massachusetts said in a ruling released Monday.The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was asked to consider if court officers have the authority to arrest an individual at the request of federal immigration officials."Massachusetts law provides no authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a Federal civil immigration detainer, beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from state custody," states the ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.The ruling was part of an appeal on behalf of Sreynuon Lunn, a man brought to the U.S. as an infant by Cambodian parents fleeing the Khmer Rouge.Now in his 30s, Lunn was arrested in Boston last October on a charge of unarmed robbery.The day before his arraignment, homeland security officers issued a civil immigration detainer against him, requesting he be held in custody. Bail was set at $1,500 and Lunn was committed to the custody of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office in lieu of bail.Four months later, the criminal charge was dismissed by a Suffolk Superior Court judge citing a lack of prosecution.After the charge was dismissed, he was held by court officers at Boston Municipal Court at the request of a Federal immigration officer then taken into federal custody.Immigrants in the United States without proper documentation are subject to deportation for numerous reasons, including but not limited to: if they commit a crime, if they represent a security or foreign policy threat and if they illegally vote.As the charge was dropped, there was no criminal reason to hold Lunn for federal immigration officials, according to the court.Lunn's case was remanded to Suffolk County Court for dismissal. Photo via NAVYA The autonomous vehicle automaker NAVYA announced it will locate its first U.S. plant in Saline, Mich., and plans to build approximately 25 of its ARMA fully autonomous shuttle vehicles at the plant before the close of 2017. The ARMA shuttle provides first and last mile transportation solutions, with a fleet of 45 vehicles deployed worldwide and more than 170,000 passengers transported to date. The City of Las Vegas conducted a successful pilot with NAVYA this year. With the addition of its new plant in Saline, the company will be able to boost production significantly to serve the growing North American market. We at NAVYA could not be more pleased to call Saline, Michigan home to our first assembly plant in North America. As the greater Ann Arbor area continues to establish itself as a hub for autonomous vehicle development, we feel its the perfect location for us. Strong government and community support for mobility initiatives combined with an excellent talent pool provide the ideal environment for our expansion in North America, said NAVYA CEO Christophe Sapet. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of more than $1 million and create 50 jobs, resulting in a $435,000 Michigan Business Development performance-based grant. The funds are approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund and administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The company made the announcement with project collaborators Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Ann Arbor SPARK. Description The Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport would sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of the Government of Japan in view of promoting cooperation in the fields of public infrastructure, transport, and quality infrastructure investment. (TNS) -- Its an attempt to address a stark reality former military service members and their families face: Finding reliable data on veterans who have died from suicide.A proposal for new state legislation seeks to help confront the issue by requiring certificates of death to show if a deceased person was ever a member of the United States Armed Forces. In addition, it requires the state Department of Health to access death records and compile a report on veteran suicides beginning in 2019.Richard Sawyer of Marysville, a service officer with Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the proposed legislation would be useful.They should have been keeping those records a long time ago, said Sawyer. If a vet commits suicide, it would be nice to back it up. Was he a veteran? Was he in combat? Could it possibly be related to that combat?Assemblyman Dr. Joaquin Arambula, a Democrat from Fresno who authored the bill, said the information from the reports will prove better support is needed for former military service members.As a physician, I know accurate data will help us better understand the full scope of the problem of veteran suicides in California, Arambula said. Tracking this information will help determine whether or not existing suicide prevention efforts are having a positive effect, if more attention to this matter is needed in the future and where to allocate existing resources for mental health funding.Area state Sen. Jim Nielsen, Republican from Tehama County, who voted for the bill in the Senate Veterans Affair Committee, said the legislation will be useful to identifying a national crisis.I have no question this information will be very helpful, said Nielsen. To our various veteran operations in the area, we can identify and allot them resources they desperately need.California does not require a certificate of death filed with the local registrar to include service in the armed forces. Details such as marital status, birthplace and occupation are required.The exclusion of military service on a death certificate does lead to skewed results. Such an instance occurred with the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Data Report in 2012.According to the report, of the 21 states analyzed between 1999 and 2010, veteran status was not known for more than 23 percent of all reported suicides. Authors of the report issued a caution with the findings. The report concluded of the roughly 147,000 reported suicides, the 27,000 figure for those identified as having served in the armed forces could be higher.If passed into law, Arambula said California will join 21 other states in implementing such an effort to better calculate veteran suicide deaths.The legislation is to be heard before the Senate Appropriations Committee in late August after the legislators return from recess. Smart flush Many eyes (TNS) -- Standing at the corner of 12th Street and Main, Bob Bennett points across the street, then beyond his left shoulder, over his right.The place is lousy with sensors on traffic lights, atop light poles, buried in the pavement.By his reckoning, Kansas Citys chief innovation officer figures this is the center of the 51 smartest blocks in the country. All around lie gizmos that never stop collecting bits of information.Those bits become bytes piling into mountains of data that could, in the city of the near future, ultimately make urban life better at a lower cost to taxpayers.Smart-city technology might better clear snow in the winter. It could spare sewers from breaking in spring rains, reduce the potholes that snarl your cars alignment and whittle down the eternities youre stuck at red lights.If only someone can make sense of it all.Bennett, City Halls data evangelist, thinks Kansas Citys starting to get it right.Every city in America right now has an amazing amount of data. Weve got even more, Bennett said. The trick is putting it together, sharing it across departments, making sense of it. Were starting to do that.He compares modern urban areas to smartphones.Theyre packed with more sensors all the time. What they detect builds an ever richer understanding of their users habits and notices when something unusual is going on.They share what they find with networks, data-sharing pools where artificial intelligence can learn to notice both patterns and problems, finding rhythms in one thing that predict what will happen with another.For now, the smart city hasnt produced the killer app that an ordinary resident is likely to notice. Sure, you can use a city website to look at traffic and hunt for a parking spot along the Kansas City streetcar corridor. But its not the intuitive, go-here set-up youre accustomed to on an iPhone.Instead, the fast-growing internet of things electronics that draw and feed information across networks works largely out of view in a smart city to make things work more efficiently. White House report issued in February 2016 saw how that internet of things, or IoT, provides new possibilities for the physical management and the socioeconomic development of cities. Local governments are looking to data and analytics technologies for insight and are creating pilot projects to test ways to improve their services.Technologies influence patterns of behavior, the report continued. Digital and mobile technologies are making the connections between service providers and users tighter, faster, more personal, and more comprehensive. Sharing-economy business models are emerging that enable more efficient use of physical assets, such as cars or real estate, and provide new sources of income to city residents.In parched Fountain Valley, Calif., a network helped the city reduce water consumption by more than 20 percent. In Los Angeles, the city cut its power bill by $8 million by subbing in high-tech lights that some day will better monitor air quality and track traffic patterns. Cincinnati is looking at a high-tech plan to know which trash cans need emptying.Kansas City, recognized with an award this year for its smart-city progress, has blanketed Main Street along the streetcar line from the River Market to Union Station with sensors.Although it lost out on a federal grant for a follow-up project, designs are in the works for the 8.5 miles of the planned Prospect MAX rapid bus line. There, the Area Transportation Authority could incorporate touch-screen information kiosks into bus stop shelters and perhaps repeat the free Wi-Fi service available in parts of downtown.But the more promising might also be the more prosaic. Like sewers.Consider South Bend, Ind. Its sewer system, like the one in Kansas City, at various points combines flows from rainfall with what you flush down the toilet. In heavy storms, its often more than the pipes can hold. So sewage that should be treated instead overflows into waters in its raw, polluting state.South Bend was under an order from the Environmental Protection Agency to stop dumping 2 billion gallons a year of untreated water into the St. Joseph River. The cost to fix the system topped $700 million much of it in the heavy construction costs of new conduits and tearing up a city park to bury concrete basins.So the city, wondering whether technology offered a shortcut, turned to experts at the University of Notre Dame. A series of sensors were planted in the sewer system, mostly on the undersides of manhole covers, to track where the water was going and when.Suddenly, we knew where the bottlenecks were at any given time, said Kieran Fahey, South Bends director of long-term control plan management. We could reroute.The switch of a valve here or a pump there in the middle of a downpour avoided overflows. Spending a little more than $10 million to make its sewers smart cut the cost of the looming fix by more than half from $700 million-plus to about $200 million.Kansas City is using the same smart-sewer outfit, Emnet , to piece together a network of sensors using sonar and radar to watch how much water is flowing through the system and where.When a storm comes over a city, its not uniform. It comes in waves and cells. It can be pouring one place and completely dry in another area of town, said Tim Braun, an Emnet official. So you shift the flow to where you have capacity.The smart sewer crowd talks about a near future of even smarter sewers ones that can tell the difference between storm water and untreated sewage, even gathering real-time readings of E. coli bacteria. Information like that, they say, could make the working of valves all the more sophisticated when water threatens to overwhelm: Send the rainwater toward the river, the sewage to a treatment plant.That same approach carries Kansas Citys use of its other smart-city assets. The thick collection of traffic sensors along the streetcar line monitors parking, foot traffic and what mix of cars, trucks and buses is navigating the stop-and-go through the area.Wi-Fi provided by Sprint in the corridor the wireless company gains potential marketing information before passing along anonymized and aggregated data to the city gives downtown visitors speedy internet access. The city learns, in general terms, whether people checking in on the system are locals or from out of town. That can be valuable for businesses in the area planning on what drink or dining specials might sell best and when.Electronic kiosks can tell passersby what shows are playing and whos offering happy hours. Most people use the obelisks to track when the next streetcar will show up. They, too, collect data. Somebody who opts into the system might get information triggered by the profile built into their smartphone.Instead of using just historical data on traffic whats recorded when somebody with a hand-held clicker counts vehicles at an intersection to plan stoplight patterns sensors constantly see how many vehicles are moving through a green light and how many are stopped at a red light. So far, its cut the drive through that length of Main Street by a half-minute.We know whats actually happening in the daily pulse of the life of our city, said Bennett, the City Hall data man.Cameras on light poles can make clear during a blizzard what streets most need plowing. Knitting together traffic and weather data with what sensors say about pavement conditions combined with records on the age of the street and which recipe for asphalt was used can mean smarter street repairs earlier, he said.That way youre fixing the street before the giant pothole opens up and residents are calling us with complaints, Bennett said.For now, only a small fraction of the city is quite so smart, covering less than 10 percent of the population. Bennetts looking toward the day when home water meters, lights on every street and virtually all traffic signals are teamed in a weave thats always watching whats happening, and pointing to better management of it all.As Kansas Citys been piecing together that smart-city technology, Columbia University doctoral candidate Burcu Baykurt has been watching it come together for her communications dissertation.She credits the arrival of Google Fiber in the Kansas City market with propelling the project largely because she thinks it made the city more enthusiastic about doubling down on new-found high-tech street cred.She sees much of the smart-city effort as savvy, even bold. The city did well, by Baykurts accounting, to handle the Everests of data its collecting in ways that wont threaten peoples privacy.Theyre using it to find efficiencies, to make things work better, she said.Still, she said, the plan so far has been technology-driven looking at the data for what problems it might minimize. An even smarter city would and in subsequent phases could switch that around.What would be really great is to start with what the community sees as a problem, she said, and find smart technology to fix it. (TNS) Fleets of big black trucks, harbor boats and aircraft, equipped with radiation sensors and operated by specially trained law enforcement teams, are ready to swing into action in Los Angeles for a catastrophe that nobody even wants to think about: a North Korean nuclear attack.American cities have long prepared for a terrorist attack, even one involving nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb, but North Koreas long-range missile and weapons programs have now heightened concerns along the West Coast over increasing vulnerability to a strike.We monitor events all over the world and assess whether there is something that could impact us here, said Capt. Leonard McCray, commander of the emergency operations bureau at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. North Korea is clearly one of them.As tension rises, the inevitable question is: How well prepared are Los Angeles and other U.S. cities for a nuclear strike? The answer is somewhat unexpected. After two decades of fighting terrorism, law enforcement agencies and the federal government today are better equipped and trained to handle the aftermath of a limited nuclear attack than they ever were during the Cold War. Yet generations of Americans have grown up without learning how to protect themselves in the aftermath of a detonation.Still, recent events have jolted emergency response agencies and prompted some to fine-tune their preparations.A string of underground nuclear weapons tests and increasingly sophisticated missile flights have led analysts to conclude that North Korea already has the capability of sending a warhead to Alaska and possibly Hawaii. Within one or two years, based on its stunning rate of progress, North Korea should have Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore., within range, said David Wright, a weapons expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists.The U.S. has long tried to stop North Koreas ascent as a nuclear power, but the national policy has largely sidestepped the question of how vulnerable U.S. cities are to a surprise attack and how much capability localities should develop to respond to a blast and radioactive fallout.The U.S. abandoned its massive civil defense program near the end of the Cold War after realizing that any limited nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union would very likely escalate into a full-scale holocaust that would involve hundreds of nuclear weapon detonations. It seemed futile for people to try to survive such a catastrophe in public fallout shelters.But the North Korean threat is different. The Pyongyang government may have only a dozen nuclear weapons, most of them unsuited for a missile delivery.People think everybody would perish, but that is not the case, said Matthew LoPresti, a legislator in Hawaii who has been active in preparing for an attack there. It would be a mass casualty event, but most people would survive. If you dont take steps, more people will lose their lives.One ingredient that seems to be missing is a public awareness campaign that tells people what to do, said Dr. Robert Levin, chief health officer of Ventura County.We can save hundreds of thousands of lives, said Levin, who has spearheaded one of the nations few major programs to draw up a detailed response plan for a nuclear attack. We assume an attack would be on Los Angeles, but it will have impact on Ventura County because we would have millions of people fleeing this way and a radioactive plume that could reach over us.The county has written a 252-page nuclear response plan that deals with issues such as fallout (radiation levels drop 80% in the first day) to the management of dead bodies. Levin also developed a public awareness campaign, gaining strong support from local political leaders. One public service message shows a mushroom cloud and an actor singing, Oh no, its blown, the cloud is in the sky. ... You dont need to be scared, you dont need to be loud, because you can survive even a mushroom cloud.The civil defense work done by Ventura County is exceedingly rare, said Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear weapons historian and assistant professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.There has been little public discourse since the Cold War about the consequences of nuclear threats, he said. As a result, an entire generation has grown up with little awareness of the danger posed by nuclear weapons.This month, Wellerstein and other researchers launched Reinventing Civil Defense, a nonprofit project that over the next two years will examine how best to reeducate the American public on the nuclear threat one that never went away. It is being funded by a $500,000 grant from Carnegie Corp. of New York.If we live in a world where a nuclear detonation is possible, and we do, then people should be informed on what that means, he said. Its something thats been nonexistent in our society since the late 1980s.The reluctance to prepare reflects what LoPresti calls a generational PTSD from the decades of living under the threat of instant thermonuclear war. It is not something people are comfortable talking about, he said.LoPresti, chairman of the Asian studies program at Hawaii Pacific University and a philosophy professor, has sought to raise awareness of the dangers and push for some preparations. His own district would be within the fallout zone of an attack on Pearl Harbor, possibly the most important symbol of national security complacency.Wright, the nuclear weapons expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said North Koreas most recent missile test demonstrated a two-stage rocket that could reach Anchorage and Guam. But he expects that within one to two years North Korea will have enough reach to hit Seattle, 4,900 miles away, and then Los Angeles, 5,800 miles from its launch sites.They seem to be doing things in the right way and more professionally, which is worrisome, Wright said. They seem to have assembled a team of engineers who are solving their problems.But the task ahead will be increasingly difficult, particularly preventing a warhead from drifting far off target as it reenters the atmosphere. Wright said North Korea would be lucky to land a bomb within 10 miles of a target. Even such a crude device could be effective against a city as spread out as Los Angeles.An official at the Energy Department, the steward of U.S. nuclear weapons and its nonproliferation programs, acknowledged that it does not monitor what cities and states around the nation are doing. But if an attack does occur, it would be ready to send significant technical assistance from its national laboratories.The main responsibility would lie with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which declined to provide an official to discuss the issue and did not answer written questions.If the bright flash of a nuclear bomb ever lights the Los Angeles sky, it will be law enforcement and firefighters who would inevitably be the first responders.The sheriffs special enforcement bureau, atop a hill overlooking the 710 Freeway, has special trucks with advanced radiological sensors that can scan radiation levels as they drive through neighborhoods, quickly assessing the danger, said Capt. Jack Ewell, commander of the bureau. Terrorism still poses a bigger threat, he said, but we train and equip ourselves for any threat.Every station in the county has radiological dosimeters, which tell radiation levels. A team of deputies has trained with federal authorities on nuclear weapons effects. The department has radiological assessment equipment on aircraft and patrol boats in the harbor as well. It would receive federal and local weather assessments that could predict fallout patterns.If we are dealing with a situation where there was a nuclear attack from North Korea, we are talking about an air burst that would devastate a large area, McCray, the emergency operations commander, said.One advantage in our area is that we are resource rich, he said. I am convinced we would have a robust response. We dont have the ability to do anything at ground zero, but we do have the ability to help at the perimeter. We have 10 million people in this county and there would be quite a few people to look after.An exercise is being planned in November that will test the departments ability to respond to a range of emergencies that require mass care and sheltering. Absolutely the exercise would help us prepare for a North Korean attack, but the same would go for a terrorist attack, McCray said.Some arms control experts say it would be a mistake to launch a full-scale civil defense effort in response to North Korea. Wright, the expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said such a response would send the wrong message that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has put a dent in U.S. confidence.Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear weapons analyst with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., said Kim presents the same threat that existed throughout most of the last century. Hes ruthless, but hes not crazy," Lewis said. Theres reason to be cautious. But its not a reason to start digging bomb shelters.But Levin, the Ventura County health director, argues that doing nothing is equally wrong. The key point of the Ventura plan is to ask residents not flee, but to get inside and stay inside immediately after a detonation.The countys plan was developed with technical assistance from Brooke Buddemeier, a nuclear weapons effects expert at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He has made the case that sheltering indoors for just 24 hours after a detonation provides significantly reduced exposure.Talking about nuclear detonation is not one of those topics you can bring up at a cocktail party, Buddemeier said. But a little knowledge can save a lot of lives.Vartabedian reported from Los Angeles, and Hennigan reported from Washington.ralph.vartabedian@latimes.comFollow me on Twitter @rvartabedianwilliam.hennigan@latimes.comTwitter: @wjhenn2017 the Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) - Gunshots pop in the background in a 911 tape of a Columbine school teacher as she ordered students to stay on the floor and under tables before two young gunmen stormed the library.A video from the Great White concert in Rhode Island shows a fatal human stampede. Hundreds ran screaming toward the front entrance after a fire broke out; concert-goers didnt notice three other exits or glass windows that could have been broken.School officials from the Harrison County, Miss., School District heard and watched the horrors Monday in a safety and security training class taught by instructors from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Office of Homeland Security and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Academy.Some flinched at what they saw and heard. Some gasped or covered their mouths. Others whispered, Oh, my God.Safety officials have studied how people reacted in both tragedies and have learned techniques that can help improve safety in schools, said Jim Brinson, MDPSHS director of operations.When you hear something thats like gunshots, we need to act accordingly. Go ahead and assume its gunfire, he said.Brinson emphasized that denying that something bad is happening can cost lives.Taking the time to breathe and calm yourself is the first step to respond in a clear-headed manner, he said, urging officials to not freeze.Under extreme stress, simple things become extremely difficult, Brinson said. We need you to calm yourself down. ... Take a deep breath.The reactions to extreme stress are fight, flight or freeze, he said.Fighting is a survival skill, he said. Fleeing, running, that is a survival school. Freezing is not a survival skill. Freezing is no option and can get you killed, Brinson said.He encouraged officials to set aside fear, then shift emotions and get angry.Youre body will do things when its angry that it wont do when you have fear, Brinson said. Fear will shut you down. Anger will wake you up.The deliberation process of possible options can lead to that decisive moment of making life-saving decisions he said.Hidings not necessarily the best action in an active shooter situation, he said.We want to deny that person access to us, Brinson said.Windows, for instance, can be broken for a makeshift exit.School officials said the training can help them face emergency situations.We dont ever want to be caught in a situation like that, said Shelly Simmons, principal of River Oaks Elementary School in Gulfport.Simmons said she was glad to learn better ways to respond to potential danger and to find out about defense mechanisms.Weve learned some good tools, Simmons said.Some of the training sessions were closed to the media due to the sensitive nature of school security discussions, said Trang Pham-Bui, school district spokeswoman.Brinson encouraged administrators to improve their situational awareness at school and in their private lives as well. When going to a restaurant, look around to find the exits and consider what you could use to defend yourself or break a window if you had to, he said.He mentioned a shooting in Jackson where people at a restaurant were standing up to look out a window as a shooting unfolded.What youre doing is presenting targets to the shooter, Brinson said. We dont want you to do that.Area law enforcement officers also attended the training.Robin Fitzgerald: 228-896-2307, @robincrimenews2017 The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)Visit The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.) at www.sunherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Crowded field Texas traffic (TNS) -- One of the biggest technology disruptors when it comes to shuttling people is now trying to transform the way goods are moved around the country.This spring, Uber launched Uber Freight , an app that matches truck drivers with loads of goods to pick up and deliver. Texas played a key role in the San Francisco-based tech giant's inroads. Routes between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio served as its test ground before the app's launch.Texas' large trucking business made it an obvious place to start, said Jeff Ogren, head of driver community and partnerships for Uber Freight. Fourteen percent of U.S. freight comes in and out of Texas, he said.The state has continued to play a vital role in Uber's young business. About 70 percent of Uber Freight's loads and drivers are based in Texas, Ogren said.The new business comes at a time when tech companies are exploring the future of trucking and automation. But analysts warn that Uber will need to offer something new to an industry that has already squeezed out greater efficiency and prove itself to truck drivers who may be skeptical of an unfamiliar player.Mike Ramsey, a transportation and mobility analyst for Gartner, said Uber's new app is a way to leverage the technology that underpins its ride-hailing and food delivery business. It is also a way to learn a new industry, so it can explore ways to boost efficiency in the future with tools like automation, he said."What they are now is a technology company," he said. "Their aspiration seems to be a transportation company."Ramsey said Uber has an edge with brand recognition, talent and capital, but he cautioned that its major leadership shakeup could shift business priorities. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigned last month after months of reports of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment and practices that flouted law enforcement.And he added that the Uber Freight app isn't as pioneering as the ride-hailing one. "Theyre trying to offer a better mousetrap for a mousetrap that exists," he said.With its foray into trucking, Uber must compete with logistics companies, freight matching websites called load boards and other apps.Similar to the ride-hailing app, Uber Freight allows truck drivers to pick up extra work when they want to. They also can find a job that fills up their truck on the way home.For Sam Carrillo, an Arlington resident and independent truck driver, apps have made work simpler and more lucrative. For nearly two decades, he's relied on brokers to match him with freight from electronics to bottled water in his truck. Now, he gets almost all of his business from two apps one of which is Uber Freight.Before, he had to wait a month or longer for payment. Now, he said he receives it in seven days and without docked broker fees. He said he ends up making $200 to $400 more per trip.And the apps are a quicker way to find jobs. "Press a few buttons and you're set," he said.Ogren said there's an appetite for new tech in the trucking industry. Before working for Uber, he worked at Trucker Path, a navigational app that took off in popularity with truck drivers.These guys are looking for tools to better empower their lives," he said. "Theyre away from their family 200 days a year. If you can develop tools, they are going to buy in.Ogren said Uber wants to stand out from load boards and brokers through better customer service and faster pay. It plans to offer perks, such as reserved parking spots, passes that allow them to skip weigh stations, and discounts on fuel and tires. He said the company also may add a guide of truck stops and rest stops for drivers.He declined to give the number of active users in Texas or the U.S. But he did say that a recent party drew about 100 current users both drivers and fleet owners to Dallas. It featured free barbecue, shirts and hats, and allowed drivers to get their questions answered."We plan on continuing to do things like that because we know we have to earn their trust," he said. "We want to eliminate any skepticism and show them were here for you.He said the apps could make the industry more appealing for younger people as truck drivers age and start retiring. They want to be heard. They want to be treated with respect," he said. "We want to make trucking attractive again.Texas' central location and large workforce makes it a major player in the trucking industry. Nearly 10 percent of the nation's truck transportation workforce lives in Texas. The Lone Star State has about 137,300 people in the industry, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has the third highest number of tractor-trailer drivers, trailing only New York and Chicago, according a recent study by Dallas consulting firm Site Selection Group.For the tech company, the new model cuts out the middleman the trucking broker and could lower the price for smaller companies that don't want a long-term contract or need additional pickups.Uber has shown interest in trucking before. About a year ago, it bought self-driving truck company Otto. The startup has now been wrapped into a research group focused on autonomous cars and trucks. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association , an advocacy group that represents professional truck drivers, is watching the apps closely to see if they benefit members, said its spokeswoman, Norita Taylor.She said she's not surprised tech companies have recognized the money that can be made in the trucking industry. "The question is 'Can they offer something that benefits independent truckers or not?'" she said. "And I don't have an answer to that yet." Memory-only threats run in a computers memory, with nothing written onto a file or disk; machines disinfect themselves when they reboot or restart, leaving no trace. run in a computers memory, with nothing written onto a file or disk; machines disinfect themselves when they reboot or restart, leaving no trace. Fileless persistence ensures attacks begin anew even after a restart and disinfect, with the most popular strategy imbedding malicious script data inside a computers registry. ensures attacks begin anew even after a restart and disinfect, with the most popular strategy imbedding malicious script data inside a computers registry. Dual-use tools are clean tools used legitimately by a computers owner, but can be co-opted by hackers to their own benefit or downloaded afterward. are clean tools used legitimately by a computers owner, but can be co-opted by hackers to their own benefit or downloaded afterward. Non-Portable Executable (non-PE) file attacks are attacks not using binary executable (EXE) or dynamic-link library (DLL) files. Visual Basic Script, JavaScript and PowerShell are the three basic examples commonly seen. Each can complete the same tasks but look different doing so, thereby avoiding detection. A cybercrime trend with alarming implications for public agencies remains popular as the year wears on; called "living off the land," the technique is drawing increased interest from attackers looking to further reduce their profiles, a new white paper has found.Living off the land techniques use tools already installed on users systems to access sensitive data and are a clear trend in targeted cyber attacks, according to Living Off the Land and Fileless Attack Techniques , a special Internet Security Threat Report released July 12 by cybersecurity company Symantec.Accompanying that trend, authors wrote, is a growing interest in four types of fileless infection techniques:"Candid Wueest, a principal threat researcher and main author of the report, toldthat hackers continue to evolve their strategies to avoid being found out because vulnerabilities in public software are getting harder to find.Two recent exceptions, he noted, are the WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks, which exploited a flaw in Server Message Block, used in instances including file sharing to remote Microsoft Windows services. But simplistic, hard-to-spot strategies are becoming more common.The attackers are falling back to proven methods, which are usually simple, but with a little bit of social engineering and clever wording, they are nevertheless still successful," Wueest told. "Why would they spend a lot of money or resources to find exploits if they can simply do an invoice attached to an email and have someone deliberately infect themselves?In Missouri, state CISO Michael Roling toldthat officials have seen an uptick in these types of activity and watched hackers tactics change in recent years, demonstrating that mere signature-based malware detection is just not good enough anymore.We see a mix of various attack methods, and oftentimes there may be more than one technique used. The art of deception these attackers, theyve crafted that, Roling said, indicating that officials have seen malware over the years that capitalizes on vulnerable plug-ins and extensions.This isnt the first time fileless infection techniques have risen in popularity, Symantec authors wrote. The Code Red worm, which emerged in 2001, existed in memory and wrote no files to disk. In 2014, these types of attacks spiked again, driven by fileless persistence methods from threats like Trojan.Poweliks, which lives in a computers registry.Wueest said Symantec expects the popularity of fileless techniques to continue through this year and likely 2018 as well, potentially tapering off as new security mitigation tools, services and software are created.A lessening should take at least two years for public government agencies, he said, because their adaptation cycles tend to be not too quick and funding is often tight.On average, Wueest said, state and local government agencies tend to be less prepared for these types of attacks because they may not have their own Internet security operations centers with teams available around the clock.Attacks involving dual-use tools may hit a particularly sensitive nerve by flipping agencies tools to a hackers benefit but the most popular incursions center on non-PE files, Wueest said, noting that some groups spam out hundreds of thousands such emails daily.Efforts to block them are improving, he said, but both are likely to be commonplace for some time.These two will be the main thing where we see a drastic rise in usage from all kinds of groups of cybercriminals, but also targeted attack groups. For all of them it makes sense, because they are so versatile and also so powerful to use, Wueest said.Attacks often begin through spear phishing, an email spoof targeting a company or individual, the threat researcher said. Public agencies are particularly at risk here because in many cases they regularly deal, and are accustomed to interacting, with new customers via email.Best practices, however, can go a long way toward reducing that risk. Wueest recommended agencies review privileges carefully to ensure staffers have administrator rights only if its absolutely essential. Similarly, he said networks and servers should also be segregated to restrict access.Jerry Driessen, CIO of Hennepin County, Minn., echoed those recommendations; he emphasized that firewalls need to be strong, and network architecture and design need to be configured to keep agencies secure as Internet of Things (IoT) devices increasingly expand their reach.These types of intrusions need to be dealt with through active monitoring and your architectural design, especially in the context of IoT, Driessen told, noting that agencies need to be vigilant because devices ranging from soda vending machines to stovetops at incarceration facilities are now capable of being part of IoT and may themselves be easily breached.I would also say that contracting plays a role because of how you buy some of this stuff. Ensuring that its not predisposed to malware coming across is critical, Driessen added.Missouris CISO said his state has invested in other technology and processes over the past five years to identify newer forms of attacks. Fundamental protections, Roling said, include good patch and access management, and improving end-user awareness.More generally, Roling added, an investment in one or more of three areas is crucial if agencies hope to fight these more invisible threats.There is an investment to be made in either people, technology or getting the word out, Roling said. Helping them understand the criticality of what were faced against is absolutely vital. F1's governing body says it has no problem with Robert Kubica's impending return to the sport. Amid intense speculation about the former race winner's potential return, Renault has now confirmed that 32-year-old Kubica will drive the 2017 car in the post-Hungarian GP test. Bild newspaper says it is possible Kubica will replace Jolyon Palmer as soon as Spa after the August break, while even team boss Cyril Abiteboul admits the Budapest test is to see if Kubica can "return to competition in upcoming years". However, there is no doubt that movement in the former BMW and Renault driver's right arm is severely limited in the wake of his 2011 horror rally crash. But F1 race director Charlie Whiting said the path is clear for Kubica to return. "Like any other driver, Robert has his A-license from the national association. The licensing also includes a medical check," he told Auto Motor und Sport. Renault has adapted the steering wheel of Kubica's car to facilitate the changing of gears with his left hand only, but Whiting said there will be no dispensation from the mandatory cockpit exit test. To be cleared to even test an F1 car, a driver must demonstrate that he can get out of the cockpit in an emergency in 5 seconds. "There will not be any special regulations for Kubica," Whiting clarified. (GMM) Net neutrality is being threatened. I fear that president Trump and our current U.S. Congress will eliminate net neutrality and further reduce our privacy. The ease, speed, and availability of our participation within forums such as this one will be significantly reduced. Remember, cable TV was first introduced as comparatively inexpensive and/or less commercials. Beware of the promises made by those who would undermine or otherwise reduce the concept of net neutrality. Respectfully, Supposn Canada-based Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) has signed a non-binding letter of intent with China-based Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom Co. Ltd. (Shinzoom), a lithium-ion battery anode producer and developer. The purpose of the proposed collaboration is to participate actively in the growing North American Li-Ion battery anode material market. The two companies seek to form a new joint venture which will be owned 51% by Shinzoom and 49% by Nouveau Monde. The JV will exclusively market Shinzooms anode materials to lithium battery manufacturers in North America. Subject to Shinzooms investment policy and criteria, if the marketing and distribution results from the JV are satisfactory to both Shinzoom and Nouveau Monde in the first 18 months, the main parties will evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing Shinzooms anode material products (natural graphite, artificial graphite and composite graphite) in the Province of Quebec. Processing of anode material products in Quebec would be developed through a new JV owned 51% by Nouveau Monde and 49% by SHINZOOM. The non-binding LOI is conditional to various conditions including a mutual satisfactory due diligence and the execution of the definitive agreements such as distribution agreement and shareholder agreement no later than 1 October 2017. Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom Co., Ltd. is a hi-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D and production of LiB anode materials in China. Shinzoom is one of the anode material suppliers for E-buses used in Beijing Olympic 2008, Shanghai World Expo 2010 and Shenzhen Universiade 2011 held in China. MT. JEFFERSON WILDERNESS Some 85 wildland firefighters supported by helicopters are battling a fire in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area that started Monday, while at the same time heeding the directions of Detroit District Ranger Grady McMann to stay light on the land. The Whitewater Fire spread from about one-half acre Monday morning to more than 50 acres Tuesday. Public information officer Marcus Kauffman said the light touch suppression effort aims to maintain wilderness values and minimize the long-term impacts of firefighting activities. Resources on the Whitewater Fire include two 20-person Type 2 hand crews, one 20-person Type 1 hand crew, two heavy helicopters and one light helicopter. Smoke was visible from Highway 22 and the communities of Marion Forks, Idanha and Detroit. The cause remains under investigation. Kauffman said the fire was burning inside the wilderness boundary and presents limited risk to private property. According to Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker, the fire is about five miles north of the Linn County boundary in the far northeast corner of the county. Kauffman said the fire was about four miles from the Whitewater Creek Trailhead, a popular launching point for hikers into the wilderness area. The fire team is using hand crews and helicopters dropping water to prevent the fires spread. Trail closures remain in place: Whitewater Trail #3429 is closed from its origin at Whitewater Trailhead to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail #2000. Cheat Creek Trail #3441 is closed from its origin at Cheat Creek Trailhead to the junction with the Triangulation Trail #3373. Triangulation Trail #3373 is closed from its junction with trail #3374 (near Triangulation Peak) to the terminus at Whitewater Trail #3429. Crag Trail #3364 is closed from its origin at Breitenbush Trailhead to the terminus at the Triangulation Trail #3373. Forest Service Road 2243-370 (off of Highway 20) is closed just past the Cheat Creek Trailhead to avoid potential conflicts with fire traffic. The trails and road will remain closed to protect public and fire fighter safety until further notice. Reynolds American Inc. is officially a U.S. subsidiary of the worlds largest publicly traded tobacco manufacturer. British American Tobacco Plc announced Tuesday it has completed the purchase of the 57.8 percent of Reynolds it did not already own. The sale was reflected in a news release, a U.S. regulatory filing showing 100 percent ownership, and a change on Reynolds website reflecting it is the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of BAT after 142 years of corporate independence. It also represented the last day for Susan Cameron as Reynolds non-executive chairwoman. Cameron played the lead role in not only Reynolds merging with BAT but also its $29.25 billion purchase in June 2015 of Lorillard Inc,, essentially to acquire top-selling menthol cigarette Newport. We are very excited about forming a stronger, truly global tobacco and next-generation products company, bringing together the most talented people in our industry, said Debra Crew, who retains her role as chief executive and president under BAT ownership. BAT clearly recognizes the importance and expertise of the employees of the Reynolds companies, the quality of our customer network and the strength of our portfolio of brands, Crew said. Moving forward, RAI will work closely with its employees, as well as with its business and community partners, to ensure this transaction results in an even stronger company. BAT paid $54.5 billion for total ownership. Reynolds stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and S&P indices at the close of trading Tuesday. Reynolds independent board members approved BATs offer Jan. 17. Legacy Reynolds shareholders now own 19 percent of BAT. This is a transformational deal, BAT Chief Executive Nicandro Durante said in a statement. We will take the best of the best from both businesses across all areas to create a stronger, more sustainable company. Another regulatory filing focuses on how the completion of the deal affects Reynolds 401(k) plan. Winston-Salem now has just two Fortune 500 companies in BB&T Corp. and Hanesbrands Inc. Rockwell Collins, another Fortune 500 company, has a major U.S. production and operation hub in Winston-Salem. 2004 deal set stage Reynolds American was formed in 2004 following R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc.s $4.4 billion purchase of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. BATs U.S. subsidiary at that time. BAT gained 42.2 percent ownership of Reynolds at that time, giving it a measure of internal insight into a competitor seldom seen in corporate America. BAT now has a balanced presence in high-growth emerging markets and high-profitability developed markets, combined with direct access to the attractive U.S. market, Durante said. Durante said adding Reynolds products, most notably top-selling menthol cigarette Newport and top-selling electronic cigarette Vuse, will help increase BATs profitability. It provides further support to the companys continued commitment to a dividend payout ratio of at least 65 percent and a strong financial profile, targeting a solid investment grade credit rating through progressive de-leveraging, Durante said. BAT said in a Jan. 18 regulatory filing that it has no plans to close or move the head office in Winston-Salem, nor make any significant changes to the current high-quality manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee, nor to the trade marketing team. Reynolds has an American Snuff production plant in Tennessee. Durante has told BAT shareholders the company projects $400 million in cost savings by July 2020. Reynolds is estimated to have between 2,000 and 2,200 local employees, the majority of whom work at its plant in Tobaccoville, as well as about 5,500 full-time and 50 part-time as of Dec. 31, 2016. The total includes 3,700 Reynolds Tobacco, 500 Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc. and 600 American Snuff Co. LLC employees. The bulk of the remaining Reynolds Tobacco employees are sales and marketing representatives out in the field serving retail, wholesale and distribution customers, as well as about half of Santa Fes workforce. Reynolds Tobacco confirmed June 20 it has offered select production workers a voluntary retirement package. It has not said how many employees took the package. Reynolds officials said its final quarterly report would be issued in a regulatory filing in early August. Work has already begun to realize the projected cost synergies, and we are committed to driving continued, sustainable profit growth and returns for shareholders long into the future, Durante said. Business as usual Gayle Anderson, president and chief executive of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday that I believe it very much will be business as usual. The Reynolds American name is not changing, and the office headquarters is going to remain as is. Manufacturing will continue at Tobaccoville. We do not expect any significant changes in the workforce. The only major change relates to no longer being a publicly traded company, and for most people in Winston-Salem, that is not material, Anderson said. Mayor Allen Joines said he has received assurances that we should not expect any significant changes in operations or head count. I am hopeful it will offer some additional opportunities for growth. Bowman Gray IV, a descendant of former Reynolds chief executive Bowman Gray Sr., and a local independent stock broker, had said the sale of Reynolds to BAT was destined to happen, given the shrinking U.S. tobacco marketplace and pressures to maintain a high dividend to stockholders. Grays great-grandfather, Bowman Gray Sr., was the first person to be named as Reynolds president and chairman who was not a Reynolds family member. Bowman Gray Jr. served as chairman of Reynolds during its heyday as the worlds top tobacco manufacturer. I am looking forward to this next chapter for Reynolds, as I believe they will continue to evolve and re-hydrate their product lines in many areas, especially the vapor technologies, Gray said. By Richard RosenAs a physician who closed my private practice office 20 years ago, it might be expected that I would look back with nostalgia on good old days before health care transformed into its current monstrosity. Reinforcing and expanding my views, the indictment Elisabeth Rosenthal brings in her book, An American Sickness: How Health Care Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back is measured and profound. Unfortunately, the Taking It Back part is shorter, partial and inconclusive, though it offers some suggestions for major policy changes and practical steps for patients. Dr. Rosenberg is an experienced journalist who has written for The New York Times and is editor in chief of Kaiser Health News. She has authentic credentials in the clinical and financial aspects of health care. She has unearthed the history of health insurance from its inception, in Texas where teachers obtained coverage of up to 21 days of hospitalization for a $6-a-year premium a century ago. She explains that current stipulations require insurance companies to spend 80-85 percent of premium dollars covering customers medical expenses, and if they want more money for executive salaries, marketing and shareholder dividends, increasing medical expenses generates a larger 15-20 percent to be devoted to non-medical matters. This motivates insurance companies to pass on inflated bills, which then raises everyones premiums subsequently. She contrasts this to Medicare, which spends 98 percent of its total budget on patients claims. When a hospital purchases the practice of a group of doctors, it then can call their office a hospital and initiate a facility bill for procedures performed in that building, increasing the expense for procedures, without adding any value. When a patient enters a hospital and signs a waiver, stating he/she will be responsible for all charges not covered by insurance, he or she may be in for surprises. While the patient may be confident that his physician and consultants may be in his insurance network, specimens may be sent to far-flung out-of-network pathologists. Rosenberg suggests patients add the phrase only to in-network providers to the admission waiver. Rosenthal exposes tricks pharmaceutical companies play to keep their drugs from going generic. When a generic company sues a company about to have its patent expire, and hence lose its monopoly to market a drug, the patent is extended for 30 months. Companies often may slightly alter a drug about to go off patent and then get a new patent on the altered drug, providing them another 15 years of exclusivity. On policy matters, Rosenthal notes prices for drugs in the United States are dramatically higher than elsewhere, even on drugs made here. Laws preventing Americans from importing drugs from other countries, based on fallacious worries about safety, should be repealed. The author advocates for Medicare to be able to negotiate with drug companies for favorable pricing. Medicine has made many recent advances, including wonder drugs for Hepatitis C and some cancers. But the business aspect has been marked by unmitigated and accelerating greed, not checked by market forces, that is clearly exposed in this book. While Rosenthal doesnt dwell on the distinction between the enormous charges and the reduced allowable amounts in Medicares explanation of benefits, and omits discussion of peripheral matters such as doctor burnout and the general fragmentation of care, she may be saving those for another book. But she covers well a great deal in this volume. Anthony Scaramucci is two things Jeff Sessions is not. One, he is a New Yorker. Two, he is a New Yorker who made a bundle in finance. It matters not that the new White House communications director once called Donald Trump a "hack politician" on Fox Business. Or that Scaramucci has said he is for gay marriage, opposes the death penalty, doesn't want a wall with Mexico, is pro-choice and worries about climate change. OK, so he gave money to Hillary Clinton's campaign and tweeted: "I like Hillary. Have to go with the best athlete." Big deal. All is forgiven. "I'm a New Yorker. He's a New Yorker," Scaramucci said on TV. "We're allowed to go at it a little bit." The former senator from Alabama is definitely not a New Yorker. That Sessions gave up much, his dignity included, to loyally serve the president also does not matter. Sessions played a key role in getting Trump elected, herding so-called social conservatives into a libertine's camp. Trump held his first big rally in Mobile. He returned to the Azalea City shortly after the election to soak up more adoration. Trump's public humiliation of Sessions did expose the one-sided nature of their relationship. Trump told The New York Times, of all people, that he regrets making Sessions the attorney general. He slammed Sessions for giving "bad answers" during his confirmation hearing. Sessions took it on the chin. Trump cannot get past Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe. Of course, Sessions shouldn't have lied or "forgotten" about his contacts with Russians during the campaign. But once the cat got out, he took the proper step of taking himself out of the investigation. Some folks back home in Alabama seem vexed at the brutality of Trump's attack. Ozark Mayor Bob Bunting cannot compute Trump's rage at Sessions for recusing himself. "Trump expects the attorney general to not do the right thing for the country?" he said to Politico. To which we ask the mayor, What ballpark do you think we're playing in? There was always a New York rat pack element to this administration, more social than partisan. But it mostly involved guys close to the money. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin once worked for a hedge fund run by liberal financier George Soros. And Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, is a registered Democrat. Both are Goldman Sachs alumni. Characters are welcome. What's not to like about a communications director whose nickname is "The Mooch"? Asked whether he'll tell the truth, Scaramucci offered a wiseguy reply: "I hope you can feel that from me just from my body language." Scaramucci is an interesting choice because this showboating New Yorker has been tasked with talking to the rest of the country. He's also why Sean Spicer quit as White House spokesman. Rhode Islander Spicer seems to suffer when he repeats Trump's lies. The Mooch will probably have fun doing it. Scaramucci is said to be a threat to White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. Goodbye to Wisconsin? Many make the mistake of confusing "Trump country" with the country Trump inhabits. The former is where the people who still buy his act reside. Conservatives such as Sessions serve as satellite staff to sell his bizarre explanations to the faithful. The latter is Manhattan and Washington, with a winter annex in Palm Beach. In a fabulous gesture over the weekend, Scaramucci directly addressed the president during a television interview. "We're going to get your agenda out into the heartland," he said in his Long Island accent. Bet he can dance, too. Mooch, the rat pack welcomes you to "the Summit." U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis spoke out Tuesday in support of his former Senate colleague, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has been the target of President Donald Trumps criticism recently. Amid reports that Trump would like to fire Sessions, Tillis, North Carolinas junior Republican senator, defended Sessions job performance in his current role and said he is a man of integrity. Ive worked with Jeff Sessions for years, and while we certainly may not agree on the specifics of every issue, I believed he would be a great attorney general because of his unwavering commitment to the rule of law, said Tillis, who supported the former senator from Alabama earlier this year in his bid to take the helm of the U.S. Justice Department. In the nearly six months he has led the Department of Justice, he has maintained that commitment every day and demonstrated why he was widely respected during his years as a U.S. senator, Tillis said of Sessions. Trump has lambasted Sessions several times in recent days both in televised remarks and Twitter postings for his decision to recuse himself from the investigation into possible collusion between the Russian government and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Tillis defended the attorney generals decision, saying it made sense because of the perception of a possible conflict of interest. While some may argue that he should not have recused himself from the Russia investigation, Attorney General Sessions demonstrated good judgment by doing so and removed all appearances of a potential conflict, Tillis said. The attorney generals recusal was ultimately made in the best interests of the Department of Justice and the country. SAN ANTONIO The tractor-trailer was pitch-black inside, crammed with maybe 90 immigrants or more, and already hot when it left the Texas border town of Laredo for the 150-mile trip north to San Antonio. It wasn't long before the passengers, sweating profusely in the rising oven-like heat, started crying and pleading for water. Children whimpered. People took turns breathing through a single hole in the wall. They pounded on the sides of the truck and yelled to try to get the driver's attention. Then they began passing out. By the time police showed up at a Walmart in San Antonio around 12:30 a.m. Sunday and looked in the back of the truck, eight passengers were dead and two more would soon die in an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone tragically awry. The details of the journey were recounted Monday by a survivor who spoke to The Associated Press and in a federal criminal complaint against the driver, James Matthew Bradley, who could face the death penalty over the 10 lives lost. "After an hour I heard ... people crying and asking for water. I, too, was sweating and people were despairing. That's when I lost consciousness," 27-year-old Adan Lalravega told the AP from his hospital bed. Bradley, 60, of Clearwater, Florida, appeared in federal court on charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. He was ordered held for another hearing on Thursday. He did not enter a plea or say anything about what happened. But in court papers, he told authorities he didn't realize anyone was inside his 18-wheeler until he parked and got out to relieve himself. In addition to the dead, nearly 20 others rescued from the rig were hospitalized in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. A number of those aboard were from Mexico and Guatemala. Many of the immigrants had hired smugglers who brought them across the U.S. border, hid them in safe houses and then put them aboard the tractor-trailer for the ride northward, according to accounts given to investigators. "Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you there's going to be many more people we're looking for to prosecute," said Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bradley told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. After hearing banging and shaking, he opened the door and was "surprised when he was run over by 'Spanish' people and knocked to the ground," according to the criminal complaint. He said he did not call 911, even though he knew at least one passenger was dead. Bradley told authorities that he knew the trailer refrigeration system didn't work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation Inc. of Schaller, Iowa. President Brian Pyle said that he had sold the truck to someone in Mexico and that Bradley was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. "I'm absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. It's shocking. I'm sorry my name was on it," Pyle said, referring to the truck. He said he had no idea why Bradley took the roundabout route he described to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo which would have been out of his way if he were traveling directly to Brownsville to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles (240 kilometers) north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. "I just can't believe it. I'm stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this," said Bradley's fiancee, Darnisha Rose of Louisville, Kentucky. "He helps people, he doesn't hurt people." One passenger described a perilous journey that began in Mexico, telling investigators he and others crossed into the U.S. by raft, paying smugglers 12,500 Mexican pesos (about $700), an amount that also bought protection offered by the Zeta drug cartel. They then walked until the next day and rode in a pickup truck to Laredo, where they were put aboard the tractor-trailer to be taken to San Antonio, according to the complaint. The passenger said he was supposed to pay the smugglers $5,500 once he got there. Another passenger told authorities that he was in a group of 24 people who had been in a "stash house" in Laredo for 11 days before being taken to the tractor-trailer. Lalravega told the AP that he was told by smugglers who hid him and six friends in a safe house in Laredo that they would be riding in an air-conditioned space. The Mexican laborer from the state of Aguascalientes said that when they boarded the truck on a Laredo street Saturday night for the two-hour trip to San Antonio, it was already full of people but so dark he couldn't tell how many. He said he was never offered water and never saw the driver. Lalravega said that when people are being smuggled, they are told not to look at the faces of their handlers and it's a good idea to obey. Bradley told authorities that when he arrived in San Antonio, nobody met the tractor-trailer. But one passenger said six black SUVs were waiting to pick up the immigrants and were full in a matter of minutes. And San Antonio police said store surveillance video showed vehicles picking up some of the immigrants. Lalravega said he was deported from the U.S. three years ago but decided to take another chance because the economy is depressed where he lives with his wife, 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. "A person makes decisions without thinking through the consequences," he said, "but, well, thanks to God, here we are." WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is praising the Senate for moving forward on health care repeal. He says a vote Tuesday to take up the Republican health care bill "was a big step." Trump is speaking at a joint press conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Trump is also thanking Arizona Sen. John McCain, who returned to Washington his brain cancer diagnosis, to cast a vote. Trump adds that he wants "to congratulate the American people" because better health care is on the way. WASHINGTON With Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie, the Senate voted by a hair Tuesday to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law. The vote gives President Donald Trump and GOP leaders a crucial initial victory but launches a weeklong debate promising an uncertain final outcome. The 51-50 vote kept alive hopes of delivering on promises that countless Republican candidates have campaigned on for years repealing President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul. It also averted what would have been a blistering defeat for a party divided between fervent conservatives demanding the evisceration of Obama's statute and centrists intent on not pulling coverage away from millions of Americans. Pence presided over the Senate during the vote, which began after dozens of protesters shouted "Kill the bill" and "Shame" from the chamber's visitors' gallery. Enhancing the day's theatrics, one pivotal "yes" vote was cast by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who flew to the Capitol just days after revealing he'd been diagnosed with brain cancer and was home considering the next steps in his treatment. With Republicans wielding a narrow 52-48 majority, the 80-year-old's appearance let Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lose two GOP senators and still prevail wiggle room that would have shrunk to just one in McCain's absence. McCain entered the chamber 29 minutes into the roll call to a standing ovation from members of both parties and visitors watching from above. Smiling, he exchanged embraces with McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and others, then cast his "yes" vote with two thumbs up. Before the vote, McConnell declared, "We can't let this moment slip by," essentially lecturing GOP lawmakers to give their party's high-profile legislation a chance to move forward. "We can't let it slip by. We've been talking about it too long." Moderate Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, were the only Republicans to defect from their party's quest. Their complaints about the legislation had included its cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, the disabled and nursing home residents. Not a single Democrat backed the effort to overthrow Obama's signature domestic legislative achievement. In an unusual move, most of them sat in their states during the climactic roll call, eyeing Republicans as they cast their votes. Technically, Tuesday's vote meant the Senate would consider a measure the House approved in May eliminating much of Obama's statute. Like legislation McConnell crafted mostly behind closed doors and has since revised it would eliminate Obama's tax penalties on people not buying policies, cut Medicaid, erase many of the law's tax boosts and provide less generous health care subsidies for consumers. But now, the Senate faces 20 hours of debate and a long parade of amendments, and if a measure eventually emerges it is likely to look quite different. Because the chamber's moderates and conservatives are so riven over how to replace Obama's overhaul, leaders have discussed passing a narrow bill repealing only some unpopular parts of that law like its penalties on individuals who eschew coverage with the ultimate goal being to negotiate a final package with the House. In the moments before the vote, most GOP critics of the legislation fell into line to allow debate to begin. They included conservative Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, plus moderates Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Paul said he was voting yes after McConnell told him the Senate would debate his proposal to scuttle much of Obama's law and give Congress two years to enact a replacement an amendment that seemed certain to lose. Trump kept up the pressure on GOP lawmakers, tweeting that "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." McConnell's bill would abolish much of Obama's law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers. But at least a dozen GOP senators have openly said they oppose or criticized the measure, which McConnell has revised as he's hunted Republican support. Besides allowing an early vote on Paul's repeal plan, moderates were seeking additional money for states that would be hurt by cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, the disabled and nursing home patients. Conservatives wanted a vote on a proposal by Ted Cruz, R-Texas, letting insurers offer bare-bones policies with low premiums, which would be illegal under Obama's law. With leaders still struggling to line up enough votes to approve a wide-ranging overhaul of Obama's law, there was talk of eventually trying to pass a narrow bill details still unclear so House-Senate bargainers could craft a compromise. That, too, was encountering problems. "This idea that we're going to vote on something just to get in conference and then figure it out later is nuts," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters. Had Tuesday's vote failed, it would have been an unalloyed embarrassment for a party that finally gained control of the White House, Senate and House in January but still fell flat on its promise to uproot Obamacare. Republicans could try returning to the bill later this year if they somehow round up more support. Obama's law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. It's also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers' annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as the healthy. The law has been unpopular with GOP voters and the party has launched numerous attempts to dismantle the statute. All until this year were mere aspirations because Obama vetoed every major one that reached him. Ever since 2010, Republicans have been largely united on scuttling the statute but divided over how to replace it. Those divides sharpened with Trump willing to sign legislation and estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that several GOP bills would cause more than 20 million people to become uninsured by 2026. Polls showing growing popularity for Obama's law and abysmal approval ratings for the GOP effort haven't helped. ___ Associated Press writers Erica Werner and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. It's been a rough ride lately for Gov. Kate Brown's nascent Cleaner Air Oregon program, an attempt to rework regulations governing the amount of toxins polluters can release into the air. First, legislators alarmed in part by the treatment state regulators gave to Lebanon's Entek International earlier this year declined to fund work to implement new rules Brown proposed after the 2016 Bullseye Glass incident in Portland. Most recently, state regulators said they were rolling back the proposed regulations themselves, in response to comments from a panel of environmental and business representatives. Business advocates cheered the state move; they have said the proposed rules were too restrictive. But environment advocates noted that the revised rules would allow polluters to create more cancer risk. A story in The Oregonian also noted that the proposed rules include a loophole: It would allow the director of the Department of Environmental Quality to exempt some of the state's biggest polluters from requirements to nearly eliminate the health risks from their emissions. Those businesses could apply for the exemption if they installed some pollution controls and consulted with the Oregon Health Authority and local politicians. The loophole seems to be a direct response to the state's ham-handed treatment of Entek earlier this year. Here's a quick reminder about the Entek incident: Entek uses tricholorethylene (TCE), a carcinogenic solvent, in its manufacturing process. The company is compliant with all its permits and applicable regulatory standards from TCE. State officials, however, have taken note of nonregulatory standards and federal health-based thresholds for TCE. Those standards do not have the force of law, but the officials say they can be used to identify potential health threats. Computer modeling by government agencies suggests that levels of TCE in the air outside the Entek plant, while still well below the legal and permitted levels, might be higher than some of these nonregulatory standards. (The company has paid for its own computer modeling and some air-monitoring work, which concluded that the emissions are less than suggested in the initial modeling.) The state proposed placing four air monitors on private property near the plant to gather actual data. Entek officials didn't have much of an issue with that. But they did worry about the state's intention to roll out a communications plan about the matter to the Lebanon community the day after an April 6 meeting with Entek. In particular, the company worried that releasing information about a possible carcinogen could stoke unnecessary fears and harm the company. The company went to court and won an unprecedented restraining order preventing the state from putting the communications plan into effect. A few weeks later, a judge swept away the restraining order, but the mess caught the attention of legislators and gave new ammunition to business lobbyists seeking to roll back the Cleaner Air Oregon initiative. In the meantime, the four air monitors that would help offer valuable data about Entek emissions had not been installed as of last week, The Oregonian reported. And that's a shame. Regardless of what happens now to the Cleaner Air Act program (it's unclear at this point how much political capital Brown is willing to spend to push the program forward), the data those monitors would collect could help bring this Entek matter to a conclusion. And it's not as if Lebanon residents are completely in the dark about the matter: The various court documents filed in the battle over the restraining order offered way more detail about the issue than the state would have released in its communications plan. The Cleaner Air Oregon proposal appears to have some substantial speed bumps. But that shouldn't prevent Lebanon residents from being able to access current and accurate information about the air they breathe. (mm) Heres part of President Donald Trumps speech in Poland: 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? After this speech, which was warmly received by Poles, the president encountered predictable criticism. Most of the criticism reflected gross ignorance and dishonesty. One example of that ignorance was penned in the Atlantic magazine by Peter Beinart, a contributing editor and associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York. Prof. Beinart wrote: Donald Trump referred 10 times to the West and five times to our civilization. His white nationalist supporters will understand exactly what he means. He added, The West is a racial and religious term. To be considered Western, a country must be largely Christian (preferably Protestant or Catholic) and largely white. Intellectual elites argue that different cultures and their values are morally equivalent. Thats ludicrous. Western culture and values are superior to all others. I have a few questions for those people who would claim that such a statement is untrue or smacks of racism and Eurocentrism: Is forcible female genital mutilation, as it is practiced in nearly 30 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, a morally equivalent cultural value? Slavery is practiced in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan; is it morally equivalent? In most of the Middle East, there are numerous limitations placed on women, such as prohibitions on driving, employment and education. Under Islamic law, in some countries, female adulterers face death by stoning. Thieves face the punishment of having their hands severed. Homosexuality is a crime punishable by death in some countries. Are these cultural values morally equivalent, superior or inferior to Western values? During his speech, Trump asked several vital questions: 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? Theres no question that the West has the military might to protect itself. The question is whether we have the intelligence to recognize the attack and the will to defend ourselves from annihilation. Much of the Muslim world is at war with Western civilization. Islamists use multiculturalism as a foot in the door to attack Western and Christian values from the inside. Much of that attack has its roots on college campuses among the intellectual elite who indoctrinate our youth. Multiculturalism has not yet done the damage in the United States that it has in Western European countries such as England, France and Germany but its on its way. My colleague Dr. Thomas Sowell reveals some of the problem. He says: Those in the Islamic world have for centuries been taught to regard themselves as far superior to the infidels of the West, while everything they see with their own eyes now tells them otherwise. Sowell adds, Nowhere have whole peoples seen their situation reversed more visibly or more painfully than the peoples of the Islamic world. Few people, such as Persians and Arabs, once at the top of civilization, accept their reversals of fortune gracefully. Moreover, they dont blame themselves and their culture. They blame the West. By the way, one need not be a Westerner to hold Western values. One just has to accept the sanctity of the individual above all else. I hope John McCain won't become Trumpcare's first victim. The Arizona senator, 10 days after a cancerous tumor was removed from his brain, is returning to Washington in case his vote is needed to advance consideration of the Republican health-care bill whatever it is. I'm no doctor, but it seems ill-advised to me for McCain to undertake a cross-country flight so soon after serious brain surgery. I'm sensitive to the altitude change even in good health. President Trump, who's pressuring senators to pass some kind of bill, should send Air Force One to fetch McCain. Presumably McCain is returning to produce a desperately needed "yes" vote. Otherwise, why take the risk? Yet last week he issued this statement: "The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties, and heed the recommendations of our nation's governors so that we can produce a bill that finally provides Americans with access to quality and affordable health care." That is not Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan. He'll push a terrible bill through on a 50-50 vote, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie, before he'll invite Democrats to the table or even listen to Republican governors like Ohio's John Kasich. McCain shouldn't jeopardize his recovery for that. But that's his choice. No one can fault his courage, determination or heroism. Well, Donald Trump can. Oh, wait. Trump now says McCain is a hero for returning to Washington. Just not for his Vietnam service, in which he endured five years of brutality in a Hanoi prison, never giving in to his captors or dishonoring his country. While Trump was enjoying his draft deferments. Trump would change his tune in a hurry if McCain voted no. We'll see. Safe travels, senator. GREENWICH A man with a history of drug arrests, accused of trying to set off an explosion at the home of a former friend, has been booked on a slew of felony charges. Greenwich police extradited Christopher Ilchert, 36, of Rowayton Avenue, Norwalk, from the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, N.Y. on Monday. He is now facing local charges in a rampage he allegedly committed on Stonehedge Drive Aug. 15 of last year. Ilchert was alleged to have set up a large canister of oxygen on the property of his former friend, and then trying to detonate the oxygen tank with gun shots. The gunfire drew out the victim, who left the home to confront the shooter. Ilert was accused of driving his vehicle at the Greenwich man, bumping into him, then dragging him alongside the vehicle after the other man reached into the car. The victim suffered a number of injuries in the encounter, and Ilchert drove off. He later crashed the car, a BMW, at the Westchester County Airport and was taken into custody by Westchester police. Cops at the time said he was under the influence of drugs. Ilchert was charged this week in Connecticut with reckless endangerment, felony assault, carrying a gun without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, Criminal possession of a firearm and breach of peace. Bail was set at $150,000. Ilchert is also facing charges in New York - criminal possession of a weapon, operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs and possession of stolen property. Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene of the crash at the Westchester County Airport. Ilchert was treated for a leg injury after the crash. In 2010, he was accused of attempting to break into a pharmacy in Rowayton by ramming it with a vehicle. Ilchert also faced drug charges in 2008, when a narcotics task force busted a ring trafficking in cocaine and pills. Ilchert is set to appear in court Aug. 7. GREENWICH Mosquitoes trapped near the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center this month have tested positive for West Nile Virus, the first signs of the virus in town this year. According to the towns Department of Health, the mosquitoes were trapped in Old Greenwich on July 19, joining South Windsor and West Haven as places where the virus has been detected in mosquitoes. The town will continue its preemptive larvicide application program which began in June. Controlling the mosquito population in the larval stage ... has been found to be a prudent action, town Director of Health Caroline Baisely said in a press release on Monday. However this measure only helps to reduce the mosquito population, not eliminate it. The recent warm weather and periodic rain events have increased the ability for mosquitoes to breed. West Nile Virus is spread to humans by the bites of infected mosquitoes that have bitten birds carrying the virus, not by person-to-person or bird-to-person contact. Symptoms, which occur between five and 15 days after the bite, range from slight fever, headache, rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, malaise and eye pain to severe headaches, high fever, a stiff neck, disorientation, severe muscle weakness, stomach issues, coma or death. The elderly and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk for damage to the central nervous systems as a result of a bite. A minority of infected people, especially those older than 50, can experience encephalitis and meningitis as a result. In 2016, only one Connecticut resident developed an illness related to the virus. It was not fatal. The town puts larvicide on public and private roadway and public school catch basins every four to six weeks. Highest risk of exposure to West Nile-infected mosquitoes is in August and September. Although the towns larvicide program treats catch basins, the general public must be vigilant in eliminating standing water on their own properties and protecting themselves from biting mosquitoes at all times, Michael Long, the towns director of environmental services, said. The mosquito trapping program will continue through October at three locations in Greenwich. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Would you have a microchip implanted in your hand to make getting into the office or purchasing food in the cafeteria more efficient? Most employees at Wisconsin-based tech company Three Square Market would. Fifty of the 80 employees at Three Square Market have signed up to have a grain-sized chip placed under the skin between their thumb and index fingers, which can complete tasks that involve RFID technology with the simple wave of a hand. Related: How to Give Your Employees Real Benefits, Not Just Cheap Perks "We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information and used as payment at other RFID terminals," CEO Todd Westby said in a statement. While employees are not required to get the microchip implants, a majority are hopping on board. The company has partnered with Swedish company BioHax International, which already has a number of its own employees with chips injected. However, Three Square Market will be the first company in the U.S. to employ such a program. The chips are FDA-approved, removable and do not have GPS tracking. Nobody can track you with it, Westby said. Your cellphone does 100 times more reporting of data than does an RFID chip. Related: The Well-Being Perks You Never Thought to Offer While many employees are excited about the new technology, some are understandably hesitant. Im a little nervous about implanting something into my body, Melissa Timmins, the companys sales director, told The New York Times. "I think its pretty exciting to be part of something new like this. I know down the road, its going to be the next big thing, and were on the cutting edge of it. Maybe its time to forget about summer Fridays or free lunches -- this could be the workplace perk of the future. The chips, which run $300 a piece but will be covered by Three Square Market, will be implanted in employees on Aug. 1 at the companys chip party. Related: What Does It Take to Be a High Performing Company in a Disruptive World? This Little Robot Finds Leaks in Water and Gas Pipes This Company's New Perk Is Implanting Microchips in Employees Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Haiti - Diplomacy : Donald Trump wants to appoint an Ambassador in Haiti President Donald J. Trump last Thursday announced his intent to nominate individuals to key positions in his Administration, whose, for Haiti Michele Jeanne Sison of Maryland as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Haiti. Ms. Sison, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, has served as an American diplomat since 1982. She currently serves as Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, a position she has held since 2014. A three-time Ambassador, Ms. Sison has been a leader, policymaker, and manager of complex programs in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and in Washington, D.C. She has served at eleven U.S. Missions overseas and in senior leadership positions at the Department of State. Ms. Sison earned a B.A. from Wellesley College. She speaks fluent French and basic Haitian Creole and Arabic. If her appointment is confirmed by the US Senate, Michele Jeanne Sison replaces Ambassador Peter F. Mulrean, who retired last February 27 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20218-haiti-flash-departure-of-ambassador-peter-f-mulrean.html after 29 years of diplomatic career. The position was assured since then by the Charge d'Affaires of the American Embassy in Haiti Brian Shukan. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politics : Moise brings together 8 mayors and made promises against insalubrity Monday at the National Palace, President Jovenel Moise, met with the mayors of the 8 communes of the metropolitan area around the ways and means to mobilize to combat lasting insalubrity in the capital and its surroundings. This important meeting, following last July's meeting between the Chief of Staff of President Wilson Laleau and the mayors of the metropolitan region, allowed the Head of State to discuss the need for public services to fight hard against the rubbish encumbering the streets of the capital. Moise said he wants to work to strengthen the capacities of communes by providing them with adequate materials and equipment for the implementation of their sanitation policy. The return of staff of sanitary officers, the implementation of a sanitation plan for the areas of Bolosse, Saline and Croix-des-Bossales, the clearing of gullies and drainage of canals in the different neighborhoods of the metropolitan area were some of the points addressed by the various actors who all affirmed their willingness to work to change the face of the capital and its bordering communes. The Head of State expressed his willingness to involve all public institutions concerned with the issue of sanitation and promised to the mayors that he will spare no effort to allow the populations of the area Metropolitan and the rest of the country to operate in a healthier environment. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19586-haiti-environment-port-au-prince-declares-war-to-the-rubbish.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-17964-icihaiti-environment-the-mayors-of-the-metropolitan-area-are-talking-about-waste.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17952-haiti-environment-the-tourism-investments-compromised-by-waste.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11559-haiti-environment-smcrs-wants-to-get-out-the-metropolitan-area-of-its-insalubrity.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Dominican army sends 900 more troops to reinforce border Monday, the Minister of Defense Lieutenant-General Ruben Dario Paulino Sem, confirmed the dispatch of 895 reinforcements to the border to support Operation Shield set up since January 2015 and the surveillance and control operations of Haitians who attempt to enter the Dominican territory illegally every day (500 to 800) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21499-haiti-flash-more-than-140-000-haitians-turned-back-at-the-dominican-border.html It should be noted that a few days ago 300 soldiers had already been sent to reinforce the specialized Corps of Security to the land borders (CESFRONT) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21521-haiti-flash-military-reinforcement-at-the-dominican-border.html He precised "We are increasing controls, and we are back every day of people who are trying to enter our country illegally. From Monte Cristi to Pedernales, the Army carries out patrols." https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21499-haiti-flash-more-than-140-000-haitians-turned-back-at-the-dominican-border.html The Ministry of Defense, the Haitian National Police and the Embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic have started a series of meetings to discuss issues of common interest around border security between the two countries and coordinate their actions, in particular on the migration of Haitians https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21598-haiti-politics-pnh-and-the-dominican-ministry-of-defense-discuss-border-security.html The number of Dominican soldiers stationed along the borders remains unknown, but the Ministry of Defense refuses to specify it. However, one can reasonably estimate that with the last reinforcements no less than 4,000 soldiers (less than 10% of the active Dominican Army) are in permanent operation along the border. Remember that Operation Shield alone, by rotation, mobilizes more than 20,000 soldiers per year or nearly 2,000 military personnel on site each month https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13067-haiti-security-operation-shield-more-than-22-000-troops-along-the-dominican-border.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21598-haiti-politics-pnh-and-the-dominican-ministry-of-defense-discuss-border-security.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21519-haiti-flash-dr-multiplies-controls-nearly-4-000-haitians-repatriated-in-recent-days.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21499-haiti-flash-more-than-140-000-haitians-turned-back-at-the-dominican-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21521-haiti-flash-military-reinforcement-at-the-dominican-border.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21514-icihaiti-flash-arrests-and-deportations-of-more-than-400-haitians-in-pedernales.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21503-haiti-flash-deportations-recommendations-of-the-consulate-of-haiti-to-the-haitians-in-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13067-haiti-security-operation-shield-more-than-22-000-troops-along-the-dominican-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12956-haiti-security-operation-shieldon-the-dominican-border.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Health : Soon a training in optometry in Haiti A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed to establish the first ever School of Optometry in Haiti. The School is a collaboration between lUniversite dEtat dHaiti (UEH), Brien Holden Vision Institute, Optometry Giving Sight, VOSH International and Charity Vision with support from University of Montreal. The signatories hope that the first students will commence their studies in October. "This is a great moment in the development of eye health in Haiti," said Dr. Jean Claude Cadet, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at UEH, which is the lead local implementing partner for the project. "We are grateful to our international partners for helping us to realize our vision of establishing Optometry as a profession in Haiti in order to improve access to primary eye care for the millions of people in need." There are currently only 3 optometrists and 58 ophthalmologists (6 in the public sector) to serve Haiti's population of 10 million people. These are predominantly located in the capital, making it difficult for the majority (70%) of people to access primary eye care services. "This project will seek to graduate 16 optometrists per year, in what will be a 5-year Bachelor of Vision Science degree," said Dr. Luigi Bilotto, Director Global Human Resource Development, Brien Holden Vision Institute, which is the lead international implementing partner for the project. The development of a locally trained workforce will have a huge impact on the well-being of people in Haiti, according to Dr. Ellen Weiss, President of VOSH International. "VOSH chapters have been undertaking voluntary mission trips to Haiti for many years," said Dr. Weiss. "We have seen tens of thousands of people and made a real difference in many peoples lives, but we think that the School of Optometry will help to provide a lasting solution and enable our teams to refocus their efforts on providing additional training and mentoring to the students once they graduate." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politics : Installation of the National Health Reform Commission On Monday at the National Palace, President Jovenel Moise, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Jack Guy Lafontant, Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health and members of international organizations involved in the health sector in Haiti, proceeded to the installation of the members of the National Committee for the Reform of the Health System and Hospital Care. The Head of State spoke about the reasons that led to the creation of this Commission, whose mandate is to study and recommend all measures likely to facilitate the reform of health and hospital services in Haiti and explained "The situation is marked by a global deficiency in the management of our services, disillusioned staff and repeated strikes in our hospitals. All this contributes to demotivation of staff, absenteeism, deterioration in the quality of care and under-funding of the sector. Such a picture, which is not exhaustive, explains the poor performance of the health system and its overall inefficiency despite significant investments in infrastructure in recent years." According to Moise, this Commission must make it possible to come up with concrete proposals that will enable the State to have pragmatic and feasible solutions that will satisfy the right to health of the population "All the population must benefit from the services that respond to its needs and not in function of its pocket. It will be required that this reform also puts the users of our services outside the spectrum of ruinous healthcare spending. We expect all citizens to find services and health care wherever they are," concluded Moise, who believes that the measures to be taken should include health financing, hospital management, the establishment of the health model and universal health coverage. For her part, Yolene Surena, the President of the Commission, while outlining some of the ways in which the Commission works, gave the guarantee that the Commission will work to "provide the country with an evolving, balanced health system where preventive and the curative cohabitates and through which each Haitian will have access to essential services of quality." The Commission is composed of Yolene Surena (President) and 10 members : Gerard Abel, Lucille Charles, Ronald Laroche, Gerard Blot, Gardner Michel, Carl Francois, Ewald Jeune Joseph, Marc-Henry Pierre-Francois, Roseta Georges Alisma and Fils-Lien Thelot. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Diplomacy, recruitment by competition Chancellor Antonio Rodrigue said that as part of the reform of Haitian diplomacy, future diplomats and mission staff will be recruited by competition https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21622-haiti-flash-moise-will-start-the-big-cleaning-of-the-haitian-diplomacy.html 398 foreign doctors in Haiti 398 Haitian doctors living abroad arrived in Haiti last weekend for the 44th Congress of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE), Monday, at the end of the first day of the conference, where topics like infections Tropical, cancer, medical missions and community medicine were debated, a dance performance hosted by comedian Kako, was offered in their honor at the Royal Decameron, courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism. Minister of Defense will be convened in the Senate On Saturday, Northwestern Senator Kedlaire Augustin (PHTK) announced that he will launch the convening process in the upper house of Herve Denis, the Minister of Defense so that he explain on recruiting of young people in search of a salary, without taking into account the socio-economic, cultural and political context of the country... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21596-haiti-flash-army-warning-of-mario-andresol.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21593-haiti-army-haitian-lawyersleague-condemns-government-action.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21566-haiti-notice-military-recruitment-extended-registrations.html Waste management, Guadeloupe helps The community of communes of Guadeloupe "Cap Excellence" decided to come to Haiti from 31 July to 5 August 2017 for the organization and the management of waste for the benefit of towns of Jacmel, Gressier, Limbe and Torbeck whose mayors came to Guadeloupe in November 2016. Winner of the "Chante Pou Libete" contest In order to sensitize Haitians against child domesticity, Restavek Freedom organizes a national contest "Chante Pou Libete" around the theme "Ann leve kanpe pou yon Ayiti san restavek". Held on Sunday 23 July at the Henfrasa building, in the presence of thousands of spectators. The big winner is Marjorie E. Frederic. Martine Moise visits the village On Monday, as part of a process to make drinking water available, the First Lady Martine Moise, accompanied by Guito Edouard, the Director General of the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Directorate (DINEPA) and the Secretary of State for the Integration of People with Disabilities, Gerald Oriol Jr, visited the village of L'Espoir in the locality of Leveques, in Arcahaie. HL/ HaitiLibre Have you ever found yourself saying, someday I am going to do something. Eventually that changes to, I always wanted to do that. Maybe its time to act on some of these things, before you just cant. In the mid... By Vasia Orion | Published on 2017/07/25 "Falsify" opens with several grim reminders that all are not, in fact, equal before the law and that what we know as the truth is only the most well-backed version of it. We are introduced to Han Moo-yeong, a rogue journalist who is trying to infiltrate the underworld in search of someone special. Rewind to five years ago, and we see how things got to this point. Advertisement The episodes deliver very standard introductory plot in an entertaining and engrossing manner. The story goes right into the basics of providing the key mystery, the moral alignment of and connections between key characters. It shows us where we are, how we got here and it shows us where we will be going. One element I particularly appreciate is the naivete of our protagonists, because it leaves them room to grow, rather than creating a per-existing imbalance between them. Characters who are too pure for their positions can also make for better drama, if their downfall and path to maturity are well-written. Han Moo-yeong (Namkoong Min) starts off as a hotblooded "youth" and Kwon So-ra (Uhm Ji-won) as too idealistic for a career. However, I find Lee Seok-min (Yu Jun-sang) to be the most interesting character so far. While his naivete might feel unrealistic for a journalist, it shows the pitfalls of a work culture reliant on connections. Seok-min does not see his superior's betrayal coming, because he has been a sheltered protege. While the episodes are very story-rich, they do not feel like a bombardment of plot, because "Falsify" uses two crucial tools well. Its action and comedy give it good pacing. The fight scenes and humorous breaks my personal favorite combination of these being the driving range chase do not overstay their welcome and they are well-designed enough that they do not become overbearing. Instead, they fill in the space between chunks of the story and allow viewers to absorb important information without feeling mentally or emotionally overburdened. Speaking of feeling burdened, I mentioned in my preview of the drama that I sometimes feel burned-out on revenge stories. A big part of the reason why is because they often fail to create suspense, by providing all the players "whodunnits" right away. "Falsify" is very smart about this. We have one antagonist with bigger, unknown enemies behind him and we have the mystery of the late Min Yeong-ho's (Kim Jong-soo) list and whoever may have it. Aside from the important bits, I am also enjoying the drama's attention to details. Oh Jung-se's appearance as Han Cheol-ho is powerful and his anxiety and remorse are palpable. I also appreciate some small efforts for realism, such as the fact that our protagonist is not magically good at fighting, but has a related background. The opening episodes are well-crafted and well-acted, making them a solid premiere for "Falsify". "Falsify" is directed by Lee Jeong-heum, written by Kim Hyeon-jeong-IV and features Namkoong Min, Yu Jun-sang, Uhm Ji-won and Moon Sung-keun. Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings' Watch Episode 1 on KOCOWAtv Watch Episode 2 on KOCOWAtv Note: Due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/07/24 So it's not just my imagination- the opening crawl explaining the background of "The King Loves", with the threat of Mongol invasion, coupled with the increasingly aggressive character descriptions, make it pretty clear that even the production team has realized the content of this drama is incredibly dense. Unfortunately background alone doesn't really help explain motivation. That much is a pretty strong stickler, considering the bizarre series of events that closes out episode six. Advertisement I mean, don't get me wrong. That particular cliffhanger is well built up to. We're shown all of the relevant foreshadowing ahead of time. The main part that's missing is who contrived the situation that required Prince Lin to use such a painstakingly specific skill in order to "solve" it. And more importantly why. While "The King Loves" may be great at looking dramatic, its urgency is hobbled by how every character action just begs more increasingly complicated questions. To date the only older character whose motivation I can easily follow is Chzhuan Muvan Khou (played by Jang Young-nam), as she is both the only important woman in the palace as well as the only Mongolian. A flashback also does us the favor of explaining her motivation- which for the most part is just to act mean, but really, who can blame her? People in "The King Loves" frequently come off as savage even if that wasn't their intent. The main exception to this rule are the three leads, who at this point feel like characters from a completely different drama. Prince Won keeps flirting with Eun-san, frequently ignoring everything else that's going on for a moment of romancing. Prince Lin, with his much more serious demeanor, is at least being treated by members of the royal conspiracy as someone who could, one day, be important. But much like Eun-san, Prince Lin is still struggling just to catch up on basic exposition. On that note, I have to admit that "The King Loves" consistently looks pretty great in motion. The definite highlight of episode five is Prince Lin and Eun-san running into each other, and the complicated actions they have go through in order to avoid detection. The choreography is just beautiful. Still, the rules regarding allowed sounds are inconsistent, and director Kim Sang-hyeob straight up skips a scene. How did they get on the roof? I wanted to see that part. I bet it looked cool. Review by William Schwartz "The King Loves" is directed by Kim Sang-hyeob, written by Airborne, Song Ji-na and features Im Si-wan, Yoona, Hong Jong-hyun, Kim Jung-wook, Jae Ho and Ki Do-hoon. Watch on Viki Published on 2017/07/25 | Source Added episodes 21 and 22 captures for the Korean drama "Bad Thief, Good Thief" (2017) Advertisement Directed by Jang Joon-ho, Oh Kyeong-hoon Written by Cha I-yeong, Son Yeong-mok Network : MBC With Ji Hyun-woo, Seohyun, Kim Ji-hoon-I, Lim Ju-eun, Ahn Kil-kang, Jung Kyung-soon,... 50 episodes - Sat, Sun 22:00 Synopsis A story of thieves who affect the authorities that manipulate Korea. It serves to bring satisfaction to those who are frustrated at the reality of the world. Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/05/13 More Published on 2017/07/24 | Source Kim Sejeong became a loner because of X and best friends Kim Jung-hyun and Jang Dong-yoon built more hatred for each other. Advertisement On the latest episode of the KBS 2TV drama "School 2017", Ra Eun-ho (Kim Sejeong) went after the culprit X. Hero X's copycat crime was increasing. The principal Yang Do-jin (Kim Eung-soo) accused Ra Eun-ho of being an accomplice to X and suggested getting rid of her penalties if she found out who the culprit was. She needed a good student record to go to Hanguk University and agreed. Ra Eun-ho found a note saying, 'Hyeon Tae-woon (Kim Jung-hyun) and Song Dae-hwi (Jang Dong-yoon) weren't at the hall just now' and started becoming suspicious of them. The principal introduced the penalty system due to the increased copycat crimes. Those who report a crime would get reward points while the one being accused would get penalty points. Kang Hee-chan (Kim Hee-chan), who always lost first place to Song Dae-hwi, reported him just because. His mother had told him to do so. Other students started doing the same; reporting others to get reward points themselves. Meanwhile, Hyeon Tae-hoon stood on Ra Eun-ho's side and said she wasn't smart enough to be X. Jang So-ran (Jo Mi-ryung) said the start of the penalty points system was because of Ra Eun-ho and Yoo Bit-na (Z.Hera) started repeating it. All the students complained to Ra Eun-ho about their student records but Song Dae-hwi stopped them. The rumor spread throughout the school and fellow students started bullying Ra Eun-ho. Three of them threatened her with her life but Hyeon Tae-woon appeared on her side. Being the son of the chairman, he said, "This school is mine" and told them to report him for violence if they wanted to anytime. Meanwhile, Hyeon Tae-woon discovered that his precious watch was broken and was outraged. Published on 2017/07/25 | Source An amphibious bus comes back on land from the Han River in Yeouido, Seoul on Monday. It is on a test run as part of the city's summer festival. Advertisement High UK en primeur demand and Asian growth fuels strong BI sales By Andrew Catchpole Fine wine trader BI has reported a 43% uplift in turnover to 50m for the first half of 2017, marking the strongest period of sales for the company for several years. The figures, which saw sales of Bordeaux up 49% and Burgundy rise by 36%, revealed that Asian demand accounted for 50% of total sales for the group, while UK buyers remained firmly in the running for en primeur wines, accounting for 70% of sales, despite challenges presented to UK buyers by unfavourable FX and economic uncertainty. Sales through the companys Live Trade platform, an online platform for sales of fine and rare wines, topped 17m, 56% up on the same period last year, with Asian buyers accounting for 70% of the wines traded. Elsewhere, rare spirits, led by whiskies, jumped 79%, again with demand primarily coming from Asia, underpinjned by favourable exchange rates for eastern buyers. BI also reported a growing diversity in the global market for fine wines, citing a lift in Champagne sales of 38% and US wines by 39%, plus growth in Rhone purchases, as evidence of this broadening interest beyond the stalwarts of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The diversity of demand is encouraging, and suggests that the global market is maturing very nicely, said Gary Boom, BI managing director. Speaking on the companys 2016 Bordeaux en primeur campaign, which was the strongest since 2010, Boom suggested that investors had piled in on the back of a quality 2016 vintage, also looking ahead to the challenges of a weather-battered and almost certainly much reduced 2017 harvest. Recent history also suggests that a strong Bordeaux en primeur campaign will support and emphasise the prevailing market sentiment of the time - much as it did in 2009 and 2010 and in reverse for 2011-2014, said Boom. Moreover, the plight of the 2017 harvest, which has been heavily hail and frost affected, suggests that a further future supply constraint is to be incorporated welcome news for holders of stock. BI, which operates out of offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, having been named Bordeaux Specialist of the Year by the IWC in 2015. The man from Baghdad showed up unannounced in a state office building in Salem, Oregon, with a piece of paper in his hand that said he was worth $6.4 million. "Are you sure? Are you sure?!" -- M., a 37-year-old father from Iraq, kept repeating the question after receiving a phone call with the news that he had won the $6.4 million jackpot in a lottery in the United States in late 2015. Shortly afterwards he hopped on a plane from Baghdad to collect his prize. He politely asked that his name be kept quiet, then told state officials that he had set up a local bank account into which they should deposit money annually. And then he went away, richer and more mysterious than when he arrived, reported the New York Times. The Iraqi jackpot winner wasnt the only foreign winner of a US lottery In October 2016, a man in Australia won $1 million in the US Powerball after matching all five main numbers. In February 2016, P. from Quebec, Canada, also won $1 million (when the US Powerball jackpot was $1.6 billion). A 73-year-old pensioner from El Salvador bought a US Powerball ticket with random numbers on 13 January 2016 and won $1 million. The list goes on and on: Latvians, Russians, Brits... All of them have won big in lotteries outside their country of origin. What do all those lottery winners have in common? None of the above winners had physically flown to the US to buy their winning lottery ticket, but they all won multimillion dollar prizes. Each one of them had bought tickets through theLotter.com, an online company with offices in dozens of countries around the world. theLotter.com offers clients from all corners of the globe real paper tickets for a range of lotteries from Europe and America, including Powerball in the United States and EuroMillions in France as well as 100% commission-free wins. Do Finns play as well? You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in Finland saying no to this weeks $282 million jackpot. Up until a few decades ago, most Europeans would not even have heard of the sums of money available in official American lotteries, but in this day and age news about winners spreads quickly and more and more people find their way online as the desire to partake increases especially in Nordic countries. Austin Weaver, Marketing spokesperson for theLotter in London, explained: Finns are in love weve got many thousands of fans in Finland now who are regularly participating in draws at theLotter. Our couriers in the US go out to buy the paper tickets and scan them. Its only a matter of time before we see a Finnish winner I am sure of it! Helsinki Times The nuclear energy consortium has postponed the filing and is currently expected to present the documents this autumn. Fennovoimas nuclear power plant project in Pyhajoki, Northern Ostrobothnia, may be delayed if it fails to file the requisite design documents in time, says Petteri Tiippana, the director general of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK). The need for them is becoming quite urgent. Fennovoima wants the building permit next year, Tiippana said in an interview on YLE Radio Suomi on Monday. STUK, he said, has previously announced that the technical safety inspection process has only begun and will not be completed until next year regardless of when the documents are submitted. The initial plan was to both carry out the inspections and process the permit application before the end of this year. And that requires that there are no more delays in filing the information, he added. Tiippana also reminded that perusing the tens of thousands of pages of technical documents is both a meticulous and painstaking process. The most important aspects will be looked at very carefully, he said to the public broadcasting company. Fennovoima announced last month that Rolls-Royce has been selected as the main supplier of protection automation to its nuclear power plant in Pyhajoki, the Hanhikivi 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant is scheduled for completion in 2024, according to the energy consortium. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Handout / Fennovoima Source: Uusi Suomi Members of the Green League, Left Alliance, Social Democrats and Swedish Peoples Party, in particular, have recently demanded that the temporary permits be re-instated as an alternative to forced returns, arguing that many asylum seekers are finding themselves in an intolerable situation in Finland. Ex-Minister of the Interior Paivi Rasanen (CD) has voiced her reservations about the idea of granting unsuccessful asylum seekers temporary residence permits. The temporary permits were abolished in 2015, Rasanens final year as the Minister of the Interior. She explains that section 51 of the aliens act, which lays out the grounds for granting residence permits to aliens in the event of inability to leave the country, was ambiguous to the extent that it became unclear whether or not unsuccessful asylum seekers could be returned to countries that refused to receive forced returnees -- Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. The Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) ultimately ruled that the legislation provides no grounds for enforcing forced returns to such countries and that, as a result, unsuccessful applicants from such countries should be granted temporary residence permits. The legislation also stipulated that the applicants were to be provided with reception services and became eligible for a permanent residence permit after a two-year residence in Finland. It wouldve been possible to get a residence permit simply by announcing that youll refuse to leave. It was an impossible situation, Rasanen summarises in an interview with Uusi Suomi, reminding that unsuccessful asylum applicants are by definition not in need of international protection. If we hadnt revised the law, it wouldve basically rendered the asylum procedure of officials completely needless. Our doors wouldve been wide open for asylum seekers from countries that dont receive so-called forced returnees. Our capacity couldnt have handled that. Rasanen estimates that the availability of temporary residence permits would also effectively serve as a pull factor. Had it not been for the decision to abolish temporary permits, she speculates, the number of asylum seekers could have risen even higher in Finland in 2015. The country received more than 30,000 asylum applications in 2015. I personally think it was very good that we changed the law in time, even though we at the time werent anticipating such a high number of asylum applicants in 2015. Otherwise there wouldve been many more of them, she predicts. Finland, she adds, must focus its resources on integrating and looking after the asylum applicants who receive a positive decision and are in need of international protection. We have no option but to trust our officials and the justice system. Its possible to appeal all the way to the Supreme Administrative Court, reminds Rasanen. She also stresses that she is a supporter of both humane immigration policies and proposals to raise the refugee quota. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Markku Ulander Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi FULL details of this years Henley Literary Festival are now available in a handy easy-to-flip-through format a book! Copies of the festivals programme booklet, which this year runs to 92 pages, are available to pick up from the Bell Bookshop and other locations around the town. General booking opened on Monday, with tickets now on sale for more than 160 talks, Q&As, performances and workshops during the festival, which runs from Monday, October 2, to Sunday, October 8. Speakers appearing at this years event include Russell Brand, Mary Berry, Michael Morpurgo, Chris Bonington and Radio 1 DJ Greg James. Novelists include The Girl on the Train author Paula Hawkins, 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, local writers Vera Morris and Amanda Jennings, and Chocolat author Joanne Harris. Sporting authors include Judy Murray, Phil Tufnell and Dame Katherine Grainger, while broadcasters discussing their latest books include Fearne Cotton, Melvyn Bragg, Victoria Derbyshire, Libby Purves and, making his only literary festival appearance, Danny Baker. Politics will be on the agenda for events with Ken Clarke, Polly Toynbee, Vince Cable, Bonnie Greer and Chris Patten. A record start to Friends of the Festival booking earlier this month saw more than 5,000 tickets sold in the first four days. Venues lined up for the festival include Henley Town Hall, the Kenton Theatre, Phyllis Court, Stonor Park, Hobbs Hibernia boat and the Baillie Gifford Festival Hub marquee in the town square. Meanwhile, the festival has once again joined forces with Newbury-based Dragonfly Tea to encourage those adults who feel they have a book in them and children who enjoy writing with a short story competition. The deadline is Monday, July 31, with the winners set to be revealed at a special ceremony on the final day of the festival. Competition judges include Baroness Floella Benjamin and comedian Helen Lederer, and entries can be submitteed online at www.dragonflytea.com To view the festivals full programme online and book tickets, visit www.henley literaryfestival.co.uk For more information, call (01491) 575948 from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday. ELKO How do Native American youth see the 21st century through both traditional and modern perspectives? That question was answered, in part, through artwork of junior high and senior high students at Owyhee Combined School in the exhibit, Through Our Own Eyes. A collection of art by 49 students is now on display, and for sale, at the California Trail Interpretive Center through Oct. 31, giving the students the opportunity to provide insight into their world, said Owyhee art teacher Kit Julianto. The exhibit allows students to present their artwork in a gallery setting, shown to the world, said Julianto. The title of the exhibit is Through Our Own Eyes because students see the world around them differently than you and I. Julianto worked closely with Supervisory Park Ranger Alex Rose on the project, who agreed that the exhibit was an opportunity for the teens to interpret their own experience, insight and culture through paint and words. This is the second year weve worked with Owyhee Combined School to interpret Native American history and culture today, explained Rose. The students are from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and are descendants of Western Shoshone and Northern Paiute tribes, and were given creative freedom for the project, said Rose, which includes artist statements that add significance to the work. Terry Don Howards work, Paradise Valley People, describes the worn face of a Shoshone elder that represents all women. The face of the old woman is a typical Shoshone style; the silk head scarf and white hair show the stress theyve been through in carrying on old traditions of our people, Howard wrote. The buffalo on the bottom represents the conflict of modern natives vs. what it truly means to be Native American. I added the traditional powwow dancer to show the sacredness and power of not just native women, but all women. They are mothers, they are caretakers, they are strong. Some the students had not painted or shared their work before the exhibit, said Julianto, who hoped the opportunity to create art would make them consider larger themes. As an artist, I wanted students to think about their art and the meaning behind what they created, Julianto explained. The exhibits strength is allowing a platform for the Native American students to share their own stories in their own way, said Rose. Some of the artwork explores traditional themes and some are contemporary, so theres a lot of diversity in the expression, said Rose, who was given the idea for the exhibit when he worked for the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, collaborating with Julianto after moving to Elko. The students are also able sell their work in the exhibit through the Southern Nevada Conservancy, with 100 percent of the sales going back to the artist. Weve sold 10 paintings in two weeks, said Rose. Its a powerful way to reward these students for their hard work and creativity. I hope some of these talented artists will go on to be professional artists, Rose added. For information on the exhibit, call 738-1849 or email CAtrailcenter@gmail.com. A reveller enjoying her first night out in three years ended up spending it in garda custody after she got drunk and threatened officers. Oona Donnelly (25) refused to speak to male gardai unless a female officer was present, claiming they might "man-handle" her. Judge Dermot Dempsey ordered Donnelly to donate 250 to Temple Street Children's Hospital and said he would apply the Probation Act. The defendant, of Astoria Park, Belfast, admitted a breach of the peace before Swords District Court. The incident took place at McDonald's, Airside Retail Park, Swords, shortly after 2.30am last December 6. Gda David Byrne said that when he arrived on the scene, Donnelly was highly agitated and "incredibly intoxicated". Gda Byrne said she was shouting at someone inside McDonald's and was making threats towards that person. Distressing The officer said Donnelly's behaviour continued in the patrol car, where she was lashing out and issuing various threats towards gardai. Gda Byrne said Donnelly refused to co-operate with off-icers in Swords Garda Station, refusing to speak unless there was a female garda present, as she claimed she would be "manhandled and shoulder-charged" by male officers. The court heard she had never been in trouble before. Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said Donnelly spent a night in custody following this incident, and that was a distressing experience for her. Ms D'Arcy said the incident took place on Donnelly's first night out in three years. She said the defendant has a growth in her head and mental health issues, and unfortunately she mixed alcohol with prescribed medication. Ms D'Arcy said the defendant, a mother-of-two, was app-alled by her behaviour. The court heard she sent a letter of apology to Gda Byrne shortly after the incident. Garda at scene of the accident A teenage motorcyclist was killed and his passenger seriously injured when his bike crashed into a lamppost in the north of Dublin. Coolock gardai launched an investigation into the accident in Clarehall. No other vehicle was involved. The accident happened at 4.20pm yesterday. Diversions "An 18-year-old male motorcyclist was fatally injured when his motorcycle collided with a lamppost," said a garda statement. "He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body removed to Beaumont Hospital. "A 23-year-old male pillion passenger was seriously injured and has been taken to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital." The road was closed and diversions put in place while garda forensic collision investigators examined the area. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to contact Coolock Garda Station on 01 666 4200. Alternatively, they can call the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Dublin Fire Brigade said two fire tenders, an ambulance from Swords and UCD emergency care attended the scene at the Clare Hall roundabout. Two pedestrians were also killed in separate road accidents in Limerick and Cork. A 40-year-old man died when he was hit by a car in Kileely Road in Limerick city on Sunday night. In the second accident, a man was hit by a lorry while walking in the Bridge Street area of Cork city at 11am yesterday. He died at the scene. Locals and businesses in the north-east are facing at least three more days of misery, following a burst water main. Drogheda has remained without a regular water supply after the main - more than four metres below ground - became damaged on Friday morning. Irish Water has begun a special operation to repair the damage after efforts over the weekend failed. However, the water utility said it would be Thursday at the earliest by the time the pipe is repaired. Large queues have been forming at water stations set up to alleviate the crisis, as water tankers have been brought in, some from Northern Ireland, to deal with the demand. Safety A HSE specialist has warned food businesses may need to "reduce or cease trading" if they cannot guarantee the safety of their food because of the water outage. Dr Peter Finnegan - based in the Department of Public Health in Navan - said food operators need to assess the risk posed for the duration of the outage. "It is the responsibility of the food businesses and childcare operators to ensure that food prepared and/or served in their premises does not put the health of the public at risk," Dr Finnegan said. Businesses in the area have already been hit hard, with some forced to close their doors. In the Southgate Shopping Centre, on the outskirts of Drogheda, owners of the Relish cafe do not know how long it can remain open, having already closed one of its cafes in another part of town. "Our coffee machines won't work because they are plumbed directly into the main water supply, so we are having to boil kettles of water we buy from Dunnes Stores to make instant tea and coffee for customers," said manager Estelle Gorman. "Some customers looking for takeaway coffee have decided to go without as a result, because they can make instant coffee at home. "We are charging much less for the customers that do take it, because obviously it's just instant and not the coffee they would prefer." Philip McEvoy in Boyne Valley Seafoods was having similar problems. The fish shop in Southgate needs a plentiful supply of water for washing and cleaning. "We are transporting water in from outside, from our homes and places, to keep going. It is very inconvenient," he said. Families have also been struggling to cope with the crisis. Kathleen Maguire (73) who has five great-grandchildren, said she has had to trudge home from the shops with bottles of water in her little trolley. "I got two big bottles of water in Dunnes Stores and brought them home on the bus," she said, speaking at her home in Rathmullen Park. "I used my wheels to bring them home. I'd been so worried that the water would be gone by the time I got to the shops. "It's a bad situation. I hate that the laundry is piling up. I like to do washing and I'm very disappointed." Martin Churchill (52) was operating a water hydrant at Ballsgrove to ensure people could get buckets and containers of water from it. Flooded "Hundreds of people came here to the hydrant. They came from all over the area," he said. "People have been in good spirits generally but that might be different at the end of this week. "Of course, the swimming pools are closed so people can't shower there either." James Guilfoyle (32), of Rathmullen Park, said his house flooded when the water was switched back on temporarily while he was in Dublin with his family. "You couldn't make it up. The whole town has no water, I get flooded out," said the father-of-three. ELKO Twelve Western Shoshone high school students have been selected to attend the 2017 summer Shoshone Community Language Initiative representing eight Shoshone tribes/bands of Nevada. The SCLI program is a five-week intensive language/cultural Shoshone initiative hosted this summer at Great Basin College from July 5-August 4. The SCLI curriculum meets dual credit requirements to allow students the opportunity to earn foreign language credit from Elko County high schools and GBC credit in world languages. During the weekends, students tour and explore Western Shoshone cultural and historical sites in the aboriginal territories throughout Northern Nevada, and learn cultural arts, foods, language and history from Shoshone elders. Daily Shoshone language classes are taught by Samuel Broncho, who received his bachelor of arts degree in linguistics with a TESOL Certificate from the University of Utah; and Norm Cavanaugh, also the SCLI Program Director, who received his masters degree from University of Cal-Berkley. Both instructors are enrolled Shoshone tribal members and speak Shoshone. Structured, daily language classes follow a prescribed curriculum with afternoon and evening activities centered on Western Shoshone culture, art, foods, traditional practices and history led by tribal elders from each of the eight tribal communities. During the weekends, students are provided with opportunities to tour the Tosawihi Quarry, view and learn about battles and massacre sites of the Western Shoshone, the site of the signing of the Ruby Valley Treaty, engage in the South Fork Career/Cultural Days and travel to a number of the Western Shoshone colonies and reservations throughout Nevada. Arloa Kelly, who prepared the daily lunch program, also is a fluent Shoshone speaker at the Elko Band Welcome Center on the Elko Colony. Other program support staff includes Marissa Weaselboy, Program Assistant; Colene and Phillip Paradise, Dormitory Hall Advisors/Supervisors; and Teresa Garcia, a student at GBC and a Barrick program intern. All program facilitators and teachers are Shoshone tribal members. This program is provided in partnership with the Great Basin Indian Archives at Great Basin College and Barrick along with the Battle Mountain Band, Elko Band, South Fork Band and Wells Band of the TeMoak Tribe, the Duckwater, Yomba, and Ely Shoshone Tribes, and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley in a mission to enhance cultural awareness and cultural identity among Western Shoshone youth which comes with learning their Shoshone language, indigenous history, and culture. This is the 1st Annual Shoshone Community Language Initiative Summer Program to be offered at Great Basin College campus, said Cavanaugh, GBIA Program Director. We have planned for a superb and dynamic program for the young Shoshone students with the support of the GBC staff, Tribal Representatives and Barrick. It will be a great positive experience for all involved in this summer program, Cavanaugh said. Small-business owners, farmers, ranchers and elected officials voiced their opinions about water rights July 20 during a meeting regarding proposed regulations to manage the waters negotiation phase of the Humboldt River Basin. They raised questions about issues including irrigation, infrastructure and water rights for mining operations. The aim of the event, presented by the Nevada Division of Water Resources and organized by the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation at the Elko Convention Center, was to gather input about the effect that a proposed water mitigation program would have on small-business owners. The regulations propose an annual financial assessment paid by owners of groundwater wells to compensate owners of surface water rights if their allotment falls short. The alternative could be the elimination of groundwater pumping, according to a Farm Bureau statement. The division is in the early stages of developing a plan to manage the Humboldt River Basin water system to mitigate these conflicts over surface water and groundwater rights. The issue has a long history that climaxed recently after the 2012-2016 drought. Water rights history In the late 1800s, settlers in Nevada claimed surface water rights first. As development continued, settlers then filed for other water rights, including groundwater rights. Because of this history, all the decreed surface water rights are senior to all the decreed groundwater rights, without exception, so they have priority over groundwater pumping, said Rick Felling, Nevada Division of Water Resources deputy administrator. Today, some surface water right holders say that groundwater pumping upriver prevents enough water from flowing downstream. The drought, which peaked in 2015, brought the issue to a head. Legal action The Pershing County Water Conservation District filed a writ petition with the 11th Judicial District Court of Nevada in August 2015, amended in November 2016, to require the state engineer to protect senior water rights in the Humboldt River Basin by regulating basins by priority. The petition states that the state has failed to take required action to sustainably manage the water resources, as total combined perennial yield is 476,400 acre-feet a year allocations total 753,394 acre-feet. The writ petition asks that the state engineer curtail over-appropriated basins; eliminate cones of depression, or lowered water tables, caused by groundwater pumping affecting river flow; and consider treating water rights for mines as permanent. Right now we treat groundwater rights, issue groundwater rights,[for mines] as a temporary right, and the state engineer can do that, Felling said. If we were to treat all mine water rights as permanent rights, then they would be subject to the same curtailment . State response The terms outlined above are what the petitioners ask, but the state is forming a plan. I want to make it clear that this is part of the legal case. This is not what our office is proposing. This is what our office is trying to avoid through these regulations, Felling said. If the writ petition were enforced by a district and ultimately the Supreme Court judge, I think its clear to everyone that it would have a catastrophic impact on Northern Nevada on everybody, on businesses. Theres no getting away from it. The divisions proposed regulations also would likely affect small businesses, Felling said, but it might be less than the ultimate cost, which could be the curtailment of groundwater pumping. Residents reaction Residents participated in the meeting to express concerns over the proposed regulations and the writ petition. The event was the last of fourin Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain and Elkothrough which representatives from the division and the Farm Bureau sought public input. The process of drafting regulations, dictated by the Nevada Administrative Procedure Act, requires that the division assess the impact of proposed regulations on small businesses. We have gone up the river to share the story about what is going on, said Doug Busselman, Nevada Farm Bureau Federation executive vice president. Robert Reed is a Jiggs resident who owns Ruby Mountain Natural Spring Water and Reed Ranching Co. The people of Northern Nevada are getting extremely provoked in dealing with water users from Lovelock and Las Vegas trying to appropriate water that rises in the northern part of the state instead of conserving the waters that they have available to them, Reed wrote in a statement read aloud at the meeting. He argued that Pershing County should have taken measures over the past several decades to save water so that, when there is water, it does not end up in the Humboldt Sink. It is hard for those of us in the northern part of the state to view this wastage and then be expected to curtail our water usage to compensate for this type of squandering of such a valuable resource, he wrote. Felling reminded the audience that it has been perhaps since the mid-1980s since the Humboldt has had as much water as it does this year, so building water-storage infrastructure for water events occurring every few decades might not be economical. Its not their fault that they cant use everything that reaches Imlay gauge, Felling said. The water that got past them, they shouldnt be on the hook for that, because there was nothing they could do to capture it . This year, there was nothing they could do, but nobody did anything wrong. Starr Valley resident Paul Bottari said that he applied for a permit to drill an irrigation well but was denied based on his proximity to the river and the cone of depression that the well might create. He said he thought the effect on the river needed further study. In the meantime, youre going to be closing all the basins, and youre certainly going to have a negative economic impact, he said. I understand what youre doing. Youve got a lawsuit pending. Youre trying to avoid a critical result . If there is any way to extend this study period to make sure the impacts really are what youre anticipating, I think that would be a more fair way to do it. Felling assured that continued study is required and that the regulations would take a long time to go into effect. The hope is that any court would not make a ruling on the writ petition while studies are underway. Until these studies are complete, we are worried about granting additional groundwater rights in the Humboldt River Basin, Felling said. We need to stop granting water rights by the river until we know what the heck is going on. Lifelong Elko-area resident Sabrina Reed asked if that applied to the mines, too, and expressed concern about mines water use. I dont see how ranching is the bad guy when mining could be just as much at fault, she said. Felling responded that no one is accused of using more water than their water right or wasting water, and that all industries would be treated the same under the states proposed rules. Theyre going to be on the same footing as everyone else no favorite treatment for the mines, Felling said. They pump a lot, but they usually put that water back most of that water back into the aquifer. They consumer water, but they put more back into the aquifer than they consume. Sen. Peter Goicoechea and Assemblyman John Ellison were also in attendance. The process In addition to assessing effect on small businesses, the divisions process of drafting regulations includes a study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Desert Research Institute, which could take about two years, and future workshops and public meetings. Where are you going to point the finger? Felling asked. You know, you could point it at the state engineers office, but every state engineers office in the entire West did the exact same thing. We didnt know. At the time, we were granting all these groundwater rights that any amount of pumping, even if it is the most senior right, could conflict with an even more senior surface water right. But thats the boat we find ourselves in. And, unfortunately, thats what were trying to fix, and its no easy task . We are looking to avoid a curtailment that nobody wants. Felling encouraged anyone with input about the impact of the regulations on small business to email him at rfelling@water.nv.gov. The U.S. Attorneys Office wants embattled District Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Kurt Pomrenke to prove he shouldnt be found in criminal contempt for sharing materials from his wifes trial with a state judicial panel. In a motion filed in U.S. District Court, federal prosecutors claim Pomrenke violated a court order in a March 16, 2016 letter he sent to the Virginia Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission - some two weeks after Stacey Pomrenkes conviction on federal corruption charges. Kurt Pomrenkes disclosure of discovery materials to the JIRC violates the courts order of Dec. 1, 2015. The government knows of no exemption or authorization that allowed Kurt Pomrenke to disclose any discovery materials to the JIRC or any other party, according to the motion filed last Thursday. The government asks that Pomrenke be ordered to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court, according to the motion. Attorneys for Pomrenke havent filed a response. The state commission recently filed a formal complaint against Pomrenke for contacting two potential witnesses prior to his wifes trial, including BVU Authority President and CEO Don Bowman. In trial Judge James P. Jones Dec. 1, 2015 ruling, he approved allowing Kurt and Stacey Pomrenke to receive an electronic copy of trial evidence to review at home. As a member of the bar, the defendants husband undoubtedly understands that he must comply with any order prohibiting disclosure of the materials to others and that failure to comply may have severe consequences, Jones wrote. In his March 2016 letter to the judicial commission, Pomrenke divulged information from those materials to the commission. When I wrote the note to Bowman I did not know nor did I suspect Bowman was cooperating with the government as [Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary] Lee asserted, Pomrenke wrote. At that time we had no idea of Bowmans close continuing relationship with prosecutors [which we learned of in January when we received discovery that included dozens and dozens of emails between Bowman and Zachary Lee, including the Jan. 25 email from Bowman which I assumed started all of this. Federal prosecutors raised the issue of the judges note to Bowman in a Feb. 18, 2016 motion asking that Stacey Pomrenkes bond be revoked a request Judge Jones rejected. At that time, Lee said prosecutors believed the note was designed to chill Bowmans cooperation and intimidate him. At her August 2016 sentencing, Judge Jones found Stacey Pomrenke in contempt of court, but not her husband. The judicial commission asked Bowman about his cooperation with federal officials when he testified during a June hearing regarding the charges against Kurt Pomrenke. I just was so involved with meetings with the U.S. attorney, FBI and the IRS agent on almost a daily or weekly basis, I was the point of contact for all of that, Bowman told the commission. At this point, we did not have in-house counsel, we waived our attorney-client privilege to assist them with the investigation, so they were constantly communicating with me and our outside counsel stayed basically on the sidelines, so it all pretty much flowed through me. After Parrott's lead disappears, Trone takes 6th District race Republican state Del. Neil Parrott conceded on Friday after close race. Trone to return as congressman for 6th District. EcoLur: Level of Lake Seval decreased by 10 cm As of 24 July, the level of Lake Sevan has decreased by 10 cm: already 149.828 million cum water has been taken out of Lake Sevan, out of which 0.741 million cum is non-regulated leak. The lake reached its highest peak in June 1900.91 meters, while as of 24 June, the lake level was 1900.81 meters, EcoLur reports. Reminder: according to the official document entitled Forecasting 2017 Spring Flooding Elements in the Rivers in the Republic of Armenia drawn up by RA Ministry for Emergency States, it was forecast for April 2017 that the level of Lake Sevan would reach up to 1901 meters by July. Based on the weather forecasts and river flow forecasts flowing into Lake Sevan, the amount of the water to be transferred into Lake Sevan through 8 aqueducts 130 million cum, magnitudes of lake surface evaporization and water intake from the lake for the irrigation purposes 170 million cum, as of 1 April 2017 its forecast to have lake level increase by 42-47 cm (in the ranges of 1900.95-1901.00 meters), while as of 31 December 2017 the lake level is forecast to be within the ranges of 1900.71-1900.76 meters, which will be +25....+30 cm more as compared with 1 January 2017, the document says. Actually, 80.018 million cum water has flown into Lake Sevan through Arpa-Sevan aqueduct, while the water intake from Lake Sevan in 2017 will make up 270 million cum instead of 170 million cum. How many centimetres will Sevan rise in 2017 and whether its level will rise at all, this is a question the answer to which is still not known. What we know that as of 24 July the level of Lake Sevan is higher than that of the last year by 7 cm. Its also known that its been estimated to raise the lake level for the sustainability of Lake Sevan ecosystem by 1905 meters taking into consideration the height of the wave as well, EcoLur says. 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 Google Ad 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 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 CONOVER Scams have made their way to Catawba County, as an 84-year-old man reached out to the Hickory Daily Record after reporting cases of fraudulent or voided checks to his bank. More than 3.1 million consumer complaints were lodged to the Federal Trade Commission and state law enforcement organizations in 2016. The complaints were compiled and categorized by the FTCs Consumer Sentinel Network at the end of the year. More than 406,000 of those complaints were filed as imposter scams, according to the CSN 2016 report, which comprises 13 percent of the total number of complaints, second behind debt collection at 28 percent. In North Carolina, the gap shrunk by a small amount with imposter scams comprising 15 percent of the total fraudulent complaints lodged within the state and debt collection totaling 26 percent. For Conovers 84-year-old Alton Roberts, he received the fraudulent checks in the mail a few weeks ago. I went to Wells Fargo bank in Conover in order to cash these checks, Roberts said. But was told that they couldnt be cashed; (the bank) took a picture of it for their fraudulent check department. Both checks are labeled void when copied and examined closely. Roberts goal in reaching out to the HDR is to prevent people from making the same mistake he did. Some people will deposit these checks, Roberts said. (They will) spend some of the money, only to have the checks bounced back in a couple of weeks. The Charlotte-metro area was ranked 43rd in consumer complaints, according to the CSN report, and the area averaged 482.9 complaints per 100,000 residents. North Carolina ranked 20thin fraudulent complaints and is 26th in identity theft complaints. The residents most susceptible to these scams were elderly people, and complaints from people aged 50 or older represent 55 percent of claims filed. Hickory Police Department Deputy Chief of Police Reed Baer said HPD has had plenty of complaints lodged in a variety of ways in recent years. Weve seen these types of things on Craigslist, fraudulent cashiers checks, and other convoluted methods, Baer said. Baer said HPD has worked to share the North Carolina Attorney Generals Offices press releases dealing with these types of crime. Gov. Roy Cooper has also put out warnings to North Carolina residents on this issue, Baer said. When asked why scammers target older citizens, Baer said, I think that older people are a bit more trusting, and when theyre told they have a debt, or someone comes to their door or is on their phone telling them something, theyre a bit more likely to believe that (than others). Conover Police Chief Eric Loftin had many of the same observations when it came to elderly people as targets. There werent these types of scams around even 10-15 years ago, Loftin said. So when you get a call that a family member needs money wired to them and youre not as aware of these recent scams, its tough not to trust them. In spite of this new discovery, Loftin said scams havent been a recurring problem recently in Conover. When we have seen these issues, the spread across phone, mail and email has been pretty even in this area. Telephone targeted scams comprised 77 percent of all fraudulent cases in 2016, according to the CSN report. The next closest was email at 8 percent. Wire transfers represented 58 percent of total consumer payment methods in the CSN report. Wire transfers would be the preferred method for these types of people, Loftin said. Theyre so hard to trace. They can bounce to three or four places. If you receive what you believe to be a fraudulent check or document, or are the victim of a scam, contact local authorities or the North Carolina Attorney General Josh Steins consumer hotline at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or 919-716-6000. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ Police have arrested a 35-year-old man who allegedly burgled 18 houses including that of Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor in the past few months. Imtiaz Ansari, the accused, called owners of the house he planned to break into, offering them carpentry services, and after finding out when nobody would be home, committed burglary, police said. We had received several complaints of burglary from Bandra and nearby areas, said a police official. Asif Bhamla, President Bhamla Foundation, actors Neha Dupia and Karisma Kapoor during a program to celebrate world environment day organized by Bhamla Foundation and MCGM in Mumbai. (IANS) On a tip-off, police laid a trap and arrested Ansari yesterday, he said. He confessed to have broken into Karisma Kapoors house too, the officer said. Police have registered a case under IPC sections 378 (theft) and 445 (house-break). Further probe is on. Follow @htshowbiz for more A new book detailing Nelson Mandelas last days has been withdrawn after it was condemned by his outraged widow, Graca Machel, publisher Penguin Random House said on Monday. The book by Mandelas physician Vejay Ramlakan was released last week to coincide with the late anti-apartheid leaders birthday on July 18, which is marked each year as Mandela Day. It revealed several undignified episodes at the end of Mandelas life as well as bitter family squabbles over his care and legacy, prompting fury from his widow Graca Machel a Mozambican politician and humanitarian who threatened legal action. Machel was the widow of Mozambican president Samora Machel when she married Mandela in 1998. She is the only woman in history to have been the first lady of two republics: Mozambique (1975-1986) and South Africa (1998-1999). The company said it had decided to immediately withdraw the book Mandelas Last Years from the trade, and no further copies will be issued. It added that the book was meant to portray Nelson Mandelas courage and strength until the very end of his life, and was in no way intended to be disrespectful. Machel accused Ramlakan, a former military surgeon, of breaching patient confidentiality. The book detailed how Mandela regurgitated blood due to a lung infection and disclosed that after his death at the age of 95, a spy camera was found in the morgue where his body was kept. It also revealed that an ambulance transporting Mandela to hospital during his final months caught fire on the highway forcing him to wait for a backup. Machel said she had not been consulted, though Ramlakan says the book had been approved. We received permission from the family, the author told local television eNCA before the withdrawal. All parties who needed to be consulted were consulted. The story of Madibas last years is actually, in a sense, more impressive than when he was a fit human being, he added, paying tribute to his unconquerable fortitude. The icons eldest grandson Mandla Mandela welcomed the decision to pull the controversial book which he described as abuse of Mandela name and legacy. He said withdrawing the book sent out a loud and clear message that some things are worth more than money. The executors of Mandelas estate said in a statement that the books contents were deeply regrettable and unfortunate and constitute unlawful disclosures. They said neither Penguin nor Ramlakan had sought consent from them or Machel before publishing the book. Mandela, often known by his clan name Madiba, died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. Penguin Random House did not say how many copies of the book had already been sold. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more A searing account of caste-based discrimination in India is currently creating a buzz among readers and critics in America. The memoir, Ants Among Elephants, has been written by Sujatha Gidla, 53, who works as a conductor at the New York subway. In the book, Gidla, who immigrated to America at age 26, writes about growing up as a Dalit woman and the discrimination and humiliations that are part of life as a Dalit in India. Gidla was born in Kazipet, a small town in Telengana (then Andhra Pradesh), and was raised in a middle-class household. Her parents were college lecturers. Her great grandparents converted to Christianity in the beginning of the 20th century, and her grandparents were educated at Canadian missionary schools, says NBC-2.com. Thanks to the Canadian missionaries, Gidla had access to education and went on to study physics at the Regional Engineering College in Warangal, Telangana. Later, she joined the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) as a researcher in applied physics. Sujatha Gidla (Nancy Crampton) Ants Among Elephants gives readers an unsettling and visceral understanding of how discrimination, segregation and stereotypes have endured throughout the second half of the 20th century and today, says a review of the book in The New York Times. The book is more than just an anecdotal account of her personal tribulations and through her Maoist uncles story, Gidla also weaves in the political aspect of the movement for freedom from oppression. After moving to America, Gidla worked as an applications developer in software design. For me, what was appealing was the idea of America, especially Bob Dylans music, the culture of protest, and the draw of joining a society where debates on rights and equality could be articulated, she told the BBC. While the so-called land of milk and honey offered her freedom from caste oppression and discrimination, she was laid off from her bank job in 2009 during the economic depression. It was then that Gidla took up work as a conductor at the New York Subway and in doing so became the first Indian woman to be employed as a conductor by NYC. Her sister is a physician in America at present and her brother works as an engineer in Canada. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Google parent Alphabet is taking a $2.7 billion write-down to cover a large fine EU antitrust enforcers assessed in June . While the search giant can shrug off the cost, uncertainty lingers over its ability to operate freely on the continent going forward. The European Commission ruling slapped down Google for abusing its market dominance in search by unfairly directing visitors to its comparison shopping service, Google Shopping, to the detriment of its rivals. Alphabet is still mulling an appeal of that ruling. But it could take years to get a ruling at the European Court of Justice. Thats just one of several antitrust cases Google faces in Europe. It may also face new fines if it doesnt change the way it displays Google Shopping results in search by late September. The NSE Nifty topped 10,000 points for the first time on Tuesday, as hopes for improving earnings, accelerating economic growth and government reforms feed a strong rally in Asias third-best performing stock market this year. The NSE has surged 22 % this year, just behind South Koreas and Hong Kongs markets, in a broad-based rally fuelled by a surge in foreign investments and flows from retail investors buying into mutual funds for the first time. Both investors have bet heavily that economic growth will accelerate from 6.1 % in the January-March quarter, boosting corporate earnings. Hopes are also high for economic and fiscal reforms after the government unveiled a national goods and services tax (GST) this month. Still, valuation concerns linger: the NSE was trading at around 21 times 12-month forward price-to-earnings, compared with a five-year average of 17.91. It is a historical moment given Nifty touched the key psychological mark, said Siddhartha Khemka, Head Research for Equity for Centrum Wealth. However we can expect a consolidation at higher levels given the rich valuations towards the end of the current corporate results season, he added. Consolidation? An extension of the rally in the near term will probably depend on the outcome of earnings of Indias blue chips, with the bulk of results yet to be released. Besides, not all analysts are convinced of a recovery as a dearth of private investments risks hampering growth. In the medium term, we are not very positive about the market because of high valuations and a muted outlook for the current corporate results season, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. But most analysts agree that prospects are brighter over the long-term, as retail investors continue to invest into mutual funds via monthly instalments. Deutsche Bank estimates retail investors have ploughed a record $31 billion into Indian equities through mutual funds since May 2014, more than the estimated $21 billion overall by foreign investors over the same period. The Competition Commission today approved merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular in a $ 23-billion deal that will create the countrys largest telecom operator. Idea Cellular said the transaction is expected to close in 2018 subject to customary approvals. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Co, which advised Vodafone in the deal, said the regulator has unconditionally approved merger of the telecommunications businesses of Vodafone India and its wholly-owned subsidiary Vodafone Mobile Services, with Idea Cellular. The $ 23 billion transaction is the largest transaction by value in the history of Indian M&A, it said in a statement. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Co advised Vodafone India and Vodafone Mobile Services on the deal. According to the statement, the regulator carried out a comprehensive review of the transaction and concluded that there was no appreciable adverse effect on competition from the proposed merger. The CCI approval, within Phase 1, is a very welcome development for both the Indian M&A landscape and the telecom sector, and will serve to fuel more investment in capacity and coverage across a battling telecom sector in India, Shweta Shroff Chopra, Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, said. Phase 1 refers to the deal being approved within 30 working days as provided by the Competition Act. Law firm Trilegal, which advised Idea Cellular on the competition law aspects, said the deal with Vodafone India has received CCI approval. The proposed merger involved a merger of two of the biggest telecom companies in India and will create the largest telecom player in India, creating significant efficiencies and synergies, Trilegal said in a separate statement. Getting approval within Phase I implies that the deal would not be subject to detailed scrutiny. Transactions where there are prima facie concerns that they would adversely impact competition are taken into Phase II for an in-depth scrutiny. Mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain threshold require approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors. In a filing to the BSE, Idea Cellular said it has received letter from the CCI according approval to the proposed merger. The transaction is expected to close during calendar year 2018 subject to customary approvals, it added. The deal, announced in March this year, will create the countrys largest mobile phone operator worth more than $ 23 billion with a 35 % market share. Post the transaction, Vodafone will own 45.1 % stake in the merged entity while the Aditya Birla group, Ideas parent, will have 26 % shareholding after paying Rs 3,874 crore cash for a 4.9 % stake. The remaining 28.9 % will be held by other shareholders. A 19-year-old college student hatched a conspiracy with his two friends who raped his girlfriend so that he could later use that as an alibi to not marry her, Jalandhar police said on Monday. The case came to light when the victim, also aged 19 and a classmate of alleged conspirator Harpreet Singh Happy, complained to the police. Happy was arrested and a case under sections 376D (gang-rape), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 417 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against him and the two alleged rapists, identified as Bindu and Ravi, both aged 20. All three are from Talwan village in the district. The victim told the police that Harpreet and she were in the same class in college and had decided to get married after a long courtship. On July 20, he called me and said he wanted to introduce me to his parents, she told the police. Around 10.30 pm, he phoned her and asked her to come out of her house so he could take her to his house, it is alleged. He allegedly took her pillion on a bike but asked her to get off near the local grain market and wait as he would bring his parents there. After some time, Bindu and Ravi came there on a bike and said Harpreet had sent them, and that they would drop me to his house, she said in her statement to the cops. But they allegedly took her to a room near a tubewell in some fields where they raped her. They later took her to an abandoned haveli and again raped her, she told the police. Station house officer (SHO) Harjeet Singh said medical examination at the local civil hospital confirmed sexual assault. He said Bindu and Ravi would be arrested soon. Happy would be produced in a local court on Tuesday, and the statement of the victim would be recorded in the presence of a magistrate to make it admissible as evidence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON People of Champawat gathered to commemorate the birth anniversary of legendary hunter, conservationist and author Jim Corbett who saved thousands of villagers of Kumaon and Garhwal from man- eating tigers and leopards. The rest houses of Corbett in Dubarjainal, Tank where he stayed during his campaigns of eradicating the man- eaters of the regions, will be protected as memorials of the great wildlife lover, said the residents of Champawat. Born in Kaladhungi village of Nainital district on July 25, 1875, the Irishman had rescued villagers of several regions of Kumaon including, Mukteshwar, Champawat, Talladesh, Tak and Rudraprayag by killing man-eating tigers and leopards. During this period when he killed over 33 man eating leopards and tigers in Kumaon region, Jim never killed any non man eating tiger , said Sher Singh Mahar who has witnessed the days when Corbett killed the Champawat tiger which had killed over 35 villagers in the villages of Neer, Boyal, Gurkholi Thulakot Lwargi , Bakora and Soragi villages of present Champawat district. Another old-timer Padma Dutt Pant said Corbett never killed wild animals without purpose and had named the tigers as gentlemen of jungle. An incident mentioned by Jim Corbett in one of his books shows that he was kind enough towards wildlife. While wandering in a Champawat jungle in search of man eaters, he saw a tiger which picked up two eggs from a nest. He shot and killed the animal but deposited the eggs in the nest, considering them as auspicious for the occasion, Pant said. The Walled City museum, located in an 88-year-old haveli at Lahori Gate - Khari Baoli Chowk, which had been lying in a neglected state, will now be revived with the union culture ministry agreeing to allocate Rs 4.22 crore for the same. Inaugurated 13 years ago, the facility had fallen prey to negligence of the civic body, thus losing sheen soon after its opening. The two-storeyed haveli has been lying locked for almost a decade. The number of visitors dwindled over the years and encroachers returned to the site. In want of adequate maintenance, the about 1,000-yard structure has turned into a dump. Union youth affairs and sport minister Vijay Goel, who initiated the project during his second term as a Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk around 2004, had sent a proposal to the culture ministry seeking funds for the restoration of the facility as a heritage museum and interpretation of Shahjahanabad. The proposal was prepared by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). After examining the scheme, the ministry gave its approval in March, but the work could not be initiated as the fund was not transferred. The first instalment, a grant of Rs 1.69 crore, has just been released to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is the nodal agency for executing the restoration project. I expect the work to begin soon, said Goel. However, the minister added that he wanted a non-government agency to take up the project. I dont trust the municipal corporation. I want other agencies like INTACH or similar bodies to be roped in for the purpose. The project is getting delayed because of the corporations lackadaisical attitude, he said. As per the revival plan, artifacts, articles, rare photos and paintings depicting the culture and lifestyle of early residents of Shahjahanabad (during Mughal period) is slated to be exhibited. A library with a space for research scholars is part of the plan. This will be a one-stop destination, where a visitor will be able to study the composite culture of the Walled City under one roof, said Goel. Articles like utensils, garments and other exhibits such as hookah will be displayed. Literature pertaining to the city and the history of the place since its inception will also be provided, so that people coming to the museum can learn about it. We will also brief tourists about places to see in old Delhi and what to eat where. We basically aim to recreate the scene of yesteryears, the minister said. Once it is restored, cultural events are also likely to be hosted here. The haveli was constructed in 1929. Until it was turned into a museum, a municipal dispensary was being run in its two of its rooms and the remaining part was abandoned. Goel contributed funds from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund to restore the building as the Walled City museum. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The police arrested a 65-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his 29-year-old daughter at their home in southwest Delhis Dwarka on Friday night. The autopsy report of the woman, an MBA degree holder, confirmed that she was assaulted and smothered to death. Senior police officers said that though the womans father, Balwan Singh, a retired Airport Authority of India official, has denied that he smothered his daughter, who was reportedly under mental stress, he has admitted to beating her up following a verbal argument. The reason behind the argument is still unknown. The woman, Shweta, lived with her parents at their flat in Kamakhya apartments in Dwarka Sector 6. Police said that after completing her MBA, Shweta did not get a job. She then started preparing for competitive exams but even that did not help her get a job. Shwetas family members have told police that she was under depression as she remained unemployed despite efforts. Of late, the womans behaviour had turned violent and she would even attempt to harm herself, the officer told. Surender Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (southwest), confirmed the arrest of Singh. We are interrogating the womans father to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to her death and the reason behind the murder. The other family members are also being questioned, said the DCP. On Saturday around 7 am, Ayushman hospital authorities called the police to inform about a woman who was brought dead to the hospital by her family members. A police team reached the hospital and took the body in their custody. The doctors told the police about the strangulation mark around Shwetas throat and visible injury marks on her face and other parts of the body. We registered a case of murder when the doctors confirmed that it was a case of homicide and not suicide. The body was later sent to a government hospital mortuary for autopsy, said a senior police officer. During the probe, the officer said, investigators learnt that Shwetas parents were present in the flat when the murder took place. The crime scene was examined and no sign of a forced entry in the flat or ransacking was found. The needle of suspicion pointed towards Shwetas parents after the police learnt that Shweta had died at least six hours before she was admitted to the hospital. We detained the father for questioning after her medical report confirmed strangulation. He was later arrested, said the officer. Singh is currently associated with a private airline company. Even as students celebrate the Maharashtra governments decision to review its decision to allow others from outside the state to apply for seats in the states medical colleges, they are worried about delays in admissions. On Monday, the Maharashtra government decided to delay the announcement of the first seat allotment list for state quota in government-run and private medical and dental institutes as the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) filed a review petition in the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court, pleading that only students clearing class 10 and 12 from the state should be eligible for seats under 85% state quota. The state had relaxed admission rules and allowed students who completed Class 10 in another state but Class 12 in Maharashtra to seek medical seats in the state. This is being opposed by medical aspirants and their parents who think that students from outside Maharashtra are eating into the seat quota for state students. Our aim was to finish at least the first round of admission before the end of this month so that the academic session starts by August 1 in most institutes. This delay will affect the process majorly, said Dr Pravin Shingare, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER). According to the original admission schedule announced by DMER in the last week of June, students documents were to be verified by the state before the release of the first seat allotment list after July 30. However, the Medical Council of India (MCI) released a circular in the last week of June, requesting for uniformity in medical and dental admissions across the country. A schedule had been shared by MCI, according to which the first round of medical counselling and seat allotment should be over by July 31. DMER decided to do away with the verification process and directly announce the first seat allotment list on July 25. Documents of students claiming seats in state quota were to be verified by individual colleges at the time of admission. Parents, however, had raised objections to the same. Many students were claiming seats without proper documents, so why not cull them out first and then announce lists for candidates who are genuinely eligible for the seat? asked one of the parents. Last week, HT had reported how from the 50,400 applications received by state government for a seat under government quota, 400 applications were rejected due to lack of appropriate documents. We could only verify documents of 15,000 students and the rest were supposed to be verified at the time of admission. Now we hope to clear this process by the end of today so that the list can be announced tomorrow, added Shingare. Meanwhile, the DMER will file a review petition in court today seeking permission to allow only those students clearing class 10 and 12 exams from the state to apply for seats. On July 7, the court had relaxed the domicile rule which allowed students who appeared for class 10 from other states to be eligible for seats under the state quota. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NCERT books will be made available to students of all public and private schools for providing relief from buying text books at steep prices. Choice should be available and option should be given to the school students, secretary to the union school education and literacy ministry, Anil Swarup told newsmen on the sidelines of a ASSOCHAM programme on education in Kolkata. So far our information goes CBSE has 20,000 schools and 13 crore books are consumed (used) by students. But while the maximum price of a NCERT book is Rs 50, that of a non-NCERT book goes upto Rs 300, he said. Elaborating, he said while buying NCERT books the students of 20,000 schools spend Rs 650 crore but for non-NCERT publications they will have to spend Rs 3900 crore. This is not a small margin. I am worried about the financial burden on the school children - there is no qualitative comparison. To suggestions that non-NCERT were of better quality, he said, If you consider the performance of students of Kendriya Vidayalaya and Navodaya schools where 100% of books are NCERT publications, the performance percentage of these institutions is much bettter than other institutions, he said. Asked about the time frame when NCERT books would be made available, Swarup said orders would be sought from public and private schools in the NCERT website in the first week of August so that advance preparations are made and the entire supply chain is put in place. About reducing the burden of heavy school bags of children, the secretary said We are looking at it very seriously. On options to tackle the situation, he said one is the electronic option of digitising some of the books. The second option is splitting the academic year into two semesters, while the third option is to keep the books in school. The final view is, however, yet to be taken, Swarup said adding But I agree with the opinion (of children saddled with heavy school bags). Swarup earlier addressed the audience at a function Transforming Lives Through Education and Innovation cum Education Excellence Awards 2017. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought exemption for the state from the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test. The chief minister insisted that exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu should be given considering the welfare of the students of the state, said an official release quoting what transpired at the two leaders meeting. Palaniswamis meeting with Modi comes amid ministerial delegations from the state meeting and discussing the matter with the top echelons of the Central government since last Thursday. His meeting also assumes significance as the opposition, especially DMK, has been training its guns at both the Centre and the state government on the issue. On July 20, state ministers had met Modi and Union ministers for Health and HRD, JP Nadda and Prakash Javadekar, respectively, on NEET exemption. They had then submitted a memorandum with the Prime Minister seeking presidential approval for the two bills passed recently by the state assembly aimed at exempting the state from NEET and pending with the Centre. The bills would pave the way for the continuation of undergraduate medical admissions on the basis of Class 12 marks, exempting Tamil Nadu from the ambit of NEET. On Monday, a group of state ministers accompanied by senior party leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi and took up the issue. The stepped up efforts by the state government come amid criticism from the DMK-led opposition parties over its failure to protect the interest of the states students. DMK working president MK Stalin had accused the central and state governments of betraying the interests of the states students. Medical counselling was being deferred and parents were also worried, he had said last week. The AIADMK, DMK and other parties in the state have been opposing NEET, saying state board students, especially from rural areas, would find it difficult to compete with their peers from CBSE. A Gurgaon district court on Monday awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment to a blind man, a trainee probationary officer at a public sector bank, who was found guilty of raping a 33-year-old blind widow repeatedly on the pretext of marriage. The court also imposed a penalty on convict Saurabh Kapoor, 35, who was convicted of rape under Section 376 of the IPC. Additional Sessions Judge Rajni Yadav, while pronouncing the quantum of sentence, said that given the inhumanity of the act, it was required to impose upon the convict substantive and stern sentence that would commensurate with the gravity of the offence and also serve as an example to others. It is to be noted that since both the victim and the accused were blind, the court had relied upon voice identification that helped the woman to identify Kapoor, a resident of Mayur Vihar in Delhi. On the pretext of meeting an advocate, Kapoor had taken the victim on May 30, 2015, to a guest house in Gurgaon and raped her there for the first time. He later continued to abuse her, promising marriage. The victim, who has an eight-year-old daughter, worked in a private company in 2015, when the incident happened. She is currently unemployed. Public prosecutor Arvind Sharma said that the convict tried to seek leniency from the court on account of his blindness. The accused also argued that he is a government servant and highly qualified, but all these arguments were rejected by the court, which awarded him 10 years of imprisonment, said Sharma, adding that the court has imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000, out of which Rs 8,000 would go to the victim. The remaining Rs 2000 would go to the state. If the accused fail to pay the fine, he will face one more year of imprisonment. The judge, in her order, also stated that undue sympathy to impose inadequate sentence to the accused would do more harm as it will undermine the public confidence. Keeping in view the offence committed by the convict, I am not inclined to take a lenient view against him and release him on probation. He has raped a young woman who was helpless, defenceless, vulnerable and an easy prey who trusted the convict so much that she surrendered herself to him. He used, violated and exploited her body, the court said. District attorney Lal Singh Yadav said the court has given a strong message to the society. The convict had sexually exploited the victim on the pretext of marriage, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON House Committee approves assistance for national hosting Syrian refugees Last week, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Bill, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) reported. In total, the bill provides $47.4 billion in funding for SFOPS, which is $10 billion less than FY17. The bill maintains Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and includes language for aid to nations hosting Syrian refugees. The SFOPS Report highlighted the need for additional assistance to "vulnerable populations in Syria and in neighboring countries," comprised of Syrian refugees, Christians, and other minorities affected by the Syrian civil war and persecuted by the Islamic State (ISIS). The Committee raised concerns regarding "the lengthy displacement of Syrians and the ongoing burden they face, as well as the continued strain Syrian refugees are placing on host communities." "We commend the House Appropriations Committee for emphasizing the importance of humanitarian aid for both refugees and the nations hosting them," Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said. "To date, Armenia has welcomed over 22,000 refugees from Syria who have escaped with their families. As conditions worsen in Syria, Armenia continues to serve as a sanctuary for persecuted Christians and other at-risk groups escaping genocide and violence in the Middle East. As the humanitarian crisis in Syria continues, we must ensure that relief aid reaches those in need, which includes Armenia as a host nation for refugee resettlement," he added. Referencing the designation of genocide committed against religious minorities in Syria and Iraq by Islamist extremists made by Secretary of State John Kerry on March 18, 2016, the bill allocates funds to "be made available for programs to protect vulnerable and persecuted religious minorities." This includes programs authorized by H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017, which the Armenian Assembly strongly supported, and was unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives on June 6, 2017. The Committee recommends not less than $10 million to be made available for programs to protect vulnerable and persecuted religious minorities. In addition, the bill states that $10 million should also be made available for international religious freedom programs. The House Report also incorporated a section on Genocide Victim Memorial Sites and Tribunals, where funds are appropriated "to establish and maintain memorial sites of genocide" in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia. "The Armenian Assembly will continue to push for additional assistance. Despite reductions across the board, it is imperative that Armenia and Artsakh have the resources necessary to address the compelling humanitarian needs as a result of the current refugee crisis as well as Azerbaijan's ongoing and deadly ceasefire violations," Ardouny stated. Although the President's budget cut aid to Azerbaijan, it also sharply reduced proposed aid to Armenia. The President's budget request for Armenia included $4 million in Economic Support and Development Fund, $1.5 million for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, and $700,000 for Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs. The House Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats will hold a hearingtomorrow entitled "Examining the President's FY 2018 Budget Proposal for Europe and Eurasia" for further discussion. With action in the House Appropriations Committee completed, attention turns to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where a mark-up of its version of the bill is pending. The Assembly submitted testimony earlier this year to the House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee highlighting key areas of concern, including the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, the need for continued and robust funding as well as safeguarding of Christian minorities at risk in the Middle East, and support for a second U.S.-Armenia Millennium Challenge compact. On March 17, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member and Armenian Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) provided testimony in support of aid to Armenia and Artsakh as the Administration first released the budget blueprint for FY18. They also signed a bipartisan letter, initiated by Rep. Pallone, on March 30 advocating "to advance U.S. interests by strengthening Armenia's independence, promoting peace in Nagorno-Karabagh, and supporting Armenia as a regional safe haven for at-risk Middle East refugees" with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Jackie Speier (D-CA) and 22 other Representatives. Spearheaded by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), 27 Members of Congress sent a letter last month to House Appropriations SFOPS Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Member Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressing concern about the 67 percent reduction in foreign aid to Armenia. "At a time of tremendous global uncertainty, the U.S. should continue to foster the progress of its allies, not retreat from its responsibilities as the world's leading democracy. As the U.S. and Armenia commemorate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we urge the committee to reject the harmful cuts to U.S. aid to Armenia proposed by the President's FY18 budget," the Representatives stated in the letter. The FY 2018 State and Foreign Operations Bill - Full Committee Draft is available here. The FY 2018 State and Foreign Operations Bill - Full Committee Report is available here. The Armenian Assembly of America's FY 2018 Testimony is available here. Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization. Christopher Nolans new film, Dunkirk, is one of those rare summer blockbusters that is getting the sort of critical appreciation usually reserved for Oscar contenders. But as with most things, there have been detractors. Writing for the Slate, which we should make clear right upfront is an outlet famous for its contrarian takes, Jon Broich did some historical fact checking. While it rates pretty high in terms of historical accuracy, Dunkirk is more about the soldiers harrowing experience than it is a traditional war epic, with backroom politics and dramatic character motivations. The film is based on Operation Dynamo, an Allied-led evacuation of more than 400,000 soldiers trapped on the beach at Dunkirk, having been pushed into a corner by the German troops. The Slate article points out an interesting bit of information: There were, among others, four companies of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps present at the beaches. And aside from one French soldier who might be African we dont really see any of them. The film, and Nolans unique structure of it, has been widely written about. He sets his story across three timeframes and three planes - land, air, and sea. Being a Brit, for whom the story of Dunkirk has taken an almost mythical stature, he chooses to tell this story exclusively from the point of view of the British. This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Mark Rylance in a scene from Dunkirk. (AP) Early on, as soldiers protest to be let onto one of the boats thatll take them home, a British soldier is seen refusing entry to French troops. Only Brits past this point, he yells, repeating himself in French to be clear. Just moments before this scene, we see French troops holding back the enemy, having created a perimeter around the beach. They let in Tommy - who is essentially the audiences surrogate as he navigates the traumatic situation in a fight to survive - over the barricade theyve erected. Bon voyage, one French soldier yells, over the gunfire and explosions. It is not until the final moments of the film that the French are mentioned again. Long story short - if anyone should be outraged at their less-than-glowing depiction in the movie, its the French. According to an India Today article, the Indian troops - called Force K-9 - were tasked with transporting animals to the war zone. The 1800-strong group brought with them about 2000 animals - mostly mules - to carry arms and ammunition. During the eight days of evacuation, three Indian Army companies were successfully rescued from Dunkirk, the article says. The animals, however, were left behind. This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows James D'Arcy, left, and Kenneth Branagh in a scene from Dunkirk. (AP) One of the evacuated officers, Jemadar Maula Dad Khan, even won a medal. His citation on the Dunkirk evacuations official website reads: On 24 May 1940 when approaching Dunkerque, Jemadar Maula Dad Khan showed magnificent courage, coolness and decision. When his troop was shelled from the ground and bombed from the air by the enemy he promptly reorganised his men and animals, got them off the road and under cover under extremely difficult conditions. It was due to this initiative and the confidence he inspired that it was possible to extricate his troop without loss in men or animals. Most of the soldiers were Punjabi Muslims and some Pathans, according to a Times of India piece. The one company that was captured by the Germans died as POWs in a camp. This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Fionn Whitehead in a scene from Dunkirk. (AP) But can a film which makes the conscious choice to exclude everyone but the British from its narrative be held at fault for not mentioning the Indian contribution? Is it a film about the soldiers, or the civilians who aided in their rescue, or is about something larger? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. Dunkirk is about an ideal - which is why none of the characters are defined beyond basic traits, like their first names and perhaps their rank. We know nothing about them. We care because the film inspires empathy. We dont want to see human beings die a terrible death. These characters are meant to represent everyone who was involved in the operation. It is a celebration of the bravery shown by common people. And if Indians were involved, the film, however abstract it is in its ways, pays homage to them too. Follow @htshowbiz for more Like millions of others, porn star Mia Khalifa watched Christopher Nolans Dunkirk over the weekend, and had such a strong emotional reaction to the war drama that she started her own YouTube channel to share her thoughts. Her first video was a review of the movie. Khalifa also tweeted about the film. I love Christopher Nolan more than my dogs, she said, but Dunkirk sucked more d*** than I did in 2014. I love Chris Nolan more than I love my dogs, but Dunkirk sucked more dick than I did in 2014 Mia Khalifa (@miakhalifa) July 23, 2017 In the video, which she begins by saying that she wants everyone to know that she has a gun (which can be seen hanging on the wall behind her), Mia Khalifa rants for over six minutes about the film, which some have called a masterpiece. (Christopher Nolan) is one of my favourite directors of all time, she says. I dont know if the whole thing lasted 23 hours or if the rescue mission took two-and-a-half-months. The film explains its three timeframes explicitly in the opening few minutes, which was noted in a comment. She also had no idea about the evacuation of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo. I had no idea if this ended World War II, or if this was just some random (event), she said. The film opens with a title card explaining the events that led to the evacuation. For the longest time, I couldnt tell if they were panning (sic) between the Allies and the Nazis. I couldnt tell who was who, she continued. The Nazis are never mentioned in the movie - theyre simply called the enemy on one occasion - and on the two occasions that they are seen, they are in the shadows or out of focus. Mia also had trouble understanding the characters accents. Her friend pointed out that one time, she thought a character was German because she couldnt understand what he was saying. The film is exclusively told from a British perspective. She then commented on how the IMAX cameras were wasted on the movie, and how the CGI water and beaches made everything look bigger. In fact, Nolans film witnessed the widest 70mm release in decades, and was shot on location at Dunkirk, and the English Channel. They also refabricated real World War II Spitfires, destroyers, and some of the civilian boats that made the crossing that day. So, no CGI. She does, however, end the video by giving the film a 7/10. Dunkirk currently sits at 93% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. It opened to over $100 million in its first weekend. Here are a couple of comments from the video: Follow @htshowbiz for more Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a Rs 500-crore relief package for flood-hit Gujarat after undertaking an aerial survey of the affected districts even as heavy rains continued to batter most parts of north India. The worsening floods killed another eight people in Gujarat, taking the toll to 82, as rescue teams stepped up efforts to save thousands of people marooned in submerged towns and villages. In neighbouring Rajasthan, six people, including a 10-year-old child, died in rain-related incidents since Sunday. Rescue operations resumed on Tuesday in Jalore district where two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters were also pressed into service. Rain waters have also caused severe flooding and damage in West Bengal and Odisha. After surveying the affected districts in north Gujarat, the Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured grievously from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund. Everything possible will be done to help the farmers, who suffer immensely due to floods While reviewing the situation, I could see the Government of Gujarat responded to the flood situation quite swiftly, the PM tweeted. Before the aerial survey, Modi took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting attended by chief minister Vijay Rupani, his cabinet colleagues and state officials in Ahemdabad. Various places in Banaskantha and Patan, which are otherwise drought-prone, recorded 15 to 18 inches of rainfall between Monday and Tuesday morning. Heavy rains are likely to lash the state in the next 48 hours, according to the Met department. A rescue team surveys a flood-affected locality in Pali district of Rajasthan on Tuesday. (PTI) In the last 24 hours, some 50,000 people have been shifted to safer places in the two districts. Over 1,000 people, including 40 stranded on their rooftops in Banaskantha, have been evacuated. Four IAF helicopters, two Army columns and 18 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. More than seven lakh food packets have been air dropped in the affected villages as over 370 roads, including six National Highways, and 20 State Highways, remained inundated. In Rajasthans Jalore district, seven persons, who had taken shelter on a tree and had to spend the night there, were airlifted on Tuesday. Bad weather and low clouds had thwarted four attempts to rescue them by choppers on Monday. Rescue operations resumed today in Jalore where columns of the Army and NDRF teams have been deployed. One NDRF team is in Pali and two NDRF and one SDRF teams are in Sirohi. Food packets and water bottles are being dispatched to villages surrounded by water, Hemant Gera, secretary (Disaster Management and Relief Department), said on Tuesday. Gera said, so far more than 500 people have been rescued in the three districts. Schools in five districts Jalore, Pali, Sirohi, Jodhpur and Barmer remained closed on Tuesday. Jodhpurs Jai Narayan Vyas University cancelled the exams scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The MeT department has issued warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in south-western and south-eastern, which covers Jodhpur and Udaipur divisions, during the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, the Assam government has sought an interim assistance of Rs 2,939 crore from the central government to deal with destruction caused by floods as an inter-ministerial team arrived in the state on Tuesday to assess the damage. In Odisha, as the water level in three of the major rivers in the north crossed the danger mark on Tuesday, authorities in Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts stepped up their preparedness for rescue-and-relief operations. The situation in Balasore district was also being monitored, satte officials said. The state government has already mobilised ODRAF, NDRF and fire services personnel to the flood-prone areas and kept power boats ready for the rescue-and-relief operations. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Irrigation Department on Tuesday protested the Damodar Valley Corporations decision to release water from Panchet Dam, which it claimed has further worsened the inundation in the states low lying areas. (With agency inputs) As many as 22 civilians lost their lives in incidents of firing by the Haryana Police in 2016, the highest in the country, surpassing Jammu and Kashmir where the number stood at 16, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. The number of civilian deaths in police firing was 42 in 2015 which rose to 92 in 2016, the National Crime Records Bureau data presented by the government show. Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir tabled these figures in response to a question seeking to know the number of farmers who died in police firing. He said the NCRB does not maintain specific data on killing of farmers separately. The State/UT-wise cases registered under police firing and injuries and deaths of civilians, which may also include farmers, during 2015-2016 is at Annexure, he said. The data show Haryana reported the highest number of civilian deaths in police firing in 2016 which was just two the previous year. The number of cases registered in these firing incidents also increased from seven in 2015 to 11 in 2016. Jammu and Kashmir reported deaths of 16 civilians in police firing in 2016 in 359 cases registered by it as compared to seven cases registered in 2015 in which only one civilian had died. Assam reported deaths of 16 civilians in police firing compared to seven in 2015, it said. Maharashtra reported deaths of 11 civilians in police firing in 2016 while only three in 2015, it said. Twenty-four Nepalese women have been rescued from western Nepal while being trafficked to India in the past six months. The women were rescued by Nepal Police in coordination with various organisation from various transit points in Bardiya district along the open Nepal-India border. Traffickers were taking women to India on the pretext of heading to third country destination either for medical treatment or shopping purposes, Bardiya Chief District Officer Bishnu Bahadur Thapa said. Four transit points in Bardiya have been found sensitive from the security perspective for women, he said. The traffickers are using the areas along the open border with India where there is no presence of security personnel as a trafficking route, he said. They do not use the areas where security personnel are deployed, Thapa added. Jamuni Karnalipur, Gulariya, Ganeshpur and Dhanaura are the most sensitive transit points as listed by organisations working against the women trafficking. As many as 53 Amarnath pilgrims have been killed in 36 terror attacks since 1990, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said: From 1990 to 2017 (till date), 36 terrorist attacks have been reported on Amarnath Yatris in which 53 were killed and 167 injured. The minister, however, said that all possible arrangements were being made by the Jammu and Kashmir government duly supported by the central government by deploying additional security forces to strengthen the security of the Amarnath Yatra. Ahir said the duration and schedule of the pilgrimage were based on the decisions taken by the Amarnath shrine board. The duration of the Yatra is limited to one side by the extent of snowfall in the preceding winter and on the other side by the date on which Raksha Bandhan falls, on which date the Yatra is traditionally concluded. So, he said, the duration of the pilgrimage varies from year to year. This year, it began on June 29 and will culminate on August 7. President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and many others will have a hectic Tuesday as the new head of the state will be sworn in at Parliaments Central Hall. Kovind will be Indias 14th President and his tenure will start from this afternoon after he takes the oath. The 71-year-old will accompany President Mukherjee on the way to Parliament from Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning. Both of them will travel in the same car. While going to the Parliament House, the Presidents body guard will give a salute to the outgoing President. But when the two will return to Rashtrapati Bhavan from Parliament after the swearing in, the Presidents body guard will salute the new President. In Parliament, the Union home secretary will seek Mukherjees permission to start the ceremony. The Chief Justice of India will administer the oath to the President. Members of Parliament, former MPs, chief ministers of different states, foreign dignitaries, and other VVIPs will be present during the swearing-in ceremony for the new President. After Kovind is sworn in, there will be a 21 gun salute to announce that the new President has been sworn in. In old days, there was no modern way of communication. So, the gun salute was given to let people know that the country has got a new President, said a Rashtrapati Bhavan source. At the beginning of the ceremony, Mukherjee would be sitting on the left and Kovind will sit on his right side. After the swearing in, the two will also change their seats. The home secretary will then seek the new Presidents permission for the closure of the ceremony. The new President and his predecessor will come to Rashtrapati Bhavan and after a small break, Kovind will accompany Mukherjee to the latters new residence at Rajaji Marg. Finance minister Arun Jaitley will be at Rajaji Marg to receive Kovind and Mukherjee. Read: Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Rashtrapati Bhavan ahead of swearing in ceremony SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias ruling party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to drop 40-plus aged office bearers of its youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) . Most have been holding posts for more than two terms. Sources told HT that BJYM units for Maharashtra and Mumbai have been dissolved under this exercise and big changes were in the offing in Bihar and MP too. The decision has been communicated to every unit and a list of leaders is being prepared. For districts and lower units, 30 years will be the undeclared age bar. Those active on social media will have added advantage. New and young people are being brought in, a BJP leader privy to the decision said. At least 20% posts will go to articulate women leaders who are also active on social media. The BJYM is currently headed by Poonam Mahajan, the 36-year-old MP from Mumbai North Central. The decision is in line with the PM Modis plan for those who were born in 2000. Such people will get voting rights in 2018 and the prime minister wants the party to tap this section. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas in Indias neighbourhood and is bound to be a threat in the coming years, a top Army general said on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, the vice chief of the Indian Army, also castigated Pakistans Army for targeting civilians in cross-border shelling, stressing they had stooped so low as to fire at schools. This is not what the Indian Army would do, the vice chief said at the inaugural session of AMICON 2017, a two-day conference organised by the Army and the Confederation of India Industry(CII). Chand also downplayed Army chief Bipin Rawats comment that the Indian Army was ready for a two and a half front war, stating that Gen Rawat never meant to whip up a war hysteria but was merely stating that India needed to pay more attention to its security. Last month, the Chinese military had described Rawats remarks as irresponsible, and asked him to stop clamouring for war. Chands remarks follow a month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the two nations tri-junction with Bhutan. China is expanding its influence across the Himalayas into our neighbourhood despite being an economy five times the size (of India), (with) such a large standing army, and despite having the Himalayas between us, it is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead, Chand said. He said a large part of the Chinese defence expenditure was undeclared. He also asserted that India needed to pay more attention to security in view of the existing scenario, and said military strength was essential for providing the security needed for economic development. You are aware of the tensions building up on our borders near Sikkim. You are aware of the trans-border engagements we are having. Last week alone, we lost seven lives. You are also aware of the insurgencies taking place in various parts of the country, Chand said. Referring to the military stand-off between India and Pakistan after a terror attack on Parliament in 2001, Chand said that despite wanting to go across to take punitive action against the neighbour behind it, India did not go ahead because the edge it had was considered inadequate. He described Pakistan as a smaller nation with a smaller economy. This was why it undertake a low-intensity conflict to keep India engaged rather than waging a full-fledged war, he said. This suits Pakistans all-weather friend, China, he added. The borders of India and Pakistan have been witnessing an increasing number of ceasefire violations in recent months, with civilians on the Indian side often being targeted by Pakistani forces, especially in the Poonch and Rajouri areas. He said Pakistan shelled a school, and continued to do so while Indian forces were evacuating the children from the building. This is not something that we would do. It is unfortunate to see that they have stooped so low to fire on civilians and cause casualties to our children, he said. Defending the Indian Army, Chand said even when it retaliated, it ensured that only the Pakistani military, its bunkers and defence establishments were targeted. Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi has blamed India for triggering the military standoff near the Sikkim border, calling on New Delhi to withdraw its border troops to resolve the crisis. Wang is the senior-most Chinese official so far to have commented on the impasse that has entered its second month and plunged bilateral ties to an icy low. A statement in Chinese issued by the foreign ministry quoted Wang as telling reporters in Thailand that Indian officials had admitted Chinese troops didnt cross into Indian territory. This, he said, means Indian soldiers had entered Chinese territory. The problem was very straightforward, Wang told reporters, and that even Indian officials publicly said that Chinese soldiers didnt enter the Indian territory. In other words, Indian side admitted (crossing) into Chinese territory. The resolution of the problem is very simple, he said: Indian troops have to go out. In New Delhi, sources said there is no change in Indias position as far as the resolution of the standoff is concerned. The governments official position remains the same as enunciated in the external affairs ministrys statement issued on June 30, the sources said. The external affairs ministry had said in that statement that India had acted in coordination with the Bhutan government to oppose the construction of a road by Chinese troops in Donglang area, which is claimed by Thimphu. It had also said the construction activity represented a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India. New Delhi had also pointed out that it had reached an agreement with Beijing in 2012 that the boundary at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China would be finalised in consultation with Thimphu. Wangs statement came days before Indias National Security Advisor AK Doval visits Beijing for a BRICS security summit. China has repeatedly said that the precondition for talks to resolve the issue is the withdrawal of Indian troops to its side of the border. A meaningful dialogue between Doval and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi on the Donglang standoff is unlikely though the two could meet for bilateral talks during the NSAs visit to Beijing, China indicated on Monday. The crux now is Indian border troops illegally stayed on Chinas territory. Once again we urge India to pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. I want to stress that this is the precondition for any meaningful talks between the two sides, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang had said. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) too made a strong statement on the standoff on Monday. The willingness and resolve of China to defend its sovereignty is indomitable and we will safeguard our sovereignty whatever the cost, defence ministry spokesman Col Wu Qian had said. The row between the border troops of the two sides began on June 16, when India troops halted the road construction by Chinese troops. Though claimed by Bhutan, the area is under Chinas control and the two countries do not have diplomatic ties. The Congress on Tuesday blamed the government for the agrarian crisis in the country and said that fixing of import-export levies on foodgrain was one of the biggest scams impacting the farmers. Initiating a short-duration discussion on the farmers distress leading to rise in the incidents of their suicide Digvijay Singh (Cong) accused the government of being insensitive to plight of the agriculturists. He said farmers in Madhya Pradesh had faced bullets recently on the centenary of Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams. Singh said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 per cent from 25 per cent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers adversely as imported wheat was available at cheaper prices. Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014- 15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said. Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12. Singh quoted Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers skill to outside. He said there is a need for fixing import-export levies by the Commerce Ministry in consultation with Agriculture Ministry. Expressing concern over 42 per cent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP. The Congress leader also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). He alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers. He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said that others in the Cabinet were helpless as it was PM who decided everything. He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but to benefit industrialists. India gets its second Dalit president on Tuesday but for villagers in Andhra Pradeshs West Godavari district, Ram Nath Kovinds elevation to the countrys highest position brings no halt in caste-based discrimination. Around 1,200 Dalits at Garagaparru village will go on an indefinite fast from Tuesday to protest what they call a three-month-long social boycott by dominant-caste people that has allegedly hurt their livelihood. The families belong to the scheduled caste Mala community and say they have been boycotted since April 26 by the dominant Raju (Kshatriya) people after a dispute over installing a statue of BR Ambedkar. We have been barred from doing any agricultural work. We are also not allowed to work in the ponds belonging to the people from the upper caste, G Rajesh, a Dalit youth, who has been spearheading the movement against the social boycott, said. The families say they are angered by the paradox of a Dalit leader becoming the President as caste-based hatred continuing unabated. While we proudly claim to have a Dalit as President of India, unfortunately atrocities on Dalits have been on the rise. The ostracisation of Dalits in Garagaparru just for installing the statue of Ambedkar is a classic example of this caste discrimination, observed Andre Malyadri, general secretary of Struggle Committee against Caste Discrimination that is leading the protests. The villagers say when they informed the district administration about the boycott, they were given some rice and other provisions, but no concrete steps to resolve the situation were taken. Some of the Dalit farmers, who had taken lands of upper caste people on lease for cultivation, were also driven away and their leases were cancelled. Our womenfolk, who used to work in their houses, have been sacked. The villagers now want two acres for each Dalit family and monetary compensation of Rs 1 lakh. We want the land so that we can live with dignity, rather than depending on the mercy of the upper caste people, Rajesh said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was arrested on Tuesday night from his Srinagar residence in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged terror financing. The move came a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating if funds from Pakistan were used to fuel last years unrest in the Kashmir Valley, arrested seven separatist leaders, including hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah. The Enforcement Directorate, which probes financial crimes, arrested Shah in a case that is over a decade old. Shah is expected to be brought to Delhi on Wednesday and produced in a court, news agency PTI reported. Chairman of the Democratic Freedom Party, Shah had been under house arrest for several months. He reportedly avoided the ED despite several summonses. A Delhi court had earlier this month issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the separatist leader. Shah says the case against him is politically motivated. The case dates back to August 2005, when the Delhi Polices Special Cell had arrested Mohammed Aslam Wani (35), an alleged hawala dealer who had claimed that he passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah, PTI reported. The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani. With PTI inputs SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eight members of the family of the 31-year-old man, who was brutally murdered by a suspected group of RSS workers for converting to Islam in November last year, in Keralas Muslim-dominated Malappuram have decided to follow his footsteps. Aneesh Kumar alias Faisal Pullanis two sisters, a brother-in-law, and five of their children converted last week. Pullanis mother Meenakshi Amma (Jameela) embraced Islam a month after her sons killing. Fearing backlash, Pullanis family was moved to a safe location where they were learning basic tenets of the religion, a close relative said adding that their conversion was approved by Maunanthul Islam Sabha, a religious school in Ponnani. Faisal, who worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia, was hacked to death in Kodinhi village on November 19, 2016, a year after he converted to Islam. Later, the police arrested 12 people, including his brother-in-law K Vinod, in connection with the murder. His family members said Vinod, an active worker of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had earlier threatened to kill him if he acted on his conversion aspirations. He was killed three days before he was to fly to join his workplace. After her husband, Vinod, turned an accused in the case his wife (Faisals sister) had applied for divorce and she also embraced Islam, the family member said adding that the local Muslim community is looking after the entire family now. Since all the accused are out on bail, a peace committee was convened two days ago in Kodinhi to foil any attempt to vitiate the atmosphere. Police have also tightened vigil in the area. India is a secular-democratic country. We will not allow anyone to vitiate the communal fabric, said district panchayat president AP Unnikrishnan. Their conversion was not out of rage or protest. They were influenced by the religion and no coercion is there. It is their individual choice, he added. After Pullanis murder, there were fears of a communal flare-up but the situation was brought under control thanks to the dotting mahal (mosque) committees, which took a pledge that they will uphold the communal tradition of the district. In Kodinhi village there are 3,000 Muslim families and 200 Hindu families. During the burial of Faisal though there were taqbir chants, but many mahal committees took to loud speakers to announce that it was our duty to protect our Hindu brethren, Komukutty Haji, secretary of the peace committee, said explaining how they defused the situation. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party maintained it was only opposing monetary-involved conversions. We are not against conversion. But if it is induced by coercion or monetary involvement naturally it will spark social and communal tension. We have reports that in certain cases money is involved, said BJPs Malappuram district secretary Ravi Thelath adding that the Kodinhi incident was an isolated one. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The first batch of pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir left for Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj pilgrimage on Tuesday. Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Haj and Auqaf minister Farooq Andrabi were at the Srinagar Airport to see off the first batch of pilgrims on a direct flight from here to the holy city of Madina, an official said here. The batch comprised 420 pilgrims. He said the second flight carrying an equal number of pilgrims is scheduled to take off later in the day. More than 8,100 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected this year to perform the pilgrimage which will culminate with Eid-ul-Azha in the first week of September. His childhood spent in a mud house in a small village, Ram Nath Kovind moved into the palatial Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday as the 14th President of India, underscoring his strong belief in the Constitution which promises equality to every citizen. As Kovind, the second Dalit to hold the highest constitutional post, said in his first address as the president today, the journey of his life has been a long one. A lawyer, politician and long-time advocate of integrity and an egalitarian society, Kovind, 71, served as the 36th governor of Bihar from August 16, 2015, to June 20, 2017 before the ruling NDA selected him as their presidential candidate. Born on October 1, 1945, in Paraunkh, near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he finished his schooling in the UP city before earning a BCom degree as well an LLB from Kanpur University. Kovind, who enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi, was the Union government advocate in the Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979 and its standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. He became an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court in 1978, and practised at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years till 1993. But his political journey began when Kovind joined then Prime Minister Morarji Desais office after the Janata Party came to power in 1977. That was when the articulate lawyer came to the notice of the Jan Sangh, the precursor to the BJP. Selected to head the partys Dalit Morcha, Kovind was elected member of the Rajya Sabha from UP in April 1994. He served for two consecutive terms of six years each till March 2006. He joined a stir by SC/ST employees in 1997 when Dalits and others protested against Central government orders that he believed undermined their interests. The orders were rescinded by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. As an advocate, Kovind took the lead in providing pro bono legal help to weaker sections of people, especially SC/ST women, under the aegis of the Free Legal Aid Society in Delhi. Kovind also served on various parliamentary panels on the welfare of scheduled castes/tribes; home affairs; petroleum and natural gas; social justice and empowerment and on law and justice. He was the chairman of the Rajya Sabha House Committee. Kovind also served on the board of management of the Dr B R Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and as a member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. He was part of the Indian delegation to the United Nations (UN) and addressed the UN General Assembly in October 2002. Positions Held 2015-17: Governor of Bihar 1994-2006: Member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Uttar Pradesh 1971-75 and 1981: General Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj 1977-79: Union Government Advocate at the Delhi High Court 1982-84: Union Government Junior Counsel in the Supreme Court Personal Details Ram Nath Kovind and Savita were married on May 30, 1974. They have a son, Prashant Kumar, and a daughter, Swati. An avid reader, he is especially interested in books on politics and social change, law, history and religion. Kovind has travelled widely across the country. He visited Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States as a Member of Parliament. A Kerala high court decision has ensured that the board members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will have to fly down to Thiruvananthpuram to watch Jayan Cherians Ka Bodyscapes, a film that has been denied certification on grounds that it glorifies homosexuality and abusive language. The court has also directed Pahlaj Nihalani-headed CBFC to give the reasons for denying the film certification in writing, should it choose do so. On Friday, 12 of the 16 Board members, under the courts direction will watch the film, which will be followed by a meeting, sources told HT. The court order asking CBFC board members to watch the film came in December 2016; the order was to watch the film within three months to decide the certification issue, but the board members were not told of the decision. After the producer approached the court again, and a contempt petition was filed, they were given another one month, up to July 20 to watch the film, a source told HT. However, the CBFC kept dragging its feet; and then shot off a letter claiming it does not have the funds to fly all the members. The Nihalani-headed board has been in the thick of controversies for its decisions to deny certification to films on grounds such as women oriented; chopping kissing scenes and muting cuss words. More recently, Nihalani wants actors to refrain from smoking, drinking on screen. Nihalani and the 16 board members, including film makers Ashok Pandit, Chandraprakash Diwedi, actor and theatre personality Vani Tripathi will end their tenure in January 2015. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After BJP announced Ram Nath Kovind as its presidential candidate, one question dominated the headlines: Who is he? The low profile Bihar governor was thrust into the limelight after his surprise nomination. In the run-up to the election, profiles on Kovind noted his humble beginnings and his journey through politics. But a lot of debate centered around Kovinds caste identity. Many commentators considered Kovinds nomination a masterstroke by the BJP, as it allowed the ruling party to woo Dalits and pitch a candidate no one could object to. A round up of the articles on Indias next president: Hindustan Times An article by Faizan Mustafa, vice-chancellor of NALSAR University, and Yogesh Pratap Singh, deputy registrar (research), Supreme Court, talked about the presidents constitutional powers and how incumbents chose to interpret it. One hopes that the new president, Ram Nath Kovind, will follow the footsteps of Rajendra Prasad, Zail Singh and KR Narayanan who refused to be a rubber stamp. Through the intelligent use of power of reconsideration of the Cabinets advice (like Narayan did) and the use of pocket veto and right to be informed like Zail Singh, Kovind can fulfil his oath and enhance the stature his office. The Hindu An editorial in The Hindu warned Indias new president against becoming either an unthinking rubber stamp or an overzealous interventionist. To the BJPs credit, it did not choose a dyed-in-saffron member of the Sangh Parivar. Mr. Kovinds candidature may have been a strategic political compromise. On the one hand it ensured the wider support that the BJP wanted and, on the other, it wasnt entirely politically neutral, not enough anyway to allow the Congress or the Left parties the satisfaction of a consensus candidate. He is a Dalit, and his nomination was intended by the BJP to signal a socially inclusive agenda. But as President, Mr. Kovind will have to rise above political and social identities. He will be called upon to apply his mind and distinguish between settled conventions and questionable precedents in arriving at decisions. The Indian Express A powerful piece by BJPs general secretary Ram Madhav argued that limiting the discourse to Kovinds caste identity was an injustice. In a caste-obsessed polity, Kovinds caste identity becomes an important debating issue with some reducing it to the BJPs political outreach while some others see it as a political masterstroke. Kovinds identity as a Dalit is certainly a matter of fact. He belongs to a lower middle class family of farmers. His rise to become a nominee for the post of the first citizen of India is a tribute to the power of our value system and democracy, wrote Madhav. The newspaper ran another article by former union minister and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, where he termed BJPs candidature of Kovind a hollow symbolism. Tokenism breeds cynicism, wrote Sibal. I am worried that the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind will be projected as if it represents the empowerment of Dalits. The BJP, which has historically been anti-Dalit, will now use the caste of their nominee to seduce Dalits into believing that the party is pro-Dalit because of this symbolic gesture. Not that Dalits will be taken in. BBC A report in the BBC wondered why Indias next president was so unknown? The report quoted Dalit activist and writer Chandrabhan Prasad as saying, I have been writing about the Dalits [formerly untouchables] for 27 years. But I first heard of Ram Nath Kovind the day he was nominated for Indias next president. The piece, which went on to explain the caste system in India and Kovinds RSS affiliation quoted an anonymous Dalit writer as saying, I have never heard him take a stand on Dalit issues. It could be my ignorance. He seems to be an educated, conscientious person but I have never heard him comment on the atrocities against the Dalits. The New York Times The NYT report started by saying that Kovinds election as president was a rare achievement for a member of a community once known as untouchables and one of the most deprived groups in India. The story included a comment from political analyst Neerja Chowdhury on the nature of the Dalit-versus-Dalit contest. Dalit politics suddenly has come center stage with a bang, Chowdhury says. Every leader is bending over backward to show I am a well-wisher. The Washington Post A report in the Post noted why Kovinds election was a strategic move by the BJP. The nomination of high-caste Yogi Adityanath to the coveted position of chief minister in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, was also seen as pandering to the partys high-caste voter base The BJP has been at the wrong end of the political spectrum due to the rising number of atrocities committed against the Dalits during their regime, said Praveen Rai, political analyst at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies, based in New Delhi. By selecting him on Dalit identity, it hopes to [calm] the rising tempers of the community and win back their votes for the next general elections in 2019. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With a political career spanning nearly 50 years, Pranab Mukherjee -- the 13th President of India -- will vacate Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, bringing to a close another chapter in the legacy of the veteran politician. Born on December 11, 1935 to freedom fighters Shri Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi in Mirati, Bengal, he began his career as a college teacher and a journalist, taking to politics full-time with his election to the Rajya Sabha in 1969. His father had also been associated with politics as a Congress leader. Finance Minister Chidambaram Subramaniam is flanked by Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of State for Revenue and Banking (Independent Charge) during the Emergency at Parliament House on March 15, 1976. (Ajit Kumar / HT Photo) During the Indira Gandhi governments tenure, Mukherjee was appointed the deputy minister, industrial development in 1973. His portfolio expanded to include steel and industry, shipping and transport and the office of minister of state for finance in the period extending to 1974. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi seen with close aide and then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the NDMC Civic centre on December 30, 1983. (KK Chawla / HT Photo) Even Mrs Gandhi would say, No matter how hard one tries, they can never get a word out of Pranab. All they will see is the smoke coming out of his pipe, recalled journalist and long-time friend Jayanta Ghoshal, who has known Mukherjee since 1985, as he spoke about the trust between the prime minister and her finance minister to PTI. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee seen in his office at Parliament House, with an assortment of smoking pipes at his table, on February 29. 1984. (Ajit Kumar / HT Photo) Known for his penchant for pipes, Mukherjees collection extends beyond 500 pieces. Collected over decades as gifts from foreign dignitaries, Mukherjee was often seen with an empty pipe chewing at its stem, despite having quit smoking years earlier. His collection of pipes will now sit at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum after his departure. Pranab Mukherjee seen during his first stint as the Finance Minister on February 27, 1982. (Virendra Prabhakar / HT Photo) Mukherjee became the finance minister for the first time in 1982 in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was also the Leader of the Upper House of Parliament from 1980 to 1985. Pranab Mukherjee, then Commerce Secretary attends a meeting with his US counterpart Ron Brown (C) at Vigyan Bhavan on January 16, 1995. (Sanjay Sharma / HT Photo) Mukherjee moved on to occupy the offices of minister for commerce from 1993 to 1995, minister of external affairs from 1995 to 1996 and minister of defence from 2004 to 2006. Pranab Mukherjee (C) seen during a Congress rally on June 24, 2002. (Subhendu Ghosh / HT Photo) His second stint as minister of external affairs ran from 2006 to 2009. He moved on to become the minister of finance from 2009 to 2012 and Leader of the Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from 2004 to 2012. As the 13th President, Mukherjee sought to bring the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan closer to the general public by opening its gates and bringing out the various artefacts tucked away in its 340 rooms to view. Pranab Mukherjee waves as he arrives in a horse driven carriage at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, having been sworn in as the Indias 13th President on July 25, 2012 in New Delhi. (Ajay Aggarwal / HT Photo) President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the farewell hosted by him for the President at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi. (PTI) Surely there have been divergences of views, between me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But we have been able to keep divergences only to ourselves, that didnt affect our relation, Mukherjee was noted while speaking to a gathering. The Prime Minister also reciprocated the gesture, calling Mukherjee a mentor, adding: In my initial days, Pranabda held my hand to help me settle in Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee (R) gestures after his speech during his farewell ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament in New Delhi. (Shahbaz Khan / PTI) A doctor in Rajasthan has been booked by the police for allegedly duping an HIV-positive patient of Rs 19.5 lakh, promising him a cure for AIDS. The patient filed a complaint against the doctor, identified as Sanjay Gakhar, at Dabwali police station in Sirsa saying he was getting treatment from the doctor in Ganganagar for HIV. According to the complainant, the doctor told him that he will get him treated at a hospital in the US for Rs 50 lakh. He demanded Rs 20 lakh in advance to initiate the patients application. The doctor also made the man meet a couple who claimed to have been cured of their AIDS disease through the same process. Convinced and desperate for a cure, the man paid Rs 19.5 lakh to the doctor. However, a few days later, the doctor said he will not be able to take him to America as his passport and visa could not be arranged, and promised to pay back the money. The man alleged that the doctor failed to return his money. Vinod Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Sadar police station in Dabwali, said, Based on the complaint, we have registered a zero FIR under section 406 (Criminal breach of trust) and 420 (fraud) against Dr Sanjay Gakhar. We will send the case to the concerned Rajasthan police who can further investigate the matter . India had 2.1 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016, with new infections falling to 80,000 in 2016 from 150,000 in 2005, shows data from the UNAIDS Ending AIDS Report 2017 released in Paris recently. Less than half the people living with HIV are on treatment, which is given free under National AIDS Control Programme. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Unidentified criminals shot dead two aides of an independent woman MLA in Bihars Muzaffarpur district on Monday night. Police said Bochaha MLA Baby Kumaris aides Ramshrungar Sahni and Mahedra Paswan were killed by unidentified gunmen when they were returning to their homes at Karnapur from Bochaha Bazaar, 84 km north of Patna. Ramshrungar Sahni, brother of MLAs representative Ramshreshtha Sahni, died on the spot, while Paswan succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a private nursing home, the police added. Enraged over the killings, a mob led by Kumari and former BJP MLA from Aurai Ram Surat Rai, disrupted vehicular traffic on the Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga section of national highway (NH)-57 on Tuesday. The mob was demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, compensation to the bereaved families and removal of Bochaha police station SHO for his failure in controlling crime. The MLA blamed police inaction for the incident. Had the police taken action in time on Sahnis request for security, his life would have been saved, Kumari said and demanded payment of Rs 50 lakh each to the families of the victims. Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar said a special team had been constituted to nab the culprits. The team is trying to ascertain the identity of the culprits. Prima facie, there are evidences to suspect involvement of professional killers, he said, adding that the incident could be fallout of personal enmity. Prof Yash Pal, one of Indias most respected scientists who brought popular science to the countrys living rooms, died on Tuesday. He was 90. Sourced said he passed away at the Max Hospital in Noida on Tuesday morning. Honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, Indias second-highest civilian award, Yash Pal featured in a popular science series, Turning Point, on Doordarshan in the 80s and became a household name for explaining scientific concepts in laymans language. In 2009, Unesco honoured him with the Kalinga Prize for popularisation of science. In his report Learning without burden, Prof Yash Pal had raised concern over the load of school bags and rote learning. Five days after a Nepalese national accused in the Kotkhai rape case died in police custody, a multi-member team of forensic experts from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) re-examined his body preserved at the IGMC hospital. Suraj was one of the six accused in the case. His death in the Kotkhai police custody had intensified the ongoing protests against the botched-up investigations in the rape and murder case. A CBI team arrived at the hospital around 9:45 in the morning and inquired about the autopsy conducted by the hospital. Medical Superintendent Dr Ramesh Chand confirmed that the CBI team visited the hospital. The team included three members from the forensic team. The members also met the IGMC team of experts, which had conducted the autopsy, said Dr Chand. Surajs wife Mamata, who had visited the hospital on July 21 to identify the body, has been shifted to the womens shelter at Mashobra, 12 kms from here. Mamata has been demanding an early release of the body. The CBI sleuths who split into different teams to probe the gang rape and custodial death of the accused Nepalese national , are visiting different locations to get to the bottom of the case. Earlier, a CBI team had visited the crime scene at Hilaila village in Kotkhai tehsil. They also questioned the locals about the antecedents of the six main accused. It was on July 13 that the police had claimed a breakthrough and arrested six persons. They included Ashish Chauhan, alias Ashu (29), a resident of Sharaal village in Mahasu area of Kotkhai; Rajender Singh, alias Raju (32), the driver of a pick-up vehicle and a resident of Hilaila village, Subash Singh Bisht (42) of Pauri Garhwal, Suraj Singh (29) of Nepal, Lok Jan (19) of Nepal and Deepak (38) of Garhwal. CBI took over the investigations into the Kotkhai gangrape and murder case and registered two first information reports (FIRs). The first FIR pertains to the gang rape and murder of 16-year-old schoolgirl. The FIR in this case was registered at the Kotkhai police station on July 6 under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code. The second FIR relates to the murder of Suraj Singh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI Amid uncertainties over the continuance of Bihars Grand Alliance government, embattled Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad has initiated moves to stitch together an alternative political platform with Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM). Sources say Prasads initiatives at rearranging Bihars caste-based political calculus are seen as being aimed at pushing his alliance partner and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on the backfoot. Following the recent CBI and I-T raids against Prasad and his family members for alleged corruption, there have been speculations that Kumar could even consider breaking ties with the RJD. Kumars prompt backing of Ram Nath Kovind as soon as the NDA had announced his name as presidential candidate also fuelled rumours of his possible realignment with the BJP. And with possibilities of a snap midterm election not ruled out, Lalu Prasad has moved swiftly to bolster his political position over past few weeks. Prasads son and the states deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who is under pressure from the JD(U) to resign over graft charges, met BSP chief Mayawati last Friday to discuss possibilities of firming up an alternative secular alliance in Bihar and elsewhere. Sources say Lalu Prasad who was the first to offer his partys support to elect Mayawati to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar following her resignation from the Rajya Sabha has also reached out to Manjhi, a former Kumar protege and a tribal leader. The RJD camp believes that an alliance with the BSP and HAM had the potential to demolish the extremely backward caste (EBC) vote bank that Kumar has so assiduously built over the years. Although Manjhis party won just one seat in 2015, it polled approximately 5% votes. Tribals constitute nearly 9% votes and a tieup with the RJD is likely to place him in a better position. Muslim voters are estimated at 12.5% of the electorate. Prasad is also said to be hopeful that the Congress would support such a formation, senior RJD leaders say. In past elections, the BSP has remained a marginal player in Bihar, but RJD leaders believe a formal tieup between the two parties could enable Mayawati to tap into the states scheduled caste vote bank estimated to be around 14% of the electorate. As peacemaker, Prasad has been on an outreach exercise to bring together the Samajwadi Party and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, while proposing that Mayawati be fielded as the joint Opposition candidate for the byelections that are likely in Phulpur the parliamentary seat expected to be vacated by BJP leader and UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. ========================================= BLURB Sources say Prasads initiatives at rearranging Bihars caste-based political calculus are seen as being aimed at pushing his alliance partner and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on the backfoot. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday urged a Kolkata court to issue arrest warrants for Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and 21 other suspects in the murder of prominent Gorkha leader Madan Tamang. Tamang, president of the All India Gorkha League, was hacked to death in Darjeeling in 2010. Though a supporter of the Gorkhaland movement, he was opposed to Gurungs mode of functioning. The CBI sought their arrest as they failed to turn up in the court for the hearing of the murder case the investigating agency is probing. The Kolkata city sessions court reserved its order for Tuesday after hearing the CBI plea. Other prominent GJM leaders whose arrest the CBI sought include Gurungs wife Asha Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and assistant general secretary Binay Tamang. Of the 54 accused in this case, four are already dead and two are missing. Former GJM legislator Harka Bahadur Chettri and former GJM leader Pradeep Pradhan, who later jointed the ruling Trinamool Congress were among the accused present in the court. Chetri resigned from the GJM and formed his own outfit the Jan Andolan Party. Most of the accused against whom the CBI wanted arrest warrants are currently spearheading a movement for carving out a separate state for the Nepali-speaking community of West Bengals Darjeeling district. The counsel for Gurung and others who were not present in the court prayed that they be permitted to be represented by their lawyers. CBI counsel Arun Bhagat objected saying that since the Calcutta high court had earlier asked them to be present before the trial court for hearing, arrest warrants be issued. On July 19, a division bench of the Calcutta high court directed all the accused in the case to be present at the trial court. The division bench also directed the trial court to hold day- to- day hearing and conclude proceedings for framing of charges in the murder case by August 17. Vehicles remained off the road and shops were closed in downtown Srinagar in response to a shutdown called by the Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday, a day after seven Kashmiri separatists were arrested in a case of terror funding. While normal life came to a standstill in the old town, where authorities imposed restriction on movement of the people, in other parts of the city, vehicles moved freely and markets were open. Schools and colleges, however, were shut across the city. The National Investigation Agency on Monday arrested hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah and six others in a probe it is conducting to ascertain if funds from Pakistan were used to fuel last years unrest in the Valley that left 100 people, most of them civilians, dead. Calling for a bandh, the Hurriyat Conference said the case was fabricated and the NIA was misleading people. In response, district authorities barred assembly of four or more people by imposing Section 144 in the old citys Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal and other areas. Local train services remained suspended. Similar reports of a mixed response were received from other district headquarters of the Valley, officials said. Inter-district transport was also plying on some routes. Government offices and banks functioned normally, the officials said. The NIA was to bring Shah, Tehreek-e-Hurriyats Ayaz Akbar and Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, who is from the Mirwaiz faction of the Hurriyat, Nayeem Khan of the Jammu Kashmir National Front and Peer Saifullah to Delhi on Tuesday after their arrest in Srinagar. Former Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front militant Farooq Ahmed Dar aka Bitta Karatay was taken into custody in New Delhi. On social media, the bandh call elicited considerable criticism while some users said how there were traffic jams in parts of the city despite the call. A journalist Majid Hyderi posted: Traffic jams in Srinagar in response to Sasur jis hartaal call against damaad jis arrest is eye-opener. Another journalist, Fahad Shah, wrote: I think tomorrows strike call by Hurriyat is illogical, looking at what is the reason they give for it. A youth was shot dead in Budgam the other day and there was no shutdown but some leaders and son-in-law of a leader gets arrested so Kashmir has to shutdown. What frenzy is this?! Before the arrests, the NIA raided places across Kashmir, New Delhi and Haryana looking for evidence of separatist leaders and businessmen receiving funds from Hafiz Saeed, who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa group, and other Pakistan-based militant outfits. Kashmir was rocked by violent street protests after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight with security forces on July 8, 2016, with stone-throwing mobs clashing with security forces almost every day. (With agency inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over BJP members absence from the both Houses of Parliament leading to trouble or embarrassment for the government. Modis remarks came here during weekly BJP parliamentary party meeting just after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and his junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvis reference to incidents and problems arising out of lack of quorum. In his response, the Prime Minister said that he was worried and not satisfied with members percentage of presence in houses, according to a BJP MP. The government had to face an embarrassing situation in the Rajya Sabha last week when a bill on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims could not be taken up due to lack of quorum. Modi also called upon the BJP MPs to observe fortnight programmes of Sankalp Yatra and hold Tiranga Yatra in their constituencies to celebrate 70th Independence Day. The Prime Minister said that this year there will be nationwide celebrations starting from August 9 till August 15. After this, for 15 days a sankalp yatra will be conducted throughout the nation, pledging development of nation and every individual, Parliamentary Affair Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting. The Prime Minister also stated that from 1947 till now India reached new heights but till 2022 India will become a power to reckon with in the world, he added. Ananth Kumar also said that the Prime Minister said that they have to change the lives of poor by three ways - by welfare, by social harmony and good governance. Modi also said that Ram Nath Kovind taking oath as 14th President of India is a historic day in BJPs journey, started by Syama Prasad Mookerjee during which lakhs of people sacrificed their lives, according to a BJP leader. The BJP Parliamentary Party also condemned the atrocious behaviour of six Congress Lok Sabha MPs who were on Monday suspended for five consecutive sittings after they tore up papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speakers podium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday left for Gujarat to conduct aerial survey of the flood situation in his home state. Modis visit comes in the wake of a request from Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The Prime Minister left for Gujarat after the swearing-in ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind. Hundreds of people are still waiting to be shifted to safer places, as several parts of these districts are flooded, he said. Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been deployed in Banskantha to airlift the stranded locals as well as to distribute food packets. One column of Indian Army was also pressed in to rescue people using boats. The rescue operations are going on in full swing as we are taking the help of Army, IAF, BSF, NDRF and local police. Today, we have rescued around 400 people in Banaskantha with the help of three helicopters of the Air Force, said state health minister Shanker Chaudhary, who is stationed at Deesa to oversee the rescue operations. Since Tuesday morning, 113 people stranded in Shihori village of the district have been rescued and shifted to safer locations by the Indian Army personnel, who have been conducting the rescue operation using boats, said a release by the Defence PRO. One MI-17V5 took off from Deesa this morning and proceeded to Totana village and winched up 14 people stuck in the mist of raging flood water to safety, Defence PRO Abhishek Matiman said. The IAF is also air dropping food packets in the affected areas. Over 300 kgs of food packets were air dropped at Gugal, Jenal Varan and neighbouring villages to aid the people marooned since yesterday, he added. The other places which received very heavy rainfall during the last 24 hours include Patan taluka in Patan district (295 mm), Deodar in Banaskantha (284 mm), Idar in Sabarkantha (282 mm), Dhanera in Banaskantha (275 mm), Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha(230), Saraswati in Patan (217 mm) and Deesa in Banaskantha (210 mm). Police investigation of a murder in Madhya Pradesh has taken a murky turn, with the prime suspects minor daughter dead, his elder daughter missing and him carrying torture marks on his buttocks. Sab police ki maar ki wajah se hai (all this is due to police torture), alleged Bale Ivne, a resident of Palaspani village in Betul district, about 175 km south of state capital Bhopal. Police are questioning Ivne, 55, and his family members for the murder of fellow villager Brajlal, 24, who was hacked to death. Brajlals body was found in a field on July 10. His relatives told the police they suspected Ivne and his family members committed the murder. Ivne is a tribal, as was Brajlal. Police ne zindagi barbaad kar di hai (police have destroyed our lives), said Ivne. Humko roz maar rahe hain, zabardasti kar rahe hain ki bolo tumne usko mara hai (police are harassing and torturing us daily to force us to confess to the crime), Ivne alleged. Bale Ivne has alleged that the marks on his body are due to police torture. (Mayank Bhargava/HT Photo) He alleged that his elder daughter, Meena, 19, went missing from the local police station on July 16 after she was tortured. He claimed police tortured him, Meena and his younger daughter, Raseela, 17, for four hours that day in separate rooms. Police claimed Meena pushed a woman constable and ran away. Ivne said police called Raseela, 17, for questioning again last Saturday and she left home but never returned. Uski lash mili agle din gaon ke kuen mein (her body was found in the village well on Sunday). Ivnes wife, Sumarati Bai, said police action had devastated her family. Badi beti police station se gayab hai, chhoti beti mar gayi aur pati ke sharir par maar ke zakhm hain (my elder daughter is missing from the police station, younger daughter is dead and my husbands body bears signs of torture). She alleged that even her son-in-law was beaten in the police station. Humko faansi de do agar humne khoon kiya hai, par aise maarna kahan jaayaz hai (hang us if we have committed the murder, but how is this torture justified)? Rajendra Dhruve, in-charge of Shahpur police station, where the murder case was lodged, said Raseela was called for questioning on July 22 but she did not turn up. Later, police came to know about her death, he added. We are investigating if the girl committed suicide or was murdered, said Dhruve. DR Teniwar, superintendent of police, Betul, said Ivne and his family were being questioned because of suspicion of their involvement in the murder. He said it was during investigation that a woman of the family (Meena) ran away from the police station and her sister was found dead. We will look into the allegations of torture. We are already investigating the girls death, Teniwar added. Though the water level in the major rivers of north Odisha showed a declining trend on Tuesday due to less rainfall in the catchment areas in the last 12 hours, around 40 villages in Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts remained marooned in the state, said officials. Two blocks in Bhadrak district Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar were affected, an official statement issued by the Special Relief Commissioners (SRC) office said, adding that about 25 villages of Bhandaripokhari block were affected due to the floods caused by the Baitarani river there. About 20,411 residents of the block were affected. About 200 hectares of crop-land in the block and another 654 hectares in Dhamnagar block of Bhadrak district remained submerged in the flood waters, SRC sources said. Similarly, a report from Keonjhar said about 15 villages in Ghasipura and Hatadhi blocks were marooned as the flood waters washed away the roads. A man holding fan comes out of a flood hit village of Kalyansingpur in Rayagada district, Odisha on July 17, 2017. (PTI) Two power boats and one health team were deployed at Solampur village in Bhandaripokhari block. An ODRAF team was stationed at Dhamnagar for rescue-and-relief operations. In Jajpur district, there was a flood-like situation in Jajpur, Dasarathpur and Korei blocks. Two ODRAF teams were deployed at Jajpur and Dasarathpur blocks respectively. Due to a rise in the water level of the Subarnarekha river at Rajghat, there was a flood-like situation in five gram panchayats of Baliapal block in Balasore district. The authorities were closely monitoring the situation in Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts. At 6 pm, the Baitarani was flowing at 37 metres, as against the danger mark of 38.36 metres, at Anandpur. The water level, however, was showing a declining trend. The river was flowing at 18.56 metres, as against the danger mark of 17.83 metres, at Akhuapada and showing a declining trend. At 6 pm, the Subarnarekha was flowing at 11.12 metres, as against the danger level of 10.36 metres, at Rajghat and showing a rising trend. A flood victim coming out of her house in Kalyansingpur village in Rayagada district, Odisha on July 17, 2017. (PTI) Meanwhile, SRC B P Sethi said the government was fully prepared to tackle the situation. We have deployed ODRAF, NDRF, Fire Service personnel, equipped with power boats, for the rescue-and-relief operations. Besides, regular patrolling is being carried out at the weak and vulnerable portions of the river embankments, he added. The SRC asserted that all arrangements were put in place and sand bags were kept ready at the weak and vulnerable river banks to prevent any breach. He hoped that the situation would improve as the water level in the major rivers had started showing a declining trend. We are expecting a normal situation by tomorrow as there has not been much rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Jalaka and other rivers in north Odisha, Deputy SRC Pravat Mohapatra said, adding that everything depended on the rainfall tonight. A Pakistani terrorist has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Karnataka court in a money laundering case, the enforcement directorate said on Tuesday. The terrorist has been identified as Mohammed Koya. This is the third conviction under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the country. The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from 2005 in order to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. The first conviction under the PMLA had come in January when a Ranchi court convicted former Jharkhand minister Hari Narayan Rai and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh. In March, another person, Alauddin was convicted under money laundering charges related to illegal possession of narcotic drugs by a Kolkata court. The stringent anti-money laundering law allows a maximum of seven years of imprisonment. With the monsoon session of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha starting July 28 and the turmoil within the Grand Alliance (GA) continuing, chief minister Nitish Kumar seems to be playing his cards close to his chest, even as his party men continue to mount pressure on an unrelenting RJD for the resignation of deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad, named in a land graft case by the CBI. On Tuesday, the chief minister broke his silence for the first time in Delhi, but only to throw a poser about the fate of the alliance. It is for all to see how the alliance is performing. It is a collective responsibility, he told TV channels. This sparked off speculations that Kumar could repeat a June 2013 in July 2017, when he had severed relations with the NDA in a surprise move. Will he take a tough call on sacking his deputy Tejaswhi? Will it lead to strong reaction from the RJD? On Wednesday, the cabinet meeting is also scheduled and its outcome and Tejashwis participation will be a keenly watched affair. You will have to wait and see. It is not going to continue like this forever. They say, they will come clean on August 27. Thats a long way off, said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar. There were speculations that the make or break move by way of Tejashwis climbdown, or Nitishs final move would have to come before July 28. The fear is, if it does not, the monsoon session of the state legislature may turn out to be of BJPs advantage and a chance to it to smear the alliance and attack Nitish Kumar, who will have Tejaswhi sitting next to him in the House. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has already said the BJP would not allow the House to run should Tejashwi be there. So far, Kumar has preferred speaking more in action and less in words. According to party sources, Kumar is in no hurry, as he does not want to take the blame for the disintegration of Bihars successful alliance experiment. But at the same time, he wants to keep his uncompromising stance on corruption intact. The RJD will have to take a call sooner or later if it wants to save the alliance. Today, Tejaswhi has been booked in a land graft case. The CBI chargesheet may come any day, leaving the RJD with a Hobsons choice. One thing is clear that Nitish Kumar cannot compromise with his image he has so assiduously built, party sources said. Even Brishin Patel, once in the JD(U) and now in the Hindustani Awam Morcha of Jitan Ram Manjhi, agreed. Kumars silence has given indications that he is treading cautiously and might have multiple options up his sleeves in the runup to the 2019 general elections. Whether going back to the NDA fold is an option, only time will tell, for the Congress is also under compulsion not to let the sole successful alliance wither much before the crucial electoral battle two years later. On the other hand, the BJP in Bihar has been quite straightforward in extending a standing offer of support to Kumar, should he withdraw from the GA. The BJP man who launched a campaign against RJD chief Lalu Prasad with a series of graft allegations, Sushil Kumar Modi, has also been soft on Kumar of late, lending credence to speculations that something might be cooking. Even during his last meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Kumar made it clear that the fight against Narendra Modi-led BJP could not be fought without a clear stand on corruption and that the resignation of Tejashwi was unavoidable to save the alliance, said a senior party leader, adding the Congress also needed to come clean on its stand on corruption, as its state leaders had sided with the RJD in the ongoing tussle. For the Congress, it is a big dilemma, as it wants to save the alliance, while on the other hand it is itself continuing with a tainted CM in Himachal Pradesh. Even in Congress, leaders understand that Nitish Kumar is a leader they will not like to part ways with and top aides have been reportedly asked to convince Lalu Prasad for Tejashwis resignation without offending a trusted ally like the RJD, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected on Tuesday the devastation in parts of Gujarat hit by floods and heavy rains, and announced a payout of Rs 2 lakh to family members of those killed. Gujarat, Modis home state, has been lashed by rains and several of its rivers are in spate after neighbouring Rajasthan opened dams, inundating and cutting off villages particularly in the states northern parts. At least 82 people have died since the monsoon rains began a month ago. Everything possible will be done to help the farmers, who suffer immensely due to floods While reviewing the situation, I could see the Government of Gujarat responded to the flood situation quite swiftly, the Prime Minister tweeted. He flew over the affected districts in North Gujarat, and announced a relief package of Rs 500 crore. The PM also said a compensation of Rs 2 lakh will be paid for those who died, and Rs 50,000 will be given to those seriously injured from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund. The announcements came as rescuers from disaster response teams and the Indian military raced to reach marooned villagers, some of whom were airlifted by military choppers. A flooded Gujarat village is seen from the aircraft from which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the devastation. (PMOIndia/Twitter) Before the aerial survey, Modi took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting in Ahmedabad attended by chief minister Vijay Rupani and other officials. The PM assured all possible help and assistance from the centre to normalise the situation in the flood-hit areas of the state, Rupani said after the meeting. Several places in Banaskantha and Patan, which are otherwise prone to droughts, recorded 15 to 18 inches of rainfall between Monday and Tuesday morning. More than 1 lakh people have been affected, and electricity supply to these regions has been cut off. Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash the state in the next 48 hours, according to Met department. Three people have died in rain-related accidents in Banaskantha in the last 24 hours, according to the state flood control room. In the last 24 hours, some 50,000 people have been shifted to safety in the two districts. Over 1,000 people, including 40 stranded on roofs of their houses in Banaskantha, have been evacuated. Four helicopters of the Air Force (IAF), two Army columns and 18 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were working for rescue and relief operations. Rescue and relief operations are going on in full swing. We will restore electricity supply (in Banaskantha and Patan) as soon as possible, said deputy chief Minister Nitin Patel. Seven lakh food packets have been distributed in affected villages using IAF choppers, since more than 370 roads, including six National Highways and 20 State Highways, remained inundated across the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At first glance, Pankaj Sahni looks ordinary a physics graduate from a village in north Bihars Muzaffarpur district without a regular job and struggling to make it big in one of Indias poorest regions. But police say the 26-year-old is the kingpin of a daring ATM fraud network that stretched across four states in eastern India and even Nepal. Not just that, he also allegedly ran a training school of sorts for unemployed youth, teaching them the art of duping unsuspecting ATM users. Police arrested five people, including Sahni, from a brothel in Muzaffarpur on Sunday and have charged him with fraudulently withdrawing Rs 1.40 crore from bank accounts through ATMs between 2010 and 2012. Police said Sahni had confessed to his crime and told them that his pupils were spread across Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal. The operations of the network were so vast that police said they had no estimate of how much money had been stolen between 2012 and 2017. Sahnis playbook reads straight out of a Bollywood potboiler like Dhoom. Mithanpura station house officer (SHO) Vijay Prasad Rai said Sahni would stand in queue as a customer and under the garb of helping those not familiar with ATM operations, would press some key(s) after which the screen would temporarily go blank. He would then tell them that there was a technical glitch in the machine and would allegedly fraudulently withdraw money from their accounts after they left the ATM. The SHO said Sahni even withdrew money from his account when asked to demonstrate his skill on Sunday. Sahni was first arrested in March 2012 after a fraud of Rs 1.30 crore was reported in loading of cash in ATM machines. He was then working with an ATM operations and maintenance firm. It was during this period that he got to know about ATM nuances and began defrauding customers, police said. When he got out on bail in November 2012, he set up his unregistered school Pankaj Business Management (PBM) institute. Police said he had so far trained 55 men. He grew in confidence and stature as a master ATM fraudster and would even leave behind his signature PBM mark at ATM kiosks after hacking them, possibly to attract more youth to his institute. The police recovered a country-made pistol, two live cartridges, six ATM cards and some cash and liquor bottles from the possession of the five arrested youth. Sahni faces six cases of fraud, murder, and extortion, apart from possessing illegal arms. Sahni, a resident of Madhuban Kanti village under Minapur police station of Muzaffarpur district, 92 kms north of Patna, hails from a poor Dalit family. He severed ties with his family after he married his classmate in February 2010 but deserted her in 2013. His family members said they had disowned him and werent willing to comment on the arrest and the allegations. Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as Indias 14th president on Tuesday. Kovind, a low-profile politician, will have the task of establishing himself as the first citizen, and not the governments rubber stamp. Here are key points to know about him. Kovind, 71, was born in a poor family in Paraunkh village in rural Kanpur. The Hindu reports Kovind and his siblings would stick to the corners of their mud hut, as the thatched roof could not stop the rain from pouring into their home. My election as President of India is to represent all such Kovinds toiling away to make a living, he recalled the day he was elected. Kovinds father was a farmer who had to sell off a piece of land to fund his sons education in Kanpur. Kovind is a lawyer, who has practised at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Kovind, as a lawyer, worked to provide free legal aid to the poor and Dalits. Kovinds Dalit identity is a matter of fact but thats just one part, says the BJP. If at all Kovind represents any section, it is that of the majority of India--rural, agrarian, economically and socially underprivileged. It is the same section that Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents. He too was sneered at by some Lutyens intellectuals as chaiwala. But both Kovind and Modi represent the true India - Marxs proletariat and Socrates philosopher rolled into one, BJP leader Ram Madhav wrote in an article in The Indian Express. Kovind will be the countrys first president born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh. Zakir Hussain, the third president, was from Uttar Pradesh but he wasnt born there. Kovinds election as president is expected to repair and consolidate the BJPs social base in the state after Yogi Adityanath, a Rajput, was made the chief minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents Varanasi, the UP temple town, in Parliament. President elect Ram Nath Kovind greets people during a ceremony after his election, in Delhi on July 20. (AFP) Kovind unsuccessfully contested assembly elections twice and Lok Sabha polls once. He was elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 1994 and served two consecutive terms. He spoke on a variety of subjects in Rajya Sabha: from adult movies on TV to a sensitive report on the 1962 war. Kovind posed 283 questions during the two terms in Rajya Sabha. Media profiles written after the National Democratic Alliance selected Kovind as its presidential nominee described him as soft-spoken, low profile, unassuming and affable. It is perhaps Kovinds style of politics that led Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to back him for the presidents office though the JD(U) leader had criticised his appointment as the states governor in 2015. When Kovind visited his village in Uttar Pradesh in 2001, people presented him 11 silver crowns and tried to weigh him in coins. He politely refused both, asking if their love was limited to mere symbolism. He got the silver crowns sold and used the money to marry off 20 women in the village. Kovind, as BJPs national spokesperson between 2010 and 2012, addressed just three press conferences. Heavyweight spokesmen overshadowed him, a BJP leader who worked with Kovind in the media department told Hindustan Times. Kovind held a press conference in March 2010 which created controversy when he was named for the presidential race. Kovind reportedly rejected a commissions report recommending reservation for religious minorities. Islam and Christianity are alien to the nation, he reportedly said at the press conference. But his supporters say he was misquoted and he actually said notion. Kovind could be a gentleman politician but as president he doesnt have to a rubber stamp of the government. There is no constitutional provision that obliges the president to act on the aid and advice of the Cabinet. As this opinion article notes: Through the intelligent use of power of reconsideration of the Cabinets advice (like KR Narayanan did) and the use of pocket veto and right to be informed like Zail Singh, Kovind can fulfill his oath and enhance the stature his office. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah selected Kovind for the job around the first week of June, but Kovind himself was unaware of his candidature till June 17, reports India Today. When a source close to Shah asked him on May 30 whether Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot was to be the NDA candidate, he was told: Someone like him. Kovinds family stays away from the limelight. His wife, Savita, called him for hours before she could speak to him after he was declared the NDAs presidential candidate on June 19. Kovinds daughter, Swati, is an air hostess with Air India and his son, Prashant, owns a petrol pump. Dog lovers will take pride in President Kovind. An India Today report notes that when Kovind and his family lived at 144 North Avenue, New Delhi, they adopted six stray dogs. Will these dogs move to Rashtrapati Bhavan now? Two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters which resumed operations Tuesday morning rescued seven people stranded on a tree in flood-affected Jalore of south-west Rajasthan. On Monday, bad weather and low clouds had scuttled four bids by the choppers to rescue the seven people. Meanwhile, schools in five districts Jalore, Pali, Sirohi, Jodhpur and Barmer are closed on Tuesday in view of predictions of abnormal rain in next 48 hours in these districts. Jodhpurs Jai Narayan Vyas University cancelled all its exams for Tuesday and Wednesday. Jodhpur divisional commissioner Ratan Lahoti told HT on the phone that more than 200 stranded people have been evacuated to safety between Monday and Tuesday. Three Army columns have been deployed in different areas of Jalore where road connectivity has snapped. Two teams of NDRF and SDRF each are also engaged in rescue operations in the flood-affected areas, he added. An army rescue team taking a young boy to safety in Pawata in Pali district of Rajasthan which has been hit badly by flood. (HT PHOTO) Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha told HT that two helicopters took off from Jodhpur IAF base for rescue operation in Jalore on Tuesday and evacuated stranded people. Read more: Flood fury in Rajasthan, schools closed, IAF choppers fail to rescue stranded people While details of rainfall in the state in last 24 hours were not available yet, reports suggested there had been a break in rainfall in several of the flood-affected districts. The Jodhpur division, which comprises Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Pali and Sirohi districts, has so far received abnormal rain (60% more than the normal) between June 1 and July 24. In terms of districts, barring Sirohi, all districts got abnormal rains. Ram Nath Kovind took oath as Indias 14th President on Tuesday at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Kovind arrived in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Ram Nath Kovind was administered the oath by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union ministers, governors, chief ministers, ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers were among those present. Watch the full ceremony: Highlights: 2:50 pm: Israeli embassy wishes Ram Nath Kovind on taking office over Twitter. 2:12 pm: Former president Pranab Mukherjee given Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan. 1:45 pm: Ex-president Pranab Mukherjee tweets congratulatory wishes to President Ram Nath Kovind from private Twitter handle. My heartiest congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Hon'ble President of India. Wishing you success and happiness in the years to come. Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) July 25, 2017 . 1: 38 pm: Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari welcomes President Ram Nath Kovind . 1: 36 pm: MoS home Kiren Rijiju to formally receive former ex-president Pranab Mukherjee da at 10, Rajaji Marg at his designated house 2.20 pm. 1:34 pm: The people welcome Shri Ram Nath Kovind as the President of India. His humble beginnings and wisdom will guide us towards a New India: Union minister Piyush Goyal. 1: 00 pm: PM Modi congratulates Ram Nath Kovind on taking oath, says very inspiring address by President, which beautifully summed up the essence of Indias strengths, democracy and diversity. 12:45pm: The President arrives at the official residence Rashtrapati Bhavan after the oath-taking ceremony. Ahead of the ceremony, the military secretary to the president had invited Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where former president Pranab Mukherjee was waiting for them in the study. 12:35pm: In tune with tradition, Kovind leaves with Mukherjee to escort the outgoing president to his new residence. 12:30pm: A 21-gun salute given in the honour of President Kovind. 12:25pm: The new President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in its forecourt. Mukherjee will leave for his new address - 10 Rajaji Marg. According to tradition, the new President (Kovind) escorts the outgoing president to his/her new address. 12:32pm: The ceremony ends with the national anthem. 12:30pm: We need to sculpt a high-growth economy, an educated economy and an egalitarian society. This was the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay. -- Closing statements of President Kovind. 12: 27pm: I come from a very simple background and the journey has been long: President says in his speech We are diverse, yet united and one, says President Kovind. The election of Kovind -- a Dalit -- as President is expected to repair and consolidate the BJPs social base in Uttar Pradesh after Yogi Adityanath (a Rajput) was made the chief minister. 12:25pm: President Kovinds Twitter account is now activated. His first tweet -- Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind. I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 12:20pm: All citizens are creators and developers of India -- those who open startups, those who work in offices, those who are serving the public, those women who work and also take care of families, those who work for their nation: Kovind 12:16pm: Kovind addresses Parliament,thanks them for trusting me with the responsibility to be the President of India. In this Parliament, we have differed with each other on various issues and discussed them reverently. This is the beauty of democracy. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab da. We are now in the second half of the 21st century... We are proud of Indias diversity, heritage, development, and all its citizens, says Kovind in his address to Parliament. 12: 15pm: Kovind begins reading oath as President of India. 12:10pm: Opposition presidential nominee Meira Kumar sits in the first row of the audience at Kovinds swearing-in ceremony. 12:06pm: The national anthem plays in central hall of Parliament. 12pm: Kovind, outgoing president Pranad Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and CJI JS Khehar enter Parliament. 11:50am: Ram Nath Kovind and Pranab Mukherjee are on their way to Parliament 11:30am: President-elect Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Rashtrapati Bhavan from his 10, Akbar Road residence. 11am: Lok Sabha adjourned till 3pm to allow members to participate in the Presidents swearing-in ceremony. 10.50am: Kovind will accompany President Mukherjee on the way to Parliament from Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning. Both of them will travel in the same car. 10.35am: Kovinds oath taking ceremony will being at 12.15pm and will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament. 10.30am: President-elect Ram Nath Kovind and his wife visit Rajghat. Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar on Tuesday to prevent protests called by separatists against the arrest made in a terror funding case. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq , who had called for the shutdown, were put under house arrest in Srinagar, while Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. The district magistrate has ordered restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in the old city area, including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal. Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed here and other district headquarters in the Valley. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown and the city outskirts. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested several separatist leaders in the terror funding case on Monday. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani, and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of Umer Farooq, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal. The girls of Government Senior Secondary School in Gothra Thappa Dahina village of Rewari district once again sat on dharna outside their school on Monday, demanding teachers for their upgraded school. When the school was till Class 10, there were eight teachers against a vacancy of 21. Now, that the school is till Class 12, the number has come down to four, Suresh Chauhan, the sarpanch of the village said, adding that there were no teachers for any stream in Class 11 and 12. The Haryana government had on May 17 upgraded the high school in the village to senior secondary after many girl students sat on hunger strike for eight days. The girls had complained they had to face molestation while going to school in the neighbouring village, and had demanded that the high school in their own village be upgraded to senior secondary. Under fire due to girls hunger strike, the government had flouted norms in upgrading the school. However, the girls now complain that there are no teachers to teach them. Last year, 50% students failed in this school due to shortage of teachers, said a protesting girl. The girls deferred their protest after two hours on assurance of district administration oficials, who promised that teachers will be deployed in the school by July 27. We will sit on dharna again on July 28 if teachers are not deployed, the protesting students said. The village sarpanch has also demanded that the present teachers be replaced, alleging that they waste their time in smoking beedis and playing cards during the school hours. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has prepared an exhaustive list of properties that, investigators suspect, were acquired by the Kashmiri separatist leaders through funds from Pakistan. The list of around 100 movable and immovable assets, as reviewed by HT, includes mall, shopping complex, flats in Delhi, huge tracts of land, orchards, schools, bungalows, limestone and gypsum quarries, hotels and stakes in housing colonies. We will question the top rung of the separatists about the source of money used to buy these properties. Some of these properties are benami registered in someone elses name but whose actual ownership lies with the separatists. They will be confronted with property documents and, if confirmed that the funds came from Pakistan, we will seize the properties, said a senior NIA official who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the probe. The agency had on Monday arrested seven separatist leaders Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah Funtoosh, Ayaz Akbar Khanday, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah (all from Geelanis faction of Hurriyat), Shahid-ul-Islam (of the faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq), Nayeem Khan of the Jammu Kashmir National Front and Farooq Ahmed Dar aka Bitta Karatay of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (R). On Tuesday, a Delhi court granted the NIA their custody for 10 days, turning down its request for 18-day custody. The agency now plans to summon Geelani, Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, and Mirwaiz Farooq whose security guards as provided by the police have actually become facilitators for him. If they do not cooperate, NIA wont hesitate in arresting them, said the official. HT could not immediately contact the four leaders for their comments. Investigators want to question Geelani, his two sons Naseem and Nayeem, and son-in-law Altaf regarding the properties that include an ancestral bunglow and an orchard in Sopores Dooru, an office-cum-residence complex in Rehmatabad colony owned by Milli Trust, a school run by the trust, land measuring around 100 kanals in Pattan, a two-story house and a bunglow in Bagh-e-Mehtab and Bemina in Srinagar, flats in Delhis Khirki Extension and Vasant Kunj, an eight-room house in Sanat Nagar, and limestone and gypsum quarries in Uri and Baramulla, spread over around four and eight hectares of land, respectively. The power of attorney for the quarry, which lies with Mohammad Maqsood Beig, has been functioning illegally. On Several occasions, the forest department impounded the machines used in extracting but had to release them under pressure from some Hurriyat leaders. The value of the quarry is believed to be in crores, said an investigator. Shabir Shah will be questioned regarding the two houses in Budgam, a hotel in Pahalgam, and three residential properties in Kadipora, Srinagar and Narwal. Yasin Malik will face questioning about the ownership of a mall in Lal Chowk and a shop in Abi Guzar, Srinagar. Investigators want to confront Mirwaiz about the ownership of 20 shops in Lal Bazar, a shopping complex and a bank building in Rajouri Kadal. In case of Nayeem Khan and his family, the NIA has prepared a list of 19 properties and companies whose real ownership remains to be ascertained. The list includes a dairy farm in Pattan, partnership in a trade company which has an office in Jawaharnagar area of Srinagar, franchise of a college being run in Srinagar, directorship of Khans wife in a cooperative firm, a hospitality firm and tracts of land and buildings in Srinagar, Baramula and Baghat Barzul of Budgam. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Madras high court on Tuesday made singing Vande Mataram compulsory in all government schools, colleges and universities in Tamil Nadu at least once a week preferably on Monday or Friday in the larger public interest and to instil a sense of patriotism in each and every citizen of the state. It also directed that Vande Mataram should be played and sung in all government offices and institutions as well as private companies, factories and industries at least once a month. Justice MV Muralidharan gave the ruling while hearing a petition by K Veeramani who approached the court to know whether Vande Mataram was a Bengali song and if he had given the correct answer in a competitive examination for the recruitment of BT assistants in government schools. Veeramani was asked about the language Vande Mataram was first written in the test, which was conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board. He said he replied it was Bengali and his answer was struck off as wrong. He said he lost out on one mark and could not qualify for the post. Vande Mataram, composed by pre-Independence Bengali poet and author Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s, is written in Sanskritised Bengali. In 1947, India adopted the first two verses as the national song. The youth of this country are the future of tomorrow. This court hopes and trusts that this order shall be taken in the right spirit and also implemented in letter and spirit by the citizenry of this great nation, justice Muralidharan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Justice Muralidharan, who had earlier held Vande Mataram was first written in Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, also instructed the director of public information to upload and circulate a translated version of the song in Tamil and English on government websites and its social media accounts. However, he made it clear if any person or organisation was unable to sing it for any reason, then they shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so. Several Muslim organisations have opposed compulsory singing of the national song on grounds that it goes against the tenets of their religion. The Congress objected to the ruling, saying such orders will not create feeling of love and patriotism among people, but the BJP welcomed it and said singing of national song and anthem should have made mandatory. It is important to give respect to the National Song, for which a number of soldiers lost their lives. I eagerly wait for the day when this ruling of the court will be implemented in entire country, said BJP MP Satyapal Singh. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it was bad to make things compulsory one after the other. We dont do such things in the Parliament as we know that the feeling of patriotism for the country comes from within ones heart, he said. Thol Thirumavalanan, VCK MP, said the decision was shocking as the court cannot impose such views. We are studying the order and may challenge it, he said. The judge also ordered the recruitment board to award one mark to Veeramani so that he could qualify for the post, as per its guidelines. The petitioner should be inducted as a teacher within four weeks, the court ruled. The Supreme Court is also hearing a petition asking the Centre to make the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in all educational institutions. The top court in April gave the Centre four weeks to reply and the next date of hearing is scheduled for August 25. West Bengal Congress leadership has urged the party high command to consider former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar as a candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in the state. There are a lot of names that have been doing the rounds. But we have proposed the name of Meira Kumar to our party high command as she has been our candidate for the recent presidential elections and is acceptable to every body, a Congress leader said here on condition of anonymity. Meira Kumar was the joint opposition candidate and ruling Trinamool Congress and the Left had supported her. Senior Congress leaders, WBPCC president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had met the partys leadership in New Delhi to discuss the probable name of its lone candidate for the Rajya Sabha poll in West Bengal. Earlier, Congress had expressed keenness on extending support to CPI(M), provided it fielded its general secretary Sitaram Yechury. But the CPI(M) leadership itself is in a dilemma over Yechury as a third term MP. Polls will be held in six RS seats in the state in August. Out of the six, four are held by TMC, one by CPI(M) and one by Congress. However, TMC with its increased strength after the 2016 assembly polls is in a position to send five MPs to the Rajya Sabha. Congress, the second largest party, will be able to elect one MP on its own strength. With the present strength of the assembly and the number of Rajya Sabha seats going to polls, a candidate will need about 43 votes to get elected to the RS. The CPI(M)-led Left Front has 32 MLAs in the Assembly. The Congress has 44 MLAs and the ruling TMC has 211 members. Although five Congress MLAs and one Left MLA have switched over to TMC, they are yet to resign from their parent parties. Only Manas Bhunia, a Congress MLA, resigned today to contest the Rajya Sabha polls as a TMC candidate. He had earlier joined TMC in September last year. Its a shark... Its a whale... Its a catfish, weighing an estimated 125kg and caught illegally in the Ramganga river near Corbett national park in Uttarakhand. But the freshwater monster, probably the biggest catfish ever found in Himalayan rivers, became dinner before it could be weighed on a certified scale and measured. Wildlife officials came to know of Mondays catch after watching videos and photos of the fish tethered to a bamboo pole with a thick plastic rope and hauled by two men on their shoulders in Almora districts Manila village. The fish could not be weighed as the villagers ate it. Based on peoples description and the video, we think it will be around 125kg, Almora divisional forest officer SR Prajapati said. Thats heavier than the ubiquitous 100cc motorcycles in India and almost twice the average weight of its species: Himalayan catfishes of the Asian genus, bagarius bagrius, which grow up to 70 kilos. The weight of the fish is unusual, said JA Johnson of the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. Locally known as goonch, the species lives in large pools and is a carnivore. During monsoon, it migrates upstream to spawn. It was a feast for the eyes as villagers took selfies and videos of the giant and uploaded them on social media. These were shared extensively and soon enough reached the cell phones of wildlife enthusiasts, experts and officials. Close-ups of the fishs large, bony head with moustache-like barbells more than a foot long show it gasping for air and wriggling. Another clip shows a villager trying to poke his fingers into its nostrils. A hardy creature, it probably would have survived had it been released in the river. Amusement over, the fish went to the saucer. But based on the videos, four people were charged with unauthorised fishing in the river. They are said to be on the run. Almora district magistrate Savin Bansal said: We will take action on the basis of the fisheries inspectors report. It couldnt be established how the powerful beast was captured as it is known to attack humans in water. According to biologist Anup Sah, a member of the Uttarakhand Wildlife Board, fishing is prohibited in the Ramganga but the river faces rampant poaching. The government must give angling licences so that the species can be conserved and help local communities earn revenue at the same time, he suggested. In recreational angling, enthusiasts are allowed to catch fish for a fee with a rod and line. But the fish is released after its weighed, measured and photographed. The catfish plays a pivotal role in the Ramganga ecosystem, the lifeline of Corbett. But its population has declined because of selective harvesting, habitat loss and manmade barriers such as dams. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has put this near-threatened species on its red list. This omnivorous fish can grow up to two metres and weigh up to 100kg. This fish can adapt to mountain streams as it has a corrugated belly, Sah said. A woman was branded witch and shot dead after a calf, born premature, died in Bhagalpur district of east Bihar. Police said Sita Devi, 50, of Singhkund village in Naugachia subdivision of Bhagalpur, 230 km east of Patna, was allegedly held responsible for the premature delivery by the cow of her co-villager Chandan Mehta and killed on Monday afternoon. Her body was recovered from a field outside the village, where she had gone to graze her cattle, on Monday night, the police said. READ: 65-year-old tribal woman hacked to death for practising witchcraft in Bihar village Naugachia (police district) superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Sinha said Mehta and six other persons had been made accused in the FIR lodged in connection with the incident. Four accused persons had been arrested, but Mehta was still at large, Sinha added. The SP said Sita Devis sister-in-law Radha Devi was also charged with practising witchcraft and assaulted two days back. The police are investigating if same people were involved in both the incidents, the SP added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The CPI(M) on Tuesday denied its general secretary Sitaram Yechury an unprecedented third term in the Rajya Sabha even as the West Bengal unit vehemently supported his candidature. There is a general rule in the party that no leader will be given more than two terms in the RS. In the age-old turf war between the Kerala and the West Bengal lobby of the party, Yechury stood defeated as Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, partys former general secretary Prakash Karat and other leaders from the southern state opposed the proposal of sending Yechury to the Upper House, where he played a major role in the Opposition camp, with the support of the Congress. Sources said that in the Central Committee meeting, Vijayan maintained that if the Left had been in a position, Yechurys candidature could have been considered. Leaders from Tripura also batted for Yechury. The West Bengal leadership argued that during UPA rule too, Kerala CPI(M) didnt suffer even as the party gave outside support to the Congress-led government. The proposal to send Yechury has been negated. We will talk to Congress to field a common candidate, said a senior leader. Six seats from West Bengal, including that of Yechury, will face election soon. Trinamool Congress may win five seats and the CPI(M) can retain its slot, with Congress support. The Congress, willing to support Yechury, refrained from announcing its candidate from Bengal. Yechury, a key Opposition strategist and the leader of the Left bloc in Parliament, has been playing key roles in floor strategy and onslaught against the Narendra Modi government. As party general secretary, he commanded a special respect as well. A section of the Opposition feels it may be difficult to replace him. The party resorted to a rare vote by raising hands to decide its candidate for Rajya Sabha. In the Central Committee, the strength of the Bengal lobby is far less than that of Kerala. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than 6,000 BJP workers engaged in the partys vistarak (expansion) plan in Rajasthan may soon get motorcycles, said leaders who attended meetings with party president Amit Shah during his three-day visit to Jaipur. The state BJP unit started recruiting party workers for playing the role of vistaraks (full-time workers) in January. The vistarak plan is aimed at establishing direct contact with people ahead of the state assembly elections to be held next year and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Under the initiative, around 50,000 BJP vistaraks will visit each polling booth in the state to canvass for the party. The vistaraks -- temporary volunteers for the expansion plan -- will work outside their home districts and will not contest elections. Vistaraks are recruited for 15 days, one month, two months, three months, six months, one year and two years. The state BJP had formed two committees at state and district levels to recruit the vistaraks, and organised a training workshop in April. In the recruitment form, party workers have to fill in a column stating the duration for which they want to work as vistaraks. Rajasthan has now 45,000 vistaraks who have opted for a 15-day period; 200 vistaraks in each of the 33 districts in the state have opted to work for six months and one year. BJP state president Ashok Parnami said the party was scaling new peaks and the vistarak plan would help in strengthening the organisation right down to the booth level. The aim is to propagate the party and government policies at the grass-root level. The scheme has been inspired by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, and with the help of vistaraks we want the party to reach out to all the sections of society and contribute towards nation building, he said. The BJP has successfully tested the idea of using motorcycles in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, party sources told HT. The BJP spent over Rs 6 crore in purchasing about 1,600 motorcycles -- with white background, saffron stripes and a lotus symbol -- for the UP election campaign. Ashok Prajapat, Bikaner district vice president and vistarak for Pilibanga assembly constituency of Hanumangarh district, told HT that motorcycles would help party workers go to far-off places to popularise the Vasundhara Raje governments achievements. A 19-year-old student fell to her death from the terrace of a private university in Rajasthans Jaipur on Monday morning during a demonstration of mountaineering activities at the institution. The demonstration was being supervised by Sunil Sanghi, father of the deceased, Aditi Sanghi. Sunil is a rope climbing trainer, said police officials. Aditi was a BCA second year student at the IIS University. According to the police, the incident happened around 10.30am when the students were taking turns in learning rock climbing. Aditi had done her bit of rock climbing demonstration when the accident happened. Preliminary investigation suggests that she somehow lost her balance which led to her fall from the sixth floor, said sub inspector Hetram of Shipra Path police station. Aditi was rushed to the Metro Mass Hospital where she died of her injuries. Officials said Aditi started learning mountaineering from the age of three. Aditis father is a mountaineering trainer and holds workshops in various institutions. We have registered a case under section 174 CrPC (unnatural death) and further investigation is on in the case, said Mukesh Choudhary, station house officer, Shipra Path police station. The police said that CCTV footage from the university pertaining to the incident will also be analysed. According to the college administration, Aditi was also a part of her fathers team that was giving the mountaineering demonstration. Registrar of the university, Raakhi Gupta said in a statement released to the media, Sunil Sanghi is a trained instructor and imparts training every year to students of many educational institutions. It has been verified by Aditi Sanghis father in his testimony to the police that the above incident is an unfortunate accident. The statement added that his daughter was also a trained instructor and the university administration stands by the family in this hour of grief. Two days after its office in Siliguri was sealed, ABN News Network, the only Nepali language satellite channel in India, alleged that Bengals police and administration violated freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution. Freedom of the press was violated too, said the channel which has its headquarters in Delhi. The channels office on Sevok Road was sealed by the police on Saturday night as part of the crackdown on establishments that have been charged with promoting unrest linked to the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Prem Chettri, legal advisor to the channel, and Tulsi Raman, head of the companys human resource division, condemned the crackdown and said on Monday that the channel would challenge the order in court. Police confronting Gorkhaland supporters on Sevok Road on Saturday. (Bikram Sashanker/HT Photo) Raman said, ABN News Network went on air in October 2016. It is a satellite television channel but the administration treated it like a local cable channel. The channel will continue to telecast from Delhi after some technical problems are sorted out. The police entered our office, conducted search and sealed it. They did not serve us any notice earlier. Nor did they carry out any investigation, alleged Chettri. Read : Mamata govt seals office of Nepali TV channel after Gorkhaland stir coverage The police should have given us an opportunity to explain our operations. The notice issued under Section 41 (a) CrPC was handed to the management only after the office was sealed. The Police did not give a copy of the seizure list, alleged Chettri. After the raid, government officials in Siliguri had said that the channel violated a public order and promoted enmity between ethnic groups. However, both Chettri and Raman refuted the charge. Niraj Kumar Singh, police commissioner of Siliguri, said, We received complaints that the channel violated prohibitory orders and had telecast footage that fanned hatred in the Darjeeling hills. Our action was based on the FIR lodged against the channel by the Darjeeling district information and culture department. A demonstration by Gorkhaland supporters in Darjeeling. (Bikram Sashanker / HT Photo) The channels office will remain sealed till the police completes the investigation, said Singh. An order served to the company by Rachna Bhagat, Jalpaiguri district magistrate, said the channels news, which were being shared on social media, were highly objectionable. These were spreading hatred and animosity among different communities, said the order. Read: No work, supplies for a month due to bandh, poor hunt for food in Darjeeling forests The order also said that the situation prevailing in and around Darjeeling district was very sensitive. The DM ordered suspension of transmission and broadcast of news programmes relating to Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts till August 7. The government banned internet services and transmission by local cable channels in the Darjeeling hills more than a month ago. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A local court in Kolkata on Tuesday rejected the appeal of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for arrest warrants against 22 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, including its president Bimal Gurung, in the murder case of prominent Gorkha leader Madan Tamang. Tamang, president of the All India Gorkha League, was hacked to death in Darjeeling in 2010. Though a supporter of the Gorkhaland movement, he was opposed to Gurung. Prominent GJM leaders against whom the CBI wanted arrest warrants include Gurungs wife, Asha Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, and the Morcha assistant general secretary Binay Tamang. The order by the chief judge of city sessions court brought relief to the GJM but it has embarrassed the CBI because it did not accept the central agencys argument that the case couldnt be heard in absence of the accused. The court said the GJM leaders could be represented by their lawyers. The counsel for GJM leaders also appealed to the court for protection of party leaders and activists living at Gorkha Bhavan in Kolkata and alleged they were being harassed regularly. The court ordered the Bidhannagar Police commissioner to submit a report. Former GJM legislator Harka Bahadur Chettri and former GJM leader Pradeep Pradhan were among the 26 who were present in court on Tuesday. Of the 54 accused in the case, four have already died and two others are absconding. Most of the accused against whom the CBI wanted arrest warrants are currently spearheading a movement for carving out a separate state for the Nepali-speaking community of West Bengals Darjeeling district. Four persons were arrested on Tuesday by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) from Kanpur for allegedly selling arms by illegally using licence from Bihar, the police said. The squad headed by deputy superintendent of police Manish Chandra Sonkar arrested the arms dealers from Kanpur, inspector general of the Uttar Pradesh ATS Assem Arun said in a statement. Vijay Khanna (Khanna Armoury), Amarjeet Neogy (AK Neogy and Company), Jainul Abdeen (Poorvanchal Gun House) and Rajiv Shukla (Jai Jawan Arms Dealer) have been arrested, it said. The involvement of the accused in illegal selling of 19 arms has emerged during investigation, the statement said . The Opposition organised a mock assembly session in the central hall of Vidhan Sabha here on Monday, the third consecutive day of their boycott of the ongoing budget session. The Opposition is protesting against the alleged threatening language used by chief minister Yogi Adityanath while replying during the debate on general budget, on Wednesday last. This was the first time that separate condolence meetings were held one in the assembly and the other (mock assembly) outside to mourn the death of BJP member Mathura Prasad Pal. Speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit called the situation unfortunate and said the Opposition members should not have organised the mock assembly when a condolence was held in the house. In a parliamentary democracy, the assembly is the only alternative to the assembly, said Dixit. A scrutiny of digitised assembly proceedings revealed that the entire Opposition boycotted the house earlier on April 18, 1984. The Opposition members, however, differ on the mock assembly issue with many calling the prevailing situation unprecedented, while others saying the Opposition had organized a mock assembly during Kalyan Singhs tenure as state chief minister in 1992. Yes, I am told the Opposition had also organized a mock assembly during the tenure of Kalyan Singh as chief minister in 1992, said Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu, who played leader of the house (in place of chief minister Yogi Adityanath) in the mock assembly. Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ram Govind Chaudhary, however, remained the LoP in the mock assembly while BSP leader Lalji Verma played the speaker in place of assembly Speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit. Lallu moved a resolution to mourn the death of Pal. Chaudhary and BSP MLA Uma Shankar Singh spoke on the resolution. The members also observed two-minute silence for Pal. Verma later declared the mock assembly adjourned till July 26. Read more: With no opposition, UP government clears budgets of 75 departments in minutes Asked about Wednesdays agenda, Verma said the business advisory committee of the mock house would decide the same in the morning of July 26. Later speaking to media persons Chaudhary targeted Yogi and said it was unfortunate that minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna had to move the condolence resolution in the state assembly in the absence of Yogi. The chief minister should have come to the house to move the condolence resolution as has been the practice, said Chaudhary. The operation to search and relocate a tiger roaming close to the villages near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) has hit a financial hurdle. The forest department has sought Rs 10-lakh bailout to finance the ongoing search that was ordered to avoid any tiger attack on villagers. Such attacks have already killed 15 people in a year, drawing sharp criticism from locals. Three teams of the forest reserve with two elephants and back-up teams are camping near Tandola village of Kotwali area of Pilibhit in search of a tiger, which was spotted by villagers at least five times last week. Though officials claim that the tiger is still in sugarcane fields outside the PTR, they have run out of cash to carry on their search. Most part of the funds goes to the farmers as compensation whose crop is ruined by the elephants during the search. This, coupled with other minor costs, makes the search economically demanding, said Kailash Prakash, divisional forest officer, PTR. We have asked for the money to bear all these costs, he added. The PTR has to pay Rs 2.9 lakh as compensation to 16 farmers whose crop was destroyed. An equal amount is to be paid as other expenses. I have written to seniors in the forest department and asked them to ensure availability of funds at the earliest, said the DFO. While forest officials are searching for the tiger, which they intend to relocate to another part of the forest, villagers have been asked to avoid visiting their farms. We have not visited ours fields since last Tuesday when the tiger was seen. The forest officials are not allowing us to go there, said Mulak Chand Verma, a farmer of the village. The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday ordered a probe by an impartial agency into the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) appointments made during erstwhile SP-led dispensation. The decision was taken at a state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. A senior cabinet minister said, The government will go for a CBI probe in the matter. On July 19, the chief minister said appointments made in the Provincial Civil Services in Uttar Pradesh by the state public service commission since 2012 would be probed by the CBI. What have you done to the UPPCS... its credibility is in question. We will get all the appointments made in the UPPCS since 2012 probed by the CBI, he had said. His reference was to the appointments made during the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government. The chief minister had said this when he was winding up discussion in the state assembly on the annual budget for 2017-18. Residents of Khar, Santacruz and Bandra have been protesting since July 7 to demand that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) solve complaints they have filed in the public grievance registration system over the past 18 months. The system was set up in 2015. Fed up with the BMCs inaction, the residents have been holding silents protests outside H/West ward office in Bandra every Monday and Friday. Members of Khar Advanced Locality Management (ALM) and other residents participate in the protest. ALM president Aftab Siddique said 192 complaints by citizens about civic issues in the past 18 months have not been resolved. A few protesters sit outside the ward office and at Linking Road alternatively to avoid the BMC from taking action against them. Siddique said, We have been asking senior BMC officials to meet us since February 17, but they keep cancelling or postponing it. The residents complaints include illegal encroachments, drainage issues, potholes, tree cutting and other common problems faced by residents and shopkeepers of Shirley, Khar, Chuim, Santacruz and Bandra areas. Debbie Pereira, a resident of Rajan Shirley gaothan , said, The BMC has not acted on my complaints against encroachers around my house. Instead, they sent me a notice saying I have illegal construction inside my 100-year-old house. The residents now plan to meet the civic chief. We have been using sarcastic remarks because the BMC tells us we are the only ones complaining. The BMC registers only 25 grievances per day. We will take this issue up with the civic chief Ajoy Mehta this week, added Siddique. Assistant municipal commissioner Sharad Ughade told HT, A limited number of public grievances are registered on Mondays and Fridays for quality service. The protestors complaints will be addressed on the said days. A 38-year-old private cab driver was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly cheating a Mauritius national of Rs5,800 ($90) on the pretext of exchanging dollars with Indian currency at the domestic airport. According to the police, the incident occurred on July 21 when the 35-year-old woman flew in from Mauritius and took a cab from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to the domestic airport. She works as an account manager in a private firm and had to board a flight to Kochi, where she was to train her firms employees. Her cab driver Mohammad Taufiq Khan, 38, offered to exchange her dollars with Indian currency. The police said, he took a $100 note from her and gave her Rs6,400 in return. She again gave him a $100 note, but in return this time he just gave her Rs640, which is worth $10. The woman objected, but the man claimed she had only given him $10. The woman rushed out as she had to take a flight. However, when she returned to Mumbai from Kochi on July 23, she approached the airport police and filed a complaint. The police traced the accused and arrested him on Tuesday. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is building the ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project, is going to seek security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after eight foreign companies, including five Chinese firms, bid for the project. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways guidelines, security clearance is required for foreign companies bidding for highway projects in the country. The MHA is the nodal authority to sanction security clearance to foreign investors under the National Security Clearance Policy. Five Chinese, two Russian and a South Korean company have formally expressed interest in constructing the 706-km expressway. If the stake of the foreign partner is more than 50%, we have to seek security clearance from the Centre. We are going to write to the MHA, said AB Gaikwad, chief engineer, MSRDC. Currently, the MSRDC is evaluating bids from the 27 interested companies and consortia. With Chinese companies, it is always a concern because they are not private companies. They are all government companies, said a senior state government bureaucrat, who did not wish to be named. The Centre, however, claimed there would not be any knee-jerk reactions while evaluating clearance of Chinese companies given the recent standoff between China and India in Sikkim sector. Recently, a Chinese consortium was disqualified from bidding for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link after the Centre rejected its security clearance. In the past, Chinese companies or groups with connections to China have been barred from bidding for port projects by the Centre on security grounds. In the past, Chinese companies have been denied security clearance for the construction of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL). The proposed eight-lane access controlled expressway will connect Mumbai and Nagpur. It will not only cut the travel time between the two cities drastically, but the project is touted to become a game-changer for the state. Read Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway unlikely to have airstrip for emergency landings, say officials SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rescuers were frantically searching for up to 40 people feared trapped in a four-storey building that collapsed Tuesday in Ghatkopar. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government for not taking a strict view of the Karnataka governments demand for a separate flag. Take your private vehicle to school everyday? Soon, youll be allowed to only take the school bus, according to traffic police. Private law colleges in Maharashtra have been allowed to hike their fees for the first time in nine years. Also, a 54-year-old businessman allegedly jumped off a high-rise in Kandivli (East) on Monday. Here are todays top five picks: 1. Mumbai building collapse: Kin look for 40 feared trapped under Ghatkopar structure debris Rescuers were frantically searching for up to 40 people feared trapped in a four-storey building that collapsed Tuesday in Indias financial capital of Mumbai, officials said. The four-storey building at Damodar Park on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in Mumbais Ghatkopar, Sai Darshan, was not put in the dilapidated category. So far, six people have been confirmed dead. 2. Karnataka government demanded separate flag, but PM Modi wont act against him: Uddhav Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government for not taking a strict view of the Karnataka governments demand for a separate flag. The Sena said such a demand is an offence and sedition charges should be slapped on the state for asking for a separate flag. 3. Mumbai bizman jumps off high-rise after sending take care message to son on WhatsApp A 54-year-old businessman allegedly jumped off a high-rise in Kandivli (East) on Monday. The man, Shyamsundar Kejriwal, lived with his mother, wife and a 24-year-old son in Challenge Tower in Thakur Village. Kejriwal did not go to work on Monday. He left his home in the evening, telling his wife he was going to Borivli. According to police, Kejriwal went to the adjacent tower and jumped off the refuge area. 4. Commuting to school in Mumbai? You can only take the school bus, says traffic police As the traffic police intensify its crackdown on illegal and irresponsible parking of vehicles, five premier schools in south Mumbai and an equal number in the western suburbs have been asked to make school buses compulsory for students by discouraging guardians from dropping children in private vehicles. 5. Law colleges in Maharashtra allowed to hike fees after nine years Private law colleges in Maharashtra have been allowed to hike their fees for the first time in nine years. Fees for both three-year and five-year LLB courses are being revised by the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA). Some colleges have been allowed to double or even triple the current fees, while in some cases the fees has been reduced. With a month to go for the 10-day Ganeshotsav, a Ganesh mandal coordination committee in the city has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take the process to get permission to setup pandals online. After the Bombay high court issued a directive against structures encroaching public roads, the civic body had drafted rules for pandals in 2015 to ensure pedestrians do not face any inconvenience during the festival. As per this policy, the BMC had made it compulsory for all pandals to get approvals from the police, traffic and fire departments. To improve the application-approval rate, the civic body had introduced single-window clearance in all the 24 wards. The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS) pointed out that the single-window clearance system was slow and failed to improve the approval rate, which is why the BMC should start accepting applications online. The committee had met BMC and traffic police department earlier this month to put forth their demands. The authorities promised that single-window clearance system will help in quicker approvals or rejections and there will be better coordination between the departments, which was absent last year, said Naresh Dahibhavkar, president, BSGSS. The committee will now meet mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar to demand a better single-window clearance system. However, BMC officials said they have no plans to move the system online and all the mandals will have to go to ward offices to submit their applications. The civic official added that though there are more than 11,000 mandals across the city, only 20% of them seek permission to erect pandals during Ganeshotsav. The nine-page circular of the BMC policy was issued to all 24 administrative wards by civic chief Ajoy Mehta, last year, after the HC order. It requires organisers to submit a location map with the sketch of the pandal mentioning its length, width and height. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For the first time after Shiv Sena almost lost its grip on its bastion of Mumbai in the civic polls earlier this year, party chief Uddhav Thackeray accepted that they didnt fare as well as they expected. In the concluding part of this three-part interview in Senas mouthpiece Saamana, Thackeray said like everyone else even he believed that the Shiv Sena would win more than 100 of the 227 seats. He also blamed non-Marathi Hindus for the partys low tally and said they rallied behind the BJP. After a bitter battle with the BJP, the Shiv Sena won 84 seats in the countrys richest municipal corporation and the BJP got 82. This was the first time in 25 years that any party had come so close to the Shiv Senas tally in Mumbai. In a discussion with Sena MP and executive editor of Saamana, Sanjay Raut, he said, In Mumbais case, the Marathi-speaking voters definitely stayed with the Shiv Sena. My party is really grateful to them. He added, I just really feel bad about one thing. In 1992-93 riots in Mumbai did not spread as per civic wards. Wherever there was unrest, being Hindu the Shiv Sainiks saved every one by putting their lives at stake. I dont think it is right to vote out those who have helped you in times of crisis. Thackeray said several Shiv Sainiks are still battling criminal cases because they rushed to protect the Hindus of Mumbai and in return none of those expressed any gratitude to Shiv Sainiks. We dont expect them to say thank you, but they should have remembered that it was Sena that saved them. Even today, I saved Mumbais octroi revenue from being washed out by the Goods and Services Tax. I didnt do that only for the Marathi population in the city. I did it for the entire city, Thackeray said. The Sena chief also hinted that mid-term polls in Maharashtra are unlikely despite increasingly choppy relations between the ruling parties. I dont pay attention to empty threats from all over. BJP president Amit Shah visited Matoshree and clearly told me there wont be any mid-term polls, he said. Thackeray also criticised the Modi government, which Sena is a part of, for not taking a strict view of the Karnataka governments offensive demand for a separate flag. He also called for sedition charges to be slapped on the state. Unfortunately, I am the only one speaking out here. No one in other states or in the country is bothered. If I were to say the same thing about Maharashtra, people would have criticised us from all over. Private law colleges in Maharashtra have been allowed to hike their fees for the first time in nine years. Fees for both three-year and five-year LLB courses are being revised by the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA). Some colleges have been allowed to double or even triple the current fees, while in some cases the fees has been reduced. Till now, the fees at law colleges in the state was being regulated by their respective universities. Many universities including the University of Mumbai (MU) have not changed the fee structure of their affiliated colleges for a long time. MU had last revised the fees in 2008, when it prescribed annual fees in the range of Rs12,000 to Rs13,500 for both three-year and five-year LLB courses. However, after the state categorised law programmes as professional courses, they were brought under the FRAs ambit, making them eligible for fee revision. The law colleges were brought under the FRAs control, as the universities dont have a mechanism to monitor the finances of individual colleges. We have decided to fix the fees of most of the colleges in the range of Rs15,000 to Rs20,000. But the colleges that are offering better infrastructure and good teachers have been permitted to charge even more. We have gone through the audited reports of colleges expenditure. They are not supposed to profiteer off students fees, said a member of FRA. Some colleges had hiked fees without waiting for a nod from the university. In October 2015, HT had reported that the university had directed a law college in Goregaon to refund excess fee charged from students. The regulator has now fixed the fees of academic year 2016-17, which will be applicable retroactively, as well as fees for 2017-18, which will be applicable for the upcoming academic year. Colleges have welcomed the long-due revision in fees. All these years, we were running in huge deficit. Most of the colleges rely on part-time teachers, but we had appointed full time teachers, said Jyoti Deshmukh, principal, VES College of Law, Chembur. The students, however, feel that the colleges need to upgrade their infrastructure and quality of education in order to justify the hike. Many colleges dont have basic facilities such as library and moot court room. The colleges which overcharged should refund the excess amount, said Sachin Pawar, president, Student Law Council. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A five-storey building at Damodar Park on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in Mumbais Ghatkopar, Sai Darshan, collapsed on Tuesday, civic officials said. According to sources, a nursing home was being run on the ground floor of the building. Civic chief Ajoy Mehta has asked a two-member committee to submit a report within 15 days. Fourteen fire engines, one rescue van and an ambulance have been rushed to the spot. The highlights of the rescue operation: 5.30pm: 2-member committee to support report on the incident to civic chief in 15 days 4.31pm: Of the 18 people rescued, 6 dead,12 injured. Of the 12 injured, six have been treated and discharged 3.35pm: 12 people rescued, including 4 men and 8 women. Four declared dead 3.30pm: Traffic advisory: Road at Sanghani Junction, Ghatkopar is shut. Traffic from LBS Road will be diverted on the eastern express highway. . 3.27pm: Prakash Ajmera, who suffered minor injuries, is in stable condition. 3.26pm: Ridhhi Khalchandani suffered a severe head injury and fractures. She is currently in the ICU. Her condition is stable. 3.25pm: The four dead have been identified as Ranjan Shah, Sulochana Khalchandani, Divya Ajmera and Amruta Thak 3.22pm: Dr Praful Lokhande, Shantiniketan Hospital, said, We have treated about 10-12 people with minor injuries. Four deaths were reported in the hospital. Two patients are currently in the ICU and two are in general ward. 3.15pm: Firefighter Ganesh Khandge and his associate suffocated owing to gas leak while trying to rescue a woman. They were rushed to Shantiniketan hospital. He was admitted in the ICU. 2.59pm: Raju Doshi still trapped. His wife and son escaped as they had gone to a temple. 2.46pm: My sister, brother-in-law and their one-year-old son lived here. I have checked all hospitals, but they are nowhere, says Lalit Upadhyay 2.44pm: One more resident succumbs to injuries 2.20pm: Rescue work is still on. Watch 2.04pm: Residents say the renovation work of the hospital has been going on for the past one month. 2pm: The society is three decades old, has fifteen members 1.58pm: My mother, brother and sister-in-law are trapped. We lived on the third floor. I left for work at 9am, says Rajesh Diyora 1.55pm: Sandip Patil says, My friend shifted here from a chawl three months ago. I dont know where he is. 1.48pm: Locals say the society is old. Most residents have been living here for a long time 1.47pm: Samruddhi Mayekar says, The building started shaking. I called out to Mrs Geeta. 1.45pm: A three-month-old child becomes the third victim 1.37pm: Of the rescued, four are in stable condition at Rajawadi hospital, 4 are in stable condition at Shantiniketan hospital and three have been given OPD treatment. Two succumbed to their injuries 1.36pm: So far, 13 people have been rescued 1.33pm: The update so far: 3 injured, 2 dead 1.27pm: NDRF called in 1.20pm: My sister, daughter and her 5-month-old granddaughter are trapped. I dont know where they are, says Krishna Rao, a relative, adding the family had recently bought a flat in the building. Watch 1.14pm: Sniffer dog pressed into service 1.13pm: Two others being treated at Rajawadi hospital 1.10pm: Building was not in the C1 category building extremely dangerous that needs immediate redevelopment, say BMC sources 1.05pm: A woman in the neighbouring building raised alarm, as she saw the building shaking 1.04pm: Locals residents said the building started to shake as construction work was underway on the ground floor. Labourers had a lucky escape 1.03pm: Second casualty is an 80-year-old 1.01pm: One more dead. 12.56pm: Patients have trauma injuries, none critical. Watch 12.52pm: The woman who died was 60 years old 12.48pm: Residents of nearby Shanti nagar say they heard a loud thud. Within seconds, the two wings collapsed. 12.42pm: Nursing home on the ground floor was vacant. Three to four families lived on each floor 12.41pm: Worried residents gather at the spot to assist in the rescue work 12.39pm: Police advise motorists to avoid LBS Marg 12.35pm: The rescue operations in progress. Watch 12.33pm: Traffic towards Ghatkopar blocked 12.25pm: A woman, who suffered injuries in the collapse, died The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday hit out at the state government in connection with an alleged illegal extension built by a restaurant at Bandra-Kurla Complex. They questioned the delay in demolishing the illegal extension by MMRDA, saying that the state government arm-twisted the planning body. They said that the government dragged its feet in razing the structure because an IAS officer, who was attached to the chief ministers office, was related to a director of the company, which runs the restaurant. Minister of state for urban development Ranjit Patil, while admitting the delay by MMRDA, informed the lower house that the illegal structure had been razed. Congress legislators Sunil Kedar and Vijay Vadettiwar alleged that MMRDA did not demolish the extension despite the court orders. Vadettiwar said that the MMRDA was under pressure from the officials in the CMO. He added that after hearing a PIL, the high court issued strictures to the government and Patil to demolish the structure. NCP MLA Jitendra Avhad said that Patil should not made a scapegoat. Patil informed said that case was sub-judice and the government would conduct an inquiry to find out if MMRDA failed to take timely action against the restaurant. The restaurant has razed the illegal construction. Let me clarify here that the government did not retrain MMRDA from taking action, Patil said. Significantly, the question on the restaurant was raised by BJPs Sardar Tarasingh but he later announced that he was satisfied with the written reply. When the speaker called for next question, the opposition raised objection and demanded a discussion on the subject. Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the government over poor conviction rate in cyber crime cases. Congresss DP Sawant said, The government has been boasting about the improved rate of conviction. If it is so, it should tell us the conviction rate in cyber crime cases and what is the mechanism to safeguard cashless economy. It should also tell us about the training given police personnel to deal with such cases, he said. Senior BJP leader and former revenue minister Eknath Khadse said that many were facing life threats and losing their hard earned money owing to the lack of stringent provisions in the laws. Minister of state for home Ranjit Patil said the government, if possible, would amend laws. In the 8,108 cases registered so far, 3,836 accused have been arrested. The government has planned to invest Rs 837 crore in next five years to prevent cyber crimes, he said. The state government on Tuesday released a list of 64 bungalows at Versova of which 30 were built in violation of the development control rules (DCR) and environmental norms. The government said it has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take stringent cation against owners of these bungalows. In a written reply in the assembly, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 64 bungalows built on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) plots were allotted in 1990 and 1998. These houses were issued after the receiving no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the Central authorities. Fadnavis said 34 owners built their bungalows according to the plan approved by the civic body and after obtaining NOC from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority. He also assured action against the 30 owners ho violated the 2005 guidelines by the Bombay High Court during construction. It also came to the fore that in January and February, the district collector wrote to the BMC twice, asking it to take action against the owners who violated the construction norms. In its reply, the civic body informed the collector that only 34 bungalows were issued occupancy certificates (OCs). The BMC also said that illegal construction done by 10 owners have ben razed so far. In a similar case registered at Seawoods in Navi Mumbai, minister of state for urban development Ranjit Patil said he would register a case against Venus housing society. Investigation revealed the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) incurred losses after plots to Venus and 81 other housing societies were sold at concessional rate. A probe by IAS officer DK Sankaran also found several irregularities. The initial probe was conducted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which submitted its report way back in May 2013 . Shiv Senas Sunil Prabhu raised the issue during the question hour in assembly, and questioned the delay in initiating action despite the CID submitting its report four years ago. Other MLAs questioned whether the CID had recommended legal action against societies and whether the government would reclaim the plot sighting irregularities. Patil said that the government may impose fines before reclaiming the plot. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sikh organisations in Maharashtra have written to education minister Vinod Tawde to remove references to Jarnailsingh Bhindranwale, a militant preacher who was killed in the military operation at Amritsars Golden Temple in June 1984, as a terrorist in the Maharashtra state education boards class 9 history textbook. The textbook based on the new syllabus was released in the market earlier this month. The Sikh groups have asked the government to amend the paragraphs on page 6 and 10 that mention Bhindranwale and his followers as terrorists. Under a chapter titled Indias Internal Challenges, Operation Bluestar, conducted by the army in Amritsar, where militants supporting the Khalistan movement were hiding, is described as an operation to evict terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple. On page 6, it further states, The Sikhs in Punjab demanded an independent state of Khalistan and began a movement which went onto become violent and destructive. Pakistan lent it support. More objectionable references are made to Bhindranwale and other militants throughout the page. The main task of getting the terrorists out of the Golden Temple was entrusted to and The operation ended with the death of Bhindranwale and other terrorists. The issue was first highlighted in Punjab by Damdami Taksal, a Sikh seminary, which was headed by Bhindranwale before he was killed in Operation Bluestar. In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Taksal complained against disseminating sensitive information to impressionable minds of school students that would put the Sikh community in a poor light. Following this, Sikh community groups in Mumbai have also written to Tawde to rephrase the paragraphs on Bhindranwale. He was not a terrorist, he was a saint, said Puran Singh Banga, general secretary, Sat Sri Akaal Charitable Trust and president of Sri Guru Nanak Darbar, Chembur. The government should have consulted with Sikh groups and other academicians before printing the text. Refusing to comment on this, Sunil Magar, director of states textbook publishing bureau, Balbharti, said, The matter is in the Bombay high court. We are preparing our reply to the court. Magar added, We had published the information in the book on the basis of historical evidence and proof. On the other hand, history teachers in Mumbai argued that the information is historically accurate. Bhindranwales activities endangered several Indians, many people were killed, said a history teacher from Bhandup on the condition of anonymity. Tilak and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose can be considered as extremists, but from the point of view of the British, they too can be called terrorists, the teacher added. A similar controversy had emerged in 2006 when the NCERT was forced to amend lessons on Sikhism after protests by Sikh organisations against objectionable references to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of the Sikhs, in class 12 textbooks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ramraje Nimbalkar, Maharashtra legislative council chairman, on Tuesday demanded a clarification from the state government over a controversy involving a malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the February zilla parishad polls in Buldhana. In his letter to the state election commission, Buldhana collector Vijay Jhade admitted that votes cast for an independent candidate were being transferred to the candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Nimbhalkar, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, said, The state government should submit a report in this matter. Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt raised doubts over Bharatiya Janata Partys performance in the local body polls. This proves that EVMs can be manipulated and confirms that BJP candidates benefitted from this, said Dutt. He accused the state government of brushing aside the issue. In Buldhana, when the voters pressed the name of an independent candidate, the light next to the BJP candidate was activated. However, there is no evidence that this malfunction actually gave the BJP extra votes or affected the result. It did, however, raise doubts about the Election Commission of Indias assertion that EVMs were tamper proof. The commission even organised a hackathon last month, inviting political parties to hack EVMs. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 54-year-old businessman allegedly jumped off a high-rise in Kandivli (East) on Monday. The man, Shyamsundar Kejriwal, lived with his mother, wife and a 24-year-old son in Challenge Tower in Thakur Village. Kejriwal did not go to work on Monday. He left his home in the evening, telling his wife he was going to Borivli. According to police, Kejriwal went to the adjacent tower and jumped off the refuge area. The police found a note in his pocket that said nobody should be held responsible for his death. The man also sent a WhatsApp message to his son asking him to take care of himself. He ran a textile garment business. He was stressed because of the losses he suffered recently, said an officer. The police have filed an accidental death report. This is second case of suicide in the area within two weeks. On July 13, a 54-year-old textile export businessman Manish Mehta killed himself by jumping off his 17th floor bedroom balcony. A day before killing himself, Mehta had told his family that he was under stress owing to loss in his business Read: A day after mothers death, woman from Mumbai suburbs jumps to death from 27th floor The residents of a building that collapsed in Mumbai on Tuesday killing six people have blamed a Shiv Sena leader for the mishap, saying renovation being carried out in his ground floor nursing home was the cause. Civic chief Ajoy Mehta has asked a two-member committee to submit a report within 15 days. The nursing home is reportedly owned by Sena leader Sunil Sitap. The incident took place at about 10.45am at the four-storey Sai Darshan building in Mumbais Ghatkopar area. Eighteen people have been rescued so far and at least 40 are feared trapped. Live updates There was renovation work being carried out in the building. There was a nursing home, named Sitap Nursing Home, on the ground floor which is owned by Sunil Sitap who is a local Shiv Sena leader. A meeting of residents was also called last night opposing this renovation work, said one resident. However, BMC officials are yet to ascertain the reason behind the collapse. We will investigate the matter and take action against the culprits, said BMC mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. Former housing minister and ex-chairman of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Sachin Ahir, who belongs to the NCP, has demanded an FIR under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) against the people responsible. Congress leader Praveen Chheda, the former MLA from this constituency, has said the onus of compensating the victims lies on Sitap. The property belongs to Senas S. Sitap. He was running a hospital on the ground floor and was now going to run a guest house, he said. A dozen people, including two infants, were killed when a 35-year-old four-storey building collapsed on Tuesday in the Ghatkopar suburb of Mumbai, a tragedy that repeats almost every monsoon in Indias space-starved financial capital. The Siddhi Sai building at Damodar Park near Shreyas cinema in western Ghatkopar came apart and trapped more than 20 people around 10.45am. Many of them are still under the rubble. Among the dead were four old people, three-month-old Renuka Thak and Krishu Dongre, who was one-and-a-half years old. The ground floor housed a nursing home, which was vacant, while the rest of the building was occupied by three or four families on each floor. Lalit Thak, who lost daughter Renuka, had shifted to the building from nearby slums three months ago. Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap, who owns the ground floor and allegedly made structural changes that weakened the building, was charged with culpable homicide and detained by police. Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar denied Shitap was from his party and said: Appropriate action must be taken against the culprit, whoever he is. Residents said pillars and beams were damaged when the ground floor was renovated and that caused the building to collapse. Civic officials, however, refused to assign a reason and said the cause will be known after investigation. Binita Ramchandani, a resident whose mother was injured, blamed the Shiv Sena leader for the tragedy. Despite residents objecting his altering the buildings pillars, he went ahead because of his political clout. He was trying to convert it into a guesthouse, she alleged. Pravin Chheda, a Congress leader, said Shitap must compensate the people. Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta ordered a probe while police are investigating if negligence is involved in the disaster. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, there were 15 flats, three each on every floor, of which nine were vacant. The fire brigade pressed 90 personnel, 14 engines, two rescue vans and nine ambulances in its rescue efforts. About 300 rescuers, including National Disaster Response Force members, were working late into the night, looking for signs of life and bodies trapped in the rubble. Sanjay Pawar, from the nearby slums, said he dashed for the site after hearing a crashing sound that he initially thought came from a falling tree. Samriddhi Mayekar, another slum-dweller who worked at the building, saw the structure shake vigorously before it came crashing down. Building collapses are common in Mumbai, especially during the monsoon that runs from late June to September. The civic authorities conduct pre-rain checks and declare buildings unsafe when they find one. The Ghatkopar apartment did not feature among the dangerous buildings on the BMCs list of 791 structures identified unsafe this year. But Mumbai is susceptible with millions forced to live in cramped, ramshackle properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor. The city has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings. In 2013, 145 people were killed in three separate building collapses around Mumbai, the highest in recent years. A dilapidated building left 12 people dead when it collapsed near the city in August 2015. Nine people died the same month when another old three-storey building collapsed in monsoon rain in the Mumbai suburb of Thakurli. In a separate incident on Tuesday, a building partially collapsed in Kolkata after days of rain. Several people were trapped in the rubble, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. With agency inputs About 5,000 teachers logged in to assess University of Mumbai (MU) answer sheets through On-Screen Marking (OSM) system on Monday the day one of the non-instructional days assigned by the varsity. Last week, only 23% of the 11,807 eligible teachers reported for the online assessment work. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} MU officials told HT that close to 92,000 answer sheets were assessed on Monday, which made a huge difference to the overall evaluation process. Based on the progress it has made, the varsity is likely to declare results for fine arts, engineering and science streams by July 31. Less than six lakh answer booklets now remain for assessment and moderation too is being conducted on the side, said an official from the examination house, MU. On Monday, MU officials met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, also the universitys chancellor, who reiterated July 31 as the deadline for announcements of results. Results for faculties with large number of students will take a while, however work is in progress, added the official. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} On Monday morning, a server crash affected routine assessment work. Officials attributed the problem to a large number of professors logging in to the system to evaluate answer sheets at the same time. I logged into the system at 10am and till afternoon, the system loaded just one answer booklet. After submitting that one answer paper, the system could not provide me with the second answer booklet, said a professor assessing papers at a suburban Central Assessment Process (CAP) centre. She added that numerous calls from the CAP centre to the examination house in MU went unanswered. We were logged in again after 12:30pm and were able to assess answer papers. Though the system is slow, I can at least assess answer papers, the professor said. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} To announce results at the earliest, the MU released a circular on July 20 requesting all colleges to maintain non-instructional days for BCom faculty so that teachers could focus on assessing answer sheets for three days. By July 23, another circular was released asking all faculties of degree colleges to remain shut from Monday to Thursday to speed up the assessment work. While the circular to all degree students was issued on a Sunday, most colleges got it on Monday. To abide by the circular, several colleges have given leaves leave to professors teaching third-year students. There is no use giving holidays to everyone because only the third year teachers need to go for assessment duty. We have declared a holiday for third-year BMS and BSc-IT students from Tuesday to Thursday, said Anju Kapoor, principal of UPG College, Vile Parle. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} Most principals are worried that the holiday will affect completion of syllabus for all batches. This weeks teaching plan will be affected, and next month we have a five-day holiday for Ganesh festival. Our teachers will have to work extra hours to make up for loss time and finish the portion, said another principal of a Malad College. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two days after 57-year-old yoga teacher and former Doordarshan anchor Kanchan Nath died after a tree fell on her in Chembur, her husband has asked the police to register a case of criminal negligence against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials. Rajat Nath, in a written application to the police, demanded that an FIR be filed against Deepali Kaur, the horticultural assistant of M-West ward. Nath said even though the owner of the plot had been asking the BMC to trim the tree, Kaur had said the tree was safe and had even given it to the owner in writing. The civic body then inspected and decided on pruning some of the branches of the dead tree instead of cutting it. If only the BMC paid heed to the application and cut the dead tree, I would have not lost my wife, said Nath. Someone should be held accountable for this negligence. Instead of a case of accidental death, an FIR for culpable homicide should be registered, said Naths lawyer S Balakrishnan. Read: Mumbai woman killed in tree fall: She was going to visit pregnant daughter Kanchan was crushed by the tree on her way home from her yoga classes. She was in a coma for two days and succumbed to her injuries on Saturday. She is survived by her husband, a daughter and a son. My wife was going to visit her daughter in Bangalore, who is nine-months pregnant, to take care of her, said Rajat Nath, grappling with the sudden loss. He said it will give the family some peace if the BMC accepts responsibility for this accident. Residents said several complaints were made to the BMC about dangerous and dead trees in the neighbourhood. The Noida police has arrested four persons on charges of stealing 1,100 LED panels and components of mobile phones worth over Rs60 lakh from a vendor in Noidas Sector 82 that supplies components to Samsung. There are also apprehensions that the thieves could have provided the specimens to electronic manufacturers for replicating the LED panels of Samsung smartphones. However, the police are yet to verify these claims. Of the four arrested, three persons own mobile phone shops in Karol Bagh and Shastri Nagar in Delhi. These three persons got in touch with three former employees of the electronic firm and planned the theft. Two of the three persons who executed the theft are still at large, the police said. The superintendent of police (city), Arun Kumar Singh, said, Three persons broke into the company in Sector 82 on July 2 and decamped with 1,100 LED panels of high-end Samsung smartphones. Each LED panel is worth Rs6,500. The thieves provided the stolen parts to owners of cell phone shops and those running phone repair shops in Delhi, the police said. The police arrested four persons from Phase-2 area of Noida on Monday evening while they were carrying out an exchange of stolen components. The four persons were identified as Manoranjan, Mohit, Sachin and Tarun. Manoranjan was a former employee of the company and was involved in the theft while Mohit, Sachin and Tarun own cell phone shops and masterminded the theft, the police said. The police have recovered 142 LED panels and mobile phone components from their possession, which cost over Rs9 lakh. Singh said, Manoranjan, Aditya and Divesh former employees of the company executed the theft. They knew how to gain access to the company without being caught, but could not escape from the CCTV cameras installed in the company. Manoranjan and Aditya were caught in the cameras stealing the components. Based on the initial information obtained from the company, the police mounted technical surveillance on the accused and made the arrests. Singh said that the accused will be produced before the district court and the police will ask for a remand to question them further on the issue, arrest those absconding and recover the rest of the stolen goods. The city will now share its Real Estate Regulatory Authority and Real Estate Appellate Authority with Delhi, under the Real Estate (Regulatory and Development) Act, 2016. Members, when appointed, will be available in Chandigarh for a limited period every month, the exact duration is yet to be finalised. The act states that every union territory (UT) and state must set up RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) and REAT (Real Estate Appellate Authority) for safeguarding the rights of home buyers. Chandigarh was the first to set up a temporary RERA in October 2016. Later, the UT administration requested the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to club the Chandigarh RERA with Delhis. TIMELINE October 2016: Temporary RERA set up November 2016: UT administration writes to MHA May 2017: MHUPA writes to Lt Governor of Delhi July 2017: Chandigarh RERA clubbed with Delhi RERA after proposal is accepted Housing secretary KK Jindal said, The administration wrote to the MHA in November 2016 to club Chandigarh RERA with that of Delhis. The ministry forwarded the letter to the Union ministry of urban development and poverty alleviation (MHUPA). The proposal was accepted in May after the MHUPA wrote to the lieutenant governor of Delhi. The process of the selection of the chairman was also initiated by the lieutenant governnor and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. The UT administration reasoned that it will be financially prudent to club the Chandigarh and Delhi RERA. The city has a low footprint of private developers, which can come under the purview of the act. The public sector, Chandigarh Housing Board, is the main developer. Every builder and real estate agent has to register their project with the RERA before they can advertise or market or sell projects to the buyer. Home buyers can make complaints with RERA against builders and agents. The appeals against the decisions of RERA can be made before the appellate tribunal. Violation of the act or non-compliance withe RERA and REAT orders can lead to a fine and imprisonment for the builder and the agent. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After failing to nab culprits behind the murder of pastor Sultan Masih, shot dead on July 15 by two bike-borne men in front of a church in the Salem Tabri area, a police party will patrol areas around churches in the city during evening. The decision was taken during a recent police department meeting. There are at least 300 churches in Ludhiana district, while 215 in the city area that comes under the police commissionerate. Patrolling near churches has been increased as a precautionary measure to safeguard the Christian community in wake of killing of pastor Sultan Masih. Mobile patrolling by police teams will continue near the churches till the case is solved, said police commissioner RN Dhoke. DCP Dhruman Nimble added that the police were determined to not allow any other untoward incident in the city. Two guards for Masihs family Two security guards have also been provided to the family of Masih. State minority commission member Albert Dua said he had raised the issue of threat to preachers at the church. There was a threat to the members of our community after which police decided to provide security cover, said Dua. Memorial service held Religious preachers from across the country held the memorial service held for Masih on Monday. Punjab education minister Aruna Chaudhary, senior SAD leader Bikram Majithia, Ludhiana MLAs, including Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, among others were present at the memorial service. Aman Arora, co-president, Aam Aadmi Party, said, The law and order situation in Punjab has collapsed and the state government has failed to provide a sense of security to the people. Anarchy prevails in the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 19-year-old man hatched a conspiracy with his two friends who raped his girlfriend so that he could later use that as an alibi to not marry her, police in Jalandhar said on Monday. The case came to light when the victim, aged 19 and a classmate of alleged conspirator Harpreet Singh Happy, approached the police. Happy was arrested and a case under sections 376D (gangrape), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 417 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) registered against him and the two alleged rapists, identified as Bindu and Ravi, both aged 20. All three are from Talwan village in the district. The victim told the police that Harpreet and she were in the same class in college and had decided to get married after a long courtship. On July 20, he called me and said he wanted to introduce me to his parents, she told the police. Around 10.30 pm, he phoned her and asked her to come out of her house so he could take her to his house, it is alleged. He allegedly took her pillion on a bike but asked her to get off near the local grain market and wait as he would bring his parents there. After some time, Bindu and Ravi came there on a bike and said Harpreet had sent them, and that they would drop me to his house, she said in her statement to the cops. But they allegedly took her to a room near a tubewell in some fields where they raped her. They later took her to an abandoned haveli and again raped her, police quoted her as having told them. Station house officer (SHO) Harjeet Singh said medical examination at the local civil hospital confirmed sexual assault. He said Bindu and Ravi would be arrested soon. Happy would be produced in a local court on Tuesday, and the statement of the victim before a magistrate would be recorded too to make it admissible as evidence. A 52-year-old grandmother from Mohalis Phase 11 is among the 100 bike taxi riders who started operating in Mohali, Kharar and Zirakpur on Tuesday as part of the Punjab governments Apni Gaddi, Apna Rozgar programme. The bike taxis, launched in partnership with Uber, were flagged off by finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal at the Indian School of Business here. Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh could not attend the event due to his mothers demise on Monday. Paramjeet Kaur, who rides a scooter, is all smiles as she tells you about the rousing response she is getting from her clients. A senior citizen I ferried on Monday as part of test run commended me for taking this step. He said more women should step out, beams Paramjeet, dressed in the traditional Punjabi attire salwar kameez. She is mother of three children. His elder son has a three-year-old daughter. Her daughter, married in Shimla, is also expecting a baby soon. Her youngest son is studying. Though my family asked me not to slog hard at this age, I thought it is a good way to supplement the family income. I am very happy to become part of the new taxi service, she adds. Life hasnt been a bed of roses for Paramjeet, who lost her husband in her youth. But she always remained a fighter even as she had a tough time raising her children. Asked how she got to know about the bike taxi service, she says her car is already associated with Uber. Some time ago, I got a message flashed on my mobile about the companys new bike taxi service in Punjab. A little hesitant initially, I accepted the offer later. Asked if she has any apprehensions about her new role as she will have to deal with all kind of clients, Paramjeet says life is always full of challenges. I am quite sure that people will be nice to me and appreciate my hard work. Regarding her driving skills, she says she has been riding scooter for the past 10 years and the company experts trained her thoroughly before she hit the road as bike taxi driver. Paramjeet, who will be paid on hourly basis, says she is happy with the terms and conditions of the company. They have given me a target of six rides a day. But in case, my target is not met till late night, it can be transferred to another driver. Zirakpur woman takes challenge too Madhu Bala, who belongs to Zirakpur, is another female bike taxi driver. She is already a part-time accountant and an LIC agent. Her husband is in a private job and helps her too. A mother of 11-year-old son, Madhu says the passion to do something different in life has motivated her to take yet another job. Its a mistaken belief that women are only meant to do domestic work. I think women are no way lesser than men, she says. Speaking on the occasion, Manpreet said that it was one of the series of initiatives the Congress government plans to undertake as part of its pre-poll promise to provide 25 lakh jobs in next five years. This scheme will employ at least 1 lakh young people every year and the government plans to partner with more companies of different spheres in order to generate employment. Notably, Ola will also launch bike taxi service in several cities of Punjab, including Mohali, in partnership with the Punjab government. Their test run is currently going on. How to opt for bike taxi service -Download Uber Moto App and create an Uber account on your mobile - After placing a request for a ride, you will get name, photo and details of the motorbike. -Taxi driver will bring a helmet for the rider too - You can pay by cash, credit/debit card or mobile wallet and will receive an electronic receipt via the Uber app. - The basic fare is Rs 15 and the susequent charges will be Rs 3 per km SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Five thieves struck at the house of Sukhdip Singh Sidhu, the general manager of Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation Limited (PSIEC), in Sector 21 here and decamped with cash amounting to Rs 3 lakh when the family was sleeping early on Tuesday. Sidhu was an officer on special duty (OSD) to former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and an additional principal secretary to deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for five years. At present, he is the PSIEC general manager in Sector 17, Chandigarh. Sidhu said that the thieves took away Rs 3 lakh, which was withdrawn from a bank to pay labourers as construction was on. The thieves also stole two wrist watches and a mobile phone. FAMILIAR WITH HOUSE The thieves were armed with sharp-edged weapons. They seemed to have done a recce of the house, Sidhu said. The CCTV footage shows five persons with faces covered entering the house. They locked the room where the women house helps were sleeping and bolted the room of servants with a sword from outside. The thieves tried to enter Sidhus room but were not successful so they went to the room of his brother and opened the cupboard where the cash was kept. His sister-in-law woke up due to the commotion around 3am and raised the alarm. Sidhus brother, Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, a national-level shooter, pulled out a weapon and chased the thieves, who fled with the cash. The police later opened the door of the rooms of the servants. A case was registered under Sections 380 (theft) and 457 (house trespass) at the Sector 19 police station. The thieves with covered faces are yet to be identified, said Satish Kumar, DSP (East) Chandigarh. Monsoon fury remains unabated in Jharkhand with several low lying residential areas across the state facing flood like situation due to heavy rain in last 48 hours. However, no casualty was reported from any part of the state so far. The weather department has predicted rainfall to intensify further due to development of a low pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal. The upper air cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal may convert into low pressure area on Monday. The change in system may intensify rainfall in Jharkhand during next 48 hours. Besides, the monsoon trough is also active over Jharkhand, said RS Sharma, forecasting officer at Ranchi IMD centre. The non-stop rainfall, however, compensated the rain deficit. States rain deficit on Sunday has come down to 17%, which is considered normal. The weather department has issued alert of heavy rain in some areas of south-east, central and north Jharkhand on Monday. Water level has crossed the danger mark in major dams of the state including Tenughat and Patratu Dam on Sunday. Tenughat dam authority has opened eight sluice gates on Sunday to release 10,000 cusec of water. The authority has also alerted district administrations of Dhanbad and Bokaro to ensure safety of people living along the Damodar river. In Dhanbad, Grewal Colony near Bekarbandh, all lanes in Jayprakash Nagar near DeNobili School, Tapowan Colony near Big Bazaar in Saraidhela have submerged and rainwater entered houses of hundreds of residents. Almost all water bodies of Dhanbad are overflowing due to continuous rains. Therefore, rainwater gushed in houses of Baramuri, Bishunpur, Pandarpala Das Tola and Dhaiyya localities forcing the residents to shift at safe places. With water level crossing the danger level at citys Pampu pond of railway, residents living near the pond sought help from district administration for rescue. Not just common man, but cattle here are in trouble as well. Yadav Tola near Shramik Chowk is witnessing knee deep water logging. The milkmen shifted their cattle to upland areas. We could save our life by climbing on roof of any house but cattle cannot do it. So, we have shifted them on the upper land of rail track, said Mahadeo Yadav, a milkman. Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agrawal said corporation had launched a drive to clear the choked drainages of city so that water did not stay for long. In Jamshedpur, rainwater entered several houses in Burma mines, Jugsalai and Chaya Nagar areas. Besides, it also gushed in ground floor of several apartments in Dimna and Sonari localities. Rain Meter Districts Rain (in mm) Bokaro 90 Jamshedpur 80 Ranchi 70 Hazaribag 40 Rain fury may continue for next 24 hours in Jharkhand, as the low pressure area turned well on Monday causing widespread rainfall across the state. A partial relief from the incessant rainfall was expected from Wednesday onwards, Ranchi IMD officials said. The state has received average 66mm rainfall in last 24 hours with Sonari area in Jamshedpur recording the highest 230mm rainfall and Jamshedpur city 170mm from 8.30 am on Sunday to 8.30am on Monday. Ranchi received 73mm rain. There is no relief from the rainfall in next 24 hours due to impact of the well-marked low pressure area. The system is expected to move westwards or weaken by Tuesday evening. So, respite is expected from Wednesday onwards, said RS Sharma, forecasting officer at Ranchi IMD centre. The nonstop rains brought smiles on the faces of farmers but invited miseries to cities as well as rural areas. The heavy rain damaged a culvert on Ranchi-Gola road near Sikadri blocking the traffic movement. The road was barricaded by the district administration. Over half a dozen mud houses collapsed in Thakur Mohalla in Ranchis Sonahatu block. The homeless families were temporarily shifted to Panchayat secretariat. Rainwater gushed in many posh localities in capital city and important roads were submerged. Water entered in homes and flats in many localities, including Panchshil Nagar, low-lying area of Pandra and Kunwar Singh colony in Hinoo. City traffic came to a standstill with vehicles crawling on inundated roads. Traffic jams were common sight on Ranchi roads on Monday. Swarnrekha river overflowing on a bridge at Namkum after heavy rain in Ranchi (Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times) Residents blamed Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) for the trouble during rainy season. RMC officials claimed they have pressed over 600 workers for cleaning the drain during monsoon. But, they are not seen anywhere. We suffer waterlogging every monsoon but no step is taken to improve the situation, said Rajiv Kumar, resident of Firdous Nagar. Meanwhile, monsoon fury is continuing to create havoc in Dhanbad. Rainwater gushed in residential areas of Dhokra, Palani and Guludih in Baliapur block forcing the families to shift to safe places. The Dhanbad district administration received reports of wall collapse from Jharia, Nirsa and Govindpur localities. Flood like situation appeared in Shimlabera colony after boundary wall of Rani Bandh pond collapsed due to heavy rain. The residents blocked Dhanbad-Barwadda road in the morning to protest the boundary wall collapse. Family of one Raju Kumar Bind in Bisunpur had miraculous escape when wall of his bedroom caved in at wee hours following downpour. Though Dhanbad Municipal Corporation has pressed in its all machineries for clearing nine chocked drains of the township, houses in several colonies, including Jayaprakash Nagar, Grewal Colony, Pandarpala, remained submerged. Rain Meter Cities Rainfall (in mm) Jamshedpur 230 Ranchi 70 Hazaribag 110 Chaibasa 100 Dhanbad 40 A city court has extended by two weeks the judicial custody of Malayalam actor Dileep, arrested in connection with the alleged plot in the case relating to abduction and assault of a Kerala actor, a day after the High Court rejected his bail plea. Malyalam actor Dileep being sent to judicial custody. (PTI) The Angamaly first class magistrate court extended the judicial custody of Dileep till August 8 after a hearing through video conferencing. The actor is presently lodged at nearby Aluva sub-jail. Dileep, arrested on July 10, has been charged under various sections of the IPC, including one for hatching a criminal conspiracy for abduction and assault of the actress in a moving car on February 17. In their remand application, police had claimed that he had developed a grudge against the actress for letting his former wife know about his alleged affairs and had hatched a conspiracy to take revenge way back in 2013. The Director General of Prosecution had claimed that the evidence gathered by the investigation agency had established that Dileep was the kingpin in the crime. A quotation was given to execute a crime and such a case was reported for the first time in the state, the prosecution had said. The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle and later escaped. Six persons, including prime accused Pulsar Suni, have so far been arrested in connection with the incident. Yesterday, the High Court had rejected Dileeps bail plea, observing that prima facie there was material to suspect his involvement in the crime. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Hyderabad drug racket grilled Telugu actor P Navdeep for over 11 hours on Monday. While leaving Abkari Bhavan, the office of the Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department here on Monday night, he told reporters that he gave a clear reply to all the questions asked by the officials regarding his dealing with an event manager. Everything is okay, said the young actor. The SIT officials told him that if necessary, he would be called again for questioning. Navdeep was quizzed about his links with Zeeshan Ali Khan alias Jack, one of the accused arrested in the case. The actor admitted that he knew Khan as an event manager but denied involvement in any illegal activity. Navdeep is the fifth southern filmdom celebrity being questioned by the authorities for alleged links with drug peddlers arrested in the case. The actor, one of the 12 celebrities summoned by the SIT for questioning, has already denied taking drugs or having any links with the peddlers. It is usual to sensationalise news as soon as there are film people involved, me being involved in events and working with some wrong event managers I can understand why this happened, Navdeep had tweeted on July 14. Art director Dharma Rao alias Chinna will appear before SIT on Tuesday. The investigating officials on Saturday grilled actor Tarun. They had quizzed actor Subbaraju on Friday. Known for his negative roles in many films, Subbaraju had reportedly provided leads to the SIT for further investigations. The SIT earlier questioned director Puri Jagannadh and cinematographer Shyam K Naidu. The celebrities were summoned for questioning as their contact numbers were found in the call data of Calvin Mascrenhas, the kingpin of the racket. Actors Ravi Teja and Nandu, Charmee Kaur and Mumaith Khan are among the other celebrities who will be questioned this week. The enforcement wing of the department has so far arrested 19 accused, including US citizen Dundu Anish -- an aerospace engineer who had earlier worked with the NASA, and seven BTech graduates, most of whom were working for multi-national companies. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop The Telugu film industry has been rocked by drugs scandal in the last couple of days. As many as 12 leading personalities from the industry, including the likes of influential Puri Jagannadh have been grilled by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hyderabad. The most recent star to be hit by the scandal is popular actor Kajal Aggarwal whose manager of many years, Puttkar Ronson Joseph, was arrested on Monday by SIT for alleged possession of drugs. The actor on Tuesday issued a statement clarifying her position vis-a-vis Josephs arrest. Expressing her shock in the entire episode involving Ronnie, she made it clear that it is her parents who have always managed her career. Her dealings with others have been cordial and professional. She added that she was unaware of what people did after their professional duties were discharged. Read the complete copy of her statement here: Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Popular actor Kajal Aggarwals manager, Puttkar Ronson Joseph, was arrested on Monday by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for alleged possession of drugs. Joseph, also known as Johnny Joseph or Rony, has been Kajals manager since her entry into films. Director of Enforcement of Prohibition and Excise department Akun Sabharwal said SIT raided Josephs house in Manikonda and found ganja in his possession. We are questioning him and further investigation in the case is going on, Dr Sabharwal was quoted by Deccan Chronicle as saying. A source in SIT said statements given by other film personalities, who were questioned earlier, led to his arrest, the Deccan Chronicle report added. We strongly suspect his role in drug peddling in Tollywood and have arrested him after monitoring his activities. We have strong evidence that he consumes drugs regularly. It will be proved after medical tests, the SIT source said. In the past, Joseph has worked with other top league actors such as Lavanya Tripathi and Raashi Khanna as well. The Tollywood drug scandal gets bigger with every passing day. Over the past couple of days big names from the industry such as director Puri Jangannadh and actor Navdeep have been grilled by the SIT team. Meanwhile, actor Charmme Kaur who was also summoned by the SIT on Monday, has moved to Hyderabad high court and has sought directions that authorities should not forcibly collect her blood, hair and nail samples. She also sought direction for the SIT to abide by the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court guidelines by permitting presence of her lawyer and women officers at the time of examination, firstpost.com was quoted as saying. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Bollywood diva Kajol is all set to woo her fans with a new Tamil film -- Dhanushs VIP 2 -- which is directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. VIP 2 is Kajol first Tamil film after a gap of 20 years. The 42-year-old actor revealed that Dhanush actually lied to her regarding the film as he told her that 50% of the dialogues of the film would be in English but nothing of that sort happened. The Kuch Kuch Hota Hai actor said, If I have to put it in kind words like Dhanush, it would be that he didnt lie to me and just changed his maths a little bit but then I would say that he is bad in maths. Kajol also revealed that initially she was little apprehensive about the language wondering whether she would be able to speak it or not. Bolylywood actor Kajol and Kollywood star Dhanush react during the promotional press conference for the upcoming movie VIP 2 ( Velaiilla Pattadhari 2) in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI) Speaking about her comeback, she said, I have received the warmest welcome from all my fans and friends for making a comeback after so long and this makes me feel better. The VIP 2 cast was in Delhi to promote their film on Monday. While appreciating Dhanush and Soundarya Rajinikanth, she shared that both of them helped her a lot and also comforted her in every possible manner. Soundarya Rajinikanths comedy drama also stars Amala Paul, Vivek, Samuthirakani, Saranya Ponvannan and Monal Gajjar. The release date of VIP 2, which is a sequel to the 2014 film of the same name, is yet to be declared. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop The photos of an elderly couple posing in the backdrop of breathtaking landscape recently took the internet by storm. Russian photographer Irina Nedyalkova captured the intimate moments of the couple in a stunning photo shoot, which was widely covered by media across the world. While some said the photos captured the eternity of love, others were awestruck by the chemistry of the pair. After receiving a lot of queries, Nedyalkova has finally revealed the real story behind the photo shoot. As opposed to what most people gathered from the intimate photos, Sergey and Valentina are not real-life couples. Our photo shooting is performance and improvisation of a love story on the set. Sergey and Valentina are incredibly beautiful models from the one-of-a-kind model agency @oldushkamodels. They have never been familiar before, Nedyalkova wrote in an Instagram post. The characters had been chosen in advance. Me with my group of photographers knew that they were not a real couple with a beautiful love story, she added. We (she and her team) directed our photo shooting, as in a movie. However, we could not restrain ourselves from crying, we turned away, sobbed, wiped away tears and believed in our characters. Since being shared on Facebook, the photos have received an overwhelming response and the post has been shared more than 8800 times. Love is beautiful at any age. Happy to experience it, one user commented. Very touching, wrote another user. The photo shoot was carried out by the Gulf of Finland in St Petersburg. Herere some of the photos Photo Credit: Irina Nedyalkova/ Facebook Photo Credit: Irina Nedyalkova/ Facebook Photo Credit: Irina Nedyalkova/ Facebook Photo Credit: Irina Nedyalkova/ Facebook Photo Credit: Irina Nedyalkova/ Facebook SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Powerful Australian minister Matthew Canavan on Tuesday became the third politician forced to step aside over a question of dual citizenship, saying he was unaware his mother had taken out Italian citizenship for him when he was 25. Australian politicians are not eligible to be elected to parliament if they hold dual or plural citizenship. I had no knowledge that I, myself, had become an Italian citizen - nor had I requested to become an Italian citizen, said the Australian-born Canavan, who quit the major position of minister for resources and northern Australia. Australia is highly dependent economically on exports of its natural resources. In 2006, my mother lodged documents with the Italian consulate in Brisbane to become an Italian citizen, Canavan said. In doing so, it would appear that she made an application for me to become an Italian citizen as well. Canavan said he was 25 years old at the time. Two members of Australias Greens party were forced to resign this month after it was revealed one held dual Canadian citizenship and the other New Zealand citizenship. Canavan said he would not resign from Parliament because he had not yet secured definitive legal advice whether the grant of Italian citizenship, without his signature, knowledge or consent, was valid under Italian law. Botswana on Tuesday confirmed it will allow the Dalai Lama to visit next month as a foreign dignitary in the face of Chinas fierce opposition to the Tibetan spiritual leader. Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist campaigning for Tibetan independence and consistently condemns foreign governments who welcome him. Botswana Foreign Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi told lawmakers that the visit was purely private but added that the Dalai Lama would be granted the status of a foreign dignitary. She did not confirm a government announcement last week that he would meet President Ian Khama, which prompted a stern response from Beijing. However the president will extend basic courtesies for Dalai Lama and the government protocol office is charged with the responsibility to facilitate foreign dignitaries... this includes Dalai Lama, the foreign minister said. Venson-Moitoi also said in a parliamentary answer that the principle of non-interference in the international affairs of other countries is at the core of Chinas foreign policy. We therefore expect... China to respect our sovereign decision on this matter. The Tibetan leader, who lives in exile in India, is due to speak at the three-day Mind and Life Dialogue conference in Botswanas capital Gaborone on August 19. Venson-Moitoi expressed the hope that the visit would not diminish the existing strong bonds between the two countries. China is a key investor across Africa and the continents largest trade partner and in Botswana it has helped build coal-fired power plants, road networks, bridges and schools. The Dalai Lama says he is seeking more autonomy for Tibet rather than outright independence. Canadian tax authorities have revoked the charitable status of two organisations citing how the donations may have been directed to a group linked to the Pakistan-based terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen that is focused on Jammu and Kashmir. While the decision taken by the Canadian Revenue Agency was based on an audit covering the period between 2007 and 2009, the move to cancel the charity status of the ISNA Islamic Services of Canada was taken in May this year. Another connected organisation, the Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation was also subjected to revocation. This action was first reported by the Canadian news network Global News. A spokesperson for CRA confirmed the revocations to the Hindustan Times. Notice of the revocation was sent on March 30 this year in a letter signed by the Director General of CRAs Charities Directorate and addressed the ISNA Islamic Services of Canadas legal representatives. Among the aspects that CRA considered in terminating the Mississauga-based organisations status was that it issued tax receipts for funds collected at the Jami Mosque, with the ultimate goal of sending these to the Relief Organisation for Kashmiri Muslims or ROKM, which is based in Pakistan. A footnote to a letter sent in June 2014 by CRA, stated, Our research indicates that ROKM is the charitable arm of Jamaat-e-Islami, a political organisation that actively contests the legitimacy of Indias governance over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, including reportedly through the activities of its armed wing, Hizbul Mujahideen. It added that Hizbul Mujanideen is listed as a terrorist entity by the Council of the European Union and banned by India. Given the commonalities in the directorship of HM, JeI and ROKM, concerns exist that the funds collected and disbursed as part of this relief fund may have been used to support the political efforts of Jamaat-e-Islami and/or its armed wing Hizbul Mujahideen, it said. In addition to these two organisations delisted recently, another linked group, ISNA Development Foundation, had its registration cancelled in 2013. Again, among the reasons stated was that it had entered into a funding arrangement with the Kashmiri Canadian Council/Kashmiri Relief Fund of Canada (KCC/KRFC), non-qualified donees and that the ultimate goal was to send those funds to ROKM. Responding to queries from HT, Zoltan Csepregi, a spokesperson for CRA, noted that the confidentiality provisions of the Income Tax Act prevent CRA from discussing the affairs of a particular charity without the consent of an authorised representative. However, he did add, As the federal regulator of charities, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) contributes to the government's efforts to combat terrorist financing by protecting the charity registration system in Canada from abuse. As such, while the CRA may raise concerns about connections to terrorism, its role is to ensure administrative compliance with the requirements of charitable registration, as opposed to ensuring enforcement of criminal laws. Through its work, the CRA may take administrative action, in accordance with the Income Tax Act, where it has identified a risk of terrorist abuse in relation to a charity. This may include revocation of a charitys registration. Meanwhile, the body to which these organisations are affiliated, Islamic Society of North America Canada, issued a rejoinder on its website. The issue highlighted in the media that somehow the Jami Mosque sent donations to a group in Kashmir with terrorist links is not a valid representation, it said. The Jami Mosques donations were sent for the express purpose of helping the poor and needy people. This is allowed by CRA. Where IISC failed is to exercise due diligence in the distribution of donations, allowing CRA to make a claim that the donations may have been misdirected to causes not in line with IISCs mission. It added, The present state of affairs is entirely different and the current operations are fully compliant with CRA requirements and ISNA Canada is continuing to operate as a registered charity. That was confirmed by the CRA, as its spokesperson said, We can confirm that Islamic Society of North America Canada (ISNA - Canada) is a registered charity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON China is preparing for a potential crisis with North Korea by increasing its defences along their shared border, including establishing a new border brigade and building bunkers for civilians, the Wall Street Journal reported. China has been strengthening its defences along the North Korean border since Pyongyangs first nuclear test in 2006, including building a fence along parts of the border and stepping up patrols. China has also realigned military forces in the countrys northeast, the report added, citing Chinese military and government websites and Chinese and foreign experts. The Chinese government has repeatedly said there can be no military solution for the North Korea issue. China is in the midst of a broad military reorganisation and modernisation programme. On Monday, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters he could not answer a hypothetical question on what Chinas military would do in the event of a clash on the Korean peninsula. China has long worried about its porous borders and potential for war or unrest to spill over into China, and had stepped up border defences in other troublesome areas, such as with Myanmar and Central Asian nations. Seven civilians, including two children, were killed when a car bomb exploded near a military checkpoint in North Sinai, the Egyptian army said Monday. The explosion happened 200 metres from its military target, when an Egyptian soldier used a tank to stop the vehicle, according to the army statement. The victims - three men, two women and two children -- happened to be in the area in front of the ambush during the blast, the statement added, without saying when the incident happened. The explosion was large, carrying about 100 kilograms of high explosives, an army spokesman said in the statement. Egypts military is battling a local affiliate of the Islamic State group that has waged a deadly insurgency in the northern Sinai, killings hundreds of members of the security forces. Since December, IS has also targeted Christians in other parts of the country, including in Cairo, killing dozens. The jihadists have threatened to carry out further attacks on Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypts 90 million people. The bombing by IS of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a South Sinai resort in 2015 killed all 224 people on board and severely damaged the countrys tourism sector. Egypt warned the European Union (EU) on Tuesday that four Arab states would accept no compromise in their dispute with Qatar over allegations that the gas-rich emirate supports terrorism. Foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, speaking after talks with EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels, said Qatar must accept in full the demands by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. It is not an issue of compromise, we cannot compromise with any form of terrorism, we cannot compromise or enter into any form of negotiations, Shoukry told a press conference. It is only once the necessary measures are undertaken by Qatar, that goes towards truly accepting to be a partner in the fight against terrorism, that this crisis will be resolved, he said. Shoukry said Qatar was harbouring elements associated to terrorist ideologies, to radical ideologies, that they have utilised their media outlets to promote and to justify and to glorify terrorist activity. The four Arab states have demanded that Qatar stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood movement, end ties with their Shiite rival Iran, and close broadcaster Al-Jazeera which they accuse of inciting unrest in their countries. But they face mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott against Qatar, particularly from the United States. Mogherini who at the weekend met Kuwaits emir, a key figure involved in trying to mediate the crisis in turn reiterated calls for talks to resolve the crisis We in Europe see this as a need not just for one country but for all countries, she said, adding that the EU shared with Egypt a clear commitment to fight terrorism. But she added that the EU believed the Kuwaiti-mediated talks can and should start as a matter of urgency, if only to head off fresh tensions which undermine the fight against terrorism, she said. The EU will continue to have good relations with all the countries involved, the former Italian foreign minister added. Israel removed metal detectors from entrances to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalems Old City on Tuesday in favour of CCTV cameras, hoping to calm days of bloodshed, but Palestinians said the modified security measures were still unacceptable. Israel installed the detectors at entry points to Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after two police guards were fatally shot on July 14, setting off the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years. The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis. All parties should work to reduce these tensions and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York. At the holy sites, its vital that both access and security be ensured. Washington has already held talks with Israel and Jordan to help resolve the crisis. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the senior Muslim cleric who oversees Al-Aqsa compound both dismissed the new Israeli measures and demanded all of them be removed. All new Israeli measures put in place since (July 14) must be removed so things can go back to normal in Jerusalem and we can resume our work regarding bilateral relations, Abbas said at the beginning of a meeting with the Palestinian leadership. The Waqf, the religious body that runs the Islamic sites in the Al-Aqsa compound, said worshippers would continue to stay away from the elevated, marble-and-stone plaza - Islams third holiest site - and pray in the streets outside. Jews revere the compound as the place where two ancient temples once stood. A Waqf spokesman said it was awaiting a decision of a technical committee but was demanding the situation revert to the way it was before the metal detectors were installed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet of senior ministers voted to remove the metal detector gates early on Tuesday after a meeting lasting several hours. NEW CCTV CAMERAS A statement issued after the security cabinet meeting said it had decided to heed a recommendation of Israeli security bodies and replace the detectors with smart checking devices. Municipal workers began work in some of the narrow stone-paved streets around the Aqsa compound to install overhead metal beams that will hold closed-circuit TV cameras. Israeli media said there were plans to invest in advanced camera systems. The cabinet statement added that it had allocated up to 100 million shekels ($28 million) for the equipment and for additional policing over the next six months. CCTV images indicated that the two Israeli police officers on guard duty were shot dead by three Israeli Arabs who had concealed weapons inside the Aqsa compound. The dispute, like many in the Holy Land, is about much more than security devices, taking in issues of sovereignty, religious freedom, occupation and Palestinian nationalism. Muslims refer to the compound as the Noble Sanctuary while Jews call it the Temple Mount. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Israel stood to lose most in the dispute and echoed calls for the removal of new security systems. I have heard of Israels decision to remove the metal detectors, and I hope the rest will follow...We expect Israel to take steps for the peace of the region. The walled Old City is part of East Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in a 1967 war and later annexed, declaring the city its eternal indivisible capital in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of a future state they are seeking. But on top of the outbreak of violence mainly in the Jerusalem area, a move on Friday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to suspend security coordination, plus international criticism, cranked up pressure on Israel. Netanyahu was further hampered by a fatal shooting at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan on Sunday when an Israeli security guard was attacked and shot dead two Jordanians. A crowd of Jordanians gathered at one of the funerals on Tuesday and called on their government to close the Israeli Embassy. Jordan is the custodian of Jerusalems Muslim holy sites and King Abdullah has called on Israel to return to the pre-July 14 status quo and lift all unilateral measures taken since the attack on the policemen. Jews and anyone else visiting the ancient Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray - at the foot of the Aqsa compound must pass through airport-style security screening, including metal detectors. A knife-wielding man shouting Allahu Akbar charged across the border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla on Tuesday, attacking and injuring a police officer, authorities said. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police) shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), slightly injuring a policeman, said Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central governments representative office in Melilla. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Moroccos northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between both territories or try and smuggle themselves in, but this is the first attack of this type. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europes deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by al Qaeda-inspired militants. Pakistans counter-terrorism officials fear terror groups like ISIS are trying to recruit varsity students as they held a series of meetings with vice- chancellors of 11 universities in Sindh province to counter any such attempt. The vice-chancellors of the universities have been asked to increase the vigilance, security and intelligence network to save students from being brainwashed by terror groups. The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh Police said that terror outfits like the Islamic State are trying to spread extremism and recruit students of leading universities. We have found clear evidence that these terror groups are now targeting university campuses where they are trying to recruit students from well-off families to join their extremist mission, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Umar Khattab of the CTD. He said there is also clear information that some youth who had gone to Syria to fight for the ISIS had returned to Karachi and were now forming groups to carry out terror attacks. We have briefed the vice-chancellors of 11 universities and told them there is a need to increase the vigilance, security and intelligence network to save students from being brainwashed by such groups, he said. A Pakistani television channel last week had reported that four girl students were questioned when they submitted admission forms to the Karachi University. In April, a 20-year-old second-year medical student was arrested after her husband was killed in an encounter in Lahore. She had travelled to Syria in February to join the ISIS and receive weapons training. In a video confession played during a press conference, the woman said that she was to be used by the Islamic State as a suicide bomber on an attack to be conducted on a church on Easter Sunday in Lahore. The CTD recently also held a workshop where all the heads of the varsities in Sindh province were invited and lectures were given on the issue of terror groups trying to recruit students. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday accused India of harming the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and undermining the spirit of the regional forum. Addressing a joint news conference with Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in Male, Sharif said India caused harm to the Saarc by seeking postponement of the groupings summit in Islamabad last year. This was not the first time that India harmed the forum as it had done so on four occasions, Sharif was quoted as saying by Pakistans state-run APP news agency. India undermined and violated the spirit of the Saarc charter by casting shadows of bilateral issues and problems on a multilateral forum for regional cooperation, he added. We, however, remain grateful for President Abdulla Yameens support regarding the Saarc Summit in Islamabad, he said. Sharif and Gayoom agreed to work together to make Saarc a vibrant organisation. The Saarc Summit in Islamabad last year collapsed after India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan decided to skip the meeting over concerns related to cross-border terrorism and interference in their internal affairs by Pakistan. The move followed a string of deadly attacks on Indian military facilities that were blamed on Pakistan-based terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Saarc Summit could not go ahead as the groupings charter states all decisions must be made by unanimity. During his meeting with Gayoom, Sharif brought up what he described as the brutal repression and gross human rights violations by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. He also briefed Gayoom on Pakistans efforts to fight terrorism, saying this was the countrys contribution to peace and stability in the region. Sharif also briefed Gayoom on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has been opposed by India because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Pakistani leader will be the chief guest at the celebrations of the 52nd independence day of the Maldives on Wednesday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Pakistan government has accepted the request of Abdul Basit, the countrys envoy to India, to resign from the foreign service after he was passed over for the post of foreign secretary earlier this year. Though Basit was to retire in April 2018, he recently sent his resignation letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Sources said on Tuesday that Sharif had approved Basits request for premature retirement. Sohail Mahmood, currently Pakistans envoy to Turkey, has already been named the next high commissioner to India. Mahmood, a 55-year-old career diplomat, is expected to take up his responsibilities in New Delhi next month. Sources in Islamabad had earlier told Hindustan Times that Basit had been unhappy since Tehmina Janjua, who is junior to him, had been appointed foreign secretary in February. Basit was posted as the high commissioner to India in 2014. Before that, he was the envoy to Germany during 2012-14. Basit has a masters degree in international relations and joined the foreign service in 1982. He has already completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi but his stint was marred by several controversies. In August 2014, India called off talks between the foreign secretaries after Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders. His remarks on various issues have also angered the external affairs ministry. Shortly after Janjua superseded a handful of diplomats in February, Basit had told friends he had initially considered resigning on being passed over. He then had a change of heart and there was even talk that he would be posted as the high commissioner to Britain. This was the second time Basit was passed over for the post of foreign secretary. In December 2013, he was widely tipped to be appointed to the post but the government chose Aizaz Chaudhry at the last minute. (With inputs from HT Correspondent, New Delhi) The parents of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard on Tuesday accused the London hospital treating him of placing obstacles in the way of their son dying at home, but the hospital said it would like to fulfil their wish if practical. The plight of 11-month-old Charlie, who suffers from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, has been at the centre of a bitter dispute between his parents and Great Ormond Street Hospital. The tragic case has elicited sympathy from far and wide, with US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis among those who have weighed in with views. Charlies parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, on Monday abandoned their legal battle to prolong the life of their son, whom they had wanted to take to the United States to undergo an experimental treatment never before tried on anyone with his condition. But doctors at Great Ormond Street believed the treatment had no realistic chance of helping Charlie and would only prolong his suffering. Both parties were back at the London High Court on Tuesday, this time for a hearing on arrangements for Charlies life support to be switched off. The parents lawyer, Grant Armstrong, said the hospital was placing obstacles in the way of their final wish to take their son home. We struggle with the difficulties the hospital is placing in the way of the parents having a ... short period of time before the final act in Charlies short life, Armstrong told the court. Minutes later, the lawyer representing the hospital said the couple had rejected an offer of mediation. Katie Gollop also said Great Ormond Street would like to fulfil the wish of Charlies parents if practical. The care plan must be safe, it must spare Charlie all pain and it must protect his dignity. At the same time, the plan must honour his parents wishes about two matters in particular namely the time and place of his passing, the hospitals lawyers wrote in a document presented to the court. The document said that the invasive ventilation Charlie required was only provided in a hospital setting. Among other practical problems, it said, the ventilator would not fit through the front door of Charlies home. Charlie is a child who requires highly specialised treatment. His care cannot be simplified. It must be provided in a specialist setting by specialists, the document said. A senior Russian banker who met President Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, did not do so on the Kremlins orders, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. Kushner, who was quizzed on Monday by Senate investigators on his contacts with Russians as part of an investigation into possible Kremlin meddling in last years presidential election, said he had met Sergei Gorkov, the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, on December 13. Russia flatly denies it interfered with the US election. When asked about Kushners meeting on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Gorkov had been in the United States as part of a roadshow meeting various US representatives in the course of his work. These contacts do no need any approval from the Kremlin and naturally (these meetings) did not happen on the Kremlins orders, Peskov said. He said it was normal practice for the head of a major Russian bank conducting a roadshow to hold various meetings. Saudi Arabia and its allies on Tuesday announced they had blacklisted charity groups and individuals with ties to Yemen, Qatar and Libya, labelling them terrorist over suspected ties to Islamist extremism. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt released a joint statement naming nine charity organisations and nine individuals directly or indirectly linked to Qatari authorities as terrorist, according to a statement carried by the SPA state news agency. The four Arab states last month suspended ties with Qatar over allegations the Gulf state bankrolled Islamist extremism, an accusation Doha has consistently denied. The four states recalled their ambassadors from Doha, banned Qatar from using their airspace and ordered all Qataris to repatriate. Among the demands of Riyadh and its allies are the closure of Qatari broadcast giant Al-Jazeera, which has been banned in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Three organisations in Yemen and six based in Libya were accused of ties to Al-Qaeda and a Syrian affiliate of the group in Tuesdays statement. The statement also said three Qatari nationals, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti citizen were involved in fundraising campaigns to support Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist militias in Syria. Kuwait has not joined the states boycotting Qatar and is leading mediation efforts to resolve the crisis, the worst to hit the Gulf since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981. Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead an Arab military coalition allied with the Yemeni government in a violent war against Yemens Iran-backed Huthi rebels. The war has killed more than 8,000 civilians since the coalition intervened in 2015, according to the World Health Organization. Maldivian security forces locked down parliament on orders from the president Monday, leading to clashes after opposition lawmakers stormed the compound in an attempt to vote on whether to impeach the parliamentary speaker. President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has been accused of rolling back democratic gains the Maldives has made since becoming a multiparty democracy in 2008. A no-confidence motion against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was scheduled to have been taken up Monday, according to the opposition. It said the motion had support from 45 lawmakers in the 85-member house, which if it had succeeded would have challenged the presidents power. The government, however, said no voting had been scheduled for Monday. Members of the armed forces padlocked the gates of parliament on orders from Yameen, and lawmakers were forcibly prevented from entering the parliamentary compound, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said. Some opposition lawmakers broke through the barrier, but they were forcibly thrown out by military and police who even pepper-sprayed them, said party spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor. In a statement, the opposition party called Yameens action desperate, illegal and unconstitutional. The presidents office said all the members have been informed that the next parliament sittings will be on July 31. The parliament secretariat asked Maldives forces to strengthen security in the parliament building premises due to security concerns as certain parties were calling for protests near parliament, the office said in a statement. Maldives police said the government restricted access to the parliament building as the session was cancelled and that police were asked to intervene by Maldives National Defense Force in clearing out individuals who forcefully entered the parliament building. In a statement, police also said they are investigating the obstruction of police duty by the lawmakers who broke into the restricted area. The support for the no-confidence motion was uncertain after the election commission announced last week that four members who supported the motion had lost their seats because they left the ruling party. Yameens control over parliament is threatened by a new understanding between the Maldives former strongman and its first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed. The Maldivian Democratic Party routed Yameens party in local council elections earlier this year. A similar opposition bid to oust the speaker was defeated in March with no dissenting votes after opposition lawmakers were either evicted or walked out from the vote following a dispute over problems with the electronic voting system. The opposition coalitions plan to wrest the parliamentary majority was aimed at reforming the judiciary, elections commission and other bodies perceived as being partial toward Yameen. In March, Nasheed and former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and two other parties signed an agreement to form an opposition alliance. Maumoon runs a rival faction within the Progressive Party of Maldives, which is led by the current president, his half brother. Nasheed was jailed in 2015 for 13 years for ordering the arrest of a senior judge when he was president in 2012. He received asylum in Britain last year after traveling there on medical leave. Three other leading politicians have also been jailed after trials criticized internationally for a lack of due process. Maldives is a South Asian archipelago known for its luxury tourist resorts. Sri Lankas cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the worlds busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings , which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit Chinas role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day Silk Route across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large-scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the countrys sovereignty. File phot of Chinese dredging ships working at the Hambantota port. (Reuters) Details of the new agreement have not yet been made public. But according to parts of the document seen by Reuters, two companies are being set up to split the operations of the port and allay concerns, in India mainly but also in Japan and the United States, that it wont be used for military purposes. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 percent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The companys capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 percent stake and the Chinese 49.3 percent, according to the document. Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that several foreign missions had sought clarification from Colombo about whether the Chinese navy would be using Hambantota port as it steps up its presence in the Indian Ocean. We told China that we cant allow the port for military use and that 100 percent responsibility of security matters should be with the Sri Lankan government. China has been building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and smaller island nations in what military officials call a String of Pearls in the Indian Ocean, or a network of friendly ports where its warships can refuel. Reducing stake China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the Sri Lankan joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 percent after 10 years, the document says. The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week, cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didnt provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lankas concerns had been addressed. They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue, the source said. A cargo ship is loaded at a port in Qingdao, in eastern China on July 13, 2017. (AFP) The latest agreement relates to the port while the pact for the industrial zone will be handled separately, Sri Lankan officials said. The revised deal comes weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena reshuffled his cabinet, naming Samarasinghe to the ports ministry after his predecessor had strongly opposed a majority equity stake for the Chinese firm and raised a red flag over possible military use. Two Sri Lankan sources familiar with the deal said the Sri Lankan Ports Authority would have the right to inspect ships entering Hambantota. Sri Lanka will have control over port activities including security, which various parties have raised concerns over earlier, one source told Reuters. The agreement clearly says no military ships will be allowed in the port. New Delhi in 2014 was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against Chinas expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. A teenage driver lost control of her car while she was live streaming on Instagram and recorded part of the crash that killed her younger sister in California. After a gap in the live stream, the driver is seen standing over the body of the dead girl, saying she was sorry and it was the last thing she wanted to happen. She also says she will go to prison but doesnt care. The California Highway Patrol says 18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez was driving the car Friday when it veered onto the shoulder of a road in the San Joaquin Valley. It says she overcorrected, causing the vehicle to swerve and overturn into a field. Relatives confirmed to KFSN-TV (http://abc30.tv/2tSlnpX) that Sanchez was live streaming at the time of the crash that killed her 14-year-old sister. The station says the live stream was recorded by someone who viewed it. Authorities did not know if Sanchez has an attorney. The CHP is examining the video as part of its investigation. Two Ohio college students who connected on Tinder have finally met after three years of excuses on the dating platform. Josh Avsec posted the correspondence to Twitter this month and Tinder offered to send him and Michelle Arendas on an overdue date to a city of their choosing. The Kent State University students hugged and smiled as they met Tuesday on ABCs Good Morning America before heading to the Hawaiian island of Maui. Theyd gone months between Tinder responses, replying with tongue-in-cheek excuses like sorry my phone died or was in the shower. On the programme, Avsec said his sister met her fiance on Tinder. To which, Arendas replied with a smile: No pressure! Frustration is mounting among leading foreign policy officials in US President Donald Trumps administration as they chafe at some policy and bureaucratic defeats and complain they lack independence to do their jobs, officials say. The clash between internationalists urging the traditional US leadership role in the world and advocates of an America First approach has worn down foreign policy and intelligence professionals inside the government, according to the officials. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson has told friends he will be lucky to last a year in his job, according to a friend, while two officials said national security adviser HR McMaster was frustrated by what he sees as disorganization and indiscipline on key policy issues inside the White House. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Tillerson was very upset at not having autonomy, independence and control over his own department and the ability to do the job the way the job ... is traditionally done. The source said he had heard nothing about any possible departure, but added: The situation doesnt seem to be getting any better, and in some respects appears to be getting worse. RC Hammond, Tillersons spokesman, denied Tillerson was considering leaving or that his frustrations were boiling over, saying he had plenty of reasons to stay on the job, and all of them are important to America. Theres a desperate need for American leadership in the world and thats where the secretarys focusing his attention, he said. Tillerson scored a policy win last week when the administration certified, albeit reluctantly, that Iran was complying with the 2015 nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to restrain its atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief. (From left) White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, vice president Mike Pence, Donald Trump, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and national security adviser HR McMaster in the White House on May 31, 2017. (AP) He was upset, however, by fierce internal criticism from Trump, as well as his chief strategist Steve Bannon, and White House aide Sebastian Gorka, over the decision, said another US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The secretary does not feel that White House staff members should be in a position to conduct hostile cross-(examinations) of Cabinet officials, the official said. Hammond disputed the account of harsh discord between Trump and Tillerson regarding recertifying the Iran nuclear deal, saying: I dont buy this whole thing that there are tensions. Developing public policy is about vetting out ideas, he said. Following last months move by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to boycott Qatar, which they accuse of financing extremist groups and supporting terrorism, Tillerson publicly asked the nations to ease their blockade, and put the onus on both sides to end the crisis. Less than 90 minutes later, Trump accused Qatar of being a high level sponsor of terrorism and suggested he had helped plan the Qatar action with Arab leaders. As a government we offered some confusing signals, but weve since been able to clear up and clarify that, Hammond said. Politico reported last month that Tillerson was furious with Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing proposed nominees to key state department posts. Disruptive figure Senior national security officials said McMaster was dismayed that his recommendations, backed by his senior director for Russia, Fiona Hill, about taking a tough stance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been ignored. Donald Trump departs a news conference at the White House on May 18, 2017. (NYT) Trump has questioned the US intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to try to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. McMaster, a three-star army general who once praised Trump as a disruptive figure, is also troubled by a protracted debate about sending more US forces to help Afghanistan reverse gains by the Taliban, officials familiar with the matter told Reuters. Asked to respond to the characterizations of the views of McMaster and other officials, a White House official said: Assertions not of fact but of state of mind in internal thought have no place in a story like this. While circumspect, Tillerson talked about the challenges of his new job earlier this month, telling reporters that it differed from his former role as chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp, where I was the ultimate decision-maker. That always makes life easier. I knew what to expect and we had very long-standing disciplined processes and decision-making, he said. Those are not the characteristics of the United States government. US President Donald Trump can fire his attorney general Jeff Sessions any time he wants, but he has taken to mocking and tormenting him in tweets almost daily, strongly indicating that he wants to get rid of him. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Trump tweeted on Tuesday, a day after mocking him as our beleaguered AG. Trump is annoyed with Sessions for recusing himself from the investigations into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential elections. He believes Sessions actions led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller a development with potentially dire implications for him, his family, and their vast businesses. In a recent interview, he said he would have never hired Sessions if he knew the latter would recuse himself. He is also understood to have discussed with advisers the consequences of firing Sessions. When asked if Trump wanted the Sessions to resign, newly appointed communications director Anthony Scaramucci told a TV news anchor, Youre probably right. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Texas senator Ted Cruz are speculated as possible replacements, but both have denied an interest in the post and, more importantly, have backed Sessionss decision to recuse himself. Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions at the US Capitol in Washington on May 15, 2017. (AFP) Trumps treatment of Sessions the first Republican senator to endorse him as a presidential nominee has caused a considerable amount of disquiet among Republicans. Even supporters are appalled. Erik Erikson, editor of conservative news-site The Resurgent, has warned of a revolt brewing in the cabinet, and tweeted that he was told by a cabinet member, If he (Sessions) can get treated that way, what about the rest of us. However, no one in the cabinet has openly defended their colleague. Sessions has not commented on Trumps hounding of him, saying that he wont resign and will continue in the job as long as appropriate. Trump is also trying to bat away the multiple probes into the alleged Russia meddling, which are currently focused on his inner circle. Jared Kushner (C) and his attorney Abe Lowell (R) depart after testifying in a closed-door session of the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 24, 2017. (Reuters) His son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner appeared before a senate intelligence committee in a closed-door meeting on Monday, stating: I did not collude with Russians, nor do I know of anyone in the campaign who did. He was scheduled to appear before a House committee on Tuesday, with Trumps eldest son Donald Trump Jr to appear before the senate judiciary committee on Wednesday. Paul Manafort, who briefly headed Trumps presidential campaign, spoke to the senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, and has been issued a subpoena by the senate judiciary committee to testify before it on Wednesday. Two men, including one who has 25 wives and 146 children, were convicted of polygamy Monday in a landmark ruling that upheld Canadas longstanding ban on the practice. Winston Blackmore and James Marion Oler, who has five wives, face up to five years in prison after being found guilty in the first real test of the countrys polygamy law, enacted 127 years ago. Three special prosecutors had been appointed over the past two decades to consider bringing charges against the pair, but they backed down over concerns that the law prohibiting polygamy violated Canadians constitutional right to religious freedom. Those fears were assuaged in 2011 when British Columbia provinces Supreme Court ruled in a reference case that the inherent harms of polygamy justified putting limits on religious freedoms, clearing the way for charges to be filed against Blackmore and Oler three years later. Judge Sheri Ann Donegan of the British Columbia Supreme Court noted in her ruling that the main defendant, Blackmore, did not deny his polygamy. His adherence to the practices and beliefs of the FLDS is not in dispute, she said. The two men are senior figures in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamist religious sect that broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. The sect has been based for nearly 60 years in the remote, mountainous region of British Columbia near the US border where the community grows, raises or hunts its own food and runs a barter economy. The tractor-trailer was pitch-black inside, crammed with maybe 90 immigrants or more, and already hot when it left the Texas border town of Laredo for the 150-mile trip north to San Antonio. It wasnt long before the passengers, sweating profusely in the rising oven-like heat, started crying and pleading for water. Children whimpered. People took turns breathing through a single hole in the wall. They pounded on the sides of the truck and yelled to try to get the drivers attention. Then they began passing out. By the time police showed up at a Walmart in San Antonio around 12:30 am Sunday and looked in the back of the truck, eight passengers were dead and two more would soon die in an immigrant-smuggling attempt gone tragically awry. The details of the journey were recounted Monday by a survivor who spoke to The Associated Press and in a federal criminal complaint against the driver, James Matthew Bradley, who could face the death penalty over the 10 lives lost. After an hour I heard ... people crying and asking for water. I, too, was sweating and people were despairing. Thats when I lost consciousness, Adan Lara Vega, 27, told the AP from his hospital bed. By the time he came to, he was in the hospital, where his ID bracelet identified him by the last name Lalravega. Mexican consulate and US officials later told AP the correct spelling was Lara Vega. Bradley, 60, of Clearwater, Florida, appeared in federal court on charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. He was ordered held for another hearing on Thursday. He did not enter a plea or say anything about what happened. But in court papers, he told authorities he didnt realize anyone was inside his 18-wheeler until he parked and got out to relieve himself. In addition to the dead, nearly 20 others rescued from the rig were hospitalized in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. Mexicos foreign ministry released a statement Monday night that said according to preliminary information, 25 of the migrants inside the rig were Mexican. Four of those who died and 21 of those hospitalized are Mexican, the statement said. Some of the others inside the truck were from Guatemala. Many of the immigrants had hired smugglers who brought them across the U.S. border, hid them in safe houses and then put them aboard the tractor-trailer for the ride northward, according to accounts given to investigators. Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you theres going to be many more people were looking for to prosecute, said Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bradley told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. After hearing banging and shaking, he opened the door and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, according to the criminal complaint. He said he did not call 911, even though he knew at least one passenger was dead. Bradley told authorities that he knew the trailer refrigeration system didnt work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation Inc. of Schaller, Iowa. President Brian Pyle said that he had sold the truck to someone in Mexico and that Bradley was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. Im absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. Its shocking. Im sorry my name was on it, Pyle said, referring to the truck. He said he had no idea why Bradley took the roundabout route he described to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo which would have been out of his way if he were travelling directly to Brownsville to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles (240 kilometers) north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. I just cant believe it. Im stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this, said Bradleys fiancee, Darnisha Rose of Louisville, Kentucky. He helps people, he doesnt hurt people. One passenger described a perilous journey that began in Mexico, telling investigators he and others crossed into the US by raft, paying smugglers 12,500 Mexican pesos (about $700), an amount that also bought protection offered by the Zeta drug cartel. They then walked until the next day and rode in a pickup truck to Laredo, where they were put aboard the tractor-trailer to be taken to San Antonio, according to the complaint. The passenger said he was supposed to pay the smugglers $5,500 once he got there. Another passenger told authorities that he was in a group of 24 people who had been in a stash house in Laredo for 11 days before being taken to the tractor-trailer. Lara Vega told the AP that he was told by smugglers who hid him and six friends in a safe house in Laredo that they would be riding in an air-conditioned space. The Mexican laborer from the state of Aguascalientes said that when they boarded the truck on a Laredo street Saturday night for the two-hour trip to San Antonio, it was already full of people but so dark he couldnt tell how many. He said he was never offered water and never saw the driver. Lara Vega said that when people are being smuggled, they are told not to look at the faces of their handlers and its a good idea to obey. Bradley told authorities that when he arrived in San Antonio, nobody met the tractor-trailer. But one passenger said six black SUVs were waiting to pick up the immigrants and were full in a matter of minutes. And San Antonio police said store surveillance video showed vehicles picking up some of the immigrants. Lara Vega said he was deported from the US three years ago but decided to take another chance because the economy is depressed where he lives with his wife, 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. A person makes decisions without thinking through the consequences, he said, but, well, thanks to God, here we are. A federal judge in Michigan on Monday halted the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals detained during immigration sweeps across the United States last month, the latest legal victory for the detainees in a closely watched case. US District Judge Mark Goldsmith granted a preliminary injunction requested by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued the immigrants would face persecution in Iraq because they are considered ethnic and religious minorities there. Goldsmith said the injunction provides detainees time to challenge their removal in federal courts. He said many of them faced a feverish search for legal assistance after their deportation orders were unexpectedly resurrected by the US government after several years. Goldsmith said the extra time assures that those who might be subjected to grave harm and possible death are not cast out of this country before having their day in court, Goldsmith wrote in his 34-page opinion and order. US President Donald Trump has attacked The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, alleging that the daily is being used against Congress for mounting pressure on politicians so that they do not look into the e-commerce giants alleged tax-monopoly. Trump accused The Post of filing incorrect stories. Is fake news Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? he said in a series of tweets late Monday night. So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Trump said. So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad, he said as he challenged the Post for writing a story on Syria, which he said is wrong. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 In a lead story, the Post said that cooperation with Russia is becoming a central part of the Trump administrations counter-Islamic State strategy in Syria. US military planners are counting on Moscow to try to prevent Syrian government forces and their allies on the ground from interfering in coalition-backed operations against the militants, the daily said. However, according to the daily, some lawmakers and White House officials have expressed concern that the shortsighted strategy gives the long-term advantage in Syria to Russia, Iran and Assad, and ultimately leaves the door open for a vanquished Islamic State to re-establish itself. Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, alleged that by doing so the Trump administration is playing into the hands of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Trump administration seems to want to find some agreement with Russia to stabilise Syria even if that means entrenching Assad and the Russian and Iranian military presence. The White House, meanwhile, reiterated its support to the Russia sanctions bill. The president has been very vocal about his support for continued sanctions on those three countries. He has no intention of getting rid of them, but he wants to make sure we get the best deal for the American people possible. Congress doesnt have the best record on that, said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Surrounded by Germans and betrayed by its own commander, Russias 2nd Shock Army vanished from the battlefield, and from the history books. WHEN RUSSIAN INFANTRYMAN I. I. Kalabin looked back on the last days of the 2nd Shock Army, his description had all the terrible vividness of events impossible to forget. We werent an army anymore, he wrote: We were a market crowd. The forest burned, the peat bogs smoldered. Bomb craters everywhere, and twisted, broken trees. Piles of useless rifles, wrecked gun carriages. And corpsescorpses wherever you looked. Thousands of them, stinking and covered in flies, decomposing in the June sun. And on every bit of dry groundwounded soldiers. Screaming, moaning, pleadingfor water, or for somebody to finish them off. But nobody paid any attention. People wandered about the woodsnumbed, sullen, half mad; in hats with the ear flaps tied under the chin so as to keep off the mosquitoes, eyes red and swollen from lack of sleep. Nobody had a watch; we lost track of time. What date is it? Is it day or night? The story of the Vtoraya Udarnaya Armiyasimply the 2nd Shock to the men who served in itis one of the least-known tragedies of World War II. The second of five shock armies, designed to spearhead key offensives, it consisted of one rifle division and eight brigadesabout 100,000 men in total. It met its end exactly a year after Hitlers surprise attack on the Soviet Union, in an encirclement that sawas Kalabin so graphically describedas many men die of starvation as from fighting and bombardment. After the war, the army suffered another cruel blow when an act of treachery by its commander, General Andrei Vlasov, prompted authorities to wipe the armys demise from the official record. Only since the Soviet Unions collapse has the story come to light. THE SEEDS OF DISASTER WERE SOWN in early January 1942, when Stalin reacted to the swift-moving German invasion by overruling his generals and insisting on a counteroffensive along the entire front, from the Baltic in the north to the Black Sea in the south. One main objective was the relief of Leningrad, whose 2.5 million civilian inhabitants were entering the depths of mass starvation. In December, 53,000 had succumbed to what death certificates euphemistically called dystrophy and exhaustion; more than 100,000 would die during each of the next three months. Stalins planbasically a larger-scale repetition of smaller offensives that had failed the previous autumnwas to break through the German siege lines at their thinnest point. From inside the ring around Leningrad, the 55th Army would strike south and east, retaking the main Moscow-Leningrad railway line and the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, just to the east. From outside the ring, five armiesthe 59th, 54th, 52nd, 4th, and 2nd Shockwere to push north and west, across the Volkhov River. They were to meet another armythe 55thnear the railway town of Tosno and encircle the forward divisions of Germanys 18th Army. It was a good plan on paper, but not in practice. Hungry, exhausted, short on experienced officers, and chronically under-equipped, not one of the Russian armies was fit to attackespecially those in the north, where a record-breaking winter had sent temperatures plummeting to -20 degrees and below. Trapped inside the siege ring, the 55th Army was especially weak. As files of the NKVD, the Soviet internal security service, later revealed, men were shot for complaining. Corrupt quartermasters abused the rationing system, and left many soldiers dying of starvation; some of them even resorted to cannibalism. Newly called up from the reserve, the 2nd Shock Army was better supplied but inexperienced. It had been formed two and a half months earlier, most of its troops coming from the grain fields of the Volga Steppe. Few had ever seen a forest, none could ski, and their tendency to avoid woods in favor of open ground would soon make them easy prey for German attack planes. Their commander, Lieutenant General Grigoriy Sokolov, had no military experience at all, having climbed the ranks of the NKVD to become deputy to its sadistic head, Lavrentiy Beria. Sokolov reported to General Kirill Meretskov, a capable professional soldier who might have shown more initiative had he not been temporarily imprisoned and tortured on Stalins order at the start of the warone of dozens of senior officers scapegoated for Stalins own failure to foresee the German invasion. LAUNCHED AT FIRST LIGHT on January 6, 1942, Stalins Leningrad offensive began with a bloodbath. Attacking on foot over the frozen Volkhov without artillery preparation, air cover, or winter camouflage, Russian infantry were cut down by the thousands by German gunners sheltering in well-built firing points on the Volkhovs higher west bank. Thrown into battle the following morning, the 2nd Shock Army was supposed to expand a bridgehead established by three armies the previous day. But in reality there was no bridgehead, and in the first half hour of its assault the 2nd Shock lost more than 3,000 men. As Kalabin recalled:37 Uniquely for January, the river ice started to break up and drift. The grey Volkhov boiled with shellfire, and turned red with human blood. We were getting used to war by then, but seeing human arms and heads sticking up out of the river, and human bodies under the transparent ice, we recklessly cursed those who, through stupidity and irresponsible thoughtlessness, plunged us infantrymen alive into the frozen river. Later I was in the battles for Kishinev and Budapest, but the sight of the bloody mortal Volkhov stays with me to this day. Three days later, prompted by Stavka, the Red Army high command, Meretskov halted the offensive. He replaced Sokolov with the more experienced Major General Nikolai Klykov, commander of the 52nd Army. The assault was renewed on January 13this time with better artillery preparation, though troops still lacked supplies and were hampered by snow so deep that wounded soldiers would fall into a sitting position, held upright by the drifts. On January 24, the 2nd Shock Army finally succeeded in breaking across the Volkhov, near the prophetically named village of Myasnoi Bor,Meat Wood. Led by a cavalry corps, it advanced 25 miles in five days, taking a broad swathe of countryside about 30 miles square between Leningrad and the small medieval city of Novgorod, some 90 miles south. The gains were more impressive on paper than in reality. Efforts by the 52nd and 59th Armies to broaden the gap in the German line8.5 miles wide by mid-Februaryfoundered against swift enemy reinforcement, and the captured ground consisted of virtually uninhabited forest, peat bogs, and swamps. As the 2nd Shock Army penetrated deeper into the enemys rear, its supply lines stretched to the breaking point.What was High Command thinking, Kalabin wrote, sending horses into forest without paths or roads, with the snow up to their bellies? One look at a map would have shown them that this empty space beyond the Volkhov was wilderness upon wilderness. Ninety percent of our transport was horse-drawn. What were we supposed to use for feed? We had neither hay nor oats. Often, while we slept, the horses would gnaw away the shafts of their wagons. Or they would simply die of hunger. When he discovered a horse dead, the man in charge would weep, because he could be court-martialled [on suspicion of killing it to eat]. Headquarters and hospitals were supplied with big tents with felt floors, but we slept outdoors, around fires. Often men slept too close, and burned their felt boots. The only way to get new ones was off a dead soldier. Red Army tactics also remained rudimentary. German soldiers were amazed to see Russian infantry advancing across open ground in line abreast, shouting loud hurrahswhich, one German veteran observed, told us where to shoot. Nor did the 2nd Shock Army coordinate with the 54th, pushing toward it from the north: one sides attacks tended to peter out as the others started. To reanimate the advance, in mid-February Stalin sent Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, the incompetent crony who had carried out the army purges of the 1930s and bungled the previous autumns defense of Leningrad. With him, to take over as Meretskovs new deputy, came a tall, bespectacled, 42-year-old professional soldierAndrei Vlasov. Newly decorated for having extricated an army from encirclement at Kiev, Vlasov was at this point to all appearances the model of a successful Soviet general. War reporter Ilya Ehrenburg, who interviewed him shortly before his posting to the 2nd Shock Army, found him charismatic and popular with his men, noting that he addressed them in vivid, colloquial language rather than the usual Soviet jargon. One of 13 children in a peasant family, Vlasov joined the Red Army at 19 and rose quickly through the ranks during the Russian Civil War. Afterward he stayed in the army, won a series of promotions, and at 30 joined the Communist Party. The most unusual item in his CVproof that his superiors considered him politically reliablewas two years in Manchuria, advising Chiang Kai-shek in his war against the Japanese. But Vlasovs run of luck was coming to an end. In mid-March, having been refused reinforcements, Meretskov asked Stavka for permission to pull back the 2nd Shock Army before it bogged down in the spring thaw. Stalin equivocated, again sending Voroshilov to assess the situation. The delay was fatal: Hitler had already ordered the 18th Army to activate Operation Predator, designed to cut off the 2nd Shock Army. The fuhrer, his chief of staff, Franz Halder, wrote in his diary,specifies air preparation beginning several days before the opening of the offensive (heaviest bombs against camps in the forest). After the elimination of the Volkhov salient, no blood is to be wasted on reducing the enemy in the marshes; he can be left to starve to death. In five days of fierce fighting, the 18th Army, aided by troops of the Spanish Blue Division (sent to the Eastern Front by the ostensibly neutral Spanish dictator Francisco Franco), severed both supply roads connecting the 2nd Shock Army with the rest of the Volkhov Front. On March 27 the Russians managed to reopen the bottleneck, clearing a passage two to three miles wide near Myasnoi Bor. But the connection remained fragile and intermittent, crossableif at allonly at night and only on foot. APRIL BROUGHT THE SPRING THAWin Russian the rasputitsa, the notorious time without roads. Operations on both sides came to a halt as frozen bogs turned into lakes and patches of high ground became islands. Quartered in an abandoned monastery on the western bank of the Volkhov, a German reconnaissance officer (and keen bird watcher) watched the landscape change: Reed beds, wide bodies of water between stretches of yellowed grass, black moorland and the sparse remains of snow. Over it all a high spring sky with lambs-wool clouds; a sea of jubilant lark-song and lapwings cries. In the marshy forest to the right, goldfinches in every bush. The men sit in front of their bunkers with their shirts off, their torsos pale. They are whistling and singing. The cheerful noise must carry to the Russians, but I am not going to forbid it. Other Germans were less lyrical, erecting signs outside flooded dugouts that read Kein Trinkwasser (Not Drinking Water) and Hier beginnt der Arsch der Welt (literally Here Begins the Ass of the World). For the trapped 2nd Shock Army, spring brought only new miseries. The corridor connecting it to the rear became impassable, halting evacuation of the wounded and delivery of supplies. Horses died and were eaten; troops had to carry artillery shells by hand, wading up to their waists or jumping from tussock to tussock like rabbits. Painfully built corduroy roads of tree trunks laid side by side sank into the mud. Angry at the armys helplessness, Stalin recalled Meretskov on April 21. He handed command of the Volkhov Front to Mikhail Khozin, a protege of Marshal Georgi Zhukov and commander of the neighboring Leningrad Front. At the same time, Vlasov flew into the Myasnoi Bor pocket to replace Klykov as the 2nd Shock Armys commander. Wolfish and not talkative, according to his new subordinates, Vlasov was no longer the flamboyant officer of two months before. In Moscow, Meretskov visited Stavka to make a final plea for reinforcements, declaring, in Stalins presence, that the 2nd Shock Armys position was critical and that if nothing is done, catastrophe is inevitable. Khozin, who had avowed that he would completely destroy the enemy by the end of the month, came to the same conclusion. On May 12, aware that the Germans were employing two new infantry divisions to close the Myasnoi Bor bottleneck, Khozin submitted a withdrawal plan. The 2nd Shock Army would stage a retreat southeastward, then break out to join the rest of the Volkhov Front. Stavka took four days to approve the plan, by which time it was too late. The army had already begun to disintegrate. The enemy would first surround a unit, I. I. Kalabin remembered, wait for it to weaken for lack of supplies and then start pounding. We were completely helpless, since we had no ammunition, no fuel, no bread, no tobacco, not even salt. Worst of all was having no medical help. No medicines, no bandages. You want to help the wounded, but how? All our underwear has gone for bandages long ago; all we have left is moss and cotton wool. The field hospitals are overflowing, and the few medical staff in despair. Many hundreds of non-walking wounded simply lie under bushes. Around them mosquitoes and flies buzz like bees in a hive. Come near and the whole swarm comes after you, envelops you, gets into your mouth, eyes, earsunbearable. Nothing new about lice, but in such quantities. The grey devils eat us alive, with gusto, completely covering our clothes and bodies. You dont even try to squash them; all you can do is shake them off onto the ground. Our main misfortune, though, was hunger. Oppressive, never-ending hunger. Wherever you went, whatever you were doing, the thought of food never left you. Our food supply now depended on air deliveries by U-2 [a small utility biplane, better known as a Po-2]. Each could carry five or six sacks of dried bread. But there were thousands of us. How could there possibly be enough for everyone? Otherwise youre on your own, you have to eat what you can findbark, grass, leaves, harnesses. Even so, through May substantial numbers of troops escaped the pocket. On the 16th, one cavalry corps, three rifle divisions, and four rifle and tank brigades reached Russian lines. At the months end, they were followed by another rifle division and an artillery regiment, together with many sick and wounded, and heavy equipment. Desertions also increased, with about 1,000 men voluntarily surrendering on May 21, according to German records, and another 1,000 the following day. As they gave up ground, units followed the Red Armys usual scorched-earth policy, forcibly requisitioning grain and livestock and torching barns and cottages. Homeless peasants tagged behind the soldiers in a pathetic train. Our territory wasnt big enough to support even us, a political officer remembered, and suddenly we had all these old women and children on our hands. It was horrendous. The children begged for bread but we had nothing to give them. Sometimes youd give a child 100, 200 rubles, but there was nothing to buy with it. A photograph shows women and children lying under trees whose bark is stripped to the height of an up-stretched hand. Meanwhile, Stalin shuffled his Leningrad generals a second time. Hearing that the Germans had closed the Myasnoi Bor corridor yet again, he promptly relieved Khozin of his command, upbraiding himin a directive issued at 3 oclock in the morning of June 8for failing to withdraw the 2nd Shock Army in a timely and rapid manner, for bureaucratic control methods, and for isolating himself from his forces. Command of the Volkhov Front went back to the vindicated General Kirill Meretskov, who would remain there for the rest of the war. The change had no effect on the ground. Now confined to a small area of boggy woodland west of Myasnoi Bor, the 2nd Shock Army finally met its end during the relentlessly sunlit nights of June 2124, attempting suicidal breakouts through a gap in the German lines that was 2.5 miles long but only a few hundred yards wide. Those who could carried rifles; the emaciated and walking wounded, nothing at all. No imagination can recreate what happened in that Valley of Death, a survivor remembered. A continuous wall of fire, unceasing howling and roaring, a stupefying stench of burned human fleshand thousands of people rushing into this fiery corridor. But only the mobile could try to escape. Many were too seriously injured to walk, or collapsed from hunger. All of them still lie there. German newsreels announced the armys complete destruction and the capture of 649 artillery pieces, 171 armored cars, and 32,000 prisoners. Since the launch of the offensive over the Volkhov River in January, 149,838 Soviet soldiers had been killed in battle, captured, or had gone missing, and another 253,280 had been wounded or died in military hospitals, a casualty rate of almost three in four. Of the 2nd Shock Armys 100,000 men, more than 66,000 had been killed or captured, or were missing. AMONG THOSE WHO FAILED to make it out was General Vlasov, who ceased all radio communication with headquarters on June 21. According to a staff officer picked up by partisans and flown out of the pocket for interrogation, Vlasov at first attemptedalong with about 50 othersto break through German lines on the Polist River, at the entrance to the Valley of Death. Exhausted and hungry, the group tried but failed to capture a German supply truck.In a trance,Vlasov ordered the men to break up into small groups and go their own ways. He wandered off into the woods with his mistress, the headquarters cook. How and where Vlasov spent the next two weeks is unclear. On July 11 he walked into a village, whereperhaps voluntarily, perhaps having been informed upon by local peasantshe was picked up by a German patrol and flown to a camp in central Ukraine for high-ranking Soviet prisoners. There, with no apparent warning, Vlasov turned traitor. He wrote a letter to the German authorities in which he argued that many Soviet citizens were privately anti-Bolshevik, and that if Germany behaved more kindly toward Russian POWs and civilians in occupied territory, it could recruit an army, led by him, to overthrow Stalin. What triggered this spectacular U-turn? On one level, Vlasov was betraying the ideology he had fought for his entire adult life. On another, it is not surprising that he should have wished for Stalins defeat. Like millions of others, he had seen friends and colleagues unjustly imprisoned or executed in Stalins purges. Private diaries show that a significant minority of Russians feltat least initiallythat German victory might be a price worth paying for a new, less murderous regime. Critics say Vlasov was simply an opportunist, seeking power and status under German rule. Defenders paint him as naive, hopeful that he could improve conditions for civilians and POWs and spark more defections from within the senior ranks of the Red Army. Undoubtedly he was embittered by Stalins refusal to either reinforce the 2nd Shock Army or let it retreat, and he must have feared being scapegoated for its collapse. Whatever Vlasovs motivation, his plan, in the Nazis hands, was doomed. The Nazis exploited him for propaganda purposes, touring him around the occupied territories and putting his name on airdropped leaflets inciting Red Army soldiers to surrender. But he never met Hitler, and was only given command of two understrength POW-based divisions in January 1945. Four months later, Vlasovs fledgling Russian Liberation Army was caught in the chaos of the Prague uprising as Czech partisans rose up to liberate the city from the Germans. With the Red Army quickly approaching,Vlasov briefly allowed his forces to fight with the Czech resistance before retreating westward in an attempt to surrender to the Americans. During the negotiations his escort ran into a Soviet column; he was arrested and flown to Moscow. In July 1946 he was tried for treason and hanged. AFTER THE WAR, the 2nd Shock Army shared in Vlasovs disgrace. It went virtually unmentioned in official war histories; its dead were left unburied, no memorials were erected or medals issued, and the widows of its fallen were denied military pensions. Veterans of the army were forced to treat their service as a shameful secret. Those who did talk risked losing their jobs and ostracism by friends and neighbors. Rehabilitation did not begin until the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachevs glasnost policy relaxed censorship. Who were the real betrayers in this story? The 2nd Shock Army, trapped and starving? Vlasov, for siding with Hitler? Stalin, for refusing to let the 2nd Shock Army withdraw, then abandoning it? One clue comes from among the rusted weapons and equipment still being gathered from the woods behind Myasnoi Bor. Found at the site of Vlasovs last headquarters, it is a print matrixlead type, still held tight within a rectangular wooden framefor the armys daily one-page newspaper. Dated June 24, the day on which the armys remnants rushed the Valley of Death for the last time, the headlines read,The enemy will not break our resistance, and Our victory is near. Brave words, but symptomatic of the state of denial that led to so many Soviet disasters early in the war. Stalin persisted in doomed and wasteful operations. His generals (with very few exceptions) were too terrified to stand up to him. Men on the groundlike those of the 2nd Shock Armypaid the price. Originally published in the October 2012 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Long before the United States entered the war, an American aviator hatched a brazen schemewhich President Roosevelt authorizedto preemptively attack Japan. Claire Chennault wanted to bomb Japan. Using B-17 bombers flying from Chinese airfields, he planned to drop incendiaries on Japanese cities, whose buildings were constructed largely of wood and paper, to spread terror and chaos among the people and destroy the industrial centers of the Japanese Empire. On the surface, there was nothing unusual about Chennaults plan. Every air force general in the Pacific wanted to bomb Japan. But Chennault was not an air force general when he advanced his proposal. He was not even in the air force. The 47-year-old former fighter pilot had been forced to retire as a captain three years before because of his fiery temper, insubordination, and unorthodox ideas. He was now a civilian in the pay of a foreign power: a $15,000-a-year consultant to the nation of China, with the rank of colonel in the Chinese air force. There was one other little problem with Chennaults plan: when he recommended the bombing mission against Japan, the United States was not at war with that country. The date was October 1940, more than a year before Japanese planes attacked American forces at Pearl Harbor. Chennaults plan to launch an air strike against a nation with which the United States had peaceful diplomatic relations was to be carried out by contract employeesAmerican servicemen released from the army and navy and paid by the U.S. government through private companies. The American pilots and crew would fly American planes that would be painted with Chinese insignia. What made the plan more striking was that the highest officials in the U.S. government, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, approved it. On July 23, 1941, five months before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt secretly authorized these air strikes. They were set to begin in November, only a few weeks before the date that would live in infamy. The basic idea behind the plan was to prop up Chiang Kai-shek, head of the Chinese Nationalist government, with enough money, materiel, and men so that he could serve as the United States surrogate to stop the menace of Japans military from reaching American shores. Better to fight them over there than in the streets of American cities, it was argued, which was surely what would happen if Japan was allowed to succeed in its planned conquest of China. From China, President Roosevelt and most of his advisers believed that the Japanese would surely go on to invade the rest of the Pacific, including American possessions. And after that? What would keep them from the coast of California? Fleet Admiral William Leahy, chief of naval operations, echoed the thinking of many U.S. government officials when he said Chinas battle against Japan was nothing less than a defense of all of Western civilization. And at least initially, Claire Chennaults goal in 1940 seemed to be a straightforward one. He was determined to save China from Japan by using the weapon he knew more about than most other people did: American air power. He was a powerful and persuasive advocate for his belief, and his nature made him determined to succeed. I had an insatiable urge to win, Chennault later wrote, describing his childhood in Louisiana, where he went to a rural one-room school and spent most of his time hunting and fishing. I constantly strove to be the first in anything I undertook. I simply had to run faster, jump farther, swim faster, dive deeper, catch the longest string of fish, shoot better, make the best grades in all of my classes, do the most work on the farm, and read more books than any of my contemporaries. Not only did he always have to win, he also had to be right. There would be no compromise. He couldnt get along with anybody above him unless they absolutely agreed with him, recalled General Bruce K. Holloway, who flew for Chennault later in the war.If his superiors did not agree with him, then they were simply wrong as far as he was concerned. He became a great pilot and an outstanding leaderas long as his superiors left him alone to command his outfit in his own way. But he was never a good subordinate. Throughout his air corps career, in which he tried, unsuccessfully, to rally support for the importance of fighter aircraft over bombers, his superiors found him abrasive, contentious, belligerent, and combative. George C. Marshall, chief of staff of the prewar army, believed Chennault was totally unfit for command; so did Henry Hap Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps. On top of that, Chennault was not a West Point man, not a member of that club. The Washington establishment insider and later Chennault aide Joseph Alsop commented that nothing was more snobbish than those prewar army bases, and Chennault had no social graces himself. His sometimes-coarse demeanor was not a good fit with the more polished bearing of the military academytrained officers. No wonder he remained a captain after 20 years of service. But in October 1940, after three years in China dealing with an ill-equipped and poorly trained Chinese air force, Chennault was back in Washington to ask for moneya lot of moneyas well as pilots and planes for a mission to attack a friendly country. This time, however, he had the support of some powerful friends: the so-called China Lobby. They succeeded in taking Chennaults plan directly to the highest levels of government. The private campaign to aid China was led by T. V. Soong, the brother of the Wellesley-educated Madame Chiang Kai-shek, and one of the worlds richest men. Educated at Harvard, well connected, and accepted in Washingtons highest social and political circles, Soong wielded enormous influence. He was the first person Chennault called on when he arrived in the nations capital that October. Soong introduced him to Joseph Alsop, then a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune, whose columns were syndicated to more than 70 newspapers nationwide. Alsop was a regular in the Georgetown dinner circuit and a distant relative of the Roosevelt family. Alsop introduced Chennault to another of Soongs circle: Tommy Corcoran, an affable attorney who today would be called a lobbyist; in the 1940s Corcoran was known as a fixer. Corcoran had been Roosevelts speechwriter, confidant, and a chief architect of much of the presidents New Deal legislation, including the social security program. The president called him Tommy the Cork because of his irrepressible personality; there was no holding him down. Roosevelts son Elliott said about Corcoran that apart from my father, Tom was the single most influential individual in the country. Corcoran recalled that Roosevelt had told him, shortly after Chennault arrived in Washington in 1940, to take Chennault around town and introduce him to influential men who could keep their mouths shut. He formed a personal and business relationship with Chennault that would continue after the war. Chennault and I were in this China racket, Corcoran recalled. It was the great adventure of my life. Later that year, Corcoran established a company called China Defense Supplies; Roosevelt supplied the name. It was designed to replace a Chinese company that had been handling the millions of dollars involved in providing aid to China. Corcorans brother was named president, T. V. Soong became chairman of the board, and Roosevelts uncle was one of the directors. The Chinese companys secretary, Whiting Willauer, who had been Corcorans brothers roommate at Exeter, Princeton, and Harvard Law School, worked there as well. He would later become Chennaults partner in a postwar airline he organized in China. These incestuous financial arrangements proved highly beneficial to all involved. Another company was then chartered to hire the pilots, crew, and maintenance personnel who would assemble the aircraft and fly Chennaults missions in China. This outfit, the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (CAMCO), had been set up in 1933 to sell planes to China, and was jointly owned by Chinas finance minister, H. H. Kungalso Madame Chiangs brother-in-lawand William Pawley, an aviation entrepreneur. Pawley was already involved with China Defense Supplies, which provided CAMCOs operating funds. Those funds, of course, came from the millions of dollars in loans the United States made to China. For the well-connected, then, there would be considerable financial gain in preparing for Americas protective reaction strike against Japan. On November 30, 1940, T. V. Soong presented Chennaults plan to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr., who had just approved, at Roosevelts insistence, a $100 million loan to China (see FDRs China Syndrome, page 59). Morgenthau was enthusiastic about Chennaults plan to firebomb Japanese cities. He agreed that it was a small investment that could bring huge rewards. He spoke with the president a week later and wrote in his diary that Roosevelt had said that it would be a nice thing if the Chinese would bomb Japan. Morgenthau had scheduled a meeting with Secretary of State Cordell Hull, but before Morgenthau could raise the issue of bombing Japan, Hull beat him to it. What we have got to do, Henry, he said, is to get 500 American planes tofly over Japan just once. That will teach them a lesson. If we could only find some way to have them drop some bombs on Tokyo. Apparently the China Lobby had gotten to Hull before Morgenthau did. On December 18, Morgenthau made a formal presentation of Chennaults plan to Roosevelt and his cabinet, including Hull, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. Morgenthau spread out a map Chennault had prepared showing the locations of 136 airfields he had constructed for the long-range B-17s he planned to use for the bombing raids. The president said he was delighted with the plan. The next day, Soong and Chennault described to Morgenthau how the bombers could attack not only Tokyo, but also Osaka, Kobe, and Nagasaki. As historian Daniel Ford recounts in Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 19411942, Morgenthau asked Soong if the Chinese government would be willing to pay the bomber pilots $1,000 a month. Was that too high? he asked. No, not at all, Soong replied. Money was no object, Ford adds, sincelike the planes and pilotsit would come from the United States. But then one man did stop it, at least for a time. Army Chief of Staff George Marshall had opposed the idea from the beginning. Marshall told Stimson that the United States did not have enough bombers or trained flight crews to spare for China. To give them away would weaken American preparedness and ability to assist England. The British were holding out against the Germans, and needed all the aircraft the United States could send them. Marshall also pointed out what should have been obvious to everyone: When the Japanese found out they were being bombed by planes piloted by Americans, as they surely would, they would have certain provocation for attacking American bases in the Pacific at a time when the United States was unprepared for war. In addition, Marshall opposed any plan that involved operations outside the normal chain of command, where they would not be subject to military control. In short, Marshall told Stimson that Chennaults plan was too costly, too dangerous, and too unorthodox. Stimson was easily persuaded by Marshalls arguments. He had already become troubled by T. V. Soongs freewheeling style, and Marshalls words settled the matter for him. At a meeting attended by Stimson, Hull, Morgenthau, Knox, Marshall, and Admiral Harold Stark, the chief of naval operations, it was agreed that no bombers would be sent to China. However, they agreed that some military aid had to be given to China to contain the Japanese threat. And so, as a consolation to the Chinese, they authorized 100 P-40 fighter aircraft to be flown by American pilots released from the army and navy, who would be employed and paid by CAMCO. The P-40s could be used only for defensive purposes because they did not have sufficient range to reach Japan. Claire Chennault now had his air force, his independent operation, and the chance to carry out his war in his own way. Roosevelt approved the plan on December 23, 1940, and the American Volunteer Group, which was to become famous as the Flying Tigers, was born. While Chennault was working in the Washington, D.C., offices of China Defense Supplies at 1601 V Street Northwest, ordering equipment for his new air forceeverything from bullets to steak and eggs to shaving cream, trucks, and paper clipshis plan to bomb Japan was being revived by an aide to Roosevelt, 38-year-old Lauchlin Currie. Currie was a Canadian-born economist with a Harvard PhD, who had developed a keen interest in China; in the spring of 1941, Roosevelt sent him there as a special envoy. Currie became such a strong advocate for greater aid to Chiang Kai-shek that Morgenthau complained to his staff, The trouble with Mr. Currie is, I dont know half the time whether he is working for the president or T. V. Soong, because half the time he is on one payroll and the rest of the time he is on the other. Roosevelt began to pay more attention to Curries views than to Morgenthaus, and Currie was increasingly influenced by Chiang Kai-shek, Soong, and Chennault, all of whom kept up the pressure to revive the plan to bomb Japan. In March 1941, Currie leaked the details of the plan to Joseph Alsop in the hope of building support. Alsop revealed it in his newspaper column, noting that the planes would drop incendiary bombs on Japans concentrated, almost undefended, paper and matchwood industrial areas. So much for secrecy. Currie developed a formal proposal to provide Chennault with as many bombers as the War Department said it could sparean initial force of 66 twin-engine Lockheed Hudson bombers and single-engine Douglas DB-7s, the export version of the A-20 bomberto be used for raids against Japanese cities. Named Joint Board Paper 355, Curries proposal was submitted to the Joint Army-Navy Board of the War Department on May 28, 1941. He wanted the plan to be fully operational in five monthsby October 31so that the first bombing raids could be launched by November. He argued that bombing Japan would keep the Japanese military from attacking Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines. Further, when the bombing force reached its full 150-plane strength, it could cripple Japanese war production. And those impressive goals could all be achieved without any direct involvement of the American government. Curries revival of Chennaults original idea could not have come at a more propitious time. The fortunes of war were rapidly changing; the situation in the Far East was deteriorating. Germany invaded Russia in June of 1941, which freed Japan of any concern about an attack from that direction. (Russia had been keeping 30 divisions and 2,800 aircraft on its border with Japanese-occupied Manchuria.) Having broken the Japanese diplomatic code, American intelligence officials knew that Japan planned to move to the south, against the British and the Dutch. They had to be stopped. Throughout the month of July, a fierce debate raged over whether to respond to the threat of Japanese aggression by placing an embargo on the sale of oil to Japan. Americas military leaders opposed such a move, certain that it would leave Japan no choice but to go to war with the United States. Japan produced no oil of its own and had on hand no more than a 12-month supply to run its economy and war machine. President Roosevelt agreed with this idea for a time, telling Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles on July 18 that an oil embargo would mean war in the Pacific. And while most high government officials agreed, some thought war could be a desirable outcome. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes wrote to the president that an oil embargo would make it not only possible but easy to get into this war in an effective way. Whether Roosevelts reason was to prevent war, or to find a way to join it, he announced an embargo on July 26. Opinion polls showed that the majority of Americans supported the embargo and were in favor of taking direct action to stop further Japanese plans. Roosevelt courted the newspapers and radio networks to make sure that his embargo received attention. He wanted the American people to know that he was taking a firm stand against the Japanese. What he did not reveal, however, was that three days before, on July 23, he had approved Chennaults plan for a preemptive strike against Japanto attack them before they could attack us. General Marshall knew about the plan in all its details but, like any good soldier, he was wise enough not to continue protesting against a plan that had the approval of the president and other high government officials. Other factors intervened, however, as production and shipping bottlenecks delayed the arrival of the bombers. The aircraft industry could not build planes fast enough to meet demands, and most cargo ships were already being used to transport supplies to England, so the November 1941 timetable for the raids had to be postponed. The first group of crewmen for the bombers did not leave California for the long voyage to China until November 21. They were still at sea on December 7 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Their ships were diverted to Australia. The first shipment of 18 Lockheed Hudson aircraft were still in Burbank, California. That was as close as they would ever get to China. Claire Chennaults Flying Tigers saw their first combat two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the following five monthsuntil they were disbanded on July 4, 1942they earned their fame by shooting down, according to some estimates, close to 300 Japanese planes, with another 150 listed as probably destroyed. Their losses amounted to merely a dozen P-40s shot down in combat. They were replaced by the 23rd Fighter Group, later absorbed by the Fourteenth Air Force, with Chennaulta newly made brigadier generalin command. Chennault remained in China until June 8, 1945, a month before the Japanese surrender. When President Roosevelt died in April of that year, Chennault lost his most important ally. General Marshall and General Arnold called for his retirement as soon as possible. It was clearly time to go, Chennault said as he left China after eight years of fighting the Japanese. He was angry and embittered about being denied the opportunity to witness the Japanese surrender. But he was not yet finished with China, nor were those who worked for T. V. Soongs China Defense Supplies company. With financial backing provided by Fiorello LaGuardia, then director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, Chennault and Whiting Willauer started Civil Air Transport (CAT), an airline to distribute relief supplies throughout war-ravaged China. The old team was back in operation. Willauer had been with China Defense Supplies and later served as a Lend-Lease official in China. CATs treasurer was James Brenner, once Soongs personal secretary. Tommy the Cork Corcoran was the outfits attorney. Under Chennaults aggressive leadership, and with significant funding from the U.S. government and from the UN relief agency, the new venture became financially successfulat least until 1949, when war broke out between the Chinese Communists and Chiangs Nationalist regime. Chennault returned to Washington and, with Soong and Corcoran, lobbied for financial backing for a new Flying Tigers operation to save the Nationalist government. But this time the president, Harry S. Truman, saw no threat or need to divert any more money to China. Chennaults airline almost went bankrupt, saved only by the Korean War in 1950, when the American government chartered CAT planes to haul cargo and troops. In the next war, Vietnam, Chennaults civilian pilots were chartered to fly U.S. Air Force transports to drop supplies to the French troops at Dien Bien Phu. Two pilots were killed, perhaps the first American casualties in that long war. By then, CAT had become essentially an arm of the CIA. In 1950, renamed Air America, Chennaults outfit played an active combat role throughout the Vietnam Conflictyet another example of a private contractor augmenting the military in combat. The process continues in Iraq and Afghanistan today, where private contractors supply civilian surrogate soldiersalso known as corporate warriorsby the thousands to provide security for American military personnel and facilities. What Claire Chennault and the China Lobby started all those years ago, in the days before Americas entry into the Second World Warthe use of private contractors in the Flying Tigers to wage warbecame not only the stuff of legend, but a continuing and thriving reality in Americas wars today. Originally published in the August 2012 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]heir faces peer out at us from photographs now some 150 years old. These solemn men, five general officers of the Confederacy, stand or sit proudly for their portraits, each resplendent in his gray uniform. Weve seen these images and hundreds others like them for generations. But these five men have a secret. Theres a reason you might notice a twinkle in their eyes because these images, seemingly so pedestrian, are unlike any others of their kind. The uniforms of the Confederate generals were anything but uniform. There were numerous variations on the theme and their clothing was as diverse as the wearers. Like the generals themselves, it seems that no two of their uniforms were exactly alike. Yet at least nine Confederate officersgenerals and others of lesser rankhad posed for studio portraits wearing the same uniform coat, which may have been a photographers prop. That discovery was published in the October 2014 Civil War Times. At the time that article was published, I realized I had seen another uniform worn by more than one general. P.G.T. Beauregards best-known portraits were all taken in this uniform at a single sitting. He wears a dazzlingly handsome coat, well-tailored, and of expensive fabric. Its massive collar insignia is distinctive and Hungarian knot reaches up the coat sleeve nearly to the shoulder. Two rows of buttons, grouped in threes and in a graceful bow, descend to the waist, narrowing as they go. I had noticed years ago that two other generals, Edmund Kirby Smith and Mansfield Lovell, also posed for pictures wearing what I then believed was a similar uniform. Beauregard, Smith, and Lovell all had connections to Louisiana and my assumption was that the three had purchased their uniforms from the same tailor. But I began to wonder whether Smith and Lovell might not be wearing a coat similar to Beauregards, but rather the same coat. [quote style=boxed float=left]Why were these men wearing the same uniform?[/quote] Looking at the buttons, one can see that the sixth one down on the right is slightly out of line with the others, and the buttons become downright sloppy at the waistline, as if hastily sewn on. A general wrinkling pattern can be seen flowing diagonally across the chest and under magnification one can see certain wrinkles identical in each portrait. Sure enough, Beauregard, Smith, and Lovell wore the same coat in their portraits. Oddly, Beauregard also took the opportunity at this sitting to be photographed in civilian clothes, a handsome black suit with vest and a smart, striped necktie. A comparison of these views of Beauregard in uniform and civilian dress shows his hair groomed and falling in exactly the same manner, and in the uniformed images the striped tie also shows itself peeking up through the gap in the collar. [dropcap]I[/dropcap] wondered if there could have been others photographed in this coat. Looking through my digital cache of images I found two more generals, Cadmus Wilcox and Thomas Clingman, wearing it. Out the window went my theory of the Louisiana connection: Wilcox and Clingman never got near the Bayou State during the war. So when and where were these images taken and why were these men wearing the same uniform? We have two generals who were strictly Eastern Theater men, Wilcox and Clingman; two Western Theater generals, Smith and Lovell; and Beauregard, who served in both. Richmond, being the seat of the Confederate government, would surely have been a place each man could have visited. Perhaps a local photographer there owned this fine coat and these men posed in it while in the city. Its a simple solution, but one too hastily accepted, for again we must look closely for details that reveal the truth. Each of these five men fortunately struck several poses during their sittings, and it is the standing pose of Lovell that generated a series of connections leading to a stunning revelation. Lovell is well turned out in the uniformwhich fits him perfectlyand he rests his left hand on a stack of books atop a small side table. The tables skirt bears distinctive ornate geometrical carvings. This same table and books can also be seen in sitting and standing portraits of Confederate Brig. Gen. Beverly Robertson. The chair in which Robertson sits is likewise decorated with distinctive carvings. So now we have two distinctive propsa table and a chairthat might be used to identify a particular photographer. They can be seen singly or together in images of a number of civilians, male and female, and I became comfortable with the notion that these images were produced by a Richmond photographer. My theory was laid low by the appearance of an image of a Federal army officer standing dolefully with his left elbow resting on the distinctive chair. But how? This made no sense! How did a Federal officer come to be photographed in the same studio as Confederate generals? I then examined an image of General Robertson seated at that same table and chair, and that photo provided an answer so obvious I nearly missed it. In wartime images Robertsons hair and beard were dark, nearly jet black early in the war, and graying by the end of the war. In the images with the chair and table his hair and beard are very gray and thinning, and the never-slender Robertson has grown far more corpulent, nearly busting out of his uniform. But of far greater importance was the realization that many of the images showing the table and chair can be found in online collections credited to the work of the Mathew Brady studios. Brady images? Of Confederate generals? That could mean only one thing: the photos of these generals had to have been taken postwar. If that fact had ever been known at all, it had been long ago lost to history. What a discovery! But I still had to verify it and also pin down the studio location. Brady operated studios in Washington and New York City. My first clue that these were taken in New York was that one of the women pictured with the table and chair is identified as Mrs. Astor. That name certainly conjures up New York associations. An e-mail quickly went out to the New York Historical Society and their reply confirmedthe table and chair were props strictly associated with Bradys New York studio. What a profound moment it was to realize that former Confederate generals posed in uniform after the war in New York, at the studio of Americas most famous photographer. It explains why Beauregard was photographed in both military and civilian attire, as was Clingman. It explains why a Federal officer had his picture taken in the same studio as Confederate officers. It explains how generals of the Eastern and Western theaters were photographed in the same studio. But it does not explain why they were wearing the same coat. [dropcap]D[/dropcap]uring a Google search I found a modern color photo of a Confederate generals uniform on display in a museum, mounted in a glass case. At once I recognized the collar insignia. Quickly checking the buttons, I saw the sixth one down out of line and the messy arrangement of the buttons at the bottom. There was even diagonal wrinkling still present across the chest. This was it! This was the very uniform worn by Beauregard and the other four generals in the Brady portraits, still in existence and on display somewhere. The image came from a Wikipedia page, admittedly not a source known for ironclad accuracy, and the caption under it read, Uniform coat of Gen. Mansfield Lovell, Confederate Memorial Hall. I knew that the long-time Confederate museum is in New Orleans. I called and spoke with the museums executive director. To my disappointment, she informed me that the museum did not have that uniform. I directed her to the Wikipedia page so she could see the image for herself. After a few moments she said, Well, its not in our museum, but I think I know where it is. She directed me to the Louisiana State Museum, also in New Orleans. Soon I was on the phone to Wayne Phillips, the museums curator of costumes and textiles. Indeed, that uniform was in the museums possession, a gift of Lovells descendants in the 1970s, but only recently conserved and placed on display. No wonder it fit Lovell so perfectly in his photographs. It was his own uniform. Of the five generals wearing it, Lovell was the only one who accessorized it with his sash and sword belt, which are also on display. [quote style=boxed float=left]My eyes rested on a uniform I never thought I would see[/quote] Some months later, when I visited the museum near Jackson Square, Phillips conducted me to the third floor. There my eyes rested on a uniform I never thought I would see. It is one of the most beautiful of Confederate generals uniforms and looks precisely as it does in the standing picture of Lovell. The points of the collar stars line up exactly with the leaves of the wreath as seen in the Brady photos. Identical wrinkles can be identified on the uniform today that can be seen in the images. And then there are those messy buttons. The collar and cuffs, which appear in the photos to be the same gray color as the rest of the coat, are instead regulation buff. This, however, is not uncommon in the eras collodion photography. There is no doubt this is the uniform worn by the five generals postwar at Bradys studio. What a sensation to view this uniform after having chased it through photos for what seemed years! It makes sense that if former Confederate generals were photographed in uniform after the war in New York City the uniform would belong to Lovell, for he made his home there after the war, as he had done prewar. But when were these images made? Were they all taken at the same time or separately? Beauregard was a railroad executive in the immediate postwar years, which certainly brought him to New York on at least one occasion. Clingman was a land agent in western North Carolina and spent much time in New York after the war. Wilcox made his home in Baltimore and then Washington by the 1870s and could have easily gone to Manhattan for business or pleasure at any time. It could be that a few of them found that they were staying in the same hotel enjoying cigars and renewing acquaintances. Perhaps one suggested they all go to Bradys and have their pictures taken, and Lovell said, By the way, I, ah, happen to have my uniform One can imagine the banter at the studio. Seems a bit snug on you there, Smith. My God, Lovell, did you wear this in the circus? [dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is a strong possibility that a special event brought at least some of these men together at the same time in New York City. Robert E.L. Krick, historian at Richmond National Battlefields, suggested I look into the meetings of the Aztec Club of 1847, a social organization of former army officers who were together in the Mexican War. A meeting of that club was held September 14, 1867, at Astor House in New York. Beauregard, Smith, Wilcox, and Lovell were all members of the Aztec Club. Clingman was not, but it could be that he was in Manhattan at the time of the meeting on one of his frequent visits. But because Lovell was living in New York and had his uniform, it isnt necessary that all five generals had their portraits made at the same timeand in fact it seems unlikely. We can with some accuracy date Edmund Kirby Smiths sitting. A letter by Smith answering a man seeking his autographed picture was recently offered for sale by an artifact dealer. In it Smith apologizes for the quality of the enclosed image, saying that a much better one had been taken by Brady of New York some nine months since. Smiths letter is dated July 21, 1866. If by nine months since Smith meant nine months ago then Smiths image was taken roughly in October 1865. Smith is also listed among passengers arriving in New York aboard a steamer during that period. But that time range rules out the concurrent presence of Cadmus Wilcox. According to his biographer, Wilcox traveled to New York immediately after Appomattox and there boarded a ship bound for Texas. Wilcox went on to Mexico, where he was photographed in Mexico City with other former Confederate generals on October 8, 1865, and remained in that country until the following year when he relocated to New Orleans. It is possible that Wilcox attended the 1867 meeting of the Aztec Club at the Astor House. But he could not have been photographed at the same time as Smith. The lesson that lies within all of this is that we cannot always judge an image by its gutta percha cover. Outdoor images of troops in camp or on garrison duty always seem to contain lots of interesting facets upon close examination. But we now know that the same can be said for the supposedly mundane images of men simply sitting in a chair in the controlled environment of the photographers studio. Beware of the neutral expression on that subject. He or she just might be hiding a secret. Gulfport, Miss., native Richard Lewis is a retired public relations director for the Virginia Tourism Corporation and serves as secretary for Civil War Trails, Inc. He and his wife, Mary, reside in Richmond. Online Extra: More Pictures & Another Coat Peruse more images related to Mathew Bradys New York studio and the General Lovell coat intrigue, and read about yet another Confederate uniform Richard Lewis has researched that appears in numerous images. Hitler Feared Failure As Early As April 1942, Wartime Analyst Concluded Adolf Hitler was sounding like a beaten man as early as April 1942, according to a recently uncovered British intelligence report. A British analyst, psychiatrist John T. MacCurdy, set out to reconstruct, if possible, what was in Hitlers mind when the dictator addressed the Reichstag on April 26, 1942. In his analysis, conducted soon after Hitler delivered the speech, MacCurdy diagnosed a despondent, delusional leader who had given up on overrunning the Soviet Union and bombing Britain into submission. Instead, Hitler was increasingly paranoid and obsessed with what he called the Jewish poison. MacCurdys analysis of Hitlers mental state, stamped secret, was found recently by a University of Cambridge researcher. The report terms Hitler a man who is seriously contemplating the possibility of utter defeat. Frustrated by setbacks on the Eastern Front and the failure of Luftwaffe raids on London, Hitler had high hopes for a U-boat campaign. MacCurdy notes that Hitler spent a mere 65 words characterizing German successes on the Eastern Front and some 700 in the description of the horrors of the Russian winter. Ones impression is that he was more disheartened by the winter than he was confident of the future. Hitler also made little effort to urge Germans on. There is little of the inspiring crusader, the psychiatrist concluded. The content of the speech focused rather on his demand for the legal right to override laws, MacCurdy said. After offering praise for the military and Nazi Party institutions, Hitler went on merely to demand more sacrifice of civiliansfor example, overriding their right to time off from work. In his report on the dictator to the British government, MacCurdy suggested ways in which the Allies could exploit their foes apparently defeatist outlook: make much of Britons living in comfort and cranking out ever more armaments to suggest U-boats were flopping, and generate propaganda to taunt the Luftwaffe with its impotence and emphasize the power of the RAF to destroy German food supplies and communications. The German leader was also sounding increasingly messianic, the psychiatrist said. Hitler is caught up in a web of religious delusions, MacCurdy wrote. The Jews are the incarnation of Evil, while he is the incarnation of the spirit of Good. He is a god by whose sacrifice victory over Evil may be achieved, he added. The notion of a great military victory has passed onto the background, while he poses more as a martyr. MacCurdys insights are chilling given the timing: in January 1942, at the Wannsee Conference, Nazi officials had revealed their Final Solution to the Jewish question. University of Cambridge researcher Scott Anthony found the report while studying British market researcher Mark Abrams, who assigned MacCurdy to probe Hitlers mind. Abrams, a pioneer in polling and market research, went on to predict the importance of the teenage consumer as the Baby Boom was reaching adolescence. Mixing Up the Yearsand the Images Russian photographer Sergey Larenkov creates ghostly images that mash up eras by blending contemporary color photographs of European cities with World War IIvintage photos showing the same locations. Adolf Hitler and entourage stand before the Eiffel Tower, seemingly posing for Japanese sightseers. Soviet Field Marshal Georgi Zhukov pauses by the Reichstag in Berlin, surrounded by rubble and triumphant Russian graffiti and trailed by a modern-day father leading a toddler. A Soviet tank rumbles down a German boulevard past a Burger King. Larenkov, 42, is from St. Petersburg. His grandparents survived the two-year German siege of that city, called Leningrad at the time. I have got two daughters, he told Britains Daily Mail. My youngest asked me to tell her about the war and I decided to show her. So I started making collages. He finds old photographs, travels to where they were taken, exposes a new picture, and blends them digitally. The images appear at sergey-larenkov. livejournal.com. Latest Attempt to Clear Kimmel of Pearl Blame Fails A formal rejection letter is the latest setback for descendants of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel as they continue to try to clear the name of the man who shouldered a large share of the blame for the debacle at Pearl Harbor. Thomas Kimmel Jr. recently learned that the United States Naval Institute has refused to publish his defense of his grandfather in its periodicals, Naval History and Proceedings. The younger Kimmels latest gesture came after Naval Institute Press announced it would reissue Samuel Eliot Morisons magisterial 15-volume History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, a series that includes the 1948 classic Rising Sun in the Pacific. In Rising Sun, Morison harshly judged Kimmel for failing to heed warnings and ready Pearl Harbors defenses. Morisons opinion reflected the official verdict at the time. Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941, Kimmel was demoted to rear admiral soon after the Japanese attack and left the navy in 1942. But Morison had second thoughts as evidence emerged that officials in Washington withheld crucial intelligence from Kimmel as well as from Lieutenant General Walter Short, who commanded army forces in Hawaii. Morisons change of heart solidified after he read Walter Lords popular Pearl Harbor narrative Day of Infamy and Roberta Wohlstetters Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision, a classic account of intelligence failures that gained renewed popularity after the 9/11 attacks. In a 1961 letter to the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, Morison offered to endorse any effort to reinstate Husband Kimmels four-star rank. Admiral Kimmel died in 1968; Morison, in 1976. When the Naval Institute Press began republishing Morisons books, in 2010, Thomas Kimmel Jr., sought to set the record straight in the institutes magazines. He wrote that the publishing division should ensure that readers are aware of Mr. Morisons revised analysis, and the shortcomings that led to it. The institute made no response until late last March, when a standard publication rejection letter arrived, he said. Kimmel continues to press his case with the institute, calling the rehabilitation of Admiral Kimmel a matter of national honor. He has not heard back. Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton also rejected bids to reinstate the admirals rank. Spitfires in the Hole? David Cundall spent 15 years hunting buried treasurenot doubloons or pieces of eight, but fighter planes. The British farmer had heard that Royal Air Force Spitfires were buried in southeast Asian jungles, and was determined to find them. This spring, Cundall says, he located a cache of the venerated fighter planes interred in the forest in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The find has generated controversy over the ownership of the planes as well as their existence. Cundall says his quest began in 1997, when a group of American veterans told archaeologist Jim Pierce, a friend of Cundalls, that in August 1945 they planted the planes underground.They told Jim,Weve done some pretty silly things in our time, but the silliest was burying Spitfires, Cundall told the Sydney Morning Herald. At wars end a used fighter was junk, but attrition has made intact examples of the aircraft that helped win the Battle of Britain extraordinarily valuable. Intrigued, Cundall placed ads trying to find the men alleged to have buried the craft. He won the trust of Myanmars junta and visited that country a dozen times. Using ground-penetrating radar, he says, he found the planescrated and seemingly in good condition40 feet underground at a site he wont disclose. Cundall hopes that investors will help get the historic fighters back into the sky. Spitfires are beautiful airplanes and should not be rotting away in a foreign land. They should be preserved. After his first report, Cundall suggested more planes may be buried around Myanmar. Controversy arose over the buried planes when British billionaire Steve Boultbee Brooks, an aviation enthusiast and one of the proprietors of an airfield that specializes in vintage aircraft flight and lessons, got involved. Media reports have Boultbee Brooks, who traveled with Prime Minister James Cameron on a goodwill mission to Myanmar, jousting with Cundall over who owns the fabled planes. In addition, the phenomenons improbability has some experienced observers wondering whether any aircraft ever actually went into the ground. Generally, after the war aircraft werent buried as being described in Burma, says British aviation historian and documentary filmmaker Andy Saunders, who has worked on World War II aircraft and artifact recovery projects since 1969. In Europe, it was standard to fill bomb craters with plane hulks and other debris. However, to excavate for, crane in, and cover over so many planes would require a massive effort. I have heard that no one dug a hole for these aircraft but instead that they were placed in a dry riverbed and had an airfield extended over them. Thats a bit more believable. But were also being told there may be more locations in Burma, with more than a hundred planes buried. They seem to be multiplying underground. I want to believe these planes are there. Some very sane people seem very happy to throw a lot of money at the pursuit of this dream, but. To the best of our knowledge, it was not RAF official policy to bury unwanted aircraft, Royal Air Force Museum curator Andrew Simpson said in an e-mail. Buried aeroplanes do turn up, but more by local accident than central design. Cundall did not respond to requests for comment; Boultbee Flight Academy declined to comment. Originally published in the October 2012 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Meek Mill has officially entered a new tier in life. On the heels of his thirtieth birthday, he released his album and accompanying film Wins And Loses. In a recent interview with Ebro, Meek expressed his desire to grow, climb the social ladder and champion the youth. And though numerous high profile beefs have seemingly eclipsed his image and threatened to jeopardize his longevity, Meek Mill currently stands in the most promising position in his career. Now that we have his new project to bump over the next couple weeks, it only makes sense to reflect on where it all began. And thus, here is every Meek Mill mixtape ranked from worst to best. Cover photo via Rob Kim The Real Me Pt. 2 Though the first installment of this series was strong, The Real Me Pt. 2 doesnt quite live up to the hype. Thats not to say that the music is trash, but it seems like there was a lack of of effort in these records as compared to the first volume. This tape wasnt a complete loss, and there are still a handful where Meek Mill goes off, including the OL Skool Freestyle We Hear Dem Niggas Talkin and I Dont Sleep. Like Meek Mill says, however, we all take wins and losses. The Real Me Pt. 2 leans closer to the latter side. Flamers 3 Flamers 3 doesnt burn with the intensity of Flamers 2.5: The Preview, but its a solid effort nonetheless. Though it wasnt as impressive as some of the other projects in the series, it doesnt exactly fail in carrying the torch. Standout tracks include Rose Red, The Real, and Black Thought. Peep the throwback Thursday-worthy visuals for Rose Red, featuring a young Meek Mill with a full head of braids and mad bottles of Moet. Flamers 2 Flamers 2 was released at a pivotal time in Meek Mills career. He had signed his first official deal with T.I.s Grand Hustle Records, and was beginning to take his first steps into the mainstream. However, Meek was also dealing with some legal trouble, and was unfortunately jailed during the release of this project. On the plus side, Meek was beginning to experiment with new musical styles, which ultimately led to Flamers 2. Its essentially the same street shit and hype bars, but theres a completely diverse and different range of music. We have some dope club tracks like Im So Fly and We Getting Money, as well as the ridiculously hype tracks like Gettin It In and The Future. Flamers 2.5: The Preview Even though the official title is Flamers 2.5: The Preview, it should be something more like Flamers 2.5: The Showcase. This project is packed top to bottom with standout music, as if Meek Mill got out of jail and had a bone to pick with the entire industry. There are so many dope tracks on this project that its hard to choose from. You may as well play the whole tape again. Flamers Much like the Dreamchasers mixtapes, the Flamers series is a collection of some of the toughest, lyrical street bangers. The original Flamers mixtape, released in late August of 2008, is not for the faint of heart. Meek was on his starving artist tip, meaning he was killing any and everything in front of him, eating up rappers on his way to the top. Meek spits ether lines on joints like Boss Freestyle and On The Block, proves his versatility with storytelling tracks like First Of All, and crafts bangers like In My Bag and Do Dat Dere. 4-4 EP & 4-4 EP Pt. 2 It seems that with each post-Drake beef release, Meek Mill was putting more vengeance into his music. That is 100 percent the case with Meeks recent pair of 4-4 EPs. As with the Meekend Music tapes, its hard to put these micro-mixtapes above any full-length releases, but nonetheless, they deliver. Meekend Music/Meekend Music 2 Its hard to say that the Meeknd Music tapes are better than some of the full-length tapes Meek tapes, but then again its not because these tapes are absolute fire. These collection of records are both refined and edgy, skillfully redirecting the conversation from a focus on the personal bullshit to the strict merit of his music. Meek Mill Meekend Music II The Real Me Though this was one of Meek Mills first projects, this is Meek at his purest, roughest and most promising form. The Real Me is like the lost street files, dug up every so often to remind those doubters where this guy really came from. From the jump, Meek kills the opener and sets the tone on Niggas Know, before continuing to spaz on tracks like 4 You, Hoes Down GZ Up, and The Real Me. Mr. Philadelphia 2010 was a good year for Meek Mill, and the Mr. Philadelphia mixtape is a testament to that fact. At this point in his career, he was one of the hottest MCs on the come up, rising from the streets to the industry. On that note, Meek hopped on several popular beats and killed them, including two Drake tracks where he sends a premeditated shot at Nicki Minaj. He also Kills Waka Flockas Hard In The Paint, all while maintaining his own distinct flair. Dreamchasers 3 Much like the other installments of the Dreamchasers series, Dreamchasers 3 is an all out epic. There are so many bangers on this tape that its kind of unbelievable. well let the music speak for itself and invite you to revisit the tape in its entirety. Dreamchasers First impressions are important, and while this wasnt necessarily Meek Mills introduction into the industry, it was the introduction to the Dreamchasers franchise. Luckily, Meek delivered one of those modern day classic mixtapes that falls somewhere between the likes of Kush & OJ and Sorry 4 The Wait. With front to back bangers including the hit that shook the world, House Party, Dreamchasers truly gave Meek Mill the platform to be the tastemaker and rap superstar he is today. Dreamchasers 4 It was a tough decision to put Dreamchasers 4 above the original, as DC4 wouldnt be a reality without Dreamchasers. However, Meek Mill dealt a royal flush hand on the table with DC4. This tape is an all out flex, especially given the timeline of its release. Consider that Meek was deeper into the public eye than ever before, battling the blowback of his failed relationship with Nicki Minaj and a publicized beef with Drake and more. Whether its Litty, Blue Notes, or the famed Tony Story 3, DC4 has something for everyone. In other words, Meek Mill really told the haters to STFU with this one. Dreamchasers 2 Theres no other way to say it. Meek Mill took things into outer space with this tape. Though the original Dreamchasers is a classic in its own right, DC2 reinvented the expectation about what Meek Mill could do, emulsifying his image as both the King of Philidelphia and a ruler of the entire game. This project made an immense amount of noise upon release, reaching over one million downloads within hours of being posted on Datpiff. DC2 set the streets on fire with a number of mega-hit tracks including the now infamous Drake assisted Amen, A1 featuring Kendrick Lamar, and the high profile, star studded remix to House Party. This tape was definitely one for the books. Meek Mill Dreamchasers 2 Melissa Timmins has a week to decide: Does she keep her hand to herself, or does she let her employer microchip it? The implant is the size of a grain of rice. It would slip under the skin between her forefinger and thumb. It would sting for only a second. Then she could unlock doors or log onto her computer with a wave. Her flesh could hold her credit card, her medical records, her passport . . . "At first, I thought it was a joke," she said. Timmins, 46, works in sales at Three Square Market, a Wisconsin company that makes vending-machine software. The offer came after her boss returned from a business trip in Stockholm, where he encountered Biohax Sweden, a start-up that aims to endow body parts with technological power. On Aug. 1, Three Square Market will throw a "chip party," where employees can insert the $300 microchips, provided free from management. About 50 of 85 employees are expected to accept the company's present. (Chips and salsa will be served.) The Radio Frequency ID chips, as they're called, could also function beyond the office. If Timmins got the implant, she could use it to buy snacks at shops or vending machines that support the technology. Cyborgs at work: Employees getting implanted with microchips People have long tagged pets. And businesses regularly use chips to track shipments. Implanting employees, however, still sounds like an idea out of science fiction. Electronic-privacy advocates argue that trackable data is hackable data, and that someone, somewhere, could find a way to invade your privacy. Hand implants could also be miniature logs of comings and goings, or tiny purchase histories. Tony Danna, Three Square Market's vice president of international development, has no privacy concerns. He asked: Weren't people worried about cellphones? Last month, Danna, 28, visited Epicenter, the start-up hub home to Biohax Sweden, and met the brains behind the chips. A worker there was first chipped two years ago, and now about 150 employees have the implants. "How do I get one of these chips in my hand right now?" Danna recalls wondering. For him, the appeal is convenience. "I don't want to have to carry my wallet or passport or car keys," he said. Eventually, he added, the technology will be everywhere, and Three Square Market wants to be at the forefront. He said his company's chip program will be the first in the United States. Timmins, the sales associate, likes the idea of being first. Of beating the guys in Silicon Valley and New York City from River Falls, Wisconsin - population 15,000. But she's still on the fence, and not because she thinks her boss or some hacker could secretly track her. Phones these days, she said, already make that easy. "I'm just concerned about implanting something into my body," she said. "I'm thinking about infections. Then there's the other side of me that thinks: This is exciting. Cutting-edge." Workplace dilemmas used to be less . . . corporeal. Do we join the union? Log hours from home? Enroll in that savings plan? Timmins said she'll sleep on her chip decision for a night or seven. Then she'll go to the party, size up the syringes and make the call. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Lamonte Waits, owner of Boogie's BBQ catering service and restaurant in Missouri City, used to offer the lowest possible bid for his signature burgers and Chicago-style ribs. He figured a low price would secure a contract, even if the pay wasn't great. "I just wanted to get my foot in the door," Waits said. It wasn't until Waits informally met with a fellow small-business owner at a community event that he learned how to better price bids. In Missouri City, historically a bedroom community with middle- to high-income residents commuting into Houston for work and play, many soon-to-be retirees are seeking resources to run businesses in their own backyard. Existing mom-and-pop operations like Boogie's BBQ are also seeking support, be it organized networking events or workshops outlining tips and tricks on bidding, bookkeeping and the like. "Missouri City is in need of a chamber of commerce," said Sheri Smith, an associate professor of public affairs at Texas Southern University. Related: 'Buy Black' initiative builds up black-owned businesses The Greater Houston Black Chamber has answered the call by opening a branch there, its first outside the Houston city limits. It won't have a physical location, but the chamber will be hosting meetings and events in Missouri City tailored to local businesses' needs and concerns. The branch will also serve as the model for future openings across the region. More Information Kicking off a branch What: Greater Houston Black Chamber Missouri City branch kickoff meeting Where: Fort Bend County Sierra Annex Building, 5855 Sienna Springs Way, Missouri City When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday RSVP: 713-660-8299 or ghbcc.com/all-events/ See More Collapse "We are extremely excited about this," chamber chairwoman Courtney Johnson-Rose said. After being approached by 15 Missouri City business owners and residents two years ago, the chamber did its own research into the area's demographics. They found a suburb whose population is 46 percent African-American, and a median African-American household income of $87,000. A Houston Chronicle analysis of U.S. Census data shows that after the last recession, black-owned businesses kept the economy afloat in the suburb, which is mostly in Fort Bend County. Several chamber members hail from Missouri City as well. "This is definitely an ideal target," Johnson-Rose said. Related: Greater Houston Black Chamber to launch Buy Black directory To better understand what businesses in the area needed, the chamber last year hired Smith and her TSU students to conduct a business assessment survey. From January to June, Smith and her team collected data from residents and entrepreneurs alike. They found that residents sought "buy local" campaigns and a local business directory. Surveyed business owners, including Waits, hoped an entity like a chamber with a diverse membership could help host networking events that could open doors to business opportunities. Waits, a new member of the Greater Houston Black Chamber, noted that soon a Houston Community College campus will open just a few blocks away from his storefront, which includes a small dining area, on Texas Parkway. While he can approach school officials to form a partnership, encouraging students to eat at Boogie's BBQ, it would be a smoother process if the chamber hosts a meeting between the school and local eateries, even if just to plan catering for one schoolwide event. "Sometimes it just takes one big event for your business to flourish," Waits said. For him, the TSU researchers' focus on the older corridors of the city, including his own, was a welcoming sign. As Missouri City moves ahead with a comprehensive plan for development, residents and business owners in the older corridors, including the one along Texas Parkway, feel as though they are being neglected, longtime resident Vickie McBride said. McBride, who is also a management consultant at the Houston-area Urban Community Development Corp., said that when the older corridors do receive attention, it clashes with what residents want. For instance, she said, much of the commercial development in Texas Parkway has been limited to supporting the influx of industrial parks rather than introducing more retailers or supporting existing small-business retailers. "People are interested in goods and services, not just industrial parks," she said. McBride, Waits and others hope the local chamber can serve as a resource for residents and business owners who seek to balance out how commercial space is used in the coming years. "We feel it's fertile ground," Johnson-Rose said. Q: I'd love to start my own small business, but I just don't have the financial or other resources I would need right now. I'm a millennial, and sometimes I think someone of my generation just isn't ready to take on the responsibility of small-business ownership. But I also hate the thought of working for someone else until I can accumulate enough money and experience to strike out on my own. Any suggestions? A: You may be hung up on misconceptions about your generation, as well as a lack of knowledge about how to find the tools and resources you need. A recent study conducted by America's SBDC and The Center for Generational Kinetics revealed insights into the entrepreneurial mindset of different generations of Americans, including the millennials, defined as those born between 1977 and 1995. The study showed that 59 percent of millennials would start their own business within the next year if they had access to the right resources. So it's not a question of not being ready for the responsibility. As to hating the thought of working for someone else, depending on your role, doing so can in fact be a good way to gain the experience you'll need to be your own boss. Although you may not want to do it for the long term, think of it as a training ground and try to pick up all the management tips you can. Also try to save as much money as you can while doing it. The study showed that most respondents of all generations rated money high on the list of things holding them back from starting a business. The more you can save, the better off you'll be. It's tough to get outside financing in the early stages of business startup; in many cases lenders look for a track record before they'll take the risk. In the meantime, take advantage of the tools and resources at your fingertips. America's SBDC advisers provide free one-on-one help with market and industry research, writing a business or marketing plan, putting together a loan application package and more. Entrepreneurs can also attend a wide variety of affordable business workshops and seminars on topics ranging from basic business startup to attracting more customers through social media. In the Houston area, find your local SBDC at sbdcnetwork.uh.edu. With the SBDC's help, you may be ready to strike out on your own sooner than you think. As Charles "Tee" Rowe, president of America's SBDC, said: "The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in America, and ... people of all generations are eager to find help to build their dream business." WASHINGTON - The Senate Republican drive to pass a sweeping rewrite of the nation's health-care laws took another unexpected turn late Monday when the office of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., announced he would return to Washington for a planned Tuesday vote. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, could provide a critical vote to open debate on the GOP bill. The senator had been recuperating from surgery and exploring treatment options in Arizona. McCain's announcement came as some Senate GOP leaders expressed confidence in a newly emerging strategy of trying to pass smaller-scale changes to the Affordable Care Act, with an eye toward continue negotiations into the fall. While it was unclear if McCain's return would improve the chances of the bill clearing a key procedural hurdle as he has expressed concerns about the proposal. But some Republicans were privately abuzz with speculation that leaders might be close to securing the votes they needed to at least keep alive a months-long effort that all but died last week. Still, the prospects of success were murky at best. President Donald Trump threateningly urged Republican senators to get behind the effort Monday, but his sharp rhetoric produced no new public support. And Republican senators were confused about what kind of measure their own leadership even intended to bring to a vote. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," McCain's office said in a statement. Hours earlier at a White House event on Monday afternoon, Trump forcefully encouraged Senate Republicans to vote "yes" on a procedural motion that would allow debate on health-care legislation to begin. However, exactly what legislation lawmakers would be debating remained unclear to many of them late Monday. In a West Virginia speech before the National Boy Scout Jamboree later on, Trump sought to pressure Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., by saying, "You better get Senator Capito to vote for it," referring to his health and human services secretary, Tom Price, who was with him. Trump also quipped that he would fire Price if he did not round up enough votes. "As the Scout law says, a Scout is trustworthy, loyal - we could use some more loyalty, I can tell you that," Trump said in a day that was filled with thinly veiled barbs at Republicans who have failed to advance the health-care revamp. Revered on both sides of the aisle, the news that McCain has brain cancer cast a pall over the Capitol last week and his return is sure to provide a morale boost for colleagues in both parties. But most immediately, McCain may provide a critical vote in support of beginning formal debate on the health-care bill. Republican leaders openly discussed the possibility of McCain's return with reporters on Monday during an evening vote. "I'm pretty confident we'll get on the bill even without John, " Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the chamber's lead GOP vote-counter, told reporters. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she spoke with McCain on Saturday and that her frequent collaborator was eager to get back to work. "It is just extraordinary how upbeat he is and how accepting of his diagnosis - it was truly inspirational to talk with him," she said. "I have a feeling that if there's any way he can be back, he will be here - whether his doctors like it. It just reminds me of what an extraordinarily brave person he is." Without McCain, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., could only have afforded one GOP defection. Multiple Republican senators have raised objections to each health-care proposal that has been offered, leaving McConnell and Trump in a very difficult spot. "There is still time to do the right thing," Trump said at the White House on Monday. He added a word of warning: "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling Americans that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare." Vice President Pence is also lobbying heavily for wary senators to pass a health-care overhaul and was spotted heading toward McConnell's Capitol Hill office late Monday afternoon as votes were getting underway. McConnell encouraged senators to vote Tuesday to open what he said would be a period of "robust debate" on health care. "I will vote 'yes' on the motion to proceed and I would urge all of our colleagues to do the same," he said in a speech on the Senate floor. But a flurry of problems remained for McConnell as he insisted on taking up the troubled legislation, which must receive 50 votes to be approved, with Pence ready to break a tie. His plan is catching flak from all sides - ranging from moderate senators who disagree with the Medicaid cuts to conservatives who don't believe the package goes far enough to repeal the ACA, which they have campaigned against for seven years. After it became clear last week there weren't sufficient votes for the Senate package to repeal and replace the ACA that McConnell negotiated, the majority leader said the Senate would instead move to a straight repeal bill like one they voted on in 2015. But there was confusion Monday about exactly which direction senators would go on Tuesday when and if the voting starts. And none of the options that McConnell has presented had won enough public support to guarantee passage. "What are we proceeding to?" Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a conservative critic of the effort, wondered aloud to reporters. On the opposite end of the spectrum, centrist Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she would not vote "yes" to move forward on any of the plans that have been floated so far. One emerging idea late Monday was to scale down the scope of the proposals and instead find a narrower bill, That would set up a House-Senate conference to resolve the differences between the two proposals, buying Republicans more time, Cornyn confirmed Monday evening that congressional leaders were now leaning against the original plan, if the Senate could approve legislation, to have the House immediately approve the Senate bill once it was approved in the upper chamber. "Initially there was some thought maybe the House would take up the bill we passed, but that may not be the case. So what we need to do is make progress," Cornyn told reporters. That point - just "make progress" - was echoed by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who held a robust conversation with GOP leaders on the Senate floor during votes and explained that the aim is just to make sure some legislative proposal passes in a bid to keep the effort alive. Officially, the Senate plans to vote on a motion to proceed to a House-passed repeal-and-replace bill. But from there, that measure could be amended in any number of ways. In his remarks Monday, McConnell referred to the 2015 repeal-only bill that passed with overwhelming GOP support but was vetoed by President Barack Obama. McConnell said senators have another chance to vote for that measure, and this time "President Trump will use his pen to sign such legislation." The GOP leader did not mention the Senate bill to "repeal and replace" Obamacare simultaneously. Trump has pushed lawmakers not to give up on the simultaneous repeal-and-replace approach, leaving many scratching their heads about what direction McConnell would go should legislation advance to a full floor debate. "We'll have several amendments," said McConnell spokesman Don Stewart. "Members are discussing timing." Cornyn said Monday that leaders hadn't decided which version of the bill would come up if the motion to proceed succeeds - in part because they want to keep their options open. "We're trying to maximize the number of votes," Cornyn told reporters. "What we're trying to do is convince everybody that if they'd like to get a vote on their amendment, then they need to vote to proceed to the House bill." McConnell met with conservative activists Monday to discuss health care. Two attendees - Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of tea party Patriots and Jason Pye, vice president of legislative affairs at FreedomWorks - said they support the motion to proceed. Martin said she hoped that "at the very least, at the end of this process" lawmakers could pass the 2015 repeal bill. Pye also voiced support for that measure. But neither said they walked away from the meeting with a clear understanding of which amendments to the bill would be brought up in which order, if debate can even begin. --- The Washington Post's Paul Kane and Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. SAN ANTONIO - The driver of a tractor-trailer in which several immigrants died in crushing heat has a criminal record that dates to 1997 and a life as mobile as his job. James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60, said little when informed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney that the human-trafficking charge he faces carries a maximum life sentence and the possibility of death. His criminal history could come into play during a bail hearing set for Thursday, when prosecutors are expected to argue that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk because he faces a possible stiff sentence, and has a record of not appearing at scheduled court hearings and not complying with the law. Bradley's criminal record includes arrests since 1997 in multiple states on charges including menacing others, assault, grand theft, escape and several traffic offenses, according to public records. Most recently, he lived in Louisville, Ky., and worked for Pyle Transportation of Iowa, public records indicate. Bradley's fiancee, Darnisha Rose, also of Louisville, told the Associated Press he had no idea how the immigrants got into his trailer. "I just can't believe it. I'm stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this," said Rose. "He helps people. He doesn't hurt people." Neighbors said Bradley lives with a relative there but that they keep to themselves. For more than a month, a truck matching the description of the one located at the deadly scene in San Antonio had been parked outside the house. Court records show Bradley was arrested in 1997 in Arapahoe County, Colo., on charges of felony menacing, menacing with a deadly weapon and third-degree assault. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to the felony menacing charge and the others were dropped, records show. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation. The probation was revoked in 2003 and he was arrested a year later in 2004 on a felony escape warrant while in Hillsborough County, Fla.. He was also charged in Florida with grand theft, but the charge was dropped after he spent more than a month in jail. He was then extradited to Colorado, where he received one year in prison on the escape charge. His probation was revoked again in 2005 and he was again sent to prison in Colorado, court records show. He has also been convicted of several driving offenses in various states, including speeding, misuse of equipment and driving without evidence of financial responsibility (insurance), according to court records. Bradley has been married twice, according to public records. Bradley has been a truck driver for several years, according to court records. When he was arrested in 2004 in Florida, he listed his employment as trucker for IBS Transportation. His Florida driver's license information page also said he has endorsements to haul dual trailers. According to federal records, he was one of 15 drivers for Pyle Transportation, which is authorized to haul general freight, fresh produce, meat, refrigerated foods and paper products. Pyle Transportation confirmed that the trailer was being transported to Brownsville because it had been sold. However, the company said Bradley wasn't authorized to be carrying any cargo and that it had no idea there was anyone inside. "This is terrible," Brian Pyle, the company's owner, said Sunday. The Iowa trucking company has a history of safety violations, records show. Last month, Pyle Transportation, which has 18 trucks, was fined more than $50,000 for not keeping proper logs. In 2015, it faced a $90,000 penalty for a similar infraction, according to records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Since 2015, the company received more than 150 violations, but only four resulted in fines. In 2014, it was fined another four times. The infractions included: five violations for improper log keeping; using a driver known to have used a controlled substance; operating a motor vehicle without proper financial responsibility coverage; and having an expired medical examination certificate. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The smugglers assured the dozens of immigrants who piled into the tractor-trailer in the border city of Laredo that the truck would have air conditioning, a necessity in the triple-digit summer heat. But when the doors closed Saturday night, the container was already very hot and the people, who had crossed into the United States illegally, were thirsty and sweating, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. No food or water was provided to them, and people began to lose consciousness after the first hour of the 150-mile drive to San Antonio, several immigrants later told investigators. One person said at least 70 people had been packed into the trailer. Another said it could have been as many as 200. They crowded around one small hole, taking turns gulping fresh air. They banged on the trailer's walls but the truck didn't stop. By the time police discovered the human cargo - at an otherwise empty Walmart parking lot on the city's southwest side after one man stumbled out and an employee called 911 - eight people were dead. Two more died over the course of the day. The details of the harsh conditions endured by the dozens of undocumented immigrants on their journey were revealed Monday in a criminal complaint against the truck's driver, 60year-old James Matthew Bradley Jr. Bradley, of Louisville, Kentucky, faces up to life in prison or the death penalty on one count of transporting immigrants who are in the country illegally. He's being held without bond until a bail hearing Thursday. An affidavit for his arrest - sworn out by an agent with Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal investigative branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - described interviews with Bradley and several of the survivors. Many immigrants were apparently picked up by smugglers before a Walmart employee called police. Of the 39 in and near the truck when police arrived, 31 were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Driver tells one version to authorities Bradley told investigators he didn't know there were people in the trailer and said he stopped in the Walmart parking lot to use the bathroom. When he got out of the truck, the trailer was shaking and people inside were banging on the walls. "Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by 'Spanish' people and knocked to the ground," ICE agent James Lara wrote in the complaint. "Bradley said he then noticed bodies just lying on the floor like meat. Bradley said he knew at least one of them was dead." Bradley was in the truck's camper when police arrived, according to the complaint. The driver told investigators he called his wife, who didn't answer, but didn't call 911 after finding the stricken immigrants in the trailer, according to the complaint. Bradley told police he had picked up the trailer in Iowa and was delivering it to Brownsville, 165 miles southeast of Laredo, where he had it detailed before driving to San Antonio. He told police the truck's refrigeration system was broken and the trailer's four vents were likely clogged. Immigrants tell a different tale The immigrants, however, described the stop at the San Antonio Walmart not as a chance for a bathroom break but the next step in a highly coordinated smuggling effort. In Laredo, different groups of immigrants - a group of 28 from one smuggler and 24 from another - converged on the trailer Saturday morning, where they were ushered inside and the doors closed. They wouldn't leave until after 9 p.m., they said. "The smugglers closed the door and the interior of the trailer was pitch black and it was already hot inside," Lara wrote in the complaint. "(An immigrant) stated they were not provided with any water or food. People inside were making noise to get someone's attention but nobody ever came." One immigrant from the Mexican state of Aguascalientes told investigators that he paid 11,000 pesos, a little more than $600, in protection money to the Zetas drug cartel and 1,500 pesos, about $80, to cross the river. He was told he'd have to pay another $5,500 when he reached San Antonio, where he planned to stay. Another immigrant told agents he was traveling to San Antonio with seven family members. He spent 11 days in Laredo in a stash house before being loaded onto the trailer. Yet another was going to Minnesota with his brother. When they reached San Antonio, the immigrant from Aguascalientes told investigators six black SUVs were waiting and left within minutes, full of immigrants. Before leaving Laredo, the smugglers had handed out differently colored strips of tape to each group, so they knew who to leave with upon arrival in San Antonio. A complex smuggling operation Such a sophisticated smuggling system is "not unusual at all," said Julian Calderas, the former deputy field office director for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations branch in San Antonio. "They are very sophisticated," Calderas said of the smuggling organizations. "It's a several-step process, from the time they get them across the border on foot, they stage them in a stash house and then stage them for the potential transport. There are people involved at each one of those stages, and it requires a lot of logistics." Nor is it unusual for the Zetas to charge protection money for crossing the Rio Grande in regions they control, he said. "They're very territorial, and those smuggling routes are very lucrative," Calderas said. "That's why they're battling over them all them time. If you're using those roads and you're going north, whether it's drugs, smuggled humans or legitimate commerce, everybody's got to pay." Another survivor from Aguascalientes, Adan Lalravega, told The Associated Press that he and six friends left behind a region of Mexico without any employment opportunities. He said the group waited nearly two weeks in a Laredo safe house. They were told they would be traveling "in a refrigerator, a refrigerator with air. But that didn't happen." "After an hour I heard crying - people crying and asking for water. I, too, was sweating and people were despairing," Lalravega told The Associated Press in an interview Monday from his bed in a San Antonio hospital. "That's when I lost consciousness." Late Monday, a pair of men who had been among those transported quietly appeared for a hearing in federal court in San Antonio. The men, both from Mexico, were held as material witnesses and will give a videotaped statement about the matter. U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney appointed lawyers for the pair. "We are never going to face the accused, are we?" one of them asked. Chestney replied that he would have to speak to his lawyer about that. Staff writers Kelsey Bradshaw and Guillermo Contreras contributed to this report. Ahead of President Donald Trump's appearance Monday at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, the troops were offered some advice on the gathering's official blog: Fully hydrate. Be "courteous" and "kind." And avoid the kind of divisive chants heard during the 2016 campaign such as "build the wall" and "lock her up." But from the moment he took stage, Trump - who was never a scout himself but touted his role as the "honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America" - started leading them down a very different path. Over the next 35 minutes, the president threatened to fire one of his Cabinet members, attacked former President Barack Obama, dissed his former rival Hillary Clinton, marveled at the size of the crowd, warned the boys about the "fake media," mocked pollsters and pundits and said more people would say "Merry Christmas" under his presidency. He also told a rambling tale about a famous, now-deceased homebuilder that meandered from a Manhattan cocktail party to a yacht and then to places that the president would only allow the boys' imaginations to go. Largely a stump speech The speech was, in fact, very much like the rally speeches that Trump gave across the country last year, although he sprinkled some pieces of inspirational advice ("Do something you love") and reflections on Boy Scout values ("We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."). Trump was joined by former scouts who serve in his Cabinet, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - the latter wore a scouting outfit for the occasion. "Ryan is an Eagle Scout from Big Sky country in Montana," Trump relayed. As the president's speech grew long, Perry appeared to grow bored as he stood behind Trump, chatting with others, flipping through a book and then filming a video of the crowd. Not invited on the adventure: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an Eagle Scout whose day job appears in jeopardy in Washington. Trump began the official address, delivered from a podium with the presidential seal, by pledging to talk about things loftier than politics. "Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C., you've been hearing about with the fake news," the president told the crowd of scouts and volunteers gathered in Glen Jean, W. Va. "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" But before long, Trump dove into the politics of the Republican health-care bill, which could die if it doesn't clear a key procedural vote on Tuesday. Trump pointed to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who's been tasked with selling the legislation. "Hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow," Trump said, stressing the importance of overhauling the Affordable Care Act, which he called "this horrible thing that's really hurting us." Touts health-care bill As chants of "USA! USA!" broke out, Trump asked Price: "By the way, are you going to get the votes? You better get the votes. Otherwise, I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.' " Trump also slipped in a reference to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., one of the Republican holdouts on moving forward with the bill, which would leave up to 22 million fewer Americans with health insurance by 2026, according to estimates. "You better get Senator Capito to vote for it," the president told Price. Seemingly returning to the teleprompters, Trump pivoted to another subject. "Boy Scout values are American values," the president said. "And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the scout law says, a scout is trustworthy, loyal - we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that." It wasn't clear what Trump was referencing. Perhaps it was fellow members of his party refusing to vote for health-care legislation. Or perhaps it was Sessions. The Boy Scouts then chanted the 10 other words that make up the Boy Scout Law: "Helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." On the stage, Zinke and Perry stood at attention and held their right hands up in the Boy Scout salute. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, up for reelection next year, is dismissing reports that the Trump administration is considering him as a possibility for the attorney general to replace the embattled former Senator Jeff Sessions. "Jeff Sessions is a friend and a strong conservative," Cruz said in a statement Monday night. "I was proud to vote to confirm Jeff and to vigorously defend his confirmation, and I'm deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General." Cruz added that he is concentrating on Texas. "The stories being reported in the media tonight are false," he said. "My focus is and will remain on fighting every day to defend 28 million Texans in the U.S. Senate." Cruz's name has come up in several media accounts of the search for possible replacements for Sessions, who appears to have fallen out with President Donald Trump over his decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. RELATED: Speaker Ryan defends Trump's prerogative to decide personnel "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump said Tuesday morning on Twitter. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's name also has been floated. Giuliani also has dismissed the reports, telling CNN that he thinks Sessions "made the right decision" to recuse himself. Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn also defended Sessions on CNN Tuesday. "I know Jeff Sessions well, and he's a good and honorable man," Cornyn said. "I think he's doing what he believes he's obligated to do under the rules that govern Attorney Generals and that, in order to restore the credibility of the Department of Justice and the FBI, something we sorely need after the last Administration, that he made the right decision to recuse himself. "I happen to agree with him that he did, having participated in the campaign like he did," Cornyn continued. "I think in order to maintain the impression of impartiality, which is so important to building public confidence, that I think Jeff Sessions did the right thing." Replacing Sessions is viewed by many observers as part of a potential strategy to fire special counsel Robert Mueller and end the investigation of possible Trump campaign collusion with the Russians. Click through our gallery to see some of the contentious moments between Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump over the past two years. Will Senate Republicans try to destroy health care under cover of a constitutional crisis? That's a serious question, based in part on what happened in the House earlier this year. As you may remember, back in March attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act seemed dead after the Congressional Budget Office released a devastating assessment, concluding that the House Republican bill would lead to 23 million more uninsured Americans. Faced with intense media scrutiny and an outpouring of public opposition, House leaders pulled their bill, and the debate seemed over. But then media attention moved on to presidential tweets and other outrages - and with the spotlight off, House leaders bullied and bribed enough holdouts to narrowly pass a bill after all. Could something similar happen in the Senate? A few days ago the Senate's equally awful version of repeal and replace - which the CBO says would leave an extra 22 million people uninsured - seemed dead. And media attention has visibly shifted off the subject, focusing on juicier topics like the Russia-Trump story. This shift in focus is understandable. After all, there is growing evidence that members of the Trump inner circle did indeed collude with Russia during the election; meanwhile, Trump's statements and tweets strongly suggest that he's willing both to abuse his pardon power and to fire Robert Mueller, provoking a constitutional crisis, rather than allow investigation into this scandal to proceed. But while these developments dominate the news, neither Mitch McConnell nor the White House have given up on their efforts to deprive millions of health care. In fact, on Saturday the tweeter-in-chief, once again breaking long-established rules of decorum, called on the audience at a military ceremony, the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier, to pressure the Senate to pass that bill. This has many people I know worried that we may see a repeat of what happened in the spring: With the media spotlight shining elsewhere, the usual suspects may ram a horrible bill through. And the House would quickly pass whatever the Senate comes up with. So this is actually a moment of great risk. One particular concern is that the latest round of falsehoods about health care, combined with the defamation of the CBO, may be gaining some political traction. At this point the more or less official GOP line is that the budget office - whose director, by the way, was picked by the Republicans themselves - can't be trusted. (This attack provoked an open letter of protest signed by every former CBO director, Republicans and Democrats alike.) In particular, the claim is that its prediction of huge losses in coverage is outlandish, and that to the extent that fewer people would be covered, it would be due to their voluntary choices. In reality, those CBO predictions of coverage losses are totally reasonable, given the Senate bill's drastic cuts to Medicaid - 26 percent by 2026, and even deeper in the next decade. You have to wonder how someone like Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia could even consider supporting this bill, when 34 percent of her nonelderly constituents are on Medicaid. The same goes for Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, where the corresponding number is 29 percent. And on those claims that it's OK if people drop coverage, because that would be their own choice: It's crucial to realize that the Senate bill would degrade the quality of subsidized private insurance, leading to a huge rise in deductibles. Current law provides enough in subsidies that an individual with an income of $26,500 can afford a plan covering 70 percent of medical expenses, which, the CBO estimates, implies an $800 deductible. The Senate bill reduces that standard of coverage to 58 percent, which would raise the implied deductible to $13,000, making the insurance effectively useless. Would deciding not to buy that useless insurance really be a "choice"? By the way, remember when Republicans like Paul Ryan used to denounce Obamacare because the insurance policies it offered had high deductibles? It's hypocrisy all the way down. In short, the Senate bill is every bit as cruel and grotesque as its critics say. But we need to keep reminding wavering senators and their constituents of that fact, lest they be snowed by a blizzard of lies. I'm not saying that everyone should ignore Trump-Putin-treason and all its ramifications: Clearly, the fate of our democracy is on the line. But we mustn't let this mother of all scandals take up all our mental bandwidth: Health care for millions is also on the line. And while ordinary citizens can't yet do much about the looming constitutional crisis, their calls, letters, and protests can still make all the difference on health care. Don't let the bad guys in the Senate do terrible things because you weren't paying attention! Krugman is a New York Times columnist. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. In America there is much talk of the 'Silver Tsunami'. According to Microsoft's Ed Steidl what we should really be talking about is a phenomenal global business opportunity. As Global Programme Manager responsible for 120 Microsoft Innovation Centers in 33 countries worldwide, Ed is focused on providing tech entrepreneurs, start-ups and early stage businesses with the means to translate promising concepts into sustainable businesses. He's an evangelist for innovation as a force for good who says "Technology is playing an increasing role in everything we do. It's shaping growth, disrupting industry landscapes, and providing the catalyst for transformation." In marketing terms older adults constitute an untapped goldmine crying out for fresh disruptive thinking. And the good news is Microsoft is ready to help make it happen. Advertisement Microsoft's mission statement is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more, and as Ed Steidl is keen to point out, "That really means everyone including the ageing population". And the tech giants are not the only major league players who believe it's time to act. Roy Bahat who heads up Bloomberg Beta, an early stage venture capital firm with $150M to invest, says "Precious few investors or entrepreneurs are looking to what might be the greatest 'unicorn' opportunity yet: the elder boom." A marketing wasteland The facts bear out Ed and Roy's optimism. Contrary to popular belief it looks like older adults are finally embracing the digital world.In the UK internet use among women 75 and over has trebled since 2011, and there has also been a steady increase in the 65-74 age group, for both sexes, from 52% in 2011 to 78% in 2017. These figures, from the Office for National Statistics, correlate with research conducted for the Agile Ageing Alliance's white paper: 'Better Homes for Older Adults - Improving Health, Care, Design and Technology', which reveals that older adults are looking forward to smart 'Cognitive Homes' with human qualities helping to manage their lives while keeping them safe and healthy. Advertisement The vast majority of older adults we interviewed plan to remain in their own homes and are willing to spend their own money on new products and services that support healthy and active ageing, but they do not want ugly, cumbersome devices imposed on them. They are getting used to and want more cool tech and, perhaps most importantly of all, they want suppliers to focus on them as customers, not as patients, end users, or care clients. A booming opportunity In the States according to AdAge baby boomers enjoy 47 times the net worth - and therefore far more disposable income - than households headed up by 35 to 44 year olds. They are also the fastest growing users of social media. With over 40 million members the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a non-profit organization providing a wide range of benefits to people aged 50 and older. According to AARP 41 million Americans age 50+ play video games regularly, AARP also claim the over 60's are the fastest growing group of online daters. Indeed, there are currently 39 million people aged 65 and older using Facebook, Twitter, and Skype in the States, making them the fastest growing age demographic on these sites. (Source: Pew Research Centre). This surely constitutes a great opportunity for healthcare companies to up the ante and start marketing digitally enabled product and service solutions which people really want to buy? But this is not happening. According to global management consultants Accenture, although companies are thinking big their innovation output is low. Seventy-one percent of the organizations Accenture interviewed for a Healthcare Innovation report say they tend to pursue product line extensions rather than new innovation. Half say their organizations struggle to learn from their mistakes, and 68 percent say their organization is risk averse with new ideas. Advertisement The force behind the next unicorn Fortunately there are thought leaders out there willing to take a qualified risk. When Bloomberg Beta's Roy Bahat speaks decision makers tend to listen. In addition to his VC business Roy is also the co-chair of Shift: The US Commission on Work, Workers, and Technology which is an initiative announced earlier this year by Bloomberg and think-tank New America to bring together leaders within academia, technology, business, and government to look at the effects of technology and automation on the future of work 15-20 years out. Writing for Tech Crunch Roy says "The silver tsunami is a wave just waiting to be ridden by a startup smart enough to see older people as the force behind the next unicorn." "One that goes beyond making life less difficult for older people, one that helps us realize the true potential of longevity: more time to learn and contribute, to create and connect, to love and to laugh. One that goes beyond ameliorating the challenges of ageing, one that adds richness and texture to the older life. One that leans into what older people do, rather than what they can't do. One that still sees older people as users worth delighting." "What could this startup build? We might see a marketplace for older workers who want the flexibility to work from home while caring for loved ones, financial planning products focused on those with complex family lives, online communities built around the social lives of people with longer histories, monthly delivery boxes of clothes or foods that cater to the tastes of the many groups of older adults who buy differently than the young." Indeed. "It's difficult to imagine any sector without a technology startup opportunity for older people." Advertisement Where there's a will Clearly there is an abundance of will, now we need to find the way. To this end the Agile Ageing Alliance has joined forces with Microsoft, with a view to formulating a multi-stakeholder group to pool resources and collaborate in an Open Innovation Challenge, which aims to engage private and public sector stakeholders in a cooperative endeavour to substantiate the value of an emerging market and accelerate development of the most exciting solutions that promote Agile Ageing in our Neighbourhoods of the Future. We are looking for organisations with complementary agendas willing to work together to boost a significantly underdeveloped supply side with considerable scope for social, business and technological innovation. In this short video Microsoft's Ed Steidl talks with Innovation Leads from IBM and Intel about the opportunity. For further information visit www.agileageing.org David Levenson via Getty Images Dominic Cummings is brash, contrary and unpredictable. In a rare interview for a book I co-authored with Paul Goldsmith called How To Lose A Referendum, the former campaign director of Vote Leave told me about his life, his campaign techniques and his strange relationship with politics. Speaking earlier this year at his home in London I found there was something both refreshing and unsettling about his lack of caution in the language he used to describe people and events. Advertisement When talking about his determination to win the campaign at all costs he observed that people didn't realise he would "happily chop David Cameron's head off, every day, in order to win." At one point he referred to the migrant crisis in Europe as "worth millions in advertising" as we discussed the impact of this event on the referendum campaign. The eurosceptic strategist also had no qualms confessing that he thought Eurosceptics were "particularly unbalanced." And in his view some of the MPs he worked with during the campaign were "completely deranged." Indeed the man who chose politics as a profession seems to dislike politicians in general. He says Parliament consists of people who "to a large extent are not particularly bright, are egomaniacs and they want to be on TV." He believes the selection processes for MPs and the incentive structures within parties mean that the wrong candidates are attracted to the job. Advertisement Certainly it came as no surprise to me that Cummings now says that the UK's decision to leave the EU may turn out to be "an error." Let's be clear, he also thinks it may still be a success, but he has never been a purist, evangelical member of the eurosceptic church. After months of silence about Brexit he has also jumped furiously to the defence of the UK's membership of Euratom (the EU's nuclear power regulator) and warned that Theresa May's Brexit plan is "unacceptable bullshit." David Cameron once described Cummings as a "career psychopath" but here is another contradiction - because while he has cultivated a reputation as mad, bad and aloof what I've learned is that he has a real talent for listening to people. That's what helped him develop the slogans that persuaded the UK to tick the box marked "Leave" in the EU referendum. He was born in Durham and his father was a project manager for the construction of oil rigs and other large structures. Cummings stayed out of politics while studying at Exeter College, Oxford, where he earned a first in ancient and modern history. Then, after a period in Russia, he joined Business for Sterling in 1999, the campaign to stay out of the Euro. Here he became an expert in running focus groups - listening to public concerns about the currency and working out what messages they were most receptive to. During this time he also started to lose respect for politicians. He told me that very soon he decided that "99% of MPs are dreadful characters and if you want anything professionally organised you've got to exclude them, which causes a lot of trouble." Advertisement Excluding certain politicians from his operation nearly got him ousted from Vote Leave in February 2016, but at this stage he'd created a loyal team around him and these crucial staff members threatened to stand down on mass if the MPs and donors sacked Cummings from the campaign. This was shortly before his good friend Michael Gove and Boris Johnson joined Vote Leave. He believes that part of the motivation for the attempted coup was because certain MPs didn't want Johnson or Gove running the campaign, as it would deflect the limelight from them. Cummings describes the Eurosceptic world as "populated by very odd people. Generally, not always but generally, the longer they have been involved in it, the higher the probability that they will be odd." He adds: "the cumulative effect psychologically of being called 'nutters' and excluded from things means they become more eccentric over time." He could perhaps apply this science to his own personality. Opposition to the EU infused his psyche over the years. After working for Business for Sterling he had tried and failed to set up a group called New Frontier "to figure out the whole roadmap of getting out of the EU." But, he says, everyone fell out with each other "in classic eurosceptic fashion." Advertisement In 2004 he campaigned in the North East against John Prescott's plans to create a regional assembly which he says was "a kind of training exercise" to learn how the referendum process worked. His campaign depicted the assembly as an expensive talking shop without any real powers and they won with 78% of the vote, beating the better resourced establishment campaign. It was the first time that Cummings sensed the growing void between the northern heartlands and Westminster. He says: "We exploited this feeling. 'Politicians talk, we pay' was our slogan." He would exploit the feeling again during the 2016 referendum campaign. From 2011 to 2014 he worked for Michael Gove at the Department of Education and was considered to be the brains behind Gove's schools reform programme, but even during this time he would often bring up random questions in his education focus groups to test the public mood towards the EU. After leaving the department in early 2014 he was commissioned to conduct public attitude research on the European Union for a new group set up by Matthew Elliott called Business for Britain (BfB) It would become Vote Leave. As a result of this research Cummings produced a document which has never been published but is probably one of the most significant factors of the campaign. It formed the blueprint for Vote Leave's strategy. The 19-page report (which we obtained for our book) contained the word "control" 37 times - mostly used by members of the public with reference to numerous issues where they felt control had been lost to the EU, commonly in relation to immigration. "We've lost control - because of the EU," says a man in Thurrock. In his report Cummings concluded that in a referendum, "it would be important for the OUT campaign to avoid taking specific positions on many issues as this would only split the campaign. Instead, the OUT campaign should simply say 'whether you think X or Y about Z, the most important thing is we take back control of Z'". Advertisement He also discovered from his focus groups that, apart from immigration, "the strongest argument for leaving is 'we will save a fortune and we can spend that on the NHS'". Sound familiar? Simply by listening to the concerns of members of the public Cummings and Elliott developed their two most powerful slogans: "Take Back Control" and the controversial "350 Million to the NHS." These were not the works genius advertising gurus, they came from the mouths of ordinary people, which made them all the more potent. "I just listened," says Cummings. Vote Leave's precursor Business for Britain was essentially set up by Matthew Elliott to ensure that Nigel Farage was not the front-man of the Leave campaign, amid concerns that his messages on immigration were off-putting to the core swing voters needed to win. Elliott decided to create a business-led Conservative campaign to attract the likes of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson into a mainstream Leave camp - with its core argument focused on global free trade and the erosion of UK sovereignty by the EU. Advertisement And yet the Cummings report for BfB in 2014 established that immigration and the ability to implement Ukip's policy for an "Australian-style points system" was the most powerful argument for leaving the EU. Cummings found that if during his renegotiation David Cameron was to "fail to take back control of immigration policy from the EU... voters will regard the renegotiation as a big failure." He went on that "the public already rejects the combined view about immigration of the three main parties" and therefore "it is unlikely that the pro-EU forces could change people's minds about immigration even if they spent tens of millions on brilliant adverts." In his view this meant that, actually, the Leave campaign didn't need to focus on immigration until the later stages of the campaign because most people had already made up their minds about it. He told me: "From that report we decided immigration was such a big deal we don't have to make a big deal of it." With the migration crisis as the backdrop leading into the campaign he would later tell his team. "There's nothing we can do that has remotely the force of what people can see on the TV of these guys getting on their boats and sinking." Advertisement When I asked him about the TV footage of the migration crisis on the news he said: "I don't know what kind of value you put on that in advertising terms, but if you talk about millions, tens of millions of pounds worth of essentially advertising of people on the news, and people watching that and thinking 'the world is changing fast and in a dangerous way, the EU is contributing to the problem and the guys in charge in London haven't got the faintest clue what to do about it.'" According to the International Organisation for Migration 3,770 migrants were reported to have died crossing the Mediterranean in 2015. Yet here was Cummings brashly referring to its value in advertising. In crude terms, he is right that the migration crisis probably did impact on people's views about the EU as did the Eurozone crisis and probably too the rise of terrorism in mainland Europe. You tend to think of Farage exploiting this misery with his 'Breaking Point' poster, but there's little doubt that Vote Leave's strategists were happy to let him do the dirty work. The Cummings report from 2014 also identified the public mistrust of experts and authority. "They all lie, they don't care about us" is a quote he attributes to people he spoke to not just in one or two focus groups but "everyone, everywhere." He observed: "A significant change in how people regard the economic arguments since the euro battle" as a result of the euro and financial crisis he added that: "The motives of big business are very suspect... given the extremely low opinions of the City and bankers, it is far from obvious that having Goldman Sachs on the side of IN is an advantage." Advertisement What is striking about the report is it could have almost been written in retrospect looking back at the campaign. But it was produced a year before the 2015 general election, before the referendum was certain and 18 months before the Remain campaign was even getting mobilised. When it comes to preparation Vote Leave was light-years ahead of their competition. Their secret weapon was Cummings - and his secret was a good ear for the public mood and a blunt application for turning it into winning messages. Huge protests in Poland last week and over the weekend appear to have had some success in stopping the ruling party's unprecedented attempt to take control of the judiciary. President Duda's very welcome statement today that he will veto two of the three laws put forward will be a relief to so many Poles, and supporters of democracy around the world. Many of us had hoped the Polish President would step in, and so he has done. It was also important that the European Commission threatened to impose unprecedented sanctions if the reforms were not scrapped. Advertisement But this episode has shown us just how vigilant we need to be to protect our independent judiciary for the sake of everyone in the country. We need our American and EU allies to support democracy and the rule of law in our country now more than ever. Just a fortnight ago, millions of Poles were moved by a significant speech made by President Trump in the center of Warsaw, directly in front of Poland's Supreme Court. It was important for our society and nation to see the President of the one of the most robust democracies in the world speaking of universal values of freedom, justice and the rule of law in front of our highest court, which was established in 1917, just as Poland was regaining its independence after 123 years of foreign occupation. This same court and our entire judicial system was threatened by a party for whom only 2 out of every 10 Poles voted in the last election (although this translated to more than 30% of those who voted and, consequently, gave this party an absolute majority in parliament). Advertisement Since the US presidential visit, we have witnessed Polish democracy coming under direct attack. Could any American - Republican, Democrat or of any other party affiliation - imagine a situation in which any ruling party would introduce a bill which would fire all of the justices of the Supreme Court and have the Attorney General or the President indicate which justice could keep his job and which justice's dismissal would be permanent? We believe this would be unimaginable in the United States and unthinkable anywhere else in Europe. We were a step away from this becoming the reality in Poland and this battle is, most likely, not yet over. These particular changes were unconstitutional and contrary to everything Western society has achieved and has defended in numerous wars over the past 250 years - most significantly, these changes would have violated the separation of powers principle and the independence of the judicial branch of government. Amazingly, such changes to our laws threatened the freedom and fairness of our elections, as it is the Supreme Court which certifies election results in Poland and decides on any protests concerning voting irregularities. As a lawyer, the rule of law and democratic principles are of the utmost importance. The organization I work for, ClientEarth, uses the rule of law to safeguard the environment across several continents. Advertisement And it's the law which is helping to protect the health and heritage of the Polish people - our air quality cases and the legal fight to save Europe's last ancient forest, the Bialowieza, to name but two. We believe that the Polish nation - aided in such a meaningful way by the American nation - did not fight for close to 50 years to remove a communist and authoritarian regime during which no election was free or fair, in order to now have to contemplate a state in which the ruling party and its appointed judges decide who can take part in and win elections. There was significant Polish opposition to the changes being pushed through, but the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party took practically no notice of this opposition or any criticism. People voicing concerns over the state of democracy in Poland and the independence of the judiciary are being branded as traitors and supporters of communism, even though communism was overthrown over 25 years ago and a huge portion of the protesters were born after 1989. We believe it is no understatement to say that democracy and the rule of law was and still remains under severe threat in Poland. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not new in history. Fortunately, however, we are able to learn from the mistakes of the past and stop it before it goes too far. Peter Frampton Storms Off Stage After Two Fans Get More Attention Than He Does Guitar legend Peter Frampton irritated some fans after he walked off stage during a concert in Minnesota on Sunday. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Frampton was opening for Steve Miller Band during a concert at the Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing, MN. ______________________________________ At a Peter Frampton concert with Steve Miller in Minneapolis, a fan held up the cover from Frampton Comes Alive, and was featured on two large display screens flanking the stage, drawing a cheer from the crowd. Unfortunately, the cheer came in the middle of a guitar solo, apparently irritating Frampton, which was then compounded by the cameras catching a second fan holding up one of the guitarist's albums. As the Star Tribune reports, Frampton expressed his displeasure in expletive form to the camera operator and then left the stage entirely, only returning later after the displays had been shut off. Casino spokesman Kevin Smith told the Star-Tribune on Monday that Frampton apparently didnt like what was on the video board for one reason or another. That was obvious. Fans took to social media after the show to express their views on Frampton's reaction. "Lost all respect for what you did at last nights concert in Minnesota! Grow up and lose your big ego!" one fan, Sue Hutner, wrote on Facebook. "Saw you last night at Treasure Island Casino in Welch, MN. Your music is better than ever. You stormed off stage because the camera man showed a gal holding her Frampton album instead of showing you during a guitar solo. Your reaction was really unfortunate. He got the crowd going. It was awesome to see that! Didn't you hear everyone cheering? Then you cut the camera all together. This didn't punish him but it did punish your paying audience. We couldn't see a thing then. And that's too bad. We love to see the technique and the expressions and the play between musicians. But you choose to take that away from your paying audience. If we were at a concert hall I might understand your actions better. But an outdoor concert at a casino?" said another Frampton Fan, Tracy Heinze, on the social media service. via CelebrityAccess Share on: BerkShares is looking for bright young people between 16 and 30 who would benefit from building their communication skills, learning more about their local economy and meeting other young people from throughout the Berkshires Biz Briefs: BerkShares Looking For 'Ambassadors' Getting the word out: BerkShares has received a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund of Newmarket, N.H., to launch a new initiative called BerkShares Ambassadors. Last summer all seven branches of Adams Community Bank plus the Pittsfield branch of Lee Bank became BerkShares exchange points. This laid the groundwork for BerkShares activity in central and northern Berkshire County. However, the organization realized that they still need people "pounding the pavement" in order to really spread the word. Contemplating this question, BerkShares board member Michael Tesoro spotted the opportunity to create a powerful experience for local young people that would lead to both personal and professional growth while also helping BerkShares to expand: he suggested the creation of a "BerkShares Ambassadors" program. The goal is to create a cadre of community economists young people who can be effective and confident advocates for locally owned businesses and community-driven economic development. So BerkShares is looking for bright young people between 16 and 30 who would benefit from building their communication skills, learning more about their local economy and meeting other young people from throughout the Berkshires. BerkShares Ambassadors will attend monthly workshops from September until May, participating in sessions that include a dynamic mix of economics, history, organizing skills, and professional development exercises. Drawing on the popular education tradition, the experience will be designed to maximize participation. Information sessions will be held Wednesday, July 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Dottie's Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield and Thursday, Aug. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the North Adams Public Library. Those interested should call 413-528-1737, email or visit the website. What a relief: Lee Bank has partnered with Gradifi, a Boston-based leader in student loan pay down benefits programs, to offer student loan debt relief as part of its employee benefits package. The independent community oriented bank is among the first in Berkshire County to offer this new and differentiating benefit that holds particular appeal to millennials and those entering the workforce. "As an independent community bank without the pressure of expansion into new geographies, shareholders, and quarterly earnings, we're able to truly focus on our employees and the Berkshire community. We fully appreciate how hiring and retaining the right people has made our organization successful for 165 years. Student loan relief is a relatively new and highly coveted benefit in today's marketplace and we are thrilled to offer it to our employees," said Lee Bank's President and CEO Chuck Leach. Lee Bank joins more than 130 progressive workplaces in the U.S. that are now providing Gradifi's SLP Plan (Student Loan Paydown) to attract and retain top talent, and the number is growing monthly. Gradifis student loan debt relief plan was recently endorsed by the American Bankers Association (ABA). A proprietary consumer survey conducted by the ABA found 57 percent were more likely to work for a company offering it; 62 percent were more likely to use the services of a company offering the benefit to employees; and 67 percent would recommend a company's services to friends and family. Safe and secure: The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires in collaboration with the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce presents "Cyber Security for Small Businesses and Nonprofits" on Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Berkshire Community College's South County Center at 343 Main Street in Great Barrington. The cost is $25 for NPC/Chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. Peter Kavanaugh, from National Grid, told the Lanesborough Board of Selectmen about the project on Monday. National Grid Plans New Transmission Line Through Seven Towns LANESBOROUGH, Mass. National Grid is looking to run another power line, mostly along the existing rights of way where lines exist already, through seven local towns. Peter Kavanaugh, from National Grid, said the plan is to run a 600-megawatt line through Nassau and Stephentown, N.Y., cross the border into Hancock, Lanesborough, Cheshire, Dalton, and end at an existing substation in Hinsdale. The path is nearly identical to the one proposed by Kinder Morgan's Northeast Energy Direct Project, which would have been a natural gas pipeline if it hadn't been shelved. "The primary source will be wind in upstate New York. That may be supplemented by a small amount of hydro also in New York. The wind will be a combination of projects that already exist as well as future projects," said Kavanaugh. The Northeast Renewable Link Transmission project is still a ways out with construction not expected until 2020. Kavanaugh told the Board of Selectmen about it on Monday, days before the project is to be included in the state's clean energy request for proposals. "More than of the 23-mile line will be located within the existing transmission corridor. That would count Nassau, Stephentown, all of Hancock and about two-thirds in Lanesborough. The last third in Lanesborough and pretty much in Cheshire, Dalton, and Hinsdale is likely to require some expansion," Kavanaugh said. "This is not something where we are a couple months away from breaking ground. We are still six months from even starting the permitting process." The project is one of two being proposed. The Granite State Power Link project is in the eastern part of the state and looks to bring in power from Canada. The Berkshire connection will bring renewable power from upstate New York. "Neither project is dependent on each other, but it will be bid as a package," Kavanaugh said. A National Grid subsidiary is partnering with the nonprofit Citizens Energy Corp. for the project. It is not known how much it will cost and Kavanaugh said those estimates aren't yet known as engineering and design are still very early on. But, he said assessors are in the process of trying to determine what type of tax revenue to provide the town. "We have gone to [towns during other projects] and provided a baseline revenue estimate for the new line and the new structure that looks out for a four-year timeline. What we have pledged to do is to provide that as a baseline that we are willing to guarantee regardless of what happens with construction," Kavanaugh said. "We will not come back to you in 2023 and say, by the way, we thought it would cost X amount to install Lanesborough but it actually cost Y, so we are going to bump those revenue projections back 30 percent and you have to deal with it." The new lines are expected to run on one side or the other of the existing power lines and will be designed with the same type of structures. The line will follow that through most of Lanesborough with some expansion. Kavanaugh said the next step is to talk to the abuttors of the properties as well as starting conversations with landowners in the expansion areas. "I know all of the issues that have been here in the last few years with the pipelines and everything else. I do want to stress that this is all voluntary and these conversations are just starting," he said. The Pittsfield Sportsmen's Club owns land on both sides of the existing lines and was asked to provide access to National Grid for surveying. "We did get a letter saying that you guys want to do some surveying. We don't want anybody up there doing surveying without knowing. We don't want any trees cut. We want to protect as much as we can," President Travis Delratez said. Kavanaugh told the sportsmen's club officials that he can provide a map of what the company is looking at right now. The project is a ways off and the conversations are just starting. Kavanaugh said there are plans to go through a public engagement process as well as connecting with town officials and landowners. "At this point, we haven't filed the project, we have not moved forward with public permitting so nothing has been mandated. This is a good faith effort to make sure we are getting out there and providing information," Kavanaugh said. The company has been meeting with officials from all of the towns along the route. Last week, he met with Cheshire Selectmen about it. Permitting for the project would start in late 2019 or early 2020 and construction would start in 2020. Over 14 months of construction, Kavanaugh estimates some 450 jobs will be created on the Massachusetts side and he's working with local labor unions to secure those workers. North Adams Board of Health OKs Food Vendor, Resolves Cafe Issues NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Samosaman has been cleared to sell its samosas at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's big events. The Barre, Vt., vendor of fried dough/dumpling with fillings had been a staple of the Solid Sound Festival in particular but ran into trouble this year. Owner Fuad Ndibalema attended a Board of Health meeting earlier this month to clear up what he believes was a miscommunication between his operators and the inspection office two years ago that barred the company from serving in North Adams. "I've been doing these since 2010, since Solid Sound started," Ndibalema told the board on June 12. "I apply for this year ... I heard my application is under review and they're not going to issue me a license." Building Inspector William Meranti said it was a "unique situation" because the inspector that began the process two years ago was no longer working for the city. But he did not think the city should just drop the matter just because the inspector was gone. From his knowledge of the situation, the city had been presented with a document with obscured expiration dates and that multiple inspections had been set up but no one was there to meet the inspector. "Even though those inspections hadn't been done, they continued to serve," Meranti said. "The health director barred him from North Adams." This time around, Samosaman had applied late in the application phase that prevented a hearing before the board. Meranti said he had suggested Ndibalema come in at this point to speak to health officials. Ndibalema said he believed everything had been in order when he applied two years ago and that he had not been told about any issues. Chairman John Meaney said the board would allow him to serve at the next event if everything is in order. "When they do set up an inspection, make sure you're there or notify that you're not," he said. Ndibalema promised to make sure he was in communication with the city. "It has been a great event for the year for my business," he said. "We have a great rapport with the people here, with the fans." The board also hashed out some issues between Empire Cafe owner Peter Wheeler and Director of Health Valerie Nickerson-Bird. Wheeler, a former state inspector, objected to the some of the conditions that Nickerson-Bird was requiring for his Main Street eatery, including purchasing cold cuts from the supermarket and enjoining him to have uniforms for his staff at the sandwich shop. "I worked with the state sanitation program for 10 years," he said. "As long as the product is received at 41 degrees or lower, there's not a limit on where you can purchase it ... it's from a certified store." The health inspector, Wheeler said, had wanted him to order through a wholesaler but his volume isn't high enough for the amount he'd have to buy. Instead, he's been purchasing the same cold cuts through an authorized purveyor (the supermarket) that can also slice for him. He said he'd written to the state for clarification and was assured that he could by his products from any legal operation and was not required to have uniforms or aprons as long as his staff were clean. "I personally want my employees in uniforms to promote Empire Cafe," Wheeler said. "But I'm not in a posistion to do that ... I shouldn't be forced to if it's not required." Nickerson-Bird and Meranti agreed that buying the cold cuts was fine as long as they were transported in a cooler and not allowed to reach a temperature above 41 degrees. But the health inspector said her focus on clothing was to ensure cleanliness when serving the public. "We require aprons because we can't guarantee that your employees have taken a shower or are wearing clean clothes," Nickerson-Bird said. "You don't necessarily have to have a uniform. ... But the small mom-and-pops, we require aprons." She said that was consistently decreed throughout the city. However, she admitted that there was no written policy outlining that requirement. Having been a inspector himself, Wheeler said he understood the difficulties of the job and respected what Nickerson-Bird was doing, but did not think he should have to do things that are not in law. Uniforms are not necessarily cleaner than street clothes and nor are aprons, he said. "I think there needs to be a lot of commonsense applied." Meaney said he would feel more comfortable if the employee was wearing an apron because it could be changed out if it became dirty. Board member Kevin Lamb thought if the city was going to enforce an interpretation of the code it should be written down as policy. "We've been trying to button up some of this stuff," Meaney said. "We just want to make sure everyone's safe and healthy, that's what we're working on." In other business, the inspectors reported that a homeowner on Massachusetts Avenue has been given a timeline to clean out a cluttered interior that is a fire hazard in its current condition. Another resident on Bracewell Avenue has reduced the number of dogs in the home from five to two. Neighbors had been complaining about the dog odor. The inspectors also looked into a Facebook complaint about ants in a sandwich from a local pizzeria. The eatery was clean, had no violations, and no sign of any ants. The Board of Health hopes to engage groups and individuals in a communitywide cleanup. Adams Board of Health Wants to Clean Up Town ADAMS, Mass. The Board of Health thinks a community cleanup campaign will renew a sense of pride in the town. "To me, it gets into community pride and how do we get the message out," board member Bruce Shepley said last week. "This is your town. Have some pride and you have control over what it looks like." He has noticed overgrown lawns on vacant properties and people leaving garbage in abandoned homes. Shepley said in his own neighborhood, he took it upon himself to mow unsightly properties and alert the authorities when late-night loitering becomes a nuisance. "Do I want to be the bad guy? No, but do I have the ability to act and say not in my neighborhood?" he asked. "I certainly do and we need to get that message out." Shepley said he would like to start a campaign and urge people who may carelessly litter to stop and for those who see it happen to stand up and say something. "We have control over this," he said. "I think we can start a campaign and go to the select board and the building inspector and maybe light a fire under them. Where is our pride in Adams? We should not be afraid to rise to the occasion, call or approach someone." Chairman Peter Hoyt suggested holding community cleanup days and targeting specific trouble areas. "When you get your hands dirty cleaning something up, you are less likely to dirty it up again," Hoyt said. Shepley said the board could harness community groups that may be sitting dormant to see if they want to get involved. The straw that broke the camel's back, he said, was upper East Hoosac Street, which for years has been a notorious dumping ground for litterers. He has talked to the Department of Public Works director and the police chief about installing a "no littering" sign and perhaps security cameras. "Maybe we need to do some electronic surveillance I think there are a couple of trouble spots and we need to be making some statements," he said. "This needs to be a town effort." In other business, the board decided to drop the idea of a syringe disposal policy and refer all syringe disposal to Tapestry Health in North Adams. "Do I still think we need some sort of policy on the books? Kind of," Shepley said. "But I think let sleeping dogs lie and we don't want to own a problem if we don't have to." The board has mulled over different ways to dispose of medical syringes over the past year and even became part of a regional effort to create a consistent procedure. Tapestry opened a needle exchange and disposal office earlier this year near North Adams City Hall. The Adams Police used to collect the syringes but will no longer offer the service, although officers will pick up syringes found in public. "They don't have a kiosk and they kind of did it in a haphazard way," he said. "The chief felt it was an endangerment to his officers." Shepley said he will reach out to Tapestry to make a connection with the town. The board also decided at the moment it does not need a deadline for processing vendors for events. Code Enforcement Officer Thomas Romaniak said a vendor asked for a permit a few days before an event and because he was not familiar with the Vermont vendor, had to turn them away. But in general, Romaniak said there isnt a problem. "I am willing to work with people because I don't want to turn people away," he said. "I like the idea of deadlines but for a lot of these events, I want to see more people. It is not a problem now and I am not afraid to jump through hoops. If it becomes a problem we can revisit it." Board member David Rhoads said he had concerns about children not wearing sunglasses on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail or at the Greylock Glen. "I was walking the trail and the Glen and I would see parents with their kids in strollers. The parents had sunglasses on but the kids didn't," he said. "I would like to see some sort of campaign and maybe get some signage up so parents are aware they need to protect their kids' eyes." The board thought it was a good idea to promote the effort and will purchase children's sunglasses to give away. Dr. Erwin Stuebner tells the Board of Selectmen that Village Ambulance Service is doing much better financially. The nonprofit had been in danger of collapse earlier this year because of falling revenues. Williamstown's Village Ambulance on Better Financial Footing The Board of Selectmen discuss its review process for Town Manager Jason Hoch, left. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Village Ambulance Service is on a better financial footing now than it was at the beginning of the year, and a study group looking its long-term viability has a consultant's report to consider steps going forward, the president of the non-profit's board of directors said Monday. Dr. Erwin Stuebner addressed the Board of Selectmen to give an update about the service, which was on financial life support in January The nonprofit service's appeals to the town at that time prompted the formation of an ad hoc committee that ordered a study funded jointly the service, the town, the Fire District and Williams College. The committee is currently reviewing a draft of the consultant's final report, but, in the meantime, receipts for the ambulance service have increased and leveled off. "In January, we were getting around $70,000 [per month]," Stuebner said. "It went up to as much as $140,000 and has settled down into the $100,000 to $110,000 range. If that continues, we'll be able to make a small profit. "We had an auditor audit our billing company and found there were probably some lack of effort and unexplained reasons why we weren't getting what we were owed, particularly some of the Medicare funds. "After we were audited, we had an upturn in our receipts, and it kind of stayed level." Internally, the service also trimmed some expenses by restructuring its administration. Michael Witkowski, who was its executive director for a little more than a year, has left its full-time employ but stayed on as a consultant, Stuebner reported. Witkowski, who still lives in Williamstown, remains committed to the service, Stuebner said. But as an hourly consultant, he will be able to help with his expertise at a lower cost. Witkowski attended Monday's meeting of the Board of Selectmen to support Stuebner. Despite the financial jeopardy of earlier this year, Stuebner said the ambulance service never had to cut back on its service to the three towns it serves: Williamstown, Hancock and New Ashford. "The field medics and EMTs have not missed a beat through all of this," Stuebner said. "There has been no diminishment of services at all." Monday's other big topic for the Board of Selectmen was its annual review process for Town Manager Jason Hoch. Chairman Hugh Daley reminded his colleagues of the extensive "360 review" it conducted last year, a process that involved surveys of town employees and members of the community like committee chairs who have regular interactions with the town manager. The members of the board debated whether they wanted to conduct the same process, a scaled-back version or an entirely different kind of review. Selectman Jeffrey Thomas, who helped then-Chairman Andrew Hogeland develop last year's survey, pushed for a complete repeat of the process. Selectwomen Anne O'Connor and Jane Patton each indicated that it could be a lot to ask of individuals to complete the same survey year after year, and doing so runs the risk that responses will become more perfunctory. "We should always get as much information as we can that is reasonable," Thomas countered. "Maybe we'll put a few people out, but I'd rather err on the side of getting more information. This is really about helping Jason do the best job possible. "The only way I can do my job better is by getting input and feedback from people. It's a pain in the butt, but I've learned to seek it out wherever I can. I'm not that worried about overdoing it." O'Connor recommended the board seek input from Lenox, which recently completed the review of its town manager, and Hoch said he could reach out to his South County counterpart to learn how that review was conducted. Paul Lovegreen of Tunnel City Coffee will operate a smaller version of the coffee shop in the new Williams Book Store. Daley indicated he liked the idea of a process similar to the one he uses in his business, which conducts in-depth audits or maintenance audits of its operation on a rotating annual basis. He characterized last year's town manager review as analogous to the in-depth audit and suggested this year could be a "maintenance" year, in which the board would gather less data. He promised to take the feedback from Monday's meeting and bring a formal proposal to his colleagues later this summer with the goal of completing the personnel review by some time in September. In other action on Monday, the board approved a one-day alcohol license for a special event at the Buxton School on Aug. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m., and it OK'd a common victualer license for Paul Lovegreen, the owner of Tunnel City Coffee, to operate Uptown Tunnel Coffee, a coffee shop to be located across the street from his current operation in the new Williams College book store. Abbas Demonic Wonderland The Fellowship | July 25, 2017 Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas addresses a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank city of Ramallah on July 21, 2017, during which he announced freezing contacts with Israel over new security measures at the highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site of Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, after deadly clashes erupted earlier the same day. The new security measures include metal detectors, security cameras, and barring men under 50 from entering the Old City for Friday Muslim prayers, and came after an attack that killed two Israeli policemen the previous week. / AFP PHOTO / ABBAS MOMANI (Photo credit should read ABBAS MOMANI/AFP/Getty Images) As tensions continue to simmer over the Temple Mount, Palestinian leadership is still up to its old tricks. Gatestone Institutes Bassam Tawil writes that Mahmoud Abbas claims that he desires a peaceful solution to the crisis, while at the same time urging his followers to murder more Israelis: The conflicting reports emerging from Ramallah concerning security coordination with Israel serve as yet another reminder of the Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders astounding hypocrisy. Israel, for its part, has brushed aside reports about a suspension of the security coordination with the Palestinian Authority as yet another Abbas gimmick. It is far from lost on Mahmoud Abbas and his PA that such security coordination is what stands between a very hungry Hamas and Abbas served up on toast for breakfast Abbas is still playing his old game: terrified of the raging Palestinian street, he released a terse statement on July 23 claiming that the decision to suspend contacts with Israel does indeed include security coordination. This latest statement, however, flies in the face of assertions by Israel and some Palestinian officials that suggest the exact opposite. Israeli security officials have scoffed at Abbass decision, calling it symbolic and saying that security coordination is continuing by telephone. So who is taking Abbass threats to suspend security cooperation with Israel seriously? Not Israel, not the Americans, and certainly not many Palestinians. Abbas is caught between two bad places both of his very own making. On the one hand, he knows that security cooperation with Israel is his only insurance policy to remain in power and alive. On the other hand, Abbas is acutely aware of his status among many Palestinians, who would be more than happy to replace him with someone more to their taste. Abbas lives in a demonic Wonderland. Out of one side of his mouth he claimed a desire for a peaceful solution to the metal detectors crisis, and out of the other side, he egged his people on to murder more and more Israelis. As it turns out, whether security coordination is sacred or suspended, Abbas is in it for one person only: himself. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Merchant-Ivorys Howards End (1992) is being given a major rerelease in British cinemas this month, 25 years on from its original release. As it hits our screens again it is easy to forget just how polarising and contentious Merchant Ivorys work once seemed. These films, produced by Ismail Merchant and directed by James Ivory, were a mainstay of British cinema at a time when the UK industry was in a parlous state during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s. However, to their critics, features like their EM Forster adaptations Room With A View, Maurice and Howards End were abominations. They stood for heritage cinema, a cosy, nostalgic and middlebrow escapism that gilded the past while ignoring contemporary social and political reality. They were famously dismissed by Alan Parker as being from the Laura Ashley school of filmmaking, while academics attacked them as visually spectacular pastiche that presented a picture postcard view of Edwardian Britain likely to appeal to American tourists. The films lavishly detailed costume and production design was held against them. They were seen as snobbish and pretentious. This was the Thatcher era and here were Merchant Ivory turning out prettified period pieces based on old novels. England was burning and they were making frock flicks. In the mid 1980s, with the miners on strike and British cinema attendance at an all time low, Merchant Ivory was shooting A Room With A View, with its upper-class characters splashing around naked or going on trips to Florence. A quarter of a century later, most of these criticisms seem wildly misplaced. We realise now that the best Merchant Ivory films were just as astute in their treatment of the class system, injustice and exploitation as most of the social realist dramas with which they were compared so unfavourably. Nor did the detractors seem to notice the nuance and skill with which the teams regular screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (a Booker Prize-winning novelist in her own right) adapted the books they made movies from. Ivory, now 89, oversaw the restoration of Howards End together with the cinematographer, Tony Pierce-Roberts. No, this wasnt a case of a film that had been neglected or vanished. It won three Oscars, including one for Emma Thompson as Best Actress, and has never really fallen out of circulation. Ivory made more than 40 films with his production partner Ismael Merchant The film was in fine shape, the director told me at the Cannes premier of the restored version last year. The negative was at the George Eastman House in Rochester [one of the worlds oldest film archives] along with all our other negatives. No bad thing had happened to it. However, he says the digital 4K restoration has now improved the colour and sound of the film in time for its reappearance in British cinemas. The directors producer partner, Ismael Merchant, had made the arrangements with George Eastman House to collect the Merchant Ivory negatives. Three or four years before his death in 2005, Merchant set to work pulling together the material from the 40 or so films he and Ivory had made together, starting with The Householder in 1963. Howards End is the first of several restorations that US company Cohen Media, which bought the Merchant Ivory Library in late 2015, is currently planning. It ranks with their very finest work. Adapted from EM Forsters 1910 novel, its an Edwardian family drama with just as fraught and embroiled a plot as that of any TV soap opera. It has adultery, pregnancy, feuds over money and property, misunderstandings, acts of brutality and extreme snobbery alongside examples of decency and selflessness. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up It also boasts some exceptional performances. Emma Thompson excels as the idealistic but strangely naive Margaret Schlegel. Helena Bonham Carter is almost equally good as her bluestocking sister. Anthony Hopkins brings a quiet intensity to his role as the ruthless but deeply repressed businessman, Wilcox, while Vanessa Redgrave impresses as the ailing but lambent Mrs Wilcox, who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Margaret. Theres also a poignant and creepy performance from Sam West as Leonard Bast, a frustrated young clerk with intellectual leanings who wants to better himself in a society that shuns him. Emma Thompson won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Actress in Howards End A quarter of a century on, films like Howards End and Remains Of The Day have a double fascination. Theyre period pieces that also cast light on the era in which they were made. They are also notable for the talent they foregrounded. They gave early opportunities to newcomers such as Hugh Grant (in Maurice and Remains Of The Day), Helena Bonham Carter and Daniel Day-Lewis, who all went on to become major stars. They provided the platform for established actors like Anthony Hopkins to give some of the finest performances of their careers (in Howards End and Remains Of The Day). Merchant Ivory is the name of the production company that the director and producer set up, but it has also been used in a very loose fashion as a label to describe their style of filmmaking. Their detractors can often make it seem that their entire career was based around making movies about the lives of overdressed aristocratic types in Edwardian times. Look through their filmography, though, and youll find work set in India, the US and France as well as in the UK. There are biopics, contemporary dramas and comedies alongside the costume dramas. Ivory is American and Merchant was born in India. Ivory recently co-wrote and produced Call Me By Your Name, the latest feature from Luca Guadagnino (the Italian director of director of I Am Love and A Bigger Love Story.) Starring Armie Hammer, this gay love story is being talked up as a potential Oscar contender. He also announced plans to adapt Shakespeares Richard II for the screen with Tom Hiddleston in the lead role. You can plot a line from the exhaustively detailed Merchant Ivory heritage films of the 1980s and 1990s to much of the equally lavish period drama being made today (from Parades End to Downton Abbey) in what is considered a golden age of TV drama. Ivory disliked the idea Merchant Ivory always paid too much attention to costume and production design, to the trimmings rather than to the meat of their stories. Ill be damned if I am going to listen to people who criticise me for taking great pains to do things in the proper way, he told me in 1999. Thats what I call production value. It is not, absolutely not, some morbid preoccupation with detail for the sake of detail. He likened the unseen work that goes into a Merchant Ivory film to the bottom of an iceberg and argued that, without their meticulous approach, their films would have only a fraction of their power. Maybe now, a quarter of a century on, audiences and critics will be able to approach these films without being distracted by the debates about heritage cinema and Laura Ashley. It is time to see beyond the frocks. Howards End is rereleased on 28 July Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Scientists are very worried that the Greenland ice sheet might start to melt faster and faster, a leading scientist has said. The problem is that the warmer weather is allowing more dark algae to grow on the ice. Because ice is white, it reflects much of the suns energy, but dark algae absorb the heat, increasing the rate of melting. The Greenland ice sheet is up to 3km thick and would raise sea levels by seven metres if it all melted into the sea. The current rate of melting is adding about 1mm a year to the global average sea level. Now a team of scientists has begun a new five-year research project, called Black and Bloom, to discover how algal growth might affect this, BBC News reported. Professor Martyn Tranter, of Bristol University, who in charge of the project, told the broadcaster: People are very worried about the possibility that the ice sheet might be melting faster and faster in the future. We suspect that in a warming climate these dark algae will grow over larger and larger parts of the Greenland ice sheet and it might well be that they will cause more melting and an acceleration of sea level rise. Our project is trying to understand just how much melting might occur. The algae come in a range of different colours, turning the ice black, brown, green and mauve. Dr Joe Cook, a glacial microbiologist at Sheffield University, said the massive ice sheet was a living landscape. This is an extremely difficult place for anything to live but, as we look around us, all this darkness we can see on the ice surface is living algae, microbes, living and reproducing in the ice sheet and changing its colour, he said. It would probably take a long time for the entire ice sheet to melt, Dr Cook said. "When we say the ice sheet is melting faster, no one saying its all going to melt in next decade or the next 100 years or even the next 1,000 years, he told the BBC. But it doesnt all have to melt for more people to be in danger only a small amount has to melt to threaten millions in coastal communities around the world. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK has started bypassing Donald Trump over climate change, talking directly to city mayors and other officials committed to trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the new Climate Change Minister has revealed. Claire Perry, who was appointed to the post after the general election last month, said that British ministers had not missed an opportunity to tell the US President that they were disappointed he had decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the news service Bloomberg reported. She said she had been speaking to other players in the US, including the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, who visited the UK last week. Ms Perry suggested the UK could steal a march on the US economy because of its leadership role in trying to limit global warming, as the world shifts to a low-carbon economy. The UK is ranked third in the world in tackling climate change, she said. I think we need to exploit and take that leadership position because we can change the world doing this and we can also generate highly productive jobs. I look at this and see its the way the world is going, so its not just about British businesses, its about global mega-trends, so how do we seize that opportunity to decarbonise our own economy and help other countries. Mr Turner is a co-chair of Climate Mayors, a group of 331 leading local politicians who have pledged to work to ensure the US meeting the Paris Agreements targets, despite the White Houses opposition. Speaking in Miami in June, the Houston mayor said: As the energy capital of the world, it's our responsibility to find sustainable ways to power the future. By investing in green power, improving building efficiency, and revitalising our green spaces, Houston is proof that large industrial cities can act on climate and maintain a robust, growing economy. There has been a marked change in rhetoric from UK ministers. In May, Labour accused Theresa May of having a pact of silence with Mr Trump over the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement as other European leaders made their displeasure clear. But Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, recently attacked the US over the decision, saying it could not simply walk out of the room when the heat is on. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Nokias first Android smartphones are on their way. The entry-level model, the Nokia 3, is on sale now for 119.99. The next step-up is the Nokia 5, which goes on sale on 16 August. The Nokia 6 is the highest-specced of the three first handsets and is on sale on 2 August for 219.99. I saw all three back in February and for me, the Nokia 5, at 179.99, is the most interesting. Ive been trying it out for the last two weeks. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Nokia handsets are now made by a company called HMD Global and the initial signs are certainly promising. The build quality on the Nokia 5 is excellent. Each phone is machined from a single block of aluminium, and the result is a solidly crafted unibody design with no flex or creaking. It feels great in the hand: a smooth, matte rear with curved edges that let you roll it in your palm. The display has gently pillow-edged sides, too. Its common for metal-jacketed phones to have an external antenna band. This was very visible on some phones like the Apple iPhone 6S, for instance. Here, its very discreetly done, running round the top edge and a little down each side, hard to see from front or back views. Its in a contrasting colour to the main aluminium housing white against the silver of the review sample. The camera panel on the rear of the phone is decked out in the same gloss white finish. The phone is also available in blue, matte black and a fetching shade Nokia calls copper. The design of the phone is appealing: its understated and chic. The camera section on the back at first looks like it has twin cameras, but its just an elongated panel a design feature thats reminiscent of the simplicity favoured on earlier Nokia handsets. This attention to Nokia design heritage seems mostly to have been taken seriously. The Nokia logo sits horizontally on the back, and is tucked away at the top of the display near the right edge. Almost too tucked-away, actually, as although the logo is in a chrome-like finish, it vanishes in some lights, gleaming satisfyingly when you least expect it. Its almost a design mis-step, though if thats the only issue with the phone, then its not much to worry about. This is a mid-range handset, as you can tell from the price. Good, then, that it has found a spot for a fingerprint sensor in the home button on the displays front many phones at this price do not. Its not as fast as the second-generation Touch ID on recent iPhones but its efficient and reasonably responsive. But while flagship phones now have slim bezels on every side of the display, when you turn the screen on you see that there are wide black borders at the top and bottom of the phone. They arent surprising at this price, and they dont look bad. But my prediction is that in a years time they will look rather bigger than much of the competition will be carrying. The 5.2-inch display is reasonable but not outstanding, managing 282 pixels per inch. Because the 1,280 x 720 resolution is the same as the cheaper Nokia 3 which has a smaller display, the pixels per inch are actually lower here than on the Nokia 3. Still, it looks fine, easily up to what you might expect at this price. These days a mobile phones camera is a crucial element, without which success can prove elusive. The 13-megapixel rear snapper here is simple to use, even featuring a quick launch mechanism when you double-press the power button. Controls are straightforward, even basic, but happily include details like a level so you know your shots wont come out wonky. The Nokia 5 camera is fast: shutter lag was rarely much of an issue and the results in well-lit situations were strikingly good. Sharpness, vibrant colours and little or no noise were the norm. Lower light, where smartphone cameras traditionally struggle, was more of a challenge here. The twin-colour flash, also a bonus at this price point, helped, though the Nokia 5 is no match for top-end camera phones. Theres also a front-facing camera, of course, with an above-average eight-megapixel resolution. Results here are more than acceptable. HMD Global has just announced the companys intentions to renew the relationship Nokia previously had with Zeiss to provide upcoming phones with outstanding lenses and camera software. Those may be out later this year but theres no definite date yet. Expect Nokia camera capabilities to improve much further then. The Nokia 5 is a decent performer, nippy and responsive in most situations. Sometimes load times were a little longer than one would like, but most of the time it was acceptably speedy. Battery life, similarly, was good. Of course, nightly charges are recommended as they are with pretty much every handset but it should keep you going happily enough for a full day. Nokia has opted for a plain version of Android with little of the bloatware that dogs some handsets. And it has the advantage that when the OS is updated, it should be able to implement changes quickly. Its already on the latest version, 7.1.1. Overall, this is a highly attractive phone. Though it cant match the super-fast processors or dual-lens cameras of flagship phones, it looks fantastic and performs better than the price point suggests. With more phones to come, HMD has planted a flag in the sand to indicate that Nokia phones, including this one, are likely to be capable, powerful and great-looking. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Elon Musk has called Mark Zuckerbergs understanding of AI limited, after the Facebook founder criticised the Tesla chiefs views on the matter as pretty irresponsible. The technology heavyweights have very different viewpoints on the subject of artificial intelligence, with Mr Zuckerberg extremely keen to press ahead with its development. Mr Musk, on the other hand, has called it a fundamental existential risk for human civilisation, and wants the companies working on AI to slow down to ensure they dont unintentionally create something dangerous. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty During a Facebook Live over the weekend, Mr Zuckerberg picked out a question that had been submitted to him by a viewer. I watched a recent interview with Elon Musk and his largest fear for future was AI. What are your thoughts on AI and how it could affect the world? it asked. Mr Zuckerberg answered: I have pretty strong opinions on this. I am optimistic. I think you can build things and the world gets better. But with AI especially, I am really optimistic. And I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios I just, I don't understand it. It's really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible. Earlier this month, Mr Musk described AI as the scariest problem humans now face, and said it needs to be regulated as soon as possible. Mr Zuckerberg dismissed those fears. He continued: In the next five to 10 years, AI is going to deliver so many improvements in the quality of our lives. One of the top causes of death for people is car accidents still and if you can eliminate that with AI, that is going to be just a dramatic improvement. Whenever I hear people saying AI is going to hurt people in the future, I think yeah, you know, technology can generally always be used for good and bad, and you need to be careful about how you build it and you need to be careful about what you build and how it is going to be used. But people who are arguing for slowing down the process of building AI, I just find that really questionable. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that. Mr Musk decided to hit back in a comment posted to Twitter. The likes of Facebook and Google are planning their futures around AI, but key industry figures have expressed fears about it. Stephen Hawking has said: The real risk with AI isn't malice but competence. A super intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren't aligned with ours, we're in trouble. Bill Gates, too, has said artificial intelligence is a cause for concern. First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent, he said in 2015. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that though, the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Microsoft will not kill of Paint, it has now said. A suggestion from the company that it would "deprecate" the app and may remove it from future versions of Windows provoked rage, sadness and nostalgia among almost everyone on the internet when it was announced. But Microsoft has now made clear that it will be sticking around albeit in a different form. The app has been a mainstay of Windows for 32 years, but will be taken out of the main operating system and put in the app store. And it will be partially replaced by a new app called Paint 3D, which offers some of the same features. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Microsoft has now said that it won't kill the app, only remove it from installs of Windows. Instead, people will have to go into the Windows app store and download it for free, it said. Recommended Microsoft Paint to be killed off after 32 years "Today, weve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint," it wrote in a blog post. "If theres anything we learned, its that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. Its been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app." It suggested that the announcement was just a matter of "setting the record straight", suggesting that the decision to keep it around was already made. But it's not clear whether that was true, or if Microsoft was looking to dampen the anger about the disappearance. It also said that Windows users might want to use Paint 3D, the new version of the app which comes bundled with the Creators Update to Windows 10. That offers many of the same features, it said, as well as new ones that will continue to be added with time. "In addition to the new 3D capabilities, many of the MS Paint features people know and love like photo editing, line and curve tools, and 2D creation are in Paint 3D," Microsoft said. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} German carmaker BMW has announced plans to build an electric Mini at its plant in Oxford, but said that it hadnt received any reassurances from the Government over post-Brexit trading arrangements before making the decision. On Tuesday, BMW said that it would be building the battery-powered, zero emissions vehicle in 2019, and that it had considered locations in Germany and the Netherlands before settling on the UK. Mini makes around 60 per cent of its approximately 360,000 compact cars a year at the Oxford plant, according to Reuters, but BMW has also established a manufacturing base in the Netherlands amid concerns around the possible implications of Britain leaving the European Union. Recommended Electric car that can recharge in moments being developed by Toyota Business Secretary Greg Clark described the decision to build the new electric vehicle in Oxford as a vote of confidence in the UK. However, A BMW spokesperson said that the company had neither sought nor received any assurances from the Government before committing to the Oxford production site. BMW, which also owns the Rolls-Royce brand, already makes vehicles that are hybrid or fully battery powered at 10 plants worldwide. It expects that, by 2025, electrified vehicles will make up 15 to 25 per cent of vehicle sales. Because of the UK car industrys global exposure and its dependence on workers from abroad, it is generally considered one of the most vulnerable to a hard Brexit. Last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders warned that crashing out of the EU without a trade deal could lead to prices of new cars imported from Europe surging by as much as 1,500. According to the SMMT, the automotive industry currently accounts for more than 70bn in annual turnover. Around 169,000 people are employed directly in manufacturing and 814,000 across the wider automotive industry. The sector accounts for 12 per cent of the total UK export of goods. More than 30 manufacturers build in excess of 70 models of vehicle in the UK, according to the SMMT, supported by more than 2,000 component providers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Noel Edmonds has increased his compensation claim against Lloyds Banking Group to a massive 300m after he fell victim to fraud at the hands of former HBOS Reading staff. The former Deal Or No Deal host had originally been seeking in the region of 50m to 70m, but a new statement issued by him confirms the claim has been ramped up substantially. In addition, he has described a review being carried out by the bank into the scandal as a cynical ploy to keep victims' compensation pay-outs to the bare minimum, while claiming the fraud took place on an industrial scale. Mr Edmonds said: The trial judge and the police have always maintained that the criminal activities went far beyond the 'Reading 6' and we have documentary evidence to support their views. Lloyds have also been accused of actively blocking police enquiries, which is why my lawyers are sending the Thames Valley Police our documentation which I believe suggests the HBOS/Lloyds criminal activities were actually conducted on an 'industrial' scale. Lloyds, which rescued HBOS at the height of the financial crisis, has set aside a 100m pot for customers affected by the fraud, which took place between 2003 and 2007 at the hands of former HBOS Reading staff. The corrupt financiers were jailed earlier this year for the 245m loans scam which destroyed several businesses, before they squandered the profits on high-end prostitutes and luxury holidays. Mr Edmonds's new 300m claim for losses allegedly suffered when his former business Unique Group was destroyed because of the fraud is three times the amount Lloyds has provisioned for. He added: We now have documentary evidence to support the view of Thames Valley Police, the judiciary and the CPS that the HBOS criminality extended far beyond the 'Reading 6'. This explains why Lloyds created the secretive review process in an attempt to limit their liability to a very small number of victims when of course, as they are well aware, the true figure is in the thousands. Lloyds are about to discover their Griggs Review, a cynical ploy to keep victims' compensation pay-outs to the bare minimum, is like trying to plug an active volcano with a cork. 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. Mr Edmonds has led a public campaign against the lender, which has seen him admit that he came close to taking his own life following the fraud. For its part, Lloyds has so far made more than 10m of compensation offers and hardship payments to customers affected by the scandal. Thirty customers have either now received a compensation offer or are in the detailed stages of assessment and will receive an offer shortly, the lender said last week. PA For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A hunter who was subjected to years of online abuse, reportedly phoned friends before taking her own life. Melania Capitan, who rose to prominence for posting images of her kills on social media, was found dead in her farm in Huesca in the northeast of Spain. The 27-year-old had almost 10,000 followers on Instagram and her blog explaining and detailing her hunting methods also was followed by thousands of people. Recommended Prince Charles letters to Tony Blair on fox hunting could be published However, her posts attracted much controversy and she had been subjected to threats online. After her death, a note reportedly addressed to her friends was also found. It has nor been made public. It is believed Ms Capitan may have phoned some friends to say goodbye before she took her own life. We did not expect this, its like a horror movie, a friend told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. I knew her for years. She was an extraordinary person. It is inexplicable what happened." Ms Capitan's controversial stance on hunting as well as the frequent images of her expeditions posted online, made her a target for anti-hunting campaigners. In 2016 she claimed that she received some 3,000 "offensive comments" on social media. Many people rejoiced about her death, and posted comments on her Facebook page. One wrote: "Karma." Another wrote: "You have done a favour to humanity. Bye Bye!" Despite all of the threats she received, including one which was reportedly left on her car, her friends have insisted that her death was because of "personal problems, not for the insults received." Her friend said: "It is a lie that she committed suicide because of the threats, because she was a very brave woman, very strong, a fighter." The Royal Spanish Federation of Hunting has filed a criminal complaint in response to her death. It reads: Animal terrorism has once against made an intolerant and violent attack against the hunting group, with insults, calumnies, threats, even death, after the tragic, sad death of Capitan Melanie. For anyone feeling suicidal or in distress, the Samaritans helpline is available 24 hours a day on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has been accused of overseeing an unprecedented workforce crisis in the NHS after it emerged staff vacancies have risen by more than 10 per cent in the last year, with tens of thousands of posts left unfilled. Official figures revealed that in March this year there were 30,613 vacant full-time positions advertised by NHS England up from 26,424 in the same month in 2016 and 26,406 in 2015. Labour said the Prime Minister was taking health service staff for granted and warned that a repeat of last winters chaotic scenes, which saw A&E patients lined up on trolleys for hours, would be simply intolerable. Nearly 40 per cent of the vacancies in March 2017 were for NHS nursing and midwifery positions, of which there were 11,485 adverts in total. The average nursing or midwifery role is only drawing three applications, the figures show. Nurses said the true number of unfilled jobs is far higher than the number of online adverts, citing a figure of 40,000 in England alone, and warned patient safety is suffering as people are put off the profession by low pay, relentless pressure and new training costs. NHS staffing levels are reaching crisis point, said Janet Davies, head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). At the very moment the NHS needs to be recruiting more nursing staff, we learn the number is falling and the NHS finds itself advertising for more jobs we know it cannot fill, said Ms Davies. A lethal cocktail of factors is resulting in too few nurses and patient care is suffering. The Government desperately needs to keep the experienced staff still working in the NHS. Nurses are threatening to strike for the first time in history over staff shortages and low pay, which has been subject to the Governments 1 per cent public sector pay freeze since 2010. But tensions are simmering among ministers over the pay cap, which has been attacked by the Governments own experts. The senior civil servants union, the FDA, said the policy, in place until 2020, meant the UKs ability to fill jobs in teaching and the health service could deteriorate rapidly. Ms May has defended the pay freeze despite senior cabinet ministers calling for it to lifted to ease pressures faced by public sector workers, with Downing Street saying the Government would consider potential wage increases for nurses, police officers and firefighters on a case by case basis. Nurses protest at Department of Health over pay cap The latest data was collected from NHS Jobs, the main recruitment website for the NHS. Between January 2017 and March 2017, a total of 86,055 vacancies were advertised, up from 78,112 in the first quarter of 2016. However, each advert may stand for multiple vacancies or an ongoing recruitment programme, meaning the overall figure is likely to be higher. Health trust bosses now consider the issue of recruitment and retention of NHS staff to be as serious as concerns over funding, Phillippa Hentsch, head of analysis at NHS Providers, told The Independent. Tough language tests, and the uncertainty that Brexit has created for current and potential EU staff has contributed to this, she said. We are also seeing the impact of pay cap, prompting staff to seek work elsewhere. Trusts will do all they can to ensure safe care for patients, but where they can not recruit to roles they may be forced to rely on expensive agency staff, or stop services altogether. Both of these options are unsustainable in the long term. Recommended NHS sets out plans to stop prescribing homeopathy to patients Justin Madders, Labours shadow health minister, said: For years the Tories have taken NHS staff for granted and asked them to do more for less, resulting in a recruitment and retention crisis which threatens patient care on a daily basis. January 2017 was the worst month on record for hospital A&E departments, with more patients than ever waiting four hours to be seen and Mr Madders warned if action is not taken, this winter could be even worse. That month, nearly 80,000 seriously ill patients spent more than four hours waiting on trolleys to be treated after being admitted to A&E, with an unprecedented 988 patients waiting on trolleys for longer than 12 hours. Frankly, the Governments solution of hiring expensive agency staff or asking hard-pressed existing staff to cover extra shifts is not in the best of interests of patients or medical professionals, said Mr Madders. The public is under no illusions: a repeat of last winters crisis is simply intolerable and Theresa May must now take urgent action to secure a sustainable workforce in our NHS. The Department of Health did not address concerns over vacancies directly in its official response to the figures, instead focussing on the numbers of new staff that have joined the health service in recent years, not how many may have left. Staffing is a priority thats why we have invested in the frontline and there are almost 32,400 more professionally qualified clinical staff including almost 11,800 more doctors, and over 12,500 more nurses on our wards since May 2010, said a department spokesperson. But Mr Madders hit back at this, saying: Jeremy Hunts flagrant denial of the extent of this workforce crisis is a damning indictment of his and the Governments failure. Campaign group Keep Our NHS Public also said the Governments response doesnt address this massive, increasing and rapidly unsafe problem, adding the NHS is falling apart, post by vacant post and budget deficit after deficit. The British Medical Association (BMA) added that doctors were struggling with unsustainable workloads to try and fill gaps caused by staff shortages. Across many parts of the NHS, recruitment and retention problems are leaving staff and services thinly stretched and affecting patients access to care, said Dr Andrew Dearden, the BMAs treasurer. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images 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 UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA The new figures come as Englands Chief Inspector of Hospitals warned that Brexit poses a threat to the NHS workforce, as the health service struggles to recruit enough nurses, doctors and support staff from EU countries. Professor Sir Mike Richards told the BBC there is no doubt that the workforce of the NHS and indeed the care system generally is absolutely critical and we do need to have more staff. But he said: If we are leaving the EU there is a threat to that, which we need to make sure is being dealt with so that we are not losing staff and we can then replace them if necessary to grow our own, if you like. Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: The NHS is finding it harder and harder to recruit the staff it needs, yet still this Government is refusing to end years of cuts to pay. Commenting on the figures, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the removal of the Governments 1 per cent cap on public sector pay rises was long overdue. He said: Removing the pay cap on NHS staff, particularly the lowest paid, is long overdue, while the extra pressure on overworked front-line staff to meet targets must be eased. This data shows it is high time we saw steps taken to stop disincentivising staff salaries must be fair, working conditions must be safe and sustainable and clear career pathways must be in place. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A BBC journalist who was caught with 26 videos and nine images of child abuse on his home computer has been given a suspended sentence. Lloyd Watson, 33, from Gateshead, admitted three charges of making indecent images. One of the videos showed abuse involving a young girl who was in obvious distress, the BBC reported on its website. Watson worked for the BBC News website in Newcastle, but has now been dismissed. Newcastle Crown Court heard Watson had trawled the dark web to obtain his material until his home computer was seized by police in March 2016. Photographs and videos were found from all three categories used by the courts to classify the gravity the child sex abuse images, including the most severe classification that includes rape, bestiality and sadism. 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 In a document entitled confessions text found on his computer, Watson wrote that he had done nothing wrong, and that it was the people who had made such images who should be held accountable. The court heard he had no previous convictions and was seeking professional help for his behaviour. Sentencing him to nine months in prison suspended for two years Judge Amanda Rippon told Watson he was complicit in the abuse of children by viewing the images. Watson was placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years and given a sexual harm prevention order. In a statement, the BBC said: He will no longer be working for the BBC. His crimes were entirely unrelated to his work for us. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Indian Muslim teenager involved in a relationship with an Arab man was kidnapped, raped and murdered in a suspected "honour killing" in London, a court has heard. The body of Celine Dookhran, 19, was found stuffed in a fridge with her throat slit after a second woman who was also attacked raised the alarm from her hospital bed. The two women were said to have been bound, gagged and kidnapped by masked men on Wednesday. They were taken to a house in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London, where they were both raped and Ms Dookhran was killed. Mujahid Arshid, 33, of no fixed address, appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with the murder, attempted murder, and two counts of rape and kidnap. He appeared alongside Vincent Tappu, 28, of Acton, west London, who stands charged with kidnapping both women. Prosecutor Binita Roscoe told the court the teenager was of Indian Muslim heritage and had started a relationship with an Arab Muslim man, The Times reported. Ms Dookhran's final post on Twitter, on July 11, read: "Alhamdulilah [praise God] for everything that's all I can say." Her 3,445 tweets also contained posts about make-up, work, looking after her brothers, and fasting during Ramadan. Both defendants were remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on August 21. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man who battered his girlfriends five-year-old boy to death in a park for losing one of his shoes has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, flew into a rage and subjected Alex Malcolm to a brutal attack in Mountsfield Park in Catford, south-east London. He was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court by Judge Mark Dennis QC, who said the child killer has a deeply entrenched character flaw that leads him to overreact and lose his temper. Alexs shoe was later found in the park (Metropolitan Police) Witnesses heard a childs fearful voice saying sorry, loud banging and a man screaming about the loss of a shoe. Alex suffered fatal head and stomach injuries and died in hospital two days later. One of his shoes was later found in the play area by police. Alexs head, neck, and body were covered with bruises after the attack on 20 November last year. Marvyn Iheanacho has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years (Metropolitan Police) Iheanacho, who was in a relationship with Alexs mother Lilya Breha, carried the unconscious boy to a minicab office and took him to Ms Brehas flat, while the nearest hospital was just a five-minute walk away. He then attacked Ms Breha when she tried to call an ambulance, but she managed to grab the phone after noticing her son was getting cold, his face had turned blue and he had stopped breathing. Doctors at Lewisham Hospital tried to resuscitate Alex, but a CT scan showed he was suffering from severe brain swelling, and he was transferred to Kings College Hospital. He was pronounced dead on 22 November after an unsuccessful operation. An NSPCC spokesperson said: Iheanacho should have been caring for Alex, but instead he violently robbed him of the chance to live a long and happy life. It is right that he is now behind bars. Babies and young children are entirely dependent on those who care for them and we all have a duty to look out for their welfare. 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 Iheanacho had a wholly and unnecessary loss of temper, Judge Dennis said. This injury was caused by you in a fit of anger and frustration the red mist having come down upon you when you discovered Alex had dropped his shoe somewhere in the now dark park, he said. The judge said Iheanacho did nothing to raise the alarm or to get medical help. He said it is apparent he has a deeply entrenched character flaw, adding: One that leads you to overreact and lose your temper. Judge Dennis said that when the violence had subsided, Iheanachos thought turned to protecting yourself and trying to cover up what had happened. Only this time the consequences of your violence were more serious than ever before, he said. The judge added: You used your undoubted strength and simple brute force. He said he was a strong and overpowering figure next to Alex who was completely defenceless, adding: The child had done nothing that would justify any loss of temper, never mind a violent loss of temper. The judge said Iheanacho had given fake and misleading accounts to paramedics, hospital staff and police. All this to protect yourself and cover up what you had done, he said. The judge said there has been a disturbing pattern of sudden and violent behaviour when Iheanacho is frustrated and not getting his own way. Iheanacho has a string of previous convictions for violent offences, including attacks on ex-partners and robbery. The judge said: Sadly the truth appears to be you simply cant help yourself. Iheanacho was sentenced to 18 years but, due to time served on remand, the judge said he would serve at least 17 years and 119 days. Additional reporting by Press Association Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard is unlikely to be able to spend his final days at home with his parents, a High Court judge has said. Doctors caring for the 11-month-old, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, said they wanted to fulfil the "last desire" of his parents but there were practical difficulties in providing the intensive care the baby needs outside a hospital. Mr Justice Francis said he will make a decision about where Charlie will spend his last days on Wednesday but said the chances of him being able to go home were "small". It comes after Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, both in their 30s from Bedfont, west London, abandoned attempts to persuade the judge to let him travel to America for experimental treatment. But just hours after dropping their lengthy legal battle, they became embroiled in a dispute with doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where he is currently being cared for, over the circumstances of his death. Barrister Grant Armstrong, who leads the couple's legal team, told the judge hospital bosses were placing obstacles in Charlie's parents' way. "The parents wish for a few days of tranquillity outside of a hospital setting," Mr Armstrong said. "The parents had hoped that Great Ormond Street would work with them." But GOSH doctors said they believed moving Charlie to a hospice was the best option. GOSHs barrister Katie Gollop QC said staff were not creating "obstacles" and that staff had "moved heaven and earth" for Charlie. "The care plan must be safe, it must spare Charlie all pain and protect his dignity," she said. "At the same time, the plan must honour his parents' wishes about two matters in particular, namely the time and place of his passing." 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 She said finalising an end-of-life care plan was the "most delicate and difficult task". "Charlie's parents want him to be with them and ventilated at home for several days before receiving palliative care," she said. "Above all, Great Ormond Street wants to fulfil that last wish. But she said the invasive ventilation that Charlie required was only able to be provided in a hospital setting. "Those resources cannot be provided by Great Ormond Street to Charlie at his parents' home," she said. "Great Ormond Street is aware that there are other practical problems, one being that the ventilator does not fit through the front door. She added: "It is in Charlie's best interests, and everybody's, that the risk of a precipitate, distressing or disordered death is removed, so that he may be reassured of a peaceful and dignified passing." Ms Gollop said Great Ormond Street had found an "excellent hospice" which would give Charlie and his parents the space, privacy and protection they needed. Mr Justice Francis said he would give Charlie's parents another day to offer a solution which would allow Charlie to receive life-support treatment at home for days. "It looks like the chances are small," he said. "But given the gravity of the situation we are in and the need to be human, I will allow another day. "I will make a final decision tomorrow." Additional reporting by PA Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The American doctor who offered to help Charlie Gard admitted he had a financial interest in the proposed treatment method, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has said. Michio Hirano said experimental drugs known as nucleoside therapy could give the critically ill baby a chance of survival, citing new results from a trial he had carried out on patients with a similar genetic disease. The children's hospital, where the 11-month-old is on life support, said they were disappointed Dr Hirano had given evidence in court without having visited Charlie or having read his up-to-date medical information. Recommended Parents end fight to take Charlie Gard to America Great Ormond Street raised concerns that "not only had he not visited the hospital to examine Charlie but in addition, he had not read Charlies contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlies brain imaging". The doctor had also not "read all of the second opinions about Charlies condition (obtained from experts all of whom had taken the opportunity to examine him and consider his records) or even read the Judges decision made on 11 April, the hospital said in a statement read out in the courtroom by Katie Gollop QC. Further, GOSH was concerned to hear the Professor state, for the first time, whilst in the witness box, that he retains a financial interest in some of the NBT compounds he proposed prescribing for Charlie. Charlies parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, have now ended their High Court fight to take their critically ill son to the US for treatment, bringing a five-month legal battle with doctors to a close. Results of new medical tests on Charlie showing irreversible muscle damage meant the window of opportunity had been lost and the damage meant the treatment could no longer be successful, said the parents' lawyer Grant Armstrong. Eleven-month-old Charlie Gard has a form of mitochondrial disease and is ventilator-dependent Charlie, born on 4 August 2016, inherited the faulty RRM2B gene that affects the cells responsible for energy production and respiration, leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator. In an emotional statement outside the court, Mr Gard said the infant would not make his first birthday in less than two weeks. He said the last year had been the best, the worst and ultimately life-changing months of our lives but all our efforts have been for [Charlie]. We are truly devastated to say that following the most recent MRI scan of Charlies muscles ... we have decided that its no longer in Charlies best interests to pursue treatment and we will let our son go and be with the angels, he said. Dr Hirano, a professor of neurology based in New York, flew to London to examine baby Charlie on invitation from a High Court judge, having said the chance of the treatment's "clinically meaningful success" was around 10 per cent. This estimate was based on the findings of a study involving nine patients with a faulty TK2 gene on life support, one of whom no longer needed a ventilator after receiving nucleoside therapy. Speaking by video link, Dr Hirano told the court two weeks ago there was a small but significant chance the experimental treatment would improve Charlies condition, adding: The only way to tell if the brain damage is reversible is by trying new therapy. He said he had devised a treatment plan for Charlie, who would be given four strong doses of nucleoside bypass therapy, which is given orally or injected. There was a 56 per cent chance the treatment would pass the blood-brain barrier, he said, adding that five patients in his trial had reduced their time spent on a ventilator by eight hours or more. This is the best scientific data we have, he said, adding he was prepared to extrapolate the TK2 findings to Charlies genetic deficiency. These are small numbers, but with very rare diseases we must use every patient and gather as much detail from each patient as possible. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images 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 UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty He said he hoped a high dose of nucleosides, which are found naturally in the body, would enter Charlies cells, affect the mitochondria and prove therapeutic. Ms Gollop called the case desperate but questioned the court taking evidence from someone who has never, ever met Charlie Gard and urged the doctor to read the previous court decision that details the position of the hospital. A spokesperson for GOSH said: We have always paid tribute to the extraordinary courage and strength of Connie Yates and Chris Gard and their devotion to their son. "Today our hearts go out to them as they face the most difficult decision that any parent should ever have to make." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Northern Ireland's Orange Order has told its members to stop using the phrase RIP to express sympathy when someone dies, saying the term is unbiblical and un-Protestant. The phrase, which stands for "Rest in Peace" or "Requiescat in pace" in Latin, is commonly used to mark a death. But the custom is traditionally linked to Catholicism. The instruction was made in The Orange Standard, the Protestant organisation's newspaper, in an edition marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The use of the phrase is an illustration of spiritual confusion within Protestant circles, the article said. The letters RIP meaning Requiescat in pace or rest in peace, have long been used by the Roman Catholic Church, and can be frequently seen, for example, in death notices and gravestones." The Orange Order said the article clearly explains why Protestants and members of the Orange Institution should not use the term RIP. For guidance on any matters like these we should refer to what the Bible teachers, it added. 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 article was based on a Facebook post by Wallace Thompson, secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society. He told BBC Talkback: "The issue is obviously a sensitive one because people are expressing their grief. Just observing social media we have noticed the letters RIP are used a lot by Protestants, and some are evangelical Protestants. From a Protestant point of view we believe when death comes a person either goes to be with Christ for all eternity or into hell. Thats what we believe the Gospel to be. I think Luther, when the scales fell off his eyes, he realised that it was all by faith alone, in Christ alone, the decision is made during life, on this earth, so that when death comes it has been made and no decision has been made after death. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two teenagers in Tower Hamlets in east London have been attacked with a suspected noxious substance in east London, police have said. Officers were flagged down in the area at 7pm on Tuesday by two males who believed to be aged in their late teens, the Metropolitan police said. A police officer at the scene said the liquid thrown over the men was bleach. He told one Mail Online reporter that the bleach had discoloured their faces and burned through their clothing. Recommended Muslim acid attack victim abused online after she leaves hospital He added that the victims knew who the suspect was. London Ambulance Service attended the scene, where paramedics were filmed dousing one man with liquid. Both were taken to an east London hospital for treatment after the unknown liquid was thrown at them in Roman Road, E2. Their injuries are not life threatening, the Metropolitan Police said. An investigation into the attack on the teenagers in progress, but no arrests have been made. It comes after it was announced police are now equipped with acid response kits, following a spate of attacks in recent weeks, including five inside just 90 minutes in London. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has suggested acid attackers will face life sentences, as the Government explored how to tackle a rise in the number of incidents. Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali called for "urgent action" from Ms Rudd. She added: "It's unacceptable that another attack with a corrosive substance has occurred in east London." Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040 as part of efforts to tackle air pollution, the Government is expected to announce. A 255m fund is expected to be unveiled to help councils speed up local measures to deal with pollution from diesel vehicles, as part of 3bn in spending on air quality. Yet critics said the 2040 ban was "too little too late", with the Liberal Democrats calling for new diesel sales to end by 2025. Meanwhile former Labour leader and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the move was a "smokescreen" hiding a lack of immediate action to reduce emissions. The Government is set to include the 2040 ban in a court-mandated clean air strategy due to be published on Wednesday, just days before the deadline set by the High Court. The expected move to ban petrol and diesel vans and cars follows similar plans announced in France this month and amid increasing signs that the shift to electric vehicles is accelerating. On Tuesday, BMW announced plans for an electric Mini to be assembled at its Oxford plant while earlier this month Volvo unveiled its moves towards cleaner cars. Recommended Government taken back to court for third time over air pollution plan The Government was ordered to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide after the courts agreed with environmental campaigners that a previous set of plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits. Despite government efforts to delay publication of the plans until after the general election, ministers were forced to set out the draft plans in May, with the final measures due by July 31. It is thought ministers will also consult on a diesel scrappage scheme to take the dirtiest vehicles off the road. Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said the scrappage scheme was needed immediately to reduce emissions. Campaigners have demanded the final plans should include government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most polluting vehicles to enter areas with high air pollution, as well as a diesel scrappage scheme. Their calls for charging zones were backed up by an assessment published alongside the draft plans which suggested they were the most effective measures to tackle nitrogen dioxide, much of which comes from diesel vehicles. But ministers have been wary of being seen to "punish" drivers of diesel cars, who they claim bought the vehicles in good faith after being encouraged to by the last Labour government on the basis they produced lower carbon emissions. They favour local measures such as retrofitting buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts and even altering features such as speed humps and re-programming traffic lights to make traffic flow more smoothly to reduce pollution. The expected move to ban diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040 comes after similar plans were announced in France this month and amid increasing signs that the shift to electric vehicles is accelerating, with BMW announcing plans for an electric Mini and Volvo unveiling its moves towards cleaner cars. Donald Trump says something could happen on the Paris Climate Agreement Air pollution is linked to around 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also makes up a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. A Government spokesman said: "Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible. "That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious 3bn programme to clean up dirty air around our roads. "Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots often a single road through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people. "Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the Government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans." UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman Jenny Randerson said: "By scrapping the scrappage scheme the government have U-turned on their offer a life line to the millions of owners of diesel cars up and down the country. This is a betrayal to drivers everywhere. "Air pollution is poisoning our children and leading to causing avoidable deaths across the country. "Instead of properly fighting this silent killer the government has flip-flopped, offering tax breaks for cars that they are now banning. The Government's feeble attempts to tackle air pollution are too little too late. "The Government needs to take drastic action to end this public health crisis, every moment they sit on their hands more people are breathing in and dying from polluted air. "The Liberal Democrats have called for all new diesel sales to end by 2025 and a scrappage scheme to help drivers convert to greener vehicles. We are serious about fighting air pollution, this Government is not." Additional reporting by agencies Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Conditions in a mens prison have deteriorated to the point where inmates are crunching cockroaches underfoot, the prison watchdog has warned, amid concerns over chronic staff shortages in the jail. Inspectors visiting Bristol prison found that most residential wings were dirty and dilapidated, concluding that it was fundamentally unsafe for staff and prisoners, with a rate of overcrowding exceeding the institution's capacity by more than 100. Seven men had died by suicide since the last inspection in 2014, including five in the last 12 months alone. Incidents of self-injury had rocketed with 230 incidents recorded in the six months prior to this inspection compared with 58 during the corresponding period before the last one. Violence was rife, with much of it related to drugs and debt, although it had slightly reduced in recent months. One in three men surveyed by inspectors said that they felt unsafe at the time of the inspection double the number when Bristol was last inspected, and far higher than at similar prisons. Inspectors reported broken glass, peeling ceilings, broken fittings, graffiti and damaged floors" as common in the jail, citing that an infestation of cockroaches that had been noted at the last inspection was still present. One prisoner showed the watchdog several large cockroaches in his cell, saying he urinated in the sink instead of using his in-cell toilet at night to avoid inadvertently crunching the insects under his bare feet in the dark. The lack of investment in the prison's buildings was plain to see, which had led to the disrespectful living conditions to which too many prisoners were subjected, said inspectors. The report comes just a week after the UK prison watchdog reported a staggering rise in violence in prisons across England and Wales over the past year, with not one youth jail in England and Wales now deemed safe. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke warned that the general living conditions in many institutions were very poor, citing cases in which prisoners were locked up for almost entire days, both eating and going to the toilet, in cells that are filthy and dilapidated. Commenting on his findings at Bristol prison, Mr Clarke said: At HMP Bristol, it became very clear to us that many of the poor outcomes were directly related to chronic staff shortages and a history of under-investment in the prison. This had coincided with a deluge of illicit drugs, fuelling violence, debt, self-harm and physical and mental illness among prisoners. The lack of staff and the poor physical environment on the wings had merely added to the problems. Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, warned that the degrading and harmful conditions in Bristol prison were just one example in a seemingly never-ending story of wasted potential and human misery. With its warnings about suicide, violence, drug-taking and filth, todays report on Bristol a prison that has faced significant problems for many years ought to be a shocking anomaly, she said. In truth, however, we have seen dozens of such reports as the dangerously overcrowded prison system has descended into deadly chaos. Prisons are out of control, and each week brings yet another instalment in a seemingly never-ending story of wasted potential and human misery. Prisoners should not be held, and dedicated staff should not have to work, in such degrading and harmful conditions. Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, meanwhile said: How many times can the government respond to a disastrous prison inspection with the promise of jam tomorrow? 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 fundamentals of prisons like Bristol remain unchanged gross overcrowding, and a constant turnover of pointless short sentences. The depressing cycle of failure will not end until those fundamental issues are addressed. Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HM Prison & Probation Service, said: Performance at Bristol isnt at an acceptable level and the Governor is taking robust action to tackle the problems. Funding has been increased and more staff, including an additional 29 prison officers, are being recruited. Work to improve safety, reduce violence and improve first night arrangements is being prioritised." Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Keir Starmer, Labours Brexit spokesman, is under fire after entering talks to work with a law firm that challenged the Government over EU withdrawal. A Conservative MP accused Sir Keir of a conflict of interest after he was offered a job by Mishcon de Reya, the law firm that forced Theresa May to give parliament a vote on Article 50, acting for campaigner Gina Miller. The role is expected to involve advising Mishcon's internal think tank and would not see Sir Keir working directly with clients. But James Cleverly, the MP for Braintree, told Sir Keir that members of the public will rightly detect a conflict of interest between your paid work for a law firm and your important role on the front bench. In a letter, Mr Cleverly also raised concerns over the Labour frontbenchers membership of the privy council of senior politicians. Sir Keir was granted membership last month so he could receive confidential briefings from the Government on sensitive aspects of the Brexit negotiations. It is thought that Jeremy Corbyn will decide whether his Shadow Cabinet minister will take up the role. Discussions between the pair have not yet taken place. Two years ago, the Labour leader voted to ban MPs from holding second jobs, in order for them to concentrate fully on their responsibilities as MPs. In his letter, Mr Cleverly called on Mr Corbyn to clarify its position on second jobs, adding: Your actions will be seen as hypocritical as your party states one position, but allows its own MPs to do another. Sir Keir, a former director of public prosecutions, worked for Mishcon de Reya before becoming an MP, joining the firm as a part-time consultant in its disputes practice in 2014. He also held a similar position last year, receiving 4,500 a month for legal advice provided to the Mishcon de Reya Academy between June and September. In 2015, Labour failed in an attempt to ban MPs holding paid directorships or consultancies. No members of the Shadow Cabinet have second jobs at present. When George Osborne was appointed editor of the Evening Standard in March while still a backbench MP, Mr Corbyn said: It's taking multi-tasking to an extreme level what a joke. A spokesman for Mishcon de Reya told The Lawyer, which broke the story: We are in discussions with Keir Starmer about reappointing him as an adviser to the Mishcon Academy. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Britains chances of securing a deal with the EU in the 20 months left of Brexit negotiations look minimal, according to a former UK-EU negotiator. Steve Bullock, who worked at the UK Representation to the EU from 2010 to 2014, also accused government ministers of an appalling dereliction of duty over a failure to understand the complexities of Britains withdrawal from the bloc. In an article for The Independent, Mr Bullock said ministers who were involved in the arduous negotiations had inserted their heads firmly in the sand, hoping tricky problems will just go away. He added: In my view, the chances of getting any deal, let alone a good deal, in the limited time available look minimal. Brexit would have been a terrible idea even if done as well as possible, but for the Government to so blithely march the country towards consequences that they dont even themselves understand is an appalling dereliction of duty. Citing Euratom the European Atomic Energy Community he added: Who knew a fortnight ago that leaving the apparently obscure Euratom Treaty would jeopardise not only the UK nuclear industry, but also the supply of medical isotopes for cancer treatment? His comments follow the second round of negotiations between David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, and Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator. But as the talks came to a close last week, negotiators failed to produce a breakthrough on key disputes, including the so-called divorce bill and the future rights of citizens in Europe and the UK. In his scathing assessment, the former negotiator, who also worked for the Department for International Development, claimed some UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as Oxfam, will not be eligible for EU grants after Britains exit from the union. He continued: With only a few small exceptions, only NGOs from EU countries, and the partner countries themselves, can implement EU aid programmes. I know this well, as I was the UK negotiator for the EU regulation on this. As Tamsyn Barton, my old boss in the Department for International Development, and now chief executive of Bond, the UK NGO network, points out, this will hit large and small NGOs, as well as the many UK companies that currently implement EU aid. So UK NGOs may well struggle, UK companies will be worse off, and developing countries will have access to a smaller pool of expertise. Who knew? Referring to Michael Goves pre-referendum comments on experts, Mr Bullock added: Well, some people knew, but theyre just experts, so have been largely ignored. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May is warned today that opening the door to low-quality food from the United States after Brexit could spell disaster for both British farmers and animal protection. Slashing food regulations in order to strike a quick trade deal with Washington would spark a race to the bottom for welfare standards, says a report by a House of Lords committee. Such a deal could also undermine the sustainability of the industry making UK farmers uncompetitive against cheap, imported food produced without the same rules on quality. The stark warning comes after Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, mocked fears about the sale of chlorine-soaked chickens in Britain after Brexit describing the prospect as a detail. Speaking in Washington, Mr Fox confirmed a cabinet split, dismissing protests that US farmers use the chemical washes to make up for inadequate hygiene on farms and abattoirs. Other concerns surround US practices such as the use of hormones in beef and the growth of genetically modified crops. Now the cross-party House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has called for all Brussels animal welfare laws to be transposed into domestic law to be effective on day one after Brexit to prevent undercutting. Liam Fox rejects idea that potential reduction in meat safety is important factor in current trade negotiations Mr Foxs comments also sparked criticism from the National Farmers Union (NFU), which warned that public trust in the high quality of British food was at stake. It was vital that any discussions about future trade deals do not serve to allow cheap food imports which undermine the high standards that British farmers are proud to produce food to, said Meurig Raymond, the NFUs president. Mr Raymond added: The public trusts that this food is world-leading in traceability and safety, from the farm right through to the fork. Meanwhile, the pro-EU campaign group Open Britain challenged Dr Fox to back up his words by eating a chlorine-washed chicken in front of the cameras during his US trade visit. The proof of the chicken is in the eating and if Mr Fox thinks its safe, he should put his money where his mouth is, said James McGrory, the groups executive director. In London, Downing Street stoked fears about low-quality US food imports in British supermarkets by refusing to say food quality regulations will be maintained after EU withdrawal. Asked if Britain could allow chlorine-washed chicken in a trade deal with the US, Theresa Mays official spokesman described the controversy as hypothetical. No 10s evasion came despite two key Brexiteers in the Cabinet, Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, both coming out firmly against lower food and farming standards. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) (Getty/iStockphoto) In todays report, the peers point out that high farm animal welfare standards can be a selling point for UK producers and enjoy universal support as a public good. Ministers must negotiate to include provisions regarding farm animal welfare in future free trade agreements and clear up whether the World Trade Organisation allows imports to be restricted on those grounds. The report concludes: The greatest threat to farm animal welfare standards post-Brexit would come from UK farmers competing against cheap, imported food from countries that produce to lower standards than the UK. Unless consumers are willing to pay for higher welfare products, UK farmers could become uncompetitive and welfare standards in the UK could come under pressure. It points out that in February the Prime Minister herself told the Commons: We should be proud that in the UK we have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world indeed, one of the highest scores for animal protection in the world. Leaving the EU will not change that. Yet, in Washington, Mr Fox dismissed any fears, saying: The British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. He added, sarcastically: We work on the premise that the British press corps in Washington never eat American chicken or beef when they are here due to their health worries. Britons should instead be concerned about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation and the increased prosperity of both the UK, the US and our trading partners, Mr Fox added. In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier listens at the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivers his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit reacts during a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage wears socks with Union Jack flag at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Nigel Farage, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) member and MEP, addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcoming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier gestures during speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (L) speaks with European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France Getty Images Opposition politicians seized on the comments. Ben Bradshaw, a senior pro-EU Labour MP, said: The Government is putting the Fox in charge of the hen coop when it comes to food safety. They are so desperate for new trade deals to make up for some of the losses that they seem ready to compromise on the safety of the food we eat. And Tim Farron, the former Liberal Democrat leader, said: Parliament will not back a reduction to food standards as part of the Repeal Bill. This is a betrayal of British poultry farmers who currently work to the highest standards in the world. Liam Foxs dangerous grovelling to the US is only going to see his chickens come home to roost. The No 10 spokesman said: Our position when it comes to food, is that maintaining safety and public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority, the spokesman said. Any future trade deal must work for UK famers, businesses and consumers. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said he hoped the US could quickly seal a bilateral trade deal with the UK. We're working on a trade deal which will be a very, very big deal, a very powerful deal, great for both countries, he told reporters as he met with Ms May during the G20 summit in Germany. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May is loyally supported at the moment, according to the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon as he insisted he absolutely not interested in her job. Speaking ahead of visit to Sydney, Sir Michael also rejected suggestions that Ms Mays administration deprived of its majority following the general election is unstable. Asked in an interview published in the Sydney Morning Herald whether he had ever contemplated a bid for Downing Street, the Defence Secretary replied: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I've never considered that. We have a Prime Minister and I want to see her, as she is doing, being loyally supported at the moment. And asked whether Mrs May herself would last as PM, he added: I hope so, absolutely. She led us into the election and we didn't get the majority she wanted but she won the most seats, she won the most votes. I think she will last. On Tuesday Boris Johnson also said voters no longer wanted political kerfuffle regarding leadership challenges. On a visit to New Zealand, as part of nine-day international tour, the Foreign Secretary said: What the British people want to see is a Government that gets on with the job and theyve got that with Theresa and we are going to deliver a great Brexit deal. Echoing Sir Michaels comments, Mr Johnson continued: Lets be clear, the election did not evolve entirely in the way the government had hoped or would have wanted. But the Labour party did not win; they were 50 seats behind. When asked if "infighting" could compromise progress in trade discussions, Mr Johnson said any suggestion of discord in the Conservative Party had "completely passed me by". The comments from the senior ministers came as the Prime Minister was photographed on holiday with her husband, Philip, in Desenzano del Garda in northern Italy. Last week Ms May joked that fellow Conservatives may be relieved that she is not returning to Wales, where she decided to take the gamble and call a snap election while waking in Snowdonia at Easter. "I think there are many people who are grateful I'm going to the Alps and not to Wales again," she told LBC radio. But following the inconclusive election, speculation and rumours have been rife in Westminster over a potential successor to Ms May in the Conservative party. Cabinet discipline also broke down after a series of hostile briefings were made against Philip Hammond, the Chancellor. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man who worked as an elephant handler was trampled to death and the investigation into the attack is drawing blanks, according to the company manager. Enock Kufandada, 50, who worked for tour operator Adventure Zone in Zimbabwe, died after being trampled by a domesticated male bull while he tried to herd it into a pen. His death was described as a out of the blue by operators in the resort town of Victoria Falls. Recommended Orphan killed by lions after sanctuary worker led him into enclosure The elephant, called Mbanje, was shot and killed by Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers after the attack. It had been released for grazing alongside the companys other elephant, a female called Nkanyezi, after a ride. Adventure Zone managing director Brent Williamson told The Independent that the investigation into the death was coming up with blanks. 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 Its really hard as it happened in an isolated area, he said. He added: Why would an animal react like that unless provoked? He added that Kufandada had worked with elephants since 2005 and he would be sincerely missed. The Chronicle reported that his wife and two children were in shock about the attack, and his son Shepherd said he was concerned that his father had been the only family member to earn an income. Mr Williamson responded that the family was entitled to Mr Kufandadas employee benefits and the company had gone "well beyond that, driving Kufandadas body and the family to be buried in his rural home of Mutare, and providing the family with food. After Mbanje was shot, Adventure Zone is left with one elephant, after one was hit by a train, two were rehabilitated and released into the wild and another died of natural causes, said Mr Williamson. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The manhunt for a suspected poacher ended was he was caught by police in Zimbabwe, almost four years after he was accused of killing scores of elephants using cyanide capsules. Tony Maphosa has been on the run since 2013 after he allegedly poisoned water points and salt pans used by the animals. But was arrested in the Hwange National Park after a tip off last week. The anti-poaching team, which included officers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police, also reportedly recovered two pieces of ivory from him when he was captured. A man from Tshotsho was arrested on Wednesday with two elephant tusks, said park spokesman Tinashe Farawo. He added that the anti-poaching team was still on the ground after two elephants were killed earlier this week in another suspected cyanide poisoning. Maphosa "has been on the wanted list in connection poisoning elephants in 2013 and is also linked to the death of eight elephants this year, a police source told the Zimbabwe Chronicle. Poaching is an acute problem in the national park, which was home to Cecil the lion until he was famously shot by US dentist Walter Palmer in July 2015. Dozens of elephants are also killed for their tusks every year. In 2015, 11 of the animals were killed in the park when they were poisoned by a cyanide-laced salt lick. 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 Six had had their tusks hacked off but some of the victims were too young to have tusks, the youngest being only three months old. Cyanide is becoming an increasingly used tactic of poachers operating in sub-Saharan Africa as it means they can kill more victims with less likelihood of getting caught by park rangers. China, which for years was a major centre for the ivory trade, signalled that it would be cracking down on the trade in a bid to stop poaching. Though Beijing signed up the ban on the international trade in ivory in 1990, the internal trade remained legal to protect the antiques but in practice fuelled smuggling. The country announced it would ban the domestic trade by the end of 2017 and research has shown this has already caused a fall in the price of ivory. But this has not been mirrored by a fall in poaching and many fear growing demand from other developing nations in Asia such as Vietnam may make up the shortfall. Although ivory carving is not as revered in the country as it is in China, demand for the intricately, handcrafted statues and figures has increased, The Guardian reported. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An African American waitress has told how she was handed a menu containing a hand drawn swastika while unknowingly working at a private reception hosted by Holocaust denier David Irving. Shelley Sidney said told an Atlanta television channel she had complained to her employer and demanded the event be terminated, but that he cited the right to freedom of speech. Writing on Facebook, she said she heard people using racist and homophobic slurs, and talking about Jews and immigrants. I was really in tears when I was overhearing the conversations, the private conversations of just how horrible black people are, immigrants are, gay people are, Ms Sidney told WSB-TV. Ms Sidney posted the image on social media (Facebook) Ms Sidney said the incident happened at the Antica Posta restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. The restaurant was apparently one of the locations for Mr Irvings latest book tour, advertised as David Irving looks back: My fifty years defending Real History against its enemies. An evening with the British historian. There is no evidence that Mr Irving was aware of the incident, or knew who had written the symbol on the menu. Mr Irving famously lost a libel case he brought against an American historian (Getty) Mr Irving, 79, is known for his staunch and persistent denial of the Nazi Holocaust. In 2000, he famously lost a a libel action against American historian Deborah Lipstadt and her British publisher Penguin Books, who had described Mr Irving as a Holocaust denier and falsifier, and said he manipulated and distorted real documents. The episode was featured in the 2016 movie Denial. Denial: Timothy Spall on playing Holocaust denier David Irving At the time, Mr Justice Charles Gray wrote in his opinion: Irving has for his own ideological reasons persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence; that for the same reasons he has portrayed Hitler in an unwarrantedly favourable light, principally in relation to his attitude towards and responsibility for the treatment of the Jews; that he is an active Holocaust denier; that he is anti-Semitic and racist, and that he associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism. In 2005, Mr Irving was arrested and jailed for a year for Holocaust denial in Austria, a country where such behaviour is a crime. Since then, he has continued to speak and write, and remains an icon for many neo-Nazis. He recently said he had found a new generation of Holocaust deniers through YouTube videos of his speeches. Writing on Facebook, Ms Shelley said she was struggling to process the situation, because never in my 29 years on this earth have I felt or experienced such blatant hatred. 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 She added: I cried so hard and tried to pray that feeling off. I couldn't shake it. At first I was hurt, now Im pi**ed. The restaurant failed to respond to inquiries. However, its lawyer, Manny Arora, said: "I would also advise that the only racist in this incident was Mr David Irving and his group. Mr Betti was not familiar with who Mr Irving was prior to 7/27/17 and took immediate steps to remove [the group] from his restaurant when he learned of the offensive drawing that was discovered by one of his wait staff." Read more He added: You dont check into peoples backgrounds or their political beliefs before you agree to a reservation. Mr Irving said he had not been aware of the incident until he read about it in the media. "The waitress at our function was very good, which I as host demonstrated by a $100 tip which she more than earned," he told The Independent. "We had no complaint at the time from her or her manager. We have held dinners there for several years. I have no knowledge of the actual incident reported and will inquire of all our attendees, and ask for statements, as my experience is that this kind of allegation is likely to show up later." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is showing he is "weak" by attacking the attorney general, according to Breitbart. The alt-right publication has traditionally been one of the president's most prominent and important supporters. But it launched a scathing criticism upon Mr Trump in a news article published after he attacked Jeff Sessions. The president could be failing to deliver on the wall and the immigration and other policies that were key to his election, the publication said, in an apparent attempt to distance itself from him. 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 In an early morning tweetstorm, Mr Trump had written: "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" The tweet was widely seen as a significant attempt by Mr Trump to distance himself from Mr Sessions and encourage the Department of Justice to prosecute Hillary Clinton. Those attacks have lasted days and apparently came because Mr Sessions had recused himself from the investigation into Mr Trump's ties to Russia. But Breitbart reporter Adam Shaw wrote in a news article that the tweets had only served to "only serves to highlight Trumps own hypocrisy on the issue and is likely to fuel concerns from his base who see Sessions at the best hope to fulfill Trumps immigration policies". Mr Shaw also wrote that it was the president's fault not that of Jeff Sessions that Ms Clinton hadn't been prosecuted. It isn't the first time that Breitbart has attacked the president for failing to keep his campaign promise to lock up Ms Clinton. But it said that Mr Trump's base was now being sold out on two fronts and was becoming disappointed with the president. Throughout the presidential campaign, Mr Trump said that if he were in power he would send Ms Clinton to prison. He also led supporters in chants of "lock her up", in response to perceived wrongdoing in handling her emails. But soon after he was elected, Mr Trump told the New York Times that he felt sorry for Ms Clinton and wouldn't be having her locked up, despite his promises. I dont want to hurt the Clintons, I really dont, Trump said in the interview. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways, and I am not looking to hurt them at all. The campaign was vicious. Mr Shaw wrote that many supporters looked past that U-turn because they believed that he would still pursue policies like the building of a wall and the banning of people from Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. But now Mr Trump is attacking Mr Sessions, that may be dropped too. Mr Sessions has been one of the most vocal supporters of Mr Trump's extreme immigration policies, and losing him may delay plans to push them through the courts. Breitbart is also worried that he could be replaced by ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has voiced support for undocumented migrants in the past. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A now-retired Roman Catholic priest has been charged with forcing a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy to perform oral sex on him while counselling the fourth-grader about misbehaving on a school bus. The state attorney general's office accused the Reverend John Thomas Sweeney of committing felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell during the 1991-92 school year. The boy, now 35 and serving in the Coast Guard, told investigators that after the attack Sweeney's secretary gave him milk and cookies, prosecutors said. He is a hero for his service, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. Today we know him as a hero for coming forward to share his story with us. Defence attorney Francis R. Murrman said Sweeney, 74, vehemently denies the charges, noting they date back some 26 years and the details were only disclosed as Sweeney was being arraigned. There's abbreviations in there, there's dates, there's all kinds of allegations, Murrman said. We don't know if 75 percent of them are accurate, 60 percent of them are accurate or 30 percent of them are accurate. A grand jury report used to charge Sweeney said that someone made an anonymous complaint to Lower Burrell police about Sweeney in August, shortly before a US marshal who is related to the accuser called them to say the accuser told him Sweeney had abused him. The unnamed marshal said the accuser was moved to disclose the allegation after watching Spotlight, a 2015 film about the Boston Globe's investigation of priest abuse. The accuser told the grand jury in February that Sweeney first lectured him about his behaviour, then placed his hands on the back of the accuser's head and assaulted him. Sweeney told grand jurors he could not remember the name of his secretary until he was reminded that he recently attended her funeral, the jury wrote. In fact, evidence was introduced that Sweeney actually conducted Mass at her funeral. The Greensburg Diocese said Sweeney was removed as pastor of Holy Family Parish in West Newton last year after church officials learned of the allegation. Sweeney became a priest in 1970 and served in seven western Pennsylvania parishes: in Latrobe, Greensburg, Smock, Freeport, Apollo, Lower Burrell and West Newton. The diocese said its records indicate Sweeney has not been the subject of any other child sexual abuse complaint. 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 Sweeney was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. Lower Burrell, where the elementary school is located, is about 25 miles (40 kilometres) northeast of Pittsburgh. Associated Press Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Democratic member of the US House of Representatives proposed legislation on Monday to bar the US government from renting rooms at President Donald Trump's hotels for official business. Donald Trump should not be allowed to line his or his familys pockets with taxpayer dollars, Representative Don Beyer of Virginia said in a statement. He said the amendments he was introducing to a spending bill were necessary because of the Republican president's unprecedented failure to divest from his business, and the ongoing entanglement between the Trump Organization and the White House. Republicans control the House and the Senate. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit alleging that government payments to Trump's businesses violated the US Constitution. Reuters Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The family of an eighth-grade boy who was abused by his teacher say the school threatened to paddle him as punishment for spreading rumours. Jennifer Caswell, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2015 for sex crimes against the student, who is thought to be 15 years old. The teenager, who has not been identified, was allegedly told to keep his mouth closed by Marty Webb, the Principal of the high school he attended in Oklahoma. His father made the claims during a sworn deposition and also added that he refused to let Mr Webb paddle his son as punishment for spreading false rumours, The Oklahoman newspaper reported. He went on to sue Caswell, Hollis schools and several school district officials and also claimed the school allowed the former teacher to resign knowing she would be able to keep her teaching credentials. Hollis Public Schools agreed to pay $125,000 (96,000) to settle claims that the school participated in covering up Caswell's sexual abuse, according to Charles Watts, an attorney for the victim's family. The attorney for the school, Andy Fugitt, said school officials reported the matter to the police and the local district attorney's office around the time Caswell resigned. 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 The school has always denied claims the student was threatened with any form of punishment and stated that only the Oklahoma State Department of Education has the authority to revoke teaching credentials. "The school district responded to the information it had - which was very limited - in an appropriate way," Mr Fugitt said, noting that Caswell and the student both initially denied the relationship. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A North Carolina woman has told authorities she returned home from work recently to find her seven-year-old daughter covered in blood, claiming to have been sexually assaulted. The girl told her mother she had been assaulted by Brentley Jason Breyers, the man she refers to as father, according to police. The woman told authorities she had left her four children with Mr Bryers on Friday morning while she went to work. A family member picked up two of the children Friday night, leaving the two others alone with the 28-year-old man. Authorities believe the alleged assault happened that night. Authorities say the girl suffered extensive injuries from the alleged assault. She was taken to a children's hospital about an hour away, where it is likely she will require surgery. Evidence obtained at the home including clothing found in the washing machine was consistent with a sexual assault, authorities say. They believe the the clothing in the washing machine was an attempt to dispose of evidence. Mr Bryers was arrested and charged with statutory rape, with bail set at $1m. It was not immediately clear whether he had entered a plea. Statutory rape of a child by an adult is a felony offence in North Carolina, and carries a minimum sentence of 25 years. This is at least the third case of statutory rape reported in North Carolina in the last two months. Last weekend, a 20-year-old North Carolina woman was arrested for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old boy, who authorities say she met at the bar where she worked. In June, a 25-year-old maths teacher was arrested for allegedly having inappropriate sexual contact with three students. The Iredell County Sheriff's Office could not be reached for comment. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Ohio baby sitter who authorities say gave a fatal dose of Benadryl to an 8-month-old boy has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other crimes. Lori Conley also pleaded guilty Monday in a Franklin County court to child endangering and tampering with evidence in the 2016 death of Haddix Mulkey. She's in her 40s and could be sentenced to up to 17 years in prison. Conley's attorney hasn't returned a phone call seeking comment. 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 Prosecutors says the Reynoldsburg woman gave an adult dose of the over-the-counter allergy medication to Haddix to try to get him to sleep while she was baby-sitting him on 13 May at her suburban Columbus home. She called 911 after finding him unresponsive. Authorities say Haddix died that day at a hospital from the overdose. AP Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A judge in Cincinnati has dismissed the charges against a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop, after a county prosecutor declined to pursue a third murder trial in the case. Hamilton County Judge Leslie Ghiz declined to acquit former University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing in the shooting of Sam DuBose, but she dismissed the murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in a way that blocks retrial on those counts. It's sort of a note of finality, which is what we were looking for, although we still have the potential for a federal civil rights investigation, defence attorney Stewart Mathews said afterward. Two juries couldn't reach unanimous agreement on the state charges, leading to mistrials. County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he felt badly about dropping the case but had concluded that he wouldn't be able to get a jury to convict Tensing. Recommended Judge declares mistrial in fatal police shooting of Sam DuBose Tensing, now 27, shot the 43-year-old DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front licence plate on 19 July 2015. The shooting is among numerous cases nationwide that have called attention to how police deal with blacks, and it highlights the challenges prosecutors face in getting jurors to convict police officers for shooting when they say they're under threat. Tensing, who was fired after the shooting, testified at both trials and said he feared he was going to be dragged or run over as DuBose drove away. An expert hired by prosecutors said his frame-by-frame analysis of Tensing's body camera video showed Tensing wasn't being dragged by the car. DuBose's family and civil rights groups wanted a third trial. The family also was disappointed with the formal dismissal of the state charges, because it means those charges can't be brought again, DuBose's sister, Terina Allen, said. The family now hopes federal authorities reviewing the case will determine that DuBose's civil rights were violated and will prosecute Tensing. We want them to give Sam some kind of justice, Allen said. US Attorney Benjamin Glassman said authorities will review evidence from the state court trials to assess whether there are possible federal civil rights offences that might warrant prosecution. Mathews said Monday that he hadn't been contacted by federal authorities. The university reached a $5.3 million settlement with DuBose's family, including free undergraduate tuition for his 13 children. 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 Later Monday evening, a group of fewer than two dozen people walked quietly across an Ohio River bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport, Kentucky, to show their support for Tensing. They were followed by about 40 counter-protesters holding signs and chanting their support for DuBose. A few police officers monitored the events, but no problems were reported. Associated Press Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} War between the US and North Korea is not unimaginable, Americas most senior military officer has said. Marine General Joseph Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not rule out the possibility of a horrific conflict. Although admitting that such a war would involve massive loss of life, General Dunford said it was his duty to prepare military options in order to protect US citizens. Recommended Hawaii prepares for possible nuclear attack from North Korea "Many people have talked about military options with words like 'unimaginable,'" he said. "I would probably shift that slightly and say it would be horrific, and it would be a loss of life unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes, and I mean anyone who's been alive since the Second World War has never seen the loss of life that could occur if there's a conflict on the Korean Peninsula. "But as I've told my counterparts, both friend and foe, it is not unimaginable to have military options to respond to North Korean nuclear capability. What's unimaginable to me is allowing a capability that would allow a nuclear weapon to land in Denver, Colorado. That's unimaginable to me. So my job will be to develop military options to make sure that doesn't happen." General Dunford was speaking at the Aspen Security Forum of intelligence and national security officials. North Korea has continued to test long-range ballistic missiles in recent weeks and is believed to be have developed several nuclear warheads, despite threats of severe consequences from the US and its Western allies. It is thought Pyongyang does not currently have the technology required to launch a nuclear weapon at the US but Donald Trump has vowed to take strong action against the communist state. North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP On Tuesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman threatening to launch a nuclear attack to the heart of the US should the Trump administration attempt to remove President Kim Jong-un from power. Should the US dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove our supreme leadership, we will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the US with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time, the spokesman is reported to have said. The threat was a response to Mike Pompeo, the CIA Director, hinting that US intelligence agencies were considering trying to overthrow the dictator. Mr Pompeo told the Aspen conference that the US wanted to separate North Koreas nuclear weapons from the character who holds control over them today. "The North Korea people I'm sure are lovely people and would love to see him go as well, he added. It comes as US defence officials warned that North Korea is planning another inter-continental missile test to coincide with the 27 July anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Donald Trump has promised to deal very strongly with North Korea and said the US is considering severe things in response to the missile tests. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump appears to have inadvertently confirmed the existence of a covert CIA programme in a Twitter post. In a series of tweets, the US President attacked The Washington Post in connection with a story about the termination of US efforts to aid rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. He wrote: "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad." The tweet appeared to refer to a report claiming the US President was phasing out the secret programme to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels, a policy began by Barack Obama in 2013. It had been a covert programme until Mr Trump's tweet confirmed its existence. "If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter," Ned Price, a former CIA employee, wrote on Twitter. Donald Trump gives 40,000 boy scouts 'career advice' from a racist, bankrupt property developer US officials told the newspaper in a story published on 19 July ending the secret program was related to Mr Trump's concerns about re-establishing a working relationship with Russia. Mr Trump was reported to have made the decision nearly a month ago, after an Oval office meeting with CIA director mike Pompeo and national security adviser H R McMaster. At the time, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to discuss the ending of the programme, telling reporters she didn't know if it had come up in discussions Mr Trump had with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has launched his strongest attack yet on his "very weak" Attorney General Jeff Sessions, fuelling speculation he is preparing to fire him. The US President took issue with Mr Sessions apparent reluctance to investigate presidential rival Hillary Clinton's alleged "crimes". His early morning tweet followed a similar barb on Monday when he branded Mr Sessions "beleaguered". Mr Trump's anger at Mr Sessions stems from the Attorney General's decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the investigation into alleged links between Russia and the Trump campaign. The fate of Mr Sessions, the countrys top law enforcement official, has been uncertain since Mr Trump claimed in a recent interview that he had been unfair to him by recusing himself from the ongoing probe into last Novembers election. Reports of Mr Sessions' imminent departure from the Trump administration emerged early on Tuesday when three sources told Associated Press the President was considering new options for the justice role. Among the possible replacements is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In a string of tweets on Tuesday morning, Mr Trump also raised the issue of Ukrainian efforts to sabotage his election campaign, saying unnamed actors in the eastern European country had been quietly working to boost [Hillary] Clinton. So where is the investigation A.G., he added. And he attacked Mr Sessions for not probing intelligence "leakers" at the FBI. Mr Trump simply rolled his eyes when asked by a reporter on Monday about the future of Mr Sessions. However, the Attorney General insisted last week he intended to stay in his post. "I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," he said. Mr Trump said in a recent interview with The New York Times that he would not have hired Mr Sessions, once one of his closest political allies, had he known how the Attorney General would go on to handle the Russia investigation. "Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself, which frankly I think is very unfair to the President," Mr Trump told the newspaper. "How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, 'Thanks, Jeff, but I'm not going to take you'. "It's extremely unfair and that's a mild word to the President." 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 But Mr Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who had spoken to the President cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. Mr Trumps latest Twitter commentary came hours after Jared Kushner, the Presidents son-in-law, said he played no part in any Kremlin attempt to meddle in the US election, despite having met Russians four times last year. Jared Kushner says he had no improper conduct with Russian officials after appearing before Senate "All of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign," the 36-year-old White House adviser said. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did." Reacting to that denial, Mr Trump tweeted: Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump! Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has promised a very big and exciting trade deal with the UK after Brexit. In a tweet on Tuesday lunchtime, the US President said his administration was working on a major trade deal, adding: "Could be very big & exciting. JOBS!" He also accused the EU of being very protectionist and told the bloc to "STOP!" Mr Trump earlier predicted a new chapter for stronger trade between Britain and America. Even though the President has said he wants to see the two countries quickly seal a bilateral trade deal, it often takes years to negotiate tariff and non-tariff barriers in areas such as agriculture and the car industry. The agreement will also require the approval of US Congress. Mr Trump has suggested that he will only sign trade agreements that he views will benefit American workers and will keep jobs in the US. Upon taking office in January, the President abandoned an ambitious multinational trade agreement brokered by his predecessor Barack Obama, the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, and said the US would only form trade deals with individual allies. Mr Trump's upbeat tone in his Tuesday tweet came despite concern in the UK about a potential watering down of food standards in an effort to secure a post-Brexit deal with Washington. A report by a House of Lords committee warned Theresa May not to slash food regulations in order to facilitate a quick deal, saying it could lead to a race to the bottom for welfare standards. In particular, chlorine-washed chicken, hormone-treated beef and genetically modified foods, which are permitted in the US, have sparked concern. Environmentalists warn Britain may be forced to accept lower quality products, including the use of banned flavourings and increased pesticides. Liam Fox rejects idea that potential reduction in meat safety is important factor in current trade negotiations But the International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, played down fears that any agreement would open up British markets to sub-standard agricultural products. On a visit to Washington, he said: The British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. I say no more than that." Mr Trump, posting on the official presidential Twitter account, rather than his personal page, said on Monday: "Our special relationship w/ UK is going to be even better. USTradeRep & UK's LiamFox met today to begin new chapter for stronger trade!" EU rules prohibit member states from making separate trade deals with countries outside the bloc. But Mr Fox has repeatedly insisted there is nothing to stop the British Government scoping out how a future relationship with America might look before Britain leaves the EU. A new US/UK trade and investment working group set up by Mr Fox's Department for International Trade found more than 700,000 US jobs were supported by exports to the UK in 2015. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty Quizzed on the prospect of chlorine-washed chicken, Ms Mays spokesman said maintaining the safety and public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority and that any future trade deal must work for UK farmers, businesses and consumers. But Labours Ben Bradshaw said: "The Government is putting the Fox in charge of the hen coop when it comes to food safety. This row about chlorine chicken is a direct result of the Government's decision to leave the single market. They are so desperate for new trade deals to make up for some of the losses that they seem ready to compromise on the safety of the food we eat. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said any trade deal between the US and UK would not be "remotely comparable to the potential losses" Britain will sustain if it withdraws from the EU through a hard Brexit. Sir Vince claimed any agreement struck with America would not offset the potential losses of leaving the European Single Market and Customs Union. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Republican senators have narrowly voted to begin debate on legislation that will dismantle Obamacare a victory for Donald Trump, who has spent the last week cajoling and seemingly even threatening senators to support his party's healthcare bill. The Senate voted 51-50 on the motion to proceed on a measure that will repeal the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote. In the coming days, the Senate will now debate, amend and ultimately vote on a healthcare bill that will overhaul America's healthcare system. Mr Trump said in a statement that he applauds the upper chamber of Congress "for taking a giant step to end the Obamacare nightmare." "As this vote shows, inaction is not an option, and now the legislative process can move forward as intended to produce a bill that lowers costs and increases options for all Americans," Mr Trump said. "The Senate must now pass a bill and get it to my desk so we can finally end the Obamacare disaster once and for all." While the Senate's Republican leadership has succeeded in pushing forward its healthcare bill, it is still uncertain whether Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has enough support to pass legislation that will uproot a pillar of former Democratic President Barack Obama's legacy. Two senators from his own party Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine defected, and for awhile it seemed that Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was also going to follow suit. Mr Johnson was late to the vote and engaged in a lengthy discussion with Mr McConnell before voting 'yea'. Arizona Senator John McCain who was diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this month was also one of the last to deliver a critical vote in favour of opening up debate on the healthcare bill. When the 80-year-old entered the Senate chamber, he was greeted with applause and a few hugs. 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 But following the vote, Mr McCain with stitches above his left eye where doctors had removed a blood clot proceeded to blast the Senate's draft healthcare bill. "I will not vote for this bill as it is today," Mr McCain said, and if it fails "as seems likely", he added, the Senate should go back to the drawing board and consult with Democrats. Mr McCain urged his colleagues to "stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths" on radio, television and the Internet who rail against compromise. "To hell with them!" he said. Before the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer told Republicans, "We know that ACA is not perfect, but we also know what you've proposed is much worse". About 20 million people gained health insurance coverage through Obamacare. But Republicans say that it has driven up premiums and forced consumers to buy insurance they do not want and cannot afford. Despite consistent criticism of the ACA, Republicans have been unable to agree on what a suitable replacement for the law should look like. Last week, it even appeared that the Senate's Republican leadership could not garner enough support to open up debate on a healthcare bill. A straight Obamacare repeal could lead to 32 million people losing their health insurance, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Meanwhile, the CBO has predicted that the first version of the Senate healthcare bill, released last month that would both repeal and replace the ACA, would increase the number of people without health insurance by 22 million by 2026. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Senator John McCain, the 30-year Senate veteran diagnosed last week with an aggressive form of brain cancer, recently returned to Congress to help advance a Republican healthcare plan that even he decried as a shell of a bill. Democrats and Republicans alike stood and applauded as the outspoken 80-year-old stepped onto the floor, minutes after arriving from his home in Arizona. He cautiously embraced his Senate colleagues before casting his crucial vote: A yes on the motion to begin debate on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. The bill Mr McCain helped to advance a version of the repeal and replace bill passed by the House is notably unpopular with voters. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will result in 23 million people losing health coverage in the next 10 years. Even as Mr McCain was entering the Capitol, protesters were being removed from it, some of them screaming, Dont kll us, kill the bill! The irony was not lost on some. "So it happened," tweeted MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid. "McCain returned to the Senate to a standing ovation, and promptly voted to take away millions of people's healthcare." Even so, the vote marked a decisive victory for Senate Republicans, who had thus far failed to muster the 50 votes necessary to even debate the legislation. Even Tuesday's motion to proceed passed with the bare minimum of 51 Republican votes, forcing Vice President Mike Pence to step in to break the tie. President Donald Trump quickly took to Twitter to congratulate Republicans, and to thank Mr McCain for turning out for the vital vote. Thank you for coming to D.C. for such a vital vote, he tweeted. Congrats to all Rep. We can now deliver grt healthcare to all Americans! Mr McCain, however, marked the occasion with a speech condemning the legislation he had just voted onto the floor. I voted for the motion to proceed to allow debate to continue and amendments to be offered, he said. I will not vote for this bill as it is today. Standing on the Senate floor, a scar from a recent blood clot removal surgery visible over his left eye, the Senator lambasted his partys leadership. Were getting nothing done my friends, were getting nothing done, he said. All we've really done this year is confirm Neil Gorsuch. On the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, he said: "All weve managed to do is make more popular a policy that wasnt very popular when we started trying to get rid of it." The fiery Senator went on to condemn the lack of regular order in the Senate, and the secretive tactics employed by both parties. He accused the GOP leadership of devising their health care proposal behind closed doors and then then springing it on sceptical members, trying to convince them its better than nothing. 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 What is truly needed, Mr McCain said, is input from both sides of the aisle. Our health care insurance system is a mess, he said. We all know it, those who support Obamacare and those who oppose it. Something has to be done. Thanks to Mr McCains vote, something probably will: The motion to proceed sets off 20 hours of debate on the bill, ending with a vote to pass on Thursday. Amendments can also be added during that time period, meaning the bill thats voted on on Thursday will likely look nothing like Wednesdays version. And even if that bill does not pass, Mr McCain seemed to suggest that the important part was trying. Incremental progress, compromises that each side criticise but also accept, just plain muddling through to chip away at problems and keep our enemies from doing their worst isnt glamorous or exciting, he said. ...But its usually the most we can expect from our system of government, operating in a country as diverse and quarrelsome and free as ours. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Pentagon has said that North Korea will be able to field a nuclear-capable, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as soon as 2018. The new timeline, coming from the Defence Intelligence Agency, is two years earlier than previous estimates. The Washington Post has reported the new date is based on recent advancements observed during Pyongyang's latest test of missiles that could reach North America, specifically Alaska or Hawaii. Recommended Hawaii prepares for possible nuclear attack from North Korea The launch, which took place the week of 4 July, of the Hwasong-14 was dubbed a "shining success" on North Korean state television. North Korea "appeared to master key technologies needed to loft a warhead toward targets thousands of miles away," according to the newspaper. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could have a reliable, nuclear-capable ICBM in production in the next few months, according to people familiar with the confidential assessment. 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 Despite the rapid progression from prototype to production, intelligence officials have said that "rentry" is still an issue for a nuclear-capable ICBM, meaning a warhead could travel through the atmosphere without suffering any damage. Tests are expected to take place in the next few days - perhaps on 27 July, a national holiday in North Korea to mark the end of the Korean War - and will be watched closely to monitor if the isolated nation has in fact developed the "reentry" technology. Another "milestone" is making a nuclear warhead that is small enough to place on the missiles, however the country has been conducting tests underground on a possible version of it. The Trump administration have not indicated as yet how this will change the timeline on action taken to stop North Korea's development of a nuclear weapon being used against North America. Donald Trump has previously criticised the United Nations Security Council for its inaction, but he reportedly discussed the issue with allies at the last G20 and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) summits. Newly-elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in has wanted to take a "sunshine policy" with Pyongyang by opening economic development avenues as a way to ease peninsular tensions. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort will be forced to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, after negotiations to avoid the closed-door hearing broke down. In a statement, committee leaders Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein said they had been willing to accommodate Mr Manafort's desire not to appear, but were unable to reach agreement on a separate, transcribed interview with their committee. They issued their subpoena on Monday night. Recommended Paul Manafort seen as potential leverage against Trump "We need answers. Thats why the Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for Paul Manafort," Ms Feinstein tweeted on Tuesday. Mr Manafort is expected to provide information at the hearing about last summer's controversial meeting with a Russian lawyer. The Judiciary Committee initially said it would not subpoena Mr Manafort, as he had agreed to negotiate on an interview by committee members and their staff. But negotiations broke down when Mr Manafort agreed to only a single, transcribed interview to Congress, which would not be made available to the Judiciary Committee. "While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr Manafort's request, ultimately that was not possible," Mr Grassley and Ms Feinstein said. If the committee holds firm, Mr Manafort will be expected to testify at a hearing on Wednesday. He may still be able to avoid the hearing, however, if he agrees to turn over certain documents in addition to a transcribed interview. It is not clear what exactly the committee will ask Mr Manafort, but the subpoena comes on the heels of revelations about a Trump campaign meeting with a Russian lawyer and lobbyist last June. The meeting also attended by Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner was first reported by The New York Times this month. Emails released by Mr Trump Jr show the campaign team was promised incriminating information on Hillary Clinton in exchange for taking the meeting. The revelations have renewed allegations of Trump campaign collusion with Russia, and compelled various Congressional committees to call on Mr Manafort, Mr Trump Jr, and Mr Kushner to testify. Mr Kushner appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday. In remarks released before his testimony, Mr Kushner said he "did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded" with any foreign government during the campaign. "No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of; I do not recall how many people were there [or their names], and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted," he said. 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 Manafort stepped down from the Trump campaign in August, amid questions about his past lobbying work for pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs. Reuters reports the former political operative is currently under investigation for allegations of money laundering. Sources say Special Counsel Robert Mueller the attorney charged with leading the Justice Department's Russia probe is examining Mr Manafort's financial and real estate records and his involvement in Ukrainian politics. "If Mueller's team can threaten criminal charges against Manafort, they could use that as leverage to convince him to cooperate [with the Russia investigation]," one source told Reuters. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin reportedly told Donald Trump that if Russian hackers had infiltrated Democratic groups, they would have been too good to have been caught. And now the President is making the same claims, the White House has admitted. According to the New York Times, Mr Putin told Mr Trump during their G20 meeting that "Moscows cyber-operators are so good at covert computer-network operations that if they had dipped into the computer systems, there is no way they could have been detected". Since then Trump has shared this claim with his team, his communications director Anthony Scaramucci has said. During a CNN interview on Sunday, Mr Scaramucci told Jake Tapper that "someone" had told him Russian hackers were too good to be detected. "You know, somebody said to me yesterday I won't tell you who that if the Russians actually hacked this situation and spilled out those e-mails, you would have never seen it," Mr Scaramucci told Mr Tapper. "You would have never had any evidence of them, meaning that they're super confident in their deception skills and hacking," he continued. When Mr Tapper questioned who his source was, Mr Scaramucci admitted that it was Mr Trump. "How about it was how about it was the president, Jake?" Scaramucci said. "I talked to him yesterday. He called me from Air Force One. And he basically said to me, 'Hey, you know, this is maybe they did it. Maybe they didn't do it'." 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 Several US intelligence agencies concluded in a report that the people who hacked the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails were Russian in an effort to help Mr Trump get elected. The FBI, Congress, and Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller are investigating the Trump campaign team's alleged ties to Russian officials. Mr Trump's son-in-law and White House Jared Kushner testified in a closed session in front of the Senate intelligence committee. Donald Trump Jr and former campaign manager Paul Manafort are set to testify later this week. All three were involved in a previously undisclosed meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin, Natalia Veselnitskaya. Mr Kushner had failed to disclose the meeting in his paperwork to obtain security clearance as well as $51 million in assets. He claims that he was only at the meeting briefly, asking his assistant to call him to give him an excuse to leave it. Mr Trump Jr admitted in a statement that the meeting was not strictly about the Magnitsky Act, a US law that blacklists suspected Russian human rights abusers but was taken in an effort the gain information Ms Veselnitskaya's go-between said she had about Ms Clinton's supposed financial ties to Russia. Administration aides have said it was all in the course of campaign work done as "opposition research". It is unclear when this particular statement was made, however Mr Trump and Mr Putin held an official meeting of over two hours with just two translators and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson present in the room. It was later reported the two met for an additional hour during a G20 state dinner after the official meeting. Mr Lavrov said given the nature of such a summit, Mr Putin and Mr Trump could have met several more times informally. Mr Trump tweeted on 23 July that he maintains the Russian story is a "phony...witch hunt". Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Scott Pruitt, the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, travelled to his home state, Oklahoma, 10 times over three months this year, largely at taxpayer expense, according to a new report. The findings from the Environmental Integrity Project, a non-profit group founded by former EPA officials, are drawn from Mr Pruitts calendar and the travel expenses he has submitted for reimbursement. Obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the documents show Mr Pruitt spent 43 out of 92 days from March through May in Oklahoma or traveling to or from the state. The report does not assert that Mr Pruitts estimated $12,000 in federally funded airfare, which includes travel to and from his home state, is improper. Many in Oklahoma speculate that Mr Pruitt, who was the states elected attorney general until assuming the EPA job in February, plans to again seek statewide office. Mr Pruitt lost a 2006 primary bid to become Oklahomas lieutenant governor. He was elected attorney general in 2010. An EPA spokeswoman said that all of Mr Pruitts travel was related to agency business and that he had no other political agenda. Since assuming the EPA job, Mr Pruitt has drawn much of his political staff from the office of Senator James Inhofe, a fellow Oklahoma Republican who doubts climate change science and who has championed the dismantlement of fossil fuel regulations. But a number of top agency jobs including deputy administrator and head of the air pollution office remain vacant. The White House intends to announce nominations for those posts in coming weeks, officials said. Eric Schaeffer, the executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project and the former director of the EPAs office of civil enforcement, said he had sought Mr Pruitts travel documents because agency staff members told him they had difficulty scheduling meetings because Mr Pruitt was frequently out of town. It is unclear whether aides or members of Mr Pruitts full-time security detail accompanied him. The report lists only Mr Pruitts airfare expenses. Mr Schaeffer said Mr Pruitt had not been transparent about his reasons for spending nearly half of March, April and May in Oklahoma. For all but one trip, Mr Pruitts schedule notes an official reason for being in the state, like a tour he took in May of the Brainerd Chemical Company in Tulsa or a tour a week later of a contaminated creek in Osage County. In some cases, Mr Pruitt also paid a portion of the travel costs. When he made a three-day stop in Oklahoma after a speaking engagement in Houston, for example, Mr Pruitt paid for travel between Houston and Tulsa. The EPA picked up the rest of the airfare, according to the voucher documents. The vouchers said Mr Pruitt was holding informational meetings during those days in Oklahoma, but they were not specified on the administrators calendar. The schedule also points to political destinations, like a keynote address he gave in April to the American Legislative Exchange Council, an industry-funded group. Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad According to Mr Pruitts calendar, he typically spends three to five days in the state but often lists just one official meeting. In one case, he travelled to Oklahoma on March 23 and received an award from the National Stripper Well Association in Oklahoma that day. He stayed through March 27. In that case, Mr Pruitt asked for reimbursement for one leg of the travel, noting in the voucher that the rest of the weekend would be spent at his personal residence. On another trip, from May 4 through May 8, Mr Pruitt met with the head of a rural water association on May 5, with no other meetings scheduled. He needs to say why [he is] spending half his time in Oklahoma and having one meeting per trip is performing his duties as an administrator, Mr Schaeffer said. He added that the trips gave the appearance that Mr Pruitt is keeping his political contacts warm and questioned the amount being reimbursed as part of official EPA business. Asked about the travel to Oklahoma and Mr Pruitts future political plans, an EPA spokeswoman, Liz Bowman, said in a statement: Administrator Pruitt is committed to serving the president by leading the Environmental Protection Agency; he is not running for elected office. The administrators travel, whether to Utah, Michigan or Oklahoma, all serves the purpose of hearing from hard-working Americans about how EPA can better serve the American people. Were Mr Pruitt to try to replace Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma in 2018, his tenure as EPA chief would be cut short. Mr Inhofe, 82, has not said whether he intends to run for re-election when his six-year term ends in 2020. Oklahomas other senator, James Lankford, 49, is up for re-election in 2022. Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, said that the field for the governors race was already crowded without Mr Pruitt and that he would not bet on Mr Inhofes retirement. Mr Gaddie added that there was little talk in Oklahoma about Mr Pruitt returning to the state to run for office. Rather, Mr Gaddie said, Mr Pruitt was probably going home for personal reasons. His daughter, McKenna, recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma, and he has a son, Cade, who is several years younger. Mr Gaddie also defended the travel reimbursements. In a state where everyones ethics are questioned, he said, Ive never heard his questioned. Gina McCarthy, who served as EPA administrator during President Barack Obamas second term, also travelled frequently to her home in Boston, where her husband lived. A spokeswoman for Ms McCarthy, Liz Purchia, estimated that Ms McCarthy travelled home roughly every other weekend during her term leading the agency. She said Ms McCarthy paid for the travel. Ms McCarthys travel could not be immediately verified because her travel records are not publicly available. New York Times Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has said the US could use some more loyalty in a rambling political speech to tens of thousands of youngsters. Mr Trump broke with eight decades of tradition on Monday when he used his address at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia to discuss partisan politics, criticising former President Barack Obama, his former campaign rival Hillary Clinton, fake news and pundits. Boy Scout values are American values, and great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the Scout Law says: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that, the President said. The event, held once every four years, gathers young people from across the world to talk about values such as serving your country and exchanging ideas. Mr Trumps comments about loyalty came almost directly after he said Tom Price, his health and human services secretary, was going to get the votes to pass a bill that would dismantle Obamacare. Republican leaders in the Senate have struggled to garner support from members of their own party for legislation that would repeal and replace Mr Obamas healthcare law. No Democrats are expected to vote in favour of the bill. Last week, three senators, including Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, said they would vote against beginning debate on a bill that would repeal major parts of Obamacare without an immediate replacement, basically killing the measure. 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 Efforts by leadership to move forward a bill that would both repeal and replace the law at the same time have so far been unsuccessful. He better get Senator Capito to vote for it, Mr Trump said, addressing Mr Price. You got to get the other senators to vote for it. Its time. After seven years of saying repeal and replace Obamacare, we have a chance to now do it. They better do it. Hopefully theyll do it. Mr Trump also promised to repeal and replace the law during his presidential campaign. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President Donald Trumps speech to the 2017 National Scout Jamboree has been called a disgrace after the President broke from tradition and used his address to attack his political foes, and even threaten to fire some of his federal employees. Speaking in Glen Jen, West Virginia, Mr Trump vowed early on not to discuss politics. Then, not soon after, he was labelling the press fake news, appropriating portions of the Scout Law to fit his needs, and re-airing grievances about the many people who doubted his 2016 election victory. Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? Mr Trump had asked the crowd, which was mostly young men. He then shifted gears to talk about politics. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) released a statement following the speech, saying that the organisation is non-partisan, and doesnt promote any one position product, service, political candidate or philosophy, according to the comments acquired by a Huffington Post reporter. The sitting president serves as the BSAs honorary president, the statement read. It is our long-standing custom to invite the US president to the National Jamboree. But former Scouts many of whom indicated that they had received the organisations highest rank of Eagle Scout spoke up to criticise Mr Trumps politicisation of the event. Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images As Scouts, we were taught never to make our service about politics, Ted Genoways, an author and editor-at-large of the Pacific Standard,tweeted. Mr Genoways continued to note conflicting feelings he has toward the organisation which he says his family has been involved with for decades but criticised the President for politicising the Jamboree for no apparent reason. Others tweeted in agreement. Many said they were ashamed by the Presidents speech. Many noted their families were involved in the organisation for generations as well. Others expressed embarrassment for being an Eagle Scout after the Presidents speech. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Eight US senators have called for an official investigation into claims that up to 50 federal officials have been moved to different jobs because of their stance on climate change, saying any suggestion that this had been done to force them to resign or silence them was extremely troubling. The news came after one US government scientist in the Interior Department, Joel Clement, wrote an article in The Washington Post in which he accused the Trump administration of favouring silence over science after he was reassigned from his job helping communities in Alaska cope with the changing climate to an unrelated job in the accounting office. I am not an accountant but you don't have to be one to see that the administration's excuse for a reassignment such as mine doesnt add up, Mr Clement said. Recommended How Donald Trump made me a whistleblower A few days after my reassignment, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke testified before Congress that the department would use reassignments as part of its effort to eliminate employees; the only reasonable inference from that testimony is that he expects people to quit in response to undesirable transfers. He added that he believed he was being retaliated against for speaking out publicly about the dangers that climate change poses to Alaska Native communities. In a letter to Mary Kendall, deputy inspector general of the Interior Department, the eight senators all Democrats wrote of troubling newspaper reports of the arbitrary reassignment of as many as 50 Senior Executive Service employees. Any suggestion that the Department is reassigning SES employees to force them to resign, to silence their voices, or to punish them for conscientious performance of their public duties is extremely troubling and calls for the closest examination, they added. We believe that any reassignment of highly trained, highly competent senior executives within the Department from the positions in which they may best use their training and competence to accomplish the Departments mission and best serve the public interest to sinecures where their talents are wasted would constitute a serious act of mismanagement, a gross waste of public funds, and an abuse of authority. The senators suggested that moving staff in this way might be against the law. The law establishing the SES requires that the SES be administered to attract and retain highly competent senior executives, to protect senior executives from arbitrary and capricious actions and to maintain a merit personnel system free of prohibited personal practices, they wrote. Although the law allows the head of an agency to reassign senior executives, it contemplates that reassignments be made to to best accomplish the agencys mission, consistent with the laws requirements that the SES provide for an executive system which is guided by the public interest and free from improper political interference. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United States Navy has reportedly fired warning shots at an Iranian vessel. The US Navy patrol boat the USS Thunderbolt, a Cyclone-class patrol ship involved in an exercise in the Persian Gulf, reportedly shot the warnings during a tense encounter with the Iranian ship. A US official said that the Iranian naval vessel came within 150 yards (137 meters) of the Thunderbolt. The Iranian vessel reportedly didn't respond to radio calls, flares, or warning sirens. That forced the sailors aboard the US ship to use weapons to send their signal. Iranian authorities didn't immediately respond to reports of the encounter, according ot the Associated Press. The US official spoke to reporters on anonymity since the US government hadn't made the interaction public yet. The two countries frequently have tense exchanges in the Persian Gulf. The warning shots come as tensions between the two countries have heightened, spurred on in part by anti-Iran rhetoric from President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has issued sharp warnings to Iran recently over an ongoing dispute between Washington and Tehran over American citizens being held prisoner in Iran. The Iranian government has been critical of the US for holding Iranian citizens in its jails as well. 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 There will be "serious consequences" unless Iran releases American prisoners and stops using "hostage taking as a tool of state policy," Mr Trump said recently. Mr Trump has been critical of a deal reached between his predecessor and the Iranian government, which eased sanctions in order to promote transparency from the Iranian nuclear programme. Still, even though Mr Trump had promised to "tear up" the agreement with Iran, his administration has already recertified the agreement, showing that Iran has complied with the agreement so far. Mr Trump, however, has proven to be unpredictable, and could decide that the deal is no longer working at any point - and could refuse to recertify the agreement, which is required every 90 days. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In conservative north-west India where sexual violence and harassment of women is commonplace, the city of Jaipur thinks it may have found a solution. A new all-women police force now patrol the streets on foot and by moped to protect women and let them know help is at hand. The police tell women that they can call or even WhatsApp for help. Around 80 per cent of Indian women have been harassed by men in public, known as Eve teasing, which includes catcalling, lewd comments and being followed by strangers. The women police also have months of martial arts training. This is very good because men will be scared when they see those women on duty, male resident Ram Lal Gujar told AFP. If one man gets beaten up, others will also feel the heat automatically if theyre doing anything wrong. Police patrol parks, shops and public areas (Getty / AFP) Thats why I think its a really good idea. Almost 40,000 rapes occur in India every year, but it is thought that the number of rapes that are unreported are much higher. Women are thought to be scared to report a crime due to the mostly male police force and due to a fear of reprisal, or being judged to have provoked the attack. Women encouraged to phone or WhatsApp unit (Getty / AFP) The message we want to send out is that we have zero tolerance towards crimes against women, Kamal Shekhawat, who heads up the new unit, told AFP. The unit has reportedly seen a preventative effect and levels of harassment of women in typical spots decrease.since it was set up in May. 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 The new force follows a similar initiative in the neighbouring city of Udaipur in October. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state, police have developed anti-Romeo squads to target the same crimes, but they are mostly male-dominated forces. Many people welcome the crackdown efforts. yet others criticise the moral policing and targeting of unmarried people, interfaith couples and men who have shown no evidence of harassing women. The new policing strategies come after multiple, harrowing cases of gang rapes and other acts of violence against women which hit the international headlines and sparked large protests in India and abroad. One particular case of a medical student, who was brutally raped and killed on a bus in December 2012 in New Delhi, brought the countrys laws under scrutiny but attacks are still common. On average there are six rapes per day in New Delhi. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Indian official has reportedly urged villagers who do not have enough money to build toilets in their homes to sell their wives to make some extra money. Kanwal Tanuj, a magistrate from the district of Bihar, is said to have made the comments during an event promoting the country's nationwide cleanliness campaign on Friday. The Clean India Mission, which is also known as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, is a scheme launched by the Government of India to clean the countrys 4,041 statutory cities and towns. Mr Tanuj is believed to have begun his speech by calling for those gathered to obey the campaigns sanitation standards in order to safeguard the dignity of women. "Save the dignity of your women if you can. How poor are you?" the Indian Express quoted Mr Tanuj as telling the audience. But when a man said he did not have enough spare cash to install a toilet at his home, the District Magistrate reportedly replied: "If that is the case then go and sell your wife." He continued: If this is the mentality you have then go and sell your wife. So many people talk about advance payment, they get advance and then spend it on useless things. In pictures: World Toilet Day Show all 20 1 /20 In pictures: World Toilet Day In pictures: World Toilet Day Bangladesh Rubina, 38, has lived in Mollar Bosti slum in Dhaka for 3 years. She moved from the countryside when her husband got a job in Dhaka. The toilet she uses is known as a shared hanging toilet and is situated 20 metres from her house. She says that once, in middle of the night, she went to the toilet and someone knocked the toilet door so hard she thought they were going to break the door down. She got very scared and since then, she has been too scared to use the toilet after 9pm In pictures: World Toilet Day Haiti Martine is 27 years old. She lives near a river in Cayimithe. "I don't have an enclosed toilet. My toilet is a hole in the ground by my house, which is now full and has become really dangerous. I only use it at night when I can have some privacy. In the day time, I use a community toilet which is about 15 minutes away from my house" In pictures: World Toilet Day Belgium Rosalie, 9, goes to school in Brussels. "At my school we have separate toilets for girls and boys on every floor. My classroom is on the 3rd floor. We have 22 toilets, which are shared between 230 pupils and 20 adults. The teachers at school let us go to the toilet whenever we need to" In pictures: World Toilet Day India Saritadevi lives in Ittava village in Uttar Pradesh. She has no access to a toilet in her house and so uses a local field. She suffers from a lack of dignity and privacy when she visits the toilet. She says she is humiliated by men, enduring people throwing stones at her, shouting abuse, making vulgar gestures, and playing offensive songs In pictures: World Toilet Day Australia Renee is an artist who left her former home in the densely populated suburbs of Sydney to live a quieter life in bush surrounds, a one-hour drive north of the city. She has built a shed on ten acres of land and has included an outside toilet and bathroom. Ironically, Renee is able to enjoy total privacy out in the open as she is surrounded by wild bush and forest, far from other houses In pictures: World Toilet Day Ghana Ima, 47, is a public toilet attendant in Kumasi, Ghanas second largest city. She lives in a rented room with her husband and four children aged 14-22. She is a very dedicated worker and relies on the income from her job to fund her children's education. She does not have a toilet at home. During the day, she uses the public toilet where she works, but at night she is forced to use plastic bags as it is not safe to walk long distances in the dark In pictures: World Toilet Day UK June is the Allotment Secretary at Gordon Road Allotments in Finchley, North London. "We used to have a portable toilet, which had to be emptied every so often. It was very smelly and not very nice. Now we have a waterless compost loo, which enables women to stay down at the allotment all day if they wish. It also makes a big difference when we have Open Days. This year, for the first time, we were in the National Gardens Scheme book and had an open day with 170 visitors. We wouldnt have been allowed to host this event without the compost loo" In pictures: World Toilet Day Thailand Sineha, 71, uses a public toilet which is inside the temple she visits. "They are convenient and cleaned daily by the maid. It is a safe place because we have security guards here 24 hours a day and separate toilets for men and women" In pictures: World Toilet Day Mozambique Assucena, 14, is a Grade 8 student who loves to study and play football. She lives with her mother, grandmother, sister and two cousins. Her grandmother sells beer to provide for her extended family. Assucena shares a toilet with more than 30 other people from different families. "When it rains, the toilet floods. It really smells bad" In pictures: World Toilet Day Ecuador Fabiola, 69, lives in Cumbaya, a valley near Quito. Between the ages of seven and 21, she shared a toilet with 20 other people, who lived in her condominium. Now she lives in a large apartment, which has five bathrooms. Her bathroom is the biggest one and she is very proud of it as her current situation contrasts vividly with her childhood In pictures: World Toilet Day Brazil Lorena, 16, is a student. She has just moved into one of Rio de Janeiro's favelas. "I dont have a toilet but I am working hard to try and build one. In the meantime, I have to use my mother's. We only get water on Thursdays and Sundays, when the taps are opened. One day I would like to have a bathroom with running water. I am very vain, I like to have my hair and nails done and use perfume. Some people around here have been in poor health, partly due to the poor sanitation situation in the area" In pictures: World Toilet Day USA Mary is a writer who lives in New York City. "Living with two housemates, it is important to schedule our bathroom time and take turns cleaning it. I used to live in Beijing, where I had to use a public bathroom as my apartment didn't have a private toilet. While it was safe and relatively clean, I used to hate putting my coat on just to go to bathroom in the middle of night during winter. That experience made me really appreciate the privacy and comfort of having a clean toilet at home" In pictures: World Toilet Day Ethiopia Meseret, a restaurant manager in Addis Ababa, shares a one bedroom government house with her two children, two sisters and mother. She was widowed nine years ago when her husband was shot during the aftermath of the 2005 elections. Her shared toilet is a long way away so at night, for safety, the family use the side yard next to their house In pictures: World Toilet Day Japan Eiko, 61, lives in Tokyo. "Since this department store is close to my home, I often come here for shopping. When I was a child, the public toilets were not clean and smelled bad, but every time I use the bathroom here, I feel so relaxed. I could spend many hours here!" The department stores toilet, called the "switch room", is a special place where people can switch their mood and feel relaxed. The toilets are an extreme example of good sanitation and have features like surround sound music and heated seats. In the powder room next to the toilets, Eiko can charge her mobile phone, watch TV and have a foot massage, turning a basic daily function that we all have to do into a pleasurable and multisensory experience In pictures: World Toilet Day South Africa Nombini has two Porta Potties, which are used by the 12 people who live in her home. When she first moved to Khayelitsha in 2005, she did not have a toilet so she had to go in the bush, across a main road. "It was terrible in the bush, the cars hit you. When we were given a Porta Potty in 2009, it was much better than going in the bush. Flush toilets are first class compared to the Porta Potty though. My dream is to have a flush toilet" In pictures: World Toilet Day Zambia Susan, 46, is the founder of a community school for children with physical and mental disabilities. "It makes me proud and happy to teach disabled children so that in the future they can have a better life and not just stay at home. I was attacked by Polio at the age of two. Its not easy being disabled in Lusaka. Using the toilet is a challenge, especially in the rainy season, as I have to crawl to the toilets on my hands" In pictures: World Toilet Day Kenya Eunice is the Co-Founder of Kasarani Academy in Naivasha. Previously, the school only had two toilets which were used by 250 pupils. Tenants living nearby used the toilets as well and left them in a poor condition. Because of this, Eunice found that the children preferred to practice open defecation in the grounds around the school, which quickly became a public health issue. Eunice and her husband Paul have now invested in child-friendly toilets. These tiny toilets have prevented adults using them as they cannot fit through the doors. "Parents will enrol their children here because of our child friendly toilets" In pictures: World Toilet Day Romania Ghita, 48, from Buzescu village, says she is the proud owner of one of the biggest bathrooms in the village. It is 20 square meters. 35% of the population of Buzescu village are Romas who are prosperous and proud to show it off. However, there is no running water or sewerage in the village so toilets are on-site In pictures: World Toilet Day Madagascar Vanessa, 17, is a student who lives in Antananarivo. She says she worries when she is on her period at school. "At home, I have a shower outside my house and I can keep clean but when Im at school, I feel embarrassed during my periods as there is no space to change or wash. I worry that my sanitary napkin will leak if I keep it on for too long while Im waiting to come back home to change it" In pictures: World Toilet Day Cambodia Ms Moeun Sothy is a secondary school student, who lives with her grandmother and her aunty. At home she is responsible for collecting water for the household from the local water source. At her school she is on the childrens rota for cleaning the school toilets once a week. She believes that handwashing with soap is really important, especially after using the toilet A clip of his speech has since gone viral on social media. But Mr Tanuj has now claimed it was a distorted version of his speech which was prompting controversy. "It's a distorted version of my speech that is being highlighted. The entire speech was an appeal to the men about the respect of ladies and not about showing disrespect," he told PTI. Shrawan Kumar, the minister for Rural Development in the area whose department is part of the effort to build a toilet in every household in the state, has condemned his purported comments. "Everybody associated with the task of inspiring citizens to build toilets at home should hold their tongue," Mr Kumar said. "We need to make people aware of the advantages of toilets and also tell them about the problems associated with its absence to inspire them to go for constructing toilet and not make such abrasive comment. The Bihar government pledged to make the state open defecation-free by 2019 earlier this year. The scheme includes a 12,000-rupee subsidy to help families which qualify to build toilets at home. The nationwide Clean India Mission was launched by the countrys Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2014. It is India's most far-reaching cleanliness scheme with three million government employees, school and college students from across the subcontinent taking part. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A village council in Pakistan ordered a nine-year-old girl to marry a man to settle a dispute between their families over an alleged kidnapping. Officials in Kot Mubarak forced the child to wed the man after his uncle claimed her family had abducted his wife and children. Police have arrested four people over the wedding and are searching for up to a dozen others, including the cleric who conducted the ceremony and the leader of the council, in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab, in eastern Pakistan. The council was called on to settle the dispute after Budha Khan complained the girl's uncle Haji Muhammad kidnapped his three children and their mother on 6 July, The Express Tribune reported. Authorities decided the nine-year-old must wed Mr Khan's nephew under the cultural custom of vani, in which a young girl is forcibly married as a part of a punishment for a crime committed by her male relatives. The practice was banned in 2005 but still continues illegally in parts of Pakistan. 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 Kot Mubarak's council also ordered that Mr Khan's children should be returned to him but said his wife should live with her father. Family members from each side of the dispute were involved in the vani proceedings, according to the newspaper. Police are raiding houses in a bid to round up those who took part. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A controversial insecticide blamed for the deaths of 13 Bangladeshi children was only banned in the US last year despite being blocked by the EU more than a decade earlier, highlighting the stark differences in safety regulations on either side of the Atlantic. Researchers at the American Journal of Tropical Medicine found a direct link between the use of endosulfan and the deaths in Bangladesh in 2012. The children died of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) after coming into contact with powerful pesticides and fungicides sprayed on lychee orchards in the region. Recommended May refuses to rule out weakening of food standards in US trade deal Endosulfan, an organochlorine insecticide, is banned due to its health effects in more than 80 countries. The EU moved to outlaw use of the endosulfan in 2005, while the US waited until 2016 to ban the substance. The new study, which involved experts at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at the deaths of the children aged between one and 12 years old in northern Bangladesh. Lead author of the study Saiful Islam, an associate scientist at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh, said the deaths were most likely due to an exposure to multiple, highly toxic agrochemicals. The report comes as environmentalists warned about the prospect of British negotiators watering down food standards in order to secure a quick trade deal with the US. A report by a House of Lords committee warned Theresa May not to slash food regulations in order to appease Washington in any future arrangement, saying it could lead to a race to the bottom for welfare standards. In particular, chlorine-washed chicken, hormone-treated beef and genetically modified foods, which are permitted in the US, have sparked concern. Liam Fox rejects idea that potential reduction in meat safety is important factor in current trade negotiations Environmentalists warn Britain may be forced to accept lower quality products, including the use of banned flavourings and increased pesticides. But the International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, who was in Washington to kick off preliminary trade talks with his US counterparts, played down fears that any agreement would open up British markets to sub-standard agricultural products. He said: The British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement. "I say no more than that." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A gay couple has been refused entry at a guesthouse in Italy after its owner told them it does not accept gays and animals. The pair who are from Naples said they were left dismayed after learning they were not welcome at Ciufo guest house in Calabria in southern Italy because the Catholic owners believe in traditional families. Massimo Arcangeli had been arranging the final details of their trip with the guesthouse in a hamlet called Santa Maria via Whatsapp when he was told they do not allow gay people to lodge there. Mr Arcangeli said: It immediately made me think of the famous message Nazis would post on their shop windows: No dogs or Jews. Seventy years have passed since then and this story cannot be ignored. Arcigay, the first and largest national gay organisation in Italy, has demanded the hotel is removed from Booking.com and a number of other websites for hotel reservation. Filippo Mondella, the owner of the guest house, has now told Radio Capital he penned the note while driving. He insisted he did not intend to offend anyone when he told the couple: "This is important and I don't want to appear like a troglodyte, but we don't accept gays and dogs." Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Mr Mondella claimed he had made a punctuation error and had not intended to class dogs and gay people in the same grouping. But he nevertheless sought to defend his position by arguing the B&B was a private zone and their faith was the priority. LGBT rights have come a long way in Italy in recent years with a civil unions law passed in 2016 providing same-sex couples with many of the rights of marriage but deeply-entrenched cultural prejudices in the country persist. A Rainbow Europe report published in May found the country scored just 27 per cent in its protections for and rights granted to LGBT people. This makes the country one of the worst countries in Western Europe in terms of gay rights. Nevertheless, its ranking of 32nd out of 49 countries was a rise of three places from the 2016 ranking when it gained a score of just 20 per cent. Step adoption was excluded from the 2016 civil unions bill passed and is currently an issue of judicial debate. Despite the fact discrimination related to sexual orientation in employment has been banned since 2003, no other anti-discrimination laws relating to sexual orientation or gender identity and expression have been implemented. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} British treasure hunters have found a chest which could contain $163m (125m) worth of Nazi gold. The casket was located in the post room of the SS Minden, a Nazi ship which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean just off Iceland. There are claims the cargo ship was used to transport gold from banks in South America to Nazi Germany when it sank in 1939. After being intercepted by a British ship, SS Minden was scuttled by its own crew to prevent allied troops capturing it. The ship and potential treasure was discovered by the Advanced Marine Services (AMS), who are now applying to Icelands government for permission to open the chest, The Sun reported. It is believed that it contains approximately four tons of valuable metal. AMS had fallen foul of Icelands rules when searching for the treasure, which was located 120 miles from the shore. 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 The crew of the Seabed Constructor, which was used to conduct the investigation, were ordered back to Iceland for not having the necessary licence. They are now claiming the contents belong to the finder and are awaiting a decision from Icelandic officials on the legal owner of the wreckage and the haul. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Swedish military has announced plans to conduct its largest joint military drill with Nato in 20 years over fears about the growing encroachment of Russia. The first exercise, called Aurora 17, is scheduled for September and designed to strengthen the countrys defences and create a credible and visible deterrent to make its neighbours carefully consider the risks of attacking it, the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement. It said: The overarching mission of the Swedish Armed Forces is to defend the country's interests, our freedom and the right to live the way of our choice. The exercises will take place in the air, on land and at sea. They will take place across the entire country but will focus on the Malardalen Valley, the areas around cities of Stockholm and Gothenberg and on the strategic island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. More than 19,000 Swedish troops will take part along with 1,435 soldiers from the US, 270 from Finland, 120 from France and between 40-60 each from Denmark, Norway, Lithuania and Estonia. It comes after Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed to eliminate the Nato threat if Sweden decided to join the organisation. In June, he told the state news agency Itar-Tass: If Sweden joins Nato this will affect our relations in a negative way because we will consider that the infrastructure of the military bloc now approaches us from the Swedish side. 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 We will interpret that as an additional threat for Russia and we will think about how to eliminate this threat. Currently only tiny Montenegro is on the list of countries which are due to be inducted into Nato, as the military alliance steps up its presence in eastern Europe over fears about Russian encroachment. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the commanding officer of the US Army forces in Europe, said no island was as strategically important at Gotland and said he was looking forward to working with the Swedes. Recommended Hundreds of UK troops sent to Estonia to face off against Putin He told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter: "Russia has changed the security environment. "We have to react to that, and not just the US, but the whole of Nato. The countries closest to the bear have historical experience. They feel the hot breath of the bear and they are the ones most worried." "The fact that Sweden decided that they have to put troops back on Gotland is a very clear indication of what's going on. Sweden is known as moderate, credible and alliance free. Nevertheless Sweden felt that this was necessary." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The suspected perpetrator of a chainsaw attack that wounded at least five people in Switzerland has been arrested, according to Swiss police. The attacker had been at large since the incident, which prompted officers to seal off the centre of the Swiss town of Schaffhausen. At least five people were injured, two seriously, after the man went on a rampage in the small town on the German border on Monday. A shop owner told Swiss newspaper Blick a man with a chainsaw was walking the streets and police later confirmed the report. Police said the attack was not being treated as an act of terrorism. Police official Ravi Landolt identified the suspected perpetrator as Franz Wrousis. It was unclear whether this was the man arrested by Swiss officials. Police released pictures of the suspect on Monday Prosecutor Peter Sticher said the man had no fixed address but previously had been registered himself as living in the south-eastern Swiss canton of Graubunden. The building where the attack took place is home to a bookshop and insurance and lawyers offices. It was not immediately clear who or what the mans target was. A health insurance company that has an office in the building where the attack took place said two of its employees had to be taken to a hospital, Blick reported. We can confirm that a man with a chainsaw came into the agency and seriously wounded two of our employees, said Christina Wettstein, a spokeswoman for insurer CSS. They are undergoing operations at the moment and we dont know how they are. The company does not know yet whether the other three wounded people were customers or passers-by, she added. It also does not know whether the attacker was a customer. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A member of the Turkish parliament's national education commission has said there is no use teaching maths to students who don't know jihad. Ahmet Hamdi Camli, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), praised the education ministry for including teaching the concept of jihad in the school curriculum. Mr Camli said "jihad is Islam's most prior element," Turkish daily newspaper Haberturk reported. Jihad comes before prayer," he said. "When we look at Ottoman sultans, nearly all of them didnt even go to hajj in order not to abandon jihad." Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wins referendum to greatly expand powers Turkey's new school curriculum dropped Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and added the concept of jihad as patriotic in spirit. The theory of evolution is rejected by both Christian and Muslim creationists, who believe God created the world as described in the Bible and the Koran, making the universe and all living things in six days. Mr Camli added: Our ministry made a very on-point decision. If prayers are the pillars of the religion, jihad is the tent. Without the pillars the tent is useless. "Theres no use in teaching mathematics to a child who doesnt know jihad." Jihad is often translated as "holy war" in the context of fighters waging war against enemies of Islam; but Muslim scholars stress that it also refers to a personal, spiritual struggle against sin. In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Turkey coup attempt In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Erdogan attends the funeral service for victims of the thwarted coup in Istanbul at Fatih mosque on July 17, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey Burak Kara/Getty Images In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soldiers involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge with their hands raised in Istanbul on 16 July, 2016 Gokhan Tan/Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A civilian beats a soldier after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 REUTERS/Murad Sezer In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Surrendered Turkish soldiers who were involved in the coup are beaten by a civilian Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags as they capture a Turkish Army vehicle Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt People pose near a tank after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Brigde Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A Turkish military stands guard near the Taksim Square in Istanbul Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Pierre Crom/Twitter In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim square AP In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Murad Sezer/Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers detain police officers during a security shutdown of the Bosphorus Bridge Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish Army armoured personnel carriers in the main streets of Istanbul Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Chaos reigned in Istanbul as tanks drove through the streets EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media in the resort town of Marmaris Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of President Erdogan celebrate in Ankara following the suppression of the attempted coup Reuters The move has proven highly controversial, further fuelling fears President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is subverting the republic's secular foundations. Mr Erdogan, accused by critics of crushing democratic freedoms with tens of thousands of arrests and a clampdown on media since a failed coup last July, has in the past spoken of raising a "pious generation". The chairman of a teachers' union described the changes as a huge step in the wrong direction. Mehhmet Balik, chairman of the Union of Education and Science Workers (Egitim-Is) said it was an attempt to avoid raising "generations who ask questions". For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A controversial project from an art student in Israel is to go ahead despite claims that objects displayed in it were stolen from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. 27-year-old Rotem Bides was previously facing criminal charges in Poland for the theft of several items allegedly taken the site over the course of six visits, including a screw, spoon, pieces of glass and a sign warning visitors not to remove objects. This is a painful and scandalous act. This is a protected site and proof of the tragedy of the Holocaust that needs to be preserved for future generations, a museum spokesperson said last week. The objects - along with a vial of her own blood and other items from Poland such as a rabbits leg and water from the river the ashes of victims of the Nazi atrocity were thrown into - form the final exhibit of Ms Bides masters degree at Beit Berl College in Kfar Saba. In an interview with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth published last week the student appeared to defend her actions on the grounds of freedom of artistic expression - but has since clarified that everything displayed in her work was taken from outside the death camp, rather than stolen from it. The student said her words were taken out of context by the journalists who interviewed her and that they put words in her mouth, the college said in a statement, adding that nothing had been stolen and Ms Bides work would be displayed as planned from 26 July. Watch the moment MPs applaud Holocaust survivor marking 90th birthday A spokesperson from Auschwitz-Birkenau, however, told the Washington Post that while from photographs it could not be fully determined whether any items were indeed taken from their custody, at least one artefact was identifiable as from the site. Ms Bides - all four of whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors - told Yedioth Ahronoth that she was concerned that after all the survivors are gone, the Holocaust will turn into a myth, something that cannot be perceived. The project was something she felt she had to do, she said. Millions of people were murdered based on the moral laws of a certain country, under a certain regime. And if these are the laws, I can go there and act according to my own laws. The statement Im making here is that laws are determined by humans, and that morality is something that changes from time to time and from culture to culture. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A group of LGBT people fighting against Isis in Syria have formed their own military unit as the battle to eradicate the Islamist organisation continues. Isis has brutally persecuted LGBT people for several years and considers being gay to be a crime punishable by death. Now a number of international volunteers fighting alongside Kurdish forces in northern Syria have formed an LGBT military unit and named it The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA) pronounced tequila. Recommended Women are burning their burqas after being freed from Isis The group was set up under the umbrella of the International Revolutionary Peoples Guerrilla Forces (IRPGF), an anarchist group taking part in the fight against Isis. TQILA's formation was announced in a statement posted on its Twitter page. We, the International Revolutionary Peoples Guerrilla Forces (IRPGF) formally announce the formation of The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA), a subgroup of the IRPGF comprised of LGBT*QI+ comrades as well as others who seek to smash the gender binary and advance the womens revolution as well as the broader gender and sexual revolution, it said. TQILAs members have watched in horror as fascists and extremist forces around the world have attacked the Queer community and murdered countless of our community members citing that they are ill, sick, and unnatural. The images of gay men being thrown of roofs and stoned to death by Daesh [Isis] was something we could not idly watch. In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Isis' weapons factories In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A mortar round fin manufactured by Isis in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis rocket components discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, Iraq in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortars discovered near Karamlais, Iraq, in November 2016 CAR In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis rocket launch frame in Qaraqosh, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A memo from Isis' COSQC on quality control at a manufacturing facility in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Electrically-operated initiators manufactured by Isis in forces Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortar tubes at a manufacturing facility in Karamlais, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis mortar production facility discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis weapons manufacturing facilities near Mosul in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Stocks of French-manufactured Sorbitol, Latvian potassium nitrate and Lebanese sugar at an Isis weapons factory in Iraq Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A destroyed Isis weapons facility in Qaraqosh, Iraq, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research The group said hatred for Queer, Trans* and other non-binary peoples is not limited to Isis but is also present among Christian conservatives in the global northwest. The statement ends: Queer liberation! Death to rainbow capitalism! Shoot back! These faggots kill fascists! Further details about the unit remain scarce and a spokesman for the group told Newsweek they would not be revealed for security reasons. Pictures posted on social media showed masked soldiers in military uniforms holding guns and standing in front of a banner reading: These Faggots Kill Fascists, TGILA-IRPGF. In the background other soldiers hold the rainbow flag and a banner showing the groups logo an AK47 on a pink background. Isis has frequently murdered people in Iraq and Syria who it deems to be LGBT, including releasing videos showing gay people being pushed off buildings and stoned to death. The group also claimed responsibility for a 2016 attack on a LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. Kurdish forces are unusual in their recognition of gender equality. They include all-female units and generally treat men and women as equals. Isis has suffered several major defeats in recent months. It has been driven out of the city of Mosul in northern Iraq its last remaining stronghold in the country. At the same time, its main base in Syria the city of Raqqa is under siege by a Western-backed coalition of forces that includes Kurdish units. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Muslims across the world to visit and protect Jerusalem, slamming what he said was an unacceptable infringement on Palestinians rights to a holy site. The leaders comments on Tuesday came after days of violence sparked over access to the al-Aqsa mosque in the citys Noble Sanctuary, known as the Temple Mount in Judaism. The site is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and as such is a recurrent flash point in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Show all 12 1 /12 Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Ancient pottery shards found on the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem The ruins were found on the site of the famous Schneller Orphanage which operated until the Second World War Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem The archaeologists also found evidence of a Roman bathhouse Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem A brick stamped with the insignia of the Tenth Roman Legion who garrisoned the province Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem An ancient candle holder Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Shards of pottery unearthed from the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists believe the site to be around 1,600 years old Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists also found evidence of an earlier Jewish home on the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Jerusalem district archaeologist Amit Re'em said the find showed 'the magic' of the city Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem An ancient Roman estate has been found on the site of the Schneller Orphanage in Jerusalem Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Excavation Director Alex Wiegmann holds up a candle holder used in the Roman period Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists found a wine press in the centre of the complex Israel Antiquities Authority Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus cabinet voted Monday night to dismantle metal detectors set up outside the sacred compound in response to an attack there by an Arab gunman that killed two Israeli police officers on 14 July. Palestinians alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the Muslim administered site, the care of which is overseen by neighbouring Jordan. Israel has denied the accusations. The new security measures and attempts to deny Muslim men under the age of 50 access to the site for prayers led to mass protests in the contested capital. Trump: Israelis and Palestinians are 'reaching for peace' At least four Palestinians were killed in street clashes and three Israeli settlers were killed in their West Bank home in the ensuing unrest. On Sunday, two Jordanians were killed by an Israeli guard after one attacked him at the Israeli embassy in Amman, sparking a diplomatic incident with Jordan. While the metal detectors are being dismantled, Israels capitulation did not go far enough for Mr Erdogan, who had previously spoken to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin urging for the status quo in Jerusalem to be restored. From here I make a call to all Muslims. Anyone who has the opportunity should visit Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa mosque, Mr Erdogan said in Ankara. Come, lets all protect Jerusalem, he added. Mr Erdogan also criticised what he said was the use of excessive Israeli force to break up recent protests. There have been several high profile calls for Palestinians to continue protesting by praying outside the site until other measures added earlier this month such as CCTV cameras are also removed. Jerusalems Supreme Islamic Committee is due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss whether the steps taken by Israel are sufficient for Muslim worshippers to return to the sacred compound. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} I dont hope for much anymore. But I didnt think wed lose everything again, said Bardah, originally from Deir Ezzour in Syria, her grandchild on one hip and gesturing around the burnt out remains of Qab Elias camp with the other. But here we are. Lebanon is only half the size of Wales, and has a population of four million. It is currently home to an estimated 1.5 million Syrians who have fled over the border in the last six years of civil war, making around one in four people a refugee. The conditions for most, however, are abysmal. The refugee response in Lebanon is no longer in the emergency stages but two huge fires that ripped through Qab Elias and Mar Elias settlements earlier this month have shown just how precarious existence still is for so many Syrians here, trapped in a cycle of poverty and debt. Refugees have brought macro benefits in the form of international financial injections to prop up the countrys antiquated water and sewage systems, as well as failing schools in rural areas which now teach more Syrian than Lebanese children. Despite the fact 71 per cent live below the poverty line, studies estimate that through the buying of goods and housing the refugee population has actually added millions to the Lebanese economy. But in a country with a notoriously ineffective government public services barely function and where unemployment rates are already high, the authorities are wary of creating incentives for Syrians to stay. Thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War came to Lebanon, where they have been for generations: unable to claim citizenship, they are in effect second class citizens, confined to claustrophobic concrete ghettos still known as camps. When Syrias war broke out in 2011, the Lebanese government immediately outlawed the creation of official government-run camps in the hopes that the fighting would die down and Syrians would not choose to stay. The decision has made the job of aid organisations more difficult, as they must tread a line between providing the basic services Syrians need to survive, and making them in the governments eyes too comfortable. In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Show all 30 1 /30 In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian family arrives at a checkpoint, manned by pro-government forces, at the al-Hawoz street roundabout, after leaving Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian woman, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, reacts as she stands with her children in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood, after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-regime fighters, gesture as they drive past resident fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood , after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-regime fighters, gesture as they drive past residents fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood, after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian pro-regime fighter speaks with a child, as residents flee violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood. Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops AFP/Getty Images In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Smoke rises as seen from a governement-held area of Aleppo, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian soldiers targeting rebels-held areas in the eastern neighborhoods in Aleppo, Syria. According to media reports, the army is now holding on 99 percent of Aleppois eastern neighborhoods EPA In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-government forces patrol Aleppo's eastern al-Salihin neighbourhood after troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian soldiers rest following the battle at al-Sheik Saeed neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria EPA In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian pro-government fighter walking past closed shops in the Bab al-Nasr district of Aleppo's Old City. Once renowned for its bustling souks, grand citadel and historic gates, Aleppo's Old City has been rendered virtually unrecognisable by some of the worst violence of Syria's war Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria The crucial battle for Aleppo entered its 'final phase' after Syrian rebels retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. The retreat leaves opposition fighters confined to just a handful of neighbourhoods in southeast Aleppo, the largest of them Sukkari and Mashhad Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian civilans arrive at a checkpoint, manned by pro-government forces, at the al-Hawoz street roundabout, after leaving Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods. Syria's government has retaken at least 85 percent of east Aleppo, which fell to rebels in 2012, since beginning its operation Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian civilians flee the Sukkari neighbourhood towards safer rebel-held areas in southeastern Aleppo Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrians celebrate in the government-held Mogambo neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, after rebel fighters retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrians celebrate in the government-held Mogambo neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, after rebel fighters retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since Syria's conflict began in 2011, and leave the government in control of the country's five major cities Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian refugee Aliya inside the tent where she lives with her husband and ten children in a camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian refugee women and children outside the entrance to their tents in the refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA Wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA Wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee woman outside the entrance to the tent where her family live, in the refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A vehicle drives past a mosque at night in Idlib, Syria. Picture taken with a long exposure Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Damaged buildings stand in the rebel-controlled town of Binnish in Idlib province, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria The night sky is seen through damaged windows in the rebel-controlled town of Binnish in Idlib province, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Damaged buildings stand in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province, Syria Reuters Most of Lebanons Syrian population actually lives in towns and cities in abandoned buildings or farmsteads, or often at the mercy of landlords who threaten to expose families unregistered status to blackmail them into paying higher rents. Most have moved into already highly overcrowded Palestinian areas. In the Bekaa Valley, however, fields of white tents and other makeshift settlements dot the landscape. The agricultural area is one of the poorest in the country, and the 39 per cent of Syrians who live here are some of the most impoverished. We are actually lucky that fires like this dont happen more often, Utpal Moitra, Unicefs Chief Field Officer for the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorate said. The camps most Syrians live in in the region have been built piecemeal, using whatever materials are at hand or help the UN and NGOs are able to give. As a result, many tents or semi-permanent breeze block structures are built too close together, and if theyre lucky enough to have an electricity supply, the wiring is often amateur. Fires are very common, usually started by faulty wiring or because families use gas canisters to cook inside their tents. Normally, however, they are contained quickly, catching maybe one or two tents at a time. In Qab Elias and Mar Elias, the July heat wave and wheat crop surrounding the sites meant the blazes had spread across almost the entire camps before fire services (run by volunteers in Lebanon) were able to arrive. The whole site went up in about 10 minutes, said Lynn Bou Saba, who works for local charity World Vision at sites including Qab Elias. No one had time to think, it was just run. So many families have lost their papers. Since the camps are not exactly built to high quality specifications, its not a surprise that fire safety procedures are not in place either. Qab Elias is surrounded by a ditch through which a small stream runs; when the tents first went up a few years ago, a fence was put up to stop children falling into it. Qom Elias Syrian refugee camp fire: Locals in Lebanon help residents who lost everything In the aftermath of the fire that proved to be incredibly dangerous there was only one gate for all 700 people to scramble through. For those furthest away, it was a challenge to reach safety through the heat and smoke. Residents said that there were a few fire extinguishers around the camp which they tried to use, but they had expired a year ago, rendering them useless as peoples homes and meagre possessions were destroyed in front of their eyes. Rebuilding is already underway at a remarkable pace at both camps and the new semi-permanent timber frame and concrete base homes, covered with tarpaulin, will be built to safer specifications. Most will even have their own latrines. In some ways it is a fresh start. But the trauma of it? A dead child? I dont think anyone here would say it was worth it, Ms Bou Saba said. As some of the camps residents took a break from rebuilding to rest in the midday sun, a van from the Lebanese Red Cross pulled up, parking near the charred remains of what was the administrative centre. Under a small gazebo for shade, several new fire extinguishers are unloaded, along with a small generator. One of the men nudges a fire extinguisher with his foot. If a fire that big breaks out again, they are probably useless to contain it, he said. But still. Like everything here, its better than nothing. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Another airline has jumped in the transatlantic fares ware, offering flights from the UK to New York for 271 return. Primera Air, which is based in Latvia and currently operates in Scandinavia, will fly direct from Stansted and Birmingham to Newark from next April. It will also fly to Boston. The fares which have been announced as 149 each way, but can be as little as 121 on the return segment are for the flight only. Everything else, from seating to luggage to meals onboard, will cost extra. To check in a 23kg bag will cost 25 each way. Seat reservations start at 22 for a regular seat, 55 for an exit row, or 40 for an XL seat, which promises extra legroom to guarantee a super-enjoyable journey. Unfortunately, the legroom is relative, because the XL seats have a mere 32-inch seat pitch the same as a regular economy seat on some long haul British Airways and Virgin Atlantic planes. Standard seats get 30 inches the same as Ryanair. If youre planning to eat onboard, you may want to bring sandwiches all meals cost a flat 30 each when prebooked, even for children and infants. Alternatively, passengers can upgrade to a fare category that includes a checked bag, priority seating and a meal, for 50 each way. And if you cant handle other people getting a bargain, look away now US customers are able to book the same flights for $99, or 76 each way almost half the cost of the flights for UK customers. The no-frills transatlantic market is getting increasingly crowded, with leader Norwegian having competition from Barcelona-based Level, and airlines such as Wow Air, which requires a stop in Reykjavik en route. More transatlantic routes from Primera are expected to be announced by the end of the summer. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Cramming eight more people on the same-sized planes, but with room for only one or two more extra cabin bags: thats the prospect from Ryanair, as budget airlines put the squeeze on hand luggage. In spring 2019 the Irish budget airline will start taking delivery of its new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which will reduced fuel consumption by one-sixth. Ryanair claims the savings will be passed on via lower fares. These planes are no bigger than the current 737-800 jets, which currently make up the entire Ryanair fleet. Yet they will hold 197 passengers, instead of the 189 at present, thanks to a slightly different configuration and the use of slimline seats. The airline says they will offer the same 31-inch seat-pitch as the current fleet. But Neil Sorahan, the airlines chief financial officer, told The Independent that space for cabin baggage would not increase in proportion, saying only: You might get one or two more on. Mr Sorahan, who has previously said that Ryanair is too nice to passengers in its relaxed attitude to cabin baggage. He now complains that people are bringing the kitchen sink and says that airport staff may enforce the rules more zealously. He said only one in six Ryanair passengers checks in a bag, down from around a quarter. Luggage charges have risen steadily since they were first introduced a decade ago. The revelations come at a time when more British holidaymakers are flying abroad than ever. Load factors (the proportion of seats that are occupied) are in the high 90s or at 100 per cent on many flights. With even British Airways charging extra for checking in bags on short-haul flights, passengers are understandably tempted to take as much as you can into the cabin. Airlines are now taking action, including trying to extract more cash from hard-pressed passengers. 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 Ryanair warns: Only the first 90 wheelie bags are guaranteed to go in the overheads. If you want to be certain your bag goes in the overhead you should add Priority Boarding, which adds 5 per person each way. Jet2 is telling passengers we may need to ask you to put your hand luggage in the hold if you want to be certain, add guaranteed cabin luggage, a courtesy that costs an extra 2.59. In contrast, British Airways sends texts to passengers on some busy flights offering the chance to check in cabin baggage for free. Low-cost airlines such as WestJet of Canada and Vueling of Spain sometimes offer the chance to check in cabin bags without charge at the airport. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More passengers than ever are ducking baggage fees by taking hand luggage only on flights, according to Ryanair. The low-cost airline says that travellers are bringing more and more into the cabin, and this could lead to a change in its baggage policy. Ive seen two-year-olds wheeling a bag up to the plane as people try to take advantage, Ryanairs chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, told The Guardian. As it stands, a two-year-old child has a free luggage allowance of a 10kg suitcase and second small bag just the same as an adult. Recommended Fears that flights from Britain to the EU could be halted after Brexit Were very generous with our cabin baggage allowance, added Sorahan. If everyone does that theres no issue. Its the people coming with the kitchen sink that could change the policy. The company upped its baggage policy from one case only back in December 2013, as part of a PR campaign to improve Ryanairs image. Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary said at the time: We are very excited at these significant improvements in what is already Europes number one customer service airline. However, four years on, the airline is saying it might have to make its policy less generous again. When asked if passengers were taking the piss, Sorahan said: Some are... The vast majority of people play by the rules but some dont. Unfortunately some bring massive backpacks and things that dont fit under the seat. Weve been a little bit lax or nice we are victims of our own niceness. Those who bring bags bigger than 55cm by 40cm by 20cm and/or heavier than 10kg as hand luggage risk being charged 50 at the airport for it to be checked into the hold instead. Ryanair also ruffled feathers recently by warning that, unless a deal is struck soon, there would be no flights from the UK after Brexit. It said it could move its planes out of the country if no aviation deal is reached by next year. Ryanair has almost 90 aircraft based at British airports, and flies them to dozens of European destinations under the EU Open Skies agreement. Announcing its first quarter results, the Irish airline warned: There may not be sufficient time, or goodwill on both sides, to negotiate a timely replacement bilateral. If we do not have certainty about the legal basis for the operation of flights between the UK and the EU by autumn 2018, we may be forced to cancel flights and move some, or all, of our UK based aircraft to Continental Europe from April 2019 onwards." Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The 285m airport dubbed the worlds most useless is finally going to get a scheduled flight but no-one knows when, nor how much flights will cost. St Helena airport was built at UK taxpayers expense to provide a lifeline for the remote south Atlantic community. Despite warnings about tricky weather conditions, the runway was constructed to allow passenger jets such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 to land. After a series of construction delays, plans were announced for a regular scheduled service in British Airways colours from Johannesburg in South Africa, carrying around 170 passengers. But shortly before the planned royal opening in May 2016, a test flight revealed severe wind shear. The scheduled flights were abandoned, and the planned retirement of the RMS St Helena was postponed so the islands sea link would continue. The airport has since been used for a number of medical evacuation flights, and in May this year a passenger test flight was successfully handled. The islands government has now announced that a South African carrier, Airlink, will fly from Johannesburg via Windhoek in Namibia to St Helena each Saturday. But no start date has been announced, and neither have fares for the subsidised service been revealed. The UK Government will subsidise the operation up to 1.9m in the first year of operation, representing over 36,000 per return flight or nearly 500 per available seat. Because of safety limitations, a maximum of 76 of the 99 seats on the Brazilian-built Embraer jet will be occupied. The lower weight will allow it to use a shorter stretch of runway, avoiding the portion where rapidly changing winds are most common. The overall flight time from Johannesburg will be over six hours, more than an hour longer than the originally planned non-stop service. The schedule requires the plane to leave Johannesburg minutes before the first of five arrivals from Heathrow, and return to the South African hub too late for connections on any of the five evening departures to London. Dr Niall OKeeffe, chief executive for economic development, Enterprise St Helena, said: Scheduled air services is what is needed to build a sustainable tourism industry on St Helena. As a remote small island developing state, the onset of air services is crucial to enable the development of a sustainable economy in the long-term. The opportunities for tourism and investment as the island opens up as the newest air destination in the world, cannot be overstated. The islands director of tourism, Christopher Pickard, said: As much as we are going to miss the RMS, not everyone has two weeks to travel to and from the island by ship. On the second Saturday of each month the flight will continue on from St Helena for a further 800 miles to Ascension Island, where it will remain overnight. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Virgin Atlantic has come under fire for removing an unaccompanied child from a flight from Shanghai to London after he had already boarded the plane. The 11-year-old was on his way to summer camp when airline staff said he had to leave his pre-booked seat as the flight had too many unaccompanied minors on board; they picked the last person to book the flight. According to his family, the boy was traumatised by the incident. My son was clearly scared, the boys mother, who identified herself as Mrs Lui, told The Telegraph. He cried for long hours and woke up with nightmares." Recommended EasyJet removes unaccompanied child from overbooked flight The familys lawyer, Ye Wennan, added: More than 10 staff, including the captain and flight attendants came over and demanded him to get off the plane. However, Virgin Atlantic insists the boy was taken care of after leaving the aircraft. "This decision was made with the customer's wellbeing in mind, and our airport team looked after the child until their parents returned to the airport," said a spokesperson. The boy was due to fly out on 9 July with his friend, who was bound for the same summer camp in the UK. Since the two kids were travelling without any adults, we checked repeatedly with Virgin Atlantic to make sure that the crew members can take care of them," said Mrs Liu said. However, the airline had booked too many unaccompanied minors onto the flight, meaning there were not enough cabin crew present to ensure their safety in the event of an incident. The airline has since apologised to the family and offered three complimentary round-trips to London, but the boys mother remained disatisifed. Three free round trip tickets are useless for us, she said. My husband and I are busy with work every day. We definitely have no time for London." This is the latest in a long line of stories about unaccompanied children being removed from flights. EasyJet was criticised recently for bumping a 15-year-old from a flight to Toulouse. Casper Read, was travelling alone from London Gatwick on Thursday 20 July on a trip to see his grandparents in France. The schoolboy boarded flight EZY8333 only to find another passenger had claimed his seat as the plane was overbooked. However, despite being an unaccompanied child, he was told he would have to leave. He was then left alone at the departure gate. The airline is now investigating the incident. An easyJet spokesperson said: We apologise for any inconvenience caused. EasyJet is sorry that Casper Reads flight from London Gatwick to Toulouse was overbooked. We are investigating why he was able to board the aircraft as he should have been informed at the gate. EasyJet has a procedure to protect unaccompanied minors but unfortunately this was not followed on this occasion and so this will also be investigated. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} For anyone following Brexit developments, the last week should have shown that the level of complexity involved in Brexit is unprecedented. Ministers however seem to have inserted their heads firmly into the sand, hoping tricky problems will just go away. Who knew a fortnight ago that leaving the apparently obscure Euratom Treaty would jeopardise not only the UK nuclear industry, but also the supply of medical isotopes for cancer treatment? Did anybody realise that the work needed to establish a new customs IT system was unlikely to be done in time, and what that would mean? Was everyone already aware that UK airlines like easyJet would need to set up in the EU27 and Ryanair might move its planes to EU27 countries due to the UK leaving the Open Skies Agreement? Well, some people knew, but theyre just experts, so have been largely ignored. James O'Brien proves just how stubborn one Brexiteer is over the EU I was walking across a Brussels park a couple of days after the Article 50 bill was published when I spotted a friend whos an energy sector expert. He hailed me with an anguished: Steve, Euratom, why would they do that!? Its just so unnecessary. A total own goal. Being a sector expert, he knows that the nuclear industry in the UK relies massively on Euratom, and that it may take years and lots of money to get back to the point were at now. All that matters to the Government, apparently, is that Euratom is within the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, so it has to go. In international development, the area I used to work in, things are equally grim. UK NGOs such as Oxfam will not be eligible for EU grants post-Brexit. With only a few small exceptions, only NGOs from EU countries, and the partner countries themselves, can implement EU aid programmes. I know this well, as I was the UK negotiator for the EU regulation on this. As Tamsyn Barton, my old boss in the Department for International Development, and now chief executive of Bond, the UK NGO network, points out, this will hit large and small NGOs, as well as the many UK companies that currently implement EU aid. So UK NGOs may well struggle, UK companies will be worse off, and developing countries will have access to a smaller pool of expertise. Who knew? Liam Fox says securing a trade deal with eu should be 'one of the easiest in human history' There are literally hundreds of such issues where the effects of Brexit will be detrimental to the UK. All of these have to be resolved in Brexit negotiations, or mitigated by the UK Government. I worked on and in the EU for 12 years, but issues that had never even occurred to me come up all the time. For example, while we are becoming aware of the impact of leaving the Open Skies Agreement on the aviation market, few have spotted Brexits impact on aviation safety. The UK does not have its own capacity to do things like certify maintenance facilities if it leaves the European Aviation Safety Agency. Yes, you heard that right. The UK wont be able to certify the people that fix the planes. As with so many of these issues, the UK will either have to negotiate to remain in the agency (which is within the dreaded European Court of Justices jurisdiction), or establish its own capacity to replace what it does from a standing start in only 20 months. How will the UK remain in the EUs internal energy market post-Brexit as it looks to import more energy from the EU, and what are the implications if it doesnt? What about the Emissions Trading System? Patents and intellectual property rights? Food standards? Medicine approvals? Europol? The list goes on and on. What is most frustrating, and deeply worrying, about these continuous we didnt realise that moments is that the Government has plenty of excellent sector-specific experts in Whitehall, and the United Kingdom Representation to the European Union (UKRep), which represents the UK in negotiations that take place in the EU. I simply dont believe that they are not doing their job and reporting these issues to ministers and their offices. Perhaps those closest to ministers are controlling the supply of information to them, and the messages are not getting through, but reporting back the realities in Brussels to London is a core task of UKRep, and one thats always taken very seriously. When Sir Ivan Rogers talked about speaking truth to power, he was just talking about what every one of the desk officers and counsellors at UKRep do every day. Why is this top quality expertise and advice not getting through to, or not being listened to, by ministers? The incredible level of technical complexity appears to have been ignored by the Prime Minister and government ministers, so we can look forward to further weeks of startling discoveries of self-defeating implications of the Governments own Brexit strategy. Ive said elsewhere that, in my view, the chances of getting any deal, let alone a good deal, in the limited time available look minimal. Brexit would have been a terrible idea even if done as well as possible, but for the Government to blithely march the country towards consequences that they dont even themselves understand is an appalling dereliction of duty. This expert believes that this needs to be stopped, and soon. Then again, we already know they dont like experts. Steve Bullock worked at the UK Representation to the EU from 2010-2014 where he negotiated several EU regulations for the UK in European Council working groups. He has also worked for the European Commission and the Department for International Developments Europe Department. The UK in a Changing Europe assisted with the commissioning of this piece Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} We are all living in the shadow of Grenfell Tower. Many of us quite literally. I live five minutes away from the estate. I visit regularly and I have seen firsthand the abject failure of this council to deliver what its residents need. Those failures persist today. Still there are residents without wheelchairs, and tales being told of caseworkers who have to be chased and then still fail to deliver. There is, residents say, a lack of information available in traumatised residents first languages, and a failure to deliver meaningful and convincing assurances that tenancy or immigration irregularities wont cost survivors their right to be re-housed or even to remain here. Whats even more shocking is that the people who so badly let down Grenfells residents are still in power. In fact, they are meeting today as their woeful attempt to provide some kind of support in the aftermath continues. How can that be? How has our political system become so warped that 80 or more suspected deaths on anyones watch is allowed to go without consequence? Sadiq Khan: Local community have got no confidence in the local council following response to Grenfell Tower The cabinet of Kensington and Chelsea Council must resign, as the community is demanding. Theyve completely lost the trust of this community. The social contract has been broken. Those who were meant to keep their "subjects" safe blatantly failed to do so and residents have entirely lost trust in them in the aftermath. Its a daily insult to this community to know that these councillors are still taking home their pay packets and making decisions about the lives of survivors after all that has happened. And how can we trust the inquiry and police investigations that follow if those who are being investigated presumably remain able to access and review the evidence that may one day be used against them? These people shouldnt just resign from their cabinet seats as the leader of the council has done but from their council ones as well. This would give us the chance to elect councillors in whom we have faith and who are untainted. If Theresa May can call a snap election for no good reason, then the residents of North Kensington can certainly demand local change now. Business as usual is not an option. A series of by-elections on the council could revolutionise politics here and show survivors and the wider community that their voices are being listened to. I was the Green Party candidate in Kensington in 2017. It was extraordinarily moving to see the historic result close-up. And its time to show that democracy can deliver again. Ive watched with awe as our community has provided the help that the authorities have failed to deliver. They continue to do so. It is time for them to be given the power officially which they already wield de facto. How would it be if all other parties agreed to stand aside and let candidates running on a Grenfell ticket become our councillors and take the place of those who have directly failed them? Imagine what that could mean for politics here in London and elsewhere. People with lived experience of the most pressing issues in the community not just being asked for their views and dismissed, not just voting in an election when they know the outcome anyway, but making the decisions themselves. The missing people from Grenfell Tower Show all 23 1 /23 The missing people from Grenfell Tower The missing people from Grenfell Tower Jeremiah, son of Zainab Dean The missing people from Grenfell Tower Zainab Dean The missing people from Grenfell Tower Malek Belkadi The missing people from Grenfell Tower Tamzin Belkadi The missing people from Grenfell Tower Rania Ibrham The missing people from Grenfell Tower Jessica Urbano The missing people from Grenfell Tower Yasin el-Wahabi and Nurhada el-Wahabi The missing people from Grenfell Tower Ali Yawar Jafari The missing people from Grenfell Tower Anthony Disson The missing people from Grenfell Tower Mohamed 'Saber' Neda The missing people from Grenfell Tower Mariem Elgwahry The missing people from Grenfell Tower Hesham Rahman The missing people from Grenfell Tower Mohamednur 'Mo' Tuccu The missing people from Grenfell Tower Hamid Kani The missing people from Grenfell Tower Mary Mendy The missing people from Grenfell Tower Sheila Smith The missing people from Grenfell Tower Khadija Saye The missing people from Grenfell Tower Berikti Habtom (L) was still missing according to her sister Arsiema Alula (R) The missing people from Grenfell Tower Ligaya Moore The missing people from Grenfell Tower Dennis Murphy The missing people from Grenfell Tower Nadia Choucair The missing people from Grenfell Tower Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi The missing people from Grenfell Tower Sakineh Afraseiabi and Fatima Afraseiabi Imagine what would happen if we the residents decided to prioritise social housing; if we said no to any developments that put profits before people; if we decided to take into public ownership properties that lie empty while our homeless are shipped out to suburbs as part of what I would certainly call social cleansing. Grenfell has shone a light on what those of us who live here have long known: that this community has had its assets stripped for no good reason. Our beautiful North Kensington Library was let without consultation to a neighbouring private school. The man who made that decision Rock Fielding-Mellon, Chair of the Council Housing Committee had his children on the waiting list. Countless community spaces have been lost, spaces like the Maxilla Nursery and The Westway Information Centre. Now Kensington and Chelsea College is under threat and the Silchester Estate, neighbouring Grenfell, faces regeneration against many of the residents' wishes. Demolition remains on the cards, something the community does not want. As one Grenfell survivor put it to me this afternoon, if, instead of focusing on asset-stripping the community, theyd been doing what they were meant to be doing keeping us safe none of this would have happened. Its time that words like accountability and democracy actually meant something. I am proud of what Greens have done down here to help the community especially Sian Berry AM and Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the party but I also believe in radical politics and think that in this instance the most worthy replacement for the councillors who have failed this community is the community itself. Jennifer Nadel was Green Party candidate for Kensington in 2017 Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} I am not excited by the pronouncement that Scotland set a new record for wind electricity generation in the first six months of 2017. This is hardly a ringing endorsement considering the billions of pounds of capital invested in wind generation, plus the massive consumer paid subsidies per unit of electricity generated not to mention the consequent desecration of many of our landscapes. It also begs the question of where the electricity required for the other 175 or so days came from? GM Lindsay Kinross Yet again WWF and our energy minister are getting excited about wind power output. The giveaway of course is in this paragraph from your article: In the first six months of 2017, enough power was generated to supply more than all of Scotlands national demand for six days. Since their simple minds seem unable to grasp the implications of this, perhaps they should try this parable, written some time ago by veteran Highland anti-windfarm campaigner Stuart Young to illustrate the problem: You engage a milkman to deliver two pints a day. He delivers two on Sunday, none on Monday, one on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, one on Thursday, three on Friday and four on Saturday. Job done, you have had your weekly ration of 14 pints. An average of two pints a day. You would sack your milkman after week one. You wouldn't pay him extra for being unreliable, and you wouldn't pay for the surplus milk on the days there is too much and you wouldn't pay him more to take the surplus away when you can't use it either. But that is exactly what we do when we rely on wind generated electricity. Now that wasnt so hard, was it? Brenda Herrick Castletown It's not just chlorine in food we should be worried about I note all the concerns raised about the proposed trade deals with the US, including importing their meat products. I would like to add another concern to the pile that seems to be growing daily. Some years ago I was diagnosed with a rare progressive and systemic disease of the lungs called Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAMS). As yet there is no cure for LAMS, but some of the advice to try and delay its progress is to limit one's personal exposure to hormones, either through medicines or nutrition. Like many people, I have reduced my meat and dairy consumption. I check provenance and as Riverford is near to me, I try and rely on outlets like that, where I can be sure hormones haven't been introduced to force any form of animal growth or output. I have noted with growing concern the airy way the US meat industry dismisses concerns about the hormones it uses for the mass production of meat. If we concede entry to these products, will the Government ensure full transparency and traceability when it reaches a retail outlet. Somehow I suspect not. Which means I will be scrutinising the products on our supermarket shelves ever more vigilantly. Kerry Larbalestier Devon No big deal We have chlorinated tap water so why not chlorine-washed chicken? Hallam Murray Battersea International letters One of my delights in reading The Independent online since the changeover from the print version has been the increasing number of letters from your global readers. A bouquet to those who took the go digital decision. Jean Clark Verona, Italy Technological downfalls Similar to the reversibility of light (ie if you can see my eyes, I can see yours), any portal into an electronic network that allows entry (even with a firewall) can be accessed both ways and ultimately hacked. Anything that is written in electronic form should be considered available to the public. I never write down my passwords and agree with the writer that this may be the best way to maintain secure information even if I may forget the password. Sometimes the low tech option is best. In a similar sense, consider that Serbian forces were able to shoot down a high-tech NATO F-117 stealth fighter jet during NATO's war on the Serbian people in 1999 largely because they had not updated their air defenses. Over reliance on technology has its downfalls. Michael Pravica Nevada, USA MPs aren't the only ones with 'no confidence' Fifteen Tory MPs are to sign a letter of no confidence in Theresa May. Ministers are actively briefing against each other and the PM on a regular basis on matters of the utmost national importance. Jeremy Corbyn persists in trying to offer a utopian 1970s version of the world, whilst many of his MPs disagree with his policies but lack the gumption to mount an effective challenge. And Tony Blair has resurrected himself to add commentary from the side lines. Am I alone in wondering what the hell they are all doing? We face the biggest change of our lives and the body politic goes absent without leave whilst pursuing their own agendas. This dereliction of their duty to the nation at such a time shows the desperately selfish and self-aggrandizing nature of our leaders. Whatever happened to our national interest? It no longer matters whether we are in or out of Europe. It no longer matters whether Scotland and England stick together. What matters is that we are in a fix and need our leaders to do what we elected them for lead. Sounds obvious, but I see none of it at all. John Sinclair Pocklington Jacob Rees-Mogg for Tory leader I wholeheartedly support the groundswell of momentum that Jacob Rees-Mogg should be elected leader of the Conservative Party. Rees-Mogg talks sense and people listen. I happened to watch the recent BBC Question Time where Rees-Mogg delivered a series of practical solutions to political questions of the day to a captivated audience. How refreshing to have Rees-Mogg, a highly successful businessman of the real world, clearly articulating and explaining the harsh economic realities facing the UK. If Emmanuel Macron can arrive literally from nowhere to win the French Presidency then authoritative, polite, eloquent, witty, well-informed, coherent, principled Jacob Rees-Mogg should be hailed the new political messiah of the Tory party. Henry Carlton London N14 Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The crumpled heap of stones, all that is left of the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo, asks questions of us all. How do we restore or repair or rebuild a jewel of Seljuk civilization from which millions of Muslims perhaps even Saladin himself were called to prayer five times each day for 900 years in one of the oldest cities of the world? I run my hands over these great blocks of masonry, chipped, gashed, some perhaps reusable, others hopelessly broken, fitted together with infinite care in 1090, less than 25 years after the Battle of Hastings. I notice others doing the same. Mustafa Omran Kurdi has a face so deeply lined and expressive that it might be a map of ancient Aleppo, marks of mourning for both his lost brother and for the minaret of the mosque also known as the Ummayad. The Syrian war has destroyed other shrines, religious and profane. Isis blew up bits of Palmyra, the Syrian army and its enemies fought each other in the glorious souks of Homs and Aleppo. The Syrians say the rebels destroyed the Aleppo minaret, just as the Iraqis blame Isis for detonating the leaning minaret of Mosul. The Islamist cultists of Aleppo and Mosul, of course, both blame their opponents; rare indeed is it that the Iraqi regime and the Americans and the Syrian regime end up on the receiving end of the same accusation. Rubble in the courtyard of the Great Mosque with stone remains of the minaret far left (Photo: Nelofer Pazira) (Nelofer Pazira) Given the surviving eyewitnesses in Aleppo, the Ummayad seems to have collapsed during a storm of shellfire, although several soldiers and civilians close to the structure say they felt the vibration of its fall when the rest of the city lay in momentary silence. The rebels of the time dug deep beneath the streets of Aleppo to advance their forces and dynamite their opponents. Did they simply undermine the Ummayad minaret in the north-west corner of the mosque? It wouldnt have taken much of a vacuum amid the underground foundations to shift this gentle, 114-foot high stone creature off balance. The stones are covered today in a benevolent white dust, untouched since they fell more than two years ago. The dust clings to your hands. You cant do much with dust. But Mustafa Kurdi is the Great Mosques reconstruction supervisor and if energy alone could restore history, he is the man to do it. His hands move around him like construction equipment, as fast as the Bobcat earth-shifter carries rubble from the colonnades five hundred feet away, sandbags and stones and rotting food bags, the detritus of war. We are preparing now to bring the equipment to move the stones of the minaret and put them together and start to build as close as possible as the original minaret was, he says. Maybe some of the stones cannot be used again because they are broken. We shall have to find new stones from perhaps other old sites. If needs be, we can make new stones look like old ones. This is a vast task but we consider our main work is the rebuilding of the minaret. Digger clearing stones from the courtyard of the Aleppo Umayyad Great Mosque (Photo: Nelofer Pazira) (Nelofer Pazira) The black and white geometrical stone concourse of the mosque has largely survived, and although Kurdi and his men were forced to wall up part of a colonnade temporarily and support two collapsing pillars with iron bars, much of the structure is dare one use the word? restorable. There are wicked bullet gashes in the magnificent bronze chandeliers with their Koranic script in the colonnade, and stone walls pitted with holes crueller than any smallpox epidemic would leave on the human face. Once, this had been a pagan temple and then a Roman basilica, a Byzantine church the pattern is familiar in Syrias heritage and then, under the Ummayads in 715 AD, a mosque. Is there, perhaps, some comfort in the knowledge that the destruction of the Aleppo Great Mosque and its minaret is a recurring feature of ancient history? It was constantly attacked, restored after fire in 1159 by Nureddin and then totally destroyed by the Mongols in 1260. But we are supposed to be better than the Mongol hordes. Besides, there are fewer caliphs to provide the money for such work in the 21st century. And thus we come to the mysterious generosity of Chechnya. Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters All who work on the mosque say they have heard of this. None admits any contact with Chechens. Its all up to the Syrian Ministry of Religious Affairs, they say. But Russias recalcitrant province has much to do with the Aleppo mosque these days. Chechnyas chief mufti, Salakh Mezhiyev, arrived here to lead prayers for a delegation of Chechen officials. The Kadyrov Foundation, run by the family of Ramzan Kadyrov, the rebel-turned-loyalist Chechen leader, is apparently funding the reconstruction of the Aleppo mosque for 5.5m within one year a snip if you believe the figures which, according to more architecturally-minded foreign experts, is far less than half the money needed for restoration. But, needless to say, it makes Russia look good. If Moscow can destroy Syria, as the Americans claim, it can also help to rebuild it. Russian reports that the Kadyrov Foundation publishes no financial data save for a 2015 asset statement of 19m and that Chechens are forced to subscribe to the Kadyrov projects from their earnings have not made their way into the Syrian press or television. It is happier to return to Mustafa Kurdi and his love of the Great Mosque. When we first entered the mosque [after the fall of eastern Aleppo last winter], the library of the mosque was full of stones and debris and pieces of iron and broken wood, he says. We have now cleared 95 per cent of this. Aleppo University made a three-dimensional topographical survey of the sites and the eastern colonnade is now under repair. This will open the way to the eastern souk. You must understand that the difficulty of all this is heritage, historical value. This is a living structure a place to pray and you cannot leave it in this condition. If my house looked like this mosque, I would not live in it. Brass chandeliers in the Aleppo Great Mosque were shattered by bullets. (Photo: Nelofer Pazira) (Nelofer Pazira) But Kurdis argument is more subtle than it might seem. We have the materials and the experience in dealing with damage of this sort but we must remember that when the mosque is restored, everything else will return not only those who pray but people shopping who stop in the colonnades to rest because the mosque is the heart of this area. This is not just a religious symbol. It is a social place, part of our culture. He was at home in western Aleppo, he says, when he heard of the minarets collapse. My wifes tears ran down her face, he says. Later, these past few months, I saw young people of 16 or 17 come here to learn what happened. Some of the older people were crying. The younger ones were silent. I used to bring my daughter here when she was much younger she was only eight or nine years old when this happened, but now she says, I remember this place. There is no doubt where Kurdi places the blame. It is all these fighters who attacked this place. How can you make people leave their houses and their homes? I myself left my home in the Saef al-Dowla area and didnt know where to go. Why did the militias attack our houses and our homes? Islam says you are forbidden from entering a home without permission. And this mosque is more important than that. After four days, I left my home in Saef al-Dowla with only the clothes I was wearing. By chance, I was in Saef al-Dowla on the very day that Kurdi fled his home. I dont remember him, but I saw other men and women leaving their homes and asking the soldiers there if they would be protected if they stayed. Gunmen were attacking the soldiers too. It was a middle class area, now back under government control, although Kurdis imprecations about entering a home without permission did raise other questions in ones mind. Should these same Islamic instructions not also apply, for example, to the state security police? This was not a question which Mustafa Kurdi asked. He took his family to his aunts home in western Aleppo, originally living in just one room. We all lived there. Then my brother one day went to see our mother and on the way to her a bullet hit him and he was killed and he left four children. And each childs soul, surely, was worth more than a mosque. No, this was not a question to ask Mustafa Kurdi. We need a soul, he said. When Aleppo is rebuilt, it will be because of the love of its people. I have seen people in the destroyed streets putting chairs in front of their shops today, even though the shops have been destroyed. They gradually clean everything away. Aleppo will be rebuilt by its people. We need to see Aleppo again all of it, because otherwise we will go on missing it. A poet once wrote that the spirit of eagerness to see was sufficient for one person in just a glance at a city but that for those who live there, even if we look constantly at it, it is not enough. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Count all the members of our club of democracies in danger of losing their right to call themselves such. Even within the European Union, Poland teetered towards subjugating its courts to explicit political control until its president saved the day with his veto power. But the ruling Law and Justice Party ironically named, for sure says it is not giving up. Turkey apparently still has EU aspirations. The numbers arrested in President Recep Tayyip Erdogans crackdown since last Julys coup have reached about 50,000. Tens of thousands of public servants have been stripped of their jobs. Now we have the spectacle of journalists on trial for allegedly consorting with Erdogans enemies. They face four decades in jail if convicted. Who else? Venezuela, of course. The death toll from recent clashes between protestors and military police has topped 100 and President Nicolas Maduro now seeks a rewriting of the constitution as a way to throw up the barricades. The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is warning critics not to trivialise his bloody war on drugs by raising human rights concerns. Wed normally start the next sentence with the United States, as in the United States is reminding neighbours and allies of what being a democracy means and the consequences of straying from the path. It can do this because its own record on the matter is unimpeachable. Except the problem is that all is not quite well at the top of Americas chain of command either. Lets see. Attempting to undercut the independence of his own judiciary? Yes. Assailing journalists, to the point of fantasising in public about putting them behind bars too? Yes. Waging campaigns of intimidation against those investigating you? Yes. Fumbling in the dark for new and untried ways to stay in power should disaster strike self-pardons for instance? Yes. Donald Trump is no Maduro or Erdogan. Nor is he Duterte, though the man who vowed to butcher criminals has won his admiration. Yet his behaviour, never a study in predictability, becomes ever more troubling as the probe into ties between his campaign and Russia widens. If preserving his power might entail breaking constitutional china, too bad. If it means dropping the axe even on your most loyal of friends, so be it. Loyalty doesnt have to be a two-way street. We should have seen this coming. You recall when Trump branded the judge presiding over the Trump University fraud case as incompetent because of his Mexican heritage? (The judge was in fact American-born). Or when he lashed out at the district courts for daring to block his attempts to ban Muslims and refugees from entering the United States? So political, he railed. Never mind his firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Now he is attempting to weaken and sabotage both Robert Mueller, the special counsel and former FBI director appointed by his own Justice Department to get to the bottom of the Russia collusion allegations, and now his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, as well. He has openly threatened to fire Mueller, invoking pretexts about possible conflicts of interests. That he had requested members of his own legal team to investigate what leeway he might have to pardon anyone who may fall foul of Mueller, possibly including himself, was first reported by The Washington Post. As for Sessions, Trump is making it nigh impossible for him to stay in his job by serially undermining him. It began when he told The New York Times last week of his fury at Sessions for recusing himself from the Russian probe after he admitted to previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador. Trump said he would never have hired him if hed known that was coming. So unfair, he said. Now he is going after Sessions full bore. On Monday he called him beleaguered (as if he isnt). On Tuesday he accused him of being VERY weak on Twitter for failing to return to the old chestnut of Hillary Clinton and her emails. Memo to Trump: she is not president, you are. Knowing what you may or may not have done wrong is somewhat more important at this point. His plan, it is assumed, is to appoint a new Attorney General while Congress is in recess in August. Whoever that person is could stay in the job for a full year without congressional confirmation. Trump has even started on Andy McCabe, the acting director of the FBI, noting that when his wife ran for office in Virginia she took donations from a Hillary friend, as if that were a crime. Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! he blurted. In the meantime he has hired a new director of communications, Anthony Scaramucci, whose first order of business, it appears, will be to purge White House aides deemed to have been insufficiently loyal to the boss. Scaramucci is now publicly exhorting Trump and Sessions to meet to work things out. Whos is charge of whom here? Scaramuccis experience of government spans all of five days, since his appointment last week. And now this threat by Mooch, as they call him, to Trumps own cabinet. The president wants his cabinet secretaries to have his back...well get to a resolution shortly. Republicans are now stirring. It looks sort of paranoid to me, Congressman Michael McCaul said of Trumps campaign to undermine Mueller. I think the best advice would be to let Robert Mueller do his job, said Paul Ryan, speaker of the House. President Trumps tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate, Senator Lindsey Graham posted on his own Twitter feed on Tuesday. You may have missed this weeks angry spat between Venezuela and the US following public comments from CIA Director Mike Pompeo that he had been advising Mexico and Colombia on the things they might do so that they can get a better outcome from the Venezuela crisis. In the circumstances, America pontificating on the perils of running a banana republic looks a bit rich. Chief Justice Susan Denham is sending proposals to senior colleagues on guidelines on the use of Twitter, Facebook and other platforms in courtrooms New rules are needed to deal with the use of social media during trials, the country's top judge has said. Chief Justice Susan Denham is sending proposals to senior colleagues on guidelines on the use of Twitter, Facebook and other platforms in courtrooms. "To date, it has been rare that courts in Ireland have had to use contempt of court laws to curb inaccurate and disruptive online communications about cases," the judge said. "But it would be naive of us not to plan for the future in this regard." The move comes on the back of the huge social media campaign which ran under #JobstownNotGuilty during the trial of six anti-water charge protesters. Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and five others were found not guilty last month of the false imprisonment of then tanaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton during a demonstration in Tallaght in 2014. The trial was marked by a massive online campaign including huge volumes of tweets in support of the defendants and criticisms of evidence. The Chief Justice said she is sending a draft discussion paper on guidelines on the use of social media in the courts to the presidents of the court divisions this week. The Courts Service is also being asked to engage with the media and legal professions on potential social media rules. "The Courts do not operate in isolation. It is essential that decisions of the courts are communicated widely," Judge Denham said. "The advent of social media a decade ago caused a revolution in how we communicate. It remains a great tool for the mass dissemination of information. "However, concerns over social media are widespread and real. "There are genuine concerns over the dissemination of false claims - which damage social debate, learning, and understanding." The Chief Justice announced the plans at the launch of the Courts Service annual report. She said several areas need to be addressed to protect the right to a fair trial in the era of social media. "The fundamental right to a fair trial does not change in the face of any new means of communication. "Rules can and must reflect the new reality of same," the judge said. The Chief Justice said the guidelines should focus on "who, when and what" of using social media in courtrooms. She also said legal reform should be looked at to take cognisance of the new reality of instant communication. Since 2011 in England and Wales if a member of the public wants to use live text-based communications, such as email and social media, in court they must make an application to a judge. The rule does not apply to the media. Last year guidelines were issued by the Lord Chief Justice's office in Northern Ireland that members of the public could not use live text-based communications, such as email and social media, from court. On work in 2016 the Courts Service said there was a 15% increase in personal injury cases, up to 21,898, despite a parallel non-court process for claims. It recorded 1,135 orders for possession - 47 in High Court, a 58% decrease on 2015, and 1,088 in Circuit Court, a 42% decrease on 2015. The number of trials heard in the central Criminal Court has increased by 48% over two years, the Courts Service said. It also noted 4,179 applications for divorce - a 3% decrease on 2015 - and 61 applications to dissolve partnerships in Circuit Court with two thirds of these made by women. The report also said there had been 15,227 applications to District Court under domestic violence legislation - a 6% increase on 2015. The UK's business lobby is "sceptical" about technological solutions for the Border post-Brexit, but is in favour of "frictionless" trade on the island of Ireland. "Our argument is that there should be a frictionless border," said Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). "We are sceptical about the technical solutions, and we will continue to make the economic case," she told reporters in Brussels. Her comments echo those of Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who told the Irish Independent last month that an "e-border" using technology would be a non-runner. The Government is keen to keep talks between the EU and UK at the political level regarding Ireland. The CBI says solutions, such as electronic pre-clearance and automatic numberplate recognition cameras - which are used at the Swedish-Norwegian border - will not be in place by the time the UK leaves the European Union in 2019. "These kinds of projects take a long time to deliver," said Ms Fairbairn. "The idea that we're going to have something like that ready in March 2019 - a lot of our members are very sceptical about that." The CBI is pushing for the UK to remain in the single market and customs union for a transition period post-Brexit, at least until a wide-ranging free trade deal, which could take years, can be struck. It hopes to agree that transition period by October or November to give companies time to do their investment planning. According to a CBI survey published last week, 40pc of UK businesses say Brexit has affected their investment decisions, with 98pc of those saying the impact has been negative. However, companies are not trying to "turn back the clock" on Brexit, Ms Fairbairn said, but are trying to "make it work" for them. She said companies have "not given a lot of thought" to asking the British government for a contingency fund or a relaxation of state aid rules, suggestions the Irish business and employers' federation (Ibec) made in a June position paper. Bureaucracy could sound the "death knell" of the traditional country show, organisers have warned. Michael Hughes, executive secretary, Irish Shows Association (ISA), the umbrella body for 135 agricultural shows, said it is "becoming nearly impossible" for smaller shows to fully comply with regulations. "We are seriously concerned by the awful amount of red tape that is now involved in running a show. "No account is being taken of the work these voluntary groups are doing in their local areas and the huge financial contribution rural shows are making to the economy," he said. A study commissioned by the ISA has shown that rural shows are contributing up to 70m a year into the economy. Mr Hughes was speaking at launch of the Cappamore Agricultural Show in East Limerick which is one of the most successful shows in the country. Cappamore Show secretary Paddy Ryan claimed "there are people in the offices of statutory bodies - well paid, faceless, nameless people - who are justifying their position by thinking up rules and regulations that have no relevance and all they are doing is making life more difficult for voluntary groups. "I have no problem at any level with rules and regulations that can be justified, but rules and regulations for the sake of rules and regulations with no common sense attached to them, I have no time for them," said Mr Ryan. He called on state agencies to "adopt a more sympathetic approach" to the work of the voluntary groups. Milk processors have confirmed they are reviewing the weighting applied to constituents as butter climbs to record highs of over 6,000/t. Glanbia is currently looking at the weighting it applies as it pays 2.3 times as much for one kilo of protein as one kilo of fat. Dairygold Co-op moved to adjust its protein to butterfat ratio from 65:35 to 60:40 in May. This results in an increased payment to our milk suppliers where they have more kilos of fat than protein in their average litre of milk over and above the standard litre at 3.30pc protein and 3.60pc butterfat, a spokesman said. It will continue to review it on an on-going basis. Those with higher butter fat content will benefit, which may favour those with Jersey animals in the herd. However, the milk processors pointed out those with higher fat content also tend to have high protein levels. The average fat and protein are now far ahead of the standard goalposts. It comes as Milk prices moved up by around 1c/l across the board for June supplies. Glanbia chair Henry Corbally said they would continue to monitor market developments. "The market for butterfat in particular has been positive, helped by reduced milk supply from Europe's largest producers, France and Germany, while in contrast, powder markets are more challenging," he said. The constituents will help boost the price by 1.3 - 1.5 c/l extra for the average Glanbia producer, and 1.6c/l on average for Kerry suppliers. Ornua's Joe Collins said the outlook in milk price remains "reasonable" with butter "carrying the can" for the weaker skim powder prices. Ornua's purchase price index for June rose by 3pc to 110. The ICMSA's Gerald Quain said the higher prices were overdue and should have been paid for May milk deliveries. He said dairy returns had remained constant throughout June with the exception of butter which was still on a upward trajectory. The IFA's Sean O'Leary said the prices were lagging behind their European counterparts. "Looking just at our main European competitors, Danish farmers will be paid 35.5c/l for June/July milk; German producers will receive around 35c/l for June milk; French producers around 33-34c/l," he said. Students and young farmers from New Zealand are set to become part of the solution to the dairy sector's growing labour crisis. Farm Relief Services (FRS), in conjunction with New Zealand Dairy Careers, are embarking on a new exchange programme which will see up to 70 Kiwi farmers placed on Irish dairy farms between January and June next year. The venture is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at drawing employment into the expanding sector which will need an additional workforce of 6,000 by 2025, according to Teagasc. Padraig Madden, operations manager at FRS, said: "We must think outside the box. "We met with Dairy Careers New Zealand and we've agreed to source people for each other. Every year Irish people go there to work on farms independently, through placement or colleges so we'll be their point of contact here and they'll do the same for us. "We've agreed to source 70 people for each other, male and female aged 20 to 30 with a strong agri background and good dairy experience. They will be here for next spring," he said adding that workers will have work holiday permits. FRS will work closely with interested farmers nationwide and will help source accommodation. A wage of 10.50-11 per hour is expected to be paid to the new workers. Farmers are already looking to next spring following a tough calving season that saw Dairygold Co-op warn farmer burnout could derail the growth of the sector. FRS is already experiencing a 15-20pc rise in demand for farm labour with dairy farmers booking workers for milking, calf rearing and machinery relief earlier than ever. "People have been calling since late May, early June to make bookings. There is enormous pressure building already for next spring, they don't want a repeat of the spring gone by, we could have hired another 150 people to cope with demand," he said. Mr Madden admits the incoming New Zealanders will help rather than solve the labour shortage in dairying. "I've been trying to source people in Europe where economies have improved but getting 20 people with dairy experience together is next to impossible. The numbers of 10-15 years ago are not there, it will take numerous avenues to solve this." Paidi Kelly, research officer at Teagasc Moorepark says the expansion of the Irish dairy sector must be promoted in New Zealand to attract Irish emigrants back home. "There is a lack of awareness in New Zealand of the career opportunities here, they mightn't realise that Irish milk production had increased by 35pc in the last six years," he said. He said the dairy sector holds huge employment potential for rural people of farming and non farming backgrounds. "There is no silver bullet. we need to look at how we can attract people in and how we can reduce demand by making our farms more labour efficient." For more on the FRS dairy exchange programme contact Padraig Madden at pmadden@frsnetwork.ie. Combines were rolling across the country again yesterday after the heavy rains of last week. Despite the weather disruptions around 60pc of the winter barley crop has been harvested in the south, with close to 70pc cut in Cork. Progress has been more varied further north, but more than 50pc of the winter barley acreage is expected to be harvested by the end of the week. Barley yields have been variable. One east Cork grower said six-row varieties were yielding best, with 4t/ac to 4.4t/ac being reported. In contrast, two-row varieties were yielding between 3t/ac and 4t/ac. Carlow-based farm consultant Pat Minnock said grain fill hadn't been as good as expected. He predicted that most winter barley crops in the southeast will average around 3.5t/ac. Although farmers had been anticipating yields of 4t/ac and more, Mr Minnock said some crops will be lucky to top 3t/ac. The two positives for growers from the winter barley to date have been the low moisture levels and strong demand for straw. Moisture levels generally ranged from 14pc to 17pc, although last week's rains could have increased these figures somewhat. On the straw front, farmers report massive demand, with south Tipperary grower Noel Delany maintaining that harvest pre-booking levels had doubled this year. Prices of 14-15/bale are freely being paid off the field for 4x4 bales in the east of the country. Meanwhile, oilseed rape cutting has kicked off in the south, with yields of 1.8t/ac reported. Crops in the east are expected to be ready for harvest this week. Separately, IFA president Joe Healy said he is "confident" that a maximum payment of 10,500 per farmer will be paid out under the soon to be announced tillage crisis fund scheme. (L to R) Iseult Ward, FoodCloud Co-Founder and CEO; Ciara Hosford, Aldi Main Street Ballincollig store Deputy Manager and Charity Champion and Aoibheann O'Brien, FoodCloud Co-Founder and CEO of FoodCloud Hubs Credit: Leon Farrell of Photocall Ireland. Aldis Ballincollig store has become the first Aldi store in Ireland to donate 25,000 meals to local charities through the grocery stores partnership with FoodCloud. FoodCloud's innovative software platform allows stores to connect with local charities to ensure surplus food from grocery stores can be rescued. Since the partnership between Aldi and FoodCloud started in 2014, Aldi in Ballincollig has provided almost 11,000 kilograms of surplus food, equating to a saving of 35,000 for the charities and community groups involved. Read more: Food waste: they have it wrapped up Charities which the Ballincollig store supports include Cuan Mhuire Farnanes, Ballincollig Family Resource Centre, and O'Connell Court. Commenting on the news, Ciara Hosford, Aldis Ballincollig store charity champion said, that they were "delighted" with the milestone. "No one likes to see our surplus food go to waste and knowing this is going to and helping the local charities that do so much great work throughout Cork is something that we are hugely proud to be involved in," Ms Hosford said. Read more: Food Cloud's Ward and O'Brien win top social entrepreneur gong FoodCloud CEO Iseult Ward described it as "amazing" to see how the store had made such a difference to its local community in a short space of time. While Sally Burke, from the local charity Cuan Mhuire Farnanes said that the donations have given the charity the capacity to provide more meals to those who need help most and also allowed the charity to use its budget for other essentials and help more and more people. Greencoat Renewables has raised 270m through its initial public offering (IPO) on the Irish Stock Exchanges (ISE) Enterprise Securities Market (ESM). Trading of ordinary shares in the Irish renewable energy company began today on both the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and the ESM market of the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE). The objective of the firm is to build a portfolio of operating renewable electricity generation assets, initially investing in wind generation assets here. ISE's Director of Strategy Aileen ODonoghue welcomed Greencoat's listing to raise international equity funds. "Renewable energy is capital intensive and requires significant investment," she said. "Greencoat Renewables IPO demonstrates that capital markets are a real option for this sector to raise funds and we hope their success encourages other companies to consider equity markets for their future financing needs." The firm will invest in euro denominated operational renewable electricity generation assets principally in Ireland and over time in certain countries within the Eurozone (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany and the Netherlands). Read more: Mainstream eyes 120m cash call after Scots sale "We are very pleased with our new institutional shareholders, and we would particularly like to thank ISIF and AIB for their continued support," Paul O Donnell, Partner of Greencoat Capital, the Investment Manager said. "The capital raised will allow the company to implement our stated strategy of acquiring a portfolio of renewable energy assets, initially onshore wind in Ireland, and in turn create value for our shareholders. The company, which is the first renewable energy infrastructure company to list on the ISE, has received 76m in investment from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). "Our investment in Greencoat Renewables follows our successful investments in ISE-listed Malin and Draper Esprit at IPO in 2015 and 2016," Eugene OCallaghan, Director, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), added. "These companies meet our double bottom line mandate enabling us to invest on a commercial basis in a manner designed to support economic activity and employment in Ireland. Companies with high-growth potential are an attractive proposition for ISIF investment which is why we are also a partner in the ISEs #IPOready programme." B-Secur has developed and patented mechanics needed to recognise a person by their heartbeat pattern - known as an electrocardiogram (ECG). Stock Image AN IRISH company which has created software that can identify individuals using their heartbeats has secured investment worth 3.5m (3.9m). B-Secur has developed and patented mechanics needed to recognise a person by their heartbeat pattern - known as an electrocardiogram (ECG). Now, the company has secured a 3.5m investment made up of 1.5m from Accelerated Digital Ventures (ADV), 0.75m from the Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund (NI) and the remainder from private investors. B-Secur provides biometric security solutions to customers in the UK, Ireland and US across many sectors. They include the automotive industry, financial services, buildings and healthcare. It was set up in 2002 by Colin Anderson, the boss of Belfast-based marketing services agency ASG and Partners. B-Secur is also headquartered in Belfast, where it has built up a strong partnership with the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast. The development of its new ECG software is a move forward for the biometrics industry - expected to be worth over $35bn by 2021. B-Secur's ECG biometric authentication technology marks progress on the first generation of biometrics - which used fingerprint, iris or voice recognition. It's hoped the system will be able to minimise hacking risks. Alan Foreman, the chief executive of B-Secur, said the investment comes as companies seek increasingly advanced security solutions. Kid near the window in the airport. Parents are making their toddlers drag suitcases past staff at airport gates to avoid paying baggage fees, Ryanairs chief financial officer has said. Neil Sorahan believes holidaymakers are using their children, entitled from the age of two to travel free of charge with a 10kg suitcase, as well as a second small bag, to spread the load of their luggage and avoid checked and excess luggage fees. Mr Sorahan said the airline could review its baggage allowance and fees after he agreed that some passengers were taking the p***. Ryanair began allowing customers to bring along an additional smaller cabin bag free of charge in October 2013 as part of an attempt to improve its image. Ive seen two-year-olds wheeling a bag up to a plane as people try to take advantage, he said. Were very generous with our cabin baggage allowance; a 10kg case and a second small carry-on. If everyone does that theres no issue. Its the people coming with the kitchen sink that could change the policy. Read More The airline said that fewer than one in six passengers now pays to check in luggage, while research by Which? earlier this year found that one in four travellers is being forced to place their carry-on luggage in the hold as overhead lockers fill up. Asked if passengers were taking the p***, Mr Sorhan said: Some are. The vast majority of people play by the rules but some dont. Unfortunately some bring massive backpacks and things that dont fit under the seat. Weve been a little bit lax... we are victims of our own niceness. A spokesperson for Ryanair confirmed Mr Sorahans comments. Read More Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Embattled Italian airline Alitalia would need to be "radically overhauled" before Ryanair would get involved with the carrier, according to Ryanair chief financial officer Neil Sorahan. Ryanair is one of about 10 airlines and groups that last week submitted non-binding agreements to Alitalia's administrator to buy the ailing carrier, or parts of it. Other bidders include EasyJet, Aer Lingus owner IAG, Delta and Air France. Ryanair has previously expressed an interest in taking control of Alitalia's short-haul network. Alitalia collapsed into administration in May, with the Italian government giving it a 400m loan to enable it to continue trading as the administrator decides to sell the airline or liquidate it. "The administrators have massive abilities to restructure and do an awful lot with this business, so I'm sure they'll want to think very carefully about what their next steps are before they come back to various parties involved," Mr Sorahan told the Irish Independent. "We put a non-binding offer in. We would like to see the company radically overhauled before we'd get involved in it," he added. "We're the largest airline in Italy with just under 30pc of the market, and it would be wrong if we weren't involved in the process." "There is a reason it (Alitalia) has lost money but if you could get your hands on something that has the potential to be profitable. It's interesting, but there's a lot that needs to be done to get to that stage," he added. Mr Sorahan said he doesn't expect an outcome from the bidding process until September at the earliest. He was speaking as Ryanair released first-quarter results that CEO Michael O'Leary said were flattered by the timing of Easter, with profits after tax jumping 55pc to 397m. Revenue was 13pc higher at 1.31bn. But shares in the airline slumped more than 4.6pc in early trading despite the profit figure being well ahead of the 366m that analysts had expected it to make in the period. Read more: Ryanair fares target rivals but 'airlines hard to kill off' Investors were partly spooked by predictions from Mr Sorahan that Ryanair's average fares could fall as much as 9pc in the current quarter as airlines continue to deal with a glut of capacity, particularly on routes to countries including Spain, Portugal and Italy. Its passenger numbers rose 12pc to 35 million during the first quarter. The airline expects to carry 131 million in the full financial year. Ryanair expects its average fares to decline 5pc in the first half of its financial year, and by 8pc in the second half. The airline also repeated its warning that a failure to secure a post-Brexit bilateral air agreement between the UK and the EU by next year could result in Ryanair suspending services to the UK. Mr Sorahan said bookings out of the UK remain strong, but that consumers there are "feeling the pinch" due to sterling weakness. "There's a lot of competitive prices," he said of the UK market, due to extra capacity there. Fianna Fail's Communications spokesman, Timmy Dooley (centre), said RTE needs to 'clarify its policy on pay equality and provide in-depth oversight'. Photo: Tom Burke RTE is facing a major political backlash on foot of revelations that newscaster Sharon Ni Bheolain is earning up to 80,000 less than her co-anchor Bryan Dobson. Representatives of the main political parties have hit out at the national broadcaster, accusing management of a lack of transparency. Fianna Fail has written to RTE's Director General Dee Forbes, demanding that she begins publishing an annual report on pay discrepancies between its high-profile presenters. The party's communications spokesman, Timmy Dooley, said the station needs to "clarify its policy on pay equality and provide in-depth oversight". He noted RTE gave practically no coverage to Ms Ni Bheolain comments in the 'Sunday Independent' until yesterday afternoon, by which time the row over gender pay was being widely reported. "Some of its most popular and primetime shows on both radio and television over the weekend failed to highlight the concern for gender pay scales at the public broadcaster. "It is in silence that a gender pay gap thrives. Silence, in fact, preserves the gap that exists," Mr Dooley said. He told this newspaper independent auditors should be brought in to carry out a full review of pay across the organisation, and the results should be made public. Read more: RTE to publish fees paid to its Top 10 most highly paid presenters and launch a review of gender equality Chairperson of the Oireachtas Communications Committee Hildegarde Naughton called on RTE to expedite the publication of salaries of top earners. "Leading female journalists and broadcasters have voiced concerns about pay discrepancies between themselves and their male colleagues. "Concerns have also been raised about gender representation in the broadcaster's top roles. "As a public service broadcaster, RTE not only has a responsibility to its own employees, but to the media industry as a whole, and should be leading the way in parity of pay and gender representation," she said. And the Labour Party's Ivana Bacik said a gender pay gap is not new, but added: "As a publicly funded body, RTE has an obligation to be fully transparent on these matters, and to put plans in place to rectify any gender pay gap that is revealed. "It is important that in every large organisation we develop a culture of transparency regarding disparities in pay scales, so that any gender pay gap can ultimately be eradicated." Earlier this year, the Labour Party published legislation that would require all organisations with more than 50 staff to publish information on pay scales in order to establish if any gender bias exists. This legislation has passed second stage in the Seanad, and Ms Bacik will be pushing for it to become law in the autumn. The National Women's Council of Ireland called on the Government to introduce sanctions for companies who receive public funding if they don't take action to address gender gaps. Director Orla O'Connor said: "Data should be made available to the public in the interests of transparency to show the figures for the gender gaps in Irish companies in the public and private sector." Thousands of parents will be forced to deny their children basic school items this year as they struggle to fund the back-to-school spend. A majority of mums and dads say they will buy foreign goods over Irish-produced ones if it means reducing school costs. A survey commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions claims average return-to-school spend continues to increase and has now reached 1,209 per child. This is the costs over the course of the school year. This is up from 1,185 last year, a rise of 2pc. One in four parents will deny their children the likes of extracurricular activities, new shoes or school trips as they struggle to meet the education costs. The survey, conducted by iReach among 1,000 people, claims almost two thirds of families say the school spend is a major financial burden for them. Parents are set to shell out 1,048 on primary school children over the course of the year. This is up 80 on last year, according to the survey. For children in secondary school, the costs have gone down by 73, to 1,400. A spokeswoman for the Irish League of Credit Unions dismissed suggestions the figures are higher than most families will spend. She denied the figures were deliberately inflated to encourage people to take out credit union loans. "The survey is carried out by an independent third-party market research company, iReach. Parents of school-going children are invited to estimate what they spend at back-to-school time," she said. The cost survey includes expenditure for school lunches, which some parents argue would have to be funded whether children are in school or not. Read More However, the survey does show that more people this year are in a position to fund school costs through their income, rather than borrowing. But the findings indicate that funding the annual spend continues to be a challenge. The survey found 72pc of parents feel the back-to-school spend is a financial burden, with more than a quarter saying the costs will impact negatively on household bills. Some parents said they will end up sacrificing a family holiday this year because of the cost. The biggest expenditure tends to be extracurricular activities, followed by school lunches, books and then uniforms. Tesco has overtaken Dunnes Stores as the preferred shop for school supplies. Dunnes Stores has fallen to second place, Marks and Spencer comes in third place, with Aldi in fourth. When it comes to school uniforms, parents again say that Tesco is now their preferred store with almost a quarter saying they were shopping for uniforms there. Marks and Spencer is in second place. Dunnes Stores slipped to third place. Two-thirds of parents say they will buy foreign school products over Irish-produced goods if it means making savings. After monthly income, savings continue to be the preferred method of funding the cost, with one-third of parents using saved funds. One in six parents rely on the State's back-to-school allowance, down from 20pc in 2016. The numbers using credit cards remained the same, on 16pc. Some 4pc said they would consider turning to a moneylender. The survey found 7pc would use the credit union, while 1pc would approach the bank. Head of marketing and communications at the Irish League of Credit Unions Emmet Oliver said it was encouraging that more parents are funding the school spend through their monthly income, with a fall in the numbers getting into debt. "However, it's clear that the back-to-school spend is still so much of a financial burden on parents that they are forced to deny their children some basic items, as well as sacrificing spending on family holidays and even food," he said. Shipping firms and banks are caught in a vicious circle of debt, causing a credit crunch that is hindering the industry's recovery. Stock photo: Bloomberg Dutch shipowner Vroon is finding talks with banks tough going as it tries to navigate a way out of a long slump in the shipping industry. But it is not an easy time for the lenders either. Vroon, a 127-year-old family-owned group which operates about 200 vessels and transports livestock, oil and other commodities, wants to extend its credit lines and adjust repayment schedules. But European banks that lent heavily to the sector more than a decade ago have a heavy toxic debt burden following the 2008-09 global financial crisis and a shipping markets crash in 2010. Shipping firms and banks are caught in a vicious circle of debt, causing a credit crunch that is hindering the industry's recovery. Overcapacity - a glut of available ships for hire - is a big concern, and another is a lack of profitability caused by problems such as slower demand and global economic turmoil. One major company, South Korean container line Hanjin Shipping, has gone under. "We have difficulty in meeting all repayment obligations that we have and that is what we are in discussion with our banks about. Those discussions are constructive but are not easy - not for us, or the banks," Herman Marks, the chief financial officer at Vroon, told Reuters. Marks said Vroon was confident of reaching agreements with its financiers soon. Shipping finance sources say the industry, which transports 90pc of the world's goods, has capital shortfall of about $30bn (25.7bn) this year. Some banks are being driven out of shipping. Those that remain are now more conservative, Marks said. Consolidation has begun, especially in container shipping. Denmark's Maersk is acquiring German rival Hamburg Sud while China's COSCO Shipping has bid $6.3bn for Hong Kong's Orient Overseas International. Germany's Rickmers filed for insolvency in June, and firms that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since March include Singapore's Ezra Holdings Ltd and US-based Tidewater, GulfMark Offshore and Montco Offshore. Banks were happy to lend to the shipping industry when it boomed in tandem with globalisation. Even the 2008-09 crisis did not deter all creditors. Expectations that China's fast economic growth would revive the industry prompted a brief new wave of lending before many shipping markets crashed again. This left European banks with a debt burden of more than $100bn and the value of at least 70pc of those loans has fallen, according to industry estimates. Banks are struggling to find ways to recoup their mounting losses. "There is probably about $150bn of distressed bank debt stuck with mainly European banks - mainly German - that has still got to be de-gorged from the system," said Michael Parker, global industry head for shipping with Citigroup. Large banks that once had a big role in the industry, such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), are pulling out. Some more specialist lenders, such as Germany's HSH Nordbank, are still working through their legacy loans. European banks have stepped up efforts to sell portfolios - RBS has sold loans to buyers including Japanese financial services firm Orix Corp, but others have found selling difficult. "Investors will want to see a bit more sustained profitability to the sector - there is some way to go before that," said Paul Taylor, global head of shipping & offshore with French bank Societe Generale CIB. (Reuters) Tonights documentary didnt, I dont think, tell us a whole lot that wasnt already known about the notorious killing of Frenchwoman Sophie Toscan Du Plantier in 1996. But The Du Plantier Case was nonetheless gripping, moving and still, 20 years later shocking. I was living in Cork City at the time and remember it well. A beautiful woman with a teenage son, from an upper-class Parisian family, married to a filmmaker, enjoying regular breaks in the bucolic Dunmanus area of West Corkbeaten to death a few weeks before Christmas. The fact that something like that could happen, to someone like that, in a place like that just out the road, really I remember how genuinely shocking her murder was. Philip Boucher-Hayes film used a clever structure, which recognised that crime stories are always about two sides: the victim and the villain (in this case, alleged villain), and the people who know them, the ripples around them in the stream of life. So, roughly the first third was devoted to Ian Bailey, then the chief suspect for Sophies murder. Then we shifted focus to Sophies son Pierre-Louis, 15 when she died, before the programme brought the two strands together in a narrative synthesis. Expand Close Undated family handout file photo of Sophie Toscan du Plantier: Family Handout/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated family handout file photo of Sophie Toscan du Plantier: Family Handout/PA Wire As I say, we didnt really learn anything new; everyone knows the basic details of this matter by now. But where The Du Plantier Case hit a home run was in how it retold this familiar story. For starters, theres something incredibly powerful about the stark contrast of human horror in the midst of these spectacular, beautiful surroundings. West Cork is the definition of sublime, as in the original meaning of awe-inspiring, but we were reminded again of how an intimate personal story of human beings can be as profound as any scenic vista. The use of striking B&W shots of those interviewed was also very effective, the jump between monochrome and colour reminiscent at times of scenes from Memento (also, as it happens, about murder and memories). The scenes with Pierre-Louis were especially affecting, for obvious reasons. He says his childhood essentially ended that day. He now lives in Paris with his wife and two children, and regularly returns to West Cork. He loves the place, Pierre-Louis said, just like his mother did. Meanwhile the enigmatic, indecipherable Mr Bailey remains a fascinating figure, after all these years. With his ravaged good looks and cut-glass voice, that haunted air he gives off, he almost seems like a character from central casting: Suspicious English Toff in Small-Town Murder-Mystery. Pierre-Louis described him as strange and its hard to disagree. But that, of course, doesnt mean he did it. There are apparent strikes against him a history of domestic assault, scratches on his hands and face, and most damningly, no alibi for the night of the murder but as Bailey rightly insists, theres no real proof of guilt. Where will this sad saga end? Just today, our courts decided not to grant an extradition request from French authorities. Ian Bailey may yet be tried, over there, in absentia. The film ended with poignant home video footage of Sophie, after we heard Pierre-Louis say how he wouldnt find peace until her killer is brought to justice. Sadly, you feel that even a conviction can never make up for the most heartrending trauma possible: that of a child losing his mother in violent circumstances. Carmel Hill, who suffers with asthma and lung problems, at home in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda. Photo: Fergal Phillips The Brown Hound Bakery, closed at Bryanstown, Drogheda due to no supplies of water. Photo: Colin O'Riordan Estelle Gorman, manager of the Relish Cafe in the South Gate Shopping Centre in Drogheda. Photo: Colin ORiordan Defence Forces may be drafted into the area as it's confirmed full water supplies will not be restored to the north-east of the country until the weekend. The wider area of Drogheda has been without water since a mains pipe more than four metres below the ground burst on Friday morning. Residents were told yesterday that water would be restored by Thursday, but this morning Irish Water confirmed that supplies will not be "back to normal" until the weekend. A special fitting for the pipe was manufactured this week, and Irish Water are now preparing to fit the piece. "Work will recommence on the installation tomorrow," Irish Water Managing Director Jerry Grant said. "But it will probably be Friday and into the weekend to get all supplies back to normal. "Thursday at the earliest is the best we can do, with all the logistics." Mr Grant also confirmed that the Defence Forces may be drafted into the area to help with water distribution today. Irish Water are also availing of private tanker providers and said they are using a number tankers from across the country. Mr Grant defended the delay in repairing the pipe, which according to the Drogheda Mayor has affected up to 75,000 people in the wider area. "Until you open the excavation, you never know precisely what you are dealing with. "We knew it was an AC pipe, we knew it was high pressure, but the pipe was circular and is not distorted from being underground. "We had three attempts to repair it at the weekend and each of them blew under extremely high pressure." Expand Close The Brown Hound Bakery, closed at Bryanstown, Drogheda due to no supplies of water. Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Brown Hound Bakery, closed at Bryanstown, Drogheda due to no supplies of water. Photo: Colin O'Riordan Mr Grant explained that the pipe is unique to Ireland and they could not find the appropriate piece to carry out repair works. "These pipes were manufactured in the Drogheda area 30 years ago, but there is nowhere else that has this particular diameter pipe, this pressure pipe. There is close to it in Kerry but not close enough." Mr Grant said that Irish Water had also searched for the piece in the UK, before deciding that it had to be manufactured. Read More Chaos Hot weather aggravated local residents' problems as they were unable to shower, do laundry or cook normally as workers battled to repair the rupture of a large water main. Parents Becky and Tomas Wilkinson (30) have been buying bottled water to use for sterilising bottles for their premature son Teddy. "Teddy is 10 weeks old now but was born three weeks early," said Mrs Wilkinson from their home in Clogherhead, Co Louth. "We have had to buy and boil water for sterilising and on Sunday we had to travel to relatives in Dundalk to bath Teddy. Now we are being warned we may be waiting until the end of the week for a resolution. "This is a major imposition and is adding stress when we are trying to get into a routine with a new baby." Expand Close Becky Wilkinson, from Clogherhead, Co Louth, with her 10-week-old son Teddy. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Becky Wilkinson, from Clogherhead, Co Louth, with her 10-week-old son Teddy. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson The couple are also concerned about the lack of water because Teddy has had his vaccine for rotavirus, the gastrointestinal bug that is highly infectious. "Teddy received his rotavirus drops on Thursday and the advice given to everyone after it is to increase hygiene measures, including hand-washing with warm water after every nappy change." Mother-of-one Kiara Lynch (27), from the Ballsgrove estate, in Drogheda, said she was finding it difficult to manage without water for her son Alan (9), her mother Jackie (52) and brother Karl (29). "It's terrible not being able to wash clothes for my child or to give Alan a shower," said Kiara. "It was shocking with no water in the house. "I've been going to the shops and spending 20 on water. I was down in a shop at 8am this morning to get water and it was all gone by 9am." Carmel Hill (64), from Rathmullen Park in Drogheda, suffers with her health and she said the lack of water has aggravated her issues. Mrs Hill needs the assistance of a nebuliser to breathe and she told the Irish Independent the last few days have been very difficult. "I've got lung problems and I'm asthmatic. This heat is killing me and I'm finding it very hard to breathe and I need to drink a lot of water. Expand Close Carmel Hill, who suffers with asthma and lung problems, at home in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda. Photo: Fergal Phillips / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carmel Hill, who suffers with asthma and lung problems, at home in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda. Photo: Fergal Phillips "I've felt shattered and have been walking to the shops for water. The water is too heavy to carry so I don't bring it home myself. I normally have to shower a lot because of the perspiration. It's awful not being able to shower," she said. Lorraine Cooney from Termon Abbey, Drogheda said people have to queue for up to an hour to get water from the water stations. "People have to wait for over an hour. If you dont have your own containers you dont have any way of getting the water. The tankers are causing back-ups in the estate. Its like living in a third world country," she told Independent.ie. The mum-of-three said hundreds of homes in her estate that do not have water and many residents have babies and people who are seriously ill that are dependent on water. "My daughter has a kidney infection at the moment and Im in dire need for water," Lorraine said. She said she first noticed a drop in the water pressure on Thursday evening. "Ive been living here for 14 years and this is an ongoing issue. The water goes a couple times a year. You have to get a plumber in every time because the houses are prone to airlocks," she said. Expand Close Lorraine Cooney with Ryan (14), Amelia (7), and Cody (9) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lorraine Cooney with Ryan (14), Amelia (7), and Cody (9) Ms Cooney said the water being provided to residents is still dirty even after boiling. "It is not a sustainable solution. Its alright for flushing toilets and washing dishes after boiling it but its no good for washing yourself or washing your clothes," she said. "I always keep backup water because it is an ongoing issue, but I wasnt prepared to go for a whole week," she added. She said there is no drinking water left in the town and as a result, one man in her estate has driven to Dublin to fill his van with 5-litre bottles of water for his neighbours. Lorraine doesnt drive and said there was no water facility put in place for her side of the town until Sunday morning. She said Irish Water have only been putting out basic updates and wrongly determined when a solution would be in place multiple times. A woman who was caught with more than 115,000 in cash while acting as a bookkeeper for serious criminals has received a five-year suspended sentence. Judge Gerard Griffin acknowledged Janet Morrissey (35) was "ripe for exploitation" by criminals as she had a cocaine addiction and heavy debts at the time. Morrissey, a single mother with an address in Meile An Ri Drive, Lucan, Co Dublin, was found by gardai with 9,670 in cash in her coat pocket outside her home in Lucan on April 4, 2016. A further 108,130 was found in her bedroom. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 117,800 in cash, which was the proceeds of crime. She had no previous convictions. Judge Griffin said Morrissey provided an "essential service" to drug dealers. But he noted her co-operation and said she was unlikely to come to future Garda attention. He further acknowledged she was now drug free and had a full-time job. The judge said he'd given particular consideration to a letter written by Morrissey's father when suspending the sentence. He suspended the sentence for five years, saying: "If we see each other again, it won't be a happy experience." In a letter handed up to court, Morrissey said she had been "existing, not living" but was now turning her life around. "I am a work in progress," Morrissey wrote in the letter, saying she attends AA meetings three times a week. FIANNA Fail activist Brian Mohan wants the Court of Appeal to find he is entitled to challenge the constitutionality of a law linking State funding of political parties to the meeting of gender quota targets when selecting candidates for general elections. Mr Mohan, as a member of FF and potential election candidate, is permanently affected by the law, Michael McDowell SC, for Mr Mohan, argued. The State has no right to influence freely associating persons and political parties in relation to what kind of person they choose as a candidate, he said. Maurice Collins SC, for the State, rejected arguments the High Court misapplied the law on legal standing in deciding Mr Mohan had no standing to challenge the constitutionality of the law. Mr Mohan had produced no evidence to support his claim a September 2015 direction from FF headquarters to a Dublin Central general election selection convention that the sole candidate selected must be female was due to the law and not FFs own policy to have more women candidates, counsel argued. The direction was issued in a context where, by summer 2015, there were ten women among 47 FF candidates chosen in 31 constituencies. Mary Fitzpatrick was selected for Dublin Central. In February 2016, the High Court ruled Mr Mohan did not have legal standing to bring his case and, as a result, did not determine whether or not the 2012 law was constitutional. The three judge Court of Appeal heard Mr Mohans appeal against the High Court decision on Tuesday and reserved judgment. The case concerns provisions of the Electoral (Political Funding) Act 2012 which halve State funding to parties who fail to ensure at least 30 per cent of their general election candidates are women and 30 per cent are men. That percentage is intended to rise to 40 per cent after seven years. Women comprise 22pc of the current Dail, up from 16.3 pc before the last general election. Mr Mohan claimed it would be impossible for Fianna Fail to function if its State funding of some 1.16m was halved. The Court of Appeal must first decide if the legal standing finding was correct. If it finds otherwise, Mr Mohan wants the appeal court to determine the constitutionality of the legislation but the State argues that should go back to the High Court for a first instance decision. On Tuesday, Mr McDowell argued Mr Mohans party is effectively being coerced by a financial imperative to support gender quotas and that also made it difficult for Mr Mohan to argue internally with the party against such quotas. It was demanding too much for the High Court to say Mr Mohan should have produced evidence from Fianna Fail itself to say it was adversely affected by the legislation. Ordinary members of Fianna Fail had rejected the idea of gender quotas at two Ard Fheiseanna but the parliamentary party would probably be reluctant to publicly tog out in favour of Mr Mohan on the issue of quotas. The 2012 law directly affected Mr Mohan at the convention and continues to do so, counsel said. Because of it, gender quotas were a matter of law, not a matter of choice for parties. Mr Collins said Mr Mohan clearly had no legal standing to challenge the 2012 law and the High Courts analysis of that issue was unimpeachable. Fianna Fail and other parties are clearly qualified to challenge the legislation, including for reasons such as the impact of any withdrawal of funding, and had not done so, he said. There was no evidence to show a causal connection between what FF had done at the Dublin central selection convention and the 2012 law. A GARDA alleged to have assaulted an RTE cameraman appeared in court today as a judge ordered CCTV footage to be released in the case. Garda Sean Lucey is alleged to have hit cameraman Colm Hand in the groin during a baton charge at a protest on O'Connell Street, Dublin on February 6, last year. Garda Lucey, who wore a black suit and lemon tie and glasses, sat at the back of Dublin District Court alongside a young woman and a middle-aged female while Mr Hand sat at the other side of the room with his wife, RTE reporter Laura Whelan. Judge Michael Walsh ordered that statements and CCTV evidence must be submitted to court on or before September 12 this year. And the case was adjourned until September 26, when it is expected Garda Lucey will be given the opportunity to plea on the charge. Both sides sat in courtroom 3 throughout the morning and well into the afternoon before the case was heard. Expand Close RTE: File photo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp RTE: File photo Prosecution solicitor Michael Durkan said that the summons in the case had not been served until a week prior to the hearing and logged today. He said that this should have been done earlier. Garda Lucey's solicitor, Liz Hughes, asked Judge Walsh to order the disclosure of statements and CCTV footage to assist the case. The court heard there were no custody records in the matter. Mr Hand also alleges he had his camera damaged during the incident at a protest against the launch of anti-Islam group, Pegida. Gda Lucey faces assault and criminal damage charges after a complaint was made to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC). A the time of the alleged assault, Gardai were using batons to control a line of protesters, some who were being violent. Mr Hand was in front of the Gardai, filming the violence when he alleges he was assaulted. The cameraman made a complaint through his employer to GSOC. The court heard previously that Mr Hand had attended hospital after he suffered bruising to his groin. 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 Islamification of the West - unfolded first in Germany last year, in response to the European refugee crisis. As small groups of Pediga supporters approached the GPO on O'Connell street and violent clashes 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. Mounted gardai and Garda dogs were used to control the crowds. During the short hearing yesterday Gda Lucey stood up at the back of the court as Mr Hand and his wife looked on from the other side of the room. The High Court has refused to order the extradition of Ian Bailey to France in relation to the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, dismissing the application as an "abuse of process", among other reasons. Mr Bailey (60), of The Prairie, Liscaha, Schull, west Cork, denies any involvement in the death of Ms du Plantier, who was found dead outside her holiday home in Schull in December 1996. French authorities previously sought the surrender of Mr Bailey in 2010 but this application was refused by the Supreme Court in 2012. A second extradition request was transmitted to Ireland last summer, seeking the surrender of Mr Bailey for alleged voluntary homicide. French authorities have previously prosecuted people for crimes committed against French citizens outside of France. Mr Bailey, who claims gardai tried to frame him for the killing of Ms du Plantier, could be tried in France in his absence. Refusing the surrender of Mr Bailey yesterday, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan was "estopped" or halted from obtaining an order for Mr Bailey's surrender in light of the Supreme Court's judgment in 2012 on identical relevant facts. Expand Close Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Photo: AFP/Getty Images Mr Justice Hunt said he would also refuse surrender because, in the unique circumstances of this case, it was an "abuse of process" for five distinct reasons for the minister to seek surrender on the fresh warrant. Mr Justice Hunt also said he did not need a reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), as had been requested by the State. He said the minister and his successors were "disappointed litigants" and it appeared to him that the underlying theme of the minister's application was a "conviction that the majority of the Supreme Court were in error" in 2012. A five-judge panel of the Supreme Court refused to surrender Mr Bailey in 2012 and four of the five judges upheld Mr Bailey's argument that section 44 prohibits surrender because the alleged offence was committed outside French territory, and Irish law does not allow prosecution for the same offence when committed outside its territory by a non-Irish citizen. Opposing surrender at a High Court hearing in May, counsel for Mr Bailey, Garrett Simons SC, said there was "no way around" the Supreme Court decision in 2012. In a written judgment handed down, Mr Justice Hunt said he believed the application should be dismissed as an abuse of process for five reasons. One was the binding and conclusive decision of the Supreme Court on the extra-territoriality issue. Secondly, five years had passed since that decision and it was now 21 years since the death of Ms du Plantier. Thirdly, there had been no engagement by the minister or the French authorities with the "unusual fact in an extradition case" that Mr Bailey's alleged involvement in the death of Ms du Plantier had been "comprehensively and repeatedly investigated and considered by the police force and prosecuting authorities" in Ireland. Furthermore, he said the doctrine of precedent also disposed of the matter in Mr Bailey's favour. Mr Justice Hunt said he did not consider it necessary to obtain the opinion of the European Court, as had been requested by the minister. Mr Bailey said: "Obviously I'm pleased and delighted with the judgment today. "It's not the end of it because the State will almost certainly appeal that decision today." A property investment company whose non-executive directors once included consumer champion Eddie Hobbs has been wound up owing more than 11m to investors. Brendan Investments Pan European Property plc (Bipep) lost most of its money due to property investments in the city of Detroit, USA, and Dusseldorf, Germany, the High Court heard. It has assets of just 91,000 and liabilities of 11.4m, 11.3m of which is owed to investors. The wind-up petition was presented by Stephen Brady BL, on behalf of directors Hugh O'Neill and Vincent Regan, who are also creditors. Mr Hobbs, who became a non-executive director when the company went public in 2007, resigned that position more than two years ago. The petition, which followed a meeting of directors on July 1 last, stated the firm was incorporated in 2006 and, on going public in 2007, raised 12.6m through a public round of funds in exchange for loan notes and ordinary shares. The strategy was to invest in a mix of commercial, residential and development property over a 10-year period. While investments were initially promising, the fall in value of the company was a result of the credit crunch and "two unforeseen events", the petition said. The first related to a Dusseldorf office property, which Brendan Investments Sarl (a wholly owned subsidiary of Bipep) had invested 15.7m in. The tenant of that building, Dax-listed Arcandor AG, subsequently became insolvent and Bipep lost a total of 6m on that. In 2012, the company decided to invest more than 4.5m in distressed residential properties in Detroit through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Artesian Equity LLC. The value of that investment, the petition said, was "seriously impacted" by a number of factors. These included "poor management" of the portfolio by the US property manager and high holding cost of the portfolio. Crisis There was also the water crisis in Flint, 110km north of Detroit, in which, due to insufficient water treatment, around 100,000 residents of Flint were potentially exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water. It led to a federal state of emergency being declared in 2015 and the resulting crisis reduced demand for properties acquired in Detroit along with increased costs of having to comply with the region's regulations. As a result of the financial difficulties the company finds itself in, it is not in a position to discharge outstanding sums to its creditors and shareholders. Mr Justice David Keane was told creditors were notified of the winding up application through public advertisement of the application. The judge said he was satisfied to appoint Aidan Garcia Diaz, of Collins Garcia Insolvency Practitioners, as official liquidator of Bipep. Rules are to be introduced to curb the "inaccurate and disruptive" use of social media in connection with criminal trials, the countrys top judge has said. The move, announced by Chief Justice Susan Denham, comes just weeks after the conclusion of the Jobstown trial during which the publication of prejudicial material on online platforms was a feature. Ms Justice Denham said social media was a "great tool for the mass dissemination of information", but there were "widespread and real" concerns about its use in connection with court proceedings. The concerns included the dissemination of false information and the need to protect a person's right to a fair trial. Speaking at the launch of the Courts Services annual report, the Chief Justice said guidelines were to be developed by the presidents of each court regarding the "who, when and what" of using social media in courtrooms. Although the judiciary has been examining the issue of social media use for some months, the Jobstown trial has seen an intensified focus on the issue. "There are genuine concerns over the dissemination of false claims, which damage social debate, learning, and understanding," said Ms Justice Denham. "To date, it has been rare that courts in Ireland have had to use contempt of court laws to curb inaccurate and disruptive online communication about cases. "But it would be naive of us not to plan for the future in this regard. "There are several areas we need to address in protecting the right to a fair trial of an individual in this era of social media. "The fundamental right to a fair trial does not change in the face of any new means of communication. Rules can and must reflect the new reality of same" It is understood rules introduced in the UK regarding social media use are being examined as part of the process. Reporters there are allowed to tweet and use other social media for the purpose of fair and accurate reporting. However, members of the public must have specific permission from the judge to use social media in court, to stop having an impact on witnesses and jurors involved in court cases. Irresponsible use of social media was a feature of the Jobstown trial. One of the defendants, Solidarity TD Paul Murphy was forced to remove a number of tweets from his Twitter account, including material related to evidence in the case, towards the end of the trial after being complained to by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Judge Melanie Greally had the power to hold him in contempt of court, but opted not to take further action when she was told the tweets were being taken down. Also near the end of the trial Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger used social media to say the defence legal teams were challenging what the judge had said in her charge to the jury. The post was made even though it is forbidden to report anything that happens in the absence of the jury. Ms Justice Denham said that once a draft discussion paper is ready there would be consultation by the Courts Service with media working in the courts and legal professionals. Although new rules could be introduced through practice directions, new laws may also be recommended. The annual court report noted a 32pc decrease in new possession cases last year. Hopefully this is a sign that the effects of our great recession are fading, and that the alternative mechanisms for dealing with personal debt are successful for many, said Ms Justice Denham. Some 1,135 orders for possession were made. Some 47 of these were in the High Court, a 58pc decrease on 2015, and 1,088 in Circuit Court, a 42pc decrease on the previous year. The report revealed 526 people were adjudicated bankrupt in High Court. It also showed a 125pc increase over two years in applications under the debt resolution mechanisms and the Personal Insolvency Act. Some 2,114 applications were received in Circuit Court under debt resolution mechanisms. Divorce and judicial separations were down last year. There were 1,353 applications for judicial separation, a 4pc decrease on 2015. The majority of these in both the Circuit Court (73pc) and High Court (83pc) were brought by wives. Some 4,179 applications for divorce were made, a 3pc decrease on 2015. The majority were also made by wives, accounting for 57pc of Circuit Court applications and 59pc of High Court applications. There were 61 applications to dissolve civil partnerships in Circuit Court, with 66pc of these brought by women. Applications related to domestic violence were up by 6pc to 15,227 in the District Court. There were 9,991 child care applications, a 2pc decrease on 2015. However, there was a major surge in applications to appoint care representatives in the Circuit Court, up 113pc to 1,139. The report said 60pc of orders issued in the District Court related to road traffic offences, roughly the same level as in 2015. There were 7,800 orders in respect of drink driving offences, an 8pc increase on 2015. Orders in cases involving drug offences were also up, with 13,127 made, an increase of 6pc. Some 28,368 orders were made in respect of public order offences in District Court, a 7pc increase on 2015. The report said 47pc of offences in Circuit Court relate to fraud/theft/robbery There were 93 trials in Central Criminal Court, which deals with murder and rape, a 27pc increase on 2015. A senior garda officer has told the Charleton tribunal there were rumours circulating in Garda HQ about garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe while he worked there. Det Supt Frank Walsh worked as private secretary to the commissioner until 2016, dealing with confidential reporting and protected disclosure. "There were rumours circulating about Gda McCabe" Dept Supt Walsh said. "The rumour machine was in full flight around that time." Det Supt Walsh said that a correspondence file from Sgt McCabe, who first wrote to the commissioner about issues with Garda management, eventually grew to about 3500 pages, although some of this was duplication. A summary of Sgt McCabe's career compiled by the human resources department was also part of the file. In May 2014, a false allegation of sexual assault was wrongly added to the file. When the error came to light a few weeks later, it was not notified to Garda HQ. Det Supt Walsh said that the incorrect allegation was still of Sgt McCabe's correspondence file when he left the commissioner's office in 2016, and he understood it remained there until the tribunal began in early 2017. Breffni Gordon BL, barrister for Sgt McCabe, said it was "remarkable and bizarre" that there seemed to have been no discussions between senior officers after the false allegations about Sgt McCabe were added to the correspondence file. Expand Close Superintendent Frank Walsh at The Disclosures Tribunal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Superintendent Frank Walsh at The Disclosures Tribunal Det Supt Walsh said he could not say if there were or were not any discussions with the Commissioner, only that none had taken place in his presence. Read More Earlier, retired assistant commissioner Kieran Kenny told the tribunal that he had not discussed the allegations with the Commissioner. The tribunal heard that he met with the Commissioner and Sgt McCabe on 7 August 2014, to address "workplace issues" Sgt McCabe was experiencing. The tribunal also heard a forensic scientist testify that a document from an unrelated case, Ms Y, had been used as a template to create the Ms D notification. Mark McConnell, Northern Ireland Forensic Service carried out a forensic examination of metadata in the electronic documents containing the Ms D and Ms Y allegations. Metadata in both files showed the time that the document was last printed was the same, on 5 June 2013. Mr McConnell said the Y and D documents both showed the same "last printed" date of 5 June 2013, but the D document had a 'content created' date of 9 August. Read More Mr Marrinan asked if this indicates to the witness that the D document was from a copy of the Y document. This showed the Ms Y document was used as a template to create the Ms D document, Mr McConnell said. "That last printed time was carried across from the document from which it was copied," he said. Mr McConnell said the documents "did not appear to have been interfered with anywhere." The tribunal continues. Two men arrested over the discovery of a firearms cache in a business park have been refused bail by the High Court today. James Walsh (33), with addresses at Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin and Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 and Jonathan Harding (44) of McNeill Court, Sallins, Co Kildare are facing charges, under the Firearms Act, for unlawful possession of five revolvers, 20 rounds of ammunition and a silencer on January 24 at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Both men had sought bail in the High Court yesterday. However, the State objected to the application. On Monday, Detective Sergeant Michael Cuffe, of the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit, told the High Court that he believed if released on bail both men would be flight risks and might not face trial. The court also heard evidence yesterday from Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) who said that the gardai were objecting under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act. The section allows a Chief Superintendent give evidence that the refusal of bail is necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence. Mr Justice Tony Hunt rejected both mens bail applications today under the OCallaghan principles and Section 2 of the Bail Act 1997. Mr Walsh and Mr Harding were remanded in custody. A student has said that he is forced to defer his year of study at a Dublin college due to the recent closure of its creche. Shane Greene is supposed to be entering his third year of study of Digital Media at It Tallaght in September. He told Independent.ie that he will have to defer his year of study at the college if the creche doesnt reopen, as he cannot afford private childcare for his two and a half-year old daughter, Alexandria. "Ill have to defer for a year. I cant afford childcare elsewhere. Id be left with peanuts. Id sacrifice my education so my child can get what she needs," he said. "Im not going to offload her on just anybody and have her bounced around the place. She needs stability. Its really depressing for me that this has happened." Shane said that childcare is a "huge barrier" to education and he is aware of student parents who will have to drop out of college due to the creche closure. "Its great for lone parents, mature parents and young parents trying to come back to education. "It means a lot because childcare can be a huge barrier. I know another student who has four kids and will have to drop out because of the creche closing," he explained. Shanes daughter, Alexandria, had been attending the Fledglings creche since she was six months old. He said he doesnt understand why their tender application wasnt renewed again. "My child was happy there. She went in at 6 months old and now shes walking and knows everyone and wants to see her friends. Shes really come out of herself. The service was second to none. I couldnt fault the creche there," he said. "Theres a building ready and workers were happy and the parents were thrilled with the care the kids were getting. Why close whats working? Why wasnt the tender sorted out?" A statement from IT Tallaght said that it had to close the creche as they were unable to find a tender for the creche for September 2017 that met its criteria. "Following the procurement process, the Institute was unable to make an appointment as none of the applicants met the minimum procurement criteria," it reads. The statement also said that the college will reopen the tender process on August 15 and if it was successful the creche would be able to reopen it in January 2018. Shane said that this is too late and that the college are "breaking their promise" to him. "The main reason I went to the college was because of the creche. I dont get a SUSI grant. I was studying a diploma in Multimedia Production in Stillorgan College of Further Education and I didnt think Id be able to do further study but I saw that IT Tallaght had a creche. Childcare was a big deal for me," said the Dun Laoghaire man. IT Tallaghts Students' Union President Jason Kavanagh told Independent.ie that a total of 31 students will be affected by the closure. He said he doesnt understand how the criteria for running the creche has changed. "It was such an important service and allowed students from disadvantaged backgrounds and mature students to come back to education. The college arent telling us why the criteria for a tender have changed. Its affecting 31 students and thats not including incoming students who expected a creche service to be provided." IT Tallaght also stated that they would provide financial assistance to students with regards childcare. This fund however is being cut to cover one child per incoming and part-time students. Current full-time students with more than one child will continue to benefit from the full fund. Tallaght Central Anti-Austerity Alliance Councillor Mick Murphy said that the move is "another cutback". "Its another cutback attempt and we intend to support the students as its important to those going back to education. Its happening in the Minister for Childrens own constituency and were going to fight it." A meeting is being held later today in IT Tallaght where the students union and parents will meet with local politicians to discuss the closure. An artist's impression of the new National Children's Hospital The construction of the long-delayed National Children's Hospital at the campus of St James's Hospital in Dublin has been delivered yet another setback which could delay the planned 2021 opening. Residents from O'Reilly Avenue, Ceannt Fort and Mount Brown are taking High Court proceedings claiming works on the site have damaged their homes. A spokeswoman for the hospital said boundary treatment works immediately adjacent to the houses in question have been voluntarily suspended. "Site clearance works are continuing on the 12-acre site and are almost complete," she said. The board is "committed to working with local residents in relation to this issue". A residents monitoring group, including local representatives, was established in November 2016 and to date has met seven times. A newsletter is issued outlining a three-month forecast of planned construction works. Resident drop-in information sessions are held and she said a 24/7 hotline dedicated to residents is at (01) 5311110. One months rent as a deposit needs to be defined in law, according to a leading housing charity. Threshold chairperson Aideen Hayden said that Threhold wants landlords charging one months rent as a deposit to be stated in law. Speaking on Morning Ireland today, Ms Hayden said there is no legal definition of deposits in Ireland. "We want one months rent to be defined in law. At the moment theres no legal definition of deposits in Ireland. Theres no legal minimum or no legal maximum in relation to deposits and that lacuna needs to be filled," she said. Ms Hayden also stated that by charging renters more than one months rent as a deposit landlords are squeezing out lower income tenants from the market. She said: "Weve had the standard deposit of one month since whenever but were seeing the two months deposit creep in. "This is lowering the properties available to those who are dependent on the State or those with low incomes. Theyre asking for something that they know low income renters cant deliver." "Charging two months deposits is a way of screening tenants and will lead to homelessness as it will make it almost impossible for those in difficulty to secure accommodation," she added. My Hayden also called for a deposit protection scheme to be introduced and for deposits to be held by third parties. "We want deposits to be held by third parties and if the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) wont do it then other organisations can. If you look at the number of disputes from statistics from ourselves and the RTB there are more landlords that retain deposits than there are tenants that trash places." Speaking to Independent.ie yesterday, Threshold CEO John Mark McCafferty said double deposits "are never an answer for lower income renters." "The norm in the past was to have one month worth of rent as a deposit, but now theres a growing practice of landlords charging double that," he said. "This means tenants have a bigger amount to lose at the end of their contract if landlords decide to retain it. "Deposit retention and charging double deposits can lead to homelessness as it prevents those with lower incomes from entering the market. "Double deposits are never an answer for lower income renters." Rent pressure zones such as Dublin city, Ballincollig, Cork and Naas, Co Kildare are areas where rent is only allowed increase 4pc annually under certain conditions. These zones mean landlords cannot substantially increase rent so they try to make gains elsewhere, sometimes through deposits, according to Mr McCafferty. "Landlords know they cant increase rent in these pressure zones so they look to make gains elsewhere. "Theyre exploiting pressure zones. They get deposits in cash up front. Two months rent in advance is a lot of money," he said. A Drogheda man selling bottled water to his neighbours in the middle of the ongoing water crisis says he has been asked to stop. Ray ODoherty told RTE Radio One he was only trying to provide a solution to the misery and inconvenience that residents have been experiencing since Friday. He travelled to Dublin where he loaded his van up with over 600 litres of water which he then redistributed in Drogheda. It was probably the hardest days work the van has seen, he said. He said he had also been giving 20-25pc of the water to elderly people for free. He said that water in local shops had sold out and that some people did not want to drink the water from the water stations provided. However, Mr ODoherty said he has been met with some criticism for selling the water at a mark-up. Id love to give away all the water for free but Im not in a position to do that. Youre always going to get some cynicism when youre doing something like this. One resident questioned why we werent selling it at cost. We were selling it at 2 for a 5-litre bottle whereas in comparison a local shop was selling three for 7.50 - 2.50 apiece, he said. He also said he was approached by an unidentified man who queried whether he had a licence to sell the water. Mr ODoherty said he is unfamiliar with the legislation required but is still selling the water. I was trying to be part of the solution, he said. No need to wait for appointment of new SPF head to privatize SOEs - PM A candidate for the post of the head of the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine will be selected after holding consultation with the parliamentary coalition, but the country should not wait for his or her appointment to conduct privatization in Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said. "The head of the State Property Fund: consultations with coalition will be held and he will be selected. We should not wait for the new head. We have acting head first deputy. Let him work to make it effectively," the prime minister said in an interview with Channel 5 TV late on Monday. Groysman said that the government has drawn up a bill which will allow privatizing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in a transparent and competitive way. "We will ask parliament to pass it in September," he said. The prime minister said that at present the Ukrainian president is studying the document. The man fell from a ladder while working on top of this silo Photo:Limerick City Fire and Rescue The man fell from a ladder while working on top of this silo Photo:Limerick City Fire and Rescue A man has been taken to hospital after falling from a height at the Irish Cement plant in Co Limerick. At approximately 09:40am, Limerick City and County Fire and Rescue Service received a report of an incident at the plant involving a worker falling from a height. Four units of the city's fire service were dispatched to the plant. It's believed the man, said to be aged in his late 30s, fell from a ladder, onto scaffolding while working on top of a large silo. According to sources, due to the height of the silo, approximately 120m high, firefighters specially trained in height rescues used Line Rescue equipment and worked with HSE Paramedics and Irish Cement staff to rescue the man. A large crane was also used in the rescue operation. It's unclear what height the man was at when he fell. "While he was knocked unconscious following the fall, his injuries are not believed to be life threatening," said a source. The man was removed from the plant by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick. Estelle Gorman, manager of the Relish Cafe in the South Gate Shopping Centre in Drogheda. Photo: Colin ORiordan Towns across the country are at risk from water outages as billions of euro are needed to fix old piping systems, Irish Water has warned. The stark assessment came as parts of Co Louth and Co Meath endured another day without water as supplies are not expected to be fixed until Thursday evening. Around 50,000 homes and businesses have been left without water since the water main in Staleen, Co Meath, burst. The potential for further incidents countrywide is understood to be a major worry for the water utility. A spokesperson for Irish Water said the same issues could "absolutely" happen elsewhere due to the creaking water infrastructure. Managing director of Irish Water Jerry Grant said the utility has still to replace 1,000km of old pipe over the next five years. Expand Close Bernie Lynchs bucket is filled in Ballsgrove, Drogheda. Photo: Fergal Phillips / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bernie Lynchs bucket is filled in Ballsgrove, Drogheda. Photo: Fergal Phillips These are mainly made up of asbestos cement - similar to the burst main that has caused chaos in the north-east. When asked about potentially similar occurrences nationwide, Mr Grant told RTE News: "Unfortunately, I think the answer has to be yes." Supply He also warned that while some level of water supply will return on Thursday, it will be a number of days before the supply fully returns. This is just the latest water issue to hit the country - just last month some 30,000 people in Cork city were without water overnight as repairs were completed on a ruptured main. Yesterday, repairs were scheduled or under way for burst pipes at Ballymun in Dublin, in Tipperary town, at Kilkishen and Alva in Co Clare, at Brittas in Co Limerick, Luggacurren in Co Laois, Ballytivnan in Co Sligo, and Vicarstown and Cobh in Co Cork. During the outage, Irish Water is supplying water to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, as a priority. Read more: Tesco store limits customers to six bottles of water as shortage continues A water rationing plan is in place across the north-east area, with a rolling schedule supplying water to different areas yesterday. Meanwhile, a HSE specialist has warned food businesses in the north-east that they may need to "reduce or cease trading" if they cannot guarantee the safety of their food because of the water outage. Dr Peter Finnegan, who is based in the Department of Public Health in Navan, said food operators need to assess the risk posed for the duration of the outage. "It is the responsibility of the food businesses and childcare operators to ensure that food prepared and/or served in their premises does not put the health of the public at risk," Dr Finnegan said. "Food business operators need to assess the risk in their own food premises and in so doing may need to decide to reduce or cease trading for the duration of the disruption to the water supply." Irish Water has been criticised for its response to the water crisis in the north-east. Labour Senator Ged Nash said it was a "cack-handed" response while Meath Councillor Paddy Meade (FG) described it as "shambolic". "This is not just a local emergency, this is a regional emergency," said Paddy Callaghan, president of Drogheda Chamber of Commerce and chairman of local business Nature's Best. "At this stage, the outage probably affects more than 100,000 people and hundreds of businesses in parts of Louth and Meath, including the hospitality sector at a key time of year. "After the supply has been restored, Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce will be seeking a meeting with Irish Water management to discuss their day-to-day management of the outage." Meanwhile, local man Martin Churchill (52), who was operating a water hydrant at Ballsgrove, said "hundreds of people came to the hydrant". There may be commuter chaos next week as Dublin's south city quays are going to be fully closed to facilitate Luas Cross City works. There will be significant traffic disruption on the north and south quays starting on Tuesday August 1 and finishing August 12. The College Green public transport corridor will temporarily be rescinded and will reopen for private cars for the duration of the works between August 4 and August 12. OConnell Bridge will remain open to northbound and southbound traffic but those travelling west will be directed onto DOlier Street and then onto College Green. Full depth road construction at Aston Quay and Burgh Quay will lead to full road closures, while there will be smaller works on Bachelors Walk and Ormond Quays Walk. This construction will replace the temporary road surfaces with new resurfaced carriageways. Expand Close Transport Minister Shane Ross at the testing of the Luas Cross City, which will connect the Green and Red lines / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Transport Minister Shane Ross at the testing of the Luas Cross City, which will connect the Green and Red lines Graeme McQueen of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce has said the city centre has seen a lot of disruption during the works and that it is important it is finished soon. There is no ideal time to carry out the works but August is probably the best one with schools out and a lot of people off work on holidays so there will be less people travelling by car in the city centre. It is important the work is finished on time and the city centre is back up and running as soon as possible and well in advance of school coming back and people returning from their holidays, he said. Read More Mr McQueen said Dubliners have to look at this being the end of what has been tough process for everyone in city. We just have to grin and bear it now. Everyone is focused on the end and were going to get the benefits of all the work and disruptions, he added. The works come in advance of the proposed launch of the new service in December. Ongoing tram testing has continued over the summer and driver training is due to commence in September. Access to car parks in the city will be maintained but those travelling through are advised to use alternative routes. Minister Eoghan Murphy vigorously defended the actions being taken to tackle "Ireland's worst water crisis." He weathered a sustained barrage of questions on a visit to Drogheda about the hardships being suffered by so many people without water in Louth and East Meath. Members of the public demanded answers from the Minister for Housing and Local Government on his walkabout in the Stameen housing estate where emergency supplies of water were available in roadside tanks. He assured people he was addressing their concerns before being surrounded by a posse of journalists. "This is the biggest crisis that Irish Water has faced since its establishment. And it became a crisis requiring a national response on Sunday when a third fix didn't work," explained the minister, referring to efforts to fix a rupture in a huge water main. "A huge co-ordination effort has been put in nationally to ensure that water is here in a continuous supply for places like the hospital. "We've 43 tankers coming in from across the country, including Northern Ireland. We've now over 100 water stations in place that are being manned now by the army as well who have come on site this evening," he said. "We've the Civil Defence, we've fire stations, we've the local authorities and local representatives playing their part in communicating to the public what's going on here," he said. Read More A local man Sean Lynch (63) had told the minister he no longer trusted Irish Water and the local council because deadlines for the restoration of water were not met. The minister said Irish Water was battling with a very difficult situation trying to fix a very big pipe deep underground that had been operating under huge pressure. The minister said the antiquated pipework at that location was very old and the replacement section being brought to the location would be installed first thing in the morning. He said he was "quite confident" this fourth attempt to fix the pipe-burst would be successful. "I've made it clear to Irish Water today that the capital investment for replacing the pipe on that 2.2 kilometres stretch is now a funding priority. The capital investment is being made available to Irish Water to make it a priority now," he said. "We're trying to deal with a warped pipe. We've had to have a new piece of pipe made from scratch...Work will start first thing in the morning and we hope it will be successful by the afternoon," he said. He apologised to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been unable to even have a shower in recent days. "I'm very sorry for all of the people who have experienced these severe water shortages. "We've had them all over the country over the past numbers of years.... I know how difficult it is for people who face this kind of situation," said the minister. He promised there would be strategic funding for Irish Water to do the vital work of renewing the old national pipe network. He admitted there was a question around communications with the public in the early stages of the crisis. Asked about shortcomings in the Government 's funding of Irish Water and the need to 'ring fence' funding over the coming years, he said: "The ring fencing for funding was going to come through water charges but that's for another day. "Already this year over 500m has been allocated to Irish Water for capital investment. And that will increase next year as well," he said. He went on to say "I've complete confidence in the management of Irish Water... We've talked of capital investment in this particular part of the country as a result of what's happened." Asked about Fianna Fail's allegations that the Government has been 'haphazard' in the crisis and Labour's accusation that the Government was 'AWOL', he said "This was brought to my attention on Sunday afternoon, the seriousness of it when that third fix failed, and that it required a national response. "Since then I have been working with my officials and Irish Water so make sure that everything that needs to be done is being done," he said. He said he was very happy with all the work done to date. It will take a few months to replace the 2.2kilometre pipe line, he said. Tributes have been paid to an Irish man who died on Sunday after falling from a height in Australia. Kristian Crowley from Ballygarvan, Co Cork suffered head injuries when he fell from a building in Melbourne on July 16 and died on Sunday. The 28-year-old's local GAA club in Ballygarvan told Independent.ie that he was a talented player. He was a lovely young fellow. He played with us until he was 14 years of age. He was a super player and in his prime. He was always friendly and everyone at the club is devastated, said Ballygarvan GAA PRO Joe Kennefick. Local Ballygarvan Parish Priest, Fr Christy Fitzgerald also expressed his condolences to the Crowley family. He said: My heartfelt sympathies and prayers are with the family at this time. Kristians friends and family set up a Go Fund Me Page when he was admitted to hospital last week. Kristians friend Julie O Driscoll thanked everyone for their support and donations, which they hope to use to help bring Kristian home to Cork. She said: However we now need your help more than ever to bring Kristian home with his family back to Ireland. Any and every donation big or small will make the world of difference for his family and friends at this heart-breaking time. For more information or to donate please visit here. The coffin of Rachel Battles is laid to rest after her funeral mass in the Church of Saint Joseph and Saint Conal, Bruckless, Co Donegal. Photo: Mark Condren The rural parish of Bruckless bid an emotional goodbye to three local women who tragically died following a road collision. Two separate services were held at the Church of St Joseph and St Conal in the Donegal village as the funeral Mass of Margaret McGonagle (69) and her daughter Mairead Mundy (38) took place first, shortly after 11am. Later in the afternoon the third road traffic victim from the quiet parish, Rachel Battles (37), was laid to rest following a service attended by hundreds of mourners. Chief celebrant Fr James Sweeney, who presided over both funerals, paid tribute to the three women, whose passing caused a sense of shock that has permeated across the country. Ms McGonagle, mother to Roger, Geoffrey and Mairead, was described as a caring woman who dedicated her life to her family as well as others. An emotional letter read out at her funeral highlighted the effect her work as a counsellor had on others. Expand Close Mourners at the funeral mass of Margaret McGonagle and her daughter Mairead Mundy in the Church of Saint Joseph and Saint Conal, Bruckless, Co Donegal. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mourners at the funeral mass of Margaret McGonagle and her daughter Mairead Mundy in the Church of Saint Joseph and Saint Conal, Bruckless, Co Donegal. Photo: Mark Condren "Mags, I don't know where to start, how to express how grateful I am to you. I have battled with my mental health for many years and thought it was something I would just have to accept to live with - that was until I met you. "You have changed my life completely, saved me as a person," the poignant letter, read out by Fr Sweeney, said. Her daughter Mairead was a 'home bird' who was a talented Irish dancer, mourners were told. The three women were returning from a holiday in Turkey where they had celebrated Mairead's first wedding anniversary to her husband Pauric. "Having just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, it was tragically cut short by last week's accident. Mairead was much loved by many people, especially by [her son] Caoimhin, Pauric, her family and her friends," Fr Sweeney said. Following the funeral Mass, the two coffins were brought to the adjacent graveyard on the church grounds, where the mother and daughter were buried side by side. At 2.30pm the funeral Mass of Ms Battles, a friend of Margaret and Mairead, took place. This time a lone black hearse made its way along the short road to the church, carrying Ms Battles's coffin, which was adorned with flowers. The service heard how the mother of four had only recently renewed her wedding vows. The mourners were told how her kind-hearted nature led to her becoming a carer for people in the community. Following the service, Ms Battles was buried in the same burial ground as her friends. Last week Health Minister Simon Harris launched a new strategy: Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery - a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025. The strategy contains a 50-point action plan. One is to recruit seven additional liaison midwives to work with pregnant women who are dependent on substances such as alcohol and other drugs. There is now hard data in relation to alcohol use among pregnant women in Ireland and its impact on the baby in utero and the statistics make for grim and disturbing reading. In Ireland today, it is estimated that there are up to 1.35m harmful drinkers. This data, presented by Mr Harris, points to the severity of our relationship with alcohol. This is all the more serious during pregnancy since there are two lives at stake - the mother and her unborn baby. In 2015, UK researchers from the University of Cambridge carried out a study of almost 18,000 women in four countries - Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. They found that drinking before and during pregnancy was common in all four countries, however Ireland had the highest rates, with 82pc drinking during pregnancy, just 8pc less than the total for women overall. Ireland also had the highest rate of binge-drinking before pregnancy (59pc) and during pregnancy (45pc). However, the Growing Up in Ireland study estimated that between 20pc and 46pc of women consumed alcohol during pregnancy suggesting that either one study was underestimating the prevalence or the other was overestimating. In 2008, Dr Jennifer Donnelly from the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin conducted a study of alcohol consumption among 1,000 first-time mothers, and obtained a figure of 50pc. The Cambridge researchers emphasised that most of the women who did drink during pregnancy only consumed low levels of alcohol. However, they pointed out that since the risks of low levels of alcohol on the developing foetus are not fully understood, women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Regrettably a recent study published in January in The Lancet Global Health and authored by Dr Svetlana Popova from the University of Toronto in Canada demonstrated the accuracy of the higher figures in relation to Ireland. By linking studies that examined the prevalence of drinking during pregnancy (328 studies) to prevalence studies of foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) (62 studies) from 1973 to 2015 globally, she found that overall 10pc of women consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) represents the most serious complication resulting from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Translating her world-wide data into actual numbers, one in 67 women delivered a child with FAS amounting to about 15 per 10,000 live births worldwide or 119,000 children born with this condition annually. Specifically, the five countries with the highest rates of alcohol consumption in pregnancy were Russia (36.5pc), the UK (41.3pc), Denmark (45.8pc), Belarus (46.6pc) and Ireland (60.4pc). Did the level of alcohol consumption translate into FAS? Ireland had the third highest prevalence of FAS worldwide at 89.7 per 10,000 people, after South Africa and Croatia. How does alcohol effect the developing baby? When a mother-to-be consumes alcohol it goes directly to the foetus through her bloodstream. These children may be born with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is an umbrella term that covers all alcohol-related diagnoses, of which FAS is the most severe and visibly identifiable form because of changes to the facial features including a thin upper lip, small head and brain, flattened mid-face among others. FASD is associated with a wide range of physical, behavioural and learning problems including growth impairments, problems with brain function and developmental delays. The seven new midwives that will be charged with dealing with alcohol in pregnancy are likely to be in high demand. But when will we as a nation start to have a debate about our extraordinary attitude to alcohol in this country? One that has resulted in us being spotlighted for our seeming indifference to its adverse impact on others in our charge. It took Father Mathew to highlight the problem of alcohol in Ireland in the 1800s. Is there a Nurse Mathew to respond to the crisis we face in 2017? Let us hope so, before more young and defenceless lives are blighted. U.S. platforms First Financial Network (FFN, Oklahoma-City) and The Debt Exchange, Inc. (DebtX, Delaware) have announced an initial sale of non-performing loans (NPL) on behalf of the Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine. "This is an initial sale of 52 loans totaling $170 million (UAH4.6 billion)," FFN said on its website, adding that the platform also will sell the loans on behalf of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). According to the report, the FFN pool (UKR-2017-01) is composed of non-performing commercial loans secured by various collateral types including a large operating retail food business, an equipment manufacturer, an agricultural processor, various commercial real estate properties, land and other assets. FFN said that this will be a portfolio offering consisting of one pool. Additional larger balance sales are anticipated to follow. FFN said that Ukraines banking sector has been in a crisis since 2014. Over 90 banks have failed. Total non-performing loans are estimated to be $28 - $38 Billion USD. Multinational groups have been assisting and supporting the Ukraine government in developing methods to resolve these issues and strengthen the banking sector. According to the report, due diligence information will be made available to qualified investors via FFNs website on July 24, 2017 and online sealed bids for the pool are due on September 19, 2017. The Debt Exchange is conducting a sealed-bid auction value of about UAH 6.5 billion ($240 million) on loans obtained from the liquidation of several banks, DebtX said. DebtX said that due diligence information will be made available soon and sealed bids for the pool will be due in September. Italy's Cinque Terre gets hot and crowded but simply must be seen, says Arlene Harris. Set the Mood The sky is cornflower blue, fishing boats bob about on iridescent water and the pastel hues of higgledy-piggledy houses contrast prettily with a dark grey cliff face. I'm in Cinque Terre, the stunning World Heritage Site on the edge of Italy's Ligurian Sea. The name (which translates as 'five lands') denotes the five tiny villages which attract upwards of 2.5 million visitors a year to their mix of winding cliff paths, cobbled streets, picturesque harbours, terraced vineyards and, of course, clusters of colourful houses. Riomaggiore, Monterosso, Corniglia, Vernazza and Manarola are uniquely different yet all share the same, otherworldly beauty. Locals go about their daily business almost oblivious to the hordes of visitors peering into shops and homes and spreading themselves out along the beachfronts. Guilty Pleasure Expand Close Guilty pleasure: Paper cones filled with calamari and white fish / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Guilty pleasure: Paper cones filled with calamari and white fish Having undertaken the mammoth task of climbing the cliff path from Riomaggiore to Monterosso (the famous Via dell' Amore, or Path of Love, between the two villages was closed), we arrived hot, thirsty and hungry and followed our noses to Il Bocconcino (Strada Provinciale 38) - a fried-fish stand which, judging by the queues, seemed worth the wait. Paper cones filled with calamari, a selection of white fish and a few token fries proved to be the most delicious lunch we had ever tasted. At 7 a head, it was more expensive than many places in the region, but we certainly weren't complaining. Cheap Kick The Cinque Terre rail card is a surprisingly good value at 16 per adult (29 for two days; 41 for three). The day pass allows you to hop on the train at La Spezia and get on and off at various villages as you like throughout the day or evening. It also covers bus travel (in the midday heat, a bus from the station to the hilltop village of Corniglia is a must), guided walks and Wi-Fi in all the villages. Another pleasant surprise was the abundance of water pumps providing cold drinking water free of charge at regular intervals. Top Tip Expand Close Cinque Terre rail line / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cinque Terre rail line Cinque Terre is beautiful but a victim of its own success, with visitors flocking here in droves. Local authorities are working towards a scheme to reduce tourist numbers in a bid to preserve the beauty and atmosphere of the place. In the meantime, avoid the crush by taking a trip in late spring or early autumn. Insider Intel Finding a room in Cinque Terre during high season can be difficult and expensive - an alternative option is to stay in La Spezia, a 15-minute train ride away. Levante Residence is a short walk from the station, offering spacious apartments with breakfast on the communal terrace and a recommendation for the best local pizzeria (laspeziaresidence.com; rooms from 120 per night). Glitches The mountain 'path' from Riomaggiore to Monterosso is not for the faint hearted. The tourist information centre needs to offer clearer advice - there is no handrail, not much by way of step, and the hike over the cliff takes at least an hour. Be prepared! Get me there The closest airport to Cinque Terre is Pisa - to which both Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly from Dublin. Train tickets from Pisa to La Spezia cost from 9 (trainline.eu) and Cinque Terre adult train passes cost from 16 per day (7.30 per child); more at cinqueterre.it. Read more: Premium John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism. We currently lose about 50pc of our drinking water through leaks. Stock image There is always a price to be paid when leaders fail to deal with the "real issues". It seems a very long time ago now since 2010, when the Fianna Fail-led coalition, backed by the Greens, first put water charges on the table. In April this year, they were finally killed off, after a deal hammered out with the Government. Water charges were laid to rest, but the "real issue" remains, as evidenced by the misery visited on 70,000 people in the north east. The fact that these people will have to wait until this Thursday at the earliest to have their supplies restored ought to hammer home the cost of giving in to populist, quick-fix solutions to long-term problems. Ireland's water supplies are in urgent need of repair. There are immediate plans to spend 5.5bn over the next few years, but approximately 14.5bn is required in the longer term. Our water pipes and sewers are, on average, twice as old as the average for Europe. We currently lose about 50pc of our drinking water through leaks. And as many as 38 of our towns and cities across the country are threatened by raw sewage. The truth is that since the abolition of rates in 1978, there has been a shameful lack of investment in our water infrastructure. Our antiquated pipe network guarantees that millions of litres of water leak into the ground every day. Nonetheless, the issue of charges was taken off the table even though an estimated 443m is required for waste water treatment alone. The people of Drogheda are paying the price for years of neglect of the water service, and a lack of political will to face up to a problem for fear of consequences at the ballot box. What was good for a party or parties inevitably trumped what was good for the country. We now have the EU breathing down our necks and the possibility of fines for our failure to introduce a payment scheme. There is also the fact that there is no effective incentive for conservation. The need to guarantee a clean, constant water supply is absolute; the political will to deliver on it is anything but. 170 million reasons why RTE must be transparent Marian Finucane didn't deem it worthy of debate with her chattering classes on Sunday morning on RTE Radio One. But her colleague Sharon Ni Bheolain's comments on the gender pay gap in RTE clearly struck a pertinent chord in the national broadcaster. The 'Six One' newsreader was joined by colleagues including Martina Fitzgerald and Emma O'Kelly in calling for more information on the pay disparity. As a result of this mounting pressure, RTE has announced that a review of role and gender equality across the organisation will take place. The precise scope and terms of reference of the review have yet to be outlined, so let's welcome it in principle but reserve judgment there. RTE also said it will bring forward the announcement of fees paid to its 10 most highly paid presenters, and expects to release details within weeks. It's not exactly a startling concession as the broadcaster was due to publish these figures before the end of the year. Releasing salaries from 2015 that are two years out of date isn't progressive either. RTE must start providing up-to-date figures on its top earners. The national broadcaster receives 170m from the licence-fee payer each year. So there are 170 million reasons why the organisation must be transparent. I salute Mary Kenny's recognition of the curse of domestic violence ('Behind closed doors', Irish Independent, July 22), both on a national and international scale. She has obviously never been the recipient of emotional abuse, however. The claim that protecting people from this type of abuse amounts to treating them like children is completely wrong, in my opinion. The harm inflicted by an emotional abuser can last well beyond the healing of a broken arm. The initial criticisms made by a previously charming, fun, and attentive partner (or other acquaintance: fill in as suitable) may not at first be taken too seriously; we all have our faults, after all. When these seemingly light-hearted comments increase in frequency, and spread to criticisms of friends and family, alarm bells should ring. In truth, though, they rarely do. How can the person who you look up to and/or care for so much really mean harm, after all? When criticisms become more personal, and possibly physical, and controlling behaviour becomes more frequent, it is time to take action. At this stage, though, the emotionally abused has been so undermined and over-criticised that self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth are probably rock bottom. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to this behaviour, to risk being laughed at, discredited, and disbelieved, as the socially superior abuser has usually created a public persona very different to that known to the abused. So, please, Mary Kenny, do not further undermine the abused by claiming that supporting and caring for emotionally abused people is "belittling women's independence and autonomy". I agree that women need to be empowered; this is done by protecting, supporting and helping them, however, not by reducing their emotional suffering to child's play. Name and address with editor No surprise people grow up abusive In her article on domestic abuse on Saturday, Mary Kenny wrote that "The Government is right. Coercive control and emotional abuse may leave psychological wounds." She is spot on. Because coercive control and emotional abuse are a major part of how our Government operates. The coercive control of the educational system and the emotional abuse directed at many young people who try to think outside the blinkered system do both leave psychological wounds, which are indeed a large part of why so many young people grow up feeling 'out of it', and perhaps becoming abusive in one form or another. Let the people who coerce taxes from us solve the problem at root rather than let even more charities be formed to waste more millions of our hard-earned money sorting out the resultant mess. Richard Barton Tinahely, Co Wicklow Time to stand up to drinks industry With the progress of the Public Health Alcohol Bill deferred until the autumn perhaps our legislators could use the summer recess away from the Dail, and more so away from the intense lobbying of the drinks industry, to evaluate the measures contained in the Bill and the long-term benefits to be gained from it. Some TDs and senators will support the alcohol industry's opposition to the Bill, others will support the passage of the Bill into law and some might still be undecided. Perhaps they could take note of the incessant advertising of alcohol, so much of which is seen by children. The measures contained in the Bill are relatively soft yet the opposition to it is relentless. This Bill is not the answer to all the dangers and damages associated with alcohol abuse but it will help to save lives. There is no monetary gain for those supporting the Bill, the same can not be said for those in opposition to it. We need our legislators to be forward-thinking and help change the attitude that harmful drinking is acceptable and part of our culture and tradition. John Higgins Ballina, Co Mayo The West is the real aggressor US and Nato military manoeuvres in eastern Europe, South Korea, and the Indian Ocean can be viewed as attempts to thwart aggression from Russia, China, and North Korea, but internal documentation going back to the 1980s shows that such actions are deliberately intimidatory. A US Defence Department document from 1983 covering "Central American initiatives" mentions a "perception management programme" designed to extract concessions from states experiencing military intimidation, compelling them to strengthen their own militaries which in itself gives Western powers a justification to attack as they can claim self-defence - in the Orwellian sense of the term, that is. Add to this the fact that the West regularly invades countries, and it is no wonder that states like North Korea are testing missiles and carrying out their own military manoeuvres in readiness for what some commentators believe is an inevitable attack by the West. We can berate foreign powers for their so-called belligerence but these same powers don't carry out military manoeuvres just beyond our borders and they don't have their military bases surrounding us as the US has surrounding Iran, for example. Louis Shawcross Hillsborough, Co Down Health insurance minefield The HIA and consumer groups advise changing health insurance policies every few years to cut costs (Irish Independent, July 22). The suggestion is that there is always a newer plan that provides the same cover for a lower fee. While this can often be the case, there are hidden difficulties that make changing very daunting. Newer plans have co-pay excesses on certain orthopaedic and eye procedures but this is not the only bar to change. Many newer policies are limited to a small number of hospitals in any area. Consumers are afraid to accept this limitation, as many doctors have preferred consultants that they refer to, and consultants themselves are often attached to only one or two hospitals. Insurance companies may be obliged to offer cheaper plans that offer similar cover when asked, but the definition of what constitutes a similar policy is open to interpretation. On a recent phone call to ask this very question, I was advised to change to a similar policy which would save me less than 100 per adult per annum. On investigation, I found that the "similar" policy had a lower payment for outpatient charges, and also had lower inpatient cover than my existing policy. Just two visits to my doctor or dentist would cost me more than the so-called saving by switching. No two policies are exactly the same. This allows insurance companies to use the pre-existing condition clause to their benefit. Defining a pre-existing condition is also open to difficulties. Switching is a minefield, and it is not surprising that consumers are afraid to make changes. BA Keogh Rathfarnham, Dublin Mariana De Carvalho (L) and Adam Clayton attend the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2016 at the Tate Modern on September 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) U2 star Adam Clayton has welcomed a baby with his wife Mariana. The couple, who have been married for four years, announced the new addition to their family in a personal ad in the Irish Times. "Adam and Mariana Clayton are delighted to announce the birth of their beautiful baby girl Alba," they wrote in the announcement, declining to provide any additional details of when or where she was born. The couple wed in Dublin in 2013 after Adam popped the question in Mariana's native Brazil that same year. Expand Close Adam Clayton & wife Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho in 2014 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Adam Clayton & wife Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho in 2014 Adam from Malahide, was once engaged to supermodel Naomi Campbell for a few brief months in 1994 but their relationship ended that same year. In 2006, he was again engaged to Suzie Smith, a former assistant to band manger Paul McGuinness, but they split up in February 2007. Bono let the cat out of the bag earlier this month at a concert at London's Twickenham Stadium. He asked the audience "Is Adam Clayton not a sexy man? Is your sexy woman here tonight?" Expand Close U2 on their latest tour / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U2 on their latest tour When Clayton nodded yes, Bono added: "And expecting a baby, can I say that?" Clayton nodded his head no and Bono replied, "Okay, can't say that". Video of the Day Adam welcomed a child with a former partner in 2011. Irish U2 musician and philanthropist Bono, co-founder of the organisation ONE, speaks with Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French president following his visit to the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 24, 2017 Irish U2 musician and philanthropist Bono (C), co-founder of the organisation ONE, speaks with Brigitte Macron (R), the wife of the French president, as Gayle Smith (L), President and CEO of the ONE Campaign, listens on following their visit to the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 24, 2017 Irish U2 musician and philanthropist Bono (R), co-founder of the organisation ONE, speaks with Brigitte Macron (C), the wife of the French president, as Gayle Smith, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign, looks on, following their visit to the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 24, 2017 Irish U2 musician and philanthropist Bono (R), co-founder of the organisation ONE, stands with Brigitte Macron (2nd R), the wife of the French president, and Gayle Smith (3rd R), President and CEO of the ONE Campaign, following their visit to the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 24, 2017. Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, speak at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, speak at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, react on the steps at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, speak at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY French First Lady Brigitte Macron cemented her style icon status as she met with Irish rocker Bono in Paris. The 64-year-old, who has been married to French president Emmanuel Macron for 10 years, brought some edge to her signature streamline style as she met with the U2 frontman to discuss combating poverty and his ONE organisation at the Elysee Palace on Monday. Bono flew straight to Paris on Sunday after U2's sold-out concert in Croke Park on Saturday night and partied until the early hours of the morning at new venue Roberta's after. But it was straight back to business on Monday alongside his ONE colleagues as he me the fashion world's new darling, who has developed a natural knack for power dressing. Expand Close Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, speak at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, speak at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer Brigitte opted for a pair of black skinny cigarette trousers, black top and grey leather jacket by French fashion house Louis Vuitton, her go-to brand - for encapsulating tailored Parisian style while still allowing her to fly the flag for her homegrown designers. When it comes to diplomacy and patriotism, Vuitton is the smart choice. As the jewel in the crown of LVMH, one of France's most prestigious and successful business conglomerates, Trogneux's choice of designer projects all the right messages. Vuitton is also less well-associated with dressing high-profile public figures, with Chanel and Dior having historically held the monopoly in this area. Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld is said to know the Macron-Trogneuxs and submitted a sketch to fashion website WWD for the inauguration look, so we can no doubt expect to see her wearing the label at some point. Expand Close Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, react on the steps at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Singer Bono of Irish band U2 and co-founder of ONE organization and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, react on the steps at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer And one can imagine that Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's recently installed creative director who has made feminism and women's rights a mainstay of her design message, will have plenty of ideas for dressing a presidential wife with a difference. Additional reporting by the Telegraph Video of the Day US Vice President Mike Pence had to break a 50-50 tie as the Senate voted by a hair to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama healthcare law. While the vote gives president Donald Trump and Republican leaders a crucial initial victory, the Senate now faces 20 hours of debate and a long parade of amendments. Heres everything you need to know. What does the vote mean for Trump? The 51-50 vote kept alive hopes of delivering on promises that countless Republican candidates have campaigned on for years repealing Barack Obamas 2010 healthcare overhaul. Technically, Tuesdays vote meant the Senate would consider a measure the House approved in May eliminating much of Obamas statute. Like legislation Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell crafted mostly behind closed doors and has since revised it would eliminate Obamas tax penalties on people not buying policies, cut Medicaid, erase many of the laws tax boosts and provide less generous healthcare subsidies for consumers. What exactly happened during the vote? We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Pence presided over the Senate during the vote, which began after dozens of protesters shouted Kill the bill and Shame from the chambers visitors gallery. Moderate Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were the only Republicans to defect from their partys quest. Their complaints about the legislation had included its cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance programme for the poor, the disabled and nursing home residents. Not a single Democrat backed the effort to overthrow Obamas signature domestic legislative achievement. In an unusual move, most of them sat in their states during the climactic roll call, eyeing Republicans as they cast their votes. Any pivotal votes to mention in particular? Expand Close Sen. John McCain arrives on Capitol Hil (Andrew Harnik/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sen. John McCain arrives on Capitol Hil (Andrew Harnik/AP) Senator John McCain flew to the Capitol just days after revealing he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was home considering the next steps in his treatment to cast his his Yes vote with two thumbs up. With Republicans wielding a narrow 52-48 majority, the 80-year-olds appearance let McConnell lose two Republican senators and still prevail wriggle room that would have shrunk to just one in McCains absence. McCain entered the chamber 29 minutes into the roll call to a standing ovation from members of both parties and visitors watching from above. What happens next? We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference The Senate faces 20 hours of debate and a long parade of amendments, and if a measure eventually emerges it is likely to look quite different. Because the chambers moderates and conservatives are so divided over how to replace Obamas overhaul, leaders have discussed passing a narrow bill repealing only some unpopular parts of that law such as its penalties on individuals who eschew coverage with the ultimate goal being to negotiate a final package with the House. In this July 15, 2008, file photo, Cardinal George Pell walks onto the stage for the opening mass for World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File) One of the pope's top advisers, Cardinal George Pell, makes his first court appearance in Australia this week on charges of historic sex crimes, a bitter reminder for his home town reeling from more than a dozen abuse cases. Pell, the Vatican's economy minister, last month became the most senior Catholic to be charged with sex crimes. He has vowed to fight the still-unspecified charges, calling them false and the result of a "relentlelss character assassination". He declined to respond to interview requests for this story. He is expected to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Police have not released details of the charges, but the start of Pell's court battle in Melbourne revisits a troubled past for Ballarat, the former gold town of 100,000 people 75 miles (120 km) to the west where Pell grew up and cut his teeth as a priest in the 1970s and 1980s. Before a 2013 state government inquiry into institutional abuse, Ballarat was best known to Australians as the site of the Eureka Stockade, a bloody 1854 uprising by goldminers against colonial authorities. But the government inquiry exposed shocking accounts of child abuse and allegations of a cover-up in the Ballarat diocese over many generations, sparking a more powerful federal Royal Commission that heard testimony from hundreds of people, including allegations against 17 priests in Ballarat alone. At least five priests from the diocese have been jailed for abuse. Supporters of the victims have tied hundreds of colourful ribbons to the fence outside the city's main Catholic church, St Patrick's. Expand Close Australian Cardinal George Pell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Australian Cardinal George Pell Pell, 76, testified at both inquiries, mostly about his knowledge of the handling of complaints against the church when he was a young priest in the 1970s and 1980s. He repeatedly denied direct knowledge of practices which, according to the testimony of others, involved moving suspect priests between parishes to avoid detection. Neither inquiry heard complaints against Pell himself. Victoria state police, which brought the charges against Pell last month, haven't said where the charges originated and haven't offered any detail other than that they were for multiple historic sex offences. Read More Police declined to comment on specific charges. The Royal Commission, which will deliver its final report to the government later this year, also declined to comment. "The important thing is that the result of it will be truth and justice, no matter what the truth is," said Reiny Strybosch, who has lived in Ballarat since 1956, on his way to Mass. Pell became the Vatican's first economy minister in 2014 as Pope Francis sought to end financial scandals. Thousands of miles away, the Royal Commission rolled on, with much attention on Ballarat. Data released by the inquiry showed Ballarat was the diocese with the most alleged perpetrator priests after major cities Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Ballarat had more alleged perpetrator priests than Perth, a city of 2 million, according to the data. Ballarat had 3 percent of Australian Catholic abuse complaints since 1950, despite having just 0.4 percent of the country's population. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the data. Before he was charged, Pell's seniority and political connections had made him a target for many abuse survivors' frustration about what they believed was reluctance by church and government to listen. Read More When Pell said in 2016 that he wanted to give evidence from Rome via videolink because he was too sick to fly home, a group of survivors, mostly from Ballarat, travelled to Italy to watch him testify in person. Now that Pell is to appear before the court, some of those survivors say they want the cardinal treated like any other member of the church accused of sex crimes. "I can't see any reason that he won't get a fair and just trial," said abuse survivor Philip Nagle, an agronomist. "I'd like to see the claimants get a fair and just trial too." Kyiv's business court of appeals has annulled a ruling of a lower instance court to send UAH 79.877 million of dividends of private joint-stock company Gastransit (Kyiv, partially belongs to Russia's Gazprom) as part of the collection of a fine imposed on Gazprom by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. The court ruling dated July 17, 2017 has been published in the unified register. "Taking into account the fact that the term of paying dividends at the moment of issuing the challenged ruling [the ruling of Kyiv's business court dated June 6] did not become due, the judges came to the conclusion that the satisfaction of the claim to collect the dividends from net profit of PrJSC Gastransit violates the rights of shareholders in Gastransit, as the funds at the moment of issuing the ruling belonged to Gastransit, not Gazprom," the appeal court said in its conclusions. As reported, the Antimonopoly Committee in January 2016 decided to fine Gazprom UAH 85 billion for abuse of its monopoly of the Ukrainian market for transit shipments of natural gas. This decision was upheld on several occasions by Ukrainian courts. In the latest ruling, on February 22 the Kyiv business court of appeals upheld the ruling of a lower court confirming the order to recover the fine from Gazprom, which had already grown to UAH 172 billion (about $6.4 billion) with fines for nonpayment. Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom each own 40.2174% of shares in Gastransit, and Turkey's Turusgas owns 19.5652%. Australia's constitution blocks citizens of other countries from becoming MPs An Australian government minister has quit the cabinet because his mother told him he might be Italian - and therefore ineligible to be an MP. Resources minister Matt Canavan's shock announcement followed the recent resignations of two senators who discovered days apart that they had technically never been elected because they are dual citizens. Australia's constitution states that a "citizen of a foreign power" is not eligible to be elected to parliament. Mr Canavan said his mother contacted him last week with news that he might be Italian after publicity surrounding the resignations of the minor Greens party's co-deputy leaders Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters. Mr Canavan's predicament is embarrassing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who had ridiculed the Greens over their bungled screening of ineligible candidates, and could force a cabinet reshuffle. Donald Trump, pictured, is furious that his attorney general excused himself from the Russia probe (AP) Jared Kushner had a closed-door conversation with politicians on the House intelligence committee (AP) US president Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has returned to Capitol Hill for a second day of private meetings with congressional investigators. The closed-door conversation will take place between Mr Kushner and members of the House Intelligence Committee. On Monday, Mr Kushner answered questions from staff on the Senate's intelligence panel, acknowledging four meetings with Russians during and after Mr Trump's victorious White House bid, and insisting he had "nothing to hide." He said later: "All of my actions were proper." Separately, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to compel the testimony of Paul Manafort, the Trump presidential campaign chairman who, along with Mr Kushner, attended a Trump Tower meeting last year which has invited congressional scrutiny. A quiet insider who generally avoids the spotlight, Mr Kushner, who is married to the president's daughter Ivanka, is the first top Trump lieutenant to be quizzed by the congressional investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Hours before the Senate meeting, Mr Kushner released an 11-page statement that was billed as his remarks to both the Senate and House committees. In it, he acknowledged his Russian contacts during the campaign and then the following weeks, in which he served as a liaison between the transition and foreign governments. He described each contact as either insignificant or routine and said the meetings, along with several others, were omitted from his security clearance form because of an aide's error. Mr Kushner cast himself as a political novice learning in real time to juggle "thousands of meetings and interactions" in a fast-paced campaign. "Let me be very clear," Mr Kushner said later at the White House, "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so." Mr Kushner's statement was the first detailed defence from a campaign insider responding to the controversy that has all but consumed the first six months of Mr Trump's presidency. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia sought to tip the 2016 campaign in Trump's favour. Congressional committees, as well as a Justice Department special counsel, are investigating whether Trump associates coordinated with Russia in that effort and whether the president has sought to hamper the investigations. Mr Kushner said he "will continue to cooperate as I have nothing to hide". Mr Trump watched on TV as Mr Kushner made his appearance outside the West Wing and "thought Jared did a great job", said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She said his House testimony on Tuesday would show "what a hoax this entire thing is". Mr Trump also took aim at the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, California representative Adam Schiff, calling him "sleazy" in a tweet and saying he "spends all of his time on television". The Democrat said on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday that he has a "great many questions" for Mr Kushner. Mr Schiff responded by tweeting that Mr Trump watches TV too often and his "comments and actions are beneath the dignity of the office". Earlier, a spokesman for Russian president Vladimir Putin said a meeting between Mr Kushner and the chairman of a Russian bank did not occur on Kremlin orders. The meeting in December between Mr Kushner and Vneshekonombank head Sergei Gorkov took place at the request of Sergei Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador, according to the White House adviser. Vneshekonombank is a state-owned development bank. A spokesman for Mr Manafort said the longtime Trump associate met bipartisan staff of the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday morning. Spokesman Jason Maloni said Mr Manafort "answered their questions fully". Mr Manafort has been under scrutiny about his participation in the June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower. That meeting was described to the president's son Donald Trump Jr as part of a Russian government effort to aid the Trump campaign against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Mr Manafort led the Trump campaign for several months before being forced to resign in August 2016. Charlie Gards parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates speak to the media outside the High Court in London, after they ended their legal fight over treatment for the terminally ill baby. Photo: PA The parents of Charlie Gard have ended their court action as they tried to take their terminally ill son to the United States for treatment. Here is everything you need to know about the case. What condition does Charlie have? The youngster was born a healthy baby but doctors discovered he had a rare inherited disease called infantile onset encephalomyopathy mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS). His particular form of the disease is caused by mutations of the RRM2B gene. How does the disease affect Charlie? The disease means patients have a decreased amount of the cells responsible for respiration and energy production in muscle, liver and brain tissues, causing weakness, encephalopathy, seizures and liver failure, according the the NHS Rare Mitochondrial Disorders Service. He cannot move his arms or legs and also has congenital deafness and a severe epilepsy disorder. Charlie can breathe only through a ventilator and has been at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London since October 11 last year. Why did Charlie's parents seek legal intervention? Chris Gard and Connie Yates, who are in their 30s and come from Bedfont, west London, wanted 11-month-old Charlie to undergo a therapy trial in America. Expand Close Charlie Gard. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlie Gard. Photo: PA GOSH applied to the courts to end treatment and block his parents' wishes to take their son to the US for the experimental therapy. Specialists at GOSH said the therapy proposed by a doctor in America is experimental and would not help. Charlie's parents had asked European court judges in Strasbourg, France, to consider their claims after losing battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London but Strasbourg judges refused to intervene. What therapy was being offered in America and would it have worked? Following a crowdfunding campaign which raised the 1.3 million needed, Charlie's parents hoped a doctor at a US hospital could treat him with nucleoside therapy. GOSH said nucleoside therapy is not intended to be a cure and would not improve Charlie's quality of life, but his parents were told it had worked for other children with different conditions. Doctors told the High Court it was "very unlikely" that the little boy would improve with the treatment, which has never been tried on a patient with his exact condition. High Court judge Mr Justice Francis said treating Charlie with nucleoside therapy would be "unknown territory" and ruled that medics could withdraw all treatment except end-of-life care because it was in Charlie's "best interests". How did the Gards' case end? The parents of Charlie Gard, whose battle to get their critically ill baby experimental treatment stirred international sympathy and controversy, dropped their legal effort yesterday, saying tearfully that it was time to let their son die. At an emotional court hearing, a lawyer for the baby's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, said the couple were withdrawing a bid to have Charlie sent to the United States, where a doctor had offered to try to treat his rare genetic condition. The decision came after new medical tests showed the 11-month-old, who has brain damage and cannot breathe unaided, had irreversible muscular damage. Both parents wept in the packed courtroom at the High Court in London as lawyer Grant Armstrong made the announcement, his voice breaking. "This case is now about time," Mr Armstrong said. "Sadly, time has run out." Outside court, Mr Gard said that Charlie "won't make his first birthday in just under two weeks' time". "We are about to do the hardest thing that we will ever have to do, which is to let our beautiful little Charlie go," he said. Charlie Gards parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates speak to the media outside the High Court in London, after they ended their legal fight over treatment for the terminally ill baby. Photo: PA The parents of Charlie Gard, whose battle to get their critically ill baby experimental treatment stirred international sympathy and controversy, dropped their legal effort yesterday, saying tearfully that it was time to let their son die. At an emotional court hearing, a lawyer for the baby's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, said the couple were withdrawing a bid to have Charlie sent to the United States, where a doctor had offered to try to treat his rare genetic condition. The decision came after new medical tests showed the 11-month-old, who has brain damage and cannot breathe unaided, had irreversible muscular damage. Both parents wept in the packed courtroom at the High Court in London as lawyer Grant Armstrong made the announcement, his voice breaking. "This case is now about time," Mr Armstrong said. "Sadly, time has run out." Outside court, Mr Gard said that Charlie "won't make his first birthday in just under two weeks' time". "We are about to do the hardest thing that we will ever have to do, which is to let our beautiful little Charlie go," he said. Expand Close Charlie Gard. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlie Gard. Photo: PA Mr Gard and Ms Yates, who are in their 30s and from London, have fought ferociously for their son, who was born in August 2016 with mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease. The baby has been treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, one of the world's leading children's hospitals. Doctors there say Charlie is in pain and further treatment would only increase his suffering. They have sought permission from the courts to switch off his life support and allow him to die peacefully. His parents have resisted, arguing that an experimental treatment could extend and improve Charlie's life. The case gained international attention after Charlie's parents received support from Pope Francis, US President Donald Trump and some members of the US Congress. Yesterday, the Vatican said Pope Francis was praying for Charlie and his parents, and urged the faithful to join him in prayer so that the baby's parents "may find God's consolation and love". Expand Close Supporters of the Charlie Gard campaign cry outside court after the parents made the decision about their little boy. Photo: REUTERS/Peter Nicholls / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Supporters of the Charlie Gard campaign cry outside court after the parents made the decision about their little boy. Photo: REUTERS/Peter Nicholls As the legal battle dragged on, US-based pro-life activists had flown to London to support Charlie's parents, and the case became a flashpoint for opposing views on healthcare funding, medical intervention, the role of the state and the rights of the child. Passions have often run high, with activists demanding "justice for Charlie" rallying outside the High Court and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Over the weekend, the hospital said it had contacted police after staff received abuse and threats. Charlie's parents condemned the abuse, and yesterday thanked the hospital for the care it had given their child. Some commentators portrayed the case as a clash between family and the state, and US conservatives used it to criticise Britain's government-funded healthcare system - even though the case was never about money. Judge Nicholas Francis criticised those "who know almost nothing about this case but who feel entitled to express opinions". At its heart, the case pitted the right of parents to decide what's best for their children against the authorities' responsibility to uphold the rights of people who can't speak for themselves. An Indian Muslim teenager involved in a relationship with an Arab man was kidnapped, raped and murdered in a suspected "honour killing" in London, a court has heard. The body of Celine Dookhran, 19, was found stuffed in a fridge with her throat slit after a second woman who was also attacked raised the alarm from her hospital bed. The two women were said to have been bound, gagged and kidnapped by masked men on Wednesday. They were taken to a house in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London, where they were both raped and Ms Dookhran was killed. Mujahid Arshid, 33, of no fixed address, appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with the murder, attempted murder, and two counts of rape and kidnap. He appeared alongside Vincent Tappu, 28, of Acton, west London, who stands charged with kidnapping both women. Prosecutor Binita Roscoe told the court the teenager was of Indian Muslim heritage and had started a relationship with an Arab Muslim man, The Times reported. Ms Dookhran's final post on Twitter, on July 11, read: "Alhamdulilah [praise God] for everything that's all I can say." Her 3,445 tweets also contained posts about make-up, work, looking after her brothers, and fasting during Ramadan. Both defendants were remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on August 21. Dufourmantelle died after trying to save two children from drowning YouTube/Screengrab A leading French philosopher who wrote a book on risk-taking has died after attempting to rescue two children from drowning. Anne Dufourmantelle entered the water at Pampelonne beach near St Tropez on 21 July after the children got into difficulty. Witnesses say she immediately tried to reach them but was swept away by a strong current. Attempts to resusciate her after she was recovered failed, according to local media reports. The children were later rescued by lifeguards, unharmed. It was unclear whether Dufourmantelle knew them. She wrote several essays on the importance of risk-taking, as well as a book titled Praise of Risk, which was published in 2011. French culture minister Francoise Nyssen said in a statement that Dufourmantelle was "a great philosopher who helped us live." "A great philosopher, a psychoanalyst, she helped us to live and think about the world today," she wrote in a tribute on Twitter. Fellow philsopher Raphael Enthoven also tweeted that he was sad and stunned" to learn of Dufourmantelle's death. "She spoke so well of dreams," he wrote. In an interview with French publication Liberation, Dufourmantelle said that the concept of absolute security was "a fantasy". "When there really is a danger that must be faced in order to survive, for example during the Blitz in London, there is a strong incentive for action, dedication, and surpassing oneself," she explained. "It is said: 'To risk one's life' but perhaps one should say 'to risk life', because being alive is a risk." She continued: "To imagine an enemy ready attack from time to time induces a state of paralysis, a feeling of helplessness which calls for a maternal response - supposedly all protective. Today, we desire this over-protection." Dufourmantelle's funeral is to be held in Ramatuelle, southern France, on 24 July. A chainsaw-wielding loner who mostly lived in the woods stormed into an insurance office in a Swiss town yesterday, wounding two members of staff and three other people before fleeing, police said. Police put the centre of Schaffhausen into lock-down and launched a manhunt for 51-year-old Franz Wrousis. They said the assault was "not an act of terror", but also not random. "This is not an attack against a hypothetical person. This is clearly against people from the insurer," Major Ravi Landolt said, adding that the motive was still under investigation. Swiss authorities distributed pictures of the suspect whom Chief Prosecutor Peter Sticher described as "aggressive, dangerous and mentally conspicuous". They warned residents to avoid contact with the man, who they said had twice been convicted of weapons offences and was believed to be living in the wild since moving out of a home in the eastern Swiss canton of Grisons. Two of the victims were seriously injured but their lives were not in danger. Swiss health insurer CSS said two of its employees were injured when the man charged into their office on a shopping street in the centre of Schaffhausen, a medieval town of 36,000 people on Switzerland's northern border with Germany. "They're currently in the hospital and being operated on," a spokeswoman said. Houses are surrounded by terrain scorched by wildfires near the village of Biguglia, Corsica (Raphael Poletti/AP) Hundreds of firefighters in the Riviera region of southern France and on the island of Corsica have battled against wind-whipped blazes that have left some of them injured. Eight firefighters and 15 police officers have been hurt in the fires, which broke out on Monday and have consumed nearly 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) of vegetation, according to French authorities. The French civil security authority has asked the European Union for help and to provide two Canadair planes to contain and extinguish the wildfire. There have been no reports of injuries among residents or tourists. Flames burned some 800 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) around the Var area of Provence, with two villas destroyed a dozen kilometres (seven miles) west of Saint-Tropez. A huge fire in the neighbouring Luberon region was under control on Tuesday. The Var prefecture said about 100 people were evacuated in Ramatuelle. The largest blaze was in northern Corsica, with nearly 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) burned. French interior minister Gerard Collomb arrived on Tuesday evening in Corsica to meet with emergency services. AP State-owned PrivatBank and nongovernmental organization Transparency International Ukraine have signed an agreement on the use of the ProZorro.Sales e-trading system. "ProZorro.Sales is working on the sale of non-profile assets of Ukrnafta, Ukrtransnafta, Naftogaz, Energoatom, Ukrenergo and Ukrgazvydobuvannia. The National Bank also joined the project. Now PrivatBank will be able to use all the advantages," the press service said, citing First Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Maksym Nefyodov. ProZorro.Sales told Interfax-Ukraine that it would be decided after preparing technical documents what assets will be put up for sale. Ex-corporate spokesperson of PrivatBank Viktoria Strakhova said that the documents drawn up earlier foresaw the sale of property of the bank synchronously through state-owned enterprise System of Electronic Trading in Seized Property (SETAM) and ProZorro.Sales. "The supervisory board of the bank on June 23 was to consider the list of property for sale. We postponed it, including until the moment when amendments to the resolution foreseeing the possibility of the bank to work synchronously with several platforms are made," she wrote on her Facebook page. The suspect has been arrested The suspect in a chainsaw attack on a health insurer's office in Switzerland that left five people wounded has been caught after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis was arrested in Thalwil, some 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the scene of Monday morning's attack in Schaffhausen, police said. The lakeside town is in Zurich canton (state), Schaffhausen's southern neighbour. Police issued a brief statement announcing the arrest but said they would give no further details before a news conference scheduled in Schaffhausen on Wednesday. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Wrousis, whom they described as aggressive and psychologically unstable. They said the 50-year-old has two previous convictions for weapons offences and no fixed residence. Wrousis is accused of attacking two employees of a health insurance company at their office in Schaffhausen's old town. One of them was seriously hurt, though the injuries were not considered life-threatening. Authorities said Wrousis, a client of health insurer CSS, targeted the agency, although a motive remains unclear. Two customers were treated for shock after they witnessed the attack, and another person was slightly injured during the subsequent police operation. All but one of the five have left hospital. In recent weeks, Wrousis was seen several times in forests just south of Schaffhausen. Police found a minivan he was believed to have been driving shortly after the attack, and searched the region near the German border with helicopters and sniffer dogs. On Tuesday, they urged people to exercise caution when in the area's forests as long as the suspect remained at large. As the manhunt continued, the insurance company said it was keeping its offices in Schaffhausen and five other nearby towns closed for now "in view of yesterday's attack". Police had described Wrousis as potentially dangerous and warned he might be armed. They also published several photos of the suspect, one of them taken shortly before the attack. It showed a tall, balding man with short brown hair walking along a street in a green jacket carrying a large black bag. AP James Mathew Bradley Jr, 60, of Clearwater, Florida, centre, is escorted out of the federal courthouse following a hearing in San Antonio (AP) Twenty-five of the migrants found inside a sweltering tractor-trailer found parked outside a Texas Walmart in which 10 people died were Mexican, officials have said. The Mexican foreign ministry said that based on interviews by consulate personnel and contact with local authorities, "we can say that of the 10 people who lost their lives ... four were of Mexican nationality". The statement added that of the 29 people taken to hospital, 21 are Mexican. Some of the others inside the truck were from Guatemala. As many as 90 people are thought to have been crammed inside. The man charged with driving the rig has appeared in federal court in San Antonio. James Matthew Bradley Jr, 60, faces charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. The judge explained to Bradley that he could face the death penalty, if convicted. In the federal complaint, Bradley told authorities he did not realise anyone was inside the 18-wheeler. Bradley, of Clearwater, Florida, was detained ahead of another hearing on Thursday. Many of the immigrants had hired smugglers who brought them across the US border, hid them in safe houses and then put them aboard the tractor-trailer for the ride northward, according to accounts given to investigators. "Even though they have the driver in custody, I can guarantee you there's going to be many more people we're looking for to prosecute," said Thomas Homan, acting director of US immigration and customs enforcement. Bradley told investigators that the trailer had been sold and he was transporting it for his boss from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas. After hearing banging and shaking, he opened the door and was "surprised when he was run over by 'Spanish' people and knocked to the ground," according to the criminal complaint. He said he did not call 911, even though he knew at least one passenger was dead. Bradley told authorities that he knew the trailer refrigeration system did not work and that the four ventilation holes were probably clogged. The truck was registered to Pyle Transportation of Schaller, Iowa. Company president Brian Pyle said he had sold the truck to someone in Mexico and that Bradley was supposed to deliver it to a pick-up point in Brownsville. Mr Pyle said: "I'm absolutely sorry it happened. I really am. It's shocking. I'm sorry my name was on it (the truck)." He said he had no idea why Bradley took the roundabout route he described to investigators. Bradley told authorities that he had stopped in Laredo - which would have been out of his way if he were travelling directly to Brownsville - to get the truck washed and detailed before heading back 150 miles north to San Antonio. From there, he would have had to drive 275 miles south again to get to Brownsville. "I just can't believe it. I'm stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this," said Bradley's fiancee, Darnisha Rose of Louisville, Kentucky. "He helps people, he doesn't hurt people." One passenger described a perilous journey that began in Mexico, telling investigators he and others crossed into the US by raft, paying smugglers 12,500 Mexican pesos (about 540), an amount that also bought protection offered by the Zeta drugs cartel. They then walked until the next day and rode in a pick-up truck to Laredo, where they were put aboard the tractor-trailer to be taken to San Antonio. The passenger said he was supposed to pay the smugglers 5,500 dollars (4,220) once he got there. Bradley told authorities that when he arrived in San Antonio, nobody met the tractor-trailer. But one passenger said six black SUVs were waiting to pick up the immigrants and were full in a matter of minutes. San Antonio police said CCTV footage showed vehicles picking up some of the immigrants. AP Israeli security forces remove metal detectors which were recently installed at an entrance to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Israeli security forces remove metal detectors which were recently installed at an entrance to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Israeli police officers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Israel's security cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors set up at the entrance to a Jerusalem holy site which had angered Muslims. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Workers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Israeli police officers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Israel has taken down metal detectors from entrances to a holy Jerusalem shrine to defuse a crisis that angered the Muslim world and triggered some of the worst clashes in years. The pre-dawn operation outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound came after the Israeli security cabinet met for a second day to find an alternative to the metal detectors, installed after a deadly Palestinian attack at the holy site in Jerusalem's Old City. Jews call the site the Temple Mount and Muslims refer to it as Haram al-Sharif. "The security cabinet accepted the recommendation of all of the security bodies to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies (smart checks) and other measures instead of metal detectors," Israel announced early on Tuesday. It said the measure would "ensure the security of visitors and worshippers" at the holy site and in Jerusalem's Old City and the police presence would increase in the area until the new security measures were in place. Israeli media reported that high resolution cameras capable of detecting hidden objects would be deployed. Expand Close Israeli police officers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Israel's security cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors set up at the entrance to a Jerusalem holy site which had angered Muslims. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli police officers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Israel's security cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors set up at the entrance to a Jerusalem holy site which had angered Muslims. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Israel installed the metal detectors after Arab gunmen killed two policemen from inside the shrine, holy to Muslims and Jews, earlier this month. The move enraged the Muslim world and triggered violence. The fate of the site is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, with even the smallest perceived change to delicate arrangements sparking tension. Just a few hours earlier, Israel and Jordan resolved a diplomatic stand-off late after a day of top-level negotiations that ended with the evacuation of Israeli embassy staff from their base in Jordan. Expand Close Workers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Workers dismantle metal detectors outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) The crisis was triggered by a shooting on Sunday in which an Israeli embassy guard killed two Jordanians after one attacked him with a screwdriver. Jordan said initially that the guard could leave only after an investigation, while Israel said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity. Expand Close Israeli security forces remove metal detectors which were recently installed at an entrance to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli security forces remove metal detectors which were recently installed at an entrance to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad The crisis was resolved after a phone call late on Monday between Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah. The relatively swift end to the stand-off signalled progress towards ending the crisis over the contested shrine. Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site which is also holy to Jews. Israel's security cabinet spent Monday trying to find an alternative to the metal detectors with ministers asked to consider sophisticated, high-resolution cameras and more police as a replacement, Israeli news reports said. The reports had said the emerging deal could see the embassy security guard released in exchange for the removal of the metal detectors. The 37-acre walled compound in Jerusalem is the third holiest site of Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is also the holiest site of Judaism, revered as the place where biblical temples once stood. Mr Netanyahu and King Abdullah discussed the shrine in their phone call, Jordan's state news agency Petra said. The king stressed the need to "remove the measures taken by the Israeli side since the recent crisis broke out" and to agree on steps that would prevent another escalation in the future, Petra said. Earlier, the head of Israel's domestic Shin Bet security agency met officials in Jordan to resolve the crisis, the worst between the two countries in recent years. Jordan and Israel have a peace agreement and share security interests, but frequently disagree over policies at the shrine. Mr Netanyahu's office said the Israeli-Jordanian contacts were conducted in an atmosphere of co-operation. The escalation began earlier this month when Arab gunmen fired from the holy site, killing two Israeli policemen. In response, Israel installed metal detectors at the site, saying they were a necessary security measure to prevent future attacks. Muslim leaders claimed Israel was trying to expand its control at the site under the guise of security, a claim Israel emphaticlly denied. The tensions have led to mass prayer protests and deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence. Mr Netanyahu's government faced growing domestic criticism in recent days, with some commentators saying it made hasty decisions affecting the most volatile spot of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meanwhile, the United Nations' Middle East envoy warned of an escalation if the crisis over the metal detectors was not resolved by the time of Muslim prayers on Friday. After briefing the UN Security Council behind closed doors on Monday, Nikolay Mladenov said it was "critically important" that the status quo which had been in place at the site since 1967 was preserved. Israel captured the shrine, along with east Jerusalem and other territories, in the Six-Day War in 1967. Since then, Muslims have administered the shrine, with Jews allowed to visit, but not to pray there. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner arrives for his appearance before a closed session of the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of the probe into Russian meddling in the US presidential election. Photo: Reuters Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is denying that US President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia, saying in a statement ahead of congressional interviews that he has "nothing to hide". The 11-page statement, provided to the press yesterday, details four contacts with Russians during Mr Trump's campaign and transition. Expand Close US President Donald Trump poses with an outgoing group of interns at the White House yesterday. Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump poses with an outgoing group of interns at the White House yesterday. Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Mr Kushner is delivering the statement during closed-door meetings with investigators on the Senate and House intelligence panels this week. Mr Kushner met with staff on the Senate committee yesterday and will meet lawmakers on the House committee today as part of both panels' investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign, and into possible links to the Trump campaign. Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, says that none of the contacts was improper. He also denies that Russians finance any of his business in the private sector. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Mr Kushner said in the statement. In it, he also details a June 2016 meeting with a Russian-American lawyer, and says that it was such a "waste of time" that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. Emails released this month show that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr, accepted the meeting at Trump Tower with the idea that he would receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton. But Mr Kushner says he hadn't seen those emails until he was recently shown them by his lawyers. Mr Kushner said in his statement that Mr Trump Jr invited him to the meeting. He says that he arrived late and that when he heard the lawyer discussing the issue of adoptions, he texted his assistant to call him out. Secret "No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow-up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted," Mr Kushner's statement says. Mr Kushner also denies reports that he discussed setting up a secret back-channel with the Russian ambassador to the US. He said he did speak with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, in December at Trump Tower. But he says that conversation was about policy in Syria. Mr Kushner says that when Mr Kislyak asked if there was a secure line for him to provide information on Syria from what Mr Kislyak called his "generals", Mr Kushner asked if there was an existing communications channel at the embassy that could be used. Mr Kushner says that he never proposed an ongoing secret form of communication. He also says that he met with a Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, at the request of Mr Kislyak. But he says that no specific policies were discussed. Mr Trump Jr and Mr Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was also at the June 2016 meeting, were scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. But on Friday their attorneys said that they remained in negotiations with that panel. The two men are now in discussions to be privately interviewed by staff or lawmakers, though the Republican chairman of the committee, Iowa senator Chuck Grassley, has said they will eventually testify in public. The president took to Twitter over the weekend to defend himself and repeat his criticism of the investigations. On Sunday, Mr Trump tweeted: "As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!" ( Daily Telegraph London) U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the commissioning ceremony of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump has spoken to advisers about sacking his attorney general, as he rages against the legal chief's decision to excuse himself from anything to do with the Russia investigation. The US president's anger again bubbled into public view on Monday as he referred to Jeff Sessions in a tweet as "beleaguered". Privately, Mr Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Mr Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. Mr Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president warned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. But it is clear that Mr Trump remains furious that the attorney general recused himself from the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible links to the Trump campaign. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Mr Trump tweeted on Monday. Expand Close Donald Trump and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. PHoto: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. PHoto: Getty Images His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, travelled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. Mr Trump's intensifying criticism has fuelled speculation that Mr Sessions may resign even if the president opts not to fire him. Read More During an event at the White House, Mr Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Mr Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Mr Trump were to sack Mr Sessions, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers. It could also raise the spectre of Mr Trump asking Mr Rosenstein - or whoever he appoints to fill the position - to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russia investigation. The name of one long-time Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was floated on Monday as a possible replacement for Mr Sessions, but a person who recently spoke to the former New York City mayor said Mr Giuliani had not been approached about the position. Mr Giuliani told CNN on Monday that he did not want the post and would have recused himself had he been in Mr Sessions' position. The president's tweet about former Alabama senator Mr Sessions comes less than a week after Mr Trump, in a New York Times interview, said Mr Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Mr Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met a top Russian diplomat last year. Mr Trump has seethed about Mr Sessions' decision for months, viewing it as disloyal - arguably the most grievous offence in the president's mind - and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper warning before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. His fury has been fanned by several close confidants, including his son Donald Trump Jr, who is also ensnared in the Russia probe, who are angry that Mr Sessions made his decision. Mr Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president, but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. The attorney general was in the West Wing on Monday but did not meet the president, according to deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He and Mr Trump used to be close, sharing both a friendship and an ideology. Mr Sessions risked his reputation when he became the first US senator to endorse the celebrity businessman and his early backing gave Mr Trump legitimacy, especially among the hardline anti-immigration forces that bolstered his candidacy. After Mr Trump's public rebuke last week, Mr Sessions seemed determined to keep doing the job he said "goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself". "I'm totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way," he said. PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) will invest $267 million in modernization of production in 2017, company CEO Paramjit Kahlon has told journalists. According to him, the company works well in Ukraine. "Over the past year ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has produced 7.5 million tonnes of steel. I can say this company is the most stable for the last 4-5 years. The proximity to the Black Sea makes it unique in terms of a good geographical location. We have large investment plans in Ukraine as for modernization, because this enterprise has not received investments for many years," he said. At the same time, among the largest projects the top manager called the construction of a ladle furnace, a coke oven battery, and modernization of production. "We plan to invest more than $1 billion in modernization in 2017-2020, this year the plan is $267 million," Kahlon stated. Concerning the sphere of responsibility in the group, the expert said he is responsible for enterprises in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, sales of products in Africa, sales in the countries of the Persian Gulf, India, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Turkey, for the functioning of the office in Dubai. A police officer works on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Police prepare to tow and 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside it in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse The truck driver accused of smuggling at least 100 illegal immigrants inside a sweltering tractor-trailer, 10 of whom died, has said he was unaware of the human cargo he was hauling until he took a rest stop in Texas, court papers showed on Monday. James Bradley Jr., 60, told investigators he was caught by surprise when he opened the trailer doors outside a Walmart store in San Antonio, only to be knocked down by a group of "Spanish" people pouring out of the rig, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case. But the narrative attributed to Bradley, who could face the death penalty if convicted, was at odds with authorities' accounts of a small fleet of SUVs waiting in the Walmart lot to carry away some of the immigrants who clamored out of the truck. Bradley was arrested on Sunday after police said they found the bodies of eight people in the truck, along with 30 to 40 others in and around the vehicle suffering from dehydration and heat stroke. All were illegal immigrants, the bulk of them Mexican nationals, ranging in age from 15 into their 20s and 30s, officials said. Expand Close Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Two died later, bringing the death toll to 10, while 29 remained hospitalized on Monday, according to Thomas Homan, acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Daytime temperatures in the hours before the truck arrived had topped 100 Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius). Bradley made a brief appearance in federal court on Monday in San Antonio, where he was charged with one count of transporting illegal immigrants - a felony for which he could face capital punishment if convicted because the crime resulted in deaths. More than 100 people were originally crammed into the stifling big-rig trailer, Homan said. But one of the survivors later told investigators that some managed to flee the scene before police arrived, swarming out of the truck when the rear doors opened to be whisked away by six black sport utility vehicles waiting for them nearby. Expand Close Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers work on a crime scene after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside a sweltering 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse San Antonio Police Chief William McManus also said video footage showed several vehicles coming to pick up people who were inside the truck, though Bradley, according to court documents unsealed on Monday, denied seeing any such vehicles. Two of the survivors, according to the criminal complaint, recounted having been smuggled in small groups of immigrants across the Rio Grande River from Mexico to Texas, where they were harbored in "stash houses" around the border town of Laredo before being rounded up into the tractor-trailer for the trip to San Antonio, about 150 miles (240 km) to the north. Expand Close Police prepare to tow and 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside it in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police prepare to tow and 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store after eight people believed to be illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States were found dead inside it in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. July 23, 2017. REUTERS/Ray Whitehouse Describing desperate conditions inside the pitch-black interior of the truck without water or proper ventilation, one survivor recalled people taking turns to gasp for fresh air through a hole in the trailer's side. Some passed out, while others shouted and pounded on the walls of the truck to get the driver's attention. Their pleas went unanswered until arriving at the Walmart, according to the account. One survivor said about 70 people were already present when he climbed into the trailer with his group of nearly 30. Another estimated as many as 200 were aboard in total. Bradley told investigators he did not know anyone was inside the truck until he parked near the store to use the bathroom and heard banging and shaking coming from the back, according to the criminal complaint. When the driver opened up the trailer, he noticed "bodies just lying on the floor like meat," the complaint said. Some 30 or 40 people got out and "scattered," Bradley told investigators. According to the complaint, Bradley told investigators he was hauling the trailer from Iowa to Brownsville, Texas, to deliver it to its new owner. He said he had stopped in Laredo to get the vehicle washed before heading on to San Antonio. Authorities gave Bradley's residence as Clearwater, Florida. But Darnisha Rose, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and identified herself as his fiancee, told Reuters Bradley was a 47-year trucking veteran who made his home in his rig. Rose described Bradley as a kind, family man whom she met two years ago when he was hospitalized in Louisville for a toe amputation and she was the housekeeper for his room. She said he recently had his right leg amputated. Public defender Alfredo Villarreal, one of two lawyers representing Bradley, did not respond to a request for comment. Mexico's foreign ministry said four of the 10 dead were Mexicans, as were 21 of the 29 people hospitalized. The Guatemalan government confirmed that one of its citizens was among the dead and two others had been found alive. Crossing the border illegally from Mexico has long been a dangerous proposition, according the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which has documented at least 7,000 deaths among those making the trek since 1998. In what is considered the worst illegal immigrant smuggling case in U.S. history, 19 people died after traveling in an 18-wheeler truck through Victoria, Texas, in 2003. Mr Trump gestures as former boys scouts, interior secretary Ryan Zinke, left, and energy secretary Rick Perry, watch at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree (AP) Donald Trump's fiery speech at the US National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia has infuriated parents and former Scouts. Standing before thousands of school-aged Scouts, the US president began with some profanity before going on to rage for more than half an hour against the media and other perceived political enemies. Mr Trump was cheered by the crowd, but his comments have put an organisation which studiously avoids political conflict in an awkward position. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on Twitter: "As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today. "If you haven't watched it yet, don't. It's downright icky." The Boy Scouts of America said after the speech that it does not promote any one political candidate or philosophy. Mr McCain will return to Washington just days after revealing he was being treated for brain cancer (AP) US president Donald Trump has urged Republicans to "step up to the plate" for a crucial Senate vote on their bill eviscerating much of Barack Obama's signature health care law. The stage is set for high drama, with Senator John McCain returning to the Capitol to cast his first vote since being diagnosed with brain cancer. The former Navy pilot, who spent five years in captivity during the Vietnam War, announced through his office that he would be back in Washington for the critical vote. The 80-year-old has been at home in Arizona since he revealed last week that he is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, but said he "looks forward" to returning to work on health care and other legislation. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell scheduled the initial health care vote for Tuesday. It seems unlikely that Republicans would bring Mr McCain cross-country if they did not think his vote would make a difference, and his mere presence could make it harder for wavering Republicans to cast a vote against the bill. Democrats uniformly oppose the effort to tear down Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement. Republicans control the chamber 52-48, meaning they can afford to lose just two Republicans with Mr McCain around and only one in his absence. In the event of a tie, Vice President Mike Pence would cast the deciding vote. Mr Trump kept up the pressure on Republicans, tweeting: "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." At least a dozen Republican senators have openly said they oppose or criticised Mr McConnell's legislation, which he has revised as he searched for Republican support. While it had long seemed headed toward defeat, Republicans began showing glimmers of optimism. Mr McConnell said, in what seemed an implicit reminder to his Republican colleagues: "My mandate from the people of Kentucky is to vote yes, and I certainly intend to do so." Senators and aides said talks are continuing which might win over enough Republicans to commence the debate. The discussions cover issues including potentially giving states more leeway to use federal funds to help people losing coverage under Medicaid, the health insurance programme for the poor, disabled and nursing home patients. Should Tuesday's vote fail, it would be an unalloyed embarrassment for a party that finally gained control of the White House, Senate and House in January, but still fell flat on its promise to uproot so-called Obamacare. Republicans could try returning to the bill later this year if they somehow round up more support. Former president Mr Obama's law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. It has also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers' annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as the healthy. The law has been unpopular with Republican voters and the party has launched numerous attempts to dismantle the statute. All until this year were mere aspirations, because Mr Obama vetoed every major one that reached him. Ever since 2010, Republicans have been largely united on scuttling the statute but divided over how to replace it. AP Obdulia Sanchez, 18, has been arrested after the car crash, which hurled her sister Jacqueline through the rear window to her death The parents of a teenage driver who livestreamed the fatal crash that killed their younger daughter have said they believe she did not intend her sister to die. Nicandro Sanchez of Stockton, California, told Fresno television station KFSN he believed his 18-year-old daughter Obdulia Sanchez knows she did something wrong but does not know what happened. Authorities say Obdulia Sanchez lost control and the car veered off a San Joaquin Valley road 75 miles north west of Fresno and overturned, hurling her sister Jacqueline, 14, through the rear windscreen. A recording of the livestream shows Obdulia Sanchez shaking her unresponsive sister after the crash and saying she was sorry. Mr Sanchez said Obdulia had a difficult childhood and graduated from high school last year. In the past two years she had been in the custody of Child Protective Services. "It's an accident," he said of the crash. "It happened that way. Who knows why? "What I think is she knows she's done something wrong. Because she knows, and that's what I feel. "She feels bad for herself, but she killed her own sister." After a gap in the livestream, Obdulia Sanchez is seen leaning over the body of her sister, trying to shake her awake. She said she expected to spend the rest of her life in prison but does not care. "This is the last thing I wanted to happen, OK? ... Rest in peace, sweetie," the teenager says. "If you don't survive, I'm so (expletive) sorry." Merced County sheriff Vern Warnke said another girl, aged 14, who was in the back seat of the car, survived with a leg injury. The driver was wearing a seat belt but not the two girls, the California Highway Patrol said. Obdulia Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter and remained in jail with bail set at 300,000 dollars. She is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. The livestream was recorded on Instagram and posted on Facebook by someone who had seen it. Stockton resident Mary Hernandez said she saw the video there and re-posted it. "People need to know these things can happen," Ms Hernandez said, adding that she had received a range of responses from anger to gratitude. "I mean no disrespect to their family for posting it," she said. Rob Carroll, a chief deputy in the Merced County District Attorney's Office, said he had not yet seen the video but expected it would form a key piece of evidence. "Drinking, driving and driving erratically - obviously those are poor choices," he said. Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the funeral of Jacqueline. The page says she was planning to celebrate her 15th birthday - known as a quincenera - on Sunday. AP Linden Hills resident Robyn Traxler places flowers at the memorial for Justine Damond on the steps of the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community church in south Minneapolis (Star Tribune/AP) A woman "slapped" the back of a police car shortly before an Australian woman was shot dead by an officer, according to a search warrant. The search warrant, filed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and obtained by Minnesota Public Radio, does not specifically say that the woman was Justine Damond, but "upon police arrival, a female 'slaps' the back of the patrol squad ... After that, it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley". News of the warrant came hours after personnel records for the policeman who shot Ms Damond, 40, in Minneapolis were released publicly on Monday. The records provided some detail about the training courses he took but no insight into his on-the-job performance. The records show Officer Mohamed Noor was hired as a cadet in March 2015. In September that year, he received a letter saying he passed his Peace Officer Licensing Examination and was eligible to become a licensed, sworn officer. The records also show he took multiple training courses, including recent in-service training about active shooter situations during the Super Bowl, which will be held in Minneapolis next year. His file also says he passed all of his annual semi-automatic, handgun and shotgun qualifications, but there are no additional details about how he performed. Officer Noor is on paid leave after he killed Ms Damond, a spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married, on July 15, after she called 911 twice to report a possible rape. Officer Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and the bullet hit Ms Damond. His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Ms Damond appeared at the police vehicle. The search warrant did not say whether the slap was the loud noise Officer Noor's partner described, MPR reported. State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges and Officer Noor also faces an internal use of force investigation. Officer Noor was one of several Somali-Americans hired by the department in recent years in a diversity drive by the city to better reflect the population. Questions about police training were raised after details about the shooting were released. Last week, then-police chief Janee Harteau criticised Officer Noor's actions but defended his training, saying: "This officer completed that training very well. He was very suited to be on the street." Ms Harteau resigned on Friday at the request of the mayor. Minnesota is the only state that requires police officers to have at least a two-year degree, though many departments prefer four-year degrees. People who want to be officers either learn law enforcement degrees, or, if they have four-year degrees in other subjects like Officer Noor, they can complete a certificate programme. Officer Noor had a degree in economics and business administration before applying to become a police officer. The records released on Monday do not list any awards or commendations for the officer. Records previously released show he had three complaints against him, including one that was dismissed with no discipline and two that are pending. The records also show that Officer Noor received a pay rise in September and is earning more than 28 dollars (21.50) an hour. AP WENTWORTH Rockingham County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Ed Wilson recused himself Monday from future hearings involving prominent Eden businessman Mickey Snow. The Eden Police Department charged Snow in 2015 with 26 counts of promoting prostitution with a minor, statutory rape, patronizing a prostitute who is mentally disabled, patronizing a prostitute and second-degree forcible sexual offense for his alleged involvement in the prostitution of two mentally disabled teenage girls by their mother. Snows criminal defense attorney, Seth Woodall of Eden, said Wilson had removed himself from a parallel civil case involving Snow and the victims. He said it made sense for Wilson also to remove himself from the criminal case. Judge Wilson had been law partners with an Eden attorney that represented Mickey, and that caused a perceived conflict, Woodall said. The conflict might not actually exist, but because of the perceived conflict, Judge Wilson thought removing himself from the case would be most appropriate. The case against Snow left Rockingham County residents enthralled after he led officers on a global manhunt until he was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, by the Royal Thai Police. He is the only person charged in the prostitution ring not to have pleaded guilty. The girls mother, Teresa Vanover, along with Donnie Carter, Everette Ferris and Thomas Tommy Woodall did so last summer and are serving multiyear sentences. Snows case has been stagnant since February, when former Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer canceled a scheduled trial with no explanation. Rockingham County District Attorney Tom Keith, who was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper after Blitzer resigned March 10 because of a criminal investigation into his office, said he plans to bring Snows case to trial before the end of the year. He said he and the defense team plan to start filing pre-trial motions as early as next month. Wilson told prosecutors and Woodall on Monday that he would contact the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts to have an emergency judge appointed to the case. Keith said having one judge hear all the motions in both the civil and criminal cases would benefit everyone, especially if the case goes into 2018. Meanwhile, Snow remains free from the Rockingham County Jail on a $25 million bail. Prosecutors filed a bond motion to be heard next Monday to update the conditions of Snows release. Court officials recently learned that there are two versions of Snows bond requirements in his court file. One of them requires him to be on electronic monitor, only to travel to and from his home and work and to file a motion anytime he wants to travel outside of those stipulations. A more recently filed motion only states that he needed to post the $25 million without any other stipulations. Keith said the filed motions updates the conditions to match the original bond requirements, to which his legal team has been adhering. Snow has traveled outside of North Carolina to visit the Mayo Clinic in Florida for an unknown malady on several occasions this year, and his defense team filed a motion to allow for each of those trips. Woodall said the defense team plans to come back with their own bond motion before Monday, but he did not know the details he planned to include. United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has told Ukrainian parliamentarians that the results of his trip to Donbas will be reflected in western partners' decision on further steps towards peaceful settlement. At the start of their meeting Volker, who had just returned from the armed conflict zone in Donbas, shared his impressions from the trip: the conflict is in a hot phase, not frozen, as the West perceives it; infrastructure is damaged; the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission has no access to the occupied territories; the ceasefire is being breached continually, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada said on Monday. "He also said that based on the results of this trip, western partners will determine further steps aimed at peaceful settlement of the situation," the Rada statement said. Volker also emphasized the need to support the people living in the occupied areas, so that they know that they matter to Ukraine. Anupam Kher has never shied away from expressing his opinion on the matters that concern the nation, and each time he has spoken about any issue, he gave us goosebumps with his honest, blunt and upfront replies. Recently, the man lived the iconic scene from Namaste London when he slammed Britishers in his reply to a question asked by a British journalist, who was trying to undermine the nation for its poor sanitation. BCCL Anupam along with the team of his forthcoming film Toilet Ek Prem Katha, was invited for an interview by British channel Channel 4. The presenter, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, first tried to take a potshot at the team by asking that a film which talks about the problem of open defecation in the country is being released around the Independence Day on August 11. To which, all the actors on board Anupam Kher, Akshay Kumar, and Bhumi Pednekar said yes in unison. Twitter.com/akkisrealangle He went ahead asking, How do you feel this is such a big issue in your country 70 years after Independence? And this is the time when Anupam Kher gave him a befitting reply. The expression is different on my side. We are only 70 years old. Britishers ruled us for 200 years, they should have done that (educate people about sanitation). They did railway tracks first, for themselves. They wanted them to remain poor, not get educated, so that they can say Oh these Indians. How they do it they defecate in the open. So, that is also an issue, answered Kher, almost reliving the iconic Namaste London moment, apparently! Toilet Ek Prem Katha is hitting the screens on August 11. The government has said that the unprecedented damage from floods and landslides in three northeast states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh should be assessed using space technology. The floods in the Northeast region of the country have already taken 80 peoples lives along with it. The centre on Thursday called the floods and landslides rocking the region in an unprecedented manner. Assam is the worst affected of all the states with a total of 50 flood-related deaths in 26 districts of the state. Here are 18 pictures that show the devastating nature of these floods in the north east. 1. Indian youth carries a container of drinking water through floodwaters in Padderpar village in Karimganj district, in the northeastern state of Assam. AFP 2. A young boy shows locals his catch on flooded waters at Jamlai village in the district of Kamrup in Assam on 13 July, 2017. AFP Nearly half a million people in Assam have been affected by the floods, and at least 26 people have drowned since torrential rains hit the state. 3. An Indian villager walks cattle through floodwater at Buraburi village in Morigaon district in the northeastern state of Assam on July 12, 2017. AFP Floods have affected 350,000 people living across 13 districts in Assam as the annual monsoon rains continue to cross the Indian sub-continent. 4. Indian villagers travel by boat through floodwaters in Balimukh Ashigarh village in Morigoan district, in India's northeastern state of Assam. AFP 5. An Indian vendor pushes a bicycle carrying his wares through floodwaters in Balimukh Ashigarh village in Morigoan district, in India's northeastern state of Assam. AFP 6. A herd of Indian hog deer swims through flood waters at Kaziranga National Park, about 250 kilometres east of Guwahati, on July 10, 2017. AFP 7. Indian forest guard patroll on a boat A flooded area at Kaziranga National Park, about 250 kilometres east of Guwahati, on July 10, 2017. AFP 8. Indian one-horn rhinoceros take shelter from flood waters on higher land at Kaziranga National Park, about 250 kilometres east of Guwahati, on July 10, 2017. AFP 9. A herd of elephants cross a road that passes through the flooded Kaziranga National Park in the northeastern state of Assam, India, July 12, 2017. Reuters 10. Indian flood victims travel by boat past the submerged village of Katoguri in Morigaon district, in India's northeastern state of Assam. AFP The death toll from worsening monsoon floods in India's Assam state has hit 18 with hundreds of thousands in makeshift camps and no letup in the deluge, officials said July 6. 11. Mabiya Khatun (R), 22, mourns over the body of her two-month-old son on a boat in the flooded village of Balimukh Ashigarh in Morigoan in India's northeastern Assam state. AFP The boy died after suffering a fever as his family travelled with him through floodwaters to the nearest health centre. Flooding has affected some 400,000 people in 13 districts across Assam as annual monsoon rain continues in the Indian subcontinent. 12. An Indian auto rickshaw driver checks his vehicle in a flooded residential area after heavy rainfall in Dimapur, in India northeastern state of Nagaland. AFP 13. Indian children help to push an auto rickshaw along a flooded street after heavy rain in Jalandhar, as the monsoon season begins. AFP 14. An Indian man carries his son as he walks through a flooded street after heavy rain in Guwahati. AFP 15. Indian residents stand in floodwater outside their homes following heavy rain. AFP 16. An Indian family sit at their destroyed house amidst the floodwaters after heavy rains. AFP 17. Indian government officials inspect the flood situation on a rubber boat in Guwahati. AFP 18. Indian people wait outside the emergency block of a private hospital surrounded by floodwatwers, following heavy rain. AFP On Thursday, the Centre said unprecedented damage from floods and landslides in three northeast states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh should be assessed using space technology. BCCL/Representational Image Chairing a review meeting in New Delhi, minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said that the damage caused by the rainfall is unprecedented and a total of 58 districts have been affected due to floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur. Around 85 lives have been lost, he added. Till Thursday the death toll in flood ravaged Assam due to drowning and electrocution reached 50 while 14 of a family were buried alive in a massive landslide in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday. BCCL/Representational Image ALSO READ: Assam Floods Continue To Leave People Homeless, 39,000 Have Lost Their Homes So Far A central team of representatives from NITI Aayog and National Disaster Response Force led by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju carried out a ground assessment of the flood situation in Assam. Rijiju later took stock of the situation at Laptap village in Arunachal Pradesh's Papum Pare district where the 14 people were killed by landslide. BCCL/Representational Image Rijiju said, "We have seen the extent of damage and an initial assessment has been carried out. Centre will provide all support after the preliminary damage assessment report." Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that DoNER minister called him and expressed concern over the damage caused by the devastating floods in Assam. "He also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's deep anguish for the loss of lives and properties in the current wave of floods in the state," Sonowal said. BCCL/Representational Image ALSO READ: Assam Flood Situation Worsens, 2.75 Lakh People Hit, Around 8,000 Hectares Of Crop Area Damaged Expressing his deep concern over the flood caused by the torrential rain in the state as well as upper reaches of the Brahmaputra, Singh said, "The Centre is very much with the people of Assam at this time crisis and assures all possible help to normalise the situation". Reuters The DoNER minister at the review meeting said that the damage caused by the floods and landslides has been contained to large extent by the state governments and central teams. He also suggested that essential items like staple food and baby food be made available to the affected people. BCCL/Representational Image The minister said that he has approached the health ministry to undertake measures to prevent outbreak of epidemics and telecom ministry for restoration of communication lines. He also asked the resident commissioners of northeastern states to work in close coordination with DoNER ministry and PMO to further monitor the situation. Prasar Bharati is inviting entries for the same till 13 August, and the winner gets to take home Rs1 lakh. For thousands across India, one of the fondest childhood memories is of the Nationwide broadcaster, Doordarshan's signature montage and logo (which represents the human eye). Even today, the channel has the power to take us back to times when things were just perfect. But now, after nearly 58 years since it's inception, the channel is planning to revamp it's logo. According to a Livemint report, the state-owned broadcaster, plan is create something youthful in a bid to tap the children of liberalisation. Shashi Shekhar Vempati, chief executive officer at public broadcaster Prasar Bharati told Live Mint, "Much of the population today is under 30 years of age. These are the children of liberalization who have not grown up with Doordarshan. They dont share the same nostalgia factor which the earlier generation did." While the channel takes a u-turn from nostalgia, people who grew up watching the channel aren't too amused with the decision. More recently, Bollywood actor, was one of the few who expressed regret over the decision. He said, Please dont change the Doordarshan logo. It represents my childhood. Please don't change the Doordarshan logo. It represents my childhood. Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) July 25, 2017 Prasar Bharti has asked entries from the public, seeking a new logo design to improve the look and feel of the network. Do you think this move by DD channel is justified? While many countries across the world are moving towards automated cars on their roads, India has decided that it will take some time and first make sure that automation does not impact the employment opportunities for its people. AP Union transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, said that the government will not allow driverless cars on Indian roads. "How can we allow such vehicles when we already have huge number of unemployed people?" He also pointed out that there is a shortage of 2.2 million drivers in the country. Gadkari said the decision is taken keeping in mind the millions of driver jobs that might be affected due to automation in the sector. Cab aggregators like Ola and Uber are making money by using our driving skills. If cab aggregators think they can make more money by introducing technology like driverless cars and render people unemployed, the government is not going to allow it. As of now self-driving cars also know as autonomous cars are being tested in countries including US South Korea, Germany and Australia. AP These cars uses a sophisticated system of GPS, infrared and cameras to help the vehicle navigate through the road. A number of tech companies including Google, Tesla and Uber already have prototypes which have undergone rigorous trials, while Apple has also expressed its intention to venture into the field. AP So far the trials have been successful, with just one major crash in 2016, involving a Google car. Other accidents involving Tesla and Uber have remained relatively minor, which has once again established the reliability of these cars. BCCL Even before the government said no to automated cars, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Google CEO Sundar Pichai had indicated that India won't be getting automated cars anytime soon, owing to the haphazard roads and chaotic traffic which makes it difficult to navigate for the self-driving cars. Reliance Jios driven rivals into a frenzy, since the day it launched, leading to bitter fights. Even to reports of download speeds, to claim the crown of fastest network in India. Jio's most bitter rivalry is with Airtel. Both have been proclaimed to have the fastest data connections; Jio being awarded the throne by TRAI, and Airtel by private group OpenSignal. In their April 2017 report, OpenSignal reported that Airtel had the overall fastest 4G connections, with an average download speed of 11.5 Mbps. Reliance Jio, meanwhile, came in last place with 3.92 Mbps, behind both Airtel and Vodafone. Jios only saving grace in the report was that it had the widest coverage, with testers able to find a 4G signal 91.6 percent of the time. Here comes the clarification... Now, OpenSignal is amending its report with a new measurement statistic called average peak speed. The thing is that, no matter what kind of speed your telecom operator promises, thats eventually divided between users as they all fight for bandwidth from a single tower. Even if a single device is connected to a tower, it cant access a networks full theoretical speed due to any number of technical factors ranging from interference to distance. ..that doesnt mean there wont be times where youll stumble onto an incredibly fast connection, OpenSignal said in its post. Those connections are typically many times faster than the average speeds we measure on operators networks and give us a better indication of what the true technological capabilities of those networks are. This is the average peak speed. When you take this new metric into consideration, the overall picture becomes a little clearer. OpenSignal took the top 5 percent of speed results from its earlier report, which covered over 93,000 users between December 2016 to February 2017. According to that data, Airtels average peak speed test was 56.6 Mbps, which is 5 times faster than its average 4G download test of 11.5 Mbps. Both Vodafone and Ideas peak speed measurements are about 4 times faster than their 4G measurements. Meanwhile, Reliance Jios peak speed was second only to Airtel at 50Mbps, nearly 13 times faster than its everyday 4G download speeds. So what does that mean? Reliance Jio isnt shortchanging its customers, it just has more of them than other telcos. Simply, congestion is to blame. "Jio has experienced phenomenal growth since launching its all-4G service last autumn, signing up more than 100 million subscribers in the space of few months, and for much of that period Jio has been offering those customers nearly unlimited access to mobile data. That kind of heavy usage is bound to tax any network, forcing users to vie against one another for bandwidth," OpenSignal declared in its follow up study. "Our data shows that Jios slow average 4G speeds arent a technical limitation, but rather a capacity bottleneck. As Jio adds more capacity either through new spectrum or building more cell sites or as Jios mobile data consumption levels drop, then its typical download speeds should increase." Do you agree with these findings? What's your experience like with Airtel or Reliance Jio? Let us know in the comments sections below. Berlin and Paris demand from all parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Donbas, the joint German-French statement posted following the results of the telephone talks of the Normandy Four, says. "The ceasefire violations must be immediately stopped. The heads of state and government [French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel] demand fulfillment of the ceasefire agreement dated June 21, 2017 reached by the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk," the document says. The German and French leaders also called for the implementation of the Minsk agreements in full, including political, economic and humanitarian components, security issues, and also demanded the swap of hostages based on the "all for all" principle until the end of this year, the statement said. Macron and Merkel also stressed the importance of the early restoration of economic ties between the parties to the conflict. As reported, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during the negotiations insisted on the introduction of the UN peacekeeping mission to Donbas. Yanison Tuesday aimed squarely at the same-day first foray by the Greek state into the markets since 2014, headlining - on the Greek-language side - an online post with "The Government's duty ahead of the rollover of the Stournaras bond: Either apologize to Mr. Samaras and Mr. Stournaras or cease the insulting celebrations." Are America's Wars Just and Moral? By Patrick Buchanan July 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - "One knowledgeable official estimates that the CIA-backed fighters may have killed or wounded 100,000 Syrian soldiers and their allies," writes columnist David Ignatius. Given that Syrias prewar population was not 10 percent of ours, this is the equivalent of a million dead and wounded Americans. What justifies Americas participation in this slaughter? Columnist Eric Margolis summarizes the successes of the six-year civil war to overthrow President Bashar Assad. "The result of the western-engendered carnage in Syria was horrendous: at least 475,000 dead, 5 million Syrian refugees driven into exile in neighboring states (Turkey alone hosts three million), and another 6 million internally displaced. 11 million Syrians driven from their homes into wretched living conditions and near famine. "Two of Syrias greatest and oldest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, have been pounded into ruins. Jihadist massacres and Russian and American air strikes have ravaged once beautiful, relatively prosperous Syria. Its ancient Christian peoples are fleeing for their lives before US and Saudi takfiri religious fanatics." Realizing the futility of U.S. policy, President Trump is cutting aid to the rebels. And the War Party is beside itself. Says The Wall Street Journal: "The only way to reach an acceptable diplomatic solution is if Iran and Russia feel they are paying too high a price for their Syria sojourn. This means more support for Mr. Assads enemies, not cutting them off without notice. And it means building up a Middle East coalition willing to fight Islamic State and resist Iran. The U.S. should also consider enforcing safe zones in Syria for anti-Assad forces." Yet, fighting ISIS and al-Qaida in Syria, while bleeding the Assad-Iran-Russia-Hezbollah victors, is a formula for endless war and unending terrors visited upon the Syrian people. What injury did the Assad regime, in power for half a century and having never attacked us, inflict to justify what we have helped to do to that country? Is this war moral by our own standards? We overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003 and Moammar Gadhafi in 2012. Yet, the fighting, killing and dying in both countries have not ceased. Estimates of the Iraq civilian and military dead run into the hundreds of thousands. Still, the worst humanitarian disaster may be unfolding in Yemen. After the Houthis overthrew the Saudi-backed regime and took over the country, the Saudis in 2015 persuaded the United States to support its air strikes, invasion and blockade. By January 2016, the U.N. estimated a Yemeni civilian death toll of 10,000, with 40,000 wounded. However, the blockade of Yemen, which imports 90 percent of its food, has caused a crisis of malnutrition and impending famine that threatens millions of the poorest people in the Arab world with starvation. No matter how objectionable we found these dictators, what vital interests of ours were so imperiled by the continued rule of Saddam, Assad, Gadhafi and the Houthis that they would justify what we have done to the peoples of those countries? "They make a desert and call it peace," Calgacus said of the Romans he fought in the first century. Will that be our epitaph? Among the principles for a just war, it must be waged as a last resort, to address a wrong suffered, and by a legitimate authority. Deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target. The wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen were never authorized by Congress. The civilian dead, wounded and uprooted in Syria, and the malnourished millions in Yemen, represent a moral cost that seems far beyond any proportional moral gain from those conflicts. In which of the countries we have attacked or invaded in this century Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen are the people better off than they were before we came? And we wonder why they hate us. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter "Those to whom evil is done/Do evil in return," wrote W. H. Auden in "September 1, 1939." As the peoples of Syria and the other broken and bleeding countries of the Middle East flee to Europe and America, will not some come with revenge on their minds and hatred in their hearts? Meanwhile, as the Americans bomb across the Middle East, China rises. She began the century with a GDP smaller than Italys and now has an economy that rivals our own. She has become the worlds first manufacturing power, laid claim to the islands of the East and South China seas, and told America to keep her warships out of the Taiwan Strait. Xi Jinping has launched a "One Belt, One Road" policy to finance trade ports and depots alongside the military and naval bases being established in Central and South Asia. Meanwhile, the Americans, $20 trillion in debt, running $800 billion trade deficits, unable to fix their health care system, reform their tax code, or fund an infrastructure program, prepare to fight new Middle East war. Whom the Gods would destroy Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of a new book, "Nixon's White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Working Toward Tripartite Racial Disunity: Maybe Not a Really Great Idea By Fred Reed July 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Regarding Latinos not as citizens but as internal enemies of America is an idea pushed not just by many racialist websites (e.g., Vdare ).but also by Donald Trump. The outlook is particularly characteristic of something called the Alt-Right, a substantial if loosely defined group who are horrified at the thought of racial amalgamation. Hostility intensifies as one moves farther along the right wing to where the feathers end and giddy space begins. It is perhaps worth noting that the accounts of Mexico in the anti-immigrationist literature bear little or no resemblance to the Mexico I have lived in for fifteen years. The streets are not strewn with garbage, it is not legal to screw little girls of twelve years, guns for home defense are not illegal, and Mexican school children behave like everybody elses. The racialist sites often do not check facts, do not correct false claims when notified of them, and not infrequently simply lie. Many of the leaders seem never to have been to Mexico, speak Spanish, or have the foggiest notions of the world below the Rio Bravo. The President agrees with them . He is openly hostile to some 43 million American citizens. He has placed Mexico itself among our enemies, His Mexicans are rapists assertion resonated among Latinos much as Hillarys Deplorables among Americans. How smart is this? Not very. In fact it is wrong, dangerous, stupid, and threatens disastrous consequences. Lets take a quick look at some numbers. Census figures show 57 million Latinos in the US,. Perhaps 12 millions of them being illegal. Trump promised to get rid of the illegals in two years, which would require deporting 500,000 a month for 24 months. He is way behind. He could also deport 125,000 a month for eight years. Do you see anything resembling this? If he deports 10,000 a month for eight years, it will come to a bit under a millionless than two percent of the Latino population, In short, the number of Latinos is not going to change much whatever Trump does. There will be at least fifty million in the country regardless of anyones politics. Trump will deport enough to keep tension high but not enough to make a statistically noticeable difference. Most of the Latinos are, and more will be, American citizens. Treat them as internal enemies and they will likely become suchwouldnt you?with grievous results lasting for generations. This would suit the Alt-Right fine, but be ruinous for America. There arise hard questions and curious situations. For example, the Left and businessmen do not want illegals expelled, businessmen because they like cheap labor that cannot organize, and the Left for the votes and because many think deportation cruel. The anti-immigrant people do not want to grant amnesty. This makes the illegals an underclass of twelve million unable to start businesses, go to college, or get good jobs. Brilliant. Exactly what the country needs. Further, the people who complain that the illegals are badly schooled want to deny education to undocumented children. This would produce a large number of irremediably unemployable illiterates. What a swell idea. Add Trump. He too quite obviously loathes Mexico and Mexicans, probably because he failed in a couple of crooked real-estate deals here. He is supposed to be the President of all Americans. He is not. When he plays to his base by attacking something like seventeen percent of the citizenry, he is doing the country no favor. Permitting mass immigration, like importing slaves, was a bad idea, but it was done. The time to stop immigration is when it begins. When numbers reach a vague tipping point, it becomes irreversible. This has long since happened. Note that it was an inside job. Patriotic American businessmen have encouraged immigration, Congress has condoned it as have both political parties and Presidentsexcept Obama, who did everything he could to encourage it. The problem is home-grown and self-inflicted. The future? Many fear that Latinos wont assimilate, the Alt-Right that they will. The desire of the latter, often explicitly stated, is for racial purity of European stock, and Mexican girls are alarmingly attractive. While racial purity is in bad odor currently, it is actually a very good ideaif you can get it. No diversity, no racial strife, riots, burning cities, or endless anger over immigration. The white race has been by far the most successful and creative the planet has known. A desire to keep it around makes great sense. Well and good. Fine. Unfortunately you cannot have both assimilation and racial purity. It is one or the other. If you concern is the well being of America, you want good relations with the newcomers, inevitably leading to intermarriage. If purity is your goal, you want bad relations, and the worse the better. To all appearances, the racialist websites are working toward the latter end. Trump, however intentionally, aids and abets. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter A degree of friction between the races cannot be avoided. A small town in Tennessee does not like being descended upon by people of an unfamiliar culture. But the descenders have descended, with the explicit help of the federal government. They will not undescend. When a situation cannot be changed, it must be dealt with. The practical question, for anyone who gives a damn about the country, for anyone who has to live in it or has kids who will, is how to make the best of things as they exist. Many would say, Stop the influx and assimilate the ones we have. It is probably the best approach available. Yet to accept it is to concede the legitimacy of the citizenship of a minimum of forty-some million Latinos. Racial and ethnic purists cannot bring themselves to do this, so they vituperate and vituperate. The constructive value is not clear. What do they expect to achieve? How to assimilate Latinos? A good question, grist for another column. Everywhere I have beenLA, San Fran, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DCthe problem has seemed to be solving itself. Mexicans worked as cashiers, bus drivers, waiters, and secretaries, and spoke English. But LA is not Wheeling, and California is not Arizona. A statistic that will hearten assimilationists and revolt genetic purists is that (if Pew is to be believed) the rate of intermarriage between white and brown is twenty-six percent, higher among the second generation than the first, and higher between the well educated than the less so. For what its worth, Latinos who speak unaccented American English cease to seem very Latino. Working against assimilation is that different cultures inevitably experience friction, that most of the immigrants are poor, poorly educated, young, and male, that assimilation works less well with populations large and dense enough be self-isolating, such as we see in black ghettos, and that the white-nationalists do all they can to cause antagonism. Working toward successful assimilation is that Mexicans are Christian, heavily European in their roots, live in amity with a million American expats in Mexico, and as a race are demonstrably able to run modern cities universities, and such. Unlike blacks and Muslims, they do not see whites and Christians as mortal enemies. Much depends on keeping things this way. But one thing I believe to be sure: Constantly attacking forty million American citizens as stupid, dirty, disease-ridden, criminal, given to rape and all the rest, will not make for domestic tranquility. Fred, a keyboard mercenary with a disorganized past, has worked on staff for Army Times, The Washingtonian, Soldier of Fortune, Federal Computer Week, and The Washington Times. https://fredoneverything.org One of a group of men who opened fire on Monday evening in Dnipro has been arrested after he checked himself into a hospital for treatment. Two veterans of Anti-terrorist Operations (ATO) in eastern Ukraine were killed in the shoot out, and five received injuries, according to the Dniprograd.org news website. "The shooters fled the site of the crime in a white Toyota. One of them was dropped off at the Mechnikov hospital for medical treatment and was arrested. Police have initiated the "Siren" plan in Dnipropetrovsk region to locate the other suspects," the report says. According to the website, which cites witnesses, four members of the gang were wounded in return fire. The report says ATO veteran Oleksiy Vagner, who served in the 20th separate battalion of the 93rd mechanized infantry brigade, was killed. A former soldier whose call sign was Shchuka (Pike) from the 11th mechanized infantry battalion of the 59th brigade, was shot dead in the head and died on the scene, Dniprograd wrote. The Kyiv-based 112.Ukraine TV channel identified him as Maksym Ivashchuk. As earlier reported, police reported that two persons died and five were wounded as a result of a shoot out that took place in Dnipro on Monday around 19.50. The two casualties were ATO veterans. Lawyer Edmont Saakian, also an ATO veteran, who was acquainted with one of the victims and represented him in a court case involving attacks on ATO veterans on May 9, was also injured. Police are investigating the incident and have opened a criminal case pursuant to Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder). Troops of 233 Battalion, 27 Task Force Brigade of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in conjunction with vigilantes on routine patrol arrested four confirmed fleeing Boko Haram terrorists at Kurnari village and Nayinawa, outskirts of Damaturu, Yobe State on Monday, July 24. A statement signed by Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, Director Army Public Relations, identifies the escaping Boko Haram terrorists as Bukar Waziri, 25 years and Mammade Lawan, aged 20 years, from Buk, while Muhammadu Damina, 40 and his 15-year-old son, Isah Muhammadu were from Talala. During preliminary investigation, they claimed that they were fleeing from the terrorists hideout at Talala and Buk in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State because of the unbearable militarys onslaughts and bombardments on their various locations. In a related development, troops of 33 Brigade Nigerian Army, on Operation FOREST KUNAMA II, on Sunday 23rd, following a tip off, at about 10.20pm, arrested one Salisu Ibrahim, an armed robbery suspect along Bauchi-Gombe road. The terrorists and armed robbery suspects are being further investigated. Source: Linda Ikeji The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday, told the Igbos living in the North, or any other part of the country not to vacate their place of residence , as a condition for the actualisation of the agitation for Biafra. The IPOB leader spoke in an interview with some journalists in Enugu, where he received awards from a number of pan-Igbo groups, including the Igbo Women Assembly, the Eastern Consultative Assembly and the Igbo Students Union. Reacting to the quit notice issued to Igbo in the North by a coalition of Arewa youths, Kanu noted that secession from Nigeria did not imply that Igbo must leave the North, or other part of the country as suggested by the ultimatum issued by the northern youths. He said, You are aware that Scotland is seeking to leave the United Kingdom? Are you remotely implying that every person from Scotland, who lives in England, should now return to Scotland? Britain just left the EU. Are you now implying that every British citizen in the EU should come back to Britain in order to finalise that process of extraction of Britain from the EU? Kanu noted that what he described as poor education was responsible for the impression that Igbo must leave other parts of Nigeria in the event of the actualisation of Biafra. The Biafran agitator added that he would not take issue with the Arewa youths, who he described as inconsequential. Kanu, nonetheless, warned that Igbo, who resided in the North, were doing so at their own peril. According to him, Igbo resident in the North are sacrificial lambs who could be killed at any moment. Asked if Igbo in the North should ignore the notice to quit, the IPOB leader stated, It is up to them. They have been in the North, and they (northerners) have been killing us (Igbo) since 1945. If you choose to live in the North, you choose to be a sacrificial lamb because one day, they will kill you. It is a choice they have made and they will have to live with it. Kanu insisted that the governorship poll in Anambra State, scheduled to hold on November 18, 2017, would not hold unless the Federal Government acceded to pro-Biafran agitators demand for a referendum. Asked if he was not bothered that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had overruled his call for the boycott of the poll, Kanu said he was in charge of the people 100 per cent. He added, No, Im not (bothered) because the people are with us. We control the people 100 per cent and come Anambra, on the 18th of November, 2017, the whole world will be amazed. Although he said he was certain that the people of Anambra would boycott the election, Kanu said IPOB did not intend to stop anybody who decided to vote. We are entirely peaceful. We are not stopping anyone from voting. If you want to vote, you can go and vote. We are democrats, he said. Kanu added that the planned referendum would, once and for all, settle the debate between Biafra and restructuring. The IPOB leader said, We are calling for a referendum so that the people can actually decide, once and for all, what they want, for themselves; not anybody deciding for them. I have not argued Biafra from the standpoint of absolutism. I am not saying you must vote for Biafra. I am asking the powers that be in Nigeria to allow the people to determine for themselves. Reacting to his bail conditions, the IPOB leader said the court, which barred him from granting interviews, could not stop him from speaking. He said, I am not giving an interview, I am responding to the question you asked me. The judge is a very learned fellow. She cannot stop me from speaking. Earlier, Kanu had assured a delegation of the Igbo Women Assembly, led by Mrs. Maria Okwor, that the menace posed by Fulani herdsmen in parts of the South-East would come to an end before the end of the year. He equally told members of the Igbo Students Union, who honoured him with the title of Light of the People, to join IPOB and propagate the struggle for Biafra on the social media. Meanwhile, IPOB, on Monday, alleged that some top politicians were plotting to kill Kanu, its leader, and other principal officers of the group. It said huge amount of money and political patronages had been offered to certain people to execute the plot. In a statement by the groups Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said any attack on Kanu would radicalise the Biafra struggle in a manner nobody could stop. The group named certain governors, an elder statesman, a socio-cultural organisation, a security chief and a religious head as some of those masterminding the plot. The statement added, But we promise them that any attack on Nnamdi Kanu or assassination attempt will radicalise the struggle for Biafran independence to the point which no one can contain. We are reminding those evil plotters that if anything happens to our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been using non-violent methods for Biafran liberation since the inception of IPOB, that they will experience what they have not seen before since the creation of the contraption called Nigeria by the British. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) Alhaji Lateef Ajikanle, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC was reportedly said to have got electrocuted in his home at Bolaji Omupo Street, Somolu last Saturday, July 22. As confirmed, the renowned Lagos APC member was struck while he was making attempts to pick dirt around his compound in spite of the Saturday flood. His younger sister, Monsuru Ajikanle, told correspondents on Sunday that the 50-year-old was preparing to participate in the last Saturdays local government election before the tragic event. She said: He went to the mosque that day. The rain started early in the morning and everywhere was flooded. He was coming back from the mosque around 7am when he saw that the fence owned by the poultry farmer on the next street had collapsed on the pumping machine in our compound. Also, the flood water could not flow out and there were waste paper and other dirty materials everywhere. He started picking the rubbish from the water. He was doing that when his hand touched the live wire exposed after the fence fell on the pumping machine and he was electrocuted. A neighbour, who attempted to rescue him was also reportedly electrocuted, but escaped death. One of our neighbours, Femi, ran into the flood to help him, but the electric current in the water forced him back. We called the Ikeja Electric to disconnect the power, Monsuru noted It was gathered that the flood was worsened by the rubble of a collapsed fence owned by a poultry farmer on an adjoining street, Lisabi Street. Officials of the Ikeja Electric, Onipanu Business District, were said to have been alerted at the spur of the incident. Source: Yabaleftonline God is still working in and with people. Nine passengers including a baby were involved in a fatal accident involving a 14-seater commercial bus at Egbeda area of Lagos on Thursday, July 20th. It was gathered that the passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries. The young man (pictured) identified as a pilot, pulled the child from under the bus and rushed him to the hospital. Not only that, the good Samaritan also paid the medical bills before the arrival of the childs father. The panel of the House of Representatives to investigate the altercation between the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the National Assembly will meet with Fashola on Friday. The minister, senators and members of the House of Representives had clashed soon after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill of N7.441tn into law on June 12 over cuts in the budgets of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the second Niger Bridge. Findings showed on Monday that the ad hoc committee, which is chaired by an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki, had fixed Friday as the meeting date with Fashola. In a response to an electronic enquiry by The PUNCH in Abuja, Madaki simply wrote, Friday, 10am. Incidentally, the meeting will be held the second day after the House would have probably passed a virement proposal of N135.6bn by Osinbajo on Wednesday (tomorrow). In the virement, N46bn is set aside for Fasholas ministry to fill in the budget gaps in key projects that set off the row between him and lawmakers. Fahola had criticised the decision of the National Assembly to slash the budget of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from N31bn to N10bn and that of the second Niger Bridge from N15bn to N10bn. He bitterly complained that the action of the lawmakers had put the hope of early completion of the vital projects in jeopardy, accusing members of stuffing the budget with boreholes and health centre projects. The minister had summed up by saying that the legislators had stark, worrisome knowledge of the budget of his ministry. His choice of words infuriated lawmakers, who accused him of inciting Nigerians against the National Assembly after Fashola participated in all the meetings leading to the signing of the budget. The House in particular, through its spokesman, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissed Fashola as telling Nigerians half truths. The House alleged that the ministers real reason for attacking the legislature was because the National Assembly removed a provision of N20bn he made for contingencies in the budget. They later summoned the minister to appear before a committee to explain why he went to the public to speak on a matter already settled by both parties before Osinbajo signed the budget. Meanwhile, on Wednesday (tomorrow), the House will begin the consideration of Osinbajos virement proposal. The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Yussuff Lasun, confirmed this in Abuja on Monday. We are looking at the constitution review report and the virement request by the Acting President on Wednesday and Thursday, Lasun stated. The letter on virement was titled, Request for Virement of Funds from Various Budget Lines to Fund Federal Governments Priority Projects and Programmes. The opening paragraph of the letter confirmed the budget cuts and the fact that the two sides agreed to resolve their differences through the virement. Nollywood Actor, Chidi Mokeme has mocked the new photo of president Buhari and APC delegates, saying the government officials went to attend the house warming of our new seat of government in Abuja house, London. He wrote on IG; #InOtherNews members of the kitchen cabinet permitted some members of the balcony cabinet to attend the house warming of our new seat of government in Abuja house, London. The visitors were treated to s sumptuous buffet of #MadeInNigeria menu, drinks and benue banana.. As usual, our well mannered elders maintained the tradition of not talking while you eat. So enjoy the images as we await further details..#ChidiSense See the Original Post below https://www.instagram.com/p/BW52SaPh2nJ/ An Egyptian criminal court sentenced 43 activists to life in prison on Tuesday, judicial sources said, in a retrial of anti-government protesters who clashed with authorities in late 2011. Mass trials have been common since the army deposed Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 following nationwide demonstrations against his rule. Both local and international rights groups have repeatedly voiced criticism. The 43 defendants had been charged with rioting, vandalism and attacking security forces during clashes with police and the army in Cairo in December 2011, in which at least 17 people were killed and almost 2,000 were wounded. The defendants were also fined more than 17 million Egyptian pounds (948,661 dollars) combined for vandalizing public property during the clashes. Nine others were sentenced to 10 years in prison and one to five years, while 92 were acquitted, in the case that was dubbed by local media cabinet clashes, a reference to the cabinet building where the unrest occurred. The defendants can appeal their verdicts to a higher court. Life sentences in Egypt last 25 years. The case was retried because initial verdicts in 2015 had been issued while the defendants were in abstentia. The clashes broke out near the cabinet and parliament buildings in the Egyptian capital months after the Arab Spring uprising that ousted former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Source: ( NAN ) Six people including three suicide bombers were killed and 17 others injured in three separate suicide bomb attacks on Dalori I and Dalori II camps of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and on the University of Maiduguri, Borno State. A male suicide bomber killed himself and three IDPs and injured 17 other IDPs when he detonated his IED at Dallori I IDPs camp while a female bomber who operated at Dallori II succeeded in killing only herself. Another male suicide bomber unintentionally detonated the explosive strapped to his body, killing himself while attempting to get into the premises of the University of Maiduguri at 4 am. Spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, DSP Victor Isuku, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Monday, that on Sunday at 09:15pm, the suspected female Boko Haram terrorist took advantage of the darkness of night and attempted to gain access into Dalori II camp through the rear perimeter fence. Fortunately, she was sighted by vigilant security personnel on duty and chased. In an attempt to escape arrest, she hurriedly detonated the IED strapped to her body, killing herself alone. The impact of the explosion destroyed a portion of the IDP camp fence, DSP Isuku said. More photos below.. The new Interim Management Officers for the 44 Local Governments in Kano state has been warned by the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje against corruption and laxity to duty. At the swearing-in ceremony on Monday night, Ganduje said that his administration would continue to give priority to service to the people. The swearing in followed the confirmation of the officers by the State House of Assembly. Ganduje urged the new appointees to perform their duties with diligence, honesty and fear of God, adding that they should as initiate developmental programmes in their areas. He also urged them to be transparent and prudent in their dealings in order to achieve the noble objective of the APC government in the state and the country as a whole. Your appointment today as Sole Administrators should, therefore, be seen as a call to service of our people. You are more close to the grassroots and a lot of expectations falls on you. You can be rest assured of our continued support, he said. According to Ganduje, the officers and their six Councillors would hold office for not more than six months before handing over to democratically elected chairmen. The 44 Local Government chairmen elected during the tenure of Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso completed their tenure on May 28, 2017. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The new U.S. special representative for Ukraine has said Washington is actively reviewing whether to send weapons to help those fighting against Russian-backed rebels, the BBC news said on Tuesday. He said he did not think the move would be provocative. "Defensive weapons, ones that would allow Ukraine to defend itself, and to take out tanks for example, would actually to help to stop Russia threatening Ukraine," Volker said. He said that's a matter for further discussion and decision, and that it's difficult to predict when it will be solved. He said success in establishing peace in eastern Ukraine would require what he called a new strategic dialogue with Russia. According to the latest results of Saturdays local government election in Lagos released by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Monday indicated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four councillorship seats in the Lagos Council Polls. A statement issued by the commission s Director of Publicity, Mr Oladapo Olatunde, indicated that Accord Party also won three councillorship seats in the election. According to the statement, the PDP won the four councillorship seats in Agege Local Government Area (LGA) Ward C, Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA)Ward A, Ikorodu LGA Ward G, and Oriade LCDA Ward A. Accord Party won in Agege LGA Ward E, Ikosi-Isheri LCDA Ward D and Shomolu/Kosofe Ward E. Aside the seven councillorship seats, the All Progressives Congress swept all the chairmanship seats and the remaining 369 councillorship seats in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in the state. The analysis of the results showed that nine out of the 12 parties that participated in the election did not record any win. The LASIEC chairman, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, according to the statement, congratulated all winners and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them. She urged them to do so by making an impact with their leadership in their respective areas. Phillips thanked the political parties and their agents for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the election. The commissions Chairman also commended security agents for helping to maintain law and order during the election. She thanked the media and civil society organisations that partnered the commission to conduct the polls. Ayotunde said the election was largely successfully conducted, but admitted initial delays in the deployment of materials to polling units. She attributed the delays to the downpour on the day of the polls, which affected the easy movement of materials to polling units. The chairman thanked all Lagosians for the support given to the commission to ensure successful conduct. Source: ( PM News ) Romelu Lukaku has arrived at Manchester United with big dreams, saying he wants to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and bag goals and trophies at the club. Since his 75million switch from Everton, the Belgian striker who scored 25 Premier League goals last season has netted twice for the Red Devils and he believes theres still has room for improvement as he tries to reach the level of four-time Ballon dOr winner Ronaldo, who scored over 100 goals as he claimed three Premier League titles and the Champions League during his six seasons at Old Trafford, Goal writes. Im far from that level. But its the level I want to aim for. Im 24, I cant say Im the complete package. I cant say Im in my prime, Lukaku said. Ill never say its good enough. Its a pressure I put on myself. When you play for United you have to perform every week. He dismissed comparisons with former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, saying their styles are different as are their clubs. Drogba is more of a hold-up player, a target man. I prefer to have ball to feet and run in behind. Were totally different. We might have physical similarities but were totally different players. Im Romelu Lukaku, I want to create my own history. Im at United, he was at Chelsea. https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/889574923886374912 The manager has a masterplan and we are following his plan, he said. For me its all about winning. I want to win. Now Im at a club where winning is the most important thing. Its something inside of me. I want to help my team-mates deliver wins game in game out. Forget your Past or Background. Hustle, Pray & Believe You Will Be Celebrated Sooner than you can Imagine. This is the Story of Small Doctor. He was almost killed when he was caught for Stealing in Agege some years back. Small Doctor once had to steal to provide for his son Little Doctor when he lost his bike which was his means of livelihood. Small Doctor and his son slept in buses around Agege, in Lagos, and stored their clothes in abandoned refrigerators. Hunger and frustration sets into his Life. The pains and agony and sorry at seeing his son suffer, pushed him to theft. He was caught, disgraced, and beaten to a pulp. Today, Small Doctor is one of the citys rising stars Source: Instagram The rapid growth of churches and mosques in Nigerian as well as the mushrooming of petrol stations across the country are two trends in need of serious attention. There are two trends in need of serious attention in Nigeria today. One is the rapid growth of churches and mosques, the former predominantly in the South and the latter in the North. The other trend is the mushrooming of petrol stations across the country. The two trends highlight two of the nations problems, namely, religion and the economy. This essay offers an exploration of the interconnections between the two. Lets begin with petroleum and the economy. The curse on the Nigerian economy began to incubate way back in 1908 when petroleum was first discovered in Araromi in Ilaje-Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State but was not exploited owing to disturbances from the two World Wars. The discovery would, however, lead to further exploration in the postwar years. Oil was later discovered in 1956 in Oloibiri in Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State, where commercial exploration began in 1958. Prior to commercial oil production and up until the 1970s, Nigeria was self-sufficient in food production and agriculture accounted for 97 per cent of all revenues from exports. Cocoa, palm oil, rubber, and groundnut were major money earners for the country and for individual farmers. Besides, yams, cocoa, corn, rice, millet, and other food crops were produced in abundant commercial and consumption quantities. However, by the late 1970s, the rise in federal revenues from petroleum extraction was met by a steep drop in agricultural production. By the 1980s, self-sufficiency in food had disappeared and Nigeria gradually began to depend on food imports. So bad has the situation become that the Federal Government recently began to take drastic measures to ensure food security through homegrown produce. For example, rice import was banned to encourage domestic cultivation. For the first time in many years, more rice is produced at home than imported from elsewhere. In the meantime, unbridled corruption had accompanied the oil boom, leading to all kinds of fraudulent practices which prevented the needed translation of the boom to necessary infrastructural development. Simultaneously, key state institutions were weakened in order to aid or mask corruption. By 2015, more oil money had been stolen or squandered than spent on development. Today, the nation is in trillions of naira in debt, and much of the existing infrastructure has crumbled. Electricity and water are in short supply. Roads and bridges are crumbling all over the place. Schools, polytechnics, universities, hospitals, and other public structures lack necessary facilities, leading to a sharp drop in the standard of education and health care. Worse still, graduates cannot find employment, because the nation has de-industrialised and many manufacturing companies have folded up. The economic downturn has led to increasing unemployment and poverty rates. Those who fall sick cannot find adequate care, either for lack of funds or for lack of necessary facilities in the hospitals. Much as the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would have loved to reverse the economic downturn, the puncture in the economy, due largely to corruption, has been too deep to handle. Beginning in 2014, oil prices started falling steadily, leading to a drastic reduction in oil revenue. This would be further complicated by a reduction in production due partly to pipeline vandalism, resulting from militant agitations in the Niger Delta, and partly to OPEC cuts to combat increasing production glut in the market. The bulk of whatever revenue accrued from oil was corruptly diverted. To worsen the situation for Nigeria, old time buyers of Nigerian crude oil, such as the United States, have started looking elsewhere or to alternative sources of energy. Across the globe, nations are setting targets for getting rid of fossil fuel. Norway, for example, has set a deadline of 2025 by which time it would be illegal to make or sell petrol- or diesel-fuelled cars in the country. France has set its own deadline for 2040. If this trend continues, fossil fuel may be outlawed by many countries by the middle of the century. Most Nigerians, however, are unaware of this trend. Thats why more and more petrol stations are springing up all over the place, even as the government is preaching diversification from oil. The idea that there is plenty of money to be made from the oil business has lured some petrol dealers into the business they want to derive their share of petrodollar, no matter how short term the business may be. I was first struck by this development when I visited Idanre, my hometown, where I observed that petrol stations were springing up, even in impossible locations in the heart of residential areas. Some dealers converted erstwhile ancestral homes into petrol stations. In Alade-Idanre, one petrol dealer, who is also a cocoa dealer, put up a twin structure, separated only by a wall. One side is a cocoa store, while the other is a petrol station. While some have set up petrol stations for economic survival, others have built churches and mosques. Like setting up petrol stations, when the oil business is on the decline, churches are springing up everywhere, especially in the South, just when churchgoers are dwindling in the UK and the United States. Yet, many of our churches are filled to the brim, especially for the celebration of rites of passage, such as weddings and funerals, when all kinds of offerings are requested by the pastors. The churches range in structures from ornate cathedral buildings to sheds and tree shades. Their purposes are more than religious. Like petrol stations, they are also economic ventures for their owners or pastors, some of whom own exotic cars, luxury apartments, jets, universities, and other material things. Many churchgoers or their children cannot afford to attend the universities or rent the apartments owned by their pastors. Some churchgoers lose their wives or girlfriends to pastors. Yet, the people flock to the churches and overpopulate various programmes every now and then. Why is this so? Albert Camus offers another interesting explanation. Religion, he argues, offers the people an escape from the meaninglessness of their existence, especially in an environment besieged by political hopelessness and economic helplessness. In Nigeria today, those who can afford it set up petrol stations or churches to combat the hopelessness of their existence. Those who cannot, seek an escape in churches and mosques, where the sermon and frenetic prayers serve as opium. With lingering political and economic uncertainties, it remains unclear how much opium they will still need and for how long. *** Written by Niyi Akinnaso David Steven, an Edo Born Pastor living in Netherlands reportedly left his wife battling for he life after allegedly pushing her down from stairs. However defending himself and trying to debunk the rumour, he claimed he had a misunderstanding with his wife when she came back from where she went to. According to David, he tried being romantic before opening the door for his wife. However his wife who pictured him as weird at that moment, mistakenly slipped off and hit her head on the floor. He concluded his story by advising men never to assault their wives. Social media users who read his story disclosed they wont be falling for that, as they bashed him for even coming online to defend himself. She wrote; #BREAKING I will no longer practice Journalism in #Nigeria due to the #Criminaldefamationlaw in the Nigerian police criminal code. I do not practice pharmacy in Nigeria because its not regulated. I cannot dispense prescription drugs without a prescription which leaves me with public relations management. I have first class degrees in all three. With that being said I proclaimed myself a political activist fighting for the masses and a #socialmediamanager for platforms. I am available for PR as I did in #Canada. Music publicist, media and publicity for politicians, individuals, brands and businesses. I will be fighting for #pressfreedom in Senate and house hearings to remove the criminal defamation law out from the Nigerian police criminal code. It was SECRETLY added a few years ago in a democracy for matter. In most modern countries, defamation is CIVIL. I must protect the mass comm and journalism students and all reporters. I have 13 years left in Nigeria and will be off to the USA to collect my pension from all three careers. Soon Nigeria will be left with a government without media or a media without government. My passport has being seized so I cant travel out to even take assignments. It is a travel document tied to my JOB. The spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu has cautioned Nnamdi Kanu and all those behind the agitation for Biafra nation to desist from it as such will never happen. According to DailyPost, the spiritual leader said this while addressing a congregation of adherents and guests at the Church headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Sunday, the Clergyman disclosed that the agitators were after their own pockets. He said the agitators should rather emphasise on unity, love and forgiveness for one another in the country. How many of those agitating for secession actually witnessed the last Biafra war? Or are they looking for another war? Do they think Nigeria will fold its arms and watch them? They can go ahead with the referendum. Anybody who wants to go with them can so. They should stop this Biafra thing because it will never work he emphasised. The spiritual leader used the opportunity to again assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will not die but will return to the country with good health to complete his tenure. President Buhari is executing an assignment saddled him with by God, adding that those unhappy with his efforts at combating corruption and exposing those that have misappropriated state resources are those bent at seeing his end. God will not allow them to end the life of the president. The president is on special assignment by God. Until he finishes it, he will not die. He will return to the country with good health, he declared. Some selected governors of the Peoples Democratic Party are scheduled to leave Nigeria today to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London. It was gathered that the visit was being organised by the office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.). It was not clear if the NSA was responsible for the governors who were picked for the trip. Our correspondent learnt that the six governors were picked from the six geo-political zones of the country. Listed among the six governors are Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo). The four governors are from the South-South, South-East, North-West and South-West respectively. Our correspondent could not verify the identities of the two other governors, who are expected to come from the North-East and North-Central. A governor, who is not among those travelling to see Buhari, said those chosen for the journey were picked outside what he described as the Nigeria Governors Forum. He added that he was surprised when he heard about the journey from one of his counterparts, stating that if the secretariat and the governors had been contacted, the governors would have picked at least one of the PDP governors that had been critical of the President. He said, Our colleagues are going to London to see the President. But Im not happy that someone like the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, or his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is not on the delegation. Though there are PDP governors on the delegation, we know ourselves and also know those we know are truly part of the opposition and those close to the ruling All Progressives Congress. The governors had been directed to be at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, tomorrow (Tuesday). From there, they will fly to the United Kingdom. The governors are expected to have lunch with the President before returning to the country on Wednesday. A governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity with The PUNCH on Monday night, confirmed that some governors mooted the idea, but said he would not want to speak on the planned visit. Yes, they mentioned it (visit); some APC governors mooted the idea but I dont want to say anything on that for now, the governor stated. Buhari, who is currently receiving medical treatment in London, the United Kingdom, had, on Sunday, hosted the APCs National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and four state governors inside the Abuja House in the British capital. The release of the photograph of the meeting, the first of such since the President left the country on May 7, raised hope that Buhari might soon return to the country. Recently, a Hairdresser who was reported missing has been found raped, murdered and dumped in a banana plantation The hairdresser, Rose Nakimuli The residents of Nkumba Central, Wakiso District of Uganda were left in a state of shock on Monday after the body of a hairdresser identified as Rose Nakimuli, 27 was found n*ked and a stick inserted in her private part. She was found dumbed at a banana plantation. According to Daily Monitor , this comes barely three days after a 17- year-old girl, Norah Wayana was discovered killed in the same manner and body dumped in a banana plantation near her parents home in the same area. Mr Anatori Ndyabajeera, the deceaseds husband said he last saw his wife on Sunday evening. I was with my wife on Sunday at 5pm, after which I left for my home in Kawafu zone. Later, I called her phone at 7pm to check on her and we chatted for some good minutes, he said. However, this morning I tried to call her but she wasnt answering her phone and I was saddened to hear that she had been found dead. Mr Emmanuel Kibirige, the Kitala youth chairman called on residents to work together and ensure that this new kind of terrorism stops in the area. Nakimuli has become the fifth woman to lose her life in the seemingly increasing serial murders in the area. Entebbe District Police Commander Godfrey Ninsiima told journalists at the scene that so far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the murders. He said a 10pm curfew has been imposed in Entebbe Town and the neighboring Katabi Town Council as a measure to curb the ongoing murders. We already have suspects in custody. Some are already in Kigo Prison. Its an organized group with ill intentions targeting women, he said. Kampala Metropolitan South Regional Police Commander ACP Siraje Bakaleke called on women to avoid moving alone at night and warned that bars that would be found operating beyond 10pm would be closed. We are not going to sleep. We have started making operations in Entebbe and have introduced bylaws to curb the increasing murders, he said. Yakubu Sadiq and Ayemojuba Saidi after they were caught Two notorious robbers have been caught and paraded by the police in Lagos State. A 26-year-old man, Yakubu Sadiq, a robbery suspect was caught by Okada riders and handed over to the Police when his gun went off prematurely during a foiled robbery operation at Igboelerin area of Lagos, according to a report by Vanguard. Sadiq was caught alongside his partner identified as one Ayemojuba Saidi, during weekend foiled robbery attempt, said he normally hired his operational gun for N5,000. The gang operates by burgling apartments, while occupants were away at their respective work places. Speaking with Vanguard, Sadiq confessed he usually received between N18,000 to N20,000. We are seven members in the gang. We usually robbed motorcycles and sold them at give away prices. We board motorcyclestwo persons on each. On the way, we would order the riders to get down. Thereafter, we would take the motorbikes to where we would sell them at give away prices. My share from the sale of stolen motorcycles ranged between N18,000 and N20,000. I rent guns from a friend who I met at a smoking joint. At the end of each operation, I pay him N5,000. At times, we would look out for apartments whose occupants had either gone to work or market. We would go in from the kitchen and remove electronics. We usually sell the television sets at Alaba Market for between N15,000 and N17,000. We do converge at FOA Primary School, Cassidy, to smoke before embarking on any operation. At times we dispossess passers-by of their valuables if we did not succeed in any operation. he said. Narrating how he was arrested, he said: The gun I had gave me away. Chucks and I went to Igboelerin to snatch a motorcycle as usual. As I was about to mount the motorbike, a bullet from the gun exploded, causing the motorcyclist to raise the alarm as he took to his heels. The motorcycle landed on me and before I could regain my balance, other motorcyclists descended on me and handed me over to the Police. Police sources hinted that Sadiqs partner in crime, during the foiled robbery attempt, Saidi, had also been arrested, while efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang. EU ambassadors intend to discuss extension of sanctions against Russia due to Siemens scandal Ambassadors of the European Union countries in Brussels on July 26 will discuss the expansion of the sanctions list against the Russian Federation due to the scandal with the turbines of Siemens, the Yevropeiska Pravda edition (the European Truth) reports with reference to Twitter of Radio Liberty's Brussels correspondent Rikard Jozwiak. "EU ambassadors will on Wednesday discuss whether to add four people on its Russia sanctions list over the wind turbine scandal in Crimea, Ukraine," Jozwiak wrote. Earlier Reuters reported that Germany called on the European Union to add four more Russian citizens and companies to the sanctions list due to Siemens turbines, Yevropeiska Pravda said. One European official said that the list could include Russian officials from the Ministry of Energy and a Russian company that transported the turbines. Hundreds of women defied an early morning downpour in Kano and took to the streets on Tuesday in a rally against rampant cases of rape of girls and minors in the state. The protest march,which was organised by old students of St, Louis Secondary School, Kano, and some professional women bodies in the city, was aimed at drawing attention of the authorities to the phenomenon. The women, carrying placards with inscriptions such as Real men dont rape, Enough is enough and We say no to rape said they would march through selected streets to the Kano House of Assembly. A leader of the women groups, Nana Gwadabe, is scheduled to address reporters at the end of the protest. Source: (Premium Times ) Firmenich, Mars, Danone partner on vanilla farming investment Firmenich, together with Danone and Mars, through the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (Livelihoods 3F), is investing in what it describes as a large-scale, innovative vanilla farming model in Madagascar. Firmenich, together with Danone and Mars, through the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (Livelihoods 3F), is investing in what it describes as a large-scale, innovative vanilla farming model in Madagascar. Involving 3,000 vanilla producers, the project aims to increase farmers food security and triple their revenues, while providing high-quality, sustainable and fully traceable vanilla over a 10-year span. Vanilla is one of the most popular flavours in the world, and Madagascar represents 80% of its supply, said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. Thats why Firmenich has been working with smallholder farming communities in Madagascar for many years to support their sustainable livelihoods by driving the most ethical and traceable value chain. Taking our commitment to the next level, with Livelihoods 3F, we are innovating with a new vanilla farming model, based on diversifying farmers crops for more balance and security. In light of the recent rising vanilla prices and todays market scarcity, it is critical for us to invest in innovative solutions if we are to continue protecting the best that nature has to offer, said Eric Nicolas, Board Member of Livelihoods 3F and Chief Financial Officer, Firmenich. This investment secures the livelihoods of local farmers for the long-term, ensuring they receive approximately 60% of cured vanillas value. We believe the Livelihoods-Vanilla project can make a difference because it enables farmers to regain control of their vanilla production, and vanilla users of their sourcing, said Bernard Giraud, Cofounder & President of Livelihoods Venture. Through the Livelihoods Fund, private companies, NGOs and public authorities can combine their commitments and efforts to support a mutually beneficial model over the long term in the economic, social and environmental spaces. Fanamby, a Madagascan NGO, will implement the project as a cooperative, owned-directly by the farmers. Projected to train 3,000 local farmers on both sustainable practices and crop diversification over 5 years, the project aims to not only increase vanilla productivity and quality but also enable farmers to have a more balanced daily food intake. Launched in February 2015, Livelihoods 3F aims to help companies sustainably source the materials they need from smallholder farmers while improving their productivity, incomes, and living conditions. It will convert 200,000 farms to sustainable farming practices. The fund will invest 120 million euros by 2025, providing upfront financing and technical support to NGOs and farmers cooperatives across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Firmenich notes that it has a long-established presence in Madagascar, since 2005, having developed its first partnership with Authentic, a member of its Naturals Together program. Today the Savanille cooperative, founded by Authentic, includes over 3000 vanilla farmers across 38 villages. To best support the Savanille community, based on their input and in collaboration with Authentic, Firmenich has contributed to establish a local school, to build a medical dispensary, and to dig at least one clean water well in every village. Americans Are Saving Less. Heres How to Save More. Young & The Invested - Sat Nov 12, 6:00AM CST Several recent data studies show that Americans, after saving heavily during the pandemic, are starting to pull money from those savings. We discuss how to maintain healthy savings habits. Hog Prices Closed Mixed Barchart - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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 - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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 - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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 - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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 - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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 - Fri Nov 11, 4:21PM CST 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%) Arrested in London ex-Ukrspecexport chief Serhiy Bondarchuk has asked for political asylum in the U.K., Deputy Chief of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Yevhen Enin has said. Enin told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday that because Bondarchuk had applied for political asylum, British courts had set aside requests filed by Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies to extradite him until the asylum request is adjudicated. Enin said hearings on asylum would not begin earlier than November 2017. "I think, in the best case scenario, they will commence in November," Enin said. As earlier reported, Bonadrchuk in March 2017 was released in London on bail. PGO spokeswoman Larysa Sarhan said court hearings on his extradition were scheduled for March 24. On January 21, 2015, the chief military prosecutor's office said that Bondarchuk was suspected in embezzling $7.428 million from the state-run company. He is suspected under Part 5 of Article 191 (gross embezzlement via abuse of office under a preliminary collusion by a group of persons) and Part 2 of Article 366 (fabrication caused serious consequences) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. On January 29 the investigating magistrate of Pechersky district court of Kyiv permitted to detain the former head of Ukrspecexport and sent him to court to decide on his arrest. The court also arrested assets of the suspect - $10 million at one of the Ukrainian banks and two Range Rover cars worth over UAH 2 million. In February 2015 the Interior Ministry of Ukraine put Bondarchuk on the wanted list. Interpol placed former head of Ukrspecexport Serhiy Bondarchuk on the international wanted list on June 15, 2015. Bondarchuk headed Ukrspecexport from March 2005 through June 2010 and signed the largest arms deals in Ukraine's history with China, India, Thailand and Iraq. Ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in February 2010 awarded Bondarchuk the "Hero of Ukraine" medal for outstanding services to the state in the development of Ukraine's Armed Forces. From 2010 Bondarchuk was a member and later head of the political council of Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Party. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser A disabled woman was allegedly struck in the head with a sign on Saturday by a Colorado Springs, Colo., self-storage employee who reportedly told her she was trespassing. Rachel Flanary was walking home from a nearby store when she became dizzy and stopped to rest on the sidewalk in front of Stetson Commons Self Storage on Tutt Boulevard, according to the source. After two or three minutes, a man came out to confront her, allegedly hitting her in the head with the sign and repeatedly telling her to leave. "I just thought that was completely inappropriate to do to someone who is on the ground [and] can't get up, Flanary told the source. It was just really degrading." Flanary indicated the dizziness she experienced was connected to her medical disabilities, though the report doesnt detail her ailments. Its also not clear from the report what the sign was made of or its size. No description or identification of the employee who confronted Flanary was provided. A related video posted to Facebook by Flanary has been viewed more than 11,000 times, the source reported. ORO STATION, Ont. July 24, 2017 Tyler Hawn returned to OSCAAR Super Late Model and OSCAAR Modified action on Friday night at Kawartha Speedway. Hawn turned in a pair of strong performances with a sixth-place finish in Super Late Model competition and a runner-up result in his No.2h Hot Rod. Hawn finished third in his Hot Rod qualifying heat before driving to a second-place finish in the Feature. In four Hot Rod Series starts, Hawn now has two wins and two second-place finishes. That car is just an amazing car, Hawn said. Its a bit tight, but I dont think we really need to do much to it because were fast. All of the hard work really pays off with this car. Its just really fun to drive. In Super Late Model action, Hawn also raced to a third-place finish in his 12-lap qualifying heat. In the 50-lap main event, Hawn ran as high as fourth before settling into fifth. With five laps to go, Hawn slipped to sixth after a hard fought battle with Derrick Tiemersma just in front of the race leaders. I got the move over flag (because the leaders were coming), Hawn explained. I heard Derrick and I thought it was the leaders. Coming out of the corner, he just gave me a shot. It was nothing intentional; it was just a racing thing. He just wiggled me and got past me. BY that point in the race, the car was so tight, Im surprised he didnt pass me earlier. While Hawn was not unhappy with the sixth-place result, he is obviously still searching for ways to improve on the finish and regain the speed he showed throughout the 2016 season. In the Super were fighting a lot of gremlins right now, Hawn said. The car is there, but it just gets really tight on the long runs. Its nothing that we would have ever expected. Were slowly tracing back our steps. Maybe weve pushed it too far and we have to backup. Were going to go back to the drawing board again and check all out suspension components like we always do. Maybe we just need to go a little more depth. Hawn lacked confidence on the larger tracks OSCAAR visits, like Kawartha, Delaware and Jukasa speedways, he admitted. After a handful of races on the longer configurations, Hawn believes hes making strides in the right direction. Im gaining a lot more confidence, Hawn said. I grew up a Barrie Speedway guy on the short, bullring tracks. These bigger tracks, like Kawartha and Jukasa, I have to figure it out, but I have a little more confidence and Im getting more comfortable. So much so that Hawn is actually looking forward to a 2018 return trip to Kawartha Speedway. I really do like this place. This place is really fun with lots of space, lots of speed and very smooth, Hawn beamed. The pit area is nice. Theres no dirt. If you have to work under the car, youre not laying in gravel. Its really nice and I think we need to have more races here. Despite the struggles for his Hawn Motorsports team, Hawn was quick to credit his sponsors and crew for their hard work and support to prepare the pair of Foxs Bakery / TSS Top Shops / Watsons Garage No.2h cars. I have to thank all my guys, Hawn said. We work endless hours and long days at the track. We all have a lot of fun. Even though it gets frustrating, we still leave here with a smile on our face. Hawn will next be in action at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday, July 29 for the Don Biederman Memorial. Race time is 6:00pm. For additional information, including ticket pricing and a full schedule of events, please visit www.flamborospeedway.ca. TYLER HAWN SEASON STATS Super Late Model 7 Starts: 0 Wins, 5 Top-5s, 7 Top-10s Hot Rod 4 Stars: 2 Wins, 4 Top-5s, 4 Top-10s TYLER HAWN MEDIA LINKS Facebook at facebook.com/HawnMotorsports Twitter: @Hawn42 and @HawnRacing HAWN MOTORSPORTS MARKETING PARTNERS Tyler Hawn is proud to partner with several dedicated marketing partners for the 2017 race season, including Foxs Bakery and Deli, TSS Top Shops, and Watsons Garage. PORT HOPE, ON (July 24, 2017)- Winning is important, but consistency is a key component of weekly racing success. In the highly competitive Organics & Glass Late Model division at Peterborough Speedway, Port Hope, Ontarios Bryan Mercer scored his second straight second place finish on Saturday, July 22. After winning the nights first qualifying heat and finishing sixth in the next round, the 44-year-old, second generation racer took the main event green flag from outside of the front row. Looking for a spot in the preferred lower line of the venue known as Canadas Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval, Mercer relied on a little help from his spotter to help him settle into third spot in the running order. From there, he found his rhythm and ran some comfortable laps while looking for a chance to move closer to the front of the field. You have to be careful to not push the car too hard to chase a spot that isnt really within your reach, Bryan Mercer said. We dropped back a little as the leader pulled away, but in a 30-lap feature there are bound to be some yellow flags. Theyll help bring the field closer together and give a driver the chance to put together a new game plan. The caution he was looking for, the only one of the race, came on lap 20 and brought the frontrunners back in touch with the leader. On the restart, Mercer lined-up directly behind the first-place car, but more importantly, on the preferred inside line. The feature race had become a 10-lap shootout and the #81 machine was in contention for the win. In the final stages, Bryan Mercer stayed close to the leader and kept looking for an opening. As the pack was running the final lap, a door opened coming off the second turn, but as quickly as the opportunity presented itself, it was gone. Second place was as good as his night would get, but the driver looked at the big picture after the event. We started the night about a dozen points behind the first-place car in the overall standings and finished a couple of spots ahead in the main event. Were gaining ground week-by-week and thats what its all about. For the 2017 season, Bryan Mercers program is supported by Sines Flooring, Durmach Tooling, Beyond Signs & Design, Cressman Tree Service, Glass One Autoglass, Facility Services, National Shunt Services, MASS Environmental, Everwood Property Maintenance, Murray OBrien Re/Max, Erics Auto Body and Pioneer Gas Bar Port Hope. Clarke Motorsports Communications provides media and public relations services for the #81 Late Model team. Bryan Mercer returns to action Saturday, July 29th at Peterborough Speedway. Follow the team behind the scenes and at the track by liking the Mercer Motorsports page at www.facebook.com. Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports 613.968.6410 Peterborough, ON (July 24, 2017)- A week after celebrating his 20th birthday, Bailey Jacobs demonstrated the skills of a racer more than twice his age, as the young speedster from Warsaw, Ontario led all 50 laps of the Thunder Car main event on Saturday, July 22 at Peterborough Speedway. Starting on the outside of the front row, next to his friend Tyler Bouillon, who was wheeling the machine Jacobs drove to a pair of feature race wins last season, the 2015 Rookie of the Year took an early lead, then worked through traffic to perfection to take the win. Not even a late race caution flag with three laps remaining could keep the hard-charger from what may very well be the biggest win of his career. In victory lane, the humble, soft-spoken former go karter praised the hard work of his father, Tyler Handley, Luke Handley and Jay Peacock, the #60 cars crew. At times, it may have seemed like an uphill climb to find the race-winning set-up, but this team never stopped working, Bailey Jacobs said. Were in the shop making changes to make the car better and even after a good night, we still want to find ways to get more speed and improve the handling in an effort to get to victory lane. Jacobs had as close to a perfect car as the team has ever brought to the track known as Canadas Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval. From the drop of the green flag, he took control of the field; rolling out to a lead of almost half a straightaway over the second-place car. The car would go anywhere it was pointed and its driver started lapping backmarkers with about laps showing on the scoreboard. A daring three-wide pass, splitting a pair of slower cars in the first turn, got the crowds attention, but didnt delay the leaders charge. Just a day short of the anniversary of his first stock car win, Bailey Jacobs held a hot hand to take his first checkered flag of 2017. Ive got to say thanks to the people who support this team at the track and behind the scenes every week. They certainly make what we do worthwhile. For 2017, the #60 Jacobs Motorsports Thunder Car program is proudly sponsored by M&M Disposals, Keene Truck, NAPA Lakefield, T.G. Quirk Towing, Dart Heating & Air Conditioning, Parkhill Excavating, Close Quarters Tree Removal, Chemong Home Solutions, Klotz Canada, Newco Glass, Chris Mitchell Racing and Clarke Motorsports Communications. Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports 613.968.6410 Goldman Sachs Group made a risky decision to invest in $2.8 billion in bonds issued by Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state-owned oil giant, and not just owing to its emerging markets status. Venezuelas opposition party leader Julio Borges criticized the deal as an aid to a dictatorial regime. He wrote to Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein that the bank wanted to make a quick buck off the suffering of the Venezuelan people. The bond deal prompted a question: How can money managers ethically invest in emerging markets? Most investors at least occasionally consider environmental and social governance (ESG) policies, according to a 2016 Preqin alternative assets outlook report. On July 5, armed backers of President Nicolas Maduro stormed Venezuelas National Assembly, an attack the U.S. State Department condemned. Goldmans critics fear that its deal financially helped Maduros government. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also voice worries about human rights violations in Venezuela. Reuters Breakingviews wrote that Goldman ought to have a better nose for a problematic deal. Venezuelas central bank previously owned the PDVSA bonds. Goldman believes the situation in the country must improve over time, says a spokeswoman. Goldman bought the bonds, issued in 2014, on the secondary market and did not interact with the Venezuelan government. Goldman holds the bonds in funds and accounts managed for its clients, she states. Many mutual funds, index funds and ETFs also hold PDVSA bonds, she adds. BlackRocks iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF has Venezuelan holdings, for example. BlackRock did not respond to a request for comment. One must distinguish between giving a clearly corrupt and deficient government new funds or just buying bonds on the secondary market, says Schroders Jim Barrineau. Still, he notes, investors may have been caught off guard by Goldmans investment in Venezuela at this time. Opposition party members say the nations unpopular president increased its poverty and hunger. Emerging market countries generally dont starve their populations, says Barrineau. More asset allocators are looking more closely at ESG owing to Goldmans deal, says Nick Ndiritu, a portfolio manager for Allan Gray Africa ex-SA Equity Fund and Africa ex-SA Bond Fund. Pension funds, in particular, increasingly express interest in paramount ethical considerations in emerging markets, he says. Goldman recognizes the nature of Venezuelas crisis and the evolving situation, says its spokeswoman. We agree that life there has to get better, and we made the investment in part because we believe it will. In January, Ndiritu notes, Mozambique failed to make an interest payment on some tuna company bonds. This too shows the need for caution in emerging markets. Mozambique said it would miss a $59.7 million coupon payment on bonds due in 2023, reports the government-funded MacauHub website. Mozambique likely borrowed too much, Ndiritu says. He says investments made mindful of ethics will likely favor investors long-term, but emerging economies are tough. He often relies on secondhand information, published reports or memoranda, as government officials infrequently help. Allocators dont always understand the difficulties of operating in developing markets, and some may have specific investment criteria they put before cultural challenges. A checkboxes approach to ESG investing does not insure you, Ndiritu says. By focusing on democratic countries, an asset allocator may miss potential problems beyond government ruleand may also miss good investment opportunities in more dictatorial nations, too. Its a lot more nuanced than allocators realize, Ndiritu says. Despite ethical questions in Zimbabwe, for example, he says some companies have honest management teams and encouraging revenues. Increased digital transparency and access to secondary markets make it more difficult to hide behind a cloak of anonymity, says Barrineau. When a government gets proceeds and uses them to suppress citizens, you know its happening, Ndiritu says. Weather-related losses are hurting insurers bottom lines. During the first half of 2017 alone, US insurers paid out $15.5 billion to cover the claims that resulted from severe weather. That makes the period the second-costliest half-year on record. Search and compare insurance product listings against Auto Damage from specialty market providers here Those payouts are hitting insurers in the wallet. On Thursday, The Travelers Companies reported a 10.4% slide in Q2 profit. The drop was driven largely by high catastrophe losses and analysts expect American International Group, Allstate, Hartford Financial Services Group and Arch Capital Group to report similar losses in the coming weeks, Reuters reported. And the forecast isnt particularly encouraging for the future. Right now, at least, the frequency of severe weather shows no signs of letting up. Meteorologist Steve Bowen told Reuters that severe storm systems the kind that bring hail and high winds have traveled steadily out of the Rocky Mountains and into the central and eastern US throughout the year. Weve seen this type of pattern many times before, but the frequency has been higher this year, Bowen told the newswire. Plus, these events have impacted densely populated areas, which drives the financial loss. Since most insurers dont automatically hike their rates in the wake of a severe weather event, many have turned to reinsurers to shore up their profits, Reuters reported. Ally Financial put reinsurance in place during the first quarter, after car dealerships it insures were damaged by severe hailstorms. Still, the bank suffered $42 million in weather-related losses during the first quarter, the newswire said. Related stories: Aon Benfield reveals global economic natural disaster loss total Cost of last years floods adds up for French insurers The National Flood Insurance Program is facing a flood of its own repeat claims.Over the last two decades, the number of properties reporting a second loss has increased by 67%, according to Evan Hecht, president of The Flood Insurance Agency.The number of properties that have had a third loss has increased 56%, Hecht said ats recent CAT Risk 2017 Masterclass.The Federal Emergency Management Agency defines a repetitive-loss property as one that has two or more claims of more than $1,000 over the course of 10 years. A severe repetitive-loss property has had at least four claims of more than $5,000 each, or at least two claims that total the buildings current value, according toThere are 11,000 severe repetitive-loss properties in the country, and that number is growing largely due to the effects of climate change,reported.Joe Rossi, chairman of the Marshfield and Massachusetts coastal coalition and a member of a FEMA task force aimed at improving the flood claims process, said that extreme flood-risk properties only account for a small fraction of the NFIPs five million active flood policies but they account for about 30% of its claims.These properties give the program a bad name, when the program was designed so no-one could be labeled non-renewable, Rossi told. The rates for these structures are significantly higher; they dont get off scot-free. There are penalties.The NFIP, which must be reauthorized by the end of September, is almost $25 billion in the red, Emergency Management reported. Unsurprisingly, discussion surrounding governments role in free markets with large corporations can be contentious, but its critical to understand that laws and regulations serve a purpose. To what extent regulation is appropriate has always been a hotly debated issue. The conversation is shifting from a debate on regulating large corporations to governments role in tech companies ability to innovatethose like Uber, Airbnb and many insurance upstarts. Today, most consumers in the U.S. have computers in their hands more powerful than IBMs biggest computer just a few years ago. Technology impacts our lives in more meaningful ways than ever before, and at an increasingly accelerated pace. I had the privilege of addressing the issues surrounding technology regulation on a global stage in March at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival, which takes place every year in Austin, Texas, where my company, The Zebra, is headquartered. During a featured panel titled Is Government Disrupting Disruption? Mark Cuban and I discussed the political impact on tech companies at a global, national and local level. When is government a boon to innovation, and when does it run the risk of disrupting disruption? At The Zebra, weve built a business addressing the consumer pain felt as a result of the complex regulatory environment that is property/casualty insurance. Our quote comparison marketplace leverages technology to help increase the efficiency of what has become accepted as the status quo in insurance distribution. Without delving too much into my own story, Ill state a few relevant reasons I started this business: The increasingly ubiquitous consumer expectations for optionality and immediacy (which are still, to a large extent, unfulfilled). The lack of understanding of insurance the different products, distribution, general value, etc.among consumers, including my own family and friends. My experiences working in international insurance markets and observing the success and widespread use of insurance comparison tools, and my consequent questioning of why that sort of solution didnt exist yet in the U.S. My understanding of both the limitations and opportunities of the state-level insurance regulatory environment in the U.S. The former two indicated to me a need for a solution, while the last two drove my business planone which would disrupt the $200 billion-plus personal lines insurance industry. Regulation created both a barrier and an opportunity when I first conceived of bringing a true online auto insurance comparison marketplace to the United States. Regulation created both a barrier and an opportunity when I first conceived of bringing a true online auto insurance comparison marketplace to the United States. Such a marketplace didnt exist here because each state regulates insurance independently, setting different requirements for minimum liability coverage, uninsured motorist coverage and how insurance companies can price for certain rating factors, among other things. My team worked hard to navigate the insurance industry, and we used its highly regulated nature to our advantageseeking publicly available information, building relationships with state insurance departments and understanding how insurance carriers evaluate risk. The nature of The Zebras business model is, among other things, applying existing technologies to the data we obtain from carrier partners, rating platforms and publicly available rating information collected by state insurance departments to provide education for consumers on our platform. Consumers submit information once, and we immediately run that data through our proprietary technology to source full quotes from all applicable insurers for those consumers. A quote includes the coverage levels, effective dates, policy features and more, versus just the rate. The Zebra also goes beyond the quote and educates the user on how variables such as age, miles driven and region impact the rating. We view the insurance regulatory environment as a barrier to entry for incumbents or other newcomers looking to disrupt the industry. However, it can be an advantage when there is this much nuance and complexity. It is the reason we chose to take a different approach and to innovate with cutting-edge technology. However, there are many cases in which regulation has slowed our efforts to the detriment of both consumers and insurance carriers. Perhaps the biggest challenge is educating consumers on such a complex, overmarketed and therefore misunderstood productone which they are required to purchase. For licensed agents, all the sales infrastructure and licensing fees add to both carrier acquisition costs and consumer rates. The varying regulation state to state confuses folks who are not in the industry and results in dumbed-down or oversimplified messaging. Consumers dont know what to shop for, and carriers are forced to compete on pricing rather than product and brand differentiation. The steep and slow-moving regulatory environment hinders insurers ability to respond (particularly from an underwriting standpoint) to new technology and market conditions. This ultimately harms the consumer, despite the purpose of trying to protect them. The 13 percent rise in claims through 2016 while premiums only rose 7 percent highlights the profitability challenges now affecting consumers. (Editors Note: Source of direct premium and loss changes, Brian Sullivan, Auto Insurance Report, based on an analysis of preliminary SNL Financial data, March 27, 2017.) At The Zebra, we see carriers using our platform to get more and more targeted in their acquisition strategies, leaving more and more consumers with reduced options. Carriers can specify what type of consumer they are looking for. All of these challenges prompted Cuban, moderator Michele Skelding, an Austin tech executive, and me to discuss governments role in tech at SXSW. Cuban, though known more for his Shark Tank stardom and courtside antics as owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has led, advised and financed many companiesThe Zebra includedand has navigated government regulation time and again. He is a true entrepreneur. In fact, during our panel, he discussed the time Uber CEO Travis Kalanick approached him with the concept of a new app-based ride-hailing servicean idea Cuban spurned because he questioned any new companys ability to take on taxi associations and transportation organizations. (Editors Note: Cubans remarks about seeing the regulations of taxi associations as an obstacle to investing in Uber were also reported by the Dallas Morning News and on CNBC.) Consumers will ultimately win, evidenced by the adoption of ridesharing and success of TNCs (transportation network companies). The insurance industry is currently seeing challenges and opportunities from technological innovation in the form of AI and driverless vehicles, enhanced safety technology, IoT. These arent just buzzwords. Theyre real and powerful innovations that are changing the ways we get around, communicate and learn. Many insurance industry players are already taking advantage of these advancements, and others will be left behind. What the industry wants to know, though, is whether the government will help or hinder that process. For instance, with what many believe will be the onrushing prevalence of autonomous vehicles, consider if the government were to apply strict restrictions around rollout of this technology (testing periods, etc.). How could that affect adoption? As automakers have the capabilities to add enhanced safety functionality or more environmentally friendly systems, might the government enforce strict regulations that require all new vehicles to be outfitted with said technology? And does that help automakers become more competitive, or does it inhibit their strategy by adding red tape? Does that benefit insurers more by potentially reducing losses due to collision claims, or raise premiums as those vehicles prove more costly to repair and replace? If the government cracks down more on distracted driving, which has proven to be nearly as deadly as drunk driving, how will that affect the insurance industry? Currently, data compiled by The Zebra reveals that carriers are not penalizing texting while driving or phone use violations anywhere near the extent to which theyre penalizing DUI/DWI violations. Yet, the industry claims that fatalities are up because of distracted driving. Would they support government requiring phone makers to enact phone disabling when the owner is operating the car? I realize Im raising more questions than answering, but thats the point. In the insurance industry, we welcome insurtech, and we need to foster its growth by engaging in these conversations as technology and other markets evolve. Topics Carriers Legislation InsurTech Tech Market Over the past day, militants have fired on Ukrainian army positions 27 times in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) area, as a result of which three servicemen of the Armed Forces have been injured, the press center of the ATO headquarters reported. "Over the past day, illegal armed formations have violated the cease fire regime 27 times. Three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded. In response to enemy provocation, ATO forces opened fire mainly from small arms, heavy machine guns and grenade launchers," the headquarters said on Facebook page on Tuesday morning. In the Luhansk sector, the illegal armed formations opened fire on the positions of the Armed Forces from small arms and large-caliber machine guns near Donets, Malynove, Katerynivka, Novozvanivka and Stanytsia Luhanska. And around 21:00, a group of militants, during the reconnaissance, tried to approach the positions of the ATO forces near the village of Triokhizbenka. The Ukrainian military found the enemy and forced it to retreat with the help of small arms. In the Mariupol sector, the militants attacked Ukrainian strongholds from grenade launchers near the villages of Lebedynske, Krasnohorivka, Novotroyitske and Shyrokyne. Two Ukrainian soldiers were injured as a result of firing from the small arms positions of the ATO forces near Bohdanivka. Approximately at 23:00 illegal armed formations used mortars of 120 and 82 mm caliber in Krasnohorivka. In Donetsk sector, two Ukrainian strong holds near Avdiyivka and Butovka mine came under the mortar and grenade launcher fire. In addition, at 21:00 militants attacked ATO forces from the grenade launcher in Svitlodarsk region. As a result of this shelling, a serviceman of Ukraine's Armed Forces was wounded. The press center of the ATO headquarters said that after each shelling by the illegal armed formations Ukrainian servicemen opened fire. According to operational data, the militants have losses, both in troops, equipment and armament. As the legalization of recreational marijuana sales in Maine nears, a legislative panel has spent months pondering the best way to tax pot to bring in state revenue, fund regulatory enforcement and discourage the illicit market. In November, legalization of recreational marijuana was approved. Possession of recreational marijuana became legal this year, while the Legislature pushed back the legalization until at least February. The referendum included licensing fees as well as a 10 percent tax on sales by retail marijuana stores and social clubs. I think well definitely be increasing (the tax) to some level, said Democratic Rep. Teresa Pierce, co-chair of the Legislatures joint marijuana legalization implementation committee. But nothings been decided yet, said Pierce, who added there may be a special session in October for a vote on a final bill. Committee co-chair Republican Sen. Roger Katz said the committee is meeting often and hopes to wrap up its work by September. The Legislature approved $200,000 for the committee and $1.4 million to the state for the costs of putting together marijuana regulations, including consultants. Meanwhile, medical marijuana dispensaries and advocacy groups so far this year have reported spending more than $265,000 on lobbyists to sway officials. Legalize Maine has reported spending $32,000, while Maine Professionals for Regulating Marijuana has reported spending nearly $85,000. The regulations will govern issues from the use of pesticides to growing for personal consumption, and the Legislature faces further votes on a bill to set up a system of labs to test marijuana. Pierce said that overall, the idea is to learn from states like Colorado. We are really trying to make sure we give opportunity for small grows to happen, so people who dont want to be big industrial marijuana producers can be in the market, Pierce said. That could look like a market almost akin to the craft beer market, she said. One of the biggest issues ahead of lawmakers is deciding what the tax is, how its structured and where the money will be directed. Katz said the idea is for licensing fees to cover the states regulatory and enforcement costs, with tax revenues possibly going toward public health programs to discourage youth marijuana consumption or efforts against impaired driving. He said lawmakers share the concern of finding that sweet spot so were not driving people to the black market. But the head of a marijuana legalization campaign is pushing back against talk of a 20 percent tax. Twenty percent is too high, said Paul McCarrier, president of Legalize Maine and a board member of Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine. The tax needs to be 10 percent to make sure we dont encourage an illicit market. Maine already has an active cannabis economy. Maine is looking at examples from others states, some of which also allow local taxes. Colorado has a 15 percent excise tax and 15 percent sales tax on marijuana, while Oregon has a 17 percent sales tax and Washington has a 37 percent excise tax. Alaska, meanwhile, has a tax of $50 per ounce (28 grams) of marijuana. And in Massachusetts, where voters also legalized recreational marijuana last fall, the Legislature sent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker a bill for a 10.75 percent excise tax on top of the states 6.25 percent sales tax. Taxes on medical marijuana, meanwhile, are generally lower. Medical marijuana in Maine is subject to a 5.5 percent sales tax. How recreational marijuana is going to relate to the existing medical marijuana program is a real issue for us, Katz said. But, he said of Maines medical marijuana program: Were not going to touch that, we dont feel its within our purview at the moment. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Cannabis Maine G.F.H. Insurance Agency Inc., a Richmond, Va.-headquartered insurance broker, has acquired Peyton, Cheely and Woodle Insurance of Richmond, Va., effective June 12, 2017. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Peyton, Cheely and Woodle has a long history in the Virginia personal lines property and casualty insurance market, servicing clients for more than 72 years. With this acquisition, G.F.H. Insurance will expand its personal lines property and casualty client base and the number of carriers it represents as an independent agency. G.F.H. Insurance serves the Virginia and North Carolina markets for personal and commercial property and casualty insurance. The agency will operate under the G.F.H. Insurance Agency Inc. name from its Richmond office following the transaction. We are excited to bring two organizations together that concentrate on the relationship side of the insurance business, said G.F.H. Insurance President Gerald Hemphill in a company press release. Acquiring Peyton, Cheely and Woodle adds a firm with its own rich history, enabling us to offer more choices, provide the highest level of customer service, and reach new heights as an expanded organization. Source: G.F.H. Insurance Agency Inc. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Property Casualty Virginia Australias consumer watchdog said on Monday it was urgently seeking information from the government regulator and car manufacturers after a magazine reported that recalled Takata air bags were being replaced by faulty air bags. Australian consumer magazine Choice discovered car makers were refitting faulty Takata air bags in recalled vehicles as a temporary solution after questioning 14 car manufacturers in Australia. Many confirmed that a percentage of the vehicles were refitted with like-for-like replacements and would need to be recalled again, Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said. The Japanese-manufactured air bags have been linked to 18 deaths around the world by firing metal shards when deploying, including a man killed this month near Sydney. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the consumer watchdog, said some of the 2.3 million recalled cars in Australia had been fitted with Takata air bags treated with a water-absorbing chemical designed to address the problem. But these may also degrade and the air bags may need to be replaced in six months, the commission said in a statement. Car manufacturers and retailers must let consumers know when they are having their cars air bag replaced what type of air bag it is being replaced with and if its likely to be the subject of another recall down the track, the commissions chairman Rod Sims said. The commission was seeking information from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, which is responsible for automobile safety standards, what information manufacturers and retailers were required to give customers about their air bags. Sims said he would consider recommending the government upgrade the current voluntary recall to a mandatory recall, if the manufacturers were not correcting the faults quickly enough. Around 36 percent of the recalled cars in Australia covering 60 makes and models had been rectified, Sims said. Takatas headquarters in Tokyo issued a brief statement about the case, saying, We pray for the victim and offer condolences to the family members. If the recall applies to a vehicle you own, please contact your dealer. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Australia Manufacturing Aetna Inc. announced it has acquired UK-based Bupa Groups Thai business, Bupa Thailand, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will significantly increase Aetnas presence in Asia, and is key to the companys strategy to go broader and deeper into local healthcare markets, the company said in a statement. This is a significant and exciting expansion for Aetna in Asia, and clearly demonstrates our commitment to investment and growth in the region and globally, said Richard di Benedetto, president of Aetna International. Thailand is an important market for us, with increasing local wealth driving greater adoption of health insurance. Aetnas wide product portfolio, together with an excellent talent and knowledge base transferring from Bupa, will put us in a very strong position in the local market, he added. Bupa Thailand was established over 30 years ago, and is Thailands leading specialist health insurer, with more than 300,000 members and a network of over 400 healthcare providers in the country, said Aetna, noting that Bupa Thailand will continue to operate under the Bupa brand for a short time before rebranding as Aetna. Source: Aetna Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Sleneem Enterprises LLC, a franchise operator of Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop in Romulus, Mich., has been sued by federal officials for allegedly failing to provide religious accommodation to an employee. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the company violated federal law by refusing to permit an employee to wear a skirt instead of pants in accordance with her religious beliefs. In its lawsuit, the EEOC charged that employee Amanda Corley wore a skirt to work at the Tim Hortons Romulus location instead of the standard uniform pants. She did so pursuant to her Pentecostal Apostolic faith. When she attempted to present a letter from her pastor explaining why she could not wear pants, management refused to accept the letter and informed her she was fired. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which requires employers to provide reasonable religious accommodations to employees. The EEOC filed suit (Case No. 2:17-cv-12337 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking injunctive relief prohibiting Sleneem from discriminating against other employees who need religious accommodations in the future as well as lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages and other affirmative relief for Corley. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Michigan Executives of retail and wholesale property/casualty brokers, who have heard predictions about disintermediation for years, are not worried about the latest wrinkle in the stories of their demisethe rise of insurtech disrupters with digital platforms. Steven DeCarlo, chief executive officer of AmWINS, summed up their thoughts in three words: Bring it on. Speaking during a CEO broker panel at the S&P Global Ratings Insurance 2017 conference last month, DeCarlo responded to a question posed by S&P Director Julie Herman whether insurtech startups or existing carriers, such as Berkshire Hathaway, Travelers and Allstate, launching direct-to-customer initiatives in the small business commercial insurance space creates a long-term threat to brokers. At the very beginning, when we wanted to raise capital, everyone said, You will be disintermediated,' DeCarlo said, thinking back to the launch of AmWINS over a decade ago. My response was, Maybe. Here we are [today] with a billion dollars in revenue, up from when we started when we had $10 million in revenue. I'm a believer in retail clients. I'm a believer in local relationships. To avoid disintermediation, a broker has to bring value, he said. I sure as hell am not worried about insurtech disintermediating what I do for a living. Theyd better be good at their jobs because Im damn good at sales, he continued. They can be damn good at technology, but theyd better find the retail client. Im a believer in retail clients. Im a believer in local relationships. Im a believer in people, and Im a believer that technology can change the way we do business. I am not worried about a guy buying a policy at 10:00 at night to disintermediate me. Bring it on. As for insurers selling direct, Im not worried about insurance companies thinking they can do sales, he added. They cant. Trust me, they cant. You come to me, and I get 700,000 submissions today, and I can reduce frictional costs and I can deal with quality retailers who trust me to take care of their clients in a way Ill never get noticed. I think I can win that game, he said, noting that he has his own on-staff tech experts working on technology plays for AmWINS. Referring to one insurtech in particularLemonade, a technology company that writes insurance and pays claims using artificial intelligence and behavioral economicsDeCarlo dismissed the claims of success as propaganda. If I had started Iced Tea [or] a slick-named firm instead of AmWINS,I could go out and do propaganda. I dont do propaganda. I do insurance and I do insurance sales. The only disintermediation that worries DeCarlo would come about if his wholesale brokerage firm wasnt providing value to retail broker clients. If I cant solve retail brokers needs, they will fire me, he said. DeCarlo noted that small retailers cannot invest in analytics, data, processing, and they dont have the bandwidth and technology to compete in the digital economy. But they do trust me, he said. And I think I can bring them product because Americans shop. They rarely just buy direct from one opportunity. Thats why theres Amazon, right? People shop. I believe Im a helper in how they shop for products. Marsh and Aon What about retailers like Marsh and Aon? Are they immune from disintermediation? Herman asked Daniel Glaser, CEO of Marsh & McLennan, and Greg Case, CEO of Aon. Conversely, given your firms extensive focus on technology, data analytics, are there efforts underway to partner with insurtech as the value proposition is evolving? she added. Glaser responded: I hope that were always at the risk of disintermediation because thats what keeps us on our toes. Any company, whether its an advisory firm or a capital provider, can be disintermediated unless they increase the value that they offerand should be disintermediated if theyre not increasing the value. The determinant of that value is the client. When I came into the business in 1982, I was reading articles that were written in 1977 about disintermediation. I think theres a fundamental threat but not a fundamental reality. Addressing insurtech firms directly, Glaser said he doesnt think theyre actually geared toward disintermediation or necessarily disruption. Glaser also noted that the reason for a predominant focus of insurtech on distribution is clear. What VC [venture capital firm] would want to put their money into something that is highly capital-intensive and highly regulated? Clearly, going toward distributioncloser to the clientmakes a lot of sense from my perspective. Aons Case picked up on Glasers remarks. My colleague just said it here: This is about relevance, pure and simple. Of course were going to be investing in technology. Well just be more relevant, Godspeed. If investment in data analytics helps us be more relevant to our clients, were going to go for it. For us, this is not about the zero-sum game. Its about a battle for relevance. If were not relevantwhether you call it disintermediation, whatever you want to call ityoure going to decrease in magnitude. Youre going to decrease in scale. Our [aim] is all about trying to change that and to make a difference with clients. Fundamentally it isnt about insurtech. Its literally about relevance on behalf of the clients. Bullish on Brokers The S&P session began with a two-question poll of the audience of insurance financial executives and analysts, asking first whether they were bullish or bearish about prospects for insurance brokers, and then whether carriers or brokers are better positioned in the insurance value chain. Brokers won on both fronts, with nearly 71 percent of respondents saying they are bullish about broker prospects and brokers winning out over carriers, with 46 percent giving brokers the nod in the value chain and 33 percent going with carriers (21 percent were undecided). Case took issue with the question. We are very optimistic about our industrynot brokers or carriers, about our industry and our industrys ability to actually make a difference, he said. The whole question of broker versus carrier for us is a little bit misdirected. For us this is and has to be about delivery for clients every day. Understanding client needs, measuring client needs, dealing with client needs[which] in many respectsare greater than ever before. Its got to require greater innovation on all of our parts. Weve got to innovate faster than our clients on the topic of risk in every way, shape or form, he said, citing cyber insurance. According to Case, companies reported cyber losses in excess of $450 billion last year, yet the industry generated $2.5 billion in premium, much of it probably written from this panel. Our view is this isnt about brokers and carriers. This is about the clients and how we serve clients in an effective way. In that regard, my gosh, theres never been more risk out there, never been more volatility, [and] never been more opportunity for the industry to make a difference. Stressing the same point in response to a later question about market dynamics, Case said that Aon is focused on the demand side of the supply-demand equation and that insurance buyers are worried about many risks that the insurance industry is not addressing. In fact, referencing Aons bi-annual Global Risk Survey (published in April), Case noted that only half of the top 10 risks that treasurers and CFOs say are affecting their businesses are insured. Weve got to innovate, said Case. This shouldnt be about solving the same pie and reassessing it, he said, referring to competition among suppliers. It should be about increasing the size of the pie in a way our clients see it. Asked later about the prospect of bringing third-party capital to the table, Case opined that theres room for more capital, highlighting more survey results. The opportunity to serve clients on a global stage, on the topic of risk, is fundamentally unprecedented. To look at it any other way is just missing all thats out there from the clients view. We dont even have to start with the emerging risks. Of the risks they face today, the top 50, were serving a fraction. The Global Risks report shows that only a dozen of the top 50 risks impacting clients are insured. The opportunity to fundamentally expand how we think about helping clients understand, measure and mitigate risk is fundamental. It is unprecedented, and its sitting here. How we react to it as an industry is up to us, but we have to act. If we dont, our relevance goes down; if we do, our relevance goes up. In that context, alternative capital is another source of opportunity. Were matching capital with risk. In the end its going to help, we hope, expand the opportunities on behalf of the clients, expand the industry, and youve seen us take steps to try to make that happen and do that It isnt about, again, brokers and carriers. It isnt about alternative capital and traditional capital. Its about client needs and the opportunity to just flat out address them, Case said. Advisors Not Distributors Glaser objected to Hermans description of the panelists as distributors in phrasing a question about industry opportunities. I dont think thats what we do as brokers. If anything, were evaluators of product rather than distributors of it, adding that he believes a lot of carriers still think of brokers as distributors of their products. Generally I view that as inside-out thinking, as opposed to focusing on what the clients needs are. Glaser is bullish about the advisory role of brokers. Giving historical perspective about industry changes, he said, Ten years ago capital was king. The insurance companies generally promoted themselves focusing on their capital, their rating, their financial strength, their solvency view, etc. We live in a world now with super-abundant capital, so in some ways capital as a value has reduced somewhat in our clients eyes. I cant tell you the last time a client talked to us about solvency type of risk. On the other hand, the world has gotten much more dynamic and complex. Its natural that the need for advice has risen, he said, noting that this means brokers are currently better positioned along the value chain because of their proximity to clients and advisory skills. Thats an immediate benefit. Its not necessarily a permanent one. I would expect both brokers and insurance companies to recognize that we all serve clients, we all exist to serve clients, and our job is to increasingly provide additional value to clients. Whether thats on risk mitigation, risk avoidance, risk management or whatever those topics are, over time I would expect insurance companies and brokers to be very much focused on the risk issues and not necessarily just on the capital insurance risk-transfer issues, he said. Sclafane is senior editor for Carrier Management, where the original version of this article first appeared. Related: Topics Carriers Agencies InsurTech Tech Aon Heads of the U.S. financial regulatory agencies will meet behind closed doors this Friday to discuss MetLife Inc.s lawsuit against them, according to a notice from Treasury, as the Trump administration wrestles with reforms put in place in response to the financial crisis. The regulators, who comprise the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), and MetLife both asked earlier this month for another pause in the long-running case in which the countrys largest life insurer has challenged the federal governments decision to label it as too big to fail. The appeals court has not yet said whether it will grant an abeyance. More than a year ago, U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer struck down the councils designation of MetLife as systemically important, which signifies that it could devastate the financial system if it failed and which triggers stricter oversight. Collyer said the label was arbitrary and capricious. The administration of former Democratic President Barack Obama immediately appealed. Republican President Donald Trump, however, has expressed skepticism about the designation process, and the FSOC has ordered the Treasury Department to review both. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who chairs the council, also has said its work should be evaluated. Both sides of the lawsuit have said the appeals court should put the case on pause until Mnuchin finishes his review. In May, the court granted a 60-day abeyance, which expired this month. Only two other insurers Prudential Insurance and American International Group still carry the systemically important label. According to the Treasury notice, the council will also receive an update on the designation of one of the insurance companies and discuss Mnuchins recent recommendations to change a rule on proprietary trading, commonly called the Volcker Rule, in next weeks executive session. In a June report Mnuchin suggested easing up on the Volcker rule, which restricts banks ability to place speculative market bets. On Friday, banking regulators said they would review how the rule is being carried out to ensure that foreign funds are properly exempted. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Tom Brown and Leslie Adler) Topics Lawsuits USA U.S. building owners should review what materials their structures are built with following a deadly fire in London that showed how flames can quickly cover a high-rise, devouring it from the outside, fire experts said Friday. An Associated Press review found that the manufacturer of the panels used in the London tower said the same panels were used in some U.S. buildings. However, many building owners were unaware of that. British authorities are investigating whether those Reynobond PE panels and other materials helped spread flames across the doomed Grenfell Tower. I think the public has this awareness of this stuff they never had before, and the building owners have more awareness, said Robert Solomon, a fire protection engineer with the National Fire Protection Association. That awareness is prompting a renewed look at exterior materials often called cladding at several U.S. buildings. Local fire marshals are among the best resources for anyone concerned about a buildings safety, said Jon Narva, a spokesman with the National Association of State Fire Marshals. The fire marshals are going to be aware of the circumstances surrounding the Grenfell fire, and they should be able to help any concerned building owners with finding out information, Narva said. Officials are awaiting test results to determine if the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel, which rises more than 30 stories over the citys harbor, used Reynobond PE panels. New York-based Arconic Inc. has stopped selling those panels for use in high-rise buildings. In general, U.S. buildings made of concrete, steel or glass will merit few concerns, Solomon said. If you have something thats not in those three categories, people are starting to take a look at that, Solomon said. Building owners with concerns can remove a two-story section about 10 feet wide and test it for fire spread a roughly $30,000 full-scale test to see how the entire section as it is constructed on the building reacts to fire, Solomon said. One of the things we periodically hear is that its too expensive to test all these combinations of materials, Solomon said. As a fire engineer, I just scratch my head. You think $30,000 is too much to spend on a $50 million building project? Though Marriott officials say they are awaiting test results on the building, the company has not specified what type of testing is being done. If dangerous materials are found in any building, options include removing the materials entirely, changing how much of the material is used or changing where its used on a building, Solomon said. Innovative solutions such as an exterior sprinkler system that can send water raining onto a buildings outer walls have also been discussed in the United Arab Emirates, where some high-rise buildings have burned in recent years, Solomon said. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics USA London Members of the American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA) and the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) have approved a merger of the two associations, creating the new Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA). According to the joint announcement, 89 percent of the AAMGAs votes and 93 percent of NAPSLOs votes were in support of the merger and affirmed the creation of the WSIA, effective August 1, 2017. The AAMGA said it received 270 of 348 eligible member votes representing a 78 percent quorum of its membership. NAPSLO said it received 241 of 452 eligible member votes representing a 53 percent quorum of its membership. WSIA has been developed through a very thoughtful and purposeful process, said Hank Haldeman, Merger Committee chair. He said members voted for more than a simple merger of the two existing organizations. Instead they have endorsed the creation of a new world-class member services association that will serve the entire wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry. Haldeman said the merger committee envisioned an association that will offer members even greater services and value in one new organization. WSIA will be governed by a board of directors that includes both legacy organizations members. Corinne Jones, AmWINS Access, will serve as president. It is an honor to serve as the first president of WSIA, and Im looking forward to the work thats ahead, said Jones. This merger is not simply a refresh or rebrand of two legacy organizations, but a brand-new association dedicated to developing and strengthening the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry. This is an exciting time for our association, said NAPSLO President Dave Leonard. In April, boards of directors for both the AAMGA and NAPSLO approved the merger proposal, an agreement and plan of merger, and a board resolution to merge. The merger proposal outlined the material terms in connection with the merger of the AAMGA and NAPSLO, outlined the process and timing of the merger and documented the terms and conditions applying to the merger. WSIA will become operational on August 1, and the integration of programs and events will begin immediately. One of the first opportunities to participate at WSIA will be at the WSIA Annual Marketplace, formerly the NAPSLO Annual Convention, which is Sept. 10-13 in San Diego. Members will see the WSIA brand incorporated into all programs and services in coming months, as we offer a combined slate of education programs that includes all the same opportunities that each organization has traditionally offered, said Brady Kelley, WSIA executive director. Kelley said WSIA will also continue its forum for its under-40 members by combining the programming and events of the AAMGAs Under Forty Organization and NAPSLOs Next Generation into WSIAs U40. Source: WSIA Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Excess Surplus Oklahoma XS Brokers, an independent insurance brokerage in New England, has expanded the company into the Southeast, opening a new office in Orlando and hiring Lori Ault as executive vice president and territorial manager. The firm now has five offices, including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and two locations in Massachusetts. This is XS Brokers third office expansion within the past year. Adam Devine, CEO, said the company sees a tremendous amount of growth opportunity in this region. The new Orlando location will allow XS Brokers to meet the needs of clients throughout the entire Southeast and will provide space to accommodate the growth of employees and business in this territory. Lori Ault, hired to build and manage the XS Brokers independent brokerage brand within this new territory, has experience in commercial property/casualty, professional/financial lines, as well as third party administration. Prior to joining XS Brokers, she was a senior vice president at Admin America, Inc., where she created new territory launch strategies. Prior to that, she worked in business development, sales and marketing for several brokerage firms. Last year, XS Brokers added 14 new work associates and plans to hire five to 10 people at this newest office location. XS Brokers Insurance Agency, Inc. is headquartered in Quincy, Mass. Topics Florida Agencies Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said that there is no an extensive strategy for development of the transport sector in Ukraine and he is waiting for the draft document from the Infrastructure Ministry. "The situation in the Infrastructure Ministry sphere is the same: railways, ports, transportation by air unfortunately we do not have any strategic vision in all these areas. The Infrastructure Ministry should propose the development strategy: where we are going, what we want to make with airports and how the river transport will be developed," he said in an interview with Channel 5 TV asked about the conflict between Minister Volodymyr Omelyan and Ukrzaliznytsia Board Chairman Wojciech Balczun. He took the situation with regional airports as an example. "Today the Kherson airport is face to face [with the market]. We must support itWe should describe how we will develop the Boryspil hub, Kyiv Zhuliany airport, Hostomel, which could be the main airport for low cost airlines, how we will develop airports Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Odesa and others," he said. He said that the strategy should foresee the complementary construction of all types of transport, including for passengers. As for accusations of corruption against Ukrzaliznytsia, the prime minister said that he sends all similar applications to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). He said that he is waiting for the result from all top managers of the sector and he will help the Infrastructure Ministry to reach efficiency. A 59-year-old Mississippi woman has been indicted on criminal charges, with prosecutors saying she lied when she reported falling at a Walmart store. State Attorney General Jim Hood said Friday that Dianne Bullock of Jackson is charged with one count each of insurance and wire fraud. The indictment charging Bullock says she filed a complaint with Walmart in 2015 saying she slipped and fell while shopping at a store in McComb. Authorities say surveillance video showed the fall never happened. The Clarion-Ledger reports Bullock would face up to eight years in prison and $15,000 in fines if she was convicted of both counts. She turned herself in to the Pike County Sheriffs Department. It was not immediately known if Bullock had an attorney representing her. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Mississippi San Diego, CA, July 25, 2017 Atlas General Insurance Services, LLC (Atlas), a national multi-line program administrator, has once again been selected by the San Diego Business Journal as one of the one hundred fastest growing private companies in San Diego. Atlas received this acknowledgment based on total generated revenues throughout 2014, 2015, and 2016, but more than business operations are analyzed. The San Diego Business Journal commemorates companies whose ambitions drive them to a high level of success through innovation internally and externally. We are honored to be one of San Diegos fastest growing private companies for the fifth consecutive year, said Bill Trzos, president and CEO of Atlas General Insurance Services. As Atlas continues to grow, our success remains attributed to our committed clients and dedicated employees who continue to evolve with us. Each year an increasing amount of companies qualify as nominees for the prestigious list, which recognizes San Diego County-based businesses that are either independently or privately held. For more information, visit the San Diego Business Journal website at SBDJ.com. About Atlas General Insurance Services, LLC Atlas General Insurance Services is a full-service program administrator that offers a wide range of insurance solutions. Atlas has expertise in developing and underwriting programs with a variety of insurance carrier partners. Atlas provides exceptional service and unique options for clients seeking workers compensation, commercial lines, and specialty property coverage. For more information, visit atlas.us.com. Media Contact Nicole Marino Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications (858) 529-6750 nicole.marino@atlas.us.com Panoramica privacy Questo sito web utilizza i cookies per fornire all'utente la miglior esperienza di navigazione possibile. L'informazione dei cookie e memorizzata nel browser dell' utente, svolge funzioni di riconoscimento quando l' utente ritorna nel sito e permette di sapere quali sezioni del sito sono ritenute piu interessanti e utili. Top News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) Facial and Body Recognition Patent Application Received a Notice of Allowance San Diego, CA - November 9, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) with GBT Tokenize Corp. ("GBT/Tokenize") received a notice of allowance for its facial and body recognition non-provisional patent application. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Enters into Agreement with Newgate Motor Group, one of Ireland's most Recognized Auto Groups, to Distribute the Mullen I-GOTM in Ireland and United Kingdom BREA, Calif. - November 9, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle manufacturer, announces today that it has entered into an agreement to appoint Newgate Motor Group, one of Ireland's most recognized dealership groups, as marketing, sales, distribution and servicing agent for the Mullen I-GO in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Although cryptocurrencies have been studied and argued for a long time, they are just now becoming known as financial tools t Update 7pm: A French court is expected to rule in the coming weeks on whether a former journalist can stand trial in his absence for the 1996 murder of a filmmaker in Ireland. Authorities in Paris have failed twice to extradite Ian Bailey over the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, with the Irish High Court branding the latest attempt an "abuse of process". The 39-year-olds badly beaten body was found on an isolated hillside in Toormore, near Schull, west Cork, two days before Christmas in 1996. Under French law, investigators can look into the death of one of their citizens overseas and seek a prosecution. Originally from England but living in west Cork since the mid 1990s, Mr Bailey was twice arrested in Ireland in connection with the murder but never charged. He vehemently denies any involvement in the death. Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions decided that he should not be prosecuted. After Judge Tony Hunt refused to order his extradition, Mr Bailey, 60, from The Prairie, Liscaha, Schull, said he expected the decision to be appealed. He said he had no indication of legal developments in France but expressed sympathy with Ms Toscan du Plantiers family. "I know they believe, for whatever reasons, that I had something to do with the death of their daughter and Im very sympathetic. But I had nothing to do with it," he said. "It would be good from my point of view if a new piece of evidence came to light or somebody admitted the truth, but I dont suppose thats going to happen." Last year in Paris, an indictment of voluntary homicide was issued by the investigating magistrate, Nathalie Turquey, against Mr Bailey and a European Arrest Warrant was sent to Irish authorities. The penalty for the offence is up to 30 years in jail. An appeal was lodged by lawyers acting for Mr Bailey in France and a ruling on the indictment is expected in the Paris Court of Appeal in the next few weeks. It is understood that will determine if Mr Bailey can be put on trial in his absence. The Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (Assoph) - founded by the dead womans family to campaign over her murder - said the latest failed extradition bid was expected. Spokesman Jean Antoine Bloc said: "We have been waiting for 20 years for justice and we are no longer expecting anything more from Ireland." The first application to extradite Mr Bailey was refused by the Supreme Court in Dublin in 2012. Judge Hunt found that decision should block any new application. He also criticised the second attempt to extradite Mr Bailey when the DPP had decided that he should not face charges. "(The application) is also refused because, in the unique circumstances of this case, further proceedings seeking surrender on the fresh warrant constitute an abuse of process," the judge said. Mr Bailey has not worked as a journalist for many years. He is currently trying to sell a collection of poems he has compiled. He lost a marathon lawsuit against the Irish state over the handling of the Ms Toscan du Plantier murder investigation and a claim that detectives had tried to frame him. A decision on an appeal in that case is expected this Wednesday. Mr Bailey has also suggested that he should be put on trial in connection with the murder in Ireland. Ms Toscan du Plantier was married to the late Daniel Toscan du Plantier, a major player in French cinema who had close contacts with the upper echelons of government in Paris. Her son Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud, who was 14 when she was murdered, has told RTE that he wants to see Mr Bailey on trial. "I am confident that we will get the answer. Im not sure if it will be tomorrow, in one month, in one year, in 10 years. But I must get the answer for my grandparents before they die," he said. "Im 35 and I will wait for justice to be done and justice will be done one day, for sure." Mr Bailey, who moved to Ireland from Cheltenham, admitted during the failed lawsuit to beating his partner Jules Thomas three times. The fallout from the case was not limited to the exposure of Mr Baileys domestic violence, cannabis use and heavy drinking or assessments by Irelands senior law officers that gardai botched the initial investigation. As part of disclosures in the lawsuit, it emerged that phone calls at Garda stations countrywide were recorded for years without the publics knowledge. The courtroom defeat in his bid for damages was the second Mr Bailey suffered after he lost libel actions in 2003 against several newspapers over their reporting of the murder investigation and naming him as a suspect. Update 4pm: Ian Bailey says he expects the Minister for Justice to appeal todays decision not to extradite him to France. Authorities there applied for him to be surrendered after deciding he should stand trial for the voluntary homicide of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Mr. Bailey said he was pleased with todays result but expects it to be appealed. He again insisted hed nothing to do with the violent death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996 and said he hoped her killer would come forward, but wasnt too confident of that happening. The Ministers barristers werent in court for todays judgement and its not yet known if there will be an appeal. The French authorities previously indicated their intention to try Mr. Bailey in his absence. Earlier: The High Court has refused to order the extradition of Ian Bailey to France in relation to the death of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier, dismissing the Minister for Jusitces application as an "abuse of process", among other reasons. Mr Bailey (60) of The Prairie, Liscaha, Schull, west Cork, denies any involvement in the death of Ms du Plantier, who was found dead outside her holiday home in Schull in December 1996. French authorities previously sought the surrender of Mr Bailey in 2010 but this application was refused by the Supreme Court in 2012. A second extradition request was transmitted to Ireland last summer, seeking the surrender of Mr Bailey for alleged voluntary homicide. French authorities have previously prosecuted people for crimes committed against French citizens outside of France. Mr Bailey, who claims gardai tried to frame him for the killing of Ms du Plantier, could be tried in France in his absence. Refusing the surrender of Mr Bailey today, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the Minister was estopped or halted from obtaining an order for Mr Baileys surrender in light of the Supreme Courts judgment in 2012 on identical relevant facts. Mr Justice Hunt said he would also refuse surrender because, in the unique circumstances of this case, it was an abuse of process for five distinct reasons for the Minister to seek surrender on the fresh warrant. Mr Justice Hunt also said he did not need a reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), as had been requested by the State. He said the Minister and his successors were disappointed litigants and it appeared to him that the underlying theme of the Ministers application was a conviction that the majority of the Supreme Court were in error in 2012. A five-judge panel of the Supreme Court refused to surrender Mr Bailey in 2012 and four of the five judges upheld Mr Baileys argument that section 44 prohibits surrender because the alleged offence was committed outside French territory and Irish law does not allow prosecution for the same offence when committed outside its territory by a non-Irish citizen. Opposing surrender at a High Court hearing in May, counsel for Mr Bailey, Garrett Simons SC, said there was no way around the Supreme Court decision in 2012. Mr Simons said section 44 of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003, which implemented the European Framework Decision on extradition between member states, was determined by the Supreme Court as an absolute bar to Mr Baileys surrender and that that bar continued to apply. In a written judgment handed down today, Mr Justice Hunt said he believed the application should be dismissed an abuse of process for five reasons. Firstly, he said there was the binding and conclusive decision of the Supreme Court on the extra-territoriality issue. Secondly, five years had passed since that decision and it was now 21 years since the death of Ms du Plantier. Apparently, neither the Minister nor the French authorities considered it appropriate to furnish any information by way of explanation for the elapse of time, Mr Justice Hunt said. I do not know when or why Mr Bailey moved from being a suspect to a person required for prosecution. Thirdly, there had been no engagement by the Minister of the French authorities with the unusual fact in an extradition case that Mr Baileys alleged involvement in the death of Ms du Plantier had been comprehensively and repeatedly investigated and considered by the police force and prosecuting authorities in Ireland. The DPP concluded long ago that there is no basis for either (a) charge or trial on this matter in this jurisdiction, and unusually, a comprehensive statement of reasons for this prosecutorial decision came into the public domain during the previous Supreme Court proceedings. Neither the warrant nor the Ministers application for surrender engages with this situation at all. It is simply suggested by the Minister that such matters are not relevant to the surrender request. I am unable to share this sanguine viewpoint, Mr Justice Hunt said, adding that this was a significant omission. In effect, proceedings were issued for the involuntary surrender of a person entitled to the protection of our laws and Constitution for a trial and possible imprisonment for 30 years, ignoring or regarding as irrelevant the comprehensive determination by Irelands domestic legal process that the allegation giving rise to the request could not justify the preferment of a charge, let alone trial and conviction. I believe I am entitled to regard this highly unusual state of affairs as a contribution to a finding of abuse of process in this case, Mr Justice Hunt said. Fourthly, even if it were subsequently decided that the Supreme Court was wrong, it was highly debatable whether that would result in the rendition of Mr Bailey and the forfeiture of the earlier ruling in his favour. Fifthly, Mr Justice Hunt said he considered the conduct of the first proceedings. He said the tactical decision to proceed on all fronts, notwithstanding manifest difficulties . makes the current position of the Minister untenable. These proceedings amount to no more than a belated and direct challenge to that outcome (in the Supreme Court). In the absence of any material change of circumstances and unless and until the Supreme Court agrees it fell into error in the manner in which section 44 was interpreted, I cannot regard proceedings issued in such circumstances as other than an abuse of process of this (High) Court. Such a conclusion will not be reached lightly in extradition litigation, but the unique features of this case justify termination of the process on this basis at this time. Furthermore, he said the doctrine of precedent also disposed of the matter in Mr Baileys favour. The principle that the High Court follows the Supreme Court is so long established that it rarely requires expression. He said the binding effect of the Supreme Court decision on legal issues went beyond the parties to or facts of the case. In the unlikely event the High Court was faced with a surrender request involving different people in identical circumstances, the High Court would still be bound to follow the Supreme Courts interpretation and application of section 44. In relation to issue estoppel, Mr Justice Hunt said there was no reason to exempt extradition proceedings from the rationale that public policy required a definite and decisive end to litigation. There was the same interest in finality and certainty in relation to outcomes, and the need for parties and courts to avoid being vexed repeatedly with issues previously and conclusively decided as between the same parties. He said the second warrant was different and must be assessed individually but the Minister could not point to any relevant change in legal or factual circumstances which would allow the High Court to take a different view of the extra-territoriality issue. Mr Justice Hunt said he did not consider it necessary to obtain the opinion of the European Court, as had been requested by the Minister. Mr Justice Hunt said it appeared to him that the theme underlying the Ministers second extradition application was a conviction that the majority of the Supreme Court were in error in deciding the previous application in the manner they did. Unlike most disappointed litigants, the Minister and his successors had the power to amend the legal position applicable to that ruling if it was genuinely felt the Supreme Court had incorrectly interpreted section 44 in the light of the framework decision, as was submitted by the Minster in this case. No steps had been taken in that direction. Instead, the Minister now seeks to take advantage of the fact that a reference tot he Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to the interpretation of the Framework Decision is now possible from the Irish courts. It is suggested the earlier interpretation (by the Supreme Court) could be overturned (by the European Court) if a preliminary reference to the European Court resulted in an opinion which suggested that the Supreme Court was in error. Mr Justice Hunt said the correct interpretation of the national provision has been specifically, finally and conclusively determined in proceedings between the same parties by a court whose decisions are final and conclusive under the Constitution. An assertion that the Supreme Court incorrectly decided the previous case does not permit the High Court to proceed to adopt the minority view. If that were the position, the work of the courts would expand exponentially and no legal advice could be offered with any degree of certainty. Speaking outside court, Mr Bailey said: I tend not to have reactions to this long ongoing ordeal. Obviously Im pleased and delighted with the judgement of the judge today and I thank judge Hunt for that judgment. I would also thank my legal team who have been amazing. Its not the end of it because the State will almost certainly appeal that decision today. Its noticeable that the State who took this case against me and have put me through a form of torture for 20 years on-and-off, were not even represented in court today. There was nobody there, which is astonishing. Later this week we get a decision on whether I have a new civil appeal. Thats happening on Wednesday. I would think the sate would almost certainly appeal this decision today so its not the end of the matter. He said he did not know if the French would go ahead with a trial in his absence. When asked if he had a message to the French, Mr Bailey said: I have always said, Im very sympathetic to the family and I know that they believe for whatever reason that I had something to do with the death of their daughter. And Im very sympathetic, but I had nothing to do with it. I cant say very much more than that. Firefighters and police have been injured as they battled wildfires in the French Riviera and on the island of Corsica. Eight firefighters and some 15 police officers were hurt in the fires which broke out on Monday and consumed nearly 9,880 acres of vegetation, according to French authorities. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), located in Strasbourg, has passed its ruling on a complaint against Ukraine related to the loss of government control over the part of the territory of Luhansk region, according to the ECHR's press release published on the court's website on Tuesday, July 25. The applicant, Oleksandr Khlebik, is a Ukrainian national born in 1974. In April 2013 Khlebik was convicted by a court in Luhansk region of, among other things, banditry and armed robbery; he was sentenced to eight years and nine months' imprisonment. "His appeal against this conviction was still pending when hostilities started in Eastern Ukraine in April 2014. He remained detained in Starobilsk remand prison, awaiting examination of his appeal, located in the part of Luhansk region controlled by the Ukrainian government. However, his case file remained with the Court of Appeal, in Luhansk, which is not under Government control," the press release reads. Khlebnik then lodges an appeal against Ukraine to the ECHR, claiming that the state infringed his right to fair trial within a reasonable time. "In today's Chamber judgment in the case, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been no violation of Article 6 1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court came to the conclusion that the Ukrainian authorities had done all in their power, under the circumstances of the hostilities in Eastern Ukraine, to address Mr Khlebik's situation. Notably, they had duly examined the possibility of restoring his case file," the ECHR said. Ukrainian authorities not responsible for appeal remaining unexamined due to inability to retrieve criminal case file from area beyond their control, the court said. The port said trade in exports and imports as measured by tonnage rose 2.9% in the first six months of the year from a year earlier, the slowest since the 2% growth recorded in the first half of 2013 when the economic recovery was getting underway. But the growth slowdown was not linked to the effects of Brexit but was due to a leveling off after exceptional growth of previous years, a spokeswoman said. According to the research which was first reported by online journal Quartz, the five countries are used by multinationals to re-route capital to what it calls sink offshore centres to avoid tax. Researchers Javier Garcia-Bernardo, Jan Fichtner, Frank Takes and Eelke Heemskerk said they identified new ways of detecting the conduits and the offshore centres by examining complex ownership structures of global firms. Improving business in the groups biggest market, on top of a 15% rise in second-quarter core earnings sent Philips shares up as much as 4%. The Dutch health technology company, which spun off its lighting division last year to focus on medical devices and healthcare products, cautioned that markets globally remained volatile and its overall outlook for 2017 was unchanged. In western Europe, it reported an 8% rise in second-quarter sales but a 10% drop in orders, but investors were encouraged by its performance in the US, which contributes more than a third of group revenue. US sales grew 4% in the first quarter from a year earlier, the fastest growth in more than a year and rebounding from a 2% slip in the first quarter. However, news of the offer and Easter-strengthened first-quarter figures did little to help Ryanairs shares, which fell by 3.7% in early trading before paring back to close the day down 1.1%. The stock is up by around 23% since the turn of the year. The Italian government placed loss-making Alitalia into special administration in May. Ryanair has been linked to the Italian airline for some time initially saying it would be interested in co-operating with the business rather than buying it. However, last month Ryanair boss Michael OLeary said that the Irish carrier would consider a bid once Alitalia was restructured by the administrators. At that stage, it was reported that over 30 parties had expressed an interest in Alitalia, albeit for specific assets such as planes or airport slots rather than the business as a whole. However, by the end of last Friday, the deadline for non-binding offers for Alitalia, 10 were reportedly lodged, including that of Ryanair and Etihad Airways, which currently owns 49%. Interested parties have until October to lodge binding offers. If no buyer is found Alitalia will likely be wound up, as the Italian government has no interest in re-nationalising the airline. Speaking yesterday, Ryanairs chief financial officer Neil Sorahan said that as the largest carrier in Italy, with a 30% market share, it is important we are involved in the process. If it [Alitalia] is restructured to an extent where it can make money then its of interest; if it cant then its not, he added. He said Alitalias short-haul business seems to have little or no future, but that the long-haul feed potential Alitalia operates more than 30 US routes and numerous more to South America and the Asia-Pacific region is interesting. Ryanair has been looking at connectivity deals with a number of carriers, including Norwegian Air and Aer Lingus, for some time; whereby passengers can use Ryanair flights to link with their long-haul carrier and have their baggage automatically moved between the two. Mr Sorahan said Ryanair hopes to get at least one such partnership deal done before the end of this year. Ryanairs first-quarter figures, covering the three months to the end of June, showed a 55% year-on-year increase in after-tax profits to 397m and a 13% rise in revenue to 1.91bn. However, annual comparisons were heavily skewed by this years inclusion of the Easter holidays, which fell in March (the end of Ryanairs traditional fourth quarter) last year. Nevertheless, the company has stuck with its after-tax profit guidance of 1.4bn-1.45bn for its current year, with average fares set to fall 5% in the first half. First-half passenger numbers are expected to grow by 11%. Ryanair also said any bilateral deal allowing for flights between the UK and the EU to continue should Britain leave the EU Open Skies agreement will be needed by autumn 2018 if it is to be ratified by remaining EU member states before the formal March 2019 Brexit date. The clock is really ticking. Every day which slips by makes it [the prospect of a halt to UK flights] more possible, Mr Sorahan said. Responding to reports that Irelands largest private landlord is asking tenants for the money, Labour spokeswoman on housing, Jan OSullivan, called on the minister, Eoghan Murphy, to urgently refer the case to the Residential Tenancies Board to check the legality of charging a double months rent as a deposit. Leasing company, Irish Residential Properties Reit (IRES), owns around 2,400 apartments in the greater Dublin area. The Government needs to urgently move to test the legality of the practice of Reit before it becomes the norm, and renters who are already being squeezed by a tough market suffer even more, Ms OSullivan warned. Earlier this month, the Dublin Tenants Association held a protest outside the IRES head offices to draw attention to the rising cost of renting and to highlight vulture fund activity in the housing market. The Labour TD added that the Government has now been presented with a real opportunity to implement the deposit retention scheme that was legislated for in 2015. Labour fought hard to secure this new scheme and it is disappointing that Fine Gael is dragging its feet on this much-needed protection that is common in many other countries, said the Limerick TD. Minister Murphy could use this legislation to bring in regulations to prohibit companies like REIT from charging sky-high rates to tenants who wish to secure their properties. It comes as the governor of the Central Bank defended measures introduced by both the Government and the bank by claiming soaring house prices are simply a reflection of a growing economy. Rapidly rising house prices have been blamed on the decision of the central bank to relax its lending rules for first-time buyers as well as the Governments help to buy scheme. However, Central Bank Governor Philip Lane said: The idea that there is a bubble and the only thing that moved was our rule what has really moved is the economy. Employment growth in the economy is very strong. The fundamentals of any housing market are employment growth, income growth and interest rates. Policy rates are low, market rates are low. Mr Lane said in an interview that, in the absence of other market opportunities, there are now a lot of people with a lot of cash thinking property is the best use of their savings. So you have a situation where there are a lot of factors contributing to the increase in property prices, he said. Back in 2015, the central bank tightened deposit rules by requiring first-time buyers to pay a 10% deposit for the first 220,000 of the property and 20% on the balance. However, this 20% requirement was eased. Mr Lane said: When we looked at the data last year, only 11% of first-time buyers above 220,000 were being hit by our rule. So we decided to simplify the rules so that it was 10% for all first-time buyers to reflect a reality that not everybody above 220,000 was being bound by our rules. The rejection of the extradition bid was welcomed by Mr Bailey, who has always denied any involvement in the death of the French filmmaker, and by his solicitor, Frank Buttimer, but was met with dismay by members of the du Plantier family and their supporters. In an RTE documentary screened last night, Ms du Plantiers son, Pierre Louis Baudey-Vignaud, said: I am confident that we will get the answer. Im not sure if it will be tomorrow, in one month, in one year, in 10 years. But I must get the answer for my grandparents before they die. There were indications last night that French authorities may still proceed with a prosecution against Mr Bailey in absentia, but Mr Buttimer said: It will, if it occurs, be nothing more than a show trial. In the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Tony Hunt dismissed the extradition attempt the second by French authorities and said the matter had already been decided by the Supreme Court in 2012. He said he would also refuse the surrender of Mr Bailey because, in the unique circumstances of this case, it was an abuse of process for five distinct reasons, including the binding and conclusive decision of the Supreme Court on the extraterritoriality issue and the fact that five years had passed since that decision and it was now 21 years since the death of Ms du Plantier, who was killed at her holiday home near Schull in West Cork in December 1996. Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was beaten to death in 1996. I do not know when or why Mr Bailey moved from being a suspect to a person required for prosecution, the judge said. Mr Justice Hunt said it appeared to him that the theme underlying the ministers second extradition application was a conviction that the majority of the Supreme Court were in error in deciding the previous application in the manner they did. Speaking outside the High Court afterwards, Mr Bailey said: I tend not to have reactions to this long- ongoing ordeal. Obviously, Im pleased and delighted with the judgment of the judge today and I thank Judge Hunt for that judgment. I would also thank my legal team who have been amazing. Its not the end of it because the State will almost certainly appeal that decision today. Its noticeable that the State, who took this case against me and have put me through a form of torture for 20 years on and off, were not even represented in court today. There was nobody there, which is astonishing. Later this week [tomorrow] we get a decision on whether I have a new civil appeal. I would think the State would almost certainly appeal this decision today so its not the end of the matter. When asked if he had a message to the French, Mr Bailey said: I have always said Im very sympathetic to the family and I know that they believe, for whatever reason, that I had something to do with the death of their daughter. And Im very sympathetic, but I had nothing to do with it. I cant say very much more than that. In the RTE documentary last night, Mr Bailey said he would welcome the opportunity to stand trial in this country regarding Ms du Plantiers death, as it would clear his name. Elsewhere, the association campaigning for justice in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder case described yesterdays judgement as negative news and a tragedy for her parents. Georges and Marguerite Bouniol, who are holidaying in Mauvezin, near Ambax in the Haute-Garonne region of south west France, close to where she is buried, were informed of the High Courts decision yesterday morning. It is getting more and more difficult for them, said Jean Pierre Gazeau, president of the Association for the Truth About the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (ASSOPH). Our French and Irish lawyers are working on behalf of Sophies family and of ASSOPH. They will review with great interest the judgment rendered by the High Court in Dublin. We are expecting a hearing before the Paris Court of Appeal on indictments due to take place just after summer. Mr Gazeau said ASSOPH has full confidence in the French judicial process, which he expects will result in a trial going ahead in Paris next year in the absence of Mr Bailey. Regarding a possible Department of Justice appeal, a spokesman said the minister cannot comment on individual cases. The request was made to Mario Draghi by Fianna Fail TD and finance committee chair John McGuinness after calls for it to happen were made by Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes. In comments in recent days, Mr Hayes said Mr Draghi should attend the committee to discuss the ECBs policy of quantitative easing, ongoing issues in the Irish economy, Brexit, and other matters. In response to the suggestion, Mr McGuinness told the Irish Examiner he has now formally asked Mr Draghis office to attend a key finance committee meeting before the October budget in order to clarify issues surrounding the Irish economy. I saw that from Brian Hayes and I support his view that Mario Draghi should attend, Mr McGuinness said. Ive asked the clerk of the committee to write to Mr Draghis office with a view to bringing him here. I think it would be an interesting meeting to have around the budget because of the issues that remain in Ireland. Mr Draghi was last asked to appear before an Irish parliamentary group in 2015, during the year-long banking inquiry. However, he refused to attend. This, Mr Draghi said at the time, was because many of the issues occurred under his predecessor, Jean-Claude Trichet. He said his appearance would set a precedent for other countries seeking to examine their own financial crises. However, Mr Draghi has subsequently attended meetings with national parliaments in France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, and his native Italy. While Fine Gael TDs are likely to focus questions to Mr Draghi on the growing Irish economy and its recovery under their watch, should the ECB president attend, opposition TDs will similarly seek to frame the discussion around their own concerns. These are likely to include the housing crisis, rent bubbles, the two-tier financial recovery, and the fact that while job numbers are increasing, many of these positions involve low-pay or non-secure hours. Ina ODwyer, from Cahersiveen in Co Kerry, hit out at the remark in an open letter to Mr McGrath which is published in todays Irish Examiner. Earlier this month, Mr McGrath said the dumping of relatives in facilities is a matter of concern for him and the Coalition. In the letter , Ms ODwyer writes: I feel so upset, so hurt, so angry and appalled that you would accuse me of dumping my son into an institution and accuse me of abandoning him there. Head of the State Border Service of Ukraine Viktor Nazarenko has filed in his resignation letter, a source told Interfax-Ukraine. He explained his resignation by health issues, the source told the agency. According to the source, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is expected to appoint a new head of the State Border Service later on Tuesday. As reported, Nazarenko fainted during a joint statement by Poroshenko and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Kyiv on July 21. He received first aid and was taken to hospital. The State Border Service said his health condition was satisfactory. Colin OShea, aged 32, of Ballyshoneen, Waterfall, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Colm OCarroll at Main St, Ballincollig, Co Cork, on June 1, 2015. The incident happened outside Treacys bar, North Main St, Cork. Inspector Vincent OSullivan said the defendant was on a night off from working at the same premises and assaulted a security man who prevented him from re-entering the premises when he appeared to be too intoxicated. Car finance hit the headlines with the news that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is undertaking a study into personal contract plans (PCPs). The CCPC said PCPs, increasingly popular with Irish drivers, are relatively new and complex and we want to examine the experiences of consumers. Some elements of the study are around regulation of PCPs, both in terms of the companies offering the deals and those selling them in the garage. But, given their rise in popularity, the CCPC is also concerned with the terms motorists are being offered and how well they are being explained. Spokeswoman Aine Carroll said: We want to better gauge customers understanding of these products. The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has welcomed the review. Deputy director general Brian Cooke said: I think it is very important for our industry that our customers and regulators are confident in the products we sell, whether they be the cars themselves or the finance attached. Explaining PCPs is a topic that has cropped up regularly in recent years. Estimates of what percentage of new cars are financed using them varies from 30% to 70% of the market ,but there are a lot of Irish people currently tied into these deals. So should they be concerned? Ms Carroll said the CCPC is not saying these deals are necessarily bad but added: If the coverage this week prompted someone to take out their agreement and read when they never did before, that would be a good thing. Every time we as consumers enter any type of agreements we are met with this wall of paper and it can be so hard to understand what the most important points are. The important parts of a PCP arrangement are the deposit/trade-in, the repayments, and the guaranteed minimum future value (GMFV). After you make your scheduled repayments, you then decide to pay the GMFV and buy the car at the end of deal, walk away or roll over into a new deal. The advantage of PCPs is that motorists can drive new cars with much lower repayments than if they took out a traditional loan. They are popular with consumers for this reason and Mr Cooke believes this is fine once buyers understand the details. I think generally speaking they are a good product, he said. People should have been sold them on the basis that effectively they are paying for the use of the vehicle and as long as they keep within the terms of the deal in terms of mileage and the upkeep of the vehicle, when it reaches the end of the term they should not have any major concern. If there is any significant drop in terms of used car residual values it is actually the dealer or the bank who have to underwrite that. The customer is not underwriting the value of the vehicle. This is true insofar as the customer can only be liable for the GMFV once they keep to the terms. But Ms Carroll says that if second-hand prices drop, customers who hoped to have equity to use as deposit for a new deal could be disappointed. The CCPC is keen to investigate if terms are being made clear. There is no question these deals come with a number of important conditions. There will be an agreed maximum mileage as part of the deal which if exceeded could affect the GMFV. For this reason they are best suited to people who can be very sure about the amount of driving they will do during the lifetime of the loan. Motorists will also generally be required to service the car at a main dealer and will not be permitted to modify the vehicle. With set repayments and GMFV, they are also somewhat inflexible financially, perfectly fine once your income is stable, but potentially a problem if the unexpected happens. Asked if he saw any danger of the study being the end of PCPs, Mr Cooke said: No, I dont think so. I would anticipate there will be increased oversight and I dont think thats necessarily a bad thing. DEAL OF THE WEEK Bord Gais Energy is offering to do its bit to help cash-strapped parents at an expensive time of year with a deal that will cut energy bills and also help with the groceries. Its back-to-school electricity deal offers a 10% reduction in standard price for electricity, as well as a 75 Tesco voucher to customers who switch. To avail of the offer customers have to opt in to paperless billing, direct debit payment, and a level monthly payment plan with the supplier. The 10% discount is for 12 months and after 12 months customers will get 5% discount each year if they continue with level pay and paperless billing. You can start the switching process or contact Bord Gais Energys customer service team at 01 6110151. If the electricity deal is not the right one for your household, BBord Gais Energy also currently has dual fuel offers as well as deals on smart home products and boiler care. You can find out more at bordgaisenergy.ie Minister McGrath, I write this letter in response to the recent article in the Irish Times titled: Finian McGrath pledges to ratify convention on people with disabilities, with the sub-headline: Dumping of relatives in institutions a key matter of concern in Government strategy. (July 14, 2017) The article has left me reeling in shock, disbelief, and horror. I feel so upset, so hurt, so angry, and appalled that you, Minister Finian McGrath, would accuse me of dumping my son in an institution and accuse me of abandoning him there. I feel sickened to the very core of my being. Minister, you have no concept of the overwhelming grief suffered by me, a once 19-year-old mother whose baby boy, born in 1976, endured a most horrific birth which left her baby son, Bernard, brutally brain damaged. Minister, you have no concept of the harrowing years that followed as we watched my son suffering endlessly. The constant pain, the constant crying, the numerous doctors, consultants, and hospitals trying to find the answers, trying to find the cure. But there was no cure to be found. Lourdes didnt work either. My baby, soon to be 41 years old, is still just that, a baby. He can neither walk nor talk. He cannot feed himself, in fact, his food must be softened and mashed. He cannot clean his nose and no matter how bad it gets, he must wait for someone to notice and then do it for him. He likes to play with activity centres from his childhood. He wears nappies and always will. Minister, have you ever had the experience of changing the nappy of a 40-year-old, even once? How would you feel about 40 years of constant nappy changing? This is the reality. My son was blessed when, at five years of age, he was welcomed into the wonderful care of the Franciscan Sisters, to whom we are eternally grateful, at St Mary of the Angels, in Beaufort, Co Kerry. Everything in his world changed for the better. His epileptic fits began to diminish, and with all the care, support, and on-site facilities (too numerous to mention), he has thrived in his safe, beautiful and peaceful home away from home. I take huge offence that you, Mr McGrath, would endorse the notion that people like my son are being deprived of liberty or being kidnapped and in fact take it as an insult to us as a family. Thirty-five years on, my son continues to enjoy the freedom of coming home for long and short stays. We can visit at any time, often unannounced, to take a walk or a drive or to attend family occasions. My son enjoys the best of both worlds. He is happy to be home with me and he is happy to be in his second home, St Mary of the Angels. He has taught us the meaning of unconditional love. The immense heartbreak I felt at the initial stages was soon replaced with a sense of acceptance and gratefulness that my son was in the best place, getting the best chance for a long and healthy life. In the early years, I grieved each milestone he would never achieve. At five, he should have started school. At seven, he should have made his First Holy Communion, and so on. It was heartbreaking. One weekend on his visit home I had a realisation as I looked at his beaming smile. My son was completely happy in his own world, it was I who wished that he would be normal, it was I who was the unhappy one wishing he would be like everyone else. And suddenly it became very clear to me that it doesnt matter what we become in this life, whether we are ministers, doctors, airline pilots, or bankers, it doesnt matter in the end... we will all leave this earth the same way. What matters most is that we find happiness, and my son, through all his pain and suffering, has discovered this beautiful gift and shares it with the rest of us. So, Minister, I have neither dumped, abandoned, nor kidnapped my beautiful and precious son. I have always been there with him and for him and always will be. How can you judge me when you dont know me? Reading your remarks in the article, I was reminded of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz: He was hollow inside, and without a heart. But that was only a story; are you, Minister McGrath, the real Tin Man? Last year, when asked about St Mary of the Angels in Dail Eireann, you vowed to eliminate all congregated settings on the grounds that there will be no institutions in this country under my watch. That you would write-off and see no value in a place that has given my son and others like him every opportunity in life, gave me cause then to question your suitability as Minister with special responsibilities for disability. Based on your latest comments in the article, I seriously question once again your suitability for such an important ministerial role. Yours in disgust, Ina ODwyer Cahersiveen, Co Kerry Minsk accords signatories could stop warfare in Donbas if they wanted to The parties that signed the Minsk Agreements could stop hostilities in eastern Ukraine if they wanted to, OSCE SMM First Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said. Those who signed the Minsk accords are in charge of stopping the warfare. We know that they can do it anytime if they want to, Hug said at a press briefing in Ukraine's Odesa. Hug singled out the availability of weapons prohibited under the Minsk Agreements and the proximity of the positions of the opposing sides in a number of places along the contact line as factors contributing to the continuation of armed clashes. The sides ought to disengage their forces so that they are not located in the area they are directly visible to each other, he said. A number of checkpoints for entry and exit across the separation line are not so much checkpoints as 'theaters of combat operations', Hug remarked. KYIV. July 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) - A number of nationalist organizations have announced their intention to begin actions to block the activities of Russian companies in Ukraine since the fall of this year. At a press conference in the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Tuesday, non-factional Rada member Andriy Illenko said that the National Corps, Svoboda and Right Sector unite their efforts for the sake of such actions. "We will begin implementing the bulk of this action in September. And we are calling on all Ukrainians to finish this disgrace together. If the authorities do not want to do this, civil society should take everything in their hands," he said. "The war in underway for the fourth year, our heroes are dying every day on the front, and we see further violence of corrupt Russian business in Ukraine. Our government contributes to it and makes a profit of it. We are still not protected economically in the face of Russian aggression. This is not a normal situation," he said. Illenko also said that the campaign would be directed against Russian business, "we are not going to make Ukrainians hostages of the circumstance." "People should be ready for our actions. They will be absolutely peaceful," he said. The deputy recalled the actions of the National Corps on blocking the work of the central office of Sberbank. "Such actions are very often the only way out of the situation. Perhaps, because of this action the expansion of Russian capital into the Ukrainian banking sector has stopped today," he said. Ukraine's parliamentarian Oleh Petrenko said that today there is no clear list of companies activity of which the activists are planning to block. Speaker of the political party National Corps Oleksandr Alfiorov informed that the Black List page on Facebook is the platform for discussing blocking issues. "We are starting with discussion sites: There will be new technologies in September. Data on the activities of such companies will be collected and professionally systematized," he said. By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy. International asset managers said they were dynamically rebalancing their portfolios to invest in Chinese mainland's A-shares after the recent MSCI inclusion, with investment capital expected to pour into the world's second biggest equity market by capitalizationcurrently valued at $7 trillion to $8 trillion. Hong Kong-listed exchange traded fund CSOP FTSE China A50 ETF, tracking the performance of the FTSE China A50 Index, recorded a massive increase in average daily turnover after the A-share inclusion in the MSCI indices on June 20. As of July 19, the average daily turnover of the ETF in July had soared 75 percent to HK$571.6 million ($73.2 million), compared with average turnover of HK$326.4 million in May. According to data from its mainland fund manager, CSOP Asset Management, the ETF has had about 1.6 billion yuan ($235.3 million) of net inflows since the MSCI announcement. Global equity indexes provider Morgan Stanley Capital International announced on June 20 that it would include 222 A-share large market cap stocks in its MSCI Emerging Markets Index and MSCI China Index, representing 0.73 percent and 2.5 percent of the two indices respectively. The included 222 A-shares are accessible via the mainland's two direct equity market trading links with Hong Kong and will not be subject to the qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) quota. The inclusion will take place in two phases during May to August next year. "MSCI's decision shows that foreign investors prefer blue chips with good quality, stable earnings growth and comparatively low risk," CSOP Asset Management's Chief ETF Strategist Alvin Li told China Daily. "Following the MSCI inclusion, it will push up the value of large caps," he added. The FTSE China A50 Index comprises the top 50 A-shares by market capitalization listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses. With a forward price-earnings ratio of around 10 times and earnings growth picking up, the index is poised to gain, analysts maintain. Besides passive index fund investing, the MSCI inclusion also creates new investment horizons for active fund managers, sparking institutional investors' interest to study A-shares at the stock-picking level. "The greater impact of China will lead to new investment opportunities and demand for more local research on Chinese companies," predicted Ian Hui, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. "The A-share index will provide a better representation of the Chinese economy and diversified exposure to the current Chinese equity universe," noted Invesco's Chief Investment Officer for Asia, excluding Japan, Mike Shiao. Analysts said the 222 A-share stocks will bring added weighting of industrials, healthcare, consumer staples, materials, information technology and telecommunicationsas well as energyto the indices. At the same time, A-shares also contain a number of unusual companies that are not common in the offshore marketsuch as household furnishings and chemicals groups, renewable power producers, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Analysts said investors had specific things on their shopping lists in the portfolio balancing exercise. Bank of Singapore equity research chief Sean Quek said portfolio rebalancing after the MSCI inclusion had seen passive fund flows of $2 billion-$3 billion and active flows of $10 billion-$12 billion into various A-share investment fundswhich compared with the average daily A-share market turnover of $65 billion in the year to date. Surry County deputies are looking for a man in connection with a homicide where a man was found dead inside a burning house on Monday, authorities said Tuesday. An arrest warrant has been issued for Matthew Ray Lawson, 29, of Soldier Lane in the Ararat community, the Surry County County Office's said in a statement. Lawson is accused of killing Nathan Cory Atkins, 27, of Starr Memory Trail in Mount Airy, the sheriff's office said. Firefighters responded to a house fire on Starr Memory Trail at 8:47 a.m. Monday, according to FOX8/WGHP, the Journal's news-gathering partner. After they put out the fire, the firefighters found Atkins dead inside the home. Investigators determined that a car and a motorcycle had been taken from the scene, the TV station reported. The car was found burned near Ararat Road and the motorcycle was found on Sheep Farm Road in the Holly Springs community. The cause of the house fire has not been determined. Presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday. What is striking about the extensive opening statement he released is the degree to which it seeks to insulate Kushner himself from any culpability or responsibility for the problematic known facts about the Russia affair particularly the known facts that concern Donald Trump Jr. Kushners statement takes exceptional care to separate him, with scalpel-like precision, from the now-notorious meeting that Trump Jr. arranged with a Russian lawyer a meeting that Trump Jr. had been informed would furnish the Trump campaign with information about Hillary Clinton supplied by the Russian government. Here is what Kushners statement says about the meeting: In June 2016, my brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr. asked if I was free to stop by a meeting on June 9 at 3 p.m. The campaign was headquartered in the same building as his office in Trump Tower, and it was common for each of us to swing by the others meetings when requested. He eventually sent me his own email changing the time of the meeting to 4 p.m. That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time. As I did with most emails when I was working remotely, I quickly reviewed on my iPhone the relevant message that the meeting would occur at 4 p.m. at his office. Documents confirm my memory that this was calendared as Meeting: Don Jr.| Jared Kushner. No one else was mentioned. I arrived at the meeting a little late. When I got there, the person who has since been identified as a Russian attorney was talking about the issue of a ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children. I had no idea why that topic was being raised and quickly determined that my time was not well-spent at this meeting. Reviewing emails recently confirmed my memory that the meeting was a waste of our time and that, in looking for a polite way to leave and get back to my work, I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting. I had not met the attorney before the meeting nor spoken with her since. I thought nothing more of this short meeting until it came to my attention recently. I did not read or recall this email exchange before it was shown to me by my lawyers when reviewing documents for submission to the committees. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. Finally, after seeing the email, I disclosed this meeting prior to it being reported in the press on a supplement to my security clearance form, even if that was not required as meeting the definitions of the form. Its not entirely clear that the long back and forth that Kushner claims he did not read at the time is the email chain that Trump Jr. released, under duress, which demonstrated that the meeting was taken with the express purpose of getting information advertised as coming from the Russian government. But it seems clear that this is what he is referring to. Note that Kushner does not say one way or the other whether he had been sent this email chain before. What we do know, however, is that Kushner says he never read it. And if Kushner is to be believed, he agreed to, and showed up at, this meeting without having any idea why it was being held. This, even though Trump Jr. was quite excited about what this meeting might yield (I love it, Trump Jr. exulted in the email chain), and even though Trumps then-campaign chair Paul Manafort was also present. This was a meeting attended by Trumps top brain trust, on the expectation that it would yield greatly damaging information about Trumps opponent, just as the campaign was shifting into general election mode but Kushner was unaware of its purpose. Also note the exceptional care that went into Kushners characterization of the meeting. He claims he arrived just late enough to miss the incriminating part of the meeting. Trump Jr. admitted in his second statement that the Russian lawyer brought up the campaign (after an initial statement claiming the meeting was just about Russian adoptions):"After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton." Kushners statement does not deny outright either that the meeting did address the campaign or that any documents had been offered to the Trump camp, which the email chain appears to confirm. All it does is insulate Kushner from those facts. It is certainly possible that Kushners account is accurate. But these things are now investigable: Efforts can be made to determine whether Kushner had been told of, or discussed, the purpose of the meeting beforehand, and to determine whether he arrived just late enough to miss the part of the meeting that concerned the campaign. But whatever the truth turns out to be on those fronts, what Kushners statement does not do is contest any of the known facts about that meeting known facts that are deeply problematic for Trump Jr. and even for Trump himself. The meeting, at a minimum, shows that Trump Jr. was eager to collude with the Russian government, which, he had been told, was trying to get his father elected president. Kushners statement denies any collusion on his own part, and claims no awareness of any other collusion: I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government." Of course, what Trump Jr.s email chain showed is that the campaign jumped at the chance to collude, even if it ended up not happening at that meeting. Recall that Trump Jr.s original statement covered up the real reason for the meeting, and that President Trump himself reportedly signed off on that initial false statement, which means the president actively participated in an effort to mislead the country about his own campaigns eagerness to collude with Russia to help him win. Kushners statement offers nothing to challenge these underlying facts. It just separates him from them. Trump administration officials consistently point back to the Obama administrations failed Syria policy to justify their approach, which includes teaming up with Russia, accepting the continued rule of Bashar al-Assad and abandoning many of the rebels America supported for years. But although the Trump team inherited a terrible hand in Syria, the way it is playing it repeats the same fundamental mistakes made by President Barack Obama and it will likely have the same negative results for the Syrian conflict, as well as for American interests. Last week at the Aspen Security Forum, CIA Director Mike Pompeo laid out what he sees as U.S. interests in Syria. He said the United States has two principal enemies there, the Islamic State and Iran. In addition to stopping Iran from establishing a zone of control that spans the region, the U.S. goal is providing the conditions to have a more stable Middle East to keep America safe. President Trump has no choice but to work with Russia in Syria because Obama and then-Secretary of State John Kerry invited Putin into Syria in 2013 to work on a chemical weapons deal, according to Pompeo. But theres still no real evidence that Russia wants to fight terrorism there, he said. We dont have the same set of interests in Syria as Russia, said Pompeo. What are the Russian goals in Syria? They love a warm-water naval port and they love to stick it to America. Pompeo is right, but hes not in charge of U.S. Syria policy. That portfolio belongs to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who made completely contradictory remarks in Hamburg this month, right after he and Trump met with Putin to arrange a cease-fire in Syrias southwest. Russia has the same, I think, interests that we do in having Syria become a stable place, a unified place, Tillerson said. Tillersons top Middle East official, acting assistant secretary Stuart Jones, also spoke in Aspen and said the United States has effectively outsourced security in Syria to the Russians by having them police the cease-fire. This is a real test of the Russians ability to lead this process, he said. The solution is to put this on the Russians and, if that fails, its a problem. If that sounds familiar, it should. Thats almost the same exact formulation Kerry used when he was negotiating Syrian cease-fires with Russia in late 2015 and early 2016. Over and over, Kerry said Russias willingness to be a constructive partner in Syria must be tested. Over and over, Russia proudly failed that test by helping the Assad regime expand its control and continue its atrocities against civilians. To be sure, Obama and Kerry made many mistakes. The U.S. effort to train and equip Syrian rebels was poorly executed and may have spurred the Russian military intervention in 2015. The Obama administration deprioritized the push to remove Assad after that and began working on cease-fires with Russia because that offered the best hope of stopping the slaughter. Many argue that Trump has no choice but to continue that policy. As Jordans ambassador to Washington, Dina Kawar, said in Aspen, What is the alternative? Perhaps there is none. But the Trump administration ought not to repeat Kerrys chief mistake, which was to negotiate with Russia without leverage. Thats why Trumps reported decision to cut off the CIA program to train and equip some Syrian rebel groups fighting Assad is so shortsighted. Trump is giving up what little leverage he has for nothing in return. Trump also must not repeat the Obama administrations second mistake, which was to allow Assad and Iran to expand their areas of control. Jones said that the regime and its partners are using the cease-fire in southwest Syria to free up resources to advance in southeast Syria, where the fight for the strategic region around Deir al-Zour is underway. The Trump administration seems fine with allowing Iran and Assad to take over another large part of Syria. But the Sunni Arabs who live there will not be. What are we going to do when these people coming back to their homes come under fire from Iranian militias? asked Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Lastly, Trump should increase support to local Sunni Arab communities, if not with weapons than with support for local governance, education and basic services. Empowering local leaders is a prerequisite for any kind of long-term stability, and it will be crucial if and when a political process emerges. The Trump administration is not responsible for past American mistakes in Syria, but it is responsible for what the United States does now. Rather than simply blaming Obama and Kerry for the mess, this administration should learn the lessons of that failure. Indian authorities should take a prudent attitude and conduct probes strictly in line with related regulations to avoid abusing trade remedy measures, a senior official from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday. The comment came after India launched an anti-dumping investigation over photovoltaic cells and components imported from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Malaysia on Friday. China is paying close attention to the anti-dumping probe, Wang Hejun, head of the trade remedy and investigation bureau of the MOFCOM, said in a statement posted on the WeChat account of the MOFCOM. All countries should make joint efforts to boost the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry rather than resort to trade remedy measures to disrupt normal trade orders, as the industry plays a significant role in tackling climate change, facilitating electricity usage in rural areas and eliminating poverty, Wang said. In recent years, the photovoltaic industry in India has been growing rapidly, thanks to China's exports of photovoltaic products of reasonable prices and high quality, according to Wang. The industry in India grew 3.7 folds in the past three years, data showed. Attempting to restrain photovoltaic battery and components trade is not beneficial to the development of the industry in India, and trade remedy measures will not help achieve goals for renewable energy either, Wang said. Launching a probe is not favorable for the in-depth integration and long-term development of the global photovoltaic industry chain, and also not conducive to Sino-India economic and trade cooperation, he said. China is willing to strengthen exchanges with India and resolve trade issues through cooperation to realize common development of the industry in both markets, Wang said. Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Sunny skies. High around 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. This year's Nov. 8 election didn't present any unforeseen outcomes, at least as it pertains to Dorchester County Council races. However, the competition between Republican Rita May Ranck and Democrat Carlisle Harrison was one of the more thrilling ones in the State, as the latter temporarily Read moreNewly elected Councilmember Rita May Ranck ready to 'work' and 'listen' JURIST Guest Columnist Abhishek Trivedi, LLM Faculty of Studies, at South Asian University New Delhi discusses the implications of the International Court of Justice decision in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case On May 18, 2017 the order of provisional measures [PDF] was given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in favor of India in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case between India and Pakistan. Some scholars have expressed their concerns over the repercussions that India might have to face due to its actions of involving the ICJ in this case. Their concerns are that India has played into Pakistans hands, and given it a handle to open up many other issues. These critics are confident that Pakistan will be approaching the ICJ to decide the Kashmir issue and it will then hardly lie in Indias mouth to object to the jurisdiction of ICJ since India cannot blow hot and cold together. Indias traditional stance has been that all issues with Pakistan would be resolved bilaterally and the change could give an opening to Pakistan to internationalize the Kashmir issue. Criticizing Indias move to the ICJ in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Congress said, the best resolution [to issues] is bilateral at all times, no matter how recalcitrant Pakistan is. Senior CPI member D. Raja said, This decision has vindicated Indias stand in the international community. Pakistan will now have to reconsider its actions and decisions. According to some Pakistani columnists, the case, however, would benefit Pakistan more in the long run, since it is the smaller party. India had now used a multilateral forum and it cant back away from it tomorrow on similar grounds. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs in India, assured that Pakistan could not take the Kashmir issue to the ICJ and asserted that the matter must be resolved bilaterally as the Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration on Kashmir are very clear that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, which would only be settled by the two countries. However, it is important to consider the possibilities of ICJs jurisdiction in the future if Pakistan takes the Kashmir issue to the ICJ. Statute of ICJ and UN Charter: Possibilities of Jurisdiction There are two ways in the ICJ statute [PDF] under which Pakistan can take the Kashmir issue to the ICJ; one is Article 36 (1) and second is Article 36 (2). As far as Article 36 (2) is concerned, it will be difficult or nearly impossible for Pakistan to bring India before the ICJ on the Kashmir issue, as India has made a declaration on September 18,1974 in which it exempted itself from ICJ jurisdiction in two instances. The first is cases involving two members of the Commonwealth and the second is its multilateral treaty reservation. Under Article 36 (2) of the statute, Pakistan will also not repeat the same mistakes which it made in 1999, in the Aerial incident case [PDF] in which the Court found that it had no jurisdiction to entertain the Application of Pakistan under Article 36, paragraph 2, of the statute since Pakistan is . . . a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and recently in 2017, in Kulbhushan Jadhav on the issue of provisional measures where the Court rejected Pakistans arguments relating to jurisdiction based on Article 36 (2) because India did not base this Courts jurisdiction under Article 36 (2) but under Article 36 (1). Pakistan might go to ICJ on the Kashmir issue under Article 36 (1) which reads as follows: The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases which the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force. The compulsory jurisdiction of the Court under Article 36 (1) has three dimensions. Jurisdiction exists: (a) In respect of all cases which parties refer to it, (b) In terms of all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations, or (c) In terms of all matters specially provided for in treaties and conventions in force. So Pakistan may well approach ICJ jurisdiction under Article 36 (1) if either there is any treaty and convention in force exist between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue or otherwise dealing with the issue, or under the provision of the UN Charter. The Shimla Agreement [PDF] between India and Pakistan on July 2, 1972 restricts the two countries, pending the final settlement of any of the problems between the two countries, neither side shall unilaterally alter the situation, and more particularly in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, neither side shall seek to alter it unilaterally, irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations. Under Lahore declaration [PDF] on February 21, 1999 , in its operative paragraph, the two countries agreed to intensify their efforts to resolve all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, and intensify their composite and integrated dialogue process for an early and positive outcome of the agreed bilateral agenda . Therefore, if the jurisdiction of the Court is founded on particular treaties and conventions in force or under the UN Charter, under Article 36, paragraph 1, of its statute, it becomes irrelevant for the Court to consider the objections to other possible bases of jurisdiction. If Pakistan goes to ICJ against Indias violation of the principles and purposes of the Charter, as also envisaged and reiterated under Shimla agreement, pursuant to Article 36 (1) of the ICJ Statute, the Court still will have no jurisdiction to entertain the Application on the basis of Article 36 (1) of the Statute as the UN Charter contains no specific provision conferring compulsory jurisdiction on the Court. Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: The Test of Bilateralism Pakistan argued in the Kulbhushan case that the alleged activities of commander Jadhav are well dealt with under Article VI, in case of arrest, detention or sentence made on political or security grounds, each side may examine the case on its merits, of the Agreement on Consular Access [PDF] (2008 Agreement) signed on May 21, 2008 by and between India and Pakistan. Pakistan also argued that the jurisdiction under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 [PDF] (Vienna Convention) is limited, and indeed it is further limited and qualified or supplemented by the 2008 agreement. India acknowledges that the parties have signed the 2008 Agreement, but it maintains that this instrument does not restrict the parties rights and obligations under Article 36, paragraph 1, of the Vienna Convention. In respect to the 2008 Agreement, the Court concluded that it does not need to decide at this stage of the proceedings whether Article 73 of the Vienna Convention would permit a bilateral agreement to limit the rights contained in Article 36 of the Vienna Convention. It is sufficient at this point to note that the provisions of the 2008 Agreement do not impose expressly such a limitation. Article 73 (2) of the Vienna Convention says that Nothing in the present Convention shall preclude States from concluding international agreements confirming or supplementing or extending or amplifying the provisions thereof. This means the 2008 agreement can only confirm, supplement, extend or expand the Vienna convention but cannot limit it. On the other hand, the Shimla agreement and the Lahore declaration, prima facie, preclude any bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir, to be decided outside bilateral understandings or at the multinational forum. Last but not least, it is as if India has opened Pandoras Box to Pakistan by making the Jadhav issue multilateral, Pakistan is sure not to hesitate to take India to the ICJ not only on the Kashmir issue but =on many matters such as Kishan-Ganga power project under the Indus Water Treaty 1960 [PDF]. Abhishek Trivedi is pursuing his LL.M. degree in International Law from Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian Universityan International University established by SAARC Nations, New Delhi. His fields of interest and research in academics are Public International law, Law of International Organization, Human Rights law, Conflict of Laws, Commercial Arbitration and International Environmental Law. Suggested citation: Abhishek Trivedi, ICJ Jurisdiction on Bilateral Issues Possibilities Regarding Jammu and Kashmir Dispute , JURIST Student Commentary, July 19, 2017, http://jurist.org/dateline/2017/02/abhishek-trivedi-icj-pandora.php A federal district judge on Monday allowed [opinion, PDF] President Donald Trumps election commission to move forward by dismissing the need for a prior privacy impact assessment before collecting voter data. US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly [official profile] denied a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction requested [JURIST report] by Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) against the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (PACEI). Kollar-Kotelly determined that only agencies must go through a privacy impact assessment required by E-Government Act, 208(b) [DOJ background]. The record presently before the Court is insufficient to demonstrate that the Commission is an agency for purposes of the APA. First, the Executive Order indicates that the Commission is purely advisory in nature, and that it shall disband shortly after it delivers a report to the President. Trump established PACEI in May via executive order [text] . Earlier this month PACEI Vice Chair and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach sent out a letter [text, PDF] requesting voter information from all 50 states. A majority of the states rejected that request. Like EPIC, the ACLU also filed suit [JURIST report] earlier this month. Irans judiciary chief asked [TNA press release] the US Monday to release Iranians jailed in the US and to return Irans assets after President Donald Trump called on [Reuters report] the state to release three detained US citizens. Irans Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani [Reuters backgrounder] renounced the US claims and brought his own in a televised speech to other top-ranking judicial officials. We tell them: You should immediately release Iranian citizens held in American prisons in violation of international rules and based on baseless charges. You have seized the property of the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of all rules and in a form of open piracy, and these should be released. Releations between the US and Iran remain strained. In March Iran imposed [JURIST report] reciprocal sanctions on 15 US companies after the US sanctioned nations that aided Irans nuclear program. A bill renewing US sanctions against Iran for another 10 years became law [JURIST report] last December. In response to renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the US of breaching the nuclear agreement and ordered the head of Irans Atomic Energy Organisation to plan the development of nuclear-powered ships. The US House had approved the extension of sanctions [JURIST report] last November. In July 2015 the US entered into the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran where the county agreed not to create a nuclear bomb in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The agreement was reached [JURIST report] after 20 months of negotiations. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] on Monday that immigrants cannot be detained solely at the request of federal law enforcement officials. The decision comes out of Lunn v. Commonwealth, a case concerning a Cambodian refugee who was arrested for unarmed robbery in Boston last October. When the charges were dismissed because the prosecution failed to present a case, federal authorities issued a civil detainer request to hold Lunn for 48 hours until officers could take him into custody and begin the removal process. The court held that the request constitutes as an arrest as the individual in custody would otherwise be released due to a lack of pending charges. Under Massachusetts law, there is no authority to arrest and hold individuals for a civil matter such as an immigration detainer. Associate Justice Barbara Lenk [profile] wrote in the conclusion of the opinion, The prudent course is not for this court to create, and attempt to define, some new authority for court officers to arrest that heretofore has been unrecognized and undefined. The better course is for us to defer to the Legislature to establish and carefully define that authority if the Legislature wishes that to be the law of this Commonwealth. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts [advocacy website] praised the decision [press release] as an important precedent and step towards passing the Safe Communities Act [materials], which is aimed at ensuring state resources are not used to enforce federal immigration law. Legal issues concerning immigration rights continue to flood the judicial system. Since the election of US President Donald Trump [profile], some states and cities have proposed legislation to crackdown on sanctuary policies while some cities continue to stand behind their policies [JURIST op-ed]. Several cases concerning the Trump administrations travel ban have been brought to the federal court system over the last several months, including a request for the Supreme Court to interpret the scope [JURIST report] of the order. In June the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) [advocacy website] filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] to challenge a recently passed bill, SB4 [text, PDF], which they claim unlawfully targets immigrants and defunds sanctuary cities. In May Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed [JURIST report] SB4 into law. Earlier that month the Mississippi Senate approved a bill [JURIST report] that will prohibit local sanctuary immigration policies. [JURIST] Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte [official profile] promised Monday to continue to escalate the war on drugs in his country despite international concern over human rights violations. The war on drugs, which has been a staple aspect of his presidency and his public rhetoric, has been met with strong opposition from the international community, which has pointed to the increase in extrajudicial killings [JURIST report] since Duterte took office. Duterte responded to the critics [Reuters report] by stating that they are trivializing his efforts by discussing the need for due process and the protection of human rights. He also added that critics are unjustly laying blame on Philippine authorities for the killings of alleged drug users. During Dutertes campaign last year, he had stated 100,000 people would die [Guardian report] in his crackdown on crime. In December the UN rights chief urged [JURIST report] a murder investigation into Duterte after Duterte stated that he had killed three suspected criminals while he was mayor. In October the International Criminal Court [official website] expressed concern [JURIST report] over the rising occurrence of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines in connection with the ongoing war on drugs. In September Duterte declared a state of lawlessness [JURIST report] in the Philippines, which would allow police and military personnel to frisk individuals and search cars. In August Duterte named [JURIST report] 150 serving and former state officials connected to the nations illegal drug trade and ordered them to either surrender to the authorities or risk being hunted down. Duterte has stated that he disregards criticisms from the UN and human rights groups. Also in August Duterte threatened to withdraw [JURIST report] the country from the UN following criticisms against his controversial crackdown on illegal drugs. [JURIST] In a statement [press release] to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website], Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar Yanghee Lee [UN profile] voiced her concern on Monday over the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar. During her 12-day visit at the invitation of the Myanmar government, Lee stated she witnessed government security forces use humans as shields in violent encounters and numerous deaths of detainees while in custody. Lee also voiced concern over the treatment and displacement of 100,000 to 120,000 individuals in the Kachin and Rakhine states after the violent conflict between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims erupted five years ago. According to Lee, the Myanmar government continuously attempted to limit her movements throughout the country during her visit. Lee will present the full report to the UN General Assembly in October. Human rights violations have been on the forefront of Myanmars new democratic government since ending a decades-old military rule. In June of last year a UN expert presented [JURIST report] a report on religious, free market, political, and nationalist or cultural fundamentalism, stating that fundamentalist intolerance is growing throughout the globe and is directly contributing to infringements of the rights to association and peaceful assembly. In November of 2016 a member of the UN High Commission for Refugees stated [JURIST report] that the violence is an attempt at ethnic cleansing from the government. In May Human Rights Watch urged [JURIST report] the Myanmar Parliament to reconsider a proposed law that the advocacy organization says has the potential to limit free expression and peaceful assembly. Hyundai Motor is spending KRW300bn (US$270m) on an upgrade of its second factory in Ulsan, the automaker told local media. The project is scheduled for completion on 17 September and is the second major reconstruction of a Hyundai factory this year, following the rebuilding of the first factory in Ulsan last February on which Hyundai spent KRW220bn, the Korea Herald reported. All production stages including body and paint shops are being redeveloped, the company said. The plant builds four models SanteFe and Tucson SUVs, Avante compact sedan and i40 wagon at Ulsan #2 and production will restart after the expansion, intended to improve productivity, though no new models will be added initially. A height adjustable conveyer belt system will be installed to enhance convenience for workers a first for a Hyundai plant. A robot will be added in the paint shop to improve efficiency. The factory opened in 1986 and has since assembled the Pony, Stella, Scoupe, Sonata and Equus. "Alongside improving competitiveness, we also hope the reconstruction of the second factory will contribute to the regional economy," Hyundai Motor said in a statement. About 100 companies and up to 5,000 workers daily are working on the project. A Hyundai Motor spokesman told the Korea Herald there were no immediate plans to upgrade other factories. Toyota is reportedly planning to launch an EV equipped with solid-state battery technology in Japan by 2022. A report in the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper suggests that the new battery technology would facilitate quicker charging and longer range than the current lithium-ion batteries that are used for most EVs. The report said that a full charge can be achieved in minutes for solid-state batteries. The report notes that an all solid-state battery promises around twice the amount of held charge of the lithium-ion battery and that Toyota has been researching solid-state batteries for many years. The company announced last year that it discovered a solid material suitable for electrolytes in collaboration with Tokyo Institute of Technology and others. The report also said that Toyota is planning a new EV platform for the new set-up. The newspaper also noted that a full EV based on the compact crossover/SUV hybrid C-HR will be produced and sold in China by 2019 using existing lithium-ion battery technology. Solid-state batteries use a solid rather than liquid for the electrolyte that acts as the pathway for ions during charging and discharging. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, there is no risk of liquid leakage and thermal management is more straightforward, in theory. The main advantage, however, is higher energy density and a better power-to-weight ratio, compared with lithium-ion batteries, thus making them especially suitable for electric vehicles. Bosch sees the potential to more than double battery energy density through the deployment of solid-state batteries. A comparable electric car that has a driving range today of 150 kilometres would be able to travel more than 300 kilometres without recharging, reckons the supplier. Analysts caution that developing reliable solid-state battery technology for mass production applications still presents a considerable challenge for vehicle manufacturers. However, Toyotas apparent commitment to get a solid-state battery equipped vehicle to market by 2022 is sure to spark further interest in the technology among other OEMs and suppliers. Volkswagen Group is also working on solid-state battery technology. Toyota is planning to raise its game in full EVs, seen as a future high growth area where it currently trails Nissan. See also: Toyota to produce EVs in China from 2019 BEIJING President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed gratitude to China for the assistance it extended to the Philippines in the first 12 months of his administration. President Duterte made his appreciation in his second state of the nation address or SONA attended by members of diplomatic corps, including Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, last Monday in Manila. I travelled to China and make friends with them. The ambassador is here, Ambassador Zhao, thank you for the help, President Duterte said. The popular Filipino leader particularly thanked China for its commitment to build two bridges that will lessen traffic congestion in Metro Manila. "As a matter of fact, they said, if your Congress has no money, we will give you the money, and China has committed to build two bridges to span Pasig river, free of charge," he said. He said the Philippines might also get some money from China to build new airports. Recently, China has donated thousands of guns worth USD7.35 million to the Philippines to help the military in its war against terrorists, including Islamist gunmen in conflict-torn Marawi City. Under President Dutertes leadership, the Philippines and China relationship has made a huge turnaround after Duterte decided to temporarily shelve an arbitral tribunals ruling in the South China Sea. Upon invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Duterte made two productive visits to China including one in October last year where he brought home US24 billion dollar worth of investment pledges and infrastructure projects. It was also during his first visit that Presidents Duterte and Xi have reached a consensus to form Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea. Seven months later, the first Meeting of the China-Philippines BCM on the South China Sea was finally held in Guiyang, China. The next BCM meeting will be held later this year in Manila. President Duterte said the Philippines has nurtured good relations with China and other countries based on his independent foreign policy. "We have embarked on various initiatives to advance our national interest in the global community. We pursue good relations with all nations anchored on an independent foreign policy and the basic tenet of sovereignty equality, mutual respect and non-interference," Duterte said. "We have cultivated better relations with China through bilateral dialogues and order mechanisms leading to easing of tensions between the two countries and improved negotiating environment," he added. Under the renewed China-Philippines relations, China is also planning to invest USD3.5 billion dollar for the construction of three infrastructure projects like irrigation project, water supply dam, railways and bridges. Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana said China-Philippines relations have been revived due to two-track approach that Duterte administration has taken to settle the South China Sea dispute. He explained the one track approach involves non-contentious issues like trade, economic, infrastructures and people-to-people exchanges while another track refers to contentious issues such as sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction. Jelly F. Musico is reporter of Philippine News Agency and is an intern at Peoples Daily Online Dallas, TX, USA, 07/25/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ Almost everyone has heard the phrase beyond a reasonable doubt. It is the standard that the governments proof must meet in order for a jury to find a defendant guilty of a crime, explains John Helms, Dallas criminal lawyer. It is also an elusive concept that is sometimes difficult for jurors to grasp. I also believe that some prosecutors try to convince jurors that it is a lower standard than it is. If jurors accept this argument, they could find someone guilty of a crime based on a lower showing than our law requires. This article discusses how defense counsel can respond to the prosecutors arguments to protect the rights of the accused. In 2000, in a case called Paulson v. State, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Texas highest criminal appeals court), told Texas criminal trial courts that they should not try to define beyond a reasonable doubt in their instructions to juries about the law they must follow. The Court of Criminal Appeals decided that the concept of beyond a reasonable doubt is difficult to define and those trial judges are better off not even trying. I have heard multiple prosecutors tell potential jurors during jury selection that there is no definition of beyond a reasonable doubt in Texas and that, therefore, beyond a reasonable doubt can mean whatever the potential juror wants it to mean. This invites jurors to believe that they can find a defendant guilty based on whatever level of proof they want. In other words, it invites a juror to think, for example, in a terrorism case, Terrorism is so dangerous and scary that I think this man should be found guilty if there is any risk that he is guilty. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE LAW. The fact that Texas courts do not have a definition of beyond a reasonable doubt does NOT mean that the phrase can mean whatever you want it to mean. It does NOT, mean, for example, that it is probable or more likely than not that someone is guilty. This is the standard of proof in civil caseswhen someone is suing someone else to recover money damages, like if someone injures you in a car wreck, and you sue them for your medical bills and pain and suffering. The civil standard of proof has been described this way: If a feather is placed on one side of the scales of justice, and it tips just slightly, that is enough for a finding of liability in a civil case. But we KNOW that beyond a reasonable doubt is a much higher standard than this. Beyond a reasonable doubt is also a higher standard than clear and convincing evidence. In order to be able to take your child away from you, for example, the state must prove that you are a danger to the child by clear and convincing evidence. This is higher than the civil standard, but it is lower than beyond a reasonable doubt. So, again, we KNOW that beyond a reasonable doubt means more proof than clear and convincing. In some types of cases, such as child abuse cases, many jurors will instinctively want to find a defendant guilty based on less proof than beyond a reasonable doubt. This is because they may identify with, and sympathize with, an alleged victim who is vulnerable. There is a saying that it is better to let ten guilty persons go free than to convict one innocent person. Jurors, however, may feel that, if the alleged victim is a child and the defendant is accused of horrible conduct, it is better to convict an innocent person than to let a guilty person go free. In these types of cases, it is absolutely critical for a criminal defense lawyer to emphasize that the law requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, what this means, and why it is the law, from the beginning of trial to the endin jury selection, in opening statement, during the trial, and in closing argument. I tell jurors that I may sound like a broken record, but I also point out to them that the courts instructions to them to use the phrase beyond a reasonable doubt over and over again. In other words, emphasizing the burden of proof is not just something I do. Our law does it, too. Very few criminal trials have a Perry Mason moment, in which some evidence comes out during the trial that absolutely proves the defendants innocence. This means that the laws requirement that the government proves a defendants guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is critical in almost every case. I have developed my approach to explaining beyond a reasonable doubt over the course of my career as a Dallas criminal defense lawyer. I am also constantly refining it. I have charts and graphics that I show potential jurors during jury selection that I continue to revise. I also tailor my approach to each individual case based on the kind of evidence I expect against my client and what I hear from jurors during jury selection. Prosecutors talk to each other about what works, and they get the training to help them be more effective, so I also keep up with the kinds of arguments and approaches prosecutors are using so that I can be prepared to respond to them. All of these things are crucial for criminal defense lawyers to be effective on an issue of great importance to their clients. If you or a loved one have been charged with a crime in the Dallas area, you should strongly consider hiring someone who really knows the ins and outs of the law. Contact Dallas criminal lawyer John Helms at (214) 666-8010 or fill out the online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and freedom. Press Contact John Helms (214) 666-8010 https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-helms-69172699 source: http://johnhelms.attorney/dallas-criminal-lawyer-explains-reasonable-doubt/ Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Philadelphia, 07/25/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ When the weather heats up, millions of Americans around the country head to amusement parks, water parks, and fairs. Many people enjoy roller coasters and similar rides because they get adrenaline pumping within the confines of safety. But just how safe are they? Is the illusion of safety just that an illusion? Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Rand Spear says these rides arent as safe as you might think. According to an amusement park consultant who spoke to USA Today, amusement park ride accidents arent a matter of if but when. In other words, accidents will happen. Tragically, many catastrophic accidents already have. Surprising Stats About Amusement Park Ride Injuries A Six Flags amusement park made headlines when a 14-year-old girl dangled 25 feet above the ground. Bystanders on the ground urged her to let go of the ride she was clinging to. Fortunately, other park patrons on the ground caught her. The girl was uninjured, and one man on the ground was treated for minor back injuries. However, others have not been so fortunate. In 2016, a 10-year-old boy was killed while riding a giant waterslide at a waterpark in Kansas. In 2013, a woman was killed when she was ejected from her seat while riding a roller coaster at a Six Flags in Texas. She fell seven stories to her death. There Is No Federal Oversight of Amusement Parks Heres what most Americans dont know: Roller coasters and amusement park rides in the United States are subject to minimal federal oversight. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), amusement park rides are regulated at the state level. With 50 states and 50 sets of rules, regulations can vary widely. USA Today reports that about 335 million people visit amusement parks each year. These thrill seekers ride about 1.6 billion rides every year. The IAAPA says the risk of serious injury is 1 in 16 million. When it comes to county fairs and traveling carnivals, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducts oversight and injury investigation. However, the CPSC doesnt carry out inspections. This wasnt always the case, however. Up until the 1980s, the CPSC used to inspect both traveling carnivals and fairs and fixed location parks. However, federal lawmakers changed the rules in the 80s by removing fixed location parks from CPSC oversight. Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Gives Tips for Amusement Park Safety Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Rand Spear states, Amusement parks bring out the kid in all of us. However, its important to visit them with safety in mind. If youre headed to a park or fair, make sure you feel comfortable with the park employees operating the ride. If at any point you feel unsafe or not properly secured in your seat, speak up or demand to be let off the ride. Contact a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Today Amusement park rides are by and large safe, but they are not inspected or regulated by the federal government. If youre injured on a ride at an amusement park, fair, or carnival, you need an experienced lawyer who can help you identify the parties responsible for your injuries. Discuss your options and the next steps in your case with Philadelphia and New Jersey personal injury lawyer Rand Spear today at 888-373-4LAW. Sources: source: http://randspear.com/2017/07/17/safe-amusement-park-rides-philadelphia-personal-injury-lawyer-discusses/ Social Media Tags:Amusement Park Rides, Amusement Park Rides Safety, Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer, Amusement Park Ride Injuries, Amusement Park Safety Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print University researchers contribute to DUNE, the world's biggest neutrino experiment Tuesday, July 25, 2017 This animation shows how the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment will help scientists understand how the universe works. Video courtesy of Fermilab. MANHATTAN A large international team of researchers including Kansas State University scientists is turning to tiny particles to address big questions about dark matter, black holes and the origins of the universe. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or DUNE, aims to answer these questions by detecting and studying neutrinos. Friday, July 21, marked the construction groundbreaking of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, which will house DUNE. The neutrino facility will send particles 800 miles through the earth from Chicago to a mile-deep detector in South Dakota. Kansas State University researchers are involved in the organization of the project and are developing the experiment's high-voltage system. "On the national level, DUNE is the highest-priority project in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of High Energy Physics," said Tim Bolton, professor of physics. "It's important for us to engage with the international science community on groundbreaking projects like this." Bolton is serving on the leadership team that is organizing the experiment and Glenn Horton-Smith, professor of physics, is helping to develop the experiment's high-voltage system. Both Bolton and Horton-Smith are experts in experimental high energy and particle physics and have been involved since the early planning phases of DUNE. Other university researchers involved include Ajib Paudel, doctoral student in physics, Nepal; Heng-ye Liao, postdoctoral fellow in physics; and the Electronics Design Laboratory, led by engineers Tim Sobering and Russell Taylor. "This project lets us chart unexplored areas," Horton-Smith said. "We can gain knowledge in fundamental physics as well as the early universe." DUNE is a large international collaboration of about 1,000 scientists and engineers from 30 countries. DUNE's Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility involves two U.S. facilities: The U.S. Department of Energys Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois will send a beam of neutrinos 800 miles through the earth to the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. During the 10-year construction process, workers will excavate more than 800,000 tons of rock to create huge underground caverns for enormous particle detectors, which will enable researchers to study and understand neutrinos. Neutrinos are the most abundant matter particles in the universe, yet very little is known about their role in the evolution of the universe. Scientists will study the interactions neutrinos make with argon atoms to learn more about these elusive yet abundant particles. Kansas State University researchers are developing the high-voltage system for the detector at Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. The four-story detector will be nearly a mile underground and filled with liquid argon. The university researchers have designed a system that safely manages and distributes voltages of more than 100,000 volts and creates an equal electric field between the two large electrodes that make up the detector. The university researchers also have been involved in the construction of the high-voltage system, which has to be folded to fit into a small space and then unfolded while still maintaining electrical connections. "It's like building a ship in a bottle," Horton-Smith said. "It has involved a lot of engineering and physics to make sure that this design maintains a reliable connection during the construction process." To prepare for DUNE, the researchers are participating in a smaller prototype test currently being assembled at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, near Geneva. The university physicists have been involved in the design, testing, delivery and production of the high-voltage system for the prototype. The team will analyze prototype data and make design improvements before installing the real high-voltage system at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility during the later construction stages. When the neutrino facility is up and running, Bolton, Horton-Smith and the other university researchers hope that scientists learn more about the relationship between matter and antimatter. While everything is made of matter, its opposite partner antimatter is very rare and can only be created by high-energy physics. The DUNE research may help address a major physics puzzle: Why is the universe made of all matter when it could be an equal mixture of matter and antimatter? "It's a huge puzzle in understanding how the rules of physics apply to the very large scale," Bolton said. "This project is a long-term investment, but there are many benefits as you learn more about the fundamental ways that nature works." The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science in conjunction with CERN, the European laboratory for high energy physics, and international partners from 30 countries. Outside the temperature is 39 degree Celsius. But four police dogs are on duty sniffing for hidden dangers at a long-distance bus station in Shanghai, where there are about 30,000 daily passengers and almost 50,000 visitors each day. The police dogs check 2,500 suitcases and bags in the waiting hall and boarding areas every day. If there is anything unusual, they will give a warning to the police. Their noses are 1,000 times more sensitive than that of human being. Dogs are born with thick skin and lack sweat glands. Therefore, they need lots of attention when working in hot weather. Every 15 minutes the police dogs are given water to drink and are wetted with a towel and ice. After a whole days work, their handlers will give them a bath as a reward, Zhang Jun, the handler of explosive detection police dogs told thepaper.cn. China plans to return about 820,000 hectares of farmlands to forests and grasslands in 2017, according to the State Forestry Bureau on July 24. The figure will increase the total coverage of farmlands returned to forests and grasslands to 5.3 million hectares since 2014, when the country carried a new round of land reclamation work, aiming to return almost 2.83 million hectares of farmlands to forests and grasslands by 2020. In May 2017, the State Council approved a project to return about 2.5 million hectares of farmlands to forests and grasslands in 18 provincial regions and in parts of southwest China's Yunnan province. Gates Foundation launches new project in China to help children The Gates Foundation signed a cooperation agreement with Chinas National Health and Family Planning Commission on July 23 that aims to promote poverty reduction and HIV/AIDS intervention. The agreement mainly centers on the public health system and child nutrition in extreme poverty villages. A pilot will be selected in Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province to raise public awareness and implement the State Councils Healthy China 2030 by providing more support for children, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS. Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, signed on behalf of the foundation. On Monday, Melinda spoke highly of Chinas contribution in combating poverty and AIDS and announced a $16.5 million donation. (Melinda Gates in speech) More than three quarters of the declined global poverty happened in China. China lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty in one single generation. That is a stunning statistic. Melinda said. Chinas progress is a powerful example for us. China is now the second largest founder of research and development in the world. Chinas discoveries are already saving lives, Melinda noted. Melinda Gates was invited to China by Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan, who was appointed as a WHO goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in 2011. The agreement was signed on July 23 at the opening ceremony of a summer camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS. It was Melindas last stop on her second China tour. ODESSA The seven people involved in Saturdays two-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Odessa were all restrained at the time of the accident. And all seven have either been treated and released from Kearney hospitals or will soon be, a Nebraska State Patrol dispatcher said. At 4:09 p.m. Saturday, Kearney and Elm Creek emergency crews were called to two miles east of the Odessa interchange in the eastbound lanes because of a two-vehicle crash. Edteneya Yozoba Atanasoda, 71, of Illinois was driving a Chrysler Sebring west on I-80 when she lost control and drove into the median and the car then collided with an eastbound Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Jovany Sandoval, 34, of North Dakota. According to the State Patrol, there were two other passengers in the car, ages 50 and 71, while the sport utility vehicle had three other passengers ranging in age from 13-45. All crash victims were taken to Kearney Regional Medical Center or CHI Health Good Samaritan. One person was air lifted from the scene, although the dispatcher was unsure which one had been. No citations or arrests were issued. The crash remains under investigation. Late this morning, Sandoval was listed in fair condition at Good Sam, while no condition information was available for Atanasoda. A Sunday afternoon chase that exceeded 100 mph ended in an arrest at Cody Park. People enjoying the day at the park helped police find the driver. The chase began about 4:40 p.m. after a state trooper spotted a black 2012 Chevrolet Camaro speeding on Interstate 80 west between North Platte and Maxwell, said Trooper Ryan Hayes. When the trooper tried to perform a traffic stop, the Camaro sped off. During the chase that followed, the Camaro driver exhibited reckless and dangerous driving behavior, Hayes said. When the Camaro entered North Platte, the State Patrol called off the chase but gave North Platte police vehicle information. A short time later, police officers spotted the car, unoccupied, at Cody Park. They soon identified a passenger from the Camaro, and a brief manhunt for the driver ensued, with assistance from park attendees. There was a lot of people at the park yesterday, Hayes said late Monday afternoon. Law enforcement searched the car before it was towed and found a stolen handgun and a small amount of marijuana. Originally arrested on 16 counts, Ricky Sanabria, 24, of Maryland, was charged with five counts in Lincoln County Court on Monday. His charges include felony flight to avoid arrest, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and having a concealed weapon. A 20-year-old man was given prison time Monday in a human trafficking case in which he sent out photos of a 15-year-old girl and discussed prices for sex acts. A Sarpy County District Court judge sentenced Branden L. Felt to two years in prison on each felony count of human trafficking, attempted human trafficking and tampering with physical evidence. Felt will be able to serve the sentences at the same time and he was given credit for 165 days served. He will not be required to register as a sex offender. Felt pleaded guilty to the charges. He was the third and final person prosecuted in connection with the trafficking of a 15-year-old girl. All three adults were arrested by Bellevue police in September. Sarpy County Deputy Attorney Phil Kleine asked Judge William Zastera for a longer sentence because he said Felt has not taken responsibility for his actions and claims all he did was drive people around to different places. Messages between Felt and other people tell a different story, Kleine said. A message between Felt and co-defendant Kylie Ray shows the two discussing login information for a Backpage account, a classified advertising website that contains ads for escorts. In other messages, Felt sent out photos of the 15-year-old girl, talked about finding customers and told the girl to act like a 15-year-old. He was involved with it, Kleine said. He helped set it up. Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said his office is exploring whether to appeal the sentence. Our first impression was that the sentence was not necessarily representative of the facts and evidence in the case, he said. Alan Martin, Felts attorney, had asked for probation. He said it was important for the judge to consider his clients background. Felt failed kindergarten; his IQ is low; and when client and lawyer first met, Felt could not read a clock, Martin said. The other defendants also asked Felt for access to his computer and phone, Martin said. And Martin said Felt believed only escort services were being provided, not sex. Felt didnt find out otherwise until shortly before his arrest, his lawyer said. Its also hard to determine who sent the messages, Martin said. Martin pointed to the sentences given to Ray and Jesse Blum. Ray was sentenced to two years of probation. Blum was given four years in prison, followed by probation. When asked if he had anything to say, Felt told the judge that he had reflected on his mistake and he apologized to the victim. MADISON A Norfolk man found guilty in May of multiple sexual assault counts was sentenced to decades in prison Friday morning. Francisco Zephier, 26, was sentenced to 24-36 years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections for two counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child. He had faced up to 150 years in prison for the three Class 2 felonies. Zephier waived his right to a jury trial in May and instead requested a bench trial, or trial by judge. In court Friday, Judge James Kube who found Zephier guilty remarked that comments made by Zephier seemed to indicate he did not show remorse for the crimes committed against the victim. The victim testified in May that she was 11 years old when the assaults began. You knew this girl was a minor, and you sexually assaulted her. ... But the impression I get is that you felt like you were in love with her and the feelings you had for her made you feel like it was OK, is that right? Kube asked Zephier. Zephier indicated the statement was correct. That tends to leave an impression that you are more concerned with your sexual gratification than you were with the potential harm you could do with this girl at that time, is that accurate? Kube asked. Zephier said it was not accurate. Kube said he got the impression that Zephier felt the sexual assaults were consensual, and Zephier agreed that was the case. Our society deems a child of that age not to be able to make decisions like that. Its not possible for that to be consensual, because its a child were dealing with. ... We cant rely on children to help us make those decisions. In fact, were set forth the responsibility of protecting children, because we know better, Kube said. Madison County Attorney Joe Smith told the court there should be no confusion about the fact that Zephier had sex with a very young girl. Years ago, there was an 11-year-old girl with this guy on top of her. She was confused. ... Weve seen a number of people who have had sex with 11- or 12-year-olds, and each and every one of them has met the same fate. And each and every one of them have come in and given a speech or said in the pre-sentence investigation (PSI) they were abused or had issues with drug use, Smith said. He told the court that it is important to protect the public against a defendant that will have sex with little girls and not give a damn. The state is left recommending a high prison sentence. ... In a practical and traditional sense, hes left you (the court) very few options. By his actions, hes set the sentence, Smith said. Zephiers attorney, Chelsey Hartner with the Madison County Public Defenders Office, said her client contested the age of the victim when the assaults began. Zephier contends the victim was 13, not 11. She is now 14 years old. It has always been from (Zephiers) standpoint that it was never forcible. He never made (the victim) do anything. ... In his mind, they were dating, and thats something couples do, Hartner said. She said a video entered into evidence showed Zephier and his victim sitting together looking like a couple of teenagers, hanging out, looking cute and romantic. It doesnt look like theres any type of forcible relationship going on. ... I realize that doesnt have any impact on whether or not hes convicted of these crimes when consent cant be given because of her age, but it should be considered, Hartner said. She went on to describe to the court Zephiers traumatic upbringing, including his first use of marijuana at age 6 because he was having teeth pulled. Zephier went on to smoke marijuana daily from age 7 until age 14, she said. He was living in an environment where he was able to smoke marijuana every single day while in grade school, Hartner said. Zephier also began using alcohol at age 9, and he drank to intoxication from ages 13-14. Fortunately, he was able to quit both marijuana and alcohol on his own in his youth, Hartner said. Her client reported in the PSI that his parents used methamphetamine while he was a child and moved around a lot. Zephier also reported that he suffered abuse at the hands of his stepfather, and at one point his mother poured gasoline on him. I think that when you read the evaluation, it seems to point out that the traumatic upbringing, lack of nurturing environment ... clearly had an impact as to how he might have thought it was OK to have a very young girl as a girlfriend. I cant imagine it didnt have an impact, Hartner said. She pointed out to the court that Zephier had a very minimal criminal history, and aside from some juvenile matters, he didnt have an arrest until this. When Zephier was given the opportunity to address the court, he declined. Judge Kube did not make further comments before he handed down his sentence. On count 1, first-degree sexual assault, Zephier was sentenced to 8-12 years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections. He received another 8-12 years on count 2, first-degree sexual assault. On count 3, attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child, Zephier was sentenced to 8-12 years. All three counts are to run consecutively, or one after the other. Zephier was given credit for 520 days already served. If he loses none of his good time, Zephier must serve 12 years, less 520 days, before he is eligible for parole, and he must serve 18 years, less 520 days, before his mandatory release. Hartner presented evidence which she said showed the assaults were not aggravated in nature. An aggravated sexual assault occurs when a victim is 13 years or older and sex is non-consensual or when the victim is under 12 years of age. One piece of evidence was the video that the court had seen previously, showing the Zephier and his victim together. Hartner said this shows the relationship was not forcible. The other evidence Hartner entered was statements Zephier made during an evaluation in which he indicated the victim was at least 13 and the relationship was consensual. Judge Kube took a brief recess to review the evidence in his chambers. When he returned to the courtroom, he said he felt the evidence was conflicting. I heard the version of the facts from at least the victims point of view. ... (Zephier) seems to paint a picture that he was enticed into these acts, and I simply do not believe that, Kube said. He then declared each count as an aggravated offense, and pursuant to the Nebraska Sex Offender Act, Zephier must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Additionally, Zephier is subject to lifetime parole supervision. The poster of TV drama "The First Half of My Life" The First Half of My Life, a 42-episode hit TV drama adapted from a story written by Hong Kong writer Isabel Nee Yeh-su, has become a recent online sensation, garnering three billion views since its debut on July 4. The heroine Luo Zijun, starred by actress Ma Yili, used to live a carefree life. With her husband Chen Junsheng as the breadwinner, all Zijun did every day was take care of her family and do housework. Unexpectedly, eight years after their marriage, Junsheng asked Zijun for a divorce, as he fell in love with another woman. Devastated, Zijun needed to find a job and fight for the custody of her son. Junsheng (L) and Zijun (R) (file photo) Many fulltime housewives shared the fear about their uncertain future after they watched the realistic TV drama. Li Qinger, a fulltime housewife living in Beijing, told Legal Daily about her concern: I quit my job one year ago in order to look after my husband, my six-year-old daughter, and my mother-in-law. If I ever encounter a sudden divorce, I might have nothing. Fulltime housewives are undervalued in China. In fact, we are like a babysitter, a chef, and a teacher all rolled into one working around the clock. Instead of enjoying an effortless life, we have actually sacrificed a lot! A survey in 2014 reported that 28.6% of married women in China chose to be a fulltime housewife. With the two-child policy put into effect in 2015, experts estimate that more professional women will devote their time to family in the near future. The question is how vulnerable housewives in China are and whether current domestic law protects them. In 2001, a regulation on housework compensation was added to the countrys Marriage Law. If the couple agreed to have separate property during their marriage, and one party can prove that they fulfilled more than their part of the obligation, the regulation could be applied in their divorce process. Nevertheless, the proportion of married couples who separate their property is so small in China that the applicability of regulation has had little effect, according to experts. Therefore, preconditions for compensation as well as additional legislation are needed to guarantee the interests of those who are dedicated to their families. Nebraska Public Power District has proposed construction of a 345-kilovolt transmission line (R-Project) extending from Sutherland in southwest Nebraska to eastern Holt County in north-central Nebraska. This 225-mile high-voltage transmission line will traverse the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills. The Nebraska Sandhills covers 19,600 square miles of north-central Nebraska and contains 1.3 million acres of wetlands. It is the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States. It is also the largest stabilized sand dune region in the world and one of the largest contiguous grasslands in the world. The Sandhills are a unique and fragile ecosystem that remain relatively pristine and unaltered. They are home to 314 vertebrate species and 720 plant species, including a number of endangered species. Part of the central flyway, the Sandhills wetlands, are crucial habitat to migratory birds, including ducks, geese, swans and the whooping crane. One of the purposes of the NPPD R-Project, particularly regarding its location, is to promote industrial energy development in the form of wind energy. This will further add to the violation and destruction of this fragile environment. Many, if not most, of the residents of the Sandhills feel that industrial energy development is entirely unsuitable for this fragile, pristine, and undisturbed ecoregion. There has been strong grass-roots opposition to this project. On July 17, a private meeting of Sandhills landowners, residents and concerned citizens was arranged in Thedford. Robert Harms of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was invited to answer questions regarding the draft environmental impact statement relating to the R-Project issued in June. Permitting for injury to endangered species and damage to their habitat is crucial to NPPD for construction of the R-Project. Harms arrived in Thedford before the meeting time. He was then contacted by the Denver USFWS office and told that because of complaints by NPPD to the Washington, D.C. USFWS office, they had given an edict that he was barred from meeting with these members of the public. As approximately 45 concerned citizens from many counties gathered for this meeting, Harms was already en route back to his office in Alda. One has to ask why NPPD wants the public to be uninformed. They have shown themselves to be a heavy handed and arrogant bureaucratic organization with the easement acquisition process and always with the threat of eminent domain/condemnation. Now they have directly intervened to prevent a public servant from speaking to and informing members of the public. NPPD is well funded with a bevy of lawyers and lobbyists at both state and federal levels. It seems that power brokers and big money continue to dominate Washington politics and that Abraham Lincolns Government of the People, by the People, and for the People may be just a pipe dream. Brent L. Steffen, M.D., Kearney We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Premier John Horgan adjusts his tie as he leaves Government House after being sworn-in as Premier in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Horgan will be meeting the Prime Minister for the first time since taking office as the Premier of British Columbia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito Nancy Carlson wants to ensure that the next generation is water literate. Thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administrations Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Carlson will be able to do just that. Next spring shell help Kenosha Unified students explore local freshwater resources through a series of unique field trips on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of all of the usable freshwater on Earth; we need to educate our youth from the get-go to have a personal connection with the lakes and learn to love them, Carlson said. Carlson, a naturalist and environmental educator with Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum, has received a one-year, $15,212 grant to provide freshwater educational programming to Unified students. The grant was among $2.4 million awarded earlier this month by the Wisconsin Department of Administrations Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Hawthorn Hollows grant is one of 34 projects designed to remediate and improve Great Lakes resources in Wisconsins coastal communities. Carlsons project, the WATERshed Program (We All Take Environmental Responsibility), will take students on two-hour field trips to study the areas freshwater system from Lake Michigan to the Kenosha Wastewater Treatment Plant. The program will be offered to grades that offer water units in their science curriculum, Carlson said. The young researchers will monitor Lake Michigans water quality and investigate how wetlands, dunes and runoff affect lake health and macro invertebrates lake-dwelling creatures including dragonfly larvae, crayfish and water striders. The field trips are an extension of the WATERshed program Carlson began 10 years ago in Racine. For the past decade she has led Racine students on expeditions to Lake Michigan and introduced them to the Root River. The intention of the WATERshed program is to address what some naturalists see as a dearth of freshwater education for the nationas youth, Carlson said. (The standard school curriculum) has students studying oceans and not the Great Lakes. There is a lack of Great Lakes education in this area, and weve got the biggest freshwater resource in our backyard. An alarming number of kids in our community have never been to the beach, she said. How are we going to get them to care (about the waterways)? They are the generation that will save the Great Lakes. Carlson said she is excited about offering students a connection to their local freshwater resource. It will be a beautiful Lake Michigan experience, she said. 273 Shares Share My wife and I were in a unique situation after graduating medical school. We had met in the first year of medical school in and became friends. During our second year we started dating, and by end of third year, we were married. By the beginning of fourth year, we were proudly expecting. By June 1st, 2016 we were fortunate enough to share our graduation from medical school with our family we well as our one-month-old son at our side. That day we had no clue of the obstacles we would face, not only as new physicians entering a brutal intern year but as new parents. For those not familiar with the first year of residency, regardless of specialty, the time dedication is grueling. My wife and I had matched into separate family medicine residencies in Arizona. Both residencies had approximately 10 months of inpatient medicine with one to two months being a combination of nights and/or clinic. The hospital medicine portion was 6 a.m. to at least 6 p.m. six days per week. Depending on the service, time often exceeded those limits. Despite this commitment, we felt confident we could work together to overcome the obstacle of work and caring for a newborn. Just as intern year started, the year was over. Although we have not had much time to reflect on the year, we knew how far we had come as physicians, a married couple and parents. We calculated out that we each worked on average 74 hours a week, ranging from 60 hours to 98 hours. We reflected how fortunate we were having such supportive family members and residency staff. Without the help of family and the people around us, we would have had a more difficult time. There are many things we learned throughout the year, but none more important than the core values that tied our profession, our marriage, and parenthood together. 1. Each day is a new day, be present. In medicine, like many careers, it is easy to take emotional baggage home. As new physicians learn to evaluate patients, it can be easy to take the emotional toll with you from one patient to another. Throughout the year I learned how important it was to not only treat each day as a new day but each patient as a new patient. If you bring negative aspects from a bad day or interaction with you, the domino effect can be catastrophic by the end. Each day my wife and I learned to talk about our day, our ups, our downs and everything in between. Before seeing a new patient, I learned how important it was to take a deep breath before each encounter. The idea of being present was especially challenging coming home to an infant after a 12 hour day. All he wanted was his parents (mostly his mom) to snuggle him while he rolled or crawled on the ground. Spending time together as a family was the best part of my day. I learned how creating a blank slate was vital to surviving parenthood and intern year. 2. Teamwork. Learning to navigate the ins and outs of the hospital as an intern can be a steep learning curve. In a residency where one rotates in different specialties throughout the hospital, it is especially important to be able to rely on your co-residents and support staff. Each new rotation is a lesson on how important teamwork is. From the nurses and co-residents to the phlebotomists and respiratory therapists, everyone has an important job to make the patient experience as safe as possible. When you carry those virtues to your home life, things have a tendency to run a lot smoother. My wife and I were exhausted every day after work. But with the support of our family, friends and each other we were able to get through each day and still have time for our family. This is not to say we did not have our ups and downs, but there were key points to remember: there is no task that is below your pay grade, and dirty diaper changer should be the primary job of the person not providing the food. 3. Learn to be comfortable with vulnerability and limitations. One of the most valuable lessons I learned through intern year was never to be afraid of asking for help. Often, especially as new physicians, it is easy to feel vulnerable when one doesnt know something. When someone comes to us asking for help, we want to be able to reassure as well as educate. As new physicians, it can be easy to feel insecure when we are already managing the idea of taking care of patients on our own for the first time. On top of being a new parent, this notion was augmented for us in particular. Battling insecurity can be difficult. The important thing we reminded ourselves each day was the support that we had. From our co-residents and attending physicians to our family and friends, we felt fortunate that we were never afraid to ask for help. 4. The sweet is never as sweet without the bitter. Too often, I hear parents express disdain for the infant months and look forward to when they are more fun at one year of age. Due to our career paths, it was even more important we share duties that were taxing and exhausting. For example, I cannot stand doing laundry. Luckily, my wife does not like doing dishes which makes us such a great team around the house. But sometimes we cannot get away from the chores we dont like, and they have to get done. This idea also relates to medicine. Of course, it would be ideal to have every patient compliant, educated and not consistently readmitted to the hospital. These cases can be mentally taxing. But all it takes is one patient, staff member, colleague to say, Thank you. Whether it is a late night at home, or at work, there is nothing more satisfying knowing you took part in something bigger than yourself. No matter where you are in your life, intern year is hell. And no matter how difficult intern year can be, the single most important thing to remember is you are not alone. Spend time with friends and loved ones, watch the show you have been putting off and understand that no matter what, it gets better. Matthew Steele is a family medicine resident. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, said on Monday that he has joined a group of U.S. mayors to say "No" to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision of withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change. De Blasio said in an event titled "The Urban Resilience Summit 2017" in New York on Monday that there had been 350 U.S. mayors coming together to say "'No' to the president and 'Yes' to a future our children can thrive in." Earlier this year, Trump announced that he had decided to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, a landmark global pact to fight climate change. Calling the agreement "hamstrings" the United States while "empowers" other countries, Trump said the United States would begin negotiations to re-enter the agreement. However, he also indicated that re-entry may not be a top priority for his administration. De Blasio said on Monday that the president's decision has "put this planet on a dangerous path to denial" and majors across the country has promised to step up efforts and adhere to the Paris Principles. According to the major, "climate change is a dagger aimed straight at the heart of New York City". He recalled a deadly hurricane called Sandy in 2012 that killed 44 people and caused more than 19 billion U.S. dollars in losses in New York. "We've experienced citywide blackouts, economic downturns and extreme rainfall." The New York city government has laid out plans to combat climate change and its effects, wrote De Blasio in an article published on Monday's Crain's New York Business, a local news website. The goal is to "lower greenhouse emissions 80 percent by 2050 and to build a network of parks around lower Manhattan to absorb floodwaters, and to create an innovative program to moderate pockets of extreme heat in certain neighborhoods that kill too many New Yorkers, especially the poor and the elderly," he wrote. China Monday urged India to immediately withdraw all troops that have illegally entered China, stating that the nation would defend its territorial sovereignty "at all costs." "The Chinese border troops have taken initial counter measures at the site and will step up targeted deployment and training," said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference. Wu said the history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the past 90 years has demonstrated its increasing capacities and unshakable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "It's easier to shake a mountain than the PLA," Wu said. His words immediately began to trend online. As Aug. 1, the birthday of the PLA, approaches, these words illustrated China's unswerving resolution to build a stronger army and guard the country's sovereignty. Highlighting military reform, law-based governance and international reform, the armed forces of China are ready to embrace their big day. MILITARY REFORM TO GO DEEPER "A significant goal of the current military reform is to improve the PLA's readiness for war and combat capabilities," Zhou Shangping, an official from the Joint Staff Department under the Central Military Commission (CMC), said at the press briefing. The PLA aims to reach that goal by straightening the relationship of command, enhancing the structure of the military and strengthening its combat forces, Zhou continued, addressing a journalist's concern that military reform might unsettle the army's readiness for war. In fact, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in late 2012, the country has championed improving combat capabilities as the ultimate goal in building a strong army. In order to realize the goal, the PLA set up a two-tier joint operation command center that featured both the CMC and theater commands last year, which focused on commanding combat, and played a big part in maintaining the overall strategic stability, Zhou said. "We are completely capable of dealing with any sorts of security threats, and will firmly protect our country's sovereignty, security and interests," he noted.h A LAW-BASED MILITARY As part of the on-going military reform, the PLA has entered a "fast track" in building a military legal system with Chinese characteristics in the past five years, according to Lu Yu, deputy director of the CMC's legal affairs bureau. Efforts have been made to advance the rule of law, shifting the PLA's governance from the previous reliance on administrative orders, custom, experiences and campaigns, Lu said. Responding to a reporter who inquired about measures taken to handle corruption within the military, Lu said the PLA has strengthened law enforcement and checks on power in recent years with an attitude of "zero tolerance" against violations. China's top leadership has repeatedly called on PLA officers to eliminate the pernicious influence of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, two corrupt former CMC vice chairmen, amid the anti-corruption drive and efforts to advance strict observance of political discipline and rules. MILITARY COOPERATION AS DUTY Moreover, the PLA has been dedicated to improving its military diplomacy, and will continue to do so in the future, Wu said. Above all, boasting the goal of building a stronger army, the PLA has deepened its military relations with other major powers in the world, neighboring countries and developing countries over the years. In its attempt to play a bigger role in global governance, the PLA has been pushing forward international military cooperation to give China a bigger say on the international stage, Wu continued. "China's armed forces have been actively expanding their military cooperation," Wu said, referring to the PLA's participation in international duties, such as peace-keeping, anti-piracy, humanitarian aid and disaster relief. "It shows the responsibility that the PLA accepts as the armed forces of a major power," he stressed. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. With the world as their oyster, many retirees take the opportunity to travel far and wide. But before you go, review your medical coverage. Medicare beneficiaries who have a health emergency outside the U.S. could be in for a big surprise. Retired Kiplinger editor Ken Dalecki, 74, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area, didnt have emergency surgery penciled in on his itinerary on a 2016 trip to Asuncion, Paraguay. But soon after arriving, Dalecki noticed a black area in his right eye. And it was growing. Online research indicated his retina might be detaching, and that it had to be dealt with right away. Otherwise, you could go blind, he says. 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 Dalecki called the U.S. embassy and got contact information for a local hospital. Its something anyone ought to do, he says. His hotel helped set up the first appointment. Via Skype, Dalecki confirmed that Medicare wouldnt cover emergency care in Paraguay. Dalecki was lucky. Everything worked out fine, he says. The outcome of the surgery was successful, and the cost was relatively cheapabout $3,300. The cost would have been higher in the States, but Dalecki says Medicare would have lowered his out-of-pocket costs. As Dalecki confirmed, traditional Medicare typically doesnt cover health care outside the U.S. and its territories. But Medigap supplemental insurance plans C, D, F, G, M and N do cover foreign emergency health care. Plans E, H, I and J are no longer sold, but people who still own those policies have foreign coverage, too. These Medigap plans pay 80% of the costs for medically necessary foreign emergency care (post-deductible); the lifetime limit for foreign care is $50,000. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may run into coverage issues while traveling abroadand even stateside. Advantage plans generally have limited service networks, and traveling outside your local area can throw you out of network, making needed care costlier. Shop for Travel Insurance To ensure you have health coverage, consider buying travel insurance before you take off. You can buy a stand-alone travel medical policy, but comprehensive travel insurance that includes medical coverage may give you more bang for your buck. You may buy the policy for medical coverage, but may use it for something else, says Carol Mueller, vice president of marketing for Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (opens in new tab). A policy with trip cancellation protects you if you must cancel before departure, while a policy with trip interruption helps cover costs if you have to return home early. Comprehensive policies are more expensive, but you are better protected, says Lynne Peters, product director for InsureMyTrip.com (opens in new tab). Typically, comprehensive policies cost 6% to 8% of travel costs; buy enough insurance to cover all your prepaid costs. The premium is also dependent on your age and length of your trip. Older travellers pay more, says Mueller, up to 10% to 11% of trip costs. Typically, if you buy a policy within 10 to 14 days of your first trip payment, preexisting conditions will be covered. Read the fine print, including medical coverage limits. Look for medical evacuation coverage, which will cover a special flight home or a traveling nurse to accompany you on a commercial flight home. Travel insurance can make sense for cruises, which require big upfront payments. Traditional Medicare may cover medically necessary services on board a ship within the territorial waters adjoining the land areas of the U.S., but it wont pay for services on a ship that is more than six hours away from a U.S. port. Medical evacuation coverage could come in handy. Cruises are notorious for putting ill passengers off at the nearest port, says Daniel Durazo, director of communications for Allianz Global Assistance (opens in new tab), and that port may not have good facilities. An air ambulance to an appropriate facility or back home could cost $20,000 or more if the destination is close, he says, and 10 times that if coming from as far as Asia. The porphyrin molecule used in electrodes speeds up the charging process of batteries in the lab. (Source: KIT/HIU) Chlorophyll, blood, and vitamin B12 are all based on the porphyrin molecule. But porphyrin can also be used as an electrode material where it speeds up the charging process of rechargeable batteries. In the Angewandte Chemie International Edition journal, researchers from KIT now present the new material system that could mark the beginning of an era of high-performance energy storage and supercapacitors. Currently, the most widely used battery technology is based on lithium ions. No other rechargeable storage device for electric energy has comparable application properties. Thus, lithium ion batteries are currently indispensable for devices such as laptops, smartphones, or cameras, even though improved properties such as quick-charging would be desirable. Many materials that improve the properties of lithium ion batteries in the lab, however, are no sustainable options because they are rare, expensive, toxic or harmful to the environment. Ideally, high-performance energy storage materials would be based on renewable resources. An interdisciplinary research group headed by Professor Maximilian Fichtner of Helmholtz Institute Ulm, founded and organized by KIT, and Professor Mario Ruben from the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology, now presents a new energy storage material that allows a very fast and reversible inclusion of lithium ions. For this purpose, functional groups were added to the organic copper porphyrin molecule that produce structural and electro-conductive crosslinking of the material when the battery cell is charged for the first time. This significantly stabilizes the structure of the electrode in lab tests and allows several thousands of charge-discharge cycles. With this material, storage capacities of 130-170 milliamp-hours per gram (mAh/g) were measured in the lab at a medium voltage of 3 Volt and charging-discharging times of only one minute. Current experiments suggest that the storage capacity can be increased by another 100 mAh/g and that the storage system can be operated not only with lithium, but also with the much more abundant sodium. Porphyrins occur very often in nature and are the basic constituents of chlorophyll, of human and animal blood pigment (hemoglobin), and of vitamin B12, Fichtner explains. Technical variants of these materials are already in use, e.g. for blue-colored toner in laser printers or for car paint. By bonding functional groups to porphyrin, the scientists succeeded to leverage its specific properties in electrochemical electric storage systems for the first time. The storage properties are exceptional because the material has the storage capacity of a battery, but works as fast as a supercapacitor, Fichtner says. P. Gao, Z. Chen, Zh. Zhao-Karger, J.E. Mueller, Ch. Jung, S. Klyatskaya, T. Diemant, O. Fuhr, T. Jacob, J. Behm, M. Ruben, M. Fichtner, Porphyrin complex as self-conditioned electrode material for high performance energy storage, Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. (2017) doi:10.1002/ange.201702805 About the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) of KIT The HIU was established in January 2011 by KIT, member of the Helmholtz Association, in cooperation with Ulm University. With the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (ZSW), two other renowned institutions are involved in the HIU as associated partners. The international team of about 110 scientists at HIU works on the further development of the fundamentals of viable energy storage systems for stationary and mobile use. Find more information on the HIU here: KITdialog HIU.pdf More about the KIT Energy Center: http://www.energie.kit.edu Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. (Adds portfolio manager comment, updates prices to close) * TSX ends down 54.44 points, or 0.36 percent, at 15,128.69 * Eight of the TSX's 10 main groups finish in the red By Alastair Sharp TORONTO, July 24 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Monday, as gold miners broadly weighed and Barrick Gold Corp lost nearly 5 percent after a company it majority owns, Acacia Mining, was hit with a bill for $190 billion in unpaid taxes in Tanzania. Railway stocks, big banks and pipeline and other energy stocks also put pressure on the index, which unlike most major global stock indices is trading lower than where it ended 2016. The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 1.4 percent, with the global gold sub-index down 2.3 percent even as bullion hit a one-month high. "One of the reasons we don't invest in gold stocks is because the commodity can do well or poorly, but the companies themselves all have things going on that can negate any gains," said Norman Levine, managing director at Portfolio Management Corp. Barrick ended down 4.9 percent at C$19.29 in the wake of the Tanzania tax bill for Acacia. Levine said the stronger Canadian dollar, which breached 80 U.S. cents during the session, also weighed on Canadian natural resource stocks whose products are priced in the greenback. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 54.44 points, or 0.36 percent, at 15,128.69. Eight of its 10 main groups finished in the red. The energy sector slipped 0.2 percent despite oil prices jumping after Saudi Arabia said it would cut its crude exports, with Enbridge Inc down 0.4 percent at C$52.17. Industrials fell 0.7 percent, with Canadian National Railway Co down 1.2 percent and rival Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd falling 1.8 percent to C$199.69. Toronto Dominion Bank was among the biggest drags on the index, down 0.5 percent at C$65.02, while Royal Bank of Canada also slipped, off 0.2 percent at C$93.67. The financials group , which accounts for about 30 percent of the index's weighting, slipped 0.2 percent. Consumer-related shares added to the general weakness on the Toronto market, including grocer Loblaw , which declined 0.8 percent to C$70.8, and pharmacy chain Alimentation Couche-Tard , which slipped 0.7 percent to C$59.83. (Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by W Simon and Diane Craft) (Corrects headline to remove the word "tranche" as 17 billion riyals refers to the total sukuk) DUBAI, July 24 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has raised 17 billion riyals ($4.53 billion) from investors for its riyal-denominated Islamic bonds, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia's government offered its first riyal-denominated Islamic bonds to investors on Sunday, auctioning sukuk with maturities of five, seven and 10 years, a document seen by Reuters showed. The kingdom's Ministry of Finance said on SPA it received more than 51 billion riyals ($13.60 billion) worth of bids from investors, resulting in 300 percent coverage ratio. The first tranche, of 12 billion riyals, matures in 2022; the second tranche, of 2.9 billion riyals, matures in 2024; and the third tranche, of 2.1 billion riyals, matures in 2027, it said. Riyadh is launching a domestic sukuk issuance programme to help cover a large budget deficit caused by low oil prices. The Finance Ministry said last week that 13 domestic banks had qualified to participate in its domestic sukuk issues. Investors had to submit bids by Monday at 2 p.m. local time. ($1 = 3.7496 riyals) (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Bill Trott and Richard Chang) Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for more consensus from non-Communist parties to maintain the leadership of the CPC and boost confidence toward the development of socialism. Xi, also president of China, made the remarks on Friday at a symposium attended by representatives of non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and those without party affiliation. Xi told them to unite their parties' members and the people connected with them, view the problems and difficulties of development in an objective manner, and reach more political consensus. Xi said he hoped the representatives make full use of their own advantages, focus on the country's major strategic plans, do thorough research, and raise valuable proposals. The representatives should have an accurate understanding of the CPC Central Committee's analysis and judgment of the current economic situation, unite all forces that can be united, make full use of all resources, and make a joint contribution to building a comprehensive well-off society, he said. The president pointed out that in the first half of this year, the country's main economic index developed better than expectation, with a more stable macroeconomy and improvements in people's livelihoods. There are also lots of problems in the economy, which require a clear mind and proper measures to handle, Xi said, adding that more efforts should be made to push forward supply-side structural reform and rule out major risks. During the symposium, Premier Li Keqiang delivered a report on the country's economic work in the first half of this year and introduced the CPC Central Committee's plan for economic work of the second half of the year. Ten representatives offered their suggestions on issues including building the Belt and Road, preventing local government debt risks, boosting open markets, improving the efficiency of logistics, improving the healthcare system, and pushing forward sustainable development of new energy. Noting that the representatives' proposals are enlightening, Xi said the suggestions will be taken into consideration in a proactive manner. BANGKOK, July 25 (Reuters) - Thailand's baht has risen fairly rapidly and the central bank will closely monitor market activity, a central bank deputy governor said on Tuesday. "Overall, although the baht's strength has been in line with moves in regional currencies, its recent appreciation has been fairly rapid," Deputy Governor Mathee Supapongse said in a text message to reporters. The U.S. dollar has fallen 6.6 percent against the baht so far this year, making the baht one of the top performing Southeast Asian currencies. (Reporting by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Lisa Twaronite & Shri Navaratnam) GABORONE, July 25 (Reuters) - Botswana aims to resolve a dispute with Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) next month over a failed deal in which the country's BCL Mine was to buy the Russian firm's 50 percent stake in the Nkomati mine. "Due diligence and valuation exercises are being carried out to establish the value of the Nkomati assets as a basis for negotiating a commercially acceptable solution to the parties involved," Botswana's Mineral Resources Minister Sadique Kebonang said on Tuesday. Nornickel is suing Botswana for $271 million over the failed deal to sell the Nkomati Mine in South Africa, which is the Russian company's last African asset. The due diligence and valuation is expected to conclude by Aug. 15, and negotiations with the Russian group will follow thereafter, Sadique said. "Nornickel welcomes the Botswana government's intention to solve the question of the Nkomati purchase and hopes for a quick settlement of the situation," the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters after the minister's comments. (Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow; Writing by Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Alexander Smith) FRANKFURT, July 25 (Reuters) - Hochtief's second-quarter pretax profit rose 21 percent thanks to growth in Asia-Pacific, the ACS-owned German construction company said on Tuesday, beating its own analyst consensus. Operational pretax profit came to 204.6 million euros ($238.5 million), compared with its own average estimate of 197 million euros gathered from analysts. Sales that rose 18.5 percent to 5.87 billion euros beat consensus of 5.73 billion, while operational net profit of 107.3 million euros compared with consensus of 103 million. The company reiterated its guidance for 2017 operational net profit of 410 to 450 million euros, an increase of 13 to 25 percent. Hochtief's Australian subsidiary Cimic had already reported a 22 percent first-half net profit rise last week, sending its shares to a nine-year high. Spanish parent ACS is due to report results on Friday. ($1 = 0.8579 euros) (Reporting by Georgina Prodhan and Maria Sheahan; Editing by Arno Schuetze) MILAN, July 25 (Reuters) - Italy's biggest regional utility A2A said it was considering appealing a decision by a Montenegro court which has seized the group's stake in Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) . A2A said in June that it planned to sell its entire 41.7 percent stake in EPCG for 250 million euros ($288.28 million). The remaining share is owned by the Montenegro government. The Podgorica-based High Court's decision, after a special state prosecutor's office request, means that A2A cannot sell its stake until court proceedings looking into an individual suspected of inciting A2A representatives to commit bribery is complete. "The company is analysing the measure in order to judicially challenge it ...", said a company statement. A2a added that it was notified of the seizure on Tuesday and that the measure was issued as part of already known proceedings regarding "intergroup services provided by A2a to EPCG between 2010 and 2012". "A2A itself (will) now be subject to investigation," the statement said. (Reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Richard Balmforth) * LME/ShFE arb: * Copper resistance at $6,200, near Feb high * Traders see some producer selling, manufacturers restocking * Nickel boosted by worries about Philippine ore supplies (Updates prices) By Pratima Desai LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - Copper prices hit their highest in more than five months on Tuesday, boosted by signs of robust demand from top consumer China, tight supplies, a weak dollar and a break of key technical levels. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange traded up 2.5 percent at $6,180 a tonne in official rings from an earlier $6,196.5 a tonne, its highest since Feb. 13. "China growth is looking stronger, it's encouraging at a time when you would normally expect a lull," said Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Asa Bridle. "We have a perfect combination of decent demand and tighter supplies." CHINA GROWTH: China's gross domestic product was up 6.9 percent in the second quarter year-on-year, faster than the consensus 6.8 percent and the government's 6.5 percent target. CURRENCY: The U.S. currency fell to a 13-month low against a basket of major currencies, making dollar-denominated metals cheaper for holders of other currencies and potentially helping demand. SUPPLY: Disruptions to copper shipments from Canada and Chile have undermined expectations for rising global copper supplies in the second half of the year. FIBONACCI: A break of $6,030, a Fibonacci retracement level, saw funds that trade using buy and sell levels from black-box models jump on the uptrend, traders said. TECHNICALS: Resistance is seen at $6,200 near the February high, but traders say copper is overbought and needs to consolidate before trying to tackle higher levels. PHYSICAL DEMAND: "Manufacturers are restocking after drawing down copper stocks," a copper trader said. "There has been a fair amount of short-covering too ... Momentum seems to be running out of steam and we've seen some producer selling." PHILIPPINES: President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he wants all mineral resources extracted in the country to be processed domestically and, if possible, to stop exporting such commodities. NICKEL: The Philippines is the world's top supplier of nickel ore, for which China is the biggest market. NICKEL PRICES: Worries about supplies pushed benchmark nickel up to $9,930 a tonne, its highest since April 11. The price was last up 1.5 percent at $9,930 a tonne. NICKEL TECHNICALS: Upside barrier at $10,080, the 200-day moving average. Support at $9,370, the 21-day moving average. PRICES: Aluminium was up 0.3 percent at $1,918.5, zinc rose 1.5 percent to $2,830, lead added 1.5 percent to $2,293 and tin gained 0.5 percent to $20,250. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top base and precious metals analysis - GFMS LME/ShFE arb ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by James Regan and Melanie Burton; editing by Jason Neely and Adrian Croft) LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - Around a third of Northern Trust's institutional clients have asked it to ringfence British exposure from their broader European portfolios to protect them from Brexit-related risks. Wayne Bowers, Northern Trust Asset Management's EMEA and Asia-Pacific chief investment officer who helps manage around $1 trillion in assets, said these clients did not necessarily want to sell British stocks and bonds, but to prepare portfolios. Reuters reported earlier this year that investors are avoiding lumping British stocks, which have been an intrinsic part of the European investment process for decades while Britain has been an EU member and London a key financial centre, into Europe-bound investments . This follows uncertainty for the world's fifth-biggest economy triggered by the country's mid-2016 vote to exit the European Union which has hit both growth and the pound. "Instead of having their European equity and fixed income exposure to include the UK, they are saying can you please ringfence UK exposure," Bowers told reporters on Tuesday. Such ringfencing of assets is not unprecedented, it was in demand during the 2008-9 global financial crisis when clients asked asset managers to segregate financial industry shares out of broader equity portfolios, Bowers said, estimating that 30 to 40 percent of Northern Trust clients were asking for this. "They want it segregated, recognising they may want to take an extra asset allocation position - either increase or decrease - but they want to be able to do that without impacting their broader European exposure," Bowers said. Requests to separate UK portfolios are usually from non-European clients, including U.S. based and sovereign wealth investors, he said, adding that it had minimal costs. Bowers expects the UK economy and sterling to stay under pressure in the next couple of years due to the "opportunity cost" of Brexit, although UK stocks tend to benefit from currency weakness. The FTSE's UK equity index rose 15 percent in 2016 and is up 4 percent so far this year . "The domiciliation of corporate activity in UK will continue, it will be clouded by the 'press pause' approach by some global multinationals...but we don't think it's a stop, we think it's a modest pause," Bowers said. "We can't extrapolate that their next move will be out of the UK." (Reporting by Sujata Rao; editing by Alexander Smith) LISBON, July 25 (Reuters) - Portugal's state-rescued Novo Banco has launched a debt swap to boost its capital ratio, the last step to concluding its sale to U.S. private equity firm Lone Star. The bank said in a statement that it aims to raise 500 million euros ($583 million) from the swap and would offer to buy 36 bond issues at "market prices" in a process that would run from Tuesday until Oct. 2. The operation is a condition of the sale of 75 percent of Novo Banco to Lone Star, which was agreed in March. The government has said it hopes to conclude the sale by November. Novo Banco was carved out of Portugal's biggest ever bank collapse in 2014 after a 4.9 billion euro rescue operation of Banco Espirito Santo. A group of bondholders led by U.S. fund BlackRock have sought an injunction to block the sale of Novo Banco, fearing it would damage their claim to be compensated for an estimated 1.5 billion euros in losses suffered on Novo Banco bonds. ($1 = 0.8584 euros) (Reporting By Axel Bugge; Editing by Susan Fenton) Editor's Note:This article was originally posted on July 18. It has been updated to reflect today's prices. (Kitco News) - When downward spikes in gold and silver happen, some are quick to point to the mysterious fat finger but why is there no speculation with upward momentum? This is what research firm CPM Group questioned in a note sent out Tuesday morning. In recent weeks there has been a fair bit of discussion in the gold and silver markets about recent downward spikes in the prices of these metals[T]he discussions have ignored similar upward spikes in the prices, which is typical of conversations run by conspiracy believers who only look at downward moves, analysts at CPM said. The New-York based research firm is led by Jeffrey Christian, who in the past has dismissed theories that the metals markets are manipulated. These are not really flash crashes, the note explained. The moves appear to reflect the effects of a combination of program trading, stop-loss order practices, and an influx of institutional money into these markets. They do not appear to be fat fingered erroneous trades or any nefarious efforts to know prices lower, CPM said. CPM Group added that these sorts of spikes, up and down, are not unique to the precious metals, rather they are occurring in equity indices, currencies, and bonds due to the same three factors. [I]t does not involve conspiracies to suppress precious metals, the firm noted. Talk of a fat-finger move was last seen on July 6 when the price of silver crashed. The move, albeit brief, was intense. Silver futures dropped 10% to $14.40 an ounce within minutes. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) described it as a glitch. The reality is that program trading, stop-loss order practices, and the enormous increase in large institutional investors into precious metals have combined to make such events more common, CPM said. HANOI, July 25 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0415 GMT. July 25 USD/VND mid-point 22,429 USD/VND interbank 22,700/22,765 USD/VND unofficial 22,765/22,775 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.16/36.38 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.6-1.0 1 week 0.7-1.1 1 month 1.8-2.2 3 months 3.3-3.8 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Reporting by My Pham; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier) COLOMBO, July 25 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee traded slightly firmer in dull trade on Tuesday as dollar selling by exporters outpaced demand for the U.S. currency from importers, but purchases of the greenback by state-owned banks weighed on the local currency, dealers said. The spot rupee traded at 153.50/60 per dollar at 0545 GMT, slightly firmer from Monday's close of 153.60/65. "The market is very dull as everybody is awaiting direction from state banks after they bought dollars," a currency dealer said, asking not to be named. "Yesterday (Monday), the state banks bought dollars when the spot (rupee) touched 153.50. We feel today also they will come in if it goes below 153.50." Central Bank Governor Indrajith Coomaraswamy said last week that the rupee was still "over-valued" and that the monetary authority was still buying dollars to avoid any appreciation. The banking regulator is compelled to buy dollars from the market to meet a reserves target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $1.5 billion, three-year loan programme. Sri Lankan shares were trading 0.17 percent weaker at 6,652.79 as of 0545 GMT. Turnover was 79.6 million rupees ($518,229). ($1 = 153.6000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath) China's defense ministry on Tuesday rejected US accusations that two Chinese jets conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US EP-3 reconnaissance plane flying in international airspace over the East China Sea. In a statement, ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said the Chinese air force acted in a "legitimate, necessary and professional" manner. China also urged the US to stop such "unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly" activity, according to the statement. US Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters on Monday at the Pentagon that one of two Chinese fighter jets flew underneath the US EP-3 aircraft "at a high rate of speed", before slowing and flying 300 feet ahead of the EP-3, causing the US plane to take "evasive action to prevent the possibility of collision." ZURICH, July 25(Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.2 percent firmer at 8,915 points on Tuesday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer . Here are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks. LINDT & SPRUENGLI The Swiss chocolate maker forecast revenue growth would slow this year and reported first-half net profit rose slightly less than the market had expected, hit by sluggish chocolate demand in the United States. For more news AMS Chipmaker AMS , which supplies components to Apple and Samsung Electronics among others, on Monday raised its mid-term revenue growth target thanks to increased customer forecasts and a higher revenue pipeline. For more news, click on PARTNERS GROUP The Swiss asset manager will back its acquisition of UK-based software firm Civica with around 600 million ($781.74 million) of debt financing, banking sources told Reuters. For more news, click on LOGITECH The computer peripherals and mobile speaker maker delivered double-digit sales growth and raised its outlook for the rest of the year. For more news, click on COMPANY STATEMENTS * CFT reported first half revenue of 411.4 million Swiss francs ($434.56 million), down from 425.5 million francs a year earlier. * Roche and India's Emcure may end their joint venture to manufacture, distribute two drugs, The Economic Times reported. * Roche's GAZYVARO approved in Switzerland for people with previously untreated follicular lymphoma which are in need of systemic treatment * Burkhardt Compression said it has entered a strategic alliance with Sweden's Kompressorteknik, a company that services oil-free compressors. * Arundel AG reported a net loss of $6.9 million for its 2017 financial year, which ended March 31 2017, compared with a net loses of $10.5 million for the previous year. * Reinet Investments said the net asset value of its fund amounted to 5.823 billion euros at June 30, a decrease of 181 million euros from 31 March 2017. * Healthcare Investments reported a Q1 loss at 72 million Swiss francs. * CPH Chemie + Papier said it will take over the customer and recovered paper supplier contracts of Papierfabrik Utzenstorf AG with effect from 1 January 2018. * Mikron Holding reported its H1 net result swings to loss of 1.7 mln Swiss francs. * Cembra Money reported H1 net income at 69.4 mln Swiss francs. * Autoneum Holding said its first half 2017 sales rose 2.4 percent to 1.12 bln Swiss francs, while net profit rose to 61.2 million francs. ECONOMY ($1 = 0.9467 Swiss francs) ($1 = 0.7675 pounds) (Reporting by Zurich newsroom) Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: )) Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/ DUSHANBE, July 25 (Reuters) - Tajikistan plans to raise $500 million by issuing a 10-year, Eurobond with a yield of 7.5-8.5 percent, a source at the Central Asian nation's finance ministry told Reuters on Tuesday. The finance ministry had said earlier it was planning to issue the Eurobond, which would become the first tranche of a $1 billion state borrowing programme, in 2018. (Reporting by Nazarali Pirnazarov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrey Ostroukh) 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. ANKARA, July 25 (Reuters) - Turkish exports will exceed $155 billion in 2017 and the target for 2018 will be to reach $170 billion, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on Tuesday. Turkish exports rose 1.8 percent year-on-year in June to $12.07 billion, the Turkish Exporters' Assembly said, while annual exports fell 0.9 percent to $142.6 billion in 2016. Zeybekci made the comments at a conference in Ankara. (Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu) 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. * Demand tops 5 billion euros for new debt -IFR * Deal seen as test run' for financial independence * Greece set to exit third bailout next year (Recasts and writes through) By John Geddie, Alice Gledhill and Renee Maltezou LONDON/ATHENS July 25 (Reuters/IFR) - Greece sold debt to private investors for the first time in three years on Tuesday, a significant step towards gaining financial independence and exiting its third international bailout next year. The deal comes a month after euro zone finance ministers signed off on a new loan and sketched out measures to chip away at Greece's debt mountain after the current bailout finishes in August 2018. Athens says Tuesday's sale of a new five-year bond is a test run to ensure Greece can rely on market funding next year. A tender of old bonds run alongside the sale will help lower its repayments in the years following its bailout exit. The deal did not initially attract as much demand as the country's brief foray into markets in 2014, but it looked set to be successful and price at what investors said was a very competitive level with a yield below 5 percent. "It's extremely positive that they have come below 5 percent. Greece is now able to fund itself," said Louis Gargour, chief investment officer of hedge fund LNG Capital, who said he was considering buying the new bond. Analysts said some investors would be put off by Greek government bonds having the lowest credit rating in the euro zone and not being eligible for purchase by the European Central Bank under its quantitative easing scheme. When Greece sold 3 billion euros of five-year bonds with a coupon of 4.75 percent in 2014, demand reached over 20 billion euros from 600 investors. It followed that with another sale a couple of months later, but then quickly lost market access again as a newly-elected leftist government quarrelled with creditors over debt relief. That experience, and the lingering concerns around Greece's debt mountain which stands at 180 percent of economic output, may have dented demand somewhat this time, analysts said. Thomson Reuters market news and data service IFR said on Tuesday that 5.5 billion euros of interest had been declared from investors looking to buy the new bond outright or switch from the older issue. "Given Greece's fundamentals, the problem with this bond sale is that it fuels speculation about investor willingness to lend to an almost insolvent country," said ABN AMRO senior fixed income analyst Kim Liu. "Regardless of the success of the deal, debt to GDP levels of Greece will still be at high levels." TURNING A PAGE Europe's economics commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, said on Tuesday he was confident Greece was "turning a page" from its economic crisis. The bond sale is also emblematic of the recovery of the euro zone as a whole, coming some five years after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi brought the bloc back from the brink of splintering with a pledge to do "whatever it takes". The International Monetary Fund, which has lent financial support to Greece alongside the European Union and the ECB, upgraded its 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for the euro zone and pointed to "solid momentum". Greece's comeback has been timed to take advantage of its borrowing costs hitting seven-year lows. In a note on Tuesday, Barclays chief European economist Antonio Garcia Pascual said the deal was timely for other reasons as well. These include the government's primary surplus and official funding support, improving economic conditions, limited political risks and debt relief that will likely be delivered later this year or next. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Greece's 10-year bond yield from bailout to bond sale ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by John Geddie and Alice Gledhill in London and Renee Maltezou in Athens. Additional reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan and Dhara Ranasinghe Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.) * NSE index pares gains after hitting record high, up 0.06 pct * Valuation concerns linger - analysts * HDFC Bank, Bharti Infratel up on strong quarterly results (Adds comments from analysts, background, updates share move) By Rafael Nam and Samantha Kareen Nair MUMBAI, July 25 (Reuters) - India's NSE share index topped 10,000 points for the first time on Tuesday, as hopes for improving earnings, accelerating economic growth and government reforms feed a strong rally in Asia's third-best performing stock market this year. The NSE, or Nifty 50, rose 0.45 percent to a record high of 10,011.30, then pared some of the gains and was up 0.06 percent by 0448 GMT. The benchmark BSE index advanced as much as 0.40 percent to a record high of 32,374.30 points. The NSE has surged 22 percent this year, just behind South Korea's and Hong Kong's markets, in a broad-based rally fuelled by a surge in foreign investments and flows from retail investors buying into mutual funds for the first time. Both investors have bet heavily that economic growth will accelerate from 6.1 percent in the January-March quarter, boosting corporate earnings. Hopes are also high for economic and fiscal reforms after the government unveiled a national goods and services tax this month. Still, valuation concerns linger: the NSE was trading at around 21 times 12-month forward price-to-earnings, compared with a five-year average of 17.91. "It is a historical moment given Nifty touched the key psychological mark," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head Research for Equity for Centrum Wealth. "However we can expect a consolidation at higher levels given the rich valuations towards the end of the current corporate results season," he added. Among the top gainers on Tuesday were HDFC Bank which rose as much as 1.4 percent after posting solid results on Monday, prompting Morgan Stanley and Jefferies to upgrade their ratings. Bharti Infratel rose 2.2 percent, even after the telecom tower infrastructure provider missed first quarter estimates on Monday, as net tenancy additions and EBITDA margin surged. CONSOLIDATION? An extension of the rally in the near term will probably depend on the outcome of earnings of India's blue chips, with the bulk of results yet to be released. Besides, not all analysts are convinced of a recovery as a dearth of private investments risks hampering growth. "In the medium term, we are not very positive about the market because of high valuations and a muted outlook for the current corporate results season," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. But most analysts agree that prospects are brighter over the long-term, as retail investors continue to invest into mutual funds via monthly instalments. Deutsche Bank estimates retail investors have ploughed a record $31 billion into Indian equities through mutual funds since May 2014, more than the estimated $21 billion overall by foreign investors over the same period. ($1 = 64.3700 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Rafael Nam and Samantha Kareen Nair; Editing by Richard Borsuk & Shri Navaratnam) (Adds details on U.S.-British trade deal, background) WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised ongoing work on a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain while sharply criticizing the European Union's trade relationship with the United States. "Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!" Trump wrote on Twitter without offering any other details. Representatives for the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce could not be immediately reached for comment. The Republican U.S. president earlier this month assured quick action on a trade deal between the United States and Britain even as some British officials expressed skepticism. Trump met with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Hamburg earlier this month, describing the bilateral trade deal as "a very, very big deal, a very powerful deal, great for both countries." A deal would follow Britain's 2016 decision to withdraw from the European Union, a major trading bloc. The British government has since touted its ability to strike one-on-one deals with other countries. Still, some British officials and businesses have remained skeptical that a trade deal with the United States would make up for leaving the EU. Trump on Tuesday offered no specific actions that he wanted the EU to halt, but a series of trade issues over steel and other products have raised tensions. The Trump administration has launched a review of the steel industry and is weighing tariffs on imports that could spark retaliatory action. While such tariffs would primarily take aim at China, EU officials fear steel headed for the United States would instead be redirected to European nations, upending the industry there. (Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Paul Simao) * Demand tops 6 billion euros for new debt -IFR * Deal seen as test run' for financial independence * Greece set to exit third bailout next year (Adds quote, updates details) By John Geddie, Alice Gledhill and Renee Maltezou LONDON/ATHENS July 25 (Reuters/IFR) - Greece sold debt to private investors for the first time in three years on Tuesday, a significant step towards gaining financial independence and exiting its third international bailout next year. The deal comes a month after euro zone finance ministers signed off on a new loan and sketched out measures to chip away at Greece's debt mountain after the current bailout finishes in August 2018. Athens says Tuesday's sale of a new five-year bond is a test run to ensure Greece can rely on market funding next year. A tender of old bonds run alongside the sale will help lower its repayments in the years following its bailout exit. The deal did not attract as much demand as the country's brief foray into markets in 2014, but Athens looked to have paid less to borrow the same amount, 3 billion euros. "The return of Greece to the capital markets was and is the goal of the ongoing adjustment programme. We therefore welcome the fact that Greece has the chance to return to the market on a step-by-step basis," a spokeswoman for the finance ministry in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, said. Analysts said some investors may be put off Greek government bonds because they have the lowest credit rating in the euro zone and are not being eligible for purchase by the European Central Bank under its quantitative easing scheme. When Greece sold 3 billion euros of five-year bonds with a coupon of 4.75 percent in 2014, demand reached over 20 billion euros from 600 investors. On Tuesday, Thomson Reuters' IFR reported over 6.5 billion euros of orders had been placed, and that a 3 billion euro bond would be priced later in the day at a yield of 4.625 percent and a likely coupon of 4.375 percent. Greece's comeback has been timed to take advantage of its borrowing costs hitting seven-year lows. A treasurer at one of Greece's big banks, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters that he expected a large chunk of demand for the bond came from domestic banks and pension funds. He added that the deal would also open the way for Greek banks to borrow in capital markets. TURNING A PAGE Athens lost market access shortly after it sold bonds in 2014 because its newly-elected leftist government quarrelled with creditors over debt relief. Some investors may have been put off by that experience, analysts said, especially as there are still lingering concerns around Greece's debt mountain which stands at 180 percent of economic output. "Given Greece's fundamentals, the problem with this bond sale is that it fuels speculation about investor willingness to lend to an almost insolvent country," said ABN AMRO senior fixed income analyst Kim Liu. "Regardless of the success of the deal, debt-to-GDP levels of Greece will still be at high levels." But Europe's economics commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, said on Tuesday he was confident Greece was "turning a page" from its economic crisis. The bond sale is also emblematic of the recovery of the euro zone as a whole, coming some five years after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi brought the bloc back from the brink of splintering with a pledge to do "whatever it takes". The International Monetary Fund, which has lent financial support to Greece alongside the European Union and the ECB, upgraded its 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for the euro zone and pointed to "solid momentum". "We believe that changes in the European political landscape, together with recent strong economic data, mean the bond should perform well," said Nicholas Wall a portfolio manager at Old Mutual Global Investors. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Greece's 10-year bond yield from bailout to bond sale ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by John Geddie and Alice Gledhill in London and Renee Maltezou in Athens. Additional reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan, Dhara Ranasinghe and Kit Rees in London, George Georgiopoulos in Athens and Gernot Heller in Berlin.; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.) (Adds details, analyst comments, shares) July 25 (Reuters) - Hospital operator HCA Healthcare Inc's profit missed analysts' estimate for the second straight quarter, hurt by higher expenses and weaker-than-expected patient volumes and lowered full-year earnings forecast. Shares of the largest U.S. for-profit hospital operator fell 3.3 percent to $83.23 in early trading, while smaller rivals Community Health Systems Inc and Tenet Healthcare Corp also traded lower. Hospital operators' stocks have been volatile as Republicans attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, raising concerns that a healthcare overhaul will curtail the benefits hospitals have gained from expanded insurance coverage. President Donald Trump made a last-ditch plea on Monday to U.S. Senate Republicans to "do the right thing" and fulfill campaign promises to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate will vote on Tuesday on whether to open debate on an overhaul of the law. Net income attributable came in at $657 million, or $1.75 per share, in the second quarter ended June 30, compared with $658 million, or $1.65 per share, a year earlier. Analysts' average estimate was $1.80 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company said its equivalent admissions, which include patients who stay in the hospital overnight and those who are treated on an outpatient basis, rose 1.3 percent in the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA analyst Sheryl Skolnick said it was now clear that HCA needed external growth to augment slowing organic growth. "And that doesn't make us comfortable given pressures on same-store utilization rates." HCA has been scooping up hospitals from Community Health and Tenet Healthcare as the hospital operator looks to bulk up for growth. HCA said salaries and benefits, supplies and other operating expenses rose 4.6 percent to $8.66 billion. The company, which operates 172 hospitals and 119 freestanding surgery centers, reported a 4 percent growth in revenue at $10.73 billion, but it was below analysts' estimate of $10.85 billion. Evercore ISI analysts said the magnitude of the volume weakness was still a surprise and expected the stock to sell off. HCA now expects earnings per share for the year in the range of $7.00 to $7.30, down from $7.20 to $7.60 it previously forecast. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri) (Adds shares, production forecast) By Ahmed Farhatha and Anirban Paul July 25 (Reuters) - Newmont Mining Corp handily beat profit estimates on Tuesday as production improved, offsetting losses from lower realized gold prices, sending its shares up as much as 6.2 percent. The world's second-biggest gold producer by market value also raised the bottom end of its full-year production forecast on better yield from its mines in North America and Africa. Newmont now expects to produce 5 million to 5.4 million ounces of gold this year, up from its previous forecast of 4.9 million to 5.4 million ounces in the preceding quarter. The production forecast was better than what analysts were expecting, RBC Capital Markets analyst Stephen Walker said, adding that the company's cost performance was also better than expected. Newmont's all-in sustaining costs, a key benchmark, fell to $884 per ounce in the second quarter ended June 30 from $913 per ounce in the same period last year. Sid Subramani, an analyst with Veritas Investment Research, said he expected those costs to increase in the second half of the year. Gold production grew 13.3 percent to 1.4 million ounces in the reported quarter, the company said. Newmont sold gold at $1,250 per ounce on an average in the quarter, lower than $1,257 per ounce a year earlier. The company's adjusted net income rose to $248 million, or 46 cents per share, from $155 million, or 30 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 26 cents per share as per Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose to $1.88 billion from $1.67 billion a year earlier. The company's shares were up about 5.8 percent at $35.85 by 1400 GMT. (Reporting by Anirban Paul and Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri) * Demand tops 6 billion euros for new debt -IFR * Deal seen as 'test run' for financial independence * Greece set to exit third bailout next year (Adds Greek finance minister comment, details) By John Geddie, Alice Gledhill and George Georgiopoulos LONDON/ATHENS July 25 (Reuters/IFR) - Greece successfully sold debt to private investors for the first time in three years on Tuesday, making a significant first step towards financial independence when its third international bailout ends next year. The deal came a month after euro zone finance ministers signed off on a new loan and sketched out measures to chip away at Greece's debt mountain after the current bailout finishes in August 2018. Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos hailed the successful sale, saying it was "a beginning" and a sign of confidence in the country's economy. "There will be a second and a third (market foray), to approach August 2018 with confidence and emerge from the bailouts," he said. In the test run to ensure it will be able to rely on market funding next year, Athens sold 3 billion euros of new five-year bonds alongside a tender to buy back outstanding 5-year paper issued in 2014. That was to help lower its repayments in the years following the bailout exit. The deal did not attract as much demand as the country's brief foray into markets in 2014, but Athens paid less to borrow the same amount. The bonds were priced to yield 4.625 percent, 32 basis points below a similar duration bond Athens last sold in 2014. The coupon was set at 4.375 percent versus 4.75 percent on the 2014 bonds. "The return of Greece to the capital markets was and is the goal of the ongoing adjustment programme. We therefore welcome the fact that Greece has the chance to return to the market on a step-by-step basis," a spokeswoman for the finance ministry in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, said. Analysts said some investors may be put off Greek government bonds because they have the lowest credit rating in the euro zone and are not eligible for purchase by the European Central Bank under its quantitative easing scheme. When Greece sold 3 billion euros of five-year bonds in 2014, demand reached over 20 billion euros from 600 investors. Tuesday's sale saw demand come from about 200 investors, a government official said. Thomson Reuters' IFR reported over 6.5 billion euros of orders had been placed. Greece's comeback has been timed to take advantage of its borrowing costs hitting seven-year lows. But it is still paying 3.9 times Portugal's borrowing costs on five-year paper. A treasurer at one of Greece's big banks, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters that he expected a large chunk of demand for the bond came from domestic banks and pension funds. He added that the deal would also open the way for Greek banks to borrow in capital markets. TURNING A PAGE Athens lost market access shortly after it sold bonds in 2014 because its newly-elected leftist government quarrelled with creditors over debt relief. Some investors may have been put off by that experience, analysts said, especially as there are lingering concerns around Greece's debt mountain. That stands at 180 percent of economic output versus the 60 percent or falling towards 60 percent required by the European Union. "Given Greece's fundamentals, the problem with this bond sale is that it fuels speculation about investor willingness to lend to an almost insolvent country," said ABN AMRO senior fixed income analyst Kim Liu. "Regardless of the success of the deal, debt-to-GDP levels of Greece will still be at high levels." But Europe's economics commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, said on Tuesday he was confident Greece was "turning a page" from its economic crisis. The bond sale is also emblematic of the recovery of the euro zone as a whole, coming some five years after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi brought the bloc back from the brink of splintering with a pledge to do "whatever it takes". The International Monetary Fund, which has lent financial support to Greece alongside the European Union and the ECB, upgraded its 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for the euro zone and pointed to "solid momentum". "We believe that changes in the European political landscape, together with recent strong economic data, mean the bond should perform well," said Nicholas Wall a portfolio manager at Old Mutual Global Investors. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Greece's 10-year bond yield from bailout to bond sale ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by John Geddie and Alice Gledhill in London and Renee Maltezou in Athens. Additional reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan, Dhara Ranasinghe and Kit Rees in London, George Georgiopoulos in Athens and Gernot Heller in Berlin.; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.) China's best practices and successful experiences on poverty alleviation had been shared with the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a two-day forum, starting here on Tuesday. Hong Tianyun, deputy director of China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation, said poverty reduction was a common goal for human development and a common challenge for China and ASEAN countries. "Being the world's largest developing country, China has always been an active advocate and powerful enabler of the world's poverty reduction cause," the Chinese official said during the opening ceremony of the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province. The forum brought together over 120 government officials, experts, scholars, Chinese companies' representatives, NGO representatives and international organizations' officers from China and ASEAN countries. At the forum, Hong shared the Chinese five-point formula in its achieving large-scale poverty reduction along with rapid economic growth. Firstly, the prerequisite of China's successful practice is upholding reform and opening-up so as to maintain a continuous growth of economy, he said. Secondly, the guarantee is giving full play to the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Thirdly, governments provide guidance which combines long-term poverty reduction planning with annual poverty reduction objectives. Fourth, the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation and reduction should be adjusted and implemented according to different conditions to maintain its effects. And fifth, emphasis is given to the market to mobilize social involvement and synergy. Hong said in the future cause of poverty reduction, China will continue to carry out this formula and intensify its efforts in this regard so that more poverty-stricken regions and population can benefit from the country's development. Meanwhile, China will continue to work with the international community and contribute to the cause of global poverty reduction. According to a report on "New Progress in Poverty Alleviation in China" distributed at the forum, since the launch of reform and opening up in the late 1970s, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty. The number of the rural poor in China had fallen to 43.35 million by the end of 2016, said the report released by the China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. China has set itself the goal of lifting 10 million people out of poverty every year from 2016 and is committed to lifting the entire impoverished population in rural areas out of poverty by 2020, the report said. While combating poverty at home, China also actively helps other developing countries to address their poverty problems, it said, adding that over six decades, China has provided nearly 400 billion yuan (59.2 billion U.S. dollars) of assistance to 166 countries and international organizations, sent more than 600,000 aid workers, given medical assistance to 69 countries, and aided more than 120 developing countries. Ouk Rabun, Minister of Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, said the forum was vital for the participants to discuss and exchange deeper views on their efforts in reducing poverty in ASEAN member countries. "Through the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction, I believe that we will gain good qualifications, best practices, and new experiences from each other among ASEAN member countries and from China," he said during his opening speech. Wan Guanghua, principal economist at the Asian Development Bank's Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, called the China's poverty reduction strategy a "holistic approach", and said that the forum was a good platform for ASEAN countries to learn best practices and experiences from China in poverty cut. "From the statistics, China has been very successful in poverty reduction. At the end of 1970 or early 1980s, China's poverty rate, based on World Bank's estimate, was more than 70 percent, now it dropped to below five percent," he told Xinhua on the sidelines of the forum. Wan said with the economic growth of between six and seven percent per annum, China will be surely able to eradicate poverty by 2020. "At the moment, the poverty rate in China is already low...China's (economy) has been growing now six, seven percent (per annum), and if it continues to grow at this growth rate, China will have no problem to reduce poverty to below three percent, which is the natural rate of poverty," he said. Sita Sumrit, head of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division at the ASEAN Secretariat, praises China for its methods and achievements in poverty reduction, saying that ASEAN has a lot of things to learn from China in poverty cut. "I think (China)'s targeted poverty reduction strategy has worked really well for the country...China has very good understanding of the context of the country about the poorest of the poor, and really has made an effort to understand who are the poorest, and really target to lift those people out of poverty," she told Xinhua. ASEAN has the combined population of approximately 630 million. According to Sita Sumrit, it is estimated that one of eight people in ASEAN still lives in poverty. The people living below poverty line are defined by an average income of less than 1.25 U.S. dollars per day. In a presentation to the forum, Prof. Yu Miaojie, vice dean of the National School of Development of Peking University, said a finding showed that the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area had a very significant impact on ASEAN and China in poverty reduction. "If bilateral trade between China and an ASEAN member country increases by 10 percent, the absolute poverty ratio in the ASEAN member countries will reduce around 3-5 percent," he said. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain have issued a joint statement on Monday designating nine entities and nine people as involved in terrorist activities and linked to the Arab gulf state of Qatar, state-run news agency MENA reported. In a joint statement, nine charity entities were listed as linked to terrorism" supported by Qatar, with three based in Yemen and six in Libya. The statement also named nine individuals from different Arab nationalities as allegedly linked with terrorism, including Qatari, Kuwaiti, Yemeni, and Libyan nationals. Last month, the four Arab states severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar, accusing the oil-rich Gulf state of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs. Doha has denied the accusations. Shortly after the severing of ties, the four countries released a list that included what it described as several terrorism financiers from businessmen, politicians and royal family members. The list included Youssef El-Qaradawi, the 90-year-old Egyptian-Qatari scholar and spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, which has been designated a terrorist organization by Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Search Keywords: Short link: Sevier County couple charged with murder in death of 2 year old Anthony D. Phillips and Jade E. Phillips, parents of 2-year-old who died in Gatlinburg after being left in a hot car all night. KNOXVILLE A joint investigation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Gatlinburg Police Department has resulted in the indictment of a Sevier County couple in connection with the death of their child. On July 14th, at the request of 4th District Attorney General James Dunn, TBI Special Agents joined the Gatlinburg Police Department in investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 2-year-old Kipp Phillips. On that day, officers with the Gatlinburg Police Department responded to a home at 416 Laurel Avenue after being notified that a child had been left in a vehicle overnight. Upon arrival, the child was found deceased. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information leading to Anthony D. Phillips (DOB 3-14-91) and Jade E. Phillips (DOB 11-5-92), the childs parents, as the individuals responsible for his death. On Monday, the Sevier County Grand Jury returned indictments charging each with two counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Aggravated Child Abuse and one count of Aggravated Child Neglect. This afternoon, information was developed that Anthony and Jade Phillips were at a home in Westmoreland, Tennessee. TBI Agents, with the assistance of the Sumner County Sheriffs Office, arrested the couple without incident. Both were booked into the Sumner County Jail and are being held on a $250,000 bond. Published July 24, 2017 Sameh Shoukry is in Brussels for a meeting of the Egyptian-European Partnership Council Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, in Brussels on Monday for discussions on a range of pressing issues, including the Qatar crisis, developments in Libya and the ongoing issue of Nile water. According to an Egyptian foreign ministry statement, Shoukry met with Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations, with Egypt-EU relations also on the agenda. On the topic of the Qatar crisis, Shoukry outlined the positions of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. He said that Egypt would not compromise on the demands it has put to Qatar, particularly after all the sacrifices Egypt had made in the face of terrorism. Mogherini, meanwhile, outlined the EU's position on the Qatar issue and on the "war on terrorism" in general. Regarding the Cooperative Framework Agreement, Shoukry stated that the EU's recognition of the technical program to manage the region's water sources contradicts the EU's policies adopted in other regions, which are based on respect for international law and the promotion of stability. He added that the EU's insistence on implementing the program as part of the Nile Basin initiative will deepen the current split among its members. The Egyptian and EU officials also discussed the developments in Libya and agreed that the only way to resolve the crisis was through a comprehensive political settlement. As for Syria, Shoukry outlined the Egypian position, which is based on supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people while ensuring national unity and fighting terrorism in the country. Minister Sameh Shoukry is currently in Brussels, heading the Egyptian delegation at a meeting of the Egyptian-European Partnership Council, which will be held in Brussels on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: Cho Seong-jin / Courtesy of Tongyeong International Music Foundation Pianist Cho Seong-jin is set to release his second album of Debussy's works this fall, according to Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music. Cho is known to have recorded the pieces for the album in Berlin and elsewhere around Germany. The album will contain Debussy's Images 1, 2, Suite Bergamasque, Children's Corner and L'isle joyeuse. On his previous album released last November, he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1 in e minor and Four Ballades by the same composer. The Debussy album is scheduled for a November or December release for the time being. Although the final track list for the upcoming album has not been completely fixed, Cho selected many of the pieces himself, Universal Music said. After he won the Chopin Piano Competition in October 2015, tickets for his first recital held in January in Seoul were sold out within 10 minutes. Tickets for his recital at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in May were sold out in 79 seconds and for the Lotte Concert Hall one year anniversary concert scheduled for Aug. 18 sold out within five minutes. Cho's fandom is unusual in classical music as there had not been such a K-pop star-like popularity and attention given to a classical musician before. ysy@ktimes.com Actress Nam Ji-hyun / Courtesy of Management SOOP By Park Jin-hai For Actress Nam Ji-hyun, 21, the drama "Suspicious Partner" was special because it offered a safe landing for her while acting in her first romance drama as an adult. The recently ended SBS romantic comedy, which gained little attention at the beginning, has reversed its viewership rankings, just like her previous drama "Shopping King Louie" did, and Nam gained a new nickname -- the "chart-climbing icon." "I really appreciate it, since I know very well how hard it is for a drama to finish with a rising viewership," said Nam during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday. Nam took the role of lawyer Eun Bong-hee, who partners with former prosecutor Noh Ji-wook, played by Ji Chang-wook, to solve a psychopath murder case while a romantic relationship develops between the two. The actress, who spent more than ten years as a child actress in dramas, including most notably "Queen Seondoek (2009)," says she is very much satisfied with the outcome of her latest drama. "My biggest concern for years has been how to present myself as a grown-up actress to viewers who have seen me on the screen as a child actress for all those years. My strategy has been to take little steps. It was important for me not to lose the image of familiarity that viewers have of me, but to add a new image at the same time," she said. "In my previous work Shopping King Louie,' I portrayed puppy love, and then I moved on to this grownup real romance through Suspicious Partner.' "I revealed my character as agonizing from love, becoming happy because of it and growing up. I'm relieved that viewers take me as a grown-up actress without feeling some alienation." She says the most memorable line of the drama is "You're dirty but pretty." "The two adjectives dirty' and pretty' don't go together in most circumstances. The line that Noh says to Eun, after she worked really hard to unearth the truth and proudly revealed it to Noh, sets the entire tone of this romantic comedy," she said. "While shooting the scene, I thought I might be really happy if I could hear such a compliment from anyone after all my efforts." Nam, who appeared in a variety of quiz programs and debuted as a child actress in 2004, says although her works have always been successful, she was not as confident. "My projects were successful and that helped me land the next project and the next. Inside, I used to question whether being an actress is the right way to make my life happy," said Nam. "This insecurity gave me guilt that I might be taking the place of others who most eagerly would take acting as their career. In order to get over the guilt, I became a perfectionist about myself. My smallest shortcomings then were enough to let me down." After all those years in front of the camera, Nam went to Sogang University majoring in psychology. Now she says she found no other profession that would steal her attention from acting. Nam, who took time off after shooting "Suspicious Partner," will return to school this fall. "I feel as though shooting dramas and films is like doing something special for me, while going back to school is like going back to where I belong," the actress said. Nam says that she wants to be an actress the viewers can feel comfortable with. "I want to be an actress whose presence in dramas or films would not be a surprise. So when viewers see me on movie teasers or posters, I want them see it as natural," she said. Tax hike plans to be revealed next week By Nam Hyun-woo The government's economic policy roadmap is focused on carrying out President Moon Jae-in's election pledges of bringing growth led by improved income and a redistribution of wealth. With Moon describing the roadmap "a paradigm shift" in the Korean economy, the roadmap is in stark contrast with those released by previous administrations. The roadmap means a departure from the country's pursuit of the so-called trickle-down effect -- a belief that financial benefits to large businesses and entrepreneurs will stimulate economic growth. The roadmap has its gist in a hike in income for the public through raising the minimum wage and lowering the costs of living. Also, it indicated the government will focus on creating jobs, as well as guiding the public sector to play a leading role as an exemplary employer. State-led support for temporary workers and employees of small and mid-sized enterprises will increase and social welfare coverage will also be extended through government spending. The roadmap did not included policies for promoting conglomerates' investments and deregulations for businesses. Instead, it promised to enhance benefits for businesses when they shared profits with suppliers or created jobs, while reducing tax benefits for investments. The government plans to introduce a regulation to make it difficult for companies to hire temporary employees. Also in the pipeline is a revision of the law to improve the corporate structure of conglomerates and regulations on owner families' expedient control over companies. "Korea's economy is facing a structural and complex crisis of low growth and polarization," Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon said. "After the global financial crisis in 2008, the world is changing its economic paradigm of seeking harmony between distribution and growth." "In order to overcome the crisis a big shift in the economic paradigm, focusing on humans, not businesses, is necessary," he said. How to finance The government said that it will expand government spending for the next five years for those plans, and will keep the government's fiscal prudence "through restructuring expenses." Kim said the size of expense restructuring would be worth 60 trillion won. Securing more budget through reducing unnecessary expenses is not a new solution by the Moon administration. Previous administrations have relied on reducing unnecessary expenses for their economic policies but ended up being unsuccessful. The Park Geun-hye administration pledged to reduce unnecessary spending worth 80 trillion won during her term, but failed to accomplish the goal. The Lee Myung-bak and Roh Moo-hyun administrations also tried expense restructuring as a solution to finance their economic policies but saw those schemes fizzle out. At issue is the government's plan to implement a tax hike to finance its economic policies. Though the roadmap did not include any tax hike plan, the government will release its plan to increase taxes for the super rich and big businesses next week. "The issue of a nominal tax hike has been raised at a series of government meetings," said Kim. "It should be dealt with in an extra cautious manner and the government will announce plans in next week's tax code revision." The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has been calling for a tax hike on the super rich and large businesses so that the government can finance its welfare policies. President Moon Jae-in, fifth from left, speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. This was the first meeting where all participating ministers were newly appointed by the President. Prior to this, some ministers appointed by Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye participated as the new administration's personnel appointments had not been finished. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon Government pledges measures to boost workers income By Yoon Ja-young Increasing household income and creating more jobs will be two pillars of the government's policy to promote economic growth. Also, it will support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to rise as major economic players, and promote domestic consumption's contribution to growth. The Moon Jae-in administration announced these key economic policy directives Tuesday. "The quantitative growth strategies of the past are not valid anymore," Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said. "The economy needs a paradigm shift, and the starting point of economic policy should be people." He suggested income-led growth, a job-focused economy, innovative growth and a fair economy as the four principles of the economic policies of the Moon government. Instead of quantitative growth, the administration aims at forming a virtuous circle of distribution and growth. This starts with increasing households' disposable income. The administration made it clear that it would attain its target of 10,000 won ($8.96) as the minimum wage. As the hike could be burdensome for small businesses and merchants hiring low-wage workers, the government plans to temporarily provide subsidies. On top of raising nominal income, the administration plans to cut living expenses such as housing, telecommunication and transportation costs to pull up real income. This includes supplying 170,000 public rental homes annually and expanding public Wi-Fi. It will provide 100,000 won in child allowances each month while raising the basic pension for senior citizens. Employment insurance subscriptions will expand to all workers and the unemployed will get more unemployment benefits than now so that they can concentrate on seeking new jobs. Budget, tax and investment incentives by the government will also focus on job creation. Businesses that increase jobs following facility investment or business expansion will get tax deductions. Those switching irregular jobs to regular ones will get corporate tax cuts. Egypt will not relent in opposing those nations that sponsor terrorism, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Monday evening, during the Fourth National Youth Conference held in Alexandria. He made the comments during a question-and-answer session, responding to a question about the blockade of Qatar. We will not backtrack and our persistence on this blockade is a pressure in itself, El-Sisi told the audience. He said that Egypt has always made clear in its foreign policy that it does not conspire against other countries nor interfere in their affairs. Throughout the past seven years, foreign interference in other countries' domestic affairs, as well as supporting extremist groups, has lead the region into chaos, El-Sisi said, adding that Egypt was not so far from the same fate. Thats why we have been facing four years of combat with such extremist ideaologies," he elaborated, adding that Egypt will continue in its fight. Whoever supports terrorism should stop, whoever supports extremist groups should stop and bring a complete halt to their activities, not look for new ways to support it, he said. The comments from the Egyptian president come nearly a month after four Arab states Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar, accusing the oil-rich Gulf state of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs. Doha has denied the accusations. Since the cutting of ties, the international community has urged dialogue, with Kuwait being the main mediator between the boycotting countries and Qatar. Search Keywords: Short link: By Park Hyong-ki Koreans are apparently smoking more than expected, despite the state enforcement of warning labels and signs on cigarette packs. The increase in smoking is boosting indirect tobacco tax revenue for the government. More than 1.7 billion packs of cigarettes were sold in the first half of this year, according to the finance ministry, Monday. With this pace, the country will see Koreans buying 3.52 billion packs in total by the end of this year, the Korea Taxpayers' Association (KTA) said. The tobacco tax revenue will also reach around 11.4 trillion won ($10.2 billion) this year, surpassing Samsung Electronics' first-quarter operating profit of nearly 10 trillion won. A cigarette price increase, which was implemented in 2015, will contribute about 4.5 trillion won to the expected 11.4 trillion won, up 1.7 trillion won from the country's initial estimation of 2.8 trillion won. The price increase on a pack of cigarettes was in a way to raise tobacco taxes indirectly. The 4.5 trillion won contribution on the tobacco tax increase is higher than 3.3 trillion won the government is expected to collect more in corporate taxes if it raises the rate from 22 percent to 25 percent on companies with an annual operating profit of more than 50 billion won. In 2015 when the tobacco tax hike was enforced despite social opposition, the number of packs sold in the first half reached 1.46 billion, down from 2 billion a year earlier. But it climbed back up to 1.7 billion packs in the first half of last year and this year. Not only has the legal labeling on the packs become ineffective, but also the government failed to curb the smoking rate, which is one of the highest in the OECD. The former Park Geun-hye administration said it was raising the tobacco tax to reduce the smoking rate. Critics pointed out that the indirect tax hike was intended to raise money to finance the former government's welfare policy. If so, this went against its pledge to provide social services without raising taxes. This is why the tobacco tax hike is often referred to as a tax increase on the low and middle-income workers, whose top reason for smoking is stress, according to the KTA. "To improve people's lives and become a welfare state, the country has to collect taxes more from the rich than the poor. But our country has been doing it backwards by collecting more from the poor," KTA President Kim Sun-taek. "The Moon Jae-in administration needs to introduce a fairer taxation system for his welfare policy." The former administration argued that cigarette purchases would drop 34 percent after it increases the price by 2,000 won. More than two-thirds of the price of cigarettes is comprised of taxes. When buying a pack costing 4,500 won, smokers pay more than 3,000 won in taxes. The rise in smoking over the last two years has debunked the former government's argument. It is unlikely that the Moon administration will lower the cigarette price or tax to the previous level as the finance and welfare ministries indicated that the current price should be maintained. Although President Moon criticized the former government's tobacco tax hike, calling it a "tyranny" against the low and middle-income workers, he did not introduce any measures on easing their tax burden. By Park Hyong-ki Elderly people in Korea want to keep working, according to a survey by Statistics Korea, Tuesday. The survey showed people aged 55 to 79 want to work until they are 72. The top reason given was the need to keep earning for their post-retirement lives. Also, the elderly receive an average monthly pension of 520,000 won ($466) after retirement, which is not enough to live on. A majority of people leave work before 50 after working at a company for an average of 15 years. More than half are able to re-enter the job market as they get older, the statistics agency noted. However, most of the jobs they secure are of low quality. As of May, the elderly population stood at nearly 13 million, which accounts for 30 percent of the population above age 15. The elderly population increased more than 4 percent from a year ago. Of the 13 million, more than half are economically active. This includes 7 million who are currently working. Their employment rate stood at 54.8 percent. Calligrapher Kang Byung-in speaks at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday, after being awarded the grand prize in a photo and video contest hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). Courtesy of CICI By Kim Jae-heun Renowned calligrapher Kang Byung-in won a video contest hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), Tuesday. The competition titled "Korea Seen Through the Lens" awarded participants who best represented images of Korea as part of CICI's Culture Communication Forum (CCF). Kang received the grand award for his video, "Beautiful Korea and Hangeul," featuring the "harmony of the soul" of the Korean alphabet with nature. "I participated in this contest with the hope of introducing the beauty of Korean nature and I did not expect to win," said Kang during an interview with The Korea Times at the Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan, Seoul. "I collaborated with photographer Lim Chae-wook, who provided video for my calligraphy expressing nature such as the budding of spring, wind blowing and waterfalls in the mountains. "I always knew the Korean alphabet Hangeul was beautiful but I did not realize nature in Korea was this beautiful. I hope that foreigners will learn the beauty of Korea as well," said Kang. Latvian Ambassador Peteris Vaivars won the top award in the photography competition with his piece titled "Nature." The photograph by Vaivars captures the contrasting harmony of the dark atmosphere in the mountains with colorful fruit hanging from trees. "This photography contest puts meaning in seeking the beauty of Korea and I thought the moment that I captured in the frame was unique. It was an interesting place where I captured the fusion of tradition and nature of Korea. I tried to fix and freeze the moment and show people what I felt at that time," said Vaivars. "I took the photo during the golden hours, which are the hours shortly after sunrise and before sunset. The composition of stones, trees and fog in the mountains was unique. It was beautiful," the Latvian ambassador said. Vaivars is an amateur photographer which he started as a hobby over 10 years ago. He said he likes to take photographs of nature, in particular, and wants to introduce Korea through them. A total 101 pieces from 18 countries were entered in the competition and 15 of the applicants won awards. The CCF launched the video and photo contest under the themes "Korea, I want to introduce it to my foreign friends," and "Korea in my eyes" in May. The contest was open to anybody living in Korea, including foreign diplomats, businessmen and journalists based here. The CCF is an annual program led by CICI President Choi Jung-wha, inviting leading cultural figures from G20 countries to Korea. The representatives from each country experience traditional and modern Korean culture and promote them abroad. By Park Si-soo North Korea appears to be preparing for another missile test, with related signs seen at the Kusong test site, CNN reported Monday (local time). Citing a U.S. defense official, CNN said the test of another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or intermediate range missile would take place within six days. "Transporter vehicles carrying ballistic missile launching equipment were seen arriving in Kusong, North Korea, on Friday," CNN reported. "When such equipment is seen, a launch could occur within six days, which would coincide with the upcoming July 27 North Korean Holiday celebrating the armistice that ended the Korean War." Kusong has been the site of other missile tests, including the May test of a KN-17 intermediate range missile that traveled almost 800 kilometers before splashing down in waters east of the Korean Peninsula. The last major North Korean missile test was on July 4, when Pyongyang launched what experts assessed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. Former U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, second from left, speaks during a press conference held at Francisco Education Center in Seoul, Tuesday, with other American civic activists attending. They issued a statement calling for the withdrawal of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here and suspension of the annual ROK-U.S. military exercises. About 80 U.S. institutions and 280 Americans, including MIT professor Noam Chomsky, signed the statement. / Yonhap By Choi Ha-young The government will honor United Nations soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War in a ceremony, Thursday, to mark the 64th anniversary of the armistice agreement. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) said it will commemorate the cease-fire agreement at a stadium at Olympic Park, eastern Seoul. This year, two U.N. soldiers Boonchai Distakul from Thailand and Peter Seiersen from Canada will be awarded the Order of Civil Merit in recognition of their participation in the war. Gen. Distakul from Thailand, who took part in a battle in Geumhwa, Gangwon Province, has raised awareness about the war in Thailand. His son, Sirichai Distakul, is serving as the nation's labor minister. Seiersen, chief of the Korean War veterans' association in Canada, has established a scholarship foundation for students living in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where he fought in the war. During the event, an American veteran, Raymond Miller, will recount memories about key battles in the war Battle of Incheon, Second Battle of Seoul and Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Participants will respond with messages of hope, the ministry said in a press release. Following the commemorative concert, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Pi Woo-jin will host a banquet. Participants arrived in Seoul Monday and visited Panmunjeom on the border between the two Koreas, Tuesday. During their stay here, they will visit the city's iconic tourist attractions including Insadong, Changdeokgung Palace and the National Museum of Korea. The annual MPVA-hosted event has bridged veterans from 16 U.N. member countries and South Koreans, praising the sacrifices of soldiers that laid the foundation for democracy and prosperity here. Recently, President Moon Jae-in said he is willing to discuss a peace treaty with North Korea in place of the armistice. If his proposal works, the technically-ongoing war between the two Koreas would end. However, the North has not responded. Refugees from Myanmar arrive at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Twenty-three refugees were admitted to Korea through a United Nations resettlement program. / Yonhap Myanmar refugees arrive under UN program By You Soo-sun Twenty-three refugees from Myanmar landed in Korea Tuesday morning. Upon arrival, they received flowers and were welcomed by officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Korea, the Ministry of Justice and the International Organization for Migration Seoul. "I really wanted to come to Korea, which I came to know through the drama, Boys Over Flowers," said Nyo Ma Aye, beaming. "I hope my children will study hard and grow to become excellent adults," said Pa Ko Noe, another refugee. The four families of 23 refugees were transferred as part of a U.N. resettlement program that admits refugees based on recommendations by the UNHCR. Seven more refugees will arrive here early next month. Korea Immigration Service Commissioner Kim Woo-hyun welcomed the refugees at the event and asked citizens to "take an interest in the refugees to help them successfully settle here." He also said, "Our government is actively participating in solving the refugee issue by accepting the resettlement program." UNHCR Korean office representative also applauded Korea for participating in the resettlement program, and vowed to keep a "close, cooperative relationship with the government so the program will continue to operate successfully." Started by the UNHCR in 1950, the resettlement program was first implemented in Korea in 2015 on the basis of the Refugee Act legislated in July 2013. The government vowed to receive 90 refugees during a three-year trial period. In 2015, 22 refugees were admitted into the country, followed by 34 in 2016 and 30 this year. The refugees being transferred today had been living in a refugee camp in Thailand. "It is meaningful that Korea has accepted this system, in which only 37 countries take part. Korea was second among Asian countries to participate," another UNHCR Korea representative said. The office also expressed optimism about the future of the system, which they believe will continue beyond the three-year trial, which ends this year. The representative also hopes it will expand to include refugees from countries outside Asia. "Korean people should understand that these people were forced to flee their home countries," the representative said. "I hope they understand that Korea as a country has an international obligation to protect these refugees." By Yi Whan-woo Japan is enjoying a surge in both Korean and Chinese tourists, as group tourists refrain from visiting each other's countries amid the unsettled dispute over deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Korea. Japan drew a record-high 3.39 million Korean visitors in the first six months of this year, up 42.5 percent year-on-year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The number of Chinese tourists rose by 6.7 percent to 3.28 million. The tourism organization reported a new record of 13.76 million foreign visitors, up 17.4 percent from the previous year. And the Koreans and Chinese, respectively, accounted for the highest and second-highest number of international tourists to Japan. A the same time, the number of Chinese visitors to Korea plunged to 2.25 million from January to June, down 41 percent year-on-year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). During the same period, the number of Korean travelers abroad increased by 18.7 percent to 12.6 million. But those traveling to China are expected to drop "significantly," according to a KTO official. "The government has not been keeping track of the number of Korean visitors to specific countries for the past 11 years, although it calculates the overall number of travelers abroad," the official said. "So, we don't know for sure exactly how many Koreans traveled to China this year but my guess is the number has dropped noticeably." The official said China, unlike other countries, has not been providing data on Korean tourists for months. Citing its latest data, Modetour, a Seoul-based travel agency, said the number of Korean tourists to China dropped by 30 percent in April and 10 percent in May from the previous year. "In these circumstances, Japan can benefit from the frayed ties between its two East Asian neighbors to boost not only its tourism but also its exports, such as cars," said Lee Myeon-woo, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute. "Although it is unintentional,Japan is apparently playing both ends." Hyundai Motor Group sold about 430,000 cars in China in the first half, down 47 percent from 2016. Industrial sources said its sales especially dropped in March when THAAD was deployed in Korea and China stepped up its economic retaliation against Seoul. The sources said the overall sales of Toyota, Nissan and other Japanese cars to China rose by 10 percent year-on-year. The THAAD dispute casts a shadow over the joint celebration of the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic treaty between Korea and China on Aug. 24. It was speculated that Presidents Moon Jae-in and Xi Jinping could hold a summit in August to celebrate the establishment of bilateral relations. But the two leaders remained poles apart over THAAD in their previous meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany in early July, leaving slim chances for their August summit. By John Redmond The Responsible Drinking Alliance (RDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BGF Retail at the company's Seoul headquarters, Wednesday, to promote programs halting underage drinking. The RDA is an alliance formed by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) and global alcoholic beverage manufacturers, to promote a responsible drinking culture in Korea. BGF Retail is the operator of Korea's largest convenience store chain CU. The signing ceremony was attended by alliance representatives including ECCK President Christoph Heider, Diageo Korea CEO Cho Kil-soo, Edrington Korea Managing Director Kim Joo-ho and Heineken Korea General Manager Kylie Wallbridge, as well as managing directors of BGF Retail. "Within the scope of this agreement, the RDA and BGF Retail have decided to create and promote campaigns and programs to prevent underage drinking, and to pursue employee training on prohibiting sales of alcoholic beverages to minors," the group said in a statement. "Through signing of the MOU, the RDA with BGF Retail looks forward to collaborating in underage drinking prevention campaigns through 12,000 CU convenience stores across the country." The ECCK is an association of European companies doing business in Korea. Representing the common voice of the European business community, the ECCK provides its members with information, communication and access pertaining to the business and regulatory environment of Korea. By Jun Ji-hye South Korea is seeking to double the maximum weight of a warhead to be mounted on its 800-kilometer range ballistic missile to 1 ton from the current 500 kilograms because of growing threats from North Korea, sources said Tuesday. The payload increase will bolster Seoul's capability of striking Pyongyang's underground bunker facilities in which the North Korean leadership including its leader Kim Jong-un would hide out in the event of war. To increase the warhead's weight, the government needs to amend a 2012 revision of missile guidelines agreed upon with the United States. The 2012 revision allowed Seoul to extend the maximum range of its ballistic missile to 800 kilometers from 300 kilometers. But the payload was not allowed to exceed 500 kilograms when mounted on this missile. President Moon Jae-in raised the need to revise the New Missile Guidelines during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington late last month, and Trump gave a positive response, according to the sources. "The government will discuss the issue with the United States in the upcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) scheduled for later this year," one source said. Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of National Defense refused to comment on the issue. Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said, "It is not proper for me to mention things discussed by the heads of state of the two countries. But I can say the military is reviewing various measures to effectively respond to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats." A Cheong Wa Dae official also said, "We cannot confirm anything." Since the 2012 revision of the missile guidelines, South Korea has been developing the missile with a range of 800 kilometers, which puts the whole of North Korea within striking distance. The military plans to complete the development and deploy the missile by the end of the year. President Moon observed the test-firing of the missile at a test site of the Agency for Defense Development in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, June 23. At the time, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said the new missile will be operationally deployed after two more test-firings. Once its payload is doubled from 500 kilograms to 1 ton, the missile could destroy bunkers up to 10 meters underground, according to military experts. They estimate the North has built more than 7,000 bunkers including those for nuclear and missile facilities. Military officials said the payload increase will strengthen Seoul's overall deterrence capabilities. "If a payload of 1 ton can be loaded on an 800-kilometer range missile, our military will be able to conduct the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan more effectively as the missile's penetration capability will be seriously improved," a military official said on condition of anonymity. The KMPR is a concept designed to retaliate against and punish the reclusive state if it strikes the South. The U.S. government is expected to show a positive attitude towards the payload increase during the upcoming consultations as the two governments share the same goal of preventing the North's nuclear and missile programs from advancing further. Pyongyang has continued to test-fire various types of missiles apparently to show off its capability to Seoul and Washington. In its latest test, July 4, the North launched the Hwasong-14, which it claims is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking targets on the U.S. mainland. On Monday, CNN quoted an unidentified official from the Pentagon as saying signs had been detected that the North was preparing to test another ICBM or an intermediate-range ballistic missile within this week. Two men were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing five policemen in a terrorist attack on a security checkpoint in Giza governorate in mid-July, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. A security source told Al-Ahram that the two suspects were taken into custody along with the motorcycle used in the attack. The police are still looking for a third suspect. The source noted that the investigations thus far indicate that the suspects are members of an armed militant group affialiate with the Hasm and Agnad Masr groups. During the arrest, the stolen weapons of the deceased policemen were seized by the police, said the source. Early in the morning of 14 July, unidentified gunmen attacked the checkpoint in the town of El-Badrasheen in Giza, killing two low-ranking policemen and three conscripts, stealing their weapons. Two days after the attack, security forces killed two men believed to be involved, a security directorate source told Al-Ahram Arabic news website. Egypt is battling Islamist terrorist groups that are mainly concentrated in the restive northern part of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. However, militants have also struck elsewhere in the country, including the capital, often targeting police and army personnel. Search Keywords: Short link: Attack first, take questions later. / Yonhap By Jung Min-ho A lawmaker from the People's Party, who played a major role in former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's campaign, faces questioning Wednesday over a fabrication scandal. The Seoul Southern Prosecutors' Office will summon Rep. Lee Yong-ju for questioning at 3 p.m. over the case, in which at least two party members allegedly colluded in fabricating a voice recording and instant messaging transcripts that they gave to party leaders. Based on the fake "evidence," the leaders accused then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of helping his son get a job at a government agency in 2006, while he was working for former President Roh Moo-hyun at Cheong Wa Dae. Lee was one of the leaders who spearheaded the attack against Moon, comparing his son to Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil who is now on trial over corruption allegations linked to former President Park Geun-hye. "We want to find the truth more than anyone," party spokeswoman Kim Yoo-jung said. "We urge the prosecution to thoroughly investigate the case and not to speculate." "Lee told us he will faithfully cooperate with the investigation." Prosecutors will investigate whether Lee knew the recording was faked and, if not, how much he tried to verify its authenticity before attacking Moon using it. They are also looking into other heavyweights in the party, including Ahn and former leader Park Ji-won, over their possible roles. Party member Lee Yu-mi has already been indicted on charges of fabricating the recording and messages with her brother. Lee Jun-suh is still under suspicion of knowingly allowing her to do so and giving them to party leaders. If prosecutors conclude Lee Yong-ju was also directly involved in the fraud, the scandal, which is already the biggest crisis the party has faced, may kill its future. Polls show the party may have already crossed the Rubicon. According to local pollster Realmeter, Monday, its approval rating was 5.1 percent, the lowest among the five major parties. Given that it has 40 out of 300 parliamentary seats, it is a miserable record. Some polls show it is lagging behind the Liberty Korea Party even in the Jeolla provinces, the base of most of its parliamentary seats. In another poll, when asked about the fabrication scandal, 71.5 percent of people said they believe it was systematic deception, whereas only 13.9 percent said they think Lee Yu-mi did it by herself. The prosecution will reveal the results of its investigation after questioning Lee Yong-ju. By Kim Se-jeong The government banned sales of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, dubbing it a hallucinogen, Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Environment, a government cabinet meeting agreed to revise the law to prevent the gas, which caused one death in April, from being abused. With the move, which went into effect immediately, any use of the gas apart from medical procedures will be prohibited, and those who sell, buy, and inhale the gas without a permit can be fined up to 50 million won ($44,850) or sentenced to three years in prison. Nitrous oxide is a colorless and sweet-tasting gas with a euphoric effect. Some of those who inhaled the gas described it as giving them an "out-of-body experience." Doctors use it as a painkiller, tranquillizer and an anesthetic. It is also used to make whipped cream. Other hallucinogens include butane gas, toluene and ethyl acetate. Medical experts say that excessive gas inhalation can cause a variety of health problems, such as oxygen deprivation, mental impairment, vitamin B12 deficiency and fertility reduction. Some suggest that inhaling the gas can also cause dependence. Nitrous oxide's popularity in Korea is a recent trend, particularly among college students who inhale it from balloons people call them "happy balloons" with beers at parties. Each balloon costs only 5,000 won. In April, a man in Suwon, south of Seoul, died after inhaling too much nitrous oxide. The police found 104 nitrous oxide capsules in his possession 17 of which had been used. The man also had his head covered with a black plastic bag when he was found, proof that he was using the gas at the time of his death. The need for nitrous oxide regulation grew recently, but no law has been put in place to prohibit it. The man's death, though, has accelerated efforts to do so. By Kim Rahn Former President Lee Myung-bak Former President Lee Myung-bak may face investigation for possible involvement in the spy agency's election-meddling scandal in 2012. New evidence submitted Monday at the trial of former National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Won Sei-hoon pointed to the spy agency's active attempts to intervene in politics and elections and to control the media. Critics say such activity would have been impossible without orders from former President Lee. Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) called for an investigation into Lee, saying that the evidence indicated that the NIS carried out political maneuvering under his administration. He said that such activities were a clear violation of the Election Law and the law on the NIS which requires the agency to stay politically neutral. "The NIS is a key organization that receives and follows the president's orders," Hong said. "The prosecution should investigate what secret directions and agreements were made between Lee and Won, whether Lee was aware of the spy agency's political meddling, and exactly what role Lee played in the scandal. It is not an issue that should end by accusing only Won." Hong also said the intelligence agency intervened in the 2012 presidential election in various ways, such as by fabricating public opinion on social networking channels while operating a unit in charge of posting favorable online comments about then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye and critical ones about then opposition party candidate Moon Jae-in. Former National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon The evidence also showed that the NIS was involved in financially supporting pro-government conservative civic group rallies, and that Won ordered his subordinates to prevent the media from making reports critical of the government or to work to shut down such media outlets. "It was confirmed that Won was aware of those activities," Hong said. "The Lee government was carrying out political and press manipulation. The prosecution sought a four-year prison term and four-year disqualification for Won, but these are not enough." Regarding the controversy, newly appointed Prosecutor-General Mun Moo-il said during his confirmation hearing Monday that he would investigate related allegations. It was recently alleged that prosecutors obtained some 700 NIS documents delivered to Cheong Wa Dae in 2012, and that the documents showed the spy agency meddled in politics and the election. But the prosecution returned the documents to Cheong Wa Dae in 2014 without investigating them or using them in trials for Won and others involved. As Rep. Back Hye-ryun of the DPK said the Lee administration had the NIS intervene in politics and the Park administration knowingly ignored it, Mun said he would thoroughly probe the allegations. He was officially appointed Tuesday. But Rep. Hong Moon-pyo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, to which Lee and Park belonged, raised questions about "political retaliation" regarding the timing of the disclosure of the new evidence. "It raises political suspicions why what happened under the Lee administration is being disclosed after the new government was launched," he said in a radio interview. "(If the situation is targeting Lee,) it is setting the clock back, which is wrong." By Kim Hyo-jin The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is discussing creating a new tax bracket for high-income earners in an effort to increase taxes on the rich, a party official said Tuesday. The party and the government are already moving to hike the tax rate for those who earn over 500 million won ($448,000) annually from 40 percent to 42 percent. The current tax rate for earnings between 150 million won to 500 million won is 38 percent. However, the DPK is seeking to create a new bracket of 40 percent for earnings from 300 million won to 500 million won. DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae proposed the 42 percent tax rate during a financial strategy meeting with President Moon Jae-in. If the party plan is realized, around 90,000 taxpayers would see tax hikes, officials said. A rough number of individuals falling in the highest income bracket over 500 million won is 40,000, and the number between 300 million won and 500 million won is about 50,000, according to the National Tax Service. / Captured from Taiwan's central weather bureau By Park Si-soo Three typhoons are heading across the Pacific Ocean toward the Korean Peninsula, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Tuesday. Typhoon Noru is moving northwestward at 13 km/h from 1,600 kilometers southeast of Japan. Typhoon Kulap is moving westward at 25 km/h following Noru. Typhoon Sonca is off Vietnam, moving northward at 17 km/h. By Walt Gardner Civil service exams in South Korea are so deeply entrenched in the nation's culture that preparation is a legal holiday. Yet despite the high stakes involved, South Korea's exams do not have to face the far more stringent checkpoints of their counterparts in the United States. The key concept in both countries is the "cut score." It's the point on an exam that determines who passes or fails, or who is labeled basic, proficient, advanced or something else. If the goal is to add 12,000 jobs in the safety, health and education sectors this year to fill the 64,000 present vacancies in South Korea, the cut score can simply be lowered to meet the quota. That's because the cut score is not the result of an objective process. Typically, judges from different fields of expertise are formed and trained. In the U.S. the cut score is then submitted to an agency, board or other entity that has the authority to accept, reject or modify the recommendation. To pass legal muster, the cut score in the U.S. cannot be "capricious" or "arbitrary." The landmark case in this regard was Richardson v. Lamar County Board of Education. When the plaintiff failed to pass the Alabama Initial Teacher Certification Test, she sued. The court held that the method of determining the cut score was "so riddled with errors that it can only be characterized as capricious and arbitrary." Given the importance of civil service exams in South Korea, there is a lesson that can be learned from the ruling. With almost half of 692,000 job seekers preparing for the civil service exam, there is enormous pressure to make the cut score defensible. Eventually someone is going to challenge the basis for the cut score, and officials will have to prove that it is fair. Compounding the issue at least in the U.S. is that passing a civil service exam even with top scores alone is no protection against a lawsuit. In Ricci v. DeStefano, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that a city cannot ignore test results solely because the test resulted in racially "disparate outcomes." The case involved promotions in the New Haven, Conn. fire department. When none of the black firemen scored high enough to be considered, the city attempted to throw out the results of the test. The high court ruled that doing so violated the rights of those firemen who passed. With competition intensifying for civil service jobs in South Korea, critics are bound to demand evidence that the exams allow valid inferences to be drawn about the ability of test takers and are not merely archaic obstacles. That's the essence of the criticism of the California bar exam, which has the reputation for being the toughest in the nation. Although it is not a civil service exam, it serves as a surrogate for all standardized tests. When only 35 percent of the test takers passed the most recent California exam, critics called into question whether the exam is being used primarily as a way of restricting competition. Since California licenses the second-largest number of lawyers each year after New York, the implications are far-reaching. Civil service exams have served the public well for the most part. But they are not immune from criticism for change in a dynamic society. That applies as much to South Korea as it does to the U.S. Walt Gardner writes the Reality Check blog for Education Week in the U.S. Write to walt.gard376@gmail.com. By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS After a bitter eight-month fight, the Iraqi military has finally freed Mosul from the brutal grip of Islamic State. This victory in retaking this key northern city has shattered the myth of IS invincibility and moreover liberated one of the so-called Caliphate's twin capitals. The fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) known as IS or Da'esh in Arabic is far from over. The terrorist group still controls territory in both Iraq and Syria. U.S. Lt General Stephen Townsend, Commander of the allied task force stated, "Make no mistake; this victory alone does not eliminate ISIS and there is still a tough fight ahead. But the loss of one of its twin capitals and a jewel of their so called caliphate is a decisive blow." Now the allied coalition is tightening the noose on IS in the Syrian city of Raqqa. Significant U.S. behind the scenes military efforts helped the Iraqi army secure victory. Addressing the Security Council, Jan Kubis, the UN's Special Representative for Iraq stated, "The historic liberation of Mosul should not conceal the fact that the road ahead is extremely challenging." After American and allied forces had sufficiently secured Iraq by 2010, the political calculus of the new Obama Administration changed the reality on the ground. It became clear that the U.S. was going to withdraw from Iraq without leaving a sufficient stabilizing force as an insurance policy against any future attacks. Moreover, an inept Baghdad government was more focused on sectarian politics than national unity, thus creating the conditions for the rise of renewed radicalism. People have already forgotten the bloody debacle. President Obama withdrew all U.S. forces by the end of 2011. In early 2014 Obama jibed that ISIS was a "junior varsity" type terrorist group; just months later the militants would prove him laughably wrong. By June 2014 Islamic State forces went on the offensive and seized Mosul in what became a humiliating defeat for the Iraqi military and stunning psychological setback for Iraqi sovereignty. The fall of a major city and the loss of significant territory presented the Baghdad government with a near total military collapse in the north. By spring 2015, IS was on the offensive capturing Ramadi just 70 miles from Baghdad as well Palmyra in Syria. Treasured Assyrian archaeological sites such as Nimrud and Hatra were sacked and plundered by Islamic State. IS lightning expansion in Iraq's Sunni Muslim Anbar province proved symbolically devastating. Americans viewed the setbacks in Anbar as particularity bitter given the blood spilled by U.S. forces stabilizing the region during the Iraq war. IS has thrived on Iraq's intra-Islamic divide between the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority. Now in the wake of Mosul's liberation from IS, Jan Kubis conceded, "To turn the gains of the military victory into stability, security, justice and development, the Government will have to do everything possible to give the people back their lives in security and dignity." "The fighting may be stopping but the humanitarian crisis has not," warned Lise Grande, a UN Development Program official. She cited a litany of destruction; of Mosul's 54 residential districts, 15 are heavily damaged "basically flattened," and 23 other neighborhoods suffered moderate damage. UN estimates to stabilizing these areas may cost $700 million alone. Since the start of the fighting last year, nearly 940,000 civilians fled Mosul. Following the liberation of Mosul President Donald Trump stated, "We have made tremendous progress against ISIS, more in the past 6 months than in the years since ISIS became a major threat. The victory in Mosul, a city where ISIS once proclaimed its so-called caliphate,' signals that its days in Iraq and Syria are numbered. " An unspoken victim of the IS rule has been the fate of the once significant Christian minority in Mosul and the Ninevah plain who have faced a decade of persecution. Swedish European parliamentarian Lars Adaktusson, writing in the Jerusalem Post warned, "The disappearance of first Jews and now Christians from most parts of the Middle East means the termination of the historical Middle Eastern mosaic of peoples." Ancient Christian communities are being systematically decimated in both Iraq and Syria. Since 2003, the Iraqi Christian population fell from 1.4 million to 275,000. The spider web of IS control over Iraq has receded but has hardly disappeared. Crucially, a combination of renewed American resolve and Iraqi government military commitment has delivered the people of Mosul from the IS barbarism. Has anyone noticed? John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China." Contact jjmcolumn@eartthlink.net. By Lakhvinder Singh For more than 60 years the USA-Korea alliance has acted as the bedrock of security not only for Korea but in the entire Asia-Pacific region. It has kept complicated historical legacies in check and provided a strong economic impetus for growth. With overwhelming military strength, it has succeeded in keeping the balance of power for more than six decades. Lately China has heavily invested in its defense forces. For over a decade its military budget has grown by double digits and now its modernization is affecting this established balance. If this trend continues the day is not far when China will replace the USA as the most powerful military force in the region, enjoying complete naval and air superiority and dominance over all countries. This shift of power in the region has put smaller counties, like South Korea, in very a difficult situation. They are being asked to choose between the old reliable but declining power, and the new promising but untested friend. Their choice will influence their wellbeing for centuries to come. Today China is South Korea's biggest trading partner. Unfortunately, this increasing economic dependence on China has made it vulnerable to Chinese pressure. Any disruption in China-Korea exchanges has serious consequences for South Korea, as demonstrated by the recent THAAD controversy. To avoid Chinese retaliation, many analysts have suggested that it will be better to jump over to the Chinese camp and enjoy all the benefits that come with aligning with a rising power rather than wait for the declining USA revive its past glory. Currently South Korea is a full-fledged, functioning democracy that has delivered unprecedented benefits to its society. Aligning with China, which does not believe in the democratic way of life, can disrupt this whole system. Some scholars have suggested that South Korea can align with China and still can keep its democratic way of life. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done as it is natural for a bigger power to influence the smaller. Just as South Korea's alliance with the USA led it toward democracy and a free market economy, Chinese governing philosophy will surely influence it one way or another. There is no escape from this iron law of politics. Thus, alignment with China means South Korea may need to rewire its economic, political and social systems. There is no such thing as a smooth transition from a democratic system to totalitarian system without serious disruptions in all aspects of national life. Furthermore, aligning with China at this stage will have serious implications for South Korean sovereignty and territorial integrity. With American muscle gone, there will not be much it can do against Chinese territorial claims and intervention in domestic matters. What can South Korea do in this changing scenario? How can it keep its security and economic interests safe? Since South Korea is a small nation with fewer resources than China, it may not be possible for it to stand alone and protects its territorial integrity and way of life. South Korea needs to start building new multilateral security institutions with the help of the other likeminded regional countries, especially those who are equally worried about the post-American uncertainties. Countries like Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and India would be natural partners. Given South Korea's closer economic ties with China, it could be duly aligned in this multilateral security and conflict resolution mechanism based on the democratic principles of the rule of law and equality of all nations. Though the USA withdrawal is expected to be gradual, there no reason for Koreans to be apathetic about their security. To avoid the uncertainties of the future, they should start investing today while they still have time. A small window of opportunity may close soon as China reaches its growth peak and starts dictating terms of war and peace. Let us hope the South Korean leadership will rise to the occasion and develop a large regional security perspective which goes beyond the Korean peninsula. The South Korean people should expect this much from their new leadership. The writer is the director of the peace program at the Asia Institute in Seoul. Contact parvkaur@hanmail.net. South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix Inc. said Tuesday its second-quarter net profit shot up nearly ninefold, apparently helped by a strong average sales price of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND chips. The record-breaking net profit came to 2.46 trillion won ($2.2 billion), soaring from 286 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit also advanced 573.7 percent over the cited period to reach a record 3.05 trillion won. Sales came to an all-time high of 6.69 trillion won in the April-June period, advancing 69.8 percent on-year. The ratio of operating gain to revenue came to a whopping 46 percent, also setting a new record by beating 40 percent posted in 2004. The figures came in line with an estimated net profit of 2.3 trillion won suggested by local brokerage houses, compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency. The securities firms estimated sales and operating profits at 6.8 trillion won and 2.9 trillion won, respectively. SK hynix said the robust performance is attributable to the favorable market conditions coupled with the rising price of chips. SK hynix said its shipment and average sales price of DRAM chips advanced 3 percent and 11 percent, respectively, from the previous quarter on the back of expanded sales of server DRAM products. While the shipment of NAND flash edged down 6 percent on-quarter on slowed demand of smartphones, SK hynix said the average sales price still moved up 8 percent over the cited period. The company said it expects to rake in strong earnings in the second half of 2017 on the back of server DRAM products and the release of new smartphones. Experts said the rising demand for memory chips around the globe amid supply shortages will allow SK hynix to enjoy an operating profit of nearly 3.5 trillion won in the third quarter. The South Korean tech giant's latest efforts to join the acquisition of Japanese Toshiba Corp.'s memory business is also casting a brighter outlook over its profitability, they added. SK hynix, meanwhile, said it plans to expand the production of DRAM and NAND flash this year to meet the rising global demand. "As for DRAM chips, we cannot fulfill the market's demand just by changing production methods," the company said. "By the end of this year, we plan to expand production facilities for DRAM and NAND products." In line with the efforts, SK hynix said it is also considering completing the construction projects in China and Cheongju, about 120 km south of Seoul, by 2018, instead of the original plan of 2019. The company added it is not currently considering a share buyback amid business uncertainties, including the Toshiba deal. Shares of SK hynix traded at 72,400 won on the main bourse as of 10:08 a.m., down 0.82 percent from the previous session. The second-quarter report was released before the market opened Tuesday. (Yonhap) By Kang Seung-woo Going beyond its status as the nation's leading telecom company, KT is set to step up efforts to fully develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on the back of its cutting-edge infrastructure for deep learning. The nation's largest fixed-line telecom player has been gaining traction for its massive investments in AI, which is emerging as a core technology in the looming Fourth Industrial Revolution. The company launched a business unit for its voice-recognizing AI home assistant platform GiGA Genie in May and established the AI Tech Center to accelerate its AI-related research and businesses earlier this month. In particular, KT is pinning its hopes on the latter, helping the Seoul-based firm upgrade the quality of its AI services and securing a leading position in the development of AI technologies as competition gets fiercer among local players. "The KT AI Tech Center has a supercomputing system using 720,000 graphic processing units enabling deep-learning research, and based on energy efficiency, its supercomputer ranks 10th in the Green500," said Kim Jin-han, head of the AI Tech Center. The Green500 list ranks in the top 500 supercomputers in the world by energy efficiency. "Taking advantage of KT's deep learning infrastructure, we plan to improve AI algorithms and accelerate the development of AI services with our partners," he added. KT has provided a software development kit (SDK) for GiGA Genie to its partners to stimulate the nation's AI sector. Currently, the AI center has 40 ongoing and scheduled projects, aimed at applying AI technologies to various services such as finance, networks and media. Any services devised through KT's SDK can be added to GiGA Genie. For example, in collaboration with such AI services, K-Bank, the nation's first internet-only bank, plans to launch its "couch banking" service in the second half of the year. The service will enable wire transfers and deposit checks using voice commands, as well as customized financial services for each account holder. KT is the largest shareholder of the internet bank. The AI center is also helping KT improve voice-recognition technology. Previously, it took about a week to learn voice data and upgrade its recognition capabilities, but now the supercomputer allows them to carry out the same process in one day. KT is scheduled to begin an open-source voice platform in September, which will allow GiGA Genie to add new languages used by its partners. The company believes that the platform will enable services from its partners, including Mirae Asset Daewoo and K-Bank, on its AI voice assistant. "Utilizing state-of-the-art AI development infrastructure, KT is set to advance its platform and network businesses," said Kim. Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced in Brussels on Tuesday the ratification of EU-Egypt partnership priorities for 2017-2020. Shoukry is in Brussels to head the seventh meeting of the EU-Egypt Association Council, which last convened in 2010. The EU-Egypt partnership for 2017-2012 priorities will focus on three main areas: a sustainable modern economy and social development in Egypt, partnership in foreign policy and enhancing stability. Statements by the EU and the Egyptian foreign ministry said that the EU and Egypt will cooperate to advance the socio-economic goals set out in Egypt's "Sustainable development strategy-vision 2030." Accordingly, Egypt and the EU will increase cooperation in trade, investment, social justice and climate action. The EU and Egypt will also reinforce their cooperation on the bilateral, regional and international levels. Egypt and the European body will also work to promote democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights as constitutional rights of all citizens as stated in Egypt's constitution and international commitments. Egypt and EU will also work together to fight terrorism and illegal immigration. The Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement that the meeting with the EU officials was also an opportunity for Egypt to express its concern about the EU's "lack of objectivity" when criticising Egypt. The foreign ministry condemned the European Union's "passive position in addressing the danger of terrorism and radicalism," which it says "amounts to turning a blind eye to countries and regional bodies that support terrorist organisations." It also expressed alarm over the UN's "failure to take effective steps to prevent the spread of extremist ideas" through European satellite channels linked to terrorist groups. Egypt also condemned the increase in Islamophobia in Europe. Search Keywords: Short link: By Lee Min-hyung A state-run aerospace research body is pushing to develop a stratospheric drone that could stay airborne more than a week, in a move to enhance the nation's telecommunications and meteorological research capabilities. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) developed the solar-powered EAV-3 drone in 2013. The unmanned aircraft comes with a flight time of 24 hours. It falls short of its overseas counterparts such as Zephyr from England, which can fly two weeks on a single charge. "The EAV-3 can conduct more research activities only when it can fly at least a week in the stratosphere," a KARI senior researcher said. He pointed out the organization needs a long-running battery to achieve its goal. "A lithium-ion battery used for drones can carry 250 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), but the capacity is not enough for aeronautical research," he said. "A lithium-sulfur battery, however, comes with 350 Wh/kg. But only a few battery manufacturers across the globe can develop lithium-sulfur batteries, as they are not commercially used as of now." Sion Power from the United States is one of the leading battery companies securing rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery technologies. The company is on track to develop a 650 Wh/kg battery, but is unwilling to sell the product to overseas companies amid concerns over possible technology outflow, according to the researcher. "The technology is very limited, and other existing battery giants are reluctant to jump into the lithium-sulfur battery industry due to its narrow usage," he said. KARI started developing the EAV series in 2010, setting out to design the EAV-3 in 2013 by using Panasonic's leading lithium-ion battery. The EAV-3 weighs 53 kilograms, flying at up to 43 kilometers per hour. Last year, the unmanned aerial vehicle stayed at an altitude of 18.5 kilometers for 90 minutes. This was the third time an unmanned aircraft stayed in the stratosphere following Zephyr as well as Helios from U.S.-based firm AeroVironment which supplies tiny drones to the country's military. To compete with such leading aerospace vehicle manufacturers, the government should encourage more firms to join the aviation battery industry, the KARI researcher said. "We are not a battery manufacturer, so we have had to use high-end batteries sold on the local market," he said. "Backed by the government's support, however, KARI believes it can join hands with battery firms here and abroad to develop batteries with higher storage used for unmanned aerial vehicles." On a recent airing of 'Lee Su Ji's Gayo Plaza,' Red Velvet made a special guest appearance and opened up a lot on the show. Each member discussed something personal and shared a unique story, but Joy's story was one of the most attention grabbing. The story came about when member Wendy revealed that Joy is the member with the softest heart. Wendy explained, "Yesterday, she burst into tears while listening to someone's story." Joy interjected, "I'll just explain it myself. We ate with Black Pink yesterday and I cried a lot while talking about our moms with Rose." Yeri commented, "We went to eat gogi and were having a good time but they were crying at the table next to us." Mothers and family are always a sensitive topic for idols, which Joy confirmed by finishing her story stating, "Rose has a warm heart. I was so touched that she was sincerely listening to my story. I've gained a good friend." Fans commented on how happy they were to see the two girl groups getting along so nicely. It seems their personal relationship among the members is quite solid and admirable. What do you think of Joy's heart-warming story? Egypt's Al-Azhar considered the worlds highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning announced that it would hold an international conference on Jerusalem in late September to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli issue "with relevant institutions and bodies," according to a statement reported by state news agency MENA. Senior Al-Azhar scholars said on Tuesday that the recent actions of Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem are "are not based on any humanitarian or civilised principles." Al-Azhar issued the statement after holding a meeting headed by the institution's Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb. Violence escalated over the past few days after Israeli forces closed Al-Aqsa Mosque for two days for the second time since Israel occupied Jerusalem in 1967, installing metal detectors and cameras at entry points to the mosque. Al-Azhar called on the international community not to remain silent in the face of "the aggressive actions" of Israeli authorities and to liberate the world's places of worship from political and racist control. Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is located inside Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound, is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Six Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops in clashes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank and hundreds were injured after Israeli forces attacked worshippers outside Al-Aqsa following Friday prayers. On the same day, three Israelis were killed by a Palestinian man. Early on Tuesday, Israel removed metal detectors from entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in favour of CCTV cameras, though Palestinians have said that the modified security measures are still unacceptable. The United Nations Security Council held closed-door talks on the violence in a meeting on Monday after Egypt, France and Sweden called for the meeting to "urgently discuss how calls for de-escalation in Jerusalem can be supported." On Monday, UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned that the crisis threatens to have "potential catastrophic costs well beyond the walls of the Old City," Reuters reported. The Arab League is planning to hold an urgent ministerial meeting on Thursday to discuss the recent Israeli escalations. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt told the European Union diplomatic chief on Tuesday that the four main Arab states boycotting Qatar would not compromise in their demands for Doha. Speaking in a press conference in Brussels following talks with European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said that Doha must accept demands issued by Egypt, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to end the dispute. The four countries recently cut ties with Qatar over what they say is Doha's support of terrorism. "It is not an issue of compromise, we cannot compromise with any form of terrorism, we cannot compromise or enter into any form of negotiation," Shoukry was quoted as saying by the AFP. "The crisis will be resolved only when Qatar truly accepts being a partner in the fight against terrorism," he said. Shoukry said Qatar has been "harbouring elements associated with terrorist ideologies that have utilised [Qatar's] media outlets to promote, justify and glorify terrorist activity." The four countries have demanded that Doha comply with six principles including commitment to combating terrorism and ending acts of incitement and interference in the affairs of other Arab countries. The foreign ministry condemned in a statement what it called the European Union's "passive position in addressing the danger of terrorism and radicalism," with Mogherini assuring that the 28-state body is making all necessary effort in this regard. "The European Union is determined to do all it can to put in place more binding instruments, including monitoring mechanisms, on the control of the financing of terrorist organisations," Mogherini said. "We in Europe see this as a need not just for one country, but for all countries." Mogherini met two days ago with the emir of Kuwait, which has been acting as a mediator since the beginning of the crisis with Doha. She said the EU believes the mediation efforts "can and should start as a matter of urgency," adding that the EU will continue "to have good relations with all the countries involved." Search Keywords: Short link: A knife-wielding man shouting "Allahu Akbar" charged across the border between Morocco and Spain border on Tuesday, attacking and injuring a police officer, authorities said. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police) shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greatest), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla, told AFP. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between both territories or try and smuggle themselves in, but this is the first attack of this type. Spain has been spared the type of jihadist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by Al Qaeda-inspired militants. Search Keywords: Short link: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-Western rhetoric, saying the era of a submissive Turkey bowing to every Western demand is over. Erdogan's comments comes as top European Union officials hold talks with Turkey's foreign minister in Brussels on Tuesday. Turkey has been mired in an escalating diplomatic row with Germany following the arrests last week of a group of human rights activists, including a German national, over terror-related charges. Earlier, a German-Turkish journalist was arrested for allegedly spying and aiding Kurdish rebels. Erdogan said: "the West wants Turkey to bring about their demands no questions asked... I am sorry to say that Turkey no longer exists." The Turkish leader refused to back down in the feud with Germany, saying his country would continue "to breathe down the neck of agents who run around freely" in Turkey. Search Keywords: Short link: Edward T. Yaeger was of a rare breed. In person, Yaeger had a talent for disagreeing without being disagreeable. But in the letters column, Yaeger wouldnt mince words when he thought the city was going in the wrong direction. His last letter to the Regional News appears in this weeks edition. A former Lake Geneva alderman and city council president, a long-time community activist and a homemade local historian, Yaeger, 90, died Sunday, July 23 at his home. The announcement of his death, made at the Lake Geneva City Council meeting was unexpected. I was shocked when I heard the news at the city council meeting Monday, said Alderman John Halverson. And I noticed many others at the meeting were shocked, too. Halverson, who is the retired editor and general manager of the Lake Geneva Regional News, often talked with Yaeger, who was a prolific writer of letters to the edior and who contributed occasional columns to the paper. He came to the Regional News office many times, Halverson said. We talked, and sometimes argued, about local politics, but he was always well-prepared, civil and sincere. He was an idealist to the core. When Halverson was at the Regional News, he kept a large, wooden-cased stand up 1940 Zenith radio in his office that still worked. Others looked at it as an antique, said Halverson. Ed saw it as a contemporary something sturdy that stood the test of time. Just as Ed had. Spyro Condos was mayor when Yaeger served on the city council. Agreed to disagree We agreed and we agreed to disagree, Condos said of the former alderman. Overall, I think Ed was a great pioneer for this city. Condos said Yaeger was a watchdog for Lake Geneva. And there arent many of those out there, he added. Yaeger was a true believer in restoring history, said Condos. He was very persistent, said Condos. I think hes going to be missed. Yaeger cared about Lake Geneva, the former mayor said. And he cared about Lake Genevas history. He had vision, which a lot of people dont have, Condos said. Among his campaigns was closing the citys Tax Increment Finance District 4. Yaeger was on the city council that created the city TIF districts in 1996 and he admitted he voted for them. But he also believed that the city had recently been using TIF money for the wrong purposes and that the TIF fund was a hidden tax on city property taxpayers. He saw the city council close the TIF in May 2016. Mayor Al Kupsik extended his condolences to the Yaeger family. Served city well He served the city very well, said Kupsik. He was well-involved with the city. Kupsik said that in recent years Yaeger had been trying to get a historic railroad park at the site of the old railroad turntable near Geneva and Sage streets, behind the city utility building. Yaeger loved the railroads and their history. He was especially conscious of the impact the railroad had on Lake Geneva and believed the city should have some kind of memorial to the iron horses of the past. Yaeger couldnt get enough support to get the proposal done, but he was persistent, Kupsik said. Yaeger spelled out who he was and his goals in a March 6 letter to the Regional News. The letter was a printed version of a statement Yaeger had made earlier to the Lake Geneva City Councils Committee of the Whole. Good evening. Im Ed Yaeger. I live in historic Lake Geneva, been here 30 years. It has been said, if you dont love it, you cant protect it. Well, I love Lake Geneva. He ended the letter with his signature sign off: Save our city. Services for Yaeger are pending. Steinke-Lazarczyk Funeral Home and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements. 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 At Dems Press Conference, EIR Clearly Has the Better Deal July 24, 2017 (EIRNS)An intervention by EIR representatives was necessary to bring real economicsGlass-Steagall reinstatement, national banking, the Belt and Roadto a press conference by 10 Democratic Members of Congress today which claimed to be about economic progress for working Americans. After Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer had admitted July 22 that the Democrats were being seen as nothing but an anti-Trump party, he and other Congressional leaders went to Berryville, Virginia today to present what was trumpeted as their new economic program: "A Better Deal." [The slogan may have been taken from Papa Johns Pizza.] But events proved that it was the representatives of Lyndon LaRouches EIR who had the better deal to present in Berryville. Schumer, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, Elizabeth Warren, and Chris Van Hollen, along with Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi and Reps. David Cicilline, Hakeem Jeffries, and Ben Ray Lujan, and Cheri Bustos all managed to say very little about the economy, with no one mentioning restoring Glass-Steagall, expanding Medicare health insurance for all, or even rebuilding infrastructure. Nor reviving manufacturing and industry, which they foolishly claimed were doing quite well and needed only apprenticeships and training programs to fill the jobs. This was no alternative to White House or Republican economics to present to the working people the Democrats were seeking in blue-collar/agricultural Berryville. About 150 journalists and local people attended the press conference. But EIRs Anita Gallagher intervened to remind them that the economy is sinking and facing "a blowout that makes 2008 look minor"; why werent they proposing loud and clear to reinstate Glass-Steagall and create a national credit bank for new infrastructure projects? A disturbed Schumer responded, "No, no, nowere considering things; were considering a lot of things that are on the table." Prime Glass-Steagall sponsor Warren did not respond verbally. But in reporting the intervention, the Washington Free Beacon reported, "As the woman mentioned Glass-Steagall, Warren did a delighted dance to the amusement of her fellow lawmakers." House sponsor Cicilline of Rhode Island later said he wanted to go big with Glass-Steagall, but was not getting (leadership) support. Gallagher and EIRs Pat Salisbury, clearly having the better deal, then had interviews done by New York Citys WNYC Radio and by the Winchester Star, and a New York Times reporter discussed their intervention with them at length. All those in the audience they spoke to, were quite happy that they had made the intervention. PRESS RELEASE EU Angry at U.S. Russia Sanctions, Demands White House Response July 24, 2017 (EIRNS)European Commission (EC) president Jean-Claude Juncker is warning the Trump Administration that the EC will respond sharply to the imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Russia if these are adopted "without EU concerns being taken into account." Among the responses said to be under consideration according to Politico, is the European Union's "Blocking Statute," a regulation stating that no decision based on extraterritorial U.S. laws is enforceable in the EU. This is the same principle China has asserted in defending its sovereign interests. Both the Financial Times and Politico obtained a copy of an internal memo which Juncker has reportedly prepared for a July 26 meeting of the EC, expressing concern about the effects of sanctions on European companies "doing legitimate business under EU measures with Russian entities in the railways, financial, shipping or mining sectors, among others." The bill that the U.S. House will vote on tomorrow imposes individual sanctions for investing in Gazproms Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, the Caspian Sea oil and gas pipelines, Ukraine gas transit and the Zohr field off the Egyptian coast. According to Politico, Juncker has said that Brussels "should stand ready to act within days," if changes arent made to its satisfaction. Aside from the "Blocking Statute," the EC also wants a public declaration from the Trump administration stating it will not impose new sanctions in a way that targets European interests. It may also resort to World Trade Organization retaliatory measures. A EU delegation is reportedly in Washington meeting with Congressmen on the sanctions issue, Sputnik reported today. EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn reported that, "concerning the U.S. sanctions [against Russia]...there is still ongoing discussions between our delegation and the House of Representatives to explain something and I am not quite sure what the final decisions are, but based on that, we will make our assessments." From the Russian side, Senator Alexei Pushkov, a member of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee, warned in a tweet that new sanctions "will not calm down" Trumps enemies inside the U.S.... They will only put [the Trump Administration] at loggerheads with the EU and block any normalization of relations with Russia." PRESS RELEASE VIPS Memo to Trump: DNC E-mails Leaked, Not Hacked July 24, 2017 (EIRNS)In their persistent drive to free the nation from the paralizing grips of the Russiagate disinformation campaign, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) released a memo directly intended for the President Monday. It outlines the latest proofs that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) e-mails were "leaked" not "hacked;" and the steps Trump could now take to completely dispel the prevalent lies on this matter. VIPS bases its memorandum, and its proof, on information compiled through the "forensic analysis" of the DNCs computer, which has now been completed. "After examining metadata from the Guccifer 2.0 July 5, 2016 intrusion into the DNC server," says the memorandum, "independent cyber investigators have concluded that an insider copied DNC data onto an external storage device, and that telltale signs implicating Russia were then inserted." "Key among the findings," they write, "is the conclusion that the DNC data was copied onto a storage device at a speed that far exceeds an Internet capability for a remote hack. Of equal importance, the forensics show that the copying and doctoring were performed on the East coast of the U.S." [emphasis added] The VIPS release then points to the Wikileaks revelation of a CIA technology called the "Marble Framework," designed to "obfuscate" the tracks of the CIA in any hacking operations. This technology was revealed in a huge dump of CIA cyber-hacking tools that Wikileaks labeled "Vault 7." Pointing to this, the VIPS release prompts Trump to further investigate, further suggesting that Trump might take this up with Putin. "Mr. President, we do not know if CIAs Marble Framework, or tools like it, played some kind of role in the campaign to blame Russia for hacking the DNC ... These are areas that might profit from early White House review ... In his interview with NBCs Megyn Kelly, he [Putin] seemed quite willingperhaps even eagerto address issues related to the kind of cyber tools revealed in the Vault 7 disclosures... " The memo is signed by the full "steering group" of the VIPS, some twenty intelligence professionals. Suspected jihadists killed five people in a series of attacks overnight in northern Burkina Faso, local officials and security sources said Tuesday. Gunmen carried out three separate attacks in Soum province, a local official in Djibo, the main town there, told AFP. The province sits on Burkina Faso's northern border with Mali. A security source who asked not to be named confirmed details of the attacks to AFP. "Those who carried out the attack, probably terrorists, were travelling by motorbike and it's possible that this series of attacks was the work of the same individuals," he added. Paramilitary recruits and soldiers were searching the area Tuesday, local people said. The northern part of Burkina Faso bordering Mali and Niger has seen regular attacks by jihadists since early 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: A Volkswagen official at the heart of the German automakers wide-ranging diesel emissions cheating scandal plans to plead guilty in the criminal case. Oliver Schmidts agreement was announced during a 20-minute status conference, according to a Tuesday statement from the U.S. district court in Detroit. A plea hearing is set for Aug. 4. Schmidt, a German national and Volkswagens former top emissions compliance manager for the United States, had been charged with conspiracy. He worked at a Volkswagen research and development center outside Detroit. Advertisement He is accused of being a central figure in the VW case that led to civil settlements worth about $17 billion for U.S. consumers and dealers who own the automakers diesel vehicles. Settling criminal charges has cost VW about $4.3 billion. The companys emissions cheating was uncovered in 2015. Schmidt did not create the software that helped cheat emissions tests, but the government has said he took part in the coverup. In its indictment, the government said Schmidt told officials from the California Air Resources Board in August 2015 that emissions tests were flawed because of abnormalities or irregularities without revealing that Volkswagen had intentionally designed software to detect, evade and defeat U.S. emissions testing. He was one of six Volkswagen employees indicted in January. An engineer, James Robert Liang, pleaded guilty last fall to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Lawrence and Snavely write for the Detroit Free Press/McClatchy. Heres something you may not have known about the University of Utah: Its been a center of scholarship in Marxian economic theory. But the right-wing Koch family almost certainly knows. That could be why the Charles Koch Foundation is making a $10-million donation to the school to establish a distinctly non-Marxian Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis at the universitys business school. The donation will match a combined $10-million donation from two foundations of Utahs Eccles family. (Hat tip to Erik Loomis of the University of Rhode Island, who picked up on the announcement.) The University of Utah says theres nothing to the supposition that the Koch donation is aimed at balancing the perceived Marxian bent of the universitys economics department. Adam Meirowitz, a business school professor who helped develop the idea for the institute and will be its faculty director, says the ideological reputation of the Koch brothers unfortunately makes people worry. He told me by email that talk about balancing or countering is off the mark and that the idea is based on misperceptions. Advertisement For the better part of a century, Castros Cuba and the University of Utahs economics dept. seemed like the last bastions of Marxist thought in North America. Deseret News, Salt Lake City If so, those misperceptions are strong on the wing in Salt Lake City. One local newspaper, the Deseret News, which is owned by an affiliate of the Mormon church, couldnt restrain its glee when the donations were announced July 20. For the better part of a century, the newspaper groused, Castros Cuba and the University of Utahs economics department seemed like the last bastions of Marxist thought in North America with the latter being subsidized by local tax dollars. The institute, it editorialized, will provide some philosophical balance to the universitys educational offerings and scholarship on economics. The university, for its part, thinks the Deseret News view of the department is outdated or that it may be mistaking Keynesian economic thought, which is very much in the mainstream, for Marxism. Meirowitz told me that hes confident that the institute will support high-quality research, not efforts to reach certain answers. There is no room for the foundations to challenge this. Based on his conversations with foundation representatives, he says, I also dont see any desire to influence our choices. The institutes goals, he says, include building a small but world-class research presence in economic theory and applied economics at the university and supporting a novel, mathematically intensive major for undergraduates. The university says it approached the foundations, rather than the other way around. The grant agreement between the university and the Charles Koch Foundation specifies that the direction of the institute, its budget, and its appointments will be subject to the universitys standard procedures. Yet this may overlook ways the Charles Koch Foundation could exert subtle, or even not-so-subtle, influence over the institute. Its $10-million donation will be spread over eight years, with each annual $1.25-million grant contingent on a written request and, at the four-year mark, an update on the progress made in establishing this new program. The foundation is under no obligation to contribute any funds to the Institute or the University, the agreement says, which implies it could be revoked at any time on almost any pretext. Moreover, the Koch and Eccles grants are contingent on each other, which means that a Koch objection could endanger the entire $20 million in institute funding. This grant structure could magnify any Koch Foundation pressure on the program. That wouldnt happen if the university insisted, as some institutions do, on a general grant to the university to be applied by administrators in any way they see fit, with the money paid up front and irrevocably. Anything short of that merely invites the donating foundation to try throwing its weight around. I reached out for comment from the Charles Koch Foundation, but havent heard back. A spokesman for the foundation, John Hardin, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the foundation is devoted to promoting critical thinking via a platform where [competing] ideas have the freedom to interact. The Kochs are anything but shrinking violets when it comes to how their money is spent. They tend to portray their educational contributions, which currently go to hundreds of colleges and universities, as impartial donations. But their academic giving principles point to an agenda aimed at fostering the principles of free societies in practice, that tends to mean those with fewer regulations or government interference in free markets. Just as upholding values such as free speech, property rights, and progress are important to a healthy, growing society, the foundation says, they are also pivotal in fostering a healthy, growing organization. How has that worked in the real world? Sometimes the strings attached to a Charles Koch Foundation grant are overt. Thats what happened at Florida State Universitys economics department, which accepted $1.5 million from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, a precursor of the Charles Koch Foundation, in return for giving the foundation the right to accept or reject faculty appointments made with those funds; in the first round of hiring, the foundation rejected 60% of the universitys faculty choices. And a 2008 agreement between that foundation and Utah State Universitys business school gave the foundation the right to approve or reject professors hired under a $625,000 grant. One interesting aspect of the University of Utah institute is that it will bear the name of Marriner Eccles, not Charles Koch. That reflects both the magic of the Eccles name and the opposition Koch inspires. The Eccles clan is among the most prominent and respected in Utah, dating back to its patriarch, David, who lived around the turn of the last century, when he was the leading tithe payer to the Mormon church, and after whom the business school is named. Two family members sit on the universitys board of trustees. Marriner Eccles (1890-1977) is the familys most illustrious forebear, but he wasnt born that way. He was the oldest child of Davids second polygamous family, which was disdained by the senior family and almost entirely shut out of the Eccles fortune when David died without a will in 1912. Marriner, however, turned out to have a flair for business. He managed the familys construction business, Utah Construction, which reaped a fortune as a major contractor on Hoover Dam, as well as its banking business. But he was anything but a conventional conservative. He was an ardent New Dealer and a believer in the role of government in managing economic crises. FDR brought him to Washington, where he wrote the legislation that gave the moribund Federal Reserve System the powers it needed to help manage the economy, and appointed him the Feds first governor after the legislation passed. The precepts of John Maynard Keynes werent well known in the U.S. at the time, but its proper to regard Eccles as a proto-Keynesian. Hes widely regarded as the architect of the modern Fed, whose Washington headquarters building bears his name. That leaves the question of how Utah gained its reputation as a hive of Marxian scholarship in the first place. The process apparently began with the arrival of leftist economists from UC Berkeley, who were fleeing an atmosphere of ferocious anti-communism there after World War II. They recruited two notable Marxian economists, Hans Ehrbar and Emery K. Hunt, both of whom are now retired and listed as emeritus professors. As Marxian economic analysis fell out of favor, and Marxs thinking became relegated to the history and philosophy departments, Utah remained one place where he was still taught as an economist. The university, for its part, says the notion that its economics department is still red is outdated, especially since Ehrbar and Hunt are long retired. What remain, the university says, is a department committed to a diversity of economic research, including the Keynesianism espoused in effect by Marriner Eccles. Would Eccles approve of his role in American economic history being caricatured as Marxian by supporters of an institute bearing his name? Good question. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. A former Fox News executive fired after he was accused of sexually assaulting a female on-air commentator is suing parent company 21st Century Fox for going public with the matter. Francisco Cortes, who ran Fox News Latino, was fired in February after Tamara Holder, a Fox News on-air contributor, complained to the company that he attempted to force her to have oral sex with him in his office in February 2015. Holder, whose contract as a contributor was not renewed at the end of 2016, was given a $2.5-million settlement by 21st Century Fox. The Cortes lawsuit filed Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court said that comments Fox and Holder gave to the New York Times in a March 8 story about the settlement violated an agreement with his accuser. The agreement stipulated Holder would not publish or cause to be published any statements that portrayed him in an unreasonable light. Advertisement The lawsuit, which asks for damages of $48 million, says the remarks on the case to the New York Times were carefully negotiated by Holder and Fox and that the publication of them destroyed Cortes reputation in the TV business. The statement Fox News gave to the Times confirmed that Holder received a settlement but did not mention Cortes, although his name was reported in the story, which was picked up in other outlets, including the Los Angeles Times. Holder posed for a photographer in the New York Times and gave quotes about the alleged sexual assault, but made no direct mention of Cortes. The suit said Cortes and his reputation were sacrificed by 21st Century Fox to demonstrate that it was taking action against the sexual harassment allegations that engulfed the company at the time. In the suit, Cortes denies the claims made by Holder, but said he agreed to the settlement to put the matter behind him. A Fox News representative said in a statement that the allegations in the lawsuit are frivolous and without merit. Holders claims came amid a spate of sexual harassment allegations being investigated by 21st Century Foxs law firm following the lawsuit filed by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson against the networks late chief executive, Roger Ailes. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio UPDATES: 4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Fox News. This article was originally published at 2:40 p.m. Three large U.S. airlines are writing big checks for failing to abide by passenger rights rules. American, Delta and Frontier Airlines have agreed to pay a total of $850,000 for keeping poor records, delaying refunds, failing to explain the compensation rules for passengers booted off of overbooked planes and failing to provide wheelchairs to disabled fliers in a timely manner. All three airlines agreed to pay the fines to the U.S. Department of Transportation to avoid litigation arising from allegations that followed audits by DOT investigators. Advertisement Denver-based Frontier Airlines agreed to pay $400,000 to resolve charges that the carrier did not call for volunteers to give up their seats before denying seats to fliers on overbooked flights, as required under DOT rules. Frontier also failed to explain to passengers who were booted off the plane their rights to be compensated with cash or checks, the audit found. An investigation by the DOT also uncovered a high percentage of instances in which Frontier acknowledged that the carrier failed to provide adequate and timely wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities, according to a DOT report. Many of the violations took place at Denver International Airport. In response to the fine, Frontier Airlines said it had updated its procedures and introduced a new reporting system to ensure compliance with DOT rules. Forth Worth-based American Airlines also agreed to pay $250,000 after auditors found that the airline failed to refund passengers for purchased tickets in a timely manner. The airline blamed the refund delays in 2015 to a system integration problem that arose with the merger with US Airways. Even impacting one customer is one too many and we worked hard to fix the issue even before the department raised it with us, American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said. Delta Air Lines also agreed to pay a fine of $200,000 for violations in the way it reported the volume of lost or mishandled luggage an error that erroneously raised Deltas ranking when compared with other carriers in 2012 and 2013. In a statement, the Atlanta-based carrier said it updated its policy for recording lost or damaged luggage immediately after the error was discovered by the DOT. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. In many corners of Southern California, home prices have hit record highs. And they keep going up. In Los Angeles County, the median price in June jumped 7.4% from a year earlier to $569,000, surpassing the previous record set in May. In Orange County, the median was up 6.1% from 2016 and tied a record reached the previous month at $695,000. Across the six-county region, the median price the point where half the homes sold for more and half for less rose 7.5% from a year earlier and is now just 1% off of its all-time high of $505,000 reached in 2007, according to a report out Tuesday from CoreLogic. Advertisement The price increase was even greater than the 7.1% rise recorded in May, and some agents say there are no signs of a slowdown in the Southern California market. This time of the year, it usually winds down a little bit after the Fourth of July I am not seeing that, said Hooman Zahedi, a Redfin real estate agent in the San Fernando Valley. Home prices have now been rising for more than five years, the result of a growing economy, rock-bottom mortgage rates and a shortage of homes on the market. Those factors have led to a surge in prices nationally as well. The Case-Shiller index, also released Tuesday, showed prices across the country jumped 5.6% in May from a year earlier. The index lags other price indicators, but is widely considered the most reliable read on home values and offers a more accurate depiction of where the market is headed than the median price. It does so by comparing the latest sales of detached houses with previous sales and accounts for factors such as remodeling that might affect a sale price over time. The rate increase nationally in May was the same as it was in April, but locally the index showed a pickup. Across Los Angeles and Orange counties, prices rose 5.59% from a year earlier, the highest gain since September 2016. Economists said that absent a recession or a surge in mortgage rates, California home prices could keep climbing at 5% a year for the foreseeable future. Thats faster than the long-term average of 3% nationwide, but its difficult to build housing in California and the economy is strong, said Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. It could go on for another four or five years, he said. The price surge nationwide is helping many homeowners recover from the housing bust, but is also raising concerns over affordability particularly in California, where as of 2015 about a third of homeowners paid housing costs deemed unaffordable, according to an analysis from Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. Renters have it worse, the analysis showed, with more than half paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs the threshold where costs are typically considered a burden. The situation in California which many agree has reached crisis levels can largely be blamed on a mismatch of supply and demand, according to economists. For decades, they say, developers in California have failed to build enough homes for all the people who live and want to live in the state. Green estimated that developers would have to immediately erect 100,000 new homes in L.A. County for prices to stop rising and then build an additional 35,000 each year. Last year, the county permitted just under 20,000 new homes, according to the Real Estate Research Council of Southern California. Government officials say they are trying to take steps to address the problem of affordability. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti is advocating for a fee on new development to raise money for below-market housing a policy known as a linkage fee and used in cities such as San Francisco, San Diego and Oakland. And in Sacramento, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders have said they will put housing at the top of their agenda when they return in August from a monthlong break. Legislators have proposed a package of bills aimed at raising money for subsidized housing and making it easier for developers to build all kinds of housing, which often faces pushback from residents concerned over traffic and neighborhood character. The bills wont be easy to pass though, despite Democrats holding supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature. Business-friendly Democrats are wary of asking Californians to pay more to subsidize housing, especially after voting this year to increase gas taxes and reauthorize the states cap-and-trade program. Progressive Democrats have concerns about sidestepping environmental laws to allow developers to build more quickly. CoreLogics report showed that home prices in Southern California rose in every county last month compared to a year earlier, not just in Orange and Los Angeles counties. In San Bernardino County, the median was up 12.3% to $320,000; in Riverside County, 7.5% to $357,000; in Ventura County, 2.7% to $565,000; and in San Diego County, 9.8% to $543,500. Across the region, sales rose 4.3%. Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, said he doesnt expect a recession and thus doesnt foresee a time when home prices stop rising. Candidly, the only thing that could upset the apple cart in California is if we build a whole bunch of housing and thats as likely as an alien attack. Times staff writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report. andrew.khouri@latimes.com Follow me @khouriandrew on Twitter ALSO U.S. home sales fell in June; shoppers couldnt find houses to buy The yellow light is on: California loses 1,400 jobs as economy shows signs of slowing Foreigners buy record number of U.S. homes despite fears of immigration crackdown UPDATES: 4:25 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from economists Richard Green and Chris Thornberg. This article was originally published at 12:55 p.m. For years, tech companies and Internet providers have been at each others throats on Internet policy especially net neutrality. Now, House Republicans are setting up a big showdown on the issue, inviting the biggest companies from both industries to testify on Capitol Hill this fall. Top executives from AT&T, Comcast, Facebook, Google, Netflix and Verizon, among others, are being asked to show up Sept. 7 to argue their sides. Your company has played a significant part in the public conversation to date, and your input would be invaluable as Congress begins to talk about legislation that could replace the governments net neutrality rules, according to a letter sent by committee chairman Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) to Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and other execs. Advertisement Its unclear which chief executives may attend; Facebook said Tuesday it had received the letter and was reviewing it. Net neutrality is the concept that Internet providers should not slow down, block or charge websites a fee for their content to be displayed on consumers screens. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission implemented rules that would enshrine that principle into regulation. Internet providers objected and sued to overturn the rules, saying the FCCs move was too burdensome and would prevent them from finding new ways of making money. Consumer groups argue that only strong rules such as the FCCs can prevent the industry from tilting the Internet economy to benefit their own, proprietary or partner websites. The current FCC, under Chairman Ajit Pai, has proposed rolling back the rules. With a 2-1 majority at the commission, Pai has enough votes to succeed. Analysts widely expect the move to be challenged in court. In remarks at a subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Walden said bringing the two industries together would provide an opportunity to stop the ping-pong games of regulation and litigation. The FCC is currently taking comments from the public on its proposal. More than 12 million have been filed, though the comment system has been a subject of controversy amid polarizing accusations of automated and bogus comments clogging the docket, as well as a dispute over an alleged denial-of-service attack against the agency. Republicans in both houses of Congress are stepping up calls for a net neutrality bill. But the effort appears to lack Democratic backing, as the party has sought to turn net neutrality into a campaign issue targeting Republicans. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the FCC plan for net neutrality represents a high-profile example of the agency siding with large corporations over small businesses and hardworking Americans. Fung writes for the Washington Post. ALSO Home prices surge locally, nationally amid high demand and tight supply VW exec plans to plead guilty in diesel emissions cheating scandal With Pence breaking a tie, Senate votes to begin debate on Obamacare repeal bill A jury ordered giant medical scope maker Olympus Corp. to pay a Seattle hospital $6.6 million in damages tied to a deadly superbug outbreak, and told the hospital to pay $1 million to a deceased patients family. But jurors on Monday also handed the Tokyo-based manufacturer a key win, rejecting claims that the companys flagship medical scope was unsafe as designed. The decision follows an eight-week trial, the first in the U.S. related to gastrointestinal scopes causing outbreaks of drug-resistant infections. Advertisement The case was filed by Theresa Bigler, 61, and her four children in connection with the August 2013 death of Richard Bigler, a pancreatic cancer patient who contracted an infection linked to a contaminated Olympus TJF-Q180V duodenoscope. The hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, later joined the suit against Olympus, but the jury found it shared some blame in the case. An Olympus official offered condolences to the Bigler family in a statement and praised the jurys decision. We are appreciative that the jury recognized that Olympus duodenoscope design was not unsafe and did not contribute to Mr. Biglers unfortunate passing in 2013, said Sam Tarry, an attorney for the company. But the jury also said Olympus failed to provide adequate warnings about the scope or instructions for its use after it was manufactured. The jury said that failure harmed Virginia Mason Medical Center. The Times broke the news about a superbug outbreak involving Olympus at UCLAs Ronald Reagan Medical Center in February 2015, which triggered a federal safety warning the next day. Then a series of Times stories in 2015 reported that Olympus knew about infections and potential flaws with the scope as early as 2012 but failed to alert American hospitals or regulators. Theresa Biglers attorneys cast the decision as a win for patient safety. Olympus hasnt been playing by the rules for some time and this verdict holds them accountable, lawyer David Beninger said in a statement. He said the case should send a broad signal to Olympus and other device manufacturers. They must make patient safety a priority and not just a sales pitch, Beningers statement said. As Olympus own expert admitted at trial, lawsuits can change behavior and big lawsuits can make big changes. Hopefully this verdict will convince Olympus and others to listen. Medical and legal experts said they were surprised at how well Olympus fared in this case, which was closely watched by other plaintiffs lawyers who are waging similar suits against the company. In the jurys opinion, the hospital shared some of the blame, said Lawrence Muscarella, a hospital-safety consultant in Montgomeryville, Pa. Muscarella said each case is different and plaintiffs attorneys can learn from the evidence presented at this trial. It remains to be seen what this portends for other cases on the docket, he said. More than 25 patients and families, from Pennsylvania to California, have sued Olympus, alleging wrongful death, negligence or fraud. Federal prosecutors also are investigating Olympus and two smaller manufacturers over patient infections. Richard Bigler was one of at least 35 patients in American hospitals to have died since 2013 after developing infections tied to Olympus duodenoscopes snake-like tubes that are threaded down a patients throat. Doctors use the scope to diagnose and treat problems in the digestive tract, such as gallstones, cancers and blockages in the bile duct. About 700,000 procedures are performed annually in the U.S. Last year, Olympus recalled all 4,400 of its TJF-Q180V duodenoscopes the model used in Biglers case and made repairs to reduce the risk of bacteria becoming trapped inside after cleaning. Biglers attorneys said Olympus had acted recklessly by not warning U.S. hospitals about previous outbreaks and failing to fix a design flaw that allowed dangerous bacteria to become trapped inside these reusable scopes. Olympus had said its gastrointestinal scopes were safe and effective with proper cleaning and disinfection. At trial, the company said Virginia Mason was to blame for Biglers infection because the hospital didnt follow the companys cleaning instructions. Olympus criticized Virginia Mason for not telling the Biglers and other families about the scope-related infections, leaving them to find out from a newspaper account about the outbreak. In his closing argument, Olympus attorney Mark Anderson told the jury that the Seattle outbreak would have occurred regardless of whether Olympus or another companys devices were used. The proof in this case, from their witnesses, is there is no increased risk with the [Olympus scope], Anderson told the jury. Hospital officials said the faulty Olympus scopes were the cause of Biglers infection and others, and they implemented an expensive test-and-hold protocol for cleaning the devices that halted the spread. Were sorry for the grief and anguish experienced by the Bigler family, the hospital said in a brief statement. This was a complicated trial that lasted more than eight weeks. The verdict includes multiple decisions and we will continue reviewing them over the next few days. Theresa Bigler was not available for comment, lawyers said. One of the largest superbug outbreaks in the nation occurred at Virginia Mason, where 39 peoples infections were linked to Olympus scopes. Eighteen people died. The Seattle hospital said the patients who died, including Richard Bigler, had other underlying illnesses. The 12-member jury, which had begun deliberating July 18, said the damages to Virginia Mason amounted to $25.4 million. But jurors agreed the hospital had been negligent, so they sharply reduced the damages owed to Virginia Mason. The plaintiffs attorneys repeatedly reminded jurors that three key Olympus executives declined to testify at trial and instead invoked their 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. The three executives who declined to testify were Susumu Nishina, Hisao Yabe and Hiroki Moriyama. All three have declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. Several of Nishinas internal company emails were introduced as evidence. In one email exchange in February 2013, Nishina told the companys U.S. managers not to issue a broad warning to American hospitals despite reports of scope-related infections in Dutch, French and U.S. hospitals, court records show. With an 85% share of the U.S. market, Olympus is the industry leader for specialty endoscopes, which can cost up to $40,000 apiece. Overall, as many as 350 patients at 41 medical centers worldwide were infected or exposed to contaminated scopes made by various manufacturers from 2010 to 2015, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Chad Terhune and JoNel Aleccia are senior correspondents for Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation. UPDATES: 11:10 a.m., July 25: This article has been updated with background on Olympus and the superbug outbreak. 6:55 p.m., July 24: This article has been updated to include the full name of the Olympus attorney. This article was originally published at 6:20 p.m. on July 24. Scott Gottlieb, head of the Food and Drug Administration, wasted no time in his opening remarks at a forum last week on high drug prices. The fact is that too many people cant afford the medicines that they need, he declared. On that, I hope, we can all agree. The trouble is doing something about it. In all other developed countries, patients are protected by government authorities overseeing the market for prescription meds, ensuring that prices are reasonable while still allowing drug companies a fair profit. Advertisement In the United States, profit comes before public interest. There are no limits to how much can be charged for a prescription drug, particularly specialty drugs intended for the costliest illnesses. As a result, the U.S. is by far the worlds biggest spender on pharmaceutical products, shelling out more than $1,026 annually per person, according to a 2015 report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Thats double the OECD average of $515 and considerably more than economic peers such as Germany ($678), France ($596) and Australia ($590). Total U.S. spending on prescription drugs reached $450 billion last year, according to the research firm QuintilesIMS. It could be as high as $610 billion by 2021. The FDA has no power to dictate pricing to drug companies. So Gottlieb said last week that the agency will focus on speeding up the approval process for generic meds so consumers have cheaper alternatives to branded drugs. It also wants to encourage greater competition among drug companies to lower prices. These moves would help, said Peter Hilsenrath, a healthcare economist at the University of the Pacific. But I wouldnt expect really big things to come of it. He pointed out to me that generics already account for about 80% of U.S. drug sales, meaning that faster approval of generic meds wouldnt exactly be a game changer for the marketplace. The big problem continues to be the prices of patented drugs, Hilsenrath said. Case in point: The same day that Gottlieb, a doctor when not running a federal agency, was calling for more affordable drug prices, the FDA gave its blessing to a new hepatitis C medication called Vosevi. Its the latest such drug from Gilead Sciences, which says Vosevi is for people who may not have seen strong results from the companys other blockbuster hepatitis C pills, Harvoni and Epclusa. The San Francisco Bay Area company plans to sell Vosevi for nearly $25,000 a bottle, with three bottles required for 12 weeks of treatment a total cost of about $75,000. The company is no stranger to envelope pushing when it comes to the cost of its drugs. In 2013, it introduced its first hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi, at a price of $1,000 a pill. Gilead execs argued at the time that the drug cured 98% of hep C patients who took it, so a thousand bucks a pill was still cheaper than treatment for expensive complications the virus can cause, such as liver failure and cancer. That may be true. But its important to remember that Gilead didnt do the bulk of the research on Sovaldi. That was done by a pharmaceutical company called Pharmasset, which estimated in 2011 that a 12-week treatment regimen of its hep C drug would cost patients about $36,000. Gilead paid $11.2 billion to acquire Pharmasset in 2012 and immediately decided $36,000 was much too cheap for a hepatitis cure. So it raised the price of a 12-week regimen to $84,000. Thats the American way of drug pricing: Whatever the market will bear. Even if patients are treated as hostages. The International Federation of Health Plans said last year that a one-month supply of Gileads Harvoni pill cost $32,114 on average in the United States. The same amount of the same drug cost $22,554 in Britain, $18,165 in Spain and $16,861 in Switzerland. How do other countries do it? Simple, said Jason Doctor, an associate professor at USCs School of Pharmacy. Developed countries keep their drug prices down through price controls, he said. First and foremost, other nations offer their citizens universal health coverage, achieved through variations of single-payer insurance systems. Basically, thats Medicare for everyone, not just seniors. This allows the government to keep rising drug prices in check by using its market clout as the biggest buyer of prescription meds. Incredibly, Medicare has no such negotiating power. The government-run program is forbidden by law from haggling with drug companies over prices. Other nations also keep a close eye on what pharmaceutical companies charge in drugstores. In Canada, for example, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board ensures that drug costs are not excessive, which means companies cant gouge patients just because they can. Canada also has a law requiring that breakthrough new drugs like Sovaldi cant be priced higher than the median price around the world, ensuring that the price for Canadians is fair relative to what people elsewhere are paying. Researchers have found that U.S. patients can pay as much as 16 times what people in other countries pay for the same drugs. Free-market types will counter that price controls stifle innovation. If the revenue potential is not there, the company will not take the risk of spending $1 billion getting an early promising molecule to market, said Patrick Sullivan, a pharmaceutical economist at Regis University in Denver. Theres something to that. Then again, how much innovation are big drug companies really responsible for? Pharmasset took most of the risk developing a promising hepatitis C drug. It was only after Gilead acquired the company that corporate greed became the driving force in pricing. Also, why should we rely so heavily on innovation by the private sector? Why not restore public-sector science to prominence with a boost in grant-making by the National Institutes of Health? Such grants could be funded via potentially billions of dollars in savings from allowing Medicare to negotiate public-sector drug prices. Consider this: The discovery of insulin in the early 20th century was one of the most important moments in modern medicine. It wasnt done by a private company. It was primarily the work of a Canadian scientist, Frederick Banting, who would go on to share the Nobel Prize in 1923. Banting and two colleagues subsequently sold the patent for insulin to the University of Toronto for just $3. The university in turn allowed drug companies to manufacture insulin royalty-free. It wasnt about profit. It was about what was best for society. Today, drug companies see the global diabetes epidemic as an enormous business opportunity. Insulin prices have more than tripled in recent years. Its not about whats best for society. Its about profit. Theres our problem. 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. MORE FROM DAVID LAZARUS Revised GOP healthcare bill succeeds at making things even worse If youre on a spouses health plan, what happens if the worst should happen? Chiropractic treatment, a $15-billion industry, has its roots in a ghost story A legal dispute over ownership of the popular fact-checking site Snopes.com is threatening the existence of the online sleuthing service, which now says it is in dire financial straits. As a result, Snopes on Monday started soliciting donations through a GoFundMe campaign and approached its $500,000 goal in its first day of fundraising. Visited by more than 18 million people a month, Snopes mission is to dispel urban legend and internet myths. The company, whose profile was raised during the 2016 presidential race, now has a staff of 16 employees. Its fact-checking capabilities were further validated when the organization was one of several selected last year to help Facebook sort the real news from the fake stuff. Snopes, however, could run out of money. The company, which generates revenue through advertisements, says all funds have been withheld since April by its advertising partner, San Diego-based internet media company Proper Media. The matter is further complicated as Proper Medias CEO Christopher Richmond and President Drew Schoentrup together hold a 40 percent stake in Snopes parent company, Bardav, Inc. Now the companies are embroiled in a contentious battle over who governs the popular site and its finances, with the San Diego Superior Court of California set to determine the outcome. We are in danger of having to discontinue operations, said David Mikkelson, Snopes co-founder and CEO . Advertisement Established in 2003, Bardav, Inc. was the joint venture of Mikkelson and his then-wife Barbara Mikkelson, who each owned one share and 50 percent of the company. The couple divorced in 2015. In July of 2016, Barbara sold her stake for $3.6 million to the five directors of Proper Media: Richmond, Schoentrup, Ryan Miller, Vincent Green and Tyler Dunn. Barbaras stake, according to cross complaints, was divided into fractional shares, with Richmond and Schoentrup each holding 20 percent interest in Bardav; and Miller, Green and Dunn each holding 3.33 percent. Prior to the sale, however, Bardav had contracted Proper Media to handle all advertising services on Snopes.com, with the companies agreeing to share revenue earned from ads on the site. According to the agreement contained in legal documents, Snopes was entitled to a baseline payment of $85,000 per month, plus 50 percent of net revenue over $85,000. Proper Medias take was the remaining 50 percent of revenue above $85,000. The contract is, however, subject to a termination clause, and Mikkelson, who continues to own 50 percent of Bardav, attempted to terminate the deal with 60 days notice in March. (Proper Media is) claiming I cannot terminate the contract because it requires approval of (Bardavs) board of directors, Mikkelson said in a phone interview. I am the only director. Barbara was the other director, and she resigned when she sold her share. There are now one or more vacancies on our board. Proper Media counters that Schoentrup is also a board member. In May, Proper Media filed suit in San Diego against Bardav and Mikkelson. The suit alleges, among other things, that Mikkelson attempted to gain, through conspiracy, a controlling interest of the business, has tried to block Proper Media from its share of company profits and misused corporate funds for personal expenses. The media company, which also owns TVtropes.org and sells advertisements on behalf of publishers, is also seeking to get Mikkelson removed as a director of the company. Bardav and Mikkelson countersued in June, arguing that Proper Media has not paid Snopes its share of advertising revenue since Mikkelson attempted to terminate the advertising contract. Motions by both the plaintiffs and defendants are scheduled to be heard on Aug. 4, but time is of the essence for Snopes, which requires an excess of $100,000 per month to manage operations. The court recently awarded Bardav a one-time, $100,000 payment from Proper Media, but the funds arent enough to cover site costs and legal expenses, Snopes said. Monday, Snopes, went public with its financial plight, soliciting readers via e-mail and a post on the website for $500,000 in donations to keep the site afloat. Our legal team is fighting hard for us, but, having been cut off from all revenue, we are facing the prospect of having no financial means to continue operating the site and paying our staff (not to mention covering our legal fees) in the meanwhile, Snopes said in a post published to its website. Meanwhile, in an emailed statement, Proper Medias lawyer Karl Kronenberger asked the media to, conduct its own fact-check of the fundraising plea posted today on Snopes.com. Todays post only confirms Proper Medias allegations that Mr. Mikkelson has drained the companys bank accounts and is unable to operate Snopes profitably without Proper Medias expertise and management. Court documents contain a number of salacious allegations made by Proper Media, Bardav and Green, who now works for Snopes and is countersuing Proper Media. The case, however, hinges around the ownership structure of Bardav. Both sides maintain that Bardav is an S corporation, which means the company can pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to shareholders for federal tax purposes, thus avoiding double taxation on corporate income. In order to receive the tax break, the organization can only have shareholders who are individuals, not corporations. Proper Media holds that the five individuals who were sold an ownership stake in Bardav assumed ownership for the benefit of Proper Media, meaning Bardav can, in theory, remain an S corporation. That would also make Proper Media the beneficial owner of 50 percent of the company, giving it equal footing with Mikkelson. Bardav asserts, on the contrary, that each of the five shareholders have individual ownership claims, as opposed to joint power. Whos right? The question is going to turn on the sale documents between the (ex)-wife and the individuals, said Michael Chasalow, a USC professor of law, and an expert in corporate law and governance. Did (Barbara) sell or attempt to sell five pieces of the one share or did she sell one piece to five people? If the latter is true, the sale to five people would mean that half of Bardav is owned by a partnership, and Bardav is no longer an S corporation. The partners would have collective rights to the 50 percent interest, Chasalow said. That would seemingly benefit Proper Medias claim, albeit changing its tax status. However, if Barbara Mikkelson sold her single share in five, fractional pieces, then there would six owners, with each owner maintaining individual rights to the shares. Presumably, if the court finds that there are six owners, and not two, then that would benefit the defense, as that would leave Proper Media plaintiffs Richmond and Schoentrup with a minority stake. Regardless of the legal outcome, Snopes readers are keeping the lights on for the time being. As of 8:55 p.m. PT, campaign donations totaled $404,444. The case of Proper Media versus Snopes goes to court Aug. 4 for a hearing on two motions. Proper Media will argue that Mikkelson is unfit to serve as a director of the company. Bardav will seek the release of advertising revenue accrued since April. Business jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin Egypts foreign reserves are now close to $35 billion, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced during a question-and-answer forum at the Fourth National Youth conference in Alexandria on Monday. I am doing my best, Egyptians. Are you fulfilling your duties? El-Sisi said, addressing the attendees and television audience. Earlier this month, the Central Bank of Egypt continued to climb, registering $31.305 billion at the end of June. The reserves have been climbing since Egypt signed an agreement for a three-year $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 2017. Reserves have increased from $28.641 billion at the end of April to $31.125 billion at the end of May. The president's estimate of current reserves is close to the $36 billion in foreign reserves Egypt held before the 2011 uprising. The popular uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 led to a period of political turmoil that dried up Egypt's vital sources of foreign currency, such as tourism and foreign investment. Search Keywords: Short link: What better way to emphasize the atmosphere of a nightmare than to make ones female protagonist a sleepwalker who fears that, in her twilight state, she will hurt herself or kill another? This is the conceit at the heart of the Los Angeles premiere of Any Night, co-written by Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn. Originally staged in Austin, Texas, Any Night, a rental production at Sacred Fools, has traveled well. Elizabeth V. Newmans authoritative staging incorporates the bizarre and the quotidian into a seamless dreamscape with riveting performances by Zac Thomas and Marie Fahlgren. However, whether this two-hander sustains its own fever-dream tone is questionable. Arnold and Hahn tend to encumber what seems a relatively straightforward thriller with surrealistic elements at odds with their Hitchcockian plot. Advertisement Granted, Hitchcock himself could venture into the realm of the Dali-esque, but always organically. Thats not quite the case with Night, as is particularly evident in a strained denouement that seems tacked on for the sake of pure disorientation. And yet actors Thomas and Fahlgren strike no false notes in Newmans sterling production, which enhances the plays strong points while largely mitigating its weaknesses. Anna (Fahlgren), a dedicated dancer, has just moved to the basement apartment of a building managed by Patrick (Thomas), a retiring and seemingly sincere young man who apparently wants nothing more than to protect Anna from her own particular pathology. As the play progresses, a sweet romance evolves between these new neighbors until unforeseen twists skew their relationship into a lethally dark direction. Or does it? Left in limbo, we can only conjecture about what actually transpired, or what the playwrights intended. Still, Arnold and Hahn fascinate through much of the action until they gussy up the proceedings to the point of the unfathomable. Choreographer Erica Gionfriddo contributes masterly dance sequences, enacted with lissome skill by the agile actors, while Eliot Gray Fishers virtuosic sound design keeps the mood appropriately fraught. Note to the playwrights: While Night may have its faults as a play, it could soar on the big screen. Stripped of a few dubious embellishments, it has enough creepiness and suspense to make some latter-day Hitchcock drool to direct. ----------------- Any Night Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes When: Ends July 30. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays Where: Sacred Fools Theatre Company, 1076 Lillian Way, Hollywood Tickets: $30 Info: (512) 496-5208, www.anynightaustin.com Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter ALSO Review: Music trumps storytelling in Born for This, the BeBe and CeCe Winans story London calling: Angels in America as fresh as ever at the National Theatre Critics Notebook: Oh, the dreaded intermission: Long plays at a time when shorter is sweeter Everything you want to know about Black Lightning, Supergirl, Arrow, Flash and the rest of the CW lineup Cress Williams, Christine Adams, Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain from the television series Black Lightning. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The traditional CW block of Comic-Con panels added a new show this year. Black Lightning joined Supergirl, DCs Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash and Arrow for a three-plus-hour extravaganza touting the networks super-heroic TV slate. The new kid on the block, Black Lightning brought a level of social awareness to the proceedings that most of the fantastical other shows didnt particularly touch on (this year, at least). The show is grounded in family and community, specifically black families and black communities, and according to the showrunners it will not shy away from addressing the concerns that are current. Yes theres a problem with police brutality and we will get into that. Theres also a problem with us killing each other, said Salim Akil, one of the executive producers of the series alongside Mara Brock Akil. They were joined on the panel by lead actor Cress Williams, who plays the titular character, and his TV daughters China Anne McClain (playing Jennifer Pierce) and Nafessa Williams (Anissa Pierce), and his TV ex-wife Christine Adams (Lynn Pierce). Black Lightning follows Jefferson Pierce (Black Lightnings real-life persona), who is a man wrestling with a secret. He has the superhuman power to control electricity but gave it up for his family and others. But when his family is threatened hell have to don the suit and use his powers again. Fun side note, his daughter (McClain) exhibits special powers as well. Whats going to make this so fun for the writers and others is that this is going to come from an authentic black male voice, Salim said. I think this character will give back to the culture. Black culture specifically, but American culture. The biggest challenge was accepting that this black man was running around town in this suit. Thats the easiest way to get shot, Salim said as the audience laughed. "[The show] is about balancing out when he uses his powers [and] how he uses his powers and why. Another Black Lightning surprise was the announcement that James Remar and Damon Gupton would be joining the cast. Salims closing remarks circled back to representation, and the desire to give little kids the opportunity to choose between being Batman or Black Lightning for Halloween -- highlighting the fact there should be a choice. Heres a breakdown for the rest of the CW panel: Supergirl (Jevon Phillips / Los Angeles Times) - Katie McGrath (Lena Luthor) is now a series regular, and her character immediately makes an enemy of a powerful person. - We will get to see Martian Manhunters father. - Supergirls sister Alex popped the question to her girlfriend at the end of last season. Exec Jessica Queller is happy that they get to portray a relationship that is emotional, modern and honors the love between these two women. - Melissa Benoist wants a puppy on the show. David Harewood wants the Martian to get drunk and sing karaoke. DCs Legends of Tomorrow - Last season the Legends were the only game in time, so to speak, but now Rip Hunter will head a group that can help fix time alongside the heroes.. - Neal McDonoughs Damien Darkh will return. - A new character, Zari, joins the cast. Shes a hacker from the future played by Tala Ashe who will butt heads with the positivity of Ray (Brandon Routh). - There will be a character called Fireshine. Its a Freaky Friday situation for the Firestorm duo where Victor Gabler will most likely be the physical manifestation of the hero instead of Franz Drameh. - There have been conversations with Matt Ryan about Constantine coming on the show. - They are having an 80s episode in which they investigate Ray Palmers childhood. The Flash Tom Cavanagh, Grant Gustin and Candice Patton on the Flash panel. (Jevon Phillips / Los Angeles times) There was a sneak peek of exclusive footage from Season 4. The whole cast was once again present for the panel. Exec Todd Helbing, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jessie L. Martin, Candice Patton, Grant Gustin, Tom Cavanaugh, Danielle Panabaker and the always-popular Carlos Valdes. - Jesse L. Martin was happy he got to work with Victor Garber on the musical episode. As a New York kid, that means a lot. - The Thinker is the new big bad for this season, and will be played by Neil Sanderlands from The 100. - Gypsys (Jessica Camacho) father will be showing up, and hell be played by Danny Trejo. Arrow - Responding to the inquiry of why the island was blown up, producer Wendy Mericle said: Were good at blowing things up. Thats what we do. - Exec producer Marc Guggenheim: We are going to see a different Oliver Queen. The last five years have really changed him. - Stephen Amell on his characters changes: To start on episode 116 and be able to do fun, new stuff has been great. - Katie Cassidy, who played Black Canary, on returning: So excited to be back. It feels like I never left. Its been pretty easy getting back in the swing of things. - There will be a super group of villains, including one played by Michael Emerson, though we dont know who he is or who theyll be. - Amell has apparently mentioned that hed like to see a Supernatural"-"Arrow crossover, so a member of the audience asked him how that could possibly happen. - The character Richard Dragon will be among the villains this year as well. - One of the first questions from the audience centered on the identity of the mysterious vigilante from last season. The only reveal from Guggenheim was that the character is someone we already know. Carice van Houten knows that her Game of Thrones character Melisandre can be scary. She claims to serve a god known as the Lord of Light, but shes done an awful lot of dark things in his name. Among them: killing Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony) with blood magic, abandoning Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) the horse she backed in the race for the Iron Throne mid-battle, and burning many people alive at the stake including Stannis daughter, Shireen (Kerry Ingram). Its complicated, Van Houten says with a laugh. The woman named the best Dutch actress of all time by her countrymen in 2008, notes that when people approach her on the street, they look fearful and ask youre not going to burn me, are you? In the second episode of Season 7 Sunday night, the centuries-old Red Priestess popped up again at her old stamping grounds for a huddle with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Varys (Conleth Hill), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson). Advertisement Melisandre instructed Daenerys to summon Jon Snow (Kit Harington) to Dragonstone a place he now knows also contains precious reserves of dragon glass to aid in the fight against the army of undead White Walkers. But will Melisandre still be there to see the man who banished her from the north for killing Shireen? We recently chatted with Van Houten to find out what she sees in the flames for the rest of this season. Reached by phone from Amsterdam, where shes at work on the upcoming Brian De Palma thriller Domino, Van Houten was stoked to be co-starring with none other than Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, with whom she has yet to share a scene on Game of Thrones. Even I am like, Look at me, I am here filming a scene with Jaime Lannister, she said. Its so cool! Carice van Houten during arrivals at the SAG Awards in L.A. in 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Paths are finally crossing this season, and you were able to interact with a number of actors for the first time in Sundays episode. Was that exciting? Its very exciting. Because Im always on my own with Stannis and Davos [Liam Cunningham]. That was my little gang, and it was fun because it was like being around Laurel and Hardy a little bit sometimes two funny, completely different, opposite actors, and I had such a great time with them. But this was like a completely different show! And I was starstruck myself. Again I felt like, Look at me, and I am here with the dragon girl and Peter Dinklage and Missandei! Wow! I was quite impressed with everyone, and I just had a baby six weeks before, so I was in a state. When Melisandre told Daenerys of the prophesy of the prince who was promised and Missandei clarified that it was not a gendered pronoun so it could also be a princess, was the implication that Melisandre thinks Dany is the princess who was promised? I think shes still on the path of Jon and just knows that they have to meet in order to ... God knows, but shes on Jons track. Do you ever wonder, Hey, Lord of Light, make up your mind? First, it was Stannis; now its Jon. Yes, of course. I think shes asked herself that many times. Last year was a disaster for her. The moment that she found out the burning of Shireen actually did not do anything, in fact, it completely [messed everything up], and that made her whole world fall apart really, and her whole character was hugely affected. So, yeah, shes gone through a lot of Shes also caused some as well in service of her lord. Do you envision her ever losing her faith completely? I totally feel like shes way more vulnerable and transparent than she ever was and way more about bringing the right people together, even if it means she has to go back to Dragonstone and might even be seen by Jon Snow. Its tricky, everything she does now. I feel like shes so much into doing the right thing at this point after making this huge mistake, even if it means it will hurt her. Will she still be there when Jon and Davos arrive? What am I going to say to that? What was it like seeing yourself in the mirror made up to look ancient? It was so scary. You sort of forget about it, because you get into the zone after five hours of sort of zen meditation because you have to sit still and have stuff glued on your face. And then I got up and went to my trailer and went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, and I was just so shocked. It was so fun to walk around the [other actors] trailers and to get people really frightened. I really enjoyed that day. Do you ever watch the show and have to pause to figure out plot details and history about who is related to whom and what is going on? Yeah, I basically have to watch the whole thing again. Oh, no, its been too long, I have to start all over again. Its so complicated. I even have to ask my friends sometimes, Whats happening? Do you think Melisandre will live to see the end, to see the Lord of Lights prophesy come true? As you know, I dont know anything. I wish I did. But I, personally, think she is a little bit going towards the end of her journey. Youve gotten to do some fun TV appearances in recent years thanks to Game of Thrones, including The Simpsons, Robot Chicken and that great Melisandre goes to a baby shower sketch on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Has it been fun riffing comedically on the character? Oh, yes, I could do way more of that, I love it. That [baby shower sketch] was so much fun. I felt completely weird because I was like, Same wig, same costume but on a comedy set with funny lines, this is so wrong. But I enjoyed it so much because, as you know, Melisandres not really a stand-up comedian. Final burning question: It was pouring rain at Dragonstone when Melisandre arrived. How was she dry? Um, she has magical powers. (Laughs.) She has invisible umbrellas up her sleeves. The Best Moments of Comic-Con 2017: Star Trek: Discovery, Blade Runner and more On Now Video: The Best Cosplay of Comic-Con 2017 2:04 On Now "The Tick" Cast Says The Fan Pressure Is Real at Comic-Con 2017 9:45 On Now Video: Inside the LA Times studio at Comic-Con On Now The stars of "Riverdale" talk season 2 at Comic Con On Now "Stranger Things" Cast At Comic-Con 2017 On Now "Inhumans" Cast Was Blown Away By The Comic-Con Panel Turnout 4:44 On Now Watch: The cast and writers of "Ready Player One" talk Easter eggs and Spielberg's nerd cred at Comic Con On Now "Twin Peaks" Cast Talks About Working With David Lynch 5:03 On Now "Annabelle: Creation" Cast Says They Blessed The Set 6:40 On Now "Supergirl" Cast Loves To Sing 4:13 sarah.rodman@latimes.com Twitter: @SarahARodman ALSO Find yourself in Games of Thrones Westeros or Hogwarts with Hollywoods new projection technology The best moments from Comic-Con 2017 Captain Marvel will receive a $20-million tax credit to shoot in California The Senate on Monday confirmed David Bernhardt, who has a history of lobbying for oil, mining and western water interests, as deputy secretary of the Interior Department. Both of Californias Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, voted against his appointment which was approved, 53 to 43, with little discussion. As the No. 2 official, Bernhardt will oversee an Interior Department that has dealings with clients who have paid his law firm millions of dollars in legal and lobbying fees, including two major players in California water: Westlands Water District, the nations largest irrigation district, and Cadiz Inc., a company that wants to pump Mojave Desert groundwater and sell it to Southern California cities. Advertisement Bernhardt terminated his federal registration as a Westlands lobbyist late last year, after then-President-elect Trump nominated him for the deputy secretary position. But Bernhardt has continued to work for the water district, according to documents obtained through California Public Records Act requests. Westlands emails released by Patricia Schifferle of the environmental group Pacific Advocates show that since November, Bernhardt has drafted letters for the water district, as well as reviewed a draft executive order and the text of federal water legislation that Westlands supports. Bernhardts firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, also billed Westlands for a trip he took from Washington to Sacramento last winter. In a May 1 letter to Interiors ethics officer, Bernhardt wrote that if confirmed he would withdraw from his law firm partnership. He said he would recuse himself from client-related matters before the department for one year unless I am first authorized to participate in them. And at a Senate committee hearing in May, Bernhardt testified: If I get a whiff of something coming my way that involves a client or a former client for my firm, Im going to make that item run straight to the ethics office. And when it gets there, theyll make whatever decision theyre going to make. But given Brownstein Hyatts extensive list of clients involved in natural resource matters overseen by Interior, environmentalists argue it is likely Bernhardt will get administration waivers to participate in decisions affecting former clients. Westlands repeatedly has attacked endangered species protections, administered by the Interior Department, that restrict water deliveries. Bernhardts firm has represented Westlands in four lawsuits against the agency, and he personally argued one appeals case challenging salmon protections. Bernhardt personally lobbied Congress and the department on behalf of Westlands from 2011 through late 2016, during which time the district paid his firm $1.38 million in fees. Cadiz has paid Brownstein Hyatt $2.75 million in lobbying fees and granted the firm 200,000 shares of stock with a promise of more as plans progress for the companys potentially lucrative groundwater project. Those plans got a boost in March, when an acting assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management revoked two legal guidances that underpinned the bureaus 2015 decision that Cadiz could not use an existing federal railroad right-of-way for a new water pipeline. The 2015 decision, which is now under review by the department Bernhardt will help manage, has been a huge obstacle to the Cadiz project. Mondays confirmation marks the second time Bernhardt will have moved from Brownstein Hyatt to Interior. He left the firm in 2001 for a series of posts under President George W. Bush, rising to the position of solicitor, the departments top lawyer. He rejoined the law firm after President Obama was elected. The Brownstein Hyatt website, along with Bernhardts ethics filings, show that he and the firm have performed legal services or lobbied for clients that have dealings with virtually every branch of Interior. They include Cobalt International Energy Inc., which holds major oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico; Rosemont Copper Co., which wants to develop a large open-pit mine in Arizona; the Navajo Nation, which has been involved in water rights settlements; and the Independent Petroleum Assn. of America, which represents oil and gas producers. In a statement Monday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said: Finally, after months of waiting for confirmation in the Senate, Im excited to welcome David Bernhardt back to the department. Davids extensive experience serving under previous Interior secretaries, his esteemed legal career, and down-right love of our land and resources is exactly what is needed to help streamline government and make the Interior and our public lands work for the American economy. bettina.boxall@latimes.com Twitter: @boxall One court after another has ruled that a secret list of about 300 Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies who have lied, stolen, tampered with evidence, and committed other misconduct must remain confidential. But some groups across the state are still pushing for the names to be handed over to prosecutors. One organization in Los Angeles is going further, saying that information about deputies pasts should be available to anyone. On Monday, it launched an online gallery of deputies named in public reports of officer-involved shootings and other incidents. Advertisement Theproblematic.org was created by the advocacy group Dignity and Power Now as a way to gather information and solicit tips about deputies who have been accused of misconduct. The data on the site, which features 22 deputies, draws primarily from news reports and public documents but does not purport to necessarily reflect those officers on the departments secret list. This website is designed to give the public insight into who are the deputies harming their communities, said Patrisse Cullors, the founder of Dignity and Power Now. The group advocates for inmates and their families and is a frequent critic of the county Sheriffs Department, which runs the largest jail system in the nation. Leaders from two deputies unions criticized the site. Lt. Brian Moriguchi, president of the Professional Peace Officers Assn., said the project is simply trying to embarrass or out officers without benefiting public safety. And the department, in a statement, called into question the sites accuracy, saying it has the potential to be inflammatory and jeopardize the safety of the deputies and their families. Shannon Soper, Dignity and Power Now communications director, said the group has simply organized publicly available information, inspired by other websites that collect media reports on officer conduct, and provides a resource for the public to share information about deputies in their communities. Sheriff Jim McDonnell has yet to say whether he will appeal to the state Supreme Court an appeals court decision July 11 that barred him from sending prosecutors the names of deputies whose misconduct could damage their credibility as witnesses even in pending criminal cases in which the deputies could testify. Last fall, McDonnell tried to give the list to prosecutors, but a deputies union sued. We take very seriously the precedent-setting nature of this case and are currently assessing all legal options with our counsel of record. We expect to make an informed decision in the near future once all factors, options, and potential ramifications are assessed in this complex legal matter, the department said in a statement. The decision left open the possibility that names could be disclosed under a court order. Right now, police agencies in at least a dozen counties in the state regularly send prosecutors lists of officers with credibility issues. The 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brady vs. Maryland obligates prosecutors to alert defendants to any evidence favorable to the defense, which could include information that undermines an officers credibility. Not doing so could result in wrongful convictions. California has some of the strictest protections on law enforcement officer records in the country. Discipline hearings, personnel files and the names of officers accused in internal investigations are secret. On Thursday, the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is expected to consider authorizing a formal letter to urge McDonnell to appeal the recent court decision. In March, the commission adopted a resolution supporting the sheriffs effort to notify prosecutors about deputies found by internal investigators to have committed acts of moral turpitude. Those misdeeds could involve domestic violence, bribery, brutality, writing false reports, lying to investigators, unreasonable force and discriminating against others. If the sheriff decides that he wants to appeal, I think that is the right decision, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. From my point of view, the list is not harmful to deputies, she said. Representatives from Dignity and Power Now, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and the California Public Defenders Assn. on Monday urged McDonnell to appeal the recent decision. Those organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief, known as an amicus brief, on the sheriffs behalf in March. This has statewide repercussions, said Michael McMahon, chair of the amicus committee of the California Public Defenders Assn., based in Sacramento. The court of appeals decision seems to be a real setback to the smooth and reliable administration of criminal justice statewide. But Det. Ron Hernandez, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said the appeals court made the right decision and that it doesnt violate defendants right to a fair trial. maya.lau@latimes.com Twitter: @mayalau He spoke of giving backpacks full of explosives to homeless people, federal authorities said. He talked about lacing cocaine with rat poison to distribute at nightclubs and setting fires to hills near Berkeley. For months, undercover federal agents interacted with Amer Sinan Alhaggagi swapping text messages, emails and phone calls in which the man expressed his wishes to do harm in the Bay Area. They met multiple times, court records show, to plan a potential terror attack. If it was carried out, officials said, Alhaggagi intended to flee to Mexico. Now the 22-year-old Oakland man is facing up to 47 years in federal prison after a grand jury indictment in San Francisco accused him of attempting to provide material support or resources to Islamic State. Advertisement Its pretty horrific, plans that he had for the greater Bay Area, FBI spokesman Prentice Danner said Monday. Any one of the things, isolated, is alarming. An attorney representing Alhaggagi said her client was completely nonviolent and did not support ISIS or any terrorist organization. Amer is a very young and naive man, and it appears he allowed himself to be drawn into conversations that he should have been far more suspicious of, said Mary McNamara. He did not take any of these conversations seriously and never took any steps to harm anyone. Alhaggagis arraignment has not been scheduled. The investigation dates back more than a year, when federal agents in the Bay Area received a tip about someone making specific threats and linked them to Alhaggagi, who Danner said was born in the United States. Between July and November of last year, Alhaggagi opened social media accounts intended to be used by ISIS, court records allege. He applied for a job as a police officer with the Oakland department and exchanged bomb-making materials with undercover agents, Danner said. Investigators also said they found bomb-making guides on his computer. If you wish to do harm, being a police officers a pretty good spot to be in, Danner said. Alhaggagi has been in custody since his November arrest on suspicion of aggravated identity theft. Federal officials said he used a stolen credit card to make $4,932 in fraudulent online purchases from a clothing company. After a detention hearing in December, a judge found that Alhaggagi posed a serious flight risk and a danger to the community, federal court records show. The judge noted that he was not employed, spent significant lengths of time in Yemen and was accused of involvement in serious terrorism-related conduct. Last week, he was indicted on the terrorism-related charge and documents related to his case were unsealed. According to ABC7 News, Alhaggagis family released a statement describing him as peaceful and kind. They said Alhaggagi grew up in the U.S. and loves it here, and is not radicalized. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek ALSO Confused by all those groups fighting in Syria? We break it down with arm patches Rebuilding Mosul: The daunting mission to bring the demolished city back from the dead Heres how the FBI tracked down a tech-savvy terrorist recruiter for the Islamic State New York man sought to join Islamic extremists in Syria, prosecutors say A witness who described herself as one of Robert Dursts closest, dearest friends testified Tuesday for the prosecution in his murder case, saying that she hoped he would be acquitted if innocent but that it would be wrong to judge a persons entire life by one act. Emily Altman cried and sighed, occasionally looking over at her friend at the defense table in a Los Angeles courtroom. The New York real estate tycoon who is charged with murdering another friend listened with little expression. Durst, 74, is accused of shooting Susan Berman in the back of her head inside her Benedict Canyon home in 2000 a killing, prosecutors say, meant to silence Berman for knowing too much about his past. Berman, one of Dursts best friends, had served as his spokeswoman to the media when his wife, Kathleen, disappeared in January 1982. Advertisement Infographic: Key characters you should know about in the Robert Durst case Altman testified that she was nervous. When a prosecutor asked whether she wanted Durst to be acquitted, she paused before responding. I hope that if Bob did not do what youre accusing him of, she said, hes found not guilty. If he did do what hes charged with, the prosecutor then asked, do you want him to be convicted? Altman closed her eyes and bit her lip, as if to hold back tears. I guess if hes found guilty then hes found guilty, she said, as her face reddened. She began to cry. The prosecutor then asked whether Durst was one of her closest, dearest friends? Yes, Altman responded, glancing over at Durst, who was looking at her blandly. If Durst killed Berman, the prosecutor asked, would you question how well you ever knew him? No, she responded. I dont think you can judge a persons entire life by one act. She testified that it would be incredibly difficult for her to believe that her friend the man who came to the hospital the day her son was born and later became his godfather had committed murder. She testified that Durst once bought her and her husband a four-door Lexus and paid for the three of them to take a trip to Puerto Rico. Altman described Durst as having a biting wit, but struggling to show emotion. She recalled getting a phone call from Durst in 1982, saying that Kathleen had gone missing. He seemed concerned and sounded really upset, Altman recalled. When a prosecutor asked if she remembered asking Durst during that phone call when hed last seen his wife, Altman said she did not remember. The prosecutor then asked a variation of that question, to which Altman again replied she couldnt recall. Durst turned to his attorney and croaked: Its 36 years ago! 1 / 9 Robert Durst leaves federal court in an Orleans Parish sheriffs vehicle after his arraignment April 14 in New Orleans. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 2 / 9 Robert Durst is transported from district court to prison after his arraignment in New Orleans on Tuesday. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 3 / 9 Robert Durst is escorted into prison after his arraignment in New Orleans on Tuesday. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 4 / 9 Writer Susan Berman was killed in her home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Benedict Canyon. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 9 Robert Durst, far right, photographed through fencing, is escorted into Orleans Parish Criminal District Court through a tunnel entrance, in New Orleans. Durst waived extradition Monday and will be taken to Los Angeles to face a murder charge in the 2000 slaying of a writer and friend. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 6 / 9 Multi-millionaire murder defendant Robert Durst, right, is congratulated by his attorneys Dick DeGuerin, left, and Mike Ramsey after receiving a verdict of not guilty Nov. 11, 2003, in Galveston, Texas. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press) 7 / 9 Multi-millionaire murder defendant Robert Durst demonstrates how Morris Black handled a gun during testimony at his trial on Oct. 23, 2003, in Galveston, Texas. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press) 8 / 9 In this Aug. 18, 2003, file photo, Robert Durst, left, sits in a courtroom during a pretrial hearing at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. (Kevin Bartram / Associated Press) 9 / 9 Robert Durst, center, is escorted by Northampton County deputy sheriffs before a hearing advising Durst of his rights under extradition laws Dec. 3, 2001, in Easton, Pa. (Robert Fish / Associated Press) Durst, whos unlikely to go to trial before 2018, has pleaded not guilty. A judge gave defense attorneys and prosecutors the go-ahead to collect early testimony from several witnesses, including Altman, 68. Earlier in the week, attorneys argued whether it was proper for Altman to testify, considering that shes worked for many years as the sole employee in the law practice of husband Stewart, who has represented Durst over the years. Altman hired an attorney, who argued that her client should not have to testify about many conversations shed had with Durst. A judge ruled that Altman had to take the stand but said attorneys could make objections if question veered into topics they think are protected by attorney-client privilege. Stewart Altman Dursts high school classmate from Scarsdale, N.Y. is expected to testify at another hearing in August. Altman was the second witness to take the stand for the prosecution this week. On Monday, Peter Schwartz testified that Durst kicked him in the eye at a party in January 1981. Durst, who was wearing cowboy boots, swung with such force, Schwartz said, that he ended up in the hospital with a fractured orbital bone. After Altman who will resume testifying after the lunch break Tuesday finishes on the stand, prosecutors plan to question Paul Kaufman, who dated Berman and Richard Markey, one of the last people to see Berman alive. At a similar hearing in February, Nicholas Chavin, who was a friend of both Dursts and Bermans, testified that the defendant had once confessed to killing Berman. And at another hearing in April, Bermans friend Miriam Barnes testified that Berman, who seemed anxious, once told her shed done a favor for Durst, but said she couldnt divulge any more details. If anything ever happens to me, Barnes recalled Berman saying, Bobby did it. The twists and turns of Robert Durst marisa.gerber@latimes.com For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber ALSO Im a professional liar, key witness against Robert Durst once told prosecutors in recorded call Robert Durst confessed to killing Susan Berman, secret witness says in court What Robert Durst said he meant when he told lawyers: I kill a lot UPDATES: 5:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from Tuesdays testimony. This article was originally published at 1:30 p.m. Some days, Nicole Cottrell said, her driveway smells like a busy gas station. Other days, it reeks as if someone has poured lighter fluid onto a bonfire. To this day, the stench triggers an instant headache, leaving her dizzy and nauseous. Often, Cottrell said, her skin breaks out in rashes. The 21-year-old college student said she fears living in her Porter Ranch home, which sits less than a mile from the site of a massive methane leak that forced her and thousands of others to flee in 2015. Advertisement So when she heard state regulators last week had deemed the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility safe enough to resume natural gas injections, she was shaken. Cottrell was among more than 300 protesters who flocked to a Porter Ranch intersection Monday night, organizers said, demanding that the controversial facility be shut down for good. I need to sleep easy knowing that I can be in my home, Cottrell said. The air is not clean yet. Last weeks announcement followed months of inspections at the sprawling field and the implementation of new safety protocols that officials said will protect the public and stave off an energy shortage in Southern California. Aliso Canyon is safe to operate, Southern California Gas Company officials wrote in a letter Monday to elected officials and community leaders. This is not just our conclusion, but the conclusion of the only state regulators with lawful jurisdiction and expertise to oversee the safety of our operations. Standing on the corner of Tampa Avenue and Rinaldi Street, protesters donned red T-shirts that read: SHUT. IT. ALL. DOWN. and held signs saying, People over SoCalGas profits. Vikki Salmela, left, a 13 year resident of Porter Ranch, is joined by her dog Joey and other protesters at the intersection of Tampa Ave. and Rinaldi St. in Porter Ranch. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Its dangerous, it still leaks, said Matt Pakucko, president of Save Porter Ranch, which organized the protest. Los Angeles County is challenging the states decision, arguing that the Department of Conservations Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources has not satisfied the necessary conditions to demonstrate the safety of the facility. On Monday, the county filed a temporary restraining order request to block the reopening of the facility. A hearing is slated for Friday. In a court filing, the county attached a letter from a former gas company employee who said he had made repeated but unsuccessful efforts to get the company to address the geologic risk at the facility. My belief is that there is potential for catastrophic loss of life, wrote James Mansdorfer, who managed the companys gas storage wells and reservoirs for many years. The Santa Susana Fault, he wrote, crosses every well in the field. Movement along the fault could sever the casing and tubing of every well, resulting in a blowout 100 to 1,000 times the rate of the 2015 leak. Considering that this would occur soon after severe shaking could cause down trees and power lines and structural damage making it difficult for residents to escape, the loss of life could be significant, he wrote. Gas company officials said they do not agree with the employees assessment and said state regulators carefully considered his concerns. But Porter Ranch residents were not convinced. The seismic risk is unaddressed and potential for catastrophic loss of life says it all to me, Pakucko said. I live here thatll be my life. Protesters rally against the reopening of the Aliso Canyon gas facility. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek UPDATES: 9 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the size of the protest. This article was originally published at 8:40 p.m. An 18-year-old man was in police custody Tuesday after officials say he deliberately abandoned his 2-week-old son in a Northern California barbershop parking lot in broad daylight Security video showed Daniel Mitchell of Fairfield drive into the parking lot at Sunset Shopping Center in Suisun City before 3:15 p.m. Monday, get out of his vehicle, take out a childs car seat then set it down in the parking lot, get back into his car and drive off, officials said. Advertisement Witnesses in a nearby barbershop saw the car seat and when they got closer, found the 16-day-old child inside and called Suisun City police, officials said. While officers there reviewed video of the abandonment and worked to identify the driver, Mitchell had gotten into a crash in nearby Fairfield and attempted to flee, leading police there to arrest him, authorities said. Mitchell was taken to the hospital because of the crash and while there, Suisun City police caught up to him and interviewed him about the baby, department officials said in a Facebook post. Following the interview, officers arrested Mitchell on suspicion of child endangerment, child abandonment, committing a felony while on bail and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. Police said hed been arrested last month on suspicion of burglary and possessing a firearm, among other charges. The childs mother cooperated with police and is not believed to be a suspect, Suisun City officials said. The infant was given a medical checkup at a hospital that revealed the infant suffered from a condition that required specialized care. The baby was taken to another hospital for treatment, where he is listed in critical condition. joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. When Valerie Sobel answered a call two years ago from a phone number she didnt recognize, the person on the other end made a threat that would terrify any parent. The caller said, We have your daughter Simones finger, Sobel said. Do you want the rest of her in a body bag? Horrified, Sobel rushed to follow the orders barked at her over the phone. She drove to a nearby location, following street-by-street directions through her West Los Angeles neighborhood, and wired $4,000 to the caller who claimed to have kidnapped her daughter. The instructions were specific, down to the number of pieces to shred the wire transfer receipt into, Sobel said. Advertisement Hours passed. Sobel repeatedly called her daughter but could not get through. Finally, Simone returned her mothers call, confused by the frantic messages. Simone was fine, but Sobel was one of hundreds of people in Southern California targeted by criminals hoping to carry out a scheme that law enforcement officials have termed virtual kidnapping for ransom, a plot in which suspects repeatedly call numbers hoping to extort money from mortified parents after convincing them a loved one is being held hostage. A network of suspects in the U.S. and Mexico have been making the calls since at least 2015, affecting thousands of people in several states, including California, according to Gene Kowel, acting special agent in charge of the FBIs criminal division in Los Angeles. The FBI, Los Angeles police and representatives from several other agencies spoke out about the issue Tuesday during a news conference, hoping to warn potential victims against succumbing to panic if they receive a similar call. We are not going to arrest or charge our way out of this problem, Kowel said. Education is the key. Investigators made their first arrest in connection with the scam last week. Yanette Rodriguez Acosta, 34, of Houston was indicted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to court records. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison. Her case will mark the first federal prosecution for a so-called virtual kidnapping, Kowel said. According to the indictment, Acosta and other unnamed conspirators used Mexican telephone numbers to call targets in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, claiming to hold the victims children as prisoners. Such demands were made to at least 39 victims in California, Texas and Idaho, court records show. Kowel said the scam has also targeted residents of Minnesota. At least 250 calls were aimed at Los Angeles residents, costing victims roughly $114,000, said Capt. William Hayes, who leads the Los Angeles Police Departments elite Robbery-Homicide Division. An additional 50 calls were made to residents of Beverly Hills, spokeswoman Lt. Elisabeth Albanese said. Kowel said he believes thousands of similar calls have been made across the country. The methodology of the scam can vary. In most cases, Hayes said, the callers would target an area code at random and then repeatedly place calls until they persuaded someone to give into their demands. In other instances, the scammers researched their targets on social media and gleaned information about the victims relatives before placing the call. Either way, the callers often threatened real violence in their fake kidnappings. According to the indictment against Acosta, a caller told one victim they would cut off their daughters fingers if the ransom was not paid in September 2015. Most of the victims were ordered to wire the ransom payments to accounts in Mexico, but in at least two instances, victims were also ordered to make physical money drops in Texas. Acosta allegedly picked up some of those funds and wired a portion to unknown cohorts in Mexico, according to the indictment. Investigators believe the money was used to continue perpetrating the scam. Authorities have identified several additional suspects in Mexico and are working to track them down, Kowel said. Hayes acknowledged the primal fear that would likely take hold of someone receiving a phone call threatening to harm a loved one, but he urged residents to hang up and immediately make contact with their children, and then call police. Just to hear a scream in the background is enough to get almost anybody, he said. Still, the threats can ensnare even the most well-trained target. An LAPD sergeant, who declined to give his first name, said he received one such call in 2015. A woman screamed Daddy, help me into the phone, but Sgt. Smith said he did not recognize the voice. A male voice quickly got on and threatened to kill the sergeants daughter unless he paid a ransom. The sergeant was driving, but he eventually flagged down some Torrance police officers and contacted his daughters school to confirm she was safe before paying. Still, he admitted, fear quickly overtook any skepticism he had about the validity of the call. All that training kind of goes out the window when its personal to you, he said. They specifically threatened to put a bullet in the back of my childs head. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. UPDATES: 7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information from a news conference. This article was originally published at 1:50 p.m. Egypts Minister of Investment Sahar Nasr said that cooperation is ongoing between the ministry and the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone to attract nearly $30 billion in foreign direct investment to be allocated to infrastructure and logistics hubs in the Suez Canal Economic Zone within five years. The ministers statement came during the Fourth National Youth Conference held in Alexandria on Tuesday. The ministry aims to create one million direct and indirect jobs in the region in an effort to eliminate unemployment and boost production, the minister said. Nasr also revealed that she will be visiting Singapore next month along with Mohab Mamish, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. The visit will aim to promote investment opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The Suez Canal Economic Zone extends over 461 square kilometres across the three Suez Canal governorates of Suez, Port Said and Ismailiya, and will include six maritime ports to be completed by 2045. The mega project is part of a government plan to upgrade energy infrastructure, boost the economy, and create jobs. Throughout the past couple of years, Egypt has been seeking foreign investments for the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which is expected to include an international logistics hub and areas for light, medium and heavy industry as well as commercial and residential developments. Search Keywords: Short link: The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is investigating allegations of misconduct involving a deputy and a member of the agencys youth mentoring program. The alarming and disturbing claims were discovered during a countywide review of the agencys Deputy Explorer program and appear to be isolated, the department said in a statement released Tuesday. The department has opened administrative and criminal investigations into the alleged misconduct, officials said. A sheriffs spokeswoman declined to detail the misconduct or identify who was involved. Advertisement The Deputy Explorer program is an educational opportunity for people aged 14 though 21, allowing them to work alongside deputies and assist with duties including crowd management, traffic control and handling community events. A goal of the program is to develop civic-minded young adults with the hope of one day recruiting some of them to become deputies. There are about 400 people enrolled in the program. The departments investigation follows a scandal at the Los Angeles Police Department in which an officer was charged last week with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old member of that agencys cadet program. The ordeal was uncovered after three cadets were caught riding in stolen police cars. While the alleged involved employee was not directly assigned to the oversight or management of the Explorer program, any proven criminal or other acts of misconduct that violate public trust, and that of our Explorer program, and which jeopardize the hard work and years of service that have been put into building our revered Explorer program, will not be tolerated, the Sheriffs Department statement said. Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said the agency was carrying out a periodic review of the program, adding that the LAPD cadet controversy prompted the Sheriffs Department to conduct additional internal reviews that ultimately led to the discovery of the misconduct allegation in the Explorer program. The Explorer program recently revised its manual, including a change that prohibits texting or emailing between youths and deputies who are not directly involved in the program. Those revisions were prompted by a sex scandal involving a deputy and a 16-year-old girl at the Cerritos sheriffs station in 2011, said Sgt. Kenn Roller, head of the Explorer program, in an earlier interview with The Times. The manual also explicitly bars any unprofessional or romantic interactions between department personnel and explorers, including spending time together off-hours or at unauthorized social gatherings. The youth volunteers who wear tan-and-green uniforms that identify them as explorers are allowed to ride in patrol cars with deputies, but the policies discourage placing female explorers with male deputies when a female deputy is available. The rules prohibit explorers from riding with the same deputy more than twice in the same calendar month, and explorers may not request to ride with a particular deputy. maya.lau@latimes.com Twitter: @mayalau UPDATES: 10:25 a.m.: This article was updated on July 28 with the year of the Cerritos station sex scandal that prompted the Sheriffs Department to revise its Explorer program manual. 7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information from the department on how the alleged misconduct was discovered and background about the Explorer program. 2:05 p.m. This article was updated with information about administrative and criminal investigations into the alleged misconduct. This article was originally published at 10 a.m. Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority dropped its financial support for a costly, controversial tunnel project that would connect two stub ends in Los Angeles Countys vast freeway network. Now, in the latest salvo in the ugly fight over the 710 Freeway, Metro will be forced to defend that decision in court. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the city of Rosemead alleged that Metro abused its discretion and violated the law when the agencys directors came out against the proposed tunnel and agreed to spend more than $700 million to address congestion near the 710s abrupt northern terminus. Metros decision stripped the tunnel of nearly all its potential funding. The chances of the California Department of Transportation paying for the five-mile, $3.2-billion freeway tunnel without Metros support are essentially nil, officials said. Because Caltrans had not finished the projects environmental review or recommended what option the region should take, Metros vote represented a blatant attempt to hijack state environmental laws, Rosemead officials argued in a 417-page complaint. The lawsuit seeks to overturn Metros decision and stop the agency from moving forward with its plans to address the gap between the 710 and 210 freeways by synchronizing traffic lights and adding meters on freeway ramps, among other projects. In a statement, Rosemead Mayor pro-tem Steven Ly said the city will protect its residents and businesses against any threats to their health and diminished quality of life. The 710 is a favored route for truckers shuttling between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and distribution centers in the center of the county. For decades, officials in the San Gabriel Valley have complained that its abrupt ending on Valley Boulevard in Alhambra causes health and air problems. Rosemead is about six miles east of the 710 gap and straddles Valley Boulevard. The option the Metro board backed was among the possibilities studied during the projects environmental review. The other options Caltrans will consider for the corridor are a light-rail line, a bus rapid-transit route or a variety of freeway tunnel options, including single-bore and twin-bore tunnels. In a report earlier this year, Metro staff said traffic-light improvements and other infrastructure upgrades would do little to address congestion on surface streets and would have about the same effect as a tunnel on regional freeway traffic. Metro said in a statement that the planned surface-street upgrades will be cost-effective. They added that the vote does not eliminate other alternatives for future consideration by the Metro board when additional funding can be secured. A federal judge in Detroit has temporarily halted the deportations of more than 1,400 Iraqi immigrants, ruling that they deserve to have their cases play out in court because of the risk that they could be targeted for persecution in Iraq. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith said the immigrants faced a compelling confluence of extraordinary circumstances and that the governments attempt to rush their deportations was a violation of their rights. Many of the Iraqis arrived in the U.S. as children as far back as the 1980s and have few ties to their native country. The majority are members of religious or ethnic minorities such as Chaldean Christians or Kurds, who have been subjected to torture and other forms of repression in Iraq. Advertisement They face deportation because they had overstayed visas or committed crimes, typically misdemeanors such as driving under the influence of alcohol. They had been allowed to stay in the U.S. because for decades Iraq had refused to take them back. But in March, the Trump administration reached a deal with the Iraqi government to accept them and in June began rounding them up in immigration raids. As of July 1, 234 had been arrested and detained around the country, including large numbers in Detroit, home to thousands of Chaldean Christians. Returning the immigrants to Iraq would in some cases be akin to issuing a death sentence, according to civil rights and immigrant rights groups that filed a lawsuit in Detroit federal court in late June to block deportations of those immigrants who had been living in Detroit. Many had been transferred multiple times to various detention facilities, making it harder for them to get legal representation and prepare their cases, advocates said. People were sent to 31 facilities across the country, said Miriam Aukerman, senior staff attorney at American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. It takes time to get people their documents from the government and many of these people have valid claims under the convention against torture, so thats why we are asking to give people time get their cases heard. These individuals would have viable claims in immigration court and they are entitled to make those claims in immigration court, but its extremely difficulty to do that because you need time to access that system and court records, she said. Goldsmith agreed and granted an emergency stay barring deportations while he determined whether he had jurisdiction over the case. Less than a week later, in response to a new petition by the rights groups, the judge expanded his ruling to include Iraqis nationwide with deportation orders. On July 12, Goldsmith determined that he did indeed have jurisdiction over the case. The emergency order was set to expire at midnight Monday. The government, which had argued that the Iraqis already have adequate access to immigration courts to have their cases reconsidered, did not immediately react to the judges latest ruling. The decision was welcomed by immigrant rights advocates. This ruling continues to block the government from recklessly sending these individuals to harms way, Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights project, said in a statement. The courts action could literally save lives. melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad ALSO U.S. hits cap of 50,000 refugee admissions A hub for Iraqi refugees, San Diego is making way for new faces this time from Syria Religious leaders protest L.A. pastors detention during a routine ICE appointment San Diego teacher detained after refusing to answer Border Patrol questions at checkpoint Fleets of big black trucks, harbor boats and aircraft, equipped with radiation sensors and operated by specially trained law enforcement teams, are ready to swing into action in Los Angeles for a catastrophe that nobody even wants to think about: a North Korean nuclear attack. American cities have long prepared for a terrorist attack, even one involving nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb, but North Koreas long-range missile and weapons programs have now heightened concerns along the West Coast over increasing vulnerability to a strike. We monitor events all over the world and assess whether there is something that could impact us here, said Capt. Leonard McCray, commander of the emergency operations bureau at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. North Korea is clearly one of them. Advertisement As tension rises, the inevitable question is: How well prepared are Los Angeles and other U.S. cities for a nuclear strike? The answer is somewhat unexpected. After two decades of fighting terrorism, law enforcement agencies and the federal government today are better equipped and trained to handle the aftermath of a limited nuclear attack than they ever were during the Cold War. Yet generations of Americans have grown up without learning how to protect themselves in the aftermath of a detonation. Still, recent events have jolted emergency response agencies and prompted some to fine-tune their preparations. A string of underground nuclear weapons tests and increasingly sophisticated missile flights have led analysts to conclude that North Korea already has the capability of sending a warhead to Alaska and possibly Hawaii. Within one or two years, based on its stunning rate of progress, North Korea should have Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore., within range, said David Wright, a weapons expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. The U.S. has long tried to stop North Koreas ascent as a nuclear power, but the national policy has largely sidestepped the question of how vulnerable U.S. cities are to a surprise attack and how much capability localities should develop to respond to a blast and radioactive fallout. The U.S. abandoned its massive civil defense program near the end of the Cold War after realizing that any limited nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union would very likely escalate into a full-scale holocaust that would involve hundreds of nuclear weapon detonations. It seemed futile for people to try to survive such a catastrophe in public fallout shelters. But the North Korean threat is different. The Pyongyang government may have only a dozen nuclear weapons, most of them unsuited for a missile delivery. People think everybody would perish, but that is not the case, said Matthew LoPresti, a legislator in Hawaii who has been active in preparing for an attack there. It would be a mass casualty event, but most people would survive. If you dont take steps, more people will lose their lives. People think everybody would perish, but that is not the case. Matthew LoPresti, a legislator in Hawaii who has been active in preparing for an attack One ingredient that seems to be missing is a public awareness campaign that tells people what to do, said Dr. Robert Levin, chief health officer of Ventura County. We can save hundreds of thousands of lives, said Levin, who has spearheaded one of the nations few major programs to draw up a detailed response plan for a nuclear attack. We assume an attack would be on Los Angeles, but it will have impact on Ventura County because we would have millions of people fleeing this way and a radioactive plume that could reach over us. The county has written a 252-page nuclear response plan that deals with issues such as fallout (radiation levels drop 80% in the first day) to the management of dead bodies. Levin also developed a public awareness campaign, gaining strong support from local political leaders. One public service message shows a mushroom cloud and an actor singing, Oh no, its blown, the cloud is in the sky. You dont need to be scared, you dont need to be loud, because you can survive even a mushroom cloud. The civil defense work done by Ventura County is exceedingly rare, said Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear weapons historian and assistant professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. There has been little public discourse since the Cold War about the consequences of nuclear threats, he said. As a result, an entire generation has grown up with little awareness of the danger posed by nuclear weapons. This month, Wellerstein and other researchers launched Reinventing Civil Defense, a nonprofit project that over the next two years will examine how best to reeducate the American public on the nuclear threat one that never went away. It is being funded by a $500,000 grant from Carnegie Corp. of New York. If we live in a world where a nuclear detonation is possible, and we do, then people should be informed on what that means, he said. Its something thats been nonexistent in our society since the late 1980s. The reluctance to prepare reflects what LoPresti calls a generational PTSD from the decades of living under the threat of instant thermonuclear war. It is not something people are comfortable talking about, he said. LoPresti, chairman of the Asian studies program at Hawaii Pacific University and a philosophy professor, has sought to raise awareness of the dangers and push for some preparations. His own district would be within the fallout zone of an attack on Pearl Harbor, possibly the most important symbol of national security complacency. Wright, the nuclear weapons expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said North Koreas most recent missile test demonstrated a two-stage rocket that could reach Anchorage and Guam. But he expects that within one to two years North Korea will have enough reach to hit Seattle, 4,900 miles away, and then Los Angeles, 5,800 miles from its launch sites. They seem to be doing things in the right way and more professionally, which is worrisome, Wright said. They seem to have assembled a team of engineers who are solving their problems. But the task ahead will be increasingly difficult, particularly preventing a warhead from drifting far off target as it reenters the atmosphere. Wright said North Korea would be lucky to land a bomb within 10 miles of a target. Even such a crude device could be effective against a city as spread out as Los Angeles. An official at the Energy Department, the steward of U.S. nuclear weapons and its nonproliferation programs, acknowledged that it does not monitor what cities and states around the nation are doing. But if an attack does occur, it would be ready to send significant technical assistance from its national laboratories. The main responsibility would lie with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which declined to provide an official to discuss the issue and did not answer written questions. If the bright flash of a nuclear bomb ever lights the Los Angeles sky, it will be law enforcement and firefighters who would inevitably be the first responders. The sheriffs special enforcement bureau, atop a hill overlooking the 710 Freeway, has special trucks with advanced radiological sensors that can scan radiation levels as they drive through neighborhoods, quickly assessing the danger, said Capt. Jack Ewell, commander of the bureau. Terrorism still poses a bigger threat, he said, but we train and equip ourselves for any threat. Every station in the county has radiological dosimeters, which tell radiation levels. A team of deputies has trained with federal authorities on nuclear weapons effects. The department has radiological assessment equipment on aircraft and patrol boats in the harbor as well. It would receive federal and local weather assessments that could predict fallout patterns. If we are dealing with a situation where there was a nuclear attack from North Korea, we are talking about an air burst that would devastate a large area, McCray, the emergency operations commander, said. One advantage in our area is that we are resource rich, he said. I am convinced we would have a robust response. We dont have the ability to do anything at ground zero, but we do have the ability to help at the perimeter. We have 10 million people in this county and there would be quite a few people to look after. An exercise is being planned in November that will test the departments ability to respond to a range of emergencies that require mass care and sheltering. Absolutely the exercise would help us prepare for a North Korean attack, but the same would go for a terrorist attack, McCray said. Some arms control experts say it would be a mistake to launch a full-scale civil defense effort in response to North Korea. Wright, the expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said such a response would send the wrong message that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has put a dent in U.S. confidence. Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear weapons analyst with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., said Kim presents the same threat that existed throughout most of the last century. Hes ruthless, but hes not crazy, Lewis said. Theres reason to be cautious. But its not a reason to start digging bomb shelters. But Levin, the Ventura County health director, argues that doing nothing is equally wrong. The key point of the Ventura plan is to ask residents not flee, but to get inside and stay inside immediately after a detonation. The countys plan was developed with technical assistance from Brooke Buddemeier, a nuclear weapons effects expert at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He has made the case that sheltering indoors for just 24 hours after a detonation provides significantly reduced exposure. Talking about nuclear detonation is not one of those topics you can bring up at a cocktail party, Buddemeier said. But a little knowledge can save a lot of lives. Vartabedian reported from Los Angeles, and Hennigan reported from Washington. ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedian william.hennigan@latimes.com Twitter: @wjhenn ALSO 1,800 tons of radioactive waste has an ocean view and nowhere to go State Department will ban U.S. citizens from traveling to North Korea Parades, parties and port-a-potties: Eclipse mania is taking hold from coast to coast President Trumps son-in-law and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner told a Senate committee Monday that he held four separate meetings with Russians during the presidential campaign last year, but he insisted he did not collude with Moscow in an effort to get Trump elected or to ease U.S. sanctions on Russia. I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so, Kushner told reporters at the White House after a closed-door meeting with investigators from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Kushner, nonetheless, confirmed several damaging details, including that he sought to set up a communications line at the Russian embassy in December to speak directly with Kremlin authorities outside normal U.S. channels. The Russian ambassador refused. Advertisement He insisted that his initial failure to report his meetings with the Russians or any other foreigners on forms required for a government security clearance was not deliberate. He blamed an aide who he said had mistakenly submitted the form, known as a SF-86, before it was complete, and that he later updated it. He also has repeatedly amended financial disclosure forms required for his White House post. Last week he filed paperwork indicating he had inadvertently omitted more than 70 assets worth at least $10.6 million. He and his wife, Trumps daughter, Ivanka, have reported assets worth at least $206 million. On Monday, however, Kushner portrayed himself as an overworked and inexperienced campaign aide who was forced to make changes on the fly when it came to Russia. His comments, and his release of an 11-page statement before he met with the Senate panel, mark a notable shift by the White House toward a more detailed disclosure in an effort to put to rest questions about the Trump campaigns alleged links to Russia. It comes as the House appears set to approve bipartisan legislation Tuesday intended to impose new sanctions on Moscow, partly for its meddling in the 2016 election, and to sharply curtail Trumps ability to lift or ease related sanctions on Russia. The measure reflects deep skepticism in Congress over Trumps praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his efforts to improve U.S. relations with Moscow. The Senate is expected to pass the bill, and the White House has given mixed signals if Trump will sign it given the restrictions it places on his foreign policy. Kushners appearance on Capitol Hill marks the first questioning of a senior White House official by one of the four congressional committees investigating Russias role in the U.S. presidential race. He will reprise his testimony Tuesday before members of the House Intelligence Committee in a closed session and is expected to soon return to the Senate panel for questioning by its members, a congressional aide said. Trumps eldest son, Donald Jr., and his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, have agreed to provide documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is conducting its own Russia probe, and are expected to testify at some point. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the Kremlin approved an intelligence operation to influence American voters and help tilt the election toward Trump. A former FBI director, Robert S. Mueller III, was appointed special counsel in May to determine whether Trumps campaign aides, including Kushner, illegally cooperated with Moscow. In his statement, Kushner for the first time confirmed a report first published in the Washington Post that he had inquired at a December meeting with Sergey Kislyak, then-Moscows envoy in Washington, about using a secure communications line at the Russian embassy to conduct talks with Putins aides about Syria. Kislyak, who returned to Moscow this month, turned him down. The account raised new questions about Kushners motives in asking a senior Russian diplomat to conceal his communications from U.S. officials, and then not disclose the contact until it was revealed in the media. Democrats said Kushners statement was troubling and called on him to publicly testify under oath about what they called inconsistencies and omissions about his meetings and his security clearance forms. Kushner has repeatedly concealed information about his personal finances and meetings with foreign officials, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. There should be no presumption that he is telling the whole truth in this statement. White House officials have refused to comment until now on Kushners conversation with Kislyak at Trump Tower last year. The details leaked after Kislyak reported Kushners unusual request in diplomatic communications with Moscow that U.S. intelligence was secretly monitoring. According to Kushners statement Monday, Kislyak asked him whether the Trump transition office had a secure line that Trumps aides could use to talk to Russian generals about the war in Syria. Because none was available, Kushner said he asked about using one at the Russian embassy instead to conduct direct discussions with Moscow. He said that after Kislyak told him that was impossible, they agreed to follow up after the inauguration. Kushner did not explain why the Trump team did not simply ask to use a secure U.S. government line. Nothing else occurred, he said. I did not suggest a secret back channel. I did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office. He also said he and Kislyak did not discuss lifting U.S. sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in 2014 after Putins government annexed Crimea. President Obama added other sanctions on Russia on Dec. 29 in retaliation for its meddling in the U.S. presidential race. Kushner said he also did not discuss U.S. sanctions on Russia at a Dec. 13 meeting with Sergey Gorkov, head of Moscows state-owned Vnesheconombank, Russias national development bank. He said he took the meeting at Kislyaks urging because Gorkov had a direct relationship with Putin. Kushner said Gorkov gave him a bag of dirt that he said was from Kushners grandparents village in Belarus and said he was friendly with Putin. There were no specific policies discussed. We had no discussions about the sanctions, Kushner said, adding that he has had no contact with Gorkov since their meeting. In March, the Russian bank described the session as part of a new outreach to a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies. But Kushner said he and Gorkov did not discuss private business of any kind, adding that he has not relied on Russian funds to finance his businesses and real estate holdings. Its not clear if he meant that as a blanket denial of receiving Russian backing. Kushner also sought to deflect criticism of his meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016, with Natalia Veselnitskaya, insisting that he did not read emails that described her as a Russian government attorney who was part of its governments support for Mr. Trump. The emails said she could provide documents that would incriminate Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and would be very useful to your father. But Kushner on Monday called the meeting a waste of time, and said that after 10 minutes, he quietly texted an assistant asking for a call on his cellphone to provide an excuse to leave. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted, he wrote in his statement. At least eight people are known to have attended the meeting, including Kushner, Trump Jr. and Manafort, Trumps then-campaign chairman. Kushner said his fourth meeting was a brief discussion with Kislyak at a spring 2016 reception, where the two exchanged pleasantries. He disputed a Reuters report that he also had two telephone calls with Kislyak, saying he did not recall that, and his lawyers have found no record of them. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT ALSO Senate healthcare vote presents critical test for GOP and Trump Troubles deepen for Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions as White House spokesman questions the future of the relationship Quoting Sen. Schumer, Trump continues to suggest Russia investigation is politically motivated It makes sense that L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti would enlist religious leaders in a citywide effort to fight homelessness. At a time when officials are gearing up to build thousands of units of housing for homeless people, the city could use the moral suasion of pastors, rabbis, imams and other faith leaders in communities that might be reluctant to embrace such projects. The mayors Days of Compassion effort suggests a number of ways that congregations can get involved, such as reserving space in their parking lots for homeless people who sleep in their vehicles overnight or for the enterprising Lava Mae mobile showers, or using spare property for housing or storage facilities. They could even just take their congregants on tours of existing permanent supportive housing developments, which can blend in with their surroundings surprisingly well. Of course, the city should aggressively court all potential allies and influencers to help in the complicated task of housing homeless people. Faith communities, however, have a particular mandate to be compassionate. And if any group deserves compassionate outreach, its the citys homeless population, which has grown 20% in the last year. There is plenty of money committed to housing and services, but theres not enough goodwill and understanding on the part of neighborhoods that have resisted housing and storage facilities. Advertisement More than 100 religious leaders have signed a pledge to undertake some kind of project in the next four months. Garcetti should push these leaders to follow through on their commitments. Unfortunately, the city hasnt always made it easy for faith groups that have taken it upon themselves to do something for homeless people. Several years ago, when a temple in Bel-Air wanted to offer overnight parking to people living in their vehicles, it was stymied by a city ordinance that didnt allow a parking lot to function essentially as a shelter. It took the city a year to craft a way around that. When an Episcopal church in Highland Park in late 2015 allowed homeless people to sleep inside at night, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority objected that the pews were too narrow and people sleeping on them might fall off. That absurd complaint was eventually resolved and the church kept its doors open to the unsheltered. City officials say that theyve learned from such experiences and realize that innovative ideas and the urgency of implementing them need bureaucratic fixes quickly. So lets see them do that. Officials say they will try to be more enablers than impediments, such as by linking a church interested in leasing land for permanent supportive housing with a developer and service provider. Whatever the city and religious leaders can do to facilitate housing and services for homeless people would, indeed, be a blessing. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook It has been obvious at least since President Trump fired former FBI Director James B. Comey a shocking decision that he acknowledged was done with this Russia thing in mind that Trump is being driven to bizarre and desperate lengths by the FBI investigation into possible ties between his presidential campaign and Russia. Now Trumps aversion to the investigation he has wrongly characterized as a witch hunt has led him to savage his attorney general, Jeff Sessions. On Tuesday, the president continued that attack, in what is either a prelude to firing Sessions or an attempt to humiliate him into resigning. Either outcome would make it easier for Trump to engineer the dismissal of Robert S. Mueller III, the former FBI director who is leading the investigation into Russian meddling with last years election, connections between Russia and the Trump campaign and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation including, quite possibly, financial transactions involving Trump and his family. Advertisement Trumps ongoing efforts to impede the investigation through both public and private threats and irresponsible action are deeply inappropriate, to say the least. This is a test of character for Republican members of Congress. They must make it clear to the president that going after Sessions as a way of muscling Mueller will have consequences. In this country, presidents do not settle old political scores with their rivals by having them charged with crimes. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Trump belittled the attorney general who, as a senator from Alabama, was one of Trumps earliest and staunchest political supporters. Early in the morning he tweeted: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! This followed a tweet a day earlier in the same lock-her-up vein: So why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? In other words, he is again calling for the prosecution of his opponent in last years election, in a matter in which she has been cleared of wrongdoing. Viewed most charitably, this is a cynical example of misdirection designed to take the focus off his own misbehavior and to whip up enthusiasm among his base voters. But what if a prosecutor were, God forbid, to take him seriously? That would be truly distressing. In this country, presidents do not settle old political scores with their rivals by having them charged with crimes. Trump began his abuse of Sessions last week when he told the New York Times that he would never have offered him the attorney generals job if he knew that Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. He reiterated that argument at a news conference Tuesday. Both times, what he seemed to be saying was that he would never have hired Sessions had he known that Sessions would pursue justice rather than cover up for him. In the real world, however, Sessions recusal was ethically obligatory because of both his enthusiastic participation in Trumps campaign and his misleading testimony at his Senate confirmation hearings about his meetings with the Russian ambassador during the campaign. If Sessions were to be fired or quit, Trump could name a replacement who would take over supervision of Mueller and potentially be in a position to carry out an order by the president to dismiss the special counsel. At Tuesdays news conference, Trump declined to say whether he wanted Sessions to resign, but confirmed that he was very disappointed in the attorney general. This page opposed Sessions confirmation and we strenuously disagree with his positions on civil rights, sentencing, immigration and other issues. But its not Sessions wrongheaded conservative views, which echo the presidents, that are putting his tenure in jeopardy; its his adherence to ethical standards that any principled attorney general would abide by. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had it right: President Trumps tweet today suggesting Atty. Gen. Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate. Prosecutorial decisions should be based on applying facts to the law without hint of political motivation. To do otherwise is to run away from the long-standing American tradition of separating the law from politics regardless of party. If Trump disregards this warning, Congress must make sure that he pays the price. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The GOP healthcare plan is not dead. It is, in the words of Miracle Max from Princess Bride, only mostly dead. Hill-watchers say the Republicans so badly need to pass something that they might just surprise everyone and pass something today. Maybe. But whatever the Senate passes will not be an actual repeal of Obamacare, never mind an actual replacement. (It cant be. Since Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.] and company cant or wont work with Democrats and vice versa they are trying to pass their bill using the budget reconciliation process, which is rather limited in scope, but only requires a simple majority.) And even if the miracle happens, the immensely unpopular legislation must then go to conference, and after that go back to both chambers for more voting. It will look less like sausage getting made and more like an elaborate, rolling, mortuary makeover. Rather than wait for the inevitable post-mortems and in the hope of continuing these cadaverous metaphors I think what the moment requires is a premortem. Herewith are some takeaways from the GOPs version of the Walking Dead: Advertisement The Obama administrations greatest successes all involved serving the dessert first. For instance, the Iran deal gave Tehran all of the money upfront. That way, we back out, the Iranians win. And, so it was with Obamacare. Giving states billions of dollars to expand Medicaid upfront made taking it back politically impossible for many Republicans. At best, this story ends with a beautiful corpse. Healthcare is hard and Republicans hate talking about it because it puts them at an automatic disadvantage. Years ago, Chris Matthews described the GOP as the Daddy Party and the Democrats as the Mommy Party. If you can get past the outrageously gendered stereotype, the point remains. Those mansplaining Republicans like to talk about toughness and saving money. The nurturing Democrats like to talk about taking care of people. Healthcare was always a Mommy issue and Republicans can never out-hug Democrats on it. Once the GOP bought into the argument that maximizing coverage is the benchmark of success, real repeal was already dead. Moderate Republicans are the most cynical of all. Except for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), every GOP senator voted for straight repeal of Obamacare in 2015. They never gave any hint that this was a purely symbolic gesture contingent on then-President Obamas veto. Now that a Republican is in the White House, however, they refuse to go through with it. Counting on these senators to have the courage of their convictions when more than symbolism is at stake is apparently too much. The finger-of-blame is the only digit on the presidents famously impressive hands that you can count on him lifting. While the Affordable Care Act was in the works, Obama gave a healthcare speech on average once a week. Trump waited until Monday to give his first, and its obvious he doesnt understand the underlying policy. Big legislation is very hard to pass on a partisan basis and virtually impossible to pass when it is even more unpopular than a disengaged president with record low approval ratings. Trump is a weak president. Its very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their president, Trump lamented on Twitter over the weekend. Trumpologists tend to think this was a reference to the Russia imbroglio, but its relevant to the healthcare debacle as well. Every GOP senator and 90% of those in Congress outperformed Trump in 2016. He won on their coattails, not the other way around. The GOP is an ideologically and politically fractured party unaccustomed to governing. Sure, everyone is afraid of the Trump base, but Make America Great Again talking points about We the People notwithstanding, that base is not a majority of the electorate. In swing states where Republican senators need voters who are sour on the president, the healthcare plan or both, that fear encourages them to simply keep their heads down as much as possible. Again, we may get something today or some other day that the White House will hail as a beautiful victory. But, at best, this story ends with a beautiful corpse. jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook. This is not the normal way to fire a Cabinet officer. President Trump is subjecting his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to public torture for failing to protect him from the investigation of his campaigns apparent ties to Russia. Last week, Trump told the New York Times that Sessions recusal from the investigation a decision required by Justice Department rules was unfair to the president who appointed him. This week, Trump turned up the heat with a series of nasty tweets directed, amazingly, at a senior member of his own Cabinet. Advertisement Why arent the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? the president demanded on Monday. In case that wasnt obvious enough, he escalated early Tuesday morning: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! And when reporters asked the president if he wanted Sessions to quit, Trump evaded the question three times. Time will tell, he said. Anyone who serves Trump should expect no loyalty, unless theyre family. When most presidents want a Cabinet official to resign, they send their chief of staff or another trusted aide to whisper in his or her ear. If that doesnt do the trick, aides leak to reporters, inducing stories that the president thinks its time for a change. (I was a conduit for one such leak in 1993, when Bill Clinton wanted Les Aspin to quit as Defense secretary.) Or they simply call the offending Cabinet officer to the Oval Office and deliver the bad news person-to-person. Thats how Barack Obama fired Chuck Hagel from the Pentagon in 2014. Not Trump. He sends his Cabinet officers Twitter messages with the subtlety and finesse of a brick hurled through a plate-glass window. This isnt just a matter of style of a drain the swamp president disrupting Washingtons prissy traditions. There are substantive lessons here, too. The first and most obvious is that anyone who serves Trump should expect no loyalty from him, unless theyre family. Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump when the New York moguls candidacy still seemed like a nonsensical long shot. The Alabaman took a political risk by backing Trump; if another Republican had been elected president, Sessions would have been stranded in the political equivalent of Siberia. His reward, now, is public humiliation. (Republican senators: Think twice before risking your reputations to defend this man.) The second lesson is that, to Trump, effectiveness in government doesnt count for much compared to protecting the president from investigators. Sessions is responsible for a good share of what the administration has achieved in practical terms: its more aggressive prosecution of narcotics cases, its draconian crackdown on illegal immigration, its effort to defund so-called sanctuary cities. But to the president, those accomplishments pale before the fact that Sessions allowed his deputy to name Robert S. Mueller III as a special counsel to investigate the Russia allegations, and that the Justice Department is allowing Mueller to forge ahead. The third lesson is that Trump thinks the Justice Department should act as his personal law firm. Thats not new, but its still chilling. As Jack Goldsmith, a former Justice Department official under George W. Bush, wrote in Lawfare on Tuesday, the president seems bent on destroying the authority of the Justice Department that he worries, perhaps for reasons only he knows, may destroy him. At no time in modern history (and perhaps ever) has a President been so openly at odds, and bent on discrediting, his senior law enforcement and intelligence officials. Trump wants his attorney general to order the FBI to reopen its investigation of Hillary Clinton not because he thinks shes guilty of a crime (the FBI answered that question last year), but because it will strengthen his argument that whatever his campaign did was no worse than something hers must have done too. (That, incidentally, is a 180-degree reversal of a position Trump took in November, when he said that prosecuting Clinton would be very, very divisive for the country. Its not something that I feel very strongly about, he said then.) Does Trump hope to harass Sessions into resigning so he can name a more pliable attorney general, one who would follow an order to fire Mueller? It sure looks that way. The president has made it clear that hes after the special counsels scalp. And the Washington Post reported Tuesday that some Trump associates have already argued that the quickest way there is to name a new attorney general. It all comes back to the Russia investigation. Trump rages at the media, Congress and now his own Justice Department for keeping it going. Hes already fired one acting attorney general, Sally Yates, and one FBI director, James B. Comey; now he appears ready to cashier one of his most loyal supporters and throw his Cabinet into chaos. Trump insists that the controversy is groundless. And its true that conclusive evidence of direct collusion has not yet come to light. But the president is acting relentlessly and recklessly like a man with something to hide. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @DoyleMcManus Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook MORE OP-EDS What military recruiters arent telling women: Youll face disproportionate health risks Single payer cant happen in California. At least, not right away The its all in your head diagnosis is still a danger to womens health UPDATES: 2:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. Recently, 18 brave women graduated from the U.S. Army Infantry School, pioneers headed for fully gender-integrated ground close-combat units. Women have long served valiantly and effectively in almost every military role, but now they are tackling extremely physical combat jobs that, until recently, were designated men-only. The Department of Defense is committed to increasing numbers of women in the ranks without delay. The commandant of the Marine Corps considered the toughest of the armed services when it comes to physical requirements has nonetheless set a goal: 10% of new recruits for all its jobs will be women. Military recruiters are aggressively targeting high school female athletes. Ads featuring women glamorize close-combat skills. And since all combat roles were opened to both sexes, Congress has repeatedly voted on legislation that would force women ages 18 to 26 to register for the draft, just like men. In this push for more female recruits, its not at all clear that young women or the civilian population in general understand the unique, disproportionate health risks women face in combat roles. The dangers, which have been known for decades, will undoubtedly be exacerbated as women serve in the most physically demanding units. Although the Pentagon has published studies detailing these gender differences, no such information is readily found on the Army or Marine recruiting websites. And the neighborhood recruiter isnt likely to fill you in, either. But avoiding hard truths isnt a legitimate way to attract new volunteers to the military. At best, its manipulative; at worst, downright exploitative. Advertisement Disproportionate injuries and even physical disability are facts of life for many who serve. Obviously, men and women are not the same. On average, an adult male produces 10 times more testosterone than an adult female, which almost doubles his muscle mass. (The average woman possesses only 55% to 58% of the upper body strength of the average man.) Testosterone also causes development of a heavier and stronger skeleton in males and has a specific effect on shaping the male pelvis, adding greater strength for load-bearing tasks and enabling more efficient locomotion. It increases the size and function of their hearts and lungs and consequently males have 40% greater aerobic capacity, and higher endurance compared with females. Womens smaller hearts require more blood to be pumped each minute at a given level of exertion because they have less hemoglobin in their blood to carry oxygen. These differences will put women at a distinct disadvantage in newly opened infantry jobs, where they will be expected to carry 100-pound packs routinely, or in armor jobs, where they will have to load 35-pound rounds again and again. Women in these roles will have to constantly work at a higher percentage of their maximal capacity to achieve the same performance as men. No training system can close the gap. Extreme physical activity, irregular meals, inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, sleep deprivation and stress are common in close-combat units. These factors can trigger conservation mode in women,which results in a decrease in female hormones, cessation of menstruation, and osteoporosis with a heightened risk of stress fractures. We also know that if stress and exertion dont suppress menstruation, many women in combat roles will choose to do so with hormonal contraceptive use. The side effects may include depression, weight gain and breakthrough bleeding. Depo-Provera, the contraceptive of choice for many military women, now carries a warning for loss of bone mineral density. Pelvic floor injuries are another gender-specific danger for female troops. Studies have found heavy load bearing and paratrooper training can contribute significantly to urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse among women. Many of the consequences of taking on additional combat roles wont be obvious until years later. Just ask Marine Capt. Katie Petronio, who wrote in the Marine Corps Gazette of muscle atrophy, endurance problems, weight loss and infertility she considers the results of two combat deployments. Women have proved themselves in combat, Petronio said, but in the most physically demanding roles, can they endure and are we willing to accept the attrition and medical issues that go along with integration? The Pentagon is well aware of the occupational hazards unique to women in combat units. Much of this information is laid out in a 2015 literature review, Physiological and Medical Aspects That Put Women Soldiers at Increased Risk for Overuse Injuries. Another study, Musculoskeletal Injuries in Military Women, published in 2011 by the Army surgeon generals office, noted that women are approximately 67% more likely than men to receive a physical disability discharge from the army for a musculoskeletal disorder. Keep in mind, that statistic and the 2015 review were compiled before all combat jobs were opened to women. Women are essential in Americas armed services. Unfortunately, disproportionate injuries and even physical disability are facts of life for many who serve. In targeting young women for recruitment into close-combat jobs, the Department of Defense must ensure they are fully informed of the risks, and as women take on other formerly restricted roles, their health must be meticulously documented and studied. Potential recruits, and all Americans, deserve to know the true effects of a completely integrated military. Julie Pulley is a former Army captain, veteran of the Afghanistan conflict and graduate of West Point. Rear Adm. Hugh P. Scott is a retired Navy medical officer and an expert in medical physical standards. To read the article in Spanish, click here Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Given the dismal state of healthcare reform in Washington, liberal Californians have rallied around the idea that the state should establish a single-payer program. Although in the future such a system would be workable and desirable, the reality is that at the moment a single-payer bill cannot pass. Fighting for one in the immediate term is a waste of time. Financing, first of all, is a heavy lift. In addition to higher state taxes, California would need to channel Medicare and other federal healthcare funding into the single-payer system. Before it can do that, Congress must pass a waiver and the president must sign it which isnt going to happen while Donald Trump is in office. The challenge of local political support is just as difficult to meet. Californians need to elect a governor who will sign the legislation. The current one will not do so. So-called moderate or corporate Democrats in the Assembly and state Senate who oppose single payer need to be persuaded that it is in their interest to vote for it. Millions of California voters with relatively good insurance coverage and those on Medicare are fearful of a radical change in their protections. Advertisement Another problem is that the most recent version of the single-payer bill mandates an overnight approach it would put for-profit insurance companies out of business from one year to the next and force all existing public safety net programs to rapidly combine their administrative structures and processes. The prospect of such sudden change will encourage insurance companies to ramp up their already vehement and well-funded opposition. The bureaucratic complexities of the Medi-Cal program, moreover, put into doubt that California could effectively administer a single-payer program on such a short time frame. Some activists propose placing a single-payer initiative on the next state ballot, but this would be catastrophic. Overcoming these three difficulties will require advocates to develop broader, deeper and more diverse (in every sense of the word) coalitions, alliances and legislative relationships. It will also require convincing millions of skeptical California voters that state government can run an efficient health insurance system. Meanwhile, at the national level, Democrats have the daunting task of winning back the House, Senate and the White House. But by 2020, California might just be ready for single payer if advocates achieve a string of smaller but important legislative victories to build power. Such steps might include: a state individual mandate; a state employer mandate that also covers part-time workers and their dependents; continued guaranteed coverage for children in the country illegally; giving the state insurance commissioner the power to regulate insurance premiums; setting a process to negotiate drug and medical device pricing; administrative reforms to streamline Medi-Cal so that there is less waste and better coordination and continuity of care; engaging the states tech sector to assist with such streamlining; advancing nonprofit delivery systems and moving away from fee-for-service practice; and opening up Medi-Cal to everyone, which would effectively create a state public option robust enough to compete on a level playing field against private insurers. As to the problem of persuading corporate Democrats to support single payer, one strategy would be to run pro-single-payer candidates in key primaries. The resources of the entire state movement would be concentrated in these campaigns and a movement victory in even one such race would cause deep reflection and rethinking of positions. Some activists propose placing a single-payer initiative on the next state ballot, but this would be catastrophic. There is no evidence that such an initiative could win in California. The preconditions for a ballot victory simply do not yet exist. Proposition 61 on drug price controls was badly defeated despite a high-profile endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The initiative to have the state insurance commissioner regulate premiums was also badly defeated. And then theres the historic 1994 defeat of Proposition 186, which proposed establishing a single-payer system in California. That went down by a 3-to-1 margin. Insurance companies and Pharma would see a single-payer proposition as an existential threat and spend the money needed to crush yet another health reform initiative. So far, theyve got a 1.000 batting average. We do not need yet another devastating loss. Time, treasure and effort would be better spent winning the series of smaller victories that create the pathway to single payer. And in four years, a substantially stronger single-payer movement could successfully lobby a new Congress and president for federal waivers. The fight over the role of government in medical care is not something new. It goes back to the founding of our republic, with passage of the Merchant Marine Act in 1798. More than a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt called for a system of national health insurance. Single-payer advocates have been working for decades. Theyll have to work a few years more. Steve Tarzynski is a physician and president of California Physicians Alliance. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, proved an old adage wrong on Tuesday. Sometimes, it turns out, you can beat something with nothing. After weeks of negotiations toward a Senate bill to repeal Obamacare, Kentucky Sen. McConnell was at an impasse. He couldnt amass a majority for any of several competing proposals to replace Obamacare. Nor could he attract a majority for repeal and delay, a punt that would declare the program dead, but leave it in place for two years. So he demanded that senators agree to open debate on no bill at all. That write-your-own-ending offer won 50 votes, enough to move forward. The Senate will now spend the rest of the week searching for anything a majority can agree to. Advertisement One possibility is a rather grotesque alternative called skinny repeal, a bill that would repeal a few unpopular parts of Obamacare mainly the individual and employer mandates but leave the rest intact. But most Republicans dont like that idea much, either. If this seems like an imprecise, even cavalier approach to remaking the nations healthcare system, thats because it is. In a fiery speech on the Senate floor, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), bearing stitches on his forehead from cancer surgery, said he thought McConnells improvisational approach wouldnt work and probably shouldnt. How did McConnell build a majority in favor of nothing in particular? Easy: He announced that any Republican who voted no would be labeled as voting to preserve the whole of Obamacare anathema to their conservative constituents. Proving, perhaps, that the skills McConnell perfected in opposition to Obama, when Republicans became known as the Party of No, could still come in handy, even in a governing majority. One other constant: President Trump continued to promise that whatever the Senate passes will be great no matter what it turns out to be. Were going to come up with something really spectacular, Trump promised. But, like McConnell, he couldnt say exactly what. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @DoyleMcManus Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. To the editor: Whats wrong with this picture (hypothetical, of course): a presidential candidate and/or members of his campaign conspire/collude with an adversarial foreign government to win the election. (Re: Back Story: A presidential self-pardon? July 22) When the fake media and congressional and Justice Department investigators uncover their misdeeds, the illegitimately elected president then exercises his absolute power to pardon all involved, including himself. Surely, this cannot happen, can it? Charles Kent, Rancho Mission Viejo Advertisement :: To the editor: Trumps musing about a self-pardon would be a fundamental, first-order conflict of interest. He would almost certainly be impeached. Its interesting to speculate, should self-pardon-impeachment-conviction come to pass, would Trump exit the White House under his own power or be dragged out like an airline passenger who refuses to give up his seat? Tom Budlong, Los Angeles :: To the editor: It seems obvious that President Trump never planned for his family or administration, much less himself, to actually need to follow any laws. If anyone at the DOJ was brave (or disloyal) enough to prosecute, the person would be fired. What needs to happen is for the Republicans to stand up and say enough to the conflicts of interest, the Russian collusion, the undoing of all the environmental laws and regulations, and the weakening of our power in the world. But there doesnt seem to be an ethical or honorable molecule among Republicans in Congress right now. So we have a president in office who will make as much money as he can, while harming the country, and the Republicans pretend Hillary Clinton is the cause of all the problems in the world. September Bowman, Goleta, Calif. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 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. With a strong, last-minute push from President Trump, Senate Republicans face a pivotal vote Tuesday in their long bid to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act. But the outcome remained in doubt, largely because senators have not even been told which of the various GOP plans will be considered. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has kept the process highly secretive as he tries to find a path forward amid stark opposition within his Republican majority, and no backing from Democrats. He has only two Republican votes to spare. Advertisement In a sign of the votes importance, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona who was diagnosed last week with brain cancer following an operation to remove a blood clot announced late Monday he would return to Washington in time for Tuesdays proceeding. But many GOP senators remain reluctant to begin formal debate on legislation without knowing where the process will end. Trump warned senators Monday that Tuesdays planned motion to proceed the first legislative hurdle to passing a Senate bill could be Republicans last chance to undo the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He warned in a tweet that the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand! hinting of political fallout for senators who vote against the measure. Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare, Trump said during an event at the White House. For Senate Republicans this is their chance to keep their promise. Over and over again they said repeal and replace, repeal and replace, he said. Theres been enough talk and no action. Now is the time for action. For Trump, a failure Tuesday could expose the limits of his ability to implement his agenda, even with a GOP-controlled Congress. But neither admonitions from the White House nor pressure from outside conservative groups seemed strong enough to sway some key centrist Republican senators, who continued to express concerns about how the GOP plan might affect low-income residents in their states, particularly those receiving Medicaid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that at least 22 million more Americans would not have coverage under the Republicans repeal and replace plan, and as many as 32 million would join the ranks of the uninsured if Republicans simply repealed the Affordable Care Act. Among the holdouts is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a state with a greater share of its population covered by Medicaid than any other. Trump traveled there Monday evening for a rally at the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America. Many West Virginians have benefited from our states decision to expand Medicaid, Capito wrote in her weekly newsletter ahead of the visit. I am committed to repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a healthcare system that provides access to affordable care to West Virginians... After meeting with President Trump this week, he assured me we are on the same page. During his remarks in West Virginia, Trump told his Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Youd better get Sen. Capito to vote for it. Otherwise, Trump joked, if Price doesnt produce the needed Senate votes, Youre fired! Ahead of Tuesdays vote, at least one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, remained opposed to opening debate on the bill. McConnell can afford to lose no more than two Republicans from his 52-seat majority. If needed, Vice President Mike Pence could be called on to cast a tie-breaking vote. With McCains unexpected return, GOP leaders are hoping they will be able to garner at least 50 votes. Though the Arizona senator has not indicated how he would vote, it seemed unlikely that he would make the trip to vote no. He also expressed a desire to vote on other pressing issues, such as a defense authorization bill and Russia sanctions legislation. Some Republican senators who initially said they would oppose opening debate on the bill, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, have since indicated they may be willing to start debate. Paul and other conservatives support repealing Obamacare but oppose the latest version of the replacement plan, saying it did not go far enough in dismantling the current law. Among the centrists, the votes of Capito and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) remained the most closely watched. Also not saying how he would vote was Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who had joined Paul in opposing the replacement plan. McConnell nudged senators forward, promising a free-wheeling floor debate that would allow both GOP centrists and conservatives an opportunity to offer amendments to shape the final product. We ought to have the debate, McConnell said Monday. The only way well have an opportunity to consider ideas is if senators are allowed to offer and debate them, McConnell said. That means voting to kick off a robust debate. Senators, though, remained skeptical that their amendments would be included in the final product. Many, including McCain, have called for a return to a traditional legislative process of holding public hearings and debating the bill in committee before pushing it to the floor. Its highly unusual for senators to vote to proceed on such an important piece of legislation without knowing the preferred plan of GOP leadership. Technically, the vote Tuesday will be to proceed to the House-passed Obamacare overhaul, the American Health Care Act, which has almost no support in the Senate. After crossing that initial hurdle, GOP leaders will substitute the House version with the Senate-preferred alternative. But as late as Monday evening, it was unclear which version GOP leadership preferred: a simple repeal or repeal and replace. Even if McConnell succeeds Tuesday in bringing enough senators to support beginning debate on a bill, final passage remains a challenge. McConnell appears to be calculating that its better to hold Tuesdays vote and risk an embarrassing defeat in the hopes it will pressure senators to find consensus. The leader has promised to keep senators in session through the first two weeks of August, cutting into their summer recess, to pass a final bill, meaning Tuesdays vote may not be their last. Obamacare vs. Trumpcare: A side-by-side comparison of the Affordable Care Act and the GOPs replacement plan Obamacare 101: A primer on key issues in the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. Lisa.Mascaro@latimes.com @LisaMascaro noam.levey@latimes.com @noamlevey UPDATES: 6:45 p.m.: This story was updated after Sen. John McCain announced he would return to Washington for the vote. This story was originally published at 3:40 p.m. Lawyers for President Trump say he had a 1st Amendment right to urge his supporters to eject disruptive protesters from his campaign rallies, including the right to use reasonable force to remove those who are not welcome. The legal claim came in an emergency motion asking a U.S. appeals court in Ohio to throw out a lawsuit filed by three people who said they were roughed up at a Trump rally in Louisville, Ky., in March of last year. A lower court judge declined to do so. That district court judge said the plaintiffs lawsuit described a chaotic and violent scene in which a crowd of people turned on three individuals who were shoved, punched and cursed by Trumps supporters. Advertisement At issue now is whether Trump can be held liable for having provoked violence against the protesters. They sued Trump and the Trump campaign, seeking damages for what they alleged was a reckless incitement to violence. In their new motion, Trumps lawyers said protesters who initially purchased tickets and entered the rally in a peaceful manner may be forcibly removed if they were disruptive. It also makes no difference whether the crowd reacted with unlawful violence beyond what Mr. Trump advocated, because the hostile reaction of the crowd does not not transform protected speech into incitement, they said. In late March, U.S. District Judge David Hale refused to dismiss the lawsuit brought by two women and one man who said they were forced by Trumps supporters to leave the rally. One of the plaintiffs, an African American woman, had held up a sign depicting Trumps face on the body of pig, the lawyers said. Trump kept saying, Get them out, get them out, and people in the crowd began pushing and shoving the protesters, said Alvin Bamberger, one of the audience members who were cited in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs called him the most aggressive. The presidents lawyers noted in his defense that Trump also said: Dont hurt em. If I say, Go get em, I get in trouble with the press, the most dishonest human beings in the world. Another of the plaintiffs, a 17-year-old high school student, said he was punched in the stomach by a member of the Traditionalist Worker Party, which was described as a white nationalist group. Judge Hale did not say the plaintiffs should win the case, but said their complaint was sufficient to proceed toward a trial. It is plausible that Trumps directive to get em out of here advocated the use of force. [It] is stated in the imperative; it was an order, an instruction, a command, he wrote in his March 31 order. This week, Trumps lawyers filed a writ of mandamus with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court asking the appeals court to remove the case from Hale. They argued Trump cannot be held liable for negligently inspiring third parties to engage in violence. Without this courts intervention, this litigation will inflict irreparable harm on the Trump defendants by subjecting them to punitive litigation as the price of exercising their core First Amendment rights, Washington attorney Michael Carvin wrote. Mr. Trump had a First Amendment right to call for the removal of disruptive protesters from his campaign rally, and it is a bedrock principle of law that the right to exclude another includes the right to use reasonable force, he said. The Supreme Court in its most famous ruling on the issue of violence and free speech said the 1st Amendment shields speakers, except when their words are likely to incite imminent lawless action. In that 1969 case, Brandenburg vs. Ohio, the court overturned the conviction of a Ku Klux Klan leader who said at a rally that there may be violence if our president, our Congress, our Supreme Court continues to suppress the white, Caucasian race. Decision time at the Supreme Court: A look at this terms rulings on religion, free speech and immigration david.savage@latimes.com On Twitter: DavidGSavage Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions confronted increasing questions about his future as he faced fresh public slaps from his boss, President Trump, and new calls to testify about his conversations with the Russian ambassador last year. Sessions, the first senator to endorse Trump, was a strong influence during the campaign. A longtime advocate for reduced immigration, both legal and illegal, Sessions helped shape Trumps aggressive anti-immigration policies. He has also moved quickly to steer the Justice Department back to tough anti-crime and drug policies that Trump favors. None of that seems to have saved him from the presidents ire. Advertisement This year, Sessions announced that he would step aside from overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any possible cooperation by people associated with the Trump campaign. Sessions acted on advice from the departments ethics lawyers, who said he should not play a role in an investigation involving a campaign on which he worked. But in a startling interview with the New York Times last week, Trump said Sessions decision to recuse was very unfair to the president, and the president made it clear that he blamed Sessions for the widening special counsel investigation he now faces. Since then, things have gotten worse for the attorney general. Tuesday morning, Trump fired a new salvo on Twitter, accusing his attorney general of being very weak because he has not sought to prosecute Trumps defeated rival from last years campaign, Hillary Clinton. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 That message marked the second day in a row that Trump had pursued the issue. On Monday morning, Trump tweeted that Sessions was beleaguered and questioned why the Justice Department wasnt doing more to investigate Clintons dealings with Russia. The statements were remarkable both for undermining the attorney general Trump appointed and also for openly calling for the prosecution of a political rival something without precedent for a U.S. president. Trumps new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, did nothing to allay doubts about Sessions future, refusing to say in an interview Monday whether Trump wanted him to resign and on Tuesday morning saying that he probably did. They need to sit down face to face and have a reconciliation and a discussion of the future, he said in Mondays interview with CNN. They need to speak and determine what the future of the relationship looks like. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also offered no reassurances. I think the president has been extremely clear about his position, she told reporters. Hes very disappointed that Atty. Gen. Sessions chose to recuse himself. If Trump seems to be trying to tweet Sessions out of a job, Sessions seems determined to dig in and make the president fire him at least for the time being. Last week, Sessions said he had no plans to step down, saying he loved his job and would stay as long as it was appropriate. Im totally confident we can continue to run this office in an effective way, he said. Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Monday that hasnt changed. She had no comment on Scaramuccis interview or on Trumps beleaguered comment. The strange soap opera has begun to draw criticism from some Republicans, who say Trump should take Sessions to the woodshed in private. To do this in public is what I dont understand, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said. Some conservative admirers of Sessions have also come to his defense, which might make Trump reluctant to actually fire the attorney general. Another consideration for Trump is that a new nominee to head the Justice Department might have difficulty winning confirmation, especially if Republican senators demanded assurances that the nominee would not move against the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Sessions visited the White House on Monday, sparking a quick flurry of speculation that he was about to resign or be fired. But Flores said Sessions was there for a standing Monday lunch meeting with White House Counsel Donald McGahn. The attorney general had a discussion with McGahn and Tom Price, the Health and Human Services secretary, she said. She and Sanders said Sessions did not see Trump. No meeting with the president has been scheduled, Flores said. The two apparently have not spoken since Trumps interview became public Wednesday. Responding to a shouted question about Sessions at a photo opportunity on Monday, Trump smirked and rolled his eyes. Speculation on who could replace Sessions has already begun. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, another stalwart Trump supporter and a former federal prosecutor, brushed aside a report that he was under consideration. Giuliani told CNN that Sessions made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department when he recused himself from supervising the Russia inquiry. Also on Monday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Sessions needs to appear before the committee to answer new questions about his contacts with the then-Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. The Washington Post reported Friday that intelligence agencies had overheard Kislyak reporting to associates in Russia that he and Sessions had substantive conversations about campaign-related issues, contradicting Sessions descriptions of their conversations as casual and incidental to the campaign. In a letter to Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee chairman, Feinstein said it would be a grave breach of trust if Sessions gave misleading information in his written answers, and called on Grassley to summon Sessions for another public hearing. A spokesman for Grassley said the chairman wants to hold an oversight hearing in the fall after other top Justice officials have been confirmed. Also on Monday, the Congressional Black Caucus, which has long criticized Sessions, called on him to resign, saying he is unfit to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the nation. joseph.tanfani@latimes.com Twitter: @jtanfani Staff writer Lauren Rosenblatt contributed to this report. ALSO Amid widening Russia investigation, Trump tweets that the president has complete power to pardon Gov. Jerry Brown shows President Trump the upside of experience Jeff Flake, up for reelection in 2018, will upset Arizona voters no matter how he votes on healthcare UPDATES: 7:45 a.m. July 25: This article was updated with President Trumps early-morning tweets and comments from the White House communications director. This article was originally published July 24 at 4:50 p.m. 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House news briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Cities and police departments across the United States will come together for the annual National Night Out Tuesday, with several neighborhoods in Burbank, Glendale and La Crescenta holding their own events. Meant to strengthen the relationship between communities and their police departments, National Night Out encourages people to remain vigilant in their neighborhoods and protect themselves and others against crime. Burbank will hold an event on the Chandler Bikeway near Keystone and Lincoln streets from 5:30 to 8 p.m. In addition to representatives from the Burbank fire and police departments being present, the night will include face painting, food and giveaways for attendees. In Glendale, more than a dozen block parties have been scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. The parties will feature safety demonstrations, cookouts and mini-festivals. Information on where parties will be held can be found at www.glendalenno.com. The Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Station will hold its own event from 5 to 8 p.m. in the parking lot at the station, 4554 N. Briggs Ave, La Crescenta. The event will feature informational sessions and interactive booths. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Thousands of volunteers will comb through trash and debris along Orange County beaches and other waterways Saturday in support of California Coastal Cleanup Day. The goal of the effort, coordinated by Costa Mesa environmental group Orange County Coastkeeper and sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District, is for volunteers to collect trash on 91 miles of coastline to help prevent it from reaching the ocean, according to a news release. Last year, 7,053 Orange County volunteers collected more than 67,000 pounds of trash and recyclable materials during the three-hour event. Saturdays cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. Six of the 42 sites in Orange County are in Newport Beach. They are: Corona del Mar ExplorOcean on the Balboa Peninsula Balboa Pier Santa Ana River at 198 Summit St. Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive, for removal of trash and invasive plants along Upper Newport Bay Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, for a water cleanup in the bay To register as a volunteer or for more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org. Laguna Beach police on Friday arrested a homeless woman suspected of stealing a rental car, Laguna Sgt. Jim Cota said. Police said officers responded to the 200 block of Forest Avenue at 10 p.m. and surrounded the driver of a black Nissan Altima. Valarie Hewin, 58, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle and driving on a suspended drivers license, Cota said. She also was wanted on an outstanding warrant. Police said Hewin had a P.O. box out of Huntington Beach. The car was reported stolen from an Enterprise Rent-A-Car, but police did not say from what city. Hewin stated a friend rented the vehicle for her, Cota said, adding the car was supposed to be returned July 7. It looked like she was living inside the vehicle, Cota said. Police also detained a man who was inside the car with Hewin, but he was later released. bryce.alderton@latimes.com Twitter: @AldertonBryce If you are one of the 25 million passengers expected to take a cruise this year, chances are your travels may take you to Florida. Port Miami welcomed 4.8 million passengers last year, making it the busiest port in the world. Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale were the second and third busiest, with combined traffic of more than 7.5 million passengers. Its no surprise, given that the Caribbean is the top cruise destination in the world. For the record: An earlier version of this post said Port Everglades was the second busiest port in the world and Port Canaveral was third busiest. Updated passenger statistics show Port Canaveral is the second busiest port. Numbers may grow, too, as more lines schedule more cruises to Cuba. Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, began cruises from Miami to Cuba in May. It plans to send a second cruise ship to Port Canaveral next year for trips to the island nation. Advertisement After Florida, Cruise Industry News identified these as the worlds busiest cruise ports, based on 2016 figures: Puerta Maya, Cozumel, Mexico; 3.6 million passengers Shanghai International Port, Shanghai; 2.8 million passengers Port Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain; 2.6 million passengers Civitavecchia Port near Rome; 2.3 million passengers Nassau, the Bahamas, 2 million passengers Canary Islands (multiple ports); 1.9 million passengers Port of Balearic Islands in Spain (multiple ports); 1.9 million U.S. Virgin Islands (multiple ports); 1.7 million Port of Galveston, Texas; 1.7 million Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; 1.7 million Port of Southampton, England; 1.7 million St. Maarten; 1.6 million Jamaica (multiple ports); 1.6 million Port of Venice, Venice, Italy; 1.6 million Marseille, France; 1.5 million Sydney, Australia; 1.3 million Naples, Italy; 1.3 million Port of New Orleans; 1 million travel@latimes.com Twitter: @latimestravel ALSO: Tired of waiting in long lines on the ship? How to skip them and enjoy the cruise Its full steam ahead for new Disney cruise ships Cunard rockets its way to top of 2017 Travel + Leisure readers cruise ship awards You could get booted from your next cruise if you ignore these rules China on Tuesday denied its fighter jet pilots operated dangerously during an encounter with a U.S. surveillance plane in international airspace in which the American pilot took evasive action to avoid a possible collision. Spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement on the defense ministrys microblog that the performance of the pilots of the two J-10 fighters was legal, necessary and professional. Ren criticized frequent close-in surveillance runs by U.S. planes as raising the chance of accidents, saying such missions threatened Chinas national security, harmed China-U.S. sea-air military safety, endangered the safety of pilots from the two sides and were the root cause of China-U.S. sea-air unexpected incidents. Advertisement The U.S. should stop such unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly military activities, Ren said, in a repetition of Chinas standard policy toward U.S. surveillance missions intended at collecting Chinese computer and voice data in hopes of gaining insight into the workings of the Peoples Liberation Army. Asked about the incident at a daily briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing objected to such missions but remained committed to building military mutual trust with other countries. U.S. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said the Chinese fighters intercepted the U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane Sunday in international airspace between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, in an area he described as west of the Korean Peninsula. Davis said one of the Chinese planes approached at a high speed from beneath the American plane, then slowed and pulled up, prompting the EP-3 pilot to take evasive action. He called the Chinese pilots move unsafe. China in 2013 declared an air defense identification zone over a partly contested portion of the East China Sea, demanding foreign aircraft declare their presence and follow Chinese orders. The U.S. and others swiftly dismissed the zone as invalid and have largely ignored it. It wasnt clear if Sundays encounter took place inside the zone. Such incidents continue to occur despite an agreement between the two sides to prevent them from sparking an international crisis, as happened in April 2001 when a Chinese jet fighter collided with a U.S. EP-3. That led to the death of the Chinese pilot and Chinas detention of the U.S. air crew for 10 days after their crippled plane landed at a PLA navy air base on the island province of Hainan. While China has long chafed at U.S. surveillance operations targeting its military, the PLA itself has been conducting such missions further and further from its home ports. Earlier this month, China sailed a spy ship through the narrow Tsugaru Strait separating the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, while another was spotted last week within Australias exclusive economic zone where allies Australia and U.S. were conducting major war games. ALSO U.S. student freed after week held in China over taxi dispute State Department will ban U.S. citizens from traveling to North Korea Trump said he left his seat at G-20 dinner because the Japanese first lady spoke no English. Shes pretty fluent A Spanish rescue group says it has found 167 migrants alive and 13 dead including children and pregnant women in a rubber boat drifting in the Mediterranean sea. Laura Lanuza, a spokeswoman for Spains Proactiva Open Arms aid group, said 121 men, 40 women and six children were among those rescued Tuesday 15 miles north of the Libyan coastal town of Sabratha. Separately, a boat from the NGO Save the Children came to the aid of some 90 migrants aboard a small boat, the Italian news agency ANSA said. Advertisement Both rescue operations off Libya were coordinated by the Italian coast guard. More than 2,200 migrants have died trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. ALSO With its Arab neighbors uncharacteristically quiet, Israel seeks to stem crisis Confused by all those groups fighting in Syria? We break it down with arm patches Migrants trapped in sweltering truck in Texas were lying on the floor like meat, driver says Detroit judge blocks deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals Jul 25, 2017, 4:53pm ET Toyota Mirai's hopes dim as East Coast refueling stations stall Only 708 units were sold in the first half of the year, all supported by less than 30 refueling stations located throughout California Toyota's hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan is apparently encountering difficulty expanding beyond the California state line. The company leased just 708 units at California dealerships in the first half of the year. As Bloomberg points out, the figure represents less than 10 percent of Nissan Leaf sales and an even smaller fraction of Tesla Model S deliveries during the same period. All hydrogen-powered vehicles face a challenging problem of limited infrastructure in the US. Paltry sales of fuel-cell vehicles discourage energy companies from investing in hydrogen stations, and scant refueling sites discourage auto buyers from looking at fuel-cell vehicles. Hydrogen refueling stations are relatively expensive to build, requiring much larger investment than charging systems for electric vehicles. As long-range EVs inch closer to mainstream affordability, hydrogen is no longer receiving much interest in terms of private funding or public subsidization. "We're dealing with government officials and planning boards and everyone's got their own priorities, and sometimes hydrogen refueling stations aren't at the top of their list," said Bob Oesterreich, US director of Air Liquide, Toyota's partner to build more East Coast refueling stations, in a statement to Bloomberg. The eastern infrastructure plan has now been trimmed from a dozen stations by summer to perhaps four by the end of the year. Even in California the pace of expansion has been slow, with less than 30 refueling stations currently active across the entire state. Air Liquide's US director of government affairs, Andrew Temple, admits that the Northeast is "really a leap of faith" and the company will likely "take a pretty big hit" if things don't come together. The French industrial-gas supplier is nonetheless continuing construction at sites in Providence and Hartford, with plans to add a dozen more New England stations by the end of next year. Toyota apparently hopes hydrogen will become more popular alongside the growth of EVs through 2020. A separate report suggests the Japanese automaker is hedging its bets, however, and intends to leapfrog the EV industry with ultra long-range and fast-charging solid-state batteries by 2022. Jul 25, 2017, 2:38pm ET US court says former VW exec will plead guilty Oliver Schmidt is one of two people arrested in the US for an alleged role in the VW emissions scandal, though several others have been indicted. Former Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt is expected to plead guilty to charges in the diesel emissions debacle. Schmidt has been held since his January arrest while on vacation in Florida. He was charged with conspiracy to defraud the US government and wire fraud. The executive was once in charge of VW of America's engineering and environmental compliance office, tasked with serving as a liaison between the company and US regulators. Authorities claim he played a significant role in attempting to conceal VW's illegal emissions software from investigators. Citing statements from US prosecutors and Schmidt's lawyers, Bloomberg says he plans to plead guilty at an upcoming hearing on August 4. He initially submitted a plea of not guilty in the weeks following his arrest. It is unclear if the latest plea is related to a cooperation agreement with prosecutors. Schmidt was the second person arrested by US authorities for an alleged role in the emissions debacle. The first, former VW engineer James Liang, quickly pleaded guilty. A third former VW employee was recently arrested in Germany and several others have been indicted in the US. TIMELINE: FBI raid on Allentown City Hall to Pawlowski's indictment It was no secret Allentown's mayor was being investigated for allegedly trading city contracts for kickbacks and campaign contributions. Federal prosecutors only referred to the alleged ringleader of the pay-to-play scheme as public official No. 3, as FBI agents raided City Hall in July 2015 and prosecutors left a breadcrumb-like trail of charges and guilty plea deals with businessmen and city officials. On Tuesday, Mayor Ed Pawlowski was notified he was indicted, but the indictments are under seal, defense attorney Jack McMahon said. "Why they are sealed I can't begin to tell you," McMahon said. The indictments are slated to be unsealed on Wednesday in Philadelphia, with a first-appearance hearing set for Thursday, McMahon said. Michele Mucellin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, declined to comment when asked about the indictments. McMahon said he had heard there were others who were indicted at the same time as the mayor, but since they were sealed, he didn't have details. McMahon said he was aware Scott Allinson, of the Norris McLaughlin law firm, being indicted, but only because Allinson emailed people about it, and the email was then posted on the blog Lehigh Valley Ramblings. While the mayor may not know exactly what prosecutors are alleging, they have revealed more pieces of their investigation puzzle in the guilty pleas made over the past two years. Developer Ramzi Haddad, of Bethlehem, was the first domino to fall. Haddad pleaded guilty in September 2015, admitting he agreed to give Pawlowski "numerous" donations in exchange for actions from the city, including municipal inspections of Haddad's buildings. The first city official to sign off on a plea deal was Dale Wiles, former assistant solicitor. In November 2015, Wiles pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, for his role in awarding the contract to a Pawlowski donor. Climbing up the ladder, former finance director Garret Strathearn and Allentown's former controller Mary Ellen Koval also reached plea deals. Mike Fleck. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Then in April 2016, authorities announced a plea deal for a star witness -- political consultant Mike Fleck. Fleck and his company provided consulting services to Pawlowski and Reading Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer. Prosecutors said the mayors used Fleck and his employees to communicate "to certain donors that they were expected to provide items of value, including campaign contributions, in return for certain past or prospective official actions in Reading and Allentown." It wasn't just Fleck's role that made him an important piece to the investigation; he also reportedly wore a wire and secretly recorded clients of his H Street Strategies. Throughout it all, the Department of Justice would only say public official No. 3 was a man elected to represent Allentown who also ran for state office, and specifically detailed that the official announced April 17 he was seeking a federal office. Pawlowski previously ran for Pennsylvania governor, then announced on April 17 he was running for Pat Toomey's U.S. Senate seat. Days after the FBI raided Allentown City Hall, Pawlowski announced he was suspending his 2016 run for that seat. While the investigation has trudged on, Pawlowski announced he was running for a fourth term as mayor. He won the Democratic nomination in May to appear on November's general election ballot. Pawlowski began fundraising and his blue-and-white campaign signs popped up around the Queen City. He gave his annual State of the City address where he urged Allentown to become a "city of kindness." Just last Thursday held a ceremony where he signed an ordinance banning conversion therapy for gay and trans minors in the city. It was taking so long, that Allentown city council asked for the mayor's resignation and then, last week, passed a resolution asking the feds to hurry up with their investigation into the mayor. His posts on Facebook and Twitter also did not hint anything was amiss in his administration, with photos from around Allentown and a post on Tuesday about a child's lemonade stand raising money for the Humane Society. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg reiterated his call for the mayor to step down, with a tweet that said "Ed Pawlowski needs to resign as Mayor of Allentown. Now." Others, like the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 302, welcomed the news. Not so confident now! Maybe the prison band needs a new drummer. Well apparently there was something to the Federal... Posted by Local 302 Allentown International Association of Firefighters on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A DeSales University student accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman and intentionally crashing a car soon after he was confronted is now facing trial in the case. Nicholas Marcantuono, of Pittstown, New Jersey, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault. The charges now head to Lehigh County Court. The 19-year-old Marcantuono remains free on $5,000 unsecured bail. Marcantuono was previously on interim suspension, meaning he could not attend classes and was not on campus. Upper Saucon Township police said the victim reported she was sexually assaulted by Marcantuono in the early morning of April 29, while she was asleep in a room in Donahue Hall. The woman was sleeping next to her fiance, when she felt a hand on her breast and then her genitals, police said. The woman tried to push the hand away, and when the touching did not stop, she sat up and saw Marcantuono walking away from the bed, police said. The woman confronted Marcantuono, who then left the room, police said. A little less than two hours later, police were called to a rollover vehicle crash on Weyhill Drive in the township. Marcantuono was driving the vehicle and was the only person inside, police said. Marcantuono reportedly told officers he intentionally crashed the car and had "hurt a lot of peoples' feelings." Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Two men face charges for allegedly spreading fecal matter throughout a restroom at Wegmans in Lower Nazareth Township. It wasn't an isolated incident, investigators said. "Through the course of the investigation, officers learned that this is not the first time that both males have spread fecal matter throughout various store bathrooms," Colonial Regional police said in a news release Monday announcing the charges. Mykel J. Bauman, 19, of the 300 block of Centre Street in Palmerton, Pa., and Zachary J. Anthony, 20, of the 1300 block of Spring Drive in Lehigh Township, face charges of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the early morning incident June 30 at Wegmans, 3791 Easton-Nazareth Highway (Route 248), police said. A search of criminal records in Lehigh and Northampton counties failed to turn up similar charges for any prior incidents. According to police, cleaning staff at Wegmans finished cleaning the front men's restroom at 2:01 a.m. Bauman and Anthony were seen on video surveillance entering the restroom at 2:11 a.m. and exiting about 25 minutes later, police said. "During that timeframe, no one else entered the bathroom," police said in the release. "When the males exited the restroom other Wegmans employees entered the restroom and observed fecal matter spread throughout the entire restroom." Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Thousands of Lehigh Valley properties lost power Monday evening as a band of powerful thunderstorms moved through the area. All of Lehigh County and southwestern Northampton County were under a flash flood warning until 10:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said. Additionally, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued until 7:30 p.m. for an area including southeastern Lehigh County. PPL Electric Utilities reported 2,613 outages in Lehigh County as of about 6:45 p.m. with the greatest concentration in South Whitehall Township, where 1,632 customers were affected. Northampton County had 45 outages, PPL said, all in Lehigh Township. Met-Ed reported 1,314 outages in Lehigh County as of about 6:45 p.m., in Lynn and Weisenberg townships. The utility company was estimating service would be restored by 9:30 p.m. PPL did not immediately provide a service-restoration estimate on its website. Bobby Martrich at the Eastern PA Weather Authority in Allentown posted a report of a funnel cloud seen briefly about 6:35 p.m. near Emmaus and southwestern Allentown. @NWS_MountHolly rotating wall cloud in SW Lehigh County near Emmaus/SW Allentown 6:35pm, funnel spotted then dissipated. Cell moving SE. Bobby Martrich EPAWA (@epawawx) July 24, 2017 No tornado warning, but prepare for it just in case. Multiple funnel reports with this cell in southern Lehigh. Multi-directional rotation. pic.twitter.com/H95GirdeNi Bobby Martrich EPAWA (@epawawx) July 24, 2017 Reports of damage included a tree down on wires at the Lynnville Hotel in Lynn Township, Lehigh County, according to emergency radio broadcasts. Outside the South Mall on Lehigh Street in Salisbury Township, a motorist stranded in rising waters called for help, another broadcast indicated. The tarp is on the field at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown the evening of Monday, July 24, 2017. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com) According to the flash flood warning: "At 6:43 p.m. EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Up to two inches of rain have already fallen. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly in the areas of heaviest rain. "Some locations that could experience flooding include Allentown, Emmaus, Northampton, Kutztown, Slatington, Walnutport, Topton, Neffs, Wanamakers, Coffeetown, New Tripoli, Jordan Valley, Ancient Oaks, Emerald, Schnecksville, Claussville, Catasauqua, Coplay, Macungie and North Catasauqua." Flash Flood Warning including Allentown PA, Emmaus PA, Catasauqua PA until 10:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/M9WcH2aLuG NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) July 24, 2017 Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Irish Water has confirmed that a mechanical failure of a pump at the Galmoy Water Treatment Plant which is supplying customers in Galmoy and Rathdowney has been repaired and water is currently entering the network. This has resulted in a partial network supply being restored on Monday evening with a full network supply expected to be in place from Wednesday morning. Temporary water stations at the National School in Johnstown, at Galmoy Village and at the Square in Rathdowney will remain in place until further notice. Irish Water will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming hours and through the night. A further update will be issued. Irish Water has apologised to the 3,500 customers who were affected by this unplanned outage and thanked them for their patience and co-operation. Customers obtaining water from the temporary water stations are reminded to bring clean containers and to boil water taken from these stations before use, as a precaution. Customers can contact our customer care helpline 24/7 on 1850 278 278 or visit www.water.ie for further updates. A 37-year-old man who assaulted a fast food outlet owner in Monasterevin has been ordered to pay compensation before the district court imposes penalty. Justin Murphy (37), Clogheen, Monasterevin, appeared before last weeks sitting of Portlaoise District Court. Inspector Eamonn Curley gave evidence that on May 21 this year, at the Dublin Road, Monasterevin, the accused assaulted a man in a fast food outlet. He went into the business where he was abusive to staff, and when the owner of the business returned and asked him to leave, the accused refused to do so. As the owner was escorting him out of the premises, the accused hit him one punch to the face, causing a cut lip. When the accused was asked his name by the gardai he gave the false name of James Casey. As he was being arrested he became abusive, kicking and spitting in an attempt to evade arrest. Defence, Mr Philip Meagher said his client wished to offer a sincere apology to the gardai and the owner of the fast food outlet and had written letters of apology. Defence said the accused was taking medication at the time for depression and anxiety, which did not mix well with alcohol. He had been at a family occasion on the day where drink was consumed to a huge extent. As it was the first anniversary of the death of a close relative he was in a bad way and overindulged, said Mr Meagher, leaving him with no recollection of what happened, but he accepted what the gardai had said. Judge Catherine Staines directed the accused to pay 400 compensation and put the matter back to September 14. She said she would deal with penalty when the compensation was paid. The Ben and Jake Connolly Trust is making great progress on building a house that is fully adapted and centered around the needs of children that are incapacitated. With the help of a team from CPD Painters and Decorators in Mountmellick who painted the house free of charge with paint and tools donated from The Paint Store, Mountmellick the bricks and mortar of the house are looking great. The Ben and Jake Connolly Trust Facebook page recently updated the public with images of the house. "As you can see, the combination of your kindness, generosity and compassion now results in actual bricks and mortar! We have come so far but have miles to go yet. Please consider choosing us as your cause for a fundraiser," was posted on the Facebook page along with the photos. SEE PICTURES OF THE HOUSE HERE. While the progress on the house has been running smoothly with the help of the Mountmellick community and surrounding areas, continuous fundraising and donations are still needed to complete the project. PJ Dempsey is a trustee of the charity. Our purpose and our challenge is to get the family into the house once the inside is done, but we cant leave it rough and ready, it needs to be a house when they move in, not a site, he said. As it stands we do not have enough money to finish the house, we are appealing to anyone who could hold a fundraiser to get in contact with us. We welcome suppliers, companies or businesses who think they could help out with sponsoring materials or donations to contact either of the two trustees myself or Joe McEvoy, we are grateful for any help he added. Tradesmen from the locality have been continuously working on the house free of charge in their spare time from plumbers to painters, carpenters and tilers, trojan work is being done by the community. The house now needs materials like doors, cookers, toilets, baths, showers, washing machines and other electrical supplies. "They are the big things, it would be great to get donations, we will take anything. "As he is getting older and bigger, Ben needs the space and things like a heist, so do the nurses and so do the family," PJ added. Ben and his late brother Jake, are two brothers who were born with a rare syndrome that only affects boys called Allan Herndon Dudley Syndrome. Jake sadly passed away in January, 2016. This house is being built to cater for Ben, however, the house will pass back to the Trust and be made available for another family in the community whose child or children have special needs. The house will become a home that keeps on giving. All donations are welcome. To donate 2 text BENANDJAKE to 57802. Bat fans, wildlife enthusiasts and anybody who would like to help survey Ireland's bat population is invited play their part in BATLAS 2020 in Abbeyleix. To some bats are creepy vampire creatures that inspired the Dracula, but to many others they are fascinating creatures of the night which play a critical role in biodiversity Bat fans, wildlife enthusiasts and anybody who would like to help survey Ireland's bat population is invited play their part in BATLAS 2020 in Abbeyleix. Bat Conservation Ireland is seeking volunteers for a BATLAS 2020 survey night on Abbeyleix Bog in August. The event gets underway with an indoor presentation at the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel followed by a visit to Abbeyleix Bog to demonstrate the survey methodology. The aim of BATLAS 2020 is to map Ireland's bats. The target species are - common pipistrelle, soprano pipistelle, nathusius' pipistrelle, Leisler's bats and daubenton's bats. The survey is funded by the Deparment of Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Laois and other councils are providing additional funding. While some experience of bat surveying would be an advantage it is not essential and all are welcome. The event is supported by Laois Count Council. It takes place on Monday, August 14 at 8pm. For more on Bats and the BATLAS click here Two men arrested over the discovery of a firearms cache in a Rathcoole business park have been refused bail by the High Court today. Jonathan Harding (44), of McNeill Court, Sallins, Co Kildare and James Walsh (33), with addresses at Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin and Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 are facing charges, under the Firearms Act, for unlawful possession of five revolvers, 20 rounds of ammunition and a silencer on January 24 at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Both men had sought bail in the High Court yesterday, Monday. However, the State objected to the application. On Monday, Detective Sergeant Michael Cuffe, of the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit, told the High Court that he believed if released on bail both men would be flight risks and might not face trial. The court also heard evidence yesterday from Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) who said that the gardai were objecting under Section 2(A) of the Bail Act. The section allows a Chief Superintendent give evidence that the refusal of bail is necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence. Mr Justice Tony Hunt rejected both mens bail applications today under the OCallaghan principles and Section 2 of the Bail Act 1997. Mr Walsh and Mr Harding were remanded in custody. The Ivy Inn at Naas will reopen shortly. The iconic pub, situated at South Main Street, which first opened in 1849 and operated as a hotel on at least two occasions, has been closed since May 1. Since then some renovation work has been done on the interior of the premises. Now the business will reopen as a gastropub - a high end bar/restaurant. The Leader understands that an opening date has not been finalised but the reopening will be in late August and that there will be fewer late night extensions than have been the case up to recently. It is understood that a Blessington resident with experience in the licenced trade in Dublin will lease the premises from the owner, and staff will be recruited for the venture. The pub closed in March 2012, in the middle of the recession. It was later bought by the existing owner and refurbished, before reopening in October 2013. The Irish Defence Forces released a very unusual photo to mark the visit of Minister Paul Kehoe, who has responsibility for Defence, to the Curragh Camp today. Normally, such visits are marked with group photos of dignitaries and those involved grinning proudly at the camera. But the group pic of the Ministers visit to the Army Ranger Wing features 13 men with their faces blurred out to protect their identities. The ARW is the Irish Special Operations Unit a group based at the Curragh in Kildare, who are on call 24/7 to deal with dangerous incidents in any part of the country. They also would be called in to deal with the case of a terrorist attack or hostage situation. The soldiers who form part of the unit undergo intensive and specialised training for their jobs and their identities are customarily kept private in photos for security reasons. WATCH: Check out what it takes to be a member of the Army Ranger Wing based in the Curragh On his arrival at the Curragh Camp today, the Minister was greeted by the Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett and the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Major General Kieran Brennan. The Minister received a briefing from the Officer in Charge of the ARW on the roles, capabilities and operational effectiveness of the Unit. He also viewed ARW operatives preparing for a mission, to examine the wide range of equipment available to execute such a mission, and to witness a demonstration of the particular skills of the Unit in responding to a simulated domestic terrorism incident and a hostage rescue incident. The Minister then met with individual members of the Unit who spoke to him of their first hand experience of serving in a dynamic rapid response role. Minister Kehoe pictured with Army Rangers at the Curragh today The Minister said he was committed to increasing the strength of the Unit. I am satisfied that on-going coordination and liaison meetings take place between the Defence Forces and An Garda Siochana to ensure that the security of the State is given top priority. In recognising the dynamic nature of the security environment, initiatives to enhance and support interoperability include the development of agreed protocols, joint seminars on response to a terrorist attack and exercises on crisis management. File photo of Army Ranger on a training exercise NINE-year-old James Hynes Chadwick has no real need of sat-nav. He carries his maps inside his head and his idea of fun is planning imaginary trips on the Paris underground. Now, this very special boy from Doon has mapped out an underground for Limerick which, on paper, is perfect. My nephew just designed a rail network for Limerick...when do you think we could start? James uncle, Jamie tweeted to Limerick City and County Council. @Limerick_Leader @ilovelimerick @LimerickCouncil my nephew just designed a rail network for Limerick...when do you think we could start pic.twitter.com/bNmlbA1oGw Jamie Hynes (@HynesJamie) May 30, 2017 Niall OCallaghan, the head of the IDA in the Mid-West and soon to be new boss of Shannon Heritage, called for a Luas for Limerick. Step up, James. Your time has come. Your system could work equally well as a light rail system. James, who was just three years old when he was diagnosed with Asperger Spectrum Disorder, has always loved maps, his mother, Paula explains. His first introduction to maps was a jigsaw of the counties of Ireland. He was fascinated with it, learning all the counties and where they were in relation to one another. And from this he quickly started drawing his own maps. He also had a fondness for trains, like any small boy and as he has gotten older he has graduated from Thomas the Tank to a Hornby train set. James also liked reading road maps, google earth etc and through his fantastic memory and ability to understand maps he knew every road from here to Dublin, Paula explained. A trip to London with Paula and his grandmother, artist Gerry Carew, introduced James to the London underground and its iconic map. James immediately fell in love with it, a combination of his interest in trains and an interesting and complicated map, Paula said. When he came home he studied the London underground for hours and quickly mastered all the lines, stations and where they intersected. And although it doesnt open to until 2018, James has drawn in the new Elizabeth Line based on plans he studied online. Visits to Paris and to Boston have extended James knowledge and he is now station perfect in the Metro and the Boston underground systems. James enjoys drawing his own maps, sometimes with playful names and quirky landscapes, Paula continued. For his Limerick city system, she explained, he has borrowed ideas from all the systems he has studied and, using a number of colour coded lines, has come up with a plan to connect Birdhill to Shannon Airport, criss crossing many locations in the city, Catherine Street to The Hunt Museum, OConnell Street to the Market and many locations in between. James is in his zone when he is designing and studying maps. He has a cartographers mind and heart, he sees the landscape, road systems, city, town and village landscapes in a very intimate way. He can view it, study it and experience it in his minds eye in an instant. The designs and plans created by others he connects with instantly. Maps and mapping have also helped Jamess communication skills and self confidence, said Paula who has very thoroughly investigated the literature around autism spectrum disorder and more particularly, the ways to work with a child with autism. Many children on the spectrum have talents and passions, many others do not, she said with passion. They all deserve to be appreciated for themselves and they all deserve the best in educational services to help them reach their full potential, whatever level that may be. There is much to be learnt about ASD and it is a diagnosis that we are seeing and hearing about more frequently. We can learn lots by listening to these children themselves, by meeting them where they are at and not expecting them to always have to come to our way of thinking and being in the world. Meanwhile, James is continuing to refine his Limerick underground map and looking forward to exploring more underground systems in more cities in the future. A LIMERICK man charged in connection with the discovery of a sawn-off shotgun in a fridge-freezer is to stand trial on indictment. William Coady, aged 27, who has addresses at Verdant Crescent, Kings Island and at Dublin Road, Limerick is charged with unlawful possession of a sawn-off Beretta at Clancy Strand on June 10, 2015. The weapon was seized at around 11.45am when gardai stopped and searched a Toyota pick-up truck which was allegedly being driven by the defendant. Detective Garda Mairead Reidy told Limerick District Court the defendant made no reply when he was formally charged under the provisions of the Firearms Act. Sergeant Donal Cronin, prosecuting, said a file was prepared for the DPP and that the matter is to proceed on indictment at the circuit court. There was no objection to bail but Judge Mary Larkin imposed a number of conditions on the defendant. He must sign on at Henry Street garda station three days a week and he was ordered to stay out of the St Marys Park area of the city. The matter was adjourned to October 13, next to facilitate the preparation of a book of evidence. A MAN has been rescued following a fall onto scaffolding at Irish Cement's plant in Limerick. The worker, understood to be in his late 30s, is believed to have fallen around two metres from a ladder onto scaffolding while working on a large silo at the plant in Mungret this Tuesday morning. Limerick City Fire and Rescue was alerted to the incident of the worker falling from a height at 9.40am and four units were immediately dispatched to the scene. Due to the height of the silo - approximately 120m high - firefighters, specially trained in rescues at heights - used line rescue equipment and worked with HSE paramedics and Irish Cement staff to rescue the man. A large crane was also used during the operation. While the man was knocked unconscious following the fall, his injuries are not believed to be life threatening. In a statement, Irish Cement confirmed "that an external contractor was injured in a workplace accident at its Mungret cement factory this morning. "The emergency services attended at the scene and the man was brought by ambulance for assessment to hospital locally. "An investigation is being carried out into the cause of the accident." GARDAI in Limerick are investigating separate late night assaults that took place in the city, with one incident leaving a man in hospital with a broken jaw. The assaults occurred within an hour of each other on William Street and Ellen Street early on Sunday morning and gardai have appealed for help in relation to both incidents. The first assault took place on William Street at 1.30am on Sunday morning last, gardai said. In this case a young man was walking on William Street with a friend when they got into a verbal altercation with five other men, said a garda spokesperson. When this young man separated from his friend, two of the other group followed him and punched him into his face, breaking his jaw. In the second incident, which occurred at 2.30am on the same night on nearby Ellen Street, a young man was walking alone when he was assaulted by a group of men, gardai said. His injuries are not so serious but Gardai are looking for any witnesses to either of these assaults and can be contacted at Henry Street at 061-212400, they added. GARDAI found a mobile phone associated with a Limerick murder accused that had been broken and left in a waste ground, a trial has heard at the Central Criminal Court. Alan Cookie McNamara, 51, from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Andrew AOD ODonoghue on Saturday June 20, 2015 at the Road Tramps motorcycle clubhouse at Mountfune. At Mr McNamaras trial this Tuesday, Garda Martin Hennessy told prosecuting counsel Michael Delaney SC that he found two mobile phones a broken Samsung and half a Nokia in an area of waste ground at Mungret Court in Limerick, about a ten to fifteen minute walk from where the accused man was arrested on the evening of June 20, 2015. Detective Sergeant Shane Ryan told Mr Delaney that the Nokia was associated with a number that Mr McNamara identified during interviews as one that he was using on the weekend of the shooting. The other phone was registered to Mr McNamaras stepson Robert Cusack. Mr Cusack, 28, of Abington, Murroe, pleaded guilty on Monday to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his step father. Det Sgt Ryan, who is trained in mobile phone forensics, said he analyzed incoming and outgoing calls and texts of four phones over the period from the Friday afternoon before Mr O'Donoghue was shot and the Saturday evening after the shooting. One of the phones belonged to Robert Barrett, who was identified by Mr McNamara as a friend during his garda interviews. The second belonged to Mr Cusack. One of the others belonged to Mr McNamara and the fourth was being used by Mr McNamara at the time. It has been described as the "club phone" as it was owned by the Caballeros motorcycle club where Mr McNamara was secretary. Det Sgt Ryan identified a number of calls between these numbers over those two dates, including one from Robert Cusack to Alan McNamara at 2:41pm on the day of the shooting, lasting five minutes and 21 seconds. Under cross examination Det Sgt Ryan agreed that CCTV had put the time of the shooting at 2:44pm, during which time the call would have been ongoing. The witness said that it is possible to go away from your phone and when you come back to it you find it is still connected to a call. The trial continues in front of Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and four women on Thursday. A LIMERICK inquest has heard details of a phone call in which a father was heard saying to his son that they were going to be reunited with their dead dog, before being involved in a fatal road crash. This Tuesday afternoon, Limerick Coroners Court heard the inquest of father and son, Marco Velocci and his son and Alex, who were killed in a double vehicle road collision outside the village of Oola in 2016. Following a three-hour hearing, a six-person jury panel returned a unanimous verdict of death by suicide for driver Marco Velocci, and of unlawful killing of toddler Alex Velocci, on July 19 last year. The inquest, held at City Hall, Merchants Quay, heard that 28-year-old Mr Velocci, of Hillside View, Oola, placed his son on his lap in his black Audi after attacking the toddlers mother, Josephine Jodie Power, with a knife that morning. After Ms Power phoned Mr Veloccis mother Joan about the incident, she was brought to University Hospital Limerick for treatment, where she received surgery to her arm. A deposition by Mr Veloccis former partner Noelle Heffernan, of Dundrum, Tipperary, was read out at the inquest. In her statement, she said that the late father rang her and told her that he was after stabbing Jodie. Then I heard him say to Alex: Do you know where Lucy is gone? That is where we are going and I heard a bang, she said, adding that Lucy was the young boys dog who had been killed a few weeks prior to the incident. The inquest heard that she attempted to phone him back several times but was unable to connect. The inquest heard that the father was seen accelerating before colliding with an arctic truck causing extensive damage to both vehicles. Nine witnesses, who were at the scene of the tragic incident, were also present at the inquest. A number of witnesses said that they noticed a lot of debris after hearing an explosion or loud bang. Investigating Garda John Ryan, Pallasgreen garda station, said that he saw the driver by the windscreen of the vehicle, while his son was thrown from the car and into the ditch. Emergency services, including fire service units and two ambulance units arrived at the scene. Post-mortems of the two bodies were carried out by deputy State pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan on July 20, 2016. The medical evidence concluded that Alex Velocci died from severe head injuries and multiple traumatic injuries. The evidence concluded that his father died from multiple traumatic injuries, including a transection of the aorta. He also sustained multiple fractures and internal bleeding. After all evidence was heard, coroner John McNamara asked the jury to consider the evidence and to take their time while coming to a conclusion for a verdict. The jury returned with a verdict in both cases after 16 minutes. Mr McNamara, confirming the verdict, said to the family: This is obviously very harrowing, and a very difficult situation for the family to hear. He thanked the jury for their diligence and attention to detail and expressed his sincerest condolences to the family. Insp Dermot OConnor and the foreman of the jury also expressed their condolences. If you have been affected by this article, please contact Aware (1800 80 48 48), the Samaritans (116 123) or Pieta House (1800 247 247) or log onto yourmentalhealth.ie. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Oaklands Public Ethics Commission will meet next week to consider a fine of $5,750 or more against Councilwoman Lynette Gibson McElhaney, accused of conflicts of interest and other violations for pressuring the city Planning Commission to stop construction of five town house units next to her West Oakland home. An ethics commission staff report found that McElhaney, a City Council member since 2013, successfully sought free professional help from an architectural firm, JRDV Urban International, to oppose the town house project while JRDV was doing business with the city. McElhaney failed to report the assistance as a gift to a public official, and meanwhile took part in council votes to extend and expand JRDVs city contracts, the staff report said. The commission began its investigation at the recommendation of an Alameda County civil grand jury. The grand jury found in June 2016 that McElhaney, then the City Council president, had a material financial interest in the planned town houses because of their location and potential effect on her privacy and property value, and thus had violated city and state ethics rules by using her influence with city planners. The town house development, proposed by a developer in January 2014 on a vacant lot alongside McElhaneys home, was never built. The ethics commission staff report, issued on Friday, quoted McElhaney as saying she had been trying to help her neighborhood, not herself, and had not known that the assistance she received amounted to reportable campaign contributions. She has also said she consulted with City Attorney Barbara Parker before approaching the city planning director with concerns about the project. But the staff said McElhaney had violated Oaklands rules on conflicts of interest, on reporting donations and on accepting excessive donations. The standard penalty for those violations is $5,750, and the maximum is $15,000, the staff report said. It said commission staff has tried to negotiate a settlement with the councilwoman since March. McElhaney denied wrongdoing Tuesday and said she had simply tried to work with the developer and the city to approve a design of the project to complement the neighborhood and address public safety concerns. I am pleased that the only matter at issue is whether asking an architect for help on behalf of a community effort constitutes a gift, she said in a statement. Important public policy questions such as this should be answered by the full (ethics) commission in a public forum. The ethics commission sued McElhaney in October for failing to turn over documents in the case, and won a ruling from a judge in November ordering her to produce the records. The commission is scheduled to meet Monday evening at City Hall. Oaklands Planning Department initially approved the rezoning application by the town-house developer, Robert Brecht, in April 2014. McElhaneys husband filed an appeal to the Planning Commission, and McElhaney asked managers of JRDV Urban Development to testify against the project, according to the Ethics Commission staff. The Planning Commission denied the appeal and approved the project. JRDVs owner and principal architect then approached Brecht, offered to redesign the town houses for free, and gained support for the alternative design from the citys planning director, Rachel Flynn, the staff report said. However, the companys owner and architect, Morten Jensen, said Tuesday the staff report was inaccurate because he never made such an offer. The report estimated the value of JRDVs professional services to McElhaney at $800. The maximum gift that a council member can accept from someone doing business with the city is $50 per year, the report said. The day before the Planning Commission hearing in December 2014, the staff report said, McElhaney voted as a member of a City Council committee to extend one of JRDVs architectural contracts with the city and increase it from $115,000 to $125,000. She had also voted in December 2013 to extend an agreement with JRDV for work on the Coliseum City project near the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, for which the firm has received about $1.6 million, the report said. Making a government decision in which the public servant has a disqualifying financial interest is a very serious violation because it creates the appearance that the citys decision was a product of that conflict of interest, the commission staff said. In a separate case, the commission will take another look at a proposed $700 fine against Councilwoman Desley Brooks for accepting $28,100 in contributions to her successful 2014 re-election campaign without following the citys rules. The contributions, over an 11-month period, would have been legal if Brooks had filed papers agreeing to abide by campaign spending limits, but she failed to do so, apparently inadvertently, the commission staff said. Brooks had agreed to pay the $700 penalty in 2015, but the Ethics Commission rejected it as inadequate and told its staff to resume negotiations. Those talks were unproductive, and the commission indicated in January that it was willing to accept a $700 fine, the staff report said. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Border Patrol agents rescued 22 immigrants last week in separate events. Two events occurred on July 16 after Border Patrol agents rescued two immigrants in a ranch northwest of Laredo. The two had been abandoned by a smuggler and resorted to calling for assistance after they became lost in the brush after walking in the sweltering heat during the middle of the day. They were found in good health and determined to be from Mexico. The second event took place at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 35 when Border Patrol agents encountered a tractor-trailer at the primary inspection lane. The driver was questioned regarding his immigration status and was referred for further inspection after a Border Patrol canine alerted to the presence of concealed humans or narcotics. READ MORE: Criminal record of driver in deadly immigrant case dates to 1997 Further inspection of the tractor-trailer resulted in the rescue of 16 immigrants inside the locked trailer. They were determined to be from the country of Mexico. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was arrested. A third event occurred on July 17 after Border Patrol agents rescued two immigrants in a ranch northwest of Laredo. The two had been abandoned by a smuggler and resorted to calling for assistance after they became lost in the brush. They were found with the assistance of a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter. They were found in good health and determined to be from Mexico. Later that night, agents rescued three immigrants near the riverbanks by Chacon Creek after they attempted to enter the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande. They were found in good health and determined to be from Mexico. RELATED: Survivor of deadly trailer trip to S.A. said Zetas Cartel helped people cross the Rio Grande A fourth event occurred on July 18 after Border Patrol agents rescued one immigrants in a ranch northwest of Laredo. He had resorted to calling for assistance after he became lost in the brush. He was found in good health after being evaluated by an emergency medical technician and determined to be from the Mexico. If you can't take the heat, take it to Twitter. Texans on the social media site are responding to the rising temperatures in the Lone Star State which don't seem to be going down any time soon. July 10 At 4:53 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to speak with a victim in the Bellaire Police Department's Lobby concerning an identity theft in the 4300 block of Betty Street. Officer Delgado made contact with the victim who stated his identifying information was stolen and used to open a credit card account. At 10:07 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 5200 block of Locust Street in reference to burglary of a vehicle. The victim stated her husband left his vehicle unlocked on 07/09/17 at about 1700 hours. The victim stated on 07/10/17 at about 0750 hours she saw the items in the vehicle moved around as if someone rummaged through it. The victim stated various items were removed from the vehicle. July 12 At 8:40 a.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 1500 block of North Third Street and was flagged down by the complainant. The complainant stated the batteries were stolen from his rental truck sometime between 8 p.m. July 11 and 8:30 a.m. July 12 by unknown suspect(s). At 2:05 p.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to 6565 West Loop South in reference to a theft. An unknown suspect described as a black male wearing a blue, long sleeve shirt stole the victim's wallet from her office. July 13 At 10:10 a.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department lobby in reference to a minor accident involving a suspect who failed to stop and give information in the 5900 block of IH 601 Southbound. The investigation indicated the at-fault driver fled the scene, stopped briefly at 4680 Beechnut Street, and fled the scene again. At 2:54 p.m., Officers were dispatched to 5002 Bellaire Blvd., also known as Walgreens, in reference to a theft call. Upon arrival, Officer Delgado met with the reportee who stated he witnessed the suspect remove merchandise from the store without paying for it. The suspect was located, placed in custody for Class C Theft-Enhanced and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing. At 1:55 p.m., Officer Trujillo was dispatched to the 7000 block of Fifth Street in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon the officer's arrival he spoke to the victim who stated between 8:45 a.m. and 1:55 p.m. on July 13 an unknown person(s) broke out the passenger side front window to his vehicle and stole his wallet. At 1:44 p.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 700 block of Mulberry Lane. On 07/13/2017 1241 hours, an unknown suspect(s) made entry into the victim's secured car by breaking the front passenger side window. The unknown suspect(s) rummaged through the vehicle. The victim advised Officer Guerra the unknown suspect(s) did not steal any items that were in the vehicle. July 14 At 9:37 p.m., Officer Younger observed a red Toyota Corolla travelling westbound on the 4800 block of Bellaire Blvd. with defective brake lights. Officer Younger initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and observed the suspect throw a small plastic bag out of the driver window, later identified as marijuana. The suspect was placed into custody for tampering with evidence and charges were eventually adjusted to a City of Bellaire ordinance violation-littering. At 5:50 a.m., Officer Ortega was dispatched to 7500 West Loop South in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Upon arrival, Officer Ortega made contact with the victim who stated between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) broke out the rear driver's side window of his vehicle but did not remove any valuable property. At 6:26 a.m., Officer Bellard was dispatched to the 5200 block of Grand Lake in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Officer Bellard arrived on scene at 6:29 a.m. Between 6 p.m. July 13 and 6:15 a.m. July 14, unknown person(s) broke the victim's window to his vehicle, but did not remove any valuable property. July 15 At 2:02 a.m., Officer Bellard was dispatched to a reckless driving call in the area of 6800 West Loop South Northbound. Officer Bellard located the vehicle in the area of the address above as a citizen was following the vehicle providing updates. Officer Bellard initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and the vehicle began to flee. After further investigation the driver of the vehicle was placed into custody evading detention using motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated 4th. At 5:08 a.m., Officer C. Barber was dispatched to a disabled vehicle call in moving traffic lanes in the 8200 block of IH-610 southbound. Upon arrival, witnesses identified the driver who had been driving the vehicle. The driver stated he was driving his cousin home. The driver exhibited signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking. An investigation including Standardized Field Sobriety Tests indicated the driver was intoxicated and he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, second offense. July 16 At 9:05 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 4900 block of Welford Drive. Between 10 p.m. July 15 and 8:30 a.m. July 16, an unknown suspect(s) made entry into the victim's secured car by breaking the front passenger side window. The victim advised Officer Guerra the unknown suspect(s) stole a black camera bag with camera accessories inside. At 4:06 p.m., Sgt. Hefferin conducted a traffic stop on suspect vehicle for no front license plate and illegal window tint in the 4500 block of Bellaire Boulevard. The driver identified himself with his Texas Identification Card. Sgt Hefferin conducted a computer query and found the suspect driver's license to be currently suspended. The suspect was unable to provide any type of proof of financial responsibility for his vehicle and was found to have a previous conviction for driving while license suspended. Sgt. Hefferin later located a loaded .380 semi-automatic handgun in the center console of the vehicle. The driver was arrested for driving with a suspended driver's license and unlawfully carrying a weapon. The suspect was found to have 3 active TCIC/SETCIC warrants for his arrest. At 5:46 p.m., Officer Liccketto was checking the speed of vehicles going N/B in the 6700 block of the West Loop. Officer Liccketto observed a vehicle going 88 mph in a 60 mph zone. Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and conducted an interview with the driver. During the interview, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid enhanced and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing without incident. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Guiseppe Barranco/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Show More Show Less 2 of 3 SAUL LOEB/Contributor Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Bank of America branch on 2625 Calder Ave. will close on Oct. 31, a manager confirmed on Tueday. The company's branch at 265 Dowlen Road will remain open. BERRYVILLE, Va. - Democratic leaders traveled to a deep red corner of Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock's Northern Virginia district Monday to unveil a strategy they hope will convince voters they have more to offer than just opposition to President Donald Trump. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, N.Y., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Calif., and other Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Mark Warner, Va., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., stood on a stage in a community park under a blazing sun to roll out their plan, called "A Better Deal." "Democrats have too often hesitated from directly and unflinchingly taking on misguided policies that got us here," Schumer said. "So much so that too many Americans don't know what we stand for. Not after today." In one of the few references to Trump in the hour-long event, Schumer said the president campaigned on a populist message but abandoned working people when he took office. Democrats' proposals are designed to appeal to middle-class workers - ways to lower prescription drug prices and provide more federal funding for apprenticeships and job training, and more aggressive monitoring of proposed corporate mergers - all poll-tested ideas that they think will win back voters who supported Trump last year. "It's not enough to just identify the problem," said Van Hollen, who as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is in charge of preserving Democratic seats next year and trying to increase their number. "It's not enough to simply analyze and empathize. We have to put forward bold solutions." Democrats said they would discuss specific legislation later, and Schumer did not answer a question from a resident who urged the party to push back against efforts to revive the Depression-era banking regulations of the Glass-Steagall Act. A relatively convenient 90-minute drive from Capitol Hill for busy lawmakers but a world away from Washington, Berryville is the seat of Clarke County, in the western end of the 10th Congressional District, which Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won by double digits in November. Trump won the county with 57 percent of the vote to Clinton's 37 percent - 15 points worse than she performed across the rest of the district. For Democrats to gain control of the House, they would have to unseat members such as Comstock - a point made by Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, N.M., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "While it's early, there's no doubt that this district and so many others are up for grabs in the 2018 midterms," he said. "This won't be easy. And Democrats can't take anything for granted." Seven Democrats are competing for the chance to take on Comstock in 2018, a sign of both enthusiasm within the party and a sense that she may be vulnerable. Before the event, the Virginia GOP tweeted a photo of Comstock in Clarke County and another of her with Clarke officials, in keeping with Comstock's successful strategy last year of focusing on local issues and refusing to delve into national politics. Comstock beat her Democratic opponent in the county last year, 63 to 37 percent. Activists fromthe liberal groups Indivisible and Dump Comstock watched the Democrats' event as well. Comstock's political director, Ken Nunnenkamp, said Democrats trotted out their "most extreme left wingers" for a "bizarre visit" rife with the "same tired talking points." Maddie Anderson, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, likened the Democrats' event to an in-kind contribution to Comstock. "I'm glad that Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Elizabeth Warren got to experience Clarke County, where Rep. Comstock is fighting for local issues each day, including the heroin epidemic," Anderson said in a statement. "Her massive level of support in Clarke County reflects the fact that she's working hard for the people of the 10th, while Pelosi swings through for a couple hours and leaves without shaking a single hand." Warner, who gave a shout-out to two candidates for state delegate in the front row, said later that Democrats can win in places like Clarke County with an economic message. For example, he said, expanding broadband access would allow people to work remotely and remain in their communities. "I believe it still is how you sort through the economic anxiety that the changing economy brings," he said. A few protesters in the crowd silently held signs needling Warner for winning only 39 percent of the vote in Clarke County in his 2014 race. One of them had a pizza box that said "Still Pelosi" in a knock on the Democrats' new slogan, "A Better Deal," which some have mocked as similar to Papa John's "Better Pizza" tagline. But after years of watching GOP lawmakers successfully make similar pitches to voters, Democrats have decided they must do things differently, and they think focusing more on pocketbook issues - and less on Trump - will resonate. Topping their list is the establishment of a federal "price gouging enforcer" who would lead a new agency to monitor prescription drug costs and negotiate lower prices. Cutting the cost of prescription drugs remains a major issue with the public. In a survey in late April by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 64 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans named it as one important step that Trump and Congress could take to improve health care. The heart of the drug-price proposal - letting the government negotiate the rates at which pharmaceuticals are sold within Medicare - is a policy that Democrats have been championing for more than a decade, without success. The idea was a major point of contention in 2003, when Congress added prescription drug benefits to the program, known as Part D. During that debate, Republicans, at the urging of drugmakers, kept such direct negotiations out of the law. That makes Medicare, which enrolls about 77 million older and disabled Americans, unlike the nation's other health-care entitlement program, Medicaid, in which drugs must be sold at the deepest discount that any entity can negotiate. When Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., complained months ago that female constituents pressuring him to hold a town hall were "in my grill no matter where I go," he didn't know how prescient those words were. Five women - and one man - are running for the Democratic nomination to challenge the two-term congressman from suburban Richmond, Virginia, next year. The group includes a former CIA operative, a civil attorney and a Marine turned commercial airline pilot. Women, mostly Democrats, are entering House primary contests in record numbers in Virginia. Many say they are running to channel their frustration with President Donald Trump. Democratic organizations - long desperate for female candidates - are recruiting them aggressively. For a Democratic Party riding high on activist fervor, even a long shot district like Brat's, which has been in Republican hands since the early 1970s, seems within reach. "When my heart was broken and our dreams were dashed on November 8, I wasn't sure what lay ahead of us," said Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Virginia Democrats. That feeling soon gave way to hope, she said. "The whole thing has been very exhilarating and exciting." Brat declined an interview for this article but through an aide dismissed the pack of Democrats vying for the chance to take him on as acolytes of the House minority leader. "Dave is hard at work keeping his promises to pass positive, principled policies that put our country back on the right track," his chief of staff, Mark Kelly, said in a statement. "Nancy Pelosi desperately wants another vote for her liberal agenda that puts more power in the hands of Washington. Dave looks forward to a debate of ideas about America's future after the Democrats pick their liberal nominee next June." Democrats say their best chance to flip a House seat in Virginia is a district already represented by a woman who has at times distanced herself from Trump. Rep. Barbara Comstock, R, of northern Virginia, has seven Democratic opponents, four of whom are women. A Democratic woman is considering challenging Rep. Scott Taylor, a Republican freshman from Virginia Beach. And two Democratic women are competing to run against Rep. Rob Wittman, whose eastern Virginia district includes parts of Prince William and Fauquier counties. There's even a Democratic woman taking on Maryland's only Republican representative in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris, who hails from the Eastern Shore. The day after the election, phones started ringing at Emerge America, an organization Andrea Dew Steele created 15 years ago in California, to prepare women to run for office. Today there are programs in 20 states, with 10 more in the works. "This is a completely different kind of experience to have so many women wanting to run like this," Steele said. "Normally you have to recruit women heavily and convince them to step up and run." Women hold about 20 percent of the 535 seats in Congress; 21 in the Senate and 84 in the House, according to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. Research shows women didn't run for office previously because they were less likely to identify themselves as qualified - a point that has not changed - and they were less likely to receive encouragement or be recruited - a factor that is changing. Since Election Day, Emily's List, a national group that endorses women who favor abortion rights, has heard from 16,000 women interested in running for office at all levels of government, compared with the 920 women who reached out during the 2016 cycle. Emily's List is talking to more than 130 women who are either running or considering a bid in at least 80 House districts, spokeswoman Alexandra De Luca said. Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, said women are running because many Democrats believe they can take advantage of Trump's low approval rating, win competitive open seats, or pick off Republicans whose association with Trump could make them vulnerable. In the past several election cycles, 70 percent of women who have run for office were Democrats, she said. Yet Lawless cautioned that a record number of women candidates won't necessarily translate into a record number of women in office. "The stars have to align pretty perfectly for Democrats," she said. Brat's comments earlier this year encouraged online liberal groups and constituents, some armed with "It's grilling time" signs, to lash out at him at a rowdy town hall in Blackstone in February. Yet privately, Democrats acknowledge he will be tough to beat. Buoyed by a reputation as the economics professor who unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014, Brat entered Congress with a national profile and sailed to reelection two years later by double digits. Trump won his district by 6 points. The primary race on the Democratic side will force candidates to spend money and resources while Brat keeps up his frequent TV appearances touting the causes of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. Abigail Spanberger, 37, has captured early attention with a compelling biography and a profile in Elle Magazine. A former CIA operations officer stationed around the world, she grew up in the district and returned three years ago to work in the private sector. She wasn't sure she'd run for office until the day of the health-care vote in the House when she heard from a friend whose daughter suffers from a genetic disorder. The mother said the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would leave her worried not just about her daughter's condition but also going bankrupt over medical bills. Spanberger texted her husband, "I'm definitely running. This is it for me. This is my turning point," she said. Eileen Bedell, 44, ran against Brat last year and is the only Democrat with experience seeking public office. An attorney specializing in civil litigation, she grew up in Arlington and Fairfax and has lived in the district for about 20 years. Brat's support for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and his embrace of Trump make him vulnerable, she said. "I call him Trump-lite," she said. "Dave is Trump before Trump was Trump in Virginia." Kim Gower, 54, left a consulting career to earn her doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University and teaches at the University of Mary Washington. A Michigan native, she has lived in the district most of the past decade. Helen Alli, 52, considers herself a community activist and has served on the Richmond Economic Development Authority. Alli, who has lived in Henrico for 30 years, said she served in the Army for four years and owns a weight-loss and hormone-therapy business. Janelle Noble, 35, owns a small IT consulting firm. She has lived in Louisa for 1o years and said she would like to see more subsidies for farms. She favors a basic universal income modeled after an experiment in Finland. The only male candidate in the race, Dan Ward, served two stints in the Marines, including three years with the State Department under Hillary Clinton. He retired in 2014, bought a small farm in Orange and returned to an earlier career flying for a commercial airline. "Dave Brat represents the extreme right," he said. "He's on TV all the time saying some crazy stuff." In addition to Brat's infamous "in my grill" comment, the congressman has raised the ire of Democrats for defending Trump and accuses reporters of perpetuating "fake news." Brat's Twitter and Instagram accounts recently posted a photo of the smiling congressman standing beside a man holding a sign that read "Hillary for U.S. ambassador to Libya." The photo, taken at a July 1 gun show in Fredericksburg, was quickly deleted because "it was being misinterpreted. Goal here is informing/sharing, not inflaming. Happy 4th," according to a tweetBrat posted that evening. He has positioned himself as a foil to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who is leading a Trump investigation as vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who suggested Trump's son committed treason. "Mark Warner is seeing smoke everywhere he goes, like he's in a Cheech and Chong movie," Brat said on CNN last week. "And Kaine now thinks the son is worse than Benedict Arnold. We've gotten a little hysterical." Asked how a Democrat who has never held political office could emerge from a six-way nomination fight to topple a telegenic congressman with national notoriety, Democrats noted that stranger things have happened. "Look, nobody thought Dave Brat was going to upset Eric Cantor," said Swecker, the state Democrats chairwoman. "That was the upset of the century until now." A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly having sexual relations with a 12-year-old victim who lived in Troy. The incident is alleged to have happened 15 years ago, according to a news release issued Monday by Troy Police. According to the release, Derrick R. Sepp, 41, of Apopka, Fla., has been charged with Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse. He was in the Troy area in 2002 and 2003, when he is alleged to have had the sexual relations with the 12 year old. In 2008 Sepp was arrested for sex crimes in Polk County, Fla., and a year later he was found guilty and sentenced to prison, according to the release. The Troy Police Department was alerted to the latest developments in 2014 when the 12 year-old victim read accounts of Sepps criminal actions from a news source on the Internet and told them of his own experiences with Sepp, according to the press release. Troy detectives began investigating the case and worked with Orange County Sheriffs Departments Sexual Offender Surveillance Squad to obtain information about Sepp. That investigation found that Sepp had used chat rooms and social media to befriend young males, according to the release. Sepp would lure young males into meeting with him in person, the release stated. He is alleged to have used multiple Internet sources, and would sometimes identify himself as Erik, according to Troy Police. The inherent innocence of children is something we should all protect, Troy Police Chief Brad Parsons said in the news release. The crimes committed to destroy that innocence is deplorable and the Troy Police Department will ensure allegations of those crimes get investigated to the fullest. In an effort to prevent crimes like this occurring in the future, I encourage parents to take some time to speak with their children about the dangers of meeting people online. The case was presented to the Madison County States Attorneys Office on July 13, 2017. A nationwide warrant was issued thereafter, and Sepp was arrested in Florida six days later by the Orange County Sheriffs Department. According to the charges, Sepp faces three counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse. The former is a Class X felony carrying a possibility of six to 30 years in prison on each count; the latter is a Class 2 felony with a possible prison sentence of three to seven years. Anyone who believes they may have encountered Sepp should contact their local police department or the Troy Police Department at (618) 667-6731. Ahead of President Donald Trump's appearance Monday at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, the troops were offered some advice on the gathering's official blog: Fully hydrate. Be "courteous" and "kind." And avoid the kind of divisive chants heard during the 2016 campaign such as "build the wall" and "lock her up." But from the moment he took stage, Trump - who was never a scout himself but touted his role as the "honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America" - started leading them down a very different path. Over the next 35 minutes, the president threatened to fire one of his cabinet members, attacked former President Barack Obama, dissed his former rival Hillary Clinton, marveled at the size of the crowd, warned the boys about the "fake media," mocked pollsters and pundits and said more people would say "Merry Christmas" under his presidency. He also told a rambling tale about a famous, now-deceased homebuilder that meandered from a Manhattan cocktail party to a yacht and then to places that the president would only allow the boys' imaginations to go. The speech was, in fact, very much like the rally speeches that Trump gave across the country last year, although he sprinkled some pieces of inspirational advice ("Do something you love") and reflections on Boy Scout values ("We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."). Trump was joined by former scouts who serve in his cabinet, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - the latter wore a scouting outfit for the occasion. "Ryan is an Eagle Scout from Big Sky country in Montana," Trump relayed. As the president's speech grew long, Perry appeared to grow bored as he stood behind Trump, chatting with others, flipping through a book and then filming a video of the crowd. Not invited on the adventure: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an Eagle Scout whose day job appears in jeopardy in Washington. Trump began the official address, delivered from a podium with the presidential seal, by pledging to talk about things loftier than politics. "Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C., you've been hearing about with the fake news," the president told the crowd of scouts and volunteers gathered in Glen Jean, West Virginia. "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" But before long, Trump dove into the politics of the Republican health-care bill, which could die if it doesn't clear a key procedural vote on Tuesday. Trump pointed to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who's been tasked with selling the legislation. "Hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow," Trump said, stressing the importance of overhauling the Affordable Care Act, which he called "this horrible thing that's really hurting us." As chants of "USA! USA!" broke out, Trump asked Price: "By the way, are you going to get the votes? You better get the votes. Otherwise, I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.'" Trump also slipped in a reference to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., one of the Republican holdouts on moving forward with the bill, which would leave up to 22 million fewer Americans with health insurance by 2026, according to estimates. "You better get Senator Capito to vote for it," the president told Price. Seemingly returning to the teleprompters, Trump pivoted to another subject. "Boy Scout values are American values," the president said. "And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the scout law says, a scout is trustworthy, loyal - we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that." It wasn't clear what Trump was referencing. Perhaps it was fellow members of his party refusing to vote for health-care legislation. Or perhaps it was Sessions, whom earlier in the day Trump had called "beleaguered" in a tweet. Trump harshly criticized Sessions last week for recusing himself from investigations involving Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Boy Scouts then chanted the 10 other words that make up the Boy Scout Law: "Helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." On the stage behind Trump, Zinke and Perry stood at attention and held their right hands up in the Boy Scout salute. Trump smiled. "Very good," he told the boys. "Very good." At another point, Trump marveled at the more than 30,000 scouts that had gathered for the jamboree, although he acted as if they were there just for him and not for a regular event attended by seven other presidents. "What do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero," Trump said as the scouts yelled out answers and "CNN!" "The fake media will say. . . 'President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today.' That is some crowd. Fake media! Fake news!" As Trump told the scouts that they should spend their adult years doing something that they love to do, someone in the crowd shouted out that he loved the president. "I love you, too," Trump said, before jumping into a monologue on love between males. "I don't know, it's a nice guy. Hey, what am I going to do, he sounds like a nice person. He. He, he, he. Thank you. I do, I do love you." The boys laughed and then seemed to chant something that sounded like: "We love Trump! We love Trump!" Trump smiled and applauded them on, then said: "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?" "Nooooo!" the boys roared back in a sound that seemed to evolve into booing, apparently not giving Obama credit for sending a video message to the 2010 jamboree. Ahead of the gathering, the scouts were told on the jamboree's blog that it would be inappropriate to behave as though they were at a campaign rally. Such behavior, the blog said, "is considered divisive by many members of our audience and may cause unnecessary friction between individuals and units. . . Please help us ensure that all Scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure that your troop members are respectful not only of the president, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight." Before departing, Trump took some time to relive last year's election, chiding Clinton for not working hard enough in several Midwestern states. He recalled the "massive" crowds he drew in Wisconsin, a state that a Republican presidential candidate hadn't won in "many, many years." "Michigan came in - and we worked hard there. You know, my opponent didn't work hard there. She was told she was gonna win Michigan and I said, 'Wait a minute, the car industry is going to move to Mexico.' " "Boooo!" the boys roared. WASHINGTON - In testimony before a House committee Tuesday, the youngest son of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran a decade ago urged greater sanctions on Iran if it does not account for his father and release U.S. citizens imprisoned in the country. Doug Levinson, who was 13 when Robert Levinson was last seen on Iran's Kish Island, described being crestfallen that his father was not among five Americans freed as part of a prisoner swap to accompany the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in 2016. "Do not let Iran off the hook. They know exactly where he is," Doug Levinson told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. "Hold their feet to the fire. Threaten them with sanctions. Do something. Do anything." Levinson was among three relatives of Americans imprisoned or missing in Iran who testified in support of a House bill calling for their freedom on humanitarian grounds. On Friday, the White House said President Donald Trump is "prepared to impose new and serious consequences on the country if they are not released and returned." Iran is known to be holding at least four U.S. citizens and two permanent residents of the United States. U.S. officials have never been able to ascertain the whereabouts of Levinson, whose family is convinced he is still alive, although Tehran insists it has no idea where he is or what happened to him. Levinson entered Iran to gather information on government corruption on a mission for CIA personnel who did not have authority to run such overseas operations. Ten agency employees were disciplined because of the Levinson case. Iran has never acknowledged holding him. The other Americans have been accused of espionage, charges that their families and the U.S. government say are baseless. "My dad is innocent, and he will not be forced to do things against his will, including signing forced confessions," said Omar Zakka, whose father, Nizar, is an Internet-freedom advocate arrested in 2015 when he traveled to Iran for a conference. He is in the fifth week of a hunger strike protesting his imprisonment. "I fear for his life and safety," his son said. Iran has used Americans as bargaining chips ever since the 1979 revolution, when Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy and held 52 U.S. diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. Only this month, Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he accessed thousands of archived documents relating to his research on 19th- and early-20th-century Iran. The prisoner swap that accompanied the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in 2016, buying freedom for five Americans including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, brought bitter disappointment for the families of those who were left behind. Babak Namazi told the committee he was devastated that his brother, Siamak, was not among the Americans flown out of Tehran that night with the others. Their father, Baquer, a former UNICEF official, was arrested in early 2016 when he went to Tehran's Evin Prison hoping to visit Siamak. In October, father and son were sentenced to 10 years in prison for "cooperating" with a foreign government, meaning the United States. Namazi said his father's health is declining, and his brother, who has spent most of the past two years in solitary confinement, has grown despondent waiting for their release. He fears time is running out. "The whole thing is crazy," he told a small group of journalists Tuesday morning. "The whole thing is beyond comprehension." Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CBS News that the elder Namazi was not behind bars but also that he was not free to leave the country. But Babak Namazi said his father, who has been taken briefly out of prison twice to be hospitalized, remains in Evin. Several Iranians are in U.S. prisons on sanctions-related charges. In recent weeks, officials in Tehran and Washington have suggested they may be willing to make a deal over the prisoners. Their fate has been brought up during bilateral meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials monitoring the nuclear deal and by allies from other countries who have met with Iranians. Talks between South Korea and the U.S. to revise bilateral missile guidelines seem to be stuck in their final stages. The talks, which aim to extend the range and payload of South Korean missiles, began in January last year, and officials have been saying since May that they are nearing completion. But while Washington has in principle agreed that Korea can extend the range of its missiles beyond the currently permitted 300 km, the question remains by how much and whether the payload can also be increased beyond the currently permissible 500 kg. Another question that has recently arisen is whether South Korean unmanned aerial vehicles could carry warheads of more than 500 kg. "The U.S. side recently agreed to extending the range of Korean ballistic missiles from 300 km to 550 km," said a government source here. "But we feel it needs to be extended to at least 800 km," which the U.S. does not like. A range of 800 km would enable South Korea to hit North Korean positions from relatively safe bases in the south of the Korean Peninsula in the event of an attack. But the U.S. is apparently against this because 550 km is enough to hit any part of North Korea from bases near the border, while a range of 800 km to 1,000 km could worry China and Japan. When it comes to the size of the payload, the U.S. is insisting on a 2001 agreement that said any increase in range beyond 300 km would require the payload to weigh less than 500 kg and vice versa. In other words, if Seoul is to get its wish of extending the range, it will have to accept a smaller payload. In the case of drones, South Korea also wants a payload of more than 500 kg to accommodate the long-range, remote-controlled surveillance aircraft it wants to develop. The U.S. has apparently accepted some of these demands. The guidelines themselves are technically a political promise and not a legally binding treaty. According to a key official who participated in the talks in 2001, the guidelines can in theory be scrapped if either side informs the other six months in advance. But Seoul has abided by the guidelines so far because it does not want to damage its relationship with Washington, which is crucial for its national security. UTSA President T. Taylor Eighmy now can be called just that president. The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted Tuesday afternoon to make him president of the University of Texas at San Antonio after a 10-month search and the mandatory 21-day waiting period following his selection as the sole finalist. In a prepared statement, Eighmy said he was "profoundly grateful" for "this incredible opportunity." RELATED: UTSA President Romo's hugs were sexual harassment, UT System report states "I believe that great cities need great universities," he said. "All the ingredients are in place for UTSA to leverage access and discovery to become the very best Hispanic-serving top tier research university." Eighmy, 60, was the vice-chancellor for research and engagement at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where he also taught civil and environmental engineering. Eighmy was traveling and would not be available for interviews Tuesday, a system spokeswoman said. He starts his new job Sept. 1. RELATED: UTSA President Romo 'looks forward' to clearing his name Steve Leslie, the UT System vice chancellor of academic affairs, said last month that Eighmy's research experience aligns well with UTSA's goal of reaching Tier One status, a designation reserved for top research institutions. Before taking the job in Knoxville, Eighmy was a senior vice-president for research at Texas Tech University. During that time, two laboratory explosions occurred that led him to create a national task force in Knoxville for university laboratory safety. That work led to a leadership award by the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Association last year. The regents' unanimous choice of Eighmy for the UTSA job was not without controversy. State Sen. Jose Menendez blasted the UT System for its selection process, asking why there were so few Latinos on the search committee and saying he was "dismayed at the lack of transparency or consideration for a Latino(a) candidate." RELATED: UTSA's Romo resigns after being put on leave Considering that UTSA is a majority Hispanic institution, Menendez said in a statement that the committee should have picked a president who could lead UTSA toward Tier One and still serve as a role model for the UTSA student population. The system confirmed the 16-person committee had only three Latinos. Eighmy will succeed Interim President Pedro Reyes, who has been leading the university since its former president Ricardo Romo resigned in early March. Romo had announced his retirement at the end of the academic year but left the UTSA community early after an internal investigation found him likely to have sexually harassed his employees. "UTSA should be the exemplar for the new urban-serving university, and I hope it can become a beacon for all as a place to learn, discover and engage," Eighmy's statement Tuesday said. "I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students and community leaders to realize these aspirations and am very appreciative of the warm welcome and support from the UTSA community, especially from Interim President Reyes." Eighmy is married and has one daughter who works at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. sfoster-frau@express-news.net San Antonio Express-News A Zetas cartel member who escaped a Mexican prison four years ago was captured by South Texas border agents and will be removed from the country, officials said. The cartel member was discovered in the border town of Roma, when police there took an undocumented immigrant into custody and called U.S. Border Patrol agents. Records revealed the person was a cartel member who had escaped from a Mexican prison in 2013 and had an active arrest warrant for the illegal possession of a firearm from the Mexican government, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. Authorities are asking for the public's help identifying and finding a "brazen blonde bandit" who allegedly stole a Shi Tzu dog from San Antonio's Animal Care Services on Monday. Security camera's captured the woman walk into ACS's shelter around noon with an apparent accomplice who had a small child with her. Eric Gay/STF AUSTIN -- A trio of professors at the state's flagship university plan to appeal a federal court's decision to throw out their lawsuit challenging the state's campus carry law. Three professors from the University of Texas at Austin filed a notice of appeal with the United States District Court for the Western District in Texas' Austin division Monday. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel dismissed the case earlier this month, ruling that professors failed to prove an actual injury. A Korean woman who was forced to serve as a sex slave to Japanese troops during World War II died on Sunday. With the death of Kim Kun-ja at the age of 91, the total number of survivors has now dwindled to 37. Born in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province in 1926, Kim was forced into sexual slavery in 1942 and sent to a military brothel for troops stationed in China's Jilin Province. She tried to escape several times but failed, only to suffer horrendous assaults by Japanese soldiers that led to the permanently loss of hearing in her left ear. She returned to Korea after Japan's defeat at the end of World War II and made a living as a street vendor. She moved to the House of Sharing, a shelter for former sex slaves, in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province in 1998. Kim donated more than W250 million to charitable causes and pledged to give away the rest of her money, except W5 million for her funeral expenses, gathered from donations by supporters. (US$1=W1,121). Around 700 people donated W1.1 billion to help support Kim. The Korean government listed a total of 238 sex slavery victims. The U.S. military says it is preparing to conduct another test of a missile defense system put in place to counter threats from North Korea. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, said Monday that the test of the military's Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense in the far northwestern state of Alaska is scheduled to go ahead "soon." He said the test is a "routine measure" to make sure the system is ready. In a notice to mariners, the U.S. Coast Guard said the test could take place as soon as Saturday and advised vessels to avoid large areas of the ocean between Kodiak Island, Alaska and Hawaii. Earlier this month, the U.S. military said it successfully tested THAAD, shooting down a simulated intermediate-range missile. The test was the first time the United States has deployed THAAD in an effort to shoot down an intermediate-range ballistic missile, a faster and more difficult target to hit than shorter-range missiles. We have had the case of the Sleeping Lawyer. Then came the case of the Drunk Lawyer. Now we have the case of the Disbarred Lawyer. As governor of Texas, I authorized 19 executions. Since then, I have seen many cases of profoundly deficient lawyering for people who were sent to death row. But what happened to TaiChin Preyor, who is scheduled for execution on July 27, is beyond the pale. Mr. Preyor was convicted of a murder in San Antonio and sentenced to death in 2005. His mother, Margaret Mendez, would do anything to save her sons life. A longtime employee of the U.S. Postal Service, she did not have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on a dream team to get her sons conviction reversed. Ms. Mendezs niece introduced her to Philip Jefferson at a Thanksgiving dinner in 2007. Mr. Jefferson presented himself as a retired lawyer. In reality, he had been disbarred in California almost 20 years earlier. He claimed to be associated with Johnnie Cochran, who famously won a not guilty verdict for O. J. Simpson, and Ms. Mendez was understandably impressed. He said that due to his retired status, he would have to bring in an associate to sign and file documents. Thus began an extraordinary fraud not only on Mr. Preyors mother but also the courts. The lawyer who worked at Mr. Jeffersons direction, Brandy Estelle, had a probate, estate planning and real estate law practice in California. She had no experience in death penalty cases. Ms. Estelle did not disclose to the courts that Mr. Jefferson was guiding the litigation or that the two sought duplicate payments from both Ms. Mendez and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. All told, Ms. Mendez paid $45,000, cleaning out her savings and retirement funds, while Ms. Estelle sought compensation from the 5th Circuit for some of the same work without Ms. Mendezs knowledge. No one will be surprised to learn that the representation the disbarred Mr. Jefferson and the unqualified Ms. Estelle provided was shockingly deficient in ways that are rarely seen. They filed a habeas corpus petition on Mr. Preyors behalf that had no citations to the record or evidence outside the record. The federal court denied the petition, finding that it disregarded applicable habeas law. Most disturbingly, Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Estelle completely missed the fact that Mr. Preyors trial counsel had conducted a subpar investigation into Mr. Preyors background. If he had provided effective assistance, he would have found and presented compelling mitigation evidence about Mr. Preyors childhood, which was replete with violence and sexual abuse. The violence and sexual abuse that Mr. Preyor experienced does not excuse his crime, but it could have led the jury to a greater understanding. If only one juror had heard the mitigation evidence and been persuaded that Mr. Preyor was not the worst of the worst, he would be serving a life sentence today. Its not too late to fix this disturbing injustice. In May a short eight weeks before Mr. Preyors scheduled execution date the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas authorized funding for new attorneys, with valid law licenses, to investigate and prepare a case for Mr. Preyor. These attorneys have filed a clemency petition asking Gov. Greg Abbott to commute his death sentence to life or, at the least, grant a reprieve to allow his new attorneys to complete their work. I believe there are rare cases where the death penalty is the appropriate punishment. If we are to have capital punishment, we must afford defendants the protections that are enshrined in our Constitution. The Sixth Amendment is clear that the accused shall have the right to the assistance of counsel. At its most basic, that means a qualified lawyer with a law license, not one who has been prohibited from practice. The integrity of our system demands that Mr. Preyors claims receive a fair hearing before his execution can proceed. Mark White served as governor of Texas from 1983 to 1987 and Texas attorney general from 1979 to 1983. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Local News, Crime, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: July 25 2017 Taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency from their state and local officials. Massapequa, NY - July 25, 2017 - Today, State Senator John E. Brooks and Assemblymembers Charles Lavine and Christine Pellegrino stood together outside of the Today, State Senator John E. Brooks and Assemblymembers Charles Lavine and Christine Pellegrino stood together outside of the Town of Oyster Bay s Town Hall South to demand action on ethics reform on Long Island and in Albany. The Democratic legislators, joined by Common Cause New York, voiced their support for proposed solutions that would end corruption, restore accountability and public trust, and return transparency to elections. The lawmakers voiced their support for the following legislation and urged their colleagues to take immediate action during the next legislative session: S.2308/A.3689, a bill sponsored by Sen. Brooks and Assm. Lavine, establishes an independent state-monitor to oversee the finances and operation of the Town of Oyster Bay after years of corruption and notorious mismanagement from public officials. Taxpayers have endured years of potentially corrupt loan guarantees, the Towns junk credit rating, large debts, operating deficits and an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, on top of federal indictments of former Town Supervisor John Venditto and others. If implemented, the bill would provide taxpayers with transparency, accountability, fiscal health and stability. S.4015/A.5832, also sponsored by Brooks and Lavine, prohibits the use of campaign funds for federal criminal defense for elected officials. Since 2004, state elected officials have spent well over $7 million in campaign funds on criminal defenses, according to NYPIRG. More recently, former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos used $50,000 from his campaign account to pay for legal defense related to the appeal of his felony corruption conviction. S.496/A.1926, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assm. Brian Kavanagh, closes the LLC loophole, which allows virtually unlimited and anonymous corporate contributions in state elections, often diminishing the voice and power of voters. In addition to the aforementioned legislation, the lawmakers urged voters to pass a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November, which allows a judge to strip or reduce the taxpayer paid pensions of corrupt public officials if they are convicted of a felony related to abusing their official duties. In a Siena poll, conducted between July 9 -13, 2017, 75% of respondents stated that they supported the proposed amendment. Senator John E. Brooks said, For far too long, Oyster Bay and Nassau County have been plagued by scandal and corruption, all at the expense of taxpayers. Long Islanders deserve an open and transparent government that is accountable to them, not the highest bidder or special interests. Its time to reverse this pervasive corruption, and restore integrity and trust to our government. I'm proud to partner with Assemblyman Lavine on these necessary solutions to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used to benefit the public, not self-serving, corrupt politicians." Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine said, Nassau County and the Towns of Oyster Bay and Hempstead have been horribly victimized by corruption and abuse of the public trust. I am very pleased to have Senator John Brooks as my partner in the Senate, who will lead the fight to pass these important bills which will protect our hard-pressed and overburdened tax payers to rest assured that our public funds are being used for public purposes and not being used to subsidize the criminal activities of corrupt government officials. Assemblywoman Christine Pellegrino said, "I'm embarrassed to explain to my children every time another corrupt politician gets arrested for lining their pockets with our tax dollars. Our property taxes are high enough, without having to pay more in the form of a corruption tax. I'm proud to support the legislation proposed today to help clean up our government and stop corruption." Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, denied Monday that he or anyone else with the Trump campaign had any improper contacts with Russia leading up to or after the 2016 election. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so," Kushner said at the White House in a brief statement after answering questions in a closed-door meeting with Senate Intelligence Committee investigators, the first of two congressional interviews for Kushner this week. "I had no improper contacts," Kushner said. "I have not relied on Russian funds for my businesses, and I have been fully transparent in providing all requested information." He said that all of his "actions were proper, and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign." The president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former campaign manager Paul Manafort are also sharing information with another panel, the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, also an adviser to her father, told reporters that "serving the president and the people of the United States has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work on important matters such as Middle East peace, and reinvigorating America's innovative spirit." He took no questions from reporters. Tech & Science, Local News, Business & Finance, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: July 25 2017 ReCharge NY and Low-Cost Hydropower Allocations Expected to Spur More Than $757 Million in New Capital Investment. Albany, NY - July 25, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the approval of new low-cost power allocations that will support more than 10,700 jobs. The New York Power Authority Board of Trustees at today's board meeting approved 24 low-cost power allocations to 19 businesses and two not-for-profit organizations under the ReCharge NY program that will support 10,568 jobs, including hiring for 782 new positions. The board also approved low-cost hydropower allocations that will support an additional 150 new jobs. "These low-cost power allocations help create and support thousands of jobs across New York and bolster our efforts to build a cleaner, greener future for all," Governor Cuomo said. "These initiatives leverage our state's clean, efficient power to help more businesses hire, expand and thrive in every corner of the Empire State." The ReCharge NY power allocations, approved today, are expected to spur more than $727 million in new capital investment. The 24.47 megawatts of low-cost power under the latest ReCharge NY allocations will be distributed among enterprises from Long Island to Western New York. Enterprises in the Capital District, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, New York City, the Southern Tier and Western New York are recipients. Some recipients include: CEA Capital Holdings in Cicero (Onondaga County), NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola (Nassau County), DB USA Core Corporation in New York City, and Corning Incorporated in Big Flats (Chemung County). The complete list of ReCharge NY allocations is available here John R. Koelmel, NYPA chairman, said, "Recharge NY has been a core initiative for NYPA since our first low-cost power allocations were awarded under the program in 2012. This round of RNY allocations is making an impact in every corner of the state, providing new job opportunities for New Yorkers and ensuring that we maintain existing jobs." Including today's allocations, the Governor's ReCharge NY program is currently reducing electricity costs for more than 760 businesses and not-for-profit organizations, and has positively impacted the New York State economy by retaining and creating jobs, and sparking capital investment in regions throughout the state. ReCharge NY offers up to seven-year power contracts. Half of the power455 MWis from NYPA's Niagara and St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt hydroelectric power plants, which provide some of the greenest, cleanest and lowest-cost electricity in the state. The remaining 455 MW is lower-cost power bought by NYPA on the wholesale market. Howard Zemsky, President, CEO & commissioner of Empire State Development, said, "Thanks to Governor Cuomo we are seeing another impactful round of ReCharge NY power allocations that enables local companies to reinvest their businesses by providing them with low cost power. This program continues to activate local economies, create thousands of jobs and ensure a clean energy future in New York State." Senator Joseph Griffo, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, said, "When we talk about economic growth in New York State, one of the biggest challenges for businesses to confront is the high cost of energy. But by providing low-cost power to companies, manufacturers and not-for-profits that are willing to commit and expand their operations in New York, the ReCharge NY program is helping to encourage greater investments and job creation in communities all across our state." Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Chair of the New York State Assembly Committee on Energy, said, "I am pleased that the New York Power Authority has approved another round of ReCharge NY power allocations. This round of allocations will spur $727 million in capital investments and support 10,568 jobs, which is a significant benefit for New York State." Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney said, "CEA Capital Holdings is undertaking a significant expansion project that will create more than 350 jobs in Onondaga County through the support of the Governor's ReCharge NY program. This is great news for our region and I look forward to watching the firm grow." For more information about the Governor's Recharge NY program, visit Recharge NY Low-cost Hydropower Allocations - Building NY Businesses In addition to the RNY allocations, the NYPA trustees also allocated Niagara hydropower to two municipal electric systems on behalf of expanding businesses and to a firm in Erie County. Those actions are expected to lead to capital investments of nearly $30 million and support the creation of more than 150 jobs. Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA President and CEO, said, "NYPA's low-cost hydropower allocations grant long-term contracts, providing businesses with the security needed for growth. These hydropower allocations from the Niagara Power Project are directly creating jobs for New Yorkers and ensuring that businesses choose to stay and grow in our state." Brammo, an engineering and electric storage systems firm in the Southern Tier's Chenango County, was approved for a low-cost hydropower allocation of 125 kilowatts. The Village of Greene, which is a municipal customer of the Power Authority, applied on behalf of Brammo for the low-cost hydropower through NYPAs Industrial Economic Development Program, which utilizes a 54-MW block of hydropower. Hydropower from that economic development program is allocated to individual systems to meet the increased electric load that results from eligible new or expanding businesses. Brammo will be renovating its facility, adding 99 new jobs and committing $3 million in capital investments. Under the same power program, Briggs & Stratton, a commercial mowing equipment manufacturer in Oneida County, was allocated 800 kW of hydropower. The City of Sherrill, also a NYPA municipal customer, applied for the power on behalf of the firm. The allocation supports the creation of 48 jobs and a capital investment of $20 million for the renovation of the company's 570,000-square-foot facility. Flexo Transparent, a manufacturer of printed flexible packaging in Buffalo, was allocated 300 kW of hydropower to facilitate a $6.5 million expansion that will allow the firm to increase its production. The project will create five jobs. Empire State Development is also supporting the expansions for both Briggs & Stanton and Flexo Transparent. Briggs & Stanton is receiving a $1.5 million capital grant and a $1 million Excelsior Tax Credit. Flexo Transparent is receiving a $150,000 capital grant. Low-cost Niagara hydropower is available for companies within a 30-mile radius of the Niagara hydroelectric power plant or businesses in Chautauqua County. The hydropower is linked to tens of thousands of existing jobs. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: July 25 2017 Cuomo: "Samuel J. Abbott served his nation and died in the service of this state." Albany, NY - July 25, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (A7731/S5570) to direct the Office of General Services to install and maintain a plaque in the Capitol honoring Samuel J. Abbott, the watchman who lost his life in the 1911 New York State Capitol fire. "Samuel J. Abbott served his nation and died in the service of this state, and this plaque will be a fitting honor of his life and the tragic events that claimed it," Governor Cuomo said. "This fire was a significant part of the history of the Capitol, and this measure will help ensure this story continues to be told and Samuel Abbott continues to be remembered." The historic fire started in the third-floor Assembly Library, quickly spread to the adjacent State Library and engulfed the fourth and fifth floors destroying up to one-half of the square footage on those floors on the Capitol's northwest side, while lower floors sustained mainly water and smoke damage. With books and wooden shelving fueling the fire, flames rose above the Great Western or "Million Dollar" Staircase to the fourth floor and the two towers. Burning for several days, the fire was estimated to have destroyed thousands of books and manuscripts and artifacts in the New York State Museum and State Library. Samuel J. Abbott was a Civil War veteran who worked as a night watchman for the State Library, which was located in the Capitol. On March 29, 1911, while on duty, Mr. Abbott was killed by the fire. He was the only person who lost his life as a result of the fire. He was found in a narrow passageway on the fourth floor with a silver-handled cane at his side. His pocket held a key to a locked door a few steps away, through which he might have escaped. This plaque will memorialize Mr. Abbott's life and his loss of life while serving the People of the State of New York. The plaque will bear the likeness of Mr. Abbott and include a description of his services and sacrifice to the People of the State. OGS Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, "We at the Office of General Services will be honored to place a commemorative plaque in New York's statehouse paying tribute to Samuel J. Abbott, the 78-year-old night watchman and public servant who died in the Capitol fire of 1911. The Capitol is steeped in history, and I encourage everyone to visit and take a tour of the statehouse to see the plaque once it is placed in Mr. Abbott's honor and learn about all of the other historic features and special exhibits on display in this 19th century, architectural gem." Senator Catharine M. Young said, "A Civil War hero and long-standing public servant, Samuel Abbott's formal recognition is now a part of New York State law with this official decree today by Governor Cuomo. Watchman Abbott's service and sacrifice for the people of New York, which combined with the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire a few days before, began the workplace safety movement in the state and nationally. His life will now be permanently memorialized near the site of his death on the fourth floor in the Capitol." Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation To Ban The Use Of E-Cigarettes On All School Grounds In New York State School & Education, Local News, Health & Wellness, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: July 25 2017 Cuomo: "Nicotine use in any form has shown to be damaging to teens and this measure will close a dangerous loophole." Albany, NY - July 25, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.750 / A.611), which will immediately ban the use of electronic cigarettes on all public and private school grounds in New York State. "Nicotine use in any form has shown to be damaging to teens and this measure will close a dangerous loophole that allows e-cigarettes to be used in New York schools," Governor Cuomo said. "This measure will further this administration's efforts to combat teen smoking in all its forms and help create a stronger, healthier New York for all." Prohibiting electronic cigarettes on all school grounds will diminish youth access to electronic cigarettes and help bolster New York's commitment to preventing childhood and teenage smoking. School grounds includes any building, structure and surrounding outdoor grounds contained within a public or private pre-school, nursey school, elementary, or secondary school's property, and any vehicles used to transport children or school personnel. Senator Patty Ritchie said, "Keeping our youth safe is a top priority, and by banning e-cigarettes on all school grounds, the Governor is helping in our efforts to establish healthier, stronger communities for our children to learn, grow and excel in. I am proud to support this new legislation to ban these toxic habits, as we protect the well-being of the next generation of leaders for the Empire State." Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, "School yards should be full of the laughter of healthy children, not e-cigarette vapor. Banning e-cigarette use on school grounds statewide will help reduce e-cigarette use rates among our young people and will protect the health and safety of their growing bodies. New York has taken the lead in protecting people against the dangers associated with e-cigarette use and exposure. I applaud the Governor for signing this legislation and look forward to this ban being expanded to include all public indoor spaces." In March, the Governor announced a survey released by the New York State Department of Health, which found that e-cigarette use by high school students nearly doubled in the last two years, from 10.5 percent in 2014 to 20.6 percent in 2016. Additionally, a recent U.S. Surgeon General's report shows the number of high school students using e-cigarettes soared 900 percent between 2011 and 2015, becoming the most commonly used form of nicotine among youths. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Travel & Local Attractions, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: July 25 2017 The Dingo is an armored scout car that would have been found on the beaches of Dunkirk during the retreat of 1940 and helping liberate the Nazi death camps in 1945. Old Bethpage, NY - July 25, 2017 - The Museum of American Armor, located inside The Museum of American Armor, located inside Old Bethpage Village Restoration , 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage , is now home to a British World War II armor legend, the Dingo, an armored scout car that would have been found on the beaches of Dunkirk during the retreat of 1940 and helping liberate the Nazi death camps in 1945. Of modest size, the Dingo was fast, reliable and literally served the British from the beginning of World War II to the end of that conflict. It was deployed in all theaters of the conflict, from the Libyan desert fighting Rommel to the British reconnaissance units that came upon the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as the Nazi Third Reich was collapsing. As a further measure of its design, the Dingo continued to serve the British Army until 1952 and the armies of Portugal and Cyprus into the 1970s, explained museum director Mark Renton. The Dingo is one of the vehicles found in the background of the current movie Dunkirk. Several hundred of these scout cars were left throughout France as the British were forced to abandon all their equipment while being rescued by a flotilla of Royal Navy ships and private vessels following German victories. The Dingo had 4-wheel drive for reliable off-road travel and also 4-wheel steering, giving the compact scout car an incredibly tight turning radius of less than 25 feet. The Daimler 6-cylinder engine could power the Dingo to over 50 MPH, yet combined with a sizable fuel tank, was economical enough to give the car a range of about 200 miles. Its two man crew, a driver and a radio operator/gunner, was protected by relatively light armor, but capable of stopping most enemy pistol and rifle rounds. The museums Dingo also carries a replica .303 caliber Bren Gun used by the British. Museum associate board member Eileen Daly Sapraicone explained, The ability to create an Allied armored column that replicates the sights and sounds of World War II is one of the most compelling educational tools we have to recount the story of democracys courage, valor and sacrifice. Place it in this setting of Old Bethpage Village Restoration during special weekends when an environment so reminiscent of the WWII era countryside, and you have created a virtual time machine that ensures indelible memories for entire families. The Afghan Taliban has overrun three districts previously held by the Afghan government in the provinces of Paktia, Faryab and Ghor over the past several days. The Taliban is demonstrating that it can sustain operations in all theaters of Afghanistan. The three districts are located in three different regions of the country. The district of Jani Khel in Paktia, a known stronghold of the Haqqani Network the powerful Taliban subgroup that is based in eastern Afghanistan and in Pakistans tribal areas fell to the Taliban earlier today after several days of heavy fighting, according to Afghan officials and the Taliban. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the district headquarters buildings, the police headquarters and all security checkpoints are under his groups control. Fighting is underway at a nearby military base. Jani Khel was effectively under Taliban control. At the end of March, the group claimed that all but six percent of the district was under Taliban control. The Afghan government only controlled the district center, the group claimed. The districts of Taiwara in Ghor in central Afghanistan, and Kohistan (or Lolash) in Faryab in the northwest fell to the Taliban on July 23 after several days of fighting. TOLONews confirmed that the two districts are now Taliban controlled and government forces have not yet launched military operations to re-capture these districts. The Taliban has also claimed it seized control of Pusht Koh in Farah province and Guzargah in Baghlan, however the reports cannot be independently confirmed. However Taliban reports on the takeover of districts have proven accurate in the pasts. The loss of the three districts shows that the Taliban is capable of conducting operations in all regions of the country. Even as the three districts fell, the Taliban is on the offensive in all of the other regions. Afghan security forces, which are sustaining record highs in casualties and desertions, is largely on the defensive in most areas of the country. The state of play of Afghan districts is often difficult to determine. Often, some districts switch hands multiple times over a short period of time. For instance, Nawa district in Helmand province has gone back and forth between the Taliban and the Afghan government four times over the past year. The Afghan government retook it just last week, but the Taliban are fighting to regain control. In some cases, such as with Jani Khel or all of the districts in Uruzgan province, the Taliban controls all of the district except for the district center, which hosts the government facilities and police headquarters. Estimates issued by the US military and the Taliban are not that far apart. The US military estimated in the spring that the Taliban now controls or contests 40 percent of Afghanistans districts, while the Taliban in late March claimed the number is closer to 50 percent. [See FDDs Long War Journal reports, Taliban controls or contests 40 percent of Afghan districts: SIGAR and Afghan Taliban lists Percent of Country under the control of Mujahideen.] Afghan forces have ceded control of some rural districts to the Taliban, excusing the districts as strategically unimportant. The Taliban has instead used these districts as bases to attack Afghan forces in more populous districts. Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Culture / Art Republik Visitors can look forward to a showcase of both international and local cultural content at the soon-to-be-opened T4 Jul 25, 2017 | By Ilyda Chua Despite its compact size, Changi Airports newest terminal packs a surprising amount of cultural content into its two-storey, 25 metre-high building. Drawing inspiration from the nations signature orchid, Terminal 4s decor is largely centred around the motif orchid petals appear on the marble flooring, the carpets, and on the ceiling as petal-shaped skylights. The clear artistic centrepiece of the terminal, a vast kinetic installation suspended above the Central Galleria, is designed to resemble orchid petals. Created by German-based studio ART+COM, the installation, titled Petalclouds, consists of six individual pieces spanning 200 metres along the Central Galleria, animated by a combination of light, movement and music. Cutting-edge LED technology helps bring to life a 70-metre-long immersive wall that stretches across the Central Departure Security Screening Area as well as the Heritage Zone, a tribute to Singapores Peranakan heritage. The Heritage Zone features a central shophouse facade reflecting different architectural styles, ranging from 1880s Baroque to 1930s Modern Deco. In the middle of the facade, a 10m x 6m LED screen and digital wall transforms into a theatre for Peranakan Love Story, a six-minute performance of a romance set in 1930s Singapore. Developed in collaboration with Singaporean composer Dick Lee and starring local talents Adrian Pang, Koh Chieng Mun, Amy Cheng and Benjamin Kheng, the short film is centred around one of the most well-known events in Peranakan culture the wedding. Other pieces of art include Les Oiseaux (The Birds) by French artist Cedric Le Borgne, comprising three bird sculptures made of fine stainless steel wires lit up in a subtle golden glow, and Hey, Ah Chek!, a figurative bronze sculpture by local artist Chong Fah Cheong that is a throwback to the 1950s. Visitors can get a first glimpse of Changi Airports Terminal 4 at its Open House from 7 to 20 August (registration now closed). The date for official commencement of operations has not yet been confirmed. More information here. ilyda chua Culture / Events Jul 25, 2017 | By LUXUO Having travelled around the world for most of her life, Queen Elizabeth II is bound to have a treasure trove of gifts from various heads of state. We reckon that most of these gifts have a lovely or interesting story behind them so rather than to hide them away in a room, Buckingham Palace has decided to display 200 of them for the public to enjoy in a new exhibition called Royal Gifts. Having travelled over one million miles and since 1952, Britains longest reigning monarch has been a part of 89 state visits abroad and played host to over 100 world leaders on formal visits to the country. One of the most universal aspects of the Queens meetings with other heads of state, both at home and abroad, is the exchange of gifts, said Sally Goodsir, assistant curator of the new Royal Gifts exhibition. She added that The exchange is a gesture of goodwill and these gifts are representative of traditional skills or of cultural significance and speak of a nation of cultures history and traditions. Some significant pieces that are on display include signed photographs from former world leaders such as John F. Kennedy who along with his wife Jackie was invited to dine at the palace. Joining the personalised photo is a handwritten note that highlights Kennedys high esteem for his royal host. Another notable head of state whose gift sits in the exhibition is a silk scarf from then South African president Nelson Mandela. The scarf features bushmen hunting a herd of eland in South Africas Eastern Cape region. While the items on display are certainly of interest, the Queen has also received living animals which have found homes in the London Zoo. For example, a crocodile from Gambia in 1961, and elephant from Cameroon in 1972 and six Australian kangaroos in 1977. From French President Francois Hollande, the Queen also received 20 horses that were presented to her during a state visit to France in 2014. North Korea has abruptly canceled a beer festival that was to show the belligerent country's capital of Pyongyang in a fuzzier light starting Wednesday. The festival had been widely promoted by the state media and tour agencies, but apparently there was not enough to drink. Koryo Tours in China, which specializes in tours to North Korea, said on its blog on Sunday, "Sadly today we have been informed that the 2017 Pyongyang Beer Festival has been canceled. The reason for the cancellation is unclear and we don't expect full information to be forthcoming but it is possibly down to the ongoing drought in the country that has caused a great deal of trouble." The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said recently that North Korea is suffering its worst drought since 2001, and harvests have declined more than 30 percent compared to last year. But Unification Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-hyun here said Monday, "This may be related to strengthened international sanctions." Russia has roughly doubled oil shipments and other exports to North Korea even as the international community is working to turn off the spigot for the belligerent regime. Moscow is fast emerging as a powerful backer of Pyongyang at a time when even China seems to be having second thoughts, and has been at the forefront of blocking discussion of further sanctions in the UN Security Council. A government official in Seoul said on Monday, "There's something going on that the traditional Pyongyang-Moscow friendship alone isn't enough to explain. Moscow seems to be trying to squeeze in between Pyongyang and Beijing to raise leverage in its relations with Washington and Seoul." Upsurge in Exports The volume of trade most clearly shows the growing closeness between North Korea and Russia. According to data from the [South] Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Russian exports to North Korea amounted to US$48 million in the first five months this year, up 99.6 percent or nearly double the $24.04 million in the same period last year. In turn the North exported just $1.36 million worth of goods to Russia in the first five months, only about 30 percent of last year's volume. That way total trade volume between the two countries grew 71.9 percent to an all-time high. Jackson Owens follows up his hit single Cant Make It Right, with a new track from his debut EP, For The Better Chinese cruise travel market sails wave of growth From:Xinhua | 2017-07-24 11:06 CHINA has become the worlds second-largest market for cruise travel, according to industry reports. Since Italian cruise liner Costa Cruises came to China in 2006, annual growth for the cruise tourism market has exceeded 40 percent. By 2030, China will become the worlds largest cruise market, with 8 to 10 million customers each year, according to figures by the Shanghai International Shipping Institute. In 2016, more than two million people boarded cruises for overseas travel, according to the China Communications and Transportation Association. Ten Chinese ports, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, registered 996 tours by cruise liners in 2016, up 58 percent. Global cruise operators see great business opportunity in China, and more overseas cruises will operate in the country, said Wang Ping, deputy manager of the China district of Princess Cruises. There has been extremely fast growth in the Chinese market. But on the other hand, its market penetration is still low compared to North America and Australia, so there is great market potential, said Wang. According to Ctrip.com, Chinas largest online travel agency, cruise customers are expected to grow by 30 percent year on year in July. Since the start of this year, ports have been renovated to accommodate more cruise liners, and firms have also hiked the number of ships serving the Chinese market, said Ctrip in a statement. Cruise travel is becoming popular not only in larger cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou, but also in smaller cities such as Chengdu, Qingdao and Xiamen, according to Ctrip. There have been many bookings from third- and fourth-tier cities, and we will see more bookings from mid-western cities like Guiyang in the next three years, said Wang. It is important to improve service for tour operators to cater to the growing needs of Chinese travelers, she said. The Chinese tourism market has been developing rapidly as people have more money to spend. According to a report released by the China Tourism Academy and online travel agency giant Tuniu.com, around 4.7 billion domestic, inbound and outbound tourists spent 5.5 trillion yuan (US$816 billion) in 2016. Chinas tourist spending is expected to exceed 6 trillion yuan in 2017, it said. China plans to raise tourism revenue to 7 trillion yuan by 2020. Karry Lai Asia Reporter Managing IP Contact email linkedin Karry joined the Managing IP team as Asia Reporter in October 2017. She covers all aspects of IP across Asia. Based in Hong Kong, she is also the Asia Reporter for International Financial Law Review. She has been with Euromoneyas Legal Media Group since December 2015. Berbatov: Do not underestimate Fulham Article The ex-Red says United will have 'a problem' if they take another of his former clubs lightly on Sunday. Ram Nath Kovind Biography About Ram Nath Kovind Ram Nath Kovind, the former governor of Bihar, has been elected as the 14th President of India. Kovind was nominated as the presidential nominee by the NDA, the ruling arty of India. In the elections, Ram Nath Kovind defeated Meira Kumar. While Kovind bagged 65.65 percent of the total votes, Meira Kumar got just 34.35 percent of the votes. Kovind is a Dalit leader who hails from Uttar Pradesh. Kovind may have kept a low profile during his stint as a Rajya Sabha Member, but he has had an illustrious career wherein he has worked towards the upliftment of the marginalised society, especially the Dalits. Colleagues in Parliament remember him as a gentle, soft-spoken and yet a focused person. Before entering the world of politics, Kovind practiced as a lawyer in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years. He made a debut into the world of politics when he was elected as the Rajya Sabha Member from Uttar Pradesh in 1994. Kovind served for two consecutive terms as a Rajya Sabha MP from 1994 till 2006. During his appointment as the member of Rajya Sabha, Ram Nath Kovind has had the honour of representing India in New York as well as addressing the United Nations General Assembly in October 2002. Kovind has always worked towards uplifting the lives of the marginalised society. During his parliamentary tenure Kovind emphasised on the requirement of basic infrastructure for education in the rural areas. He helped in the construction of school buildings in Uttar Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme. Kovind has also been an active member of parliamentary committees like Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Parliamentary Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, etc. He has also held the office as a member of the Board of Management of Dr. B.R Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Humble Beginning Ram Nath Kovind represents the rural, agrarian, and economically and socially underprivileged sections of the society. Apart from belonging to the Dalit caste, Kovind has very humble beginnings. He is the son of a farmer and belongs to a lower middle class background. However, even at a young age Kovind knew the importance of education and armed himself with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and an LLB from Kanpur University. Family Ram Nath Kovind is married to Savita Kovind and has two children a son, Prashant Kumar and a daughter, Swati. Career After completing his LLB, Kovind proceeded to Delhi to prepare for the civil services examination. However, after clearing it in the third attempt, he opted out as he was selected for an allied service instead of IAS. He started practicing law. In 1971 Kovind was enrolled as an advocate with the bar council of Delhi. Kovind provided free legal aid to the weaker sections of the society including women, minority, as well as the poor under the Free Legal Aid Society in New Delhi. Ram Nath Kovind became an advocate-on-record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978. He served as the personal assistant of the Prime Minister Morarji Desai in the period 1977-78. Since then he has held other prestigious positions including that of the Central Government Advocate in the Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979, Central Government standing counsel in the Supreme Court for more than a decade from 1980 to 1993. Kovind practiced in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for about 16 years until 1993. Political Career Kovinds journey in the political world began in 1991 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Since then he has been a loyal member of the party and even donated his ancestral home in Derapur to the RSS. As a member of BJP, Kovind served as the President of the BJP Dalit Morcha between 1998 and 2002, and President of the All-India Koli Samaj. He was also the national spokesperson of the party. Kovind contested from Ghatampur and Bhognipur (Uttar Pradesh) assembly constituencies on the BJP ticket but lost both the elections. He was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in 1994 and held this illustrious position for two terms till 2006. During his stint as the Rajya Sabha MP, Kovind has travelled to Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States on study tours. Kovind was appointed as the Governor of Bihar on 8 August 2015 by the President of India, and since then he held the office till he resigned after being nominated for the office of the President of India. As the Governor of Bihar, Kovind has had a quiet innings but his non-confrontational conduct prompted the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been battling the BJP in the state, to praise him for his exemplary work as the Governor of Bihar. During his stint as the Governor of Bihar, Kovind constituted a judicial commission to investigate irregularities in promotion of undeserving teachers, mismanagement of funds and appointment of undeserving candidates in universities, for which he received a lot of praise and accolades from all fronts. Kovind As The President Of India The Office of the President of India, barring a couple of episodes, has been non-controversial since India gained independence in 1947. Kovind, with a gentle temperament, affable nature, an in-depth knowledge of the Constitution of India, and organisational skills is certain to fit smoothly into the job. His exposure to global politics while he served as a Rajya Sabha MP will also come handy because as the President of India he will receive and interact with leaders from across the globe. MARTINSVILLEPatrick Henry is the only volunteer fire department in Henry County with a first-responder program. Theres a question, however, for how much longer it can operate, as theres a severe need for volunteers. Its running on life support because of the need for volunteers, said Patrick Henry Chief Donald Turner. First-responders are trained to provide medical care in emergencies before more highly trained medical personnel arrive on the scene of an emergency. Patrick Henry isnt alone. All of the volunteer fire departments in Henry County find themselves in need of new volunteers. About 87 percent of fire departments in the United States are run by an all or mostly volunteer staff. In Virginia, 89.1 percent of fire departments are all or mostly volunteer. In Henry County, the volunteer departments include Horspasture, Bassett and Patrick Henry, as well as Collinsville, Fieldale, Ridgeway, Axton and Dyers Store. According to Turner, Horsepasture Chief Charlie Bradshaw and Bassett Chief Junior Lynch, recruiting volunteer firefighters isnt easy. Its become more of an issue as the years have passed by, with some people working two jobs, other things competing for their interest and declining volunteerism in general. According to the website for Pew Charitable Trusts, the number of volunteer firefighters in the United States fell about 12 percent from 1984 to about 788,000 in 2014, and the decline in volunteers has become more drastic in the last decade, as young people have moved from rural areas to bigger cities. Locally, Lynch said, fewer employers seem to be willing to grant volunteer firefighters paid time off to respond to fires, compared to years ago. Bradshaw, Lynch and Turner said that training and equipment are provided at no costs to volunteers. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to be a full-fledged firefighter, but local fire departments offer junior firefighter programs for people beginning as young as 14 or 16 years old, depending on the department. The junior firefighter program is like an explorer program. A volunteer firefighter must live within the geographical service area of the department and must not have been convicted of a felony. If you dont want to or are unable to fight fires, fire departments have plenty of other jobs for volunteers to do, including office work, driving trucks, directing traffic and fund raising. Training is provided free to volunteers who want to drive a fire truck and operate a pump. A number of people who started as volunteer firefighters have gone on to make it a career, after the training and experience they received as volunteer firefighters, the three fire chiefs pointed out. Firefighting is just one part of the work volunteer fire departments do. They also set up for helicopter landing zones, help rescue squads (for example lifting patients out of their homes), do fire safety education for the public, install smoke detectors, burn brush for people who cant do it themselves, assist when power lines are down, assist with traffic control, help police when there is a possibility of a meth lab or when tear gas may have to be shot into a house, help search for missing persons, and more. Theres something for everybody, Bradshaw said of the need for volunteers. Lynch said firefighting is in his blood. His father, Eugene Lynch, was a chief of the Bassett Volunteer Fire Department as well. Junior Lynch said when he became 16 years old people were expecting him to join the department, but he wasnt ready at that time. However, when he became 20 years old, he decided to give it a try. He got hooked when he experienced the lights, the siren and the adrenaline rush. Turner said: A volunteer is a special person.We do it for free because we love it. Bradshaw added, This is a way of helping your community. Lynch said the services provided by the eight volunteer fire departments in Henry County save taxpayers millions of dollars. For more information, contact your local volunteer fire department or the Henry County Public Safety Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hcdps/). According to the National Volunteer Fire Council website, volunteer firefighters in the United States provide nearly $140 billion worth of services annually. Without these donated services, many communities would be unable to provide emergency services protection at all while others would be forced to raise taxes to pay salaries and benefits for part- or full-time staff. MARTINSVILLEAfter being found guilty of second-degree murder in Henry County, a Martinsville man had been serving out his 22-year-sentence. Now more time has been added to that sentence, as he has been found in violation of a previous probation on drug charges. Martinsville Commonwealths Attorney Clay Gravely said Avery Montez Lampkins (of Eden, North Carolina) was on probation in Martinsville for convictions for several cocaine offenses, which he received in 2008. In 2016, Lampkins was convicted in Henry County Circuit Court of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. Recently in Martinsville Circuit Court, a judge sentenced Lampkins on the probation violation to 30 years in prison, with 15 years suspended, for a total active sentence of 15 years in prison, according to Gravely and court records. This will run consecutive to the 22-year active prison sentence he received on the Henry County charges, Gravely said. In June 2016, Henry County Circuit Court Judge David V. Williams sentenced cousins Avery and Dwayne Lamonte Lampkins of Martinsville for their roles in the shooting death of Curtis Daniel Duke Pritchett Sr. of Axton on March 15, 2015. Williams sentenced Avery Lampkins to 40 years in prison for the murder charge, but suspended all but 17 years. For the firearm possession charge, Avery Lampkins received five years in prison, with two years to serve. On the charge of using a firearm in the commission of second-degree murder, Avery received a three-year sentence. Combined, that means Avery Lampkins will serve 22 years in prison for the crime, not counting the additional time added on this week. A key witness for the prosecution during the trial, which was in late March 2016, was Laurie Berger. She testified that on March 15, 2015, Dwayne and Avery Lampkins and a man whose name she didnt know came looking for Pritchett at a mobile home on Price-Hairston Lane. She said when Pritchett arrived, Avery and Dwayne Lampkins got in a heated argument with Pritchett about where the money was and Pritchett said at one point, I didnt take your money. She said Dwayne Lampkins had a gun but wasnt pointing it at anyone and told Pritchett to come outside and take your medicine. Im not going to kill you. A bit later, she heard a shot outside, and Pritchett came inside and said a bullet had gone by his leg. After leaving the premises for a time, later on March 15, 2015, Dwayne and Avery Lampkins and a man named Kevin came back to the mobile home, Berger said. They were trying to get Pritchett to give them the money and there was an argument over $2,000, she added. A bit later, when the Lampkins men and two other men were outside the mobile home and Pritchett was inside, Berger said, she heard Avery Lampkins holler, Hes coming out the back. I heard Dwayne say, Oh, no, he aint, Berger said, adding that Avery and Dwayne Lampkins each was holding a gun and went into the backyard. Berger said she heard one shot when Avery had gotten around the mobile home heading for the backyard and a barrage of shots when Dwayne went around the mobile home heading for the backyard. She said she did not actually see the shooting. Berger testified that she had been convicted of more than 10 felonies and had been convicted of offenses involving lying, cheating or stealing. She admitted that much of what she told a 911 dispatcher when Berger reported the shooting was a lie and that she gave false statements to police the first two times before giving officers a truthful statement. She said she lied at first because she was afraid for her life. Henry County Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Wayne Withers argued during the trial that Dwayne Lampkins was the ring leader during the incidents leading up to the shooting, and that both Lampkins men were shooting as Pritchett was trying to escape. Withers said when Pritchett was bleeding to death, he was asked, Who did this to you? and he answered, Weed. Some trial witnesses said Weed was Dwayne Lampkins nickname. Dr. Gayle Suzuki, assistant chief medical examiner for the medical examiners office in Roanoke, testified during the trial that a bullet entered Pritchetts lower back on the right side near the hip and exited the front abdomen on the left side. The bullet went from back to front, right to left with no significant up or down motion, as it passed through Pritchetts body. The bullet passed through a blood vessel and some abdominal organs, and Pritchett bled out, meaning blood loss was the cause of his demise. In finding the Lampkins men guilty of the charges in early April 2016, Judge Williams wrote that he found Berger to be credible and believable notwithstanding her criminal record and lack of initial honesty. Williams sentenced Dwayne Lamonte Lampkins in June 2016 to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, with 17 years to serve; three years for using a firearm in the commission of a murder; five years for possession of a firearm by a violent felon; and two years for a probation violation for a total of 27 years behind bars, not counting what was suspended. Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin and can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com. Artificial intelligence is a hot topic on Chinas agenda. It has been endorsed by Premier Li Keqiang several times, and added to the Government Work Report in March 2017 and quickly became a trend. In the latest move, the State Council issued a guideline on AI development, saying it should exist everywhere and at every moment. The guideline says By 2020, China should catch up with world leaders in AI. AI should become a new economic growth engine and way to improve peoples lives. By 2025, breakthroughs should be made in AIs basic theory. AI should become a main driver of Chinas economy. By 2030, China should become the front-runner and global innovation center in AI. Premier Li and AI in this years two sessions In 2017, AI was written in the Government Work Report for the first time that the Premier delivered. We will accelerate R & D on and commercialization of new materials, new energy, artificial intelligence , according to the 2017 Government Work Report. AI got most public attention out of new topics in the report after the two sessions, according to a survey. During the sessions, a Chinese AI companys board chairman showed the Premier his companys latest product. The Premier has a longer history with AI On Oct 19, 2015, he talked with an AI robot Xiaodu (Little Du), made by Baidu Inc, at the Mass Innovation and Entrepreneurship Week. Premier: Why do people call you Xiaodu? Xiaodu: Because I was made by Baidu! Premier: How much data have you stored? Xiaodu: Too much! Premier: What is the value of todays PM2.5? Xiaodu: . (thinking) Premier: Do you know that innovation and entrepreneurship can benefit the environment? Xiaodu: Of course! On June 22, 2017, he bought a cup of coffee with face scanner. The Premier saw an innovation exhibition before attending a symposium on AI in Beijing. As he walked into the exhibition, he was identified by a smart check-in system, whose screen showed: Welcome Premier Li Keqiang. He then bought a cup of coffee by scanning his face at a smart vending machine. Someone said in Chinese: Hello, Premier. Today well have a meeting. Then a machine using language-processing technology immediately said the same sentence in English, while showing the translation on its screen. Why does the Premier attach so much importance to AI? We are living in the time of a profound technological and industrial revolution. We must seize the opportunity and adapt to the revolutionized change, Premier Li said at a symposium on June 22. He told scientists attending the symposium: It is now a great opportunity for scientific research. Every country is trying to become the front-runner. I hope you do your best. He told attending government officials: You should follow the steps of new technological and industrial revolution and do not become technology blind. He also said: The supervision on new technology, industry and business model should be inclusive and prudent. The State Council has issued policies to promote AI development: On July 24, 2015 AI was set as a key target in the internet Plus strategy. In March 2016 The 13th National Five Year Plan said China should make breakthroughs in AI technology. In April 2016 In the national robot industry guideline, AI was made a key field in scientific research again. In March 2017 AI was written in the annual Government Work Report for the first time. In July 2017 The guideline on AI development was issued by the State Council. RICHMOND EMILYs List, the group that trains Democratic women who support abortion rights to run for office, hosted a seminar in Richmond Monday for state House candidates. Organizers said the training is especially energetic this year because so many women, in Virginia and nationally, were motivated to run by the election of Donald Trump to the White House. Virginias 100-member House of Delegates is up for election in November, along with the statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. The off-year election is putting increased national focus on the state. Groups such as EMILYs List are angling for gains in the 2018 midterm elections in Congress. But before then, theres the commonwealth. We have got to change our legislature here in Virginia, Stephanie Schriock of Alexandria, the president of Emilys LIST, told a group of female candidates and staffers assembled at Reynolds Community Colleges downtown campus for a day of training on how to raise money, hire the right people and put together a message. Weve got to push like hell to get this done and thats what were doing here today. Fifty-one women filed to run for state House this year as Democrats, and the party now has a record 43 female nominees, according to the Democratic Party of Virginia. Two of those Democrats are in the Roanoke region: Djuna Osborne is challenging Del. Chris Head in the 17th House District in Roanoke and Botetourt counties and Roanoke, while political newcomer Stephanie Cook is challenging longtime Republican Del. Charles Poindexter in the 9th House District in Franklin, Patrick and Henry counties. More than 80 percent of Virginias 140 state lawmakers are men. Among the Democratic candidates at Mondays training were Kelly Fowler, a real estate agent from Virginia Beach, and Debra Rodman, a professor and the director of womens studies at Randolph-Macon College from Henrico County. Trainings like this show that were changing the face of what leadership looks like, said Rodman, who is challenging Del. John OBannon, R-Henrico, a member of the legislature for more than 16 years, in House District 73. (Map) Rodman won the Democratic nomination by beating three other candidates at a party caucus in April. Fowler is running against Del. Ron Villanueva, R-Virginia Beach, in House District 21, which includes parts of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. (Map) She won the June Democratic primary for the seat against Tom Brock, who had come under pressure from the party because of past social media posts about women that he acknowledged were totally inappropriate and offensive, and previous racial jokes on social media. Fowler said she decided to run after attending the Womens March on Washington with her daughter in January. I came to the conclusion that I had to run, Fowler said. I had a responsibility. She said she finds Villanueva unresponsive, especially on one controversial issue taken up this year by the GOP-controlled House: a symbolic resolution encouraging people to lower flags to half-staff on Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion, for a Day of Tears. The House passed the resolution 57-36, with Villanueva among the yes votes. Villanueva defeated female candidates in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He said hes noticed Trump has inspired many candidates to run but hes not Trump. I grew up in this district and Ive been re-elected several times. Im pretty visible. I go to virtually everything Im invited to, so to say Im unresponsive is incorrect, he said. This district is used to seeing competition, and its up to the people to make sure they vote for whoever they want. Schriock said the energy around Democratic women running for office is unprecedented this year. Since the November presidential election, she said, 16,000 women have contacted EMILYs List about possibly running for office. That compares with 920 over two years in the last election cycle, she said. With the GOP in control of the White House and the energy created by the womens march, Schriock said, she expects this year and next years congressional elections to bode well for Democrats. The Roanoke Times contributed to this report. WASHINGTON-If Rep. Morgan Griffith has his way, the mission of the Congressional Budget Office will be scaled back. On Monday, Griffith, who represents Virginias 9th district, filed an amendment to the spending bill set to be debated this week which would eliminate the agency's Budget Analysis Division, cutting 89 jobs and $15 million of the CBO's proposed $48.5 million budget. A separate amendment filed by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., would also eliminate the same division and specify that the CBO instead evaluate legislation "by facilitating and assimilating scoring data" compiled by four private think tanks - the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, and the Urban Institute. Both Griffith and Meadows are members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, but complaints about the CBO have been widespread among Republicans in recent months after the agency found that various iterations of the party's health-care legislation would result in an increase of more than 20 million uninsured Americans over the coming decade. Critics have attacked the CBO's analysis and pointed to its projections on the Affordable Care Act as evidence that the office, now led by a Republican-selected director, cannot be trusted to accurately analyze complex legislation. The criticism compelled the eight former directors of the CBO, which was created in 1974, to sign a letter Friday objecting to "recent attacks on the integrity and professionalism of the agency and on the agency's role in the legislative process." But conservatives say the CBO's scorekeeping function is best left to other outlets. "They're the one group that makes a weatherman's 10-day forecast look accurate," said Meadows, the Freedom Caucus chairman, during a Monday appearance at the National Press Club. "There's plenty of think tanks that are out there. And so we ought to take a score from Heritage, from AEI, from Brookings, from the Urban Institute and bring them together for a composite score that would represent a very wide swath of think tanks and their abilities. We think that's a pragmatic way to use the private sector and yet let Congress depend on a score that is accurate." The White House has also attacked the CBO's credibility as the health-care repeal effort has languished. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at times has criticized the agency's health-care estimates, but he also defended it from attacks last month, telling reporters that "it's important that we have a referee." "It is important that we have a scorekeeper," he said. "We can always complain about the nature of the score." The amendments are being offered to a $790 billion spending bill that combines appropriations for the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Energy and for Congress itself scheduled to come to the House floor for debate on Wednesday. The bill was largely written by Republicans and is not expected to garner support from Democrats, meaning that even if it passes the House, it is unlikely to emerge from the Senate intact. But the CBO provision could become subject to negotiations if it is adopted in the House. Both amendments take advantage of a recent change to House rules pushed by Griffith that allows any member to target discrete programs or even individual employees for reduction or elimination. The provision, known as the Holman rule, was in effect from 1876 until 1983. "When someone gives you bad advice again and again, why would you trust them to help you make big decisions?" Griffith said in a statement explaining his amendment. "I believe Congress would be better served if CBO becomes an aggregator of predictions made by third-party public policy groups across the political spectrum, from left to center to right." Mike Debonis reports for the Washington Post President Donald Trump and his administration have not won the praises of the majority of Massachusetts residents, according to a new poll released by Gallup. The study published the job approval ratings of the president in each state, and its findings indicate that only a little more than a quarter of the Bay State approve of Trump's performance in the first half of 2017. In Massachusetts, Trump received a 29 percent approval rating, a slight increase above Vermont's low 26 percent approval rating. California and Maryland followed closely behind with 30 percent approval ratings. The president's highest ratings came from the south and midwest: West Virginia voters gave the highest approval rating, at 60 percent, trailed by North Dakota at 59 percent and South Dakota at 57 percent. The results of the poll are based on daily tracking from Jan. 20 until June 30, according to Gallup. Findings are based on the research company's interviews with more than 81,000 Americans, and at least 220 residents in every state over the six-month time period. In Rust Belt states that helped swing the election last November, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, approval ratings remain below 44 percent. In total, 17 states gave the president an approval rating of 50 percent of higher, and an equal amount of states gave him an approval rating below 40 percent. Sixteen states gave Trump a rating between 40-49 percent. Gallup estimates the average national approval rating lies roughly around 40 percent. Although it is too early in the process to speculate, Gallup writer Jeffrey M. Jones says that presidents historically need an approval rating of around 50 percent to seek re-election. But if there is one thing the president is known for, it is shattering election expectations. Shawn A. Davis is now a free man, after a Hampshire Superior Court judge vacated his 2013 drug conviction after finding that his attorney had not warned him that his guilty plea in the case would likely lead to deportation. Davis, a green card holder from Jamaica who immigrated to the United States as a child, was arrested in Cummington and sentenced to a year in jail on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and drug conspiracy But after his release he filed to reverse his conviction, arguing that his attorney Geoffrey Nathan had not properly counseled him on his defense options and had not informed him that a guilty plea would lead to his deportation. In an affidavit, he wrote that he would have never agreed to his plea deal if he knew he would later have to leave the United States. "Specifically, Attorney Nathan reviewed a waiver of rights form and read it to me," Davis wrote. "When it came to the alien warning section, he told me I may be deported, but added that if I pleaded guilty I would 'be able to fly under the radar to avoid ICE' and that he thought 'deportation would probably not happen." In December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picked up Davis and brought him to a federal detention facility, where he has stayed as deportation proceedings move forward. Federal law states that permanent legal residents may be deported if they are convicted of a drug crime. Hampshire Superior Court Judge Richard Carey ruled in Davis' favor on Friday. And on Tuesday afternoon, ICE confirmed that the deportation case against him has ended. "ICE will terminate proceedings and Davis has been released," ICE public affairs officer Khaliid Walls wrote in an email. Nathan had disputed Davis' account in an affidavit, writing that he advised Davis that any motion to suppress the state's drug evidence would not succeed, and that Davis did not offer any defense and admitted that police had found cocaine in his car. The District Attorney's plea bargain would have expired at the end of the day, and Davis was eager to avoid a lengthy prison sentence, Nathan wrote. Drug analysis results included in the court filing showed that the substance found in Davis' car was cocaine, though those results were not available before Davis' plea hearing on July 12, 2013. Nathan also wrote that during his meeting with Davis and his family before the plea hearing, he advised them that a guilty plea would likely lead to deportation, and that his client accepted that possibility. But Carey wrote that he believed Davis' version of events, noting that Nathan missed a meeting at which he was supposed to discuss the case with Davis and then arrived at the courthouse just 15 minutes before the plea hearing on July 12, 2013. "It is inconceivable that Davis would have knowingly set himself up for deportation when the evidence shows that his entire life, his family and friends, are all centered in Albany, New York, where he has lived since he was a very young child," wrote Carey, who also oversaw Davis' original case in 2013. "These qualify as special circumstances which persuade me that it would have been reasonable for Davis to have rejected the plea agreement and instead to have taken his chances at trial." WORCESTER -- A defense attorney for an organized crime associate from Greater Springfield on Monday told a federal judge he plans to challenge a warrant investigators used to outfit a witness with a secret recording device and build an extortion case against four of five reputed gangsters. Lawyers for all five defendants gathered for the first time in front of trial Judge Timothy Hillman in Worcester on Monday afternoon. Arrested last August were Ralph Santaniello, Giovanni "Johnny Cal" Calabrese, Gerald Daniele, all of Longmeadow, along with Richard Valentini, of East Longmeadow, and Francesco "Frank" Depergola, of Springfield. They were accused in a federal indictment of various mob-related schemes including shaking down a Springfield tow company magnate and chasing a degenerate gambler for an extortionate debt, in Daniele's case. All have pleaded not guilty to the charges in previous proceedings. State police wired the businessman, labeled "Victim One," on Oct. 1, 2013, court records show. He recorded video and audio of meetings with the men after they allegedly arrived, unannounced, at his land in Hampden the day before, roughed him up and demanded $20,000 plus $2,000 monthly in "tribute" payments. Santaniello had discovered Victim One made similar payments to slain mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno before Bruno's murder in 2003, investigators have said, and arrived as a leader of a new administration. All five have been identified by law enforcement as longtime associates of the "Springfield Crew" of the New-York based Genovese crime family. Santaniello and Depergola also have been charged in a parallel indictment in New York City in connection with an extortionate loan they allegedly made at the encouragement of Genovese boss Eugene "Rooster," O'Nofrio, according to the charges. Federal agents became involved with the case sometime after 2013, but it is unclear when, based on public court records released so far. Hillman on Monday set a Dec. 11 trial date in the case. Marianne Shelvey, a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Gang and Organized Crime Unit, told the judge she expected a trial to last about a week. "Does this case look like it's going to trial?" Hillman asked lawyers in the courtroom. "As it stands your honor, but we reserve the right to keep negotiating" potential plea deals, Daniel D. Kelly, a lawyer for Santaniello, quipped, prompting laughter from the judge. Jared Olanoff, an attorney for Valentini, said he intends to file a motion to suppress video and audience evidence in the case, arguing the original warrant in the case was invalid and the wiretap unlawful. Valentini was, at best, a bit player in the alleged scheme to extort Victim One, Olanoff has said. His hulking figure appears nodding in affirmation in video from at least one meeting in Hampden but Valentini says little to nothing, Olanoff contends. Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Brendan O'Toole drafted the search warrant affidavit in 2013 and Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page approved it, lawyers in the case confirmed. Outside the Worcester courtroom yesterday, Shelvey countered that the original wiretap warrant in the case was completely valid, noting that it was sanctioned by Page. Hillman set November deadlines for motions to be filed by all defendants but Daniele, since he was not featured on any of the "Victim One" recordings, his attorney, Michael Entin, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, lawyer told the judge. "Is there anything else I can do to assist in moving this along?" Hillman asked. "Lower the guidelines," Entin joked, referring the federal sentencing guidelines, triggering more laughter in the courtroom. "If I could, I would," Hillman joked back. Only Daniele was present in the gallery yesterday. All but Santaniello were released on pretrial bail. Family of the murdered Joseph Shaw found his missing limbs in a backpack in his Brockton apartment Monday while on a stop to collect his belongings, reports The Boston Herald. Jacinda Shaw, 35, niece of the slain 44-year-old, said she and other family members showed up stunned and grieving to the Brockton District Court arraignment of suspect Kathryn Podgurski where they learned Shaw's body had been mutilated. Most could not stomach the proceedings and left sobbing. Some family then visited Shaw's Green Street studio apartment to gather possessions and noticed a backpack with blood on the zipper alongside a bureau. "It was heavy, and when I opened it, his foot popped up," Jacinda Shaw told The Herald. "We dumped it out on the bed, and there was another bag that we assume was his arm. We couldn't figure out why the police didn't find it. It was in plain sight." Podgurski, 33, of Brockton, on Friday night flagged down and led police to the Green Street apartment, where they found Shaw -- long-dead of "multiple, severe stab wounds ... consistent with a homicide," Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said. State police arrested and initially charged Podgurski with one count of accessory after the fact, but in court Monday she faced an upgraded charge of first-degree murder, on account of the evidence against her, detailed in a state police report. Massachusetts State Police spokeswoman Beth Stone on Monday confirmed to The Herald that members of the Shaw family found a backpack containing "what appears to be the missing limb portions" at the Green Street apartment. Investigation continues, said Stone, and the body parts were delivered by authorities to the medical examiner's office, where the rest of Shaw's remains are being held. Shaw's family reported him missing on July 17. He had last been seen at a family party a day or two before. In an interview with police, Podgurski claimed two men broke into the apartment and stabbed Shaw. Evidently skeptical, authorities soon reported that the death did not appear to be a random incident, as she was alleging. A Hampshire Superior Court judge has vacated the conviction of a Jamaican national facing deportation over his guilty plea in a 2013 narcotics case, ruling that the man's lawyer failed to warn him of the immigration consequences of admitting guilt. Judge Richard Carey on Friday ruled that Geoffrey Nathan, the former attorney of Shawn A. Davis, 32, did not advise his client that pleading guilty would almost certainly lead to deportation. "It is inconceivable that Davis would have knowingly set himself up for deportation when the evidence shows that his entire life, his family and friends, are all centered in Albany, New York, where he has lived since he was a very young child," wrote Carey, who also oversaw Davis' original case in 2013. "These qualify as special circumstances which persuade me that it would have been reasonable for Davis to have rejected the plea agreement and instead to have taken his chances at trial. Davis, an Albany, New York resident, is a green card holder who has lived in the U.S. since he was 6 years old, he wrote in an affidavit. Davis worked doing property maintenance for a real estate company in Albany before his arrest, which was the first time he had faced criminal charges. After his release from jail he began an associate's degree program, but was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after completing two semesters, he wrote. Davis pleaded guilty in 2013 to cocaine distribution and drug conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to a year in jail and released in 2014. In a brief interview, Nathan said he believes Davis does deserve an opportunity to stay in the country, but that he stands by an affidavit he wrote in which he denies giving inaccurate advice to his client. "This is a very strong family that rightfully persuaded the court that Davis, who had no prior criminal record should be given another chance at citizenship," Nathan said. "Now a judge has decided that that's the right thing to do." In that affidavit, Nathan wrote that he advised Davis that any motion to suppress the state's drug evidence would not succeed, and that Davis did not offer any defense and admitted that police had found cocaine in his car. The District Attorney's plea bargain would have expired at the end of the day, and Davis was eager to avoid a lengthy prison sentence, Nathan wrote. He also wrote that during his meeting with Davis and his family before the plea hearing, he advised them that a guilty plea would likely lead to deportation, and that his client accepted that possibility. "He understood and accepted that deportation would happen to him at the end of his committed jail sentence," Nathan wrote. "He did not express concerns about this to me and was nonchalant, and accepted deportation as inevitable." Davis signed a court document affirming he was aware of the risk of deportation prior to his plea, but Carey ruled that he did so under the flawed guidance of his attorney. And in his affidavit, Davis gave a very different account of his conversations with his lawyer. He wrote that Nathan never reviewed possible motions or defenses with him, and suggested he could avoid deportation even if he pleaded guilty. "Specifically, Attorney Nathan reviewed a waiver of rights form and read it to me," Davis wrote. "When it came to the alien warning section, he told me I may be deported, but added that if I pleaded guilty I would 'be able to fly under the radar to avoid ICE' and that he thought 'deportation would probably not happen.'" In December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picked up Davis and brought him to a federal detention facility, where he has stayed as deportation proceedings move forward. Federal law states that permanent legal residents may be deported if they are convicted of a drug crime. In his ruling, Carey noted the conflicting testimony on what was discussed when Nathan, Davis and Davis' sister met to go over Davis' criminal case. But Carey wrote that he believed Davis' version of events, noting that Nathan missed a meeting at which he was supposed to discuss the case with Davis and then arrived at the courthouse just 15 minutes before the plea hearing on July 12, 2013. "Nathan's flawed advice to Davis amounted to a 'serious incompetency, inefficiency or inattention of counsel -- behavior falling measurably below that which might be expected from an ordinary fallible lawyer,'" Carey wrote, quoting court precedent. ICE did not immediately respond to questions from MassLive about what Carey's ruling means for Davis' immigration status. Montana & Idaho Community Development Corporation https://mtcdc.org/ offers low-interest, long-term loans to public bodies, non-profits, and federally-recognized tribes in communities of less than 20,000 people. These direct loans can be used to purchase, construct or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment, and pay other project-related expenses. Learn more: https://mtcdc.org/loans/community-facilities/ The Buttercup Market and Cafe located at 1221 Helen Avenue is a magical gathering spot in the heart of the University District. Named after Buttercup Jacob, Molly?s grandmother and the matriarch of a Helena dairy farm, her spirit is instilled into what the market and cafe actually is. Buttercup was a Locavore before it was cool. She had the responsibility of feeding all of the hired hands and making everything from cheese to yogurt from scratch, using the best ingredients to get the best results. A recipe for quality. What makes strong communities like Missoula are the areas we hold in common; are able to gather and communicate with each other in person during a time when people are isolated. The market has a commitment to zero waste and conscious choice policies. This means sourcing food from across Montana, leaving the smallest possible carbon footprint & getting to work with two legs and your heartbeat. The building which houses the current businesses was built in 1914 as a market when this area was intended to be a commercial district. Since then there have been zoning wars whose dust have recently settled enabling Buttercup to thrive as a made to order food service joint. The place has a nostalgic vibe that harks back to Freddys Feed and Read, a co-op market and bookstore that was here in the from 1973 to 1998. The best chefs in town all had come through the doors. Many others had since tried their hand running a business at the address, and it was not until 2010 that the current ownership spent a full year renovating the building to its updated condition and had the zoning changed in 2013. To be well liked and loved within your neighborhood seems to be a common element that threads it way through this town like the rivers. The Buttercup has other functions than just serving coffee and tea or a fancy brunch on a man bun; it serves the current needs of the regular customers who frequent and depend on the place. There is an area upstairs in the original apartment which can be rented by the hour, or day as an office or meeting room that has served the purpose of university classroom and political campaign headquarters. An aged Wurlitzer piano sits in an adjoining room for anyone who feels the need to hammer away at the keys. The piano shares a room with a book binder who also shares with groups who meet to knit or discuss hot topics around the campfire. This business is currently FOR SALE and offers the best of the past and is set it up to succeed in the future. Business Website: http://www.thebuttercupmarket.com/ Contact Molly Galusha at [email protected] or (406) 541-1221 http://www.bhhsmt.com/commercial-for-sale/1221-Helen-Avenue-Missoula-MT-59801-217485016 *** Wed appreciate it if youd mention that you found this opportunity on MATR.net Thank you. New research suggests that measuring amyloid beta in the blood could help identify people with altered levels of amyloid in their brains or cerebrospinal fluid, a marker of Alzheimers disease. Decades before people with Alzheimers disease develop memory loss and confusion, their brains become dotted with plaques made of amyloid beta, a sticky protein that is thought to contribute to the disease and its progression. Posted by Tamara Bhandari Full Story: http://www.futurity.org/alzheimers-disease-blood-test-1492362/?utm_source=Futurity+Today&utm_campaign=d181849804-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e34e8ee443-d181849804-203916893 BDO (Kenya) has taken cognizance of the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the sale of shares in Britam HoldingsLtd (Kenya) published in Mauritius on 27th July 2021. Sandeep Khapre and BDO (Kenya) are taken aback by the loops and whorls in the narrative of the Report characterized by astounding inaccuracies and take strong exception to the flowery comments and prejudicial findings contained therein. Both Sandeep Khapre and BDO (Kenya) are intent in seeking appropriate redress before the relevant courts of law. BDO (Kenya) shall never compromise on professional integrity. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Le PPS sest exprime le 20 juillet 2021 lors de la partie consacre au projet de loi presente par la ministre de lEducation au Parlement. 1. Mr Speaker Sir, I thank you for giving the floor to me to bring my humble contribution to the debate on the Institute of Technical Education and Technology Bill in this August Assembly. 2. This Government has a clear vision for developing the potential and talents of our youth and direct them towards a brighter path with better prospects. Our inclusive education system aims at providing a career path to each and every young learner while concurrently ensuring that no one is left behind. This Government has been consistently reviewing our education system to ascertain that it remains innovative, robust and responsive to industry needs and ever-emerging gaps. 3. Mr Speaker Sir, as we are discussing a bill relating to the education sector, I have a special thought for our students. Allow me to avail of this opportunity to pay a special tribute to all the teaching staff, non-teaching staff, officers from other public and private bodies and parents for their commendable efforts, hard work and precious time to put in place various facilities to allow students to continue their studies in the midst of the second wave of Covid-19 cases. We are fully cognizant of the stress that the prevailing situation brings to our young innocent students. In this regard, Government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that students continue their studies in the best possible manner and in a safe, secure and conducive environment. We would here like to wish all the very best to these students. 4. Mr Speaker Sir, coming back to this bill, it is a very important piece of legislation which will no doubt shape the destiny of this country by providing an all-inclusive and holistic system of education for the benefit of the youth of this country. The very object of this bill is, first and foremost, to provide for the setting up of the Institute of Technical Education and Technology to operate and manage technical education centres. It will assist technical education centres in providing opportunities and pathways to students pursuing studies in technical and technology education. It will subsequently enable the country to make a judicious and effective use of its human resource capital. 5. Here, I would like to congratulate the Hon Mrs Leela Devi Dookhun Luchoomun, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology for having introduced this vital piece of legislation which will pave the way for a better, holistic and all-inclusive education system that will cater for the well-being of the young generation of this country. 6. Mr Speaker Sir, this Bill is in line with the vision of Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister, to enhance the education system in order to meet the aspirations and needs of the country and its population. He has pledged to the nation that his Government will bring the necessary reforms to modernize and transform the education sector. Here I would like to refer to paragraph 33 of the Government programme 2020-24 which reads as follows: 7. I quote In line with the education reform policy, an Institute of Technical Education will be set up to create opportunities and path ways for students to pursue studies in technical education. Unquote 8. This is a concrete example of another achievement of this Government under the stewardship of the Prime Minister. Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth has stood by the pledge he made to the nation in November 2019. I am convinced that the population will judge this Government along the line of its programme implementation and draw their own judgement and conclusion against those who are indulged in demagogies and hollow promises. 9. Mr Speaker Sir, we would all recall that Mauritius has emerged from a monocrop economy based on agriculture to a diversified economy underpinned by the development of textile, manufacturing, service and other emerging sectors. The tremendous progress achieved over the years was largely attributable to reforms introduced in our education system. A vivid example is the creation of the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) back in 1989 under the vision of an MSM government led by late Sir Aneerood Jugnauth the then Prime Minister. At that time, the country was in dire need of skilled labour to respond to the needs of our booming textile and other manufacturing industries. Further reforms were subsequently brought to the education sector to adapt to an ever-changing world and this led to the creation of several institutions at different stages, notably, Lycee Polytechnique Sir Guy Forget, Ecole Hoteliere, the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development, Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd. and now the Institute of Technical Education and Technology. 10. Monsieur le president, je partage la meme ambition avec notre gouvernement qui est de conduire les ameliorations necessaires depuis longtemps a la qualite de lenseignement technique dans ce pays refletant limpact des reformes de ce gouvernement sur la qualite de lenseignement. Les reformes de ce projet de loi sont fondamentales pour la vision du gouvernement de veiller a ce que tous les peuples, independamment de leurs antecedents, aient des regles du jeu equitables pour realiser leur potentiel et aient des voies de haute qualite pour assurer non seulement leur propre avenir, mais aussi les competences dont les entreprises mauriciennes ont besoin. 11. Monsieur le president, au-dela des mesures du projet de loi, le gouvernement a pour mission fondamentale de reformer la societe afin de realiser notre vision dun systeme deducation qui fonctionne pour tous. Leducation est au cur de notre ambition de faire notre pays une veritable meritocratie. Cest pourquoi nous avons place la responsabilite des premieres annees, des ecoles, de lenseignement superieur et de la poursuite, des competences des adultes et de lapprentissage dans un seul departement. Je suis confiant que ce projet de loi nous permettra de poursuivre la transformation de lenseignement technique dans ce pays pendant que nous continuons delaborer des propositions pour un systeme scolaire qui fonctionne pour tout le monde. 12. Monsieur le president, ce projet de loi sur leducation technique et technologique fait avancer lambition du gouvernement de rationaliser lenseignement technique afin dassurer des voies claires vers lemploi qualifie. Ces reformes placeront les employeurs au cur du systeme de competences, ce qui leur permettra dutiliser les competences dont ils ont le plus besoin. Soutenir les individus a une vie demploi qualifie durable contribuera non seulement a stimuler la productivite et la croissance de notre economie conformement a notre strategie industrielle, mais il permettra egalement de realiser la vision du gouvernement pour une economie qui fonctionne pour tous, et pas seulement pour les quelques privilegies. Les mesures du projet de loi sappuient sur les progres que le gouvernement a deja realises en investissant dans des apprentissages de haute qualite. 13. Monsieur le President, lavancement dun pays se mesure surtout au bien-etre de sa population, le vivre ensemble et aussi le progres pour chacun de nos citoyens. Ce progres, Monsieur le President, passe par notre systeme deducation et de formation. Un systeme qui doit evoluer selon la demande dans le monde de lemploi. 14. Nous avons fait un grand pas en avant compare a plusieurs autres pays, dans le developpement de notre secteur deducation tertiaire. Il y a les universites publiques : LUniversite de Maurice, LOpen University et LUniversite de Technologies de Maurice et aussi les branches duniversites internationales. Nous avons aussi fait denormes progres dans la formation technique avec la creation de lIVTB en 1989. Depuis, des dizaines de milliers de nos compatriotes ont pu suivre des cours et ont pu sintegrer dans le milieu professionnel. Nombreuses des entreprises du prive ont pu se developper grace a la connaissance de ces jeunes. Toutefois, levolution de la technologie et consequemment dans le systeme de production requiert des qualites plus avancees en terme de connaissance de la technologie. Et nous navons pas dautre choix que la formation de nos jeunes dans cette filiere. Nous devons aussi regarder les choses en face. Un manque de connaissance precise de notre main-duvre nest pas encourageant pour les entreprises dinvestir a Maurice. Nous devons nous adapter a la demande du marche. 15. La formation dans le domaine de la technologie permettra aussi une meilleure efficience pour les PME. Le mecanicien par exemple, doit pouvoir diagnostiquer les failles dun vehicule a travers son laptop. Cest pour ces raisons que nous debattons aujourdhui de ce projet de loi. 16. On the other hand, Higher level skills will be capital to be able to rise again to a status of a high income economy. Various Business and industry sectors have been actively lobbying to eliminate the gap in Competencies and skills as compared to that required in the job market. The mismatch between the job seekers and what the industry requires is another major reason for some of our youngsters not securing employment. This led to the introduction of Youth Employment Programme, YEP, Graduate program for employment scheme GTES and Service to Mauritius scheme. 17. Mr Speaker sir, No country in the world has been able to maintain itself as a high income economy without the development of its technical education stream. 18. The problem earmarked for vocational training is that it has traditionally prepared individuals for jobs in the lower and middle level of the skill spectrum. Consequently, the decline of medium-skilled jobs is a particular challenge. The skills gap arises not because vocational education is not producing graduates with the right attitudes and skills. It is in fact because jobs at this level are declining. 19. We are struggling in the 21st century to face the challenges of emerging technologies. Now the economy wants something else. Something unique and creative. Something our education didnt cover Higher level technical education. 20. Mr Speaker Sir, technical education is part and parcel of a holistic education system that responds to the various learning needs and interests of our young learners. It helps in the orientation of individuals towards the acquisition of practical skills and constructive attitudes required in a work place, thus enabling them to pursue specific occupations in a variety of fields. There is also an urging need to keep pace with emerging technologies by providing relevant up to date training to our students on these new technologies. It is important to highlight that we are venturing into new and high-growth potential sectors such as the ocean economy, the digital economy, renewable energy, life sciences, amongst others. Concurrently, the Government has to design an overall system that provides young people with clear educational routes and options that ultimately lead to employment as professionals in specific fields. 21. Mr Speaker sir, several hon members have already debated on various clauses of the Bill and hence I do not intend to delve into them again. 22. Mr Speaker Sir, I will conclude by stating that this is a time for bold decisions as our country is still fighting the waves of the Covid 19 pandemic. Our population is our greatest asset and upskilling each of them in the desired way is going to have a compounded effect in terms of productivity and resilience. This bill is all about inclusiveness while creating new opportunities to our youth and enabling them to contribute in a greater manner in the building of a better society for one and all. 23. For the first time in decades we are beginning to see a realisation that if we do not prepare all school students for the world of work, and if we are to provide the skills that our country needs, then the dial has to be reset. 24. This Bill will, in fact, reset the dial of technical education and technology in Mauritius. 25. Education is a lifelong process of empowerment. It helps us to grow and develop as individuals. It empowers us to become emphatic individuals, build our self-confidence and exploit our skills and strengths. 26. Education is the passport for the future and tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. Education is all about investing for the future. 27. This Bill will pave the way for students to have a technical education of excellence, unlocking their full potential and preparing them for the world of work. 28. Finally, this Bill will provide the necessary legal and institutional framework for boosting technical education and technology in the Republic of Mauritius to newer heights. 29. Mr Speaker Sir, with these words, I fully support the provisions in this Bill. Only a few appointments remain for anyone wanting to meet with conservation experts from the N.C. Museum of History at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort and learn how to preserve their family heirlooms or antiques. Textile conservator Paige Myers and objects conservator Jennifer French, who have nearly 40 years of conservation experience between them and work at the state museum in Raleigh, will be at Mountain Gateway Museum, located at 24 Water St. in Old Fort, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12, to answer questions and offer their professional advice. However, they will not provide estimates on objects value, according to a news release. Appointments with the conservators must be scheduled in advance by calling Mountain Gateway Museum. Each appointment can last up to 30 minutes, reads the news release. If a participant has both textiles (i.e., clothing, quilts, flags or anything made of fabric) and objects to be examined, a separate appointment must be made with each conservator. Each participant can bring a total of three pre-approved items. The items must be pre-approved for the publics safety and to protect the museum against serious infestations. Please do NOT bring any objects with live ammunition, unexploded dynamite or other armaments; textile or wooden objects with mold, bugs or pests; or any hazardous chemicals, such as acetone, barium, strychnine or ether, reads the news release. This free service is part of a Conservation Assistance Day program held four times a year across the state as part of the North Carolina Museum of Historys educational outreach efforts. To make an appointment with the conservators or to receive more information about this program, call Mountain Gateway Museum at 828-668-9259. New research has identified a key mechanism that allows cancerous growths to proliferate, or multiply, in the brain. This has led scientists to develop a new drug that could be used to inhibit malignant cells. Share on Pinterest A specific enzyme plays a key role in the growth of glioblastoma tumors, researchers show. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute, every year in the United States, there are more than 40,000 new cases of, and deaths caused by, cancers of the brain and nervous system. Of these, glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, and it has a very poor survival rate, as per the Genetic and Rare Disease Information Center. Researchers have found that a particular population of cells within the main tumor, called glioma stem cells , are responsible for the tumors formation, its resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and its high recurrence rate following treatment. Dr. Ichiro Nakano, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Dr. Maode Wang, from Xian Jiaotong University in China in collaboration with colleagues from both institutions have now identified the mechanism that keeps glioma stem cells from transforming. The researchers have also designed a new molecule inhibitor, allowing them to test the newly discovered mechanism as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma. They report their findings in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Enzyme responsible for tumor resilience The study was prompted by the researchers observation that OTS167, a cancer cell inhibitor, failed a clinical trial. This discovery led Dr. Nakano and his team to look into the mechanism that allows glioblastoma to withstand this inhibitor. Their investigation revealed the evolution of NEK2, an enzyme that plays a role in regulating cell division, following treatment with OTS167 in the case of glioblastoma. NEK2 is crucial in glioma cell cloning in vitro, and in the growth and endurance of the tumor, as observed in vivo. In the experiments conducted throughout the study, it was noted that NEK2 binds to another enzyme called EZH2 , which is responsible for preventing the system from suppressing malign tumors. The binding stabilizes EZH2, allowing cancerous growths to proliferate. The researchers explain that blocking this interaction is key. Disrupting the NEK2-EZH2 interaction in cancer cells has the potential to target their cancer stem cell compartment. This strategy may serve as a new therapeutic approach for recurrent tumors and a subgroup of primary tumors. EZH2 is not confined to glioblastoma; the expression of the gene that encodes the enzyme was also noted in other types of cancer, and its over-expression often leads to negative treatment outcomes. The researchers also investigated the links between the EZH2 and NEK2 genes in tumorous brain tissue collected from 44 glioblastoma patients. They found a connection between NEK2 and EZH2 expression, both of which were associated with poor patient outcomes. The largest study of HIV transmission to date finds that HIV-positive men whose virus levels are undetectable as a result of treatment do not transmit the virus to their sexual partners. Share on Pinterest A new, large-scale study reports zero cases of HIV transmission among male homosexual couples with differing HIV statuses. Almost 37 million people worldwide currently have HIV, and 1.2 million adults in the United States are living with the virus. Although the death rate from HIV has dropped significantly over the past few decades due to public awareness campaigns and the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the transmission rates for the virus remain high. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the year 2015 recorded 2.1 million new infections all over the world, a level that the NIH deem unacceptable. However, recent results from a landmark study offer hope for a drastic reduction in HIV transmission. In fact, according to the new research, HIV-positive homosexual men who have an undetectable viral load as a result of diligently taking their medication do not transmit the virus to their partners after having unprotected sex. The study, called Opposites Attract, was carried out by the Kirby Institute in Sydney, Australia, and the results were presented at the ninth International AIDS Society conference, held in Paris, France. This is the largest study to have ever investigated HIV transmission risk among male homosexual couples with different HIV statuses. Study builds on previous research HIV treatment known as ART reduces the virus levels in the body, stopping the virus from damaging the patients immune system, and in some cases, even reversing this damage. Additionally, ART treatment can prevent the transmission of the virus if the medication is taken daily and as prescribed. If medication is taken consistently, virus levels are reduced to the point that they become undetectable. Two previous studies have investigated HIV transmission rates among couples with differing HIV statuses. In 2011, one study showed that ART treatment reduced the chances of HIV transmission from an HIV-positive person to their HIV-negative sexual partner by 96 percent. However, these results overwhelmingly regarded heterosexual couples. Therefore, the so-called PARTNER study aimed to investigate whether the same applied to male homosexual couples. This study examined heterosexual and gay couples alike, and found zero HIV transmissions from partners with an undetectable viral load. Now, the Opposites Attract study has looked at homosexual couples exclusively. Researchers have found that a detailed examination of the degree of tissue type mismatch between donors and recipients can help determine how much medication an individual recipient will need after transplantation. The findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), may help guide transplant physicians in choosing the appropriate doses for individual patients. Nearly all kidney transplant recipients require life-long treatment with medications to prevent their immune system from attacking the transplanted kidney. If the dose is too low, the immune system can cause irreversible damage to the kidney; however, if the dose is too high, the medications can cause serious side effects such as infection or cancer. Currently, doctors have no reliable tool to predict which patients would require more or less medication to control their immune system. Such a tool would allow physicians to "individualize" or "personalize" therapy and give patients the optimum doses required. Chris Wiebe MSc, MD, FRCPC (University of Manitoba and Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, in Canada) and his colleagues looked to see if the extent of mismatch in the tissues of the donor and the recipient, when studied at the molecular level, provides such a method. The investigators analyzed more than 50,000 medication levels in 596 kidney transplant recipients in the context of the degree of molecular mismatch between recipients and their donors. After following patients for a median of 7 years, the researchers discovered a strong correlation between the percentage of medication levels that were low and the development of antibodies against the transplanted kidney. Importantly, low medication levels were better tolerated in patients who had a low molecular mismatch with the donor, whereas patients who had a high molecular mismatch score were more likely to develop antibodies unless they were maintained at higher medication levels. "Recent advances in transplantation have allowed physicians to understand the degree of tissue type mismatch between donors and recipients at a much more detailed level than ever before," said Dr. Wiebe. "Using the results from this study, physicians now may be able to select medication doses tailored to the individual instead of treating all patients the same way." Article: Class II Eplet Mismatch Modulates Tacrolimus Trough Levels Required to Prevent Donor-Specific Antibody Development, Chris Wiebe et al., Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, doi: 10.1681/ASN.2017030287, published online 20 July 2017. Smokers who undergo a CT scan of their lungs are more likely to quit than those who don't, concludes a trial led by Cardiff University. The findings of the study, looking at the effect of CT screening on smokers at high-risk of developing lung cancer, dispute the belief that a negative screening result offers a 'licence to smoke' and reveal that engaging with lung screening can give smokers an opportunity to access smoking cessation support, at a time when they are likely to be receptive to offers of help. Dr Kate Brain, Reader at Cardiff University's Division of Population Medicine, said: "Our trial shows that CT lung cancer screening offers a teachable moment for smoking cessation among high-risk groups in the UK. We now need evidence about the best ways of integrating lung cancer screening with stop-smoking support, so that services are designed to deliver the maximum health benefits for current and future generations." The trial, led by researchers at Cardiff University working with the University of Liverpool, King's College London and Queen Mary University, involved 4,055 participants aged 50-75 years who were randomised either to a group who underwent low-dose CT screening for early detection of lung cancer, or to a control group who did not undergo screening. Of the smokers who took part in the screening, 10% had successfully quit after two weeks, and 15% had quit at two years - both higher than rates in the control group. The UK Lung Cancer Screening (UKLS) pilot trial is the first to assess the feasibility, cost-effectiveness and behavioural impact of lung cancer screening, using a single low-dose CT screen on a high-risk population in the UK. Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer and has the highest mortality of all cancers in the UK. Around 44,500 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK. The UKLS pilot trial was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme. Article: Impact of low-dose CT screening on smoking cessation among high-risk participants in the UK Lung Cancer Screening Trial, Kate Brain et al., Thorax, doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-209690, published online 14 July 2017. VIDEO Ucraina a recunoscut pentru prima oara ca a atacat cu drone maritime flota Rusiei din Crimeea. Primul USV achizitionat prin United24 se va numi Herson SEATTLE July 24, 2017 Thailand Thailand's Tanya Hart Thailand Southeast Asia the United States $1.8 billion /PRNewswire/ -- Titan Hemp (www.titanhemp.net), a leading provider of hemp products and extracts, announced that it has secured the exclusive global rights to market, sell and distribute all hemp originating in. This blockbuster deal has been developed with True Hmong Global Distribution Ltd, a Thai company that has been granted exclusive permits by the Thai government to manage all farming and exports of the nation's commercial industrial hemp.The deal gives Titan Hemp exclusive rights tohemp program, which will grow to over 1 million acres within the next 5 years.Titan Hemp, under the leadership of Co-Founders Amy Ansel and, has grown to become a worldwide leader in the sourcing and distribution of premium quality hemp and hemp-based products.The industrial hemp, fiber and hurd fromis grown to specific characteristics, making it ideally suited for fiber complex composites, bioplastics for car manufacturing, plastic composite replacements, and a wide range of industrial applications, including: carbon nano-sheets, building materials, high performance super capacitors, furnishings and high tech fabrics.Titan Hemp continues to cultivate relationships with US and European manufacturers that are interested in obtaining high quality industrial hemp for a wide range of applications.Titan Hemp is also developing a supply chain to provide high-grade hemp for pharmaceutical quality oil extraction exports fromThe company is working with chain stores inthat are looking to expand their line of hemp-based products a market that is forecast to reachwithin the next 3-years.With their pipeline of almost one million acres of sustainable supply, Titan stands to become one of the largest global suppliers of hemp.The company will soon be announcing the opening of a second round of financing to ramp up production. Qualified and institutional investors, entrepreneurs, and family offices are urged to make inquiries now to receive preferential consideration.For information on Titan Hemp, visit: www.titanhemp.net.Manufacturers, retail outlets and investors are asked to call the company, at: 507-407-HEMP.: info@titanhemp.netwww.titanhemp.netfacebook.com/titanhemp@titanhemp View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/titan-hemp-secures-exclusive-rights-for-global-marketing-and-distribution-of-all-hemp-products-from-thailand-300492689.html SOURCE Titan Hemp Nigeria is adamant that the sailors should be tried in court. The charges against them will be slapped once they reach the country. The News in Brief Estonian, Lithuanian, Slovak Foreign Ministers on S.Ossetia Borderization The Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Lithuania and Slovakia, as well as the EU Neighborhood Commissioner, commented on the recent installation of the border sign in the area of the Bershueti village in the Gori District, adjacent to the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia. The statements were voiced in response to Rustavi 2 TV at their press engagements before the EU Foreign Affairs Council on July 17. Linas Linkevicius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania This is yet another example of the ignorance of our statements and opinions, and it is very good that sanctions are working, they are in place. It is yet another argument to keep them, I believe. They are not introduced because of this [borderization], but nevertheless, it also has to do with the policy of Russia. We have to continue with a consistent consolidated policy and although it is not on the agenda, it is always on the radar screen Of course escalating tensions from Georgian side will not be an option. [Georgia should] continue to act responsibly, to continue to consult with international partners and definitely we have to make sure that there will be some difference in this, because Russia is usually testing our vigilance, testing our resilience, testing how far they can go not only with regard to this borderline, but also with regard of the policy in general. Miroslav Lajcak, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic We have to be firm and clear, Georgias territorial integrity is beyond doubt and we have to reaffirm it again. Sven Mikser, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia This is not a topic for todays discussion of the foreign ministers of the European Union, but obviously as the Estonian Foreign Minister, I can say that we very much support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. I believe that all the actions by all external actors that violate the territorial integrity of Georgia have to be condemned in the strongest terms. Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations I am not quite familiar with the most recent events, so I do not want to comment. But once again, we condemn every kind of violation of territorial integrity and this is something that has not changed and will not change. (civil.ge) ,b>Ambassador to Greece says dozen of Georgian citizens were made go back to their country According to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Greece, Ioseb Nanobashvili, there were several dozen cases wherein Georgian citizens were made go back from Greece to Georgia after the enactment of visa liberalization. As Ioseb Nanobashvili told journalists, he does not have complete statistical data, but the main reason for the abovementioned was the absence of relevant documents. "A total of 10 people were forcibly returned to Georgia from the main international airport alone. The main reason was the absence of any relevant documents. At the same time, there is a problem related to transportation by vehicles, but no written application has been received at the embassy in this regard. This is the information we have learned from our compatriots," Nanobashvili told journalists. (ipn) Deputy Foreign Minister T. Quick will be travelling to Tenedos today, via Istanbul, to attend events in celebration of the feast day of Agia Paraskevi. The festivities will also be attended by His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew. In the opening address at the 11th General Assembly of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA), which took place at the Hellenic Parliament's Senate Hall, Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick highlighted the need for reform of the functioning of the WHIA on all levels. "With the passing of two decades and today's election of its new Governing Board, the WHIA must carry out self-criticism and take stock of itself with regard everything it has and has not done during the two decades of its existence. Let it consider amendments to its statutes and forms of action, in the interest of the Greek community abroad and of Greece itself," Mr. Quick stressed, adding that "It is very important to see young and middle-aged MPs whether regional, federal or national in the WHIA ranks. Encouragement of the younger generation of the Diaspora, which has reached the third, fourth or even fifth generation, must be our common goal. Of course there are also members of older and mature generations, who, from positions of responsibility, mainly in Greek Diaspora organizations, have much to offer through their wisdom. We have to marry this wisdom with the education and dynamism of youth. But a small portion of the diaspora having already made its contribution and now just hanging on to positions in their respective diaspora communities cannot continue, in many areas of the world, to hold back our Greek communities." Deputy Foreign Minister Quick also presented, for the first time, a scheme for encouraging the creation of a Global Network of Greeks Abroad who are serving as elected officials in local governments, whether they be mayors or sit on municipal councils. "There are elected mayors like Mr. Alahouzos and Mr. Kritikos, in Tampa, Florida in many countries. People involved in local government have greater access to local communities. Their constituencies are not necessarily members of the Greek community. They are native citizens or citizens with roots in other countries. These are the people among whom we need to promote Greece on all levels. National issues, cultural issues, greek products, promotion of tourism, etc. In short, a WHIA that functions properly on governmental levels, and a Global Network of Greeks Abroad serving in local government, with access to local communities. This is a combination that can succeed through good coordination." Mr. Quick referred to the upcoming bill on the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, again stressing that, by law, it will be self-regulated and self-funded. "I wish we could change the name of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), which, I am told by many Greeks abroad, brings to mind bad memories, particularly in latter years," Mr. Quick observed. "Unfortunately, the name is established in the Constitution, but of course there is room for amendments via the Constitutional revision." At this point, the Deputy Foreign Minister referred to the discrete roles of the State and the Church, noting that there is no legislative involvement in the SAE bill. The two "branches" of the Diaspora that is, Organizations and the Church will be fellow travellers, but they will be involved in actions that both deem necessary for the interests of the Greek community abroad. "No one can deprive the Church of its role. In any country where Greek immigrants arrived, the first thing they did was to arrange for the building of a church; the creation of a parish around which they could rally. As the years passed, the parishes became Communities, then Brotherhoods, then Associations, then Federations. The Church, Orthodoxy, to be more precise, was and still is a strong bridge between the Diaspora and the homeland." Mr. Quick then referred to the voting issue, making assurances that work is already under way on a government level, in a follow-up to the corresponding work done by the Parliament's Diaspora Affairs Committee. "The issue of voting rights for Greeks abroad falls within the competency of the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry's Secretary General, Kostas Poulakis, has already made important public statements," Mr. Quick said, closing his speech with special reference to the young people who have left Greece in the 'brain drain' and to the action plans for capitalising on their presence abroad; action plans being drawn up jointly by the Secretaries General of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Development. CASS CITY - During a special meeting, the Cass City Village Council selected Ted Andrzejewski as the new village manager. "The council selected him, but he hasn't been officially hired yet," explained interim Village Manager Lou LaPonsie. "They requested MML (Michigan Municipal League) do a background check on him before making it official. After a background check is done, MML will make a recommendation to us." Andrzejewski has a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Buffalo, and a master of business administration from John Carroll University. He recently completed a mentoring assignment as city manager in Canandaigua, New York. He served as city manager in Menominee, and as mayor, safety director and economic development director for the city of Eastlake in Ohio. He also has a financial and marketing background. However, television station WHEC ran a story that said, "Embattled Canandaigua City Manager Ted Andrzejewski may be headed back to Michigan, if he's chosen to become the new manager of the village of Cass City. Andrzejewski was placed on administrative leave with pay from his position in Canandaigua on June 9. Mayor Ellen Polimeni cited 'personal issues of his' as the reason for the action." "I completed my mentoring assessment of one year to one and a half years to train the assistant city manager," said Andrzejewski. "So what I was hired to do in Canandaigua as a city manager was completed. My work was done. To finish out my assigned time, I was placed administrative leave with pay. That was the way they worded it." "There were no issues," he added. If his background check works out and he is officially approved by the council, it will be a return to Michigan for him. "I was city manager in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan," he said. "It is a beautiful state, and I look forward to returning there. I enjoy small towns, and Cass City has a lot to offer." Initially, 14 candidates applied for the Cass City manager position, and five were selected for interviews during the July 15 meeting. Instead of a seven-member council, there are currently only five members making decisions. Trustee Steve Erickson resigned May 22, and Trustee Mark Karwowski resigned June 26. The remaining council members have taken no action to replace them. The plan is to offer the new manager an annual salary between $65,000 to $75,000 in the community that has about 2,428 residents. A new manager is being sought to replace Peter Cristiano who resigned in January after 12 years in that position. On Feb. 8, the council hired former Cass City manager Lou LaPonsie as interim manager. There will be a committee of the whole meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and the regular village meeting is at 7 p.m. July 31. UPPER THUMB -- A litigation issue between Internet provider Air Advantage of Frankenmuth and the federal government has been resolved. In March 2016, a lawsuit was filed in United States District Court in Bay City against the Internet company for allegedly defaulting on a $13.9 million loan and alleged breach of agreement. Air Advantage officials responded with a counter suit in August 2016, disputing the amount of money owed and the action taken against them for termination of their promised funding. Air Advantage provides broadband service to consumers in 13 counties in Michigan, including Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac, Saginaw, Bay, Lapeer, Bay and Midland counties. The case was later transferred to U.S. Federal Court in Flint. On Friday, the litigation between Air Advantage and the United States government was dismissed in Flint Federal Court. "We're happy that this is over and that a fair and amicable resolution for both parties was reached so this issue can be put behind us," said Scott Zimmer, president and CEO of Air Advantage. "We are now eager to turn our full attention to providing fast, reliable Internet services to our business and residential customers." The settlement agreement is confidential. The company was to receive $64 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, of which part was a loan and part grant that didn't have to be paid back. The money was to be used to expand broadband coverage to 13 "unserved and underserved" rural communities in southeast lower Michigan, expanded with 180 towers, add 450 miles of fiber, tripled the number of employees, and connected 26 educational institutions with other schools in Michigan. Because the funding was stopped, the amount at issue in the litigation was $13.9 million, but the settlement agreement was less than that, noted Zimmer. "The issue of money came up about six months into the agreement," Zimmer said. "The government stopped providing funds. Litigation is challenging. We are happy this is behind us now. We are ready for a fresh start." "We're appreciative of our customers, both new and old, for their patience as this matter was resolved," Zimmer added. With the legal issue resolved, Air Advantage is ready to totally focus on providing and improving its Internet service. "Providing affordable commercial-grade Internet service to business and residential customers throughout our region has always been our goal," Zimmer said. "Our next step will be concentrating on and doing equipment upgrades. One of the things we will be working on is LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband technology service." BAD AXE Two codefendants accused of being involved in recent Bad Axe meth lab busts appeared in Huron County Circuit Court on Monday for arraignment. However, one suspects hearing was adjourned until next week. Gregory Delmarter, 33, of Mount Pleasant, and his attorney Dallas Rooney, stood before Judge Gerald M. Prill on charges of operating a meth lab, possession of meth, operating a meth lab near specified places, controlled substance-meth lab with hazardous waste, and three counts of delivery/manufacturing meth. On behalf of his client, Rooney pleaded not guilty to all seven counts. A two-day jury trial was set for Nov. 28. Were going to have several motions between now and the trial date, Rooney said, while requesting a Walker hearing. A plea cutoff date was set for Nov. 22, but as of Monday, the Huron County Prosecutors Office has not offered Delmarter a plea deal. A final pretrial was scheduled for Nov. 6. Before adjourning, Rooney told Prill he would be filing a motion for change of venue because of the coverage pertaining to the case in the media. Bond was continued at $20,000 cash. Codefendant Ray L. Lane, 33, of Bad Axe, then stood before Prill with his attorney Andrew Lockard at his side to be arraigned on a single count of operating a meth lab. Lockard pleaded not guilty on his client's behalf, but prior to setting a trial date, Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski told the court of a plea agreement on the record. If Lane took the agreement, he would plead guilty as charged, Rutkowski said. But if he didnt, the prosecutor's office would file additional charges as well as a habitual offender status, he said. Before making a decision, the proceeding was adjourned until 10 a.m. on July 31 in order for Lockard and his client to discuss the agreement. The charges Delmarter and Lane face stem from two methamphetamine lab busts in May. The morning of May 26, police seized 20 grams of processed meth from a Whitelam Street home in Bad Axe and also discovered an inactive cooking operating at a barn on Sullivan Road in Verona Township. Four other individuals, who have recently admitted their guilt through plea agreements, were also arrested following the busts. Michael A. Boyce and Jonathan P. Boyce, of Bad Axe, and Denise W. Williams and Billie Jo Angell, of Mount Pleasant, each pleaded guilty to meth-related charges. They all await sentencing in August. As of Monday, Williams remains free on bond and the other five codefendants remain lodged in Huron County Jail. The Trump administration and House Republicans suffered a stunning setback Monday night in the failure of a floor vote on a controversial bill to extend the VA's Choice program allowing veterans to choose private health care. The vote on the House floor was 219-186 in favor, but the emergency funding bill still failed under the two-thirds majority vote required under the rules that brought the legislation to the floor. The failure to pass the bill left the future of the Choice program in doubt. Funding for the program was expected to run out in mid-August and House Republicans had counted on moving the bill to the Senate for quick passage this week before going on August recess. Earlier, Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the main sponsor of the bill, said "We know that veteran demand for care through Choice has never been higher and consequently the remaining money in the veterans Choice program will run out in mid-August, a few short weeks from now," he said. Related content: "We cannot allow that to happen," Roe said, but he did not immediately offer a plan to revive the measure in the House. Thousands of veterans reportedly have had referrals to private care held up as Congress debated an extension of Choice, and thousands more would lose eligibility for referrals without an extension and renewed funding for Choice. The House began moving toward a vote Monday afternoon on the controversial Choice extension bill that was opposed by several veterans service organizations (VSOs). In the floor debate, Roe sought to allay the concerns of the VSOs that the proposed legislation was a smokescreen for efforts to privatize VA health care. "I fail to see the logic" of the VSOs in arguing against an extension of the program that allows veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility or who have to wait more than 30 days for an appointment to become eligible for private or community care, Roe said. "I think it's critical to get this done," he said of the extension of Choice through February to give Congress time to work on reforms demanded by the VSOs. "We're very aligned on the goals here," said Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., the ranking member on HVAC, despite "opposition rarely seen from the VSOs" to the Eliminating the Sunset Date of the Choice Act legislation. He urged House members to "get this thing passed and end this ridiculous argument on privatization versus non-privatization." Walz said there would be ample time to debate the merits of Choice once the extension was passed, but he was having difficulty holding Democrats on HVAC in line. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said "it's time for us to recognize that private care is not the panacea. The VA Choice program has failed to deliver on the promise of shorter wait times. I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation." Brian Duffy, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said at the opening of the VFW's national convention in New Orleans that the extension bill went against one of President Donald Trump's pledges to veterans. Duffy said Trump promised the VFW last year that the "VA would remain a public system, because it is a public trust." He urged VFW members at the convention to call their representatives immediately and urge them to vote "No" on the extension. Ahead of the vote, VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin made an appeal for an extension and reform of the Choice program that would preserve the VA's role as the primary health care provider and avoid over-reliance on private and community care that would weaken the system. He said "fears of privatization are simply unfounded. President Trump is dedicated to maintaining a strong VA, and we will not allow VA to be privatized on our watch," Shulkin said in an op-ed for USA Today. "What we do want is a VA system that is even stronger and better than it is today. To achieve that goal, VA needs a strong and robust community care program," Shulkin said. He added that "veterans deserve the best. If a VA facility isn't meeting the community standard for care, doesn't offer a specific service, or doesn't have an appointment available when it's needed, veterans should have access to care in their community." Over the weekend, several VSOs in a joint statement said, "All of our organizations are committed to building a future veterans health care system that modernizes VA and integrates community care whenever needed so that enrolled veterans have seamless access to timely, quality care." "However, if new funding is directed only or primarily to private sector 'Choice' care without any adequate investment to modernize VA, the viability of the entire system will soon be in danger," the statement said. The document was endorsed by the VFW, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America and Wounded Warrior Project. The $10 billion Choice program was enacted in 2014 to address the wait times scandals that emerged from the crisis at the Phoenix VA hospital. The program was due to sunset in fiscal 2018 but its popularity has exhausted the funding that was expected to run out in mid-August, according to the VA. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. 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... The House and Senate scrambled Tuesday to come up with a bill that could pass bipartisan muster on extending the Veterans Choice Program on private health care before it goes broke next month. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is "actively talking with his Senate and minority counterparts about the path forward" following the stunning defeat on the House floor Monday night of the $2 billion Choice extension bill he sponsored, according to an HVAC spokeswoman. "He is committed to getting this done so veterans can have the certainty and access to care they've earned and deserve," the spokeswoman said. In a statement following defeat of the bill, Roe suggested he had been blindsided by Democrats. "Last week, during a bipartisan member meeting, members of both parties came together and agreed to fund the Choice program for six months while Congress worked on other reforms," he said. "This was a bipartisan agreement, and I'm disappointed the concerns raised on the House floor today were not mentioned during what I thought was an open and honest conversation," he said. Congress is up against two deadlines in finding an alternative. The House is expected to go on August recess next week, and funding for Choice allowing veterans to seek federally paid health care in the private sector could run out as early as Aug. 7, according to Roe. Without an extension, thousands of veterans would be cut off from referrals to private care and third-party administrators would go unpaid. Roe said the proposed $2 billion Choice extension "would have ensured the Choice program remained funded for the next 6 months -- solving our most pressing issue and preventing yet another access crisis like the one that led to the creation of Choice three years ago." He referred to the wait-times scandals at the Phoenix VA in 2014 that led to enactment of the Veterans Choice Program, making veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility or have to wait more than 30 days for an appointment eligible for private or community care. The program has become a victim of its own popularity. It was originally set to expire in August 2017, but VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin initially thought there would be enough money left over from the $10 billion authorized to keep it going into fiscal 2018. By then, Congress would have had time to make needed reforms and extend the program. However, demand for Choice among veterans, which was up by 30 percent for the first six months of 2017, exhausted the funding. Roe's extension bill was brought to the House floor for a quick vote under a suspension of the rules normally reserved for non-controversial legislation such as the naming of Post Offices. The suspension required a two-thirds vote for approval, but the bill fell short on a vote of 219-186. Lobbying against the bill by eight Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) was a main factor in its defeat and demonstrated their political clout. "I appreciate and understand that some Veterans Service Organizations raised concerns with this legislation to fund Choice, and my door is always open to hear their concerns and ideas to make VA work for veterans," Roe said in his statement. The bill was opposed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America and Wounded Warrior Project. The VSOs saw the House bill as an aggressive move to favor private care over improvements to the VA health care system, and they objected to the diversion of funds from other VA programs to pay for the proposed $2 billion extension. The bill would have extended pension reductions for Medicaid-eligible veterans in nursing facilities and continued collecting fees on housing loans guaranteed by the VA. The cuts were put in place in 2014 and were set to last until Sept. 30, 2024. The bill would have moved the end-date to 2027. In a joint statement following defeat of the House bill, the eight VSOs said there is now an opportunity for "the House and Senate to work together in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to rapidly reach agreement to continue funding the Choice program uninterrupted in the short term -- without forcing veterans themselves to pay for it." "We thank all those members who voted to reject this unacceptable legislation and call on them and all members of the House and Senate to work together, and with us, to quickly find a reasonable solution that we can all support." Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., the ranking member on HVAC, said, "The House majority did not build the necessary consensus among Democrats, Republicans, and our nation's well-respected veterans service organizations, who almost unanimously opposed this legislation, to pass the bill." Rep. Annie Kuster, D-New Hampshire, voted against the bill, though New Hampshire lacks a full-service VA hospital and veterans there are more reliant on private care. She said, "Unfortunately, the legislation considered this evening would not have improved the Veterans Health Administration at a time when we need to be bolstering support for our veterans." On the Senate side, Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has been working to reach a compromise. His office and that of SVAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the ranking member on SVAC, introduced a bill earlier this month that would provide equal levels of extra funding for Choice and VA programs. Currently, more than 30 percent of VA appointments are in the private sector, up from fewer than 20 percent in 2014, as the VA's more than 1,200 health facilities struggle to meet growing demands for medical care. If funding for the Choice program runs out, veterans will wait longer for appointments and won't be able to return to their private-sector providers for care, Dr. Poonam Alaigh, acting VA undersecretary for health, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee in June. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. A U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol ship was forced to fire warning shots from its .50-caliber machine gun Tuesday when a boat belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy made an unsafe approach in the Arabian Gulf. The USS Thunderbolt, a 174-foot patrol craft homeported in Bahrain, had been participating in a coalition exercise in international waters within the gulf when the Iranian vessel approached the Thunderbolt, a defense official told Military.com. Related content: The Iranian vessel did not respond when bridge-to-bridge communication was initiated by the U.S. crew, the official said. As the vessel continued to approach, the Thunderbolt initiated a series of warning measures, included warning flares and then five short blasts of a whistle, an internationally recognized danger sign. Despite these efforts, the Iranian vessel continued to come inbound, the official said. Related Video: Ultimately, the vessel came within 150 yards of the Thunderbolt. The crew fired warning shots, which finally stopped the craft. A spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Lt. Ian McConnaughey, told Military.com that the shots were fired from one of the Thunderbolt's two .50-caliber machine guns and they were limited in number. "The important takeaway is that the Thunderbolt went through an exhaustive series of radio hails, warnings (five short blasts) and fire flares prior to firing warning shots in front of the Iranian vessel," he said in an email. Related Video: Officials characterized the actions of the Iranian boat as "unsafe and unprofessional," and not in accordance with international norms for interaction at sea. While the interaction occurred exclusively between the Thunderbolt and the Iranian vessel, there were a number of other U.S. ships in the vicinity during the encounter, McConnaughey said. They included the Ticonderoga-class cruiser Vella Gulf, the Coast Guard Island-class patrol boats Maui and Aquidneck, and an Army logistic support vessel, the James A. Loux. Unsafe interactions between U.S. and Iranian vessels are far from uncommon. In late April, the guided-missile destroyer Mahan was forced to fire warning flares to halt the approach of an IRGCN vessel in what was the seventh such encounter of the year. But while Navy officials in the past have provided tabulations of encounters to date, McConnaughey indicated they will no longer offer that information. "While in the past we have discussed the number of interactions, even just one interaction like this is cause for concern," he said. "This type of behavior is not in accordance with international law and created an unnecessary risk of collision that could have led to potential miscalculation and escalation." "Of note," he continued, "we actually had several other interactions with some smaller Iranian vessels following this one that were safe and professional. It is our desire to see more of that type of behavior going forward." The Associated Press reported in April that there had been 35 unsafe and unprofessional encounters involving Iranian craft in 2016, and 23 the previous year. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Military family emergency leave is absolutely available for family emergencies. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense does not consider giving birth to be an emergency unless your life or the life of the baby is suddenly in danger. So when can a service member get emergency leave? Whether a situation at home warrants emergency leave and -- when the service member is not at his duty station -- transport back is ultimately up to his or her commander. Generally speaking, military family emergency leave is given only if a direct family member -- such as a mother, father, wife, child or sibling -- dies, is seriously injured or has another type of major medical emergency. Emergency leave may also be granted for catastrophic life events. In our experience, the types of events that warrant emergency leave depend on whether the service member is already at home. For example, if a service member is not deployed, he might be given leave from his home duty station to visit a very sick family member. But if he is deployed and must be sent stateside for the emergency, the leave might be denied. Even if the service member is not granted military family emergency leave, he or she can still use the emergency Red Cross message system. That system is used to give official notification of events that often do result in leave, such as the death of a family member. But it is also used to pass down official notification of other urgent messages, such as the birth of a child. Doing so ensures that your service member gets word that your child was born even if he is on patrol or away from normal communications for a few days. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. Four veterans-turned-entrepreneurs explain how their failures have ultimately made them more successful. Failure often gets a bad rap, but is it really all that bad? While success is the goal and failure is frequently heartbreaking and difficult to swallow, it is also inevitable. You won't get every job, you won't close every deal, and you won't win every contest. No matter how smart, talented, and successful you may be, you are going to face obstacles at some point. But according to these veteran small business owners, the only way you eventually find success is to fail a lot. These four vet-turned-entrepreneurs all faced challenges when they were getting their businesses off the ground, but with lots of grit and determination and with help from StreetShares and their many military and veteran investors who are passionate about supporting veteran-owned businesses they were able to achieve success. Task & Purpose asked these four veteran entrepreneurs to share what they've learned on their journeys to success so that future business owners are better prepared the next time they're looking adversity in the face. First, accept that you can't prevent failure. Army veteran Brian Slaughter, 42, had an MBA, a background as a military officer, and a previous small business under his belt when he opened The Smokey Cigar in 2009. But even with such a packed resume, he, like most other entrepreneurs, faced daily failure. "You fail every day," he says. "In the beginning, it was a struggle to learn that." But, he says, the opposite too much success too fast is just as hard to deal with. For Slaughter, the challenge he knew he could learn to tackle was managing his cash flow. After his first year in business, though he was turning a profit, he was hit by unexpected taxes and expenses. "You think you're successful and then April rolls around and you're overwhelmed," he says. So Slaughter learned to better project his expenses and income. And a few years later, when his business had grown and he was ready to open his third location, he turned to StreetShares to help him find the capital he needed to expand without landing him in a financial hole. "Find the failures you can effect change on, identify the root cause of that failure, and go after it," Slaughter explains. Next, embrace the suck, at least in the beginning. It will be worth it down the road. "During your first year, you suck," Nick Koumalatsos says. "Your ideas suck. So you have to adapt and be flexible and evolve." A Marine Corps veteran, Koumalatsos, 34, went into business for himself because he wanted a challenge and wanted to provide civilians with the great lessons he'd learned for himself in the military. Now, Koumalatsos stars on the Discovery Channel'sTrailblazers series, and he's trusted by military units, police forces, and militias for his leadership and tactical training. But while his company, Survival Tactical Systems, is now a successful business, it didn't start out that way. He, like many small business owners, had to be willing to reimagine his business before eventually hitting on the right iteration of his original idea. "I feel like I succeed and fail every day," Koumalatsos says. "You have to own up to the decisions you make. There are things I've done better today than yesterday. You just need to focus on putting one foot in front of the other." Once he figured out what it was he should be doing teaching civilian clients leadership, teamwork, and survival skills using military-style training Koumalatsos got a loan from StreetShares so that his business could grow without having to cut back on the services he was providing clients. And it's easy to see why Survival Tactical Systems received funding: It's the kind of business that veterans can easily understand and support, as the company is founded on the kinds of training and camaraderie that all service members experience in the military. "When you have time to think about it and work through it, you'll always come back stronger," Koumalatsos says. Make sure when you do fail, it's early enough to learn from your mistakes. While Combat Flip Flops may be a familiar name to those in the veteran community, the company very nearly failed before it ever started. Army vet Matthew "Griff" Griffin, 37, always knew he wanted to have his own business, and while in the military, he frequently bounced ideas off his friends and future business partners. Eventually, he landed on Combat Flip Flops, but Murphy's Law reared its ugly head and everything that could feasibly go wrong did. "We failed so many times," Griffin says. The first time he failed was when the company launched. "We pre-sold 4,000 flip flops based on demo models without ever having made a single piece of footwear," he says. "It seemed too good to be true." And it was. "When we went to place the material orders," he says, "the factory could only do one run they were being shut down." And it didn't stop there. The first run of flip flops was, well, a flop, and they ended up giving them away for free to locals in Afghanistan before starting a new run in a second factory. But the second factory closed before the replacement order could be made, leaving Griffin and his partners in the lurch. But he didn't give up. "We made 4,000 pairs of flip flops in my garage to get the company going," he explains. "It was lots of hard work, but 'surrender' is not a Ranger word." Griffin credits the Army with his ability to accept and even appreciate failure. "The military purposely puts you in complex situations to make you fail, and then they give you the skills you need to help make sure you don't fail in the same way again," he says. Now, Griffin knows to expect the unexpected. Instead, thanks to help from StreetShares investors, Combat Flip Flops was able to increase production. Griffin expects this year's sales to triple their 2015 numbers. Because they donate up to 20% of their profits to charity, in 2015, they provided Aid Afghanistan for Education enough funding for 21 years' worth of schooling for Afghan girls. Finally, enjoy the process regardless of your success. When Zachary Green, 42, started MN8 Foxfire, the Marine Corps veteran and local firefighter didn't have boatloads of money or investors. What he did have, however, was passion for his product. Green first came up with the idea for MN8 Foxfire after learning that New York City had passed a law requiring all buildings over three stories to have photoluminescent guidance in hallways and stairwells. He wondered why the fire department didn't have similar gear to help his men see in the dark, smoky environs in which they worked. He tested his first product photoluminescent bands to wrap around firefighters' helmets on himself, wearing his into a fire and startling his colleagues with the visibility the band provided. Green was immediately bombarded with requests for his product from firefighters he knew, and he made $5,000 in sales in his first six months of business, selling his product out of the trunk of his car. But that sort of growth isn't sustainable without some serious cash flow, and Green ended up refinancing his home and maxing out his credit cards in order to keep his business going. "I never got scared in the Marines or the fire department," Green says, "but entrepreneurship is the scariest thing ever." To get through the worst of it, Green had to "embrace the suck." As a small business owner, he didn't have the same advantages that Fortune 500 companies enjoy. He couldn't compete on money and resources, so he had to be able to do the job faster, be more flexible, and be willing to dedicate himself to the job in ways that CEOs of bigger companies might not. For a business like Green's, success is not just about the money he makes, but about the people he helps. So when money was tight, he turned to StreetShares. Thanks to a StreetShares loan, he was able to keep the doors open, ensuring that the people who counted on his product for safety had what they needed and arming more than 60,000 firefighters worldwide with life-saving photoluminescent gear. "The only way an entrepreneur can fail is to quit," Green says. While all these entrepreneurs admit that achieving success as a small business owner isn't easy, they all agree that it's worth it and that the community surrounding veteran-owned businesses is one of the best resources and biggest perks. "Entrepreneurs are local leaders," Griffin says. "They're the ones having the biggest impact on their communities." By investing in small businesses, you're investing in that community. And now, thanks to StreetShares, individuals have the opportunity to invest in veteran-owned businesses, which ensures that the community will continue to grow and flourish, and produce many more success stories. This article was written by StreetShares, who has partnered with Task & Purpose to bring together veteran business owners in search of funding and everyday Americans looking for a better way to grow their savings. For as little as $25, you can start supporting veteran-owned businesses and earn 5% interest on your money. This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. More articles from Task & Purpose: Spill Response and Absorbent Products for Oil, Gas and Hazardous Waste on Land and in Water Mustang.jpg (Ford Media) The 2018 Ford Mustang GT is being touted as the automaker's fastest version ever, as it will make 460 horsepower, 420-pounds of torque and go 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds. Ford was quick to point out in a Monday, July 24 news release that the 2018 Mustang GT is faster than Porsche's $94,000 911 Carrera. Another impressive addition to the Mustang is the addition of the Drag Strip mode, which is said to optimize torque, transmission and its Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires to aid performance in straight-line driving. -- For those wondering, the 2017 model makes 435 horsepower and 400-pounds of torque. "Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time," the Ford Mustang's chief engineer Carl Widmann said in the release. "In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn't drop when you're shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission. "Gearing matters, and in Drag Strip mode, this car launches better than ever off the line." Other changes to the Mustang GT include a new 10-speed automatic with the 5.0-liter V8, which the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker says comes redesigned. Ford says this new 10-speed results in driver's enjoying more responsiveness, performance and "more accurate, quicker upshift and downshift capability." "Compared to the outgoing six-speed, the new 10-speed automatic has quicker shift times and better low-speed tip-in response," the release reads. "It's uniquely tuned for all five drive modes - normal, sport, track, Drag Strip and snow/wet. Steering wheel-mounted shift paddles allow drivers maximum manual control." Starting Tuesday, July 25 people can refer to this website to build and price out their own personalized version of the 2018 Mustang. These new Mustangs will hit dealer showrooms sometime this fall, Ford reports. As for the non-GT Mustangs, those will come with a new front- and rear-end design, improved aerodynamics, no V6 option, and improved technology on the inside and out. One of the most noteworthy additions is the new magnetic ride suspension, which Ford has coined MagneRide. Some other expanded technology features include a memory function that remembers the driver's preferences, pre-collision assist and pedestrian detection. There are three new paint color options and 12 different wheel choices, which gives "owners more ways than ever to customize the car to their preferences." It comes with a 2.3-liter Ford EcoBoost engine, 5.0-liter V8 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. While the V6 option is no more, the manual V8 has been redesigned to offer more torque and to streamline clutch modulation. Several neighborhoods throughout Wyoming are planning celebrations to observe National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 1. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in an effort to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Neighborhood events typically involve food, music and an opportunity to meet neighbors, local elected officials and public safety officers. Wyoming residents have been observing National Night Out for several years and the focus on neighborhood collaboration is being noticed by public safety officials. "Our residents are our first line of defense when it comes to preventing crime and ensuring safety," said James Carmody, director of public safety for the City of Wyoming. "Through events like National Night Out we are able to bring neighbors together and continue strengthening our city, overall." The following events are currently planned in Wyoming: Consumers Energy Kick Off Event with Mayoral Proclamation, 4000 Clay Ave. SW: 5:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. Grace Bible College, field just west of Clyde Park on 26th Street: 5-7 p.m. Taft Avenue, 2860 Taft Ave: 5-8 p.m. Rogers Lane Neighborhood Watch, 2929 Rogers Lane: 5:30-8 p.m. Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St.: 6-8 p.m. South Godwin Neighborhood Association, Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE: 6-8 p.m. Ferrand Estates Clubhouse, 4528 Halifax Ave. SW: 6-8 p.m. Calvary Church, 3500 Byron Center Ave. SW: 6-8 p.m. Riverview Condos Clubhouse, 3325 Scenic River Drive: 6-8 p.m. Cross Creek Greens Condo, 900 block of 52nd St: 6- 8:30 p.m. Oriole Park Neighborhood Watch, 1380 42nd St.: 6:30- 8:30 p.m. Rolling Hills Neighborhood Watch, 2523 Oak View: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 43rd Street, 2400 block of 43rd Street, 6:30-9 p.m. Residents are encouraged to turn their porch lights on for the evening of Aug. 1 and spend time outdoors meeting their neighbors, especially in those areas that aren't hosting a formal event. Public safety officials remind the public that knowing your neighbors and looking out for each other is one of the most effective crime fighting tools and it is completely free. For more information, visit the city website at . LANSING, MI - An administrative law judge says the Ann Arbor Education Association committed an unfair labor practice in requiring a teacher to pay a service fee to the union for the 2015-16 school year. Judge Julia Stern issued her decision on June 30 in the case of Pioneer High School teacher Ronald Robinson versus the AAEA, which is an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association. Robinson initially filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission in February 2016, after he was charged a union "service fee" despite deciding in August 2015 to resign from the union. Stern ultimately sided with Robinson, saying Michigan's "right-to-work" law prohibits unions from requiring employees to join a labor organization or otherwise financially supporting it - even though the Ann Arbor Education Association's agreement at the time pre-dated the right-to-work law. Michigan's right-to-work law went into effect on March 28, 2013. The new requirements for collective bargaining and prohibiting union security agreements applied to contracts entered into after that date. Stern's decision on Robinson's complaint relied heavily on the outcome of a similar 2015 case involving Taylor School District employees. In that case, the Michigan Employment Relations Commission ruled that the Taylor teacher union's attempt to delay implementing provisions of the right-to-work law with a 10-year contract constituted an unfair labor practice. The decision was appealed and is now pending before the Michigan Supreme Court. Robinson was a member of the AAEA from 1993 until August 2015, when the MEA acknowledged in a letter his desire to resign his union membership, according to court documents. In December 2015, Robinson received an information packet with a form that gave him the option of joining the union or paying a service fee. Robinson did not return the form, and in February 2016, the MEA charged him $495.36 for the service fee. That was when Robinson filed the unfair labor practice charge, claiming he should not be required to pay the fee. The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation joined the case representing Robinson in May 2016. In the 2015-16 school year, the Ann Arbor Education Association was under a contract initially agreed upon for 2009-2011, according to the decision filed in Robinson's case. The 2009-11 AAEA contract included a clause that said teachers would either pay dues to become members of the union or pay an "agency shop fee." The contract ultimately was extended through the 2015-16 school year with multiple Memorandums of Agreement. Like in the Taylor Schools case, Stern found that the AAEA ratified a new Memorandum of Agreement after the Right to Work law had passed and shortly before it went into effect. Because of the timing, Stern said the union security agreement in the AAEA 2013 memorandum was "unlawful and unenforceable." "As in Taylor, Respondents (the AAEA and MEA) unquestionably understood, when they entered into the 2013 MOA, that the Legislature's intent was to make union security agreements unlawful, at least prospectively," Stern wrote in her decision. She ordered that the AAEA and MEA cease interfering with Robinson's right to refrain from financially supporting the labor organization, and members of the AAEA must be notified of the unfair labor practice within 30 days of the decision. Robinson does not have to pay the 2015-16 union service fee. ANN ARBOR, MI - The Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development is seeking input from the public to develop a plan to broaden fair housing in Ann Arbor. The Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Plan was created to "push the community to look at historic patterns of segregation and poverty," the county announced earlier this month. The county is partnering with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission to host focus groups and public meetings to gain a feel for the potential housing disparity between targeted communities and the rest of the county, said Teresa Gillotti, housing and infrastructure manager with the Office of Community and Economic Development. "We want to take a lot of the data we'll be gathering, and the conversations we'll be having, and find out if these are the right concerns and challenges being faced by these communities," she said. "That's what we want to test out in these focus groups, making sure we're hearing from residents 'is this the right thing we should be concerned about for your neighborhood? Is it accurate?'" The goal of the plan is to undo former policies that have helped perpetuate economic and racial segregation while improving neighborhoods. Gillotti pointed to historic practices like denying home loans to black residents and forming restrictive covenants against any non-white residents, which has shaped the landscapes of current neighborhoods. She pointed to areas like College Heights in Ypsilanti or south of Miller Road in Ann Arbor as examples. Along with the focus group meetings, the county is also conducting an online survey targeting residents unable to attend the meetings. The survey is offered both in English and in Spanish, and includes questions on why residents choose their neighborhoods and ratings of different aspects of their communities, based on cleanliness, conditions of the sidewalks, and other attributes. The online portion closes Friday, Aug. 4. Between 300 and 400 people have already responded to the survey, Gillotti said. Focus areas include Bryant, Platt Road and Water Hill in Ann Arbor; South of Michigan Avenue, Eastside, Ecorse in Ypsilanti; West Willow, Sugarbrook, Gault Village, Holmes Road and Ecorse in Ypsilanti Township; along Washtenaw, Packard and Carpenter roads in Pittsfield Township; along Clark and Holmes road in Superior Township; and the Whitmore Lake area. Additional focus group meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 at the Parkridge Community Center for the Parkridge community and at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8 in the Community Resource Center on Tyler Road for the West Willow community. Two public hearings will also be available to attend on the subject: the first at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 in the Learning Resource Center and the second at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 in room 0103 at the Washtenaw County Building. A focus group for the Bryant Community took place Wednesday, July 19. Gillotti said that meeting was fruitful, with 15 people attending, resulting in two separate focus groups. She hopes for more productivity in the coming weeks, with a plan to then take the acquired data and form a recommendation for action based on the particular needs of a community. "The way things are in Bryant are totally different than in West Willow or in Whitmore Lake," she said. "We want to find out what kind of strategies will work best." ADRIAN, MI - A former Ann Arbor man was arrested in Texas after being charged with sexual assaulting a child. On July 19, U.S. Marshals in Fort Worth, Texas captured 44-year-old Germaine Priest Byrd. He's facing three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a person under the age of 13 in Lenawee County, according to Adrian Police. After an arrest warrant was issued in May, Adrian Police found evidence Byrd had fled Michigan. The U.S. Marshals Office in Ann Arbor investigated and found Byrd in Fort Worth. He was arrested without incident and taken to jail to await extradition to Michigan. The Ann Arbor Police Department, the Lenawee County Prosecutor's Office and the Lenawee County Sheriff's Department assisted with the investigation. ANN ARBOR, MI - It's Monday night and Caroline Taymour is anxiously checking her iPhone for updates, any updates at all. The 38-year-old mother of three is sitting on a couch inside her mother's living room on Ann Arbor's east side and she's been waiting all day to find out what's going to happen. She says she hasn't slept much. Specifically, she's waiting to hear whether a federal judge in Michigan will continue to hold off the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals across the United States, including her husband, Kam, who was taken away from his family in Ann Arbor last month. Shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, July 24, Caroline finally received the news she'd been waiting to hear. The American Civil Liberties Union was successful in convincing U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith to extend an injunction to continue temporarily blocking deportation of the Iraqi immigrants until their case could be heard. The ACLU argues they could face persecution, torture and death if sent back to Iraq and they deserve their day in court. "They've extended the stay again," Caroline told her mother, retired teacher Lois Kamoi, relaying the status-quo news. "I mean, there's still a deportation fear. I feel like we're kind of where we were, but it's still good that it seems like people are on our side," she said. "People are going crazy on Facebook." Judge orders hold on deportation of Iraqis Ypsilanti woman calls on community to help stop husband's deportation Kamiran "Kam" Taymour, 41, was picked up at the family's Ann Arbor home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during an ICE sweep on Sunday, June 11, when 114 Iraqi nationals in Michigan were taken into custody. He's been held at a detention center in Youngstown, Ohio, ever since, facing deportation for a 2010 marijuana conviction for which he already served probation years ago. Kam immigrated to the U.S. legally in 1993 as a child, as a Kurdish refugee escaping persecution in Iraq. He's an Ypsilanti High graduate with his own auto body repair shop in the Ypsilanti area. He and Caroline, who was born and raised in Ann Arbor, married in 2003 and have three children together, including a 13-year-old son and two daughters ages 9 and 11. "He's a very giving, loving person," Caroline says of her husband. "I mean, I'm sure everyone says that about their loved ones, but it's just true. He's just genuinely a good person." Until Kam was taken away last month, they lived together in their home next door to Caroline's mother. Now it's just Caroline and the kids in the home, though friends and family are helping out. The family fears sending Kam to Iraq now, in addition to breaking up a happy family, could be a death sentence, and they consider it an unreasonable and extreme punishment. Shortly after finding out the news in the ACLU case Monday night, Caroline received a phone call from Youngstown. "That's my husband," she said as the phone started to ring. Over the next 12 minutes, they caught up and discussed the latest news. "It's good. We could get better, but it's good for now," Caroline told her husband. "They did say that ICE was probably going to appeal the judge's decision, but, you know, we'll just take things kind of as they come," she added. "I'll have to get more details about what could happen and kind of go from there, but it's a step in the right direction." Caroline's mother chimed in to say hello. "He said he misses you," Caroline told her mother, relaying Kam's response. "I love you," Kam told Caroline before saying goodbye. "I love you, too," she responded. "Bye." 'They're a very happy family' Kamoi, Caroline's mother, has been reaching out to local officials to raise awareness about the family's situation and to ask for their help to stop Kam's deportation and reunite the family. Kam is being represented by Russell Abrutyn, a private immigration attorney. Separate from the ACLU lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Kam has an individual case pending in Detroit Immigration Court before Judge Mark Jebson, a former ICE prosecutor. The family also has appealed to Gov. Rick Snyder, seeking a pardon for Kam's marijuana conviction from 2010. Dozens of other Iraqis facing deportation are seeking pardons from the governor as well. So far, more than 40 people have written letters of support attesting to Kam's character and his value to his family and the community, and more than 1,000 people have signed an online petition in support of stopping his deportation, the family notes. "They're a very happy family," Kamoi said, expressing concerns that Donald Trump's deportation agenda is hurting American families. "There aren't that many intact, happy families that are well functioning and I don't think we should be breaking them up just for political reasons. And people who have a permanent residence card are expected to follow the same laws and then get the same punishments. It's almost like double and triple jeopardy." The family acknowledges Kam made a serious mistake in 2010 when he was busted for marijuana. Caroline said her husband has a medical marijuana card allowing him to use pot, but what happened in 2010 admittedly crossed a line and the family has suffered ever since because of it. She said someone they didn't know very well kept asking Kam over and over again to help score some pot. Eventually, she said, Kam agreed to make arrangements to get the guy what he wanted, but it turns out it was someone who already had been busted by Sterling Heights police and was helping lead police to someone else so he could get reduced charges in his case. The family's house ended up getting raided and police found enough marijuana to charge Kam with a felony. "It was a nightmare. It's been a nightmare since," Caroline said. Kam pled guilty in 2011 to a felony charge of delivering/manufacturing marijuana and served probation. Court records also show two felony firearms charges were dismissed. ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls said Kam also has a prior misdemeanor controlled substance conviction in addition to his felony marijuana conviction and an immigration judge ordered his deportation in 2011. "He recently filed a motion to reopen his case in immigration court and will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his case," he said. After the conviction, Kam's green card was confiscated and an immigration judge sentenced him to deportation. According to his family, he spent six months in ICE detainment before being released and allowed to stay in the U.S. under ICE supervision because of unstable conditions in Iraq and the fact that Iraq wasn't issuing travel documents at the time. One of the reasons the family fears for Kam's safety if he's sent back to Iraq is that he's a former Muslim who converted to Christianity after his marriage to Caroline. The family argues that makes him an apostate, an offense punishable by death under Sharia law. "He would be executable and the government would not defend him," Kamoi argues. Though he grew up in Iraq, the family claims there is no proof that Kam was ever an Iraqi citizen, saying he was born in the mountains and it's unclear whether they were in Iraq or Turkey. "He has no birth certificate. He has nothing to prove that he's from there except for the fact that he went to a refugee camp as a Kurdish refugee with his family," Caroline said. Kam is one of 10 children born to a Kurdish Muslim father and an Assyrian Christian mother. According to the family, they were living in Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, and were suffering under Saddam Hussein before fleeing. "Saddam Hussein had a genocide program against the Kurds and this was well known," Kamoi said. Kamoi said Kam's father was imprisoned and tortured twice by the Hussein regime, and during an attack on Kurds, Kam's mother was shot twice in the back, and his brother once in the leg. Kam's family joined other Kurds in fleeing to a refugee camp in Turkey, where they stayed for years before immigrating to the U.S. Kamoi said the family arrived in Detroit on Aug. 10, 1993, and has always celebrated that date since. Both parents have died, though Kam's siblings remain living in the U.S. "Everybody in that family, they're all pro-American and they want to help this country, and they're productive citizens," Kamoi said. "There is no one in Kam's family who isn't a citizen, except for Kam." The family claims Kam still would be persecuted in Iraq for his Kurdish ethnicity if he went back. "And then most of the Kurds are Muslim, so they're not going to like him either," Kamoi said. Another concern, they say, is that two of his sisters who live in the U.S. worked as translators to support the American military at an air base in Iraq, and they fear there could be retaliation against Kam for that. The family claims the sisters were promised by the U.S. government that their families would be protected. "They risked their lives every single day, and I think they feel really betrayed that now Kam could be sent back there," Kamoi said. "There's nobody there for him," Caroline said of the prospect of her husband going to Iraq, where he hasn't been since he was a young child and where he has no remaining family. "There's nobody at all there for him." 'He's the breadwinner here' Caroline said she can't imagine what life would be like without her husband if he's deported. She said the family already is struggling emotionally and financially without him and she worries they'll lose their house. "He's the breadwinner here," she said. "I think we would lose everything." She said even the family's rescue dog, an Akita mix named Dakota, has been sad lately. "She just is not the same dog," she said, noting Kam used to take Dakota to work with him every day. "Dakota went everywhere with him. They're really close." Caroline works at a local library, but she said it's not enough to pay the bills, and they're not collecting any income right now from Kam's business, which has been struggling without him. "The only reason we're able to stay here right now is because of people being supportive and helping," she said. People have been donating to help support the family through an online crowdfunding page set up by Jessica Prozinski, a local immigrant rights activist and organizer with Stop Trump Ann Arbor. Kamoi, who has health problems, said having her daughter's family next door helps her continue living independently in her own home because they help with the trash, mail, lawn and errands. Caroline and Kam married on Valentine's Day in 2003 during a ceremony in Kamoi's living room. Caroline said they always go to the Paesano restaurant in Ann Arbor for their anniversary. She said she's taking things day by day right now and hopes they'll eventually get back to normal. She said the previous six-month detainment caused a lot of residual trauma and anxiety for the family and her children suffered in school because of it. She's trying to minimize the impact on them this time around by staying busy and doing fun things like going swimming at a local pool and visiting Greenfield Village. She's been visiting Kam in Youngstown most Fridays and they get to talk through glass via phone. "At the end, it's so frustrating," she said. "It's so hard to leave and him not be able to come. I feel helpless." Before Kam's recent detainment, Caroline said, life was starting to feel normal again, Kam's business was building, and they were getting used to the idea that he'd just have to check in with ICE once a year. Feeling motivated and grounded again, she was even considering going back to school at Eastern Michigan University in the fall, but now she says her world is flipped upside down again. "It's bad enough to do this to Kam, but they're really doing this to everybody in the family," Kamoi said. "It's really horrible and it's devastating emotionally, financially. Caroline has been doing a really brave job of keeping herself together for the kids." Caroline said Kam was taken away by ICE in front of their children at about 8 a.m. June 11. She said ICE had several cars lined up outside and had the property covered with officers. "At first they said, 'Is your husband here?' And I said, 'Are you taking him?' And they said, 'No, we just need to talk to him.' And then I said, 'OK, I'll go get him.' And they said, 'Well, we'll actually go get him.' I guess they thought maybe he'd run or something." When the officers came back with her husband, she said, she asked if he was being detained. "And they said, 'No, he just needs to come with us. We have to update his paperwork, get some new fingerprints.' And I'm like, 'Hmm.' Obviously they're lying. It's Sunday at 8 in the morning. And he knew. He took off his ring and he put it down." Caroline said she's hoping the governor will agree to pardon Kam for his marijuana conviction and hopefully stop the deportation that way. The family also argues the classification of Kam's crime changed in 2013, so they're hoping getting his case reopened in immigration court can change things and put him on a path to citizenship. Caroline, a graduate of Huron High, said she always wants Ann Arbor to be her home, and she hopes it will stay Kam's home, too. "He's been through enough in his life," she said, adding he has seen unthinkable things. "He could use a little break." BAY CITY, MI -- A Bay City man is heading to jail for drunkenly beating his wife in a drive-thru line. "The circumstances of this case are just amazing, that this individual would assault a woman in a vehicle in a drive-thru with everyone around to watch him do it," said Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud at the Monday, July 24, sentencing hearing of Justin L. Moreau. "Of course, when the police asked him (about it), it didn't' happen. "It's outrageous behavior, in public, in this day and age, and it is totally inexcusable." Moreau, 29, in June pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and domestic violence. The charges stem from police in the early morning of Jan. 8 responding to the Taco Bell at 260 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay City. Witnesses had called 911 after seeing Moreau, the driver of a blue Grand Prix, assaulting his 28-year-old wife as she sat in the passenger seat. Police searched Moreau and found a switchblade on him. Though initially charged with possessing that banned weapon, the count was dismissed per the plea agreement. Moreau, speaking through tears, expressed contrition and provided some context to the judge by describing his troubled past. He said he was physically and mentally abused as a child. By 13, he was living on the streets; by 18, he was in prison, he said. "I've strived to better myself," he said. "It has been seven years since I've been in trouble, apart from traffic tickets." He said he's long struggled with alcoholism. "It helps take the problems away, but I see it has become one of the problems," he continued. He added that he recognizes he's in the position of losing "everything I've worked so hard for -- my job, my vehicle, my wife, and my home. I need help. Jail will devastate my life and others'. Please, your honor, give me a chance to show I can do good and can be a productive member of society. I want to change, but I need the help." Gill agreed, but wasn't ready to morally absolve Moreau. "Mr. Moreau, I think you should get help, but that doesn't mean there aren't ramifications for what happened," Gill said. "This is more than somebody drinking. You should never drink; you can't control it. To strike a woman like this says something about how you view women, how you must be controlling of women. This is intolerable." The judge sentenced Moreau to 93 days in jail with credit for six days already served. Upon release, he's to be on probation for three years. Moreau also owes a $500 fine and must complete substance abuse treatment and domestic batterers programs. Gill allowed Moreau until 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 7, to report to the jail and granted him work release. "You can't do that kind of thing without society reacting," Gill said as his final caution to Moreau. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Pursuant to Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we submit as following w.r.t. 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Company held on July 24, 2017 (22nd AGM):Summary of proceedings.Voting results.Consolidated Scrutinizer's Report.Sheikh Faisal Thani Al-Thani has been re-appointed as a director of the Company, liable to retire by rotation.Mr. Manish Kejriwal has been re-appointed as an independent director of the Company for second term of five (5) years w.e.f. September 26, 2017.Mr. Gopal Vittal has been re-appointed as the Managing Director & CEO (India and South Asia) of the Company for a further period of five years w.e.f. February 01, 2018.Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Chartered Accountants, New Delhi (Registration no. 117366W-W100018) has been appointed as the Statutory Auditors of the CompanySource : BSE Read More live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The meeting of the Board of Directors of M/s. BNR Udyog Limited will be held on Saturday, 05th day of August, 2017 at 3.30 p.m. at the registered office of the Company situated at 6-3-650, 218, 2nd Floor, Maheshwari Chambers, Somajiguda ,Hyderabad 500082, Telangana , India to consider the following:1.Un-audited financial results for the quarter ended 30.06.2017.2.Limited Review Report for the quarter ended 30.06.20173.To approve the notice of 23rd Annual General Meeting of the company and to fix date, time and venue of the company.4.To fix the book closure dates for the purpose of Annual General Meeting and Dividend.5.Any other business with the permission of the Chair.Source : BSE Read More It's a fight to the finish line in the telecom sector. After Reliance Jio's aggressive strategy to capture market share, Bharti Airtel is building a war chest to take on the competition. Bharti is in talks with a large investor to infuse funds into Airtel. CNBC-TV18 learnt from sources that Bharti Airtel's talks with Japan's SoftBank for selling a minority stake through issuance of fresh equity are in initial stages. The proceeds will be used to take on competition from the new entrant in the telecom space as Airtel tries to maintain its number one position in the telecom space. The promoters currently own 30 percent stake in the company, while Singtel holds around 36 percent through direct and indirect holdings. SoftBank has an existing investment in Bharti Group ventures Hike Messenger app and the groups renewable business. Nitin Soni, Director-Asia Pacific TMT at Fitch Ratings said that such equity stake sale would help the company bring down debt, which will be viewed as positive by the market. The company needs the funds to strengthen its network in future. The company was able to navigate through the intense competition in the telecom space and invest about USD 3 billion on capital expenditure every year, says Soni. SoftBank has been on an acquisition spree throughout the globe with the acquisition of London-based ARM Holdings and has stake in the US-based Sprint Nextel. It also runs a telecom venture in Japan with the purchase of Vodafone Japan. Sudip Bandhopadhyay, Market Expert told CNBC-TV18, "As far as banking is concerned, we are taking a little contrarian view. We are recommending a buy in Axis Bank and ICICI Bank. This quarter may be challenging, Axis Bank is coming with results today. ICICI Bank comes later in the week. It may be a bit challenging but they are ending their cycle of bad asset quality and things like that. Things are going to improve from hereon and we are betting that the investor should enter into these beaten down stocks now." "On the automobile, we are bullish on Tata Motors . We believe the China JV and the Jaguar F-Pace model will help Tata Motors to scale newer highs. Of course we have watch the commercial vehicle demand scenario in India," he said. Chandan Taparia of Motilal Oswal Securities told CNBC-TV18, "First trade is buy on Manappuram Finance. This stock has given a multiple year breakout and has been making higher top higher bottom formation. It has seen the significant jump in the trading as well as the delivery volume, so, recommending to buy with a stop loss of Rs 103.50 and expecting this stock to rally towards Rs 115." "Second trade is buy on State Bank of India (SBI). PSU banks has seen some buying interest in last couple of trading sessions and SBI has given the highest daily close and some Put writing at Rs 290-295 strike might take it to higher levels. It has surpassed the immediate hurdle on the closing basis, so, expecting this stock rally towards Rs 307. One can buy with a stop loss of Rs 288," he said. "Third trade is from the auto pack. Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors are likely to perform but here in terms of risk reward ratio, I have picked Tata Motors. One can buy with a stop loss of Rs 455 for an upside target of Rs 485. This stock has given a breakout from its falling supply trend line and formed an inverse head and shoulder." Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com told CNBC-TV18, "There are number of stocks which lend themselves to buying. Vedanta is one of them. The stock has been doing well and the chances are that the momentum should continue." "Motherson Sumi Systems is now coming out of a very mild correction. That correction is always a buying opportunity for a good stock like this. So, that is a buy." "NIIT Technologies from the IT pack is a short sell now. It is a day trading short sell, but it is there." "I am not a big fan of buying what is now a smallcap stock or even companies with heavily laden debt. So for me Jaiprakash Associates is a complete no. My suggestion is that one should book profits and get out. Always good quality pays in the long run." "I think one should hold on to Can Fin Homes . Outperforming stocks in a bull market remain outperformers for years to come. So, hold on to it. There is no target; no one thought it will reach where it has reached now. Just let it ride," he added. Shikha Sharma is the MD and CEO of Axis Bank. Sharma, who is serving her fourth term, has decided to shorten her tenure by more than two years. Sharmas decision came after the countrys apex bank the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) questioned the banks performance and its deteriorating asset quality. Under Sharmas tenure, Axis Bank the countrys third largest private lender reported its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rising from 0.96 per cent in March 2009 to 5.28 per cent in December 2017. Axis Bank has also been pulled up twice by the central bank for under-reporting bad loans for financial years 2016 and 2017. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Axis Bank has denied reports of its CEO and Managing Director Shikha Sharma looking to join Tata Group to lead its financial services vertical. According to a BloombergQuint report quoting an unnamed source, Tata Sons' Chairman N Chandrasekaran has selected the managing director and chief executive officer of Indias third largest private lender to head the vertical that will include companies like Tata-AIA Life Insurance and Tata Capital. However, Axis Bank in a statement has denied it strongly stating the assertions are untrue and unfounded. Speaking in a post results conference call, Jairam Sridharan, CFO of Axis Bank said, "Clearly there is a lot of interest in the leader of our bank. We can confirm to you quite unequivocally that there is no truth to this speculation that is going on and the news that you are referring to is utterly false." In a statement, the bank said, There is a laid down process that the board undertakes at regular intervals, but to conclude that there is going to be a change of leadership is entirely premature and speculative. Last but not the least, we request you to exercise utmost caution in airing your speculative assertions because such malicious reports may only cause spread of unnecessary apprehensions and concerns that are neither in the best interest of the bank nor its stakeholders, the statement added. According to previous reports by Bloomberg, Axis Bank has appointed executive search firm Egon Zehnder to find a CEO after Sharmas term ends next year even as she is eligible to reapply. It is said that Tatas Chandrasekaran is working on a plan to consolidate more than 100 companies of the USD 103-billion Tata Group into six clusters, each headed by an independent head. Tata AIA Life Insurance Tata AIA General Insurance Tata Asset Management Tata Capital Tata Investment Corporation The Tatas Financial Services cluster will includes five companies: Shikha Sharma took over as the MD & CEO of Axis Bank in 2009, after working at ICICI Bank for 29 years. She expanded Axis Banks operations in corporate and retail lending, besides venturing into investment banking with the merger with ENAMs investment banking business. The banks loan book grew more than four-fold to Rs 3.73 lakh crore during her term. Burdened with large stressed loans for more than a year now, the bank is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Axis Banks gross bad loans have jumped the steepest in the industry by over 350 percent in the last five quarters. In Q1FY18, the banks profit fell 16 percent to Rs 1,306 crore and its gross non-performing assets marginally went up to 5.03 percent. Cab aggregators Uber / Ola Indian online cab market suffered a slowdown of 5 percent in the first quarter of 2017 raising concerns over whether the high growth phase for major cab-aggregators like Ola and Uber is over. In the first ever drop in industry rides, the ride count fell from 142 million rides in the quarter compared to 136 million rides in the previous one. Source: Red Seer Consulting Two major online cab aggregators--Ola and Uber--saw about 25% decline in the supply of cabs. The total number of cabs under circulation dropped to 380,000 in January-March from 500,000 in October-December, according to a report by RedSeer Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Source: Red Seer Consulting The decline in the supply of cabs as well as the overall slowdown in the online cab market stems from the stagnation of the consumer demands that is reflected by falling Monthly Active Users (MAU) numbers for the two major platforms. However, data shows that during the same period the number of weekly users and carpooling rides went up, indicating that the market is moving towards saturation. Source: Red Seer Consulting Thus, even though, the market may seem to move towards stability, the decline in consumer demands hit the major aggregators, forcing them to reduce drivers' incentives. Over the past two quarters, the spending on driver incentives reduced to 25% from 52%, according to the report. The drastic decline in drivers' incentives resulted in Uber as well as Ola drivers staging multiple protests complaining about the falling earnings. As per the report, several drivers left the online platform and shifted to other driving jobs or changed their profession entirely. Earlier in March, Uber India President Amit Jain had said in an interview that about 80 percent of the drivers across India who are online for more than six hours a day, make Rs1,500-2,500 after paying Ubers service fee, Livemint reported The continued strike and protest further affected the demand for cab rides in the past few months. Apart from the rift between stakeholders, the cab-hailing business in India has been in news also due to various security concerns that might add to the reasons behind the decline in MAUs. Earlier this month, a 29-year-old doctor was kidnapped by an Ola driver and his accomplices in Delhi. The doctor was held captive for nearly 14 days before the police rescued him and arrested four of the kidnappers in Uttar Pradesh. Following several crime incidents including the rape of a woman Uber driver in December 2014, cab-aggregator companies were forced to put in place a system to verify their drivers. Ola even added an SOS button on their app. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Moneycontrol Research Bajaj Auto continues to be on the slow lane as is evident from its weak first quarter numbers. The company reported significant decline in volumes, revenue and contraction in margins. While a part of the challenge came from GST, Bajaj Auto had minimal disruption due to implementation of BS-IV. However, the underlying trend still points to weakness. Exports, while providing some respite to its financials, are yet to limp back to the sustainable growth trajectory. We continue to be cautious and await positive cues from the domestic market and sustained performance from export markets to change our stance on the stock. Operating revenue fell by 5.3 percent year-on-year (YoY). However, it was up 12.3 percent sequentially. The fall in revenue came on the back of lower volumes which fell by 11 percent that was partially offset by an increase of 6.5 percent in average realization. Average realisation increased on the back of better product mix and price hike taken after launching BS-IV compliant vehicles. On the volume front, total domestic volume fell by 23 percent. Fall in the volumes led to a contraction of 250 bps (YoY) in 2-wheeler domestic market share. On the other hand, export volumes grew by 10.5 percent on the back of entry to various new geographies and reduced dependencies on traditional high-volume countries like Sri Lanka, Nigeria etc. The export realisation was higher in the first quarter of this fiscal year partly because of higher foreign exchange. The management is confident of selling close to 8 lakh units in the export markets in the first half of this fiscal year. The increase in raw material price led to 279 bps (YoY) fall in the gross margin and 324 bps (YoY) fall in EBITDA margin. Close to 110 basis points contraction may be attributed to raw material price increase owing to contract renewal which took place in April; another 50 basis points was due to excise duty on the companys Pantnagar facility. Additionally, sales and promotion activities carried out in the month of April and May had an impact on the operating margins. Usually, the company passes on any increase in material cost but that comes with a lag and hence, there is an impact on operating margins. The moot question that investors want an answer for: Is the worst over for the company? Investors have been worried over the companys position in the domestic market and its significant loss of market share to 16.1 percent in first quarter of FY18 from 18.6 percent that it commanded in the year ago period. The management attributes this fall to BS-IV implementation and GST rollout. However, the company has been witnessing decline in volumes and loss of market share for long. With all the dust settling down in the automobile industry, the company should witness a revival in domestic market but it continues to face strong challenges from competition. The management is optimistic about the three-wheeler segment. It believes that the end of Raj Permit in Maharashtra, new 10,000 permits in Delhi, mandatory conversion from two stroke engines to four stroke and ban of diesel engine in Bangalore would boost its three-wheeler (3W) volume (where it is a leader). Should all this fall come to pass, the company would be able to clock 3-wheeler volumes around 20,000-21,000 units, going forward. The management guides to raw material cost as a percentage of sales to be in the range of 68.7-69 percent and EBITDA margin to be in the range of 19.5-20 percent for FY18. Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the management will have to achieve 20.3-20.9 percent margin over the next three quarter to achieve its target, which doesnt look easy, given the companys current position. Bajaj Auto is now focusing on mass communication to increase awareness of its various premium products. The management feels that its products are getting traction from a small section of bike enthusiasts and hence there is a need for awareness. The increase in volume in this category will ease the pressure on margins as these are high margin products. The result of this initiative is yet to translate to numbers. The company has started making efforts towards EVs and has made investments in R&D and manpower. It has yet not significantly incurred any capex as it is currently focusing on developing the technology. Management believes that they are ahead of the curve in three-wheeler electric vehicle segment. Though this would not add to earnings in a year or two, the segment is important for the company to focus on, given the governments push towards EVs. In sum, though the companys effort in export market has started showing some positive signs one needs to wait for the sustainable performance over next one to two quarters. Additionally, the fall in domestic volume and strong competition will weigh on performance. We still remain cautious on Bajaj Auto, a view we had echoed in our earlier note as well. From a valuations perspective, the company is currently trading at a multiple of 21 times trailing earnings and 20.7 times FY18 and 18.5 times FY19 projected earnings. At this valuation, caution is warranted unless the ground reality changes for the better or if the company surprises the market with a smart acquisition in the premium segment. If all goes to plan, India will soon have its own line of super deluxe buses offering services similar to those in airlines to goad people to use public transport, wean people away from private vehicles and ease traffic congestion on busy national highway stretches. Sources, who did not wish to be identified, said the road transport ministry, headed by Nitin Gadkari, was examining a proposal to launch double decker super deluxe buses between important cities to decongest traffic and incentivise people to use public transport. These buses will have separate decks for executive and economy classes along with facilities like recliners, food and beverage availability and steward and hostess assistance, among others. Bus ports, modelled on the lines of airports could be created that will serve as dedicated parking bays at select locations for the luxury fleet. The proposal draws from the recommendations of an internal report of the ministry that strengthening public transport systems is a necessary condition for dealing with the problem of vehicular population explosion. This will also help control pollution and create jobs. Officials said that such buses will run on electricity, ethanol gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will be both cost effective and environment friendly. We want to save fuel costs, while allowing common man to enjoy luxury facilities, said the official. The ministry will seek assistance from World Bank and other international financial agencies to support the plan. Representative image When Beed district in Maharashtra was affected due to floods in 2016, instead of sending individual assessors to look into the crop damage, HDFC ERGO General Insurance chose to take the help of drones. They are planning to continue the exercise this year as well. It is illegal to fly drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, (UAV) in India by individuals unless prior permission and licence is taken as per rules of the Directorate Generate for Civil Aviation. However, insurance companies, which have the permission to do so, have been conducting pilots to look into the usability of drones in the sector to reduce loss ratios. Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director, HDFC ERGO General Insurance, said that with the pilot project in Beed, they attained satisfactory results with the data collected. We would like to continue to explore the usage of drone technology in our allocated districts under PMFBY during the current season specifically for the estimation of losses due to localised events or catastrophic events, added Tyagi. In the earlier crop insurance schemes that were based on weather, a few instances of farmers submitting fraudulent claims with respect to crop yield data and crop loss. For this, physical assessments used to be carried in locations to determine the extent of the loss. The agriculture ministry has called for use of modern technology like remote satellites and drones for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) which is a crop insurance scheme subsidised by the government. The government is also encouraging insurers to use smartphones and remote sensing to reduce crop cutting experiments and help cut delay in payments to farmers. Tata AIG General Insurance is also looking to use drones in the current year for crop insurance schemes. Apart from them, the largest private sector insurer ICICI Lombard General Insurance is also using drones to capture crop yield data. M Ravichandran, President, TATA AIG General Insurance, said that drones are perceived to be an effective tool in minimising the loss and helps taking appropriate actions where the area is cut off due to flood among others. We did a pilot use of drone in preliminary estimation losses of property under property insurance and the result was encouraging, he added. PMFBY has an actuarial yield-based scheme with provision for upfront premium subsidy to be released to insurers. The sum insured is the same for both loanee and non-loanee farmers. Tyagi said that drones can be used effectively for surveying localized calamities such as hailstorm, flood and inundation. Additionally, drones can be used for estimating crop yield and determining the sown area after plotting the satellite imagery. However, given the high costs, the viable option is to use remote sensing technology for the latter, he added. Usage of the devices has not yet reached the peak due to limitations of cost and low availability of the product. Tyagi explained that currently, there are limited devices available in the market which are very expensive & require high maintenance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Claiming "unprecedented" support from people for measures like demonetisation and the GST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said soft economic policy decisions aimed at winning elections would not do the country good. "We have received people's confidence and unprecedented support in historic decisions like demonetisation and the GST. The prime minister said the country is moving towards honesty and honesty is what people want, and they have faith in this government's intentions," Modi told a group of Rajasthan MPs, according to an official statement. The 125 crore people of the country knew that soft decisions in economic policies aimed at winning polls would not do the country any good, he said. The statement added that Modi asked MPs to promote water conservation, mid-day meal and other welfare schemes with the participation of people. This was the Modi's third meeting with a group of MPs during Parliament's monsoon session. Have a long-term outlook | Timing investment is logically impossible because the best entry and exit opportunities are known only in hindsight. No one can predict market movements with certainty. Therefore, it is important to allow your investments to compound over a long term. The Uttar Pradesh government will conduct roadshows to woo investment and provide a safe and secure environment to industry as it looks to give a "tough fight" to developed states like Gujarat in attracting funds, a state minister said. "Gradually, Uttar Pradesh will be giving tough fight to developed states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. And, I am confident enough that we will be able to bring investments in the state in an year's time, which was together brought in the last five years," UP Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana told PTI in an interview. "Officials will be visiting different states like Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, and conduct roadshows in these states, while promoting UP as an investment destination. We will also interact with industrialists and prospective investors," he said. He lauded the implementation of the GST and said that the new tax system will effectively eliminate the concept of tax heaven, which will benefit the state in the long run. "The government of UP intends to provide a safe and secure industrial environment in the state. Towards this, a dedicated police force headed by specialised officer will be deputed at industrial clusters/areas in regions like Noida, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal. "Integrated police cum fire station will also be established in major industrial clusters/areas," Mahana said. The minister said that in the state budget for 2017-18 a provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for implementing Industrial Investment and Employment Generation Policy-2017. Also, funds have been provided for setting up the Special Investment Board to encourage industrial investment and a single window clearance system. Mahana also emphasised that the state government is implementing measures for ease of doing business in letter and spirit. "Till now incentive to industrialists was given in western UP. But now, the state government is planning to give incentives to industrialists who express interest in setting up their units outside Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad. The incentives will be more in Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal," he said. On a question of revival of textile mills in Kanpur, the UP industrial development minister said, "After assuming office, I held two meetings with Union minister Smriti Irani, and requested her to help in the revival of the textile mills. And, she has assured that she will look into it. India may soon have a single app for all cab aggregators which will be designed and maintained by the government to contain dominant players like Ola and Uber in the segment. Sources, who did not wish to be identified, said the road transport ministry was considering to create a uniform platform for all cab aggregators giving room to local industry players to pitch themselves along with global cab giants. It (app) will be common to everybody Why should there be dominance of any one firm, said the source. Why just have Ola and UberLet everybody come. The road transport ministry is of the view that dominance of a few players can have an adverse influence on prices for the consumers, the source said, hinting that the new app shall have prices decided by the government. We have to ensure that consumer gets a cheap ride as well as there is sufficient employment We have to draw up policy to maintain the equilibrium, the source said. The government will also not push for early adoption of driverless cars, given the risk of rendering many drivers jobless. We cannot bring driverless cars to India, the source said. The cab industry provides huge job opportunitiesWe should not use technology that leaves people unemployed, the source said. There are an estimated 5 million drivers in India engaged in the cab industry. Sharmila Joshi of sharmilajoshi.com told CNBC-TV18, "I am broadly positive on metals as a space and I think even among the metals there are certain metals to which only Vedanta has sort of exposure to that side of business and those are once their prices have appreciated considerably. The stock has had a good run. So, I dont really have a short term view on the stock. I am not really sure what will happen to it in three months." "However, overall I think that this stock would be a hold for me," she added. By Satish Gupta of astrostocktips.in Todays planetary position: Moon will be transiting in Leo. Jupiter in Virgo, Lord Rahu & Mercury in Leo. Lord Saturn in Sagittarius. Sun & Mars in Cancer. Venus in Taurus. Ketu in Aquarius. Pluto in Sagittarius. Neptune in Aquarius & Uranus in Pisces. Rahu kal time: - 15.00 16.30 Following sectors will be receiving astrological support: Telecom: Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel, MTNL, Tata Communications, etc. Timing is most crucial element in investing or trading. This timing can be known through financial astrology. Astrology is only science which can predict future correctly & guide us about sectors which have to outperform. Every year with commencement of new Samvat (Hindu New Year), astrologically, based on planetary position, certain new sectors start getting strong astrological support & start outperforming, while some others sectors which were performing earlier start underperforming. Some sectors/stocks remain laggards. Stocks of astrological supported sectors outperform resulting in exorbitant gains irrespective of market behaviour, either bull market or bear market. Predicting bullish sectors of next Samvat 2074 Every year we release sectors of new Samvat in the month of March/April when new Samvat starts. But this year, we shall prepone release of next Samvat sectors, which are going to get strong astrological support & stocks from those sector outperform markets. Purpose of releasing sectors of next Samvat earlier is that investors & traders should get maximum advantage of down trend of markets by good timing. We firmly believe that these special astrological positions present very unique opportunities to investors and traders both. This opportunity, if utilised properly, can safeguard your existing portfolio and simultaneously optimise your future investments and trading also. Successful investing and trading is all about good timing only. Needless to mention our innumerable past predictions, where most stocks from the SECTORS of SAMVAT gave exorbitant returns & certain stocks appreciated by over 500 percent. During current Samavat 2073 among other sectors dyes/chemical/sugar sector received strong astrological support & outperformed and gave exorbitant return. Many stocks from dyes/ chemical sector appreciated by over 500 percent Sectors which get very strong astrological support are not normally affected by downfall in the market. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Microsoft is likely to invest up to USD 50-100 million for stake in Ola's parent company ANI Technology Pvt Ltd, a report in the Livemint said. The move is likely to push the online cab aggregator to switch to Microsofts Azure cloud platform from Amazon Web Services (AWS). Microsoft's move comes at a time when Ola is trying to raise funds after a sharp drop of over USD one billion in its pre-money valuation in September 2015. Pre-money valuation refers to valuation or asset of a company before any sort of investment or financing. Ola's close competition with Uber in India explains its need for massive capital. The competition between the two has increased since Uber Technologies Inc. sold it's Chinese business to Didi Chuxing in August, making India to its top priority. Since June 2016, Ola has received over Rs 2,345 crore from SoftBank Group Corporation and others in the latest round of funding. The talks with Ola are in very early stages. More than the money, it is more about Nadellas vision of partnering with more and more large technology companies in India and establish Azure as service of preference. Microsoft is likely to invest in Ola but a term sheet is yet to be issued, a source told Livemint on condition of anonymity. Lately, Microsoft has been promoting its cloud computing service Microsoft Azure for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services in India. In February, the software giant had announced a strategic cloud partnership with Flipkart, whereby the online retail adopted Azure as its sole public cloud computing platform. In addition, the IT giant also helped Flipkart raise USD 1.4 billion. The deal seems to benefit both the parties as it would help Microsoft achieve its target to expand Azure's market by grabbing AWS shares in India. At the same time, it would help Ola raise required funds. Ola's need for funds also stems from the losses incurred due to heavy discounts to customers and drivers. While Ola reported a seven-fold jump in revenue to Rs 758.23 crore, its losses too tripled to Rs 2,313.7 crore in 2016. The rise in cab-hailing business in India has been in news due to various security concerns. Earlier this month, a 29-year-old doctor was kidnapped by an Ola driver and his accomplices in Delhi. The doctor was held captive for nearly 14 days before the police rescued him and arrested four of the kidnappers in Uttar Pradesh. Following several crime incidents including the rape of a woman Uber driver in December 2014, cab-aggregator companies were forced to put in place a system to verify their drivers. Ola even added an SOS button on their app. Digital payment platforms have eased cashless transactions, and have been especially popular since demonetisation. These platforms are capable of making payments in online as well as in offline mode. However, their features differ and you should make the best use of them while making payments. We take a look at some of these cashless transaction making platforms and their features: NFC or MST transmission waves platform Companies have come up with making transaction through NFC (Near Field Communication) and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. Without swiping your card through POS (Point of Sales) machines, you can easily make payment to merchants through its wireless transmitting magnetic waves. You can avail this facility by downloading MST enabled app and also, your phone should support NFC facility. Once it is done, after registering your card details, you can make contactless transactions through your phone on any of merchants POS terminal. Sound based payments platform Some companies have launched app with sound transmission fund transfer facility. Yes, its true this technology is only a software-driven application, and it does not require any hardware upradation on the ATMs to make use of it. This highly secured application makes you do contactless transactions through sound waves technology. Once you have downloaded this application on your smartphone and after registering your cards, this app can make payments from your phone at any POS machine through sound waves even though you do not have physical cards along with you. This app also enables easy cardless cash withdrawal to the customers from ATMs. Mobile Money Identifier MMID is a seven digit unique number which issued by the bank once you have registered your mobile number. A person who wants to send money and the person who wants to receive that money should have MMID for the particular interbank funds transfer. However, through MMID you can transfer only a small amount (around Rs 10,000) within a day. Almost all banks are providing this facility of making small payments. UPI App based payments platform UPI has come up with a unique feature of creating virtual address through which you can transfer money without disclosing your account number and IFS code to the receiver. UPI works on a real time basis which means the money is transferred instantaneously. UPI also supports the other medium of doing funds transfer. UPI facility is available with all the banking apps like HDFC UPI, SBI UPI, ICICI UPI, AXIS UPI, and almost all the other private and public banks. Now, most of the bank are embedding their UPI feature within their mobile banking app only. QR Code based payments system QR code is again a different mechanism of making the transfer of payment where you only need to scan the QR code of the merchant and do the transfer of payments. It is being mostly used by all the digital payments app like BHIM, other banking apps to make the transfer of payments easily. The black square holds the information about the items whereby scanning the code information gets transmit automatically through the smartphone and payments get done. You do not have to enter anything manually while using QR code facility. Bharat QR code has been launched by the government to push the digital payment initiative in all the way round. USSD code payments system If you do not have a smartphone or internet facility, still you can make payments through dialing USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code even from your basic phone and following the certain instruction, you can easily make your payments done. It is GSM-based technology where transactions take place through messages. It is a platform which forms a medium between the telecommunication and banking financial services altogether. For every banking app, you have a different dialing code which you need to check from your service provider while making the transfer of payments. All telecom servers like Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance, etc have their own USSD code. Before making payment, you need to check whether your number is registered with the bank or not. Aadhaar enabled payment system The Aadhaar payment app works on an Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) facility, which is a bank-led model offering you multiple financial services through your Aadhaar number. You can link multiple bank accounts through Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) platform by which you can make payments from any of your accounts to the merchant. To make the best use of it, you need to link the Aadhaar number to your bank account. Net banking payments platform As the name suggests it simply means get your banking service online. The facility can be availed through mobile banking too. If you have a net banking access then in such case you may not have to visit the bank for day-to-day transactions. Net banking helps in payments from anywhere using your mobile banking app or just by log in to your banking website. It provides three modes of payments. Firstly, NEFT, which takes time while transferring money. It runs the process in batches which is why the time consumption is slightly more. If the receiver is not in a hurry to get funds and the amount is also less than Rs 10,000 individuals can use NEFT because it carries least service tax. Secondly, IMPS helps in getting funds transferred on real time basis for up to Rs 2 lakhs. When you need to make the transfer amount for more than Rs 2 lakh, you can use RTGS facility. Digital wallet payment system Through this platform money is loaded in wallets. Similarly with the launch of e-wallets you can add money using digital wallet apps. However, the constraint is you can transfer fund to the same wallet only. It means that if you have PayTM or SBI's Buddy app on your phone then you can only transfer money to another person's PayTM wallet or SBI's Buddy app who is having these app's installed respectively. Simply in another way round, you cannot transfer money from PayTM wallet to SBI buddy wallet app. There are some other e-wallets available in the digital marketplace such as Mobikwik, Freecharge, Oxigen, Reliance Money, Paypal, Buddy, Lime, Payzapp, Pocket, Yes Pay, etc. Magnetic stripped cards These are magnetic strip cards in the form of debit or credit card. People use these cards quite often for making payments. These cards can provide benefits of reward points per transaction and other cashback offers. These cards are usually offered by banks which are mainly powered by VISA or MasterCard. IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple. The Haryana Cabinet has approved the final Haryana (Regulation and Development) Rules 2017, making the state the 23rd state to have notified the rules. Among the points that the Cabinet took up is the crucial one what the definition of "ongoing project" will be, differential pricing for registration of real estate projects, and penalty clause. Some of the final rules included deletion of definition of Carpet area and Flat and amendment in the definition of term ongoing project. The amended definition of term ongoing project means a project for which a license was issued for the development under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Act, 1975 on or before May 1 this year and where development works were yet to be completed on the said date, but does not include (i) any project for which after completion of development works, an application under Rule 16 of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Rules, 1976 or under sub code 4.10 of the Haryana Building Code 2017, as the case may be, is made to the Competent Authority on or before publication of these rules and (ii) that part of any project for which part completion/completion, occupation certificate or part there of has been granted on or before publication of these rules, sources said. This means that now only projects where completion or occupancy certificate or part of it has been issued will be exempted from registration. Whereas in earlier draft if developer has applied and it is granted in three months were also exempted, explained Sunil Tyagi of Zeus Law. As for registration fees, the promoter shall pay a registration fee at the rate of Rs 10 per square metre of the total area of the real estate project in case of residential use in hyper/high potential zone and Rs 5 per square metre in case of low and medium zone. In case of commercial use, registration fee shall be Rs 20 per square metre. In the case of residential/industrial plotted colony, the rate would be applicable for gross area of the colony. In the case of Group Housing, Commercial/ Cyber City/ Park/ any other, above rates are upto 175 FAR. This is a welcome step. I hope the industry will get organized and command professionalism and respect of the customers," said Naveen Raheja, Chairman and Managing Director of Raheja Developers, that has registered close to 10 projects so far. "Unscrupulous elements and fly-by- night operators will now be weeded out. As far as registration fees for registering with the regulator are concerned, these have been brought at par with other states. This will ensure that exorbitant registration fees will no longer be a deterrent for builders to register with the regulator. So far, 25 developers have registered manually with the regulator. The total licenses issued in Haryana so far has been around 1,500. Homebuyers, however, are not happy. If the cabinet has actually cleared the diluted HRERA, this is extremely unfortunate and deceitful. RERA came out from the crying voices of the aggrieved existing home buyers, but the government has further increased that pain by snatching away the option of relatively quick justice and assurance of regulated environment, said Gaurav Prakash , a homebuyer in New Gurgaon. The Draft Haryana (Regulation and Development), Rules, 2017 were notified vide Haryana Government gazette notification dated April 28 this year for inviting suggestions/ objections from the public and others stakeholders. In all, 1874 suggestions/ objections were received in this regard from promoters and their respective associations, allottees welfare associations and individuals The 22 states that have so far notified the rules include Uttar Pradesh; Gujarat; Odisha; Andhra Pradesh; Maharashtra; Madhya Pradesh; Bihar; Chhattisgarh; Rajasthan; Uttarakhand; Assam; Jharkhand; Punjab; Tamil Nadu; Karnataka; NCT of Delhi (by Mo/UD); Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Chandigarh; Dadra & Nagar Haveli; Daman & Diu; Lakshadweep and Puducherry Bull's Eye, CNBC-TV18's popular game show, where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest. Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well. This week, Ruchit Jain, Kunal Saraogi and Ashish Kyal battle it out for top honours. Below their top stock picks and analysis: Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking Buy Manappuram Finance with a stoploss at Rs 103 and target of Rs 119 Buy Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) with a stoploss at Rs 78 and target of Rs 89 Buy Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX India) with a stoploss at Rs 1124 and target of Rs 1225 Buy Delta Corp with a stoploss at Rs 168 and target of Rs 183 Kunal Saraogi of Equityrush Buy Century Textiles and Industries with a stoploss at Rs 1134 and target of Rs 1200 Buy Cummins India with a stoploss at Rs 1009 and target of Rs 1085 Buy Godrej Consumer Products with a stoploss at Rs 969 and target of Rs 1035 Sell Ajanta Pharma Future with a stoploss at Rs 1480 and target of Rs 1380 Ashish Kyal of Waves Strategy Advisors Buy Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals with a stoploss at Rs 130 and target of Rs 139 Buy Motilal Oswal Financial with a stoploss at Rs 1040 and target of Rs 1150 Buy Allahabad Bank with a stoploss at Rs 75 and target of Rs 78 Buy Oriental Bank of Commerce with a stoploss at Rs 152 and target of Rs 157 IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More CLSA has maintained buy rating on IRB Infrastructure Developers with a target of Rs 320 as it has reported numbers which are better than estimates in the quarter ended June 2017. The companys 1Q results beat the street estimates, which is mainly led by strong toll revenue at its flagship MumbaiPune e-way and 44 percent rise in EPC execution, which resulted in to 40 percent growth in net profit of the company. At the MumbaiPune e-way (MPEW) registered a toll rise of 21 percent, which led by 17 percent hike in tariff. Also, despite the GST-led slowdown, the MPEW traffic grew at 4 percent, said CLSA. Meanwhile there are fresh concerns emerged around companys second-largest tollway, Ahmedabad Vadodara, which is facing traffic diversion. Consequently, the company has filed a claim with government agencies for Rs 1.7 billion as compensation, which may take a long time to approve. The company expects to win 300-400kms of new NH concessions during FY18, to build up visibility beyond FY19 and guided for maximum 100 bps lower margins on GST impact, it added. At 13:50 hrs IRB Infrastructure Developers was quoting at Rs 217.85, up Rs 2.15, or 1 percent on the BSE. Granules India Ltd. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Share price of Glenmark Pharma rose 1.6 percent intraday Tuesday on the back of USFDA approval for Desonide cream. "Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. USA has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for Desonide cream, 0.05%, the generic version of Desonide cream, 0.05% of Perrigo New York Inc," as per company release According to IMS Health sales data for the 12 month period ending May 2017, the Desonide Cream, 0.05% market achieved annual sales of approximately USD 44.6 million. The company's current portfolio consists of 120 products authorized for distribution in the US marketplace and 65 ANDAs pending approval with the US FDA. In addition to these internal filings, company continues to identify and explore external development partnerships to supplement and accelerate the growth of its existing pipeline and portfolio. A meeting of the board of directors will be held on July 27, to consider and approve the unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2017. According to sources, the company's Aurangabad plant has received zero observation in the USFDA inspection which took place in the last week. This plant is a new facility and its contribution to sales is small. At 11:17 hrs Glenmark Pharma was quoting at Rs 694.75, up Rs 5.85, or 0.85 percent on the BSE. Posted by Rakesh Patil The fee hike is set to be implemented from October 2, 2020 Neha Alawadhi The United States on Monday resumed premium processing of some categories of H-1B visas. While the move does not impact the visa category used for transfer of information technology professionals from India to the US, industry watchers still look at it as a positive step. The agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States - the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)- said on Monday that it would resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately. It had suspended premium processing temporarily from April 3 for all H-1B visa petitions. The over USD 150-billion Indian IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the H-1B visa programme, which is the most preferred route taken to send Indian IT professionals to the US temporarily to work on client side projects. Premium processing is like the tatkaal scheme for processing of H-1B visas, which allows faster processing of applications within 15 calendar days for USD 1,225 per application. The agency is only resuming premium processing for certain cap exempt cases. This does not typically pertain to petitions filed by our member companies. They still cannot use premium processing, said Shivendra Singh, vice president of global trade development at IT industry body National Association of Software and Services companies (Nasscom). However, Singh added that even though Indian companies will not be able to resume premium processing, the move was a good signal from the US. Still, it is a good sign that USCIS is making progress and moving towards restoring premium processing for everyone. This was the second announcement of a category of applicant regaining access to premium processing and the agency has given every indication that the restorations will continue for other categories as well just as the agency indicated it would do when the suspension was originally announced, Singh told Moneycontrol in an email response. The H-1B visa programme has been a sore thumb for the Indian IT industry since the end of President Obamas presidency. The industry has been accused of misusing the temporary work visas- H-1B and L-1- to displace American workers. Nasscom and the Indian IT industry have consistently denied the claim. The US raised the H-1B visa fee to USD 4,000 in December 2015, a move that was expected to have in impact of USD 400 million on the industry. India filed a complaint against the US with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over non-immigrant temporary working visas in March last year. Things took a turn for the worse under President Donald Trumps presidency. Trump had made a campaign promise to amend the H-1B visa regime. The industry has been bracing for drastic changes in the programme, which helps them keep costs low and gain an advantage over global competitors. Mondays announcement to resume premium processing for some categories was also seen as a very positive step by some. "This is sign that the Trump administration is failing to execute many of its pre-election promises, said Phil Fersht, CEO and Chief Analyst at services industry research firm HfS Research. While we've seen some outsourcing deals being awarded to "non-Indian" service providers since the election, we're now seeing the uncertainty dissipate as Trump's policies atrophy. This is good news for the Indian IT industry," he added. Nasscoms Singh said that the industry body and IT sector will continue to both monitor the USCIS development and work with US authorities as the situation continues to evolve. The IT industry has been facing protectionist sentiments across almost all its major markets -- the US, UK, Singapore and New Zealand in the past year even as the US continues to be its largest market. July 25, 2017 / 04:12 PM IST 15:34 That's all from our side. Stay tuned for more news and updates. 15:29 Let's take a look at what makes former President Pranab Mukherjee's tenure unique. 15:11 Read President Ram Nath Kovind's first address here. class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Photos of #PresidentKovind being sworn-in as the 14th President of India pic.twitter.com/8oWT1ZZ7df President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 14:37 Photographs of President Mukherjee & President-elect proceeding for Parliament for ceremony of assumption of office of the President pic.twitter.com/WakFpfVFus President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 14:09 The President, spourse of the President will now travel with the former President to 10, Rajaji Marg, which will be the latter's new residence. 14:03 Former President Mukherjee is now inspecting the inter-services Guard of honour. 13:58 President Kovind's new Twitter profile (@Rashtrapatibhvn) shows he has a 3.27 million followers already. Former President Mukherjee's Twitter handle has been archived (@POI13). 13:48 President Kovind is now inspecting the inter-services Guard of honour. 13:44 The President is arriving at the central forecourt for the inter-services Guard of honour, in the iconic stagecoach. 13:33 As per tradition, President Kovind will inspect the inter-services Guard of honour. The Guard of honour will be given by the Army, Navy and Air Force together. President of India is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. 13:29 Special dignitaries are now arriving at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 13:27 India is now 14 Presidents old! Here's a look at India's former Presidents. 13:05 Watch: President Kovind gets salute from the President's Bodyguards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Very inspiring address by President Ram Nath Kovind Ji, which beautifully summed up the essence of Indias strengths, democracy & diversity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2017 12:55 This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 12:53 President Kovind has arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan's main building. According to the tradition, former President Pranab Mukherjee will give him a tour of the Presidential Estate. 12:48 President Kovind has now reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 12:41 The convoy escorted by horse-mounted President's Bodyguards makes its way outside the Parliament complex amidst heavy rain. 12:37 President Kovind gets a traditional salute from the President's Bodyguard. Shri Ram Nath Kovind has taken oath as the President of India. @rashtrapatibhvn PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 25, 2017 12:33 President Kovind is greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Pratibha Patil, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, union ministers and senior leaders of the Oppositions. 12:30 The national anthem is played to signal the end of the swearing-in ceremony. President Kovind and former President Pranab Mukherjee will now head to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 12:27 Vice President Hamid Ansari is now reading the first and the last paragraph of President Kovind's address, as part of the tradition. 12:26 Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 12:23 Ram Nath Kovind talks about nation building and says that everyone is part of the process. 12:22 President Kovind talks about cultural diversity in India. Says, "We are proud of this diversity". 12:17 Ram Nath Kovind thanks people for choosing him as the President. 12:16 President Ram Nath Kovind is now addressing the nation. 12:14 President Ram Nath Kovind given a 21-gun salute. 12:12 Ram Nath Kovind is now the President of India. 12:12 Ram Nath Kovind takes oath to become the 14th President of India. 12:07 They are now headed to the Central Hall where President-elect Kovind will take the oath of office. 12:03 Vice President Hamid Ansari, Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan are receiving President-elect Kovind and President Pranab Mukherjee. 12:02 President-elect Kovind and President Pranab Mukherjee have now arrived at the Parliament. 11:57 The cavalcade is travelling on the Rajpath Marg, passing the North and the South Block, on its way to the Parliament. 11:51 President-elect Ram Nath Kovind and President Pranab Mukherjee are now on their way to the Parliament. 11:44 Pranab Mukherjee is showing Ram Nath Kovind around the Rashtrapati Bhavan as they make their way outside. 11:39 Ram Nath Kovind and Pranab Mukherjee are expected to start their journey to the Parliament in few minutes from now. The ceremonial cavalcade will be escorted by the President's Bodyguards. It is the oldest and the senior most regiment in the Indian Army. Ram Nath Kovind's son Prashant Kumar will also be present at the ceremony. He tells CNN News18, "Obviously, we are very happy." According to CNN News18, over 70 relatives of Kovind will be present at the swearing-in ceremony. 11:31 Both, the President-elect and incumbent President will soon head to the Parliament together in a ceremonial cavalcade. They will be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament. 11:30 Ram Nath Kovind, accompanied by his wife have reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet Pranab Mukherejee. 11:27 President-elect Ram Nath Kovind is about to reach the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Rashtrapati Bhavan will be the official residence of Ram Nath Kovind. In terms of the total area, it is one largest residences of any Head-of-State in the world. Here are a few quick facts about President Kovind's new home. > It is the official home and office of the President of India. > The main building has 340 rooms. > The main building houses the President's official residence, halls, guest rooms and offices > The 30-hectare (320 acre) President Estate additionally includes huge presidential gardens called the Mughal Gardens. > The estate also includes large open spaces, residences of bodyguards and staff, stables, other offices and utilities within its premises. > The Rashtrapati Bhavan was built by the British as the official residence of the Viceroy of India and was known as the "Viceroy's House". The construction was completed in 1929. 11:16 The Lok Sabha has now been adjourned till 15:00 for the swearing-in ceremony. 11:07 Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the nation for the last time yesterday. He expressed his gratitude and said, "I have received more than I have given." "How responsible I was will be judged by the critical lens of history," he added. He emphasised that "pluralism and multiplicity" are the key characteristics of India and one must embrace these for an all-encompassing development of India. Thank you for your affection & support ; tomorrow when I engage with you it will not be as President but as a citizen #PresidentMukherjee President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) July 24, 2017 11:00 Meanwhile, family members of Ram Nath Kovind have already arrived at the Parliament. They told the media that they are "extremely happy and proud". 10:56 Here's all you need to know about India's next Head-of-State: > The 71-year-old Dalit leader has been serving as the Governor of Bihar since August 2015. > Kovind hails from from Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh. > Ram Nath Kovind has served as a Rajya Sabha member twice between 1994-2000 and 2000-2006 from Uttar Pradesh. > Kovind has served as a member of several parliamentary committees and was the chairman of the Rajya Sabha House Committee. > Kovind had practiced in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for almost 16 years until 1993. > He served as the personal secretary of Morarji Desai in the 1977 Janata Party-led government. He has been close to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Read more about Ram Nath Kovind here. 10:51 Ram Nath Kovind was elected as India's 14th President on July 20. He received seven lak votes while his opponent former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar received three lakh votes. Read more here. 10:43 Here's what is scheduled for the day: > After visiting Raj Ghat, the President-elect will reach the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, escorted by the Military Secretary to the President. > The President-elect and incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee will then travel to the Parliament in a ceremonial cavalcade for the ceremony. > He will then be escorted to the Central Hall of Parliament. > Kovind will take oath in presence of the Chief Justice of India. > Once the ceremony is over, the President's Bodyguard will escort Kovind to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Thereafter, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee will give him a tour of the official residence the Rashtrapati Bhavan. > After the tour, Kovind will drop off Mukherjee at his new residence 10, Rajaji Marg. Read more here. 10:37 President-elect Ram Nath Kovind is visiting Raj Ghat. Raj Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. 10:35 He will the country's highest constitutional office today after the power officially is transferred from current outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee to him. President Pranab Mukherjee's official duties ended yesterday (July 24), exactly five years since he took over from former President Pratibha Patil. Welcome to the Live coverage of the swearing-in of the Ram Nath Kovind as the 14th President of India. Pete Lau, founder and CEO of China's mobile company OnePlus, attends the launch of OnePlus 5 in Mumbai, India June 22, 2017. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui - RTS186JV Moneycontrol News Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus 5 is hosting its own 'Back to School' sale with several offers on its flagship phones OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 5. Both the 6 GB and the 8GB RAM variants are up for grabs on the company's official online store. The offers include a free protective case being doled out against each of the flagship smartphones and a 50 percent discount on the Bullets V2 earphones, that post-discount are to be priced at Rs 599, down from Rs 1,199 resulting in a Rs 600 discount. Also Read : Flagship killer OnePlus 5 launched in India at Rs 32,999; Features, specifications, availability and more Also, a 20 percent discount is on the OnePlus Back to School bundle that includes a travel backpack and OnePlus Bullets V2 whose combo price has been scaled down to Rs 3,358 from Rs 4,198 (only Luna Dust cover travel backpack). The Dash power bundle that comprises of an adapter and the cable can now be purchased for Rs 1,945 down from its original price of Rs 2,048. Apart from the main offers, other accessories available for discount include tempered glass screen protectors, flip covers, dash car chargers, USB Type-C OTG cables. The Chinese smartphone giant is also offering Servify damage protection subscription on an opening of a Kotak 811 account. Also Read: OnePlus 5 launched with dual rear cameras, 6GB/8GB RAM: Specifications, price and more The OnePlus 5 is now back on stocks on Amazon India as well. Clubbed offers include additional data packs from Vodafone and Rs 500 Kindle eBook credits, apart from others. Amazon is offering Rs 250 as Amazon Pay Balance if one streams the prime video app on the smartphone. The e-commerce website is also offering 70 percent off on purchase of a protective case alongside the phone. There is also an exchange offer of up to Rs 17,600 for both variants. The OnePlus 5 is available at Rs 32,999 for the 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant and Rs 37,999 for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage model. Moneycontrol News In another addition to its parade of inefficiencies, two pilots of Air India's Mumbai-bound flight from Kolkata on July 22 flew the entire route with the wheels out, forcing a landing at Nagpur to refuel, as per a report in the Times of India. Due to the landing gear not being retracted, the flight, a new Airbus A-320, continued to fly at a height of 24,000 feet as opposed to an assigned level of 35-37,000 feet and flew at 426 kmph for the next one and a half hours, as per the report in the newspaper. The extra drag due to the weight of the wheels caused the flight to consume more fuel which led to an early landing. As per the report, the pilots realised that the wheels were out during the entire flight only while preparing to lower the gear to refuel while landing at Nagpur. Merely a day after China said that it would safeguard its security interests at any cost amid a standoff with India in the Sikkim region, Chinese state-run publication Global Times published an editorial piece urging China to teach India a second lesson. The statement was an apparent reference to the Indo-Sino war of 1962. Indias National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is scheduled to fly to China for the annual National Security Advisors meeting, scheduled to take place this week. In a separate op-ed piece, Global Times said that though Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current standoff between the two countries, his visit to China wont change anything unless India withdraws its forces from the region. Beijing is firm that India's withdrawal from Chinese territory is a precondition and a basis for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides. The Chinese side will not talk with India on the issue before the Indian troops' unconditional withdrawal from Chinese territory, the op-ed piece said. It added that New Delhi should now let go of its illusions and that Dovals Beijing visit is certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff on Indias terms. The original article, written by University of International Business and Economics professor John Gong, also talked about how Liu Youfa, China's former Consul General in Mumbai, was right in saying that Indian troops could either withdraw, or be captured or killed in case the standoff escalates. As India continues down this intransigent path, perhaps it is time that it be taught a second lesson As always, India's logic of reasoning on this matter is as feeble as its troops on the ground, Gong said in the article. He added that Indias claims of Chinas road construction in Doklam poses a strategic threat to the "chicken's neck" a 27-kilometer-wide Siliguri Corridor to the south of Doklam that connects the northeastern part of India with the rest of the country were rubbish and that China wasnt concerned with the chickens neck. Udupi Ramachandra Rao, the former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, died on Monday at Bengaluru after a prolonged age-related illness. He was 85. Better known as UR Rao, he left behind his imprint on space technology in India. Rao's name springs up every time there is a conversation regarding the launch of India's first satellite, Aryabhatta. He was among a few hand-picked scientists chosen by the late Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space endeavour, to shape the satellite technology programme in 1971. Having served as the chairman of ISRO for a decade from 1984-94, Prof Rao brought additional laurels to India by being the first Indian to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington in March 2013. He was also the first Indian scientist to be inducted in the International Astronautics Federation (IAF) in May last year. During his time in ISRO, Rao carried out over 20 satellite projects including Bhaskara, APPLE, Rohini, INSAT-1 and INSAT-2 series of multipurpose satellites and the IRS-1A and IRS-1B remote sensing satellites. Even though Rao specialised in cosmic rays, his love for science allowed him to pioneer several applications through space science that helped other sectors of the country including groundwater, monitoring of forests, telemedicine, and so on. The veteran scientist was honoured with Padma Bhushan award in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan this year. An expert on inter-planetary exploration, he published more than 360 scientific and technical papers for national and international journals on a range of topics including cosmic rays, interplanetary physics, high energy astrophysics, space applications and satellite and rocket technology. He also authored many books, including 'Physics of the Communication', 'Space and Agenda 21 - Caring for the Planet Earth' and 'Space Technology for Sustainable Development'. Early days Rao was born into a humble family from a small village called Adamaru, 25 kilometers from Udupi in Karnataka, where he completed his primary education. As son to a master cook, Rao moved a lot during his childhood with his family, usually to places where his father got a catering assignment. Nevertheless, the income was barely enough to meet the family's needs. As a result, his father had to sell their family house in Mudanidambur and move to Ballari in North Karnataka. Rao completed his college education in Veerashaiva College, Ballari, and graduated in BSc from Government Arts and Science College, Anantpur. He went to Banaras Hindu University for his MSc and landed under the guidance of late Dr Vikram Sarabhai for his Ph.D at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. When Rao was called to work for the Indian satellite programme, he was working as a Faculty Member at MIT and Assistant Professor at University of Texas at Dallas in the US. At the time of his death, Rao was serving as the chairman of the governing council of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and the chancellor of the Indian institute of science and technology in Thiruvananthapuram. Saudi Arabia has hired Goldman Sachs to manage the sale of a stake in Riyadh airport, the first major privatisation of an airport in the kingdom, three sources familiar with the matter said. The Saudi Civil Aviation Holding plans to sell a minority stake in Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, the sources said, without providing a timeframe for the sale. The exact size and potential value of the stake were not immediately known, but Riyadh has the second biggest airport in Saudi Arabia after Jeddah's King Abdulziz International Airport. Officials have highlighted transport as a priority sector for privatisations as Saudi Arabia looks to reduce government spending, improve services and diversify its oil dependent economy. However, the process has taken time to get underway. The kingdom had said in November 2015 it expected to begin privatising airports in the first quarter of 2016. Saudi Civil Aviation Holding was set up to manage the privatisation process, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) says on its website. GACA did not respond to a request for comment on the Riyadh airport stake sale. King Khalid International Airport handled 22.5 million passengers in 2016, up 0.9 percent year-on-year. Saudi Arabia is trying to raise $200 billion over the next several years through stake sales in assets such as airports. The government has also brought in foreign firms to manage some of its airports including the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), which was awarded in 2016 the contract to manage and operate Riyadh airport's new Terminal 5. Singapore's Changi Airport Group was awarded in April a contract to operate the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA )in Jeddah for up to 20 years. Goldman's role comes at a time when investment banks are stepping up their presence in Saudi Arabia to capitalise on the country's privatisation programme such as Aramco's planned $100 billion initial public offering next year. Goldman Sachs recently applied to Saudi Arabia's capital markets regulator for a licence to trade equities in the kingdom, Reuters reported in June. A Goldman Sachs spokesman in London declined to comment. Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race Natasha and Daniel have one day to get together in The Sun Is Also A Star, a fleshed-out romance from Nicola Yoon that could leave you shipping the two main POC characters. Heres the blurb: Natasha: Im a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. Im definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him wont be my story. Daniel: Ive always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in storefor both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? And heres what I think. The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon is a mishmash of a contemporary YA romance and the musical Cats. You know, that musical where cats sing about who they are (though The Sun Is Also A Star is nowhere near as long-winded). The chapters vary from Natasha and Daniels point of view, and its threaded together by stories about other characters and discussions about multiverses, fate, and evolution. These multiple perspectives and discussions give the story a lot more depth as we get to intimately know the characters and the universe they inhabit. Through these multiple perspectives, side characters are fleshed out. Natashas father starts as the Useless YA Novel Dad and becomes someone who we grow to understand and even sympathise with. We get a background to Daniels life through his brother and parents, and because of that we grow to understand him more. One of the things I enjoyed most about the novel was the blooming romance between the main characters. Despite the book being set over the course of one day, Natasha and Daniel grow close and get to know each other really well. Some may call this insta-love and, while that may be true, its more than that. Theres a time limit to the novel that gives their story urgency. Scenes that could have been peppered over the course of a few week are all squashed into one day. Once the pair meet, Natasha and Daniel must race against the clock to get to know each other while their lives are being propelled in opposite directions. Through their relationship, the two characters learn hard truths and are forced to confront their demons. Im usually not one for insta-love books, but I found this version to be realistic and it had me shipping the two main characters right from the very start. I found it even more compelling because Natasha and Daniel are both People of Colour (POC) and seeing two POC in a fluffy romance novel that explores the characters and their heritage and culture AND have it done really well was a delight. The Sun Is Also A Star is not without its problems. My main (and only) problem with the novel is that it uses ableist words like crazy. While ableist words are entrenched in everyday language, its important to remember that using these words is not okay. Theres a great article by authors Corinne Duyvis and Kayla Whaley called the Introduction to Disability Terminology that goes into more detail about this. Its highly debated whether authors should include such problematic terms in a novel, but personally, it took me out of the novel and made what could have been a 5 star novel into a 4.5 star novel. Despite its flaws, The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon is a fluffy romance with a lot of substance. It explores the two main characters and poses great questions about the universe and fate. In the space of one day the novel is fast-paced yet goes into a lot of depth about many things. Whether you like insta-love or not, I highly recommend that you read this book. 4.5/5 stars. July 24, 2017 Yemeni Forces Create Heat Wave In Saudi Arabia The rich U.S. military has long dreamed of and tried to influence the weather. No practical results have been achieved. Now the Yemen Armed Forces, under constant bombardment due to the U.S-Saudi war on Yemen and with meager resources, have accomplished the feat. They created a night-time heat wave in Saudi Arabia. Saudi refinery operations not affected by transformer fire Reuters, Khobar Sunday, 23 July 2017 The Saudi Aramco Mobile Refinery (SAMREF) at Yanbu is operating normally after a fire hit a power transformer at the gate of the facility on Saturday, a spokesman for a Saudi government body was quoted as saying on the state news agency. Operations are ongoing and have not been affected by the incident, which happened due to hot weather, Abdulrahman Al-Abdulqader, the spokesman for the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, which manages and operates industrial cities in Saudi Arabia. The fire broke out at 21:22 local time, according to the spokesman. Here is (vid) how the Yemeni forces created the "hot weather" . @BaFana3 - 7:21 PM - 22 Jul 2017 Now by #Yemen armed forces: "New ballistic missile "Burkan 2H" launched. Target : #Saudi Aramco Yanbu oil refinery. Range : 1,300km." --- By Ahmed Jahaf - bigger --- @Lee_Saks - 9:00 PM - 22 Jul 2017 #SaudiArabia | transformer fire at Yanbu refinery due to hot weather. [Houthi rebels claimed to hit refinery with ballistic missile]. #OOTT --- The Yemeni weather service predicts that another heat wave will soon reach the United Arab Emirates. --- @BaFana3 - 9:59 PM - 23 Jul 2017 #Yemen army spox: "Ballistic missile Burkan-H2 hit #Saudi oil refinery in Yanbu. This missile has the range to hit Dubai." Posted by b on July 24, 2017 at 20:02 UTC | Permalink Comments Did you miss out on the Pop Quiz this week? It's time to catch up and get ready for next week! Morgan Hill City Manager Steve Rymer was selected as the Rochester, Minn. City Councils top choice to fill their city administrator position, according to news reports. Rymer, a native of Minnesota who has worked for the City of Morgan Hill since 2006, was selected for Rochesters top staff position by a unanimous vote of the council July 24, according to a report from the Rochester Post Bulletin. Rymer and the council will be negotiating his salary and employment agreement this week, with the Rochester City Council expected to approve a deal by July 31. Rymer was appointed as Morgan Hill City Manager in 2013, when the city and state of California were in the midst of liquidating the Redevelopment Agency, which the governor shut down in 2011. Resulting from that process was the development and revitalization of downtown Morgan Hill, which was funded by $25 million in leftover RDA funds that the city was able to keep through negotiations with the state. Mayor Steve Tate said the council will discuss how to go about replacing Rymer in the coming days, perhaps by calling a special meeting. Tate praised Rymerwho has received glowing annual reviews and a number of salary raises from the Morgan Hill council over the yearsfor his ability to rally others to join the citys efforts and for being accessible to his staff and the public. He has built a really phenomenal team that is doing fantastic work, Tate said. There is a lot of team spirit, a lot of dedication to moving the city forward. Steve is the cause of all that. Hes also been very out in the community, made himself available to anybody that wants to come talk to him. He has set a very high level of performance. Other high-profile initiatives Rymer oversaw as city manager in Morgan Hill include an update of the General Plan, a voter-approved extension of the citys growth control measures and the effortwhich couldnt gain the approval of county regulatorsto develop the Southeast Quadrant with more sports- and recreation-related uses. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director John Horner said he is a big fan of Rymers and the business community will miss him. Horner also gave high marks to Rymer for his openness and willingness to talk to anyone about issues, concerns and ideas. Horner added that moving forward, he would like to see the council appoint someone internally from City Hall to replace Rymer. Also importantly, the new city manager should have a deep understanding of the Morgan Hill community. I think continuity, in general, would be positive, Horner said. Its very important that (the new city manager) is somebody that understands the concerns of building a balanced community with housing, jobs (and) public safety. Rymers current salary is about $248,000 in Morgan Hill. In 2014, the council offered Rymer, a Morgan Hill resident, a low-interest $950,000 home loan, plus a $110,000 home improvement loan in 2015. In Rochester, Rymers maximum salary as city administrator will be capped by Minnesota state law at about $173,000, according to the Post Bulletin report. Rochester, which is located about 80 miles southeast of Minneapolis, has a population of about 107,000. The Rochester City Council selected Rymer after a nationwide recruitment process, according to the Post Bulletin. He and two finalists were interviewed by the council in public earlier this month. A Morganton man was sentenced to three to five years in prison for fleeing to elude arrest and admitting to his habitual felon status, according to a press release from the District Attorneys Office. Charles Edward ONeil, 46, was sentenced during Burke County Superior Court on July 20 after pleading guilty to fleeing from law enforcement officers on a motorcycle in January, the release said. Investigator Aaron Carver with the North Carolina DMV spotted ONeil weaving in and out of traffic while traveling 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, the release said. ONeil also reached speeds near 90 mph in a 25 mph school zone while school was in session and passed a school bus while students were boarding. ONeil tried to pass a trooper with the N.C. State Highway Patrol but crashed into a fire hydrant, the release said. He was caught on foot shortly after. ONeils prior felony convictions increased the length of his sentence, the release said. His previous convictions include robbery with a dangerous weapon in 1990, selling/delivering cocaine in 1996 and using/carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime in 2000, the release said. According to Statistics Canadas latest round of data releases, retail growth in Saskatchewan was more than 65 per cent from 2006 to 2016, the sharpest across the country.But while this has led to robust expansion in the regions retail real estate, Edwards School of Business professor David Williams said that this is not a sustainable state of affairs considering the current climate of overbuilding and the rise of online sales transactions.Data from government officials revealed that 371 new business licences were issued in Q1 2017, the highest quarterly number in the last five years.There used to be a phrase in retail if you build it, they will come,' Williams stated. [But] is there too much physical retail space in town? Yes.Williams added that the challenges that physical retail stores in the United States are facing right now, along with the recent bankruptcy of Sears, should be taken as possible warning signs of a retail downturn that may affect Saskatchewan in the near future.However, Williams hastened to point out that the present situation might prove to be beneficial for retail stores who are about open, should they place their confidence in the economy recovering.Costs of labour and sites may be down, so its a cheaper time to develop now than rather, say, in the boom a few years ago, Williams explained. The continuous demand for Vancouvers high-end homes mirrors the hunger for this property type among Chinese would-be buyers and investors.A notable example of this is the 30-storey, 256-unit JOYCE development, the brainchild of developer Westbank. Over 3,000 interested parties attended its Vancouver sales gallery upon its opening in mid-June, and another 200 individuals visited its exhibition in Hong Kong just a week after launch.According to Luke Fehon, the Hong Kong-based managing director of Westbank, JOYCE is already 90 per cent sold a little over a month after its inauguration.Vancouver has always been attractive to foreign home buyers whether its for retirement, education or leisure, Fehon said, as quoted by The Edge Markets, which counts Chinese users as a significant proportion of its readership.From an investment perspective, Vancouver is a mature real estate market and does not experience large market swings like those in Asia.Helping Vancouvers popularity is the fact that it has consistently placed among the top ranks of the most liveable cities worldwide, being 5th in the Mercer Quality of Living Survey (2017) and 3rd in The Economist Intelligence Units most recent poll. Fresh data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation painted a positive picture of a Fort McMurray housing market in recovery, a year after the wildfires which set nearly 10 per cent of the citys structures ablaze.A spike in housing starts in the first half of 2017 has supported the ongoing rebuilding efforts with construction started on one third of all destroyed units, the CMHC stated in its newest Housing Market Insight report.Since the wildfires, one third of all destroyed residential units have begun reconstruction, representing 844 units. Only one per cent of units destroyed in the fire will not be rebuilt due to flood defense measures, the report added.CMHC and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo expect more units to start this year. At the current pace, all the rebuilding activity should take three to four years to complete.However, while this surge has generated some much-needed internal revenue, the CMHC cautioned that longer-term prospects for Fort McMurrays economy remain uncertain.Unemployment is down, but still above levels seen prior to the steep drop in oil prices. The influence of weak oil prices is particularly evident in the resale market, the report explained. Resale market activity will likely remain low until energy markets stabilize.And while the inbound flow of skilled workers assisting with the Fort McMurray rebuild might lead to more of the citys homes being occupied, vacancy rates will likely remain elevated compared to pre-2014 levels. Requiring a qualifying stress test for all uninsured mortgages; Requiring that Loan-to-Value (LTV) measurements remain dynamic and adjust for local market conditions where they are used as a risk control, such as for qualifying borrowers; Expressly prohibiting co-lending arrangements that are designed, or appear to be designed to circumvent regulatory requirements. The government appears to have ignored the industrys call to curb mortgage rule tweaking until last rounds impact is fully realized.Theyre just not being patient enough, Dustan Woodhouse , a broker with Dominion Lending Centres Canadian Mortgage Experts, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. I am, frankly, a little surprised by this relentless pace of change. It doesnt really seem like theyre giving things a chance (to see what impact the last changes will have).The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Services (OSFI) announced earlier this month it will be increasing its supervisory efforts for residential mortgage underwriting specifically focusing on Guideline B-20, which it also announced potential changes to.Those changes include;This latest round of proposed changes follows last summers, which included a mortgage rate stress test. They also follow months of campaigning by industry associations, lenders, and networks to try to convince the government to avoid enacting further changes.Many, like Woodhouse, argue not enough time has been given to see just how impactful those changes have been.The analogy I use in business a lot times is a mature business is like a cruise ship, whereas a sole proprietor is like a speed boat, he said. When you realize youre heading in the wrong direction and youre a one man band you implement change almost immediately and boom youre pointing in a new direction and you get to that new location a whole lot faster.The government is a like a cruise ship in this case; a behemoth that requires a great deal of time to change course.When they see things in a direction they dont like and they decide to change course, what they lose sight of is that its going to take a while to bring the bow around and get it pointed in the direction they want to be going on, Woodhouse said.OSFI is inviting consultation from industry stakeholders, which can be sent via email Despite that consultation promise, Woodhouse believes the guidelines will be set as presented with no tweaks regardless of what feedback stakeholders give.I dont think this is a maybe, he said. I dont think were going to see any watering down.As for what sort of impact the next round of rule changes will have on the industry, one veteran is pessimistic.I think the industry is probably going to pull back around 30%, John Bargis, owner of Mortgage Edge, said. I dont think the channel can do a whole lot to avoid whats coming down the pipe. The changes are aimed at curbing the industry and thats exactly what its going to accomplish. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Partly cloudy. High 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 55F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. The only mortgage conference focused solely on the originator community at brokerages, banks and credit unions is gearing up. OriginatorConnect, a three-day conference with a laser focus on the originator community, will be held Aug. 18-20 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. The conference will feature 24 education sessions and nearly 150 mortgage product demo showcases. OriginatorConnect will also be the nations first live-streamed and on-demand mortgage event, with six live-streamed keynote presentations. The conferences exhibit hall will feature a media broadcast plaza that will host live sessions and live podcast interviews. Six keynote addresses will be livestreamed. The head of Gateway Mortgage has thrown his hat in the ring for a governorship. Kevin Stitt, founder and CEO of Gateway Mortgage, has officially declared that he intends to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2018, according to a HousingWire report. Stitt is just one of many vying to move into the governors mansion. According to HousingWire, there are currently 13 candidates registered to run for the office in the 2018 election. And Stitt, a Republican, is the sixth GOP contender to register with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Read more: Cordray will quit CFPB to run for office, friends say This campaign is about growth, Stitt told Tulsa World. I built my business; now I want to grow our economy and give teachers the tools they need to make our schools and children successful. Gateway Mortgage has become a significant force in the industry since Stitt founded the company in 2000. Gateway currently has more than 145 locations across the country, is licensed in more than 40 states and boasts about 1,100 employees. Gateway projects it will originate more than $6 billion in mortgages in 2017, HousingWire reported. The company is predicting that its servicing portfolio will top $16 billion this year. MIDLAND - Eddy Lozoya never failed a drug test in the three years he hauled water and sand across the West Texas oil patch, even though he used at least $200 a day in cocaine to keep his eyes open on brutally long days behind the wheel of a Kenworth T600 semi-truck. Lozoya, like his fellow truckers, found ways to beat the tests and keep driving. Earning six-figure salaries, they consumed cocktails of drugs to push themselves to their physical limits on trips between scattered drilling sites that could last 36 to 48 consecutive hours. They would drive their 35-ton vehicles in tight, single-file formations, blowing air horns when the sleepiest among them began drifting off the road. "We always had cocaine," he said. Lozoya, a recovering addict at 23, is among the thousands of oil field workers who have succumbed to the mix of money, boredom and drugs that often accompanies energy booms. Drillers of all sizes have poured billions of dollars into the prolific Permian Basin this year, rebuilding operations after a two-year oil bust that devastated the region. But for all the economic benefits of the industry's high-paying jobs, the oil rush again is bankrolling an expanding market for illegal drugs. Law enforcement officials say drug trafficking, drug abuse and drug-related crimes have spiked in recent years, evidence that energy's boom-and-bust cycles have had enormous social consequences in West Texas. Inside a small Nazarene church in Midland, converted a decade ago into a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center, the number of people seeking help is on track to more than double from last year. Some 1,200 people have come through the doors of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program in the first six months of the year, one in five of them under 18. "We're losing a generation of children to drugs and alcohol," said Michele Savage, the longtime director of the program. Lozoya knows drugs of all kinds are easy to find here. After an injury left him unable to drive commercial trucks, he found another lucrative trucking route, this time transporting narcotic pain medications and other drugs from his home state of California to West Texas. Here, he said, dealers can sell cocaine, marijuana and opioids for two or three times the price in neighboring states because of the remote location and the river of money flowing from the oil patch. "There's a lot of profit to be made out here because it's in such high demand," he said. "People want it here, and they'll pay for it." 'Meth is booming' While the U.S. opioid epidemic has captured national attention, the drug of choice in West Texas is methamphetamine, or crystal meth, a powerful stimulant oil field workers use to cope with long hours in the Texas heat, and one that is increasingly supplied through Mexican drug cartels, according to law enforcement officials. An analysis of data from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Houston oil field services company Baker Hughes found a strong correlation between the rise of drilling activity and the number of crystal meth seizures in the area surrounding the Permian Basin. Between 2009 and 2016, as oil companies dispatched more rigs into West Texas, the number of meth seizures rose sharply. The rig count's average of 103 in 2009 increased more than fivefold by 2014, the peak of the oil boom. In the same period, Texas state troopers saw meth seizures jump from 3 to 73, a 4,000 percent increase in the dozens of counties encompassing the Permian Basin. CRS Diagnostic Service, a drug-testing company in Odessa, found the number of local workers who tested positive for methamphetamine in the first half of this year was more than three times higher than in the first half of 2009, shortly before the so-called shale oil revolution got underway. "Meth is booming," said Craig Smith, a senior vice president at the company. For the oil industry, increased drug abuse in West Texas has exacerbated the struggle to find workers as they rebuild labor forces after widespread layoffs during the recent downturn. Patterson-UTI Energy, a Houston drilling and hydraulic fracturing contractor, has hired 4,000 people this year to fill jobs on rigs and fracking fleets, but more job applicants have failed drug tests this year than in 2014, said Diana Dotolo, the company's vice president of human resources. The Houston firm recruits workers from around the United States, but for local companies without a nationwide reach, the problem is far worse. Dynamic Oilfield Services, an oil-equipment company based in Corpus Christi, has seen roughly half of its job applicants from West Texas fail drug tests this year, and most of its employees in the region are hired from other areas. Decades ago, biker gangs made meth from phenyl-2-pronopol, which was outlawed in the United States in the 1980s. Now, Mexican drug cartels dominate the commerce of meth, often transporting the substance in liquid form across the U.S.-Mexico border, stored in fake gasoline tanks, iced tea bottles or windshield washer fluid reservoirs, law enforcement officials said. They take it to stash houses in places like Phoenix and Dallas before it reaches high-demand markets in West Texas, said Will Glaspy, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's El Paso division. "Oil field workers are big consumers of methamphetamine," Glaspy said. "The Mexican cartels are the biggest sources of supply." Across the West Texas and New Mexico counties that encompass the Permian Basin, the DEA has seized 2,200 pounds of meth since October 2015, more than triple the amount confiscated in between October 2011 and September 2013. Last year, the agency seized 66 pounds of methamphetamine in the Midland area, compared with 11 pounds in 2012. "When the oil price is up, there's more methamphetamine in our entire community," said Steve Thomason, executive director at the Springboard Center, an alcohol and drug treatment facility in Midland. It's not uncommon, he said, to see a young oil field worker "roll up to outpatient treatment in a Corvette." Failing the test In the first six months of this year, more than 1,000 people working or applying for jobs in the oil-producing business failed urine-based drug tests, double the pace of failures last year, according to Houston-based DISA Global Solutions, the largest provider of drug-testing policies to U.S. oil producers. The number of industry workers failing hair follicle tests, which are more effective in detecting long-term drug use, jumped to more than 4,600 over the past 18 months, tripling the number in the two years from 2009 to 2010; the number of people testing positive for methamphetamine jumped five times. Large oil companies and oil field contractors said they have adopted tougher drug-testing policies in recent years. Houston oil producer Apache Corp., for example, conducts random, pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable-suspicion and random drug tests. If an employee or contractor fails a test, he could face termination. "We are vigilant about ensuring a drug-free culture," said Castlen Kennedy, a spokeswoman at Apache. But substance abuse specialists believe drug-test failure figures grossly underestimate the number of oil field workers who abuse drugs. Traces of methamphetamine, for example, linger in a person's system for only few days, making it harder to catch meth abusers. Several recovering drug addicts said managers in the oil patch tip off crews to a random drug test several days before it takes place, some to dodge fines by regulators, others to avoid having to hire new workers. "There's a million and one ways to beat the drug tests," said Patrice Owens, director of the Greenhouse Outpatient Center, an Arlington addiction treatment facility. "If people want to use drugs, there's always a way." Even if they get caught using drugs, oil field workers often find their way back to the oil patch. For the seven years Cody Watson worked as an oil field electrician, using meth and cocaine as he worked nonstop for several days at a time when storms knocked out rig powerlines, it wasn't hard to pass drug tests because managers gave him and his crew plenty of advanced warning. Once, after Watson smashed his finger with a pipe, a drilling company fired him when he came up positive in a post-accident drug test. He drove 18 hours across Texas for a job interview with another company, purging his system with water to erase any trace of drugs. He passed the pre-employment drug test. "During the boom times, I could leave my job and there'd be plenty of places to work," said Watson, now a 41-year-old recovering addict. "A lot of these guys hop from one rig to another. It's a never-ending cycle." Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle, handouts Breaking the cycle Not long ago, drug use on a drilling rig was out in the open, said Kevin Tyson, a 55-year-old recovering addict. He recalled fellow rig workers tying a syringe filled with meth to a machine that pulls pipe out of the earth, then running it up to the derrick hand 90 feet above the rig floor, where the man took a hit. Meth kept Tyson working and partying for years. They'd go on benders for days and didn't think much of it. Once, he missed a pipe he was supposed to catch. It swung right past him across the rig floor. Another guy smashed a coworker's hand with a sledgehammer. Some would die in oil field accidents, car wrecks or from overdoses. "Oh well," he said, "just keep going." Doctors told him he weighed 70-something pounds when he arrived at a hospital in Lubbock, where he spent a month in an intensive care unit. He has the paperwork, but he still doesn't know if that is true. One doctor said if he used meth again, he would die. He thought about that for a long time. Four months after his release, he got bored, called his buddy and started shooting meth again. "I knew I was going to die," said Tyson, who had worked in oil patch for 16 years before he began his recovery in November 2001, at age 39. "But I just figured, let's have a good hard run." The rules have changed since Tyson began his career, as companies impose stricter testing regimens. But the tough-guy culture still drives roustabouts, mechanics, truckers and rig hands to work long hours under grueling conditions and find ways to beat the tests. And sometimes, it drives them to the breaking point. In mid-April, around 2 a.m., Robert Orosco Jr. put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The 34-year-old had lost everything to his relapse with Xanax, a highly addictive medication for anxiety, and cocaine. The drugs were so readily available, he could have them delivered. His wife had left him. He lost his house. He lost his job as an oil-equipment salesman. In every scenario he played out in his head, his six children were better off without him. The gun didn't fire. Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle, handouts Orosco checked himself in to a treatment facility the next day. Today, a few months sober, Orosco is building a new company that offers drone imaging to oil companies to identify leaks and assemble 3D maps of the earth's surface. "The boom brings the good and the bad," Orosco said. "There's so much here." Last month, Lozoya, the former oil field trucker, found a job at a local department store selling women's shoes for $13 an hour, plus commission. He remembers his days as a 19-year old earning paychecks that were five times larger than the average American his age and how he blew it all to feed a habit that eventually cost $500 to $1,000 a day. He also remembers a downward spiral that cost him his job and led him to steal RVs, dirt bikes and even copper from the oil field. Several times, he nearly overdosed, and ultimately he sought help at a treatment center after his girlfriend and others persuaded him to get clean. Today, he likes getting dressed up for work, with a suit, tie and well-groomed hair. He hopes to pursue a college degree and, perhaps one day, have his own clothing brand. And, for at least the next few months, he plans to heed the advice his counselors gave him: Don't go back to the oil patch. "I don't see myself being able to work 100 hours a week sober," he said. "The oil field is tough." Data reporter John Harden contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A harrowing story out of Grand Prairie near Dallas is enough to terrify any parent. On July 19, Victoria Edward was finishing up grocery shopping outside of a Kroger when a man walked up and began pushing away the cart with her 2-year-old toddler still inside, according to WFMY News. Edward, who was starting up her car, was notified by her 5-year-old son. She quickly rushed the man to stop the brazen abduction. RESCUED: Woman kidnapped in alleged forced sex trafficking attempt Story continues below... "I was just yelling let go," Edwards told WFMY. "Let my baby go! Let the basket go! You need to get out of here! And I'm screaming at the top of my lungs." The mysterious man told Edwards he was just "trying to say hello," but continued to try to push the cart away and pick up the strapped-in child. Finally, the public struggle was enough to scare the kidnapper away and he jumped inside a get-away car, a black pick-up truck that was waiting for him. ON THE RUN: Police searching for man accused of kidnapping teen from Dallas, forcing her into prostitution Police released a sketch of the suspect, described as 50 to 60-years-old with a dark comb over and mole under his left eye. Click through above to see how police sketches compare with real mugshots. The driver of a tractor-trailer in which several immigrants died has a criminal record that dates to 1997 and a life as mobile as his job. James Matthew Bear Bradley Jr., 60, said little when informed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney that the human trafficking charge he faces carries a maximum life sentence and the possibility of death. Bradley was scheduled for a bail hearing Thursday, when his criminal history could come into play and keep him jailed, as prosecutors are expected to argue that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk because he faces a possible stiff sentence and has a record of not appearing at scheduled court hearings or not complying with the law. RELATED: Survivor connects Zetas Cartel to bodies found inside trailer According to public records, Bradley has compiled a criminal record at least since 1997, with arrests in multiple states on charges including menacing others, assault, grand theft, escape and several traffic offenses. Most recently, he lived in Louisville, Kentucky, according to public records and his recent employer, Pyle Transportation of Iowa. Bradleys fiancee, Darnisha Rose, also of Louisville, told the Associated Press that Bradley had no idea how the immigrants got into his trailer. I just cant believe it. Im stunned, shocked. He is too good a person to do anything like this, Rose said. He helps people, he doesnt hurt people. RELATED: Statement: Walmart employees' 'quick actions' saved lives Neighbors said Bradley lives with a relative but that they keep to themselves. For more than a month, a truck matching the description of the one located at the deadly scene in San Antonio had been parked outside the house. Theyre just not very friendly, said one of his Louisville neighbors, Irene Poynter. They dont talk to you or have anything to say to you. Court records show that Bradley was arrested in 1997 in Arapahoe County, Colorado, on charges of felony menacing, menacing with a deadly weapon and third-degree assault. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to the felony menacing charge, and the others were dropped, records show. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation. The probation was revoked in 2003 and he was arrested a year later on a felony escape warrant while in Hillsborough County, Florida. He was also charged in Florida with grand theft, but the charge was dropped after he spent more than a month in jail. He was then extradited to Colorado, where he received one year in prison on the escape charge. His probation was revoked again, in 2005, and he was again sent to prison in Colorado, court records show. He has also been convicted of several driving offenses in various states, including speeding, being over weight on his axles, misuse of equipment and driving without evidence of financial responsibility (insurance), according to court records. Though public records and his latest employer say Bradley, who has been married twice, most recently lived in Louisville, federal agents and prosecutors identified him as being from Clearwater, Florida. He has also lived in Sacramento and Rancho Cordova, California, along with Denver, Aurora and Broomfield, Colorado. Bradley has been a truck driver for several years, according to court records. When he was arrested in 2004 in Florida, he listed his employment as a trucker for IBS Transportation. His Florida drivers license information page also said he has endorsements to haul dual trailers. According to federal records, he was one of 15 drivers for Pyle Transportation, which is authorized to haul general freight, fresh produce, meat, refrigerated foods and paper products. Pyle company officials have described Bradley as an owner-operator, who made his own decisions and bought his own fuel, though he was covered under the companys insurance. GContreras@express-news.net Twitter: @gmaninfedland Staff Writer Caleb Downs contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Before leaving the border town of Laredo for the deadly ride to San Antonio, immigrants spent hours packed in a trailer, according to court documents obtained by mySA.com Monday morning. One of the immigrants questioned by federal agents after police found the trailer with eight dead two more died in a hospital -- in a Walmart parking lot on the Southwest Side said that about 70 immigrants were loaded into the truck Saturday morning, but it wasn't until after 9 p.m. that evening that they left for San Antonio. The details were outlined in a criminal complaint against the truck's driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60, who appeared in federal court Monday. RELATED: Death toll climbs to double digits in 'horrific' human trafficking case He is charged with one count of transporting immigrants who are in the country illegally and faces up to life in prison or the death penalty under a law that allows enhanced penalties when immigrants die during smuggling operations. Bradley will be held without bail until hearings Thursday morning. "The smugglers closed the door and the interior of the trailer was pitch black and it was already hot inside," an agent with Homeland Security Investigations wrote in the criminal complaint. "He stated that they were not provided with any water or food. People inside were making noise to get someone's attention, but nobody ever came." The immigrants were told by smugglers the truck would be refrigerated on the ride up. "During the first hour of transportation, everyone seemed to be OK," the agent wrote. "Later, people started having trouble breathing and some started to pass out. People began hitting the trailer walls and making noise to get the driver's attention. The driver never stopped. People had a hole in the trailer wall to provide some ventilation and they started taking turns breathing from the hole." When they arrived, the doors were flung open and six black SUVs took away some of the immigrants, according to the complaint. One of the immigrants told agents he was traveling to San Antonio with seven family members. He spent 11 days in Laredo in a stash house before being loaded onto the trailer. Another told him he planned to go to Minnesota with his brother. Bradley initially told police he didn't know there were people in the trailer, according to court records filed Monday. RELATED: Photos show scene of 'smuggling venture gone horribly wrong' Later, the driver said he had tried to give aid to the dozens of people inside the trailer. "Bradley stated when he arrived at the Walmart he exited the vehicle to urinate and he heard banging and shaking inside the trailer," an agent with Homeland Security Investigations wrote in the complaint. "Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by 'Spanish' people and knocked to the ground. Bradley said he then noticed bodies just lying on the floor like meat. Bradley said that the knew at least one of them was dead. Bradley said he knew the trailer refrigeration system didn't work and that the four vent holes were probably clogged up." San Antonio police were called to the Walmart parking lot on the Southwest Side after a person from the trailer asked a store employee for water. Upon arrival, police found eight of the immigrants dead inside the vehicle just after midnight Sunday. More than two dozen others were taken to local hospitals, where two more people died. It is believed the eight people found in the trailer died of heat exposure/asphyxiation, police said. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 There are dozens of transportation projects in Midland-Odessa that need funding, but there is only so much money available to spend. At Mondays Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting, the policy board agreed on a draft version of regions top priorities. Weve been at this for a little raftover four months now, and ideally tonight we will walk away with your approval of a draft list of projects, MPO Executive Director Cameron Walker told the board to open discussion of the action item. The new list is formally known as the Vision 2040 Master Transportation Plan Amendment No. 4. Around transportation circles, its the MTP. The document lays out which projects the MPO plans to address, how much theyre estimated to cost and when theyre expected to begin. First up are the already-approved overpass at Loop 250 and Fairgrounds Road in Midland County and a new location realignment at John Ben Shepperd Parkway South and Farm-to-Market Road 3503 in Ector County. Both are slated to begin this year. Other committed projects -- meaning funding is budgeted for them -- and year-of-expenditure estimated costs are: -- Construction of a new interchange on U.S. Highway 385 at Loop 338 in Ector County: $17.7 million. -- Reconfiguration of the interchanges on Interstate 20 from Lamesa Road to FM 715 in Midland County: $4.5 million. -- Construction of a new interchange on I-20 at County Road 1250 in Midland County: $19.84 million. -- Construction of a new interchange on Loop 250 at CR 1150 and CR 60 in Midland County: $21.5 million -- Construction of a new interchange on Loop 338 at Yukon Road in Ector County: $19.2 million. -- Ramp reconfigurations in the area of Loop 250 and State Highway 191 in Midland County: $6.26 million. These projects are slated to begin in the next three years. Walker told the Reporter-Telegram after the meeting that whats most interesting to him about the list, which totals more than four dozen projects, is that the first 17 non-committed projects are all new. Furthermore, a total of 25 projects are slated to begin in the next decade, though Walker put the more reasonable timetable at seven years because of increased funding transportation funding from Proposition 1 and Proposition 7. Financial contributions from the Midland and Odessa development corporations also are a factor. Between them, the ODC and the MDC are committing about $20 million toward a dozen projects over the next 10 years. Several of the projects focus on I-20, and the MPO ultimately hopes to convert the thoroughfares bidirectional service roads to one-way. When talking about the large presence of I-20 projects, Walker told the board, The message is I-20 is important to us; conversion to one-way frontage roads is important to the board. In its 6-0 vote, the policy board also approved MPO staff to conduct a 10-day public comment period. Midland County Commissioner and policy board Vice Chairman Robin Donnelly was absent Monday. The board also voted 6-0 to approve the Unified Planning Work Program, which effectively is the MPOs annual budget. Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Texas Department of Public Safety drivers license offices in Midland and Odessa will close this week to transfer employees and equipment to the new Midland Driver License Center. The new facility at 2800 Wright Drive will open 8 a.m. Monday. The old Midland office will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday; the Odessa office closed today. 'The big truck is still on ... GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. As a young person, establishing credit is one of the most important things youll do for your financial future. Authorized user is a good way to start Secured cards are another option to limit spending Retail cards easy to get, but be careful! If I want a house, if I want to get a car, if I want any of these things, I need credit, said 21-year-old Samantha Spavale, a student at the University of South Florida. Shes absolutely right. Having good credit can even impact your ability to get a job these days. A lot of employers are now pulling credit reports," explained Juan Menendez, a credit counselor with Solitas House in Tampa. "They want to see your credit history and your spending habits. You have to be 18 to legally get a credit card on your own, but it can be tough to qualify, especially if you dont have an income. So many young people look to Mom and Dad to help jump-start their credit history. Getting Started Spavale got her first credit card at age 18. I got one with my mom, and I had a spending limit of about $300, Spavale said. Parents can open a joint account with their child, but you have to be careful that the teen is responsible, because a joint account gives them equal control of the card. They could easily go on a spending spree and raise that limit, Menendez said. Spavale admits it does get tempting. You can get in a lot of trouble with it," she said. "There have been several times when I have taken it away from myself, and gone ahead and freeze it in the refrigerator, so I cant use it." Samantha Spavale (left) has has built a good credit history and proved she is responsible, even with the temptations of plastic money. (Angie Moreschi, staff) Authorized Users Menendez says in most cases, its better to start by making your child an authorized user on a card where youre the primary holder. An authorized user gets all the benefits of using the card and starts to establish credit, but it gives the primary holder more control. If an authorized user overspends, you can remove them from an account. You still have to keep a close eye on the account, though, because the authorized user doesn't have legal responsibility for the debt. So be aware, as a parent it could affect YOUR credit score. The goal is to teach your child discipline. To help avoid spending sprees, explain to them that the card is for "needs," not "wants." My recommendation for kids is let them use it once a month to fill the tank with gas, and then get that credit card back, Menendez said. Also, be sure to have the teen sit down and pay the bill every month, to get in the habit. The process worked well for Spavale. I have been very responsible, she said. I keep a close tab on it for gas, food and a few major purchases, like textbooks. Secured Cards and Retail Cards Another option is a secured card, which requires a security deposit against the credit limit. Basically, you put down money thats used as a security-- usually in the neighborhood of 300 to 500 dollars, Menendez said, It works just like a regular credit card and shows up on your credit report. If you default, that money will be taken. Generally, after about a year of on-time payments, you can convert the secured card to a regular card and get the security deposit back. Retail credit cards also help to build credit and are easy to get. But young people have to be extra careful to control the temptation to over-spend at a favorite store. In addition, don't make the mistake of opening too many retail accounts. Its not necessary to have 10 credit cards, Menendez said. Thats one problem we see with young people. They start opening cards left and right, and pretty soon, they have a wallet full of cards. For what? We recommend three major credit cards. Thats it. College Graduates get Preference Another thing to keep in mind: college graduates have an easier time getting credit, even if they havent established a credit history, because creditors consider them to be a better risk. If a student has graduated with honors and all that, that student is more likely to get credit offers, Menendez said. After three years with a credit card, Spavale has built a good credit history and proved she is responsible, even with the temptations of plastic money. Ive been pretty good about it, Spavale said. Its built my credit to a point where Im almost at a 700 (credit score). A credit score of about 640 is generally needed to be considered for a home loan, so 700 is very good, especially for such a young person. Having a credit card can teach a young person good money management skills to lay a foundation for the future. Spavale now pays her card off, on her own, every month. As for the most important thing about having a credit card, she says pay it off on time. Smart kid. The Clearwater man charged in the deaths of 10 migrants who died in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer at a San Antonio Walmart had had his Florida commercial driver's license revoked in April, the Associated Press reports. A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles confirmed to the AP on Tuesday that James Bradley Jr.'s commercial driving privileges had been disqualified because he didn't submit an updated medical card, a federal requirement. The spokeswoman also said it would have been illegal for Bradley to have a second commercial license from another state. Bradley was issued a commercial driver's license in Florida in 2004, AP said. He's been ticketed multiple times in the past, some for driving too long without rest. Bradley is charged with illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain resulting in death. He could face the death penalty. He's said he didn't know people were inside the trailer. A 19-year-old Volusia County man heard screams from a nearby canal, so he stripped down to his boxers, jumped into the murky water and pulled the man to safety, fire officials confirmed Tuesday. 19-year-old man jumped into murky canal to pull man to safety Incident happened July 19 in New Smyrna Beach Nic Berry: "I told him to have a happy day." RELATED: Cocoa Police turn to death statute to charge teens who filmed drowning Nic Berry called 911 at about 9:30 a.m., Wednesday July 19, to report a man had fallen near the AutoZone at 2078 State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach. New Smyrna Beach firefighters arrived at the scene and talked to Berry, who stated the man fell into the canal near the auto parts store. Berry went into the canal and assisted the man out and then called authorities. "The patient had no medical complaint on scene; however, our crews did assess his vital signs and took a patient refusal," said Lt. Mike Green, a spokesman with the New Smyrna Beach Fire Department. "We commend Mr. Berry for his actions, especially in recent events that happened in Cocoa." About 50 miles south, the Cocoa Police Department has said it plans to file charges against a group of teenagers who filmed and mocked a man as he was drowning in a pond. There's no Florida law requiring to report to officials that someone is dying. But after someone has died, people are required to contact authorities, according to Cocoa Police Chief Michael Cantaloupe. Berry, a recent high school graduate who plans to enlist in the U.S. Navy, says the water he jumped into did not come from a natural spring and "seemed like sewage," according to the Associated Press. The man told Berry he tripped and fell into the water on his walk home from the hospital after visiting his wife. Berry offered the man a bottle of water, some chips and a ride home. "I told him to have a happy day and not to fall into any more ponds," Berry said he told the still-shaken man when he dropped him off. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Hale County commissioners on Monday accepted bids from Concrete Connection of Plainview for all three phases of concrete work outside the Ollie Liner Center. The addition of a concrete apron on three sides of the countys exhibition/events center is part of some $500,000 in upgrades to the facility on the south edge of Plainview. Concrete Connection already is involved in upgrades at the RV park outside the Ollie Liner Center. All thats lacking on that is for Xcel Energy to reactivate electrical service, which is expected later this week. Once that happens, county road crews will clean and seal coat the RV park, located on the north edge of the Ollie Liner Center. The county provides 24 full-service RV spaces with electrical, sewer and water hookups. There are another 17 spaces on the east edge of the building with electrical hookups only. The county charges $15 per night ($10 for seniors) for the RV hookups, with stays limited to one week. By comparison, commercial rates locally range from $25 to $35 per day. Commissioners plan to take a look at increasing the RV rates at the OLC at their next work session in early August. Once all OLC upgrades are complete, they are expected to review OLC rental charges as well. On Monday, they accepted Concrete Connections bid of $167,794.95 for concrete work around the Ollie Liner Center. Thrasher, Inc., bid $170,530.35 for the same project. The project is expected to be completed in 90 days, depending on weather, once work begins sometime in August. Earlier, the sewer line serving both the OLC and RV park was replaced. The final phase of the upgrades will be repairs and seal coating of the OLC parking lot, which is expected to be done by county employees. In other action Monday commissioners: --Approved the addition of Garret Smith to the staff of the District Attorneys Office. He is expected to become the county court prosecutor once upon receiving results of his Texas Bar Exam in November. --Approved annual contracts related to the Texas VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) program through the Texas Attorney Generals Office. It provides crime victims up-to-date information on court cases. --Approved current accounts payable of $112,054.40 and acknowledged the countys closing balance of all accounts on June 30 of $19,449,492.71. County Treasurer Ida Tyler reported that the county received $52,120.63 in investment income during the first half of the year. She said investments are earning more than 1 percent for the first time in several years. --Authorized the purchase of two grill guards for DPS Licenses and Weights patrol vehicles in Hale County, if asset forfeiture funds are not available. Total cost is $900. --Approved the June run report for Hale Center EMS. That agency had 27 emergency calls with 22 in the city and 5 in rural Hale County. Six were non-transport calls and one was a handoff to UMC EMS from Abernathy. --Accepted a $20,000 bid for tax forfeited property at 1115 N. Columbia in Plainview. It is appraised at $33,617. A City of Plainview trust property, it was one of seven properties offered through an internet auction. --Approved the UMC EMS second quarter run report which serves Abernathy and surrounding area. They reported 18 responses, including two outside their service area -- in Petersburg and Hale Center. --Approved three measures related to the acquisition of privately-held structures at the Plainview/Hale County Airport. Commissioners authorized the county judge to sign an engagement letter with Jeff Tillman for appraisal review services. The judge also was authorized to sign an agreement with Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc., to conduct an environmental due diligence audit at the airport. Also, the judge was authorized to sign an agreement with Parkhill, Smith and Cooper to survey the 27 structures owned by Rocket Aviation and to development an Airport Boundary Survey. --Accepted a $5,400 bid for three trust properties in Abernathy. Those tracts, at 1202, 1203 and 1210 Ave. B, are City of Abernathy trust properties. --Approved quarterly reports from the Indigent Health Department, Veterans Service Office and Plainview/Hale County Economic Development Corp. The formal reports were made Friday at the commissioners work session. --Heard a presentation from Andrew Jackson on the Hale, Swisher, Castro Counties CSCD biennial budget. A final budget hearing is set for 8 a.m. Aug. 14 in the 64th District Courtroom. --Authorized the installation of upgraded security cameras at the Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Office north of Abernathy. The installation will be done by Professional Alarm Services of Wolfforth at a cost of $13,363.50. --Approved the hiring of Jesus Carmona and Alfredo Picasso as part of the Precinct 4 Road Crew. --Approved retroactive raises for three corrections officers at the Hale County jail since their routine pay increases had been overlooked earlier. Precinct 2 Commissioner Mario Martinez was absent Monday. All other members of the Hale County Commissioners Court were in attendance. After three days of weekend hearings, the Senate on Monday began to debate and vote on issues placed on the agenda for the 30-day session by Governor Greg Abbott. The Senate gave tentative approval to a school finance reform bill that would create a system by which children with disabilities can apply for and receive money to attend private schools. SB 2, by Friendswood Sen. Larry Taylor, would fund that program through donations to non-profit organizations from insurance companies in exchange for tax credits. Students with disabilities could receive up to $10,000 per year to pay for private school tuition. It would also allow students with disabilities who stay in public school to apply for smaller $500 grants to pay for approved academic expenses, like tutoring, transportation and instructional materials. The fund would be capped at $75 million per year. The bill also contains $212 million in additional educational spending. Most of that money goes towards offsetting revenue lost in 2006. Until now, the state has made up the difference in revenue caused by the 2006 property tax cut, but that fund is set to expire in September. $150 million in SB 2 would go towards helping districts that still rely on those funds to pay for expenses while a more permanent school finance system reform is considered in upcoming sessions. The remaining money goes towards facilities funding for traditional and charter public schools Also Monday, the Senate gave initial approval to its major property tax reform plan for the special session in the form of SB 1, by Houston Sen. Paul Bettencourt. Current law allows for taxpayers to petition for a rollback election if a property taxing entity raises levies by more than eight percent in a year. Bettencourt's bill would cut that threshold in half to four percent and would make rollback elections automatic, rather than subject to a petition drive. The bill would also move rollback elections to the uniform election date in November and create a statewide deadline for tax protests on May 15. Finally, the measure seeks to increase transparency in notification and make property tax arbitration more taxpayer friendly. Under an amendment offered by Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock, small taxing jurisdictions with less than $20 million in sales and property tax revenue would be exempt from the rollback threshold in the bill, but could hold an election to opt-in. The Senate tentatively passed another four bills on Monday. They are: --SB 17 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, which seeks to improve rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in Texas by directing the Department of State Health Services to research and develop recommendations for policies to address the problem. --SB 10 by Sen. Donna Campbell of New Braunfels, would require that facilities that provide abortions report any complications from the procedure to state health agencies within 30 days, and doctors who perform abortions to report complications within 72 hours. --SB 73 by Sen. Bryan Hughes of Mineola, which would require that in the case of abortions where the mother is a minor, providers must report whether parental consent or judicial bypass permitted the procedure. --SB 16 by Sen. Larry Taylor of Friendswood, would create the Texas Commission on Public School Finance in order to research, recommend policy changes, and consider new methods of paying for public schools in Texas. All six bills faced a final vote Tuesday before they head to the House. The Senate was to reconvene Tuesday, July 25, at 10 a.m. HARTFORD The legislature voted Monday to override Gov. Dannel P. Malloys veto of bill that would make it easier for municipalities to qualify for exemptions from affordable housing requirements. Malloy vetoed the bill earlier this month, expressing concerns that it will weaken the states affordable housing requirements and undermine progress the state had made in recent years. Proponents of the bill disagreed, saying it would actually help municipalities that have fallen short only 31 municipalities have met the requirement and increase the availability of affordable housing. The House voted 101-47 to override the veto, followed by a 24-12 tally in the Senate. Both vote totals were lower than those garnered during the session 116-33 in the House, 30-6 in the Senate but were still just enough to meet the two-thirds margin needed to override the veto. State law requires that 10 percent of housing in a municipality meet the affordability requirement, a threshold tied to the median income of a town. In municipalities that dont meet that threshold, developers can get exemptions from local zoning regulations for projects when at least 30 percent of the units would be affordable to buyers making no more than 80 percent of the median income. The bill would expand the types of units that count toward that 10 percent requirement and create a weighted system that gives extra credit for certain types of housing. It would also make it easier for towns to apply for four-year moratoriums on exemptions by lowering the number of units needed to qualify. In his veto message, Malloy said the bill would make it easier for municipalities to get around the 1990 law aimed at expanding access to housing. He also said Connecticut has the sixth highest gap nationally between what renters earn and what they need to cover their rent. Every Connecticut resident should have access to housing they can afford in the town where they work, Malloy wrote in the July 7 message. So, too, should everyone be able to live affordably in the town that they choose, with access to good schools, safe neighborhoods, and basic services, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or income. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said there nuances to enticing affordable housing, and the issue is not that clean-cut. I think we all want affordable housing in the area that folks live and work, or at least have an opportunity to go, he also said. All Republicans also voted for the bill. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said the bill is aimed at giving municipalities more control about their destiny, and it includes a nice combination of changes without eroding the original law. The bill received opposition from lawmakers from constituent districts, though. Rep. Cathy Abercrombie, D-Meriden, said the law has been aimed at getting affordable housing into suburbs, but the change circumvents that intent. In the urban districts, we have all the affordable housing, she said. Its always been a struggle as a state to make sure that where youre born, you can go back and raise your kids. The legislature didnt take action on three other bills Malloy vetoed, including ones that would create a tax credit for those who donate homegrown foods to shelters; changes to warranties on roofing, siding, or window materials; and a requirement for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to study the viability of new heating districts. msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino HARTFORD By a party-line vote Monday, the House adopted a concession agreement with state employee unions projected to save more than $1.5 billion over two years. The vote came despite protests from Republicans, who said they needed more time to review the bill and pointed to Senate Democrats decision to wait until July 31 to vote on the agreement. House Democrats made good on their stated intention last week to vote on the agreement, which the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition ratified a week ago. The 78-72 vote Rep. John Hampton, D-Simsbury, was the only Democrat to break rank drew applause from Malloy. When we asked labor to come to the table and be part of the solution, our state workers answered the call, he said in a statement. And I remind lawmakers that as each day goes by with this plan unapproved, certain savings that this agreement will create will dissipate. The agreement includes a number of changes to state employee benefits, including increased contributions for pensions and health care costs from current and retired employees. It also creates a fourth tier in the pension system for new hires that includes a combined defined-benefit, defined-contribution plan. It also includes wage freezes for state employees. All but one of the 34 unions were negotiating new wage packages. In exchange, the agreement would result in a no-layoff agreement for four years and extend the benefit package for five years, until 2027. Republicans said the state can achieve a similar level of savings statutorily, and they said the agreement isnt worth what the state is giving back to unions. This is tying the hands of every taxpayer in the state of Connecticut, because we cannot do a darn thing about the benefits package going forward, said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. All Republicans voted against the deal with the exception of Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, who was not present. Democrats said the proposed changes in the House Republican budget would fail to reach the $1.5 billion in savings over two years that Malloy got in the SEBAC agreement, a key figure as lawmakers continue talks on how to plug a projected $5 billion deficit over that same time period. House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, also said some of the proposed changes to the existing contract wouldnt be legal, and would be out of line with Connecticuts policies. It doesnt add up, Ritter said of Republican complaints, because we have people in this state who have a longstanding commitment and principle of collective bargaining. Earlier in the day, Klarides and Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, urged Aresimowicz to hold off on voting, noting Senate Democrats were already planning to do so. They said they needed more time to evaluate the wage and salary portion of the agreement, pointing out that the Office of Fiscal Analysis didnt include a financial impact in its own projections. OFA merely said there is no fiscal impact attributed to a wage freeze as there are no collective bargaining contracts in place. OFA noted that only state police have an agreement on wages, and it expires at the end of the fiscal year. Republicans, though, said its an indication OFA needed more time, as they only got the information late last Thursday. They could not do the detailed analysis required that we usually see in OFA notes with respect to contracts, Klarides said. msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino An 86-year-old San Francisco store owner defended his Chinatown business from an intruder armed with a knife by beating him back with a bamboo stick on Sunday, officials said. A 49-year-old suspect, Thomas Baker of San Francisco, was creating a disturbance in the store on the 700 block of Grant Avenue about 3:51 p.m. when the octogenarian owner tried to get him to leave, according to the San Francisco Police Department. When a solar eclipse darkens the sky next month, California energy regulators have a small request: Dont turn on the lights. Or, if you must, please make sure theyre LEDs. The Aug. 21 eclipse that will completely block the sun across a wide arc of North America arrives at a time when California is relying more and more on solar power. During past eclipses in the United States, no one had to wonder how the events would affect electricity supplies. Now they do. The California Public Utilities Commission has created a website, www.caleclipse.org, that asks state residents to pledge to conserve electricity during the eclipse, which will begin just after 9 a.m. and last almost until noon. If they dont, the state will have to get electricity from fossil fuels. The organization that manages most of Californias electricity grid insists theres no danger of the eclipse causing power failures. The California Independent System Operator, which runs 80 percent of the grid, has been planning for the eclipse since last year. Conservation during the event would be nice but unnecessary. Were confident weve got this handled, said Steven Greenlee, spokesman for the Independent System Operator. The thing about an eclipse is, its very predictable. While grid managers say the event will be manageable, it does pose a challenge. ERIC ADAMS/NYT California has enough large-scale solar power plants, most of them built within the past five years, to generate a maximum of 10,000 megawatts of electricity. A megawatt is a snapshot figure roughly equal to the amount of electricity used by 750 typical homes in a given moment. Electricity from those plants starts trickling onto the grid soon after sunrise, surges rapidly in midmorning, and hits a plateau around 11 a.m. The eclipse will strike just as the morning solar supply begins to increase. The path of total eclipse where the moon completely covers the sun will steer north of California, leaving the sun partially obscured throughout the state. But it will still make a difference. In the Mojave Desert, which has more installed solar power than any other part of the state, 65 percent of the sunlight will be blocked, according to the Independent System Operators estimates. In the southern San Joaquin Valley, another region packed with solar plants, sunlight will drop by 69 percent. As the eclipse deepens, the grid will lose about 70 megawatts of solar power per minute, Greenlee said. By 10:22, production from large-scale solar power plants will drop to 3,143 megawatts almost two-thirds lower than normal for that time of day. Then, as the eclipse passes, solar power production will jump by about 90 megawatts per minute until full sunlight returns. (The rebound will be more dramatic than the dip, because the sun will be higher in the sky.) Grid managers will not only need to replace the missing megawatts. They will also need to supply more electricity to California homes whose rooftop solar panels will be dimmed by the eclipse. Fortunately, other grid managers have dealt with this. In the months before a 2015 eclipse in Europe, analysts wondered how the event would affect electricity supplies. Germany had roughly 40,000 megawatts of solar capacity at the time, raising fears that power fluctuations caused by the eclipse could wreak havoc with the grid. It didnt. Chaos failed to ensue. California officials consulted their German counterparts to glean lessons. One small result: The Independent System Operator has lined up a little extra capacity about 200 megawatts, from small natural-gas power plants to have in reserve. (Natural gas produces greenhouse gases when burned, which is why the state utilities commission would prefer not to use it.) It is a challenge its something we havent seen before at this magnitude, Greenlee said. But we have a pretty good idea how it will behave. David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter @DavidBakerSF This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Companies in Asia are growing tired of employees broken hearts bleeding into their work the next day and granting break-up leave to allow workers time to grieve a lost love. A Philippines digital advertising agency, IdeaXMachina, has added the leave, an annual dating allowance and up to $3,000 for a wedding to its benefits package, according to GMA News and CNN Philippines. IXM even tries to help their employees get back into the dating scene by reimbursing them for dating services like Tinder and eHarmony. CEO and founder Clemente Domingo III wants to foster creativity in his staff and make the workplace more appealing to millenials, he told Philippine news outlet GMA. RELATED: TGIF: More firms now offering employees a 'summer Friday' perk Japanese marketing firm, Hime & Co., offered break-up leave as far back as 2006. According to Reuters, Himes plan was adjusted for age, giving employees 30 and older up to three days off for a break up and younger workers one or two days. Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious, Hiradate told Reuters in 2008. Few bosses approve of curling up with a quart of chocolate ice cream in your cubicle, and co-workers probably dont appreciate quiet sobs at your desk or angry phone calls in the break room. RELATED: Texas adds jobs in June; unemployment rate down in San Antonio, too But the idea hasnt yet caught on in the United States where American firms are less sympathetic and parental leave still isnt a national standard. Karen Hopkins, president of the Hopkins Group, a human resources consulting firm in Dallas, said she has never come across an American company implementing such a practice. However, she said more companies are moving toward offering general paid time off, which employees could choose to use to deal with a bad break up however they see fit. They could take their paid time off and soothe their broken heart, Hopkins said. RELATED: Starbucks' latest bid to perk up sales growth: on-tap coffee Some think it might be a good idea for all involved for the recently dumped to take a day off for some heartbreak leave without needing to fake a cough to call in sick. Sally Wright, a consultant who has worked with the American Psychotherapy Association, told Forbes in 2010 that, Situations involving relationship breakup are every bit as mentally and emotionally taxing as those which are characterized as acceptable reasons. In fact they are often more difficult to deal with. jpound@express-news.net Twitter: @jesserpound This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate "Aye-yai-yai-yai-yai!" Iconic superhero troop the Power Rangers will be making an appearance at the Morphinominal Expo in the first week of September in the Alamo City. San Antonio's Wonderland of Americas Mall will host the fandom experience on September 2 and 3. The free event is a first of its kind in South Texas, according to event organizers. READ ALSO: Here are the free comics for Halloween ComicFest 2017, plus a monstrously good T-shirt design "Morphinominal Expo provides a place to talk about all your favorite Power Rangers and tokusatsu, live action shows similar to Power Rangers from Japan, as well as meet the actors from fan favorite series," officials said in a press release. The expo will feature appearances from several of the franchise's stars, including: Andrew Gray, Power Rangers Megaforce Red Ranger, Reggie Rolle, Lost Galaxy Green Ranger, Justin Nimmo, Silver Ranger from Power Rangers in Space, Amy Rolle, Trakeena and the villainess from Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. RELATED: Movie review: Go, go see 'Power Rangers' Panels, cosplay competitions and prizes will also be featured at the event. Vendor space is available for $45. As the superheros' adage goes "it's morphin' time." For information on vendor space or more about the expo, contact the event planners at morphinominalexpo@gmail.com. jthorpe@express-news.net @jerilynnthorpe This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Editors note: Today we look back at Week 29 of 365 Days of Tacos, in which food writer and restaurant critic Mike Sutter reports on a different taqueria, restaurant or truck every day on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com/Tacos. Sign up for our taco newsletter while youre there. Taco of the Week Blue Demon, Taco Libre. The Blue Demon was a real guy, a luchador revered by Mexican wrestling fans. Taco Libre honors him with a gringa-style taco starring tangy, marinated al pastor with beans, melted white cheese and guacamole in a toasted flour tortilla for just $3. The week in tacos, July 16-22 Taqueria Guadalajara #3: This shop fits a pattern common to Jalisco-style restaurants, from the border menu of tortas, tacos, grill plates and all-day breakfast to the big, bright dining rooms to the orange paint jobs. Featured taco: Carne guisada. 2603 Goliad Road, 210-333-1933, Facebook: Taqueria Guadalajara #3 Cristans Tacos: Lavender and pink arent customary taqueria colors, but Cristans is bathed in both. Its a clean, efficient breakfast-and-lunch spot with 30 tacos and a menu of Tex-Mex enchiladas, chalupas, menudo and 15 variations on huevos rancheros. Featured taco: Huevos a la mexicana. 8054 Midcrown Drive, 210-657-2211, no web presence Southside Cardinal Cafe: A fast, efficient diner that caters to the Southside High School students next door with a daily $1 taco special and a walk-up window for speed. Featured taco: Chorizo and potato. 19228 U.S. 281 S., 210-626-2626, no web presence Santanas Cafe: If you judge a cafe by how crowded the parking lot is, then Santanas is on to something. Not a big secret something, just a full breakfast and lunch menu of Tex-Mex and hamburgers, along with 31 tacos. Featured taco: Carne guisada. 19530 U.S. 281 S., 210-626-5146, no web presence Taco Libre: Gilbert De La Paz started Taco Libre a year ago as a tribute to his late grandmother, a fan of lucha libre wrestling. De La Paz a veteran of La Gloria and Viva Villa Taqueria brings the spirit and sense of humor of the luchadores to this bright, mellow 20-seat cafe. Featured taco: Blue Demon. 6511 Ingram Road, 210-592-6288, Facebook: @vivatacolibre AVs Food To Go: This little roadside shack isnt joking around with the To Go thing. Its working food in a hurry for working people in a hurry, with a drive-through and tortillas as big as steering wheels. Featured taco: Sausage ranchero. 20110 U.S. 281 S., 210-626-0404, no web presence Taqueria El Tapatio De Jalisco: With a parking lot big enough for a big rig, this cafe serves breakfast and handmade tortillas from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Featured taco: Pierna. 5323 Roosevelt Ave., 210-924-2777, no web presence Week 28 winner: Ruthies Mexican Restaurant Week 27 Winner: Angelas Cafe Week 26 winner: Los Valles Week 25 winner: Taco Riendo Week 24 winner: Las Sabrosas de Guanajuato Week 23 winner: Oscars Taco House Week 22 winner: Tacos Betos Week 21 winner: Carnitas Lonja Week 20 winner: Tommys Restaurant Week 19 winner: Lees El Taco Garage Week 18 winner: Mi Ranchito Week 17 winner: El Paraiso de Jalisco Week 16 winner: Salsas Cafe Week 15 winner: Taquitos West Ave. Week 14 winner: Taco Taco Cafe Week 13 winner: Los Campos Dos Hermanos Week 12 winner: Mittman Fine Foods Week 11 winner: Sabinas Coffee House Week 10 winner: Dannys Cocina Mexicana Week 9 winner: The Original Donut Shop Week 8 winner: Claudias Restaurant Week 7 winner: Don Jose Mexican Cafe Week 6 winner: Paloma Blanca Week 5 winner: Mendez Cafe Week 4 winner: Tacos Y Burritos Metro Basilica 2 Week 3 winner: El Buen Gusto Mexican Cafe Week 2 winner: Taco Haven Week 1 winner: Rays Drive Inn msutter@express-news.net Twitter: @fedmanwalking This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 John Mone/Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Andrea Zelinski Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Three University of Texas at Austin professors appealed a federal judge's dismissal of their campus carry lawsuit to the Fifth Circuit on Monday. Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa Moore and Mia Carter, who teach liberal arts, English, and feminist and LGBT literature, filed their suit before the state's concealed carry law was implemented at four-year universities. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel tossed out the lawsuit earlier this month. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tex, the 16-month-old Belgian Malinois service dog, sat calmly beside US Marine Corps Veteran Juan Solis who was smiling and socializing with guests at the Tin Roof BBQ restaurant in Atascocita on Saturday, July 22. By how comfortable the two seemed around each other, it may not have been apparent that this was the first time Tex and Solis had met face to face. Solis served multiple tours in Iraq and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. On Saturday, Solis was presented with Tex by Rebuilding Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs as therapeutic companions for veterans sustaining negative psychological impacts of warfare. HEARTWARMING CAMPAIGN: Montgomery County vet gets scammed, community steps up Only seconds after the formal presentation was over, Solis found himself surrounded by people who wanted to know more about him and his new canine companion. Already, Tex's presence was having a positive impact on Solis, who said he tends to isolate himself from others. "He put up a wall," said Jeff Anderson, CEO and founder of Rebuilding Warriors. "Now, every time somebody comes up to pet the dog, he's got to engage with people. I think this is going to open a lot of doors for him. He's actually talking to people." Despite Solis' own hardships, he volunteers at the USO to help other military service people and their families. It was through his connections at the USO that Solis was recommended to receive a Rebuilding Warriors service dog. "Here's a guy (who says,) 'I'm broken, but I'm going to pay it forward anyway,' and that just really touched me," Anderson said. "He's a really great guy." Accordingly, Rebuilding Warriors worked to pair Solis with a really great canine. Tex's father was a top police dog in California, where he served as a K-9 for eight-and-a-half years. After he retired, he was bred with a female noted for her mellow disposition. Rebuilding Warriors received three of their puppies, one of which was Tex. Anderson found the puppies were ideal to fill the role of companion dogs for veterans. "I wish we had 100 of them," Anderson said. "They're phenomenal dogs. Very calm." Tex's mellowness was one of the main reasons Solis felt an instant connection to him. "When I first saw him, I was like, 'Wow, he reminds me of me with those eyes mellow and everything," Solis said. "Mellow, to me, is like daydreaming, just always thinking a thinker. I like him a lot. He's a good boy." Solis said Tex's arrival in his life was well-timed. "Recently, I lost two loved ones," Solis said. "The fact that I'm getting him now at this moment and having an addition to my two subtracted is a blessing. I'm very glad. I'm happy." Solis looks forward incorporating Tex into his family as they continue strengthening the bond between them. The two are scheduled to begin training classes soon. "Having him and always having the mindset to go out on walks, to go do something with Tex I need to get out of the house, and he's a good reason to," Solis said. Anderson said service dogs can have profound effects on veterans' self-esteem and socialization. "A year from now, this is going to be a different guy," Anderson said. Tin Roof owner Nancy Webber teared-up as she explained why she believes it is important to show support by hosting events like this service dog dedication. "They've given so much," Webber said. "This is the least we could do. I can't even imagine what they've been through. If we can give back a little bit, then that's what we're going to do." Tin Roof BBQ shows support for emergency services and service people by offering half-off discounts for all police, firefighters, veterans and service men and women. Tin Roof also holds fundraisers to benefit veteran-related nonprofits. "They truly open their arms to veterans and in this day in age that says a lot about a person's character," Anderson said. For more information about Rebuilding Warriors, visit www.rebuildingwarriors.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Coins and more will be trading hands during the first weekend of August, drawing collectors from Katy to Rosenberg, Memorial to West University Place and all points in between and beyond. The Bellaire Coin Club is hosting a Coin and Collectible Show on Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6. Coin Club member Dick Hyde said the show will feature something for everyone, and he expects everyone to have an enjoyable time. "You can buy, sell, trade and look. It is basically a market," Hyde said. "This is not just a coin show, but also a collectible show. We have people that will bring antique toys, jewelry and watches, stamps and historical documents. We have expanded it to any kind of collectible." There will be a wide range of coins for people to check out, including ancient to modern foreign coins, which can be made out of bronze, gold, silver, copper and brass. Multiple seminars will be held throughout the show to provide opportunities to learn about coins, and Boy and Girl Scouts who attend have the opportunity to earn the Coin Collecting Merit Badge through a workshop. There will be four door prizes to win, each worth $100-$300. There will also be a children's auction. The children will be given fake money to use to bid on real coins. Some of those coins can be worth up to $100. "The dealers all contribute items to the auction," Hyde said. "We want to get kids interested in our hobby because someone has got to take it on after we're gone." Hyde encourages families to come out, because it is a great bonding experience through generations. "We had a little boy come with his family once and he didn't know anything about coins. He went back home to tell their grandfather and it turns out he was a collector. The bond has continued ever since and now they bring grandpa to the show," Hyde said. The show will be held Aug. 5-6, from 9 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, at the Arabia Shrine Center, 10510 Harwin Drive, Houston. Admission is $3 except for active military in uniform, and Boy and Girl Scouts in uniform. Hyde started collecting coins when he was 6 years old in the first grade. Hyde cites a trip to K-Mart with his mother and brother as being the start to his hobby. He was in the book section and picked up the latest current edition of the Blue Book, which shows the values of coins in it. Featured on a page was the 1909 S VDB coin, one of the rarer Lincoln pennies. For non collectors, the "S" is the mint mark for the San Francisco mint. "VDB" are the initials for Victor David Brenner, the designer of that coin. "I thought, 'Wow, this thing is worth like $50, I want to start looking for those.' Now those will go for more than $2,000. You never know what you'll find in your pocket change," Hyde said. Hyde said he never found one of those pennies, but he did have a 1932 silver quarter set from the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco mints as a kid, now worth several hundred dollars. "I had them on the top of my dresser and then they were gone. Nobody knew what happened to them. I don't think anyone stole them purposely but maybe someone used them for lunch money and didn't realize it," Hyde joked. Hyde continued, "I collected all throughout high school and then I got involved in college and cars and girls. I put it to the side. I pretty much stayed out of it until all of my kids were grown. I got involved in the Bellaire Coin Club around 2012." The rarest coin Hyde has ever seen was at the American Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs. There they have an 1804 silver dollar, worth hundreds of thousands. There are 12 of them total around today. The Bellaire Coin Club started in 1963. Meetings are held the first and third Monday of every month at 6:15 p.m. at the Bellaire Library. Each meeting features a speaker and an auction. "We have anywhere from 20 to 40 people show up. We have a kid in middle school to a gentleman in their 90's. We run the whole gamut," Hyde said. "We welcome beginner coin collectors. We have a lot of knowledge and we are willing to share it." For more information about the club or the show visit www.bellairecoinclub.com. The City of Plainview will host a Leap of Faith 25th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 12. The celebration will begin with self-guided tours of different filming sites from 1-5 p.m. Maps of the sites will be available at The Broadway Brew, 108 E. Seventh, and Fair Theater, 717 Broadway, as well as online. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., a reception honoring Director Richard Pearce will be held at The Broadway Brew. Pearce will be on hand to visit and tell stories about filming the movie in Plainview and memorabilia from the movie as well as drinks and snacks will be available. Following the reception will be a viewing of the movie at the Fair Theater, beginning at 7 p.m. The event is free, the public is encouraged to attend and concessions will be available. Director Richard Pearce will have a question-and-answer time around 9 p.m., following the movie. For those of us living around Plainview during the filming, it was quite an adventure, says Melinda Brown, CVB coordinator/Main Street director. With the 25th anniversary happening this year, we wanted to celebrate. We couldnt be more excited to have Director Richard Pearce joining us! Leap of Faith included two months of preproduction and 11 days of actual shooting in the summer of 1992. The short stay of filming pumped more than $1 million into the Plainview economy and many residents had the opportunity to not only view the filming but serve as extras in the movie as well. Leap of Faith is a story about touring Christian evangelist Jonas Nightengale (Steve Martin) and his cohorts who tend to put on their bogus faith-healing revivals in major cities, where hefty donations flow freely. When Jonas and company find themselves stuck in a remote nook of Kansas due to a truck breakdown, they decide to perform for the locals and take them for all they are worth. The shows go off without a hitch until sensible lawman Will Braverman (Liam Neeson) catches on to the scam and vows to prove to everyone that Jonas is a fake. The filming not only brought notable stars such as Steve Martin and Debra Winger, but also introduced Plainview (and audiences) to MeatLoaf and Liam Neison. Produced by Paramount Pictures, the film grossed more than $23 million. The Texas Film Commission is proud to celebrate Leap of Faith with the City of Plainview. We hope this 20th anniversary celebration shines a spotlight on this beautiful town and its gracious community who were so essential to the films success, says Heather Page, director of the Texas Film Commission. Leap of Faith is one of a number of classic films shot throughout Texas in the 90s that kept Texas in front of the eyes of the world, and we are excited that this anniversary provides an opportunity for a new generation of viewers to fall in love with the film and Plainview just as so many did when the film was first released. Director Richard Pearce has thought of Plainview on many accounts, not just directing Leap of Faith. Back in early 2013, I woke up one morning to find an article in the NY Times about the devastating consequences to a small West Texas town from the third worst drought in Texas history. Before it was officially declared over in May of 2015, the 4 1/2-year drought had dried up pastures and forced local ranchers to sell off most of their livestock, ultimately bringing about the closure of the town's biggest employer: the Cargill meat processing plant. At the end of the article, the reporter wrote about a group of local residents encircling the Cargill plant praying for a miracle. My heart literally skipped a beat. It had been 15 years since I had last been to Plainview, Texas. I had come looking for locations for a Hollywood comedy/drama about a fake faith healer named Jonas Nightingale (played by Steve Martin) who, while stranded during a severe drought in a small West Texas town (read: Plainview) almost despite himself succeeds in bringing about an actual miracle (read: a rainstorm). I sat staring at that New York Times article that morning and thought about the strange ways in which Art imitates Life and Life imitates Art. Back in 1992, I had chosen Plainview not only because of its photogenic big sky West Texas landscape but also because it seemed to sit at the literal epicenter of the one of the country's driest (read: dryland) agricultural regions. Plainview would be the perfect place to set this fictional story of a small town experiencing a devastating drought. The only problem was that by the time we arrived to actually shoot the movie, the town of Plainview had had one of the wettest springs that anyone in the town could remember. The result was that no matter where you looked, the fields around Plainview were bright florescent green with the miracle of dryland agriculture. And this was years before Hollywood discovered the miracle of CGI (i.e., computer graphics). Whatever we filmed would be what the theater audience would see. Yikes . . . Life and Art seemed to be on a collision course, and there seemed to be no way to avoid it. What to do? We invite everyone to come join us not just to find out more about Director Pearces story but to also enjoy this piece of Plainview history, said Brown. It will be fun and memorable. For more information about the event, contact Melinda Brown at 296-1119 or mbrown@plainviewtx.org. WASHINGTON - The public standoff between the White House and the nation's senior law enforcement official took another strange turn Tuesday as President Donald Trump escalated his verbal attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was urged by fellow conservatives to stand his ground. Trump was asked at a Rose Garden news conference if he would fire the attorney general, who angered the president by recusing himself from the criminal probe into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. "We'll see what happens,'' said Trump - a potentially ominous choice of phrase, considering the president used the same expression when talking to FBI Director James Comey before he was fired. "I'm disappointed in the attorney general,'' Trump said. "If he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office, and I would have picked somebody else. It's a bad thing not just for the president, but also for the presidency. I think it's unfair to the presidency." He said he wanted Sessions "to be much tougher on leaks in the intelligence agencies that are leaking like they never have before. . . . You can't let that happen.'' It is unheard of for a Cabinet-level official to be subjected to such visceral and public criticism, which has now gone on for a week. But Sessions showed no sign of buckling Tuesday, and in fact his position was bolstered by support from prominent conservatives taking his side in the fight with Trump. In a recent conversation, Sessions's chief of staff, Jody Hunt, told White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that the attorney general had no intention of stepping down. Hunt, according to people familiar with the conversation, made it clear to Priebus that Sessions "plans to move forward with his agenda in the department and he has no plans for resigning,'' according to one person familiar with the exchange. Priebus, for his part, did not say Trump planned to fire Sessions if he did not leave, these people said. Trump's reluctance to act on his anger and fire Sessions may be based in part on the lack of an immediate plan for a successor at the Justice Department. While Trump has discussed potential candidates to replace Sessions, senior White House officials have not settled on someone, and may not anytime soon, administration officials said. If Sessions were to be fired without even a temporary replacement lined up, the deputy attorney general who oversees the Russia probe, Rod Rosenstein, would assume authority over the entire Justice Department. One Republican close to the White House said a number of senior aides, including newly hired communications director Anthony Scaramucci, have urged Trump to sit down with Sessions and work through their differences. So far, there has been little enthusiasm for that suggestion, the Republican said. One informal adviser to the Trump White House said there is another reason Trump has yet to fire Sessions: "The president doesn't want to be seen as firing another law enforcement official.'' After Trump fired Comey, one unintended consequence was the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia probe. Earlier Tuesday, Trump had tweeted that Sessions was "very weak'' on investigating Hillary Clinton's "crimes'' and had not aggressively hunted those who have leaked intelligence secrets since he has been in office. The president's insistence that Clinton be investigated runs contrary to his own past statements, and the decision by the Justice Department and the FBI last year to close the investigation into her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. Sessions has recused himself from Clinton-related matters, citing his involvement with the presidential campaign as one of Trump's major advisers. The public humiliation of Sessions at the hands of the president he helped get elected was galling to many conservatives, who see Sessions as the Cabinet official who has most assiduously pursued Trump's policy goals, from cracking down on illegal immigration to targeting street gangs. Officials said Sessions is due to announce in coming days a number of criminal leak investigations based on news accounts of sensitive intelligence information. And within hours of Trump's public broadside, the Justice Department announced it would change a police funding program to add new requirements that cities help federal agents find undocumented immigrants to receive grants. On Tuesday, Republicans publicly rallied to Sessions' defense. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Sessions "is among the most honorable men in government today. . . . I have full confidence in Jeff's ability to perform the duties of his office and, above all, uphold the rule of law.'' And Breitbart, the conservative website, posted an article saying the president's public attack on Sessions "only serves to highlight Trump's own hypocrisy" and it warned that the president's stance could "fuel concerns from his base [which sees] Sessions as the best hope to fulfill Trump's immigration policies.'' Even among Democrats, Trump's treatment of Sessions raised concerns. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, "What's happening is just terrible. The attorney general did the right thing. The attorney general was nothing but loyal to Donald Trump. He took an oath of office to represent the Constitution, the law and the people.'' Current and former Justice Department officials said they hope Sessions holds out, refusing to resign as a means of defending the department's independence. One former Justice Department official said the president's anger seems to stem from a misunderstanding about how the department actually works. The White House, he said, should not be interfering with criminal investigations. "For those of us that want this administration to succeed, this is incredibly self-destructive behavior,'' the official said. Justice Department employees said the president's comments are damaging the reputation and morale of the department. "It's just insanity,'' said one employee who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly. Another official said there was still hope in the building that Sessions could survive, and that Trump's fury might abate. "This might be the one instance where everyone else just kind of rolls their eyes and moves on,'' the official said. The surge of support for Sessions is remarkable, considering how isolated he has been within the government. Sessions is viewed warily by many at the FBI for his role in Comey's firing, and he is increasingly distant from the White House, despite the fact that some of his former Senate staffers serve there. Administration officials said the president and his staff are also upset that Sessions held a news conference last Friday, in which he said he planned to remain on the job. Some in the White House saw that statement as unnecessarily antagonizing the president. "Can you imagine any other president having to go this far to tell someone you need to go?'' said a person informally advising the White House. "When Sessions said he wouldn't resign, it's like poking fire. You know who you're dealing with." Yet within the Justice Department, that reaction was viewed as another indication of how little White House officials appear to understand what the Justice Department does. The news conference had been scheduled a week earlier based on an arrest overseas, and a senior European law enforcement official had flown in to participate. Canceling the news conference, Justice Department officials reasoned at the time, would be a bigger problem than going forward. Sessions tried to keep his answers low-key, they added. Officials at Justice said the standoff is beginning to affect the department's work. One official said the pace of meetings with senior leaders has slowed, and the dust-up has distracted from some policy goals. At a confirmation hearing Tuesday, Brian Benczkowski, a former Sessions aide and a nominee for assistant attorney general, said he had "every confidence" that his ex-boss made the right decision to recuse himself on the Russia investigation, and forcefully asserted that Mueller - whose work he said he did not consider a "witch hunt" - would do the right thing. "He is someone who is widely understood to be a man of integrity, a man of independence, and someone who I believe will conduct his investigation with those characteristics right at the forefront, and I also believe he'll insist on those same things from the people who work for him," Benczkowski said. --- The Washington Post's Matt Zapatosky, Robert Costa and Ed O'Keefe contributed to this report. --- Video: President Trump turned on his longtime surrogate Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other members of the Justice Department over the ongoing Russia investigation, and Sessions's recusal from it. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) URL http://wapo.st/2gO2ByO Embed code This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Parents might want to double-check their school calendars next month. Gone are the days when Texas public school students all returned to the classroom on the same day. This year, starting Aug. 10, there are four different first days of school among Bexar Countys 16 traditional school districts. The earliest, Aug. 10, belongs to Lamar Elementary School in the San Antonio Independent School District, which is piloting a year-round model, with a six-week summer break offset by shorter breaks throughout the year. The rest of SAISD goes back to school Aug. 14. South San Antonio, Alamo Heights, and Fort Sam Houston ISDs begin the school year Aug. 21, while the other districts in Bexar County will adhere to the state-required start date of the fourth Monday in August, which this year falls on Aug. 28. RELATED: San Antonio school leaders unite to oppose 'bathroom bill' Statewide, a majority of students now attend school districts that got the exemption by becoming a district of innovation, according to the Texas Education Agency. Available since last year, districts can obtain the designation by detailing performance goals and identifying statutes from which they would like to opt out, mainly operational rules such as calendars, class sizes and whether they can hire teachers who lack certifications. Most districts of innovation in Bexar County wanted the earlier start dates so they could align their calendars with standardized test schedules and community colleges, to give high schoolers a chance to get college credit or let graduating seniors enroll in college summer coures that typically start early in June. Northside and North East independent school districts, the largest in Bexar County, stuck with the Aug. 28 start date. So did Houston ISD, though 17 of 25 school districts in the Houston area will resume classes earlier, according to the Harris County Department of Education. School start dates have long been a touchy subject across the country, particularly outside of the Northeast, where schools typically start after Labor Day. Tourism officials and some parents argue that starting school earlier hurts states' economies and makes it more difficult to visit with family or attend summer camps. RELATED: Two San Antonio-area school districts land on 2017 Niche Texas ranking Texas enacted its fourth Monday in August law in 2007, after some schools began the first week of the month. That the exemption comes from a formal designation that is fairly easy to obtain puzzles Dan McIlduff, the assistant superintendent of educational support services at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, which will start Aug. 28. I don't understand what the difference is, McIlduff said. If the state allows people to do it by filling out a piece of paper, why not let everyone have a choice? The TEA granted SAISD in-district charter for Lamar Elementary starting this year, with a model that includes an extended school year and a longer school day to enable extracurricular activities with community partners. Lamar parents and employees surveyed by SAISD choose the Aug. 10 start date, but even the Aug. 14 start for the rest of the district will end the fall semester before Christmas instead of the middle of January, so students can take end-of-semester exams before the holiday, district spokeswoman Leslie Price said. Last school year, the first semester officially ended Jan. 12, forcing teachers to repeat lessons after the New Year that had already been taught before Christmas You end up coming back and then kind of preparing again, she said. RELATED: Records: 34 reports of public lewdness at San Antonio-area schools in 2015-2016 Starting early will also reduce summer learning loss and allow more time to prepare students who will take the third assessment of state standardized tests, administered in June to students who did not pass on their first two tries, Price said. Now SAISD officials are trying to remind parents that their school year starts earlier than everyone elses. They sent letters and registration packets in the spring but thats not enough when its different from what they may be hearing from other school districts, Price said. There can be confusion with different dates out there in the community. Banners announcing the Aug. 14 start date went up last week, draped across busy streets. Phone notifications went out to parents and the district has been posting reminders on social media sites, she said. South San ISD will start the 2017-18 school year on Aug. 21. According to the innovation plan its board approved in April, beginning the school year earlier will allow the district to have more balanced semesters, similar to those of colleges, hold exams before winter break and provide more instructional time before STAAR and Advanced Placement exams are held in the spring. RELATED: Records: About 2,000 students disciplined for fighting at S.A.-area elementary, middle, high schools The change will also enable students enrolled in the districts Early College High School to align their high school and college coursework, officials said. Alamo Heights ISD will start on Aug. 21 under a district of innovation plan that allows it the flexibility to decide its calendar annually, to balance instructional time in a way that supports its course curriculum and allow students to enroll in college courses that begin in early June, thereby increasing college and career readiness, district officials said in a prepared statement. This year classes start on a Monday, but the district might decide in the future to begin the first week of classes with a shortened week, easing the transition for students entering kindergarten, middle school, and high school, they said. Houston Chronicle reporter Shelby Webb contributed to this report from Houston, and Express-News Staff Writers Lauren Caruba and Janelle Polcyn contributed from San Antonio. amalik@express-news.net Days after a smuggling trip into the country left 10 immigrants dead in San Antonio, the editor of and columnist for the right-wing Breitbart News in Texas took to Twitter to say the only reason people were paying attention was because of a "slow news day." "The only difference between the migrant tragedy in San Antonio and what routinely happens, is that the tragedy happens on a slow news day," said Brandon Darby on his Twitter. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As the U.S. Senate prepares for a health care vote Tuesday, more than 20 activists rallied Monday for reform in another direction expanding Medicare for everyone. The group announced it will hold a march Saturday in coordination with ones in other major cities across the U.S. as part of Millions Marching for Medicare for All. Similar marches are being organized in Austin and Dallas. We have a system where we pay a premium, but you still have to worry about your deductible, which could be a $4,000 bill, said Sofia Sepulveda, 40, who co-chairs Healthcare Now for San Antonio. What were paying for right now is an illusion of health care because we have a system that doesnt really cover us. As of May, nearly 4 million Texans are enrolled in Medicare, Medicare Advantage and other health plans. But Sepulveda, a San Antonio resident, said the program should be expanded to cover anyone regardless of age or disability status. The announcement comes as Senate GOP leaders are aiming for a vote on health care Tuesday, although the exact plan is in question. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, is expected to move ahead with a procedural vote to start the debate. For months, the Republicans attempts to restructuring health care has been in a tumult as leaders try to satisfy conservatives in the caucus who want the Affordable Care Act fully repealed, while also appealing to moderates who cant support a bill that cuts too deeply into benefits for more vulnerable people, such as those on Medicaid. Many speakers Monday said the Senates plan would devastate coverage for millions across the country. But they also acknowledged the ACA, which they described as flawed, left many without Americans coverage. San Antonio resident Vanessa Sanchez, 30, said expanding Medicare for everyone is the only way to ensure people get the care they need. Give us something that is going to be stable for all of us, not just a nitpicky (health care repeal) bill where we dont even know whats going to happen, Sanchez said. We know what Medicare for all will provide its the right way to go. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency that estimates the cost of legislation, has projected that the various possible bills and health care options would leave between 20 million and 30 million more people uninsured than under the ACA. San Antonios Medicare for All march begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hemisfair, where several candidates for state Senate and Congress, and newly elected District 9 Councilman John Courage are slotted to speak. fmilburn@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Texas senators kept the pedal to the metal Monday, backing bills to put new restrictions on local property tax increases, fund private school tuition for special-needs students, target maternal mortality and strengthen reporting of abortion complications. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is driving the Senate to quickly approve the 20 special-session items laid out by Gov. Greg Abbott, aiming to send them all to the House this week. Abbotts agenda faces tougher sledding in the House, where Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has compared it to a pile of manure. But the House also took action Monday, voting for the one item that all three leaders agree must pass a so-called sunset measure that would keep open state agencies including the Texas Medical Board. The action in the House and Senate was preliminary, meaning that each piece of legislation requires a second vote before heading to the opposite chamber for consideration. The Senate already has approved a sunset bill, so any differences between it and the bill ultimately approved by the House will have to be negotiated. The sunset bills death in the regular session at Patricks behest forced Abbott to call the special session to keep the agencies alive. Abbott also added incendiary issues backed by Patrick including the voucher and tax measures, plus a bill to restrict the restrooms that transgender people can use in schools and government buildings. Abbott was optimistic about both chambers work Monday, telling Chad Hasty of Lubbock radio station KFYO that things are moving at a very brisk pace. Both the House and Senate are dominated by the GOP, although the divide between the two on some high-profile issues shows that Republicans arent in lockstep. Asked specifically about the speed of the House, Abbott said, I am pleased. They are coming with their game faces on, and theyre working diligently. Abbott also emphasized the positive when asked about the list he has promised to publish on a daily basis of lawmakers who support and oppose his agenda. On the eve of the special session last week, Abbott said he would establish a list, and that others should do the same, in order to call people out who is for this, who is against this, who has not taken a position. No one gets to hide. But in the Monday radio interview, he talked about highlighting his agendas supporters without emphasizing the threat of exposing opponents. Abbott said he would list all the senators who voted in favor of all those 20 agenda items as people who support my agenda. And I will be in the coming week looking to add House members who support that agenda also. The property tax measure Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston has raised particular concern from local governments, including San Antonio and Bexar County. SB 1 would require them to get voters approval if they raise local property taxes by a certain amount. Current law allows voters to petition for a rollback election if cities, counties or special districts increase collections by more than 8 percent. Bettencourts bill would change the rollback rate to 4 percent and make the election automatic. The bill would exclude entities from the lower rollback rate if they collect less than $20 million, although those cities could have an election to opt in to the lower rate, under amendments added by senators. Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, pointed up the worries raised by Alamo City officials about their ability to fund public safety services if their revenue is restricted. Theyre particularly concerned about police and fire response times keeping pace in the fast-growing city, he said. Bettencourt said he believed if officials made a good case to voters, they would approve the increase. But the bill is necessary, he said, because, property taxpayers are crying out for relief all over the state of Texas. The Senate approved an automatic rollback measure in the regular session, but the idea didnt get a vote in the House. On Monday, senators voted 19-12 for SB 1. Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, joined Democrats in voting against it. Under the school measure, about 6,000 students with special needs could get up to $10,000 apiece in state-supported funds to help pay for private-school tuition. A school voucher bill was approved by the Texas Senate in the regular session but died in the House, which has voted against such ideas in principle. Public education groups oppose vouchers because they say the initiative would drain resources needed by already struggling public schools, which would continue to educate nearly all the states 5 million-plus students. Backers say parents should have a choice of where to send their children. Besides providing scholarships for students who leave private schools, Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, would allow for $500 grants for special-needs students who remain in public schools. That money could go to pay for such things as transportation, after-school care and tutoring. The program would cost $75 million, including $60 million for the scholarships. The program would be funded through a system of corporate contributions that would yield state tax credits. Insurance companies that donate to an education service organization for the vouchers would have the contribution deducted from their premium tax payments. It was given preliminary approval with a 19-12 vote. The vote on the voucher bill wasnt strictly along party lines. Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, broke ranks with other Democrats to vote for the measures. Republican Sens. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and Charles Perry of Lubbock voted against it. Regarding abortion, senators voted for legislation to require more reporting, including Senate Bill 10 by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels. Her bill would put teeth in requirements to report abortion complications. Physicians eventually could face a license suspension if they didnt make required reports. The vote was 22-9, with Democratic Sens. Lucio and Judith Zaffirini of Laredo joining Republicans in voting for it. The proposal to address Texas high rate of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth got unanimous backing in the Senate. It would expand the work of a task force on maternal mortality and direct work on state strategies to improve maternal health. pfikac@express-news.net Twitter: @pfikac This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Walmart is calling the human trafficking incident that killed at least 10 immigrants and unfolded at one of their San Antonio locations a "terrible tragedy." The company addressed the deaths in a statement. "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to those affected by this terrible tragedy. We continue doing everything we can to assist the authorities in their investigation,"Walmart said in statement. "We're proud of the quick actions by our associate who called 911 as soon as he learned there was a medical emergency, and for the help our other store associates provided authorities, including supplying ice and water to those who were inside the tractor trailer. These actions helped prevent further casualties." RELATED: San Antonio death toll in 'horrific' human trafficking reaches 10 Eight immigrants initially were found dead inside the closed trailer just after midnight Saturday. More than two dozen others, the only ones left of the estimated 100 travelers who started the trip, were taken to area hospitals, many in serious to critical condition due to the heat, according to a previous report. A ninth person died Sunday afternoon and the U.S. Attorney's Office stated on Monday morning that a 10th person died following the incident. All the victims so far are adult males, officials said. Staff writers Guillermo Contreras and Emilie Eaton contributed to this report. mmendoza@mysa.com Twitter: @MaddySkye Police officers and Law Enforcement Torch Run members from the San Antonio area will participate in the annual Tip-A-Cop event to raise money for Special Olympics Texas. Officers will serve tables and work for tips between 5 and 9 p.m. Thursday, July 27 at Texas Roadhouse, 13830 N. I-35, Live Oak. All tips will go toward Special Olympics Texas programming for nearly 11,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities in the San Antonio area. The event operates under the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which is the largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics Texas. Contributions also can be made via cash, check or credit card. For more information, contact Anna Twitty at atwitty@sotx.org or 210-530-9898. San Antonio Library group seeks arts award nominations The Friends of the San Antonio Public Library is accepting nominations for its 45th annual Arts & Letters awards, recognizing San Antonians who have made outstanding contributions to arts and literature. Nominations may be submitted at friendsofsapl.org/ or to Arts & Letters Awards, P.O. Box 461523, San Antonio, Texas 78246. Anyone may make a nomination. Deadline is Aug. 1. Nominees must have a significant body of work demonstrating continued excellence in their genres and commitment to visual arts, dramatic arts, musical arts or any genre of the written arts, including journalism, in San Antonio. Mosquito-prevention tools available The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, as part of its effort to combat mosquito-borne diseases, is making mosquito repellent, mosquito dunks and other resources available to the public. The products are available on a first-come, first-served basis at several locations, including the Rittiman-WIC Clinic, 4343 Rittiman Road. Call the clinic at 210-207-2150 for its hours. For information on other locations providing the free mosquito-prevention tools, call Metro Health at 210-207-8780. SAReads needs donations of childrens books The SAReads Summer Book Drive continues through Aug. 18. Donations of new or gently used childrens books can be made at more than 50 locations across San Antonio, including San Antonio Public Library branches, Firstmark Credit Union locations, area YMCAs, Whole Foods Market stores and The Twig Book Shop. The SAReads Book Bank seeks books suitable for toddlers, children and teens. Catholic Womens Conference set The 16th annual Catholic Womens Conference will be Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29, at St. Marys University. The event includes Father Michael Gaitley, author of 33 Days to Morning Glory, noted Catholic therapist Therese Cirner and author Lisa Mladinich, who wrote True Radiance: Finding Grace in the Second Half of Life. Women of all faiths are invited. Admission is $65 for both days, and includes Saturday breakfast and lunch. To register, go to CWCSanAntonio.com or call 210-521-3377. Registration for annual 9/11 Memorial Climb underway Those wishing to participate in this years 9/11 Memorial Climb at the Tower of the Americas can register at SanAntonio110.com The annual climb, dubbed the San Antonio 110, pays tribute to the first responders who perished in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the World Trade Center. Its one of the largest 9/11 Memorial Climbs in the country. The event also honors other first responders who died serving others. Prep class planned for Spurs Team Energy Spurs Team Energy will host its audition prep class at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, before its Aug. 6 auditions, at the AT&T Center. Spurs Team Energy is a coed interactive team for the San Antonio Spurs that entertains through high energy routines, on-court promotions and fan interaction at Spurs home games. Auditions are open to those 18 and older as of Aug. 1, but 17-year-olds will be admitted to prep classes with parental consent. Participants should dress comfortably to learn a hip-hop routine. The class is encouraged but not required. Registration costs $25. For more information, go to Spurs.com/Team-Energy. Compiled by Melissa Renteria 2-5 p.m. Wednesdays, VIAs Centro Plaza downtown, 909 W. Houston St. Professional chefs and nutritionists prepare dishes and provide nutritional information. WIC food items sold. Vouchers for food stamps, Lone Star cards (SNAP), cash and credit cards accepted. Childrens Storytime 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Universal City Public Library, 100 Northview, Universal City. Free. Contact: 659-7048. Computer/technology classes noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, Schertz Public Library, 798 Parkway, Schertz. Adults and seniors get one-on-one help. Students should bring own laptops, tablets, e-readers or cellphones. Free. Registration is required in person, by phone at 619-1700, or at schertzlibrary.org/. PTSD Family Support Group 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Cibolo Grange Hall, 413 N. Main St., Cibolo. Dinner included. Contact: 390-8002. Universal City Toastmasters 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, VFW Building, 202 W. Aviation, Universal City. Improve speaking, listening and leadership skills. Contact: Don Brooks at 661-2103. PTSD Warrior Support Group 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cibolo Grange Hall, 413 N. Main St., Cibolo. Dinner included. Contact: 390-8002. Farmers Market and Craft Show 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, Journey Fellowship Church parking lot, I-35 North, Selma. Vendors sell vegetables, eggs, honey, nuts, plants, crafts and other items. Contact: Lance Tiner, 828-3053; Lance@4CityMarket.com Cibolo Grange Farmers & Artisans Market 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays through December, Cibolo Grange Hall, 413 N. Main St., Cibolo. Locally sourced products include seasonal produce, meat and eggs, gourmet foods, personal care items, and home textiles and crafts. Contact: cibolograngemarket@yahoo.com New Life Cancer Support Team 7 p.m., third Monday of the month, Fellowship Building, New Life Baptist Church, 101 North St., Converse. Contact: 658-1972. Book Store at Universal City Public Library, 100 Northview, Universal City is open 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-5 p.m. Thursdays; and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. Used books, DVDs and audio books are sold. Free summer lunches for children and teens served 12:30-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Central Library, 600 Soledad, third floor. Lunches, sponsored by San Antonio Food Bank, are first-come, first-served. Contact: 207-2500 or 207-2678. Coffee with Cops 8:30-10 a.m. July 26 at Las Palapas, 8151 Agora Parkway, The Forum, Live Oak. Meet Live Oak Police Department officers working in your community. No agendas or guest speakers, just a chance to talk to the officers. Menu prices apply. Contact: Live Oak PD, 945-1700. Free Healthy Meals noon-1 p.m. Semmes Library, 15060 Judson Road. In partnership with North East ISD, five San Antonio library branches, including Semmes, are offering free lunches to those 18 and younger through the Summer Food Program sponsored by the USDA. Meals served throughout the week. Adults may purchase lunch for $3.25. For locations, dial 211 or visit summerfood.org. Contact: 207-9110. Career practice exams for ASVAB, nursing, dental, pharmacy and other careers available at Carver Library, 3350 E. Commerce St., throughout the day. Job application information and employment exams also available. Contact: 207-9180. McCollum High School Class of 1977 40th reunion 7-11:45 p.m. July 29 at Villita Assembly Hall, 401 Villita St. Admission costs $60 per person. Checks payable to McCollum Class of 1977 Reunion may be mailed to Liz Leal Gonzalez, 818 Saipan, San Antonio 78221. No refunds. Summer Book Sale 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 4, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 5, Schertz Public Librarys Read Before Book Store, 798 Schertz Parkway, Schertz. Pay $4 for a bag to fill with books. The stores vintage and regular inventory also will be for sale. Free Estate Planning Seminar by Attorney Cimarron Gilson 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 16, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Selma; and 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 26, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Schertz. Learn the basics of estate planning, probate, guardianship, wills, trusts, and POAs, from a Catholic lawyers perspective. RSVP to 566-6700 to reserve your seat. Blood Drive 8:30-11:15 a.m. Aug. 24, Kalmar RT Center, 103 Guadalupe Drive, Cibolo, sponsored by South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. The public is invited to donate. Wheatley High School Class of 1977 is looking for graduates for its 40th class reunion set for Oct. 14. Contact Belinda Pena, 379-6493; Belinda Gonzalez, 885-3300. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 28, Live Oak Police Department, 8022 Shin Oak Drive. Safely dispose of unwanted, unused prescription drugs. Free and open to the public. Compiled by Melissa Renteria All numbers are in the 210 area code unless noted. Send event details and phone number to mrenteria@express-news.net. Deadline: 5 p.m. Thursday before publication. Cibolo residents have the opportunity next month to join their city council representatives in three straight evenings of public meetings, including a hearing on a zoning change and a town hall meeting on the proposed Cibolo Parkway Project. Meanwhile, social media reaction was swift after a Cibolo resident posted a letter that urged them to consult a lawyer about pending roadway expansion in Cibolo. The July 13 letter from a law firm in Houston urges the property owner recipient to retain a lawyer if not already having done so as a result of the Texas Department of Transportations FM 1103 expansion to four lanes with medians, turn lane and sidewalks. The letter says lawyers will fight to protect your rights because (TxDOT) will likely take your property, it stated. I would suggest that you learn about your rights and how to maximize your compensation. Cibolo voters overwhelmingly approved a $7 million bond issue in November 2014 to widen five miles of FM 1103 to four lanes, all of which is already within TxDOTs right-of-way for 1103. Neither the city nor TxDOT has announced intentions, or the need, to buy anyones property to construct the road. Without a direct reference, the letter seems to play to fears of land purchase offers and rumors of the city using its right of imminent domain for property along the proposed Cibolo Parkway Project. The city is holding an Aug. 10 town hall meeting on the controversial project, which has its share of detractors. The parkway project features construction of a seven-mile-long toll road from FM 1103 at Weil Road to Interstate 10. The city hopes the tollway will help alleviate traffic gridlock along 1103 and relieve congestion at the 1103 intersection with Interstate 35. The three nights of meetings begin Aug. 8 all meetings are set with a 6:30 p.m. start time with the first of two public hearings scheduled for four annexation proposals that include three tracts just south of Lower Seguin Road centered on Haeckerville Road, and a tract of 122 acres south of I-10. Rudy Klein, Cibolo director of planning and engineering, said most of the property is rural and involves landowners who had signed an agreement that stated, in due time, they would be annexed. This involves expiring annexation agreements that the city has with the landowners, six and eight years ago, Klein said. There are no developments in the annexing area, he added. The second public hearing for the four proposals will be Aug. 9. Also on Aug. 9, the city council and the Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing involving a zoning change involving 17.4 acres of land at 3200 Cibolo Valley Drive. The landowner of the property, between Dew Fall Trail and Kove Lane, is requesting a change from Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) to Multi-Family Residential (MF-2), which means exploration of an apartment complex. A second public hearing on the zoning change is slated for Aug. 23. jflinn@express-news.net A local financial services company received approval from Universal City Council to replat its Pat Booker Road location in an effort to expand operations. The council at its July 18 meeting granted TexStar National Bank a conditional use permit to consolidate two lots into one for efficiency purposes, said Lisa Turner, Universal City assistant city manager. The deadline is nearing for incoming freshmen interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to apply to the STEM Early College High School. The deadline is Aug. 4. Students have the opportunity to attend college classes, earn up to 60 hours of college credit and receive an associate degree before they graduate high school. For more information, visit harlandale.net or call the campus at 210-989-3500. Many preparations are underway for the start of the new school year at Harlandale Independent School District. All students enrolling for the upcoming school year will be required to show proof of residency and comply with the No Shots, No School policy, as required by state law. New students will be required to provide proof of residency, a birth certificate, immunization records, a Social Security card and their latest report card. Their parents or guardians must provide a photo ID. The first day of school is Aug. 28. For additional information and school supply lists, check under the announcements section on the districts website. The school district is accepting nominations for the annual Harlandale ISD Hall of Fame. The deadline to submit a completed nomination form is Sept. 6. Every year, the district recognizes outstanding alumni, as well as individuals who have shown a commitment to community service. Any Harlandale, McCollum or Frank Tejeda Academy alumni who graduated in or before 1998 is eligible for nomination. Nominees in the community service category must have served the Harlandale community for at least 10 years. The application is available at harlandale.net. Questions about the Hall of Fame should be directed to the districts public information office at 210-989-4355. Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/harlandaleisd) and Twitter (@HarlandaleISD) for the latest news and events happening in the district. Rey Madrigal is the superintendent of Harlandale Independent School District. TOM REEL /San Antonio Express-News CPS Energy has taken over funding for six air quality monitors through next years ozone season, but its not clear what the long-term plan is to maintain these monitors. The move follows Gov. Greg Abbotts regrettable decision to cut funding for the monitors in San Antonio, which were maintained by the Alamo Area Council of Governments. It was regrettable since local ozone levels have been recorded above the federal standard of 70 parts per billion set in 2015. Votes for and against bills in the Legislature are a matter of public record. And statements expressing support for or unmovable opposition to various measures are generally made, well, out in the public square. Such stances are no mystery for those interested in the issues. Gov. Greg Abbott, however, wants to help you out in this matter of transparency. He has promised a daily list of those opposed to measures he wants approved in the special session, which began last week. No one gets to hide, he told a forum hosted by the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation on Monday. But shining a light on whats unhidden isnt really a matter of transparency. Rather, it is part and parcel with the kind of toxic political culture that has long afflicted Texas, though it enjoys national expression as well. Translated: Youre either for Abbott or against him on these measures. Also implicit, youre either a true conservative in his image, or some dastardly other to be shamed into submission. In a past age, statesmanship meant influencing others with persuasion and argument, which meant employing facts and reaching across the political aisle. Collegiality and civility were once staples in the public policy process. What Abbott has issued here is a threat, plain and simple. The message: if there exists principled opposition, heave it over the side in the interest of political expediency, lest you be outed to a political base that shares the governors us-and-them attitude and just happens to vote in party primaries. But there are plenty of principles involved in opposing a number of the special session issues that Abbott wants to bully legislators into supporting. Targeting transgender Texans who have, with no reported ill effect, been using the bathooms of their choosing is one of these issues. The principles here are tolerance, basic human kindness, a desire to avoid economic sanction and an aversion to gender-checking bathroom police. Preempting local tree and texting-while-driving ordinances might be opposed for the principle of local control if voters dont like what their local representatives do, they can vote them out. Moreover, local governments often act when state inaction forces their hands. Property taxes? What Abbott wants on local governments ability to levy property tax increases will leave unaddressed the true driver of higher property taxes inadequate state financing of public schools. Supporting these doesnt mean you are unprincipled. Neither does opposing them. In some circles, being on Abbotts list will be worn as a badge of honor. But, do you detect a theme? When Abbott announced in San Antonio recently that he will run for a second term, liberals were his boogeymen. Im willing to take on liberals, Im willing to take on Washington, D.C., and Im counting on you to have my back, he said. Us and them. His first television ad in his first election bid warned against California-style government and made a call for preserving Texas as the land of liberty and freedom against Obama and his allies as they attempt to turn Texas blue. Just politics? OK, sure, but there is a price paid. Its something we see on the Editorial Board a lot. Most of our correspondence is civil and rational. But there is another kind: Not so much uncivil, though there is a bit of that, but missives with an overreliance on labels as if liberal, conservative, alt-left, alt-right, fake news, mainstream media, California, blue and red say it all. No need to debate facts, lets just call each other names or cast one another as liars and the evil other. It is divisive. Its bullying. It enables a culture in which labels substitute for facts, a culture where demonization is more important than cooperation. It is wearying and destructive. But what creating a list of alleged shame isnt? Statesmanlike. o.ricardo.pimentel@express-news.net. Twitter: @oricardopimente HOPE is high that Zimbabwes much-talked about national dialogue could finally start in earnest this year, following recent political developments and hints to this effect by both President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the countrys new opposition leader, Douglas Mwonzora. Analysts who spoke to the Daily News On Sunday yesterday said Mnangagwa and Mwonzoras pronouncements of the past few weeks had raised hope that the extreme political polarisation which had been experienced in the country over the past two decades could now give way to a new national politics of tolerance, common sense and progress. They added that Mnangagwas move to go out of his way to reach out to Mwonzora when he became the countrys new opposition leader a fortnight ago, suggested that positive political momentum could be achieved in the coming months if nothing else sabotaged the improving local political climate. This comes as Mwonzora, on his part, has promised to pursue a new type of politics that will see him seeking heightened interactions with both the ruling Zanu PF and other opposition forces. The respected Harare lawyer and senator Mwonzora, who took over the leadership of the main opposition MDC last month, also reiterated that he would pursue dialogue with Mnangagwa and Zanu PF with a view to improving the lives of long-suffering Zimbabweans. Yesterday, political analysts told the Daily News On Sunday that all these developments were a sign that political dialogue, and possibly another government of national unity (GNU), could happen this year. It is the first time that the ruling party has warmly welcomed the election of a leader of the opposition This may suggest that the MDC can work together in some kind of an alliance with Zanu PF, either to strengthen the already existing arrangement, Polad which Mwonzora has not really said he has problems with or some form of an inclusive government, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said. However, the highly-regarded academic also pointed out that such a development would favour Mnangagwa and Zanu PF. Such arrangement will be whereby the MDC will be a junior partner, because it is not possible to go in bed with Zanu PF on an equal footing at this point, and many are not sure that the opposition will come out of it unscathed, Masunungure added. On his part, former opposition kingpin and Cabinet minister in the stability-inducing, but short-lived 2009 GNU, Obert Gutu, said Mwonzora had kicked off on a very sound note. His call for the adoption of a progressive brand of politics, underpinned by robust but respectful and fruitful engagement with the government of the day, should actually be applauded by all patriotic Zimbabweans. Where has the politics of hostile engagement taken us this far? Absolutely nowhere. Mwonzora should promptly engage the ruling Zanu PF and seek to positively influence and impact on national development, Gutu, who is a former vice president of the MDC, told the Daily News On Sunday. Mwonzora should not wait to take his seat at Polad (Political Actors Dialogue) from there, he can then seek to hold the ruling party to account and even put on the table his proposals for a GNU of sorts. Mwonzora is his own man. Those who accuse him of being a Zanu PF proxy are people who have always played a negative brand of politics. These are people who believe that insulting Mnangagwa and calling him a dictator will somehow get them to State House, Gutu added. Upon being elected as the new MDC president, Mwonzora exclusively told our sister publication, the Daily News, that he would be pursuing a different type of politics to end deep polarisation in the country. He also said that he would seek to have more interactions with Mnangagwa and Zanu PF, as he sought to end the politics of hate and divisions. Of course, of course, it (working with Zanu PF and other political outfits) is the only sensible thing to do We are already working with Zanu PF in Parliament. We are also working with Zanu PF as we oversee its ministries. Working with Zanu PF is different from working for Zanu PF. We want to establish a relationship that is respectful business-like professional and that benefits Zimbabwean people. Zimbabwean people dont benefit from dysfunctional fights but we will take our responsibilities as the opposition and that is what we are going to do, the self-assured Mwonzora told the Daily News. For us to get to a GNU (new government of national unity) somebody must initiate it and usually that is done by the party that is ruling because the argument is that they are enjoying the mandate of the people and the second thing will be the terms of the GNU arrangement. We are not interested in window dressing arrangements. But having said that, Zimbabweans did benefit tangibly from the GNU of 2009 to 2013, he further told the Daily News. So, if that choice ever comes our way, we will weigh whether it is in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people to do that. That would entail us going around the country hearing the views of people, and listening to the organs of our party Zimbabweans have always benefited from dialogue, the Harare lawyer also said. In 1979, we ended the liberation war with dialogue at Lancaster House which brought independence civil war, the genocide in Matabeleland ended with the Unity Accord. That was dialogue. The 2008 and 2009 violence ended again with a discussion. So, there is ample historic evidence that dialogue does work. We want to pursue dialogue. What it will culminate in is another story. Sometimes it culminates in a GNU. Sometimes it culminates in an arrangement different from a GNU. But as long as that GNU is in the best interest of Zimbabweans, it is welcome to us, Mwonzora added. In remarks that have raised hopes for a cessation in hostilities between Zanu PF and the opposition, Mnangagwa has warmly welcomed Mwonzoras political pronouncements. This is a very welcome move for our nation which is likely to put politics of rancour behind us, thus triggering collaboration, development and the harmony we sorely needed for national progress. Once the pledge and positive shift extended by the opposition happens, a new chapter will indeed begin, paving the way for consensual politics, greater unity, peace, harmony and accelerated development. We appeal to all those still stuck to yesterdays politics of destructive confrontation and obstruction to learn from this salutary gesture by the MDC To be in opposition need not mean being unduly negative, confrontational, divisive and disloyal to ones nation and people, Mnangagwa said while welcoming Mwonzoras pledge. Many Zimbabweans have also said that they would like to have another GNU, similar to the 2009 arrangement which brought stability to the country, after the economy had been ravaged by hyper-inflation. Then, the late former president Robert Mugabe was forced into forming a GNU with the MDCs also late and much-loved founding father, Morgan Tsvangirai, after the hotly-disputed 2008 polls. That GNU was credited with stabilising the countrys economy which had imploded in the run-up to those elections. In those polls, Tsvangirai beat Mugabe hands down. However, the results were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later confirmed by former bigwigs of the ruling Zanu PF. In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirais supporters were killed forcing the former prime minister to withdraw from the discredited race altogether. Mugabe went on to stand in an embarrassing and widely-condemned one-man race in which he declared himself the winner. DailyNews Breaking News via Email CEO Ari Haseotes shares how the companys employees are the keys to success in the latest NACS Convenience Matters podcast. ALEXANDRIA, Va. On this weeks NACS Convenience Matters podcast, Ari Haseotes, the CEO of New England-based Cumberland Farms, shares how employees are vital to the companys success. Convenience Matters co-hosts Jeff Lenard and Carolyn Schnare of NACS talked with Haseotes on A Conversation with Cumberland Farms. Whether sending weekly updates on important company matters to every employee or personally reviewing employee feedback surveys, Haseotes highlights how important both downward and upward communication is at the company. Haseotes also discussed the companys recent dedication to Partnership for a Healthier America and Feeding America, two organizations NACS also works with. Cumberland Farms also was recently certified as a great workplace by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work. You dont give a lot of high-fives for simply increasing salesits when you hit those big goals as a team that you really feel everyone come together. This is something Haseotes does on a weekly basis that really makes his team stay strong and happy, says Lenard. Convenience Matters focuses on topics related to convenience stores. Episodes can be downloaded on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and at www.conveniencematters.com. As we discussed yesterday, at a board retreat last week, CalPERS staff presented the idea of forming an independent entity with its own board and staff to make private equity investments. It may seem odd that we are criticizing this idea. After all, weve been advocating for some time that CalPERS needs to find ways to reduce the fees it is paying to private equity firms, given how much they take out of gross returns at a time when private equity hasnt been and isnt expected to deliver enough in the way of net returns to justify its extra risks. It would also be desirable for CalPERS to get more control over its own destiny in light of widespread abuses by private equity firms, as demonstrated by a raft of SEC enforcement actions, when CalPERS and other limited partners do not appear to have confronted any general partner about misconduct.1 Our beef is that while the idea of finding ways of making more direct investments and reducing the role of the private equity middleman is sound, the way that CalPERS is proposing to go about it, even at a high concept level, is very poorly thought out and likely to produce bad results. And separately, its disturbing to see staff yet again presenting the board with a fait accompli with no stated rationale and glaring inconsistencies with other initiatives, while insulting the boards intelligence by pretending to involve it in the process. Why an Independent Private Equity Venture is a Prescription for Disaster CalPERS John Cole tried to put some stakes in the ground with respect to the new venture concept by arguing that CalPERS could use real estate business models (a term used far too loosely) for private equity, namely, having an operating company in a separate legal entity: Senior Portfolio Manager for Global Equities, John Cole: Another parallel is the potential establishment of an operating or investment company, a separate independent legal entity like we have at CenterPoint in our real estate area today. CenterPoint is managed by an external partner, and it has an independent board and an independent staff. Other examples of captive companies are interesting. There are more than a couple, such as Cadillac Fairview, owned by Ontario Teachers. There are a number of parallels within real assets from which to learn in developing our overall private equity strategy, and clearly having an independent separate entity or entities and owning assets with an indefinite time horizon are two things we think we should do more often. CenterPoint and Cadillac Fairview are misleading examples. Both were well established companies when CalPERS and Ontario Teachers, respectively, acquired them. Unless CalPERS is planning to acquire a long-lived private equity firm, they are simply not germane. Moreover, the way Ontario Teachers is managing Cadillac Fairview, which is a large and diversified developer, owner, and manager of malls, office buildings, and residential developments, raises questions about how CalPERS is overseeing the much smaller CenterPoint. The Cadillac Fairview board is not independent in the way CalPERS board members almost certainly interpret that word. Lets first understand why the phrase independent board would elicit a Pavlovian positive reaction from CalPERS board members. None of them have any meaningful experience managing companies. Their frame of reference comes from public companies, where independent directors are seen as a critical check on the directors who are members of management. And we can also see in practice, such as how slow Wells Fargos board was in ousting CEO John Stumpf when its fake accounts scandal became the focus of Congressional and public ire, that even those independent directors are often not independent enough. But the need for independent directors is due to the inherently deficient governance of public companies: that you have diffuse, arms length shareholders who find it easier to sell their stock if they dont like what is happening than to demand change. In a seminal Harvard Business Review article, Efficient Markets, Deficient Governance, professor Amar Bhide explained why the public company management/oversight structure fostered by SEC regulations is in fact a lousy governance structure: For Main Street companies, however, the nirvana of perfectly fair and liquid markets fostered by Wall Streets regulators has a dark side. Unwittingly, the system nurtures market liquidity at the expense of good governance. In theory, market liquidity makes it easy for investors to diversify their risks and thus reduces the costs of capital for companies. But theres a catch: U.S. rules that protect investors dont just sustain market liquidity, they also drive a wedge between shareholders and managers. Instead of yielding long-term shareholders who concentrate their holdings in a few companies, where they provide informed oversight and counsel, the laws promote diffused, arms-length stockholding. Bhide was over two decades early in identifying key factors that are now contributing to the exodus of executives from public to private companies. Notice what Bhide stresses: the paramount importance of a close, active relationship between a small group of private owners and the management. Needless to say, that is how private equity general partners administer their portfolio companies. Company execs knows full well that they hold their jobs at the pleasure of their private equity overlords and could be turfed out at any time. Even if the general partner formally grants himself a minority of seats on the board, his control over staffing, budgets, and other key decisions means that the management is on a short leash. His considerable influence over management decisions gives him authority well beyond the power conferred by the formalities of what happens at board meetings. For instance, if the general partner were to clear his throat about the law firm that the portfolio company was using and suggested a change, the switch would be made pronto. Unlike a private equity acquisition, however, where the general partner is typically sweating the asset to improve cash flows and speed a profitable sale, Cadillac Fairview is a mature company that Ontario Teachers regards as a permanent holding. The pension fund depicts it as a source of cash flow, not growth. Yet even a superficial look shows that Ontario Teachers wields influence on the board and presumably even more informal sway. Barbara Zvan, Cadillac Fairviews Chief Risk & Strategy Officer, not only came from Ontario Teachers but her role is designed to address important concerns of the owners (meaning ultimately the beneficiaries). This is the first and presumably the most important item in her current job description brief bio on the board website: As Chief Risk & Strategy Officer, she leads the Strategy & Risk team in supporting the Plan Sponsors in plan design decisions and the Board in determining the appropriate benchmarks and risk appetite. Jane Rowe, the head of Private Capital for Ontario Teachers, also has a seat on the ten-member board. Goldman partner Jack Curtin who holds another board seat, is likely for commercial reasons to be very attentive to the needs and concerns of Ontario Teachers. It is misleading for CalPERS to depict Cadillac Fairview and its CenterPoint holding as similar business models as far as governance is concerned. Yes, both look similar because they are real estate developers and property owner/managers. And they were established companies when both pension funds acquired full ownership, which in CalPERS case took place in 2015. But CalPERS is troublingly removed from oversight of CenterPoint, instead relying on a firm called GI Partners as its oversight manager and fiduciary. Another reason that Cadillac Fairview is an unsuitable model for CalPERS private equity aspirations is that the nature of the investment activity and risks are wildly different. As we stressed above, Cadillac Fairview and CenterPoint were established businesses where the investors could examine the operations and management teams. A start-up is a completely different kettle of fish and would require and benefit from more oversight. While CalPERS might claim that that means the entity needs an independent meaning expert, board, the danger here is that any independent board will be insufficiently loyal to CalPERS unless it has the direct involvement of competent personnel from CalPERS (be it board or staff members) and would be subject to capture by the private equity hired guns. The private equity venture team would have strong incentives to do so particularly if the structural arrangement with CalPERS allowed them to be fired readily. Moreover, legal structures in the US could also be used by the private equity team to get the board on their side (if they werent already by virtue of CalPERS being so unwise as to allow the new team to influence board picks). Board members in the US have a duty of care and loyalty to the corporation. In this case, it would mean to the venture entity, and not to CalPERS. Its not at all hard to come up with scenarios in which the board members argue for the ventures interest, when it may not be in CalPERS or its beneficiaries interest, claiming that that is where their legal duty lies. CalPERS may believe it can hire outside experts, such as members of its consultants, to act as its agents on these boards. This isnt a good idea. Its become painfully clear that not only does CalPERS not know what it doesnt know about private equity, the same is true of its consultants. Weve pointed out that supposed expert Hamilton Lanes due diligence merely consists of cutting and pasting from private equity pitch books. Similarly, CalPERS has for years been neglecting an opportunity to beat its benchmark at a better risk/return tradeoff than by investing in private equity: that of investing in private debt. Its an open secret in the private equity industry that even though private debt provides lower net returns than private equity (historically 11%ish versus 13%ish for private equity) the risk of private debt is so much lower that its a markedly more attractive investment on a risk-adjusted basis. While CalPERS does buy private debt, its private equity and portfolio consultants have failed to flag the potential of this strategy, indicating they have yawning gaps in their knowledge. And even if they truly were extremely well versed in vetting funds and recommending private market strategies, that does not translate into the oversight of individual investments. On top of that, both by virtue of temperament and incentives of their employers, private equity fund consultants would never dare challenge a private equity professional. Finally, real estate is a much less risky business than private equity, which also means with a seasoned management team and a stable operation, lighter-touch supervision is a reasonable approach. By contrast, limited partners have been unable to prevent routine overstatement of the valuations of portfolio companies as well as various types of what in other lines of work would be called embezzlement. The sort of independent board approach that CalPERS is proposing preserves the worst aspect of the current limited partnership structure, which is weak oversight and transparency. Bizarrely, fixing that should be one of the big motives for more direct ownership, yet CalPERS seems to want to allow private equity abuses to continue. Is CalPERS so brainwashed that its come to believe it has to accept victimization in order to get adequate returns? Even though the board clearly could not gather the sort of information to think through these issues, at least some members were alert enough to recognize that having an organization removed from CalPERS with little to no oversight by design was asking for trouble. Notice the bobbing and weaving: Board Member Theresa Taylor: So Ted, let me ask you a question. I understand and I hear what youre saying is that this would not be successful if we were asking them to be accountable to the board. But then what happens when it hits the news that our supply chain is using slave labor? And we have no accountability? Chief Investment Officer Ted Eliopoulos: That is the exact conversation for this board to have and in setting up an entity like this, you would set out the culture and values and investment beliefs that would lay outthe need to have a very defined ESG strategy of its own. There are judgement calls for an entity to make investment decisions. Much of our discussion internally, when we look at our investments, are around was that the right judgement for the right real estate managerfor that PE managerfor the internal fixed income trader who chose to buy a certain security. Did they implement the investment belief? The fact is that the CalPERS board, and not staff, is the fiduciary on behalf of the beneficiaries. They will be in the line of fire if there are any bad media stories or worse, frauds and abuses. And those happen, as the panelists stressed. Just looks again at the poster child, Ontario Teachers. In comments, Matthew Cunnningham-Cook flagged Buyer beware: How the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan got caught in the fallout of Brazils biggest scandal. Key sections: An investigation into money laundering at gas stations and laundromats that began two years ago in southern Brazil has since mushroomed into a wide sweeping corruption scandal, creating a national soap opera that has enthralled Brazilians as it reaches into the upper echelons of the countrys political and corporate elites The fallout has included the recent impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the arrest of dozens of senior politicians and business leaders. But also caught up in the tumult are hundreds of millions of dollars managed by some of the worlds biggest investors, including Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, one of Canadas biggest and most respected publicly funded pension funds Teachers original $206-million private-placement investment made in December 2010 is now worth less than $150 million. The point isnt that bad deals wont happen. They are certain to take place. The question, as Theresa Taylors slave labor question suggests, that certain types of due diligence failures may be unacceptable, and what if anything can CaLPERS do to prevent them? It appears that one reason CalPERS never concerned itself adequately about the fat fees it has been paying to private equity is that it sees the lack of transparency as a feature, not a bug, that it prefers not to know too much about what those general partners are really up to. It needs to get over its pretense that it can have the upside without taking on more responsibility. The board can and regularly does delegate authority to staff, but then letting staff set up an organization which it acts as if it can control merely through lofty policy statements is barmy. Pray tell, how many companies live up to their policies on sexual harassment and the treatment of whistleblowers? Moreover, CalPERS has failed to clue the board in that the most successful example of a pension fund participating in private equity directly, which is the aforementioned Ontario Teachers, runs its private equity direct and co-investing in house. And if you look at its website, it also sets forth investment priority areas, showing that unlike CalPERS, it has a strategy. Mirabile dictu! What Problem is CalPERS Trying to Solve? CalPERS has come up with a bizarre and counterproductive remedy to a glaring problem: it is wanting in private equity expertise. But as well discuss in future posts, it has also fallen for the industry myth of talent when much of what passes for talent in the private equity industry is merely narrow types of expertise that insiders try to keep to themselves. However, private equity has now become such a large industry that many critical elements are no longer state secrets. The workshop also suggests that CalPERS has fallen for the private equity sales talk that private equity firms have deep industry expertise. Once you get outside some venture funds (recall Theranos got lots of Silicon Valley backing despite all the top life sciences investors turning it down for its refusal to discuss its research) and certain niche private equity funds, the idea that the fund managers themselves have extensive industry know-how is overblown. To the extent they need specialist insight, they hire consulting firms or rent experts as senior advisers CalPERS could get down the curve if it wanted to. The fact that CalSTRS board is vastly more knowledgeable about private equity than CalPERS is, and that some public pension funds with much smaller resources than CalPERS have successful co-investment programs says that CalPERS staff has only itself to blame for the fix it is in now. It is hoist on its own petard of its long-standing effort to render the board passive and minimally informed on private equity. Similarly, theres no excuse for CalPERS failure to address staff shortcomings. When Mark Anson became Chief Investment Officer of CalPERS in the early 2000s, he saw that members of the investment team needed additional training. Anson, who had a PhD in Finance from Columbia, a JD from Northwestern, and is a chartered financial analyst and a CPA, led twice-weekly after hours sessions himself. Today, CalPERS could require ongoing study from senior investment professionals, organize video courses from top experts, and encourage junior staff members to join in. In later posts, well give further consideration to the question of how CalPERS can participate more directly in private equity given its skill gaps and its considerable weakness at the board level. It does not help that the most influential board members, Treasurer John Chiang and Controller Betty Yee, have failed to roll up their sleeves and signal to other members of the board and staff that they recognize that private equity requires far more supervision than any of CalPERS other investment strategies. They need to participate more often in private equity sessions, stop deferring to staff and start asking pointed questions. Pretending CalPERS expertise problem is insurmountable and continuing to let private equity foxes run the henhouse while CalPERS takes bigger risks is just about the worst approach imaginable. ____ 1 This is not a theoretical issue. Many general partners have admitted to engaging in abuses similar to the ones for which the SEC issued sanctions and ordered restitution. The implicit stance appears to be If we admit to it, the limited partners cant say they dont know about it and are therefore effectively consenting. But these are clear violations of the limited partnership agreements. Admitting to a contractual violation does not cure it, much the less amount to restitution. By Outis Philalithopoulos, a ghost haunted by the mystery of the origins of modern political ideas. I opened my previous post with a quote from Giorgio Gaber. Gaber is a rather unique figure he got his start in the 50s and 60s with goofy songs like this one. He started to address social and political themes, and in the process invented a new genre (teatro-canzone, the theater song). In 1991, he decided to talk about the the end of really existing communism, in a piece called Some people were communists (Qualcuno era comunista). It is a remarkable document, for at least three reasons: It is dense with pertinent observations about the culture of Italian communism, often with such attention to detail in the references that the piece is like a crash course in the political culture of Italy. If you listen to a live performance, he touches his audiences emotions on so many levels, with the mood at times resembling the prelude to a riot before finally sublimating into inspired melancholy. He is not merely recounting a history, he is trying to give it meaning. He is identifying, or proposing a kernel: an image of what people who believed in communism believed in, or should have believed in and expressing the hope that this kernel might somehow be salvageable. What I will do in what follows is to provide most of the text, together with interspersed glosses and commentary. I have omitted some items for brevity and also rearranged some of the early items in order to bring out clusters with similar themes. Why were different people communist? Some were communists because they were born in Emilia. Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany had regularly high percentages of communist voters. Some were communists because grandpa, uncle, dad not mom [laughter]. The part about mom is a knowing reference to a gender gap that is already remarked on in the French Revolution. It is not a proto-Bernie Bros polemic I have seen the disparity linked to the greater involvement of women in the community life of Catholicism. Some were communists because they drank wine and got emotional at the Parties of the People. Some were communists because if you were worked in movies, you had to be, same with theater, same with art, same with literature. Career could condition ones political affiliation pretty strongly. I have similarly heard that Italian doctors were typically members of the Democrazia Cristiana. Some were communists because they had been raised overly Catholic. Some were communists because earlier they were fascists. Some were communists because they believed that Russia was moving forward slowly, but surely. Some were communists because they felt lonely. Some were communists because they only watched RAI 3. The major public networks, RAI 1-3, were parceled out among the major political groupings, with the Left getting RAI 3. We of course have nothing like this in America. Some were communists to make their fathers angry. Some were communists because they had been told to be. Some were communists because they hadnt been told everything [chuckling]. Gaber makes it clear to his audience that they should know certain less pleasant truths about historical communism. Some were communists because they were so atheist that they needed another God. Some were communists because they were so fascinated by factory workers that they wanted to be one. Some were communists because they had had it up to here with being factory workers [cheering]. Some were communists because they wanted a raise. Bread and butter issues Some were communists because [goofy academic voice]Bourgeoisie, proletariat, class struggle, its simple! Some were communists because the revolution today no, tomorrow maybe, but the day after tomorrow, definitely. Some were communists because Berlinguer was a decent person [emotional cheering]. A sure applause line. There was in fact a major cult around Enrico Berlinguer, the secretary of the PCI from 1972-1984. Some were communists because Andreotti was not a decent person [laughter and louder cheering]. Paolo Sorrentino went so far as to make a movie (Il Divo, 2008) about Andreotti, bribes, and the mafia. Some were communists because it was fashionable, some on principle, some out of frustration. Some were communists because they were more communist than other people. Competitive leftism. Some were communists because of the great Communist Party [of Italy]. The PCI (Communist Party of Italy) was the most significant communist party in Europe. It dominated the Italian culture industry. It was also more independent from the USSR than, say, the French Communist Party. Some were communists in spite of the great Communist Party [laughter]. However, it still had an orthodoxy that it enforced; the student movement of 1968 largely broke with the PCI. Some were communists because there was no better option. Some were communists because we have the worst Socialist Party in Europe [angry applause]. If youre curious about this, do an Internet search on Bettino Craxi. Some were communists because to find a government worse than ours, you have to go to Uganda. Some were communists because they were sick of 40 years of incompetent Mafia-infested governments. Meaning the postwar governments of the Democrazia Cristiana. Some were communists because of Piazza Fontana, Brescia, Bologna station, the Italicus train, Ustica, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! Cant be explained briefly, search strategia della tensione. The mood becomes very intense during this sequence. Some were communists because those who were opposed were communists. This one is fascinating. The idea is that rottenness in society was obvious, and yet the only people willing to take a stand against it were the Communists and so regardless of what the PCI stood for, it could occupy that space. Some thought they were communists and maybe were something else. Some were communists because they dreamed of a kind of freedom different from the American kind. Interesting Some were communists because they thought they could only be happy if others were too [cheering]. Can you imagine someone saying this in the US? Some were communists because they needed a push toward something new, because they were willing to change every day, because they felt the need for a different ethic, because maybe it was just a push, a flight, a dream, an impetus, a desire to change things, to change life. Some were communists because together with this impetus, they were more than themselves. Each person was like two persons in one. On one side, the individualized toil of everyday life, and on the other, the feeling of belonging to a species that wanted to take flight and truly change life. No, no nostalgia. Maybe then as well, many had opened their wings like so many seagulls who were ultimately unable to fly. And now? Now as well, we feel like two people: on the one hand the conformist who obsequiously navigates the squalor of his own daily survival, and on the other the seagull, no longer with even the intention of flight, because the dream has shriveled away. Two wretchednesses within a single body. The piece as rhetoric The top-rated YouTube comment says, First laughter then goosebumps then tears. Gaber follows a pattern that might have an official name, but that I call Vive le roi quand meme. French royalists who were frustrated with the fecklessness of Louis XVI would open up about his shortcomings in discreet conversations, and then end by saying Long live the king anyway! Gaber is willing to acknowledge all sorts of ways in which actual communism was imperfect or contingent or absurd. This builds his credibility, and yet it also makes his final move more forceful, as he refuses to draw the conclusion that it was all meaningless. In the section where Gaber works into a crescendo of radical criticisms of the Italian establishment, he takes advantage of the fact that its easier to criticize corruption and the Deep State than to defend a political ideal. But his whole purpose here is to create space for the final part, where he does propound an ideal in spite of everything. The piece as politics The line about workers wanting a raise is about the only part where Gaber says something that would fit into the framework of a James Carville (Its the economy, stupid). The enthusiastic response of the crowd at the end, one can detect a sort of gratitude. Gaber allows them to recuperate a part of their past that they thought had been taken away, and dignify it. In so doing, he also makes it possible to renounce parts of it more honestly. All of this takes place on the level of narrative and myth. Its true that the manipulation of symbols and dreams with cynical disregard for their content is characteristic of fascism, or advertising. Ignoring them, on the other hand, is the default communications mode of technocratic liberalism. Gaber recognizes that being an adherent of communism was only sometimes, partially due to lofty principles it could also be motivated by loneliness or frustration or conformism, and it was in any case inflected by each persons social background and accidents of life circumstances. He is therefore embracing a tragic view of political affiliation: what we believe in matters, and whom we support has something to do with what we believe in, but there can be so many imprecisions and misalignments along the way that well-meaning people can end up as committed supporters of questionable or even terrible causes. Not that the intentions were always good but the people on the correct side dont always have pure motives either. This is why I have no sympathy for the endless laments about low-information voters. When I read pious handwringing or condemnation of Republican voters voting against their own interests, I wish I could ask, Suppose you were talking to an Italian factory worker from the 1950s, and trying to persuade him to renounce dictatorship. Would you treat this low-information voter the same way? Intellectuals, under pressure to take consistent public stances, may become ideologically monolithic. The political convictions of other people are typically more like magma. Its true that if you treat a person aggressively or scornfully, she will be unlikely to acknowledge that you are right about anything. But over time, people change their minds. Look at how much the attitudes of rank and file Republicans have shifted on the Iraq war, Russia, and the trustworthiness of the Republican elite. Look at how much the attitudes of rank and file Democrats have shifted on Guantanamo Bay, Russia, and the electoral college. One option is to start trying to talk to people in ways that might break them out of ideological iceboxes. Theres always the other option. We could just hold fast to stock images of Republican voters as the Other, in order to reassure liberals that, yes, we sometimes disagree vociferously with you guys but at least youre human. Multitasking monolayers (Nanowerk News) Two-dimensional materials that can multitask. That is the result of a new process that naturally produces patterned monolayers that can act as a base for creating a wide variety of novel materials with dual optical, magnetic, catalytic or sensing capabilities. "Patterned materials open up the possibility of having two functionalities in a single material, such as catalyzing a chemical reaction while simultaneously serving as a sensor for a second set of molecules," said Sokrates Pantelides, William and Nancy McMinn Professor of Physics at Vanderbilt University, who coordinated the research with Professor Hong-Jun Gao at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. "Of course, you can do such a thing by using two materials side by side, but patterned materials offer a whole range of new options for device designers." This is an illustration of the triangular pattern formed by the two-dimensional material chalcogenide that allows the creation of dual-function devices. (Image: Yu-Yang Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Their achievement is described in a paper titled "Intrinsically patterned two-dimensional materials for selective adsorption of molecules and nanoclusters" published in the journal Nature Materials ("Intrinsically patterned two-dimensional materials for selective adsorption of molecules and nanoclusters"). In electronics, two dimensional (2D) materials are a hot topic because of their many potential applications. Graphene, which consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms, has received the most attention, but it has proven very difficult to tune its chemical and electrical properties. As a result, chalcogenides (materials that contain sulfur, selenium or tellurium, which are known for their widely varied optical, electrical and thermal properties) are now the focus of worldwide research because some of them naturally form monolayers that can serve as blank slates that are readily tailored for specific applications. Now, Pantelides and his collaborators have shown that monolayers formed by two chalcogenides (platinum-selenium and copper-selenium) naturally combine with nanoscale precision into alternating triangles with different phases: metallic and semiconductor. Because each phase has different electrical and chemical properties, two different types of molecules can bond to its surface, allowing it to perform two functions simultaneously. Chemical route towards electronic devices in graphene (Nanowerk News) Essential electronic components, such as diodes and tunnel barriers, can be incorporated in single graphene wires (nanoribbons) with atomic precision. The goal is to create graphene-based electronic devices with extremely fast operational speeds. The discovery was made in a collaboration between Aalto University and their colleagues at Utrecht University and TU Delft in the Netherlands. The work is published in Nature Communications("Electronic components embedded in a single graphene nanoribbon"). Schematic of the synthesis procedure for the graphene nanoribbon heterostructures: Precursor molecules are converted through chemical synthesis into precisely controlled graphene nanoribbons. (Image: Aalto University, Utrecht University, TU Delft) Graphene has many interesting characteristics, and researchers around the world are looking for new ways to utilise them. Graphene itself does not have the characteristics needed to switch electrical currents on and off and smart solutions must be found for this particular problem. We can make graphene structures with atomic precision. By selecting certain precursor substances (molecules), we can code the structure of the electrical circuit with extreme accuracy, explains Peter Liljeroth from Aalto University, who conceived the research project together with Ingmar Swart from Utrecht University. Seamless integration The electronic properties of graphene can be controlled by synthesizing it into very narrow strips (graphene nanoribbons). Previous research has shown that the ribbons electronic characteristics are dependent on its atomic width. A ribbon that is five atoms wide behaves similarly to a metallic wire with extremely good conduction characteristics, but adding two atoms makes the ribbon a semiconductor. We are now able to seamlessly integrate five atom-wide ribbons with seven atom-wide ribbons. That gives you a metal-semiconductor junction, which is a basic building block of electronic components, according to Ingmar Swart. Metal-semiconductor-metal junction (tunnel barrier) incorporated into a single graphene nanoribbon: The atomic and electronic structure of the nanoribbons can be probed with atomic resolution using advanced microscopic techniques. (Image: Aalto University, Utrecht University and TU Delft) Chemistry on a surface The researchers produced their electronic graphene structures through a chemical reaction. They evaporated the precursor molecules onto a gold crystal, where they react in a very controlled way to yield new chemical compounds. This is a different method from that currently used to produce electrical nanostructures, such as those on computer chips. For graphene, it is so important that the structure is precise at the atomic level and it is likely that the chemical route is the only effective method, Ingmar Swart concludes. Electronic characteristics The researchers used advanced microscopic techniques to also determine the electronic and transport characteristics of the resulting structures. It was possible to measure electrical current through a graphene nanoribbon device with an exactly known atomic structure. (Natural News) On July 14, Googles bio-lab began releasing the first batches of the 20 million bacteria-filled mosquitoes they plan to set free in the heart of California in an effort to shrink the population of mosquitoes that can carry life-threatening diseases. The project, called Debug Fresno, is an initiative led by Verily Life Sciences, an offshoot of Googles parent company Alphabet, in collaboration with MosquitoMate and Fresno Countys Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District. According to the scientists, the goal of the project is to cut the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which are known for spreading Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Over the course of 20 weeks, the company will release 1 million sterile, non-biting male mosquitoes in two 300-acre neighborhoods in Fresno County every week. Releasing lab-bred mosquitoes into the wild The mosquitoes being released are not genetically modified, though they are made in a lab. The male mosquitoes are bred by a robot and infected with Wolbachia, a bacterium that makes male mosquitoes sterile to any female that doesnt have a Wolbachia infection herself. This makes it unable to successfully breed and will reduce the mosquito populations with every new generation. During the experiment, Verily Life Sciences will monitor the population density and egg hatching among the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These numbers will then be compared with the numbers from two control neighborhoods. The company expects to see a steep decline in the mosquito numbers in the target areas. Though Debug Fresno will be the largest field study in the United States to employ this pest control method, it is not the first time Wolbachia infected mosquitoes are being released in the Fresno County area. In 2016, the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District and MosquitoMate did a small-scale test experiment. Similar experiments have also been carried out, or are still ongoing, in Brazil, Vietnam, and Australia. If this large-scale trial is successful, a similar technique will be used around the globe to fight mosquitoes that transmit malaria or other mosquito-borne illnesses. According to The Daily Mail Online, Verily isnt the only company hoping to use robotics and artificial intelligence to help stop the spread of deadly diseases. In Texas, for instance, Microsoft is experimenting with a smart trap that can isolate and capture Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. What could possibly go wrong? Theoretically, Debug Fresno may sound like a normal, harmless experiment that could reduce the number of biting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Fresno County. The project, however, has turned the area into a test facility without the consent of its residents. For the Debug team at Verily, moving our work from the laboratory to the field is not only an important milestone for our group of biologists, engineers, and automation experts, but its also a critical step in bringing our long-term vision to reality. Field studies allow us to test our discoveries and technologies in challenging, real-world conditions and collect the necessary evidence to bring them to a broader scale, Verily noted on its website. The Daily Coin, however, isnt so sure about the companys intention to release infected mosquitoes into the wild. Are these mosquitoes sorted correctly by gender and what if the Wolbachia mutates? If that happens we could have released something far worse than Zika into the world. Furthermore, giving scientists the permission to conduct field studies without the permission of citizens is just criminal. Though this might be a rather harmless experiment, what will stop these researchers from turning our neighborhoods into test facilities for less innocent experiments that could feed the depopulation agenda of the elite? Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Blog.Verily.com TechnologyReview.com TheDailyCoin.org (Natural News) In what was considered a first of its kind, a Butler County, Ohio judge this month ruled that data from a pacemaker could be presented in a trial against Ross Compton who was indicted in January on grounds of arson. Compton, 59, was charged of aggravated arson and insurance fraud for purportedly starting a fire at his Court Donegal home in September of last year. The fire incurred nearly $400,000 in damages. According to reports, Compton told the authorities that he was asleep when the fire started. When he woke up, Compton allegedly packed some belongings in a suitcase and bags, then proceeded to use a cane to break the glass window in his bedroom. He then purportedly threw the bags and suitcase outside before taking them to his car. The court records noted that the police then obtained a search warrant for all of the electronic data stored in Comptons pacemaker. The pacemaker data contained Comptons heart rate, pacer demand, and cardiac rhythms before, during and after the fire. According to a cardiologist that examined the data, It is highly improbable Mr. Compton would have been able to collect, pack, and remove the number of items from the house, exit his bedroom window, and carry numerous large and heavy items to the front of his residence during the short period of time he has indicated due to his medical conditions. The detectives then deemed Comptons statements inconsistent with the evidence collected from the scene. Defense lawyer Glenn Rossi argued that the pacemaker evidence should be left out. According to Rossi, using the pacemaker data was an invasion of Comptons constitutional rights. In response, Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Jon Marshall cited instances where authorities can take hold of medical records for use as evidence in criminal cases. Common Pleas Judge Charles Pater ultimately ruled against the defense, noting that Comptons ownership of the pacemaker does not make the data more private than other things. Privacy concerns loom over pacemaker data exposure The recent ruling that allowed the use of pacemaker data in court spurred concerns among privacy advocates, stating that it may put the privacy of medical records at risk. Defense lawyer Rossi reflected the concern, noting that the issue is bigger than Comptons case. [Allowing the data to be used as evidence] further expands the governments ability to access some of our most fundamental private information. We take the strong position that medical data regarding the inner functions of ones body designed to assist a doctor in keeping a patient alive should be safeguarded against government overreach. As was argued to the court, what is next on this slippery slope as technology advances, Rossi said in an article on CNET.com. Stephanie Lacambra, staff lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed similar concern when the news broke out. Americans shouldnt have to make a choice between health and privacy. We as a society value our rights to maintain privacy over personal and medical information, and compelling citizens to turn over protected health data to law enforcement erodes those rights, Lacambra told Engadget.com. Ohio was not alone in turning to health data for use in a criminal case. In fact, a New Jersey bill introduced in 2013 required all mobile phones to be subjected to police search after an accident. However, the bill was eventually written off. New York legislators are also mulling over a bill requiring people involved in crashed to surrender their phones to the police and have it assessed by a device called textalyzer. The said device is expected to determine whether the phone has been in use. (Related: CIA Discovered To Be Routinely Hacking Home Wi-Fi Routers Made By Linksys, DLink And Belkin To Monitor All Your Internet Traffic.) Sources include: Journal-News.com CNET.com Engadget.com Editor's note: The video above contains graphic material that may be disturbing to some viewers. An 18-year-old woman has been arrested in California on suspicion of causing a deadly crash that she recorded live on Instagram. Obdulia Sanchez was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter after Friday's crash that killed her 14-year-old sister and badly injured another 14-year-old girl. The California Highway Patrol says Sanchez was driving the car when it veered onto the right shoulder of a road about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco. It says she overcorrected, causing the vehicle to swerve across lanes, crash through a wire fence and overturn into a field. Sergio Ramos Estrada, a cousin, told NBC News the teens were preparing for a quinceanera when the accident happened. "We were going to go to her house the next day to celebrate her quinceanera, and unfortunately that happened," Ramos Estrada said. Sanchez is currently being held on a $300,000 bond at the John Latoracca Correctional Facility in Merced. The California Highway Patrol is examining the video as part of the investigation. Shannon Vallor, who teaches philosophy of technology and social media ethics at Santa Clara University, said too many people are trying to lead parallel lives with their phones, always streaming, posting, and missing what's happening right in front of them. "This case should shock us, and if we can't be shocked by this, we're really in trouble," Vallor said. "Our habits or being able to pay attention to the world around us, are being radically transformed, and in a lot of cases, damaged and degraded by our media habits." Mary Hernandez, 25, was following Sanchez on Instagram and watched as the livestream showed the car careen into the fence, according to NBC News. Disturbed by what she saw, Hernandez said she recorded a copy of the video. "There are so many people that are on my Snapchat that I see driving on their phone," Hernandez told NBC News over the phone. "I hope that this video makes people think twice about what theyre doing in their car." Hernandez, a medical assistant from Stockton, California, told NBC News she doesnt personally know Sanchez, but the women have mutual friends. "This is real," she said. "This is something that could seriously happen to someone." Instagram said in a statement Monday: "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We urge people to use our reporting tools if they see any content or behavior that puts anyone's safety at risk." Social media sites such as Instagram of Facebook have faced a host of violent or disturbing postings since users were given the ability to livestream. NBC News contributed to this report. A Long Beach man sued the state and California Lottery Commission Friday, alleging he was wrongfully denied a $5 million Scratchers ticket prize because his 16-year-old son bought the winning ticket. Ward Thomas' Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges failure to discharge a mandatory duty, breach of contract, negligence and both intentional and negligent representation. The suit seeks unspecified damages. A California Lottery representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Thomas says his son bought five Scratchers tickets at a Mobil station on Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach on Oct. 16 by exchanging other winning tickets. One of the five was a winning ticket with a $5 million prize, the suit states. Thomas validated the ticket at a 7-Eleven store in Long Beach that same day and then validated it again the next day at the lottery office in Santa Ana, the suit states. However, on Dec. 5, the Lottery Commission told Thomas that his award was being denied because his son was a minor and therefore was "not legally able to play the lottery," the suit states. The complaint does not state how the commission knew Thomas' son bought the tickets and that the purchaser was under age 18. No one at the gas station, which also is a defendant, told Thomas' son that he was too young to buy a lottery ticket, the suit states. The suit further alleges the commission failed to enforce its own rules in the operation of the lottery and that the commission engaged in false advertising by not publicizing that lottery ticket buyers had to be at least 18 years old. Farmers markets are not just on Saturdays anymore. A mobile market called Freshest Cargo just expanded its business into East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, reports Almanac News. Facebook also joined in on the endeavor, partnering with the truck for their new route expansions. The project is a part of the non-profit Fresh Approach, which works to provide local fruits and vegetables to underserved communities. The non-profit currently has two trucks and runs seven different routes a week across the Bay. Along with the mobile store, Fresh Approach provides nutritional classes and an incentive program for those shopping with food stamps. This encourages communities to buy fresh produce and look towards local foods for nourishment rather than fast food. Facebooks global events, amenities and community engagement manager Alex Gahagan told Almanac News that Freshest Cargo only harvests seasonal crops from local farmers. Along with supporting California businesses, Gahagan also mentioned that the produce is cheaper than what is typically found at neighborhood farmers markets. None of the food goes to waste either. Almanac News stated that any produced that is not purchased is donated to community food banks. If looking to support a good cause, check out Freshest Approachs route schedule on their website. Although Steve Jobs died in 2011, his creations have left a massive imprint on the modern world. Both his life and work have been commemorated through many mediums, but one composer has decided to capture Jobs' life through opera. Mason Bates began his ventures to create an opera about Jobs in 2015. The Bay Area composer told Billboard that the idea came to him when thinking about what an opera based in todays time would look like. He stated how Jobs life would suit the subject well: The tension between the sleek look of his devices and the messy quality of his life is the stuff of opera. Such a declaration refers to both his invention of Apple as well as his struggle to find peace within himself. It is known that Jobs had a passionate personality, but his emotions took to extremes. This was reflected in his ill treatment of employees and family members, including his estranged daughter. The stark contrasts of Jobs business and personal life are also apparent once the opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs , begins. The story bounces between the inventors past and present, capturing his development through life. At one point the audience will be present to see the inventor gifted a work bench as a child. This will be followed though by an explosion of anger in his adult life. Accompanying the plot is a fusion of music. Bates utilizes the richness of acoustic melodies as well as the curt pulses of technology. Mason Bates previous works prove to show that, like Jobs, he is one of the most innovative composers of modern times. Described as a DJ and curator on his website, Bates has become the first composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs opened July 22 at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. It will continue to run through August 25. Dates are also scheduled for both Seattle and San Francisco as well. The San Francisco Opera will host the Steve Jobs opera during their 2019-2020 season. A federal judge in Detroit Monday halted the deportation of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals, NBC News reported. The Iraqis, many of whom are part of their home country's Christian minority, could face "grave harm and possible death" if sent back to Iraq, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled, granting a request for preliminary injunction. Goldsmith said the government's position to deport them is "inconsistent" with the Constitution. The government targeted the Iraqis, who have criminal convictions or overstayed their visas, over long-standing deportation orders. More than half had been in the United States for more than a decade because Iraq refused to issue travel documents, the ruling says. As Seen On A New Hampshire man has been arrested in connection with a brutal attack of a young woman outside a Planet Fitness gym. Twenty-two-year-old Jordan Lamonde of Portsmouth was charged with second degree assault Monday afternoon after Rochester police officers responded to Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Police have been investigating the assault since June 12, when gym employee Erin McCarthy, 18, reported she was walking to her car when she was attacked from behind. Surveillance footage of the attack showed McCarthy was punched nearly 40 times, thrown to the ground and then kneed in the head before the suspect, later identified as Lamonde by police, got into his car and drove off. McCarthy said she had no idea who her attacker was. "He didn't say a single word at all," she said. "He was silent through the whole thing." Lamonde has been ordered on $150,000 cash bail. He's due in court on Tuesday. It's unclear if he has an attorney. A Chicago dentist is charged with possession of child pornography after being arrested for filming children and adults in a beach men's room. Gregory Stump, 68, was arrested at about 4:15 p.m. Friday in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive, where the popular North Avenue Beach is located. Police said officers arrested Stump "as he was surreptitiously video recording a 16-year-old male juvenile in a men's bathroom." Cook County court records say a police officer on Friday found Stump in a stall, naked and holding his cellphone over a partition. Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Joseph Carlson says in the next stall was a 16-year-old boy taking off his swimsuit. A search of Stump's cellphone turned up images of teens in various stages of undress and adults using a urinal in the bathroom. Stump was released Monday on electronic monitoring after a hearing. Defense attorney Richard Kling got a judge to alter terms of Stump's release. Stump will be allowed to see underage patients but only if their parents are present. If a certain federal program goes away, undocumented law student Karen Villa Gomez may not be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer in the U.S. It feels like its a betrayal from the country that we grew up in, she said. I was two years old Ive been here my entire life. To not to be able to pursue my goals I have been following the past my entire life. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin stood in support of Villa Gomez, and others like her--who came to the U.S. illegally as children, but have found support through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act--which protects nearly 800-thousand undocumented immigrants. We dont believe that young people should be held responsible for the decisions of their parents, Durbin said. Recently, nine states asked President Donald Trump to rescind DACA, which led to 20 attorneys general--including in Illinois--to send a letter to the president asking him to ignore that request. My greatest fear is that either the court or the president decide to end DACA and the young people that youve met will find their lives compromised, Durbin said. Undocumented medical student Cesar Montelongo had been one of several several DACA beneficiaries who met with Durbin Monday. I am not sure I will be able to complete my program because if DACA goes away that means I cant really reside in this country anymore, Montelongo said. Like Villa Gomez, Montelongo fears that his dream of becoming doctor will end if the government terminates DACA. If this goes away I have to do my best to keep going on to see what I can next," Montelongo said. "Growing up you realize nothing is assured, you just have to keep fighting every step of the way. President Donald Trump's appearance at a national Boy Scout event hit a nerve with many former scouts and parents of scouts after his speech turned political. The organization responded to the backlash by stressing its non-partisan roots. At the Boys Scouts of America's National Jamboree in West Virginia on Monday, the president brought up issues such as health care, "fake media," and "the swamp" in Washington. Many in the crowd of 40,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers booed when Trump asked whether former President Barack Obama had come to a Jamboree. Video clips also showed them jeering Hillary Clinton after Trump said that his election opponent "didn't work hard" in Michigan. The scouts also chanted "we love Trump." Former scouts and parents took to social media to express opposition to the politicized speech. As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today. If you haven't watched it yet, don't. It's downright icky. Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) July 25, 2017 The Boy Scouts of America's Facebook page was inundated with comments about Trump on posts both about and unrelated to the Jamboree. User Beth Mitchell Huntsberry commented, "The BSA should immediately lose their tax exempt status. I will no longer be associated with the organization. My time and money will go elsewhere." "No, I am the proud mother of a former scout who was sheltered from that pack of lies speech at the Jamboree. Done with scouts after you felt the need to have my kid listen to a liar stroke his ego on our time," said Jude Nevans Cleaver, another Facebook commenter. Some drew comparisons between the president's speech in front of the Boy Scouts and his campaign-style rallies. National Scout Jamborees are typically held every four years and Trump is the eighth president to attend, The Associated Press reported. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were Boy Scouts, while Trump was not a member of the organization. Obama, a former member of the Indonesian Scout Association, addressed a 100th anniversary event in 2010 by video. Pete Souza, a White House photographer for Obama during his presidency, posted an Instagram photo following Trump's speech showing his former boss meeting a cub scout. In a statement in response to the backlash, the Boy Scouts of America noted that the organization is non-partisan. They said that inviting the sitting president to the National Jamboree is a "long-standing tradition." "The Boy Scouts of America is wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies." The statement added that the "sitting U.S. President serves as the BSA's honorary president. It is our long-standing custom to invite the U.S. President to the National Jamboree." The White House has not responded to a request for comment. CORRECTION (July 25, 4:16 p.m. ET): The article misidentified the scouting organization that former President Barack Obama belonged to. He was a member of the Indonesian Scout Association, not the Boy Scouts of America. Massachusetts court officers do not have the authority to arrest someone suspected of being in the U.S. illegally if that person is not facing criminal charges, the state's highest court ruled Monday. The Supreme Judicial Court opinion applied to officers who provide security in state courthouses, but the ruling also suggested that no Massachusetts police officer has the legal standing to comply with such federal requests. "Today's decision is a victory for the rule of law and smart immigration and criminal justice policies, and a rejection of anti-immigrant policies that have stoked fear in communities across the country," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said. "As my office argued in this case, Massachusetts law protects our residents from illegal detention and prevents the federal government from forcing law enforcement to make decisions contrary to the public safety interests of their community. This decision allows local law enforcement to focus their resources on keeping people safe." The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that remaining in the U.S. when subject to deportation is a civil, not a criminal, infraction. In the unanimous decision, the Supreme Judicial Court pointed out there is no state law that provides "authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a federal civil immigration detainer beyond the time that individual would otherwise be entitled to a release from state custody." The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said that based on the court's language, the decision extends to all Massachusetts police officers. "Conspicuously absent from our common law is any authority (in the absence of a statute) for police officers to arrest generally for civil matters, let alone authority to arrest specifically for federal civil immigration matters," the court wrote. The decision is a major setback to the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration enforcement, the ACLU said. "This court decision sets an important precedent that we are a country that upholds the constitution and the rule of law," Carol Rose, the ACLU's executive director said. "This victory is the first of its kind in the nation. At a time when the Trump administration is pushing aggressive and discriminatory immigration enforcement policies, Massachusetts is leading nationwide efforts by limiting how state and local law enforcement assist with federal immigration enforcement." A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court's decision came in the case of Sreynuon Lunn, who in October was arraigned on an unarmed robbery charge in Boston Municipal Court. At the time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a civil immigration detainer against Lunn, who was born to Cambodian parents. The state charge was dismissed on Feb. 6, but a judge refused to free him and court officers kept Lunn in a courthouse holding cell until an immigration officer took him into federal custody. His lawyers appealed, saying in part that his detention based solely on the request by federal officials was unconstitutional. Lunn, 32, was ordered released from custody back in May and remains free in the U.S., the ACLU said. He has been the subject of a long-running deportation battle. Lunn was born in a Thai refugee camp to Cambodian parents fleeing the Khmer Rouge and brought to the United States as a 7-month-old. He was legally allowed into the country as a refugee and given lawful permanent resident status. He has two U.S.-born children. Immigration officials first tried deporting him in 2009 after he was convicted of an aggravated felony. But both Cambodia and Thailand have denied him citizenship and refused to issue travel documents. The Massachusetts court urged the state Legislature to address the matter. Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, an outspoken opponent of undocumented immigrants, said he is already working with Republican lawmakers on "a bill that aims to authorize all levels of law enforcement and court officers to cooperate fully with Immigration and Customs Enforcement." "The decision makes Massachusetts residents and visitors more vulnerable to become victims of crime," Hodgson said of the court ruling. Rep. James Lyons of Andover, Rep. Shaunna O'Connell of Taunton and Rep. Marc Lombardo of Billerica are working with Hodgson on the legislation. Shannon Miller is a weekend morning anchor at NBC Connecticut. You can watch her Saturday and Sunday mornings, and reporting weeknights Wednesday through Friday. Shannon is passionate about giving a voice to people in order to create a positive change. She feels a great responsibility and privilege in being able to help viewers and bring them justice. The biggest story of her career so far was the coverage of a kidnapped and murdered realtor in Little Rock, Arkansas. Shannon interviewed the accused killer hours after his arrest and later in an exclusive jailhouse interview. The statements he gave on camera were used as key pieces in the prosecutions case. Shannon was called as a witness in the trial, which ultimately led to a guilty verdict and life sentence for the suspect. Shannon also covered the aftermath of the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, one of the single deadliest twisters in U.S. history. Shannon comes to NBC Connecticut from KARK/FOX16 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she was a weekend evening anchor and reporter. Before that, she worked as a morning anchor at KOLR10 in Springfield, Missouri. She got her start in broadcasting at KNWA in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In her free time, Shannon enjoys running and has a passion for mentoring young women. She feels right at home in Connecticut, enjoying everything the state and New England have to offer. Follow Shannon on Twitter and Facebook or email her here. Members of the clergy came together in New Haven Monday to voice concerns over recent gun violence in the city. New Haven police have released the shooting crime statistics for the year so far, and compared to recent years, homicides, non-fatal shootings and shots fired cases are actually down. But members of the community are concerned about recent shootings, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy, which have leaders looking for solutions. We are encouraging the community to come forth and help us put these people behind bars that have killed innocent children, said Pastor Charles H. Brewer III of the Trinity Temple Church of God In Christ. Brewer announced a coalition of Young spiritual leaders who are coming together to try to tackle recent violence in communities like theirs by engaging those who are most at risk. This comes in response to the shooting of a 14-year-old boy near Bassett and Newhall Streets on July 16. Police said the victim, who later died at the hospital, was targeted by the shooter. On July 22, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the leg near Shelton Avenue and Ivy Street. And a day later, a 21-year-old man was shot in the face near East Street. In a statement about the violence, New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell wrote: "This is a situation which cannot and will not be tolerated. This is the time where both the New Haven Police Department and the community can utilize the relationships which have been built over the years to ensure that this type of behavior stops immediately!" The chief also said that there is no place in the city for people who dont value the safety of the community and the sanctity of life, and called for anyone with information on the recent violence to come forward. Tips can be made anonymously. It has been five days since mother of four Nury Chavarria decided to defy a deportation order by seeking sanctuary in a New Haven church. I made this decision because I want to stay near to my family, to be together, she told NBC Connecticut Saturday night. For immigrant families in the Elm City fearing separation, they now have a new guide for what to do when deportation threatens. This handbook is complete with practical, legal and emergency tips and referrals for recent arrivals, Mayor Toni Harp said at a press conference unveiling the Family Immigration Emergency Preparedness Guide. One page describes how to recognize different law enforcement agents and another section remind people they have the right to remain silent when speaking with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These family preparedness suggestions are meant to keep families calm in the face of such uncertainty, Harp said. The handbook encourages families to select a standby guardian for their children. Somebody they have a connection, somebody with whom they feel safe, Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Joette Katz said. President Donald Trump has said the focus should be deporting the bad guys: immigrants with criminal records. DCF is caring for 4,300 children, Katz said, adding that number could grow greatly under the Trump Administrations immigration policies. Imagine 22,000 children are at risk if in fact their parents are deported for no reason other than their status, Katz said. With her city in the national spotlight because of Nurys story, Harp had a message for immigrant families. In this city, we will work to make new residents feel welcome, safe and secure no matter where they used to live, Harp said. The emergency preparedness guides will be available for pick up at New Haven schools, libraries and New Haven City Hall. The plan is to translate it in Spanish and also make it available online. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman met with Senate investigators Tuesday, providing his recollection of a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer and agreeing to turn over contemporaneous notes of the gathering last year, according to people familiar with the closed-door interview. The appearance by Paul Manafort came the same morning that Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner returned to Capitol Hill for a second day of private meetings, this time for a conversation with lawmakers on the House intelligence committee. Both Manafort and Kushner have been cooperating with the committees which, along with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, are probing Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and possible collusion with Trump associates. The two men have faced particular scrutiny about attending the Trump Tower meeting because it was described in emails to Donald Trump Jr. as being part of a Russian government effort to aid Trump's presidential campaign. On Tuesday, Manafort met with bipartisan staff of the Senate intelligence committee and "answered their questions fully," his spokesman, Jason Maloni, said. Manafort's discussion with committee staff was limited to his recollection of the June 2016 meeting, according to two people familiar with the interview. Both demanded anonymity to discuss details because the interview occurred behind closed doors. Manafort had previously disclosed the meeting in documents he turned over to the committee. He has now provided the committee with notes he took at the time, one of the people said. The other person said Manafort has also said he will participate in additional interviews with the Senate intelligence committee staff on other topics if necessary. Those meetings haven't yet been scheduled. Also Tuesday, Kushner spent about three hours behind closed doors with the House committee. Republican Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas, who is leading the panel's Russia probe, said he found Kushner to be "straightforward, forthcoming, wanted to answer every question we had." He said Kushner was willing to follow up with the committee if it has additional questions. The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said the questions touched on "a range of issues the committee had been concerned about." "We appreciate his voluntary willingness to come and testify today," Schiff added. On Monday, Kushner answered questions from staff on the Senate's intelligence panel, acknowledging four meetings with Russians during and after Trump's victorious White House bid and insisting he had "nothing to hide." In an 11-page statement, he acknowledged his Russian contacts during the campaign and immediately after the election, in which he served as a liaison between the transition and foreign governments. He described the contacts as either insignificant or routine and said they had been omitted from his security clearance form because of an aide's error. "Let me be very clear," Kushner said later in a rare public statement at the White House, "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so." Emails released this month show that Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, accepted a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya with the understanding that he would receive damaging information on Democrat Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government effort to help Trump's campaign. But, in his statement for the two intelligence committees, Kushner said he hadn't read those emails until recently shown them by his lawyers. Kushner's statement was the first detailed defense from a campaign insider responding to the controversy that has all but consumed the first six months of Trump's presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia sought to tip the 2016 campaign in Trump's favor. Kushner called the meeting with Veselnitskaya such a "waste of time" that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. "No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign; there was no follow-up to the meeting that I am aware of; I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted," he said. In addition to the Senate and House intelligence committees, the Senate Judiciary Committee has also been investigating Russia's election interference. The committee has been negotiating terms of a private, on-the-record interview with Trump Jr. about the meeting with Veselnitskaya. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein had also issued a subpoena for Manafort to testify publicly during a Wednesday hearing before the committee. But late Tuesday the committee rescinded the subpoena. Taylor Foy, a spokesman for Grassley, said the committee withdrew the subpoena after Manafort agreed to turn over documents and to continue negotiating about setting up an interview with the panel. The committee also removed Manafort and Trump Jr. from the list of witnesses scheduled for the public hearing. The committee has sought to talk with Manafort about the Trump Tower meeting, among other issues including his foreign political work on behalf of Ukrainian interests. The committee also withdrew a separate subpoena issued for the co-founder of the research firm behind a dossier of salacious allegations about Trump and his ties to Russia. Instead, Glenn Simpson has agreed to a private interview, Grassley said. He also was removed from Wednesday's public hearing witness list. Kushner on Monday confirmed earlier media reports that he had suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities to set up secure communications between Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who would become national security adviser, and Russian officials. But he disputed that it was an effort to establish a "secret back channel." His statement describes a December meeting with Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in which Kushner and Kislyak discussed establishing a secure line for the Trump transition team and Moscow to communicate about policy in Syria. A day after he was cut from the Dallas Cowboys, police in Virginia say Lucky Whitehead is not the man cited for petit larceny and failure to appear in court. Whitehead, 25, was cut by the team Monday afternoon, hours after the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia told multiple media outlets there was a warrant issued for his arrest for failure to appear in court after being allegedly cited for trying to steal $40 in groceries from a convenience store. David Rich, Whitehead's agent, said Monday that Whitehead did not commit the crime and wasn't even in Virginia when the theft happened. Rich said the charges were due to an identity mix-up. On Tuesday, the Prince William County Police confirmed Rich's assertion and said the man charged June 22 was not in possession of an ID and told officers he was Rodney Darnell Whitehead, Jr., and provided a date of birth and Social Security number. Virginia police said Tuesday the officers verified the data provided to them through the DMV and compared a DMV photo of Whitehead with the person in custody. "Officers acted in good faith that, at the time, the man in custody was the same man matching the information provided," the department said Tuesday in a prepared statement. "At this point, the police department is also confident in confirming that Mr. Whiteheads identify was falsely provided to police during the investigation." The confirmation came a day too late. When asked about Whitehead's departure Monday afternoon, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said they made a decision to release him after talking with him about the incident that morning. In a phone call with NBC 5 Tuesday, Whitehead said he repeatedly told the team he didn't commit the crime, wasn't arrested and that the incident didn't happen. "To accuse me of shoptlifting, and I'm trying to give you my word ... I'm telling you, I'm giving you facts that I was not even in the state," Whitehead said. "I was put on an island by myself. It hurts. I'm human. I read stuff. I don't think I got the support that I needed from the person I needed it from when this was going down." Garrett said Monday that cutting Whitehead was good for the team and "hopefully good for him going forward." He added that he hoped the decision to release Whitehead was "a little bit of a wakeup call to handle these situations the right way." "I dont know if it was a lesson, because I didn't do nothing," Whitehead told NBC 5 Tuesday. "A lot of people turned their back on me. I'm just glad the truth came out." The Dallas Cowboys have not issued a formal statement, but during Tuesday's news conference at Training Camp Garrett said the team is standing by their decision. Virginia police said they are currently looking for the person who impersonated Whitehead and have cleared him in the case. "Since the identifying information provided by the arrestee during the investigation was apparently false, the police department is working with the Prince William County Commonwealth Attorneys Office to clear Mr. Whitehead from this investigation," the department said. "The police department regrets the impact these events had on Mr. Whitehead and his family." Whitehead was in the news last week when he said he returned to his Dallas home to find out his dog was being held for ransom. The situation was resolved after Whitehead told NBC 5 the dog was returned to him, without payment. NBC 5's Vanessa Brown contributed to this report. The next time you need to visit the emergency room, you might wait longer than usual. The average wait time to see a medical professional inside a hospital emergency department in Texas is now 26 minutes, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. However, explosive growth in North Texas may keep you from seeing a doctor as fast as possible. According to W. Stephen Love, president and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council, North Texas is experiencing explosive growth, and federal health care changes will likely lead to more uninsured residents, who he says go to the emergency department for primary care. Love says right now, Texas leads the nation in uninsured patients. "Most people who drive themselves to the emergency departments are really people seeking primary care. Primary care will be delivered, but it's not the best place for primary care. It creates wait times," he said. Free-standing ERs affiliated with hospitals can alleviate some of the load, but he says free-standing ERs not owned by hospitals typically don't treat patients on Medicare or Medicaid. Love says they have little impact on wait times at the large hospital systems. Your best bet, he suggests, is to know where to go. "If you're going to an emergency room that has trauma built in, like a Level One trauma or a Level Two trauma, sometimes very severe emergencies come in and you're going to have to wait," Love said. Grand Prairie pastor Jordan Tew knows what it's like to wait in the an emergency room waiting room. He and his wife recently had to rush their young daughter, Savannah, to the emergency room after she became sick a few days after surgery. "She had just had surgery to remove an extra digit on her hand and she developed a little stomach illness afterwards," Tew said. He says Children's Health hospital staff had told him if any complication arose, they should return to their hospital. "We were advised that was the place to go," Tew said. He said he didn't expect to wait four-and-a-half hours to inside the emergency department waiting room. "This is my number-one priority. It's my child, but she's down on a list and that is very frustrating," he said. Hospitals now post current wait times on signs and billboards near their facilities. Many have also launched apps to improve customer service. Tew says the care his daughter eventually received was excellent, but knowing what he knows now, he would have taken her to an urgent care clinic. According to Hospital Compare, Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas has the longest wait time, from the moment a patient enters the hospital to the time the patient is seen by a medical professional. The average wait time is 83 minutes. John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth has an average wait time of 35 minutes. A now-retired Roman Catholic priest is accused of forcing a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy to perform oral sex on him after counseling the 4th-grader about misbehaving on a school bus. The state attorney general's office said Monday that the Rev. John Thomas Sweeney committed felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse against the boy at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell. Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred during the 1991-92 school year, and that the boy was given milk and cookies afterward. The Greensburg Diocese says the 74-year-old Sweeney was removed as pastor of Holy Family Parish in West Newton in 2016 after church officials learned of the allegation. Court and diocese officials were unable to identify a defense lawyer for Sweeney. Sweeney made no comment to reporters when he turned himself in. Sweeney continued in ministry as a priest for approximately 16 years after abusing the victim and was in contact with children on a regular basis. Sweeney was assigned to various parishes during his tenure as a priest in the Diocese of Greenburg. Sweeneys assignments: 1. Associate Pastor at Holy Family Church in Latrobe started on June 24, 1970 2. Associate Pastor at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg started on August 8, 1975 3. Pastor at St. Hedwig Church in Smock started on May 22, 1980 4. Pastor at St. Mary in Freeport started on February 16, 1982 5. Pastor at St. Margaret Mary in Lower Burrell started on August 6, 1985 6. Pastor at St. James Parish in Apollo started on July 7, 1998 7. Pastor at Holy Family Parish in West Newton started on October 30, 2008 Attorney General office asked members of the public with information about sexual abuse by Sweeney or any priest to contact the Office of Attorney Generals Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-888-538-8541. The investigation into sexual abuse by priests is ongoing. Haitian community advocates in Miami say they're pursuing congressional action to extend "temporary" immigration protections granted to Haitians after a 2010 earthquake. The "temporary protected status" allowing roughly 50,000 Haitians to legally live and work here typically was renewed every 18 months. But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security most recently extended those protections only for six months, through January 2018. Marleine Bastien of Haitian Women of Miami said Monday that Homeland Security has sent letters to Haitians in the program urging them to prepare to return to their Caribbean homeland. "Today is the final day for all TPS recipients to re-register," said Bastien. She also said those affected should be concerned, but should not panic. Bastien said Haitian immigrants should consult attorneys on other options to stay in the U.S. legally. Bastien said advocates also are asking U.S. lawmakers to propose legislation to make the temporary protections permanent for long-time recipients from Haiti and Central America. About two dozen people protested U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement raids and the detention of several community members Tuesday, a day after a pastor was arrested during an appointment with an immigration officer. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles and held a rally for about 40 minutes Tuesday morning, with several activists calling on immigration officials to halt ICE raids being carried out in local neighborhoods. They also demanded the release of Noe Carias, whose arrest has sparked outrage. Carias, 42, "who now leads an evangelical church near Echo Park, was first deported in 1993 after crossing illegally into the United States as a teenager," the Los Angeles Times reported. "The Guatemala native then returned to the U.S. and ignored a second deportation order in 1995." "According to lawyer Noemi Ramirez, Carias, who is married to a U.S. citizen, had been granted two one-year stays in January 2015 and April 2016," the Times reported. "Earlier this year, a third stay was denied." His wife said he has no criminal record, but at his immigration check-in Monday morning, "Ramirez said, 'they decided to say he's removable because of his '95 decision,'" reported the Times. NBC4's media partner KPCC reported that ICE would not give details of his "case nor confirm that he has a clean criminal record. An ICE spokeswoman would only say by email that "all decisions are made on a case-by-case basis." "Carias was detained as his wife, Victoria Carias, was waiting in the lobby of the downtown building housing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office," according to the Times. "Victoria Carias said her husband had told her they would grab brunch after his appointment." "He's a good man, he's a pastor, he's been a good citizen," Victoria Carias told the Times. "He's never done anything wrong. The only thing he did was come here illegally." Ramirez told KPCC late Monday afternoon he "would likely be transferred to a detention facility." Protesters argued Tuesday that Carias, along with other undocumented parents currently detained, should be reunited with their loved ones. "Border patrol is supposed to be working on the border, we're 132 miles away from the border," a woman at the protest said. "They're not supposed to be in our communities, and yet they're coming here and they're terrorizing our communities and that's the reason why we're fighting back." Have you ever grown fruit in your backyard? Then you likely know the surprise of peering up at a hidden branch, a branch formerly obscured by a thicket of leaves, only to find several fresh pieces of succulent, pickable fruit. You can think of Hatch green chile season in Southern California in the same manner, if you like. After all, the chile pepper is a fruit, hot though it may be, and it has a way of popping up in surprising places, much like fruit can so deliciously do. El Rey Farms, that longtime SoCal purveyor of chile from Hatch, New Mexico, will host a number of roast dates in La Puente in August and early September, while Melissa's Produce just revealed its round-up of toasty, roasty chile dates around both Northern and Southern California. The burners, those heat sources that make the chiles crackle and smell heavenly, fire up for the first time on Saturday, Aug. 5. That's next week, as of this typing, chileheads. Are you excited? It's one of the most appetizing occasions on the local foodie calendar. So what locations are roasting the ol' Big Jims on the Melissa's upcoming schedule? The parking lots at Pavilions Seal Beach, Gelson's Market in Pacific Palisades, Smart & Final in Tustin, and Bristol Farms in South Pasadena are all ready for the 2017 Hatch crop. Each destination has its own roast date, so make sure you find out if your local store is cranking up the turning machine, the one chock-full of chile yumness, on the date you plan on stopping by to load up on the heat-delivering delicacy. First out of the gate? It's the Pavilions in Newport Beach on Saturday, Aug. 5. Rounding it all out? Lazy Acres in Encinitas and Bristol Farms in Santa Monica on Saturday, Sept. 9. That means you have a month-ish, though more like five weeks, to stock up on the capsaican-packed goodie after it has been properly roasted and bagged for your freezer. And an update! If you shop at Ralph's, take note that several roasting dates are ahead beginning on Saturday, Aug. 5. Stop one on that date? Studio City and Tustin. The final stop on Saturday, Aug. 27? LA at 11727 Olympic Boulevard and San Juan Capistrano. For the full schedule, click here. Perhaps, though, it won't even make it to your freezer, once you get it home and realize all of the chile-topped enchiladas you could be devouring, and chile-thick stews, and chile-laden chilaquiles... Hatch chile season. It's the blissful, oh-so-hot bridge from summer to fall, food-wise, a bridge many a Southern Californian looks forward to crossing each year. A 30-year-old man was killed in Compton when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a man with whom he had had a fight, authorities said Tuesday. The incident was reported at 10:56 p.m. Monday in the area of Cypress and Crane streets where the victim was with some friends, said Deputy Kelvin Moody of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. The victim's friends said they were there to visit him outside of the business where he works as a security guard. It was his second day on the job, but he was not working at the time of the incident. They identified him as Mario Melbourne, 30, of north Long Beach. He was the father of a 7-year-old boy. The suspect, whom the friends say was a friend of Melbourne, drove up to the group, exited his vehicle, and began arguing with the victim, Moody said. Melbourne accused the suspect of stealing from him in the past, and told the suspect he did not want to be associated with him anymore, according to Sgt. Guillermo Morales of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Homicide Bureau. The argument led to a fist fight. Then, the suspect re-entered his car and began to drive away before he made a U-turn and struck the victim, Moody said. Melbourne was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect fled eastbound on Cypress Street in a gray older model BMW, which was located a few blocks from the scene around 7:30 a.m., sheriff's officials said. Morales identified the suspect as 44-year-old Frankie Mazen III. Toni Guinyard and City News Service contributed to this report. Mourners paid their respects to a 79-year-old associate minister of a Southern California church who was fatally stabbed allegedly by a teenaged girl who he knew. Deputies found the body of the Rev. Willie Hunter with multiple stab wounds Saturday at his apartment. He was an associate minister at the United in Christ Baptist Church of Apple Valley. The girl, who has not been identified, was arrested Sunday and taken to juvenile hall. The victim and the suspect knew each other, officials said, without naming a possible motive. Investigators believe the two were arguing and the girl attacked the man before taking off with his car. "His death has really shocked our church," Hunter's friend Frank Kelly said. "He was a dear brother, and he will be missed." Kelly said Hunter was unmarried and "very devoted to the Lord," his church family and community. A South Florida couple was busted for allegedly forcing a homeless woman into prostitution, Miami Springs police said. Kelly Monestime and Natalie Mary Vieira were arrested after they coerced a woman into sex trafficking, according to a police report. Undercover detectives first nabbed Monestime during a drug sting at the Comfort Suites in Miami Springs July 19. The following day, his accused co-conspirator, Vieira, was also captured and charged with several counts of sex trafficking. During the investigation, officers said they later learned the couple had lured a homeless woman back in February and forced her to have sex for money at different hotels across Miami-Dade County. The alleged victim said she was befriended by the couple in January and promised shelter. Several weeks later, the couple created a profile, with a fake name and photo, for the victim on Backpage.com and set up dates. The homeless woman was forced to have sex with clients, a police report said. The victim told detectives she was threatened by the suspects. If clients were not happy with the services she provided there would be problems, the victim said. According to the arrest report, she was instructed to lie about her age and identity if she was ever stopped by the police, and to say she was a juvenile as this would prevent her from getting in trouble. Monestime and Vieira collected money before the sex acts, but the victim never received any payments, police said. The couple denied the victims allegations. Both remain behind bars on a slew of charges. They were ordered held without bond. It's out with the old and in with the new for Florida drivers licenses and ID cards, which will soon have a fresh look beginning in August, according to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The new cards are designed to increase protection from fraud as compared to the previous look, according to the FLHSMV. Portrait images will now be placed over a pastel-colored linear rendering of Floridas state seal, topped off with "FL" in bold orange letters. The back of the card will display an image of the state among ocean waves with the year 1845, paying homage to when the Sunshine State joined the Union. Portrait images will appear in with a transparent background in four locations on the card. The new card will be offered at select service centers as the new design rolls out, and will be available at all locations and online by the end of the year. Previous drivers licenses and ID cards will still be in use alongside the new designs until they are replaced and phased out. For more info and to see when the new cards will be available locally, click here. A six week, multi-agency investigation - which included the Fort Lauderdale Police Department dubbed Operation Here Not There nabbed nearly two dozen convicted sex offenders who failed to register with the Broward Sheriffs Office. Representatives from FLPD, U.S. Marshals and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement met with the media Tuesday, detailing the capture of 22 people who failed to register something they are required to do by law every 30 days. Those who did not will be charged with a felony. While most of those captured were found in Broward County, officials said some were found in other parts of Florida as well as other states including New York and Colorado. Several were picked up by police on warrants for other cases. The woman accused of fatally sabotaging her fiance's kayak on the Hudson River has pleaded guilty in the case. Angelika Graswald entered a guilty plea to criminally negligent homicide, a felony that could see her imprisoned for 1 1/3 to four years, according to her defense attorney. The time that she has been incarcerated in the case would count toward the sentence she serves, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said. The Orange County District Attorney agreed to the sentence in exchange for the plea, saying it gives closure to Viafore's family. "By pleading guilty the defendant has acknowledged that Vincent Viafore's death was not simply a tragic accident, but the result of this defendant's criminal conduct," Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said. Graswald's attorney said will likely be a free woman in just five months, an outrage to Poughkeepsie residents who have been following the case. "Murder is murder. Taking a life is taking a life," Leroy Bowen of Poughkeepsie said. "There's no excuse for it and you have to pay the penalty." Graswald is accused of removing a drain plug from Viafore's kayak in April 2015 and pushing a floating paddle away from him after his kayak capsized 50 miles north of New York City. Graswald was charged with murder, to which she previously pleaded not guilty. Viafore's body was found floating a month later about a mile downriver. Viafore, 46, had not been wearing a life jacket, authorities said. She was the one who called 911 and posted Facebook messages about the search, but a Cornwall police officer testified last summer that Graswald appeared calm and emotionless when she was rescued. Graswald told another investigator she had pulled a plug on Viafore's kayak and manipulated the ring on his paddle, state police senior investigator Aniello Moscato testified. Neither prosecutors nor the defense were able to previously comment due to a gag order. Prosecutors said after her arrest that Graswald had been hoping to collect $250,000 in life insurance. The defense had maintained Viafore's death was accidental and her guilty plea only means she admits causing his death, but still maintains it wasn't intentional. Graswald previously denied murder and manslaughter charges. "She should do the time," Myrian Hernandez of Poughkeepsie said. "The family of that person, don't they get justice?" What to Know Council members will stand at the site of one of two deadly hit-and-run crashes in Brooklyn to call on the drivers to turn themselves in Twenty-seven-year-old Neftaly Ramirez was riding his bike when he was struck and killed by a green garbage truck in Greenpoint on Saturday Eighteen-year-old Alejandro Tello was riding his skateboard in Gravesend on Sunday when he was struck and killed by a white BMW SUV New York City council members are calling for two hit-and-run drivers in Brooklyn to turn themselves in. Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez and Council Members Stephen Levin and Mark Treyger will stand Tuesday around noon at the corner of Franklin and Noble streets in Greenpoint, the site of one of the two deadly hit-and-run crashes over the weekend in the citys borough. On Saturday morning, 27-year-old Neftaly Ramirez was riding his bike when he was struck and killed by a green garbage truck in Greenpoint. The driver of that truck did not stop and hasnt been seen since. 18-year-old Alejandro Tello died at a hospital after he was run over in a hit-and run crash in Brooklyn, police say. Lori Bordonaro reports. The next day, 18-year-old Alejandro Tello was riding his skateboard in Gravesend when he was struck and killed by a white BMW SUV that didnt stop. Tello was left badly injured in the middle of the road after being run over and died a few hours later at an area hospital. Tears rolled down the faces of dozens mourning the death of 18-year-old Alejandro Tello. A tearful vigil was attended by dozens Monday night to remember Tello. His father, despite his grief, says he forgives the runaway driver. Top Tri-State News Photos A woman who was rescued from the Hudson River by a Hoboken police officer is expected to survive, but she has yet to be identified, police said in a plea to the public for help. The woman was pulled from the water near Sixth Street and Sinatra Drive by Officer Tyler Soto, who was flagged down by someone near Sinatra Park. Other officers got Soto a water bag and rope, and he went into the water and pulled the woman back to shore shortly after 4 p.m. Monday. The officers resuscitated her after the rescue and she was taken to CarePoint Hoboken University Hospital. This was a tremendous life save by Officer Tyler Soto who was on patrol along the waterfront and acted quickly and proficiently and put his own life at risk, said Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante in a statement. Officer Soto is a second-year officer who is in training in the Waterfront Unit, police said. He suffered minor injuries to his hand and wrist during the rescue. On Monday night, police were trying to figure out who the woman is. They said shes Hispanic and in her 40s, with dark hair and a thin build. She was wearing two rings: a silver and gold one on her left index finger, and another silver one with a small design on her right middle finger. A black key fob with a silver Honda emblem was found at the scene, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hoboken Police Detective Bureau at 201-420-2110 or 420-5101 or Hoboken Police at 201-420-2131. Prodded by President Donald Trump, a bitterly divided Senate voted, at last, Tuesday to move forward with the Republicans' long-promised legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare." There was high drama as Sen. John McCain returned to the Capitol for the first time after being diagnosed with brain cancer to cast a decisive "yes" vote. The final tally was 51-50, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie after two Republicans joined all 48 Democrats in voting "no." With all senators in their seats and protesters agitating outside and briefly inside the chamber, the vote was held open at length before McCain, 80, entered the chamber. Greeted by cheers, he smiled and dispensed hugs but with the scars from recent surgery starkly visible on the left side of his face. Despite voting "yes," he took a lecturing tone afterward and hardly saw success assured for the legislation after weeks of misfires, even after Tuesday's victory for Trump and Republican leader Mitch McConnell. "If this process ends in failure, which seems likely, then let's return to regular order," McCain said as he chided Republican leaders for devising the legislation in secret along with the administration and "springing it on skeptical members." "Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, TV and internet. To hell with them!" McCain said, raising his voice as he urged senators to reach for the comity of earlier times. When the Senate voted Tuesday evening on the bill's initial amendment, it underscored how hard it will be for the chamber's divided Republicans to pass a sweeping replacement of Obama's law. By 57-43 including nine GOP defectors it blocked a wide-ranging proposal by McConnell to erase and replace much of the statute. It included language by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, letting insurers sell cut-rate policies with skimpy coverage, plus an additional $100 billion to help states ease out-of-pocket costs for people losing Medicaid sought by Midwestern moderates including Rob Portman, R-Ohio. But at the White House earlier after senators voted to consider the bill, Trump wasted no time in declaring a win and slamming the Democrats anew. "I'm very happy to announce that, with zero of the Democrats' votes, the motion to proceed on health care has just passed. And now we move forward toward truly great health care for the American people," Trump said. "This was a big step. I want to thank Senator John McCain very brave man." Trump continued to celebrate the vote at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio that doubled as a victory lap. "We're now one step closer to liberating our citizens from this Obamacare nightmare and delivering great health care for the American people" he said. At its most basic, the Republican legislation is aimed at undoing Obamacare's unpopular mandates for most people to carry insurance and businesses to offer it. The GOP would repeal Obamacare taxes and unwind an expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor, the disabled and nursing home residents The result would be 20 million to 30 million people losing insurance over a decade, depending on the version of the bill. The GOP legislation has polled abysmally, while Obamacare itself has grown steadily more popular. Yet most Republicans argue that failing to deliver on their promises to pass repeal-and-replace legislation would be worse than passing an unpopular bill, because it would expose the GOP as unable to govern despite controlling majorities in the House, Senate and White House. Tuesday's vote amounted to a procedural hurdle for legislation whose final form is impossible to predict under the Senate's byzantine amendment process, which will unfold over the next several days. Indeed senators had no clear idea of what they would ultimately be voting on, and in an indication of the uncertainty ahead, McConnell said the Senate will "let the voting take us where it will." The expectation is that he will bring up a series of amendments, including a straight-up repeal and fuller replacement legislation, to see where consensus may lie. Yet after seven years of empty promises, and weeks of hand-wringing and false starts on Capitol Hill, it was the Senate's first concrete step toward delivering on innumerable pledges to undo former President Barack Obama's law. It came after several near-death experiences for earlier versions of the legislation, and only after Trump summoned senators to the White House last week to order them to try again after McConnell had essentially conceded defeat. "The people who sent us here expect us to begin this debate, to have the courage to tackle the tough issues," McConnell said ahead of the vote. Democrats stood implacably opposed, and in an unusual maneuver they sat in their seats refusing to vote until it was clear Republicans would be able to reach the 50-vote margin needed to get them over the top with Pence's help. "Turn back," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York implored his GOP colleagues before the vote. "Turn back now, before it's too late and millions and millions and millions of Americans are hurt so badly." Schumer's pleas fell on deaf ears, as several GOP senators who'd announced they would oppose moving forward with the legislation reversed themselves to vote "yes." Among them were Dean Heller of Nevada, the most vulnerable Republican senator in next year's midterm elections, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Johnson has recently accused McConnell of operating in bad faith on the bill, and stood in intense conversation with him on the Senate floor before finally becoming the 50th Republican senator to vote "yes," immediately following McCain. Democratic campaign groups immediately announced they would be targeting Heller and others with ads. The two Republicans voting "no" were Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Drilling operations for the 350-mile Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline that would run through several states and 17 Pennsylvania counties must stop until early August, according to an order issued Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. The order impacts 55 locations in Pennsylvania using horizontal directional drilling, a method of tunneling under waterways and through other blockages. In a seperate action, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced accountability actions against the same pipeline in West Whiteland and Uwchlan townships, Chester County. DEP said it will conduct an independent investigation into contaminated water supplies for some 14 homeowners in the county. "DEP continues to be diligent in our oversight of this project, DEP secretary Patrick McDonnell said. To impact a persons private drinking water is inexcusable, and we intend to hold this operator accountable to the fullest extent." The pipeline would carry natural gas liquid from Ohio and the Pittsburgh area to a facility in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. Natural gas liquid includes propane, ethane, butane and natural gasoline that can be used for heating, cooking and filling up motor vehicle gas tanks. Tuesdays ruling comes after a leak at the Delco site caused thousands of gallons of drilling mud to flow into Chester Creek in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania. The mud, which consisted of potable water and non-toxic bentonite clay, entered a tributary of the creek near the pipeline. Residents living along the route of the pipeline have been assailed over the last few months by drilling spills and damage to water wells and water quality due to Sunocos reckless drilling, said Joseph Otis Minott, executive director and chief counsel for the Clean Air Council, one of three organizations that petitioned to halt drilling operations associated with pipeline construction. Todays decision provides residents with much-needed protection over the next two weeks. The temporary order expires Aug. 7 unless the Environmental Hearing Board extends it. More than 80 percent of this pipeline will follow the same corridor as the existing Mariner East 1 project, which was completed in late 2014. It will have an initial capacity of approximately 275,000 barrels a day. The pipeline will be 20 inches in diameter. Plans for Mariner East 2 span more than 23 miles in Chester County and more than 11 miles in Delco. The $2.5-billion project winds through portions of Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. "Despite this ruling and unfortunate delay on some construction, work will proceed on a majority of the pipeline throughout Pennsylvania where drilling is not required," said Kurt Knaus with the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance. Pennsylvanias DEP issued permitting in February, but the pipeline has been riddled with controversy since the beginning. Most recently, a judge granted an injunction to halt construction in West Goshen Township after officials accused Sunoco Pipeline LP, a subsidiary of Sunoco Logistics LP, of violating a settlement agreement. A spokesperson for West Goshen claimed Sunoco started construction to install and operate the pipeline near Greenhill and Boot roads without notifying local officials. Last week, 1,500 gallons of bentonite clay leaked into the Chester Creek in Middletown Township. Members of the Middletown Coalition for Community safety asked local officials for a meeting with community leaders, Sunoco representatives and the state environmental agency. Sunoco promised to rigorously test all pipes and monitor operation in real time. Certified controllers closely watch the pipelines pressure, temperature and flow, 24 hours, 7 days a week from a control center dedicated exclusively to the safe operation of our pipelines, and can shut down pipeline operations remotely, the company said on its website. Earlier this month, residents in West Whiteland and Uwchlan townships claimed the pipeline construction project contaminated their drinking water. A number of homeowners on Township Line Road, Valley View Drive, Biddle Drive and Shoen Road reported problems with low volume or muddy water. Sunoco provided residents with clean drinking water, paid for repairs to private drinking wells and offered to put residents up in hotels. The company also offered to pay to extend municipal water mains to dozens of Chester County households impacted by pipeline construction. "We believe that the full hearing before the Environmental Hearing Board will demonstrate that we have expended every effort to meet the strict conditions of our environmental permits," said Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields. "We are continually evaluating our drilling plans, and had already voluntarily suspended work on a number of our drills while working to ensure that the concerns outlined by the DEP and Gov. Wolf were addressed." Non-drilling work like tree clearing will continue along the pipeline route. Ed Pawlowski, the mayor of Allentown, has been indicted amid a long-running federal probe into alleged pay-to-play scheme, according to his attorney. The Democratic mayor's attorney Jack McMahon told NBC10 Tuesday that five sealed indictments, one of which is against his client, will be released Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney plans to release more information on the case at a 1:30 p.m. news conference. "Nothing to comment on at this point," Pawlowski said when he was questioned about the indictment. "Not even sure what the indictment is, will comment tomorrow." Pawlowski also said he has no plans of stepping down or dropping out of his campaign for a fourth term as mayor of Pennsylvania's third-largest city. "No I will not be stepping down or dropping out of the campaign," he said. "You can speak to my attorney if you have any further questions." An investigation was launched in 2013 of an alleged scheme to obtain city contracts in exchange for campaign contributions to an unnamed official whose description matches Mayor Pawlowskis. Nine people have pleaded guilty since the investigation began. FBI agents raided Pawlowski's Allentown office two years ago. Pawlowski was not charged, however, and has denied wrongdoing. Earlier this month, Allentown council members called on federal prosecutors and the FBI to make a decision on indicting or exonerating Pawlowski, claiming the protracted investigation was affecting the mayors ability to govern, calling it a "disservice to the citizens of Allentown." "We want this thing over with," State Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Allentown) said. "And we want our city government back." Schlossberg says Allentown can't function with a mayor facing charges. "This is ridiculous," he said. "This has to end. Because you cannot continue to govern a city not only under investigation but under federal indictment." Despite the allegations, Pawlowski remains popular after winning a Primary election. Pawlowski's supporters gathered at his headquarters in Allentown Tuesday night. "You have the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty," said Walter Felton, the Lehigh County Democratic Party Chair. His supporters also credit Pawlowski with revitalizing Allentown. "He comes to our houses, to our barbecues, to our birthdays," Jessica Ortiz, a Pawlowski campaign staffer, said. "He's our mayor. For all of us." There are others who want Pawlowski to step down however. "I'm glad to see this day has finally come," said Bernie O'Hare, a critic of Pawlowski's. "It's been very damaging for Allentown." Pawlowski has been the Mayor of Allentown since January of 2006. In 2015, he announced he would run for the U.S. Senate though he later suspended his campaign. He was also a candidate for Pennsylvania governor in 2014 but ultimately dropped out of the race. UPDATE: A judge ordered a halt to drilling operations. Construction on a controversial pipeline stretching through Delaware County and Chester County has been temporarily halted in West Goshen Township. A judge granted an injunction stopping all construction of Sunoco's Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids pipeline in West Goshen until the matter can be brought for a full trial before the Public Utility Commission, according to a spokesperson with the Eastern Pennsylvania Food & Water Watch. Earlier this month, West Goshen Township filed a petition for the injunction against Sunoco Pipeline LP, accusing the company of violating a settlement agreement in the construction of the pipeline. A spokesperson for West Goshen claimed Sunoco began construction to install and operate the pipeline near Greenhill and Boot roads without notifying West Goshen Township officials. "We look forward to demonstrating to the Public Utility Commission how we have complied at all times with our agreement with West Goshen Township," a spokesperson for Sunoco wrote to NBC10 Monday in response to the injunction. The $2.5 billion, 350-mile Mariner East 2 pipeline will carry 275,000 barrels of liquid natural gas a day from Ohio and western Pennsylvania to a processing facility in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. The 20-inch pipe and a second 16-inch line cuts through 23.6 miles of land in Chester County and 11.4 miles in Delaware County, county planners say. The pipeline has been the subject of controversy. In addition to the injunction from West Goshen Township, residents in West Whiteland and Uwchlan townships claimed the pipeline was contaminating their water leading to a suspension in the pipelines construction which later resumed. A leak at the Delaware County site of the pipeline also caused thousands of gallons of drilling mud to flow into the Chester Creek in Middletown Township earlier this month. Pennsylvania Senator Chris Quinn, who represents Delaware County, called for a halt on the pipeline's construction until more safeguards are put in place. "What is occurring here is unacceptable," Quinn said. "I am asking the governor and DEP secretary to come down here with Sunoco contractors and tour the incident sites where these breeches have occurred." The health care debate played out closer to home Monday as Senate Republicans continued to weigh which version of their bill will be brought to a vote Tuesday. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican who supports replacing and repealing former President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act (ACA), told NBC10 it was not clear if his party has enough votes to push through legislation. If we do nothing, if we keep the design as it is now, if we keep the Obamacare expansion in exactly the form it is, if we do nothing else, then someday ... this is going to blow up, he said. The federal government cannot continue to run the kinds of deficit, rack up the kind of debt, it has. One way or another, it wont be the end of the fight, he said. But to one Mount Airy family, the federal deficit is not the problem. Instead, they wonder if their 2-year-old daughter will ever walk or run. Claire Concilio's parents use Medicaid coverage to access treatment at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disorder that can lead to death. The disorder didnt surface in the young girl until six months after her birth. Thats when Concilios parents noticed their daughter moving slowly and unable to lift her head. Her pediatrician thought weight gain was to blame until several more months passed and Concilio became increasingly incapacitated. At her one year check-up, doctors found the problem. "If Claire were to lose Medicaid, we'd lose more than the hope of her ever having a normal life, Amy Concilio, Claires mother, said. We would lose her." Without treatment, the 2-year-old cannot hold herself in a sitting position. She would likely never walk, let alone run or skip with her friends. Sen. Mitch McConnell's health care legislation would uproot much of Obama's health care law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting the Medicaid health care program for the poor and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The burden, some say, is too great for some families to bear. Were going to fight and were going to hope she can walk with a walker or crutches someday, Concilio said. Thank you, CHOP, and thank you, Medicaid, for saving my daughter. Thank you for giving her a chance, and thank you, Pennsylvania, for not taking that chance away. More than 80 percent of patients at CHOP's Karabot Center receive health insurance through Medicaid, a program that could be substantially reduced under a new health care bill. If youre surprised by that number, youre not alone, Madeline Bell, president of CHOP, said. Medicaid is the largest childrens health program in the United States. Many of these children have no other options for health insurance. Throughout the state, more than 1.1 million people receive coverage through the Affordable Care Acts health insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion, Gov. Tom Wolf said while touring CHOP Monday afternoon. Roughly 32,000 patients at CHOP and its West Philadelphia Karabots Pediatric Care Center are on Medicaid, the hospitals largest insurance payer, according to Bell. Nationally, more than 33 million kids depend on Medicaid. Everything we have seen proposed up to this time significantly cuts Medicaid and benefits for those children, Bell said. When you start thinking about the fact that we support buildings and jobs, not to mention very vulnerable children, it would have a very devastating impact on CHOP, the local economy in Philadelphia. Its those talking points that sometimes get missed. A spokesperson from Toomey's office said the Senate bills being considered would not impact children with disabilities. U.S. military officials confirmed two Chinese fighter jets intercepted and almost collided with a U.S. military surveillance aircraft in the East China Sea this weekend, NBC News reported. One of the Chinese J-10 fighter jets flew underneath U.S. Navy EP-3 on Sunday and then suddenly was in front of the aircraft. The maneuver forced U.S. reconnaissance jet to take "evasive action" to avoid a collision, officials said. U.S. military officials described the maneuver was unsafe and unprofessional as they have with similar past incidents earlier this year. A Connecticut mother who has taken refuge in a church to avoid deportation is one of a dozen immigrants staying in houses of worship nationwide under a sanctuary movement invigorated by President Trumps positions on undocumented immigration. The case of Nury Chavarria, which has received national attention, comes after the Trump administration expanded the categories of people to be deported and specified that no one was protected. Chavarria refused to leave for Guatemala last week as ordered by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, instead fleeing to Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal in New Haven. The 43-year-old single mother of four, who entered the United States illegally in 1993, said she did not want to be separated from her children. Her oldest, her 21-year-old son, has cerebral palsy, according to the Hartford Courant. Her youngest, 9-year-old Hayley, issued a public plea on behalf of her mother. While Chavarria remains in the church, it is unlikely that ICE agents will move to detain her. The agency typically avoids making arrests at what it calls "sensitive locations," including houses of worship, schools and hospitals and doctors' offices, though exceptions can be made. ICE also tries to steer clear of religious and civil ceremonies such as funerals and weddings. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the status of the policy. It appears to remain in effect, according to its website. Kica Matos, the director of immigrant rights and racial justice for the Center for Community Change, who is representing Chavarria, said she expected ICE to fully honor its policy and not try to deport Chavarria while she remains inside the church. NBC Connecticut Church World Service, a coalition of Christian denominations that has assisted refugees for 70 years, said it knows of no instances in which ICE agents entered a congregation. There have been cases of ICE agents waiting across the street, it said, and of arrests taking place near a church and school. In Fairfax, Virginia, in February, ICE agents detained men who had just left a church shelter, where they had gone to stay warm. ICE told Time magazine that the location was a coincidence and that it was not targeting churches. In Los Angeles in March, a father who had been ordered deported, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, was taken into custody blocks from his 12-year-old daughters school, where he had dropped her off. Another daughter was in the car with him. The sanctuary movement began in the 1980s under President Reagan and was revived under President Barack Obama. Its grown a lot, and after the election is when we saw just a bigger spike, said Myrna Orozco Gallos, an associate with the Church World Services Immigration and Refugee Program. The number of congregations offering to provide sanctuary has jumped from 400 to 800 since Trump took office. Although raids took place during the Obama administration too, ICE's detentions have gotten new attention because of Trump's stance on undocumented immigrants. The organization has kept track of 29 public cases in the last three years, she said. Chavarria, a housekeeper who has no criminal record and pays taxes, applied for asylum when she arrived but was denied. She was supposed to leave the country in 1998, but did not comply, and then in 2010, was given a one-year stay of the deportation order on humanitarian grounds. She complied with yearly check-ins with immigration officials and each year received an extension of the stay to allow her to raise her American-born children until June, when an ICE official told her she had to depart by Thursday. I told him, 'Im not a criminal,' she said last week. Im a mother of four children. They are citizens, USA. I want to stay here to help them and keep my family together. Chavarrias supporters are hoping to win her another reprieve. Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, is among those urging that her case be reconsidered. He told the Hartford Courant that Chavarria had ineffective counsel in her asylum case; other members of her family were granted asylum, he said, while her attorney was later disbarred. Among the dozen people who have sought refuge is Ismael Delgado, who has been staying at a church in Phoenix, Arizona, since October 2015, according to the United Church of Christ. Delgado, who ran a restaurant, has lived in the United States for 20 years and has two children. Another undocumented immigrant, Jose Juan Federico Moreno, took shelter in a church on the South Side of Chicago more than a year ago rather than return to Mexico. Moreno, who worked for a furniture moving company, was targetted after getting a DUI in 2009. Others will stay only a few months. There have been successes among the movement. Two immigrants, Jeanette Vizguerra and Arturo Garcia from Denver, both received two-year reprieves in May. Vizguerra, who is from Mexico and who has lived in the United States for 20 years, left a Baptist church in Denver after she got a stay until 2019. Garcia, who is also from Mexico, had lived in the basement of a Unitarian church in 2014 and 2015 but emerged when he was told his case was not a priority, according to the Denver Post. Garcia, who owned a floor tile-laying business with his brother, was arrested in April 2016 and later was granted a stay, the newspaper reported. Church World Service is holding a meeting in Texas on July 28 and July 29 at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Its goal is to provide training and to develop a framework for the sanctuary movement. Here are the other undocumented immigrants living in houses of worship across the country, according to published reports and Church World Service: Rosa Sabido, a Mexican national, has taken refuge in a church in Mancos, Colorado. She had lived in the United States for 30 years on visitor visas or through stays of deportation but faced immediate deportation in May. Residents have volunteered to stay overnight at the church to make sure she was not alone. Her lawyer told the Los Angeles Times she had no criminal record and had worked as a church secretary and tax preparer at H&R Block. Sabido applied for permanent residency in 2001, a case that is pending, according to the Los Angeles Times. Juana Ortega, an undocumented grandmother from Guatemala, took sanctuary at a church in Greensboro, North Carolina, in May. She came to the United States in 1993, seeking asylum, and when her attempts failed got repeated stays on her removal order, according to CNN. At her first check-in with ICE under Trumps administration she was told she had until the end of May to leave. Ortega is married to an American citizen; her youngest child is a teen-ager, CNN reported. Minerva Garcia is a mother from Mexico who has worked temporary jobs, has no criminal record and has paid taxes for 17 years, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. She also sought refuge at a church in Greensboro, North Carolina, when she was facing deportation at the end of June. Garcia came to the United States looking for better care for her oldest son, who is blind and who was 5 at the time. In Philadelphia, Javier Flores, the father of three U.S.-born children, moved into a church in November, according to Philly.com. He entered the country illegally in 1997 and has been deported multiple times. He re-entered, also illegally, to be with his wife and children. He applied for a special visa available to undocumented immigrants who assist authorities in the prosecution of a crime in which they were injured. Flores was attacked with box cutters in an apparent failed robbery. A Reno, Nevada, church gave sanctuary to David Chavez-Macias in April. Chavez-Macias, who has lived in Reno for 29 years, had a work permit that was revoked because of a traffic ticket he turned left on a red light. He has Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that weakens his heart, and he relies on treatment in the United States, according to NBC affiliate KRNV. Emma Membreno-Sorto, a Honduran immigrant who has been ordered deported, took shelter at a church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in March. Membreno-Sorto applied for political asylum when she arrived from Honduras about 25 years ago, but did not receive notice of a court date, according to the Albuquerque Journal. She moved from Atlanta to Colorado to New Mexico and learned of the deportation order when she was taken into custody at her home in 2011. She has only one traffic ticket and no criminal history, the newspaper reported. Her husband is a U.S. citizen. Sixto Paz, a homeowner and the father of three U.S. citizens, moved into a church in Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2016. He started working in the United States through a government amnesty program in the 1980s, but an immigration court in Phoenix denied his petition to stay in the country, according KPHO. He had been working as a roofer. Lorenzo Solorzano Morales has been staying at the Faith, Life and Hope and St. Peter the Apostle Mission in Chicago with his wife and 7-year-old daughter since October. He faces deportation for an arrest on a domestic battery charge in November 2011, according to the Chicago Tribune. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge, accused of pulling a womans hair during an argument, the newspaper reported. A landscaper, he has lived in the United States for 30 years. A woman who has remained anonymous sought refuge at a church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in May. She told the Boston Globe that a man took her against her will from her hometown in Ecuador to the United States. She was arrested crossing the border in 2012 and was detained in Arizona for about a year because she could not pay $7,500 in bail; eventually she was released and went to the Boston area. She got a job as a cook, had two children with a partner but lost her asylum case and an appeal, according to the Boston Globe. Correction (July 24, 6:45 p.m. ET): An earlier photo caption misspelled Nury Chavarria's surname. The director of a school in Burundi says six teenagers who disappeared after an international robotics competition in Washington probably left because life is hard in the East African nation, not because they feared insecurity at home. Esperence Niyonzima is the director of Iteletique, which sent two teens. She said Monday parents she spoke to "were not concerned.'' D.C. police are continuing to investigate. They say there are no indications of foul play. Police say two of the teens were seen crossing the border into Canada. Event organizers believe the teens may have planned their disappearance. Burundi has been plagued by sporadic violence since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to seek a third term led to street protests. A federal appeals court has blocked a District of Columbia law that makes it difficult for gun owners to get concealed carry permits. A divided three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the law requiring people to show "good reason to fear injury" or another "proper reason" to carry a weapon infringes on residents' Second Amendment rights. D.C. officials can ask the full appeals court to review the ruling. Despite the court's ruling, D.C. will uphold the law for now, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Washington, D.C. is the safest it has been in years," the mayor said in a statement. "The District's 'good reason' requirement is similar to the concealed carry requirements in other states and, for now, it remains in effect. Under the law, reasons to get a permit might include a personal threat, or a job that requires a person to carry or protect cash or valuables. Lower court judges have disagreed on whether the law is constitutional. Judge Karen Henderson dissented, saying she believes the law passes constitutional muster. Attorney General Karl Racine said his office, Bowser and the D.C. Council will continue to fight for "common-sense gun rules." "The District of Columbia's 'good reason requirement for concealed-carry permits is a common-sense gun regulation, and four federal appeals courts have rejected challenges to similar laws in other states," Racine said in a statement. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson also said the ruling ran contrary to previous court decisions across the country. The 2-1 panel decision is at odds with four other Circuit Court decisions on this issue," Mendelson said in a statement. "Accepting this without appeal would make the District an outlier among the states, and not in a good way, on this important issue of public safety. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton opposed the court's ruling as well, hedging her bets that the decision could be successfully challenged. "If appealed to the full Circuit Court, I believe the chances are excellent that this decision will be overturned, with the recognition that the Districts requirement is in line with other gun safety legislation that has survived court attacks," she said in a statement. This decision is the latest in a long-running tussle over the city's gun laws. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the city's ban on handguns, leading the city to rewrite its gun laws. City law now requires residents to register guns kept at their homes or businesses; more than 16,500 guns were registered as of September, police told the Associated Press then. Anyone who wants to carry a weapon outside the home needs a separate concealed carry license. The police department said in September that 89 people had been granted concealed carry permits and 374 had been denied. A woman in Arlington, Virginia, heard noises in her home in the middle of the night -- and police found a man living in the attic. The woman, who asked not to be identified publicly, said she heard the noises Friday in the house she rents on 22nd Street S., near the Pentagon City neighborhood. "I heard footsteps above me, and I checked in with my landlord, because sometimes he's used the storage above," she said. The landlord alerted Arlington County Police about 1:30 a.m. Officers searched the attic and found Anthony Jones, a 60-year-old homeless man, police said. "As we [officers] were coming up that staircase, they announced that officers were on scene and that if you were in the attic, to come forward," police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. Jones came forward, and officers took him into custody without incident, Savage said. He was charged with unlawful entry and is being held without bail. Officers found Jones' backpack, clothing and bedding in the attic. Information was not released immediately on how long he may have been in the house. He's believed to have entered through an open sliding glass door. "It would be scary for anyone," Savage said. The tenant said police acted quickly, which left her feeling "much safer." If you ever hear noises and fear someone has broken into your home, don't hesitate to call police for help, Savage said "We will come and investigate," she said. "Don't put yourself in harm's way." A dog that Maine's governor tried to rescue from a euthanasia sentence will live. A judge agreed Monday to a deal to send an Alaskan husky named Dakota to a veterinary hospital for training after it attacked two other dogs, killing one. A judge had ordered that Dakota be put down after the attacks last year. Republican Gov. Paul LePage attempted to pardon Dakota in March, elevating the dog to celebrity status. It's debatable whether the governor has the authority to pardon the dog. But Monday's hearing and the deal that included input from the owner of the dogs Dakota attacked made the issue moot. A previous effort to save Dakota by moving her to a New Hampshire shelter failed. A man arrested in connection with a brutal attack on a woman outside a Planet Fitness gym in New Hampshire is expected to be released on personal recognizance bail on Tuesday night or Wednesday after waiving arraignment. Police arrested Jordan Lamonde, 22, of Portsmouth, on Monday, in connection with the June 12 attack. He is charged with second-degree assault and was initially ordered held on $150,000 bail pending arraignment. The victim showed up to Strafford County Superior Court Tuesday morning in hopes of coming face to face with her alleged attacker, but because he waived his arraignment, that didn't happen. Now, she's left with questions that she hopes will be answered someday. "Why, is my most PG rated thing I could say to him," Erin McCarthy told reporters outside the courthouse. McCarthy was brutally attacked in the Planet Fitness parking lot. She had no idea who was responsible until recently. "I'm really glad that he's been arrested, finally," McCarthy said. Rochester Police arrested Lamonde Monday afternoon. As it turns out, McCarthy has a connection to him. "My ex robbed him," she said. "And it wasn't like 500 bucks, it was, like, a lot of money." According to newly released court documents, McCarthy's ex-boyfriend allegedly stole a safe with $30,000 in it from Lamonde. Police say Lamonde sat in the Planet Fitness parking lot for eight hours before he got out of his car and allegedly punched McCarthy almost 40 times. "The worst thing I got was these scars on my hand," McCarthy said. On Tuesday, Lamonde waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty, striking a deal with the state to be released from prison on his own personal recognizance. "He has no prior convictions, he has lifelong connections to the State of New Hampshire and the support of family," said Lamonde's defense attorney, John Durkin. Prosecutors say Lamonde will be wearing a GPS device to keep him away from the victim. "There's an exclusion zone placed around her residence any other places she might be," deputy county attorney Tim Sullivan said. "If he enters those zones, it would immediately notify us." But McCarthy says that's not enough. "It's been a long ride," she said. "I just want to see him get what's coming to him." This case now heads to a grand jury. Lamonde is charged with second degree assault and could face up to seven and half years in state prison. Two people were hurt and four displaced afte a van crashed into a home Monday morning in Malden, Massachusetts. According to Malden Police, the accident occurred in the 1200 block of Salem Street. Still shaken up but otherwise unharmed, Joe Chapman said the van that crashed into his home came within inches of hitting him. I saw this white van in my living room, Im dumbfounded, Chapman recalled. Im still a little frazzled, but Im ok. Police said the driver lost control in the wet weather and skidded on the pavement, plowing into Chapmans home which sits at the bottom of the hill. Chapman said he was just about to walk out the front door when he heard the crash. I was going to step in the doorway when I heard this explosion. Door frame came flying into the refrigerator," Chapman said. I wouldnt be talking to you it was a split second. I had no time to think, no nothing. Chapman and the three other people inside the home were OK. The driver and the passenger were taken to an area hospital to be checked out for injuries. I didnt know what had happened, it is a mess. I wanted to make sure whoever was in the car was OK, he went through 10 inches of brick and 4 feet into the house, he had to be barreling down that hill, said Chapman. Malden city inspectors will have to decide when the four residents at the home will be able to move back in due to the structural damage. Police said the driver will not likely receive a citation. Straight off a slim but symbolic health care win in Washington, President Donald Trump arrived in Ohio for a victory lap on Tuesday night with the very voters who helped put him in office. "We're now one step closer to liberating our citizens from this Obamacare nightmare and delivering great health care for the American people," Trump told a crowd of several thousand in Youngstown, Ohio, hours after the Senate took one small step toward Republicans' years-long promise to repeal and replace former President Obama's health care law. "You think that's easy? That's not easy," he declared. Tuesday's trip to Youngstown, a staunchly working-class, union-heavy enclave that has long helped anchor Democrats in Ohio, served as a welcome distraction from Washington for a president who loves to relive his once-unlikely Election Day win. In a room filled with supporters, Trump talked up his first six months in office, claiming that no other president had done "anywhere near" what he'd done in his first six months. "Not even close," he said. In Trump's telling, citizens have been applauding his administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. He described people screaming from the windows, "Thank you, thank you!" to border control agents. "We're liberating our towns and we're liberating our cities. Can you believe we have to do that?" he asked, adding that law enforcement agents were going after gang members and "not doing it in a politically correct fashion." "Our guys are rougher than their guys," he bragged. Ahead of the rally, Trump stopped by a veterans' event as part of the White House's weeklong celebration of servicemen and women. Following brief remarks by several of his Cabinet members, Trump entered a small room of veterans, several of them over 80 years old, and praised them for their commitment and sacrifice for the country. "A truly grateful nation salutes you," Trump told the group in Sutherland, Ohio. But he quickly shifted gears to recall his unexpected election win in Ohio, praising Youngstown and towns like it for helping him secure the electoral votes that put him over the top. "It was incredible time we had. You saw the numbers," he said. "Democrats, they win in Youngstown but not this time." Trump has mainly sought to re-litigate his 2016 victory in friendly territory, escaping Washington to recharge with boisterous crowds that embrace his jabs at "fake news" media, Democrats and even those Republicans whom Trump once vowed to defeat as part of his effort to "drain the swamp." Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. Norfolk village church brings Word on the Wash 2017 Norfolk village church brings Word on the Wash 2017 Terrington St Clement Church in West Norfolk is hosting the annual Word on the Wash weekend event in September with Christians from Norfolk, Holland and Fenland joining together in unity for great teaching by the Langham Partnership and Scripture Union. Word on the Wash is a new Christian event in the annual calendar, associated with Keswick Ministries. Dreamed about in 2014 and launched in 2015 by Terrington St Clement Church, this family event is a great opportunity for Christians in Norfolk, Fenland and Holland to come together in unity for faithful and relevant bible teaching, worship and encouragement. This year Word on the Wash will take place on the evening of Friday, September 15, 7pm -8.45pm and Saturday, September 16, 10am 6pm. There is programme for children and youth, which runs concurrent to all the main sessions, planned, organised and led by Scripture Union. The event is free of charge, with donations welcomed. John Wallis, Chair of the Planning Team for the event said: Word on the Wash is an event for churches of all backgrounds and sizes with a programme for all ages and stages of Christian understanding. This year the work of Langham Partnership and Scripture Union is being represented by guest speakers Dr Chris Wright and Rev Tim Hastie-Smith as we explore Your place in Gods story." Dr Chris Wright is the International Director of the Langham Partnership International, a group of ministries originally founded by John Stott, committed to the strengthening of the church in the Majority World through fostering leadership development, biblical preaching, literature and doctoral scholarships. Rev Tim Hastle-Smith is the National Director of the Scripture Union. Christine Eeley hopes to set up local group after seeing her daughter's agony A NEWBURY mum is supporting the Dignity in Dying campaign to allow terminally-ill people to control their own death, after her daughter died from terminal brain cancer. Christine Eeley has described how she watched helplessly as Isobel Kennerley, 33, begged her for help as her health deteriorated in her last days. Mrs Eeley said: Its the lack of dignity that is so distressing. At the end she couldnt move, eat or speak but still had mental capacity. She was in agony and I could do nothing. She wanted the choice to die. I would have borrowed the money to take her to Dignitas [the Swiss organisation that provides assisted suicide to the terminally ill], but it was difficult to judge the right time before she was too weak to travel. Mrs Eeley intends to open a Newbury-based Dignity in Dying group, as the most local one is currently in Reading. She said: I think the Reading one will be more focused on Reading-based cases, so I want to do something more local in Newbury. Mrs Kennerley was a teaching assistant at St Bartholomews School, Newbury, and also worked with autistic children. She had a degree in educational practice and had ambitions to study for a masters degree specialising in autistic studies, but had to give up her dream as she was in so much pain. Mrs Kennerley was born with cerebral palsy which affected her left side. She developed a brain tumour, which was also on the left side and which started to affect the right side but her illness failed to dampen her spirits. Her mother said: She was very, very strong. Determined and braver than you can imagine. Her view was Im OK today. I can do this. Weeks before her death, and five days before she was admitted to the Duchess of Kent Hospice, Mrs Kennerley was awarded the Woman of Courage category of the Sue Ryder Woman of Achievement Awards. She was in a wheelchair when she collected the award. Mrs Eeley said: At the award ceremony she couldnt eat and she knew she didnt have long. After being admitted to the Duchess of Kent Hospice her health took a turn for the worse. She was given three days to live, but survived for seven weeks, before losing her battle on May 4. Mrs Eeley said: Her heart and lungs were strong, but the cancer stopped her body doing all the stuff that comes from the brain and eventually breathing became difficult. Sue Ryder were fantastic, but as her suffering increased I begged them to give her something, just a little bit extra, but of course they couldnt. Mrs Kennerleys husband Scott is lost without his girl, Mrs Eeley said. He adored her. Worshipped the ground she walked on. He called her the Queen of Awesomeness, she added. He is trying to cope and deal with it day to day. Dignity in Dying is a campaign to change UK law, to allow dying people with six months or less to live the option to control their death. #football Injured star Son Heung-min named to S. Korean World Cup squad The injured South Korean football star Son Heung-min was named to the country's World Cup squad Saturday, as the football-crazed nation waits with bated breath to see if the belove... Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By Express News Service CHENNAI: The sensitive expression on a pharmacists face changes to a puzzled one when a customer asks for an emergency contraceptive pill. The drug has been banned in the State, a pharmacist in Egmore told Express. Over a dozen pharmacies, visited by this newspaper, claimed the drug is illegal. However, K Siva Balan, director of the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Administration (DCA), disagrees. These pills are crucial to prevent teenage pregnancy and they cannot be made illegal as long as theyre tested for safety. However, these pills cannot be purchased without a prescription, he said, adding that pills manufactured by some brands contain steroids. One must, however, be able to purchase these drugs with a prescription. The government has asked manufacturers to not advertise these pills within the State as they come under the scheduled drugs category. Only reputed pharmacies have this drug as the general demand is low, said K Natarajan from Chennai Chemists Association, adding that pharma companies have reduced advertising the drugs to doctors.He added that despite being legal, pharmacists use moral reasons to deny drugs to younger customers. The drug can be misused by teenagers who are unaware of its composition and side effects, he said. The presence of steroids and hormone inducers in the drugs can cause side effects when used repeatedly. Women have reported excess bleeding during menstruation, nausea, dizziness and mood swings on using these drugs.My body reacts differently to the drug each time Ive used it. I was dizzy for a whole day, the first time I used it. I had no side effects the second time around. When I used it again, I faced the worst pain and my whole body felt weak. I couldnt go to work for two days, said Sowmya Ram (name changed), a 26-year-old. Prolonged use can have dangerous side effects. However, these drugs are mostly safe for one-time use. And must be used only on prescription, said gynaecologist Dr H Anitha from Government RSRM Hospital. CHENNAI: The sensitive expression on a pharmacists face changes to a puzzled one when a customer asks for an emergency contraceptive pill. The drug has been banned in the State, a pharmacist in Egmore told Express. Over a dozen pharmacies, visited by this newspaper, claimed the drug is illegal. However, K Siva Balan, director of the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Administration (DCA), disagrees. These pills are crucial to prevent teenage pregnancy and they cannot be made illegal as long as theyre tested for safety. However, these pills cannot be purchased without a prescription, he said, adding that pills manufactured by some brands contain steroids. One must, however, be able to purchase these drugs with a prescription. The government has asked manufacturers to not advertise these pills within the State as they come under the scheduled drugs category. Only reputed pharmacies have this drug as the general demand is low, said K Natarajan from Chennai Chemists Association, adding that pharma companies have reduced advertising the drugs to doctors.He added that despite being legal, pharmacists use moral reasons to deny drugs to younger customers. The drug can be misused by teenagers who are unaware of its composition and side effects, he said. The presence of steroids and hormone inducers in the drugs can cause side effects when used repeatedly. Women have reported excess bleeding during menstruation, nausea, dizziness and mood swings on using these drugs.My body reacts differently to the drug each time Ive used it. I was dizzy for a whole day, the first time I used it. I had no side effects the second time around. When I used it again, I faced the worst pain and my whole body felt weak. I couldnt go to work for two days, said Sowmya Ram (name changed), a 26-year-old. Prolonged use can have dangerous side effects. However, these drugs are mostly safe for one-time use. And must be used only on prescription, said gynaecologist Dr H Anitha from Government RSRM Hospital. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Actor Navdeep Pallapolu was grilled for 11 hours by the Special Investigation Team of Prohibition & Excise department on Monday. Unlike the two other Tollywood personalities whose hair, nail and saliva samples were collected with their permission, Navdeep is learnt to have refused to give samples for collection. The actor was summoned by the SIT after they retrieved his number in the contact list of Calvin Mascarenhas, and for having conversations with him. The interrogation that started at 10.30 am, lasted till 9.30 pm, with two breaks for lunch and snacks. The actor has been reportedly active in organising parties and events related to the film industry had got in touch with Mascarenhas during an event held recently in Hyderabad. He had earlier claimed that he got in touch with Calvin through a friend, who was event organiser and did not have any links with the alleged key accused. The questioning was about my links with event managers and arrested persons, and some other questions, said Navdeep, after his 11-hour interrogation.Responding to a query on whether he was asked to visit the SIT office again, the actor said, They did not tell anything about revisiting, but told that they would make a call if any information is needed. Legal team, proficient officers help sought Condemning the allegations of forcible collection of body fluids and other material from the artistes summoned, Prohibition and Excise department director Akun Sabharwal said, Till yesterday, samples of two film personalities have been collected with their written consent which was also video-recorded. If anybody refuses to give samples, the same will be written in the case diary and submitted in the court. The investigation is being carried out in coordination with Central agencies including Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau. Senior police officers in the state, who are well-versed with investigation and forensic sciences, and support of an efficient legal team is also being taken for better investigation, said Akun. SCORECARD: Total arrested: 19 Questioned so far: 27 Film personalities (questioned): five Samples collected from two film personalities Recovery LSD seized :3,000 blots including two vials of 50 gm (drops) MDMA (Ecstasy): 105 gm Cocaine: 45 gm Magic Mushroom: 6 gm Sabharwal meets DGP, explains progress of case Excise Enforcement Director Akun Sabharwal called on DGP Anurag Sharma and explained the case progress. The meet was significant after a section of people from political parties and Tollywood fraternity made allegations that the investigation has been diverted by letting off key drug peddlers and a few influential persons. Bail denied Nampally court on Monday denied bail petition filed by Abdul Waheb and Abdul Quddoos, siblings, who were arrested by the State Task Force on July 3, along with Calvin Mascarenhas, in connection with the drug trafficking in Hyderabad. 8 kg ganja seized, 3 arrested The Task Force police on Monday arrested three persons in possession of ganja. Police seized 8 kg ganja from the accused. Those arrested are Maruthi Rathod, Karra Nehru, Ajmeera Sawai Singh, all residents of Sangareddy. Another person Mothi Ram is still absconding. Police said that Mothi Ram, an auto driver, had asked the accused to come to his residence and collect ganja. The accused collected ganja from Ram and went to Golconda to sell it. On a tip off, cops carried out raids and detained the trio. HYDERABAD: Actor Navdeep Pallapolu was grilled for 11 hours by the Special Investigation Team of Prohibition & Excise department on Monday. Unlike the two other Tollywood personalities whose hair, nail and saliva samples were collected with their permission, Navdeep is learnt to have refused to give samples for collection. The actor was summoned by the SIT after they retrieved his number in the contact list of Calvin Mascarenhas, and for having conversations with him. The interrogation that started at 10.30 am, lasted till 9.30 pm, with two breaks for lunch and snacks. The actor has been reportedly active in organising parties and events related to the film industry had got in touch with Mascarenhas during an event held recently in Hyderabad. He had earlier claimed that he got in touch with Calvin through a friend, who was event organiser and did not have any links with the alleged key accused. The questioning was about my links with event managers and arrested persons, and some other questions, said Navdeep, after his 11-hour interrogation.Responding to a query on whether he was asked to visit the SIT office again, the actor said, They did not tell anything about revisiting, but told that they would make a call if any information is needed. Legal team, proficient officers help sought Condemning the allegations of forcible collection of body fluids and other material from the artistes summoned, Prohibition and Excise department director Akun Sabharwal said, Till yesterday, samples of two film personalities have been collected with their written consent which was also video-recorded. If anybody refuses to give samples, the same will be written in the case diary and submitted in the court. The investigation is being carried out in coordination with Central agencies including Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau. Senior police officers in the state, who are well-versed with investigation and forensic sciences, and support of an efficient legal team is also being taken for better investigation, said Akun. SCORECARD: Total arrested: 19 Questioned so far: 27 Film personalities (questioned): five Samples collected from two film personalities Recovery LSD seized :3,000 blots including two vials of 50 gm (drops) MDMA (Ecstasy): 105 gm Cocaine: 45 gm Magic Mushroom: 6 gm Sabharwal meets DGP, explains progress of case Excise Enforcement Director Akun Sabharwal called on DGP Anurag Sharma and explained the case progress. The meet was significant after a section of people from political parties and Tollywood fraternity made allegations that the investigation has been diverted by letting off key drug peddlers and a few influential persons. Bail denied Nampally court on Monday denied bail petition filed by Abdul Waheb and Abdul Quddoos, siblings, who were arrested by the State Task Force on July 3, along with Calvin Mascarenhas, in connection with the drug trafficking in Hyderabad. 8 kg ganja seized, 3 arrested The Task Force police on Monday arrested three persons in possession of ganja. Police seized 8 kg ganja from the accused. Those arrested are Maruthi Rathod, Karra Nehru, Ajmeera Sawai Singh, all residents of Sangareddy. Another person Mothi Ram is still absconding. Police said that Mothi Ram, an auto driver, had asked the accused to come to his residence and collect ganja. The accused collected ganja from Ram and went to Golconda to sell it. On a tip off, cops carried out raids and detained the trio. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA : Kirlampudi, Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabhams native town in East Godavari district, has yet again become an impregnable fort under police scrutiny with more than one-third of the 5,800 personnel-strong police force in the district deployed there. Mudragada had announced that he would commence his padayatra from the village on July 26. Not taking any chance given the sensitive nature of his cause, additional forces of around 4,500 from different districts were deployed at Kirlampudi in addition to the 1,300 personnel from the district. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and RAF personnel are also a part of the teams. The village is being monitored using surveillance cameras and drones and an hourly report on movement in the village sent to the government. People are being allowed in the village only after their identity cards are scrutinised.SP Vishal Gunni said no permission had been given for Mudragadas padayatra and action would be taken against anyone creating law and order problems. We have detained over 400 people to prevent any untoward incident, he said. Meanwhile, taking exception to the deployment of police at Kirlampudi to prevent Mudragadas padayatra, the YSRC said the government was going overboard. Speaking to mediapersons in Hyderabad, YSRC leader Botsa Satyanarayana said the heavy presence of cops showed that the state was vindictive and wanted to spread terror. Mudragadas padayatra is his protest against CM Chandrababu Naidus failure to keep his promise, he said. He added that the YSRC supported the Kapu cause and expressed the partys support for the leaders of the community. VIJAYAWADA : Kirlampudi, Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabhams native town in East Godavari district, has yet again become an impregnable fort under police scrutiny with more than one-third of the 5,800 personnel-strong police force in the district deployed there. Mudragada had announced that he would commence his padayatra from the village on July 26. Not taking any chance given the sensitive nature of his cause, additional forces of around 4,500 from different districts were deployed at Kirlampudi in addition to the 1,300 personnel from the district. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and RAF personnel are also a part of the teams. The village is being monitored using surveillance cameras and drones and an hourly report on movement in the village sent to the government. People are being allowed in the village only after their identity cards are scrutinised.SP Vishal Gunni said no permission had been given for Mudragadas padayatra and action would be taken against anyone creating law and order problems. We have detained over 400 people to prevent any untoward incident, he said. Meanwhile, taking exception to the deployment of police at Kirlampudi to prevent Mudragadas padayatra, the YSRC said the government was going overboard. Speaking to mediapersons in Hyderabad, YSRC leader Botsa Satyanarayana said the heavy presence of cops showed that the state was vindictive and wanted to spread terror. Mudragadas padayatra is his protest against CM Chandrababu Naidus failure to keep his promise, he said. He added that the YSRC supported the Kapu cause and expressed the partys support for the leaders of the community. By Online Desk Son of ace director Lal and director himself, Jean Paul Lal has been booked by the Panangad police for cheating and making lewd comments to an actress. According to reports by Manorama Online, Jean Paul Lal (also known as Lal Jr) and actor Sreenath Bhasi has been booked for cheating and making sexually explicit comments. According to news reports, during the shooting of Lal Jr's 'Honey Bee 2', the director allegedly did not pay the actress for her work. The actress claims that when asked about the payment, at a hotel in Panangad, the director made sexually explicit comments on her. Her statement was recorded by the Info Park Circle Inspector. Kochi's Panangad Police have booked Anoop and Anirudh - two film technicians along with Sreenadh Bhasi and Lal Jr. According to Manorama News report, Jean Paul's father and film director, Lal called the actress' action opportunistic and it was first of all her unprofessional behaviour which made the production not pay her. Lal says that the actress shot for two days and for just one scene and the production had promised her Rs 50,000 but she left on the second day as she was irritated due to shoot delays. She had to wait till evening for her scene and when called for she told that she was not comfortable and wanted to go. "Jean said that if she is not comfortable, she can go. An assistant director informed her that she could leave if she was not ready to wait. Her portions which were left out were done using a body double. When it came to remuneration, I told that there is no need to pay anything. One month ago I think, we received a legal notice and we had replied to it. CI Radhamani from Kakkanad Police station called over the case and we showed the footage of the film and the portions of the script where her character was cut off because she had left. The police officers also wondered the reason behind lodging a case like this. Now, the actress is asking for ten lakhs and also demanded that Jean Paul and Anoop should apologise on Television." Incidentally, a prominent Malayalam actress was abducted and assaulted during the production of the same film. Actor Dileep was arrested by the Kerala Police for allegedly plotting the whole crime. Jean Paul Lal is the director of films like 'Honey Bee', 'Hi! I'm Tony' and 'Honey Bee 2'. Son of ace director Lal and director himself, Jean Paul Lal has been booked by the Panangad police for cheating and making lewd comments to an actress. According to reports by Manorama Online, Jean Paul Lal (also known as Lal Jr) and actor Sreenath Bhasi has been booked for cheating and making sexually explicit comments. According to news reports, during the shooting of Lal Jr's 'Honey Bee 2', the director allegedly did not pay the actress for her work. The actress claims that when asked about the payment, at a hotel in Panangad, the director made sexually explicit comments on her. Her statement was recorded by the Info Park Circle Inspector. Kochi's Panangad Police have booked Anoop and Anirudh - two film technicians along with Sreenadh Bhasi and Lal Jr. According to Manorama News report, Jean Paul's father and film director, Lal called the actress' action opportunistic and it was first of all her unprofessional behaviour which made the production not pay her. Lal says that the actress shot for two days and for just one scene and the production had promised her Rs 50,000 but she left on the second day as she was irritated due to shoot delays. She had to wait till evening for her scene and when called for she told that she was not comfortable and wanted to go. "Jean said that if she is not comfortable, she can go. An assistant director informed her that she could leave if she was not ready to wait. Her portions which were left out were done using a body double. When it came to remuneration, I told that there is no need to pay anything. One month ago I think, we received a legal notice and we had replied to it. CI Radhamani from Kakkanad Police station called over the case and we showed the footage of the film and the portions of the script where her character was cut off because she had left. The police officers also wondered the reason behind lodging a case like this. Now, the actress is asking for ten lakhs and also demanded that Jean Paul and Anoop should apologise on Television." Incidentally, a prominent Malayalam actress was abducted and assaulted during the production of the same film. Actor Dileep was arrested by the Kerala Police for allegedly plotting the whole crime. Jean Paul Lal is the director of films like 'Honey Bee', 'Hi! I'm Tony' and 'Honey Bee 2'. By Express News Service If sources are to be believed, the audio rights of Vijays Mersal has been sold for a staggering price. Some unconfirmed reports have it that Sony Music South has bought it for a whopping Rs 3.5 crore, the highest in recent times for a Tamil film. The producer, Thenandal Films, has confirmed that the films audio launch will be held on August 20. AR Rahman, who has composed the films music, has previously worked on two other Vijay filmsUdhaya and Azhagiya Tamil Magan. Meanwhile, the team has also been busy with selling the distribution rights of the film. MKS Talkies has purchased the Australia and New Zealand release rights of the film, and is expected to release both the Tamil and Telugu versions there. The companys Twitter profile confirmed this: Mersal Australia and New Zealand deal done. Expect a Grand release this Diwali. Mersal, directed by Atlee, stars Kajal Agarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nithya Menon, with the rest of cast including big names like SJ Suryah, Sathyaraj, Vadivelu, Sathyan, Yogi Babu and Kovai Sarala. If sources are to be believed, the audio rights of Vijays Mersal has been sold for a staggering price. Some unconfirmed reports have it that Sony Music South has bought it for a whopping Rs 3.5 crore, the highest in recent times for a Tamil film. The producer, Thenandal Films, has confirmed that the films audio launch will be held on August 20. AR Rahman, who has composed the films music, has previously worked on two other Vijay filmsUdhaya and Azhagiya Tamil Magan. Meanwhile, the team has also been busy with selling the distribution rights of the film. MKS Talkies has purchased the Australia and New Zealand release rights of the film, and is expected to release both the Tamil and Telugu versions there. The companys Twitter profile confirmed this: Mersal Australia and New Zealand deal done. Expect a Grand release this Diwali. Mersal, directed by Atlee, stars Kajal Agarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nithya Menon, with the rest of cast including big names like SJ Suryah, Sathyaraj, Vadivelu, Sathyan, Yogi Babu and Kovai Sarala. S Subhakeerthana By Express News Service After making her acting debut in Bollywood with R Balkis Shamitabh, Akshara Haasan returns home with the much-hyped Ajith-starrer Vivegam that is releasing next month. While she naturally isnt at liberty to divulge too much information about the film, she says her experience has been wonderful so far. No matter how many films I may go on to in the future, Vivegam will always be very special for me. Also, I have learned a lot from being part of it, she says. She chose to do this film because it is a story that has not been told like this before. It isnt your usual Ajith film. She found her character to be different too. She is unassuming. My role in the film is dramatically different from the one I played in Shamitabh. I also loved the whole tone of Vivegam and the way it is written. Akshara hopes to have brought in her spontaneity into the film. I think that is the job of an actor. It is not a bonus. You have to bring in that energy each time, she says. It was this positive energy, which she says was a big part of director Siruthai Sivas narration, that drew her to Vivegam. The fact that it starred Ajith was a bonus, and like many of his other co-stars, she cant stop gushing about him. When he met me on the sets, he called me, ji. Even my dad calls others that. Ajith sir treats everyone with respect irrespective of their age or experience. I admire him for what he is. Akshara shares screen space with Kajal Aggarwal in this film. I knew she was on board when I signed this film. On a lighter note, Id have loved to be the heroine, but hey, Im quite happy with my role, she says. I point out that she isnt your typical heroine. For starters, her sense of styling is quite unique, and well, she likes to keep her hair short. It comes from wanting to be comfortable, I think. I know I am different, and I like it this way. I am not trying to be anyone else and I will never wear something Im not comfortable in, she adds. Occasionally, she discusses her scripts with her family. When I am confused, mainly, she says. Theyre more experienced than I am. Id be lying if I told you that I take decisions on my own all the time. My family means a lot to me. Akshara hopes to do more Tamil films. I dont make divisions in terms of language. I am also working on getting better at speaking Tamil. When I talk to my dad, I talk in Tamil these days, and he understands why I do that, she laughs. Shes, of course, doing Sabaash Naidu with her father, Kamal Haasan. Dad would be the best person to talk about the film, but I can tell you it was a lot of fun working with him and Shruti! She admits that her assistant-director experience helps her pick good scripts. I am not interested in doing a film only on the basis of a good story. The screenplay should be good too. There have been some rumours about Akshara making a possible debut in the Kannada film industry. No, I am not a part of any Kannada film for the moment, she signs off. Take three I am following Bigg Boss Tamil on a regular basis, and its a delight to watch my dad host the show. I think hes terrific. When Vivegam gets released, I know the audience will compare me and Shruti, but hey, thats all right. Comparisons are bound to happen. Ten years from now, Id love to see myself cast in my dads film. I can hear you think why not now Id say I am not prepared. (Smiles) After making her acting debut in Bollywood with R Balkis Shamitabh, Akshara Haasan returns home with the much-hyped Ajith-starrer Vivegam that is releasing next month. While she naturally isnt at liberty to divulge too much information about the film, she says her experience has been wonderful so far. No matter how many films I may go on to in the future, Vivegam will always be very special for me. Also, I have learned a lot from being part of it, she says. She chose to do this film because it is a story that has not been told like this before. It isnt your usual Ajith film. She found her character to be different too. She is unassuming. My role in the film is dramatically different from the one I played in Shamitabh. I also loved the whole tone of Vivegam and the way it is written. Akshara hopes to have brought in her spontaneity into the film. I think that is the job of an actor. It is not a bonus. You have to bring in that energy each time, she says. It was this positive energy, which she says was a big part of director Siruthai Sivas narration, that drew her to Vivegam. The fact that it starred Ajith was a bonus, and like many of his other co-stars, she cant stop gushing about him. When he met me on the sets, he called me, ji. Even my dad calls others that. Ajith sir treats everyone with respect irrespective of their age or experience. I admire him for what he is. Akshara shares screen space with Kajal Aggarwal in this film. I knew she was on board when I signed this film. On a lighter note, Id have loved to be the heroine, but hey, Im quite happy with my role, she says. I point out that she isnt your typical heroine. For starters, her sense of styling is quite unique, and well, she likes to keep her hair short. It comes from wanting to be comfortable, I think. I know I am different, and I like it this way. I am not trying to be anyone else and I will never wear something Im not comfortable in, she adds. Occasionally, she discusses her scripts with her family. When I am confused, mainly, she says. Theyre more experienced than I am. Id be lying if I told you that I take decisions on my own all the time. My family means a lot to me. Akshara hopes to do more Tamil films. I dont make divisions in terms of language. I am also working on getting better at speaking Tamil. When I talk to my dad, I talk in Tamil these days, and he understands why I do that, she laughs. Shes, of course, doing Sabaash Naidu with her father, Kamal Haasan. Dad would be the best person to talk about the film, but I can tell you it was a lot of fun working with him and Shruti! She admits that her assistant-director experience helps her pick good scripts. I am not interested in doing a film only on the basis of a good story. The screenplay should be good too. There have been some rumours about Akshara making a possible debut in the Kannada film industry. No, I am not a part of any Kannada film for the moment, she signs off. Take three I am following Bigg Boss Tamil on a regular basis, and its a delight to watch my dad host the show. I think hes terrific. When Vivegam gets released, I know the audience will compare me and Shruti, but hey, thats all right. Comparisons are bound to happen. Ten years from now, Id love to see myself cast in my dads film. I can hear you think why not now Id say I am not prepared. (Smiles) By IANS NEW DELHI: In a bid to bridge the trust deficit between a rider and driver, cab-hailing app Uber on Tuesday announced a new 'Driver Profile' feature to detail who the man behind the wheel is. "At Uber, we are introducing a way for riders to know their driver partners better. We believe it will have a positive impact on furthering trust between riders and driver partners," said Apurva Dalal, Head of Engineering, Uber India, in a statement. Meanwhile, driver partners can customise their profile by adding personal information like the languages they speak, hometown, city recommendation and even a fun fact about themselves. Riders, on the other hand, can now learn more about the person behind the wheel by tapping on the photo. There have been some incidents in the past where riders have reported bad experiences with drivers. NEW DELHI: In a bid to bridge the trust deficit between a rider and driver, cab-hailing app Uber on Tuesday announced a new 'Driver Profile' feature to detail who the man behind the wheel is. "At Uber, we are introducing a way for riders to know their driver partners better. We believe it will have a positive impact on furthering trust between riders and driver partners," said Apurva Dalal, Head of Engineering, Uber India, in a statement. Meanwhile, driver partners can customise their profile by adding personal information like the languages they speak, hometown, city recommendation and even a fun fact about themselves. Riders, on the other hand, can now learn more about the person behind the wheel by tapping on the photo. There have been some incidents in the past where riders have reported bad experiences with drivers. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a charge-sheet against nine accused, including two Nepal residents, for the conspiracy to blow up railway tracks in Bihars East Champaran district last year. According to the charge-sheet filed at an NIA special court here, the conspiracy to blow up railway tracks at Ghorasahan on September 30, 2016 was hatched in Pakistan and that the funds for it came from United Arab Emirates. The two Nepal citizens Shamshul Hoda and Brij Kishore Giri were the main conspirators of elaborate plans to blow up railway tracks and bridges in various parts of north India. Hoda and Giri were arrested in Nepal by Bihar police during an investigation into the murder of two men Deepak Ram, 18, and his uncle Arun Ram, 28 in December 2016. Police found that the duo was murdered for their failure to blast the railway tracks near Ghorasahan, where a pressure cooker bomb was recovered by the cops and later defused. The charge-sheet says Hoda, a non-resident Nepalese citizen based in the UAE, had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Mohammad Shafi, a Pakistani resident, to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in India. Hoda visited Pakistan in the month of July 2016 along with Md Shafi. The conspiracy hatched was to carry out IED explosions on railway tracks and bridges, to blow up passenger trains in order to cause loss to public life, disrupt essential lines of communication and thereby cause threat to security and integrity of India, says the charge-sheet. Hoda made Giri a partner in his nefarious plot and transferred large sums of money to him from UAE. PATNA: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a charge-sheet against nine accused, including two Nepal residents, for the conspiracy to blow up railway tracks in Bihars East Champaran district last year. According to the charge-sheet filed at an NIA special court here, the conspiracy to blow up railway tracks at Ghorasahan on September 30, 2016 was hatched in Pakistan and that the funds for it came from United Arab Emirates. The two Nepal citizens Shamshul Hoda and Brij Kishore Giri were the main conspirators of elaborate plans to blow up railway tracks and bridges in various parts of north India. Hoda and Giri were arrested in Nepal by Bihar police during an investigation into the murder of two men Deepak Ram, 18, and his uncle Arun Ram, 28 in December 2016. Police found that the duo was murdered for their failure to blast the railway tracks near Ghorasahan, where a pressure cooker bomb was recovered by the cops and later defused. The charge-sheet says Hoda, a non-resident Nepalese citizen based in the UAE, had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Mohammad Shafi, a Pakistani resident, to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in India. Hoda visited Pakistan in the month of July 2016 along with Md Shafi. The conspiracy hatched was to carry out IED explosions on railway tracks and bridges, to blow up passenger trains in order to cause loss to public life, disrupt essential lines of communication and thereby cause threat to security and integrity of India, says the charge-sheet. Hoda made Giri a partner in his nefarious plot and transferred large sums of money to him from UAE. Ejaz Kaiser By Express News Service RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh High Court on Tuesday refused to hear the plea challenging the tribal status of Amit Jogi, son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi. Amit is an MLA from the reserved schedule tribe (ST) seat of Marwahi in Bilaspur district. Judge Sanjay K Agrawal has referred the case to the chief justice with a request to fix hearing on an appropriate bench, said Satish Chandra Verma, the counsel for former BJP MP and chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Nand Kumar Sai who filed the petition against Amit. Sources said judge Agrawal had earlier appeared for Ajit Jogi in a case, so citing it as a personal reason, he referred it to the chief justice for shifting it to another bench. A high-powered scrutiny committee constituted on the directive of the High Court in June to examine Amit Jogis caste legitimacy rejected his claim. The bureaucrat-turned-politician cited his caste as Kanwar tribe. The writ petition filed by Sai pointed out that Jogi has been claiming the tribal status through forged evidences. In a separate hearing, the bench of justice Rajindra Singh Samant, hearing a plea seeking a CBI probe into the issue and Amit Jogis birthplace, served notices to ten respondents including union home ministry, NCST, state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the state police, Bilaspur collector and tehsildar of Pendra. RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh High Court on Tuesday refused to hear the plea challenging the tribal status of Amit Jogi, son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi. Amit is an MLA from the reserved schedule tribe (ST) seat of Marwahi in Bilaspur district. Judge Sanjay K Agrawal has referred the case to the chief justice with a request to fix hearing on an appropriate bench, said Satish Chandra Verma, the counsel for former BJP MP and chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Nand Kumar Sai who filed the petition against Amit. Sources said judge Agrawal had earlier appeared for Ajit Jogi in a case, so citing it as a personal reason, he referred it to the chief justice for shifting it to another bench. A high-powered scrutiny committee constituted on the directive of the High Court in June to examine Amit Jogis caste legitimacy rejected his claim. The bureaucrat-turned-politician cited his caste as Kanwar tribe. The writ petition filed by Sai pointed out that Jogi has been claiming the tribal status through forged evidences. In a separate hearing, the bench of justice Rajindra Singh Samant, hearing a plea seeking a CBI probe into the issue and Amit Jogis birthplace, served notices to ten respondents including union home ministry, NCST, state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the state police, Bilaspur collector and tehsildar of Pendra. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Amid demands for revocation of suspension of six Congress members of Parliament, the government slammed the Opposition party, saying disruption in the House is diversionary tactics to avoid public scrutiny on Bofors revelations. Ruckus prevailed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, after the Congress MPs protested against a BJP MP Veerendra Singh alleging party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia of being anti-Dalit. The Congress leader in the House Mallikarjuna Kharge sought the intervention of the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on the allegation against Scindia. He also demanded that the suspension order against six party MPs be revoked. The treasury benches are creating problems in the functioning of the House. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar is adding fuel to fire in place of helping bring order in the House. His style of functioning is much in contrast to his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu, Kharge said. Countering the accusations of the Congress leader, Kumar during his brief interruption reiterated that it had been a black day when the unruly MPs from the Opposition party tore papers and threw them towards the Speaker, who is a woman. The Congress need not teach us lessons on democracy. We have not yet forgotten the episode of the imposition of Emergency. Since the revelations in the Bofors case, the Congress is attempting diversionary tactics to avoid spotlight from the issue, said Kumar, while adding that the government has already agreed to discuss all issues. The Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, however, called upon the Speaker to show her kindness and revoke the suspension order against the Congress MPs who in the state of agitation indulged in acts for which they had been punished. Madam, today is the first day of the President Ram Nath Kovind in the office. You should show your kindness to the Congress MPs to allow them to take part in the proceedings of the House, added Roy. The Speaker observed that she would look into the demands of the revocation of the suspension order of the Congress MPs. With the Speaker pushing through the days agenda of business, the Congress MPs trooped into the well of the House, forcing the Chair to adjourn for the day. NEW DELHI: Amid demands for revocation of suspension of six Congress members of Parliament, the government slammed the Opposition party, saying disruption in the House is diversionary tactics to avoid public scrutiny on Bofors revelations. Ruckus prevailed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, after the Congress MPs protested against a BJP MP Veerendra Singh alleging party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia of being anti-Dalit. The Congress leader in the House Mallikarjuna Kharge sought the intervention of the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on the allegation against Scindia. He also demanded that the suspension order against six party MPs be revoked. The treasury benches are creating problems in the functioning of the House. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar is adding fuel to fire in place of helping bring order in the House. His style of functioning is much in contrast to his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu, Kharge said. Countering the accusations of the Congress leader, Kumar during his brief interruption reiterated that it had been a black day when the unruly MPs from the Opposition party tore papers and threw them towards the Speaker, who is a woman. The Congress need not teach us lessons on democracy. We have not yet forgotten the episode of the imposition of Emergency. Since the revelations in the Bofors case, the Congress is attempting diversionary tactics to avoid spotlight from the issue, said Kumar, while adding that the government has already agreed to discuss all issues. The Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, however, called upon the Speaker to show her kindness and revoke the suspension order against the Congress MPs who in the state of agitation indulged in acts for which they had been punished. Madam, today is the first day of the President Ram Nath Kovind in the office. You should show your kindness to the Congress MPs to allow them to take part in the proceedings of the House, added Roy. The Speaker observed that she would look into the demands of the revocation of the suspension order of the Congress MPs. With the Speaker pushing through the days agenda of business, the Congress MPs trooped into the well of the House, forcing the Chair to adjourn for the day. By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday did an aerial survey over the flood-affected regions in Gujarat and said, The people of Gujarat are blessed with a strong spirit of resilience, even as the floods caused massive damage to life and property leaving thousands of people displaced. Incessant monsoon rains in the past few days have created floods in various parts of the country. Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam so far has fallen to the fury of the south-west monsoons, which is still forecasted to go strong till late September. Banaskantha and Patan districts in north Gujarat, where thousands of people are marooned due to incessant rains, received over 200 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Dantiwada in Banaskantha was the worst-hit with a whopping 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm) and Vadgam (357 mm) With thousands of people marooned in these areas, over 10,000 people were shifted to safer locations in Banaskantha district, nearly 9,790 to Patan and 2,800 to Ahmedabad. During the aerial-survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and `50,000 for those injured in Gujarat. Worse situation was recorded from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan where two people died because of the floods. The districts of Jalore, Pali and Sirohi were the worst off with rains washing away roads and leaving the people marooned. Moreover, Mount Abu in Sirohi district recorded the highest ever rainfall in 24 hours with 733.6 mm. Previously, the 100-year record for a single day of rain in Mount Abu was 653mm in 1992. With the situation not likely to see any respite, the met department has issued warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in south-western and south-eastern, which covers Jodhpur and Udaipur division, during the next 24 hours. Similar was the case for Jharkhand, where Jamshedpur recorded 324.8 mm rainfall during the last 48 hours which affected over 300 families. The East-Singhbhum administration sounded an alert to people living in catchment areas since the water level in rivers Kharkhai and Swarnarekha was flowing over the danger level. Following the announcement of the alert, more than 150 families were shifted to safer places city and over 50 families were shifted to relief camps. Threat loomed over Odisha too as the water-level in Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Budhabalang rose steadily. Though flood water has not entered villages yet, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the administration to evacuate people from low-lying areas of Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts due to incessant rain in the region. With the above states currently facing the wrath of the monsoons, situation in Assam continued to improve as the flood waters receded. However, the floods in Assam, in its fury, took the lives of 76 people, affected 26 districts in the state, damaged cropland over 2 lakh hectare and affecting over 16 lakh people. AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday did an aerial survey over the flood-affected regions in Gujarat and said, The people of Gujarat are blessed with a strong spirit of resilience, even as the floods caused massive damage to life and property leaving thousands of people displaced. Incessant monsoon rains in the past few days have created floods in various parts of the country. Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam so far has fallen to the fury of the south-west monsoons, which is still forecasted to go strong till late September. Banaskantha and Patan districts in north Gujarat, where thousands of people are marooned due to incessant rains, received over 200 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Dantiwada in Banaskantha was the worst-hit with a whopping 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm) and Vadgam (357 mm) With thousands of people marooned in these areas, over 10,000 people were shifted to safer locations in Banaskantha district, nearly 9,790 to Patan and 2,800 to Ahmedabad. During the aerial-survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and `50,000 for those injured in Gujarat. Worse situation was recorded from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan where two people died because of the floods. The districts of Jalore, Pali and Sirohi were the worst off with rains washing away roads and leaving the people marooned. Moreover, Mount Abu in Sirohi district recorded the highest ever rainfall in 24 hours with 733.6 mm. Previously, the 100-year record for a single day of rain in Mount Abu was 653mm in 1992. With the situation not likely to see any respite, the met department has issued warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in south-western and south-eastern, which covers Jodhpur and Udaipur division, during the next 24 hours. Similar was the case for Jharkhand, where Jamshedpur recorded 324.8 mm rainfall during the last 48 hours which affected over 300 families. The East-Singhbhum administration sounded an alert to people living in catchment areas since the water level in rivers Kharkhai and Swarnarekha was flowing over the danger level. Following the announcement of the alert, more than 150 families were shifted to safer places city and over 50 families were shifted to relief camps. Threat loomed over Odisha too as the water-level in Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Budhabalang rose steadily. Though flood water has not entered villages yet, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the administration to evacuate people from low-lying areas of Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts due to incessant rain in the region. With the above states currently facing the wrath of the monsoons, situation in Assam continued to improve as the flood waters receded. However, the floods in Assam, in its fury, took the lives of 76 people, affected 26 districts in the state, damaged cropland over 2 lakh hectare and affecting over 16 lakh people. By PTI LUCKNOW: The Muslim wing of Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS) today said that it will run a 'rakhi campaign' across the country in which Muslim girls will tie rakhis to Hindu boys and Hindu girls to Muslim boys. According to the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), the RSS' Muslim wing, the campaign will be launched on August 3 from Rajasthan's state capital Jaipur after which on August 5 and 6, it will be held in New Delhi and Lucknow in which the Manch's patron Indresh Kumar will also be present. "Muslim sisters will tie rakhi to him (Indresh) also. In Lucknow, there will be two programmes, one of which will be exclusively for divyangs. The only objective of the programme is to promote brotherhood among Hindus and Muslims and preserve our Ganga-Jamuni culture," MRM convener Mohammad Afzal told PTI. He said his organisation has decided to run this campaign in 12 states. "As part of it, Muslim girls will tie rakhis to Hindu boys and Hindu girls to Muslim boys and promise each other's protection," Afzal said. 'Rakshabandhan' is on August 7. "In the entire month of August, we will run this campaign across the country. We used to celebrate festivals together irrespective of castes. In past there were many occasions, where Muslim brothers have protected Hindu sisters," he said. The RSS' Muslim wing convener said that on Bakrid (on September 2), it will appeal to Muslims not to slaughter cows as it was matter of faith for Hindus. "Muhammad Sahab had said that cow milk is medicine and its meat is harmful. His preachings say that feelings of other's religion should not be hurt and this should be considered by everyone," Afzal said. MRM had earlier organised cow milk parties in the month of Ramzan across 25 states during 'Iftar', which is the meal with which Muslims break their fast. "Cow milk is healthier than beef. That was why we had served cow milk for breaking the fast during Iftar. The highest number of Iftar parties with cow milk was organised in Uttar Pradesh," he said. MRM was set up in 2002 by former RSS chief K Sudarshan with the objective of reaching out to Muslims. LUCKNOW: The Muslim wing of Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS) today said that it will run a 'rakhi campaign' across the country in which Muslim girls will tie rakhis to Hindu boys and Hindu girls to Muslim boys. According to the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), the RSS' Muslim wing, the campaign will be launched on August 3 from Rajasthan's state capital Jaipur after which on August 5 and 6, it will be held in New Delhi and Lucknow in which the Manch's patron Indresh Kumar will also be present. "Muslim sisters will tie rakhi to him (Indresh) also. In Lucknow, there will be two programmes, one of which will be exclusively for divyangs. The only objective of the programme is to promote brotherhood among Hindus and Muslims and preserve our Ganga-Jamuni culture," MRM convener Mohammad Afzal told PTI. He said his organisation has decided to run this campaign in 12 states. "As part of it, Muslim girls will tie rakhis to Hindu boys and Hindu girls to Muslim boys and promise each other's protection," Afzal said. 'Rakshabandhan' is on August 7. "In the entire month of August, we will run this campaign across the country. We used to celebrate festivals together irrespective of castes. In past there were many occasions, where Muslim brothers have protected Hindu sisters," he said. The RSS' Muslim wing convener said that on Bakrid (on September 2), it will appeal to Muslims not to slaughter cows as it was matter of faith for Hindus. "Muhammad Sahab had said that cow milk is medicine and its meat is harmful. His preachings say that feelings of other's religion should not be hurt and this should be considered by everyone," Afzal said. MRM had earlier organised cow milk parties in the month of Ramzan across 25 states during 'Iftar', which is the meal with which Muslims break their fast. "Cow milk is healthier than beef. That was why we had served cow milk for breaking the fast during Iftar. The highest number of Iftar parties with cow milk was organised in Uttar Pradesh," he said. MRM was set up in 2002 by former RSS chief K Sudarshan with the objective of reaching out to Muslims. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee emphasised on the need for pluralism and tolerance on Monday in his last televised address to the nation as the President. Mukherjee said the soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance and urged citizens to free public discourse from violence. What appeared to be a reference to increased incidents of lynching in the name of cow vigilantism and the recent violence in West Bengal, the President said there was need for more compassion and empathy as these are the true foundation of the countrys civilisation. He asserted that the country derived its strength from tolerance. Multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. The 81-year old, however, added, But everyday, we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal. The veteran politician stressed that the power of non-violence has to be resurrected to build a compassionate and caring society. The President also reminded the people of Mahatma Gandhis philosophy, and said the creation of an inclusive society had to be an article of faith. We may argue, we may agree or we may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought process will wither away, he said. Mukherjee also advocated for the poorest sections of the society and said that not only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the maginalised and the dispossessed, in the democratic process. Mukherjee, a former lecturer who has often assumed the role of a teacher during his visits within and outside the country, spoke about education, which he called the alchemy that could take India to its next golden age. The President called for upgradation of higher educational institutions to world-class levels. Mukherjee, who will demit office on Tuesday, also stressed on the need for protecting the environment. He said nature had been kind in its bounty but cautioned that when greed exceeds need, nature lets loose its fury. Mukherjee, who will hand over the baton to Ram Nath Kovind, said he had tried to spread happiness to a few villages in the neighbourhood in the last five years. Summing up his five years at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said, We tried to build a humane and happy township. NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee emphasised on the need for pluralism and tolerance on Monday in his last televised address to the nation as the President. Mukherjee said the soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance and urged citizens to free public discourse from violence. What appeared to be a reference to increased incidents of lynching in the name of cow vigilantism and the recent violence in West Bengal, the President said there was need for more compassion and empathy as these are the true foundation of the countrys civilisation. He asserted that the country derived its strength from tolerance. Multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. The 81-year old, however, added, But everyday, we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal. The veteran politician stressed that the power of non-violence has to be resurrected to build a compassionate and caring society. The President also reminded the people of Mahatma Gandhis philosophy, and said the creation of an inclusive society had to be an article of faith. We may argue, we may agree or we may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought process will wither away, he said. Mukherjee also advocated for the poorest sections of the society and said that not only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the maginalised and the dispossessed, in the democratic process. Mukherjee, a former lecturer who has often assumed the role of a teacher during his visits within and outside the country, spoke about education, which he called the alchemy that could take India to its next golden age. The President called for upgradation of higher educational institutions to world-class levels. Mukherjee, who will demit office on Tuesday, also stressed on the need for protecting the environment. He said nature had been kind in its bounty but cautioned that when greed exceeds need, nature lets loose its fury. Mukherjee, who will hand over the baton to Ram Nath Kovind, said he had tried to spread happiness to a few villages in the neighbourhood in the last five years. Summing up his five years at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said, We tried to build a humane and happy township. By ANI NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday backed the ruling of the Madras High Court making Vande Mataram compulsory to sing once in a week and said it is a good thought and people should not have any problem practising it. This is a very good thought. By singing the National Song and the National Anthem in the schools and offices, people will learn it by heart. I dont think people will have any reason to not sing the National Song, BJP MP Babul Supriyo said. He further said the ones raising an objection on this verdict should give valid reasons against it. Another BJP MP Satyapal Singh also welcomed the decision and advocated for making singing the National Sing and the National Anthem compulsory across the nation. It is important to give respect to the National Song, for which a number of soldiers lost their lives. Ill eagerly wait for the day when this ruling of the Madras High court will be implemented in the entire country, Singh told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the Constitutional values of the National Song and the National Anthem are same and people should not have any objection in singing them. There should not be any religious conflict as for the entire nation, Lekhi said. Earlier, the Madras High Court ruled that 'Vande Mataram' must be sung schools, educational institutes and government offices. Justice M. V. Muralidharan said that schools must be made to follow it at least once a week either on Monday or Friday, whereas, the National Song must be sung in offices once a month. "Vande Mataram is of Sanskrit origin, and written in Bengali which is ought to be sung in every school and college," Muralidharan added. Muralidharan said that in the event, if any person or organisation has difficulty in singing or playing the national song, he or she shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so. Incidentally, the Supreme Court is also hearing a petition asking the Centre to make the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in schools. While the apex court had in April given the Centre four weeks to reply, the next date of hearing is scheduled for August 25. NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday backed the ruling of the Madras High Court making Vande Mataram compulsory to sing once in a week and said it is a good thought and people should not have any problem practising it. This is a very good thought. By singing the National Song and the National Anthem in the schools and offices, people will learn it by heart. I dont think people will have any reason to not sing the National Song, BJP MP Babul Supriyo said. He further said the ones raising an objection on this verdict should give valid reasons against it. Another BJP MP Satyapal Singh also welcomed the decision and advocated for making singing the National Sing and the National Anthem compulsory across the nation. It is important to give respect to the National Song, for which a number of soldiers lost their lives. Ill eagerly wait for the day when this ruling of the Madras High court will be implemented in the entire country, Singh told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the Constitutional values of the National Song and the National Anthem are same and people should not have any objection in singing them. There should not be any religious conflict as for the entire nation, Lekhi said. Earlier, the Madras High Court ruled that 'Vande Mataram' must be sung schools, educational institutes and government offices. Justice M. V. Muralidharan said that schools must be made to follow it at least once a week either on Monday or Friday, whereas, the National Song must be sung in offices once a month. "Vande Mataram is of Sanskrit origin, and written in Bengali which is ought to be sung in every school and college," Muralidharan added. Muralidharan said that in the event, if any person or organisation has difficulty in singing or playing the national song, he or she shall not be compelled or forced to sing it, provided there are valid reasons for not doing so. Incidentally, the Supreme Court is also hearing a petition asking the Centre to make the singing of Vande Mataram mandatory in schools. While the apex court had in April given the Centre four weeks to reply, the next date of hearing is scheduled for August 25. By PTI NEW DELHI: The government has forwarded to the Supreme Court collegium names of 35 candidates for appointment as judges to five high courts, a senior functionary aware of the development has said. The high court collegiums of Madras, Karnataka, Kerala, Jharkhand and Gujarat had sent these names to the Centre. According to established practice, the high courts send their recommendations to the union law ministry which forwards it to the Supreme court collegium after carrying out background checks with the help of the Intelligence Bureau. Most of the 35 candidates are from the subordinate judiciary and would be elevated as high court judges if their names are cleared by the SC collegium. As on July 1, according to the law ministry data, these five high courts have combined vacancies of 97 judges. At present, the working strength of the 24 high courts is 665, against an approved strength of 1,079 judges. A record 126 high court judges were appointed in 2016. NEW DELHI: The government has forwarded to the Supreme Court collegium names of 35 candidates for appointment as judges to five high courts, a senior functionary aware of the development has said. The high court collegiums of Madras, Karnataka, Kerala, Jharkhand and Gujarat had sent these names to the Centre. According to established practice, the high courts send their recommendations to the union law ministry which forwards it to the Supreme court collegium after carrying out background checks with the help of the Intelligence Bureau. Most of the 35 candidates are from the subordinate judiciary and would be elevated as high court judges if their names are cleared by the SC collegium. As on July 1, according to the law ministry data, these five high courts have combined vacancies of 97 judges. At present, the working strength of the 24 high courts is 665, against an approved strength of 1,079 judges. A record 126 high court judges were appointed in 2016. Ajit Ranade By Data is the new oil was the title of a presentation made by Nandan Nilekani at the Delhi Economics Conclave last week. The conclave is an annual conference hosted by the Ministry of Finance, and brings together economists, academics, policy makers, researchers and regulators. The sessions are packed with topical ideas, discussions and debates. This year the keynote speeches were given by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. One of the themes this year, was on the future of cash, anchored around a presentation by Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard, who is the author of The Curse of Cash. Naturally, Indias demonetisation loomed large in the ensuing discussion. But it was Nilekanis presentation that enthralled the audience. He is best known as the former Chairman of Infosys, and the chief architect of Aadhaar. He is also the author of the book Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation and more recently co-authored Rebooting India: Realising a Billion Aspirations. The idea captured in his rather provocative title has been evident in his writings for quite some time. Recently, Nilekani gave a similar talk in his convocation address at IIT Madras. The Economist magazine of London, too, had a recent cover story hinting at data as the new oil. Nilekani repeated many times that India is on the verge of a digital revolution and will go swiftly from being a data-poor to a data-rich country. That data represents immense business opportunities. The modern digital economy is throwing up so much data, which itself has become the raw material for businesses based on data analytics. In the last century, a new resource was discovered, which spawned a fast-growing industry, thanks to the internal combustion engine. That resource was oil. It led to the formation of mega corporations and near monopoly powers. It also influenced the geopolitics of the world for several decades. But oil is a depletable, non-renewable resource. And the world is moving to renewable energy. Just like oil, data is the new resource driving the growth of large corporations. In this digital world, already Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft are the five most valuable companies in the world with a collective value of almost three trillion dollars. Their combined annual profits are more than hundred billion dollars. Behind the Chinese Firewall, Alibaba and Tencent are the other two big giants. Almost ninety percent of growth in the advertising revenue in the United States, goes to just two companies, Google and Facebook. Netflix which began as a piping company providing broadband connections, has also become a major producer of movie and video content. More than 30 percent of bandwidth is now consumed by traffic originated by Netflix. This company knows who is watching what, when, how. It can anticipate preferences and make suggestions, much like Amazon suggests what to buy, based on your buying behaviour. In just 10 years, the data analytics focus has also changed. It was used to mine viewing habits so as to pitch advertisements and products via micromarketing to web users. Now the purpose of analytics, which combines artificial intelligence and machine learning, is to help consumers find appropriate services and products at the right price. AI can predict what you need to buy, or when your car needs to be serviced. Nilekani says, thanks to initiatives like Aadhaar, India already has the infrastructure to clock data at a massive scale. Much will depend on what we, or businesses, do with that data. For instance, in the GST Network, there will be a billion transactions recorded every month, with details like what is bought by whom, at what price. Combined with the fastag and electronic tolls systems, we will also track the physical movement. This could potentially help the Central Statistical Organisation to collect data on GDP on a real time basis. Its like seeing economic activity on a dashboard. The Aadhaar system is authenticating almost 50 million transactions every day, and this is growing exponentially. Imagine Ola and Uber drivers who choose to display their past driving record tagged by Aadhaar authenticated transactions. Or imagine a low-income borrower with no collateral, who can provide a digital trail of past payments of bills and taxes to show that he or she is a responsible and creditworthy borrower. The use of social media data in providing microloans has begun in China. In India, there are 10 new licensed payment banks which will be doing millions of transactions every month, involving remittances, clearing, investment in mutual funds, deposits and so on. They can use the data thus generated to fine tune their products. Nilekani said that the possibilities are limitless. Unlike oil, data is an infinite resource which will never deplete. The economics of data as a business resource is yet to be fully understood. But businesses that have recognised the potential are already galloping ahead. Nilekanis main caution was that we must ensure a genuine data democracy and avoid data colonisation. Which means that the data ownership must be with the user whose transaction generates the data, and not with corporations like Google or Facebook. If companies want to use your data, this should be on the basis of consent. Users should be free to disconnect from any platform, and carry their data to another competing platform company. This requires appropriate legislation that clearly defines who has the rights to use the data that a user generates by his or her transactions. On the issue of privacy, the speaker was silent, since the case is being heard in the Supreme Court. Clearly a great transformation awaits digital India in the next five years, and it is all centered around a resource called data. (Syndicate: The Billion Press) Ajit Ranade The author is an economist and Senior Fellow, Takshashila Institution Email: editor@thebillionpress.org Data is the new oil was the title of a presentation made by Nandan Nilekani at the Delhi Economics Conclave last week. The conclave is an annual conference hosted by the Ministry of Finance, and brings together economists, academics, policy makers, researchers and regulators. The sessions are packed with topical ideas, discussions and debates. This year the keynote speeches were given by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. One of the themes this year, was on the future of cash, anchored around a presentation by Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard, who is the author of The Curse of Cash. Naturally, Indias demonetisation loomed large in the ensuing discussion. But it was Nilekanis presentation that enthralled the audience. He is best known as the former Chairman of Infosys, and the chief architect of Aadhaar. He is also the author of the book Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation and more recently co-authored Rebooting India: Realising a Billion Aspirations. The idea captured in his rather provocative title has been evident in his writings for quite some time. Recently, Nilekani gave a similar talk in his convocation address at IIT Madras. The Economist magazine of London, too, had a recent cover story hinting at data as the new oil. Nilekani repeated many times that India is on the verge of a digital revolution and will go swiftly from being a data-poor to a data-rich country. That data represents immense business opportunities. The modern digital economy is throwing up so much data, which itself has become the raw material for businesses based on data analytics. In the last century, a new resource was discovered, which spawned a fast-growing industry, thanks to the internal combustion engine. That resource was oil. It led to the formation of mega corporations and near monopoly powers. It also influenced the geopolitics of the world for several decades. But oil is a depletable, non-renewable resource. And the world is moving to renewable energy. Just like oil, data is the new resource driving the growth of large corporations. In this digital world, already Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft are the five most valuable companies in the world with a collective value of almost three trillion dollars. Their combined annual profits are more than hundred billion dollars. Behind the Chinese Firewall, Alibaba and Tencent are the other two big giants. Almost ninety percent of growth in the advertising revenue in the United States, goes to just two companies, Google and Facebook. Netflix which began as a piping company providing broadband connections, has also become a major producer of movie and video content. More than 30 percent of bandwidth is now consumed by traffic originated by Netflix. This company knows who is watching what, when, how. It can anticipate preferences and make suggestions, much like Amazon suggests what to buy, based on your buying behaviour. In just 10 years, the data analytics focus has also changed. It was used to mine viewing habits so as to pitch advertisements and products via micromarketing to web users. Now the purpose of analytics, which combines artificial intelligence and machine learning, is to help consumers find appropriate services and products at the right price. AI can predict what you need to buy, or when your car needs to be serviced. Nilekani says, thanks to initiatives like Aadhaar, India already has the infrastructure to clock data at a massive scale. Much will depend on what we, or businesses, do with that data. For instance, in the GST Network, there will be a billion transactions recorded every month, with details like what is bought by whom, at what price. Combined with the fastag and electronic tolls systems, we will also track the physical movement. This could potentially help the Central Statistical Organisation to collect data on GDP on a real time basis. Its like seeing economic activity on a dashboard. The Aadhaar system is authenticating almost 50 million transactions every day, and this is growing exponentially. Imagine Ola and Uber drivers who choose to display their past driving record tagged by Aadhaar authenticated transactions. Or imagine a low-income borrower with no collateral, who can provide a digital trail of past payments of bills and taxes to show that he or she is a responsible and creditworthy borrower. The use of social media data in providing microloans has begun in China. In India, there are 10 new licensed payment banks which will be doing millions of transactions every month, involving remittances, clearing, investment in mutual funds, deposits and so on. They can use the data thus generated to fine tune their products. Nilekani said that the possibilities are limitless. Unlike oil, data is an infinite resource which will never deplete. The economics of data as a business resource is yet to be fully understood. But businesses that have recognised the potential are already galloping ahead. Nilekanis main caution was that we must ensure a genuine data democracy and avoid data colonisation. Which means that the data ownership must be with the user whose transaction generates the data, and not with corporations like Google or Facebook. If companies want to use your data, this should be on the basis of consent. Users should be free to disconnect from any platform, and carry their data to another competing platform company. This requires appropriate legislation that clearly defines who has the rights to use the data that a user generates by his or her transactions. On the issue of privacy, the speaker was silent, since the case is being heard in the Supreme Court. Clearly a great transformation awaits digital India in the next five years, and it is all centered around a resource called data. (Syndicate: The Billion Press) Ajit Ranade The author is an economist and Senior Fellow, Takshashila Institution Email: editor@thebillionpress.org By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Dr B R Ambedkar International Conference 2017 concluded with the announcement of the Bangalore Declaration, a 34-point recommendation on safeguarding the interests of people. These include ensuring policies barring any caste-based discrimination at work place and reservation in the private sector. The recommendation, titled Strengthening Democratic Institutions, seeks reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in private organised sector through legislation. It said the government, if need be, amend the Constitution to ensure reservation in promotion for the three categories in government and quasi-government sectors. In order to ensure economic empowerment, it was proposed that adequate special funds to boost entrepreneurship among SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities must be provided to attain economic liberty. Reservations in private educational institutes besides universalising access to hostels has also been proposed. Police services must be freed from political control and police reforms should be fully implemented so that they become a service provider to citizens rather than a force to impose control. A special Act for prevention of caste, religious and gender discrimination in educational institutions must be passed. Other recommendations State should ensure that every SC, ST, and OBC household gets access to basic civic amenities Ensure access to quality English medium education Labourers working in unorganised sector should be covered under a comprehensive social security scheme providing for life, disability and health insurance The chairpersons of the National Commissions for SCs, STs, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes shall be members of the Equal Opportunities Commission Curriculum in schools and colleges should compulsorily include the study of the life and works of Dr Ambedkar, Mahatma and Savitribai Phule Legislation prohibiting acquisition of SC and ST lands by others should be strengthened and enacted where do they do not exist. These need to be strictly enforced BENGALURU: The Dr B R Ambedkar International Conference 2017 concluded with the announcement of the Bangalore Declaration, a 34-point recommendation on safeguarding the interests of people. These include ensuring policies barring any caste-based discrimination at work place and reservation in the private sector. The recommendation, titled Strengthening Democratic Institutions, seeks reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in private organised sector through legislation. It said the government, if need be, amend the Constitution to ensure reservation in promotion for the three categories in government and quasi-government sectors. In order to ensure economic empowerment, it was proposed that adequate special funds to boost entrepreneurship among SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities must be provided to attain economic liberty. Reservations in private educational institutes besides universalising access to hostels has also been proposed. Police services must be freed from political control and police reforms should be fully implemented so that they become a service provider to citizens rather than a force to impose control. A special Act for prevention of caste, religious and gender discrimination in educational institutions must be passed. Other recommendations State should ensure that every SC, ST, and OBC household gets access to basic civic amenities Ensure access to quality English medium education Labourers working in unorganised sector should be covered under a comprehensive social security scheme providing for life, disability and health insurance The chairpersons of the National Commissions for SCs, STs, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes shall be members of the Equal Opportunities Commission Curriculum in schools and colleges should compulsorily include the study of the life and works of Dr Ambedkar, Mahatma and Savitribai Phule Legislation prohibiting acquisition of SC and ST lands by others should be strengthened and enacted where do they do not exist. These need to be strictly enforced By Express News Service KOCHI: The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Tuesday extended judicial custody of actor Dileep, who was arrested in the Malayalam actress assault case, to August 8. The remand proceedings were conducted through video conferencing. The decision came as the judicial custody of the actor was slated to end on Tuesday itself. Earlier, the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court decided to conduct remand proceedings through video conferencing from the jail. The special investigation team moved an application before the court on Monday citing security constraints for producing the actor before the court. The police said there was need of heavy security to take the actor, who was currently lodged in Aluva Sub-Jail, to Angamaly court. The police submitted before the court that hundreds of people had been thronging the court and sub jail premises while Dileep was being taken to the court and they had a tough-time controlling the mostly hostile crowd. KOCHI: The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Tuesday extended judicial custody of actor Dileep, who was arrested in the Malayalam actress assault case, to August 8. The remand proceedings were conducted through video conferencing. The decision came as the judicial custody of the actor was slated to end on Tuesday itself. Earlier, the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court decided to conduct remand proceedings through video conferencing from the jail. The special investigation team moved an application before the court on Monday citing security constraints for producing the actor before the court. The police said there was need of heavy security to take the actor, who was currently lodged in Aluva Sub-Jail, to Angamaly court. The police submitted before the court that hundreds of people had been thronging the court and sub jail premises while Dileep was being taken to the court and they had a tough-time controlling the mostly hostile crowd. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: A young woman, believed to be from Uzbekistan, was arrested for manhandling cops in an inebriated state in Kharavel Nagar of the City on Sunday night.Later, police recovered `49, 500 and an Aadhaar card from her possession, where her name has been mentioned as Duniya Khan. As per the Aadhaar details, the woman is a native of Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi. But, the card is apparently fake. The woman later told the police that she belonged to Tashkent. We are verifying the details and scrutinising the documents recovered from her. We have asked Delhi Police to verify the Aadhar card. DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said adding, the woman has been arrested for physically assaulting the cops. Police received information about the woman lying on the footpath near a hotel located close to Mali Sahi. A team of two officers and three constables went to the spot and found the woman, who had slept off, and tried to wake her up. Under intoxication, the woman allegedly hurled abuses, punched and kicked the police personnel, including a lady cop. She also allegedly broke the mirror of the police jeep. This went on well beyond midnight. Later, she was taken to Mahila Police Station where the police waited until she sobered up. Though she also attempted to flee from the police station, cops managed to bring her under control. The woman was communicating with the cops in Hindi and English but she was not fluent in either of the two languages. The cops had also found a bottle of wine from the jeans-clad woman. Meanwhile, police are also verifying for what reasons the 21-year-old woman was in Bhubaneswar, said sources. Police have booked the woman under Sections 294, 323, 353, 341, 427 and 506 of IPC. She was sent for a medical examination on Monday afternoon before being produced before a court here. BHUBANESWAR: A young woman, believed to be from Uzbekistan, was arrested for manhandling cops in an inebriated state in Kharavel Nagar of the City on Sunday night.Later, police recovered `49, 500 and an Aadhaar card from her possession, where her name has been mentioned as Duniya Khan. As per the Aadhaar details, the woman is a native of Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi. But, the card is apparently fake. The woman later told the police that she belonged to Tashkent. We are verifying the details and scrutinising the documents recovered from her. We have asked Delhi Police to verify the Aadhar card. DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said adding, the woman has been arrested for physically assaulting the cops. Police received information about the woman lying on the footpath near a hotel located close to Mali Sahi. A team of two officers and three constables went to the spot and found the woman, who had slept off, and tried to wake her up. Under intoxication, the woman allegedly hurled abuses, punched and kicked the police personnel, including a lady cop. She also allegedly broke the mirror of the police jeep. This went on well beyond midnight. Later, she was taken to Mahila Police Station where the police waited until she sobered up. Though she also attempted to flee from the police station, cops managed to bring her under control. The woman was communicating with the cops in Hindi and English but she was not fluent in either of the two languages. The cops had also found a bottle of wine from the jeans-clad woman. Meanwhile, police are also verifying for what reasons the 21-year-old woman was in Bhubaneswar, said sources. Police have booked the woman under Sections 294, 323, 353, 341, 427 and 506 of IPC. She was sent for a medical examination on Monday afternoon before being produced before a court here. T Muruganandham By Express News Service CHENNAI: Karnataka governments recent proposal to have a separate flag for the State did not trigger much discussion in Tamil Nadu. Ironic, considering the State was among the first to raise such a demand nearly five decades ago. In 1970, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) experienced its heady days after having captured power from the Congress, the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who rose to prominence in the Dravidian movement that had once advocated separatism, wanted a separate flag for the newly christened State, Tamil Nadu. But that was not the first demand for a separate flag in the country. Jaipal Singh Munda from Jharkhand was the first to raise the issue, demanding one for the tribes and put forth his case before the Constituent Assembly. Similar voices were heard in Jammu and Kashmir, too. When he met the press in Delhi on August 27, 1970, Karunanidhi, the leader of DMK after the death of party founder C N Annadurai, even had a design ready: the proposed Tamil Nadu flag had the Indian flag in one-quarter, while the main space featured the State emblem, a temple gopuram as a symbol of Tamil culture. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said she would consult the chief ministers of other states before arriving at a decision. Though many chief ministers opposed Karunanidhis demand, former chief minister of Punjab Gurnam Singh supported it saying: A separate flag does not mean disrespect or insult to the national flag. Significantly, the then chief minister of Mysore (it was renamed Karnataka in 1973), Veerendra Patil, vehemently opposed the demand. He said the Centre should have straightaway rejected the demand instead of consulting the chief ministers. His counterparts in Rajasthan and Orissa, Mohanlal Sukhadia and R N Singh Deo, and the then Jan Sangh leader A B Vajpayee, too, strongly opposed this move. In Tamil Nadu, the TNCC (New) and Congress (O) opposed it. They argued that to have a separate flag for the State would amount to changing the present national flag as the national symbol. It would lead to the disintegration of the country, they feared. However, the Tamil Arasu Kazhagam led by Ma Po Sivagnanam welcomed the demand for a separate flag for the State but suggested incorporating the symbols of three kingdoms that existed in the past bow, tiger and fish belonging to Cheras, Cholas and Pandiyas, respectively. Meanwhile, Tenneti Viswanathan, MP from Andhra Pradesh, suggested that every State could be permitted to have its own symbol or standard inscribed in an area of one-eighth of the total area of the national flag, on its left-hand corner. He suggested this in a letter to Indira Gandhi. This suggestion was the reverse of what the Tamil Nadu chief minister had suggested, he said, and added that if it were accepted, the national flag and Ashok Chakra inscribed in it would be predominantly in the flag throughout the country and at the same time each State could have its own identity. When this issue was discussed in the State Assembly, Karunanidhi said: I can assure that the demand for a separate flag does not mean that there is a difference of opinion between the Centre and State in regard to the integrity of India. The national flag will be used forever as we are using it now. There is not the slightest intention to disrespect the national flag. Karunanidhi recalled that the State government had addressed the Centre in June (1970) seeking approval for the model flag they had proposed as they wanted to include the Indian national flag in it. Karunanidhi pointed out that in Switzerland, all 25 cantons had their own flags; some of them had a population of less than 25,000. Karunanidhi further said he could not understand how the demand would lead to a civil war. He said it was not a forerunner of a separate Tamil Nadu demand and recalled even Indira Gandhi had said the demand did not indicate separatism. DMK leader K S Radhakrishnan said when the issue came up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on August 20, 1970, Indira said the entire question of the use of separate standards by the Union President, Governors and Army regiments would be looked into. While some of the members reiterated that the demand should have been rejected straight away, Indira said there was no question about the supremacy of the national flag. The suggestion was for a separate flag in which the emblem of the State could be fitted. She also welcomed the suggestion of NR Muniswami of Congress (O) that the matter should be referred to the National Integration Council. She also said in the United States of America and in Switzerland, each State had a flag of its own. When asked why there was a delay in replying to Tamil Nadu chief minister even after three months of receiving the demand, Indira said in India there were different parties in power in the State and there was a delicate Centre-State relationship. Meanwhile, S D Misra, general secretary of Congress (O) charged that Indira was adopting the policy of fulfilling the wishes of the DMK just for her own survival at the Centre. Karunanidhi said the State could not be prevented from having a separate flag either legally or constitutionally. On August 25, 1970, Karunanidhi met Indira at Delhi and said he was firm on his demand for a separate flag. In this connection, he recalled Rajajis view that the national flag resembled the flag of the Congress and should be changed. This momentum, however, was inexplicably lost before long. The discussion reached nowhere, and Karunanidhis suggestion remained only on paper. There has not been a clear explanation as to why he backed out from the proposal for which he had even readied the design. Interestingly, in 1974, just four years after he triggered the flag debate, Karunanidhi won the right for chief ministers to hoist the national flag on Independence Day. None asked about the Tamil Nadu flag. CHENNAI: Karnataka governments recent proposal to have a separate flag for the State did not trigger much discussion in Tamil Nadu. Ironic, considering the State was among the first to raise such a demand nearly five decades ago. In 1970, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) experienced its heady days after having captured power from the Congress, the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who rose to prominence in the Dravidian movement that had once advocated separatism, wanted a separate flag for the newly christened State, Tamil Nadu. But that was not the first demand for a separate flag in the country. Jaipal Singh Munda from Jharkhand was the first to raise the issue, demanding one for the tribes and put forth his case before the Constituent Assembly. Similar voices were heard in Jammu and Kashmir, too. When he met the press in Delhi on August 27, 1970, Karunanidhi, the leader of DMK after the death of party founder C N Annadurai, even had a design ready: the proposed Tamil Nadu flag had the Indian flag in one-quarter, while the main space featured the State emblem, a temple gopuram as a symbol of Tamil culture. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said she would consult the chief ministers of other states before arriving at a decision. Though many chief ministers opposed Karunanidhis demand, former chief minister of Punjab Gurnam Singh supported it saying: A separate flag does not mean disrespect or insult to the national flag. Significantly, the then chief minister of Mysore (it was renamed Karnataka in 1973), Veerendra Patil, vehemently opposed the demand. He said the Centre should have straightaway rejected the demand instead of consulting the chief ministers. His counterparts in Rajasthan and Orissa, Mohanlal Sukhadia and R N Singh Deo, and the then Jan Sangh leader A B Vajpayee, too, strongly opposed this move. In Tamil Nadu, the TNCC (New) and Congress (O) opposed it. They argued that to have a separate flag for the State would amount to changing the present national flag as the national symbol. It would lead to the disintegration of the country, they feared. However, the Tamil Arasu Kazhagam led by Ma Po Sivagnanam welcomed the demand for a separate flag for the State but suggested incorporating the symbols of three kingdoms that existed in the past bow, tiger and fish belonging to Cheras, Cholas and Pandiyas, respectively. Meanwhile, Tenneti Viswanathan, MP from Andhra Pradesh, suggested that every State could be permitted to have its own symbol or standard inscribed in an area of one-eighth of the total area of the national flag, on its left-hand corner. He suggested this in a letter to Indira Gandhi. This suggestion was the reverse of what the Tamil Nadu chief minister had suggested, he said, and added that if it were accepted, the national flag and Ashok Chakra inscribed in it would be predominantly in the flag throughout the country and at the same time each State could have its own identity. When this issue was discussed in the State Assembly, Karunanidhi said: I can assure that the demand for a separate flag does not mean that there is a difference of opinion between the Centre and State in regard to the integrity of India. The national flag will be used forever as we are using it now. There is not the slightest intention to disrespect the national flag. Karunanidhi recalled that the State government had addressed the Centre in June (1970) seeking approval for the model flag they had proposed as they wanted to include the Indian national flag in it. Karunanidhi pointed out that in Switzerland, all 25 cantons had their own flags; some of them had a population of less than 25,000. Karunanidhi further said he could not understand how the demand would lead to a civil war. He said it was not a forerunner of a separate Tamil Nadu demand and recalled even Indira Gandhi had said the demand did not indicate separatism. DMK leader K S Radhakrishnan said when the issue came up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on August 20, 1970, Indira said the entire question of the use of separate standards by the Union President, Governors and Army regiments would be looked into. While some of the members reiterated that the demand should have been rejected straight away, Indira said there was no question about the supremacy of the national flag. The suggestion was for a separate flag in which the emblem of the State could be fitted. She also welcomed the suggestion of NR Muniswami of Congress (O) that the matter should be referred to the National Integration Council. She also said in the United States of America and in Switzerland, each State had a flag of its own. When asked why there was a delay in replying to Tamil Nadu chief minister even after three months of receiving the demand, Indira said in India there were different parties in power in the State and there was a delicate Centre-State relationship. Meanwhile, S D Misra, general secretary of Congress (O) charged that Indira was adopting the policy of fulfilling the wishes of the DMK just for her own survival at the Centre. Karunanidhi said the State could not be prevented from having a separate flag either legally or constitutionally. On August 25, 1970, Karunanidhi met Indira at Delhi and said he was firm on his demand for a separate flag. In this connection, he recalled Rajajis view that the national flag resembled the flag of the Congress and should be changed. This momentum, however, was inexplicably lost before long. The discussion reached nowhere, and Karunanidhis suggestion remained only on paper. There has not been a clear explanation as to why he backed out from the proposal for which he had even readied the design. Interestingly, in 1974, just four years after he triggered the flag debate, Karunanidhi won the right for chief ministers to hoist the national flag on Independence Day. None asked about the Tamil Nadu flag. By IANS BEIJING: China on Monday hinted that its top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Indian NSA Ajit Doval may hold a bilateral meeting this week on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA Summit even as it urged New Delhi to give up "illusory thinking" and immediately withdraw its troops that Beijing says have crossed into Chinese territory. The Foreign Ministry said that while it was not aware of a Yang-Doval meeting but there was a tradition of host countries arranging bilaterals between the head of the delegations at the summit. Beijing has so far ruled out any talks over the border row until India withdraws troops from Doklam in the Sikkim sector. "As far as we know, during the previous meetings, the host arranges the head of the delegations to hold bilateral meetings in which they exchange views on bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation and multilateral affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said. The two-day meeting of BRICS NSAs will begin on July 27. "The meeting is the main platform to discuss the contact political and security cooperation," Lu said. "Currently the global geo-political factors are complex and intertwined and regional hotspot issues are escalating." Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian urged India to immediately withdraw its troops, saying this was a prerequisite to resolving the issue. He said China would defend its territorial sovereignty "at all costs". "India should immediately withdraw its troops to the Indian side of the boundary with China, which is a precondition and basis for resolving the conflict," Wu was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times daily. "India should take practical measures to correct its wrongdoing, stop provocation and jointly safeguard peace in the border regions . The Doklam region is part of China's territory. China has every right to build road in its own territory. "The 90-year history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated its increasing capacities and unshakable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is easier to shake the mountains than to shake the PLA," Wu said. Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a dragging stand-off in Doklam, which is at a tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. China calls Doklam its own territory but India and Bhutan say it is Bhutan's. India stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in Doklam in June, leading to the face-off between New Delhi and Beijing. India has blamed China for trying to change the status of the tri-junction and wants the issue to be resolved diplomatically. BEIJING: China on Monday hinted that its top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Indian NSA Ajit Doval may hold a bilateral meeting this week on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA Summit even as it urged New Delhi to give up "illusory thinking" and immediately withdraw its troops that Beijing says have crossed into Chinese territory. The Foreign Ministry said that while it was not aware of a Yang-Doval meeting but there was a tradition of host countries arranging bilaterals between the head of the delegations at the summit. Beijing has so far ruled out any talks over the border row until India withdraws troops from Doklam in the Sikkim sector. "As far as we know, during the previous meetings, the host arranges the head of the delegations to hold bilateral meetings in which they exchange views on bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation and multilateral affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said. The two-day meeting of BRICS NSAs will begin on July 27. "The meeting is the main platform to discuss the contact political and security cooperation," Lu said. "Currently the global geo-political factors are complex and intertwined and regional hotspot issues are escalating." Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian urged India to immediately withdraw its troops, saying this was a prerequisite to resolving the issue. He said China would defend its territorial sovereignty "at all costs". "India should immediately withdraw its troops to the Indian side of the boundary with China, which is a precondition and basis for resolving the conflict," Wu was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times daily. "India should take practical measures to correct its wrongdoing, stop provocation and jointly safeguard peace in the border regions . The Doklam region is part of China's territory. China has every right to build road in its own territory. "The 90-year history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated its increasing capacities and unshakable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is easier to shake the mountains than to shake the PLA," Wu said. Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a dragging stand-off in Doklam, which is at a tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. China calls Doklam its own territory but India and Bhutan say it is Bhutan's. India stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in Doklam in June, leading to the face-off between New Delhi and Beijing. India has blamed China for trying to change the status of the tri-junction and wants the issue to be resolved diplomatically. By ANI BEIJING: Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused India of sparking off a border standoff by deploying its troops along the along the Doklam region. Wangs remarks are the latest by a Chinese government official on the recent border standoff after Chinese Defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian urged India to immediately withdraw their troops from the Doklam Plateau for solving the current border standoff between the two sides. Beijing warned that it is determined to safeguard its territory. Considering the border row between China and India as the worst in decades, Wang said that there was little dispute over the facts about what had happened on the border. The rights and wrongs are crystal clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary, which is to say, India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory, South China Morning Post quoted Wang as saying on Tuesday. Indian and Chinese troops continue to be locked in a standoff in Doklam and both sides have moved additional troops, ammunition and military equipment to the area. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has beefed up its defence in a region south of the Kunlun Mountains under the pretext of conducting a military exercise near Tibet. Hardware has been moved simultaneously by road and rail by China's western theatre command, which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and handles, among others, border issues with India, media reports have said. This show of strength is being projected by Beijing as a warning to India by China to back off from its objection to China constructing a road at the Doklam tri-junction. Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry of India (MEA) reiterated that differences between India and China should not and would not be allowed to become disputes, and added that communication between the two governments have never ceased, nor have been broken. The stand-off emerged after Chinese troops were stopped by the Indian Army from construction roads in the Doklam border. India claims Sikkim border as part of its territory, while China has said that the area falls on their side as per the 1890 treaty signed between British and China. Consequently, China suspended the annual Kailash Manasarovar yatra and conceded that the decision to suspend the pilgrimage was due to the border scuffle. It also alleged that the Indian troops had crossed the Sikkim sector of the Indo-China border. Beijing has accused New Delhi of violating a convention signed in 1890 between Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet. BEIJING: Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused India of sparking off a border standoff by deploying its troops along the along the Doklam region. Wangs remarks are the latest by a Chinese government official on the recent border standoff after Chinese Defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian urged India to immediately withdraw their troops from the Doklam Plateau for solving the current border standoff between the two sides. Beijing warned that it is determined to safeguard its territory. Considering the border row between China and India as the worst in decades, Wang said that there was little dispute over the facts about what had happened on the border. The rights and wrongs are crystal clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary, which is to say, India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory, South China Morning Post quoted Wang as saying on Tuesday. Indian and Chinese troops continue to be locked in a standoff in Doklam and both sides have moved additional troops, ammunition and military equipment to the area. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has beefed up its defence in a region south of the Kunlun Mountains under the pretext of conducting a military exercise near Tibet. Hardware has been moved simultaneously by road and rail by China's western theatre command, which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and handles, among others, border issues with India, media reports have said. This show of strength is being projected by Beijing as a warning to India by China to back off from its objection to China constructing a road at the Doklam tri-junction. Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry of India (MEA) reiterated that differences between India and China should not and would not be allowed to become disputes, and added that communication between the two governments have never ceased, nor have been broken. The stand-off emerged after Chinese troops were stopped by the Indian Army from construction roads in the Doklam border. India claims Sikkim border as part of its territory, while China has said that the area falls on their side as per the 1890 treaty signed between British and China. Consequently, China suspended the annual Kailash Manasarovar yatra and conceded that the decision to suspend the pilgrimage was due to the border scuffle. It also alleged that the Indian troops had crossed the Sikkim sector of the Indo-China border. Beijing has accused New Delhi of violating a convention signed in 1890 between Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet. By PTI CAIRO: At least 40 terrorists have been killed in air strikes carried out by the Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, military said today. Forty militants were killed during air raids in the North Sinai cities of Al-Arish, Shiekh Zwayed and Rafah in the past seven days, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement. Five militants were arrested during the raids. Twenty vehicles, four motorcycles and four car bombs were discovered and destroyed, the statement said. Fifty-two shelters used by terrorists to hide, store medical needs and explosives were also destroyed, it said. Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many terror 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, in which some terrorists are based. The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. CAIRO: At least 40 terrorists have been killed in air strikes carried out by the Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, military said today. Forty militants were killed during air raids in the North Sinai cities of Al-Arish, Shiekh Zwayed and Rafah in the past seven days, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement. Five militants were arrested during the raids. Twenty vehicles, four motorcycles and four car bombs were discovered and destroyed, the statement said. Fifty-two shelters used by terrorists to hide, store medical needs and explosives were also destroyed, it said. Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many terror 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, in which some terrorists are based. The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. By Associated Press BRUSSELS: Human rights activists on Tuesday urged the European Union to use a meeting with Turkey's foreign minister to put pressure on Ankara to release rights workers who have been detained as part of Turkey's crackdown on the opposition in the aftermath of last year's failed coup. The call came at a noisy protest in Brussels ahead of the talks, which came amid growing concern that Turkey is sliding away from EU values as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tightens his grip on power and cracks down on perceived opponents. "Our call is very simple. We want the unconditional and immediate release of these human rights defenders," said Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty. Amnesty's Turkey Director and Chair, Idil Eser and Taner Kilic, are among those being detained. "Turkey has to get a clear message that the EU would like to reset its relationship with Turkey and that there will be consequences for the actions they take, because right now they feel no consequences," Shetty added after handing a petition to EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini. The talks in Brussels between Mogherini and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik come as Turkey's long-standing bid for EU membership remains in the deep freeze and show no signs of thawing. More than 50,000 people, including journalists and opposition lawmakers, have been detained since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Critics say the crackdown initially targeted people suspected of links to the failed coup, but has expanded to include government opponents. Turkey applied to join the EU three decades ago, and they started negotiating in 2005. But of the 16 negotiating chapters on issues as varied as capital movement and food safety, only one science and research has been provisionally closed. Tuesday's discussions in Brussels are expected to touch on issues including Ankara's EU accession, immigration, Turkey's demands for visa-free travel for its citizens, the fight against terrorism and energy and trade ties. Last week, the German government increased pressure on Turkey after the jailing of a human rights activist, telling all citizens traveling there to exercise caution and threatening to withhold backing for German investments in Turkey. Based on previous rounds of talks between lower level officials, Tuesday's meeting could get heated. "I was told last time when I met the foreign minister ... somebody in the other room could hear our conversation," European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is also taking part in the talks, said Monday. "We have fundamental criticism about the lack of rule of law and that is something that doesn't just depend on one specific member state," Hahn said in reference to Germany's tense relations with Turkey. "It's a fundamental issue that must be raised and will be raised by us." BRUSSELS: Human rights activists on Tuesday urged the European Union to use a meeting with Turkey's foreign minister to put pressure on Ankara to release rights workers who have been detained as part of Turkey's crackdown on the opposition in the aftermath of last year's failed coup. The call came at a noisy protest in Brussels ahead of the talks, which came amid growing concern that Turkey is sliding away from EU values as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tightens his grip on power and cracks down on perceived opponents. "Our call is very simple. We want the unconditional and immediate release of these human rights defenders," said Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty. Amnesty's Turkey Director and Chair, Idil Eser and Taner Kilic, are among those being detained. "Turkey has to get a clear message that the EU would like to reset its relationship with Turkey and that there will be consequences for the actions they take, because right now they feel no consequences," Shetty added after handing a petition to EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini. The talks in Brussels between Mogherini and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik come as Turkey's long-standing bid for EU membership remains in the deep freeze and show no signs of thawing. More than 50,000 people, including journalists and opposition lawmakers, have been detained since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Critics say the crackdown initially targeted people suspected of links to the failed coup, but has expanded to include government opponents. Turkey applied to join the EU three decades ago, and they started negotiating in 2005. But of the 16 negotiating chapters on issues as varied as capital movement and food safety, only one science and research has been provisionally closed. Tuesday's discussions in Brussels are expected to touch on issues including Ankara's EU accession, immigration, Turkey's demands for visa-free travel for its citizens, the fight against terrorism and energy and trade ties. Last week, the German government increased pressure on Turkey after the jailing of a human rights activist, telling all citizens traveling there to exercise caution and threatening to withhold backing for German investments in Turkey. Based on previous rounds of talks between lower level officials, Tuesday's meeting could get heated. "I was told last time when I met the foreign minister ... somebody in the other room could hear our conversation," European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is also taking part in the talks, said Monday. "We have fundamental criticism about the lack of rule of law and that is something that doesn't just depend on one specific member state," Hahn said in reference to Germany's tense relations with Turkey. "It's a fundamental issue that must be raised and will be raised by us." By Reuters COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the world's busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings, which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day "Silk Route" across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large-scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the country's sovereignty. Details of the new agreement have not yet been made public. But according to parts of the document seen by Reuters, two companies are being set up to split the operations of the port and allay concerns, in India mainly but also in Japan and the United States, that it won't be used for military purposes. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 percent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The company's capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 percent stake and the Chinese 49.3 percent, according to the document. Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that several foreign missions had sought clarification from Colombo about whether the Chinese navy would be using Hambantota port as it steps up its presence in the Indian Ocean. We told China that we cant allow the port for military use and that 100 percent responsibility of security matters should be with the Sri Lankan government. China has been building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and smaller island nations in what military officials call a "String of Pearls" in the Indian Ocean, or a network of friendly ports where its warships can refuel. REDUCING STAKE China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the Sri Lankan joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 percent after 10 years, the document says. "The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week," cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didn't provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lanka's concerns had been addressed. "They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue," the source said. The latest agreement relates to the port while the pact for the industrial zone will be handled separately, Sri Lankan officials said. The revised deal comes weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena reshuffled his cabinet, naming Samarasinghe to the ports ministry after his predecessor had strongly opposed a majority equity stake for the Chinese firm and raised a red flag over possible military use. Two Sri Lankan sources familiar with the deal said the Sri Lankan Ports Authority would have the right to inspect ships entering Hambantota. "Sri Lanka will have control over port activities including security, which various parties have raised concerns over earlier," one source told Reuters. "The agreement clearly says no military ships will be allowed in the port." New Delhi in 2014 was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against China's expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the world's busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings, which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day "Silk Route" across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large-scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the country's sovereignty. Details of the new agreement have not yet been made public. But according to parts of the document seen by Reuters, two companies are being set up to split the operations of the port and allay concerns, in India mainly but also in Japan and the United States, that it won't be used for military purposes. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 percent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The company's capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 percent stake and the Chinese 49.3 percent, according to the document. Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that several foreign missions had sought clarification from Colombo about whether the Chinese navy would be using Hambantota port as it steps up its presence in the Indian Ocean. We told China that we cant allow the port for military use and that 100 percent responsibility of security matters should be with the Sri Lankan government. China has been building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and smaller island nations in what military officials call a "String of Pearls" in the Indian Ocean, or a network of friendly ports where its warships can refuel. REDUCING STAKE China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the Sri Lankan joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 percent after 10 years, the document says. "The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week," cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didn't provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lanka's concerns had been addressed. "They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue," the source said. The latest agreement relates to the port while the pact for the industrial zone will be handled separately, Sri Lankan officials said. The revised deal comes weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena reshuffled his cabinet, naming Samarasinghe to the ports ministry after his predecessor had strongly opposed a majority equity stake for the Chinese firm and raised a red flag over possible military use. Two Sri Lankan sources familiar with the deal said the Sri Lankan Ports Authority would have the right to inspect ships entering Hambantota. "Sri Lanka will have control over port activities including security, which various parties have raised concerns over earlier," one source told Reuters. "The agreement clearly says no military ships will be allowed in the port." New Delhi in 2014 was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against China's expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. By PTI BASTIA: Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes across southern France, with one inferno spreading across 900 hectares of forest and threatening homes on the island of Corsica, emergency services said. Residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast. "The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia," lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces, told AFP yesterday. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. "We are awaiting reinforcements," said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and "have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected." Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control yesterday, Bernier said. Elsewhere in France, a fire raged in the forests around Luberon in the Vaucluse region, covering 800 hectares by late yesterday. Firefighters told AFP they had been unable to keep the flames under control. Around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated, according to officials. Up to 500 firefighters were expected on the scene. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Another blaze in Carros, north of Nice, burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. "It's a very dangerous day," Bernier said. "And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight." BASTIA: Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes across southern France, with one inferno spreading across 900 hectares of forest and threatening homes on the island of Corsica, emergency services said. Residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast. "The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia," lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces, told AFP yesterday. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. "We are awaiting reinforcements," said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and "have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected." Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control yesterday, Bernier said. Elsewhere in France, a fire raged in the forests around Luberon in the Vaucluse region, covering 800 hectares by late yesterday. Firefighters told AFP they had been unable to keep the flames under control. Around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated, according to officials. Up to 500 firefighters were expected on the scene. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Another blaze in Carros, north of Nice, burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. "It's a very dangerous day," Bernier said. "And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight." By PTI MALE: Maldivian troops blockaded parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said today, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again today, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. "Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now," MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told AFP. "This is ridiculous." The parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the president's ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameen's office said in a statement today that parliament was closed ahead of an "incoming VVIP visit". Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. "The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on 24 July 2017 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the...constitution," Yameen's office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just one-square mile (two square kilometres) in size, was tighter than usual. The UK government urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and protests following the disturbance around the parliament building. "Previous demonstrations and political protests have led to violence and arrests," the updated travel summary said. Months of political upheaval in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymoon paradise. The United States and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameen's grip on parliament. However, the parliament secretariat declared the impeachment motion was invalid, scheduling the next sitting on July 31. The first attempt to impeach the speaker in March triggered chaos when troops acting on Yameen's orders stormed parliament and removed dissenting opponents by force. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically-elected president in 2008, but was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a controversial 2013 election run-off. In 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. He now lives in exile in Britain. MALE: Maldivian troops blockaded parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said today, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again today, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. "Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now," MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told AFP. "This is ridiculous." The parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the president's ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameen's office said in a statement today that parliament was closed ahead of an "incoming VVIP visit". Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. "The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on 24 July 2017 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the...constitution," Yameen's office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just one-square mile (two square kilometres) in size, was tighter than usual. The UK government urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and protests following the disturbance around the parliament building. "Previous demonstrations and political protests have led to violence and arrests," the updated travel summary said. Months of political upheaval in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymoon paradise. The United States and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameen's grip on parliament. However, the parliament secretariat declared the impeachment motion was invalid, scheduling the next sitting on July 31. The first attempt to impeach the speaker in March triggered chaos when troops acting on Yameen's orders stormed parliament and removed dissenting opponents by force. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically-elected president in 2008, but was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a controversial 2013 election run-off. In 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. He now lives in exile in Britain. By AFP MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has demanded the United States return church bells seized by American forces in a bloody campaign more than a century ago, in another blast at his country's traditional ally. American forces took three bells from the Catholic church of Balangiga town on the eastern island of Samar in 1901 as war booty in what historians said was a particularly brutal military operation in the new US colony. "Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are not yours. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage," Duterte said at his annual State of the Nation Address yesterday. "Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonisers and sacrificed their lives in the process." Two of the bells are installed at a memorial for US war dead in Wyoming, while the third is with US forces in South Korea. Some US politicians oppose the dismantling of the memorial. US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina gave a non-committal reply today to Duterte's demands. "We are aware that the bells of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of people, both in the United States and in the Philippines," she said in an email to AFP. "We will continue to work with our Filipino partners to find a resolution." The brutal Samar campaign was launched about a month after Filipino rebels killed 34 US troops in Balangiga on September 28, 1901, according to a US Army War College research paper. Seven other American soldiers perished during the escape from Balangiga, and US reinforcements razed the town the day after, it added. Duterte yesterday repeated a Filipino account of the campaign that the commanding general, Jacob Smith, ordered Samar be turned into a "howling wilderness" and that all Filipino males aged 10 or above be killed. A 1902 US court-martial convicted Smith of a minor offence in relation to the Samar campaign, while 39 other Americans were separately found guilty of torturing and shooting Filipino prisoners there, the US Army War College research paper said. However, none of them were jailed, according to the paper. The then Philippine president Fidel Ramos first sought but failed to recover the bells during a 1998 Washington trip. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has since his election last year worked to distance Manila from Washington while building closer ties with China and Russia. The Philippine islands, a Spanish colony for centuries, were ceded to the United States in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Philippines gained independence from the Americans in 1946. Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the US as ties have frayed, and last Friday vowed he would never visit the "lousy" country despite an earlier invitation extended by US President Donald Trump. MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has demanded the United States return church bells seized by American forces in a bloody campaign more than a century ago, in another blast at his country's traditional ally. American forces took three bells from the Catholic church of Balangiga town on the eastern island of Samar in 1901 as war booty in what historians said was a particularly brutal military operation in the new US colony. "Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are not yours. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage," Duterte said at his annual State of the Nation Address yesterday. "Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonisers and sacrificed their lives in the process." Two of the bells are installed at a memorial for US war dead in Wyoming, while the third is with US forces in South Korea. Some US politicians oppose the dismantling of the memorial. US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina gave a non-committal reply today to Duterte's demands. "We are aware that the bells of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of people, both in the United States and in the Philippines," she said in an email to AFP. "We will continue to work with our Filipino partners to find a resolution." The brutal Samar campaign was launched about a month after Filipino rebels killed 34 US troops in Balangiga on September 28, 1901, according to a US Army War College research paper. Seven other American soldiers perished during the escape from Balangiga, and US reinforcements razed the town the day after, it added. Duterte yesterday repeated a Filipino account of the campaign that the commanding general, Jacob Smith, ordered Samar be turned into a "howling wilderness" and that all Filipino males aged 10 or above be killed. A 1902 US court-martial convicted Smith of a minor offence in relation to the Samar campaign, while 39 other Americans were separately found guilty of torturing and shooting Filipino prisoners there, the US Army War College research paper said. However, none of them were jailed, according to the paper. The then Philippine president Fidel Ramos first sought but failed to recover the bells during a 1998 Washington trip. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has since his election last year worked to distance Manila from Washington while building closer ties with China and Russia. The Philippine islands, a Spanish colony for centuries, were ceded to the United States in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Philippines gained independence from the Americans in 1946. Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the US as ties have frayed, and last Friday vowed he would never visit the "lousy" country despite an earlier invitation extended by US President Donald Trump. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced he had ended a programme to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced he had ended a programme to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State By Associated Press WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump urged Republicans to "step up to the plate" for Tuesday's crucial Senate vote on their bill eviscerating much of the Obama health care law. The stage was set for high drama, with Sen. John McCain returning to the Capitol to cast his first vote since being diagnosed with brain cancer. No stranger to heroic episodes, the Navy pilot who persevered through five years of captivity during the Vietnam War announced through his office that he would be back in Washington for the critical roll call on beginning debate on the legislation. The 80-year-old has been at home in Arizona since he revealed last week that he's undergoing treatment for brain cancer, but a statement said he "looks forward" to returning for work on health care and other legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., scheduled the initial health care vote for Tuesday. The Republican leadership expects McCain to support taking up the bill, and his mere presence could make it harder for wavering Republicans to cast a vote against even considering the bill. Democrats uniformly oppose the effort to tear down Obama's signature legislative achievement. Republicans control the chamber 52-48, meaning they can afford to lose just two Republicans with McCain around and only one in his absence. Vice President Mike Pence would cast a tie-breaking vote. Trump kept up the pressure on GOP lawmakers, tweeting that "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." At least a dozen GOP senators have openly said they oppose or criticized McConnell's legislation, which he's revised as he's hunted Republican support. While it had long seemed headed toward defeat, Republicans Monday began showing glimmers of optimism. "My mandate from the people of Kentucky is to vote yes, and I certainly intend to do so," McConnell said Monday in what seemed an implicit reminder to his Republican colleagues that they've done the same. As usual, Trump was blunter. "Over and over again, they said, 'Repeal and replace, repeal and replace.' But they can now keep their promise," Trump said in White House remarks Monday. Senators and aides said talks were continuing that might win over enough Republicans to commence debate. The discussions were covering issues including potentially giving states more leeway to use federal funds to help people losing coverage under Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, disabled and nursing home patients. Should Tuesday's vote fail, it would be an unalloyed embarrassment for a party that finally gained control of the White House, Senate and House in January but still fell flat on its promise to uproot Obamacare. Republicans could try returning to the bill later this year if they somehow round up more support. Should the initial motion win, that would prompt 20 hours of debate and countless amendments in a battle likely to last all week. Moderate and conservative Republicans would try reshaping the bill in their direction while Democrats would attempt to force GOP senators to cast difficult votes aimed at haunting them in re-election campaigns. Even then, the measure's ultimate fate still seemed iffy because of GOP divisions. Obama's law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. It's also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers' annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as the healthy. The law has been unpopular with GOP voters and the party has launched numerous attempts to dismantle the statute. All until this year were mere aspirations because Obama vetoed every major one that reached him. Ever since 2010, Republicans have been largely united on scuttling the statute but divided over how to replace it. Those divides sharpened with Trump willing to sign legislation and estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that several GOP bills would cause more than 20 million people to become uninsured by 2026. Polls showing growing popularity for Obama's law and abysmal approval ratings for the GOP effort haven't helped. The House approved its version of the bill in May after several setbacks. It's similar to the Senate measure McConnell unveiled in June after writing it privately. But he's also revised it in his hunt for GOP votes. McConnell's bill would abolish much of Obama's law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has remained opposed to beginning debate on any option McConnell has revealed so far. Conservative Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would vote no unless leaders agreed to an early vote on simply repealing Obama's statute and giving Congress two years to replace it. Conservatives were seeking language letting insurers offer bare-bones policies with low premiums, which would be illegal under Obama's law. Moderates from states whose low-income residents rely heavily on Medicaid were resisting the GOP bill's cuts in that program. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump urged Republicans to "step up to the plate" for Tuesday's crucial Senate vote on their bill eviscerating much of the Obama health care law. The stage was set for high drama, with Sen. John McCain returning to the Capitol to cast his first vote since being diagnosed with brain cancer. No stranger to heroic episodes, the Navy pilot who persevered through five years of captivity during the Vietnam War announced through his office that he would be back in Washington for the critical roll call on beginning debate on the legislation. The 80-year-old has been at home in Arizona since he revealed last week that he's undergoing treatment for brain cancer, but a statement said he "looks forward" to returning for work on health care and other legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., scheduled the initial health care vote for Tuesday. The Republican leadership expects McCain to support taking up the bill, and his mere presence could make it harder for wavering Republicans to cast a vote against even considering the bill. Democrats uniformly oppose the effort to tear down Obama's signature legislative achievement. Republicans control the chamber 52-48, meaning they can afford to lose just two Republicans with McCain around and only one in his absence. Vice President Mike Pence would cast a tie-breaking vote. Trump kept up the pressure on GOP lawmakers, tweeting that "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." At least a dozen GOP senators have openly said they oppose or criticized McConnell's legislation, which he's revised as he's hunted Republican support. While it had long seemed headed toward defeat, Republicans Monday began showing glimmers of optimism. "My mandate from the people of Kentucky is to vote yes, and I certainly intend to do so," McConnell said Monday in what seemed an implicit reminder to his Republican colleagues that they've done the same. As usual, Trump was blunter. "Over and over again, they said, 'Repeal and replace, repeal and replace.' But they can now keep their promise," Trump said in White House remarks Monday. Senators and aides said talks were continuing that might win over enough Republicans to commence debate. The discussions were covering issues including potentially giving states more leeway to use federal funds to help people losing coverage under Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, disabled and nursing home patients. Should Tuesday's vote fail, it would be an unalloyed embarrassment for a party that finally gained control of the White House, Senate and House in January but still fell flat on its promise to uproot Obamacare. Republicans could try returning to the bill later this year if they somehow round up more support. Should the initial motion win, that would prompt 20 hours of debate and countless amendments in a battle likely to last all week. Moderate and conservative Republicans would try reshaping the bill in their direction while Democrats would attempt to force GOP senators to cast difficult votes aimed at haunting them in re-election campaigns. Even then, the measure's ultimate fate still seemed iffy because of GOP divisions. Obama's law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. It's also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers' annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as the healthy. The law has been unpopular with GOP voters and the party has launched numerous attempts to dismantle the statute. All until this year were mere aspirations because Obama vetoed every major one that reached him. Ever since 2010, Republicans have been largely united on scuttling the statute but divided over how to replace it. Those divides sharpened with Trump willing to sign legislation and estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that several GOP bills would cause more than 20 million people to become uninsured by 2026. Polls showing growing popularity for Obama's law and abysmal approval ratings for the GOP effort haven't helped. The House approved its version of the bill in May after several setbacks. It's similar to the Senate measure McConnell unveiled in June after writing it privately. But he's also revised it in his hunt for GOP votes. McConnell's bill would abolish much of Obama's law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has remained opposed to beginning debate on any option McConnell has revealed so far. Conservative Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would vote no unless leaders agreed to an early vote on simply repealing Obama's statute and giving Congress two years to replace it. Conservatives were seeking language letting insurers offer bare-bones policies with low premiums, which would be illegal under Obama's law. Moderates from states whose low-income residents rely heavily on Medicaid were resisting the GOP bill's cuts in that program. By PTI WASHINGTON: American lawmakers have slammed the Trump administration for lacking a "compelling" strategy to fight terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even as a top military commander said that the US will have an "enduring" military and diplomatic presence in the war-torn country. The criticism for the six-month-old administration came as Pakistan and Afghanistan were hit by suicide bombings yesterday in which 52 people died. Many more were injured. The attack in Afghan capital Kabul was claimed by the Taliban, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan said it targeted the provincial capital of Punjab province, Lahore. "Disgraceful we still have no strategy for Afghanistan," said Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who this month visited Pakistan ahead of the Trump administration's review of the Afghan war strategy. Reports have said that the administration could be exploring to harden its approach towards Islamabad over Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in Afghanistan, where the US and NATO troops have been fighting militants for more than 16 years. Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that even after six months in office President Donald Trump has offered "no clear or compelling strategy" to approach the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Republican Congressman Walter B Jones in a tweet released his July 21 letter to Trump, in which he demanded that the US pull out of Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires! We do not want a tombstone to read 'United States of America'," Jones said. Both the White House and the Pentagon have said that no decision has been taken on the Afghan strategy yet. Meanwhile, Gen Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US will not have an artificial timeline to exist Afghanistan. "There's a lot of lessons learnt from our experience over the last decade-and-a-half. One of the things is that when you put artificial timelines on things, they seldom obtain," he said at the Aspen Security Forum on Sunday night. "Any place that we have national interests or vital national interests, we're going to have an enduring diplomatic, an enduring economic, and enduring military presence," he said. Gen Dunford said Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has not made his decision on additional forces in the war-torn country "because he wants to get the greater strategy correct". "The strategic framework looks at the area from New Delhi to Teheran with particular attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "We cannot be successful in Afghanistan unless we have a higher degree of cooperation from Pakistan," he said. WASHINGTON: American lawmakers have slammed the Trump administration for lacking a "compelling" strategy to fight terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even as a top military commander said that the US will have an "enduring" military and diplomatic presence in the war-torn country. The criticism for the six-month-old administration came as Pakistan and Afghanistan were hit by suicide bombings yesterday in which 52 people died. Many more were injured. The attack in Afghan capital Kabul was claimed by the Taliban, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan said it targeted the provincial capital of Punjab province, Lahore. "Disgraceful we still have no strategy for Afghanistan," said Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who this month visited Pakistan ahead of the Trump administration's review of the Afghan war strategy. Reports have said that the administration could be exploring to harden its approach towards Islamabad over Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in Afghanistan, where the US and NATO troops have been fighting militants for more than 16 years. Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that even after six months in office President Donald Trump has offered "no clear or compelling strategy" to approach the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Republican Congressman Walter B Jones in a tweet released his July 21 letter to Trump, in which he demanded that the US pull out of Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires! We do not want a tombstone to read 'United States of America'," Jones said. Both the White House and the Pentagon have said that no decision has been taken on the Afghan strategy yet. Meanwhile, Gen Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US will not have an artificial timeline to exist Afghanistan. "There's a lot of lessons learnt from our experience over the last decade-and-a-half. One of the things is that when you put artificial timelines on things, they seldom obtain," he said at the Aspen Security Forum on Sunday night. "Any place that we have national interests or vital national interests, we're going to have an enduring diplomatic, an enduring economic, and enduring military presence," he said. Gen Dunford said Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has not made his decision on additional forces in the war-torn country "because he wants to get the greater strategy correct". "The strategic framework looks at the area from New Delhi to Teheran with particular attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "We cannot be successful in Afghanistan unless we have a higher degree of cooperation from Pakistan," he said. By PTI ORLANDO: The father of a former Marine says he was notified by the US State Department that his son was killed in Syria while fighting for a Kurdish militia battling the Islamic State group. David Taylor Sr. told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his son David Taylor told only a high school friend about his plans to join the Kurdish group, and he swore his friend to secrecy. Taylor's father says he didn't even know of his son's plans until he had arrived in Syria earlier this year. A Kurdish militia group released a video saying Taylor was killed on July 16. Taylor's high school friend e-mailed Taylor's father after he learned of the death. The friend said Taylor believed the Islamic State group needed to be stopped. ORLANDO: The father of a former Marine says he was notified by the US State Department that his son was killed in Syria while fighting for a Kurdish militia battling the Islamic State group. David Taylor Sr. told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his son David Taylor told only a high school friend about his plans to join the Kurdish group, and he swore his friend to secrecy. Taylor's father says he didn't even know of his son's plans until he had arrived in Syria earlier this year. A Kurdish militia group released a video saying Taylor was killed on July 16. Taylor's high school friend e-mailed Taylor's father after he learned of the death. The friend said Taylor believed the Islamic State group needed to be stopped. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is making progress in breaking the connection between terror masterminds, their facilitators and executors, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Tuesday. Bajwa blamed hostile agencies are using terrorism as a tool, a day after a terror attack in Lahore killed 27 people. "Regional actors and hostile intelligence agencies are fully involved in using terror as policy tool," Bajwa was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. Bajwa also said that cowardly incidents of terrorism cannot lower national resolve to eliminate militancy from its roots in the country. "We are making gains in breaking connectivity between terror masterminds, their facilitators and executors," he said. He said the army fully supports and stands with police and other law enforcement agencies towards the performance of their role as first responders. Bajwa added concurrent blasts at Kabul and Lahore are a testimony to the fact that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are victims of terrorism, and will continue to suffer if these actors are able to use Afghan territory with impunity. At least 26 people were killed and 41 wounded today after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government employees through a Shiite neighbourhood in Afghanistan. He reiterated that Pakistan is ready to help Afghanistan to eliminate terrorist safe havens in their border areas. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is making progress in breaking the connection between terror masterminds, their facilitators and executors, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Tuesday. Bajwa blamed hostile agencies are using terrorism as a tool, a day after a terror attack in Lahore killed 27 people. "Regional actors and hostile intelligence agencies are fully involved in using terror as policy tool," Bajwa was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. Bajwa also said that cowardly incidents of terrorism cannot lower national resolve to eliminate militancy from its roots in the country. "We are making gains in breaking connectivity between terror masterminds, their facilitators and executors," he said. He said the army fully supports and stands with police and other law enforcement agencies towards the performance of their role as first responders. Bajwa added concurrent blasts at Kabul and Lahore are a testimony to the fact that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are victims of terrorism, and will continue to suffer if these actors are able to use Afghan territory with impunity. At least 26 people were killed and 41 wounded today after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government employees through a Shiite neighbourhood in Afghanistan. He reiterated that Pakistan is ready to help Afghanistan to eliminate terrorist safe havens in their border areas. By PTI ROME: Rescuers who went to the aid of a small boat packed with migrants off the coast of Libya said they had discovered 13 bodies including those of pregnant women on Tuesday. "Thirteen corpses in total. People who had names, surnames, mothers, fathers, friends, and lives," said Proactiva Open Arms, a Spanish NGO involved in rescues in the Mediterranean, on Twitter. "We have found 167 people drifting," it said earlier noting that "several pregnant women and mothers" were among an initial toll of 11 dead and that their relatives were on board. A Save The Children ship on Tuesday rescued some 70 migrants who were also attempting to cross in a small boat. The Italian coastguard confirmed the deaths and said worsening weather conditions at sea were likely to dissuade traffickers for now from setting more boats full of people to sail in the Mediterranean. Close to 94,000 people have been brought to safety in Italy so far this year, according to Italy's interior ministry, an increase of over five percent compared to the same period last year. @AlbertoCelia Encontradas ahora 167 personas a la deriva.11 muertos, varias embarazadas y madres entre ellos. Tenemos sus familiares a bordo pic.twitter.com/XwHZU73x3a Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) July 25, 2017 More than 2,370 people have died since January attempting the perilous crossing, the UN refugee agency said. The fresh deaths came as Italy's Interior Minister Marco Minniti was due to meet with NGOs to discuss a new code of conduct to regulate the operations of privately run rescue boats. The 12-point code, which has been given the green-light by Brussels, would ban aid vessels from entering Libyan territorial waters and oblige them to accept anti-trafficking police officers on board. While some of the NGOs operating in the Mediterranean have agreed to sign the code, others have insisted doing so would put the lives of vulnerable migrants at sea in flimsy vessels at risk. Minniti has insisted that those who do not sign the document will not be allowed to dock at Italian ports. Although Italy has repeatedly stressed that it will continue to save lives at sea, Rome has upped its requests for fellow European states to help shoulder the load particularly in terms of providing shelter to those rescued. ROME: Rescuers who went to the aid of a small boat packed with migrants off the coast of Libya said they had discovered 13 bodies including those of pregnant women on Tuesday. "Thirteen corpses in total. People who had names, surnames, mothers, fathers, friends, and lives," said Proactiva Open Arms, a Spanish NGO involved in rescues in the Mediterranean, on Twitter. "We have found 167 people drifting," it said earlier noting that "several pregnant women and mothers" were among an initial toll of 11 dead and that their relatives were on board. A Save The Children ship on Tuesday rescued some 70 migrants who were also attempting to cross in a small boat. The Italian coastguard confirmed the deaths and said worsening weather conditions at sea were likely to dissuade traffickers for now from setting more boats full of people to sail in the Mediterranean. Close to 94,000 people have been brought to safety in Italy so far this year, according to Italy's interior ministry, an increase of over five percent compared to the same period last year. @AlbertoCelia Encontradas ahora 167 personas a la deriva.11 muertos, varias embarazadas y madres entre ellos. Tenemos sus familiares a bordo pic.twitter.com/XwHZU73x3a Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) July 25, 2017 More than 2,370 people have died since January attempting the perilous crossing, the UN refugee agency said. The fresh deaths came as Italy's Interior Minister Marco Minniti was due to meet with NGOs to discuss a new code of conduct to regulate the operations of privately run rescue boats. The 12-point code, which has been given the green-light by Brussels, would ban aid vessels from entering Libyan territorial waters and oblige them to accept anti-trafficking police officers on board. While some of the NGOs operating in the Mediterranean have agreed to sign the code, others have insisted doing so would put the lives of vulnerable migrants at sea in flimsy vessels at risk. Minniti has insisted that those who do not sign the document will not be allowed to dock at Italian ports. Although Italy has repeatedly stressed that it will continue to save lives at sea, Rome has upped its requests for fellow European states to help shoulder the load particularly in terms of providing shelter to those rescued. By PTI WASHINGTON: A US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCN) vessel in the Persian Gulf today after it approached within 150 yards, a US defence official said. "The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots," the defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The incident occurred at about 3:00 am local time (0000 GMT) in the northern Persian Gulf, when the Iranian vessel began to approach the USS Thunderbolt. After the US ship fired the warning shots, the Iranian vessel stopped, the official said, at which point the Thunderbolt continued on her way. The US Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain and oversees the US ship involved, refused to immediately provide additional details. The episode marks the latest in a series of close encounters between US ships and Iranian naval vessels. (AFP) In January, the USS Mahan destroyer fired warning shots at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels that approached at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is a paramilitary force that answers directly to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. The force's boats periodically approach US warships in international waters and the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring US radio messages and giving little indication of their intentions. In January 2016, the Iranians briefly captured the crew of two small US patrol boats that strayed into Iranian waters. The 10 US sailors were released 24 hours later. Today's incident comes as the US Congress votes on a new sanctions bill against Russia. The measure also includes sanctions against Iran and the IRGC navy - which stands accused of supporting terrorism and North Korea, for its missile tests. WASHINGTON: A US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCN) vessel in the Persian Gulf today after it approached within 150 yards, a US defence official said. "The IRGCN boat was coming in at a high rate of speed. It did not respond to any signals, they did not respond to any bridge-to-bridge calls, they felt there was no choice except to fire the warning shots," the defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The incident occurred at about 3:00 am local time (0000 GMT) in the northern Persian Gulf, when the Iranian vessel began to approach the USS Thunderbolt. After the US ship fired the warning shots, the Iranian vessel stopped, the official said, at which point the Thunderbolt continued on her way. The US Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain and oversees the US ship involved, refused to immediately provide additional details. The episode marks the latest in a series of close encounters between US ships and Iranian naval vessels. (AFP) In January, the USS Mahan destroyer fired warning shots at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels that approached at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is a paramilitary force that answers directly to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. The force's boats periodically approach US warships in international waters and the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring US radio messages and giving little indication of their intentions. In January 2016, the Iranians briefly captured the crew of two small US patrol boats that strayed into Iranian waters. The 10 US sailors were released 24 hours later. Today's incident comes as the US Congress votes on a new sanctions bill against Russia. The measure also includes sanctions against Iran and the IRGC navy - which stands accused of supporting terrorism and North Korea, for its missile tests. Reporter Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6). As the number of white residents in a neighborhood declines, noise rises. But noise pollution is inescapable in segregated cities, where noise pollution is worse for everyone, according to the first breakdown of noise exposure along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines in the United States. The study led by the University of California, Berkeley is the first to examine noise pollution nationally through the lens of racial disparities and the extent to which noise is exacerbated by living in segregated cities. The study does not examine how noise pollution is linked to health, but previous studies have shown that noise pollution is linked to acute health problems such as high blood pressure and loss of sleep. "We've known that poor communities and communities of color are likely more exposed to toxic landfills and air pollution, but until now we really have not heard much about noise pollution," said the study's lead author, Joan Casey, a postdoctoral scholar in the Berkeley School of Public Health. "The consistent disparities in noise pollution across domains in our study surprised us." The study will be published July 25 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The research was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Cancer Institute. Casey works in the lab of Berkeley professor and study co-author Rachel Morello-Frosch, whose research has extensively examined racial, ethnic and economic disparities in exposure to environmental pollutants. The scientists used noise data collected by the National Park Service. Noise-monitoring devices across the continental United States recorded 1 million hours of sound over a 13-year period ending in 2013. Based on the data, Berkeley and Harvard University researchers estimated the noise levels in metropolitan areas across the continental U.S. on a neighborhood-scale -- areas with 600 to 1,300 residents, on average. The noise levels used in the study are an estimate of the cumulative amount of noise on an average summer day in a given location. The research does not differentiate between sources of noise pollution, but major sources of noise commonly include industrial activity, traffic, and airports. Noise was quantified by the level that is exceeded in a place 50 percent of the time. For example, a noise level of 50 decibels in a neighborhood means that 50 percent of the time noise in this neighborhood is louder than 50 decibels. Noise is measured logarithmically, so a 3-decibel increase is a doubling of the sound energy. Previous research has shown that for every 5.5-decibel increase in sound energy in a neighborhood, the proportion of residents saying they are really annoyed about noise doubles. "Noise pollution is an in-your-face form of pollution," Casey said. "People are definitely aware even if they are exposed to low levels of noise." The researchers found a strong correlation between noise and race. The researchers looked at how noise levels correlated with the demographics of neighborhoods across the country, focusing on five racial and ethnic groups: Asians, blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and non-Hispanic whites. The study found that noise pollution tends to be higher as the percentage of white residents in a neighborhood declines. On average, as the proportion of residents that were Asian, black or Hispanic rose, noise levels both during the day and during night were higher. For Native Americans, the data showed the inverse, which could be due to the remote locations of Native American reservations. The study found that neighborhoods with at least 75 percent black residents had median night-time noise levels 4 decibels higher than in neighborhoods without any black residents. The difference in noise levels between predominantly white and predominantly black neighborhoods was the largest of all races and ethnicities studied. Neighborhoods with high levels of poverty and low levels education had high levels of noise. One exception was is in urban neighborhoods with a high median annual income, which also had high levels of noise pollution. Another major finding of the study was that white residents in segregated metropolitan areas were exposed to higher levels of noise pollution than white residents in less segregated cities. In other words, if you're a white person living in a more segregated city, you may hear more noise than your white counterparts in a less segregated city. In the least segregated cities, all-white communities were exposed to 38 decibels of nighttime noise on average, compared to 42.5 decibels in the most segregated cities. The study found that racial and ethnic minorities still bore the burden of noise pollution in segregated cities. Within every level of segregation, neighborhoods with high proportions of white residents still had the lowest levels of noise. "In more segregated cities, you see racial disparities regardless of the segregation level of the city," Morello-Frosch said. "But what you also see is that cities that are more segregated have higher noise levels overall for everybody." In more segregated cities, traffic is a large source of noise. Studies of segregation and air pollution have also found that segregated cities have worse air quality overall due to local sources of emissions, such as traffic. The need to drive more in segregated cities could also be contributing to more noise pollution in these cities. "This is yet another study that shows that communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of pollution," Morello-Frosch said. "But I think that the innovative piece about this work is that we also show that social inequality, or segregation, makes things worse for everybody." Did you know that heart disease impacts men and women differently? Research has shown that gender differences exist not only in the way disease affects the heart, but also in the symptoms and the way it is diagnosed. And, in combating this No. 1 killer of women, we must educate women on their individual risk factors and the importance of early diagnosis. Risk Factors You may be familiar with risk factors such as smoking and diabetes, but did you know that women smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack as men who smoke? Diabetes, too, increases the risk of heart disease in women more than it does in men. In addition, women have female-specific issues that increase their overall risk for heart disease later in life such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and chest radiation after breast cancer. Symptoms Women may have different heart symptoms than men and the symptoms of a heart attack in women can be subtle. Both men and women can experience the typical chest pain, pressure or discomfort, but women are somewhat more likely than men to experience more subtle symptoms, such as shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, or extreme fatigue. Diagnosis and Treatment As women, we tend to put our spouses and families first, downplaying or ignoring our own symptoms and delaying talking with our doctors or going to the hospital. This is part of the reason why we're diagnosed and treated later. Women have also been underrepresented in cardiac studies, which have set the standard for diagnosis and treatment. Because of this, we may respond to treatment differently than men. And, unfortunately, female patients also do not do as well after certain heart-related medical procedures and are prescribed medical therapies less often. Taking Charge of Your Health The first step to creating a healthier heart and lifestyle is knowing and understanding your current state of health. That's why we created Heart Care for Women where our mission is to provide better heart care for women, by women. We want to promote awareness of women's heart disease and women's specific needs in heart care. We believe in treating the whole person and promoting wellness through nutrition, activity and the latest advancements in diagnostics and treatment. Heart health means taking care of yourself from the roots up. Aging black men are at much greater risk of dying prematurely of colorectal cancer than any other group in the United States, and are less likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed at an early stage of the disease. Now a new study finds that patients who enrolled for screening through patient navigator programs at local barbershops were twice as likely to get screened for colorectal cancer. The new clinical trial was led by the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health and published recently in the American Journal of Public Health. It is the first, say the authors, to evaluate patient navigation- in which healthcare staff guide patients toward colorectal cancer screening in a timely fashion- in a familiar community setting. Unlike the newly published MISTER B study (the Multi-intervention study to Improve colorectal cancer Screening and To Enhance Risk reduction in Black men), most prior studies of programs that link black men to patient navigators for colon cancer prevention have based themselves at clinics. Specifically, the researchers found that participants who received help from the navigators in MISTER B were twice as likely to get screened as those who did not receive a patient navigator. "Black men are less likely than the general population to be insured and to have a personal doctor, which is why we went beyond the clinic and to the community," said Joseph Ravenell, MD, MPH, the principal investigator of the study and associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone's Center for Healthful Behavior Change. "Barbershops in particular hold special appeal for community-based intervention trials, are popular forums for open conversation, and could be leveraged to lessen the death rate from colorectal cancer in black men." How the MISTER B Study Was Conducted From late 2009 to late 2013, community health workers visited 111 interested barbershops in all five boroughs of New York City and screened 4,025 black male customers or nearby residents aged 50 or older for eligibility based on whether they were up-to-date for colorectal screening. The study then enrolled 731 men in one of three groups. The first group was paired with a patient navigator who helped them address barriers to setting up a colorectal screening. These included a lack of insurance coverage and a lack of knowledge about the need for screening, available options, and screening locations. The second group, which was the control group, received motivational interviewing intervention for blood pressure control by a trained counselor. The third group received both interventions. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Researchers then reviewed health education materials published by the American Cancer Society addressing colorectal cancer screening and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on high blood pressure self-management with all participants. Those randomized to the patient navigation intervention received follow-up phone calls from patient navigators within two weeks and then periodically over the course of six months to help them schedule a colonoscopy, or choose another type of screening for colorectal cancer. Participants who preferred fecal immunochemical test screening were sent a kit and instructions by mail, and received follow-up calls from the navigator to confirm the testing. Six months after enrollment, 17.5 percent of men who were enrolled in the patient navigation arm, and 17.8 percent of men who got both patient navigation and motivational interviewing were screened for colorectal cancer, compared to 8.4 percent of those who got no extra support for colorectal cancer screening. The participants faced several challenges in getting adequate healthcare, according to study findings. Only 60 percent had a personal physician, and only 40 percent had received a checkup within the past year. Many were uninsured and had low health literacy. The median salary was $16,726- an income low enough in New York City to make someone eligible for housing assistance. Almost one-third had less than a high school education, and nearly one-half were unemployed. "Although previous studies have shown that patient navigation improves colorectal cancer screening among ethnic minorities in clinical settings, our study is the first of this scale to look at a community approach," said Helen Cole, DrPH, first author and a former project coordinator at NYU Langone, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques in Barcelona, Spain. "These findings add to the growing body of evidence that healthcare systems should expand their work in trusted community spaces to reach those who might not be seen in a clinical setting." Researchers from Genethon, the AFM-Telethon laboratory, Inserm (UMR 1089, Nantes) and the University of London (Royal Holloway) demonstrated the efficacy of an innovative gene therapy in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Indeed, after injecting microdystrophin (a "shortened" version of the dystrophin gene) via a drug vector, the researchers managed to restore muscle strength and stabilize the clinical symptoms in dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A first. This work, published today in Nature Communications, has been achieved thanks to donations from the French Telethon. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare progressive genetic disorder involving all the muscles of the body, and affects 1 in 5,000 boys. It is the most common neuromuscular disorder in children. It is associated with abnormalities in the DMD gene, which encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for proper muscle function. This gene is one of the largest in our genome (2.3 million base pairs, of which over 11,000 are coding). Because of this size, it is technically impossible to insert the entire DNA for dystrophin into a viral vector (or even the 11,000 coding base pairs alone), as is usually done for gene therapy. To meet this challenge, teams at Genethon developed, in collaboration with a team at Royal Holloway University of London led by Pr. Dickson, and produced, a gene therapy drug combining an AAV-type viral vector with a shortened version of the dystrophin gene (approximately 4,000 base pairs), allowing the production of a functional protein. Dr Le Guiner's team tested this innovative treatment in 12 dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. By injecting this microdystrophin intravenously, and hence into the whole body of the dogs, the researchers observed that dystrophin expression returned to a high level, and muscle function was significantly restored, with stabilisation of the clinical symptoms observed for over 2 years following injection of the drug (see video). No immunosuppressive treatment was administered beforehand, and no side-effects were observed. Some Golden Retrievers develop Duchenne muscular dystrophy naturally. The successful treatment of these dogs, which show the same clinical symptoms as children with this disease, and are of a similar weight, is a decisive step toward developing the same treatment in children. "This preclinical study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of microdystrophin, and makes it possible to consider developing a clinical trial in patients. Indeed, this is the first time that it has been possible to treat the whole body of a large-sized animal with this protein. Moreover, this innovative approach allows treatment of all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, regardless of the genetic mutation responsible," says Caroline Le Guiner, the main author of this study. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today "This is tremendously exciting progress towards a gene therapy for DMD. The studies in GRMD dogs have been spectacular and exceeded our expectations. My team has worked for many years to optimize a gene therapy medicine for DMD, and now the quite outstanding work of colleagues in France, in Genethon, in Nantes and in Paris has taken us close to clinical trials in DMD patients. I pay thanks also to the amazing and steadfast support of this research by AFM-Telethon and MDUK (Muscular Dystrophy UK) which has been essential to this achievement." commented George Dickson. For Frederic Revah, Chief Executive Officer of Genethon: "For the first time, researchers obtained a systemic therapeutic effect on a neuromuscular disease in dogs using microdystrophin, and without immunosuppressive treatment. This highly complex cutting edge technology has been developed as part of an exceptional collaborative effort between Genethon and academic teams from Britain and France. Now our bioproduction experts have the task of producing a sufficient quantity of these new drug vectors, under GMP conditions, for the clinical trial." "This new evidence of the efficacy of gene therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy strengthens the therapeutic arsenal developed (exon skipping, CRISPR Cas-9, pharmacogenetics, etc.), and the first results are there. We need to forge ahead to complete the final phase and transform these scientific advances into drugs for children," emphasises Serge Braun, Scientific Director of AFM-Telethon. Source: AFM-Telethon Honda protege Nobuharu Matsushita will have his first experience of driving a Formula One car when he tests with Sauber in Hungary next week, the Swiss-based team said on Monday. The 23-year-old Japanese is currently a test and development driver with Honda-powered McLaren, focusing on work in the simulator.Sauber is due to switch to Honda power next season, although that deal has been thrown into doubt by recent management changes at the team and reports that no final contract was signed. Matsushita also competes in the Formula Two support series for the ART team, which is run by newly-appointed Sauber principal Frederic Vasseur."I am pleased that Nobuharu has this great opportunity. He deserves the experience of his first test in a Formula One car," said the Frenchman Vasseur in a team statement."Ever since his debut in Formula Two with ART Grand Prix, I have been following his progress closely, and have watched him advance his performance from year to year. "With this Formula One test, he comes one step closer to his dream of becoming an F1 driver one day." Beijing: China on Tuesday accused India of "abusing" trade remedy measures and called for settling trade disputes through consultation. Reacting to India's move to launch an anti-dumping investigation over photovoltaic cells and units imported from the China, Taiwan, and Malaysia, Wang Hejun, head of the Ministry of Commerce's (MOC) trade remedy and investigation bureau, said China is paying close attention to the investigation and hopes India will conduct it in a prudent manner and as per relevant rules. He was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying that India should avoid "abusing" trade remedy measures and hoped the two countries can settle trade disputes through consultation. Wang's comments come ahead of Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to Shanghai to take part in the BRICS trade ministers meeting to be held from August 1-2 to discuss expanding e-commerce cooperation. Wang said adopting restrictive measures for the trade of photovoltaic products would not only harm photovoltaic sector development in India, but also dampen the sector's long-term development worldwide as well as economic and trade cooperation between China and India. All countries should cooperate for the sustainable and healthy development of the photovoltaic sector, which is significant in fighting climate change, rather than resorting to trade remedy measures and disrupting trade orders, Wang was quoted as saying. India's photovoltaic market has witnessed fast expansion, with its photovoltaic power generating capacity growing 3.7 times over the past three years, which has also benefited from China's photovoltaic products with reasonable prices and high quality, Wang said ahead of the BRICS meet aimed at expanding e-commerce cooperation. E-commerce cooperation, such as in the areas of logistics and payments, is developing fast among the five countries, with many of their products gaining traction on the Chinese market, according to Zhang Shaogang, director with the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs with the MOC. Meanwhile, economic and technological cooperation will be included in the agenda for the first time in the trade ministers meeting's history to improve the bloc's capabilities in service trade, e-commerce and other fields, the report said. China imported products worth over USD 70.16 billion from BRICS countries in the first half of 2017, up 33.6 percent year on year, MOC data showed. The Xinhua report, however, did not provide details of China's exports to BRICS countries. During her visit, Sitharaman was also expected to discuss the yawning trade deficit in India-China bilateral trade which has now crossed over USD 50 billion in little over USD 70 billion overall trade between the two countries. As President elect Ram Nath Kovind shifts to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma will finally have his house to himself. Kovind had moved into Sharma's official residence at 10, Akbar Road after being nominated by BJP as its President pick. It is not the first time Sharma has had to shift to accommodate the President of India. He was allocated 10 Rajaji Marg after former President APJ Abdul Kalam's death. The double storey heritage building was however chosen by the outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee as his post retirement abode. So Sharma decided to shift base to the Akbar Road bungalow of former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who returned to Panjim as Goa Chief Minister earlier this year. And just when Sharma thought he had settled down in the Lutyens' Bungalow on Akbar Road, he had to make way for Kovind for almost a month. Sharma is a Lok Sabha MP from Noida whose personal residence on the Delhi-Noida border is just 10 km from Parliament House. So quite naturally, whenever there is an accommodation crunch in the party, one turns to Mahesh Sharma. New Delhi: The central government has admitted that 24 protected monuments in the country have disappeared due to encroachments. Of these perished monuments, 11 are in Uttar Pradesh alone. While replying to a written question in Parliament, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma informed the House that the ministry had spent more than Rs 700 crore in the conservation of centrally protected monuments. Of the 11 encroached monuments in UP, three are in capital Lucknow and two in Varanasi. In Lucknow, squatters from the famous Asafi Imambara have only been removed partially. The procedure of finding untraceable monuments involves verification of old records, revenue maps, referring to published reports, physical inspections and deployment of teams. Over the years, the government has started to make greater use of technology to identify prohibited and regulated areas. Using technology and maps, the government grants permission for constructions with these areas. Earlier, the Archaeological Survey of India had signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation to use satellite imagery to identify such sites. NDRF team moved to Ghatkopar, near Damodar Park, LBS Marg, Mumbai where 04 storey building collapsed. some persons trapped in the debris. NDRF (@NDRFHQ) July 25, 2017 Atleast 10 people died after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Mumbai's suburban Ghatkopar on Tuesday morning.Sources told CNN-News18 that 40 people are still feared trapped under the debris.Four people have been rescued so far, officials told CNN-News18. A National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has now reached the site and are assisting the rescue operation.It is not clear as of yet whether the building was marked as vulnerable and was being watched by the municipal authorities.Several people are feared trapped under the debris of the structure which collapsed in Ghatkopar's Damodar Park area, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) fire brigade department chief P S Rahangdale told PTI.The civic body's control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident, he said.Around eight fire engines, a rescue van and an ambulance have been rushed to the spot, he said."Our rescue team, fire brigade jawans and other senior officials of the BMC have also reached the spot. The rescue work is going on a war-footing," he said.(With PTI inputs) Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday threatened a man in a rally when he aired his grievance against the TDP government. The incident occurred during a public meeting in Nandyala constituency of Kurnool district, where Naidu was highlighting the achievements of his government, including regular power supply in rural areas. He reportedly got upset after a man complained about irregular electricity supply in his area. "You are telling me current is not coming? You don't have eyes, you cannot see or what? said an angry Naidu. He added, Which party are you from? Are you from YSRCP? Who sent you here? What you think you are doing? Are you drunk? I am the CM. You question me in front of my people. If you belong to another party then stay home and dont come to my meetings," he added. This was not all. When another person said he had not received a farm loan waiver, Naidu said, "Are you drunk? I will send collector to your place and verify facts. If it is found that the information is wrong, I will book you." A local TDP leader, however, said that Naidu's statements were blown out of proportion. He said that a group of drunkards were misbehaving at the rally despite repeated pleas by Naidu. Finally, police were called in and most of them were taken away. However, two-three of them were left and they again created a ruckus, the TDP leader said. Naidu again appealed for calm, but when the men did not pay heed, he got angry and gave the men a "stern message," the leader said. Last month, Naidu was criticized when he made similar comments in the same constituency. He had said, "Don't use government services, if you don't vote for TDP. I will not hesitate to ignore those villages that do not vote for us." Naidu has been making similar comments in past as well. In May, during "Mahanadu", the Chief Minister said, "Whoever doesn't vote for TDP should be ashamed. Nandyala constituency is currently undergoing a bypoll after MLA Bhuma Nagireddy died in March. The election has become a prestige battle for Naidu. The opposition, YSRCP, has condemned the TDP leaders, including Naidu, for intimidating voters. The party claims that TDP leaders have been telling voters that they are obliged to vote for them as they walk on roads laid by them and they are getting pensions from them. The leafy campus of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), tucked away on the outskirts of Hyderabad, is deceptive. Students mill around carrying computer science literature and backpacks and faculty members walk towards classrooms. Suddenly, a self-driving robot rounds the corner and trundles towards the robotics department. Sensors on the front, its eyes, scan the road ahead for obstacles while a mounted laptop, its brain, contains code that guides it. The self-driving bot, nicknamed Huskie, is just one of several innovative tech experiments being carried out here. The institute was set up 19 years ago and was the first IIIT. The model was later followed by Ministry of Human Resources Development to promote IT education in the country. The IIIT-H is an important centre for the innovation of new technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, machine translation in Indian languages, and algorithms. In fact, IIIT has two incubators on campus where start-ups are developing technologies which may put Indian IT ahead of the curve and create jobs. The start-up scene is still nascent in India. However, Hyderabad has one of the best ecosystems for start-ups in the country. The city of Nizams boasts of at least 14 business incubators, which handhold and mentor early stage start-ups till their business model becomes self-sustaining and revenue generating. The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is IIITs incubator which is trying to mentor deep tech start-ups in the domains of computer vision, natural languages/speech recognition, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and gaming. Apart from this, the T-Hub, a business incubator promoted by the Telangana government, is also located on campus. Together, the two incubators host around 200 start-ups. Indian ITs traditional model of body shopping and price arbitrage is under pressure like never before. New technologies, like the ones underlined above, are disrupting the business model. IT firms are cutting costs in order to stay competitive, resulting in firings. However, start-ups are the flip side of this story. If layoffs and firings are the unfortunate aspect of a cutthroat business environment, start-ups represent a business opportunity to create new technology. The start-up scene is still nascent in India. Ramesh Loganathan, with 2 decades of experience in the IT industry and who now is a professor at IIIT-H mentoring start-ups, estimates that the city has around 1000-1500 start-ups employing about 30,000 to 40,000 people. The Indian IT industry by contrast employs around 40 lakh people. Our education system kills innovation and creativity, graduates just want to get into a regular job with a big IT firm and be content, Loganathan told News18. Start-ups, on the other hand, are an opportunity for Indian IT to leapfrog the technology curve and create jobs and employment. Other incubators in the city include Srujana, the L.V. Prasad Eye Institutes research centre, which focuses on tech innovations in the ophthalmology space; a Life Sciences incubator being funded by some of the top companies working in that space; a general incubator, health incubator and an electronics incubator at the Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad campus. Rahul Bhatial, a student at IIT, is the co-founder of Dreamview, a start-up which is being incubated at IIITs CIE. Rahul and Rajat, the other co-founder, are developing a high-end VR camera, which can be used on drones and for border security. The start-up is not revenue generating at present, but the founders hope to raise a million dollars by the end of the year. The clients they are talking to include an Israeli drone company. Or take Flatpebble, a start-up founded by 38-year old Venkatesan Seshadri and friends. Venky, as he is called, worked for Microsoft and Infosys for more than a decade before the start-up bug bit him. Microsoft was paying us a lot of money and we were getting comfortable. By the age of 40 you lose all your drive. The option was either move to the US and stick to a corporate routine or take a chance in India, Venky told News18. Flatpebble provides professional wedding photography and allied services. The product is a mobile app that acts as an aggregator. Around 4000 photographers are already registered on what Venky calls the Uber of wedding photography. The start-up has already generated half a million dollars (Rs 3.2 crore) worth of transactions and employs 20 people. P.J. Narayanan, the director of IIIT-H, has a vision about the role of start-ups and technology. Technology should be used to serve the bottom of the pyramid, he said. Although he felt that higher end jobs were opening up and Indian start-ups were well positioned to exploit the opportunity, a lot could be done to develop technology to serve Indian needs. For instance, machine translation in Indian languages is an area where technology could fill a vast gap. If you speak English there are enough tools out there, but the technology to translate to and from Indian languages is still lacking. A person who only speaks Tamil or Telugu or any other Indian language could be served by start-ups that build technology to serve their needs and imagine what an opportunity that would be, Narayanan said. Narayanan cited an example where the Telangana government asked a start-up to create an app that warned people to stay indoors just before a heat wave. New Delhi: A Delhi Police constable was allegedly caught masturbating in front of a female constable in the mess of a police training centre in Jharoda Kalan in south west Delhi. The police said that the accused cop has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against him. Police is also likely to register an FIR against him, sources said. According to the police, the incident took place on Saturday night. The accused was reportedly drunk. He first allegedly touched two women constables inappropriately. The two women asked him to apologise, but he did not. An hour later, he was caught masturbating in front of another woman constable in the mess of the training centre, the cops said. The constable reported him to senior police officials, after which action was taken against him. There have been a series of such cases recently. The latest incident comes just two days after a 32-year-old man was arrested over allegations that he masturbated in front of a German woman in south-east Delhi's Greater Kailash. A week ago, a 22-year-old woman had posted a video on social media of a man who masturbated in front of her and five other women while on a busy train in Mumbai. Last month, a traveller on a Delhi-bound flight was arrested after he allegedly masturbated in front of a female passenger. New Delhi: Diversity is key to India's success, said newly-elected Ram Nath Kovind as he was sworn into office on Tuesday while asking people to build a country that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. After taking oath at the Central Hall of Parliament as President, Kovind said there is need to sculpt an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society. "We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster is relentless. It is appropriate that the land of Lord Buddha should lead the world in its search for peace, tranquility and ecological balance,"he said. "The key to India's success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society," the 71-year-old said. India's 14th president made special mention of women and their role in nation building. Nations, he said, are not built by governments alone and requires national pride. "Each citizen of India is a nation builder. Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are nation builders. "Women who despite responsibilities at home and work raise children to be ideal citizens are nation builders," he said. The new president went on to say that a farmer toiling in the blazing sun to feed fellow citizens is a nation builder as is a scientist concentrating tirelessly to send an Indian space mission to Mars, or invent a vaccine. "(A) nurse or doctor helping the sick to recover and fighting disease in a remote village, is a nation builder. Young person who founds a start-up and becomes a job creator is a nation builder," he added. Soon after taking the oath, Kovind had said he was honoured to be sworn in as the 14th president of India would be carrying out responsibilities "with all humility". (With PTI inputs) With the Doklam standoff between India and China entering its second month, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval travels to Beijing this week for the BRICS NSAs meeting. Will Doval be able to resolve the standoff? What are the five possible scenarios that could play out in the days and weeks ahead, if Doval fails to calm the waters?. SCENARIO 1: Full-blown military conflict. Diplomacy fails. China decides to militarily pushback the Indian troops from Doklam. Would likely result in significant casualties to both sides. Probablity: Unlikely given the stakes involved. SCENARIO 2: Diplomacy works. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval meets with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi & hammers out an honourable solution. Troops of both countries decide to withdraw and China gives an assurance that they will not build a road in Doklam. Probablity: Unlikely given the public posturing taken by China on the issue. SCENARIO 3: Chinese refuse to meet Doval. Stand Off is prolonged till the winter months when the harsh weather will force both sides to retreat & rethink. Probablity: Possible since Xi Jinping cant be seen losing face ahead of the 19th party congress of the CPC. SCENARIO 4: China attacks some other part of the LAC where they are at an advantage. China says the entire LAC is disputed. Probability: Unlikely as this could lead to rapid escalation of the situation. SCENARIO 5: Bhutan does some quiet diplomacy with both Beijing and New Delhi and thrashes out an honourable compromise. Probability: Likely since Bhutan is obsessed with their National Happiness Index. Last thing they want is a war on their soil. Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US election and raised questions, without offering evidence, about Ukrainian support for his Democratic presidential rival. In a pair of early morning tweets, Trump also said US Attorney General Jeff Sessions had "taken a very weak position" toward Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and cited "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - quietly working to boost Clinton'." Trump gave no other details or offered any evidence about any role Ukraine may have played in the 2016 US presidential election, which is already under scrutiny for alleged Russian meddling and any possible ties to the Trump campaign or his associates. The Ukrainian president's spokesman did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The foreign ministry declined comment. Ukraine's permanent representative to the Council of Europe, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Twitter: "Trump writes that we interfered in the elections in the USA, while Putin says that we threaten Russia. There was a time when we were peaceful buckwheat sowers who kept themselves to themselves." Russia has denied any interference, and Trump has said his campaign did not collude with Moscow. The issue has cast a cloud over Trump's first sixth months in office as Congress and the US Department of Justice conduct multiple investigations. US lawmakers are also pushing new sanctions on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for its alleged US election interference, potentially complicating Trump's hopes of pursuing improved relations with Moscow. In the run-up to November's election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation probed Clinton's handling of email as US secretary of state under Democratic President Barack Obama but ultimately said no criminal charges were warranted. New Delhi: National Security Advisor Ajit Dovals visit to China for the BRICS Summit will not result in a bilateral meeting to resolve the current standoff between the two countries in Doklam, a Chinese media report said on Tuesday. As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute, the editorial in the state-run Global Times said. "New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff in accordance with India's will, it added. The daily said that the BRICS National Security Advisers' meeting is a routine conference held in preparation for the BRICS summit, not a platform to address Sino-Indian border skirmishes. Maintaining that China would not yield for talks until New Delhi withdrew troops from the area, it said, India brazenly crossed the Sino-Indian border in the Sikkim sector, and must correct its mistakes. China will neither jeer nor express gratitude for India's retreat. This comes after China on Monday hinted that a bilateral meeting could take place between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and its state councillor Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of a BRICS NSAs meet in Beijing even as the two countries are engaged in a bitter standoff in Doklam. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, during a briefing, hinted at talks between Doval and Yang by saying that he cannot confirm it, but in the past BRICS NSAs meet, the officials have held bilateral meetings. Lus remarks came after Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qianchines asserted that China will safeguard its security interests at "any cost" and said that India should not "harbour any unrealistic illusions". Kolkata: Heavy monsoon has wreaked havoc on West Bengal, killing at least two people and leaving many homeless. A flood-like situation was reported in several parts, particularly in the coastal areas over the past two days. A flood alert has been issued by state government. The water level in some districts, including Kangsabati in West Midnapore, is flowing above the danger mark for the last two days. According to Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), on Monday, Kolkata received more than 83 mm of rainfall till the evening. Heavy rain is likely to persist tomorrow due to low pressure over Gangetic Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand. The situation likely to be worst due to upper air cyclonic circulation in Bengal and in Jharkhand, a source in the Met department said, adding that acute spells of rain or thundershowers were likely until Tuesday. Fishermen in the coastal areas were alerted and asked not to venture into the sea. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday held an emergency meeting and asked the concerned ministry to arrange relief material, including food, drinking water, Milk powder to flood affected people. Special control rooms have been set up at the state secretariat Nabanna and leaves of all officials and employees of the Irrigation Department have been cancelled until October 31. Speaking to media, state irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee said, Situation worsened after Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released 18,000 cusecs of water from its dams following heavy downpour in Jharkhand. We have requested DVC not to release more water as this could lead to more problems. I have asked all district officials to work round the clock to provide relief materials to those affected. Next two days will be crucial and we are fully prepared to tackle any situation. No breach of embankments reported from anywhere in Bengal. We are closely monitoring the water level, he said. In Kolkata and its neighbouring areas, daily commuters had a harrowing time due to waterlogged streets at Ultadanga, Central Avenue, Shyambazar, Garia, Esplanade, Barasat, Lake Town, Behala. Officials of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) installed water pumps in many areas to clear the roads. More than 70 wards in Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly were inundated. Worst affected districts are Hooghly, Burdwan, Birbhum, Nadia, Howrah, South 24-Parganas. There are high chances of high tide. Therefore, all the lock gates had to be closed to restrict river water from entering the city, a source in the state irrigation department said. Lucknow: Now that the presidential elections are over and Ram Nath Kovind has entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan, BJP chief Amit Shah has turned his attention to Uttar Pradesh, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya are once again facing poll battles. Adityanath, who is an MP from Gorakhpur, and Maurya, an MP from Phoolpur, will have to vacate their seats and contest Assembly elections within the next two months if they want to continue in office. The Constitution mandates that they become a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council within six months of assuming office. The buzz in the political corridors, however, is that Maurya may not continue as the deputy CM and will be told to retain his parliamentary seat to block Mayawatis attempts to regain entry to the House. There have been rumblings that she is planning to contest for the seat as a joint candidate of BSP, SP and Congress once Maurya resigns. Instead, he may be given a ministerial berth at the Centre. Sources said that Yogi will resign as MP after Shahs three-day Lucknow visit starting on July 29. Yogi has decided against taking the safer route through the State Legislative Council, like former CMs Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav had done, and will fight MLA elections. The BJP chief will prepare the poll strategy once he reaches Lucknow. Sources in the BJP said he would meet senior state leaders to finalise the seat from where Yogi will contest. Many BJP MLAs have shown their willingness to resign to make way for Yogi. He is likely to choose Gorakhpur city seat, which is held by a close aide. Apart from these two, the BJP is also busy preparing a strategy for the other deputy CM, Dr Dinesh Sharma, as well as minister of state Mohsin Raza and transport minister Dev Singh as they are not a part of any House yet. Sharma is likely to enter the Upper House and has already been declared Leader of the House in the Legislative Council. When questioned, BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi remained tight lipped about the plans. CM Yogi Adityanath and deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya are members of the Lok Sabha. The Constitutional obligation is that they have to become a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council in six months. The party leadership will decide when they would resign and what House they will join, he said. Bengaluru: An aircraft maintenance technician working with Jet Airways was nabbed by sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at the Mangalore International Airport on Tuesday for his involvement in a gold smuggling racket. Authorities said they had received specific inputs that smugglers were concealing gold bars in aircraft toilets to bring them from Gulf countries to Mangalore. The accused, Lalbin Jeen, would board the earmarked plane after it landed on the pretext of some maintenance work and retrieve the gold bars. DRI officials said he would then hand them over to agents of smugglers at some designated place in the city. Based on these intelligence reports, the sleuths mounted surveillance on the accused and kept tabs on his movement on Tuesday. The officers intercepted him once he got down from a Jet Airways flight that had arrived from Dubai. He was caught with two packets of gold weighing roughly 1166.5 gram, with a market value of Rs 34.40 lakh, authorities said. During interrogation, he told the sleuths that he was supposed to hand over the gold to an agent at the city centre mall in the evening and his commission was fixed at Rs 20,000. He has been charged under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. He was as produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangalore, and was remanded to judicial custody. Authorities said that the case has been transferred to law enforcement agencies and a full-fledged investigation is underway to nab the others involved based on the leads provided by Jeen. Jet Airways is fully cooperating with the probe, said officials. Jet Airways said it has suspended Jeen, pending an inquiry, and would take further action as per company policy. Jet Airways has a strict employee Code of Conduct, based on the values and ethos of the airline. The airline has zero tolerance towards any action of its employees wherein integrity has been compromised leading to a loss of confidence, a company spokesperson said. Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued an order making the national song 'Vande Mataram' compulsory in schools, colleges and Government offices in Tamil Nadu. The court said that the director of public information will upload a translated version of the National Song in Tamil and English that will be made available in the Government websites and on social media. It also marked the order to the Chief Secretary of the State who will issue instructions to the concerned authorities. "The National Song Vande Mataram shall be played and sung in all schools/colleges/Universities and other educational institutions atleast once a week (preferably on Monday or Friday). It shall also be played and sung in all Government offices and institutions/private companies/ factories and industries at least once a month," the Court said. However, it added that a person shall not be forced it sing it provided he or she has valid reasons. This order comes after K. Veeramani, the petitioner, moved the High Court and said he failed to clear the written test for the post of BT Assistant as he answered that Vande Mataram was written in Bengali. He further claimed that the song was originally written in Bengali but the Teachers recruitment Board made a mistake in the answer key and he failed to clear the exam because of that. The Government told the court that the song was written in Sanskrit and later translated in Bengali. The Judge then directed the Advocate General to come back with the correct answer to clear the confusion. On July 13, AG clarified that the national song was Sanskrit but written in Bengali language. Following the order, analyst RK Radhakrishnan, Associate Editor, Frontline, said, The increasing instances of court entering and passing orders in the domain of the legislature and the executive is unfortunate and is a cause for concern. Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the Darjeeling unrest. Sources said, after the swearing-in-ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind as the 14th President of India at the Central Hall in New Delhi, PM Modi while leaving the venue noticed Mamata sitting almost in the last row. CM Mamata and PM Modi had a brief conversation; the party insiders claimed that she was advised to meet Rajnath Singh to resolve the Darjeeling issue. Mamata is likely to meet Rajnath in the evening at his house, and the two leaders are expected to find some ways to convince Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung for talks. The West Bengal Chief Minister is also likely to raise the issue of support that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders are allegedly getting from insurgency groups stationed in neighbouring states and countries. Mamata has claimed that violence in the Hills is a deep rooted conspiracy, demanding the Central government look into the matter. On June 18, the GJM leaders found themselves on the back foot after the Union Home Minister appealed to those demanding a separate state for Gorkhaland to maintain peace in the Hills. Then, the statement issued by the MHA stunned the GJM leaders (keeping them in dark about the communique) as many of them felt that instead of issuing a press statement, Singh should have communicated with them directly. Trouble started in Darjeeling after the West Bengal government announced making Bengali a compulsory language in the schools of the region. Tuesday marked the 41st day of the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills. Meanwhile, in a major relief to GJM chief Bimal Gurung and 47 other senior leaders, the City Sessions Court in Kolkata rejected CBIs plea for an arrest warrant against them in the Madan Tamang murder case. During the hearing, chief judicial magistrate Kundan Kumar Kumai rejected the plea in the morning, saying all the 48 accused, including Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha Gurung, Roshan Giri, Binay Tamang, would be able to represent themselves at the hearings through lawyers. The court will next hear a discharged petition moved by the accused on August 1-4. On Monday, CBI had moved a petition, seeking an arrest warrant against them after they failed to appear before the Court as was directed by the Calcutta High Court on 19 July. Madan Tamang, who led the anti-GJM Democratic Front in the Darjeeling Hills, was hacked to death at Laden La Road near the Planters Club in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010. At the time of the incident, he was busy with the preparations for a party rally when a group of alleged GJM activists hacked him to death with Khukri. It was late September in 2006. Pranab Mukherjee, then Defence Minister, had come to Harvard University to deliver a lecture at my invitation. Amartya Sen and I gave him lunch at the Faculty Club. I then gave him a walking tour of Harvard Yard in the afternoon showing him the buildings where Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore had spoken. Early in the evening more than five hundred students assembled in the Forum of Harvards Kennedy School to listen to Pranab Mukherjees lecture. He said he felt like an antique piece among the young students who had gathered to hear him. Yet he was sharper and more alert than his youthful audience as he answered their questions with clarity and force. Occasionally, he would turn to me for the essence of the question and then give a crisp reply. I remember Pranab Mukherjee called for the deployment of soft power in attaining Indias strategic objectives. He recalled Indias historical ties with its neighboring regions. While colonialism disrupted our traditional links, he said, the cold war delayed their restoration. Indias connections with the outside world are now being recovered. On another occasion I was with Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to Singapore as External Affairs Minister. He asked me to accompany him as he paid homage to Netaji and the martyrs of the Azad Hind Fauj at the INA Memorial. He was visibly moved as he did so. Of course, he visited Netaji Research Bureau at Netaji Bhawan on countless occasions. He admired my late father Dr. Sisir Kumar Bose for having preserved the best traditions of Indias freedom movement. In 2011 my book His Majestys Opponent: Subhas Chandra Bose and Indias Struggle against Empire was published. Pranab Mukherjee told me he read the entire book in two nights. He has a great love for history and literature. Pranab Mukherjee was born in Kirnahar village in the Birbhum district of Bengal in 1935 and was educated in history, politics and law at Calcutta University. A top leader of the Indian National Congress, he served five terms in the Rajya Sabha between 1969 and 2004 before being elected to the Lok Sabha from the Jangipur parliamentary constituency in 2004 and 2009. He told me how happy he was to be directly elected by the people. He served with distinction as Indias Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister. He would have been an outstanding Prime Minister. As our Rashtrapati, he protected the values of constitutional morality. Possessing a wealth of experience and insight garnered at the uppermost echelons of Indian politics, this son of rural Bengal has served as a distinguished statesman on the global stage. We need him to continue to be the voice of conscience in India today. (Sugata Bose is a Gardiner Professor of History at Harvard University and MP, Lok Sabha. Views are personal) After his resounding victory in the Presidential Elections 2017, NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind has been sworn-in as Indias 14th President by Chief Justice of India JS Khekar. Kovind was accompanied by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. During the elections, Kovind received 65.6% of the valid votes, against former Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar, the presidential candidate of the Opposition who received 34.35% of the total votes. Kovind received 2,930 votes (From MPs and MLAs) amounting to electoral college votes of 7,02,044 as compared to 1,844 votes with a value of 3,67,314 votes for Meira Kumar. Stay tuned for live updates: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. Srinagar: Authorities on Tuesday imposed restrictions in parts of the city in view of a strike called by separatist groups against the arrest of seven separatist leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). However, the strike call evoked a mixed response. Restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in five police station areas of Srinagar, officials said. They said the restrictions were in force in police station areas of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal. The officials said the curbs were imposed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident in view of the strike called by the separatists. The separatists, chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, o Monday called for a strike against the arrest of seven separatists. In a joint statement, the trio condemned the arrests and asked people to observe a complete strike on Tuesday. However, the strike evoked a mixed response in the Valley as shops and other business establishments were open in few areas of Srinagar and shut in other areas, officials said. They said public transport was also plying in some areas of the city. The officials said similar reports were received from other district headquarters of the Valley. Inter-district transport was also plying on some routes, they said. Government offices and banks functioned normally, the officials said. Private educational institutions were shut due to the strike. New Delhi: Three years ago around this time of the year, Harjit Masih, one of the 40 kidnapped Indians in Mosul, came back home after escaping ISIS custody to tell a tragic tale. He claimed that the 39 other Indian labourers in Islamic State's captivity had been killed. It is this claim that the Government of India, more specifically, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been refuting since 2014. Sources have been claiming that there is no evidence to suggest that the Indians kidnapped by the extremist group in Iraq's second biggest city were dead. With failed attempts to trace the missing Indians and with reports of the Badush jail, where the Government of India had claimed they were being held, destroyed, Sushma Swaraj will try to set records straight in Parliament on Tuesday. She is expected to make a statement amidst an opposition demanding a privilege motion for misleading Parliament and the distraught families of those missing. Since 10th July, when Mosul was liberated, activities with regards to tracing their whereabouts has gone up. MoS External Affairs VK Singh was sent to Erbil, Iraq within four days to bring back the Indians or at least gather more information. Meanwhile, even as Singh was unable to get any confirmation of their exact location, Sushma Swaraj once again met with the families, largely from Punjab, to assure them that the 39 were alive. She also met her Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim Al-Eshaiker Al-Jafari in New Delhi on Monday. Though the Ministry of External Affairs divulged no details of what transpired at the meeting, it is believed that apart from other bilateral issues the matter of the 39 missing Indians figured prominently. While interacting with the media briefly the Iraqi foreign minister said, "We don't know whether they are dead or alive. We are equally concerned." Last year, while replying to a pointed query by Congress' Ambika Soni as to whether the Government could get any specific inputs about the fate of these Indians, the government had replied, "Since the abduction of the Indian workers by ISIS in Iraq in June 2014, the Government of India has been actively following up the case of their release and safe return in coordination with the relevant agencies and is making effort and taking all necessary steps to secure their release." The Ministry of External Affairs would want to make it clear that at no stage in the three years has it got an indication from Iraqi authorities and other countries it sought help from claimed that the Indians could have met with a tragic fate. It is this that the government is yet again expected to convey to the Parliament. There are reports that suggest these 39 could have been taken to Syria after the fall of the ISIS in Mosul. All eyes will be on Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday as she clarifies and gives information that her ministry has been able to gather over the fortnight to the Parliament. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has found that controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has underworld connections. During its investigation into Naiks funding, NIA found that he had huge business interests with underworld and mafia-supported builders in India and the Middle-East. It was found that Naik had made huge investments with mafia-supported builder Parvez Khan. Khan has major interests in real estate in Dubai and investigations revealed that he is a front for underworld don Chhota Rajan in the region. According to the agency, Naik had first invested huge money in 226 villas in a project named Pacific City in Dubai. Later, the entire project was taken over by Zakir Naik and renamed as Peace City. The investigation found that Naik invested in many real estate projects with Khan in Mumbai & Pune as well. Naik was also found to have invested a large amount of money to build a commercial residential project on the Haji Ismail Haji Alana Sanatorium. The details of the entire investigation has been shared with Enforcement Directorate by the NIA. ED has already registered a case against Naik under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Apart from this, Naik has been found to have several large investments in Mumbai and surrounding areas in Maharashtra. The NIA probe also found that before the crackdown, Naik also sent a large amount of money to the country using a circuitous route. From his Emirates Bank account in Dubai, Naik used to transfer funds to his Union Bank NRI account in Mumbai. From there, the money was sent to a NRO account in Union Bank. The said amount was further transferred as gift in the name of his father, the late Abdul Karin Naik, and mother Roshan Naik. Later, it was shown as loan given to Naila Noorani, who in return, transferred the amount to Harmony Media Pvt. Ltd and Long Last Construction Pvt. Ltd. In all, Naik transferred 52.5 Lakhs UAE Dirham from his Emirates account to Union Bank of India NRI account in seven instalments (Rs 7.5 lakh each instalment) in a period of one and a half years. Naiks passport has already been revoked by Ministry of External Affairs on the request of NIA. These days, in the land of waltz maestro Johann Straus, there are different "Tales from the Vienna Woods" as this Austrian capital opens its arms wider every passing year to the LGBT community, which otherwise faces slurs and indignity in many places in the world. "We love to promote openness, have huge respect for tolerance, freedom and an instinct for equal rights for everyone," said a diminutive but assertive Matthias, a 30-something resident. Waiting for a tram to take her to her aunt's place in the city's ninth district, she said that she, like "any other Austrian of my age", is proud of the "tight embrace the nation gives to gays and lesbians". "What is wrong with it ?" she asked apparently noticing the somewhat amused expression on my face. The question was a supplementary to the one on the gay scene in India. As I told her that India largely remained a homophobic country, she suggested I have a look at the gay hangouts in and around Vienna to "feel and smell the freedom". I decide to take the suggestion seriously and take a peek into an alternative world and lifestyle. Other than escort services and gay dating websites, there is much in the city in terms of both variety and quality. To begin with are the fitness centres where only gays are allowed. Be it the Linz Hafenstrabe, the Linz Leonding or the Happy For Premium, they offer enough to keep the LGBT community in shape. Then, the Kaiserbruendi sauna is hugely popular with both locals and tourists. There are several cafes near the Naschmarket where one can sip some great Austrian coffee and also cuddle up, unmindful of unwanted gazes. For instance, Cafe Savoy, with its gigantic mirrors, a traditional Viennese coffee house dating to imperial times, attracts a lot of people from the gay community. Fett+Zucker, which opened in the summer of 2011, has become a permanent fixture on the scene. This small espresso bar in the second district also offers outstanding cakes, with vegan and gluten- and lactose-free options. Among the restaurants, Motto, Sixta and Santo Spirito stand out for varied reasons. The Motto is perhaps the ultimate hotspot in Vienna where everyone who is anyone meets for a drink in the stylised but very comfortable bar. Sixta, a restaurant in the fifth district, combines rustic charm with modern accents. Santo Spirito stands out for classical music, red silk, long hours, good food, and a mixed clientele. Located in a small side street right near St. Stephen's Cathedral, it enjoys great popularity among gays and lesbians and so does Cafe Willendorf in the centre of Vienna, while the Turkis Rosa Lila Villa is the heart of the gay and lesbian scene focused on the Naschmarkt. Among the bars popular with LGBTs are the Village bar, Felixx and Kisss bar, which serves not only drinks but also food, ranging from carpaccio to Kasnudeln (Carinthian cheese pasta) and the Kisss burger. To round off the journey, there are also dozens of gay-friendly hotels dotting the city where one can let one's hair down without bothering about peering eyes or questions on orientation. Gay icon Conchita, known for her women's attire and beard, has inspired a lot of people from all over the world to come to Austria and "immerse themselves in the gay abandon here", explained Isabella Rauter, an official with the Vienna Tourist Board. To that end, nobody is complaining. (Mohit Dubey was in Austria on the invitation of the Vienna Tourist Board. He can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in) Thank you CBFC Revising Committee.#InduSarkar has been cleared with few cuts.Happy & relieved..see you in cinemas this Friday, 28th July. pic.twitter.com/NVtRsnsprS Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) July 24, 2017 Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar's upcoming film Indu Sarkar, which earlier ran into trouble with the censor board, has been cleared by the revising committee with few cuts.The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the director for 14 cuts in his political drama "Indu Sarkar", which is set against the backdrop of Emergency, following which he approached the revising committee.Bhandarkar said he is relieved that his film will release this Friday."Thank you CBFC Revising Committee. #InduSarkar has been cleared with few cuts. Happy & relieved.. see you in cinemas this Friday, 28th July," he tweeted.The film stars Kirti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anupam Kher and Tota Roy Chowdhury in lead roles. Indu Sarkar has drawn the ire of the Congress party right from its trailer release. Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam had penned a letter to CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani, asking for the movie to be screened for them before it is censored.Meanwhile, Bhandarkar has made it clear that he has "no agenda to promote any specific political ideology" through the film Mumbai: Actor- filmmaker Shreyas Talpade says he wanted the Ghayal star Sunny Deol to play a role in Poster Boys to add credibility to the film, which has a "little sensitive subject". Poster Boys is the official remake of Shreyas's production venture in Marathi Poshter Boyz, based on three characters who find their pictures on a vasectomy poster. Asked about choosing Sunny to play one of the characters, Shreyas told media on Monday: "I wanted Sunny sir to play the role because it adds credibility to the film. It's a little sensitive subject, and Sunny being a part of the film adds the credibility that it isn't an unpleasant or cheap film and it's a family entertainer." Shreyas was speaking at the trailer launch of his directorial "Poster Boys" here. The launch was attended by Sunny, Bobby Deol, Dharmendra, and Sonali Kulkarni. "The script is very interesting and when it's a great idea, the actor just wants to grab it. It gave me an opportunity to do something which I wouldn't have done otherwise," said Sunny, known for playing action roles. Bobby, who is playing one of the lead characters, spoke about the dialect he had to use for the film. He said: "It was a big challenge to speak in pure Hindi. Shreyas and I did a lot of workshops together. It was amazing how Shreyas knew everyone's dialogues. I wanted him to say my dialogues too. It was a difficult task, but also it was a lot of fun and exciting." Sneha Rajani, President, and Head, Sony Pictures Networks Productions, one of the producers of the film, said Shreyas was not ready to make the film without Sunny and Bobby. "When Shreyas first told me he wants Sunny and Bobby to play these characters, I asked him if he was joking. He said, 'No, I am not making this film without them.' Absolutely wonderful casting." "I was told to watch the Marathi film, and the impact it had on me was tremendous. I immediately got in touch with Shreyas. I just had to be a part of the film. It's such a wonderful film," added Rajani. Dharmendra was so impressed with the trailer of "Poster Boys" that he said Shreyas should start working on its sequel. "I had heard that the Marathi film was a big hit. But after watching this trailer, I can say that this will be a bigger hit than the original. I think 'Poster Boys 2' should also come out. Shreyas should start working on a sequel," Dharmendra said. Poster Boys is scheduled to release on September 8. The judicial remand period of actor Dileep, who is accused in Kerala actress abduction and assault case, has been extended till August 8 by the Angamaly court. Since the police cited security issues in getting Dileep in person to the court, he was present via a video conference. For the unversed, special public prosecutor A Sureshan had earlier stated that each of his public appearances had witnessed a huge gathering of people. It was precisely due to the growing threat to Dileeps security that the proceedings were executed via video conferencing. The Kerala High Court had recently denied the bail plea claiming there is possibility for Dileep to influence the witness. While refusing to give him bail in the case of alleged abduction and molestation of the actress, the court also mentioned that the case is unique due to its seriousness, meticulous planning, cruel nature of execution and it being a crime executed to wreak vengeance on a woman by engaging criminals to sexually abuse her. The popular actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in Ernakulam on February 17 while she was on her way back from a shooting location. A group of men who stopped her car after a chase, sexually assaulted her in the moving vehicle for a couple of hours. They also allegedly took pictures and videos and blackmailed her before dropping her off by the roadside. Six people, including 'Pulsar' Suni, were arrested in the case and police were investigating their links with the Malayalam film industry. Dileep, who has played several lead roles and was hailed for his comic timing, was at one time a distant third to the big two of Malayalam cinema, Mohanlal and Mammootty. He has acted in over 130 films, with some of the slapstick comedies like Meesa Madhavan and CID Moosa going on to become big hits. The high-profile case had rocked Mollywood, with all actors, including from the Hindi film industry, questioning the safety of women in the state. Thiruvananthapuram: Troubles for Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala just doesn't seem to be getting over. Police have now arrested National Secretary of BJP's Minority Morcha Aslam Gurukkal on charges of attempt to kidnap, criminal tresspassing and threatening a businessman in Malappuram. Jaleel Thottathil, Malappuram DYSP told reporters that "a gang of seven who entered the premises of Rabiullah, a businessman in Malappuram and demanded to see him. The businessman was under treatment and they tried to threaten the people in the house with pistols. The public gathered and informed the police. Police apprehended all seven assailants including Gurukkal and remanded them in judicial custody. In another case, state sleuths have registered a case of cheating against M P Rajan, BJP'S zonal secretary. Rajan is accused of taking Rs 1.5 lakh, promising a job in military services. Complainant Ashwath said that Rajan took the cash in two instalments in July 2016 and February 2017. A case has been registered under sections 420 and 406 of the IPC for cheating and criminal breach of trust. The police have initiated a probe into these allegations. These two are now part of a string of corruption cases that have rocked the state BJP in the last one month. The first case to hit media headlines pertained to allegations of bribes being paid to one of state unit leaders for to get Medical Council of India (MCI) approval for a private college. In a major embarrassment to the party, report of a committee formed by the state president to look into the allegations of MCI scandal was leaked to the media. There were also reports of an enquiry related to the election expenditure by BJP candidates in Kerala. In the shadow of these allegations, State President Kummanam Rajkashekaran has written an emotional letter to party workers. He said that the incident, referring to corruption allegations against Vinod, was not of corruption by the party but of an individual trying to use the party name and that they have taken a strong action immediately. He asked the workers to take a pledge not to betray the organisation for individual interests and enmity. Rajashekaran has also criticised the CPM and Congress saying that many of their leaders are corrupt and have also been found guilty by many agencies. "Those who are spreading fake news can only be seen as the enemy of the party," he said, reminding workers of internal unity at this time. Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka is doing what BJP does best. It is setting the agenda, challenging its adversary in its own constituency. And it is forcing BJP to react. Over the past one week, election-bound Karnataka has been debating and discussing whether Veerashaiva-Lingayats are a separate religion unto themselves. There have been demands from a section of the community that Lingayats like Sikhs be recognised as a separate group altogether. The debate was triggered by none other than Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who gave rather cryptic assurances in public meetings in Bidar and Bijapur. The CM said he was ready to recommend Veerashaivism a separate religion status, if there was consensus in the community. On Tuesday, his Cabinet colleagues decided to take it a step further five Ministers who are influential members of the community have decided they will tour different districts to build this consensus. "The Veerashaivas are not a caste... we are a religion. In the 12th century, Basava and his disciples gave us a strong culture, a strong philosophy...of a casteless society, of equality to all, including women; about avoiding superstitions. It is a world religion, like Buddhism, Christianity, Jains. Like Hinduism," says MB Patil, Water Resources Minister and an influential Minister from the community in Bijapur. The sudden debate over the birth of a new religion has rattled the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that is headed by a Lingayat strongman B S Yeddyurappa himself, and boasts of a large number of MLAs and MPs from the community. A jittery BJP smells an attempt to split its traditional vote-bank in north Karnataka. "We are very much a part of Hinduism," Yeddyurappa told a public rally, accusing the Congress of divisive politics. "The Lingayat community will stand united and there is no question of seeking separate religion status," he asserted. A statement that's been brushed aside by the Congress: "One set of people cannot tolerate the philosophy of Basaveshwara. Now there is RSS. They don't want Lingayats to go out of Hinduism for their own sake...for their designs, we cannot sacrifice our demand Yeddyurappa is controlled by the RSS. They are not wholesale representatives of all Lingayats. Nobody has given them the power of attorney of Lingayat community...is the community in his (Yeddyurappa's) pocket? The issue is of Lingayat Dharma (faith), not of Congress and BJP," says Minister Patil. He further says that those who oppose the idea are those who don't give Saint Basaveshwara (12th century social reformer) his due, they don't believe in equality of all, they don't believe in a casteless society or women's empowerment thus openly daring the BJP to shun away from these preachings of Basavanna. That, barring the one statement from Yeddyurappa, other Lingayat leaders of the BJP like former CM Jagadish Shettar from the Hubli-Dharwad region are shying away from talking about this shows they are caught unawares unsure of their next move; unsure of antagonizing their community. "We have to take the opinion of all our religious heads (heads of different religious mutts). There is no urgency in this, it is not going to happen tomorrow," he says, adding that Siddaramaiah is out to divide-and-rule (a feature, some political analysts snigger, is a page off the BJPs book). Doubtless, it is the Union Home Ministry that would have to declare any such religious status or identity ultimately in fact, a resolution by the Veerashaiva Mahasabha had gone to the Centre when Congress' Sushil Kumar Shinde was Home Minister and it has been on the back-burner ever since. There was a move in the 1990s to have a separate category for Veerashaivism as a different religion during Census surveys but not many had subscribed to this at the time. And political analysts refuse to believe that the suddenly-renewed demand is as innocent and apolitical as the Congress makes it out to be. "There is a game-plan to it first, the flag issue, then the Ambedkar conference, now a new religion. All these are political exercises to eat into the vote-bank of the BJP where there appears to be a consolidation of Lingayat votes in their favour as of now," says political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastri. It may not be that all Lingayat votes will go to the Congress but it would at least split the votes such that BJP would lose this caste advantage in some places. The Congress whose primary vote-bank has been that of SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities is trying to reach out to the dominant Lingayat community to widen its base but cutting into BJPs citadel, Shastri says. It could also be to avenge the BJPs in-roads into the Dalit vote-bank Yeddyurappa, for instance, has spent at least half his time in Dalit colonies during every tour he has taken up. "They are trying to bring about a social coalition that would favour them," Shastri argues, adding that the Congress's gambit could well backfire the Lingayat community has, hitherto, strongly been conservative and identified itself with Hindu traditions, culture and rituals. The community then could consolidate further behind the BJP as members may feel attempts are being made to break them away a new religion would, after all, make them a 'minority' status. New Delhi: The transition of power, from President Pranab Mukherjee to President Ram Nath Kovind, is now complete with Kovind taking oath on Tuesday morning as the 14th President of India. As Mukherjee moved out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan for Kovind to move in, the official Twitter handle of the President of India @RashtrapatiBhvn has now been handed over to Kovind and his team. Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjees tweets have been archived with the Twitter handle @POI13. Mahima Kaul, Twitters Head of Public Policy, wrote in a blog post, What's happening in India and around the world, happens on Twitter. Today, we are paving the way for the digital transition of the President of Indias official account. A smooth transition between administrations is one of President Pranab Mukherjees top priorities, and digital is a key pillar in todays Internet age. The new President Ram Nath Kovind will now use the official President of India account @RashtrapatiBhvn. As President Pranab Mukherjee is the 13th President of India, his official Twitter account history will be archived with the handle @POI13. Kovinds first tweet from the official handle read, Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind. Meanwhile, Mukherjees last tweet is also displayed on the Twitter handle @POI13, Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Shri Ram Nath Kovind on being elected as the 14th President of India #PresidentMukherjee. The transition of Twitter handles in India is line with many other democracies of the world. When Donald Trump took oath as the 45th President of the United States, he took over the official Twitter handle @POTUS, in addition to his personal handle @realDonaldTrump. Meanwhile, Barack Obamas tweets were archived under the handle @POTUS44. Mukherjee's verified personal Twitter account is @CitiznMukherjee. Kolkata: Amid the ongoing unrest in the Hills in West Bengal, the Centre on Tuesday clarified that there is no proposal to form any committee on Gorkhaland. In a written reply to Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia's question in the Lower House of the Parliament, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir categorically said, "There is no proposal to appoint a committee to look into the merits and demerits of the demands of Gorkhas, Advasis and others. The question does not arise." He said, "The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) called for an indefinite strike in Darjeeling hills with effect from June 12, 2017 demanding separate state of Gorkhaland. Violence and damage to public property has been reported during the agitations. As per the VII Schedule to the Constitution of India, 'Public Order' and 'Police' are state subjects. The state government concerned is primarily responsible for maintenance of law and order...CAPFs battalions have been provided to the Government of West Bengal for maintenance of law and order in the Darjeeling Hill area," he added. The statement issued by Ahir could anger the Morcha leaders who are adamant for a separate state. The Morcha leaders apparently had a tacit understanding with BJP, that their demand for a separate state would be met, and worked to ensure the victory of BJP's Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia in the last Lok Sabha election in 2014. GJM leaders are unwilling to talk on this issue right now. They said that they will issue a press statement soon after discussing the matter with senior GJM leaders Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri. "If required we will ask our MP to clear this confusion. We are with the BJP only because of Gorkhaland and our demand needs to be fulfilled," a GJM leader said. Parliament proceedings may be interrupted again on Tuesday as the opposition plans to step up its attack on the government. On Monday, six Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for five days on the ground of highly unbecoming conduct after they tore up official papers and threw them on the Speaker during a protest over lynchings. Stay tuned for live updates Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday requested Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to revoke the suspension of six Congress MPs, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, suspended on the disciplinary ground on Monday. Roys statement came days after TMC Chief Mamata Banerjees tried to out to Congress, saying, "Sonia Ji (Sonia Gandhi), Bengal is with you." Calling for a grand alliance to oust BJP from power, she announced that Bengal is with Soniaji, and roared to launch BJP Bharat Chhoro abhiyan from August 9 to August 30. Roy said, Today is a very important day in the country. The new President has taken the oath. Your kindness is on test here. Mallikarjun Kharge has already said that you are a kind-hearted lady and it is your intention to run the House properly. Nobody says that throwing papers at the Speaker is approvable. You have taken action as per Rule 374 (A); there is a provision in this rule which mandates that even after MPs have been named and suspended for five days, the decision can be withdrawn at any time. He said, I appeal to you and request you to please reconsider your decision. These young people may have been carried away by emotion and done something. The House is with you, we want you to run the House. I will also request Mr Ananth Kumar (Parliamentary Affairs Minister) to come forward and move the Motion for revoking the suspension. We are celebrating the swearing-in of a new President; we must show that we are broad-hearted and have the power to accommodate, so that the House can henceforth run peacefully. On Monday, six Congress MPs - Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and MK Raghavan - were suspended for causing disturbance in the house by storming the Well and tearing and throwing paper, demanding to speak on the growing incidents of mob lynching by cow vigilantes in India. Meanwhile, state Congress leaders claimed that the TMCs sudden romance with the Congress is purely a political move considering BJPs huge popularity in India and keeping the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in mind. We dont trust Mamata. She is doing this for her political gains. Congress leaders should not fall in to TMCs trap, otherwise the state Congress will be divided, a senior Congress leader in Kolkata said. Ever since BJP managed to make its firm foot in Bengal and in other parts of the country, Mamata is desperate for a grand alliance to take on BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. New Delhi: The turmoil in the Bihar government refuses to die down. In a subtle hint at his growing discomfort with alliance partner RJD, chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday, said everyone could see whats happening in Patna. The alliance between RJD and JDU is for everyone to see and figure out, he told News18. Sources close to the chief minister pointed out that the CM was increasingly unsure about the alliance, especially in the backdrop of the recent meetings held by Tejaswi Yadav with Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi. The alliance breaking up is a matter of time. For now, they are just going with the flow. It may not stick around for long, the source added. CNN-News18 had, on Monday, reported that Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, whom the CBI has booked in a land graft case, amid bickering in Mahagathbandhan met Congress President Sonia Gandhi. This came just two days after Nitish Kumar met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday. Fissures in the Bihar Mahagathbandhan came to the fore after the CBI booked Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi in a corruption case. Lalu has been accused of influencing the awarding of an IRCTC tender when he was the railway minister in 2005 and accepting prime land in return. The land was allegedly transferred to Tejashwi and Rabri via a shell company. The Congress third member of the alliance has been playing peacemaker in the standoff between Bihars two major parties. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has another speculation added to its list of specifications. Ming-Chi Kuo, a known analyst, has claimed that the smartphone will come with a 3x optical zoom powered by its dual camera setup. The dual camera setup will be somewhat on the lines of that incorporated in the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, with a wide-angle sensor and a telephoto lens. Ming Chi Kuo has predicted that the wide-angle lens will carry a 13-megapixel resolution while the telephoto lens will be based on a 12-megapixel sensor and both the lenses will support Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). He also claims that the camera will be manufactured by Samsung itself.As we can decipher from all the speculations till date, the Galaxy Note 8 will sport a similar infinity display as in the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphone and will maintain an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. With a 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy Note 8 will be powered by an Exynos 8895 chipset, a piece of information that Samsung leaked on its official twitter handle. Another variant will house the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. Two variants of the Galaxy Note 8 with a 6GB and an 8GB RAM have been mentioned by earlier reports. Coupled with this will be a 64GB and a 128GB internal storage option respectively (expandable). The Samsung phablet will reportedly come with a 3300 mAh battery, an S Pen and will support DeX. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 may be available in Black, Blue, Gold and Grey colour options.The device is rumoured to be Samsungs costliest launch in the smartphone category till date. It is set for a late August launch. Sony India today announced its flagship lineup of OLED TVs - the new A1 series that offers 4K clarity and is coupled with image processor and display device technologies. A1 series comes with Acoustic Woofers and Sony claims it to be the worlds first large screen TV producing sound from the screen itself. The indigenous innovation consists of subwoofers and actuators.The new Sony A1 Series OLED TVs carry over 8 million self-illuminating, individually controlled OLED pixels. Sony has also developed a new Acoustic Surface Technology which can emanate sound directly from the screen itself. An integrated subwoofer behind the TV provides bass while the two actuators behind the TV vibrate the screen to create sound. This is aimed at allowing a unification of picture and sound unattainable by conventional TVs. The Acoustic Surface Technology allows the design of the A1 series to be different than the conventional speakers usually located around the TV, resulting in a stand-less form factor.The One Slate concept is an approach that condenses the TV into a single slate and aims to eliminate extraneous elements from the TV design. One Slate mould has the OLED display technology incorporating all the different functions within the screen itself thereby eliminating the need for distinct elements like speakers, a bezel, or a stand.Sonys 4K HDR claims to incorporate the latest detail enhancement and noise reduction technology. The newly developed 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme has 40 percent more real-time image processing than the 4K Processor X1. The X1 Extreme precisely controls the number of pixels and extends the capability of OLED to deliver a 4K HDR picture.Sony A1 OLED TV uses 4K X-Reality PRO with Sonys algorithm of reality creation database for any content, such as TV broadcasts, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video and digital photos. The new A1 series runs on the latest Android TV version 7.0 (Nougat) with Sonys exclusive user interface. It comes with built-in Chromecast to transfer content from smartphone or tablet to the TV.The Sony A1 OLED TV offers voice recognition to enable users to interact with the TV in 42 different languages. It displays Sonys exclusive content bar that can be customised by customers by marking channels in their respective genre for easy browsing.The Sony A1 series also houses a TRILUMINOS Display that claims to have a wider palette of colours and more natural shades and hues. A TRILUMINOS Display aims at reproducing reds, greens and blues colours that are notoriously difficult for TVs to display accurately. The new A1 series will additionally support Dolby Vision for HDR format and an expandable memory to let users connect an external USB drive to add more space for apps and content.Sony A1 Series OLED TVs will be available starting August 4, priced at Rs 3,64,900 for 139 cm (55) KD-55A1 variant and Rs 4,64,900 for 164 cm (65) KD-65A1 option. Sony has put up a pre-booking offer on the new Sony OLED TVs that will entitle customers to a Sony PlayStation 4. The offer is valid from August 1 to 15, 2017 from select dealers. Fresno, California: A teenage driver lost control of her car while she was livestreaming on Instagram and recorded part of the crash that authorities say killed her younger sister in California. After a gap in the livestream, the driver is seen leaning over the body of the girl, trying to shake her awake and saying she was sorry. She continued to record the livestream of her dying sister, but did not immediately call for help or dial for emergency services, authorities said. She was taken into custody on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving drunk in connection with the fatal crash She said she expected to spend the rest of her life in prison but doesn't care. This is the last thing I wanted to happen, OK? ... Rest in peace, sweetie, the teen says. If you don't survive, I'm so (expletive) sorry. Authorities say Obdulia Sanchez, 18, was driving the car Friday when it veered onto the shoulder of a road about 120.7 kilometers northwest of Fresno. She overcorrected, causing the vehicle to swerve and overturn into a field, ejecting her sister, the California Highway Patrol said on Monday. Jacqueline Sanchez, 14, of Stockton died in the crash, Merced County sheriff Vern Warnke said. Another girl, also 14, was in the backseat and survived with a leg injury. The driver was wearing a seatbelt but not the two girls, the CHP said. The teenagers' father, Nicandro Sanchez, told Fresno television station KFSN he has seen the video and that he believes the crash was an accident. Its an accident, Nicandro Sanchez said. It happened that way. Who knows why? He said he hasnt spoken to Obdulia but he believes she knowns she did something wrong but doesn't know what happened. "What I think is she knows she's done something wrong. Because she knows, and that's what I feel. She feels bad for herself, but she killed her own sister, he said. Nicandro Sanchez said Obdulia had a difficult childhood and graduated from high school last year. She was in the custody of Child Protective Services the past two years, he added. Obdulia Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter and remained in jail with bail set at $300,000. The livestream was recorded on Instagram and posted on Facebook by someone who had seen it. Stockton resident Mary Hernandez said she saw the video there and reposted it. People need to know these things can happen, Hernandez said, adding that she had gotten a range of responses from anger to gratitude. I mean no disrespect to their family for posting it, she said. Hernandez said she knew about Obdulia Sanchez through social media, but they never met in person. Rob Carroll, a chief deputy in the Merced County District Attorney's Office, said he had not yet seen the video. But he expects it will be a key piece of evidence. "Drinking, driving and driving erratically obviously those are poor choices," Carroll said. Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the funeral of Jacqueline Sanchez. The page says she was planning to celebrate her 15th birthday known as a quincenera on Sunday. Her parents, however, told the television station Jacqueline was going to be confirmed in a Catholic church. Neither Obdulia Sanchez nor an attorney representing her could be reached for comment. She is expected to make her first court appearance on Wednesday. London: A 19-year-old Indian-origin Muslim woman was kidnapped, raped and murdered in the UK in a suspected honour killing for dating an Arab Muslim, a media report said on Tuesday. The deceased was allegedly kidnapped with the other woman, bound and gagged and taken to an address in Kingston-upon-Thames in south west London where they were raped and she was killed on Wednesday, a UK court has heard. The body was found inside a 1.5 million pound home after the other woman in her 20s who had her throat slit alerted police from a hospital, The Mirror reported. A post-mortem examination carried out on Friday gave the cause of death as an incised wound to the neck. The deceased was an aspiring make-up artist and a blog from a school media project described her as having worked in the make-up department of a thriller film. Mujahid Arshid, 33, appeared in Wimbledon Magistrates' Court charged with the murder, rape and kidnap of the woman. He is further charged with the rape, attempted murder and kidnap of the second woman. He appeared alongside his co-defendant, Vincent Tappu, 28, who is charged with the kidnap of both women. "The deceased was involved in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and the family members didn't approve of this relationship because they are Indian Muslims," said prosecutor Binita Roscoe. Two men in balaclavas entered the property on July 19, the prosecutor said. "Her face and mouth were covered in duct tape. Her hands were tied with cable tie. She believes a sock was placed in her mouth. She had heard the deceased who was in the shower screaming," she told the court. "The deceased was brought down tied up. They were bound in dust sheets and placed in a vehicle." District Judge James Henderson remanded Tappu and Arshid in custody. Arshid will appear at the Old Bailey on July 28. Both men are due to appear at the same court on August 21. Warsaw: Polish President Andrzej Duda unexpectedly announced on Monday he would veto two of three judicial reform bills passed by parliament that have triggered nationwide protests and raised EU and US concerns about a politicisation of the courts. Duda, an ally of the ruling right-wing, eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party, said while he agreed with the government on the need for an overhaul of the judiciary, the proposed measures were not in line with the constitution. Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, clearly disappointed, said her government would not "yield to pressure" to drop the reforms but did not say how it would now proceed. PiS lacks a big enough parliamentary majority to overturn Duda's veto. "I use the right of veto because (the proposals) require changes to ensure they conform with the constitution," Duda said in a televised address to the nation, adding that he would shortly present his own proposals. His action appeared to catch the government off guard, while drawing only a cautious response from Brussels. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's most powerful politician though without a government post, made no public comment on the veto. The overhaul of the judiciary, coupled with a drive by PiS to expand its powers in other areas, including control of media, has provoked a crisis in relations with the European Union and sparked one of the biggest political conflicts since Poland overthrew communism in 1989. Many Poles view the judiciary as corrupt and dominated by communist-era ways of thinking, while others see the government's reform efforts as a power grab that will undermine Polish democracy. For days, tens of thousands of protesters have held candlelit vigils in cities including Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan, demanding that Duda veto the reforms. Protests continued on Monday outside the PiS headquarters and Duda's office in Warsaw. "A FAIR POLAND" In her own televised national address on Monday evening, Szydlo said: "We all want to live in a fair Poland, this is why the reform of the courts is needed... Today's veto by the president has slowed down work on the reform." The government would not "yield to pressure from the street and from abroad", she added. Under the vetoed reforms, all current Supreme Court judges would have been immediately removed except those approved by the justice minister, who is also the prosecutor general. They would also have given parliament the right to name most of the members of the National Council of the Judiciary, which would nominate future candidates for the president to appoint to the Supreme Court. "Reform in this form will not increase the sense of security and justice ... Change has to be made in a way that doesn't separate society and state," Duda said in announcing his veto. He later held talks with Szydlo and the speakers of the two houses of parliament. The opposition and most legal experts say the changes would violate the Polish constitution. The government says the courts currently serve only the "elites" and rejects suggestions that Poland is heading towards authoritarian rule. The European Commission last Wednesday gave Poland a week to shelve the reforms, which Brussels says would put courts under direct government control. On Monday it reserved judgment on Duda's move pending a discussion at its next meeting, on Wednesday. But Germany's foreign office minister Michael Roth welcomed the veto and said he hoped Warsaw would completely ditch the reforms. Polish opposition groups urged Duda also to reject a third bill which gives the justice minister the right to dismiss the heads of lower courts. The president signalled that he would approve this law. The government would need a three-fifths parliamentary majority with at least half of all legislators present to overturn Duda's veto - something PiS and its coalition partners are unlikely to be able to muster. The state news agency PAP quoted the speaker of the upper house, the Senate, as saying there might be an additional sitting of parliament next week. Anna Materska, a political scientist at the University of Warsaw, said Duda's decision to distance himself from a flagship PiS policy after previously appearing closely aligned to the party could mark a political watershed. "What happened required courage, but the president was backed against the wall and had no other option. This is a key moment in the events of the latest months, maybe even years." Duda, 45, won the presidency in 2015 with the firm backing of Kaczynski, months before PiS also swept back to power in a parliamentary election on pledges to help poorer Poles and to protect national interests more vigorously in the EU and beyond. Last week Poland's latest bout of political turbulence helped to push its currency, the zloty, to three-month lows against the euro. Foreign investors welcomed Duda's veto on Monday by pushing the zloty up about 0.5 percent. Montreal: Two men, including one who has 25 wives and 146 children, were convicted of polygamy Monday in a landmark ruling that upheld Canada's longstanding ban on the practice. Winston Blackmore and James Marion Oler, who has five wives, face up to five years in prison after being found guilty in the first real test of the country's polygamy law, enacted 127 years ago. Three special prosecutors had been appointed over the past two decades to consider bringing charges against the pair, but they backed down over concerns that the law prohibiting polygamy violated Canadians' constitutional right to religious freedom. Those fears were assuaged in 2011 when British Columbia province's Supreme Court ruled in a reference case that the inherent harms of polygamy justified putting limits on religious freedoms, clearing the way for charges to be filed against Blackmore and Oler three years later. Judge Sheri Ann Donegan of the British Columbia Supreme Court noted in her ruling that the main defendant, Blackmore, did not deny his polygamy. "His adherence to the practices and beliefs of the FLDS is not in dispute," she said. The two men are senior figures in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamist religious sect that broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. The sect has been based for nearly 60 years in the remote, mountainous region of British Columbia near the US border where the community grows, raises or hunts its own food and runs a barter economy. Washington: Frustration is mounting among leading foreign policy officials in President Donald Trump's administration as they chafe at some policy and bureaucratic defeats and complain they lack independence to do their jobs, officials say. The clash between internationalists urging the traditional U.S. leadership role in the world and advocates of an "America First" approach has worn down foreign policy and intelligence professionals inside the government, according to the officials. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told friends he will be lucky to last a year in his job, according to a friend, while two officials said national security adviser H.R. McMaster was frustrated by what he sees as disorganization and indiscipline on key policy issues inside the White House. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Tillerson was "very upset at not having autonomy, independence and control over his own department and the ability to do the job the way the job ... is traditionally done." The source said he had heard nothing about any possible departure, but added: "The situation doesn't seem to be getting any better, and in some respects appears to be getting worse." R.C. Hammond, Tillerson's spokesman, denied Tillerson was considering leaving or that his frustrations were boiling over, saying he had "plenty of reasons to stay on the job, and all of them are important to America." "There's a desperate need for American leadership in the world and that's where the secretary's focussing his attention," he said. Tillerson scored a policy win last week when the administration certified, albeit reluctantly, that Iran was complying with the 2015 nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to restrain its atomic programme in exchange for sanctions relief. He was upset, however, by fierce internal criticism from Trump, as well as his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and White House aide Sebastian Gorka, over the decision, said another U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The secretary does not feel that White House staff members should be in a position to conduct hostile cross-(examinations) of Cabinet officials," the official said. Hammond disputed the account of harsh discord between Trump and Tillerson regarding recertifying the Iran nuclear deal, saying: "I don't buy this whole thing that there are tensions. Developing public policy is about vetting out ideas," he said. Following last month's move by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to boycott Qatar, which they accuse of financing extremist groups and supporting terrorism, Tillerson publicly asked the nations to ease their blockade, and put the onus on both sides to end the crisis. Less than 90 minutes later, Trump accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism and suggested he had helped plan the Qatar action with Arab leaders. "As a government we offered some confusing signals, but weve since been able to clear up and clarify that," Hammond said. Politico reported last month that Tillerson was furious with Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing proposed nominees to key State Department posts. 'DISRUPTIVE FIGURE' Senior national security officials said McMaster was dismayed that his recommendations, backed by his senior director for Russia, Fiona Hill, about taking a tough stance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been ignored. Trump has questioned the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to try to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. McMaster, a three-star Army general who once praised Trump as a "disruptive" figure, is also troubled by a protracted debate about sending more U.S. forces to help Afghanistan reverse gains by the Taliban, officials familiar with the matter told Reuters. Asked to respond to the characterisations of the views of McMaster and other officials, a White House official said: "Assertions not of fact but of state of mind in internal thought have no place in a story like this." While circumspect, Tillerson talked about the challenges of his new job earlier this month, telling reporters that it differed from his former role as chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp , where "I was the ultimate decision-maker. That always makes life easier." "I knew what to expect and we had very long-standing disciplined processes and decision-making," he said. "Those are not the characteristics of the United States government." Emily Emanuel has never shied away from the spotlight. Since she started acting at the age of 5, the young thespian has become a staple in the local theater community, and her continued work recently took her all the way to New York City. Ive always thought she had something special, but when somebody thats completely unaffiliated with us or anything around here [notices], its just really cool, says her mother Megan Emanuel, who teaches and directs theater at Brookville High School. Emily, now 10, made her Lynchburg stage debut in Brookvilles 2012 production of Annie. I was an orphan, says Emily, who is entering fifth grade at Tomahawk Elementary School. At the beginning, we all lay in bed and I remember the lead orphans would have their lines and they would say, Goodnight, Annie. And even though I wasnt a lead orphan, I would say, Goodnight, Annie. Emily continued acting in local productions and at theater camp while also taking dance lessons at Forest Dance Academy before landing her first professional role, playing young Cosette in the 2013 production of Les Miserables for Liberty Universitys Alluvion Stage Company. I remember thinking, Wow, Michelle Velastegui, artistic director of Masterworx Theater, says of the performance. ... I think that was the very first time that I sat in that audience thinking, That little girl is going to be a star. Since then, Emily has maintained a busy acting schedule while also making straight As, participating in Girl Scouts and singing in her church and school choir. She has appeared in a commercial for Liberty University Online, played the narrator in Alluvions production of Beauty and the Beast and acted in four productions with Masterworx. She is an extremely talented little ball of energy, filled with gifts and talents beyond most adults capabilities, says Velastegui. Emily is that student, as young as she is, who meshes with adults, teams and kids alike. Though she is a child, she takes her work very seriously. You can give her a task on set, onstage, a directive, and its usually taken the first time. She takes it that seriously. I wish sometimes my adults would take it that seriously. Last year, Emily starred in Fitzgerald, an LU senior film project short, and won best actress at the schools Cinematic Arts Student Showcase. While she has now worked in both film and theater, the young thespian says her true passion lies on the stage. I like live theater better because its all right there and then, and youre in the moment and theres no right or wrong, she says. What happens happens, and you cant keep filming and filming and [do] retakes. It cant be perfect, and thats what I love about it. You always just have to do your best. Emilys talents were noticed in 2016 when the Virginia Theatre Association brought the iTheatrics Junior Theatre Festival to Lynchburg for a one-day workshop at Virginia Episcopal School. After watching Emily perform with the Brookville Youth Theatre group, iTheatrics resident choreographer Steven G. Kennedy offered her a spot in one of his choreography instruction DVDs, which was filmed in New York last month. iTheatrics hosts a very large festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and another one in Sacramento, where I hold huge auditions. This year, I saw well over 850 students, Kennedy says. Thats traditionally where I do most of the auditions, but I also have the ability to choose students that I see throughout the year. Its not very regular. ... She auditioned in a different way. I did get to see her perform and actually, that is sometimes even a better way of identifying talent because we get to see what that end result is. Emily, the youngest of the participants, learned, perfected and performed several entire dance routines in just three days for the DVD of Disneys Aladdin Kids. Kennedy, who did not actually choreograph the routines since Disney has its own team, says Emily was a fan-favorite, and he will cast her again next summer for the shoots. Now that shes back in Lynchburg, Emily says she will continue to act and has her eyes on a lofty goal Broadway though she also is considering becoming a veterinarian. And those in the local theater community believe that she could take her talent all the way. There's no question in my mind that I'll be watching her from the audience one day on that Broadway stage, Velastegui says. She is 100 percent committed in character, in heart and in soul. Campbell County law enforcement is investigating a vehicle reported stolen from a neighborhood near Wards Road on Sunday. The Campbell County Sheriffs Office said in a news release a 2015 Honda Pilot was stolen Sunday morning from the Russell Springs subdivision in the northern end of the county near Wards Road. The vehicle is described as dark gray with a luggage rack and nerf bars, bearing Virginia license plate XCC-5987. The vehicle has a Salt Life sticker on the top of the back window and a turtle sticker in the back bottom corner of the back passenger window, the release states. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Campbell County Sheriffs Office at (434) 332-9580. As Lynchburg City Schools Interim Superintendent, Larry Massie earns $14,699 per month. According to a copy of his contract acquired by The News & Advance, his overall package will include a $2,452 monthly housing allowance but does not offer health or retirement benefits. According to his contract, Massie, of Henrico, is a part-time employee who will work 30 hours per week. Massie stepped in as interim superintendent July 1 following the departure of former Superintendent Scott Brabrand in June. The $14,699 figure in his current contract is up from Massies previous stint as LCS interim superintendent from August 2011 to April 2012, when he earned $12,000 per month. According to a copy of his contract from 2011-12, Massie did not receive a housing allowance during that time. Michael Nilles, LCS school board chairman, said the salary negotiated with Massie was based roughly on what Brabrand earned with the school division. Brabrand, who left to lead Fairfax County Public Schools, earned a base salary of $178,449 at LCS. In his new role, Brabrand received a significant salary boost when he became the superintendent of Fairfax County, seeing a $112,000 annual pay increase, with a base salary of $290,000 per year. Brabrands increase comes with the move to a much larger school division. Fairfax County dwarfs LCS, with 187,479 students in nearly 200 schools, compared to 8,500 in 17 schools, according to Virginia Department of Education numbers from the 2016-17 school year. According to the FCPS website, it is the 10th largest school division in the U.S. and the third largest employer in Virginia with 24,600 full-time staff and a $2.7 billion dollar budget. With Massie under contract until Dec. 31, a search is on to find a new superintendent for LCS. Nilles said the school division has been in contact with search firms and received proposals. We are gathering some additional information from a couple of firms in particular to help us make a final selection. We hope we can get something decided in the next couple of weeks, Nilles said. Nilles said he could not discuss whether the school board has been in contact with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the firm that matched LCS with Brabrand in a 2011 superintendent search. Brabrand served from April 2012 through June 2017 before moving on to Fairfax County. Nilles said a closed school board meeting Tuesday night was held to gather more information and answer board members questions on the upcoming search process. He anticipated a public update on the superintendent search to come at the school board meeting either Aug. 1 or 15. Its a little slow at this point, with summer and people being on vacation, but I think were making reasonable progress, Nilles said, adding it had been a month-and-a-half since Brabrand left. Nilles said he was unsure of what the new superintendent might earn, but the salary would be negotiated. Nationally, six-figure salaries are common for superintendents, with a median salary of $139,470, according to the American Association of School Administrators 2016 Salary and Benefits Study. The study also found salaries increase in accordance with enrollment growth, with superintendents in large school divisions earning more money than peers in smaller systems. The Virginia School Board Association typically lists superintendent openings online, but a review of its website showed no ongoing superintendent searches being conducted with the help of VSBA. A number of non-VSBA led searches still listed online have been filled, but VSBA Executive Director Gina Patterson noted via email Alexandria City also currently is conducting a superintendent search. Similarly, Richmond City Schools is conducting a superintendent search. A little context is critical here. It would be too easy to dismiss Donald Trumps Commission on Electoral Integrity as superfluous evidence of the intellectual erosion of the Republican Party. As a Twitter observer who styles himself LOLGOP quipped last week when the commission held its first meeting: All the evidence in the world wont get the GOP to accept climate change but no evidence is necessary to stop black people from voting. And yes, the hypocrisy is staggering. Scientific consensus, Miami Beach flooding, record heat and a chunk of ice the size of Delaware breaking off the Antarctic ice shelf are not enough to convince President Dumpster Fire and his party to get serious about climate change. Meantime, a few dubious anecdotes of voting irregularities get us a presidential commission furrowing its brows over a problem that does not exist. But the truth is, hypocritical is the least bad thing this is. Which brings us back to context. Consider, for instance, the rise over the last 10 years of photo ID laws, putatively designed to keep ineligible people from voting. Never mind that this happens only slightly more frequently than Darth Vader dances the Macarena. Never mind, too, the alarms raised by observers who point out that poor people are less likely to have or be readily able to obtain such IDs. Further context is found in the Supreme Courts 2013 evisceration of the Voting Rights Act. The VRA, enacted to fight the systematic denial of the ballot to African-American voters, required states that had engaged in this practice to get federal permission before changing their election laws. The Republican appointees on the court united to strike this provision down. Still more context: the ongoing resistance in Republican states like Florida, Kentucky, and Iowa to allowing ex-felons to vote. Mind you, having once served time does not exempt you from a duty to pay taxes, but in many places, it does rob you of the right to have a say in how those taxes are spent. It is no mystery who these and other restrictions are designed to hurt. After all, the populations most likely to be affected, including African Americans and the poor, are those most likely to vote for Democrats. But if deductive reasoning is not enough to sway you, theres also the fact that a Republican is occasionally impolitic enough to admit the chicanery outright. As in a party official from North Carolina who bragged in 2013 that the states photo ID law would keep lazy blacks and others from voting. The law is going to kick the Democrats in the butt, Don Yelton told The Daily Show. In a sense, you cant fault Republicans for this. The GOP is built on appealing to the anger and resentment of older, straight, white, Christian voters. What do you expect the party to do when faced with a rising electorate of rainbow colors, ages, religious philosophies, and sexual identities? Change? Broaden? Be serious. It is only mildly hyperbolic to describe what is happening here as a soft coup the theft of legitimate power by illegitimate means. The GOP has inflicted calculated violence on a core American creed that says we all have a voice and all our voices deserve to be heard. Apparently, thats something Republicans no longer believe. And this new panel cannot help but have a chilling effect on non-GOP voters precisely what it is intended to do. Too bad the party is not serious about ferreting out threats to the integrity of our elections. It would not have to look far. Pitts is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Miami Herald. Email him at lpitts@miamiherald.com. Restore the vote to ex-felons Why shouldnt ex-felons vote? Yes, they committed a crime. But they also did their time. Is it then our objective to keep them on the sidelines the rest of their lives? Can they never fully rejoin society because they made one or even several mistakes many years ago? Many of us have family members who have made a mistake and who now live decent lives but can never vote again. How and why did this law develop? In 1902, many white politicians resented the Reconstruction of the South by the North after the Civil War and the fact that blacks were guaranteed the right to vote. After the Civil War, black voting became such a force that the South fielded several black congressmen. Many whites hated the idea of blacks in office, and they looked for creative ways to limit blacks from voting. In the South, white politicians authored Jim Crow laws that lasted until the Civil Rights era. Another strategy was to utilize the fact that white police officers and courts prosecuted black men more aggressively than white men. Because a higher percentage of blacks had felony convictions, politicians realized they could use that fact to limit a black persons ability to vote. Lynchburgs own Carter Glass helped to change the Virginia constitution to prevent felons from ever voting again so as to eliminate the darkie as a political factor. (He actually said this at the 1902 Virginia Constitutional Convention. He also famously stated that the purpose of the convention was to achieve the elimination of every Negro who can be gotten rid of, legally, without materially impairing the strength of the white electorate.) White politicians loved the idea and, as a result, felons still do not have the right to vote to this day. Isnt it about time for this racist law to come to an end? One wonders why it is that Republican lawmakers criticize Gov. Terry McAuliffe for restoring the right to vote for many ex-felons. And one also wonders why the rank and file of our own Republican Party would endorse a policy that is so obviously unChristian and racist. If an unjust law was started for racist motives and perpetuated for purely political ends then shouldnt all fair minded people desire to see it repealed? Please let your representatives know if you would like to see this unjust law taken off the books. ROBERT DEAL Forest Learn about our city I was fortunate to be one of 25 members of the 14th Lynchburg Citizens Academy this spring. The academy opportunity allows our residents to visit the branches of our city government and to interact with employees one evening each week for twelve weeks in different locations. What was consistent throughout the program was the dedication of those who work for Lynchburg in their jobs and their desire to make the city a good place to live. Although I have been a step-on guide in Lynchburg for 15 years, I found there was still much to learn about the services in our city. I would encourage those who may feel negatively about our community to apply for the academy next year. It is a great chance to become more informed. Thank you, Lynchburg, for offering this learning experience to our citizens. It is a program that is now replicated in other Virginia communities. MARY KATHRYN MCINTOSH Lynchburg Theres hope, America Three cheers for Kathleen Parker on her July 17 column, Donald Trumps unique gift to America. She is spot on. My husband and I have always been politically conscious, but now, like so many, we are addicts. Prior to the election, we never turned the TV on until it was time for the nightly news. Lately, we often sit together in the afternoon and watch CNN. I actually have a stiff neck from shaking my head so much. To keep our sanity, we record The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. When I finished reading Parkers column suggesting Trump may be responsible for unifying the country, I actually felt a visceral reaction. I tingled. I felt joyous inside. Yes. There is hope! JOY BASHORE Forest Fact-checking the fact-checkers In answer to the Washington Post fact-checking article in The News & Advance on July 23, I find it odd, when fact-checking them, they havent done very well with the truth. Theyve had to rescind a few articles. Before, during and after the election, the mainstream media got everything wrong! Hillary Clinton up by 11 points really? Social media got everything cautiously right. Internal polling gave President Trump a 2 percent lead with a higher percentage in the swing states. Now, let me see. Which media should I trust? Am I going to have to fact-check The News & Advance now? President Trump is working to make America a better, safer place. He works long, hard hours and takes no salary. He does this with his supporters backing him (and some Republicans in Congress). Everybody else is hammering him. It seems hes not going to take it lying down. Hes fighting back, and the left is not used to that. They dont quite know what to do but be disparaging. I read this somewhere and it mirrors my feelings. I paraphrase. A list of those I trust in Washington, D.C.: 1. President Donald Trump. The end. BRENDA ROBERTS Forest Diatonic performs in Taiwan The event was held at the Dong-Shan River Chin Shui Park and the Circle Stage. TT was joined by over 15 countries and the host in a celebration of the worlds cultural heritage through folk music and dance. Among the participating nations were Kyrgyz Republic, Indonesia, Hungry, the Philippines, Japan, USA, Mexico, Croatia, South Africa, Poland, El Salvador, Australia, Russia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Korea and Czech Republic. The festival ran from June 29 to July 21. Diatonics performances included some limbo dancing. Diatonic has also entered into an agreement with the Taiwan Ministry of Culture to conduct workshops and establish a steelband in Taiwan. Diatonic performed at the Folkmoot USA International Festival in North Carolina last year. In 2011 the band also formed the Wesleyan University Steelband Ensemble and the Indiana Community Band when it made a five-city tour of Indiana USA. On that tour the band was treated like royalty as the governor of Indiana proclaimed the tour week as Pan Appreciation Week and the mayor of Indianapolis gave Diatonic a certificate of appreciation. Formed six years ago, Diatonic Pan Institute is a non-profit, non governmental organisation (NGO), community- based group with it sights set on taking the national instrument to the world. The visit to Taiwan was as a result of one of three invitations the band received coming out of its trip to North Carolina last year. FEAR OF $B FLOP Continued support is not sustainable or in the interest of taxpayers particularly now that shareholders of CLF have signalled that they wish to take control of the company, said Finance Ministrys permanent secretary Vishnu Dhanpaul in his affidavit in support of the winding up petition, which is expected to be heard today before Justice Kevin Ramcharan in the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain. According to Dhanpaul, the proposed plan by shareholders, which has been given the moniker Project Rebirth, is highly optimistic and speculative and carries with it execution risks. Dhanpaul said Project Rebirth does not provide any protection or controls should elements of the proposed plan fail. According to the plan to regain control of the company and repay its creditors, CLF proposes to fully repay the outstanding claim of $19.3 billion, with the proposed settlement comprising of 92 percent cash and eight percent real estate. To generate the cash to repay government, Project Rebirth proposes to restructure CLICO, carry out a phased liquidation of Clico Investment Bank and effect the transfer of CLF cash and HCL land assets. As part of the proposed settlement, which has been rejected by Government, CLF agreed to not pursue claims for alleged value loss arising out of the sale of Methanol Holdings Trinidad Ltd (MTHL). BATTLE FOR THE BOARD Governments decision to file the winding up petition was based on (A): Moves by shareholders to regain control of the company and (B): To recoup a $15 billion debt still owed by the conglomerate to the State. As the principal creditor - by virtue of the $23 billion bailouts of CLF and its subsidiaries in 2009 - Government has the majority of directors on the board. CLF shareholders want to change this and have requisitioned a meeting of the board to appoint two additional directors. This meeting takes place at 3.30 pm today at the Queens Park Oval, St Clair. In its letter to Government, CLF shareholders have said no to any new shareholders agreement and are adamant Government has no right to be part of the conglomerates board and management or exercise any management control of CLF or its subsidiaries. Dhanpaul said should shareholders seek to remove, replace or appoint additional directors unilaterally, Government will treat this as an act of hostility. Government fears a repeat of pre-2009, which saw the collapse of one of the countrys largest insurance firms, CLFs subsidiary Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO). That collapse caused ripples across the region and Caribbean governments have been knocking on Governments door in recent times. WHO IS CORRECT? While shareholders maintain that the company is solvent and worth billions in assets, Dhanpauls affidavit suggests otherwise. In his affidavit, Dhanpaul pointed to significant and continuing intra group exposures in CLF, which he said, reflects a mismatch of assets and liabilities with implications for liquidity, earning capacity and overall solvency of the company. He also noted that excessive related- party transactions and high inter-company balances also carry significant contagion risks. The presence of this factor was one of the key reasons for the collapse of the CLF group in 2009, he noted. He said an evaluation by auditing firm Ernst and Young pointed to CLFs insolvency and inability to repay debts. Dhanpaul said the companys level of insolvency still pose a systemic risk to the countrys financial system and is unlikely to recover to satisfactory levels. Dhanpaul said a number of assets, worth billions belonging to CLF, have been sold already to repay the debts of its subsidiaries and creditors and none of the proceeds were used to repay the Government. Total loans amounted to $1.1 billion. He also pointed to the actions of a member of CLFs management team, whom he said, contracted an international auditing firm to come up with the restructuring plan without the authorisation of the Government-controlled board and failed to report it to the board. The senior CLF official also caused to facilitate the write off of inter-company debt without board approval and caused dividends from Angostura to be transferred to CLF without prior notification to the board, Dhanpaul said. Government is committed to seeking the recovery of taxpayers money by realising the Governments claim expeditiously, Dhanpaul emphasised. JUDGE GIVES REASONS Also expected to be heard today is the States appeal of Justice Ramcharans refusal to grant the application for a provisional liquidator will be heard, half an hour later in the Court of Appeal. In providing his reasons for refusing the States application, Justice Ramcharan said the application was premature as the State could not prove, at the time, that if the constitution of the board was to change, it would be to the detriment of CLFs creditors, including the Government which is demanding its $15 billion owed. Based on the disclosed assets of CLF, I am not of the view that not appointing joint provisional liquidators would significantly impact the availability of assets to creditors, he said in his reasons which were provided yesterday. According to Justice Ramcharan, a brief perusal of the operating profit and loss statement of CLF for 2017 to date shows that up to April 2017, CLF has been operating at an average loss of $900,000 per month. Not an excessive amount in the courts view, he noted. Ramcharan also pointed out that there was evidence, on paper, that the shareholders of CLF were intent on repaying the companys creditors. The petitioner may hold the view that the manner in which they intend to do so may cause risk to the companys assets, however, so sufficient evidence was not produced to the court to illustrate how this risk was so severe as to engage the drastic measure of appointing provisional liquidators, he added. In any event if the boards composition is altered and in the view of the petition the board is about the act in a way detrimental to the companys creditors nothing preventing them from approaching the court again, he added, noting also that it was common ground among the parties that CLF has been insolvent since at least 2009. NOT ALL EVIDENCE IN He also made a preliminary finding that it was highly likely that the order for the winding up of the company would be made based on the evidence presented in support of the petition, but noted that things may change when all the evidence is in. In 2009, the then Patrick Manning administration agreed to a bail out of CLFs cashstrapped subsidiary CLICO and saw the insurance giant and many of CLFs subsidiaries going under the control of the Central Bank. As a condition of the bail-out, CLFs shareholders agreement with the Government, the Government had the power to select four members including the chairman to CLFs seven member board. The agreement was renewed 17 times by the shareholders until they refused to agree to a further extension in February, this year. The shareholders then made the move to change the composition based on the Governments refusal to consider a proposal for them to retake control of the company and renegotiate their debt repayment plan made in December last year. If the shareholders are successful in having their directors appointed to the CLF board, they would control majority interest with five members while the Government would remain with its original four board members. They have also indicated a willingness to pay back taxpayers. No One Will Ever Smash Stuff Quite Like He Did Nasdaq jumps to all-time high Boeing falls on possible delay in 777X certification NEW YORK: The Nasdaq jumped to an all-time high on Monday, supported by tech-related stocks amid fears over a spike in Covid-19 cases across Asia, while investors awaited data on the US labour market in the week. Stay-at-home winners including Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Nvidia Corp were among the biggest boosts to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. In contrast, reopening sectors dropped sharply - financials, energy and airlines fell between 1.2% and 3.5%. All major S&P sectors fell, except technology and utilities which gained 1.1% and 0.8%. The S&P 500 on Friday logged its best weekly performance in 20 following a bipartisan agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending deal and waning concerns about a sooner -than-expected policy tightening from the Federal Reserve. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit a series of record highs last week. But the tech-heavy Nasdaqs 5% gain is outpacing its peers in June as investors pile back into tech-oriented growth stocks on waning worries about runaway inflation. Theres more Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) than the fear of losing money here right now and tech stocks have a lot of FOMO, said Dennis Dick, a proprietary trader at Bright Trading LLC. With the S&P 500 up almost 14% as the first half of 2021 draws to a close, activity in some areas of the market indicates concern over potential volatility, with some investors suggesting the market may be overdue for a significant pullback. At 11:42 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 193.85 points, or 0.56%, at 34,239.99, weighed down by Boeing Cos 3% fall after the US Federal Aviation Administration told the planemaker that its planned 777X is not yet ready for a significant certification step. The S&P 500 was down 1.48 points, or 0.03%, at 4,279.22 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 98.56 points, or 0.69%, at 14,458.95. On the economic front, attention will be on consumer confidence data, a private jobs report and a crucial monthly employment report. Quarterly results from Micron Technology and Walgreens are also slated for this week. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.8-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.1-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 29 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 183 new highs and 22 new lows.Reuters A Michigan woman accused of stealing flowers from local cemeteries that authorities say she used to decorate her home has been sentenced to jail, the AP reports. A judge in Flint sentenced Lisa Corcoran of Vienna Township on Monday to nine months in jail, with credit for 36 days already served. The Flint Journal reports she pleaded guilty in June to attempted larceny of items valued at between $1,000 and $20,000. The 44-year-old Corcoran also will serve three years of probation and perform community service. She was originally charged with larceny after authorities say more than 100 items, including a handmade bench as well as flowers, were taken earlier from 24 gravesites at two cemeteries. Corcoran was arrested after someone saw a car full of flowers leaving a cemetery. (Read more weird crimes stories.) There's a growing number of vandalism citations at national parks in the US, and the Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado appears to be a top target. In a Facebook post, the park says its mission of educating and inspiring "this and future generations" through the "unimpaired" preservation of natural and cultural resources is up against a tide of "intentional damage." That includes people painting rocks for what look like scavenger hunts, rubbing and etching dates and names into stones, and stacking rock "cairns" that can lead visitors off park paths. Other parts of Colorado have been routinely vandalized as well, and Hanging Lake actually had to close due to overcrowding, reports CBS Local, and even busted yoga models posing in restricted areas. Mesa Verde, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to wall paintings that go back nearly 5,000 years, now welcomes more than half a million visitors a year, reports Gear Junkie. Just last month, someone went so far as to rub names into sandstone using prehistoric charcoal dug up at a nearby archaeological sitethereby "destroying archaeological artifacts" while vandalizing the cliff, per the park's Facebook post. In 2013, visitors to Goblin Valley in Utah knocked down rock structures, while Lake Mead in Nevada has had nearly 200 graffiti citations since then. "Why do you think people do this?" NPS writes, adding, "What can we do as a culture to cut down on these occurrences?" Educating others about "proper stewardship of public lands," it adds, could help crack down on the vandalism. (One woman was banned from 524 million acres of public land.) More than three years after a coroner declared a teenage girl dead, a Northern California judge is expected to soon decide whether to revoke her death certificate, the AP reports. In court documents filed last month supporting the family's lawsuit to have the death certificate revoked, retired neurologist Dr. Alan Shewmon said videos recorded by Jahi McMath's family from 2014 to 2016 show the teen is still alive. Shewmon is a longtime critic of how brain death is defined and has filed similar court papers supporting efforts by McMath's family to undo the death certificate. The family has previously shown video clips of McMath twitching her fingers, which they said showed she still has brain function. Several doctors, including two hired by an Alameda County court, have said brain-dead patients can still twitch and move slightly. Doctors at Children's Hospital in Oakland, California declared 13-yaer-old McMath brain dead in December 2013 after a routine tonsillectomy went awry. Jahi's mother has previously acknowledged that her daughter's brain is severely and irreparably damaged. But Latasha Spears Winkfield said her daughter is still alive and her Christian belief compels her fight to keep her daughter on life support. Hospital lawyer Jennifer Still said in an interview Monday that the family has not subjected McMath to tests accepted by the American Medical Association to determine whether someone is brain dead. Jahi's family moved her to New Jersey because of that state's only-in-the US law that prohibits doctors from removing brain-dead patients from ventilators over families with religious objections. A judge heard arguments on the case July 13 and is expected to rule in the next two months whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed. (Read more Jahi McMath stories.) A woman who was accused of intentionally drowning her fiance in the Hudson River by tampering with his kayak as part of a murderous plot to collect on his life insurance pleaded guilty on Monday to a lesser charge that could minimize the amount of additional time she spends in jail, the AP reports. Angelika Graswald, a Latvian national, had been charged with secretly removing a drain plug from Vincent Viafore's kayak before a daylong boating excursion and then watching him drown after he capsized in the river in 2015. Her attorney had said that the death was an accident, caused by high waves, cold water, and alcohol, and that police investigators had coerced her into blaming herself for the death during a lengthy interrogation. Graswald, who had been facing murder and manslaughter charges, had been in custody awaiting trial. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Graswald, of Poughkeepsie, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, admitting she caused Viafore's death on April 19, 2015, by removing the plug from his kayak, knowing that he wasn't wearing a life vest or wetsuit and that the Hudson River waters were dangerous and cold. The couple had been visiting an island that is home to Bannerman Castle. Graswald was arrested on April 30, 2015, and Viafore's body was found almost a month later. Prosecutors said the missing plug from Viafore's kayak was found in the car Graswald was driving. Officials had argued a $250,000 life insurance policy was the motivation. The criminally negligent homicide charge carries a sentence of up to four years in prison. Graswald is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1. Portale said with the time she's already been in custody she would likely be out by late December. (Read more murder stories.) After John McCain's brain tumor was revealed, well wishes poured in. Politics aside, "you have to respect the life of this man," who "fought so you would not be forced into philosophical slavery and compliance," wrote Christine Flowers in one example at the Philadelphia Daily News, offering what she called a "prayer" for the "war hero." One who doesn't agree with that title: San Diego State University professor Jonathan Graubart. In a since-deleted Facebook post, Graubart wrote Friday that he was "annoyed at the groundswell of good wishes" for McCain because he "is a war criminal" who "has championed horrifying actions and been lousy on state commitment to public health," reports LawNewz. SDSU responded by noting it "cannot regulate the private speech of students, faculty or staff," even while students told KGTV they were "disturbed" by Graubart's comments. Yet Graubart isn't the only one appearing less than sympathetic to McCain: "Amen," Diana Orrock, the Republican national committeewoman for Nevada, wrote on Twitter, sharing a Medium post cheering his speedy death, reports CNN, though she later said she didn't actually want McCain to die. At the National Review, Elliot Kaufman offers his take: McCain is "a hate figure for the Left and the once-fringe Right" and as with any hero seen as a threat, he must be "robbed of his greater symbolism and meaning, which holds the key to his claim to power." (Read more John McCain stories.) A middle school teacher refused to answer a question about her citizenship at a checkpoint in New Mexico last week and got detained for more than an hour for her troubles. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Shane Parmely, an English, art, and theater teacher in San Diego, Calif., refused to tell Border Patrol agents if she was a US citizen after pulling up to the checkpoint. "Are we crossing a border?" Parmely can be heard asking the agent on video shot by her family. Ive never been asked if Im a citizen before when Im traveling down the road. The agent responded, "You are required to answer an immigration question." Border agents at first refused to let Parmely's son use the bathroom until his mother answered the question but they soon relented. And in the end they let Parmely go without making her answer. According to a flier distributed by the ACLU, Border Patrol agents can ask "limited questions to verify citizenship" at checkpoints, and those who refuse to answer can be detained while agents verify their status. After posting footage from the incident on her Facebook page Friday night, Parmely received some backlash. But she responded in one comment that she was "sick of helping perpetuate racist laws just because Im not inconvenienced by them. (Read more Border Patrol stories.) Senate Republicans will try to move ahead on Tuesday with their plan to ditch ObamaCare, and the task just got a little easier: John McCain will return for the vote. His office announced Monday night that the Arizona senator will be on Capitol Hill just a week after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, reports the Hill. The Senate plans a procedural vote on whether to take up debate on the measure, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could have afforded only one defection with McCain out of the picture. Now he's got a bit more breathing room. However, the Washington Post reports that it was still unclear Monday night exactly what health care legislation senators will be voting on. Earlier, President Trump kept up pressure on Senate Republicans to make progress before their August recess. In a speech to Boy Scouts in West Virginia, he singled out the state's own Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. You better get Senator Capito to vote for it, he said, referring to Health and Human Services chief Tom Price, who was present. And at the White House earlier in the day, he said: Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling Americans that you are fine with the ObamaCare nightmare. (Read more John McCain stories.) China is ramping up its military presence on its 880-mile border with North Korea in case a nuclear, economic, or military crisis sends millions of North Koreans fleeing in search of greener pastures, according to government websites. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, that might not be all China is preparing for. China's Defense Ministry hasn't referred to North Korea as the reason for a new border defense brigade along with a 24-hour video surveillance system, unit upgrades, new shelters and command posts, and recent live-fire and special forces drills in border regions; but experts say China could be preparing to intervene should the US attempt to seize nuclear weapons from its ally on the Korean Peninsula. Some aren't so sure China would be keen to take on the US and stress that recent enhancements at the border were first discussed last year. However, "once you start talking about efforts from outside powers, in particular the United States and South Korea, to stabilize the North ... youre starting to look at a much more robust Chinese response," argues a former US defense official for East Asia. "If youre going to make me place bets on where I think the US and China would first get into a conflict ... its the Korean Peninsula." Others note China will want to prevent US influence there to retain its regional power. In a column in May, retired Maj. Gen. Wang Haiyun wrote China should not only intervene in a Korean conflict but demand no US occupation of North Korean territory, though he said he did not speak for the government. He made similar comments in an op-ed in the state-owned Global Times in March, CNN reports. (Read more China stories.) Two former leaders of an isolated polygamous community in Canada were convicted Monday of practicing polygamy after a decades-long legal fight, setting up another potential court battle over the constitutionality of Canada's polygamy laws. Winston Blackmore, 60, and James Oler, 53, were found guilty by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Sheri Ann Donegan, who said the evidence was clear that Blackmore was married to 25 women at the same time and that Oler was married to five women in the tiny community of Bountiful, the AP reports. Blackmore never denied having the wives as part of his religious beliefs that call for "celestial" marriages. His lawyer, Blair Suffredine, has already said Blackmore would challenge the constitutionality of Canada's polygamy laws if his client was found guilty. "I'm guilty of living my religion and that's all I'm saying today because I've never denied that," Blackmore told reporters after the verdict. "Twenty-seven years and tens of millions of dollars later, all we've proved is something we've never denied. I've never denied my faith. This is what we expected." Blackmore and Oler, members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect that believes in plural marriage, were prosecuted as part of an investigation first launched in the early 1990s by the provincial government. The group's main base is in a small community on the Utah-Arizona border in the United States, but Oler was chosen to lead the Canadian community years ago. Warren Jeffs still leads the sect from a Texas prison, where he is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. (Read more polygamy stories.) President Trump lobbed plenty of accusations before breakfast Tuesday, one of which was that Hillary Clinton has influence over the acting FBI director. On Twitter, Trump also continued his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions for taking "a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" while referencing Clinton in relation to "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage [the] Trump campaign." He also claimed Clinton gave $700,000 to the wife of FBI director Andrew McCabe. CBS News reports Clinton didn't donate to the Virginia state senate campaign of Jill McCabe. Instead, Jill McCabe received almost $500,000 from the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton ally. Following his election win in November, Trump suggested he would not pursue an investigation into Clinton because it "would be very, very divisive for the country," though he appears to be changing his tune as the investigation into Russian meddling in the election continues. Trump also took to Twitter on Tuesday to congratulate his son-in-law on his congressional testimony Monday. "Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians," Trump tweeted, per the Hill. He then joked the "witch hunt" would next target his 11-year-old son, Barron Trump. In yet another tweet Tuesday, Trump welcomed John McCain back to the Senate, calling him an "American hero," which marks quite a change of sentiment. (Read more Donald Trump stories.) Jeff Sessions may not be the only Cabinet member whose days are numbered. Multiple reports say Secretary of State Rex Tillerson isn't destined for a long tenure. The latest is Reuters, whose source says Tillerson was "very upset at not having autonomy, independence and control over his own department and the ability to do the job the way the job ... is traditionally done." It says Tillerson has told friends he likely won't last a full year, a sentiment echoed in an earlier CNN story. That one quotes two insiders who say a "Rexit" is possible before the end of the year, adding that Tillerson has been especially unhappy with President Trump's public criticism of attorney general Sessions. The story adds, however, that Tillerson might just have been "venting." Tillerson had previously signaled that he intended to see through a restructuring of the State Department through 2017, but that now seems to be in doubt, reports Newsweek. It runs through his past frictions with the White House, including not being consulted on major issues such as the travel ban. The speculation has been circulating for weeks now, notes US News & World Report, and it isn't helped by statements from Tillerson himself, who said in March that he "didn't want this job." It's reached the point where Tillerson's spokesman addressed the subject, though in the form of a denial that his boss is on the way out. Tillerson, he said, had "plenty of reasons to stay on the job, and all of them are important to America." (Read more Rex Tillerson stories.) Charlie Gard's death seems inevitable, but what is yet to be decided is how it will occur, with the infant's parents and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital still at odds. A lawyer says Connie Yates and Chris Gard, who on Monday ended their legal battle to move their 11-month-old son to the US for experimental treatment of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, want to take Charlie home where he can die in "tranquility" after "a short period of time," report the Telegraph and Reuters. In court on Tuesday, however, the lawyer cited "difficulties the hospital has placed in the way of the parents' wish," per the Guardian, which notes Charlie had been expected to be taken off life support at the hospital within a few days. A rep countered that the hospital would be willing to grant the parents' request if "practical, possible, and safe, and in Charlie's interests so that he comes to no harm." However, she says Charlie's parents have proposed no plan and the hospital is unable to provide a medical team to care for Charlie for the amount of time requested at home; the exact time requested isn't known, but Charlie's parents previously said the boy wasn't expected to live to see his first birthday on Aug. 4. The hospital rep also says Charlie's parents have refused mediation offers "for reasons Great Ormond Street will never know." After hearing from both sides in High Court on Tuesday, the presiding judge suggested a settlement would be appropriate. (Read more Charlie Gard stories.) A woman approached the back of a Minneapolis police car and "slapped" it shortly before an Australian woman was shot and killed by an officer, according to a search warrant filed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The search warrant obtained by Minnesota Public Radio doesn't specifically say that the woman was Justine Damond, but: "Upon police arrival, a female 'slaps' the back of the patrol squad ... After that, it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley." News of the warrant came hours after personnel records for the officer who fatally shot Damond were publicly released Monday, the AP reports. The records provided some detail about the training courses the officer took but no insight into his performance on the job. Noor is on paid leave after he killed Damond, a 40-year-old spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married, on July 15 after she called 911 twice to report a possible rape. Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and hit Damond. His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Damond appeared at the police vehicle. The search warrant didn't say whether the slap was the loud noise Noor's partner described, MPR reports. State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges; Noor also faces an internal use of force investigation. Noor was one of several Somali-Americans hired by the department in recent years as part of the city's public effort to diversify the force so it better reflects the city. Click for more on the records released relating to Noor's training. (Read more Justine Damond stories.) Call it the Seinfeld defense: An attorney for a man who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge says his client tested positive for morphine because he ate an "everything" bagel with poppy seeds. A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, on Monday ordered Jason Blomgren to avoid poppy seeds in addition to drugs. Blomgren took a plea deal for his role in the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last year, reports the AP. His sentencing isn't until Aug. 28 (he'll likely get probation) but he's been under the supervision of federal officers, who believed a May 22 urinalysis test indicated he was taking opiates against the terms of his release and should be taken into custody. In court papers, Blomgren's lawyer, Robert W. Rainwater, said he wanted an investigator to testify that Blomgren told her he consumes an everything bagel daily, and did so on the morning of May 22, reports the Oregonian/Oregon Live. The petition to find Blomgren in violation of supervision was yanked Monday, but the judge added the bagel condition at the US Attorney's request. Blomgren says he'll sub in egg whites going forward. (Poppy seeds were a problem for a new mom, too.) A US Navy patrol boat fired warning shots Tuesday near an Iranian vessel that came close to it during a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf, an American defense official said. The AP reports Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guard later blamed the American ship for provoking the incident. The encounter involving the USS Thunderbolt, a Cyclone-class patrol ship based in Bahrain as part of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, is the latest confrontation between Iranian vessels and American warships. The Thunderbolt was taking part in an exercise with American and other coalition vessels when the Iranian patrol boat approached it, the official said. The Iranian ship did not respond to radio calls, flares, and sirens as it came within 150 yards of the Thunderbolt, forcing the US sailors to fire the warning shots, the official said. The Iranian boat went "dead in the water" after the shots and the vessels all left the area without further incident, the official said. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, blamed the Thunderbolt, saying the American vessel moved toward one of its patrol boats in the incident. It said the Thunderbolt fired into the air "with the intention to provoke and create fear." Iran and the US frequently have tense naval encounters in the Persian Gulf, nearly all involving the Revolutionary Guard, a separate force from Iran's military that answers only to the country's supreme leader. The US Navy recorded 35 instances of what it describes as "unsafe and/or unprofessional" interactions with Iranians forces in 2016, compared to 23 in 2015. (Read more Navy stories.) Anthony Scaramucci says the White House will "come to a resolution soon" in regards to Jeff Sessions, who President Trump has recently been badgering on social media and in the press, the BBC reports. Trump's new director of communications says it's probably true that the president wants Sessions gone as attorney general. Sources close to the situation tell the Washington Post that Trump's advisers are discussing either firing Sessions or forcing him to resign, possibly as part of an effort to allow Trump to fire Robert Mueller and end his investigation. Recently on Twitter, Trump has called Sessions "beleaguered" and accused him of taking "a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes." This comes after saying he was having regrets about making Sessions attorney general, McClatchy Newspapers reports. Trump's attacks on Sessionsa longtime and well-liked senatorare upsetting current Senate Republicans. "I don't understand it," Sen. James Inhofe says. "There's no more honorable person I've ever met in my life than Jeff Sessions." Still, it appears Trump's treatment of his attorney general may not be enough to lose him support in the Senate. Inhofe said he's still "100% for the president," and Sen. Orrin Hatch says he doesn't think Trump "means harm with those tweets." Newt Gingrich also warns that dumping Sessions could cost Trump with his base. Sessions has reportedly asked for a meeting with Trump to talk things out, but Trump hasn't agreed to see him. (Read more Jeff Sessions stories.) North Korea could be able to strike the US with nuclear weapons a whole lot sooner than previously believed, the Washington Post reports. The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency in a confidential assessment concluded North Korea could have a "reliable, nuclear-capable ICBM" in 2018. Officials say North Korea is only a few months out from industrial production of such missiles. That's at least two years earlier than previous estimates. The change in timeline was spurred by North Korea's test of an ICBM on July 4. In the last year they have gained capabilities that they didnt have, including ones that we thought they would not have been able to obtain for years," says a former mission manager for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Pentagon expects another North Korean missile test this week"probably" on July 27, the 64th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, AFP reports. The test could be the second of a North Korean ICBM missile. "We will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the US with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time," North Korea stated Tuesday. According to CNN, the country was responding to comments made last week by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who said the US needs to figure out how to keep Kim Jong Un from a nuclear arsenal. "The North Korean people I'm sure are lovely people and would love to see him go," Pompeo said. North Korea threatened to "preemptively annihilate" any country that tries to oust Kim. (Read more North Korea stories.) Published : Monday, July 24, 2017 18:41 [IST] For more news and latest updates like us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter Sorry! This content is not available in your region Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 26F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 18F. Winds light and variable. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by September seven. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, that the Sahara chief has deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore which was to be deposited in the refund account by July 15. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, that the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore out of the Rs 552.21 crore would be deposited by August 12. The bench, however, said that Rs 1,500 crore which Roy would deposit by September seven would also include the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore. The apex court extended the parole granted to him earlier till October 10. The bench asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to proceed with the publication of sale notice with regard to auctioning of Saharas prime property at Aamby Valley. Suggested read | Properties of Sahara to be e-auctioned on July 28: Sebi The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on September 11. On July 5, the apex court had noted that Roy had deposited Rs 710.22 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account, but had warned him that his cheque of Rs 552.21 crore must be realised within the July 15 deadline. Roy had earlier told the court that he will pay Rs 1,500 crore on or before June 15 and Rs 552.22 crore exactly a month thereafter. He has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since May 6 last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directorsRavi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudharywere arrested for failure of the groups two companiesSahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the courts August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bobby Deol has opened up on the speculated benefits for the star kids in the industry and stated that this perception is wrong as nobody has it easy in Bollywood. The actor asserted that be it a star kid or an outsider, everyone has to undergo their share of struggle to carve a niche for themselves in the industry. Deol also averred that although it is the hardwork that matters, luck also has a crucial role to play in success of an actor "That's just the way media portrays celebrity kids when they're coming into movies. I don't think it's easy for anyone. You can be a kid of a star or be a normal child coming from a non filmy family but you still have to work hard. Luck plays a part in it but you've to think positive. That positive attitude helps you," he says at the trailer launch of his upcoming 'Poshter Boys'. Also Read | Sunny Deol on Karan's Bollywood debut: Not YRF but we will launch him Bobby Deol, who was last seen in 2013 release 'Yamla Pagla Deewana 2', will soon be making a comeback on the silver screen after a hiatus. The actor will be next seen in the Hindi remake of Marathi movie 'Poshter Boyz' which will be helmed by Shreyas Talapde. Talking about his absence from the big screen, Bobby stated, "I was looking for some great scripts to come my way. When I heard the script from Shreyas I was very excited. I just want to do films which I enjoy doing and the audience will too like it watching. When people watch this film I am sure I'll get some more work." Though the 48-year-old actor has been away from the silver screen for a while, Bobby says one needs to have a positive outlook towards work. "As an actor you want to work everyday of your life. You have to work hard, look and think positive and the work just starts coming your way. When I did this film ('Poster Boys') I was so excited because of the story, the character. Everyday was an amazing day. Besides this film, I am also doing 'Yamla Pagla Deewana 3'." Apart from Bobby, the film also features his actor brother Sunny Deol and Shreyas in the lead roles. The film is said to be inspired by a real life incident about three men who accidentally find their pictures on a vasectomy poster. 'Poshter Boyz' is scheduled to release on September 8. (with PTI Inputs) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Govinda has come out in support of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor who recently lashed out at filmmaker Anurag Basu blaming him debacle of Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer 'Jagga Jasoos'. The senior actor, who was said to be a part of 'Jagga Jasoos', thanked Rishi for showing concern towards his ousting from the movie. "I want to say, 'Thank you Rishi sir. At last you showed concern. Good blood never speaks wrong'," Govinda told Bombay Times. Notably, Govinda was supposed to be doing a cameo in 'Jagga Jasoos' and has even shot for his role in South Africa. However, his role was later edited from the movie and Basu clarified that Govinda was no more a part of the story due to technical changes in the script of 'Jagga Jasoos'. Also Read | 'Jagga Jasoos' debacle: Rishi Kapoor blames Anurag Basu for Ranbir-starrer's failure Talking about the same, Govinda asserted, "I didn't react much because I have huge respect for the Kapoor family. Also, I truly feel that it's the director's (Anurag) call to do what he wants to do with his film, but a little professionalism is expected. I had no clue what they were up to. They were busy with their own things and I wasn't even informed about it (his ouster from the film). This, despite me doing the film without even charging for it. I was unwell and on drips, but I still travelled to South Africa for the shoot as I didn't want people to feel that I am unprofessional or making excuses. After doing all that, what I got in return has made me realise that I need to be more frank from now on. I shouldn't be sensitive or emotional when it comes to work. I should make changes in myself as this is how the world functions." "If I had said something, it would have been perceived as a complaint. They did what they thought was right and I didn't want to interfere. I am not here to fight. If Anurag offers me a film again, I might still do it as we all are professionals," Govinda added. Also Read | 'Jagga Jasoos': Amitabh Bachchan impressed with Anurag Basu's innovative musical Interestingly, Govinda's statement came after Rishi Kapoor lashed out at Anurag Basu for his 'irresponsible' approach towards 'Jagga Jasoos'. During a public interview, Risha has stated, ""I didn't hate or love the film. I only felt it needed to be abridged by 20 minutes. But who is going to give that opinion to them? He's such an irresponsible director that he doesn't complete the film. It was supposed to release three times in the past two years, but it kept getting delayed." "You even threw Govinda out of the film. If you don't want Govinda to work in your film, why did you ask him in the first place? Iss sab mein Ranbir ka naam toh kharaab hoga, aur kya? Mera kharaab hoga!( All these acts will defame Ranbir's and my name in the industry)," Rishi was quoted further while talking about the same. We wonder, what Anurag Basu has to say in defense now. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After Big Boss Telugu contestant Mumaith Khan has received a notice from the excise department in connection with an ongoing investigation into a drug racket a couple of days back, B-town actress Kajal Agarwal's manager has been dragged into the case. According to reports, Kajal's manager namely Ronny was arrested on Monday by Hyderabad police and the drug scandal in Tollywood has taken an unexpected step forward. Reportedly, Ronny has even worked for Top League actress Lavanya Tripati and Raashi Khanna too. SIT has raided his residence in Hyderabad as they have presumed a close links with the racket. Meanwhile, Puttkar Ronson Joseph alias Johnny Josep, another celebrity manager has been arrested under the NDPS Act on Monday after the excise officials raided Joseph's Manikonda residence on Monday morning. Actor Navdeep has also been questioned by officials and the process continued for about 12 hours on his links with arrested event manager-cum-drug peddler Zeeshan. "I gave very clear answers to questions posed to me about my link with an event manager. Everything is OK," the actor was quoted while interacting with media. Also Read: Big Boss Telugu contestant Mumaith Khan to quit the show In the mean time, taking the matter to Twitter Kajal on Tuesday has issued an statement and cleared her part regarding the matter. She has refused to be aware about all those stuff with which people is connected besides their professional commitments. Kajal has also mentioned her parent's huge influence in connection with her career. On the work front, Kajal who was last seen in Tamil drama 'Vivegam', is gearing up for her next Telugu release 'Nene Raju Nene Mantri' and others. Also Read: Kajal Aggarwal & Ajith pair up for upcoming Tamil flick 'Vivegam' Also starring 'Baahubali' fame Rana Daggubati, the film is expected to hit the screens in 2017. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: 23-year old popstar Justin Bieber citing unforeseen circumstances has cancelled the remaining dates of his Purpose World Tour. For this, he apologised to his fans for cancelling the tour which was supposed to take place on 14 dates in Asia and North America over the next three months. On the official website of Justin Bieber states, Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. He thanks his fans for the incredible experience of the Purpose World Tour over last 18 months. He is grateful and honored to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across six continents during this run. However, after careful consideration, he has decided he will not be performing any further dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. The tour was started on March 9 last year covering all over North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. It was Justin third World Tour. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday warned India to withdraw its troops from the disputed region of Dokalam in Bhutan. The ministry in a statement said that even though the country wants peace on Sino-India border, "but make no mistake, that does not mean will compromise on territorial sovereignty." "The root of the current problem is that Indian border troops still linger illegally on China's territory," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement urged "India to get a clear picture of the current situation and withdraw its border troops back to the Indian side." The statement comes days before India's national security advisor Ajit Doval is about to attend the BRICS Summit in Beijing on July 27-28. Doval will attend NSA talks during his visit, where the issue of Sikkim standoff is likely to be raised. Suggested read | Chinese state media divided over outcome of NSA Ajit Doval's visit For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jim Henson's Muppets characters, including Big Bird, the Cookie Monster and Elmo, are pictured at the Museum of the Moving Image in the Queens borough of New York. [Photo/Agencies] A new exhibit featuring the work of Muppets creator Jim Henson is now on permanent display in New York to celebrate the career of the American puppeteer who brought to life such characters as Miss Piggy and Big Bird. The Jim Henson Exhibition, housed in a new gallery space funded by the city at the Museum of the Moving Image, features more than 300 artifacts related to Henson's career, including 47 puppets, character sketches, storyboards, scripts, photographs, iconic costumes and more. Film and TV clips and behind-the-scenes footage are presented on more than 27 monitors and projections throughout the gallery. Interactive experiences allow visitors to try their hand at puppeteering on screen and designing a puppet character. Barbara Miller, curator of the collections and exhibitions at the museum, says the exhibit explores Henson's work for film and TV and his transformative impact on popular culture. It also includes material from some of the puppeteer's lesser-known film projects. "Of course there's familiar favorites like Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog and Big Bird and all the things you would expect to see at an exhibition about Jim Henson and the Muppets," says Miller. "But there's also a picture that emerges of Jim Henson as an experimental filmmaker, as someone who was always creatively restless and looking to do the next thing," she says, adding that museum staff wanted to "permanently tell this story". Henson's characters helmed The Muppet Show on TV between 1976 and 1981, before appearing in numerous films including 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, and 2011's The Muppets. Henson, who died in 1990 aged 53, was also the creative mind behind the long-running children's show Sesame Street. The exhibit was organized by the Museum of the Moving Image, located in New York's borough of Queens, in collaboration with the Henson family that donated many of the show's artifacts in 2013, The Jim Henson Legacy and The Jim Henson Company, and in cooperation with Sesame Workshop and The Muppets Studio. Reuters New Delhi: Seven people succumbed to injuries after Gondola tower collapsed due to strong winds in Gulmarg on Sunday. Four members of a Delhi family and three tourist guides were killed in the incident. As per reports, one car fell off the pulley. The whole cable car is stuck due to the accident. J-K government ordered a high-level inquiry in the incident. The names of people who lost their lives are Jayant Andraskar, Manshea Andraskar, Anagha Jayant Andraskar, Jahnvi Jayant Andraskar and Mukthar Ahmad Ganai. Out of the five deceased, 4 were from same family and they belong to Shalimar Bagh in Delhi. A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of Gulmarg Gondola severing the lines and plummeting the cable car to the ground, a police official said. The police said they rescued around 150 people stranded due to the snapping of the cable car ropeway in north Kashmirs Baramulla district. Four of the deceased belonged to a family from Delhis Shalimar Bagh, he said. They have been identified as Jayant Andraskar, his wife Manisha Andraskar and their two minor daughters, Anagha and Janhvi. Three Kashmiri tourist guides, Mukhtar Ahmad of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmargwere also killed in the accident, the official said. Two others, Tariq Ahmad and Ajaz Ahmad, both residents of Pachhar, also working as tourist guides, were injured and were taken to a hospital in Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered a high-level inquiry while expressed grief and shock over the deaths. Mufti, who herself was monitoring the rescue operations, also announced ex gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, an official spokesperson said. He said the chief minister has asked the inquiry to probe the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the tragedy. The bodies of the deceased were being sent to their homes, the spokesperson said. An official of the cable car company said that around 150 people had got stranded after the ropeway collapse. We resumed the ropeway for rescue of the stranded people, Riyaz Ahmad, the general manager of the Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation, which runs Gulmarg Gondola, said. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds. What terrible news, he tweeted. It begs the question as to why the cable car operations werent suspended in high winds. Thats a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure], he posted on Twitter. With PTI inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took stock of the flood situation in Gujarat. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review prog the ess of flood relief work with CM Vijay Rupani, ministers and senior officials of State Govt at Ahmedabad Airport. He also undertook an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of the state. "I have taken stock of the situation due to floods. Officers from the Government of India will assist in short term & long term measures," PM Modi said after the aerial survey. Highlights of PM Modi's speech after aerial survey: #More than Rs 500 crores will be provided by GoI to the State Disaster Management #I announce ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PM relief fund for next of kin of those killed in floods, Rs 50,000 to those injured #Even if we expect more rainfall, relief work will be further intensified #The people of Gujarat are blessed with a strong spirit of resilience. These floods will not impact the development journey of Gujarat: #Could see the Government of Gujarat responded to the flood situation quite swiftly #I announce ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PM relief fund to kin of those killed in floods, and Rs. 50,000 to those injured #Everything possible will be done to help the farmers, who suffer immensely due to floods Meanwhile, Indian Air Force MI-17 airlifted 58 people to safety including 04 by winching from Totana village in Banaskantha. IAF helicopters continued operations braving extremely challenging weather conditions, an official statement said. Suggested read | Gujarat flood: Indian Army steps in to bolster rescue and relief efforts; save 35 lives on day 1 Earlier in the day, Rupani had called on the prime minister at Parliament House and apprised him of the situation arising out of incessant rain and floods in parts of the state. The prime minister then decided to undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected areas of north Gujarat, the PMO said. Torrential rains in north Gujarat have caused a flood in Banaskantha and Patan districts. Authorities have declared a state-wide high alert and call out the Army, the Air Force and NDRF teams for assistance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook aerial survey of flood-affected areas in #Gujarat today. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/yv0uQEpgGp ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 #WATCH: IAF MI-17V5 helicopter winches a person, clinging onto electric pole amidst gushing flood waters, to safety in Gujarat's Banaskantha pic.twitter.com/3xKl1NKeYR ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 IAF Mi-17 helicopter airlifts 58 people to safety from Totana village in Banaskantha district #GujaratFloods pic.twitter.com/VXxC2MkLFk News Nation (@NewsNationTV) July 25, 2017 PM Modi chairs a meeting to review progress of flood relief work with CM, ministers & senior officials of State Govt at Ahmedabad Airport. pic.twitter.com/N2gWVz7tJY ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Suggested read | Heavy rains lash parts of Gujarat; three dead, hundreds relocated For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Pakistani terrorist belonging to banned terror group Al-Badr, was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a Bengaluru court in a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. The terrorist has been identified as Mohammed Fahad Hai (35) alias Mohammed Koya alias Neduthani and holds a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry. He hails from the port city of Karachi where his family still lives. His mother is a teacher, a senior official said quoting Hais statement given to the central probe agency earlier. This is the first case of conviction and sentencing involving a terrorist under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The probe agency said in a statement that the court of Principal City, Civil and Sessions Judge Basavaraj S Sappannavar convicted Mohammed Fahad Hai under section 4 of the PMLA and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. An amount of Rs 90,470, in the name of Hai, has also been confiscated under the PMLA after it was attached by the ED earlier. The case dates to 2006 when the Mysore police, based on inputs that Pak-based terrorists were planning a strike in the city, intercepted two persons on a bike on the night of October 26 that year. The policemen on-duty challenged the duo and sought to frisk them after which the man on the pillion, which was Hai, took out a rifle from a bag and fired at them, the prosecution said. The police team soon overpowered the duo, the other being Mohammed Ali Hussain, a resident of Pakistan. On enquiry it was revealed that they are active members of the banned Al-Badr organisation and had entered India without valid travel documents and were in the possession of an AK-47 rifle, pistol, live bullets, mobile and satellite phones, the ED said. The ED subsequently booked a PMLA case against Hai and filed a charge sheet in 2010 after which the case went for trial. The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from 2005 to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. The first conviction under the PMLA in the country had come in January this year when a Ranchi court convicted former Jharkhand Minister Hari Narayan Rai and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5 lakh. In March, a man identified Alauddin was convicted in money laundering case relating to illegal possession of narcotic drugs by a Kolkata court. The stringent anti-money laundering law allows a maximum of seven years of imprisonment and a fine. Also read: Enforcement Directorate takes Delhi-based businessman into 6-days custody in PMLA case For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India has achieved remarkable growth and new heights since its independence, but it will emerge as a powerful nation in the world by 2022. While addressing BJPs parliamentary party meeting held in the library building of Parliament, the Prime Minister explained about the upcoming 70th anniversary of Independence Day during the meeting. While talking to reporters, Union minister Ananth Kumar informed that the Prime Minister has announced several programmes which will be organised from August 9 to August 15. Kumar said the PM also asked leaders to inform the people about welfare schemes in the next five years. Delhi: Earlier visuals of BJP's Parliamentary party meeting held in the Library Building of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/qcH4GlIzdM ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Also Read: PM Modi meets Rajasthan BJP MPs at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kolkata: A senior Kolkata Police official said that a portion of an almost century-old building collapsed in Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon and a few people are feared trapped. There was no immediate report of any injury, he said. Residents managed to rush out of the 10 Mirror Street building in central Taltala area when the collapse happened around 12.45 pm, the official said. Luckily nobody was hurt as some people managed to rush outside...We fear that a few are still stuck inside, he said. Two fire tenders, a large fire department team, personnel from Disaster Management units and local police have been deployed for the search and rescue operation. Also read: Delhi: Four-storey building collapses in Laxmi Nagar, residents escape unhurt For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday took oath as the 14th President of India at Central Hall of Parliament. Chief Justice of India Justice JS Khehar administered the oath to Kovind. Described variously as low profile, unassuming and affable, the former Bihar governor and old BJP hand registered an easy win to the countrys highest constitutional post by securing more than 65% of the votes in the electoral college. The 71-year-old became the first BJP member and only the second Dalit to be elected to Rashtrapati Bhavan. BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from Raj Bhavan in Patna picked Kovind for the job. Here is all you need to know about Kovind, the new President of India: 1. It was perhaps Kovinds non-confrontational approach to politics that led the JD(U) chief to back him for the presidents office even though he had been critical of his appointment as the governor, but later it led to the curious situation of the party endorsing the oppositions candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi for the vice presidents post. 2. This easy demeanour has stood the Kanpur-born former lawyer in good stead, say political watchers. He is not just a Dalit leader, but is known for his organisational skills and is a loyal member of the BJP, attributes that not many in the larger NDA family can boast of. 3. Kovind is married and has a son and a daughter. It was a measure of his public persona that though his wife Savita was by his side during the weeks of campaigning, his children were not seen much or written about. 4. BJP chief Amit Shah said the partys parliamentary board went through a long list of potential candidates before choosing Kovind, who was its MP in Rajya Sabha for two terms and headed its Dalit Morcha. 5. Kovinds links to the partys controversial Hindutva politics are tenuous. Sources say he was drawn more to the politics of social empowerment of Dalits and other weaker sections than the plank of religion. 6. Kovind, a commerce graduate who also studied law at Kanpur University, practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He was also the central governments standing counsel in the apex court from 1980-93. ALSO READ | NDA's Ram Nath Kovind elected as 14th President of India: Ten things to know about him 7. His official profile on the Bihar governors website describes him as a crusader for rights and cause of weaker sections of society specially Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/OBC/ minority... from his student days. 8. Kovind, who headed Dalit Morcha from 1998 to 2002, also led the All-India Koli Samaj. 9. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh, he served two consecutive terms till March 2006. 10. He joined a stir by SC/ST employees in 1997 when Dalits and others protested against orders issued by the Central government, which were rescinded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the NDA came to power. ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India 11. As an advocate, Kovind took the lead in providing free legal aid to weaker sections, especially the SC/ST women, and poor and needy girls under the aegis of the Free Legal Aid Society in Delhi. 12. Known for his work in the field of education, he served as a member on the board of management of the Dr BR Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and was a member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday sworn-in as the 14th President of India in an impressive ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. Kovind was administered the oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law by Chief Justice of India J S Kehar. "I am thankful to you all for giving me the responsibility to be the President of India," the new President said in his address. "I come from a humble background. The journey has been long. I accept this post with humility." The 71-year-old took oath in Hindi to thunderous applause and thumping of desks by the gathering, including Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and former president Pratibha Patil. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Devegowda, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former deputy prime minister L K Advani as well as Union ministers and foreign dignitaries were also present on the occasion. After he took oath, Kovind was given a 21-gun salute to mark the assumption of office of the highest constitutional post in the country. ALSO READ | President Ram Nath Kovind's address at Parliament: Top 10 quotes Once the oath taking was over, Kovind and Mukherjee exchanged seats on the dais after which the new president delivered his maiden speech as president. Kovind was elected with 65 per cent of votes defeating Meira Kumar to occupy the top post.The 71-year-old leader born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, had also earned the support of the JD(U), which broke ranks with the mahagathbandhan because of his non-confrontational approach as governor of the state. ALSO READ | As it happened: Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India A commerce graduate, Kovind studied law at the Kanpur University, practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He was also the central governments standing counsel in the apex court from 1980-93. Kovind, who headed Dalit Morcha from 1998 to 2002, also led the All-India Koli Samaj. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh, he served two consecutive terms till March 2006. Outgoing Mukherjee bows out of public life after a five-decade political career. Diversity is key to India's success, says President Ram Nath Kovind Kovind said the key to Indias success is its diversity and asked people to build a country that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. In his first address as president after taking oath at the Central Hall of Parliament, Kovind said there is need to sculpt an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society. We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster is relentless. It is appropriate that the land of Lord Buddha should lead the world in its search for peace, tranquillity and ecological balance, he said. The key to Indias success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, the 71-year-old said. ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind new President of India: Who said what on Twitter Indias 14th president made special mention of women and their role in nation building. Nations, he said, are not built by governments alone and requires national pride. Each citizen of India is a nation builder. Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are nation builders. Women who despite responsibilities at home and work raise children to be ideal citizens are nation builders, he said. The new president went on to say that a farmer toiling in the blazing sun to feed fellow citizens is a nation builder as is a scientist concentrating tirelessly to send an Indian space mission to Mars, or invent a vaccine. (A) nurse or doctor helping the sick to recover and fighting disease in a remote village, is a nation builder. Young person who founds a start-up and becomes a job creator is a nation builder, he added. Soon after taking the oath, Kovind had said he was honoured to be sworn in as the 14th president of India would be carrying out responsibilities with all humility. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A six-member investigation team including sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials of Central Forensic Science Laboratory and doctors from AIIMS on Monday visited the spot from where body of a raped minor girl was recovered. The team on the directions of the Himachal High Court, has begun the investigation into the gangrape and murder of 16-year-old girl. The investigation team is minutely collecting forensic evidences from the spot and quizzing several locals in connection to the brutal rape and murder. The CBI probe so far have found loopholes in the local police theory that the victim was gangraped, tortured and murdered in jungle. While, CBI sleuths in their investigation found that spot is not deserted. On July 4, the victim did not return home from Government Senior Secondary School, Mahasu. Police had found school dress near her body. The police have yet not released the postmortem report. Since the incident came to surface, hundreds of protesters including the girls relatives and friends are demanding arrest of the offenders to the earliest. The local police so far have arrested four labours including two from Nepal in connection to the rape and murder of the minor. However, the family members claim that the local police is trying to save the real perpetrators. The family members told the media that the victim's body bare cigarette burn scars, bite marks ver lips, cheek and breast, bore scratch marks on her back and her arms and legs were fractures. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday took oath as the 14th President of India at the Central Hall of Parliament House at 12:15 pm. Chief Justice of India Justice JS Khehar administered his oath of the highest office. Here are the top 10 quotes of President Ram Nath Kovind: 1. I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility. 2. I come from a very simple background and the journey has been long. 3. I will stand by and represent all 125 crore fellow Indians. 4. I am thankful to you all for giving me the responsibility to be the President of India. 5. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab Da. ALSO READ: Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India, says each citizen is contributing to nation building 6. Former Presidents, from Rajendra Prasad to Pranab Mukherjee, all have been great leaders. I hope to live up to that greatness. 7. We have achieved a lot as a nation, we should strive for more. 8. Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility. 9. Each person is contributing to nation building. 10. We all are one and remain united. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CJI JS Khehar, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and all chiefs of Indian army forces were present during Kovind's swearing-in ceremony. ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind: All you need to know about the new President of India For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A lizard in an idli served at Quaid-e-Millath Government Womens College's hostel landed 65 students in the hospital late on Sunday night. More than 100 students was rushed to hospital after they complained of uneasiness and nausea after having dinner in their hostel mess. While 48 of the students were taken to Government Royapettah Hospital (GRH), 17 were admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Dr Anand Pratap, GRH resident medical officer (RMO), said four of them had diarrhoea. Dr Anand Pratap, Resident Medical Officer at the Government Royapettah Hospital, told Express, The symptoms were nausea and head ache and four students had diarrhoeal bouts. Majority of them were suffering from anxiety and panic due to the incident. But they were stable in the morning and hence were discharged. Throughout the incident, the management had not informed the students parents about the occurrence. We were not allowed to inform our parents and were sent home soon after being discharged. Most of us had to go on our own despite being sick since we were not allowed to stay in the hostel even for the night, said one of the affected students. The college had however declared one-week holiday for hostelers after the Food Safety Department had conducted an inspection and issued a warning notice to the management. We have collected samples of food and drinking water from the hostel for testing. Further action will be based on the report which is expected within 15 days, said Dr R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Chennai Food Safety Department. Geetha Rajan, principal of the college, said the students were sent back to their families on Monday. "The doctors advised them a week's rest. We will also use the time to renovate the hostel mess," she said. "Even at the time of inspection, the sanitary conditions in the kitchen were poor. It was infested with cockroaches," said a member of the investigation team. This was vouched by a student, who did not wish to be named. "Students here keep falling ill on and off, but authorities notice only when a lot of us are sick," said a second-year student. For food-related complaints WhatsApp- 9444042322. New Delhi: A new species of Gigantic ocean sunfish that could weigh up to two tonnes, is discovered by Scientists after it remained hidden for three centuries. Iconic ocean sunfishes are the heaviest and most distinctive of all bony fishes, with some species weighing in excess of two tonnes and growing to three meters in length. The newly discovered species, named the Hoodwinker Sunfish, is thought to approach a similar size, researchers said. Marianne Nygaard from Murdoch University in Australia uncovered the new species while researching the population genetics of ocean sunfish in the Indo-pacific region. Nygaard began her investigations after noticing genetic differences in sunfish samples from the Australian and NewZealand long line fishery. "A Japanese research group first found genetic evidence of an unknown sunfish species in Australian waters 10 years ago, but the fish kept eluding the scientific community because we did not know what it looked like," Nygaard said. Researchers collected data from 27 specimens of the new species, traveling thousands of miles or relying on strangers to take samples of sunfish found stranded on remote beaches over a period of three years."The new species managed to evade discovery for nearly three centuries by 'hiding' in a messy history of sunfish axotomy, partially because they are so difficult to preserve and study, even for natural history museums," Nygaard said. "That is why we named it Mola tecta - the Hoodwinker Sunfish - derived from the Latin tectus, meaning disguised or hidden," she said. The species is the first addition to the Mola genus in 130 years. The process we had to go through to confirm its new species status included consulting publications from as far back as the 1500s, some of which also included descriptions of mermen and fantastical sea monsters, researchers said. "We retraced the steps of early naturalists and taxonomists to understand how such a large fish could have evaded discovery all this time. Overall we felt science had been repeatedly tricked by this cheeky species, which is why we named it the Hoodwinker," they said. Similar to its two sister species, Mola mola, and Molaramsayi, the new species has the characteristic truncated appearance of half a fish, but the differences between the three species become clear with growth, researchers said. Mola tecta remain sleek and slender even in larger sizes, differing from the other species by not developing a protruding snout, or huge lumps and bumps. Researchers suspect that, as with other sunfish species, feeding takes place during deep dives. The digestive tract contents of three specimens they sampled consisted mostly of salps, a gelatinous sea creature loosely resembling a jelly fish. Mola tecta appears to prefer cold water, and has so farbeen found around New Zealand, along the south-east coast of Australia, off South Africa and southern Chile, researchers said. The study was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: A US Navy surveillance aircraft was intercepted by two Chinese J-10 fighter jets in an unsafe manner over the East China Sea on Sunday, prompting evasive action by the formers pilot to avoid a collision, the Pentagon has said. (the US Navy aircraft) EP-3 flying in international airspace on the East China Sea was intercepted by two Chinese J-10s. One of them came underneath it at a high rate of speed, then slowed and pulled up. This caused the EP-3s T-Cast alarm to go off essentially, and it was forced to take evasive action to prevent the possibility of collision, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters yesterday. Obviously its something we watch very closely, he said. Another Pentagon official later described the Chinese action as unsafe. Davis said the incident took place on Sunday in the area between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean peninsula and east of Qingdao. He said the Chinese fighter jets were there for a while and flying wing-to-wing as well. Also Read: China asks India, US not to disturb peace in South China Sea Again, such intercepts, when theyre conducted safely, are not uncommon. This particular manoeuver that took place during the course of it was not safe, Davis said in response to a question. According to the Pentagon spokesman, the vast majority of interactions that they have with the Chinese military are perfectly safe. This was the exception, not the norm, he said. Also Read | South China Sea row: Beijing fumes as US sends navy warship near disputed region For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: North Korea appears to be preparing for another missile launch to coincide with a military anniversary, just weeks after conducting its first successful test of an ICBM that experts warned could reach Alaska. US and South Korean media reports cited intelligence and military officials as saying transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment had been seen on the move. The test which both Seoul and Washington official swarmed could be another intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) and can coincide with the 64th anniversary of the end of the Korean War on July 27, reports said. This is a public holiday in the nuclear-armed North and celebrated as Victory Day. The two Koreas have remained technically at war since the three-year conflict ended only with a ceasefire rather than a full peace treaty. "Movements by transporter erector launchers carrying(ICBM) launch tubes have been continuously observed in NorthPyongan (province)," a South Korean government source was quoted as saying by the country's Yonhap news agency. "There is a high possibility that the North may carry out(the test-launch) around the July 27 armistice day." The North in 2014 marked the armistice anniversary by firing a Scud-B short-range missile on July 26. Yonhap also cited a South Korean military source as saying Pyongyang may be preparing to test a new type of ICBM or an intermediate-range missile. On Monday CNN cited a US defense official as saying the North appeared to be preparing for another missile test. That official said transporter vehicles carrying launching equipment were seen arriving at Kusong in North Pyongan last Friday. The US network earlier cited US intelligence as indicating preparations for another test of an ICBM or intermediate-range missile. Kusong has been the scene of past tests, including in May when an intermediate-range ballistic missile traveled more than 700 kilometers. Pyongyang triggered global alarm on July 4, US Independence Day, when it test-fired its first ICBM which experts believe can reach Alaska a landmark development in its weapons programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who personally over saw the launch, described it as a gift to the "American bastards". The ICBM brings within reach Pyongyang's long-held dream of a missile that can deliver an atomic warhead to the continental United States and presents US President Donald Trump with a stark challenge. The North last week refused to respond to the South'soffer to open dialogue to ease tension. "We're keeping close surveillance on the North for possible provocative acts", a South Korean defense ministry spokesman told AFP. Yonhap also quoted a different Seoul government source as saying that a 1,800-tonne North Korean submarine in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) may be collecting data to prepare for a ballistic missile test-launch from the North's largest submarine. The North last August successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Japan Airlines will partner with Vietjet Aviation to rebuild its presence in Vietnam, joining a trend of Southeast Asian collaborations between conventional and low-cost carriers. The arrangement includes code-sharing and the ability to transfer reward miles accumulated on one airline to the other. They may also jointly operate routes Vietjet plans to launch as early as this year between Vietnam and Japan. Vietnamese destinations are likely to include such popular resort towns as Nha Trang, Da Nang and Phu Quoc. Aiming to mitigate the passenger congestion due to a surge in inbound tourists, the city of Kyoto proposed Monday a price hike for the one-day pass for public and private bus services. The proposal, which was made at a meeting of experts, looks to increase the price of the 500 pass to 600 from next March. The city will officially decide to raise the price in August. With the boosted revenue expected from the hike, Kyoto, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, plans to run more buses so they will be less crowded. Many tourists buy the one-day ticket, which allows users to ride in most areas covered by the municipal office and private bus operators in the city, as many times as they want for a day. Apart from hosting and possible maintenance costs, there are not exactly downsides to having your own website. Even if its just a personal blog it can always become more useful down the line, if you utilize it in the right manner. In other words, more This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A federal plan to improve Northeast rail service calls for laying miles of new track through densely populated Fairfield County a massive undertaking that would disrupt residents and businesses, and likely require property seizures. Southwestern Connecticut is at risk, said. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, referring to a new Northeast Corridor Future plan recently released by the Federal Railroad Administration. Most alarming is talk about building bypasses in Stamford and in Westport and other towns, Blumenthal said. There is danger in expanding the route through culturally and environmentally sensitive areas. The plan to increase train capacity and high-speed rail service includes significant bypasses or diversions from existing Metro-North tracks in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk and Westport. Those diversions cut through densely populated property containing hundreds if not thousands of homes and businesses, and would likely cost tens of billions of dollars to accomplish. James Redeker, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said residents should not panic over the FRA plan and stressed that Connecticut has final say on new rail routes. Its not real, and its not funded, Redeker said of the NEC Future plan. What FRA embraced is a vision, a philosophy or a statement about the future. Its an exercise in planning. More Information Looking to the future The Federal Railroad Administration's plan for future rail service in Fairfield County includes: Increase the number of high-speed regional trains Free track space for additional Metro-North commuter trains Build a new track route from New Rochelle, N.Y., to Westport to avoid low-speed areas Bypass portions of the existing Metro-North rail bed in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk and Westport Installmore than 200 miles of new track between Washington and New Haven, and between Providence, R.I., and Boston See More Collapse Overall, the $150 billion NEC Future plan calls for installing more than 200 miles of new track between Washington and New Haven, and between Providence, R.I., and Boston, by 2040. Stamford Mayor David Martin said he is still worried about the plan. I am concerned about potential changes in the layout of the rail lines and the need for additional rights of way, Martin said. My understanding is that current tentative proposals are hypothetical, but these details are important. New routes The FRA blueprint released to the public was hazy on the details of how high-speed rail would be expanded in Fairfield County. The plan noted a new segment (of track) beginning in New Rochelle, N.Y., extends through Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk to Greens Farms, a station in Westport. Maps released with the plan indicated the path mostly followed existing commuter tracks. But a December 2016 rail map produced by FRA and labeled preferred alternative provides a much clearer picture of the scope and magnitude of the route changes endorsed by FRA. The map was not among documents released by FRA when the new plan was announced. The map shows new track would beginning in New Rochelle, N.Y., and continuing east alongside the existing Metro-North commuter rail line as far as Port Chester, N.Y., where it would deviate around a proposed Cross-Westchester Station and travel on a new path into Greenwich. The new track would deviate from the existing commuter rail line at the Mianus River, and take a looping path to the Stamford train station. After the Stamford station, the new rail line continues alongside existing tracks until a third diversion through Darien, Norwalk and into Westport, where it would merge with existing Metro-North track before the Greens Farms Station. The new route is touted by the FRA as a way for high-speed trains to avoid low-speed areas and local stations, and enable Metro-North to add commuter trains. Blumenthal said the wording of the NEC Future plan released to the public was cryptic, probably on purpose, and did not tell the whole story of what the agency proposed. Very few people in Fairfield County know about the harm of this plan, Blumenthal said, referring to disruptions caused by laying new track in the various communities. Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a Hearst Connecticut Media columnist, said the proposed route is bad news for Fairfield County, particularly the plan to build new track along Interstate 95. The impact of new rail construction in the too-narrow highway corridor would affect the environment, historic properties and the economic vitality of the communities which, with the exception of Stamford, would just be fly-over territory without improved rail service, Cameron said. Cameron urged the states Congressional delegation to keep up the battle against this FRA effort to drive railroad stakes into the heart of our coastal communities. Stamford Mayor Martin said he will be watching as the plan advances. I will be monitoring future developments in this plan, and staying in contact with our representatives in Washington to ensure that Stamfords concerns are heard and addressed, Martin said. Not to worry Redeker said he hopes the FRA plan for Fairfield County does not cause the same hysteria that occurred in southeastern Connecticut over a proposed bypass through Old Lyme and other communities. He said that proposal prompted some to cancel real estate transactions before FRA abandoned the plan. Its right to talk about expectations, but the impact in the foreseeable future is nil, Redeker said of the NEC Future plan. There is no intent to go forward, and if there was, it would be a transparent process, Redeker said. We have no money to do anything and they (the FRA) dont do projects. Its up to the state to initiate anything. The commissioner said the state is focused on bringing the rail system up to a state of good repair, a goal also supported in the FRA Future plan. Gregory Stroud, special projects director for the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, said the NEC document sets the direction of rail improvements for decades to come. We are locking in solutions for the future, Stroud said. If its not going to happen, why do it? Stroud said states usually receive 80 percent of the funding for major rail upgrades from the federal government, and pay the remaining 20 percent of the cost. He said the type of project eligible for federal funding is dictated by documents such as the NEC Future plan. So, if you want $80 in federal money to $20 in state money, you have to conform to the NEC Future plan, Stroud said. Jim Gildea, chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, said he expects the plan will prompt opposition. Some citizens may take issue with the construction of the tracks within their coastlines and communities, similar to the citizens from the southeastern portion of the state, Gildea said. DANBURY A 37-year-old man was arrested by police working the bar watching shift around 1 a.m. Monday, accused of responding to requests to leave a bar with a beer-bottle assualt. Edy Bolivar Medina, of Danbury, was causing a ruckus at Zona Azul Bar & Lounge a Railroad Place club when he was asked to leave by bar security, police said. REGINA, July 24, 2017 /CNW/ - The well-being of Indigenous children and families is a priority for the Government of Canada. We are taking action and working with partners to help ensure that children receive the health and social services they need, when they need it. Today, Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, on behalf of the Government of Canada, and Bobby Cameron, Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), signed a Letter of Accord confirming their partnership to reform child and family services for First Nations in Saskatchewan. Canada is providing $441,176 to FSIN to begin its work with communities. FSIN represents First Nations in Saskatchewan, and through this funding will facilitate engagement and consensus-building in matters affecting child and family services for First Nations in the province. Their findings will contribute greatly to long-term strategic planning and the redesign of how child and family services are delivered to First Nations. Quotes "By working with and listening to those who are directly impacted by these policies, we are able to transform the child welfare system so that it puts the needs of families and youth first. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations' leadership on this project, and collaboration with First Nations in Saskatchewan will lead to real improvements on how child and family services are being provided in their communities. This is foundational to reconciliation and to ensuring First Nation children grow up stronger, more resilient, and connected to their language and culture." The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs "On behalf of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, I thank Vice Chief Heather Bear, the Health and Social Development Commission, Chiefs Political Task Force on Child Welfare and Chiefs of Saskatchewan for their commitment to First Nation Child Welfare. The need for governance for First Nation Child and Family Services in Saskatchewan is an important and urgent matter. This funding is the beginning of a process of long term strategic planning and redesign of First Nation Child and Family Services that will assist children and families. This will be a community and land based model of governance that is based on Treaty and Inherent rights. This comprehensive community engagement process will address First Nations Child and Family Services needs in this province." Bobby Cameron Chief, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Quick Facts The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents First Nations in Saskatchewan and is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the treaties. and is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the treaties. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada provides funding to more than 100 First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Agencies to deliver child and family services on reserve. Planned spending for the FNCFS Program for 2017-2018 is $788.9 million . Associated Links Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations First Nations Child and Family Services Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr. You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.aandc.gc.ca/subscriptions. SOURCE Government of Canada For further information: media may contact: Sabrina Williams, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, 613-697-8316; Rory MacLean, Communications, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, 306-241-0954, INAC Media Relations, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-953-1160 CALGARY, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific (CP) today officially launched its CP Canada 150 train tour with a kickoff ceremony at its Calgary headquarters with federal and provincial government officials and members of the Tsuut'ina Nation, who blessed the train. The train is now heading west to Port Moody, B.C., for the first event on July 28. Over the next three weeks the train will travel across Canada bringing with it a cross-country, Canada 150 block party to 13 cities. "It is my honour and privilege to represent CP and its employees past and present in officially kicking off the CP Canada 150 train," said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO. "I encourage all Canadians to come out and see the train, enjoy the family show and activities, and celebrate this great railroad and this great country." As it rolls across the country, the CP Canada 150 Train will reconnect generations of Canadians through shared stories and celebration, as we honour the country's past, while acknowledging the leaders of the present, and look toward a bright future. "It is my honour to be here today to mark the start of this special train at CP's Ogden Yard," said the Honourable Kent Hehr, MP for Calgary Centre. "Calgary and our province were connected to the rest of the country through a vision of a railway that had east meet west. Our last 150 years was a fulfillment of this dream of a nation united, and this train is a commitment to the thousands of youths and their dreams and passions for the next 150 in front of us." Today's kickoff ceremony was also the unveiling of the Spirit of Tomorrow railcar, which, as it moves across Canada, will be decorated with thousands of handwritten cards from children outlining their dreams for the future. "We thank CP for running this tour across Canada and look forward to celebrating Canada 150 with them," said the Honourable Joe Ceci, Alberta's Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board and MLA for Calgary-Fort. "We are proud to have CP based in Calgary and recognize their important contribution not only to this city, but to this province for more than 130 years." At each three-hour event, community members will enjoy a variety of activities including performances by 13-time Canadian Country Music Award winner and two-time Juno Award winner, Dean Brody, Aboriginal entertainer and world champion hoop dancer Dallas Arcand and our house band, the Rail Road Ramblers, featuring Kelly Prescott. Eagle and Hawk will bring their unique sound of fusing traditional Indigenous themes with roots rock to events in Edmonton and Winnipeg. To commemorate the beginning of the journey, members of the Tsuut'ina Nation performed a traditional blessing ceremony, asking for safe journey and protection while acknowledging the traditional lands our communities are on and CP's long history with Indigenous Peoples. "The Tsuut'ina Nation would like to acknowledge CP for its history of forging links across this vast country," said Ellery Starlight, Councillor, Tsuut'ina Nation. "Links that have contributed to the development of a strong and united Canada. Tsuut'ina thanks CP for their support and their desire to reflect that foundational role in this celebration. Tsuut'ina looks forward to working with CP as we move forward, together." Canadians of all ages can enjoy this family-friendly occasion while exploring images and facts pulled from CP's archives, decorating their very own conductor's hat or capturing a photo at the Empress photo station. Since the tour's announcement in May, CP has been celebrating how the railway connected the nation through their #ConnectingCanada campaign, including the viral 'Whistle' video, launch of a heritage website and storytelling with daily archival photos on social media. Many Canadians have joined the conversation about the railways role in Canada, and have shared their personal railway stories in the CP Canada 150 contest. When the contest wraps on July 31, two lucky Canadians will get to bring a guest to stay on this one-of-a-kind train for two days and two nights. Get your short story entry in today before it's too late. NOTE TO EDITORS: A full backgrounder on CP's Canada 150 train, fun facts about each location, specific event details and photos and video is available on www.cpr.ca About Canadian Pacific Canadian Pacific is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP. SOURCE Canadian Pacific For further information: Media: Jeremy Berry, 403-319-6227, [email protected], [email protected] Related Links http://www.cpr.ca SASKATOON, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Export Development Canada (EDC) today announced the opening of a new office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that will bring EDC's financing and risk mitigating solutions closer to businesses in northern Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan exporting story Saskatchewan currently exports 70% of what is produced that's a big number. There is an estimated 2,100 direct exporters in the area and more than 800 indirect exporters, Canadian companies, not currently exporting, who sell goods or services to a Canadian company or supply chain and will be sold outside Canada. EDC recognizes that more direct resources are required in this region as there are 1450 companies deemed "ready to export" meaning they plan to export within one to two years. With over $32.5 billion in exports volume in 2016, Saskatchewan's trade with international markets has been growing and EDC intends to play a leading role in unlocking more of the region's significant trade potential. "EDC's investment in Saskatchewan is really about tapping into the deep pool of dynamic, trade-minded companies in the area and providing them with more hands-on service," said Mark Livingston, Regional Vice-president. The potential for trade-related business growth in the region is particularly evident in sectors like mining & oil and gas supply chain, agriculture (commodities, equipment, food processing), biotechnology all products and services that are in high demand globally. EDC has seen a marked increase in the amount of business undertaken by its customers in these sectors which helped influence the decision to open this new office. "We want to act as a catalyst to encourage and equip companies with what they need to go, grow, and succeed internationally," said Livingston. "Saskatchewan based companies, particularly in the north are already exporting heavily into the US market but EDC can help them tap into demand-rich markets like China and India quickly, and with less risk." In addition, the presence of major financial institutions in the region will allow EDC to help more Saskatoon-based companies get the support they need. EDC partners with banks, sharing risks on commercial terms, to ensure that customers can access financial solutions best suited to their needs. "Some very dynamic exporters in Canada are headquartered in and around Saskatoon, with most of them being small-and medium-sized businesses," said Kyle Reid, Account Manager for Saskatoon, EDC. "Their needs can be complex, and our intention is to have our finger on the pulse of their business by being part of the community. The more we understand their business and growth opportunities, the easier it will be to create solutions that are uniquely tailored to their day-to-day reality." This initiative is part of EDC's broader growth strategy, domestically and abroad, to help more Canadian companies export and invest internationally. EDC serves more than 8,300 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year. About EDC EDC helps Canadian companies go, grow, and succeed in their international business. As a financial Crown corporation, EDC provides financing, insurance, bonding, trade knowledge, and matchmaking connections to help Canadian companies sell and invest abroad. EDC can also provide financial solutions to foreign buyers to facilitate and grow purchases from Canadian companies. For more information about how we can help your company, call us at 1-888-434-8508 or visit www.edc.ca. SOURCE Export Development Canada For further information: Spokesperson: Carolyn Carson, Export Development Canada, (613) 598-2599, [email protected] Related Links http://www.edc.ca Following the photo of All Progressive Congress, APC Governors with the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari in London which surfaced online some days ago, some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors have been chosen as delegates to pay the president a visit in the United Kingdom.The visit by the PDP governors is according to reports organised by the office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.).Punch reports that the selection process for the governors visiting the president is unclear adding that the six governors were picked from the six geo-political zones in the country.The governors included in the list for the visit to the President in London include Governors; Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), while the remaining two governors remain unknown as at press time.The list comprise of governors from the South-South, South-East, North-West and South-West.The governors would depart for London from the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja later today and would return to Nigeria on Wednesday, July 26th. A four-storey building has collapsed at Tokunbo Street, off Odunfa, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, with many people still trappe... A four-storey building has collapsed at Tokunbo Street, off Odunfa, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, with many people still trapped in the debris. The building is said to be owned by Kafo Family which was reportedly managed by Isola Costa. It collapsed around 3.00pm. Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe said five people had been rescued as at 3:39 pm on Tuesday, adding that operation is ongoing. Details later Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, said on Tuesday that the bad governance of the All Progressives Congress has left Nigeria terr... Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, said on Tuesday that the bad governance of the All Progressives Congress has left Nigeria terribly divided.Wike, who stated that the country needed people who would promote peace through quality leadership, added that Nigeria was currently bedevilled by myriad of problems.The governor spoke at the official flag-off of the reconstruction/rehabilitation of Abuloma, Fimie, Ozuboko and Amadi-Ama community roads in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.Wike said that Nigerians were deceived into voting for the APC, pointing out that in 2019, no Nigerian will be deceived by the empty promises of the party.Nigeria is divided because of the APC leadership style. Wherever you go today in this country, there is one problem or the other. Is that how Nigerians want it? Certainly not. We need people who will promote peace through quality leadership.The change they said they are bringing is fake change. No person resident in Rivers State and sees what we are suffering from the APC Federal Government will ever support APC, he added.The governor, who assured the people of the state that his administration would continue to deliver projects that would improve their living condition, maintained that the reconstruction/rehabilitation of Abuloma, Fimie, Ozuboko and Amadi-Ama community roads would be completed in six months.Wike said the poor nature of the community roads in the heart of Port Harcourt had brought to the fore the failures of the immediate past administration. Rumours on the Presidents heath were debunked again yesterday. He is not confined to a chair, Nasarawa State Governor Umar Tanko Al-M... Rumours on the Presidents heath were debunked again yesterday.He is not confined to a chair, Nasarawa State Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura said.President Muhammadu Buhari hosted an All Progressives Congress (APC) delegation in London on Sunday. The Presidency released the photograph of the meeting and a short story on the visit. After a brief silence, the critics returned to action yesterday, insisting that the President is gravely ill.Al-Makura was in the delegation led by APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun. Also on the visit were Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi).Al-Makura said the President was agile, mentally alert and brainstormed on state matters for about an hour with the delegation during the meeting at the Nigerian House in London.He described those doubting the photograph of the meeting as being comical.The governor, who spoke exclusively with our correspondent shortly after returning from London yesterday, said: The President is fit enough to return any time.We did not only visit the President, we walked, we sat down with him and we fraternised the way we used to do. He was not confined to any chair or any place.The President was really looking himself and very healthy. He was very alert, very concerned about the country and he was abreast of the latest issues in Nigeria. He has information on everything going on in the country.He maintained his agility, his strength, his wit and the alertness of his mind. As far as I am concerned, the President can come back any time from now. He is fit to return home.Al-Makura said: For about an hour, we brainstormed on a number of issues, especially about national interest and the unity of this country. We spoke generally on how to handle issues or policies that will enhance the quality of life in this country.The President also tried to find out how each state was doing from the governors on the trip. And he asked questions from party leaders and all members of the delegation.After a long session, we ended up on the dining table where we feasted with the President.On the allegation that the trip was a make-believe, Al-Makura said: Anyone can embark on wishful thinking. I was a member of the delegation and I have told you the truth about the way we met and interacted with the President.The onus is on who alleges to prove otherwise. Whoever says we didnt go is casting aspersions on our integrity. This is really unfortunate. We have no cause to lie to Nigerians. I just came in this morning and I have all my travel documents intact.I am surprised that anyone could say that we didnt see the President. It makes me to appreciate the extent to which a person can go comical.Leading the critics is the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has faulted the approach adopted by the APC and some government functionaries in communicating with Nigerians about the Presidents health.In a telephone chat with newsmen, PDP spokesman Dayo Adeyeye chided the delegation, saying they were not being fair to Nigerians.Adeyeye said if the President was indeed well as shown to Nigerians, the APC delegation ought to have got from him audio and video messages to Nigerians.Adeyeye said, For Gods sake, President Buhari was elected to represent about 200 million Nigerians and they are circulating just one photograph without any word from the leader.That is not the right way to treat Nigerians who have been feeling the Presidents absence from the country for close to three months. They are being unfair to the Nigerian people.The opposition spokesman challenged the ruling party and its officials in government to do what others in civilised world do in similar situations by providing detailed information on the Presidents state of health.The Presidency and the APC should learn to do the right. Nigerians deserve better treatment from a President they elected to run the affairs of their country.It is very unfair to keep them in the dark concerning the health of the President only to be circulating just one photograph in the media for people who have been praying for the recovery of our President all this while, Adeyeye added.Restating the commitment of the PDP to continue to pray for the speedy recovery of the President, Adeyeye maintained that the opposition party sincerely wished Buhari well.As a party, we have been praying for the Presidents speedy recovery and we will continue to pray for his recovery because when it comes to matters of health, nobody is immune to illness.But the Presidency and the APC should stop taking Nigerians for granted with the way they are handling issues around the Presidents health. This is not the way to treat a President they elected to govern them, Adeyeye added. President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted his nomination as leader of the 2018 AU Theme on the Fight against Corruption, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina has said.Buhari was nominated by African leaders at the 29th Session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 4.The presidential aide said Buharis acceptance of the nomination was contained in a letter of appreciation addressed to President of Guinea, Alpha Conde.Conde is the present Chairman of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union.While thanking you for the kind words and for the nomination, I wish to express my readiness to accept this new important role and to reiterate my commitment to contribute toward our collective efforts to strengthen good governance and development on the continent.I, therefore, look forward to working closely with you in the realisation of this objective, the President wrote to Conde.He also thanked President Conde for the nationwide prayers held last week by Guineans for his recovery and good health.Buhari, who had earlier made a phone call to Conde said, I thank you for your kind and thoughtful action in organising nationwide prayers for my good health.It is a gesture that I will forever cherish and treasure.Your Excellency will be pleased to hear that I am making good progress, and as soon as doctors advice, I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery.The Guinean President, Alpha Conde had on July on July 21, ordered 24-hour fervent prayers for Buharis speedy recovery, who is presently on medical vacation in London.Conde, who expressed concern for Buharis health gave the order while addressing the countrys Council of Ministers.Buhari left Abuja for London on May 7, to see his doctors for follow-up medical checks. The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that it has recovered over N51.9bn illegally deducted by commercial banks and returned it to the customers.The CBN stated that the amount was illegally removed from the accounts of bank customers across the country in the past five years.The Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, disclosed this in Port Harcourt during an interactive session with stakeholders, including labour union leaders, in the South-South zone.Okoroafor stated that the recovery and return of the funds to customers became necessary after series of complaints on illegal deductions from their accounts by commercial bank customers got to the apex bank.Putting the exact amount recovered and returned by the CBN Consumer Protection Department at N51,913,350,828.85, he explained that $18,191,444.19, 26.286,62 and 6,000 were also recovered within the period.Okorafor, who was represented by an assistant director in the apex bank, John Attah, recalled that the CBN received 10,548 complaints, adding that the amounts recovered were from 5,746 resolved cases.He stated, When such complaints are received, the CBN will embark on a thorough investigation of what happened and how the deductions were made. If we discover that the bank was wrong, we will write and order the bank to return the money to the customers account.We do not keep this kind of money in any special account. Someone owns it and the banks know the accounts from where they made the deductions. So, we mandate them to pay it back into the accounts.He, however, expressed the apex banks continued commitment to customers protection, adding that the interactive session was aimed at educating stakeholders, particularly labour unions, on some of the financial policy drives of the CBN.Okorafor stated that such financial initiatives were targeted at closing the gaps in the economy to foster development and safety of citizens.On the Bank Verification Number, the acting director explained that the initiative was brought into the banking system to solve the challenges of customer identification based on finger prints.People use different names to open different accounts for different reasons and purposes; but with the help of the BVN, we should be able to know who is operating what account irrespective of the name. This has made criminals and fraudsters, who are operating secret accounts, to abandon their accounts in order not to be caught, he stated.The Vice President, Industrial Global Union, Mr. Issa Aremu, expressed gratitude to the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for interfacing with labour unions on financial literacy since the past three years. More mothers are opting for deliveries through C aesarian Sections (C-section), a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN... More mothers are opting for deliveries through Caesarian Sections (C-section), a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has shown.The process involves making incisions in the mothers abdominal wall and uterus to remove the baby, rather than the natural course of delivery through the vagina.It is generally considered safe, but the survey showed that it had more risks than vaginal births. And that is even aside the quick recovery by the mothers.Some experts, who spoke with NAN, advised that C-sections should be the last option as they were not as medically beneficial as the natural vaginal deliveries.One such expert, Dr. Blaise Okwaraoha, who works at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, told NAN that babies born through vaginal delivery stood less risk of having respiratory problems.Children born through vaginal delivery have the benefit of excess fluid pumped out of their lungs while coming out through the birth canal.That is one massive health advantage that every mother should crave for, unless when she or the child is confirmed to be at risk if delivery is made through the vagina, he said.He said that C-sections should only be encouraged if there were complications.Okwaraoha attributed the growing trend of C-sections to the request for them by mothers not ready for the pains of normal deliveries, as well as campaigns by human rights groups.Most women, who deliver their babies through C-sections on request, normally say they want to avert labour pains and preserve their birth canal from the trauma associated with vaginal delivery.In more developed countries, women have continued to champion the struggle to protect their rights regarding taking decisions on how to manage their pregnancy and delivery.But, apart from the risk of respiratory problems to the baby, C-sections predispose the mothers to post surgical infection.The trend was not popular in Nigeria some years ago, but it has gained more ground in this part of the world with growing awareness and more women becoming educated and ready to explore all options, he said.A cross section of women, who also spoke on the trend in Lafia, expressed mixed feelings over childbirth through C-section.Mrs. Deborah Danjuma, a mother of four, said that labour pain was an integral experience in the joy of motherhood.I am not opposed to C-section if there are complications during pregnancy, but requesting for it just to preserve my birth canal is an abnormality, she said.She attributed rising cases of C-sections, especially in private hospitals, to inexperience and the quest to make money.Most gynaecologist are always quick to book pregnant women for C-sections even when the risk factors are minimal just to charge huge sums for the procedure, she alleged.Miss Hanatu Akabe, a journalist, however, said that she would not mind having all her children through C-sections due to what she had heard about labour pains.I have heard so much about how unbearable labour pain could be. If I can have my way, I will opt for C-sections, though I am told that it is also painful, she said.Dr. Ochala Damusa, Consultant Gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, however, told NAN that C-sections had become more common because of the rising number of maternal morbidity and mortality resulting from obstructed labour and antepartum haemorrhages.C-sections have reduced the risks of dying during child birth, though one will naturally prefer vaginal delivery because it is less prone to complications.On the economic benefits to doctors, Ochala said that doctors in public hospitals do not reap economic benefits from C-sections because there is no extra financial attachment to it.For us here, there is no particular interest aside the quest for quality medical attention. Whether we carry out C-sections or not, we shall get the same salaries at the end of the month.But for doctors in private hospitals, C-sections will add some income to them, he said.He said that women involved in C-sections across all ages, but added that most of those brought to the hospital were teenagers.Teenage pregnancies are generally seen as high risk pregnancies because their pelvic bones are not well developed, especially at ages 14-18.We have also found more need for C-sections among people in the lower rungs of the society because they do not eat well, while many are unable to afford the cost of ante-natal care, he said.The medical officer urged parents and those in authority to help more women to acquire education to place them in a better position to take decisions.When women are educated and empowered, they can afford ante natal care and decide how best to manage situations, he said.He also suggested that C-sections be made free for those who may need it, noting that some women run away from it because its cost was usually very high.Some women reject C-sections and opt to deliver at home only to rush to the hospital with complications.On the whole, though there are many advantages of vaginal delivery, some complications from vaginal delivery such as obstructed labour, fetal distress, vesico-vaginal fistula, uterine rupture can be prevented by performing C-sections; this reduces maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, Ochala said.On his part, Prof. Patrick Daru, Head, Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit of the Jos university Teaching Hospital, has said that C-sections were gradually becoming more popular because they had proved to be safer for mothers and their babies, than the vaginal birth.In some cases, the babies can be in a breached position, with head not turned down; in some cases, the baby may be too big and exceed the normal fetal size which leads to prolonged labour with the baby unable to come out from the birth canal due to the size.The result is that the baby gets stuck which could easily lead to the death of mother and child, he said.Other reasons, he said, included narrow pelvic, placenta previa where placenta blocks the cervix, or a maternal disease that may worsen by the stress of labour.He explained further that some C-sections were not always planned and only become inevitable when slow labour was observed, or when labour failed to progress.Some women, who spoke on the trend, agreed that C-sections should be encouraged when there were complications.One of them, Mrs. Blessing Oni, a journalist, who had twins through C-section, said it was her first pregnancy and one of the fetus was in a breached position, prompting the doctor to advise her to settle for that.Another woman, Mrs. Simi Pam, said she underwent C-section when she stopped dilating during labour.I was rushed in for an emergency C-section and it was very successful. I was already weak and could not push any longer.I will recommend the C-section in spite of its heavy cost. I prefer it to the normal delivery because you would not have to push and drain your energy.Another advantage is that women get more pampered by their husbands after C-sections, when compared with the casual attention given to them when it is normal delivery, she said.Mrs. Joan Tan, a trader, who said she opted for C-section on her own volition, explained that her initial five deliveries were via vaginal births, but that she chose to have her last baby via C-section just to experience what it was like.Mr Rowland Agang, whose wife recently delivered twins through C-section, said that his major concern over the activity was the prohibitive cost.My wifes delivery cost N250,000 in a private hospital in Jos. Nothing prepared me for that huge expenditure, he fumed.Similarly, Mr Ezekiel Nyam, who paid N90,000 when his wife gave birth via C-section in a tertiary hospital in Jos, advised that its cost be reviewed down wards or subsidised so that the poor could afford it.If the cost is low, the poor will afford it and that will ensure the success of governments campaign to reduce infant-maternal mortality to the barest minimum,he said. A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on Monday, said despite the agitations in the country and other developments threatening the unity of Nigeria, the nations youths would keep the nation together.Gowon spoke at the 50th anniversary programme of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, a forum moderated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.A N152.5m project, executed to encourage youth involvement in agriculture, was also declared open as part of the anniversary.At the event were the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who represented acting President Yemi Osinbajo; the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Moses Alake, who represented Governor Abiola Ajimobi; and the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji.Others at the ceremony were the President, African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; Chief Joe Makoju, who is the Special Adviser to President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and other dignitaries from across Africa.Asked if he was scared about the unity of Nigeria, Gowon said, I am not scared for the unity of the nation. I have confidence in Nigeria and the youths of this country that they will make sure that they take over and do better than we left for them.I have no fear that all these rantings and so on, no; I have confidence that the youths of this nation will keep Nigeria going and make it greater. Diversity is our source of unity and strength.According to Gowon, Nigeria is at a great disadvantage in agriculture and food production because the average age of its farmers is 60 years.He stated that there must be concerted efforts to trigger the interest of the nations youths in agriculture.Gowon said, The average age of farmers in Nigeria is 60 years; soon, they will pass on and that includes me. We have to encourage the younger ones to be interested in agriculture so that they can take over from the older generation that have been feeding the nation. This is what happens in Europe, America and China today and we must encourage it in Nigeria.During our time, agriculture was the main thing and plans were made for agro-allied development. We started to clear big areas for agriculture and inviting the federal and state governments, private sectors and even individuals to get involved in agriculture.In his speech, Obasanjo urged African countries to increase their interest in all aspects of agriculture and research while effort must be made to engage more women in agriculture.The former President agreed with Gowon that Nigerian farmers were ageing, saying it was important to make agriculture attractive to the nations youths.He stated, Looking back, lITA has been a major blessing to the continent of Africa. In the past 50 years, the institutes research has helped to avert major disasters that plagued African staples, including cassava and maize.Obasanjo added that Nigeria must commit itself to growing and eating its own indigenous foods, while also calling on the Federal Government to develop policies that would enable agriculture to grow and thrive.Osinbajo, who was represented by Ogbeh, said Nigeria was heading for 450 million in population, arguing that feeding such a large population would be tough but possible.At over three per cent growth per annum, we are reportedly heading for 450 million persons by the year 2050; but feeding 450 million is tough though not impossible.If China and India did it, we too can. So, as we move on, we must reflect on the challenge of quantity of output and quality of consumption. And to achieve this, we urge you (IITA) to engage in more research, Osinbajo said.The AfDB President, Adesina, commended IITA for contributing to agriculture in Africa.At the African Development Bank, we have decided to work with amazing institutions to help drive Africas agricultural sector transformation. The bank will be investing $24bn in agriculture over the next 10 years to help turn agriculture into a business all across Africa.Our goal is to ensure that Africa feeds itself within 10 years and unblocks the full potential of its agriculture, he said. Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode, has replied Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, over comments made against him. (read HERE ... Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode, has replied Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, over comments made against him. (read HERE The ex-Minister called the governor a low life and super criminal, who will be totally exposed after leaving office in 2019. Okorocha had lambasted Fani Kayode over the latters comments on images showing All Progressives Congress, APC, governors in Abuja House in London with President Muhammadu Buhari. Fani-Kayode had described the images as fake, added that Okorochas comment that Buhari will soon return is a liar. In his reaction to the former ministers claim, Okorocha described Fani- Kayode as a spoilt child. Reacting, through Jude Ndukwe, his media adviser, FFK said Okorochas jibe is a sign of desperation to serve the evil purposes for which the Imo State governor has been procured. This is true to the character of Okorocha who is well known for his garrulousness which he ridiculously mistakes for oratory, with which, unfortunately, he has been misleading the good people of Imo State. For a man whose party has unprecedentedly threatened to arrest the moment he steps out from the immunity he currently enjoys, Rochas should actually be hiding his head in shame when men like Fani-Kayode are talking. Uche Onyeagucha, an APC chieftain and a former member of the House of Representatives, has accused Okorocha of lying serially when he said he had spoilt Imo people with projects when in fact Rochas has only littered the state with a plethora of abandoned projects, most of which exist only on paper. In lampooning the delinquent governor, Onyeagucha had said: Rochas should be in prison for the way and manner he has looted Imo State. He should rather be sewing his prison uniform. A man who deceitfully created a phantom Imo Air that soon disappeared into thin air without any notice after it was commissioned with so much pomp and circumstance does not deserve any serious attention. His deceit and cruelty has since been confirmed by Imo people, and his vicious credentials qualifies him for a regular mental check. The truth of the matter is that Fani-Kayode and Rochas are not in the same class. Imo people thought otherwise but today they know better. Our joy for them is that 2019 is just around the corner. They will surely kick him out, and his emptiness would be exposed. The truth that scares the likes of Okorocha are scared of Fani-Kayode. A Cambridge trained-lawyer who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, practiced law in the firm of Kayode & Sowemimo before he ventured into politics where he rose to becoming a two-time minister of the Federal Republic after being appointed the first ever Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the President. The import of all these is that Rochas has no history backing up his claim to fame today. He is alleged to come from an unknown root as his paternity is believed to still be very much in doubt even in Imo State. We know those who worship mammon and have sold their souls to the devil to acquire it and also to become governor. With time we shall expose their evil deeds including why they go about in customised diapers as a consequence of their evil and unnatural copulation even with donkeys. One then wonders how such a man whose highest educational qualification is a mere Advanced Diploma would dare attack Fani-Kayode. If not for the kind of system that we run in Nigeria, men like Rochas should be seeking to write JAMB now in pursuit of their first degree. He probably would have been given admission now based on trial or pity because we know he has a very low intelligence quotient (IQ). In our own humble estimation, we think it is just too unfortunate that such a low life is leading an Imo State of erudite scholars, scientists, highly educated and successful businessmen/women, political giants, legal gurus etc. Our consolation, like Onyeagucha advised, is that Rochas Okorocha seemed to have attacked Fani-Kayode while sewing his prison uniform. The imagination of life after government house could have affected his mental state leading him to spew gibberish. Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, remains optimistic that he can still sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal.However, he may be forced to switch his top attacking target, if their Premier League rivals maintain their position that he is not for sale.Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has reiterated his stance that the Chilean striker will remain at the club, amid speculation that Paris Saint-Germain want to sign him.Sanchez, who has one year left on his current contract, has already admitted he wants to play in the Champions League, with Arsenal set to compete in the Europa League next term.Sources have told ESPN FC that he would prefer a move to the Etihad Stadium and the opportunity to work with his former Barcelona boss, Guardiola.It is understood he is even prepared to take a lower salary than he has been offered by potential suitors PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus. The Police in Lagos State, has commenced investigations into the murder of a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Emmanuel Uba, alias Onwa, who was shot dead by gunmen on a motorcycle, at 7th Avenue, Festac Town, few hours before the last Saturdays local government election in the state.It was gathered that Onwa, who was also the Chairman of Community Policing Youth Vanguard in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, was shot twice last Friday night at 712 Road, Festac Town.Sources disclosed that Onwa, who was active during the APCs campaigns within Amuwo Odofin, was said to have been lured out to the spot.A source, who spoke with newsmen on the condition of anonymity, stated that Onwa was with some of his party members and loyalists preparing for the local government elections when he received a call asking him to come to 7th Avenue.The source explained that he drove a Toyota Highlander SUV to the spot, where his caller asked that they meet.According to the source, he doesnt move alone. Although he is very well known in that area, I wonder why he went to 7th Avenue alone. I was informed by his loyalists, who were the last to see him, that he asked them to wait for him. I suspect that his caller must have been someone he respects a lot.Eyewitnesses told me that they saw his SUV at the spot, where he was killed around 10:30p.m. and he was seen talking on his phone when his assailants showed up on a motorcycle and opened fire on him.We found two gun wounds on him. One was on his face and the other was on his head.When inquired from the source if Onwas life had been threatened in the past, he reacted in affirmative, explaining that Onwas style of politics had endeared him to the partys leadership at the state and federal level.He added: This could be why he was killed. I pray the police will do a good job in unravelling those behind his death and have them prosecuted, because politics is not a do-or-die affair.Reacting to the development, the spokesman at the Lagos State Police Command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, stated that the Police have commenced investigation into the killing.He, however, added that the killing was not related to politics.According to him, the incident was reported, but may not be related to politics. Investigation is ongoing to unravel the cause of death. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has raised an alarm over what he describes as plots by some individuals to rubbish the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Governments anti-corruption fight by discrediting the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC).Alhaji Mohammed made this known in Abuja on Tuesday in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr. Segun Adeyemi.According to him, PACACs letterhead and stamp as well as the signature of its chairman, Prof. Itse Sagay, were being forged and used to contact people within and outside the country and also portray the countrys highest advisory committee against corruption in bad light.The Minister said, in a particular instance, a letter purportedly signed by the PACAC Chairman, Prof. Itse Sagay, was being sent to unsuspecting persons to extort money from them.Mohammed said the letter entitled, Presidential Investigation on Outstanding Federal Government External Contract Debts, and a form to be filled for that purpose were being sent out by the perpetrators to extort money.For the avoidance of doubt, the president has not mandated PACAC to investigate and recommend for payment some outstanding contract debts, as contained in the letter in question.The Federal Government has also not approved the disbursement of 850 million dollars in the 2017 budget for payment of the so-called external contract debt.We are therefore using this medium to inform Nigerians and foreigners alike to disregard such letters, he said.Alhaji Mohammed said Sagay and all the members of his committee are men and women of proven integrity.He said they would never allow the committee to be used for any activity that was not within its mandate or that was capable of weakening the anti-corruption fight of the administration. Amidst claim by former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu that he was not invited to the partys caucus meeting a fortnight ago, Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has broken his silence, saying no one was personally invited to the gathering.A source quoted Makarfi as saying that nobody was issued an official invitation to the caucus meeting stressing that even the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan did not receive such invitation. He added that the series of meetings which ended with resolutions by the National Executive Committee (NEC) were summoned through advertorials in the electronic and print media.We never wrote a letter to any individual; we published the invitations. President Goodluck Jonathan did not receive a phone call or a letter. No governor received a phone call or a letter, no National Assembly member received a phone call or letter, the source quoted Makarfi, adding that the procedure of PDP is to publish in the media, both electronic and print, and it was done and those who are genuine members of the party-you saw the number, they came; so why should he (Sheriff) create a new procedure for himself?Others did not receive any letter, never demanded that and that has never been done in the history of the PDP; the announcement is always done through advertorial, he stated.It would be recalled that the reasons given by Senator Sheriff about two weeks ago for his absence at the expanded caucus meeting of the PDP, apart from not being in the country at the time, was that no invitation was extended to him to attend. The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has cautioned Igbos residing in the North that they are doing so at thei... The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has cautioned Igbos residing in the North that they are doing so at their peril. Speaking in an interview with journalists in Enugu on Monday, where he received awards from a number of pan-Igbo groups, including the Igbo Women Assembly, the Eastern Consultative Assembly and the Igbo Students Union, Kanu claimed that Northerners have been killing Igbos since 1945. It is up to them. They have been in the North, and they (northerners) have been killing us (Igbo) since 1945. If you choose to live in the North, you choose to be a sacrificial lamb because one day, they will kill you. It is a choice they have made and they will have to live with it, he said. Kanu also insisted that Igbos vacating the North was not a condition for the actualisation of Biafra. He explained that secession does not imply that Igbos must leave any part of Nigeria. You are aware that Scotland is seeking to leave the United Kingdom? Are you remotely implying that every person from Scotland, who lives in England, should now return to Scotland? Britain just left the EU. Are you now implying that every British citizen in the EU should come back to Britain in order to finalise that process of extraction of Britain from the EU?, Kanu added. Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has sworn-in 12 new Permanent Secretaries with a charge to abide by their oath of office and shun corruption.Addressing the permanent secretaries comprising seven males and five females in Benin on Tuesday, Obaseki described their inauguration as a historic journey to restoring the lost glory of the state civil service.According to him, their appointment was based on merit and their high performance in the examination conducted by Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.I am urging you all not to disappoint the administration and you can achieve that by giving your best at all times, he said.He said the administration would build a strong world class civil service, adding that the onus was on the permanent secretaries to actualize the dream.On capacity building, the governor said about 80 computers with internet facility had been provided to train civil servants to function effectively.Obaseki, however, warned against acts of corruption, promising to deal with workers found wanting.Such people would not only be dismissed but would be prosecuted, he said.Speaking on behalf of the new permanent secretaries, Dr Asogun Izielen pledged their commitment to driving the governors vision for the state.Those sworn-in include Ms Helen Adesuwa, Mrs Ruth Enoma, Mrs Juliana Olatunji, Mrs Priscillia Aziegbemhin, and Ms Itohan Bazuaye.The rest are Mr Samuel Agbeirio, Mr Michael Iyekepolor, Rev. Uhunmwagho Obazee, Pastor Christopher Obode, Mr George Igberase and Mr Denis Juwobor.The permanent secretaries would be deployed to various ministries on July 26. Details of final results of Saturdays local government election in Lagos released by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (L... Details of final results of Saturdays local government election in Lagos released by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Monday indicated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four councillorship seats in the polls.A statement issued by the commission s Director of Publicity, Mr Oladapo Olatunde, indicated that Accord Party also won three councillorship seats in the election. According to the statement, the PDP won the four councillorship seats in Agege Local Government Area (LGA) Ward C, Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA)Ward A, Ikorodu LGA Ward G, and Oriade LCDA Ward A. Accord Party won in Agege LGA Ward E, Ikosi-Isheri LCDA Ward D and Shomolu/Kosofe Ward E.Aside the seven councillorship seats, the All Progressives Congress swept all the chairmanship seats and the remaining 369 councillorship seats in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in the state.The analysis of the results showed that nine out of the 12 parties that participated in the election did not record any win. The LASIEC chairman, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, according to the statement, congratulated all winners and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them. She urged them to do so by making impact with their leadership in their respective areas.Phillips thanked the political parties and their agents for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the election. The commissions Chairman also commended security agents for helping to maintain law and order during the election. She thanked the media and civil society organisations that partnered the commission to conduct the polls.Ayotunde said the election was largely successfully conducted, but admitted initial delays in the deployment of materials to polling units. She attributed the delays to the downpour on the day of the polls, which affected easy movement of materials to polling units. The chairman thanked all Lagosians for the support given to the commission to ensure successful conduct. NAN The governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party are among six governors who are scheduled to leave Nigeria today t... The governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party are among six governors who are scheduled to leave Nigeria today to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London.It was gathered that the visit was being organised by the office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd.).FIt was not clear if the NSA was responsible for the governors who were picked for the trip.It was learnt that the six governors were picked from the six geo-political zones of the country.Listed among the six governors are Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).The four governors are from the South-South, South-East, North-West and South-West respectively.Our correspondent could not verify the identities of the two other governors, who are expected to come from the North-East and North-Central.A governor, who is not among those travelling to see Buhari, said those chosen for the journey were picked outside what he described as the Nigeria Governors Forum.He added that he was surprised when he heard about the journey from one of his counterparts, stating that if the secretariat and the governors had been contacted, the governors would have picked at least one of the PDP governors that had been critical of the President.He said, Our colleagues are going to London to see the President. But Im not happy that someone like the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, or his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is not on the delegation.Though there are PDP governors on the delegation, we know ourselves and also know those we know are truly part of the opposition and those close to the ruling All Progressives Congress.The governors had been directed to be at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, tomorrow (Tuesday). From there, they will fly to the United Kingdom.The governors are expected to have lunch with the President before returning to the country on Wednesday.A governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday night, confirmed that some governors mooted the idea, but said he would not want to speak on the planned visit.Yes, they mentioned it (visit); some APC governors mooted the idea but I dont want to say anything on that for now, the governor stated.Buhari, who is currently receiving medical treatment in London, the United Kingdom, had, on Sunday, hosted the APCs National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and four state governors inside the Abuja House in the British capital.The release of the photograph of the meeting, the first of such since the President left the country on May 7, raised hope that Buhari might soon return to the country.Meanwhile, despite the meeting he held with some APC state governors on Sunday, no date has been fixed for Buharis return to the country.But investigations showed that no date had yet been fixed for the Presidents return.Sources, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said although the Presidents health had improved tremendously, his return date was still in the hands of his doctors.The President made it clear in his letter to the National Assembly that the duration of his stay in London would be determined by his doctor. That has not changed. He must get a clean bill of health before he returns, one of the sources said.The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed.When asked to say specifically when Buhari was due back in the country in view of the latest development, Adesina said, I am not a doctor and even if I am, it is clear that I am not part of the team that is attending to the President.His date of return will be decided by that medical team.Adesina also confirmed to one of our correspondents that the Sunday meeting was just one among other meetings Buhari would have with individuals before returning to the country.He said, More meetings are coming; there will be broader ones. That Sunday meeting was just the beginning.The presidential spokesman added that the Presidency was not in any way disturbed by the two cases instituted in court seeking to compel the Federal Executive Council to declare Buhari incapacitated and asking Senate President Bukola Saraki to constitute a medical panel on Buharis health condition.We are in a democracy; it is their (plaintiffs) right. The court will determine the case on its merit, Adesina said. President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the people of Kajuru Local Government area of Kaduna State where several people were killed r... President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the people of Kajuru Local Government area of Kaduna State where several people were killed recently, to stop reprisal attacks.The state Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, one of the governors who visited President Buhari in London said, the President was disturbed with the recent clash between Fulani and Hadara people of the area.The governor, however, assured that perpetrators of the attacks would face the full wrath of the law.Police had last week confirmed that 32 persons were killed in the attacks that followed assault on a young man and subsequent killing of his father by some youths.El-Rufai, who visited Kajuru community on Tuesday in company of the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (retd), told the warring parties to forgive themselves and allow the government take charge of their security.He said: on Sunday, I was with President Muhammadu Buhari in London, where we went to visit him. The President told me he was sad when he read about the clashes in the news.So, the President has asked me to commiserate with you over the lives lost and plead with you to forgive one another. But, I can assure you that those behind the incidents would be brought to book. The police commissioner has told me they have identified the perpetrators and would ensure they are adequately punished. The presidency Tuesday exonerated itself from the selection of the seven governors that were chosen to visit President Mugammadu Buhari... About 14 people have been rescued in the four-storey building which collapsed on Lagos Island area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesda... About 14 people have been rescued in the four-storey building which collapsed on Lagos Island area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday.The building collapsed at about 2.43 pm at No 3 Massey Street.Many people are still believed to be trapped in the building as emergency responders intensified rescue operation.General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu confirmed that 14 people had been rescued so far while no case of death was yet to be recorded.Recovery operation is ongoing by LASEMA Response Unit, NEMA, LASAMBUS, Lagos State Fire Service. Others includes Civil Defence, Red Cross, police. Heavy duty equipment are presently searching through the rubble, Tiamiyu said. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday declared that the days in which no single revenue would be generated from crude oil were fast approaching.Osinbajo, who spoke at the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation in Abuja, noted that technology was fast depleting the usefulness of crude oil.He said, This session holds at a very significant time for our continent and countries. A time when we as a continent and indeed the rest of the world are witnessing volatility in the petroleum market, and by implication, our local economies.Over the last three years or so, oil producing countries across the world have experienced the full impact of the drop in oil prices with significant negative impact on government revenues and budgets and on the value of national currencies.Almost every major oil importing country today has embarked on an aggressive non-fossil fuel alternative programme. China, Japan and some Scandinavian states have already set dates within the next 10 to 15 years to produce and use only electric vehicles. The zero oil days are clearly around the corner.Osinbajo noted that although the prosperity of Africa lies in its human resources and talents, and not in anything extracted from the earth, it was still important to upgrade to the trending technologies across the globe.As the world begins to move in the direction of alternative and clean energy, the reform of the APPO should factor in these new realities and aim to reposition the organisation as a clear leader in this regard, he added.The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, had earlier in his address buttressed the acting Presidents points, as he noted that crude oil was at the verge of fading away as a result of improvements in technologyKachikwu said, Technology is moving at a fast pace. The oil world is fast disappearing. With current trends in technology and environmental concerns, it is clear that over the next 20 to 30 years, oil will become a fading if not a faded product.Which means that most countries that harbour oil have only about 30 years span to harness, explore, find and enjoy the full benefits of oil. Because after that, most consumers of oil would have moved on to a cleaner source of energy.He told ministers and delegates from other countries that it had become absolutely imperative for member countries of the APPO to start looking at the African crude oil market and to fashion out ways of protecting and expanding it. WILDWOOD -- The 13-year-old girl who went missing Saturday night in Wildwood took a bus to Philadelphia on Monday evening, according to her father. Missing teen Trinity Christianson took a bus from Atlantic City to Philadelphia on Monday evening, her father said. Harry Christianson said a girl who rode a bus from Atlantic City to Philadelphia later contacted him to tell him that she had been with Trinity Christianson. The girl told Harry Christianson that Trinity used her phone on the bus to communicate with a teenage boy from Connecticut she met online and planned to visit. The girl and Trinity parted ways when they arrived in Philadelphia. The girl didn't know whether Trinity boarded a bus to Connecticut. Harry Christianson told NJ Advance Media by phone on Tuesday morning that his calls and texts to his daughter have gone unanswered and that she has not responded to the messages he wrote on her three Facebook pages. Trinity's friends have also been unsuccessful in trying to reach her, according to her father. He said the boy she might have gone to visit appears to be 16 or 17 and lives in Hartford. Trinity, who lives with her mother in Florida, has previously run away, her father said. Christianson, who lives in Morristown, added that he has spoken to Wildwood police several times in the past couple of days but as of 10:15 a.m. hadn't been in contact with authorities on Tuesday. Trinity's mother is considering driving north to help look for her daughter, Christianson said. Trinity, who was on vacation with her father, went to the Wildwood boardwalk with friends at about 8 p.m. Saturday, police said. Harry Christianson reported her missing just after midnight when she hadn't returned. Wildwood police declined to comment Tuesday morning except to say she has not been found and that they are pursuing several leads. Anyone with information is asked to call Wildwood police at 609-522-0222. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- A so-called 'five-star" general in the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods street gang was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison for his role in a host of crimes. Rajohn Wilson, 26, of Newark pleaded guilty to a racketeering count that included charges of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to distribute heroin. Wilson will also have five years of supervised release after completing his federal prison term. He admitted to plotting two murders of rival gang members in 2007 and taking part in two drive-by shootings, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey William Fitzpatrick said in a release. Wilson also admitted to conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, authorities said. Rajohn Wilson is the younger brother of Narik "Spaz" Wilson, the reputed leader of the gang. The Sex Money Murder set operated primarily near Spruce Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Newark. Narik Wilson's brother pleaded guilty to related crimes in November. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- A Superior Court judge on Monday sentenced Lamar Hunt to life in prison for the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Newark resident Tavaris Payne in what the judge described as a cold-blooded execution at a White Castle in Irvington. Lamar Hunt. (Essex County Correctional Facility) As Hunt, 33, stood before him in an Essex County jail uniform, Judge James W. Donohue said the Irvington resident's actions in the case "can only be described as depraved." A jury sitting in Donohue's Newark courtroom found Hunt guilty in June of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the June 22, 2015 killing of Payne, 39. A county assistant prosecutor said Hunt had discovered his girlfriend had been communicating with Payne when he took her phone during an argument. Impersonating his girlfriend and promising Payne sex, Hunt convinced the man to head to the burger restaurant, where he shot him after determining his identity, the prosecutor said. "This is deeply disturbing behavior, and it's not behavior from someone who has their first contact with the criminal justice system," Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper told the court Monday, pointing out that Hunt previously had been charged 17 times with other offenses. Two of those cases ended in state convictions for indictable offenses: third-degree eluding and fourth-degree sexual assault. In 2007, records show, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to distributing MDMA, and was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. In the federal case, Hunt was one of two dozen members of the Crips street gang charged following part of an FBI-led investigation of the gang's activities in the Newark area. In court Monday, Hunt said he was no longer a member of the gang, having renounced his association when he was released from prison. Making his case for the minimum sentence of 30 years on the murder charge, Hunt's attorney, Thomas R. Ashley, referenced "many, many" letters from the man's loved ones that he said attested to a very different person than the one described by the prosecution. One letter described him as "tirelessly hardworking," while another said he was "very devoted and attentive to his loved ones." Addressing the court directly, his hands cuffed behind his back, Hunt maintained his innocence. "I don't feel like the court proved beyond a reasonable doubt all the points they set out to prove," he said. "Most of the stuff that was said up there was stuff that didn't really happen." Payne's shooting was captured on surveillance video, and Hunt later gave a statement to investigators in which he admitted being at the scene, although he denied involvement in the killing. Her voice strained, Payne's sister -- one of several family members to address the court -- told Donohue there will never be justice for her brother, who was "shot down like a dog." "He didn't do anything wrong," Faye Payne said. "He met a girl." Hunt's 80-year-old godmother briefly addressed the court on his behalf, but was interrupted by a dispute in the audience between members of Hunt's family and the victim's. One man was ordered out of the courtroom by sheriff's officers. In asking Donohue to impose the maximum sentence of life in prison, Semper said it was inevitable that Hunt would commit more crimes in the future, pointing to the escalating nature of his past offenses. "We go from nuisance (disorderly persons) offenses to sexual offenses to murder within the span of a decade," he said of Hunt's criminal history. "At no point did he take responsibility for his actions." While the judge declined to impose an extended term of imprisonment initially sought by the prosecutor's office, he said it didn't end up being necessary, given the maximum sentence allowable for the murder charge. Speaking of Payne, Donohue said: "He didn't even have a chance." A life sentence under state law is effectively 75 years, of which Hunt will have to serve 85 percent. If he is released, he'll spend an additional five years under state supervision. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- Two teenagers were shot and wounded on a Newark street Tuesday morning, in an incident seized upon by the mayor and public safety director to call for cooperation among all levels of government to combat the influx of guns from out of state. "It's pathetic the amount of guns that are making it into our inner cities and into the city," Newark Police Director Anthony Ambrose told reporters. "I've been a law enforcement officer all my life, and this is the most guns I've ever seen. At some point the federal government, the state government, local government have to have a strategy to stop this." Ambrose said police got a 911 call reporting shots being fired at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, at the intersection of Jeliff and Muhammad Ali avenues. Officers responding to the scene found two teenage males who had suffered what he called "superficial wounds." Officials said the two were taken to University Medical Center in Newark for treatment. Officials said witnesses told investigators that the shots were fired from a black sedan, which then fled the area. Ambrose said investigators were pursuing what he called "active leads." And members of the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Prosecutors Office and the Essex County Sheriff's K-9 were seen swarming the intersection looking for evidence, briefly closing off streets with yellow police tape and combing the area with dogs. Mayor Ras Baraka also spoke, questioning the state's bail reform law that took effect this year, which he said had the unintended consequence in some cases of turning violent crime suspects loose on the streets soon after their arrest. "I am a proponent of bail reform" Baraka said. But, he added, "People who are committing violent crimes or what we believe is criminal activity are getting out of jail." "The only good that that came out of today was that the two kids were not killed," Baraka added. Ambrose said his department had sezied 200 guns to date this year, in addition to another 150 seized by other law enforcement agencies. Since 2012, he said, a total of 3,500 guns had been seized in Newark. But, he added, the guns keep coming. Ambrose said Tuesday's shooting was less than 24 hours after his officers had arrested four individuals and seized three guns in a separate incident at 15th Avenue and 18th Street. "I think our system is failing us," Ambrose said. "Only yesterday, our officers put their lives on the line. Too many innocent people are getting injured. Something definitely has to be done with the amount of guns that are coming into the inner city, especially Newark, New Jersey." NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Karen Yi contributed to this report Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. FRANKLIN TWP. -- Police charged a township man with multiple drug offenses following a month-long probe of illegal narcotics activity in the 900 block of Dutch Mill Road, authorities announced. Township police stopped a vehicle occupied by Vincent Sciarrone, 24, of Malaga, on Monday and arrested him on active traffic warrants. Investigation led officers to his home on Dutch Mill Road, where police seized narcotics, drug paraphernalia and drug packaging materials. Sciarrone was interviewed at police headquarters and admitted to selling drugs from his home, police said. He was charged and released pending a court appearance. Police did not specify what drugs were found in the operation. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. You can have two Mets tickets and all it will cost you is a little blood. New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center (NYBC) will host a blood drive at the Hudson Mall (701 Route 440, Jersey City) on Saturday, July 29 from noon to 6 p.m., in the common area near Retro Fitness. For their generosity, each donor will receive a voucher for a pair of 2017 Mets tickets, organizers said. The New York Blood Center has declared a blood emergency, with less than a 3-day supply of some blood types. Donations tend to be lowest during the summer months for a couple reasons: many travel on vacation and blood banks can't count on blood drives from high schools and colleges. Qualified donors should be 16 years old, and have parental consent, and weigh at least 110 pounds, however other height and weight restrictions apply. Organizers said that blood donors must be in generally good health, present their NYBC donor card or photo or signed ID, and eat and drink at regular meal times. People over 75 years old can donate with a note from their physician. Residents with type O-Negative blood are especially urged to donate. O-negative blood, known as the "universal donor" because their blood can be transfused into anyone, has been in short supply since the spring, organizers said. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive call 800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site, including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. JERSEY CITY - A 22-year-old Kearny man has been arrested on charges he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old in Ridgewood earlier this month. Brandon C. Ryan, of Devon Street, was arrested on Friday and after being processed he was remanded the Bergen County jail in Hackensack, according to a press release by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. The investigation began on July 16 after the Prosecutor's Office and the Ridgewood Police Department received information that the teen girl had allegedly been sexually assaulted by Ryan the day before, the prosecutor's office said. Ryan was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the Prosecutor's Office said. Sexual assault is a second-degree crime and it carries a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison upon conviction. Endangering the welfare of a child is a third degree crime carrying a possible sentence of three to five years. The defendant was slated to make his first appearance on the charges yesterday in Bergen County Central Judicial Court at 1:30 p.m. A New Jersey-born historian and author, who was influenced by the political culture of Jersey City in the 1900s, has died in New York City. Thomas Fleming was 90. Fleming was born in Jersey City in 1927. He graduated from St. Peter's Prep, spent one year serving in the United States Navy, and then attended Fordham University where he graduated in 1950, according to his online biography. He worked briefly as a newspaper man and became a full-time writer in 1960 when he published his first book "Now We Are Enemies." He went on to multiple novels and was a frequent speaker at Hudson County events. Though influenced by the Irish-American political sphere he grew up in, Fleming did not want to be identified as an Irish-American writing, his biography states. He often wrote about the American Revolution and World War I and World War II. "My whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer," Fleming said in his biography. Fleming has been featured on PBS, the History Channel, and C-SPAN. He is survived by his wife, four children, seven grandchildren and two nieces, his obituary states. A funeral will be held Wednesday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, in Manhattan at 10 a.m. The church is located at 411 East 68th St. The study looks at two smaller-scale projects that are in some ways predecessors to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the $2 billion plan to slow land loss erasing Louisiana's coast. Construction on that project could begin as early as next year, while a similar one on the opposite side of the river known as the Mid-Breton Diversion could follow. A high-pressure system associated with a much drier air mass than what the Council Bluffs-Omaha area has felt over the past few days has moved in, ushering in lower temperatures and less humid conditions. Cooler temperatures were noticeable in the mid-afternoon Monday as the high topped off around 85 degrees. The weeks warmest conditions should arrive today a high in the lower to mid-90s under sunny skies, the National Weather Service office in Valley, Nebraska, said. Tonight could begin about a 24-hour span of possible precipitation. There is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Tuesday, a 50 percent chance of precipitation Wednesday and a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night. Wednesdays high is forecast to be in the upper 80s under mostly cloudy skies, the weather service said. Sunshine is to return Thursday, when a high in the lower to mid-80s is likely. The weather service called for more sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s on Friday through the weekend. The upcoming forecast according to the weather service: Today: Sunny, with a high near 92. South wind 7 to 13 mph. Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South southeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South southeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Wednesday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 86. A Council Bluffs man who is awaiting trial for first-degree murder faces a new charge of criminal mischief for allegedly breaking jail property, authorities said. Arthur Crum is currently being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail, charged in the murder of Larry Scott, who died on Aug. 30, 2016. According to law enforcement, jail staff told Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office deputies Crum had become angry and broke a sprinkler head, causing water to spray and cover the floor in the booking area. Crum told deputies he was angry because the people he was around have accused him of being a child molester, the report stated. Crum said he was sorry for breaking the sprinkler head but wasnt worried about the criminal mischief charge because hes facing life in prison. Last September, Crum was arrested in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, on a warrant from Council Bluffs in connection with Scotts death. Crum was arrested in Kentucky on Sept. 25 for a charge of domestic violence involving his mother (who lived in Kentucky), according to court records. He allegedly later confessed to authorities that he killed Scott over money for drugs, records stated. Crum pleaded guilty on April 10 to simple assault, admitting he threw a glass full of urine on a fellow inmate because he was a child molester, reports stated. Crums murder trial was set to begin July 17 but was continued with no future date set. OMAHA The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is investing heavily in the future of tigers. The zoo announced two new initiatives on Monday: A tiger breeding facility and a sperm bank. Last week, the zoo broke ground on a tiger breeding facility at its Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in Ashland. The facility is akin to the cheetah breeding facility it opened in 2014 that has been successful in reproducing cheetahs, given the difficulty of doing so. In addition, the zoo is now home to a genome resource bank for tigers. The zoo is collecting sperm samples from zoos around the country and freezing them in liquid nitrogen tanks in the building of its Center for Conservation Research. Dr. Jason Herrick, the zoos director of reproductive sciences, described the bank as a fancy sperm bank during a Facebook Live broadcast. Once its frozen, its good in theory forever. We could be using it for 30, 40, 100 years after the tiger dies. The zoo announced both initiatives during Mondays Facebook video, which also was broadcast on the Animal Planets Facebook page. Its part of a weeklong conservation awareness campaign leading up to Global Tiger Day on Saturday. Omahas zoo is known for its diverse species count and its research facilities, which rank among the best in American zoos. Big cats are among Omaha zoo scientists top specialties, and these new programs may only further that reputation. Earlier this year, the zoo broke ground on the Asian Highlands area, set to open in two parts in 2018 and 2019. An immersion-based habitat for Amur tigers is considered the cornerstone of the new exhibit. Unlike tigers in the Asian Highlands, the tigers in the breeding center will not be on display to the general public, just as the cheetahs at the safari park arent. By giving the animals privacy in the quieter confines of the safari park, the zoo has seen more success in breeding than it has at the zoos main campus. This will enable us to more intensely manage the breeding while also giving the animals a bit more privacy, said Dan Cassidy, the zoos general curator. The breeding facility will consist of three buildings, each about 1,100 square feet, housing approximately six Amur tigers in a 5-to-6-acre complex. Animals will have indoor/outdoor pens with natural substrate, trees for shade, and climbing and access to a natural pond, Cassidy said during the video. This year, weve actually had two litters of cheetah cubs born out there, which is a record for us, Cassidy said. We hope to do the same with Amur tigers and hopefully, in the future, with other species like other small cats. Zookeepers at the new facility will try to breed tigers the old fashioned way. The genome resource bank in Omaha, on the other hand, will focus on artificial insemination. Herrick has been collecting sperm from zoos across the U.S. since the resource bank began in January. There are about 130 males across three subspecies in American zoos, Herrick said, so collecting and storing samples is critical for the survival and diversity of the species. It should also make the logistics of breeding a lot simpler. That would give us the ability to move animals around less and just move frozen samples, said Cheryl Morris, the zoos chief conservation officer. Its a lot easier than moving a live tiger around. VALPARAISO It hasn't been all fun and games at this year's Porter County Fair. For the second year in a row, police say someone attempted to steal a rabbit on display at the fair. The incident involving the Polish rabbit occurred at 9:42 p.m. Sunday when 4-H children noticed Nicholas Santmyre, 20, of Valparaiso, pick up the animal, attempt to hide it under his shirt and attempt to flee the area, according to county police. An adult who witnessed the move confronted Santmyre, retrieved the rabbit and kept him on site until police arrived. Santmyre, who was issued a summons for misdemeanor theft, "stated he had been thinking about purchasing a rabbit for several months," according to the police report. "Nicholas stated it was a stupid decision to attempt to steal the rabbit and that he regretted his action." He was escorted to his vehicle by police. During last year's fair, a Twitter message led police to a 21-year-old Portage woman, who was accused of stealing a chestnut-colored Netherland dwarf rabbit because she was concerned about the animal's welfare. Police said they recovered the rabbit from the womans home after she posted the message, "I stole a bunny from the porter county fair. If you would have seen their microscopic cages, in 100 degree weather ... youd do the same." FIGHT ON THE MIDWAY On Monday night at the fair, police said a 15-year-old DeMotte boy was left unconscious on the fair's midway after allegedly making a disparaging comment about a female. The boy said he questioned the female's gender and sexuality, police said. A 17-year-old Valparaiso boy, who was with the female, reportedly demanded that the boy "kiss his shoes" to "make everything right." The boy refused and told police the next thing he remember was waking up on the ground and coughing up blood. He had to have several stitches to close a wound on his upper lip, police said. The 17-year-old later turned himself in and was taken to the county juvenile detention center where he faces a felony-level count of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury. Porter County Sheriff Sgt. Jamie Erow said other than these two incidents and some verbal disturbances during Friday night's Toby Keith concert, problems have been fairy few and far between during this year's fair. "It's been relatively quiet, especially with the heat," she said. Security at the fair is provided by county police officers hired by the fair board, Erow said. INDIANAPOLIS The emergency manager who will run the Gary Community School Corp., likely for years to come, will be selected Monday by the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board. The four-member panel and its legislative advisers are scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. Region time in the Statehouse to choose among the seven emergency manager candidates who interviewed for the post earlier this month in Gary. The selection meeting will be webcast live on the DUAB website at: in.gov/dlgf/7175.htm. On Tuesday, DUAB members discussed, without reference to any applicants, the criteria they plan to use in picking an emergency manager to serve as the district's financial and academic authority until the cash-strapped school corporation balances its budget and begins paying off its $100 million debt burden. The consensus appeared to favor an entity that's prepared to quickly reduce the district's spending and streamline its course offerings; will closely work with students, faculty, staff and the community at large; has experience in Indiana school finance; and can do it all for a reasonable price. State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Merrillville, believes the community outreach component is critical to the long-term success of this first-of-its-kind state school district takeover, which was mandated by Senate Enrolled Act 567. "I have a lot of parents that are engaged in this process, they're watching it, and they want to make sure that their voice is heard," he said. Melton also suggested the emergency manager should aim to preserve Gary's school district and not seek to merge it with another or break it into independent charter schools. State Rep. Milo Smith, R-Columbus, is more focused on cost. He said if several potential emergency managers are of equal quality then the candidate offering to do the work for the least money should get the nod. "I'm looking out for state taxpayers," Smith said. CROWN POINT Earlier this month Jeff Ban, president of DVG Inc., appeared before the city's plan commission, not to present a fully designed project, but for a study session and discussion "prior to getting too far down the road in a contentious situation." DVG is the engineering consultant for a proposed project an upscale car wash planned for the Beacon Hill development near 107th Avenue along the Broadway corridor. The potential for contentiousness concerns the Williamsburg-style architectural standards required by the city for the Broadway corridor. "We would like to hear what the seven commission members would like to see," Ban said. "It's sometimes difficult, because sometimes visually you have different ideas. "Trying to make a car wash look Williamsburg quite frankly has been difficult," Ban said. "We don't need to upset anybody with what we're representing." What is Williamsburg style? Mayor David Uran said Williamsburg first was introduced to the city in the early 1990s by then-Mayor James Metros' administration. Metros wanted to define the corridor of Broadway as it was first being developed from 93rd Avenue south to U.S. 231. "They wanted to have some architectural standards to define a gateway to our city," Uran said. The style is based on Williamsburg, Virginia, and the historic district known for its colonial architecture. Crown Point has a Corridor Protection District, which says construction should contribute to the improvement of the architectural and visual character of the major entrance corridors to the city. It's a comprehensive, multiple-page document that details guidelines to be followed developing the city's corridors. In 1998, Crown Point adopted a resolution for architectural standards for the Broadway corridor. That resolution, a little over a page long, says development plans for all commercial, residential and industrial buildings or structures located within the Broadway architectural area, shall utilize a Willamsburg architectural style and brick or masonry materials on the exterior of each building or structure. Uran noted there are no defined guidelines. And since 1998, he said, plan commission members have come and gone, businesses have been built along the corridor and the philosophy never has been consistent. "It's just the idea of what Williamsburg is," he said. "So when you get different members come in, and it gets to be more of an opinion, it may send the wrong message to a person who wants to come in and build." Williamsburg an ongoing issue The issue prompted heated debate during a February 2016 plan commission meeting discussing plans for Coyne Veterinary Center, near the southeast corner of 109th Avenue and Broadway, as reported in The Times. Developers had to alter plans following criticism from commission members that it was a nice building, but not in the Williamsburg style. Commission member Dan Rohaley said at the time if the Coyne plans were approved, the city might as well tear up the corridor standards. Fellow commission member Laura Sauerman called it a gorgeous building, but not compatible with the others held to the Williamsburg-style standards. The Coyne plans eventually were approved 5-2 with Rohaley and Sauerman opposed. Coyne Veterinary Center was completed and opened in March. Looking at it now, Uran said the Coyne building is "beautiful" with a lot of the brick features that Williamsburg style has. "Is it traditional Williamsburg? Is it colonial? No," he said. "But it has a lot of finishes you see up and down the corridor." Uran said if you look at the philosophy that has been carried out by the plan commission, they've done "pretty well" adding to the corridor's value. But he also said having defined standards means not having seven different philosophies from seven different members. "That is a difficult message for that person to take back to their architect and try to marry a little bit of something together to make everyone happy," he said. He also said it can result in a developer's spending thousands of dollars re-engineering renderings "based on a feeling." Ban said it is difficult to try to estimate what is acceptable by the plan commission. "In the Williamsburg resolution there are no defined mechanical rules you can at least start to measure architecturally. It just says, 'Williamsburg,' " he said. Ban said in many communities DVG works in, such as St. John and Valparaiso, they are specific about those types of things. "It helps guide us in the right direction," he said. C.P.'s Williamsburg rules vague, subjective? Commission member Michael Conquest said there is no real Williamsburg architectural style, that the whole thing is "vague and very subjective." Conquest said he doesn't want to see a strict adherence to any one style of architecture, but a liberalized interpretation that allows new ideas and new twists on old styles. "I think we should always want high-quality buildings and construction," he said. "We should also be sensitive to a building complementing a neighboring building. I think that could be accomplished with building materials and colors as much as it can with columns, roofs and dormers." Conquest said discussions and at times heated debates about the Williamsburg design standard has forced the commission to take a long, critical look at building construction on Broadway. "We haven't always all agreed on whether we like the way a building looks, but I think all of us on the plan commission would agree that we have gotten some very nice and high-quality buildings as a result, he said. Sauerman said the Williamsburg ordinance was kept "loose" on purpose, she was told, but with an eye toward including the use of brick, limestone, columns and gables, and classic lines. She said more modernistic steel bars and tie rods are not complementary to "classic" architecture of the colonial period. Hence the controversy over the Coyne building beautiful construction, she said, but out of place on Broadway compared to the standards other new-construction buildings on that corridor were held to over the years. If we are going to have standards in place, they need to be enforced. If we don't want to enforce them, then the design standards need to be removed, she said. Sauerman said there are some attractive buildings on Broadway in Crown Point as a result of the design standards that are in place, and many designs have been improved when petitioners have worked with the plan commission to tweak designs and put forth their best interpretations of Williamsburg style. Their cooperation and vision are much appreciated, she said. HAMMOND The City Council Monday approved a resolution providing funding for the South Shore West Lake rail extension if certain conditions are met. The resolution, approved by an 8-1 vote, conditionally commits 15 percent of the city's share of the county's local income tax money over the next 30 years to the project. Based on the city's current take, the amount could equal a commitment of about $450,000 annually. Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., however, said the amount over 30 years could equal perhaps $15 million to $20 million as tax income increases. He pointed out that the commitment is more than any other local government will be providing for the project. The conditions that need to be met in order for Hammond to pay out the money include the inclusion of the Gateway station on the north side of the city and the inclusion of a rail yard maintenance yard at an agreed upon location in the city. In addition, the money will not be paid out until Federal Transit Authority funding is approved for the project. Councilman Robert Markovich, D-at large, was the lone vote against the resolution. He made a motion calling for a public hearing to be held on the issue at the Aug. 14 council meeting, but it died for a lack of a second. McDermott said he thought it would be irresponsible to delay the vote that long and he and others contended the issue had already been debated for some time. "This is the most debated issue I've ever been a part of," said McDermott after the meeting. Among the speakers at Monday's meeting was Julie O'Connor, of Munster, who is with a group of residents concerned about housing being acquired prior to all the funding being approved for the project. After the meeting, McDermott told O'Connor he also did not want to see property being acquired prematurely. The resolution was crafted after negotiations between the city and representatives of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. "We're excited to have Hammond on board with the project " said NICTD General Manager Michael Noland. He said officials will now move toward submitting it to the Federal Transit Authority at the end of August. Noland said with Hammond's commitment all the local funding is now in place for the double tracking project and the West Lake extension project, which will prove valuable in getting the needed federal funding. The Hammond commitment is not as much as originally hoped, he noted, but officials will "sharpen their pencils" and make it work. This story has been modified from an earlier version to correct the amount of Hammond's commitment to the proposed rail project. HOBART Work is expected to begin soon to build American with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps at the Brickie Bowl. The Board of Public Works and Safety recently awarded a contract to Gariup Construction in a special session. The company submitted the lowest bid of $397,500, Clerk-Treasurer Deborah Longer said. The project will include the construction of ADA pedestrian ramps, pavement and other improvements on the north side of the Brickie Bowl near the concession area and bleachers. The city is planning to use Community Development Block Grant money to help fund the project, which could be substantially completed by mid-August. This is the second time the board has received bids for the project. In April, the panel rejected two bids received then because they were much larger than anticipated. The largest price submitted at that time was more than $800,000. The city reconfigured plans for the project and solicited bids again. Addressing the Brickie Bowl has long been a priority of the city. Hobart acquired the stadium in 2013. The municipality has been working since then to improve the facility so it can be used as a venue for major events and for recreational purposes. The installation of new bleachers already has occurred there. A fundraiser took place last year to generate more funding for the enhancements, which will occur in phases. Future work planned there includes the creation of a promenade above the bleachers. A pavilion with a banquet facility overlooking the field also has been discussed. Those interested in giving to the project can do so by making contributions or purchasing legacy bricks that will be installed at the Brickie Bowl. Visit www.cityofhobart.org for information. LAPORTE Investigators are still looking into a fatal crash where a 28-year-old Michigan City woman wound up in the path of an oncoming bread truck Friday. LaPorte County Coroner Bob Cutler said Tuesday it could be a few more days before the results of a blood test standard in any fatality are known. Alcohol, though, is not suspected, said Pat Cicero, a member of the LaPorte County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team. Dana Deeb was southbound on Boyd Boulevard in a Ford Winstar van just before 3:30 p.m. when she collided with a northbound 2014 Freightliner that just pulled out of Lewis Bakeries Inc. on LaPorte's east side. She was the only person in the vehicle. The semi was carrying baked goods from the makers of Bunny Bread, police said. The semi driver, Alan Tallies, 54, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told investigators he had just left the plant and hit his brakes when the van entered his lane of travel, according to the police report. LaPorte Police Chief Adam Klimczak said the FACT team was brought in because of the lack of evidence at the scene to explain why the crash occurred. Governor Andrew Cuomo has tried to put the responsibility for the ailing subways on the city and the mayor. It is a bit of an about-face for the governor, who was eager to take credit for the Second Avenue Subway last winter. Zack Fink filed the following report. Late last year, Governor Andrew Cuomo was riding high. After years of delays, the much-anticipated Second Avenue Subway was finally set to open on New Year's Day. The governor was eager to not only take credit for the success, but also to be held accountable. Cuomo told NY1 Political Anchor Errol Louis that if the Second Avenue Subway failed to open on time as promised, he will take the blame. "You know who runs the MTA? The governor has the majority of members. And what I said is, I'm going to step up and take responsibility," Cuomo said at the time. "If this does not open January 1? It's me. It's me. I would have failed. And I accept that responsibility." Fast forward seven months. The subways are in a state of disrepair. Delays have worsened, and subway rider anger about the system is at an all-time high. At an event last week, Cuomo quite literally tried to run away from his responsibility for the subways by attempting to avoid reporters' questions. He was forced to stop and talk, and this time, he hit a very different note about who is accountable for the trains. "By law, New York City owns the transit system. New York City is solely responsible for funding the capital plan for the New York City subway system," Cuomo said. Cuomo has been feuding with Mayor Bill de Blasio on this and many other issues. On Sunday, the mayor rode the train and laid the responsibility for poorly functioning trains solely on his rival. "The state of New York is responsible for making sure our subways run," de Blasio said. Experts back the mayor on this over the governor. "The state exerts the most control and oversight, both through the number of board appointees that the governor has, more than any other person, including the mayor," said Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute. "And also from the financing. The state is the taxing entity." The governor's poll numbers have started to sink, particularly over the issue of subways. Some believe that is precisely why the governor has tried to muddy the waters on this issue. Montgomery is coming to Auburn today as Gov. Kay Ivey visits the city as a part of her Listen, Learn, Help, & Lead Tour, an initiative designed to help her gain more insight about the needs of Alabama communities, according to an announcement from the governors office. The governor is scheduled to visit multiple academic facilities, including Ogletree Elementary School where she will speak with approximately 150 public school teachers while being accompanied by Auburn Mayor Bill Ham, Superintendent Dr. Karen Delano and Tracie West, president of the Auburn City Schools Board of Education. I vey will also tour the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn Universitys Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy building, and the new, 350,000 square foot Auburn High School, which is set to open this fall. Afterward, the governor will converse with business leaders and local government officials during a roundtable discussion at the Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center. The Union of Concerned Scientists rapped the world of alternative facts promoted by the President and his allies and called on journalists to hold the White House and Congress accountable for actions that threaten scientific integrity and science-based policies, in its report on Donald Trumps six months in office. While all modern presidents have politicized science to some extent, USC says the Trump Administration has increased the number of threats to federal scientists. The Administration has shown a blatant disregard for scientific facts and evidence, appointing officials with a track record of misrepresenting scientific information, overruling the recommendations of scientists on exposure to toxic pesticides, removing scientific information from agency websites and dismissing independent science advisors, according to the 35-page Sidelining Science from Day One report. UCS accuses the Trump Administration of creating a chilling environment for government scientists who are afraid to speak certain words such as climate change. For instance, the Centers for Disease Controls cancellation of The Climate and Health Summit that was slated for February led many to fear a future of self-sabotage or self-censorship within federal agencies to avoid conflict from Trump political appointees. UCS calls on journalists to continue their mission of holding officials accountable for the Administrations words and actions and to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. The role of journalism is to seek out truth and objectively report on it when the Trump Administration, including the President, willingly disregards facts, misrepresents scientific conclusions, plays up uncertainty, vilifies scientists, and otherwise distorts public perceptions of science. Journalists must also call out agencies that place unnecessary barriers on communication between the media and government scientists. Science and technology will be instrumental in dealing with the complex challenges facing the US. The public deserves independent impartial scientific information, evenor perhaps especiallywhen that information indicates the need for politically unpopular or inconvenient action, says the report. David Halbfinger Steven Nelson Gabby Morrongiello The New York Times has appointed David Halbfinger, a 20-year veteran at the paper, as its next Jerusalem bureau chief. Currently the deputy national editor at the Times, Halbfinger began his career there as a copyboy, moving through reporting positions in its metro, national and culture sections before serving as an editor in metro and politics. He succeeds Ian Fisher, who has been with the Times for 28 years. The Washington Examiner added Steven Nelson and Gabby Morrongiello to its newsroom. Nelson comes to the paper from U.S. News & World Report and before that was an associate editor at news and opinion website The Daily Caller. Morrongiello, who previously worked as White House correspondent for the Examiner was most recently DC bureau chief for the New York Post. The Atlantic promoted Matt Thompson and Adrienne LaFrance. Thompson, who has been deputy editor of TheAtlantic.com since 2015, is moving into a new role as executive editor, with oversight of all cross-platform projects. Before joining The Atlantic he worked as deputy web editor for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, and built and ran the Fresno Bees news blog. LaFrance will move from staff writer to the editors spot at TheAtlantic.com, succeeding J.J. Gould. She joined The Atlantic in 2014 and before that worked for Honolulu Civil Beat, Nieman Lab, Boston NPR member station WBUR and Digital First Media. The New Yorker tapped Dan Oshinsky to take the newly created position of director of newsletters. Previously director of newsletters at BuzzFeed, Oshinsky begins at The New Yorker Aug. 7. He will work with the magazines editors, writers, web producers, designers, and product and audience teams to improve its existing lineup of newsletters and launch both new newsletters and other digital products. Joe Honick It is not news that the captain of a ship must look ahead rather than over his shoulder to the port from which he just directed his vessel. Yet Captain Trump cannot resist looking backwards. At the moment, he's knocking his own Attorney General for not putting the knock on private citizen Hillary Clinton. Knocking of presidential staff is not new. It was Captain Trump who accused his own intelligence operations of using Nazi tactics almost as soon as he was installed in the White House after an election that he claimed was rigged. The captain of the American ship is likely to continue to bump into icebergs because he cannot stop blaming the past-- and all who inhabited it-- for his almost hourly crises of today. He even used his address to the graduating class of the Coast Guard Academy to whine about how he was the most poorly treated President in history. He dished that drivel to a group of young officers scheduled to go out and protect not only American coastlines, but to risk their lives in the process. Meanwhile, we hear nothing about Captain Trump's policy course and how he plans to navigate choppy political waters to get to his next port. The idea that Trump is even kicking around how he might pardon himself and his family, should give all Americans considerable pause. Word that the Captain might actually try to fire the Special Counsel, who is looking into stuff that should be public information, raises even more worrisome questions, since pardons are forgiveness for wrongful actions. As your Mom probably demanded if you played your music too loud: What will the neighbors think? Since the nation's Captain is more interested in whom to throw overboard next, instead of setting a reliable course for the ship of state, it's only a matter of time before Russia, China, North Korea, Iran or ISIS puts the US to the test. *** Joseph J. Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications. He can be reached at [email protected] Agricultural News Kentucky Farm Bureau President Mark Haney Delivers AFBF's Testimony at Senate Farm Bill Hearing Congress must counter a steep, four-year drop in commodity prices that has left farmers and ranchers in worse shape than any time since the farm depression of the 1980s, Kentucky Farm Bureau President Mark Haney told the Senate Agriculture Committee today. Haney's testimony cited growing losses in farm country that increasingly threaten the livelihoods of millions of Americans. "2017 and 2018 will be a critical period for farmers and ranchers," Haney told the committee. "Farmers and ranchers are tightening their belts and paying very close attention to their individual financial situations. Simply put, they are in greater need of strong, secure safety net programs and risk management tools than has been the case for several years." To offset the effects of deteriorating farm and ranch conditions, Haney said, Congress should: Protect current farm bill spending. Maintain a unified farm bill that includes nutrition programs and farm programs together. Ensure any changes to current farm legislation be an amendment to the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 or the Agricultural Act of 1949. Prioritize top funding concerns -- risk management tools, which include both federal crop insurance and Title I commodity programs. Ensure programs are compliant with World Trade Organization agreements. Haney also urged Congress to maintain robust funding for conservation programs that encourage environmentally sensitive farming practices as well as the periodic withdrawal of land from active use. To view Haney's full written remarks, click here, or to listen to his delivery of them before the Senate Agriculture Committee in this morning's hearing, click or tap the LISTEN BAR below. Source - American Farm Bureau Federation Listen to Mark Haney of the Kentucky Farm Bureau deliver his testimony to the Ag Committee, today. WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News posted by , , First, it's just a mere coincidence that Oando is the first in my series on stocks to avoid. I have nothing personal against Oando nor the company managers. All my points are strictly from an objective and investment perspective. And as no one knows the future, you shouldn't take my word like it's God's. Meet Oando What better way to introduce Oando than using their own very words from their 2016 annual report on their principal activity. The principal activity of Oando Plc. ("the Company") locally and internationally is to have strategic investments in energy companies. The Company was involved in the following business activities via its subsidiary companies during the year reviewed: a) Exploration and production (E & P) - Oando Energy Resources Inc., Canada, engaged in production operations and other E & P companies operating within the Gulf of Guinea. b) Supply and distribution of petroleum products - Oando Trading Dubai and Oando Trading Bermuda. c) Pipeline construction and distribution of natural gas to industrial customers - Alausa Power Limited. During the year, the company divested the following business activities conducted via its subsidiaries: a) Marketing of petroleum products, manufacturing and blending of lubricants - Oando Marketing Ltd (formerly Oando Marketing Plc) and other petroleum products marketing companies. b) Pipeline construction and distribution of natural gas to industrial customers - Gaslink Nigeria Limited, Oando Gas and Power Limited, Akute Power Limited and other gas and power companies. c) Supply and distribution of petroleum products - Oando Supply and Trading Limited and Ebony Oil & Gas. d) Energy services to upstream companies - Oando Energy Services, and other service companies. The Companys registered address is 2 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Revenue, Net Income and Debt Just so you wouldn't think I am cooking up the figures, below are the snapshots of Oando's revenue and net income for the last four years. So now you should trust my chart below of the Revenue, Net Income and Total Liabilities of Oando for the last 12 years. Net Income is the green line, Revenue is the blue line and Total Liabilities is the red line. Don't think that the green line is on zero. Oando obviously operates a very low margin business but one also of very high revenue. So those net income figures you are looking at are all in billion naira. The Red Flags The number one red flag for me is that Oando is in a very margin sensitive section of the industry. It spent 93% of its revenue on COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) in 2016 and 77% of revenue on COGS in 2015. Somehow, it is having a very tough time passing any increase in its production costs to its customers, and that is a big red flag in my investment analysis. Number two red flag is that its debt is worryingly high. Too high for me to sleep easy putting my money in the company's shares. Just take a look at its Total Liabilities, see how it's gone way high above its revenue. That breaks a lot of gearing ratio signals. Number three red flag is that the industry is a very troubled one. Until I see a clear improvement signal in that industry, I would rather put my money to work in another industry company's shares. And what makes things worse for Nigerian upstream companies is that they are not innovators. They import almost everything -- even to manpower. The US shale companies at least are innovating and bringing down their cost of production; the big IOCs are technology leaders. Our dear indigenous oil producing companies have no innovative edge that helps them better face the troubles in that industry. Finally, all the audited RO's are low. Return on Equity is at 3.93, Return on Assets is at a very poor 0.32, Return on Capital, despite the heavy leverage, is at 10.51 and Return on Invested Capital is at 5.03. And it's same for all the margins: 6.32% for Gross Margin, 5.94% for EBITDA margin and 1.84 for Operating Margin. My Verdict If you are not a speculator, trying to make a quick bucks of market volatility, then I'll say you should stay clear of Oando shares for now. WASHINGTON (AP) With Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie, the Senate voted by a hair Tuesday to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law. The vote gives President Donald Trump and GOP leaders a crucial initial victory but launches a weeklong debate promising an uncertain final outcome. The 51-50 vote kept alive hopes of delivering on promises that countless Republican candidates have campaigned on for years repealing President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul. It also averted what would have been a blistering defeat for a party divided between fervent conservatives demanding the evisceration of Obama's statute and centrists intent on not pulling coverage away from millions of Americans. Trump praised the Senate for moving forward on the health care overhaul, saying "this was a big step." Pence presided over the Senate during the vote, which began after dozens of protesters shouted "Kill the bill" and "Shame" from the chamber's visitors' gallery. Enhancing the day's theatrics, one pivotal "yes" vote was cast by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who flew to the Capitol just days after revealing he'd been diagnosed with brain cancer and was home considering the next steps in his treatment. With Republicans wielding a narrow 52-48 majority, the 80-year-old's appearance let Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lose two GOP senators and still prevail wiggle room that would have shrunk to just one in McCain's absence. McCain entered the chamber 29 minutes into the roll call to a standing ovation from members of both parties and visitors watching from above. Smiling, he exchanged embraces with McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and others, then cast his "yes" vote with two thumbs up. Before the vote, McConnell declared, "We can't let this moment slip by," essentially lecturing GOP lawmakers to give their party's high-profile legislation a chance to move forward. "We can't let it slip by. We've been talking about it too long." Moderate Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, were the only Republicans to defect from their party's quest. Their complaints about the legislation had included its cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, the disabled and nursing home residents. Not a single Democrat backed the effort to overthrow Obama's signature domestic legislative achievement. In an unusual move, most of them sat in their states during the climactic roll call, eyeing Republicans as they cast their votes. Technically, Tuesday's vote meant the Senate would consider a measure the House approved in May eliminating much of Obama's statute. Like legislation McConnell crafted mostly behind closed doors and has since revised it would eliminate Obama's tax penalties on people not buying policies, cut Medicaid, erase many of the law's tax boosts and provide less generous health care subsidies for consumers. Now the Senate has up to 20 hours to debate amendments, and with health coverage for tens of millions of Americans at stake, it remained unclear Tuesday what kind of health care bill if any might emerge by the time a final Senate vote is held, possibly as early as Thursday. Any bill that would emerge is likely to look quite different than the measure the House approved. Because the chamber's moderates and conservatives are so riven over how to replace Obama's overhaul, leaders have discussed passing a narrow bill repealing only some unpopular parts of that law like its penalties on individuals who eschew coverage with the ultimate goal being to negotiate a final package with the House. The same version of the bill would have to be approved by the Senate and House before it could be sent to President Trump to sign. In the moments before the vote, most GOP critics of the legislation fell into line to allow debate to begin. They included conservative Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, plus moderates Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Paul said he was voting yes after McConnell told him the Senate would debate his proposal to scuttle much of Obama's law and give Congress two years to enact a replacement an amendment that seemed certain to lose. Trump kept up the pressure on GOP lawmakers, tweeting that "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" He added: "ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." McConnell's bill would abolish much of Obama's law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers. But at least a dozen GOP senators have openly said they oppose or criticized the measure, which McConnell has revised as he's hunted for Republican support. Besides allowing an early vote on Paul's repeal plan, moderates were seeking additional money for states that would be hurt by cuts in Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, the disabled and nursing home patients. Conservatives wanted a vote on a proposal by Ted Cruz, R-Texas, letting insurers offer bare-bones policies with low premiums, which would be illegal under Obama's law. With leaders still struggling to line up enough votes to approve a wide-ranging overhaul of Obama's law, there was talk of eventually trying to pass a narrow bill details still unclear so House-Senate bargainers could craft a compromise. That, too, was encountering problems. "This idea that we're going to vote on something just to get in conference and then figure it out later is nuts," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters. Had Tuesday's vote failed, it would have been an unalloyed embarrassment for a party that finally gained control of the White House, Senate and House in January but still fell flat on its promise to uproot Obamacare. Republicans could try returning to the bill later this year if they somehow round up more support. Obama's law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. It's also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers' annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as the healthy. The law has been unpopular with GOP voters and the party has launched numerous attempts to dismantle the statute. All until this year were mere aspirations because Obama vetoed every major one that reached him. Ever since 2010, Republicans have been largely united on scuttling the statute but divided over how to replace it. Those divides sharpened with Trump willing to sign legislation and estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that several GOP bills would cause more than 20 million people to become uninsured by 2026. Polls showing growing popularity for Obama's law and abysmal approval ratings for the GOP effort haven't helped. He was nearly killed and the woman by his side was killed in a car in northeast Omaha in January. After that, Parris Stamps had a crisis of conscience, prosecutors said Tuesday. He just said, Enough is enough, said prosecutor Chad Brown. Following his brush with death, Stamps gave authorities an account of an earlier slaying the May 2016 killing of Carlos Alonzo, 40, near 20th and Lake Streets. In turn, authorities detailed detective work corroborated Stamps account of a conversation with the shooter. And that was enough to convict Rolander Brown, 27, in Alonzos death. A jury deliberated five hours Tuesday before finding Brown guilty of second-degree murder and two gun charges in the love-triangle death of his rival. Brown faces 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced this fall. Both Brown and Alonzo had been dating former Douglas County jailer Doloma Curtis, 48, when Brown drove to Curtis house and hunted down Alonzo shooting him in the forehead from point-blank range. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Stamps had given varying statements to Omaha police even once going to the City Prosecutors Office to recant his statements. However, at trial last week, Stamps told jurors of the impact of his near-death experience Jan. 26 near 28th and Ruggles Streets. Stamps, 27, and Ashlynn Higgins, 23, were sitting in a car when they were shot multiple times. Higgins died; Stamps barely survived. Stamps testified last week to what happened in the early morning hours of May 28, 2016. Stamps told jurors that a panicked Rolander Brown stopped by a house at 40th and Boyd Streets and told those gathered that he had shot Alonzo. Rolander Brown reportedly said he did so because Alonzo had crawled through a window and had surprised Rolander Brown while he was with Curtis, their mutual love interest. Prosecutors Chad Brown and Amy Jacobsen say that was Rolander Browns attempt to minimize the shooting. In reality, Rolander Brown had arrived at Curtis home to find Alonzo with her. Rolander Brown shot Alonzo as he scrambled away, prosecutors say. The states case against Rolander Brown was bolstered by another girlfriends account, cellphone records and surveillance video. First, surveillance video from a convenience store near 20th and Lake Streets shows a man driving and getting out of a Mazda vehicle that was missing a hubcap. Next, Shotspotter a gunshot detection system alerted police to a single shot at 2:23 a.m. May 28, 2016. Then a nearby Omaha police officer unwittingly drove past the suspected shooters vehicle as it left the scene, and his cruiser camera captured images of the car: a Mazda with the missing hubcap turning south on 20th Street. Prosecutors brought in a witness to testify to the significance of that footage. Rolander Browns other girlfriend testified that Rolander often drove her car a Mazda with a missing hubcap. Detectives went a step further. They subpoenaed Rolander Browns cellphone records and enlisted the FBI to determine which cellphone towers the phone was utilizing during the shooting. It showed a virtual trail from near the apartment of his other girlfriend, to the shooting scene at Curtis home, to the house where Rolander Brown purportedly confessed and back to the other girlfriends apartment. Science doesnt lie, prosecutor Chad Brown said. These were all significant pieces of the puzzle. At least one major piece of this case is left. The woman at the center of the love triangle, Curtis, is awaiting trial for being an accessory to a felony accused of helping Brown escape after he killed Alonzo. In 2005, Alonzo himself had been acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of his 17-year-old girlfriend in Council Bluffs. Tuesday, Alonzos family was relieved. Dana C. Alonzo, a sister, sat through the entire trial. Outside court, she wiped away tears as she thanked Jesus, Omaha police and prosecutors. It was a lot exhausting very overwhelming, she said. Its a little bittersweet. But Carlos got what he deserved today which is justice. Threatened with physical removal, Bellevue City Councilman Pat Shannon left the City Council chambers on his own two feet. But before he did, Shannon on Monday night tried to remove the condemnation of his car wash from the City Council agenda, tried to argue that he had a right to stay in the chambers during discussion and accused Bellevue officials of not following city code in their efforts to condemn the property. Ultimately the City Council voted 4-0 on Monday to condemn the property and have it torn down by Aug. 25, with Shannon not voting and Councilman Jim Moudry absent. Last month the City Council told Shannon to fix up his car wash at 12709 S. 28th Ave. or it would be condemned. Residents have complained for years about the car wash to the citys administration, Permits Department, Police Department and the City Council. Since then, however, Shannon has been defiant, telling city officials the car wash was none of your business in written documents that also included harsh words and criticism of past and current city officials. Getting to the vote Monday evening sparked some drama. At the onset of discussion on the car wash, City Attorney Pat Sullivan and Shannon went back and forth over whether or not Shannon could stay and plead his case. City code bars his participation in the discussion due to his financial interest in the property, Sullivan said. Shannon refused to leave. Sullivan asked Bellevue Police Chief Mark Elbert to remove Shannon. Before Elbert could act, Mayor Rita Sanders gave Shannon one more chance to leave on his own. Shannon complied. Once Shannon left, those he had publicly accused of misdeeds, and members of the public, lined up to weigh in. State Sen. Carol Blood, whom Shannon has said used social media to create the car wash problems by encouraging people to call the city to complain, was first in line. Before Shannons election to the at-large seat, Blood held it on the City Council. I barely know Mr. Shannon, Blood said, adding that she doesnt know why Shannon keeps calling her his nemesis. After the meeting, Shannon said he will take the city to court to prevent the condemnation. This is not Shannons first controversy. The councilman has an unpaid $16,000 fine from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for violating campaign finance laws in 2004. The commission has been trying to collect on that fine for more than a decade. Shannon is also facing a recall effort, which hes challenging in Sarpy County District Court. The recall is on hold until a hearing on the matter can be held Thursday. Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday 30 per cent down: How Haryana aced the decrease in stubble burning Rewari school girls protest again, demand adequate teachers India oi-PTI Rewari (Haryana), July 25: The girls' students of Gothda Tappa Dahina today began another protest, a couple of months after their hunger-strike forced the Haryana government to upgrade their village school to senior secondary level. The reason: merely upgrading the school is not enough, the government should post an adequate number of teachers as well. Earlier, in May, the girls of Gothda Tappa Dahina village had forced the state government to cut the red tape and accept their demand of upgrading the village school to a senior secondary school. The girls had feared harassment if they were to travel to another village to pursue higher education. However, even after the school was upgraded, the girls have decided to agitate again. "The school has been upgraded, but there is an acute shortage of teachers. We want that adequate number of teachers should be posted," a protesting student told reporters today. The girls locked the school gate and sat outside in protest. Rewaris District Education Officer Dharmbir said that they were looking into the issue. The police also arrived at the school complex when they were learnt about the protest. During the previous protest in May, the condition of a few girls, who were on fast, had worsened after which they had to be hospitalized. They had then demanded that the school is upgraded from class X to class XII stating that they were harassed by youth on motorcycles on the way to the school in the neighboring village which was 3 km away. PTI Amarnath yatra attack: Logistic providers identified India oi-Vicky By Vicky The police are ascertaining if the two militants killed in Bragpora encounter on July 17 were involved in the Amarnath yatra attack or not. The two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists killed in the encounter have been identified as Jibran and Saad. Investigating officials tell OneIndia that they are in the process of identifying whether the two were involved in the July 10 Amarnath yatra attack in which 8 pilgrims were killed. Further the police said that they have identified the over ground workers who provided logistical help to the terrorists before the attack. Considerable progress has been made in the probe into July 10 terror attack that left eight pilgrims dead in Anantnag of south Kashmir, a senior police official said. Recommended Video Kargil Vijay Diwas: Indian army displays weapons that led to India's victory | Oneindia News Giving additional details of the investigation, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Munir Khan said, "Two LeT Pakistani militants, including Abu Ismail, supported by two local LeT militants, were involved in the case." The over ground workers (OGWs) of the LeT who provided logistical support before the attack have been identified by the police, he told reporters. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:36 [IST] Darjeeling Hill indefinite bandh touches the 40 day mark India oi-Amitava By Amitava Darjeeling, July 24, 2017: In the Hills of North Bengal, bandhs and specially the ones that are "indefinite" in nature are the perfect gauge of the intensity of any agitation. Out of this the 40 day mark popularly known as "Challish din" is an important yardstick. Monday marked the 40th day of the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills. Past agitations in the Hills have also witnessed the "Challish." The Gorkhaland agitation of the 1980s spearheaded by Subash Ghising led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had witnessed the 40 day bandh for the first time. Ghising's indefinite bandh call in 1988 was against alleged police excess and CRPF atrocities. The bandh which had ended on March 20 left 60 people including 6 CRPF dead. Around 450 agitators were arrested and booked under Anti Terrorist Act. Front rung GNLF leaders had gone underground. The Government had pegged losses towards damage and destruction of Government property at Rs. 8 Crores. Recommended Video Gorkhaland struggle: Sportsmen join protest demanding separate state | Oneindia News In Kalimpong the agitators had destroyed water pipe lines and disrupted electricity crippling the town. There were many areas declared as "liberated zones." Security forces came down heavily on the agitation. As violence escalated there were demands for Ghising's arrest. Police had seized a howitzers, a cannon, three-inch and two-inch mortars and large quantities of gelatine sticks, dynamite, electronically detonated land-mines and high-explosive grenades during a raid on GNLF leader R.P. Waiba's hide-out at Okaity, near the town of Mirik. Finally the agitation had culminated in the signing of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) accord on August 22, 1988 between the Centre, State and the GNLF. Thus the DGHC- an administrative body for the Hills had come into existence. The 28 month long violent agitation had left 1200 people dead and many homeless. In 2007 Bimal Gurung, dissident GNLF leader and close confidant of Ghising, floated the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). The GJM ousted Ghising along with the GNLF from the Hills. Riding piggy back on the Gorkhaland demand the agitation had culminated in the Union, State and the GJM signing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Accord on July 18, 2011. Thus the GTA- a semi autonomous administrative body came into existence. In July 2013 with the UPA Government deciding to carve out Telangana, the GJM had resurrected the Gorkhaland agitation. The State had come down heavily countering with mass arrests. More than 2000 GJM supporters and leaders including GTA members had been arrested in the near two month long agitation which had included a 44 day long bandh, thereby shattering Ghising's 40 day record. The West Bengal government in September 2013 had pleaded before the Calcutta High Court to direct the GJM to pay Rs 69.163 crore as compensation for losses caused to public and private property during its agitation. An agitation protesting against the alleged imposition of Bengali language in the Hills by the State Government got a Gorkhaland twist ringing in the indefinite bandh on June 15 this year. The indefinite bandh saw 8 agitators dead in alleged police firing. Aniket Chettri, a truck driver, succumbed to burn injuries when agitators had set fire to his truck on the National Highway 10. 69 year old Norden Lepcha of Darjeeling was attacked by a group with iron rods and later lost his life. A month into the bandh, a West Bengal Government report claimed that losses incurred is to the tune of Rs. 355 Crores. The report states that 54 vehicles have been damaged or torched; 73 Government offices and buildings have been damaged or torched and 113 government personnel including police have suffered injuries. This report submitted at the Calcutta High Court on July 15 stated that violence along with destruction in the Hills continues unabated. Most of the front rung GJM leaders, including Gurung, remains incommunicado. However the present bandh has a difference with the previous ones. The 2017 bandh has been continuous without any relaxation in between. Both the 1988 and the 2013 bandhs had witnessed relaxations. "I have seen all the three "Chaalish din" bandhs. Security forces were very aggressive during the 1988 bandh . They used to force open shops while the agitators used to force them shut. Raids were a daily affair. We used to hide in the jungles to avoid being picked up by the police. The 2013 bandh was not violence riddled. This time with no relaxations, life has become very difficult. With the banks closed we are cash strapped. Even if foodstuff is available at a premium we do not have the cash to buy" stated Dinesh Pradhan, a resident. With the Government having discontinued internet services, Darjeeling feels cut off from the rest of the world this time. "We are bearing immense hardship. There is scarcity of food, banks are closed, there is no internet service. We are just waiting to see what the bandh will culminate into. What fruits will it bear after the immense sacrifice by the residents?" questioned Pradhan. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 5:44 [IST] Darjeeling: Teachers plea to restore internet to help exam-bound students goes unheard India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Darjeeling, July 25: It is the students' community which is being hit the hardest due to the indefinite bandh and ban on internet services in restive Darjeeling. On the one hand, schools and colleges remained closed, and on the other hand, students were being unable to access internet for the academic purposes for more than a month now. On Monday, the indefinite bandh entered its 40th day in Darjeeling and its neighbouring areas in the wake of the ongoing Gorkhaland agitation. The authorities, stating law and order problem, suspended internet services across the hills since June 18. Because of the clampdown on internet, class nine students, who are all set to appear for their board examinations, failed to fill up their forms. In an attempt to provide relief to the students, the Darjeeling teachers' association on Monday met the district magistrate and sought restoration of internet services. However, the teachers' plea went unheard by the government. The authorities rejected the demand for restoration of internet services in the hills. Providing an alternative solution to the problems of the students, the officials told the teachers that they would make special arrangements for students to go to Siliguri to fill up their forms. Before meeting the authorities, the teachers' body took out a procession on the streets of Darjeeling to highlight the problems of students. "The teachers association members had come here to submit a memorandum (for restoring internet services) but we told them that internet cannot be selectively reopened. We told them that we will make special arrangements so that students can go to Siliguri to fill up their forms," a senior district official told PTI. Meanwhile, there was no report of any untoward incident from the scenic hill town since Sunday night. The supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the political outfit spearheading the current round of Gorkhaland agitation, took out rallies at Chowkbazar area during the day demanding Gorkhaland amidst patrolling by police and security forces. Tight vigil was in place at all entry and exit routes. Except pharmacies, all other public service installations including shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges have remained closed since imposition of the shutdown. The students, parents and teachers fear that if the bandh continues it would adversely impact the career of students, especially those studying in class 10 and class 12, who are all set to appear for their board examinations next year. Darjeeling, which is famous for its schools, in recent times has seen how boarders of all the residential schools were evacuated from their premises to the safe environment of the plains in Siliguri. Students from various corners of the country and the world, including Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand, to name a few, have long been studying in Darjeeling, known for its "high-quality" English-medium schools. Many popular residential schools from Darjeeling are now planning to provide special classes for class 10 and class 12 students in Siliguri to finish their course on time. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:54 [IST] Despite the Himalayas, China a threat says Vice Chief of Army India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer China continues to be a threat despite there being the Himalayas in between Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. General Sharath Chand said. He said that a large part of China's defence expenditure is not declared and the nation continues to pose a threat to us, he also said. He said that on the West there is Pakistan with a smaller economy and smaller army. They took the route of low intensity conflict with India. This suits China, the Vice Chief also said. Recommended Video Sikkim standoff: India's allegation of China wanting war refuted | Oneindia News The comments by the Vice Chief comes in the wake of the Doklam standoff between India and China which has now entered into the fifth week. National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval is scheduled to visit China this week to take part in the BRICS summit. China had said that there is a possibility of a bilateral during this visit. Doval is expected to take up the Doklam issue with his Chinese counterpart during his two day visit. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 11:49 [IST] Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam Despite unrest, J&K shows positive growth in number of tourists: Govt India oi-PTI New Delhi, July 24: Despite the Valley is on the boil, the number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir has shown a positive growth in the last two years, said Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma. In reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha on whether the number of tourists visiting Kashmir have declined during the current year, he said "tourist visits in the state has shown a positive growth". The number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 were 94.15 lakh and 62,000 respectively, registering a positive growth of 2.95 per cent and 7.92 per cent, respectively over 2015, the minister said. "This information is not available for the current year," Sharma said, adding in 2015, the total number of domestic tourists who visiting J-K was 91.4 lakh and foreigners 58,000. While the number of domestic tourists visiting the state decreased by 3.11 per cent in 2015, the dip in foreign tourists in the same period was 32.27 per cent from 2014. Meanwhile, local tour operators and tourism trade bodies, however, said that only in 2017, the affects of the violence in the state over the past two years could be seen on tourism. Vaibhav Sharma, co-founder of Travellers Dost and the Himalayas 360, which is a destination management group in Jammu told PTI that in the present peak season from May-June- July, he has seen a dip of 40-45 per cent in revenue. Sharma said that the hotel rooms which were priced at Rs 8000, now cost Rs 6000. The dip in footfalls in J-K, it would be anywhere between 40 per cent and 60 per cent. It would be more 60 per cent than less. PTI Why was Lashkar, SIMI kept out of the Samjautha Express probe? India oi-Vicky By Vicky A 2008 narco analysis test of a SIMI leader resurfaced on Monday in which he is heard speaking about the role of his outfit and Pakistan in the Samjautha Express Blasts case. There were three tests in all that were carried out at Bengaluru. Safdar Nagori his brother Kamruddin and Amil Pervez were subjected to the narco analysis test. In the test he speaks about the direct link between the SIMI and Samjautha Express blasts of February 2007 in which 68 persons were killed. It was at around the same time that the US had pointed towards the role of a Lashkar-e-Tayiba financier, Arif Qasmani in the blasts. The state department said that the blasts were funded by Qasmani. A further probe into this revealed that the SIMI operatives Ehtesham Siddiqui and Abdus Subhan were in touch with the Lashkar cadres and had planned this blast. The investigations also found that the Lashkar orchestrated this blast at the behest of the ISI to derail peace with India. And then came the Hindu terror conspiracy: Just prior to the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, several terror cases started to witness a role reversal. The Ajmer Dargah, Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and Samjautha Express blast cases were all blamed on the Hindus. Each of these cases had two chargesheets and two sets of accused. Many had even cried foul stating that the UPA had deliberately changed the focus of these probes. The BJP which was in the opposition at that time blamed the UPA's appeasement policy for this role reversal. Hemanth Karkare, the Maharashtra ATS chief who made the revelations regarding a Hindu angle was killed in the 26/11 attack which led to further conspiracy theories. It was said that he was killed by some Hindu activists who were upset with his latest revelations. This was however completely rubbished by the Mumbai crime branch which probed the 26/11 attack case. Samjhauta blasts: Which confession do we believe? And then came the NIA: All these cases were then handed over to the NIA. At the start of the probe, the NIA secured a confessional statement by Swami Aseemanand. In the statement he confessed to be part of the conspiracy to carry out the attacks including the one on the Samjautha Express. However this statement did not pass legal scrutiny as it was made under duress. Subsequently the man the NIA termed as the prime accused in the case was acquitted in most of them. Not over as yet: The NIA's chargesheet points towards the role of Hindus in the Samjautha Express blasts case. However the NIA says that the case is not closed as yet. It is still exploring fresh evidence. Moreover there has been a delay in the trial since Pakistan has not yet sent the 13 witnesses in the case. Back in April the NIA was back to probing the Lashkar angle to the case. It had sought evidence from the US on Qasmani. A team of the NIA had visited the US to seek evidence about the Lashkar. It was the US which had first pointed to the role of the Lashkar in the case while basing its information on the intelligence it collected. OneIndia News Doklam: One motorable road complete, second to be constructed by March 2021 Don't allow next Doklam in Arunachal, says BJP MP; claims China has encroached upon 60 km of state Doklam standoff: China hints at bi-lateral ahead of Doval's visit India oi-Vicky By Vicky China has hinted that there could be a bilateral meeting between India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and State Councillor Yang Jiechi. This meeting gains significance in the wake of the ongoing standoff between India and China at Doklam. Doval will in China on July 27 and 28 to attend the BRICS summit. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, during a briefing, left the door open for talks between Doval and Yang by saying that he cannot confirm it but in the past meetings of BRICS NSAs, the officials have held bilateral meetings. "I don't have relevant information you mentioned right now. As far as we know during the previous meetings the host countries arranged for the heads of the delegations to hold bilateral meetings in which they exchanged views on bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation and multilateral affairs," Lu said when asked whether there would be a bilateral meeting between Yang and Doval. Recommended Video Sikkim Standoff : China warns India of consequences if border issue is not resolver | Oneindia News External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, while replying to a question about Doval's schedule in Beijing, had last week said that if there are any further developments in his programme then the media will be informed. Asked whether the Doklam standoff will figure in the BRICS NSAs' meeting since the agenda included discussion on regional hotspot issues, Lu said, "China and India enjoy smooth diplomatic channels". "The Indian border troops illegally crossed into China's territory. We once again urge India to pull back its troops to the Indian side of the boundary. I want to stress again that this is the precondition for any meaningful talks between the two sides," he said. Lu also declined to comment whether the BRICS NSAs would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping or Premier Li Keqiang, saying that he has no information on it. The tradition of the previous BRICS NSA meetings has been that it was followed by a meeting with the top leaders of the host country. In his briefing, Lu said Doklam standoff is like no other between India and China. Last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had told Rajya Sabha that China intends to unilaterally change the status of the tri-junction with Bhutan, which poses a challenge to India's security. She had said there was a written agreement between India, China and Bhutan in 2012 that the three nations will together decide on the boundaries at the tri-junction point. She also accused China of building roads using bulldozers and excavators, which has been protested by Bhutan in writing to China. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:04 [IST] Don't allow next Doklam in Arunachal, says BJP MP; claims China has encroached upon 60 km of state Doval is main schemer in Doklam says China, rubbish says Delhi India oi-Vicky By Vicky China continues to send out mixed signals to India on the Doklam issue. Two days ahead of the visit by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to China, the Global Times has called him as the 'main schemer" of the Doklam standoff. The editorial read, "Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops." India is pinning its hopes high on his trip to settle the dispute, the editorial further stated. Doval will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain with Beijing over the border disputes. Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff in accordance with India's will, the Global Times further stated. Recommended Video Sikkim Stand off: Ajit Doval to visit China for BRICS summit, Beijing slams his trip |Oneindia News Top officials in Delhi told OneIndia that they chose not to react to such news. There has been a rhetoric in the media since the problem began. The trip by the NSA would look for a solution and at this time not chose to react to their rhetoric. Report in the media are not the views of the administration and hence we choose not to react to it. Doval in China would make India's position clear. Doval understands that the issue needs to be resolved and it would be for the first time that the diplomatic channels would open up since the 5 week long standoff. Doval has often maintained that India needs China, but not at the cost of a compromise. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 15:10 [IST] All is not well in NCP? Ajit Pawar leaves party meet mid-way Extortion case: NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale surrenders in police station India oi-Madhuri NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale surrenders in Maharashtra's Satara Police Station in connection with an extortion case against him on Tuesday. Satara police registered an FIR against Udayanraje Bhosale and few other following a complaint by Rajkumar Jain, who runs a manufacturing unit in Lonand industrial estate. Jain, owner of Sona Alloyes, has complained that supporters of Udayanraje demanded protection money from him. FIR was lodged on March 22. Udayanraje has always been in controversies since he joined politics two decades back. He also faced a murder trail but was acquitted. Considered as a rebel in NCP, Udayanraje was minister of state for revenue in Manohar Joshi cabinet. He later joined Congress and NCP. OneIndia News Gujarat Assembly polls 2022: Filing of nominations to begin from today Who will win Gujarat 2022 polls? Here's what ABP-C-Voter survey says Gujarat polls 2022: A look at Congress' strengths and weaknesses [Explained] Gujarat floods: NDRF rescue mission in pictures India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Incessant rains lashed parts of north Gujarat, with overflowing reservoirs and rivers causing floods in Banaskantha and Patan districts. The government has put the state on high alert. Army, IAF, and NDRF teams have been called in for rescue operations. Army, IAF, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been called in for rescue and relief operations. About 2,200 people have been shifted to safer places and over 460 others rescued. Ten rescue teams of NDRF have been pre-positioned at various flood prone areas in the state. So far, the Gujarat relief department confirmed 61 rain-related deaths in the state. Recommended Video Selfie addiction claims life of 4 youth in Daman Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani held a review meeting with the government officials at the state disaster control room in Gandhinagar and took stock of the situation and the rescue operations. Following pictures show heroic acts of NDRF members rescuing people in flood affected areas. Girl rescued A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) person rescuing a girl from a flood-hit village in Morbi district on Monday. Photo credit: PTI Braving the flood water National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) men rescuing a villager from a flood-hit area in Morbi district on Monday. Photo credit: PTI Villagers in rescue boat National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) men rescuing flood-hit people in a village in Morbi district on Monday. Photo credit: PTI Glimpses of rescue operation by NDRF in Gujarat pic.twitter.com/05ZOcJrM3S NDRF (@NDRFHQ) July 22, 2017 Walking across the overflowing water NDRF members carrying women, men and children on their back to a safer location. Courtesy: @NDRFHQ And the search continues.. NDRF members are on a search operation looking for stranded villagers in inundated area Courtesy: @NDRFHQ OneIndia News Who will win Gujarat 2022 polls? Here's what ABP-C-Voter survey says Heavy rains batter Gujarat: 25,000 evacuated to safety India oi-Vicky By Vicky At least 25,000 people have been evacuated to safety in various parts of Gujarat as heavy rains continued to lash in the state. Several districts in the north and central parts of Gujarat witnessed heavy rains. A high alert has been sounded across the state as more than 20 highways of the state were submerged due to heavy rains. Heavy rains are expected till July 29. Waterlogging on tracks forced the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express to return to Ahmedabad from Mehsana. While teams of National Disaster Response Force, and other rescue agencies are at work, the Air Force has been kept on stand-by to evacuate people. Flooding has affected Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Anand, Patan and parts of Valsad districts in Gujarat. Around 11,000 people have been evacuated in Banaskantha district alone. North Gujarat and Saurashtra were hit after heavy rains caused the Sabarmati river to overflow. Rajasthan's Dhantiwada, Sipu and Dharoi dams have also overflowed following heavy rains in South Rajasthan, hitting the low lying areas of Banaskantha, Patan and Anand districts. Rail services between Ahmedabad and Delhi were stopped as the tracks were flooded. Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani conducted an aerial survey. He has stationed himself in the state flood control room to supervise operations. The State Emergency Operations Centre said that the state has so far received 56.61 per cent of the total expected rainfall. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:24 [IST] Fact Check: Before swearing in ceremony did Ram Nath Kovind and Draupadi Murmu perform verdict rituals Honoured to walk the path of Gandhi, Radhakrishna, Kalam says President Ram Nath Kovind India oi-Madhuri Ram Nath Kovind has taken oath as the 14th President of India. He was administered the oath of office at the Central Hall of Parliament by Chief Justice of India, J S Khehar. Kovind was administered the oath of office in the presence of the outgoing President, Pranab Mukherjee. Very inspiring address by Ram Nath Kovindji: Narendra Modi Recommended Video Ram Nath Kovind delivers first speech as President of India | Oneindia News Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji on taking oath as the President of India. @RashtrapatiBhvn Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2017 Very inspiring address by President Ram Nath Kovind Ji, which beautifully summed up the essence of Indias strengths, democracy & diversity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2017 President Ram Nath Kovind on his way to Rashtrapati Bhawan after swearing-in ceremony. Delhi: President #RamNathKovind on his way to Rashtrapati Bhawan after swearing-in ceremony pic.twitter.com/sy4HGsjrjr ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Kovind changes Twitter handle to @rashtrapatibhvn, Pranab Mukherjee's account turns into archive. All citizens are creators and developers of India: President "I am taking charge of this post with humility," said Kovind. "It was in this Central Hall that I had discussions with many of you. We've had our agreements and disagreements but we learnt to respect each others' views This is the beauty of democracy," he said. "I want people to know that I will fulfill my duties towards them," he said. "We are in the 21st century. We all believe that this century belongs to India," Kovind said in the Central Hall of the Parliament after taking oath as 14th President of India. "India is full of variety. We are all very different but we are one," he said. He further added, "India will be a country that will combine our earlier values and traditions with modern ideas." "Nation-building cannot be done only through government. The government can only be a guide. National pride is what contributes to nation-building," Kovind said. "We are proud of every citizen of India and also of even the smallest of livelihoods," he said. "The teachers who inspiring youth are nation-builders. Several women who are looking after their families and making their children proud citizens this country are nation-builders," said Kovind as he said that we need to be proud of all occupations in India. "It will only be right that India strives for peace and equality in the world," he further said. "We have achieved a lot by being one nation, But we need to strive for more and for better," Kovind said. "We constantly need to think about whether development in the country reaches the person stand last in a line or in the most backward community," he said. "Development needs to reach the most backward communities," he asserted. Adding he said, "India must carry forward its legacy of Vasudev Kutumbakam." I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab da." Ram Nath Kovind takes oath. Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as the 14th President of India pic.twitter.com/ThzEFb3Wte ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Ram Nath Kovind arrives at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The oath taking ceremony to begin shortly. Ram Nath Kovind is on his way to Rashtrapati Bhawan. He will be sworn in as President of India shortly. Delhi: President-elect #RamNathKovind on his way to Rashtrapati Bhawan. He will be sworn in as President of India shortly pic.twitter.com/4qnAHuefsA ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Kovind joins Twitter as @RBhavan14, gets followed by over 3 million. Ram Nath Kovind's family members arrive at the Parliament ahead of his swearing-in, say they are extremely happy and proud. Delhi: #RamNathKovind's family members arrive at the Parliament ahead of his swearing-in, say they are extremely happy and proud. pic.twitter.com/oV9z0V5jLh ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 President-elect RamNath Kovind & his wife Savita Kovind pay tributes at Rajghat. Delhi: President-elect #RamNathKovind & his wife Savita Kovind pay tributes at Rajghat. pic.twitter.com/HtbdVHr8qf ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Ram Nath Kovind, who was the former Governor of Bihar won the 2017 presidential election against opposition candidate Meira Kumar, the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Kovind got 65.65 per cent of the total votes which totalled 702,044 electoral college votes. Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th President of India. Kovind will be the country's second Dalit President after KR Narayanan. OneIndia News A bayath, a massive suicide bombing, the Coimbatore blast was in the making for a year With another ISIS module busted, TN has become a paradise of Islamic Jihadists How Hurriyat used Pakistan money to fund terrorism in Kashmir India oi-Vicky By Vicky The National Investigation Agency which arrested 7 Hurriyat leaders said that they were receiving and collecting funds through illegal means, including hawala, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. "They were using funds for causing disruption in Kashmir Valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India," an NIA official said. The NIA had conducted widespread searches in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana and recovered documents, electronic devices, cash and valuables worth several crores of rupees. "We have ascertained financial trails which are leading to some of these accused. It has also been ascertained that some of the funding has been coming from Pakistan," an NIA officer said. Recommended Video Kargil Vijay Diwas: Indian army displays weapons that led to India's victory | Oneindia News The NIA registered a case on May 30 against the separatists who, according to the agency, were acting in connivance with active militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtarane Millat, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and other organisations. The NIA had arrested Nayeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Fantosh among others. The NIA had expressed its inability to interrogate these persons as they were in preventive custody. The NIA had made a formal request to arrest these persons for questioning. The NIA had issued summons twice to these persons, but they failed to appear. The NIA had issued summons to Ayaz Akbar, the spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, senior separatist leader, Altaf Fantosh and Peer Saifulla, another of Geelani's close aides. The earlier summons were sent on July 14 and July 17, asking them to come to New Delhi but none of them appeared. Later, they informed the agency that they are under preventive detention by the J&K police. Home Ministry sources say it was necessary to arrest these persons in order to unearth the larger conspiracy. We are also ascertaining the money trail from Pakistan, an NIA official informed. The NIA has already scrutinised the documents that were seized last month. It was found that the accused had received money through hawala channels in a bid to fund the unrest in the Valley. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:54 [IST] PM to visit Shimla on May 31, will participate in Garib Kalyan Sammelan Watch: PM Modi stops his car to accept painting of his mother by girl in Shimla I have four daughters, I can understand pain of victim's parents: Himachal CM on Shimla gangrape India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Shaken by the Kotkhai gangrape and murder incident, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said that he understood the pain of the victim's parents. "I have four daughters, I can understand the pain of victim's parents," ," the Chief Minister said while talking to news agency ANI. Singh went on to add that he personally wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a CBI inquiry into the heinous crime. Meanwhile, the CBI has planned to set up a temporary office in either Shimla or Theog to launch its investigation and interrogate key suspects in the Kotkhai rape case. On Monday, leader of opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal demanded resignation of Singh by July 26 and threatened to protest demonstrations across 7479 booths in the state, if he failed to do so. There had been unrelenting protests all over Shimla and in Kotkhai demanding a fair probe into the matter. On the directions of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the CBI has registered two cases one pertaining to gang rape and murder of the 16-year-old girl and the other of the custodial death of one of the accused. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 11:54 [IST] What hurt the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and why does it comment on Indias internal matters OIC meddles in Indias affairs again: What really is hurting this Islamic Cooperation India hits back at OIC over Kashmir issue, says it has no locus standi on the matter India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday hit back at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over a resolution adopted by it on Kashmir issue and said the latter had no "locus standi on India's internal affairs". The 44th session of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Council of foreign ministers, held in Abidjan on July 10-11, called upon India to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions in Kashmir. The Council also called upon the United Nations and the international community to play their role in stopping the alleged "continuing bloodshed" in Kashmir. "India notes with utmost regret that the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during its 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on 10-11 July 2017, has again adopted certain resolutions which contain factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India," an MEA statement said on Tuesday. An OIC press statement also said UN Security Council's resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir will guarantee Kashmiris' right to self-determination through a "UN supervised plebiscite". "India out rightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," MEA statement added. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 20:50 [IST] Indian Lashkar operative's meeting with Lakhvi under scanner India oi-Vicky By Vicky The meetings between Salim Khan and Lashkar-e-Tayiba's commander in chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are under the scanner of the Uttar Pradesh ATS. Khan was arrested in Mumbai last week and is being questioned for the activities he undertook for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. The ATS says that he was in touch with Lakhvi until recently. The ATS chief Asim Arun says that Khan had met with Lakhvi on several occasions during his visit to Pakistan. Since then the two have remained in touch, he said. The first time they met was in 2007 at Pakistan occupied Kashmir. It was after this that he underwent training. He was further told to set up modules in India, the investigations have revealed. The ATS says that Khan was residing in Saudi Arabia from where he oversaw operations. He worked in a coffee shop, the ATS also said. He was involved in recruiting youth for the Lashkar through his network in UP. Further he also assisted in raising funds for the outfit, the ATS also said. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:40 [IST] CoBRA officer killed, 10 commandos injured in IED blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh To check alertness of local cops, Delhi Police to plant dummy IEDs IED explosion outside former MLA's residence in Imphal J&K: IED weighing 5-kgs recovered in Poonch India pti-PTI Jammu, Jul 25: The security forces on Tuesday recovered and defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing 5 Kgs in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said. The forces have foiled a terrorist plan to engineer a blast in Loran-Mandi area. During the area domination exercise conducted jointly by the army and the police in Loran-Mandi in Poonch district, an IED weighing 5 Kgs was recovered, a police officer said. Traffic on Loran Mandi road was suspended and the IED defused, he said. The IED was recovered on the Loran-Mand road just a few days ahead of the commencement of the annual 'Buddha Amarnath yatra' to a mountainous shrine of Lord Shiva in the Poonch district. The pilgrimage will begin from July 28. PTI JNU cannot be made into a theatre of war, teachers, students slam V-C for tank remark India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 25: The teachers and students of the premier Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi spoke in unison against the proposal of Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar to install an army tank inside the campus "to remind students of the army's sacrifices". On Monday, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) said the university cannot be made into a "theatre of war" and that the JNU was not a "boot camp". The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) alleged that the statement was being made to "fan the February 9 controversy". Last year, during February, the JNU was rocked by a controversy over the alleged chanting of anti-national slogans by some students. The controversy led to the entire campus being branded as "anti-national" by right-wing groups. Recommended Video JNU Vice Chancellor demands installation of Battle Tank inside campus | Oneindia News Several student leaders of the university were also arrested over the alleged "anti-national" slogans. The JNUTA said, "It is surprising that Professor Jagadesh Kumar can only be inspired to patriotism upon beholding instruments of war. This seems to be only a personal affliction, since the rest of the JNU community does not need these visual aids to feel love and concern for this land..." "The JNU cannot be made into a theatre of war. His statutory role is one of maintaining and promoting the efficiency and good order of the university and of upholding the JNU Act and Statutes. Unfortunately, by these standards, the JNU V-C has spectacularly failed--he and his team have effectively shut down admissions to JNU's research programmes, academic expression is constantly being threatened, every single statutory institution has been perverted...," the JNUTA added. The JNUTA said it was "bad enough" that V-Cs were being made to "comply with the government's requirements to demonstrate love for the country through physical symbols. But, for a V-C to take the lead in turning the campus into a parade ground is a worrying sign of the debilitating anti-intellectual effects of long years in an obedience school." The V-C made the statement on Sunday while speaking on the occasion of "Kargil Vijay Diwas". He said that an army tank can remind students of the sacrifices and valour of the soldiers. According to PTI, the event started with the JNU faculty, students and kin of Kargil martyrs holding a march with a 2,200-feet-long Tricolour and paying tributes at the Wall of Heroes, located in JNU's convention centre where 21 portraits of Param Vir Chakra awardees are exhibited. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said the JNU created history by organising "Tiranga March" and setting up Wall of Heroes. He said it is an important day to remember the sacrifices made by the army. OneIndia News Lashkar's deadly plan for North-East revealed India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Lashkar-e-Tayiba has called for strikes across the state of North East. In a video a Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander Amir Hamza is seen urging his men to wage a war in the north eastern states of Sikkim and Darjeeling. The video shot in Lahore on July 19 is now with the security agencies in India. We are going through it said a senior Intelligence Bureau official. In the video Hamza is also heard citing the Doklam standoff. He says that they would fight in Sikkim, Bhutan and Darjeeling. For one Bangladesh, we will take seven states, Hamza says while urging his cadres to step up the war. IB officials say that the Lashkar has always nurtured ambitions to set up shop in the north eastern states. The Lashkar operates along with groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in this part of the country, the officer also said. Recommended Video Kargil Vijay Diwas: Indian army displays weapons that led to India's victory | Oneindia News Hamza who was designated as a terrorist in 2012 is wanted by India for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He is currently the second in command of the Lashkar. During the same meeting Hamza had said that it was time to launch Ghazwa-e-Hind. He said that the Prophet wanted to seize India for the sake of Islam. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 7:08 [IST] Maya Kodnani was in hospital at time of 2002 Gujarat riots: Witness India oi-Vicky By Vicky Maya Kodnani a former BJP minister was in hospital at the time of the 2002 Naroda Gam riots, a defence witness told the trial court . Raiben Thakor, the witness, was questioned by Kodnani's lawyers as well as the prosecution before the judge for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) cases, P B Desai. Thakor said she saw Kodnani at the Shivam Maternity and Surgical Nursing Home, Kodnani's hospital where she practised as a gynaecologist, at around 1 pm on February 28, 2002. Thakor said she had gone there as her daughter-in-law was expecting a baby. Kodnani was in the hospital all the while and helped deliver the baby at around 5.30 pm, Thakor told the court. Kodnani, a BJP MLA in 2002, later went on to become minister of women and child development department in the Narendra Modi government. Dhaval Shah, a partner doctor at Kodnani's hospital, will depose as a witness on Friday. Earlier, Kodnani's husband Surendra Kodnani had told the court that she had not gone to Naroda Gam, the scene of the riots, as she was busy overseeing a delivery at the hospital. The prosecution, on the other hand, has claimed that it was Dhaval Shah and not Kodnani who managed the hospital full-time. Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major riot cases investigated by the SIT. Eleven Muslims were killed at Naroda Gam, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, on February 28, 2002 in the aftermath of Godhra train burning incident. Eighty-two persons including Kodnani are facing trial in the case. She has already been convicted in the Naroda Patiya riots case and is currently out on bail. OneIndia News Ghazwa-e-Hind in Assam: NIA roped in as Islamists plan destruction of India NDFB militant killed in joint operation by Army, police in Assam India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer A suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militant was gunned down in a joint operation by Army and Assam Police in Kokrajhar district on Tuesday. One AK 47 rifle, ammunition and grenade were recovered from the site. The encounter took place at Bansbari village under Panbari police station limits, a defence spokesman said. "Based on intelligence inputs, a joint operation was launched by the Army and Assam Police on Monday night in the area. Around 6 am today morning, the patrol party was fired upon. Our troops retaliated with controlled fire and in the gunbattle, a terrorist was killed,", The Times of India quoted a Guwahati based defence spokesperson as saying. Combing operations were continuing, the spokesman said. (With agency inputs) Parliament roundup: The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 passed and more Monsoon session: 91 private member bills, including one on Agnipath, introduced in LS Why is Parliament being cut-short so often asks Derek O'Brien Monsoon session day 7: Opposition creates ruckus over suspension of MPs in LS India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 25:The Lok Sabha witnessed ruckus on Tuesday, while Rajya Sabha debated farmer's issue in the ongoing Monsoon session. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday as Opposition members created a ruckus, demanding that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan revoke the suspensions of six Congress members. Delhi: Opposition leaders gather inside Parliament to protest against suspension of 6 INC members from the Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/HtTNCW7wXg ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 Recommended Video Ram Nath Kovind oath ceremony : 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans raised in Central hall | Oneindia News In Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday as Opposition members created a ruckus, demanding that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan revoke the suspensions of six Congress members. Raising the issue in the House, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to the Speaker to revoke the suspension of six of his party members. "Madam (Speaker), we appeal to the House to revoke the suspension of six of our members. You are very kind-hearted," Kharge said. Mahajan immediately responded by saying "This is why you throw anything (on me)." As Opposition members created a ruckus, an angry Mahajan adjourned the house for the day. Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 PM today. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House proceedings soon after the House was convened, to allow the Union Ministers to partake in the swearing-in ceremony of 14th President of India. In Rajya Sabha DMK's RS Bharathi asks, "Why is the honourable Prime Minister reluctant to meet the protesting farmers?" NCP's Praful Patel exhorts the agriculture minister to use science and technology to improve agriculture sector and invest in indigenous seeds. After Upper House reconvened, TMC MP Derek O' Brian speaks on the issue of farmers' crisis. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM After O'Brien raised the issue that RSS member Dinanath Tagore suggested removal of text related to Rabindra Nath Tagore, Prakash Javadekar said that the government is not doing any such thing. He said that the members should not raise issues merely for publicity. Javadekar, however, said that certain factual errors relating to Tagore have been marked out for correction. Derek O'Brien raises controversy on Dina Nath Batra's suggestions on removing Tagore from school books. Rajya Sabah Chairman Hamid Ansari informed the House of the demise of former Member of Parliament Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, reading out the obituary references. Agenda for the day In Rajya Sabha, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar will move to further amend The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Rajya Sabha. Collection of Statistics Amendment Bill, Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, and National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill are also listed for discussion. In the Lok Sabha, Javadekar will move to pass another set of amendments to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley will move amendments to the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017. OneIndia News Yechury raises suspicion over EC decision to put on hold poll to RS seats in Kerala Decision to bring in new faces in LDF cabinet taken in CPI(M)'s long term interest: Sitaram Yechury This is daylight highway robbery of national assets, Sitaram Yechury on Air India returning to Tatas UP Elections 2022: Staring at defeat, BJP trying to postpone polls: Yechury No third term for Yechury in Rajya Sabha: CPI-M India ians-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, July 25: CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury will not be fielded again as a Rajya Sabha candidate from West Bengal, the party's Central Committee decided on Tuesday. The central committee also observed that the party could not take support from the Congress. "Sitaram Yechury will not be fielded as Rajya Sabha candidate. In fact, we can't field anybody else because we don't have the numbers and we don't want the support from the Congress as it is against our party line," said a party Politburo member on the condition of anonymity. Even though the Communist Party of India-Marxist's West Bengal unit wanted to send Yechury for the third term to the Rajya Sabha, the Kerala unit was opposed to it. Moreover, according to the party's norm, its leaders cannot have more than two terms in the Rajya Sabha. Congress President Sonia Gandhi was also in favour of Yechury coming back to the upper house with her party's support. The Left Front has 32 MLAs, including 26 of the CPI-M, in the West Bengal assembly, Congress has 44 MLAs. With Congress' support, Yechury would have been re-elected. The terms of six Rajya Sabha members from West Bengal including Yechury will end on August 18. The Election Commission had announced polling for 10 Rajya Sabha seats, including from Gujarat and West Bengal will be held on August 8 and counting will be taken up the same day. IANS Opposition, BJP lock horns in RS over farmers' distress India pti-PTI New Delhi, July 25: The Opposition and the ruling BJP on Tuesday locked horns in the Rajya Sabha over distress in the agriculture community due to which farmers have been committing suicides in large numbers. As the House took up a discussion on the agrarian crisis, the Opposition blamed the government for the problem, accusing it of being "insensitive" towards the farmers' issues. They also sought to find faults in various policies of the government. The ruling side hit back, saying the present miserable condition of the farmers was due to the Congress party's rule of 60 years. The BJP members said it was the Modi government which had initiated a slew of programmes for the welfare of farmers over the last three years. Initiating the discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of thier suicide", Comgress' Digvijay Singh accused the government of being "insensitive" to plight of the agriculturists. He referred to the police firing on a violent agitation by farmers in Madhya Pradesh recently and said the agriculturists faced bullets on the centenary of Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation. He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams. He said despite the bumper crop, import duty on wheat was reduced initially to 10 per cent from 25 per cent and then to zero in December, impacting farmers adversely as imported wheat was avaiable at cheaper prices. Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014- 15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said. Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12. Quoting agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside, he said there was a need for fixing import-export levies by the Commerce Ministry in consultation with Agriculture Ministry. Expressing concern over 42 per cent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP. He also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). The Congress leader alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers. He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said that others in the Cabinet were helpless as it was PM who decided everything. He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but a way to benefit industrialists. Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala, who spoke in the capacity of a BJP member, said it was the Congress party's rule of 60 years which had resulted in the miserable condition of the farmers. "There should be a discussion on the policies of previous governments and what all they did for farm sector," he said. He said the Modi government had taken a number of steps for the betterment of the farmers. Listing out the schemes, he said Rs 50,000 crore has been allocated for PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and 22 schemes under the project have already seen the light of the day. Under the programme, plans for irrigation at district level have been formulated, Rupala said. Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party said the farmers have been affected because of import of agri products, which he alleged was being allowed because of "ulterior motives" while farmers are being deprived of remunerative prices. The prices of many agri-items have fallen below the minium support prices and, in some crops, it is not enough to meet even the transportation cost, he said. Citing the example of tomato prices that have risen sharply to about Rs 100 per kg, he said the prices are low when crops are harvested, but these rise after farmers sell their produce in the market. He said the futures market was also responsible for the farmers' plight. Yadav said the agri growth has largely been below 4 per cent in last 25-30 years and that the farmers' economic condition would not improve unless there is a sustainable growth in the sector. Yadav said the government has put tractors and pump sets in higher tax rate under the new GST regime and demanded that these items should be exempted from GST. "Food processing in the country is in such a bad shape that every year fruits and vegetables worth Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore rot in the country," he said. Food processing percentage in India is barely 4 per cent as compared to 80 per cent in nations like Brazil, he added. He wanted to know under what circumstances private companies were roped in crop insurance scheme which was handled by the government companies earlier. He also wondered as to why the government could not use technology so that Indian apples could also last more unlike those imported from the US. Prasanna Acharya (BJD) sought to know from the government why farmers are committing suicide and are protesting on streets if the agriculture growth was high. He said farmers are not getting returns for their produce and are being cheated, not by Monsoon but by the government. Demonetisation has further aggravated their woes, he added. While the new crop insurance policy is better than the previous ones, it is benefitting private insurers more, he said. He said the Centre and states should take steps to fulfill three main demands of farmers -- price, pension and prestige. Munquad Ali (BSP) said farmers' situation is very bad in the country and that there has been a rise in farmers' suicides in the last three years. "Why it is happening? Why the government is not finding solution farmers problems? ....I request the government not to give false promises. Please work for the welfare of farmers," he said. Praful Patel of NCP pitched for modern farm technologies like genetically modified crops to boost farm income. "It is unfortunate. I am sorry to say that we have neglected science and technology. There may be different views on BT technology but we have data how it benefits. We need to take benefit of it," he said. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has always focused on indigenous (technologies) but there is a need to use modern technology to improve farmers income, he said and suggested the minister to keep "open mind" on the issue of technology. Patel also spoke about "shortcomings" in the new crop insurance scheme and suggested the government to keep a watch on private insurers who are implementing it. Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) said the government needs to "introspect" why 12,000 farmers are committing suicides every year despite the government coming out with new schemes. He demanded that the loan waiver announced in some states need to be implemented in letter and spirite, claims under new crop insurance scheme should be settled in 15 days, better credit facility and creation of special agri-zones for farmers for better realisation. R S Bharathi (DMK) attacked the Prime Minister for not meeting the protesting Tamil Nadu farmers in Delhi and demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the farmers' issue and a special law to address their woes. Rajani Patil (Cong) said, "I don't think the number (of farmers suicides will come down if the government does not take steps." She attacked Modi for not visiting affected farmers in Maharashtra, saying the prime minister has time to travel around the globe but no time for farmers in the state. Turning to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, she said the farmers' situation is very serious. "We don't want to hear about schemes in your reply. Tell me what relief you can give to our farmers. We want full loan waiver," she added. Prabhat Jha (BJP) rejected allegation that the government was insensitive towards farmers' plight and said maximum decisions had been taken over the last three years in the interest of farmers. He listed a slew of measures underaken like raising minimum support price for agriculture produce like wheat, rice, pulses and oilseeds. He said it was due to initiatives of the government that there was a record production of foodgrains in the country in 2016-17 at 271.98 million tonne (MT) including 108.8 MT rice and 96.64 MT of wheat besides 22.14 MT of pulses and 33.60 MT of oilseeds. On police firing during farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh recently, Jha asked the opposition not to link such incidents to politics. He reminded the Congress that 24 farmers had been killed in firing in Madhya Pradesh in 1998 when Digvijay Singh was the Chief Minister and said nobody linked it to politics. D Raja of CPI said the whole country is witnessing suffering of farmers and asked the central government to consider debt waiver which has been done by various states. "Farmers committing suicides should be unacceptable to us," Raja said and questioned why various commission reports on agriculture were not being implemented by the government. PTI Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government! Power cut in Chennai on Nov 10: These areas will be affected Pigs to flaunt sacred thread to mark protest against Brahminism, BJP in Tamil Nadu India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Chennai, July 25: The Brahmins, considered to be upper caste by the majority Hindu population in the country, wear a sacred white thread around their bodies, to claim their superior position in society for long. The white sacred thread, worn by Brahmin men, has become a symbol of Brahminism and their entitlements in the country. While many Brahmins still revere the sacred thread a lot, people belonging to other castes, mostly the Dalits and other backward castes, who have long been discriminated by the upper castes, view the thread as a totem of Brahminical tyranny. It is in this regard an organisation from Tamil Nadu, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK), is hosting a protest against Brahminism by making pigs wear the sacred thread. The protest event will be hosted at the Sanskrit College in Chennai on August 7. For the uninitiated, the reason behind using pigs in the protest is to "compare the Brahmins with pigs". In Hindu society, pigs are considered to be lowly and dirty as they mostly live on muddy and swampy areas to hunt for their food. The event titled "Panrikku Poonool podum porattum" will be hosted on August 7, as it is observed as Avani Avittam--a sacred day for Brahmins in Tamil Nadu. "The Brahmins wear the poonool (sacred thread) because they want to differentiate themselves from other castes and make themselves seem superior," S Kumaran, Chennai president of the TPDK, was quoted as saying by The News Minute. "By default, society views being compared to a pig as an insult and so we decided to use the animal," he added. The protest against Brahminism also has a political side to it. "With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in power at the Centre, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is basically a Brahmin outfit, has gained too much power. This is aimed at countering any effort to suppress the lower castes," said Kumaran. The supporters of TPDK have painted several walls across Chennai to invite people to the anti-Brahmin protest. Naturally, leaders of right-wing parties are unhappy with the upcoming protest. "How can you ridicule something that is very personal to a community? If they think the sacred thread doesn't make anyone superior, why even protest against it?" asked BJP youth wing president for Tamil Nadu, SG Suryah. "They are also forgetting that it is not just Brahmins who wear this thread," he added. The TPDK is known for its protest against the Hindu religion and its "discriminatory" customs. The TPDK members tried to burn effigies of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to symbolically show opposition to "Aryan invasion", last year. OneIndia News Scientists identify more than 54,000 viruses living in people's poop, 92 per cent of which unknown to scientis First Indian scientist gets Bailey K Ashford award in its 82 years' history Indian scientist and academician Yash Pal passes away India oi-Madhuri Scientist and academician Padma Vibhushan Professor Yash Pal has died at his residence in Noida on Tuesday. He was 90. Yash Pal was born in 1926 in Jhang in Pakistan. He was raised in Pai in Haryana. Pal graduated with a master's degree in physics from Panjab University in 1949 and gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2013. In his illustrious career, Pal made significant contributions in the field of science and to the study of cosmic rays, high-energy physics, astrophysics and development, among others. OneIndia News Ghatkopar building collapse: Death toll rises to 19, Shiv Sena leader detained India oi-Vikas By Vikas The death toll in the Ghatkopar building collapse at Mumbai has risen to 17. Even as rescue operations continued, the police are questioning one Shiv Sena leader in connection with the incident. On Tuesday morning the Sai Darshan building on Damodar Park on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg collapsed. Later the Mumbai police detained Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap in connection with the incident that took place in Mumbai's suburb Ghatkopar. It was alleged that the renovation work being carried out on the ground floor of the building belonged to the politician. It is being suspected that the alleged illegal renovation on the ground floor led to the building's collapse. "Prima facie, it is revealed that the accused was carrying out illegal renovation in the building. Investigation is underway," news agency ANI quoted Mumbai's Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) as saying. The BMC's disaster management team received a call about the incident at around 10.43 am following which fire brigade and disaster management officials were rushed to the spot. OneIndia News Spectre of suicide haunts Tamil Nadu farmers during Delhi protest India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 25: Once again, they are back in the national capital to highlight the plight of drought-hit Tamil Nadu farmers recently. After ending their protest, which lasted for more than 40 days at Jantar Mantar in April, farmers from Tamil Nadu returned to their previous protesting venue in the national capital on July 16 to raise their demands. Like the last time, this time too, the protesting farmers from the southern state are demanding loan waiver, better prices for their crops and interlinking of rivers, to name a few. On the 9th day of their protest this time, reports suggested that one of the farmers attempted suicide at Jantar Mantar on Monday. Thankfully, the farmer is alive as he was immediately rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for treatment. Police are investigating the matter. Recommended Video Tamil Nadu farmer commits suicide by consuming sleeping pills | Oneindia News However, the police and the farmers are contradicting with each other over the reason behind the suicide attempt. While police officials said that NK Subramaniam, the farmer who attempted suicide, took sleeping pills as he was unable to sleep, his friends told the media that Subramaniam attempted suicide as he was highly frustrated because of the lackadaisical attitude of the central government towards the plight of Tamil Nadu farmers. "Subramaniam has given a statement to doctors that he had been having difficulties falling asleep for the last couple of days and had taken the six-odd sleeping pills to help him sleep better," BK Singh, deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi, was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times. Subramaniam's friends disagree with the police. "He told us in the morning that he thought he would have to commit suicide as the central government was not responding to the farmer's demands or empathising with our plight. We did not think he would actually try to do so. It was only when he fainted at around 8:30 am that we realised he had actually done it. We tried sprinkling some water on his face. He opened his eyes a little bit and told us that he could not bear to see our plights anymore and he was committing suicide in the hope that it would move the central government to action," claimed R Sellaperumal, a friend of Subramaniam. "Though he had no loans in his name, his family members were in debt. He had been disturbed for the last two days, as he thought that even after nine days of protest there has been no reaction from the central government and he would have to do something so drastic," said another farmer. The southern state of Tamil Nadu is facing one of its worst droughts in 140 years. According to reports around 19 farmers in the state have committed suicide in the last 10 months due to rising debts and crop loss. In fact, the protesting farmers at Jantar Mantar have brought with them skulls of dead farmers who have committed suicide earlier. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 7:50 [IST] Why is Rahul Gandhi speaking the language of Pakistan asks BJP minister No provision in Constitution to deal with anti-nationals says Centre Terrorists using social media for communication: Home Ministry India pti-PTI New Delhi, Jul 25: The Home Ministry on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that terrorist groups are exploiting social media and encrypted cyber platforms for the purpose of communication. "Terrorist elements and criminal elements are reportedly exploiting electronic communication, including social media platform and encrypted cyber platform, for the purpose of communication," Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said in a written reply to a question. Ahir said in order to counter terror activities, there exists a close and effective coordination between intelligence and security agencies at the Centre and the states. "The cyber space is being closely monitored to keep a watch on the activities of terrorist groups," he said. Terror groups like IS and al-Qaeda use social media platforms to radicalise and recruit. Overground workers of terror organisations coordinate via social media platforms. On the domestic front, fake social media videos and posts help fan riots. PTI UP looks to woo investors, vows secure environment India oi-PTI In a bid to woo investors, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to conduct roadshows, provide a safe and secure environment to industry so that it can give a "tough fight" to developed states like Gujarat in attracting funds. "Gradually, Uttar Pradesh will be giving tough fight to developed states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. And, I am confident enough that we will be able to bring investments in the state in an year's time, which was together brought in the last five years," UP Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana told PTI in an interview. "Officials will be visiting different states like Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, and conduct roadshows in these states, while promoting UP as an investment destination. We will also interact with industrialists and prospective investors," he said. He lauded the implementation of the GST and said that the new tax system will effectively eliminate the concept of tax heaven, which will benefit the state in the long run. "The government of UP intends to provide a safe and secure industrial environment in the state. Towards this, a dedicated police force headed by specialised officer will be deputed at industrial clusters/areas in regions like Noida, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal. "Integrated police cum fire station will also be established in major industrial clusters/areas," Mahana said. The minister said that in the state budget for 2017-18 a provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for implementing Industrial Investment and Employment Generation Policy-2017. Also, funds have been provided for setting up the Special Investment Board to encourage industrial investment and a single window clearance system. "Till now incentive to industrialists was given in western UP. But now, the state government is planning to give incentives to industrialists who express interest in setting up their units outside Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad. Mahana also emphasised that the state government is implementing measures for ease of doing business in letter and spirit. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 13:19 [IST] People of Himachal have decided to go with Modi; all other factors irrelevant: CM Thakur Upset Modi tells BJP MPs to attend Parliament India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed unhappiness over lack of quorum often causing delay in Parliament's functioning and asked BJP members to ensure their presence in Parliament. ANI reported that PM Modi was not satisfied with the attendance percentage of BJP MPs and he has asked the members to attend Parliament sessions. Recommended Video RTI filed reveals Rs 1100 Cr spent merely on advertisements featuring PM Modi | Oneindia News He was addressing BJP MPs in the Parliamentary meet in Library building. The Prime Minister also took the occasion to discuss the celebration plans of the 70th Independence Day. As the Monsoon session entered its 7th working day, PM's expressed his displeasure with the MPs. His remarks followed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar's reference to incidents and problems arising out of lack of quorum. Delhi: Earlier visuals of BJP's Parliamentary party meeting held in the Library Building of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/qcH4GlIzdM ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2017 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 13:40 [IST] MP CM hosts Diwali party for over 400 children orphaned by COVID Will hang officials upside down if they don't clear files fast: MP CM Chouhan India oi-Vicky By Vicky Will hang you upside down if there are delays in clearing routine revenue matters, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. Chouhan purportedly made the controversial statement while addressing a meeting of the BJP's state executive committee here on Saturday. The chief minister said he would "hang officials upside down" if he found that revenue matters not under dispute were pending for more than a month. He made the remark when a party leader from Bundelkhand region raised the issue of revenue matters pending for long, and sought Chouhan's intervention to cut delays. While the Congress slammed Chouhan for using harsh words to warn officers, BJP leaders neither confirmed nor denied the statement though they maintained the CM talked about taking tough action against officials who delay clearing files without any valid reason. Recommended Video Ram Nath Kovind to take oath today; details of the ceremony | Oneindia News "The chief minister is serious about farmers' issues. He talked about taking tough action against those who delay disposal of revenue cases of farmers," state BJP spokesman Rajnish Agarwal told. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 5:38 [IST] Will Modi win India in 2019? India oi-Prabhpreet By Prabhpreet 'TsuNamo' and 'Modi wave' are some of the words, out of many, used to describe the win that saw Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister. His party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not only came to power, but did so with a majority on its own which was unseen since that achieved by the Congress in 1984 following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Recommended Video RTI filed reveals Rs 1100 Cr spent merely on advertisements featuring PM Modi | Oneindia News Unlike Rajiv Gandhi's victory, Modi's win was nothing to do with emotional repercussions of a major event in the country. It was a vote for change and the Indian voters delivered it en masse and with aplomb. Such an event and the results of state elections since has recently led to political observers proclaiming that Modi will win hands down in the next general elections in 2019. While a few, following such over-confidence and other controversies such as lynchings that have taken place in the country, are delivering cautious reminders of 2004, when BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, lost power. The verdict had come as a major jolt from the blue for the ruling alliance, which had deployed the 'India Shining' campaign to showcase the government's work and also convey the feeling of the country's people. Given the results that followed, it seemed to have betrayed the actual thinking of the voters. Like then, now too, the narrative being played out by the government is that of an India that is growing and filled with confidence, yet feelings related to issues of communalism among other concerns linger in the air, as they did following the Gujarat riots in 2002, where members of a minority community were targeted. As of now the chances of Modi meeting Vajpayee's fate remain slim, but what numbers are thrown up once the votes are counted will depend upon, along with the events that conspire from now till the elections, on the people's reaction to three main players that were part of the last elections and will also be at the centre of the one, in less than two years from now. These are Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and the opposition. Modi, RSS and UP In an ideal democracy with a parliamentary system as in India, the voters instead of deciding their vote based on the leadership of the various parties should be looking at the candidate of their constituency and choose the one they consider has the best plan for the area during the term. Yet, barring a few exceptions in absence of senior leaders of national stature, most elections have been won based on the national leader. Whether it is the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv etc. Following in the same tradition, the 2014 vote was for Narendra Modi. Modi's personal appeal, which has been the biggest strength for the BJP, remains intact. In addition, the size of the win in 2014 in itself gives Modi a certain advantage over the likes of Vajpayee whose majority was dependent on his party's allies. Even a small fall in the number of seats for Modi should still be enough to ensure a viable majority for the NDA. After Modi, the second biggest asset for the saffron party for 2019 is its parent organisation, the RSS. Though Modi was the face of the election victory, the role played by the RSS cannot be ignored. The Sangh's importance to first becoming the chief minister and later the leader of the country was never lost on Modi. The backing of RSS and its hardcore followers were essential to gain the numbers that BJP did, as Modi's pitch on development through his 'Gujarat model,' without their support would have been impossible to spread. The Modi-RSS duo fighting together in 2019, with the 'Gujarat model' replaced by his government's achievement so far, would in all probability lead the Prime Minister back to power. And even though there is growing criticism of the government in different sections of society related to steps such as 'Demonetisation', or the rise in communal incidents of violence, Modi and RSS seems to have weathered them for now. As election results in various states have shown with the party in power in 17 states, 13 of them by itself and 4 in a coalition. Out of these, the state of Uttar Pradesh, a state won with a sweeping majority of 312 seats out of 403, mostly on the back of Modi as well as anti-incumbency not only for Samajwadi Party, which was in power, but also poor performances of others before them such as Bahujan Samajwadi Party or the Congress etc. The state is crucial to any national level arithmetic, given the fact that the most populous state in India sends 80 Lok Sabha parliamentarians. An extremely crucial vote bank for any party in order to win a majority at the centre, as was seen with the BJP winning 71 three years ago. If BJP can sustain the momentum that it has here and the performance of its state government can keep the voters engaged, the state will be one of the major advantages for Modi. Double-edged swords This though does not mean that it will be a walk in the park next time, elections never are, as all of these advantages have the potential to be double-edged swords and could easily end up hurting the ruling dispensation's prospects. Starting with Modi, the biggest advantage that he had along with being seen by the majority of voters as someone with a proven track record was that of anti-incumbency that the UPA, with a decade of being in power behind them, suffered from. This factor will not be present anymore even though the image of corruption that the alliance has still not been able to shed will help Modi this time too. The next election will see him being judged on his performance and those of BJP governments in the states. Even if many, mostly from the right-wing, have read the 2004 results as a mandate for Hindutva, and even if some might have voted down those lines as in previous elections, it was an overwhelming vote for what Modi stood for and the promise of driving India into the 21st century. This potential for change is what led, the younger generation, the middle class and those fed up of corruption-ridden days of the UPA to elect Modi who they hoped would be able to deliver. And with the data related to key areas such as job addition, the economy as a whole etc., looking bleak or below expectations, no matter what spin the government, party and their supporters might try to give them, are not the kind of performances that those who voted for him had hoped for. On top of this, the tussle of power between Modi and RSS has been an underlying occurrence in New Delhi. Sometimes coming out in the open. To ensure smooth sailing in elections it will require the party and RSS machinery to work exactly the way that it did in 2014, and make sure issues that are present at the moment do not get out of hand. Examples of repercussions in case it is not achieved could be seen in the state elections of Bihar and even in Jammu and Kashmir. When statements by Sangh chief, Mohan Bhagwat, on caste and those related to the special status of the northern state had reactions in the election results. The party lost in Bihar and won no seats in the valley, even though it swept Jammu. Both Modi and RSS have different sets of following, which can have its advantages and bringing them together for the elections being the high point. The same reasons can also lead to clashes, as demands of both sections can also be contradictory to each other. Such a situation can lead to issues developing which can only be solved by one side backing down, a quality that both the prime minister and the RSS are not well known for. On the state front, though the party keeps forming government's election after election, there are warning signs for Modi as well. Forming governments might have overshadowed the fact that their performance in some states was not as impressive as the narrative would suggest. They were not the party with the highest number of seats in states like Goa and Manipur though they outfoxed the Congress to form governments in both. The narrative that was totally in the hands of Modi and BJP has recently seen a rise in critics voicing their apprehensions. This was not helped by decisions related to UP such as selection of a known Hindu Nationalist leader and priest, Yogi Adityanath, as chief minister, as well as incidents of cow related violence in different parts of the country. Opposition in tatters But one of the biggest advantages for Modi remains that no body from the oppositions seems interested or capable enough to take advantage of these concerns and bring the fight to the BJP in a meaningful way. With the main opposition party, Congress still caught in a turmoil of its own. Its inability to get its own house in order has resulted in a divided opposition. This was all too clear to see in the case of the election for 14th President of India where the opposition effort to attempt an exercise of coming together as a dress rehearsal of sorts for 2019, failed miserably. Though it was expected that NDA's candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, would cruise to victory, the opposition was at least expected to show a united front and make sure that its nominee, Meira Kumar, gets all the votes of the members of its 17-party grouping. But the break down of votes polled for each candidate shows that it failed to do so. Gujarat, Assam, Goa, Uttar Pradesh are some of the states where the legislators of party's, part of the 'united front' against the BJP, instead chose to vote for Kovind. And it is consistently outmanoeuvred at every turn by the BJP, in not only elections but also setting the narrative and winning the public debate. These include strategy related to the media, handling of ground level leaders or dealing with regional parties to build a viable opposition front. While Congress has its own issues of lack of leadership at the top level with Sonia Gandhi not keeping well and Rahul Gandhi not taking over from her, and even when he does try to lead from the front, the results are far short of those expected from someone who is attempting to take on Modi. This is not to say that the regional players have no faults of their own, with many of them ruling over a divided house. Such a scenario came out in the open as cross-voting from members of the regional parties, who are part of the opposition, was witnessed in many states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh etc. Along with this, other problems hounding the opposition which if not solved will make Modi's chances of a second term even likelier, are infighting, the lure of joining the BJP for its members, being engulfed in crisis after crisis in their own states and governments, among other. On top of this, the fact that many of those trying to be allies belong to the same state and in most cases are opponents of each other does not help. As could be seen in the case of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal or the TMC and the other Left parties. Such issues make coming up with joint strategies extremely difficult and even when formed the chances of them becoming ineffective remain high. In addition, the fact that none of the leaders are able to decide on any one leader who all of them can get behind has made matters worse, especially since the traditional party to play this role, the Congress is in turmoil. These factors clearly tilt the balance in Modi's favour and while history might not repeat itself in next elections, the results of 2004, and the events and feelings that led it, should act as a timely reminder for Modi and Co. OneIndia News China resorting to "coercive, assertive practices" says CIA International oi-Vicky By Vicky The US has said that China is increasingly resorting to "coercive, assertive practices" to achieve its goals in the Asia-Pacific region. The statement was made by Michael Collins, deputy assistant director at the Central Intelligence Agency's East Asian Mission Centre. The remarks comes just a day after the Pentagon said that a US Navy surveillance aircraft was intercepted by two Chinese J-10 fighters in an "unsafe" manner over the disputed East China Sea. China and Japan, a longtime US ally, have rival claims over a chain of islands in the East China Sea. Tensions have flashed several times over the Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims as Diaoyu Islands. China has also been locked in territorial disputes with several of its other neighbours in the South China Sea, parts of which is claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines. It has heavily militarized some islands with major land reclamation work, drawing protests from several countries including the US - which has carried out "freedom of navigation" operations through the waters claimed by China. At the Aspen Institutes' 2017 Security Forum, Collins said: "They (Chinese) are increasingly resorting to coercive, assertive practices to achieve their ends, things that we don't subscribe to and others in the region does subscribe to. And for that reason, for us to understand issues such as North Korea, South China Sea, trade, how China is approaching these issues, we have to be mindful of that." He, however, said the Chinese behaviour "does not mean" the US and China were headed for war in the region. "They do not want backlash in East Asia. And they need a stable, robust relationship with the US and the international community for the economic needs and the technology they need to move their country forward," Collins said. "We have to be mindful about what they face internally... And to them, they have to keep that quite secure. To that end, they need stability and close relations and stay in relations with United States," the CIA official said. While Collins did not refer to the ongoing India-China border standoff in the Sikkim sector, Japanese Ambassador to the US Kenichiro Sasae brought India into the picture. "We continue to develop some of the alliance network and network of friends, including ASEAN, and also India these days," he said. "The Chinese ambition is not simply limited to try to equal with United States in the area of Asia-Pacific... That is not simply for the economic ambition, it's more of the strategic ambition. They want to compete with US," he said. He said China has global expansion goals. "It is obvious. I think that dream is like 12 and 13 century of Ming Dynasty. They reached over to the Indian Ocean and into the Middle East. I think that's the region they might have are deep into their mind," he said, responding to a question on China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. OneIndia News Xi Jinping tells Chinese army to prepare for war, fight and win it Chinese jets intercept US Navy plane over East China Sea International oi-PTI Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a United States Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, prompting evasive action by the former's pilot to avoid a collision, the Pentagon has said. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports showed one of the Chinese J-10 aircraft came close enough to the United States EP-3 plane on Sunday to cause the American aircraft to change direction. One of the officials said the Chinese jet was armed and that the interception happened 80 nautical miles (148 km) from the Chinese city of Qingdao. The Pentagon said that the encounter between the aircraft was unsafe, but added that the vast majority of interactions were safe. Incidents such as Sunday's intercept are relatively common. In May, two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a United States aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea. In 2001, an intercept of an American spy plane by a Chinese fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on Hainan. The 24 United States air crew members were held for 11 days until Washington apologised for the incident. That encounter soured United States-Chinese relations in the early days of President George W Bush's first term in office. Separately, the Pentagon said the American military would soon carry out another test of it's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. "These tests are done as a routine measure to ensure that the system is ready and... they are scheduled well in advance of any other real world geopolitical events going on," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. The director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant-General Sam Greaves, said in a statement that a test would be carried out at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. In June, the United States shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile similar to the ones being developed by countries like North Korea, in a test of the nation's THAAD missile defences. China closely monitors any United States military activity around its coastline. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 9:34 [IST] Google CEO Sundar Pichai hints at more job cuts if productivity does not improve International news brief: Sundar Pichai meets Indian ambassador in US; Queen Elizabeth II buried and more Google CEO Sundar Pichai is now on Alphabet's board of directors International pti-PTI San Francisco, Jul 25: Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of Alphabet, the search giant's parent company has said. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I am excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Larry Page, CEO of California-based US multinational conglomerate Alphabet, said in a statement yesterday. A long-time Google employee, 45-year-old Pichai, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus born in Chennai, has been leading the company for the past two years. As Google's Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for Google's product development and technology strategy, as well as the company's day-to-day-operations. Pichai joined Google in 2004 and helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people. In 2014, he took over product, engineering, and research efforts for all of Google's products and platforms. After years of working closely with Google's co-founders, Page and Sergey Brin, he became Google's CEO in August 2015. Under Pichai, Google has boosted sales from its core advertising and YouTube business, while also investing in machine learning, hardware and cloud computing. PTI India to blame for Doklam standoff says China's foreign minister International oi-Vicky By Vicky A senior official of China, Wang Yi who is also the foreign minister of the country has blamed India for triggering the ongoing standoff at Doklam. He told reporters that the issue would be resolved once India withdrew its border troops. In a statement published by the Chinese foreign ministry, Yi said that India had admitted that Chinese troops did not cross the border into Indian territory. This meant that Indian soldiers had crossed into Chinese territory he said. Yi told reporters in Thailand that the problem was a straightforward one. Every Indian official has publicly stated that Chinese soldiers did not cross into Indian territory. This means India has admitted to crossing into Chinese territory he also said. He said that the resolution was easy and Indian troops had to go out. This is the first time that such a senior official from China has commented on the issue. His comments come two days before the National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Doval visits China. India is hoping for a diplomatic resolution during the visit. Doval is in China for the BRICS summit and is likely to have a bilateral over the Doklam issue. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 16:47 [IST] At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats Trump ends support to rebels fighting against Assad regime International oi-PTI Washington, July 25: Terming the support extended to rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as "massive, dangerous, and wasteful," US President Donald Trump announced he had terminated that operation. The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de- escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. Some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State, according to US officials. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 11:11 [IST] US lawmakers slam Trump for having no strategy for Afghan, Pak International oi-PTI Senior Senetor John McCain on Monday slammed the Trump administration for lacking a strategy in Afghanistan where there are 8,400 US troops stationed. The criticism for the six-month-old administration came as Pakistan and Afghanistan were hit by suicide bombings on Monday in which 52 people died. Many more were injured. The attack in Afghan capital Kabul was claimed by the Taliban, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan said it targeted the provincial capital of Punjab province, Lahore. "Disgraceful we still have no strategy for Afghanistan," said Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who this month visited Pakistan ahead of the Trump administration's review of the Afghan war strategy. Reports have said that the administration could be exploring to harden its approach towards Islamabad over Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in Afghanistan, where the US and NATO troops have been fighting militants for more than 16 years. Senator Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that even after six months in office President Donald Trump has offered "no clear or compelling strategy" to approach the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Republican Congressman Walter B Jones in a tweet released his July 21 letter to Trump, in which he demanded that the US pull out of Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires! We do not want a tombstone to read 'United States of America'," Jones said. Both the White House and the Pentagon have said that no decision has been taken on the Afghan strategy yet. Meanwhile, Gen Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US will not have an artificial timeline to exist Afghanistan. "There's a lot of lessons learnt from our experience over the last decade-and-a-half. One of the things is that when you put artificial timelines on things, they seldom obtain," he said at the Aspen Security Forum on Sunday night. "Any place that we have national interests or vital national interests, we're going to have an enduring diplomatic, an enduring economic, and enduring military presence," he said. Gen Dunford said Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has not made his decision on additional forces in the war-torn country "because he wants to get the greater strategy correct". "The strategic framework looks at the area from New Delhi to Teheran with particular attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "We cannot be successful in Afghanistan unless we have a higher degree of cooperation from Pakistan," he said. During the Obama administration, McCain blamed Obama for the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as a result of his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, and he warned Obama against taking similar action in Afghanistan. PTI We don't care about US travel ban: N Korea official International oi-PTI The US travel ban will have no effect on the country's tourism industry and Pyongyang does not care about it "at all", North Korea official, said on Tuesday. The measure is due to be enacted this week and once it goes into force US passports will no longer be valid for travel to the isolated country, which is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. Around 5,000 Western tourists visit the North each year, tour companies say, with about 20 percent of them Americans. Standard one-week trips cost about $2,000. But Han Chol-Su, vice-director of the Wonsan Zone Development Corporation, denied the loss of business would have any impact. "If the US government says Americans cannot come to this country, we don't care a bit," he told AFP in Pyongyang. Washington announced the move after the death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in the North for trying to steal a propaganda poster. Warmbier was sent home in a mysterious coma last month -- Pyongyang said he had contracted botulism -- and died soon afterwards, prompting US President Donald Trump to denounce the "brutal regime". The State Department has long warned its citizens against travelling to North Korea, telling them they are "at serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement", which "imposes unduly harsh sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes in the United States". Showing disrespect to the country's leaders and proselytising are among the actions that can be treated as crimes, the State Department warns, saying it is "entirely possible" that money spent by tourists in the North goes to fund its weapons programmes. Han's organisation is trying to promote the Wonsan-Mount Kumgang International Tourist Zone, a grandiose vision of a tourism-driven development hub on the east coast. He said Washington's move was politically motivated. "The US has been continuing with sanctions against us but we don't care at all," he said. Tour companies say business has already been hit hard by recent developments, including tensions over the North's weapons programmes, which have seen Trump administration officials warn that military action was an option on the table. "Certainly, of all the dramas that have gone on lately, the Warmbier issue is the biggest one for tourism," said Simon Cockerell, general manager of market leader Koryo Tours which has seen bookings fall 50 percent. "It's depressed the market quite considerably." The latest US move, he said, would hit North Koreans working in the tourist sector, and wipe out "any possibility of a humanising human element between those two sides who demonise each other so much". PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 16:42 [IST] World's heaviest woman Eman Ahmed loses 65 kg after treatment in UAE International ians-IANS By Ians English Dubai, July 25: Eman Ahmed, who was the heaviest woman in the World until January this year, has managed to lose 65 kgs after her treatment in the UAE, the Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi has said. A hospital statement on Monday said Iman Abd al-Ati has been "gradually recovered" and managed to lose 65 kgs since she entered the hospital as an inbound patient, Xinhua news agency reported. The woman was treated in Mumbai before being admitted to the hospital in UAE. He family was reportedly unsatisfied by the treatment she got in India. The hospital said that during the eighty days of treatment, the Egyptian woman is now able to sit in a wheelchair and move her arms. The 36-year-old arrived at the Bureej hospital in Abu Dhabi on May 4 to complete her treatment trip. Before the operation, Abd al-Ati was bedbound and her weight stood at 500 kgs, according to media reports. She suffered from "a disruption of the glands and elephantiasis disease" causing huge amounts of water to be retained in the body. IANS Sky News 12 Nov 2022 Ukraine's president has praised his people's resilience as parts of the Kherson region were liberated from Russian occupation - and.. Charlie is one of 45,000 scouts travelling to the US for the event, but it is a particularly special opportunity for her. BBC News 24 Jul 2019 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The mans initial plan was to see his mother after going clubbing, However, his friends encouraged him to go to his mother immediately. A man escaped death after he heeded his mothers urgent call despite planning to embark on a trip with his friends. The man was going clubbing with four friends when he received a call from his mother, asking him to see her urgently. The mans initial plan was to see his mother after going clubbing, However, his friends encouraged him to go to his mother immediately. The four friends continued on their journey. Sadly, they suffered an accident and all died. A photo from the scene shows the damaged car following the accident. The major gladiators in the 2022 Abuja Unity Preseason Tournament have engaged in an exciting preview of it as the clock winds down to the October 23 kickoff, Completesports.com reports. Former Nigeria international and Lobi Stars helmsman, Dominic Iorfa; Wikki Tourists coach, Kabiru Dogo, and Katsina United boss, Prince Abdussamad Badamasi, are already looking forward to the tournament beyond the prism of a preseason tournament. The three major NPFL clubs have vowed to make maximum use of the weeklong 2022 Abuja Unity Preseason Tournament to prepare their teams adequately for the 2022/2023 domestic football season by using it to assess their new signings. Iorfa, a former Technical Committee Chairman of NFF, while reaffirming his teams participation said it would offer the opportunity to build a strong and virile Lobi Stars squad for the coming season. Also Read 2022 U-17 WWC: Flamingos Well Motivated To Beat USA Gusau Lobi Stars avoided relegation last term following the managerial expertise of the clubs CEO, Iorfa, who was drafted in on a rescue assignment when the club was heading for the drop. As far as we are concerned, the importance of the tournament can never be overemphasized, Iorfa said. The tournament is an avenue for to integrate and acclimatise both our newly recruited players as well as the old ones for better understanding. Thats essentially the reason we accepted to participate in the tournament. As a process, there is every need to exploit the best alternative that gears towards uniting the team together ahead of the new season, Iorfa added. Similarly, the Technical Adviser of Wikki Tourists FC Kabiru Dogo, says his side is ready to be part in the 2022 edition of the Abuja Preseason Unity Football Tournament. Wikki Tourists are set to compete in the competition and weve made necessary arrangements to that effect, Dogo, a one-time ABS Ilorin FC coach stated. Its is a welcome development as it will enable us to test especially our new players ahead of the coming season. Dogo is diplomatic while weighing his teams chances in this years edition after crashing out in the semis the last term. Hopefully, well surpass our last years performance, he said. Katsina United Chairman, Prince Abdussamad Badamasi believes that the tournament will give his team the opportunity to know how well they have gone in their recruitment drive and how the players can fit into the clubs new system. We want to see how far we have gone with our recruitment before the commencement of the new season in the country, the Chanji Boys boss said. However, for the Proprietor of Doma FC, Alhaji Suleiman Umar, the Abuja Unity Preseason Tournament is an avenue for his men to test their might against some of the NPFL clubs before the commencement of the new season. Doma FC were among the four Nigeria National League (NNL) clubs that secured promotion to the elite class after a strenuous campaign in the second-tier league last season. Copyright 2021 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com. A lady has been seen kneeling on the floor begging police officers not to take away her boyfriend without knowing that he wants to propose. In a trending video on social media, a young man could be seen in a slight tussle with a police officer without his girlfriend knowing he had planned with the officers to propose to her. The lady who after finding out that it was a proposal was shocked and felt relieved. Watch the touching video below: The suspect, Uchenna Nwobi A man identified as Uchenna Nwobi has been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra state command, for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of his two biological daughters, aged 5 and 3 years. The suspect, who is resident in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, was arrested on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, after a whistle blower reported the incident to the Anambra State Ministry For Women and Social Welfare. Upon receiving the complaint, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Hon. Ify Obinabo, through her Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response team quickly informed the NSCDC and investigations began. In the course of the investigation, the children were rescued by the intelligence Unit of NSCDC and the suspect arrested. It was gathered that the suspect has allegedly been molesting the children since 2020 after he sent his wife out of the house due to marital issues. Nwobi has been detained for child molestation, abuse and would be charged to court on completion of investigation. The children were first taken to Ntasi Centre in Enugwu-Ukwu where a doctor on duty confirmed they were defiled. As at when they were brought to the hospital, there were fresh bruises, swelling on their private parts. The children confirmed that they were constantly molested by their father and pleaded not to be returned to him for fear of being punished. Addressing the issue in her office in Awka, the commissioner said shes charging both the man and his wife to court and will not leave any stone unturned. Upon interrogation, the father denied the allegation, claiming he was not aware that his children were being defiled by anyone let alone him. He further threatened to deal with whoever made the report. At the tribute held in his memory on Wednesday, Rico Swaveys mother danced with a heavy heart to his sons music among friends, family, and colleagues. A video has captured the moment late Rico Swaveys mother danced to his song at his tribute held on October 20th. Before the passing of the BBNaija ex-housemate, he recorded a song This Life intended to be released on the 10th of December as announced on his page. At the tribute held in his memory on Wednesday, Rico Swaveys mother danced with a heavy heart to his sons music among friends, family, and colleagues. Following the event, his candlelight procession was held on the evening of the same day which has since sparked outrage on social media following how his friends turned up for him. Watch The Video Below; The procession passed through the Lekki Tollgate, the scene of the killings that took place on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. So many Nigerian youths have staged a procession at the Lekki toll gate. The youths in their numbers on Thursday morning showed up with dummy coffins and bloodstained Nigerian flags at Lekki toll gate in Lagos State to commemorate the second-year memorial of the EndSARS protest shooting. The procession passed through the Lekki Tollgate, the scene of the killings that took place on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. See the photos: The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has described the death of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oluwafunminiyi Afuye, as a huge loss to the body of Speakers in Nigeria. Dr. Obasa added that the news of Speaker Afuyes death was more devastating knowing that he was reportedly active and showed no signs of illness days before his demise at age 66. The Lagos Speaker, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, called Afuye, a fine gentleman whose experiences have contributed to the advancement of Nigerias democracy. The news of his death is more devastating because his State, Ekiti, just began a new dispensation, a change of baton requiring his experience as the head of the legislative arm of government. As a lawyer and former Commissioner for Information, Speaker Afuye understood his calling and served with dignity and respect. No doubt, he was loved by his people just as he was loved by his colleagues. I have lost a dear friend, one who served humanity with passion. He will be sorely missed. Obasa commiserated with the family of the late Speaker, the Ekiti State Government, and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures urging them to take solace in the fact that Afuye made positive contributions to the growth and development of his State. On behalf of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I mourn the demise of this political leader. It is a hard one but we have to remain strong for ourselves at this period. I condole the immediate family, the government and people of Ekiti State and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures and I pray that Almighty Allah give us the strength to bear this loss, amin, Obasa prayed. Manchester United had on Wednesday night played host to Antonio Conte and his men at Old Trafford in their EPL encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo unnamed in the starting line-up despite scoring a hat-trick in this fixture last season Surprisingly, Marcus Rashford taking Ronaldos place up front in the only change from Uniteds side that played out a goalless draw against Newcastle last was charged with leading the attack. There was no doubt that it was a big game for United as they squared up against another top team in Tottenham who have demonstrated serious ambitions about winning the Premier League title. Ronaldos omission from the starting line may have left many other than the Portuguese in shock considering that the 37-year-olds goal record against Spurs having scored 14 goals against Contes men in 20 games. Meanwhile, Uniteds boss Erik ten Hag has taken time to explain and justify his decision for the selection: We are building for the future, but the future is tonight, the United boss told Amazon. You pick the line-up that you think has the most chance to win, and you have a game plan. Cristiano [Ronaldo] is an important player and he can make the goal, he will come on and can make the difference. I have to deal with all the players expectations, and I have to deal with developing this team. You have to make a game plan. This is a good Tottenham team, a compact, a transition team with high intensity and I think this is the best way to start like this. You get more runs behind, more dynamic up front. Expectedly, Ten Hags decision to deny Ronaldo a piece of action throughout the encounter was not appreciated by the forward as the Portuguese was captured leaving the stadium before full-time. But Uniteds boss was however vindicated on the night after the Red Devils played one of their best games so far this season to hand Spurs their second EPL defeat so far as goals from Fred and Fernandez were enough to give the Old Trafford side a deserved victory. Spread the love The exchange rate between the Naira and the US dollar at the black market gained 0.13% to trade at N742/$1 on Thursday from N743/$1 recorded in the previous trading session. On the other hand, the naira at the cryptocurrency peer-to-peer FX market fell by 0.29% to trade at a minimum of N748.7/$1 on Thursday morning, when compared to N746.57/$1 traded at the same time on Wednesday, 19th October 2022. Meanwhile, the exchange rate between the naira and the US dollar at the I&E official window closed at N441.5/$1 on Wednesday, 19th October 2022, a slight fall of 0.06% from N441.25/$1 recorded in the previous trading session. However, the FX turnover at the I&E window increased by 71.73% to $127.65 million on Wednesday from the $74.33 million that was traded on Tuesday. READ ALSO: Naira falls again against Dollar at black market Nigerias external reserve stood at $37.76 billion as of 18th October 2022, a decline of 0.1% when compared to $37.96 billion recorded the previous day. The nations foreign reserve has been on a downward trend due to the continuous intervention by the CBN in the official market to maintain the stability of the local currency. The exchange rate at the official market closed at N441.5/$1 on Wednesday, 19th October 2022, a depreciation of 0.06% from N441.25/$1 recorded in the previous trading day. The opening indicative rate closed at N440/$1 on Wednesday, 19th October 2022. Furthermore, an exchange rate of N443/$1 was the highest rate recorded during intra-day trading before it settled at N441.5/$1, while it traded as low as N425/$1 during intra-day trading. A total of $127.65 million in FX value was traded in the Investors and Exporters window on Wednesday, which is 71.73% higher than the $74.33 million traded on Tuesday. The Nigerian Navy has handed over two vessels and crew accused of crude oil theft to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. According to a statement by the anti-graft agency, the two vessels, MT Platform and MV Caribbean Crest alongside a crew of 22 suspected oil thieves were handed over on Tuesday. While the MV Caribbean Crest and her crew members were arrested in February at the Bonny Fairway Buoy with an unspecified quantity of stolen Petroleum Product suspected to be automotive gas oil, the MT Platform was intercepted on June 8, 2022, in the vicinity of the Bonny Anchorage for illegal dealing in petroleum products without a license. Due to the flooding in Nigeria, the United States has promised to provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance for the affected victims. The aid is being provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the agency says the $1 million will allow local partners on the ground to provide emergency shelter assistance, relief commodities, and hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices amid the ongoing cholera outbreak. The U.S Consulate in Nigeria on Thursday, October 20 said the unusually heavy rainfall is regrettable with flooding affecting nearly 2.8 million people across the country, completely damaging or displacing millions of people. We are filled with grief for the flood victims who have lost so much livelihoods, homes, and even loved ones, said U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard. The United States continues to stand with the people of Nigeria during this extremely difficult time, Ambassador Leonard added. Floods have exacerbated an already critical humanitarian situation in Nigeria, where ongoing conflict, especially in the northern region, has driven millions of people from their homes. In the same region, more than 4 million people are projected to continue experiencing acute food insecurity amid the worsening global food crisis. We are also concerned that standing floodwaters could increase the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, where cholera outbreaks were declared in August and September and at least 7,750 cases were recorded in 2022, 31 out of 36 states reported cholera cases. As experts expect heavy rainfall and flooding to continue through November, due in part to climate change and insufficient drainage infrastructure, USAID disaster experts will continue monitoring the situation in close coordination with humanitarian partners and the Government of Nigeria to assess needs and determine if additional assistance is required. The United States maintains a long history of providing humanitarian assistance across the country. In 2022, USAID provided more than $356 million in humanitarian assistance to people most affected by conflict and food insecurity in Nigeria. This life-saving assistance is in addition to USAIDs annual $539 million development budget for Nigeria that supports economic growth, health, democratic governance, and education. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has warned that more than 2.5 million people in Nigeria are in need of humanitarian assistance as devasting floods hits Nigeria. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of the 2.5 million people in need of assistance are children and they are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition. The floods which have been described as the most severe flooding in the past decade have affected 34 out of the 36 states in the country, and have displaced 1.3 million people. Over 600 people have lost their lives and over 200,000 houses have either been partially or fully damaged. Cases of diarrhea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been on the rise. In the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone, a total of 7,485 cases of cholera and 319 associated deaths were reported as of 12 October. As rains are expected to continue for several weeks, humanitarian needs are also expected to rise. Children and adolescents in flood-affected areas are in an extremely vulnerable situation, said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. They are particularly at risk of waterborne diseases and emotional and psychological distress. UNICEF is working closely with the Government and other partners to provide life-saving assistance to those who are most in need. The floods are adding another layer of complexity to an already precarious humanitarian situation in the country. Immediate priority needs for children include health, water, sanitation, and hygiene; as well as shelter and food. Additional funding and resources are required to respond to growing needs and to sustain ongoing humanitarian interventions, with a focus on the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities. According to UNICEFs Childrens Climate Risk Index (CCRI), Nigeria is considered at extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change, ranking second out of 163 countries. Children in extremely high risk countries face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks combined with high levels of underlying child vulnerability, due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education. To date, UNICEF has supported the government response in three affected States Jigawa, Niger, and Kaduna, including through the provision of cash assistance, distribution of cholera kits, government-led mobile health teams, temporary learning centres and learning kits and cholera kits. With additional support, UNICEF can scale up its response in other states to provide lifesaving medical equipment and essential medicines, chlorination of water and sanitation supplies, as well as to support the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence. ALSO READ: Malnutrition threatens learning outcomes of children in Nigerias Northeast. The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu has revealed why the federal government will not yet declare a state of emergency on the disastrous flooding in some parts of the country. video.jpg alt=Flooding: Declaring State Of Emergency Not Yet Necessary Minister Suleiman Adamu [Video] width=783 height=391 title=Flooding: Declaring State Of Emergency Not Yet Necessary Minister Suleiman Adamu [Video] 1> Suleiman Amadu Says Flooding In Nigeria Is Not Yet Serious Nigeria is arguably facing one of its worst flooding incidents in decades with over 600 persons killed and over two million displaced due to the disaster this year. Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Adamu said it is not yet necessary to declare a state of emergency over the flood disaster because emergency agencies are not yet overwhelmed. He said, Its certainly an emergency situation but it all depends on what you mean by the declaring state of emergency. We have not reached a situation in my view where the relevant emergency management authorities have not been able to deal with this situation. Im not aware that has happened. We have governments, we have the federal government, we have state governments or state emergency management agencies and the Federal Emergency Agency. And I think they have not in any way said that they have been overwhelmed by what they have been doing. Mr. Adamu debunked the claim in some quarters that it was poor planning on the part of the government that led to the flooding. The minister said the latest cases of flooding in the country were largely human making due to their years of disregard for nature and proper planning. The flood is a combination of many things. First and foremost, there is a natural disaster, like an earthquake and everything. There is an act of God but there is also a human aspect to it. For this, one particular thing I will say is that for hundreds of years, well, decades, let me exaggerate. We have been bastardising our watersheds. We have been deforesting our lands, we have been degrading our soil, that is one aspect. Secondly, many Nigerians just refuse to be law abiding. They have built on water courses, they have blocked drains and water channels. So many activities have been done. Yes. And of course, I will accept that there are certain strategies that are to be taken, maybe engineering solutions, that over a long period of time have not been addressed, but that is also probably because of the nature and the level of our economy. Water resources management is a very, very expensive venture that is a time consuming venture. To even study alone takes years to be completed. So it is a combination of so many issues, really, the minister explained. Mr Adamu also dismissed the assumption that the release of water from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon caused the havoc. He said the water contribution of the dam is low compared to the volume of water Nigeria generates internally. Watch the video below: KanyiDaily recalls that Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, had been shut down for two weeks as a result of the ravaging flood that has negatively affected most parts of the institution. /* custom css */ .tdi_59.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_59 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_59.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_59.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_59.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } Advertisement By Izunna Okafor, Awka It was a gathering of who is who in Anambra State on Friday, as the personalities and political heavyweights stormed the house of the Lawmaker representing Anaocha/Dunukofia/Njikoka Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Dozie Nwankwo, to sympathize and commiserate with him as he buried his father, Late Chief Boniface Okonkwo Nwankwo. /* custom css */ .tdi_58.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_58 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_58.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_58.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_58.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } The burial ceremony, which attracted the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and his wife, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, also had in attendance, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliances (APGA) in the forthcoming general election, Prof. Peter Umeadi; Member representing Anambra East & West Federal Constituency, Chief Chinedu Obidigwe; Senator representing Anambra Central, Senator Uche Ekwunife; Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Anambra Central, Sen. Victor Umeh; Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Anambra North, Dr. Tony Nwoye; and some other top Government functionaries, as well as individuals from different parts of the country and beyond. Commiserating with the Nwankwo Family, Governor Soludo said his self a and himself and his wife mourn the loss of the man who has lived long but a very impactful life. He said: I have looked through his biography and quite frankly, he lived an exemplary life. We have come to mourn Late Chief Okonkwo Nwankwo and coincidentally, my fathers name is Soludo Nwankwo and he is 91 years old. Looking at his life, he didnt just live but lived to matter, he lived an impactful life. He was given a Chieftaincy title Ochudo and I was also given a title DikeUdo. Theres lot of semblances and similarities between both names. Anambra which is the Light of the Nation is also a light of peace and the forthcoming election will be peaceful, Anambra should emulate Ochudo. That is the spirit of Anambra. Anambra is not known for violence! Rather, we use court order to fight our battles, Soludo joked. He informed them that the hoodlums who attacked Sen Ifeanyi Ubahs convoy at Enugwu Ukwu have been apprehended. Theres no hiding place for criminals in Anambra. Our state is the light of the nation and must be safe and secured, he added. For Chief Dozie Nwankwo, the family is full of gratitude to families, friends, business and political associates who came from all walks of life to commiserate with him and his family. My father would always tell me its not about money. He worked hard and achieved lots of things in his life. He was a man of peace and goodwill and as his son, Im proud to say he lived a life well spent, the Lawmaker noted. Commending the Governor, he also said he was impressed with the good news spreading in the state, even as he lauded him for his fight against insecurity that held sway in some parts of the state, just as he testified that Anambra is now safe and calm under his watch. On his own part, former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Rotimi Ameachi encouraged Chief Nwankwo to form a closer bond with his wife and children in this trying time. He prayed that the Lord Almighty give him the strength and fortitude to bear the loss of his father. Super Falcons of Nigeria have been drawn in Group B with co-hosts Australia, Canada and debutants Republic of Ireland, ahead of the 2023 FIFA womens World Cup, Completesports.com reports. The draw took place at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday. The Falcons will open their campaign against reigning womens Olympic champions Canada on 21 July 2023 before facing co-hosts Australia 27 July. And on 31 July the Falcons will take on debutants Republic of Ireland in their last group game. Recall Canada hosted the Falcons in a two-legged friendly in April this year. The Canadians won the first meeting 2-0 before forcing the former African champions to a 2-2 draw in the second friendly game. And the only time the Falcons faced Australia was in the group stage of the 2015 womens World Cup which the Australians won 2-0. Also Read: 2022 U-17 WWC:We Were Written Off Against USA Flamingos Forward, Dah-Zossu Meanwhile, Womens Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions, Banyana Banyana of South Africa, are in Group G with Sweden, Argentina and Italy. Zambia, who beat the Falcons 1-0 in the third-place match at this years womens Cup of Nations in Morocco are in Group C alongside Costa Rica, Japan and Spain. While hosts of this years WAFCON, Morocco, will battle Germany, South Korea and Colombia in Group H. The 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup is scheduled to be the 9th edition of the quadrennial tournament. Next years edition will be jointly hosted by Australiaand New Zealand, the first time that the FIFA Womens World Cup will have two host nations, It is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 20 August 2023 and will see the Womens World Cup expanded from 24 to 32 teams. The United States are the defending champions, having won the previous two tournaments in 2015and 2019. The Philippines, Vietnam, the Republic of Ireland, Morocco and Zambia will make their Womens World Cup debut. The top two teams from each group will progress to the round of 16. Copyright 2021 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com. Former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Yusuf Danjuma (TY Danjuma) on Saturday, lamented that Nigeria is being ruined by heavily armed criminals he described as useless. TY Danjuma Speaks Nigerias Insecurity Danjuma insisted that self defence was the only way to chase out the countrys common enemy. He feared that if this is not done, Nigeria will be finished. Danjuma stated this when he delivered a goodwill message in Wukari, Taraba State, where Governor Darius Ishaku presented staff of office to His Majesty Manu Ishaku Adda Ali, the 25th Aku Uka. The former army chief knocked the military for living in denial over Nigerias aggravating security challenges, saying the evidence of what he said four years ago is now obvious for all eyes to see. Danjuma had in March 2018 urged Nigerians to defend themselves against their killers but his call for self-defence attracted stark criticisms. Four years later, Danjuma said, Our country is under siege by armed bandits, all over the country when some few years ago, I warned that the Armed Forces are either not capable or unwilling to protect us and that we must defend ourselves. The first denial of what I said came from the Ministry of Defence. They said I was lying and they set up a kangaroo Board of Inquiry to investigate the truth or otherwise of what I said they invited me to come and testify, but I did not go. They wrote their report which said that I was only speculating, that there was no evidence. And now there is evidence; the whole country now is being run and overrun. According to the ex-army boss, armed bandits are trying to recolonise Nigerians and take over autochthonous lands. He added that the people must fight to resist invaders. He further urged the new traditional ruler to reunite his subjects for the defence of the country against marauders, saying the best form of defence is attack. Right now, we are all sitting ducks, these people are armed to the teeth with all weapons of mass destruction and we dont have them but we have the numbers and the land belongs to us. They are trying to recolonise us and take over our land. Can I allow you to defend yourselves? he asked the crowd who chanted a loud Yes. He further said, They said I told them to defend themselves, I didnt give them arms. I will not give you arms, find out how these people got it. Use the same means to defend yourselves. This beautiful land called Nigeria, the biggest country for black men in the whole world is being brought to ruin by absolutely useless criminals. But how did they get here? Of course, some of them are foreigners and there are collaborators. So, my prayer is that God Almighty that has given us this land will give us the courage to face our enemy and locate where he is and drive him out of the country. This we must do otherwise Nigeria is finished. Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom also called for self-defence as a result of the unending attacks by bandits and terrorists all over the country. The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman has accused the police of killing a prime suspect who was arrested over the recent attack on his convoy that got seven people murdered in Edo State. Apostle Suleman Attacked KanyiDaily had reported that Apostle Suleman was attacked on Friday by gunmen who killed seven people including policemen in his convoy. Edo police spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the attack, said one of the suspected kidnappers who attacked the clerics convoy was gunned down during a gun battle with the police along Auchi expressway. The attack is confirmed. Three policemen were murdered; two of his (Sulemans) drivers were killed; one domestic female worker was killed and they are still searching for another female domestic worker. As we speak, Apostle Johnson Suleman is safe. One of the hoodlums was gunned down and one of the vehicles was recovered, Nwabuzor said on Friday. The policeman added, One of the kidnappers that was caught today (Friday) while the DPO, CSP Ayodele Sulaiman, led the operation along Iyewe-Auchi Road, and after a gun battle, this one (suspect) was gunned down while others escaped with bullet wounds. Bush combing is ongoing. Apostle Suleman Alleges Of Cover-Up Of Attack By Police Reacting on his Twitter page, Apostle Suleman slammed the police for killing the suspect who was handed over to them alive, alleging that it was an attempt to cover up traces that could lead to those behind the attack. Liesthere werent kidnappers He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?, the cleric tweeted. Liesthere werent kidnappers He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediatelywhy?..why killing him on the spot?.who is trying to cover up traces?.. pic.twitter.com/vjgCo0zcyQ Apst Johnson Suleman (@APOSTLESULEMAN) October 21, 2022 Also reacting, Apostle Sulemans lawyer, Samuel Amune demanded a thorough investigation into the case, stressing that the suspect was alive when the youths and the vigilante caught him and handed him over to the police. He said, As I speak with you now, I am with Apostle Suleman, and I am examining the vehicle in his compound. One of the boys was caught yesterday by vigilantes and he was handed over alive to the Auchi Police Division. But ironically, we dont know what happened and the next thing we heard was that the police have shot him dead. I dont know what the police would cook up later to be responsible for shooting him as the police station was not attacked by the youths. It was the youths in conjunction with the vigilante that arrested the boy and handed him over alive to the police. So, the only conspiracy theory that one can easily think of now is that was he (the policeman) acting under a superior order to have done what he has done? Was there any gang up or trace that they are trying to cover up? These are some of the theories God will help us unravel as time progresses. The police have not given us any official reason for shooting him dead. Police React To Controversial Death Of Prime Suspect In a follow-up reaction, Nwabuzor described the insinuation that the suspect was handed over to the police alive and he was shot dead by a policeman as an attempt to malign the efforts of the policemen during the attack. He said, That insinuation is just an attempt to malign the DPO in charge of Auchi. That is an attempt to dent all the work that they have done. During the attack, nobody knew anybody, and the police were there to prevent any form of attack on anybody. The police have a job to protect life and property; it is their constitutional duty. The action of the police was impromptu, the action was going on when the police attended to the distress call and right there at the scene of the crime, everything took place. I never heard of any information that the suspect was handed over to the police. Let them (those who apprehended the suspect) come out and make clarification for that. That is not true, it is just hearsay; if anyone has a contrary opinion on that, let them come out and tell the world. The attack comes a few weeks after Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar asked Nigerians to hold Apostle Johnson Suleman responsible if anything happens to her. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has revealed that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) denied no fewer than 1,681 foreigners visas to the country. Nigeria Denies Over 1600 Foreigners Applying For Visa According to a document released by Aregbesola in September 2022, the NIS recorded a total of 1,579,667 movements of passengers in and outside the country in 2021. Out of the figure, 163,091 passengers arrived in the country by land, 993,508 by air and 195,219 came in through the sea. For departure, no fewer than 177,352 persons left the country by land, 1,093,518 by air and 88,459 by sea. The document partly read, Immigration in 2021 recorded a total of 1,579,667 passenger movement. This is made up of arrival by land, 163,091, air 993,508 and sea 195,219. Departure by land was 177,352, by air 1,093,518 and sea 88,459. The minister also said the service denied no fewer than 1,681 applicants visas to the country. He, however, did not state any reason for denying the applicants visas in the document. Within the same period, 148,711 applications for Nigerian visas were received, out of which 147,030 were approved while 1,681 applications were rejected. Aregbesola stated that the NIS issued a total of 2,811 official and 895 diplomatic passports among others in 2021. Same last year, the NIS issued 1,041,537 standard Nigerian passports to Nigerians at home and abroad that applied for them. It also issued 2,811 official and 895 diplomatic passports, 14,214 Emergency Travel Certificates and 150 refugee passports, he said. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has imposed a visa ban on Nigerians, announcing that all submitted applications are rejected and fees non-refundable. A lecturer of the Federal University, Lafia in Nasarawa State, Dr Fred Ekpe Ayokhai has gotten into trouble after conniving with his children to assault a 20-year-old student who reportedly fought his daughter over a man. video.jpg alt=Nasarawa Lecturer And His Children Beat, Strip Lady Naked For Fighting His Daughter Over A Man [Video] width=750 height=420 title=Nasarawa Lecturer And His Children Beat, Strip Lady Naked For Fighting His Daughter Over A Man [Video] 1> Nasarawa Lecturer Brutalise Student For Fighting Daughter It was gathered that the student identified as Blessing Mathias had beaten the lecturers daughter, Emmanuella for trying to snatch her boyfriend identified as IG. According to reports, the fight between both women ensued after Blessing discovered that Emmanuella had her boyfriends number in her phone, which she refused to delete. Blessing was said to have gathered her friends to beat Emmanuella after she refused to delete her boyfriends number. The young lady was seen in a video slapping the lecturers daughter and hitting her from different angles, while asking her to delete the mans number. Days after the assault, Emmanuella in the company of her father, Fred Ekpe Ayokhai, and his brother, Praise Shola, and others attacked Blessing in retaliation. In a series of viral videos circulating on social media, Ayokhai was seen with his children assaulting and stripping the lady while recording her on camera. The lecturer, who works at the History and International Relations department of the institution, was also caught on camera using scissors to cut off Blessings cloth after driving her to an unknown destination. Reacting to the development, Nasarawa State Police Command, via its official Twitter page, said, Sequel to the viral tweet of assault on a female teenager in Lafia, the Command swiftly commenced an investigation into the case. It is gratifying to state that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the case while the vehicle used in conveying the victim to an undisclosed location where she was assaulted has been recovered. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects still at large. Watch the videos below: What the hell is happening in Lafia??? pic.twitter.com/B0jfGNE0Z4 OnlyOne_Ahgiee (@AgathaAkaahar) October 21, 2022 This incident happened in lafia, nasarawa state. A family retaliated in a qurel between there daughter and her friend and end up humiliating her They went to far She deserve justice pic.twitter.com/aYskHHW9W1 Sanchez (@Sanchezbig17) October 21, 2022 That man no deserve to be father in any way pic.twitter.com/jl8xDrFWgK Sanchez (@Sanchezbig17) October 21, 2022 Them still carry her go bush pic.twitter.com/4somgFGgsv Sanchez (@Sanchezbig17) October 21, 2022 Shes recovering But shes badly injured and dislocate her hand An orphan She need to do x-ray and proceed treatment Thank you everyone for your help so far pic.twitter.com/wttWyFbTfa Sanchez (@Sanchezbig17) October 22, 2022 ALSO READ: Daughters Gang Up Against Their Father As He Threatens To Beat Their Mother To Death [Video] According to Sun News, the authorities of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Wednesday set up a panel headed by Prof Ayodele V. Atsenuwa, a Professor of Public Law, Faculty of Law, who is also the incumbent Dean of the Faculty to try two senior lecturers involved in the sex-for-admission scandal. A statement signed and dated Wednesday, October 9 by the Principal Assistant Registrar (Communication Unit), Mrs. Taiwo Oloyede, said the panel would probe the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of the Department of European Languages and Integrated Studies, Faculty of Arts and Dr. Samuel Oladipo of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences as well as other related cases. The university management on Monday and Tuesday suspended and barred Dr Igbenehu and Dr Oladipo over alleged sex-for-admission video recording by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report in their offices. The BBC video which is still trending also captured some lecturers in Ghana university demanding sex from the undercover BBC reporter in exchange for admission. UNILAG in a statement said: As previously announced in the universitys press release dated Monday, October 7, 2019, Dr. Samuel Oladipo who was featured in the full version of the BBC broadcast, has been suspended from work with immediate effect and barred from the university academic areas until the conclusion of the panels assignment. The university wishes to inform the public that the panel set up to investigate another allegation of sexual harassment involving a professor in the university in June 2018 still subsists and awaits further information that will aid in concluding the investigation. Students and members of staff who have relevant information are encouraged to come forward. Their protection is assured. The university management reassured students, staff, alumni, parents, and guardians that the scandal will be tackled with every sense of responsibility, and the seriousness it deserves, noting that the process will be transparent and appropriate sanctions will be meted out to anyone found culpable. Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNILAG branch condemned in its strongest term all forms of unethical practices including sexual harassment amongst the members. ASUU UNILAG bulletin dated October 8 and signed by Dr. Dele Ashiru said: Our union demands that all allegations contained in the viral video be thoroughly investigated by the university administration and ensure that justice is done to all concerned. Our union wishes to appeal to its members to refrain from actions that are capable of putting the academia and indeed the Nigerian University System into disrepute. The union recalled that in 2018, the branch took the initiative to mount a campaign through leaflets and posters against sexual harassment and other unethical practices within the university. It urged members and the public to take advantage of the unions mechanism to report all cases of ethical and professional misdemeanour by any member for prompt and immediate action. Chelsea manager, Graham Potter, has revealed that Kepa Arrizabalagas impressive performance in goal for the Blues has made him my first choice goalkeeper. Potter has not selected Mendy since he replaced Thomas Tuchel. Kepa had initially lost his position to the Senegal international. However, Mendy got injured several matches into the 2022/2023 season and Kepa then got his chance. Read Also: Championship: QPR Boss Beale Confirms Balogun Will Face Cardiff City It is better to let football decide, Potter answered when asked the question regarding the two keepers and who is his first choice. Kepa has done really well. He has been supported fantastically by [Mendy] and [Marcus Bettinelli]. They provide good competition. Kepas form is really pleasing for everybody, especially him, so its nice we have competition in that area. Thats how you get players better. Style of play As a prospect and young player, Arrizabalaga was regarded as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Europe, known for his consistency, speed, agility, shot-stopping ability, and quick reflexes, which enables him to produce brilliant saves. Arrizabalaga was also known for his footwork, distribution, and skill with the ball at his feet, as well as his ability to rush off his line, which allowed him to act as a sweeper keeper and play the ball out of the back in Maurizio Sarris possession-based system that relied on a high back-line. Former goalkeeper Manuel Almunia praised Arrizabalaga in 2017 as a goalkeeper with good, strong feet and good movement, who was capable saving the ball with his feet, and also described him as a keeper who possessed presence and character, also adding: Im sure hell make a great keeper. In 2018, former Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Goikoetxea described Arrizabalaga as being good in the air, noting that he jumps and catches the ball very well, while Richard Fitzpatrick of Bleacher Report described him as being good at marshalling a defence. Copyright 2021 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com. REVE Secure Launches 2FA Solution at RSA Conference APAC https://www.revesecure.com/ http://www.revesecure.com/ Singapore, July 2, 2017REVE Secure, a vertical of the Singapore-based conglomerate REVE Group, will launch its 2FA solution for UNIX/Linux SSH security in the RSA Conference APAC 2017. In this conference, which will be held from 26 to 28 July 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore, REVE Secure will showcase its solution at Booth No: 21.Announcing the participation, REVE Group CEO M. Rezaul Hassan, said We are happy to launch our Two Factor Authentication solution at this information security event. The RSA Conference is an excellent platform as it will provide us an opportunity to meet companies & entrepreneurs who are seeking a robust UNIX/Linux SSH security.REVE Secure is dedicated to securing UNIX SSH and Linux servers of the enterprises by adding a strong second layer authentication to prevent all sorts of unauthorized intrusions.With malicious activities on the rise, it has become extremely important for the enterprises; small, medium or large scale, to secure their server and sensitive data against intrusions.2FA is a proven security solution that strengthens authentication and ensures no unauthorized access even if the password gets compromised. This security solution is a superior alternative to password-only verification approach of logging into a server or other online services.REVE Secure 2FA solution features include Secured User Authentication, Zero Fraudulent Logins, Dual Identity Check, and Fraudulent Login Restrictions.About RSA Conference APACRSA Conference APAC is the leading information security event, which attracts more than 50,000 attendees per year. The conference is hosted with the mission of connecting attendees with people and insights that will empower them to remain ahead of cyber threats. The RSA conference is a place where both participants & attendees can exchange ideas and learn the latest happenings in the cyber security domain.About the REVE SecureREVE Secure is a vertical of the REVE Group, the Singapore-based conglomerate. Specializing in the security domain, REVE Secure renders 2FA solution to the enterprises for securing UNIX/Linux SSH. It aims to protect users valuable digital assets from all types of security threats.For more information and media queries, please contact:Shamim HussainMarketing & Events ManagerE-Mail: shamim.hussain@revesecure.comCell: +6531633224Website:REVE Secure, one of the business verticals of the REVE Group, renders strong 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) security solution to the enterprises for protecting their UNIX/Linux servers against different types of malicious attacks and security breaches. Our Two-Factor Authentication security solution minimizes hacking risk, ensures the highest security level and enhances the user experience.REVE Secure 2FA is easy to enable on the enterprises UNIX/Linux servers and provides server remote access security. Our Two Factor Authentication is a proven solution and 100% reliable alternative to just password-only verification.Our Specialties2FA, Two Factor Authentication, Two Step Verification, Multi-Factor Authentication, Token Based Authentication, UNIX/Linux Server Security, SSH Security, and Cybersecurity.WebsiteDomainComputer & Network SecurityLocationSingaporeAshfaqul HaqueEmail: ashfaqul.haq@revesoft.comphonen: 1766316531REVE Group, Plot-94, Purbachal High Way Express, Dumni, Khilkhet Contraceptives Market Is Predicted To Reach USD 30.86 Billion By 2022: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/contraceptives-market http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/medical-devices www.grandviewresearch.com Global Contraceptives Market is expected to reach USD 30.86 million by 2022, according to a new study by Grand View Research Inc. Growing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV and the introduction of new products exhibiting improved efficacy are expected to drive the contraceptives market over the forecast period. The presence of high unmet contraceptive needs coupled with the implementation of favorable government policies is expected to significantly contribute towards the growth of the contraceptives industry.In 2014, contraceptives device was the largest product segment with revenue estimated at over USD 12.0 billion. Devices such as condoms and contraceptive sponges, which are relatively inexpensive and easy to use, are expected to spearhead market growth over the forecast period. Female condoms are also expected to gain penetration rates over the next seven years. Growing user awareness levels and improving product availability are two key factors expected to drive segment growth.Browse full research report on Global Contraceptives Market: (Further key findings from the study suggest: Condoms are identified as the most lucrative sub segment of the contraceptive devices market. Low prices and abundant product availability are two key factors expected to drive the condoms market over the forecast period. The fact that, condoms are effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies is also expected to boost usage rates. Intrauterine devices, especially hormonal IUDs are expected to experience attractive growth over the forecast period. Growing demand for Mirena, Jaydess and Skyla and the commercialization of Liletta is expected to further drive segment growth. The North American contraceptives market accounted for the largest revenue share in 2014. Presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, high user awareness levels and abundant product availability are key factors attributing to the regions market position. Latin America is expected to spearhead future market growth. Numerous government programs and free distribution of samples within the region are expected to help manufacturers capitalize on the available opportunities. Asia Pacific is also expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period owing to, rapidly rising population levels and the consequent rise in demand for contraception. Presence of government initiatives in countries such as India, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh aimed at slowing down population growth and prevalence of STDs are expected to promote market growth. Key players of the contraceptives market include Reckitt Benckiser Plc, Mayer Laboratories, Actavis Plc, Church & Dwight, Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., The Female Health Company and Teva Pharmaceuticals.Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research:For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the contraceptives market on the basis of products:Global Contraceptives Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Contraceptive Drugso Contraceptive Pillso Topicalo Injectables Contraceptive Deviceso Male Condomso Female Condomso Vaginal Implantso Subdermal Implantso Diaphragmso Spongeso IUDso Copper IUDo Hormonal IUDContraceptives Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germany Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Rest of Asia Pacific Latin Americao Brazilo Rest of Latin America Middle East and Africao South Africao Rest of Middle East and AfricaFor more information:About Grand View ResearchGrand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Press ContactSherry James - Corporate Relations Specialist28 2nd Street, Suite 3036San Francisco, CA 94105United StatesPhone: 1-415-349-0058Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Global Tire Vulcanizing Machine Market 2017 Hebert, Larsen & Toubro, McNeil & NRM, Alfred Herbert, Rogers Tire Vulcanizing Machine Market https://goo.gl/PnAw1p https://goo.gl/EbqV13 Global Tire Vulcanizing Machine Market 2016-2017A market study based on the " Tire Vulcanizing Machine Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Tire Vulcanizing Machine Market 2017. 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Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us:Business Worldwide,United States Global Laser Cutting Machines Market 2017 Bystronic, Mazak, Coherent, HG Laser, Unity Laser Laser Cutting Machines Market http://bit.ly/2gP5YFC http://bit.ly/2uOYwAq Global Laser Cutting Machines Market 2016-2017A market study based on the " Laser Cutting Machines Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Laser Cutting Machines Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as the present performance of the worldwide Laser Cutting Machines industry and makes predictions on the future status of Laser Cutting Machines market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report1. Trumpf2. Han'S Laser3. Bystronic4. Mazak5. Amada6. Coherent7. Prima Power8. Mitsubishi Electric9. HG Laser10. Koike11. DMG MORI12. Tianqi Laser13. Unity Laser14. LVD15. CincinnatiThe report studies the industry for Laser Cutting Machines across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Laser Cutting Machines market & dynamics of demand and supply of Laser Cutting Machines into consideration. The ' Laser Cutting Machines ' research study covers each and every aspect of the Laser Cutting Machines market globally, which starts from the definition of the Laser Cutting Machines industry and develops towards Laser Cutting Machines market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Laser Cutting Machines market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Laser Cutting Machines market. 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The Cocoa Powder market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Cocoa Powder report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.Global Cocoa Powder MarketAt an initial stage, the report offers the Cocoa Powder market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Cocoa Powder market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Cocoa Powder Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Cocoa Powder Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Cocoa Powder market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Cocoa Powder Market Breakdown:Global Cocoa Powder Market Study Based On Key Players:ADMCargillBungeBarry CallebautPlot GhanaDutch CocoaCocoa Processing Company LimitedIndcresaBlommerJB Foods LimitedGlobal Cocoa Powder Market Study Based On Product Applications:ChocolateBeverageDessertsGlobal Cocoa Powder Market Study Based On Product Types:Natural Cocoa PowderDutch-processed Cocoa PowderGlobal Cocoa Powder Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Cocoa Powder Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Cocoa Powder market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Cocoa Powder market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Cocoa Powder market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Cocoa Powder market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Cocoa Powder market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Cocoa Powder market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Cocoa Powder market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Cocoa Powder market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Cocoa Powder Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industryAbout Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact Us:James JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Sulfocsuccinate Market 2017:2022- KAO Corporation, Evonik Industries, Clariant and BASF Global Sulfocsuccinate Market https://goo.gl/WRpKej https://goo.gl/BQ8cG3 https://goo.gl/JGLiGy https://market.biz/ http://perfectanalyst.com/ The main objective of the report titled Global Sulfocsuccinate Market is to give a complete idea of the Sulfocsuccinate market for the duration of 2017-2022. The Sulfocsuccinate report focuses on market overview, market growth factors, market segmentation, regional analysis and competitive players involved in Sulfocsuccinate market.Global Sulfocsuccinate market report provides qualitative and quantitative knowledge about Sulfocsuccinate industry. The Sulfocsuccinate report also provides various evaluation tools, the current market scenario and the outlooks for future. The Sulfocsuccinate report gives the brief details about challenges the competitors would face and opportunities they will get in Sulfocsuccinate market. The aforementioned research report covers Sulfocsuccinate market segments based on product application, product type, potential users and key areas.Enquire for the sample report here:The Sulfocsuccinate market report targets North America Sulfocsuccinate market(Canada, USA and Mexico), Sulfocsuccinate market in Europe (Germany, Italy, Russia and UK), Asia-Pacific Sulfocsuccinate Market (China, India, Japan, South-east Asia and Korea), Latin America Sulfocsuccinate market (Middle and Africa).Key features of the Global Sulfocsuccinate Market report:*In-depth Sulfocsuccinate market segmentation*Detailed audit of parent Sulfocsuccinate market*Sulfocsuccinate market Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and expense*Approach of key manufacturers and products offered*Recent Sulfocsuccinate market trends and advancements*An impartial outlook on Sulfocsuccinate market performanceSegmentation of Global Sulfocsuccinate Market:This Sulfocsuccinate report determines the Sulfocsuccinate Market by the following segments:Analysis of Sulfocsuccinate Market based on Key Players:SolvayDowBASFEvonik IndustriesClariantKAO CorporationEOCStepanLubrizol.Analysis of Sulfocsuccinate Market based on Types:Mono-ester SulfosuccinateDi-ester SulfosuccinateAnalysis of Sulfocsuccinate Market based on Applications:PolymerCoatings & InksAdhesivesHousehold DetergentPersonal Care ProductsPurchase the entire report here:The Sulfocsuccinate report consists of 15 clauses that serve the Sulfocsuccinate market globally:Clause 1, describes the global Sulfocsuccinate market introduction, market overview, product image, market opportunities, market summary, market risk, development scope, global Sulfocsuccinate market presence;Clause 2 and 3 studies the key Sulfocsuccinate market competitors, their sales volume, market profits and price of Sulfocsuccinate in 2016 and 2017;Clause 4,5 and 6, introduces the global Sulfocsuccinate market by regions, with sales, market revenue, and share of Sulfocsuccinate market for each region from 2017 to 2022;Clause 7, conducts the region-wise study of the global Sulfocsuccinate market based on the sales ratio in each region and market share from 2012 to 2017;Clause 8 displays the market by type and application, with sales global Sulfocsuccinate market share and growth rate by application, type, from 2012 to 2017;Clause 9 and 10 describes the global Sulfocsuccinate market prediction, by regions, application, and type with global Sulfocsuccinate market revenue and sales, from 2017 to 2022.Clause 11, 12 and 13 present the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and global Sulfocsuccinate market share in 2016 and 2017;Clause 14 and 15gives the specifics about Sulfocsuccinate sales channel, distributors, dealers, traders, Research Findings and Results, addendum and data source;Lastly, this global Sulfocsuccinate market research report gives sensitive information on current and future Sulfocsuccinate market movements, organizational needs and industrial innovations.Browse more category related reports here:About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Growing Adoption of Industrial IoT to drive Global Industrial Cleaning Robot Market Global Industrial Cleaning Robot Market - Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022 http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/industrial-cleaning-robot-market-report/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/contactus/request-sample/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/robotic-vacuum-cleaner-market-research/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-agriculture-market/robotic-lawn-mower-market-research-report-2022/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/news/press-releases/growing-adoption-industrial-iot-drive-global-industrial-cleaning-robot-market/ Increasing application of IoT in industries worldwide is likely to affect the sale of industrial cleaning robots in a positive manner, and the market is expected to witness high demand for industrial robots during the period 20162022A recent report on Global Industrial Cleaning Robot Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022, states that the industrial cleaning robot market is going to witness unit shipment of more than 34,260 units during the forecast period. The exclusive report, which is published by premier research firm, Beige Market Intelligence, consists of 121 pages and provides detailed insights about the global industrial cleaning robot market.View Report: Global Industrial Cleaning Robot Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022Industrial cleaning robot is an extension of IoT applications in industries.These robots make work simple and convenient in hazardous environments where human lives are at risk to injuries and accidents. In addition, deployment of these robots saves time, as well as, money for manufacturers. Thus, the growing application of IoT in industries worldwide is going to have a positive effect on the sale of industrial cleaning robot during the forecast period.Increasing Investment in Industrial IoT by VendorsWith rising internet penetration globally, the world has been witnessing a rising penetration of industrial IoT (Internet of Things) in various industries, and various vendors are exploring ways of using IoT to streamline manufacturing processes and SPM (supply chain management) as well as to deliver more personalized customer experience. Analysts at Beige Market Intelligence say that Industries worldwide are increasing their spending on industrial IoT. Hence the increased investment in the Industrial IoT market will also boost the global industrial cleaning robot market.Shortage of Industrial Workers to affect Industrial Cleaning Robot Market GrowthLabor-intensive industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and chemicals have been witnessing an increasing dearth of skilled workforce in developed countries. As these industries face acute labor shortage, industrial robots are finding their way to fill the gap. The autonomous nature of robots gives them a superior edge over humans as they can work without human intervention 24x7. Further, manual labor services such as cleaning can be performed efficiently by industrial cleaning robot as it can reach places where humans cannot (for example, inside a pipe or duct system).Moreover, increased industrial automation in developed countries has paved the way for these cleaning robots to find their application in mainstream processes, as well as, complementary processes such as high-pressure washing of industrial equipment. Thus, the demand for industrial cleaning robot is increasing in this sector as they help industries achieve high work utilization through the optimum usage and application of these robots.The report offers a detailed study of major driving factors, emerging trends, market analysis, and profiles the leading vendors. It also include major geographies and key countries of the global industrial cleaning robot market.For Free Sample, Click Here:If you need a market research report on any specific country or geography, please contact cs@beigemarketintelligence.com with your requirement. Our research and analyst team will be glad to create a customized report according to your requirement.Browse Related ReportGlobal Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022Global Robotic Lawn Mower Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2017-2022Source:About Beige Market IntelligenceBeige Market Intelligence provides competitive and insightful business intelligence across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the analysis provided is comprehensive, detailed, and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations to make insightful decisions and devise marketing strategies for their businesses. The actionable insights delivered through our market research provide a comprehensive market analysis at every level of market segmentation in the industry.Our team of experts ensure the analysis is not just analyzed and presented but also can be customized depending upon the clients requirement. When it comes to competitive intelligence, we ensure our clients do not look beyond us.Our employment base is spread across the globe. Our analysts come with numerous quality reports and wide industry experience, which ensures understanding of the client's requirement and delivering high-quality research reports.Beige Market IntelligenceBTM, Bangalore-560076Mail: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473 Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market 2017: Fushilai Pharmaceutical, Shyndec, Taike Biological and Haoxiang Bio Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market https://goo.gl/VZh4F4 https://goo.gl/XasnJ2 https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.At an initial stage, the report offers the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Breakdown:Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Study Based On Key Players:ShyndecFushilai PharmaceuticalMaidesenTaike BiologicalDKY TechnologyHaoxiang BioInfa GroupGlobal Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Study Based On Product Applications:Health Care ProductsSlimming ProductsGlobal Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Study Based On Product Types:Type 1Type 2Type 3Global Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid) Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industry.About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market 2017: DTI, IPU, FESTO, Parker and DUPLOMATIC Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market https://goo.gl/AicNvv https://goo.gl/A1YeGU https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.At an initial stage, the report offers the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Breakdown:Global Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Study Based On Key Players:HOERBIGERFESTOIPUDTIDUPLOMATICParkerGlobal Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Study Based On Product Applications:IndustrialPharmaceutical medicalBiotechnology environmentsGlobal Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Study Based On Product Types:0-2.0 bar0-5.0 bar0-8.0 bar0-10.0 barGlobal Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Piezoelectric Proportional Valve market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Piezoelectric Proportional Valve Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industry.About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Automotive Gear Shifter Market 2017: Chongqing Downwind, Ningbo Gaofa, Tokai Rikaand SL Corporation Global Automotive Gear Shifter Market https://goo.gl/RrnMCM https://goo.gl/p886vL https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Automotive Gear Shifter research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The Automotive Gear Shifter market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Automotive Gear Shifter report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.At an initial stage, the report offers the Automotive Gear Shifter market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Automotive Gear Shifter market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Automotive Gear Shifter Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Automotive Gear Shifter Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Automotive Gear Shifter market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Automotive Gear Shifter Market Breakdown:Global Automotive Gear Shifter Market Study Based On Key Players:KongsbergZFGHSPSL CorporationSilaFicosaFuji KikoKostalDURATokai RikaNingbo GaofaChongqing DownwindNanjing AolinGlobal Automotive Gear Shifter Market Study Based On Product Applications:Passenger VehicleCommercial VehicleGlobal Automotive Gear Shifter Market Study Based On Product Types:Manual modeAutomatic modeGlobal Automotive Gear Shifter Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Automotive Gear Shifter Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Automotive Gear Shifter market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Automotive Gear Shifter market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Automotive Gear Shifter market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Automotive Gear Shifter market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Automotive Gear Shifter market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Automotive Gear Shifter market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Automotive Gear Shifter market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Automotive Gear Shifter market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Automotive Gear Shifter Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industry.About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Dimethylamine Market 2017- Feicheng Acid Chemical, Haohua-Junhua Group, Nanjing Qinzuofu Chemical And Jiangshan Chemical Global Dimethylamine Market https://goo.gl/JnEv1t https://goo.gl/YFnMPq https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Dimethylamine research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The Dimethylamine market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Dimethylamine report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.At an initial stage, the report offers the Dimethylamine market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Dimethylamine market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Dimethylamine Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Dimethylamine Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Dimethylamine market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Dimethylamine Market Breakdown:Global Dimethylamine Market Study Based On Key Players:Eastman ChemicalBasfCelaneseMITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL COMPANYBalaji AminesAlkyl Amines ChemicalsHualu HengshengJiangshan ChemicalSuqian Xinya TechnologyFeicheng Acid ChemicalHaohua-Junhua GroupNanjing Qinzuofu ChemicalGlobal Dimethylamine Market Study Based On Product Applications:AgricultureChemicalsPharmaceuticalsGlobal Dimethylamine Market Study Based On Product Types:Anhydrous40% Solution50% Solution60% SolutionGlobal Dimethylamine Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Dimethylamine Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Dimethylamine market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Dimethylamine market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Dimethylamine market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Dimethylamine market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Dimethylamine market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Dimethylamine market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Dimethylamine market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Dimethylamine market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Dimethylamine Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industry.About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Acute Myeloid Leukemia Therapeutics Market Share, Analysis and Segments 2017-2021 http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Acute-Myeloid-Leukemia-Therapeutics-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2017-2021/up96 http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Acute-Myeloid-Leukemia-Therapeutics-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2017-2021/upcomingdetail96 www.sa-brc.com Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of blood cells and involves proliferation of abnormal blood cell types and subsequent replacement of bone marrow with cancerous cells. Major leukemia types include myeloblastic, promyeloctic, myelomonocytic, monocytic, erythroleukemia, megakaryocytic. Treatment of leukemia mainly depends on the type of leukemia and stage.Acute myeloid leukemia therapeutics market is rich with branded as well as generic drugs classified under various classes including antineoplastic agents, corticosteroids, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and others. Cerubidine (daunorubicin), Adriamycin (doxorubicin), Idamycin (idarubicin) and Cytosar (cytarabine) are currently approved drugs in the acute myeloid leukemia market. Clenegen has a strong pipeline for acute mueloid leukemia. CC-486 is currently in phase 3, durvalumaba is currently in phase 2 trials for treatment of acute mueloid leukemia. ImmunoGen, Inc. is also conducting phase 1 trials for IMGN779. Seattle Genetics? SGN-CD33A is also in phase 3 trials for treatment of AML. In 2016, Jazz Pharmaceutical announced initiation of NDA submission for Vyxeos (cytarabine and daunorubicin liposome injection) or CPX-351. The drug was granted breakthrough designation in 2016 for treatment of adults with AML. Vyxeos was also granted orphan drug status by the U.S. FDA and the European Commission for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. With these new additions, the acute myeloid leukemia market would grow rapidly in the future.Request Free Report Sample@According to statistics published by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), more than 60,000 were expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, of which over 24,000 would die due to the cancer. Cancer Research U.K. estimates more than 9,000 new cases of leukemia in U.K., which accounts for 3% of all cancer cases. The institute also states that the incidence rate has increased by 15% since the early 1990s. The cancer is more prevalent in elderly as compared to young age. Hence with global aging population, it is expected that the prevalence would increase considerably in the future. This would directly result in increased need of therapeutic drugs, potentially driving the acute myeloid leukemia therapeutics market.Advancing medical technology with deeper insights to cancer genomics has led to cognizance of key biomarkers that play important role in cancer development and progression. With this understanding, scientists have been able to develop targeted therapy that has revolutionized acute myeloid leukemia therapeutics market. These tests guide in selecting most appropriate therapeutic regimen.Key players in the acute myeloid leukemia therapeutics market include GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, Novartis International AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Biogen Idec, Pfizer Inc. and others.Request For TOC@NOTE: This report is currently under research and will be made available to clients on request.About UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn WhitmoreOffice No. 14,Hermes Kunj, Mangaldas Road,Pune, 411001IndiaPhone: +91-02041210872Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite: Global Seat Covers Market 2017- Aerofoam Industries (U.S.A.), Aircraft Industries a.s (Czech Republic), Avianor Inc.?(Canada) https://goo.gl/9dh7in http://qyresearch.us/report/global-seat-covers-market-2017/42831/ http://qyresearch.us/ http://xbox360asylum.ca/ http://askthereporter24.com/ The Global Seat Covers Market 2017 Research Report includes a complete and meticulous study of Seat Covers industry covering different aspects like market volume, market Share, market strategies, Seat Covers growth trends, variety of applications, utilization volume, demand and supply analysis, production capacity and Seat Covers industry cost structures during Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.The report titled Global Seat Covers Market 2017 provides the comprehensive study of Seat Covers market on a global scale, focusing on current as well as past details of Seat Covers market. The competitive view of the Seat Covers industry with respect to the industry competitors is also covered in this document. The company details of leading players like their profile information, revenue segmentation, business strategies followed by them and their contribution to the global Seat Covers market share are mentioned.Request Here For Sample Report:Comparative Analysis of Seat Covers Market According to the Key Vendors:1 Aerofoam Industries (U.S.A.)2 Aircraft Industries a.s (Czech Republic)3 Avianor Inc.?(Canada)4 FELLFAB Limited (Canada)5 Hypercoat Enterprises Pte. Ltd (Singapore)6 Interface Aviation Inc (U.S.A.)7 Lantal Textiles AG (Switzerland)8 LHColus Technology (Brazil)9 PMV Industrie (France)10 Coverking11 FIA12 Ford13 Rugged Ridge14 Pilot Automotive15 Honda16 Smittybilt17 Bosch18 Covercraft Industries19 G.A.H.H20 FUPH POK-POL21 Supreme Seat Covers22 Carbi Deco Leather Industry Sdn BhdThe Seat Covers report is organized into various sections based on different geographical regions and industry standards. The report mainly sheds light on leading players in the regions like (United States, EU, China, and Japan). Other regions can be added as per the requirement.Distinct aspects of the Seat Covers industry like supply chain analysis, Seat Covers industry rules and policies, factors that enhance the growth of Seat Covers industry along with the limiting factors that restrict the growth of the industry are covered in depth. Furtherly, the Seat Covers report elaborates product details starting with product definition, cost, product images, the cost structure, import/export information.Purchase Entire Report Here (To Get Instant Access):Various analytical are employed to analyze the market attractiveness, investment feasibility and investment return with respect to Global Seat Covers Market 2017.Apart from providing a complete picture of the overall Seat Covers market conditions the report also helps the industry players to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.QY Market Research is the terminal where all industrial, commercial and profitmaking venture will get the best research reports of the market in all sectors like automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, food and beverages etc.We provide you the important and necessary information to identify and analyze the need of market and the market size.Read More-News Network:-S no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Telephone Numbers:+1(857)2390696+91 9130855334Email ID: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest Market News- Global Self-Injection Devices Market 2017- Antares Pharma, Pfizer Inc, Penjet Corporation, 3M Company https://goo.gl/DPhBhf http://qyresearch.us/report/global-self-injection-devices-market-2017/42835/ http://qyresearch.us/ http://xbox360asylum.ca/ http://askthereporter24.com/ The Global Self-Injection Devices Market 2017 Research Report includes a complete and meticulous study of Self-Injection Devices industry covering different aspects like market volume, market Share, market strategies, Self-Injection Devices growth trends, variety of applications, utilization volume, demand and supply analysis, production capacity and Self-Injection Devices industry cost structures during Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.The report titled Global Self-Injection Devices Market 2017 provides the comprehensive study of Self-Injection Devices market on a global scale, focusing on current as well as past details of Self-Injection Devices market. The competitive view of the Self-Injection Devices industry with respect to the industry competitors is also covered in this document. The company details of leading players like their profile information, revenue segmentation, business strategies followed by them and their contribution to the global Self-Injection Devices market share are mentioned.Request Here For Sample Report:Comparative Analysis of Self-Injection Devices Market According to the Key Vendors:1 Antares Pharma2 Pfizer Inc.3 Penjet Corporation4 3M Company5 Abbvie, Inc.6 PharmaJet7 Baxter International Inc.8 Becton Dickinson & Company9 Terumo CorporationThe Self-Injection Devices report is organized into various sections based on different geographical regions and industry standards. The report mainly sheds light on leading players in the regions like (United States, EU, China, and Japan). Other regions can be added as per the requirement.Distinct aspects of the Self-Injection Devices industry like supply chain analysis, Self-Injection Devices industry rules and policies, factors that enhance the growth of Self-Injection Devices industry along with the limiting factors that restrict the growth of the industry are covered in depth. 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The competitive view of the Self-Lubricating Bearings industry with respect to the industry competitors is also covered in this document. The company details of leading players like their profile information, revenue segmentation, business strategies followed by them and their contribution to the global Self-Lubricating Bearings market share are mentioned.Request Here For Sample Report:Comparative Analysis of Self-Lubricating Bearings Market According to the Key Vendors:1 GE(US)2 Pratt & Whitney(US)3 Rockwell(US)4 KHI(Japan)5 Safran(French)6 Avio Aero(Italy)7 IHI Corporation(Japan)8 AST Bearings LLC(US)9 Thomson(US)10 NTN(Japan)11 NSK(Japan)12 Schaeffler(Germany)13 SKF(Sweden)14 ILJIN(Korea)15 JTEKT(Japan)16 TIMKEN(USA)17 GMB Corporation(Japan)18 Koyo19 INAThe Self-Lubricating Bearings report is organized into various sections based on different geographical regions and industry standards. The report mainly sheds light on leading players in the regions like (United States, EU, China, and Japan). Other regions can be added as per the requirement.Distinct aspects of the Self-Lubricating Bearings industry like supply chain analysis, Self-Lubricating Bearings industry rules and policies, factors that enhance the growth of Self-Lubricating Bearings industry along with the limiting factors that restrict the growth of the industry are covered in depth. Furtherly, the Self-Lubricating Bearings report elaborates product details starting with product definition, cost, product images, the cost structure, import/export information.Purchase Entire Report Here (To Get Instant Access):Various analytical are employed to analyze the market attractiveness, investment feasibility and investment return with respect to Global Self-Lubricating Bearings Market 2017.Apart from providing a complete picture of the overall Self-Lubricating Bearings market conditions the report also helps the industry players to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.QY Market Research is the terminal where all industrial, commercial and profitmaking venture will get the best research reports of the market in all sectors like automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, food and beverages etc.We provide you the important and necessary information to identify and analyze the need of market and the market size.Read More-News Network:-S no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Telephone Numbers:+1(857)2390696+91 9130855334Email ID: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest Market News- Global Metallic Cable Market 2017 Industry Key Players, Share, Trend, Applications, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022 Metallic Cable Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1630005-global-metallic-cable-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1630005-global-metallic-cable-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1630005 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars www.wiseguyreports.com Global Metallic Cable Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Metallic Cable Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Executive Summary:In this report, the global Metallic Cable 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Metallic Cable for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest Sample Report Here @...Global Metallic Cable market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Metallic Cable sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingPrysmian GroupHellermannTytonMarechal ElectricHalexAtkore InternationalMolexFUJI TECOM...On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFlexible Metallic CableOthersOn 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 Metallic Cable for each application, includingPowerCommunicationOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Enquiry Before Buying @Some Major Points from Table of Content:Table of ContentsGlobal Metallic Cable Sales Market Report 20171 Metallic Cable Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Metallic Cable1.2 Classification of Metallic Cable by Product Category1.2.1 Global Metallic Cable Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Metallic Cable Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Flexible Metallic Cable1.2.4 Others1.3 Global Metallic Cable Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Metallic Cable Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Power1.3.3 Communication1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Metallic Cable Market by Region1.4.1 Global Metallic Cable Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Metallic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Metallic Cable (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Metallic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Metallic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Metallic Cable Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Metallic Cable Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Metallic Cable Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Metallic Cable Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Metallic Cable (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Metallic Cable Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Metallic Cable Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Metallic Cable (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Metallic Cable Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Metallic Cable Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4 Global Metallic Cable (Volume) by Application3 United States Metallic Cable (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Metallic Cable Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Metallic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Metallic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Metallic Cable Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China Metallic Cable (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Metallic Cable Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Metallic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Metallic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Metallic Cable Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 Europe Metallic Cable (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Metallic Cable Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe Metallic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe Metallic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe Metallic Cable Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Players5.3 Europe Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Application6 Japan Metallic Cable (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan Metallic Cable Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Japan Metallic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Japan Metallic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.3 Japan Metallic Cable Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)6.2 Japan Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Players6.3 Japan Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by Type6.4 Japan Metallic Cable Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Metallic CableFigure Global Metallic Cable Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Metallic Cable Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Flexible Metallic Cable Product PictureFigure Others Product PictureFigure Global Metallic Cable Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Metallic Cable by Application in 2016Figure Power ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in PowerFigure Communication ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in CommunicationFigure Others ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in OthersFigure Global Metallic Cable Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Metallic Cable Sales Volume (K Units) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Market Major Players Metallic Cable Sales Volume (K Units) (2012-2017)Table Global Metallic Cable Sales (K Units) of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Table Global Metallic Cable Sales Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Figure 2016 Metallic Cable Sales Share by Players/SuppliersFigure 2017 Metallic Cable Sales Share by Players/SuppliersFigure Global Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Table Global Metallic Cable Revenue (Million USD) by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Table Global Metallic Cable Revenue Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Table 2016 Global Metallic Cable Revenue Share by PlayersTable 2017 Global Metallic Cable Revenue Share by PlayersTable Global Metallic Cable Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)Table Global Metallic Cable Sales Share (K Units) by Type (2012-2017)CONTINUEDPurchase 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 :More about WiseGuyReports:Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)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. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD.Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune 411028Maharashtra, India Business Process Management (BPM) 2017 Global Key Players - Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Biz Talk Server, IBM Corporation, Software AG, Fujitsu, Capgemini 2022 Market Analysis, Demand And Forecast Business Process Management (BPM) https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/960004-business-process-management-bpm-global-market-outlook-2016-2022 www.wiseguyreports.com https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars The Global Business Process Management (BPM) Market Research Report provides detailed analysis of the key regional market status of the Business Process Management (BPM) Industry.According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Business Process Management (BPM) market is accounted for $5.51 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $17.96 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 18.4%. The factors that are fueling the market growth include increasing business dexterity, cost efficiency and return on investment from BPM suites. Whereas factors such as impedance to BPM solutions from IT staff, delusion about BPM solutions among end-users and perception of BPM as an IT matter are hindering the market growth.North America is estimated to be the largest market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The US is undeniably the worlds biggest market for BPM. Until 2010 North America accounted for more than half of the global BPM market by revenue. The top 3 BPM software vendors, Pega, IBM and Oracle, are headquartered in the United States. With a suite of products that perk up every year, IBM is the global leader in the business process management market. Organizations are starting their digital transformation, which means a shift towards using an intelligent business process management suite (iBPMS) by rethinking their business models and processes to tackle customer expectations.Some of the key players in global market includeOracle Corporation, Microsoft Biz Talk Server, IBM Corporation, Software AG, Fujitsu, Capgemini, Global 360, Opentext, Inc., Appian Corporation, Adobe, BP Logix, Inc., SAP, Pegasystems, Inc., Fabasoft, Hewlett Packard, Red Hat, Inc. and Tibco Software.Sample Copy @Organization Size Covered: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) Large EnterpriseDeployment Types Covered: Cloud On-PremisesSolutions Covered: Automation Content and Document Management Integration Monitoring and Optimization Process Modelling Other SolutionsServices Covered: System Integration Training and EducationBusiness Functions Covered: Accounting and Finance Human Resources Manufacturing Operations and Support Sales and Marketing Supply Chain Management Other Business FunctionsVerticals Covered: Defense and Government Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) IT and Telecom Healthcare Retail Manufacturing Transportation and Logistics Automotive Other VerticalsRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsMajor Points in Table Of Content2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Product Analysis3.7 End User Analysis3.8 Emerging Markets3.9 Futuristic Market Scenario13 Company Profiling13.1 Oracle Corporation13.2 Microsoft Biz Talk Server13.3 IBM Corporation13.4 Software AG13.5 Fujitsu13.6 Capgemini13.7 Global 36013.8 Opentext, Inc.13.9 Appian Corporation13.10 Adobe13.11 BP Logix, Inc.13.12 SAP13.13 Pegasystems, Inc.13.14 Fabasoft13.15 Hewlett Packard13.16 Red Hat, Inc.13.17 Tibco Software...CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)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. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Pune, India Online Recruitment Global Market : key Vendors, Trends, Analysis, Segmentation, Forecast to 2017-2022 Online Recruitment Industry https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1628729-global-north-america-europe-and-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1628729-global-north-america-europe-and-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars Press Release: Pune, India- 24th July , 2017Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Online Recruitment Market 2017 Forecast to 2022Description:This report studies the Online Recruitment market, Online Recruitment is through the use of IT technical in network systems, help enterprises to complete the recruitment process, through the third party recruitment website or online recruitment services, to complete the process of recruitment by using established database or search engine tools, mainly in the recruitment website, mainly in the recruitment website.For Sample Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Online Recruitment 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 coversLinkedInCareerBuilderMonsterSEEKZhilian51jobNaukriStepStoneDice HoldingsGlassdoorSimplyHiredTopUSAJobs104 Job BankOthersMarket 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, coversPermanent online recruitmentPart Time online recruitmentMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoSecretarial/ClericalAccounting/ FinancialComputingTechnical/EngineeringProfessional/ManagerialNursing/Medical/CareHotel/CateringSales/MarketingOther Industrial/Blue CollarConstructionDriversOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Online Recruitment market.Chapter 1, to describe Online Recruitment Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Online Recruitment, with sales, revenue, and price of Online Recruitment, 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 Online Recruitment, 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, Online Recruitment market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Online Recruitment sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceFor any Enquiry write us @Table of Content1 Market Overview1.1 Online Recruitment Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Permanent online recruitment1.2.2 Part Time online recruitment1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Secretarial/Clerical1.3.2 Accounting/ Financial1.3.3 Computing1.3.4 Technical/Engineering1.3.5 Professional/Managerial1.3.6 Nursing/Medical/Care1.3.1 Hotel/Catering1.3.2 Sales/Marketing1.3.3 Other Industrial/Blue Collar1.3.4 Construction1.3.5 Drivers1.3.6 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 Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 LinkedIn2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Online Recruitment Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 LinkedIn Online Recruitment Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 CareerBuilder2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Online Recruitment Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 CareerBuilder Online Recruitment Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Monster2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Online Recruitment Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Monster Online Recruitment Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 SEEK2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Online Recruitment Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 SEEK Online Recruitment Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Zhilian2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Online Recruitment Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Zhilian Online Recruitment Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)ContinuedFor 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, research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every category and an even more comprehensive collection of research reports under these categories and sub-categoriesOffice No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028 Maharashtra, India Pet Accessories Global Market Trends 2017-2022 Ancol Pet Products, Beaphar, Ferplast, Hartz Mountain Pet Accessories Market http://bit.ly/2eItIuh http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-pet-accessories-market-2017-demand-insights-key-palyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/ Pet Accessories Market Research ReportA market study based on the " Pet Accessories Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Pet Accessories Market 2017. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA Woodworking Tools Market Global Research 2017 - Gearwrench, Busch, Klein Tools, Stihl, Hitachi Woodworking Tools http://bit.ly/2tE0jIH http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-woodworking-tools-market-2017-demand-insights-key-palyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 Woodworking Tools Market Research 2017A market study Global Woodworking Tools Market examines the performance of the Woodworking Tools market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Woodworking Tools market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA Electric Control Cabinet Market Global Research 2017 - Delvalle, Ebara Densan, Electroalfa, Rittal Electric Control Cabinet http://bit.ly/2uQG5Lt http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-electric-control-cabinet-market-2017-demand-insights-key-palyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 Electric Control Cabinet Market Research 2017A market study Global Electric Control Cabinet Market examines the performance of the Electric Control Cabinet market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electric Control Cabinet market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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Sunl East TechnologyElectric Control Cabinet Market : By Application Information Measurement Communications ControlElectric Control Cabinet Market : By Type Inverter Electric Control Cabinet PLC Electric Control Cabinet Low-voltage control cabinet Pump Electric Control CabinetFirstly, the report covers the top Electric Control Cabinet manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Electric Control Cabinet report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electric Control Cabinet industry, Electric Control Cabinet industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA Global Population Health Management Market is Expected to Hit USD 87 Billion by 2022 https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=140064 https://researchnreports.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=140064 www.researchnreports.com Global Population Health Management Market Analysis, Size, Challenges, Opportunities And Forecast 2017 - 2022 Purchase This Report by calling ResearchnReports.com at +1-888-631-6977.The report on Population Health Management market is a source of expansive ideas, statistical data, and detailed information, which has the potency to ensure profit of an enterprises. It gives a basic overview of the industry which includes definition, applications, classifications, and industry chain structure. Extensive development plans and policies are discussed meticulously. There also exists a cost study and manufacturing structures with perfect explanation. The import/export, consumption and supply figures are also included in the report.Analysis tools such as SWOT analysis and Porters five force model have been inculcated in order to present a perfect in-depth knowledge about Population Health Management Market. Ample graphs, tables, charts are added to help have an accurate understanding of this market. The Population Health Management market is also been analyzed in terms of value chain analysis and regulatory analysis.Inquire for sample at:Based on component, the Population Health Management market is categorized into software and services. The software segment is expected to command the largest share of the global population health management market in 2017. Population Health Management Market includes web-based and cloud-based solutions. The advantage of these solutions is that the service provider maintains and upgrades the software and eliminates the buyers responsibility of server support and maintenance, which enables the buyer to focus on their core business.Leading companies operating in the Global Population Health Management market profiled in this report are- Cerner Corporation (U.S.), McKesson Corporation (U.S.), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (U.S.), Healthagen, LLC. (U.S.), OptumHealth (U.S.), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Epic Corporation, Inc. (U.S.), Conifer Health Solutions, LLC (U.S.), Health Catalyst, LLC (U.S.), .The regions North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America have been studied in depth to gain better market penetration and assure exact analysis. Top manufacturers have been given prime importance to make sure their strategies are understood and their position in this particular market can be elucidated.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview6 Industry Trends7 Population Health Management Market, By Technology8 Geographic Analysis9 Competitive Landscape10 Company Profiles11 Research Findings and Conclusion12 AppendixInquiry for Buying This Report at:What this report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact:(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com , We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. United States Street Sweeper Market by Manufacturers, States, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/united-states-street-sweeper-market-by-manufacturers-states-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=39926 ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title United States Street Sweeper Market by Manufacturers, States, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Street sweeper is designed to sweep roads and control pollution. It is widely used in urban roads, construction plants, airports and seaports. It can be used indoor or outdoor, wet or dry. 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With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994 United States PV Glass Market by manufacturers illuminated and overview analysis by new report https://goo.gl/oFXERS https://goo.gl/jfQzHm https://goo.gl/P4Npbb United States PV Glass Market Report 2017 Purchase This Report by calling ResearchnReports.com at +1-888-631-6977.The report on the United States PV Glass market is a complete overview of the market, covering various aspects product definition, segmentation based on various parameters, and the prevailing vendor landscape. It compiles in-depth information and research methodologies. 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It studies the PV Glass markets trajectory between forecast periods.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions:, The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest, with sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of PV Glass in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).United States PV Glass market competition by top manufacturers/players, with PV Glass sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including Saint-Gobain, NSG, AGC, Guardian, PPG, Interfloat, Trakya, Taiwan, Xinyi, FLAT, Almaden, AVIC Sanxin, CSG, Ancai Hi-Tech, Yaohua PilKington, Topray Solar, Xiuqiang, Huamei, Yuhua, Irico Group.For More information/Ask for Discount:Key questions answered in the report include:What will the market measure and the development rate be in 2022?What are the key elements driving the worldwide Market?What are the key market patterns affecting the development of the worldwide Market?What are the difficulties to market development?Who are the key sellers in the worldwide PV Glass showcase?A competitive analysis of this United States market has also been presented, wherein key market players have been thoroughly reviewed to determine the markets grading. The major players upgrading the United States PV Glass market for the growth of consumers is mentioned in this study. This research report gives a clear image of the United States PV Glass market to the customers so that it can help them understand this market.For more information/ Ask your queriesTable of contents:-PV Glass Overview-United States PV Glass Market Competition by Players/Suppliers-United States PV Glass Sales (Volume) by Application (2012-2017)-United States PV Glass Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data-PV Glass Manufacturing Cost Analysis-Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders-Market Effect Factors Analysis-Research Findings and ConclusionAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat United States competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact us:Mr. Sunny DenisContact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(ResearchnReports)10916, Gold Point, Dr, Houston, TX,Pin - 77064.Email:sales@researchnreports.comPhone:+1 888-631-6977 Global WBG Power Devices Market 2017 Industry Research Report Global WBG Power Devices Market 2017 Industry Research Report https://www.qyresearcheurope.com/ http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ The global WBG Power Devices market is valued at USD 253.6 million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 1428.2 million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of 33.38% between 2016 and 2022.The WBG Power Devices 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the WBG Power Devices.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The WBG Power Devices 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 WBG Power Devices 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.The major players in global WBG Power Devices market includeInfineonRohmMitsubishiSTMicroFujiToshibaMicrosemiUnited Silicon Carbide Inc.GeneSicEfficient Power Conversion (EPC)GaN SystemsAsk a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 WBG Power Devices Market Overview2 Global WBG Power Devices Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global WBG Power Devices Shipment by Regions (2012-2017E)4 Global WBG Power Devices Consumption (K Units) by Regions (2012-2017E)5 Global WBG Power Devices Shipment, Revenue, Price Trend by Types6 Global WBG Power Devices Market Analysis by Applications7 Global WBG Power Devices Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 WBG Power Devices Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buye10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global WBG Power Devices Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixRelated Reports:Global WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017Europe WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017China WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017USA WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017Korea WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017India WBG Power Devices Market Research Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com Tel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (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.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Global Print Advertising Market - Size, Share, Growth, Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2017 - 2022 http://www.imarcgroup.com/request?type=report&id=734&flag=B http://www.imarcgroup.com/print-advertising-market http://www.imarcgroup.com/internet-advertising-market http://www.imarcgroup.com/mobile-advertising-market www.imarcgroup.com Although the global print advertising market has declined over the past years, the pace of decline has slowed down recently. This can be accredited to its advantages which include loyal readership and unlimited exposure.Get sample report @Print advertising refers to physically printed advertisements that are distributed to potential customers, often as a part of print media such as newspapers and magazines. It represents one of the oldest and most wide spread forms of advertising. Its popularity can be highly attributed to the numerous benefits it offers such as unlimited exposure, non-intrusiveness, target marketing, loyal readership and position flexibility. However, the advent of newer advertising media, such as internet and mobile advertising, has negatively affected the growth of the global print advertising market. IMARC Groups latest report, titled Global Print Advertising Market Report & Forecast 2017-2022, finds that the market reached a value of US$ 100 Billion in 2016, declining at a CAGR of nearly 2% during 2009-2016.Highlights of the Global Print Advertising Market:Target marketing remains the primary strategy followed by the advertisers.Newspaper advertising accounts for the majority of the global market share.Asia-Pacific holds the majority of the global share, representing the largest market.Despite the continuous decline, print advertising still holds a significant share in the global advertising market due to its versatility, creativity, engaging nature and easy accessibility. Moreover, a large population is habitual of relying upon print media such as newspapers while some consider it a symbol of respectability. Keeping this in mind, advertisers are striving hard and developing new strategies by using different types of newspapers in order to reach their prospective consumers. In addition, they also target specific magazines which are read by a specialized demography of consumers.The market has been segmented on the basis of type. Currently, newspaper advertising accounts for the majority of the global market share. On the basis of region, major markets include Asia-Pacific, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), North America and Latin America. Among these, Asia-Pacific represents the largest market for print advertising. The report provides a deep insight into the global print advertising industry covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, current trends, key market drivers and challenges, Porters five forces analysis, print advertising pricing models, margins in print advertising, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the print advertising industry in any manner.Read full report with TOC @The report has examined the global print advertising market on the basis of:Type:NewspapersMagazinesRegion:Asia-PacificEMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa)North AmericaLatin AmericaBrowse related reports :Global Internet Advertising Market Report @Global Mobile Advertising Market Report @About IMARC GroupIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.IMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145Follow us on twitter: @imarcglobal Global Bread Machine Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast Report 2022 MRH http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1249695 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-and-europe-bread-machine-market-analysis-and-outlook-to-2022-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1249695 www.marketresearchhub.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently announced the addition of a fresh report, titled Global and Europe Bread Machine Market - Analysis and Outlook to 2022 to its report offerings. The report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc.Request Free Sample Report:The report presents a comprehensive overview of the Bread Machine market in Germany. This shares the history data information from 2012 to 2016, and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Bread Machine industry.This report focus Global and Europe market, it covers details players regions product type and other details as following:Key PlayersBRAUN(Germany)Unold(Germany)Medion(Germany)Piebert(Germany)Arendo(Germany)PHILIPS(Netherlands)Breville(Australia)Sunbeam(Australia)Delonghi(Italy)SMEG(Italy)Seb(France)Morphy Richards(United Kingdom)ACA(United States)Oster(United States)Cuisinart(United States)Hamilton Beach(United States)West Bend(United States)Breadman(United States)Rosewill(United States)SKG(China)Donlim(China)Petrus(China)Midea(China)Hauswirt(China)SUPOR(China)AUCMA(China)ROTA(China)Zojirushi(Japan)Panasonic(Japan)TWINBIRD(Japan)Key RegionsEurope-Germany-United Kingdom-France-Italy-Spain-Russia-Netherland-Poland-OthersUnited StatesChinaJapanIndiaOthersKey Product TypeBy Maximum Capacity500g or Less,500-750g,750-1000g,More than 1000gBy Heating TubeSingle Tube Heating,Double Tube HeatingBy Special FeaturePower Off Memory,Automatic Yeast,Automatic Spreading Material,Automatic Program,Booking TimingBy Bread Machine Loaf Size1 Pound,1.5 Pounds,2 Pounds,2.5 Pounds,OtherKey ApplicationsHomeCommercialRead Full Report with TOC:Table of Contents:1 Market Outline1.1 Research Methodology1.1.1 Methodology/Research ApproachResearch Programs/DesignMarket Size EstimationMarket Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.1.2 Data SourceSecondary SourcesPrimary Sources2 Bread Machine Product Overview2.1 Global and Europe Bread Machine Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20222.2 Bread Machine, By Maximum Capacity 2012-20222.2.1 Global and Europe Bread Machine Sales Market Share By Maximum Capacity 2012-20222.2.2 Global and Europe Bread Machine Revenue Market Share By Maximum Capacity 2012-20222.2.3 Global and Europe Bread Machine Price By Maximum Capacity 2012-20222.2.4 500g or Less3 Bread Machine Top 30 Brands Profile3.1 BRAUN(Germany)3.1.1 BRAUN(Germany) Company Details and Competitors3.1.2 BRAUN(Germany) Key Bread Machine Models and Performance3.1.3 BRAUN(Germany) Bread Machine Business SWOT Analysis and ForecastMake an Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Global Lawn Mower Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast Report 2022 Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1249698 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-and-europe-lawn-mower-market-analysis-and-outlook-to-2022-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1249698 www.marketresearchhub.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently announced the addition of a fresh report, titled Global and Europe Lawn Mower Market - Analysis and Outlook to 2022 to its report offerings. The report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc.Request Free Sample Report:The report presents a comprehensive overview of the Lawn Mower market in Europe. This shares the history data information from 2012 to 2016, and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Lawn Mower industry.This report focus Global and Europe market, it covers details players regions product type and other details as following:Key PlayersEinhell(Germany)Toro(United States)Sidier(Germany)Yard Machines(United States)Bosch(Germany)Great States(United States)Wenluo(Germany)Esenpower(China)Mountfield(United Kingdom)Ruier(China)Flymo(United Kingdom)Youlanfenfang(China)Qualcast(United Kingdom)Youlefu(China)Hayter(United Kingdom)Yusen(China)Husqvarna(Sweden)Kuaichaoli(China)BLACK+DECKER(United States)Huashengtaishan(China)Poulan Pro(United States)TuoChuan(China)Greenworks(United States)Hyundai(KOREA)Troy-Bilt(United States)Honda(Japan)Lawn-Boy(United States)Mitsubishi(Japan)Snow Joe(United States)Xiaosong(Japan)Key RegionsEurope-Germany-United Kingdom-France-Italy-Spain-Russia-Netherland-Poland-OthersUnited StatesChinaJapanIndiaOthersKey Product TypeBy PriceBelow $199,$200-$599,$600-$999,$1000-$1999,Above $2000By Travel WayIntelligent Semi-automatic Drag-and-drop,After the Implementation of the Type,Mount Type,Tractor Hanging TypeBy Power SourceDriven by Human and Animal Power,Engine Drive,Electric Drive,Solar PoweredBy WayHobbing,Rotary Knife Type,Side Hanging,ScissorsBy StyleFlat Type,Half Waist,TruncatedKey ApplicationsHomeCommercialRead Full Report with TOC:Table of Contents:1 Market Outline1.1 Research Methodology1.1.1 Methodology/Research ApproachResearch Programs/DesignMarket Size EstimationMarket Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.1.2 Data SourceSecondary SourcesPrimary Sources1.1.3 Disclaimer2 Lawn Mower Product Overview2.1 Global and Europe Lawn Mower Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20222.2 Lawn Mower, By Price 2012-20222.2.1 Global and Europe Lawn Mower Sales Market Share By Price 2012-20222.2.2 Global and Europe Lawn Mower Revenue Market Share By Price 2012-20222.2.3 Global and Europe Lawn Mower Price By Price 2012-20223 Lawn Mower Top 30 Brands Profile3.1 Einhell(Germany)3.1.1 Einhell(Germany) Company Details and Competitors3.1.2 Einhell(Germany) Key Lawn Mower Models and Performance3.1.3 Einhell(Germany) Lawn Mower Business SWOT Analysis and ForecastMake an Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Global Power Bank Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast Report 2022 MRH http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1249699 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-and-europe-power-bank-market-analysis-and-outlook-to-2022-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1249699 www.marketresearchhub.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently announced the addition of a fresh report, titled Global and Europe Power Bank Market - Analysis and Outlook to 2022 to its report offerings. The report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc.Request Free Sample Report:The report presents a comprehensive overview of the Power Bank market in Europe. This shares the history data information from 2012 to 2016, and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report provides a detailed analysis of the market, its dynamics, structure, characteristics, main players, growth and demand drivers, etc. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Power Bank industry.This report focus Global and Europe market, it covers details players regions product type and other details as following:Key PlayersPHILIPS(Netherlands)SAMSUNG(Korea)Anker(United States)SONY(Japan)RAVPower(United States)HUAWEI(China)Power bank(United States)MI(China)DULLA(United States)Aigo(China)Aibocn(United States)PISEN(China)Crave(United States)ROMOSS(China)KMASHI(United States)Yoobao(China)Tiergrade(United States)ZMI(China)Innogie(United States)SCUD(China)EasyAcc(United States)Besiter(China)Jackery(United States)SOLOVE(China)Elivebuy(United States)IWALK(China)ZOOM dca(United States)BASEUS(China)Mophie(United States)TECLAST(China)Key RegionsEurope-Germany-United Kingdom-France-Italy-Spain-Russia-Netherland-Poland-OthersUnited StatesChinaJapanIndiaOthersKey Product TypeBy Capacity5000mAh or Less,5000mAh-9999mAh,10000mAh-11999mAh,12000mAh-19999mAh,20000mAh and AboveBy Feature KeywordsPocket-size,Indicator Lights,Flashlight,Solar ChargingBy Mobile Device Charger TypeMicro USB,Lightning,Mini USBBy Type BatteriesLithium Polymer Battery,Lithium Ion BatteryBy Shell MaterialAlloy,Plastic,OtherKey ApplicationsHomeCommercialRead Full Report with TOC:Table of Contents:1 Market Outline1.1 Research Methodology1.1.1 Methodology/Research ApproachResearch Programs/DesignMarket Size EstimationMarket Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.1.2 Data SourceSecondary Sources2 Power Bank Product Overview2.1 Global and Europe Power Bank Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20222.2 Power Bank, By Capacity 2012-20222.2.1 Global and Europe Power Bank Sales Market Share By Capacity 2012-20222.2.2 Global and Europe Power Bank Revenue Market Share By Capacity 2012-20222.2.3 Global and Europe Power Bank Price By Capacity 2012-20223 Power Bank Top 30 Brands Profile3.1 PHILIPS(Netherlands)3.1.1 PHILIPS(Netherlands) Company Details and Competitors3.1.2 PHILIPS(Netherlands) Key Power Bank Models and Performance3.1.3 PHILIPS(Netherlands) Power Bank Business SWOT Analysis and ForecastMake an Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Farm Tractor Market - Rise in Agricultural Mechanization to Boost Uptake http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/north-america-europe-farm-tractor-market.htm http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=16091 www.transparencymarketresearch.com The top three players in the North America and Europe farm tractor market Deere and Company, CNH (Case New Holland) Industrial, and AGCO Corporation accounted for a share of just under 70.0% in 2015, hinting at the rather consolidated nature of the competitive landscape. Among these, Deere and Company alone held a share of over 35% that year, emerging as the clear leader. Transparency Market Research finds that the degree of rivalry among players in the North America and Europe farm tractor market is quite high owing to the strong presence of large and established companies.Enhancing product portfolio, investing in innovations, and forming strategic alliances are some of the key growth tactics employed by players in this market. In September 2016, market leader John Deere launched a new 450 HP tractor that is specially designed to achieve reduction in fuel consumption. This has enabled the company to reinforce its strategic plan of focusing on innovation.Browse The Report:By revenue, the North America and Europe farm tractors market is projected to expand from US$13.6 bn in 2015 to US$17.23 bn by 2024, with North America registering a 3.0% CAGR and Europe exhibiting a 5.4% CAGR therein. By volume, the farm tractors market in North America and Europe is projected to witness a 5.1% CAGR during the forecast period.Europe to Recover from Sluggish Demand to Witness Surge in Shipment by 2024The North America farm tractor market was pegged at around 245 thousand units in 2015. Despite a declining sales volume across the higher horsepower segment, the market exhibited marginal volume growth from the previous year owing to the rise in demand for tractors below 40 HP. While the sales of farm tractors will continue a positive trend in the U.S., the sales in Canada have been witnessing a downward trend owing to a weak dollar and higher prices of the tractors.In 2015, the Europe farm tractor market volume was pegged at around 153 thousand units. The market has been recording a decline in year-on-year growth in terms of volume over the last two years owing to a low demand from several European countries, including Germany, France, Turkey, the U.K., and Italy. However, the trend is likely to change in 2017, TMR predicts. Tractor manufacturers are poised to lower the prices across different horsepower segments so as to attract more sales and recover from the sluggish demand, the lead analyst states.Government Offering Increased Support to Up Usage of Farm TractorsThere has been a growing trend of farm mechanization across North America and Europe owing to the numerous benefits offered, including considerable savings in terms of time and resources, improved efficiency, and increased production. In addition to this, precision farming has driven the need for mechanization among various farm practices, thereby fueling the demand for farm tractors. The shortage of farm laborers in these regions has also propelled the use of mechanized farming techniques and equipment such as farm tractors.Another significant factor that has boosted the adoption of farm tractors across Europe and North America is the growing demand for agricultural products, brought on by the rising population. In view of this, governments in these regions have focused their attention on encouraging the usage of mechanized farming techniques by offering subsidies and easy access to credit to farmers, the author of the study notes.What poses a challenge to the North America and Europe farm tractors market is the implementation of strict emission norms in most developed countries. Regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) have imposed stringent regulations pertaining to the use of diesel engines, particularly in off-road vehicles. Tractor manufacturers are, therefore, forced to incur additional costs to adhere to these norms, thereby restricting the uptake of farm tractors.Make an Enquiry @This review is based on the findings of a TMR report titled Farm Tractor Market - North America and Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024Transparency 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: Analgesics Market : Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends, 2016 - 2026 Analgesics Market: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1306 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1306 www.futuremarketinsights.com Analgesics are the medicines that alter perception, sensation, and sometimes also affects consciousness of individuals by blocking nerve impulses selectively to provide relief from pain. Analgesic drugs are generally available in three categories namely non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), opioids, and local anesthetics. The NSAID reduces pain by selectively reducing the local inflammatory reactions, opioids have their action on the brain and are utilized both in short-term and long-term relief from severe pain, while local anesthetics block the generation and the conduction of nerve impulses. Thus, analgesics form one of the largest markets in the overall pharmaceutical drugs market.Analgesics Market: Drivers and RestraintsHigh prevalence of pain worldwide, driven by an increase in the many disorders related with pain, is highly endorsing the growth of analgesics market. In addition, aging population, increasing acceptance of analgesics drugs, addition of new drugs, rising consumer awareness levels and increasing effective treatment opportunities are responsible for driving analgesics market. Growing geriatric population will be the most important growth driver for this market as such population suffer from pain due to various diseases that occurs in the old age. Due to the increasing therapeutic benefits offered by such drugs along with the faster and effective pain relief, analgesics find increased acceptance by geriatric population. The new innovative drug treatments in the category and increasing awareness about such treatments would drive the growth of this market further in future. However, chronic side effects, susceptible to abuse, high prices of drugs, limited commercialization of new products, and stringent government policies would hinder the growth of analgesics market.Request Report Sample@Analgesics Market: SegmentationThe global analgesics market has been classified on the basis of therapeutics class, pain type, and application.By therapeutics class, the global analgesics market is segmented into the following:NSAIDOpioidsLocal anestheticsOthersAntidepressantsAntimigrain agentsNeurolepticsAnxiolyticsAnticonvulsantsTriptans, ergot alkaloidsBased on application, the global analgesics market is segmented into the following:External AnalgesicsInternal AnalgesicsBased on pain type, the global analgesics market is segmented into the following:Neuropathic painInflammatory painSurgical painCancer painWound care painPhysiologic painPhantomPain arising from other diseasesOthersAnalgesics Market: OverviewBy therapeutic class, NSAID holds prominent share owing to high unmet medical requirements in pain management segment. By application, internal analgesics is leading the analgesic market. Acetaminophen, a drug under internal analgesics segment is representing the largest product segment. External analgesics market is also growing evidently due to introduction of new competitors in the market, and increased advertising.Analgesics Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, North America is the largest analgesics market followed by the Europe. The aging population in the U.S. is the major factor for the region to contribute maximum towards this market. The new opioids and non-opioids will also help meet the unmet needs of the large geriatric population of the region. Europe is also bound to grow due to their high geriatric population and commercialization of new drugs. Asia-Pacific market will experience the highest rate of growth due to the increasing consumer awareness and increasing healthcare expenditure in the region.Visit For TOC@Analgesics Market: Key PlayersKey companies operational in analgesics market are Actavis, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Novartis AG, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Inc., Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Reckitt Benckiser plc and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Tumour Ablation Devices Market : Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2016-2026 Tumour Ablation Devices http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1325 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1325 www.futuremarketinsights.com Tumours are the groups of abnormal cells that accumulate together and form lumps and grow consistently. Tumour are categorized into noncancerous and cancerous tumours. Precancerous conditions have the potential of developing into cancer. Tumour ablation is a tool utilized to treat cancerous malignancy. Tumour ablation is the process of removing the cancerous cells from the body. Tumour ablation became more useful during 1970s and 1980s due to advances in laparoscopic surgical approach. The most common means for definitive treatment of primary and metastatic focal malignancy, is the evolution of imaging devices during the past two decades and image-guided tumour ablation.Tumour Ablation Devices Market: Drivers & RestraintsIncreasing prevalence and incidences of cancers, technological advances and increasing geriatric population, increasing numbers of hospitals and healthcare awareness are facilitating the growth of global tumour ablation devices market. Additionally, economic pricing, short recovery time, low risk of infection, and minimal hospital stays are increasing the importance of tumour ablation devices.Side effects associated with ablation treatment and limited performance of the devices are the factors restraining the growth of global tumour ablation device market.Request Report Sample@Tumour Ablation Devices Market: SegmentationThe global tumour ablation devices market has been classified on the basis of product type, application and end user:On the basis of product type, the tumour ablation devices market is segmented into the followingRadiofrequency ablationLaser ablationHigh intensity focused ultrasound ablationMicrowave ablationCryo ablationBased on application type, the tumour ablation devices market is segmented into the followingLiver Cancerkidney CancerColorectal CancerBone CancerBreast CancerLung CancerProstate CancerOther CancersBased on end use type, the tumour ablation devices market is segmented into the following:Hospitalso 500 and more beds hospitalso 200 to 499 beds hospitalso Less than 200 beds hospitalsAmbulatory Surgical CentersTumour Ablation Devices Market: OverviewThe lung cancer application segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the next five years due to large patient population of lung cancer present across developing and developed regions. This has increased the investment of manufacturers to develop and commercialize innovative lung cancer ablation products. The radiofrequency ablation is widely used technique due to specificity of treating target tissue without causing damage to the surrounding cells. Microwave ablation product segment is expected to grow significantly due to increase in adoption rate of microwave ablation devices by healthcare professionals.Tumour Ablation Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookRegion wise, the global tumour ablation market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.The global market is expected to be dominated by North America due to factors such as early introduction and adoption of rate of tumour ablation products in the region, trend of replacing older technologies and introducing the new technologies, and increase in private and public funding to develop and commercialize the novel tumour ablation products.The Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a higher CAGR in the forecast period due to factors such as large population with the high prevalence of various cancers in the region, government initiatives for developing and modernizing the healthcare infrastructure.Visit For TOC@Tumour Ablation Devices Market: Key PlayersKey players of tumour ablation devices market are Boston Scientific Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Biotronic NeuroNetwork, LLC, Baylis Medical, biolitec AG, Spectranetics, Esaote SpA, ALPINION MEDICAL SYSTEMS Co., Ltd., Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V, Hironic Co., Ltd., Monteris Medical, Inc, EDAP TMS, EYE TECH CARE, NeuWave Medical, Inc, Vison medical, AtriCure, Inc, Galil Medical Inc, ENDOCARE INC, IceCure Medical, Sanarus HealthTronics, Inc, MEDTRONIC, MedWaves, AngioDynamics, Microsulis Medical, Perseon, SympleSurgical Inc. to name a few.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 9.5% from 2016 to 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/568 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-healthcare-archiving-ediscovery-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/hospital-bed-market-898 Market Scenario:The global Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery market of is expected to reach US$ 8.4 billion in 2023 from US$ 4.25 billion in 2016 with a CAGR of approximately 9.5% during the forecast period from 2017-2023.Healthcare is a highly litigious and regulated industry. Many organizations are unprepared with the right systems to cost effectively address these requirements. In the healthcare industry, organizations have to comply with numerous regulations and rules. They therefore need an intelligent information governance solution with a purpose-built eDiscovery platform.Structured data can be referred as alphabets, numbers and can be easily processed and stored whereas unstructured data can be referred as email, images, audio and video files. In healthcare structured data refers to patients unique identification number and patients billing information. While instructed data refers to radiological images which required same format of image i.e. jpeg. for exchange of images between healthcare providers. Large amount of data is to be managed by the healthcare providers to follow all the rules and regulations. Data classification is important in order to immediately access it whenever required. Globally Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery market are been driven by need of data storage regarding patients billing, radiological images, and medical history and management of healthcare data.The global market of Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery market is blooming due to increase in awareness of using Information Management System and importance of medical data archiving system among healthcare providers.Request a Free Sample Copy @Key Players for Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery Market: Actiance Incorporation, Barracuda Networks Incorporation, Bloomberg L.P., Commvault Systems Inc., Global Relay Communications Inc., Google Incorporation, International Business Machine (IBM) Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, Allscripts Siemens.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread in 110 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery Market Research Report- Forecast To 2023Browse full Report @Study Objectives of Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next six years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery 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- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. 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 type, by deployment, by data storage and its sub-segments To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling 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 Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery market.Segments:Global Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery Market is segmentedOn basis of types including Archiving and eDiscovery,On basis of deployment including On-premise system and Cloud system,On basis of application including Revenue cycle management, Electronic health record, Practice Management System, laboratory Information System, Radiology Information System, Picture Archiving System and other systemsOn basis of regions consisting of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Intended Audience Healthcare Archiving and eDiscovery system providers Cloud platform providers Regulatory and compliance agencies Investors and venture capitalists GovernmentKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2023 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?Related ReportGlobal Hospital Bed Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027The global Hospital Bed market is expected to reach USD 5,291.8 million in the forecasted period and is expected to grow at as a CAGR of 4.4%.Know more about this report @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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Deep Brain Stimulator Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1338 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1338 www.futuremarketinsights.com Deep Brain Stimulation (DMS) is a neosurgical procedure which helps to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms. It involves the implantation of a battery-operated medical device called neurostimulator which sends electrical signals to specific parts of brain that control movement and affective disorders like pain, mood, weight and awakening. This procedure also helps in treating essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder. DMS system consists of three components: a thin, insulated wire, called a lead or electrode that is placed into the brain, the neurostimulator which puts out the electric current and is generally placed under the skin near the collarbone and another thin, insulated wire, called an extension which connects the lead to the neurostimulator. The neurostimulator device is also referred to as brain pacemaker. FDA approved DMS as a treatment for essential tremor in 1997, for Parkinsons disease in 2002. Before this procedure, a neurosurgeon uses either MRI or CT scanning to detect the exact target area within the brain where the electric signals will generate the Parkinsons disease symptoms.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing incidence of Parkinsons disease is the main driving force for the fast growth of deep brain stimulation device market. Deep brain stimulation does not involve destruction of any part of the brain and thus, has fewer complications than thalamotomy and pallidotomy.Moreover this electrical injection is adjustable and can be changed as the persons disease change or his or her response to medication change. No further surgery is needed to make the adjustments. All these has led to the growth of deep brain stimulation device market. However, with any surgical procedure there involves risk. The implantation of any foreign object in the body leads to increased risk of infection. If the battery fails then the device would stop working properly (the battery normally lasts 3 to 5 years).DMS placement may even lead to allergic reaction to the DMS parts. These may obstruct the deep brain stimulation device market to grow.Request Report Sample@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: SegmentationDeep Brain Stimulator Marketis segmented based on product type, application, end user and geography.Based on product type, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Single Channel Deep Brain StimulatorDual Channel Deep Brain StimulatorBased on application, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Parkinsons diseaseEssential TremorChronic PainDystoniaTourette syndromeBased on end user, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:HospitalsAmbulatory Surgical centersNeurological clinicsDeep Brain Stimulator Market: OverviewGlobally deep brain stimulation devices market are the main causes of mortality. Parkinsons disease is the most common neurological movement disorder after Alzheimers. Deep brain stimulation devices market is expected to grow at a healthy rate during the forecasted period 2013-2019. Rise in the number of neurological movement diseases like Parkinsons disease, essential tremor, Alzheimers disease has led to the huge growth of deep brain stimulation devices market. Parkinsons disease includes symptoms like tremors, stiffness, rigidity and walking problems.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Region-wise OutlookRegion wise, the global deep brain stimulator marketis classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America region has a sizeable market share in the global deep brain stimulation market. Countries like US, Canada, Europe, Germany, UK, France and Spain has led North American and European market of deep brain stimulation device to grow at a faster rate. Increasing awareness regarding the application of deep brain stimulation device contributes its larger share in this region. However, emerging economies like India and China with their growing disposable income and advanced technological awareness enabling them to enter into this market and contribute towards its growth.Visit For TOC@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Key PlayersKey players pertaining to Deep Brain Stimulator market includes Medtronic Inc., St. Jude Medical, Boston scientific. These companies hold huge amount of share in global deep brain stimulation devices market. Functional Neuromodulation, a startup backed by Medtronic and the National Institutes of Health, will advance its deep brain stimulation implant into a Phase III trial to treat Alzheimers disease patients. St. Jude Medical has received a CE mark for its latest neuromodulation technology-the Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation System to treat movement disorders. Key players across all locations use deep brain stimulation device market to treat Parkinsons disease, essential tremor thus, leading to the growth of this particular market.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Peru: Incumbent Mobile Operators Face Rising Competitive Pressure from New Entrants https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/244120/peru-incumbent-mobile-operators-face-rising-competitive-pressure-from-new-entrants-market-research-reports https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/244120 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/244120 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Peru: Incumbent Mobile Operators Face Rising Competitive Pressure from New Entrants provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"View Full Report :Peru: Incumbent Mobile Operators Face Rising Competitive Pressure from New Entrants, a new Country Intelligence Report by Pyramid Research, offers a precise, incisive profile of Perus mobile and fixed telecommunications and pay-TV markets based on comprehensive proprietary data and insights from our research in the Peruvian market. Published annually, this presentation-quality, executive-level 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 and broadband, mobile and pay-TV sectors, in addition to a review of key regulatory trends.Key FindingsThe Peruvian telecom services market will record total revenue of $5.0bn in 2014, registering a year-over-year growth of 0.9% (in local currency terms, total market revenue will expand by 5.9% in 2014). With the fifth largest population in Latin America, Peru is home to the seventh largest telecom services sector in the region.The mobile market in Peru is characterized by a particularly strong duopoly, with Movistar and Claro accounting for close to 94% of the countrys total mobile subscriptions. Going forward, we expect Movistar and Claros share of the market to decrease as they face increasing competition from Entel (formerly Nextel Peru) and new entrant Bitel, which are implementing aggressive pricing strategies.With a year-end 2014 estimated penetration of 5.9%, broadband penetration remains low when compared with that of other markets in the region.The Peruvian pay-TV market generated an estimated $351m in service revenue in 2014. With an estimated year-end 2014 household penetration of 21.4%, or 1.4m subscriptions, pay-TV adoption in Peru is well below the regions average of 41.3%.Download Sample copy of this Report at :SynopsisPeru: Incumbent Mobile Operators Face Rising Competitive Pressure from New Entrants provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Perutoday, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2019. It delivers deep quantitative and qualitative insight into Perus telecom market, analyzing key trends, evaluating near-term opportunities and assessing risk factors, based on proprietary data from Pyramid Researchs databases.It provides in-depth analysis of the following:Peru in a regional context; a comparative review of market size and trends with that of other countries in the region.Economic, demographic and political context in Peru.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 asforecasts and historical figures of service revenue from fixed telephony (including VoIP), broadband, mobile voice and data, and pay-TV markets.The service evolution; a look at the change in the breakdown of overall revenue by fixed/pay-TV and mobile sectors and by voice, data and video in the current year as well as the end of the forecast period.The competitive landscape; an examination of key trends in competition and service providers performance, revenue market shares and expected moves over the next 18-24 months.An in-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony and broadband services, mobile voice and data services, and pay-TV services; a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by technology/platform as well as operator, 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 Perus telecommunications and pay-TV markets.Reasons To BuyThis Country Intelligence Report helps executives build proactive, profitable growth strategies by offering comprehensive, relevant analysis of Perus telecommunications and pay-TV markets based on insights directly from the local market players.The report offers a wealth of data on the telecom and pay-TV markets, with the mobile and fixed segments examined in detail.The competitive landscape and the major players are given extra attention, enabling local players or prospective market entrants to gain the insight they need.The broad but detailed perspective will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players to succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Peru.The report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality that allows it to be turned into presentable material immediately.The report concludes with an exploration of the opportunities available in the Peruvian market to operators, vendors and investors.About usMarketResearchReports.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.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Website Builders Market 2022 Analysis & Demands - Weebly, Squarespace, Wix, Dudaone http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1024827&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-website-builders-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Website Builders Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Website Builders market has been discussed in detail in the latest report titled, which has been added by QYResearchReports.com. The report covers the latest market trends and new product development activities and the response to these new products by consumers. The report also studies the emerging segments within the global Website Builders market. The current market size and estimated size by the end of the forecast period is evaluated for each segment and sub-segment with a view to help investors in deciding which segment to focus on or invest on. The report has a section where the factors fueling the growth of the market and those that are obstructing the growth of the market have been discussed in great detail.This report studies the global Website Builders market, analyzes and researches the Website Builders development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeWeeblySquarespaceWixDudaoneYolaJimdoYahooGodaddyHomesteadIbuiltDudamobileGomobiOnbileMofuseQfuseActivemobiTappinnTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @By making use of tables, graphs, charts, and statistics, this report aims to make the study of the global Website Builders market easy to comprehend for new entrants as well as those established. The study effectively answers key questions regarding the Website Builders industry such as, the turnover of the market by the end of the forecast period, the cost structure, the key application areas of Website Builders, and the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers. The degree of completion, threat of new entrance, threat of substitutes, and the key market strategies adopted have all been analyzed in the study.The key players within the market have been investigated. Their business and financial growth, recently developed products or services, their strategy on how to retain customers, and the challenges faced by them as they fight for an increased share in the market have been included in the report.Table of ContentsGlobal Website Builders Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Website Builders1.1 Website Builders Market Overview1.1.1 Website Builders Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Website Builders Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.3 Website Builders Market by Type1.3.1 Pc Website Builders1.3.2 Mobile Website Builders1.4 Website Builders Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Personal Website1.4.2 School Or College Websites1.4.3 Business Website1.4.4 Other2 Global Website Builders Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Website Builders 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 FutureBrowse Complete Report with TOC @3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Weebly3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Website Builders Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Squarespace3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Website Builders Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Wix3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Website Builders Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments4 Global Website Builders Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Website Builders Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Website Builders Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Website Builders in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Website Builders5 United States Website Builders Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Website Builders Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Website Builders Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Website Builders Product ScopeFigure Global Website Builders Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Website Builders Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Website Builders Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Website Builders Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Website Builders Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Website Builders Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.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. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact UsBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web: Water Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2026 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/water-quality-monitoring-equipment-market.asp http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11299 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/11299 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Access to safe drinking water is quintessential to sustain life and a satisfactory supply of it must be available to all. As defined by WHO safe drinking water doesnt represent any significant risk to health over lifetime of consumption. Water quality is of prime importance owing to its ubiquitous nature including in food preparation and personal hygiene. In addition, higher quality of water is required for special purpose such as renal dialysis, medical surgeries, contact lenses and pharmaceutical operation. Water contaminants are either suspended,can be screened using physical process or are dissolved which require water treatment through chemical and other methods. Suspended impurities or solids include particles of varying size due to which there is visible turbidity in the water. Soluble impurities not evidently visible alter the properties of water and are thus are more harmful contaminant such as chemicals, microorganism and other radiological impurities tend to make water unsafe for use. Consumption of any impurities suspended or dissolved beyond capacity may lead to serious health issues and in extreme circumstance may prove fatal. Therefore it is crucial to monitor the quality of water and hence arises a strong need of Water quality monitoring equipment.To view complete report @The rising consumption of water for industrial or for domestic purposes has instigated a high demand of water quality monitoring devices. A worldwide initiative launched by WHO and International organizations aims at reducing health problem throughout the globe by introducing programs focusing on hygiene, food, water and shelter. Malnutrition and scarcity of nutrients in emerging countries of Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific has raised serious concerns because of which the demand of water quality monitoring in these regions has risen significantly. The raising concern over the health in urban regions has also boosted the water quality monitoring equipment market. Not only limited to general use, water quality monitoring equipment also finds its extensive use in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Properties such as turbidity, alkalinity, basicity and presence of other chemical in waters is of prime importance to industries to get desired chemical or product failure of which can be disastrous. Laboratories studying aquatic life employ significant use of water quality monitoring equipment. The demand for water quality monitoring equipment is anticipated to increase multifold owing to extensive need in various industries and for general purpose use. The market for water quality monitoring equipment is restrained by the price of equipment.A sample of this report is available upon request @Water quality monitoring equipment market can be segmented on the basis of product type; portable, handheld and bench-top. The market can also be classified on the basis of application; industrial, environmental, laboratory and government. By product water quality monitoring devices can be segmented on either testing or analysis.Water Quality Monitoring equipment market can also be segmented on the basis of geography. The market can be segmented on the basis North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, AEPJ, Japan and Middle East and Africa. North America and Western Europe dominate the water monitoring market in terms of demand. The high demand in these regions is attributed to high demand in industrial segment. The region is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast years. The region of Middle East and Africa, APEJ and Japan are anticipated to register the highest growth owing to rising health concern and developing industrial sector. Followed by APEJ, Latin America and Eastern Europe are expected to follow exhibiting strong growth during the forecast.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the General Electric Company, LaMotte Company, In-Situ, Horiba, HACH, Honeywell International Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher Corporation, Emerson Electric Co. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. and Shimadzu Corporation among others.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: Offshore Support Vessel Market : Outlook Continues to Remain Positive by 2026 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/offshore-support-vessel-market.asp www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11302 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/11302 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Offshore Support Vessels are the ships that are designed to transport liquid cargo, stores, materials and equipment and personnel to offshore oil platform that functions deep in the oceans. These vessels include services such as drilling rigs, offshore pipe laying, and oil production platforms utilized in exploration and production activities. These vessels undertake variety of tasks in the supply chain.Offshore Support Vessels are fundamental components for oil & gas industry. There are many types of offshore support vessel that have different properties and functions as per the type of operation. The Asia-Pacific regions such as China, Australia, Malaysia, and Southeast Asia require more volume of offshore support vessels. As a result, it provides a great opportunity to the manufacturers of offshore support vesselsTo view complete report @Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: SegmentationGlobal Offshore Support Vessel market is segmented into type and region. The global Offshore Support Vessel market can be segmented on the basis of types such as Anchor Handling Towing and Supply (AHTS) vessels, Platform Supply Vessels (PSV), Diving Support Vessels, Remote Operating Vessels (ROV) Support, Multi-Purpose Service Vessel (MPSV), Cable & Pipe Laying Vessels, Standby and Rescue Vessel, Seismic Survey Vessels, Well Stimulation Vessel, Fast Supply Intervention Vessels (FSIV). Region wise, global Offshore Support Vessel market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA).A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global offshore support vessel market is projected to witness a significant growth in terms of CAGR from 2015 to 2025. North America region is expected to witness significant growth during the forecasted period. Middle East is expected to be one of the leading market for offshore support vessels for the coming years. According to FMI forecasts, the market in Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at highest CAGR over the forecast period.Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: DriversOffshore Support Vessel Market is being driven by rising offshore exploration and production activities. Moreover, increasing capital expenditure on offshore oil exploration will also lead to offshore developments. Offshore Support Vessel Market is expected to grow at a higher rate for the forecast period supported by increasing demand of oil & gas.The drivers for this market are increased demand for offshore rig, marine logistics, & others. All these factors together drive the Offshore Support Vessel market during the forecast period.Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: RestraintsCertain restraints that are hampering the growth of global offshore support vessel market to some extent include high maintenance and replacement cost, regulations and environmental effects.Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: Competitive LandscapeKey players in the global offshore support vessel market focus on Developments, investments, expansion, mergers & acquisition, agreements and contracts, new technologies developments, in order to expand their reach and penetrate into the market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Offshore Support Vessel Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players identified in the global Offshore Support Vessel market are Edison Chouest Offshore, Abdon Callais Offshore, Havila Shipping ASA, Farstad Shipping ASA, Gulfmark Offshore Inc., Bourbon Offshore Marine services, Island Offshore Management AS, & others.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: Global Mattress Toppers Industry 2017 Market Research: Select Comfort Corporation, ORGANIC MTTRESSES INC, Simmons Bedding Company LLC, Serta, Inc. http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1018881&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-mattress-toppers-market-research-report-2017.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Mattress Toppers Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Mattress Toppers has witnessed a significant change in its market valuation over the last few years. This research report on the worldwide Mattress Toppers market presents an analytical study of this market with the help of a detailed analysis of its current and historical performances.The research report calculate the market size in terms of revenue (US$) generated and volume (kilo tons) produced. The key segments and the geographical subdivision of the Mattress Toppers market has been analyzed here at length on the basis of various market verticals. Market drivers, restraints, and the future prospects of each segment has been discussed in this report and, based on that, it determines the future of the Mattress Toppers market in the global arena.Global Mattress Toppers market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingTempur-PedicSelect Comfort CorporationORGANIC MTTRESSES INCSimmons Bedding Company LLCSerta, Inc.SealyJeffco FibresMcRoskey Mattress CompanyPure Latex BLISSSleep StudioTHERAPEDICTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Various aspects of the global Mattress Toppers industry such as the value chain and major policies, influencing the Mattress Toppers market across the world have been explained in details in this market study. Further, it also talks about the products available in the Mattress Toppers market with reference to their production volume, pricing structure, the dynamics of demand and supply, and the contribution in the global market for Mattress Toppers in terms of revenue.Several analytical tools such as feasibility, investment return, and market attractiveness analysis have been utilized to provide a complete picture of the developments of the global market for Mattress Toppers, determining important market strategies, which are likely to pay off in the long run.In conclusion, the market report analyzes the company profiles major players operating in the global Mattress Toppers market in order to produce the competitive landscape prevalent in the worldwide market for Mattress Toppers.Table of ContentsGlobal Mattress Toppers Market Research Report 20171 Mattress Toppers Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Mattress Toppers1.2 Mattress Toppers Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Mattress Toppers Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Mattress Toppers Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Memory Foam Mattress Topper1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Mattress Toppers (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Mattress Toppers Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Mattress Toppers Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Mattress Toppers Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Mattress Toppers Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Mattress Toppers Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Mattress Toppers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product TypeBrowse Complete Report with TOC @3 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Mattress Toppers Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Mattress Toppers Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Mattress Toppers Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Mattress Toppers Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Mattress Toppers Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Mattress Toppers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Mattress Toppers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Mattress Toppers Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Mattress Toppers Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Mattress Toppers Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Mattress Toppers Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Mattress Toppers Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Mattress Toppers Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.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. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact UsBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web: Remicade Biosimilar Market : Opportunities and Forecast Assessment, 2016 - 2026 Remicade Biosimilar Market http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1413 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1413 www.futuremarketinsights.com About the drug and drug class:Biosimilar can be defined as a type of biological product that is highly similar to an already FDA approved drug, known as reference biological product. Biosimilars are drugs licensed by U.S. FDA and European Medicine Agency (EMA) and reflect no clinical and meaningful differences from the reference products in terms of safety, purity, efficacy and effectiveness. These biosimilar drugs can only be approved for the indications and conditions that have been previously approved for the reference product by big regulatory agencies.Remicade (infliximab) is a monoclonal antibody originally produced by Janssen Biotech Inc., and Merck & Co. (MSD) in partnership and licensed by the U.S. FDA in 1998. It is used in the treatment of Crohns disease in both adult and pediatric patients. Additionally it is also used for treatment of active ulcerative colitis, moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methroxate, spinal and active psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis. The U.S. FDA has approved a biosimilar drug similar to Remicade, named Inflectra, on 05 April, 2016, which is expected to erode the market share of Remicade due to lower competitive pricing. Inflectra (infliximab dyyb) is sold in the European market, after receiving an approval from the EMAs CHMP in June, 2013 under the brand name Remsima (developed by South Koreas Celltrion Healthcare and marketed by Pfizers Hospira). The drug Remsima is sold at a discount of 30% than that of original Remicade in 11 European markets including UK, France, Germany and Italy. Another Japanese company, Nippon Kayaku launched Infliximab BS in Japan on 28 November 2014 however, the Japanese license only covers Crohns disease, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis indications. The U.S. FDA has now launched Remicades biosimilar Inflectra, which is only the second biosimilar drug to be approved by the agency.Request Report Sample@Drivers and Restraints:Drivers for the Remicade biosimilar include rising incidence of autoimmune diseases particularly rheumatoid arthritis and plaque psoriasis, early patent expiry of the branded version, discounted pricing across the European market and faster reaction times due to intravenous mode of administration. Further, entry of biosimilar version could provide financial relief on healthcare systems and improve patients accessibility to essential medication.Barriers of the Remicade biosimilar include serious side effects associated with the use of drug that could lead to hospitalization or even be fatal. These include tuberculosis, bacterial sepsis, invasive fungal infections (such as histoplasmosis) and others. As such, manufacturer of the drug has been mandated to include a Boxed Warning to alert both healthcare professionals and patients. Further, complex nature of the molecule and lack of FDA approved facilities for manufacturing the drug are factors that could restrain the growth of the drugs market in developing regions.Market Segmentation:The Remicade (infliximab) biosimilar market is segmented based on approved disease indications and regions.By Disease IndicationCrohns diseaseRheumatoid arthritisAnkylosing spondylitisPsoriatic arthritisUlcerative ColitisPlaque psoriasisBy RegionsNorth AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific excluding JapanJapanLatin AmericaMEAMarket Overview:Early loss of patent exclusivity is one the major factors that could fuel attractive market growth of the Remicade biosimilar over the forthcoming years. Rising prevalence of relevant autoimmune disorders coupled with discounted pricing of the Remicade biosimilar in European markets are factors expected to contribute to increased referral and consumption of the drug. Development of faster approval procedures and proper U.S. FDA approved manufacturing facilities in the regional nodal countries are factors that contribute to increased drug uptake. Further, distinct naming and transparent labeling to ensure correct prescribing and dispensing and enhanced post-marketing surveillance are factors that could contribute largely towards prescriber confidence, and enhanced market uptake of the drug over the coming years. However, safety issues concerning manufacturing facilities along with potential side effects of drug consumption could hamper for acceptance of infliximab biosimilar over the long run.Remicade Biosimilar Market: Region- wise Outlook:Depending on geographic regions, global Remicade biosimilar market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.In terms of geography, Europe dominates the Remicade biosimilar market, followed by Japan and Latin America. The prime reason for the same is the launch of the biosimilar version soon after the patent expiry of the branded version. However, systematic and faster drug review process is expected to create revenue traction in markets over North America and other regions. Stringent regulatory approval procedures and streamlined manufacturing guidelines, particularly in the Central and South American nations, could lead to development of effective regional manufacturing and distribution strategies for Remicade biosimilars. Finally, rising government support for development of biosimilar drugs and low switching tendency from physicians secure the future market growth of the biosimilar in the near term.Visit For TOC@Remicade Biosimilar Market: Key Players:Some of the key market players in Remicade (infliximab mAb) market are Janssen Biotech Inc., Merck &Co., Pfizer Inc. (AC. Hospira), Celltrion Inc., Alvogen, Napp Pharmaceuticals, and Nippon Kayaku.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global Industry Analysis Smart Parking Systems Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2022 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/smart-parking-systems-market http://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/293 http://www.mrrse.com/sample/293 http://www.mrrse.com/ Browse Full Report with TOC :Smart parking system provides real-time information about the availability of parking space in a particular location, thereby enabling hassle-free vehicle parking while saving on time, cost, and fuel. It consists of low-cost sensors, real-time data collection and analytics, and automated payment systems that allow people to find parking in desired locations and pay for it in advance.Once deployed, the smart parking system helps in reducing exhaust emissions from cars in urban cities by reducing the needless circling of city blocks in the search of parking space. It also efficiently manages the availability of parking space for cities and controls illegal parking. The rapid growth in the number of vehicles worldwide is increasing the scarcity of parking space, which is further magnifying the need for smart and innovative parking systems. Whether at airports or shopping centers, parking issues are a regular occurrence, in turn hurting the local business and affecting the quality of life of the city residents. These intelligent parking management systems provide high levels of convenience to the drivers while simplifying and automating the parking site operations. Deploying smart parking systems in cities requires data collection and management, integration with mobile phones, and various software and hardware innovations. Furthermore, there is a need for cooperation among various parking stakeholders such as off and on-street parking operators, transport authorities, municipalities, as well as customers. The smart parking market is growing significantly with numerous advanced solutions being adopted by major global cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Stockholm, Shanghai, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. In the long run, smart parking can significantly transform these and other cities by making them friendlier to citizens. Smart parking systems are expected to open up opportunities for the reuse of commercial as well as municipal parking garages Hence, smart parking systems contribute toward making urban cities cleaner, greener, compact, and thereby more freely walkable and drivable.Send An Enquiry:This research report provides in-depth analysis of the global smart parking systems market based on parking site types, components, application areas, and geography. In terms of geographical regions, the report segments the global smart parking systems market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America; these are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. North America is further segmented into the U.S. and Rest of North America, while Europe is divided into EU7, CIS, and Rest of Europe. Moreover, the analysis for Asia Pacific is subdivided into Japan, China, South Asia, Australasia, and Rest of Asia Pacific. Likewise, MEA is further segmented into GCC countries, South Africa, and Rest of MEA, while Latin America is subdivided into Brazil and Rest of Latin America.The report analyzes the factors that drive and restrain the growth of the smart parking systems market. The report also identifies prospective growth opportunities, prevailing market trends, and major strategies enhancing the popularity of smart parking systems. It also provides market estimates and forecasts for all the segments in terms of revenue. The global smart parking systems market is categorized based on parking site types as on-street parking and off-street parking. The market is also segmented on the basis of components that include sensor and network hardware, software, and services. The report further subdivides the smart parking services market into system integration and installation, parking management, and maintenance. This research report provides complete insight into different application areas of the smart parking systems market including airports, government and municipalities, and corporate and commercial institutions. The report also includes profiles of major players engaged in providing these smart parking systems. Key business strategies adopted by the major players, their market positioning, and various recent developments have also been identified in the research report. Besides, market positioning of key players in the smart parking systems market has also been provided. The major players in the smart parking systems market include Streetline, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., ParkMe, Inc., Urbiotica, Skidata AG, Amano McGann, Inc., Swarco AG, Smart Parking Ltd, Nedap N.V., and Parkmobile, LLC.Request For Sample Report:Market 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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: New Report- United States Audio Interfaces Market Size, Share, Growth 2022 Audio Interfaces Market http://www.globalinforeports.com/request-sample/248448 http://www.globalinforeports.com/report/united-states-audio-interfaces-market-by-manufacturers-states-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022 http://www.globalinforeports.com/check-discount/248448 http://www.globalinforeports.com/send-an-enquiry/248448 http://www.globalinforeports.com A trending newest report published by Global Info Reports titles, Global Audio Interfaces Market, estimates that the Audio Interfaces market size is predicted to mature at a substantial Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the forecast period, and this is credited to the increase in need for this product across the globe accompanied by new market inventions.Book Your Sample Copy of the Report here Why Purchase this Report you ask?Because, this market research report gives a thorough analysis of the global Audio Interfaces Market by product segmentation, application, geographic and end user market. The report includes the current market size of this industry. The future outlooks and existing overall market summary of this sector have been greatly analyzed in this report. Also, key market manufacturers of Audio Interfaces are assessed on several factors such as company overview, product portfolio, sales analysis and revenue generation during the forecast period. Additionally, the complete market potential is described in this report coupled with various countries across the globe.To Grab the Complete Report, Please Visit:Report Magnitude:This report centers on the Audio Interfaces Market, predominantly 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 based on key Manufacturers, this report covers the topmost manufacturers of Audio Interfaces : Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Universal Audio Zoom Corporation Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH (Yamaha) Roland Mackie (LOUD Technologies Inc.) M-Audio Behringer (Music Group) MOTU IK Multimedia RME Tascam (TEAC Corporation) ESI Audiotechnik GmbH Lexicon AudientRequest For Discount @Some Point From TOC:1 Market Overview1.1 Audio Interfaces Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 USB1.2.2 Firewire1.2.3 MIDI1.2.4 Thunderbolt1.2.5 Other1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Amateurs1.3.2 Professional1.4 Market Analysis by States1.4.1 California Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 Texas Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 New York Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Florida Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Illinois Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.2.1.1 Profile2.1.2 Audio Interfaces Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. Audio Interfaces Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.1.4 Business Overview2.1.5 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. News2.2 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.2.2.1 Profile2.2.2 Audio Interfaces Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Audio Interfaces Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2.4 Business Overview2.2.5 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. News2.3 Universal Audio2.3.1 Profile2.3.2 Audio Interfaces Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Universal Audio Audio Interfaces Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3.4 Business Overview2.3.5 Universal Audio News2.4 Zoom Corporation2.4.1 Profile2.4.2 Audio Interfaces Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 2Enquiry Before Buying@About Us:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Connect with us: Twitter | Facebook Rapid Advancements will boost Conductive Inks Market Size Further http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2272 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2272 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Conductive inks are electrically conductive, printable inks used in printed electronics and it exhibits the properties of crease resistance and flexibility. These mainly constitute metallic particle such as silver and copper to facilitate the flow of electric current across the circuitry. Apart from these, nanoparticle based conductive inks is an emerging segment in conductive inks market. These type of inks provide high conductive properties and nano dimension control of size, shape and particle distribution. Nanoparticle based conductive inks can be customised based on the printing substrate and printing technology used. The silver based conductive inks account for a major share and is expected to dominate the global conductive inks market. The advantages of silver conductive inks are least resistive property, flexible and supports miniature electronic circuitry designs. The wide range of applications of conductive inks include sensors, solar panels, touch screen, antenna, potentiometers and PCBs etc. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, a Germany based leading manufacturer of coatings and adhesive technologies manufactures silver and dielectric inks by the brand name LOCTITE. These inks are suitable for applications in automotive, RFID, medical devices, displays etc.Conductive Inks Market: Drivers and RestraintsMany wide range electronic products such as medical devices, electronic appliances, solar designs etc. are based on the printed circuit board technology, which is expected to drive the growth of global conductive inks market. The rapid growth in consumption of flexible and touch screen based electronic devices is anticipated to boost the growth of global conductive inks market. The increasing awareness regarding use of renewable resources in residential and industrial sector and the rapid growth in consumption of solar based panels and other devices is anticipated to be a significant driver for the growth conductive inks market. Medical devices account for share in consumption of conductive inks. There is an upsurge of technological advancement in healthcare industry and the medical device manufacturers are constantly focusing on improving functionality and precision of the devices.Request For Report Sample:Conductive Inks Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global conductive inks market can be segmented as follows:-Silver Conductive InksCarbon Conductive InksSilver Nano InksSilver Chloride InksDielectric InksCopper/ Copper Oxide InksOn the basis of application, the global conductive inks market can be segmented as follows:-SensorsBiosensorsTouch ScreenAntennaPrinted HeatersPotentiometers and PCBs (Printed Circuit Board)Solar PanelsElectroluminescent (EL) PanelConductive Inks Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global conductive inks market can be divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Western Europe accounts for significant share in conductive inks market, which is attributed to the rise in consumption of solar based devices and flexible electronic equipments. North America also has a major share in global conductive inks market as it dominates the medical devices market in terms of value. APEJ is expected to project high CAGR in terms of value and volume during the forecast period. The improved lifestyle of consumers has resulted in rising demand for consumer electronic appliances and mobiles, especially in China, ASEAN region and India. Japan has significant share in conductive inks market, which is attributed to the mature electronics market in the country.Request For TOC:Conductive Inks Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global conductive inks market are as follows:Henkel AG & Co. KGaADuPontMethode ElectronicsCreative Materials Inc.Nano DimensionConductive Compounds, Inc.TEKRA, A Division of EIS, Inc.Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.NovacentrixInkronTOYO INK GROUPABOUT 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: Burgeoning Geriatric Population Fuelling Demand in Global Eyewear Market https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1221342 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/5375/burgeoning-geriatric-population-fuelling-demand-in-global-eyewear-market http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global Eyewear Market with Focus on The Premium Eyewear (2017-2021 Edition) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.bizThe global eyewear market has made impressive strides over the years and is expected to grow at a healthy clip in the next couple of years too. The market has continued gaining pace in response to a number of growth drivers. A recent report by MarketResearchReports.biz, titled, Global Eyewear Market with Focus on The Premium Eyewear (2017-2021 Edition), furnishes crucial insights into the growth trajectory and competitive dynamics of the global eyewear market.At the forefront of driving growth in the global eyewear market is the increasing pool of elderly who often suffer from vision impairment on account cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Thanks to constant thrust on product development, special kinds of highly sophisticated eyewear have hit the market that is helping the elderly to regain proper vision. This coupled with increasing purchasing capacity of people is serving to drive the market. Other growth drivers in the global eyewear market are growing urbanization and awareness about various vision-related problems. In fact, surging popularity of eyewear as a fashion statement is particularly boosting the premium eyewear segment.Serving to hinder the global eyewear market, on the other hand, is the sale of illegal decorative lenses and lower priced non-branded products that are damping sales of branded stuff.The global market for eyewear can be broadly split into contact lenses and spectacles. The spectacles can be again segmented into spectacle lenses, sunglasses, spectacle frames, and ready-made reading glasses. At present, the segment of spectacles grosses maximum revenue as they are usually preferred to tackle various visual inaccuracies, namely myopia and hyperopia. This is because, despite being way more expensive than lenses, their replacement rate is lesser. Frames can be made of different materials such as plastic, nylon, metal, etc.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The report also divides the global eyewear market based on price points into entry level, mid, and premium segments. It offers a detailed reports of the premium eyewear market too.View Press Release @Based on geography, the key segments of the global eyewear market are North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. At present Asia Pacific holds a leading share in the global eyewear market on the back of fast-expanding developing economies of India and China. Rising wealth of the people along with the rising awareness resulting from marketing campaigns, promotions, and unveiling of advanced products every now and then is serving to boost the market in the region.Presence of a handful of prominent international companies and numerous local ones makes the global eyewear market fragmented. Some of the major players in the market, profiled in the report are Luxottica Group, Safilo Group, and Essilor International.About usMarketResearchReports.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.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Light-Emitting Diodes Asia-Pacific Market Trends and 2022 Forecast Reportsweb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001714319/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/asia-pacific-light-emitting-diodes-market-report-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001714319/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001714319/buy/4000 Asia-Pacific Light-Emitting Diodes market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Light-Emitting Diodes sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingPHILPSCOOPEROSRAMGE LightingWarom TechnologySenbenTorminOcean King LightingRequest a sample copy atGeographically, this report split Asia-Pacific into several key Regions, with sales (K Units) , revenue (Million USD) , market share and growth rate of Light-Emitting Diodes for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , includingChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanIndiaSoutheast AsiaAustraliaFor more information about this report atOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units) , revenue (Million USD) , product price (USD/Unit) , market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoOrganic Light-Emitting DiodesPolymer Light Emitting DiodesOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units) , market share and growth rate of Light-Emitting Diodes for each application, includinElectronic ProductsAutomotiveIndustrialOthersDiscount on report purchase atTable of Content1 Light-Emitting Diodes Overview2 Asia-Pacific Light-Emitting Diodes Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application3 China Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 Japan Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 South Korea Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Taiwan Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 India Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 Southeast Asia Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Australia Light-Emitting Diodes (Volume, Value and Sales Price)10 Asia-Pacific Light-Emitting Diodes Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data10.1 PHILPS10.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors10.1.2 Light-Emitting Diodes Product Category, Application and Specification10.1.2.1 Product A10.1.2.2 Product B10.1.3 PHILPS Light-Emitting Diodes Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)10.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview10.2 COOPER10.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors10.2.2 Light-Emitting Diodes Product Category, Application and Specification10.2.2.1 Product A10.2.2.2 Product B10.2.3 COOPER Light-Emitting Diodes Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)10.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview10.3 OSRAM10.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors10.3.2 Light-Emitting Diodes Product Category, Application and Specification10.3.2.1 Product A10.3.2.2 Product B10.3.3 OSRAM Light-Emitting Diodes Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)10.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview11 Light-Emitting Diodes Manufacturing Cost Analysis12 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers13 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders14 Market Effect Factors Analysis15 Asia-Pacific Light-Emitting Diodes Market Forecast (2017-2022)16 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase Complete Report 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 Toll Collection Market 2014-2020 Shares, Trend and Growth Report http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-76 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-76 www.futuremarketinsights.com Electronic toll collection system is an automated system, eliminating manual operations by toll payers and receivers. The global ETC market is expected to steer towards a strong double-digit growth rate in the coming five years (2015-2020). The primary drivers of the upcoming growth comprise the need to save travel time, cashless travel facility, the need to stop/minimize the traffic congestion and fast toll transaction. However, factors like high installation cost and a high dependence on government are hindering the growth of this market to some extent. The ETC market is expected to continue its rapid expansion to meet the surging demand for an improved, safe and secure infrastructure. The ETC system provides fast, efficient and cost-effective services. They have easy to operate buttons with a user-friendly design. They are also beneficial for traffic agencies and companies as these systems eliminate the need for multiple toll plazas, acting as a cost-saving factor for road operator agencies. Electronic toll collection systems have a positive impact on the environment as it reduces the amount of exhaust emitted from vehicles during start-up and stop at manual toll booths.The ETC market can be categorised into products, technologies, applications and geographies. Transponders, antennae, communication systems, treadles, inductive loops, scanning devices, weigh-in-motion devices, cameras and film storage devices are some of the major products of the system. An electronic toll collection system consists of various subsystems, such as automatic vehicle identification (AVI), automatic vehicle classification (AVC), back-office &integration and violation enforcement system (VES). These subsystems are useful for specific functions -AVI for vehicle identification, AVC for vehicle classification, toll collection transaction by integrating the back-office and payment system and VES to reduce unpaid tolls, by vehicle imaging.Request Report Sample@On the basis of technologies, the ETC market can be segmented into various categories, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), video analytics, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and global positioning system (GPS).Currently RFID and DSRC are the leading technologies. On the other hand, the GNSS and GPS are expected to show a high growth rate in following five years (2015-2020).Based on applications, the ETC market can be categorized into segments like highway, urban and bridges. Undoubtedly, ETC systems have been installed majorly on highways, but installation in urban areas and on bridges has a bright future opportunity.Geographically, the ETC market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Present market scenario represents a strong presence of ETC system in the US, Canada and Mexico in North America, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore in Asia Pacific, and the UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in Europe.Request For TOC@Some of the key players in the ETC market are Honeywell International, Inc., Transurban, Transtoll Pty Ltd., Transcore Holdings, Inc., Toll Collect GmbH, TRMI Systems Integration, Sensor Dynamics, Xerox Corporation, 3M, Connect East, EFKON, SAIC, DENSO, Q-Free, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Perceptics, Thales Group and Kapsch TrafficCom AG. The ETC ecosystem participants offer a wide range of solutions, such as software services and system integration and toll system operations including maintenance, payment handling and revenue assurance. It is the future solution to alleviating traffic congestion problems.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: NextGen Bioplastic Packaging: How Industry holding the Future of Packaging? http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11918 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com bioplastics are primarily a biodegradable group of polymers that can be manufactured from renewable sources. Conventional plastics are increasingly becoming unpopular due to the fact that they can last for a very long time, can be hazardous to current life and the ecosystem in general, and rely heavily on the oil and gas industry for raw materials. Conventional plastics are used in nearly all industries as material for casings, electronics, packaging, and many other products. This high volume of products made out of materials that will not be degraded for centuries is creating a high level of concern, especially in developing economies, and emerging ones are swiftly following suit.Statistics show that plastics are currently the third most commonly used byproducts from the oil and gas industry and the global consumption rate of plastics has crossed 200 mn tons per year. Several countries are banning the use of conventional plastic bags. Massive deposits of plastics in the ocean are responsible for the large scale death of marine and aerial species due to either ingestion or by getting stuck in them. Nations, individuals, and private agencies are protesting very strongly against the large scale use of plastics, while promoting the use of biodegradable plastics, or bioplastics. Bioplastics can be manufactured from naturally occurring polymer chains in agricultural waste, potatoes, corn starch, and cellulose. These plastics are completely biodegradable, have a far shorter lifespan than conventional plastics, and are already in large scale use in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, packaging, textiles, and agriculture.Request a PDF Sample atGlobal Bioplastic Packaging Market: OverviewPlastics have widespread applications across just about every imaginable human endeavor, and the packaging industry is a prime example. Plastics are among the most commonly used packaging materials today. Their high durability, eponymous plasticity, poor thermal and electrical conductivity, and impermeability to water have made the use of plastics essential in the packaging industry.Unfortunately, most plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals and are thus synthetic and nonbiodegradable. This has caused one of the most pressing environmental issues of today: Plastic waste. Plastic doesnt degenerate into the soil when discarded, and can cause soil pollution as well as posing a major threat to the health of any animals that may happen to consume it. Due to the close association of plastics with food packaging, many animals are attracted to plastic waste due to the presence of leftover food or a scent. Due to the insolubility of plastics in water, plastic waste also poses a threat to marine life.Bioplastics have been developed to eliminate the problems caused by conventional plastics. Bioplastics are made from biodegradable feedstock, which means they can degrade into the soil like any other organic matter. The global market for bioplastic packaging has been driven by the rising awareness among the global population about the adverse effects of conventional plastics, which has led to both consumers and regulatory bodies opt for bioplastics instead. Bio-PET and polylactic acid are the major types of bioplastics used for packaging around the world.Global Bioplastic Packaging Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major driver for the global bioplastic packaging market is the rising support given by governments encouraging the incorporation of bioplastics in place of conventional plastics. The net benefit to a country adopting bioplastics on a mass scale is prevention of the ecological damage that would have been caused by conventional plastics. Furthermore, this also removes the need for further resources to fix the damage.The growing awareness among the general population about the ecological impact of their lifestyles is another key driver for the global bioplastic packaging market. Bioplastic packaging can, in fact, be used as a USP by packaging companies targeting environmentally conscious consumers.On the other hand, even though bioplastics are biodegradable, they cant be degraded as easily as naturally occurring organic matter. Since they have to replace plastics in their applications, they need to possess similar qualities. This requires a particular molecular structure. Unfortunately, since microbes cant break down the similar structures in conventional plastics, it is also not easy for them to break down these structures in bioplastics.The need to balance the physical properties of plastics and the biodegradability of organic matter leads to high production costs, which leads to premium prices. Technological innovations and government incentives are likely to erase the price gap between conventional and bioplastics eventually, but the global bioplastics packaging market faces an uphill battle till then.Global Bioplastic Packaging Market: Geographical OverviewEurope is currently among the largest regional markets for bioplastic packaging. The EU has been supportive of several environmental protection initiatives and several countries in Europe have incentivized bioplastic packaging, driving the regional bioplastic packaging market. Once the price gap between bioplastics and conventional plastics is eradicated, Asia Pacific could make rapid progress in the global bioplastic packaging market.Key players in the global bioplastic packaging market are BASF SE, Koninklijke DSM N.V., NatureWorks, LLC, Metabolix, Inc., and The Dow Chemical Company.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.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: Battlefield Management Systems Market 2014-2020 Strategies and Forecast http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-211 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-211 www.futuremarketinsights.com Battlefield management systems provide accurate real-time information to military unit for effective decision making. These systems integrate information acquisition and processing to improve control and command of a military unit. Battlefield management systems (BMS) enable absolute situational awareness by efficiently displaying vital data to the field commander. This system offer integrated COP (common operating picture) with the help of collaborative planning tools. This helps tactical commanders to take knowledge based and responsive decisions and implement highly efficient control over operations in fluid and dynamic battlefield.The BMS aid soldiers in performing their tasks by displaying the command and control (C2) information related to different plan overlays, enemy troops, own troops and terrain features. In order to provide such data BMS consist of highly advanced hardware components and enhanced software. The main building blocks for battlefield management systems are a computer and touch screen. Keyboard is also incorporated in order to enter textual information into the BMS. BMS stations are connected to global positioning system receiver to obtain information regarding the present location. Sensors such as laser range finder can also incorporated in order to enhance the performance. BMS employ combat net radio communication for the distribution of information. However, LAN (local area network) and wireless LAN can also be used in more static environments.Request Report Sample@Foremost component in success of military operation is the capability to translate intelligence data into an information benefit that can be leveraged on the combat zone. In such a case BMS enable evaluation, real-time situational awareness and planning and eases implementation and orders of executive actions. It provides accurate information, virtual reconnaissance, flexible communications and dynamic situational awareness to the battlefield. It also improves operational tempo, intelligence surveillance, co-ordination, navigation, logistics management and alerts.BMS is highly mobile tactical control and command information system. It is integrated with decision making tools, weapon platforms and sensors. It also includes hand-held or wearable information systems with individual commander or soldiers and vehicle mounted information system. These are integrated via data enabled communication networks. BMS include several platforms such as air, land and naval platforms. Battlefield management systems consists of different subsystems including networking system and infrastructure-less communication, database server, application server, relational database management system, compute platforms, integrated GIS and GPS embedded systems. Trackers used in BMS are handheld systems provide individual dismounted soldiers accurate communication, precise information and tools to execute particular mission. Integrator used in BMS is a configuration that offers functionality of tracker with the extension of numerous operator capabilities and sensors. It has a server and several connected workstations. Integrator can be design for mobile and fixed applications.Request For TOC@Rising need to reduce friendly fire, improve military troop efficiency and security of military troops worldwide are some of the factors supporting the growth of BMS market. However, development of battlefield management systems offers several challenges in terms of interoperability, training, functionality, man machine interface, data communication and training.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Semiconductor Spintronics Market 2017 Emerging Trends Reportsweb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001825828/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/global-semiconductor-spintronics-market-research-report-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001825828/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001825828/buy/2900 Global Semiconductor Spintronics market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAdvanced MicroSensors, CorporationApplied Spintronics TechnologyAtomistix A/SCrocus TechnologyEverspin TechnologiesFreescale SemiconductorIntel CorporationNVE CorporationOrganic Spintronics s.r.lQuantumWise A/SRhomap LtdSpin Transfer TechnologiesSpintronics International PteRequest a sample copy atGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD) , market share and growth rate of Semiconductor Spintronics in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanFor more information about this report atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoClockwise SpinCounter Clockwise SpinOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales) , market share and growth rate of Semiconductor Spintronics for each application, includingData StorageElectric VehiclesIndustrial MotorsSemiconductor LasersMicrowave DevicesQuantum ComputingOtherDiscount on report purchase atTable of Content1 Semiconductor Spintronics Market Overview2 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Supply (Production) , Consumption,Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type6 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Market Analysis by Application7 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Advanced MicroSensors, Corporation7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Semiconductor Spintronics Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Advanced MicroSensors, Corporation Semiconductor Spintronics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Applied Spintronics Technology7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Semiconductor Spintronics Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Applied Spintronics Technology Semiconductor Spintronics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Atomistix A/S7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Semiconductor Spintronics Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Atomistix A/S Semiconductor Spintronics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Semiconductor Spintronics Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Semiconductor Spintronics Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase Complete Report atList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Semiconductor SpintronicsFigure Global Semiconductor Spintronics Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Semiconductor Spintronics Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of Clockwise SpinTable Major Manufacturers of Clockwise SpinFigure Product Picture of Counter Clockwise SpinTable Major Manufacturers of Counter Clockwise SpinFigure Global Semiconductor Spintronics Consumption (K Units) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Semiconductor Spintronics Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Data Storage ExamplesFigure Electric Vehicles ExamplesFigure Industrial Motors ExamplesFigure Semiconductor Lasers ExamplesFigure Microwave Devices ExamplesFigure Quantum Computing ExamplesFigure Other ExamplesFigure Global Semiconductor Spintronics Market Size (Million USD) , Comparison (K Units) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Semiconductor Spintronics Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure EU Semiconductor Spintronics Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Semiconductor Spintronics Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb 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 Focus of Enhancing Core Business Operations to Trigger Use of OSS BSS Software https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1217118 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/5379/focus-of-enhancing-core-business-operations-to-trigger-use-of-oss-bss-software http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global OSS BSS software market 2017-2021 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"MarketResearchReports.biz has itemized the addition of a new market research report to its report repository. The research publication is titled, Global OSS BSS software market 2017-2021. The market research report is a careful examination of the worldwide market with situating to the intentions at work and the ones that are tried to have a noteworthy impression, both advantageous and harming on the evolvement of the market. The impression of the issues can be both for the far reaching and petite term contingent upon the idea of the said advertise and the reasons in real life. The prompt standpoint of the first market players have likewise been considered in the report with suggestion to their products, publicizing and convincing approaches, and the level of rivalry among them.Operations support systems or OSS is a specialized software using which a telecom network aids various components inside the system such as provisioning services, service management, and network operations. On the other hand, business support systems or BSS is a type of software that manages tasks such as fraud management, order management, billing services, and customer support processes.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The report states that the global market for OSS BSS software is expected to witness a healthy 14.59% CAGR from 2017 to 2021. This report distinguishes the developing use of cloud-based business support systems (BSS) as one of the essential development factors for this market. Communication service provideers (CSPs) are progressively favoring SMEs to support their business and are giving merged interchanges innovation suites combined with cloud-based services to its customers. CSPs give a cloud-based BSS model to SMEs to guarantee better administration of assets as the model conveys business spryness and an adaptable IT foundation. The cloud-based model is equipped for defeating the complexities included in the installation of software, license management, and hardware.The main telecom administrators outsource a large portion of their administration functionalities, for instance, maintenance, network operation, operations, infrastructure, administration, and support to different merchants to lessen their operational costs because of low overall revenues. The OSS BSS programming can be legitimately taken care of via prepared workforce and the OSS BSS elements of the telecom specialist organizations can be outsourced to administered service providers.View Press Release @Based on product type, the global market for OSS BSS software can be segmented into BSS and OSS. Out of these two, OSS software helps in the easy and swift adoption of voice services and also delivers a provision for all users, reduces the time of reaction, and gathers user data. Region-wise, the market was led by America and is likely to remain the same in the long run owing to companies focusing on enhancing core business operations. The leading market players are Redknee, Netcracker Technology Corporation, Huawei Technologies, Ericsson, and AMDOCS, among several others.About usMarketResearchReports.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.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Remote Asset Management Market: Industry Research and Forecast Analysis 2017 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2126 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2126 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2126 Global Remote Asset Management Market: OverviewRemote asset management is the remote monitoring and maintenance of assets, equipment, and systems using a central system. Various functionalities of such a system include intrusion detection, asset control and tracking, and real-time notifications. A remote asset management system enables enterprises to automate several routine business tasks and make optimal use of resources, which helps simplify decision making. Driven by numerous operational and strategic benefits of remote asset management systems, they are increasingly being implemented by enterprises to improve service performance for all its assets.Massive advancement in IoT and machine learning technologies, coupled with constant digital transformation, has increased the capabilities of remote asset management. Adoption of remote asset management systems has helped businesses augment their return on investment (ROI).Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Remote Asset Management Market: Key TrendsSoaring adoption of IoT among organizations has led to a surge in connected devices that can integrate different elements of the asset lifecycle. This is a key factor propelling the remote asset management market. Declining cost of IoT components has spurred the demand for remote asset management systems worldwide. In addition, the increasing need for predictive and preventive maintenance and real-time monitoring across organizations has stimulated the demand for remote asset management system.Furthermore, the implementation of remote asset management systems has helped asset-intensive enterprises boost the returns on their investments, thereby accelerating the deployment of remote asset management solutions and platforms. The advent of cloud-based remote asset management solutions has made the deployment cost-effective, creating new opportunities for vendors in the market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Remote Asset Management Market: Market PotentialIn April 2017, Trimble Inc., headquartered in California, inked a partnership with Railhead Corporation, an emerging provider of digital video solutions in Illinois focused on the transportation industry, to integrate real-time monitoring, asset diagnostics, and onboard video capabilities in remote asset management system. The partnership will help in the optimal utilization of locomotive assets and enable end-use operators to improve productivity in North American railways.The collaboration will allow Railhead to get access to the Trimble R2M system to improve safety, tracking, and operations in rail operations. The R2M system helps in real-time monitoring of rail assets and provides condition-based reporting on the status of its various onboard systems. Fed by a wealth of real-time data from on-train event recording equipment, the system can deliver fault alerts to control rooms, which helps in proactive condition-based maintenance of train operations.Trimble R2M system was first launched in Europe a decade ago and has already been successfully adopted by big rail operators such as Greater Anglia in the U.K., the Irish Rail, and Varkaus Railways in Finland. The collaboration incorporates the integration of video data streams from Railheads locomotive digital video recorders (LDVR) with the real-time system data feeds from the Trimble R2M system. The integrated product portfolio further includes an end-to-end interface module and an onboard condition monitoring device. The solution is considered to be highly modular, which will help railway operators scale the solution according to their expanding requirements without significant up-front cost.Request TOC of the Report @Global Remote Asset Management Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, North America is a prominent market for remote asset management systems. The growth of the regional market is propelled by considerable advancement in IoT, rapid pace of digitization, and increasing adoption of real-time automated solutions across organizations. In addition, an increasingly large presence of regional solution providers who offer cloud-based remote asset management solutions is expected to trigger the demand for remote asset management in North America.Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is expected to expand at an impressive CAGR over the forecast period. The growth of the Asia Pacific market is attributed to growing popularity of IoT among businesses to manage and streamline their asset lifecycle.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Air Insulated Switchgear Market: Evolving Technology, Trends and industry Analysis 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2129 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2129 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2129 Global Air Insulated Switchgear Market: OverviewSubstations that employ air insulated switchgear primarily use air for phase to ground and phase to phase insulation and have been in operation years prior to the introduction of gas insulated switchgear substations. Air insulated switchgear substations are best fitted for expedited installations as they require less construction time. Moreover, it is easy to attend to faults as all the equipment are within view, thus helping with easy maintenance. Such substations are practically feasible because of the low cost of switchgear and construction and quality design. Furthermore, they are one of the first choices for areas with ample space.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Air Insulated Switchgear Market: Key TrendsThe international air insulated switchgear market is prognosticated to take precedence with a colossal growth expected to be witnessed on account of low capital investment and swelling investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure. The market growth could be hindered due to the threat of substitutes such as gas insulated switchgear which can be installed even underground apart from indoors because it is filled with sulfur hexafluoride and entirely sealed, whereas air insulated switchgear requires more space. Howbeit, air insulated switchgear finds usage in a range of different segments by voltage range, installation, and application, which opens up new avenues for players in the air insulated switchgear market.The indoor air insulated switchgear market is projected to record a faster growth rate as well as dominate other installation segments during the course of the forecast period 20172025. With their usage in applications related to the distribution, manufacturing and processing, infrastructure and transportation, and power generation sectors, air insulated switchgears of 3 kV36 kV are predicted to showcase both a faster and larger growth. By application, transmission and distribution is prophesied to rake in a handsome demand in the global air insulated switchgear market that is attributable to the rising attention on investments and renewable power generation.Request TOC of the Report @Global Air Insulated Switchgear Market: Market PotentialSiemens India had a perfect day at office in March 2017 when it won an INR 187.4 crore worth project in Dhaka from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB). The project is expected to incorporate the construction of 33/11 kV air insulated switchgear substations also in Chittagong and Sylhet. The share prices of the company had added 1.3% on a Friday. Siemens had quoted an INR 1,250.35 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), up by an INR 10.80, during the same period. The project is researched to use solutions and products that are all manufactured in Siemens India factories.Global Air Insulated Switchgear Market: Regional OutlookThe researchers envision six key regions, viz. Africa, South America, the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, which could set the tone for the world air insulated switchgear market. Out of these, Asia Pacific is foretold to outshine with a remarkable dominance and higher CAGR throughout the forecast period. Countries such as India and China and Southeast Asia are foreseen to be the major regions propelling the growth of the air insulated switchgear market in Asia Pacific. Besides this, the decent presence of manufacturing facilities, surge in transmission and distribution expenditure, and soaring power generation capacity are prognosticated to help Asia Pacific make a statement in the global air insulated switchgear market.Get a discount @Global Air Insulated Switchgear Market: Competitive LandscapeOne of the most frequently adopted strategies by the top companies in the international air insulated switchgear market could be agreements and contracts. However, they are anticipated to be followed by new product launches, acquisitions and mergers, and expansions. Some of the dominating players in the global air insulated switchgear market are Eaton Corporation PLC, General Electric Company, Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and ABB.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Cardiac Assist Devices Market 2015-2025 Industry Analysis, Trend and Growth http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-467 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-467 www.futuremarketinsights.com Heart Failure (HF) is a potentially life-threatening condition that weakens the heart muscle, reduces its ability to pump enough blood throughout the body. Even without a heart transplant, patients' lives can be extended and improved with the use of small, implantable devices called Cardiac Assist Devices.Cardiac Assist Devices (CAD) are type of mechanical pumps that work along with the heart to improve its pumping efficiency and maintain the optimum blood flow throughout the body. The devices are typically employed in patients suffering from End-Stage Congestive Heart Failure, where the chances of survival through oral medications alone become minimal. The scarcity of donor organs has led to the development of these devices.Globally, there are around 23 million cases of HF and around 5.8 million people in United States have HF. About half of the people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis.Request Report Sample@Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe Cardiac Assist Devices market is driven by aging population, increasing prevalence of HF, high adaptation rates of these devices, and new technology innovations.Increasing rates of cardiovascular diseases and aging population has boosted the cardiac assist devices market globally. The shortage of donor hearts for transplantation is also leading to an increase in adoption of cardiac assist devices in patients with end-stage heart failure.Cardiac assist devices are also being used as a Bridge-To-Transplantation (BTT), Bridge-To-Recovery (BTR) or Destination Therapy (DT), depending on the requirement of the patient and the severity of the disease. Technological advancements that make the devices more efficient and minimally invasive are expected to further drive the demand for cardiac assist devices in the future.Presence of alternative treatment like heart transplantation, pacemaker and etc. and the few risk which are associated with the device implantation, such as development of blood clots, respiratory failure and device failure and other surgical complications such as bleeding, kidney failure, stroke and infection. Such complication are acting as a barrier in the adoption of such treatment and devices.Cardiac Assist Devices Market: SegmentationThe global market of cardiac assist devices is segmented into following types:Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP)Total Artificial Heart (TAH)Further, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) are segmented into the following types based on the defect and placement of the device.Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)Right Ventricular Assist Device (RVAD)Bi-Ventricular Assist Device (Bi-VAD)External Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)Cardiac Assist Devices Market: OverviewWith rapid technological advancement and wide acceptance of cardiac surgery procedures among patients with heart problem, the global cardiac assist devices market is expected to exhibit a double-digit growth in the forecast period (2015-2025).With FDA approving SynCardia Systems Total Artificial Heart to conduct clinical studies on destination therapy, more and more end stage heart failure patient will be benefit from this nature of therapy and the market is expected to expand significantly in the forecast period.Request For TOC@Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global cardiac assist devices market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.North America is the leading markets for cardiac assist devices with highest prevalent cases with heart failure, technological development, high patient awareness and reimbursement coverage for CAD implantation procedures. Europe is the second largest market followed by Asia Pacific and Japan.Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in global cardiac assist devices market are Thoratec Corporation, MAQUET GmbH & Co., Teleflex Incorporated, Heart Ware International, Berlin Heart GmbH, ABIOMED and SynCardia Systems, Inc.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: Industry Survey and Outlook 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2132 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2132 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2132 Global Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: OverviewThe rising prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and growing population of geriatrics who are more prone to heart diseases, the demand in the market for blood flow measurement devices is swiftly incrementing. Devices such as ultrasound including Doppler and transit-time flow meters (TTFM) and laser Doppler are highly useful in measuring the blood flowing through cross section of blood vessel in a certain duration of time. Given the severe consequences of not being aware of blood pressure, medical practitioners are frequently suggesting the use of blood flow measurement devices and consumers are readily opting for it. As a result, the demand in the global blood flow measurement devices market is expected to increase at a steady rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: Key TrendsAs per a 2012 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 8,000,000 people in the U.S. were suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD), in which 12-20% of the population were older than 60 years of age. Apart from the prevalence of heart diseases and increasing number of people of over 60 years of age, the demand in the global blood flow measurement devices is also gaining traction from the escalating demand for advanced non-invasive devices, primarily across the developed regions. In addition to that, growing application of these devices for clinical purposes, for invasive and non-invasive procedures, ease of use, and technological advancements as a result of consistent focus from key players are some of the other factors driving the global blood flow measurement devices market. On the other hand, stringent regulations such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act in the U.S. and high cost of these devices is hindering the market for blood flow measurement devices to attain its full potential in the near future.Request TOC of the Report @Global Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: Market PotentialResearch and development of technologically advanced products including wearables, such as KYOCERAs optical blood-flow sensor, are opening new opportunities for the players in this market. Currently, the healthcare industry is flourishing and consumers are willing to pay extra for regular health check-ups and new products. The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) is also expected to have a positive vibe on the global blood flow measurement devices market, wherein customers can check their well-being on their smartphones, analyzing the data provided by the advanced blood flow measurement devices.Global Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: Regional OutlookCurrently, the developed regions of North America and Europe are the most lucrative region for the players in this market. Countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and France have robust healthcare infrastructure and high levels of awareness among the consumers related to the availability of blood flow measurement devices. On the other hand, several emerging economies in Asia Pacific, such as India, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia are actively improving their healthcare facilities. Players in the global blood flow measurement market see Asia Pacific as a potential future market and are actively pursuing steps to make a mark early, ahead of the competition.Get a discount @Global Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the leading companies currently operating in the global blood flow measurement devices market are Cook Medical Inc., ADInstruments, ArjoHuntleigh, Inc., Ace Medicals, Compumedics Ltd., AKW Medicals Inc., Atys Medical, Carolina Medical Inc., Biomedix Inc, Deltex Medical, BIOPAC Systems, Inc., Perimed AB, SONOTEC Ultraschallsensorik Halle GmbH, Medistim ASA, D E Hokanson Inc., Perimed AB, Moor Instruments Ltd., and Transonic Systems, Inc. Via product innovation and strategic mergers and acquisitions, these leading players aspire to stay ahead of their competitors.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Skin Replacement Market 2015-2025 Growth and Forecast http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-588 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-588 www.futuremarketinsights.com Skin is the largest organ in human body which is highly dynamic in nature. It is composed of two layers, the outer layer called epidermis and the inner layer called dermis. Its network of nerves, blood vessels and cells thus acting as a protective armor. It serves the body in diverse ways. Its of paramount importance owning to its protective functionality. The skins protective function creates a barrier for internal organs and tissues from toxins, disease-carrying microbes, heat and cold and other dangers present in the environment. It also plays a significant role in regulating the body temperature and preserving bodys fluid balance. Nerves within skin sense the presence of potentially harmful agents, such as bees, and immune cells in the skin help to fight against these malicious agents. For the aforementioned reasons, the loss of skin due to burns or trauma can cause a severe blow to the human body; leading to impairment or sometimes elimination of many vital functions which it typically performs.John F. Burke invented the first synthetic skin, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Artificial skin considered to be the Holy Grail in treating burn victims for more than hundred years till a flexible material was found. It protects against dehydration and infection, easy to produce from ordinary substance and is completely acceptable by the victims immune system. The artificial skin can be easily sterilized and usually stored at room temperature. Skin replacement represents a prospective source of advanced therapy in combating acute and chronic skin wounds. With the capability of large scale production and immediate availability for grafting, its potential for use is easy and relatively economic among the burn patients.Request Report Sample@Skin Replacement Market: Drivers & RestraintsMuch progress has been made toward the development of artificial skin replacement products. Continued research promises to bring more products to the marketplace, and each new product seems to develop a niche in the field of skin replacement. Increased life expectancy, increasing disposable income and favorable demographics are some of the key factors driving the growth of the global skin replacement market.Bioengineered skin replacements are continually being developed and improved. The next generation of skin replacements will probably evolve from lessons learned from our understanding of wound repair and regeneration. Competition from low-cost substitutes, lack of clinical support are probable factors restraining the growth of the global skin replacement market.Skin Replacement Market: SegmentationThe global skin replacement market is broadly classified on the basis of product type, material, end-use industry and geographies.Based on product type, the global skin replacement market is segmented into:EpicelIntegraBased on material, the global skin replacement market is segmented into:Spider silkCollagenBased on end use industry, the global skin replacement market is segmented into:ChemicalCosmeticPharmaceuticalSkin Replacement Market: OverviewThough skin replacement is a new technology for emerging economies, but in the developed nations the same technology is in use for few decades. With increasing disposable income and rising urbanization the acceptance of skin replacements is gaining popularity. The global skin replacement market is expected to expand at a promising CAGR during the forecast period (2015-2025).Skin Replacement Market: Region-wise OutlookSkin replacement market is still in its early stage of maturity. The global skin replacement market is expected to register an optimistic CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, global skin replacement market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.Request For TOC@Skin Replacement Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market participants in global skin replacement market are Cellular Dynamics International, Cynata Therapeutics Limited, Platelet BioGenesis, Tengion, TissueGene, Inc.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Critical Power and Cooling Market: Industry Research and Forecast Analysis 2017 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2138 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2138 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2138 Global Critical Power and Cooling Market: OverviewCritical power and cooling is a key aspect of the global data center industry. Thanks to the high volume of computing hardware required in data centers, power management becomes a crucial requirement for data centers. Ensuring sufficient cooling to enable steady performance is another requirement arising from the large-scale use of computing hardware and is likely to play an important role in the development of the global critical power and cooling market in the coming years. Efficient cooling has emerged as one of the most important needs in modern data centers, while eliminating fluctuations in the power supply is a long-term target of administrative agencies as well as the power industry, resulting in strong prospects for the global critical power and cooling market.Global Critical Power and Cooling Market: Key TrendsThe steady generation of digital data from an increasing number of avenues has driven the need for data centers across the world. This has subsequently driven the demand for critical power and cooling technologies, as power management and temperature regulation of the crucial hardware is a major concern for any data center operators. Power expenses take up a dominant share in the overall operational costs of data centers, while cooling is an essential need to ensure steady performance from computers. This is likely to remain the key driver for the global critical power and cooling market in the coming years.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the other hand, the lack of specialists in the field of critical power management is a key restraint hampering the growth prospects of the global critical power and cooling market. Due to the relative nascence of the critical power and cooling market, usage data illustrating the performance of power management systems has been slow in coming. Due to this, the critical power and cooling industry hasnt been consolidated sufficiently to produce a feasible supply line of competent technicians. This is likely to be a short-term restraint on the global critical power and cooling market in the coming years, though the increasing interest of key players in the data center industry in critical power and cooling technologies is likely to alleviate this concern.Global Critical Power and Cooling Market: Market PotentialRecent trends in the global critical power and cooling industry suggest the rise of green data centers is imminent. Scrutiny of the environmental impact of data centers has now led to an economic environment where innovative ways to construct data centers while minimizing their environmental impact has become possible. Nautilus Data Technologies, for instance, plans to construct data centers on floating barges in order to be able to utilize the water to cool equipment. This would cut cooling costs significantly. Innovations such as this are likely to occur at increasing frequency in the critical power and cooling market in the coming years. Environmental regulations are thus likely to play a key role in the development of the critical power and cooling market in the coming years.Request TOC of the Report @Global Critical Power and Cooling Market: Geographical LandscapeThe strong presence of computing and technology giants in the U.S. means North America is likely to retain the leadership of the critical power and cooling market in the coming years. Asia Pacific is also projected to play a key role in the development of the critical power and cooling market in the coming years due to the rising prominence of countries such as India in the global data center industry. The Asia Pacific critical power and cooling market is expected to exhibit the highest CAGR of all regional segments of the global market in the 2017-2025 forecast period.Get a discount @Global Critical Power and Cooling Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the competitive landscape of the global critical power and cooling market by profiling leading players operating in it. Some of the key critical power and cooling market players are General Electric Company, ABB, Critical Power, Eaton Corporation, Stulz GmbH, Cyber Power Systems, SPX Corporation, Siemens AG, Daikin Industries Ltd., Delta Electronic Inc., and Schneider Electric.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Hospital Tumor Marker Market Research Report by Geographical Analysis and Forecast to 2023 Hospital Tumor Marker Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hospital-tumor-marker-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4744 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Cancer is considered as the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality across the world and early detection of the same is essential for the best chance of prevention. Serum tumor markers are widely used in the diagnosis of cancer, monitoring of treatment and evaluation of cancer status. Tumor markers are the proteins that ideally confirm the presence of malignancy. Tumor markers are the substances that can be found in the body of cancer patients. Ideally, these substances would be found in higher quantities than normal amounts in the blood of the cancer patients compared to normal individuals. Each of these tumor markers has special properties and a variable usefulness in the diagnosis, screening, monitoring the reappearance of cancer, prognosis and response to therapy.This report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Hospital Tumor Marker Market:Most of the tumor markers are found in blood, but some of them are also found in the body fluid and urine. Among the various types of tumor markers, some of them are linked to only one type of cancer, while others can be found in various types of cancers. Different types of tumor markers that are found in the blood and urine include alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), bladder tumor antigen (BTA), CA15-3, CA27.29, CA 125, CA 19-9, calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), chromogranin A, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), immunoglobulins, inhibin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), NMP22, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP). Whereas, the tumor markers that are found only in the cancer include anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), HER2 (or HER2/neu, erbB-2, or EGFR2), hormone receptors and BRAF. The common cancer types for which these tumor markers are used for early detection and diagnosis include testicular cancer, colorectal malignancy, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer and liver cancer.The primary contributing factor for the growth of this market include rising number of cancer cases worldwide. Additionally, technological advancements, to identify the exact cause of cancer and increasing tumor markers applications would also drive the market in coming years. Moreover, rising demand for the cost effective, safer and efficient treatments for various cancer types, increasing government focus towards development of innovative diagnosis and treatment tools for malignancy further anticipated to boost the market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Hospital Tumor Marker Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Geographically, the North American region accounts for the largest market share of the overall hospital tumor marker market followed by the European region. The dominance of North America in this market is seen due to rapidly aging population and presence of various market leaders, which allows easy penetration in the North America region. In addition, rising number of patients seeking tumor marker diagnosis in this region would also anticipated to drive the market. The European hospital tumor marker market follows the North America market due to extensive government support for the development of innovative tools for cancer diagnosis. Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest growth rate in the near future due to rising population base and increasing awareness about the cancer diagnosis and prevention.Some of the major players operating in this market include Abbott Laboratories, Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Biomedical Diagnostics, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Siemens Healthcare, Targeted Diagnostics & Therapeutics, Epigenomics AG, Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Mackay Life Sciences, Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.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: Cryocooler Market Revenue, Opportunity, Segment and Key Trends 2017-2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2141 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2141 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2141 Global Cryocooler Market: OverviewA cryocooler has the ability to cool its interior environment and the global cryocooler market has been witnessing a steady rise in demand, especially from developed economies. There are numerous types of cryocoolers currently in use: Brayton cryocoolers, Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers, Stirling cryocoolers, Joule Thomson cryocoolers, and pulse-tube cryocoolers. Among these, Stirling cryocoolers are likely to witness a steady increase in demand owing to the many advantages they present to varied application areas. These benefits include compact size, high efficiency, lower need for maintenance, and reduced weight.The many services provided by players in the cryocooler market include customer training, product repair and refurbishment, preventive maintenance, and technical support. As far as application is concerned, cryocoolers are being used in industries such as energy, research and development, military, medical, commercial, space, environmental, and transport. The military sector has been a key consumer of cryocoolers and has, as a result, emerged as a key contributor toward the growth of the global market. The medical sector is also a leading segment, wherein cryocoolers are used in a number of medical devices such as MRI machines, for organ storage, and for cryosurgery.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Cryocooler Market: Key TrendsThe global cryocooler market is primarily driven by the rising demand for medical systems and a dearth of helium. The market is also propelled by the use of cryocoolers in microsatellites and space systems. Expanding defense budgets and rising investments in the defense technology are supporting the implementation of cryocoolers in the military sector. On the flip side, however, the market is likely to be hindered by the high cost of cryocoolers. In addition to this, the high consumption of power will prove to be a hindrance.Global Cryocooler Market: Market PotentialConsidering the immense potential this market presents, companies are partnering with government and research organizations in order to expand their operations. A case in point would be Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, who was awarded the US$18 mn contract to design, test, and deliver a cryocooler for NASA. Developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the innovative cryocooler will be launched in 2018 and will be used in the Landsat-9 spacecraft to freeze the Space Telescopes mid-infrared instrument (MIRI).Request TOC of the Report @Companies are also expanding their operations and end-use portfolios by shifting focus on new and emerging cryocooler markets and by offering a wider range of systems and services respectively. For instance, Japan-based Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. recently expanded its business in China and set up a much larger facility in Shanghai. The firm also offers customers a number of value-added services and after-sales services. This has enabled it to strengthen its foothold in the cryocooler market.Global Cryocooler Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the cryocooler market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America accounts for a significant share in the global market. While the use of cryocoolers in the medical sector is a key factor driving the North America market, the increasing use of these systems in the military sector is likely to offer potential for growth. In the medical industry, cryocoolers are used for proton therapy in treating cancer; in the military sector, they are being used for missile guidance and satellite monitoring. In November 2015, the USS Gerald R Ford - the U.S. Navys aircraft carrier - was installed using cryocooler technology.Get a discount @During the course of the forecast period, the Asia Pacific cryocooler market is slated to witness strong growth as well. This can be attributed to the rising usage of cryocoolers in space, medical, research and development, and military applications.Companies mentioned in the reportAdvanced Research Systems, Inc., Sunpower, Inc., Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., Cryomech, Inc., Chart Industries, Inc., DH Industries BV, Superconductor Technologies Inc., Janis Research Company LLC, and Brooks Automation Inc. are some of the leading players operating in the global cryocooler market. The vendor landscape of this market comprises hardware component manufacturers, prototype designers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Analysts have observed that a number of companies are focused on expanding their application portfolio into the energy and military sectors, recognizing the potential of cryocoolers here.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023 Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/motor-neuron-diseases-treatment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4753 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Cells of the body responsible for voluntary activity such as walking, speaking, and swallowing are known as motor neurons. Group of disorders that affect particularly to motor neurons are referred as motor neuron disorders (MND). Motor neuron disorders are progressive in nature that destroys motor neurons and eventually leads to death. Common causes of motor neuron diseases (MND) include, sensitivity to glutamate, presence of aggregates in motor neurons, toxic waste, abnormal mitochondria, lack of nutrients and family history of motor neuron diseases.Due to lack of motor neuron disease specific treatment, present cases of motor neuron diseases are treated based on the above mentioned symptoms. Riluzole is the only medication available in the market that has shown significant effects on lowering the progression of motor neuron diseases in clinical trials. There is no diagnostic test available for motor neuron diseases (MND). In most of the cases, diagnosis of motor neuron disease is done by physicians and neurologists based on the presence of symptoms. However, to rule out the possibility of presence of other medical conditions, many tests such as complete blood count (CBC), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), muscle biopsy, electromyography (EMG), and lumbar puncture are performed.This report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market:Rising incidences of chronic diseases globally, rapidly developing medical science and rising awareness about motor neuron diseases are some of the factors that are driving the global motor neuron diseases market towards growth. While on the other hand, lack of disease specific treatment and lack of diagnostic tests are some of the major factors that are restraining the growth of the global motor neuron disease treatment market.Geographically, the global motor neuron disease treatment market is classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). North America is dominating the global motor neuron disease treatment market. Europe is the second largest market in the global motor neuron disease (MND) treatment market. Availability of well structured regulatory framework, highly advanced healthcare infrastructure, higher healthcare spending and availability of reimbursement coverage are some of the factors that are fuelling the growth of the motor neuron disease treatment market in North America and Europe. Asia Pacific is expected to show faster growth rate in the global motor neuron disease treatment market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Motor Neuron Diseases Treatment Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Rapidly developing healthcare infrastructure, government support to boost healthcare industry in the Asian countries on the ground of rapidly growing medical tourism industry in this region are some of the factors that are expected to augment the growth of motor neuron disease treatment market in this region. India, Japan and China are the most attractive markets for motor neuron disease treatment market owing to rapidly growing medical tourism industry in these countries. Mexico, Argentina and Brazil are the countries in the Rest of the World (RoW) region that are expected to show faster growth rate in motor neuron disease treatment market than African countries in this region.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.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: Antisense and RNAi Therapeutics Market Research Report by Key Players Analysis 2023 Antisense and RNAi Therapeutics Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/antisense-rnai-therapeutics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4949 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The rising incidence of coronary artery diseases, cardiac ailments, and neurodegenerative and infectious diseases has led to the demand for antisense and RNai therapeutics. The market exhibits a strong pipeline of product and is looking forward to introduce several advancements in the RNAi drug delivery technology. These factors will act as high growth rendering drivers in the coming years.The global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market is still at a nascent stage, however, will product approvals on cards, the market is forecast to report strong growth between 2015 and 2023. Market players are expecting lucrative prospects as collaborations between RNA licensing therapeutic developers and pharmaceutical giants gain pace.The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market covering present product portfolio and those in pipeline. Factors influencing the markets trajectory over the forecast period are studied in detail. Information included in the report is obtained via trusted industrial sources and substantiated using decisive data. Information comprised in the report is thus intended to help stakeholders gain a better perspective of the global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market.This report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Antisense and RNAi Therapeutics Market:Besides collaborations between therapeutic developments and pharmaceutical companies, alliances are taking place between operating entities and outsourcing partners. These alliances have allowed operating entities outsource research and licensing activities to third-party partners while focusing on their core competencies. These recent trends, as per industry veterans, hold strong growth potential for the overall market.Moreover, the discovery of ribonucleic acid silencing has paved avenues for treatments, which are developed using interference mechanism of RNA. However, the market is yet to pick desired pace, as complexities with regards to delivering target molecules to target organs continue to haunt scientists and drug developers. Nevertheless, with the advent of novel nano-technology oriented techniques, which exhibited higher efficacy in target delivery, has enabled the industry exhibit positive trajectory. Also with the implementation of favorable government initiatives and as a result of external funding, the global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market will exhibit strong growth in the coming years.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Antisense and RNAi Therapeutics Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:The global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market can be broadly classified under North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific based on region. Of these, North America has showcased the most lucrative opportunities in the past and has thus contributed a considerable share to the overall industry. The region boasts a rising number clinical trials and government policies therein support the process of initiation for developing antisense therapeutics. Besides this, a large number of clinical laboratories are engaged in research and development activities in the field, which has warranted significant growth to the North America market in the coming years. It is important to note here, that clinical laboratories in North America also contribute to revenue generation via product and platform licensing. The potential commercialization of a few candidates under research and development will help the antisense and RNAi therapeutics market to pick up pace in North America in the near future.However, in the period post commercialization of these therapies, opportunities in Asia Pacific are expected to get more lucrative, exhibiting a higher growth rate. The rising government spending toward research and development in topical, besides other forms of siRNA delivery techniques is a strong factor aiding the markets trajectory in Asia Pacific.Isis Pharmaceuticals, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Silence Therapeutics, Antisense Therapeutics, Santaris, and miRagen Therapeutics are some of the leading players in the global antisense and RNAi therapeutics market. To gain a stronger foothold, these companies are majorly focusing on strategic collaborations and licensing deals.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.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: Elemental Analysis Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023 Elemental Analysis Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/elemental-analysis-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=5144 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Elemental analysis is a process of detection and quantification of elemental compounds, molecular species and elements. This analysis technique is a part of analytical chemistry and can be qualitative and quantitative in nature. Sample types tested for trace elements comprises of aqueous, non-aqueous, organic and non-organic materials. For organic chemists, elemental analysis refers to CHNX analysis, which is used to determine the purity and structure of a compound. In this technique, a sample is burnt in excess of oxygen and thereby collecting combustion products like carbon dioxide, nitric acid and water. The masses of these products are used to determine composition of the sample. Ultra trace analysis and elemental trace analysis detection range from parts per million (ppm), to parts per billion (ppb) and parts per trillion (ppt) levels, using updated techniques and instruments. Some of the major technologies used for elemental analysis include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, X-ray Fluorescence and X-ray Diffraction among others.This report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Elemental Analysis Market:Some of the key driving factors for elemental analysis market are increasing concern for food safety, increasing usage of X-ray fluorescence in clinical research and growing R&D funding in life sciences. Moreover, this technology has a wide range of application areas in different segments of industry and thus has a major market worldwide. There are other geographical drivers which are also responsible for the growth of the market. In addition, demand from emerging markets across India and China are expected to create opportunities for elemental analysis market in the future. However, high cost of elemental analyzers and urge for efficient professionals act as major restraints to the growth of the market.Global elemental analysis market can be broadly classified on the basis of types, technology, applications and geography. By types, the market for elemental analysis is segmented into organic and inorganic. The market is divided by technology into destructive and non-destructive technologies. Moreover, elemental analysis has different application areas including food and beverage testing, life sciences, environment testing and geology among others.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Elemental Analysis Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Currently North America is dominating the market for elemental analysis in terms of revenue, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. The major factor responsible for immense development of elemental analysis market in North America is rapid technological advancement of this technique in various application areas, such as food and beverage, biotechnology, chemical and semiconductor industries among others. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at a significant rate in the future, primarily due to increasing awareness for elemental analysis in China and India coupled with rising demand from applied markets. Furthermore, strategic expansion by manufacturers in China and use of modern analysis technique in Chinese medicines are likely to develop the market for elemental analysis in Asia Pacific.Some of the key players in this market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), AMETEK, Inc. (U.S.), PerkinElmer, Inc. (U.S.), Bruker Corporation (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Elementar Group (Germany) and Rigaku 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. 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.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: Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market Research Report by Geographical Analysis and Forecast to 2025 Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/lung-cancer-therapeutics-markets.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=5153 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Abnormal cell growth can lead to cancer. Cells that grow uncontrollably invade nearby tissues and further spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system. Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in lungs. There are three major types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and lung carcinoid tumor. Non-small cell lung cancer is the common type of lung cancer. About 85% of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers. Common symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, chest pains, weight loss, and shortness of breath. Lung cancer can be treated through various types of therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, vaccines, and immunotherapies.According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer. The global lung cancer therapeutics market is expected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period due to the increase in incidence of lung cancer. Cigarette smoking, pipes, cigar smoking, and constant exposure to asbestos are the key factors that can cause lung cancer. Prominent factors driving the global lung cancer therapeutics market include increase in geriatric population and rise in prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles. Availability of generic drugs, poor cancer diagnostic facilities in many countries, high cost and the adverse effect of radiation and chemotherapies are the factors likely to restrain the global lung cancer therapeutics market during the forecast period.This report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market:The global lung cancer therapeutics market can be segmented based on chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and geography. Based on chemotherapy, the global lung cancer therapeutics market can be categorized into Gemzar, Alimta, Paraplatin, Taxotere, Navelbine, and others. Chemotherapy is usually based on the combination of drugs. In terms of targeted therapy, the global lung cancer therapeutics market can be divided into Avastin, Tarceva, Iressa, Gilotrif, and others. Based on radiotherapy, the global lung cancer therapeutics market can be segregated into external beam radiotherapy, internal radiotherapy, and systemic radiotherapy.Geographically, the lung cancer therapeutics market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America is expected to dominate the global lung cancer therapeutics market in the near future, due to extensive technological advancements in the region.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market:Europe is anticipated to be the second largest market for lung cancer therapeutics owing to the large government funding in the field of research and development of novel drugs and technological advancements in the fields of cancer. The global lung cancer therapeutics market in Asia Pacific is estimated to expand at a rapid pace the during the forecast period primarily owing to the development in healthcare facilities, rise in awareness about health, and increase in government funding. In terms of revenue, the lung cancer therapeutics market in China and India is likely to expand significantly owing to the increase in population, development of economies, rise in prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle, and surge in air pollution.Key players operating in the global lung cancer therapeutics market are adopting various strategies such as acquisition and mergers, development of new and efficient drugs, geographical expansion, and strong research and development activities in order to maintain their position in the market. Prominent players operating in the global lung cancer therapeutics market include F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., AstraZeneca plc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Sanofi, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Agennix AG, and Eli Lilly and Company.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.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 Commercial Wood-fired Pizza Ovens Market to grow at a CAGR of 10.16% during the period 2017-2021 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1249637 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1249637/global-commercial-wood-fired-pizza-ovens-market-research-reports https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/237 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1249637 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global Commercial Wood-fired Pizza Ovens Market 2017-2021 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"DescriptionAbout Commercial Wood-Fired Pizza OvensCommercial wood-fired pizza ovens are used in commercial kitchens to make pizza. In these ovens, wood is burned to provide sufficient heat. Commercial wood-fired pizza ovens are mostly dome-shaped to ensure uniform heat distribution. Commercial wood-fired pizza ovens are mostly made of brick or clay. They can also be made with steel. Pizzas made in commercial wood-fired pizza ovens have a unique flavor compared to pizzas made in other commercial ovens. The heat generated by burning wood is spread inside the commercial wood-fired pizza oven and can be absorbed by the walls. Thus, a high temperature can be maintained in commercial wood-fired pizza ovens.Get Sample copy of this Report @Technavios analysts forecast the global commercial wood-fired pizza ovens market to grow at a CAGR of 10.16% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global commercial wood-fired pizza ovens market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the sales of new units of commercial wood-fired pizza ovens to the end-users.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Commercial Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens 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 vendorsFONTANA FORNIForno BravoLe PanyolMugnaini ImportsThe Stone Bake Oven CompanyView Report @Other prominent vendorsCalifornoEarthstone Wood-Fire OvensForza ForniGourmet Wood Fired OvensMarra ForniThe Bushman - Wood Fired OvenTraditional Brick OvensWachtelWood StoneMarket driverGrowing preference for artisan flavored pizzaFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHigh maintenance and independent ventilation requiredFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendAdvances in technology used in commercial wood-fired pizza ovensFor a full, detailed list, view our reportBrowse more Foodservice Market Research Reports @Key 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 outlineRequest For Enquiry @PART 05: Market landscapeMarket overviewMarket size and forecastComparative analysisFive forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by productMarket overviewCommercial black wood-fired pizza ovensCommercial white wood-fired pizza ovensPART 07: Geographical segmentationOverviewCommercial wood-fired pizza ovens market in AmericasCommercial wood-fired pizza ovens market in EMEACommercial wood-fired pizza ovens market in APACPART 08: Key leading countriesUSAustraliaItalyPART 09: Decision frameworkPART 10: Drivers and challengesMarket driversMarket challengesPART 11: Market trendsAdvances in technology used in commercial wood-fired pizza ovensGrowing focus toward customized models of commercial wood-fired pizza ovensUse of commercial wood-fired pizza ovens for making other productsPART 12: Vendor landscapeCompetitive scenarioPART 13: Key vendor analysisFONTANA FORNIForno BravoLe PanyolMugnaini ImportsThe Stone Bake Oven CompanyOther prominent vendorsAbout usMarketResearchReports.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.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Surface Mount Technology Market Revenue, Opportunity, Segment and Key Trends 2017-2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2090 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2090 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2090 Global Surface Mount Technology Market: OverviewDevelopment of surface mount technology (SMT) has been nothing short of revolution as far as electronic circuits are concerned, taking it past the limitations of traditional thru-hole soldering methods and significantly helping in the miniaturization of electronic devices. Via surface mount technology, electronic circuit components can be placed directly over the surface of the printed circuit boards (PCBs) and currently, nearly all electronic hardware that are produced utilize SMT. As per the requirement, surface mount technology works on advanced principles and employs different soldering equipment, which in turn offers more electrical conductivity and improves reliability of the electronic devices in comparison to thru-hole soldering technology. With ubiquity of electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, television, and tablets, the demand in the global surface mount technology is expected to expand at a robust rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Key TrendsIncrementing demand for smart gadgets is the primary driver of this market as it is essential for printed circuit boards, besides the recent increase in the number of contract manufacturers for the production of large batches of various components of electronic devices. The trend of miniature and portable devices that are light weight as well as efficient is another important factor driving the demand in the global surface mount technology. The escalating demand for of LCD/LED televisions, LED and CFL lighting, and 3G telecom network are also expected to positively reflect on the market. Conversely, high cost of SMT system and their lack of ability to withstand high power of high voltage is hindering the growth rate of the market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Market PotentialThe demand for SMT is expected to gain new opportunities from the increasing use of X-ray inspection equipment for disease diagnostics and automatic optical inspection (AOI). In addition to that, application of electronics in the defense, healthcare, aerospace, and automotive industries is also opening new revenue avenues for the players in the surface mount technology market. Additionally, SMT vendors are aggressively investing on the research and development of new products to meet the end users demands, which also promises well for this market. For instance, ASMPT, a prominent company in the global SMT market, has decides to invest nearly 10% of its revenue for the development of customized SMT solutions.Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Regional OutlookWith vast population base and increasing disposable income among the urban population, Asia Pacific is currently the most lucrative region for the players in this market and is expected to remain the leading region throughout the forecast period. India, China, South Korea, and Japan are some of the key country-wide markets for surface mount technology in Asia Pacific. On the other hand, North America and Europe are also expected to extend the demand in the near future, although at a significantly lower growth rate as compared to Asia Pacific. The Middle East and Africa as well as rest of the world are also expanding the demand in the global SMT market.Get a discount @Global Surface Mount Technology Market: Competitive LandscapeDue to minimal difference between the products, the competition between various vendors in the global surface mount technology is intense, and escalating with reduced prices. Acquisition of smaller companies in order to add to enhance product portfolio and other modes of business consolidation are common strategies adopted by the key players to stay of the competition. Some of the leading companies in the global SMT market are CyberOptics Corporation, Mycronic AB, ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Electro Scientific Industries Inc., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Fuji Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Juki Corporation, Nordson Corporation, Viscom AG, and Orbotech Ltd.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Refrigerated Vehicles Market is Progressing Towards a Strong Growth by 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/refrigerated-vehicles-market.asp http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3595 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3595 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Refrigerated vehicles are used for transportation of vulnerable food, pharmaceutical and healthcare products. The increasing population and consumer spending on food products has surged their production globally. Among food products, dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables require cold storage and transportation for their sustainability. The increasing global warming has been emerging as a matter of great concern for the food producers globally which is reducing the shelf life of these products in non-refrigerated conditions. Most of the pharmaceutical and healthcare products need protection from heat and light to maintain their chemical and biological formulation. All these concerns have been driving the refrigerated vehicles market globally and are expected to increase in terms of growth rate during 2014-2020.To view complete report @Refrigerated vehicles include a large types of vehicles used in several transportation requirements based on loading requirement. Some of their types include refrigerated vans, refrigerated trucks, refrigerated trailers, refrigerated railcars, refrigerated ships, refrigerated transport by air, refrigerated containers, atmosphere controlled containers, intermodal refrigerated containers, insulated containers, integral reefer containers and multimodal temperature containers. The increasing consumer awareness about fresh products is one of the important factors which have been escalating the demand for refrigerated vehicles globally.A sample of this report is available upon request @The developing and underdeveloped countries have an underdeveloped cold-supply chain infrastructure which leads to destruction of a large quantity of food products every year. This also increases warehousing charges of the food manufacturers and the distributors as they have to maintain local distribution points in the area of demand. The growing population and increasing per capita income in these countries is boosting the demand for food products which is further creating demands for the refrigerated vehicles in these countries. The dairy product consumption in Asia Pacific countries have also been increasing to a great extent in recent times. The pharmaceutical and healthcare industries have also been growing at a rapid pace in these developing countries which is creating demand for the refrigerated vehicles in this domain as well. The shortage of skilled labor and unstable fuel prices are the key hurdles for the refrigerated vehicles market. The companies operating in the refrigerated vehicles market are improving the fuel efficiency and noise reduction of these vehicles.There have been several technology development and introduction in the recent times by the refrigerated vehicle manufacturers. They include CorroGuard and ThermGuard by Great Dane, Strip door solution for refrigerated trucks by R.O.M, GRIPTM by RTE, LED based indicator by Carrier, economical cold plates by Johnson, reefer monitoring system by PAR, reefer-trak sentry solutions by Star-Trak, Secureseal system by OEM Group, new alternator by Robert Bosch and Fleetview by Terion.Among regions, North America dominated global sales of refrigerated vehicles market, followed by Europe. There are a large number of market players in the refrigerated vehicles market which are operating in a particular country or globally through their subsidiaries. The global refrigerated vehicles market is fragmented however; it is increasingly advancing towards consolidation with a number of companies engaged in merger and acquisition activities.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The key market players include Great Dane Trailers, Ingersol Rand Company Limited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited, Schmitz Cargobull, R.O.M., Thermo King, Carrier Transicold, Johnson, PAR, Star-Trak, GE, OEM Group, Robert Bosch, Terion, Northgate Plc and Fraikin Limited.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: Now Available - Worldwide Mattress And Furniture Bags Market Report 2017-2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3427 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3427 www.futuremarketinsights.com Mattress and furniture bags are used to store and wrap around mattresses and furniture, especially for transit or storage. They are used to protect the products from exposure to dust, soil, light, water and moisture. Rapid urbanization and improvement in standard of living has led to an increase in the number of people moving homes on a given day. Across the world, millions of people are known to move to a new home, on any given day, thereby increasing the demand for solutions to keep heavy products like furniture and mattresses safe from physical and chemical harm. The preference for these bags is attributed to their flexibility and shapes. They come in various sizes and shapes, designed to match the shape of their contents, thereby reducing the extra space that other forms of packaging take, such as large cardboard boxes. Attributed to the protection that they provide to the contents, and the ease of unpacking them, the global mattress and furniture bags market is expected to rise over the forecast period.Mattress and Furniture Bags Market: DynamicsUrbanization has been known to have emerged as a rapid process with the fast changing technology and increasing disposable income. According to a UN report, the world is projected to have around 40 megacities, by 2030, with more than 10 million inhabitants each. 2.5 billion people are expected to be added to the global urban population by 2050. In addition to that, globalization has led to an increase in job opportunities, leading to many people deciding to move homes. Also, holidaying has emerged as a trend over the past couple of decades, resulting in families staying away from homes for long durations, during which, there are chances of bug and termite infestations in mattresses and furniture. They can be prevented by using mattress and furniture bags. The continuous evolution of the standard of living leads people to incline more towards materialistic comfort and convenience goods. Mattress and furniture bags occupy relatively less space and are easier to handle and move. All these are expected to fuel the global mattress and furniture bags market. Despite these factors, there are other potential restraints for the global mattress and furniture bags market, such as, the usage of other forms of packaging, which may be cardboard boxes and thermocole.Request Report Sample@Mattress and Furniture Bags Market: SegmentationThe global mattress and furniture bags market is segmented as follows: -For mattress:On the basis of packaging type:ZippedUnzippedOn the basis of Raw Material:PlasticOthersOn the basis of End Use:ResidentialInstitutionalIndustrialCommercialOn the basis of Size:Single/Twin size (75 x 39)Full size (74 x 44)Queen size (60 x 80)King size (76 x 80)California King size (72 x 84)CustomizedOn the basis of thickness:Standard (1 2 mil)Tough ( > 3 mil)For furniture:On the basis of size:Standard furniture sizeCustomizedOn the basis of application:For SofaFor ChairOthersOn the basis of thickness:1 mil2 mil3 mil and aboveMattress and Furniture Bags Market: Geographical and Competitive dynamicsNorth America is expected to lead the global mattress and furniture bags market over the forecast period, owing to a higher consumer base, followed by Western and Eastern Europe. APEJ region is expected to register the highest CAGR, owing to a significant amount of domestic migration, fueled by an increasing inclination towards urban centers. Especially in emerging economies such as India, as much 1/5th of its population is expected to be added to the middle class by 2030, leading to an increase in the number of domestic migrants to metropolitan and urban places.Visit For TOC@Key PlayersSome of the players in the global mattress and furniture bags market are Britwrap protective packaging store, U-Haul International, Inc., FOUR STAR PLASTICS, Duo Plastics Limited, International Plastics Inc. etc.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 Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Market 2017 Top Players - TOYOTA, BYD, Tesla, Nissan, BMW, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Renault, BAIC, GM, Ford, JAC, Yutong, SAIC, Zhong Tong, ZOTYE, KANDI, King-long, VOLVO, Mercedes-Benz, Chery, Audi http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1220098 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-hybrid-cars-and-evs-sales-market-report-2017-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1220098 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Hybrid Cars and EVs 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Hybrid Cars and EVs for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Hybrid Cars and EVs market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Hybrid Cars and EVs sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingTOYOTABYDTeslaNissanBMWMitsubishiVolkswagenRenaultBAICGMFordJACYutongSAICZhong TongZOTYEKANDIKing-longVOLVOMercedes-BenzCheryAudiOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoHEVPHEVEVOn 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 Hybrid Cars and EVs for each application, includingHome UseCommercial UseBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Market Report 20171 Hybrid Cars and EVs Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Hybrid Cars and EVs1.2 Classification of Hybrid Cars and EVs by Product Category1.2.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 HEV1.2.4 PHEV1.2.5 EV1.3 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Home Use1.3.3 Commercial Use1.4 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market by Region1.4.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Hybrid Cars and EVs Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Hybrid Cars and EVs (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4 Global Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume) by Application3 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Players5.3 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Application6 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.3 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)6.2 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Players6.3 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Type6.4 Japan Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Application7 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7.1 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Value (2012-2017)7.1.1 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.2 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.3 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)7.2 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Players7.3 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by Type7.4 Southeast Asia Hybrid Cars and EVs Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationMake 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 @ New Research Report on Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Market, 2017-2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3527 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3527 www.futuremarketinsights.com Packaging products made of eco-friendly material are gaining popularity as market players are adapting to sustainable packaging methods. Products and materials sold in the consumer markets, which have served their intended purpose or completed their life cycle are sent to material recovery facilities (MRFs). Packaging products made of plastic materials recovered from MRFs contribute to the category of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging. One of the prominent material which is being recycled is the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. PET plastic is the most widely used and accepted plastic, as it is quite easy to recycle and can be recycled more than once, thus promoting the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market. Recycled products have many environmental benefits and are being preferred by the manufacturers adopting sustainable principles. The increased demand for packaging products produced using recycled content has also propelled the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market.Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Market- Market Dynamics:A major factor supporting the growth of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market is the improved material sorting infrastructure across many significant regions like U.S., Canada and Western Europe. The global market for post-consumer recycled plastic packaging is witnessing the incorporation of new material processing technologies for manufacturing of post-consumer recycled products and materials. Light weight nature of recycled plastic is another factor fuelling the growth of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market. The growth of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market is propelled by certain properties of recycled plastic such as strength and crack-resistance. Another prominent factor promoting the growth of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market is the environmental friendly property of the plastic. However, the shortfall in supply has restricted the growth prospects for post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market. FDA regulations applicable to packaging of food products across geographic regions are a matter of concern for market players operating in the global post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market.Request Report Sample@Manufacturers are identifying new infrastructure for segregating and collecting mixed plastics at the recovery facilities in order to implement appropriate sorting mechanism. Effectiveness of the selection process plays a vital role in the amount of materials recovered in these facilities.Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Market- Market Segmentation:The post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market can be segmented on the basis of product type, material type, process type and end use. On the basis of product type, the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market can be segmented into bottles, cups, containers (jars and tubs), bags, clamshells and blister packs. Mostly all the recycled plastic packaging products are thermoformed and the FDA approved products are even safe for direct food contact. On the basis of material type, the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market can be segmented into PET (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high density polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene). PET plastic is expected to be the major contributor due to its abundance availability and ease in processing technology. On the basis of process type, the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market can be segmented into mechanical (melting and refining) process and chemical process. On the basis of end use, the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market can be segmented into beverage (bottle and dairy products), electronics, home care, pharmaceuticals, and personal care.Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Market- Regional Outlook:Geographically, the post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is the leading manufacturer of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market as U.S. and Canada have taken major steps to initiate material sorting infrastructures in the regions and is anticipated to witness a healthy growth. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness a significant growth over the forecast period driven by the developments in China and India.Visit For TOC@Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Market- Key Players:Some of the key players of post-consumer recycled plastic packaging market are Placon Corporation Inc., Seventh Generation Inc., Amcor Rigid Plastics USA Inc., Genpak, LLC, Papier-Mettler, Inhaber Michael Mettler e.K., Tray-Pak Corporation, Alpha Packaging, Inc., and Eco-Products, Inc.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: Aircraft Tyres Market to Witness Steady Expansion by 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/aircraft-tyres-market.asp www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4260 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4260 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Aircraft tyres are one of the most highly engineered products having significant complexity which require large number of raw materials pertaining to steel, cord fabric, artificial and natural rubber and other chemicals. Aircraft tyres have cords which serve as the reinforcing materials in the tyre that provide dimensional stability, supporting the aircraft weight, as well as keeping the tyres in shape different road conditions. Aircraft tyres play a vital role in the performance of the aircraft. Various reinforcement constructions are needed for different types of aircrafts based on their applications and load bearing requirements. They have different requirements of tyre fabrics and tyre cords as compared to other modes of transport such as light and heavy commercial vehicles, two wheelers, agricultural vehicles as they work on different road conditions, where each tyre has a different load bearing requirement.To view complete report @The global demand for aircraft tyres has been significant due to growth from the aircraft industry, particularly commercial aircrafts, which have witnessed huge surge in demand for advanced and new aircraft, which are largely influenced by certain factors such as network expansion by new airlines as well as entry of new airlines. Other prominent factors such as replacing obsolete aircrafts, rise air passenger traffic, growing demand for fuel efficient aircrafts and healthy economic growth shown by emerging markets has also contributed towards the growth of the aircraft tyres market. Large scale corporations such as Goodyear, Bridgestone Corporation, and Dunlop are significantly involved in the manufacturing of aircraft tyres that are eco-friendly, more intelligent, economical, safer and less noisy. They are consumed in significant quantities for various civil and military applications, where military operation hold huge demand on aircraft tyres where loads can be highly substantial with speed going more than 225 miles per hour.A sample of this report is available upon request @Large scale companies such as Dunlop have been involved in the industry as a key player which manufactures tyres used in military aircrafts from the well known Vulcan and Spitfire to the modern F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Heavy military aircraft such as C-130, the Tornado and the Hawk, and the latest A400M. The company serves various segments of the military aviation industry such as marine corps, naval forces and air forces across the world with tyres designed to give maximum operation characteristics in the fluctuating environmental conditions as well. In addition, Dunlop was awarded three year deal supply of aircraft tyres in July 2014 to Chinas privately owned airlines for the purpose of expending its footprint in regional airlines. Under the contract, Dunlop would be providing tyres for China Express Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen aircraft.In terms of agreements and joint ventures, The Triangle Group in 2012 collaborated with the Harbin Institute of Technology to design and manufacture arcraft tyres. Regionally, developed regions such as North America accounted for the largest market share in the aircraft tyres market, followed by Europe. Emerging regions such as Asia Pacific is likely to exhibit the fastest growth in the market owing to certain factors such as increasing disposable incomes of the individuals leading to rising air travel expenditures, entry of low cost airlines and infrastructure developments in economies such as India, Singapore and China.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Bridgestone Corporation, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres, Goodyear, Michelin, and The Triangle Group are some of the key players present in the aircraft tyre industry.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: Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market Will Cross USD 24,336.4 Million By 2023 Packaged Water Treatment System Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1804 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/packaged-water-treatment-system-market-1804 Market Research Future published a cooked research report on Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market that contains the information from 2017 to 2023. Global Packaged Water Treatment System market is expected to grow with the CAGR of approximately 9.41% from 2017 to 2023, and with this it is predictable to cross USD 24,336.4 million by 2023.The packaged water treatment system are used for storing ample amount of water and is easily transported to the required site. The packaged water treatment are pre-assembled, skid mounted and tested by factory with less requirements for installation. The major application of packaged water treatment system are residential complexes and industrial sector.The market is driven by various factors such as rising industrialization, increasing urbanization, and government initiatives. The packaged water treatment system has various restraints that hinder the market such as high operational and maintenance cost.Ask Sample for this Report @The global packaged water treatment system has accounted the market value of USD 13,100 million in 2016, which is expected to reach USD 24,336.4 million by 2023 at a growing CAGR of 9.41%. Moreover, in 2016, the market was led by Middle East & Africa, with 36.5% share, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America with shares of 24.6% and 18.2%, respectively.Middle East & Africa will be the largest marketThe government has undertaken various initiatives for the packaged water treatment system market to improve the health standards. In country such as Saudi Arabia, one of the major challenge is scarcity of water. Government have substantially invested in the seawater desalination, water distribution, and sewerage and wastewater treatment. The increased in investment in wastewater treatment is expected to drive the package water treatment system market. A Government owned organization, The National Water Company was established in 2008 to provide sewage collection and treatment infrastructure. This will enable the water supply in this region. In 2011, U.S. implemented a national clean water framework to protect the health of Global water bodies. The framework recognizes the importance of clean water and to protect public health & water quality. The Administration is working with various policy makers to ensure water management. The framework is also pursuing new ways to protect public health by reducing contaminants in Global drinking water. As per MRFR analysis, Middle East and Africa has counted the market value of USD 4,781.5 million in 2016 which is poised to reach USD 11,019.0 million by 2023 with a highest CAGR of 12.77%.Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.We recognize the key players in the global packaged water treatment system market as GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.), WPL Limited (U.K.), Veolia Water Technologies (France), RWL Water (U.S.), WesTech Engineering, Inc. (U.S.), Smith & Loveless Inc. (U.S.), Napier Reid (Canada), Enviroquip (U.S.), Corix Water System (Canada), Tonka Equipment Company (U.S.) and others.Access Report Details @This research report has provides the insights, on various levels of analyses such industry analysis, market share analysis leading market players and their profiles. This report also helps in studying the target segments by providing views on emerging & high-growth segments and market conclusion. Together the market data comprise and discuss with the basic assessments on the competitive scenarios & strategies, of the global packaged water treatment system market, including the high-growth regions, countries and their political, economic and technological environments. Furthermore the project report also provides the views over the historical market values as well as, pricing and cost analysis of the same.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 Components, Application, Technologies 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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017 http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ http:///www.qyresearcheurope.com/ http://www.qyresearchjapan.com/ SummaryThe Global Recuperator Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Recuperator industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Recuperator 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 Recuperator 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):Alfa LavalKelvion (GEA)SPX CorporationIHISPX-FlowDOOSANAPIKNMFunkeXylemThermowaveHisakaSondex A/SSWEPLARSEN & TOUBROAccessenTHTHitachi Zosen...Key Topics Covered:Chapter One Industry Overview of RecuperatorChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Recuperator by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Recuperator by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Recuperator by Regions, Types and ApplicationsChapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of RecuperatorChapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Recuperator Industry 2017 Market Research ReportRelated Reports:US Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017Europe Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017India Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017China Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017Korea Recuperator Industry Market Research Report 2017Japan Recuperator 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) Global Wealth in Australia: HNW Investors 2017 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1070525 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1070525/wealth-in-australia-hnw-investors-2017-market-research-reports http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Wealth in Australia: HNW Investors 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Wealth in Australia: HNW Investors 2017", analyzes the investing preferences and portfolio allocation of Australian HNW investors. The report is based on our proprietary Global Wealth Managers Survey.Australia is known for its multicultural landscape, which is reflected in the countrys HNW market. HNW investors in Australia stem from a range of different backgrounds and have distinctive demand patterns. The bulk of HNW individuals have accumulated their wealth through earned income, and the financial services and mining sectors are key generators of wealth. Investors show a strong affinity for equity investments, allocating almost half of their wealth into this asset class in order to benefit from Australias dividend imputation system. When it comes to asset management services, advisory is the preferred type of mandate, but wealth managers cannot afford to ignore the opportunity automated investment services provideGet Sample Copy Of This Report @Specifically the report -- Profiles the average Australian HNW investor in terms of their demographics and analyzes the expat opportunity in Australia.- Analyzes which wealth management mandates are preferred among Australian HNW investors and how demand will develop going forward.- Examines the allocation of Australian HNW investors portfolios into different asset classes and how the allocation is expected to develop in the future.- Analyzes product and service demand among Australian HNW investors.View Report @Scope- Almost half of HNW individuals in Australia have accumulated their wealth through earned income, but entrepreneurs and family business owners are also key segments.- While representing a slightly lower proportion than in the wider region, expats still constitute an attractive target segment in Australia, accounting for 8.3% of the countrys HNW individuals.- A lack of time is driving uptake of professional advice, while a reluctance to relinquish control has seen advisory asset management become the service of choice.- Australian HNW investors show strong and rising demand for tax, pension, and financial planning, but demand for all planning services is on the rise, making a multi-service proposition critical.Reasons to buy- Develop and enhance your client targeting strategies using our data on HNW profiles and sources of wealth.- Give your marketing strategies the edge required and capture new clients using insights from our data on HNW investors drivers for seeking investment advice vs self-directing.- Tailor your investment product portfolio to match current and future demand for different asset classes among HNW individuals.- Develop your service proposition to match the product and service demand expressed by Australian HNW investors and react proactively to the forecasted changes in demand.About usMarketResearchReports.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: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market Analysis and Global Forecast to 2021 Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1579 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/commercial-aircraft-gas-turbine-engine-market-1579 Market Synopsis of Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine MarketThe Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% during 2016-2021. The key factors driving the growth are improved fuel efficient gas turbine engines, growth in aircraft fleet and new models, and growth in PMA.As per the MRFR analysis, factors restraining the market growth are custom duties and taxes, carbon emission, and issues related to spare part pricing.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market: CFM International General Electric Pratt & Whitney Division Rolls-Royce Avio Aero Engine Alliance International Aero Engines MTU Aero Engines NPO Saturn Power Jet Snecma Williams InternationalStudy Objectives of Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine 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 Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyse the Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine 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 engine type. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market.Brief TOC:1. Introduction1.1 Report Description1.2 Research Objective2. Executive Summary2.1 Key Findings / Highlights2.1.1 Investment Opportunities2.1.2 Market Startegies2.1.3 Latest Developments3. Scope of the Study3.1 Markets Covered3.2 Years Considered For the Study (2016-2021)3.2 Geographic Scope3.3 Key Stakeholders4. Assumptions And Limitations5. Research Methodology5.1 Primary Research5.2 Secondary Research5.3 Econometric and Forecasting ModelContinueRegional and Country Analysis of Global Commercial Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Market:As per the MRFR analysis, the APAC region will continue its dominance in the forecast period, to grow at a CAGR of 8%. Whereas, EMEA and Americas will grow at a CAGR of 5.5%, respectively during the forecast period.Target Audience: Commercial Aircraft Engine OEMs Aftermarket Suppliers Component Suppliers Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerAccess Report Details @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 Components, Application, Technologies 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.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Telecom API Market: Industry Research and Forecast Analysis 2017 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2093 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2093 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2093 Global Telecom API Market: OverviewApplication programming interface (API) materializes the possibility of independently developing applications and services on a device, while functioning as a middleware between the application and device resources. Apart from creating mobile apps, APIs can enviably benefit the telecom industry in various ways. Humbug analytics API, StreamWIDE call screening API, offline geolocation, and Recharge My API are some of the popular instances of public APIs. Telecom APIs can improve workflows, automate the delivery of common transactions and data, and streamline communications over a period of time.Global Telecom API Market: Key TrendsExpected to rise at a commanding CAGR, the world telecom API market could heighten demand on the back of the monetization of services pertinent to telecom operation and excelling user experience for telecom API. The increment in the adoption of machine-to-machine (M2M) equipment and towering demand for forward-looking telecom services utilizing the Internet are anticipated to shepherd the growth of the world market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @There are a few factors that could arrest the growth of the global telecom API market, such as certain government regulations and policies laid down for the telecommunications sector and commercial gap between developer needs and carrier products or offerings. However, the market holds the potential to offer opportunities on almost every parameter, viz. user and type.The partner developer segment by user type is predicted to elevate at a higher rate while riding on the accessibility it provides to solution developers for various APIs. These APIs can be employed to develop different applications and their extensions to formulate and develop more sophisticated solutions for customers. With the enhancement of mobile app developer experience, the telecom API market for SMS, MMS, and rich communication service (RCS) could gain an impressive traction. The magnifying trend of offering more contextual experience to clients using mobile devices is foretold to help the location API market grow to a telling level.Request TOC of the Report @Global Telecom API Market: Market PotentialOf late, there have been a number of partnership activities being implemented to achieve benefits on both sides of an agreement. For instance, the launch of Nexmo API extension by Vonage for Zohos customer relationship management (CRM) platform is considered to offer streamlined contextual customer connections with the help of seamless SMS and voice messaging. Vonage, on the other hand, could benefit commercially from the integration with Zoho CRM by keeping businesses connected with robust cloud communications solutions. This partnership is prophesied to set the tone for businesses in the way they communicate with customers and the way customers reach them.Global Telecom API Market: Regional OutlookAlthough the international telecom API market could span its growth across different regions, including Europe and Rest of the World, Asia Pacific is foreseen to showcase a higher growth rate during the course of the forecast period. For 2016, North America was projected to secure a larger share in the international market. Stakeholders in the Asia Pacific market could be handsomely advantaged with ballooning innovative technological developments. A widespread adoption of API technologies is foreseen to be witnessed by Asia Pacific on account of the augmenting usage of mobile applications and smartphones.Get a discount @Global Telecom API Market: Competitive LandscapeWith a view to attain a tangible growth in the global telecom API market, players are prognosticated to rely on specific strategies, including new product development, mergers and acquisitions, agreements, and partnerships. Companies such as Telefonica, AT&T, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, Twilio, Inc., and Vodafone Group PLC could be recognized among the leading players in the market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Telecom Power System Market Research Study For Forecast 2025, Challenges, Demand, Woldwide Overview https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2096 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2096 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=2096 Telecom Power System Market: OverviewPower systems used in the telecommunications sector in installations to control, monitor, and measure the power flow across networks are referred to as telecom power systems. These systems are built by combining smaller systems such as distributors, converters, backup systems, and controllers.The global market for telecom power systems is slated to register strong growth over the course of the forecast period, driven by the rising penetration of telecom towers not just in high-density metropolitan areas but even off-grid and rural areas.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Telecom Power System Market: Key TrendsOne of the factors responsible for the growth of the global telecom power systems market is the ongoing deployment of small cell power systems for long-term evolution (LTE) networks. Owing to an exponential rise in mobile data traffic, telecom operators are forced to expand their coverage area through wireless networks in urban as well as rural areas.Another factor driving the uptake of telecom power systems is the rising adoption of hybrid systems. This can be attributed to the benefits of cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency presented by hybrid power systems. The growing shift toward renewable energy sources is a trend that is sure to have a big impact on the telecom power systems market. On the flip side, though, environmental concerns arising from the high usage of diesel for powering telecom infrastructure is likely to present a major challenge to those in the market.Request TOC of the Report @Telecom Power System Market: Market PotentialHuawei has earned a name for itself for itself based on its line of trailblazing DC power products, which have enabled users save maintenance as well as overhead costs. Known to transform the telecom energy sector, the company has been building green and intelligent energy networks in the telecom industry, thereby giving the telecom power systems market a major boost.Huaweis product portfolio caters to the needs of end users from wide-ranging and diverse environments. In October 2016, the China-based multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company was awarded the contract of building a modular data center campus for the Dubai International Airport. The facilities provided by Huawei through the data center are codenamed DBX and will be used to host the private cloud of the airport.Telecom Power System Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographical standpoint, Asia Pacific accounts for a major share in the global telecom power systems market. This can be attributed to increasing penetration of global telecom companies in a number of developing nations in the region. Expanding mobile networks, especially 3G and LTE networks, have also contributed toward the growth of the APAC telecom power systems market.North America is also a key region when it comes to the telecom power systems market. The telecommunication sector here requires cost-effective and increasingly reliable power supply. The competition in this market is immensely high, despite the vendor landscape being quite fragmented. The telecom power systems market in North America is characterized by the presence of global, regional, and domestic vendors, which adds to the overall competition.Get a discount @Companies mentioned in the reportSchneider Electric, Ascot Industrial S.R.L., Huawei Technologies Co., Myers Power Products, Inc., Eaton, Cummins Power, GE Industrial Solutions, Vertiv Co. (formerly Emerson Network Power), Delta Electronics, and Unipower are some of the prominent players in the global telecom power systems market.Considering that emerging countries have been presenting incredible growth within the telecom sector, it is no wonder that an increasing number of telcos have been setting up shop in a number of APAC nations. Firms have also been focusing offering telecom power systems with improved features, services, products, functionalities, and quality. The global market is primarily dominated by established players and this proved to be rather challenging for new entrants.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Pyridine Market Size to Accelerate US$ 1,741.4 Mn by 2025 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/pyridine-market.asp http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3521 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/pyridine-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Asia Pacific is the most attractive region in terms of CAGR and market share in the global pyridine market. India has been estimated to account for 24.4 % of the total APAC pyridine market by 2015 end due to expected increase in domestic pyridine production by 40%. In terms of value, gamma-picoline segment is expected to experience the highest growth rate during the forecast period in the Asia Pacific market. The Middle East & Africa accounts for the smallest market share. However, it is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.9% in terms of value over the forecast period. Food segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR in terms of volume during the forecast period in the Middle East & Africa market. Pyridine manufacturers are strengthening their presence in the regulated markets of Japan, North America and Europe as well as in key emerging markets. They are also focusing on local tie-ups and out-licensing of local companies in order to strengthen their regional presence.According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research, titled Global Market Study on Pyridine: Increasing Demand for Synthetic Pyridine to Drive Growth During Forecast Period 2015 -2025 , the global pyridine market is estimated to reach US$ 1,741.4 Mn by 2025 from US$ 786.4 Mn in 2015.Browse Complete Report @Pyridine is a toxic and soluble flammable liquid base with a distinct, strong odor. It is often considered the parent compound of several naturally occurring organic compounds. It is the preferred choice as a precursor to agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Initially, pyridine was extracted from coal tar or obtained as a by-product of coal gasification. The process was very expensive and inefficient as coal tar constituted only 0.10.2% of pyridine after extraction. Currently, pyridine and its derivatives are produced synthetically. The most commonly used reactions for pyridine synthesis are Chichibabin synthesis, Bonnemann cyclization, and Cobalt-catalyzed alkyne-nitrile cyclotrimerization, etc.A sample of this report is available upon request @By region, the market in Asia Pacific has been estimated to account for 51.6% volume share of the overall pyridine market by 2015 end, followed by Europe and North America. Due to increase in usage of pyridine and its derivatives in agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals segments in Asia Pacific, the pyridine market in the region is projected to expand at a higher than average CAGR of 9.9% over 20152025 in terms of revenue. The U.S. pyridine market, which has been estimated to account for 89.5% revenue share of the overall market in North America by 2015 end, is expected to be driven by increasing adoption of pyridine and its derivatives in chemicals and pharmaceuticals segments. The pyridine market in the Middle East & Africa is estimated to register increased revenue due to a growth of pharmaceuticals and chemicals segments in the region. Europe market is anticipated to witness lower revenue growth in the coming years as compared to other regions due to the economic downturn in the region.Request to view table of content @Globally, pyridine N-oxide segment volume is estimated to expand at a lower than average CAGR of 7.4% over 20152025. Demand for 2-Methyl-5-Ethylpyridine (MEP) and gamma-picoline is expected grow significantly due to increasing application of these product types in chemicals segment. Alpha picoline finds wide application as a solvent in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food industries. The segment is projected to exhibit moderate growth over the forecast period. Key growth contributor for alpha picoline segment is 2-vinylpyridine, which is used as a raw material for styrene-butadiene-2-vinylpyridine terpolymer latexes (SBV latexes). Beta picoline is used to produce Vitamin B3. In terms of value, beta picoline segment is projected to experience significant growth rate over the forecast period. This is mainly attributed to rising demand for niacin in developing regions such as APAC and Middle East & Africa.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: ICT Investment Trends in India: Growing digital initiatives driving investment in technology https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1230651 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1230651/ict-investment-trends-in-india-growing-digital-initiatives-driving-investment-in-technology-market-research-reports http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report ICT Investment Trends in India: Growing digital initiatives driving investment in technology provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"ICT Investment Trends in India", presents the findings from a survey of 150 Indian enterprises regarding their Information & Communications Technology (ICT) investment trends. The survey investigates how Indian enterprises currently allocate their ICT budgets across the core areas of enterprise ICT expenditure: hardware, software, IT services, communications, and consulting.Despite its bold economic reforms and demonetization initiative, India is pegged to remain one of the fastest growing economies with an expected GDP growth rate of around 7.4% in the current financial year (2017-2018), making it one of the popular ICT investment destination. The survey shows that Indian enterprises are keen to invest in core technologies, including software, hardware, and IT services, in order to improve their efficiency and productivity. SaaS dominated Indian enterprises total cloud computing expenditure in 2016, as respondents allocated significant proportion of their total cloud computing budget to this solution area.The report illustrates the core technologies that enterprises are investing in, including mobility management, communications & collaboration, IoT, and cloud computing. The survey also highlights the approach to purchasing technology adopted by enterprises in India. Through GlobalDatas survey, the report aims to provide a better insight to ICT vendors and service providers when pitching their solutions to enterprises in India.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following -- How ICT budgets are set to change in 2017 in terms of their overall size- Allocation across the core elements of IT spend, including hardware, software, services, communications, and consulting- Distribution of ICT money in areas such as the networks, applications, service desk, and data centers- Which ICT functions Indian enterprises are interested in outsourcing- Indian enterprises investment priorities based on their budget allocations across core technology categories such as mobility management, communications & collaboration, IoT, and cloud computing- Factors that are influencing Indian enterprises investments in each technology category- How Indian enterprises IT budgets are currently allocated across various segments within a technology category- Indian enterprises distribution of their ICT budget across various segments within a technology category- Vendor satisfaction ratings for various core and advanced technology categories- Insight into Indian enterprises preferred buying approaches- Business objectives that Indian enterprises are looking to achieve through their IT investment strategies- Factors that are influencing Indian enterprises decisions to select an ICT providerView Report @Scope- The survey shows that Indian enterprises are keen to invest in core technologies, including software, hardware, and IT services, in order to improve their efficiency and productivity.- Cloud computing is also gaining popularity among Indian enterprises, with software as a service (SaaS) and private cloud expected to witness significant investment in 2017.- Moreover, in order to support wide spread workforces, Indian enterprises are looking to enhance their communications infrastructure, and are planning to increase their expenditure on communications & collaboration solutions.Reasons to buy- Understand how the Indian enterprise ICT landscape is set to change in 2017 to prioritize your target market- Comprehend how ICT money are being allocated by Indian enterprises in specific verticals and size bands to improve your market penetration- Make effective business decisions by recognizing the opportunities within each of the core areas of ICT spend (hardware, software, IT services, telecommunications, and consulting)- Realign your sales initiatives by understanding the current strategic objectives of Indian enterprises- Enhance your market segmentation with the included, detailed breakdown of opportunities within selected technology categories (mobility management, communications & collaboration, IoT, and cloud computing)- Prioritize your focus areas by understanding which factors are influencing Indian enterprises decisions when selecting an ICT provider- Understand the changes in customers priorities and identify the business objectives that Indian enterprises are looking to achieve through their ICT investment strategiesAbout usMarketResearchReports.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: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Inkjet Cartridges Market 2022: by top manufacturer including are Epson, Canon, HP, Brother, Green Ink https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/200182/?utm_source=OPR-AN https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/200182/ https://www.whatech.com/market-research/companies/market-study-report https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-bimetallic-bandsaw-blade-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022/?utm_source=RR-AN https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/category/news-releases/ Worldwide Inkjet Cartridges Market report of 2017 provides a detailed market overview as well as industry analysis for / of companies, manufacturers and distributors covering data on gross margin, cost structure, consumption value, product landscape and more.In this report, the global Inkjet Cartridges 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.Global Inkjet Cartridges Market Research Report 2017 estimates the drivers, restraints, and opportunities pertaining to the global Inkjet Cartridges market over the timeframe of 2017-2022. Delivering the key insights pertaining to this industry, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the latest trends, present and future business scenario, market size and share, and commercialization potential of the Inkjet Cartridges industry over the coming five years.Request Simple for Global Inkjet Cartridges Market Research Report @The industry is analyzed in terms of products, applications, regions, and the key manufacturers holding a prominent share of the global revenue.In terms of end-user or applications, the report is Individual & Household, Commercial. A detailed analysis of the contribution of these application segments to the overall market revenue and volume has been included in the report.The product landscape of the Inkjet Cartridges Market Split Cartridge, Integrated Cartridge. Each product has been analyzed in terms of its production, capacity, and consumption. The report further details the market share to be procured by each of these products over the coming years.Request Discount for Global Inkjet Cartridges Market Research Report @The regional segmentation of the report includes North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. Detailing the consumption and production rate of Inkjet Cartridgess in these regions, the report outlines the growth curve of this industry in terms of market volume and share over 2017-2022.The competitive landscape of the Inkjet Cartridges market profiles the top players participating in the global business space. These are Epson, Canon, HP, Brother, Green Ink and Toner. The report also details the market positioning, strategies, and revenue procured by each of these manufacturers.For More Info on Market Research @Related Reports: -Global Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade is a kind of band saw blade that combines two types of steel by electron beam welding, machining and other process. The material of its teeth is often high-speed steel or other high-performance steel while the material of its band is alloy steel. It is usually used with a band sawing machine and mainly used to cut steel, copper, aluminum and other non-ferrous metals.Centralize market research purchases across your entire organization in one place.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News: Asia-Pacific High Capacitance MLCC Market Estimated to Grow at a Significant Rate by 2022 Due to Rising Demand in Electronics Market Research HUB http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222079 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/asia-pacific-high-capacitance-mlcc-market-report-2017-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222079 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ MLCCs are incorporated in smartphones and tablets as their functions have become increasingly complex and sophisticated. In recent years, increased demand for smartphones and tablets, coupled with cost efficiency is expected to drive market growth of MLCC. To explore further details on its market growth, Market Research Hub (MRH) has broadcasted a study titled Asia-Pacific High Capacitance MLCC Market Report 2017 to its wide repository. The report forecasts the market growth prospects until the end of 2022 covering Asia-Pacific region, with a prime focus on countries such as China, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan.Request Free Sample Report:The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be a key manufacturing hub for electronic device manufacturers. According to this new study, Asia Pacific market has gained significant growth, in terms of value in 2016 and is also anticipated to reach a maximum value in USD million by the end of 2022, growing at an impressive double-digit CAGR between 2017 and 2022. Additionally, the study includes drivers and restraints as well as opportunities in this market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for MLCC during the forecast period of 2017-2022.Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC) can be defined as, a type of ceramic capacitors which consist of alternate layers of metal and ceramic to make a multi-layer chip. The ceramic layer acts as a dielectric. There are many different kinds of multilayer ceramic capacitors, one of the most popular types include capacitance. The most common values for capacitance are 10 nF, 100 nF and 1 F. They possess low impedance values at high operating frequencies, as a result of which they are widely used in electronic devices for the crucial function of noise suppression.Browse Full Report With TOC:The market has been further segmented into its product types and end-users/application. On the basis of product type, it mainly covers base metal electrode (BME) and PGM. Major applications are electronics Industry, Space, Communications Industry and others. At present, increasing demand for MLCCs in the electronics market is a major driver for the growth of this market. The research also adds that adoption of improved technology and development initiatives has driven production activities in this region.This study addresses the rapidly escalating value and volume of consumption for high capacitance MLCC and the raw materials consumed in its production. Moreover, a detailed analysis is done covering the above regions by capacity, production, revenue (value), supply and consumption. The application of High Capacitance MLCC is analyzed for market share and growth rate for the forecasted period.Make An Enquiry:The competition by top manufacturers along with their capacity, production, share, average price, distribution, sales area and product type are analyzed in the report. Top players in the Asia-Pacific market mentioned in the study are KYOCERA, TDK, WALSIN, YAGEO, MURATA and SEMCO.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At: Global Hybrid Electric Marine Propulsion Engine Market 2017-2021 - Caterpillar, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Rolls-Royce, Wrtsil http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1208718 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-hybrid-electric-marine-propulsion-engine-market-2017-2021-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG A diesel-electric propulsion system with the provision for additional storage of electrical devices and enhanced controls is known as a hybrid electric propulsion system. The key components of a hybrid electric system include: Electric motor, Generator, Electrical storage devices, Charging system for these electrical devices, and Control system. Other components include an engine that is either fueled by diesel or gasoline. At present, a more environment-friendly and cleaner fuel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), is being increasingly used by commercial vessels.The global hybrid electric marine propulsion engine market to grow at a CAGR of 7.25% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global hybrid electric marine propulsion engine market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEATechnavio's report, Global Hybrid Electric Marine Propulsion Engine 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.Browse more details at:Key vendors- Caterpillar- MAN Diesel & Turbo- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries- Rolls-Royce- WrtsilOther prominent vendors- Cummins- Hybrid Marine- STEYR MOTORS- Elco Motor Yachts- Oceanvolt- Beta Marine- Leonardo DRS- GEMarket driver- Surge in commercial shipping- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Collapsing Greek shipbuilding industry- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What 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?About UsResearchMoz 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.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Company Comprehensive Analysis Reveals Key Highlights on Pipeline Products Market Research HUB http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222539 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/trivitron-healthcare-pvt-ltd-product-pipeline-analysis-2017-update-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222539 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ A new report focusing on a leading company profile from the healthcare industry has been published to the online portfolio of Market Research Hub (MRH). The report is titled as, Trivitron Healthcare Pvt Ltd-Product Pipeline Analysis, 2017 Update that provides detailed insights into the companys business activity and products. The main objective of this pipeline study is to analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Every pipeline product is highlighted with data on stage of progress, pipeline territory, device class, regulatory path, an indications, applications and estimated launch date.Request Free Sample Report:Initially, the report reviews detailed company overview with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments that are expected to flourish in the market. The data present in the market overview section presents valuable data which makes this report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the company's portfolio of pipeline products. Additionally, the report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.Trivitron Healthcare Pvt Ltd (Trivitron), founded in 1997, is a medical technology company that provides solutions to healthcare providers. Trivitron markets its products to hospitals, specific healthcare providers, independent clinics & laboratories, extended care facilities and all other roofs providing healthcare solutions. The company's products include radiography and c-arm systems, newborn screening, mammography, ultrasound, contrast media, breast biopsy system, bone densitometer, radiation protection, renal care and ventilator, among others.In terms of geography, the company operates in India, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Oman. Trivitron is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and India. As per the findings, Trivitron is the largest wholesale distributor and after-sales support provider of medical equipment and devices in India. It has joint ventures with Japans Hitachi-Aloka Medical Ltd and Spains Biosystems SA for manufacturing ultrasound equipment and laboratory diagnostics reagents, respectively. Major recent developments mentioned in the study describes that Trivitron to invest INR2.5 Billion on Medical Tech Park in Chennai. Also, Trivitron signs pact with IIT Madras to set up new center.Browse Full Report With TOC:Further, the report provides detailed pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company which has been segmented by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status. Pipeline products overview section comprises analysis of following products: Anti-Biogram Device 12 Biocard Calprotectin Test Portable Retinal Scan Device Biocard HIV (1+2) Test Biocard Malaria Test pneumoniae And M. pneumoniae Multiplex Kit Cardiac Positioning System Wireless ECG SystemMoreover, the study covers ongoing clinical trials with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design, trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Make An Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At: Masimo Corp (MASI)-Product Pipeline Analysis on Clinical Trails and Recent Developments in 2017 Market Research HUB http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222537 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/masimo-corp-masi-product-pipeline-analysis-2017-update-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1222537 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Market Research Hub (MRH) has freshly broadcasted a study titled Masimo Corp (MASI)-Product Pipeline Analysis, 2017 Update to its vast archive of research reports. This study provides company insights along with its pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company. The report is also supplemented with a detailed company profile and information on clinical trials, wherever applicable with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design, trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Request Free Sample Report:In the first part, the report briefly highlights Masimo Corp Company snapshot together with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments. Through this report, buyers will get a detailed understanding of consumption to align their sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market. Also, they can identify the areas of growth and opportunities, which will aid effective marketing planning.Masimo Corp (Masimo), incorporated on May 7, 1996 is a global medical technology company. It manufactures and issues non-invasive patient monitoring technologies such as medical devices and a wide range of sensors to improve patient care. The companys crucial products include pulse oximeters, patient monitors, specialty sensors, remote alarm, central monitoring systems, circuit boards and monitoring solutions. Today, Masimo is publicly traded and employs over 4,000 people worldwide, with annual revenues of around $700 million.It has been analyzed that Signal Extraction Technology (SET) is the company's lead technology that helps to detect life-threatening actions. Also, the company has developed the Patient SafetyNet remote patient surveillance monitoring system, which allows patients to be examined through a personal computer (PC)-based monitor or by care providers through their pagers, voice-over-Internet Protocol (IP) phones or smartphones. CO-Oximetry is another technology which allows noninvasive and continuous monitoring of blood constituents, brain and inhalation.Browse Full Report With TOC:Moving further, the research finds that the company operates in various markets across North and South America, EMEA, Asia and Australia. Masimo is headquartered in Irvine, California, the U.S. The products offered by the company is marketed directly and through distributors and original equipment manufacturers to hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical services physician offices, veterinarians and consumers market. Further, each pipeline product is profiled to cover information on product description, function and technology. The report include following products, such as Adaptive Threshold Alarm, ANI MOC-9 Module Root, Masimo rainbow SET - Oxygen Reserve Index Clinical Trial, Eve Newborn Screening Application For Radical-7 Pulse CO-Oximeter, Halo Index, Rad-67 Rainbow Pulse CO-Oximeter, iSpO2 Rx - Professional Version, Masimo rainbow SET - SpfO2, Root Iris Display App, Next Generation SedLine and others.Some of the latest developments announced in June 2017 by the company includes market release of Rad-67 rainbow Pulse CO-Oximeter with Next Generation. Additionally, Masimo and Mdoloris announce Masimo Open Connect Partnership for the Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Hub.Make An Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At: Global Construction Estimating Software by Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 Type, Application & Key Players Sage Estimate, Estimator 360, ProEST Estimating, WinEst https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/601111-global-construction-estimating-software-market-2 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=601111 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/601111-global-construction-estimating-software-market-2 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/601111-global-construction-estimating-software-market-2 A new research document with title 'Global Construction Estimating Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like United States, EU, Japan, China, India , Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as Sage Estimate, Estimator 360, ProEST Estimating, WinEst................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022SummaryThis report studies the Construction Estimating Software market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of players, regions, product and end Application/industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and major regions, and splits the Construction Estimating Software market by product and Application/end industries.The global Construction Estimating Software 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.Request a sample report @The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.United States will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Construction Estimating Software .EU also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of XX.The major players in global market includeProContractor EstimatingB2W EstimateSage EstimateEstimator 360ProEST EstimatingWinEstPlanSwiftClear EstimatesEstimate MasterBuy this report @Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Construction Estimating Software for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)United StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaOn the basis of product, the Construction Estimating Software market is primarily split intoEstimate Generating ToolsJob & Cost TrackingProgram IntegrationHelp & SupportOn the basis on the end users/Application, this report coversConstruction ContractorsArchitectsEngineersTable Global Construction Estimating Software Market Size (Million USD) by Application (2016-2022) Construction Contractors Others Total Get customization & check discount for report @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Construction Estimating Software Market Overview1.1.1 Construction Estimating Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Construction Estimating Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2012-2017)1.2.1 United States Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.2.2 EU Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.2.3 Japan Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.2.4 China Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.2.5 India Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.2.6 Southeast Asia Construction Estimating Software Market Status and Outlook1.3 Classification of Construction Estimating Software by Product1.3.1 Global Construction Estimating Software Revenue (Million USD) and Growth (%) Comparison by Product (2012-2022)1.3.2 Global Construction Estimating Software Revenue (Million USD) Market Share (%) by Product in 20161.3.3 Estimate Generating Tools1.3.4 Job & Cost Tracking1.3.5 Program Integration1.4 Construction Estimating Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Construction Contractors1.4.2 Others2 Global Construction Estimating Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Global Construction Estimating Software Market Size (Million USD) by Players (2012-2017)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 Future....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 Global Paraffin wax candles Market 2017 By Top Players - Jarden Corp, Blyth, Bolsius, Colonial Candle, Candle-lite https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/78622/request-sample https://goo.gl/hifzEB www.fiormarkets.com http://aperturegames.com The Paraffin wax candles market research report distils the most essential aspects of the market and presents them in the form of a comprehensive and cohesive document. The findings of this report have been obtained via a balanced mix of both primary and secondary research. Interviews of C-level executives in the Paraffin wax candles market form a chunk of the qualitative analysis contained in this report.Download for Sample Report :To begin with, the report defines the Paraffin wax candles market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.With a view to deepen the scope of the analysis, the report also tracks milestone developments and regulations that have shaped the Paraffin wax candles market thus far. To help readers effectively plan their future strategies, the report provides a set of expert recommendations. The analysts working on the report have successfully identified expected policy changes, industry news and developments, and trends and opportunities this information can be harnessed by companies to strengthen their market presence.Access full Report :Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the Paraffin wax candles market report are: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures and major R&D initiatives.Based on all of this information, the report provides recommendations and strategies to the following market participants: New players, investors, marketing departments, regulatory authorities and suppliers/manufacturers. The Paraffin wax candles market research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. Furthermore, the extensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed helps deliver the key statistical forecasts, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Paraffin wax candles market has been mentioned in this report. This will give a clear perspective to the readers how the Paraffin wax candles market will fare worldwideABOUT USFior 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 Aspirations,Near Post 91, Baner Road,Pune, MH, India - 411045Phone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog: Global RF Cables Assemblies Sales Market Anticipated for Progressive CAGR Growth during 2017-2022 Machine Industry Research Reports http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1246990 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-rf-cables-assemblies-sales-market-report-2017-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1246990 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ The report on RF Cables Assemblies Sales market is the latest addition to the huge database of Market Research Hub. This research study is segmented on the basis of applications, technology, geography, and types. The report provides a detailed RF Cables Assemblies Sales Industry Overview along with the analysis of industrys gross margin, cost structure, consumption value, and sale price. The leading companies of the RF Cables Assemblies Sales Market, manufacturers, and distributors are profiled in the report along with the latest Industry development current and future trends.Request Free Sample Report:In this report, the global RF Cables Assemblies 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K M), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of RF Cables Assemblies for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal RF Cables Assemblies market competition by top manufacturers/players, with RF Cables Assemblies sales volume, Price (USD/M), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingTE ConnectivityMolexAmphenolGoreHUBER+SUHNERCarlisleVolexRadiallAxonSPINNERL-comATMMicro-CoaxRF IndustriesCoaxicomTRU CorporationSan-tronCrystek CorporationDynawaveMegaPhaseTrigiant technologyKingsignalOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSemi-Rigid RF Cable AssembliesSemi-Flexible RF Cable AssembliesFlexible RF Cable AssembliesOn 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 RF Cables Assemblies for each application, includingTelecomMilitary/AerospaceMedicalTest & MeasurementOthersBrowse Full Report With TOC:Table of ContentsGlobal RF Cables Assemblies Sales Market Report 20171 RF Cables Assemblies Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of RF Cables Assemblies1.2 Classification of RF Cables Assemblies by Product Category1.2.1 Global RF Cables Assemblies Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global RF Cables Assemblies Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Semi-Rigid RF Cable Assemblies1.2.4 Semi-Flexible RF Cable Assemblies1.2.5 Flexible RF Cable Assemblies1.3 Global RF Cables Assemblies Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global RF Cables Assemblies Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Telecom1.3.3 Military/Aerospace.2 Global RF Cables Assemblies Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global RF Cables Assemblies Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global RF Cables Assemblies Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global RF Cables Assemblies Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global RF Cables Assemblies (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global RF Cables Assemblies Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)..3 United States RF Cables Assemblies (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States RF Cables Assemblies Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States RF Cables Assemblies Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States RF Cables Assemblies Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States RF Cables Assemblies Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States RF Cables Assemblies Sales Volume and Market Share by PlayersContinuedMake An Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At: CountryFocus: Healthcare, Regulatory and Reimbursement Landscape in Poland Market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 8.3% to approximately $15 billion in 2020 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/217984 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/217984/countryfocus-healthcare-regulatory-and-reimbursement-landscape-poland-market-research-reports http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report CountryFocus: Healthcare, Regulatory and Reimbursement Landscape - Poland provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"GlobalData, the industry analysis specialist, has released its latest report, CountryFocus: Healthcare, Regulatory and Reimbursement Landscape Poland. The report, an essential source of information and analysis, identifies key trends in the healthcare market and provides insights into the demographic, regulatory, reimbursement landscapes and healthcare infrastructure. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insights into the trends and segmentation of the pharmaceutical and medical device markets. This resource has been produced using data and information from proprietary databases, secondary research, and in-house analysis by GlobalDatas team of industry experts.In 2013, Polands population was estimated at 38.5 million, having grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 0.2% from 2008. It is however expected to decrease to approximately 38.4 million by 2020 due to a drop in the birth rate. The value of the pharmaceutical market in the country amounted to $8.6 billion in 2013, and it is expected to increase at a CAGR of 8.3% to approximately $15 billion in 2020. Generics accounted for the majority of the market in 2012 with a share of 66%.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @This positive trend can be attributed primarily to the following factorsGovernment initiatives and support from the EU to improve healthcare servicesAn improved and updated regulatory environmentScopeThe report provides information on the healthcare, regulatory, and reimbursement landscape in Poland, including the followingAn overview of the pharmaceutical and medical device markets, comprising market size, segmentation, and key drivers and barriersProfiles and SWOT analyses for the major players in the pharmaceutical market (Sanofi, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Polpharma and F. Hoffmann-La Roche)Profiles and SWOT analyses for the major players in the medical device market (F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Medtronic, Essilor International, Abbott Laboratories and Siemens Healthcare)An insightful review of the reimbursement and regulatory landscape, including details of the healthcare reimbursement process, regulatory agencies, and approval processes for new drugs and medical devicesDetailed analysis of the political and economic environment, covering economic indicators, demographics, healthcare infrastructure, and healthcare expenditureAn overview of the opportunities for and challenges facing growth in the healthcare marketView Report @Reasons to buyThis report will enhance your decision-making capability by allowing you toDevelop business strategies based on a sound understanding of the trends shaping and driving the healthcare market in PolandGenerate revenue based on knowledge of key trends, reimbursement and regulatory policies, pharmaceutical market segments, and the companies likely to impact the healthcare market in the futureFormulate effective sales and marketing strategies by understanding the competitive landscape and analyzing the performance of various competitorsOrganize sales and marketing efforts by identifying the market categories and segments that present the greatest opportunities for consolidation, investment, and strategic partnershipIdentify, understand, and capitalize upon the opportunities and challenges in Polands healthcare marketAbout usMarketResearchReports.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: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Increased Focus to Deliver Patient-centric Services Boosts Medical Device Technologies Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-device-technologies-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=11705 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Medical Device Technologies Market: OverviewThis report on the global medical device technologies market analyzes the current and future prospects of the market. The report comprises an elaborate executive summary, including a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments.Browse Report for more Details:Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2015 and 2025 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2017 to 2025 are provided for all the segments, considering 2015 as the base year. Market size estimations involved in-depth study of services and product features of different types of services. Additionally, market related factors such as increase in prevalence of cancer and rare diseases, rise in demand for regenerative and cell-based therapies and historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size.Medical Device Technologies Market: Research MethodologyThe research is a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts along with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mails. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations, and various international and national databases. The report provides market size in terms of US$ Mn for each segment for the period from 2015 to 2025, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. Growth rates for each segment within the global Medical device technologies market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, and regulatory requirements.A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also includes market attractiveness analysis that provides a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global medical device technologies market.Medical Device Technologies Market: SegmentationThe medical device technologies market has segmented into three categories, namely by device by end-user and by region.Geographically, the global Medical device technologies market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In addition, the regions have been further segmented by major countries from each region. These include the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brazil, and Mexico.Request for the Sample Report:Medical Device Technologies Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report also profiles major players in the medical device technologies market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, SWOT analysis, key business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Key companies profiled in the report include as Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corporation, Baxter International, Inc. Medtronic plc, Cardinal Health Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens Healthineers, Smith & Nephew plc, Stryker Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., and other prominent players.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Motion Preservation Devices Market Size Is Projected To Be Around $ Billion By 2025. Crystal Market Research https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/motion-preservation-devices-market https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/HC07181 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/send-an-enquiry/HC07181 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/customization/HC07181 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/spinal-implants-and-surgical-devices-market https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/artificial-disc-market https://blog.crystalmarketresearch.com http://www.crystalmarketresearch.com A research study titled, Motion Preservation Devices Market by Product - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2025 published by Crystal Market Research, states that the motion preservation devices market is projected to be around $ billion by 2025.Degeneration ofintervertebral disc leads to disorders such as spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis. Motion preservation devices are used for treating patients who suffer from such spine related disorders and deformities. These devices help in restoring and maintaining the normal alignment of the spine. Motion preservation is the most popular procedure for the treatment of disorders related to degenerative disc. This procedure helps to maintain mobility and prevent degeneration of adjacent segments. Elderly people who are more susceptible to spinal disorders due to declining bone density will increase demand for these devices in near future. For instance, according to United Nations, in 2015, globally there were 901 million people aged 60 years or over and this number is expected to reach upto 1.4 billion by 2030.Browse full research report with TOC on Motion Preservation Devices Market by Product - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2025 at:In 2016, the major share of the global motion preservation devices market was occupied by artificial disc replacement devices segmentdue tohigh adoption of artificial disc replacement devices as compared to spinal fusion devices. The dynamic stabilization devices segment will grow at remarkable CAGR due to use of flexible materials while performing dynamic stabilization procedure for restoring the spine mobility.In 2016, North America accounted for the largest share of the global motion preservation devices market due to risingincidence of spine related disorders and impairments, and highadoption rateofmotion preservation devices in spine procedures. Asia-Pacific is expected to show high growth rate for motion preservation devices during the forecast period due torising incidences of spine related disorders, rising healthcare expenditure, and improving healthcare infrastructure.Developing innovative products is the key strategy followed by the major companies. For instance, in July 2016, Medtronic received FDA approval for Prestige LPCervical Disc for treatment of cervical disc disorder which causes spinal cord or nerve compression at adjacent levels between c3 and c7 segments of the neck. This approval helped the company to expand its product portfolio.Request a sample copy of Motion Preservation Devices Market Research Report @The major players operating in motion preservation devices market are, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., RTI Surgical, Inc., Globus Medical, Inc., Raymedica, Inc., Ulrich GmbH & Co. KG, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Aurora Spine Corporation, DePuy Synthes (a part of Johnson & Johnson), Spinal Kinetics, Medtronic plc,Paradigm Spine, LLC, andHPI Implants.Key Findings of the Research Study: Artificial disc replacement devices segment held almost half of the share of the global market in 2016 owing tohigh adoption rate of artificial disc replacement devices ascompared to spinal fusion devices. Nuclear disc prosthesis devices segment will grow at a double digit CAGR during the forecast period. The dynamic stabilization devices segment will grow at double digit CAGR during the forecast perioddue to use of flexible materials while performing dynamic stabilization procedure for restoring the spine mobility. Germany and Franceheld more than one-third share of the global motion preservation devices market in 2016. Japan occupied one-third share in the Asia-Pacific motion preservation devices market in 2016.Inquire more about this report at:Motion Preservation Devices Market Segmentation:By Product: Dynamic Stabilization Deviceso Pedicle Screw-based Systemso Interspinous Process Spacerso Facet Replacement Products Annulus Repair Devices Artificial Discs Replacement Deviceso Artificial Lumbar Discso Artificial Cervical Discs Nuclear Disc Prostheses DevicesBy Region: North Americao U.So Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo UKo Italyo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia-Pacifico Japano Chinao Australiao Indiao South Koreao Rest of Asia-Pacific Rest of the Worldo Brazilo South Africao Saudi Arabiao Turkeyo United Arab Emirateso OthersGet Customization in the Report At:Related Reports:Spinal Implants and Surgical Devices Market by Product, Technology, and Type of Surgery - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2025:Artificial Disc market by Product and Material - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2025:About Crystal Market ResearchCrystal Market Research is a U.S. based market research and business intelligence company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact:Akhil V.304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: sales@crystalmarketresearch.comBlog:Website: Commercial Airport Lighting Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 8% by 2021 Commercial Airport Lighting Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1623 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/commercial-airport-lighting-market-1623 Market Synopsis of Global Commercial Airport Lighting Market:The Global Commercial Airport Lighting Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8% during 2016-2021. The key factors driving the growth are growing air passenger traffic, investments on airport modernization and upgradation, and increased demand for passenger and aircraft safety.As per the MRFR analysis, integration of airfield LED light fixtures, cost associated with lighting systems, and inconvenience caused due to improper visibility caused by LEDs installed at runways.Adoption of solar LED lights to power runway, taxiway, and terminal lights, and evolution of technologies to monitor airfield lighting systems are the emerging trends, which would impact the market in the forecast period.Key Players of Commercial Airport Lighting Market: Abacus Lighting atg airports limited Honeywell Siemens AG vosla Gmbh ADB Airfield Solutions Avlite Systems Carmanah Technologies Corp. Crouse-Hinds Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.Request a Sample Copy @Study Objectives of Global Commercial Airport Lighting 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 Commercial Airport Lighting Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyse the Global Commercial Airport Lighting 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 application. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Commercial Airport Lighting Market.Brief TOC:1. Introduction1.1 Report Description1.2 Research Objective2. Executive Summary2.1 Key Findings / Highlights2.1.1 Investment Opportunities2.1.2 Market Startegies2.1.3 Latest Developments3. Scope Of The Study3.1 Markets Covered3.2 Years Considered For the Study (2016-2021)3.2 Geographic Scope3.3 Key Stakeholders4. Assumptions And Limitations5. Research Methodology5.1 Primary Research5.2 Secondary Research5.3 Econometric And Forecasting ModelContinueRegional and Country Analysis of Global Commercial Airport Lighting Market:As per the MRFR analysis, the EMEA region will continue its dominance in the forecast period, to grow at a CAGR of 8%. Whereas, APAC and Americas will significantly grow at a CAGR of 12%, respectively during the forecast period.Target Audience: Airport Lighting Contractors System / Equipment Suppliers Government Bodies Airports Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerAccess Report Details @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 Components, Application, Technologies 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.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Physical Security Market Is Growing at a CAGR of X.X% from 2017 to 2023 https://www.bigmarketresearch.com/physical-security-market https://goo.gl/JGVn9J https://goo.gl/EtWezp http://www.bigmarketresearch.com Big Market Research added a report on Physical Security Market By Type (System And Services), Industry Vertical (BFSI, Commercial, Government, Residential And Transportation) - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2017-2023Full Report With TOC@Physical security market involves the protection of hardware, software, data, personnel, and networks against physical events and actions, which could potentially cause damage or loss to an organization. It provides safety from natural disasters, fire, theft, vandalism, and terrorism. It includes multiple layers containing interdependent systems, including security guards, CCTV surveillance, locks, protective barriers, access control protocols, and other similar techniques.The global physical security market is driven by factors such as increase in the number of terror attacks, rise in awareness, and technological advancements. However, privacy concerns and lack of physical & logical security integration hamper the physical security market growth.Request for Sample Copy@The global physical security market is segmented based on type, vertical, and region. Based on type, it is divided into system and service. Based on vertical, it is classified into banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI); commercial; government; residential; transportation; and others (education, healthcare, retail, energy & utilities, manufacturing, & industrial). The market in segmented based on region into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.The players operating in the global physical security market include Anixter International Inc., Tyco International PLC., Cisco Systems, Inc., Genetec Inc., ADT Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc., Bosch Security Systems, Inc., Stanley Security, and Senstar Corporation.For Purchase Enquiry@Key Benefits This study includes the analytical depiction of the global physical security market along with current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets. The report presents information regarding key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed impact analyses. The current market is quantitatively analyzed from 2014 to 2022 to highlight the financial competency of the industry. Porters five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers and suppliers in the physical security industry.KEY MARKET SEGMENTSThe global physical security market is segmented on the basis of type, industry vertical, and geography.BY TYPE Systemo Video Surveillanceo Access & Entrance Controlo Perimeter Intrusion & Detection Serviceso Remote Monitoringo Security Systems IntegrationBY INDUSTRY VERTICAL BFSI Commercial Government Residential Transportation OthersBy Geography North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEAAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly. Our research services ranges into different domains and penetrates in different verticals so that we can carter to diverse needs of various organization. Not wrong to quote that this is the hotspot for research needs of yours. Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220, United StatesDirect: + 1-503-894-6022Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb: Heart Attack Diagnostics Market - Latest Innovations and Upcoming Key Events Upto 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/heart-attack-diagnostics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17996 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Heart attack diagnosis is associated with intensive care of patients battling with life threatening conditions, which requires sophisticated invasive monitoring devices and life support systems. Heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs due to reduced or total cut off of oxygenated blood supply to the heart muscle. It is one of the major causes of death observed worldwide and needs to be diagnosed rapidly and accurately. According to Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, about 735,000 Americans suffer from heart attack every year. Occurrence of heart attacks is increasing in adults as well as in geriatric population across the globe due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, high cholesterol levels, high BMI, and growth in tobacco and alcohol consumption. The demand for heart attack diagnostic devices has increased owing to rise in need for continuous monitoring of individuals, accessibility for patient, changing lifestyle, higher investments in R&D, and technological advancement. Further, various international organizations and government across the globe are creating awareness about monitoring devices among the population.Browse Report for more Details:Several factors are responsible to propel the heart attack diagnostics market, but few factors are likely to continue to restrain the growth of the market in the near future such as the low Medicare reimbursements provided for the peripatetic cardiac outpatient telemetry electrocardiogram (ECG).The heart attack diagnostics market can be segmented on the basis of test, end-user, and geography. In terms of test, the market can be divided into electrocardiogram (ECG), blood test, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, coronary catheterization (angiogram), exercise stress test, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Among these, ECG has a wider application and contributes to tremendous growth of the market. End-user of this market includes hospitals, specialty clinics, and pathology among others.In terms of geography, the heart attack diagnostics market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of market revenue, North America is estimated to dominate the global heart attack diagnostics market owing to increased adoption of technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. The Asia Pacific market is projected to grow at a higher rate owing to high incidence of heart attacks and soaring death rates due to heart diseases.The heart attack diagnostics market is highly fragmented due to involvement of many recognized as well as emerging players in this market. Key players involved in the heart attack diagnostics market include Abbott Laboratories, Beckman Coulter, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, GE Healthcare, Life Sign LLC, Hitachi Medical Systems, and Schiller AG.Request for the Sample Report: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.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Smoke Evacuation System Market Analysis by Key Growth Factors and Opportunities Forecasts to 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/smoke-evacuation-system-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18068 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Since the past decade, a large number of surgical procedures are moving out of the traditional ways, and they are replaced by minimally invasive techniques which is driving the market of smoke evacuation system globally. Use of electrocautery and electrosurgery devices is unavoidable in minimally invasive surgery which produces surgical smoke. Researchers have found more than 80 organic compounds in surgical smoke such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide that can cause upper respiratory infection, nausea, and other short-term symptoms. Smoke evacuation system has been developed to overcome this problem. The system is intended to remove smoke, aerosol, and noxious odors produced during electrosurgical procedure. Smoke evacuation systems are high-flow vacuum sources used to capture, at the surgical site, the smoke aerosols and gases generated during the use of lasers and electrosurgical units.Browse Report for more Details:There are a number of factors that affect the growth of the smoke evacuation system market. Some of the key factors include growth in demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures; development and advancement of energy based electrocautery and ultrasonic devices; and rise in global geriatric population. Other key growth drivers include technological advancements in smoke evacuation system, increase in the number of cosmetic procedures, and high or sudden rise in the number of surgeries related to elderly population. The market is further witnessing restraints, or challenges in its path such as development of other non-invasive surgery technologies, alongside stiff competition among existing smoke evacuation system manufacturers. Moreover, product recalls and government regulations for reduction of overall health care cost are restraining the growth of this market.The global smoke evacuation system market is segmented on the basis of product, application, modality, end-user, and region. Based on product, the smoke evacuation system market is categorized into smoke evacuation filters, pencils & wands, smoke evacuation fusion products, and accessories. The smoke evacuation filters segment is further divided into ULPA filters, HEPA filters, charcoal filters, in-line filters, and pre-filters. The ULPA filters sub-segment is expected to hold a significantly large share of the smoke evacuation filters segment. A significant share of this segment is attributed to technological advancement and extraordinary evacuation capacity as compared to other filters. The smoke evacuation accessories segment comprises adapters, reducers, sensors, and smoke evacuation tubing. Among the accessories, the smoke evacuation tubing sub-segment is expected to account for a significant share in the near future. Rise in number of surgeries performed and recent product launches in this sub-segment is contributing to the large share in this market.On the basis of application, the smoke evacuation system market is divided into electrosurgical devices, electrocautery units, radiofrequency units, ultrasonic devices, laser units, and others. The electrocautery devices segment is anticipated to hold a significant share of the market during the forecast period. Increase in demand for minimally invasive surgeries and rise in geriatric population are expected to fuel the demand for the electrocautery devices segment during the forecast period.Based on modality, smoke evacuation systems are available in portable evacuation systems and centralized evacuation systems. High cost associated with maintenance of centralized evacuation systems and less efficiency as compared to portable evacuation systems are estimated to hamper the growth of the centralized evacuation systems segment. New launches and product innovation in portable evacuation systems are further expected to drive the growth of the market of this segment.On the basis of end-user, the smoke evacuation system market is segmented into hospitals, specialized clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers. The hospitals segment accounted for a major share of the market in 2015 due to increasing demand for electrosurgical devices from corporate hospitals. Globalization of health care and pharmaceutical standards is likely to support the growth of better hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. This in turn is expected to propel the growth of the smoke evacuation system market in these regions.Geographically, the global smoke evacuation system market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the global smoke evacuation system market during the forecast period. Large geriatric and obese population facing cardiac and orthopedic problems and rise in incidences of cancer are anticipated to drive the market in this region. Asia Pacific has a high growth rate and is expected to offer growth opportunities in this market. Improved health care infrastructure and rise in health care spending by government are estimated to increase adoption of smoke evacuation system in this region.Request for the Sample Report:Key players operating in this market include Bovie Medical Corporation, Medtronic, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus, Johnson & Johnson, Symmetry Surgical Inc., ConMed Corporation, KLS Martin, and Bowa-electronic GmbH & Co. KG.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: So strictly speaking, shouldn't every wife but the first be found guilty too?I think Tunisia has it right: outlaw the contracting of a polygamous marriage but recognize any polygamous marriage that is legally contracted abroad.Though even with that, if I understand correctly, Mr. Blackmore contracted his marriages illegally in Canada. But even then, I think imprisonment is too harsh a sentence. Fines for fornication with all of the following wives should suffice seeing that they were willing participants. Bioprocess Technology Market Research Report with Market Share Analysis, Trends and Forecast Upto 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bioprocess-technology-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19445 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Bioprocess Technology Market: OverviewThe global bioprocess technology market is forecast to report a strong growth between 2016 and 2024. Besides the expansion of pharmaceutical industries across emerging nations, the market is seemingly gaining from the higher research and development funding. Furthermore, as pharmaceutical giants focus on their core competencies they are more likely to outsource a few crucial operations to vendors with expertise. This would further give impetus to the global bioprocess technology market.Browse Report for more Details:The report provides a detailed assessment of the market covering growth drivers, major restraints, and opportunities. It has segmented the market based on various parameters for the purpose of the study. The effect of Porters five forces on the overall market is studied in detail as well.Global Bioprocess Technology Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe bioprocess technology market is majorly gaining from the growth witnessed in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Given the scenario, the industry now witnesses rising research funding, novel drug launches, and increasing government support. These, coupled with the increasing incidence of chronic ailments, will keep the demand for bioprocess technologies high through the reports forecast period.Besides this, the market is also looking forward to the rapid growth in pharmaceutical and biotechnologies industries to gain more business. Rising R&D activities supported by favorable government policies are direct results of expansion witnessed in the pharmaceutical industry. Launch of novel therapeutics will ensue the trend. These factors will have a positive impact on the overall market thus helping it gain higher. Also the market will gain from the increasing pharmaceutical outsourcing to vendors operating in the bioprocess technology market.Global Bioprocess Technology Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World constitute the key segments in the global bioprocess technology market. Among these, North America exhibited highly lucrative opportunities till 2016 and the trend is likely to continue through the reports forecast period. As the region exhibits increasing demand for high quality biologics and the top players domiciled therein increase research funding, the bioprocess technology market in North America will continue showing steep rise.Likewise in Asia Pacific the market is expected to witness highly lucrative opportunities. Benefiting from the growing pharmaceutical industry and investments by key market players, the demand for bioprocess technologies will rise in Asia Pacific. Besides this, the market players in the region are also gaining from the rising outsourcing to Asian countries and easy availability of academic excellence in Asia Pacific.Global Bioprocess Technology Market: Vendor LandscapePolicies adopted by prominent companies have a significant impact on the overall market. The report therefore profiles some of the leading enterprises and studies the impact of their latest marketing strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and product launches. For the purpose of the study, a detailed overview of their product portfolio is mentioned as well. The strengths and weaknesses of the companies profiled are analyzed using SWOT analysis, which also presents insights into opportunities and threats these companies could face during the forecast period.Request for the Sample Report:Some of the companies included in this list are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., GE Healthcare, Danaher Corporation, Merck Millipore, Dickinson and Company, Becton, Lonza Group AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A, Corning, Inc., and Charles River Laboratories.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Lab Informatics Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2026 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/lab-informatics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20249 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Lab Informatics Market: SnapshotThe rise of the global lab informatics market is attributable to both, the increasing rate of diagnoses and soaring technological advancements that have introduced improved tools. Furthermore, the widening application of lab informatics solutions in industries such as the food and beverage, chemical, research and development, life sciences, and contract research is expected to have a positive impact on the global market. The phenomenal accuracy and efficiency of results offered by the systems available in the global lab informatics market are projected to benefit growth prospects in the coming years.Browse Report for more Details:Transparency Market Research has compiled a thorough research report that discusses the global lab informatics market in complete detail. The research report highlights the market drivers, opportunities, threats, and weaknesses impacting the overall market. Furthermore, the document also includes SWOT analysis and Porters five forces analysis that gives a granular view of the ever-changing market dynamics. The publication is aimed at guiding its readers to formulate strategic, profitable, and well-informed decisions to further their businesses.Global Lab Informatics Market: SegmentationThe global market offers products such as laboratory information management systems (LIMS), electronic lab notebooks (ELN), scientific data management systems, enterprise content management (ECM), and chromatography data systems. The report indicates that LIMS is expected to lead the global market in the coming years as the system truly offers a wide range of features such as sample lifecycle, reporting, security and system administration, stability study, instrument, schedule, and analytic workflow. These features have definitely brought in value to the product, which has translated into effective delivery of results.Integration of IT in lab informatics has augmented the demand for cloud-based services in the global market over the past few years. The ease of real-time data entry and remote access have won cloud-based delivery mode a significant consumer base. Its most likely that this segment will lead the global market leaving behind the on-premise delivery mode segment.Global Lab Informatics Market: Regional OutlookCurrently, the global lab informatics market is divided into regions such as Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The report indicates that North America will dominate the global market in the coming years. The indomitable stance of this regional market will be due to the strong presence of the leading giants in North America, higher level of awareness about diseases and diagnosing them, and well-equipped end users for LIMS. It has been observed that increasing funding for research and development activities in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry of North America is also projected to boost the market in the coming years.Currently, Asia Pacific is also presenting the lab informatics market with incredible growth opportunities. The regions increasing need to improve its research and development facilities, emerging economies with flourishing industry, and several unmet medical needs are expected to favor Asia Pacific lab informatics market in the near future.Request for the Sample Report:Key Players Mentioned in the Report are:Some of the leading players in the global lab informatics market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., LabVantage Solutions, Inc., LabWare, Inc., LLC, Core Informatics, LabLynx, Inc., Abbott Informatics, PerkinElmer, Inc., ID Business Solutions Ltd., Waters Corporation, and Agilent Technologies, Inc. These players are fervently focused on advancing their research laboratories with the best of technical knowledge, IT integration, and affordable pricing to lure in larger consumer bases.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Transfusion Diagnostics Market is Anticipated to Show the Robust Growth By 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/transfusion-diagnostics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20588 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Blood transfusion is a process of receiving blood products or blood into the circulatory system intravenously. Blood transfusion is used in different medical conditions for replacement of lost component in the blood. Earlier blood transfusion included whole blood; however, modern medical methods can use only a component of blood for transfusion. Blood transfusion is among the most common procedures used for patients in hospitals. Hence, it becomes imperative that clinicians have knowledge about the appropriate administration of blood products, along with the symptoms, signs, and transfusion reaction management. Different blood products that can be transfused in the human body are red blood cells, platelets, plasma, albumin, and immunoglobulin preparations.Browse Report for more Details:The blood transfusion process is as follows: blood sample is taken and sent to hospital laboratory where tests are performed to ensure that the donor blood is compatible with patient's blood. This process is called cross-matching. Risks associated with blood transfusion are viral infections, allergic reactions, fever, hemolytic reactions, and iron overload. Everything possible should be done to reduce these risks during blood transfusion. Hence, before blood transfusion, several steps are taken to ensure the quality of blood products, compatibility, and safety to the recipient. A definite diagnosis is required for both the donor and recipient blood. Red blood cells are the most common blood products to be transfused. One of the transfusion diagnostics incudes molecular blood group diagnostics. Molecular blood group diagnostic enables safer blood preservation and on-demand supply for patients who have antibodies against clinically relevant, rare or weak antigens. Blood group serology is another blood transfusion diagnostic used to avoid side effects caused due to administration of incorrect blood preservatives or immunizations.Based on type, the transfusion diagnostics market can be segmented into instruments, reagents and others. In terms of application, the market can be segmented into blood grouping, disease screening, and others. Based on distribution channel, the market can be segmented into hospitals, laboratories, blood banks, plasma fractionation facilities, military blood banks, and others. Blood banks and hospitals are the major segments of the transfusion diagnostics market.Increasing prevalence of diseases which require complete blood transfusion is one of the major drivers of the transfusion diagnostics market. Rising number of accidents due to road rash or other reasons which lead to blood loss is also likely to propel the market. Another factor driving the transfusion diagnostics market is the rising emergency situations for blood transfusions during surgical blood loss. Rising number of diseases due to improper blood transfusion without diagnosis of blood also fuels the growth of the transfusion diagnostics market. Alternative treatments and better techniques for blood transfusion are the major restraints of the transfusion diagnostics market. More advanced, efficient, and reliable transfusion diagnostic techniques are expected to create significant opportunities in the market.Geographically, the transfusion diagnostics market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for the largest share of the blood transfusion diagnostics market owing to increasing health care awareness and technological advancement in the region. Europe is the second largest market for blood transfusion diagnostics due to large geriatric population in the region. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for blood transfusion diagnostics due to increasing adoption of improved health care technologies, emerging health care infrastructure, and rising accidents, diseases, and other emergency situations which require blood transfusion.Request for the Sample Report:Major players in the blood transfusion diagnostics market include Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Quotient Limited, Novartis AG, Abbott Diagnostics, Diagast, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Immucor, Inc., BAG Health Care, DiaSorin, Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc., Grifols, S.A., Hologic/Gen-Probe, Biokit, Bio-Rad Laboratories, and Quidel Corporation.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Hospital Infectious Disease Testing Market is Expected to Witness Highest Growth by 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hospital-infectious-disease-testing-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20612 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Hospital infectious disease testing is a procedure to identify hospital acquired/related infections. Hospital infections are among the most prominent challenges faced by health care delivery systems across the globe. Hospital infectious diseases are considered a significant cause of death globally. These are acquired while receiving health care treatment. Hospital infectious diseases tests are performed by health care professionals, especially clinical laboratory technicians, for the diagnosis of infections.Browse Report for more Details:Based on test type, the global hospital infectious disease testing market has been broadly segmented into:Urinary tract infection (UTI)Surgical site InfectionPneumoniaBloodstream infectionMRSAOthersThe UTI segment accounted for the major share of the hospital infectious disease testing market, followed by surgical site infections and pneumonia. Hospital infectious diseases are required to be closely monitored due to increase in antimicrobial resistance in some regions. Automated urine microscopy is the most preferred diagnostic tool adopted by clinical technicians for UTI. Prevalence of pneumonia and deaths associated with it are increasing gradually. Other hospital infections include cardiovascular, systemic, joint and bone, respiratory, and ENT (enteric) infections.The hospital infectious disease testing market has experienced strong growth in the last decade due to factors such as increased awareness about growth in the incidence of infections globally and development of innovative prevention and treatment solutions. Major factors driving the market are establishment of quality government guidelines and uniform code for prevention of hospital infectious diseases. Lack of funding and skilled manpower in developing countries and lack of stringent guidelines and framework to control the morbidity rate of hospital infections are restraining the hospital infectious disease testing market. Lack of controlling authorities and controlling programs in lesser developed regions is another major factor hampering market growth. Technological development of molecular diagnostics and passage of the Patient Care and Affordable Care Act in the U.S. are likely to offer significant opportunities in the market in the near future.Geographically, the global hospital infectious disease testing market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for the largest share of the market due to growing patient awareness, favorable initiatives taken by the federal government, and large number of market players based in the region. The hospital infectious disease testing market in Europe is mature due to presence of strong and active hospital infection control and prevention authorities and guidelines such as the NHS in the U.K. Moreover, Europe is considered the hub for the global geriatric population. It is observed that geriatrics are more prone to various infections. This is likely to increase demand in Europe. Asia Pacific is a lucrative market for hospital infectious disease testing products as the overall prevalence of the infections in this region is high. Moreover, stringent guidelines have been set for the prevention and control of such conditions in the health care infrastructure in this region. Countries such as China, India, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and the Philippines are expected to be the major contributors to the hospital infectious disease testing market in Asia Pacific. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are considered the emerging markets for hospital infectious disease testing. This is attributed to increasing investment by governments for effective health care infrastructure in the region.Request for the Sample Report:Key players operating in the hospital infectious disease testing market include Abbott Laboratories, Alere, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (Life Technologies Corporation), Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux SA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Hologic, Inc., Siemens Healthineers, Diatherix Laboratories, Inc., Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cepheid, Inc., and QIAGEN.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Air Ambulance Services Market Industry Perspective and Comprehensive Analysis 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/air-ambulance-services-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22970 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Ambulance services are vital for transportation in case of medical emergencies. Efficient ambulance services has led to on-time medical attention for accident victims or patients with chronic illness, emergency medication situations, etc. Air ambulances are armed with innovative medical equipment and accessories, along with skilled medical crew trained in providing initial emergency medical care to patients. Air ambulance provides the advantages over the issue of prolonged travel durations and limited remote areas reach that are faced in road ambulance services. The Federal Aviation Administration has laid down strict safety guidelines for air ambulance services. Air ambulance services are equipped with advanced life care services (ALS). Earlier, the use of ambulances were primarily in the battlefield; however, with rising incidence of several severe medical situations coupled with advanced innovation in ambulances, their utilization also started for transportation to-and-from hospitals of critical patients. Air ambulance services directly transport patients from their residence or place of accident to the health care establishment such as multispecialty hospitals.Browse Report for more Details:On-board medical assistance, favorable policies for reimbursement, rising governmental focus for enhancing the emergency care standards, demand for better emergency health care services are expected to drive the global air ambulance services market. However, operational constraints, high costs, and air ambulance accidental incidences are projected to restrain the global air ambulance services market. High initial capital investments are expected to arrest the entry of new entrants in the market. Superior technological advancements in the on-board medical treatments have attracted the attention of major market players, and increasing number of service providers is expected to serve as huge opportunity for the growth of the global air ambulance services market. The need for maximizing the use of air ambulance assets to offer better emergency care and generation of more profitable returns is anticipated to fuel the growth of the market.The global air ambulance services market has been segmented based on service type, transport vehicle type, and region. In terms of service type, the market has been classified into hospital services, community services, and other services. Based on transport vehicle type, the market has been segmented into helicopters, aircraft/airplane, and sea-planes. The aircraft segment has been further bifurcated into rotary wing aircraft and fixed wing aircraft. Helicopters offer certain advantages such as comparatively smaller take-off/ground area and ease in landing. These advantages are expected to reflect in increasing market share of the segment.In terms of region, the global air ambulance services market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is expected to show continual growth owing to rising adoption of advanced health care infrastructure to create health care system experience safer and less strenuous and growing number of multispecialty hospitals. North America is projected to dominate the global air ambulance services market due to greater insurance coverage for air ambulance facilities and rising adoption of air medical transport facilities. However, inadequate number of aircrafts for emergency transport and lack of health care air services infrastructure in emerging countries are the key challenges in the development of the global air ambulance services market in developing countries.Increasing health expenditure per capita attributed to improving economic conditions, enhanced access to efficient emergency treatment, rising prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases worldwide, proper reimbursement policies, increasing number of multinational hospitals equipped with proper air-ambulance services, strategic collaborative initiatives from major market players, and improving medical infrastructure in rural regions are fueling the growth of the global air ambulance services market.Request for the Sample Report:Key players in the global air ambulance services market are Envision Healthcare Companies, Falck Danmark A/S, Rural/Metro Corporation, Air Methods, Acadian, AMR Air Ambulance, AirMed International, Express Aviation Services, and Lifeguard Air Ambulance, among others.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global IT Cooling System Market Professional Survey Report 2017 http://globalqyresearch.com/download-sample/245680 http://globalqyresearch.com/checkout-form/0/245680 http://globalqyresearch.com/ This report studies IT Cooling System 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.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringEmersonSchneiderRittalSTULZAiredaleClimavenetaSiemensPentairKyotoCoolingItcoolBy types, the market can be split intoSmall SystemsMedium SystemsLarge SystemsClick Here Download Sample Report Copy from:By Application, the market can be split intoFinancial Data CenterInternet Data CenterUniversities Data CenterOthersBy 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.Table of Contents :Global IT Cooling System Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of IT Cooling System1.1 Definition and Specifications of IT Cooling System1.1.1 Definition of IT Cooling System1.1.2 Specifications of IT Cooling System1.2 Classification of IT Cooling System1.2.1 Small Systems1.2.2 Medium Systems1.2.3 Large Systems1.3 Applications of IT Cooling System1.3.1 Financial Data Center1.3.2 Internet Data Center1.3.3 Universities Data Center1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of IT Cooling System2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of IT Cooling System2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of IT Cooling System2.4 Industry Chain Structure of IT Cooling System3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of IT Cooling System3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global IT Cooling System Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global IT Cooling System Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global IT Cooling System Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global IT Cooling System Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global IT Cooling System Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global IT Cooling System Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 IT Cooling System Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global IT Cooling System Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 IT Cooling System Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global IT Cooling System Sales Price4.4.2 2016 IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 IT Cooling System Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.1.1 North America IT Cooling System Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis5.2 China IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.2.1 China IT Cooling System Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe IT Cooling System Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia IT Cooling System Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan IT Cooling System Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis5.6 India IT Cooling System Market Analysis5.6.1 India IT Cooling System Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 IT Cooling System Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of IT Cooling System Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of IT Cooling System Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Small Systems of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Medium Systems of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.3 Large Systems of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E IT Cooling System Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of IT Cooling System Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of IT Cooling System Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Financial Data Center of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Internet Data Center of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Universities Data Center of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.4 Others of IT Cooling System Growth Driving Factor Analysis8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of IT Cooling System8.1 Emerson8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Emerson 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Emerson 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Schneider8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Schneider 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Schneider 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Rittal8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Rittal 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Rittal 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 STULZ8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 STULZ 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 STULZ 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Airedale8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Airedale 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Airedale 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Climaveneta8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Climaveneta 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Climaveneta 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Siemens8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Siemens 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Siemens 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Pentair8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Pentair 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Pentair 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 KyotoCooling8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 KyotoCooling 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 KyotoCooling 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Itcool8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Itcool 2016 IT Cooling System Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Itcool 2016 IT Cooling System Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of IT Cooling System Market9.1 Global IT Cooling System Market Trend Analysis9.1.1 Global 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Market Size (Volume and Value) Forecast9.1.2 Global 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Sales Price Forecast9.2 IT Cooling System Regional Market Trend9.2.1 North America 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.2.2 China 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.2.3 Europe 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.2.4 Southeast Asia 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.2.5 Japan 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.2.6 India 2017-2022 IT Cooling System Consumption Forecast9.3 IT Cooling System Market Trend (Product Type)9.4 IT Cooling System Market Trend (Application)10 IT Cooling System Marketing Type Analysis10.1 IT Cooling System Regional Marketing Type Analysis10.2 IT Cooling System International Trade Type Analysis10.3 Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of IT Cooling System by Region10.4 IT Cooling System Supply Chain Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of IT Cooling System11.1 Consumer 1 Analysis11.2 Consumer 2 Analysis11.3 Consumer 3 Analysis11.4 Consumer 4 Analysis12 Conclusion of the Global IT Cooling System Market Professional Survey Report 2017MethodologyAnalyst IntroductionData SourceBuy This Report from Here:Global QYResearch() is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QYResearch holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Cleveland Road Predictive Genetic Testing & Consumer/Wellness Genomics Market - Trends And Opportunities For The Industry By 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/predictive-genetic-testing-consumerwellness-genomics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=24473 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The type of genetic testing which is employed to diagnose or predict the gene mutation or genetic changes linked to a disease is called predictive genetic testing. It is usually used in a symptomatic person to check future risks. The branch of genomics concerned with the sequencing and interpretation of the individual is called consumer genomics, while the one which predicts the genetic factors contributing to healthy living is called wellness genomics. This type of testing enables a person to make good lifestyle changes and choices.Browse Report for more Details:The rising health care awareness and shifting population preference toward a healthy lifestyle have led to the expansion of the market for predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics. Factors such as the rising attention of the government and other private regulatory bodies toward public health care, increased effectiveness & quality of genetic testing, prevalence of chronic diseases & genetic diseases such as Parkinsons & cystic fibrosis are expected to drive the global predictive genetics testing & consumer genomics market during the forecast period. Furthermore, the rising need to understand ones family history is propelling the global market as well. However, stringent regulatory rules and ethics for the approval of genetic testing could limit the markets development through 2025.In terms of test type, the global predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics market can be categorized into the predictive testing, consumer genomics, and wellness genomics segments. Predictive testing can be further divided into the genetic susceptibility testing, predictive diagnostic, and population screening sub-segments. On the basis of application, the global market can be split into the following groups: cancer screening, cardiovascular screening, musculoskeletal screening, diabetic screening, Parkinsons / Alzheimer disease screening, and others.Geographically, the global predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America held a major market share, followed by Europe. The dominance of North America can be ascribed to to factors such as its well-established health care infrastructure, high awareness level, prevalence of chronic diseases, and high adoption of new technologies. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at a significant rate due to the growing population, rise in disposable income, increasing demand for genetic testing, prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, and mounting government intervention in the development of health care infrastructure. Also, the market in this region has been observed to be targeted by multiple established players, as countries such as China and India are projected to be favorable markets for new entrants in the wellness genomics sector.Most players in the predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics market are focused on developing technologically advanced and cost-efficient services in order to offer comfortable, easy, and quicker testing solutions to customers. To gain a significant position in the global predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics market, these companies adopt various policies including strategic alliances, forward & backward integration, new product development, and mergers & acquisitions. For instance, several pharmaceutical industries are entering into partnerships with genomic companies, diagnostic laboratories, and government organizations. Intermountain Healthcare and Syapse announced a collaboration in May 2014, which enables oncologists to access different technologies related to cancer genomics.Request for the Sample Report:Key players operating in the global predictive genetics testing & consumer/wellness genomics market include ARUP Laboratories, Genesis Genetics, Pathway Genomics, Color Genomics Inc., BGI, and Myriad Genetics, Inc.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) Market Research Report 2017 - Maxim, Intersil, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Microchip http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1249722&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-analog-to-digital-converteradc-market-research-report-2017.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGlobal Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAnalog DevicesTexas InstrumentsMaximIntersilSTMicroelectronicsON SemiconductorMicrochipNXP SemiconductorsCirrus LogicXilinxRequest a Sample Report Copy for Technical Chapters @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPipeline ADCSAR ADCSigmaDelta ADCFlash ADCOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) for each application, includingConsumer ElectronicsCommunicationsAutomotiveIndustrialsOthersExplore Full Research Report with TOC @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of Pipeline ADCTable Major Manufacturers of Pipeline ADCFigure Product Picture of SAR ADCTable Major Manufacturers of SAR ADCFigure Product Picture of SigmaDelta ADCTable Major Manufacturers of SigmaDelta ADCFigure Product Picture of Flash ADCTable Major Manufacturers of Flash ADCFigure Product Picture of OthersTable Major Manufacturers of OthersFigure Global Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) Consumption (K Units) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Analog-to-Digital Converter(ADC) Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Consumer Electronics ExamplesFigure Communications ExamplesFigure Automotive ExamplesFigure Industrials ExamplesFigure Others ExamplesQYresearchreports.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 Healthcare Cloud Computing Market Key Trends, Industry Opportunities And Projections for Upcoming Years http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/healthcare-cloud-computing-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=25517 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Cloud computing is one of the most commonly used applications in healthcare. Healthcare organizations are highly concerned about the privacy and security of patient information, and the pressure of managing the growing healthcare data has driven the implementation of cost effective solutions such as cloud computing. Therefore, healthcare companies are accepting cloud computing as an effective solution for data storage. This technology provides various benefits such as business agility, privacy & security, reduced cost and so on. Increasing utilization of information technology in the healthcare industry has led to rising adoption of cloud computing by the global healthcare cloud computing industry. However, this market faces major challenges such as high initial investment and shortage of skilled work force. Adoption of cloud computing by healthcare providers is projected to significantly rise. Polycom, a U.S-based company that produces video conferencing equipment, provides cloud-based on-demand video conferencing solutions which helps to decrease on-premise infrastructure costs. Cloud solutions for strong and retrieving data are expected to reduce IT expenditure in healthcare institutions.Browse Report for more Details:The global healthcare cloud computing market is expected to expand substantially due to implementation of favorable regulatory acts, growing investment from healthcare players, proliferation of high speed internet, government organizations, public awareness, rising demand for stringent regulatory compliance, new payment models, and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The restraining factors for the global healthcare cloud computing market are issues related to data privacy, rising number of cloud data breaches, and data portability complications. There are opportunities in global healthcare cloud computing market to development responsible care organizations to increase scope for healthcare cloud computing and Telecloud to create opportunities for healthcare cloud computing market. Increase of cloud computing solution for telemedicine is current trend for this market.The global healthcare cloud computing market is segmented by service, cloud deployment model, application, end user, and by region. By service, the market is divided into platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, and software as a service. On the basis of cloud deployment model, the market is segregated into public, private, and virtual private cloud. By application, the market is further categorized into clinical information system and non-clinical information system. Clinical information system includes pharmacy information system, computerized physician order entry, radiology information system, electronic medical records and others. Non-clinical information system covers revenue cycle management, automatic patient billing, claim management and others. Based on end- user application, the market is classified into healthcare payers and healthcare providers. Non-clinical information system is the dominant segment in the global healthcare cloud computing market. In clinical information system, electronic medical record system is the dominant segment.Geographically, the global healthcare cloud computing market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Each geographic market is sub-divided into selected countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Brazil, India, China, Japan, and GCC countries. North America dominates the market because of increasing use of mobile devices for healthcare facilities. However, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period due to huge scope for growth and the region can possibly dominate the market in the future.Request for the Sample Report:The key players operating in the healthcare cloud computing market include IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, CareCloud Corporation, Carestream Health, Inc., Athenahealth, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc. ClearData Networks, Inc., EMC Corporation, Dell, Inc., Iron Mountain, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, IncMerge Healthcare, Inc., Oracle Corporation and VMware, Inc. In order to gain competitive advantage in the industry, key players are actively involved in providing variation to products and services, and also indulging in continuous new product launches. Collaborations, partnerships, and agreements are some of the important strategies followed by market players to stay ahead of the competition.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Solar Power Generation Systems by Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 Type, Application & Key Players Sunrun, Vivint Solar, NRG Home Solar, Verengo Solar, SolarCity https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/525654-global-solar-power-generation-systems-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=525654 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/525654-global-solar-power-generation-systems-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/525654-global-solar-power-generation-systems-market A new research document with title 'Global Solar Power Generation Systems Market Research Report 2017' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as Sunrun, Vivint Solar, NRG Home Solar, Verengo Solar, SolarCity ................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022Request a sample report @SummaryThis report studies the Solar Power Generation Systems market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top manufacturers in global and major regions, and splits the Solar Power Generation Systems market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Solar Power Generation Systems 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.The major players in global Solar Power Generation Systems market includeSchneiderHitachiChint GroupSunrunVivint SolarNRG Home SolarVerengo SolarSolarCitySungevitySunPowerRGS EnergyGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Solar Power Generation Systems in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEUChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaBuy this report @On the basis of product, the Solar Power Generation Systems market is primarily split intoCentralized PV Power PlantDecentralized PV Power PlantOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversCommercial UseUtilityIndustrial UseGet customization & check discount for report @Table of Contents1 Solar Power Generation Systems Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Solar Power Generation Systems1.2 Solar Power Generation Systems Segment by Types (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Production (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) Comparison by Types (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Production Market Share (%) by Types in 20161.2.3 Centralized PV Power Plant1.2.4 Decentralized PV Power Plant1.3 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Segment by Applications1.3.1 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Consumption (K Units) Comparison by Applications (2012-2022)1.3.2 Commercial Use1.3.3 Utility1.3.4 Industrial Use1.4 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Market by Regions (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Market Size and Growth Rate (%) Comparison by Regions (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Solar Power Generation Systems Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Solar Power Generation Systems Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Solar Power Generation Systems Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Solar Power Generation Systems Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Market Size (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Production (K Units) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Solar Power Generation Systems Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Solar Power Generation Systems Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types2.5 Solar Power Generation Systems Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Solar Power Generation Systems Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Solar Power Generation Systems Market Share (%) of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion....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 /boyscout heil[youtube]ZnVtzJwdOKc[/youtube]Trump to Boy Scouts: 'We could use some more loyalty'(CNN)President Donald Trump turned a Boy Scouts event into a campaign-style rally Monday, starting off by saying he'd put aside the "fake news" and other issues in Washington while addressing the Boy Scouts of America 2017 National Scout Jamboree."I said, who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" Trump said.Trump went on to dive into politics anyway -- blasting the media, pushing for the repeal of Obamacare and making a pointed remark about "loyalty."Listing off the virtues of Boy Scouts at the West Virginia speech, Trump said: "As the scout law says, a scout is trustworthy, loyal," Trump said, before adding, "We could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."When Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price came out onstage, Trump took the opportunity to mention an impending vote in the Senate that could mean the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation."Hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known as Obamacare that's really hurting us," Trump said.He went on to say that if they didn't get votes, "I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired,'" prompting laughter as Trump reached out to Price. He also told those gathered that Price needed to get Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, to support him on health care. Geothermal Heat Pumps Global Market By Technology (Closed Loop and Open Loop), For Residential and Commercial (New Build and Retrofit) and End-Use Applications, 2014 - 2020 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=245153 http://www.researchmoz.us/geothermal-heat-pumps-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2014-2020-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Geothermal Heat Pumps Global Market By Technology (Closed Loop and Open Loop), For Residential and Commercial (New Build and Retrofit) and End-Use Applications, 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.This research study is designed to analyze the market for geothermal heat pump globally, in terms of both installed capacity (MWt) and cumulative revenue (USD Billion). The market for geothermal heat pumps has been segmented on the basis of technology and end-users. Closed loop technology of geothermal heat pumps has been further sub-segmented into loop configurations in order to gain a robust understanding of the market. A similar approach has been followed for the other segmentation chapter where each end-user category was further sub-segmented into its constituent installation types. The global market for geothermal heat pumps has also been segmented at a regional level. The regional segments provided are North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The report features a detailed regional segmentation with market growth forecasts for the 2014 to 2020 period. Similar detailed projections have also been provided for the technology and end-user segments, as well as for their respective sub-segments. For this market study, 2013 has been taken as the base year while all forecasts are for the 2014 to 2020 period.The report includes key market dynamics affecting the demand for geothermal heat pumps globally. As a part of our market dynamics analysis, we have analyzed the market drivers, market restraints, and market opportunities. The report also provides a detailed industry analysis of the global geothermal heat pump market with the help of Porter.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table Of ContentChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report Description1.2 Research Scope1.3 Market Segmentation1.4 Research MethodologyChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Geothermal Heat Pump MarketChapter 3 Geothermal Heat Pump Market Industry Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Value Chain Analysis: Geothermal Heat Pump Market3.3 Market Drivers3.3.1 Rising Oil and Electricity Prices Resulting in Consumer Focus Shifting Towards Low Cost Energy Alternatives3.3.1.1 Global Crude Oil Prices, By Grade (USD/Barrel)3.3.1.2 Annual Cost of Heating and Cooling, by Fuel (USD)3.3.2 Significant Cost Savings Coupled with Environmental Benefits render Geothermal Heat Pumps as an Attractive InvestmentBrowse More Details @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 @ Adhesive Films (Acrylic, Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAc), Polyurethane, Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB), Epoxy and Others) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=244200 http://www.researchmoz.us/adhesive-films-acrylic-polyvinyl-acetate-pvac-polyurethane-polyvinyl-butyral-pvb-epoxy-and-others-market-by-technology-pressure-sensitive-hot-melt-light-cured-and-others-by-end-user-industries-packaging-automotive-medical-electronics-a-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Adhesive Films (Acrylic, Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAc), Polyurethane, Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB), Epoxy and Others) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020".Adhesive films are sheets, films and tapes of materials such as plastic, polymers, textiles and paper with a thin layer of adhesive in one or both surfaces. This helps them stick to the surfaces. Adhesive films essentially act as joints between two surfaces. These films are used in tapes, labels, graphic wraps, protective films, glazing, tinting, masking, insulating and specialty films, among others. Adhesive films offer benefits such as lower material usage, easy usage and disposal, quick application and versatility according to the end-user utility. These advantages make adhesive films the material of choice over alternatives such as screw and clamps. Adhesive films have been adopted as preferred materials by a wide array of industries including packaging, electronics, medical, automotive, construction, footwear, furniture, aerospace and several consumer goods among others.This report provides a detailed description of the global adhesive films market based on volume share (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) for the period of 2014 to 2020. It highlights the factors contributing to the growth of the market and the restraints that impede the market. Detailed forecast for adhesive films from 2014 to 2020 has been given separately for better understanding of the market scenario. The adhesive films market is described with respect to various segments along with the expected opportunities in the next six years.In terms of geography, the global adhesive films market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. The adhesive films market has been segmented based on the following technology types: pressure sensitive, light-cured, hot-melt and others (including heat-cured, chemical-cured and self-cured). The study also classifies the market based on the following product types: acrylic, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyurethane, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), epoxy and others (including ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), silicone, styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC), and polyesters).The study segments the market based on applications into tapes, labels, graphics and others (including specialty films, protective films, glazing and tinting). It provides forecasts and estimates for each application segment in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period from 2014 to 2020. The study also bifurcates the market based on the following end-user industries: packaging, automotive, medical, electronics and others (including construction, footwear, furniture, and aerospace). It also analyzes market attractiveness for all end-users of adhesive films with the help of the market attractiveness tool.Rising demand for adhesive films in key end-user industries such as medical, electronics, automotive and packaging is projected to boost the global market for these films. However, volatility in prices of feedstock for petroleum-based adhesive films and regulations against volatile organic compounds (VOC) from adhesive films are likely to hamper market growth. Companies, especially in the developed regions such as North America and Europe, are committing a substantial part of their investments for sustainable growth that ensures safety of the environment. Industry players are making significant investments for developing bio-based materials for manufacturing adhesive films. This is projected to offer prospective growth opportunities for the market players in the near future.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Value chain analysis and Porters five forces model have been provided for a comprehensive view of the market. These would also help understand the specifics of the industry structure besides giving an overview of the degree of competitiveness. The report also includes detailed profiles of key players such as 3M Company, H.B. Fuller Company, Henkel AG & Company KGaA, Avery Dennison Corporation, BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company and Ashland, Inc. Detailed description of players includes parameters such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, upcoming facilities, capacity addition, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, new products and recent developments.The report segments the global adhesive films market as:Adhesive Films Market - Technology AnalysisPressure sensitiveLight-curedHot-meltOthers (Including heat-cure, chemical-cured and self-cured)Adhesive Films Market - Product Segment AnalysisAcrylicPolyvinyl acetate (PVAc)PolyurethanePolyvinyl butyral (PVB)EpoxyOthers (Including EVA, silicone, polyesters, and SBC)Adhesive Films Market - Application AnalysisTapesLabelsGraphicsOthers (Including specialty films, protective films, glazing, and tinting)Adhesive Films Market - End-user AnalysisPackagingAutomotiveMedicalElectronicsOthers (Including construction, footwear, furniture, and aerospace)Adhesive Films Market - Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the WorldBrowse More Details @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 @ Feminine Hygiene Products Market By Type, Brand Share, & Distribution Channels - Latin America Industry Trends & Forecast 2017 - 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=244194 http://www.researchmoz.us/iptv-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2014-2020-report.html Albany, New York, July 25, 2017 : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "IPTV Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020" globally.The global IPTV market lately has witnessed proliferation in number of subscribers, primarily influenced by enhanced user viewing experience as delivered by IPTV and development of supporting infrastructure in emerging markets. IPTV (Internet Protocol television) is a technique of distributing television content over IP which offers an additional customized and interactive user experience. It delivers video stream encoded as a series of IP packets and is distributed by a service provider to deliver either stored video or live TV. IPTV services can be bundled with other IP services such as VoIP and high-speed Internet access. It enables integration of TV, PC, home phone and wireless devices offering high quality of viewing experience to the end-users.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The report includes extensive analysis of the industry drivers, restraints, market trends and market structure. The market study provides comprehensive assessment of stakeholder strategies and imperatives for succeeding in the business. The report helps in understanding driving forces behind the popularity of IPTV services across different geographies, such as North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and RoW (Rest of the World). It includes a detailed analysis of the prevalent market situation, company profiles, and current industry trends for IPTV market prevalent among the various end-users such as small size enterprise, mid-size enterprise, large size enterprise, and residents. The chapter on market positioning analysis points out the leading players across the ecosystem of IPTV market. It provides detailed understanding of the leading players in the market, their business strategies, recent developments, and financial overview.The report includes cross-segment analysis of the global IPTV market and provides estimates in terms of revenue (US$ billion) for years 2012 and 2013, along with market forecast for the period 2014 to 2020. The estimates for the years 2012 and 2013 are actual values, while market size estimates for period 2014 2020 are forecast numbers, assuming market dynamics remain unaffected during the term. The end-users segment includes in-depth analysis and forecast of IPTV market across the different geographies. The high level analyses, such as value chain analysis and Porters five forces analysis helps market competitors to formulate their business strategies at every stage of their business. Moreover, the market estimates have been analyzed keeping in mind different factors including but not limited to technological, economical, social, environmental and legal factors. The market attractiveness tool estimates the attractiveness of this technology across different geographies where they are benchmarked based on their market scope and growth rate.The report also provides company positioning of the various industry participants. Market participants profiled in this report include AT&T, Inc, Bharti Airtel Limited, CenturyLink, Inc., Deutsche Telecom, ARRIS Group, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc, Broadcom Corporation, Ammino Corporation, MatrixStream Technologies, Inc., and Orange S.A.The IPTV Market Segmentation:IPTV Market, by TypeEnterprisesSmall EnterpriseMedium EnterprisesLarge EnterprisesResidentialMake an Enquiry about TOC @IPTV Market Revenue, By GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificAsia Pacific (excluding Japan)JapanMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaResearchMoz 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.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States Automotive Rotary (Wankel) Engine In Global Market Expected To Reach At A CAGR Of 15.50% Between The Period 2017 - 2021 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1249626 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-automotive-rotary-wankel-engine-market-2017-2021-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Automotive Rotary (Wankel) Engine In Global Market Expected To Reach At A CAGR Of 15.50% Between The Period 2017 - 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Rotary engines are one of the earliest types of internal combustion engines (ICEs). These engines had an odd number of cylinders arranged in a radial configuration. In this type of engines, the crankshaft remains stationary during operation along with the crankcase, and the cylinders attached within the crankcase rotate as a single unit. In automotive applications, rotary engine, also referred as Wankel engine, has been used by many automakers. It has an eccentric rotary design that converts the pressure created by the combustion of the of the fuel-air mixture into rotating motion of the rotor.Technavios analysts forecast the global automotive rotary (Wankel) engines market to grow at a CAGR of 15.50% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global automotive rotary (Wankel) engines market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the OEM or automaker fitment of rotary engines in automobiles.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Automotive Rotary Engines(Wankel) 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 vendorsFerrariMazda MotorPorscheOther prominent vendorsDaimler GroupKoenigseggMcLarenPagani AutomobiliZenvo AutomotiveTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market driverDecreasing prices of retail gasoline driving ICE marketFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLeakage of fuel-air mixture through rotor seals: Serious threat to combustion processFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendDevelopment of next-generation rotary engine: Mazda RX-9For 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?Browse More Details @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 @ Emerging Technology in Construction Along With An Analysis Of Barriers And Potential Benefits Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=883509 http://www.researchmoz.us/market-insight-emerging-technology-in-construction-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Emerging Technology in Construction Along With An Analysis Of Barriers And Potential Benefits" to its huge collection of research reports.In the second quarter of 2016, Timetric surveyed over 100 industry executives, including contractors, surveyors, civil engineers and architects, to obtain an understanding of the state engagement with new technology in construction. The results of the survey reveal a rejection of the assertion that there is a culture of resistance towards engaging with new technology, however the majority of respondents stated that their company is not at the forefront of it's industry in terms of engaging with new technology. The most commonly cited barriers were financial and included the assertion that many new technologies are cost prohibative and that there is a lack of allocation within company budgets for investment in new technology. However those who had invested were extremely positive about the benefits of engaging with new innovations. In terms of the technologies analysed that had experienced the greatest levels of current and planned investment, the most popular was mobile applications followed by 3D modelling and then cloud technology. In comparison, autonomous vehicles received the lowest level of current and anticipated investment. Given the number of benefits available following investment, greater levels of engagement with technological innovations are expected as their affordability and capability increases and as they are given higher priority by companies in terms of investment strategies.ScopeThe report provides detailed market analysis based on a survey of contractors, surveyors, architects and others involved in the construction industry worldwide to assess current engagement levels with a number of the newest technological innovations currently gaining popularity within construction.Reasons To BuyProviding insight into the most popular new innovations within construction along with an analysis of barriers and potential benefits.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key HighlightsThe ever expanding range of new technology available to those working in the construction industry has created numerous opportunities for innovation and the implementation of new methods into existing processes. When questioned on what was preventing high levels of engagement with new technology respondents stated that a key barrier related to cost, with 42% of respondents stating that new technology was cost prohibitive. This was followed by 33% of respondents stating that there is a lack of financial resources within their budget allocated for technological innovation. The most common driver of investment in new technology was to increase productivity and respondents were widely positive that they had experienced this after making an investment. The second most popular driver for investment was achieving greater competitiveness within their market and once again the majority of respondents confirmed they had experienced this following an investment in innovation. Of all the technologies analysed in the survey, mobile applications received the highest proportion of respondents confirming that they had already invested in the technology and had further investment planned within two years.Table of Contents1. Executive SummaryTABLE OF CONTENTSLIST OF FIGURESLIST OF TABLES2. Key Findings3. Technology Engagement3.1. Company Engagement3.2. Departmental Engagement4. Barriers and Benefits4.1. Barriers to Engagement4.2. Benefits of Engagement5. Current and Future Penetration of Key Technologies5.1. Augmented Reality5.2. Mobile ApplicationsBrowse More Details @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 @ Technological Innovations In Brazil's Construction Industry: Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=883499 http://www.researchmoz.us/construction-in-brazil-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2020-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Technological Innovations In Brazil's Construction Industry: Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Construction activity in Brazil was weak during the review period (20112015) following the economic recession, which resulted in a deteriorating business environment, weak investor confidence and a reduction in construction activity.Consequently, the industrys output value in real terms contracted at a compound annual growth rate of -0.32% during the review period.The industry is expected to remain subdued over the forecast period (20162020), albeit with a slight improvement. The probable persistence of the economic recession until 2017 is expected to hamper the industrys growth during 20162017.The industry, however, is expected to recover and record minimal growth from 2018, supported by a gradual recovery in economic conditions and subsequent improvements in investor and consumer confidence.Government efforts to revitalize economic growth through the implementation of flagship programs such as My House, My Life, the Logistics Investment Program, Plano Decenal de Energia 2024 (PDE 2024) and the National Education Plan 20142024 are expected to support the industrys growth over the forecast period.SummaryTimetrics Construction in Brazil, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Brazilian construction industry, including:The Brazilian construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activityAnalysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in BrazilCritical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Brazilian construction industryProfiles of the leading operators in the Brazilian construction industryData highlights of the largest construction projects in BrazilScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Brazil. It provides:Historical (2011-2015) and forecast (2016-2020) valuations of the construction industry in Brazil using construction output and value-add methodsSegmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project typeBreakdown 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 pricingDetailed profiles of the leading construction companies in BrazilTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Reasons To BuyIdentify and evaluate market opportunities using Timetric's 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 Timetric's critical and actionable insight.Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures.Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Key HighlightsThe Brazilian government is considering privatization as a means to stimulate economic growth. In September 2016 it introduced Projeto Crescer (Project Growth), an infrastructure privatization program aimed at stimulating private sector investment. This program is expected to add momentum to the pace of investment in the construction industry over the forecast period.The Brazilian construction industry is expected to be supported by Chinese investments in infrastructure. In September 2016, the Brazilian and Chinese governments signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of projects worth BRL73.2 billion (US$20.0 billion) in Brazil. The Chinese government will invest in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and mining projects.In January 2016, the Ministry of Mines and Energy revised the countrys solar energy targets as compared to the target planned for 2023, as a part of the new energy plan PDE 2024. Initially, the government announced plans to produce 3,500MW of solar power by 2023. Under the new target, the government is planning to generate 7,000MW of solar energy by 2024. These government initiatives are expected to support the energy and utilities construction market over the forecast period.Browse More Details @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 @ Current And Forecast Analysis Of Consumer Payments - Contactless Cards or NFC Mobile Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=855885 http://www.researchmoz.us/insight-report-the-future-of-consumer-payments-contactless-cards-or-nfc-mobile-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Current And Forecast Analysis Of Consumer Payments - Contactless Cards or NFC Mobile" to its huge collection of research reports.Timetrics Insight Report: The Future of Consumer Payments Contactless Cards or NFC Mobile? report analyzes the evolution of contactless payments and its impact on participants in the payment value chain. The report further explores the status of contactless payments globally and the regional differences in adoption. It provides detailed insights on the contactless payments market across geographies such as Europe, North and South America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.The report also provides detailed insights on some of the key indicators such as global contactless transaction value, contactless card shipment, NFC payments and number of contactless POS terminals.SummaryTimetrics Insight Report: The Future of Consumer Payments Contactless Cards or NFC Mobile? report provides market analysis, information and insights on contactless payments globally, including:Current and forecast analysis of contactless payment market, including previous and future market growth.Comprehensive analysis of contactless payments through cards and mobile handsets.Insights on the evolution and the level of adoption of contactless payments across geographies.Comprehensive analysis on the impact of contactless on payment participants, including consumers, merchants, PSPs and card schemes.ScopeProvides a comprehensive analysis of the contactless payments market across the world.Provides current value and forecast analysis of the contactless payments market.Covers regional analysis with respect to contactless cards and NFC mobile payments.Assess the impact of contactless on participants on the payment value chain.Understand the regional differences in the adoption of contactless.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Reasons To BuyGain understanding of the future of consumer payments, including contactless cards and NFC mobile.Gain insights into the evolution of contactless payments.Understand the impact of contactless on payment participants, including PSPs, merchants, schemes and consumers.Understand why some regions are falling behind while others are developed.Understand the impact of EMV migration on contactless payments.Key HighlightsTimetric estimates that US$358 billion in contactless transactions will be made in 2016, through both cards and mobile devices, on 23 million contactless-enabled POS terminals globally.While most contactless payments globally are still card-based, near-field communication (NFC) mobile payments are likely to grow faster than contactless card payments.Australia, Europe and Canada account for the majority of contactless card payments globally, while the US leads in mobile NFC payments.Mass transit systems are one of the largest markets for contactless transactions, and as a result, they have played a key role in the promotion and adoption of contactless.Browse More Details @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 @ Bleaching Chemicals Market 2017: Overview, Top Key Players, Growth and Analysis by Forecast 2027 Bleaching Chemicals Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2502 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bleaching-chemicals-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2502 Synopsis of Bleaching Chemicals Market:Global Bleaching Chemicals Market is expected to witness a significant growth and bench mark in millions by 2022 with fastest growing CAGR of between 2016 to 2022.The Bleaching reactions usually involve oxidation or reduction processes that reduce color systems. While oxidation bleach release oxygen molecules which break up the chemical bonds of chromophores. Chromophores cause colors by reflecting a certain portion of the visible spectrum of light. The changed chromophore molecules either reflect no color or a color outside the visible spectrum. This absence of color is seen by our eyes as white. Bleaching Chemicals are oxidizing & reducing agents used for numerous applications cosmetic & personal care, textile industry, household industry, food additive, pulp bleaching, water treatment, carpet industries, Epidemic control, Aquaculture etc.Request a Sample Report @Sodium Hypochlorite is most widely used in chlorine bleach after that hydrogen peroxide used in oxidation is most popular. Calcium Hypochlorite bleach which is used in sanitizing has large market share in U.S.Study Objectives of Bleaching Chemicals 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 bleaching chemicals 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 market.Regional Analysis:Geographically, Asia-Pacific region leads the global bleaching chemicals market. China being largest consumer of bleaching chemicals. Growing demand in Cosmetic & personal care, textile industry, household industry, food additive, pulp bleaching, water treatment, Epidemic control, Aquaculture has boosted the bleaching chemicals market demand in China, India, Malaysia and Thailand. North America & Europe have witnessed stagnant growth owing to strict regulations for producing bleaching chemicals.Browse Full Report in Detail @Key Players:Key players of the Global Bleaching Chemicals are Akzo Nobel Eka(Netherlands), Neutron Industries (U.S.), Aditya Birla Chemicals(India), Hansol Chemicals(Korea), Kemira Oyj(Europe), State Industrial Products Corporation (U.S.),Hercules and Hercules Inc(U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), Arrow-Magnolia International, Inc. (U.S.), Ecolab G.K. (Japan), and others.Key Points from Table of Content:10. Company Profiles10.1 Akzo Nobel Eka (Netherlands)10.1.1 Company Overview10.1.2 Product/Business Segment Overview10.1.3 Financial Updates10.1.4 Key Developments10.2 Neutron Industries (U.S.)10.2.1 Company Overview10.2.2 Product/Business Segment Overview10.2.3 Financial Updates10.2.4 Key Developments10.3 Aditya Birla Chemicals (India)10.3.1 Company Overview10.3.2 Product/Business Segment Overview10.3.3 Financial Updates10.3.4 Key Developments10.4 Hansol Chemicals (Korea)10.4.1 Company Overview10.4.2 Product/Business Segment Overview10.4.3 Financial Updates10.4.4 Key DevelopmentsMake an Enquiry before buying @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 Components, Application, Logistics 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. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Industrial Fastener Global Market From 2017 - 2022: Analysis By Type, By Sub-Type, By End User, By Region & By Country Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1160849 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-industrial-fastener-market.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Industrial Fastener Global Market From 2017 - 2022: Analysis By Type, By Sub-Type, By End User, By Region & By Country" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Industrial Fastener Market on the basis of By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia pacific and ROW) and By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil , Argentina, China ,Japan , India, South Korea, U.K., Germany, France, Italy , Israel , Turkey).Over the recent years, the global industrial fastener industry has been growing rapidly as the global automotive , construction sector has been witnessing the rapid growth . Globally, the growth in the industrial fastener market is driven by increase in local manufacturers, government investment in the urbanization, changing automotive industry trends of light weighting vehicles and rise in aerospace industry.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global Industrial Fastener Market: Analysis By Type (Standard, Aerospace, Special), By Sub-Type (External, Internal, Non-Threaded), By End User, By Region, By Country (2017-2022) - By Region (N. America, L. America , Europe, APAC, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, India, South Korea, U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Turkey), among the regions, Asia is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by the Chinese manufacturers who provide fastener at the low price, investment by the European companies. Among the countries, China is predicted to rise at the highest rate driven by high investments by the native companies and government regulatory framework.The report titled, Global Industrial Fastener Market: Analysis By Type (Standard, Aerospace, Special), By Sub-Type (External, Internal, Non-Threaded), By End User, By Region, By Country (2017-2022) - By Region (N. America, L. America , Europe, APAC, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, India, South Korea, U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Turkey) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Industrial Fastener Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global food service equipment market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Total Industrial Fastener Market By Type (Standard, Aerospace, Application-Specific, Others) By Standard Sub-Type (External Threaded, Internal Threaded, Non-Threaded) By End-User Industry (Automotive, Construction, MRO, Mechanical, Agriculture, Aerospace, Others)Regional Markets North America, Latin America , Europe, APAC, ROW (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Total Industrial Fastener Market By Type (Standard, Aerospace, Application-Specific, Others) By Standard Sub-Type (External Threaded, Internal Threaded, Non-Threaded) By End-User Industry (Automotive, Construction, MRO, Mechanical, Agriculture, Aerospace, Others)Country Analysis - U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil , Argentina, China ,Japan , India, South Korea, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Turkey (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Total Industrial Fastener Market Countries - Exports and Imports By End-User Industry (Automotive, Construction, MRO, Mechanical, Agriculture, Aerospace, Others)Other Report Highlights Market Dynamics Trends, Drivers, Challenges Policy and Regulation Company Analysis Sundram Fasteners, LISI, ITW, Simmond Marshall, Bulten, Bossard, Fastenal, TR Fastening, TriMAsCustomization of the ReportThe report could be customized according to the clients specific research requirements. No additional cost will be required to pay for limited additional research.Browse More Details @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 @ Engine Mounts Market Evolving Manufacturers Toyo-Rubber, Cooper Standard, Nissin, Yamashita Rubber, Tuopu States, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/601844-global-engine-mounts-market-7 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=601844 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/601844-global-engine-mounts-market-7 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/601844-global-engine-mounts-market-7 A new research document with title 'Global Engine Mounts Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as Toyo-Rubber, Cooper Standard, Nissin, Yamashita Rubber, Tuopu ................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022SummaryThis report studies the Engine Mounts market. An engine mount is the part that holds the engine to the body or to the engine frame of the car. In a typical car, the engine and transmission are bolted together and held in place by three or four mounts.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Engine Mounts 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.Request a sample report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversTrelleborgVibracousticContiTechHutchinsonSumitomo RikoBridgestoneBOGE Rubber & PlasticsToyo-RubberCooper StandardNissinYamashita RubberTuopuLuoshiFaw FoundryPGI Far EastHetian AutomotiveSKFMarket 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, coversConventional Engine MountHydraulic Engine MountMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoPassenger CarCommercial VehicleOthersBuy this report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Engine Mounts market.Chapter 1, to describe Engine Mounts Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Engine Mounts, with sales, revenue, and price of Engine Mounts, 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 Engine Mounts, 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, Engine Mounts market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Engine Mounts sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet customization & check discount for report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Engine Mounts Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Conventional Engine Mount1.2.2 Hydraulic Engine Mount1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Passenger Car1.3.2 Commercial Vehicle1.3.3 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 PLATTSMOUTH A Lincoln man who was involved in a car accident that injured a local resident entered pleas to three charges Monday morning. Joseph B. Kon, 38, appeared in Cass County District Court for a plea hearing. Kon pled no contest to Class IV felony charges of criminal impersonation and driving under suspension-felony. He also pled no contest to a Class I misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault. Prosecutors had originally charged Kon with five felonies. They agreed to change that list in exchange for his pleas. Kon also agreed to pay $800 in restitution to the victim. Cass County Attorney Nathan Cox told the court Kon had been driving a BMW southbound on Highway 75 on April 24. He was following a male Cass County resident who was driving a Ford Mustang on the highway. Cox said Kon struck the Mustang from behind just south of the intersection of Highway 75 and Church Road. Both vehicles moved to the shoulder of the highway after the initial collision. Cox said Kon then used the BMW to strike the Mustang for a second time. The second collision was forceful enough to injure the shoulder of the male victim. Authorities responded to the scene and began to interview Kon about the incident. Cox said Cass County Sheriffs Office deputies ran into trouble during the initial portion of the interview because Kon gave them a false name. Authorities had to use fingerprint analysis to determine Kons real identity. Cox said Kon gave several versions of the accidents timeline to deputies. Kon blamed the male victim and did not take full responsibility for the crash. Authorities transported Kon to jail after they discovered he was driving with a suspended license. Kons license had been revoked for 15 years at a 2013 hearing in Lancaster County. Kon had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2008. Kon remains incarcerated in Cass County Jail. The court set a sentencing date of Sept. 11. Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) Devices Market By Target, By Surgery, By End User, By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast 2017 - 2022 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1107693 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-microinvasive-glaucoma-surgery-migs-devices-market-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) Devices Market By Target, By Surgery, By End User, By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast 2017 - 2022".A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Market on the basis of Target (Trabecular Meshwork, Suprachoroidal Space), By Surgery (Glaucoma in conjunction with Cataract and Stand Alone Glaucoma), By End User (Hospital Outpatient Departments - HOPDs and Ambulatory Surgery Centers - ASCs), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC and ROW) and By Country (U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil and South Africa).Over the recent years, the global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery industry has been growing rapidly as the global sales of iStent device by Glaukos which was the only commercially available device in United States has witnessed rapid growth post its FDA approval in 2012. Globally, the growth in micro-invasive glaucoma surgery device market is driven by several MIGS devices entering the market in next five years, rising number of glaucoma patients and rapidly aging population.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) Devices Market (By Target, By Surgery, By End User, By Region, By Country): Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) - By Target (Trabecular Meshwork, Suprachoroidal Space), By Surgery (Glaucoma Cataract, Standalone), By End User (HOPD, ASCs), By Region (N. America, Europe, APAC, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, South Africa), global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 47.10% during 2017 2022, chiefly driven by several MIGS devices entering the market in next five years, rising number of glaucoma patients and rapidly aging population, high safety profile and reduced dependency on prescription eye drops.Among the targets, Trabecular Meshwork currently dominates the Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery market. Among the surgeries, Stand Alone Glaucoma surgery is projected to witness fastest growth. In terms of End User, Ambulatory Surgery Centers is predicted to grow at a higher rate than HOPDs (Hospital Outpatient Departments). Among the regions, Asia Pacific is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by large glaucoma population and expansion of MIGS device in the region.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report titled, Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) Devices Market (By Target, By Surgery, By End User, By Region, By Country): Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) - By Target (Trabecular Meshwork, Suprachoroidal Space), By Surgery (Glaucoma Cataract, Standalone), By End User (HOPD, ASCs), By Region (N. America, Europe, APAC, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, South Africa), has covered and analyzed the potential of Global Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global food service equipment market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2013-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Market Global MIGS Device Market, By Target (Trabecular Meshwork, Suprachoroidal Space, Others) Global MIGS Device Market, By Surgery (Glaucoma in Conjunction with Cataract, Stand Alone Glaucoma) Global MIGS Device Market, By End User (Hospital Outpatient Departments, Ambulatory Surgery Centers)Regional Markets N. America, Europe, APAC, ROW (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Market Global MIGS Device Market, By Target Global MIGS Device Market, By Surgery Global MIGS Device Market, By End UserCountry Analysis - US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, South Africa (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022) Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery Market Global MIGS Device Market, By Surgery in Percentage (2016, 2022) Global MIGS Device Market, By End User in Percentage (2016, 2022)Other Report Highlights Market Dynamics Trends, Drivers, Challenges Policy and Regulation Company Analysis Glaukos, Alcon, Santen, Ivantis, AllerganBrowse More Details @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 @ Drug-Eluting Stents Market: Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=882494 http://www.researchmoz.us/europe-drug-eluting-stents-market-report-2016-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Drug-Eluting Stents Market: Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of Drug-Eluting Stents in Europe market, especially in Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Benelux and Spain, focuses on top players in these countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these Countries, coveringAbbott Vascular (USA)Boston Scientific, Inc. (USA)Biosensors International Pte Ltd. (Singapore)Medtronic, Inc.(USA)MIV Therapeutics, Inc. (Canada)Market Segment by Countries, this report splits Europe into several key Countries, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Drug-Eluting Stents in these countries, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeGermanyFranceUKRussiaItalySpainBeneluxSplit by product type, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IIType IIISplit by application, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Drug-Eluting Stents in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsEurope Drug-Eluting Stents Market Report 20161 Drug-Eluting Stents Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Drug-Eluting Stents1.2 Classification of Drug-Eluting Stents1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Drug-Eluting Stents1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 Drug-Eluting Stents Market by Countries1.4.1 Germany Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 France Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 UK Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Russia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Italy Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 Spain Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.7 Benelux Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Europe Market Size (Value and Volume) of Drug-Eluting Stents (2011-2021)1.5.1 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.1.2 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Europe Drug-Eluting Stents Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)Browse More Details @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 @ SCADA Market 2017 - ABB, Rockwell Automation, Schneider, Honeywell, Siemens SCADA Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2056 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/scada-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2056 Market Scenario:SCADA is an automation system that helps to acquire data from remote devices by using transmitters, pumps which is installed in the field. It provides remote control and also helps to operate the devices. Exploration of new oil and gas fields and low operational cost are the key factors that have led to a spur in the market of SCADA system. Moreover, Factors such as graphic display, trending, alarm, and data storing features are driving the market. Huge potential from renewable energy sector, high investments in infrastructure are some of the factors which are booming the SCADA Market. Additionally demand for reliable power distribution and transmission among different industries, rising demand for SCADA Systems in oil & gas industry in emerging markets for efficient oil extraction are likely to accelerate the growth of supervisory control and data acquisition market during the forecast period. Whereas growing security concerns are acting as a challenge for SCADA Market.Request a Sample Report @Study Objectives of SCADA markets Market. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the SCADA Markets Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the SCADA Markets market based 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 component, applications, 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 Conveyor system.Regional Analysis:North America is dominating the SCADA market due to the presence of global players. U.S holds largest share in the North American region. The major factors such as investments in oil & gas industry as well as high consumption in the power industry are driving the SCADA market in this region. Moreover, large financial and technological investments for reliable and improvised power management system are also driving the demand in the SCADA market. Asia Pacific is the second largest market mainly due to significant infrastructural activities in recent times. Additionally increasing demand in the power generation industry in these regions is expected to drives the market.Browse Full Report in Detail @Key PlayersThe major player operating in the market of Global SCADA are ABB, Rockwell Automation, Schneider, Honeywell, Siemens, Emerson Electric, eLynx Technologies, Enbase Solutions, Globlx and Iconics.Key Points from Table of Content:7. Competitive Analysis7.1 Market Share Analysis7.2 Company Profiles7.2.1 Abb7.2.2 Rockwell Automation7.2.3 Schneider7.2.4 Honeywell7.2.5 Siemens7.2.6 Emerson Electric7.2.7 Elynx Technologies7.2.8 Enbase Solutions7.2.9 Globlx7.2.10 IconicsMake an Enquiry before buying @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 Components, Application, Logistics 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. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate Market 2017 - Ajinomoto, Clariant, Sino Lion, Miwon, Galaxy, Solvay, Tinci, DELTA, Bafeorii Chem Global Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate Market https://goo.gl/JH6oCm https://goo.gl/iGRohu www.apexresearch.biz Global Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate Market 2017 Analysis Report audits a Market Regions, Product Categories, with Sales, Business Revenue, Goods cost, Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate piece of the overall industry and Growth patterns, concentrating on driving Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate industry players, showcase size, request and supply examination, utilization volume, Forecast 2017 to 2022.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportAjinomotoClariantSino LionMiwonGalaxySolvayTinciDELTABafeorii ChemThe Global Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate report gives a thorough situation of the present and gauge Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate showcase procedures, improvement methodologies and development openings. Starting a discussion on the contemporary condition of Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate showcase, the report extra dissects the market powerful moving each area begun in it.The report additionally concentrates the Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate bits of knowledge of the organizations and suggestions that will help the perusers to have progressive learning of the Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate showcase.Enquire Before Buying @A principal diagram of the Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate market is introduced to the perusers with the assistance of market definition, order, different applications, and production network examination. The Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate report covers the investigation of conventional and the developing markets. The report more expresses the Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate 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 Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate 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 Sodium N-Cocoyl Glycinate advertise.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 IT Services Market Evolving Manufacturers Accenture, CSC, Lookheed, Capgemini, NTT Data, SAIC Countries , Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/601886-global-it-services-market-3 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=601886 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/601886-global-it-services-market-3 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/601886-global-it-services-market-3 A new research document with title 'Global IT Services Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as Accenture, CSC, Lookheed, Capgemini, NTT Data, SAIC................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022SummaryIT services refers to the application of business and technical expertise to enable organizations in the creation, management and optimization of or access to information and business processes.Request a sample report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the IT Services 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 coversIBMHPFujitsuAccentureCSCLookheedCapgeminiNTT DataSAICXeroxOracleHitachiNCCADPNECTCSInfosysAtosWiproHCL TechBT Global ServicesCapitaCTSIDCITSTaijiTeamsun TechChina UnicomDHC SoftwareNeusoftSinoRail InfoChinasoftUnisys CorpMarket 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, coversMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoEnterpriseFinancialGovernmentHealthcare & MedicalOthersBuy this report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global IT Services market.Chapter 1, to describe IT Services Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of IT Services, with sales, revenue, and price of IT Services, 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 IT Services, 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, IT Services market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe IT Services sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet customization & check discount for report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 IT Services Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Enterprise1.3.2 Financial1.3.3 Government1.3.4 Healthcare & Medical1.3.5 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 Personal Finance Software Market 2017 Trend, Analysis and Forecast to 2021 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/global-personal-finance-software-market-2017-2021 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001886697/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001886697/buying Personal finance software helps to manage credit cards, investments, bank accounts, income, and expenditure of an individual in a smartphone or PC. It has the capability to manage payrolls and monetary transactions by helping an individual to manage monthly expenses efficiently. These software function like a dashboard for the user's money that helps in tracking transactions and alerting the user when a problem arises.Publisher's analysts forecast the global personal finance software market to grow at a CAGR of 5.14% during the period 2017-2021.For more information about this report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global personal finance software market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the installations of personal finance software, which are downloaded as mobile applications or on a computer system.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEAPublisher's report, Global Personal Finance Software 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 vendors- Quicken- The Infinite Kind- YNAB- BUXFERRequest Sample Copy atOther prominent vendors- Alzex software- Microsoft- doxo- Personal Capital- Money Dashboard- Prosper Funding- PocketSmith- CountAbout- Finicity- Moneyspire- CoinKeeper- BankTree Software- NCH Software- Easy Life- MechCAD SoftwareMarket driver- Growing dependency on the Internet- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Availability of open-source solutions- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend- Availability of mobile applications- For a full, detailed list, view our reportInquire 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. 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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 Global Brake Disc Market 2017 - Brembo, Aisin Seiki, Kiriu, Bocsh, ZF TRW, Continental, AC delco, TEXTAR, Winhere, Accuride Gunite, Remsa, Lpr Break, EBC Brakes Global Brake Disc Market https://goo.gl/h56hZ5 https://goo.gl/sGvzYS www.apexresearch.biz Global Brake Disc Market 2017 Analysis Report audits a Market Regions, Product Categories, with Sales, Business Revenue, Goods cost, Brake Disc piece of the overall industry and Growth patterns, concentrating on driving Brake Disc industry players, showcase size, request and supply examination, utilization volume, Forecast 2017 to 2022.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportBremboAisin SeikiKiriuBocshZF TRWContinentalAC delcoTEXTARWinhereAccuride GuniteRemsaLpr BreakEBC BrakesThe Global Brake Disc report gives a thorough situation of the present and gauge Brake Disc showcase procedures, improvement methodologies and development openings. 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Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.biz Global PVC Paste Market 2017: Saudi Basic Industries, Shenyang Chemical, Hanwha, Mexichem and KEM ONE Global PVC Paste Market https://goo.gl/TbWXGV https://goo.gl/ELNFaZ https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global PVC Paste research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The PVC Paste market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. 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We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Smoke Extractor Exhaust fan Market 2017: Polypipe Ventilation, Nanfang Ventilator, Greenheck, Yilida and Systemair Global Smoke Extractor Exhaust fan Market https://goo.gl/fmzXdM https://goo.gl/Pe5fV5 https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Smoke Extractor Exhaust fan research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. 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We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Invisalign System Market 2017 - 3M, Jiahong, Huayu, Smartee, Align Technology, Tp Orthodontics Invisalign System Market https://goo.gl/XFAogn https://goo.gl/sQ1k7P http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research recently launched global Invisalign System market report which focuses on a detailed and precise study of Invisalign System industry. 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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 PLATTSMOUTH Two men who drove under the influence of alcohol in Cass County participated in district court hearings Monday morning. Lincoln resident Frederick C. Baxter, 45, took part in the days first case in Cass County District Court. He pled guilty to one charge of driving under the influence of alcohol-.15+-third offense. The state agreed to dismiss a Class IV felony charge of violating terms of an ignition interlock permit as part of a plea bargain. Deputy County Attorney Richard Fedde told the court Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded to the scene of a car accident on March 29. The accident took place in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 near mile marker 420. Troopers found Baxter behind the wheel of a 2002 Cadillac that was parked in the eastbound off-ramp. The front of the vehicle was damaged due to a collision that had taken place on the interstate. Troopers smelled the odor of alcohol coming from the car when they approached Baxter for an interview. Fedde said Baxter told troopers he had been drinking and felt impaired. Baxter was only able to recite the alphabet from the letters E to Q and failed several other field sobriety exams. He was arrested and taken to the weigh scales near Waverly for a breath test. Fedde said Baxter had a blood-alcohol content level of .229. Baxter had previously been convicted of DUI offenses in Lancaster County in February 2004 and February 2011. He had also faced DUI charges in June 2016. Baxter remains in Cass County Jail. The court set a sentencing date of Aug. 14. Baxter is scheduled to be sentenced on a similar matter in Lancaster County on Aug. 11. Hickman resident Matthew P. Morrison, 47, appeared in the days second DUI-related case. Morrison pled guilty to one Class W misdemeanor charge of DUI-third offense in May. He took part in a sentencing hearing Monday. A Cass County Sheriffs Office deputy discovered Morrison asleep behind the wheel of his car on Nov. 24. Morrisons car was parked in the middle of an off-ramp that led from Interstate 80 to Highway 66 in western Cass County. The deputy saw one empty bottle of vodka and a second vodka bottle that was partially consumed in the car. Morrison soon woke up and began speaking with the deputy. Morrison failed several field sobriety tests and was arrested. A chemical breath test conducted at Cass County Jail registered a blood-alcohol content level of .187. Morrison had two prior DUI convictions on his record when the November incident took place. He had been convicted in Sarpy County in April 2005 and Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in October 2005. Judge Michael Smith ordered Morrison to serve 36 months on probation. Morrison must abstain from all alcohol and drugs and must attend 12-step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous. His drivers license will be suspended for five years and he will be required to attend a DUI education course, cognitive behavior class and attitudinal direction course. Morrison will pay a mandatory $1,000 fine and will spend a mandatory 30 days in Cass County Jail. He will serve eight consecutive periods in jail beginning Aug. 6. 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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 High Speed Handpieces Market 2017 - W&H, NSK, Kavo, TEK, Being, Osada, SciCan, Sinol, TTBIO, Codent High Speed Handpieces Market https://goo.gl/T5eTVr https://goo.gl/fWnfVV http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research recently launched global High Speed Handpieces market report which focuses on a detailed and precise study of High Speed Handpieces industry. 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Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.biz Global Table and Kitchen Glassware Market 2017: Boelter Companies, Luigi Bormioli, Arc International and Waterford Global Table and Kitchen Glassware Market https://goo.gl/B48u4p https://goo.gl/KYFLwm https://market.biz/ http://journalismday.com/ Global Table and Kitchen Glassware research report provides the complete and precise view of the market during the forecast period from 2017-2022. The Table and Kitchen Glassware market Report enlists the different factors which can help the readers in transforming their knowledge into vital business decisions. To start with the Table and Kitchen Glassware report analyses the market development based on market gains, extensive product applications, dominant market regions and the companies within these regions.At an initial stage, the report offers the Table and Kitchen Glassware market structure, business outline, product view, technical advancements and pioneering market plans along with the factors that can restrain the progress of Table and Kitchen Glassware market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Table and Kitchen Glassware Report:Remarkable Assets of the Global Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Report: Breakdown of the report by key market segments will exhibit the market growth scenario based on regions. With the knowledge of dominant key players, the vital business choices can be made. Easy to understandable view of the global Table and Kitchen Glassware market will be provided by segment-wise and region-wise analysis. Testimonials to the company will validate the accuracy of the data to have better market overview.Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Breakdown:Global Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Study Based On Key Players:Arc InternationalLibbeyPasabahceBormioli RoccoRiedelEveryWare GlobalTervisBoelter CompaniesWaterfordLuigi BormioliBODUMDeLiHuapengGlobal Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Study Based On Product Applications:Commercial UseResidential UseGlobal Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Study Based On Product Types:Drinking WareDinner WareGlobal Table and Kitchen Glassware Market Study Based On Geographical Realms: Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Russia) South America (The Middle East and Africa) North America (The USA, Canada and Mexico) Asia-Pacific (India, China, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia)To Acquire Table and Kitchen Glassware Report Sample With Complete TOC atThe subsequent portions depict the Table and Kitchen Glassware market globally:Portion 1, states the aim of Table and Kitchen Glassware market along with the basic market introduction, product pictures, growth aspects and dominance of Table and Kitchen Glassware market across different regions;Portion 2, analyses the Table and Kitchen Glassware market players, their sales margin, market gains and their market share in 2016 and 2017;Portion 3, competitive landscape outlook of the Table and Kitchen Glassware market differentiated by key players based on revenue generated from sales;Portion 4, elaborates the region-based study of the Table and Kitchen Glassware market and the sales volume in each region and the market gains from 2012 to 2017;Portion 5,6,7,8 and 9 shows the major countries in these regions with their market revenue in 2017;Portion 10 and 11 investigates the Table and Kitchen Glassware market stating different product types, variety of applications, market progress based on market statistics from 2012 to 2017;Portion 12 shows the futuristic market plans from during the span of 2017 to 2022 which varies according to zones, product categories and applications;Portion 13, 14, 15 enlists the marketing channels, Table and Kitchen Glassware market retailers, market facts and figures, vital conclusions, appendix and data collection sources;To conclude with the Table and Kitchen Glassware Report has done the exhaustive study of the market during the projected span of 2017 to 2022 which will help them to make right decisions at right time to see the growth of their industry.About Us:Market.Biz 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.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS. no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Global Electronic Map by Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 Type, Application & Key Players TomTom, Google, Alibaba, Navinfo, mobileye https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/602502-global-electronic-map-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=602502 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/602502-global-electronic-map-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/602502-global-electronic-map-market A new research document with title 'Global Electronic Map Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 ' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as TomTom, Google, Alibaba, Navinfo, mobileye................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022SummaryThis report studies the global Electronic Map market, analyzes and researches the Electronic Map development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.Request a sample report @This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeHereTomTomGoogleAlibabaAutoNavi?NavinfomobileyeSandborn...Buy this report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Electronic Map can be split intoOrdinary MapHD MapMarket segment by Application, Electronic Map can be split intoRoute QueryNavigationPositioningGet customization & check discount for report @Table of ContentsGlobal Electronic Map Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Electronic Map1.1 Electronic Map Market Overview1.1.1 Electronic Map Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Electronic Map 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 Electronic Map Market by Type1.3.1 Ordinary Map1.3.2 HD Map1.4 Electronic Map Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Route Query1.4.2 Navigation1.4.3 Positioning2 Global Electronic Map Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Electronic Map 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 Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Here3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 TomTom3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Google3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 AlibabaAutoNavi?3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Navinfo3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 mobileye3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Sandborn3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Electronic Map Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments....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 Global Pigments market share to hit USD 18.98 billion by 2024: Paints & Coatings sector to augment the industry growth https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/742 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/pigments-market https://www.gminsights.com/ Pigments market size is expected to surpass USD 18 billion by 2024, driven by its growing applications in construction materials, paints & coatings, plastics, toiletries, and printing inks.Global paints & coatings industry worth USD 110 billion in 2015, is expected to witness a noticeable growth over the coming years, owing to enhanced demand for high quality paints and breakthroughs in coatings technology. This will in turn stimulate the pigments market share in the paint & coatings sector. Moreover, heat stability, corrosion resistance, tinting strength, opacity, dispersion, lightfastness, toxicity, staining, and resistance to acids & alkalis etc. are some of the favorable pigment properties, which are predicted to boost the pigments industry trends over the coming timeframe.Sample Copy of this Report @Paints & coatings sector led the pigments application landscape by contributing towards 35% of the overall pigments market share in 2015 and is forecast to witness a noticeable growth over the period of 2016-2024. The growth can be credited to the rise in purchasing power along with growing preference for pigments providing improved metallic luster to paints. Furthermore, they help in preventing surface corrosion and strengthen the paint film to get the best color effects.Pigments market size in construction materials sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3% over 2016-2024, primarily driven by its increasing applications in color roofing, metal panels, colored asphalt production, wood construction, and cooler tiles. Pigments applications in Plastic industry was worth USD 1.5 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to witness a substantial growth over the coming eight years.Major pigments products include specialty, inorganic, and organic products. Inorganic pigments market price worth USD 5 billion in 2015, is expected to grow at a rate of 3.5% over the period of 2016-2024. The growth can be attributed to its favorable properties such as consistency, tinting strength, and pure hue. Organic pigments market accounted for 40% of the overall revenue in 2015 and is forecast to witness significant gains over the next few years. The growth can be attributed to its growing application across various sectors due to rising ecological and health concerns. Specialty pigments market size is anticipated to register a growth rate of 5% over the coming eight years, owing to the rising consumer preference for phosphorescent and high quality paints.Browse key industry insights spread across 263 pages with 298 market data tables & 16 figures & charts from the report, Pigments Market Size By Product (Inorganic [Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Cadmium Pigments, Carbon Black, Chromium Oxide], Organic [Azo, Phthalocyanine, Quinacridone], Specialty [Classic Organic, Metallic,Light Interference, Complex Inorganic, Fluorescent, Luminescent/Phosphorescent, Thermochromic]), By Application (Paints & Coatings, Printing Inks, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 - 2024 in detail along with the table of contents:North America pigments market size valued at USD 3.2 billion in 2015, is projected to witness a considerable surge over the coming years, owing to the high consumer preference for specialty products. U.S. is projected to make noteworthy contributions towards the regional share.Asia Pacific pigments industry is expected to record a CAGR of 5% over the timeframe. The growth can be attributed to rapid infrastructure expansion, rise in vehicle production & sales, and increase in construction activities. India and China are anticipated to be major regional revenue pockets.Market players will adopt major growth strategies such as product portfolio expansion, joint ventures, and mergers & acquisitions over the coming years. Key industry players include Huntsman Corporation, Clariant, Lanxess, BASF, CRISTAL, Ferro Corporation, Pidilite Industries, TRONOX, DIC Corporation, and Tokan Material Technology Co., Ltd.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Cancer Tissue Diagnostics Market to Flourish US$ 9648.9 Mn by 2026-End http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4191 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-4191 www.futuremarketinsights.com The National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is a part of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer in the country in 2016. In the same year, NCI also projected 595,690 deaths due to carcinogenic ailments. Cancer research activities have surged rapidly over the past few years, which has led to more product approvals for cancer diagnostic and treatment purposes. A recent study conducted by Future Market Insights (FMI) reveals that the global cancer tissue diagnostics market, which is currently valued at over US$ 4345 Mn, will expand at a healthy CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period (2016-2026). During these ten years of the forecast, the global demand for cancer tissue diagnostics is expected to grow by leaps and bounds as diagnostic technologies will continue to get more efficient and credible.FMIs report titled Cancer Tissue Diagnostics Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 20162026 also cites that North America represents the most lucrative market for cancer tissue diagnostics, followed by Europe and APAC. In 2016, North America accounted for more than 36% share of the global market. The cancer tissue diagnostics market in this region is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 4,017.7 Mn towards the end of 2026. This growth is primarily attributed to factors such as the constantly extending list of cancer biomarkers and the presence of advance healthcare infrastructures in the region. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is also anticipated to witness a strong growth of its market over the next couple of years. By 2026-end, the regions market is expected to reach US$ 1,107.7 Mn in terms of revenue.Request For Report Sample@The report further projects that in situ hybridization will continue to be the leading cancer tissue diagnostics type. In terms of revenue, in situ hybridization tests are projected to account for the largest share of the market during the assessment period. Cases of breast cancer have been quite high amongst all the cancers type of late. Hence, procedures for breast cancer diagnostics are expected to remain relatively higher than for other cancer types in 2017 and beyond.Key Factors Boosting the Global Cancer Tissue Diagnostics Market Include:Inclusion of cancer screening tests in national cancer screening programs in various countries.Havier discretionary funding for cancer research that is resulting in the development of more efficient diagnostic procedures.Arrival of revolutionary second and third -generation diagnostics platforms that are quickly gaining popularity in the market.Novelty in imaging techniques and availability of affordable diagnostics.Send an Enquiry @Abbott Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Ventana Medical Systems, Inc, Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., Enzo Life Sciences, Inc., Abcam plc., BioGenex, Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., PerkinElmer Inc. are some of the prominent companies operating in the global market for cancer tissue diagnostics. Many of these market players are implementing merger and acquisition strategies to increase their market presence. Furthermore, cancer diagnostic assay kits developers, instrument manufacturers and technology license providers are also partnering with each other in order to increase their consumer base.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: Global Overview Of Cyberinsurance Discusses The Market Dynamics By Analyzing Key Trends, Opportunities And Challenges http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1174274 http://www.researchmoz.us/developments-in-cyberinsurance-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1174274 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Developments in Cyberinsurance" to its huge collection of research reports.The globalization of value chains, rapid urbanization, continuous financial integration and the internets ubiquity have accelerated worldwide economic growth in the past few decades. Unfortunately, these developments have also significantly increased vulnerability to external shocks in the form of cybercrime.Increasing digitization has allowed cybercriminals to hack important data or disrupt the operational efficiency of various organizations. The growing threat of cyberattacks has positioned cyberinsurance as an important and effective risk-mitigation tool.Although cyberinsurance does not replace the need for cybersecurity technology, it has the ability to complement cybersecurity standards through mitigating cyber risk.The report also analyzes regional and industry level developments, and risks pertaining to cyberinsurance. Knowledge of cyber-risk at granular level is critical when underwriting cover suited to business or industry-specific needs.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Summary'Insight Report: Developments in Cyberinsurance' analyzes the growing significance of cyberinsurance as a cyber-risk-mitigation strategy. It provides:A global overview of cyberinsurance, and discusses the market dynamics by analyzing key trends, opportunities and challengesAn industry-level assessment of riskInsights into the ongoing development of cyberinsuranceAn overview of the various regulatory changesAnalysis of policy gaps and underwriting issuesInsight into innovation in cyberinsurance, with respect to product development and strategic partnershipsA snapshot of recent developments in leading cyberinsurance regionsScopeThis report analyzes the significance of cyberinsurance as a cyber-risk-mitigation tool.It analyzes policy gaps and underwriting issues.It discusses innovation in cyberinsurance with respect to product development and strategic partnershipsIt provides a snapshot of recent developments in the leading cyberinsurance regionsBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Reasons To BuyBuild an understanding about the cyberinsurance market from a global perspectiveDevelop an insight into market trends and driversGain an understanding of regulations in particular regions or industries related to cyberinsuranceLearn about different competitive strategies in the industryKey HighlightsCyber-risk insurance premiums are relatively high-around three times higher than commercial general liability policies, and six times higher than property insurance, according to a study by Marsh and the UK Government in 2015.The final version of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been adopted and will be enforced by May 25, 2018, following a proposal by the European Commission in 2012.According to the annual Ponemon Cost of Data Breach 2016 report, the consolidated average per capita cost for 12 countries-the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Japan, the Middle East, Brazil, India and South Africa-was US$158, compared to an average of US$154 in 2015, excluding South Africa.Europe has the worlds second-largest regional cyberinsurance market, accounting for around US$150 million in premiums according to broker Marsh & McLennan. Allianz has estimated that the European cyberinsurance market could reach US$1 billion by 2018, as regulation and overall knowledge grow.In May 2016, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced its Cybersecurity Fortification Initiative (CFI) that establishes a framework for assessing vulnerability to cyber-risks, creates a program for building cybersecurity expertise, and provides a platform for industry sharing of cyberintelligence.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 @ Infrastructure Intelligence Center (IIC), The Infrastructure Construction Markets Is Projected To Reach NGN6.5 Trillion By 2021 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1070389 http://www.researchmoz.us/infrastructure-insight-nigeria-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1070389 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Infrastructure Insight: Nigeria" to its huge collection of research reports.The report provides a detailed look into the infrastructure sector in Nigeria, including analysis of the state of the current infrastructure, the regulatory and financing landscapes and the major projects in the construction pipeline.The report covers all key infrastructure sectors: roads, railways, electricity and power, water and sewerage, communication, and airports and ports.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @SummaryInfrastructure expenditure in Nigeria is forecast to increase at a strong pace over the forecast period (20172021).According to Timetrics Infrastructure Intelligence Center (IIC), the infrastructure construction markets value increased from NGN2.5 trillion (US$8.2 billion) in 2011 to NGN4.9 trillion (US$16 billion) in 2016, and is projected to reach NGN6.5 trillion by 2021 (in nominal value terms).This is based on the assumption that a number of major infrastructure projects will proceed as planned, including the EastWest Road Dualization, the Coastal Railway Line, the 3050MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Plant and the Lekki Deepwater Port.ScopeA concise analysis of the administrative, economic and political context for infrastructure in Nigeria.An in-depth assessment of the current state of infrastructure in Nigeria, including roads, railways, electricity and power, water and sewerage, communications, airports and ports.A focus on main political and financial institutions involved in the infrastructure market, as well as the competitive and regulatory environment.For each infrastructure sector, an explanation of the key drivers of growth in new investment and an analysis of the project pipeline, with a detailed look at the prospects for major projects and the companies that have secured contracts.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Reasons To BuyAssess the current state of Nigeria infrastructure, and the main drivers of investment, including the key institutions and financing methods.Investigate forecasts and gain an understanding of key trends in each of the main infrastructure sectors.Analyze the main project participants operating in each sector, to better understand the competitive environment.Identify top projects by sector, development stage and start date to inform expansion strategy.Key HighlightsTimetric is currently tracking 151 large-scale infrastructure construction projects in Nigeria, at all stages of development from announcement to execution. These projects have a total investment value of US$285.3 billion.Rail projects account for the largest share of infrastructure projects in the pipeline, with a total value of US$133.6 billion. This is followed by electricity and power projects with a pipeline of US$121.6 billion. The pipeline value for road infrastructure projects amounts to US$16.2 billion, and for airports and other infrastructure construction projects it stands at US$13.5 billion. For water and sewerage infrastructure construction projects, the total work pipeline stands at U$457 million.In the 2015-2016 World Economics Global Competitiveness Report, Nigeria ranked 133rd of 140 countries surveyed for the overall quality of infrastructure; well behind South Africa (59th), Algeria (101st) and Egypt (114th).President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to concentrate on the rapid development of the countrys infrastructure, especially on critical ongoing infrastructure projects in the roads, railways, power and ICT sectors.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 @ Construction Intelligence Center (CIC) Is Currently Tracking Airport Construction Projects Globally With A Total Value Of US$721.7 Billion http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1070384 http://www.researchmoz.us/project-insight-airport-construction-projects-global-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1070384 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Project Insight - Airport Construction Projects: Global" to its huge collection of research reports.The report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights based on over 600 CIC projects in the Global market.The report provides detailed metrics on the region's airport construction projects (as tracked by CIC) split by country, type and value.Detailed metrics are also provided for the top 10 countries.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @SummaryTimetrics Construction Intelligence Center (CIC) is currently tracking airport construction projects globally with a total value of US$721.7 billion.Asia-Pacific has the highest-value project pipeline, at US$291.2 billion, equivalent to 40% of the total global value of airport projects. The MEA is in second place, with projects with a value of US$163.5 billion.The Americas has a project pipeline valued at US$135.9 billion, while in Europe it stands at US$131.0 billion.ScopeThe report provides analysis based on CIC projects showing total project values for the Global market and analysis by stage and funding for the top 10 countries. Top project listings and top participants for the sector are also shown.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Reasons To BuyGain insight into main drivers of activity and forecasts, and an understanding of key trends, analysis of projects by value for the global market and its main countries, enabling clients to target products and services for each type of project.Read analysis of main project participants by value for the sector, enabling clients to target products and services for each type of project.Access top project data with location, value, stage and start date.Key HighlightsProjects at the execution stage amount to US$388.1 billion, while those in planning have a combined value of US$179.3 billion.Projects in the pre-execution stage amount to US$128.7 billion and those at the pre-planning stage (announced and study) have a value of US$25.5 billion.The funding of projects is weighted towards public investment, which accounts for 62% of the total global value, followed by joint public-private initiatives, with 28%, and solely private funding accounting for 10%.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 Elevators and Escalators Market (2012-2022) - By Product Type, Technology, Business Type, End User, Company, Country and Region http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1217027 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-elevators-and-escalators-market-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1217027 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Elevators and Escalators Market (Volume, Value) By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators), By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic), By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization), By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others): Analysis By Company, By Country, By Region (2012-2022)" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Elevators and Escalators Market on the basis of Product Type (Elevators and Escalators), By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance & Modernization); By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality and Others), Region (North America ,Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and ROW ) and By Country (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brazil and Mexico).To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Over the recent years, the global elevators & escalators industry has gone through rapid transition supported by the advancement in technologies and increasing construction of skyscrapers catering to the fast paced vertical expansion of the cities. The elevators & escalators market has grown significantly due to rapid urbanization and construction of high rise buildings particularly in emerging economies. Globally, the growth in the elevators and escalators market is driven by increasing population in metropolitan cities, rising disposable incomes, increasing investment in public infrastructure and high demand for affordable house. Additionally, a significant number of elevators and escalators with the age of 20 years and above in developed economies coupled with changing regulations & safety codes and growing preference for energy efficient elevators are anticipated to impel the elevators & escalators market particularly in modernization segment.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global Elevators and Escalators Market (Volume, Value) By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators), By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic), By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization), By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others): Analysis By Company, By Country, By Region (2012-2022), global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 6.37% during 2017 2022, chiefly driven by rapid construction in emerging economies in Asia-Pacific and Middle East Countries.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Among the regions, Asia-Pacific is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by robust economic growth, increasing demand for affordable homes in metropolitan cities, rising middle class economy etc. Among the country China and India are predicted to advance at the highest rate driven by high rapid urbanization growth and rising economy.The report titled ""Global Elevators and Escalators Market (Volume, Value) By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators), By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic), By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization), By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others): Analysis By Company, By Country, By Region (2012-2022) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Elevators and Escalators Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global elevators and escalators market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)- Elevators & Escalators Market By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators)- By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic)- By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization)- By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others)- Regional Markets North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and ROW- Elevators & Escalators Market By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators)- By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic)- By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization)- By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others)- Country Analysis - U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brazil, Mexico- Elevators & Escalators Market By Product Type (Elevators, Escalators)- By Technology (Electric, Hydraulic)- By Business Type (New Installations, Maintenance, Modernization)- By End User (Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, Others)Other Report Highlights- Market Dynamics Trends, Drivers, Challenges- Company Analysis Otis Elevator Company, Schindler Holding Ltd., KONE Corporation, thyssenkrupp Elevator Technology, Hitachi, Ltd., FUJITEC CO., LTD., Shanghai Mitsubishi Elevator Co. Ltd.Customization of the ReportThe report could be customized according to the clients specific research requirements. No additional cost will be required to pay for limited additional research.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 @ Editor: On July 17, the Plattsmouth Lions Club hosted an American Red Cross blood drive celebrating our 100th year in the state of Nebraska. This drive came at a time when the Red Cross is facing an emergency need for donors; blood donations are going to hospitals as fast as theyre coming in. The Plattsmouth community responded to our need in force, donating 49 pints of blood. There's always a great sense of community at the Plattsmouth blood drives. Everyone is so giving whether it be giving blood, donating their time to help prepare for the day, volunteering during the blood drive or serving delicious snacks. It's especially fun to help save lives in Plattsmouth! It is with sincere appreciation that I say thank you, on behalf of the American Red Cross, to the Plattsmouth community. The Red Cross has only been able to serve Nebraskans for a century because of our volunteers and donors. We look forward to serving you for another 100 years. Sincerely, Teri Vitallo Global In-Flight Catering Services Market Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) - By Segment, Flight Type, Region and Country http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1217025 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-inflight-catering-services-market-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1217025 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global In-Flight Catering Services Market: Analysis By Segment (In-house, Outsource, Hotels, Small Caterers), By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft), By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022)" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global In-flight Catering Service on the basis of By Type ( Outsource , In-house, Hotels & Small caterers ), By Flight type (Full service carrier, Low Cost Carrier , Private Aircraft )Region (North America ,Europe ,Asia, Middle East & Africa , ROW ) and By Country (U.S., Canada , U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil Mexico, UAE, south Africa, Saudi Arabia ).To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Over the recent years, the global Inflight catering service industry has been growing rapidly as aviation market has been witnessing rapid growth. Globally, the growth in the airline catering market is driven by rising disposable incomes, increasing airline passengers, strong marketing by big brands, advancement of technology in flight food ordering system, rising on-board catering etc.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global In-Flight Catering Services Market: Analysis By Segment (In-house, Outsource, Hotels, Small Caterers), By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft), By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022), global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 5.35% during 2017 2022, chiefly driven by increasing airline passengers and rising disposable incomes.Among the regions, Asia is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by growing aviation market, increasing middle class economy etc. Among the country, China and US is predicted to advance at the highest rate driven by high aviation growth and rising economy.The report titled Global In-Flight Catering Services Market: Analysis By Segment (In-house, Outsource, Hotels, Small Caterers), By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft), By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Inflight Catering Service Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global in-flight catering services market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2011-2015, Forecast Period: 2016-2021)- In-flight Catering Services Market- By Segment (In-house, Outsource, Hotels, Small Caterers)- By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft)- Regional Markets North America , Europe, APAC, Middle East & Africa ROW (Actual Period: 2011-2015, Forecast Period: 2016-2021)- In-flight Catering Services Market- By Segment (In-house, Outsource, Hotels, Small Caterers)- By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft)- Country Analysis - UK, Germany, France, India, China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, U.S., Canada) and Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)- In-flight Catering Services Market- By Flight Type (Low Cost, Full Service, Private Aircraft)Other Report Highlights- Market Dynamics Trends, Drivers, Challenges- Policy and Regulation- Company Analysis Siemens, Vestas, Vattenfall, General Electric, Suzlon, Vestas ,Dong Energy, Samsung Heavy Industries, NordexCustomization of the ReportThe report could be customized according to the clients specific research requirements. No additional cost will be required to pay for limited additional research.Table of Contents1. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary3. Strategic Recommendations3.1. Growth of Low Cost Carriers Provoke In-flight Caterers to Make New Business Models.3.2. Asia pacific witnesses high growth in the forecasted period4. Global Inflight Catering Service Market Outlook5. Global Inflight Catering Service Market: Growth and Forecast5.1. By Value (2012-2016)5.2. By Value (2017-2012)6. Global Inflight Catering Services Market: Analysis By Types6.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type (Outsource, In-house, Hotels & Small Caterers): Breakdown (%)6.1.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type, 2016 (%)6.1.2. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type, 2022 (%)6.2. Global Inflight Catering Service Market- By Type, By Value6.2.1. Global In-house Catering Service Market6.2.1.1. By Value (2012-2022)6.2.2. Global Outsource Catering Service Market6.2.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)6.2.3. Global Hotels & Small Caterers Catering Service Market6.2.3.1. By Value (2012-2022)7. Global Inflight Catering Services Market: By Flight Type7.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type (Full service Carrier, Low Cost Carrier, Private Aircraft): Breakdown (%)7.1.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Flight Type, 2016 (%)7.1.2. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Flight Type, 2022 (%)7.2. Global Inflight Catering Service Market- By Flight Type, By Value7.2.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market- By Flight Type, By Value7.2.1.1. By Value (2012-2022)7.2.2. Global Low Cost Carrier Market7.2.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)7.2.3. Global Hotels & Small Caterers Carrier Market7.2.3.1. By Value (2012-2022)8. Global In-fight catering Market: Regional Analysis8.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Regional: Breakdown (%)8.1.1. Global Inflight Catering Service Market By Region, 2016(%)8.1.2. Global Inflight Catering Service Market -By Region 2022 (%)9. North America In-flight Catering Service Market: An Analysis9.1. By Value (2012-2022)9.2. North America In-flight Catering Market By Type9.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)9.3. North America In-flight Catering Market By Fight Type9.3.1. North America Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type: Breakdown (%)9.3.1.1. North America In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2016 (%)9.3.1.2. North America In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2022 (%)9.3.2. North America In-flight Catering Service market , By Flight Type, By Value9.3.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)10. North America In-flight Catering Service Market: Country Analysis10.1. North America In-flight Catering Service Market By Country, 2012-2016 (%)10.2. North America In-flight Catering Service Market By Country, 2017E-2022F (%)10.3. United States In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)10.3.1. United States In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)10.4. Canada In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value (2012-2022)10.4.1. Canada In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)11. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Service Market: An Analysis11.1. By Value (2012-2022)11.2. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Market By Type11.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)11.3. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Market By Fight Type11.3.1. Middle East & Africa Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type: Breakdown (%)11.3.1.1. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2016(%)11.3.1.2. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2022%)11.3.2. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Service market , By Flight Type, By Value11.3.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)12. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Service Market: Country Analysis12.1. Middle East & Africa In-flight Catering Service Market By Country, 2012-2022 (%)12.2. South Africa In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)12.2.1. South Africa In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)12.3. UAE In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)12.3.1. UAE In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)12.4. Saudi Arabia In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)12.4.1. Saudi Arabia In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)12.5. Rest of Middle East & Africa In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)12.5.1. Rest of Middle East & Africa In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)13. Europe In-flight Catering Services Market: An Analysis13.1. By Value (2012-2022)13.2. Europe In-flight Catering Market By Type13.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)13.2.2. Europe Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type: Breakdown (%)13.2.2.1. Europe In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2016 (%)13.2.2.2. Europe In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2022 (%)13.2.3. Europe In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2022%)13.2.3.1. By Value (2012-2022)14. Europe In-flight Catering Service Market: By Country Analysis14.1. Europe In-flight Catering Service Market-By Country: Breakdown (%)14.2. United Kingdom In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)14.2.1. United Kingdom In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.3. Germany In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.3.1. Germany In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.4. France In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.4.1. France In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.5. Rest of Europe In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)14.5.1. Rest of Europe In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)15. Asia In-flight Catering Services Market: An Analysis15.1. By Value (2012-2022)15.2. Asia In-flight Catering Market By Type15.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)15.3. Asia In-flight Catering Market By Fight Type15.3.1. Asia Inflight Catering Service Market -By Type: Breakdown (%)15.3.1.1. Asia In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2016 (%)15.3.1.2. Asia In-flight Catering service Market, By Flight Type 2022 (%)15.3.2. Asia In-flight Catering Service market , By Flight Type, By Value15.3.2.1. By Value (2012-2022)16. Asia In-flight Catering Service Market: Country Analysis16.1. Asia Pacific In-flight Catering Service Market-By Country: Breakdown (%)16.2. India In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)16.2.1. India In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)16.3. China In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)16.3.1. China In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)16.4. Japan In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)16.4.1. Japan In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)16.5. Rest of Asia In-Flight Catering Service Market By Value(2012-2022)16.5.1. Rest of Asia In-flight Catering Service Market, By Flight Type: Breakdown (%)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 Cottonseed Protein Market Research Report 2017 - Top Manufacturers CCGB, Shandong Huaao, Sino-leader Biotech, Wei Heng Biology, Zibo, Huawei http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1249738 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-cottonseed-protein-market-research-report-2017-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1249738 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Cottonseed Protein Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Cottonseed Protein 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 is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Cottonseed Protein in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Cottonseed Protein market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingCCGBShandong HuaaoSino-leader BiotechWei Heng BiologyZibo Huawei...To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFeed GradeOtherOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Cottonseed Protein for each application, includingLivestock and Poultry FeedAquatic FeedOtherTable of ContentsGlobal Cottonseed Protein Market Research Report 20171 Cottonseed Protein Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Cottonseed Protein1.2 Cottonseed Protein Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Feed Grade1.2.4 Other1.3 Global Cottonseed Protein Segment by Application1.3.1 Cottonseed Protein Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Livestock and Poultry Feed1.3.3 Aquatic Feed1.3.4 Other1.4 Global Cottonseed Protein Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Cottonseed Protein (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Browse Detail Report With TOC @2 Global Cottonseed Protein Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Cottonseed Protein Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Cottonseed Protein Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Cottonseed Protein Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Cottonseed Protein Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Cottonseed Protein Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Cottonseed Protein Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Cottonseed Protein Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Cottonseed Protein Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Cottonseed Protein Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Cottonseed Protein Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Cottonseed Protein Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Cottonseed Protein Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Cottonseed Protein Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Cottonseed Protein Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Cottonseed Protein Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 CCGB7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Cottonseed Protein Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 CCGB Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Shandong Huaao7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Cottonseed Protein Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Shandong Huaao Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Sino-leader Biotech7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Cottonseed Protein Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Sino-leader Biotech Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Wei Heng Biology7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Cottonseed Protein Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Wei Heng Biology Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Zibo Huawei7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Cottonseed Protein Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Zibo Huawei Cottonseed Protein Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued...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 @ Demand for Increased Fuel Efficiency Propels Market Results Natural Gas Refueling Infrastructure Industry to rise at 10.17% CAGR from 2014 to 2022 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=240140 http://www.researchmoz.us/natural-gas-refueling-infrastructure-market-global-industry-analysis-market-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2014-2020-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=240140 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Natural Gas Refueling Infrastructure Market, by Station Type (CNG and LNG) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.This research study analyzes the market for natural gas refueling infrastructure in terms of volume and revenue. The natural gas refueling infrastructure market has been segmented on the basis of station type and geography. For the research, 2013 has been taken as the base year while all forecasts have been presented for the 20142022 period. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional as well as country-specific level for the 20132022 period. The regional segments have been further divided into country level segments, which include the major players in the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market. The report provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and features companies engaged in the natural gas refueling infrastructure business. This report includes the key market dynamics affecting the overall natural gas refueling infrastructure industry globally. The report also provides a detailed analysis of the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market with the help of the Porters Five Forces model. The Porters Five Forces analysis aids in understanding the five major forces that affect the industry structure and profitability of the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat from new entrants, threat from substitutes, and degree of competition.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the natural gas refueling infrastructure business globally. Major drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the natural gas refueling infrastructure market were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. There are currently numerous growth drivers for the natural gas refueling infrastructure industry. One of the most prominent drivers is the no emissions and government initiatives boost the demand for natural gas as transportation fuel. Apart from this, low cost of natural gas results in attractive return on investments. This factor also contributes to the overall growth of the natural gas refueling infrastructure market. Market attractiveness analysis was done on the basis of geography. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market in different regions.-The natural gas refueling infrastructure market was further segmented on the basis of station type. Stations included in this report are compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The natural gas refueling infrastructure market was analyzed across six geographies: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the natural gas refueling infrastructure market. Key market participants in the natural gas refueling infrastructure market include Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Apache Corporation, BP plc, Indraprastha Gas Limited, Trillium CNG, Gazprom, PETRONAS, ENN Energy Holdings Limited, Gas Natural Fenosa, Fuel System Solutions, Inc., Blu LNG, Cryostar SAS, GE Oil & Gas, Clean Energy Fuels, and GNC Galileo. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.Browse Detail Report With TOC @The global natural gas refueling infrastructure market has been segmented as follows:Natural Gas Refueling Infrastructure Market: Station Analysis- CNG- LNGNatural Gas Refueling Infrastructure Market: Region Analysis- North America- U.S.- Canada- Rest of North America- Europe- Germany- Italy- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Pakistan- Bangladesh- Rest of Asia Pacific- South America- Brazil- Argentina- Rest of South America- Middle East- Iran- Rest of Middle East- Africa- Egypt- Rest of AfricaMake 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 @ New Survey Reveals Global Building Applied Photovoltaics Industry Will Grow at CAGR of 12.60% from 2014 to 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=237587 http://www.researchmoz.us/building-applied-photovoltaics-bapv-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2013-2020-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=237587 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Building Applied Photovoltaics (BAPV) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2013 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Building Applied Solar photovoltaic (BAPV) systems utilize solar PV panels to transforms solar radiations into electrical energy. Over the past few decades, the solar industry in Germany has been transformed from a cottage industry into a billion-dollar business with global acceptance. Building applied solar photovoltaic (BAPV) systems is one of the product types that utilize solar panels, which are retrofitted onto building structures such as a rooftops or facades to generate electricity. BAPV systems generate power by harnessing freely available solar energy at a cheaper rate than traditional energy generation techniques that utilize costly fossil fuels. BAPV systems are gaining popularity, as they aid in reducing the use of fossil fuels, offer weather protection, and do not affect building aesthetics where they are installed. Besides these factors, government subsidies and continuous innovations have fueled market growth over the last few years. The energy generated has wide applications in several sectors including residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The major advantage of the BAPV is decentralization from grid power. Basic raw materials used in manufacturing BAPV cells is a raw form of silicon (98% pure), which is doped with boron or phosphorus. Solar electricity generated by BAPV systems is either fed back to the main power grid or employed for captive consumption. Most of the heavy machineries operate on the power generated through BAPV, due to which it is finding growing applications in commercial, industrial, and residential sectors.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @This research study analyzes the market size of building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) systems, both in terms of volume (annual installation capacity) and revenue. The BAPV market has been segmented on the basis of product segment, and geography in order to provide a holistic picture of the photovoltaic industry. Market data for all segments has been provided on a regional level for the period 20142020. A comprehensive competitive landscape of key companies has also been provided in this report.Browse Detail Report With TOC @Key product segments analyzed in the report include rooftop, facades, and others. Growing awareness coupled with increased demand for renewable energy has fueled the global demand for BAPV systems. The report analyzes the market trends for respective product segments in terms of volume (MW) and revenue. Furthermore, the report concludes the factors attributing to the overall growth of the BAPV market. Limited rooftop surface area offering limited exposure to solar radiation compared to facades has led to a paradigm shift towards utilization of BAPV facades. Regional data has been provided for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW.This research is designed to estimate, analyze, and forecast the annual installed capacity of BAPV across the global market. The research provides in-depth analysis of BAPV manufacturers, product sales, and trend analysis by segments and annual installed capacity by geography. The report covers all the major product segments of the BAPV market. It also provides detailed analysis, historical data, and statistically refined forecast for the segments covered.The market size for BAPV has been estimated on the basis of regional annual installations and indicators in the product segment. All market revenues have been calculated by considering the whole BAPV system cost. Major products analyzed in this report include rooftop and facades. The market is also analyzed on the basis of geography, which comprises various regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW).This report also includes Porters Five Forces analysis, value chain analysis, and market attractiveness analysis by product segment. Some of the key market participants that deal in BAPV systems include First Solar, Inc., Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., Pythagoras Solar Ltd., Sapa Solar, Centrosolar AG, and others (Dyesol, Power Film, Inc., Suntech Holding LLC, and United Solar Ovonic LLC.). The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.BAPV prices are continuously decreasing and changing depending upon product types. There is slight reduction in per product profit margin; however, the overall profit margins are increasing as the demand for BAPV is expected to continue increasing at a tremendous rate. The study presents a comprehensive assessment of the stakeholder strategies, winning imperatives for them by segmenting the BAPV market as below:BAPV Market: Product Segment Analysis- Rooftop- Facades- OthersBAPV Market: Regional Analysis- North America- Europe- Asia Pacific- Rest of the World (RoW)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 E-Health Services Market is required to achieve USD 270 billion in 2023 with Growth Rate of 12.9% https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1251 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bioresorbable-scaffolds-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/1251 Market Research Future adds new report of Global E-Health Services Market Research Report- Forecast To 2027 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Scenario:E-health is the management of healthcare organization with the help of information and communication technology (ICT). ICT has been widely used in the form of medical health records and telemedicine. With the help of telemedicine, it is possible Data related to patients, staff and finance of the hospital is stored electronically. This has resulted into transformation in the means of storing healthcare data. Initially, data was recorded manually by the healthcare staff. But now single unique identification number is needed to be entered and all the data of the patient is available within seconds. E-health has many advantages over conventional methods of clinical data management such as avoidance of manual records and timely access to patient data. The factors driving for the growth of this market are extensive use of software and ICT healthcare, reduce cost, improve quality, availability of infrastructure for implementation of e-health and safe and adequate storage of data. Cost of installation of e-health service may act as a restraint for this market. Global market of e-health services is expected to reach USD 270 billion in 2023 from USD 120 billion in 2016 with a CAGR of approximately 12.9% during the forecast period 2017-2023.Request a Sample Report @Market Segmentation:Global e-health services market has been segmented On the basis of Type of E-Health Technologies which includes Electronic Health Records (EHR), ePrescribing, Telemedicine, big data systems, Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), Consumer health IT, Knowledge Management System (KMS). On the basis of Service the market segmented into administrative services, clinical services and financial services and the end user are hospitals, clinics, health insurance companiesStudy objectives:Main objective of this research is to provide information about E-health services market, type, services and end user. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next seven years of the various segments and sub-segments of the e-health services market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the e-health services 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- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. 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 type, by service, by end users and its sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling 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 E-health services market.Browse Report Details @Key Players:Some of the key players in this market are: IBM (US) McKinsey & Co. (US) Motion Computing Inc. (US) Epocrates Inc. (US) Telecare Corp. (US) Proteus Digital Health (US) Apple (US) GE Healthcare (US) Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. (US) Boston Scientific Corp (US), Cerner (US)Intended Audience Healthcare IT companies Healthcare companies Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Research and Development (R&D) Companies Academic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional Analysis:Globally, e-health services market consists of four regions Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. North America is the largest market. Concentration of major market players and extensive use of software for data management in hospitals North America is driving the market in this region. Europe is the second largest market. Asia Pacific shows fastest growth in this market. Whereas the market in Middle East and Africa shows steady 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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Petrochemicals Market 2014 Trends, Research, Analysis and Review Forecast 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/petrochemicals.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1316 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Petrochemicals Market: SnapshotThe global petrochemicals market is growing at a significant pace and is likely to witness a healthy competition in the next few years. The increasing focus on the expansion of the product portfolio and the rising application areas are anticipated to encourage the growth of the global market throughout the forecast period. The market is likely to witness a substantial demand from emerging economies worldwide. Furthermore, the development of the automotive sector and the increasing construction activities are predicted to supplement the growth of the market across the globe.According to the research study, the global market for petrochemicals is expected to reach a value of US$885.1 bn by the end of 2020. The market is likely to exhibit a progressive 6.80% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.View Report @Rising Government Support to Bolster Global Petrochemicals MarketThe rising demand from several end use industries and the rising government support in emerging economies are the key factors that are estimated to encourage the growth of the global petrochemicals market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the easy availability of raw materials in several nations of the Middle East is anticipated to accelerate the development of the overall market in the next few years.On the flip side, a tremendous rise in the environmental issues and the rising shift towards the development of bio-based chemicals are expected to hamper the growth of the global petrochemicals market in the coming years. Nonetheless, the increasing use of shale gas and coal as a major feedstock for petrochemicals production is predicted to contribute towards the overall development of the market in the near future.Flourishing Automotive Industry in China to Augment Petrochemicals Market in Asia PacificAmong the key regional segments, Asia Pacific led the global petrochemicals market in the last few years, thanks to the substantial contribution from China. The developing construction and automotive industries in China is likely to encourage the growth of the Asia Pacific market throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, India is predicted to register a progressive growth rate in the next few years and contribute significantly towards the growth of the Asia Pacific market. The robust growth of this nation can be attributed to the rising demand for several products containing petrochemicals and the rapid development of the manufacturing sector in the last few years.Furthermore, the petrochemicals market in the Middle East and Africa is anticipated to play a significant role in the development of the overall market. This region is considered as one of the major petroleum producer, thanks to the easy availability of petroleum. The leading companies operating in this region are expected to be benefitted substantially throughout the forecast period. Europe and North America petrochemicals market are anticipated to grow at a moderate pace in the next few years.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Petrochemicals Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Rising Mergers and Acquisitions to Contribute Towards Market GrowthThe global petrochemicals market has been divided on the basis of product segment into xylene, butadiene, ethylene, styrene, toluene, benzene, methanol, propylene, and vinyls. In the last few years, the ethylene segment accounted for a large share of the global market. This segment is estimated to remain in the leading position throughout the forecast period.Some of the prominent players operating in the petrochemicals market across the globe are Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Sinopec Limited, Shell Chemical Company, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., Total S.A., LyondellBasell Industries, SABIC, BASF SE, ExxonMobil, and The Dow Chemical Company. These companies are focusing on collaborations and mergers with regional and small-size companies in order to attain a leading position and enhance their presence across the globe.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Scented candles Market 2022 Major Manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, P&G, Yankee Candles, Colonial Candle, Parcan https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2495 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/scented-candles-market-2495 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2495 Market Research Future adds new report of Global Scented candles Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentKey PlayersThe key players profiled in the Scented candles market are as Reckitt Benckiser (Air Wick) (U.K.) P&G (U.S.) Yankee Candles (U.S.) Colonial Candle (U.S.) The Conscious Candle (Australia) Welburn Candles Pvt. Ltd. (India) Parcan (Netherland)Intended Audience Scented candles manufacturers Raw material suppliers Wax manufacturers End users (food industry) Retailers and wholesalers E-commerce companies Traders, importers and exportersRequest a Sample Report @Market Segments: Scented candles market has been segmented on the basis of Raw Material- waxes, liquid dyes, soy, glass Scented candles has been segmented on the basis of Product Type- jar, pillar, tea light, tumbler, vase Scented candles has been segmented on the basis of Distribution- channel specialty store, home decor store, e-commerce Scented candles has been segmented on the basis of Fragrance- fruit, flower, spice, blendsMarket Highlight:Scented candles imply the candles that have produced/designed or normal fragrance material mixed into the wax emanating brilliant smell while expending. Scented Candles are fiscally available in different shapes, sizes, and tints which are used as lighting up things or for gifting reason.Scented candles are generally used to make state of mind and relieve extend. The high offers of these candles can be credited to creating commonness of various electronic business goals, which has helped in making a strong relationship between makers, suppliers and buyers. Vanilla is the most supported fragrance for scented candles, means pretty much 50% of the total offers of scented candles. Other pervasive fragrances consolidate cinnamon, strawberry, peach, and apple or spiced apple scented candles. The exceptional example of characteristic scented candles and tweaking fire flavors is in like manner provoking surge in offers of scented candles. With the climb in the amount of working masses, extending urbanization consolidated with advancement in the additional money nearby other social components, for instance, growing customer eagerness for lavish lifestyle, changing methods for overseeing cash with move towards delight close by creating buyer care will continue driving the market improvement of scented candles from 2016-2022.Browse Report Details @Key Findings: North America dominates the scented candles market followed by Europe Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region in the scented candles market. India and China has shown huge potentials for scented candles market share during the period 2011-2015Study Objectives of Scented Candles Market In significance examination of the market's parts and sub-divides To gage and gauge grandstand measure by rough material, thing sort, allotment channel, fragrance and zone To examinations key primary purposes which are influencing the market Region level market examination and market estimation of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW) and their countries Value chain examination and stock system examination of the market Company profiling of genuine players in the market Competitive framework examination and mapping key accomplices in the market Analysis of evident market examples and advances close by current government managerial essentialsRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional AnalysisThe overall Scented candles showcase is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). Among these North American district has the noteworthy bit of the general business. The market is expected to create at an unflinching pace in the review time allotment. Asia-pacific will be the fastest creating area in the scented candles market and high advancement in rising economies, for instance, China, India, Japan, Australia, and the Latin American countries, offers bounteous open entryways for augmentation to genuine players. The climb in number working people and urbanization in creating economies of Asia-Pacific and Latin America, especially in China and India will be the significant variable underlining the market advancement.The market is expected to create at a persisting pace in the guess time span, leaded by higher advancement in rising economies, for instance, China, India, Japan, Australia, and the Latin American countries, and besides offers lucrative open entryways for augmentation to genuine players.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 Paper Packaging Materials Market SWOT Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecasts To 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/paper-packaging-material.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1591 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Paper, timber, pulp and other such forest and recycled products are used as basic raw materials in paper packaging materials. Paper packaging materials are used for various purposes such as bracing, blocking, cushioning and preserving products. Paper is used in the packaging of a wide range of products such as foods, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and pet food among others.Paper packaging materials can be recycled and reused easily compared to other packaging materials such as plastic and metal. Hence, paper packaging is among the most eco-friendly and economic packaging material. This has been the primary driver for market growth. Additionally, growing demand for paper based flexible packaging due to rising consumer awareness regarding the harmful effect of plastics on environment is expected to be another vital factor for the growth of the paper packaging market.Furthermore, increasingly favorable economic conditions in BRIC countries are expected to drive the packaging market in these countries. Paper was the largest type of material in the packaging industry. Growth in the packaging market is estimated to boost demand for paper packaging and subsequently paper packaging materials. Moreover, increasing awareness of ecological issues regarding the use of plastics is expected to drive consumer preference towards paper packaging as they are a cheaper and eco-friendly option as compared to other materials such as glass and metal. However, stringent deforestation regulations in several countries around the world are expected to impact the growth of the market adversely over the forecast period. Ban on lightweight plastic bags are expected to provide an opportunity for the growth of the market over the next few years.View Report @Liquid packaging cartons was the largest product segment of the paper packaging materials market; it accounted for over 40% of the market in 2012. However, corrugated cases are expected to be the fastest growing product type of the market due to increasing trade activities across the globe. Corrugated cases are primarily used in packaging as they offer a highly durable and light weight solution along with being reusable and recyclable. Additionally, corrugated cases are being increasingly used in retail packaging due to advancement in design innovation. Furthermore, demand for cartons & folding boxes is expected to rise significantly over the next few years due to its growing demand in bulk and decorative packaging.Beverages were the largest application segment of the paper packaging materials market in 2012. Frozen foods, fast foods and fresh foods together accounted for over 25% of the market share in 2012. Additionally, these segments are expected to witness the fastest growth in the paper packaging materials market over the forecast period owing to the increasing use of paper to wrap and envelop food products. Technological advancement leading to the development of coated and laminated papers which prevents leakage is expected to boost the demand for paper packaging in food application.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Paper Packaging Materials Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Asia Pacific was the largest market for paper packaging, accounting for over 35% of the market share in 2012. North America and Europe together accounted for over half the global demand for paper packaging materials in 2012. However, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market for paper packaging materials during the next few years due to growth in the overall packaging industry in the region. RoW is anticipated to gain substantial market share during the forecast period due to the upcoming packaging industry in these regions and rising per capita spending of consumers.Some of the key players in the paper packaging materials market include DS Smith Plc, Georgia Pacific Corporation, Hood Packaging Corporation, International Paper Company, MeadWestvaco, OJI Holding Corporation Smurfit Kappa Group Plc and Stora Enso Oyj among others. The paper packaging materials industry is highly fragmented in nature owing to the presence of several regional small and medium scale manufacturing industries.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Baby Monitors Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2202 http://www.mrrse.com/baby-monitors-market https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse A baby monitor or a baby alarm is a radio system that transmits the sound it listens remotely of an infant through a transmitter unit by radio waves. A speaker facilitates the output of sound in the transmitter device. Baby monitors often offers two way communications where the parent can speak back to the infant. A video Baby Monitor which facilitates video recording of the child is also known as baby cam. The primary use of a baby monitor is to track the activity of the baby when the parents are not at home or are away from the vicinity of the baby. The most common types of baby monitors are audio baby monitor, fixed video monitor and pan & tilt baby monitor. Among the types fixed video monitors hold the largest market share followed by pan & tilt baby monitors and audio baby monitor respectively. By connectivity, the global baby monitors market is divided into wireless and wired baby monitors. Wireless baby monitors hold the largest market share as among the connectivity types as they are more mobile and easy to use. Among the regions, North America held the largest market share followed by Europe and is expected to hold their position throughout the forecast period.Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa are the fastest growing market of all the regions due to increased presence of global players in these regions. Asia Pacific is the most attractive region owing to increased number of nuclear families and increasing disposable income.Request for Sample Report:The major drivers driving the global baby monitors market includes emerging trends of employed parents globally. This is giving rise to more number of day care centers who take the responsibility of looking after infants when the parents are at work. This has boosted the market for baby monitors as more and more day care centers are equipped with baby monitors in order to look after the infants in the best possible way. Increasing awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is also a reason that there is increased demand of baby monitors in day care centers as well as other baby care products. In addition, increasing availability of baby monitors through online retailers is a major driving the growth of the global baby monitors market. With increased presence of online retailers of baby monitors, working parents have started buying them more online as it saves time and hassle for them. In addition, consumers are getting a lot of options which have increased their array of choices without the fear of choosing a product that is not in stock. Intense competition and various reviews by users and buyers are enabling the working parents to choose the best products at the best available deals.Global Baby Monitors Market: Scope of the Report and Competitive DynamicsThe competitive profiling of the key players in the global baby monitors market across four broad geographic regions is included in the study. These include different business strategies adopted by the leading players and their recent developments as in the field of baby monitors. The distribution channel analysis of the market has been provided in the report, in order to offer a deep insight of global baby monitors market.A comprehensive analysis of the market dynamics that is inclusive of market drivers, restraints and opportunities is included in the purview of the report. Market dynamics are the factors which impactthe market growth, thereby helping to understand the ongoing trends of the global market. Therefore, the report provides the forecast of the global market for the period from 2016 to 2024, along with offering an inclusive study of the baby monitors market.Some of the major players in the global baby monitors market include Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Suwon-Shi, South Korea), Angelcare(Montreal, Canada), Summer Infant, Inc. (Woonsocket, Rhode Island ,U.S), VTech Holdings Limited (Tai po, Hong Kong), Windeln.De Ag (Munich, Germany), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Dorel Industries Inc. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Sony Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), Withings(Issy-les-Moulineaux, France), FLIR systems, Inc. (Wilsonville, Oregon United States) and Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Chicago, Illinois, U.S)among others.Browse Full Report with TOC: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 States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comFollow Us on LinkedIn-Follow Us On Twitter- Zinc Carbonate Market 2016 Trends, Research, Analysis and Review Forecast 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/zinc-carbonate-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20558 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Zinc Carbonate Market: OverviewZinc carbonate, also known as zinc monocarbonate, zinc spar, or natural smithsonite, is an odorless compound that is soluble in diluted acids but insoluble in alcohol and ammonia. It finds application in different end-use industries ranging from the rubber industry to cosmetic industry.A report by Transparency Market Research furnishes a thorough overview of the global market for zinc carbonate by offering valuable insights into several critical parameters of the market. Those include its dynamics, geographical landscape, technological developments, and competitive landscape. Information from a number of press releases, presentations, white papers, paid databases, and journals has been procured to prepare this report.View Report @Global Zinc Carbonate Market: Trends and OpportunitiesMajorly boosting the global market for zinc carbonate is the cosmetics industry. The massive demand for cosmetics that is predicted to spike further in the near future is anticipated to stoke the markets growth substantially. Zinc carbonate finds application as a feed additive in a wide array of products ranging from cosmetics, lotions, and personal care to porcelains and pottery.Zinc carbonate is also used in transparent rubber mixtures along with other chemical processes. Zinc carbonate is used as a curing agent in rubber compound and as accelerator activator for translucent, transparent and brightly pigmented rubber material. Growth in rubber-related industries is anticipated to drive the market further in the foreseeable future.Additionally, fungicide and antiseptic properties of zinc has led to its use in personal care and household products as well. Zinc carbonate is used in petroleum and chemical fertilizer industries as the key material of the desulfurizer and catalyst. Widespread applications in such different end-use industries is driving the market for zinc carbonate.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Zinc Carbonate Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Global Zinc Carbonate Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic standpoint, the key regions in the global market for zinc carbonate are North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific, among them, is slated to outpace all other regions in terms of growth in the next couple of years because of the robust demand for cosmetics and rubber, particularly in the densely populated developing countries of China and India. This is mainly due to the overall rising fortunes of the people in the markets that have driven up demand in the automotive and cosmetics products. As a result, prominent manufacturers are establishing or expanding manufacturing facilities in these emerging economies to profit from the domestic demand.Other regions such as Africa, South America and the Middle East that are also experiencing solid economic and industrial growth are slated to play a key role in the global market as well.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe report offers a detailed assessment of the competitive landscape and identifies key players contributing toward the growth of the global zinc carbonate market. The companies have been profiled in the report based on key parameters such as business and financial overview, recent developments, product portfolio, and geographical reach. Some such companies are M-I Swaco a Schlumberger company, Chengdu XiYa Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., VWR International, LLC, Bruggemann Chemical, Yanggu Zhongtian Zinc Industrial Co., Ltd., Global Chemical Co., Ltd., Alfa Aesar, and Spectrum China Ltd.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Automotive Heat Shield Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2199 http://www.mrrse.com/automotive-heat-shield-market https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse A vehicles internal combustion engine generates a large amount of heat which can damage the vehicles other components and body work. Moreover heat shields can even increase a vehicles performance by reducing the engines temperature. Thus automotive heat shield finds a major application in a vehicle and forms an integral part of a vehicle. In the automotive heat shields, it is essential for all companies to adhere to the safety standards and regulations set up by the governments of their respective countries. Superior quality of products ensures long term business profitability through increased customer satisfaction. Adherence to the quality standards also creates goodwill and a positive brand image of the company.Request for Sample Report:A vehicles internal combustion engine generates a large amount of heat which can damage the vehicles other components and body work. Moreover heat shields can even increase a vehicles performance by reducing the engines temperature. Thus automotive heat shield finds a major application in a vehicle and forms an integral part of a vehicle. In the automotive heat shields, it is essential for all companies to adhere to the safety standards and regulations set up by the governments of their respective countries. Superior quality of products ensures long term business profitability through increased customer satisfaction. Adherence to the quality standards also creates goodwill and a positive brand image of the company.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Trends and OpportunitiesFactors such as advent of new segment of vehicles (electric and hybrid vehicles) and increasing production of vehicles is mainly driving the growth of automotive heat shield market. The growth of automotive heat shield is complementary to automobile production as it is one of the essential components in a vehicle. Therefore, due to increase in vehicle production; the demand for automotive heat shields is increasing at a considerable rate.Due to the advancement of technology, automotive heat shield manufacturers have been able to bring innovation to their products. Integration and customization of heat shields with advanced technologies has been able to ensure new and innovative heat shielding components for hybrid and electric vehicles. Such new segment of vehicles is going to be largely preferred by the consumers in the coming years because of their eco-friendly, fuel-efficiency and other features. Moreover, the advancement of automotive heat shield technology in standard vehicles such as application of heat shield components inside the vehicle (dashboard and under-carpet area), to prevent heat combustion of engine and air-conditioning unit, has made a positive impact on the overall automobile sector.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Regional OutlookWith increasing number of automotive sales across the globe, there is immense scope and opportunities for the automotive heat shield market. There has been significant rise in the sales growth of automotive based in Asia Pacific mainly in India and China. In the coming years, Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the market for automotive heat shields. India, China, and Japan have seen huge industrialization in recent times because of the availability of good natural and human resources. Cheap source of labor, availability of raw materials, good transportation network, and investor-friendly industrial policies are some of the vital factors encouraging global companies to set up industries in these countries of the Asia Pacific region. This in turn is expected to encourage the rise in application of automotive heat shield market in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific.The automotive heat shield market in Rest of the World (RoW) is expected to gain momentum in the next few years. Positive growth in the economies of developing countries coupled with increasing purchasing power of the people are the key factors expected to drive the sales volume of automobiles, thus fueling the growth of automotive heat shields in the emerging markets further. Moreover, a small percentage of hybrid and electric vehicles are already available in the market. The percentage is expected to grow in the coming years because of their eco-friendly use and efficiency. Therefore, with the rise in the number of hybrid and electric vehicles in the automobile market, the application and market for automotive heat shield is set to flourish in the coming years. Electric vehicles can operate efficiently without overheating as compared to hybrid vehicles. However, electric vehicles can run only for a limited distance. Therefore, the penetration of heat shields is much less in electric vehicles than the hybrid ones.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Scope of the StudyThis market research study analyzes the global automotive heat shield market and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD Million) 2015 to 2024. It emphasizes on the drivers and restraints responsible for the growth of the industry and examines their impact during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Moreover, it recognizes the important opportunities for the market expansion in the upcoming years.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Key PlayersThe report offers company market share analysis of key industry participants. Major players have been profiled on the basis of company overview, financial overview, business strategies and key developments. Leading market players profiled in this report are Federal-Mogul Holding Corporation (U.S.),Autoneum Holding AG (Switzerland), Dana Holding Corporation (U.S.), Lydall Inc.(U.S.),UGN Inc (U.S.), Happich GmbH (Germany), Elringklinger AG (Germany) and Progress-WerkOberkirch AG (Germany).Factors such as advent of new segment of vehicles (electric and hybrid vehicles) and increasing production of vehicles is mainly driving the growth of automotive heat shield market. The growth of automotive heat shield is complementary to automobile production as it is one of the essential components in a vehicle. Therefore, due to increase in vehicle production; the demand for automotive heat shields is increasing at a considerable rate.Due to the advancement of technology, automotive heat shield manufacturers have been able to bring innovation to their products. Integration and customization of heat shields with advanced technologies has been able to ensure new and innovative heat shielding components for hybrid and electric vehicles. Such new segment of vehicles is going to be largely preferred by the consumers in the coming years because of their eco-friendly, fuel-efficiency and other features. Moreover, the advancement of automotive heat shield technology in standard vehicles such as application of heat shield components inside the vehicle (dashboard and under-carpet area), to prevent heat combustion of engine and air-conditioning unit, has made a positive impact on the overall automobile sector.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Regional OutlookWith increasing number of automotive sales across the globe, there is immense scope and opportunities for the automotive heat shield market. There has been significant rise in the sales growth of automotive based in Asia Pacific mainly in India and China. In the coming years, Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the market for automotive heat shields. India, China, and Japan have seen huge industrialization in recent times because of the availability of good natural and human resources. Cheap source of labor, availability of raw materials, good transportation network, and investor-friendly industrial policies are some of the vital factors encouraging global companies to set up industries in these countries of the Asia Pacific region. This in turn is expected to encourage the rise in application of automotive heat shield market in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific.The automotive heat shield market in Rest of the World (RoW) is expected to gain momentum in the next few years. Positive growth in the economies of developing countries coupled with increasing purchasing power of the people are the key factors expected to drive the sales volume of automobiles, thus fueling the growth of automotive heat shields in the emerging markets further. Moreover, a small percentage of hybrid and electric vehicles are already available in the market. The percentage is expected to grow in the coming years because of their eco-friendly use and efficiency. Therefore, with the rise in the number of hybrid and electric vehicles in the automobile market, the application and market for automotive heat shield is set to flourish in the coming years. Electric vehicles can operate efficiently without overheating as compared to hybrid vehicles. However, electric vehicles can run only for a limited distance. Therefore, the penetration of heat shields is much less in electric vehicles than the hybrid ones.Automotive Heat Shield Market: Scope of the StudyThis market research study analyzes the global automotive heat shield market and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD Million) 2015 to 2024. It emphasizes on the drivers and restraints responsible for the growth of the industry and examines their impact during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Moreover, it recognizes the important opportunities for the market expansion in the upcoming years.Browse Full Report with TOC:The report offers company market share analysis of key industry participants. Major players have been profiled on the basis of company overview, financial overview, business strategies and key developments. Leading market players profiled in this report are Federal-Mogul Holding Corporation (U.S.),Autoneum Holding AG (Switzerland), Dana Holding Corporation (U.S.), Lydall Inc.(U.S.),UGN Inc (U.S.), Happich GmbH (Germany), Elringklinger AG (Germany) and Progress-WerkOberkirch AG (Germany).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 States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comFollow Us on LinkedIn-Follow Us On Twitter- Super-hard Material Market 2016 Trends, Research, Analysis and Review Forecast 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/super-hard-material-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20675 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The solidity of super-hard material is valued at about 40 giga pascals (GPa). It can be measured using the Vickers test which processes about 40 GPa of hardness of super-hard material including extremely incompressible solids with high bond covalence and electron density. Vickers measurements of various hard materials include diamond at 115 GPa and cubic boron nitride (CBN) at 48. These materials are used in numerous industrial processes such as abrasives and polishing and cutting wear-resistant tools and protective coatings. The hardness of a material depends on its elasticity and incompressibility.Super-hard materials are synthesized in high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) conditions by optimizing energy and using inexpensive materials. Different end-products of super-hard materials include tool steels, cemented carbides, diamond, and ceramics. Cement carbide is tremendously employed in industrial applications to machine hard materials such as stainless steel and carbon steel.View Report @The super-hard material market has been segmented by categories into the following: composite super-hard materials, super-hard materials & tools, and mono crystalline super-hard. Composite super-hard materials comprise metal working sheets for cutting tools, oil & gas, and others. Super-hard materials and tools consist of polycrystalline diamond saw blades, diamond drawing dies, diamond discs, diamond cutting tools, and diamond drill bits. Mono crystalline super hard materials include diamond and cubic boron nitride (CBN).Super-hard materials feature unique properties such as the ability to scratch and shape any object and are therefore used in a wide array of industrial operations such as cutting, turning, boring, grinding, and drilling. Based on end-users, the market has been divided into the alternative energy, aerospace, chemical processing, automotive, die, mold, electronic, infrastructure, construction, general machining, mining, oil & gas, railroads power generation, shipbuilding, and paper & pulp sectors.Increasing demand from downstream petroleum, metal cutting machine tools, and construction boost the demand for super-hard materials. Downstream petroleum industries are developing tremendously in Asia Pacific region, whereas infrastructure and construction are steadily growing in the Middle East region.Based on type, the market has been segmented into diamond, cubic boron nitride (CBN), and others. Diamond is an extremely hard material with its Vickers measurement falling in the range of 70150 GPa. Diamond exhibits electrically insulating properties and high thermal conductivity. Synthetic diamond can exist as a small poly crystal and single continuous material. In terms of applications, the market has been classified into the following varieties: cutting tools, coatings, general medicine, sensors, semiconductor fabrication, wear parts polishing stones, subsystem components, construction, composite polycrystalline tools, abrasives categories, and others. On the basis of region, the market has been distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Super-hard Material Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Asia Pacific is one of the globally leading consumer of super-hard materials. In Asia Pacific, China holds a major share in the super-hard material market and is one of the top manufacturers of manmade diamond. Asia Pacific region is followed by North America and Europe. Improvements in economy, escalating manufacturing activities, and growing demand for machine tools used for industrial applications in North America and Europe drive the super-hard material market.Key players in the global super-hard material market include Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Sandvik Group (Sweden) , ILJIN (KOREA), Zhongnan Diamond Co., Ltd.(China), Element Six (South Africa), Whirlwind (U.S.), SF Diamond (China), Funik Ultrahard Material Co.,LTD. (China), and Zhengzhou Sino-Crystal Diamond Co., Ltd. (China).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.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Theater Linen Market for Health Care Application - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2196 http://www.mrrse.com/theater-linen-market https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse The report estimates and forecasts the Theater Linen Market for healthcare application on the global, regional, and country level. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the material segments. It provides comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints of the theater linen market for healthcare application along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting market growth. The report analyzes opportunities in the theater linen market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitutes of theater linen.Request for Sample Report:The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the theater linen market. The report comprises qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market.Global Theater Linen Market for Healthcare Application: SegmentationThe study provides comprehensive view of the theater linen market by dividing it into material segment and geography. The theater linen market has been segmented into traditional cotton/polyester/cotton, disposable/single use, and microfiber. Material segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2024.Global Theater Linen Market for Healthcare Application: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsRegional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for theater linen in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA). Key countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and Brazil have been included in the study.The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Angelica Corporation, Crothall Healthcare Inc., and Synergy Health PLC. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Global Theater Linen Market for Healthcare Application: Research MethodologySecondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.Browse Full report with TOC:In-depth interviews and discussions with wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.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 States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comFollow Us on LinkedIn-Follow Us On Twitter- Solar Cell Films Market - Global Industry Analysis & Forecast | 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/solar-cell-films-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=5984 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Solar Cell Films Market: SnapshotConsidering the alarming rate at which the non-renewable sources of energy are depleting, the demand for solar energy is at an all-time high. Furthermore, escalating energy demands witnessed worldwide will bolster prospects for renewable energy sources. Against this backdrop, Transparency Market Research expects the demand for solar cell films to rise in response to the soaring demand for solar energy. Besides this, favorable policies and fiscal incentives by governments encouraging the use of solar energy is likely to have a positive impact on the global solar cell films market.This 135 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Solar Cell Films Market. Browse through to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market @This paradigm shift in energy usage has augured well for the global solar cell films market, enabling it exhibit a CAGR of 9.40% between 2015 and 2023. At this pace, the markets valuation is likely to reach US$20.9 bn by the end of 2023. Also competition prevailing in the market is expected to remain high through the forecast period, as more and more companies engage in research and development activities to commercialize thin film PV technologies.Commercial Sector to Exhibit Increased Demand for Solar Cell FilmsBased on type, the global solar cell films market can be segmented into cadmium telluride, amorphous silicon, and copper indium gallium selenide. Of these, cadmium telluride has emerged as the most valued product and is projected to remain a prominent segment through the reports forecast period. Cadmium telluride boasts a longer shelf life, low production cost, and high product efficiency. On the back of these factors, the demand for cadmium telluride is likely to remain high even in the forthcoming years.In terms of end users, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors constitute the key market segments. Of these, the commercial sector is likely to showcase the maximum demand for solar cell films on account of the increasing demand for electricity. Solar cell films have an unlimited capacity of power supply and has a much less maintenance cost, which make them highly feasible for use in offices, shopping complexes, malls, multiplexes, and other commercial buildings.Europe Emerges as Dominant Segment in Global MarketRegionally, the global solar cell films market can be segmented into North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Among these regions, Europe has emerged as the dominant market for solar cell films, on the back of increased installation of solar cell films in nations such as Germany, Russia, France, Spain, and the UK. However during the course of the forecast period, Asia Pacific is forecast to exhibit growth at a higher pace. The rapid industrialization and swiftly increasing population are the chief driving factors of the solar cell films market in Asia Pacific. Besides this, the market is expected to witness lucrative opportunities North America on account of the rising demand from the U.S. and Canada.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Solar Cell Films Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Some of the most prominent companies operating in the global solar cell films market are 3M, Prism Solar Technologies Inc., DUNMORE Corp., Solar Frontier K.K., Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., First Solar Inc., Advanced Energy Industries Inc., Heliatek GmbH, Kaneka Corp., Stion Corp., and Lucent CleanEnergy. A majority of these companies are focusing on gaining a competitive edge via innovations. Hence investment toward research and development will continue scaling in the global solar cell films market through the forecast period.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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Geothermal Heat Pumps Market - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast | 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/geothermal-heat-pumps-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1984 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Geothermal Heat Pumps Market: SnapshotGeothermal heat pumps utilize the presence of stable temperature underground as the exchange medium to heat, cool, or supply hot water to buildings, through a ground heat exchanger. The technology is a significant advancement to conventional heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that are typically based on air-source heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps and the technology are gaining increasing adoption across residential and commercial buildings, as they are considered as viable technology in renewable heating of homes.This 155 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Geothermal Heat Pumps Market. Browse through to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market @The soaring prices of oil and electricity in various parts of the world have stimulated the demand for low-cost alternatives such as geothermal system. The high installation cost of a geothermal system is a key factor limiting the uptake of these pumps. Nevertheless, several end-users are gradually recognizing the long-term benefits of the system, which is expected to unlock numerous exciting opportunities for market players.The market is expected to rise at a significant CAGR of 13.1% from 2014 to 2020, and the opportunities in the market is projected to reach US$130.50 bn by the end of the forecast period.Installation of Closed-Loop Geothermal Heat Pumps to Reign SupremeBased on the global geothermal heat pumps market is bifurcated into closed loop and open loop systems. The market for closed loop systems is further segmented into vertical loops, pond/ lake systems, and horizontal loops. The close-loop segment is expected to occupy a dominant share in the market in the coming years.Installing of geothermal heat pumps using horizontal loops are considered cost-effective for residential end users, which have sufficient availability of sufficient land. However, since vertical ground loops require less space, the market is anticipated to witness a substantial demand for these in the coming years. This is expected to gain popularity among several retrofit system installations. However, the demand for horizontal loop installation will remain robust across new residential buildings during the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Geothermal Heat Pumps Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Based on applications, the global geothermal heat pumps market is bifurcated into commercial and residential sectors, with each further segmented into new building systems and retrofit systems. The commercial sector is expected to become as the most prominent segment over the forecast period. The extensive demand for geothermal heat pumps installations among commercial end-users is driven by the demand for benefits of an incremental energy saving over the years.Europe and Asia Pacific to Provide Lucrative Avenues for Manufacturers to Capitalize onGeographically, the geothermal heat pumps market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe. Of these, currently, Europe is the largest regional market for geothermal heat pumps. This is trailed by North America and then Asia Pacific. While Germany, France, Switzerland, and Sweden are mature country markets featuring a gradual decline in installed capacity addition, nations such as Poland, Greece, the Czech Republic, and the U.K., are projected to provide lucrative growth avenues for market players.In the North America market, the major demand for geothermal heat pumps comes from the U.S. and then Canada. In Asia Pacific, China dominates the regional market as it accounts for the major installed capacities. Meanwhile, countries such as South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are expected to provide promising growth avenues over the forecast period.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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: ESD Suppressors Market 2017 Market Competitive Landscape Analysis Reportsweb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001740062/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/global-esd-suppressors-industry-market-research-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001740062/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001740062/buy/2600 ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global ESD Suppressors Industry Market Research 2017 The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.In this report, we analyze the ESD Suppressors industry from two aspects. One part is about its production and the other part is about its consumption. In terms of its production, we analyze the production, revenue, gross margin of its main manufacturers and the unit price that they offer in different regions from 2012 to 2017. In terms of its consumption, we analyze the consumption volume, consumption value, sale price, import and export in different regions from 2012 to 2017. We also make a prediction of its production and consumption in coming 2017-2022.Request a Sample atAt the same time, we classify different ESD Suppressors based on their definitions. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What is more, the ESD Suppressors industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.Browse Complete ReportMajor Points of this report:1. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global ESD Suppressors market.2. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the ESD Suppressors market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porte five force analysis etc.3. 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.4. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective.5. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by application, product type and sub-segments.6. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.7. 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 ESD Suppressors market.Get discount on report purchase atKey Point from Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of ESD Suppressors1.1 Brief Introduction of ESD Suppressors2 Industry Chain Analysis of ESD Suppressors3 Manufacturing Technology of ESD Suppressors3.1 Development of ESD Suppressors Manufacturing Technology4Major Manufacturers Analysis of ESD Suppressors5 Global Production, Revenue and Price Analysis of ESD Suppressors by Regions, Manufacturers, Types and Applications5.1 Global Production, Revenue of ESD Suppressors by Regions 2012-20176 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of ESD Suppressors 2012-20177 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value, Import, Export and Sale Price Analysis of ESD SUPPRESSORS by Regions 20178 Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of ESD Suppressors9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of ESD Suppressors10 Global and Chinese Economic Impact on ESD Suppressors Industry10.1 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Analysis11 Development Trend Analysis of ESD Suppressors 12 Contact information of ESD SUPPRESSORS13 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of ESD Suppressors14 Conclusion of the Global ESD Suppressors Industry 2017 Market Research ReportPurchase Complete Report 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 Greenhouse Film Market Overview, Dynamics, Trends, Segmentation, Key Players 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/greenhouse-film-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17306 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Greenhouse is a structure made to grow plants and crops that require regulated temperatures. Greenhouse film is a type of agricultural film, which helps maintain controlled temperatures required by crops grown in the greenhouse. Apart from controlling the temperature and the amount of sunlight, these films also provide protection to plants against rain, wind, and snow. This provides opportunities for farmers and growers to cultivate seasonal fruits, vegetables, and flowers throughout the year. Rising demand for seasonal fruits and vegetables is expected to boost the greenhouse film market.Browse Market Research Report:The greenhouse film market can be segmented in terms of resin type and thickness. Low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) are the four majorly used resins in the manufacture of greenhouse film. Polyethylene resins are highly preferred, owing to their satisfactory mechanical and optical properties. Based on thickness, greenhouse films are usually available in three size ranges: 80 microns to 200 microns, 200 microns, and more than 200 microns. Demand for greenhouse film with 200 microns is expected to increase, due to its ability to protect the plants from harmful UV rays.Rise in focus on enhancing agricultural yield is estimated to boost the global greenhouse film market. Greenhouse farming has provided lucrative opportunities for farmers and growers to cultivate seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year. This advantage of greenhouse farming is anticipated to propel the greenhouse market, thereby augmenting the greenhouse film market. However, short lifespan of greenhouse film compared to that of glass film and polycarbonate film is likely hamper market growth during the forecast period. LDPE, HDPE, EVA, and PVC resins are obtained from crude oil; therefore, the prices of raw materials are volatile. Hence, the greenhouse film market is estimated to be hampered during the forecast period owing to the volatility in prices of raw materials.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Greenhouse Film market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @In terms of geography, the global greenhouse film market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The greenhouse film market is anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period due to the increase in greenhouse farming in countries such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea. Thus, Asia Pacific is anticipated to lead the market in the next few years. Europe and North America are projected to be the next attractive markets for greenhouse film due to the rise in precision farming practices in these regions. 200 micron films are best suited for hot climatic conditions. Therefore, the demand for these films is higher in Latin America and Middle East & Africa. The greenhouse film market in Latin America is expected to expand at a steady pace during the forecast period. It would be followed by the market in Middle East & Africa.Greenhouse film is a fragmented market, with large number of local manufacturers operating around the world. Key players in the greenhouse film market include Polifilm Extrusion GmbH, Grupo Armando Alvarez, Ginegar Plastic Products Ltd., Plastika Kritis S.A., Essen Multipack Limited, RKW SE, Fvg Folien-Vertriebs GmbH, Eiffel Industria Materiale Plastiche S.P.A., British Polyethylene Industries Visqueen, Agripolyane, A. A. Politiv, and Agriplast SRL.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: Global Smart Light and Control Market 2027: Synopsis and Highlights, Key Findings, Major Companies Analysis and Forecast https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/803 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/smart-light-control-market Market Research Future published a Cooked research report on Global Smart Light and Control Market forecast to 2027 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027.Global Smart Light and Control Market Research Report by Application (Residential, Commercial, Institutional, others) By Product type (Fluorescent Lamps, Compact Fluorescent Light, others) by components (Wired Connectivity, Wireless Connectivity) - Forecast to 2027Market Scenario:There are many market growth factors for Global Smart Light and Control Market, some of the market growth influencers are, Continuously Declining Average Selling Price (Asp) Of Led Bulbs, Influx of Smart Apps, Internet of Things and Remote Access & Control by Software Providers, smart light and control market also address the current issue of global energy crisis.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Market Segments:For the Better understanding of this report the Global Smart Light and Control Market has been segmented on the basis of types Fluorescent Lamps, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL), Light Emitting Diodes (LED), High Intensity, Discharge Lamps (HID) Others. On the basis of Components LED Drivers & Ballasts, Sensors, Dimmers & Switches, Microprocessor & Controllers, Wireless Receivers & Transmitters and Others. Segmentation by connective technology Wired Connectivity Technology, Wireless Connectivity Technologies. Segmentation by application Residential, Commercial and OtherKey Market Players Acuity Brands Ams Ag Bytelight Commscope, Inc Daintree Networks Eatons Cooper Lighting Enlighted, Inc Lutron Nxp Semiconductors TvilightObjective of Study: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Smart Light and Control Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Global Smart Light and Control 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 segments 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 Smart Light and Control Market.Browse Full Report Details @Table of Content1. REPORT PROLOGUE2. Global Smart Light and Control Market: INTRODUCTION3. Global Smart Light and Control Market: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY4. Global Smart Light and Control Market: MARKET DYNAMICS5. Global Smart Light and Control Market: MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS6. Global Smart Light and Control Market: BY type (US $ MILLION)7. Global Smart Light and Control Market: BY APPLICATIONS (US $ MILLION)8. Global Smart Light and Control Market, by Region Market Value & Volume Forecast (US $ MILLION)9. Global Smart Light and Control Market: By Connectivity10. Global Smart Light and Control Market: COMPANY LANSCAPE11. Global Smart Light and Control Market: End Users12. Global Smart Light and Control Market: COMPANY PROFILE13. CONCLUSION14. APPENDIXContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Smart Light and Control Market forecast to 2027 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 Global Laser Welding Machinery Market Report Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2022 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/global-laser-welding-machinery-market-professional-survey-report-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001552809/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001552809/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001552809/buy/3500 ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Laser Welding Machinery Market Professional Survey Report 2017 The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.This report studies Laser Welding Machinery 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 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringACRO Automation Systems, Inc. (USA)IDEAL-Werk (Germany)Miller Electric Mfg. Co. (USA)Bernard (USA)Air Liquide SA (France)Panasonic Corporation (Japan)ARCON Welding, LLC (USA)Hobart Brothers Company (USA)Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (USA)Carl Cloos Schweisstechnik GmbH (Germany)Daihen Corporation (Japan)Denyo Co., Ltd. (Japan)ESAB (UK)Fronius International GmbH (Austria)GSI Group, Inc. (USA)For more information about this report atBy types, the market can be split intoLaser Mould Burning WelderAutomatic Laser Welding MachineThe Laser Spot WelderOptical Fiber Transmission Laser Welding MachineBy Application, the market can be split intoManufacturingCar IndustryElectronics IndustryBy 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 Laser Welding Machinery2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Laser Welding Machinery3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Laser Welding Machinery4 Global Laser Welding Machinery Overall Market Overview5 Laser Welding Machinery Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2011-2017E Laser Welding Machinery Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2011-2017E Laser Welding Machinery Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Laser Welding Machinery8.1 ACRO Automation Systems, Inc. (USA)8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Laser Mould Burning Welder8.1.2.2 Automatic Laser Welding Machine8.1.2.3 The Laser Spot Welder8.1.3 ACRO Automation Systems, Inc. (USA) 2015 Laser Welding Machinery Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 ACRO Automation Systems, Inc. (USA) 2015 Laser Welding Machinery Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 IDEAL-Werk (Germany)8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Laser Mould Burning Welder8.2.2.2 Automatic Laser Welding Machine8.2.2.3 The Laser Spot Welder8.2.3 IDEAL-Werk (Germany) 2015 Laser Welding Machinery Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 IDEAL-Werk (Germany) 2015 Laser Welding Machinery Business Region Distribution AnalysisDiscount on report purchase at9 Development Trend of Analysis of Laser Welding Machinery Market10 Laser Welding Machinery Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Laser Welding Machinery12 Conclusion of the Global Laser Welding Machinery Market Professional Survey Report 2017Purchase Complete 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.Pune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Americas Insomnia Market Dynamics, Competitor Analysis, Complete Study of Current Trends and Forecast 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/569 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/americas-insomnia-market Market Research Future published a research report on Americas Insomnia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Americas Insomnia Market Research Report, by types of therapy (Pharmacological therapy and Non Pharmacological therapy), by drug formulation (Capsules, Tablet and others), by type of disease (poor quality of sleep, sleep maintenance and others)- Forecast till 2023Market Scenario:Insomnia is disorder related to sleep, it creates difficulty in sleeping. The symptoms show dissatisfaction with sleep, fatigue, low energy, less concentration, low performance, irritation, change in moods and many more. There are three types of insomnia that is transient, acute and chronic. The transient insomnia is sleeping disorder that occurs for few days or few weeks. The acute insomnia may be experience when students have exams or a person has an interview. This is a short time difficulty in sleep that lasts for some weeks. While the chronic insomnia is long term disorder of sleep seen in people having regular shift timings on their jobs, unhealthy sleeping habits, clinical disorders and some other psychiatric issues or health issues and many more reasons associated. The prevalence rate of insomnia is very high and is increasing day by day. Worldwide millions of people are getting affected by the sleeping disorder. According to the CDC study, it says that American do sleep for 7hrs and 36min in working days while 40min more on non-working days. The insomnia is majorly seen in American women, data says that 24 percent of women have woken up with no well rest, while the 16 percent of men have experienced same. This percentage is very less in contrast to people who suffers from insomnia. Americas Insomnia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6% during forecasted period of 2017-2023.The Americas insomnia market is segmented on the basis of, types of therapy, drug formulation and by type of disease. On the basis of types of therapy market is segmented into pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological therapy. On the basis of the pharmacological therapy is sub-segmented into Benzodiazepines, Non-benzodiazepines, Melatonin receptor agonists and others. Likewise on the basis of the non-pharmacological therapy is also sub-segmented into Relaxation therapy, Cognitive behavioural therapy, Sleep hygiene education, Stimulus Controls, Paradoxical intension and others. On the basis of drug formulation the drugs are being formulated in capsules, tablets and others. Whereas on the basis of type of disease it includes poor quality of sleep, sleep maintenance and others.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Players for Americas Insomnia Market Eisai, Co. (Japan) Pfizer, Inc. (US) Merck & Co Inc (US) Sanofi (France) Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (Japan) Meda Consumer Healthcare Inc (US) Pernix Therapeutics (US) Purdue Pharma L.P. (US) Consumer Healthcare Inc. (Canada) Dainippon Sumitomo (Japan) ECR Pharmaceuticals (US) Flynn Pharma (UK) Johnson & Johnson (US) Astellas (UK) Biocodex S A (France) Neurim (Switzerland) SkyePharma (UK) Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (US).Study Objectives Americas Insomnia Market Research Report To provide the Detail Overview of American insomnia market. To provide In-depth market segmentation and sub segmentations. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide Competitive landscape and key players in the market. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to geography and countries- North America and South America. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Americas Insomnia Market.Intended Audience Manufacturing and packaging industries. Insomnia devices and drug manufacturers Biotechnology Companies Bio-Pharmaceutical Companies Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government Research Laboratories Medical Research InstitutesBrowse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis the Americas insomnia market is segmented into two regions- North America and South America. Further North America is segmented into US and Canada. The North America region is experiencing more number of cases for insomnia. The cases are seen with unintentionally falling asleep and nodding while driving. The sleep related disorders are also seen because of the hypertension, cardio problems, cancer, depression, obesity and many more. It is estimated that near about 70 million US citizens are affected by insomnia.The report for Americas Insomnia Market Research Report 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 markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Americas Insomnia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 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 Global Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market 2023: Comprehensive Research Study https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1281 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/neuropsychiatric-disorders-treatment-market-1281 Market Research Future published a research report on Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report, By Disorders (Degenerative Diseases, Neurotic Disorders, Psychosis And Others), By Treatments (Shock Treatment, Drug Treatment, Others) By End Users (Hospitals, Clinics, Research Centers And Others) - Forecast Till 2023Market Scenario:Neuropsychiatric is the mental disorder occur due to disturbance in the function of cerebral system. Mania and hallucination are some of the major neuropsychiatric diseases. Neuropsychiatric diseases occur at any age but the paediatric neuropsychiatry is getting a huge demand due to increasing number of infants, children and adolescents suffering from neuropsychiatric diseases. Increasing prevalence of different neuropsychiatric diseases across the globe is the major driving factor for the growth of the market. While long term treatment and lack of clinical trial data for neuropsychiatric diseases may hamper the growth of the market.Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% during forecasted period.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market Astrazeneca (UK) GlaxoSmithKline (UK) Universal Health Services Inc. (US) Biogen (US) Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany) Eli Lilly (US) Bristol-Meyer Squibb (US) Johnson & Johnson (US) Pfizer (US) Wyeth (US) Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd (Japan) Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan)Study Objectives Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market Detail market analysis of global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market with region and competitive analysis. Detail analysis of parent market and different drivers and restraints affecting the growth of the market. Detail Information about the present and forecasted market with its key players that influences the market on global scale. Analysis of the market of the different factors like- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. 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 neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market. Detail information on the possible segments and sub segments of the market. And regional analysis of the market- North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untappedIntended Audience Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government and Independent Research Laboratories Government and Independent Regulatory Authorities Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Medical Research Laboratories Academic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesSegmentationGlobal neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market is segmented on the basis of disorders into degenerative diseases, neurotic disorders, psychosis and others. On the basis of treatments it is segmented as shock treatment, drug treatment, others and on the basis of end users it is hospitals, clinics, research centres and othersBrowse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, North America commands the largest share of global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market. Increasing prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders and governmental support for the research and development of the medicines in this area are the major driving factor for the growth of the market in North America. Europe commands the second largest market followed by Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a fastest rate due to rapid development of the healthcare sector in this regions.The report for global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment 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 markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2023 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 Tesco PLC Retailer Profile with IT Spending by Geography Technology Profile ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/tesco-plc-retailer-profile-with-it-spending-by-geography-technology-profile http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884264/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884264/buying ReportsWeb.com published Tesco PLC Retailer Profile Market from its database. 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."Tesco PLC - Retailer Profile with IT Spending by Geography", report provides a technology overview of Tesco PLC, including its ICT spend for 2016, information on key IT decision makers, and its primary IT contracts. Furthermore, the report focuses on the IT strategies adopted by Tesco in order to provide actionable insights for ICT vendors and service providers when pitching their solutions to the company.For more information about this report atTesco has witnessed tremendous growth over the past decades in the UK and internationally which has led to becoming the third largest global retailer. Tesco is increasingly recognizing the need for a shopping experience with customer satisfaction as a main objective. Tesco has become known for its innovative shopping experiences and solutions that differentiate its strategy from various discounters that it increasingly competes with on price.Scope- Tesco implemented Big Data analytics to improve supply chains and inventory management systems, and for segmenting customers for more tailored marketing approaches- Tesco has launched a mobile payment app "PayQwiq" that allows customers to scan items and pay without having to visit the checkout counter- Tesco collaborates with several IT players in order to build a technology ecosystem, which includes investments in brick and mortar stores, supply chains, inventory management, eCommerce, but also data centers, cloud services, and digital checkouts.Request a sample copy atReasons to buy- Get a detailed understanding of Tesco's IT spending by technology and geography, and its strategic and IT related priorities. This profile can help you target the retailer with tailored solutions and access the right decision-makers.Companies MentionedTescoTataSime Darby GroupHome PlusMicrosoftDHLIBMDunnhumbyInquire 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 Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market Analysis and Forecast Study for 2016-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/zeolite-molecular-sieve-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17000 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: OverviewMolecular sieve is a specialty material used to separate small-sized molecules from a mixture, whereas zeolite molecular sieve is a special class of molecular sieve that uses aluminosilicates as its skeletal composition. Zeolite molecular sieve has small-sized holes that block large molecules and allow small molecules to pass through it. Hence, it can be used as a desiccant. A molecular sieve can adsorb water up to 22% of its own weight. The adsorbed product remains trapped as it is able to penetrate the pore and fill the space in absence of another material. Molecular sieve can be further classified into microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous materials depending upon size of molecular sieve. Microporous materials have pore diameters less than 20 angstrom (A), the mesoporous category lies in the middle with pore diameters between 2 and 50 nanometers (nm), and macroporous materials have pore diameters greater than 500 A.Browse Market Research Report:Zeolite molecular sieve is a microporous material where size of molecular sieve lies between 3 and 4 A. Zeolites are highly crystalline material with anionic framework. Thus, they can be used as an adsorbent for liquids and gases. Zeolite molecular sieve with a pore size of 3 A blocks molecules with size more than 3 A; hence, it can be used in diversified applications such as purification of gas streams, drying reaction starting materials, and in the chemical laboratory for separating compounds. The ratio of silica to alumina in zeolite molecular sieve is close to two, which provides it with characteristic features such as fast adsorption speed, good crushing resistance, frequent regeneration ability, and good pollution resistance. These properties help improve durability and efficiency of sieve. Zeolite molecular sieve is used in the petroleum and gas industry for selective adsorption of water from gas so that the latter can be used in applications where moisture from gas can corrode the equipment. This sieve can also be used to filter air supplied for breathing apparatus by removing particulates and compressor exhaust products from breathing air supply.Environmental effects of detergents can be manipulated by replacing sodium tripolyphosphate with zeolite molecular sieve. This type of zeolite molecular sieve can reduce surface tension. This, in turn, assists detergents by producing demineralized water through calcium ion exchange, thereby avoiding deposition of dirt. Zeolite molecular sieve can also be used in soil conditioning. Extensive research and development activities are being conducted to use silver zeolite as an antibacterial agent in medicines. In April 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of sodium aluminosilicate for direct contact with consumable items. As a result, it is employed in personal care and pharmaceutical industries. Zeolite molecular sieves have high selectivity for ammonium ions; therefore, they are widely used to combat eutrophication and other effects in waterways. Zeolite molecular sieves have also been used to remove heavy metal ions present in water due to industrial activities.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Zeolite Molecular Sieve market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: Regional OutlookDiversified applications of zeolite molecular sieve are likely to significantly propel its market growth during the forecast period. Raw materials required for production of zeolite molecular sieve are abundantly available in China, which makes it the leading producer of zeolite molecular sieve. Additionally, India is a frontrunner in the manufacture of zeolite molecular sieve. This country also exports zeolite to various economies. Asia Pacific accounts for major share of the zeolite molecular sieve market. The market for zeolite molecular sieve is projected to rise in regions, such as the Middle East and Africa due to increasing use of zeolite molecular sieve in petrochemical industries. High cost of zeolite molecular sieve can act as barrier for growth of the zeolite molecular sieve market.Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: Key PlayersKey manufacturers of zeolite molecular sieve include Tricat Group, Luoyang Jiandong Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Sorbead India, Pingxiang XINTAO Chemical Packing Co. Ltd, N Shashikant & Co., and Patalia Chem Industries.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: Global Air Curtain Market 2017 by Application, Region, Revenue, Analysis and Forecast to 2022 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/global-air-curtain-market-outlook-2017-2022 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884323/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884323/buying ReportsWeb.com published Air Curtain Market from its database. 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.An air door or air curtain is a device used to prevent air or contaminants from moving from one open space to another. The most common use is a downward-facing blower fan mounted over an entrance to a building, or an opening between two spaces conditioned at different temperatures.The report covers forecast and analysis for the air curtain market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2012-2016 along with a forecast from 2017 to 2022 based on both volumes and revenue. The study includes drivers and restraints for the air curtain market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes the study of opportunities available in the air curtain market on a global level.For more information about this report atThe report has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global air curtain market collected from specialized sources. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. Company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, new project launched, recent development analysis are the parameters included in the profile.The study provides a decisive view on the air curtain market by segmenting the market based on applications. All the application segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2017 to 2022.Key Applications- Industrial- CommercialRequest a sample copy atKey Regions- North America- Europe- Asia Pacific- ChinaKey Vendors- Rosenberg- Panasonic- Mars Air Systems- Systemair- Toshiba- Powered Aire- Mitsubishi- Pioneer- Thermoscreens- 2VV- Berner- Teplomash- Nortek- Envirotec- Biddle- Theodoor- GENUIN- Midea- Guangzhou Yuanhua- Shanghai Lingfeng- Nedfon- Nanyoo- Jinling Ventilating FansInquire 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 Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 France Needle Free Injections Market Outlook to 2023c ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/france-needle-free-injections-market-outlook-to-2023 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884219/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001884219/buying ReportsWeb.com published Needle Free Injections Market from its database. 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.Publisher's new report, "France Needle Free Injections Market Outlook to 2023", provides key market data on the France Needle Free Injections market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars, volume (in units) and and average prices (USD) for Needle Free Injections.The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of these market segments, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular market and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.For more information about this report atExtensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs) , physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size and company share data for Needle Free Injections.- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2009 to 2016 and forecast to 2023.- 2016 company shares and distribution shares data for each of the market segments.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the France Needle Free Injections market.- Key players covered include INJEX - Equidyne Systems, Bioject Medical Technologies Inc and Antares Pharma Inc.Request a sample copy atReasons to buy- Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.- Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market.- Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- What are the key distribution channels and what's the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize.Companies MentionedINJEX - Equidyne SystemsBioject Medical Technologies IncAntares Pharma IncInquire 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 Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Non-destructive Testing Equipment Segment review, Overview, Scenario and Benefits Nondestructive Testing Equipment https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1793 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1793 NDT refers to the method of examining materials/components to detect the defects/discontinuity in component or material to avoid equipment failure. In addition, it is used to ensure the safe utilization of engineering structures, product quality, and performance upon production. Increase in stringent government regulations across different geographical regions due to rise in incidence of infrastructure failures, need for extending the life of obsolete infrastructure, and maintenance optimization by various industries for efficient operations & quality/safety assurance are the factors that drive the growth of NDT market.Get sample copy @The market is classified on the basis of NDT testing method into ultrasonic testing, radiography testing, visual inspection testing, magnetic particle testing & electromagnetic testing, eddy-current testing, liquid penetrant testing, and others. Ultrasonic testing is expected to hold the largest market share owing to its ability to detect internal and hidden defect/discontinuity along with its high penetrating power and accuracy. However, liquid penetrant testing is anticipated to show significant growth in the coming years, owing to its low cost and user-friendly approach.Send Enquiry about report @Among the industry verticals, energy & power was the foremost industry in 2015, owing to growth in number of power plants and equipment involved in the same. In the same year, oil and gas industry contributed a significant revenue share of over 20% in the overall market. However, automotive & transportation is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.North America generated the highest revenue in this market, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Among the countries of North America, U.S. is the largest market with nearly 80% revenue share of the overall North American market due to significant spending in oil & gas and energy & power infrastructure. However, the market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest growth, registering a CAGR of about 11%. Rise in infrastructural projects and power plants fuels the demand for NDT equipment in Asia-Pacific.NDT equipment industry displays fair degree of consolidation, with top five industry participants occupying a significant market share. Other key players in the industry include Olympus Corporation, Zetec Inc., and Sonatest among others. The key strategies adopted by these leading players are product launch, expansion, acquisition, partnership, and agreement to strengthen their market position and expand their geographical presence.About Allied Market Research:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220,United States.Int'l: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285Fax: +1-800-792-5285 Farm Tire Market Growing with Innovative Industrial Applications http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/north-america-farm-tire-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=25772 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com North America Farm Tire Market: SnapshotFarm tires are a sub-segment of specialty tires that are used by vehicles and machines employed in farm activities in the agriculture sector. Farm machineries such as sprayers, tractors, trailers, and harvesters some of the most common and key users of farm tires. Choosing the right farm tire depends on numerous different factors such as the size of the tractor tire, soil compaction, fuel economy, traction requirements, and weight of the equipment. The market for farm tires in North America is witnessing growth at a moderate pace, with the rising preference to radial tires bringing vast changes to the markets overall growth dynamics.Characteristically better, radial tires cost significantly higher than bias tires of the same dimensions. The disparity has forced several farmers to buy old second-hand tires instead, negatively impacting the sales of new tires and the growth prospects of the overall market for farm tires in North America. However, rising demand from hobby farmers and the increased awareness about the need for mechanization in the field of farming are allowing radial tires good growth prospects.According to Transparency Market Research, the North America farm tire market is expected to exhibit a moderate CAGR of 5.5% from 2017 to 2025 in terms of volume, rising from 2,948 thousand units in 2016 to 4,750 thousand units in 2025.Obtain Report Details @Despite Lower Sales Volumes, Radial Tires to Account for Larger Revenue ShareIn terms of type, the North America farm tires market has been segmented into bias tires and radial tires. Of these, the segment of radial tires is expected to witness the dominance, in terms of revenue contribution, of radial tires throughout the forecast period. The high costs of these technologically advanced tires allow them to account for a larger share in the overall revenue of the market despite holding a much smaller volume-wise share as compared to the segment of bias tires. The segment of radial tires is expected to continue to hold a higher share in the North America farm tire market in terms of revenue contribution over the forecast period.Nevertheless, the trend of higher sales volumes of bias tires compared to those of radial tires, is expected to continue over the forecast period as well. The vast disparity in costs of bias tires and radial tires, with radial tires costing as much as 10 times the cost of bias tires of same dimensions, plays a major role in cost-sensitive farmers preferences. However, the segment of radial tires is steadily gaining traction, with its growth rate, in terms of volume, expected to be higher than that of the segment of bias tires over the reports forecast period. In terms of revenue-wise growth, both the segments will remain equally competitive, expanding at CAGRs of 11.8% (bias tires) and 11.9% (radial tires) over the forecast period.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @U.S. Market to Continue to Contribute Massive Share in Revenue to North America Farm Tire MarketIn terms of geography, the report examines the market for farm tire across the U.S., Canada, and the rest of North America. Of these, the U.S. is presently the leading revenue contributor to the North America farm tire market and the country will continue to hold its top spot owing to the larger scale of the agriculture sector as compared to other countries in the region and presence of several leading vendors. In terms of rate of growth, however, the market in Canada is expected to register a better pace of growth, in terms of both revenue as well as volume.Some of the leading players operating in the North America farm tire market are BKT Tires USA Inc., Bridgestone Corporation, Continental AG, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Michelin, Mitas Tires Global Inc., TBC Corp., and Titan International.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: Worldwide Construction Repaint Industry is Expected to Cross USD 90 Billion By 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2093 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/construction-repaint-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2093 www.marketresearchfuture.com Global Construction Repaint Market, by Resin Type (Acrylic, Polyester, Epoxy and other), by Application (Residential, and Non-Residential) - Forecast 2016-2022Construction repaint is identified as paints which are used in homes, commercial, and institutional applications for the purpose of maintenance, repairs, and for renovation. Moreover, high disposable income and rising need for accommodation development are some factors which are driving the market of construction repaint. Moreover, growing demand for housing, and rapid urbanization are encouraging factors for construction repaint market. Government initiatives such as development of smart cities are providing major boost to the market of construction repaint. However, popularity of glass buildings acts as a barrier for this market. Global construction repaint market is expected to cross USD 90 billion by 2022. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 6% during the forecast period.Market is expected to cross market size of USD 90 billion by the end of forecast period with CAGR of approximately 6% between 2016 and 2022.Get a sample report atStudy Objectives of Construction Repaint markets Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Construction Repaint Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Construction Repaint markets market based 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 resin type, and 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 Conveyor system.Browse Complete Report atAsia pacific is estimated to account for the largest share, in terms of value, of the construction repaint market. The region is expected to hold highest growth rate due to high demand from countries such as China and India. China is currently the largest market for construction repaint in the Asia-Pacific region, and is expected to remain by 2022. Moreover, increasing demand from the residential & non-residential sectors drives the construction repaint market in these countries.Key Players Akzonobel N.V Asian Paints Ltd. Axalta Coating Systems LLC Joint Ventures Jotun A/S,Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. New Product Launches Nippon Paint Holdings Co.Ltd. PG Industries Inc. RPM International Inc. The Sherwin-Williams Company The Valspar CorporationTarget Audience Organizations Manufacturer Research Institute / Education Institute Potential InvestorsGet a discount atThe report for Global Construction Repaint 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 advance Construction Repaint, 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.TABLE OF CONTENTS1 MARKET INTRODUCTION1.1 INTRODUCTION1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS1.2.3 LIMITATIONS1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE:1.3.1 GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REPAINT MARKET: BY RESIN TYPE1.3.2 GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REPAINT MARKET: BY APPLICATION1.3.3 GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REPAINT MARKET: BY REGION2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.1 RESEARCH TYPE2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCHPT2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 FORECAST MODEL2.4.1 MARKET DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & FORECAST2.4.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION2.4.3 MARKET CRACKDOWN & DATA TRIANGULATION3 MARKET DYNAMICS3.1 INTRODUCTION3.2 MARKET DRIVERS3.3 MARKET CHALLENGES3.4 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5. MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS5.1 PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS5.2 SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS6 GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION REPAINT MARKET6.1 INTRODUCTION6.2 MARKET STATISTICS6.2.1 BY RESIN TYPE6.2.1.1 ACRYLIC6.2.1.2 POLYESTER6.2.1.3 EPOXY6.2.1.4 OTHERS6.2.2 BY APPLICATION6.2.2.1 RESIDENTIAL6.2.2.2 NON-RESIDENTIAL6.2.3 BY GEOGRAPHY6.2.3.1 NORTH AMERICA6.2.3.2 EUROPE6.2.3.3 ASIA-PACIFIC6.2.3.4 REST OF THE WORLD7 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS7.1 MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS7.2 COMPANY PROFILES7.2.1 AKZONOBEL N.V7.2.2 ASIAN PAINTS LTD.7.2.3 AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS LLC7.2.4 JOINT VENTURES7.2.5 JOTUN A/S7.2.6 KANSAI PAINT CO., LTD.7.2.7 NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES7.2.8 NIPPON PAINT HOLDINGS CO7.2.9 PPG INDUSTRIES INC.7.2.10 RPM INTERNATIONAL INC.7.2.11 OTHERSAt 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: Future Business Opportunities in Passive Optical LAN (POL) Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/passive-optical-lan-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2945 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Passive Optical LAN (POL) Market: SnapshotThe market for passive optical LAN (POL) is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, registering a double-digit CAGR through the forecast period. Escalating bandwidth requirements, coupled with the energy efficient nature of passive optical components, is driving the POL market. The growth of networking technologies in the Asia Pacific and RoW markets, increasing fiber deployments, and rising investments in technological advancements and research infrastructure across both the regions are also propelling the passive optical LAN market.The global passive optical LAN market is expected to expand at an impressive CAGR of 22.9% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, reaching a market size of US$103.4 bn by 2024. The market stood at US$14.1 bn in 2015.Obtain Report Details @Increased Usage of Optical Amplifiers in Ultra-high Capacity NetworksThe key components of a passive optical LAN include cables, power splitters, filters, wavelength division multiplexers/de-multiplexers, couplers, encoders, connectors, patch cords and pigtails, amplifiers, attenuators, transceivers, circulators, network terminals, and line terminals. The global passive optical LAN market was led by the wavelength division multiplexers/de-multiplexers segment in 2015, followed by optical amplifiers. The latter enjoys a significant share in the POL market owing to their increased use in ultra-high capacity networks. Fixed and variable optical attenuators and amplifiers are likely to grow at an above average CAGR over the course of the forecast period following the increasing demand for higher bandwidths and rapid growth in fiber optic technologies.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @Asia Pacific to Retain Lead in POL Market throughout Forecast PeriodIn 2015, Asia Pacific led the market for POL, accounting for a share of more than 36%. The growing demand for passive optical networks in the region, especially in China, is one of the primary forces driving this passive optical LAN market. A surge in data traffic and the use of electronic gadgets by a large volume of customers further drives the APAC market. Governments of major countries across the region are planning to invest in the deployment of fiber optic networks to improve the network infrastructure in their respective countries. This is anticipated to boost the Asia Pacific market for passive optical LAN during the forecast period.North America is also a key contributor to the growth of the POL market globally. Technological advancements and an increasing demand for more advanced security are some factors that can be expected to boost the growth of passive optical LAN in North America. Furthermore, the rising demand for energy conservation and simplified network operations is anticipated to bolster the growth of the POL market in this region. The passive optical LAN market in North America is expected to grow at a remarkable CAGR of 20.0% over the forecast period.The growing demand for energy-efficient solutions and increased investments in network solutions and research infrastructure are propelling the passive optical LAN market in RoW countries such as Brazil and South Africa. In addition, major investments have been lined up in wireless cell tower base stations as the volume of network traffic grows exponentially in the RoW.Some of the leading players in the POL market are Alcatel Lucent SA (France), Ericsson Inc. (Sweden), Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (China), ADTRAN, Inc. (U.S.), TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), ZTE Corporation (China), and Verizon Communications Inc. (U.S.)one Systems Inc., Gemalto N.V., and Wirecard AG.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 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market To Grow at CAGR of 50.51% Between 2017-2021 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1068174 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1068174 AI technologies assist human beings in deliberating, deducing, analyzing, and inventing new technologies that can ensure the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a result of its reducing expenses, the adoption of the AI technology is increasing in every sector. AI uses multiple disciplines that allow computers to perform functions that require human intelligence such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. It is possible to collect and store large amounts of real-time data using modern technologies, such as vision systems, actuators, and sensors, which can strongly influence manufacturing processes. The real-time data can also be manipulated for efficient manufacturing.The global artificial intelligence market to grow at a CAGR of 50.51% during the period 2017-2021.GEt The Sample Copy of This Report :Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global artificial intelligence market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the retail selling price considered as the average selling price for the product.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Artificial Intelligence 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 vendorsAmazon Web ServicesIBMSiemensOmron Adept TechnologiesOther prominent vendorsAIBrainAnkiAppleBanjoCloudMindsFacebookGoogleiCarbonXIntelJiboMicrosoftNext ITNVIDIAMarket driverGrowing adoption of deep learning technologyFor a full, detailed list, view our reportSend an enquiry :Market challengeChallenges in developing AI technologiesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendGrowing popularity of swarm AI technologyFor 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?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Stem Cell Research Products - Opportunities, Tools, and Technologies 2016 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/550905 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/550905 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/550905/stem-cell-research-products-opportunities-tools-and-technologies-2016-market-research-reports Claim this global strategic report to understand unique product opportunities by stem cell type, derive more revenue from products sold to stem cell scientists, and identify new product development opportunities before the competition. Use the Survey of Stem Cell Scientists to understand technical requirements, unmet needs, and purchasing preferences of stem cell researchers worldwide.This report explores unique market opportunities by stem cell type, including mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, and more.The Market for Stem Cell Research ProductsStem cells are primitive cells found in all multi-cellular organisms that are characterized by self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate into any mature cell type. Several broad categories of stem cells exist, including:Embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocystsPerinatal stem cells, obtained during the period immediately before and after birthAdult stem cells, found in adult tissuesInduced pluripotent stem cells, produced by genetically reprogramming adults cellsCancer stem cells, which give rise to clonal populations of cells that form tumors or disperse in the bodyStem cell research and experimentation have been in process for well over five decades, as stem cells have the unique ability to divide and replicate repeatedly. In addition, their unspecialized nature allows them to differentiate into a wide variety of specialized cell types.Get The Sample Copy Of This report :In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells.Traditionally, scientists have worked with both embryonic and adult stem cells as research tools. While the appeal of embryonic cells has been their ability to differentiate into any type of cell, there has been significant ethical, moral and spiritual controversy surrounding their use for research purposes. Although some adult stem cells do have differentiation capacity, it is often limited in nature, which results in fewer options for use.Thus, when induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were produced from mouse cells in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan, they represented a promising combination of adult and embryonic stem cell characteristics. By 2007, a series of follow-up experiments were done at Kyoto University in which human adult cells were transformed into iPSC cells. Nearly simultaneously, a research group led by James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison accomplished the same feat of deriving iPSC lines from human somatic cells.Send an enquiry :The possibilities arising from these characteristics have resulted in great commercial interest, with potential applications ranging from the use of stem cells in reversal and treatment of disease, to targeted cell therapy, tissue regeneration, pharmacological testing on cell-specific tissues, and more. Huntingtons disease, Parkinsons disease, and spinal cord injuries are examples of conditions for which clinical applications involving stem cells could offer benefits in halting or even reversing adverse effects.Also of interest to clinical researchers is the potential to use stem cells in regenerative medicine. Additionally, the ability to use stem cells to improve drug target validation and toxicology screening is of intense interest to the pharmaceutical industry.At this time, the following account for the majority of stem cell research:Basic Research Understanding stem cell mechanisms and behaviorRegenerative Medicine Reversal of injury or diseaseDrug Target Validation and Drug Delivery Treatment of diseaseToxicology Screening Drug safety and efficacy assessmentTo facilitate research resulting from interest in these potential far-ranging applications, a large and growing stem cells research products market has emerged.Browse More :Large companies selling stem cell research products include:Thermo Fisher ScientificBD Biosciences, a Division of Becton DickinsonMerck KGaAMiltenyi BiotecSTEMCELL TechnologiesLonza GroupClontech (a Takara Bio Company)GE Healthcare Life Sciences.While several of these dominant market players have utilized acquisition strategies to grow and capture market share, Merck KGaA has had a particularly strong commitment to this approach, acquiring several other massive major players within the stem cell research products marketplace, including Milllipore on February 26, 2010, for $7.2 billion, and Sigma-Aldrich on September 22, 2014, for $17 billion. Dozens of mid-sized suppliers of stem cell research products also exist, as well as over 100 small specialty providers.Currently, the following compose the majority of stem cell research product sales worldwide:Primary antibodies to stem cell antigensBead-based stem cell separation systemsFluorescent-based labeling and detectionStem cell protein purification and analysis toolsTools for DNA and RNA-based characterization of stem cellsIsolation/characterization servicesStem cell culture media and reagentsStem cell specific growth factors and cytokinesTools for stem cell gene regulationStem cell services and mechanisms for in vivo and in vitro stem cell trackingExpansion/differentiation services for stem cell media and RNAiStem cell linesCurrently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the fastest growing areas of stem cell research, with more than 25,000 scientific publications published about the cell type and more than 400 clinical trials underway worldwide. Importantly, 2015 was the first year in history that mesenchymal stem cells surpassed hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for the most scientific publications of any stem cell type. In addition, Google Trend data shows MSC searches to be approximately twice as common as the next most popular stem cell type.MSCs also being explored for use in 3D printing applications, because of their unique capacity to form structural tissues. In particular, there will be a demand for companies to supply MSC populations for use in 3D printing inks.Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are also an interesting area of stem cell research, with Japan committing to being a market leader in this area. In the past year, Japan has accelerated its position as a hub for regenerative medicine research, largely driven by support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who has identified regenerative medicine and cellular therapy as key to the Japans strategy to drive economic growth.The Prime Minister has encouraged a growing range of collaborations between private industry and academic partners through an innovative legal framework. Most importantly to the stem cell research products marketplace, Japans Education Ministry said it is planning to spend 110 billion yen ($1.13 billion) on induced pluripotent stem cell research during the next 10 years, and the Japanese parliament has been discussing bills that would speed the approval process and ensure the safety of such treatments.Utilization of other stem cell types in research settings continue as well, with hematopoietic stem cells being explored for their broad therapeutic applications, neural stem cells being explored for their ability to address unmet medical needs, and adipose-derived stem cells catching the interest of the research community because of the increasing prevalence of orthopedic doctors who are using these cells for musculoskelal applications, an area that the FDA has begun to tightly regulate.Key report findings include:Market size determinations, with 5-year projections for the stem cell research products market (2016-2020)Year-over-year analysis of stem cell grant rates, patent rates, clinical trial rates, and scientific publication ratesStem cell funding sources, trends, and amounts (domestic and international)Stem cell research applications, including priorities by segmentRelative demand for stem cell products, by stem cell typeBreakdown of stem cell product categoriesCompetitive analysis of leading stem cell research product companiesOnline trends for stem cells, including Google Trends and Google AdwordsSocial analytics for stem cells, including activity on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and moreCommunications strategies for accessing the marketplaceEnd-user survey of stem cell scientistsCompeting within the stem cell marketplace can involve complicated and confusing decisions, but it doesnt have to. Claim this report to reveal the current and future needs of your customer base, so you can focus your marketing efforts on profitable products, in promising research areas, within lucrative markets.Input SourcesThe content and statistics contained in this report were compiled using a broad range of sources. These input sources include:Stem Cell Grant Funding Database (RePORT Database, CIRM, MRC, Wellcome Trust - UK)Stem Cell Patent Database (United States Patent and Trade Office, World Intellectual Property Organization)Stem Cell Clinical Trial Database (ClinicalTrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, European Union Clinical Trials Register )Stem Cell Scientific Publication Database (PubMed, Highwire Press, Google Scholar)Stem Cell Product Launch Announcements (Trade Journals, Google News)Stem Cell Industry Events (Google News, Google Alerts)Stem Cell Company News (SEC Filings, Investor Publications, Historic Performance)International Surveys (Electronically Distributed End-User Surveys)And MoreMRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Chemoinformatics Market size demand will increase by 2016 - 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/chemoinformatics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14315 www.transparencymarketresearch.com Chemoinformatics is defined as the application of computers to develop and process chemical data. It involves the study of chemical structures using computational methods and tools. This method involves the storage and analysis of data and inferring the information. It includes the successful designing, organizing, analysis, and visualization of data which is required for pharmaceutical and biotechnology research. Chemoinformatics is being widely utilized in drug discovery & designing, information handling, screening, molecular modelling, analytical chemistry, Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and also in polymers, food science and material science. The applications of this technique are in chemical data collection, representation, analysis, database designing, structure prediction, and building statistical model.View Report @Based on the wide application methods we can segment the chemoinformatics market as follows:Drug discoveryVirtual screeningDrug analysis and validationOthersThe utilization of chemoinformatics for the design of new drugs comprises of processing large data, validation of methodologies, and accessing millions of structures. The major driving factors which have driven the growth of the market includes the advancements in the drug development process and use of in-silico techniques. Chemoinformatics allows use of combinatorial chemistry to produce vast number of compounds, molecular modelling to improve drug activity; high throughput screening allowing screening of large number of compounds against a target protein, virtual in-vitro and in-silico models which replaces traditional animal testing models. As this method is able to predict toxicity and assess the risk associated with it and hence it helps in reduction of animal testing. Based on the wide scope of this technique this can be utilized in the following industries:Pharmaceutical companiesPublic organizationsAcademic researchChemical industryBased on geography, chemoinformatics market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). At present, North America holds a leading position in the market as it observes heavy investments in R&D initiatives, technological expansions and integration of pioneering technologies, major players present in the region, and occurrence of lifestyle related diseases. Europe is followed by North America in the chemoinformatics market due to it is considered as a major hub for geriatrics. Asia Pacific is observed as a growing market due to the increasing research activities and drug development initiative in the region. Many multinational companies are setting up their business base in this region as it aids in low manufacturing and labor cost, less stringent regulations and additionally huge government initiatives which focuses on improvising R&D infrastructure for market growth.However few factors restrict the growth of this market includes expensive chemoinformatics software and requires huge resources in terms of software and hardware. Different companies store the data in an encoded form and follow their own file formats which could be incompatible with different models. Multinational companies need to develop an international unicode for storage of data. This would enable the database to be globally accepted irrespective of type and location. This unicode will also reduce the duplication of information. Currently, there is a growing need of designing an improved chemoinformatics system which will handle the huge data which is generated from HTS operations.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Chemoinformatics Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.It is expected that with due course of time, there will be an influx of well-established players in the chemoinformatics market. Some of the key companies operating in the chemoinformatics market are Agilent Technologies, Accelrys Software Inc., OpenEye Scientific, BIOVIA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. PerkinElmer Inc., Schrodinger, LLC, Chemical Computing Group, Inc., Certara, L.P., The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC), KNIME.COM AG, EPAM Systems, Scilligence Cambridge Soft ACX, Simulations Plus, Inc., Advanced Chemistry Development, Inc. (ACD/Labs) and ChemAxon, Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation Device Market | Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pelvic-floor-electrical-stimulation-device-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17438 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Electrical stimulation is a therapeutic treatment to treat muscle spasms and pain. It prevents atrophy and builds strength in patients with injuries. It is helpful to keep muscles active, especially after a spinal cord injury or stroke. Electrical muscle stimulation can be used to strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles. Stimulating activity can be achieved by passive contraction of the pelvic floor muscles through the transmission of low grade electrical impulses to the nerves that supply impulse to the bladder and other sections in the pelvic area. The small electrical impulses are delivered to the pelvic structures through an internal vaginal method or anal electrode method. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is done by inserting a small electrode through skin of lower legs. The electrode can be connected through pulse generator. Similarly, sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is done using a pacemaker like stimulator above the skin which plays an important role in functioning of the bladder. However, new developments in medical devices allow imaging at the cellular and molecular level, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and treatment by pelvic floor stimulation.High prevalence of diseases such as urinary infection, neurological diseases, rising patient awareness, growing research and development initiatives, and increasing demand for electric stimulation devices such as electrodes and pacemakers are the major factors driving the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 17 million adults in the U.S. suffer from urinary incontinence, where women are twice affected as compared to men. Nearly 35% of female Medicare beneficiaries and 25% of male beneficiaries are estimated to suffer from urinary incontinence. Cost of reagents and sensitivity toward electrical impulses from the devices used during treatment are expected to hamper the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market from 2016 to 2024.View Report The global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market has been segmented by device type, treatment, end-user, and geography. In terms of device type, the pelvic floor electrical stimulation market is classified into non-implantable electrical stimulator device and implantable electrical stimulator device. Based on treatment type, the market is classified into pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), intravaginal neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS). In terms of end-user, the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market is classified into hospitals and ambulatory surgical units. The non-implantable device type segment is projected to witness strong growth driven by increase in urinary incontinence among the population, rising number of elderly women, and obesity. The Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing 2016 has conducted a study to evaluate the effect of intravaginal neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women with multiple sclerosis disease in order to compare the efficacy of the approaches.Geographically, the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market is classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market due to increasing number of elderly women, rising obesity, and urinary infection rates. Early-phase diagnosis and treatment of disease is driving the medical biotechnology market, which in turn is expected to propel the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market in North America. Europe is the second largest market for pelvic floor electrical stimulation devices due to favorable government policies regarding improvement of health standards for women and awareness programs by NHS and other health institutions. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a higher rate due to rising population, changing lifestyle, aging population, and increasing per capita expenditure. In addition, economic growth has led to improvement in health care infrastructure in developing countries such as India, China, and southeast Asia. These factors collectively support the growth of the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market in Asia Pacific.Major players operating in the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market include Boston Scientific, Coloplast A/S, C. R. Bard, Inc., and Ethicon, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson).Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation Device 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: Spine Biologics Market | Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/spine-biologics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17444 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A biologic is a substance which actively alters its surrounding environment and effects a change through a biological process. Biologics have been an increasingly important component to be used in spinal fusion surgery, due to the growing awareness about their potential impact, usage of bone graft substitutes, and the rising geriatric population.Spine biologics are used in the treatment of spine trauma, tumors, and degenerative diseases in order to achieve arthrodesis in case of deformity or instability. They actively improve bone formation and stimulate spinal fusion, unlike metals, which are inert and do not alter cell function or stimulate cell growth. The favored usage of biologics among surgeons, the minimal pain and invasiveness they cause, and the rise in obesity as well as geriatric population are drivers of the global spine biologics market. However, the high cost of the process is expected to be a constraint during the forecast period.View Report The spine biologics market has been segmented by product, type of surgery, end-user, and regions. In terms of product type, spine biologics are classified into the bone graft, bone graft substitution, platelet rich plasma (PRP), and bone marrow aspirate (BMAC) categories. Based on type of surgery, the divisions are anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Bone morphogenetic protein is predominantly employed in spinal surgery. RhBMP-2 approved by FDA in 2002 and marketed as infuse by Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc. is used for insertion within a titanium tapered cage in anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery.Geographically, the spine biologics market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. North America holds a major share in the market, followed by Europe, due to developed technologies and hospitals, rise in the citizens per capita income, and improved medical literacy. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a higher rate due to the rising population, significant improvements in medical technology, awareness, improved medical coverage, and growing demands in India and China.Some of the key players operating in the market include Alphatec Spine, DePuy Spine, Medtronic, Stryker Corporation, Smith & Nephew Plc, Orthovita Inc., Zimmer Spine Inc., K2M, Nuvasive, Lattice Biologics, Arthrex, Inc., DMP Spine, Orthofix Holdings, RTI Surgical, Wright Medical Technology, Cesca Therapeutics, and Precision Spine. These companies are following strategic approaches such as mergers and product launches while also focusing on cost-effective surgeries and patient awareness to maintain a significant position in the global spine biologics market.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Spine Biologics 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: Following the merger announcement between Scoot and Tiger air, as of today, all previous Tigerair flights will be operated under the Scoot brand and Scoot flights will operate under the TR flight designator code. Moreover, Scoot announces 5 new international destinations. Scoot CEO Mr Lee Lik Hsin said, As we come to the end of Tigerairs journey, we open up a brand new chapter for Scoot. Building on what Tigerair and the old Scoot had achieved since their respective inceptions, we are stronger than we have ever been before, and consequently in an even better position to offer our guests more choice, connectivity and value. The enhanced Scoot that we are introducing today is spunky and sassy, and promises to create more travel opportunities for our guests. New Destinations In conjunction with this single brand celebration, Mr Lee also disclosed the five new destinations that Scoot will fly to by June 2018. Among them are Honolulu, Scoots maiden USA destination, and Harbin in Northeast China. The remaining three are short-haul destinations - Kuching and Kuantan in Malaysia, and Palembang in Indonesia. Coupled with the addition of the previous Tigerair network, the five new services will bring Scoots total destination count to 65 across 18 countries. New Uniform Beyond new destinations, Scoots crew members, affectionately named Scootees, will be outfitted with new uniform designs bearing a refreshing, yet distinctively Scoot look. The new uniform for female crew members cuts a flattering silhouette with its asymmetric dress design and higher waistline, while that for male crew members features sharper angles for the yellow highlights on the polo shirts. Both male and female crew uniforms also feature fun details, such as black buttons sewn on with yellow thread to provide a subtle feature for the male crew uniforms, and thicker fabric for the Scootees to stay warm during cabin service. The new uniforms represent a fresh start for crew of both airlines, while Scoots signature black and yellow color combination has been retained, carrying on the spirit of fun and spontaneity of the Scoot brand. Escape the Ordinary In conjunction with the brand enhancement, Scoot has also changed its Get Outta Here! tagline and adopted a new slogan, Escape the Ordinary. Scoots new tagline, Escape the Ordinary, is reflective of our growth as an airline brand, said Mr Lee. It is more relevant to the global market now that our network has grown as it is aspirational to our inner wanderlust, and inspires us to travel and explore the world. Scoot also rolled out its first A320 aircraft, previously operated by Tigerair and repainted with the Scoot livery, named Conscious Coupling in commemoration of the integration between Scoot and Tigerair. The current Tigerair fleet will be progressively repainted and the complete livery change is targeted to be by mid-2018. There is a celebratory sale on right now at www.flyscoot.com with fares from $99 to Singapore from Perth. These sale fares are available from 1000 (Perth/Sin) 12 noon AEST on Tuesday July 25, until 2359 (Per) Sunday 30th July, and 0159 AEST on Monday 31st July 2017 with a travel period by March 24, 2018. Blackout periods may apply over school holidays and event periods. As an added bonus, try your luck and enter Promo Code FLYSCOOT for an additional AUD20 off selected FLYBAG and FLYBAGEAT fares. (Some T&Cs apply) easyJet, Europes leading airline, will recruit more than 1200 new permanent and fixed term cabin crew positions as the airline continues its growth. easyJet currently employs over 6,900 cabin crew who are at the forefront of the airlines operations, ensuring the highest safety standards are met and providing friendly service for easyJets 70million passengers every year. easyJet, which flies more than 270 aircraft on over 880 routes in 31 countries, will offer its new cabin crew positions across almost all of its 28 European bases. New recruits will fly on a modern fleet of Airbus aircraft, including the newest A320NEO, and will join the airline at an exciting time, as well as have access to a number of rewards, high quality training and opportunities for career development. The news comes after easyJets announcement earlier this year that it was opening recruitment for more than 450 pilots and providing career opportunities for its current First Officers to be promoted into Captain positions. Candidates can apply now at careers.easyjet.com. New recruits will complete a series of online pre-coursework tasks, and will then undertake three weeks of thorough practical demonstrations in areas such as safety procedures, aviation security and first aid. easyJets onboard team includes three Flight Attendants and a Cabin Manager, who work closely with the Captain and First Officer. Goose Creek, SC (29445) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 54F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. A new association named The Independent Food Tour Association (TIFTA) is launched. It represents a global alliance of quality independent food tour operators. Founded in Asia, TIFTA has received strong interest from food tour operators around the world, and will be accepting members from Europe in the coming months. James Pelham, Founder of TIFTA and owner of Singabites said "Our mission at TIFTA is to create a reputable community of the best food tours globally which will become the trusted source for food travellers around the world." Food Tourism is a growing sector and has seen a corresponding rapid increase in the number of companies offering food tours. These tours vary greatly in experience and quality. TIFTA aims to recognise those operators with quality operations to make selection of a rewarding food tour easier for tourists. Unlike booking platforms such as Viator, TIFTA membership is restricted to experienced independent tour operators that meet minimum quality standards. Wai Zhou, Co-founder of TIFTA and owner of Eating Adventures said "We are honoured to have such high quality tour operators join as our founding members. So far we have 8 tour operators covering 13 cities in Asia. Members include, Taste of Thailand, Food Tours Malaysia, Lost Plate, Saigon Street Eats, Oishii Tokyo, Queenies Food Tours, Eating Adventures and Singabites. We have received numerous additional applications for membership and we look forward to adding more quality tour operators in the coming months." As an added bonus, the TIFTA alliance offers clients a 10% discount on future tours with partner members (Terms and Conditions Apply). BLOOMINGTON A DeWitt County woman facing sentencing in federal court for embezzling more than $400,000 from her employer is accused of stealing a crystal vase from a Normal retailer. Veronica Luster was charged with retail theft in connection with a July 21 shoplifting incident at Von Maur. According to charges, Luster took a Waterford crystal vase without paying for it. The 48-year-old suspect was released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond. In March, Luster pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois to wire fraud and mail fraud charges accusing her of taking more than $400,000 from the Clinton medical practice where she worked as office manager. A Sept. 1 sentencing hearing is set in federal court in Springfield. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The federal charges were filed in 2015 after financial discrepancies were found at the medical practice previously owned by Dr. Farrukh Kureishy. Luster allegedly used money from the business where she worked for about 10 years to pay for personal items, including designer clothing, travel, vacations and credit card bills. The doctor, who is now affiliated with Family Medicine Clinic at Warner Hospital & Health Services in Clinton, has filed a lawsuit against Luster. The pending lawsuit seeks more than $600,000 the doctor claims the practice lost during Luster's tenure. Tunisia recorded 1,527,891 tourist arrivals, up 46.2% from January 1 to May 20, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. The start of a recovery in European tourism, particularly in France and Germany, to the destination Tunisia, can be seen in the latest statistics published by the Tunisian National Tourist Office (TNTO). The Maghreb tourism remains predominant, accounting for 60.2% of tourists arriving during this period, with 1,148,037 people, i.e. an increase of 51.6% compared to the same period of 2016. Regarding the traditional markets of Tunisia, even though European tourists account for only 17% of total arrivals, their number increased by 31.1%. The French ranked first with 153,050 tourists, up 45.1%, followed by Germans (37,909 tourists) and Italians (28,807). The British also returned to Tunisia, with 8,943 arrivals reported. Thanks to Tunisias efforts to diversify the tourist markets, the country was able to welcome 44,754 Russian tourists until May 20, 2017, up 2.6% compared to 2016. In addition, the number of Tunisians residing abroad reached 379,714 visitors, posting a growth of 9.4% compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of non-resident arrivals to more than 1.9 million. According to a report by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), tourism revenues at the end of April 2017 posted a slight increase of 5.2%, compared to a 46.4% increase in non-resident inflows. Tourism revenues amounting to 491 million dinars (MD) thus remain far below the achievements of 2015, which reached 783 MD. Similarly, the number of overnight stays grew by 31% compared to the previous year, i.e. 714,000 overnight stays, from January 1 to April 20, 2017. Source: African Manager BLOOMINGTON Supporters of the Public Safety Community Relations Board say the City Councils approval of a panel to review public complaints against Bloomington police is just the first step in what will be a long process. We still have work to do, Jenn Carrillo, YWCA McLean County's mission impact director, said outside City Hall Monday night, moments after the council voted 8-1 to approve the seven-member board. We have bylaws to work on and you heard that they want to gather nominations for this very quickly. The council chamber was filled to the established seating capacity of 111 people Monday night and dozens more waited outside in the hallway to hear the decision, which was met with a loud cheer from supporters. I just think this is the right thing at the right time, said Rodney Cole of Bloomington. I support a review panel because I think there are people who are worried about the formal complaint process. It seems to be weighted in favor of the police. "Now, we have someone who will hear a different perspective. Several Bloomington police officers also attended the meeting, and two of them, Detective Steve Brown and Sgt. Jeff Albee, spoke to the council prior to the vote, hoping to sway votes against the panel. It seems like we are painted as racists in this town, Brown said. In the 11 years I have worked here with my brothers and sisters, I havent seen anyone that I have worked with stop anyone because of their race. "If we stop someone, in my experiences here, it is because of other reasons," he said. "If they happen to be a different race from the officer, I can see how they understand that they believe they are being singled out because of race. But, in my experience, that is not what I am seeing. Albee told council members that in his years as a police officer, he has been on both sides of investigations, including investigating other police officers. However, he also felt a review board was not necessary, if residents are concerned about race relations. I have never stopped someone because of their race, and I have never sat in a car with someone who suggested we stop someone based on their race, he said. I have not made an arrest based on someones race, nor have I known anybody to make an arrest based on that. "The Bloomington Police Department has a complaint policy that works. It is ridiculous. When is enough, enough? Bloomington resident Gabe Cripe said the board isnt necessarily about race relations. Its about transparency and accountability, he said. Opponents of this board say there is no problem. Well, if that is the case, why not we open it up and be transparent about it? This is about improving community and police relations. Who could be against that? The establishment of the board is a huge first step towards becoming a community in which police and residents can trust one another, said D. Dontae Latson, CEO of YWCA McLean County. We still have a lot of work to do and this board is only the beginning but we are committed to playing a role in the process of building and healing community relations. Tom Cullen, a steering committee member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Central Illinois, said the city is to be commended for listening and responding to the needs of all of the residents of the city. This board is an important first step in establishing police accountability, he said. "The ACLU steering committee will be vigilant in ensuring this board is given the opportunity to grow and adapt to meet the changing needs of all residents of Bloomington. BLOOMINGTON When Bob Kerestes of Bloomington was passing through Hawaii on a business trip several decades ago, he stopped at Pearl Harbor to pay his respects to those who lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941. What he didn't know then was that his uncle, Elmer Kerestes, was among those who died on what became known as a day of infamy. Elmer Kerestes was a Navy fireman first class aboard the USS Oklahoma when his ship and others came under attack by Japanese aircraft. The ship was hit by multiple torpedoes while moored at Ford Island and quickly sank, according to Defense Department records. Elmer Kerestes was among 429 crew members who lost their lives in the attack. Only the crew of the USS Arizona lost more lives that day, 1,177. It wasn't until earlier this year that his remains were finally identified. I was just overjoyed, Bob Kerestes' sister, Janet Klug, said of her reaction when she heard the news. As the oldest surviving relative she was born in 1944 Klug was the family member contacted in 2015 when the Defense Department launched a project to identify the unknowns from the USS Oklahoma. Initially, the remains of those who could not be identified were interred in two cemeteries in Hawaii. After the war they were disinterred and transferred to the Central Identification Laboratory in Schofield Barracks. But the staff was only able to confirm the identities of 35 men. The remainder were buried in 46 plots in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reported. In April 2015, a directive was issued by the deputy secretary of defense to disinter the unknowns of the USS Oklahoma and send them for further analysis, using DNA and circumstantial evidence for identification. Bob Kerestes, who moved to Central Illinois in 1980 to work at the Clinton nuclear plant, is thankful the U.S. government did not give up on identifying the remains of those who died at Pearl Harbor and renewed their efforts once advances in scientific knowledge made it possible. On Saturday, his uncle will be buried with full military honors in the home soil of his native Minnesota. We were amazed, actually, Bob Kerestes said of the identification and the military honors. Klug said, I'm hoping they will be able to bring others home so other people can feel the joy that I feel. Elmer Kerestes' remains are scheduled to arrive at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport about 5 p.m. Thursday, said Klug. The Navy will provide an honor guard and the Minnesota National Guard also will be represented. The Patriot Guard will escort the hearse the 117 miles to Holdingford, Minn., which will be his final resting place. The procession will pass through several small towns, where local police will provide escorts, said Klug. People are being asked to line the route. Klug said her uncle will be buried in a family plot on land donated by her great-grandfather for a cemetery. She wrote a poem called, Bringing Uncle Elmer Home, that will be read at the service. It concludes by saying, In heaven, parents now are exciting with ultimate joy. Today, with honors, Navy is bringing home their missing boy. I woke up in the middle of the night and just started writing, said Klug, who feels a connection to her uncle. It didn't take long." A detailed report was provided to family by the Defense Department, outlining how the identification was made. It also included copies of several documents, including Elmer Kerestes' enlistment papers from August 1939, which were signed by his parents. Despite the passage of time, the Pearl Harbor attack still strikes a chord with Americans. It was certainly the number of lives lost all in one spot and such a huge surprise to America, said Bob Kerestes. We thought that we were more isolated and no one could ever touch us. That place holds so much significance, he said. I stopped (at the Pearl Harbor memorial) and I didn't know my uncle was there. LINCOLN A photo prop that will let people pretend to pilot a spaceship will be at The Mill in Lincoln on Tuesday to help celebrate the 88th anniversary of the opening of the iconic restaurant that now serves as a Route 66 museum. The Mill, which re-opened April 29 as a museum, will have extended hours on Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., said Geoff Ladd, the assistant director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. This is a great meet-and-greet, as well as an opportunity to see the impressive museum collection, that includes rare artifacts from The Mill, The Pig Hip Restaurant, The Tropics Restaurant and Illy, the Illico Gas Station robot, said Ladd. We have artifacts going back to opening day in 1929. The "spaceship," the USS 66 EPV Earth Patrol Vehicle, was designed and built by David Bentley, the creator of Lincoln's Railsplitter Covered Wagon, which holds the Guinness World Record as the worlds largest covered wagon and was named as a top roadside attraction by Readers Digest Magazine. Ladd said he worked with Bentley 10 years ago to relocate the wagon from Divernon to Lincoln. Lincoln philanthropist Larry Van Bibber helped raised money to purchase and move the wagon to Lincoln. On July 25, 1929, The Mill officially opened as The Blue Mill. The original owner, Paul Coddington, opened the iconic building, which was white with blue trim, as a sandwich stand. On opening day, the children of the manager dressed up in Dutch outfits and handed out roses to all who visited. Bentley will visit The Mill for the first time Tuesday and will be signing postcards featuring his covered wagon. The public will also be able to meet many of the volunteers who worked on The Mill over the last 11 years, Ladd said. Free water and candy will also be served. SPRINGFIELD Gov. Bruce Rauner called on Monday for a second special legislative session in a month, this time after lawmakers ignored his noon deadline for sending him public education-funding legislation with just weeks before the scheduled opening of schools. Rauner issued the summons for lawmakers to return to the Capitol beginning Wednesday after he held a news conference in Chicago to accuse Democrats who control the General Assembly of holding school children "hostage" to their political agenda. "The Democrats in the majority are playing political games with our children's education," he told reporters, while again promising to change the legislation with an amendatory veto. "They seem to be intent on holding up school funding until August when schools need to open." For weary Illinois taxpayers, it's just the latest flashpoint in an ongoing struggle between the first-term Republican executive and majority legislative Democrats. A special session earlier this this month concluded with Democrats enacting an annual budget fueled by a 32 percent increase in the income tax rate over Rauner vetoes. The budget was the first since 2015, ending the longest such stalemate of any state since at least the Great Depression. It also includes a provision that prohibits the state from issuing state aid to schools unless it's done through an "evidence-based" formula of the type the General Assembly endorsed in May. But threatened with a veto, the Senate never sent Rauner that legislation, prompting the governor's call for special session. At stake is the Illinois State Board of Education's ability to start processing school-aid payments Aug. 1 and for the school bell to ring mid-month. Administrators at many schools say they have reserves or other means of opening, but some question for how long. Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago said in a statement Monday that Rauner is confused about what the legislation does and has given conflicting messages about it. "I'd like to have a conversation with Gov. Rauner in hopes of getting some clarity as to exactly what is going on," Cullerton said in a statement. "We slowed down the process in the Senate in order to let everyone blow off some steam, politically speaking." The legislation would revise the way schools receive state aid for the first time in two decades. The method funnels money to the neediest school districts first after ensuring that no district receives less money than last school year. That includes a $250 million-a-year grant for the financially-troubled Chicago schools for programs funded separately in other districts and a requirement that the state pick up the annual, $215 million employer portion of Chicago teachers' pensions. Rauner contends the $250 million grant was meant to help pay retirement-account costs something Chicago officials and proponents of the plan reject and so the extra money is a "bailout" for past pension-payment shortfalls. Democrats are holding the measure to build pressure, according to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Westchester. "The Democrats want to create and manufacture a school-funding crisis," said Durkin, who appeared with Rauner in Chicago. "I want all schools funded fairly. I want all schools opening on time. We are going to open schools on time. The Democrats cannot stay silent on this issue. Send the bill to the governor." Illinois is one of just seven states that give its governor the power of amendatory veto. It allows a governor to return legislation with "specific recommendations for change." But according to the state Supreme Court, that does not include changing a bill's "fundamental purpose" or making "substantial or expansive" changes. Rauner has vowed to excise the Chicago pension payment from the measure. He produced a list last week that showed an amendatory veto of the legislation, known as SB1, would cut $145 million from Chicago schools and distribute it to other districts across the state. But he has not explained who did the analysis or how the numbers were crunched. He declined, when asked on Monday, to explain what changes he would make with the amendatory veto. "They (Democrats) want to create a crisis and just say, 'There's no discussion, there's no more time, there's nothing to debate. It's over. If schools want to open on time, only SB1 in its current form,'" Rauner said. "That's unfair." Belleville News-Democrat Take a close look at your next paycheck. If you work in Illinois, your employer is officially notified that more money is being deducted from your paycheck and it's going Springfield. Illinois' individual income tax rate is now 4.95 percent, up from 3.75 percent. For a household with an annual income of $100,000, that means a tax jump of $1,200, from $3,750 per year to $4,950 or another $23 a week. If you weren't paying attention to how Illinois got into its mess, maybe this will make you take notice. And we need to pay attention, because even though this tax will give the state another $5 billion annually, big problems remain. For one thing, there's still that $130 billion debt to state employees' pension funds. For another, there's that $15 billion bill backlog. What will happen when there are no paychecks left to tax? (Peoria) Journal Star Illinois schoolchildren, their parents and teachers should not become victims in the crossfire between our Republican governor and Democratic leaders in the Legislature. It may be another one of those "only in Illinois" situations in which partisan politics would trump even school kids, but despite a new budget and a tax increase, funding for K-12 education remains unsettled with weeks to go before the scheduled start of another school year. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 1, a "landmark" school funding reform measure that would direct more money to poorer districts to address the worst education funding disparities in the nation. There was a catch, of course, as Democrats saw to it that no school would get state funding, budget notwithstanding, without the governor's signature on SB1. The governor is threatening an amendatory veto, calling the bill "a bailout for the CPS (Chicago Public Schools) pension system." Both reform bills are measurably better than the status quo, which has one district spending $32,000 per student on the high end and another $4,300 per student on the low side. Both would begin to narrow that gap, though they'll never close it. If legislators do get a shot at an altered bill, we expect them to represent local interests without hesitation. The total hit on taxpayers doesn't change regardless; it's all about how this pot of money, about $5 billion, is to be distributed. From this vantage, whether or not you view this as a Chicago "bailout" bill, its pension problems can be dealt with in a separate piece of legislation. The (Champaign) News-Gazette I really hoped Donald Trump would do the right thing, make the right decision and stay in the Paris Climate Accord. After talking to world leaders and Pope Francis, I thought he might show good judgment and stay in the Paris Accord, along with approximately 200 other countries. But no, after returning back to the U.S. he made his chaotic decision that the U.S. was leaving the Paris Accord. That leaves us, Syria and Nicaragua not part of the agreement. It does not go far enough for Nicaragua, so it isn't in. Enough said about Syria. Saying this was for coal mining jobs is ridiculous. If we're talking jobs, how about 260,000 solar jobs today, compared to about 53,000 coal mining jobs? Why not create more clean energy jobs? You can put in scrubbers, but no amount of scrubbing coal is going to make it clean. This would be like President Coolidge trying to stop the automobile, but help the buggy and saddle jobs. I suggest for more in depth reading: Denis Hayes' article entitled "Trump's Anti-Science Budget" published in The Pantagraph on April 26. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. I also suggest three movies: "Inconvenient Truth" and "Chasing Ice," which depict present day; and the 2013 futuristic movie "Elysium," which is about an overpopulated and ruined Earth. As far as I know, this Earth we have the privilege to inhabit is the only place for us to live. That includes Donald Trump, his children and grandchildren. Allene Gregory, Bloomington Senior Health Fair set for Lincoln LINCOLN State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, and state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, will host a free Senior Health Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Oasis Senior Center, 2810 Woodlawn Road in Lincoln. The fair, which is free and open to the public, will feature health screenings, testing and a variety of vendors with information about programs that benefit seniors. Refreshments, giveaways and free informational legislative brochures also will be available. The Logan County Health Department will assist with medication disposal. Program to teach kids to manage asthma BLOOMINGTON The McLean County Health Department is conducting a program this week to help youths understand asthma and to help children with asthma gain greater control over the disease. The four-part Kickin' Asthma program, created by the American Lung Association, is being presented for 45 each minutes each day at the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal. The program, which began Monday and concludes Thursday, is for youths ages 11 through 16 and their families and focuses on asthma self-management. Organizations and schools interested in the program may contact Katie McHugh at 309-888-5954 or at katie.mchugh@mcleancountyil.gov. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions On July 19, Patently Apple reported that Apple had joined their four key iPhone assemblers in a new lawsuit against Qualcomm. On July 30, a tech lobbying group representing Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook filed comments with the ITC against Qualcomm. They argued that barring Apple from importing foreign-assembled iPhones that use Intel Corp chips - as Qualcomm has requested - would cause "significant shocks to supply" for phones and would hurt consumers. On July 21 Intel independently filed a formal statement with the ITC claiming that Qualcomm was acting monopolistic by trying to lock them out of business with Apple. Qualcomm struck back at Apple on July 21 by filing another lawsuit against Apple in Munich. With the top companies aligned against Qualcomm and after being sued by the FTC for being monopolistic and losing their case in South Korea and forced to pay $865 million in an antitrust case that claimed they were charging excessive licensing fees, you'd think that Qualcomm would figure a way to resolve their issues with the entire industry. Instead, Qualcomm fired back in a new filing yesterday accusing its many critics of waging a "coordinated effort aimed at misdirecting" trade regulators. In its filing on Monday, Qualcomm argued that its import ban is not actually about Intel's chips, but instead concerns the patented technology that surrounds the Intel chips in current versions of the iPhone. Thus a ban on importing the phones would not hurt competition in the long term, Qualcomm argued. "Apple can purchase and utilize any LTE modem it chooses so long as it does not infringe Qualcomm's asserted patents," the company wrote. The Reuters report further noted that "Qualcomm also said many other companies - including MediaTek, Samsung, Marvell Technology Group, Leadcore, Spreadtrum, and HiSilicon - also make modem chips and could supply the smartphone industry. Asked for comment, Apple reiterated its previous stance on Qualcomm's business model, saying that Qualcomm supplies Apple "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." With the global tech community against Qualcomm, their CEO pretends as if nothing is new, nothing is wrong and that they'll resolve it out of court some day. In reality, they stand alone against the courts, trade commissions and major customers. It's delusional to continue this charade. Perhaps Qualcomm's board will decide to fire Steve Mollenkopf so as to not damage the company's reputation any further. Their quarterly proft fell 40% on July 19 and will continue to fall by not resolving this quickly. How long will it take before shareholders demand the board act responsibly and deal with this matter instead of dragging it out in the courts, smacking it out in the press and having their stock fall any further? About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. No outright denial from Iran on Omani mediation with United States 07/25/17 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - Iran neither rejected nor confirmed on Monday that Oman had acted as a go-between to pass messages between Tehran and Washington while highlighting "ongoing consultation" with the Arab sultanate. "There is ongoing consultation (between the two countries) and the visit of Oman's foreign minister to Tehran was part of bilateral and regional affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told a press conference in Tehran on Monday. Qassemi was replying to a question from The Tehran Times on if the Friday sit-down between U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi in Washington had got anything to do with Alawi's visit to Tehran on July 12. One week after the Iran visit, U.S. President Trump spoke with Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id Al Sa'id of Oman, discussing "ways to resolve regional conflicts" and "the need to counter Iran's destabilizing activities in the region," according to a White House statement. The Trump administration cozying up to Muscat indicates the recognition of Oman's historical role in facilitating talks with Iran. Oman has traditionally resisted Persian Gulf Arab states' bid to close ranks against Iran. It helped to mediate secret U.S.-Iran talks in 2013 that led to the historic nuclear deal signed two years later. Tehran shipped its surplus low-enriched uranium, as limited by the nuclear accord, to Oman early 2017 for later sale to a foreign buyer. Ever since inauguration as president, Trump has taken a hostile stance on Iran, and urged regional countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to "work together to isolate Iran" as he was visiting Saudi Arabia in May. The administration also has spoken of a regime change in Iran, what Tehran followed up with a letter to the United Nations as "a brazen interventionist plan" that flies in the face of international law. In a most recent development, Trump and his administration warned Iran in a statement on Friday to release and return what they called "unjustly detained" American citizens, otherwise, it should brace itself for "new and serious consequences". Mediation between Tehran and Washington is more imperative than ever as there are concerns the two sides are back to a brinkmanship policy which runs the risk of direct confrontation. In a recent op-ed, The New York Times wrote outright threats and actions - from President Trump and some of his top aides as well as Sunni Arab leaders and American hawks - is raising tensions that could lead to armed conflict with Iran, urging dialogue between the sides. Iran has implicitly embraced a communication platform with Washington. In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations last week, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that the nuclear deal "can lay the foundation, not the ceiling." A happy piece of news in mid-July was a measure by the U.S. House of Representatives which requires the Pentagon to consider options for negotiating an Incidents at Sea Agreement with Iran and other countries operating in the Persian Gulf. The communication hotline is expected to soothe concerns over the escalation of sea incidents in the Persian Gulf into direct military engagement between Iranian and U.S. naval forces. Microsofts HoloLens may have largely faded from public view, but that doesnt mean that Microsofts halted development on it. On Sunday, Microsoft researchers disclosed that HoloLens development is moving ahead, with a new chip that emphasizes machine learning. Specifically, Microsoft said the next generation of its Holographic Processing Unit, or HPU, will support Deep Neural Network processing, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, or AI. The AI in question isnt necessarily Cortana, but simply the way that the HoloLens recognizes the real world. Harry Shum, executive vice president of the Artificial Intelligence and Research Group, recently showed off the second version of the HPU. The chip, designed by Microsoft, will be totally programmable, the company said. Microsofts HPU is one of the signature features of the HoloLens, responsible for procesing all the information coming from the devices sensors, including the movement-tracking sensor, the time-of-flight sensor, the inertial measurement unit, and the infrared camera. Another key aspect is that its totally self-contained. Because the HoloLens is untethered, it cant depend on a PC for its processing power. The HPU is its brains. What this new HPU will actually recognize is not quite clear. Microsofts current HPUand by extension, HoloLensdoes a nice job of recognizing surfaces and edges and projecting virtual objects on top of them. Whether Microsoft can begin to interpret what those real-world objects are remains to be seen. Why this matters: We still dont know whether HoloLens ever make it into the mass market, or remain a sort of semi-shadowy tech for specialized businesses. Microsoft hasnt said when the next-generation HPU will ship, nor whether entirely new HoloLens will be built around it. What does seem to be happening, though, is that companies are beginning to rethink augmented reality. Google basically buried Google Glass for several years, then recently resurfaced it as a business toolthe same market Microsoft originally targeted with the HoloLens, incidentally. Adobe Flash, one of the most controversial elements of the web, will be phased out by 2020, Adobe said Tuesday. Browser makers, including Microsoft and Google, simultaneously announced plans for a gradual phaseout over the next few years. Adobe said that enough progress had been made within open web standards like HTML5 that it was time to phase out Flash. Adobe and Macromedia provided innovation to the web, through browser plug-ins, before the underlying web standards could support the interactivity and creativity our digital media publishers and consumers craved, the company said in a blog post. By the end of 2020, we firmly believe that all of these required media capabilities and standards will be widely deployed and natively available to customers within browsers. Specifically, Adobe Flash Player will be end-of-lifed by 2020, the company said, meaning that it simply wont work. That will have dramatic effects on sites like Newgrounds, which evolved into a repository for Flash-authored (and HTML5) content. Facebook also addressed the issue of Flash-based games running on its site; while those games will work until 2020, the company urged developers to shift to HTML5 as soon as possible. For many, though, Flash was simply seen at least as a nuisance, and at worst a serious security risk. Flash-based exploits have circulated for years, in a game of cat-and-mouse between hackers and Adobe itself. Apples Steve Jobs famously banned Flash from the iPhone, claiming that Flash hurt battery life and also was a security risk. In 2015, for example, hackers jumped on a Flash exploit as an opportunity to infect computers with malware. In response, Mozillas Firefox blocked Flash by default until Adobe issued a patch. Security issues aside, PCWorld also found that Flash slowed down browsers by as much as 80 percent. Over time, browser makers either began blocking Flash by default or at least asking users to enable it, a feature known as click-to-run. Today, sites need to ask your permission to run Flash within Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. (Edge remembers your choice for future visits.) Browser makers act fast In a blog post, Microsoft laid out its timeline for phasing out Flash support from Edge: Through the end of 2017 and into 2018, Microsoft Edge will continue to ask users for permission to run Flash on most sites the first time the site is visited, and will remember the users preference on subsequent visits. Internet Explorer will continue to allow Flash with no special permissions required during this time. In mid to late 2018, Microsoft will update Microsoft Edge to require permission for Flash to be run each session. Internet Explorer will continue to allow Flash for all sites in 2018. In mid to late 2019, Microsoft will disable Flash by default in both Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. Users will be able to re-enable Flash in both browsers. When re-enabled, Microsoft Edge will continue to require approval for Flash on a site-by-site basis. By the end of 2020, Microsoft will remove the ability to run Adobe Flash in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer across all supported versions of Microsoft Windows. Users will no longer have any ability to enable or run Flash. Google said that it will quietly phase out Flash as well, though the process will go on quietly behind the scenes. If the site migrates to open web standards, you shouldnt notice much difference except that youll no longer see prompts to run Flash on that site, Google said in a blog post by Anthony Laforge, a product manager with Google Chrome. If the site continues to use Flash, and you give the site permission to run Flash, it will work through the end of 2020. What this means for you: Little, if anything. Browser makers are bending over backwards to ensure that your browser encounters as little Flash as possible before its phased out in 2020. Flash had its day, but its time has come. Updated on August 28 to correct an editing error that accidentally truncated one sentence. The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) is demanding that all the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC) step aside for investigations to be conducted into the allegations and counter-allegations between the Chairperson Mrs. Charlotte Osei and her deputies, Georgina Opoku Amankwa and Amadu Sulley. Mrs. Osei is being accused for single-handedly dishing out contracts without recourse to the Public Procurement Act by some unidentified staff of the commission. She is also accused of providing an estimate of one million Ghana cedis for the renovation of her house. Mrs. Osei in her response accused her deputies of gross insubordination, corruption and arrogance. In a statement, the PPP stated that all the Commissioners must willingly offer to step aside to prepare the grounds for a Commission Of Enquiry to be set up to investigate the allegations and to put the troubling matters to rest According to the PPP, the issues raised in the allegations are serious enough to merit further interrogation. For instances the allegations of unilateral decisions taken by Commissioners in matters involving the future lives of fellow Ghanaians without recourse to the larger Commission is dangerous. As also matters of financial malfeasance against the public purse by Commissioners cannot surely be overlooked. Below is the full statement by PPP EC COMMISSIONERS MUST STEP ASIDE FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION The Progressive Peoples Party has monitored with dismay the current allegations and counter allegations by the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Ghana and find this very worrying. We therefore advise that all the Commissioners must willingly offer to step aside to prepare the grounds for a Commission Of Enquiry to be set up to investigate the allegations and to put the troubling matters to rest. Such a Commission should also be in a position to advise the next steps. The Electoral Commission is one of the most sensitive institutions in the country and we cannot therefore allow these allegations to fester unduly. The potential for these to disturb the peace which we are currently enjoying in this country is immense. We believe the issues raised in the allegations are serious enough to merit further interrogation. For instances the allegations of unilateral decisions taken by Commissioners in matters involving the future lives of fellow Ghanaians without recourse to the larger Commission is dangerous. As also matters of financial malfeasance against the public purse by Commissioners cannot surely be overlooked. The Commissioners should therefore voluntarily step aside or be compelled to step aside in order to begin the process to clean up the quagmire which has apparently now engulfed the Institution charged with the responsibility for ensuring the peaceful transitions and dynamics of our chosen governance systems. We urge and encourage the President to take due cognizance of what the Constitution allows in these matters (relating to such petitions) and to apply it without fear or favour. No citizen is above the law. Any half-hearted efforts by President Akuffo Addo perceived as meant to delay the constitutional course as laid down, will send unwanted signals to the chagrin of law abiding Ghanaians, who feel let down by the rot in which the EC Commissioners themselves have told us they now wallow in. We further implore Ghanaians to resist the attempt by the NPP and NDC to politicize this matter. We need to ensure probity and accountability in our public institutions. The allegations as witnessed by all are not emanating from either the NDC or NPP; but by the workers of the commission and the commissioners themselves. We cannot therefore afford to trivialize these matters on the altar political victimization. Murtala Mohammed (PPP, National Secretary) Source: StarrFmonline 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 Geekologie has shut down. Thank you to everybody. Now go be happy. A former Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, is threatening to mobilize thousands of women on the streets in defense of Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei if the politically motivated attempt to remove her from office is carried through. According to the former Tano South lawmaker, attacks on the first female head of the Ghana's election management body is a direct attack on all women in Ghana, adding "Ghanaian women are battle ready to stand by her to fight her detractors". She explained that events leading to the petitioning of President Akufo Addo by some unnamed staff of the EC "clearly show that this attempt to impeach Charlotte is an NPP pet project." "The petition itself exposes those behind this plot. This latest attempt to chase out Charlotte is an extension of the NPP's fruitless attempt to block her appointment using the court. You recall when she was first appointed, the NPP said she is NDC . . . she was appointed by John Mahama to rig the election for NDC. They said all these disgusting things about her, we, the women of Ghana kept quiet and left her alone to fight her battle but this time round we are not going to allow the NPP to get away with their devious plot," the former Deputy Minister told newsmen. She added "recently Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and OB Amoah alleged that Charlotte Osei was having problem with her deputies and some of the staff...then few weeks later some unnamed staff of the EC put together a petition stating among other things, the same things Hon. Osei Mensah Bonsu and OB Amoah said as basis for which Charlotte should be removed from office. The NPP might have had their way in the past, but this time it will not work, Ghanaian women are battle ready for them. Dr. Bissiw stated that she is disappointed in President Akufo-Addo who only recently received award for championing gender equality from the African Union but "is superintending over a government and party bent on harassing Madam Charlotte Osei and getting her out of office". While admitting that nobody can impede the constitutional process laid down in Article 146, the former MP said there are other legitimate ways of kicking against what "you abhor and one of them is demonstration". I will lead a demonstration of Ghanaian women if the frivolous petition is giving a hearing, she said. "When the women of this country hit the streets in their numbers in support of their colleague who is bearing the brunt of NPP's vindictiveness, we shall see if President Akufo Addo and NPP can stand it, let alone go ahead with their plans to remove her". She wrote on her facebook wall our eyes and ears are wide opened. If the NPPs think because they are in power Ghana must be turned upside down, then they are in for a big surprise! When she was appointed, there came the stupid and disrespectful allegation from the NPP, that, her position was in exchange for sexual favors. When some of us spoke against it, women who are today in high offices, opened their gutters to tongue lash us, only for Kennedy Agyapong to come back to apologize to the Lady. This able and capable woman successfully chaired the commission for a successful 2016 elections. The NPP today, is in office and they want to use gutter politics, in an attempt to remove Mrs Charlotte Osei from office. If they want to taste their own Ungovernable State soup, as they were always taunting when they were in opposition, they should try it, if they think they can always have their evil ways. We are sick and tired of the whims and caprices of the Nauseous Problematic People (NPP). Ghana belongs to all of us. "They should concentrate on attempting to deliver their dreamland promises that can only be fulfilled in their dreams, at best. We are watching. Source: The Al-Hajj 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 The Miss Ghana Foundation in collaboration with UNAIDs Ghanas Protect The Goal Project commenced its annual Youth Mentorship Program on feminine hygiene, Ebola awareness and wellness at selected Senior High Schools across the country. Some of the schools that were engaged in the program were St. Peters Anglican Senior High School, Nungua, Preset Pacesetters Senior High School, Accra, Osu Salem High School, Accra and Don Bosco Technical Institute, Tema, amongst other Senior High Schools in the region. The team, led by the Chairperson of the Miss Ghana Foundation and the CEO of EEGL (organizers of the Miss Ghana Pageant), Ms. Inna M. Patty, stated the need to empower our youth with knowledge to help them make informed and significant decisions about their health and well-being. This, she believes, is a significant tool in liberating Ghana from poverty, ignorance and disease, thereby increasing development and productivity in our dear Nation. Afua Asieduaa Akrofi, Miss Ghana Ambassador, also emphasized on the need for our youth to pledge to Protect the Goal a project geared at the need for our youth to abstain from sex or if sexually active, to practice safe sex. For the Senior High schools visited, Ms. Akrofi encouraged them to abstain and focus on their studies. She also encouraged them to know their HIV status by getting tested, maintain one sexual partner and practice safe sex by always using a condom. A pharmacist from Tobinco Pharmaceuticals talked about La Wash Intimate Hygiene and the necessity of using feminine products to keep our intimate areas clean especially as women. As part of the feminine hygiene campaign, free Lawash Intimate Hygiene products were distributed to the female students Talks on Ebola, a deadly disease that has no cure was also a subject for our youth so they can better protect themselves and thereby mitigate easy transmission. At the end of the event, thousands of students pledged to Protect the Goal by signing the pledge book. The Miss Ghana Foundation Youth Mentorship Program is supported by the French Embassy Ghana, UNAIDs Ghana, Ecobank Development Corporation, Special Ice Mineral Water and Hottees 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. Featured Video The outrage that followed the Supreme Courts decision in Citizens United focused national attention on a problem that has long preceded that unfortunate ruling: the influence of money on democratic deliberation. Even if we ignore the armies of lobbyists and the corrupting influence of big money campaign donations in Washington and our state capitals, anyone who is at all familiar with the way in which policy is made understands that our elected representatives respond to the constituents from whom they hear, and those constituents are highly unlikely to be poor people. People who are struggling to make ends meet rarely have time or energy to visit legislative bodies, testify in hearings or participate in grass-roots lobbying efforts. And it goes without saying that they are not numbered among the donors to legislative campaigns. As a result, even the most conscientious lawmakers (and they do exist) simply do not hear the voices and perspectives of working class Americans. Seattle has recently embarked upon an effort to change that dynamic, at least to a degree. If money amplifies the voices of wealthy Americans in politics, Seattle is trying something that aims to give low-income and middle-class voters a signal boost. The citys new Democracy Voucher program, the first of its kind in the US, provides every eligible Seattle resident with $100 in taxpayer-funded vouchers to donate to the candidates of their choice. The goal is to incentivize candidates to take heed of a broad range of residents homeless people, minimum-wage workers, seniors on fixed incomes as well as the big-dollar donors who often dictate the political conversation. This Augusts primary is the trial run for the program. But before Seattle can crow about having re-enfranchised long-overlooked voters, it must contend with conservative opposition. A Libertarian law firm has sued the city to stop the program, alleging that democracy vouchers violate the first amendment rights of homeowners because their taxes are funding vouchers that will be contributed to candidates they oppose. That case is pending, but constitutional lawyers consider its prospects dubious. The program opponents appear to be in the minority; the voucher program and its funding mechanism (a 10-year, $30m property tax levy) were approved by voters in a ballot measure in November 2015. All registered voters are sent the vouchers automatically. Residents who are not registered or who lack a permanent address such as homeless people can apply by mail or in person. Seattles proposal joins other efforts that have emerged in the wake of the Obama and Sanders campaigns, both of which demonstrated that significant funds could be raised through appeals to small donorsno one of whom, presumably, would have the same ability to influence policy as individuals contributing large sums. Last fall, South Dakota voters approved a program similar to Seattles, joining more than a dozen other states with some form of public financing, usually a matching fund for small campaign donations. Cities such as Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California, also followed the public-financing trend last year. Democracy Vouchers are unlikely to make much of a dent in current levels of inequality of political influence, but the effort is encouraging. It represents an acknowledgment of the disparity in political influence between the rich and the rest, and to the extent it encourages candidates to focus fundraising strategies on vouchers/small donors, it should add a (currently absent) perspective to the political conversation. [Originally published at SheilaKennedy.net on July 24, 2017] Peacock Panache readers: Sheila Kennedy is a former high school English teacher, former lawyer, former Republican, former Executive Director of Indianas ACLU, former columnist for the Indianapolis Star, and former young person. She is currently an (increasingly cranky) old person, a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis, and Director of IUPUIs Center for Civic Literacy. She writes for the Indianapolis Business Journal, PA Times, and the Indiana Word, and blogs at www.sheilakennedy.net. For those who are interested in more detail, links to an abbreviated CV and academic publications can be found on her blog, along with links to her books.. Like this: Like Loading... Related We hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you would like to support our ongoing work, please consider buying us a cup of coffee. It's not much, but we don't do this for the money. We do, however, need caffeine to keep going some days!If you do donate, send us a message through our Contact Us page or via social media so we can thank you! There is no moment while traveling so pure, so fragile, as the trip between airport and hotel: youre either intoxicated on the possibilities of unfurling trip, or so goddamn tired that quietly slinking into the passenger seat of a late-model Camry is your sole purpose in life. What we mean to say is that airport-to-hotel taxi rides shouldnt require passengers to commandeer the vehicle, especially after the cabs driver has passed out not once, but twice. Thats what one unlucky Queenslander was subjected to last night, after touching down at Melbourne Airport. The 43-year-old hailed a cab to his Southbank hotel, only for the 24-year-old driver to lose consciousness on the Tullamarine Freeway, smacking into a series of concrete bollards in the process. The driver asserted he was okay and presumably after minimal damage to the vehicle and the pair continued. For a little while. After the driver passed out a second time, inadvertently pointing the vehicle towards another concrete barrier in the process, the driver was forced to pull the handbrake. Instead of risking it with a clearly struggling driver, the guy volunteered to just drive the cab himself. Placing the cabbie in the passengers seat, he proceeded without incident to his City Road digs. Upon arrival around 10pm, he called the cops. As you would. Victoria Police say the driver is expected to be charged on summons with a slew of offences related to the incident. On top of the obvious traffic mayhem he would have caused, and the potential loss of life, wed like to add serious harshing of travel vibes to the list of offences. Source: The Herald Sun / Victoria Police. Photo: The Fifth Element. In a huge win for its two remaining residents, lovers of Brutalist architecture, and anyone interested in slowing the Liberal governments plans to make the entire Sydney foreshore into a high-rise metropolis, the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales today ruled in favour of temporarily saving the Sirius Building from demolition. We won!!! More to come. Save Our Sirius (@saveoursirius) July 25, 2017 The court requires NSW Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton to remake the decision of her predecessor NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman to not heritage list the iconic LEGO building, built as social housing in the late 1970s, despite the recommendation of the NSW Heritage Council in 2016. The court ruled that the rejection of the Councils recommendation because of undue financial hardship was invalid, and thus of no legal effect. Speakman said that while the building may have debatable aesthetic and historical significance, its listing would diminish its sale value by about $70 million. The Lib gov decided to demolish the landmark building in 2015, intending to replace it with 250 high-rise luxury apartments. Since then theyve successfully booted out most tenants of the 79-apartment block except for 90-year-old Myra Demetriou and Cherie Johnson, who has lived there for 36 years. The gov said theyd use the money made to create 240 new housing commission homes presumably just nowhere near their new high-flyer casino in Barangaroo. But concerns were raised about the govs plans, with architects including Save Our Sirius Foundations Shaun Carter saying that the redevelopment would affect views of the Sydney Opera House, and encroach on the Rocks low-rise heritage, including wharves, sandstone buildings and Victorian terraces. The challenge to the Ministers decision was brought before the Land and Environment Court by lawyers for the Environmental Defenders Office on behalf of the Millers Point Community Association. The action had support from Labor, the Greens and Sydneys Lord Mayor, Clover Moore. The community raised $50K to take the case to court through a crowdfunding effort, although the NSW gov are required by the ruling to pay the Community Associations costs. In the wake of the decision, Demetriou said: This is the beginning of things, I dont think its the end of things. Carter is cautiously optimistic: Sirius has been temporarily saved, he said. This judgment effectively stops the gutting of the Heritage Act which the Minister sought to do. What a win for the remaining residents of Sirius and the local community who fundraised to challenge this decision in the courts! pic.twitter.com/p6QhFMGNsi Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) July 25, 2017 For Art Month in March, Carter and Sirius architect, Tao Gofers, ran tours, highlighting its architecture, function and importance to Sydneys cultural, political and social history. We had a stickybeak earlier this year: Source: ABC. Photo: Flickr / Colton Whelpton. Look, regardless of your take on Donald Trump, there is no question of the fact that his weird stream-of-consciousness way of talking unquestionably makes him one of the funniest presidents in living memory. Ronald Reagan may have had his array of Soviet jokes, but Trumps utterly demented surreal asides ultimately win. Such was the case in Trumps address today to the Boy Scout Jamboree i.e. a massive collection of children where he waxed poetic about a rich friend of his who used to have orgies on his yacht. No, seriously. Referring to his mate William Levitt, he suggested to a whole bunch of 12-year-olds that the insanely wealthy developer probably used his superyacht for sex. Trump as he considers telling a bawdy anecdote to 12-year-olds: Ah, you Boy Scouts. You know life, you know life pic.twitter.com/7cOh2uhRQr Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) July 24, 2017 [My friend] sold his company for a tremendous amount of money, Trump told the children. And he went out and bought a big yacht. And he had a veryinteresting life. (He emphasises the word interesting very heavily there, by the way.) I wont go into any more than that cause youre Boy Scouts, Trump continues. So Im not going to tell you what he did. Hint for those reading along at home: Trump means that Levitt fucked on that boat. He fucked heaps. Thats what Trump means, just in case you didnt quite get it. He also used his address at the Boy Scouts to talk about health care reform a topic on which 12 year olds are well versed and also getting the Scouts to boo Obama. Because obviously. Ah, good. Source: Twitter. The end goal of burger evolution is to have em injected directly into our veins, and friends, were now one step closer to that noble goal. For one day only, the brains behind Melbourne burger royalty Jimmys Burgers and Easeys will be releasing cheeseburger soup through Deliveroo. Legitimately. Jimmy Hurlston is teaming up with The Salvation Army and Deliveroo to deliver the liquefied goodness to punters in the Melbourne area, all in the name of raising funds for the Salvos community campaigns. The madman says we wanted to create an authentic cheeseburger taste and experimented with a french onion soup base packed with rich ground beef, Frenchys yellow mustard, pickles and cheese. Pictures of the creation definitely seem to back up his claims about the cheese. 100% of the soups purchase price will be donated to the Salvos as part of their ongoing Be A Souperhero campaign, which is also encouraging Aussies to replace their regularly-scheduled meals with soup and donate the proceeds. If youve absolutely had it with the antiquated notion of chewing, youll be able to score the soup exclusively on Deliveroo on Monday July 31, between the hours of 11.30am 2.30pm and 6pm and 8.30pm. Source: Salvation Army. Photo: Supplied. Truly there is no greater story in Hollywood than RESHOOT DRAMA. Seems every blockbuster these days is forced to go through late-game, extensive reshoots which dont exactly inspire confidence in the final product. (For the record, its not always a bad thing there were numerous reports of a punishing reshoot schedule for Rogue One and that movie ended up kicking ass.) The fresh new yarn comes via Variety, who are reporting on the big dramas on the Justice League production. Warner Bros is spending approximately $25 million on reshoots for the blockbuster superhero movie, which is far more than one might expect. Of course, there was always going to be a bit of reshuffling after Joss Whedon came on to replace Zack Snyder, who left the production after the death of his daughter. But it looks like a big gig. Though there are a lot of dramas, one in particular stands out Henry Cavill, who plays Clark Kent / Superman has a moustache now. Not because hes just generally keen on facial fungus, but because he needs one for his role in the new Mission Impossible movie. As per Variety: Justice Leagues Man of Steel had expected to be able to finish shooting the sixth Mission: Impossible film before needing to don Supermans spandex again. That has not been the case, however, as the new scenes that are being shot have required him to jump back and forth from each production. Because of this, a moustache he grew for his character in the Mission: Impossible sequel will have to be digitally removed in post-production. Paramount, which is distributing the Mission: Impossible sequel, would not allow Cavill to shave the facial hair while production was taking place. Please, pray for the nerd who has been tasked with digitally painting Cavills furry lip hair out of every frame. It is definitely sad that were missing out on the opportunity to see this, though: Superman should show up in #JusticeLeague with this mustache, go up to #WonderWoman and be like Ooooo, Im Ares! pic.twitter.com/UuYGksfPA3 John Orquiola (@BackoftheHead) July 24, 2017 For a reference point, this is the mo that would otherwise be nestled below Cavills nose while hes donning Supermans tights. Ah, what could have been. Source: Variety. Photo: Man of Steel. Uhhhh, we dont mean to alarm you, but the unofficial cult of Justin Bieber may soon be an actual church. Earlier today, it was announced that Bieber was unexpectedly cancelling the rest of his Purpose world tour thanks to unforeseen circumstances, and inside sources apparently reckon its because he wants to start his own church. Hillsong, whats good. Love these guys @chadcveach @richwilkerson @carllentz A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Jul 6, 2017 at 4:27am PDT The scoop comes via none other than Channel 9s Richard Wilkins, who dropped the bombshell on Today Extra. I am led to believe that the real reason hes come off the road is because he wants to reconnect with his faith and maybe even planning to start his own church, he said. Whether hes looking at teaming up with them [Hillsong] or starting his own church, were not quite sure. Thats the word from an inside source. I would pay so much money to be in the brainstorming meeting while Bieber nuts out the details of his new church. Of course, this could all be a ruse, and he could actually be moving to Australia permanently to attend Hillsong daily in-between shirtless walks around Bondi Beach. And then theres another explanation offered up by none other than John Mayer, who is a strange person to say the least but does have the perspective of being an actual, touring artist. When someone pulls remaining dates of a tour, it means they would have done real damage to themselves if they kept going. 1/2 John Mayer (@JohnMayer) July 24, 2017 Weve lost so many great artists lately. I give Justin ???????? for realizing it was time to call it. You should too. 2/2 John Mayer (@JohnMayer) July 24, 2017 God I hope its the first one. Photo: Chelsea Lauren / Getty. A man who peed on a woman at a Spiderbait gig in Melbourne early last year has been sentenced today, charged with disorderly conduct and behaving in an offensive manner. An unlawful assault charge was dropped. 26-year-old Joel Morrison was found to have urinated on 33-year-old Belle Nolan at 170 Russell in February 2016, during a gig celebrating the bands 25th anniversary. Hes been put on a 12-month good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $800 to charity. Back in April this year, appearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Morrison denied he had a slash on Nolan, despite the CCTV footage that clearly shows him being ejected from the venue after the incident. The footage was released in August last year in an attempt to find the man responsible. Morrison ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges, apparently hoping to be put on the Courts diversion program where first-time offenders do not cop a criminal record. Magistrate Franz Holzer was not having a bar of that, refusing the defences application for the program, saying: The matters are frankly disgusting. The last thing [Nolan] would have expected is for the matter we are talking about. It is vile. Its horrible and degrading and deserves the strongest condemnation. Nolan herself was in favour of the defendant being spared a criminal record, so long as he apologised and completed a course on changing behaviour, neither of which happened. He has however apparently moderated his drinking. She said: I didnt like the way it made me feel about myself. Ive always been a strong, independent woman but I found that after this happened it lowered my self-esteem. Ive been quite traumatised by it. On the evening in question Morrison drank ten tinnies, before whizzing on Nolan at about 10.35pm near the stage. Feeling liquid on her leg, she turned around and saw Morrison smirking and doing up his fly. She screamed, and her friend notified security, who immediately escorted Morrison out of the premises. Morrisons defence maintains that he does not remember what he did, and drew attention to the fact that he has since been publicly shamed for his actions. The band responded fiercely to the allegations on Facebook last year, saying they were appalled at this awful and disgusting behaviour and describing Morrison as an offensive, urinating fuckstick. Pro tip: Dont pee on people without their enthusiastic consent. Definitely dont piss on people at gigs. Source: The Age. Photo: Channel 10. UPDATE: The teen mom and her baby have been found safe, police say. A teen mom with a history of running away from home and her baby have been missing three weeks -- and police are stepping up their search for the pair. Lamaya Green, 16, and her 2-month-old daughter Amiliana Green were last seen on July 4 in Philadelphia. Now, Philadelphia police are asking for the public's help in finding the missing mom and baby. According to NBC-10 in Philly, the missing pair were last seen along the 5300 block of Ridge Avenue in the Wissahickon section of Philadelphia. From NBC-10: Lamaya is described as 5 foot, 1 inch tall and 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and straight brown ear-length hair. She was wearing a scarf, pink top and blue pants when she disappeared. The teen mom also has a history of being a runaway, NBC-10 notes, quoting police. Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia's Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353/ 3354. YouTube unveiled its latest weapon in its effort to combat terrorist propaganda on its site: redirection. Users who search for such content will now be directed to videos that show victims of terrorism and clerics refuting violent religious narratives. Social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google have been rushing to respond to the wave of hate speech and terrorist propaganda flooding their platforms where it can be accessed by people with a penchant for violent behavior. "When people search for certain keywords on YouTube, we will display a playlist of videos debunking violent extremist recruiting narratives," YouTube announced in a blog post last week explaining the new system. "This early product integration of the Redirect Method on YouTube is our latest effort to provide more resources and more content that can help change minds of people at risk of being radicalized." YouTube, which is owned by Google's parent company, already prohibits users from uploading videos that include violent or racist content -- such as Jihadi and white supremacist propaganda -- but users circumvent the video sharing site's rules by overwhelming the site with hundreds of links. Propaganda videos are also uploaded as "unlisted," which means that the videos are hidden from searches, but easily posted on social media or disseminated with direct links to the video. Major companies, such as AT&T, Verizon and Johnson & Johnson, pulled advertising from YouTube in March as a long-standing dispute about the site's approach to policing offensive videos boiled over, according to Adweek. But some digital privacy experts raised questions about the new effort by YouTube and the growing role tech companies are playing in determining what users see on the Internet. Jeffrey Chester -- Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy -- said the Redirection Effort might be an effective tool for combating propaganda, but he's concerned about the role advertisers may have played getting the system implemented. "The advertisers took advantage of this controversy over hate speech to assert their interests over how Google and Facebook operate," Chester said. "Independent sites -- sites that fund the controversial ideas -- know that there's a slippery slope here. "The danger here is that Google and Facebook are making decisions about how the future of the digital media system operates without public oversight and accountability," he added. The Redirect Method was developed by Jigsaw, a company owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, to target Isis-focused videos in particular, according to YouTube. Jigsaw says the method was developed with research partners who interviewed ISIS defectors and explored the major narratives that the group promoted for recruitment. Those narratives include ideas like ISIS is an unstoppable military force, one that has been legitimized by Islamic faith and that leads to effective government rule that improves people's livelihood. Along the way, Jigsaw says, researchers discovered that effectively undermining ISIS propaganda does not always mean overtly attacking the group. "We found an abundance of videos to support our project and our focus of the research was on seeking out videos that appeared to be neutral in intention -- including documentaries or citizen journalist footage that portray the world as the creators found it, rather than materials that appear specifically designed to counter ISIS," Jigsaw writes. An example, Jigsaw offers, is a video of a bold elderly woman belittling ISIS fighters and telling them to "return to the way of God." The video has racked up nearly 600,000 views. Another example of a video someone might be redirected to is an interview with a captured ISIS fighter discussing the perils of life as a terrorist and how the group betrayed him. "ISIS pays $100 as a monthly salary, for example, and I used to spend five times that amount," he explains. In its blog post, YouTube said that as the company implements the Redirect Method users can expect to see other changes as well: - Expanding the new YouTube product functionality to a wider set of search queries in other languages beyond English. - Using machine learning to dynamically update the search query terms. - Working with expert NGOs on developing new video content designed to counter violent extremist messaging at different parts of the radicalization funnel. - Collaborating with Jigsaw to expand the "Redirect Method" in Europe. "As we develop this model of the Redirect Method on YouTube, we'll measure success by how much this content is engaged," YouTube added. "Stay tuned for more." (c) 2017, The Washington Post. Peter Holley wrote this story. State police in Lebanon County have charged three juveniles with in connection to a burglary earlier this month. The unidentified children are accused of burgling a home between 4 and 6 a.m. July 15 on the 500 block of Houtztown Road in Jackson Township. All three children confessed to the burglary, state police said. State police said one child served as a lookout while the other two juveniles entered the home and stole a small safe containing prescription medications, including morphine and hydrocodone. The other child who entered the home stole a large amount of change before the trio fled the scene. Two of the juveniles confessed to selling the stolen pills. One of the children also confessed to pointing an AK-47 replica out of a window to scare another child. The replica firearm was seized for evidence, police said. Two of the children were charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, and theft. The third child was charged with burglary, criminal trespassing and theft. The child who confessed to pointing the replica gun at another child was also charged with making terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment. A public hearing scheduled for this Thursday to get public input on a rate increase request filed by the Pennsylvania-American Water Company will now take place in New Cumberland. The Public Utility Commission announced today that the hearing will be held Thursday at the New Cumberland Fire Department at 6 p.m. It was originally sited for Camp Hill. Thursday's hearing will be one of nine the commission is holding on the rate request. The request would bring the average residential customer who uses 3,630 gallons of water a month a rate increase of about $9.50 a month. When the White House sought to highlight products made in America last week, President Donald Trump didn't have to look farther than Harrisburg. The Trump administration invited officials from the Ames Company in Harrisburg to represent the state of Pennsylvania at as part of its "Made in America" week of events. One company from each state was selected. The wheelbarrows manufactured by Ames were featured among 50 homegrown products at the event. Bob Novak and Jake Haas represent Ames, and the state of Pennsylvania, at the White House. Other products included soup from New Jersey, crab pots from Maryland, brooms from Indiana, door hinges from Missouri, and neon signs from Colorado. At the showcase event last week, President Trump climbed into a Pierce fire truck made in Wisconsin and donned a Stetson cowboy hat made in Texas as he promised to protect American workers. "I want to make a pledge to each and every one of you: No longer are we going to allow other countries to break the rules, steal our jobs and drain our wealth," Trump said, according to a Reuters report. Ames Chief Operating Officer Bob Novak made the trip to Washington D.C. for the event after getting just three days' notice. "Of course we accepted the invitation on the spot," he said. "We didn't have much time to prepare, but our team moved fast and in the end, we were pleased with our display of AMES tools." The event at the White House. featured a wide variety of companies from family-owned shops to major corporations. Ames is a 243 year-old company that produces 85 percent of the nation's wheelbarrows from its factory in Harrisburg. "We have a great story emerging here in Central PA," Novak said. "With significant investment in our factories, AMES has been producing more and more of our products locally - many products that until recently were produced overseas. We've created more than 100 new jobs this year, primarily at our Camp Hill and Carlisle facilities." Trump toured the 225,000 square-foot manufacturing plant when he visited Harrisburg in April. Donald Trump even signed two executive orders about trade and manufacturing on the factory floor, making national news on his 100thday in office. The AMES Companies encompass 12 facilities across seven states. A list of the manufacturers invited to the event was posted on the White House's webpage. Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, BC, is seen March 8, 2013. Pacific NorthWest LNG says it will not be proceeding with the $36-billion liquefied natural gas megaproject it had planned to build in British Columbia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Robin Rowland Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, walks with tight security after his second state of the nation address at the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines, Monday July 24, 2017. Duterte said he will not stop his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs and warns that addicts and dealers have two choices: jail or hell. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) FILE - In this Thursday, July 20, 2017 file photo, Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau, center, stands with police inspector Kathy Waite, left, and assistant chief Medaria Arradondo during a news conference in Minneapolis. People who have worked closely with Arradondo tapped to lead Minneapolis' embattled police department say he has qualities that will fit well with the role: He's friendly, forthright, has deep city roots and is African-American, which could help improve sour relations between the police and the city's black community, Saturday, July 22, 2017. (Maria Alejandra Cardona/Minnesota Public Radio via AP, File) Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. The pandemic brought a technological revolution to schools. Is that a good thing? Regardless of the path, by necessity, most educators agree the pandemic electrified the use of technology in the classroom. In response to an open records request, Secretary of State Paul Pate has turned over the sum total of correspondence between his office and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity two emails. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa requested the correspondence as part of its nationwide effort to gather all communications between the commission and state election officials. ACLU could have made a simple inquiry rather than go through the public records request process, Pate said. He suggested ACLUs intent was not to obtain information, but to receive media coverage. ACLU of Iowa rejected that criticism, but Executive Director Mark Stringer said the organization is satisfied with Pates response. We believe that the people have a right to know about the activities of President Trump and the commission, he said in a statement Monday. The emails Pate made available were one from the advisory committee Vice Chairman Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, asking for voter data as well as Pates thoughts on laws, policies and practices that enhance or undermine the American peoples confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. The second email asked the state not turn over the publicly available information until a judge rules on a legal challenge to the request. Pate had not turned over voter information. However, a federal judge ruled Monday the commission could move forward with collecting voter data from 50 states, saying the White House advisory panel is exempt from federal privacy review requirements. The ACLU of Iowa is reviewing the ruling. It challenged the commission on the grounds that its first meeting, which was held via telephone, violated federal open meeting requirements and that the commission refused to turn over working papers and other documents that, by law, should be available for public inspection. Its second meeting was livestreamed online. The commission has not reached out to the Secretary of State since the ruling, but will have to go through the formal process just like everyone else, said Kevin Hall, Pate's spokesman. Public available data the secretary can provide with voter list requests includes name, address, date of birth, party affiliation and in which elections a person voted, Hall said. By law, Social Security and drivers license numbers are automatically redacted. Some people are under the mistaken impression the commission also is asking for information on whom Iowans voted for, Hall said. There is no record of who you voted for, he said. Despite the courts ruling, the ACLU remains concerned the commissions efforts are part of a larger effort to suppress the vote, ACLUs Stringer said. Pate, a Republican elected in 2014, took offense to what he considered ACLUs implication that he and his office would even indirectly engage in vote suppression. Instead of these scare tactics, organizations such as the ACLU would better serve voters by helping them understand that their personal information will not be compromised by registering and voting, Pate wrote. Its obviously ridiculous for Pate to suggest that shining a light on those activities as a part of our watchdog function to protect voters is itself suppression, Stringer said. S. Arabia turns off the U.S. oil tap myLoupe/UIG Data published last week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that imports from Saudi Arabia in the week to July 14 fell to their lowest for seven years: just 524,000 barrels a day. LONDON Petroleumworld 07 25 2017 At last, Saudi Arabia seems to be doing what it takes to reduce the world's most visible oil glut: the one in the U.S. Unfortunately, its renewed vigor comes as OPEC's deal to reduce excess crude stockpiles starts to show signs of unraveling elsewhere, a subject that will be wrestled with by the group's oil ministers as they and other producer nations meet in St Petersburg on Monday. Saudi Slump Weekly U.S. crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia have fallen sharply since early June Sources: Bloomberg, EIA Jul 14, '17 524.000.0 barrels a day Data published last week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that imports from Saudi Arabia in the week to July 14 fell to their lowest for seven years: just 524,000 barrels a day. For sure, one week's number doesn't mean much on its own, particularly when a single very large crude tanker could raise or lower that figure by half. But this isn't an isolated figure. The EIA data show a clear drop in deliveries from Saudi Arabia since the start of June. The average rate of U.S. imports from the desert kingdom over the past six weeks has dropped by 450,000 barrels a day, or 34 percent, compared with the first six weeks of the year. Source: Bloomberg tanker tracking Jun 30, '17 833.333.3 barrels a day Note: July data is for first two weeks. Given that it averages six weeks for a tanker full of crude to travel from the Persian Gulf to the U.S., this drop in imports reflects a slowdown in Saudi shipments that began in mid-April, which shows up in Bloomberg tanker tracking data for the Kingdom. So Saudi Arabia is finally slashing exports to the U.S., even as shipments to other destinations -- with less visible inventories -- have been maintained, or even risen. This is crucial, because the failure to drain U.S. storage tanks has been a major factor in driving down oil prices. "Exports to the U.S. will drop measurably," Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih said in May. The kingdom is now making good on that promise. Preliminary tanker data must be treated carefully, though. Several ships show no final destination and could still end up in the U.S. Saudi crude usually moves across oceans in 1 million or 2 million barrel shipments, which means a pickup in flows to the U.S. at the end of July could change the picture dramatically. Anyway, one has to ask whether Riyadh's new resolve is too late as the OPEC-brokered deal to remove about 1.8 million barrels a day from the world's supply is looking a little shakier. In June, OPEC members' compliance with their agreed cuts fell to its lowest level since the deal came into effect (although 95 percent is still pretty good). Fraying at the Edges Better non-OPEC compliance in June made up for the worst performance by OPEC members OPEC Non-OPEC Sources: Bloomberg, OPEC, IEA Jun 17 -1.1 million barrels a day -0.5 million a day Ecuador has become the first OPEC country to say openly that it can't afford to limit production. It may not be the last. Iraq objected to cutting output amid a costly war with fundamentalist insurgents. It was pressured into accepting but has lagged its peers in implementation. In June it made just 28 percent of its agreed cut, according to secondary source data from OPEC . Meanwhile, output has soared from the two OPEC members exempted from the cuts, something I warned about in this column . Libyan production this month will probably exceed 1 million barrels a day, almost twice April's level. Nigeria is making slower progress, but output there is rising too. Neither will accept a cut, though both might come under pressure to accept a cap slightly above current production levels -- similar to Iran's compromise last year. The Saudis have belatedly woken up to how oil traders react to a U.S. that's visibly awash with crude. It will amount to very little unless they deal with their Africa problem. CEDAR RAPIDS | A Lime Springs man who sold methamphetamine for over a year and who possessed over 20 firearms, including a stolen firearm, was sentenced Monday to more than 13 years in federal prison. Shawn Chevchuc, 45, received the prison term after a March 1 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a felon. At the guilty plea, Chevchuc admitted he was involved with others in selling meth from 2015 through 2016. Information disclosed during the sentencing hearing indicated during this time period, Chevchuc was involved with selling more than two kilograms of meth. He also possessed over 20 firearms, including one firearm that had been previously stolen during a burglary. Chevchuc had multiple prior burglary and drug convictions and was prohibited from possessing any firearms because he was a felon. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Chevchuc to 160 months in prison. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Chevchuc is being held in U.S. Marshal custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, the Mitchell County Sheriffs Office, the Hancock County Sheriffs Office, the Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office, the Decorah Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. In a rare closing, Stephen Starr has shut down the Miami Beach branch of The Continental after two years, effective over the weekend. Starr said in a brief phone conversation Sunday that the restaurant in the Aloft hotel on Collins Avenue had underperformed, and cited parking issues. Starr is not alone pulling out of that part of town. This month, Tom Colicchio's Beachcraft inside the 1 Hotel South Beach across the street also closed after two years. Starr said his other South Florida restaurants Makoto and Le Zoo in Bal Harbour, Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale, and Upland in Miami Beach were doing solid business. Other Philadelphians, meanwhile, are dropping anchor in Miami, including Dizengoff and Federal Donuts. Philadelphia trial attorney Thomas R. Kline is giving his alma mater, Duquesne University School of Law, $7.5 million to establish a continuing legal education center and curriculum for more than 600 Pennsylvania judges. Read more Soon all judges in Pennsylvania will be required to take 12 credit hours of continuing judicial education each year, including a minimum of three hours in ethics instruction. The recent mandate from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court marks the first time that more than 600 judges in Pennsylvania courts will be required to have ongoing legal education, similar to the 12 credit hours of training a year now required for lawyers. On Tuesday, Duquesne University announced that law alum and Philadelphia trial lawyer Thomas R. Kline will donate $7.5 million to establish a center at Duquesne to work with the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and Pennsylvania's law schools to design a core curriculum with four of the 12 required credit hours to come from offerings established by the new center and the AOPC. "This is a huge deal," said Kenneth Gormley, president of Duquesne University, who along with Duquesne law dean Maureen Lally-Green reached out to Pennsylvania's law school deans for help and expertise. "They were all extremely enthusiastic and very supportive." The classes will be free and taught without pay by law faculty as a public service as well as by experts in science, psychology, health sciences, and ethics. "We're envisioning it going beyond the law schools to the universities themselves," Gormley said. Duquesne announced the $7.5 million donation, the largest individual gift ever to the law school, at a briefing at the private Catholic university in Pittsburgh. "I am a trial lawyer who has spent my entire career in the courtrooms of Pennsylvania, and I firmly believe that this is an investment in the high quality of justice," Kline said in an interview. "This is my way of trying to further advance the courts, and further advance justice in our commonwealth." Kline, cofounder of the firm Kline & Specter P.C., has made legal education a priority before. In September 2014, he gave Drexel University law school $50 million to fund scholarships, add faculty, and expand the law school's trial-advocacy program, which provides training for lawyers who plan to focus on courtroom practice. In recognition of that gift, the law school is named the Thomas R. Kline School of Law. The idea for the contribution to Duquesne emerged from discussions with Gormley, previously the law school dean. "It's a unique concept that will be a model for judicial education throughout the country, which draws upon the resources of all the law schools in Pennsylvania funneled through one center that will coordinate and establish the core programming for what is now mandatory judicial education in our commonwealth," Kline said. Deborah R. Gross, chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, said that the donation was "truly remarkable" and that it was "wonderful that somebody has such a passion and wants to educate." "The benefit of a continuing legal education is what you get out of it," she said. "Hopefully, the courses will be ones that will be helpful." The Philadelphia Bar Association has applied to be one of the providers of courses. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced in December the new continuing judicial education requirements for judges serving the Supreme, Commonwealth, Superior, and Common Pleas courts, Philadelphia Municipal Court, and certified senior judges. Jurists will be required to earn a minimum of three hours in judicial ethics and nine hours in judicial practice and related topics each year. The court order established a board of judges made up of representatives of the various courts, who will not be compensated, and will make accreditation decisions, grant waivers and deferrals, and hear noncompliance appeals. Judges who are noncompliant will be notified and given an opportunity to earn the required hours. "After this grace period, judges who remain noncompliant will be referred to the Judicial Conduct Board for its consideration." The court said the new requirements had been under consideration for a year. Pennsylvania's judiciary has a history of misconduct. Even the state's highest court has been in turmoil. In June 2013, Philadelphia Traffic Court was abolished after there were federal indictments against nine current and former judges in a ticket-fixing scandal. Also in 2013, former Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin of Pittsburgh was convicted on campaign corruption charges. Two other Supreme Court justices Seamus P. McCaffery and J. Michael Eakin resigned in 2014 and 2016, respectively, after sending or receiving emails containing pornography or other offensive communications. Two Municipal Court judges, Joseph Waters Jr. and Joseph O'Neill, pleaded guilty in recent years to federal charges connected to a case-fixing scheme. "Our goal is to ensure that judicial officers in Pennsylvania have the requisite skills and knowledge to fulfill their judicial responsibilities with integrity, adherence to the rule of law, and the highest standards of ethical behavior," said Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor, in announcing the partnership with Duquesne, the Pennsylvania courts, and the law schools. Theresa Bigler sued Olympus Corp. in connection with the death of her 57-year-old husband, Richard, a pancreatic cancer patient who contracted an infection linked to a contaminated Olympus scope. Read more A Washington state jury has ordered medical-scope maker Olympus Corp. to pay a Seattle hospital $6.6 million in damages tied to a deadly superbug outbreak, and told the hospital to pay $1 million to a deceased patient's family. But jurors on Monday also handed the Tokyo-based manufacturing giant a key win, rejecting claims that its flagship duodenoscope was unsafe as designed. The case was filed by Theresa Bigler, 61, and her four children in connection with the August 2013 death of Richard Bigler, a pancreatic cancer patient who contracted an infection linked to a contaminated Olympus scope. The hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, later joined in the suit against Olympus, but the jury found that it shared some blame in the case. An Olympus official offered condolences to the Bigler family in a statement and praised the jury's decision. "We are appreciative that the jury recognized that Olympus' duodenoscope design was not unsafe and did not contribute to Mr. Bigler's unfortunate passing in 2013," said Sam Tarry, a lawyer for the company. But the jury also said Olympus failed to provide adequate warnings about the scope or instructions for its use after it was manufactured. The jury said that failure harmed Virginia Mason Medical Center. Theresa Bigler's lawyers cast the decision as a win for patient safety. "Olympus hasn't been playing by the rules for some time, and this verdict holds them accountable," lawyer David Beninger said in a statement, adding that the case should send a broad signal to Olympus and other device manufacturers. Medical and legal experts said they were surprised at how well Olympus fared in this case, which was closely watched by other plaintiffs' lawyers waging similar suits against the company. "In the jury's opinion, the hospital shared some of the blame," said Lawrence Muscarella, a hospital-safety consultant based in Montgomeryville. Muscarella said that each case is different and that plaintiffs' lawyers can learn from the evidence presented at this trial. "It remains to be seen what this portends for other cases on the docket," he said. More than 25 patients and families, from Pennsylvania to California, have sued Olympus, alleging wrongful death, negligence, or fraud. Federal prosecutors also are investigating Olympus and two smaller manufacturers over their potential roles in patient infections. Richard Bigler was one of at least 35 patients in American hospitals to have died since 2013 after developing infections tied to Olympus duodenoscopes snakelike tubes threaded down a patient's throat. Doctors use the scope to diagnose and treat problems in the digestive tract, such as gallstones, cancers, and blockages in the bile duct. About 700,000 such procedures are performed annually in the U.S. Last year, Olympus recalled all 4,400 of its TJF-Q180V duodenoscopes the model used in Bigler's case and made repairs to reduce the risk of bacteria becoming trapped inside after cleaning. Bigler's lawyers said Olympus had acted recklessly by not warning U.S. hospitals about previous outbreaks and failing to fix a design flaw that hindered cleaning and allowed dangerous bacteria to become trapped inside these reusable scopes. Olympus had said its gastrointestinal scopes were safe and effective with proper cleaning and disinfection. At trial, the company said Virginia Mason was to blame for Bigler's infection because the hospital didn't follow the company's cleaning instructions. Hospital officials said that the faulty Olympus scopes were the cause of Bigler's infection and others, and that they implemented an expensive test-and-hold protocol for cleaning the devices that halted the spread. "We're sorry for the grief and anguish experienced by the Bigler family," the hospital said in a brief statement. Olympus is the industry leader for these devices and other specialty endoscopes, with an 85 percent share of the U.S. market. One of the largest superbug outbreaks in the nation occurred at Virginia Mason, where 39 people's infections were linked to Olympus scopes. Eighteen patients died. The Seattle hospital said the patients who died, including Richard Bigler, had other underlying illnesses. The 12-member jury, which began deliberating July 18, said the damages to Virginia Mason amounted to $25.4 million. But jurors agreed the hospital had been negligent, so they sharply reduced the amount owed to Virginia Mason. Device makers Pentax and Fujifilm also sell these sorts of duodenoscopes. Overall, as many as 350 patients at 41 medical centers worldwide were infected or exposed to contaminated scopes made by those three manufacturers from 2010 to 2015, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A state Environmental Hearing Board judge ordered Tuesday that Sunoco temporarily halt a key drilling method for construction of its Mariner East 2 pipeline. The order came in response to a filing by environmental groups that the process has polluted local waterways in Pennsylvania. The ruling by Judge Bernard Labuskes Jr. effectively halts work at 55 locations where Sunoco Pipeline LP is using horizontal drilling to install the pipeline. The order expires Aug. 7, when the board will hold three days of hearings on whether construction can continue. It was the second ruling in as many days blocking Sunoco's progress on Mariner East 2, at least partly. On Monday, an administrative law judge temporarily blocked construction of a valve-control station in West Goshen Township, Chester County. Hailing Tuesday's order was Joe Minott, director of the Clean Air Council, which had sought suspension of drilling for the pipeline. "It's very significant," Minott said. "This is the first time that someone has called the industry on their regular practices. And I think it's about time." At issue before the Environmental Hearing Board was a July 15 filing by the Clean Air Council, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and the Mountain Watershed Association saying that, within two months, there had been 61 spills of a mixture of water and bentonite clay used in the drilling construction process. That drilling is separate from the drilling known as hydraulic fracturing used to extract natural gas from shale. Sunoco was rushing construction of the pipeline, the environmental groups maintained, and the drilling "inflicted significant, irreparable harm upon the environment." The filing said Sunoco's drilling had hit underground springs in Middletown Township, Delaware County. "Copious amounts of cloudy water mixed with unknown substances was pouring for days out of what was clearly an inadequate and ineffective attempt at containment, and a water well is now being tested for possible contamination." In a statement Tuesday, Sunoco said that "the full hearing before the Environmental Hearing Board will demonstrate that we have expended every effort to meet the strict conditions of our environmental permits." Sunoco said it was evaluating drilling plans and had already stopped work on a number of drills to address concerns raised by the state Department of Environmental Protection and Gov. Wolf. The company said it would continue other construction on the pipeline, including open-trench construction throughout the state as well as conventional road boring, "with safety and protection of Pennsylvania's environment as our first priorities." After Tuesday's order, the DEP also weighed in, saying it would enforce measures for violations associated with the pipeline in West Whiteland and Uwchlan Townships, Chester County. The agency said 14 homeowners on Shoen Road in West Whiteland had "experienced adverse impacts to their private water supplies, which are drawn from groundwater." The department "continues to be diligent in our oversight of this project," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "To impact a person's private drinking water is inexcusable, and we intend to hold this operator accountable to the fullest extent." Mariner East 2 is an expansion of Sunoco's current Mariner East pipeline system and will carry natural-gas liquids through 17 counties along the southern part of the state. It has a long and complex legal and regulatory history that includes eminent-domain proceedings. The Clean Air Council also is involved in the most serious remaining legal challenge to the pipeline, being heard in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. The group is suing Sunoco, saying the Mariner East 2 violates the federal and state constitutions, including Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment. The case is expected to go to trial at year's end, when Sunoco hopes the pipeline will be completed. In the 2016 presidential race, Jeff Sessions along with Gov. Chris Christie were critical early supporters of then candidate Trump's seemingly improbable campaign. Christie was quickly tossed aside in the furor over the George Washington Bridge closings while Sessions went on to claim one of the new president's most important cabinet posts, attorney general. Now Sessions, it appears, is in the political dock. White House insiders say discussions are underway about the possibility of firing Sessions because of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, and Trump, rather than quieting speculation has been fanning the flames with taunts about "our beleaguered AG." Sessions, a former U.S. senator from Alabama, has strong support among conservatives, including radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, and the likelihood is that a decision, if taken, will bear Trump's signature style of acting on instinct. If Sessions is shown the door here are five things to watch for: A political uproar of course, but not just among Democrats, who will call for impeachment, and neo-conservative Never Trumpers. Many middle of the road Republicans will wring their hands and voice outrage. Firing the attorney general will once again awaken memories of Watergate, when then president Richard Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox, a decision that only seemed to underscore Nixon's guilt and resulted in the resignation of his own attorney general. By the time Nixon fired Cox, there was as well-developed criminal case implicating the president and most of his supporters had made for the exits. Not so with Trump. His support among his base remains strong and so does the belief that the media, acting out of its own loathing of Trump, its politics and cultural biases being so unlike those of Trump, is attempting to orchestrate his demise. That as yet no evidence has emerged showing the campaign conspired with Russian operatives to subvert the 2016 election will only intensify this reaction. Any move to replace Sessions surely will be part of a larger effort to rein in independent counsel Mueller, if not get rid of him altogether. Despite promises to the contrary, Mueller's investigation has been leaking like a rusty oil tanker, and Trump seems to believe he's being tried in the press. That Mueller's prosecutorial team includes Hillary Clinton donors, or that Mueller is close friends with fired FBI Director James Comey, whose own leak set the stage for Mueller's appointment, has only intensified the sense among Trump insiders that the deck is stacked. >> Read more: What's Robert Mueller supposed to do as special counsel? Financial markets could take a huge, likely momentary, hit if Sessions and or Mueller are fired, accentuating the sense that Washington politics have run off the rails and that a new era of extreme uncertainty has begun. Trump would appoint a trusted loyalist to replace Sessions, like former New York Mayor and U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani, or a staunch conservative, like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, but the nominee would likely face a tough Senate confirmation fight. The Russia probe would continue, but likely within very constrained boundaries. The Trump business empire, which according to some recent reports, now is in Mueller's cross hairs, could end up strictly off limits. The first major work in the long-awaited project to reconnect Center City with the Delaware River will begin Wednesday when Philadelphia's waterfront manager starts taking down the concrete highway ramps between Market and Chestnut Streets. Built in the 1970s, when Philadelphia envisioned a clutch of high-rise towers springing up on Penn's Landing, the crisscrossing "scissor" ramps are now considered a redundant piece of highway infrastructure that impedes views of the river. Their demolition is intended to prepare the waterfront for the construction of a cap over I-95, said Joseph A. Forkin, president of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. He expects the work to take about four months. Just last month, the agency announced it had secured virtually all of the $225 million needed to build the 11-acre cap, which will span both the highway and Columbus Boulevard, between Chestnut and Walnut Streets. The cap will be covered with a landscaped park. It is intended to provide a seamless, walkable link from Front Street in Old City down to the river's edge, as well as a new amphitheater to replace the Great Plaza. The scissor ramps are just north of where the cap will eventually be built. Although work on the cover park is not expected to start before 2021, Forkin said his agency decided to remove the ramps now because they receive so little use about 1,200 car trips a day. The 2.6-acre area occupied by the ramps is designated for mixed-use housing in the Central Delaware master plan, and the waterfront agency hopes to start marketing the site to developers once demolition is complete. Removing the scissor ramps will not affect vehicle or pedestrian access to Penn's Landing, Forkin said. The highway-style structure is attached to a U-shaped viaduct that links Chestnut and Market Streets to the upper level of Penn's Landing. That loop, which serves cars and pedestrians, will continue to be used as a bus terminus and turnaround. According to Forkin, the scissor ramps were added in the mid-1970s to handle large crowds expected for the Bicentennial and to prepare for a waterfront building boom. Neither the crowds nor the building boom ever materialized. The scissor ramps are not considered redundant by everyone, however. While relatively few Penn's Landing visitors use them, residents of the condos at Piers 3 and 5 say the crisscrossing ramps are the main route in and out of the complex. They strongly objected to the demolition and even threatened litigation. "It decreases access at a time when they are increasing activity on the waterfront," said Nora Barry, a resident. Because of the canyon wall created by I-95, the Center City streets flowing into Columbus Boulevard are widely spaced. Once the ramps are removed, Barry said, residents may have to change their driving patterns, continuing south to Spruce or north to Race to reach their homes. Some fear the removal of the ramps could pose a safety issue if ambulances or fire trucks run into traffic on Columbus Boulevard. Albert Avallone, a resident, questioned why the waterfront corporation decided to remove the ramps when the cap construction won't begin until 2021. "Why are you taking away access and egress when no development is taking place?" he asked. It may seem odd that the first step in reconnecting the city to its historic waterfront involves the removal of highway access. But ever since the city began to reexamine its approach to the Delaware waterfront, removing the scissor ramps has been a major goal. "It's amazing it's finally happening," said Harris Steinberg, who led the initial Penn Praxis study of the waterfront in the mid-2000s, which laid the groundwork for the master plan. "I'm still an advocate for tackling I-95 in a bigger way, but this is an important step." Once the ramps are down, Forkin said, the site will be planted with grass and turned into a park. Over the winter, he said, the waterfront corporation will consult with neighbors about interim designs for the park. LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) A man suspected of bank robberies in five states - including a Mason City credit union - pleaded not guilty Monday to unrelated charges in Nebraska. Richard Gathercole entered the pleas Monday in Dawson County District Court to two counts of possessing stolen firearms and one of theft or receiving stolen property, court records said. A trial starting date of Aug. 12 was set. FBI officials in Los Angeles have said Gathercole, 39, is suspected of being the man they've dubbed the "AK-47 bandit," who's committed at least six bank robberies and attempted another in California, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and Washington since 2012. Gathercole, of Roundup, Montana, was indicted July 6 in Seattle, accused of using an AK-47 rifle to steal $15,000 in North Bend, Wash., in 2012. San Bernardino County, Calif., officials have said they intend to charge him with attempted murder of a peace officer for the 2012 shooting of a Chino police officer during a bank robbery. Court documents filed earlier this month said FBI agents seized bomb-making materials, seven guns and ammunition from Gathercole's home. Agents also said they found sheriff's badges and patches, a sheriff's vest, an ammunition vest, a military-style helmet, an organic chemistry book and material to make identification badges. Nebraska court documents say Gathercole was arrested June 20 at a gas station near Lexington, Neb.. A sheriff's deputy had spotted a pickup truck there that Kansas authorities had reported stolen by a man who'd fired at but missed a state trooper. Dawson County officials said Gathercole is in custody at the county jail in Lexington, Neb. Jose Colon at the train tracks at Sedgley and Castor Avenues on Monday, July 24, 2017. His teenage stepson lost a leg last week in an accident on the tracks. Read more Two children, three severed legs. In less than two months. In both instances, trains struck Philadelphia kids. Babies, really. Each had been hanging around tracks when passing railcars caught their attention and they somehow wound up beneath them, bloodied and mangled. Scarred forever. Lucky to be alive. Both will need prosthetic devices just to walk again. How does something like that happen? And not once, but twice in the same city in such a short span of time? I've written about an aspiring dancer struck by a train June 7 in Southwest Philadelphia. Sienna Ward, now 12, lost one leg in the accident and the other after infection set in. After she started feeling better, I moved on. Then I heard last week about Mustafa Elmitwalli's accident. My first thought was: "Not again!" The 14-year-old had been with his cousin and only about 100 yards from his cousin's house when he was hit last week. Mustafa's mother, Elizabeth Colon, had been chatting with him by phone only moments earlier. The family had plans to go to the movies, but shortly after Colon hung up, they got word that Mustafa had been hit by a train. After his leg was severed, Mustafa reportedly got up and hopped on one leg to safety, and passersby hastily fashioned a tourniquet that helped slow his bleeding. Doctors at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children were unable to reattach his leg. I met with Mustafa's stepfather on Monday at Castor and Sedgley Avenues in Frankford, near where the accident happened. Jose Colon pointed out a concrete ledge jutting out from an overpass that can serve as steps to the tracks. He jumped up on it to show me just how easy it is to scale. Colon pointed out that barbed wire could prevent pedestrians from crawling on the ledge up to the tracks. Judging from all the trash and drug paraphernalia, a lot of people do that. Once you've climbed up there, you're secluded from the street. You can look out over the traffic passing underneath. Nearby trees offer a little respite from the hot concrete. And then, there's the allure of watching trains go by. Mustafa, who just finished the eighth grade at Baldi Middle School, doesn't recall the moments before the accident. "He's doing fine. He's actually doing fine. He's a fighter," Colon told me. "They changed the bandage today. He's fine. And everything looks good." Just then, a train went by. Colon paused and watched for a moment before telling me that the enormity of what happened hasn't completely registered with Mustafa. "I think what's going to happen is when he gets home and it hits him and he sees everybody outside riding bikes and popping wheelies," Colon said. "He's going to have to sit on the porch on the sidelines for now." He needs another surgery to close the wound, followed by rehabilitation therapy that could last a couple of months. According to Operation Lifesaver, about every three hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train. Many of these accidents are preventable. But a lot of times, kids don't know the hazards. Or that playing on train tracks is considered trespassing. Parents, remind your kids to stay away from railroad tracks. If you have to grip them by the neck so they get the message, do it. It could save a life or a leg. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Isa Betancourt wades into Swann Fountain on the Parkway, and takes home a handful of insects to sort, catalogue, and pin. Read more A simple fly very small, not the trashcan variety was floating on the surface of Swann Fountain in Logan Square on a recent Monday morning, right next to a curl of waterlogged paper and a chunk of dead leaf. According to Isabelle Betancourt, an entomology curatorial assistant at the Academy of Natural Sciences, it would be nearly impossible to isolate the fly without picking up the gunk around it. Using a slender, fine-mesh net (the kind a kid takes fishing), Betancourt can easily catch a fat wasp with a quick dipping motion, but these speck-size insects require a light jab, which, even when executed perfectly, often captures trash in the process. Betancourt, 27, is often found wearing bug-related jewelry and runs the Swann Fountain Insect Survey, an urban entomology project that is using the insects in Philadelphia's famous fountain to study the city's environment. Three times a week, Betancourt wades into Swann Fountain just like the girls of Hallahan Catholic High School do every year on the last day of school and catches every bug she sees to bring them back to the academy to sort, pin, and catalog. Swann Fountain opened in 1924 as a memorial to physician Wilson Cary Swann, the founder of the Philadelphia Fountain Society, which had worked to make fresh water available, even in the middle of the city. Artist Alexander Calder had called the central brass sculptures "The Fountain of Three Rivers," as its main figures represented Philadelphia's three waterways the Delaware, Schuylkill, and Wissahickon. At the foot of the statue, below the three main sculptures, Calder added shad, frogs, and turtles. The fish are angled upward with their mouths open, as if reaching for a fly. In a way, Betancourt's project resembles Swann's and Calder's, in that it celebrates the boons of nature in the middle of an urban landscape. When she finished her work on this particular Monday, Betancourt had collected the small fly in question, dozens like it, several bug-orbiting clumps of garbage, and some more "charismatic" samples bees, wasps, ladybugs, and beetles. It was a light load, she said, perhaps because of the stormy weather. Urban entomology is a relatively new scientific field that looks at how the bugs in residential, commercial, and industrial centers reflect a city's environmental well-being. Insects are excellent bioindicators meaning the presence or absence of certain bugs in a given sample can indicate changes in environment over time. That's why Betancourt is always sure to go for the little flies, even when it means collecting a lot of trash. Missing an insect means potentially losing an important piece of information. Betancourt isn't alone in this area either. Her colleague at the museum Greg Cowper has been collecting specimens in the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary since 2011. He has collected more than 1,000 species at the prison, whose fortresslike structure creates what Cowper describes as the urban equivalent of an island. Cowper keeps a small display of his findings in cell 25 on cell block 9. Betancourt's primary mission now is to collect baseline data a large survey that future entomologists will be able to compare with their findings, to see if Philadelphia's climate is affecting its buglife. If later collections turn up more pollution-sensitive insects, for example, it could indicate that Philadelphia's waterways are no longer clean enough for their survival. In addition to the presence of specific insects, Betancourt is also looking at when certain types are present. "In the early spring, we get a lot of ground beetles they appear all at once and then fade away quickly. Then we get dung beetles. Now we're seeing June beetles," Betancourt said. "It's like when botanists measured time in terms of when certain flowers bloom. We're tracking when different bugs emerge." Betancourt conceived of the project back in 2013, when, after eating lunch in Logan Square, she noticed dozens of insects dead in the water. "I kept my eye on it for a while," Betancourt said. "Then I decided it was worth jumping in." Part of the fountain's appeal had to do with the primary challenge of urban entomology. "If I set up traditional collection methods in a city," Betancourt said, "there's a high chance they would be tampered with, or who knows what. They would need to be watched." By contrast, Swann Fountain functions as a trap without offering the opportunity for interference. The most common trap is a flight-intercept trap mesh hangs in a bug's flight path, the bug crawls up, and falls into a jar of ethanol. "Normally, we put that up," she said, "but this fountain does similar things. The spray of the fountain catches bugs midflight, much like an intercept trap." Another common collection method, called a bee bowl, consists of a brightly colored basin filled with water. Entomologists add a little bit of soap to break the water's surface tension, creating a set of light frequencies attractive to bees and wasps. Swann Fountain, with its continually moving water, "is the perfect mix of bee bowl and intercept trap." The ideal science experiment is infinitely repeatable, a condition that can be hard to achieve in the fluctuating landscape of a city. Betancourt suspects the fountain, an important feature of Philly culture, will be around for a while. It's a fitting spot for the scientist's urban entomology project. "People don't have to leave to find nature," she said. "Bugs are around us all the time, even in the city." Gregory Auriemma, a New Jersey environmentalist from Ocean County, was missing for weeks. New Hampshire authorities discovered his body Thursday, July 20, 2017, in the White Mountains. Read more Whatever happened to Gregory Auriemma, a 63-year-old lawyer from Brick, N.J., in the rugged wilderness of the White Mountains may remain a mystery. A New Hampshire medical examiner said Monday evening that Auriemma's body, found last week after an intensive search, was too decomposed for her to determine a cause of death. "I don't have all the tissue I need to make a determination," said Jennie Duval, New Hampshire's deputy chief medical examiner. "I don't see any trauma, but I can't rule that out. I can't say for sure what's happened." Duval suggested Auriemma may have been a victim of hypothermia, but stressed she did not know the circumstances surrounding his death. She said a routine toxicology exam was being performed, but she had no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved. Auriemma, who chaired the Ocean County chapter of the Sierra Club, had battled cancer the last two years but had recently received better news when he left on a bus in late June for a solo, 10-day trek into the mountains. He was reported missing after July 5, when he did not return in time to attend the local Sierra Club's annual picnic. After an exhaustive search in remote and rugged terrain, Appalachian Mountain Club workers found his body Thursday in the woods of a trail in the Dry River Wilderness. Searchers had spent more than a week combing the area, eventually settling on the Dry River area. Auriemma's body was discovered off a 10-mile trail that runs through wilderness with difficult stream crossings and ends at an elevation of 5,012 feet at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Severe thunderstorms struck the area the first week of July when he was on the trail. Duval said that could have played a factor. She believes he likely died July 1 or 2. Duval explained that even though the East Coast was baking in a heat wave, temperatures in the White Mountains can turn quickly. His body was not found until July 20, meaning that it had been exposed to the elements for weeks. Auriemma's family has been notified, she said. For decades, breast-cancer patients have been told to stop using antiperspirant while undergoing radiation treatments. The theory was that the thin layer of material somehow magnified the amount of radiation delivered to the skin, causing irritation and swelling. But in reality? Don't sweat it. That is the finding of a new study led by University of Pennsylvania researchers. The authors applied a generous layer of antiperspirant to a two-by-two inch square of paper, then aimed a high-energy radiation beam at it from four different angles. They did the same with an uncoated piece of paper, and measured the amounts of radiation exposure on each. No difference. The authors got the same result when they repeated the experiment with extra-strength antiperspirant, they wrote in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology. Lead author Brian C. Baumann said women could certainly ask their doctors for guidance, but that the results of the study were clear. "We think that women undergoing breast radiation therapy can liberalize their use of antiperspirant without fear of side effects," said Baumann, who recently completed a residency in radiation oncology at Penn. A relatively minor issue when someone is battling a life-threatening disease? Perhaps, but patient comfort is an important quality-of-life issue, said Baumann, who is starting an assistant professorship later this year at Washington University in St. Louis. Lynn Folkman Auspitz, a Philadelphia resident who underwent radiation treatment for breast cancer in 2009, agreed. Her doctor told her to swear off antiperspirant for a six-week course of treatment that started in early September that year, when the weather was still hot. "When you're walking, or when you're exercising, it's not the most pleasant," said Folkman Auspitz, manager for community engagement at Living Beyond Breast Cancer. In addition to measuring radiation doses on the paper squares, Baumann and his colleagues also surveyed patients and providers, and found that the no-antiperspirant advice remains commonplace. In the past, clinical trials have found that breast-cancer patients who used antiperspirant suffered no more skin side effects than those who did not use it, but the no-antiperspirant advice has persisted perhaps because there are limitations with the way this skin "toxicity" is measured, and physicians may have felt it was better to err on the side of caution, Baumann said The origin of this conventional wisdom dates back at least to the 1960s, when physicians treated patients with lower-voltage doses of radiation that were more likely to cause skin irritation and swelling, Baumann said. One theory was that if a patient wore antiperspirant, which contains an aluminum-based compound, it might cause this lower-energy radiation to scatter. But for several decades, oncologists have been using higher-energy machines, which emit radiation that penetrates deeper into the tissue, reaching its maximum impact at the tumor site. "The lower-energy one almost sort of pancakes on impact, as opposed to continuing on deeper into the tissue," Baumann said. Antiperspirants also have been blamed in some quarters for causing breast cancer, but there is no scientific evidence for that claim, according to the National Cancer Institute. Women still are advised to forgo antiperspirant in another medical setting: while getting a mammogram. According to the Mayo Clinic, the underarm-drying substances may interfere with getting a clear image. Police on the trail of two missing laptops and a gold necklace followed it to the Montgomery County home of a self-described computer hacker who claims responsibility for what could be one of the largest virtual currency heists on record, court documents say. Theodore Price, of Hatfield, told a local detective and a Homeland Security agent investigating a burglary at the Bucks County, home of his girlfriend's parents that he wrote software to steal between $40 million and $50 million in the online currency bitcoin, the documents say. When the officers arrived at his door almost two weeks ago, he told them he had been preparing to flee to London on a chartered jet using a fake passport in the name of "Avengers" movie star Jeremy Renner, a complaint filed in federal court July 19 says. And, a computer expert at Cornell University who tracks bitcoin crimes finds a scenario that connects an alleged theft of a couple of laptops worth hundreds of dollars to a possible virtual heist of tens of millions plausible. Price, 30, is charged with identity theft and access device fraud. U.S. Homeland Security agents allege they found stolen personal information and credit card numbers in his possession. He told agents he had purchased the information from a "dark web" store using bitcoin, the records say. He has been detained pending further court action/ If Price's claim that he stole control tens of millions of dollars' worth of bitcoin is verified, it would be solidly among the top five virtual currency thefts on record, said Cornell University computer science professor Emin Gun Sirer, whose work focuses on the cybersecurity systems that make virtual currencies like bitcoin work. "It's fascinating," Sirer said, noting virtual currencies are a favorite target of hackers because they're valuable, their security is relatively weak and they're unregulated, so there's no higher authority that can reverse a fraudulent transaction. Bitcoin theft is not uncommon, Sirer said. The largest was $450 million worth of bitcoin stolen by hackers from the Japanese bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox in 2014, forcing the company's bankruptcy. It is unusual, however, Sirer said, for authorities to identify a person responsible for the theft, as Price claimed to be, according to the court documents. "This is one of the first cases where the person behind the malware has been located," Sirer said. Bitcoin is a digital currency, tied to no government, that can be exchanged for U.S. dollars and other national currency. It consists of a public ledger of all bitcoin in circulation and the transactions in which they are used. To own bitcoin, a user must possess two codes; a public key that identifies individual bitcoin, and a private key akin to the signature needed to write a check. To carry out transactions, those codes are passed between bitcoin wallets, where they are stored by users. According to the complaint against Price, he told a Homeland Security agent that he wrote software that simulates the code used to create bitcoin wallets. He then distributed the software on specific internet forums, injecting it into email addresses, the complaint says. Price said the software steals bitcoin keys by replacing other people's wallets with Price's wallets during transactions, court records say. Price told the agent one of his bitcoin wallets contains the equivalent of $34.6 million that he intended to launder so he could spend it, the records say. Price said he has other bitcoin wallets with the equivalent of thousands and millions of dollars, according to the records. A court document filed last week that charged Price with unauthorized access to a computer to commit a federal crime for personal financial gain listed the value of the stolen bitcoin at between $40 million and $50 million. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Bonney said the unauthorized access charge has since been withdrawn, but would not say why Price was not charged with the bitcoin theft he admitted to the agent. Bonney said federal prosecutors have 30 days after filing a criminal complaint to seek an indictment from a grand jury, and that a grand jury can recommend whatever charges it sees fit based on the evidence it hears. The complaint says Bucks County police began investigating Price after a Bucks County couple returned from vacation and found two laptops and a gold necklace missing from their Northampton Township home. The couple's daughter, Price's girlfriend, confronted Price about the missing items because he had access to her parents' home, but he denied taking them. Price's girlfriend later discovered Price had sold her father's laptop for $150 at a computer store and found two laptop bags in his home, which she took to police, court records say. A search of the bags revealed the mother's computer, stolen credit cards belonging to people related to the girlfriend and the dark web credit card information Price later admitted buying, according to the complaint. Additional police work revealed Price had hocked a third laptop that his girlfriend had rented for him and her mother's gold necklace, the complaint says. So if Price controlled tens of millions of dollars worth of bitcoin, as he claimed, according to court documents, why was he allegedly stealing and selling things for relatively small amounts of money? The answer, Sirer said, is because the bitcoin ledger is public, it's virtually impossible to spend large amounts of stolen bitcoin without being noticed. Most hackers use a process called "tumbling" to launder stolen bitcoin by intermingling it with other people's transactions, but the complaint says Price didn't have a chance to do that. "It makes sense that someone could steal $40 million, but not be able to pull it out," Sirer said. Price's lawyer, federal defender, Catherine Henry, has not responded to a request for comment. peter.hall@mcall.com Twitter @phall215 610-820-6581 Update: Police at 1:38 p.m. Tuesday reported that shortly after a news conference was held on a missing 16-year-old girl and her 2-month-old daughter, they both have been found safe and in good health. Police said they were located "due to the attention the story received today." Earlier story: Philadelphia police are searching for a 16-year-old girl who has been missing with her 2-month-old daughter since July 4, when the teen allegedly left a group home in Roxborough where she and the child had been ordered by a court to reside. Capt. Malachi Jones of Northwest Detectives said Tuesday that authorities have no indication that Lamaya Green and her daughter, Amiliana, have been harmed or are in danger. He said they could be with Green's mother or with other relatives, whom police have not been able to contact. Jones said that Green left Northern Children Services, on the 5500 block of Ridge Avenue, on July 4 and that staff reported her missing. He said Green was court-ordered there but did not provide additional details. He was not certain how long she had been living there but said it could have been about a year. Investigators were hoping to speak with Green's relatives or friends. Jones said police had no leads in the case. A man steals a Jeep Wrangler battery on the 2000 block of Lombard Street June 20. Read more An energized bandit has been stealing batteries from Jeeps in Center City and other neighborhoods, police said Tuesday. Over the last couple of months, 26 vehicle batteries have been stolen, 22 of them from Jeeps, and most of those from Jeep Wranglers, Lt. Martin Bernard of the Major Crimes Unit said. "The problem with the Jeeps is they don't have a locking mechanism" on the hood, Bernard said. "It's kind of like leaving your diamond ring on a table in the restaurant." Surveillance video captured one theft June 20 on the 2000 block of Lombard Street. The thief, described as a white or Hispanic man about 6 feet tall, slim, with salt-and-pepper sideburns and a goatee, is seen in the video exiting a Honda Civic, then walking to a Jeep Wrangler. He lifts the hood, removes the battery, and walks back to the Honda, placing the battery inside, police said. Based on other surveillance video, police believe the same man is committing all the battery thefts. Besides Center City, the thefts have taken place in the Kensington area, parts of South Philadelphia, and other neighborhoods. "I don't see the value of it," Bernard said. "You're not going to make a living off of it. He's probably selling them to a junkyard for scrap." A dealership would have no interest in a used battery, he said. Jeep owners could buy a locking mechanism to be installed by a dealership to prevent theft, Bernard said. In addition to the battery thefts, Bernard said, four Jeep Wranglers have been stolen since June. Those thefts occurred in University City, Center City, and Port Richmond, he said. Police say there could be a link between the vehicle and battery thefts. Tipsters should call the Major Crimes Unit at 215-685-9130 or the police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). Tips, which can be anonymous, can also be submitted online. Despite what you hear from Negadelphians, Philadelphia actually is in good shape, poised dare we say it? to be great. So says freshman Councilman Allan Domb. We just need to do three things, he says. Known as the Condo King of Philadelphia before winning an at-large Council seat in 2015, Domb is shaped by business experience and by his sense of dollars and cents. He calls his Council job and his real estate job "hobbies. You know why I say that? Because I enjoy them both." Our conversation, in his less-than-elegant third-floor City Hall office, took place against the backdrop of the $395-million contract with teachers, committing money the city does not have. Domb, 62, has ideas about where to find it, but first he lists three government goals for the next five years: "One, take 100,000 out of poverty. "Two, create 100,000 new jobs. "Three, bring 100,000 new residents to the city," he says, as if plucking daisy petals. "What we need to do is expand our base, bring more people into the store to pay for the overhead," which is high in a unionized city government. The goals are interconnected. Let's start with jobs. He offers a four-letter word: Tech. "In the last 14 years," he says, quoting the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, "25 percent of the net new job growth created in this region was in technology," joining eds and meds as economic contributors. For a region with slow job growth, I am told by Josh Sevin, acting executive director of the league, the ballooning of tech sector jobs is impressive. More impressive is that the average tech job pays $39,000 more than comparable jobs in other industries, says Domb. Many of Philadelphia's rising tide of Millennials, who help drive the real estate building boom, are techies. Some of the cranes atop new buildings look down on the broken spirits of 400,000 people living in poverty, a 26 percent poverty rate larger than any other big city. Can they be connected with tech jobs? "One out of three jobs in tech don't require a college degree," says Domb, which leads him to a Philadelphia briar patch education. "Why are we not teaching [computer] coding in grades 9-12 in high school instead of geometry or calculus or algebra?" Domb asks. "We are creating tech jobs, but we are not training our kids for those jobs." Domb donates his city salary to the schools last year 23 schools each received a check for $2,500 after-tax dollars. Citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Domb says that in March "Philadelphia had the third highest job creation of any city in the nation. Our future is in technology." If more tech takes root here, more jobs will blossom here, more people will come here, growing the population and the tax base. Now we circle back to poverty and arrive at Domb's pet cause the earned income tax credit, a federal program that helps low-income wage earners, especially those with children. If not a magic bullet, it's at least a potent pellet. Domb estimates that 40,000 Philadelphians in poverty would qualify for a minimum annual $2,500 payment. "We keep leaving $100 million in earned income tax credit dollars in Washington," he fumes. "This is huge money." (Applications can be found at IRS.gov) Finally, we return to the $395 million that Philly needs for the teachers. We don't need new taxes, says Domb, we need to collect old taxes. "When we have approximately $490 million of delinquent real estate taxes, that is a lot of money the school district is not receiving," says Domb. The district gets 55 percent and the city 45 percent of the real estate tax. If Philadelphia had a more efficient collection program, he says, "we could have a one-time collection of between $90 million and $120 million and a potential annual collection of $25 million to $40 million more than we currently receive." Easier said than done? A lot of that money is owed by people who can't afford to pay, I was told in a previous conversation with former Mayor John Street. There's a reduced-payment program for people who genuinely can't afford to pay, says Domb, who believes past collections prove a lot of deadbeats out there can pay, but don't. Government should go after them, just as a business would, he believes, even if the business seems like a hobby. As RAGBRAIers approach Charles City, one rider looks forward to possibly meeting the family of the teen whose life inspired him. Tony Hager, a former wrestler from Ogden, is dedicating his ride to 15-year-old Logan Luft, who died after an ATV accident July 4. My goal is to raise $10 per mile, Hager said. His 190-mile ride runs Wednesday through Saturday, with a total fundraising goal of $1,900. One hundred percent of the funds will be donated to Logan's family. After speaking with Logans mom and the family, it gave me more of a passion, Hager said. Logan, who would have entered ninth grade this fall, was passionate about three activities: wrestling, fishing and running. More than 1,600 people attended his funeral earlier this month. The sport of wrestling is a family, Hager said on his fundraising page. Once you have stepped on the mat, everyone is now your brother or sister. Through this ride, Hager hopes to help a fellow wrestling family members family, he said. Hager owns several wrestling news sites, including IAwrestle. Though he never met Logan, he knows wrestlers who knew and loved the teen. Logans story and his death struck a chord with Hager, inspiring him to give back. Being in the wrestling media world and how he was an organ donor, I felt like I needed to do something, Hager said. Five individuals received organ donations from Logan and tissue donations could help 50 to 75 people. Family members said organ donation and helping others is exactly what Logan would have wanted. To show his support, Hager will write Luft on his left calf and Tuff on his right, in honor of the special hashtag the family used. Supporters also wore "Donate Life" T-shirts sporting the tag during Logan's funeral. Hager hopes the words will be a conversation starter. Maybe some others will write this on their calves in honor of him as well, Hager said. Hager started a RallyMe campaign to raise funds. Its his understanding that the family will donate the money to an organization that recruits organ donors in Iowa. I really hope people who dont have the ability to donate write 'Luft Tuff' too, showing you care, Hager said. Not everyone has the means. He originally reached out to the family after the funeral to explain his wishes and to assure them it was not a publicity stunt. Its such a tough time, Hager said. Theyre OK with it and have been giving me ideas on how to support him. Hager is starting his ride in Rockwell and hopes to meet with the family when the event stays overnight in Charles City. He also encouraged those joining him to tweet pics to @hagertony and use the hashtag #LuftTuff. At the end of the day, if I can get a few people to write Luft Tuff on their legs, thats a win for me, Hager said. North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year, U.S. officials have concluded in a confidential assessment that dramatically shrinks the timeline for when Pyongyang could strike North American cities with atomic weapons. The new assessment by the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which shaves a full two years off the consensus forecast for North Korea's ICBM program, was prompted by recent missile tests showing surprising technical advances by the country's weapons scientists, at a pace beyond which many analysts believed was possible for the isolated communist regime. The U.S. projection closely mirrors revised predictions by South Korean intelligence officials, who also have watched with growing alarm as North Korea has appeared to master key technologies needed to loft a warhead toward targets thousands of miles away. The finding further increases the pressure on U.S. and Asian leaders to halt North Korea's progress before it can threaten the world with nuclear-tipped missiles. President Trump, during his visit to Poland earlier this month, vowed to confront Pyongyang "very strongly" to stop its missile advances. The DIA has concluded that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be able to produce a "reliable, nuclear-capable ICBM" program sometime in 2018, meaning that by next year the program will have advanced from prototype to assembly line, according to officials familiar with the document. Already, the aggressive testing regime put in place in recent months has allowed North Korea to validate its basic designs, putting it within a few months of starting industrial production, the officials said. The DIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to address any classified assessments. But Scott Bray, ODNI's national intelligence manager for East Asia, said in a statement: "North Korea's recent test of an intercontinental range ballistic missile which was not a surprise to the intelligence community is one of the milestones that we have expected would help refine our timeline and judgments on the threats that Kim Jong Un poses to the continental United States. This test, and its impact on our assessments, highlight the threat that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose to the United States, to our allies in the region, and to the whole world. The intelligence community is closely monitoring the expanding threat from North Korea." One of the few remaining technical hurdles is the challenge of atmospheric "reentry" the ability to design a missile that can pass through the upper atmosphere without damage to the warhead. Long regarded as a formidable technological barrier for impoverished North Korea, that milestone could be reached, beginning with new tests expected to take place within days, U.S. analysts said. U.S. officials have detected signs that North Korea is making final preparations for testing a new reentry vehicle, perhaps as early as Thursday, a North Korean national holiday marking the end of the Korean War. "They're on track to do that, essentially this week," said a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence report who, like others, insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive military assessments. North Korea has not yet demonstrated an ability to build a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could be carried by one of its missiles. Officials there last year displayed a sphere-shaped device the regime described as a miniaturized warhead, but there as been no public confirmation that this milestone has been achieved. Preparations reportedly have been underway for several months for what would be the country's sixth underground atomic test. The last one, in September, had an estimated yield of 20 to 30 kilotons, more than double the explosive force of any previous test. North Korea startled the world earlier this month with its successful July 4 test of a missile capable of striking parts of Alaska the first such missile with proven intercontinental range. The launch of a two-stage "Hwasong-14" missile was the latest in a series of tests in recent months that have revealed startlingly rapid advances across a number of technical fields, from mastery of solid-fuel technology to the launch of the first submarine-based missile, current and former intelligence officials and weapons experts said. "There has been alarming progress," said Joseph DeTrani, the former mission manager for North Korea for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and a former special envoy for negotiations with Pyongyang. "In the last year they have gained capabilities that they didn't have, including ones that we thought they would not have been able to obtain for years." The July 4 missile test also caught South Korea's intelligence service off guard, prompting a hasty revision of forecasts, according to South Korean lawmakers who have received closed-door briefings. "The speed of North Korea's ICBM missile development is faster than the South Korean Defense Ministry expected," said lawmaker Lee Cheol-hee, of the left-wing Minjoo party, who attended an intelligence committee briefing after the July 4 test. The South Korean government, which is actively trying to engage the regime in Pyongyang, has declined to call the most recent test a success. North Korea still has not proved it has mastered some of the steps needed to build a reliable ICBM, most notably the reentry vehicle, Lee said. Still, officials across the political spectrum acknowledged that North Korea is rapidly gaining ground. "Now they are approaching the final stage of being a nuclear power and the owner of an ICBM," said Cha Du-hyeogn, who served as an adviser to conservative former president Lee Myung-bak. U.S. spy agencies have detected multiple signals that North Korea is preparing to test a reentry vehicle. Analysts believe that the July 4 test was intended to demonstrate range the ability of its new two-stage ICBM prototype to reach altitude and distance milestones while the new launch will seek to validate engineering features designed to protect the warhead as it passes through the upper atmosphere and then is delivered to a distant target. The latest designs appear to cobble together older systems including portions of a missile frame used to launch satellites into orbit with a more advanced engine that North Korea began testing earlier this year. Much of the technology is based on old Soviet-era designs that have been reworked by what U.S. experts describe as an increasingly capable cadre of homegrown engineers, goaded along by a leadership that has pursued nuclear weapons and delivery systems with single-minded zeal. Kim vowed in January to successfully test a nuclear-capable ICBM in 2017, achieving a long-sought goal that North Koreans believe will serve as the ultimate deterrent against threats to the communist regime's survival. At the time, the U.S. intelligence community's formal assessment still held that a credible ICBM threat would not emerge until 2020 at the earliest. "North Korea's timeline moved faster than we expected," said the U.S. official familiar with the new DIA assessment. "We weren't expecting an ICBM test in July." Former U.S. officials and weapons experts said a successful test of a nuclear-capable ICBM would dramatically raise the stakes in the North Korean crisis, putting new pressure on North Korea's neighbors and increasing the risk of miscalculation. "The danger is that decision time and warning is greatly reduced when North Korea has the weapons, and that escalation can happen quickly," said Jon Wolfsthal, senior director for arms control and nonproliferation with the Obama administration's National Security Council. The specter of a nuclear-armed, ICBM-capable Kim "takes the risk to a new level but does not change the nature of the threat we have faced for some time," Wolfsthal said. "We have to deter North Korea from ever using any nuclear weapons and make clear that any move to use these weapons is suicide." To be or not to be. It looks as if the 12-foot, 926-pound mega mako reeled in over the weekend is not going to set a record as New Jersey's largest shark ever caught. Yes, the mako is bigger than the 880-pound tiger shark caught in 1988 and recorded by wildlife officials as the largest. But the state Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife does not recognize a fish caught by more than one angler. So the six guys who hooked and took turns reeling in the marine beast are not record-setters, said Lawrence Hajna, a department spokesman. "Technically it will not qualify," Hajna said. "If you look at the shark alone, it would appear to be a record shark." It's a little confusing on the department website's list of regulations. According to Rule No. 3: "New Jersey state records are determined by weight alone." Not so. Hajna points to the bottom of the application where it notes that the angler (singular) must swear that the fish was caught without anyone's help. It may sound bureaucratic, but that's the rule, Hajna said, adding that the mako was still "quite a haul" and an "interesting fish story." Mark Miccio, who was among six family members and friends who booked the Jenny Lee recreational fishing vessel in Brielle, is not defeated. "It's a record for us," he said with good humor. They had the mako's weight certified at Hoffman's Marina in Manasquan, and sent a picture to fish and wildlife officials. They did not submit an application because of the single-angler rule. They have 30 days to do so, but Miccio said he does not plan to. Meanwhile, the group has become part of a social-media controversy in which animal rights activists have accused them of killing simply to get a trophy for a group photo. Activists argue the shark is overfished and should be released when caught. The anglers shot the shark with a 12-gauge shotgun to kill it before pulling it on board the boat. Others defended the fishermen, noting the mako was not a trophy because it was cut into steaks. Miccio said the crew explained that shooting the shark was the humane way to put down the fish and to protect the safety of those on the boat. Miccio likened it to hunters who wound a deer. They wouldn't strap the animal to the hood of their truck while it was still alive, he said. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Bob Brady's campaign secretly paid a 2012 primary rival $90,000 to abandon his race and that the city's longtime Democratic power broker later tried to derail an FBI investigation into the payoff by coaching a witness. Those accusations, in court filings made public for the first time, emerged with the disclosure that an aide to Brady's challenger, senior Municipal Court Judge Jimmie Moore, had admitted her role in the payoff scheme and pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal it. Neither Brady nor Moore has been charged with a crime. Nor were they identified by name in the court documents that outlined the plea by Moore's former political aide, Carolyn Cavaness. But a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia about her guilty plea made clear the crime was related to the 2012 primary campaign for Pennsylvania's First Congressional District, which Brady has represented for nearly two decades. Under wraps for at least months, the case suggests that Brady chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee since 1986 and the second-longest-serving U.S. representative in the state may be the city's latest major officeholder under FBI scrutiny, less than a year after a former House colleague, former Rep. Chaka Fattah, was sent to prison for corruption-related crimes. Reached for comment after the filings were unsealed late Tuesday, Brady referred a reporter to Ken Smukler, his longtime political consultant. "You have to talk to Kenny," Brady said. "They did all that. That's five years ago. I don't remember none of that." Asked if his campaign sent Moore's campaign $90,000 to pay debts, Brady said: "Whatever they did, I don't know." Lawyers for Smukler and Brady insisted both men had done nothing wrong. Moore did not respond to requests for comment. Cavaness, the 34-year-old pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Ardmore, had worked as a deputy finance director in the New York office of then-Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2008 run for president before Cavaness landed on Moore's campaign. The unsealed records show she admitted during a brief hearing in federal court Friday that in 2012 she helped funnel the $90,000 from Brady's political action committee to Moore's campaign coffers after he ended his brief bid for Congress. According to her plea agreement, Moore instructed her to create a company whose sole purpose would be to receive funds from Brady's political campaign that could then be used to pay Moore's political debts. The payments were allegedly routed through two political consultants, who helped generate a paper trail to justify the payments from Brady's campaign. Prosecutors have not named those consultants, but a source familiar with the investigation identified them as Smukler and Don "D.A." Jones, another longtime Brady political staffer. Jones declined to comment Tuesday. In an interview, Smukler attorney Brian McMonagle said: "Ken Smukler has done nothing wrong and is completely innocent of any criminal wrongdoing." Cavaness pleaded guilty to causing false statements to the Federal Election Commission, because none of the payments was recorded in Moore's campaign-finance reports. It is unclear whether the deal Cavaness struck with prosecutors requires her to cooperate with investigators or testify against any potential co-conspirators. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Her lawyer, Anthony J. Petrone, said only: "My client admitted to her role in the offense. What others intend to do is up to them." It is also unclear why prosecutors waited five days to announce her guilty plea. But in court records, they did not mince words about why they had wanted to keep the records from public view until after her hearing: They said they feared Brady would try to interfere with the investigation. In a motion last month asking a judge to seal records regarding the plea deal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gibson warned of "a significant danger that [Brady], or others on his behalf, would attempt to contact [her] in a corrupt attempt to influence [her] decision." To justify his concern, Gibson detailed another scene that he said played out just days after FBI agents talked to Brady in April. The congressman, Gibson said, had approached another witness in the case and sought to sync their stories. Brady, the filings say, asked whether that unidentified person "was clear about what [had] happened" and stressed that he took care of Cavaness, whom he referred to as "Moore's girl" and had done nothing wrong. "The government submits that this conduct by [Brady] was intended to influence [that person's] account of the matter under investigation," the prosecutor wrote. In an interview late Tuesday, Brady's attorney, former federal prosecutor James Eisenhower, said Brady had been cooperating with investigators. "He has done nothing wrong," Eisenhower said. "He intends to continue to cooperate with them and maintain his innocence." Brady is by far the most experienced of Philadelphia's three U.S. House members. While still seen as a creature of Philadelphia much more than Washington, he also is a loyal ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. He is the top Democrat on the House's administrative committee, which, among other things, oversees federal elections. Now in his 10th term in Congress, the former union leader rarely has faced formidable opposition at the polls. Moore was no exception. At the end of 2011, after Moore's campaign was underway, he reported having $3,977 in the bank, federal campaign-finance reports showed, and he had poured tens of thousands of dollars of his own money into the campaign. At the same time, Brady reported $758,355 on hand for the race. When he dropped out of the race three months later, Moore released a joint statement with Brady saying his decision reflected "an effort to unify the Philadelphia Democratic Party. " Brady in turn praised the decision as "selfless" and pledged to "support Judge Moore in the future." The investigation had been bubbling for at least a few months before bursting into view this week. Florence Farinella, the widow of Brady's former campaign treasurer, Louis Farinella Jr., said Tuesday that FBI agents had visited their house in April, demanding to enter. But she said her husband was at Holy Redeemer Hospice. Agents then went there and gave him a subpoena. "They served him papers there. They're aholes," Florence Farinella said. "He could barely talk, his lungs were so bad." Louis Farinella died April 28 of renal failure, she said. Asked if her husband ever mentioned the FBI investigation, Florence Farinella said: "Whatever happened with that, I have no idea. My husband and Bob [Brady] said the less I know, the better off I am. In case it goes any further." Staff writers William Bender, Craig R. McCoy, and Jonathan Tamari contributed to this article. To the end, psychotherapist Ramon M. Morales insisted that it was an accident, that he didn't know he had hit Thomas Dunbar Jr. and his motor scooter. Morales said he didn't realize he had dragged Dunbar's trapped body 293 feet along Lehigh Avenue, had stopped and backed up over him, then had driven off while witnesses screamed at him to stop. "Absolutely preposterous," said Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi, sentencing the 63-year-old Port Richmond man to five to 15 years in prison for last year's hit-and-run crash that killed Dunbar, 35, at Lehigh and Aramingo Avenues in Kensington. "Anyone who has ever got behind the wheel of a car, sure as I sit, knows if they hit something," DeFino-Nastasi said. "It strains credulity to ask this court to accept that." In a five-minute address to the judge before he was sentenced, translated from Spanish to English by a court interpreter, Morales offered condolences to about 35 of Dunbar's relatives and friends "for this tragic accident." Morales said that "an accident is an accident" and "never did I intend to destroy a human life." He criticized trial witnesses for testifying about things he said didn't happen and told the judge that the packed bags, passport, and other papers police found when they arrested him at his house in the 3200 block of Cedar Street did not mean he was preparing to flee to his native Dominican Republic. The prison term was longer than the mandatory three to six years but shorter than the five to 17 years requested by Assistant District Attorney Tracie Gaydos. Defense attorney Anthony Gil had urged DeFino-Nastasi to sentence Morales to not more than three years in prison, citing Morales' age and lack of a criminal record. "This man is a pillar of his community," Gil said, as Morales' aged parents, brother, and sister-in-law listened. "He has helped people. He has counseled people." Gaydos presented five witnesses and read statements from five others describing the hole Dunbar's death had left in their lives. A friend, Ryan Smith, described the sense of adventure he and Dunbar felt as they left their close-knit Port Richmond neighborhood for the first time to attend the University of Scranton. "He introduced me to my wife," Smith said, adding that their child "would never get to meet him." Dunbar's cousin Ashley Crandall told the judge: "I have never seen heartbreak the way I've seen it this last year." Dunbar's uncle Dominic Pietropaula struggled to compose himself as he read a statement by Dunbar's father, Thomas Sr., describing his pride of working alongside his son for the same construction company. "It's been over a year since I lost Tommy, and the pain is just as bad, if not worse," Dunbar Sr.'s statement read. On April 28, a Common Pleas Court jury found Morales guilty of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The jury acquitted him of the more serious charge of third-degree murder. Dunbar was driving home on his Vespa scooter with takeout food about 9 p.m. on April 13, 2016. Witnesses testified that he was about to make a right turn from Aramingo onto Lehigh when Morales' Pontiac Aztek hit him and knocked him from the scooter. As witnesses screamed for him to stop, Morales dragged Dunbar's body 293 feet before stopping, reversing, dislodging the body, and driving off. One witness, Efrain Diaz, said he chased the Aztek through Kensington in his Chrysler 300, lights flashing and horn honking. Three times, Diaz said, he got alongside the Aztek and yelled his message in Spanish at Morales, only to watch him pull away. " 'Why are you doing this to me?' " Diaz said Morales demanded. "I said that you hit a person, you need to go back and call the police," Diaz testified. "Tomorrow," Diaz said Morales replied. "No, let's do this tomorrow." Although the Aztek again drove away, Diaz had copied the license-plate number. Later that evening, police were outside Morales' Cedar Street house. They stayed for 18 hours until they got a warrant to enter. WASHINGTON Senate Republican leaders appeared close to getting the support they needed Tuesday to begin debate on their plan to rewrite the Affordable Care Act, according to lawmakers and aides, though the proposal they would consider could change dramatically once senators began voting. Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) will return to Washington for the key procedural vote, which will allow the Senate to move forward with health care legislation, and a longtime holdout, conservative Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) indicated on Twitter that he was now open to the idea. That puts the leadership within range of the votes it needs, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch Connell (R., Ky.) negotiated with centrists by promising that they would ultimately like the final product. Republican leaders now see a scaled-down version of the bill as perhaps their best chance of winning final passage. That would set up a House-Senate conference to resolve the differences between the two proposals, buying Republicans more time. McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, was to arrive at the Capitol at 2:45 p.m., according to his office. The senator, who had been recuperating from surgery and exploring treatment options in Arizona, will later deliver remarks on the Senate floor after the vote. President Trump praised the senator for returning in an early-morning tweet Tuesday before exhorting Republicans to back the measure. Republican senators braced Tuesday for a long day in the Capitol. The Senate was scheduled to gavel at noon and GOP senators will spend the early afternoon inside a weekly policy luncheon where many are hoping to gain more clarity from McConnell on what they will be asked to vote for in the afternoon or evening. On the Senate floor, McConnell called the 2:15 pm procedural vote "a critical first step" in unwinding the landmark 2010 health care law. As the scheduled vote neared, McConnell said Republican senators had a chance to follow through on a seven-year promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He also repeated the thinly veiled threat Trump leveled in a speech a day earlier: a vote to block debate on repeal is a vote to save Obamacare. "Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you're just fine with the Obamacare nightmare," McConnell said. "I would urge them to remember the families who are hurting under this collapsing law." McConnell is currently planning to file motions to bring up a version of a 2015 bill repealing the law outright, according to several individuals briefed on the plan who asked for anonymity to discuss private conversations, with several degrees of amendments. These amendments would include some version of a more recent Senate health care bill and proposals by both Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio). The Cruz amendment would allow insurers to offer coverage on the ACA market that does not include all the benefits currently required under the law, as long as they provided one fully-compliant plan. The Portman amendment would add an additional $100 billion in flexible spending under Medicaid, according to these individuals. Even with McCain in the Capitol and voting to proceed to the bill and it's not yet certain he will support it McConnell can only lose two of the other 50 Republican senators. All 48 Democrats plan to vote no. To win over a handful of centrist senators, who have expressed concern about the bill's deep cuts to Medicaid and its phaseout of the program's expansion under the ACA, top administration officials have promised lawmakers more flexibility and extra funding to help transition millions of low-income Americans onto private insurance. McConnell and his deputies were still bartering with a handful of GOP holdouts throughout Monday evening and into Tuesday morning, according to several GOP aides. Leaders argued skeptics should vote to start debate on the grounds that they would be happy with the final bill, without revealing exact details of what the legislation would include. Seema Verma, director of the Health and Human Services Department's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has provided some Republicans an analysis of how the bill would affect people covered by the expansion in their states, according to individuals briefed on the matter. They said Verma has suggested that money in the bill could help state residents pay premiums to obtain the lowest-level plans on the ACA-market, known as "bronze" plans and has promised up to $100 billion in flexible Medicaid funding. Several of these Medicaid expansion-state GOP senators, including Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Cory Gardner, Colo., Todd Young, Ind., and Rob Portman, Ohio, held one of their regular meetings on Monday night. Portman left the session and headed straight to McConnell's office to discuss the health-care proposal. Vice President Mike Pence and White House legislative affairs director Marc Short plan to attend Tuesday's lunch, Short said Tuesday. He said the president has been placing calls "to a couple of members" in hopes of rounding up the votes to proceed to the bill. He said the administration has also serves as a resource to provide "technical assistance" to senators looking to get policy questions answered as they make up their minds. On Tuesday a coalition of medical and consumer groups reiterated their intense opposition to all the health-care plans Senate Republicans have been considering, calling on them to drop those bills and begin anew with a bipartisan process that includes standard committee hearings. In a conference call, David Barbe, the president of the American Medical Association and part of the coalition, challenged the claims Senate GOP leaders have made about their main legislation to dismantle large parts of the Affordable Care Act. "It does not make care more affordable to low-income Americans," Barbe said. "It does not reduce out-of-pocket costs. It could trigger substantial increases for patients with preexisting conditions." Only one senator, centrist Susan Collins, Maine, has said publicly she would not vote "yes" to move forward on any of the plans that have been floated so far. On Twitter Tuesday morning the president described the procedural vote that would allow debate on health-care legislation to begin as a crucial litmus test for his party. "After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!" Trump wrote, adding in another, "ObamaCare is torturing the American People.The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand." CLEAR LAKE | A two-vehicle crash on I-35 near Clear Lake early Monday morning resulted in minor injuries, according to law enforcement. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office says a northbound 2015 Dodge Ram driven by Michael Hill of Holden, Mo., was rear-ended by a 2008 Ford Focus driven by Christopher Platz, 29, Kansas City, Mo. Hill had turned his hazards on to pull on to the shoulder near mile marker 192 around 1:12 a.m., the sheriff's office said in a news release. The crash occurred near mile marker 192. Platz, who the sheriff's office said had minor injuries, was transported to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa by Clear Lake Fire and Rescue. He was cited for failure to reduce speed to a reasonable and proper rate. The Clear Lake Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol also provided assistance at the scene. Courtney Fiorini WASHINGTON Anthony Scaramucci, the flashy financier President Trump hired to overhaul the White House communications operation, is exercising a broad mandate from the president and intends to follow through on threats to purge aides he believes are disloyal to Trump and leaking to the press, officials with knowledge of the fast-moving effort said Monday. Just four days into the job, Scaramucci has moved into Trump's inner sanctum and is now described by some colleagues as almost family to the president in contrast to his predecessor, outgoing press secretary Sean Spicer, who was described more like the help. In consultation with confidants inside and outside the administration, Scaramucci has begun undertaking an audit of the White House's dozens of press and communications staffers. He is meeting one-on-one with aides in an effort to understand each person's contributions and weed out those he determines are not working hard enough to defend the president through the crises besieging the White House, according to several of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal issues. The potential shake-up has exacerbated long-simmering tensions between Scaramucci and chief of staff Reince Priebus, according to people familiar with the dynamic, despite the outward, if forced, public displays of unity between the two men. Scaramucci has long complained to associates that some White House staffers have been more focused on managing the image of Priebus than on defending Trump and promoting his agenda. An informal list of names, including several officials who previously worked under Priebus and Spicer at the Republican National Committee, has been circulating among Scaramucci allies as those whose jobs may be in jeopardy. One of Priebus' deputies, Katie Walsh, was pushed out of the White House earlier this year, and Scaramucci's planned overhaul is likely to leave Priebus even more isolated in the West Wing. Scaramucci also has vowed to root out unauthorized leaks to journalists from White House officials an issue that has consumed and enraged the president. Over the weekend, Scaramucci delivered an unusual public warning to the staff he is inheriting: If you are leaking, prepare to be fired. "We've got to get the leaks stopped," he said on Fox News Sunday. "If we don't get the leaks stopped I am a businessperson, and so I will take dramatic action to stop those leaks." Scaramucci did not respond to requests for comment for this story, but other White House officials, as well as outside Trump loyalists, described Scaramucci's efforts so far. They said he is likely to move quickly to make changes, pointing out that the president has little patience for reading what one informal adviser called "reorganization stories" in the press. Trump has empowered Scaramucci to make the changes that he sees fit, these people said. While the communications director traditionally reports to the chief of staff, Scaramucci reports directly to Trump. Scaramucci said Friday that the aides whose jobs are secure other than Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was promoted to replace Spicer as press secretary are Hope Hicks, the director of strategic communications, and Dan Scavino, the director of social media, both of whom have the top rank of assistant to the president and are personally close to Trump. "Anthony's extremely empowered," said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign and transition adviser. "The president deserves a top-tier communications shop, and with Anthony they get a top-tier talent to manage the communications shop. We're going to see a communications shop that's dedicated to pushing the president's agenda and defending the president, and I can't say that that's always been the case." Trump respects Scaramucci's financial success and his television performances, in which Scaramucci both defends and flatters the president while simultaneously charming and jousting with journalists, people familiar with the president's thinking said. Trump has been especially taken by Scaramucci's confidence and his biography as a Long Island kid who became a wealthy Manhattan player. Inside the White House, the mood surrounding the shift from Spicer to Scaramucci has been mixed. Some aides are enthusiastic "It's a whole new day," one said and say Scaramucci is reinvigorating an embattled staff. These aides also privately voiced good riddance to Spicer, an experienced operative who some viewed as a poor manager in a stressful environment. Some recounted with glee an anecdote published in the Wall Street Journal of Spicer stealing a mini-fridge from junior staffers working in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and lugging the icebox to his West Wing office late one evening after many of his colleagues had gone home. But other aides express immense sympathy for Spicer, believing he did the best anyone could have done given the sometimes impossible task of explaining the unexplainable, and performing every day for a critical boss who always believed he was his own best messenger. The existential question for Scaramucci is whether he can truly change the chaotic environment in the White House, much of which emanates from the 71-year-old man in the Oval Office who shows little willingness to change his behavior. "The majority of the communications problems have been caused by the president going off script and blowing up a well-planned message week with a single tweet, and it doesn't matter who the staffers are in the communications office if the principals can't get on the same page with the message and exercise some self-discipline," said Ryan Williams, a Republican strategist. "Unlike every other staffer, maybe Anthony Scaramucci will be able to persuade the president to stay on message, but I'll believe it when I see it." Scaramucci wants the communications shop focused on serving a single client the president and is looking outside of the White House to recruit new advisers with professional experience, especially on television. He is considering bringing on corporate communications specialists as well as people who have on-air experience, according to people briefed on his plans. Scaramucci has deep contacts at Fox News, where he was a paid contributor and hosted a weekly show on Fox Business Network. Wayne Berman, a longtime Republican operative whose name has been previously floated as a possible chief of staff, is scheduled to meet with Scaramucci on Tuesday at the White House, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Rather than try to develop a communications strategy that restricts Trump's public comments and engagement with the media, Scaramucci is trying to help channel the populist and pugilistic instincts that propelled Trump's candidacy. "You can either adapt Trump into the presidency, or you can adapt the presidency into Trump," said Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser. "The latter is the only way it will ever work, and I think that's what we're seeing." Over the past two months, Spicer all but stopped allowing television cameras to record or broadcast the White House's near-daily news briefings. The move was seen by some critics as a survival strategy for Spicer, because it meant the president could no longer critique his performances on television. But on Monday, in one of his first acts as communications director, Scaramucci who on the circuit of Sunday shows directly addressed the president through the television reversed Spicer's directive. Turning to the president's favorite medium of Twitter, Scaramucci declared, "The TV Cameras are back on." Everything is happening so fast or at least that's how it feels trying to follow politics these days. You've seen the headlines about President Trump and his policies but what do they mean for Philadelphia? What does that mean for you? We've launched a newsletter to explore just that. You can sign up to get the weekly Trumpadelphia newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday. President Trump tweeted that "all agree the U.S. President has the complete power to pardon." It's true that the president has the constitutional power to issue pardons, but there are some limits to that power. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution says a president cannot pardon "in cases of impeachment." It also limits the power to "offenses against the United States," which would exclude violations of state laws. The issue of whether a president could pardon himself remains an unresolved legal issue that is open to debate. Trump's own attorney, Jay Sekulow, said on ABC's This Week that the power to pardon oneself has "never been adjudicated" and would likely be decided by the Supreme Court. The president posted his tweet on July 22 a day after the Washington Post reported that some of the president's lawyers are "discussing the president's authority to grant pardons" for his "aides, family members and even himself" in connection with the federal investigation into whether the Trump campaign cooperated with Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The Post report on the issue of pardons was based on anonymous sources described as "people familiar with the effort." We asked the White House what the president meant by "complete power," but we have not received a response. Sekulow, Trump's attorney, described the president's tweet on This Week as "rather unremarkable." He said that Trump's tweet was merely stating that "under the Constitution, under Article Two, Section Two, the president has the authority to pardon." If that's what the president meant, Kermit Roosevelt, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and constitutional scholar, told us that Trump would be correct that the Constitution gives the president "complete power, rather than only part[ial]" power over pardons. "The President decides whether to pardon or not, and no one else can control that decision," Roosevelt said in an email. "I would say everyone agrees on that." But there are limits to that power, Roosevelt said. "If he meant the President can pardon anyone for any offense, he's wrong," he said in an email. "The Constitution says that he can't use the pardon to undo or prevent an impeachment, and also that he can only pardon for offenses against the United States, which means not for state-law crimes (and state attorneys general do have criminal investigations underway). I would also say everyone agrees on that." New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is looking into both Eric Trump's foundation and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort's real estate deals. Here is what the Constitution says: U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and Brian Kalt, a Michigan State University law professor, told CNN that a presidential pardon "doesn't reach state crimes (only 'offenses against the United States') and it can't stop or undo a congressional impeachment, but other than that the power is pretty broad." Sekulow, Trump's attorney, disputed the Post's account of discussions among the president's legal team about possible pardons. He said, "Pardons have not been discussed and pardons are not on the table." Sekulow, July 23: And it while it makes for interesting academic decisions, let me tell you what the legal team is not doing. We're not researching the issue, because the issue of pardons is not on the table, there's nothing to pardon from. With regard to the issue of a president pardoning himself, theres a big academic discussion going on right now, an academic debate. Youve got Professor Tribe arguing one point, youve got Professor Turley arguing another point. Sekulow is referring to Laurence H. Tribe, a Harvard University law professor, and Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor. Both professors separately penned op-eds in the Washington Post on presidential pardons and the issue of whether Trump could pardon himself. In a July 21 op-ed, Tribe and two former White House ethics lawyers wrote that the Constitution "specifically bars the president from using the pardon power to prevent his own impeachment and removal." In the op-ed, Tribe, Richard Painter, who was chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, and Norman Eisen, who held the same position for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011, cited language in the Constitution that specifically bars a president from issuing a pardon "in cases of impeachment." "The Constitution specifically bars the president from using the pardon power to prevent his own impeachment and removal. It adds that any official removed through impeachment remains fully subject to criminal prosecution," they wrote. "That provision would make no sense if the president could pardon himself." The authors of the op-ed also said they agreed with an Aug. 5, 1974, memo written by Mary C. Lawton, who at the time was an acting assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel during the Watergate investigation. Lawton's memo, which was written four days before President Richard Nixon resigned from office, said: "Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the President cannot pardon himself." Tribe and his co-authors argued that the Constitution allows the president "to act essentially in the role of a judge of another person's criminal case, and to intervene on behalf of the defendant when the president determines that would be equitable." On the same day, Turley wrote that the president "clearly" has the power to pardon his family members and aides and could "probably" pardon himself, but he advised against it. "In the end, a pardon of Trump's allies and family let alone himself would destroy any legacy of Trump's and demean his office," Turley wrote. Like Sekulow, Turley said the issue of a self-pardon is legally unsettled. "The issue of whether a president can pardon himself is one of the unanswered questions of the Constitution; it has never happened in the history of our republic," Turley wrote. "Even Nixon did not stoop to a self-pardon, although he did research it. Neither did Andrew Johnson or Bill Clinton, both of whom were impeached by the House but not removed from office by the Senate." So, while constitutional scholars agree that the president has the power to pardon others, there are some limits to that power, and the question of whether a president can pardon himself is an unresolved legal issue that remains in dispute. Popular conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh (left) issued a surprising rebuke against President Trump over his continued lashing out at a Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Read more President Trump's continued criticisms of Attorney General Jeff Sessions are beginning to cause a split among conservative media figures who had largely backed him during his first six months in office. On Tuesday, Trump turned up the heat on Sessions, calling him out along with acting FBI chief Andrew McCabe in a series of early-morning tweets for not pursuing "Hillary Clinton crimes." Trump's comments came after the president took repeated swipes at Sessions on Monday, referring to him as "our beleaguered A.G." and wondering why he wasn't "looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" Trump has ratcheted up his attacks in recent days after revealing in a New York Times interview that he would not have chosen Sessions as his attorney general if had known that Sessions would recuse himself from all investigations into Russian meddling during the 2016 campaign. According to my colleague Chris Mondics, any move to replace Sessions "surely will be part of a larger effort to rein in independent counsel Mueller, if not get rid of him altogether." The Associated Press reported that firing Sessions could "raise the specter" of Trump asking Sessions' appointed replacement to fire Robert Muller, the former FBI director and special counsel who is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. "Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else," Trump said, calling Sessions' decision "very unfair." Sessions is popular among Trump's conservative base and is one of the president's most loyal backers. He was among the first establishment Republicans to support Trump during the 2016 campaign. Right-wing talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, whose popular syndicated show is broadcast daily on 1210 WPHT, defended Sessions as a "by-the-book" attorney general and legal mind, and said Trump's continued swipes at him are "unseemly." "It's also a little bit discomforting, unseemly, for Trump to go after such a loyal supporter this way," Limbaugh said on his radio show Monday, noting that Sessions has made it clear he doesn't intend to resign. "After Trump gave him the invitation to quit, Sessions doubled down on how much he loves the job, how much he's going to continue to love the job, how he's gonna keep performing the job while appropriate," Limbaugh said. The opinions of conservative media figures like Limbaugh carry weight with Trump, who is keenly aware of the outsize role they have in molding opinions among his conservative base. It's such an important consideration that Trump has reportedly asked his advisers how firing Sessions "would play in the conservative media," according to the Washington Post. Limbaugh isn't the only prominent Trump supporter who has come to Sessions' defense. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, a strong ally of the president and a frequent guest on Fox News, said he would "strongly oppose" the firing of Sessions due to his support among Trump's base. "His base thinks that on things like [violent street gangs] and sanctuary cities that Sessions is doing a fine job, and I think his base would be confused," Gingrich said, adding that Trump's comments alone could have serious repercussions for his entire White House staff. "Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team," Gingrich said. Fox News host Tucker Carlson joined other conservative media figures in defending Sessions, calling Trump's actions a "useless, self-destructive act" and said the president's repeated attacks are a "worrisome sign the president may be forgetting who is on his side." "Pay less attention to The New York Times and more to Matt Drudge," Carlson suggested. "Lay off Jeff Sessions. He's your friend." On the other hand, some conservative media figures continue to back the president in his fight with Sessions. "Donald Trump is a fighter, and he wants people who are on his team who are fighters as well," said Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy. "He doesn't want somebody who's got to fold before they can fight." Fox News host Eric Bolling, among the president's most ardent backers on cable news, lashed out at Sessions on Monday for recusing himself, suggesting that he might have done so in an attempt to ask for immunity. "You can cut a deal," Bolling said. "I'll recuse myself, but guess what, I get immunity." Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump's most vocal backer on cable news, complained about Sessions not investigating Hillary Clinton "I don't know where Jeff Sessions is, maybe something's happening that we don't know about," Hannity said on his radio show, frustrated about Sessions' apparent lack of interest in investigating reports that Ukrainian officials helped research connections between former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Russia for the DNC to help Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. "I'm like, OK, we have a new attorney general, statute of limitations have not gone anywhere," Hannity added. "Why isn't this woman being investigated?" Underscoring the importance of support from conservative media figures like Hannity, Trump tagged the Fox News host in a separate Tuesday morning tweet where the president complained about the lack of interest in investigating Clinton. Ahead of President Trump's appearance Monday at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, the troops were offered some advice on the gathering's official blog: Fully hydrate. Be "courteous" and "kind." And avoid the kind of divisive chants heard during the 2016 campaign such as "build the wall" and "lock her up." But from the moment he took stage, Trump who was never a scout himself but touted his role as the "honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America" started leading them down a very different path. Over the next 35 minutes, the president threatened to fire one of his cabinet members, attacked former President Barack Obama, dissed his former rival Hillary Clinton, marveled at the size of the crowd, warned the boys about the "fake media," mocked pollsters and pundits and said more people would say "Merry Christmas" under his presidency. He also told a rambling tale about a famous, now-deceased homebuilder that meandered from a Manhattan cocktail party to a yacht and then to places that the president would only allow the boys' imaginations to go. The speech was, in fact, very much like the rally speeches that Trump gave across the country last year, although he sprinkled some pieces of inspirational advice ("Do something you love") and reflections on Boy Scout values ("We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."). Trump was joined by former scouts who serve in his cabinet, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke the latter wore a scouting outfit for the occasion. "Ryan is an Eagle Scout from Big Sky country in Montana," Trump relayed. As the president's speech grew long, Perry appeared to grow bored as he stood behind Trump, chatting with others, flipping through a book and then filming a video of the crowd. Not invited on the adventure: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an Eagle Scout whose day job appears in jeopardy in Washington. Trump began the official address, delivered from a podium with the presidential seal, by pledging to talk about things loftier than politics. "Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C., you've been hearing about with the fake news," the president told the crowd of scouts and volunteers gathered in Glen Jean, West Virginia. "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" But before long, Trump dove into the politics of the Republican health-care bill, which could die if it doesn't clear a key procedural vote on Tuesday. Trump pointed to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who's been tasked with selling the legislation. "Hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow," Trump said, stressing the importance of overhauling the Affordable Care Act, which he called "this horrible thing that's really hurting us." As chants of "USA! USA!" broke out, Trump asked Price: "By the way, are you going to get the votes? You better get the votes. Otherwise, I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.'" Trump also slipped in a reference to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.), one of the Republican holdouts on moving forward with the bill, which would leave up to 22 million fewer Americans with health insurance by 2026, according to estimates. "You better get Senator Capito to vote for it," the president told Price. Seemingly returning to the teleprompters, Trump pivoted to another subject. "Boy Scout values are American values," the president said. "And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the scout law says, a scout is trustworthy, loyal we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that." It wasn't clear what Trump was referencing. Perhaps it was fellow members of his party refusing to vote for health-care legislation. Or perhaps it was Sessions, whom earlier in the day Trump had called "beleaguered" in a tweet. Trump harshly criticized Sessions last week for recusing himself from investigations involving Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Boy Scouts then chanted the 10 other words that make up the Boy Scout Law: "Helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." On the stage behind Trump, Zinke and Perry stood at attention and held their right hands up in the Boy Scout salute. Trump smiled. "Very good," he told the boys. "Very good." At another point, Trump marveled at the more than 30,000 scouts that had gathered for the jamboree, although he acted as if they were there just for him and not for a regular event attended by seven other presidents. "What do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero," Trump said as the scouts yelled out answers and "CNN!" "The fake media will say. . . 'President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today.' That is some crowd. Fake media! Fake news!" As Trump told the scouts that they should spend their adult years doing something that they love to do, someone in the crowd shouted out that he loved the president. "I love you, too," Trump said, before jumping into a monologue on love between males. "I don't know, it's a nice guy. Hey, what am I going to do, he sounds like a nice person. He. He, he, he. Thank you. I do, I do love you." The boys laughed and then seemed to chant something that sounded like: "We love Trump! We love Trump!" Trump smiled and applauded them on, then said: "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?" "Nooooo!" the boys roared back in a sound that seemed to evolve into booing, apparently not giving Obama credit for sending a video message to the 2010 jamboree. Ahead of the gathering, the scouts were told on the jamboree's blog that it would be inappropriate to behave as though they were at a campaign rally. Such behavior, the blog said, "is considered divisive by many members of our audience and may cause unnecessary friction between individuals and units. . . Please help us ensure that all Scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure that your troop members are respectful not only of the president, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight." Before departing, Trump took some time to relive last year's election, chiding Clinton for not working hard enough in several Midwestern states. He recalled the "massive" crowds he drew in Wisconsin, a state that a Republican presidential candidate hadn't won in "many, many years." "Michigan came in and we worked hard there. You know, my opponent didn't work hard there. She was told she was gonna win Michigan and I said, 'Wait a minute, the car industry is going to move to Mexico.' " "Boooo!" the boys roared. Everything is happening so fast or at least that's how it feels trying to follow politics these days. You've seen the headlines about President Trump and his policies but what do they mean for Philadelphia? What does that mean for you? We've launched a newsletter to explore just that. You can sign up to get the weekly Trumpadelphia newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday. President Trump and his advisers are privately discussing the possibility of replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and some confidants are floating prospects who could take his place were he to resign or be fired, according to people familiar with the talks. Members of Trump's circle, including White House officials, have increasingly raised the question among themselves in recent days as the president has continued to vent his frustration with the attorney general, the people said. Replacing Sessions is viewed by some Trump associates as potentially being part of a strategy to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller and end his investigation of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The president took another swipe at Sessions on Monday, calling his attorney general "our beleaguered A.G." and asking why Sessions was not "looking into Crooked Hillary's crimes & Russia relations?" Both points are notable. Sessions was once considered one of Trump's closest advisers and enjoyed access few others had. Now he is left to endure regular public criticism by his boss. Trump's suggestion, too, that his top law enforcement official investigate a former political rival is astounding, and even his allies have said in the past that such a move would be unheard of in the United States. Trump, after the election, had backed away from the idea of possibly prosecuting Hillary Clinton. Sessions's tight relationship with Trump and the White House has unraveled since he recused himself in March from the Russia probe. The president had privately complained about that decision for weeks, and in an interview with the New York Times last week he said he would not have appointed Sessions as attorney general had he known that Sessions would do such a thing. After Sessions recused himself, he passed on the responsibility to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who then appointed Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation. Trump could order Rosenstein and then Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand to fire Mueller. If they quit instead of doing so, he could appoint an acting attorney general who would. Trump could also appoint an acting attorney general with them in place effectively passing over Rosenstein and Brand and order that person to remove the special counsel. Trump's authority to jump Rosenstein and Brand, though, is murky. The Justice Department has issued opinions in the past saying that such a move is and isn't permissible. And his pick for an acting attorney general would have to have Senate confirmation and be serving elsewhere in the government or have worked in the Justice Department for 90 days within the past 365 and be at a certain senior pay level. Another scenario is that Trump could make a recess appointment, said Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Under that plan, Trump could choose an attorney general during the August recess who would serve until the end of the next Senate session, which could be early January 2019. That person would have the same authority as someone who is confirmed by the Senate, Vladeck said. Among the names being floated as possible Sessions replacements are Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, according to people familiar with the conversations. Giuliani dismissed a report mentioning his name as a possible attorney general and told CNN that Sessions "made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department" to recuse himself. He did not return a message seeking comment. In a statement released late Monday, Cruz said he was "deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as Attorney General. The stories being reported in the media tonight are false. My focus is and will remain on fighting every day to defend 28 million Texans in the U.S. Senate." Some Trump advisers said that this process could be agonizing for the attorney general, with the president's anger flaring but no decision being reached for weeks or maybe months, leaving Sessions isolated from the White House. Sessions was at the White House complex on Monday for a routine meeting but did not meet with the president. But not all in Trump's orbit share the view that Sessions' days are numbered. Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, told CNN on Monday afternoon that Trump and Sessions "need to sit down face-to-face and have a reconciliation and a discussion of the future." Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R., Ga.), a vigorous Trump ally, said in an interview that he and Trump had talked about Sessions and that Trump had indicated "he was very unhappy both with the recusal and the fact that Jeff didn't talk to him beforehand." But Gingrich said he would "strongly oppose" the firing of Sessions, because "I think his base likes Sessions." "His base thinks that on things like [violent street gangs] and sanctuary cities that Sessions is doing a fine job, and I think his base would be confused," Gingrich said. Gingrich also said he believed Sessions could survive the president's criticisms. "He said he's beleaguered, not failed, and he is a little beleaguered," Gingrich said. "This whole thing has been a mess." Trump, though, continues to let Sessions twist in the wind. One person close to Trump said the president asked him about how firing Sessions "would play in the conservative media." Trump also asked him whether it would help to replace Sessions "with a major conservative," the person said. For his part, Sessions shows no signs of stepping down. On Friday, Sessions traveled to Philadelphia to meet with law enforcement officials. In his speech, he vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and on "sanctuary cities" that are not communicating with federal authorities about undocumented immigrants. He spoke of how hard he is working, despite having none of his U.S. attorneys in place and most of his senior officials still not confirmed by the Senate. "I do my best every day," Sessions said, "to fulfill the goals the president and I share." Several of Sessions's Republican former colleagues on Capitol Hill have defended him in the face of the president's criticism. Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), a close friend, said that Sessions was "doing just fine." He also encouraged the president to try to patch up his relationship with his attorney general. "They're both adults, and they can work it out," Cornyn said. Everything is happening so fast or at least that's how it feels trying to follow politics these days. You've seen the headlines about President Trump and his policies but what do they mean for Philadelphia? What does that mean for you? We've launched a newsletter to explore just that. You can sign up to get the weekly Trumpadelphia newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday. Friends, this week I have a favor to ask: I'm writing a story and I want to hear from you. Specifically, I want to talk about how you follow political news these days and how it makes you feel whether the barrage of evening push notifications is giving you hives, whether you've given up on Twitter, whether you're obsessively following every twist and turn in this wild news cycle. If you're interested in rocketing to fame in the pages of your local newspaper you can get get in touch via my email at the top of this story. And, as always, you're getting this because you signed up for a newsletter on President Trump and how his policies affect Philadelphia. If you like what you read, please forward this to a friend! If you are the recipient of said forward, you can sign up to get this newsletter in your inbox, for free, every week, here. -Aubrey Whelan Today, lets talk about Jeff Sessions. Whats at stake We're in the middle of a positively wild news cycle Spicey, we hardly knew ye fueled mostly by a series of increasingly feverish tweetstorms from President Trump. Much of the president's ire has focused on his attorney general, Jeff Sessions beginning with Trump telling the Times last Wednesday he never would have hired the former senator from Alabama if he'd known he would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. His boss has been tweeting almost constantly about him since then: calling him "beleaguered" and his positions "weak" and, perhaps most significantly, questioning why he hasn't investigated Hillary Clinton. The local angle On Friday, with rumors swirling about his resignation, Sessions came to Philly, a sanctuary city whose mayor is a vocal critic of the Trump administration, to talk about the dangers of sanctuary cities. This went about as well as you would expect. After Sessions said he believed local police want to help the feds enforce immigration law, but are hamstrung by their cities' sanctuary policies, Philly Police Commissioner Richard Ross told reporters he didn't think local police should be involved in immigration enforcement at all. A few hours later, the Post reported that, during the election, Sessions may have discussed campaign matters with the Russian ambassador, something he'd previously denied. Whats ahead This isn't really about Jeff Sessions' terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. It's about the way President Trump talks about the Russian investigation, and about his staff, and about his own power something he's defining, in real time, on Twitter, as he discusses his ability to pardon people and muses about investigating political rivals. It's about how this kind of rhetoric is something we're increasingly inured to. Practically speaking, if Sessions resigns or Trump fires him, his replacement could temporarily skirt the confirmation process if Trump makes the appointment during a congressional recess. And my colleague Chris Mondics has a good breakdown of what to watch for in the event of a Sessions firing: political uproar, a boost for Trump's base and an effort to curtail or fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the Russia investigation. What theyre saying "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts, right?" President Trump, addressing 40,000 "If there's this level of tension in the relationship that's public, you're probably right "Let me be very clear: I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so." Boy Scouts at their national jamboree last night. He proceeded to spend much of the speech talking about politics. In other news Senate Republicans are voting on their healthcare bill today well, they're voting on a procedural measure to open debate on the bill. But no one's quite sure what bill they'll actually debate whether they'll opt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act or just repeal and delay, giving themselves two years to come up with a replacement. PA Sen. Pat Toomey, who helped author the bill, told my colleagues Chris Brennan and Jon Tamari yesterday that he doesn't know what he'll be voting on. Heady times! The Senate convenes at noon. The Trump administration declined to renew contracts with two companies charged with helping people sign up for the ACA in 18 cities, including Philadelphia. Critics worry that this, combined with a shorter healthcare enrollment period, is a sign Trump is making good on his occasional musings about letting Obamacare fail, the Associated Press reports. Medicaid and Medicare officials say the companies had only worked with a minute fraction of the overall number of people who got coverage under the ACA, and that other federally funded programs do the same job. Jeff Sessions recently announced that he's expanding the federal government's use of civil asset forfeiture, long a controversial issue in Philly, which allows local police to seize cash and property in criminal investigations and which critics on both sides of the aisle say funds police and prosecutors at the expense of people who often have nothing to do with those investigations. Under Sessions' expansion of the "adoptive forfeiture" program, state and local police in areas that have banned civil forfeiture could ask the feds to seize property on their behalf and still reap some of the profits from it. But it won't apply in Pennsylvania the state's civil-forfeiture reform law, passed earlier this year, specifically bans adoptive forfeiture. What Im reading The Atlantic looks at Jared Kushner's contacts with Russia and what they reveal about the Russians' playbook during the election. The New Yorker watches a bunch of old episodes of The Apprentice, the show that sold us our president, and comes away with some insights about the rise of Trump. Five Thirty Eight indulges in some extremely nerdy speculative fiction in the parallel universe where Hillary Clinton won the election. (Spoiler alert: their news cycle is also deeply exhausting.) A non-political palate cleanser Here is a story about Pete, a parrot from Allentown for whom Penn Vet is designing a 3D printed prosthetic leg. Do you have a problem trouble at work, relationship stress, or just some really hard math homework that you can't resolve on your own? You should turn to the man who is fixing problems for more than 300 million Americans. You should ask Jared Kushner. President Trump does it. When he needed somebody to negotiate peace in the Middle East, he asked Kushner. When he needed somebody to be his point man with China and with Mexico, he asked Kushner. When he needed somebody to solve the opioid epidemic, reform veterans' care, overhaul the criminal justice system, and reinvent the entire federal government, Trump again turned to Kushner. Even when he just needed somebody to strap a flak jacket over his navy blazer and fly off to Baghdad, Kushner was the one he asked. The president's 36-year-old son-in-law has done all this and more, even while keeping up with a demanding family life since the election: a beach trip to Hawaii, a ski trip to Aspen, another ski trip to British Columbia. Clearly he has time to help you, too. Kid has a fever? Rattle in the transmission? Weeds in the lawn? Ring around the collar? Ask JK. But what happens when Jared Kushner has a problem? What happens if and I'm speaking strictly hypothetically here Kushner were to neglect to mention in his security-clearance forms that he had had more than 100 meetings with foreigners, including some Russians? Sure, you can ask him. But he won't have a good answer. The seen-but-not-heard Kushner met with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday (at a session closed to the public, naturally). He explained his repeated lapses he had to amend one disclosure form three times by saying, essentially, that he was new to politics and so terribly busy that he couldn't keep up with everything. And he used the hoariest excuse of all: He blamed his assistant. "My experience was in business, not politics," he said in a written statement, and described himself as overwhelmed. "I must have received thousands of calls, letters and emails from people looking to talk or meet on a variety of issues and topics, including hundreds from outside the United States," he wrote, and "I could not be responsive to everyone." He explained that he just didn't know he was sitting down with people promising dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government because it "was typical for me to receive 200 or more emails a day during the campaign. I did not have the time to read every one." Kushner explained how a full accounting of his foreign contacts fell through the cracks "amid the scramble of finalizing the unwinding of my involvement from my company, moving my family to Washington, completing the paper work to divest assets and resign from my outside positions, and complete my security and financial disclosure forms." A "miscommunication" led his assistant to file his form prematurely. That's the trouble with Kushner's defense in the Russia imbroglio. He's essentially arguing that he isn't corrupt he's just in over his head. He didn't really know what he was doing, and he was too busy. Coming from the man charged with handling everything from Middle East peace to opioids, this isn't reassuring. This inexperience defense is consistent with Kushner's filing Friday showing that he had previously neglected to disclose more than 70 assets, as required, including an art collection (with wife Ivanka Trump) worth as much as $25 million. The Middle East peace negotiator also did not disclose that he held Israeli government bonds. Yet Kushner's father-in-law entrusted him with what is arguably the most difficult portfolio ever to be assigned to a White House aide. His previous experience: running his family real estate business, which he took over in 2005 when his father was convicted of tax evasion. The next year, Kushner bought a $1.8 billion Manhattan building, near the top of the real estate cycle, and his family has been trying to find investors to keep the project afloat. So now Kushner is defending himself by playing the ingenue: "All of these were tasks that I had never performed on a campaign previously," and "I could not even remember the name of the Russian ambassador." Kushner, arguing that he didn't seek to create a "back channel" with Russia, explained that he merely asked the Russian ambassador if he "had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use." The defense leaves one big question unanswered: Why is a man of such inexperience in charge of so much? Don't ask. Dana Milbank is a Washington Post columnist. @Milbank Will you consider me a racist if I say I support segregation? Well, consider away. I understand that many of my ancestors fought against segregation and I appreciate it. But I wonder what they would think if they saw the end result of integration. No longer do we have our own banks. No longer do we have our own theaters. No longer do we have our own insurance companies. And we can't blame it on the white man! So many black people were so happy to be able to patronize white businesses from which that they had been barred for so long that they abandoned their black establishments. We rushed to patronize white establishments, but whites did not rush to patronize ours. Integration, as far as I can see it, only goes one way. With few exceptions, when I ask my white friends to name the last book they've read that was written by black authors and deals with the black experience, they can only name books they read in school. When I ask them to name the last movie they've seen that deals with the black experience and stars black actors, they usually struggle to name one, unless it was a movie that won Oscars and seldom can even then. Since whites outnumber blacks in this country, if we support their endeavors but they don't support ours, the end result is that their endeavors are more successful than ours. Why? Because they outnumber us. And while we cross over to help the group that outnumbers us, that group doesn't cross back over to support our endeavors. And guess what? White banks are less likely to give our businesses loans than black banks. And if black people are not supporting black banks, black banks go out of business. And if black businesses go out of business, black employment goes down because black businesses are more likely to hire black people then white businesses. Of course, if white people patronized our black banks and our black businesses, none of this would happen. But they don't. We patronize theirs, but they don't patronize ours. God bless our ancestors for the fight they fought, but integration has only gone one way. Remember Lawnside, New Jersey? About 10 miles outside of Philadelphia and some 25 miles from Atlantic City, it used to be the jumping place for black folks to go on summer weekends during the '40s and '50s. All of the top black stars stopped there: Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx, Billie Holiday. If they were going to be in Atlantic City to play in the white night clubs, they drove the 25 miles down the highway to also make it to Lawnside to entertain their black fans. Because there was no integration, that was the only way the black fans were able to see them. And black fans flocked to do so. Back in those days, because of segregation, the black dollar stayed in the black community because there was really no other place blacks were allowed to spend it. The end result was that Lawnside was a thriving black community with black banks, black nightclubs, black insurance companies and the coldest beer that God made! But then the '60s came, and all of a sudden blacks were allowed to go into the white hotels and clubs to see the black stars and also great white entertainers like Frank Sinatra. So they went. And they were so excited about being able to go, they kept going. And soon they stopped going to Lawnside. While the white folks who had always been going to Atlantic City could care less about traveling to Lawnside. I won't bother to tell you what happened to that once-thriving black community. You can guess. So, yes, I do support segregation of our economic power. But I really don't think you can call me a racist. After all, I do have white friends. Karen E. Quinones Miller is an African-American journalist, historian, and nationally best-selling author, and community activist. You can reach her on Twitter at @KarenEQmiller. ROCKFORD | The Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock School Board is considering whether it should share its superintendent with another district to curtail future costs. Superintendent Keith Turner, who also serves as the secondary principal, posed the idea to the School Board during a meeting earlier this month. I just wanted the School Board to have that discussion and know the advantages to having a shared superintendent arrangement, he said. Its one way we can save significant money. Currently, the school district is in pretty good shape financially, Turner said, but declining student enrollment and low increases in state funding may result in challenges for the district and ultimately its students if the School Board doesnt explore the possibility with other districts in the next couple of years. More Iowa school districts sharing superintendents to save on expenses DES MOINES The number of Iowa school districts that share superintendents more than triple We want to think two or three years down the line and position ourselves so we can continue to be in that good position, he said. Sharing a superintendent with another district, Turner said, is the easiest way to cut expenditures that has the least impact on the kids. That's largely due to a state incentive program that gives extra funding to districts who share certain administrative positions, such as superintendents. The program provides additional funding by counting extra students for each administrative position a district shares, up to 21 students. Districts that reach the maximum allotment would receive roughly an extra $140,000 in fiscal year 2018, according to calculations by the Iowa Association of School Boards. Turner said RRMR currently shares its human resources and business manager positions with Nashua-Plainfield Schools, which accounts for 11 extra students. Hampton-Dumont School Board OKs sharing superintendent with CAL HAMPTON The Hampton-Dumont School Board approved an agreement to share its superintendent Wed have the ability to get more, he said, noting the school district could receive more than $60,000 in additional funding if it shared its superintendent. Plus, the districts sharing the superintendent would share the positions salary, too. Turner, who is going into his fourth year as superintendent and 10th in the district, said his 2017-18 salary, including his secondary principal responsibilities, is close to $120,000. Thats significant savings, he said. The average superintendent salary during the 2016-17 year was $147,825, according to state data. By sharing a superintendents salary, districts can save money for costs more directly tied to the classroom. Turner emphasized the district is starting the conversation and theres nothing in the works. We really want to be talking to our neighbors and see if theres those possibilities, he said. We want to think forward. Osage, Riceville schools to share superintendent OSAGE | Osage and Riceville schools will be sharing a superintendent next school year. The state incentive program allows districts to receive the extra funding for five years, but the entire program is scheduled to expire after fiscal year 2020. However, school officials are lobbying state lawmakers to remove the five-year limit and extend the program into perpetuity. RRMRf isnt the only district to consider sharing a superintendent with another district. The number of full-time shared superintendents in Iowa has increased from 16 during the 2007-08 school year to 52 this year, according to Iowa Department of Education data. Locally, CAL and Hampton-Dumont currently share Superintendent Todd Lettow. Osage and Riceville began sharing Superintendent Barb Schwamman July 1. Recent announcements from the Kenney administration that it will resume reductions in the city wage tax and continue for at least another five years may seem odd to those who view our city and its obligations to be underfunded. A long-term commitment to reduce our income in the face of crumbled schools and hollowed-out health centers creates, for some, a troubling dissonance. It's certainly true that, in 1995, we had the highest wage tax in the country and Mayor Ed Rendell believed it inhibited businesses from relocating here. Cutting the tax was supposed to create jobs by attracting new firms. Already, we've reduced the wage tax from 4.96 to 3.89, roughly 20 percent, but the data does not clearly record a corresponding increase in corporate relocations and job creation. It may be that this policy of wage tax cuts cannot compensate for a Philadelphia workforce created by an embarrassingly deficient public education system. This experiment was never for the benefit of workers who, typically, realized a single-digit savings in a given pay period. The prime rationale was job creation. If that isn't happening, we need to know and change course. In Philadelphia, there is a reluctance to revisit tax policy once it has been set and few matters illustrate this better than our real estate tax abatement, which provides a decade free of real estate taxes to buyers of newly constructed homes. Introduced in 1999 by then-Councilperson Frank DiCicco, it's undisputed that the abatement substantially increased the value of vacant lots and abandoned properties while jump starting development in a way not seen in decades. As its mission has been largely accomplished, perhaps we can scale the abatement back to a three- or five-year term so we can remain competitive with the surrounding counties and substantially speed the flow of cash into the city treasury. We lack institutionalized triggers that initiate reviews when a tax no longer serves its purpose or becomes self-defeating. For example, in 2016, our cigarette tax (a classic consumption tax) created almost $60 million in new revenue for the schools. True to its name, that consumption tax reduced consumption and will generate almost $26 million less this year. That may be great news to the health commissioner, but it puts serious pressure on other revenue streams. Our newly imposed beverage tax (yet, another consumption levy) has gained controversy for not meeting revenue expectations. Thus, the ice beneath pre-K and Rebuild bonds may be thinning. Despite experienced staff in both the Kenney administration and City Council, Philadelphia suffers from an under-managed tax regime that does not securely provide for the conspicuous and expanding needs of our citizens. With a 27 percent poverty rate, a $5.7 billion gap in our pension fund, and an immediate need for $3 billion to fix school buildings, the effectiveness of the taxes we impose must be a matter for continual concern. Ideally, this would be accompanied by increased sobriety in spending by elected officials who are still reluctant to end the $100 million annual expense of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, for instance. But, that's a wholly different problem. The good news is that, despite being based on consumption, our liquor tax has realized a $22 million increase over the last five years, stimulated by a welcome increase in tourism. In this, we "lucked out." Alcohol consumption, except to the portion of our population that is alcoholic, is an elastic demand that was suppressed by the tax. Fortunately, our city drew enough tourists to more than compensate for the depressed revenues that would otherwise have resulted. The wage tax represents 70 percent of City Hall's income and, therefore, is the one with which to be most careful. Conditions are vastly different from 1995, and it is likely time to draw a curtain on a policy of reduction that cannot be proven successful. As obligations mount and our tax regime falters, all who love this city and hope for its future would welcome much greater care in the management of our resources and revenues so our enormous promise can be realized for generations to come. Jay Mccalla is a former deputy managing director under the administrations of Mayors Ed Rendell and John Street and former chief of staff to the late Council President Joseph Coleman. jay.a.mccalla@gmail.com CLEAR LAKE | Monica Fredericks was in her Clear Lake home with her mother and her two granddaughters shortly before noon Sunday when someone knocked on the door with alarming news. "They said, 'The house is on fire! Get out!'" Fredericks said as she stood outside Sunday afternoon by what remained of a twin home in the 100 block of Lakeview Meadows Court. The fire burned fast, according to Fredericks. "We were lucky to get out," she said, referring not only to her family but also those on the other side of the twin home. The house number of Fredericks' side is 107. The house number for the other side is 105. Fredericks said Frank and Marlys Mishak live at that residence. All the occupants got out safety before firefighters arrived, according to a news release from the Clear Lake Fire Department. One firefighter, Marc Anderson, 31, was transported to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa by a fire department ambulance to be evaluated for chest discomfort. He was later released to return home. Fredericks said she ran back into her residence once to get a few items, including her granddaughters' favorite stuffed animals, but firefighters wouldn't let her go back in after that. However, the firefighters were able to save some precious belongings from the house, such as the ashes of Frederick's late husband and a journal. Fredericks said she is thankful the firefighters acted so quickly. The Clear Lake Fire Department was on the scene for about five hours. The Clear Lake police and water departments and Alliant Energy assisted, and the Ventura Fire Department provided mutual aid. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Damage to the properties has been estimated at $750,000. Mountaineering in Bolivia: new climb in little known Cordillera Quimsa Cruz Enrico Rosso reports about the June 2017 expedition he led to the Cordillera de Quimsa Cruz massif in Bolivia, where the rock climb 'Kamasa' (250m, 6b, A2) was added to the North Face of Gran Muralla (5200m). I set off from Italy with Marco Rainone and Giovanni Penna with two goals: to work with "Universita Campesina" and to attempt a new route up the South Face of Ilimani. Universita Campesina is a project run by my friend Antonio Zavattarelli, a priest and mountaineer, nicknamed Topio. Through his Missionary at Penas, Topio is currently training some Bolivian high school pupils to become tour guides. The best may even progress and become mountain guides. During the first part our stay we worked for the Universita Campesina project; a series of lessons in the classroom and at the crags close to Penas, after which we then completed the program by climbing Nevado Chachacomani (6064 m) and Nevado Condoriri (5648 m). When the school holidays arrived the Bolivian children returned to their families and we began considering the final stage of the expedition together with Topio and some children from the Missionary, namely Davide Vitali, Rosmel Varillas Acuna and Ronaldo Choque Camargo (Aski). The abundant snowfall and the unstable weather in May, coupled with high winds, had created unstable conditions on the upper slopes of the mountains and as a result of the high risk of avalanches we decided to change plans and opted for the "rocky" Cordillera Quimsa Cruz. Quimsa Cruz is an eldorado for rock climbing in the Bolivian Andes; still relatively unknown, it is marked by magnificent granite peaks and a huge potential for new routes. On 18 June we departed for the small town Viloco. Our group was comprised of Marco Rainone, Antonio (Topio) Zavatarelli, Davide Vitali, Rosmel Varillas Acuna, Ronaldo Choque Camargo (Aski) and myself. After having established base camp at 4500m in the Kuchu Mocoya valley we spent the first day doing a reconnaissance and choosing an objective, eventually settling for the North Face of Gran Muralla (5200m). About 250m high, this can be described as a high altitude cliff and it is certainly one of the most beautiful rock formations in the cordillera. We started our climb on the second day, focusing on a series of cracks on the righthand side of the North Face. We completed the climb in 8 hours using mostly friends, nuts and some pegs. The granite rock proved to be of excellent quality: rough and sharp, although it has to be said that the cracks were often filled with earth, grass and stones that slowed progress. We called the route "Kamasa", which means courage in the local Aimara language. The route is 250m high with difficulties up to 6b and A2. As a result of a fall Davide Vitali twisted his ankle and was forced to abandon the ascent. He retreated to base camp accompanied by Antonio Zavatarelli. For all the rest of the group the climb proved a success. The final outcome of the expedition was very positive therefore, especially bearing in mind the cooperation with the "Universita Campesina" project which offers a bright future of qualifications and work for the younger generations on the Bolivian plateau. by Enrico Rosso Link: Grivel, Ferrino, Facebook Bolivia Alpine Style Share Tweet Stanton Welch has transformed Houston Ballet into a leading force in the dance world. A rtistic director Stanton Welch looks at home in Houston Ballets airy new Center for Dance. The windows of his office frame views of Houstons tangled highways, the winding inner city river known as the bayou and the majestic Wortham Theater Center, where the company performs. This splashy new downtown building is just one of Welchs many accomplishments since becoming artistic director. Welch heads into his ninth season this fall with a healthy organization. He has a new flock of talented dancers, including principals from other companies who took demotions to join Houston Ballets ranksnotably Melissa Hough of Boston Ballet, Danielle Rowe of The Australian Ballet and Karina Gonzalez of Tulsa Ballet. The company has become more prominent in recent years, boasting a repertoire of postmodern pieces and regular full-length premieres. According to Welch, hes an unlikely candidate to end up running the nations fourth-largest ballet company. After 11 years dancing at The Australian Ballet, in 2000 he became a freelance choreographer based in New York. He fully intended to return to the stage when the commissions dried up, but they never did. During the next three years, Welch set work on BalletMet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet and other companies. I had no artistic director ambitions, he says. Theres so much fundraising involved. I just didnt want it. Earlier, Welch had been considered in the search process at BalletMet, eventually turning the position down to remain resident choreographer. But when the post opened up in Houston, the opportunity was too tempting. When I came here to create Indigo in 1999, Welch explains, I found out that Houston Ballet was an eden for choreographers. The company has its roots in the Houston Ballet Foundation, which brought Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn to Texas to stir up local interest in the artform in 1967. By 1969, a professional company was in place under Nina Popova, a former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American Ballet Theatre. But it was Ben Stevensons term as director, from 1976 to 2003, that raised the company from a 26-member regional troupe to a 50-strong ensemble of international acclaim. Stevenson developed a strong repertoire filled with his own classical full-lengths plus new work by respected choreographers. Such stars as Nina Ananiashvili, Carlos Acosta, and Lauren Anderson flourished during his tenure. Welch has continued the momentum, adding ballets by such contemporary masters as Hans van Manen, Jiri Kylian and Mark Morris, as well as increasing the Balanchine and Jerome Robbins repertoire. He has also mounted his own versions of Swan Lake andLa Bayadere, in addition to his Marie, based on the life of Marie Antoinette. A bounty of new works fills the bill each year. Although the company has not grown in size since the Stevenson era, it has grown in stature in terms of repertoire, touring engagements, audience size and endowment. Competitive salaries attract top dancers. The six-story Center for Dance has increased the local and national profiles of the company. We are more visible now, and for once, we have extra studio space for dancers to experiment with choreography, says Welch. Inspired by his own rise as a choreographer while in The Australian Ballet, Welch has reinstated the Choreography Workshop, where company members get a judgment-free chance at making dance. Melissa Houghs piece from the workshop was even selected for the companys annual Jubilee of Dance performance last December. Welch wants to develop his dancers as creative partners, and fantasizes about Houston Ballet becoming the next Stuttgart Ballet, which launched the careers of Kylian, John Neumeier and William Forysthe. He says, Its my ultimate dream to nurture the next generation of choreographers. A true Texan at heart, Welch has big plans for the future. He would like to bring the company roster up to 60 and be able to perform a new full-length each year. Id love to mount a new-works festival similar to what San Francisco Ballet did a few years ago, he says. Hes proud of his plan to highlight three female choreographersJulia Adam, Aszure Barton and Twyla Tharpnext season. He will also create his own version ofThe Rite of Spring in 2013 to celebrate the landmark ballets centennial. Welch sees Houston Ballet inevitably tied to the city it serves: Houston is a brave city. It has a frontier spirit. It has adventurous audiences who are not frightened of bold ballets. At A Glance Houston Ballet Founded: 1969 Number of Dancers: 52 (including one apprentice) Contract Weeks: 44 Minimum Starting Salaries (weekly rates): Apprentice, $432.89; corps, $1,082.23; soloist, $1,190.68; principal, $1,354.98. Number of Performances: 75 Weeks of Touring: 2 to 3 Audition Advice Welch cautions against being arrogant or too shy during the informal interview after the audition. He says he wants to hire complete artists who will be actively involved in the creative process. Hes looking to see if a dancer can speak articulately about their life, their goals and the art form. Two Thornton, CO, police officers were hospitalized Friday during a struggle with a man accused of shooting up heroin at a park. One officer suffered minor injuries; the extent of the second officers injuries was unknown, reports KMGH. Jason Masek, 22, is behind bars facing a long list of charges after allegedly escaping custody twice during the arrest. Around 10 a.m., Thornton officers were called to the park in the 800 block of Croke Drive on a report the suspect was using the drug. When they arrived on scene, police say Masek fled into a nearby library where a struggle inside the building's bathroom led to the officers injuries. Police say the suspect escaped after the bathroom attack but was later spotted nearby by another Thornton officer and taken into custody. He was taken to the hospital where police say he managed to escape a second time. But police had him in custody again after a short foot chase. The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that interim police chief Medaria Arradondo make numerous policy, procedure, and training changes at the Minneapolis PD. In a statement Teresa Nelson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, referenced the fatal Minneapolis police shootings of Justine Damond and Jamar Clark. Damond was shot and killed last week by an officer responding to her 911 call. An investigation is in progress. Clark was killed by officers during a gun grab attack. The incident led to rioting in the Twin Cities. Both officers involved were cleared in the shooting. Minneapolis' new interim police chief, Medaria (Rondo) Arradondo, is taking over as chief at a critical time. The department has long struggled with overuse of force, exemplified by the recent shootings of Justine Damond and Jamar Clark, and racial disparities in stops, arrests, and other police work that have caused tensions between communities of color and the police. It is crucial that Arrandondo take swift and immediate action within the Minneapolis Police Department to make the largescale changes needed to build a department that is just, responsive, and truly values the lives it is sworn to serve and protect, Nelson said in her statement. ACLU demands include: Fellony Hudson faces multiple felony charges. (Photo: Multnomah County SO) Fellony Hudson is doing his best to live up to his name. Hudson, a 22-year-old man from Salem, OR, is accused of felony kidnapping, felony eluding, felony possession of a stolen vehicle and nearly a handful of misdemeanors after being pursued by police in Washington and Oregon. Hudson appeared in court Wednesday afternoon in Multnomah County Circuit Court where he was formally charged with a total of 3 felonies and 4 misdemeanors, NBC4 reports. The charges stem from a Tuesday incident that began in Vancouver, WA, and ended near Portland, OR. In that incident Vancouver officers received a report of a female being assaulted in a moving vehicle. A vehicle pursuit ensued after the driver failed to stop for the officers lights and sirens. The pursuit ended in Gresham, OR, after officers deployed spike strips. Jail records indicate the woman inside the car with Hudson was his ex-girlfriend. The case is now being prosecuted by the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office Domestic Violence unit. According to Hudsons criminal record, he has been convicted of at least 4 felonies in Washington. Former Ferguson, MO, police chief Thomas Jackson has written a book on the Michael Brown shooting and its aftermath. Three years after Michael Brown was fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri, the towns former police chief wants to get a few things off his chest. In his book, Policing Ferguson, Policing America(Skyhorse, out Tuesday), Thomas Jackson details the August 2014 fatal officer-involved shooting of Brown that launched a series of violent protests around the country for months, the New York Post reports. The shootings aftermath thrust Jackson into the hot seat, making him the primary focus of outrage in its wake, he claims. And it was a few key decisions made during the initial hours after the shooting including the inflexible protocol of leaving Browns body lying in the street for four hours that he says created such a damaging narrative for police. Anybody who has watched a police drama on television knows that you dont move a body at a crime scene until the forensics team has examined both the body and the scene in detail, Jackson wrote. Moving the body can cause lost or tainted evidence On that Saturday, an ambulance had arrived right away. [Wilson] had been on an ambulance call just prior to the episode on Canfield [Drive], and the ambulance had been just minutes behind him. The EMTs determined that Brown was deceased. Since they were unable to do anything more until the crime scene team arrived, they left the scene. But the anti-police message spreading on social media, according to Jackson, was that he, as the face of the Ferguson police, had left Browns body in the street to deliberately intimidate residents in the town of 21,000. And if Browns body had been moved before the scene was processed, Jackson claims it wouldve led to valid grounds for any claims of police misconduct. Damned if you do, damned if you dont, Jackson wrote. I chose to play it by the book and ensure a proper accounting for what happened that day. I wish there had been another option. Watertown, NY-area officers completed a treehouse for the daughter of a fallen state trooper. (Photo: New York State Police) New York State Police Trooper Joel R. Davis was unable to finish building a tree house for his daughter before he was killed in the line of duty on July 9. But a group of Watertown, NY-area law enforcement officers came together and joined forces this past week to make sure Trooper Davis project got done for his youngest child, 13-year-old Jaila. State police spokesman Jack Keller said that 35 active and retired officers from the state police, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department and the Watertown Police Department spent a day in the familys backyard to finish the enclosed wooden tree fort for the troopers youngest child. Many of the officers were his friends, the Watertown Daily Times reports. The state trooper and father of three died while responding to a domestic incident at a Theresa, NY, home. Signs mocking the Minneapolis police as "easily startled" were posted in the city over the weekend. (Photo: Screen Shot from New York Daily News video) Mysterious signs have begun popping up around Minneapolis, blasting police for being easily startled after the fatal officer-involved shooting of Justine Damond. Warning: Twin Cities Police Easily Startled read at least two fake street signs, designed to look like orange construction warnings, the New York Daily News reports. It was not immediately clear who put up the metal markers, which KARE reported were affixed with heavy duty screws and being removed as of Monday. They are likely a reference to the death of Damond, the 40-year-old Australian native who was shot and killed by a Minneapolis officer earlier this month after calling 911 about a possible sexual assault by her house. That incident remains under investigation. SINGAPORE, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proficio, one of the fastest growing managed security service providers (MSSPs) delivering managed detection and response (MDR), today announced its newly expanded Asia presence in Hong Kong. Following quickly on the launch of its security operations center (SOC) in Barcelona, Spain, this expansion enables Proficio to broaden its presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and service more clients globally. Overseeing the Hong Kong area for Proficio is David Cheng, the regional director for security consulting. Cheng has over a decade of experience in the IT security and software industry across corporate lines, including business development and solution selling. He has extensive cybersecurity experience in the banking, government, insurance, telecommunications, hospitality, retail and manufacturing industries. By expanding even further into APAC, Proficio is helping the regions businesses take hold of their security posture, stated Cheng. Were increasing our presence in the marketplace at a very critical time, and are up for the challenge. According to a recent report from Ovum, the cybersecurity threat to the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow exponentially due to its expanding GPD and digital connectedness. With this predicted influx in cyberattacks, Proficio is focused on broadening their presence in the APAC region to help companies better combat cyber attackers by providing them with around-the-clock security monitoring, detection and automated response services. Proficio has expanded rapidly and our managed security services have been well-received in the APAC market, said Alex Tok, APAC managing director at Proficio. Given the need for managed services in this volatile cybersecurity threat landscape, we decided it was time to expand our footprint to continue to provide superior service when delivering protection, detection and response to cyber threats. Proficios Singapore SOC was established in 2014, and has built a solid foundation and reputation in the APAC region. With the companys California headquarters hosting up to 200 employees, nearly 50 percent of Proficios staff will be working internationally within the next year. Proficio projects employee growth to reach 450 employees worldwide by 2018. Planning on attending the RSA Conference 2017 in Singapore on July 26-28? Come by Proficios booth, E50, to learn more about our services that can help improve your companys cybersecurity posture. About Proficio Founded in 2010, Proficio offers the full range of cybersecurity services including managed detection and response, assessments and consulting to fully managed security operations centers located globally. As a next-generation MSSP, Proficios innovative approach to managed cybersecurity services help organizations defend against advanced threats and achieve regulatory compliance. Proficio provides 247 security monitoring, alerting and automated response services, primarily serving the utility, healthcare, industrial and consumer-focused industries. Learn more about Proficios cybersecurity services by visiting www.proficio.com. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print While the Senate has delayed its vacation in hopes of finally passing a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, Rachel Maddow explained on Monday that when they do finally go into recess, it could spell trouble for the special counsel investigation into the Russia scandal. As Maddow said, the Senate going into recess could give Trump the opportunity to oust Attorney General Jeff Sessions and quash the Russia investigation once and for all. Video: #Maddow explains how Trump could replace Sessions without Senate confirmation. Terrifying. pic.twitter.com/jupXGiPXFo Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) July 25, 2017 Maddow explained: The shortest, easiest, most direct, most unstoppable way that President Trump could get rid of Jeff Sessions in order to replace him with somebody else who could fire Bob Mueller is for him to wait until the Senate is in recess and then fire Jeff Sessions and make a recess appointment of a new one. Make a recess appointment of a replacement attorney general and that would allow that person to serve as attorney general without Senate confirmation until, I think, 2019 plenty of time to kill off the Bob Mueller investigation, in any case. As Trumps public rhetoric toward Sessions continues to get increasingly negative, it appears the president is doing his best to push the current attorney general toward the exit door. If Trump is successful in doing so and is able to choose a replacement who will do his bidding, we could see a situation unfold in which Trumps new attorney general fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation, for all intents and purposes, would be doomed. As Maddow also noted on Monday, one way to avoid this scenario would be for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to keep the Senate from technically going into recess like he did during President Obamas time in the White House. But in an age when Republicans have completely sold out to this dangerous president, its hard to imagine they will suddenly find their spines now. If this frightening scenario does end up playing out, its highly likely that Republicans would just roll over and let it happen. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Private talks inside the Trump White House continued to escalate on Monday as a new Washington Post report indicates that the president is also considering Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to replace Jeff Sessions as the attorney general. According to the report, Cruzs name is one of two individuals the other is former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as earlier reporting noted being considered to replace Sessions. More from the report: Among the names being floated as possible Sessions replacements are Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, according to people familiar with the conversations. Giuliani dismissed a report floating his name as a possible attorney general and told CNN that Sessions made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department to recuse himself. He did not return a message seeking comment. While its true that Sessions has had zero credibility from the start and should have resigned after lying in his Senate confirmation hearing, the troubling aspect of this new reporting is the motive behind Trumps efforts to force him out. Its clear that Trump isnt concerned about a fair or thorough investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election or Moscows connections to the Trump campaign. Instead, the president is looking for an attorney general that will do his bidding. Despite being a fierce competitor of Trumps during the 2016 Republican primaries, Cruz is likely to be that type of AG if he does end up replacing Sessions. As the same Washington Post report noted, the Texas senator did not think it was necessary to appoint a special counsel to look into Trumps Russia ties. So why wouldnt Trump replace Sessions, who has recused himself from the Russia investigation, with someone who didnt think there shouldve been a special counsel investigation to begin with? Trump doesnt want an attorney general. He wants someone who will throw a wrench in the increasingly explosive Russia investigation before its too late to save his presidency. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump gave a fully unhinged speech at the Boy Scouts Jamboree in West Virginia on Monday, attacking Barack Obama, bragging about his 2016 election strategy, and complaining about fake polls. At one point in the dumpster fire of a speech, Trump even told the crowd of youngsters a *riveting* story about a New York developer he met at a cocktail party. He also thought this was an appropriate place to reiterate his stance regarding the non-existent War on Christmas, telling the kids that when they go shopping, theyll be saying Merry Christmas again. The presidents decision to give such an off-the-deep-end rant in front of preteen boys would be shocking if anybody but Trump was delivering the ramble, and social media was quick to weigh in on the spectacle. After two years I was still naive enough to think I can eat dinner because hes not going to go on a barely hinged rant to Boy Scouts Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 24, 2017 Donald Trump is now asking the Boy Scouts to remember that incredible night when he won the election. Seriously. igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) July 24, 2017 Trump now telling kids at the Boy Scouts Jamboree about fake polls and fake news and his tremendous crowds Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 24, 2017 Trump is currently relitigating the 2016 election talking Michigan, Wisconsin before a crowd of Boy Scouts Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) July 24, 2017 Trump says Obama never spoke at a Boy Scouts jamboree. Obama was an actual Boy Scout (probably around the time Trump was dodging the draft). Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) July 24, 2017 Boy Scouts of America are booing the first female nominee for President. How proud. Daniel Aubry (@Aubs89) July 24, 2017 In and of itself, Trumps speech on Monday was a national embarrassment, whether it was encouraging the crowd to boo for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, lashing out about polling, bragging about his 2016 election, or going off on incoherent tangents about his rich friends. Whats sadder, though, is that this is the Trump we all know and have come to expect, even in front of a crowd of young boys heck, especially in front of a crowd of young boys. The president may have been speaking in front of thousands of boy scouts, but he was certainly the most childish person in attendance. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump had a freak out this morning after watching Sean Hannity on TiVo and used the Fox News program as his basis for demanding a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton. Trump tweeted: Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 The reason for this 3 AM Trump outburst is that the President was watching Sean Hannity on his TiVo: Where Trump's twitter freak-out this morning probably came from. In related news, we're all going to die. pic.twitter.com/AzynSeCyeH Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) July 25, 2017 The President Of The United States is demanding a criminal investigation into his opponent from the 2016 election by his attorney general because of something that he saw on Fox News. That is the true state of the union six months into Donald Trumps term. Trump wants a criminal investigation into Clinton so that he can both distract from his own Russia scandal, and he gets the added benefit of being able to run against Hillary Clinton again. Donald Trump is a one trick pony who cant govern so he is doing everything that he can imagine to the turn the presidency into a political campaign. Trump campaigns against the press. Trump campaigns against Hillary Clinton. Trump campaigns against his fellow Republicans, but the one thing that he doesnt do is govern and lead the country. Besides the scandals and conflicts of interest, the biggest problem that Trump has had since coming to the White House is that he has no governing mode. The country is moving forward, and Trump is stuck in 2016, and people like Sean Hannity are enabling this presidents delusional escape from reality. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print At a press conference, Trump admitted that he is upset with Attorney General Jeff Sessions because he recused himself from the Russia investigation. Trump made it clear that killing the Russia investigation was a prerequisite for picking his attorney general nominee. Video: Breaking: President Donald Trump says, I am disappointed in the Attorney General https://t.co/ACaghuuG7B https://t.co/AZHYbYHgOX The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) July 25, 2017 Trump said, I am disappointed in the Attorney General. He should not have recused himself almost immediately after he took office, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office, and I would have quite simply picked somebody else, so I think thats a bad thing not for the president, but for the presidency. I think its unfair to the presidency, and thats the way I feel. The President Of The United States admitted that his prerequisite for selecting an attorney general nominee was to choose someone who would kill the Russia investigation. This means that Trump knew before he ever took office that he was in legal jeopardy and that the Russia investigation had to go away. The real reason why Donald Trump is mad at Jeff Sessions is that Sessions didnt fix Trumps Russia problem. Trumps answer about Jeff Sessions was revealing in all of the wrong ways. Trump knew he had a Russia problem before he set foot in the Oval Office. The President just admitted that he knows a lot more than what has been publicly disclosed about Russia. Each Trump tweet and statement puts another crack in the wall of plausible deniability that Trumps lawyers are trying to build for him. The old Watergate questions of what did the President know, and when did he know it, are more relevant than ever. The President thought that Jeff Sessions could make his Russia collusion problem go away, and as the investigation gets closer to Trump and his family, he is taking out his wrath on the Attorney General. This 2016 file photo shows the Google logo at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Google parent Alphabet is taking a $2.7 billion write-down to cover a large fine EU antitrust enforcers assessed in June 2017. While the search giant can shrug off the cost, uncertainty lingers over its ability to operate freely on the continent going forward. AP File Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez Watchdog and Public Service reporter Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576. BOSTON, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Battery Ventures, a global, technology-focused investment firm, announced it has completed its acquisition of Bonn, Germany-based AED-SICAD, a provider of high-end geographic information systems (GIS) for the public-sector and utilities markets. AED-SICADs solutions provide an array of geospatial planning, resource management and records- administration functions for its customers, which include governments and municipalities, land registry offices and utility providers. The companys clients include the Municipality of Hamburg, the German Federal Ministry of Defense, the Saudi Electricity Company, and Curacao water and power company Aqualectra, among others. Utilities, as an example, use AED-SICADs products to help them keep track of and monitor their physical infrastructureincluding power networks, electric substations, and pipeswhile some municipal governments leverage the technology to monitor things like land management, property boundaries and even traffic patterns. In its more than 35 years of operation, AED-SICAD has served a large and loyal customer base in the GIS market by continuously delivering innovative software, said Morad Elhafed, a partner at Battery Ventures. Battery's additional resources will support increased investment in the company's proprietary technology, as well as in potential complementary acquisitions, to deliver AED-SICAD clients a broad and comprehensive portfolio of GIS applications. As part of the transaction, Elhafed, Battery Ventures Vice President Zak Ewen and Battery Ventures Executive-in-Residence Richard Smith will join AED-SICADs supervisory board, where they will work closely with the companys management team to build the company's market share and revenue growth. We look forward to this next chapter in AED-SICADs growth with Battery Ventures as our partner. The firms technology-industry expertise and understanding of our vision provided the perfect complement to our team. Further, their additional resources will help us better serve our deeply valued customers now and in the future, said Thomas Englert, chief executive of AED-SICAD. Battery Ventures private equity team has invested in many industry-specific software companies like AED-SICAD, a category of companies which generally offer customers highly specialized products as well as high-quality support and services. Current investments include Alogent, Clubessential, ClearCare, CrunchTime, DrillingInfo, Enviance, Forterro and WebPT*. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. *For a full list of Battery investment and exits, please visit: https://www.battery.com/our-companies/list/. About Battery Ventures Battery strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Tel Aviv and London. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. About AED-SICAD AED-SICAD AG (AED-SICAD), founded in 1982, provides geographic information systems (GIS) applications to the utilities and public-sector markets in Europe, primarily Germany and Austria. The company offers standard applications and tailor-made solutions. Its LM product line is used by cadaster and land-planning offices at the municipal and federal level; LM enables land consolidation, cadaster management, land planning and public-goods management, among other functions. AEDs UT product line is used by electrical utilities for network management and documentation. The company services its more than 300 customers from offices in Bonn, Berlin, and Munich. In Georgetown County's closest race, the board of elections and voter registration certified Scott DuBose's election to the county school board with a margin of victory of just three votes out of 4,343 cast. Read moreGeorgetown Co. elections: DuBose's election to District 2 school board seat certified Im not sure what I was expecting when my colleagues and I kept urging the Legislature to let the state inspector general take a look under the hoods of South Carolina's school districts, but it wasnt what we got from the first such investigation. Read moreScoppe: Inspector general puts SC school districts on notice of new scrutiny to come Senior Politics Reporter Caitlin Byrd is the senior politics reporter at The Post and Courier. An award-winning reporter, Byrd previously worked as an enterprise reporter for The State newspaper, where she covered the Charleston region and South Carolina politics. Modernized mainframe systems of record are critical digital investments for large global enterprisesdelivering unmatched reliability, scalability, performance and security. Unfortunately, outdated processes and tools often prevent enterprises from adapting their existing mainframe applications to meet changing business needs with the same agility achieved on other platforms. Compuware and Wipro are addressing this challenge through a joint Mainframe Center of Excellence (CoE) that enables Wipro to formulate best practices for achieving mainframe agility and cross-platform DevOps integration, as well as gain mastery of Compuwares software. By leveraging Compuwares software and Wipros best practices, enterprises can gain the combined competitive advantages of scale and speed, while also successfully navigating a difficult generational shift in mainframe stewardship. DETROIT, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compuware Corporation today announced the launch of a Mainframe Center of Excellence (CoE) in partnership with Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) (BSE:507685) (NSE:WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. The Mainframe CoE will be dedicated to helping large global enterprises better leverage their systems of record for competitive advantage in fast-moving digital markets. Enterprise IT leaders grapple with mainframe environments that are mired in traditional waterfall development, inadequately integrated into cross-platform DevOps workflows and foreign to the Millennials who will ultimately be responsible for the platforms future. The innovative Mainframe CoE, which Wipro will operate, strengthens the companys ability to transform customers mainframe environments and drive competitive advantage through the adoption of cross-platform Agile and DevOps best practices. Compuware is enabling Wipro technical consultants, via hands-on access to Compuwares proven solutions and ongoing training, to establish industry-leading expertise in: agile development on the mainframe, integration of mainframe dev/test/release processes into multi-platform enterprise DevOps toolchains, and modernized workspaces that empower Millennials to effectively work with mainframe resources in the same manner as they work with other platforms. Wipros extensive experience along with this deep expertise of Compuwares mainframe software, will provide an empirical foundation for the CoEs best-practice recommendations. The collaboration also serves as another resource for continual improvement towards an Agile mainframe. With direct experience using Compuwares products to discover better ways to leverage mainframe applications and data, Wipro can assist their enterprise clientele in achieving greater innovation throughput and quality thats essential to competing in the digital age. Benefits to enterprise customers include: Dramatically improved digital agility Substantial reductions in mainframe TCO Greater business value and competitive differentiation from investments in mainframe applications, data and processing power Successful transition of mainframe stewardship from Baby Boomers to less specifically mainframe-experienced Millennials For large global enterprises, mainframes are irreplaceable and invaluable systems of record. They are repositories of business logic, customer data and other intellectual property that have been carefully and continuously honed over many decades. Unfortunately, a combination of outmoded processes, tools and culture renders many enterprises incapable of quickly adapting their systems of record as necessary to fulfill the relentlessly changing needs of the business. This lack of speed is in marked contrast to the Agile, DevOps and Continuous Delivery disciplines that they have been able to apply to applications running on other platforms such as private and public clouds. This can greatly hamper competitiveness of large enterprises vis-a-vis smaller, nimbler companies. The new Mainframe CoE addresses this critical challenge by capturing and sharing best practices for optimizing mainframe agility and mainstreaming of the mainframe into broader multi-platform enterprise architectures. Compuwares focus on mainframe Agility and DevOps enablement aligns with our own approach to mainframe applications. We believe this CoE will accelerate the digital journeys for our global clients especially those of large enterprises, said Jatin Mehta, Head, Mainframe Application Services, Wipro Limited. By leveraging Compuwares technology in the context of a broader enterprise strategy for digital excellence, Wipro can substantially enhance our enterprise customers ability to innovate in a marketplace where rapid parity is a must, he added. Partnering with Wipro on a mainframe-centric CoE affords us a great opportunity to demonstrate exactly how our technology supports the kind of aggressive evolution enterprises absolutely must bring to bear on their mainframes. This will be key to their ability to survive and thrive in an innovation-based economy, said Compuware CEO Chris OMalley. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with Wiprowhich clearly has tremendous visibility into both the nature of the enterprises current mainframe challenges and the path to helping these users overcome those challenges in a timely manner. Compuware Corporation Compuware empowers the worlds largest companies to excel in the digital economy by fully leveraging their high-value mainframe investments. We do this by delivering highly innovative solutions that uniquely enable IT professionals with mainstream skills to manage mainframe applications, data, and platform operations. Learn more at compuware.com. Follow us on: Press Contact Kristina LeBlanc, The Medialink Group, kristinawleblanc@gmail.com, (508) 930-5636 Mary McCarthy, Public Relations Manager, Compuware, mary.mccarthy@compuware.com, (313) 227-7088 For Sales and Marketing Information Compuware Corporation, One Campus Martius, Detroit MI 48226, 800-521-9353, compuware.com. Copyright 2017 Compuware Corporation. Compuware, the Compuware logo, and Topaz are registered or pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. For the first time, Rochester will serve as the host of the two-day Minnesota Federation of Music Clubs convention that will include in a concert by musicians from the Rochester Chamber Music Society. The convention, which brings music teachers from across the state, will run Thursday and Friday at First Presbyterian Church, 512 Third St. SW. The concert, featuring Horacio Nuguid, David Townsend, James Buchan and Stephen Pelkway, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the church. Advance tickets are available at Schmitt Music and cost $10. Tickets cost $12 at the door and students age 5 to 18 are free. The Minnesota Federation of Music Clubs is affiliated with the National Federation of Music Clubs, a group dedicated to the support and expansion of music education. There are 23 local Federation clubs in Minnesota. "There has been interest for several years of teachers coming to Rochester for a convention, so we agreed to host the convention for this year," member Julie Gutzmer said. ADVERTISEMENT The Southeast Minnesota Federation group is a relatively new group that started in 2009, said Gutzmer. The local club's main purpose is to hold a festival each February in which students choose and perform music from an American composer and a foreign composer. Since the festivals were first held in 2009, student participation has grown from 60 students to 230 last year. The club is open any music teacher. In addition to the concert Friday, the convention will offer two classes open to any music teachers in the area. They include a class on William Gillock, a key pedagogical composer who was born 100 years ago this year. The class, "Celebrating William Gillock," will be taught by David Shaffer-Gottschalk and is set for 2:30 p.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church. The cost is $10 at the door. The other class is a Master Class for Intermediates that will be held at 10:45 a.m. Friday at the church. Select students will each perform a piece for the Federation Bulletin in preparation for the 2018 festival. The cost is also $10. AUSTIN An Albert Lea man was convicted of two felonies for criminal sexual conduct last week stemming from sexual contact with a 6-year-old boy he babysat. Carlos Francisco Fernandez, 68, was convicted on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, for contact with a victim under 13, and for someone who is more than 36 months older than a victim, according to court documents. Both are felonies. Fernandez was acquitted on third felony charge for first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced to 180 days in Mower County Jail, with credit for three days served. The investigation began in March 2015, when the Austin Police Department received information that a 6-year-old boy had been sexually assaulted by a family member before entering kindergarten, according to the amended criminal complaint. Authorities believe the alleged abuse occurred before November 2013, but the disclosure came after the victim began refusing to go to Fernandez's home, where Fernandez babysat him; his mother stopped taking him there because of the allegations, according to the criminal complaint. ADVERTISEMENT The victim said Fernandez touched his genital area, according to court documents, but Fernandez denied he sexually abused or masturbated in front of the victim. The victim's mother told law enforcement that Fernandez had admitted to her that he had performed oral sex on the boy on three occasions, which she believed occurred before November 2013, according to court documents. Fernandez did admit to spanking the victim "very bad" one time, after the victim -- who was 3 or 4 at the time -- ran around the apartment with his clothes off, according to court documents. Fernandez will be on supervised probation for 10 years, after receiving a 36-month and 48-month sentences, both stayed for 25 years. He'll be required to register as a predatory offender and attend a sex offender education/treatment program, among other conditions. AUSTIN The vengeful Sweeney Todd is coming to Austin. For Summerset Theatre's 50th season, the musical " Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street " will come to life on stage. Opening night is 7 p.m. Friday at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on Riverland Community College's east Austin campus. The musical's run will continue at 7 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 2-5, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday. The musical is about an exiled barber Sweeney Todd, who was unjustly framed in a crime by Judge Turpin, who lusted after Todd's wife. This sent Todd on a murderous killing spree by setting up a barber shop above a failing pie shop owned by Mrs. Lovett. Despite being a darker-themed musical, director Randy Forster sees another aspect to Sweeney Todd that may be obscured through the gore: love. ADVERTISEMENT "Deep down, this show is also a love story," Forster said. "Every character on the stage is driven by love. I hope that audiences will fall in love with these characters, even as they are driven off the rails by revenge and greed." The musical won eight Tony Awards in 1979, including Best Musical, and has been adapted for film, starring Johnny Depp as Todd, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and the late Alan Rickman as the evil Judge Turpin. SAN MATEO, Calif., July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Franklin Templeton Investments today announced the appointment of Tom Fisher as head of US Institutional. In this role, Fisher will oversee and provide strategic direction to the firms institutional sales, consultant relations and client relations teams in the US, reporting to Tom Regner, head of US Advisory Services for Franklin Templeton Investments. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f747104-bdf0-49a7-a68c-3af17b162f12 Tom Fisher brings more than two decades of industry experience and wide-ranging expertise across sales, service, planning, product and talent management that will prove invaluable in leading our efforts to maximize the deep resources and tenured talent across our US institutional distribution team, said Regner. We are excited to tap his fresh perspective as we continuously strive to enhance our efforts in delivering the exemplary service on which our long-time and new institutional clients depend. In leading the firms US institutional business, Fisher will oversee a team of professionals based in San Mateo, CA, New York, NY and across the US. The appointment of a single head across institutional sales, consultant relations and client relations, provides the firm with an added resource dedicated to serving the firms US institutional business. Our commitment to our institutional clients continues to be a top priority for the firm, said Jenny Johnson, president of Franklin Templeton Investments. This not only includes delivering strong, long-term investment performance and a comprehensive suite of products, but also attracting top talent and leveraging the right people in the right roles to most effectively serve our clients. Were very pleased to welcome Tom Fisher to our organization and believe he has the capabilities and experience to take our institutional business to the next level. Fisher joins Franklin Templeton with over 20 years of financial services experience, with more than 15 of those years working directly in the institutional market. He was previously with JP Morgan Asset Management, most recently serving as managing director and head of the firms consultant strategy team, leading its consultant-intermediated sales and service across defined benefit, defined contribution, endowments and foundations, healthcare and insurance platform channels. Fisher holds a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University. About Franklin Templeton Investments Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classesincluding equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The companys more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in over 30 countries, the California-based company has 70 years of investment experience and over $743 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2017. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com. US institutional investors can visit ftiinstitutional.com. Connect with Franklin Templeton on Twitter (@FTI_US). Read the Beyond Bulls & Bears blog featuring perspectives from Franklin Templeton investment professionals around the world. Copyright 2017. Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved. The Associated Press reports on an epic conflict from the world of journalism: No apology from Fox in its battle with The New York Times. The AP sees the conflict from the Timess point of view: Fox News Channel on Monday clarified, but didnt apologize for, a weekend segment that The New York Times said falsely accused the newspaper of revealing intelligence information that enabled Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to elude capture by U.S. forces two years ago. Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said Fox was guilty of sheer hypocrisy because the network had also reported about a U.S. raid that netted valuable intelligence soon after it took place. The drama begins with this article, published by the Times on May 8, 2015. Relying in part on anonymous sources, it described a special forces raid the preceding month that killed a key ISIS leader, Abu Sayyaf, and captured his wife along with much electronic material. Two years later, Fox News reported that the 2015 Times article allowed ISIS leader [Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi] to slip away. Foxs report was based on an interview with General Tony Thomas, the commander of United States Special Operations Command. General Thomas said: It was a very good lead. Unfortunately, it was leaked in a prominent national newspaper about a week later, and that lead went dead. Foxs on-air personalities blasted the Times; Pete Hegseth referred repeatedly to the failing New York Times as the source of the leak. President Trump apparently was watching, because shortly afterward he tweeted: The Failing New York Times foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National Security The Times took umbrage, and demanded an apology from Fox. The Times pled its defense in the alternative, pointing out that its article was published three weeks, not one week, after the raid that killed Abu Sayyaf. But it didnt seriously claim that General Thomas was talking about an article in some other newspaper. The Timess fundamental problem is that it is complaining to the wrong party. General Thomas said exactly what Fox reported. If Thomas was wrong, the paper should take its case to him, not to Fox News. The papers spokeswoman also accused Fox of sheer hypocrisy: The host railed against The New York Times for covering a raid stating that the U.S. government would have had al-Baghdadi based on the intelligence that we had except someone leaked to The New York Times when Fox News had covered the same raid three weeks earlier in a segment in which their correspondent said, The newly recovered intelligence may bring U.S. closer to Baghdadis kill or capture. According to the curious logic of the Fox & Friends host, Fox News itself was unpatriotic, she added. This is a silly argument. The fact that U.S. special forces conducted a raid was no secret. al-Baghdadi obviously knew that one of his chief lieutenants was dead, his wife was captured and various electronic files had been confiscated. The real question is whether the Timess account published on June 8, 2015 included leaked details that would have been valuable to al-Baghdadi. I think this is the relevant part of the article: New insights yielded by the seized trove four to seven terabytes of data, according to one official include how the organizations shadowy leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, operates and tries to avoid being tracked by coalition forces. Mr. Baghdadi meets periodically with regional emirs, or leaders, at his headquarters in Raqqa in eastern Syria. To ensure his safety, specially entrusted drivers pick up each of the emirs and demand that they hand over their cellphones and any other electronic devices to avoid inadvertently disclosing their location through tracking by American intelligence, the officials said. Wives of the top Islamic State leaders, including Mr. Baghdadis, play a more important role than previously known, passing information to one another, and then to their spouses, in an effort to avoid electronic intercepts. Note that these paragraphs are not attributed to any named source, which means that they were leaked. I think the key point is probably the last paragraph. Electronic files seized in the Abu Sayyaf raid told us something we hadnt known before: ISIS leaders concealed their communications from NSA surveillance by delegating them to their wivesof whom each terrorist probably has several. The wives names and telephone numbers may not have been previously known to American intelligence, but the files captured in the Abu Sayyaf raid allowed us to eavesdrop on their communications. Once al-Baghdadi realized through the Times report that this ploy had been discovered, he shifted to another means of communication, thereby avoiding incineration. Is this hypothesis correct? I dont know. But General Thomas, the head of all U.S. special forces, believes that the Times article contained information that allowed al-Baghdadi to escape. I have no reason to believe that he is wrong. If the Times has good reason to think he is mistaken, they should take the issue up with General Thomas, not with Fox News. In this post, my cousin wrote about Mayor de Blasios One Book One New York initiative which urged Gothamites to vote for a work of literature to all read together. The nominees were anti-American screeds by the likes of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Chimamamda Ngozi, and Junot Diaz. Commenting about the post, David Randall of the National Association of Scholars (NAS) calls One Book One New York a college common reading a book given to all incoming freshman to read before they arrive on campus scaled up to a city level. He is right. NAS provides an analysis of college common readings here. They constitute an exercise in progressive propaganda. The five books de Blasio wants to inflict on New Yorkers are mostly drawn from the college common reading lists. Moreover, says Randall, New York City uses the same tactics as are used at the college level: choose five books that create community, make sure theyre all progressive, and make sure your favored authors are well rewarded with royalties and lecture fees. In the case of the colleges, using tuition and alumni dollars. Randall concludes that what New York City is doing is no more or less objectionable than what 350 colleges and universities nationwide are doing, although New York obviously is operating on a larger scale. He adds that, once again, what starts in college doesnt stay in college. I see one additional distinction between the common reading program of New York City and those of colleges and universities. New Yorkers can, and most do, blow off de Blasios reading list. Incoming college freshmen cant afford to. Thus, the college common reading program strikes me as more objectionable than de Blasios You might think that a website called American Greatness would be concerned that the U.S. is outsourcing security in Syria to the Russians (to use the reported words of the Trump administrations acting assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs). You might think that such a site would have qualms about the U.S. abandoning Syrian fighters that we armed, trained, and encouraged to fight against the pro-Iranian regime in Syria. In both cases, you would be wrong. Esther Goldberg, writing in American Greatness, writes off the program to back the Syrian fighters as stupid and ill-conceived. She complains, with justification, that during the Obama administration, the fighters found their hands tied. She does not consider the option of untying their hands, rather than cutting them off. Goldberg seems unconcerned that, with the only force opposed to Russian and Iranian interests in some parts of Syria out of the way, an impediment to the total triumph of these interests has been removed. As the Trump administrations acting assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs recently acknowledged, the Assad regime and its partners are using the cessation of hostilities with the forces Trump is abandoning to advance in eastern Syria. Thats where a fight for control of the strategic region around Deir al-Zour is underway a fight said to be central to Irans effort to establish strategic control over territory creating a corridor from Lebanon and Syria through Baghdad to Tehran. American Greatness seems unperturbed. All the reporting Ive seen indicates that Vladimir Putin long sought the shutting down of the CIA program that backed anti-Assad rebels. If so, he must consider the rebels a thorn in his side, or at least a potential thorn. What, then, did Donald Trump the great deal maker receive from Russia in exchange for shutting down the program? As far as I can tell, all he got was a cease fire one that serves Russias interests and that, the minute it no longer does, will be breached, just as past cease fires have been. This isnt America winning so much we may even get tired of winning. Nor does it strike me as American greatness. Last week President Trump complained on the record to New York Times White House reporters Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman about Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump expressed profound dissatisfaction with Sessionss recusal from investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign. Sessionss recusal covers what is now the Special Counsel investigation under the direction of Robert Mueller. I read Trumps remarks to be an (unsubtle) invitation to Sessions to resign. Trump followed up his remarks to the Times with disparaging tweets. Yesterday he characterized Sessions as our beleaguered A. G. (tweet below). His tweet asked what appears to be a rhetorical question about the failure to investigate Crooked Hillary[]s crimes & Russia relations[.] Trump omitted any mention of who was beleaguering the A.G.. So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017 Trump is a persistent guy. This morning he returned to the subject of missing Clinton investigations. In the tweet below he inquires concerning the investigation concerning Ukrainian efforts to sabotage the Trump campaign (tweet below). Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign "quietly working to boost Clinton." So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Trump followed up with a tweet declaring that Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (tweet below). Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 And thats not all (tweet below). Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Trumps public humiliation of his appointed Attorney General is unprecedented. It is unseemly. It is also unnecessary. Trump could privately ask for Sessionss resignation at any time; Sessions serves at the pleasure of the president. Trump somehow thinks that his public humiliation of Sessions to induce his resignation is preferable to seeking Sessionss resignation directly. I cant imagine why Trump thinks that. I think it is a mistake, as is likely to become clear when Sessions resigns and Trump designates his successor subject to confirmation by the Senate. We shall see, probably sooner rather than later. UPDATE: The AP provides background in AP sources: Trump speaks to advisers about firing Sessions. So does McClatchy in Trump messes with Sessions, and Senate Republicans are not pleased. The Washington Post considers the possibilities in Trump leaves Sessions twisting in the wind while berating him publicly. New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci spoke to Hugh Hewitt this morning to the same effect (transcript posted here). President Trump addressed the Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia last night. His speech sparked controversy, as he veered from his prepared text to riff on politics. As usual with President Trump, however, the Lefts reaction is disproportionate to anything he actually did. The Associated Press headlines its brief article Trumps political speech to Scouts inspires parental outrage. Really? The article quotes not a single parent, and offers no evidence of any such parental outrage. The AP just made that up, along with this lead sentence: President Donald Trumps fiery speech Monday night at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia has infuriated parents and former Scouts. In support of this claim, the AP quotes a grand total of one person: hyperpartisan Democratic Senator Chris Murphy: As a Scout leader, my stomach is in knots about what Trump did today, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on Twitter. If you havent watched it yet, dont. Its downright icky. The AP also notes disapprovingly that Trump began with a bit of profanity and then went on to rage for more than half an hour against the media and other perceived political enemies. This was the profanity, which seems pretty mild even for an audience of Boy Scouts: I said, who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? Right? For the rest, was Trump really raging? No. If he had been, the Boy Scouts wouldnt have enjoyed his speech so much. You cant get a straight-up account of anything President Trump does from the Associated Press, so you may as well read the speech for yourself. As prepared for delivery, it was a standard pro-Boy Scouts, pro-America talk. It is rather amusing, actually, how easily you can tell when Trump departs from his text and riffs on politics. Was it inappropriate for the president to criticize Democrats and the media in this sort of appearance? I think it was. But when do the Democrats ever forgo an opportunity to attack Trump? Never, as far as I can see. And who was it who politicized the Boy Scouts, trying either to drive them out of existence or to radically transform them? The Democrats. No wonder Trump got such a warm reception last night. Washington, D.C., July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organic leaders representing more than a half-million organic farmers throughout the Americas convened in Portland, Oregon, last week for the 9th Annual Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture (ICOA) Conference and discussed the latest research, challenges and opportunities for organic agriculture and trade in the Americas. This year's annual gathering marked the first time the conference was held in the United States and the first ICOA annual gathering hosted and organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Organic Trade Association. It drew the heads of national organic programs and organic trade leaders from 13 nations outside the U.S. spanning South and Central America. ICOA and its conference promote organic agriculture, equivalency, standards alignment and trade among participating countries. "The members of ICOA play an important role in the global organic industry," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director for the Organic Trade Association. "Nearly 20 percent of all organic land in the world is contained in the 19 member countries, along with some 600,000 organic farmers and operations. These countries are also active in the global organic market, with the U.S. importing around $750 million worth of organic products from this region last year." "There has never been a more essential time for organic industry representatives from the United States, Central America and South America to gather, collaborate and align," added Monique Marez, Director of International Trade at the Organic Trade Association. "We were delighted to serve as the host country and trade association. We look forward to taking part in an even more collaborative trade environment as a result of this highly productive conference." ICOA (identified in Spanish as CIAO) was established in 2008 by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Its mission is to help support organic agriculture in the Americas by building ties with countries within the hemisphere that have organic regulatory systems and standards, and also to support countries establishing an institutional process to regulate organic agriculture. Nineteen countries are members of ICOA. Attendees at the Portland conference represented member nations with still fledgling organic sectors to ones with well-established organic systems--Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Costa Rica, and the United States. Providing the tools to grow organic The organic sector in Central and South America is dominated by small family farmers, and those farmers are eager to obtain more educational information on organic agricultural practices and standards. The Organic Trade Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were praised for developing an informative agenda at the conference and providing attendees with useful tools that can be put into practice in their home countries. "There are currently few Spanish-language resources on organic practices and certification, so having the Organic Trade Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer this depth of information and training is incredibly valuable," said Graciela Lacaze of Argentina, Executive Director of ICOA. "Attendees from both Spanish and Latin American countries came away with the tools necessary to strengthen the development of organic activity in their respective countries to further grow trade of their products." Leader of the U.S. delegation, Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator of the USDA's National Organic Program, noted that a strong global control system for organic depends on collaboration and coordination with the global community through bodies like ICOA. "We covered everything from organic benefits and equivalency standards to growth opportunities and trade arrangements at the ICOA meeting," said McEvoy. "Continuing this work with ICOA is a crucial piece in protecting organic integrity through the global control system. I look forward to building meaningful connections and creating lasting results." The week-long conference included three days of meetings of ICOA's General Assembly and a day-long public summit on international organic cooperation and trade within the Americas. Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture Alexis Taylor addressed the ICOA General Assembly on the importance of organic agriculture to Oregon's farming community and to the state's overall economy, and on the commitment of Oregon to organic and to a strong regulatory system for organic. "Oregon has a long history of supporting organic agriculture through strong regulatory framework and protecting integrity for consumers," she said. Presenters at the public summit included Nate Lewis, Farm Policy Director for the Organic Trade Association, speaking on how to build organic farmer coalitions and encourage farmers to transition to organic; Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center, presenting the latest research on the benefits of organic; and Monique Marez who gave an update and analysis of global organic trade and imports. The group also heard presentations on organic certification from Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) and on organic standards from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). The conference ended with a day-long field trip to area organic producers and retailers, including visits to Organic Trade Association members Bob's Red Mill and New Seasons Market . Bob Moore, who founded Bob's Red Mill with his wife Charlee in 1978 to produce healthy, organic whole grain flour and products, met with the group. The group also toured a store of New Seasons Market, the Portland-based organic and natural food store which since 2000 has been serving communities in Oregon, Washington and Northern California. "The Organic Trade Association has worked hard to become the go-to source of information on international trade," said Marez. "We were excited to host this international meeting, and we'll continue to advocate for and help advance organic in the global community." The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 9,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace. The Organic Trade Association does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital/family status. Persons with disabilities, who require alternative means for communication of program information, should contact us . Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae183fc2-f8bc-4905-bdf0-bf0a148d9d9f Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4fb01682-40d1-426f-8dd6-2c203a968d19 PASCAGOULA, Miss., July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced today the successful completion of builders sea trials on the guided missile destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114). The Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) destroyer spent more than three days in the Gulf of Mexico testing the ships main propulsion, combat and other ship systems. Its always a great accomplishment when our shipbuilders successfully take a ship to sea for the first time, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. DDG 114s sea trials showcase the skill of our shipbuilders and our large, national DDG 51 supplier base. We look forward to acceptance trials, and to delivering our 30th Aegis destroyer to our U.S. Navy customer later this year. Ingalls has delivered 29 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy, most recently delivering John Finn (DDG 113), which was commissioned on July 15 in Pearl Harbor. Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123). In June, Ingalls received a contract modification to incorporate the Flight III upgrades to Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) which will start fabrication in 2018. Our test and trials personnel, craftsmen and Supervisor of Shipbuilding team continue to show their dedication to delivering quality ships to the Navy every time they go to sea on these trials, said George S. Jones, Ingalls vice president of operations. The shipbuilders at Ingalls take pride in their work and in the missions that these ships will be doing for our country. A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file?fid=58d067eca138356691aa65cb DDG 114 is named to honor Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions that saved others during the Vietnam War. Johnson shouted a warning to his fellow Marines and hurled himself on an explosive device, saving the life of one Marine and preventing the enemy from penetrating his sector of the patrols perimeter. Johnson died instantly. The Charleston, S.C., native had only been in Vietnam for two months and a few days when he was killed at the age of 19. There is still work to be done, said George Nungesser, Ingalls DDG 51 program manager. Completing another successful sea trial puts us one step closer to delivering the Navy another state-of-the art guided missile destroyer to help in our nations defense. Now its time for our team to get back to work so they can have DDG 114 ready for acceptance trials and then ready for the fleet. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century. Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HIIs Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Missions Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 37,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: TORONTO, July 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK), today announced the final July 2017 cash distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF. Unitholders of record on July 26, 2017 will receive cash distributions payable on July 31, 2017. Details regarding the final per unit distribution amounts are as follows: Fund Name Fund Ticker Cash Distribution Per Unit ($) iShares Premium Money Market ETF CMR 0.020 CMR.A 0.009 Further information on the iShares ETFs can be found at http://www.blackrock.com/ca . About BlackRock BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients. At June 30, 2017, BlackRocks AUM was US$5.7 trillion. BlackRock helps clients around the world meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions. As of June 30, 2017, the firm had approximately 13,000 employees in more than 30 countries and a major presence in global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Companys website at www.blackrock.com/ca | Twitter: @BlackRockCA | Blog: www.blackrockblog.com/can About iShares ETFs iSharesis a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. With over 700 funds globally across multiple asset classes and strategies and more than US$1.5 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2017, iShares helps clients around the world build the core of their portfolios, meet specific investment goals and implement market views. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm1. 1 Based on US$5.7 trillion in AUM as of 6/30/17 iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. President Andrzej Duda has signed into law a government-backed bill to reform the country's common court system, the deputy head of the Presidents Office, Pawel Mucha, said on Tuesday morning. He added that this was "a fundamental, essential" law amid efforts to reform Poland's judiciary, "the most important one from the point of view of citizens' interests". On Monday, President Duda announced he would veto two other judicial bills passed by the parliament. They sought to significantly reorganise Poland's Supreme Court and the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS). Andrzej Duda also said on Monday he would help draft two new pieces of legislation to reform the Supreme Court and improve the work of the National Council of the Judiciary. (PAP) The seed vault is perhaps the best-known project in a growing global campaign to cache endangered phenomena for safekeeping. Fortunately the leak snafu notwithstanding scientists, governments and even private companies have become quite good over the last decade at these efforts to bank nature. The San Diego Zoos Frozen Zoo cryogenically preserves living cell cultures, sperm, eggs and embryos for some 1,000 species in liquid nitrogen. Inside the National Ice Core Laboratory, in Lakewood, Colo., a massive freezer contains roughly 62,000 feets worth of rods of ice from rapidly melting glaciers and ice sheets in Antarctica, Greenland and North America. The Smithsonians National Zoo in Washington maintains the worlds largest collection of frozen exotic-animal milk, from mammals large (orcas) and small (critically endangered fruit bats), in order to help researchers figure out how to nourish the most vulnerable members of any species: babies. An international project called Amphibian Ark engages in ex situ conservation by relocating amphibians, the most endangered class of animal, indoors for safekeeping and sperm collection. It seems to be a human impulse to collect things just as theyre vanishing. During the Renaissance, wealthy merchants and aristocrats exhibited their personal compendiums of mastodon bones, fossils and all manner of dried, pickled and stuffed creatures in what were called cabinets of curiosity. Some anthropologists believe their discipline emerged when Europeans began to experience a sort of nostalgia for the native populations they had wiped out with their diseases and guns. That feeling sent them scurrying off to gather up ethnographies, dying languages and sometimes even living subjects. Zisis Kozlakidis, the president of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories, an organization that represents some 1,300 biobanks containing specimens like viruses and the reproductive cells of clouded leopards, told me a collecting rush is underway, which he likened to an international space race. There is, he said, a very intense feeling that were losing biodiversity quicker than we can understand it. 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. ATLANTIC CITY The citys Housing Authority executive director has resigned, leaving his position after less than a year, officials said. The authoritys Board of Commissioners approved a resolution at the end of May that authorized the resignation of Clifford Scott, 45, who became executive director in September. Tom Hannon, the director of staff operations at the authority, took over as acting executive director after Scott left. Hannon said Scotts move was for personal reasons to be closer to family. Scott led housing authorities in Omaha, Nebraska, and Youngstown, Ohio, before coming to Atlantic City. In January, Scott detailed a plan to revive the citys public housing, which included demolition and construction of existing establishments, including building new family developments and making refurbishments. Scott got the authority started in the application process for the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration Program to help with funding and financing for the project, which he estimated would take four years. What he had started, we are moving forward with, Hannon said this week. Hannon said officials at the authority recently met with residents at properties to review the redevelopment process, adding that the project could take many, many years to complete. City Councilman Jesse Kurtz, the vice -chairman for the Board of Commissioners, said Scotts departure was regretful, but Hannon has previously served as acting director and did a tremendous job. ATLANTIC CITY Starting Tuesday, living in the city could land you a free ticket to see Ruff Ryders and Friends in concert on the beach. Mayor Don Guardian said Monday the city will give 6,000 tickets to city residents to see the third beach concert of the summer Aug. 3, thanks to a partnership with Live Nation. Tickets will be given out during designated times from Tuesday to Thursday at City Hall. Four tickets per residence will be distributed, and they will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. To get the tickets, you must show proof of residency at the City Hall lobby during the following times: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday; 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday; and 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday. According to the city's press release, the proof of identification will be photocopied. The concert is set to include Rapper DMX, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Fat Joe, The Lox and Drag-On. We expect a great Ruff Ryders show on Aug. 3, and we want at least 6,000 Atlantic City residents to experience it with us, Guardian said in a statement. Pink played the Atlantic City beach July 12, followed by Brantley Gilbert on July 13. DOWNE TOWNSHIP Its a quiet and still mid-July morning on the creek at Beaver Dam as Scott Waterman tows a family of crabbers to a location he says is a good spot. The whirring of the tow boats motor is the only sound as it cuts through the mirror-smooth water, scattering the reflected clouds. The scent of the incoming tide washing over the mud banks and the wafting of cut bunker fills the air. The best times for crabbing are when the tides are changing, says Waterman, of Beaver Dam Boat Rentals, which has served this spot on the edge of the Delaware Bay since 1909. The crabs love to follow the tide in and out and move with the flow in the main channel. Waterman gets his latest group of crabbers settled and then checks on Chris Urban and his wife, Jessica, of Williamstown. The Urbans, along with sons Luke, 5, Chris Jr., 8, and nephew Eddie, 9, have been crabbing since 7 a.m. Do you have any extra box traps and bunker? Urban asks. We lost a couple of ours, and do you have any string? Waterman hands over some fresh bunker and promises to return shortly with string and traps. Urban has been crabbing at Beaver Dam since 1980. He went crabbing with his dad and is now carrying on that tradition with his wife and boys. Its just something we enjoy doing, and the kids love it, says Urban. Its relaxing, and we are building memories with the kids. Blue claw crabs can be found all along the New Jersey coast, from the Hudson River to the Delaware Bay, in tidal creeks, rivers and the shallows of back-bay waters. They account for nearly one-third of all recreational catches, according the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. There are just a few basic methods for catching blue claw crabs. A weighted hand-line baited with either bunker or chicken is preferred by most traditional crabbers. The weight of the crab can be felt on the line when it takes the bait. It is slowly pulled up to the boat and captured in a net. Another method is to use wire box traps with trap doors baited with bunker or chicken and left on the bottom for a desired time. When pulled up, the doors close, trapping the crabs. Some prefer using ring traps of wire mesh, again baited with bunker or chicken, but you have to be quick pulling them up because crabs can escape over the sides. Urban said he uses all three but prefers ring traps. I like the ring traps because crabs can come in from all directions, Urban said. But the others work just as well. Urbans nephew, Eddie, had just pulled in his ring trap with a keeper crab. Chris Urban Jr. pulled up his trap. I got two crabs, I got two crabs! exclaimed Chris Jr. By mid-morning, the family already had more than two dozen crabs in their basket. Eddie said the secret is pulling the line in very slowly until he feels the weight of the crab in the trap, then he pulls it in fast. Nearby, Mike Maltese, of Woodbine, and his children, Michael, 14, and Kate, 13, are closing in on a half bushel of crabs for their efforts. Ive been coming here since I was a kid, Maltese said. I get to spend time with the kids, and the place has always been good to us. Peace and quiet, and the crabs, are the reasons people keep returning to Beaver Dam to go crabbing, according to Waterman. There are no other waters along the coast of New Jersey that are as quiet, Waterman said. There is no boat traffic or jet ski traffic. A person can go out there and actually meditate while theyre catching crabs. Beaver Dam Boat Rentals was established in 1909. Paul Waterman, Scotts father, purchased the business in 2005 with his wife, Linda, in hopes of creating an aquaculture center. Paul Waterman said he took over a business in disarray. But even as he was repairing the facilities, he said he saw the value. We had people continuously stopping in asking when we were going to be open for crabbing, Waterman said. Thats when my wife and I looked at each other and decided to give recreational crabbing a try. The companys unique business feature is that it doesnt offer its customers motorized boats but instead tows them to locations in the creeks and shallows. Not having motors is one less thing customers have to worry about while crabbing. Waterman said. All you need to do is show up. We can supply you with everything you need to go crabbing. The man accused of killing an Ocean City woman on Saturday made his first appearance in court on Monday. Paul Kline, 49, of Ocean City, is charged in the murder of Denise Webber, 54, who was strangled to death Saturday, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor. Webbers body was found by police in her apartment at the Wesley Inn, where she and Kline lived together. Superior Court Judge Michael Donohue scheduled a detention hearing for 9 a.m. Thursday. He said Klines public safety assessment score recommended that he be be held until trial because of the nature of the crime. A final decision will be made at the detention hearing. Ocean City Police responded to Webbers apartment at the building on Wesley Avenue around 8:40 a.m. Saturday and found her body. Officials determined Kline killed her, authorities said. Murder carries a sentence in New Jersey of 30 years to life in state prison. None of Webbers family or friends attended the hearing in Cape May Court House on Monday. Former Republican House member and Benghazi-investigator Jason Chaffetz resigned from the House on June 30th this year and became a Fox News contributor literally one day later. The new gig means Chaffetz gets to spend time in New York City and engage in a favorite conservative pastime: taking pictures that show how allegedly godless and filthy New York is. This time, instead of picking on an empty brandy bottle, like fellow Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham did, Chaffetz used social media to publicly shame a random homeless man near Times Square. Compassionate conservatism! NYC Times Sq 6:53am streaming video on a phone A post shared by Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) on Jul 24, 2017 at 6:13pm PDT Chaffetz took the above photo of a homeless man using a smartphone yesterday morning and simply captioned it "NYC Times Sq 6:53am streaming video on a phone." Since it didn't have any followup such as "You can help the city's homeless by donating or volunteering to one of these many organizations," one is only left to assume that this is some kind of commentary on how the homeless have it easy here in the Big Apple. Beyond the casual cruelty of snapping a homeless person's picture to prove some kind of vague point, Chaffetz apparently doesn't seem to mind reminding everyone in the world about his previous problems with smartphones. It was Chaffetz, after all, who provided a world historical bad soundbite while pitching the GOP's healthcare plan this year: 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. They've got to make those decisions themselves. Civil liberties attorney Norman Siegel suggested that Chaffetz was too quick to jump to conclusions when he took the man's picture. "He should have used his investigative skills he honed on the Oversight Committee to find out more about the person," Siegel told Gothamist. "You can find out a lot about a person if you talk to them for five minutes." And even if Chaffetz had talked with the man and found out "he used whatever money he got from people, New Yorkers are good-natured people, why should we make any negative judgments about that? He's still on the street, possibly without a job. We should try to hep these people, not put them in a negative light." Siegel also told Gothamist that cellphones are "so essential in this modern century," and that "although it was striking to see a homeless person with a cell phone you can't make a negative judgement" about them. "The larger question becomes," Siegel said, "do you show compassion and empathy for people who are down and out and on the streets, even if they're wearing something nice or have a jacket on in the winter or they're reading a book?" DANIA BEACH, Fla., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A wave of change has arrived at Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. Guests can now experience reimagined accommodations and even greater service with the arrival of a new general manager. Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port recently unveiled its $1.6 million room renovation. Vacationers and business travelers alike can now enjoy reimagined decor, new furnishings and upgraded TVs. The hotel has also named Dace Stewart, who has over 13 years of experience with Marriott, as the hotel's new general manager. For information, visit www.marriott.com/FLLHT or call 1-954-342-8333. Transforming comfortable visits into unforgettable getaways, the Dania Beach hotel has just finished a $1.6 million room renovation. Guests will feel at ease the moment they arrive and see the calming blue and gray tones in new carpet and wall coverings. The addition of beach scene artwork, taken by a local photographer, sets the tone for a relaxing retreat. New drapes, ergonomic desk chairs and 43-inch LG TVs were also part of the makeover. "We are beyond thrilled to offer an enhanced experience for our guests," said Dace Stewart, the new General Manager of the hotel. "Our renovated rooms capture the spirit of the area while providing a tranquil getaway for professionals and vacationers. Fresh from the airport or cruise terminal, our guests will appreciate a portly stay for a day, week or extended visit." Stewart began his long-lasting journey with Marriott 13 years ago as a front desk supervisor at Charlotte Marriott City Center in North Carolina. He then joined the JW Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort in Florida, rising to the level of senior assistant director of finance. In 2015, he was named director of finance at Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay. The recently appointed general manager at the Dania Beach, Florida hotel hopes to build upon his team's impeccable service in the coming months. When Stewart is not working, he loves to travel, work up a sweat at a heart-pumping spin or boot camp class and do volunteer work. He said he is looking forward to exploring his new hometown that offers so many things to do and see not only for his family but for his hotel guests. The soft white sand on Dania Beach is among the many popular attractions in the area. The beach's pier is an ideal location to catch a breathtaking sunrise or sunset over the ocean and is also known as a fishing hotspot. With the hotel being just 2 miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and close to Port Everglades, visitors can fly or cruise in for a quick getaway or extended vacation and head to Las Olas Boulevard to explore the unique boutiques, shops, restaurants and art galleries that have made the thoroughfare a true destination. Seminole Hard Rock casino and The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale also are nearby. About Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port at 400 Gulf Stream Way in Dania Beach, Florida is near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach Pier, Hollywood Beach and Port Everglades. The hotel features 6 floors with 161 guest rooms, 13 suites, 4 meeting rooms with 2,478 square feet, a fitness center, outdoor pool and The Bistro. Wi-Fi, on-site parking and a shuttle to the airport and cruise port are always complimentary. For information, visit www.marriott.com/FLLHT or call 1-954-342-8333. Sign up now for Marriott Rewards and get on the fast track to earn points for free hotel stays, room upgrades, flights, credit card purchases and deals with Marriott partners. Learn more about Courtyard and Marriott International Inc. PRESS CONTACT Dace Stewart 1-954-624-3322 [email protected] SOURCE Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Related Links http://www.marriott.com/FLLHT SAN ANTONIO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A garage is a fundamental portion of any home, not only is a garage an extension of an individual's property it is often used to contain expensive items like cars, tools, bikes, freezers, and any other over flow of items that cannot fit inside the house itself. Having a secure garage door is therefore essential in keeping property safe and keeping strangers out of the home. Garage doors run on a limited life span and can go out at any moment, having even a second of a broken garage can be the difference of property loss through theft or worse. In San Antonio, 1Choice Garage Door Repair has just launched same day repair service. This new service will allow customers to have their garage repaired by trained professionals right when a break occurs. San Antonio is home to many suburban areas with new developments constantly popping up, many of these homes coming with attached or detached garages. Until recently there wasn't an option for same day repairs if anything went wrong. Garage doors can break any time, there is no planned obsolescence, when they break they must be repaired right away. 1Choice Garage Door Repair understands this problem and has hired more than enough highly skilled technicians to offer same day garage doors San Antonio services. Technicians are not only garage door repair San Antonio experts, but are able to install new garage doors, repair/install new garage door openers, replace garage door rollers, switch out worn out springs, and provide maintenance to the garage door. 1Choice Garage Door Repair is an accredited business by the better business bureau and has scored and maintained an A+ rating since its inception in 2005. Today customers can find hundreds of 5 star reviews on sites like Yelp, Google, Facebook, etc. The company prides itself in being transparent and welcomes future clients to check out reviews. No matter the time of day, 1Choice Garage Door Repair is available to help with all garage door repair San Antonio services. The company hires the most skilled technicians in the industry and provides honest and affordable repairs. The company looks forward to continuing its growth and providing citizens of San Antonio new and exciting garage door services. Contact: George Davis 210-802-3590 service(at)1choicegaragedoor(dot)com SOURCE 1Choice Garage Door Repair Related Links http://1choicegaragedoor.com RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer announced the recipients of the fifth annual Bayer Bee Care Community Leadership Award: young beekeeper Jake Reisdorf, and Kirk and Heidi Tubbs of Tubbs Berry Farm in partnership with the Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District. Sponsored by the Bayer North American Bee Care Program, the Community Leadership Award honors individuals and partners that have demonstrated dedication to pollinator protection and educating their communities about bee health. Jake Reisdorf is the first-ever beekeeper under 18 years of age to receive the Bayer Bee Care Community Leadership Award. New this year, Bayer expanded the scope of its awards program to show support for the future of the beekeeping industry by recognizing not only one innovative beekeeping partnership, but also by honoring a tenacious young beekeeper. By striving to understand the importance of honey bees at a young age, these next-generation beekeeper applicants have proven their commitment to making a positive impact on the long term well-being of the species. Jake is the first-ever beekeeper under 18 years of age to receive this award, which includes a $1,000 prize to support his school and community honey bee-focused initiatives. Among 20 entries, based on his standout application, 14-year-old Jake was selected for his diversified approach to pollinator health and commendable efforts to ensure that future generations understand the significant impact of bees on the ecosystem. "It is so cool to receive the Bayer Bee Care Community Leadership Award for my efforts to educate the world about the honey bee," said Jake Reisdorf, owner of the Carmel Honey Company. "With the money I've been awarded, I'd like to fulfill my dream of building an educational center called Pollination World to teach people about all types of pollinators including bees, bats, birds and butterflies." Jake's passion for bees originated after completing a beekeeping course with his father when he was in fifth grade, which served as the impetus behind a honey bee-themed website he designed for a school project. Stemming from the creation of this simple beekeeping website, his classmates began to look to him as a resource for bee health information. This inspired Jake to adopt a hive of his own. Fast-forward to present day, Jake has nearly 100 hives throughout Monterey County, California. He sells pure, raw, premium honey and honeycombs to specialty food stores and restaurant chefs; places hives on residential and commercial properties for people who want to support the bees but don't have the time or resources to be beekeepers; and gives educational presentations at schools and local organizations focusing on the importance of bees in the food chain. Jake is also a member of the California State Beekeepers Association, the American Beekeeping Federation and is currently participating in the UC Davis Master Beekeepers Program. "We believe young beekeepers are critical to promoting and preserving the overall health of pollinator species for generations to come," said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager, Bayer North American Bee Care Program. "We were thrilled to receive so many entries from individuals and groups of all ages who are passionate about bees. This year's Community Leadership Award winners are celebrated for their forward-looking approaches to beekeeping, coupled with their deep passions for spreading knowledge about pollinator protection to community members and future generations of beekeepers." In addition to the Young Beekeeper award, a pollinator-supportive partnership in the Pacific Northwest was also recognized for its positive impact in the realm of honey bee health. Kirk and Heidi Tubbs of Tubbs Berry Farm began beekeeping 10 years ago due to pollination issues on their farm and have since become a local resource in Twin Falls, Idaho, for anything related to beekeeping. As a result of their esteemed reputation in the pollinator community, the opportunity to partner with Twin Falls County Pest Abatement District arose, with their first joint venture piloting tests to determine if a new mosquito control method had an effect on bees. As a result of their ongoing research on Integrated Pest Management, county employees have gained opportunities to expand their knowledge of bees and the products that are employed to reduce nearby mosquito populations. Additionally, Kirk instructs mosquito control operators at various conferences and workshops about how to have informed discussions with beekeepers on the impact various control methods have on bees. "We're honored to be recognized for our dedication to safe beekeeping and expanding local stewardship initiatives related to pollinator health," said Kirk Tubbs of Tubbs Berry Farm. "With the funds we've been granted as a result of our award win, we're eager to continue spearheading research on the effects of insect controllers on bees, while also exploring alternate methods of insect control and educating our communities about the importance of the extraordinary honey bee species." Amongst many qualified entries, this year's highly respected winners were selected by an incumbent panel of judges including Pamela Smith, editor at The Progressive Farmer, Joe Graham, editor at the American Bee Journal, and Dr. Becky Langer, Bayer North American Bee Care Program Project Manager. The Bayer Bee Care Community Leadership Award is just one of many initiatives of the Bee Care Program, continuing its nearly 30 years of supporting bee health. For more information on Bayer bee health initiatives, please visit: http://beehealth.bayer.us. You can also follow and share with us on Twitter @BayerBeeCare, on Facebook at facebook.com/BayerBeeCareCenter and view photos on Flickr. Bayer is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer representative, or visit Crop Science, a division of Bayer, online at www.cropscience.bayer.us. Visit the Bayer Connect - Social Hub for social media, recent news, blog posts, videos and more from Crop Science, a division of Bayer. Bayer: Science For A Better Life Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.com. Find more information at www.cropscience.bayer.us. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. SOURCE Bayer Related Links http://www.bayerus.com Financial services play an important role in helping reduce extreme poverty and increase prosperity, yet two billion people remain financially excluded. They lack access to basic financial services such as savings accounts and credit. CGAP, a financial inclusion think tank housed at the World Bank, seeks to illustrate the impact that financial inclusion and microfinance have in improving the lives of low-income people through its annual photo contest, now in its 12th year. This year CGAP is seeking photo entries that show how people in both rural and urban areas are using digital finance in innovative ways to build greater resiliency through financial tools, and conduct their financial lives. We also want to see ways that financial services are helping them cope with humanitarian crises. In addition, entrants are encouraged to submit images that show how traditionally excluded groups such as women and youth are connecting with digital finance. "People and communities around the world with access to financial services are using them to build better lives. With the photo contest, contributors help show this impact through their lens," said Greta Bull, CEO of CGAP. "This year we are especially excited to see entries that represent the growing use of smartphones and innovations in digital finance. How are smartphones making it easier for poor customers to manage their daily finances? How is digital innovation making it possible for low-income women to grow businesses, or to respond to emergencies?" Our judges are award-winning photographers and visual editors in documentary, magazine, and news journalism who will select winners for the five contest areas: Grand Prize, Categories, Regional Spotlight, Judges' Honorable Mention, and People's Choice. Winning entries from two regions Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean will be given special recognition. All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm US ET on September 29, 2017. Submit entries and learn more about the 2017 CGAP Photo Contest: https://photocontest.cgap.org/ https://twitter.com/CGAP https://www.facebook.com/ConsultativeGroupToAssistThePoor CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) is a global partnership of more than 30 leading organizations that seek to advance financial inclusion. CGAP develops innovative solutions through practical research and active engagement with financial service providers, policy makers and funders to enable approaches at scale. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP combines a pragmatic approach to responsible market development with an evidence-based advocacy platform to increase access to the financial services the poor need to improve their lives. More at www.cgap.org. SOURCE CGAP (The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) Related Links http://www.cgap.org NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After releasing its report "Pointing Out: How Walmart Unlawfully Punishes Workers for Medical Absences," A Better Balance yesterday filed additional charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of four clients. The charges are tied to an original charge filed by A Better Balance on behalf of Arleja Stephens of Washington, D.C., alleging that Walmart's absence control program violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), among other laws. The "Pointing Out" report garnered widespread attention, including from The New York Times. "The fact that we have heard from hundreds more Walmart workers in just two months is extremely troubling. Walmart's unfair and illegal practices punish vulnerable low-wage workers with disabilities, illnesses or unexpected caregiving responsibilities," said Dina Bakst, Co-Founder and Co-President of A Better Balance. "The effects of this discriminatory treatment can be devastating for low-wage workers, who are often one medical emergency away from poverty." Walmart's absence control programa point systemunjustly, and in some cases, illegally, punishes workers for absences, according to the A Better Balance report and the EEOC charges filed yesterday. These policies hurt workers when they are at their most vulnerable and have devastating economic consequences. For example, one pregnant woman was fired for pointing out the day after she went into preterm labor and had to miss work. All of the A Better Balance clients tell similar stories about their time working at Walmart with a disability, despite hailing from Nebraska, South Carolina, New York, and Florida. All were punished and given disciplinary absence "points" when they needed time off due to their disabilities and all were told that doctors' notes would not obligate management to excuse medical absences. Being punished for absences related to a disability runs afoul of the ADA's requirement for employers to provide workers with reasonable accommodations to allow them to continue safely working. The workers are Virginia James from South Carolina, James Moore from New York, and two unnamed workers from Nebraska and Florida. Read the full press release here. A Better Balance clients and attorneys are available for interviews. A Better Balance is a national legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace and helping workers meet the conflicting demands of work and family. Follow on Twitter at @ABetterBalance and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ABetterBalance. SOURCE A Better Balance Related Links http://www.abetterbalance.org MONTREAL, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) will issue its second-quarter 2017 financial and operating results today, July 25, 2017, at 4:01 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). CN's senior officers will review the results and the railway's outlook in a webcast/conference call starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT today. Luc Jobin, CN's president and chief executive officer, will lead the call. Parties wishing to participate in or listen to the second-quarter 2017 presentation and question-and-answer period by telephone should call 800-355-4959 or 416-641-6122 by 4:20 p.m. EDT today. CN will webcast the presentation live and furnish slides supporting the officers' remarks via the Investors' section of its website, www.cn.ca/en/investors. The slides will be posted on the website after the close of markets today. A webcast replay will be available after the call ends. CN is a true backbone of the economy whose team of approximately 23,000 railroaders transports more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca. SOURCE CN Related Links http://www.cn.ca SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Affirmed Housing is pleased to announce that it will celebrate the grand opening of Cypress on July 24, 2017 at 11:00am. Located at 1435 Imperial Avenue in Downtown San Diego, Cypress is a Permanent Supportive Housing development serving homeless individuals with special needs. In attendance for the grand opening of the $20 million, eco-friendly project will be California State Senator, Toni Atkins; San Diego Mayor, Kevin Faulconer; San Diego Councilman, Chris Ward; and San Diego Housing Commission President, Rick Gentry. As a sustainable, transit-oriented development, Cypress pairs the latest in urban design with affordability for those who need housing most: the homeless population in Downtown San Diego. Cypress will provide 62 studio apartments for residents earning an average of 30 40 percent of the area median income (AMI). The project also has one, one-bedroom manager's unit. Resident apartments range from 275 to 350 square feet and feature personal kitchens and bathrooms. Shared amenities include a second-level outdoor open space, a community kitchen, tech tables, and lounge areas with abundant natural sunlight. The environmentally-friendly community also has a solar array to offset 60 percent of its common area energy usage, and offers resident services by St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. The project was designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture and built by HA Builders, with civil engineering by Kettler Leweck Engineering and landscape design by Ivy Landscape Architects. Funding for the project included 9% federal tax credits, $3,450,000 of development capital from the San Diego Housing Commission, and $3,837,545 in Transit-Oriented Development grant funding. The project was also awarded 62 project-based federal housing vouchers, which have an annual value of $612,312. James Silverwood, President of Affirmed Housing, states, "Affirmed is pleased to be leading in the efforts of Mayor Faulconer and the San Diego Housing Commission to reduce homelessness in the City of San Diego. In providing permanent supportive housing we believe we are giving our residents the tools they need to succeed and advance their place in society." Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com. Contact: Beth Binger BCIpr (619) 987-6658 [email protected] SOURCE Affirmed Housing Related Links http://www.affirmedhousing.com HOUSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AIG Travel is pioneering a new approach to product development that will allow travel agents and other distribution partners the flexibility to offer truly customized travel insurance packages. AIG Travel has moved beyond the traditional "one-size-fits-all" product approach to offer partners the ability to request packages from an array of separate individual product components. "We understand that consumers want a more personalized travel experience, which is why we have worked tirelessly to get to this point where we will be able to offer agents more options to provide a better-targeted spectrum of products and ultimately a better experience for travelers," said Jeff Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel. This approach, whereby numerous benefits, such as trip cancelation or security evacuation, will be available on an individual basis (including the many possible variables of coverage and limits), provides agents with an array of components to use to request packages to respond to specific customer demand and demographics, instead of the former "handful" of packages approach. It opens the door for innovative product development and expands the menu of benefits available to clients, bringing an unprecedented level of flexibility and ability to tailor segmented insurance plans for each agency's unique customer profile. The new products, filed by AIG Travel affiliate National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. ("AIG"), have been approved in 31 states. "We're thrilled that, in many states, we can now offer this new universe of options alongside our existing Travel Guard policies Silver, Gold and Platinum which will remain available to customers who prefer that approach," Rutledge said. "With such a wide range of product choices, our industry partners can still request as many or as few products to offer, based on each agency's individual customer base. We hope that the number of states where this approach is available will expand as we continue to pursue product filings." Alongside this new package-building paradigm, AIG is also innovating on the individual benefit level with cutting-edge, targeted options. Some of the new benefits, available in many states, include: NAME YOUR FAMILY : Current policies define who constitutes a family member whose death or illness may trigger coverage for a trip cancelation. Under this new policy, the traveler has the option to name whichever individuals they choose to include in this group. Current policies define who constitutes a family member whose death or illness may trigger coverage for a trip cancelation. Under this new policy, the traveler has the option to name whichever individuals they choose to include in this group. New trip cancellation benefits: Due to insufficient/excessive water levels: For those travelers interested in river or ocean cruises, this new product can provide more robust coverage by reimbursing trip costs for a flood or drought that affects the area where the insured was supposed to go on a cruise . For those travelers interested in river or ocean cruises, this new product can provide more robust coverage by reimbursing trip costs for a flood or drought that affects the area where the insured was supposed to go on a cruise Due to a wedding being canceled: This new product can cover the insured guest if a trip is canceled due to either the bride or the groom calling-off their wedding. This new product can cover the insured guest if a trip is canceled due to either the bride or the groom calling-off their wedding. Trip curtailment due to the mechanical breakdown of an owned or rented vehicle: If the traveler's vehicle breaks down, they can be covered for the costs of the loss of their vacation time while the vehicle is being repaired or replaced. If the traveler's vehicle breaks down, they can be covered for the costs of the loss of their vacation time while the vehicle is being repaired or replaced. Trip inconvenience coverage: This category includes a variety of new benefits, which are activated in a completely different manner than AIG's other travel insurance offerings. If purchased, this coverage provides a fixed benefit amount payable upon the stated inconvenient event occurring (as opposed to being limited to an expense reimbursement). Initial examples in this category include payments for: closed or shut down theme parks or other attractions; cruise/flight diversions; hotel infestations; beach closures; and runway delays. AIG has also conducted extensive work to expand coverage benefits for the following products: Pet named perils: Expanded options for dog and cat owners, providing coverage if the insured's pet is injured while traveling and needs to be taken to a veterinarian. It can also provide a benefit if the pet dies after the insurance is purchased, but before the trip is taken. Expanded options for dog and cat owners, providing coverage if the insured's pet is injured while traveling and needs to be taken to a veterinarian. It can also provide a benefit if the pet dies after the insurance is purchased, but before the trip is taken. Security evacuation coverage: Under this coverage, the traveler can be transported out of unsafe/unstable situations (such as political unrest or a natural disaster) and the cost can be covered up to a specified benefit level. For more information on this new approach or the new coverages, agents are encouraged to contact their AIG Travel sales representative. With the suite of coverages growing, more and more information will be updated via AIG Travel's ezTIPS booking software, allowing for automated selling capability. About AIG Travel and Travel Guard AIG Travel, Inc., a member of American International Group, Inc., is a worldwide leader in travel insurance and global assistance. Travel Guard is the marketing name for its portfolio of travel insurance solutions and travel-related services, including medical and security services, marketed to both leisure and business travelers around the globe. Services are provided through a network of wholly owned service centers located in Asia, Europe and the Americas. For additional information, please visit our websites at www.aig.com/travel and www.travelguard.com. About AIG American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG's core businesses include Commercial Insurance and Consumer Insurance, as well as Other Operations. Commercial Insurance comprises two modules Liability and Financial Lines, and Property and Special Risks. Consumer Insurance comprises four modules Individual Retirement, Group Retirement, Life Insurance and Personal Insurance. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. Contact: Rhonda Sloan AIG Travel 713.284.8232 [email protected] SOURCE AIG Travel Related Links http://www.travelguardworldwide.com STAMFORD, Conn., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircastle Limited (NYSE: AYR) ("Aircastle") announced today that it plans to release its second quarter financial results for the period ended June 30, 2017 on August 8, 2017 before the market opens. In connection with the earnings release, management will host an earnings conference call on Tuesday, August 8, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. Eastern time. A copy of the earnings release will be posted to the Investor Relations section of the Aircastle Limited website provided below. All interested parties are welcome to participate on the live call. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (800) 263-0877 (from within the U.S. and Canada) or (323) 794-2130 (from outside of the U.S. and Canada) ten minutes prior to the selected start and referencing the passcode "5786728". A webcast of the conference call will be available to the public on a listen only basis at http://www.aircastle.com. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the necessary software required to listen to the internet broadcast. A replay of the webcast will be available for one month following the call. In addition to the earnings release an accompanying presentation will be posted to the Investor Relations section of Aircastle's website. For those who are not available to listen to the live call, a replay will be available until 3:00 P.M. Eastern time on Thursday, September 7, 2017 by dialing (888) 203-1112 (from within the U.S. and Canada) or (719) 457-8020 (from outside of the U.S. and Canada); please reference passcode "1757279". About Aircastle Limited Aircastle Limited acquires, leases and sells commercial jet aircraft to airlines throughout the world. As of March 31, 2017, Aircastle owned and managed on behalf of its joint ventures 213 aircraft leased to 72 customers located in 37 countries. Contacts: Aircastle Advisor LLC The IGB Group Frank Constantinople, SVP Investor Relations Leon Berman Tel: +1-203-504-1063 Tel: +1-212-477-8438 [email protected] [email protected] For more information on Aircastle, please visit www.aircastle.com. SOURCE Aircastle Limited Related Links http://www.aircastle.com Achieved a 12-percent increase in total oil sales volume over the second quarter of 2016 Increased overall sales-volume product mix to 67-percent liquids compared to 54-percent liquids in the second quarter of 2016 Continued deepwater Gulf of Mexico success with new tieback activities at Horn Mountain and K2, and facility upgrades at Constitution success with new tieback activities at Horn Mountain and K2, and facility upgrades at Constitution Closed divestitures totaling more than $600 million during the quarter "Our portfolio delivered good operating results and cash flow during the second quarter with significantly improved cash margins and increased oil volumes year-over-year, even with the temporary production impacts associated with our response efforts in Colorado," said Al Walker, Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO. "Our successful divestitures further strengthened the company's cash position, while providing flexibility for the second half of the year and beyond. The current market conditions require lower capital intensity given the volatility of margins realized in this operating environment. As such, we are reducing our level of investments by $300 million for the full year, and adjusting full-year sales-volume guidance to reflect recent divestitures and the deferred production associated with the Colorado response. We feel this is a prudent move, while still expecting to average approximately 130,000 barrels of oil per day in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and exit the year at around 150,000 barrels of oil per day from the Delaware and DJ basins combined." OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Anadarko's second-quarter 2017 sales volume of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) totaled 57 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), or an average of 631,000 BOE per day. During the second quarter, Anadarko achieved record oil sales volume in the Delaware Basin of West Texas averaging approximately 33,000 barrels of oil per day, a 52-percent increase over the second quarter of 2016. Importantly, Anadarko is in the final stages of securing operatorship for approximately 70 percent of the acreage position, which was previously part of the joint-venture agreement that recently concluded with Shell. Anadarko's working and net-revenue interest remains unchanged, and the company's efforts can begin to evolve from capturing operatorship and appraising the prior Area of Mutual Interest to development of this world-class asset. In addition, the company continues to expand takeaway capacity having recently reached an agreement to be an anchor shipper on a residue-gas line going from the Western Gas Partners, LP (WES)-operated Ramsey plant and future WES-operated Mentone plant to the Waha area. Anadarko also concluded a tranche of crude oil pipeline capacity from the Permian Basin to Gulf Coast markets. In the DJ Basin, oil sales volume for the quarter averaged 76,000 barrels per day. The company continued to refine its completions program and achieve greater drilling efficiencies with record cycle times for short-, mid- and longer-length laterals. The company's new completion design is yielding cumulative production improvements of more than 35 percent compared to the core type-curves provided during the March Investor Conference. During the quarter, Anadarko also mobilized significant resources in its response to the Notice to Operators issued by Colorado's oil and gas regulatory authority, which included the company's additional efforts to inspect its vertical well inventory and remove all associated one-inch return lines. In the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Anadarko's oil sales volume averaged 113,000 barrels per day, as the company successfully completed several planned maintenance activities and facility upgrades. The first development well of the Horn Mountain Deep discovery was brought on line ahead of schedule and is currently producing approximately 12,000 barrels of oil per day. In addition, field production continued at a nine-year high at K2, with a new tieback brought on production in April, which is currently producing more than 9,000 BOE per day. The company also expanded its industry-leading leasehold position in the recent deepwater Gulf lease sale by being awarded 11 new leases near existing opportunities and infrastructure. Internationally, sales volume averaged 93,000 barrels per day, an increase of 25 percent over the second quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase was largely driven by the startup of the TEN development offshore Ghana in the third-quarter of 2016. In addition, Anadarko is completing many of the core components of the legal and contractual framework for its LNG project in Mozambique. The progress helps position the company to advance negotiations in securing long-term LNG offtake contracts as it continues toward a final investment decision. OPERATIONS REPORT For additional details on Anadarko's second-quarter 2017 operations and exploration program, please refer to the comprehensive Operations Report available at www.anadarko.com. CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 7:30 A.M. CDT, 8:30 A.M. EDT Anadarko will host a conference call on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, at 7:30 a.m. Central (8:30 a.m. Eastern) to discuss second-quarter results. The dial-in number is 877.883.0383 in the U.S. or 412.902.6506 internationally. The confirmation number is 4412190. For complete instructions on how to participate in the conference call, or to listen to the live audio webcast and slide presentation, please visit www.anadarko.com. A replay of the call will be available on the website for approximately 30 days following the conference call. FINANCIAL DATA Ten pages of summary financial data follow, including current hedge positions, a reconciliation of "divestiture-adjusted" or "same-store" sales, and updated financial and production guidance. (1) See the accompanying table for details of certain items affecting comparability. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156201LOGO Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's mission is to deliver a competitive and sustainable rate of return to shareholders by exploring for, acquiring and developing oil and natural gas resources vital to the world's health and welfare. As of year-end 2016, the company had 1.72 billion barrels-equivalent of proved reserves, making it one of the world's largest independent exploration and production companies. For more information about Anadarko and APC Flash Feed updates, please visit www.anadarko.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Anadarko believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release, including Anadarko's ability to realize its expectations regarding performance, including Anadarko's ability to successfully execute upon its capital program; to meet financial and operating guidance contained in this news release, including the impact of response efforts in Colorado; to successfully drill, complete, test and produce the wells identified in this news release; to timely complete and commercially operate the projects and drilling prospects identified in this news release; to finalize the necessary steps to ensure operatorship; and to successfully plan, secure additional government approvals, enter into long-term sales contracts, finance, build, and operate the necessary infrastructure and LNG park in Mozambique. See "Risk Factors" in the company's 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other public filings and press releases. Anadarko undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Anadarko Contacts MEDIA : John Christiansen, [email protected] , 832.636.8736 Stephanie Moreland, [email protected], 832.636.2912 INVESTORS : Robin Fielder, [email protected] , 832.636.1462 Andy Taylor, [email protected], 832.636.3089 Pete Zagrzecki, [email protected] , 832.636.7727 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures Below are reconciliations of certain GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures, each as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This non-GAAP information should be considered by the reader in addition to, but not instead of, the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial information presented may be determined or calculated differently by other companies and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures. Management uses adjusted net income (loss) to evaluate operating and financial performance and believes the measure is useful to investors because it eliminates the impact of certain noncash and/or other items that management does not consider to be indicative of the Company's performance from period to period. Management also believes this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors to evaluate and compare the Company's operating and financial performance across periods, as well as facilitating comparisons to others in the Company's industry. Quarter Ended June 30, 2017 Before After Per Share millions except per-share amounts Tax Tax (diluted) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (GAAP) $ (415) $ (0.76) Adjustments for certain items affecting comparability Total gains (losses) on derivatives, net, less net cash from settlement of commodity derivatives* $ (45) (29) (0.05) Gains (losses) on divestitures, net 205 130 0.24 Impairments Producing and general properties (10) (7) (0.02) Exploration assets (82) (65) (0.12) Restructuring charges (18) (11) (0.02) Change in uncertain tax positions (10) (0.02) Certain items affecting comparability $ 50 8 0.01 Adjusted net income (loss) (Non-GAAP) $ (423) $ (0.77) * Includes $(104) million related to interest-rate derivatives and $59 million related to commodity derivatives. Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 Before After Per Share millions except per-share amounts Tax Tax (diluted) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (GAAP) $ (692) $ (1.36) Adjustments for certain items affecting comparability Total gains (losses) on derivatives, net, less net cash from settlement of commodity derivatives* $ (371) (234) (0.46) Gains (losses) on divestitures, net (104) (66) (0.13) Impairments (18) (11) (0.02) Restructuring charges (48) (30) (0.06) Loss on early extinguishment of debt (124) (78) (0.15) Third-party well and platform decommissioning obligation 56 35 0.07 Change in uncertain tax positions (4) (0.01) Certain items affecting comparability $ (609) (388) (0.76) Adjusted net income (loss) (Non-GAAP) $ (304) $ (0.60) * Includes $(213) million related to interest-rate derivatives, $(154) million related to commodity derivatives, and $(4) million related to gathering, processing, and marketing sales. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures Management uses net debt to determine the Company's outstanding debt obligations that would not be readily satisfied by its cash and cash equivalents on hand. Management believes that using net debt in the capitalization ratio is useful to investors in determining the Company's leverage since the Company could choose to use its cash and cash equivalents to retire debt. In addition, management believes that presenting Anadarko's net debt excluding WGP is useful because WGP is a separate public company with its own capital structure. June 30, 2017 Anadarko Anadarko WGP* excluding millions Consolidated Consolidated WGP Total debt (GAAP) $ 15,480 $ 3,281 $ 12,199 Less cash and cash equivalents 6,008 189 5,819 Net debt (Non-GAAP) $ 9,472 $ 3,092 $ 6,380 Anadarko Anadarko excluding millions Consolidated WGP Net debt $ 9,472 $ 6,380 Total equity 14,656 11,472 Adjusted capitalization $ 24,128 $ 17,852 Net debt to adjusted capitalization ratio 39% 36% * Western Gas Equity Partners, LP (WGP) is a publicly traded consolidated subsidiary of Anadarko, and Western Gas Partners, LP (WES) is a consolidated subsidiary of WGP Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Cash Flow Information (Unaudited) Quarter Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, millions 2017 2016 2017 2016 Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net income (loss) $ (334) $ (611) $ (609) $ (1,609) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities Depreciation, depletion, and amortization 1,037 984 2,152 2,133 Deferred income taxes 488 (407) (172) (820) Dry hole expense and impairments of unproved properties 454 10 1,466 45 Impairments 10 18 383 34 (Gains) losses on divestitures, net (205) 104 (1,009) 102 Loss on early extinguishment of debt 2 124 2 124 Total (gains) losses on derivatives, net 32 311 (115) 610 Operating portion of net cash received (paid) in settlement of derivative instruments 13 60 5 165 Other 74 88 157 203 Changes in assets and liabilities (714) 548 (280) 105 Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities* $ 857 $ 1,229 $ 1,980 $ 1,092 Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities $ (506) $ 8 $ 1,216 $ (965) Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities $ (174) $ (2,790) $ (372) $ 329 Capital Expenditures** $ 1,210 $ 728 $ 2,465 $ 1,624 * Restructuring charges (excluding noncash share-based compensation) were $18 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, $44 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, $17 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017, and $224 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. Cash payments for restructuring charges were $31 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, $103 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, $50 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017, and $182 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. ** Includes Western Gas Partners, LP (WES) capital expenditures of $151 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, and $120 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, $437 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017, and $260 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited) Quarter Ended Six Months Ended Summary Financial Information June 30, June 30, millions except per-share amounts 2017 2016 2017 2016 Consolidated Statements of Income Revenues and Other Oil sales $ 1,422 $ 1,125 $ 3,085 $ 1,975 Natural-gas sales 319 320 821 686 Natural-gas liquids sales 214 235 503 413 Gathering, processing, and marketing sales 464 305 908 545 Gains (losses) on divestitures and other, net 297 (70) 1,166 (30) Total 2,716 1,915 6,483 3,589 Costs and Expenses Oil and gas operating 233 202 491 410 Oil and gas transportation 229 246 478 488 Exploration 535 76 1,620 202 Gathering, processing, and marketing 359 252 710 467 General and administrative 291 305 560 754 Depreciation, depletion, and amortization 1,037 984 2,152 2,133 Other taxes 135 157 290 274 Impairments 10 18 383 34 Other operating expense 12 7 34 23 Total 2,841 2,247 6,718 4,785 Operating Income (Loss) (125) (332) (235) (1,196) Other (Income) Expense Interest expense 227 217 450 437 Loss on early extinguishment of debt 2 124 2 124 (Gains) losses on derivatives, net 32 307 (115) 604 Other (income) expense, net (14) (55) (22) (55) Total 247 593 315 1,110 Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes (372) (925) (550) (2,306) Income tax expense (benefit) (38) (314) 59 (697) Net Income (Loss) (334) (611) (609) (1,609) Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 81 81 124 117 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stockholders $ (415) $ (692) $ (733) $ (1,726) Per Common Share Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholdersbasic $ (0.76) $ (1.36) $ (1.34) $ (3.39) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholdersdiluted $ (0.76) $ (1.36) $ (1.34) $ (3.39) Average Number of Common Shares OutstandingBasic 552 510 552 510 Average Number of Common Shares OutstandingDiluted 552 510 552 510 Exploration Expense Dry hole expense $ 367 $ (5) $ 843 $ 6 Impairments of unproved properties 87 15 623 39 Geological and geophysical, exploration overhead, and other expense 81 66 154 157 Total $ 535 $ 76 $ 1,620 $ 202 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited) June 30, December 31, millions 2017 2016 Condensed Balance Sheets Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,008 $ 3,184 Accounts receivable, net of allowance 1,654 1,728 Other current assets 322 354 Net properties and equipment 28,516 32,168 Other assets 2,134 2,226 Goodwill and other intangible assets 5,714 5,904 Total Assets $ 44,348 $ 45,564 Short-term debt 44 42 Other current liabilities 3,110 3,286 Long-term debt 15,436 15,281 Deferred income taxes 4,232 4,324 Asset retirement obligations 2,717 2,802 Other long-term liabilities 4,153 4,332 Common stock 57 57 Paid-in capital 11,941 11,875 Retained earnings 887 1,704 Treasury stock (1,070) (1,033) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (343) (391) Total stockholders' equity 11,472 12,212 Noncontrolling interests 3,184 3,285 Total Equity 14,656 15,497 Total Liabilities and Equity $ 44,348 $ 45,564 Capitalization Total debt $ 15,480 $ 15,323 Total equity 14,656 15,497 Total $ 30,136 $ 30,820 Capitalization Ratios Total debt 51% 50% Total equity 49% 50% Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited) Sales Volumes and Prices Average Daily Sales Volumes Sales Volumes Average Sales Price Oil Natural Gas NGLs Oil Natural Gas NGLs Oil Natural Gas NGLs MBbls/d MMcf/d MBbls/d MMBbls Bcf MMBbls Per Bbl Per Mcf Per Bbl Quarter Ended June 30, 2017 United States 243 1,238 89 22 113 8 $ 46.68 $ 2.84 $ 24.82 Algeria 59 5 6 48.20 30.48 Other International 29 2 49.44 Total 331 1,238 94 30 113 8 $ 47.19 $ 2.84 $ 25.14 Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 United States 227 2,188 126 20 199 12 $ 40.25 $ 1.61 $ 19.42 Algeria 59 5 5 1 46.65 24.13 Other International 10 1 47.37 Total 296 2,188 131 26 199 13 $ 41.77 $ 1.61 $ 19.60 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 United States 256 1,547 100 46 280 18 $ 48.01 $ 2.93 $ 25.79 Algeria 64 6 12 1 50.89 34.36 Other International 29 5 51.57 Total 349 1,547 106 63 280 19 $ 48.84 $ 2.93 $ 26.27 Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 United States 229 2,245 125 41 409 23 $ 34.07 $ 1.68 $ 17.24 Algeria 62 5 11 1 40.35 23.43 Other International 14 3 37.55 Total 305 2,245 130 55 409 24 $ 35.51 $ 1.68 $ 17.49 Average Daily Sales Volumes MBOE/d Sales Volumes MMBOE Quarter Ended June 30, 2017 631 57 Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 792 72 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 713 129 Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 809 147 Sales Revenue and Commodity Derivatives Sales Net Cash Received (Paid) from Settlement of Commodity Derivatives millions Oil Natural Gas NGLs Oil Natural Gas NGLs Quarter Ended June 30, 2017 United States $ 1,032 $ 319 $ 200 $ 14 $ (1) $ Algeria 260 14 Other International 130 Total $ 1,422 $ 319 $ 214 $ 14 $ (1) $ Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 United States $ 830 $ 320 $ 223 $ 60 $ 2 $ (2) Algeria 252 12 Other International 43 Total $ 1,125 $ 320 $ 235 $ 60 $ 2 $ (2) Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 United States $ 2,223 $ 821 $ 467 $ 15 $ (5) $ (3) Algeria 594 36 Other International 268 Total $ 3,085 $ 821 $ 503 $ 15 $ (5) $ (3) Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 United States $ 1,421 $ 686 $ 390 $ 148 $ 15 $ Algeria 458 23 Other International 96 Total $ 1,975 $ 686 $ 413 $ 148 $ 15 $ Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Financial and Operating External Guidance As of July 24, 2017 Note: Guidance excludes 2017 sales volumes associated with the Eagleford, Marcellus, West Chalk/Eaglebine, and Utah CBM divestitures. 3rd-Qtr Full-Year Guidance (see Note) Guidance (see Note) Units Units Total Sales Volumes (MMBOE) 58 60 231 235 Total Sales Volumes (MBOE/d) 630 652 633 644 Oil (MBbl/d) 355 361 346 351 United States 266 270 262 265 Algeria 63 64 59 60 Ghana 26 27 25 26 Natural Gas (MMcf/d) United States 1,085 1,120 1,140 1,165 Natural Gas Liquids (MBbl/d) United States 91 95 91 93 Algeria 4 5 5 6 $ / Unit $ / Unit Price Differentials vs NYMEX (w/o hedges) Oil ($/Bbl) (3.50) 0.50 (3.50) 0.50 United States (4.00) (4.00) Algeria (2.00) 2.00 (2.00) 2.00 Ghana (2.00) 2.00 (2.00) 2.00 Natural Gas ($/Mcf) United States (0.50) (0.30) (0.40) (0.20) Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Financial and Operating External Guidance As of July 24, 2017 Note: Guidance excludes items affecting comparability. 3rd-Qtr Full-Year Guidance (see Note) Guidance (see Note) $ MM $ MM Other Revenues Marketing and Gathering Margin 115 125 415 435 Minerals and Other 45 65 200 220 $ / BOE $ / BOE Costs and Expenses Oil & Gas Direct Operating 4.45 4.65 3.80 4.30 Oil & Gas Transportation 3.40 3.60 3.55 3.70 Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization 18.90 19.15 17.85 17.95 Production Taxes (% of Product Revenue) 7.0 % 8.0 % 6.5 % 7.5 % $ MM $ MM General and Administrative (excludes restructuring charges) 260 280 1,000 1,050 Other Operating Expense 120 130 160 170 Exploration Expense Non-Cash 145 165 885 985 Cash 65 85 275 295 Interest Expense (net) 220 235 895 915 Other (Income) Expense (15) (5) (40) (25) Taxes Algeria (100% Current) 60 % 70 % 60 % 70 % Rest of Company ((200)% Current/300% Deferred for Q3 and (100)% Current/200% Deferred for Total Year) 20 % 30 % 20 % 30 % Noncontrolling Interest 50 60 235 255 Avg. Shares Outstanding (MM) Basic 552 554 552 554 Diluted 552 554 553 555 Capital Investment (Excluding Western Gas Partners, LP) $ MM $ MM APC Capital Expenditures 1,100 1,200 4,200 4,400 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Commodity Hedge Positions As of July 24, 2017 Weighted Average Price per barrel Volume (MBbls/d) Floor Sold Floor Purchased Ceiling Sold Oil Three-Way Collars 2017 WTI 68 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 58.84 Brent 23 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 62.64 91 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 59.80 Volume Weighted Average Price per MMBtu (thousand MMBtu/d) Floor Sold Floor Purchased Ceiling Sold Natural Gas Three-Way Collars 2017 857 $ 2.10 $ 2.85 $ 3.64 2018 250 $ 2.00 $ 2.75 $ 3.54 Interest-Rate Derivatives As of July 24, 2017 Instrument Notional Amt. Reference Period Mandatory Termination Date Rate Paid Rate Received Swap $550 Million Sept. 2016 2046 Sept. 2020 6.418% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2016 2046 Sept. 2022 6.809% 3M LIBOR Swap $200 Million Sept. 2017 2047 Sept. 2018 6.049% 3M LIBOR Swap $100 Million Sept. 2017 2047 Sept. 2020 6.891% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2017 2047 Sept. 2021 6.570% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2017 2047 Sept. 2023 6.761% 3M LIBOR Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of Same-Store Sales Average Daily Sales Volumes Quarter Ended June 30, 2017 Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 Oil MBbls/d Natural Gas MMcf/d NGLs MBbls/d Total MBOE/d Oil MBbls/d Natural Gas MMcf/d NGLs MBbls/d Total MBOE/d U.S. Onshore 115 1,042 79 368 123 1,093 76 382 Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 113 109 9 140 56 73 6 74 International and Alaska 99 5 104 81 5 86 Same-Store Sales 327 1,151 93 612 260 1,166 87 542 Divestitures* 4 87 1 19 36 1,022 44 250 Total 331 1,238 94 631 296 2,188 131 792 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Oil MBbls/d Natural Gas MMcf/d NGLs MBbls/d Total MBOE/d Oil MBbls/d Natural Gas MMcf/d NGLs MBbls/d Total MBOE/d U.S. Onshore 116 1,078 83 379 123 1,094 73 378 Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 119 119 10 149 57 78 7 77 International and Alaska 104 6 110 87 5 92 Same-Store Sales 339 1,197 99 638 267 1,172 85 547 Divestitures* 10 350 7 75 38 1,073 45 262 Total 349 1,547 106 713 305 2,245 130 809 * Includes Eagleford, Marcellus, Eaglebine, Utah CBM, East Chalk, Wamsutter, Ozona, Elm Grove, Hugoton, Hearne, and Carthage. SOURCE Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.anadarko.com Eric Segal has been with Anomaly for over four years serving as the Executive Creative Director. Importantly, he is both a leader and a doer, working across the New York agency's world class client portfolio relentlessly driving the standard of work ever upwards, contributing to the recognition of Anomaly as Ad Age Agency of the Year 2017. "Eric has played an integral role in a lot of our success over the past few years. More importantly though as we look ahead, his passion, his talent and his leadership is going to be vital as we continue striving to deliver against the mission we've set out for ourselves. So, we're delighted to once again reward exclusively on merit and have him join the ranks of Partner. This is part of our strategy to ensure we do not follow the usual pattern of agencies gradual slide into mediocrity as they scale, but rather to ensure we continue to get better as we get bigger," says Carl Johnson, Founding Partner & Global CEO. Jiah Choi has been with Anomaly in LA for just over a year serving as MD alongside CSO Aisea Laungaue as they opened the new office. They have recently been joined by ECD's & Partners Paco Conde and Beto Fernandez to complete the LA leadership line-up of an office with c.50 people and blue chip clients including Beats and The Coca Cola Company. Carl added: "Based on quality of work, quality of talent, vibrancy of agency culture and business growth, it would have been impossible to have had a better first year in LA. Jiah was always really 'partner-in waiting' and if that performance wasn't good enough then I don't know what would have been. The exciting, and slightly scary thing, is that office is only warming up." Mike Byrne, Founding Partner & Global CCO said: "As a company, we have a founding principal which Is in our name Anomaly - deviate from the norm. That means we live in a perpetual state of discovery. We want to continually get smarter, have more influence and push the boundaries of what we can accomplish for our clients, and for ourselves. And to do that, we need more great leaders who are empowered to carry that vision forward. Eric and Jiah are definitely that, so I'm really excited for this next chapter." ABOUT ANOMALY Founded just over 10 years ago, Anomaly is a difficult to define, but exciting to work at 'new model' agency. Driven by a passionate and entrepreneurial culture encompassing a diverse, elastic set of skills, Anomaly has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Shanghai. Clients include: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Beats, The Campbell Soup Company, Converse, Diageo, Electrolux, Google, Hershey's, Lego, MINI, Nike, Sally Hansen and The Coca-Cola Company. Anomaly has been recognized for a very wide range of work and IP, covering both effectiveness and craft excellence including: Ad Age's 2017 Agency of the Year, Cannes Lions, Effies, Fast Company's Most Innovative, Jay Chiat, Digiday Awards and the Mashies among the usual suspects. Anomaly has also been honored with a few less conventional accolades as well, such as being named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2016 for hmbldt, Toy of The Year for Mighty Jaxx, plus two Emmys for a television series, all of which the agency created and co-owns. www.anomaly.com SOURCE Anomaly Related Links http://anomaly.com GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Great-West Financial and Aria Retirement Solutions today announced that "Great-West Smart Track Advisor Variable Annuity" is now available on Aria's RetireOne platform through the firm's extensive reach to fee-based advisors. This unique variable annuity seeks to provide investment advisors with a flexible and customizable solution for clients seeking investment growth and retirement income. Recently, Barron's ranked Smart Track Advisor as the top traditional variable annuity for tax-deferred investing.1 "In conjunction with Aria we're excited to be providing Smart Track Advisor our customizable offering that can be employed as part of a comprehensive financial plan," said Mike McCarthy, senior vice president of national sales for Great-West Financial. "Great-West Financial has been providing fee-based products since 1995 and is today offering those 20 years of experience to better serve the retirement income market." He explained that the firm's goal is to provide Registered Investment Advisors and financial consultants who work on a fee-only basis with a solution that is both cost effective and matches the robust features of the existing Great-West Smart Track II 5 Year suite. "Our goal is to consistently bring value to our clients' retirement planning with tax-deferred, sustainable lifetime income solutions," said David Stone chief executive officer for Aria. "We look forward to working with Great-West Financial to offer Smart Track Advisor to help meet that need." Through its RetireOne platform, Aria provides services and financial solutions to advisors who help clients prepare for retirement. "Aria's approach to providing retirement income solutions as part of their clients' retirement planning process is outstanding and we're looking forward to the road ahead," said McCarthy. "This new relationship extends the capabilities of two great organizations that are focused on helping clients achieve their financial goals." "We believe that annuities can play an important role in an individual's financial plan by providing an income stream in retirement that is in line with one's financial goals," said McCarthy. "These solutions can be an essential ingredient to a successful retirement." Smart Track Advisor is a low-cost dual-strategy variable annuity and is designed to provide clients with the following benefits: An investment strategy with more than 90 subaccounts; Ability to add the living benefit rider after issue to keep costs down until guaranteed income is needed Withdrawal rates as high as 6% at age 65 for life 2 ; ; Single and joint riders for the same cost 3 ; ; Ability to choose single or joint when income starts; Multiple ways to increase income after withdrawals start including age band income resets4; In addition, Smart Track Advisor was created with benefits that are unique to fee-based solutions and uncommon in the current variable annuity market: Advisors can choose to bill for the advisory fee separately or have the fee (up to 1.50%) deducted from the annuity contract without disrupting any guarantees; The guaranteed living and death benefits offered are aligned with those on Great-West Financial's B-share product; see prospectus for details. Advisors can choose the share class and fee structure that meets the unique needs of each client. About Aria Retirement Solutions: Aria Retirement Solution's RetireOne is a leading financial technology platform for guaranteed retirement income. The company's goal is to bring simplicity, transparency, and control to the financial advisors of those preparing for and in retirement. RetireOne is a destination of choice for transparent, un-conflicted, flexible income and retirement savings solutions. The RetireOne proprietary technology platform and retirement specialists provide financial advisors the tools, solutions, and services to navigate the risks that could impact their client's retirement. Currently, Aria administers almost $1 billion of retirement savings and income investments. About Great-West Financial: Established over 100 years ago, Great-West Financial's offerings range from investments, life insurance, annuities and executive benefits products marketed under the Great-West Financial brand to retirement savings products and services provided by Empower Retirement, the nation's second-largest retirement plan record keeper by participants.5 Aria Retirement Solutions is not affiliated with Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates. 1. Barron's "The 50 Best Annuities: Guaranteed Income for Life," June 24, 2017; http://www.barrons.com/articles/the-50-best-annuities-guaranteed-income-for-life-1498278778 2Withdrawal rate of 6% at age 65 assumes the owner elects the Great-West Secure Income Max GLWB rider and receives the Distribution Credit. The Distribution Credit for the Great-West Secure Income Max GLWB Rider is 1% for contributions aged at least five years. The applicable withdrawal percentages are disclosed in the Rate Sheet Supplement in effect at the time the contract is purchased. 3If joint withdrawals are elected, the joint distribution percentage will be based on the younger person's age. The applicable withdrawal percentages are disclosed in the Rate Sheet Supplement in effect at the time the contract is purchased. 4Applies to Great-West Secure Income Foundation, Great-West Secure Income Plus and Great-West Secure Income Max GLWB riders. Additional GLWB riders may be available. Please see the prospectus for full details. 5Pensions & Investments; ranking as of April, 2017 Before purchasing a variable annuity, investors should carefully read the prospectus which contains the annuity's investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information associated with the annuity and its investment options. You may obtain a prospectus for the annuity and its underlying funds by calling 877-723-8723. Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York do not offer or provide investment, fiduciary, financial, legal, or tax advice, or act in a fiduciary capacity, for any client unless explicitly described in writing. Please consult with your investment advisor, attorney and/or tax advisor as needed. Unless otherwise noted: NOT FDIC, NCUA/NCUSIF INSURED | NOT A DEPOSIT | NOT GUARANTEED BY ANY BANK OR CREDIT UNION | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY | FUNDS MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT A CONDITION OF ANY BANKING OR CREDIT UNION ACTIVITY The principal underwriter is GWFS Equities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC and wholly owned subsidiary of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company. GWFS Equities, Inc., or one or more of its affiliates, may receive a fee from the investment option provider for providing certain recordkeeping, distribution and administrative services. Interstate Compact contract form numbers ICC15-J888 Series, ICC16-J100 Series (Individual Flexible Premium Variable Annuities), ICC16-GLWB-SIF, ICC16-GLWB-SIP, ICC16-GLWB-SIM, ICC16-GLWB-T-Note, ICC16-AM-SIF, ICC16-AM-SIP, ICC16-AM-SIM (Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Riders) are issued by GWL&A. GWL&A is not licensed to do business in New York. In New York, contract form numbers J888-NY, J100ny (Individual Flexible Premium Variable Annuities), GLWBny, GLWB-SIFny, GLWB-SIPny, GLWB-SIM2ny, GLWB-T-Note-ny, SIF-AMny, SIP-AMny, SIM-AMny (Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit Riders) are issued by GWL&A of NY. Contracts may not be available in all states. Any guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Variable annuities are long-term investments and may not be suitable for all investors. Earnings are taxable as ordinary income when distributed and may be subject to a 10% additional tax if withdrawn before age 59. An investment in a variable annuity is subject to fluctuating values of the underlying investment options, and it entails risk, including the possible loss of principal. Loans and partial withdrawals will decrease the death benefit and cash value. A withdrawal charge may also apply. There are fees and charges associated with variable annuities which include, but are not limited to mortality and expense risk charges, sales, surrender charges, administrative fees, charges for optional benefits as well as charges for the underlying investment options. The guaranteed income benefit is provided through an optional rider for an additional fee, goes into effect upon the purchase of units of a covered fund and is paid for through the sale of units of the covered fund(s), which reduces the annuity account value. Media Contact: Stephen Gawlik | Office: 303-737-0899 | Cell: 617-417-4408 | [email protected] Great-West Financial refers to products and services provided by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (GWL&A), Corporate Headquarters: Greenwood Village, CO, and its subsidiaries and affiliates. Data on insurance and recordkeeping reflects consolidated information from GWL&A and its subsidiaries. The trademarks, logos, and registered marks used are owned by GWL&A. "A Member of the Power Financial Corporation Group of Companies" is the registered mark of Power Corporation of Canada. SOURCE Aria Retirement Solutions BOSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, the global design and consulting firm for the built environment, is conducting the feasibility reassessment of the North-South Rail Link (NSRL) project, a proposed new rail connection between two central Boston commuter hubs. The comprehensive study, commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), will evaluate design options and impacts, and costs and benefits. The report will be completed by Spring 2018. Arup Project Director Jeff Tubbs, PE said, "We are excited to apply Arup's global expertise to this project. Through our effective delivery of the Green Line Extension, we understand the priorities and policies of MassDOT and the MBTA, as well as the concerns of the communities in the Boston metro area. We look forward to combining this with our deep planning and engineering experience in the assessment of effective solutions for the North-South Rail Link." Anthony Bruzzone, AICP will serve as Arup's Project Manager. "The knowledge gained from our work on the Green Line Extension in Boston and our recent planning and tunnel experience in San Francisco and Los Angeles gives us great insight into this very similar project. While significant challenges exist to implementation, understanding these challenges, as well as the project's costs and benefits, are essential to inform MassDOT's decisions on next steps." Arup's Boston office has been in place for nearly twenty years, merging local knowledge with a global perspective. The firm's 50-year-plus expertise in rail connections includes such projects as the Second Avenue Subway in New York City, the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco, Thameslink and Crossrail projects in London, and the Green Line Extension. Arup's additional recent and on-going projects in the Boston area include the Northeastern Integrated Science and Engineering Complex, engineering master planning for the Union Point development, resiliency planning for the City of Somerville, the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, and numerous projects with Harvard University and MIT. About Arup Arup provides planning, engineering, design, and consulting services for the most prominent projects and sites in the built environment. Since its founding in 1946, the firm has consistently delivered technical excellence, innovation, and value to its clients, while maintaining its core mission of shaping a better world. Arup opened its first US office more than 30 years ago and now employs 1,400 people in the Americas. The firm's employee-ownership structure promotes ongoing investment in joint research to yield better outcomes that benefit its clients and partners. Visit Arup's website, www.arup.com, and the online magazine of Arup in the Americas, doggerel.arup.com, for more information. Contact: Ioana Botzoman [email protected] 646.661.2111 Contact: Rebecca Maloney [email protected] 617.412.6632 SOURCE Arup Related Links http://www.arup.com ROCKVILLE, Md., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and Advisory Board's Oncology Roundtable announced today their collaboration to launch a comprehensive survey that will capture the successes and challenges cancer programs across the country are facing in the current healthcare environment. Pfizer Oncology provides funding and support to ACCC for the "Trending Now in Cancer Care" survey. "This is the eighth year of our 'Trends' survey, and ACCC is very excited to work with Advisory Board to take the survey to the next level and offer a fundamentally critical look at cancer care issues that are affecting both patients and cancer programs today," Christian Downs, ACCC Executive Director notes. "By taking the pulse on issues such as program mergers and acquisitions, clinical pathways usage, and precision medicine and immunotherapy, ACCC can continue to provide needed resources to its members." Additional hot topics addressed in the "Trending Now in Cancer Care" survey include: Hospital and physician alignment strategies Value-based care program implementation Accreditation and quality improvement initiatives Telehealth opportunities EHR use and interoperability Clinical staffing challenges Development and funding of supportive care services Patient barriers to care, including financial advocacy services Participation in clinical trials Oral chemotherapy programs USP 797/800 compliance Findings will help cancer programs assess their strengths and weaknesses. Survey participants will receive a customized report, comparing their data to national benchmarks. ACCC and Oncology Roundtable members who complete the survey will also receive access to interactive tools and cohort data. ACCC and Advisory Board will use survey data to assess current member needs. "The Oncology Roundtable is thrilled to team with the ACCC on this survey," states Lindsay Conway, Managing Director for the Oncology Roundtable at Advisory Board. "This collaboration will further our understanding of how cancer providers across the country are adapting to a changing health care environment, as well as help us identify strategies to ensure cancer programs' success in the coming years." The "Trending Now in Cancer Care" survey is open to all oncology programs in the United States. Respondents do not need to be members of ACCC or the Oncology Roundtable to participate. Any members of an organization's multidisciplinary cancer team, including, cancer program executives and administrators, clinical staff, and physicians are encouraged to participate. The survey will be available online for approximately four weeks, beginning July 24, 2017. It is estimated that the survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Questions are multiple choice. About the Association of Community Cancer Centers The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) is the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. More than 23,000 cancer care professionals from over 2,000 hospitals and practices nationwide are affiliated with ACCC. It is estimated that 65 percent of the nation's cancer patients are treated by a member of ACCC. Providing a national forum for addressing issues that affect community cancer programs, ACCC is recognized as the premier provider of resources for the entire oncology care team. Our members include medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, senior hospital executives, practice managers, pharmacists, oncology nurses, radiation therapists, social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC's website at www.accc-cancer.org. About Advisory Board Advisory Board is a best practices firm that uses a combination of research, technology, and consulting to improve the performance of 4,500+ health care organizations. As the health care business of The Advisory Board Company, Advisory Board forges and finds the best new ideas and proven practices from its network of thousands of leaders, then customizes and hardwires them into every level of member organizations, creating enduring value. For more information, visit www.advisory.com. SOURCE Association of Community Cancer Centers Related Links http://www.accc-cancer.org A new restaurant that fuses the cuisines of Peru and Japan brings the city's first "nikkei" offerings to Midtown with the opening of Sen Sakana on Wednesday evening. The luxe restaurantwhich has been many years and many millions of dollars in the makingtranslates to "1,000 fish" in Japanese, the amount of fish species said to swim in the waters near Peru. The melding relates to Japanese immigrants relocating to Peru to build the country's railroad network. Chefs Mina Newman of Peru and Taku Nagai of Japan mine both the sea and the land for their combined menu, which includes small plates, "tiradoto"a "sashimi meets ceviche" idearobata grilled skewers, sushi, and larger entrees. It's an extensive selection that oscillates between the cuisines of both countries, often mingling in dishes like the House-Crafted Tofu with bonito flakes and salmon roe; Peruvian rice balls called Causa "Onigiri" with yellow and purple potatoes; and a version of Salchipapas made with miso mustard and kurobuta sausage. Most of the menu wasn't available at last night's press preview, but they were serving several notable cocktails, including a Japanese whiskey-based offering made savory with the addition of bonito flakes, and another pineapple and tequila drink made with Hellfire Bitters. 28 West 44th Street; sensakana.com Sen Sakana Menu by Nell Casey on Scribd WASHINGTON, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations welcomed the 2016-17 class of LEAD ATA to the nation's capital for a round of key congressional meetings. "Since the start of LEAD ATA, I have gotten the chance to see the effect that this day of congressional visits has on emerging trucking leaders and elected officials on both sides of the aisle," said ATA Chairman Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express Inc. "It is a surreal feeling to watch our LEAD ATA participants interact with the lawmakers of our country and offer an authentic trucking perspective to the men and women we count on to represent the nation's interests." LEAD ATA has a robust agenda during the group's visit to Washington, D.C. Before meeting with Members of Congress and their legislative aides, LEAD ATAers will sit down with ATA President and CEO Chris Spear for a full summary of trucking's critical legislative issues and take a deep-dive into ATA's advocacy message. In Congress, a host of trucking-related issues are gaining attention, including infrastructure funding and tax reform. LEAD ATA participants will receive a candid look at the legislative process and experience a flurry of political activity with both chambers of Congress looking to finalize legislation ahead of the August recess. Beyond introducing elected officials to emerging trucking leaders, ATA hopes to foster longstanding connections between legislators and the business leaders in their home districts. Further expanding trucking's network of grassroots advocates allows the industry to share its story of safety, essentiality and productivity to new audiences and stakeholders. "Taking our LEAD ATA class to the U.S. Capitol and getting them involved in the legislative process creates a unique method for our industry's message to be relayed," said ATA First Vice Chairman Dave Manning, president of TCW Inc. "ATA provides our future leaders a special opportunity to meet with Members of Congress and legislative aides in person to discuss the issues that they're passionate about both personally and professionally." As part of the trip to the nation's capital, LEAD ATAers will tour the National Mall, visit the Lincoln Memorial and see the White House, the site of ATA's historic meeting with President Trump. Photos of last year's trip can be found on LEAD ATA's official Facebook page. LEAD ATA, sponsored by PeopleNet, is a one-year program created to engage the trucking industry's best and brightest and prepare them to become leaders of tomorrow. Participants gain real-world experience and in-depth industry insights not available through any other program, all while making lifelong industry connections. Interested trucking industry professionals can apply online for consideration as part of next year's class of LEAD ATA. American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward. SOURCE American Trucking Associations Related Links http://www.trucking.org WELLESLEY, Mass., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Massachusetts-based Babson College, recognized world leader in entrepreneurship education, is expanding to Miami, Florida, with three graduate programsincluding the Blended Learning MBA, ranked No. 1 for alumni earnings and top 10 worldwide by Financial Times (FT), The Princeton Review, and Entrepreneur magazine. The application period is open and classes are set to begin in fall 2018. Learn more and apply. Massachusetts-based Babson College, recognized world leader in entrepreneurship education, celebrates its expansion to Miami, Florida, with three graduate programsincluding the Blended Learning MBA, ranked No. 1 for alumni earnings and top 10 worldwide by Financial Times (FT), The Princeton Review, and Entrepreneur magazine. Babson's expansion builds on the ongoing success of its women's entrepreneurship accelerator, WIN Lab Miami, which has had local roots since 2016. The program's inaugural cohort of local women entrepreneurs raised nearly $2 million in funding in the first year. "Miami is home to more than 1,300 Babson alumni and is already such a vibrant network of family businesses and innovative startups," says Babson College President Kerry Healey. "We are excited to build on local WIN Lab momentum, further expand our role and presence in Miami's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, and bring three of Babson's world-renowned graduate programs to professionals who want to positively impact large corporations, family businesses, nonprofits, or start their own venture." Babson's new hub in Miami will be located at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC Miami)a co-working space in the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park. A natural fit for Babson, it brings together a community of entrepreneurs focused on positive impact and is a part of the city's booming innovation corridor. Students will have full, 24/7 access to classroom, conference, and cafe space, and will benefit from CIC's weekly Venture Cafe Miami gatherings, monthly community breakfasts, client presentations, and mentors. Babson College is globally recognized for Entrepreneurial Thought & Action and the pre-eminent school for family business leaders for nearly 100 years. Miami leads in startup activity, ranked No. 1 among the nation's 40 largest metro areas, and there is a growing need to support and strengthen family enterprises, which account for two-thirds of all businesses worldwide. For these reasons, Babson is ready now more than ever to expand its presence in the region and help foster entrepreneurial success across new ventures, established companies, and within long-standing family businesses. While program specifics are still being developed, Babson Graduate offerings will include: A Blended Learning MBA degreethis well-known Babson program combines online classes, face-to-face sessions, and virtual collaboration, and is ranked top 10 worldwide by Financial Times and No. 1 for average alumni earning. and No. 1 for average alumni earning. A Master of Science in Business Analytics degree, which provides students with the tools and analytic methods to effectively communicate the value of data. It is delivered in a flexible blend of online and face-to-face sessions. A self-paced Certificate of Advanced Management degree, which allows students to build relevant skills and earn credits that can be applied to a future Babson degree. The Miami instructional location is pending approval from NEASC-Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Babson in Miami Babson College is the academic architect of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program hosted at Miami-Dade College since 2014, empowering participating local small business owners to help their businesses grow. Babson's WIN Lab has had local roots since 2016, with the support of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, FedEx, and Akerman LLP. The program's first cohort of women entrepreneurs raised nearly $2 million in funding and celebrated its finale in April. Miami also is a hub for a vibrant network of more than 1,300 Babson alumni. The region boasts the fourth-largest concentration of Babson graduates, many of whom are involved in family enterprises and entrepreneurial ventures in the Miami area. Some of Babson's most notable Miami-area alumni include: Francine Gervazio MBA'16, Murilo Amaral MBA'16, and Alfredo Keri MBA'16, founders of Cargo42 ; Alberto Perlman '98, co-founder and CEO of Zumba Fitness, LLC; the Zamora Family behind the family-run financial institution LAFISE, and Diego Lowenstein '90, CEO and the third generation to work at Lionstone Development, founded and headquartered in Miami. Babson College's expansion into Miami will extend its reach and impact around the world, adding to its existing hubs in Wellesley and Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California. About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. SOURCE Babson College Related Links http://www.babson.edu Molly Baldrige, daughter of the late Malcolm Baldrige, appeared at the 29th Annual Baldrige Quest for Excellence conference in Baltimore in early April. Ms. Baldrige was the keynote speaker at the Foundation's Annual Dinner in 2016, and she returned to Quest in 2017 to continue to show her personal as well as her family's support. "One of the most important occurrences of the past several years," said Foundation President and CEO Al Faber, "is the re-emergence of the Baldrige family as vocal advocates for the Baldrige Enterprise. Molly's presence truly invigorates this community. It is not just the love for her father that she shows so clearly, but her reverence for the quality movement that bears his name. That connects. The Baldrige program, at 30 years, is one of the longest lasting, most enduring frameworks in the history of management science." This year, Ms. Baldrige announced that she, her mother Midge and sister Megan had decided to make a substantial contribution to the Foundation to further its efforts to secure the future of the Baldrige Enterprise. "The Baldrige Family has made the largest single gift to the Foundation in its nearly 30-year history," said Faber, "and they have challenged others to join them." "We sincerely hope," Molly Baldrige said, "that companies, organizations, and individuals will join the Baldrige family in support for such a worthy cause." "There is no better effort to make for our country than to strengthen its organizations by making them more efficient and competitive," she concluded, "and it's been proven that Baldrige does this across all sectors of the economy." To learn more about the Baldrige program or to donate, please follow this link: DONATE HERE. CONTACT: Mark Wayda, 1-202-559-9195, [email protected] SOURCE Baldrige Foundation RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Barbara Sinatra, the humanitarian, founder of the Barbara Sinatra Center for Abused Children, former model and wife of the late Frank Sinatra passed away today in Rancho Mirage, California, she was 90 years old. Mrs. Sinatra died of natural causes, according to a family spokesman. She died comfortably surrounded by family and friends at her home. Funeral arrangements will be announced within a few days. Mrs. Sinatra is survived by her son Robert Oliver Marx; his wife Hillary Roberts; and her grand-daughter Carina Blakeley Marx. Barbara and Frank Sinatra Barbara Sinatra Born Barbara Blakeley in Bosworth, Missouri, her father Willis owned Blakeley's General Store on Bosworth's Main Street. At age 18 her family moved to Long Beach, California and shortly thereafter Barbara married Robert Oliver and began her modeling career. Following a divorce to Oliver, Barbara married Zeppo Marx in 1959 in Las Vegas and they settled in Palm Springs. Barbara became Frank Sinatra's fourth and last wife in a private ceremony at the Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage in July of 1976. Barbara and Frank Sinatra travelled the world for 26 years together until his death in 1998. After moving to Palm Springs in the late 1950's, Barbara began an illustrious journey as an activist especially for children. Barbara Sinatra was not a woman who just lent her name to a cause or event. In 1985, with the support of her husband, Frank, she began a concentrated effort to raise funds for the establishment of a state-of-the-art facility to provide services and counseling for children suffering the effects of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The nonprofit Barbara Sinatra Children's Center on the campus of Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, CA would also focus on prevention, community education and breaking the generational cycle of abuse. She devoted much time and energy to the Children's Center that bears her name and to speaking out on the need for abuse victims to have access to counseling. Barbara was an avid and tireless fundraiser and child advocate, and, as the Center's Founder and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, intimately involved in the organization's operations. In her many travels, she served as keynote speaker and appeared before groups and organizations of all sizes on behalf of abused children in England, Australia, Canada, Italy, and throughout the United States. Barbara Sinatra also served on the Board of Trustees of the Princess Grace Foundation. Through Barbara Sinatra's efforts, more than 20,000 children through age 18 have received beneficial therapy at the Barbara Sinatra Center for Abused Children, making it possible for them to cope with traumas associated with abuse. In 2016, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation, which she helped fund, developed a series of animated videos entitled "The Protect Yourself Rules" for children in grades K-6. These videos are distributed to teachers, school counselors, after-school programs and parents, free of charge. After only 11 months, the program has been shown to over 700,000 children throughout the United States and in many foreign countries. In 2011, Barbara Sinatra co-wrote with Wendy Holden, Lady Blue EyesMy Life with Frank . The book covers Barbara's humble beginnings to her life with her iconic husband and her philanthropic efforts including the Children's Center. Barbara was a beloved community leader in the Palm Springs area for over 50 years and also maintained homes in Beverly Hills and Malibu, California. The family requests that memorial gifts be directed to the Barbara Sinatra Center for Abused Children, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, California 92270. CONTACT: John E. Thoresen 760-773-1627 [email protected] SOURCE Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation BOSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioBridges, a Career Portfolio Management company providing integrated services to the life sciences community, is proud to welcome Kim Orlando and Sandrine Tokoto to the Career Portfolio Management team. Orlando and Tokoto will manage the career portfolios of highly skilled life science professionals who are focused on the work at hand and dedicated to moving clinical programs forward. "BioBridges is committed to providing exceptional career portfolio management services to high impact life science professionals," said Jeff Souza, CEO, and Partner. "Kim and Sandrine, both have many years of experience in the career representation business and their proven dedication to customer service will make them a great asset to our professionals. I am honored to welcome them to our growing team." Prior to joining BioBridges, Kim worked for InVentiv Health Clinical, servicing people in the clinical and data sciences industry both domestically and in Canada. "I am excited to be part of the BioBridges team and to represent the careers of highly skilled life science professionals," said Kim Orlando, Director, Career Management. "I was immediately attracted to BioBridges for their unique Career Portfolio Management model and I am honored to have the opportunity to provide the support necessary to free professionals to concentrate on the work about which they are passionate." Prior to joining BioBridges, Sandrine worked for two global CROs in the research industry, representing professionals across the world from Latin America, Canada, and the US. "I was immediately drawn to the BioBridges culture since they are fully vested in building long-term relationships with both their professionals and clients," said Sandrine Tokoto, Director, Career Management. "I am excited to work as an advocate for my professionals, allowing them to achieve satisfaction and growth through a focus on the work about which they are passionate." About BioBridges BioBridges helps exceptional pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device professionals pursue the work about which they are inspired. They company's scalable Career Portfolio Management model allows highly skilled professionals to focus on the work about which they are passionate while collaborating with clients to advance science and produce therapies for patients who need them. For more information, please visit www.biobridges.com. Media Contact Amy Steinberg Phone: 781.591.4740 Email: [email protected] SOURCE BioBridges The Bio-Chem and Koganei engineering teams worked closely to modify the existing successful Koganei PVR valves to meet the challenging needs of the clinical diagnostic and life science OEMs. This is the initial offering of the OPUS series Rocker Valves, with a 1.6mm orifice. The OPUS valve is approximately the size and has 60% of the internal volume of competitive valves while maintaining equivalent flow rates. The OPUS series has life expectancy under real world conditions exceeding 10 million cycles. "This partnership will drive long term innovation specific to our targeted markets," said William Easterbrook, Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Marketing of Bio-Chem. "We are leveraging Bio-Chem's presence and brand in life science markets with Koganei's proven valve technology and world class automation capabilities to provide the desired outcomes for our OEM customers. Our goal is to create innovations to improve the quality of life through solutions that are clinically relevant and cost efficient." Bio-Chem Fluidics and Koganei International America Inc. entered into a five year strategic agreement on May 15, 2017 solidifying the partnership to continue to co-develop products for the medical markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Bio-Chem will have exclusive rights to distribute co-developed valves manufactured by Koganei Corporation to OEMs in North America and Europe, while Koganei will continue to market its standard PVR products thru its existing distribution network. About Bio-Chem Fluidics Bio-Chem Fluidics (www.biochemfluidics.com) designs, manufactures and supplies components for fluidic system solutions globally for clinical diagnostics, analytical chemistry, and medical device manufactures. Bio-Chem Fluidics' dedicated commercial teams work closely with OEMs to design and modify products to solve their problems. Bio-Chem Fluidics, headquartered in New Jersey, is a subsidiary of Halma plc, and a part of the Halma Medical Sector. Contact [email protected] for more information. About Koganei Koganei (www.koganeiusa.com ) is a Japanese manufacturer that started in 1934 with a purpose of making a difference. We achieve this by making the most advanced valves, actuators & other components designed by listening to our customers and making something better than what is offered from others. Koganei has a regional office located in Fremont, CA. SOURCE Bio-Chem Fluidics Related Links http://www.biochemfluidics.com NEW ORLEANS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc., a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, today announced the Open Innovation Initiative to enable developers utilizing REST or the IMS Global Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard to create integrations and customizations for Blackboards solutions without incurring upfront costs. The announcement was made at BbWorld 2017, Blackboard's annual conference focused on helping institutions meet the needs of learners, taking place July 25-27 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Through this initiative, developers will receive a no-cost developer license for Blackboard Learn and access to Learn SaaS instances, with additional access to documentation and development tools for creating, testing and demoing REST and LTI integrations with Blackboard solutions. The extensions developed through the new no-cost license will be listed on Blackboard's Extensions Catalog and made available for limited use. By removing the upfront costs and the need for a formal partnership agreement, Blackboard is further promoting open collaboration with the wider developer community and building on its longstanding commitment to creating the most robust ecosystem of partners to maximize efficiency in teaching and learning. Blackboard will also continue to offer its tiered Blackboard Member Partnership program, specifically designed for those companies looking to work with Blackboard in a more strategic and robust way. Member partners will be able to leverage the advantages of the Open Innovation Initiative and receive additional benefits, including access to Java APIs (B2), increased partner-level and product support, and B2-enabled development environments. Their integrations receive greater exposure within Blackboard's REST/LTI catalog, with contracted usage and adoption limits. "Blackboard firmly believes in interoperability standards and openness, and an ever-growing catalog with 3,000 integrations is a proof point of our commitment," said Phillip Miller, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Blackboard. "The Open Innovation Initiative is one piece of Blackboard's larger effort to drive innovation in education. We are proud to make it easier than ever for developers to partner with us and create innovative solutions to address today's top education challenges." To participate in the Open Innovation Initiative, visit Blackboard's API Dev portal. To browse our current integrations and to follow the progress of the Open Innovation initiative, visit our Extensions Catalog. About Blackboard Our mission is to partner with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change. CONTACT Massimo Morigi, Blackboard Inc. 202-303-9314 or [email protected] SOURCE Blackboard Inc. Related Links http://www.blackboard.com NEW YORK, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud at Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. ("Blue Apron" or the "Company") (NYSE: APRN). The investigation focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws regarding statements made relating to the Company's Initial Public Offering (the "IPO"). Specifically, on June 29, 2017, Blue Apron conducted its IPO, raising approximately $300 million by selling 30 million shares at $10.00 per share. In less than a month since the Company's IPO, shares of Blue Apron have declined nearly 40% from its IPO price of $10.00, causing harm to investors. If you invested in Blue Apron stock or options and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here : www.faruqilaw.com/APRN. There is no cost or obligation to you. You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. CONTACT: FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor New York, NY 10017 Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq. [email protected] Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330 Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Related Links http://www.faruqilaw.com OSHKOSH, Wis., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) released its 2017 Pilot and Technician Outlook today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and projects a demand for more than 1.2 million pilots and technicians over the next 20 years. Now in its eighth year, the outlook is a respected industry study that forecasts the 20 year demand for crews to support the world's growing commercial airplane fleet. Boeing forecasts that between 2017 and 2036, the world's commercial aviation industry will require approximately: 637,000 new commercial airline pilots 648,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians 839,000 new cabin crew members The 2017 outlook shows a slight increase of 3.2 percent for pilots over the 2016 outlook, and a slight decrease in the need for airline maintenance technicians (4.6 percent), primarily driven by the reduction in maintenance hours required on the 737 MAX. Projected demand for new pilots, technicians and cabin crew by global region for the next 20 years is approximately: Region New Pilots New Technicians New Cabin Crew Asia-Pacific 253,000 256,000 308,000 Europe 106,000 111,000 173,000 North America 117,000 118,000 154,000 Latin America 52,000 49,000 52,000 Middle East 63,000 66,000 96,000 Africa 24,000 23,000 28,000 Russia / CIS 22,000 25,000 28,000 For information about the Outlook, including how the data is compiled, please visit: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market Boeing Global Services, headquartered in the Dallas area, was formed by integrating the services capabilities of the government, space and commercial sectors into a single, customer-focused business. Operating as a third business unit of Boeing, Global Services provides agile, cost-competitive services to commercial and government customers worldwide. Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "forecasts," "projects," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements relating to our future plans, business prospects, financial condition and operating results, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual events to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including economic conditions in the United States and globally, general industry conditions as they may impact us or our customers, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any such statement, except as required by law. Contact: Reggie Dotson Manager, Marketing Communications and Public Affairs Office: +1 972-586-1358 Mobile: +1 469-978-6325 [email protected] Follow us on Twitter @Boeing SOURCE Boeing ATHENS, Greece, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Carriers Inc. (OTC: BSTN) ("Boston" or the "Company") announces that on March 30, 2017 Nikiforos entered a time charter contract for transporting approximately 37,000 tons of bagged rice from South-East Asia to West Africa which until June 20, 2017 has contributed approximately 578,000 USD in the revenues of the company. Boston announces further that the aforementioned time contract was extended for a period of approximately 48 days and upon successful completion of the extended period will contribute additionally approximately 408,000 USD in revenues of the company thus having a total contribution of approximately 986,000 USD from March 30, 2017 and until approximately the middle of August 2017. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467605/Boston_Carriers_Logo.jpg ) Nikiforos is a 1996-built dry bulk Handymax vessel of 45,693 dwt and was delivered to Boston in February 2016. Mr. Antonios Bertsos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Boston's short term employment strategy allows the Company to capture any potential upside that arise in the dry bulk market." Mr. Antonios Bertsos, added, "We believe in the dry bulk sector and will attempt to continue to grow our fleet with additional dry bulk Handysize-Handymax vessels." About Boston Carriers Inc. Boston Carriers Inc. is an international shipping company providing ideal solutions for seaborne transportation of dry bulk commodities through owned vessels. Boston is a Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") reporting Foreign Private Issuer in compliance with applicable SEC rules and regulations and current in its SEC reporting, utilizing U.S. Read more about Boston Carriers Inc. - http://www.bostoncarriers.com. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Boston may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Boston's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks will be included in our annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Boston does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Investor and Media Relations: Antonios Bertsos Boston Carriers Inc. Telephone: +30-211-182-0274 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Boston Carriers Inc. PARIS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Extension of 2013 agreement allows an additional 1.4 million people living with HIV to benefit from sublicensed generics of World Health Organization-recommended antiretroviral The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) has signed an extension of its licensing agreement with biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to further increase access to atazanavir (ATV), part of the World Health Organization-preferred second-line treatment for adults and children. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/492480/MPP_Logo.jpg ) Announced during an MPP-jointly hosted satellite at the 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Paris this evening, the amendment adds 12 countries to the 110 included in the original 2013 agreement. Home to 1.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV), the additional countries are: Algeria, Cook Islands, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Niue, the Philippines, Tunisia, Ukraine and Vietnam. The agreement now covers 89% of PLHIV in low- and middle-income countries. "Our ATV licence has already demonstrated results for communities battling resistance to current regimens in low- and middle-income countries," said Greg Perry, Executive Director of the MPP. "We are pleased to work with long-term partner BMS to broaden access to an important second-line option for many more people living with HIV." "Our work with the MPP is an important part of our commitment to access through multi-faceted approaches that help ensure innovative medicines such as atazanavir are available to patients all around the world," said Amadou Diarra, Head of Global Policy, Advocacy & Government Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "We are pleased by the continuing progress made to that end through our licensing agreements with the MPP." Since the MPP and BMS signed the licensing agreement for ATV in December 2013, the MPP's six generic manufacturing partners have distributed 98 million doses[1] of the treatment, equivalent to a quarter of a million patient-years, to 63 countries. "We are grateful for MPP efforts to ensure the availability and quality of guaranteed HIV treatment for Ukrainian patients and we hope to further expand access to innovative medicines for the treatment of HIV infections, viral hepatitis C and tuberculosis." - Dr. Ulana Suprun, Minister of Health, Ukraine "The All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) welcomes the Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Medicines Patent Pool agreement on the inclusion of Ukraine in the atazanavir licence. This is a very important development for Ukraine in terms of the HIV treatment optimisation efforts of the Ministry of Health, Ukraine and the Network, and the availability of generic atazanavir will improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for people living with HIV in Ukraine." - Sergey Dmitriev, Director of Policy and Advocacy of the All-Ukrainian Network of PLWHA "This is great news for Malaysia as it provides a very interesting option for affordable second-line treatment." - Edward Low, Director of the Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+) "The availability of generic atazanavir will bring more treatment options for PLHIV in Indonesia. Considering that atazanavir has lower pill counts and more favourable effects on lipid levels than existing protease inhibitors used in-country, its availability is beneficial." - Edo Agustian, National Coordinator, Indonesia Drug User Network About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis treatments in low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with industry, civil society, international organisations, patient groups and other stakeholders to prioritise, forecast and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for twelve HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, a tuberculosis treatment and two hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals. The MPP is funded by Unitaid. Supportive Statements: [1] Through December 2016 SOURCE Medicines Patent Pool NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Officer Dustin Kato, a school resource officer for the Chino (Calif.) Police Department who works with students in Don Lugo High School has been named the recipient of the 2017 NASRO/National Road Safety Foundation "Innovation in the Classroom Award." The award, presented today at the annual conference of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) in Washington, D.C., recognizes innovative teaching of traffic safety in schools by a school resource officer (SRO). It carries with it registration and an expenses-paid trip to the NASRO Conference and a $1,000 honorarium to be used for traffic safety education by the honoree's police department. Officer Kato, a police officer for 15 years, began working as a school resource officer at Don Lugo High School in 2013. For several years the school had been participating in the "Every 15 Minutes" program, which teaches students about the dangers of drinking and driving keyed to prom season. Earlier this year, however, the program, which cost the police department about $6,000, was cut due to lack of funds. Within a week of being notified of the program's cancellation, Officer Kato put together and found funding for a Safe and Sober Prom Week program. He brought in groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who provided speakers for assemblies, and corporate partners like AT&T, which provided distracted driving virtual reality simulators. He reached out to San Bernardino County Safe and Sober Prom campaign and got DUI tricycles and goggles so students could experience firsthand the feeling of trying to function safely while impaired. He got the Chino Police to provide new driver classroom training to some 200 students. According to Don Lugo High School principal Dr. Kimberly Cabrera, the Safe and Sober Prom program Officer Kato quickly put together impacted ten times the number of students the previous and costly prom effort had reached. Based on its success, the program has been requested by several other high schools in the region. "Officer Kato's professionalism, enthusiasm and passion for challenging and improving on current practices has made him an invaluable asset to our students and the entire school community," said Dr. Cabrera. Mo Canady, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said, "Officer Kato, our 2017 Innovation in the Classroom honoree, is a perfect example how creativity can reverse a bad situation and strengthen trust and understanding between young people and law enforcement." "Officer Kato's creativity brought a quick and impactful solution to what could have been a debilitating loss for his school and its students," said Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations at The National Road Safety Foundation. "We are pleased to recognize such a dedicated and caring officer, who is a good role model for his fellow SROs." For more than 50 years, The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), a non-profit organization, has created driver education programs for free distribution to schools, police, traffic safety agencies, youth advocacy groups and others. The organization has supported NASRO's Innovation in the Classroom program for eight years. NRSF also sponsors national contests for teens in partnership with SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Scholastic, and regionally with the Los Angeles Auto Show and auto shows in Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. To view free programs and for more information, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org. Contact: David Reich National Road Safety Foundation (212) 573-6000 cell 914 325-9997 [email protected] SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation Related Links http://www.nrsf.org FAIRFAX, Va., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society of Interventional Radiology invites practicing experts, early career professionals, research scientists, clinical associates, trainees and medical students to submit original scientific research for possible presentation at SIR's 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting, March 1722, 2018, in Los Angeles. Online abstract submission is open until Sept. 28, 2017. Accepted researchers will have the opportunity to advance the field of image-guided interventions by sharing their scientific results, device and procedure innovations, and clinical outcomes research at SIR 2018 through an oral or poster presentation. SIR's Annual Scientific Meeting is the world's most comprehensive interventional radiology meeting and attracts more than 5,000 attendees from around the globe. Interventional radiology addresses many of today's medical problems, including cancer, obesity, venous disease and stroke. Abstracts for oral presentations will be published in SIR's flagship publication, the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, and on its website. Selected abstracts may be designated as "Distinguished," "Featured" or "Abstract of the Year." Additionally, national and international consumer and trade media report on SIR medical news. Research awards and travel scholarships are available through SIR Foundation for medical students, residents and fellows whose abstracts are accepted for oral presentation at SIR 2018. Online applications are open for the Resident/Fellow Research Award, the Dr. Constantin Cope Medical Student Research Award and the Dr. Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award. Additional scholarships for North America-based trainees are available through the SIR Medical Student Scholarship and SIR Resident-in-Training Scholarship programs. SIR also welcomes physicians from around the world, and the SIR International Scholarship Program supports travel and study at SIR 2018 for physicians within 10 years of training practicing outside of North America. International physicians may apply online. About the Society of Interventional Radiology The Society of Interventional Radiology is a nonprofit, professional medical society representing more than 7,000 practicing interventional radiology physicians, trainees, students, scientists and clinical associates, dedicated to improving patient care through the limitless potential of image-guided therapies. SIR's members work in a variety of settings and at different professional levelsfrom medical students and residents to university faculty and private practice physicians. Visit sirweb.org. The Society of Interventional Radiology is holding its Annual Scientific Meeting March 1722, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Visit sirmeeting.org. SOURCE Society of Interventional Radiology Related Links http://www.sirweb.org TULSA, Okla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Canyon Creek Energy Arkoma, LLC (CCEA) announced today that it has acquired a core operated leasehold position in over 30,000 acres in the liquid rich Arkoma Stack play. A great deal of such acreage has been acquired from Arkoma Leasing, LLC. CCEA President and CEO Luke Essman commented, "With these acquisitions, Canyon Creek Energy has established itself as a leader in the re-emerging Arkoma Stack liquids play. We are very excited about this opportunity, not only because of our concentrated leasehold position, but due to our preliminary drilling results. These results validate our technical analysis of the play and we intend to continue our current successful leasing and drilling program in the area." About Canyon Creek Energy Canyon Creek Energy Arkoma, LLC is a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based oil and natural gas company primarily focused on exploiting natural resources in Oklahoma. CCEA is managed by an affiliate Canyon Creek Energy Operating, LLC, which is led by President and CEO, R. Luke Essman; Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, James R. McCoy; Vice-President of Geology, Jennifer Kessler; Vice-President of Engineering, C. Daniel Jacobs; and Vice-President of Land, Stephen McNamara, Jr. For more information, please visit www.canyoncreekenergy.com. Contacts Canyon Creek Energy-Arkoma, LLC Luke Essman, 918-561-6737 [email protected] SOURCE Canyon Creek Energy Related Links http://www.canyoncreekenergy.com NETANYA, Israel, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) (TASE: CEL) (hereinafter: the "Company"), announced today that it will be releasing its financial results for the second quarter of 2017 on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, before the US markets open. The Company will be hosting a conference call at 9:00 am Eastern Time (6:00am Pacific Time, 2:00pm UK time, 4:00pm Israel time). On the call, management will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer questions. To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls a few minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number. US Dial-in Number: 1-866-652-8972 UK Dial-in Number: 0-808-101-2717 Israel Dial-in Number: 03-918-0608 International Dial-in Number: +972-3-918-0608 at: 9:00 am Eastern Time; 6:00 am Pacific Time; 2:00 pm UK Time; 4:00 pm Israel Time The conference will be broadcast live on the investor relations section of the Company's website: http://investors.ircellcom.co.il. After the call, a replay of the call will be available under the same investor relations section. About Cellcom Israel Cellcom Israel Ltd., established in 1994, is the largest Israeli cellular provider; Cellcom Israel provides its approximately 2.792 million cellular subscribers (as at March 31, 2017) with a broad range of value added services including cellular telephony, roaming services for tourists in Israel and for its subscribers abroad and additional services in the areas of music, video, mobile office etc., based on Cellcom Israel's technologically advanced infrastructure. The Company operates an LTE 4 generation network and an HSPA 3.5 Generation network enabling advanced high speed broadband multimedia services, in addition to GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. Cellcom Israel offers Israel's broadest and largest customer service infrastructure including telephone customer service centers, retail stores, and service and sale centers, distributed nationwide. Through its broad customer service network Cellcom Israel offers technical support, account information, direct to the door parcel delivery services, internet and fax services, dedicated centers for hearing impaired, etc. Cellcom Israel further provides OTT TV services (as of December 2014), internet infrastructure (as of February 2015) and connectivity services and international calling services, as well as landline telephone communication services in Israel, in addition to data communication services. Cellcom Israel's shares are traded both on the New York Stock Exchange (CEL) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (CEL). For additional information please visit the Company's website http://investors.cellcom.co.il. Company Contact Shlomi Fruhling Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Tel: +972-52-998-9755 Investor Relations Contact Ehud Helft GK Investor & Public Relations [email protected] Tel: +1-617-418-3096 SOURCE Cellcom Israel Ltd. LONDON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In most cases, the disease is attributed to genital Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. As cervical cancer is a disease with long latent period, early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions is known to be highly effective in women who regularly participate in screening programs. The death rate due to cervical cancer has dropped in many developed countries, thus indicating the growing adoption of screening procedures, such as Pap test and HPV testing. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5018238/ The cervical cancer test market is driven by growth in aging female population and rising prevalence rate of cervical cancer, high incidence rate of HPV infections, rising incidences of teenage sexual cases, increasing number of awareness programs for cervical cancer screening, introduction of low cost VIA test and government initiatives and funding. However, lack of healthcare infrastructure and awareness regarding cervical cancer screening are the major restraints for cervical cancer testing market. Key Highlights of the Report Cervical cancer is amongst one of the most common causes of deaths in the U.S. women. United States alone captured over 40 percent share of the global cervical cancer test market. Pap test held a majority share of the cervical cancer screening market on account of the high efficiency of this test, however, HPV test is steadily gaining prominence. VIA is the best screening option where access to Pap smear tests and HPV test is not available. In 2016, Global cervical cancer test population was estimated at XXX Million. Cervical cancer incidence rate in Europe is estimated at 10.6 per 100,000 women population. Asia Pacific and North American region are competing closely with each other to grab maximum share of the cervical cancer test population. Indonesia, China, India and Japan captures highest share of the Asian cervical cancer test population. North America captures highest share of the global cervical cancer test market followed by the European region. Germany, United Kingdom and France are the other top three leaders in cervical cancer test market. China and India are the top contributor to the VIA test market. Australia's National Cervical Cancer Screening Program will change from December 2017. The 20 Countries covered in the report have been analyzed from 4 View Points: 1. Cervical Cancer Test Population (2007 - 2022) Pap Smear Test Population (2007 - 2022) HPV DNA Test population (2007 - 2022) VIA Test Population (2007 - 2022) 2. Cervical Cancer Mortality 3. Cervical Cancer Test Market (2007 - 2022) Pap Smear Test Market (2007 - 2022) HPV DNA Test Market (2007 - 2022) VIA Test Market (2007 - 2022) 4. Global Cervical Cancer Test Market - Driving Factors and Challenges Cervical Cancer Test Market & Screening Population Analysis - 20 Countries Covered 1. United States 2. Canada 3. United Kingdom 4. France 5. Germany 6. Italy 7. Spain 8. Sweden 9. Switzerland 10. Norway 11. Netherlands 12. Japan 13. South Korea 14. Singapore 15. Malaysia 16. Australia 17. India 18. China 19. Thailand 20. Indonesia Research Methodologies Primary Research Methodologies: Questionnaires, Surveys, Interviews with Individuals, Small Groups, Telephonic Interview, etc. Secondary Research Methodologies: Printable and Non-printable sources, Newspaper, Magazine and Journal Content, Government and NGO Statistics, white Papers, Information on the Web, Information from Agencies Such as Industry Bodies, Companies Annual Report, Government Agencies, Libraries and Local Councils and a large number of Paid Databases. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5018238/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com Local church support includes Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, First Institutional Baptist Church, Tanner Chapel AME Church, Elevate Christian Church, Greater Bethel AME Church and Fountain of Life House of Worship. Sponsors include Crescent Crown Distributing, Chase Bank, APS, UPS, SRP, AP & Associates LLC, State Farm, HMS Host, Aetna, Bob's Bikes, Santa Barbara Catering, Hegg's Auto Group, Food City, A to Z Distribution, Scottsdale Maserati, Arizona Community Foundation, PLS Financial, Allstate Self Storage, and others. Special guests include Jonathan W. Lines, Arizona Republican Party chairman; Mesa Airlines Chair & CEO Jonathan G. Ornstein; and Scottsdale Police Chief Alan G. Rodbell. The Arizona Black and Hispanic chambers of commerce are supporting the event, along with the Greater Phoenix Urban League, Helios Foundation, 100 Black Men of Phoenix Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and Maricopa County Branch of the NAACP. About Checkered Flag Run Foundation. Checkered Flag Run Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 established in 2014 with a mission to provide diverse educational programs that impact students and veterans. Access to quality educational opportunities ensures the investment in every student and veteran to cross the "finish line." Visit www.cfrf.org. About The Salvation Army The Salvation Army, established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Approximately 25 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army are used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. Visit www.salvationarmyphoenix.org. SOURCE Checkered Flag Run Foundation Related Links http://www.cfrf.org SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chegg, Inc. (NYSE: CHGG), the Smarter Way to Student, today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2017. "The momentum we saw in Q1 continued into Q2, as we exceeded our expectations on both revenue and profitability. As engagement with Chegg Services expands, we have increased confidence to raise our guidance for the full year," said Dan Rosensweig, Chairman and CEO of Chegg, Inc. "We believe that Chegg is becoming the largest direct-to-student platform in the country, with students increasingly dependent on Chegg to master their subjects, pass their classes, and graduate. In the first half of this year students viewed almost 200 million pieces of Chegg Study content, created over 290 million new citations, and were tutored in over 180 different subjects." Q2 2017 Highlights: Total Net Revenues of $56.3 million , an increase of 6% year-over-year of , an increase of 6% year-over-year Total Net Revenues to Non-GAAP Total Net Revenues growth increased 38% year-over-year * growth increased 38% year-over-year * Chegg Services Revenues grew 50% year-over-year to $44.7 million , or 79% of total net revenues, compared to 56% in Q2 2016 grew 50% year-over-year to , or 79% of total net revenues, compared to 56% in Q2 2016 Net Loss was $6.0 million was Non-GAAP Net Income was $6.0 million was Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million was 1.2 million : number of Chegg Services subscribers : number of Chegg Services subscribers 98 million: total Chegg Study content views Our total net revenues are comprised of two revenue streams: (1) Chegg Services revenues, which includes Chegg Study, Chegg Tutors, our Writing Tools service, Enrollment Marketing, Brand Partnership, Internships, and Test Prep; and (2) Required Materials revenues, which includes commission revenues from Ingram Content Group (Ingram) and textbook publishers, and the rental and sale of eTextbooks. * Chegg presents non-GAAP total net revenues as if the transition of textbook inventory investment and textbook logistics and fulfillment functions for Chegg's print textbook business to Ingram was complete and the revenues from print textbook business were entirely commission-based. Chegg completed its transition to Ingram in November 2016 and to provide a more meaningful comparison of Chegg's total net revenues for the second quarter of 2017, Chegg has presented the year-over-year percentage against non-GAAP total net revenues for the same period in 2016. For more information about non-GAAP total net revenues, non-GAAP net income, and adjusted EBITDA, and a reconciliation of non-GAAP total net revenues to total net revenues, non-GAAP net income to net loss, and adjusted EBITDA to net loss, see the sections of the press release titled "Use of Non-GAAP Measures" and "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures." Business Outlook: Third Quarter 2017 Total Net Revenues in the range of $56 million to $58 million in the range of Chegg Services Revenues in the range of $37 million to $39 million in the range of Gross Margin between 60% and 62% between 60% and 62% Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $3 million to $4 million Full Year 2017 Total Net Revenues in the range of $241 million to $243 million in the range of Chegg Services Revenues in the range of $180 million to $182 million in the range of Gross Margin greater than 65% greater than 65% Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $41 million to $42 million in the range of Capital Expenditures in the range of $20 million to $25 million in the range of Free Cash Flow in the range of $18 million to $22 million For more information about the use of non-GAAP measures, a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the third quarter 2017 and full year 2017, and a reconciliation of free cash flow to cash provided by operating activities for the full year 2017, see the below sections of the press release titled "Use of Non-GAAP Measures," "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA" and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow." An updated investor presentation and an investor data sheet can be found on Chegg's Investor Relations website http://investor.chegg.com. Prepared Remarks - Dan Rosensweig, CEO Chegg, Inc. Thank you, Tracey, and welcome everyone. We had another great quarter and it's been a great first half. In a few minutes, Andy will walk you through our Q2 numbers in more detail as well as our updated guidance. We are clearly pleased with our financial results and our new outlook, and we are even more excited about the strength of our brand, the relationship we are building with students, and we believe that Chegg is becoming the largest direct-to-student platform in the country. This has allowed us to accelerate our growth, add new services, and extend relationships with key partners, all of which should benefit Chegg, our investors, and, of course students. The education sector is massive. It's a one-trillion-dollar market on an annual basis that involves 15% of the total U.S. population. It represents 7% of our GDP and is clearly ripe for disruption. And, as big as the education market is, we believe it's actually expanding, particularly for the types of products and services that Chegg offers, and the many formats in which we offer them. The more subjects we cover, the more services we offer, the more ways students can consume the content, the larger the market opportunity gets for us. And the power of the Chegg platform is that each of these services contributes to the success of the other. Chegg students and our investors benefit from the size of our network, the interconnectivity of our services, the strength of our brand, and our proprietary data, which we call the student graph, all of which contributes to a very large moat around Chegg's offerings. With that in mind, we entered 2017 focused on our key three priorities. First, to execute on our financial objectives and, as we noted, we are off to a great start. Second, given the size of our market and the expanding opportunities that we see, we continue to make strategic investments in our core Chegg Services: Chegg Study, Chegg Writing, and Chegg Tutors. Third, as we believe the education industry is being disrupted right now, we continue to make investments in new opportunities that take advantage of our reach, brand and student graph. We believe that the education industry is rapidly moving to a "learn to earn" philosophy and we are very excited with our investments in our internships and careers sites. Because of the student graph and our relationships to students, our strategy is to know more about them than anyone else so that we are in the best position to get them their first job. From the beginning, Chegg has believed that because of the changes in the economy, globalization, and technology, that more people will be looking to learn for longer periods of times across their careers. And that technology, as it has for so many other industries, will allow for more people to learn more things, from more locations, at more convenient times, at a lower cost and with higher quality. And it won't be limited to just subject matter or degree based learning; it's already evolving in to a skills based learning around STEM and other categories that are best served online. Our company has been built around meeting the evolving needs of the modern learner and we are proud of the success we are seeing as we have transitioned to a pure digital business, with nearly 1.2 million Chegg Service subscribers in Q2 alone, up 54% year over year. We are continually making enhancements to both the depth and breadth of what we offer across our platform, expanding the number of students that our services are relevant to, and increasing the number of ways students can learn and consume content. As examples, we increased our total number of addressable ISBN's in Chegg Study in this quarter to nearly 27,000 and we are excited to announce that we are adding video content to Chegg Study. Now students can learn through step-by-step solutions, our proprietary Q & A network, and now video; and we expect to substantially increase the number of videos we roll out over the next couple of years, both licensed content and those we create on our own. Chegg Study is the center of our flywheel as students rely on it to better understand their work and improve their grades. To give you a sense of just how important it's becoming; students viewed almost 98 million pieces of content in the quarter, bringing our total content views to nearly 200 million in the first half of 2017 alone; which is an astounding growth of more than 60% year over year. Our proprietary Q&A network, powered by over 35,000 experts, answered over 1 million new questions in the quarter, bringing our database to a record 10 million questions asked and answered in Chegg Study. Considering our extensive library of step-by-step solutions, our proprietary Q & A and now the addition of video, we think it would be very difficult to replicate the size, scale, and quality of our content and experience. And, as strong as Chegg Study has become, we are seeing similar momentum with Chegg Writing Services. We knew this business would be big and we believe that it's only getting bigger. All students are required to write but, unfortunately, over 25% of students must take a remedial writing class prior to getting any credits in college. This makes the writing category a big opportunity for Chegg as we expand beyond helping students cite to helping students learn to write. Chegg Writing has shown impressive user and engagement growth in this quarter. Students spent over 8 minutes per session on the site and over 290 million new citations were created by users in the first half of 2017. We believe the modern student sees the future of learning the way they see many other services they are using today; they expect them to be online, on-demand, personalized, adaptive and most importantly, when needed, backed by human help. With about 40% of students working 30 hours a week or more, coupled with continued cuts to higher education funding, the need for high-quality, low-cost, human help is significant and we believe it's only getting bigger. That's one of the many reasons why Chegg Tutors is a core service on its own, and a key to our overall product strategy. Our services are all designed to work together to help a student improve their learning, get a better grade, and ultimately master a subject. Each time we add a service we are able to drive users from one service to the next and, with Tutors, that continues to be the case, as over 50% of all of our tutoring customers come directly from our other existing Chegg users. So we are able to grow that business faster, for a lower cost, and expand the amount of time and money students are spending with us, all to improve their outcomes. And students continue to be highly engaged with Chegg Tutors; receiving lessons in over 180 subjects in the first half of this year, with average lesson hours per student increasing about 4% year over year. These are all powerful indicators of why we believe Chegg Tutors could, one-day, be our largest business. As Chegg gets bigger, and our collective brands are now recognized by 78% of U.S. college students, we are becoming a primary partner and distribution channel for education products and services. We entered in to three significant partnerships this quarter that reflect the power and importance of Chegg in the market. In Q2 we announced a partnership with Sallie Mae, who is a leading provider of loans for both undergraduate and graduate students. Their objective in working with us is to differentiate their offering from others and ensure that, when they give a loan, that the student is more likely to learn the subject, pass their class, and graduate so, ultimately, they can pay that loan back. Through this partnership with Chegg, every student who takes out a Sallie Mae Smart Option Loan or Sallie Mae Smart Option Graduate Loan gets free access to Chegg Study and our network of Chegg Tutors, sponsored by Sallie Mae. This is a phenomenal endorsement of the quality of Chegg Services, and highlights our importance in the market. Further reinforcing our position in a student's learning experience, we announced a partnership with Cengage, the second largest publisher in the country, in which Chegg Tutors will be integrated into Cengage's WebAssign Online Learning Platform, opening up our service to over a million students that use WebAssign. This allows Cengage to expand the capability of their online learning; by partnering with Chegg to bring the scale, quality and technology we have to support the volume of students, at the level they want, for on-demand human help. We are also pleased that we extended our partnership with McGraw-Hill Education and expanded the content we have for learning services, as they are another partner who shares our mission to improve student outcomes. We could not be happier with our financial results, the engagement with our Chegg Services, and our improving position in the learning landscape. We believe our core businesses are very early in their growth and are driving our current financial success, and will be for the foreseeable future. But we are also making important long-term investments in our career and internship services, because we believe there is going to be an increased emphasis on learning to earning. We are currently focused on getting our product out in the market to both students and employers, getting the user experience right, and using A.I. and computer learning to increase the quality of our matches. We believe Chegg is uniquely positioned to be at the very center of how people are going to learn. We remain dedicated to our mission to improve student outcomes and will continue to stay focused on bringing students the highest quality content & services. This is what drives our success of our business and what drives our team every day at Chegg. And with that, I will turn it over to Andy. Prepared Remarks - Andy Brown, CFO Chegg, Inc. Thanks Dan and good afternoon everyone. Today I will discuss our financial performance for the second quarter, as well as our improved outlook for the remainder of 2017. Chegg had a great first half of the year, with both Q1 and Q2 ahead of our expectations. The team is executing well and the investments we are making in our platform, brand and student graph are paying off as our revenue and adjusted EBITDA came in at the high-end of our expectations, which gives us the confidence to increase our full year guidance. For the second quarter, total revenue was $56.3 million, driven by Chegg Services revenue growth of 50%. We continued to see strong subscriber growth and engagement, with growth rates similar to what we experienced in 2016, but on top of a much larger base. Q2 gross margins of 70% were at the high-end of our expectations. And notably, much of the incremental revenue goes straight to the gross margin line, as services like Chegg Study and our Writing Tools have a relatively fixed cost structure. Therefore, as these services grow and achieve scale, we expect our margins to continue to increase. This led to an adjusted EBITDA of $10.1 million, above our expectations, demonstrating the leverage and impact of our all-digital model. Looking at the balance sheet, we ended the quarter with cash of $66 million, after payments to the founders of Imagine Easy of approximately $21 million. These deferred payments were part of the original purchase agreement and over the next two years, we have additional payments of approximately $11 million. Based on the strength of our performance in the first half of the year and the momentum we see in the business, we are increasing our outlook. For the full year 2017 we now expect: Total revenue between $241 and $243 million , with Chegg Services revenue between $180 and $182 million , with Chegg Services revenue between Gross margin greater than 65% Adjusted EBITDA between $41 and $42 million or almost double what we achieved in 2016 or almost double what we achieved in 2016 With CAPEX remaining between $20 and $25 million And we now expect free cash flow to be between $18 and $22 million For Q3 we expect: Total revenue between $56 and $58 million , with , with Chegg Services revenue between $37 and $39 million Gross margin between 60% and 62% And adjusted EBITDA between $3 and $4 million In closing, we had a great first half of 2017. We continued our strong execution and delivered above the high-end of our expectations, all while continuing to invest in both the content that powers our existing services and in building out new services like Careers, which we expect to contribute to our growth in 2019 and beyond. As a result, we have increased our outlook for 2017 and have greater confidence in reaching our long-term model of approximately 30% growth for Chegg Services revenue, greater than 65% gross margin and approximately 25% adjusted EBITDA margin. With that, I'll turn the call over to the operator for your questions. Conference Call and Webcast Information To access the call, please dial 1-877-407-4018, or outside the U.S. +1-201-689-8471, five minutes prior to 1:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (or 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time). A live webcast of the call will also be available at http://investor.chegg.com under the Events & Presentations menu. An audio replay will be available beginning at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on July 25, 2017, until 8:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on August 1, 2017, by calling 1-844-512-2921, or outside the U.S. +1-412-317-6671, with Conference ID 13665784. An audio archive of the call will also be available at http://investor.chegg.com. Use of Investor Relations Website for Regulation FD Purposes Chegg also uses its media center website, http://www.chegg.com/mediacenter, as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor http://www.chegg.com/mediacenter, in addition to following press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission filings and public conference calls and webcasts. About Chegg Chegg puts students first. As the leading student-first connected learning platform, Chegg strives to improve the overall return on investment in education by helping students learn more in less time and at a lower cost. Chegg is a publicly-held company based in Santa Clara, California and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com . Use of Non-GAAP Measures To supplement Chegg's financial results presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables and the related earnings conference call contain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP total net revenues, non-GAAP operating expenses and margin, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP weighted average shares, non-GAAP net income per share, and free cash flow. For reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the section of the accompanying tables titled, "Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures," "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow." The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Chegg defines (1) adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, adjusted to include textbook depreciation and to exclude share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related compensation costs, restructuring charges (credits), and other (expense) income, net; (2) non-GAAP total net revenues as total net revenues as if it had already transitioned to a fully commission-based revenue model with Ingram for its print textbook business; (3) non-GAAP income from operations as loss from operations excluding share-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges (credits), and acquisition-related compensation costs; (4) non-GAAP income from operations margin as non-GAAP income from operations divided by total net revenues; (5) non-GAAP net income as net loss excluding share-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges (credits), and acquisition-related compensation costs; (6) non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding as weighted average shares outstanding adjusted for the effect of dilutive options, restricted stock units and warrants; (7) non-GAAP net income per share is defined as non-GAAP net income divided by non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding; and (8) free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities excluding proceeds from liquidations of textbooks net of purchases of textbooks and purchases of property and equipment. To the extent additional significant non-recurring items arise in the future, Chegg may consider whether to exclude such items in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures it uses. Chegg believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Chegg's performance by excluding items that may not be indicative of Chegg's core business, operating results or future outlook. Chegg management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing Chegg's operating results, as well as when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods and believes that such measures enhance investors' overall understanding of our current financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate comparisons of Chegg's performance to prior periods. As presented in the "Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA," "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures," "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA" and "Reconciliation of Forward-Looking Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow" tables below, each of the non-GAAP financial measures excludes one or more of the following items: Non-GAAP total net revenues adjustments. During 2015 and 2016, Chegg was in the process of transitioning ownership of the print textbook library, print textbook logistics and fulfillment functions for its print textbook business to Ingram. During the transition, Chegg reported print textbook revenues for orders that are fulfilled with textbooks owned by Chegg and commission-based revenues for orders that are fulfilled with textbooks owned by Ingram. Upon completion of the transition, all revenues from print textbook business transactions now represent an approximate 20% commission earned. Our transition to a fully commission-based model with Ingram completed in November 2016. The non-GAAP revenue adjustments present historical total net revenues "as if" Ingram already owned all textbooks and managed all logistics and order fulfillment. Management believes that presenting revenues as if Chegg had already fully transitioned to the commission-based model with Ingram provides investors with a better understanding of Chegg's results of operations in light of the changes to its business model by facilitating period over period revenues comparisons during the transition period. The adjustments to total net revenues provided below reflect a number of estimates, assumptions and other uncertainties, and are approximate in nature. Share-based compensation expense. Share-based compensation expense is a non-cash expense that varies in amount from period to period and is dependent on market forces that are often beyond Chegg's control. As a result, management excludes this item from Chegg's internal operating forecasts and models. Management believes that non-GAAP measures adjusted for share-based compensation provide investors with a basis to measure Chegg's core performance against the performance of other companies without the variability created by share-based compensation as a result of the variety of equity awards used by other companies and the varying methodologies and assumptions used. Amortization of intangible assets. Chegg amortizes intangible assets that it acquires in conjunction with business combinations, which results in noncash operating expenses that would not otherwise have been incurred had Chegg internally developed such intangible assets. Chegg believes excluding the accounting expense associated with acquired intangible asset from non-GAAP measures allows for a more accurate assessment of its ongoing operations. Restructuring charges (credits). Restructuring charges (credits) primarily relate to expenses incurred in making infrastructure-related changes as a result of transitioning Chegg's fulfillment obligations for the print textbook business to Ingram, expenses related to the exit of Chegg's print coupon business, and Chegg's strategic partnership with the National Research Center for College & University Admissions. These restructuring charges (credits) are excluded from non-GAAP financial measures because they are the result of discrete events that are not considered core-operating activities. Chegg believes that it is appropriate to exclude restructuring charges (credits) from non-GAAP financial measures because it enables the comparison of period-over-period operating results from continuing operations. Acquisition-related compensation costs. Acquisition-related compensation costs include: (1) compensation expense resulting from the employment retention of certain key employees established in accordance with the terms of the Imagine Easy acquisition; and (2) the remaining pay-out related to the Bookstep acquisition. In most cases, these acquisition-related compensation costs are not factored into management's evaluation of potential acquisitions or Chegg's performance after completion of acquisitions, because they are not related to Chegg's core operating performance. In addition, the frequency and amount of such charges can vary significantly based on the size and timing of acquisitions and the maturities of the businesses being acquired. Excluding acquisition-related compensation costs from non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Chegg's results against those of other companies without the variability caused by purchase accounting. Free cash flow. In addition to the non-GAAP financial measures discussed above, Chegg also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents net cash provided by operating activities excluding proceeds from liquidations of textbooks net of purchases of textbooks and purchases of property and equipment. Chegg considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the purchases of textbooks, property, buildings, and equipment, which can then be used to, among other things, invest in Chegg's business and make strategic acquisitions. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of financial performance is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in Chegg's cash balance for the period. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which include, without limitation statements regarding engagement with an expansion of Chegg Services, Chegg's momentum, and those included in the investor presentation referenced above, those included in the "Prepared Remarks" sections above, and all statements about Chegg's outlook under "Business Outlook." The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "project," "endeavor," "will," "should," "future," "transition," "outlook" and similar expressions, as they relate to Chegg, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the following: Chegg's ability to attract new students, increase engagement and increase monetization; the rate of adoption of Chegg's offerings; the impact of Chegg's acquisition of Imagine Easy Solutions; Chegg's ability to strategically take advantage of new opportunities to leverage the Student Graph; competitive developments, including pricing pressures; Chegg's anticipated growth of Chegg Services; Chegg's ability to build and expand its services offerings; Chegg's ability to develop new products and services on a cost-effective basis and to integrate acquired businesses and assets; the impact of seasonality on the business; Chegg's partnership with Ingram and the parties' ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the partnership, including the potential impact of the economic risk-sharing arrangements between Chegg and Ingram on Chegg's results of operations; Chegg's ability to effectively control operating costs; Chegg's and Ingram's ability to manage Ingram's textbook library; changes in Chegg's addressable market; changes in the education market; and general economic, political and industry conditions. All information provided in this release and in the conference call is as of the date hereof and Chegg undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law. These and other important risk factors are described more fully in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Chegg's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 2017, and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except for number of shares and par value) June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (unaudited) * Assets Current assets Cash $ 66,086 $ 77,329 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $180 and $436 at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 8,750 10,451 Prepaid expenses 6,950 2,579 Other current assets 7,571 21,014 Total current assets 89,357 111,373 Textbook library, net 2,575 Property and equipment, net 40,294 35,305 Goodwill 116,239 116,239 Intangible assets, net 17,970 20,748 Other assets 4,297 4,412 Total assets $ 268,157 $ 290,652 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 809 $ 5,175 Deferred revenue 12,457 14,836 Accrued liabilities 27,861 44,319 Total current liabilities 41,127 64,330 Long-term liabilities Total other long-term liabilities 4,974 4,383 Total liabilities 46,101 68,713 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.001 par value 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding Common stock, $0.001 par value 400,000,000 shares authorized; 95,684,945 and 91,708,839 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 96 92 Additional paid-in capital 605,638 593,351 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 76 (176) Accumulated deficit (383,754) (371,328) Total stockholders' equity 222,056 221,939 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 268,157 $ 290,652 * Derived from audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net revenues: Rental $ - $ 12,006 $ - $ 26,570 Services 56,317 37,795 118,919 77,547 Sales - 3,235 - 15,573 Total net revenues 56,317 53,036 118,919 119,690 Cost of revenues(1): Rental - 5,346 - 18,859 Services 17,042 12,606 38,438 26,481 Sales - 3,455 - 14,990 Total cost of revenues 17,042 21,407 38,438 60,330 Gross profit 39,275 31,629 80,481 59,360 Operating expenses(1): Technology and development 19,899 16,033 39,201 32,991 Sales and marketing 10,098 11,747 26,062 26,193 General and administrative 14,501 14,569 29,843 27,235 Restructuring charges (credits) 59 (154) 959 (198) Gain on liquidation of textbooks (2,191) (4,766) (3,196) Total operating expenses 44,557 40,004 91,299 83,025 Loss from operations (5,282) (8,375) (10,818) (23,665) Interest expense and other (expense) income, net: Interest expense, net (18) (61) (37) (121) Other (expense) income, net (9) (63) (208) 2 Total interest expense and other (expense) income, net (27) (124) (245) (119) Loss before provision for income taxes (5,309) (8,499) (11,063) (23,784) Provision for income taxes 716 509 1,363 909 Net loss $ (6,025) $ (9,008) $ (12,426) $ (24,693) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.06) $ (0.10) $ (0.13) $ (0.28) Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted 95,047 90,416 93,943 89,767 (1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows: Cost of revenues $ 88 $ 41 $ 155 $ 69 Technology and development 3,387 3,632 6,628 7,758 Sales and marketing 1,201 1,958 2,327 3,851 General and administrative 4,423 5,590 8,267 10,813 Total share-based compensation expense $ 9,099 $ 11,221 $ 17,377 $ 22,491 CHEGG, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) (unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities Net loss $ (12,426) $ (24,693) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Textbook library depreciation expense - 7,220 Other depreciation and amortization expense 9,093 6,068 Share-based compensation expense 17,377 22,491 Gain on liquidation of textbooks (4,766) (3,196) Loss from write-offs of textbooks 314 473 Interest accretion on deferred consideration (626) Other non-cash items (55) (18) Change in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 1,989 2,607 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 9,072 (10,908) Other assets 115 (398) Accounts payable (3,591) 1,016 Deferred revenue (2,379) (650) Accrued liabilities 1,181 (6,942) Other liabilities 858 (193) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 16,156 (7,123) Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of textbooks - (551) Proceeds from liquidations of textbooks 6,943 14,794 Purchases of marketable securities - (7,633) Proceeds from sale of marketable securities - 22,830 Maturities of marketable securities - 6,844 Purchases of property and equipment (12,507) (14,217) Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired - (25,164) Net cash used in investing activities (5,564) (3,097) Cash flows from financing activities Common stock issued under stock plans, net 9,765 1,110 Payment of taxes related to the net share settlement of RSUs (14,850) (8,240) Payment of deferred cash consideration related to acquisition (16,750) Net cash used in financing activities (21,835) (7,130) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (11,243) (17,350) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 77,329 67,029 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 66,086 $ 49,679 Supplemental cash flow data Cash paid during the period for: Interest $ 48 $ 19 Income taxes $ 821 $ 252 Non-cash investing and financing activities: Accrued purchases of long-lived assets $ 1,144 $ 1,193 CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net loss $ (6,025) $ (9,008) $ (12,426) $ (24,693) Interest expense, net 18 61 37 121 Provision for income taxes 716 509 1,363 909 Textbook library depreciation expense - 2,724 - 7,220 Other depreciation and amortization expense 4,704 3,491 9,093 6,068 EBITDA (587) (2,223) (1,933) (10,375) Textbook library depreciation expense - (2,724) - (7,220) Share-based compensation expense 9,099 11,221 17,377 22,491 Other expense (income), net 9 63 208 (2) Restructuring charges (credits) 59 (154) 959 (198) Acquisition-related compensation costs 1,500 1,000 3,000 1,988 Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,080 $ 7,183 $ 19,611 $ 6,684 CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (in thousands, except percentages and per share amounts) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Total net revenues $ 56,317 $ 53,036 $ 118,919 $ 119,690 Adjustment as if transition to Ingram is complete (12,333) (32,188) Non-GAAP total net revenues $ 56,317 $ 40,703 $ 118,919 $ 87,502 Operating expenses $ 44,557 $ 40,004 $ 91,299 $ 83,025 Share-based compensation expense (9,011) (11,180) (17,222) (22,422) Amortization of intangible assets (1,375) (1,186) (2,778) (1,814) Restructuring (charges) credits (59) 154 (959) 198 Acquisition-related compensation costs (1,500) (1,000) (3,000) (1,988) Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 32,612 $ 26,792 $ 67,340 $ 56,999 Operating expenses as a percent of total net revenues 79.1% 75.4% 76.8% 69.4% Non-GAAP operating expenses as a percent of total net revenues 57.9% 50.5% 56.6% 47.6% Loss from operations $ (5,282) $ (8,375) $ (10,818) $ (23,665) Share-based compensation expense 9,099 11,221 17,377 22,491 Amortization of intangible assets 1,375 1,186 2,778 1,814 Restructuring charges (credits) 59 (154) 959 (198) Acquisition-related compensation costs 1,500 1,000 3,000 1,988 Non-GAAP income from operations $ 6,751 $ 4,878 $ 13,296 $ 2,430 Net loss $ (6,025) $ (9,008) $ (12,426) $ (24,693) Share-based compensation expense 9,099 11,221 17,377 22,491 Amortization of intangible assets 1,375 1,186 2,778 1,814 Restructuring charges (credits) 59 (154) 959 (198) Acquisition-related compensation costs 1,500 1,000 3,000 1,988 Non-GAAP net income $ 6,008 $ 4,245 $ 11,688 $ 1,402 Weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share 95,047 90,416 93,943 89,767 Effect of dilutive options, restricted stock units and warrants 9,517 2,468 8,497 3,291 Non-GAAP weighted average shares used to compute non-GAAP net income per share 104,564 92,884 102,440 93,058 Net loss per share $ (0.06) $ (0.10) $ (0.13) $ (0.28) Adjustments 0.12 0.15 $ 0.24 $ 0.30 Non-GAAP net income per share $ 0.06 $ 0.05 $ 0.11 $ 0.02 CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF FORWARD LOOKING NET LOSS TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended September 30, 2017 Year Ended December 31, 2017 * * Net loss $ (12,700) $ (22,800) Interest expense, net 100 Provision for income taxes 500 1,700 Other depreciation and amortization expense 5,100 19,200 EBITDA (7,100) (1,800) Share-based compensation expense 9,100 36,000 Other expense, net 300 Restructuring charges 1,000 Acquisition-related compensation costs 1,500 6,000 Adjusted EBITDA $ 3,500 $ 41,500 * Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2017 represents the midpoint of the range of $3 million to $4 million and $41 million to $42 million, respectively. CHEGG, INC. RECONCILIATION OF FORWARD LOOKING NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO FREE CASH FLOW (in thousands) (unaudited) Year Ended December 31, 2017 * Net cash provided by operating activities $ 35,557 Purchases of textbooks Proceeds from liquidations of textbooks 6,943 Purchases of property and equipment (22,500) Free cash flow $ 20,000 * Purchases of property and equipment and free cash flow guidance for the year ended December 31, 2017 represents the midpoint of the range of $20 million to $25 million and $18 million to $22 million, respectively. SOURCE Chegg, Inc. Related Links http://www.chegg.com CHICAGO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Crime Commission announced the appointment of Christina Egan to its Board of Directors. "The Chicago Crime Commission is fortunate to welcome Christina to the board. She brings a fresh perspective combined with a distinctive set of experiences and knowledge to our organization," according to J.R. Davis, Chairman and President of the Chicago Crime Commission. Egan is the managing partner of the McGuireWoods Chicago office and practices in the area of government investigations and white-collar litigation. An experienced trial lawyer, she focuses her practice on representing companies and individuals with matters involving both criminal and civil investigations by the government as well as federal and state regulators. In that capacity, she handles internal investigations, provides compliance advice, and represents companies in investigations involving a number of government agencies. Ms. Egan's practice also includes counseling companies on transaction risk assessment where a party may have the potential for government exposure. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Egan served 10 years as an AUSA in the Northern District of Illinois - four of which she was a deputy chief. She has tried more than 20 federal criminal cases as an AUSA. "Christina's immense credentials and leadership will be valuable assets to the Chicago Crime Commission's Board of Directors. I look forward to working with her on an array of issues, including RICO, organized crime, and violent crime matters," added Andrew Henning, Vice President of the Chicago Crime Commission. As a deputy chief AUSA, she supervised a number of AUSAs on the successful investigations and prosecutions of hundreds of defendants in matters including organized criminal street gangs, racketeering conspiracies and various types of fraud schemes. She is currently an adjunct professor at Northwestern School of Law, teaching a seminar on federal RICO law since 2012 and previously taught trial advocacy there from 2008 to 2011. "Christina joins a leadership team with an incomparable aptitude and unsurpassed skill set. We are looking forward to her sharing her ideas and expertise as the Chicago Crime Commission continues its pursuit to root out violent crimes and corruption in our city," Davis concluded. Contact: John Pastuovic 312-925-9092 SOURCE Chicago Crime Commission Related Links http://www.chicagocrimecommission.org BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's of Alabama employees and family members living with diabetes receive a tremendous benefit through the Good Health Gateway Diabetes Care Rewards Program. The program provides a private and confidential support service which helps Children's health plan members with diabetes to more effectively manage their condition. The results are better health and lower costs for participants and the hospital. Diabetes is a very serious disease, and when not properly managed, it can lead to severe and life-threatening complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney damage, heart disease, respiratory illness and stroke. Chronic conditions, like diabetes, are a significant cost driver of employers' health care costs. Members who do not effectively control their condition or receive early adequate medical care may end up costing their employers, themselves and the health care system a considerable amount of money. "There are well established guidelines for diabetes care, but we know ongoing engagement in preventative care is a big issue today," said Ed Aberger, Ph.D., EVP of Abacus Health Solutions. "This program aligns relevant benefit plan design incentives, such as copay waivers, for those who are active in managing their condition with care provided by their own primary care doctors. By engaging members with their own doctors, we are also able to address comorbidities (other illnesses a patient has in addition to diabetes) as part of a comprehensive patient-centered evaluation." People with diabetes who use insulin need it every day in order to live. According to the American Diabetes Association, between 2002 and 2013 the average price of insulin nearly tripled. Children's of Alabama members who maintain adherence to all diabetes care activities can receive all of their diabetes medications and supplies for free, including insulin. Because of these benefits, the program has successfully helped participants avoid complications that lead to hospitalizations and has improved the HbA1c values with the highest risk members. Joni Blakney, the Benefits Manager for Children's, notes, "Part of the issue for the member is the high costs of medications. The program promotes adherence to the necessary medications and removes the cost barrier for those members who are active in the program. We get very positive feedback from the members and the hospital saves money on reduced medical claims costs." Today, the program has almost 60 percent participation and the results are astounding; 97 percent of the members report they are more confident about taking care of their diabetes. Over the seven years the program has been in place, all members with diabetes on the hospital health plan (not just those in the program), had a negative medical trend. Engaging members proactively in proper preventative care keeps them at lower risk, and rates of hospital admissions and hospital days for diabetes members have decreased by 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively. About Children's of Alabama Since 1911, Children's of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children's provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 46 other states and seven foreign countries last year, representing more than 676,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 2 million square feet, Children's is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. More information is available at childrensal.org. About Abacus Health Solutions Abacus Health Solutions (Abacus) and its principals are nationally recognized behavioral scientists and health experts who have been providing cost-containment solutions for three decades. The Good Health Gateway suite of programs engages, supports and rewards members for health behaviors based upon established clinical guidelines for managing targeted chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and others. Visit http://www.abacushealth.com for more information. CONTACT: Sean Follick, Director of Marketing Abacus Health Solutions 401-467-2223 x306 [email protected] SOURCE Abacus Health Solutions Related Links http://www.abacushealth.com SAN DIEGO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chosen Foods, LLC ("Chosen Foods" or the "Company") today announced that Sesajal S.A. de C.V. ("Sesajal"), a privately held company headquartered in the Mexican state of Jalisco and a worldwide leader in the processing of specialty oils, oily seeds and their derivatives, and Mediterranean cuisine ingredients has acquired majority ownership of the Company. San Diego-based Chosen Foods is one of the fastest-growing food brands in North America and the No.1 refined avocado oil brand in the world. Founded in 2011 by Carsten Hagen, Chosen Foods was established with the objective of setting the bar for transparency in healthy eating, offering a portfolio of branded products anchored at the intersection of functionality, flavor, and on-trend health attributes. The transaction will combine one of the fastest growing brands in North America with one of the world's preeminent, better-for-you food manufacturing companies. George Todd, Co-Founder and Director of Chosen Foods, said "Sesajal has been a valuable partner for the Company for many years." Sioma Waisburd, Co-Founder and Director of Chosen Foods, added "As a shareholder in the Company, I look forward to the great opportunities that this transaction brings to Chosen Foods." Messrs Todd and Waisburd added "This transaction places the Company in an ideal position for continued growth while maintaining continuity of culture and mission." "Chosen Foods is a remarkable brand," said Sesajal CEO Inigo Gonzalez. "We are very excited to invest in the business and grow Chosen Foods into a global, better-for-you food company." "I could not be more excited to continue to lead Chosen Foods under the ownership of Sesajal," said Chosen Foods CEO and Chairman Gabriel Perez. "Joining forces with Sesajal will allow us to execute on our strategy as a combined team." "I am very excited to see Chosen Foods take this important next step as a company," said Founder Carsten Hagen, a well-traveled naturopathic doctor who discovered the powerful effect traditional foods were having in their native cultures. "This is a change that continues the original goals of this Company." D.A. Davidson & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Chosen Foods in this transaction. Davis Wright Tremaine LLP served as legal advisor to the founding group of Chosen Foods shareholders. Dentons US LLP served as legal advisor to Sesajal. About Chosen Foods Chosen Foods was founded on the belief that food should nourish and sustain our bodies, our lives and our communities. The company offers a third-party verification that its products will not contain GMOs. Chosen Foods is an active supporter of the non-GMO movement, and boasts the Non-GMO Project seal of approval on all of its products. Additionally, Chosen Foods builds collaborative partnerships with organizations that take a community-wide, sustainable approach to alleviating hunger. More information about Chosen Foods can be found at www.chosenfoods.com. About Sesajal Founded 29 years ago, Sesajal was created with the belief that in Mexico, some of the best oily seeds, including sesame, could be harvested and processed to deliver high quality ingredients to local and foreign markets. Sesajal conducts business in over 25 countries with a team of 1,400 collaborators, offering integrated solutions for the food industry, pet industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic and personal care, with solid values based on service and quality. Sesajal operates five state of the art manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Central America. More information about Sesajal can be found at www.sesajal.com/en/worldwide/. Media Contact: Covet Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Chosen Foods, LLC Related Links http://www.chosenfoods.com BLACKWOOD, N.J., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Code Green Solar, LLC., recently completed a solar installation for Engine Distributors Inc. (EDI). The Ford Motor Company partner was founded in 1958 and is currently a leading engine distribution company. The roof mount is of 137.46 size DC and is producing more than 175,000 kwh each year. This sizeable installation marks the further expansion of Code Green Solar's commercial development. Pete Scaffadi, Controller at EDI and lead coordinator of the installation said, "Making the decision to go solar will benefit our company by lowering our electricity rates and giving us the opportunity to go green." Code Green Solar has broadened its market from residential solar; reaching new heights in commercial solar installations. Code Green Solar has installed various commercial solar systems; each company satisfied with the added benefits that switching to solar has brought to their business. "As the New Jersey solar market is maturing, Code Green Solar is looking to diversify their business. Commercial installations are a significant focus of that," said Tom Cleary, Code Green Solar's Vice President of Commercial Development. About Code Green Solar, LLC. Code Green Solar is New Jersey's leading neighborhood renewable energy and solar provider. Code Green Solar provides solar in New Jersey, South Carolina, California, and Puerto Rico. The company has experienced tremendous growth and prosperity since its inception in 1994. Code Green Solar uses Tier-1 solar panels and microinverters to maximize a homeowner's solar experience. For more information, visit our Website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. About Engines Distributors Inc. Engine Distributors Inc. (EDI), a partner of Ford Motor Company, is a leading engine distribution company in New Jersey. EDI provides powerful and reliable engines to consumers with a selection of engines designed for agricultural and power purposes. Since the company began engine distribution in 1958, they've expanded to five locations across the Atlantic coastline. The company is owned by Glenn Cummins Jr, Glenn Cummins III, and Jaime Cummins; the Cummins family has been in the engine distribution service for 50 years. For more information, visit the Engines Distributors Inc. Website. Emily Antrilli www.codegreensolar.com (856) 942-4002 SOURCE Code Green Solar Related Links http://www.codegreensolar.com DUBLIN, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Melexis MLX75023 ToF imager: Complete Cost Analysis" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. Today, Time-of-Flight (ToF) systems are among the most innovative technologies offering imaging companies an opportunity to lead the market. Every major player wants to integrate these devices to provide functions such as 3D imaging, proximity sensing, ambient light sensing and gesture recognition. Sony/Softkinetic has been investigating this technology deeply, providing a unique pixel technology to several image sensor manufacturers in three application areas: consumer, automotive and industrial. For automotive applications, Sony/Softkinetic has licensed its technology to Melexis, which has worked on the pixel design to provide a ToF imager for gesture recognition. The MLX75023 is an automotive 3D ToF Imager already integrated into gesture recognition systems from car makers like BMW. The 3D ToF Imager is packaged using Glass Ball Grid Array technology. The device comprises the die sensor and the glass filter in the same component in thin, 0.7 mm-thick, packaging. This report analyzes the complete component, from the glass near-infrared band pass filter to the collector, based on the ToF pixel technology licenses developed by Softkinetic and improved by Melexis. The report includes a complete cost analysis and price estimation of the device based on a detailed description of the package, and the ToF imager. It also features a complete ToF pixel technology comparison with Infineon, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instrument ToF imagers, which are also based on Sony/Softkinetic technology, with details on the companies' choices. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qv76mp/melexis_mlx75023 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com WOONSOCKET, R.I., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and Cleveland Clinic announced today they have expanded their eight-year clinical affiliation to enhance access to care for patients throughout Northeast Ohio and Florida, and improve quality, coordinated delivery of care and health outcomes for patients. "Our clinical collaboration with Cleveland Clinic has successfully increased access to care for thousands of patients," said Sharon Vitti, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, MinuteClinic. "By expanding and enhancing our affiliation, we will broaden electronic communication between providers in both organizations and leverage population health data to help improve the health outcomes and reduce the cost of care for the patients we serve." The expanded relationship builds on successes of the clinical affiliation between MinuteClinic and Cleveland Clinic. Through this broadened relationship, MinuteClinic, CVS Pharmacy and Cleveland Clinic will be able to improve access to and coordination of care for patients in the communities they serve, including convenient clinical support, medication counseling, chronic disease monitoring and wellness programs at CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations. Joint clinical programs will be developed to address high rates of chronic diseases, such as hypertension, and help patients better manage their medications. As part of the expanded relationship, CVS Health has joined Cleveland Clinic's Quality Alliance, one of the largest clinically integrated networks of providers collaborating on quality measures that focus on chronic disease management. The two organizations will share standard protocols and quality metrics and review population health data through integrated, secured systems. "This collaboration enhances the quality of care patients will receive and allows us to oversee their care more seamlessly than we do today," said Michael Rabovsky, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Department of Family Medicine. "As part of our Quality Alliance, CVS Health joins our clinically integrated network which uniquely positions us to share treatment guidelines and protocols and puts the patient at the center of a larger system of care when they need it." MinuteClinic, CVS Pharmacy and Cleveland Clinic will also work toward streamlining and enhancing communication through their Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. This will include the electronic sharing of messages and alerts about patients' prescription information, visit summaries, diagnosis and treatment protocol, with patient consent, directly between the treating physicians and CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic. The care coordination and communication between health care providers delivers a more comprehensive view of patients, which is integral in health care decision-making and disease management. "The expanded collaboration with CVS Health also allows us to provide better access to quality care for patients in Florida," said Hermann Stubbe, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Department of Family Medicine. "The ability to share information, quality measures and protocols will reduce chronic disease and ultimately improve our patients' quality of life." About CVS Health CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com. About Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 49,000 employees are more than 3,400 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, nine community hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2015, there were 6.6 million outpatient visits, 164,700 hospital admissions and 208,807 surgical cases throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 180 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. Media Contacts: Amy Lanctot CVS Health (401) 770-2931 [email protected] Katrina Healy Cleveland Clinic (216) 444-4255 [email protected] SOURCE CVS Health Related Links http://www.cvshealth.com TITUSVILLE, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Crafters, Inc. (RCI) announced today it has been awarded a $542,600 research contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Under the terms of the agreement, RCI is tasked to build and test a large-scale hybrid rocket engine using RCI's patented Direct-Digital Advanced Rocket Technology (D-DART). During the eight-month period of performance, RCI aims to design, build, and test a 5,000 lbf peak thrust, throttle-capable hybrid rocket engine based on the company's potentially industry-disruptive rocket engine technology. In theory, hybrid rockets have several advantages over the more commonly used solid and liquid chemical rockets. They can be throttled and restarted, unlike a solid rocket, and are less costly and faster to develop compared to liquid rocket engines due to their mechanical simplicity. They are also safer to handle than either solid or liquid rockets. For these reasons, Government and industry researchers have long sought to develop a large-scale hybrid rocket engine but have had significant difficulties with unpredictable thrust and excessive vibration. RCI's D-DART rocket engine solves those long-standing problems. Using advanced giant-scale additive manufacturing (also known as industrial 3D printing) equipment, RCI prints near-perfect fuel grains from proprietary high-energy polymer/additive formulas. These grains are designed to dually serve as the engine's fuel source and combustion chamber. In this DARPA research effort, RCI intends to build on its previous research with lab-scale prototype engines. Their initial test series achieved a 97.5-percent thrust profile consistency and showed no signs of combustion instability or vibrationa level of performance never before demonstrated in a hybrid rocket engine. With assistance from researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology, Rocket Crafters' scientists and engineers are currently conducting an extensive study to determine the optimum solid fuel formulation and oxidizer/fuel mixture to be used in the company's future hybrid-rocket-powered products. Under the DARPA agreement, RCI aims to design, build, and throttle-test a flight-capable rocket motor using a custom static test oxidizer system mounted on a new hybrid rocket test stand to be constructed at Florida's Space Coast. These tests seek to verify the hybrid rocket engine's reliability and consistency while, at the same time, demonstrating throttling and emergency engine shutdown capabilities. Using its unique hybrid rocket engine technology, Rocket Crafters is designing Intrepid-1, the first in a family of safe, affordable hybrid-rocket-powered expendable launch vehicles dedicated to delivering small satellites and spacecraft to Earth orbit and beyond. RCI's vison is to change the way we access space by making it safe, reliable and affordable, facilitating the expansion and growth of space commerce. For more information, please visit www.rocketcrafters.com or email [email protected]. Media Contact: Donna Tinoco Director Public Relations Rocket Crafters, Inc. 321-222-0858 [email protected] SOURCE Rocket Crafters, Inc. Related Links http://www.rocketcrafters.com TAMPA, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) announced today that Chongqing University, the College of Business at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, the School of Management at Ming Chuan University, the State University of New York at Fredonia, Technische Universitat Munchen, and the University of Sharjah have earned accreditation in business. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. Through today's ratification, a total of 795 institutions across 53 countries and territories have earned AACSB Accreditation in business. Similarly, 186 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs. "AACSB's accreditation standards are designed to help schools discoverand deliver ontheir differentiated mission, so they can foster meaningful change through engagement, innovation, and impact," said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "We commend each for their exemplary work and thank them for their dedication to academic excellence." Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multi-year path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. "For over a century, AACSB Accreditation has been synonymous to the highest standards of business education," continued Reid. "From the start of the accreditation process, schools must demonstrate that they have the resources, credentials, and dedication needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education, while remaining committed to a continuous improvement review every five years." For more detailed information about AACSB Accreditation, please visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation. About AACSB International As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB InternationalThe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 790 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu. SOURCE AACSB International Related Links http://www.aacsb.edu NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New York-based Maven announced today that it has raised a $10.8M Series A financing round to revolutionize women's and family health, bringing Maven's total funding to over $15M. The round was led by Spring Mountain Capital, with participation from 14W, DGNL, and Colle Capital. All existing investors, including 8VC, Great Oaks Venture Capital, The Box Group, and Female Founders Fund, participated in the round. Spring Mountain Capital's Lauren Brueggen is joining Maven's Board of Directors, alongside Maven-appointed Rachel Winokur, Chief Business Officer of Bright Health and veteran of Aetna. "We look to invest in companies and founders that are creating paradigm shifts in their markets," said Lauren Brueggen. "We believe that Maven's digital care network and focus on women as healthcare consumers is creating such a paradigm shift, fundamentally changing the way that women's healthcare is delivered." Maven offers accessible healthcare to women and families via its digital care platform. Since launching in 2015, Maven has served nearly 100,000 patients through its highly-vetted network of 1,000+ practitioners. Patients can book video appointments or send messages to a wide range of maternity and women's health practitioners, including OB-GYNs, midwives, therapists, nutritionists, and more. These practitioners are available to offer advice and write prescriptions around the clock, including nights and weekends. Maven operates an on-demand consumer marketplace in addition to its family benefits platform, Maven Maternity. Maven Maternity, deployed at top companies across the US, including Snap Inc. and Protective Life Corporation, offers a unique clinical program that supports new parents from conception through pregnancy, postpartum, and the transition back to work. "Maternity is often the #1 or #2 healthcare cost for self-insured employers, yet is not well-served by current solutions," said Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven. "Further, while 96% of expecting mothers say that they are excited to go back to work after giving birth, fewer than 60% remain in the workforce after the first year. Our platform helps companies improve employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity, while reducing maternity-related costs by zeroing in on C-Section rates and rates of pre-term birth." "Kate and her team have built an incredible product that connects women to providers with expertise in women's health," said Alex Zubillaga, Managing Partner at 14W. "Their enterprise offering, Maven Maternity, holds a treasure-trove of resources and community-driven content catered to specific issues. Maven is quickly on its way to becoming an iconic brand for women." This new round of funding enables Maven to continue to invest in Maven Maternity, with greater personalization and content for each member's user experience whether it's fertility assistance, pregnancy, postpartum, adoption, surrogacy, or loss in order to drive the most effective outcomes, all on one single platform. It will also allow Maven to build more tools to support its model of coordinated care across its practitioner network. "The healthcare system requires urgent reform," said Ryder. "Often lost in the discussion, however, is that reform will almost certainly need to come from women. Women, as consumers of healthcare, drive 80% of all healthcare decisions and make up 80% of all healthcare providers. And yet, amazingly, it is the female voice that is too commonly lost in this debate. At the highest level, this is what Maven intends to change." About Maven: Maven is the digital clinic for women, giving on-demand access to best-in-class healthcare specialists, such as doctors, mental health providers, nurse practitioners, lactation consultants, physical therapists and nutritionists. The platform makes it affordable and easy to get advice, diagnoses, and even prescriptions via video appointments, private messaging, and community-based forums. Maven operates both an on-demand consumer marketplace in addition to its family benefits platform, Maven Maternity, which offers clinical services around fertility, prenatal, postpartum, and return-to-work. Maven was founded in 2014 by Katherine Ryder and is backed by Spring Mountain Capital, 14W, DGNL, and Colle Capital, 8VC, Great Oaks Venture Capital, The Box Group, and Female Founders Fund, among others. About Spring Mountain Capital: Founded in 2001 by John L. ("Launny") Steffens and located in New York City, Spring Mountain Capital, LP ("SMC") is a private investment management firm that focuses on alternative asset investing. SMC's Private Equity Group provides expansion stage capital to lower middle market companies that are capitalizing on breakthrough innovations, paradigm shifts, or fundamental market or behavioral changes. The Private Equity Group at SMC focuses on two sectors of the U.S. economy undergoing the most change and with the highest growth potential: technology-enabled and healthcare businesses. Within these high growth areas, it seeks to make value investments by capitalizing on market dislocations, information asymmetry, illiquidity and complexity. For more information, visit: http://www.springmountaincapital.com/. SOURCE Maven RICHMOND, Va., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify market participants interested in providing renewable generation purchase options to the company. The RFI is to support Dominion Energy's proposed CRG Rate Schedules recently filed with the State Corporation Commission to promote renewable energy generation. The program allows non-residential customers with peak measured demands of 1,000 kilowatts or greater to voluntarily elect to purchase 100 percent of their energy needs from renewable energy resources. The company is proposing the program to better meet the needs and interests of its customers desiring renewable energy. "In recent years, large energy users have become increasingly interested in renewable energy," said Katheryn Curtis, senior vice president of Generation, Dominion Energy. "Similar to Dominion Energy, many of the company's largest users have set their own goals for vastly increasing their support of renewable energy. Additionally, many are working together and with their respective utilities to, among other things, expand their choices for buying renewable energy." Dominion Energy prefers locating renewable energy resources within Virginia, although projects located elsewhere within the PJM regional transmission organization will also be considered. Implementation of the CRG Rate Schedules is consistent with the goals of the Virginia Energy Plan to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources to ensure a diverse fuel mix and promote long-term economic health, as well as the state's goal to reduce carbon emissions while encouraging clean energy initiatives that will grow jobs and help diversify the economy. Those interested should see www.dominionenergy.com/renewables for additional information. About Dominion Energy Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 26,200 megawatts of generation, 15,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information about Dominion Energy, visit the company's website at www.DominionEnergy.com. SOURCE Dominion Energy OR AKIVA, Israel, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI), a medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative expandable devices for spine surgery, is excited to announce that Dr. Grant Skidmore of Chesapeake Regional Medical Center has reported promising results with the FLXfit 3D Expandable TLIF Cage. Dr. Skidmore noted that "I take a lot of precautions in preserving the patient's spinal anatomy and bony structure. My focus is on relieving the patient's pain but also restoring his balance to assure a long term clinical outcome." He said "With the FLXfit, I finally have the ability to offer my patients the ultimate outcome thanks to the cage's unique articulation and lordotic expansion feature." Dr. Grant Skidmore, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Norfolk, Virginia, explained "I am big believer of offering my patients immediate, robust and long term stability but was always puzzled how I could achieve this through a single and minimal posterior incision while preserving the spinal anatomy". He concluded "our initial 30 patients' series demonstrates the capability to place a large footprint cage at the front of the disc space, expand it lordotically in a controlled manner to achieve unique, anatomical fit, customized per patient." Ofer Bokobza, CEO of EOI, says that "we are excited to collaborate with such a skillful surgeon as Dr. Skidmore. His initial 30 patients' series show very encouraging results and confirm the FLXfit's unique ability to restore lordosis and positively impact the patient's sagittal balance." Ofer emphasizes that "EOI recognizes the need for continuous clinical data collection through collaboration with leading surgeons. We believe that the FLXfit represents a new breed of expandable devices providing customized, anatomical fit solution that could lead to better patients' outcome and new standard of care." About Expanding Orthopedics Inc. Expanding Orthopedics Inc. is medical device company developing and marketing innovative products designed to address unmet clinical needs for spine care and improve long-term patients' outcome. The Company is spearheaded by seasoned management team, and is advised by prominent spine surgeons. EOI owns a broad patent portfolio around anatomically fit, expandable devices for enhanced stability through MIS approach. Contact info: David Elkaim, VP Marketing and Sales E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (347)3219683 SOURCE Expanding Orthopedics Inc. CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today announced it has joined a national coalition of business leaders pledging to advance diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. Launched in June, CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion brings together more than 250 business leaders committing themselves and the organizations they lead to take concrete actions to foster a diverse and inclusive environment. The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion represents nearly 70 industries, all 50 U.S. States, and millions of employees globally. Organizations joining the pledge commit to taking three initial actions: cultivate workplaces that support open dialogue on complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity and inclusion; implement and expand unconscious bias education; and, share best practices with member companies. "A diverse and inclusive culture is a critical asset as we transform to better serve our customers and local communities," said Lynn Good, chairman, president and CEO of Duke Energy. "Our employees don't turn off their emotions when they come to work and we don't want them to. We're committed to creating a safe environment for them to share their views because we've already seen how this can foster more compassion and wellbeing among our employees." Today's announcement reflects Duke Energy's long-standing commitment to providing an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and respected. Among the programs that Duke Energy already offers to advance diversity and inclusion are: A 20 year-old network of Employee Resource Groups representing African Americans, Hispanics, women, people with disabilities, new employees, veterans and the LGBT community that work to address the needs of employees, communities and customers. Diversity Councils that sponsor local D&I education and awareness activities, and support our diverse customers through volunteerism and community outreach. A series of facilitated conversations, called "Pathways to Inclusion," hosted by company leaders in the wake of the civil unrest in Charlotte, NC in 2016 that provided a venue for employees to discuss the recent events, their impact and how we can move forward and create unity. in 2016 that provided a venue for employees to discuss the recent events, their impact and how we can move forward and create unity. An unconscious bias training program that was piloted with 75 leaders in 2016, with plans to expand in the future. New research from the Center for Talent Innovation, a nonprofit think tank, found that when employees can discuss the topic of race relations at work, they feel significantly more included. With this in mind, the CEO-driven pledge commits companies to work collaboratively to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and in turn, improve corporate performance, drive growth, and enhance employee engagement. "We are so proud that we are continuing to build momentum and support for the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion across companies, industries and regions," said Tim Ryan, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC and chair of the steering committee for the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. Visit the online hub to learn more about the pledge, and connect with the coalition on Facebook and Twitter. Duke Energy Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States. Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Media Contact: Candice Knezevic 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy Related Links http://www.duke-energy.com Montana's senators split on the motion Tuesday to begin debate on a health care bill that would do away with the Affordable Care Act, and split again on the first vote on the senate's version of the health care bill. While Democratic Sen. Jon Tester's opposition was not a surprise, the "yes" vote from Daines was the first time he had taken a stance on the Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act. Daines called the first vote Tuesday a step forward in a long-promised repeal of something his party has opposed for years, while Tester said the day was one of his worst in the Senate. "I just dont think this is a great day in Montana, and its certainly not making America great again, Tester said after voting against the motion. Tester was referencing President Donald Trumps campaign slogan, Make America Great Again. Trump and Republicans around the country ran on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, former Democratic President Barack Obamas signature health care law sometimes called Obamacare. Daines said his vote to move forward fulfills a campaign promise hes made going back seven years. This is an important first step, he said. Montanans have said we do not want to see Washington, D.C., solutions. We want to see Montanans back in charge of their health care and thats what were going to be debating here. Senators will be picking up the House version of the bill, which will be debated and see many amendments. There will be a vote on one of three options a repeal, a repeal and replacement, or a skinny repeal option that abolishes just some mandates of the Affordable Care Act. The House could then pass the Senates version of the bill or have a conference committee with the Senate to resolve differences; then each body would vote on the bill again. Tester called Tuesdays first vote totally irresponsible and said it will severely and negatively affect rural health care. He doesnt believe any efforts by the Senate to amend the bill will make it more palatable. Its going to hurt rural hospitals, its going to make health care more expensive. Theres no replacement plan out there that will work. Everything that has been brought up in the Senate is a total train wreck. What we did has the forefathers rolling over. A report prepared by Manatt Health for the Montana Health Care Foundation estimated the House and Senate versions of the bill would all have a huge impact on rural health care by increasing costs to buy coverage in those parts of the state and eliminating Medicaid expansion, which has covered many in rural areas and generally lowered the amount of charity care rural hospitals provide. Rural hospitals have told me it could potentially close their facilities or definitely change the way they deliver health care, Tester said. Its not good for rural America. Its about as irresponsible as anything Ive ever seen. Daines reiterated what hes said before: he believes Obamacare is broken and something has to be done. He cited increases in premiums and people losing access to their existing health care plans and access to doctors as reasons he considers the law failed. Tester said he and Daines talked some time ago about pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps and making sure we didn't do silly stuff with Medicaid that would hurt Montanans. He just doesnt see eye to eye with me on these issues, I think its fair to say, Tester said. Daines has long opposed Medicaid expansion, which has provided coverage to nearly 80,000 working poor in the state. He wants the program to return to covering only children, people with disabilities, pregnant women and others who are medically needy. Montana voted to expand coverage to the working poor and nearly 80,000 have signed up since 2016. But the law sunsets without legislative approval in 2019, and under both the House and Senate versions of replacement bills the amount of federal funding for the program drops so severely the state could not continue it. Its on an unsustainable path, Daines said. Is it fair for the federal government to pay 100 percent for able-bodied people? Thats a fundamental fairness question. The Republican senator said he would support switching Medicaid to being administered by states through block grants or per-capita funding, something Democrats say will ultimately reduce the amount of money available and bring on cuts in the program. Tester has been an outspoken opponent of any effort to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act, but has called for strategic improvements, something he says isn't possible under the current situation. Take a look at the bills that were put up, Tester said. As for possible changes to come on the Senate floor, he said it does not matter what amendments we put on. In the end its going to be a bill thats going to do what they all were going to do: give tax breaks to the rich, block-grant Medicaid, eliminate Medicaid expansion, not take care of the folks that hit lifetime caps. Daines had not taken a stance on any bill before Tuesday's vote, but said to get his support legislation would have to lower premiums, lower the cost of health care, cover those with pre-existing conditions and protect Medicaid for those traditionally covered. To lower costs, he advocated for a proposal that would allow insurance companies to sell policies that do not meet all the mandates of the Affordable Care Act, arguing a young person may need a less expensive plan that offers less coverage than a 60-year-old. Daines also said he will offer an amendment on the Senate floor that would require the government to reimburse everyone who paid a fine for not having health insurance, something that was mandated by the Affordable Care Act. When asked how he and Tester can have such opposite views of the bill, Daines offered the states support of Trump as reason his views aligned more closely with Montanans. Montana overwhelmingly voted for President Trump, and President Trump campaigned strongly on the promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare. The American people have spoken loud and clear. Montanans have spoken loud and clear, electing Donald Trump by more than 20 points last year." Tester, meanwhile, said he's struggling to see how actions Tuesday could mean anything but trouble for Montanans. This is one of the lower-level days Ive had in the U.S. Senate. You cant make this bill work for rural America. Its all about removing access and affordability, which is just the opposite direction we should be going in, especially for rural areas that have facilities that are at real risk of closing. CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EDENS, one of the leading retail real estate developers in the country, and Crescent Communities, one of the nation's top multifamily developers, are pleased to announce their partnership on the development of Atherton, a mixed-use center in the heart of Charlotte's Historic South End neighborhood. "EDENS is excited for the opportunity to work with Crescent Communities on revitalizing this piece of Charlotte's history," Lyle Darnall, Managing Director of EDENS, says. "Their company values align well with EDENS, and our focus is to create a vibrant gathering place for the people of South End one that fulfills a need and reflects the story of the community." Atherton is evolving from a South End retail center, to a top Charlotte destination for dining, shopping and living confirming Atherton as the soul of South End. The mixed-use project will offer 346 uniquely styled apartment homes, over 115,000 square feet of retail and will feature a significant expansion of the "Rail Trail" multi-use path that can accommodate public programming. "EDENS has a track record of creating some of the most distinct community-oriented retail centers in the country and we are honored to have the opportunity to partner with them on this incredibly transformational development in Crescent's hometown of Charlotte," said Michael Tubridy, Managing Director of the Charlotte market for Crescent Communities. "As rich and authentic as the neighborhood itself, Atherton will be a storied community that celebrates the South End's history and future of industry, innovation and creativity." EDENS owns and operates a number of other successful retail developments in the area, including Park Road Shopping Center, Kenilworth Commons and Myers Park. Crescent Communities has developed six multifamily communities in Charlotte since 2008 and currently has four multifamily developments under construction in the region including Crescent Stonewall Station, Crescent NoDa, Crescent Providence Farm and the recently announced Crescent Montford Park. About Atherton Located in the heart of Charlotte's historic and upscale South End District, Atherton is a retail hub and community gathering place and will soon undergo a major redevelopment. The center is a vibrant mix of retail, restaurants and a farmer's market featuring retailers, like Anthropologie, Free People, Alton Lane, Warby Parker and Savory Spice, as well as restaurants, like O-Ku and Luna's Living Kitchen. The Market showcases the best of the region from small local farms, talented chefs and artisans sophisticated coffee drinks, plants and many specialty items. For additional information about the center, please visit www.athertonmillandmarket.com. About EDENS EDENS develops, owns and operates community shopping centers in primary markets across the country. The company has built an institutional-quality portfolio of more than 120 retail centers. EDENS has regional headquarters in Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Houston and Columbia, S.C. For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, visit www.edens.com. About Crescent Communities Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate company specializing in the development and sale of single family, multifamily and commercial/mixed-use communities. The company delivers high-quality, differentiated communities in desirable locations in many of the fastest growing markets in the Southeast and Southwest. Since inception in 1963, Crescent communities has developed more than 60 single family master-planned communities, over 30 multifamily communities and approximately 20 million square feet of commercial space. For more information, visit www.crescentcommunities.com. SOURCE EDENS Related Links http://www.edens.com LONDON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Threat Detection and Remediation to Emerge as Key Market Drivers The Managed Security Services (MSS) market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) registered a second consecutive year of double-digit, year-on-year (YoY) growth of 16.0% in 2016, after a 15.0% YoY increase in 2015. By 2015, trends show a decline in the combined market share of the top 3 participants and an increase in the number of suppliers. Merger and acquisition activity has continued in 2016, with several similar sized companies pooling their expertise to compete with improved geographic scope, scale, and product breadth. At least 2 leading telecoms service providers, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, have re-launched their security services in 2016, and every other security vendor is also offering services to counter an expected decline in growth momentum for security hardware. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5017979/ All of these supply-side activities are reflective of a buoyant market; however, the key to longevity and success is an MSSP that is agile and astute enough to stay ahead of the competition by demonstrating the following characteristics: Positioned to capture the next wave of higher value MSS: According to Frost & Sullivan's research, the 2 growth MSS segments over the next 5 years are threat intelligence, and research and detection services. Strong ability to retain security talent: Retaining security experts through not only competitive remuneration, but also with the nature of jobs by providing interesting, varied, and collaborative work. Grow the midsized market segment with the right pricing strategy: According to Frost & Sullivan's research, the midsized market segment is relatively under-developed; it is largely ignored by many tier 1 MSSPs, and underserved by the niche, pure play vendors. A customer-centric approach: Retaining existing customers and attracting new ones by delivering solutions that meet customer demands Technology-led approach to service delivery: Unburden tedious tasks from security staff through automation and a collaborative solution approach Key Questions this Study will Answer: What are MSS and why are they needed? What are the trends driving the market for MSS? What is the addressable market size for MSS in the EMEA region now and in the future? Which are the dominant MSSPs in EMEA? What are the prospects for security asset management and monitoring; threat intelligence, research, and detection; RCM; DDoS mitigation; and advanced and emerging MSS? What makes each significant MSSP special and unique? Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5017979/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EvoNexus, the non-profit Southern California technology incubator and hub, has added 16 companies to its portfolio of promising startups. Among other benefits, the startups will benefit from Class A office and lab space in San Diego and Irvine provided by The Irvine Company, California's leading real estate developer. EvoNexus specializes in helping young companies take their product or prototype to market and then scale up. Typically, the incubator accepts about 1 in 10 applicants. Since its inception in 2009, EvoNexus has helped 179 companies. "EvoNexus is like an elite university for companies," says EvoNexus Chief Technologist Chuck Pateros, Ph.D. "Coming from ViaSat, where I was a new grad at a startup for 24 years, I am proud to welcome my first class of companies that will become the next generation of technology and economic leaders in Southern California. "I especially want to thank the incredible mentors, many of whom are executives and leaders from public technology and life science corporations, that freely give of their time to prepare these great companies to face the world." The Incoming Class of EvoNexus Startups: San Diego Accel Robotics: Accel Robotics has developed a 360-degree visual intelligence that enables robots to see and interact with humans while gathering behavioral data. Accel's first target is the retail market; its OMNIO service works as an AI-enabled shopping assistant helping both customers and associates. CB Therapeutics: CB Therapeutics has developed patent-pending technology for the biosynthesis of cannabinoids and other therapeutic molecules using yeast. DoWhop: DoWhop is a peer-to-peer marketplace for shared experiences. Discover ongoing opportunities, or sell your own activities: book online, meet up in person, "DoWhop" you love! Elevada: Elevada's Curator platform provides self-service data preparation tools that collect, clean and transform data from various file types, formats and data sources, helping Big Data & Business Analytics customers avoid expensive and time-consuming IT intervention, project staffing and related delays. GigaIO Networks: GigaIO enables the data center applications of tomorrow by solving today's top data center problem: slow interconnect performance. Go Ghost: Go Ghost is a software company developing innovative new ways to support the Visual Effects, Animation, and Virtual Reality industries. Go Ghost has developed a flagship technology and a new image format that saves money on overhead and reduces iteration, need for storage space, processing time, and wait time for artists. MiP.O.V.: MiP.O.V. is a social video company that is unlocking the visual potential of social media. MIP.O.V. enables seamless connectivity to mobile, captures only moments worth saving and shares footage to all of your favorite social sites, while tracking your impact from one location. MG Therapies: MG Therapies' MGrx device delivers cost-effective relief to the 45 million dry eye syndrome patients in the U.S. and Europe at a quarter of the cost of the market incumbent. Obsidian: Obsidian has developed a glass microelectromechanical system (MEMS) thermal sensor technology that is vastly cheaper to manufacture than incumbent silicon MEMS-based sensors. Obsidian sensors will enable the next generation of low cost infrared imaging for applications like security cameras and autonomous vehicles. Sourcify: Sourcify connects companies with the world's top manufacturers from their vetted sourcing pool, providing a suite of tools that helps streamline client-manufacturer relationships. Tunnel Vision: Tunnel Vision provides virtual reality software, hardware and 360-degree video content to indoor skydiving sites globally, allowing customers to virtually skydive or fly anywhere in the world. Uprise Energy: Uprise Energy has designed, engineered, built and tested the world's first and only portable wind turbine. It can be delivered easily to any remote site, set up by one person in one hour, and produce enough electricity in low wind speeds to support 100 villagers. Irvine BlockBuyer: The BlockBuyer portal allows non-accredited investors (those with a net worth of less than $1 million, or 93% of the U.S. population) to buy a percentage ownership in residential properties via crowdfunding. BlockBuyer's trusted Do-It-For-Me, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform dramatically reduces risk for investors with a minimal amount of capital, effort, and time. Syntiant: Syntiant uses ultra-low-power semiconductors to move machine learning from the cloud to the edge device, enabling artificial intelligence for sensor, voice and video applications in almost any battery-powered product. The company has put its technology to work developing more intelligent hearing aids. ThinkIQ: ThinkIQ has developed a software platform that takes advantage of the emergence of the industrial internet of things (IIoT), big data, data analytics, and cloud computing to deduce, in a non-invasive, operationally efficient, and cost-effective way across the entire manufacturing supply chain, exactly how products are made. Move2Play: The more you move, the more fun you have! Move2Play creates toys based on this simple philosophy and has developed a hardware platform that facilitates new play patterns by deciphering unique user movement. About EvoNexus: EvoNexus is the leading tech incubator in Southern California. Under its pro-bono model, EvoNexus startups receive mentorship, access to capital and space in a collaborative working environment, without giving up equity or fees. EvoNexus is supported by corporate investors, including some of the largest multinational corporations in the world, such as Qualcomm and ViaSat. In just over seven years, EvoNexus portfolio companies have raised over $1.2 billion in funding and outcomes and 18 startups have been acquired. For more information, visit http://www.evonexus.org Media Contact: Beth Henneberg [email protected] SOURCE EvoNexus Related Links http://www.evonexus.org In the last few years, we have seen some institutions exiting certain jurisdictions, or raising the minimum assets maintenance requirement for an account. And in every trade association meeting and conference complaints are expressed about the enormous amount of resources devoted to compliance and technology in order to keep pace with the changing times. The industry is awaiting the ease on regulation that President Trump announced, while technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. "The financial services industry needs to become digital in order to meet the expectations of the tech savvy customer. Large corporations usually take too long to advance, in part because of regulatory requirements that slow change, and in part because they are better at traditional banking. That is why we have recently started to see acquisitions of FinTech companies, much more agile and innovative, by big banking corporations," he adds. Innovation needs space to happen, needs easy procedures, and certain freedom. But according to David Schwartz: "It is not that FinTechs are not regulated. It is only that there is no specific regulation for 'FinTechs' yet. The meaning of FinTech is very broad, including startups with two entrepreneurs and large corporations such as PayPal, and the regulation they must comply with is different in each case. But, of course, they cannot do whatever they want to." And he adds: "Many FinTechs are born with the ambition to be sold to a big corporation that would not buy something that is not in compliance, however you cannot regulate something before it exists and FinTechs as a whole are still emerging. First comes the reality, then comes the regulation. We expect the regulation that will come to leave enough space for creativity to allow innovation." About CLAB 2017 The [email protected] Annual Conference, organized by the Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) and the Latin American Banking Federation (FELABAN), is the largest Latin American technology and innovation event featuring networking and learning platforms for the financial industry. The conference is a traditional bridge connecting Latin America and the world. Its 17th edition will take place in Miami between August 30 and September 1, 2017. www.felabanclab.com About FIBA Founded in 1979, the Florida International Bankers Association is a trade organization that provides comprehensive support to the global financial services industry through training, conferences, and advocacy. Its members include some of the largest and most influential financial institutions and organizations in the world. FIBA is recognized by the financial services industry, regulators and authorities as a center of excellence for its knowledge and experience. www.fiba.net About FELABAN The Latin American Banking Federation is a non-profit entity that currently covers more than 500 regional banks and was created in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1965 by banking associations and other agencies of 19 Latin American countries. www.felaban.com For additional information or interviews: Rocio Lopez Communications & PR FIBA [email protected] T: (305) 215 4837 SOURCE FIBA Related Links http://www.fiba.net Cofounders Thad Tarkington and Kevin Barry saw a market opportunity after personally experiencing some headaches with their own HVAC air filters. Air in the home can be up to 5 times dirtier than the air outdoors, so regular filter changes are essential to healthy living, and vital to those suffering from allergies or asthma. Tarkington and Barry discovered that the majority of homeowners were simply not changing their air filters often enough, as this particular home maintenance item is out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Changing filters on a regular schedule, when they need to be changed, extend the life of a home's HVAC system and reduce HVAC maintenance costs. Furthermore, changing a home's air filters on a regular schedule reduces heating and cooling costs by up to 15% per month, cutting down on energy bills and minimizing environmental impact. FilterEasy began offering high-quality filters in every size, delivered right to customers' doors when it's time to change them. This convenient service allows people to change their filters on time, every time, without all the hassles. Since launching the website in 2014, FilterEasy's revenue and subscriber base have grown rapidly, with a nearly 300% gain in 2016 and they are on track for another record year in 2017. The investors from FilterEasy's Series B round join an enthusiastic group of savvy investors from FilterEasy's prior investment rounds. Completion of the Series B investment round brings total funding to $11.4 million. The new and existing investors bring a wide pool of experience from a variety of markets to FilterEasy's armory. Arsenal Venture Partners, the round's lead, is a unique growth equity firm that partners with visionary entrepreneurs building exceptional businesses. Arsenal specializes in high growth, recurring revenue companies, making them an ideal fit for FilterEasy. John Replogle is the current CEO of Seventh Generation Inc., and formerly was the CEO of Burt's Bees and President of Guinness Bass Import Co. Azure Capital, a Silicon Valley investment firm, has also put their funds behind powerhouse companies like BillMeLater and VMWare. David Gardner is also an investor in both funding rounds for FilterEasy, and was the Triangle's most active and involved angel investor, prior to founding Cofounders Capital, a free startup accelerator and early stage seed fund. FilterEasy, founded in North Carolina, staying true to its roots included several local investors in the round. Thad Tarkington, CEO, and Kevin Barry, COO, founded the company while attending North Carolina State University. As the business model proved successful and the business grew rapidly, Tarkington and Barry shifted their focus from school to business. In a success story that has come full circle, NC State, became one of several collegiate investors in the Series B investment round. The closing of FilterEasy's Series B investment round validates the immense amount of dedication and passion devoted to the business and serves as a catapult for future expansion. About FilterEasy Launched in 2012, Raleigh-based FilterEasy offers consumers a subscription-based HVAC air filter fulfillment service using a proprietary web-based platform to provide a convenient solution to a common household problem remembering when to change an HVAC air filter. FilterEasy's subscription model guarantees that correct size HVAC air filters are conveniently delivered to a home's doorstep so they may be changed on a regular basis, which can reduce monthly heating and cooling expenses by 5%-15%. Visit www.FilterEasy.com. For more information, please contact: PR Department [email protected] SOURCE FilterEasy Related Links http://www.filtereasy.com Step-out hole AR-17-136c2 which intersected a new area of semi-massive to massive pitchblende mineralization in the A3 shear has returned high grade assays. This high grade uranium mineralization was intersected 40 m outside the current resource, and 70 m outside the current A3 High Grade Domain. Step-out hole AR-17-136c2 (170 m northeast and up-dip from AR-15-57c2) intersected 13.5 m at 9.58% U3O8 (446.5 to 460.0 m) including 5.0 m at 23.49% U3O8 (451.0 to 456.0 m). Southwest Gap Area First pass drill testing of the Southwest Gap intersected numerous lenses of high grade uranium mineralization that has connected the 180 m Southwest area with the Arrow Deposit. The Southwest Gap represents a material resource expansion opportunity as it was not included in the March 2017 updated mineral resource estimate. Step-out hole AR-17-131c3 (80 m northeast and down-dip from AR-15-97) intersected 21.5 m at 2.51% U 3 O 8 (646.0 to 667.5 m) including 7.0 m at 4.68% U 3 O 8 (649.5 to 656.0 m). (80 m northeast and down-dip from AR-15-97) intersected (646.0 to 667.5 m) including (649.5 to 656.0 m). Step-out hole AR-17-131c4 (120 m northeast and down-dip from AR-15-97) intersected 22.5 m at 1.67% U 3 O 8 (805.5 to 828.0 m). (120 m northeast and down-dip from AR-15-97) intersected (805.5 to 828.0 m). Step-out hole AR-17-143c1 (100 m northeast and up-dip from AR-15-97) intersected 15.5 m at 1.09% U3O8 (663.0 to 678.5 m). Southeast of Arrow Drilling Highly anomalous uranium values have been intersected in the first two holes to test an Arrow-parallel structure 300 m southeast of the Arrow Deposit. Importantly, this mineralization is located on a completely separate conductor than the one that hosts the Arrow Deposit and it is the first time uranium mineralization has been encountered on this conductor. Both holes were targeting a large 3D resistivity anomaly with a similar size and intensity as the large 3D anomaly that is associated with Arrow. Hole RK-17-118w1, which intersected a narrow zone of visible pitchblende mineralization returned 0.25 m at 0.09% U3O8. Follow-up drilling in this newly identified and highly prospective area has been prioritized and is currently underway. Arrow, Activities & Financial A seven-rig summer development program consisting of a minimum of 25,000 m of drilling and multiple pre-feasibility staged technical studies is underway. A maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment is imminently scheduled. The Company has cash on hand of approximately $200 million (see News Release dated July 21 , 2017). Longitudinal sections and maps showing drill hole locations are shown in Figures 1 to 4. Tables 1 and 2 show complete assay results for holes included herein. Garrett Ainsworth, Vice-President, Exploration and Development, commented: "This last batch of drill hole assays from the winter 2017 program have confirmed previously released radioactivity results with strong grades over wide intervals, which will add to the existing Mineral Resource Estimate which was only based on drilling up to the end of 2016. The Arrow Deposit remains open in most directions with significant potential for both Inferred growth as well as rapid conversion to Indicated." Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "These final winter 2017 assays confirm Arrow is still wide open for material expansion within and outside the current area of mineralization. The maiden PEA is due imminently which will not include any of the results from winter or summer 2017 drilling. With closing the CEF financing, NexGen is in a very strong position to optimize Arrow and deliver it as a leading resource project." Table 1: Arrow Deposit Assay Results Drill Hole Athabasca Group - Basement Unconformity Depth (m) SRC Geoanalytical Results Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) U3O8 (wt%) AR-17-122 147 -70 381.50 96.10 224.00 227.00 3.00 0.01 235.50 253.00 17.50 0.10 240.50 246.00 5.50 0.25 AR-17-123c1 147 -70 906.50 101.50 671.00 675.50 4.50 0.05 685.00 688.50 3.50 0.02 708.00 708.50 0.50 0.13 725.00 727.50 2.50 0.07 730.50 733.50 3.00 0.09 830.00 831.00 1.00 0.24 AR-17-123c2 147 -70 864.50 101.50 650.00 658.00 8.00 0.10 668.50 670.00 1.50 1.91 675.00 676.00 1.00 0.25 680.50 684.00 3.50 0.21 687.00 688.00 1.00 0.41 707.00 720.50 13.50 0.35 725.50 742.00 16.50 0.32 753.50 754.00 0.50 0.13 760.50 765.50 5.00 0.02 778.00 779.50 1.50 0.02 784.50 791.00 6.50 0.16 824.50 825.00 0.50 0.01 833.00 835.00 2.00 0.06 837.50 838.00 0.50 0.01 843.50 844.50 1.00 0.06 847.50 852.00 4.50 0.05 AR-17-123c3 147 -70 984.50 101.50 648.00 651.00 3.00 0.01 653.50 654.50 1.00 1.79 657.00 662.00 5.00 0.14 665.00 671.00 6.00 0.36 680.50 683.00 2.50 0.07 686.50 688.50 2.00 0.04 694.00 761.00 67.00 0.17 incl. 699.00 714.00 15.00 0.38 783.00 784.00 1.00 0.09 794.00 797.50 3.50 0.02 803.50 804.00 0.50 0.03 816.00 818.00 2.00 0.04 836.00 838.50 2.50 0.03 848.00 848.50 0.50 0.07 881.50 884.50 3.00 0.09 944.00 945.50 1.50 0.02 AR-17-123c4 147 -70 864.50 101.50 660.00 667.50 7.50 0.16 672.50 680.50 8.00 0.70 683.50 707.50 24.00 0.42 710.50 737.50 27.00 0.36 740.50 754.50 14.00 0.76 757.50 760.00 2.50 0.25 790.00 790.50 0.50 0.02 829.00 829.50 0.50 0.19 842.50 843.00 0.50 0.03 AR-17-124 147 -70 411.00 93.40 No Significant Intersections AR-17-125 327 -70 417.00 N/A 232.50 249.00 16.50 0.23 246.50 249.00 2.50 0.98 AR-17-128 327 -70 357.00 N/A 194.00 200.00 6.00 0.43 incl. 195.50 198.00 2.50 1.00 213.00 218.00 5.00 0.65 incl. 215.00 217.50 2.50 1.27 AR-17-129c1 327 -70 1074.50 N/A 670.00 671.00 1.00 1.65 763.50 773.00 9.50 0.39 779.00 783.00 4.00 0.88 791.00 794.50 3.50 0.98 801.50 808.50 7.00 1.15 801.50 802.00 0.50 13.10 812.00 814.50 2.50 0.21 819.50 823.50 4.00 0.10 831.50 833.50 2.00 0.04 838.50 840.00 1.50 0.01 845.00 847.50 2.50 0.02 851.00 853.50 2.50 0.02 894.50 896.00 1.50 2.18 899.00 905.50 6.50 1.37 incl. 899.00 901.00 2.00 4.18 913.50 923.50 10.00 0.48 939.50 940.00 0.50 0.02 982.00 982.50 0.50 0.07 987.50 999.50 12.00 0.07 1005.50 1007.00 1.50 0.02 AR-17-129c2 327 -70 1002.50 N/A 603.50 604.00 0.50 0.04 641.00 642.00 1.00 0.08 653.00 657.00 4.00 0.48 664.50 667.00 2.50 0.20 671.50 672.00 0.50 0.20 691.00 693.50 2.50 0.19 698.50 702.00 3.50 2.19 720.00 721.50 1.50 0.22 726.50 727.50 1.00 0.02 757.50 758.50 1.00 6.39 780.00 799.00 19.00 0.05 805.00 812.00 7.00 0.05 822.50 824.00 1.50 0.03 831.00 832.00 1.00 0.13 850.50 867.50 17.00 0.16 873.00 876.50 3.50 0.34 893.00 894.00 1.00 0.21 977.00 977.50 0.50 0.06 984.50 985.50 1.00 0.18 994.50 995.50 1.00 0.12 AR-17-129c3 327 -70 981.50 N/A 693.50 694.00 0.50 0.02 796.50 797.00 0.50 0.05 807.50 808.00 0.50 0.19 811.00 812.00 1.00 1.15 815.50 817.50 2.00 0.81 825.00 838.00 13.00 0.65 841.50 844.00 2.50 0.04 848.00 848.50 0.50 0.02 852.00 854.50 2.50 0.07 862.00 864.00 2.00 0.02 872.50 873.00 0.50 0.07 875.50 880.50 5.00 0.10 897.50 898.00 0.50 0.12 917.50 918.50 1.00 0.15 929.00 941.50 12.50 1.08 952.50 953.00 0.50 0.16 AR-17-129c4 327 -70 1023.50 N/A 611.50 613.00 1.50 0.48 651.00 651.50 0.50 2.84 654.50 655.00 0.50 0.98 689.00 690.00 1.00 2.26 742.00 744.00 2.00 0.19 766.00 768.00 2.00 1.86 775.50 776.00 0.50 0.01 781.00 787.00 6.00 0.04 798.50 813.50 15.00 0.07 826.00 827.50 1.50 0.03 831.00 834.50 3.50 0.02 839.00 839.50 0.50 0.04 846.00 847.50 1.50 0.03 851.50 853.00 1.50 0.03 879.50 880.00 0.50 0.02 884.00 887.00 3.00 0.02 892.00 894.00 2.00 0.03 914.50 916.50 2.00 0.14 932.00 932.50 0.50 0.07 952.00 952.50 0.50 0.17 984.00 985.00 1.00 0.30 AR-17-130 327 -70 321.00 N/A 181.50 183.00 1.50 1.03 AR-17-131c1 147 -70 857.50 100.50 659.50 660.00 0.50 4.81 677.00 677.50 0.50 0.03 785.00 785.50 0.50 0.15 AR-17-131c2 147 -70 963.50 100.50 562.50 563.00 0.50 0.01 661.50 662.00 0.50 0.02 671.00 674.50 3.50 0.04 685.50 687.00 1.50 0.04 718.00 718.50 0.50 0.03 749.00 749.50 0.50 0.18 752.00 754.00 2.00 0.28 759.50 760.50 1.00 0.14 765.50 769.00 3.50 0.40 771.50 775.50 4.00 0.03 788.50 793.50 5.00 0.01 821.50 822.00 0.50 0.06 828.50 829.00 0.50 0.46 857.00 858.00 1.00 0.15 869.50 870.50 1.00 0.36 927.00 927.50 0.50 0.02 AR-17-131c3 147 -70 1029.50 100.50 646.00 667.50 21.50 2.51 incl. 649.50 656.50 7.00 4.68 670.50 680.50 10.00 0.23 711.50 712.00 0.50 0.02 724.50 725.50 1.00 0.04 763.50 768.50 5.00 0.07 772.50 774.50 2.00 0.05 777.50 785.50 8.00 0.04 803.50 809.50 6.00 0.09 816.50 823.00 6.50 0.05 844.00 844.50 0.50 0.02 865.00 865.50 0.50 0.02 881.00 881.50 0.50 0.05 892.50 893.00 0.50 0.02 897.00 898.50 1.50 0.02 908.00 923.50 15.50 0.04 933.50 943.00 9.50 0.03 946.50 947.50 1.00 0.02 952.00 952.50 0.50 0.08 959.50 961.00 1.50 0.02 976.00 977.00 1.00 0.03 982.50 984.00 1.50 0.02 AR-17-131c4 147 -70 1044.50 100.50 647.00 667.50 20.50 0.17 670.50 684.00 13.50 0.11 689.00 689.50 0.50 0.11 698.50 699.00 0.50 0.01 736.00 750.00 14.00 0.14 753.00 753.50 0.50 0.02 768.00 771.50 3.50 0.08 784.50 786.50 2.00 0.18 805.50 828.00 22.50 1.67 833.00 833.50 0.50 0.15 839.00 839.50 0.50 0.08 856.50 857.00 0.50 0.06 876.50 877.00 0.50 0.07 942.50 945.00 2.50 0.06 989.00 990.00 1.00 0.04 AR-17-132 327 -70 232.00 N/A No Significant Intersections AR-17-134 327 -70 401.00 102.50 232.00 239.00 7.00 0.15 AR-17-135 327 -70 285.00 102.40 No Significant Intersections AR-17-136c1 327 -70 567.00 128.40 432.50 435.50 3.00 0.04 441.50 444.00 2.50 0.39 450.50 451.50 1.00 0.31 475.50 476.50 1.00 0.91 485.50 498.50 13.00 0.29 AR-17-136c2 327 -70 849.00 128.40 399.50 410.00 10.50 0.08 414.00 416.00 2.00 0.23 429.50 432.50 3.00 0.10 436.50 441.00 4.50 1.07 446.50 460.00 13.50 9.58 incl. 451.00 456.00 5.00 23.49 539.50 551.00 11.50 0.32 554.00 554.50 0.50 0.07 614.50 615.00 0.50 0.07 752.00 756.00 4.00 0.53 767.00 768.50 1.50 0.07 803.50 804.00 0.50 0.05 819.50 820.00 0.50 0.01 AR-17-137 327 -70 366.00 N/A No Significant Intersections AR-17-139 327 -70 321.00 N/A No Significant Intersections AR-17-140 327 -70 477.00 108.60 260.00 263.50 3.50 0.04 AR-17-141 327 -70 330.00 N/A No Significant Intersections AR-17-142 327 -70 348.00 N/A No Significant Intersections AR-17-143c1 147 -70 852.50 104.90 620.00 621.00 1.00 0.12 629.00 631.50 2.50 0.02 634.00 634.50 0.50 0.06 663.00 678.50 15.50 1.09 681.50 682.50 1.00 3.52 686.00 686.50 0.50 1.42 703.50 706.00 2.50 0.26 AR-17-144c1 327 -70 801.00 112.90 460.00 461.00 1.00 0.04 497.50 503.00 5.50 0.03 508.00 509.00 1.00 0.02 512.00 514.50 2.50 0.06 531.50 534.00 2.50 0.17 537.00 539.00 2.00 0.34 544.00 558.00 14.00 1.15 563.00 564.00 1.00 0.02 578.00 602.00 24.00 0.69 614.50 617.00 2.50 0.11 AR-17-144c2 327 -70 723.50 112.90 468.50 472.50 4.00 0.04 492.50 522.50 30.00 0.19 532.50 537.00 4.50 0.94 541.00 542.50 1.50 0.17 605.50 606.00 0.50 0.20 625.50 626.50 1.00 0.20 632.50 633.50 1.00 0.12 639.00 641.50 2.50 0.07 644.50 645.50 1.00 0.12 650.00 655.50 5.50 0.48 AR-17-145 327 -70 315.00 N/A No Significant Intersections Parameters: Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m downhole Minimum thickness 0.5 m downhole Cutoff grade 0.01% U3O8 U3O8 analyzed by ICP-OES at SRC Laboratories, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan All depths and intervals are meters downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined. Resource modelling in conjunction with an updated mineral resource estimate is required before true thicknesses can be estimated. Table 2: Exploration Hole Assay Results Drill Hole Athabasca Group - Basement Unconformity Depth (m) SRC Geoanalytical Results Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) U3O8 (wt%) RK-17-114 140 -70 708.00 121.00 No Significant Intersections RK-17-115 327 -70 817.00 107.00 No Significant Intersections RK-17-116 RK-17-117 327 -70 810.50 113.80 No Significant Intersections 320 -70 801.50 N/A No Significant Intersections RK-17-117w1 320 -70 776.50 N/A No Significant Intersections RK-17-118 327 -70 1074.50 N/A 375.50 376.00 0.50 0.01 437.00 437.50 0.50 0.01 512.50 513.00 0.50 0.01 RK-17-118w1 327 -70 855.50 N/A 412.50 413.00 0.50 0.01 490.75 491.00 0.25 0.09 RK-17-119 147 -68 933.50 N/A No Significant Intersections Parameters: Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m downhole Minimum thickness 0.25 m downhole Cutoff grade 0.01% U3O8 U3O8 analyzed by ICP-OES at SRC Laboratories, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan All depths and intervals are meters downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined. Resource modelling in conjunction with an updated mineral resource estimate is required before true thicknesses can be estimated. About NexGen NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of Canadian uranium projects. NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. NexGen owns a portfolio of prospective uranium exploration assets in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, including a 100% interest in Rook I, location of the Arrow Discovery in February 2014 and Bow Discovery in March 2015 and the Harpoon discovery in August 2016. The Arrow deposit's updated mineral resource estimate with an effective date of December 20, 2016 was released in March 2017, and comprised 179.5 M lbs U3O8 contained in 1.18 M tonnes grading 6.88% U3O8 in the indicated mineral resource category and an additional 122.1 M lbs U3O8 contained in 4.25 M tonnes grading 1.30% U3O8 in the inferred mineral resource category. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Mr. Garrett Ainsworth, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration & Development for NexGen. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") of the Canadian Securities Administrators, and has verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing original data certificates and monitoring all of the data collection protocols. For details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource set forth herein please refer to the technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Rook 1 Property, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated effective March 31, 2017 (the "Rook 1 Technical Report"). The Rook I Technical Report is available on NexGen's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All intersections are downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined. Resource modelling in conjunction with an updated mineral resource estimate is required before true thicknesses can be estimated. Split core samples were taken systematically, and intervals were submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon for analysis. For non-infill holes, samples were analyzed using ICP-MS for trace elements on partial and total digestions (non-radioactive samples), ICP-OES for major and minor elements on partial and total digestions (radioactive samples), and fusion solution of boron by ICP-OES. All mineralized samples were analyzed for U3O8 by ICP-OES and selected samples were analyzed for gold by fire assay. U.S. investors are advised that while the terms "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into mineral reserves. Forward-Looking Information The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, the completion of the proposed preliminary economic assessment. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the proposed transaction will be completed, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, imprecision of mineral resource estimates, the appeal of alternate sources of energy and sustained low uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, exploration risks, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licenses, changes in laws, regulations and policy, competition for resources and financing, specific risks relating to the negotiation and execution of the definitive agreements for the financing, the use of proceeds from the financing, the satisfaction of each party's obligations in accordance with the terms of the definitive agreements for the financing; failure to receive any required regulatory approvals (including stock exchange) or other approvals, and other factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2017 under "Risk Factors". Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd. Related Links www.nexgenenergy.ca First Resource Bank Announces Most Profitable Quarter To Date; Quarterly Net Income Increased 37% Over The Prior Year Second Quarter Starting today, customers can choose from twelve different Penguin Young Readers art prints on Framebridge.com/penguin to have custom framed by the experts at Framebridge. The Penguin Print House collection features framed art from childhood favorites, including Corduroy by Don Freeman, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, Dragons Love Tacos written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, Mitford at the Fashion Zoo by Donald Robertson, Max and Marla by Alexandra Boiger, The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah OHora, Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu, and My ABC Book and The Animals' Vacation from the Grosset & Dunlap Vintage line . The art prints are available in four different frame styles and will be fully custom framed and shipped nationwide, arriving within days. Each custom framed limited edition print will arrive completely ready to hang with a signed certificate of authenticity from the illustrator. "We were excited to work with Penguin Young Readers and their amazing artists because the stories and imagery from these iconic books provide such lasting, magical and happy experiences for young kids and their families," says Susan Tynan, Framebridge founder and CEO. "It's a natural fit to take these cherished artist works and place them on the wall where they can inspire fun and creativity in a new generation of readers while bringing back special memories for so many of us." "We are delighted to partner with Framebridge on this unique line of collectible prints," says Jen Loja, President, Penguin Young Readers, "and we look forward to introducing new books and illustrators to the collection over the next year. In just over two years, Framebridge has redefined the traditional custom framing experience by making it easy and affordable for consumers to custom frame their favorite art, mementos and photos. The experts at the Framebridge factories in Maryland and Kentucky have custom framed hundreds of thousands of items from customers around the U.S. Each frame is handcrafted in the United States using the highest quality materials, and with a serious attention to detail. Prices for these limited edition framed works range from $150 to $300. Consumers can visit www.framebridge.com/penguin for more information and to view the collection. Images from the collection are available to download here. About Framebridge Framebridge (framebridge.com) launched in late 2014 to make it easy and affordable for consumers to custom frame the things they love. Customers can choose from a curated selection of on-trend frame styles, then upload their photos on the Framebridge website, or ship their items directly to Framebridge in prepaid packaging. The expert team at Framebridge will receive their items and handcraft beautiful custom frames to the customer's exact specifications. The finished pieces ship directly to consumers, arriving in days. Framebridge's transparent pricing, which is determined by the size of each item, begins at $39 and includes free shipping. Framebridge is based in Washington D.C. About Penguin Young Readers Penguin Young Readers is one of the leading children's book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks including Dial Books, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Kathy Dawson Books, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam's Sons, Viking, Razorbill, Speak, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Judy Blume, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Ally Condie, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Sarah Dessen, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Marie Lu, Mike Lupica, Richelle Mead, Richard Peck, Ruta Sepetys, Jacqueline Woodson and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Rangers Apprentice, Skippyjon Jones, Who Was?, and Flower Fairies among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House company. Media Contacts: Brooke Scher Mogan Alison Brod Marketing + Communications 212-230-1800 [email protected] Shanta Newlin V.P., Executive Director of Publicity Penguin Young Readers 212-414-3630 [email protected] SOURCE Framebridge Related Links http://www.framebridge.com PHILADELPHIA, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FS Investment Corporation (NYSE: FSIC) announced today plans to release its second quarter 2017 results after the market close on Wednesday, August 9, 2017. FSIC will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, August 10, 2017, to discuss its second quarter 2017 results. All interested parties are welcome to participate and can access the conference call by dialing (877) 443-2408 and using the conference ID 44291376 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call. The conference call will also be webcast, which can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of FSIC's website at www.fsinvestmentcorp.com under Presentations and Reports. An investor presentation of financial information will be available by visiting the Investor Relations section of FSIC's website at www.fsinvestmentcorp.com under Presentations and Reports after the market close on Wednesday, August 9, 2017. A replay of the call will be available beginning shortly after the end of the call for a period of 30 days following the call by visiting the Investor Relations section of FSIC's website at www.fsinvestmentcorp.com under Presentations and Reports. About FS Investment Corporation FSIC is a publicly traded business development company ("BDC") focused on providing customized credit solutions to private middle market U.S. companies. FSIC seeks to invest primarily in the senior secured debt and, to a lesser extent, the subordinated debt of private middle market companies to achieve the best risk-adjusted returns for its investors. In connection with its debt investments, FSIC may receive equity interests such as warrants or options. FSIC is advised by FB Income Advisor, LLC, an affiliate of FS Investments, and is sub-advised by GSO / Blackstone Debt Funds Management LLC, an affiliate of GSO Capital Partners ("GSO"). GSO, with approximately $94.5 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2017, is the credit platform of Blackstone. For more information, please visit www.fsinvestmentcorp.com. About FS Investments FS Investments is a leading asset manager dedicated to helping individuals, financial professionals and institutions design better portfolios. The firm provides access to alternative sources of income and growth and focuses on setting industry standards for investor protection, education and transparency. FS Investments is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA with offices in Orlando, FL and Washington, DC. The firm had more than $20 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2017. Visit fsinvestments.com to learn more. Contact Information: Investors Chris Condelles [email protected] 267-439-4365 Dominic Mammarella [email protected] 215-220-4280 Media Marc Yaklofsky / Kate Beers [email protected] 215-495-1174 SOURCE FS Investment Corporation Persichini has been with Victory Energy for close to ten years. He has extensive executive and sales management experience with multiple companies throughout his over three decades working in the industrial and boiler product categories. "I'm excited about the opportunity to work closely with our rep partners across every aspect of the sale of Victory Energy products. I look forward to helping our representatives achieve greater success while selling the Victory Energy brand," remarked Gary Persichini, Vice President Industrial Sales. "Gary has a keen understanding of what it takes to manage an independent representative sales organization. He has the ability to anticipate what our reps need to be successful. He's very well known and widely respected in the boiler industry. These attributes are highly desirable for a company that uses independent representatives as its go-to-market sales structure," stated John Viskup, President and CEO. "Gary will bring sales insights and expertise to our Executive Leadership Team. This ensures that we're addressing the needs of our sales partners in all major business decisions and allows Victory Energy to be laser focused on delivering uncompromising support of our customers," added Viskup. SOURCE Victory Energy Operations, LLC LONDON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Transparent barrier film is a packaging film made up of different types of polymers, based on the application. The global food industry is the major contributor to the growth of the global transparent barrier packaging films market, and contributes around 57.36% share to the market. In the food industry, these packaging films are used to provide both moisture and vapor-resistance packaging for food products. The high barrier property of transparent film provides extended shelf-life for food. Processed food items, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are the prominent items that are packed using transparent barrier films. Food manufacturers use transparent barrier films packaging as a tool to increase the sales of the food product by projecting the freshness of the food items to the customers. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5015514/ Technavio's analysts forecast the global transparent barrier packaging films in food industry to grow at a CAGR of 6.34% during the period 2017-2021. Covered in this report The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global transparent barrier packaging films in food industry for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated by the players of the market. The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEA Technavio's report, Global Transparent Barrier Packaging Films in Food Industry 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 vendors Toppan Printing, Amcor, Bemis, Berry Global, Mitsubishi Plastic Other prominent vendors Ampac Holdings Celplast Metallized Products Charter NEX Daibochi Plastic and Packaging Industry Innovia Films Mondi Market driver Dominance of PVDC polymers in the transparent barrier films market For a full, detailed list, view our report Market challenge Competitive pressure from substitutes For a full, detailed list, view our report Market trend Innovation in transparent barrier films For a full, detailed list, view our report Key questions answered in this report What 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? You can request one free hour of our analyst's time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5015514/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Goal Structured Solutions, Inc. ("GS2") is pleased to announce that it has, in partnership with Make School, become the first lender to enhance cash flow opportunities for schools by leveraging Income Share Agreements (ISAs). GS2 recently closed a $2 million credit facility, enabling Make School students to fund their education debt free with ISAs. This groundbreaking ISA collaboration creates transparency in higher education by aligning the cost of an education with students' outcomes. As a forward-looking, income-based student financing option, ISAs help students fund their education based on a fixed percentage of their income for an agreed upon number of years after graduation. Since no interest accrues in school, ISAs alleviate the burden of debt on students and their families. "Traditional methods of financing higher education only evaluate families' ability to pay based on past performance without transparency to a student's potential return on investment for their education. ISAs align costs to outcomes and broaden consumer information, leading to more informed decisions and improving accountability. In partnering with Make School, we are facilitating innovation and revolutionizing the way people pay for school," said Ken Ruggiero, Chairman and CEO of GS2. Make School's product based education model, ISA funding structure, and career support empower students to succeed. "Our partnerships with GS2 and Vemo Education make our ISA program possible. We worked closely with GS2 to customize an ISA financing structure that would work best for our school and our students. Vemo Education provided us with the infrastructure required to implement ISAs. As innovators in higher education, Make School is proud to collaborate with these forward-thinking partners in education finance," added Ashu Desai, founder of Make School. GS2 offers several solutions to help schools finance ISAs. For more information visit incomeshareagreements.org, call 619-684-7237 or email [email protected]. About Goal Structured Solutions, Inc. Goal Structured Solutions, Inc. ("GS2") is an administrator and developer of student loan programs, including student loan programs conducted by unaffiliated parties. GS2 is an award-winning, values guided, employee owned and governed, finance and asset management company providing a comprehensive array of products and services, including: trust administration, portfolio management, loan performance analytics and capital markets advisory services to the education finance marketplace. GS2 currently manages over $26 billion of private and federally-guaranteed student loans for its clients and partners. In addition to providing services, GS2 has deployed over $140 million of capital in acquiring over $3.1 billion of performing and non-performing loan portfolios. GS2 is headquartered in San Diego, CA where they have been awarded "Best Places to Work" by the San Diego Business Journal (2015 2016) and received the "2016 Top Workplaces" honor from The San Diego Union-Tribune. For more information, please visit www.GoalSolutions.com. About Make School Make School is redefining computer science education, emphasizing project-based learning through its Product College and Summer Academy. Based in San Francisco with multiple locations across the U.S. and Asia, Make School is changing the way future founders developers learn. Students build products they're passionate about, while networking with other talented students and tech-industry professionals. Alumni have studied computer science at Stanford, MIT, Harvard, UC Berkley and have gone to work at Apple, Google, Facebook, Tesla and other top global technology firms. For more information, please visit www.MakeSchool.com. About Vemo Education Vemo Education's mission is to help higher education institutions empower their students by developing customized, value-oriented student financing programs. Providing a full-service approach to its partners, Vemo has invested in the infrastructure required to design, price, originate, disburse and service income-based payment products. Vemo's management team has extensive experience in education finance and the financial aid sector. Learn more at www.Vemo.com. SOURCE Goal Structured Solutions, Inc. Related Links http://www.GoalSolutions.com LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Greenlots, a global leader of open standards-based electric vehicle charging and energy management solutions, announced it has secured a significant investment from the world's leading coalition of utilities, Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Furthermore, two industry veterans will join the Greenlots Board of Directors: Kevin Fitzgerald, Chief Utility Officer at EIP, and Philip Jones, former Commissioner on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). The move marks EIP's first e-mobility investment in this important growth segment. It positions Greenlots as the key enabling platform supporting the increasing commitment of the global utility industry to work collaboratively towards electrification of the transportation industry. "Bringing utilities, car companies and other key stakeholders together is critical for a smart, efficient and secure roll-out of electric vehicles," said Hans Kobler, CEO and Managing Partner at EIP. "Greenlots' industry-leading open and truly interoperable platform, sector expertise and proven experience provide an ideal basis for making that happen." With more than three decades of combined experience leading utility modernization initiatives, Kevin Fitzgerald and Philip Jones will leverage their regulatory and management experience in this next phase of growth for both EIP and Greenlots. Kevin Fitzgerald , Chief Utility Officer at EIP, will become Chairman of the Greenlots Board. At EIP Fitzgerald facilitates the sharing of best practices and technology among the firm's network of utilities. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Pepco Holdings (PHI), where he led the development and execution of PHI's award-winning blueprint for the Utility of the Future. Mr. Fitzgerald was also the Chairman of the EEI Innovation and Technology Committee. , Chief Utility Officer at EIP, will become Chairman of the Greenlots Board. At EIP Fitzgerald facilitates the sharing of best practices and technology among the firm's network of utilities. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Pepco Holdings (PHI), where he led the development and execution of PHI's award-winning blueprint for the Utility of the Future. Mr. Fitzgerald was also the Chairman of the EEI Innovation and Technology Committee. Philip Jones , former Commissioner on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), will also join as a board member. Jones recently completed a 12-year tenure with the WUTC, during which he also served as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). A leading voice in grid security and reliability, he will be a strong advocate for safely integrating electric vehicles into the smart grid. Greenlots' utility partners include North American transportation electrification leaders Avista Utilities, Southern Company, Southern California Edison, and BC Hydro. Helping utilities manage complex energy demands with its cloud-based SKY technology platform and truly hardware-agnostic software, Greenlots works to ensure that charging investments are strategic, equitable and future-proof to avoid stranded assets and to support electric vehicle growth. With world-class automotive electric vehicle fleet partners BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Kia Motors, Greenlots is uniquely positioned to scale electric vehicle charging networks to meet global demand. "Utilities are in the best position to predict, manage, and balance electricity demand as electric vehicle adoption increases," said Brett Hauser, CEO of Greenlots. "With the support of our board and strategic investors, Greenlots is delivering on the promise of an electric mobility future." About Energy Impact Partners Energy Impact Partners is a collaborative strategic investment firm that invests in companies optimizing energy consumption and improving sustainable energy generation. Through close collaboration with its strategic investor base, EIP seeks to bring the best companies, buying power and vision in the industry to bear on the emerging energy landscape. EIP's utility partners include Southern Company, National Grid, Xcel Energy, Ameren, Great Plains Energy, Fortis Inc., AGL, Avista, Madison Gas and Electric Co., TEPCO, PTT Public Company Limited, OGE Energy Corp. and Transcanada. For more information, visit www.energyimpactpartners.com. About Greenlots Greenlots is a global provider of open standards-based electric vehicle charging and energy management solutions. Its award-winning SKY Smart Charging platform bridges electric mobility, demand side management and behind-the-meter energy storage markets for the built environment. Greenlots operates the largest open fast charging network in North America, and provides utilities the ability to remotely control grid loads through smart charging, demand response and behind-the-meter energy storage initiatives. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Greenlots network spans 13 countries. Visit www.greenlots.com for more information or follow us on Twitter @greenlots. SOURCE Greenlots Related Links http://www.greenlots.com HOLLYWOOD, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthier Choices Management Corp. (OTC Pink: HCMC) today announced financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2017. Second Quarter 2017 Results and Recent Highlights: Gross profit from continuing operations increased by approximately $606,000 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2017 ; amounting to $1,673,107 , compared to $1,066,782 for the same period last year for the three-month period ended ; amounting to , compared to for the same period last year Gross margin percent improved to 50.6% up from 47.9% for the same period last year; the second consecutive quarterly improvement. Operating expenses as a percent of sales decreased 59% versus prior year, reflecting the continued reduction of corporate administrative expenses Adjusted EBITDA Improvement of roughly $2.6M ; Year-Over-Year. Jeffrey Holman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Healthier Choices Management Corp., said, "We are both pleased and proud of our performance in the second quarter. Our team delivered gross profit growth as well as a remarkable improvement in our adjusted EBITDA results for the quarter." Mr. Holman went on to comment, "Our strategic vision for our company remains clear. The progress to date, including our solid second quarter results, gives us continued confidence in our direction. We are committed to continuing to build a nimble and scalable business model to support long-term, sustainable growth for Healthier Choices Management Corp." About Healthier Choices Management Corp. Healthier Choices Management Corp. is a holding company focused on providing consumers with healthier daily choices with respect to nutrition and other lifestyle alternatives. One segment of our business is our natural and organic grocery operations in Ft. Myers, Florida. The other segment is a U.S. based retailer of vaporizers and e-liquids. Healthier Choices Management Corp. sells direct to consumer via company-owned brick-and-mortar retail locations operating under "Ada's Natural Market" and "The Vape Store" brands. Healthier Choices Management Corp. Inc. (www.healthiercmc.com). Forward Looking Statements. This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Additional written or oral forward looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. The Company assumes no obligation to update these statements. Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, projections or estimates of revenue, income or loss, exit costs, cash flow needs and capital expenditures, statements regarding future operations, expansion or restructuring plans, including our recent exit from and winding down of our wholesale distribution operations. In addition, when used in this release, the words "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," and "plans" and variations thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. Other factors that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas, as well as other factors which may be detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings: risks involved with our business, including possible loss of business and customer dissatisfaction Results of Operations The following table sets forth our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Continuing Operations for the Quarter and Six -months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016: HEALTHIER CHOICES MANAGEMENT CORP. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Total sales, net $ 3,305,709 $ 2,226,864 $ 6,891,699 $ 4,349,524 Total cost of sales 1,632,602 1,160,082 3,392,966 2,098,125 GROSS PROFIT 1,673,107 1,066,782 3,498,733 2,251,399 Total operating expenses 4,444,390 4,300,054 8,010,610 6,510,521 LOSS FROM OPERATIONS (2,771,283) (3,233,272) (4,511,877) (4,259,122) Total other income (expense), net (27,699) 2,859,686 (45,489) (11,917,852) NET LOSS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS $ (2,798,982) $ (373,586) $ (4,557,366) $ (16,176,974) See non-GAAP financial measure discussion Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Adjusted EBITDA Operating income (loss) $ (2,771,283) $ (3,233,272) $ (4,511,877) $ (4,259,122) Depreciation and amortization 86,897 93,855 170,440 150,082 Stock compensation 2,103,337 5,389 3,300,532 64,175 Adjusted EBITDA $ (581,049) $ (3,134,028) $ (1,040,905) $ (4,044,865) Consolidated Balance Sheets The following table sets forth our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the periods ended June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016: HEALTHIER CHOICES MANAGEMENT CORP. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (UNAUDITED) ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 9,093,349 $ 13,366,272 Other current assets 1,262,140 950,753 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 10,355,489 14,317,025 Other assets 2,869,587 2,917,726 TOTAL ASSETS $ 13,225,076 $ 17,234,751 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Other current liabilities $ 996,752 $ 1,353,316 Derivative liabilities non-consenting warrants 428,548 955,173 Derivative liabilities consenting warrants 9,832,745 11,912,906 Current liabilities from discontinued operations 373,199 555,810 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 11,631,244 14,777,205 Other liabilities 11,528 - TOTAL LIABILITIES 11,642,772 14,777,205 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,582,304 2,457,546 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 13,225,076 $ 17,234,751 Non-GAAP Financial Measure The following discussion and analysis contains a non-GAAP financial measure. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplemental to, and should not be considered as alternative to, net income, operating income, and cash flow from operating activities, liquidity or any other financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measures may not be indicative of the historical operating results of the Company nor are they intended to be predictive of potential future financial results. Investors should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Management believes stockholders benefit from referring to the Adjusted EBITDA in planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. Management uses this non-GAAP financial measure in evaluating its financial and operational decision making and as a means of evaluating period to period comparison. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss from operations adjusted for non-cash charges from depreciation and amortization and stock compensation. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is an important measure of our operating performance because it allows management, investors and analysts to evaluate and assess our core operating results from period to period after removing the impact of significant non-cash charges that effect comparability between reporting periods. Our management recognizes that Adjusted EBITDA has inherent limitations because of the excluded items. We have included a reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measure to loss from operations as calculated in accordance with GAAP. We believe that providing the non-GAAP financial measure, together with the reconciliation to GAAP, helps investors make comparisons between the Company and other companies. In making any comparisons to other companies, investors need to be aware that companies use different non-GAAP measures to evaluate their financial performance. Investors should pay close attention to specific definitions being used and to the reconciliation between such measures and the corresponding GAAP measures provided by each company under applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). SOURCE Healthier Choices Management Corp. Related Links http://www.healthiercmc.com BATESVILLE, Ind., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI) will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast Thursday, August 3, 2017, at 8:00 a.m. ET. They will discuss the results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, 2017. The live webcast, including a slide presentation, will be available at http://ir.hillenbrand.com under the "Events & Presentations" tab and will be archived on the company's investor relations website through Saturday, September 2, 2017. To access the conference call, listeners in the United States and Canada may dial +1 (877) 201-0168, and international callers may dial +1 (647) 788-4901. Please use conference call ID number 48842079. A replay of the call will be available until midnight ET, Thursday, August 17, 2017, by dialing +1 (800) 585-8367 toll free in the United States and Canada or +1 (416) 621-4642 internationally and using the conference ID number 48842079. Hillenbrand will issue a press release reporting its results after the market closes on Wednesday, August 2, 2017. The full text of the release and financials will be available at http://ir.hillenbrand.com. About Hillenbrand Hillenbrand (www.hillenbrand.com) is a global diversified industrial company with multiple market-leading brands that serve a wide variety of industries across the globe. We pursue profitable growth and robust cash generation in order to drive increased value for our shareholders. Hillenbrand's portfolio is composed of two business segments: the Process Equipment Group and Batesville. The Process Equipment Group businesses design, develop, manufacture and service highly engineered industrial equipment around the world. Batesville is a recognized leader in the North American death care industry. Hillenbrand is publicly traded on the NYSE under "HI". SOURCE Hillenbrand, Inc. Related Links http://www.hillenbrand.com SOUTH PASADENA, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Highland Insurance Solutions, LLC (HIS) (www.highlandinssolutions.com), an innovative and specialty insurance agency, in partnership with Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK), the forward thinking international insurance business, is delighted to announce the appointment of James Tran to the newly created position of Head of Global Agriculture. Highland Insurance Solutions, LLC Tokio Marine Kiln James has spent the past 26 years in the insurance industry, two decades of which have been focused on agriculture reinsurance. As part of a global reinsurance underwriting team, James will be responsible for the controlled development of HIS' crop reinsurance business, providing significant insight and expertise in this specialist sector. He will have a global remit, working closely with TMK's reinsurance underwriters in London and Singapore. Carl Herrmann III, HIS Chief Executive Officer, said: "Crop reinsurance is another excellent opportunity for HIS to leverage our strong infrastructure assets to pursue new business goals. Just as HIS successfully ventured into the US Construction insurance space, we expect the same success in this new field of business especially because we have the solid experience and proven expertise of James Tran on our side." For his part, Paul Culham, TMK Group Chief Underwriting Officer, said: "As a business, we continuously seek to evolve our product base in order to respond to clients' changing needs. While TMK has participated in agriculture business in a modest way, accessing James' technical expertise will significantly improve our capabilities in this specialist sector." Media contact Pat Blandford Highland Insurance Solutions, LLC +1 (626) 463 6334 About James Tran James joins from XL Catlin where he was Head of Worldwide Agriculture and brings 26 years' insurance industry experience to the role. About Highland Insurance Solutions Highland Insurance Solutions is an innovative and specialty insurance agency that is founded on the principle that insurance products and services should respond to the needs of our ever-changing world. We focus our resources on both simple and complicated property insurance risks and provide programs with innovative and non-traditional solutions. Learn more at www.highlandinssolutions.com. About Tokio Marine Kiln Tokio Marine Kiln is a forward thinking international insurance underwriting and services business. As part of one of the world's largest insurance groups, Tokio Marine, we empower our people around the world to protect customers against complex and ever changing risks. We have four underwriting teams focused on: Property & Casualty; Marine, Aviation & Special Risks; Accident, Health & Life; and Reinsurance, which are complemented by a first class claims team and an expert risk engineering service. Learn more at www.tokiomarinekiln.com. SOURCE Highland Insurance Solutions, LLC Related Links http://www.highlandinssolutions.com TAMPA, Fla., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HomeBanc is pleased to announce its recognition as one of Florida Trend's Best Companies To Work For In Florida again this year. HomeBanc was named the top rated bank on the list for the sixth year in a row and the #2 rated company in the midsized companies' category. The annual Best Companies list is featured in the August issue of Florida Trend magazine. For a list of the 100 Best Companies To Work For In Florida, go to www.FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies . "This recognition of HomeBanc by Florida Trend magazine as one of the best companies to work for the sixth year in row is a testament to our exceptional employees, who provide outstanding service to our customers every day. This is why we are committed to our motto 'A Great Place to Work and A Great Place to Bank.', and are honored to be recognized as a top bank," said Debra Hanses Novakoski, President and CEO. HomeBanc was named to American Banker magazine's "Best Banks to Work For 2016" list and rated the #2 bank to work for two consecutive years; the top rated bank on Florida Trend magazine's "2017 Best Companies to Work For in Florida" list for the sixth year in a row; the top rated bank on Tampa Bay Times "2017 Top Workplaces" list for the fifth consecutive year; named one of the "Best Places to Work for Millennials" in 2015 by The Center for Generational Kinetics and Best Companies Group; and selected as the "2016 North Florida District Top Community Bank Lender" by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Bank, with headquarters in Tampa, has fourteen offices, including retail branches in Lake Mary, Winter Park, Lakewood Ranch (Sarasota), Belleair Bluffs, Countryside (Clearwater), Dunedin, Kenneth City, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Largo, St. Petersburg, and in Tampa on North Dale Mabry Highway and in Westchase. HomeBanc offers a variety of retail deposit products, along with SBA, USDA and commercial mortgage loan products. The Company has assets of over $1 billion. The HomeBanc team is committed to exceeding customer expectations and making HomeBanc a Great Place to Work and a Great Place to Bank. More information on HomeBanc can be found at www.homebanc.com. SOURCE HomeBanc "The Hormel Natural Choice brand has been bringing consumers 100 percent natural deli meat options that are great tasting and nutritious for more than 10 years," said Andrew Quinn, brand manager at Hormel Foods. "We are proud to say your 100 percent natural deli meat is now available in a convenient, portion-controlled option, and coupled with a sweet treat, attributes our wellness-seeking consumers have long been craving." Hormel Natural Choice snacks are available in four flavor-packed choices. The 2-ounce packs (MSRP $1.50-$2.00) include 9 to 10 grams of protein each and are available in stores nationwide. Over-Roasted Turkey Breast Paired with mild white cheddar cheese and dark chocolate-covered pretzels. Honey Ham Paired with mild white cheddar cheese and dark chocolate-covered pretzels. Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Paired with pepper jack cheese and dark chocolate-covered blueberries Oven-Roasted Chicken Paired with mild white cheddar cheese and dark chocolate-covered almonds. For more information on Natural Choice products, including Natural Choice snacks, visit www.makethenaturalchoice.com. About Hormel Foods Inspired People. Inspired Food. Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://2015csr.hormelfoods.com/. SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation Related Links http://www.hormelfoods.com CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HubSpot, a leading inbound marketing and sales platform, announced today that it has acquired Kemvi, an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning startup that helps sales reps deepen their relationships with prospective buyers. The company's proprietary algorithm, DeepGraph, sifts through millions of pieces of content each day to learn what's happening with buyers and prospects and delivers that information to sales reps. The technology will be incorporated into HubSpot CRM, giving salespeople even more tools to carry out more contextual, empathetic outreach to their contacts. Gartner predicts that by the year 2020, 30 percent of companies will employ AI to augment at least one of their primary sales processes. Savvy businesses are already incorporating AI into their daily routines, and sales teams that don't embrace this technology risk being left behind. AI technologies enable salespeople to automate manual processes like researching their prospective buyers and crafting personalized emails, giving reps valuable time back to focus on closing the deal with their customer. "Today's consumers expect a personalized experience throughout the buying process, meaning that the modern salesperson needs to spend valuable time conducting research and tailoring each interaction with that buyer. AI optimizes that process, saving time for the salesperson and delivering a world-class experience for the consumer," said Brian Halligan, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot. "Kemvi's DeepGraph technology gives salespeople that added boost to better connect with their prospects and close the deal without getting bogged down in time-consuming tasks. We're excited to bring this technology into the HubSpot ecosystem, and look forward to working with the Kemvi team to build even more tools to empower the modern salesperson." DeepGraph uses machine learning technology to help salespeople better understand their prospective buyers. The system identifies new prospects, provides suggestions for creating personalized emails, identifies new market segments, freeing up time that can be spent on more valuable sales tasks. DeepGraph also acts as a knowledge graph with information about buyers, markets, and products, helping salespeople understand the nuances of their customers' behavior. "The B2B transaction ecosystem is on the cusp of a complete transformation, and we believe that HubSpot has the right vision and positioning to lead that change," said Vedant Misra, Founder and CEO of Kemvi. "We're thrilled to be joining the team at HubSpot and look forward to continuing our work at the intersection of machine learning, language, and sales." To learn more about HubSpot's work in the AI space, please visit https://www.hubspot.com/artificial-intelligence. About HubSpot HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading inbound marketing and sales growth stack. Since 2006, HubSpot has been on a mission to make the world more inbound. Today, over 31,000 customers in more than 90 countries use HubSpot's award-winning software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight customers. HubSpot Marketing includes social media publishing and monitoring, blogging, SEO, website content management, email marketing, marketing automation, and reporting and analytics. HubSpot Sales enables sales and service teams to have more effective conversations with leads, prospects, and customers. HubSpot CRM helps sales teams organize, track, and grow their pipeline. All three platforms integrate right out of the box and are available for free to start. HubSpot has been named a top place to work by Glassdoor, Fortune, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Business Journal. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA with offices in Dublin, Ireland (EMEA HQ); Singapore; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Berlin, Germany; and Portsmouth, NH. About Kemvi Kemvi is a venture-backed machine intelligence company building DeepGraph, a patent-pending engine that helps B2B companies generate pipeline. DeepGraph uses novel learning algorithms to extract information from language, and combines that knowledge with internal sales and marketing data to model and forecast the behavior of buyers. DeepGraph aims to bring humanity's collective intelligence to demand generation, making it possible for business leaders to discover deep insights they can't find anywhere else. Kemvi's founding team is from Columbia and MIT and has worked on machine learning problems for the Dept of Defense, the intelligence community, and the SEC. SOURCE HubSpot Related Links http://hubspot.com NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunt Mortgage Group, a leader in financing commercial real estate throughout the United States, announced today that it has opened a new production office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and that Harris Heller has been hired to lead the local effort. As Managing Director, Heller will be responsible for originating conventional and small balance agency business as well as placing Hunt Mortgage Group's proprietary fixed and floating rate products in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. He will report to Vic Clark, Senior Managing Director and Michael Becktel, Managing Director at Hunt Mortgage Group. "The Mid-Atlantic region is a rich region with strong dynamics and solid underlying real estate fundamentals," noted Clark. "A local presence enables us to better serve the rapidly growing needs of area developers and investors. This is the ninth new Hunt Mortgage Group office we have opened in the past year and the second opened to serve clients in the Mid-Atlantic area. Earlier this year we opened an office in Charlotte, North Carolina." Prior to joining Hunt Mortgage Group, Heller was a Managing Director-Loan Originations at Greystone & Co., where he sourced a wide variety of commercial real estate deals, including agency, FHA, CMBS, and proprietary multifamily bridge loans. Before that, he served as a Managing Director with RAIT Financial Trust, where his primary responsibilities were to source CMBS loans, proprietary floating rate loans and mezzanine debt across all major commercial real estate asset classes. Earlier in his career, he held positions at Bond Street Capital, CIBC World Markets and Madison Realty Group, Inc. "We are making strategic additions to our organization to expand our market reach and capitalize fully on our expanded financing capabilities," added Clark. "Harris is a seasoned financial services executive with deep experience in commercial real estate. We are pleased he has come on board to open an office in Philadelphia and serve clients in this important region." Heller holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Family and Children's Services of Philadelphia. About Hunt Mortgage Group Hunt Mortgage Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hunt Companies, Inc., is a leader in financing commercial real estate throughout the United States. The Company finances all types of commercial real estate: multifamily properties (including small balance), affordable housing, office, retail, manufactured housing, healthcare/senior living, industrial, and self-storage facilities. It offers Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD/FHA in addition to its own Proprietary loan products. Since inception, the Company has structured more than $21 billion of loans and today maintains a servicing portfolio of more than $12.5 billion. Headquartered in New York City, Hunt Mortgage Group has 198 professionals in 23 locations throughout the United States. To learn more, visit www.huntmortgagegroup.com. MEDIA CONTACTS Brent Feigenbaum Hunt Mortgage Group 212-317-5730 [email protected] Pam Flores 773-218-9260 [email protected] SOURCE Hunt Mortgage Group Related Links http://www.huntmortgagegroup.com DENVER, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ibotta, the third most-used shopping app in the United States, today announced new funding led by Silicon Valley-based GGV Capital. This round furthers Ibotta's mission of providing its consumers a Life Rewarded for making everyday purchases online, in mobile apps and at retail stores. With $3.8 billion under management across eight funds, GGV has invested in leading consumer tech brands and marketplaces such as Alibaba, Boxed, Houzz, OfferUp, Peleton, Poshmark, Wish and more. The venture capital firm was founded in 2000 and invests across the US and China, the world's two largest economies. "Our firm looks well outside Silicon Valley and beyond borders for companies that understand how commerce for the mass market is shifting to mobile, and Ibotta gets it," said Hans Tung, Managing Partner at GGV Capital. "We are excited to make this investment in Ibotta - our first in the State of Colorado - and just like Alibaba, Wish and other GGV portfolio companies, we are confident that Ibotta is poised for next-level success." In addition to leading the round, Tung and GGV Vice President Robin Li will both become observers to Ibotta's Board of Directors. "GGV is one of the most impressive, accomplished and forward-thinking venture capital firms in the United States and around the world, and it makes sense for Ibotta to partner with them," said Bryan Leach, Founder and CEO of Ibotta. "This partnership marks another milestone moment in Ibotta's mission to bring a Life Rewarded to consumers, and we're excited to join GGV's portfolio of like-minded companies." Other investors in Ibotta's C-1 round include Harbor Spring Capital, a leading New York City-based investment fund which made Ibotta its first private investment, and Haystack Partners, a well-known investor of early and growth stage companies. Previous lead investors Jim Clark and Tom "TJ" Jermoluk, pioneers in Netscape and Silicon Graphics, also participated in this latest round. The exact amount was undisclosed. Over the past five years, Ibotta has focused on building a passionate community of mobile-first consumers who connect with the brands and retailers they care about, all through a single, free mobile app. Users receive cash rewards for making purchases at retail stores or on mobile apps and websites. Recently, Ibotta expanded its Mobile Marketplace with 20+ new additions, including leading brands such as Uber, iTunes, Booking.com, Boxed, eBay, Groupon, Hotels.com, Jet and more. About Ibotta Headquartered in Denver, CO, Ibotta ("I bought a...") is transforming the shopping experience by making it easy for consumers to earn cash rewards on everyday purchases through a single smartphone app. The company partners with leading brands and retailers to offer rewards on groceries, electronics, clothing, gifts, home and office supplies, restaurant dining, and more. Named one of Inc. magazine's Best Workplaces for 2017, Ibotta is the premier destination for rewarded shopping on mobile, and has paid out more than $230 million in cash back to its users. Launched in 2012, Ibotta has nearly 23 million downloads, and is one of the five most frequently used shopping apps in the United States. About GGV Capital GGV Capital is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley and China that has been successfully partnering with leading technology entrepreneurs for the last 17 years. With $3.8 billion in capital under management across eight funds, GGV invests in globally minded entrepreneurs in the social/commerce, Frontiertech, and Cloud/Saas/Security sectors. Our portfolio includes companies such as Airbnb, Alibaba, AlienVault, BitSight, Ctrip, Didi Chuxing, Domo, Grab, Hashicorp, Houzz, Nimble Storage, Opendoor, Pandora Media, Percolate, Slack, Square, Synack, Wish, Youku Tudou, YY, Zendesk, 51credit and more. For more information, visit http://www.ggvc.com. SOURCE Ibotta Related Links http://ibotta.com "iguazio's team has an outstanding track record of innovation and execution and we are delighted to back these stellar managers once again," said Eyal Niv, Managing General Partner at Pitango. "While the majority of big data deployments fail due to over complexity, iguazio's platform has proven to be simple, fast and secure, making it exceptional for artificial intelligence and machine learning use cases. We've already received overwhelming feedback from beta customers generating actionable real-time insights with significant business impact." "As one of the largest telecom companies in the world, we witness the importance of real-time continuous analytics and the way it has become crucial across businesses. Yet, there are not many existing scalable solutions," said Merav Rotem-Naaman, Managing Director at Verizon Ventures Israel. "iguazio is aiming to become a trusted partner for companies looking to use data to make real-time business decisions that improve security and operations. IoT data that improves decision-making and transforms business must get analyzed closer to the edge, whether it be a fleet of trucks or the monetization of mobile usage." Founded in 2014, the iguazio Continuous Analytics Data Platform has fundamentally redesigned the entire data stack to accelerate performance in big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud-native applications. iguazio will use this new round to fund the company's rapid global expansion. Ingo Ramesohl, RBVC Technology Managing Director, commented, "Automotive and industrial companies require real-time analytics closer to the edge." He added, "iguazio's platform is the missing link between on-prem servers and leading cloud providers, processing new data alongside historical data in real-time and effectively complementing existing cloud solutions. It provides a distributed cloud near the edge for the greater simplicity, performance, security and agility required by next generation applications." "Data management in financial services companies is going through tectonic shifts due to digital transformation," said Rumi Morales, Executive Director of CME Ventures, the investment arm of CME Group. "iguazio's ability to effectively run machine learning simultaneously on large amounts of streaming and historical data is a great asset and we're proud to be working together with this exceptional management team." "We are extremely grateful to have outstanding support from our new investors Pitango, Verizon, Bosch, CME and from our existing investors," concluded iguazio's CEO Asaf Somekh. "Verizon Ventures, RBVC and CME Ventures are a clear representation of iguazio's target markets. This is an acknowledgment of the strategic value we bring to their industries and an affirmation of iguazio's strength and growth moving forward, as our customers continue to leap ahead, embracing the digital transformation." iguazio was recently recognized as one of Gartner's Cool Vendors in Data Management for 2017. Early deployment customers include large-scale automotive and media companies, financial institutions and consumer IoT deployments. About iguazio iguazio was founded in 2014 with a fresh approach to the data management challenges faced by today's enterprises. The iguazio Continuous Analytics Data Platform has fundamentally redesigned the entire data stack to bridge the enterprise skill gap and accelerate performance of real-time and analytics processing in big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud-native applications. iguazio provides a single, secure, high-performance source of data. It enables the digital transformation of enterprise companies and simplifies real-time analytics at the edge, on-premises and in hybrid environments, complementing the offering of leading cloud providers. The company is led by serial entrepreneurs and a diverse team of seasoned global innovators. To learn more about iguazio, visit www.iguazio.com or follow @iguazio. SOURCE iguazio Related Links http://www.iguazio.com CHICAGO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenex holdings announced today that portfolio company Imperial Frozen Foods (Imperial) has purchased 100% of the assets of Greystone Foods LLC (Greystone). Greystone is a Birmingham, AL based manufacturer of branded and private label frozen (IQF) vegetables. Greystone manufactures 30 varieties of grade-A frozen vegetables to 2,000 supermarkets across the US. The strategic asset acquisition extends Imperial's capabilities and product offerings to include frozen vegetables. Greystone provides a unique selling point within the frozen IQF vegetable space by offering its full range of IQF vegetables in clear bags. Their clear bags allow the consumer to see exactly what they are buying and therefore product quality is at the highest of levels. The bags themselves are thicker than usual which prevents the product from acquiring crystallization during its transition through the supply chain from Greystone to the end user. Greystone's product is sold both under private label as well as the Today's Harvest label which is readily available in grocery stores throughout the Southeastern US. Alex McIntosh, Imperial's VP of Sales, commented, "We feel Greystone is a strong strategic fit with our go to market strategy which will now allow Imperial to offer a one stop shop for IQF fruit and vegetables with both branded and private label solutions. Combining private label with Sunkist Frozen Fruit and Today's Harvest Vegetables on the same truck can generate significant freight efficiencies for our customers." Kenex Holdings acquired Imperial in December 2014. In 2016 Imperial opened up it's state-of-the-art production facility in Savannah, GA to further expand their product offering to customers. Imperial has also built a world-class management team to better serve their customers and position the company for growth. Financing for the transaction was provided by Advantage Capital. Levenfeld Pearlstein represented Kenex as legal counsel and RSM provided transaction advisory services on the transaction. Media Contact: Alex McIntosh, 410-980-3031, [email protected] SOURCE Imperial Frozen Foods Related Links http://www.imperialfrozenfoods.com "We took the spirit of the American drive-in, much like our original St. Helena location, and modernized it for the 21st century -- made-to-order meals with fresh, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients," said Clay Walker, President of Gott's Roadside. "Our customers have been asking for an alternative option such as a plant-based burger like the Impossible Burger, and we're excited to give it the Gott's treatment." Gott's: High-quality, sustainable food in casual environment Gott's Roadside was founded in 1999 in St. Helena by brothers Joel and Duncan Gott. Respected by critics and praised on social media, Gott's Roadside helped re-ignite America's infatuation with the roadside diner while modernizing the casual concept with high quality food and a focus on locally sourced ingredients. Gott's Roadside's commitment to local sourcing also extends to the glass with a California-centric list of wines and beers. Eighteen years after its founding, Gott's has expanded from its original St. Helena location to include others at Napa's Oxbow Public Market, San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace, Palo Alto's Town & Country Village, and the San Francisco International Airport, with two new locations expected to open Fall of 2017 in Walnut Creek and Greenbrae in Marin County. Impossible Foods: Scale starts now The Impossible Burger is the world's only burger that looks, handles, smells, cooks and tastes similar to ground beef from cows -- but it's made entirely from plants, with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The Impossible Burger has no hormones, antibiotics, cholesterol or artificial flavors. The Impossible Burger uses 75% less water, generates 87% fewer greenhouse gases and requires 95% less land than conventional ground beef from cows. In development since 2011, the Impossible Burger debuted in July 2016 in New York City at Chef David Chang's restaurant Momofuku Nishi. It's now available in about 40 restaurants nationwide. Please see the full list on our website. Later this summer, Impossible Foods will launch production at its first large-scale manufacturing plant. The plant, in Oakland, Calif., will begin producing Impossible Burgers in mid-August and ship them directly to restaurant clients from coast to coast. As the plant scales up production, Impossible Foods will be able to supply Impossible Burgers to more and more restaurants. The company plans to launch Impossible Burgers at more fine-dining restaurants and multi-unit chains throughout the United States. After that, Impossible Foods plans to introduce Impossible Burger in retail locations and in key regions internationally. The company is also developing additional plant-based meat and dairy products. About Impossible Foods: Based in Redwood City, California, Impossible Foods makes delicious, nutritious meat and dairy products directly from plants -- with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. Impossible Foods is a private company with financial backing from Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, Google Ventures, Horizons Ventures, UBS, Viking Global Investors and others. The company was founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., formerly a biochemistry professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Stanford University. More information: impossiblefoods.com www.twitter.com/impossiblefoods www.facebook.com/impossiblefoods gotts.com twitter.com/gottsroadside; www.facebook.com/GottsRoadside; www.instagram.com/gottsroadside SOURCE Impossible Foods Related Links http://www.impossiblefoods.com "Homeownership is a key indicator of our nation's economic strength and the prosperity of its people. Black Americans occupy the lowest rung on the homeownership ladder, and therefore, the prosperity ladder. Not because we want to be there, but Black Americans never recovered from the economic devastation we experienced during, and after the nation's 2008 economic tsunami. NAREB is committed to reversing this homeownership trend and prosperity prospects for Black Americans," said Ron Cooper, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the 70-year old minority trade group formed to ensure Democracy in Housing . The call for collaboration comes at a time when Black homeownership hovers nationally at 42.7% compared to 71.8% for Non-Hispanic Whites. Latest available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data for New Orleans analyzed by LendingPatterns, an online HMDA data analysis software program, indicates that of the 6,592 mortgage loans originated in 2015 where race was known, only 1,425, or 22% of those loans were granted to Black Americans; even though they represented 60% of the city's population of 343,829. Moreover, Black Americans were denied mortgage loans at a rate of just over 36% compared to a denial rate of 13.5% for whites. In May 2017, Zillow reported, that the average loan amount in the New Orleans metro area was $293,000. "These concerning statistics are the reasons why NAREB has implemented its '2 Million New Black Homeowners in 5 Years' program and is reaching out to create a national community of concern and action to Building Black Wealth through Homeownership," Cooper added. Keynoting the convention's opening session, scheduled for Sunday, July 30 at 11:00 a.m. is Marc Morial, current president of the National Urban League (NUL) and former mayor of New Orleans. Other prominent confirmed speakers presenting at different times throughout the convention include U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA), current chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Mel Watt, Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the independent agency charged with oversight and regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, among other housing finance responsibilities. Reverend Dr. Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA is scheduled to keynote the Community, Civic and Faith-Based Leaders Luncheon as part of NAREB's efforts to engender broader support to increase Black homeownership. All presenters are expected to give their unique perspectives on Black homeownership and the pathways forward to re-instill hope among Black Americans that homeownership is possible and desirable. For Convention registration and Community Wealth Building Day information visit: www.nareb.com. About NAREB: The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) was formed in 1947 to secure the right to equal housing opportunities for all regardless of race, creed, or color. NAREB has 90 chapters located nationwide and publishes annually The State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA) Report. Visit www.nareb.com for more information. Or call 301-552-9340. Contact: Joanne Williams [email protected] 202-364-0024 or 215-519-2831 SOURCE National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) Related Links http://www.nareb.com (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160418/799556-a ) The industry growth report "Industrial Eye Protection Market Size By Material (Polycarbonate, CR-39, Trivex, Glass), By Product (Safety Spectacles [Prescribed, Non-Prescribed], Safety Goggles, Welding Shields, Face Shields), By Application (Construction, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Mining, Pharmaceutical, Food Processing, Transportation, Firefighting) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 - 2024." by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Industrial Eye Protection Market share will reach over USD 2.5 billion by 2024. Prevention from chemicals, heat & optical radiation are the key properties enhancing product demand. Increasing employer awareness pertaining to work safety will support the industrial eye protection demand. For instance, OSHA has implemented safety standards for several end-use industries to prevent the injuries at workplace. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1942 Construction application was worth over USD 310 million in 2016. Increasing government spending on building tunnels, dams, roads, and bridges globally will drive the growth. China is projected to be among the major contributor. China construction spending was over USD 730 billion in 2016. CR-39 lenses will witness gains at 3% up to 2024. High optical quality compared to glass along with comparatively less manufacturing cost has driven industry growth in this segment. Entrance of Trivex as an ultra-light, thin and high impact resistant lenses will open new avenues in the industry. High profit margins due to increasing product penetration will fuel the industry growth. However, inability to expand business in untapped regions due to non-standardized safety regulations will restrain the industrial eye protection market growth. Browse key industry insights spread across 270 pages with 227 market data tables & 11 figures & charts from the report, "Industrial Eye Protection Market Forecast, 2017 - 2024" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-eye-protection-market Safety spectacles was valued over USD 770 million in 2016. Technological advancement including anti-glare, anti-scratch and UVA/UVB protective products will support the industry demand. Safety goggles will generate revenue over USD 970 million by 2024. Rising product penetration in pharmaceutical laboratories and research centers will create new opportunities for the business growth. Face shields will witness growth over 4% up to 2024. Manufacturing and construction industry expansion in developing countries will support the industry demand. Superior protection against chemical splash and blood borne pathogens has enhanced the product demand. Europe industrial eye protection market was more than 70 million units in 2016. Favorable socio-economic factors accompanied by increasing manufacturing facilities will drive the demand. Strong presence of the key manufacturers in this region will propel the industry growth. Changing lifestyle along with increasing awareness regarding worker safety has encouraged the product penetration. North America industrial eye protection market will witness gains at 3.2% up to 2024. High prevalence for employee safety along with stringent government regulations are the key factors supporting the business growth. As per NIOSH, about 2000 workers in U.S. sustain workplace eye injury per day that requires medical treatment. Global industrial eye protection market share is moderately consolidated due to presence of few industry players holding major industry share. Major key players include 3M, Bolle Safety, Honeywell, MCR Safety, Egde, MSA Safety, Encon Safety, Ergodyne and Gateway Safety. Mergers, acquisitions, new product launches and supply agreements are the key strategies adopted by the major players. Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1942 Browse Related Reports: Industrial Protective Clothing Market Forecast, 2016 - 2023 Industrial Protective Clothing Market size was more than USD 5 billion for 2015 and is projected to witness gains by CAGR of 14.0% up to 2023. Stringent industrial safety norms finalized by NIOSH, OSHA, and other regulatory bodies, particularly for oil & gas, chemical, and manufacturing sectors, will remain the key driver for the global industrial protective clothing market in the upcoming years. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-protective-clothing-market Industrial Safety Gloves Market Forecast, 2016 - 2023 Industrial Safety Gloves Market size was valued at USD 4.0 billion in 2015, while industry anticipates revenue to grow at 6.5% by 2023. Technology influences human existence by bringing new risks as well as improvements to our lives. An advance in each application requires unique product protection and properties (right glove for every worker performing a specific task). https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-safety-gloves-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: +1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gminsights.com Blog: https://www.gminsights.com/blogs Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc. SAN MATEO, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Medallia, Inc. (www.medallia.com) recently joined with IntegraMed Fertility to empower providers and clinics with a unified system for gathering, reviewing and acting on patient feedback. IntegraMed Fertility is the leading network of fertility providers in North America. By partnering with Medallia, IntegraMed is providing its patients undergoing fertility treatments with greater opportunities to give feedback on every aspect of their care throughout their experience, and IntegraMed's fertility professionals will receive real-time, actionable views into the patient experience to ensure the absolute highest quality of care. The IntegraMed Fertility network comprises 39 practice centers at 153 locations across the country that provide patients with full-service clinical and healthcare support. Fertility professionals will be able to use this unified feedback system as a way to monitor and analyze the patient experience. "Medallia Experience Cloud allows us to view information quickly and easily both at the macro-level for trend analysis, as well as the micro-level with individual patient responses, in a single dashboard," said Justin Rohde, Vice President, Product Development and Growth Strategy, IntegraMed Fertility. "Listening to our patients means we are better equipped to maintain and exceed our already high standards of care to support patients and help them fulfill their dreams of family." This partnership empowers the practices to capture insights in real-time about the patient experience. This information can not only influence the level of care that is provided to patients but also ensures an ongoing commitment to continued high Net Promoter Scores (NPS). Medallia Experience Cloud is currently live with the first group of clinics already having access to surveys, customer data, and case action management features. "We're thrilled to partner with IntegraMed Fertility to support their efforts to provide high quality care for patients through such a life-changing event," said Borge Hald, Co-Founder and CEO, Medallia. "We're honored that our platform was selected by IntegraMedwhich has the largest network of fertility clinics in North Americato handle sensitive information from patients on a deeply personal journey." Healthcare staff and doctors are already actively using this feedback to measure and monitor the success of the clinics. Having the ability to use the desktop version as well as the mobile app will bolster adoption among fertility professionals throughout the terms of the phased roll-out. IntegraMed Fertility plans to implement reporting and testing to show an overall improvement not just in patient satisfaction but also retention. The IntegraMed network accounts for more than 40,000 Assisted Reproduction cycles annually, employing more than 2,000 fertility professionals in the U.S. and Canada. About Medallia Medallia's mission is simple: to create a world where companies are loved by customers and employees alike. Hundreds of the world's best-loved brands trust Medallia's Software-as-a-Service application to help them capture customer feedback everywhere the customer is (on the phone, in store, online, mobile), understand it in real-time, and deliver insights and action everywherefrom the C-suite to the frontlineto improve their performance. Founded in 2001, Medallia has offices in Silicon Valley, New York, London, Paris, Sydney, Buenos Aires, and Tel Aviv. Learn more at www.medallia.com. 2017 Medallia, Inc. All rights reserved. Medallia, the Medallia logo, and the names and marks associated with Medallia's products are trademarks of Medallia. Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score and NPS are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld and Satmetrix Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE Medallia, Inc. Related Links http://www.medallia.com LAS VEGAS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IntSights, a leading intelligence-driven security provider, today announced that it will launch the industry's most advanced threat intelligence platform (TIP) at Black Hat USA 2017, taking place July 26-27 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The company will be in Booth IC35, demonstrating the only all-in-one solution that uncovers, prevents and mitigates both targeted and generic threats on the dark, deep and open webs. Until now, there has been no comprehensive threat intelligence platform on the market. Legacy security solutions focus on generic threat vectors or subsets of the Internet, never painting a complete picture of the threats faced. As such, companies have had to incorporate products from multiple vendors, which lack the ability to work together. IntSights scours the Internet for every kind of cyber threat, and delivers threat intelligence in near-real time. It automatically aggregates both tailored and generic intelligence from the open, deep and dark webs, and pushes it -- in real-time and with context -- to organizations' security analysts and devices for remediation. It is the only TIP that identifies threats targeted toward specific companies, instantly alerting customers to phishing attacks and spoof domains, identity theft/stolen credentials, pending DDoS attacks, and all other online dangers to their business and customers. "We identify tailored threats to our customers - threat actors, malware and campaigns trying to cause harm to your organization - and help you to deflect them early in the cyber attack chain, thus weakening hacker arsenals and thwarting planned attacks," said Guy Nizan, CEO and co-founder of IntSights. "We also provide fully automated remediation and orchestration, enabling security analysts to protect their companies against external threats without additional personnel." IntSights uses proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms to collect, consolidate and analyze massive amounts of structured and unstructured data in real-time, then identifies the most critical and relevant threats, and provides fully automated mitigation capabilities. It scans billions of web pages each day, including social media, app stores, hacking forums, black markets, IRC channels, pastebin sites, phishing web sites and more. It then automates external remediation to take down fake websites and phishing domains, and internal remediation to dynamically update firewalls, endpoint solutions, email gateways and more with the threat data. About IntSights: IntSights is an intelligence-driven security provider that delivers rapid, accurate cyber threat intelligence and incident mitigation to enterprise customers in real time. Its solution uses proprietary data mining algorithms and machine learning capabilities to deliver tailored threat intelligence, aggregated cyber research, and one-click remediation of threats found on the dark, deep and open web. Intsights has more than 50 enterprise customers in the U.S., Europe and around the world, and is backed by Glilot Capital Partners, Blumberg Capital, Blackstone, ClearSky Security and Wipro Ventures. Contact: Mark Prindle Fusion PR +1-646-452-7109 [email protected] SOURCE IntSights WASHINGTON, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, July 25, 2017, at 9:30 am EDT, Investors Unite Executive Director Tim Pagliara will host a teleconference to discuss how newly released documents further prove that government officials executed a carefully designed plan to illegally plunder Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Pagliara will be joined by Cooper & Kirk Partner Pete Patterson, who represents plaintiffs for Fairholme Funds who are litigating against the federal government for its overreach in implementing the Net Worth Sweep of Fannie and Freddie's earnings. Ahead of the call, Investors Unite has highlighted some of the latest revelations. The documents released late last week provide the most conclusive evidence to date that the government's persistent claim that the Sweep was needed to protect taxpayers from government sponsored enterprises' dependence on the Treasury is specious. In fact, as the latest tranche of documents proves, officials were fully aware the GSEs were not only well positioned to meet dividend obligations but also to post large profits that would end up in federal coffers once the Net Worth Sweep was implemented. To join the teleconference, please RSVP to [email protected]. As a reminder, to ensure you are on the line in time for the start of the call, please try to dial in 5-10 minutes ahead of the scheduled call time. WHO: Tim Pagliara, Investors Unite Executive Director and CapWealth Advisors Chairman and CEO Pete Patterson, Partner, Cooper & Kirk WHAT: Investors Unite Call on Newly Released Documents WHEN: Tuesday, July 25, 9:30 am EDT DIAL IN: 8778884291 or 785-424-1878; Conference ID: GSE RSVP: Please RSVP to [email protected] About Investors Unite: Formed by Tennessee investor and CapWealth Advisors Chairman and CEO, Tim Pagliara, Investors Unite (investorsunite.org) is a coalition of over 1,400 private investors from all walks of life, committed to the preservation of shareholder rights for all invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The coalition works to educate shareholders and lawmakers on the importance of adopting GSE reform that fully respects the legal rights of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders and offers full restitution on investments. SOURCE Investors Unite Related Links http://investorsunite.org SPOKANE, Wash., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IT Training Solutions, a leading provider of cyber security consulting and on-site, live-remote and virtual training announced today a rebranding of the company under the name Stronger International, Inc. Integral to the rebranding was the relaunch of the company's website located at stronger.tech as well as a new logo featuring a stylized representation of a jungle cat in motion representing the company's ability to guard its clients against unseen dangers. IT Training Solutions, the former name of Stronger International, was founded 11 years ago and acquired by serial "momtrepreneur" Heather Stratford, who has transformed a regional provider of on-site IT training to local colleges and universities to a globally respected, uniquely woman-owned, multifaceted provider of cyber security consulting. "We are excited to rebrand the company at a time when our services are in such unprecedented demand," said Heather Stratford, Chief Executive Officer. "The word Stronger conveys our brand promise no matter how strong, how impenetrable our clients think their infrastructure is, with our consulting and training programs, they can become significantly stronger." The company's most popular course is Secure Programming, a live-remote course that costs under $1,000 designed for developers seeking a better understanding of cyber crime prevention. Participants take on the role of an attacker so they can better see the security or potential vulnerabilities of their IT environment from the outside-in. The company also announced the appointment of Jamison Davis, a respected communications strategist and policy advisor with ties to global tech companies, to the Stronger board. Davis has served for some time as a senior advisor to Stratford and helped architect the rebranding. Davis has spent 30 years advising some of the world's largest companies including IBM, General Motors, Unilever, The Walt Disney Company and Citibank. "I am thrilled to be involved with Heather and the Stronger team," said Davis. "They are quickly becoming the go-to provider for cyber security consulting and training at a time when businesses have never felt more vulnerable to attack. Heather Stratford has built a world-class company and is making a name for herself in the largely male-dominated world of IT consulting and training." Riding a wave of almost daily reports in the international press of breaches, identity theft and cyber terrorism, in the last few months Stronger has been retained by clients that include a global leader in automotive, a major university system and a famous health and wellness consumer goods company. The company also provides highly specialized training to government and military clients. "We are very confident about the future of our company because, sadly, we are very confident about a future that includes the constant specter of cyber crime as the new normal," added Stratford. "I guess you could say that it is the unfortunate, but for us, fortuitous dichotomy that fuels the rapid growth of our business. The more high profile attacks, the more trillions of dollars facing imminent loss or at stake, the more our phone rings and rings." Information about Stronger International can be found at stronger.tech. About Stronger International Stronger International is a leading provider consulting, on-site, live-remote and cloud-based virtual training to help organizations in the public and private sector develop effective strategies for security awareness, proactive prevention, detection and remediation from cyber crime and identity theft. Stronger International services a global client base from its headquarters in Spokane, Washington, with offices in Salt Lake City, Utah; Wilton, Connecticut; Jacksonville, Florida and Bremen, Germany. The company is a certified Woman Owned Small Business and registered with General Accounting Office as a provider to the agencies and military of the United States government. For more information, visit stronger.tech. Images and captions are approved for general release. All photography 2017 Stronger International. All rights reserved. Related Files Stronger International Course Catalog 7.14.17.pdf Stronger - Capabilities Statement.pdf Related Images image1.png image2.png image3.png image4.png SOURCE Stronger International, Inc. Related Links http://stronger.tech In a recent opinion piece published by the Independent Record, Bob Raney of Livingston criticized a recent Montana Public Service Commission decision regarding the development of solar generation. The former member of the PSC and legislator described the decision as a horrible outcome for consumers. In fact, the PSC acted in the best interests of our customers with its action regarding setting a fair and competitive price for solar power, a price that our customers will pay. As an aside, the financial evaluation methodology the Commission has directed NorthWestern to use in valuing large solar projects is nearly identical to the methodology NorthWestern uses to evaluate generation it owns. Last year, NorthWestern, joined by the Montana Consumer Counsel, asked the PSC to suspend the existing rate for solar projects because it was four years outdated, far above the wholesale market price and one that would lock our customers into subsidizing solar developers for the next 25 years. At the time of our request, NorthWestern had fielded dozens of proposed solar projects from out-of-state developers looking to cash in on a great deal. Under the new rates established by the PSC, NorthWestern customers will save about $2.6 million on each solar project if developers move ahead. While Mr. Raney contends that Montanans overwhelming want clean energy, we know from consistent customer research that reliability and affordability are at the top of the list of what customers want from NorthWestern. We use a wide range of generation, including water, wind, solar, coal and natural gas, to satisfy all three of those customer desires. Mr. Raney stated that NorthWestern has every incentive to shut out independent producers of power. He is ignoring the fact that the electricity we use to serve Montana customers comes from not just utility-owned generation but dozens of independently owned wind, solar and hydro projects across Montana. In fact, in recent months NorthWestern has signed contracts, at realistic market-based prices, on several new large wind projects. When completed, those wind farms will significantly add to the generation portfolio that already allows more than 60 percent of the electricity we provide to our Montana customers to come from renewable sources. We are proud of our work to develop clean, reliable, affordable energy. While we dont always agree with every PSC decision, in this case, we are confident commissioners acted in the best interest of Montana utility customers. John Hines of Helena is the vice president of supply for NorthWestern Energy. BOSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock today launched a new Protection variable universal life product, Protection VUL that offers significantly lower premiums and cash value growth potential, giving consumers the opportunity for affordable life insurance coverage that can help them meet their long-term financial objectives and pursue longer, healthier lives with the John Hancock Vitality program. For the first time, Protection VUL policyholders can earn rewards and premium savings of up to 15 percent for the everyday things they do to stay healthy with the John Hancock Vitality program. In fact, the healthier their lifestyle, the greater their rewards, including $600 in annual savings on healthy food purchases1 as well as the opportunity to earn an Apple Watch Series 22 by exercising regularly. John Hancock is also giving every new policyholder a complimentary Fitbit device to help them get started. "At John Hancock, we're focused on providing consumers with innovative solutions designed to help meet a variety of financial planning needs," said Brooks Tingle, senior vice president, Marketing and Strategy, John Hancock Insurance. "By expanding the John Hancock Vitality offerings to include Protection VUL, we can help many more consumers better prepare for the future, while also supporting them as they take steps to lead longer, healthier lives," said Tingle. Protection VUL is designed for pre-retirees, and features strong death benefit protection along with cash value accumulation potential that can offer consumers flexibility to help them meet future financial goals. Policyholders can also choose from a diversified range of underlying investment accounts that represent nearly every major asset class and investment style. The new Protection VUL offers additional attractive features including LifeTrack, John Hancock's quick, easy and dynamic policy management solution to help clients and advisors ensure life insurance policies stay on track to meet their intended insurance goals. About John Hancock and Manulife John Hancock is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $1 trillion (US $754 billion) as at March 31, 2017. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com. The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com. Other Important Information Variable universal life insurance has annual fees and expenses associated with it in addition to life insurance related charges (which differ with the product chosen), including surrender charges and investment management fees. Variable universal life insurance products are long-term contracts and are sold by prospectus. They are subject to market risk due to the underlying sub-accounts, and are unsuitable as a short term savings vehicle. The primary purpose of variable universal life insurance is to provide lifetime protection against economic loss due to the death of the insured person. Cash values are not guaranteed if the client is invested in the investment accounts. There are risks associated with each investment option, and the policy may lose value. Please contact 1-800-827-4546 to obtain product and fund prospectuses (for New York, contact 1-877-391-3748, option 4). The prospectuses contains complete details on investment objectives, risks, fees, charges and expenses as well as other information about the investment company. Please read the prospectuses carefully containing this and other information on the product and the underlying portfolios and consider these factors carefully before investing. 1. HealthyFood savings are based on qualifying purchases and may vary based on the terms of the John Hancock Vitality program. 2. Apple Watch Series 2 can be ordered for an initial payment of $25 plus tax and over the next two years, monthly payments are based on the number of workouts completed. An iPhone 5 or later is required to use Apple Watch Series 2. The Retail Installment Agreement with the Vitality Group will need to be signed electronically at checkout. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion. Apple Watch is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Please note: Apple Watch Series 2 program is not available in New York. Insurance policies and/or associated riders and features may not be available in all states. Some riders may have additional fees and expenses associated with them. Vitality is the provider of the John Hancock Vitality Program in connection with the life insurance policy and Healthy Engagement Rider. John Hancock Vitality Program rewards and discounts are only available to the person insured under the eligible life insurance policy. Rewards and discounts are subject to change and are not guaranteed to remain the same for the life of the policy. Premium savings are in comparison to the same John Hancock policy without the Vitality program. Annual premium savings will vary based upon policy type, the terms of the policy, and the level of the insured's participation in the John Hancock Vitality program. Insurance products are issued by: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Boston, MA 02210 (not licensed in New York) and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY 10595, and securities are offered through John Hancock Distributors LLC through other broker/dealers that have a selling agreement with John Hancock Distributors LLC, 197 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02117. MLINY071117026 PR-2017-50 SOURCE John Hancock LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympian figure skater JOHNNY WEIR announced Monday morning via a video posted to his Facebook page that he will be collaborating with ONSEN SECRET to create his own skin care line. The video, featuring Johnny in a bathtub, quickly received over 35,000 views in just under a few hours. https://johnny.onsensecret.com/men Onsen Secret "If you follow me, you probably already know that I love Japan and I love skin care," Weir states in the video. "Several months ago, I fell in love with this company called Onsen, which is a skin care company that utilizes the restorative, lovely properties of Japanese mineral waters from the Onsen hot springs." The two-time Olympian and three-time US national champion concluded, "When I got home from Japan I decided I wanted a bigger role. I wanted to know what makes Onsen so great. So next week I'm going to go to LA to meet with their scientists in their laboratory. I'm going to go through their creams and I'm going to start preparing for my own line." Johnny will be taking his fans on this journey with him, through a series of interactive posts on both his and Onsen's Facebook pages. Through these posts, Johnny will listen to fan feedback on what they want most from a skin care line. In the meantime, Johnny is recommending all his fans try Onsen's unique brand of skin care. "The Men's line is great!" he promises. "My brother, my lovers, my father everyone loves it!" Onsen's Facebook page claims its mission is "to put the ancient healing powers of the Onsen Japanese Hot Springs in the palm of your hands," by using this mineral-rich water in all of their products. Their wide variety of products can be found online at OnsenSecret.com. Johnny Weir's Official Facebook Page: http://Facebook.com/TheOfficialJohnnyGWeir Onsen's Official Facebook Page: http://Facebook.com/Onsen72 Onsen & Johnny Weir's Favorites: https://johnny.onsensecret.com/men Onsen Essential 5 step Collagen Boost System: https://johnny.onsensecret.com/women ONSEN SECRET www.onsensecret.com 818 264 4228 Email: [email protected] Los Angeles, CA USA Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg Related Links Johnny Weir's Official Facebook Page: Onsen & Johnny Weir's Favorites SOURCE Onsen Secret Related Links https://www.onsensecret.com LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Barco Uniforms (www.barcouniforms.com), a recognized leader in purposeful design innovation in the premium professional apparel industry and makers of the globally popular Grey's Anatomy scrub brand, reveals that the success of their high-performance uniform brand, Barco One, is due to the groundbreaking proprietary fabric technology called arctech, a first in the healthcare industry. The innovative fabric was designed exclusively for healthcare professionals and features several advanced technical qualities, one of which is a revolutionary temperature-regulating eco-friendly fabric technology which adapts to environmental and body temperature variances, providing consistent optimal comfort. "Healthcare professionals are amazed at how the Barco One fabric technology keeps them comfortable in extreme temperature conditions and they're surprised by how ultra cool, weightless and breathable it feels," said Michaela Griggs, senior vice president of the Medical Division for Barco Uniforms. "Additionally, when healthcare professionals realize that each uniform is made from eco-friendly fabric which reduces their carbon footprint by over 70%, they feel even better wearing Barco One. One year ago, when we launched this collection, our goal was to design the world's first performance scrub collection that would help the healthcare professional perform at their peak every single day, and with Barco One, we met that goal," states Griggs. Barco One was designed with the "healthcare athlete" in mind, delivering "5-points of performance" including eco-friendly fabric, 4-way stretch, soil release, wrinkle resistance and moisture-wicking properties which keep the body at a consistent comfort level by pulling moisture outward allowing evaporation at the surface level. Each Barco One scrub set is made from 10 recycled plastic bottles. "We're celebrating our first year of success with a new marketing campaign which appeals to modern healthcare professionals who appreciate the technological qualities of high-performance fabrics. Since they share one common heart, one purpose and one lifelong dedication to healing, we feel it's important to offer them a high-tech scrub with one advanced fabric technology that does it all. Barco One helps them stay cool and comfortable under highly demanding and stressful days so that they can "keep their cool" and focus solely on caring for their patients," said Peggy Schulz, executive director of corporate marketing. "The Barco One brand is consistent with our company DNA, values and mission to lead, transform and make a difference in the world. Currently, Barco One is available at over 2,000 retail partner stores globally." No stranger to being at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation, Barco Uniforms is the maker of the Grey's Anatomy the 1# premium brand of scrubs in the world. "Barco Uniforms continues to lead the healthcare industry with purposeful innovation, sourcing advanced technical fabrics from around the globe which cater to the demanding needs of healthcare professionals. Our passion for honoring healthcare professionals by designing fashion-forward uniforms infused with functional, details that enhance performance began over eight decades ago; however, we continue to challenge ourselves by breaking through the existing performance boundaries of the healthcare uniform industry. This year alone we have a multitude of new collections in the works that are soon to be launched," said David Murphy, chief executive officer and president of Barco Uniforms. About Barco Uniforms Founded in 1929, Barco Uniforms is a leader of design innovation in the premium professional apparel industry, designing award-winning premium uniforms that elevate and honor the individual in the healthcare, food service and hospitality industries. Barco Uniforms is headquartered in Los Angeles with approximately 225+ local employees across multiple disciplines including design, product development, marketing, sales, supply chain, and distribution. The company started as an apparel company for beauty professionals. Barco Uniforms went on to produce its first medical uniform in 1936 under the leadership of Kenneth Donner. The company was the first to merge fashion with uniform design in 1941, putting the company on the national stage by designing a dress for nurses made of a nylon fabric originally made for the military defense department to make parachutes for the war. In an ongoing effort to make the world a better place, Barco's Nightingales Foundation was established in 2008 by Michael Donner and his wife Frida on behalf of Barco Uniforms as an advocate for the profession of nursing. The foundation supports the courageous hearts and spirits of those women and men who choose nursing as a profession directly and with its nonprofit partners. The foundation currently provides 1,500 hot lunches daily to children in Haiti, has built six solar water wells, which provide clean water for over 40,000 people in Haitian villages, funded 3,300 life-changing surgeries through ReSurge International, and provided camperships for 600 children through Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. For more information on Barco Uniforms or Barco's Nightingales Foundation visit: www.barcouniforms.com. You can follow the company at www.instagram.com/barco.uniforms/, www.facebook.com/barcouniforms/, https://twitter.com/BarcoUniforms and www.pinterest.com/barcouniforms/. Barco Uniforms, Barco One and archtech are trademarks of Barco Uniforms. All other terms are trademarks of their respected owners. SOURCE Barco Uniforms Related Links http://www.barcouniforms.com SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kezar Life Sciences, a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule therapeutics targeting the immunoproteasome and the protein secretion pathway, announced today that it has closed an oversubscribed Series B investment round of $50 million led by Cormorant Asset Management and Morningside Venture. New investors participating in the financing include Cowen Healthcare Investments, Pappas Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners and Bay City Capital, joined by additional existing investors EcoR1 Capital, Omega Funds, and Aju IB Investment. Kezar has now raised a total of $73 million since its inception in 2015. Kezar also announced the successful completion of the Company's Phase 1a healthy volunteer study with their lead drug candidate, KZR-616, a first-in-class selective immunoproteasome inhibitor. The placebo-controlled study enrolled a total of eighty-two subjects, sixty-one of which received single or multiple doses at varying dose levels. The trial identified multiple doses that resulted in desired levels of inhibition of the immunoproteasome and that were well tolerated with repeat dose administration. Additional results from the study are anticipated to be presented at the American College of Rheumatology's Annual Meeting in San Diego in November. "We are pleased with the results of our healthy volunteer study, and grateful for the support of such an excellent group of investors to finance our upcoming clinical trials," said John Fowler, CEO of Kezar Life Sciences. "The strong demand for this financing reflects growing excitement for the potential of immunoproteasome inhibition in treating autoimmune disorders and recognizes the clear leadership position enjoyed by Kezar." Christopher Kirk PhD, President and CSO, added, "These initial clinical trial results demonstrate that KZR-616 is achieving the desired levels of immunoproteasome inhibition that correlate with anti-inflammatory activity seen in laboratory models. By selectively targeting the immunoproteasome, we believe we can avoid the toxicities associated with dual proteasome inhibitors like VELCADE and KYPROLIS, as exhibited by the early safety findings from this study." As a part of the new financing, Bihua Chen, the Founder of Cormorant Asset Management, will join the Kezar Life Sciences Board of Directors. "Cormorant is pleased to support Kezar as it enters an exciting series of patient studies, the first ever with a selective immunoproteasome inhibitor," said Ms. Chen. "While much work remains, I believe KZR-616 has the potential to be a transformative treatment in autoimmunity." About Immunoproteasome Inhibition and KZR-616 Protein degradation is a key process in the function and survival of all mammalian cells and is mediated by the ubiquitously expressed proteasome. Inhibitors of the proteasome, such as VELCADE and KYPROLIS, are currently used to treat multiple myeloma, a plasma cell malignancy. In cells of the immune system, such as T-cells, a unique form of the proteasome, termed the immunoproteasome, is expressed. The immunoproteasome regulates multiple aspects of immune responses and selective inhibitors, such as KZR-616, are well tolerated and highly active in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and lupus. About Kezar Life Sciences Based in South San Francisco, Kezar Life Sciences is a privately-held, clinical stage company developing novel small molecule therapeutics to treat autoimmune disorders and malignant diseases. Kezar's lead drug candidate, KZR-616, leverages more than a decade of research directed by co-founder Christopher Kirk into the unique role of the immunoproteasome in immune cell biology. In addition, Kezar is pursuing drug discovery programs targeting protein secretion and transmembrane protein expression that include a structured research collaboration with UC San Francisco. Kezar Life Sciences is backed by leading life sciences investors, including Cormorant Asset Management, Morningside Venture, Cowen Health Care Investments, EcoR1 Capital, Omega Funds, Pappas Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners, Bay City Capital, and Aju IB Investment. For more information, please visit www.kezarlifesciences.com CONTACTS: For investors: Ben Matone, Burns McClellan, Inc., on behalf of Kezar Life Sciences 212-213-0006, ext. 364 [email protected] or Michael Wolfe, Director of Finance & Operations at Kezar Life Sciences [email protected] SOURCE Kezar Life Sciences Related Links http://www.kezarlifesciences.com HOUSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CARBO Ceramics Inc. (NYSE: CRR) announced KRYPTOSPHERE HD has been utilized by all super major E&Ps operating in the Gulf of Mexico, for deep, high stress wells. KRYPTOSPHERE HD is the leading ultra-conductive, high strength ceramic proppant. It was initially engineered to solve the production and completion challenges for Gulf of Mexico Lower Tertiary development, where wells can experience a closure stress range from 12,000 to 20,000 psi. This technology results in higher production and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR), maximizing the operator's return on investment. In addition to its production enhancement capability, KRYPTOSPHERE HD's unique durability, smoothness, and sphericity, make it more resistant to cyclic loading and acids, and significantly less erosive on frac pumps and downhole tools. These benefits translate into increased completion tool life, reduced rig down time, and overall cost savings for the E&P operator. One company has reported that KRYPTOSPHERE HD is enabling a multi-fold increase in tool life. "This is an important milestone for KRYPTOSPHERE HD with all super majors in the Gulf of Mexico now having utilized the technology," said Don Conkle, vice president of marketing and sales, CARBO. "We are receiving very positive feedback from our clients. Production results are exceeding their expectations on these prolific wells and they are also realizing a substantial reduction in completion equipment wear-andtear, resulting in lower risk and cost," he concluded. About CARBO CARBO (NYSE: CRR) is a global technology company that provides products and services to the oil and gas and industrial markets to enhance value for its clients. CARBO Oilfield Technologies - is a global leader that provides engineered solutions in its Design, Build, and Optimize the Frac technology businesses, delivering important value to E&P operators by increasing well production and EUR. Oilfield Technologies is the world's largest producer of high quality ceramic proppant, provides one of the industry's most widely used fracture simulation software, has proprietary technology that provides fracture diagnostics and production assurance, and offers consulting services for fracture design and completion optimization. The Company also provides a range of technology solutions for spill prevention and containment. Its products and services are sold to operators of oil and natural gas wells and to oilfield service companies for use in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil wells. CARBO Industrial Technologies - is a leading provider of high-performance industrial ceramic media products that are engineered to increase process efficiency, improve end-product quality and reduce operating costs. Its products and services are primarily sold to industrial companies that work in manufacturing and mineral processing. For more information, please visit www.carboceramics.com. Forward-Looking Statements The statements in this news release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding our future financial and operating performance and liquidity and capital resources, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results or strategies and can often be identified by the use of terminology such as "may", "will", "estimate", "intend", "continue", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "should", "could", "potential", "opportunity", or other similar terminology. All forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Among these factors are changes in overall economic conditions, changes in the demand for, or price of, oil and natural gas, changes in the cost of raw materials and natural gas used in manufacturing our products, risks related to our ability to access needed cash and capital, our ability to meet our current and future debt service obligations, including our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, our ability to manage distribution costs effectively, changes in demand and prices charged for our products, risks of increased competition, technological, manufacturing and product development risks, our dependence on and loss of key customers and end users, changes in foreign and domestic government regulations, including environmental restrictions on operations and regulation of hydraulic fracturing, changes in foreign and domestic political and legislative risks, risks of war and international and domestic terrorism, risks associated with foreign operations and foreign currency exchange rates and controls, weather-related risks and other risks and uncertainties. Additional factors that could affect our future results or events are described from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Please see the discussion set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and similar disclosures in subsequently filed reports with the SEC. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media: Jamie Efurd, Marketing Communications Manager +1 281-921-6400 Investors: Mark Thomas, Director, Investor Relations +1 281-921-6400 SOURCE CARBO Ceramics Inc. Related Links http://www.carboceramics.com SANTA ANA, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kush Bottles, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB), a dynamic sales platform that provides unique products and services for both businesses and consumers in the cannabis industry, announced today it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with JKD Brands to effectively penetrate the Alaska market. JKD Brands, an established distribution leader in the state of Alaska, will now be providing the cannabis market with Kush Bottles' premier products including child-resistant containers and bags, as well as all other packaging, labeling, and accessory options. Alaska was the fourth state to commence legal adult-use cannabis sales. Ranked by CNBC as one of the top 10 most visited states in the U.S., Alaska has seen a surge of tourism recently, including an estimated 1.9 million out-of-state visitors coming to the state between May and September in 2016 the highest visitor volume on record, according to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development. Given its geography, Alaska presents logistical challenges for most U.S. distribution companies. This new partnership enables both Kush Bottles and JKD Brands to remain dedicated to providing exceptional customer service, the highest quality products, innovative custom design solutions, and competitive prices while better servicing Alaska's burgeoning cannabis market. Jim Dyer, Co-Founder of JKD Brands, commented, "We are delighted to partner with Kush Bottles as we grow market share in Alaska's underserved cannabis market. Kush Bottles is the nation's most respected provider of packaging, supplies and accessories to the cannabis industry and it brings nationwide strength and industry expertise to our collaboration. Furthermore, Kush Bottles' recent additions of CMP Wellness and Trinity Terpenes give JKD Brands access to a wider array of top quality products. We are excited to launch this partnership and provide premium quality cannabis products to the state of Alaska." Nicholas Kovacevich, Chief Executive Officer of Kush Bottles, said, "We chose to partner with JKD Brands because their knowledge of the local Alaska regulatory, logistics, and market conditions is second to none. JKD's management team brings substantial local and state knowledge, with the support, capabilities and know-how of an established national partner. We are confident they are the right partners to extend Kush Bottles' reach into the Alaska market." About JKD Brands JKD Brands, LLC is an Alaska-based business, which specializes in containers, labeling, packaging, and accessories. JKD's product line includes glass jars, silicone caps, tools, and other accessories. JKD has the ability to print on a variety of sizes/types of labels in full color, as well as any thermal printing jobs. It provides the benefit of local Alaska inventory, low product prices, and low cost or no cost shipping to Alaska customers. About Kush Bottles, Inc. Kush Bottles, Inc. is a dynamic sales platform that provides unique products and services for both businesses and consumers in the cannabis industry. Founded in 2010 as a packaging and supplies company for dispensaries and growers, Kush Bottles has sold more than 100 million units and now regularly services more than 4,000 legally operated medical and adult-use dispensaries, growers, and producers across North America, South America, and Europe. The company has facilities in the three largest U.S. cannabis markets and a local sales presence in every major U.S. cannabis market. Kush Bottles aims to be the gold standard for responsible and compliant products and services in the cannabis industry. Kush Bottles has no direct involvement with the cannabis plant or any products that contain THC. The company has been featured in media nationwide, including CNBC, Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Magazine. For more information, visit www.kushbottles.com or call (888)-920-5874. To be added to the distribution list, please email [email protected]. Connect : Website: www.kushbottles.com Instagram: instagram.com/kushbottles Facebook: facebook.com/kushbottles Twitter: twitter.com/kushbottles Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as: "potential," "look forward," "believe," "dedicated," "building," or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by us herein are often discussed in filings we make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), available at: www.sec.gov, and on our website, at: www.kushbottles.com. Company Contact: Ryan Selewicz Director of Marketing 714-243-4017 [email protected] Investor Contact: Elizabeth Barker / Phil Carlson KCSA Strategic Communications 212-896-1203 / 212-896-1233 [email protected] SOURCE Kush Bottles Related Links http://www.kushbottles.com "Bonding with other women warriors was the best thing I've done for myself in 10 years," said Jill Franco, U.S. Army veteran and Lakeland, Florida, resident. "This Wounded Warrior Project mental health workshop allowed us the time to really focus on ourselves by removing outside distractions. It's a lot of work to really look at yourself and invest in your recovery." Through the generous support of donors, WWP offers veterans specialized mental health programs and services tailored to each warrior's specific needs and free of charge. One such program is its multi-day mental health workshops that are offered as all-male, all-female, or all-couples. These workshops provide safe, private environments for warriors to express themselves and share their experiences. By the end, warriors share lessons learned from the activities that impacted their personal struggles most and set achievable goals for their recoveries. WWP staff use experiential, physical activities in a recovery model that allows warriors to be vulnerable to the unknown and identify and work through anxieties together. As warriors challenge themselves through outdoor team building activities that include an intense high climbing obstacle course, they are actively honoring oaths they agreed to at the beginning of the workshop, including "trusting the process" and "being present in their recovery." "The mental health workshop was more effective than any therapy I've ever been to and much more rewarding and helpful," Jill said. "I would absolutely encourage other warriors especially women warriors to register with Wounded Warrior Project and sign up for this mental health workshop." To learn and see more about how WWP's mental health workshops connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/, and click on multimedia. About Wounded Warrior Project Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us. SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project Related Links http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org BURLINGTON, Mass., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexumo, the expert in open source code security for Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems today announced that the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) has named it as a finalist in the MassTLC Awards for Innovative Tech of the Year. MassTLC Awards "We are excited to be honored as a finalist for Innovative Security Tech," said Dan McCall, CEO of Lexumo. "This recognition validates our commitment to improving the security of code that companies use in their Internet connected devices. With millions of connected devices on the market today and millions more in the future, our mission couldn't be more important." Lexumo was founded in 2015 by a team of data scientists working at Draper Labs, a not-for-profit research and development company focused on the design, development, and deployment of advanced technological solutions for the world's most challenging problems. Their expertise led them to concentrate on solving the issues that surround the over 8,000 open source security vulnerabilities disclosed every year. Lexumo saves time and reduces risk by helping developers quickly eliminate open source vulnerabilities in their code, while also ensuring they're in compliance with licensing requirements. The MassTLC Technology Leadership Awards recognized finalists in 14 categories at an awards reception on July 19, 2017, shining a spotlight on the best executives, companies and innovative technologies in the region's internationally respected tech industry. Finalists were selected from hundreds of nominations, as judged by panels of industry leaders in each of the categories. "Congratulations to Lexumo on being named a finalist in the 2017 MassTLC Leadership Awards," said MassTLC President Tom Hopcroft. "Massachusetts is among the world's top regions engaged in creating whole new industries and markets while redefining existing ones. We produce visionary leaders, high-growth companies, and startups that propel the state's economy. Our 20th annual Technology Leadership Awards draws attention to the deep pool of talent, innovative spirit and determination that thrives in the Bay State." About Lexumo Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, Lexumo was formed by a team of computer and data scientists who developed the company's core technology for DARPA. We provide the only automated cloud service that monitors open source code for public vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed and ShellShock; and provides actionable remediation advice. The service is built on a massively scalable cloud stack and uses patent-pending graph analytics to precisely identify source code vulnerabilities without the false positives of legacy governance solutions. The Lexumo code security platform is currently used by leading global 2,000 consumer brands and industrial IoT manufacturers. For more information, visit https://www.lexumo.com/ About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc. With 500+ member companies, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region's leading technology association and the premier network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. MassTLC's purpose is to accelerate innovation by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas and offering a platform for visibility for member companies and their interests. More at http://www.masstlc.org/ Contact Information Clive Bearman 617.539.6823 [email protected] SOURCE Lexumo, Inc. Related Links http://www.lexumo.com ATLANTA, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Liaison Technologies, a recognized leader in cloud-based integration and data management solutions, today announced that the company will exhibit its ALLOY Platform for Healthcare at the 25th annual American Hospital Association (AHA) Leadership Summit. It will be the first time Liaison displays its award-winning platform at the prestigious AHA event. The conference will be held July 27-29 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. Executives, physicians and trustees from the country's top hospitals and health systems will attend the conference to trade ideas on critical issues in the healthcare sector and discover new solutions that can help them optimize operations and financial performance. The event is an ideal venue to discuss the ALLOY Platform for Healthcare, which is designed to integrate data from a variety of sources, including electronic health records (EHRs). The ALLOY Platform for Healthcare was built from the ground up to solve integration, interoperability and data management issues in a healthcare context. The platform enables hospitals and health systems to leverage data from across the care continuum, including information from legacy applications and unstructured clinical notes. Analysis of this data helps administrators and clinical leaders manage costs, improve patient outcomes and enhance care coordination. As hospitals transition to new reimbursement models, IT administrators who use aging middleware like Cloverleaf and eGate are looking to cloud-based solutions like ALLOY to consolidate their disparate and growing mix of data sources, and to overcome interoperability challenges. It is a complex issue. Larger hospitals, those with more than 500 beds, already integrate data from an average of 25 unique data sources including an average of six electronic health record (EHR) systems1. The number of data sources and technology applications hospitals use, requiring aggregation and integration for enterprise benefit is expected to expand over time as technology enhancements come to market, but also as hospital systems continue to merge and acquire other hospitals, practices and clinics. A recent report from the Aberdeen Group revealed that 84 percent of integration middleware will be replaced over the next four years. The independent analyst group recommends that organizations seeking a more modern approach to data integration and management "find partners that provide not only a rich set of connectivity options, but also staff that can meet a wide range of needs." With Liaison's managed services approach, hospitals that use the ALLOY Platform for Healthcare also gain access to a team of experts who harmonize data and place information in a framework that is meaningful for the organization. This allows hospitals to thrive in an evolving healthcare sector, receiving accurate, timely data that helps them successfully shift to reimbursement models that emphasize care quality and efficiency. "Hospitals and health systems have had to adapt to new reimbursement models and evolving care standards driven by technical innovation," said Gary Palgon, Vice President of Healthcare and Life Sciences Solutions for Liaison Technologies. "The disruption will continue as new medical technologies come online and data volume increases. Forward-thinking health information technology leaders and clinicians understand that additional information can lead to better results from both an operational and clinical perspective, but keeping up with increasing data volume and velocity can be overwhelming." "That's where the ALLOY Platform for Healthcare can help," Palgon continued. "The platform gives hospitals the insight they need to succeed while participating in programs like MACRA, which shifts reimbursement from a volume to a value-based model. By breaking down data silos and integrating information from all sources, the ALLOY Platform for Healthcare gives hospitals the tools required to adapt to a changing environment and to better serve their communities." The Liaison team will be available at the conference to discuss how the ALLOY Platform for Healthcare can help hospitals and health systems manage complex data integration and data management needs at booth #117. Learn more about Liaison at www.liaison.com. About Liaison Technologies Liaison Technologies provides integration and data management solutions to help customers unlock the power of a data-centric approach to their business. Liaison's cloud-based approach breaks down the barriers between data silos to tap into the valuable information needed to make better decisions, faster. Tailored to solve complex data problems today while building a robust foundation for tomorrow's unforeseen challenges, Liaison fosters a seamless flow of information securely and at scale. Founded in 2000, Liaison serves more than 7,000 customers in 46 countries, with offices in the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Singapore. For more information, visit www.liaison.com and connect with Liaison on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. 1 Aberdeen Group, August 2017 MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Wright SSPR 719.204.1984 [email protected] SOURCE Liaison Technologies Related Links https://www.liaison.com LANSING, Mich., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Liquid Web, Inc. (www.liquidweb.com), a $100 million managed hosting provider focused on web-dependent professionals, announced today the hiring of Colin Dowling as VP of Channel Sales and Partner Solutions. Dowling brings hosting experience to his new role, joining Liquid Web from Media Temple., a GoDaddy company where he served as Vice President of Sales and WP Engine where he held Enterprise and Agency Account roles. Prior, Dowling owned his own semiconductor-distribution and manufacturing business. Dowling will develop innovative programs to drive deeper and interactive engagement with the Designers and Agencies that are key constituents of Liquid Web's 32,000 customers. In addition, Dowling will lead the Affiliate, Reseller and Referral Partner Channels. His addition demonstrates the company's commitment to growing its relationship with the Creators and Partners they serve. "We are very excited about Colin joining the team. At Liquid Web, we have a legacy of being a reliable, hassle-free host to the creators who build and host mission critical sites, stores and apps for the small and midsize business market," said CEO, Jim Geiger. "Our goal is to connect in an even more meaningful way with solutions and engagement that help these Creators be successful in their own businesses. Colin's experience and passion brings acumen that will enable us to expand and enhance our Liquid Web partner programs." "I'm joining a team that wants to shift the industry paradigm for partner programs from those that are simply focused on customers giving hosts revenue and instead move the relationship to help these partners be more successful in their businesses," said Dowling. "The Liquid Web partner platform is going to be less about us and more about them, and I could not be more excited about our opportunity to grow together." About Liquid Web Liquid Web delivers reliable, highly-available, secure and hassle-free hosting fueled by the Most Helpful Humans in Hosting. The company empowers its employees to go above and beyond to make life easier for professionals who create the content and commerce on the ever-changing web so they can focus on the work they love. With over 32,000 customers spanning 150 countries, the company has assembled a world-class team, global data centers and an expert group of 24/7/365 solution engineers. As an industry leader in customer service, the rapidly expanding company has been recognized among INC Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for the last ten years. Liquid Web is part of the Madison Dearborn Partners family of companies. Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC ("MDP") is a leading private equity investment firm based in Chicago. For more information, please visit www.liquidweb.com, or read our blog posts at http://www.liquidweb.com/blog. Stay up to date with all Liquid Web events on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact: Terry Trout 800.580.4985 [email protected] SOURCE Liquid Web Related Links http://www.liquidweb.com PEORIA Caterpillar Inc. accelerated its ride back from the edge of the financial cliff with second quarter 2017 numbers that blew past Wall Street expectations, helped by a surge of power from the company division that includes its big Decatur factory. It's been a long downturn but it appears there are some better days now, said Jim Minton, an investment adviser with Decatur-based Investment Planners Inc., who keeps a close eye on Caterpillar. And you've got a lean, mean Caterpillar seeing actual sales increases across multiple sectors. After years of sagging profits, Caterpillar said sales and revenues for the second quarter hit $11.3 billion, an almost 10 percent increase from the $10.3 billion achieved at this time last year. Second quarter 2017 profit per share was $1.35 after restructuring costs, a 45 percent jump from the prior year. Wall Street had predicted revenues of $10.95 billion and profit per share of $1.26. Minton said the Decatur plant on North 27th Street, which makes the world's biggest off-road dump trucks, has much to be optimistic about as mining orders show distinct signs of life. Caterpillar is already planning to move 500 additional jobs to the local factory after announcing the closure of its factory in Aurora. Resource Industries, the division that includes the Decatur plant, recorded sales of $1.76 billion in the second quarter of 2017, an increase of $302 million, or 21 percent, from the second quarter of 2016. The latest second quarter numbers added up to a division profit of $97 million. While modest, that easily beat a loss of $163 million at this time last year. The positive sign for Decatur's economy comes less than a week after its largest employer, Archer Daniels Midland Co., announced that it would lay off an unknown number of workers. The company has refused to say whether any of those job cuts would come at its Decatur facilities, where it employs more than 4,000 people. Ryan McCrady, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County, said he wasn't surprised that Decatur's strong workforce was helping to improve CAT's bottom line. The EDC is a nonprofit public-private partnership that works to attract, retain and expand non-retail businesses in Decatur and Macon County. A well-trained workforce is key to that mission, McCrady said. "The Caterpillar facility in Decatur has a history of putting out a very high-quality product and we're very proud of that," he said, adding that it's a good sign that the company has chosen to consolidate production here. Speaking to industry analysts Tuesday, CAT said its Resource Industries division was buoyed by miners who had cut back drastically on orders as commodity prices slumped. Now that those prices have started to rise, miners are opening their checkbooks again. Increases in certain commodity prices over the past year, along with continued commodity consumption, have resulted in increased mining activity, driving the need for maintenance and rebuild activities, Caterpillar said in a detailed report accompanying the second quarter 2017 numbers. When Caterpillar dealers rebuild machines, parts sales increase, the company's management has said. Orders for new vehicles typically follow a rise in parts sales. The upbeat 2017 numbers are a welcome change in publicity for Caterpillar, which has taken criticism for its plans to shift its corporate headquarters from Peoria to Chicago. It faces a federal investigation for tax issues related to its Swiss parts subsidiary, Caterpillar SARL. Wall Street has meanwhile been scrutinizing Caterpillar's fortunes since President Donald Trump earlier this year announced an infrastructure investment plan. The Department of Transportation estimates there is a backlog of at least $800 billion in highway and bridge fixes. Minton, the Decatur investment adviser, said major infrastructure spending would be even more good news for the company if Congress makes it happen. With politics, it's always hard to say how something is going to get accomplished, he added. In recent years, Caterpillar has seen repeated rounds of company-wide job cuts that have hit Resource Industries particularly hard. Restructuring has cost the company $921 million through the first six months of 2017, with that figure expected to reach $1.2 billion by the end of the year. Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby said cost controls had helped boost the profit picture as sales picked up. As demand increased, we continued to control costs and generated higher profit margins, he told analysts. ...Mining and oil-related activities have come off of recent lows, and we are seeing improving demand for construction in most regions. Caterpillar has now raised its outlook for the full year. It expects sales and revenues to be in the range of $42 to $44 billion with a midpoint of $43 billion. That's up from the previous forecast of $38 billion to $41 billion, with a midpoint of $39.5 billion. Staff writer Tom Lisi and The Associated Press contributed to this story. LAKELAND, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New Beginnings High School (NBHS), an accredited community-based charter school serving all Polk County, is hosting the 2nd Annual SUMMER PALOOZA. This event is one way that NBHS gives back to the community they work, live and serve in. The entire community is invited to Simpson Park (1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Lakeland) on July 29th from 8am-1pm to enjoy the groceries, the giveaways and learn about all that NBHS has to offer our youth. The event served 1,000 people last year and 1,500 people are expected to attend this year! With school beginning soon, many organizations are providing school supplies as a way of supporting the community. NBHS has noticed the additional need for food and hygiene supplies. This event has been established to fill such basic necessities. Many major business entities in the community understand that purpose and have invested in the event since its inception. Some of these premiere sponsors include Publix Foundation, Rooms To Go, the City of Lakeland, Lanier Upshaw, Straughn & Turner, and Fifth Third Bank. They have also gathered more than 46 additional community supporters that will be on hand with giveaways and promotional fun. Some of these supporters/sponsors include Lakeland Magic, City of Lakeland Community Dev., Heartland for Children, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lakeland Fire Department, Polk County Sheriff's Crime Prevention Buggy, Lakeland Police Dept., United Way, Early Learning Coalition, Mulling Insurance, Polk Education Foundation, Badcock Home Furniture, Sean Giles and many more. Everyone will receive free groceries such as canned goods, breads and pastries, hams, chickens, beef, breakfast cereals, pasta, and more in order to provide several wholesome and nutritious meals for their family. In addition, everyone will also receive hygiene products such as shampoo, conditioners, tooth paste, tooth brushes, soaps, cleansers and more. Most importantly, there will be opportunities to learn more about New Beginnings High School and the great service they provide to youth through conversation and informational workshops. Come meet the staff, enjoy a hot meal, receive groceries and hygiene products for your family and hear about how NBHS is changing the lives of students in Polk County. New Beginnings High School is an accredited community-based Charter School serving students ages 15-24 seeking options for educational goals with campuses located in Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Fort Meade serving all of Polk County, Florida. SOURCE New Beginnings High School KELOWNA, British Columbia, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Marapharm Ventures Inc. (OTCQB: MRPHF) (CSE: MDM.CN) (FSE: 2M0) ("Marapharm" or the "Company") (http://www.marapharm.com/ ) announces that demolition within the 30,000 square foot facility located on it's 13.6 acre cannabis campus in Washington state is 60% complete. It's estimated that all demolition will be completed by August 7, 2017. Electricians are determining fire and power services for the next phase to build out the facility for cultivation and processing and plans for the redesign are completed. The final harvest of a cannabis crop in the existing facility was Friday, July 21, 2017, in order to facilitate the final part of the demolition and for the new construction to commence. Cultivation and processing of recreational marijuana will resume when construction is complete and will then be in the entire facility. Construction photos are posted on marapharm.com . Marapharm announces that in Las Vegas, NV on its 7 acres that construction on 2 starter buildings of 5,000 square feet each is progressing, photos are posted on marapharm.com . Electrical and rebar inspections are done and the steel erector will be on site Wednesday July 26, 2017 to begin the assembly process. "Plans for the 360,000 square foot facility in Las Vegas and plans for additional buildings located on the 13.6 acres we own in Washington are nearing completion and it's expected that construction will be able to commence soon in each location. Then, watch us grow!" Linda Sampson, Marapharm CEO. ABOUT MARAPHARM VENTURES INC. http://www.marapharm.com Marapharm has more than 350,000 square feet of medical marijuana licenses for its land and facilities in WA, CA and NV. In Nevada, the proposed building footprint is 360,000 square feet. The Nevada Department of Agriculture report by Tessa Rognier states that the average size of a cultivation facility in Nevada is 26,000 square feet. About three years ago, Marapharm applied in Canada to Health Canada for a MMPR (production and sales) license and has passed the necessary security clearances. The application is currently in the in-depth screening process. In September 2016, Health Canada contacted Marapharm with a provision to amend its application to allow for the new regulations, ACMPR. Marapharm owns 15 million shares and warrants of Veritas Pharma Inc., a public company. Additional information on the operations or financial results of Marapharm are included in reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the CSE website (http://www.thecse.com), the OTC website (http://www.otcmarkets.com), and the SEDAR website (http://www.sedar.com -) under the profile for Marapharm Ventures Inc. STOCK EXCHANGES: Marapharm trades in Canada, ticker symbol MDM on the CSE, in the United States, ticker symbol MRPHF on the OTCQB, in Europe, ticker symbol 2M0 on the FSE. The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) has approved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB has approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain statements contained in this news release constitute 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. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumption but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and the forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: http://www.marapharm.com Linda Sampson, CEO +1-778-583-4476 email: [email protected] SOURCE Marapharm Ventures Inc. NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Media iQ, the leading global analytics and technology company, today announced the appointment of Rebecca Mahony as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Media iQ also announced the relocation of Paul Silver to New York from its London headquarters. Silver will continue to serve as the company's Chief Operating Officer and drive Media iQ's product, technology and R&D efforts globally. His relocation will help keep the product and tech teams across London and India in alignment with the company's efforts in North America. He will also help commercial teams in the US form more strategic partnerships with Media iQ's largest clients. Mahony will oversee all of Media iQ's global marketing initiatives, developing and implementing a global marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and build a marketing community within Media iQ. In addition to joining the company's board as the first female board member, Mahony will serve as a board sponsor for WiQ - a Media IQ initiative that empowers women and promotes diversity in the workplace. "I am thrilled to welcome Rebecca to the company," said Richard Dunmall, president of Media iQ. "She has a proven track record of creating game-changing marketing programs and has delivered excellent results for some of the biggest brands in the world. Her vision for our marketing and communications will be vital to our continued growth." Mahony most recently served as the CMO for Teads, where she was responsible for marketing and communication initiatives across EMEA, the Americas, and APAC. ''I'm incredibly proud to be joining Media iQ and to lead an excellent marketing and communications team," said Mahony. "This organization is committed to bringing value to global clients in truly innovative ways, and I look forward to playing my part in the next successful chapter for the company." Among her many achievements, Mahony launched the industry-first 'Outstream Video Summit,' which attracted some of the industry's most influential leaders. The New York Business Journal listed her as one of the 2015 Women of Influence, and she was awarded the 2015 New York Smart CEO Executive Management Award for Marketing. Most recent, she was awarded a Bronze Stevie in 2016 for Female Executive of the Year Business Products and Woman of the Year. Prior to her role at Teads, Mahony held diverse roles in marketing and communications, including Digital Director at OMD International and Head of Digital Marketing at NetJets. About Media iQ Media iQ is a leading global analytics technology company that uses its superior analytical platform AiQ to unlock insights from data to drive business growth. AiQ collects, stores and processes over one trillion data points per day, providing customers with valuable insights. Media iQ has a clear vision for clients - to inspire through insights. Its expertise is ingesting large amounts of data, modelling data to convert into insights and then actioning these insights through a variety of products and services. In short, Media iQ makes data valuable, insightful, and intelligent, which helps clients engage customers, grow sales and unlock new revenue opportunities. Founded in 2010, Media iQ has more than 400 staff in 12 offices globally, serves more than 650 clients, and enjoys a 92% client retention rate globally. Headquartered in the UK, it has offices across North America, Europe and Asia. Press Contact Nazli Ekim Director of Public Relations, North America [email protected] SOURCE Media iQ Related Links http://www.mediaiqdigital.com HUDDINGE, Sweden, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- April - June Significant events during the quarter Positive data from the phase II study of remetinostat in patients with early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was presented. Enrolment completed in the MIV-711 osteoarthritis extension study and data monitoring committee recommended to "Go Ahead". Financial summary Net turnover for the continuing operations totalled SEK 9.5 million (36.9 m), SEK 7.7 million (24.2 m) of which comprised the second quarter's royalties for simeprevir. Other operating income totalled SEK 1.9 million (2.7 m). (36.9 m), (24.2 m) of which comprised the second quarter's royalties for simeprevir. Other operating income totalled (2.7 m). The loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) totalled SEK -90.9 million (-60.2 m). Basic and diluted earnings per share were SEK -3.91 (-1.48) and -3.90 (-1.48) respectively. (-60.2 m). Basic and diluted earnings per share were (-1.48) and -3.90 (-1.48) respectively. The cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK -82.1 million (-37.1). (-37.1). Non-recurring costs of SEK -1.9 million (-2.8 m) affected the result during the quarter. (-2.8 m) affected the result during the quarter. Liquid assets and short-term investments totalled SEK 624.2 million (997.5 m) at the period end. January - June Financial summary Net turnover for the continuing operations totalled SEK 27.3 million (57.5 m), SEK 21.4 million (42.3 m) of which comprised royalties for simeprevir. Other operating income totalled SEK 4.4 million (7.5 m). (57.5 m), (42.3 m) of which comprised royalties for simeprevir. Other operating income totalled (7.5 m). The loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) totalled SEK -171.8 million (-121.0 m). Basic and diluted earnings per share were SEK -6.57 (-2.98) and -6.56 (-2.98) respectively. (-121.0 m). Basic and diluted earnings per share were (-2.98) and -6.56 (-2.98) respectively. The cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK -206.0 million (-73.5 m). (-73.5 m). Non-recurring costs of SEK -12.6 million (-2.7 m) affected the result during the period. (-2.7 m) affected the result during the period. Liquid assets and short-term investments totalled SEK 624.2 million (997.5) at the period end. Conference call for investors, analysts and the media The Interim Report for January June 2017 will be presented by Medivir's Christine Lind President & CEO Time: Tuesday, 25 July 2017, at 14.00 (CET). Phone numbers for participants from: Sweden 08-566-426-91 Europe +44-20-3008-9804 USA +1-855-753-2235 The conference call will also be streamed via a link on the website: www.medivir.com The presentation will be available on Medivir's website after completion of the conference. For further information, please contact: Christine Lind CEO +46(0)8-5468-3100 Ola Burmark CFO +46(0)725-480-580 CEO's comments Medivir has a strong, balanced R&D portfolio with three exciting projects in clinical development, and a portfolio of cutting edge earlier-stage projects, led by MIV-818. All projects whether advanced in-house or by our partners continued to develop according to plan during the quarter. Proprietary projects The two projects in our proprietary clinical oncology pipeline, acquired at the end of 2016, have already made strides forward. In early April, we announced positive data from the phase II clinical study of remetinostat in patients with early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma showing a good effect on cancer lesions and an unmatched safety and tolerability profile. With this data, we are planning to initiate discussions with the US regulatory authority (FDA) to enable the start of a phase III study by the end of 2017. We also updated the protocol for the phase I/II combination study of birinapant with Merck's Keytruda during the quarter, and expect to initiate the phase I portion of that study in the third quarter. The MIV-711 osteoarthritis project also developed according to plan, and enrolment was completed in the phase IIa extension study. We also announced the successful outcome of the fifth Data Monitoring Committee review of all available safety data, now including the extension study data so far. We continue to expect to report the headline data from the initial study towards the end of the third quarter 2017 and from the extension study during the first quarter of 2018. We also continued to advance our five early-phase projects, as exemplified by the presentation of preclinical data and the pharmacokinetic profile for the MIV-818 liver cancer project at medical conferences globally including the EASL International Liver Congress in Europe and the AACR Annual Meeting in the US. We expect to complete preclinical studies with MIV-818 at the end of 2017 to enable a Phase I study start in 2018. Medivir added the Chief Medical Officer position to the executive leadership team, to focus on the clinical development pipeline. I was pleased to be able to promote John Ohd, who was previously Director Clinical R&D, into the role. Partnered projects Additional data from an ongoing phase II study in HCV with JNJ-4178 (triple combination of simeprevir, odalasvir and AL-335) being conducted by our partner, Johnson & Johnson, were presented in April at The International Liver Congress of EASL. The results demonstrated, amongst other things, that this regimen has the potential to offer high efficacy (100% cure rates) with a shorter treatment duration (6 weeks) than the market's current alternatives. JNJ-4178 was one of the projects highlighted in Johnson & Johnson's "Pharmaceutical Business Review Day" in May, indicating its high priority to our partner. Johnson & Johnson expects to complete the phase II studies in 2017. Royalties attributable to OLYSIO (simeprevir), totalled SEK 7.7 million during the second quarter, reflecting the flattening-out of sales of that product. As previously announced, Medivir's internal activities are focused on oncology and projects in other areas are consequently being out-licensed. With the many projects that we have in various stages of development, Medivir looks forward to a very exciting second half of 2017. Christine Lind President and CEO This information is information that Medivir AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08.30 CET on 25 July 2017. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/medivir/r/medivir-ab---interim-report--january---june-2017,c2318166 The following files are available for download: http://mb.cision.com/Main/652/2318166/704117.pdf INTERIM REPORT JANUARY a" JUNE 2017 (PDF) SOURCE Medivir Related Links http://www.medivir.com TROY, Mich., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Meritor, Inc. (NYSE: MTOR) has received the 2016 Quality Improvement Award from Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. a "significant accomplishment," according to Hino. Meritor supplies the OEM with front and rear dressed axles from its Forest City, North Carolina site. "This distinguished accolade recognizes Meritor's commitment to quality performance," said Davey Jung, executive vice president for Hino. "We congratulate Meritor for its continuous monitoring and adjustments that delivered value for Hino and our end-customers in 2016." Meritor has been a supplier of key components to Hino in North America since 2003 a 14-year partnership focused on growth for both companies, according to Chris Villavarayan, senior vice president and president, Americas for Meritor. "Our assembly facilities have adopted a culture of manufacturing excellence with best-in-class quality assurance and training to deliver products that meet the expectations of Meritor's customers," he said. The award was presented to Villavarayan and Linda Taliaferro, vice president, Global Quality for Meritor, at the recent Hino 2016 Annual Business Meeting in Plymouth, Michigan. "Our focus on quality translates to real results for Hino and its customers," Taliaferro said. "We will continue to drive sustainable improvement at all of our facilities as we build a zero-defect culture at Meritor." About Meritor Meritor, Inc. is a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. With more than a 100-year legacy of providing innovative products that offer superior performance, efficiency and reliability, the company serves commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defense, specialty and aftermarket customers around the world. Meritor is based in Troy, Mich., United States, and is made up of approximately 8,000 diverse employees who apply their knowledge and skills in manufacturing facilities, engineering centers, joint ventures, distribution centers and global offices in 18 countries. Meritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MTOR. For important information, visit the company's website at www.meritor.com. SOURCE Meritor, Inc. Related Links http://www.meritor.com WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation has awarded the National Park Foundation a $1 million grant the largest private contribution ever awarded to the foundation to enhance the national parks in Utah. The grant, part of the National Park Foundation's Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, is earmarked not only for extensive critical repairs and upgrades at Zion National Park, but also for programs to provide Utah's youth with opportunities to visit the parks and programs in their home state. The Middle Emerald Pools Trail one of Zion National Park's most beloved hiking trails has been closed since December 2010 when heavy rain caused rockfalls and extensive mud slides destroying much of the trail. The Eccles Foundation grant will fund needed repairs and improvements to the trail. With constraints requiring extensive reengineering, realignment and reconstruction, the anticipated completion date for the trail project is in December 2019, at which time it will reopen to the public. The grant will also make it possible for up to 20,000 school children from throughout Utah including many who have never before visited a national park to participate in engaging, hands-on, in-park experiences through programs such as the National Park Foundation's Open OutDoors for Kids initiative and Concrete to Canyons. "Thanks to funding from the Eccles Foundation, Middle Emerald Pools in Zion National Park will get an essential infusion of support to restore and reopen the trail," said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. "Private support like that from the Eccles Foundation plays a vital role in meeting critical needs within our parks." According to Spencer F. Eccles, Chairman & CEO of the Eccles Foundation and longtime supporter of the National Park Foundation and board member from 2003 to 2009, "Our national parks are among the most incredible places anywhere in our country and we're so fortunate to have more than a dozen of them right here in our backyard! Our foundation's directors take special pride in Utah's national parks, and as we welcome the 101st year of our National Park Service, we remain committed to ensuring its vibrant future in our state!" "We greatly appreciate the support from the Eccles Foundation. Their generosity will restore an exemplary hiking experience in Zion National Park for millions of future park visitors," said Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh. "With the Foundation's support, our greatest resource, our children, will have the opportunity to experience our treasured parks and gain a sense of responsibility as the future stewards of Utah's amazing national parks." Added Shafroth, "This grant from the Eccles Foundation builds on the tradition of private support that has benefitted the National Park System since its inception. Many of the earliest national parks from Yellowstone and Yosemite, to Glacier and Grand Canyon were direct beneficiaries of generous philanthropists and organizations who stepped forward to keep national parks protected and accessible for everyone." ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org. ABOUT THE GEORGE S. AND DOLORES DORE ECCLES FOUNDATION Among Utah's largest and most longstanding charitable organizations, the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation has contributed more than $500 million during the past three decades alone to benefit Utahns statewide. Through its charitable grants to Utah non-profits, it has improved the lives of countless citizens throughout the state, meeting vital current needs and strengthening the state's economic base for the future. Its grants are focused in areas including the arts, community/social services, education, health care, and historic preservation and conservation. The Foundation's Board of Directors includes the following: Spencer F. Eccles, Chairman & CEO; Lisa Eccles, President & COO; Robert M. Graham, Secretary, Treasurer & General Counsel. More information can be found online at www.gsecclesfoundation.org. MEDIA CONTACT: Alanna Sobel 202-796-2538 [email protected] SOURCE National Park Foundation Related Links http://www.nationalparks.org CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- While nearly every country in the world along with many companies, cities, regions, and other organizations has outlined goals for addressing climate change, there is still much work to be done to create the detailed implementation plans to actually achieve these goals. In this spirit, MIT Climate CoLab, a global, web-based community designed to pool intelligence in a manner similar to Linux or Wikipedia, is launching seven new contests. Winners will be invited to MIT to share their work, and will become eligible for the $10,000 Grand Prize to be selected from among winners across all seven contests. Award winners and finalists will receive wide recognition and platform visibility from Climate CoLab. Deadline for proposals is September 10, 2017. Since its launch in 2009, Climate CoLab's open problem-solving platform has grown into a community of over 85,000 people from all walks of lifeincluding more than 300 of the world's leading experts on climate change and related fieldswho are working on and evaluating plans to reach global climate change goals. Thomas Malone, professor of management and founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence at MIT Sloan School of Management, stresses that competitors don't need to be a climate scientist to participate in the competition; rather, ideas and collaboration are key. "People from all walks of lifefor example, policymakers, artists, engineers, students, or retired professionals, among othersall have valuable insights to offer and are invited to enter the contests on their own or with a team. Alternatively, they are welcome to form teams with other members of the Climate CoLab community," says Prof. Malone. "Ultimately, it's a great opportunity to articulate one's views to a broader audience. And it takes a broad combination of people's skills to create results that work." The new contests fall into seven categories: Land Use: Agriculture, Forestry, Waste Management What initiatives, policies, and technologies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use change and waste? Transportation What initiatives, policies, and technologies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector? Buildings What initiatives, policies, and technologies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the buildings sector? Carbon Pricing What initiatives, policies, and strategies can advance carbon pricing? Energy Supply What initiatives, policies, and technologies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector? Adaptation What initiatives, policies, and technologies can help prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change? Shifting Attitudes and Behaviors What initiatives and strategies can mobilize individuals and societies to shift attitudes & behaviors to address climate change? All participants are invited to join the community, find others interested in similar topics, and submit new proposals, or build upon those already on the platform. Proposals are reviewed by international experts who participate as contest judges, as well as graduate students or young professionals who participate as contest fellows. Everyone who participates is also invited to vote for the proposals they think are best to help select Climate CoLab's Popular Choice Awards. To learn more, please visit: https://climatecolab.org/contests About the MIT Sloan School of Management The MIT Sloan School of Management is where smart, independent leaders come together to solve problems, create new organizations, and improve the world. Learn more at mitsloan.mit.edu For further information, contact: Paul Denning or Patricia Favreau Director of Media Relations Associate Director of Media Relations 617-253-0576 617-253-3492 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management Related Links http://www.mitsloan.mit.edu LAS VEGAS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The first interactive digital store in Las Vegas, Vegas EXP, is about to take the Las Vegas Strip by storm, dramatically changing the retail experience for shoppers who will be able to browse inventory, personalize, purchase and even ship their merchandise from the palm of their hand via smart phone. Encompassing over 3,200 square feet and featuring 28 digital screens with interactive technology that will transform the traditional shopping environment, Vegas EXP, located at 3635 Las Vegas Boulevard at the Grand Bazaar Shops, is now open with a grand opening planned for August. Offering a wide variety of souvenir and convenience products, Vegas EXP is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill convenience store or souvenir shop thanks to its revolutionary design and technology platform. The brainchild of Jennifer Turner, president and CEO of M&K Enterprises, LLC, who has traveled overseas and throughout Asia to study cutting-edge, technology-based retail, Vegas EXP is the first such retail destination of its kind in the city, a distinction of which Turner is both exceedingly proud and excited. "Vegas EXP combines technology and interactive digital media to create a truly interactive and highly personalized shopping experience," said Turner. "Tourists come to Las Vegas to be entertained, and Vegas EXP, because of its experiential nature, will wow shoppers as they peruse inventory both on our digital walls and via our customized mobile app that will soon debut. And once they have finalized their selections, shoppers can use several apps to make their purchase. These include Google Wallet, Apple Wallet, Amazon and PayPal whatever credit card is already on their phone and whatever they feel most comfortable using. Additional payment options will continue to be integrated. It's all about customizing the experience from start to finish." This retail concept marries together a store with new-aged technologies that bridges the gap between ordinary and over-the-top to offer an Omni-channel experience. The concept is reflected in the venue's sleek, modern industrial vibe. A 17 foot by 6 foot LED screen will grace the storefront to capture the attention of passersby with engaging video content that can be updated by the minute, hour or weekly anytime, anywhere through the Vegas EXP niche media platform. In addition to offering a mini mart, signature Las Vegas collectables and unique Las Vegas themed apparel, the store is also planned to include a variety of exclusive and only-in-Vegas merchandise. Delivery services will be available to hotels in Las Vegas along with home delivery options that are already in place and shipping at the click of a button. In the future, shoppers can also have select merchandise personalized. For some purchases, shoppers will have the opportunity to donate $1 or another designated amount to a charity of their choice. According to Turner, while the options for customizing the shopping experience are endless, there are also significant operational advantages to digital retail. These include enhanced security and inventory controls; streamlined staffing and overhead expense reduction; new revenue opportunities created through digital sponsorships; and enhanced purchasing power and information. "Vegas EXP not only provides a unique retail environment not currently available in the city, it also allows us to customize the shopping experience via information we collect regarding buying habits and histories," said Turner. "As we enter a new era of retail, we are able to provide a level of customer service not previously available. Digital retail will revolutionize loyalty programs through high tech and high touch offerings." "It's time we stop referencing retail as just a store," Turner continued. "The future of retail continues to evolve. No longer are patrons seeking a traditional brick and mortar experience. Instead, they crave interactive ways to be engaged --- shopping on devices of their choosing from locations that are most appealing. Vegas EXP will do just that. And we couldn't be more excited to launch this innovative concept in Las Vegas, a top worldwide tourist destination and a city where anything is possible." For additional information and a complete list of product offerings, visit www.vegasexp.com. About M&K Enterprises, LLC: Founded in 1976 by Louis Simkins, M&K Enterprises, LLC was created with a mission to provide high quality souvenirs at a low price. Simkins started under the wing of his brother-in-law before starting his solo venture, who dominated the souvenir industry in Las Vegas with operating 19 locations across the valley. This invaluable experience gave him the knowledge on how to manage retail stores, as well as how to run a successful business. After initially opening one store under the M&K name, many locations soon followed and his business began to evolve. Grand Canyon Experience (GCE) was the heart and soul of M&K Enterprises LLC and was in operation from August 2000 to May 2017. GCE gave a great end to a new beginning, which transitioned M&K to its newest store, Vegas Exp. For additional information, please visit www.vegasexp.com. SOURCE M&K Enterprises, LLC WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MPOWER Financing, an innovative fintech company and provider of educational loans to high-potential international students, has entered a new partnership with Wisconsin-based Bank of Lake Mills, which enables MPOWER Financing to offer its online lending program to students in all 50 U.S. states. As a result, MPOWER Financing is now available to thousands more students looking to secure financing across an expanded roster of 223 universities across the nation. MPOWER Financing is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to remove the financial barriers to higher education in the U.S. by providing the financial resources necessary for students to attend schools and complete their undergraduate or graduate studies. Founded in 2014, MPOWER Financing provides financial resources to domestic students, DACA students and international students who are often undervalued and do not fit traditional credit criteria. At a time when banks and fintech companies are still figuring out whether they're competitors or partners, MPOWER has taken a strong stance on the partner path. As an international student loan origination platform, MPOWER Financing has the advantage of being able to work with banks and traditional lenders in a variety of ways. "We are looking forward to a fruitful relationship with MPOWER Financing as we work together to expand its audience of eligible students seeking loans to finish their higher education in the U.S.," said Peter Schleicher, EVP/chief financial officer, Bank of Lake Mills. "As it services international and DACA students, as well as domestic students, MPOWER Financing fills an important niche in the education landscape, which makes them a particularly attractive partner." "This partnership with Bank of Lake Mills is very important to us as we are able to instantly increase our loan volume with a forward-thinking bank that knows the educational loan market like few others," said Manu Smadja, CEO and co-founder of MPOWER Financing. "Being able to offer our services in every state, including those with a high concentration of international and DACA students such as Texas and California, marks a key milestone in delivering on our mission to remove the financial barriers to higher education in the U.S. for those who fall outside of the standard credit system." About Bank of Lake Mills Bank of Lake Mills is a Wisconsin state-chartered bank that was organized in 1893 and prides itself on a commitment to the communities and customers it serves. About MPOWER Financing MPOWER Financing is an innovative fintech company and provider of educational loans to high-promise international students. MPOWER Financing helps students build their credit histories and provides them with personal finance, education and gateway financial products to prepare for life after college. The team is backed by Zephyr Management, Goal Structured Solutions, 1776, Village Capital, VARIV, DreamIt, Fresco, Chilango, K Street and University Ventures. For more information, visit www.mpowerfinancing.com, or follow MPOWER on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Media Contacts: Richard Anderson / Henry Feintuch / Doug Wright Feintuch Communications 718-986-1596 / 212-808-4901 / 212-808-4903 [email protected] SOURCE MPOWER Financing Related Links http://www.mpowerfinancing.com NEW YORK, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation, parent company of San Francisco-based MUFG Union Bank, N.A., posted its second quarter 2017 financial results at approximately 8:30 am Eastern Daylight Time on its website at www.unionbank.com. About MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation Headquartered in New York, MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation is a financial holding company and bank holding company with total assets of $150.6 billion at June 30, 2017. Its main subsidiaries are MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. MUFG Union Bank, N.A. provides an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. As of June 30, 2017, MUFG Union Bank, N.A. operated 361 branches, comprised primarily of retail banking branches in the West Coast states, along with commercial branches in Texas, Illinois, New York and Georgia, as well as 16 PurePoint Financial Centers and two international offices. MUFG Securities Americas Inc. is a registered securities broker-dealer which engages in capital markets origination transactions, private placements, collateralized financings, securities borrowing and lending transactions, and domestic and foreign debt and equities securities transactions. MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation is owned by The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., which is one of the world's leading financial groups. Visit www.unionbank.com or www.mufgamericas.com for more information. SOURCE MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation Related Links http://www.unionbank.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2008, four sailors died after signaling for distress using a very popular marine device. They had been competing in a race onboard the Aegean, as written about in Practical Sailor, and ran into unknown trouble later that evening. The device they used could not ascertain their GPS position at the time of the activation, despite previously reporting vessel tracks. Several crucial lessons were learned from this event, including that the monitoring company and first responders can only be as effective as the device communicating information to them. With Nautic Alert X2, a distress message can be sent out with the push of a button on the device, or from a personal transmitter worn on a lifejacket, but that is where the comparisons stop. When an emergency activation occurs, exceptional intelligence and hardware in the device work in combination with an advanced Nautic Alert cloud solution to offer several redundant countermeasures to avoid exactly what occurred in this noted story. Nautic Alert X2 advanced system starts with reliable and verifiable 2-way messaging, which provides a user with a confirmation that the message was received and a way to directly interact with first responders through text messaging. Some other very popular devices rely on one-way communication satellite solutions with absolutely no message confirmation from the device, and certainly no way to communicate with the responders and give additional crucial details about the event. Next, upon receiving a distress message, Nautic Alert's advanced cloud solution can choose up to 4 position references to use when communicating with GEOS and alert contacts to describe the vessel's location. This includes the current reported position from the device, but if unknown, it could use the last reported position captured from the device, the previous tracking entry stored in the cloud database, and, in a worse-case, Iridium-based geo-location inherent in the message from the device. This enables 3 redundant positions to be used when reporting the event, and each contains the vessel's heading, speed, timestamp of location, and most important, expected positional accuracy, so a worse-case search circumference can be known. This last piece of information is the result of using next-gen GPS technology, which is not available on many GPS solutions commonly used in maritime networks and equipment. Nautic Alert offers additional redundancy by reporting the event to multiple alert contacts, complete with location details and a map, right to their phone and inbox. During an emergency, X2 will continue to send location details every few minutes, so both GEOS and friends and family know exactly what's happening in real-time. Nautic Alert's vessel tracking feature enables real-time On-Demand updates, and its X2 enables texting from anywhere in the world, so friends and family have multiple ways to stay connected during normal times and emergencies. Nautic Alert's cloud solution is like an additional safety net built for redundancy, storing vessel tracking data, alert contact information, and more. It enables additional intelligent processing and communications that would otherwise not be possible from the device alone. The Nautic Alert is an MTC-E, which stands for monitoring, tracking, control and edge-based for early detection. Unlike other products, Nautic Alert doesn't just report sensor data, it learns, analyzes, and makes an intelligent decision with measured data in its onboard processing engine, so when you get an alert, you have additional time and information you need about the event to decide how to react. Designed by a lifelong boater and former IBM employee with critical server development experience, the Nautic Alert transforms boat monitoring by introducing technology and innovation never before seen in a marine application. X2 will be showcased at IBEX 2017 and is now available from shop.nauticalert.com and AtlanticRT. Practical Sailor Reference: https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/-10824-1.html For additional info, email [email protected], 1-800-385-1674 SOURCE Nautic Alert WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Festi is a new event planning app and platform that lets you easily create, manage, promote, and collect revenue for public and private events that you host. When you're not hosting your own events, Festi will help you find fun social events in your area that you can attend as a guest. Owned by a Virginia-based partnership, Festi was developed and launched by Simpalm, a mobile application development firm with offices in Bethesda, Maryland, and in Chicago. The app, which is available on both Apple and Android platforms, can be used for large events, such as block parties or festival-like events, or for small gatherings, such as tailgating parties, backyard barbecues, cookouts, or cocktail parties. Festi is available as a free download on iTunes and Google Play. How Does It Work? Festi provides two interfaces. The Guest interface enables you to find and read about public events that you can attend in your area. In addition to notifying the hosts that you plan to attend, you can also see the current guest list and alert friends of the events you plan to attend. The app will also alert you to any private event invitations you have. Festi's Host interface enables you to create and promote public and private events, manage guest lists, and even charge event fees to raise revenue or defray event expenses. Public events that you host will be visible to all users within a defined geographic area, but private events will be shown only to those who you invite. Festi provides the following features: For Guests ... Discover new events in local area, swipe a list of events and book your favorites. Make event connections, access guest lists and learn who else is planning to attend an event. Make payments to book your attendance and receive special notifications from event Hosts. For Hosts ... Post events in the app, receive attendance requests from friends and local area people. Approve guest attendance requests, create customized Guest lists. Promote the event with detailed descriptions of the event venue, entertainment, food and drink menus, or any other important information. Levy and collect fees to raise revenue or help defray event hosting costs. Piyush Jain, founder and CEO of Simpalm, describes Festi as an app with near limitless growth potential. "The art of hosting successful events depends on extremely time-consuming planning, promotion, financing and RSVP management," Jain said, adding "Festi does for event planning what ride-sharing apps do for transportation--makes it fast, flexible and fun." The native iOS and Android Festi apps can be downloaded from app stores with the keyword "Festi App". Festi is currently in its first launch phase, which is limited to the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area and nearby communities in Virginia and Maryland. Subsequent phases will be launched after user input and feedback is collected from the initial phase. About Simpalm: Founded in 2009, Simpalm is dedicated to bringing more efficiency and mobility to the world. With offices in Bethesda and Chicago, Simpalm designs and develops mobile applications and responsive websites for clients both small and large. Simpalm delivers end-to-end services including UI/UX design, development, testing, deployment, and support. It has highly skilled iOS, iPhone app developers, Android Application Developers, iPad app developers, and HTML5 developers, as well as the business experience and technical acumen necessary to build sophisticated mobile apps for any industry or vertical market. Simpalm uses Amazon AWS, LAMP and Windows Azure to build cloud-based backend support for web and mobile applications. In addition to native apps, it builds applications and websites using cross-platform technologies such as Titanium, Xamarin and PhoneGap. Simpalm has developed more than 200 mobile application solutions for startups, SMBs, regional and global enterprises, and government offices, agencies, and departments. Among its clients are Flextronics USA, Forte Payment Systems, Bed Bath & Beyond, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Cantada SOURCE Simpalm Related Links http://www.simpalm.com IMCO to Provide Public Sector Clients in Ontario with Full Range of Investment Management Services TORONTO, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Today the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) began to manage the assets of its first two clients, the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Ontario Pension Board (OPB). Together the funds under management have a value of approximately $60B and are invested across a broad range of asset classes, including public equities, public debt, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure. This puts IMCO among the group of the largest public-sector asset managers in Canada. IMCO was established in 2016 and modelled after similar organizations in Canada such as AIMCo and bcIMC. IMCO's mandate is to provide broader public-sector clients in Ontario with exceptional investment management services, including best-in-class advice around portfolio construction, efficient access to a diverse range of asset classes and superior reporting on risks and returns. IMCO is a member-based non-share capital corporation. It operates independently of government, consistent with best practice in the public pension fund investment sector. IMCO's Board of Directors is a professional board with expertise in a range of directly relevant areas. IMCO's CEO, Bert Clark who was hired in late 2016 has been working with the WSIB and OPB to build the organization required to assume investment responsibility for the $60B of assets. "We look forward to working with our initial two clients and future clients in the coming years to provide them with value added investment services," Bert Clark, CEO. "This is an exciting day for the group of people who have been working hard over an extended period of time to make IMCO a reality. The Board is confident that IMCO will have a major impact on public fund management in Ontario," David Leith, Chair of the Board of Directors. IMCO anticipates and looks forward to working with additional broader public-sector clients once the integration of the assets and operations of the first two clients is complete. QUICK FACTS Public sector funds of Crown corporations, agencies, board or commissions, universities or municipalities may join IMCO as members. The Ontario Pension Board (OPB) is the administrator of the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP), a major defined benefit pension plan sponsored by the Government of Ontario . PSPP membership is made up of employees of the provincial government and its agencies, boards and commissions. . PSPP membership is made up of employees of the provincial government and its agencies, boards and commissions. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is an independent agency that administers compensation and no-fault insurance for Ontario workplaces. workplaces. IMCO is headquartered in Toronto , the second-largest North American financial services centre by employment after New York . LEARN MORE SOURCE Investment Management Corporation of Ontario [IMCO] PLANO, Texas, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New Hope Christian Academy is opening this Fall 2017, in the picturesque community of historic downtown Plano. PLANO: Downtown Plano, which has quickly become a place to "eat, play, shop and live," will now also be a unique place to learn. As of the fall 2017 school year, New Hope Christian Academy will provide students with: Rigorous academics with phonics-based reading instruction, strong STEM focus, advanced mathematics Character and leadership development, service to community and others Personalized instruction with creative, collaborative and experiential learning opportunities Well trained and experienced staff who truly care about their students Supportive family and school community Located on the corner of 15th and H Avenue, and adjacent to Haggard Park, New Hope Christian Academy has quick and easy access to several creative learning opportunities. The Courtyard Theatre, Plano Art Center, Georgia's Farmer's Market, Plano Police Station and Courts, Interurban Railway Museum and Pipe and Palette Art Studio are all within a short walk. And New Hope plans to partner with several community service organizations to give students ample volunteer opportunities. About New Hope: New Hope Christian Academy was established by several experienced educators, along with some parents and business professionals, to offer a rigorous, exemplary educational programall with biblical values at the core. Viewing each child as unique, our staff is dedicated to providing an exceptional education for each student attending our academy. Join us August 8 for our Grand Opening Celebration! DeeDee Mims New Hope Christian Academy 972-656-9951 [email protected] SOURCE New Hope Christian Academy Related Links http://www.explorenewhope.org WASHINGTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) announced the latest phase of its Project on Administrative Costs with the release of a new research guide looking at national trends in administrative expenses and urging trustees to monitor and control administrative costs on campus. Entitled How Much is Too Much? Controlling Administrative Costs through Effective Oversight, the guide provides trustees with national benchmarks for the ratio of administrative spending compared to instructional costs as they evaluate their own institution's financial priorities. Through original research and analysis of federal data from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System database, the guide provides trustees with information on the median ratios of administrative to instructional spending calculated from over 1,200 four-year, nonprofit institutions. ACTA found the highest administrative-instructional cost ratio at small baccalaureate collegesover half of which spend 50 cents or more on administration for every dollar spent on instructionwhile schools with higher research activity actually have the lowest ratios. "The link between the growing administrative costs and net price to students has not received sufficient attention. Students and families are making immense personal and financial sacrifices to access the dream of college education," said Dr. Michael B. Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. "Trustees have a unique responsibility to ferret out the causes of growing administrative costs to find greater efficiency. Leaders and trustees must have a commitment to guard against rising overhead, and all of this starts with an informed analysis of the financial data." The publication features a foreword from former University System of Maryland Regent and former U.S. Congressman Thomas McMillen, who served as a member of the distinguished Governance for a New Era panel convened by ACTA in 2014. "As our communitiesstudents, parents, and taxpayersmake crucial investments in higher education, we need resources like this one to analyze the context and impact of our spending decisions," McMillen wrote in the foreword. "ACTA continues to help boards hold their universities accountable to the public trust through this brief guide." To initiate communication between college administrations and board leadership, the new publication includes a four-point action plan for controlling costs. The guide specifically urges trustees to: Familiarize themselves deeply with trends in administrative spending at their institution. Create and use financial dashboards with at-a-glance metrics to monitor spending. Ensure that financial data is reported clearly, accurately, and consistently year-over-year. Consolidate and streamline programs wherever possible to achieve greater cost efficiency. "As the policy debate continues about how to make college more affordable, it's crucial to remember that, with very few exceptions, administrative costs are inevitably reflected in tuition and net-price," said Armand Alacbay, vice president of trustee & legislative affairs at ACTA and director of the organization's Project on Administrative Costs. "Our new guide offers a missing national perspective on the crucial issue of administrative growth and provides schools with benchmarks to their peers. This will be a valuable resource for trustees looking for broader context." The research project was funded through a generous grant from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. ACTA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability in higher education. We receive no government funding and are supported through the generosity of individuals and foundations. For more information, visit GoACTA.org, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletters . Contact: Ted Eismeier, [email protected], 202-467-0376 SOURCE American Council of Trustees and Alumni Related Links http://www.goacta.org McHENRY, Ill., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For many new mothers, the breastfeeding support and guidance they receive disappears when they return home from the hospital with baby. To make sure breast milk feeding moms have access to the help and information they need, Medela has announced 24/7 LC, a membership service available through the award-winning MyMedela app. In partnership with Pacify Health, a leading telemedicine service, 24/7 LC offers moms an instant video connection to a professional lactation consultant through their smartphone anytime they need it. "We know access to support is critical for a successful breast milk feeding relationship between mom and baby," said Melissa Gonzales, managing director for Medela USA. "24/7 LC is a continuation of our longstanding commitment to supporting moms every step of the way on their breastfeeding journeys. Mom can get the breastfeeding help she needs whenever and wherever she needs it." Now through the MyMedela app, 24/7 LC offers moms the opportunity to purchase unlimited, instant access to real-time consultations using video chat any time they have a question or issue related to breast milk feeding. Calls are typically answered in less than 30 seconds, and users have access 24-hours a day, so they can get the answers they need on their schedule. 24/7 LC memberships are available in one ($29), three ($48), and 12-month ($96) increments, during which time calls are unlimited. Moms also receive a free one month membership to 24/7 LC included with the purchase of any Medela breast pump from Medela's online store. "We're thrilled to partner with Medela to support new mothers," said Melanie Silverman, chief clinical officer at Pacify. "As any mom will tell you, your breast pump may come with instructions, but breastfeeding doesn't. There are so many moms out there who need in-the-moment support but don't have great options for finding it now they do." In addition to 24/7 LC, Medela is committed to offering educational resources to all moms to encourage breast milk feeding through: MyMedela, a free award-winning app that tracks nursing and pumping sessions, as well as feedings and growth, and features breastfeeding education based on where mom is in her breastfeeding journey. Moms using the Sonata Breast Pump also have a connected experience that streamlines tracking through the app. Breastfeeding University, an online program developed by healthcare professionals and based on the most current breastfeeding research, covering topics like what to expect during pregnancy, how to initiate breastfeeding, transitioning to home and work, and more. Ask the LC, a free email service that connects moms to professionals for breastfeeding guidance when they have breastfeeding or pumping questions. About Medela Founded in 1961, Medela is led by Michael Larsson and concentrates on two business units: "Human Milk," providing research-based breast milk feeding solutions, and "Healthcare," engineering and manufacturing medical vacuum technology solutions. Medela is headquartered in Switzerland and has 18 subsidiaries, distributing its products to more than 100 countries throughout the world. For more information, visit www.Medela.com. About Medela LLC Medela's US-based manufacturing and development facility is headquartered in McHenry, Illinois. Every year, more than one million mothers in the U.S. rely on Medela's technology. As the #1 breast pump brand*, Medela provides the best in research-based breast milk feeding products and clinical education to support moms' breast milk feeding journey. The company is fully dedicated to supporting mothers so that they can provide breast milk to their baby for as long as they choose. For more information, visit www.MedelaBreastfeedingUS.com. About Pacify Health Launched in 2014, Pacify Health, Inc. was founded on the idea that more can be done to use mobile technology to help families access excellent pediatric care, regardless of their circumstances. Pacify's industry-leading mobile platform provides instantaneous, 24/7 support for new mothers. Pacify mothers use the app to connect via video-visit with clinicians including nurses, nutritionists and lactation consultants. There are no appointments or scheduling, and calls are answered in an average of less than 30 seconds. Pacify is available directly to consumers as a membership or baby shower gift, and also works with health plans and public health programs to support mothers at no cost to them. Mothers using Pacify have expressed greater satisfaction and engaged more with the platform compared any alternative support services. *QuintilesIMS ProVoice Survey; Nov-Oct 2016. Medela wordmark and logo are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 24/7 LC is a trademark of Medela. SOURCE Medela HOUSTON, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Entoro Capital announces the launch of its private securities platform, OfferBoard, targeting Energy/Infrastructure-focused accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. With the Entoro "Powered by OfferBoard" advantage, Issuers are able to rapidly communicate and promote the distribution of their Energy-related investment offerings to the family office, institutional, international, private equity sponsor, and traditional Energy-sector investment communities. Issuers include companies and funds from the Exploration & Production, Oilfield Services, Renewables, Power, Midstream, and Downstream subsectors. OfferBoard Direct Deal Issuers are pursuing capital raises with targets between $5 and $100 million, while Fund Issuers seek capital investments from $25 to $500 million. OfferBoard Advantage The OfferBoard platform provides participants with immediate, global access to both capital and deal flow. For the Issuer, OfferBoard is a pipeline for direct access to thousands of interested Investors, with new Investors registering daily. For the Investor, OfferBoard is the confidential, secure, highly efficient, and user-friendly platform for direct investments into energy projects previously reserved for larger entities. OfferBoard revolutionizes the interaction between Issuers and Investors by assuring real-time deal tracking and analytics, lower overall costs, heightened confidentiality, and detailed transaction vetting. "The OfferBoard portal allows capital groups around the world to exponentially increase their exposure to quality opportunities in the energy market and allows our bankers to spend much more time servicing our clients; that's what's important," states Entoro's Managing Partner James C. Row. The following sample Entoro transactions are currently available on OfferBoard: Falcon Seaboard (Permian Fund I) $145 million Permian co-investment drilling and development fund; Permian co-investment drilling and development fund; Hefner Energy (The Minerals Company III) $40 million Oklahoma Scoop/Stack minerals; Oklahoma Scoop/Stack minerals; Oleum Petroleum $15 million Texas Gulf Coast operator with current production to increase production; Texas Gulf Coast operator with current production to increase production; Montego Minerals V $25 million West Texas /Permian focused minerals; and, /Permian focused minerals; and, Viridis Petroleum $20 million Oklahoma natural gas operator. Issuers are offering investment opportunities in their businesses or funds that may be equity or debt, or another structured finance instrument. Transactions on OfferBoard are asset heavy, with current or near-term projected cash flow. "Our goal is to originate and offer the best energy transactions with great distribution," said Mr. Row. "The OfferBoard technology is the future of raising capital. It's simple - Issuers want faster and better distribution, whereas Investors want lower costs, professionally vetted transactions, comparable deal flow, and centralized ease of use." Entoro Group The Entoro Group is a global strategic advisory and investment banking group that focuses on mid-market Energy and Infrastructure investment banking. The Entoro Group of companies includes Entoro Capital (Energy & Infrastructure Investment Banking), Entoro Securities (FINRA licensed Broker/Dealer formerly The Oil & Gas Asset Clearinghouse II), Entoro International (Advisory and Merchant Banking) and OfferBoard (online transaction syndication portal) which was acquired in 2017. Together, the Entoro Group's investment banking professionals provide the Energy industry with global financial and strategic solutions. Entoro's team is comprised of proven executives with over $100 Billion in transactional experience. www.entoro.com Contact: Michael L. Grant +1.713.823.2900, ext. 404 [email protected] SOURCE Entoro Capital Related Links http://www.entoro.com > we build and the partnerships we forge in support of our young people and > local economy, said Phil Weinberg, STRIVEs President & CEO. Partnering > with Cornell University and accessing their hospitality expertise allows us > to provide a level of training to our students that they would not have > access to otherwise. "STRIVEs success is based on the relationships we build and the partnerships we forge in support of our young people and local economy, said Phil Weinberg, STRIVEs President & CEO. Partnering with Cornell University and accessing their hospitality expertise allows us to provide a level of training to our students that they would not have access to otherwise. Since January, many of Serve UP Harlems 70 graduates have entered hospitality internships or begun the job application process with support from program staff. That support is enhanced by an integrated network of STRIVE partners: the EHTN, Operation HOPE, Cornell University, Hospitality Made Great, and local businesses in Harlem and Upper Manhattan. Students also build their personal networks through small classes, working together to complete the online Service Excellence training and then behind the scenes inside restaurants, wine stores, and hotels. For graduates, the combination of Cornell's Service Excellence training and STRIVE's services through Serve UP Harlem provides the connectionsand confidencethey need to build a positive vision for their future in the workforce. They leave the program with an in-demand skill set that differentiates them from other applicants, helping to close the youth unemployment gap and pave their way toward success. "If I could complete this training, then I know I can do other education, training, or skills programs too and be successful," said Daquan, who graduated the training in February. The success of Serve UP Harlems six graduated cohorts has spurred STRIVE to pursue ongoing funding for the program, enabling them to help more young adults in New York City pursue successful career paths in foodservice, customer service, and hospitality. About Cornell's School of Hotel Administration The School of Hotel Administration at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research, and industry advancement. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the school provides management instruction in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world's largest industry. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration is recognized as the world leader in its field. About eCornell As Cornell University's online learning unit, eCornell delivers online professional certificate courses to individuals and organizations around the world. Courses are personally developed by Cornell faculty with expertise in a wide range of topics, including data analytics, management, marketing, human resources, and leadership. Students learn in an interactive, small cohort format to gain skills they can immediately apply in their organizations, while earning a professional certificate from Cornell University. eCornell has offered online learning courses and certificate programs for 15 years to over 130,000 students at more than 2,000 companies. About STRIVE STRIVE is a leading workforce development organization, headquartered in New York City, with 21 U.S. based Affiliates. STRIVEs mission is to help individuals acquire the life-changing skills and attitudes needed to overcome challenging circumstances, find sustained employment, and become valuable contributors to their families, their employers, and their communities. STRIVEs comprehensive job training and career development services include its signature CORE job readiness workshop, as well as a range of vocational skills programs that prepares graduates with industry-recognized credentials in a variety of sectors. Since its founding in 1984, STRIVE has helped over 70,000 men and women transform their lives. Contact: Aubrie Dunn, 607-330-3200, [email protected] SOURCE eCornell Related Links http://www.ecornell.com A "first of its kind" solution in China, this joint effort will leverage anonymized data from JD.com's cloud platform and their 236.5 million active users, along with Nielsen's digital media monitoring data and analytics expertise. The joint offering will help advertisers more efficiently allocate advertising and marketing budgets to increase their ROI. Digital media spend now exceeds that of traditional media, and the increase in digital marketing investments has brought added complexity. Consumers are regularly exposed to multiple media touch points across different devices and platforms during the path to purchase, making it nearly impossible for marketers to comprehensively measure the effectiveness of their investments. Until now, a typical approach for measuring digital marketing performance has been to attribute a sale to the consumer's last advertising exposure or touch point before a purchase. Though this approach might offer insight into the final steps of a consumer's path to purchase, it disregards countless previous touch points throughout the online shopping journey. "The increased fragmentation of online media has created a landscape where consumers are seeing and clicking on hundreds of touch points before they make a purchase. For brands who are trying to measure and optimize their online marketing ROI, this is a massive problem that previous analytics platforms have been unable to solve effectively," said Vishal Bali, managing director of Nielsen China. "Instead of looking at just that last click before purchase, the Nielsen-JD.com MTA offering allows us to track the full online shopping path and then leverage the most effective touch points for better engagement with the consumer." Yan Weipeng, vice president of JD.com, said, "Under the common goal of maximizing marketing efficiency and sales of manufacturers and brands, JD's collaboration with Nielsen is a win-win solution. MTA promotes a thorough view of the omnichannel environment, while encouraging creative business models to provide door opening advertising services to consumers. This is the first of many steps in digital marketing that leverages Big Data to help brands focus their investment on the most appropriate factors. " About Nielsen: Nielsen N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy. Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content - video, audio and text - is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90 percent of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com. SOURCE Nielsen NEW YORK, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- North America naphtha consumption market is projected to witness slow pace of growth till 2026. The slow growth in naphtha consumption in North America can be attributed to the United States moving away from naphtha based crackers and replacing feedstock for petrochemicals with shale gas which is much more economical due to its recent shale boom in the country. Still North America is a prominent player in naphtha consumption owing to huge appetite for gasoline which uses naphtha as a blending stock. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04907940/North-America-Naphtha-Demand-Supply-Analysis-By-End-Use-Forecast-Opportunities-.html Years considered for this report: - Historical Years: 2011-2015 - Base Year: 2016 - Estimated Year: 2017 - Forecast Period: 20172026 Objective of the Study: - The primary objective of the study was to understand and gain insights about the North America naphtha Demand Supply analysis & forecast. - Market analysis by Country - Light & Heavy naphtha consumption and forecast its market by 2026 - Naphtha consumption by End Use - Naphtha Import-Export Scenario - By Country - Competitive Landscape of naphtha producers, exporters and traders operating in North America TechSci Research carried out North America naphtha demand supply analysis study by considering various aspects of North America naphtha market. In the beginning of the North America naphtha demand supply analysis, a brief study was conducted to understand each aspect of market outlook such as drivers, challenges, market trends and various other major factors affecting the market. Moreover, an in-depth analysis was conducted to understand North America naphtha market and to gauge the competitive scenario. Afterwards, a detailed scrutiny of naphtha consumption by type, by end use, and by country markets for North America naphtha supply demand analysis was conducted. In order to extract data for North America naphtha market, primary research surveys were conducted with key opinion leaders, naphtha end users, traders, importers and exporters to understand historical and present trends. Considering the assumptions, TechSci research dedicated team of industry experts has comprehensively monitored and analysed various aspects of North America naphtha supply demand market. TechSci research team has analysed various segments and speculated a positive future for North America naphtha market and subsequent countries. Moreover, various secondary sources were utilized for preparing this report such as directories, databases such as company annual reports, financial reports, proprietary databases, among others. Key Target Audience: - Naphtha producers (refiners), Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plants, crude oil suppliers, naphtha traders, shipping companies. - Customers (Petrochemical industry and other customers). - Research organizations and consulting companies - Associations, organizations, forums and alliances related to naphtha trade - Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers The study is useful in providing answers to past, current and future trends of naphtha consumption in North America market. This study helps in analysing specific country naphtha consumption trend which are useful for industry stakeholders such as naphtha producers (refiners), Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plants, crude oil suppliers, naphtha traders, shipping companies, regulatory bodies, and petrochemical industry. Report Scope: In this report, the North America naphtha supply demand analysis has been segmented into the following categories in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: - Naphtha Consumption, By Country: o United States o Canada o Mexico o Others - Naphtha Consumption, By Type: o Light Naphtha o Heavy Naphtha - Naphtha Consumption, By End Use: o Gasoline Blending o Naphtha Reforming o Steam Cracking o Others - Naphtha Import-Export Scenario, By Country Competitive Landscape Competition Benchmarking: Country specific steam cracker and naphtha reforming capacities, major consumers, and major suppliers & traders Available Customizations: With the given market data, TechSci Research offers customizations according to company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report: Channel Partner Analysis - Detailed list of distributors and dealers across all major countries. Company Information - Detailed analysis and profiling of market players (up to five). Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04907940/North-America-Naphtha-Demand-Supply-Analysis-By-End-Use-Forecast-Opportunities-.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com DECATUR Community leaders are ready for the possibility of layoffs at the city's largest employer, though no one knows whether or to what extent they will affect Decatur. Archer Daniels Midland Co. said last week that it would lay off an unknown number of employees but would not say where or what type of workers they would be. Speaking Monday, officials from the city and Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County said they could not confirm whether Decatur would see job losses. With more than 4,000 workers in Decatur, ADM is by far the city's largest employer and a critical part of its economy. The company's North American headquarters are located here, as well as its James R. Randall Research Facility and its intermodal rail hub. Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said ADM's significant presence in Decatur makes it likely that at least some of the layoffs will be here. "(Decatur) is the largest area where they have employees. It's their biggest operation. From a numbers standpoint, if there's going to be cuts," Decatur is likely to see a share of them, she said. If that is the case, the Economic Development Corporation would work to match laid-off workers with other jobs in the area, said its president, Ryan McCrady. The EDC is a nonprofit public-private partnership that works to attract, retain and expand non-retail employers in Decatur and Macon County. "As a community we have to respond, not react. We use resources to help people get re-employed in the community," he said. McCrady cautioned against viewing cuts as a negative comment on Decatur's economic outlook. ADM is an international firm susceptible to factors that have nothing to do with Central Illinois, he said. "You can't take this stuff personally as a community," he said. "It's not that any company dislikes Decatur." Moore Wolfe and City Manager Tim Gleason offered some reasons to be optimistic, even if Decatur loses jobs. Gleason said the city is in a solid financial position, and he was not concerned that potential layoffs would hurt city revenues to the point of affecting its overall budget. "I get it. It's something that I'm sure ADM doesn't want to have to do, but they've got business decisions and stakeholders to contend with," Gleason said. From an economic standpoint, the mayor said Decatur's position has improved from recent years. "This probably would have been a bigger blow in the recession, but our economy is growing," she said. "I hope that the people who are affected can find jobs locally because we certainly don't want to lose them." ADM, one of the largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers in the world, moved its global headquarters to Chicago in 2014, taking about 50 workers from Decatur. The company has about 32,000 employees in 160 countries, and reported net sales of $62.3 billion last year. It is scheduled to release second-quarter financial results Aug. 1. ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson reiterated Monday that the company would not provide any information beyond confirmation that it is in the process of telling employees they will lose their jobs. "This is part of an effort to ensure we have the right resources in the right places and continue to be an agile and streamlined organization focused on growth," she said. Illinois law requires employers with more than 75 full-time workers to notify the state ahead of time if they plan mass layoffs or plant closures. The law defines a mass layoff as cuts of 25 or more workers if they constitute more than a third of the full-time employees at the site, or 250 or more full-time employees. Monthly reports for 2017 published by the state show that ADM has not provided notification of layoffs that would fit that criteria. The potential cuts in Decatur would come after the community has already weathered job losses at several large employers in recent years. In March, Meda Pharmaceuticals said it would shut down its Decatur facility, meaning the loss of 90 jobs. Later that month, Caterpillar said it would bring 500 new jobs to Decatur after closing its Aurora facility. But that positive news came after a series of company-wide cuts that affected thousands of workers in the division that includes Decatur's plant, though CAT has never revealed how many Decatur workers lost their jobs. According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Decatur has 300 fewer jobs than a year ago. MINNEAPOLIS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE American: NOG) ("Northern") announced today that it expects to release second quarter 2017 financial and operating results on Tuesday, August 8, 2017 after market close. Additionally, the company plans to host a conference call on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 9:00 AM Central Time. Those wishing to listen to the conference call may do so via the company's website www.northernoil.com or by phone. Conference Call and Webcast Details: Date: Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Time: 9:00 AM Central Time Dial-In: (855) 638-5677 International Dial-In: (262) 912-4762 Conference ID: 61127013 Webcast: www.northernoil.com Replay Information: A replay of the conference call will be available through August 16, 2017 by dialing: Dial-In: (855) 859-2056 International Dial-In: (404) 537-3406 Conference ID: 61127013 ABOUT NORTHERN OIL AND GAS Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. is an exploration and production company with a core area of focus in the Williston Basin Bakken and Three Forks play in North Dakota and Montana. More information about Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. can be found at www.NorthernOil.com. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Brandon Elliott, CFA EVP, Corporate Development and Strategy 952-476-9800 [email protected] SOURCE Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. Related Links http://www.northernoil.com NEW ORLEANS, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Online Course Report, a leading authority in open, corporate, and traditional online education rankings and resources, has released their 2017-2018 ranking of masters in data science degree programs: http://www.onlinecoursereport.com/best-online-masters-in-data-science/ In compiling our ranking of online master's in data science degrees, we surveyed close to 100 programs worldwide. Surveyed programs were judged based on the following criteria: --Affordability (1/3): an institution's cost per credit hour for out-of-state residents provided by the degree program or institutional website. --Flexibility (1/3): the number of optionsincluding acceptance of prior college credits, self-paced learning initiatives, accelerated courses, and number of specializationsthat allow students to complete a program at a pace of their choosing. --Student Support Services (1/3): an institution's rank for providing student support service such as digital library assistance, virtual office hours, and access to career services. Schools ranked in our 2017-2018 Online Master's in Data Science ranking include the following (in alphabetical order): American University Arizona State University Baker College Bay Path College Bellevue University Boston University Brandeis University Clarkson University Colorado Technical University CUNY School of Professional Studies Dakota State University DePaul University Elmhurst College Fairfield University Full Sail University Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana University Bloomington Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University La Salle University Lewis University Maryville University of St. Louis Merrimack College North Carolina University at Greensboro Northeastern University Northwestern University Oklahoma State University Oregon State university Pennsylvania State University Quinnipiac University Regis University Rutgers University Saint Joseph's University Saint Louis University Slippery Rock University South Dakota State University Southern New Hampshire University Syracuse University University of Alabama Huntsville University of California Berkeley University of California Riverside University of Colorado Denver University of Maryland Baltimore County University of Missouri Columbia University of Oklahoma Norman Campus University of Phoenix University of Wisconsin System Villanova University West Virginia University The three top ranking online programs surveyed include Dakota State University (1st) followed by Southern New Hampshire University and Regis University. Notable trends in the report show a growth in online data science programs at both traditionally prestigious research universities as well as universities with large online offerings and non-traditional delivery options with greater flexibility. This growth is in line with trade-specific higher education online growth as a whole. For data science in particular, favorable press on career prospects as well as massive demand could have played a large role in the rapid proliferation of online data science degree programs. Online Course Report (http://www.onlinecoursereport.com) is a leading authority in online education rankings and resources. The site publishes rankings, reviews, entertaining and informational material on traditional, corporate, and open online education opportunities. Contact: Merrill Cook, Managing Editor, Online Course Report Web: http://www.onlinecoursereport.com Email: [email protected] Phone: (731)234.6475 SOURCE Online Course Report SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) today reported that 10 of 11 samples of Ben & Jerry's ice cream tested positive for glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, or AMPA, glyphosate's main metabolite, or both. The results originated from independent lab testing of these flavors: Peanut Butter Cup, Peanut Butter Cookie, Vanilla (2 samples), Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, The Tonight Dough, Half Baked, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Americone Dream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Cherry Garcia was the only flavor that tested negative for glyphosate and/or AMPA. OCA is calling for Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont-based subsidiary of Unilever, to begin an immediate transition to using only organic ingredients, including milk, in its products or face a national and international consumer boycott. The groups also call on natural and organic food stores to drop the Ben & Jerry's brand unless the company commits to transitioning to organic. OCA International Director Ronnie Cummins said: "Ben & Jerry's falsely advertises its products as 'natural' and its brand as 'sustainable' and 'socially responsible.' Nothing could be further from the truth. "Ben & Jerry's profits are built on the back of an industrial dairy system that poisons the environment and produces pesticide-contaminated food products. Ben & Jerry's sales, driven in large part by its deceitful claims, damage the organic industry by cutting into the sales of authentic natural, grass-fed and organic producers." In March 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen." On July 7, California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added glyphosate to its Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. A report published January 2017, in the journal Nature, linked low doses of glyphosate to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, suggesting that there is no "safe" level of glyphosate despite otherwise indicated by regulatory agencies. Available by request: Summary of test results About Organic Consumers Association The Organic Consumers Association is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public-interest organization advocating on behalf of more than two million U.S. consumers for health, justice, and regeneration. For more information, please visit www.organicconsumers.org. @OCA_Press. SOURCE Organic Consumers Association Related Links http://www.organicconsumers.org BELLEVUE, Wash., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Gauguin Cruises (www.pgcruises.com), operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, features two 7-night Tahiti & the Society Islands voyages on The Gauguin offering the perfect way to celebrate December holidays in paradise. On The Gauguin's December 23, 2017 voyage, guests can enjoy a "White Christmas" on French Polynesia's white-sand beaches, or they can ring in the New Year on the South Seas in festive style during the December 30, 2017 cruise. The 7-night Tahiti & the Society Islands holiday cruises depart Papeete, Tahiti, and sail to Huahine, Taha'a (Motu Mahana), Bora Bora (overnight), and Moorea (overnight) in the Society Islands. In addition to cruising to beautiful islands in French Polynesia and highlighting Polynesian culture, these voyages feature complimentary access to Paul Gauguin Cruises' two exclusive retreats Motu Mahana, an islet off the coast of Taha'a, and a private beach in Bora Bora. At Motu Mahana, guests enjoy a day of watersports, Polynesian activities, a barbecue feast, and cocktails from full-service and floating bars. In Bora Bora, guests can relax on a white-sand beach and enjoy refreshments, a game of volleyball, and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters. The December 23rd sailing features Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientist Martin Robards, PhD, who is Director of the WCS Arctic Beringia program. During the voyage, he will share his research as part of the Wildlife Discovery Series. Robards manages a trans-boundary conservation program that comprises Alaska, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in northwestern Canada, and the Chukotka Peninsula in northeastern Russia. In this role, Robards collaborates with indigenous hunters in Arctic communities, as well as policy makers in Washington D.C., to protect marine mammals, shorebirds, and other threatened species in remote northern habitats. He is an expert in the ecological, social, and economic conditions of the Arctic. Robards has studied the impacts of energy development, commercial shipping, and climate change, and has helped to develop environmental policy. He will share his expertise in a series of lectures on topics that include WCS' Global Marine Program, the South Pacific, and global connectivity and Arctic conservation. Both holiday voyages feature the Stewards of Nature program, which invites guests to discover and value nature through hands-on, interactive learning for children and teens ages 7-17, as well as family members. Every day of the cruise, there is a combination of naturalist-led island and/or beach excursions, science activities, crafts, games, and other adventures. Depending on the itinerary, children might learn about underwater life during a snorkeling excursion, observe the ocean or the stars through binoculars or an onboard telescope, learn about different kinds of marine life and their habitats, reinforce their discoveries by playing Ocean Trivia or Oceanopoly, go on a dolphin-watching expedition, swim with sharks and rays, play beach games and race hermit crabs, enjoy a dance performance or a movie and a pizza party on board, and learn what it means to be a Steward of Nature. While all of the activities on the itinerary are included for children and teens through the nominal fee, family members are invited and encouraged to participate in most activities for the additional cost of the shore excursions. For more information on Paul Gauguin Cruises, contact a Travel Professional, call 800-848-6172, or visit www.pgcruises.com. About Paul Gauguin Cruises Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 5+-star cruise ship, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a deluxe cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the South Pacific. Paul Gauguin Cruises has been recognized by notable publications in travel and lifestyle and was recently voted "#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line" by readers in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2017. The line was also awarded #2 in the category of "Top Small Cruise Lines" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2016 Readers' Choice Awards and recognized on the publication's 2016 "Gold List." Paul Gauguin Cruises was also selected as "Best Small-Ship Cruise Line" in Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards in 2016 and 2017, and recently received top honors as the "#1 Cruise Line for Honeymooners" in BRIDES Magazine's 2017 Honeymoon Awards. Media Contact: Paul Gauguin Cruises Vanessa Bloy, Director of Public Relations (425) 440-6255/ [email protected] From Travel + Leisure Magazine, August 2017 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Used under license. Travel + Leisure and Time Inc. Affluent Media Group are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Paul Gauguin Cruises. SOURCE Paul Gauguin Cruises Related Links http://www.pgcruises.com SAN DIEGO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pfenex Inc. (NYSE MKT: PFNX) announced today that its second quarter 2017 financial results will be released on Wednesday August 9, 2017, after the market close. At 4:30 pm Eastern Time, Pfenex management will host a conference call to discuss the financial results and provide a business update. A press release outlining the financial results and business update will be publicly distributed prior to the call. Please call 1-866-376-8058 (US) or 1-412-542-4131 (international) and reference Pfenex to access the call. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately one hour after the call until August 16, 2017. To access the teleconference replay please call 1-877-344-7529 (US) or 1-412-317-0088 (international) and enter the passcode 10111015. The conference call will also be available as a webcast. To access the webcast link please log on to www.pfenex.com. Pfenex investors and others should note that we announce material information to the public about the Company through a variety of means, including our website (http://www.pfenex.com/), our investor relations website (http://pfenex.investorroom.com/), press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, corporate Twitter account (https://twitter.com/pfenex), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Pfenex-Inc-105908276167776/timeline/), and LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pfenex-inc) in order to achieve broad, non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public and to comply with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. We encourage our investors and others to monitor and review the information we make public in these locations as such information could be deemed to be material information. Please note that this list may be updated from time to time. About Pfenex Inc. Pfenex Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company engaged in the development of biosimilar therapeutics and high-value and difficult to manufacture proteins. The company's lead product candidates are PF708, a therapeutic equivalent candidate to Forteo (teriparatide) for the treatment of osteoporosis, and PF582, a biosimilar candidate to Lucentis (ranibizumab), for the potential treatment of patients with retinal diseases. Pfenex has leveraged its Pfenex Expression Technology platform to build a pipeline of product candidates and preclinical products under development including other biosimilars, as well as vaccines, therapeutic equivalents to reference listed drug products, and next generation biologics. SOURCE Pfenex Inc. Related Links http://www.pfenex.com NEW YORK, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Digital Payment Fraud: From EMV Chips to Tokenization in Mobile Wallets Unconventional Job Searching Tips and Strategies MEDIA JOBS Senior Staff Writer Columbia Journalism Review Data Journalist Activist Insight Chief News Editor The Wall Street Journal OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES Poynter: Capturing Results Through Successful Social Media Headlines These 5 tips will take your portrait photography to the next level Doodling: How to Unlock New Ideas ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS: Digital Payment Fraud: From EMV Chips to Tokenization in Mobile Wallets Matt Herren Product Manager Computer Services Inc. Paducah, KY "Although the switch to EMV marked a significant milestone against fraud, the increased level of security primarily protects against in-person fraud and theft. Fraudsters are working diligently to outsmart payments technology, moving from point-of-sale fraud to a more vulnerable arena: card-not-present (CNP) transactions. Most consumers who pay bills, frequently shop online, or use Apple Pay or Samsung Pay are already familiar with CNP transactions. Here, EMV does not apply, since there is no physical reader to ensure the chip credentials are valid. Instead, payments providers are turning to tokenization to provide stronger protections for both mobile payments and CNP transactions online. Tokenization is a natural progression from EMV that limits access to vital card information, and keeps payment and account data secure." Herren is the author of Adapting to the Evolving Digital Payments Landscape (whitepaper), and has also contributed to numerous blogs and articles on the topics of digital payments, tokenization, and security for publications including CBInsight and BankNews Learning Points. His session at the Merchant Risk Council Annual Conference was covered in the article "No Easy Answers as E-Retailers Contend With Compounding Payments Developments" (Digital Transaction). Website: http://www.csiweb.com/ Media Contact: Phil Roulier, [email protected] Unconventional Job Searching Tips and Strategies Ryan McCormick Co-Founder Goldman McCormick Public Relations "In unconventional economic times, conventional thinking may actually limit all of the doors that could be opening for you." McCormick is available to share tips to help job seekers land a position, including: 1) Stop sending Word resumes as a file attachment. Sometimes they get caught in email spam filters. You're better off pasting your resume in the base of the email so it can be read from a smartphone. 2) Create an online resume through WordPress. Some people are very visual, and when you show that you're much more than just words on a resume, you open the possibility of connecting with them on many other levels. 3) Write a handwritten thank you card after the interview. It's a real nice touch and will make you stand out, as people rarely do this. Website: www.goldmanmccormick.com Expert Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected] **************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board:https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Senior Staff Writer Columbia Journalism Review Data Journalist Activist Insight Chief News Editor The Wall Street Journal ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] POYNTER: CAPTURING RESULTS THROUGH SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL MEDIA HEADLINES. Politico social media editor Trevor Eischen recently shared insightful advice on how to craft social posts to drive site traffic and increase engagement. Eischen spoke for a Poynter webinar entitled, "How To Write Sharper Social Headlines." http://bit.ly/2vmxBZR recently shared insightful advice on how to craft social posts to drive site traffic and increase engagement. Eischen spoke for a Poynter webinar entitled, "How To Write Sharper Social Headlines." http://bit.ly/2vmxBZR THESE 5 TIPS WILL TAKE YOUR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL. If you're looking for ways to enhance your photography, here are our top five tips for your next one-on-one photo session: http://bit.ly/2vFdBBd DOODLING: HOW TO UNLOCK NEW IDEAS. According to studies in neuroscience, psychology and design, those who doodle typically are better able to grasp new concepts, stay focused, and refine creative ideas. Ultimately, doodling is a thinking tool; you can use it to hone your creative mind: http://prn.to/doodling **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To contact ProfNet: [email protected] or 800-776-3638, ext. 1 SOURCE ProfNet Related Links http://www.profnet.com "After a comprehensive search process, the board is pleased to have found the best individual to lead the PFF into its next stage of growth," said George Eliades, Chairman of the PFF board of directors. "Bill is a leader in health care advocacy, particularly in the areas of strategic planning, public policy and fundraising. In addition, Bill's expertise with volunteers and donors will maximize the impact of important upcoming initiatives such as our biennial PFF Summit in Nashville and inaugural PFF Walk this fall." As CEO of the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), Schmidt managed the largest non-governmental source of funding for retinal degenerative disease research in the world. During his tenure at the FFB, Schmidt grew annual revenues from $16 million to $40 million. Between 2015 and 2017, Schmidt helped lead a major gifts campaign that raised over $110 million for vision research. He also served as CEO of the FFB Clinical Research Institute, the clinical research arm of the FFB. "I'm honored and grateful to the board for the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with pulmonary fibrosis," said Schmidt. "Working with ambitious patient-led groups to eradicate disease has been my life's work. Together with the board, staff and community, we can move toward a world free of the devastating impact of pulmonary fibrosis." Schmidt has held senior executive roles at several health advocacy organizations, including the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A native of Evanston, Ill., Schmidt received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and completed the Kellogg Graduate School of Management's Executive Development Program. He graduated with honors from Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. The PFF Summit 2017, its fourth biennial international health care conference will be held from November 9-11, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or 312.587.9272 from outside of the US. CONTACT: Dorothy Coyle 773-332-6201 SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Related Links http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org BALTIMORE, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pyxis Energy has partnered with Generac Power Systems Inc. to bring environmentally friendly, automated generator solutions to homes and businesses. The company has launched their new product Alternative Market Power or AMP, an innovative reliability service that aims to keep their customers' energy grid independent. No longer will homeowners and businesses have to worry about failing utility infrastructure, the increasing number of natural disasters or the threat of cyber terrorism shutting down the power grid. "With AMP, our customers are protected from power outages 24 hours a day, seven days a week," says Del Hilber, Founder and Managing Partner of Pyxis Energy. "Better still, homeowners and small businesses can have the reliability of a Generac generator for little to no upfront cost, no hassle, and no maintenance responsibilities." All that's required for AMP customers is a low monthly reliability fee and an electric and gas broker relationship with Pyxis Energy. AMP generators are environmentally friendly and EPA-certified for non-emergency use due to advancements in engine technology. The generators, fueled by natural gas or liquid propane, can run without restriction and will start automatically to provide backup power during power outages. Occasionally, Pyxis Energy will remotely dispatch the generator to protect against electrical grid instability or to offset extreme market conditions. Pyxis Energy retains ownership of generator and associated micro-grid hardware for the term of the customer agreement. AMP generators are engineered and built in the USA and installed by locally owned and licensed Generac dealers. Generators are monitored in real-time, and should any issue occur, a local Generac dealer is dispatched. All generators are maintained and serviced according to Generac guidelines or better, which maximizes the useful life of the hardware and its availability. Pyxis Energy is led by Del Hilber and Christopher Patino. Together they have nearly 40 years of combined experience in the energy industry including in energy procurement, energy business consulting, demand response, and distributed generation. Pyxis Energy serves customers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. To learn more about the company and their new product Alternative Market Power, visit pyxisenergy.com. About Pyxis Energy Founded in 2014, Pyxis Energy in an industry innovator in energy reliability solutions for homes and small businesses. The company is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, visit PyxisEnergy.com. Media Contact: Bethany Pennypacker, Media Coordinator Email: [email protected] Phone: 844.44PYXIS (844.447.9947) Related Files PyxisAMP_Customer Introduction_20170717_PROOFED.pdf Resi Slick AMP - Final.pdf Related Images image1.png image2.jpg Related Links New Website (password protected) Current website Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clc-J52LHSc SOURCE Pyxis Energy Related Links http://PyxisEnergy.com NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Aging black men are at much greater risk of dying prematurely of colorectal cancer than any other group in the United States, and are less likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed at an early stage of the disease. Now a new study finds that patients who participated in a patient navigator program in which they enrolled at their barbershops were twice as likely to get screened for colorectal cancer. The new clinical trial was led by the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, and published recently in the American Journal of Public Health. It is the first, say the authors, to evaluate patient navigation where healthcare staff guide patients toward colorectal cancer screening in a timely fashion in a true community setting. Unlike the newly published MISTER B study (the Multi-intervention study to Improve colorectal cancer Screening and To Enhance Risk reduction in Black men), most prior studies of programs that link black men to patient navigators to prevent colorectal cancer have based themselves at clinics. Specifically, the researchers found that participants who received help from the navigators in MISTER B were twice as likely to get screened as those who did not receive a patient navigator. "Black men are less likely than the general population to be insured and to have a personal doctor, which is why we went beyond the clinic and to the community," said Joseph Ravenell, MD, MPH, the principal investigator of the study and associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone's Center for Healthful Behavior Change. "Barbershops in particular hold special appeal for community-based intervention trials, are popular forums for open conversation, and could be leveraged to lessen the death rate from colorectal cancer in black men." How the MISTER B Study Was Conducted From late 2009 to late 2013, community health workers visited 111 interested barbershops in all five boroughs of New York City, screening 4,025 black male customers or nearby residents aged 50 or older for eligibility based on whether they were up-to-date for colorectal screening. The study then enrolled 731 men in one of three groups. The first group was paired with a patient navigator who would help them address barriers to setting up a colorectal screening. These included a lack of insurance coverage and a lack of knowledge about the need for screening, available options, and screening locations. The second group, which was the control group, received motivational interviewing intervention for blood pressure control by a trained counselor, and the third group received both interventions. Researchers then reviewed health education materials published by the American Cancer Society addressing colorectal cancer screening and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on high blood pressure self-management with all participants. Those randomized to the patient navigation intervention received follow-up phone calls from patient navigators within two weeks and periodically over the course of six months to help them schedule a colonoscopy, or choose another type of screening for colorectal cancer. Participants who preferred fecal immunochemical test screening were sent a kit and instructions by mail, and received follow-up calls from the navigator to confirm the testing. Six months after enrollment, 17.5 percent of men who were enrolled in the patient navigation arm, and 17.8 percent of men who got both patient navigation and motivational interviewing were screened for colorectal cancer, compared to 8.4 percent of those who got no extra support for colorectal cancer screening. The participants faced several challenges in getting adequate healthcare, according to study findings. Only 60 percent had a personal physician, and only 40 percent had received a checkup within the past year. Many were uninsured and had low health literacy. The median salary was $16,726an income low enough in New York City to make someone eligible for housing assistance. Almost one-third had less than a high school education, and nearly one-half were unemployed. "Although previous studies have shown that patient navigation improves colorectal cancer screening among ethnic minorities in clinical settings, our study is the first of this scale to look at a community approach," said Helen Cole, DrPH, first author and a former project coordinator at NYU Langone, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques in Barcelona, Spain. "These findings add to the growing body of evidence that healthcare systems should expand their work in trusted community spaces to reach those who might not be seen in a clinical setting." Along with Dr. Ravenell and Dr. Cole, the study authors were Hayley Thompson, PhD, of the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program in Communication and Behavioral Oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute; Marilyn White, MD, and Ruth Browne, PhD, of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH, and Scott Braithwaite, MD, MS, of the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine; Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH, of the Departments of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; and Carla Boutin-Foster, MD, MS, of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluative Sciences at Weill Cornell Medical Center. The study was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities grant 1P60MD003421 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant 1U48DP002671. Media Inquiries: Elaine Meyer Phone: (646) 501-2895 [email protected] SOURCE NYU Langone Health DECATUR Though she's always known she wanted a job before heading to college, Kendra Hentz got a much clearer picture of her goals Monday. Kendra, 15, joined nine other Decatur-area teenagers on a tour of Caterpillar Inc., where they learned about job opportunities in engineering and design. Im actually interested in working (here) now before I go off to college, she said. The engineer things weve gone over throughout the day, Ive learned that Im good at that. The girls, all between the ages of 12 and 16, are members of a nonprofit group called Sista Girls and Friends, founded in November 2013 to promote empowerment of young women and girls. On Monday's daylong trip, they explored the Caterpillar facility, including stops at the Assembly Training Lab and hearing from female engineers. The visit fit with one of the group's goals of exposing teens to demands in the workforce and opportunities available in the Decatur area, said Sista Girls President and Founder Melverta Wilkins. This was the first time the girls were able to gain firsthand experience inside a local business. As an added benefit, touring Caterpillar allowed them to learn about opportunities in a workforce that has historically been male-dominated. I want them to know more about women in this type (of job). A lot of times people dont see women in the manufacturing role or as an engineer, said Wilkins, who serves as the product change control engineer at Caterpillar. They can begin to see that there are so many more opportunities for women. Overall, about 20 percent of undergraduate engineering degrees are awarded to women, but only 13 percent of the engineering workforce is female, according to a 2016 study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The girls also worked on personal story boards detailing what theyve learned, an exercise that Wilkins said the aims to help them shape their own narrative. I want them to be able to tell their stories, she said. A lot of times we have a story, but when you can see it written out, you can then begin to tell that story. GiAnna Marie Muex, 12, said the visit reinforced a message heard throughout her time with Sista Girls and Friends. You have to have a positive attitude to be successful, said GiAnna, of Decatur. And you need to take the job seriously. Among those on hand to help the girls through their trip was Emily Marlene Cole, project manager at Caterpillar. A lifelong resident of Decatur, Cole said she did not become aware of the opportunities provided at Caterpillar until she was in college. She described Monday as a life-changing experience for the girls to learn about available careers. If I had this experience when I was a kid, it may have changed what I did growing up and my approach to college, Cole said. I hope they now know what engineering provides and about potential career opportunities they may not have known existed. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 63 Market Data Tables and 61 Figures spread through 149 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Ride Hailing Market - Global Forecast to 2025" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/mobility-on-demand-market-198699113.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report "E-hailing to be the largest segment of Ride Hailing Market, by service type" E-hailing is expected to dominate the Ride Hailing Market. It solves the problem of the first and last mile connectivity for passengers. E-hailing is predominant in urban areas because of declining trend of car ownership and increasing consumer preference. E-hailing significantly reduces waiting time for taxi and provides precise time using GPS. Consumers towards app based e-hailing owing to its user friendliness, focus on better customer service and innovative pricing system. Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=198699113 "Electric vehicles to be the fastest growing segment in the Ride Hailing Market, by vehicle type" The electric vehicle segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Electric vehicles are expected to catch up with IC engine vehicles, which currently dominate the market. The anticipated development of electric vehicles along with autonomous and self-driving cars are expected to change the Ride Hailing Market landscape as need of driver for mobility will be vanished. Asia-Pacific is expected to have the fastest growing market for electric vehicle due to government incentives and increasing supporting infrastructure. Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=198699113 "Asia-Pacific to have the largest market size during the forecast period" Asia-Pacific is estimated to dominate the Ride Hailing Market, and is projected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in Asia-Pacific market is attributed to wide customer base due to dense population and rising urbanization in emerging economies such as China and India. Factors such as increasing urbanization and rising traffic congestion will drive the demand for Ride hailing services. For countries like India and China, the consumer preference is changing and with the rising population, the need for Ride hailing is increasing in order to cater to the increase in the consumer basket. The Ride Hailing Market is dominated by a few global players, and comprises several regional players. Some of the key players operating in the Ride hailing ecosystem are Uber Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Delphi Automotive Plc (U.K.), Denso Corporation (Japan), Intel Corporation (U.S.), and TomTom NV (The Netherlands). Browse Related Reports IoT Fleet Management Market by Platform (Device Management, Application Enablement Platform, and Network Management), Services (Professional, Managed), Cloud Deployment (Public, Private, Hybrid), Solutions, Fleet Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/iot-fleet-management-market-246122062.html Connected Rail Market by Service (Passenger Mobility, PIS, Train Tracking & Monitoring, Automated Fare Collection System, Predictive maintenance), Rail signaling system (PTC, CBTC & ATC), Rolling Stock, and Region - Global forecast to 2022 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/connected-rail-market-196887119.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. 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: Mr. Rohan MarketsandMarkets 701 Pike Street Suite 2175, Seattle, WA 98101, United States Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Blog: http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/automotive-and-transportation Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MENLO PARK, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE symbol: RHI) today reported revenues and earnings for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. For the quarter ended June 30, 2017, net income was $80 million, or $.64 per share, on revenues of $1.31 billion. Net income for the prior year's second quarter was $92 million, or $.71 per share, on revenues of $1.34 billion. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, net income was $159 million, or $1.26 per share, on revenues of $2.60 billion. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, net income was $175 million, or $1.35 per share, on revenues of $2.65 billion. "Second-quarter revenues for the company were strongest internationally, but we also were pleased with the quarter-over-quarter, sequential performance of our domestic staffing operations," said Harold M. Messmer, Jr., chairman and CEO of Robert Half. "Every U.S. staffing line of business reported higher sequential revenue growth this year than the same period a year ago." Messmer added that the company's return on invested capital in the second quarter was 29 percent. Robert Half management will conduct a conference call today at 5 p.m. EDT. The prepared remarks for this call are available now in the Investor Center of the Robert Half website ( www.roberthalf.com/investor-center ). Simply click on the Quarterly Conference Calls link. The dial-in number to listen to today's conference call is 877-814-0475 (+1-706-643-9224 outside the United States). The password is "Robert Half." A taped recording of this call will be available for replay beginning at approximately 8 p.m. EDT today and ending at 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 25. The dial-in number for the replay is 855-859-2056 (+1-404-537-3406 outside the United States). To access the replay, enter conference ID# 47079505. The conference call also will be archived in audio format on the company's website at www.roberthalf.com/investor-center . Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm and a recognized leader in professional consulting and staffing services. The company's specialized staffing divisions include Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam, for highly skilled administrative support professionals; Robert Half Technology, for project and full-time technology professionals; Robert Half Legal, for project and full-time staffing of lawyers, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group, for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. Robert Half also is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm that provides clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk and internal audit. Robert Half has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide. Certain information contained in this press release and its attachments may be deemed forward-looking statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect the company's future operating results or financial positions. These statements may be identified by words such as "estimate", "forecast", "project", "plan", "intend", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", or variations or negatives thereof, or by similar or comparable words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the global financial and economic situation; changes in levels of unemployment and other economic conditions in the United States or foreign countries where the company does business, or in particular regions or industries; reduction in the supply of candidates for temporary employment or the company's ability to attract candidates; the entry of new competitors into the marketplace or expansion by existing competitors; the ability of the company to maintain existing client relationships and attract new clients in the context of changing economic or competitive conditions; the impact of competitive pressures, including any change in the demand for the company's services, on the company's ability to maintain its margins; the possibility of the company incurring liability for its activities, including the activities of its temporary employees, or for events impacting its temporary employees on clients' premises; the possibility that adverse publicity could impact the company's ability to attract and retain clients and candidates; the success of the company in attracting, training, and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; the company's ability to comply with governmental regulations affecting personnel services businesses in particular or employer/employee relationships in general; whether there will be ongoing demand for Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulatory compliance services; the company's reliance on short-term contracts for a significant percentage of its business; litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities, including litigation that may be disclosed from time to time in the company's SEC filings; the ability of the company to manage its international operations and comply with foreign laws and regulations; the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the possibility that the additional costs the company will incur as a result of healthcare reform legislation may adversely affect the company's profit margins or the demand for the company's services; the possibility that the company's computer and communications hardware and software systems could be damaged or their service interrupted; and the possibility that the company may fail to maintain adequate financial and management controls and as a result suffer errors in its financial reporting. Additionally, with respect to Protiviti, other risks and uncertainties include the fact that future success will depend on its ability to retain employees and attract clients; there can be no assurance that there will be ongoing demand for Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulatory compliance services; failure to produce projected revenues could adversely affect financial results; and there is the possibility of involvement in litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities. Because long-term contracts are not a significant part of the company's business, future results cannot be reliably predicted by considering past trends or extrapolating past results. The company undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this release. A copy of this release is available at www.roberthalf.com/investor-center . ATTACHED : Summary of Operations Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Financial Measures ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share amounts) Quarter Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Net service revenues $ 1,308,428 $ 1,344,160 $ 2,595,798 $ 2,646,785 Direct costs of services 769,990 787,167 1,531,532 1,557,820 Gross margin 538,438 556,993 1,064,266 1,088,965 Selling, general and administrative expenses 407,721 407,496 807,970 805,570 Amortization of intangible assets 365 314 666 602 Interest income, net (355) (231) (578) (412) Income before income taxes 130,707 149,414 256,208 283,205 Provision for income taxes 50,391 57,798 97,371 108,173 Net income $ 80,316 $ 91,616 $ 158,837 $ 175,032 Diluted net income per share $ .64 $ .71 $ 1.26 $ 1.35 Shares: Basic 124,617 128,586 125,074 128,933 Diluted 125,104 129,329 125,758 129,733 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION (in thousands) Quarter Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) REVENUES: Accountemps $ 439,734 33.5 % $ 460,242 34.2 % $ 876,273 33.8 % $ 908,780 34.3 % OfficeTeam 244,369 18.7 % 246,391 18.3 % 480,548 18.5 % 487,111 18.4 % Robert Half Technology 157,832 12.1 % 168,605 12.6 % 315,271 12.1 % 332,878 12.6 % Robert Half Management Resources 156,361 12.0 % 156,845 11.7 % 313,810 12.1 % 312,479 11.8 % Robert Half Finance & Accounting 112,653 8.6 % 113,439 8.4 % 216,286 8.3 % 219,728 8.3 % Protiviti 197,479 15.1 % 198,638 14.8 % 393,610 15.2 % 385,809 14.6 % Total $ 1,308,428 100.0 % $ 1,344,160 100.0 % $ 2,595,798 100.0 % $ 2,646,785 100.0 % GROSS MARGIN: Temporary and consultant staffing $ 373,333 37.4 % $ 387,955 37.6 % $ 742,697 37.4 % $ 762,543 37.4 % Permanent placement staffing 112,440 99.8 % 113,228 99.8 % 215,871 99.8 % 219,367 99.8 % Risk consulting and internal audit services 52,665 26.7 % 55,810 28.1 % 105,698 26.9 % 107,055 27.7 % Total $ 538,438 41.2 % $ 556,993 41.4 % $ 1,064,266 41.0 % $ 1,088,965 41.1 % OPERATING INCOME: Temporary and consultant staffing $ 93,088 9.3 % $ 107,133 10.4 % $ 183,459 9.2 % $ 205,016 10.0 % Permanent placement staffing 21,046 18.7 % 24,576 21.7 % 39,348 18.2 % 46,078 21.0 % Risk consulting and internal audit services 16,583 8.4 % 17,788 9.0 % 33,489 8.5 % 32,301 8.4 % Total $ 130,717 10.0 % $ 149,497 11.1 % $ 256,296 9.9 % $ 283,395 10.7 % SELECTED CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Amortization of intangible assets $ 365 $ 314 $ 666 $ 602 Depreciation expense $ 15,946 $ 15,587 $ 31,845 $ 30,710 Capital expenditures $ 10,851 $ 24,930 $ 21,186 $ 43,740 Open market repurchases of common stock (shares) 1,017 1,012 2,137 1,694 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION (in thousands) June 30, 2017 2016 (Unaudited) SELECTED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION: Cash and cash equivalents $ 297,798 $ 238,714 Accounts receivable, less allowances $ 708,493 $ 732,193 Total assets $ 1,836,138 $ 1,750,358 Current liabilities $ 719,443 $ 668,179 Notes payable and other indebtedness, less current portion $ 750 $ 925 Total stockholders' equity $ 1,104,384 $ 1,069,508 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES The financial results of Robert Half International Inc. (the "Company") are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). To help readers understand the Company's financial performance, the Company supplements its GAAP financial results with revenue growth rates derived from non-GAAP revenue amounts. Variations in the Company's financial results include the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and billing days. The Company provides "same billing days and constant currency" revenue growth calculations to remove the impact of these items. These calculations show the year-over-year revenue growth rates for the Company's lines of business on both a reported basis and also on a same-day, constant-currency basis for global, U.S. and international operations. This information is presented for each of the six most recent quarters. The Company has provided this data because management believes it better reflects the Company's actual revenue growth rates and aids in evaluating revenue trends over time. The Company expresses year-over-year revenue changes as calculated percentages using the same number of billing days and constant currency exchange rates. The non-GAAP financial measures provided herein may not provide information that is directly comparable to that provided by other companies in the Company's industry, as other companies may calculate such financial results differently. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to actual revenue growth derived from revenue amounts presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company does not consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be a substitute for, or superior to, the information provided by GAAP financial results. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is provided on the following pages. ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATES (%) (UNAUDITED): Year-Over-Year Growth Rates (As Reported) Non-GAAP Year-Over-Year Growth Rates (Same Billing Days and Constant Currency) 2016 2017 2016 2017 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Global Accountemps 8.4 7.1 4.2 -3.0 -2.7 -4.5 8.3 6.5 4.9 -0.8 -3.3 -2.8 OfficeTeam 4.2 1.8 -1.5 -4.7 -1.9 -0.8 3.7 0.6 -1.3 -3.0 -2.6 0.8 RH Technology 6.8 1.8 -1.6 -4.9 -4.2 -6.4 6.2 0.9 -1.4 -3.4 -5.2 -5.1 RH Management Resources 7.5 10.2 3.1 -3.7 1.2 -0.3 7.7 9.4 3.7 -1.3 0.8 1.9 Temporary and consultant staffing 7.0 5.4 1.6 -3.8 -2.1 -3.3 6.7 4.5 2.1 -1.8 -2.8 -1.6 Permanent placement staffing 8.0 2.6 -5.1 -7.1 -2.5 -0.7 8.6 2.1 -4.5 -4.9 -3.1 1.4 Total staffing 7.1 5.1 1.0 -4.1 -2.2 -3.0 6.9 4.3 1.5 -2.1 -2.8 -1.3 Protiviti 14.4 9.2 7.4 3.2 4.8 -0.6 13.7 8.3 7.8 5.3 4.2 1.1 Total 8.1 5.7 2.0 -3.0 -1.2 -2.7 7.8 4.9 2.4 -1.0 -1.8 -0.9 United States Temporary and consultant staffing 8.5 4.6 0.4 -4.9 -4.4 -4.5 7.3 3.5 0.6 -3.5 -5.6 -3.5 Permanent placement staffing 12.9 3.8 -5.2 -9.4 -6.4 -2.6 11.6 2.7 -5.0 -8.1 -7.6 -1.6 Total staffing 8.9 4.5 -0.1 -5.3 -4.6 -4.3 7.6 3.4 0.1 -3.9 -5.8 -3.4 Protiviti 16.2 7.6 6.1 3.7 4.8 0.6 14.9 6.5 6.3 5.3 3.6 1.6 Total 9.9 5.0 0.9 -3.9 -3.2 -3.6 8.7 3.9 1.1 -2.4 -4.4 -2.6 International Temporary and consultant staffing 0.5 8.6 7.0 0.8 8.1 1.7 4.5 8.9 8.8 5.3 9.4 6.4 Permanent placement staffing -2.8 -0.3 -4.9 -1.3 7.6 4.0 2.0 0.8 -3.4 2.9 8.4 8.7 Total staffing 0.0 7.2 5.3 0.5 8.0 2.1 4.1 7.7 7.0 5.0 9.3 6.7 Protiviti 5.4 17.3 15.2 0.7 4.5 -6.0 8.0 17.5 16.6 5.3 7.2 -1.1 Total 0.6 8.4 6.5 0.5 7.6 1.0 4.6 8.9 8.1 5.0 9.0 5.7 The non-GAAP financial measures included in the table above adjust for the following items: Foreign Currency Translation. The "As Reported" revenue growth rates are based upon reported revenues, which include the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In order to calculate "Constant Currency" revenue growth rates, as-reported amounts are retranslated using foreign exchange rates from the prior year's comparable period. Billing Days. The "As Reported" revenue growth rates are based upon reported revenues. Management calculates a global, weighted-average number of billing days for each reporting period based upon input from all countries and all lines of business. In order to remove the fluctuations caused by comparable periods having different billing days, the company calculates "same billing day" revenue growth rates by dividing each comparative period's reported revenues by the calculated number of billing days for that period to arrive at a "per billing day" amount. The "same billing day" growth rates are then calculated based upon the "per billing day" amounts. The term "same billing days and constant currency" means that the impact of different billing days has been removed from the constant currency calculation. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP year-over-year revenue growth rates to the "As Reported" year-over-year revenue growth rates is included herein on Pages 8-10. ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED): Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth GLOBAL Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016 Q1 2017 Q2 2017 Accountemps As Reported 8.4 7.1 4.2 -3.0 -2.7 -4.5 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.1 1.0 Currency Impact 1.1 0.5 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.7 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 8.3 6.5 4.9 -0.8 -3.3 -2.8 OfficeTeam As Reported 4.2 1.8 -1.5 -4.7 -1.9 -0.8 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact 0.7 -0.1 0.0 0.3 0.5 0.6 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 3.7 0.6 -1.3 -3.0 -2.6 0.8 Robert Half Technology As Reported 6.8 1.8 -1.6 -4.9 -4.2 -6.4 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.1 0.9 Currency Impact 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 6.2 0.9 -1.4 -3.4 -5.2 -5.1 Robert Half Management Resources As Reported 7.5 10.2 3.1 -3.7 1.2 -0.3 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.2 0.2 1.5 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact 1.5 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.8 1.2 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 7.7 9.4 3.7 -1.3 0.8 1.9 Temporary and consultant staffing As Reported 7.0 5.4 1.6 -3.8 -2.1 -3.3 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.2 0.2 1.4 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.7 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 6.7 4.5 2.1 -1.8 -2.8 -1.6 Permanent placement staffing As Reported 8.0 2.6 -5.1 -7.1 -2.5 -0.7 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.2 0.2 1.4 -1.2 1.1 Currency Impact 1.8 0.7 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.0 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 8.6 2.1 -4.5 -4.9 -3.1 1.4 Total staffing As Reported 7.1 5.1 1.0 -4.1 -2.2 -3.0 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.1 1.0 Currency Impact 1.1 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.7 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 6.9 4.3 1.5 -2.1 -2.8 -1.3 Protiviti As Reported 14.4 9.2 7.4 3.2 4.8 -0.6 Billing Days Impact -1.4 -1.1 0.2 1.6 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.7 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 13.7 8.3 7.8 5.3 4.2 1.1 Total As Reported 8.1 5.7 2.0 -3.0 -1.2 -2.7 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.1 0.1 1.4 -1.1 1.0 Currency Impact 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.7 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 7.8 4.9 2.4 -1.0 -1.8 -0.9 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED): Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth UNITED STATES Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016 Q1 2017 Q2 2017 Temporary and consultant staffing As Reported 8.5 4.6 0.4 -4.9 -4.4 -4.5 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 7.3 3.5 0.6 -3.5 -5.6 -3.5 Permanent placement staffing As Reported 12.9 3.8 -5.2 -9.4 -6.4 -2.6 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.1 0.2 1.3 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 11.6 2.7 -5.0 -8.1 -7.6 -1.6 Total staffing As Reported 8.9 4.5 -0.1 -5.3 -4.6 -4.3 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.2 0.9 Currency Impact Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 7.6 3.4 0.1 -3.9 -5.8 -3.4 Protiviti As Reported 16.2 7.6 6.1 3.7 4.8 0.6 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.1 0.2 1.6 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 14.9 6.5 6.3 5.3 3.6 1.6 Total As Reported 9.9 5.0 0.9 -3.9 -3.2 -3.6 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.5 -1.2 1.0 Currency Impact Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 8.7 3.9 1.1 -2.4 -4.4 -2.6 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES REVENUE GROWTH RATE (%) RECONCILIATION (UNAUDITED): Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth INTERNATIONAL Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016 Q1 2017 Q2 2017 Temporary and consultant staffing As Reported 0.5 8.6 7.0 0.8 8.1 1.7 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.2 0.3 1.5 -1.4 1.1 Currency Impact 5.2 1.5 1.5 3.0 2.7 3.6 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 4.5 8.9 8.8 5.3 9.4 6.4 Permanent placement staffing As Reported -2.8 -0.3 -4.9 -1.3 7.6 4.0 Billing Days Impact -1.1 -1.1 0.2 1.4 -1.3 1.1 Currency Impact 5.9 2.2 1.3 2.8 2.1 3.6 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 2.0 0.8 -3.4 2.9 8.4 8.7 Total staffing As Reported 0.0 7.2 5.3 0.5 8.0 2.1 Billing Days Impact -1.2 -1.1 0.2 1.6 -1.3 1.0 Currency Impact 5.3 1.6 1.5 2.9 2.6 3.6 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 4.1 7.7 7.0 5.0 9.3 6.7 Protiviti As Reported 5.4 17.3 15.2 0.7 4.5 -6.0 Billing Days Impact -1.3 -1.3 0.3 1.5 -1.3 1.0 Currency Impact 3.9 1.5 1.1 3.1 4.0 3.9 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 8.0 17.5 16.6 5.3 7.2 -1.1 Total As Reported 0.6 8.4 6.5 0.5 7.6 1.0 Billing Days Impact -1.1 -1.1 0.2 1.6 -1.4 1.1 Currency Impact 5.1 1.6 1.4 2.9 2.8 3.6 Same Billing Days and Constant Currency 4.6 8.9 8.1 5.0 9.0 5.7 SOURCE Robert Half Related Links http://www.roberthalf.com MIAMI, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Elections are around the corner. However, less GOP candidates are standing through the race. The fate of the City of New York relies on an Assembly member from Staten Island, the current NYC Mayor and a businessman from San Diego. Rocky De La Fuente keeps highlighting the importance of affordable housing and job improvement to make New York the City what it used to be. The competition stands with two Republican candidates. Nicole Malliotakis, a 36-year-old state Assembly member from Staten Island, with experience in politics and Rocky De La Fuente, a businessman from San Diego who is an entrepreneur that understands management and every requirement that comes along when you build companies from the ground. Both candidates have different proposals in their government plans, Malliotakis focused on Senior Citizens, Veterans, and Animal Rights. Meanwhile, Rocky De La Fuente has placed homelessness, temporary housing programs, and rehabilitation programs as a priority in his government plan solutions, issues that affect the City of New York and its residents. Rocky De La Fuente said, "Let's stop our best and brightest workers from leaving New York City, we need to address homelessness and affordable housing with real solutions, we need to make New York City great again." De La Fuente ran for office with the Democrat party in 2016. In May 2017, he started his campaign to run for NYC Mayor. De La Fuente's campaign team believes he will complete the requirements to continue in the race to be the NYC Mayor. De La Fuente expresses that "real good solutions are needed, solutions that make sense and benefit our communities and the city as a whole." About Rocky de La Fuente Rocky De La Fuente is a business man that wanted to pursue the American Dream, he has successfully built companies from the ground and overcome any obstacles. "Join Rocky and Let's Save New York Together." Maribel Zambrana [email protected] +1(786)478-8007 SOURCE The Office of Rocky de la Fuente ATLANTA and MARIETTA, Ga., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL) has entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Northwest Exterminating Co., Inc. to acquire its pest control business. This will be a cash purchase, and the transaction is expected to close in early August, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions and regulatory approval. This is Rollins' largest acquisition since it acquired HomeTeam Pest Defense in 2008. Based in Marietta, Ga., Northwest provides pest control, termite, and wildlife services for approximately 120,000 customers in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. The company has developed relationships with premier home builders to provide pre-treatment services. The family-owned and operated organization was established in 1951 by L.A. Phillips and his wife Emma Lene Phillips. From a family of two, the company has grown to a family of more than 500 team members and 23 service centers through the southeast. With reported 2016 revenue of just over $50 million, pest control industry trade publication PCT Magazine listed Northwest as the 17th largest pest control operator in the country in its most recent 2017 list. Rollins will partner with the Phillips family, who will remain with the company, along with their entire management team. Northwest will continue to operate as a separate business, and one of Rollins' Specialty Brands, along with: HomeTeam, Western Pest Services and Waltham. "We are most pleased to have entered into this agreement with the Northwest organization." said John Wilson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Rollins, Inc. "This acquisition provides significant opportunity for both Rollins and Northwest to grow and learn from each other. We see many benefits from this combination. Northwest has built a valuable business and a loyal team, as well as a reputation for excellent service. We look forward to working with Northwest's president, Steve Phillips, and his great group of professionals." Steve Phillips, son of the company founder said, "We are excited to have found a partner in Rollins that will take excellent care of our team members and provide extraordinary service to our customers after the transition of ownership. Rollins shares the values that Northwest was founded on namely: honesty, integrity and excellence." About Rollins Rollins, Inc. is a premier global consumer and commercial services company. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Orkin LLC., HomeTeam Pest Defense, Orkin Canada, Western Pest Services, Critter Control, Inc., The Industrial Fumigant Company, Trutech LLC., Rollins Australia, Waltham Services LLC., PermaTreat, Rollins UK, and Crane Pest Control, the Company provides essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to more than two million customers in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, Mexico, and Australia from more than 700 locations. You can learn more about Rollins and its subsidiaries by visiting our web sites at www.orkin.com, www.pestdefense.com, www.westernpest.com, www.orkincanada.ca, www.crittercontrol.com, www.indfumco.com, www.trutechinc.com, www.allpest.com.au, www.walthamservices.com, www.permatreat.com, www.cranepestcontrol.com, www.murraypestcontrol.com.au, www.statewidepestcontrol.com.au,, www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk, and www.rollins.com. You can also find this and other news releases at www.rollins.com by accessing the news releases button. ROL-IR CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include the expectation that the cash transaction will close in early August, 2017; the Company's expectation that it will partner with the Phillips family, who will remain with the company, along with their entire management team; Northwest's continuing to operate as a separate business as one of the Company's Specialty Brands; That the acquisition provides significant opportunity for both Rollins and Northwest to grow and learn from each other; That there will be many benefits from this combination; That Northwest has built a valuable business and a loyal team, as well as a reputation for excellent service; the expectation of excellent service for the Northwest customers during and after the transition of ownership. The actual results of the Company could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, general economic conditions; market risk; changes in industry practices or technologies; the degree of success of the Company's pest and termite process reforms and pest control selling and treatment methods; the Company's ability to identify and integrate potential acquisitions; climate and weather trends; competitive factors and pricing practices; expected benefits of the commercial re-engineering project may not be realized; potential increases in labor costs; uncertainties of litigation; and changes in various government laws and regulations, including environmental regulations. All of the foregoing risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. A more detailed discussion of potential risks facing the Company can be found in the Company's Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2016. For Further Information Contact Eddie Northen (404) 888-2242 SOURCE Rollins, Inc. Related Links http://www.rollins.com (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538405/Rosalind_Hewsenian.jpg ) Prior to joining Helmsley, Roz was Chief Executive Officer of Clay Findlay, the Global Equity firm, and for 21 years a senior executive at Wilshire Associates, the prominent investment consulting firm, where she was a Managing Director and Principal. Prior to Wilshire, Roz was VP Operations of Dimensional Fund Advisors. Stan Miranda, CEO of Partners Capital, said, "we welcome Roz to the Board as a leading institutional CIO and thought leader in our industry, who will bring another valuable dimension to our very active Board as we continue to build out the strategic future of the firm. This is a significant development for Partners Capital as it brings a highly experienced industry perspective to our Board, which now includes four fully-independent Directors." About Partners Capital Founded in 2001, Partners Capital is a wholly independent Outsourced Investment Office (OCIO) primarily serving sophisticated institutions and senior investment professionals in Europe, North America and Asia. With offices in Boston, New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong, the firm is one of the few truly global OCIOs, employing 130 people worldwide and covering all major asset classes. The firm oversees assets of more than $20 billion. Its institutional clients include 12 Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, Eton College, The Metropolitan Opera in New York, the National Gallery in London, the Research Foundation for the State of New York's University System, the Royal Academy of Arts, Milton Academy, INSEAD business school and the Cancer Research Institute, amongst others. Additional information on Partners Capital may be found at http://www.partners-cap.com. SOURCE Partners Capital MIAMI, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Tuesday, August 1, 2017, to discuss the company's second quarter 2017 financial results. The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns and operates three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. We are a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises, a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur and a minority shareholder in SkySea cruises. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 49 ships with an additional twelve on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 535 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or www.rclinvestor.com. SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Related Links http://www.royalcaribbean.com ATLANTA, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present the first U.S. solo museum exhibition of designs by eminent Chinese couturiere Guo Pei, Sept. 7, 2017March 4, 2018, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film. Guo Pei, dress from the An Amazing Journey in a Childhood Dream collection, 2008. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present the first U.S. solo museum exhibition of designs by eminent Chinese couturiere Guo Pei, Sept. 7, 2017March 4, 2018, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, Georgia. In her fantastical, unrestrained creations, Guo Pei imbues contemporary high fashion with ancient tradition, invoking history and mythology through intricate craftsmanship and avant-garde silhouettes rife with symbolism. This landmark exhibition will feature more than 30 of Guo Pei's most exquisite gowns, accordant footwear and accessories, including the now-iconic imperial yellow cape worn by Rihanna to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala in 2015 a seminal moment that introduced Guo Pei to America's fashion cognoscenti. In concert with the exhibition, SCAD is collaborating with alumni to produce a major monograph celebrating Guo Pei's spectacular oeuvre. The book, the first to focus solely on Guo Pei, will feature captivating new and archival images of the designer's work and offer insight into her remarkable career and global significance as an artist. The volume will be published by Skira Rizzoli and is slated for release in December 2017. "International superstar fashion artist Guo Pei is in a league of her own, as is SCAD, the preeminent source of knowledge in the disciplines we teach," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "It is our honor to partner with Guo Pei and with our friends at Rizzoli to publish the first grand compilation of her work as part of the SCAD Museum Book Collection. Readers will become immersed in the ethereal, magical world of Guo Pei and the wonders she creates." SCAD commissioned HOWL, a creative collective including three SCAD photography alumni Jim Lind (B.F.A., photography, 2010), Patrick O'Brien (B.F.A., photography, 2010) and Elliot Ross (B.F.A., photography, 2011) to capture Guo Pei's designs, which the team photographed in richly styled vignettes at locations throughout the Lowcountry. Supplemental studio images provide a closer examination of each garment's ornate artistry and opulent details. A short film chronicling the alumni collaboration and the production of the book is scheduled for release in conjunction with the exhibition's opening. A concise, complementary exhibition of Guo Pei's work will open in October 2017, at Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, Georgia. About Guo Pei Guo Pei is China's most renowned couturiere and the first Chinese national designer invited to join the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. For more than 20 years, she has dressed distinguished ladies, royalty, political elite and international influencers. Her show-stopping, magnificent creations make her a modern messenger of her cultural heritage. Guo Pei made her Paris Fashion Week debut in January 2016 to wide critical acclaim. Guo Pei has been named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" and one of The Business of Fashion's 500 "People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry." Her work has been covered by major international news and fashion media outlets, including Vogue, Women's Wear Daily, The Sunday Times, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, CNN and Forbes. About SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film celebrates fashion as a universal language, garments as important conduits of identity, and film as an immersive and memorable medium. Situated within the SCAD Atlanta campus at 1600 Peachtree St. NW, SCAD FASH focuses on the future of fashion design, connecting conceptual to historical principles of dress whether ceremonial, celebratory or casual and welcomes visitors of all ages to engage with dynamic exhibitions, captivating films and educationally enriching events. Within nearly 10,000 square feet of elegant and adaptable exhibition space, SCAD FASH brings a dynamic and distinct schedule of fashion-focused exhibitions and compelling films to the heart of Midtown Atlanta. SCAD FASH is named among Conde Nast Traveler's 16 best fashion museums in the world and the best global fashion resource in Atlanta by Creative Loafing. Beyond its extensive gallery space, SCAD FASH includes a fashion resource room for the presentation of techniques and materials, a state-of-the-art media lounge for educational film and digital presentations, collections storage, and a stunning grand entrance and lobby. An additional 27,000 square feet of academic and studio space also surrounds the perimeter of the museum, providing students immediate access to the museum and its resources. Fortified by the university's strong global presence and worldwide connections to renowned contemporary fashion designers, filmmakers and creative professionals all over the world, SCAD FASH is an integral part of the SCAD educational experience. Like the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art, SCAD FASH serves as a teaching museum and creative resource for students of all ages and a wellspring of inspiration for visitors. Through programming that engages the university's broad array of academic disciplines encompassing more than 40 majors and more than 75 minors SCAD FASH offers a diverse, year-round program of exhibitions, films, installations, performances and events to enliven and inspire SCAD students and the greater community. Every program is designed to engage and appeal to visitors with varied backgrounds and interests, from textiles and jewelry to photography and film. Throughout the year at each of its locations around the world, SCAD hosts a spectacular lineup of thought-provoking, sparkling, star-studded events that place art and design education front and center. SCAD FASH promotes valuable career-building connections and continues this rich tradition by affording students and professors across all disciplines the opportunity to celebrate works of wearable art and remarkable filmmaking, and to interact with the renowned and emerging creative professionals who create them. For more information, visit scadfash.org. About SCAD: The University for Creative Careers The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs in more than 40 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Hong Kong; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning. SCAD enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications and collaborative projects with corporate partners. In 2015, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD in the top four universities in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. In a study of Spring 2016 SCAD graduates, 98 percent of respondents reported being employed, pursuing further education or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit scad.edu. Social Media SCAD FASH (#SCADFASH): Instagram, Twitter (@scadfash) Facebook (SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film) SCAD (#SCAD): Instagram, Twitter (@SCADdotedu) Facebook (SCAD The University for Creative Careers) SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace: Instagram, Twitter and YouTube (@PaulaSWallace) SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Related Links http://www.scad.edu COLUMBIA, Md., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceBench, the leading provider of integrated service management solutions, announced a partnership with Cross Country Home Services (CCHS), a leader in home repair, maintenance and warranty services, to help CCHS improve resolution times for its customers. ServiceBench will help CCHS' expert service partners achieve more efficient job management and business operations by deploying a fully customized version of ServiceBench's cloud-based software platform modules including job management, dispatch, field service mobile, parts supplier integrations, claims and analytics for managing all service activities. The solution will provide CCHS with a full 360 view of each job dispatched to a third-party service professional. "Our solution will provide CCHS with a fully integrated 360 view of all jobs dispatched to third-party service pros," said Louis Rose, vice president and general manager, ServiceBench. "This aligns with our vision to seamlessly connect all trading partners in the service supply chain to maximize the customer service experience." The partnership comes as CCHS continues to seek new avenues to digitize and improve the customer experience, strengthen its value proposition with service partners, and boost its productivity and efficiency as the company continues its rapid growth. "We're committed to solving our customers' problems and supporting our service partners to improve their efficiency and effectiveness," said Steve Upshaw, CCHS chief executive officer. "That's why we partnered with ServiceBench to help create a seamless service experience as the new platform simplifies the claims process through in-home approvals. This is the first of many announcements to come as we continue to invest in new technologies to accelerate our digital transformation." About Cross Country Home Services Cross Country Home Services, Inc. (CCHS) is dedicated to making home repairs easier and more affordable with its warranty products and maintenance plans. Since 1978, the company has built a reputation for excellence, and today, is one of the nation's leading providers of these products and services. Consumers can buy home warranties and home maintenance plans directly from CCHS or through select affinity groups, financial institutions, insurance, real estate and utility partners. The products include some of the industry's best-known brands, including TotalProtect Home Warranty and HMS Home Warranty. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., CCHS is a member of the Cross Country Group, one of the largest privately-held providers of customer service programs in the United States. To learn more about CCHS, please visit www.cchs.com. About ServiceBench ServiceBench, an Asurion company, is a cloud-based software platform that provides a 360-degree view of a Service Event, connecting the people who manufacture, sell, service and warrant products to their consumers and the networks of companies that provide parts, service and install the product. Our tools focus on connecting trade partners, automating cumbersome business logic providing clients with a real time picture of the Service Event, and valuable analytics to better service their consumers. For more information visit www.servicebench.com. SOURCE ServiceBench Related Links https://www.servicebench.com Each stop is hosted by an ambassador that embodies the locale and requires a different OtterBox case series, showcasing the diversity of the protective options available from the No. 1-most trusted brand in case protection.1 The expedition will include: Deadwood, S.D. + Defender Series: Rodeo circuit regular and Fort Collins native Nate Jestes is kicking off the tour by strapping the iPhone into a Defender Series and road tripping to South Dakota to go face-to-face with some of the meanest bulls in existence during Days of '76 Rodeo. + Defender Series: Rodeo circuit regular and native Nate Jestes is kicking off the tour by strapping the iPhone into a Defender Series and road tripping to to go face-to-face with some of the meanest bulls in existence during Days of '76 Rodeo. Mexico City, Mexico + Symmetry Series: Aly Villegas, a TV host, takes iPhone to viva en Mexico where she will give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her style-centric life as a beauty queen, model and TV host. + Symmetry Series: Aly Villegas, a TV host, takes iPhone to viva en Mexico where she will give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her style-centric life as a beauty queen, model and TV host. Brooklyn, N.Y. + uniVERSE Case System: Chef Bao Bao, owner and executive chef at Baoburg in Brooklyn , takes the phone from the beauty scene to the kitchen where it will capture the ins and outs of a bustling up-and-coming restaurant and show off its versatility with uniVERSE modules. + uniVERSE Case System: Chef Bao Bao, owner and executive chef at Baoburg in , takes the phone from the beauty scene to the kitchen where it will capture the ins and outs of a bustling up-and-coming restaurant and show off its versatility with uniVERSE modules. Reykjavik, Iceland + Pursuit Series: Photographer Kylie Fly will take on the desolate, beautiful countryside of Iceland with the slim, rugged Pursuit Series to chase waterfalls, volcanos and gorgeous scenery. + Pursuit Series: Photographer Kylie Fly will take on the desolate, beautiful countryside of with the slim, rugged Pursuit Series to chase waterfalls, volcanos and gorgeous scenery. Paris + Strada Series: model, Bastian Grimal introduces iPhone to a life of luxury in Strada Series, while he tours around favorite spots in his hometown. + Strada Series: model, Bastian Grimal introduces iPhone to a life of luxury in Strada Series, while he tours around favorite spots in his hometown. Hong Kong + Commuter Series: Born and raised in Hong Kong , photographer Elaine Li takes iPhone through the busy streets she knows like the back of her hands. iPhone will follow her commute all around Hong Kong on trains, ferries, busses, bikes, drones and more. + Commuter Series: Born and raised in , photographer Elaine Li takes iPhone through the busy streets she knows like the back of her hands. iPhone will follow her commute all around on trains, ferries, busses, bikes, drones and more. San Francisco + Statement Series: Artist Heather Day brings iPhone back to the U.S., where it makes its final destination stop in Statement Series, the Apple-exclusive OtterBox case. Day will show off the more colorful side of San Francisco and simple side of iPhone in this simple yet elegant case. Follow the adventures of the OtterBox-encased iPhone through the seven stops by following OtterBox on Instagram or by visiting www.otterbox.com/pass-it-on. About OtterBox: OtterBox innovates bold products that deliver confidence and trust in any pursuit. From its humble beginnings with a drybox in a Fort Collins, Colo., garage, OtterBox has honed and leveraged its expertise in manufacturing and design to become the No. 1-selling smartphone case brand in the U.S. and a leader in rugged outdoor lifestyle products.2 At the center of every OtterBox innovation is a deeper goal to effect positive, lasting change. In partnership with the OtterCares Foundation, OtterBox grows to give back by inspiring kids to change the world through entrepreneurship and philanthropy. To learn more about this mission, visit otterbox.com/givingback. For more information, visit www.otterbox.com. Note: 1 Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service, US, Jan. 2013- Dec. 2016 2 Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service: Cell Phone Device Protection/Units Sold 1/2012 7/2016 2017 Otter Products, LLC. All rights reserved. OtterBox and all OtterBox logos, trademarks and symbols are the property of Otter Products, LLC. All other logos, trademarks and symbols are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE OtterBox Related Links http://www.otterbox.com SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognitive Code Corporation, creators of the SILVIA Intelligence Platform, is offering a highly secure solution for developing conversationally intelligent applications for toys, Internet of Things (IoT), and other connected devices. The FBI recently released a warning to parents about the risks of using the Internet with connected toys (link). Specifically, the FBI is concerned about the amount of personal information that could be "unwittingly disclosed" during normal use of the toy. SILVIA Technology from Cognitive Code Explaining a potential exploit, the FBI writes "Toys with microphones could record and collect conversations within earshot of the device. Information such as the child's name, school, likes and dislikes, and activities may be disclosed through normal conversation with the toy or in the surrounding environment. The collection of a child's personal information combined with a toy's ability to connect to the internet or other devices raises concerns for privacy and physical safety." The FBI's warning is not without merit. A previous breach of Vtech's data involved the theft of personal information from millions of children, highlighting how digital products connected to the internet often have insufficient security measures to protect users' private information. This is an ominous problem for a burgeoning industry, as research from Cisco indicates the number of connected devices will approach 50 billion units over the next five years. Cognitive Code is a technology company specializing in Conversational Artificial Intelligence similar to SIRI, Alexa, and IBM Watson. But with the SILVIA Intelligence Platform, Cognitive Code offers security features that heavily encrypt and lock private data to the device. While virtually every other conversational intelligence system requires interactions to be processed over the cloud, Cognitive Code's SILVIA technology operates natively on mobile devices, without the need of an internet connection. According to Leslie Spring, Founder and CEO at Cognitive Code, "Other systems take your voice input and then send it up to the internet where servers process the data and send back the reply. SILVIA handles all user interactions on the device, and it never sends voice data to the cloud. If the application does need to connect to the internet, it only sends the interpreted intent of the user." Cognitive Code's SILVIA intelligence technology is a cross-platform system for developing and deploying conversationally intelligent applications. Unlike other voice solutions, SILVIA can be deployed in compact and secure environments. With an extremely small footprint and minimal processing requirements, SILVIA can even be embedded at the silicon level. The SILVIA Platform allows for the rapid and easy development of conversational applications without the use of markup languages or programming. Cognitive Code is presently in closed beta testing of its new development tool, SILVIA Studio, and is targeting the release of their free version of the softeare later this Summer. Interested parties may sign-up for the beta program by visiting: www.silvia.ai About Cognitive Code Cognitive Code Corporation is a privately-held company specializing in conversational artificial intelligence systems based on their proprietary patented SILVIA technologies. More information about Cognitive Code and the SILVIA Platform is available at http://www.cognitivecode.com. Cognitive Code was named by Gartner as A Cool Vendor in Artificial Intelligence for Conversational Platforms, 2017 Media Contact: Mimi Chen Cognitive Code, Inc. 855.521.0894 #3 [email protected] SOURCE Cognitive Code Related Links http://www.cognitivecode.com DECATUR Aquilla Toland could have been remembered as one of Macon Countys most notable early residents. Toland was a Civil War veteran and charter member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He came from a prominent family in Ohio and married into one of Decaturs most influential early families. But somewhere along the line, Toland became an alcoholic. According to the Decatur Weekly Republican, Toland had promised his wife, Lydia, that hed quit drinking. But when Lydia and their daughter Bessie traveled to Ohio to visit family, Toland spent the entire time drunk. Unwilling to face his family, Toland shot and killed himself on Feb. 15, 1878. It wasnt a rash decision. He left two letters that tidied up business matters and explained his decision to his wife. Parts of the heartbreaking letters were printed in the Decatur Weekly Republican, which is available the ILGenWeb Project, an online genealogical resource at illinoisgenweb.org. I have concluded to not disgrace you any further, and the horrible way I rid you and dear Bessie is very repulsive to me, as I know it is to you and all my relatives; but my conclusion is final so farewell, Toland wrote in the letter to his wife. A striking reminder of Toland's sad story exists in Greenwood Cemetery, where a monument contains epitaphs for both the former Civil War veteran and his young daughter, Bessie. The monument depicts a woman standing on a stone reaching for the city. Its located in Division 2, which is one of the oldest sections, so its hard to say when it was placed there, said former cemetery director Lynn Dixon. But its unique. There isnt another one inside the cemetery like it. Its an eye-catcher for sure. Toland, known to most as Quill, was born in London, Ohio, in July 1840, the youngest of four. His father, also named Aquilla, was a surgeon and influential civic leader in Madison County, Ohio, where he became wealthy through real estate. A week after Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C., on April 12, 1861, 20-year-old Toland joined the Union Army. According to the book History of Macon County, Illinois published in 1880, Toland was one of the first men to offer his services to the government in Madison county (Ohio), and was chosen as orderly sergeant for his company. He would go on to re-enlist in February 1863 and become second lieutenant of a company in the 113th Ohio infantry. He commanded the company for nearly a year after its captain became ill, and took part in battles that included Mission Ridge, Shiloh and the siege of Vicksburg. After his service in the war, Toland returned to Ohio, but in 1865 came to Austin Township in Macon County to farm a large tract of prairie land. Three years later, he married Lydia Smith, the daughter of Decatur pioneer Edward Smith. Edward Smith was a state senator and later Decatur mayor, and was integral in bringing the Illinois Central Railroad to the city. In Macon County, Toland served as a fire captain. In 1866, he joined the original post of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans organization that advocated for the rights of Civil War veterans and their families. After the Decatur post was formed, others sprouted across the country, peaking at 490,000 members nationwide. Life, it seemed, was good. He and Lydia had a daughter, Bessie, and his farm 1,400 acres of magnificent land, all fenced and under cultivation, according to the Decatur Weekly Republican was successful. But Tolands drinking had become a problem. According to the Feb. 28, 1878, Decatur Weekly Republican, Toland had signed a temperance pledge and presented the pledge to his wife on Christmas, saying that he was determined to keep it at all hazards. As Lydia and 8-year-old Bessie left for London, Ohio, to visit family, Toland's wife asked him to keep his pledge during their absence. He said he would, but soon after took a passenger train to Decatur, where he spent most of the week drunk. The failure was too much for Toland. He took his own life, leaving two letters behind: one for the man who found him, Isaac Fish, and another for his wife and daughter. Fish, who lived on Toland's property, told the Decatur Republican that he was walking toward Toland's barn on Feb. 15 when he heard a gunshot. He found Toland, who said goodbye and shot himself in the chest a second time. Toland left instructions for Fish to contact Toland's family and money to pay for the telegraph. To his wife and daughter, Toland wrote that it was "humiliating" to acknowledge that he had failed to keep his pledge. Oh! you don't how hard I have tried, he wrote. He asked Lydia to settle some debts, assured her business was taken care of and that he had left her with enough money to live comfortably. Toland also asked that she take care of Bessie, tell his mother that he loved her and pledged that he had been true to her in every respect, "except drunkenness." Toland finished the letter: Now, farewell forever, for you and Bessie are too good and true. Other than his military service, membership in the Grand Army of the Republic and the letters, little is known about Toland. Hes no more than a footnote in most Macon County history books. Macon County historian Mark Sorensen said he wasnt familiar with Toland, other than what was available at the ILGenWeb Project's Macon County website. Tragedy didnt stop with Tolands death. Five years later, at age 12, Bessie died of pneumonia in Terre Haute, Ind., with Lydia by her side, according to the March 22, 1883 Decatur Daily Republican. After Tolands death, Lydia moved to San Jose, Calif., where her father had relocated, and married merchant George McKee. Lydia would return to Decatur for visits several times in her life before dying in 1932. This story was changed to reflect that Toland was not a Civil War general. ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SkylineDx today announced the publication of new data that validate the Company's SKY92 gene expression signature as a prognostic tool to evaluate patients with multiple myeloma (MM). In a paper published in the current issue of Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia, SkylineDx researchers substantiate SKY92 as a tool for identifying high-risk patients, as well as SKY92 combined with the International Staging System (ISS) for identifying low-risk patients.1 The ISS assesses two serum parameters to identify three patient groups with different prognoses.2 "High-risk disease is now recognized as one of the most challenging unmet needs in the treatment of multiple myeloma," said lead author Erik H. van Beers, Ph.D., vice president of Genomics at SkylineDx. "To further optimize disease management, we need to be able to differentiate high-risk from low-risk patients, using tools that are highly accurate and yield reproducible results across different patient groups and treatments. We have demonstrated the prognostic value of SKY92 not only as a marker of high risk, but also as a marker of low risk when combined with ISS. Both validated markers may serve as the basis for the discovery of improved individualized therapies for patients with multiple myeloma." Dr. van Beers and colleagues compared eight risk assessment platforms to analyze gene expression data from 91 newly diagnosed, untreated patients included in an independent dataset amassed by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative (MMRF/MMGI). The investigators used the gene expression profiling (GEP) classifiers SKY92, UAMS70, UAMS80, IFM15, HM19, Cancer Testis Antigen (CTA), Centrosome Index, and Proliferation Index to identify high-risk patients.1 Of the eight GEP classifiers, SKY92 identified the largest proportion (21%) of high-risk cases and also attained the highest Cox proportional hazard ratio (8.2) for overall survival (OS). Additionally, SKY92 high-risk cases predicted nine of the 13 (60%) deaths that occurred at 2 years and 16 of the 31 (52%) deaths at 5 years, a predictive rate that was higher than any of the other classifiers.1 Dr. van Beers and colleagues also combined the SKY92 standard-risk classifier with the ISS to identify low-risk patients in the MMRF/MMGI cohort. This combination was recently identified as an optimal and robust marker for detecting low-risk MM3 a discovery reprinted in the current issue of the Dutch Journal of Hematology.4 The SKY92/ISS marker identified 42% of patients as low-risk with median OS not reached at 96 months. The low-risk classification was strongly supported by the achieved hazard ratio of 10.1 "The MMRF/MMGI dataset was not part of our previous discovery, which demonstrated that the combination of SKY92 and ISS identifies the lowest-risk patients with high accuracy and leaves the smallest proportion of patients identified as intermediate risk," commented Dr. van Beers. "Thus, the dataset remained available for independent validation an important factor in the adoption of gene expression profiling tools." "We are pleased to have validated the SKY92/ISS low-risk marker by applying it to the well-characterized MMRF/MMGI cohort," added co-investigator Rafael Fonseca, M.D., professor of Medicine, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, and consultant in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. "Our findings further strengthen the prognostic utility of the combination marker." About Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer that arises from plasma cells, a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow. In patients with MM, the plasma cells become abnormal, multiply uncontrollably, and release only one type of antibody known as M-protein which has no useful function. According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, an estimated 114,000 people around the world are diagnosed with MM annually, and the disease represents 0.8% of all cancers globally. For more information about MM, visit www.hematon.nl/myeloom (information available in Dutch only), www.themmrf.org, www.myeloma.org.uk, www.mpeurope.org, or www.myeloma.org. About MMprofiler with SKY92 MMprofiler assesses risk by measuring the activity of 92 MM-related genes that comprise SKY92, the company's novel, prognostic gene classifier. The lead product of SkylineDx, MMprofiler is proven to be superior to the biomarkers currently used to risk-stratify newly diagnosed and relapsed multiple myeloma patients into a "high" or "standard" risk category.5 Included in a growing number of international treatment guidelines, MMprofiler is CE-IVD registered in Europe and will be coming soon as a laboratory-developed test (LDT) in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mmprofiler.com. About SkylineDx SkylineDx is a commercial-stage biotech company based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Originally a spin-off of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the company specializes in the development and marketing of innovative gene signature-based prognostic tests to assist healthcare professionals in making personalized treatment decisions for individual patients. These tests are designed to accurately determine the type or status of the disease or to predict a patient's response to a specific treatment. Based on the test results, healthcare professionals can tailor the treatment to the individual patient. MMprofiler with SKY92 is the company's lead product. To learn more, please visit www.skylinedx.com. Media Inquiries for SkylineDx Jeffrey Jones, SkylineDx 949-303-8198 [email protected] Kara Golub 609-456-0822 [email protected] 1 van Beers EH, van Vliet M, Kuiper R, et al. Prognostic validation of SKY92 and its combination with ISS in an independent cohort of Multiple Myeloma patients. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2017.06.020. 2 International Staging System. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. 2017. https://www.themmrf.org/multiple-myeloma/prognosis/myeloma-stages/international-staging-system/. Accessed July 10, 2017. 3 Kuiper R, van Duin M, van Vliet, MH, et al. Prediction of high- and low-risk multiple myeloma based on gene expression and the International Staging System. Blood. 2015;126(17):1996-2004. 4 Broijl A, Kuiper R, van Duin M, et al. Hoog- en laagrisico-multipel myeloom kunnen worden voorspeld met de combinatie van EMC92 en ISS. Dutch J Hematol. 2017;11:339-40. 5 van Beers EH, van Vliet M, de Best L, et al. SKY92 GEP, iFISH, and ISS comparisons for risk stratification in multiple myeloma. Poster p661 presented at 20th European Hematology Association Congress, Vienna, Austria, June 13, 2015. SOURCE SkylineDx Related Links http://www.skylinedx.com NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Government policies, legislative mandates, and regional government initiatives for smart meter roll-outs are driving the smart grid market The smart grid market size is estimated to grow from USD 20.83 billion in 2017 to USD 50.65 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.4%. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p05018004/Smart-Grid-Market-by-Software-Hardware-Service-and-Region-Global-Forecast-to.html The market is driven by factors the availability of hardware and connectivity devices at affordable cost, rising need for real-time information system, government policies and legislative mandates, regional government initiatives for smart meter roll-outs, increasing demand for integration of renewable energy sources, and increasing awareness about carbon footprint management. However, the utility operators face various obstacles while adopting smart grid solutions, such as security concerns, data protection, and lack of a standardized and uniform technology for smart grid. Smart grid communication software is expected to have the fastest growth rate during the forecast period The software enables networking abilities in electricity distribution system for improving operations, maintenance, and planning by enabling two-way communication between different components of the utility grid involved in generation, transmission, and distribution. The networking hardware and software work together to form a mesh network, enabling a utility grid with intelligent features such as substation automation, distribution automation, energy management, real-time control, self-healing, and increased reliability and security. Smart grid sensor is expected to have the fastest growth rate during the forecast period Smart grid sensors are expected to gain the highest traction in the smart grid market during the forecast period. Smart grid sensors are small, lightweight nodes that serve as a detection station in the network. Smart grid sensors enable the remote monitoring of equipment such as transformers and power lines and the management of energy resources in the smart grid. Smart grid sensors determine, monitor, and measure the voltage supply and return them into a readable format signal. These sensors also detect electric current (AC or DC) in a wire, and generate a signal proportional to it in a digital output. Smart grid sensors offer several advantages to utilities. They provide valuable data for energy transmission, which is maintained and utilized by the departments of utilities. North America is expected to contribute to the largest market share during the forecast period North America is expected to hold the largest market share and dominate the smart grid market from 2017 to 2022. The region has been extremely responsive toward adopting the latest technological advancements, such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), smart grid distribution management, smart grid communication, and substation automation. The major growth drivers for this region are the large-scale investments in the smart grid and smart cities projects and the need for better smart grids and control mechanisms. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is in the initial growth phase; however, it is the fastest-growing region in the global smart grid market. The region has huge reservoirs of conventional and renewable energy sources. High adoption of solutions to minimize outages and revenue losses, along with better smart grid and control, has led to a wider demand of smart grid solutions in the MEA region. The break-up profiles of primary participants are given below: By company: Tier 1: 41%, Tier 2: 35%, and Tier 3: 24% By designation: C-level: 73%, Director level: 19%, and Others: 8% By region: North America: 42%, Europe: 21%, APAC: 24%, and RoW: 13% The various key smart grid providers discussed in the report are given below: 1. General Electric Company (New York, US) 2. ABB Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland) 3. Siemens AG (Munich, Germany) 4. Schneider Electric SA (Rueil-Malmaison, France) 5. Itron, Inc. (Washington, US) 6. Landis+Gyr (Zug, Switzerland) 7. Aclara Technologies LLC (Missouri, US) 8. Cisco Systems, Inc. (California, US) 9. Open Systems International, Inc. (Minnesota, US) 10. IBM Corporation (New York, US) 11. Wipro Ltd. (Karnataka, India) 12. Oracle Corporation (California, US) 13. S&C Electric Company (Illinois, US) 14. Eaton Corporation Plc (Dublin, Ireland) 15. Kamstrup A/S (Skanderborg, Denmark) 16. Trilliant Holdings, Inc. (North Carolina, US) 17. NexGrid, LLC. (Virginia, US) 18. Globema (Warsaw, Poland) 19. Tech Mahindra Ltd. (Maharashtra, India) 20. EnerNOC, Inc. (Massachusetts, US) 21. Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) 22. Infrax Systems Inc. (Texas, US) 23. Esyasoft Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Karnataka, India) 24. e-Smart Systems Pvt. Ltd. (Delhi, India) 25. Grid4C (Texas, US) Research Coverage The smart grid market has been segmented on the basis of software, hardware, services, and regions. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been done to provide key insights into their business overviews; products and services; key strategies; new product launches; partnerships, agreements, and collaborations; business expansions; and competitive landscape associated with the smart grid market. The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways: This report segments the smart grid market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments across different regions. This report helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. This report will help stakeholders to better understand the competitors and gain more insights to enhance their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, new product developments, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p05018004/Smart-Grid-Market-by-Software-Hardware-Service-and-Region-Global-Forecast-to.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com _________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com SPACEPORT AMERICA, N.M., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport located in southern New Mexico in the USA, introduces Melissa Kemper Force, as the new Spaceport America General Counsel. Prior to her appointment as general counsel by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, Ms. Force was the principal partner of a successful consulting firm in Los Angeles, California where she provided legal advice on complex international policy and legal issues to clients in the commercial aerospace industry. While in Los Angeles, she taught courses on Aviation and Space Law as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School. Additionally, at Webster University she was an adjunct professor where she taught International Law and Politics of Outer Space and Space Systems Law and Policy courses. She is an elected member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and Co-Chair of its Manfred Lachs International Space Law Moot Court Committee, which oversees regional moot court competitions in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The committee organizes and conducts international finals every year during the International Astronautical Congress. "Spaceport America is extremely fortunate to have Ms. Force as our new General Counsel. Melissa brings tremendous corporate experience coupled with International Space Law," said Daniels Hicks, Chief Executive Officer, Spaceport America. Ms. Force holds an Advanced LLM degree from the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University (the Netherlands). She has served as moderator and panelist for the Air Law Institute's Air and Space Law Symposium and the American Bar Association's Forum on Air & Space Law and has authored, published and presented papers in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America on a wide array of issues. These included space traffic management, space debris, extraterrestrial resource extraction, the Moon Agreement, suborbital spaceflight and rules for the arbitration of space disputes in fora as diverse as the IISL Annual Colloquium, at the IAASS Space Safety Conference, the Canadian Space Commerce Association National Conference, the International Space Development Conference and the Global Space Exploration Conference. After obtaining her advanced degree in space law, Ms. Force worked in the Office of Space Commerce in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), assisting in the development of the commercial space transportation policy and representing NOAA at U.S. delegation meeting in preparation for sessions on the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems. Her current position as general counsel draws heavily on previous experience as the Vice President and Associate General Counsel heading international and domestic claims for HOK, Inc. and her trial court experiences as a partner in the Los Angeles office of Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP litigating products liability, environmental and construction defect disputes. "As a space lawyer, I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with my peers in the aerospace industry to help shape legal framework as we commercialize space," said Melissa Kemper Force, General Counsel, Spaceport America. In addition to her advanced degree in Air and Space Law, Ms. Force graduated from the University of Missouri Columbia with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, where she was elected to the board of editors of the Missouri Law Review. About Spaceport America Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The FAA-licensed launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, boasts 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a 12,000-foot spaceway, and 340+ days of sunshine and low humidity. With 40 vertical launches *doesn't include 60 student launches conducted during the Spaceport America Cup and 8 horizontal missions to date, some of the most respected companies in the commercial space industry are customers at Spaceport America: Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, UP Aerospace, EXOS Aerospace, and Pipeline2Space. Visit http://spaceportamerica.com and http://gatewaytospace.com for more information. Spaceport America is #NewMexicoTRUE. Twitter: @spaceport_NM Facebook: @spaceportNM Instagram: @spaceport.america SOURCE Spaceport America Related Links http://spaceportamerica.com/ SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation [NYSE: LEA], a leading global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, today announced that Spectacles, an independent retail boutique, located in the Harmonie Park district of Detroit will be completely renovated and remain at its present location on 230 East Grand River Avenue. For the past 34 years, Zana Smith's Spectacles has been located in the heart of Downtown Detroit. Spectacles carries both men's and womenswear, books, CDs, albums, hats and of course a variety of glasses. Spectacles has acted as a cultural hub in the city of Detroit giving many performers and designers a platform to launch their brands. In 2015, Lear Corporation purchased the historic building located at 230 East Grand River Avenue in Detroit. Initially there was much concern about whether or not Spectacles would weather the transition of ownership. Loyalists of Spectacles voiced their concern about how important it is that black-owned and operated businesses are kept downtown. As the loyalists were speaking, Lear Corporation was listening. Lear has been extremely committed to Smith and her store Spectacles, assuring her that Spectacles still had a home at 230 East Grand River. Lear is currently in the process of completely updating and renovating the building. Lear intends to utilize floors 4 to 7 for administrative office space, executive offices and a new business incubation center. The remaining floors will be leased to business partners and professional service providers. "We were happy to work together with Zana to update her store, and work out a financial arrangement whereby Spectacles could remain in the Harmonie Park location," commented Matt Simoncini, Lear president and CEO. "During the renovation of the building, we have provided the space to Spectacles on a rent-free basis. We are very interested in supporting an independent business and keeping it in the City of Detroit," Matt added. "Lear Corporation has been more than accommodating during the process of renovation," said Smith. "They have worked with me closely to make sure that my doors did not have to close during this time. For that I will always be grateful." Smith is excited for the renovations to the interior of her store that Lear will be funding. She believes this will be the breath of fresh air that Spectacles needs to move forward toward continued success. "It comes as no surprise that Lear Corporation has shown such commitment to me and my business, based on its outstanding track record as an engaged corporate citizen doing community work and heading so many charitable initiatives," added Smith. "I look forward to a fruitful relationship with Lear as the completion of the 230 East Grand River Avenue approaches." About Lear Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) was founded in Detroit in 1917 as American Metal Products. In 2017, the Company will celebrate its 100th year anniversary. Lear is one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive seating systems and electrical distribution systems (E-Systems). Lear serves every major automaker in the world, and Lear content can be found on more than 400 vehicle nameplates. Lear's world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by a diverse team of approximately 156,000 employees located in 38 countries. Lear currently ranks #151 on the Fortune 500. Lear's headquarters are in Southfield, Michigan. Further information about Lear is available at http://www.lear.com or follow us on Twitter @LearCorporation. SOURCE Lear Corporation Related Links http://www.lear.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SPX FLOW, Inc. (NYSE: FLOW) announced today select preliminary and unaudited financial results for the second quarter 2017. The company will release full details of its second quarter 2017 financial results on Wednesday, August 2, 2017. "Over the past 18 months we've transitioned to an operating structure which has led to an improved cost position and a more streamlined organization. This has largely been accomplished by solid execution on our realignment program. We are nearing completion of this program with line-of-sight to realizing the full benefit of our targeted cost savings of $140 million in 2018. As a result of our progress, we have greater transparency to areas where we can improve our execution and serve customers more effectively. That said, we are still in the very early stages of our journey to transform SPX FLOW into a high performing operating enterprise and we continue to work towards building a stronger foundation for future growth and margin expansion," said Marc Michael, President and Chief Executive Officer. Michael continued, "Through the first six months of 2017 we achieved positive results on several fronts including solid order growth, strong cash generation and an improved financial position. Underscoring this progress, as compared to the end of 2016, our backlog has grown 19% and we reduced net debt* by 12%. As we move through the second half of the year and into 2018, we expect profitability to increase steadily driven by completing the final stages of our realignment program, improving productivity and increasing our focus on several continuous improvement initiatives." Jeremy Smeltser, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer said, "Today we updated our full year 2017 guidance to reflect our first half results and revised outlook for the second half of the year. We increased our revenue guidance to a range of $1,925 to $1,975 million primarily to reflect a $64 million benefit from currency, as well as a modest increase in organic revenue." Smeltser continued, "Adjusted EBITDA is now targeted to be between $195 to $215 million, as compared to our previous guidance of $210 to $230 million. The most notable changes are increased variable incentive compensation linked to order growth, the timing of cost savings from our realignment program and discrete operational items that impacted our Q2 results. These changes are partially offset by currency benefits and the increase in organic revenue. "Adjusted earnings per share are now expected to be between $1.20 and $1.50. This reflects the changes noted above, as well as a ($0.10) per share increase in interest expense and a ($0.05) per share increase in other expense, related primarily to foreign currency losses incurred in the first half. Finally, we are maintaining our 2017 adjusted free cash flow guidance of $130 to $150 million." "Importantly, our 2018 financial framework remains intact, with the benefit of modestly higher revenue on improving order trends. And we are confident that the actions we are taking in the second half of 2017 will secure our cost savings target for 2018," concluded Smeltser. Second Quarter 2017 Preliminary Results "During the second quarter, we experienced positive order momentum across many product lines, continued progress executing our realignment program and strong cash generation which led to further debt reduction. Revenue for the quarter was near the high end of our guidance range. However, adjusted operating income was near the low end of our guidance range due primarily to discrete operational items and the timing of cost savings related to restructuring actions," said Michael. Q2 2017 highlights: Orders were ~$504 million , up 4% year-over-year , up 4% year-over-year Backlog was ~$931 million , up 6% year-over-year , up 6% year-over-year Revenue was ~$498 million Operating cash flow was ~$48 million Adjusted free cash flow* was ~$50 million EPS is expected to be in the range of $0.23 to $0.25 per share per share Adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $0.32 to $0.34 per share and includes ($0.02) of foreign currency losses recorded in other expense The preliminary Q2 2017 financial results are presented below and represent the most current information available to management and are subject to change as the company completes its quarterly close process, including review procedures of its independent external auditor. Q2 2017 Pre-Adjusted Basis Q2 2017 Adjusted Basis (1) ($ millions, except per share data) Guidance Preliminary Actuals Guidance Preliminary Actuals Orders NA ~$504 NA ~$504 Revenue $480 to $500 ~$498 $480 to $500 ~$498 Segment Income $50 to $60 $47 to $49 $50 to $60 $47 to $49 Special Charges $5 to $10 ~$7 $0 $0 Operating Income $28 to $38 $28 to $30 $35 to $45 $35 to $37 Net Income $12 to $16 $10 to $11 $17 to $21 $14 to $15 Earnings Per Share $0.28 to $0.38 $0.23 to $0.25 $0.40 to $0.50 $0.32 to $0.34 EBITDA* $45 to $55 $42 to $44 $50 to $60 $49 to $51 Operating Cash Flow NA ~$48 NA ~$57 Free Cash Flow* NA ~$41 NA ~$50 (1) On an adjusted basis, Q2 2017 guidance excludes special charges and cash outflows related to the company's realignment program. See attached schedules for reconciliation of all non-GAAP and adjusted items. 2017 Updated Full Year Financial Guidance 2017 Updated Full Year Financial Guidance ($ millions; except per share data) Pre-Adjusted Basis Adjusted Basis (1) Revenue $1,925 to $1,975 $1,925 to $1,975 Special Charges ~($40) $0 Net income $19 to $32 $50 to $63 Earnings Per Share $0.45 to $0.75 $1.20 to $1.50 Operating Cash Flow $110 to $130 $160 to $180 Free Cash Flow* $80 to $100 $130 to $150 EBITDA* $155 to $175 $195 to $215 (1) On an adjusted basis, 2017 guidance assumes an effective tax rate of 30% and 42 million shares outstanding. It excludes ~$40 million of special charges and ~$50 million of cash outflows related to the company's realignment program. See attached schedules for reconciliations of pre-adjusted guidance to adjusted guidance figures. SPX FLOW President and Chief Executive Officer Marc Michael and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Smeltser will discuss the company's second quarter 2017 earnings during a conference call on August 2, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Those interested in participating in the conference call should dial in five minutes prior to the start of the call. The call will be simultaneously webcast via the company's website at www.spxflow.com and the slide presentation will be available in the Investor Relations section of the site. Conference call Dial in: 877-346-3961 From outside the United States: +1 262-558-6099 Conference ID: 54119466 A replay of the call will be available by telephone through Saturday, August 12. To listen to a replay of the call Dial in: 855-859-2056 From outside the United States: +1 404-537-3406 Conference ID: 54119466 *Non-GAAP number. See attached schedules for reconciliation from most comparable GAAP number. Management believes these Non-GAAP metrics are commonly used financial measures for investors to evaluate our operating performance for the periods presented, and when read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, present a useful tool to evaluate our ongoing operations and provide investors with metrics they can use to evaluate our management of the business from period to period. In addition, these are some of the factors we use in internal evaluations of the overall performance of our business. Management acknowledges that there are many items that impact a company's reported results and the adjustments reflected in these Non-GAAP metrics are not intended to present all items that may have impacted these results. In addition, these Non-GAAP metrics are not necessarily comparable to similarly-titled measures used by other companies. Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. Please read these results in conjunction with the company's documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify important risk factors and other uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from these statements. The words "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "target," "project," "believe" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, estimates of future operating results are based on the company's current complement of businesses, which is subject to change. Statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and SPX FLOW disclaims any responsibility to update or revise such statements. About SPX FLOW, Inc.: Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX FLOW, Inc. (NYSE: FLOW) is a global supplier of highly engineered solutions, process equipment and turn-key systems, along with the related aftermarket parts and services, into the food and beverage, power and energy and industrial end markets. SPX FLOW has approximately $2 billion in annual revenues with operations in more than 30 countries and sales in more than 150 countries. To learn more about SPX FLOW, please visit our website at www.spxflow.com. Investor and Media Contact: Ryan Taylor, VP, Communications and Investor Relations Phone: 704-752-4486 E-mail: [email protected] SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NET DEBT RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Debt and Net Debt at July 1, 2017 December 31, 2016 Domestic revolving loan facility $ 1.0 $ 68.0 Term loan 380.0 390.0 5.625% senior notes, due in August 2024 300.0 300.0 5.875% senior notes, due in August 2026 300.0 300.0 Trade receivables financing arrangement 21.2 Other indebtedness 39.9 42.4 Less: deferred financing fees (11.8) (12.8) Total debt $ 1,009.1 $ 1,108.8 Total debt $ 1,009.1 $ 1,108.8 Less: debt balances under purchase card program (22.2) (17.9) Less: cash and equivalents in excess of $50.0 (176.1) (165.1) Net debt(1) $ 810.8 $ 925.8 (1)Represents net debt calculated in a manner consistent with the definition of certain related defined terms within our senior credit facilities. SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES ADJUSTED OPERATING CASH FLOW RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Q2 2017 2017 Mid-Point Guidance Mid-Point Guidance Net cash from operating activities $ 48 $ 120 Cash spending on restructuring actions 9 50 Adjusted net cash flow from operations $ 57 $ 170 SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FREE CASH FLOW AND ADJUSTED FREE CASH FLOW RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Q2 2017 2017 Mid-Point Guidance Mid-Point Guidance Net cash from operating activities $ 48 $ 120 Capital expenditures (7) (30) Free cash flow from operations $ 41 $ 90 Free cash flow from operations $ 41 $ 90 Cash spending on restructuring actions 9 50 Adjusted free cash flow from operations $ 50 $ 140 SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Q2 2017 Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Operating income $ 33 $ 29 Special charges 7 7 Adjusted operating income $ 40 $ 36 SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES ADJUSTED NET INCOME (LOSS) RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Q2 2017 2017 Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Net income attributable to SPX FLOW, Inc. $ 14 $ 10 $ 44 $ 25 Special charges, net of tax 5 4 29 30 Adjusted net income attributable to SPX FLOW, Inc. $ 19 $ 14 $ 73 $ 55 SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA RECONCILIATION (Unaudited; in millions) Q2 2017 2017 Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Net income attributable to SPX FLOW, Inc. $ 14 $ 10 $ 44 $ 25 Income tax provision 5 3 21 16 Interest expense, net 16 16 57 63 Depreciation and amortization 15 15 58 61 EBITDA 50 44 180 165 Special charges 5 7 40 40 Adjusted EBITDA $ 55 $ 51 $ 220 $ 205 SPX FLOW, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES ADJUSTED DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE RECONCILIATION (Unaudited) Q2 2017 2017 Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Prior Mid-Point Guidance Revised Mid-Point Guidance Diluted earnings per share $ 0.33 $ 0.24 $ 1.05 $ 0.60 Special charges, net of tax 0.12 0.13 0.70 0.70 Net discrete tax items and other - (0.04) - 0.05 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 0.45 $ 0.33 $ 1.75 $ 1.35 SOURCE SPX FLOW, Inc. Related Links http://www.spxflow.com "The Stanley Black & Decker team is appreciative of Bruce's tireless devotion to the company's success, and we wish him much enjoyment in his retirement," said Stanley Black & Decker President & CEO Jim Loree. "We are thrilled that Janet is joining our team. Her seasoned legal background and expertise in the retail industry will be of significant value to our organization. In addition, we are confident Janet will continue stewarding the company's focus on integrity in all our interactions, helping to ensure we maintain high standards of ethical conduct as we pursue our growth goals. Nothing could be more important to our company." Prior to J.C. Penney, Link held deputy general counsel positions at Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., and CC Media Holdings, Inc. (now known as iHeartMedia). She began her legal career with a U.S. District Court clerkship in the Central District of California followed by a clerkship with the Honorable James R. Browning, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District. She was also a partner at Latham & Watkins. Link earned her bachelor's from Yale University and her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. About Stanley Black & Decker Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, electronic security solutions, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com. Investor Contacts: Greg Waybright Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] (860) 827-3833 Dennis Lange Vice President, Investor Relations (860) 827-3833 [email protected] Media Contacts: Shannon Lapierre Vice President, Communications [email protected] (860) 827-3575 Tim Perra Vice President, Public Affairs [email protected] (860) 826-3260 SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker Related Links http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com "From the moment we started Synthesio, our goal has always been, and continues to be, to create the best-in-class global Social Intelligence platform and experience for customers," explained Loic Moisand, CEO and Co-Founder of Synthesio. "This is why starting in January of this past year, we've been in the midst of an aggressive two-year acquisition strategy, as we work to build an industry leading global Social Insights and Analytics suite. With Social Karma, our customers will be able to build the most accurate audience personas using social data instead of traditional surveys, while also being able to receive incredible analysis on their owned channels as well. Synthesio will continue on its mission to transform customer experience methodologies from the analog era into scalable technologies of the digital era." Social Karma will address many different use cases for Synthesio's customers, such as: Social Media Performance: Social Karma's Engagement Analytics solution offers actionable insights on all major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) for marketers to effectively improve their social strategy. This is particularly important for brands tracking campaigns through the Synthesio Platform - as they will now be able to merge results from both paid and earned initiatives to present a clearer picture of the success or failure of a campaign. Social Karma's Engagement Analytics solution offers actionable insights on all major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) for marketers to effectively improve their social strategy. This is particularly important for brands tracking campaigns through the Synthesio Platform - as they will now be able to merge results from both paid and earned initiatives to present a clearer picture of the success or failure of a campaign. Audience Intelligence: Social Karma's unique capability to analyze an unprecedented scope of data (demographics, media, brands, hobbies, activities, etc.) globally helps advertisers understand who are the people that really matter to a user. Social Karma's unique capability to analyze an unprecedented scope of data (demographics, media, brands, hobbies, activities, etc.) globally helps advertisers understand who are the people that really matter to a user. Content Marketing: Advertisers can make data-driven decisions to improve their content strategy. The data and strategic insights that are derived from Synthesio and Social Karma allows advertisers to build content that is relevant and useful for their audience. Advertisers can make data-driven decisions to improve their content strategy. The data and strategic insights that are derived from Synthesio and Social Karma allows advertisers to build content that is relevant and useful for their audience. Media Planning: Using the data from Social Karma, advertisers and marketers can make the right channel choices to deliver their message, instead of relying on outdated methods or data. "Social Karma was founded to help marketers and advertisers measure, compare and optimize their advertising and campaign performances on social networks. This is why becoming a part of Synthesio will help us reach this ultimate goal, as Synthesio's industry leading and incredibly rich set of social data will allow our platform to provide insights that we have never before been able to access," explained Thierry Soubestre, CEO and Founder of Social Karma. "We are so thrilled to be able to be a part of Synthesio's acquisition plan, and we know that our customers are going to see an amazing new level of strategic insights and information that they have always dreamed of being able to access." Social Karma is located in Brussels, and their entire organization will continue to operate from that office, which is now Synthesio's newest global location. About Synthesio Synthesio, named the Global Leader by an independent analyst in two reports in Q1 2016 and an Editor's Choice by PC Mag, is a global Social Intelligence platform used by some of the world's top brands, and the agencies that support them. Synthesio is the framework for building Social Intelligence that provides real business results. Whether an organization's social team is built within marketing or crosses multiple departments, business units or geographies, Synthesio helps teams listen to, and analyze, consumer conversations across social and mainstream media within one platform. Founded in 2006, Synthesio has offices in New York, Paris, London, Singapore, and Brussels. Media Contact: Adam Dalezman Senior Communications Manager, Synthesio [email protected] SOURCE Synthesio Related Links http://www.synthesio.com NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TBWA\Chiat\Day New York today announced that it has broadened its agency leadership group with two new senior hires: Amie Miller has come onboard as Chief Talent Officer, and Chris Rowson has joined the agency as Head of Design and Group Creative Director. As Chief Talent Officer, Miller is charged with recruitment and retention of top industry talent, and also with fostering and furthering the creative environment within the agency to ensure that it remains a place where the best people come to do their best work. She comes to TBWA from MDC, where she was SVP, Chief Talent Officer helping MDC Partner agencies around the world to attract and retain key senior and executive talent within all departments over the last six years. Prior to MDC, Miller was VP, Talent Director for CP&B in Miami. Amie began her career in account management, also at CP&B, where she became VP, Account Director on the Virgin Atlantic and Truth anti-smoking businesses. As Head of Design, Chris Rowson will lead the agency's design team, working to influence and advance design capabilities and maker culture across all clients and projects. The role also marks the third time that Rowson has teamed up with TBWA Global Chief Creative Officer Chris Garbutt, having worked together in both New York and Paris. Prior to TBWA, Rowson was with Ogilvy New York where he was Creative Director and Head of Design. He joined from Ogilvy Paris where he was brought in to build what became a standout design team. His efforts helped the agency bring home Grand Prix, Gold and Silver Lions for clients such as IBM, Scrabble and Perrier. Rowson has also held creative and design posts at several other noteworthy agencies in London. "With great growth comes the need for more great people, and so we are thrilled to welcome Amie Miller as Chief Talent Officer and Chris Rowson as Head of Design," said Rob Schwartz, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day NY. "Amie is one of the best leaders of talent and human resources in the industry with experience at agency and holding company level. And Chris is flat-out one of the world's best designers with an unrivaled background in digital model-making and graphic design." About TBWA Worldwide TBWA is The Disruption Company: the cultural engine for 21st century business. A top-ten ranked global advertising collective, TBWA uses trademarked Disruption methodologies to develop business-changing and culture-defining ideas for brands. TBWA has 11,300 employees across 305 offices in 98 countries and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, The Integer Group, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and TBWA\WorldHealth. TBWA's global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Sotheby's and Vichy. Follow TBWA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. SOURCE TBWA Worldwide Related Links http://tbwaraad.com "Birthday parties are synonymous with love, gratitude and joy, sentiments which every dog even if awaiting a forever home should be able to experience," said Mike Hutton, Head of U.S. Pet Vet Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim. "In addition to bringing these dogs joy for a day, the NexGard team is proud to help raise awareness of the importance of pet adoption and the great work that North Shore Animal League of America does in order to achieve our common goal of keeping more dogs happy, healthy and in loving homes." The birthday party will take place at Columbus Circle, between Central Park West and Broadway, on August 1, 2017 from 3 - 8 p.m. "When we created DOGust the 1st in 2009, we could only dream that it would grow to be as popular as it has become in raising awareness for the plight of homeless animals," said Joanne Yohannan, Senior Vice President, Operations, NSALA. "The adorable, adoptable dogs in our care are so deserving of this celebration, and thanks to the NexGard team's adoption sponsorship, we will be able to continue rescuing and finding responsible homes for even more dogs." DOGust the 1st guests who adopt during the birthday party will have the opportunity to enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win up to $500 toward their It's a Dog! pet gift registry items. Three lucky dog adopters will win! The NexGard team launched the It's a Dog! online gift registry in April to celebrate the joyous act of adding a dog to a household. At ItsADog.com, new and experienced dog owners can create a pet profile, customize a pet gift registry, enter for a chance to win prizes, and learn important information about dog ownership. NexGard is the number one veterinarian-recommended flea and tick control product1, and is safe for use in puppies as young as eight weeks weighing four pounds or more. NexGard is a soft, beef-flavored chew that kills both fleas and ticks for a full 30 days and dogs love it!2 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION NexGard is for use in dogs only. The most frequently reported adverse reactions include vomiting, itching, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. The safe use of NexGard in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. For more information, contact your veterinarian or see the prescribing information. About North Shore Animal League America North Shore Animal League Americathe world's largest no-kill rescue and adoption organizationhas saved the lives of over 1 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens at risk of euthanasia. Through our many innovative programs, we reach across the country to rescue animals from overcrowded shelters, unwanted litters, puppy mills, natural disasters and other emergencies and find them responsible, loving homes. As a leader in the no-kill movement, we are dedicated to promoting shelter pet adoptions; encouraging spay/neuter programs; reducing animal cruelty; ending euthanasia; and advancing the highest standards in animal welfare. Please join us in saving the lives of innocent animals by donating to support our lifesaving mission. Follow us on Facebook: North Shore Animal League America, Twitter: @AnimalLeague & Instagram: @AnimalLeague or visit our website at AnimalLeague.org. About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health As the second largest animal health business in the world, Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving animal health. With more than 10,000 employees worldwide, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has products available in more than 150 markets and a global presence in 99 countries. For more information about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, click here. Boehringer Ingelheim Innovative medicines for people and animals have for more than 130 years been what the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim stands for. Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the industry's top 20 pharmaceutical companies and to this day remains family-owned. Day by day, some 50,000 employees create value through innovation for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing. In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of around 15.9 billion euros. With more than three billion euros, R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.6 per cent of net sales. Social responsibility comes naturally to Boehringer Ingelheim. That is why the company is involved in social projects, such as the "Making More Health" initiative. Boehringer Ingelheim also actively promotes workforce diversity and benefits from its employees' different experiences and skills. Furthermore, the focus is on environmental protection and sustainability in everything the company does. More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com. Sources: (1) Data on file at Merial. (2) Data on file at Merial. NexGard is a registered trademark of Merial. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Merial, Inc. Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. Merial is now a part of Boehringer Ingelheim. [DOGUST1PR] (7/17) SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim Related Links https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com CHICAGO, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The People's Community Development Association of Chicago, Inc. (PCDAC) and The NHP Foundation ("NHPF"), a national not-for-profit provider of affordable housing are proud to announce the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Harvest Homes, an affordable housing complex in East Garfield, Chicago Sunday, July 30, 2017 from 2pm to 4pm at 3520-3542 W. Fifth Avenue. The event is hosted by Reverend Michael Eaddy, President of PCDAC and Pastor of People's Church of the Harvest Church of God in Christ, Chicago, and Alderman Jason Ervin of the City of Chicago's 28th Ward. PCDAC is a co-developer of the property. Expected attendees include Richard Burns, President and CEO of The NHP Foundation, Senator Dick Durbin and other local guests and officials. "It has long been a vision of PCDAC to bring affordable housing to East Garfield Park, so that residents who desire to remain and raise their families here can enjoy quality housing at an affordable price," said Reverend Eaddy, adding "We are thrilled to host this event celebrating the first new affordable housing development to be built in the East Garfield area in over 30 years." Construction first began on this project in the summer of 2015, and the completed homes have been made available to both low and moderate-income residents. The complex features 36 units and includes an array of two, three, and four-bedroom apartments. In addition, Harvest Homes offers occupants amenities such as energy efficient appliances, off-street parking, exterior security cameras, and in-unit washer and dryer hook ups. The event will feature a tour of the property, refreshments and children's activities. "The East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago is a remarkable component of the revitalization of Chicago's West Side," according to NHPF's President and CEO Richard Burns, "Replacing vacant lots with safe, quality housing not only attracts new residents, but strengthens the sense of community in the neighborhood as well. With quick access to the Garfield Park Conservatory and expressway, the neighborhood is becoming an attractive place to relocate for those seeking affordable housing in Chicago." The $12 million development is a result of a joint venture between People's Community Development Association of Chicago, Inc. and NHPF. The venture was funded by a variety of both private and public sources, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Economic Development, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, J. P. Morgan Chase Bank, the Chicago Community Loan Fund, Enterprise Community Investments, Inc. and NHPF. For more information on The NHP Foundation please visit www.nhpfoundation.org or check the organization out on Twitter at @nhpfoundation. About PCDAC People's Community Development Association of Chicago, an affiliate of the People's Church of the Harvest Church of God in Christ, fulfills community and economic developments and is a pillar in the East Garfield Park community. PCDAC was created in 1999 as a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. Its programs are threefold: job training and placement, youth services for at-risk children, and affordable housing. Their mission is to increase family wealth by promoting home ownership and building affordable housing for residents who wish to remain. PCDAC is committed to making a difference by enhancing their existing programs, to combat disparities in access to resources and unemployment. PCDAC has successfully accomplished its greatest goal yet. The building of Harvest Homes Apartments. Home to 36 families who love their new apartments! This is only the beginning of more great things to come. About The NHP Foundation Headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, I.L., The NHP Foundation (NHPF) was launched on January 30, 1989, as a publicly supported 501(c)(3) not-for-profit real estate corporation. NHPF is dedicated to preserving and creating sustainable, service-enriched multifamily housing that is both affordable to low and moderate income families and seniors, and beneficial to their communities. NHPF also provides a robust resident services program to nearly 18,000 community residents. Through partnerships with major financial institutions, the public sector, faith-based initiatives, and other not-for-profit organizations, NHPF has 46 properties, including 7,969 units, in 15 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.nhpfoundation.org. Media Contact Marijane Funess Crenshaw Communications 212.367.9746 SOURCE The NHP Foundation Related Links http://www.nhpfoundation.org Thirty custom-designed galleries will showcase industry-leading brands including Marge Carson, Christopher Guy, Baker, Hancock & Moore, Bernhardt, and many more. The Showroom @Furniture Row will also house an extensive design library with adjacent workspaces. An area affectionately known as the Pink Palace will offer dining and lounging as well as boutique-style shopping for designer jewelry, clothing, and accessories. A visit to the Retreat will find a cinema, game tables, snack bar, and Furniture Row Racing display. The general public is invited to attend the August 10, 2017 grand opening of The Showroom @Furniture Row. Located at North 5445 Bannock Street in Denver, festivities will kick off with a 10:00 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony. Adele Arakawa, The Showroom @Furniture Row's new brand ambassador, will personally welcome attendees who will also hear from design and trend specialist, Connie Post as well as lead gallery buyer, Amy Foster. Planned grand opening presentations include the Carbon Valley VFW Post 9741 and Auxiliary Honor Guard along with performances by the local Colorado Children's Chorale, Stampede Drumline. "We love Denver and are excited about the prospect of building upon the relationship that we have enjoyed with the city for decades," states Foster. "The grand opening will provide attendees the opportunity to celebrate the culmination of a lot of hard work and experience a truly one-of-a-kind shopping experience." Erik Jones, NASCAR driver of the #77 Toyota Camry for Furniture Row Racing will be on hand for photo opportunities and an autograph signing alongside several racecars featured on the showroom floor. Other local companies participating in the grand opening event include AXS Group and Three Tomatoes Catering. Updates to the highly anticipated grand opening along with news and information concerning celebrity events, contests, and much more can be found by visiting Facebook , Twitter, Instagram , Snapchat , and YouTube handle @theshowroomfr. About Furniture Row Companies -The specialty stores of Furniture Row include Denver Mattress, Sofa Mart, Oak Express, and Bedroom Expressions. Family-owned and operated with more than 330 stores in thirty states, Denver-based Furniture Row is one of America's largest furniture and bedding retailers. Visit www.FurnitureRow.com. Diane Morrow [email protected] 817.319.9805 SOURCE The Showroom @ Furniture Row Related Links http://www.furniturerow.com ROHNERT PARK, Calif., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that while most Americans paying off student loans are in their 20s, those in their 30s have more debt on average. Despite the Standard repayment plan taking 10 years, borrowers are taking longer to pay off their debt and in their 30s still have an average of $34,033. Ameritech Financial, a document preparation company that helps borrowers enroll in federal student loan repayment plans, works with clients of all ages to enroll them in the repayment plan best suited to their needs and financial goals. The study shows that the largest concentration of student loan borrowers is under the age of 40. But split that into separate decades and you get an interesting picture about the current state of student loans. There are 17.3 million student loan borrowers aged 2029 holding $376.3 million in debt. There are 12.1 million borrowers aged 3039 holding $408.4 million in debt. That's an average of about $12,000 more per person for those in their 30s. "It's scary to leave college and get a bill for tens of thousands of dollars, but it's scarier to hear that in 10 years it's likely you'll have even more," said Tom Knickerbocker, Executive Vice President of Ameritech Financial. "No matter what age you are, there are ways to deal with student loan debt. At Ameritech Financial, we help borrowers do just that by helping them enroll in a repayment plan with the end goal of loan forgiveness." Student loan debt has been getting worse over the years. For every age group, student loan debt has been increasing. But for borrowers in their 30s, it has increased the most. In 2014, the 3039 age group passed the 2029 age group in the amount of debt. This may spur questions about when borrowers can expect to pay off their loans if the numbers keep increasing. According to Citizens Bank, about 60 percent of people expect to pay off their loans in their 40s, even though the Standard repayment plan is designed for borrowers to pay off their loan in 10 years. Payments on the Standard plan, however, are often too high and borrowers either default or enroll in a longer-term repayment plan. Citizens Bank also notes that fewer than half of borrowers aged 35 and under have looked into ways to improve the terms of their loans. There are many possible reasons borrowers in their 30s hold more debt. They graduated in a more difficult time: at the height of the recession around 2008. Unemployment rates were high then, so if they did get jobs, they likely weren't high paying. For that or other reasons, many borrowers may not have been able to make payments and entered delinquency, default, deferment or forbearance. Some may have seen the poor job prospects and decided to go to graduate school, hoping that an advanced degree would help them get a job in a hopefully improved job market later. Or it simply could be a matter of life circumstances. People in their 30s are more likely to have a house, kids and other debt accompanying student loans that might prevent them from paying off any of them proactively. No matter the reasons for high student loan balances, student debt affects borrowers beyond current financial concerns. A study from NerdWallet predicts a delay in retirement for borrowers with student loan debt: those who graduated in 2015 will not retire until age 75. Federal student loans are supposed to be easier to pay off than private loans, yet the numbers tell a different story. But Ameritech Financial has an answer for borrowers who fear they will never get out from under their loans. "Borrowers are afraid that they will fall into the worst-case scenario where they never pay off their loans," said Knickerbocker. "With the right approach, borrowers can steer themselves into a better scenario one that works with their financial goals. Ameritech Financial can help borrowers navigate their options and follow through on the best ones to get themselves in the best position for both their current situation and their future." About Ameritech Financial Ameritech Financial is located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of people with financial analysis and student loan document preparation for federal student loan forgiveness programs offered through the Department of Education. Each representative on the phone is certified through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) and has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR). Ameritech Financial prides themselves on their exceptional Customer Service. Contact To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact: Ameritech Financial 5789 State Farm Drive #265 Rohnert Park, CA 94928 1-800-792-8621 [email protected] Related Links Ameritech Financial Home Page SOURCE Ameritech Financial Related Links http://www.i-newswire.com "There is a heist being committed against the employees of TransPerfect, and we can send not stand by and let these 4,000 jobs be moved overseas," said Chris Coffey, Campaign Manager of Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware. "It is critical that Chancellor Bouchard understands the views of and sees firsthand the thousands of employees whose lives he is upending and the families his actions hurt. Additionally, we ask that Judge Bouchard look at the runaway spending of Custodian Pincus. They have spent over $20 million on consultants while family premiums continue to skyrocket. It is wrong and must stop." Protestors chanted "Save TransPerfect, save our jobs" on the sidewalk outside of Chancellor Bouchard's speaking engagement at the PLI event. They wore blue CPBD t-shirts and held signs that read "Save TransPerfect. Don't Let Courts Control Our Companies." Despite multiple requests, Chancellor Bouchard has failed to provide an update on his earlier recommendation of mediation. "We all are hoping that mediation can work, but all we have heard from the custodian, Robert Pincus, is that it has failed," said Coffey. "We call on Chancellor Bouchard to fulfill his responsibility to provide us with a full update." Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware is a group made up of more than 2,200 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives and others. It formed in April of 2016 to focus on raising awareness with Delaware residents, elected officials, and other stakeholders about these issues. For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware visit DelawareForBusiness.org. Contact: Sloane Whelan, [email protected] SOURCE Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware GUANGZHOU, China, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sino Agro Food, Inc. (OTCQX: SIAF | OSE: SIAF-ME), a specialized investment company focused on protein food including seafood and cattle, announces recognition of its APRAS aquaculture technology and products of its former subsidiary, Tri-way Industries ("TW"), in which Sino Agro Food, Inc. holds a 36.6% ownership interest. Earlier, the Company announced two very significant milestones in the ongoing development and build-out of TW; namely, a 5A-1 rating from Dun & Bradstreet (July 10, 2017 press release), and signing a Bank Enterprise Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement containing a credit facility of RMB 100 million with Agricultural Bank of China (July 17, 2017 press release). The press releases are found on our website: Now, Tri-way is proud to announce that its operations are gaining media recognition throughout the Guangdong province, a province whose Gross Domestic Product exceeds USD 1.2 trillion; the largest provincial GDP in mainland China. Aquafarm 4 Prominently Featured in Two Television Broadcasts A Zhongshan station recently aired the first in a series of news segments at TW's Aquaculture Farm 4, highlighting it as one of a select few facilities that meet the highest government standards for food safety and sanitation in the production of live seafood. The APRAS technology produces chemical-free seafood, allowing for premium pricing of this coveted product line, both domestically and internationally. Guangdong's NanFang, a regional Chinese broadcast station covering an area of approximately 100 million people, aired a full edutainment program highlighting the APRAS technology, and including an interview with SIAF's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Anthony Ostrowski. The show features several celebrity chefs examining the indoor tanks and later sampling silver cod, jade perch, mandarin fish, tilapia, sleepy cod, and salt water prawns. These broadcasts as well as supporting material will be available shortly in the Tri-way section of Sino Agro Food's web site: http://www.sinoagrofood.com/content/AF4_2017 CEO and CSO Commentary Mr. Solomon Lee, interim Chairman of TW as well as Chairman and CEO of Sino Agro Food, Inc., expressed his sincere appreciation for the recent media coverage, adding, "our mission remains threefold; to produce great product, to market great product, and to distribute great product. TV stations such as ZSTV and NanFang TV allow us to reach their extensive viewing areas helping to broaden brand awareness and publicize the benefits of indoor farmed seafood. We believe on-going press coverage will further several aims: Facilitate sell-through to consumers directly, through e-commerce, and from our wholesale customers, Consolidate and extend premium pricing, and Potentially broaden the footprint of Capital Award's APRAS technology within China , and possibly into other Asian countries." SIAF Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Anthony Ostrowski offered additional perspective, "The ocean supply of seafood has remained stagnant since the mid-1980s while the demand worldwide, and especially in China is increasing rapidly. In addition, as more and more Chinese enter the middle class, specific demand for safe and sustainably produced seafood is rising quickly. Aquafarm 4 is a large-scale model for technologically advanced indoor and environmentally friendly aquaculture production of safe, high-quality, and healthy seafood. The farm already enjoys a competitive advantage for freshness, owing to its valuable location adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau, bordering Shenzhen and Guangzhou to the north, within 100 miles of tens of millions of people. "Longer term plans call for the Zhongshan facility to produce well over 100,000 metric tons of prawns and fish annually. Likewise, Tri-way is working toward an integrated set of facilities and processes to become vertically integrated with respect to life cycle from its own selectively-bred broodstock and in-house hatchery seed supplies through grow-out and sale of genetically and environmentally controlled, biosecure and, ultimately, internationally certified sustainable seafood." CONTACT: Peter Grossman Investor Relations +1-(775)-901-0344 [email protected] Todd Fromer / Elizabeth Barker +1-(212)-896-1215 / +1-212-896-1203 [email protected] Nordic Countries +46-(0)-8-120-558-30 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/sino-agro-food/r/tri-way-industries-ltd--raises-consumer-awareness,c2318442 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Sino Agro Food SANTA CLARA, California, BANGALORE and DUBAI, UAE, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Trianz, a global digital transformation consulting and technology solutions firm, is a Gold Sponsor of this year's Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit Chicago. To be held at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center between July 26 and 27, 2017, the event will bring together the cloud computing community to educate both experienced and new cloud users about AWS Cloud, and the skills needed to design, deploy, and operate infrastructure and applications. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452308/PRNE_TrianzUpdated_Logo.jpg ) The summit will feature subject matter experts from AWS and its customers and partners, sharing real world experiences, best practices, and lessons learned with the audience. Trianz will mark its presence at the event through an informative session on 'Transforming your Business with Analytics on the Cloud' by Prasanna Rajagopalan, Senior Director and Big Data Analytics Practice Head. Trianz will also introduce its new relationship as a fulfilment partner for cloud services delivery in association with NASPO ValuePoint, the cooperative purchasing unit of the National Association of State Procurement Officials. The association enables Trianz to provide effective cloud services and solutions to government bodies, higher education and state schools. "At Trianz, we are focused on digital transformation and innovation, and have expanded our cloud capabilities to help clients leverage AWS Cloud," said Sri Manchala, President and CEO, Trianz. "We are rapidly creating a distinction based on our expertise and our client success count, and are confident of becoming the partner of choice for organizations looking at maximizing returns from their cloud investments." "An event like AWS Summit provides the much-needed platform to validate cloud adoption and the digital transformation journeys of our existing and prospective clients. This is also where valuable feedback is received and leveraged to develop best practices to better serve clients," Ira Horowitz, Vice President - Client Relationships, Trianz, said in a statement. Trianz will be at Booth # 802, and requests delegates to meet its team of experts at the conference. About Trianz Trianz enables digital transformations through effective strategies and excellence in execution. Collaborating with business and technology leaders, we help formulate and execute operational strategies to achieve intended business outcomes by bringing the best of consulting, technology experiences and execution models. Powered by knowledge, research, and perspectives, we enable clients to transform their business ecosystems and achieve superior performance by leveraging cloud, analytics, digital and security paradigms. With offices in Silicon Valley, Washington DC Metro, Jersey City, Dubai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai, we serve Fortune 1000 and emerging organizations across industries globally. As a professional services firm, our values and culture are focused on delivering measurable business impact, predictability in execution, and a unique partnership experience. Contact: Prashant Bhavaraju Director, Marketing +1-408-387-5800 [email protected] SOURCE Trianz "Brian brings a strong background to our finance team from his experience at several global companies where he was instrumental in providing the financial strategy and leadership to help the organizations get to the next level of growth," said David Alexander, president and CEO, TruGreen. "With Brian, I'm confident we'll be well positioned to meet our goals of consistent profitable growth moving forward. We're excited to have him on the TruGreen team." Hamm joins TruGreen from Energizer Holdings, where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer, leading the Finance, Controllership, Internal Audit, Investor Relations, Tax and Treasury functions. Brian brings a wealth of experience defining, developing and executing successful financial strategies for a number of global companies including Energizer, PepsiAmericas and Price Waterhouse. David Martin, TruGreen's current chief financial officer, will move into the new role of vice president of sourcing and accounting. TruGreen merged with Scotts LawnService in April 2016, making TruGreen the nation's largest lawn care company in North America. The company launched its Mosquito Defense service this spring and continues to see growth in both its residential and commercial lawn care businesses. About TruGreen Memphis, Tenn.-based TruGreen is the nation's largest lawn care company, serving more than 2.3 million residential and commercial customers across the United States with lawn, tree and shrub care. TruGreen believes more life should be lived outside and is committed to providing a beautiful lawn to serve as the foundation for outside experiences and lifelong memories. As the leader in the professional lawn care industry, TruGreen helps define responsible lawn care practices, conducts industry-leading education and training for our people, pioneers new application technologies and educates our customers on proper mowing and wise-use watering techniques. Today, there are approximately 260 TruGreen lawn care branches in the United States and Canada, plus about 35 franchise locations. Go to http://www.TruGreen.com or http://www.facebook.com/TruGreen for more information about TruGreen. SOURCE TruGreen Related Links http://www.trugreen.com LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, July 1, 2017, New York native Paul James opened an Italian-American Deli in the Beverly Grove section of Los Angeles. James moved to L.A. in 2015 and struggled to find a traditional East Coast sandwich. With the influx of east coasters migrating west, there seemed to be an obvious void needing to be filled. Uncle Paulie's is quickly filling that void. The flawlessly executed Italian sandwich and chopped salad are two of the popular staples you can expect to see on the deli's growing menu. Paul set out to share a feeling of the neighborhood he grew up in with his customers. The centrally located deli will not only serve as the go-to lunch spot but will satisfy the weekly cold cut run for the family provisions and fresh mozzarella made in house daily. The deli offers best in class Italian cured meats and salami, local produce, fresh pressed olive oils, imported cheeses, spices and other rare ingredients incorporated into their menu of sandwiches and salads. Additionally, the shop is generously stocked with nostalgic Italian delights and sundries such as fresh baked cookies and cakes, homemade ice tea and ice coffee on tap daily. Frank Pinello, host of VICE's "The Pizza Show" teamed up with Los Angeles based chef Austin Itri to create the deli's menu and delectable recipes. Finally and above all is the bread. Seeded rolls and baguettes are baked fresh each day. The location includes a handful of both indoor and outdoor seating. Delivery is currently available during regular business hours through Postmates and GrubHub. In the coming months you can expect to see additions such as breakfast sandwiches, a collaborative menu item with world famous Italian restaurant Rao's and a catering menu. MENU: www.UnclePauliesDeli.com WHERE: 8369 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048 HOURS: Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm Sunday 11am-4pm CONNECT: Website: www.unclepauliesdeli.com Instagram: @unclepauliesdeli Facebook: www.facebook.com/unclepauliesdeli/ Twitter: @unclepauliedeli CONTACT: Email: [email protected] Phone: 323.746.5545 SOURCE Uncle Paulie's Deli Related Links http://unclepauliesdeli.com MUNICH and BOCA RATON, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, recently hosted its annual Unify Partner Conference, held this year in Monte Carlo, where the company unveiled new solutions and programs to accelerate channel partner business growth. The conference theme, "Advance: Choose your next move" focused on how Unify supports partners on their journey to the cloud at their pace and with the technology that fits their individual strategies. With more than 150 partners in attendance from around the world, the event also reiterated Unify's commitment to a channel-first business strategy and its mission to be the partner of choice in the communications and collaboration industry. In fact, today more than 57% of Unify's product revenue is through the channel. In the last year, Unify's partner base has increased by 34 percent, adding 437 new partners to total 2,809 partners in more than 119 countries. "We are excited to see the continued dedication and investment from Unify to focus on driving growth via the channel," said Haskiel Can, Product Manager at Unify partner, Swisscom (Schweiz) AG. "Seeing Unify's technology in action during the conference -- learning more about how we can maximize our value and minimize uncertainty has re-energized our team and equipped us with the insight we need to be successful." Guest speaker Nicklas Bergman, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist and futurist, helped to kick the session off with a discussion on "Surviving the Tech Storm" and providing insights on how to be competitive in today's landscape. At the event, Unify also debuted its new OpenScape Cloud offering, delivering cloud-based communication and collaboration for the modern digital workplace. The launch was shared via live stream to analysts, consultants and partners around the world. (Watch the recording.) "During an immense time of change in the industry, it's inspiring to learn that Unify's channel-first strategy is delivering results, which is good for their business and its global partner network," said Bernard Frossard, CEO of swisspro Solutions AG. "As we move forward, we're excited to tap into OpenScape Cloud technology to help accelerate our business goals. In particular, it is an advantage to be able to take our customers through a journey along their path and at their pace, via on-premise, hybrid OR cloud. Unify makes this possible." Unify introduced several new programs aimed at strenthening collaboration with its partners and between its global partners, including ServiceConnect, a service-based community hosted within Unify's Circuit technology. At the conference, Unify recognized several partners with awards, nominated and voted on by both Unify and its partners. Award winners included: Partner of Year StepLogic - Russia Distributor of Year - Telenet - Spain Above & Beyond, for the partner exhibiting exceptional dedication, passion and expertise Swisscom - Switzerland Rising Star Telvoyant - US Innovation, for creativity and thinking out of the box to deliver to the customer PFH - Ireland According to a recent survey among Unify's key strategic partners, respondents lauded Unify's reliability in a volatile market and its superior technical support, training and content. In addition, partners recognized Unify's extensive experience in the communication and collaboration market and noted the company's portfolio strength and breadth of products. The majority of the partners surveyed were very optimistic about expanding their Unify business over the next 12 months. "Unify has demonstrated that it truly understands the complexity of shifting to the cloud, and has put in place the technology and program that will support our business on that journey," said Sameer Parekh, Managing Director at Intellicon Pvt Ltd. "We look forward to working closely with Unify and leveraging OpenScape Cloud to increase our business." "The theme of this year's conference was 'Choose Your Next Move,' and Unify really showcased that it offered its partners and customers the choices they need to optimize their business and communication process whether it's on-premise, hybrid or cloud," said Soami Bhatia Director for Gurusons Communications Pvt Ltd. "All businesses advance at their own pace, and Unify offers the ability across its portfolio to advance in the direction that's right for Gurusons." About Unify Unify is one of the world's leading communications software and services firms, providing integrated communications solutions for approximately 75 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Our solutions unify multiple networks, devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, and enhances business performance. Unify has a strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security. About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 72 countries and annual revenue of around 12 billion. The European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, The Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. SOURCE Unify Related Links http://www.unify.com KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $185.4 million, or $1.91 per diluted share, during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $185.6 million, or $1.89 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2016. Net revenues increased 7.5% to $2.61 billion during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $2.43 billion during the second quarter of 2016. As calculated on attached Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule"), our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization ("EBITDA") increased 3.2% to $438.3 million during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $424.8 million during the second quarter of 2016. For the three-month period ended June 30, 2017, our adjusted net income attributable to UHS, as calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule, was $188.1 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, as compared to $191.1 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, during the second quarter of 2016. As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the second quarter of 2017, is a net aggregate unfavorable after-tax impact of $2.7 million, or $.03 per diluted share, consisting of: (i) a favorable after-tax impact of $1.4 million, or $.01 per diluted share, resulting from our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, "Compensation Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"), as discussed below, offset by; (ii) an unfavorable after tax impact of $4.0 million, or $.04 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of electronic health records ("EHR") applications at our acute care hospitals. Included in our reported results during the second quarter of 2016 is an unfavorable after tax impact of $5.5 million, or $.05 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals. Consolidated Results of Operations, As Reported and As Adjusted Six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016: Reported net income attributable to UHS was $391.4 million, or $4.03 per diluted share, during the first six months of 2017 as compared to $376.3 million, or $3.81 per diluted share, during the comparable period of 2016. Net revenues increased 7.1% to $5.23 billion during the first six months of 2017 as compared to $4.88 billion during the first six months of 2016. As calculated on attached Supplemental Schedule, our EBITDA increased 4.5% to $898.6 million during the six-month period ended June 30, 2017 as compared to $860.2 million during the comparable six-month period of 2016. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, our adjusted net income attributable to UHS, as calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule, was $392.4 million, or $4.04 per diluted share, as compared to $387.0 million, or $3.92 per diluted share, during the first six months of 2016. As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, is a net aggregate unfavorable after-tax impact of $1.0 million, or $.01 per diluted share, consisting of: (i) a favorable after-tax impact of $8.1 million, or $.08 per diluted share, resulting from our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, offset by; (ii) an unfavorable after tax impact of $9.1 million, or $.09 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals. Included in our reported results during the six-month period ended June 30, 2016 is an unfavorable after tax impact of $10.7 million, or $.11 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals. Acute Care Services Three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016: During the second quarter of 2017, at our acute care hospitals owned during both periods ("same facility basis"), adjusted admissions (adjusted for outpatient activity) increased 6.0% and adjusted patient days increased 2.7%, as compared to the second quarter of 2016. Net revenues from our acute care services increased 5.1% during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter of the prior year. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission remained unchanged while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 3.2% during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter of 2016. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, at our acute care hospitals on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 5.5% and adjusted patient days increased 2.2%, as compared to the first six months of 2016. Net revenues from our acute care services increased 4.9% during the first six months of 2017 as compared to the comparable period of the prior year. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.2% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 3.1% during the first six months of 2017 as compared to the comparable six-month period of 2016. We provide care to patients who meet certain financial or economic criteria without charge or at amounts substantially less than our established rates. Because we do not pursue collection of amounts determined to qualify as charity care, they are not reported in net revenues or in accounts receivable, net. Our acute care hospitals provided charity care and uninsured discounts, based on gross charges, amounting to approximately $485 million and $339 million during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $901 million and $684 million during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The provision for doubtful accounts at our acute care hospitals amounted to approximately $187 million and $179 million during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $368 million and $319 million during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Behavioral Health Care Services Three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016: During the second quarter of 2017, at our behavioral health care facilities on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 3.7% while adjusted patient days increased 1.4% as compared to the second quarter of 2016. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 1.4% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 0.9% during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter in 2016. On a same facility basis, our behavioral health care services' net revenues increased 2.2% during the second quarter of 2017 as compared to the second quarter of 2016. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, at our behavioral health care facilities on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 3.1% while adjusted patient days increased 0.8% as compared to the first six months of 2016. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 1.2% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 1.0% during the first six months of 2017 as compared to the comparable six-month period of 2016. On a same facility basis, our behavioral health care services' net revenues increased 1.8% during the first six months of 2017 as compared to the comparable period of 2016. Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities and Share Repurchase Program: For the six months ended June 30, 2017, our net cash provided by operating activities decreased to $534 million from $836 million generated during the comparable six-month period of 2016. The $302 million decrease was caused primarily by a $217 million unfavorable change in other working capital accounts resulting primarily from changes in accrued compensation and accounts payable due to timing of disbursements, and a $92 million unfavorable change in cash flows from foreign currency forward exchange contracts related to our investments in the U.K. In February of 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a $400 million increase to our stock repurchase program, which increased the aggregate authorization to $800 million from the previous $400 million authorization approved during the third quarter of 2014. Pursuant to this program, we may purchase shares of our Class B Common Stock, from time to time as conditions allow, on the open market or in negotiated private transactions. In conjunction with this program, during the second quarter of 2017, we have repurchased 983,900 shares at an aggregate cost of $115.9 million (approximately $118 per share). During the first six months of 2017, we have repurchased approximately 1.1 million shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $127.1 million (approximately $117 per share). Since inception of the program through June 30, 2017, we have repurchased approximately 5.47 million shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $641.2 million (approximately $117 per share). Revision of 2017 Full Year Earnings Guidance Range: Based upon the operating trends and financial results experienced during the first six months of 2017, we are revising our estimated range of adjusted net income attributable to UHS for the year ended December 31, 2017 to $7.50 to $8.00 per diluted share from the previously provided range of $7.70 to $8.20 per diluted share. This revised guidance range decreases both the lower and upper end of the previously provided range by approximately 2.5%. This revised guidance excludes the expected EHR unfavorable impact of $.15 per diluted share for the year, as well as the impact on our provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS resulting from of our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, which as discussed below, we are unable to estimate at this time. This guidance range also excludes the impact of future items, if applicable, that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, costs related to extinguishment of debt, reserves for settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, impairments of long-lived assets, impact of share repurchases and other material amounts that may be reflected in our financial statements that relate to prior periods. It is also subject to certain conditions including those as set forth below in General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures. Adoption of ASU 2016-09: Effective January 1, 2017, we adopted ASU 2016-09, "Compensation Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting", which amends the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions to require recognition of the tax effects resulting from the settlement of stock-based awards as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement in the reporting period in which they occur. In connection with the adoption of ASU 2016-09, during the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017, we recorded reductions to our provision for income taxes of $1.4 million and $8.1 million, respectively, which resulted in a corresponding increases in our net income attributable to UHS of $1.4 million, or $.01 per diluted share, during the second quarter of 2017 and $8.1 million, or $.08 per diluted share, during the first six months of 2017. Since the impact of ASU 2016-09 on our future financial statements is dependent upon the timing of stock option exercises, and the market price of our stock at the time of exercise, we are unable to estimate the impact this adoption will have on our future provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS. This reporting change is applied prospectively, effective as of January 1, 2017, with the exception of the change in the presentation of the excess income tax benefits related to stock-based compensation in the Statement of Cash Flows, which was applied retrospectively. Conference call information: We will hold a conference call for investors and analysts at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. The dial-in number is 1-877-648-7971. A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on our website at www.uhsinc.com. A replay of the call will be available following the conclusion of the live call and will be available for one full year. General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures: Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") is one of the nation's largest hospital companies operating through its subsidiaries acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities and ambulatory centers located throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It acts as the advisor to Universal Health Realty Income Trust, a real estate investment trust (NYSE:UHT). For additional information on the Company, visit our web site: http://www.uhsinc.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current management expectations. Numerous factors, including those disclosed herein, those related to healthcare industry trends and those detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (as set forth in Item 1A-Risk Factors and in Item 7-Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and in Item 2-Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017), may cause the results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond our capability to control or predict. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and therefore actual results may differ materially. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We believe that adjusted net income attributable to UHS, adjusted net income attributable to UHS per diluted share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP financial measures ("GAAP" is Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America), are helpful to our investors as measures of our operating performance. In addition, we believe that, when applicable, comparing and discussing our financial results based on these measures, as calculated, is helpful to our investors since it neutralizes the effect in each year of material items that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including, but not limited to, costs/benefits related to the impact on our provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS resulting from our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals, extinguishment of debt, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, reserves for settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, impairments of long-lived assets, and other items and other material amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance these measures should be examined in connection with net income, determined in accordance with GAAP, as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in this report or in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and our Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017. Since the items included or excluded from these measures are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance under GAAP, these measures should not be considered to be alternatives to net income as a measure of our operating performance or profitability. Since these measures, as presented, are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Investors are encouraged to use GAAP measures when evaluating our financial performance. Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months Six months ended June 30, ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net revenues before provision for doubtful accounts $2,827,709 $2,638,848 $5,653,181 $5,258,441 Less: Provision for doubtful accounts 215,353 207,993 427,967 377,788 Net revenues 2,612,356 2,430,855 5,225,214 4,880,653 Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 1,236,294 1,130,933 2,474,258 2,279,072 Other operating expenses 632,193 585,995 1,239,553 1,147,579 Supplies expense 274,539 254,422 552,153 509,672 Depreciation and amortization 113,112 101,411 223,910 205,460 Lease and rental expense 26,027 24,806 51,216 49,258 2,282,165 2,097,567 4,541,090 4,191,041 Income from operations 330,191 333,288 684,124 689,612 Interest expense, net 35,920 30,442 71,427 60,042 Income before income taxes 294,271 302,846 612,697 629,570 Provision for income taxes 103,883 107,397 211,782 218,402 Net income 190,388 195,449 400,915 411,168 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 4,994 9,872 9,466 34,832 Net income attributable to UHS $185,394 $185,577 $391,449 $376,336 Basic earnings per share attributable to UHS (a) $1.93 $1.91 $4.06 $3.86 Diluted earnings per share attributable to UHS (a) $1.91 $1.89 $4.03 $3.81 Universal Health Services, Inc. Footnotes to Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months Six months (a) Earnings per share calculation: ended June 30, ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Basic and diluted: Net income attributable to UHS $185,394 $185,577 $391,449 $376,336 Less: Net income attributable to unvested restricted share grants (82) (84) (176) (173) Net income attributable to UHS - basic and diluted $185,312 $185,493 $391,273 $376,163 Weighted average number of common shares - basic 96,247 97,109 96,416 97,358 Basic earnings per share attributable to UHS: $1.93 $1.91 $4.06 $3.86 Weighted average number of common shares 96,247 97,109 96,416 97,358 Add: Other share equivalents 795 1,280 791 1,284 Weighted average number of common shares and equiv. - diluted 97,042 98,389 97,207 98,642 Diluted earnings per share attributable to UHS: $1.91 $1.89 $4.03 $3.81 Universal Health Services, Inc. Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule") For the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Calculation of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") Three months ended % Net Three months ended % Net June 30, 2017 revenues June 30, 2016 revenues Net income attributable to UHS $185,394 $185,577 Depreciation and amortization 113,112 101,411 Interest expense, net 35,920 30,442 Provision for income taxes 103,883 107,397 EBITDA $438,309 16.8% $424,827 17.5% EHR-related net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, pre-tax 29 (455) Adjusted EBITDA $438,338 16.8% $424,372 17.5% Net revenues $2,612,356 $2,430,855 Calculation of Adjusted Net Income Attributable to UHS Three months ended Three months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Per Per Amount Diluted Share Amount Diluted Share Net income attributable to UHS $185,394 $1.91 $185,577 $1.89 Plus/minus after-tax adjustments: Impact of ASU 2016-09 (1,382) (0.01) - - After-tax impact of EHR-related items 4,038 0.04 5,477 0.05 Subtotal 2,656 0.03 5,477 0.05 Adjusted net income attributable to UHS $188,050 $1.94 $191,054 $1.94 Universal Health Services, Inc. Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule") For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Calculation of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") Six months ended % Net Six months ended % Net June 30, 2017 revenues June 30, 2016 revenues Net income attributable to UHS $391,449 $376,336 Depreciation and amortization 223,910 205,460 Interest expense, net 71,427 60,042 Provision for income taxes 211,782 218,402 EBITDA $898,568 17.2% $860,240 17.6% EHR-related net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, pre-tax (173) (1,417) Adjusted EBITDA $898,395 17.2% $858,823 17.6% Net revenues $5,225,214 $4,880,653 Calculation of Adjusted Net Income Attributable to UHS Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Per Per Amount Diluted Share Amount Diluted Share Net income attributable to UHS $391,449 $4.03 $376,336 $3.81 Plus/minus after-tax adjustments: Impact of ASU 2016-09 (8,132) (0.08) - - After-tax impact of EHR-related items 9,111 0.09 10,711 0.11 Subtotal 979 0.01 10,711 0.11 Adjusted net income attributable to UHS $392,428 $4.04 $387,047 $3.92 Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (in thousands) (unaudited) Three months Six months ended June 30, ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net income $190,388 $195,449 $400,915 $411,168 Other comprehensive income (loss): Unrealized derivative gains (losses) on cash flow hedges (129) (3,769) 2,937 (18,068) Amortization of terminated hedge 0 (83) 0 (167) Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable security 3,066 (621) 4,160 (621) Foreign currency translation adjustment 1,713 (4,163) 8,949 1,823 Other comprehensive income (loss) before tax 4,650 (8,636) 16,046 (17,033) Income tax expense (benefit) related to items of other comprehensive income 1,095 (1,667) 2,646 (7,027) Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 3,555 (6,969) 13,400 (10,006) Comprehensive income 193,943 188,480 414,315 401,162 Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests 4,994 9,872 9,466 34,832 Comprehensive income attributable to UHS $188,949 $178,608 $404,849 $366,330 Universal Health Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) June 30, December 31, 2017 2016 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 66,446 $ 33,747 Accounts receivable, net 1,456,999 1,439,553 Supplies 130,698 125,365 Other current assets 109,017 82,706 Total current assets 1,763,160 1,681,371 Property and equipment 7,604,631 7,314,437 Less: accumulated depreciation (3,162,756) (2,983,481) 4,441,875 4,330,956 Other assets: Goodwill 3,803,386 3,784,106 Deferred charges 11,720 13,520 Deferred income taxes 1,301 1,234 Other 531,045 506,615 Total Assets $ 10,552,487 $ 10,317,802 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 126,109 $ 105,895 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,182,396 1,209,329 Federal and state taxes 13,724 2,149 Total current liabilities 1,322,229 1,317,373 Other noncurrent liabilities 282,732 275,167 Long-term debt 3,988,912 4,030,230 Deferred income taxes 73,813 88,119 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 6,974 9,319 UHS common stockholders' equity 4,812,854 4,533,220 Noncontrolling interest 64,973 64,374 Total equity 4,877,827 4,597,594 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 10,552,487 $ 10,317,802 Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Six months ended June 30, 2017 2016 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net income $400,915 $411,168 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation & amortization 223,910 205,460 Stock-based compensation expense 29,053 24,693 Changes in assets & liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable 941 (45,729) Accrued interest 211 9,158 Accrued and deferred income taxes (5,529) 17,997 Other working capital accounts (93,715) 123,315 Other assets and deferred charges (19,927) (8,149) Other (23,411) 52,050 Excess income tax benefits related to stock-based compensation 0 35,247 Accrued insurance expense, net of commercial premiums paid 58,903 44,231 Payments made in settlement of self-insurance claims (37,759) (33,012) Net cash provided by operating activities 533,592 836,429 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Property and equipment additions, net of disposals (262,452) (247,715) Acquisition of property and businesses (19,610) (27,525) Increase in capital reserves of commercial insurance subsidiary (3,000) 0 Costs incurred for purchase and implementation of information technology application (19,448) 0 Net cash used in investing activities (304,510) (275,240) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Reduction of long-term debt (45,675) (843,351) Additional borrowings 21,600 1,022,239 Acquisition of noncontrolling interests in majority owned businesses 0 (418,000) Financing costs 0 (10,734) Repurchase of common shares (147,463) (239,139) Dividends paid (19,280) (19,484) Issuance of common stock 4,927 4,362 Profit distributions to noncontrolling interests (11,430) (59,615) Net cash used in financing activities (197,321) (563,722) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 938 (2,422) Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 32,699 (4,955) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 33,747 61,228 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $66,446 $56,273 Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information: Interest paid $66,765 $53,558 Income taxes paid, net of refunds $216,214 $165,947 Noncash purchases of property and equipment $63,089 $42,747 Universal Health Services, Inc. Supplemental Statistical Information (unaudited) % Change % Change Quarter ended 6 months ended Same Facility: 6/30/2017 6/30/2017 Acute Care Hospitals Revenues 5.1% 4.9% Adjusted Admissions 6.0% 5.5% Adjusted Patient Days 2.7% 2.2% Revenue Per Adjusted Admission 0.0% -0.2% Revenue Per Adjusted Patient Day 3.2% 3.1% Behavioral Health Hospitals Revenues 2.2% 1.8% Adjusted Admissions 3.7% 3.1% Adjusted Patient Days 1.4% 0.8% Revenue Per Adjusted Admission -1.4% -1.2% Revenue Per Adjusted Patient Day 0.9% 1.0% UHS Consolidated Second quarter ended Six months ended 6/30/2017 6/30/2016 6/30/2017 6/30/2016 Revenues $2,612,356 $2,430,855 $5,225,214 $4,880,653 EBITDA (1) $438,309 $424,827 $898,568 $860,240 EBITDA Margin (1) 16.8% 17.5% 17.2% 17.6% Cash Flow From Operations $50,584 $361,200 $533,592 $836,429 Days Sales Outstanding 51 50 50 50 Capital Expenditures $118,114 $120,501 $262,452 $247,715 Debt $4,115,021 $3,594,177 UHS' Shareholders Equity $4,812,854 $4,302,978 Debt / Total Capitalization 46.1% 45.5% Debt / EBITDA (2) 2.43 2.21 Debt / Cash From Operations (2) 3.99 2.67 (1) Net of Minority Interest (2) Latest 4 quarters Universal Health Services, Inc. Acute Care Hospital Services For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands) Same Facility Basis - Acute Care Hospital Services Three months ended Three months ended Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues before provision for doubtful accounts $1,472,401 $1,409,777 $2,978,717 $2,821,963 Less: Provision for doubtful accounts 178,447 178,918 351,845 318,673 Net revenues 1,293,954 100.0% 1,230,859 100.0% 2,626,872 100.0% 2,503,290 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 534,475 41.3% 507,371 41.2% 1,072,630 40.8% 1,019,331 40.7% Other operating expenses 308,211 23.8% 301,796 24.5% 617,213 23.5% 586,886 23.4% Supplies expense 218,899 16.9% 203,517 16.5% 441,868 16.8% 410,285 16.4% Depreciation and amortization 62,716 4.8% 56,294 4.6% 122,705 4.7% 115,603 4.6% Lease and rental expense 14,263 1.1% 13,875 1.1% 27,474 1.0% 26,917 1.1% Subtotal-operating expenses 1,138,564 88.0% 1,082,853 88.0% 2,281,890 86.9% 2,159,022 86.2% Income from operations 155,390 12.0% 148,006 12.0% 344,982 13.1% 344,268 13.8% Interest expense, net 690 0.1% 822 0.1% 1,434 0.1% 1,643 0.1% Income before income taxes $154,700 12.0% $147,184 12.0% $343,548 13.1% $342,625 13.7% All Acute Care Hospital Services Three months ended Three months ended Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues before provision for doubtful accounts $1,553,826 $1,432,246 $3,124,356 $2,859,148 Less: Provision for doubtful accounts 187,369 178,918 368,352 318,673 Net revenues 1,366,457 100.0% 1,253,328 100.0% 2,756,004 100.0% 2,540,475 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 551,735 40.4% 507,745 40.5% 1,106,695 40.2% 1,019,767 40.1% Other operating expenses 343,669 25.2% 324,496 25.9% 675,968 24.5% 624,457 24.6% Supplies expense 224,924 16.5% 203,520 16.2% 453,409 16.5% 410,288 16.2% Depreciation and amortization 73,017 5.3% 65,482 5.2% 144,355 5.2% 134,097 5.3% Lease and rental expense 14,545 1.1% 13,891 1.1% 28,461 1.0% 26,933 1.1% Subtotal-operating expenses 1,207,890 88.4% 1,115,134 89.0% 2,408,888 87.4% 2,215,542 87.2% Income from operations 158,567 11.6% 138,194 11.0% 347,116 12.6% 324,933 12.8% Interest expense, net 690 0.1% 822 0.1% 1,435 0.1% 1,643 0.1% Income before income taxes $157,877 11.6% $137,372 11.0% $345,681 12.5% $323,290 12.7% We believe that providing our results on a "Same Facility" basis (which is a non-GAAP measure), which includes the operating results for facilities and businesses operated in both the current year and prior year periods, is helpful to our investors as a measure of our operating performance. Our Same Facility results also neutralize (if applicable) the impact of the EHR applications, the effect of items that are non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, gains on sales of assets and businesses, impacts of settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits and other amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. Our Same Facility basis results exclude from net revenues and other operating expenses, provider tax assessments incurred in each period.However, these provider tax assessments are included in net revenues and other operating expenses as reflected in the table under All Acute Care Hospital Services. The provider tax assessments had no impact on the income before income taxes as reflected on the above tables since the amounts offset between net revenues and other operating expenses. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance, the Same Facility results should be examined in connection with our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP and as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017. The All Acute Care Hospital Servicestable summarizes the results of operations for all our acute care operations during the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. These amounts include: (i) our acute care results on a same facility basis, as indicated above; (ii) the impact of the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals; (iii) the impact of provider tax assessments which increased net revenues and other operating expenses but had no impact on income before income taxes, and; (iv) certain other amounts including the results of facilities acquired or opened during the last twelve months. Universal Health Services, Inc. Behavioral Health Services For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands) Same Facility - Behavioral Health Three months ended Three months ended Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues before provision for doubtful accounts $1,209,123 $1,184,696 $2,390,357 $2,349,621 Less: Provision for doubtful accounts 28,047 29,109 58,662 58,897 Net revenues 1,181,076 100.0% 1,155,587 100.0% 2,331,695 100.0% 2,290,724 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 590,987 50.0% 564,335 48.8% 1,174,551 50.4% 1,125,008 49.1% Other operating expenses 233,260 19.7% 222,502 19.3% 458,255 19.7% 436,619 19.1% Supplies expense 48,896 4.1% 48,524 4.2% 96,657 4.1% 96,623 4.2% Depreciation and amortization 33,633 2.8% 33,006 2.9% 66,632 2.9% 65,749 2.9% Lease and rental expense 10,920 0.9% 10,746 0.9% 21,497 0.9% 21,815 1.0% Subtotal-operating expenses 917,696 77.7% 879,113 76.1% 1,817,592 78.0% 1,745,814 76.2% Income from operations 263,380 22.3% 276,474 23.9% 514,103 22.0% 544,910 23.8% Interest expense, net 439 0.0% 438 0.0% 1,162 0.0% 882 0.0% Income before income taxes $262,941 22.3% $276,036 23.9% $512,941 22.0% $544,028 23.7% All Behavioral Health Care Services Three months ended Three months ended Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues before provision for doubtful accounts $1,270,547 $1,203,826 $2,520,295 $2,394,916 Less: Provision for doubtful accounts 27,986 29,071 59,612 59,115 Net revenues 1,242,561 100.0% 1,174,755 100.0% 2,460,683 100.0% 2,335,801 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 622,829 50.1% 567,280 48.3% 1,236,678 50.3% 1,132,152 48.5% Other operating expenses 268,241 21.6% 240,714 20.5% 522,719 21.2% 477,729 20.5% Supplies expense 49,984 4.0% 48,664 4.1% 99,020 4.0% 97,000 4.2% Depreciation and amortization 37,564 3.0% 33,887 2.9% 74,509 3.0% 67,419 2.9% Lease and rental expense 11,358 0.9% 10,856 0.9% 22,518 0.9% 22,118 0.9% Subtotal-operating expenses 989,976 79.7% 901,401 76.7% 1,955,444 79.5% 1,796,418 76.9% Income from operations 252,585 20.3% 273,354 23.3% 505,239 20.5% 539,383 23.1% Interest expense, net 439 0.0% 438 0.0% 1,162 0.0% 882 0.0% Income before income taxes $252,146 20.3% $272,916 23.2% $504,077 20.5% $538,501 23.1% We believe that providing our results on a "Same Facility" basis (which is a non-GAAP measure), which includes the operating results for facilities and businesses operated in both the current year and prior year periods, is helpful to our investors as a measure of our operating performance. Our Same Facility results also neutralize (if applicable), the effect of items that are non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, gains on sales of assets and businesses, impacts of settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits and other amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. Our Same Facility basis results exclude from net revenues and other operating expenses, provider tax assessments incurred in each period.However, these provider tax assessments are included in net revenues and other operating expenses as reflected in the table under All Behavioral Health Care Services. The provider tax assessments had no impact on the income before income taxes as reflected on the above tables since the amounts offset between net revenues and other operating expenses. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance, the Same Facility results should be examined in connection with our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP and as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017. The All Behavioral Health Care Servicestable summarizes the results of operations for all our behavioral health care facilities during the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. These amounts include: (i) our behavioral health results on a same facility basis, as indicated above; (ii) the impact of provider tax assessments which increased net revenues and other operating expenses but had no impact on income before income taxes, and; (iii) certain other amounts including the results of facilities acquired or opened during the last twelve months. Universal Health Services, Inc. Selected Hospital Statistics For the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 AS REPORTED: ACUTE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change Hospitals owned and leased 26 24 8.3% 294 213 38.0% Average licensed beds 6,120 5,854 4.5% 23,133 21,824 6.0% Patient days 324,249 306,907 5.7% 1,625,692 1,511,204 7.6% Average daily census 3,563.2 3,372.6 5.7% 17,864.7 16,606.6 7.6% Occupancy-licensed beds 58.2% 57.6% 1.1% 77.2% 76.1% 1.5% Admissions 73,552 66,824 10.1% 119,142 114,873 3.7% Length of stay 4.4 4.6 -4.0% 13.6 13.2 3.7% Inpatient revenue $5,430,997 $4,682,682 16.0% $2,249,135 $1,995,992 12.7% Outpatient revenue 3,286,930 2,838,852 15.8% 257,312 229,243 12.2% Total patient revenue 8,717,927 7,521,534 15.9% 2,506,447 2,225,235 12.6% Other revenue 118,177 118,988 -0.7% 52,883 53,053 -0.3% Gross hospital revenue 8,836,104 7,640,522 15.6% 2,559,330 2,278,288 12.3% Total deductions 7,282,278 6,208,276 17.3% 1,288,783 1,074,462 19.9% Net hospital revenue before provision for doubtful accounts 1,553,826 1,432,246 8.5% 1,270,547 1,203,826 5.5% Provision for doubtful accounts 187,369 178,918 4.7% 27,986 29,071 -3.7% Net hospital revenue $1,366,457 $1,253,328 9.0% $1,242,561 $1,174,755 5.8% SAME FACILITY: ACUTE (1) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (2) 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change Hospitals owned and leased 24 24 0.0% 212 212 0.0% Average licensed beds 5,965 5,854 1.9% 21,922 21,713 1.0% Patient days 318,555 306,907 3.8% 1,526,725 1,505,750 1.4% Average daily census 3,500.6 3,372.6 3.8% 16,777.2 16,546.7 1.4% Occupancy-licensed beds 58.7% 57.6% 1.9% 76.5% 76.2% 0.4% Admissions 71,557 66,824 7.1% 118,887 114,627 3.7% Length of stay 4.5 4.6 -3.1% 12.8 13.1 -2.2% (1) Henderson Hospital and Desert View Hospital are excluded in current year. (2) CAMBIAN facilities are excluded in current year. Universal Health Services, Inc. Selected Hospital Statistics For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 AS REPORTED: ACUTE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change Hospitals owned and leased 26 24 8.3% 294 213 38.0% Average licensed beds 6,114 5,854 4.4% 23,094 21,788 6.0% Patient days 657,249 632,141 4.0% 3,218,146 3,011,909 6.8% Average daily census 3,631.2 3,473.3 4.5% 17,779.8 16,549.0 7.4% Occupancy-licensed beds 59.4% 59.3% 0.2% 77.0% 76.0% 1.3% Admissions 147,903 136,498 8.4% 237,472 230,294 3.1% Length of stay 4.4 4.6 -4.0% 13.6 13.1 3.6% Inpatient revenue $11,028,847 $9,648,219 14.3% $4,432,137 $3,955,562 12.0% Outpatient revenue 6,581,107 5,606,181 17.4% 503,772 450,886 11.7% Total patient revenue 17,609,954 15,254,400 15.4% 4,935,909 4,406,448 12.0% Other revenue 239,442 230,545 3.9% 104,359 103,591 0.7% Gross hospital revenue 17,849,396 15,484,945 15.3% 5,040,268 4,510,039 11.8% Total deductions 14,725,040 12,625,797 16.6% 2,519,973 2,115,123 19.1% Net hospital revenue before provision for doubtful accounts 3,124,356 2,859,148 9.3% 2,520,295 2,394,916 5.2% Provision for doubtful accounts 368,352 318,673 15.6% 59,612 59,115 0.8% Net hospital revenue $2,756,004 $2,540,475 8.5% $2,460,683 $2,335,801 5.3% SAME FACILITY: ACUTE (1) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (2) 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change 6/30/17 6/30/16 % change Hospitals owned and leased 24 24 0.0% 212 212 0.0% Average licensed beds 5,959 5,854 1.8% 21,840 21,601 1.1% Patient days 646,514 632,141 2.3% 3,020,202 2,995,902 0.8% Average daily census 3,571.9 3,473.3 2.8% 16,686.2 16,461.0 1.4% Occupancy-licensed beds 59.9% 59.3% 1.0% 76.4% 76.2% 0.3% Admissions 144,209 136,498 5.6% 236,842 229,762 3.1% Length of stay 4.5 4.6 -3.2% 12.8 13.0 -2.2% (1) Henderson Hospital and Desert View Hospital are excluded in current year. (2) CAMBIAN facilities are excluded in current year. SOURCE Universal Health Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.uhsinc.com DENVER, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the social impact organization Unreasonable Institute officially rebranded to Uncharted. The new brand represents the organization's shifting approach to impact. Having run programs since 2010 with an entrepreneur-centric model, the team learned that problems require engaging larger audiences of corporations, policy-makers, governments, and foundations, in addition to entrepreneurs. They are now focused on building collective movements around singular problems, involving everyone who has a relevant investment in the specific issue. Uncharted describes their new approach in three steps: Identify a single problem. They define a specific, unsolved issue they want to take on, sometimes with help from the public, sometimes with help from a partner, and sometimes on their own Build a group to tackle it. Uncharted finds extraordinary people pioneering solutions to different aspects of this issue and brings them together to build a collective movement attacking the problem from all sides Run a program to solve it. The run 6-18 month long programs consisting of boot-camps that unite entrepreneurs, partners, mentors, funders, and corporations around a specific problem in order to drive measurable outcomes They have already tested this new approach. They partnered with Rockefeller Foundation to address urban poverty, City of Denver to tackle food deserts, and Gary Community Investments to improve the lives of low-income children. Additionally, the new brand represents how there is no single way to solve problems. As Uncharted, the organization is heading into unknown territory to learn how to solve problems. CEO Teju Ravilochan explains, "The only thing that solves problems that no one knows how to solve is systematicand relentlesstrial and error." The visual brandthe logo and its various shapes illustrates that problems are complex and dynamic. "We need to constantly challenge and adapt our approaches to problems in order to learn what works and what doesn't," says Laura Schwecherl, Uncharted's Director of Marketing and Communications. "The new brand brings this idea front and center. We couldn't be more happy with it." About Uncharted Uncharted builds coordinated movements of entrepreneurs around big problems, giving them what they need to attack it from all sides. We define a problem, mobilize those best fit to tackle it, then resource them with the mentors, funders, and partners they need to drive big impact on big issues. For more information, please contact: Laura Schwecherl, Director of Marketing and Communications [email protected] Phone: (631) 848-8016 SOURCE Uncharted Related Links http://www.uncharted.org SPRINGFIELD Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday called for a special session after lawmakers ignored his noon deadline for sending him public education-funding legislation with just weeks before the scheduled opening of schools. The plan drew a sharp rebuke from the Decatur-area lawmaker sponsoring the bill. Rauner issued the summons for lawmakers to return to the Capitol beginning Wednesday after he held a news conference in Chicago to accuse Democrats who control the General Assembly of holding school children "hostage" to their political agenda. "The Democrats in the majority are playing political games with our children's education," he told reporters, while again promising to change the legislation with an amendatory veto. "They seem to be intent on holding up school funding until August when schools need to open." State Sen. Senator Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, who is sponsoring the funding legislation, in a statement called the special session "a wasteful gimmick the governor is using to distract from the real issue." Said Manar: "The real issue is that the governor refuses to reveal what alleged problems he has with Senate Bill 1 and will not negotiate in good faith." For weary Illinois taxpayers, it's the latest flashpoint in an ongoing struggle between the first-term Republican executive and majority legislative Democrats. A special session earlier this this month concluded with Democrats enacting an annual budget fueled by increasing the income tax rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent over Rauner vetoes. The budget was the first since 2015, ending the longest such stalemate of any state since at least the Great Depression. It also includes a provision that prohibits the state from issuing state aid to schools unless it's done through an "evidence-based" formula of the type the General Assembly endorsed in May. But threatened with a veto, the Senate never sent Rauner that legislation, prompting the governor's call for special session. At stake is the Illinois State Board of Education's ability to start processing school-aid payments Aug. 1 and for the school bell to ring mid-month. Administrators at many schools say they have reserves or other means of opening, but some question for how long. Rauner last week held a press conference at Mount Zion Junior High School where he pledged to change the language of the funding bill. He was joined by Republican lawmakers. Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago said in a statement Monday that Rauner is confused about what the legislation does and has given conflicting messages about it. "I'd like to have a conversation with Gov. Rauner in hopes of getting some clarity as to exactly what is going on," Cullerton said in a statement. "We slowed down the process in the Senate in order to let everyone blow off some steam, politically speaking." The legislation would revise the way schools receive state aid for the first time in two decades. The method funnels money to the neediest school districts first after ensuring that no district receives less money than last school year. That includes a $250 million-a-year grant for Chicago schools for programs funded separately in other districts and a requirement that the state pick up the annual, $215 million employer portion of Chicago teachers' pensions. Rauner contends the $250 million grant was meant to help pay retirement-account costs something Chicago officials and proponents of the plan reject and so the extra money is a "bailout" for past pension-payment shortfalls. Democrats are holding the measure to build pressure, according to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Westchester. "The Democrats want to create and manufacture a school-funding crisis," said Durkin, who appeared with Rauner in Chicago. "I want all schools funded fairly. I want all schools opening on time. We are going to open schools on time. The Democrats cannot stay silent on this issue. Send the bill to the governor." Rauner produced a list last week that showed an amendatory veto of the legislation would cut $145 million from Chicago schools and distribute it to other districts across the state. But he has not explained who did the analysis or how the numbers were crunched. He declined, when asked on Monday, to explain what changes he would make with the amendatory veto. "We need it on my desk and you will see. They don't want me to be able to (make an) amendatory veto (on) it," Rauner said. "They want to create a crisis and just say, 'There's no discussion, there's no more time, there's nothing to debate. It's over. If schools want to open on time, only SB1 in its current form.' That's unfair." Illinois is one of seven states that give its governor the power of amendatory veto. It allows a governor to return legislation with "specific recommendations for change." But according to the state Supreme Court, that does not include changing a bill's "fundamental purpose" or making "substantial or expansive" changes. Manar said the governor should meet with leaders to reach an agreement rather than "waste taxpayer dollars." The governor is essentially asking the Legislature to buy a house without inspecting it," he said. "We need to know the details of the governors amendatory veto so that we can address his concerns in a responsible manner. Its time for the governor to stop campaigning and come forward with his plan. He owes it to the students of Illinois. BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that the Company will aggressively pursue a comprehensive sustainability commitment, called "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint". This ambitious undertaking, announced to employees at a companywide event today, commits to zero net emissions by 2030, zero waste to landfill by 2030 and zero net operating impact to forests and habitat. "Everything we do at Vail Resorts is driven by the spectacular natural surroundings where our employees, guests and communities live, work and play. The environment is our business, and we have a special obligation to protect it," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. "As a growing global company so deeply connected to the outdoors, we are making a commitment to address our most pressing global environmental challenge and protect our local communities and natural resources. Through improved business practices, capital investment and continued innovation and environmental stewardship, we are setting a goal of achieving a zero net operating footprint by 2030. With our 'Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint', Vail Resorts is both doing the right thing for the environment and for our business." "It's the leadership of companies like Vail Resorts that recognize that this is good business and good for the environment that will truly make a difference in the world," said Carl Pope, co-author of Climate of Hope and former head of the Sierra Club. "We will combat climate change through commitments such as this and others from cities, municipalities and companies across the country." Inspired by Whistler Blackcomb's environmental commitment, the Company intends to go beyond setting a partial emissions reduction target by executing on a more expansive and ambitious plan. "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" comprises three pillars: emissions, waste, and forests and habitats, with a thoughtful approach to each that was developed in consultation with leading sustainability experts in the industry. Zero net emissions by 2030 Vail Resorts will achieve net zero emissions in its operations by 2030 through the following initiatives: Reducing the Company's electricity and natural gas use by another 15 percent in addition to the 19 percent already achieved by improving operating practices and investing $25 million in innovative, energy-saving projects, such as low-energy snowmaking equipment, green building design and construction, and more efficient grooming practices and equipment. in innovative, energy-saving projects, such as low-energy snowmaking equipment, green building design and construction, and more efficient grooming practices and equipment. Since 2008, Vail Resorts has implemented an aggressive plan to reduce its electricity and natural gas use and has already achieved a 19 percent reduction, after adjusting for acquisitions and new business locations. Purchasing 100 percent renewable energy equivalent to Vail Resorts' total electrical energy use and working with utilities and local, regional and national governments to bring more renewable energy to the grids where the Company operates its resorts. The Company is already a member of Ceres Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy as well as RE100, a global collaborative initiative of influential companies committed to using 100 percent renewable electricity. Investing in programs such as tree planting to offset the use of other types of energy (e.g., gasoline and diesel). Engaging with the Company's vendors and suppliers to identify and collaborate on opportunities for them to reduce their emissions and environmental impact. Providing resort guests with information and opportunities for them to reduce or offset their carbon footprint. Sharing the Company's progress in achieving its "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" goals in an annual sustainability report following the fiscal year ending July 2018 , which will follow the Global Reporting Initiative's standard. , which will follow the Global Reporting Initiative's standard. Vail Resorts intends to achieve a 50 percent reduction in its net emissions by 2025, based on 2016 levels. Zero waste to landfill by 2030 Vail Resorts plans to achieve its 2030 goal of "zero waste to landfill" by diverting 100 percent of the waste from its operations to more sustainable pathways. Currently at a 40 percent waste diversion rate across its entire operations, the Company has set its sights on an interim target of diverting 50 percent of its waste by 2020. Vail Resorts plans to achieve this goal by: Improving its recycling and composting program. Engaging with vendors to reduce packaging and to source recyclable and compostable products. Working with local resort communities to increase options for reuse and diversion. Increasing awareness and engagement with employees and guests through signage, labeling and training. Zero net operating impact to forests and wildlife habitat To protect the spectacular mountain landscapes in which Vail Resorts operates, the Company commits to the following initiatives: Minimizing or eliminating the impact of any future resort development. Planting or restoring an acre of forest for every acre of forest displaced by the Company's operations, with the goal of achieving improved species and age diversity, resulting in healthier, more resilient forests. Continuing and expanding Vail Resorts' existing commitments to partner with and fund local organizations focused on the health of forests, habitat and wildlife. In 2016, for example, the Company contributed more than $1 million to 50 environmental stewardship projects through direct grants, the Company's $1 guest donation initiative, and the 1% for the Forest commitment, made in partnership with the National Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. Vail Resorts' "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint" will enable resort guests visiting Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe in Vermont; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan and its more than 30,000 employees the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment and resources without leaving an impact. For more information about Vail Resorts' "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint", visit www.epicpromise.com/zerofootprint. About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts' subsidiaries operate 11 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe in Vermont; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com. SOURCE Vail Resorts, Inc. Related Links http://www.vailresorts.com WALTON, Ky., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Verst Packaging, a division of Verst Logistics headquartered in Walton, Kentucky, will host members of the Kentucky Guild of Brewers for a guided tour and demonstration at the Verst facility in Hebron, Kentucky, on July 27. Verst is a member of the Guild and, said Peter Parker, Director of New Business Development for Beer, Wine and Spirits, "We thought it would be a great opportunity to let the brewers become even more familiar with the full range of our capabilities and services." Verst has developed turnkey contract packaging solutions that offer new flexibility and custom can decoration, traditionally unaffordable for small brewers. Verst has developed the expertise and technology to increase speed to market for smaller runs, as well as regionalized and seasonal decorating, at highly affordable rates. "We have the technical process expertise to support the Craft Beer Market," stated Will Schretzman, Vice President of Verst Packaging. "We are really providing something special for the Craft Beer Market. There are other companies out there that do what we do, but what sets us apart is our vast expertise in Shrink Sleeve manufacturing and state-of-the-art Shrink Sleeve label application. We can support Craft Brewers and at the same time support Fortune 500 companies as well." By providing project management, technical expertise and a superior product, Verst is unique in what they offer the Craft Beer industry. As the largest contract sleeve labeling organization in North America, Verst serves over 100 breweries and produces more than 1,000,000 cans a week at their facility in Hebron, Kentucky, and is honored to host the Kentucky Guild of Brewers visit on July 27. About Verst Logistics Since 1966, Verst Logistics has been a leading provider of fully-integrated warehousing, logistics and packaging services for a wide range of consumer goods manufacturers in the food and beverage, health and beauty, hardware and automotive industries. Verst operates 3PL facilities in several states across the U.S. Based in Walton, Kentucky, Verst employs over 1,500 employees. Additional information is available at verstgroup.com or 1800-582-6706. About the Kentucky Guild of Brewers The Kentucky Guild of Brewers (KGB) exists to pursue the following objectives: to act as a singular voice and advocate for the Kentucky brewing industry in all pertinent matters of legislation and governmental administration; to evenly promote all member breweries through the organization of events and publication of media; and to amalgamate the knowledge and economic sway of member breweries. The Guild is organized and operated exclusively for nonprofit purposes. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, additional information is available at kygbrewers.org or 502-475-0379. SOURCE Verst Logistics Related Links http://www.verstgroup.com WALNUT, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VIASPACE Inc. (OTC: VSPC) today announced that effective July 31, 2017, Haris Basit is resigning as CEO of VIASPACE to move to a position leading a Silicon Valley based technology company. Mr. Basit will become Vice-Chairman of the VIASPACE Board of Directors and thus continue to be involved in the overall strategic direction of VIASPACE. In addition, Mr. Basit has become one of the largest investors in VIASPACE and will likely continue to add to his shareholdings in the coming months. During this transition of leadership, Dr. Kevin Schewe, who is the largest shareholder and Board Chairman, becomes the acting CEO of VIASPACE. Dr. Carl Kukkonen, Co-Founder of VIASPACE, remains in his position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Mr. Stephen Muzi remains in his position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Basit commented, "It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the VIASPACE CEO these past two years and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the strategic direction of the Company as Vice-Chairman of the Board." Dr. Schewe also commented, "VIASPACE has appreciated Mr. Basit's leadership, efforts and investments in VIASPACE these past two years. We are pleased that he will continue to serve as Vice-Chairman of our Board of Directors going forward and we wish him the very best of success in his new position. VIASPACE will use this time of leadership transition to further minimize overhead expenses and continue to focus on our projects that carry the greatest likelihood of meaningful revenue generation. We remain committed to our dual corporate strategy of green, renewable energy generation and developing Giant King Grass as a high yield source of animal feed." About VIASPACE Inc. VIASPACE grows renewable Giant King Grass as a low-carbon fuel for clean electricity generation; for environmentally friendly energy pellets; and as a feedstock for bio-methane production and for green cellulosic biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. Giant King Grass is a proprietary, high yield, dedicated biomass energy crop. Giant King Grass when it is cut frequently at 4 to 5 feet tall is also excellent animal feed. The USDA granted approval for planting Giant King Grass throughout the US and cooperates in exporting by performing the required inspections and issuing the phytosanitary certificate needed for import into foreign countries. Giant King Grass is being grown in the US including Hawaii, and many foreign countries. For more information, please go to www.VIASPACE.com or contact Dr. Jan Vandersande, Director of Communications, at 800-517-8050 or [email protected] Safe Harbor Statement Information in this news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, risks outlined in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and other factors over which VIASPACE has little or no control. SOURCE VIASPACE Inc. Related Links http://www.viaspace.com SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Visbit, the leading virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree video streaming technology company, today released a Unity SDK and a Web VR Player, expanding the industry's first all-in-one VR streaming service across all mobile VR platforms and most web browsers. "Unity support has been a long-time request from our customers. We are proud to bring 4K+ VR video streaming to the Unity community," said Dr. Changyin Zhou, Visbit co-founder and CEO. "We're also adding the Web VR Player, which dramatically reduces the difficulties of distribution and improves access for general consumers of VR and 360-degree experiences. Now content creators can generate a web link on the Publisher Portal to share their work, or embed video links on their website, while still protecting their content with domain-level privacy." This release marks a significant service expansion for the company. In addition to the Samsung Gear VR and Cardboard for Android, which Visbit already supports, the Unity SDK brings support for Google Daydream View and Cardboard for iOS. Though streaming is optimized overall, the Unity SDK stands out when used to develop Android apps for Google Cardboard because it pulls on patented VVOS technology, allowing 4K and above resolution streaming over regular WiFi and LTE networks, with little to no latency. Visbit's newly released Web VR Player is compatible with the widest range of mobile and desktop browsers. Though it does not use VVOS technology, it still allows for the smooth playback of 360-degree VR videos, even in 4K and stereoscopic, and can do so in panning, gyro and VR modes on Chrome, Safari, FireFox and Microsoft Edge. Videos are also protected with domain-level privacy to ensure that they are played only where the IP owner wants. These features are especially outstanding considering that most web players fail to play 360-degree videos well on Safari or any browser on iOS, and do not support stereoscopic. Along with this product expansion comes a new pricing structure, which includes a Web Only Plan for those who may not need the advanced features designed for mobile apps and a Free Plan for those who are just getting started. Visbit is currently in open beta and customers can sign up at www.visbit.co. The company will continue expanding platform support for its VR streaming service, including desktop and console VR headsets. About Visbit, Inc. Visbit Inc. is a visual technology company enabling 360-degree videos and VR content to be easily streamed and viewed at the highest possible quality across multiple platforms. With its patented Visbit View-Optimized Streaming (VVOS) technology, Visbit offers content publishers and app developers the world's first all-in-one streaming service that can deliver and play 4K to 12K resolution 360-degree VR videos without noticeable latency over regular Wi-Fi and LTE for mobile and eventually all VR headsets. The service is made of a publisher portal for content management and BI analytics, a VR cloud for transcoding, streaming via CDN and hosting, and a set of VR player SDKs. The company was founded in 2015 by Dr. Changyin Zhou and Elaine Lu, and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, USA. For more information go to www.visbit.co. SOURCE Visbit Related Links https://www.visbit.co DALLAS, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Waypoint Consulting Services, the Dallas-based firm active in the financial services, healthcare, and energy sectors, announced the hiring of four senior consultants, all seasoned practitioners with multiple areas of expertise. They are Jim Baubie III, Dr. Ron Papa, Cindi Pacanins, Vinny Velayudhan. Bill Stuart, Waypoint chief executive and managing partner, said, "We are privileged to have these four excellent consultants, with their impressive and diverse backgrounds and experience, join our Waypoint team. We are pleased to be able to offer so much talent in so many areas to our clients. To a person, they share the Waypoint vision and values and are bringing them to bear in the best interests of our clients." Jim Baubie III, with more than 25 years of experience aligning business/technology strategies, was most recently Comerica Bank's SVP and Divisional CIO of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Corporate Functions, where he led initiatives on regulatory compliance, global sourcing, corporate governance, vendor management, and M&A. He holds an MBA in IT/Healthcare Management and a BS magna cum laude in MIS. Dr. Ron Papa has managed a variety of risk management, regulatory compliance, disaster recovery, vendor management, and statistical analysis projects in multiple industries, including automotive and financial services. He is an adjunct college professor and president-elect of the Great Lakes PMI Chapter, and holds a PhD and post-Masters Certificate in MIS and an MBA in Finance. Cindi Pacanins manages large-scale strategic business and technology initiatives in many sectors, utilizing IT and business frameworks. Most recently she advised the office of the CEO of a large international retail organization on strategic initiatives to support a world class co-prosperity Franchise System. She was VP of Finance for the Dallas Chapter of PMI and holds a BS in Decision and Information Science. Vinny Velayudhan has a successful track record of building and managing successful operational support teams around the world. He has worked with a variety of industries including healthcare and financial services and was most recently Senior Manager at Dell, responsible for endpoint security, compliance, lifecycle management and more. He studied electrical engineering at SUNY Stony Brook. About Waypoint Waypoint is a consulting services company formed by partners deeply experienced across industries and geographies to advise leaders on strategy and business transformation, M&A, growth and client life cycle, risk and regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, data security and privacy, information technology and operations. The company is based in Dallas, Texas. www.trustwaypoint.com Waypoint Contact: Mark Renfro, Managing Partner, Waypoint Consulting Services, [email protected] 972-322-8863 Media Contact: Ann Cain, Communications, 214-632-3300 SOURCE Waypoint Consulting Services Related Links http://www.trustwaypoint.com WES previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.890 per unit for the second quarter of 2017. This distribution represented a 2% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 7% increase over the second-quarter 2016 distribution of $0.830 per unit. The second-quarter 2017 Coverage ratio(1) of 1.19 times was based on the quarterly distribution of $0.890 per unit. "We continue to achieve significant milestones in the Delaware Basin that enhance both our competitive position in the area and our ability to serve the increasing needs of producers. These include the DBJV-for-Marcellus asset exchange, the early settlement of the DBJV Deferred Purchase Price Obligation, and the successful start-up of our produced water gathering and disposal systems," said Chief Executive Officer, Benjamin Fink. "Additionally, we are excited to announce the sanctioning of the Latham plant in the DJ Basin, which will consist of two cryogenic processing trains with a total capacity of 400 MMcf/d. These trains will be supported by long-term volumetric commitments from Anadarko, and are scheduled to come online in the first and third quarters of 2019." (1) Please see the tables at the end of this release for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures and calculation of the Coverage ratio. Total throughput attributable to WES for natural gas assets for the second quarter of 2017 averaged 3.5 Bcf/d, which was 12% below the prior quarter and 10% below the second quarter of 2016. Total throughput attributable to WES for natural gas was 2% above the prior quarter when adjusted for the impact of the DBJV-for-Marcellus asset exchange that closed in March 2017. Total throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets for the second quarter of 2017 averaged 182 MBbls/d, which was 8% above the prior quarter and 3% below the second quarter of 2016. Capital expenditures attributable to WES, including equity investments but excluding acquisitions, totaled $133.6 million on a cash basis and $148.2 million on an accrual basis during the second quarter of 2017, with maintenance capital expenditures on a cash basis of $11.4 million. WESTERN GAS EQUITY PARTNERS, LP WGP indirectly owns the entire general partner interest in WES, 100% of the incentive distribution rights in WES and 50,132,046 WES common units. Net income (loss) available to limited partners for the second quarter of 2017 totaled $104.9 million, or $0.48 per common unit (diluted). WGP previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.52750 per unit for the second quarter of 2017. This distribution represented a 7% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 22% increase over the second-quarter 2016 distribution of $0.43375 per unit. WGP will receive distributions from WES of $116.3 million attributable to the second quarter and will pay $115.5 million in distributions for the same period. CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 11 A.M. CDT WES and WGP will host a joint conference call on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) to discuss second-quarter 2017 results. Individuals who would like to participate should dial 877-883-0383 (Domestic) or 412-902-6506 (International) approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled conference call time, and enter participant access code 1783522. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership's website at www.westerngas.com. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the website for two weeks following the call. Western Gas Partners, LP ("WES") is a growth-oriented Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to acquire, own, develop and operate midstream energy assets. With midstream assets located in the Rocky Mountains, North-central Pennsylvania and Texas, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing and transporting condensate, natural gas liquids and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water for Anadarko, as well as for other producers and customers. Western Gas Equity Partners, LP ("WGP") is a Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko to own the following types of interests in WES: (i) the general partner interest and all of the incentive distribution rights in WES, both owned through WGP's 100% ownership of WES's general partner, and (ii) a significant limited partner interest in WES. For more information about Western Gas Partners, LP and Western Gas Equity Partners, LP, please visit www.westerngas.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements. WES and WGP's management believes that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include the ability to meet financial guidance or distribution growth expectations; the ability to safely and efficiently operate WES's assets; the supply of, demand for, and price of oil, natural gas, NGLs and related products or services; the ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" sections of WES's and WGP's most recent Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in their other public filings and press releases. Western Gas Partners and Western Gas Equity Partners undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. WESTERN GAS CONTACT Jonathon E. VandenBrand Director, Investor Relations [email protected] 832.636.6000 Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures Below are reconciliations of (i) net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP) to WES's Distributable cash flow (non-GAAP), (ii) net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP) and net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted EBITDA") (non-GAAP), and (iii) operating income (loss) (GAAP) to Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted gross margin") (non-GAAP), as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management believes that WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin, and Coverage ratio are widely accepted financial indicators of WES's financial performance compared to other publicly traded partnerships and are useful in assessing its ability to incur and service debt, fund capital expenditures and make distributions. Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio, as defined by WES, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Therefore, WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio should be considered in conjunction with net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP and other applicable performance measures, such as operating income (loss) or cash flows from operating activities. Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued Distributable Cash Flow WES defines Distributable cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA, plus interest income and the net settlement amounts from the sale and/or purchase of natural gas, condensate and NGLs under WES's commodity price swap agreements to the extent such amounts are not recognized as Adjusted EBITDA, less net cash paid (or to be paid) for interest expense (including amortization of deferred debt issuance costs originally paid in cash, offset by non-cash capitalized interest), maintenance capital expenditures, Series A Preferred unit distributions and income taxes. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, thousands except Coverage ratio 2017 2016 2017 2016 Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Distributable cash flow and calculation of the Coverage ratio Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 173,451 $ 164,521 $ 275,340 $ 280,581 Add: Distributions from equity investments 28,856 24,491 51,423 49,130 Non-cash equity-based compensation expense 975 1,246 2,221 2,549 Non-cash settled - interest expense, net (1) (15,461) 71 (10,924) Income tax (benefit) expense 843 326 4,395 6,959 Depreciation and amortization (2) 73,352 66,650 142,401 131,089 Impairments 3,178 2,403 167,920 8,921 Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko 16,373 9,552 28,670 16,365 Other expense (2) 95 56 140 56 Less: Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net 15,458 (1,907) 134,945 (2,539) Equity income, net affiliates 21,728 19,693 41,189 36,507 Cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures (2) 11,402 21,085 22,524 39,982 Capitalized interest 1,060 1,482 1,876 3,331 Cash paid for (reimbursement of) income taxes 189 67 Series A Preferred unit distributions 14,082 7,453 15,969 Other income (2) 250 677 122 Distributable cash flow $ 247,225 $ 199,349 $ 463,728 $ 391,287 Distributions declared (3) Limited partners common units $ 135,816 $ 259,745 General partner 71,675 136,499 Total $ 207,491 $ 396,244 Coverage ratio 1.19 x 1.17 x (1) Includes amounts related to the Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko. (2) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization; other expense; cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures; and other income attributable to Chipeta. (3) Reflects cash distributions of $0.890 and $1.765 per unit declared for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued Adjusted EBITDA Attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP WES defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP, plus distributions from equity investments, non-cash equity-based compensation expense, interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, and other expense (including lower of cost or market inventory adjustments recorded in cost of product), less gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net, income from equity investments, interest income, income tax benefit, and other income. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, thousands 2017 2016 2017 2016 Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 173,451 $ 164,521 $ 275,340 $ 280,581 Add: Distributions from equity investments 28,856 24,491 51,423 49,130 Non-cash equity-based compensation expense 975 1,246 2,221 2,549 Interest expense 35,746 12,883 71,250 44,919 Income tax expense 843 326 4,395 6,959 Depreciation and amortization (1) 73,352 66,650 142,401 131,089 Impairments 3,178 2,403 167,920 8,921 Other expense (1) 95 56 140 56 Less: Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net 15,458 (1,907) 134,945 (2,539) Equity income, net affiliates 21,728 19,693 41,189 36,507 Interest income affiliates 4,225 4,225 8,450 8,450 Other income (1) 250 677 122 Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 274,835 $ 250,565 $ 529,829 $ 481,664 Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 240,536 $ 157,363 $ 433,152 $ 393,866 Interest (income) expense, net 31,521 8,658 62,800 36,469 Uncontributed cash-based compensation awards (209) 86 (172) 158 Accretion and amortization of long-term obligations, net (1,038) 14,522 (2,139) 9,055 Current income tax (benefit) expense 204 198 628 4,979 Other (income) expense, net (253) 53 (683) (71) Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings affiliates 5,768 5,827 9,221 10,611 Changes in operating working capital: Accounts receivable, net (10,876) 45,800 (9,363) 33,242 Accounts and imbalance payables and accrued liabilities, net 12,035 20,205 41,975 2,227 Other (131) 1,309 (116) (1,739) Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interest (2,722) (3,456) (5,474) (7,133) Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 274,835 $ 250,565 $ 529,829 $ 481,664 Cash flow information of Western Gas Partners, LP Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 433,152 $ 393,866 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (363,131) (952,824) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (239,749) 618,692 (1) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization; other expense; and other income attributable to Chipeta. Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued Adjusted Gross Margin Attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP WES defines Adjusted gross margin as total revenues and other, less cost of product and reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue, plus distributions from equity investments and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, thousands 2017 2016 2017 2016 Reconciliation of Operating income (loss) to Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP Operating income (loss) $ 207,608 $ 176,362 $ 346,000 $ 329,765 Add: Distributions from equity investments 28,856 24,491 51,423 49,130 Operation and maintenance 76,148 75,173 149,908 151,386 General and administrative 10,585 10,883 23,244 22,160 Property and other taxes 11,924 12,078 24,218 22,428 Depreciation and amortization 74,031 67,305 143,733 132,400 Impairments 3,178 2,403 167,920 8,921 Less: Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net 15,458 (1,907) 134,945 (2,539) Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims 24,115 2,603 29,882 2,603 Equity income, net affiliates 21,728 19,693 41,189 36,507 Reimbursed electricity-related charges recorded as revenues 14,046 14,869 28,015 30,537 Adjusted gross margin attributable to noncontrolling interest 3,435 4,183 7,311 8,604 Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 333,548 $ 329,254 $ 665,104 $ 640,478 Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets $ 297,778 $ 294,661 $ 599,283 $ 571,190 Adjusted gross margin for crude, NGL and produced water assets 35,770 34,593 65,821 69,288 Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, thousands except per-unit amounts 2017 2016 2017 2016 Revenues and other Gathering, processing and transportation $ 299,435 $ 301,136 $ 607,249 $ 595,140 Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales 224,824 126,993 431,349 215,549 Other 1,191 535 3,045 1,116 Total revenues and other 525,450 428,664 1,041,643 811,805 Equity income, net affiliates 21,728 19,693 41,189 36,507 Operating expenses Cost of product 203,277 104,849 392,636 181,316 Operation and maintenance 76,148 75,173 149,908 151,386 General and administrative 10,585 10,883 23,244 22,160 Property and other taxes 11,924 12,078 24,218 22,428 Depreciation and amortization 74,031 67,305 143,733 132,400 Impairments 3,178 2,403 167,920 8,921 Total operating expenses 379,143 272,691 901,659 518,611 Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net 15,458 (1,907) 134,945 (2,539) Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims 24,115 2,603 29,882 2,603 Operating income (loss) 207,608 176,362 346,000 329,765 Interest income affiliates 4,225 4,225 8,450 8,450 Interest expense (35,746) (12,883) (71,250) (44,919) Other income (expense), net 253 (53) 683 71 Income (loss) before income taxes 176,340 167,651 283,883 293,367 Income tax (benefit) expense 843 326 4,395 6,959 Net income (loss) 175,497 167,325 279,488 286,408 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 2,046 2,804 4,148 5,827 Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 173,451 $ 164,521 $ 275,340 $ 280,581 Limited partners' interest in net income (loss): Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP $ 173,451 $ 164,521 $ 275,340 $ 280,581 Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko (11,326) Series A Preferred units interest in net (income) loss (14,199) (23,121) (42,373) (25,450) General partner interest in net (income) loss (76,365) (58,381) (144,527) (113,781) Common and Class C limited partners' interest in net income (loss) $ 82,887 $ 83,019 $ 88,440 $ 130,024 Net income (loss) per common unit basic and diluted $ 0.49 $ 0.55 $ 0.53 $ 0.86 Weighted-average common units outstanding basic 148,864 130,669 141,696 129,830 Weighted-average common units outstanding diluted 165,248 163,227 165,149 153,291 Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) thousands except number of units June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Current assets $ 334,802 $ 594,014 Note receivable Anadarko 260,000 260,000 Net property, plant and equipment 5,347,794 5,049,932 Other assets 1,803,119 1,829,082 Total assets $ 7,745,715 $ 7,733,028 Current liabilities $ 277,395 $ 315,305 Long-term debt 3,253,065 3,091,461 Asset retirement obligations and other 152,695 149,043 Deferred purchase price obligation Anadarko 41,440 Total liabilities $ 3,683,155 $ 3,597,249 Equity and partners' capital Series A Preferred units (zero and 21,922,831 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively) $ $ 639,545 Common units (152,602,105 and 130,671,970 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively) 3,070,608 2,536,872 Class C units (21,743,318 and 12,358,123 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively) 764,174 750,831 General partner units (2,583,068 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016) 165,442 143,968 Noncontrolling interest 62,336 64,563 Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital $ 7,745,715 $ 7,733,028 Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, thousands 2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities Net income (loss) $ 279,488 $ 286,408 Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital: Depreciation and amortization 143,733 132,400 Impairments 167,920 8,921 (Gain) loss on divestiture and other, net (134,945) 2,539 Change in other items, net (23,044) (36,402) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 433,152 $ 393,866 Cash flows from investing activities Capital expenditures $ (260,480) $ (255,923) Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates 1,343 3,854 Acquisitions from affiliates (3,910) (715,199) Acquisitions from third parties (155,287) Investments in equity affiliates (287) 139 Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings affiliates 9,221 10,611 Proceeds from the sale of assets to affiliates 613 Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties 23,292 137 Proceeds from property insurance claims 22,977 2,944 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities $ (363,131) $ (952,824) Cash flows from financing activities Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs $ 159,989 $ 530,000 Repayments of debt (290,000) Settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation Anadarko (37,346) Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks (2,763) (1,314) Proceeds from the issuance of common units, net of offering expenses (183) 25,000 Proceeds from the issuance of Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses 686,940 Distributions to unitholders (381,771) (313,380) Distributions to noncontrolling interest owner (6,375) (7,460) Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko 30 (27,459) Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko 28,670 16,365 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities $ (239,749) $ 618,692 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (169,728) $ 59,734 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 357,925 98,033 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 188,197 $ 157,767 Western Gas Partners, LP OPERATING STATISTICS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Throughput for natural gas assets (MMcf/d) Gathering, treating and transportation 866 1,508 1,155 1,553 Processing 2,555 2,320 2,498 2,226 Equity investment (1) 158 170 160 178 Total throughput for natural gas assets 3,579 3,998 3,813 3,957 Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interest for natural gas assets 107 128 108 132 Total throughput attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets 3,472 3,870 3,705 3,825 Throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets (MBbls/d) Gathering, treating and transportation 50 59 47 59 Equity investment (2) 132 128 129 127 Total throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets 182 187 176 186 Adjusted gross margin per Mcf attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (3) $ 0.94 $ 0.84 $ 0.89 $ 0.82 Adjusted gross margin per Bbl for crude, NGL and produced water assets (4) 2.15 2.03 2.07 2.05 (1) Represents WES's 14.81% share of average Fort Union throughput and 22% share of average Rendezvous throughput. (2) Represents WES's 10% share of average White Cliffs throughput, WES's 25% share of average Mont Belvieu JV throughput, WES's 20% share of average TEG and TEP throughput, and WES's 33.33% share of average FRP throughput. (3) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (total revenues and other for natural gas assets, less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue and cost of product for natural gas assets, plus distributions from WES's equity investments in Fort Union and Rendezvous, and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product), divided by total throughput (MMcf/d) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets. (4) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for crude, NGL and produced water assets (total revenues and other for crude, NGL and produced water assets, less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue and cost of product for crude, NGL and produced water assets, plus distributions from WES's equity investments in White Cliffs, the Mont Belvieu JV, TEG, TEP and FRP), divided by total throughput (MBbls/d) for crude, NGL and produced water assets. Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CALCULATION OF CASH AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION (Unaudited) thousands except per-unit amount and Coverage ratio Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 Distributions declared by Western Gas Partners, LP: General partner interest $ 3,454 Incentive distribution rights 68,221 Common units held by WGP 44,618 Less: Public company general and administrative expense 612 Interest expense 551 Cash available for distribution $ 115,130 Declared distribution per common unit $ 0.52750 Distributions declared by Western Gas Equity Partners, LP $ 115,487 Coverage ratio 1.00 x Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, thousands except per-unit amounts 2017 2016 2017 2016 Revenues and other Gathering, processing and transportation $ 299,435 $ 301,136 $ 607,249 $ 595,140 Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales 224,824 126,993 431,349 215,549 Other 1,191 535 3,045 1,116 Total revenues and other 525,450 428,664 1,041,643 811,805 Equity income, net affiliates 21,728 19,693 41,189 36,507 Operating expenses Cost of product 203,277 104,849 392,636 181,316 Operation and maintenance 76,148 75,173 149,908 151,386 General and administrative 11,197 11,887 24,673 24,402 Property and other taxes 11,924 12,093 24,218 22,443 Depreciation and amortization 74,031 67,305 143,733 132,400 Impairments 3,178 2,403 167,920 8,921 Total operating expenses 379,755 273,710 903,088 520,868 Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net 15,458 (1,907) 134,945 (2,539) Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims 24,115 2,603 29,882 2,603 Operating income (loss) 206,996 175,343 344,571 327,508 Interest income affiliates 4,225 4,225 8,450 8,450 Interest expense (36,297) (13,429) (72,330) (45,568) Other income (expense), net 272 (36) 718 105 Income (loss) before income taxes 175,196 166,103 281,409 290,495 Income tax (benefit) expense 843 326 4,395 6,959 Net income (loss) 174,353 165,777 277,014 283,536 Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 69,409 76,914 96,130 112,857 Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP $ 104,944 $ 88,863 $ 180,884 $ 170,679 Limited partners' interest in net income (loss): Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP $ 104,944 $ 88,863 $ 180,884 $ 170,679 Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko (11,326) Limited partners' interest in net income (loss) $ 104,944 $ 88,863 $ 180,884 $ 159,353 Net income (loss) per common unit basic and diluted $ 0.48 $ 0.41 $ 0.83 $ 0.73 Weighted-average common units outstanding basic and diluted 218,931 218,921 218,930 218,920 Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) thousands except number of units June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Current assets $ 335,683 $ 595,591 Note receivable Anadarko 260,000 260,000 Net property, plant and equipment 5,347,794 5,049,932 Other assets 1,804,275 1,830,574 Total assets $ 7,747,752 $ 7,736,097 Current liabilities $ 277,536 $ 315,387 Long-term debt 3,281,065 3,119,461 Asset retirement obligations and other 152,695 149,043 Deferred purchase price obligation Anadarko 41,440 Total liabilities $ 3,711,296 $ 3,625,331 Equity and partners' capital Common units (218,933,141 and 218,928,570 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively) $ 1,070,254 $ 1,048,143 Noncontrolling interests 2,966,202 3,062,623 Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital $ 7,747,752 $ 7,736,097 Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, thousands 2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities Net income (loss) $ 277,014 $ 283,536 Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital: Depreciation and amortization 143,733 132,400 Impairments 167,920 8,921 (Gain) loss on divestiture and other, net (134,945) 2,539 Change in other items, net (22,364) (35,581) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 431,358 $ 391,815 Cash flows from investing activities Capital expenditures $ (260,480) $ (255,923) Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates 1,343 3,854 Acquisitions from affiliates (3,910) (715,199) Acquisitions from third parties (155,287) Investments in equity affiliates (287) 139 Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings affiliates 9,221 10,611 Proceeds from the sale of assets to affiliates 613 Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties 23,292 137 Proceeds from property insurance claims 22,977 2,944 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities $ (363,131) $ (952,824) Cash flows from financing activities Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs $ 159,989 $ 556,017 Repayments of debt (290,000) Settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation Anadarko (37,346) Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks (2,763) (1,314) Proceeds from the issuance of WES common units, net of offering expenses (183) Proceeds from the issuance of WES Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses 686,940 Distributions to WGP unitholders (208,803) (181,156) Distributions to Chipeta noncontrolling interest owner (6,375) (7,460) Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners of WES (171,689) (130,947) Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko 30 (27,459) Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko 28,670 16,365 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities $ (238,470) $ 620,986 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (170,243) $ 59,977 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 359,072 99,694 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 188,829 $ 159,671 SOURCE Western Gas Partners, LP; Western Gas Equity Partners, LP Related Links http://www.westerngas.com GUANGDONG PROVINCE, China, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As Asvape Michael Box Mod goes on sale on ave40.com globally, new research coming from the peer-reviewed Annals of Internal Medicine says that vaping is "far safer than smoking," and not just an effective smoking cessation technique. In addition, a new survey, which claims that more than half of British vapers have stopped smoking tobacco, seemingly points to the usefulness of vaping as a viable technique to quit smoking. The survey was conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash). To commemorate those findings, AVE40 is urging smokers to take advantage of its products and transition to vaping, which is not only safer for them, but for their families and the world in general. Another recent study, by the Royal College of Physicians states that while vaping is more harmful than Nicotine Replacement Therapy, "the hazard to health arising from long-term vapor inhalation from the e-cigarettes available today is unlikely to exceed 5 percent of the harm from smoking tobacco." The good news is that according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, those who vape at well-regulated temperatures are much less at risk than those vaping at extremely high temperatures ("A Hotter Vape Emits Higher Levels of Carcinogens, Study Shows" - Vice.com). According to the report, when vaping at high temperatures, a compound known as propylene glycol degrades to formaldehyde, which is a well-known carcinogen. Vapers then inhale the contaminated vapor. AVE40's CEO welcomed the findings of the report, saying "It did not negatively change the ways consumers view its products. In fact, none of its consumers prefer the bitter and burnt taste produced when vaping is done at extremely high temperatures. There are currently no other studies that have been commissioned to find the benefits of vaping." Researchers stumbled upon the current benefits because the goal of the studies was to find out if vaping was harmful in any way to its consumers or the public. Since vaping only became popular in the mid-2000s, researchers don't have enough data to help them understand the long term effects of vaping. Hopefully, researchers will discover more vaping benefits on the human body as data becomes available. Why is vaping safer than smoking? While launching the new Asvape Michael Box Mod design, AVE40 CEO explained how smoking differs from vaping. He said, "Smoking involves combusting tobacco along with 4,000 other ingredients. Once these ingredients start to burn, they emit smoke, which is then inhaled by the user. However, since not all smoke is inhaled, the rest of the smoke becomes available for 'secondary smokers' to involuntarily inhale." Furthermore, some of the inhaled smoke is exhaled, adding to the volume of secondhand smoke. Overall, the cigarette combustion creates harmful compounds known as carcinogens, which are present in the emitted smoke. That's where vaping beats smoking, at least in most cases. You have to say in most cases because not all vaporizers are capable of heating their e-liquid without combusting it. However, once the combusting is eliminated, vaping becomes much safer than smoking. That's because, instead of smoke, vapers inhale vapor or steam. That's much safer than the tar and other complex compounds that smokers have to inhale. While vaping is safer, most people are not aware of that fact. They see the vapor and think it to be smoke, which has led to vaping being banned much the same way as cigarettes. The government has subjected cigarettes to bans ever since they became popular. First, the government banned it in hospitals, then in planes, and then it banned smoking in government offices. Now they are banned in public spaces. For smokers, that means needing to find a designated place to smoke or waiting till they get home. With the general aversion to smoking, anything that resembles smoking gets the same treatment, even when it's been proven to be much less harmful. As AVE40 launches its newest product, it hopes for the best as people get to learn that vaping is much safer than smoking. AVE40 believes that as more data becomes available, the public will easily distinguish it from smoking. For now, AVE40 is pleased with the success of the Asvape Michael brand. It has been a huge success among its vape mods and AVE40 attributes its success to its long lasting vape batteries as well as its functional design. The new Asvape Michael Box Mod combines functionality, style, and precision heating to deliver the best vaping experience. Consumers will enjoy its safety features, which prevents combusting of the e-liquid, heating of the batteries, as well as preserving battery life. AVE40 designed this particular vape mod to fit nicely in one hand and look like an artistic masterpiece. In doing so, they made Asvape Michael Box Mod not just a recreational device, but also a symbol of class. About AVE40 AVE40 is connected with Alibaba. Established in 2013, AVE40 grows with an 80-person team for business development and services. Passionate and energetic, the team offers a wide array of vapor products with their considerate services. In 2016, AVE40 tops its sales volume of over $75 million US Dollars. AVE40 covers over 1,000 vapor shops and major online stores in China, taking 80 percent of the domestic customer groups. Press Contact [email protected] Related Images image1.png image2.jpg image3.png SOURCE ave40 Related Links http://www.ave40.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 New Delhi, July 20 : Three criminals who posed as Delhi Police officers to rob motorists, businessmen and jewellers at gunpoint here have been arrested, police said on Thursday. The accused were identified as Bharat Bhushan Datta, 36, Ravi Datta, 29, and Pankaj Naresh Pandit, 27. They are residents of different areas of west Delhi. "Wearing khakhi, the accused on July 15 robbed 40 kg of silver ornaments from a businessman and his family of Mayur Vihar on the pretext of checking their vehicle on the Noida Link Road flyover near Star City Mall," Deputy Commissioner of Police G. Ram Gopal Naik said. They claimed to be officers from the Delhi Police Crime Branch, Naik told IANS. Their arrests followed a tip when they were trying to dispose off the booty. Police recovered 12.5 kg of jewellery items from their possession, the officer said. "The men confessed that they posed as policemen and would follow their target in two vehicles. They would stop the targeted vehicle on the pretext of checking its documents." They would then forcibly enter the targeted vehicle and abduct its occupants at gunpoint. The victims were later pushed out at a deserted spot. Washington, July 20 : The Attorney General of the US said on Thursday he planned to remain at his post despite harsh criticism from President Donald Trump, who slammed the Justice Department head for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. "I have the honour of serving as Attorney General. It's something that goes beyond any thought that I've ever had for myself. We love this job, and we love this department and I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," Jeff Sessions said at a press conference to discuss a cybercrime operation, Efe news reported. His remarks came a day after Trump expressed his displeasure with Sessions in an interview with the New York Times. Trump said that had he known that Sessions would recuse himself from the probe into his campaign's alleged links with Russia he would not have appointed him as attorney general. "How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, 'Thanks, Jeff, but I'm not going to take you.' It's extremely unfair - and that's a mild word - to the president," Trump told the Times. Amid allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, Sessions said in January at a hearing on his nomination to serve as attorney general that he was "not aware" of any communications between the Trump campaign and Russia. It subsequently came to light, however, than then-Sen. Sessions - a key Trump ally - met with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, on two occasions during last year's campaign. That revelation led to the Attorney General's decision in early March to heed calls from Democratic lawmakers - and even some Republicans - to recuse himself from overseeing the FBI's Russia's probe. The Russia investigation is currently in the hands of special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who served as FBI director between 2001 and 2013. Mueller is probing whether the Trump campaign worked with the Kremlin to influence the outcome of the 2016 balloting. Both Trump and the Russian government adamantly deny any collusion during the campaign. Washington, July 21 : US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he would continue in his job despite President Donald Trump's public attacks on his recusal from the ongoing Russia probe. "I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," Sessions said on Thursday at a press conference. "I'm totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way." Sessions was responding to a series of questions about Trump's broad swipe at his administration's top law officers in a New York Times interview on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency. In the interview, Trump said he would not appoint Sessions to lead the Justice Department had he known that Sessions would recuse himself from the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March. The President also lashed out at Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Acting Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Andrew McCabe. Later on Thursday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders insisted that Trump's criticism did not indicate that he had has lost confidence in Sessions. Trump "clearly" has confidence in Sessions or "he would not be the attorney general", Sanders said. New Delhi, July 21 : Five security personnel have been killed and 24 others injured this year in 251 cases of ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army, Parliament was informed on Friday. Out of the five, four were soldiers who died during ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir while one was a Border Security Force personnel killed during violations along the international border, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. Three civilians were also killed during the incidents. According to Bhamre, 228 ceasefire violations were reported along the LoC till July 11 and 23 along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir till June 30. Kabul, July 23 : A total of 13 militants have been confirmed killed an airstike at a Taliban hideout in Kunduz province of Afghanistan on Sunday, an army official said. "Acting upon intelligence reports, the government forces aircraft attacked a Taliban gathering in Bandar-e-Shorab area in Khan Abad district, killing 13 rebels on the spot and injuring three others," army spokesman Abdul Khalil told Xinhua news agency. Taliban militants, who have been mounting pressure to overrun Khan Abad district in Kunduz province. have suffered casualties and their attacks have been repulsed, he said. At least 30 militants have been killed in fighting for control of Khan Abad district over the past two days, according to security officials. Taliban militants, who are in control of parts of Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital, 250 km north of Kabul, have not commented on the government claim yet. Chennai, July 23 : Opening a new Japanese restaurant, drawing up a new menu for its Indian restaurant, not retrenching staff and offering guests more are the daring strategies being adopted at Hilton Chennai following the ban on serving liquor, the hotel's top chef said. The Supreme Court has banned the serving of liquor in hotels located 500 metres from state and national highways. This has hit hard the revenues of hotels impacted by the order. "The liquor ban is a litmus test for the Executive Chefs as they have to attract custom for their restaurants, retain their long-staying guests and attract short-stayers with their culinary skills," Achal Aggarwal, Executive Chef at Hilton Chennai, told IANS. To this end, he has launched a new menu for the hotel's Indian restaurant Ayna and a new Japanese restaurant, Roppongi Hills. "Following the liquor ban, the bar was empty and it was decided to put it to productive use by opening a Japanese restaurant which would also cater to the Japanese here," Aggarwal said. Serving the soft, crispy Ayna vada (tofu added to traditional vada batter) Aggarwal said that some hotels have asked their Executive Chefs to quit as part of cost-cutting measures and are managing with the middle-level people in the kitchen. Speaking about Ayna's new menu, Aggarwal said over 60 per cent of the dishes were new, while the balance was carried over from the previous menu. Some of the starters will take you by surprise, like the tasty khasta crab which has the layers of crab meat with tandoori shrimp in a crispy filo sheet; or the tandoori salmon, which was orange flavoured. The curry leaf grouper and the kozhi varuval (chicken with a twist of secret spices) were also tasty and different. Vegetarians can opt for kathal ke kebab (pulled jackfruit stuffed in poppadum cone) or khasta khumb (layers of spiced mushroom in a crisp filo sheet). "We have converted some of the main courses into starters, changing their form. There are lot of new varities of fish, including John Dory, for seafood lovers," Aggarwal said. As for soups, there is the vazhaithandu chaaru (raw banana stem soup) or murgh badami shorba (chicken soup with almonds) for the asking. "While offering more to our guests, we didn't retrench any staff. We sent our juniors to our group hotel in Singapore. Their salary was paid by that hotel even as they gained experience," Aggarwal said. According to him, the tough times also enabled him to spot hidden culinary talents in the butchery and commissary departments. "Normally they don't cook. But one Sunday they turned up and made a few fantastic dishes when I wanted to test their skills," Aggarwal said. "On the whole, we are not making losses in our restaurants as we expected. We are doing the same number of covers," he added. "There was also an additional focus on banquets to protect the overall revenue as well as cutting wastage, said Aggarwal who decided to increase the live counters in the buffet, offering more to the guests. It was time for the main course, with Aggarwal serving Ayna butter chicken. The tasty twist here was the chicken meatballs made with minced chicken tikka. There is also nattu kozhi kolumbu (country chicken curry) that goes well with rice, or the nalli rogan josh (a Kashmiri mutton delicacy). Vegetarians can pick singada palak (leafy spinach, pickled water chestnuts and stuffed chili) or gucchi aur khumb (trio of stuffed morels, portobello and button mushrooms) with a choice of naans/paranthas/kulchas like olive naan or Lucknowi kulcha. Else, skip these and just go for subz tehari (baby potato and seasonal vegetables) with aromatic rice laced with fresh turmeric and served with kachumbar salad. There were experiments on the dessert front too -- the apple halwa, baked Indian yoghurt with figs or butter milk ice cream. FAQs: What: New menu at Ayna Restaurant Where: Hilton Chennai at J.N.Salai, Guindy Timings: Lunch 12 noon to 3 p.m., Dinner 6.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Price: Meal for two would cost around Rs 4,000 without taxes (Venkatachari Jagannathan's visit was at the invitation of the Hilton Chennai. He can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Kolkata, July 23 : While the word "biopsy" is enough to send patients into a tizzy, oncologists say it is crucial to correctly identify the cancer stage and "faster growing" ones for appropriate and timely treatment. And to ensure accuracy, researchers in India are now turning to artificial intelligence (AI). A team of experts from IIT-Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) and Tata Medical Centre (TMC), Kolkata, has devised a computer-assisted model they say can automatically grade breast cancer aggressiveness, even in remote settings, providing fresh impetus to AI-based medical technology in India. It also seeks to reduce human error in identifying breast cancer of various levels of aggressiveness to assist in distinguishing normal and low and higher risk malignant tumours. To do that, the team tapped into deep learning, a form of AI concerned with algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain called artificial neural networks. "The idea is to assess and identify the cancer that's of high risk. This software allows accurate identification of the aggressive cancers anywhere, even in the remotest part of the country, allowing faster referral and quicker treatment for patients, irrespective of their geographical location," Sanjoy Chatterjee, senior clinical oncologist at TMC, told IANS. Chandan Chakraborty and Monjoy Saha of IIT-Kgp and TMC's Indu Arun and Rosina Ahmed are the co-authors of the study, published in Nature Scientific Reports in June. They were driven by the fact that the precise grouping of aggressiveness (high or low rates of cell growth) of breast cancer remains a challenge at a time when the disease is the top cancer in women worldwide and is increasing, particularly in developing countries like India, where the majority of cases are diagnosed in their late stages. "For best results, it is always desirable to have experienced pathologists in sophisticated laboratories, but it is also important that we recognise that this is not always feasible, especially outside large urban hospitals," Ahmed pointed out. The clinical decision on breast cancer aggressiveness is mostly made manually based on certain pathological markers as seen in examining a tissue or cell sample under a microscope (called biopsy), they said. "The manual assessment is subjective, and could be error-prone with a steep learning curve and dependent on the intra and inter-observer ambiguities. The AI algorithm aids pathologists to identify aggressive forms accurately to allow quicker and faster referral and suitable treatment," said Chakraborty, lead researcher and professor-in-charge of the Biomedical Imaging Informatics (BMI) Laboratory, School of Medical Science & Technology, IIT-Kgp. The software showed over 90 per cent precision in the experimental set-up, he added. The application revolves around a protein (or marker) called Ki-67 which is used to calculate an index that groups cancers in the "low" or "high" aggressiveness groups. The Ki-67 globally-approved index is used to help predict outcome (prognosis) and help figure out what treatment might work best, they say. It is increasingly being used by doctors to reflect cancer behaviour. "The proposed computerised recognition can precisely measure the Ki-67 score by detection of the faster-growing cancer cell percentage, called hotspots, from the biopsy tissue images. "The software has been standardised. As soon as the pathologists get the biopsy, all they have to do is make a section, grab an image and put in the computer," Chatterjee explained. "To get the job done faster, a basic set up requires a GPU (graphical processing unit) to compute the images. "There is no need for expensive infrastructure. Moreover, in the rural and urban areas with minimum or few advanced instrumentation, manual inspection of Ki-67 scoring may provide results which are error-prone," Saha, research scholar, School of Medical Science and Technology, IIT-Kgp, told IANS. The study notes: "Several machine learning approaches have been reported; nevertheless, none of them had worked on deep learning-based hotspots detection and proliferation scoring." "The next phase of the study is validation. The clinicians and the pathologists are going to recruit patients and we will treat them depending on what the pathologists say. We will tally the results from the software as well as from the pathologists, so the discordant rates are pretty low. Then we can release the process for clinical use," added Chatterjee. (Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in) New Delhi, July 23 : Reviving traditional medicine system, such as Ayush, has helped boost India's medical tourism market in comparison to western nations, surviving only on modern medicinal system, health experts said here on Sunday. Observing that despite many recent policy changes, such as demonetisation and GST, the flow of foreign patients in India is increasing, the experts said the major reason for this is alternative medical solutions such as Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) which is available only in India. "In spite of demonetisation, the nation's medical tourism has not only seen an exponential growth but generated revenue and employment more than ever. Moreover, the Ministry of Ayush has also kept its upper hand in attracting foreign patients. The alternative treatment options have provided an important edge over the competitors in Asia," said Ruchi Gupta, Founder and CEO of 3hcare.in, an online platform promoting medical tourism. Commenting on the new government regulations, Gupta said the Goods and Services Tax has a productive effect especially on the healthcare industry and contributing to medical industry. "India is poised to become the hub of medical tourism by 2020 and GST has a vital role in elevating the chances due to reduced insurance cost, pharmaceuticals and travel without diminishing the service quality. With complete healthcare packages -- right from travel, e-visa on arrival until accommodation and treatments -- available at three-tenths rate as compared to any developed country, India has an added competitive advantage," said Gupta. According to experts, the Indian medical tourism market is expected to more than double to reach $8 billion by 2020. Currently, Bangladesh and Afghanistan dominate the Indian medical value travel with a 34 per cent share. Sanjay Agarwal, Medical Director of Hinduja Hospital, said that with the integration of surplus talent, technology, tourist attraction, trade and tradition, India is a potential place to promote itself as a premier global healthcare destination and enable streamlined medical services. He said that among the medical procedures preferred by foreign patients in Indian hospitals are minimally invasive surgery and ayurvedic treatment, which is part of Ayush. Kolkata, July 23 : Several rivers in some West Bengal districts were flowing above the danger level creating a flood-like situation, while a number of city roads saw waterlogging following incessant rains due to a cyclonic circulation on Sunday, officials said. The met office predicted heavy monsoon rains for 24 hours in the city and other South Bengal districts after Sunday midnight, that could worsen the situation in various parts of the state. "The situation in East Midnapore and West Midnapore districts, Bankura and Birbhum districts and parts of Burdwan could deteriorate," officials said. In Birbhum, Labhour block was under water. Even outgoing President Pranab Mukehrjee's ancestral village Miriti was inundated. River Dwarka was flowing above the danger level in the district. In West Midnapore, river Shilabati was in spate, as was Darakeshwar in Bankura, officials said. A number of areas under Arambag and Goghat blocks In Hooghly district, were inundated, affecting thousands of people. Kolkata also received medium to heavy rainfall through Sunday, leading to waterlogging in areas like Bhowanipore, Park Circus, Amherst Street and Chittaranjan Avenue. In view of the deteriorating situation, control rooms have been set up at the state secretariat Nabanna, and leaves of all officers and employees of the Irrigation Department cancelled till October 31. An upper air cyclonic circulation has been created in the North Bay of Bengal and a monsoon trap exists from Gujarat to Bay of Bengal, triggering rains in several districts, the weather office said. "The rainfall will increase after midnight. There will be very heavy rains between 12 midnisht and 3 am on Monday. There is rainfall warning in Kolkata and other south Bengal districts over the next 24 hours. However, the intensity of the rains may be somewhat reduced after 3 pm on Monday," met officials said. Cairo, July 24 : The urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Jerusalem, originally scheduled on Wednesday, will be postponed till Thursday, the Arab League (AL) announced. AL spokesman Mahmoud Afifi said on Sunday that the meeting, to be held at the AL headquarters here was postponed "to ensure the participation of the largest number of Arab foreign ministers", Xinhua news agency reported. He said the decision was taken upon contacts made around the clock, adding that coordination was made with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which agreed to hold its own ministerial meeting to address the same issue next week. The meeting of Arab foreign ministers will discuss Israeli aggression on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, Afifi said in an statement earlier on Sunday. Tensions between Israel and Palestinians have been rising since July 14 when Israel installed checkpoints and metal detectors at the entrances of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after three Israeli Arab gunmen shot dead two Israeli policemen near the site. The three were later killed by the Israeli police. Since then, clashes have been erupting between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters at the gates of the mosque compound and elsewhere in West Bank. In clashes on Friday, Israeli security forces killed three Palestinians and injured hundreds of others. The AL has repeatedly condemned the Israeli practices at Al-Aqsa Mosque as a blatant breach of the right of worship and violation of relevant international laws and UN resolutions. Muslim countries denounced the Israeli measures as an attempt to alter the status quo and claim further control of the holy site. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known by Jews as the Temple Mount, is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site for Jews. It has been a flashpoint site for Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past decades since the 1967 Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. Kolkata, July 24 : Heavy downpour and high tide battered the eastern metropolis and some districts, inundating large swathes of land on Monday. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Jharkhand of releasing water without information but claimed there was no flood-like situation in her rain-hit state. "Jharkhand has released some water. They have not informed us. There is no flood-like situation in the state yet. It is okay till now. I am monitoring the situation," Banerjee told the media here. She said rivers were flowing below danger level but low-lying areas in districts like West Midnapore and Birbhum were water-logged. Incessant rain since Saturday submerged key traffic corridors and connectors in Kolkata, while inundating districts in the Gangetic Bengal, officials said. A high tide in the Hooghly river under the new moon's effect has compounded the problem. Heavy rain is likely to persist during the day owing to the presence of a low pressure area over Gangetic Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand and associated upper air cyclonic circulation, according to the weather office. It said "acute spells of rain or thundershowers" were likely till Tuesday. "Heavy showers may also hit isolated places. Gusty winds will accompany the rains. A generally cloudy sky would be seen," a Met official said. West Bengal Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee said the Damodar Valley Corporation has released 18,000 cusecs of water from its dams following the rains in Jharkhand. "We are in discussions with them. We have requested them to not release more water. Our preparations are in line with the forecast for the next two days (Tuesday and Wednesday)," he said. "In some areas, the cumulative rainfall for the past four days (since Thursday) is 600 mm or more. No embankments were breached. We have made arrangements to increase the height of some of the embankments," he added. In addition, Monday and Tuesday being peak high tide timings, officials are carefully assessing the water flow, the Minister said. The Hooghly and Bidyadhari rivers serve as outlets for accumulated rainwater in the city to drain out from a network of drains and canals. Usually the lock gates are opened three hours before the peak of high tide to about two hours after the tide recedes. "Today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday) is the peak (high tide). After tomorrow, the water will start receding. "We are trying to stem the reservoir release but we can do so only up till the point the river can accept the released water. During this time, if the lock gates are opened, there is a risk of river water flooding the networks," he said. High tide peak is around 1.57 p.m. on Monday with a height of 19.36 feet. Over 30 wards in neighbouring Howrah and at least 10 in Kolkata were inundated. The water level in several rivers in some districts, including West Midnapore's Shilabati river, that were flowing above the danger level on Sunday, has started to go down, officials said. Incessant rain overnight caused waterlogging in Burdwan's Asansol, Hooghly's Baidyabati, besides West and East Midnapore, affecting thousands of people. Fresh alerts were issued to fishermen in East Mindapore. Kolkata received around 83 mm of rainfall till Monday morning, the Met Office said. Stretches in Garia, Barasat, Chittaranjan Avenue, Ultadanga, Baguiati, Behala were waterlogged, leading to massive traffic snarls with rickshaws and auto-rickshaws refusing to ply. An ambulance in Baguiati got stuck in the submerged area, prompting the patient to take an auto ride to the hospital. Civic officials in Behala said they would have to evacuate several families if the water level does not recede. Residents of Behala were seen wading through knee-deep water. A portion of an old residence in Harish Neogi Road here collapsed in the downpour. No one was injured, civic officials said. In view of the deteriorating situation, control rooms have been set up at the state secretariat Nabanna, and leaves of all officials and employees of the Irrigation Department cancelled till October 31. Srinagar, July 24 : Calling the Monday arrest of seven of its leaders "revengeful and arbitrary", the Hurriyat leadership has called for a shutdown in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik gave the call for a 'Kashmir Bandh' to condemn what they called were the "revengeful, arbitrary, and illegal arrests". Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah and Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal were arrested by the National Investigation Agency on charges of receiving funds from Pakistan to sponsor terrorist activities and stone-pelting in the Valley. While six separatist leaders were arrested in Srinagar, Bitta Karate was arrested in Delhi. Nayeem Khan and Ayaz Akbar were taken to Delhi from Srinagar on a Monday afternoon flight by NIA while the other arrested men would be flown in the evening. With her Ovens of Brittany pedigree, restaurateur Jane Capito, owner of Lazy Jane's and Mickey's Tavern on the near east side, has helped transform the restaurant scene in Madison. Islamabad, July 24 : Pakistan summoned on Monday the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a formal protest over ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir resulting in the killing of a 12-year-old boy. The Director General of South Asia at the Foreign Ministry, who summoned J.P. Singh, condemned the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian Army in Leepa sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on July 21 that also left three people injured, the Foreign Ministry said. Islamabad said it was the third truce violation by Indian forces in four days. "Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out 618 ceasefire violations along the LoC and international border," an official statement said. "The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," the Indian diplomat was told. The Director General urged India to respect the 2003 ceasefire pact and investigate the incidents of truce violations. Pakistan and India had declared in 2003 a ceasefire along the LoC, the de facto border which divides Kashmir between them. The Indian diplomat was also told that India should permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar/New Delhi, July 24 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested seven key Kashmiri separatists on charges of receiving funds from Pakistan to sponsor terror activities and stone-pelting protests in the Kashmir Valley. Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah and Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal were arrested from Srinagar while Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate was arrested from Delhi. Calling the arrests "revengeful and arbitrary", the Hurriyat leadership called for a shutdown in the Valley on Tuesday. Altaf is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan, while Islam is a close aide of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Akbar is the spokesperson for the Geelani-led Hurriyat. The six, who were arrested from Srinagar, were later flown to Delhi. They will be presented before Special NIA Judge at the Patiala House Courts on Tuesday, an NIA official said, adding their custody would be sought for further questioning. The arrested persons have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetting waging war against the Indian State. The official refused to divulge details about the new evidences collected by the NIA but confirmed that more people could be arrested as the agency collects more proof. He also did not rule out the possibility of issuing summons to other Hurriyat leaders, including Geelani and JKLF leader Muhammad Yasin Malik who gave the call for the 'Kashmir Bandh' to condemn what they called were the "revengeful, arbitrary, and illegal arrests". While New Delhi has for decades accused Islamabad of funding, arming and training Kashmiri separatists, it is the first time so many senior members of the Hurriyat Conference have been arrested on charges of receiving money from Pakistan. The Geelani-led Hurriyat suspended Nayeem Khan after he confessed in a TV sting that Hurriyat leaders had been receiving funds from Pakistan for subversive activities in the Valley. The NIA had registered a case on May 30 against separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat, who have been acting in connivance with militants of outlawed terrorist groups Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others for raising and receiving funds. Investigators said the funds were received by the separatists through illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and for causing disruption in Kashmir through street protests, burning of schools, damaging public properties and waging war against India. The NIA had questioned the arrested persons. Altaf was questioned earlier in Delhi for nearly two weeks. In pursuance of the FIR, the NIA in June conducted raids in Srinagar, Jammu, Delhi and Haryana and seized "incriminating" evidence against those involved in receiving funds, acting as intermediaries, and final beneficiaries of funds coming from Pakistan. The NIA FIR names Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud Dawah, the front of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Dukhtaran-e-Millat. During the raids, the NIA had seized unaccounted for account books, Rs 2 crore, and letterheads of banned terrorist groups, including the LeT and Hizbul. The NIA also seized property-related documents, pen drives, laptops, mobile phones, phone diaries, receipts and vouchers showing hawala payments. Beijing, July 24 : China on Monday hinted that its top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Indian NSA Ajit Doval may hold a bilateral meeting this week on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA Summit even as it warned New Delhi to shed "illusory thinking" and immediately withdraw troops that Beijing says have crossed into Chinese territory. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had "indomitable" will to defend China's territorial sovereignty at "all costs". "Shaking a mountain is easy but shaking the PLA is hard. We would like to remind the Indian side to have no illusion," Wu told the media. He said the military deployment and training in Tibet would be stepped up in the face of the dragging stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam. Wu said withdrawal of Indian troops was a precondition for any dialogue. The Foreign Ministry echoed a similar view but hinted that Jiechi and Doval could meet on the sidelines of this BRICS security summit this week. If they meet, the stand-off in Doklam will certainly come up for discussion. Doval and China's State Councillor Yang are Special Representatives of the two countries on the boundary talks. There have been 19 rounds of talks on the disputed border. Last week, India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said both India and China should withdraw their troops in order to start talks on the festering dispute. However, China on Monday made clear India must pull back if wanted a dialogue. "India should immediately withdraw its troops to the Indian side of the boundary with China, which is a precondition and basis for resolving the conflict." the Defence Ministry spokesperson said. A meeting between Doval and Jiechi did not seem a possibility until now in the view mounting tensions on the border. Asked if the National Security Advisers of member countries will have bilateral meetings, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said there was a tradition of host countries arranging bilaterals between the head of the delegations at the summit. "As far as we know, during the previous meetings, the host arranges the head of the delegations to hold bilateral meetings in which they exchange views on bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation, and multilateral affairs," Lu said. The two-day meeting of BRICS NSAs will begin on July 27. "The meeting is the main platform to discuss the contact political and security cooperation," Lu said. "Currently the global geo-political factors are complex and intertwined and regional hotspot issues are escalating." Asked if the BRICS NSAs would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lu declined to comment. Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a dragging stand-off in Doklam, which is at a tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. China calls Doklam its own territory but India and Bhutan say it is Bhutan's. India stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in Doklam in June, leading to the face-off between New Delhi and Beijing. India has blamed China for trying to change the status of the tri-junction and wants the issue to be resolved diplomatically. (Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com) New Delhi, July 24 : Yet to make a breakthrough in the case of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Delhi Police has asked a high-level medical board to give clarifications on different findings and opinions given by forensic labs and the autopsy reports of AIIMS and the FBI to ascertain the cause of her mysterious death. In a status report placed in the Delhi High Court on Saturday, police also plan to send the mobile phones seized during investigation to the manufacturers abroad for chip level retrieval of information, which was deleted, since Indian labs have shown inability to recover them. The report said the investigation was in an advanced stage and a second meeting of the medical board constituted by Director General of Health Services along with Central Forensic Science Lab (CFSL) and Forensic Science Lab (FSL) experts was expected to be convened soon. Information provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be discussed. Pushkar was found dead in a five-star hotel in south Delhi on January 17, 2014. It remains a mystery how she died. Police said that on February 25, 2015 a total of 25 exhibits including mobile phones, hard disk, laptop, pen drives of various people including close friends of Tharoor and Pushkar were sent to the CFSL in the CBI. "There result is yet to be received. Request to expedite the same is being regularly made through visits, reminders and letters," the report said. A request has been made to the DGHS medical board to convene a second meeting to give clarifications "upon the different findings of CFSL and FSL, different opinions given by autopsy board of AIIMS and reports received from the FBI, and to further ascertain the cause of death". The report recalled that the first postmortem report of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of Janury 20, 2014 said the cause of death was "poisoning, the circumstantial evidence was suggestive Alprazolam poisoning". A total of 15 injuries including teeth bite and injection prick marks were found. In the second opinion on August 20, 2014, the autopsy board of the AIIMS said the cause of death was opined as poisoning. "In the last page of this report, the AIIMS autopsy board made a mention of those portions which are beyond detection in Indian forensic labs owing to technological constraints: Thallium, Polonium-210, Nerium Oleander, snake bites, etc. "It was also suggested that the bed sheet, pillow covers, etc. used by the deceased prior to her death be also subjected to forensic analysis," the report said. On December 29, 2014, the third opinion of the autopsy board was received in which it said Pushkar was neither ill nor having any disease prior to her death. "She was a normal healthy individual and her death due to natural cause was ruled out. The cause of death was reiterated as poisoning and that it was opined that poisoning is through oral route. However, injectable route also cannot be ruled out." On the basis of the third opinion of the autopsy board, a case was registered under IPC provisions of murder after registration of an FIR. A Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the case. Immediately after the receipt of the second opinion of the AIIMS board, mutual legal assistance treaty proceedings were initiated for sending the viscera remnants to an FBI lab in US for examination. On September 23, 2015, a FBI report regarding chemical analysis of viscera was received. It mentioned that Alprazolam and Hydroxy Chroloquine were detected in viscera organs, whereas Nicotine, Cotinine, Alprazolam, Lidocaine and Hydroxy Choloroquine were detected on the clothing of the deceased. Further, Nicotine, Cotinine, Alprazolam and Lidocaine were detected on the bed cover and the bed sheet. The report said the FBI report on November 6, 2015 stated that the levels of possible contamination were found less than the values specified in the International Air Transport Association's Dangerous Goods Regulations. On November 16, 2015, Shiv Menon, son of Pushkar, sent an email to Delhi Police Commissioner seeking an independent medical board for providing definite opinion regarding his mother's death. After police sought the fourth opinion of AIIMS autopsy board on the basis of the FBI reports, the autopsy board unanimously concluded the cause of death as poisoning by excessive ingestion of tablet Alprozolam. "The board, however, did not rule out the possibility of (1) any injectable poison in view of injury number 10 (prick mark), (2) death because of Lidocaine (which found mention in the FBI report) and/or (3) insulin/any other hypo-glycaemic agent regarding which a suggestion was made to investigate whether any person in the vicinity of the deceased was in its possession," the status report said. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in and Sanjeev Pal can be contacted at sanjeev.p@ians.in) New Delhi, July 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the death of Professor Yash Pal saying that the country has lost a brilliant scientist and academician. "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist and academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education," Modi said in a tweet. Sharing his picture with the eminent scientist, Modi said: "Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions including the National Children's Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009." Yash Pal passed away at the age of 90 late on Monday night at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Noida. He was born in 1926 in Jhang, now in Pakistan, and was raised in Kaithal in what is now Haryana. The Congress party also expressed grief over the demise of the eminent scientist and said, "We condole the passing away of Professor Yash Pal, Padma Vibhushan." "Education should be based on real life experience, observation and happenings," it said. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi described his death as a great loss to the nation. "A scientist and a passionate educator who understood the true value of learning, Professor Yash Pal's passing is a great loss for all of us," Gandhi said. Yash Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 for his contribution to science and space technology. In October 2011, he was awarded the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management. Yash Pal was known for his contribution to the study of cosmic rays, he had graduated with a master's degree in Physics from Panjab University in 1949. He gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. New Delhi, July 25 : China is bound to be a threat to India in the years to come, Indian Army's Vice Chief Sarath Chand said on Tuesday as a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops continues along the border in the Sikkim sector. Addressing a joint seminar of the Army's Master General Ordnance and Confederation of Indian Industry, Lt Gen Chand also slammed Pakistan for shelling a school. Referring to China, he said: "On the North, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing army.... Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." He also said that China was racing with the US in militarisation. "As the second largest economy in the world, it is racing to catch up with the US," he said. According to latest figures released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US remains world's largest spender on defence registering a growth of 1.7 per cent between 2015 and 2016 to $611 billion while China is second on the list spending $215 billion in 2016, an increase of 5.4 percent. India was fifth largest military spender in the world in 2016 at $55.9 billion, with its military expenditure growing around 8.5 per cent from the previous year. The Army Vice Chief also noted that a large amount of China's defence spending remains undeclared. "A large portion of Chinese defence expenditure remains undeclared... On the west, Pakistan smaller economy, smaller army... thus they took route of low intensity conflict, which suits China," he said. Chand also stressed that India needs to pay more attention to security. "We have to pay much more attention to security that what we are doing now. India being at the center of the volatile region is the net security provider," he added. A stand-off is continuing between Indian and Chinese troops along the border in the Sikkim sector, after China attempted road construction in Bhutan's territory around mid-June. Both sides have reinforced troops and are maintaining position along the border, with no signs of a withdrawal soon. Chand also slammed Pakistan for targeting a school building in cross border firing, adding that India would never do something like that. "Pakistan shelled schools, it is not something we would do; when we retaliate we assure Pakistani military is targeted. It is unfortunate to see that they've stooped so low and caused casualty to the children," he said. Jakarta, July 25 : At least eight bodies were recovered on Tuesday after a speed boat with 47 persons aboard capsized in the waters off North Kalimantan province of Indonesia, an official said. The speed boat, heading to Tanjung Selor of Bulungan district, sank after sailing one kilomter, Xinhua news agency reported. Authorities launched search and rescue operations for the missing. New Delhi, July 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over BJP members' absence from the both Houses of Parliament leading to trouble or embarrassment for the government. Modi's remarks came here during weekly BJP parliamentary party meeting just after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and his junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's reference to incidents and problems arising out of lack of quorum. In his response, the Prime Minister said that "he was worried and not satisfied with members' percentage of presence in houses," according to a BJP MP. The government had to face an embarrassing situation in the Rajya Sabha last week when a bill on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims could not be taken up due to lack of quorum. Modi also called upon the BJP MPs to observe fortnight programmes of Sankalp Yatra and hold Tiranga Yatra in their constituencies to celebrate 70th Independence Day. "The Prime Minister said that this year there will be nationwide celebrations starting from August 9 till August 15. After this, for 15 days a sankalp yatra will be conducted throughout the nation, pledging development of nation and every individual," Parliamentary Affair Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting. "The Prime Minister also stated that from 1947 till now India reached new heights but till 2022 India will become a power to reckon with in the world," he added. Ananth Kumar also said that the Prime Minister said that they have to change the lives of poor by three ways - by welfare, by social harmony and good governance. Modi also said that Ram Nath Kovind taking oath as 14th President of India is a historic day in BJP's journey, "started by Syama Prasad Mookerjee during which lakhs of people sacrificed their lives", according to a BJP leader. The BJP Parliamentary Party also condemned the "atrocious behaviour" of six Congress Lok Sabha MPs who were on Monday suspended for five consecutive sittings after they tore up papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speaker's podium. Lucknow, July 25 : The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment Board is yet to come up with fresh dates for exams for the post of Sub-Inspectors which were cancelled earlier, an official said on Tuesday. The exams, which were to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, were cancelled after reports that the paper had been leaked. The Chief Minister's office had directed the Home Department to look into the allegations. The recruitment for posts of Sub-Inspectors (2,707 males and 600 females) were to be done in the civil police, fire department and the Provincial Armed Constabulary. The vacancies were floated in 2016 and 6.30 lakh-plus applications were received. The Bharatiya Janata Party government began the online exam process from July 17 and it was to go on till July 31, until the paper leak surfaced on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Tata Consultancy Services, which has been named as the technical service provider by sections of the media for the online exams, has refuted any association with the exams. "TCS is not associated in any manner with the UP Police Recruitment exams. News reports on TCS providing technical services to these exams are hence factually incorrect and completely erroneous." a company spokesperson told IANS. Beijing/New Delhi, July 25 : A Chinese daily on Tuesday blamed Indian NSA Ajit Doval for the dragging border row even as Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reacting to the crisis for the first time, asked New Delhi to withdraw troops from Doklam. The heightened rhetoric came Indian Army's Vice Chief Sarath Chand said China was bound to be a threat to India in the years to come. Addressing a seminar in New Delhi, Lt. Gen. Chand said: "On the north, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing Army... Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." The Chinese Foreign Minister held India responsible for the stand-off that began last month at Doklam in the Sikkim sector and said the solution to the crisis was "simple" -- India must withdraw its troops from Doklam. Bhutan and India say Doklam is Bhutan's while China claims the territory. "The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," said Wang. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," he said. An editorial in the state-run Global Times, run by the Communist Party of China, warned India that it will pay "a heavy price" if its troops didn't exit from Doklam. The scathing editorial came down heavily on Doval, who will travel to Beijing on Thursday for a meeting of BRICS NSAs, calling him "one of the main schemers" behind the border row. It said that his trip to China won't help settle the issue. "Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the border standoff. Doval will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain with Beijing over the border disputes." Saying the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam was a "precondition", the daily said Doval's visit for a meeting of BRICS NSAs won't change Beijing's stance. "India's withdrawal from Chinese territory is a precondition and a basis for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides." The NSAs meet was in preparation for the BRICS Summit next month and not a platform to address border skirmishes, it said. If Indian troops don't pull back, New Delhi "will have to pay a heavy price". The border row began when India stopped road construction by Chinese troops in Doklam last month, saying the area was Bhutan's and the road would endanger New Delhi's strategic interests. "India is wrong by brazenly crossing the Sino-Indian border and must correct its mistakes," the Global Times said. "New Delhi must give up all its illusions." China doesn't believe India was ready for a military showdown, it said. "If Beijing takes countermeasures, New Delhi will be mired in a more passive political and military situation, and face its most serious strategic setback since 1962." Meanwhile, a Chinese expert said it was time India was taught a "second lesson" as it continued to be on an "intransigent path". "To such an unruly neighbour, China should reciprocate in a language India can understand," said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, in a Global Times commentary. Amid increasing global concerns, both China and India have reinforced troops along the border. 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. Srinagar, July 25 : Normal life in the Kashmir Valley was paralyzed on Tuesday as shops and other businesses remained closed due to restrictions imposed by the government and shutdown called by separatists to protest the arrest of seven Hurriyat leaders for allegedly funding terrorism in the state. The authorities imposed curfew in parts of Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protests against the arrests, effected on Monday. Chairmen of the two factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference -- Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who had called for the shutdown, were detained in their houses in Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. The District Magistrate ordered restrictions in the old city areas to prevent people from holding protest marches. Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed almost across the valley. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown areas and the city outskirts. Train services in the valley were also suspended for security reasons, a railway official said. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven separatist leaders in the terror funding case. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani, and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of the Mirwaiz, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal. A Delhi court remanded the arrested separatists in NIA custody for 10 days. Meanwhile, trade across the Line of Control (LoC) between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was suspended on Tuesday after authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said no commerce will take place this week. Authorities at the Trade Facilitation Centre near the border town of Uri in Baramulla said they had received a letter from Pakistan which gave no reasons for suspending the trade that takes place from Tuesday to Friday every week. Police on the Indian side last week arrested a driver, Muhammad Yusuf Shah from Chakoti near Muzaffarabad, after recovering 66 kg of narcotics from his vehicle. Washington, July 25 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday continued his public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, calling his appointed head of the Justice Department "very weak" on "Hillary Clinton crimes". "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign -- 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.," Trump wrote in the first of several Tuesday morning tweets. His latest Twitter onslaught came amid reports that Trump was consulting advisers about possibly firing the country's top prosecutor, ABC News reported. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump said in another tweet. Trump had earlier made it clear he was unhappy with Sessions for recusing himself from an FBI inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "How do you take a job and then recuse yourself?" Trump had told The New York Times. "If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, 'Thanks, Jeff, but I can't, you know, I'm not going to take you'." Trump said that Sessions' recusal was "extremely unfair, and that's a mild word, to the President". The President's new Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci fanned speculation on Tuesday that Sessions' days could be numbered. When he was asked if Trump was thinking to fire Sessions, Scaramucci said: "If there's this level of tension in the relationship that's public, you're probably right." Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also said that the President was "frustrated and disappointed" in Sessions. "I know that (the President) is certainly frustrated and disappointed in the Attorney General for recusing himself," Sanders said on "Fox and Friends." "He is continuing to move forward and focus on other things. But that frustration certainly hasn't gone away, and I don't think it will." When asked if Trump wants Sessions out as Attorney General, the spokeswoman said that is a "decision if the President wants to make, he certainly will." Despite the public criticism from Trump, Sessions said last week he plans to stay on as Attorney General, "as long as that is appropriate". Manila, July 25 : China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to oppose the intervention of non-regional forces in South China Sea, referring to recent military excursions carried out by the US in the area. In a joint press conference in Manila with his Philippines counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano, Wang said non-regional forces do not want stability in South China Sea and only want to create trouble. Beijing has a long-standing dispute with different countries in the region (Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam) over sovereignty of the Spratly islands and other insular territories in South China Sea. The US had sent a guided-missile destroyer in early July near the Paracel islands, which both China and Vietnam consider to be under their respective sovereignty. China had responded by sending naval ships and warplanes, which raised tensions between both countries. Without directly naming the US, Wang emphasised the need to take a joint stand against such actions, Efe news reported. He said that China and the ASEAN countries had the capacity and wisdom to resolve their differences and maintain stability in the South China Sea. In May, China and the ASEAN's member states -- Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- had approved a first draft of a multilateral code of conduct to resolve territorial disputes. In recent years, the Chinese government has constructed many facilities on artificial islands in the area which could be used for military purposes, leading to concerns in neighbouring countries and the US, which seeks free navigation in the whole region. Beijing, which claims indisputable sovereignty on 90 per cent of the area, has ignored the recommendations and criticism of other countries and international bodies, including the Hague Tribunal's verdict in favour of Philippines on the Scarborough Shoal dispute. Kolkata, July 25 : The West Bengal Irrigation Department on Tuesday protested the Damodar Valley Corporation's decision to release water from Panchet Dam, which it claimed has further worsened the inundation in the state's low lying areas. It also criticised Jharkhand for "recklessly" releasing water without bothering about the already waterlogged districts of West Bengal. "The DVC was created to protect Bengal from flood-like situations but now they are becoming a new headache for the state government. In spite of our repeated requests not to release water beyond 10,000 cusecs for at least the next two days, they have released close to 73 thousand cusec water in the afternoon. This is extremely objectionable," state Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee alleged. "We have written to the DVC authority, strongly protesting against their activity that is further compounding our problems. The Chief Minister herself is monitoring the situation from Delhi," he said. The Minister said that DVC's capacity has decreased as they were not maintained properly and claimed that the water was released even as the Panchet Dam under DVC could contain more water. "The water level at the Panchet Dam was 417 feet when the water was released. However, it can contain water up to another eight feet. More water can be contained in the reservoir by removing the encroachments there. Why isn't any of that being tried so far?" he said. Banerjee also slammed Jharkhand for releasing water, saying the capacity of its dams has decreased over the years for lack of maintenance. "Now they are constantly releasing water to save themselves but that is flooding the low-lying lands of Bengal." The Minister said that a letter has been written to Jharkhand and the Central Water Commission in Delhi, stating that "we cannot accept any more water". The districts of Birbhum, Nadia and Midnapore are on the lower catchment areas, and "as such lot of water from higher catchment areas passes through these districts every monsoon". The situation this year is critical, he added. Heavy downpour since Friday has battered the eastern metropolis and some Bengal districts, inundating large swathes of land in the state. A high tide in the Hooghly river due to the effect of the New Moon has compounded the problem. Over 15,000 people in West Midnapore, Hooghly, Bankura, Burdwan and East Burdwan districts have been displaced due to inundation. Many have taken shelter at relief camps. The Ghatal-Chandrakona state highway in West Midnapore district has gone under water along with more than 20 villages in Chandrakona and large parts of Ghatal. In Kolkata, several places, including Behala, Armhurst street and large sections of Howrah, were still waterlogged and causing major traffic disruptions. Istanbul, July 25 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday waded into a security issue at the heart of heightened tensions between Palestinian protestors and Israeli security at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City. Speaking at the Turkish Parliament, Erdogan called on Muslims to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, which in recent days has witnessed protests and clashes following Israel's decision to install metal detectors at the compound in the wake of an attack that left two security officers dead, Efe news reported. "From here I make a call to all Muslims. Those who are able must visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem as recommended by the Prophet. Those who cannot go should send help to our brothers there," Erdogan said. The hardline leader of the Justice and Development party (AKP) welcomed Israel's decision to begin dismantling the metal detector systems and said the mosque should be protected in the same way as Mecca and Medina, Islam's first and second holiest sites, respectively. Erdogan added that he had no problems with the traditions or temples of the Christian and Jewish faiths. The location of Al-Aqsa mosque is a recurring hot-spot for clashes between Israeli security and Palestinian protestors. Erdogan said it was unacceptable for Muslims going to pray at Al-Aqsa to be treated "like terrorists". The unrest that arose following the heightened security presence at Al-Aqsa spurred an uptick in street violence that led to the death of four Palestinians. Furthermore, three members of the same Israeli family were killed by a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank town of Halamish and violence spilled over into Jordan on Sunday when an Israeli guard at the embassy in Amman killed two Jordanians who launched an attack. Mumbai, July 25 : At least 11 persons, including five women and a three-month old baby, were killed when a four-storied dilapidated residential building crashed in Ghatkopar suburb here on Tuesday morning, officials said. Another 19 persons were rescued from the debris of the crashed Sai Darshan building in Damodar Park. Rescue work was underway late on Tuesday evening to extricate around eight persons feared trapped under the rubble. Around 12 families were believed to be living in the ill-fated structure which also housed a private nursing home on the ground floor. According to eyewitnesses, around 10.43 a.m., the building suddenly collapsed amidst a thick cloud of dust and they heard screams and cries of help from the residents. The Mumbai Fire Brigade, BMC rescue teams, NDRF and SDRF teams and others rushed to spot with 14 fire engines, rescue vans, ambulances, JCBs and metal cutters. According to officials, the building figured on the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation's list of dangerous buildings and had been served an evacuation notice six months ago. According to the BMC Disaster Control, of those rescued, 11 have been admitted to various hospitals for treatment. Two of the injured are firemen who were suffocated after inhaling fumes from a ruptured gas pipeline. The rest were discharged after treatment. Taking a grim view of what is this monsoon's first major building crash, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is in New Delhi, ordered an enquiry and asked Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to submit a report within 15 days. State Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, senior Congress leader and ex-minister M. Naseem Khan, NCP city President Sachin Aher, local legislators and municipal corporators and officials, rushed to the site to supervise rescue and relief operations. Replying to a question whether the nursing home was owned by a local Shiv Sena leader and illegal repairs were being carried out, Minister Mehta assured strict action against whoever was responsible for the crash and loss of lives. The deceased have been identified as a three-month old girl child Renuka Lalit Thakk, her mother Amruta Thakk, 31, Sulakshana Khanchandani, 80, and her relatives Kishore Khanchandani, 50, and Mikul Khanchandani, 30, Ranjana Shah, 62, Divya P. Ajmera, 48, Pandharinath Dongre, 75 and his relatives Manorama Dongre, 70, and Krishu Dongre, 13, and 85-year old Mansukh Gajjar. Beijing, July 25 : China on Tuesday renewed a call for India to pull back from Doklam, with its Foreign Minister Wang Yi reacting for the first time on the raging crisis which has pitted the two armies against each other in the Sikkim section. As Wang blamed New Delhi for triggering the stand-off, China's state-run media continued its vitriol, calling India's National Security Adviser the "main schemer" behind the latest border dispute. Wang said India's stand on the dispute was untenable as it already "admitted" that its troops entered Chinese territory and a pullback by New Delhi was the "simple solution" to the border row. Wang, the most senior Chinese government official to speak on the issue, said India was responsible for the crisis. "The rights and wrongs are very clear, and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," he said. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," a statement quoted Wang as saying. China also said it was battle ready and would step up the deployment of soldiers and military equipment in Tibet. In New Delhi, the Indian Army's Vice Chief, Lt Gen Sarath Chand, said China was bound to be a threat to India in the years to come. "On the North, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing army.... Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." His remarks come two days ahead of a BRICS security summit meet where India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be present. China has indicated its top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Doval may meet on the sidelines if the two-day event, saying host countries in the past had arranged bilateral talks between the heads of the delegation of member countries. However, an editorial in the Global Times said India was mistaken if it pinned hopes on the "main schemer" Doval's visit to resolve the dispute. "As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute. "New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the stand-off in accordance with India's will," it said. In another commentary, China's official news agency Xinhua said India had "displayed a quite obvious tendency toward opportunism and adventurism". "The blatant move, which tramples on international law, shows that India has stood ready to maximize its interests on the border issue at the cost of its relations with China and it would store up troubles for the development of China-India relations and the work of border controls in the future," Xinhua said. The stand-off between India and China at Doklam has entered into its second month and is the new addition to the list of contentious issue between both sides who fought a war in 1962. At the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China, Doklam is of high strategic importance to all three. It is disputed between Bhutan and China. India calls Doklam Bhutanese and perceives any Chinese presence in the area as a threat to its security. The genesis of the dispute lies in a road being built by the Chinese Army in Doklam. Indian troops halted the work, leading to the crisis. Kolkata, July 25 : Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and three minors, have been remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a West Bengal court on charges of encroaching on Indian territory without proper documents, police said. The group was arrested from a bus in North 24 Pargana district's Gaighata on Monday evening during a vigil. "Seven men four women and three children were detained while travelling in a bus in front of Gaighata police station on Monday. They were arrested later for encroachment as they failed to produce any valid migration documents," an officer from Gaighata police station said. According to police, on interrogation the detained people said they were going to Kolkata first and then to Bengaluru, to meet some of their family members who stay there. "There were no major seizures from the people apart from some cash and clothes. They were produced in a Barasat court on Tuesday and have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody," the officer added. New Delhi, July 25 : Four criminals who robbed people by impersonating as police officers have been arrested here, police said on Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said the four were held near Pankha Road in west Delhi on Sunday evening. Police seized two cars, a mobile phone and a walkie-talkie. Police said the accused would offer lift to unsuspecting people and then introduce themselves as police officers. They would tell the person to give details of his ATM card for verification and later seek the ATM pin number too. The victim would then be abandoned on a lonely road after being robbed. "They have been doing this for two years and have committed about 30 robberies like this. They even used to wear khaki colour uniform," Kumar told IANS. The four were identified as Rohit, 22, Pawan, 30, Suraj, 23, and Deepak, 27 -- all residents of Delhi. A fifth member of the gang, Ashish, is on the run. New Delhi, July 25 : The Delhi government will launch a campaign from August 1 to make people aware about vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Tuesday. Without revealing the details, he said sensitisation of people about dengue and chikungunya will be done on a broad level with all available modes including advertisement in newspapers, awareness campaigns in schools, putting up hoardings across the city. The Minister said that till July 16 this year, 98 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi while 82 cases were from outside Delhi. In total, 180 dengue patients were provided treatment in Delhi government hospitals. "No death has been reported so far due to dengue and chikungunya in Delhi. As many as 23,094 cases of dengue were reported across the country and 32 people have died due to dengue across the nation," Jain said. He also briefed the media about cases of malaria and chikungunya cases and said that 245 malaria patients were treated at Delhi government hospitals out of which 117 were from outside Delhi. As many as 127 cases of chikungunya have been reported in Delhi while 68 cases were from outside Delhi and a total of 195 chikungunya patients were treated in Delhi government hospitals. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also provided data regarding swine flu patients and said that 320 such cases were reported in the city while 83 cases came from other cities but were treated at Delhi government hospitals. Only two patients belonging to Delhi have died in April and May due to swine flu while two patients from outside have died of the flu here. "Deaths due to swine flu were only 0.68 per cent of the total cases in Delhi while this percentage was quite high in other states," Jain said. He said that since January 1 this year, some 81 people have died of swine flu in Gujarat while the number of patients was 339, similarly out of 412 swine flu patients 59 have died in Rajasthan and out of 2,738 swine flu patients 303 have died in Maharashtra. "In Gujarat the percentage of death of swine flu patients was 23.89 per cent, in Rajasthan it was 14.32 per cent, in Maharashtra it was 11.07 per cent and in Kerala it was 5.64 per cent," the minister said. The Minister said the Delhi government has made all the preparations to deal with swine flu cases. "We have all the medicines available in adequate quantity. One of the key factors behind deaths in several states is probably unavailability of medicines," Jain added. Ahmedabad, July 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced Rs 500 crore for Gujarat for rescue work after an aerial survey of the flooded areas and Rs 2 lakh compensation to the kin of the 83 people who have died and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Modi, who flew over Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Patan districts of North Gujarat, said a team of the union Urban Development and Rural Development Ministries would visit the state to assess the extent of damage and suggest short-term as well as long-term measures. Modi told reporters at the Ahmedabad airport: "In such situations, it is the farmers who suffer the most. Insurance companies may be advised to quickly organise assessment of damage to crops and assets of farmers and initiate immediate steps to settle the claims." Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel during the aerial survey. After holding a high-level meeting with Rupani and Patel, besides former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and officials, Modi praised the Gujarat government for "rising to the occasion promptly and having already prepared a blueprint for the crisis". The north Gujarat districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Patan have been flooded after incessant rains during the last 36 hours. Tharad town has received maximum rainfall of 24 inches, followed by Dhanera 20 inches, Dantiwada 18, Palanpur 15, Deesa and Diyodar 13 inches each, Patan 12 inches and Vadgam about 11 inches. The region has got 95 per cent of its seasonal average of 659 mm. In all, entire Gujarat has registered 534 mm of rain, which is 66 per cent of its total usual seasonal average of 810 mm. "As many as three persons have lost their lives in last 24 hours in Banaskantha district," Patel said. As many as 46,000 people have been moved to safety in Banaskantha district till Tuesday evening even as 1,000 persons have been rescued. A total of 472 villages in the district are without electricity, with six national highways, 61 other roads and 287 panchayat roads closed for vehicular traffic. Seventeen trains passing through the region to Delhi and north India have been cancelled, six terminated midway and two trains diverted. Over 300 buses too have been cancelled. The Army, IAF, NDRF, police and fire brigade are engaged in rescuing people from flooded areas. The Army on Tuesday rescued 113 persons. Efforts were on to evacuate 30-40 more from Sirohi and Jhabadiya village in north Gujarat, Defence Ministry spokesperson Wing Commander Abhishek Matimaan said. IAF's four MI-17 V5 helicopters winched 14 persons from Deesa. They also dropped over 300 kg of food packets in the district. "More than two lakh food packets have been sent to Banaskantha from other districts," Gujarat Principal Secretary Pankaj Kumar said. As many as 38 of the 203 dams across the state are on high alert. While Dholidhaja, Vansal and Nimbam dams in Surendranagar, Machchhu-1 and Ghodadharoi in Morbi and Kankawati dam in Jamnagar districts have received up to 90 per cent of their water storage capacity. Twenty-three dams in Saurashtra, four in Kutch, four in central Gujarat and one dam in south Gujarat were full to the brim. In Ahmedabad, which sees the Sabarmati river cut through the middle of the city, 5,663 people from 40 villages surrounding Gujarat's main city have been relocated and provided with food packets and health kits. This is being done as water is being released from Dharoi dam across Sabarmati river in the upstream area about 60-70 km from Ahmedabad. As must as 1.10 lakh cusecs of water has been released from the dam. "We are ready for the situation and have deployed police and administrative personnel to aid people," said Mukesh Kumar, Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Thankfully, the rains have taken a break in north Gujarat, helping to speed up rescue and relief operations. But the Met department has predicted heavy rains in Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Arvalli, Mehsana and Patan for next 48 hours. Noida, July 25 : Renowned astrophysicist Professor Yash Pal, who did yeoman work in the field of cosmic rays and high energy physics, died here on Monday night due to age-related illness. He was 90. A passionate educator who became popular specially with children for his programmes that enunciated tough subjects in simple terms, Yash Pal made significant contributions over the years in areas of cosmic rays, high energy physics, astrophysics, science education and communication. Yash Pal was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2013 and Padma Bhushan in 1976. He was chairman of University Grants Commission (1986-91) and Secretary Department of Science and Technology (1984-86). Yash Pal was fellow and honorary fellow of several organisations including Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Science, and Indian Society of Astronautics and was on the editorial boards of several scientific journals. He was awarded INSA award for science popularisation in 2000. A multi-faceted personality, Yash Pal was associated with science magazine TV series "Turning Point". He also played a role in developing institutions such as Space Development Centre, Ahmedabad; Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi, and Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune. In October 2011, he was awarded the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi were among those who paid tributes to Prof. Yash Pal. Modi said the country has lost a brilliant scientist and academician. "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist and academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education," Modi tweeted. Sharing his picture with the eminent astrophysicist, Modi said: "Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions including the National Children's Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009." Rahul Gandhi described his death as a great loss to the nation. "A scientist and a passionate educator who understood the true value of learning, Professor Yash Pal's passing is a great loss for all of us," he said. Yash Pal completed his post graduation in physics from Panjab University and joined Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1959. He gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. New Delhi, July 25 : The Indian Army has foiled 84 infiltration bids and killed 142 terrorists on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir since 2014, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In the process, 29 army personnel lost their lives, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply. The Minister said 216 cases of ceasefire violations occurred on the LoC -- under the operational control of the Army -- in Jammu and Kashmir till June, of which around 150 were recorded in May and June. On the international border in the state -- which is under the operational control of the Border Security Force -- 23 cases of ceasefire violations were recorded, he said. New Delhi, July 25 : A Delhi school teacher has been booked on the charge of beating up a 13-year-old schoolboy on Tuesday after he fought with another student, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said authorities of the school in Hazrat Nizamuddin in east Delhi had been informed and the accused teacher directed to join investigation. The case was registered after the Class VI student's parents filed a police complaint. "The child was medically examined at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors described the nature of injury as 'simple blunt, abrasion on back'." The student was beaten up after another student's parents sent a note to the class teacher regarding their fight on Monday, Baaniya said. New Delhi, July 25 : India on Tuesday said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has no locus standi on the country's internal affairs after the 56-member body demanded that New Delhi implement the UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement here, India said it "notes with utmost regret that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during its 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on July 10-11, has again adopted certain resolutions which contain factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. "India outrightly rejects all such references." The statement further said that "the OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future". The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers had also called upon the United Nations and the international community to play their role in stopping the "continuing bloodshed" in Kashmir. At the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on July 10 on the sidelines of the ministerial session, its Secretary General Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen "highlighted the OIC's activities in dealing with the question of Jammu and Kashmir". Al-Othaimeen also reaffirmed "the principled position of the OIC in fully supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle to achieve their legitimate rights, in particular the right to self-determination and human rights". Ahmedabad, July 25 : The Congress on Tuesday said Shankersinh Vaghela resigned from the party as it did not meet his demand to project him as chief ministerial candidate in the coming 2017 assembly elections and that he resigned under pressure from the CBI and the ED. Congress General Secretary in charge of Gujarat affairs, Ashok Gehlot, said: "This (Vaghela's demand) was not acceptable to the party at any cost." Vaghela had on July 21 -- his 77th birthday -- announced his decision to quit the Congress, alleging that there was a conspiracy to get him out and that the party was not willing to do homework for the assembly elections though the situation was ideal to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party after two decades. Flanked by state Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki, Gehlot told reporters that Vaghela was under pressure to cause harm to the Congress due to threats of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate raids in connection with charges of selling prime land of National Textile Corporation in Mumbai for a song when he was the Union Textiles Minister in the first Manmohan Singh government in 2004. Emerging from the party's state Executive Committee meeting, Gehlot indicated the party was also likely to review its earlier decision of fielding all sitting 57 legislators in the assembly polls, leaving some Vaghela supporters out. The top priority of the Congress is to ensure that Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, scrapes through in the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections. The Congress candidate needs 46 first preference votes, which Patel would have normally got given that the party has 57 legislators. However, the party has pushed the panic button with 11 of the 57 MLAs cross-voting for National Democratic Allaince's Ram Nath Kovind in the July 17 presidential poll and the exit of Vaghela. The rebel leader resigned as Leader of Opposition but said he would put in his papers as an MLA after the Rajya Sabha elections. Ahmed Patel, who is seeking a fifth term in a row in the upper house, is expected to file his nomination from Gujarat on Wednesday and has already been officially supported by the lone Janata Dal-United lawmaker and two of the Nationalist Congress Party in the state. Meanwhile, tribal leader Mohansinh Rathwa from central Gujarat has been unanimously elected Leader of Opposition in place of Vaghela. Jaipur, July 25 : Six persons have died due to excessive rain and flood-like situation in parts of the desert state of Rajasthan over the last two days, officials said on Tuesday. "Two deaths have taken place in Pali, two in Sirohi and two in Jalore district in the last 48 hours," a senior official of the Disaster Management and Relief Department of Rajasthan government told IANS. He said excessive rainfall had created flood-like situation in parts of state and the worst hit were Jalore, Sirohi and Pali districts. Situation in these areas had now started to improve as water had started to recede, though in some areas the situation is grim as some of the villages are still marooned. The official said that so far over 300 persons in these three districts had been rescued, which include the seven who had taken shelter on a tree in Jalore district. The Indian Army's Battle Axe Division personnel rescued 31 people from flood-affected areas in Pali's Pawata village and distributed food and medicines to the flood victims on Monday. The army mobilised several columns of troops, along with specialised equipment and trained manpower, to boost the ongoing rescue and relief work in the worst flood-hit district as they received a requisition request from the Rajasthan government. Additional columns of army have also been moved for deployment in Jalore and Sanchor towns to assist the local authorities. Two IAF helicopters have also been pressed into service for flood relief and rescue operations in the state, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the state Disaster Management and Relief Department teams have been working round the clock. Border town of Barmer also received heavy rainfall due to which connectivity to some villages got completely cut off. On Tuesday, Indian Army's Konark Corps also deployed rescue columns in flood-affected districts of Barmer, Pali and Jalore. In the last 24 hours, the army personnel have rescued 59 people from the raging flood waters. As the teams were rescuing the affected persons in Sayla village of Jalore, district administration officials informed them about an old lady stranded alone on a tree-top. The army column immediately rushed to her and the old lady was successfully rescued, an army statement said. The Indian Army is also providing first aid, medicines and water to the flood victims. Another army team was pressed into rescue operation in Barmer. This team rescued 21 people in co-ordination with the NDRF team. The weather condition was being monitored and additional troops of Konark Corps had been kept in a state of readiness to respond swiftly and save valuable lives, the statement added. Wisconsin added 3,600 private-sector manufacturing jobs in December, according to preliminary estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mona James, PMP I'm excited to join iTEDIUM. I'm impressed with what has been built and look forward to executing strategies that make us more agile and responsive to customers' needs. iTEDIUM, Inc., the leading innovator in benefits administration technology, has named Mona James, PMP, as Employer Account Services Manager. She will be based with the Employer Account Services Team in Overland Park, KS and will report to Cathryn Scivicque, VP of Employer Account Services. 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With Mona coming onboard, our focus on delivering the right combination of attributes within the online and the still-existing personal worlds comes closer together as we ensure that our products and services continue to be scalable, flexible and quick-to-implement, says Cathryn Scivicque, VP of Employer Account Services. ABOUT iTEDIUM iTEDIUM has been an innovator in web-based employee benefits administration service since 2001; integrating proven technology-driven processes and programs into the work streams of the organizations we serve. Our clients represent a wide range of companies and organizations, from small employers to large public entities and third-party administrators. Regardless of an organizations size, iTEDIUM has a benefit-administration solution to meet their needs: COBRAGuard - The Most Affordable, Efficient and Comprehensive Solution for COBRA Administration EESe A Benefit Eligibility and Enrollment System that Works Harmoney Correcting Mistakes Before They Strike Your Bottom Line Emeritus Built to Help Those Who Helped Build the Future" Our goal is to help employers save time and money and improve service while minimizing risk and liability. We currently service more than 3,000 accounts located in all 50 states. iTEDIUMs corporate headquarters is based in Overland Park, KS with a sales and marketing center in Tampa, FL. For more information, visit http://www.iTEDIUM.com. Town of Monument joins Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System We like that with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System we can quantifiably track the level of diversity. Today the Town of Monument has officially joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System to help simplify their bid and RFP distribution process. The Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System is one of BidNets 20 regional purchasing groups throughout the country which offers participating local government agencies an e-procurement solution. The Town of Monument invites all vendors to register online with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System to access its upcoming solicitations. With the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, vendors register to access one centralized location with opportunities from nearly 200 participating agencies throughout Colorado. By posting upcoming solicitations to the regional purchasing group rather than their website, the Town of Monument hopes to make it easier for more vendors to access their documents. They also hope to expand the reach of their solicitations to a more diverse vendor pool. Unlike the prior process of only publishing bids to a webpage, the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System provides a method to track all bid activity, including the details of vendors who have received or downloaded a bid. Sometimes distributing a bid on our site and the newspaper just isnt enough, says Tom Tharnish, Director of Public Works, we like that with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System we can quantifiably track the level of diversity. The Town hopes this will help them reach more variety of qualified local suppliers. Town of Monument invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs from nearly 200 other public agencies participating on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Registered vendors also gain access to a team of experienced customer service support representatives and can upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, advanced notice of term contract expiration, and notification of a recently posted addendum. About the Town of Monument: Monument is home to both small businesses and large chains such as Home Depot and Walmart. Monuments largest employer and manufacturer, DePuy Synthes, a company of Johnson & Johnson, employs roughly 900 people. The towns population was 5,742 during the 2012 census. Per our Planning Department records to date, since the 2012 census, at least 448 new homes have been built and 19 new commercial buildings. Currently, the Town is home to Lewis-Palmer School District #38. Recent development pressures have stimulated the growth of Monument. About the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System: Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System is a part of BidNets regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies. With years of input from Procurement Professionals, BidNet specifically developed the bid system to fill the need for a robust bid and supplier management solution for local government agencies. BidNet runs regional purchasing groups throughout the country used by nearly 1,100 local government agencies. To learn more about the features and modules available to government agencies, please visit http://www.SourceSuite.com In a further quest to standardize best practices in the EB-5 lending space, we are partnering with NES Financial to bring our expertise to a neglected area of the EB-5 program. NES Financial, the leading EB-5 service provider, announced Arnstein & Lehr, LLP as an official Medallion Solution Partner. Medallion Solution Partners provide EB-5 best practice solutions or services that augment and integrate with NES Financials Intelligent EB-5 Solution Suites at critical stages of the EB-5 project life cycle. Considered one of the leading law firms within the EB-5 industry, Arnstein & Lehr will supplement NES Financials EB-5 Loan Administration Solution with an added capability to cure project loan defaults in a manner consistent with USCIS regulatory requirements and the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. EB-5 loans are inherently complex, involving stakeholders that range from investors to issuers to developers. Loan enforcement for an EB-5 investment requires specialized professionals with proficiency across legal, finance, and accounting fields. The loan enforcement capability enhances NES Financials Loan Administration Solution, which is designed to handle the complexity and unique requirements of EB-5 funded loans efficiently and at scale. The EB-5 market has seen significant changes in recent years. As the market becomes more institutionalized, we are seeing greater demand for services that increase the security, transparency, and compliance of EB-5 offerings, said Reid Thomas, NES Financial Executive Vice President and General Manager of the EB-5 business unit. We have a strong history of EB-5 institutional experience and are proud to have a sophisticated partner like NES Financial. While we never want to come across a situation where one of the parties to a loan agreement does not live up to its obligations, the unfortunate reality is that this does happen. In a further quest to standardize best practices in the EB-5 lending space, we are partnering with NES Financial to bring our expertise to a neglected area of the EB-5 program, said Rohit Kapuria, EB-5 attorney at Arnstein & Lehr, LLP. Given the fact that almost every fraud case has involved no independence in the funding process, both the regulators and the market itself are demanding more transparency and independence in the loan administration and enforcement process. We have teamed up with NES to provide a full service and independent approach to the process." Ronald Fieldstone partner in the Miami office of Arnstein & Lehr LLP. About NES Financial NES Financial is a Silicon Valley financial technology (FinTech) company providing technology-enabled solutions and services for the efficient back and middle office administration of complex financial transactions. Serving private equity, commercial real estate, and Fortune 1000 clientele, we offer industry-leading fund administration, loan servicing, specialized EB-5 administration, and 1031 tax deferred exchange services. Our unwavering commitment to data security, operational redundancy, and compliance reporting is evidenced by 11 consecutive years of successful independent audits of our technology, processes, and financial controls. Today, NES Financial services over 190 funds, administers over $75B of 1031 transactions annually, and has worked with over 550 EB-5 projects. For more information, visit NES Financial. About Arnstein & Lehr, LLP Arnstein & Lehr, LLP is one of the oldest and most respected law firms in the U.S. Since 2009, Arnstein & Lehr has been actively involved in the EB-5 industry, serving as corporate and securities counsel for multifaceted industries regarding EB-5 offerings. Arnstein & Lehr represents a vast number of regional centers and developers in EB-5 offerings that span more than 225 projects. Services include the preparation of private placement memoranda and related documents, and the team actively lectures and publishes in the EB-5 corporate and securities. Setting the tone of the conference with a timely analysis of Asian Economic Outlook: In the Shadows of Two Giants India and China is Tuuli McCully, Director & Senior International Economist, Scotiabank. He highlights the driving forces of the regional economy with details of Chinas decelerating and Indias accelerating economic growth and the influence they have on the regional economies and petchem markets. Providing detailed description on the Outlook of Asia Petrochemicals Market mainly the Growth, Opportunities & Threats is Kanokwan Saktrakool, Consultant, Nexant. Appraising shifting trends in Asias petchem markets are - PTT Global Chemical Public Company sharing details of Thailands Eastern Economic Corridor that many consider as the Gateway to Asia. Another session on Indias Steady Economic Growth & Petrochemical Markets Balance presented by Daga Global Chemicals pinpoints the countrys Made-in-India program as well as the recent GST impacting the petchem market dynamics. Presenting Chinas Petchem Capacity Outlook & Impact on Trade Dynamics is Rongsheng Petrochemical while US Petrochemicals Production & Markets in the context of its advantage of ethane availability and its corresponding impact is led by Chem-Energy Corporation. The program also delves into feedstock markets with sessions on Global Crude Oil & Naphtha Market Situation RIM Intelligence, Naphtha Crackers Competitiveness in the Future, with Focus on Ethylene Market Yeochun NCC and Competitiveness of LPG in Current Asias Petrochemicals Scene FACTS Global Energy. Organized by Centre for Management Technology (CMT), the summit also analyses: Olefins Technologies Provides Key Flexibility to Ensure Profitability Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) New Trends in Asian Benzene Market Wanhua Chemical Group MEOH: Beyond 2020, Simple Molecule Yet Challenging Market: Demand & Supply outlook Sojitz See website or Contact Ms. Huiyan at +65 6346 9113 for more details. The Biomass Series in Africa has on-board some of the early movers of Africas unexploited biomass and biogas energy markets. South Africas power utility Eskom that is planning to build its first biomass plant shares its Biomass Co-Firing Strategy at the summit with details of its torrefaction process at its existing power stations and upcoming plants. Namibias utility Namibia Power Corporation that plans to build 40MW and 20MW biomass-fueled power plants, informs about Biomass Power Capacity Growth in Namibia sharing details of growth drivers, case studies, opportunities and challenges. Africas energy producer Sunbird Bioenergy with sustainable biofuel projects in Sub-Saharan Africa presents Case Study of Implementing 32MW Biomass Power in Sierra Leone highlighting sustainable feedstock production, community engagement and regional roll-out. Plus, another case study by LafargeHolcim spotlights on its use of coffee husks to produce biomass thermal energy for its cement kilns in Hima. Joining these key presenters, is Africas prominent finance organization African Development Bank joins the summit with a presentation on Boosting Bioenergy (Renewable Energy) Electrification in Africa. The summit also delves into Africas biogas energy production with two key presentations Commercial Biogas Development & Growth in South Africa by Southern African Biogas Industries Association and Field Experiences on Current Progress of Biogas Project & Regulatory Challenges in Ghana by Biogas Association of Ghana. Organized by Centre for Management Technology (CMT), the summit also spotlights on: Benefits of Torrefaction for Co-Firing of Biomass in Coal Power Stations Blackwood Technology Setting Up Biomass Export Operations from West Africa Africa Renewables (AfriRen) Biomass & Waste Valorization through Thermo Chemical Conversion ECN Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Technology for Localised Energy Generation & Industrial Utilisation VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Wood Pellet Export Opportunities for African Producers - Overview of Pellet Market & Future Outlook Poyry Management Consulting African Biomass: Opportunities for Export & Development of the African Biomass Power Value Chain Asia Resource Partners For more information, visit Biomass Trade & BioEnergy Africa website or contact Ms. Grace Oh at +65 63469147. Firstmark Credit Union It is our pleasure to help the next generation of teachers, administrators, medical personnel, and engineers with the financial support they need, said Tarwasokono. A deep affinity for supporting education has driven Firstmark Credit Unions scholarship program for over 20 years. Nathanael Tarwasokono, president and CEO of Firstmark Credit Union, is proud to announce the 2017 winners of the Frank Price Cunningham & Helen Shipman Cunningham Scholarships. Under this program, 15 area high school seniors will receive $1,000 each. Our scholarship program creates opportunities for these local, outstanding students, said Tarwasokono. It is our pleasure to help the next generation of innovative teachers, administrators, medical personnel, and engineers with the financial support they need. This years scholarship recipients are interested in pursuing majors in chemistry, economics, psychology, nursing, business, and the medical field. The Frank Price Cunningham & Helen Shipman Cunningham scholarships were established to honor the life-long service and commitment of Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, who served the credit union as president from 1938-1984 and vice president from 1951-1984, respectively. Since 1993, Firstmark has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships to outstanding high school seniors in our community. This years scholarship recipients include: Waseem Ali Jr., East Central High School Kumaran Arulmani, Louis D. Brandeis High School Madeleine Ausburn, Ronald Reagan High School Enrique Ayala, Somerset High School Bailey Boyle, Antonian High School Riley Cantrell, Samuel V. Champion High School Amanda Esparza, Southside High School Robert Garcia, Judson High School Alexis Herrera, John F. Kennedy High School Catherine Lawson, James Madison High School McClure Meissner, Alamo Heights High School Maria Sierra, San Antonio ISD Young Women's Leadership Academy Emily Stewart, Legacy Christian Academy Gabriela Trejo, Harlandale High School Maria Garcia, John Paul Stevens High School In 2017, nearly 200 applications were submitted and reviewed by the credit unions scholarship committee. Applicants must be a Firstmark member, be in the top 15% of their class, and demonstrate academic achievement and community involvement in the San Antonio area. The scholarships may be used for any education or education-related expenses students may incur. About Firstmark Credit Union Firstmark Credit Union has been helping people achieve financial success for more than 80 years. Founded in 1932 by ten teachers within the San Antonio Independent School District, Firstmark has grown their original $475 investment to over 100,000 members and over $1 billion in assets. Firstmark is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution focused on helping people to better their lives and small businesses. For more information, visit http://firstmarkcu.org or call (210) 342-8484. No one since Junior Walker has brought saxophone and vocals in one package to the forefront of modern music, with a raucous tone and abandon, says bandmate Randy Jacobs Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers will release their first studio album September 15th on Pretty Good For A Girl Records. Recorded over five days at EastWest Studios in Hollywood with legendary blues rock producer Kevin Caveman Shirley (Led Zepplin, Joe Bonamassa, The Black Crowes, Aerosmith), the LP is a compilation of 11 gritty blues and rock tracks about adversity, triumph and life lessons. Two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair enlisted master blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and 2017 Contemporary Blues GRAMMY winner Fantastic Negrito to infuse their signature sound and style. The first single Vinyl is being sourced to AAA, Blues and Americana radio. Since her debut in 2000, Mindi has released seven solo albums, and most recently, a live album with The Boneshakers. Shes collaborated on stage and in the studio with a wide cross-section of legendary peers, all helping to solidify her status as one of the most recognized and in-demand saxophonists. During her career, she has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. Following a two season run as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, resulting in her touring with Aerosmith, Abair released her solo album Wild Heart in 2014. The album, which included collaborations with the late Gregg Allman, Joe Perry and Trombone Shorty, showcased an edgier side to the saxophonist/vocalist and earned her a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. When it came time to tour the album, she recruited longtime friend and The Boneshakers founder Randy Jacobs (Bonnie Raitt, Was Not Was, Willie Nelson) to inject his brand of Detroit Blues Rock to the live shows. She and the band had an irrefutable chemistry that quickly lead to a permanent creative collaboration. Their first record, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers LIVE in Seattle was recorded during their first official show together and released September 2015. After touring non-stop for two years, Mindi and the band headed into the studio earlier this year to record their sophomore album. Five days at EastWest Studios resulted in an 11-song compilation that showcases her prowess, artistic versatility and wide-ranging musical influences. Bandmate Randy Jacobs commented No one since Junior Walker has brought saxophone and vocals in one package to the forefront of modern music, with a raucous tone and abandon. Written in less than two hours with Nashville-based writer Jerry Flowers, the single Vinyl is a pulse thumping, rock fueled soul track that lyrically likens a needle fitting into the groove of a vinyl record with falling in loveIm in your groove like a needle on vinyl. Play To Win written with Rob Kleiner (Sia, ZZ Ward, Cee Lo Green) and Patrick Windsor is an anthemic track featuring heavy-hitting, meaty guitar riffs and driving drums fit for an arena. Featuring modern day King of Blues Joe Bonamassa, on Pretty Good For A Girl Abair shares her disdain for the regularly doled out backhanded compliment, while making a statement about self-empowerment. This arousing track is peppered with boisterous sax and gritty, face-melting blues guitar riffs from Bonamassa. During a writing session in Oakland with 2017 GRAMMY winner Fantastic Negrito, he played her She Dont Cry No More, written for a women who was a mother-like figure to him. This emotionally evocative rootsy blues song chronicles her story of no longer being in pain and suffering after her passing. Everyone is such a force of nature in this band, says Mindi. I wanted to create the right vehicle to showcase everyone and capture the swagger of what we do live. Album Trailer (Watch): https://youtu.be/dCYRspvHp1s Pre-order: http://www.mindiabair.com/preorder (Instant download of Pretty Good For A Girl feat. Joe Bonamassa with pre-order.) Track List: Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers The EastWest Sessions (available wherever digital music is sold) 1. Vinyl 2. Not That Kind of Girl 3. Play To Win 4. Pretty Good For A Girl feat. Joe Bonamassa 5. Let Me Hear It From You feat. Sweet Pea Atkinson 6. Live My Life 7. Freedom 8. Had To Learn The Hard Way 9. She Dont Cry No More feat. Fantastic Negrito 10. Done Me Wrong 11. I Love To Play The Saxophone Listen: https://soundcloud.com/user-266844656/sets/mindi-abair-the-boneshakers/s-4DEc4 Tour Dates: http://www.mindiabair.com/tour/ Website: http://www.mindiabair.com/ Facebook: @MindiAbair Twitter: @MindiAbair Instagram: @MindiAbair YouTube: OfficialMindiAbair About Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers: Together since early 2015, Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers includes Mindi Abair (Saxophone, Vocals), Randy Jacobs (Guitar, Vocals), Sweet Pea Atkinson (Vocals), Rodney Lee (Keys), Derek Frank (Bass, Vocals), and Third Richardson (Drums, Vocals). While Mindi has released seven solo albums and collected two Grammy nominations, LIVE from Seattle was her first album with The Boneshakers. When shes not touring as Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers, the Berklee graduate can often be found recording and touring with a wide array of legendary peers: Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Aerosmith, Bobby Rush, Keb Mo, Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, Lalah Hathaway and the Backstreet Boys. For more information on Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers, please contact: PR Squared Public Relations:Karen Webb 323-375-6376 /info(at)prsquaredpr(dot)com Smart Clinic announces the signing of Arizona Digestive Health, the largest GI group in the Southwest, to employ Smart Clinics HIPPA-compliant, web-based patient engagement platform. Arizona Digestive Health is the leading private GI practice in Arizona, and the largest GI group in the Southwest consisting of 56 physicians and 24 locations. Its great using the Smart Clinic application in our office, said Joseph David, MD, of Arizona Digestive Health. The platform is having a positive impact on patient care and operations and it integrates well with our EMR. Patients are more accountable for their procedure preps and the push notification feature has greatly reduced calls to our office due to lost paper instructions. Smart Clinics clinical survey feature keeps our finger on the pulse of patients using our IBD medical home, ensuring they receive individualized care based on their specific needs. Arizona Digestive Health will utilize the Smart Clinic platform to provide mobile procedure preparation protocols and appointment reminders for its patients. The technology will be used to educate patients about their procedures, simplify the preparation process, and utilized in their IBD medical home. The physicians at Arizona Digestive Health are committed to improving patient health and longevity by providing high-quality, compassionate and dedicated digestive care that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "We are very excited to be working with Arizona Digestive Health, and bring the Smart Clinic platform to all their patients," stated Robert Backie, Smart Clinic CEO. "Our HIPAA-compliant solution enables doctors to effectively communicate with their patients, introduce ongoing education outside of the exam room, and improve procedure prep by up to 35%. Smart Clinics effectiveness continues to be validated by medical care providers, with a clinically-proven 35% improvement in patient preparation. An extraordinary industry achievement, this improvement in patient preparation has resulted in a growing number of endorsements from leading gastroenterology doctors and organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). ACG has selected Smart Clinic as their official patient engagement application and continues to promote the platform to their more than 13,000 members nationwide. About Smart Clinic Founded in 2014 and headquartered in the Phoenix area, Smart Clinic is a physician-conceived and designed mHealth application that enables trackable patient compliance and effective, confirmable two-way communication. Smart Clinic enhances patient engagement, compliance and satisfaction, providing patients relevant, timely and pertinent information that educates, encourages and improves the patients ability to manage their own health, all while streamlining back office workflow. For more information, visit http://www.smartclinicapp.com. Local dentist Dr. Kesler Truelove III has been helping Michiana residents get a more restful nights sleep. Dr. Truelove of the Koala Center For Sleep Disorders is an American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) Diplomate. ABDSM is the board for the leading national organization for dentists who treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy, an effective alternative treatment to the standard Continue Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. Earning Diplomate status from the ABDSM is a unique honor that recognizes special competency in dental sleep medicine. Sleeping with a CPAP machine, which includes a face mask, tubing and a constantly running motor, can be difficult, and many Michiana residents are unaware that an effective and comfortable alternative treatment is available, said Dr. Truelove. Im committed to using my knowledge of dental sleep medicine to help treat my patients snoring and sleep apnea, and provide Michiana residents with a better nights rest. While CPAP is the standard treatment for sleep apnea, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine estimates up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients do not comply with or tolerate CPAP. In contrast to a CPAP machine, oral appliances are a mouth guard-like device worn only during sleep to maintain an open, unobstructed airway. Patients like oral appliance therapy because it is comfortable, easy to wear, quiet, portable, and easy to care for. Oral appliance therapy often can equal CPAP in effectiveness and offer a higher patient compliance, said Dr. Truelove. I work with my patients, and their sleep physicians, to identify the right oral appliance device, custom fit devices to each patient and make any needed adjustments to ensure an open airway and a more restful sleep. Dr. Truelove/Koala is located at 230 E. Day Rd., Suite 150 in Mishawaka, IN. Patients with loud snoring and diagnosed sleep apnea sufferers with difficulty tolerating CPAP should contact Dr. Truelove at: 574-318- 7766 to schedule a consultation appointment. Dr. Truelove works closely with sleep physicians to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. About Dr. Kesler Truelove III: Dr. Truelove is an American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine Diplomate. He has lived his entire life in Indiana and holds two degrees from Indiana University. He has been caring for patients in Indiana for almost 30 years. Dr. Truelove is a general dentist who has dedicated his practice to the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Snoring and TMJ disorders. He has been actively treating TMJ since 1991and OSA/Snoring since 2012. He began intensely learning about the dangers of untreated snoring and OSA after he himself experienced an alarming and unexpected heart attack several years ago. Today he is board certified by both the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (May 2017) and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (July 2016). His sincere hope is that he will be able to reach all those who are in need of the caring, effective treatment he provides because he knows firsthand the life altering and life threatening risks that come from undiagnosed and untreated OSA, Snoring and TMJ Dysfunction. About The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine: The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) is the only non-profit national professional society dedicated exclusively to the practice of dental sleep medicine. The AADSM provides educational resources for dentists and promotes the use of oral appliance therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing. Established in 1991, the AADSM has more than 2,800 member dentists worldwide. Visit http://www.aadsm.org or call the national office at (630) 737-9705 for more information. Grand Velas Riviera Maya now offers guests the opportunity to learn photography all while experiencing the best of the destination with three new photo safari packages. In partnership with Bushman Photography, the workshops feature a mix of cultural, wildlife, landscape, portrait and architectural photography. In the Zen Wild Safari, guests will explore highlights of the resort and its jungle, such as ceiba and chaka trees, cenote, and mangroves. A model accompanies through the same locations during the Zen Fashion Safari to offer guests the experience of how professional photographers do lifestyle photo-shoots. A third option takes guests off property and through the rich biodiversity and ecosystems of the Yucatan peninsula. Photography locations include the Mayan ruins of Coba, age-old caverns within a cenote, native Mayan village, and Punta Lagoon, home to a sanctuary for spider monkeys. Inclusive of a professional photographer guide, all of the workshops are designed for both experienced and beginner photographers, with a focus on putting one in the right place at the perfect moment to capture pinnacle photographs. A Canon DSLR Reflex camera with 2 lenses is supplied for each guest to use during the workshop while a memory card captures the shots to take home. In case guests dont want to miss out on the resorts gourmet cuisine when outside of the resort, Grand Velas Riviera Maya packs a basket of carefully selected gourmet foods. The to-go picnic includes a bottle of red or white wine, four varieties of salads with house-made dressings, smoked salmon, French cheeses and charcuterie, fresh baked artisanal baguettes, and a selection of fresh roasted turkey breast, roast beef and duck terrine made from a special recipe of Michel Mustiere, Executive Chef and MaItre Cuisinier de France. And, of course, there are all of the condiments and nibbles to start off, including olives, capers, pickles and grapes. The best way to finish off a picnic? Sweets! Dessert options to vary based on daily chef creations. Rates for the photo safari workshop packages start at $601 per person per night based on double occupancy. The gourmet picnic to go costs $100. A three night minimum applies to all packages. All-inclusive rates at Grand Velas Riviera Maya always include luxury suite accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, taxes, gratuity and more. For more reservations or more information on Grand Velas Riviera Maya, please email reservations(at)velasresorts(dot)com, call 1-888-407-4869, or visit http://www.rivieramaya.grandvelas.com. About Grand Velas Riviera Maya: Set on 206 acres of pristine jungle and mangroves and with the finest white sand beach in the Riviera Maya, the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya is an ultra-luxury all-inclusive resort. Guests can choose among three separate ambiances in this Leading Hotel of the World, including adults-only oceanfront, family-friendly ocean view and a Zen-like tropical setting, embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsulas jungle. All 539 designer-like suites are exceptionally spacious, more than 1,100 square feet each, all with balconies, and some with private plunge pools. All feature fully stocked mini bars, plasma TVs, Wi-Fi, LOccitane amenities, artisanal tequila, and Nespresso coffee machines. Bathrooms deserve special mention with walk in glass shower, deep soaking Jacuzzi tubs and marble interior. Eight restaurants, including five gourmet offerings, present a tour through Mexico, Europe and Asia. Cocina de Autor, at the hands of world renowned celebrity chefs Bruno Oteiza, Mikel Alonso and Xavier Perez Stone, holds the AAA Five Diamond Award, the first all-inclusive restaurant in the world to win this prestigious distinction. Se Spa, a Leading Spa of the World, is the region's largest spa sanctuary at more than 90,000 square feet, known for its authentic Mexican treatments, offerings from around world and signature seven-step water journey. Other features include 24-hour Personal Concierge; 24/7 in-suite service; three swimming pools; two fitness centers; water sports; innovative Kids Clubs and Teens Club; Karaoke Bar; Koi Bar; Piano Bar, and business center. The resort offers more than 91,000 square feet of meeting space and outdoor areas for events inclusive of a 31,000-square-foot Convention Center, able to accommodate up to 2,700 guests. The resort has won numerous awards from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today and several other magazines and major companies worldwide, including World Luxury Spa Awards and TripAdvisors Hall of Fame. Grand Velas Riviera Maya was built and is operated by Eduardo Vela Ruiz, founder and President of Velas Resorts, with his brother Juan Vela, Vice President of Velas Resorts. Companies dont compete with companies anymore, supply chains compete with supply chains. Twelve months after founder and CEO Trevor Stansbury bought Supply Dynamics from Alabama based, $3B ONeal Industries, Ohio-based Queen City Angels and Ohio TechAngel Funds, a Rev1 Ventures managed fund, provided the capital needed to accelerate the market entry and expansion phase of the company. Supply Dynamics provides technology solutions designed to address the challenges of managing sourcing, procurement and supply chain complexity in highly distributed manufacturing environments and has attracted the attention of some of the largest Fortune 100 companies in the United States, including manufacturers of aircraft, turbine engines, and nuclear power plants. For Stansbury, this comes as validation of his decision to purchase a web-based solution that has been the beneficiary of over $13 M in investment in recent years. Now begins what he hopes will be the most exciting chapter yet to scale the most user-friendly multi-enterprise platform for reducing manufactured product cost, benchmarking raw materials prices and choreographing sub-tier supplier interactions. According to Trevor, Companies dont compete with companies anymore, supply chains compete with supply chains, and SDX is the most affordable and non-invasive way for large Original Equipment Manufacturers to reduce cost, promote collaboration across the extended enterprise, and compress cycle times all without replacing or interfering with a customers existing IT systems. Supply Dynamics evolved out of the need for OEMs to regain visibility into their multi-tiered supply chains. As OEMs became global operations, they sourced production of parts and assemblies to outside suppliers and lost the ability to control and view the bills-of-material that went into them (material like metals, plastics, chemicals and standard catalog parts) down through multiple tiers of supply. According to the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, such materials can account 36% or more of total product cost. Supply Dynamics SaaS solution, SDX, connects the dots between an OEM and its downstream suppliers and enables stakeholders to view, analyze and manage ever changing raw material requirements. This enables collaboration and standardization that can reduce overall manufacturing costs by an average of 3-25%. Queen City Angels spokesman Ted Capossela stated, One of the things that convinced us to invest in Supply Dynamics was their advanced technology and customer centric approach to a pervasive market need when it comes to managing Direct Materials. There are many supply chain solutions for addressing indirect materials but far fewer for direct materials, and Supply Dynamics has the most complete and non-invasive solution we have ever seen for tackling that. Since the spin-off from ONeal, Supply Dynamics has acquired new contracts with blue chip, Fortune 50 customers. To us, Supply Dynamics is one of the most interesting and exciting investment opportunities for QCA in the past five years. Our fund was impressed with the wealth of industry experience amongst Trevor and his team and the robustness of the SDX platform, said Parker MacDonell, Managing Director, Ohio TechAngel Funds. The fact that Supply Dynamics has secured some impressive marquee customers at such an early stage is rare and speaks volumes about their solution and their future market potential. Ohio TechAngel Funds is a co-investor in the funding round. Supply Dynamics is in a unique position for a company just taking its first funding round. In their first year, post spin-off, they have assembled a talented team ready to scale and will utilize the new funding to build out their sales and marketing departments to expand their reach. About Supply Dynamics: Supply Dynamics provides best-in-class technology solutions designed to address the challenges of managing sourcing, procurement and supply chain complexity in highly distributed manufacturing environments. Their SDX software is a cloud-based, multi-enterprise supply chain analytics suite. Coupled with a proprietary (blueprint to bill-of-material) data conversion process called Part Attribute Characterization, Supply Dynamics offers manufacturing companies unmatched visibility into material and process demand through all tiers of the extended supply chain. About Queen City Angels: The Queen City Angels (QCA) is a group of more than 50 experienced accredited investors who provide funding, support and guidance to early-stage growth companies in the Cincinnati area and surrounding region. QCA members, which include former C-level executives and entrepreneurs, draw from their personal operating and management experience to evaluate opportunities and provide on-going mentoring to young businesses with exceptional growth potential. Since 2000, QCA members have directly invested approximately $55 million in more than 80 portfolio companies. The total capital invested in these companies, including QCA members capital, syndication partners capital, follow-on venture capital funds and venture debt of approximately $450,000,000. CB Insight recently ranked QCA second out of 370 national angel organizations. For additional information, visit http://www.qca.com About Rev1 Ventures: Rev1 is a venture fund that helps entrepreneurs build great companies. Combining investment capital with a unique blend of services through our startup studio, we propel innovation for startups and corporate innovation teams. Our seasoned, data-driven team helps lay the foundation for scalable growth with the skills to evolve a product, sell to customers, and build the right team. Named a top VC investor in the Great Lakes Region, Rev1 manages a continuum of financial support from corporate and community partners, as well as the Ohio Third Frontier. Rev1 was named the Most Active VC in Ohio in 2017 by CB Insights. For more information, visit rev1ventures.com. Infinite Energy was recently named one of Floridas Best Companies To Work For. This marks the fifth time the multistate energy supplier has been named to the annual list. The annual Best Companies list is featured in the August issue of Florida Trend magazine. One hundred companies are ranked in small, medium and large employer categories. Infinite Energy ranked #13 among large companies. To participate, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and have been in operation at least one year. Companies that chose to participate underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. I'm so proud of everything our employees do and honored that they care so much about Infinite Energy to rate us so highly, said Darin Cook, co-founder and co-CEO of Infinite Energy. We've got much more to do and exciting adventures ahead. Everything great we do is because of our employees. Infinite Energy was established in Gainesville, Florida, in 1994 and has about 350 employees. The company focuses on promoting from within to maintain its vibrant corporate culture. From an onsite 24-hour gym to an executive mentorship program to paid financial planning courses, company programs are designed to help employees develop both personally and professionally. Whats clear from our list is that amenities like free lunch or a game room at the workplace are not the things that make a great workplace. Those amenities are just part of the way companies reflect their cultures its the culture of the company and the companys ability to hire people who understand and embody the culture that create a great workplace, said Executive Editor Mark Howard. "The best companies obviously provide strong pay and benefits to their employees, but they also offer fun diversions such as ice cream socials, holiday parties and field days," said Florida Trend Publisher Andy Corty. "And these top companies encourage employees to participate in the organization's overall success with training and open communications." The Best Companies To Work For In Florida program was created by Florida Trend and Best Companies Group and is endorsed by the HR Florida State Council. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis and determined the final rankings. For a list of the 100 Best Companies To Work For In Florida, go to FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies. About Infinite Energy Infinite Energy provides natural gas in Florida, Georgia, New York and New Jersey as well as electricity in Texas. It serves all customers, from residential to commercial to industrial. With in-house customer care, trading and software development, the companys focus on operations provides superior quality control and a range of energy options for every customer, big or small. For more information on Infinite Energy, visit InfiniteEnergy.com. About Florida Trend Florida Trend business magazine is read by 250,000 influential business executives, civic leaders and government officials each month. Its award-winning reporting covers business news, executives, key industry sectors, regional news and lifestyle. Enewsletters cover breaking news, movers and influencers, health care, education and small business. Floridatrend.com attracts over 100,000 unique viewers monthly. About Best Companies Group Best Companies Group works with partners worldwide to establish and manage Best Places to Work, Best Companies and Best Employers programs. Through its thorough workplace assessment, utilizing employer questionnaires and employee-satisfaction surveys, BCG identifies and recognizes companies that have been successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence. For more information, visit BestCompaniesGroup.com. FierceCEO is the executives guide to growing, transforming, and managing an organization. "With FierceCEO, we're bringing an element of thoughtful curation and analysis to the news that makes our website and newsletter extremely actionable for chief executives. This publication is squarely focused on the strategies CEOs need to thrive," said Molly Walker, digital editorial director, Questex. Chief executives must skillfully navigate their industry while also keeping up with the latest innovations. To meet those demands, FierceCEO not only reports the news and current trends, but dissects and analyzes it. Jack Fordi, senior vice president and group publisher, said that FierceCEO, a free, daily newsletter, provides senior executives the news and insights they need to manage technology, lead innovation, drive revenue, maximize human capital, and improve customer experience. FierceCEO will give those leaders a business advantage while saving them valuable time. Our best-in-class editorial and media teams are primed and ready. "In today's business environment, CEOs need to be informed about their industry sectors, engaged with their organizations, obsessed with the needs of their customers, predisposed to innovate, and responsive to opportunities for promotion, financing, and expansion," said FierceCEO Editor Cheryl Kaften. "This newsletter is all about being competitive and successful, keeping up with current technology and trends, and learning to be a leader, no matter what your company's current size and ambitions may be. FierceCEO covers what you need to know and why you need to know it. Find out more about FierceCEO by visiting: http://www.fierceceo.com/. Register for a free daily subscription here: https://pages.questexweb.com/FierceCEO-Newsletter-Signup.html. About Questex Questex is a leading global business information and events company serving corporate and government clients, and industries that are driving economic growth and business innovation around the world. The company drives business investment, innovation, and demand-creation in the markets it serves by bringing together investors, buyers, sellers, and professionals through its over 100 trade shows, conferences, and other business events, informing them through more than 100 business media and information products, and supporting clients with a comprehensive platform of marketing solutions. Questexs industry-focused marketplaces include Life Sciences & Healthcare, Hospitality & Travel, Beauty & Wellness, Technology & Telecommunications groups. Questex is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts. The company employs over 350 dedicated professional staff members, who are located in offices throughout the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Find the right bed for your patient with The Right Place "Our goal is to help hospitals like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reduce the administrative burden of matching patients to the right place of care," said Katherine Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of The Right Place. The Right Place, a digital health startup that enables hospitals and post-acute care providers to more quickly match and discharge patients to the right place of care, today announced that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has subscribed to use the company's software application to place patients into post-acute care facilities more efficiently. The Right Place communication and placement solution will help BIDMC streamline communications, reduce interruptions to case managers' workflow, and improve its process for discharging patients to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Following successful concept and pilot projects, BIDMC is now rolling out its implementation of The Right Place communication and patient placement solution to include all patient discharges to any SNF in the country, including over 200 SNFs currently receiving referrals from this tertiary care center. "We're delighted to be one of over 200 care facilities now connected to The Right Place to receive and respond to electronic patient referrals from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center," said Jason Twombly, Director of Admissions and Marketing, Neville Center at Fresh Pond. "The Right Place web application opens up a direct line of communication to the case manager, which reduces turn-around time and makes the whole process more efficient. Since hospitals want to refer to facilities that can quickly handle electronic referrals, we expect The Right Place to not only make this process easier, but also increase the number of referrals we receive." It is important for providers and organized care systems to efficiently place and track outcome-oriented quality measures for patients discharged to SNFs. With real-time data on variables such as how facilities responded to patient referrals, which SNFs offered beds, how many patients accepted, and length of stay, The Right Place helps hospitals become better equipped for discharge compliance tracking and quality of care assessment, which are important components of improving patient experience and managing cost. The ability to track this data also helps hospitals and SNFs assess new CMS quality measures added for nursing homes last July, which include rate of re-hospitalization, emergency room use, community discharge, and improvements in function. "Our goal is to help hospitals like BIDMC reduce the administrative burden of matching patients to the right place of care," said Katherine Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of The Right Place. "It isn't efficient or sustainable for SNFs to chase voicemails and email responses while weeding through large, static PDF documents and hundred-page faxes to confirm beds. With The Right Place, what used to take hours, or even days, can be done in minutes with one simple communication tool that distills relevant clinical referral data and provides instant information on bed availability." To provide even more options for post-acute care providers to manage beds and incoming referrals more efficiently, The Right Place is also launching a new web-based application. The Right Place web application is free of charge for SNFs to receive and respond to true electronic referrals from connected hospitals, including live chat and instant Medicare eligibility check. By managing patient referrals through a single centralized solution, SNFs benefit from real-time information and better transparency, and hospitals gain the ability to send referrals to any SNF. SNFs using the free web application receive full form-field clinical details, including attachments for further backup information on patient referrals. Users can filter referrals by status, facility, or sort by details such as gender and admission date. SNFs have the option to upgrade to a Basic, Pro or Team version of The Right Place to leverage analytics and a full customized digital bed board with real-time data on details including length of stay, occupancy and census data, and more. The Right Place provides SNFs with a secure, easy-to-use solution to manage their facilities, as well as create and share patient referral data from any location for faster, better referral decisions. With specific applications for hospitals, SNFs, and ACOs, The Right Place provides a HIPAA compliant communication solution to help care providers quickly and efficiently match the right patient to the right place of care. SNFs can create, edit, and share referral data from a centralized account so that everyone is informed about bed availability and incoming referrals. Real-time referral and patient outcome data helps enable hospitals and SNFs to work together to build a better patient experience, better clinical outcomes, and achieve efficiencies in moving patients across a continuum of care more seamlessly. About The Right Place Founded in 2013, The Right Place was started by healthcare and technology veterans committed to improving the hospital discharge and patient care coordination process in order to deliver a better patient experience, help reduce hospital readmission rates, and lower healthcare costs. The Right Place is a digital health platform that uses the cloud, web browser, mobile apps, and data analytics to provide a more fluid and efficient process for healthcare systems to match and discharge post-acute patients to the right place of care, while creating better value, transparency, and outcomes for healthcare providers, accountable care organizations (ACOs), caregivers, and most importantly, patients. For more information, please visit http://www.therightplace.com. Edison Partners today announced leading an $8 million growth investment in Columbia, MD-based cybersecurity solutions company, Bricata. Bricata will use the funds to accelerate go-to-market expansion and investments in research and development. A strong player in the $1 billion intrusion and prevention system (IPS) market, Bricata achieved 156 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2016 and is targeting mid-market and enterprise customers looking to prevent modern cyber threats. Gartner named Bricata a Vendor to Watch in 2015 and 2016, and the company recently integrated the Cylance conviction engine into its platform. Bricatas incredible organic growth validates the demand for reliable IPS solutions that help enterprises prevent threats, identify anomalies, and hunt for existing threats inside the firewall, said Lenard Marcus, Partner at Edison Partners who led the investment. With the number of cyber breaches growing exponentially, were excited to work closely with the Bricata team on their next phase of growth. The innovation Bricata is breathing into the space is filling a void left by traditional IPS solutions; they provide faster, more accurate and more user-friendly protection. The companys key offering, an intrusion detection and prevention solution, delivers double the throughput and detection performance in a single appliance at a better value than traditional solutions. Partnering with Edison marks a truly seminal point in time for us, said Bricata CEO John Trauth. Well be able to invest in and cultivate our engineering, sales and marketing talent and tap the Edison Edge network for management and operational expertise to guide us on our next-level growth path so we can continue to scale revenue, grow our customer base and develop new partnerships in the cybersecurity field. Edison Partners has financed and guided more than 200 private companies, including 46 Enterprise 2.0 companies. Noteworthy exits include Archive Systems, Assessment Systems, Axent, InSoft, Marcam, Notable Solutions, Octagon, Tangoe, Telarix, VirtualEdge, Uptivity, and VFA. Current Enterprise portfolio companies include All Traffic Solutions, Big Cloud Analytics, eSentire, Kemp Technologies, Logfire, MotionSoft, and Neat. This growth equity investment in Bricata marks the 17th investment from Edison Partners latest fund, Edison Partners VIII. About Bricata Bricata network security solutions deliver innovative next generation intrusion prevention, advanced threat detection and analysis, and threat hunting to enable large organizations to actively pursue and identify advanced, persistent, and coordinated attacks. A specialized component-based approach to todays attacks has left organizations with a stack of tools to manage that provide a patchwork of uncorrelated data, leaving penetrable gaps and inconsistent security policies. The Bricata platform provides organizations with process automation, streamlining operations with the most effective, affordable solution for situational awareness and proactive threat defense, reducing complexity, dwell time and time to containment. For more information visit http://www.bricata.com About Edison Partners For 30 years, Edison Partners has been helping CEOs and their executive teams navigate the entrepreneurial journey and build successful companies. Through the unique combination of growth capital and the Edison Edge platform, consisting of operating leverage, the Edison Director Network, and executive education, Edison employs a holistic approach to accelerating growth and creating value for businesses ($5 to $20 million in revenue) in financial, healthcare, enterprise and marketing technology sectors. Edisons active portfolio has created aggregate market value exceeding $10 billion. Its long-tenured team based in Princeton, N.J., manages more than $1 billion in assets throughout the eastern United States. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic regional and national organization that reflects the same values that made us successful. said Front Range Principal John Bell. AssuredPartners, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Front Range Insurance Group, LLC of Fort Collins, Colorado along with two divisions of VolkBell to include John Bells employee benefits team and Steve Smiths property and casualty team. The company provides business and commercial insurance, employee benefits insurance as well as personal insurance brokerage services. The combined organizations and their 28 staff will operate under Front Range Insurance Group going forward and will remain under the leadership of John Bell, Sue Roberts, David Wooldridge and Steve Smith Principals. For over 32 years it has been the goal of our team to make our clients lives easier. We help answer hard questions, find ways to control costs and help make it possible for our clients to run their business knowing were working behind the scenes on their behalf, said Front Range Insurance Group Managing Principal John Bell. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic regional and national organization that reflects the same values that made us successful. Our clients will continue to work with the consultants and service teams they know and trust. AssuredPartners allows us to further enhance our client focus and services on a local basis while at the same time incorporating our operations into a national platform. Our clients will benefit from the increased support, resources, markets and tools now available to us. President and Chief Operating Officer of AssuredPartners, Tom Riley, stated VolkBell and Front Range Insurance Group are well known and well respected in the Northern Colorado marketplace. Were pleased to have the strong client relationships and valued employees join us at AssuredPartners. For more information about Front Range Insurance Group, please visit: http://www.frontrangeinsurancegroup.net. ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida and led by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in London. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners has grown to over $870 million in annualized revenue and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in the United States* with over 190 offices in 30 states, Canada and London. Since 2011, AssuredPartners has acquired more than 170 insurance agencies. For more information, please contact Dean Curtis, CFO, at 407.708.0031 or dcurtis(at)assuredptr(dot)com, or visit http://www.assuredpartners.com. --- *As ranked by Business Insurance in the July 18, 2016 edition, featuring the 100 largest brokers of U.S. business. Alder Maurice Cheeks during the swearing in meeting at the City County Building in Madison, on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Cheeks was one speaker at an event on Sunday discussing the local implications of potential federal cuts to HUD. PHOTO BY MICHELLE STOCKER Our team is dedicated to giving back to the Chicagoland community, and our participation in this nutritional support effort is a great way to improve the lives of those in need. Stratosphere Networks is giving its employees the opportunity to help provide healthy meals for people in need by volunteering for Meals at Home, a local Meals on Wheels organization. On the first Wednesday of each month, Stratosphere team members deliver nutritious meals to homebound, elderly, and disabled community members, as well as others who are temporarily unable to independently fulfill their nutritional needs. The Meals at Home volunteer effort is part of the Stratosphere Networks community service program, which the company launched this year. Employees can get up to 2 additional days of paid time off for participating in sponsored volunteer events like regular Meals at Home deliveries. As part of the program, members of the Stratosphere team have also participated in Susan G. Komens Race for the Cure and will help with an upcoming Back to School Supply Drive for the Chicago-based social services organization Lawrence Hall. Were proud of our employees who help combat hunger each month by volunteering with Meals at Home, said Kevin Rubin, president and COO of Stratosphere Networks. Our team is dedicated to giving back to the Chicagoland community, and our participation in this nutritional support effort is a great way to improve the lives of those in need. Stratosphere Networks, a Chicago-based IT support provider, delivers comprehensive technology services to meet the diverse needs of businesses across all industries. The companys fully staffed network operations center (NOC) provides full maintenance services and support, including business continuity, disaster recovery, desktop support, remote and on-site support, ongoing maintenance services, and proactive network monitoring. "Meals at Home could not do what we do without volunteers who are willing to go above and beyond, said Debi Genthe, executive director of Meals at Home. We are so pleased to have the employees of Stratosphere Networks dedicate their lunch hours to ensure our clients are fed and cared for." Meals at Home serves the Illinois communities of Evanston, New Trier Township, and Skokie, in addition to areas of Lake County. To learn more, visit the organizations website. About Stratosphere Networks Stratosphere Networks is a Chicago-based multifaceted IT managed service provider focused on delivering comprehensive technology services and solutions to meet and exceed the always-changing, diverse business needs. Since 2003, Stratosphere Networks has grown exponentially and continues to provide the best-in-class and cost-effective solutions to businesses in all industries. Visit http://www.stratospherenetworks.com for more information. For more information contact: Lori Leonardo 847-440-8608 LoriL(at)stratospherenetworks(dot)com Sundance Vacations and the United Way of NEPA are partnering to sponsor the #55 with Premium Motorsports Driven by Derrike Cope in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. "Sundance Vacations is honored to work with the United Way to sponsor #55 Derrike Cope to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education" said John Dowd, CEO Sundance Vacations. The United Way locations of Northeast Pennsylvania have a mission of supporting early childhood education. All of the United Way offices have missions that are specific to their region, ranging from the Wyoming Valleys Real Men Read, a program to help foster early childhood literacy, to Success By 6 in Lackawanna/Wyoming Counties, which supports a whole child approach to education, focusing on both cognitive skills and the child's social and emotional development. Sundance Vacations mission of giving back to the community by partnering with organizations like the United Way is something they have been doing for over twenty-five years. Derrike Cope, best known for his Daytona 500 win in 1990, will make an appearance with Sundance Vacations at the United Way Christmas in July Project. The event takes place at the CEO Weinberg Food Pantry in the Center Pointe Corporate Park in Pittston Township on Friday July 28th from noon 1pm. Derrike will be reading Go Dog. Go! by Dr. Seuss to a group of area children to help raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education. "I am excited and pleased to once again join John and Tina Dowd with Sundance Vacations in the Cup Series. We have history together and it was always a pleasure working with them and looking forward to having Sundance on the #55 with Premium Motorsports at Pocono," Cope comments. Derrike Cope will be racing the #55 car in the upcoming Pocono Race on July 30, 2017, as well as in Dover on October 1, 2017. If fans would like to participate in helping the United Way raise money for the regional Race for the Kids initiative, they can donate to any United Way website. Sundance Vacations will also donate $100 to the United Way on behalf of each couple that attends a presentation. Guests can even book an appointment online with Sundance Vacations - its very easy to do! We hope to raise awareness of the need for early childhood education, as well as raise funds for the community. Early childhood education is so important that states like California use educational proficiency by six years of age as a predictor of how many jail cells to build for the future. Its that important to our communities. We look forward to continuing our great relationships with NASCAR, the United Way, and all of our fans and with 3 days until show time, our staff has kicked into full gear. Sundance Vacations CEO John Dowd and United Way President & CEO Bill Jones, along with the staff of both organizations, are committed to making the Race for the Kids one that goes down in history. If you would like to volunteer for the United Way, please visit: https://www.unitedway.org to find your local branch. For Tickets to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series to see Derrike Cope race, along with all the other fun things you can do at Pocono Raceway: http://www.poconoraceway.com/ If you would like Sundance Vacations to donate $100 to the United Way on your behalf visit: https://sundancevacationsblog.com/NASCAR/ For information on Premium Mortorsports visit: http://premiummotorsports.net/ : Technosoft Corp. attains Microsofts Gold Cloud Platform Competency Achieving Microsofts Gold Cloud Competency enables us to unleash the transformative power of the cloud for our customers. Technosoft Corp (Technosoft), a leading provider of IT Digital Transformation services, today announced it has attained Microsofts Gold Cloud Platform Competency. This designation is earned by partners who demonstrate the highest level of proficiency in helping Microsoft customers realize the benefits of cloud based services and solutions. Only 1% of all Microsoft partners worldwide achieve Microsofts Gold Competency. This elite certification further validates Technosofts solutions and expertise in mobility services, IoT solutions, data science and cognitive services using the Azure platform. Achieving Microsofts Gold Cloud Competency enables us to unleash the transformative power of the cloud for our customers, said Radha Krishnan, Chairman and CEO of Technosoft. Technosoft has a deep knowledge of Microsoft technologies and products. We are committed to leveraging our partnership to build innovative solutions that create strategic advantages for our customers. The Gold Cloud competency further demonstrates Technosofts commitment to support Microsofts Cloud-first mission and partner ecosystem. We are helping our clients modernize and migrate applications to Cloud platforms using the latest DevOps practices and tools," added Mandar Kulkarni, EVP of Technosoft IT Services. Technosoft is rapidly evolving its relationship as a 360 partner with Microsoft. Last year, Technosoft announced a co-engineering partnership with Microsoft with the launch of its Unified Communications Product Engineering (UCPE) lab based in Bellevue, Washington. Technosoft also established a dedicated Product Engineering facility for Microsoft in Bangalore, India. The Bellevue and Microsoft facilities serve as technology accelerators for Microsoft partners; allowing them to bring solutions to market, quickly. About Technosoft Technosoft is a digital transformation and technology solution provider to global enterprise companies. Technosoft has deep expertise in product engineering, mobility applications, Cloud service, data science and machine learning solutions. Founded in 1996, Technosoft is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan and has 7 delivery centers located in India and US. With over 4,400 employees, Technosoft serves customers in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia-Pacific regions. Learn more at: http://www.Technosoftcorp.com. Media Inquiries: Glenn Moore VP, Marketing Technosoft Corp. glenn.moore(at)technosoftcorp(dot)com 248.839.7056 Paul Mengert, Founder and CEO of Association Management Group, recently joined the Board of Directors of the Carolina Theatre. He will serve a three-year term. AMG is in the business of creating and preserving community. I look forward to growing the stellar legacy of this downtown Greensboro institution for years to come. Paul K. Mengert, founder and CEO of Association Management Group, Inc., one of the Carolinas largest professional homeowner association managers, has accepted an invitation to join the Carolina Theatre Board of Directors. Deemed the finest theatre between Washington, DC, and Atlanta, the Greensboro Showplace of the Carolinas opened in 1927 and delighted audiences with vaudeville acts in a sumptuous setting of sparkling chandeliers, gilded decor, marble columns and classical statuary. Now a state-of-the-art performing arts center, the historic theatre continues to enthrall a new generation of audiences with ballet, theatre, opera and musical performances. During his three-year term, Mengert will support the theatres mission and vision with leadership and guidance, financial expertise and community engagement support. Association Management Group is in the business of creating and preserving community, Mengert said. As a member of the Carolina Theatre Board of Directors, I bring decades of experience connecting people to each other and their neighborhoods, and educating volunteer homeowner boards about good financial and legal stewardship, budget management, strong governance and engaging marketing. I believe this experience will prove beneficial as we grow the stellar legacy of this downtown Greensboro institution for years to come. To learn more about Carolina Theatre, visit https://carolinatheatre.com/history/. About Association Management Group, Inc.: AMG is a professional community association management company dedicated to building effective community associations. AMG guides and assists executive boards to help protect the association's interests, enhance the lives of community members and improve the property values in the community. With offices throughout the Carolinas in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, and Greenville and Aiken, SC, AMG is a knowledgeable partner in enforcing community governing documents with a proven set of processes and techniques, and supporting communities with a broad range of services that can be tailored to individual community needs. Association Management Group, Inc. is a locally Accredited Business by the BBB and is a nationally Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC) by the Community Associations Institute. For more about AMG, visit http://www.amgworld.com. BoConcept, the Danish-founded global retail furniture franchise with nearly 300 locations across 60 countries, is building additional excitement surrounding the upcoming launch of its new flagship location in the U.S. on New York Citys famed Madison Avenue with the announcement of a popup store in the heart of the citys trendy SoHo neighborhood. The popup store, set to open at 285 Lafayette St. in Lower Manhattan on August 13, continues the brands aggressive 2017 push for new market share across the U.S. as the Danish design concept of hygge design continues to grow in popularity across North America. BoConcepts roots as an innovator in the global Scandinavian furniture revolution, which date all the way back to the brands founding in 1952, continue to fuel its growth today. BoConcepts dominance in markets across Europe and Asia has laid the groundwork for rapid expansion by way of strong multi-unit franchise partnerships into the competitive U.S. market. The launch of the popup SoHo location is the first step into a new, dominant position at the pinnacle of fashions biggest stage. Anticipation has been building for months about the launch of our flagship location on Madison Avenue this fall, but we didnt want to wait until then to bring the latest progressive, urban furniture designs included in our newest collection launching in September to Manhattan, said Steen Knigge, Director of U.S. Marketing for BoConcept. This popup location will prominently feature the concept of Scandinavian home comfort and coziness, known as hygge. Thats a major part of BoConcepts ongoing commitment to continually advancing modern design elements that elevate interior spaces to achieve their true potential. Designs showcased in the SoHo popup store will include contemporary, flexible furniture options for both home and office. Elements from world-renowned designers like Oki Sato and Karim Rashid will also be featured even more prominently in the new location on Madison Avenue, presenting a fresh new, modern, yet functional option for the urban-minded homeowner. The popup location will be managed by the General Manager of the Madison Avenue location Ben Paciello who has years of retail experience with brands including Ralph Lauren and Oprah Winfreys The Oprah Store, and worked to open a Chicago based flagship location for mid high-end furniture retailer Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams. This new popup location is the latest step in our mission to be not just the global leader in modern furniture, but the unbridled authority in progressive interior design in the U.S. as well, Knigge said. BoConcept continues to create statement pieces that elevate design potential, and we are thrilled to be able to highlight them in Manhattan, not just once, but twice. Through its franchise business model, BoConcept continues to further set itself apart in the industry by offering unparalleled support to its operators. From store opening to design planning, visual merchandising and local marketing, franchisees have a true corporate partner. Franchisees also receive access to BoConcept University, an online education program designed to ensure rapid operational success. The brand remains focused on partnering with driven, entrepreneurial-minded franchisees that are interested in sustainable multi-unit growth. With 16 U.S. locations from coast to coast, BoConcept is already building strong brand recognition among key demographic drivers. With an initial investment ranging from $450,000 to $650,000, strong unit level economics and consumer sentiment and discretionary spending on the rise, BoConcept is expanding beyond New York City as well, targeting sophisticated retail operators in key markets including New York, Chicago, Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Diego, Phoenix and Denver. The popup store location in SoHo will remain open until November 30, soon after the opening of the new flagship location on Madison Avenue in October. This will allow for a laser focus on the high quality of design and service at the flagship store. BoConcept continues to innovate and shift the mindset of what is possible in interior design, Knigge said. We are thrilled to bring that progressive approach to modern furniture to New York City, and ultimately, to the world stage. ABOUT BOCONCEPT Launched in 1952 and franchised in 2002, BoConcept has become a global leader in the design of bold, stylish furniture and now boasts nearly 300 locations in 60 countries around the world. Founded in Denmark, BoConcept differentiates itself by offering premium quality, modern designs that elevate interior spaces to achieve their full potential. The company remains focused on creating functional furniture for the urban consumer through partnerships with the worlds leading interior designers. Backed by a proven global concept and strong franchise support system, BoConcepts 16 U.S. locations include a flagship store, set to open in late summer 2017 on New York Citys famed Madison Avenue. For more information please visit http://www.boconcept.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.boconcept.com/en-us/boconcept/franchise. ### VR8 Variable Volume High Pressure Coolant System We wanted to provide our customers with an affordable, smart system with more capability. The VR8 gives them a variable volume system with up to four programmable pressure settings for a wide range of tooling applications. MP Systems will display its new Variable Volume High Pressure Coolant System (HPCS), the VR8 model, at the WESTEC show in Los Angeles, California, in September. This is the first time the company has displayed the VR8 on the west coast and the first time MP Systems has participated in the WESTEC show. The VR8 is part of MP Systems new Variable Volume VR Series, a line of HPCSs the company launched in late 2016. The VR Series is engineered to be extremely durable and energy efficient. The VR Series only uses as much horse power as is required to make set pressure, MP Systems Product Manager Sean Devlin said, and the high pressure system automatically adjusts the volume, up to eight gallons-per-minute (GPM), to maintain it. Pressure is adjusted from the VR systems programmable logic controller (PLC) and controlled by the cutting machines M codes. VR Series programmable pressures range from 250 1000 PSI and systems have 50 or 70-gallon vertical reservoirs, depending on the model. They can be used with water or oil-based coolants. All come with two quick-change large capacity filter bags, a machine installation kit, and a two-year parts warranty. MP Systems works with end users machine tool distributors to determine the most suitable coolant systems for each machine and application. MP Systems Sales Manager Kermit Wright says the VR8 is aggressively priced at $11,995, which is about 30 percent less than similar HPCSs on the market. We wanted to provide our customers with an affordable, smart system with more capability, Wright said. The VR8 gives them a variable volume system with up to four programmable pressure settings for a wide range of tooling applications. MP Systems will also display its UL300 Medium Pressure Coolant System and CS30 Stand-Alone Coolant Chiller. The WESTEC show will be held September 12 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Visitors can visit MP Systems at booth 954. To learn more about the VR8, visit http://www.mp-systems.net/vr. About MP Systems: MP Systems, Inc. of East Granby, Connecticut designs, manufactures and supplies dependable, low-maintenance high pressure coolant systems, chillers and accessories used in CNC manufacturing. MP Systems' products are distributed throughout North America. The MP Systems team works with CNC machine tool builders, distributors and end-use customers to provide customer service and applications engineering expertise. For more information, call 877-689-1860 or visit http://www.mp-systems.net With this white paper, it is our hope that we can provide a very useful resource for engineers and contractors designing computer room spaces of all sizes Leading mission critical cooling manufacturer STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc. (STULZ USA) today announced the publication of a new white paper titled Regulations Determining Computer Room Cooling Selection - Precision vs Comfort Cooling. This white paper is intended to assist engineers and contractors who are designing data centers and small IT spaces by providing a history of the various requirements for computer room cooling, along with a detailed overview of the most recent federal regulations. There is no shortage of misinformation defining the appropriate use of air conditioning equipment for computer room applications, said Dave Meadows, the Director of Industry, Standards, and Technology at STULZ and the white papers author. The regulatory landscape has changed significantly over the past few years, and we hope to make sense of it all for the engineers and contractors who are facing increasing concern about correctly applying HVAC equipment to computer rooms. Prior to 2010 there was no minimum required energy efficiency for computer room cooling equipment in the United States. But with data centers estimated to consume over 3% of the total US power output, the US Department of Energy (D.O.E.) has sought to reduce power usage, and compel the industry to comply with guidelines from the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRAE). Today, federal regulations require computer room cooling equipment to meet a minimum Sensible Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) while similar municipal and state conservation codes are continuously evolving. These are fast changing requirements and many engineers and end users are inadvertently misapplying comfort cooling units in computer rooms simply because they are not aware of the benefits of application specific units or the regulatory aspects of the application, continued Mr. Meadows. CRAC manufacturers have dedicated thousands of hours of research and development in an effort to create the most energy efficient equipment for this particular application. Comfort cooling equipment has neither the tight control, robust design, nor the built in energy efficiency required to serve the computer room adequately. Specifying or installing the wrong equipment can be costly in both lost energy efficiency and potential fines for non-compliance. To date, the Department of Energy (D.O.E.) has not exempted any state from this energy efficiency standard. According to the white paper, a major impact of the D.O.E.s decision to add computer room air conditioners to its list of federally regulated appliances is the classification of computer rooms." Among other things, a computer room is defined as any room which has a design electronic data equipment power density exceeding 20 watts per square foot of conditioned floor space. This low threshold has resulted in relatively small IT spaces and office server rooms being subject to minimum SCOP requirements for HVAC equipment. With this white paper, it is our hope that we can provide a very useful resource for engineers and contractors designing computer room spaces of all sizes, concluded Mr. Meadows. While it is not a replacement for studying the applicable federal, state, and local building codes, I believe most readers will find it helpful and informative. The complete white paper can be downloaded from the STULZ USA website at http://hubs.ly/H087CQ30. Those interested in keeping up with the latest news and developments from STULZ USA can follow @STULZ_USA on Twitter, become a part of the of STULZ USA circle on Google+, and visit STULZ USA Company profile on LinkedIn. Videos will be updated regularly on the STULZ USA YouTube page. All company news and information will continue to be available at http://www.stulz-usa.com About STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc. STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc. (STULZ USA) is an ISO 9001 registered manufacturer of environmental control equipment, including a full line of energy efficient precision air conditioners, air handling units, ultrasonic humidifiers, and desiccant dehumidifiers. The company is responsible for product development, manufacturing, and distribution for the North American arm of the international STULZ Group. For more information about STULZ USA and its products, call 301-620-2033. E-mail your request to info@stulz-ats.com or visit http://www.stulz-usa.com PowerChord, Inc. announces a significant investment in company personnel to amplify the ongoing advancement of their multi-location, customer engagement platform. With a 30% increase to development personnel over the past six months and several new leadership additions, PowerChord is poised to make influential strides in 2017 to further scale their click-to-configure platform for brands that sell through independent retail channels. Over the past quarter, PowerChord welcomed new leaders, Bob Crosley - Director of Product Management, and John Gaset - Director of Client Services, to continue the global enhancement of their brand-to-local product offering and in support of their expansion into a wealth of new client verticals. Crosley joins the company with almost 20 years of enterprise-level product management and market-driven technology experience. He has previously held roles at Syniverse, Dell Software, and Persystent Technologies. Gaset, a SaaS veteran, joins PowerChord from former companies such as Channel Intelligence (acquired by Google in 2013), Via Response Technologies, and the International Business Innovation Association. With extensive management experience in a software as a service environment, Gaset will focus on delivering operational excellence and best-in-class customer service. PowerChord, an industry leader in SaaS and multi-location digital marketing solutions, provides services to customers such as STIHL Inc., Kohler, Club Car, and many more around the world. Their robust, turnkey Platform offers hyper-local brand control, customer engagement and the ability to drive revenue online and specifically through local sales channels. Throughout the past year, PowerChord has made several large-scale, internal investments - finishing 2016 with 30% employee growth and moving into a new state-of-the-art headquarters in March 2017. As the company further expands across the United States and Europe, they continue to recruit seasoned, high caliber technology professionals to grow their global team. "Our business must be fueled by constant innovation and a consistent dedication to people, processes, and technology, said PowerChord CEO, Lanny Tucker. Providing scalable, global to local revenue solutions for major brands around the world starts with a commitment to our company and our clients." # # # About PowerChord PowerChord is a leading SaaS company that transforms how brands drive local sales. Their multi-location, customer engagement platform provides businesses with an integrated suite of products and services to control their brand, engage customers, and drive revenue through local sales channels. With the PowerChord Platform, brands can create a consistent and immersive customer experience, power brand loyalty and optimize every touchpoint along the consumer path to purchase. PowerChord is a 2015 BIA/Kelsey GOLOCAL award winner and has been recognized as a Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company and a Inc. 5000 company. They currently operate in 28 countries and service over 10,000 local sites worldwide, with employees based across the United States and Europe. Learn more about PowerChords multi-location, customer engagement solutions at http://www.PowerChord.com Floridas population is growing by leaps and bounds and that means a need for more roads, housing, schools, and jobs. And jobs are where Vaco comes in. Vaco locations in Florida focused on accounting and finance, technology, operations, and office professionals provide the foundation for a staffing and business consulting firm that serves both individuals and companies. Helping clients and candidates fulfill their employment goals is why the Vaco team says it is the best place to work in Florida. People are at the center of Vacos corporate culture the team, clients, and candidates. As the largest full-service firm in Central Florida, if not all Florida, Vaco is in the people business, explains Stephen F. Smith, partner and director of financial recruiting. We are emotionally invested in the people. What separates us from other companies is that we actually do care about each other and their development. Everyone on the team helps everyone else, from the CEO all the way down the line, explains Cynthia Garces, managing partner of Vaco South Florida. Resources are available every step of the way to help grow the business, and management provides the tools and guidance to succeed with our clients. Vacos professional diversity and flexibility are other valuable assets that contribute to the companys success. We have a very diverse group of people and backgrounds some with lots of experience and some just starting out and we learn things from each other, said Brian Yankelevitz, director of operations. The Vaco team makes it exciting to go to work every day. Yankelevitz explained, We get to help candidates fulfill their professional dreams, while helping our clients run efficiently and effectively. What really sets us apart from other staffing agencies is that we care, said Beau McGlamery, partner and director of technology. And if you put that out into the marketplace you not only attract internal talent but you also attract great candidates. We attract people that can leverage their natural talents and experience. We customize solutions for our clients. They tell us what they want and we make it happen. added Denise Bennett-Walls, managing partner, Vaco Orlando. Each team member sets up their own management objectives (MBO); business, personal and community goals. Yes, we care about their personal goals. Our job is to help people achieve their dreams. Because that is our main focus every day, Vaco naturally maintains the Best Place to Work. Its a privilege to help clients meet their future employees, states Nakita Broussard, manager of Vaco Staffing. And I love how our professional objectives and goals tie into the community. We try to make Florida a great place to live. Our clients expect us to help them build best-in-class teams. And that helps us create the community we live in. We take pride in the relationships we build with our clients, said Bennett-Walls. Thats the fulfilling aspect of our careers. Our role in the business cycle is to provide talent, I also view it as building lifelong relationships. For the Vaco team, its those meaningful lifetime relationships that make it the best place to work in Florida. About Vaco Vaco is a senior-level consulting and executive placement firm, specializing in the areas of finance, accounting, technology, engineering, healthcare, financial services, and administration. Vaco is celebrating 15 years of client service and has been named on the Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nations fastest growing private companies, for the last ten years. Vaco has 38 offices nationwide that share the same vision and are dedicated to developing long-term relationships, life-long careers and creative client solutions. For more information about Vaco, please visit http://www.vacoorlando.com SAE International announces keynote speakers for its ADAS to Automated Driving Symposium, which will be held October 10-12 in Columbus, Ohio SAE International announces keynote speakers for its ADAS to Automated Driving Symposium, which will be held October 10-12 in Columbus, Ohio. The speakers are to headline the Symposiums technical program which will provide engineers, systems developers, and management with insights on the current state of the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and automated driving industry. On Tuesday, October 10, Carla Bailo, AVP of Mobility Research & Business Development at Ohio State University and Vice President Automotive at SAE International, will give the opening keynote address on Smart Mobility and Smart Cities to Improve Peoples Lives speaking to Columbus recent recognition as Americas smart city and how its successes can be applied elsewhere. Bailo has 35 year of experience in the automotive industry with a focus in research and design. Professor Levent Guvenc will discuss Unified, Scalable and Replicable Connected and Automated Driving for a Smart City on Wednesday, October 11. With connected and automated driving vehicles a present and near future reality, this keynote session will explore the goal of using a shared unified main architecture with emphasis on interoperability, scalability and replicability. Professor Guvenc is the Director of the Automated Driving Lab at Ohio State University and is currently focused on his research in connected and automated driving at both higher speed highway driving and lower speed urban driving in a smart city. The ADAS to Automated Driving Symposium will span three days in total with different themes for each day. Day 1 will focus on electronics and sensors to perception and include sessions on RADAR, camera imaging, sensor fusion, flash LIDAR and more. Day 2 will explore human-machine interface with a variety of sessions including human factor/HMI, intelligent intersections/vulnerable road users protection, utilizing artificial intelligence for automated driving, and V2X. Day 3 will address validation and legal liability with a number of sessions including model-based simulation/testing, OE and tier integration as well as an expert panel discussion on testing and validation as building trust. For more information about SAE Internationals ADAS to Automated Driving Symposium, the technical program, or to register for the event, please visit http://www.sae.org/adas. For information on exhibit or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Linda Wagner at 1-724-772-4062 or linda.wagner(at)sae.org. To request media credentials, email pr(at)sae.org or call 1-724-772-8522. SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting more than 127,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. http://www.sae.org Eric Howk of Portugal. the Man We are honored to have Eric Howk, partner with NTI to advocate for the human rights of Individuals with Disabilities and spread the word of the services NTI offers to over 60 million individuals nationwide. - Mike Sanders, Director of Marketing, NTI National Telecommuting Institute (NTI) (http://www.nticentral.org) announces the release of their collaboration with indie pop/rock band Portugal. The Man and guitarist Eric Howk to create awareness of the job services NTI provides for Americans with Disabilities and Disabled Veterans. One in every five Americans has a disability, making Howk's message about NTI valuable to more than 60 million people across the nation. Portugal. The Man is a prolific and forward thinking band from Wasilla, Alaska. The group consists of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O'Quin, Jason Sechrist and Eric Howk. Eric Howk, the bands guitarist, has a special understanding of the difficulties Americans with Disabilities face. While on tour in 2007, Howk fell into a 12-foot-deep pit at a construction site, breaking his T4 vertebrae. The accident left him paralyzed from the sternum down, but through his perseverance, Howk has successfully learned how to keep up with the bands busy tour schedule. He makes an effort to notice and connect with fans who use wheelchairs or other assistive devices and give them encouragement and support. To extend his support of individuals with disabilities, Erick Howk along with Redlight Management, recorded the following Public Service Announcements for distribution at the following web address http://portugaltheman.nticentral.org. The website features a video message from Howk to educate individuals with disabilities of the job-services NTI provides as well as 8 audio PSA's developed for radio distribution. Title tracks "Live in the Moment" and "Noise Pollution" from Portugal. The Man's Woodstock album, highlight the PSA's. Background music from the Portugal. The Man's previous album, Evil Friends, are also showcased within the PSA's and include hits such as Atomic Man, Hip Hop Kids, Modern Jesus, and Someday Believers. Finally, a segment of Eric Howk's, independent release "Say" is illustrated within one of his messages. With Portugal. The Man's release "Feel It Still" on the Billboard Hot 100 list and the number one song on Billboard Alternative Songs and Top TV Commercials Chart, NTI is ecstatic with the opportunity to partner with Howk to increase awareness of opportunities for Americans with Disabilities to find work. Portugal. the Man's latest album, Woodstock, was named in honor of the 1969 festival and is the bands attempt to address sociopolitical unrest and promote an appeal for basic human rights. NTI looks forward to a partnership to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities and extend their rights. # # # About NTI: National Telecommuting Institute (NTI) is a 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization with headquarters in Boston, MA. It has been supporting Americans with disabilities since 1995. NTI provides training and job placement in work at home positions across the United States. NTI pioneered staffing virtual call centers with Americans with Disabilities, including Disabled Veterans, who work from home. About Portugal. The Man: Portugal. The Man is an American Indie pop/rock band from Wasilla, Alaska. The group consists of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O'Quin, Jason Sechrist and Eric Howk. Gourley and Carothers met and began playing music together at Wasilla High School, and the band is proud of its Alaskan roots. The band has been with Atlantic Records since 2010. Portugal. The Man has been celebrating the release of Woodstock with their biggest world tour thus far, set to travel through the summer. Contact: Michael Sanders Associate Director of Marketing 617-787-4426 x331 NTI, Inc., 225 Friend Street Boston, MA 02114 msanders(at)nticentral.org Facebook: http://www.nticentral.org/facebook Instagram: http://www.nticentral.org/instagram 10-4 Systems announces that Heritage Global Solutions, a 10-4 Systems Channel Partner has been selected to present at the annual Southwest Regional Oracle Applications User Group (SROAUG) Summer 2017 Conference. The all-day event brings together thought leaders across the Oracle spectrum for a one day conference. This summers event is being held Friday, July 28th in Irvine, California. Heritage Global is a technology consulting firm specializing in enterprise-level projects for companies including Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Arrow, and IBM. As a 10-4 authorized channel partner, Heritage was selected to present The Power of Big Data: Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) and Intelligent Supply Chain Visibility at the SROAUG event. This is a win for Oracle users, says Travis Rhyan, 10-4 CEO and President. Heritage has a long record working with enterprise technologies, especially Oracle, and they will be able to help Oracle users understand the powerful impact that Big Data is having on supply chain and how companies can leverage supply chain technology to improve their bottom line revenue. The theme for the Summer 2017 SROAUG Conference is Extending and Integrating E-Business Suite Above (the Cloud) and Beyond. To find out more about the event: http://sroaug.communities.oaug.org/news/24-sroaug-2017-summer-conference About SROAUG The Southwest US Regional Oracle Applications Users Group was formed in Costa Mesa, California in January 1996 by a group of Oracle Applications Users to share information and meet the specialized needs of Oracle Applications professionals, to provide them a regional forum to train, evaluate and network with their peers throughout all industries. During the first meeting, all regional group members opened a channel with OAUG about Oracle's product development, quality and user support. SROAUG is governed by a Board of Directors to be elected from the user community, and all members are encouraged to participate fully and serve on committees in which they have an interest. http://sroaug.communities.oaug.org/ About Heritage Global Solutions Heritage Global Solutions delivers proven technology along with the expertise to build and manage many of the complex IT solutions used in government and industry today. Heritage professionals engage in customer projects to apply the critical disciplines essential for the successful utilization of computers, networks and mobile technology. Heritages experienced staff, low-overhead business model, and high standards for quality and performance make it the ideal business partner for your technology deployments. Heritage Global Solutions is proud of its Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma heritage and to be a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business. http://www.heritageglobalsolutions.com/ About 10-4 Systems 10-4 Systems is a technology company with deep roots in the transportation and logistics industry. We deliver an information platform for intelligent supply chain visibility that harnesses the power of Big Data. Our solution securely aggregates shipment and location data and pushes out analytics that help companies make meaningful decisions that have a positive impact on their bottom line. With offices in Boulder, Colorado and Grand Rapids, Michigan we help Global 500 companies understand, embrace, and benefit from a comprehensive supply chain technology experience. For us, its not just about tracking. Its total supply chain visibility that is shareable and customizable to meet the needs of our customers and their customers. Its not just the who and the where - but the when, why, and how shipments are moving across the globe. http://www.10-4.com U.S.Security Associates Security Officers Nowlin and Humphreys awarded for saving Judah Anderton When you are faced with a life or death situation there is no time to think, no time to pull out a CPR manual, and absolutely no time to guess. U.S. Security Associates (USA) Security Officers Lieutenant Roderick (RJ) Nowlin and Captain Graham Humphreys performed nothing short of a miracle on July 14, 2017 when they successfully revived two-year-old Judah Anderton who had drowned in his familys pool. Unable to get a cell phone signal to call for an ambulance, and with the closest medical facility a thirty-five-minute drive, Judahs desperate and panicked parents, Benjamin and Angela Anderton, rushed him to the nearest certified first responders in their remote area of Lynchburg, VA-- the USA Security Officers on duty at Georgia-Pacific Big Island in Bedford County. Security Officers Nowlin and Humphreys were in the process of checking in a truck at the Big Island mill when the Andertons drove up and frantically ran to the guard house carrying the lifeless body of Judah. Wasting no time, Officer Nowlin took the child and immediately began chest compressions while instructing Officer Humphreys to call 911. For over 5 minutes Officer Nowlin performed CPR on the child while they waited for paramedics to arrive. By the time the paramedics were on the scene, Judah had begun breathing but remained unresponsive. He was transported to University of Virginia Childrens Hospital where he remained in critical condition until he was finally released on July 19, 2017 and is expected to make a full recovery. The Bedford County paramedics later said Judah had been unresponsive and not breathing for over 10 minutes prior to Officer Nowlin starting chest compressions. They advised any longer of a delay in medical response would have had a very different outcome. The security company, committed to providing better outcomes to the clients and communities they serve, is proud of the heroic and lifesaving response their Officers provided to save the toddlers life. Both USA Security Officers credit their emergency first responder training for helping them save little Judah that day. Members of the executive team recognized both Officers with Distinguished Service Awards on Wednesday July 18, 2017 at Georgia-Pacifics Big Island mill. Harold Underdown, Senior Vice President, Security Force Development said, Officer Nowlins response is a testament to his training. When you are faced with a life or death situation there is no time to think, no time to pull out a CPR manual, and absolutely no time to guess. Officer Nowlin, did everything right and his unbelievable speed and instinctual response led to an amazing outcome for Judah and his family." Georgia-Pacific is dedicated to ensuring the safety of all their employees and due to the remote area of the mill facility, all USA Security Officers on their site are state of Virginia trained emergency first responders. Timothy Chatlos, Public Affairs Manager for Georgia-Pacific stated, The response and training of all the USA Security Officers at our site is outstanding. As a company, we value safety training and are proud to be recognized as an emergency response resource for the Bedford County local community. We are grateful our Officers were prepared to give the Andertons the emergency assistance they needed to save their son. We plan to join the Bedford County Sheriffs office and Fire Chief in recognizing Officers Nowlin and Humphreys for their heroic work at an award ceremony at Big Island EMS at 1:00 pm on Thursday, July 27, 2017. ABOUT GEORIGA-PACIFIC BIG ISLAND Georgia-Pacific is one of the worlds leading makers of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. Headquartered in Atlanta, it is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, employing about 35,000 people at more than 200 facilities worldwide. Located about 15 miles north of Lynchburg on the James River, the 126-year-old Big Island mill employs about 330 people. ABOUT U.S. SECURITY ASSOCIATES U.S. Security Associates (USA) is the market-leading, wholly-owned, American, full-service safety and security solutions provider. With over 160 locally-responsive offices, international locations and over 50,000 dedicated professionals, they offer the most complete array of physical security, remote surveillance, and global consulting and investigations to ensure better outcomes for thousands of clients and a range of industries. Innovative applications of leading-edge, proprietary technology enable USA to rank annually among the worlds best training companies, sustain the highest standards of quality, and underscore world-class customer service with unparalleled accountability. USAs rise as one of the largest innovative security solutions leaders is a natural byproduct of these differentiators and enables the company to provide the most Safe. Secure. Friendly. environments for people, assets, and brands. For more information, visit http://www.ussecurityassociates.com. ### Cypress Creek Renewables, an integrated renewable energy firm, today announced that it has secured a $450 million facility from a consortium of investors including Temasek. Proceeds will be utilized to support the ongoing development, construction and acquisition of solar assets located throughout the United States. This agreement accelerates our mission to put as much solar in the ground as soon as possible. We are excited at the opportunity to further build the business with support from Temasek and our other partners, said Matt McGovern, Cypress Creek Renewables CEO. Hawk Hill Group provided business consulting and administrative services to Temasek, with MVP Capital providing investor identification services to Cypress Creek. About Cypress Creek Renewables: Founded in 2014, Cypress Creek develops, builds, finances and operates solar-generating assets throughout the United States. Through a combination of organic growth and strategic project and corporate acquisitions, Cypress Creek is now one of the countrys leading solar companies with one gigawatt of operating facilities across eight states and an active development pipeline in more than a dozen. For more information about Cypress Creek Renewables, visit http://www.ccrenew.com. About Temasek: Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is an investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 10 offices globally, including New York and San Francisco in the U.S., London in Europe, Beijing and Shanghai in China, and Mumbai in India, Temasek owns a S$275 billion (US$197b) portfolio as of March 31, 2017, mainly in Singapore and the rest of Asia. Temaseks portfolio covers a broad spectrum of industries: financial services, telecommunications, media and technology, transportation and industrials, consumer and real estate, life sciences and agriculture, as well as energy and resources. As an institution, we have a stake in the well-being of our larger community. We recognize that environmental, social and governance factors can impact them as well as the long-term sustainability of companies and businesses. Temaseks current and prior investments in the U.S. include Airbnb, Ancestry.com, Dell Technologies, Intapp, Internet Brands, Jasper, Univar, Verily Life Sciences and Virtu Financial. For more information about Temasek, visit http://www.temasek.com.sg/. In this role, Jennifer will build and maintain relationships with contracted customers in the liquidation of their obsolete medical assets. Centurion Service Group welcomes their newest employee, Jennifer Haller, to the sales department joining as Regional Account Manager for the Northeast and Florida regions. In this role, Jennifer will build and maintain relationships with contracted customers in the liquidation of their obsolete medical assets. Jennifer joins Centurion with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, bringing with her a whopping twelve years experience in sales and account management. Having worked in pharmaceutical sales and medical staffing for much of her professional career, she has a proven ability of creating and nurturing strong relationships and will apply the same skillset when working with Centurions health care partners. I am looking forward to working with my new Centurion family and continuing their tradition of great customer service, said Jennifer Haller, Regional Account Manager at Centurion Service Group. I am excited to meet all of our business partners. Jennifer will be assisting in all sale and inventory activities of her new customer accounts, while also increasing the use of Centurions services within the existing customer base. Jennifers evident sales experience within U.S. health care and her positive attitude has made Jennifer a sure fit for the medical auction house from the start. Centurion is more than pleased to have her join the team and looks forward to seeing what Jennifer will achieve in this new role. I am thrilled that Jennifer has joined the Centurion team, said Gina Mangialomini, Director of Account Management at Centurion Service Group. I look forward to working with her, as I believe she will be a great asset to growing our business. To connect with Jennifer, please send her an email at jennifer@centurionservice.com. To learn more about Centurion Service Group, please visit the website at http://www.centurionservice.com. About Centurion Service Group: Centurion Service Group is the largest used medical equipment auction house in the world, with warehouse locations in Chicago, Las Vegas and South Florida. Medical equipment buyers from around the world utilize Centurions auctions for all hospital equipment purchasing needs including radiology, anesthesia, lab, exam, patient monitoring, cardiology, endoscopy, surgery, instrumentation, disposables, and much more. With over 8,000 pieces of surplus medical equipment sold every month, its ideal as a single source for acquiring a wide range of medical equipment and in desired quantities. View upcoming auctions here. Centurions sellers are equipment manufacturers, hospitals, surgery centers, radiology centers, and other healthcare facilities in the United States. They have the ability to assist those healthcare facilities with every phase of the equipments life cycle: auctioning surplus equipment for fair market value, hospital and other medical facility closures and consolidations, inventory services, equipment appraisal services, and assisting facilities in managing the reallocation of equipment within their hospital or hospital system. All the programs Centurion offers streamline the surplus process, minimizing the disruption to the hospital facility and maximizing the profit. For more information, please visit http://www.centurionservice.com. Steve Henderson Steve is a much welcomed addition to the Lerch Bates team, said Lerch Bates President and CEO Bart Stephan. Lerch Bates, an employee-owned international consulting firm for vertical transportation, facade access and logistics, announced Steve Henderson has been named senior consultant, elevator consulting group. He joins the world's oldest and largest elevator consulting firm establishing a presence in New Orleans reporting to its Dallas office. Steve will provide elevator and escalator consulting services for new equipment design, modernization design work, maintenance audits, and due diligence studies in his new role with Lerch Bates. He will also be responsible for vertical transportation studies, construction services, vertical transportation evaluations, and contracting documents for equipment. Steve is a much welcomed addition to the Lerch Bates team, said Lerch Bates President and CEO Bart Stephan. Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas are very important markets for our firm and he has proven midrise and high-rise vertical transportation knowledge and experience that will support our growth in those regions. Steve brings over 20 years of industry experience serving as a Branch Manager in Colorado, Texas and Louisiana for Dover/ThyssenKrupp Elevator Company. During that time, he has proven to be a focused, results oriented leader, excelling in all facets of evaluation. The knowledge and skills honed over those two decades will serve him well in his new role and are a welcome addition to Lerch Bates Inc. Steve received a Bachelor of Science from Southeastern Louisiana State University. Lerch Bates is the worlds oldest and largest consulting firm for vertical transportation, facade access and logistics. For more than 65 years, the Denver-area based firm has built a reputation as the premier designer of vertical transportation and facade access, permanent equipment and rigs utilized for servicing exterior facades including window washing and maintenance, systems around the globe. The company has consulted on many of the worlds tallest buildings including the 2,717-foot (428-meter) Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1,667-foot (508-meter) Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, 1,476-foot (450-meter) Nanjing Greenland Financial Center in Nanjing, China and 1,389- foot (423-meter) Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, Illinois. ABOUT LERCH BATES Lerch Bates was founded in 1947 and has advised architects, developers, building investors, owners and managers on the design, sustainability and continuous use of a wide spectrum of building systems for any size or type of building. Headquartered in metropolitan Denver, Colo., Lerch Bates is an international consulting services firm with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and India. Lerch Bates operates Lerch Bates Asia Pacific Limited, a holding company in Hong Kong, Lerch Bates (China) Limited, a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in Shanghai, China, Dewar Partnership in the United Kingdom and Joseph Neto & Associates in New York City. For more information, visit lerchbates.com. Steak au Poivre Omaha Steaks, a fifth generation family-owned company and the nations leading provider of exceptional steaks and premium gourmet foods, announced today the launch of 15-minute Skillet Meals to their already popular meal offering. The new meals will be available beginning August 1. To celebrate the launch, the company is offering Dinner for $1. Customers looking for a quick high quality dinner solution can stop by one of Omaha Steaks 70 retail stores across the country to pick-up one of their new Skillet Meals on August 1 for only $1, limit one per customer while supplies last. These chef inspired meals include everything you need to make a quick gourmet dinner at home. Theyre ready to go from freezer to table in 15 minutes or less. The speed of preparation is unbeatable. You just add the bag of premium ingredients to your skillet, defrost the sauce pouch, stir and serve, said Todd Simon, Senior Vice President and Family Owner of Omaha Steaks. They include a variety of global flavors using the high-quality ingredients customers expect from Omaha Steaks, backed by our 100 percent guarantee. The new Skillet Meals expand Omaha Steaks current meal offering, providing consumers with high-quality, frozen, ready-to-cook meals that can go from freezer to table in 15 minutes or less. The new Omaha Steaks Skillet meals, which will be available on OmahaSteaks.com, include: Asian Pepper Steak- Tender Omaha Steaks beef tips sliced thinly and sauteed with fire-roasted tri-color peppers and onions with a savory-sticky-sweet-peppery Chinese-style sauce, all served over jasmine rice. Italian Chicken Piccata- Tender all-white meat chicken lightly battered and cooked in a creamy lemon piccata sauce with roasted portabellini mushrooms on a bed of al dente Mafalda pasta. Capers add a briny, salty touch to the dish to balance the acidity of the lemon, while a pinch of red pepper flakes adds just a touch of heat. Indian Chicken Curry- Roasted chicken breast tenders sauteed in an Indian-style yellow curry sauce made with lemongrass, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime, garlic, cardamom, and coconut milk. More color and texture comes from the addition of carrots, tender peas, red pepper, and roasted red potatoes. Served over long-grain rice. Moroccan Beef- Omaha Steaks tender beef tips in a zesty Moroccan-style harissa sauce with caraway, chili pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic sauteed with chickpeas, chopped sweet potatoes, red pepper, onions, and golden raisins for the perfect spicy-sweet blend. Served over simple-to-steam pearled couscous. Tempura Orange Chicken- Juicy chunks of premium chicken breast lightly tempura-fried and splashed with a bright, tangy, citrus-infused sauce. Sauteed with edamame, carrots, red peppers, water chestnuts, and fire-roasted onions and served over perfectly steamed jasmine rice. Steak au Poivre- Omaha Steaks steak tips coated in a sauce with loads of fresh-cracked black pepper, real French brandy, and butter, sauteed with roasted red potatoes, roasted marinated portabellini mushrooms, fire-roasted onion, tender green peas, and finely chopped shallots. This follows the launch of Omaha Steaks Crock-Pot Meals earlier this year, both meal solutions are specifically designed to make preparing high-quality family meals convenient and easy. The new Omaha Steaks Skillet meals broaden Omaha Steaks meal offering, which already includes premium beef, poultry, pork and seafood, as well as delicious side dishes, desserts and appetizers. With all of our meal options weve not only eliminated the need to spend time shopping for ingredients and preparing the meal, but also relieved the pressure some families feel to use up ingredients expiring in the fridge, or rush to prepare meal kits from subscription services before they go bad, Simon said. Omaha Steaks meals can be ordered on demand, stored in the freezer, and are available without signing up for a subscription service. The company plans to continue to expand the Omaha Steaks meal offerings with additional meal options later this year. Due to the overwhelming response that we continue to see with our meals we plan to continuously develop new and exciting flavors, Simon added. These products will be available exclusively through Omaha Steaks who will market the collections online and at its 70+ retail locations nationwide. For more information about Omaha Steaks' new meals, visit http://www.OmahaSteaks.com. About Omaha Steaks Omaha Steaks, founded in 1917, is an Omaha, Nebraska-based, fifth-generation, family-owned company that markets and distributes a wide variety of the finest quality USDA-approved, grain-fed beef and other gourmet foods including seafood, pork, poultry, side dishes, appetizers, complete meals and desserts. Today, Omaha Steaks is recognized as the nations largest direct response marketer of premium beef and gourmet foods, available to customers by calling 1-800-228-9055, online at http://www.OmahaSteaks.com or at retail stores nationwide. The Santiago has the largest swimming pool at any Palm Springs resort, at an expansive 20 feet by 50 feet. "Once a month, Arrive presents a Dive-In Movie, with the flick starting at dusk. Open to the public, there are seats available poolside, and those who get there early enough can grab a float and watch the movie from the pool. Summers in Palm Springs sizzle, but there are ways to stay cool that don't involve cranking up the air conditioner think homemade gourmet ice cream, sparkling pools, and mile-high fun. At Arrive's Ice Cream and Shop(pe), scoops are served up inside a gift shop featuring fun mugs, journals, and other must-have knick knacks. Ice cream and sorbet flavors rotate, but the classics are always available mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, and vanilla bean alongside deliciously different offerings like pink ginger, grape-nut, pomegranate chocolate chip, and honey. With late night hours the shop(pe) stays open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Arrive Palm Springs, 1551 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 760-507-4005 Once a month, Arrive also presents a Dive-In Movie, with the flick starting at dusk. Open to the public, there are seats available poolside, and those who get there early enough can grab a float and watch the movie from the pool. This year's selections include Pretty Woman (July 25), Austin Powers (August 22), Swingers (September 26), and 2004's Phantom of the Opera (October 31). They charge for beverages, but the movie and popcorn are free. Palm Springs hotels are home to some amazing pools, each one with its own vibe. With just 25 guest rooms, the pool at L'Horizon Resort and Spa feels exclusive and never overcrowded, but those who want to splurge should reserve The Residence the original home of Hollywood mogul Jack Wrather, which boasts its own private pool in a secluded yard. At Alcazar misters surround the large, saltwater purified pool, allowing guests to beat the heat before they grab lunch at hot spot Cheeky's or dinner at Birba. The Santiago has the largest swimming pool at any Palm Springs resort, at an expansive 20 feet by 50 feet. This swimsuit-optional gay men's resort also has an outdoor mist cooling system, comfortable deck chairs, and complimentary guest lunches of delicious sandwiches, salads, and wraps served poolside. L'Horizon Palm Springs, 1050 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 760-323-1858. Alcazar, 622 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 760-318-9850. The Santiago, 650 E. San Lorenzo Road, Palm Springs. 760-322-1300. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway lifts visitors up two-and-a-half miles to the top of Mt. San Jacinto State Park, where the temperatures are always lower. It's about a 10-minute ride, with the tram cars slowly rotating to ensure everyone can see the breathtaking vistas below. Grab dinner at the Peaks Restaurant or Pines Cafe, and stop for a drink at the Lookout Lounge. During the summer, the last tram down is at 9:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Several small hotels, like the Los Arboles and La Maison offer tram packages so guests won't have to wait in line to purchase a ticket. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs. 888-515-8726. Los Arboles Hotel, 266 E. Via Altamira, Palm Springs. 760-459-3605. La Maison, 1600 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760 325 1600. And those are just the beginning of all the great ways to beat the heat in Palm Springs this Summer. Discover more by visiting http://palmspringspreferredsmallhotels.com/ or Facebook to explore a unique collection of over seventy independently owned small hotels - all of which offer great Summer deals and promotions. #PSPSH #visitpalmsprings #visitgaypalmsprings 4SIGHT Supply Chain Group, a leading supply chain consulting, engineering and IT services provider, today announced Frank Camean was named a 2017 Owler Top Rated CEO in the Transportation & Warehousing industry. Frank holds a top spot ranked #4 of 130 CEOs in this sector. To see the complete industry ranking, go to: http://bit.ly/2rRy1IA For the first time, Owler is honoring the top rated CEOs on their platform. CEOs are rated by members of the Owler community, who have collectively contributed more than a quarter million ratings this year. Owler analyzed those ratings, ultimately distributing 1,000 awards to the highest rated CEOs from over 167,000 CEOs on Owler. Winners span from 50 cities and 25 industries worldwide. Frank Camean was in good company, making the list alongside leaders of Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Netflix. 2017 Owler Top Rated CEO Awards provide a complete market view of a CEOs rating, which includes ratings from employees, competitors, followers, and general Owler users. As CEO and founder of 4SIGHT Supply Chain Group, Frank has over 20 years of supply chain experience with operations, software implementations, and distribution. He plays an instrumental role helping clients understand the challenges involved in supply chain transformation projects and identifies the right strategy, resource plan, risks, and associated budget for each engagement. Frank has led 4SIGHT to several prestigious industry awards including Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America, Consulting magazines Fastest Growing Consulting Firms, Inc. Magazines Best Workplaces for 2017, SDCE 100 by Supply & Demand Chain Executive, Top 100 Great Supply Chain Partner by SupplyChainBrain, and FL100 by Food Logistics Magazine. Thank you to my team and the Owler community for this recognition. It has been a great journey to work alongside my colleagues, clients, and partners and Im forever grateful for the relationships Ive built throughout my professional career," said Frank Camean, president & chief executive officer of 4SIGHT. "Im a true believer that no one gets there alone, so to all those that have played an influential role in my career, thank you. The 2017 Owler Top Rated CEO Awards are a true market view of the most esteemed CEOs, said Jim Fowler, chief executive officer of Owler. These winners are truly the best of breed: they beat out the other 99.4 percent of leaders on our platform to win a coveted 2017 Owler Top Rated CEO Award. To see 4SIGHTs company profile on Owler, go to: http://bit.ly/2sPjHgD About 4SIGHT Supply Chain Group 4SIGHT specializes in supply chain consulting, engineering and information technology. Our seasoned professionals average more than 19 years of experience helping companies across all industries solve their distribution, fulfillment and transportation challenges. As a testament to the value our clients place on our expertise, experience and integrity, 4SIGHT has received multiple industry awards. For more information, please email us at in4mation(at)go4sight(dot)com or visit http://www.go4sight.com. About Owler Owler is the worlds largest community-based business insights platform that business professionals use to outsmart their competition, gain competitive insights, and uncover the latest industry news and alerts. Owler is powered by an active community of 1 million business professionals who contribute unique business insights such as competitors, private company revenue, and CEO ratings. From startups all the way to large enterprises (including 96% of the Fortune 500), CEOs, salespeople, marketers, product managers, and all types of business professionals use Owler daily. Launched in 2014, and funded by Norwest Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures, Owler is headquartered in San Mateo, CA with offices in Spokane, WA, and Coimbatore, India. Lightwares UBEX Takes Best New AV Systems Product Award With UBEX, it can be a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver. This versatility allows users to customize UBEX for the application needed. It will send two 4K streams, or simultaneously send and receive a 4K stream from one UBEX. It was announced that Lightwares UBEX is an award winner in the 2017 InfoComm Best of Show from rAVe Publications. This is a great honor for a great solution in UBEX. We feel that UBEX is a game changer for Networked AV Systems, and were glad the rAVe judges feel the same way, said Jim Kosmerick, Director of Marketing for Lightware USA. The Best New AV System Product Award recognizes and celebrates AV innovation and those companies pushing the boundaries of AV excellence for system products. This is the next wave of signal management solutions Said Greg Byrnes, Director of Engineering for Lightware USA. With UBEX, it can be a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver. This versatility allows users to customize UBEX for the application needed. It will send two 4K streams, or simultaneously send and receive a 4K stream from one UBEX. You can view more information on the award and UBEX at: http://bit.ly/lwusa-rave-award-17 About rAVE rAVe Publications, founded in 1998, is a news organization that provides coverage of the commercial (ProAV) and residential (HomeAV) audiovisual trade industries via e-newsletters, blogs, video, social media, and a variety of other mediums. About Lightware USA Lightware USA is the US distributor of professional AV products manufactured by Lightware Visual Engineering in Budapest, Hungary. With the flexibility of the Lightware product line, the Lightware USA team is able to assist with the design for some of the highest performance systems in the world. Router sizes ranging from the robust UMX4x4-Pro up to the impressive 160x160 25G Hybrid and UBEX, the Professional Networked AV Solution all of these products give us the edge over the competition when it comes to routing multiple video sources to the ever changing variety of displays in the industry. Our vast array of solutions for extending the highest resolution video formats including 4K and 3D over Cat or Fiber put Lightware USA on the forefront of cutting edge technology. Pictured left to right, Jeff Alm, MMF Industries National Sales Manager, Ivelisse Gomez, Sr Product Development and Marketing Manager, Philip Robins VP MMF Industries, and Janet Bell, OPI Director The judges loved the Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount from MMF. They thought this was a great solution for wheelchair users and would offer a real benefit in retail outlets. After receiving multiple award nominations, Best Core Business Product, Product Innovation of the Year, and Peoples Choice, for the 2017 North American Office Products Awards, MMFs Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount has brought home the coveted award for Best Core Business Product of the Year. The award was presented by Office Products International (OPI) on July 13, 2017 at the S.P Richards ABC Business Conference held in Orlando, Florida. The Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount was selected by a panel of international industry experts to win the Best Core Business Product award. The judges loved the Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount from MMF. They thought this was a great solution for wheelchair users and would offer a real benefit in retail outlets, said Janet Bell, Director of OPI. The competition in the Core Business Products category was fierce and its a sign of the quality of this product that it came out the winner. The Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount helps prevent security breaches at payment terminals, offers a solution for one-hand operation, and promotes PCI(1) and ADA(2) compliance. The adaptable and secure arm extends from a stationary position to a height below the counter within ADA* guidelines. The patent-pending design improves accessibility for customers using wheelchairs and helps prevent security violations that occur when customers relinquish their cards and PIN because they cannot reach. MMF has recently added an additional model to the Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Stand product line the new model features a center cable routing option for pass-through cord installations. These products address the ever-growing need to provide equal accessibility to payment terminals at checkout counters. Last year, MMF was honored to receive the Peoples Choice Award from OPI for the companys PayVue Illuminated Cash Drawer. ________________________________________ MMF POS (http://www.mmfpos.com) is a leading supplier, designer and US manufacturer of cash drawers, POS mounting solutions, lockable storage and custom designs. MMF POS has been recognized for outstanding customer service and high-quality products that enhance the retail checkout experience. Located in Wheeling, IL, MMF POS has over 125,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and distribution facilities. We proudly design and manufacture most of our steel solutions on-site with state-of-the-art equipment. MMF POS also provides custom and customized solutions for the Point of Sale market. To learn more, visit http://www.mmfpos.com (1) PCI stands for the Payment Card Industry Standards. (2) ADA refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act. *Although this product helps promote compliance with ADA height performance guidelines and PCI DSS Req. 9.9, it does not by itself ensure ADA or PCI compliance. FetchitGO- One remote to control them all! It is great to be once again at the forefront of technology, in a sector where I can see change beginning. I am excited to be creating and delivering products that customers are starting to ask for, and not those that the industry has already created. Tantiv4 is pleased to welcome Mr Kishore Moturi as its new VP, Sales and Marketing. Mr Moturi will be based in its Milpitas, CA, office, and will head the Sales and Marketing division. The position is a newly created one, as Tantiv4s development and engineering teams release products to customers. After the successful Kickstarter campaign validated demand and interest in its consumer-facing products, Tantiv4 is now engaging with customers,industry partners to license and incorporate its IP in their products. Till now, we concentrated on the design and engineering aspects of what our initial customers would need. As we fulfill those, we are now ready to look for and service new opportunities, and Kishore will make that possible, said Mr Lokesh Johri, co-founder and CEO, Tantiv4. Kishore brings an enviable track record to Tantiv4. With a Masters in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Texas, he leveraged his skills in explaining the business benefits of technology, and moved into Business Development. Over the next two decades, he held increasing senior positions at leading technology companies, building relationships with partners, and driving sales and engagement. It is great to be once again at the forefront of technology, in a sector where I can see change beginning. I am excited to be creating and delivering products that customers are starting to ask for, and not those that the industry has already created, said Kishore Moturi, VP, Tantiv Tantiv4 headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, is a member of leading IoT industry associations like the Thread Group, and is committed to produce inter-operable ecosystem devices and protocols. # # # If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Vandana at contact(at)tantiv4.com. FetchIT, FetchitGO, zIQ are a trademarks of Tantiv4 Inc. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. Jon Henschen Regulators seem to think it is noble for advisors to earn less and that it will benefit the consumer. In reality, the regulators make it less appealing to enter into our industry. In his July 18 WealthManagement.com article, What Boomers Retirement Means for the Advisor Industry, recruiter Jon Henschen discusses the challenge facing the financial services industry as legions of baby boomers reach retirement age. Henschen first cites statistics showing the number of FINRA registered representatives declining, a forecast of a shortfall of 200,000 advisors by 2022, and boomer retirement continuing through 2030. He then observes how the industry has thus far responded with three initiatives: 1) recruit more women; 2) get more people interested in our industry; and 3) attract graduates with degrees outside of business, such as psychology. The article continues by noting two realities that are not currently being addressed by the industry: the fact that individuals who are interested in entering the industry have far fewer avenues for entry, and the reality that earning potential and personal enjoyment of working in the sector is in decline. As evidence of this, Henschen discusses the path to getting his own securities license at a time when there were more options for getting sponsorship, which included penny stock firms. These companies were plentiful in the 80s and 90s as a way to get into the business; since then, they have been regulated out of the industry. Another avenue was insurance broker/dealers. According to Henschen, a primary benefit these insurance companies brought to the industry was their ability to bring in new advisors. Branch managers and regional vice presidents could easily bring new people into the business with longer timelines to build a book of business, which greatly raises a new advisors chances to succeed. However, the 2000s marked the start of insurance companies selling their broker/dealers, thus closing off this avenue to entry. Regarding financial advisor earning potential and personal enjoyment, Henschen reviews how broker dealers are raising minimum production requirements Before 2010, many b/ds did not impose minimum production requirements on advisors or branch managers (OSJs). In 2010, FINRA started to instruct b/ds to impose minimum production requirements. These new production requirements, and the fact that new advisors are higher risk mean that growth will be more dependent on recruiting already-established advisors. Henschen also addresses how there is heavy pressure on broker dealers to raise their average production per rep, especially if the firm is positioning itself as a haven for high-end advisors and wealth management. His article concludes by touching on earning potential and personal enjoyment, noting that both are in decline. The time required to get licensed, obtain designations and build a book can seem like a Herculean task under todays conditions. DOL rules and impending fee compression are having an impact. On top of this, add the ever-increasing paperwork requirements, the need to be wary of potential client complaints over issues out of their control and you start to realize that the enjoyment of being an advisor is waning. You can read the full article here: http://henschenassoc.com/what-boomers-retirement-means-for-the-advisor-industry/ Jon Henschen is President of Henschen & Associates, an independent broker-dealer recruiting firm located in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Jon is a staunch advocate for independent financial advisors, and is widely sought after by both reps and broker dealers for his expertise and advice on independent broker dealer topics. He is frequently published and quoted in a variety of industry publications, including ThinkAdvisor, Investment Advisor Magazine, Wealth Management Magazine, Financial Advisor IQ, Financial Advisor Magazine, Investment News and others. Comparison of Fares including Line and Pool Rides RideGuru helps to cut through the chaos by bringing a fair and equal voice to the smaller companies. RideGuru took on a major expansion, adding more than 50 rideshare companies to their site. RideGurus mission has always been to bring transparency to the rideshare market by providing reliable fare estimates for rideshare and taxi companies around the globe. With the recent boom of smaller, more niche rideshare companies, this transparency is more important than ever. Consumers now have multiple choices for ground transportation travel in almost every city around the world. RideGuru helps to cut through the chaos by bringing a fair and equal voice to the smaller companies. Lillien Kenyon, the business and operations lead at RideGuru, expands on RideGurus mission saying, We have always wanted to create a fair platform for all rideshare companies, big and small. With a few big players dominating the rideshare scene, it can be difficult for some of the smaller companies to be seen, even if they have competitive pricing or fill a unique niche. Through our addition of many of these smaller rideshare services, customers can get an unbiased look at the current marketplace and choose the transportation company that best suits their needs. Not only is the rideshare market booming with new companies, it is also seeing a shift toward shared rides. Consumers are willing to share rides with strangers if it means a cheaper fare. RideGuru, to accommodate this trend, has added UberPool, Lyft Line, and Ola Share estimates in their Fare Comparison Calculator. With this new addition, users are able to see how much they can save by taking a shared ride over an Uber X or traditional Lyft. Ippei Takahashi, the CEO/President of Unleashed, LLC, states, This feature has been one of the biggest asks from our users, as the pricing rules for shared rides are very cryptic and difficult to estimate. While these offerings by Uber and Lyft are still unproven, this can be a very promising option for users to save money. Are users willing to take longer trips and sacrifice comfort for cheaper fares? We are thinking yes, but it may be limited to certain demographics. Takahashi also adds, At RideGuru, we strive to be the most reliable and comprehensive resource for people who utilize on-demand ground transportation. Supporting UberPool, Lyft Line, and many of the smaller challengers shows our commitment to this mission. For a full list of the companies that are currently supported on RideGuru click here. About RideGuru RideGuru, a product of Unleashed, LLC, is an all-inclusive rideshare and taxi information source. RideGuru is not another transportation service, instead, it is a free search engine to help you find the best ride from point A to point B. It scours rates from hundreds of services worldwide to bring you the best deals. About Unleashed, LLC Unleashed, LLC is a Boston-based technology company that specializes in creating websites and smartphone applications to provide users with the information they need for daily decisions. The company is best known for creating the popular travel site TaxiFareFinder.com. TaxiFareFinder, released in 2007, is an online resource for all things related to taxis and rideshares. TaxiFareFinder is best recognized for its groundbreaking, location based, taxi and rideshare fare calculators. Our video series will answer such questions as who is a good plastic surgery candidate, can the results be achieved with one surgery and what are the risks and limitations of a particular cosmetic surgery. - Cosmetic Town Senior Editor Cosmetic Town, an online plastic surgery information community, announces a new video project that will spotlight doctors and the cosmetic surgeries they perform on a daily basis. The new video series will feature board-certified doctors explaining the steps involved in performing the cosmetic surgery procedures they specialize in at their practices. When asked about the new video series, the senior editor of Cosmetic Town said, Patients are searching for more than just a written recap of the cosmetic surgery they are interested in undergoing. They want to hear from an actual doctor about the procedure as well as the aspects involved in having the treatment. Our video series will answer such questions as who is a good plastic surgery candidate, can the results be achieved with one surgery and what are the risks and limitations of a particular cosmetic surgery. According to the senior editor, having the doctors tell their own stories adds a personal element to the video series. We will be visiting the offices of our spotlighted doctors in order to get a better idea of how they interact with their patients. One of the most important items for anyone having plastic surgery is feeling comfortable with his, or her, doctor of choice. The videos will give our audience a sense of what to expect what they have a consultation appointment. We plan for the videos to cover all of the steps in the cosmetic surgery process including the initial consultation, what to expect the day of the procedure and any necessary follow-up appointments. The doctors will be the guides for our audience in their medical journey. The Cosmetic Town editorial team plans to debut the video series this fall and update it throughout 2017. The world of cosmetic surgery is a world of the unknown for many patients. The ability to provide information direct from experienced and board-certified doctors helps to create patients who are able to make informed choices about the decision to have plastic surgery. About Cosmetic Town: Cosmetic Town is an online cosmetic medicine publication that also features doctors who were endorsed and highly recommended by their peers. This reliable and streamlined database allows users to easily navigate the website and access the information they need with just the click of a button. Users can also stay informed and get the latest news on plastic surgery by reading the regularly updated news section. Visiting the forum page is another way for users to stay engaged and keep each other up to date. Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel The hotel, which was renovated earlier this year, is located right off Interstate 94 and just a short twenty-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee Crescent Hotels & Resorts has been selected to manage the recently renovated 389-room Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel. Crescent, based in Fairfax, Virginia, is a nationally recognized elite operator of hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. The hotel, which was renovated earlier this year, is located right off Interstate 94 and just a short twenty-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee. It offers convenient access to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway, Milwaukee County Zoo, Wisconsin State Fair Park, Harley Davidson Museum, and the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts. Crescents extensive operating experience with Sheraton properties and being an award winning Marriott Manager will maximize the potential of this beautiful asset said Michael George, Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Hotels & Resorts. The Sheratons 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space was also renovated earlier this year, including two ballrooms, and can accommodate groups up to 500 people. The hotel also now offers new dining options, including The Craft Room for classic Midwestern cuisine, as well as a brand new private Sheraton Club Lounge, a 24-hour fitness facility, indoor and outdoor pools, 24-hour business center and concierge services. And the hotel is also not only pet friendly, but has actually forged a partnership with the local Humane Animal Welfare Society. Through this partnership, the Sheraton becomes the temporary home for selected dogs to help create more awareness throughout the community and to grab the attention of out-of-town business and leisure travelers. For more information, or to book your next stay at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, visit http://www.sheratonmilwaukeebrookfield.com or call (262) 364-1100. _ About Crescent Hotels & Resorts: Crescent Hotels & Resorts is an award winning, nationally recognized, top-3 operator of hotels and resorts. Crescent currently operates over 100 hotels, resorts & conference centers in the US and Canada. Crescent is one of the few elite management companies approved to operate upper-upscale and luxury hotels under the brand families of Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG. Crescent also operates a collection of legendary independent lifestyle hotels and resorts. Crescents clients are made up of hotel REITs, private equity firms and major developers. For more information, please visit http://www.chrco.com or connect with Crescent on LinkedIn. F. Jerome Tapley We hope this verdict will inspire Nissan to step up and take responsibility for the safety of their vehicles so that no one else is killed or injured because of a product defect Nissan failed to reveal and recall. LOS ANGELES - A jury in Los Angeles has returned a $25 million dollar verdict for Hilario Cruz, Araceli Mendez, and Solomon Mathenge against Nissan in a lawsuit blaming faulty brakes for a car crash that killed three people. The crash that occurred at an intersection in Hollywood involved a minivan and an Infiniti QX56, manufactured by Nissan. The van driver and her two children were killed when the Infiniti slammed into their vehicle. Cory Watson. P.C. attorneys F. Jerome Tapley, Ryan Lutz, Brett Turnbull and Adam Pittman represented plaintiffs in the case alongside Paul Kiesel, Steven Archer and Bryan Garcia of Kiesel Law LLP, Kirk Wolden of Carter Wolden, as well as attorneys Claudia C. Bohorquez and Vicki I. Sarmiento. We applaud the jury for their diligence and hard work reviewing the evidence in this case. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident that could have been avoided. We hope this verdict will inspire Nissan to step up and take responsibility for the safety of their vehicles so that no one else is killed or injured because of a product defect Nissan failed to reveal and recall, said Cory Watson attorney Jerome Tapley. The verdict was announced July 21,2017 in Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County. The lawsuit charged that Nissan knew about a software problem affecting the brake operation, but failed to disclose it and recall the vehicles. The complaint charged that ,Rather than disclose this critical safety defect and recall the defective vehicles as it should have done, Nissan made a conscious decision to ignore the problem at the expense of the safety of its customers, those operating the defective vehicles, and the public at large. Nissan argued that the brakes on the QX56 are safe, and the automaker blamed the deadly crash on the driver of the QX56. The jury rejected Nissans argument. The driver of the Infiniti was also the target of a criminal prosecution and wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by the victims family, but the legal landscape changed when an investigation revealed the brake failure claim wasnt the first involving a similar class of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles. In Banks v. Nissan, Nissan settled a class action involving claims concerning the same brake defect in 2014, offering up to $800 in compensation to the owners of more than 250,000 Nissan-built Armadas, Titans and Infiniti QX56 models. Jerome Tapley and Ryan Lutz were Class Counsel in that case. The case is Cruz v. Nissan North America, Inc., et al., case number BC493949, in the Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County. Cory Watson Attorneys is a national personal injury law firm with more than $2.7 billion in recoveries for clients. Attorneys are frequently appointed to leadership positions in national cases involving pharmaceuticals and defective medical devices. Practice areas include product liability, class actions, mass torts, pharmaceutical litigation, wrongful death, asbestos, mesothelioma, car accidents, truck accidents, catastrophic injury, aviation, recalled products and environmental litigation. Cory Watson Attorneys is based in Birmingham, Alabama . Girl Scouts is thrilled to collaborate with SciStarter on new citizen science programming, which will allow girls around the country to substantively contribute to and impact research that professional scientists are conducting. SciStarter and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) are teaming up to encourage girls to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) with new Think Like a Citizen Scientist programming (see https://scistarter.com/girlscouts/info). Citizen science connects everyday people to research and scientists from a variety of disciplines. Girl Scouts is thrilled to collaborate with SciStarter on new citizen science programming, which will allow girls around the country to substantively contribute to and impact research that professional scientists are conducting, said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. Connecting Girl Scouts with SciStarters enriching platform further enhances our engaging and comprehensive STEM programming. Girls who participate in the Think Like a Citizen Scientist series will be fully immersed in the scientific processsome for the first timeas well as gain a broadened understanding that science is for everyone. Girl Scout programs inspire and support girls to take action on an issue, and make their efforts sustainable, said Darlene Cavalier, Founder of SciStarter and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. We are excited to help mobilize Girl Scouts across the country to advance scientific research while applying new SciStarter 2.0 analytics tools so the Girl Scouts of the USA can understand what types of citizen science projects appeal to girls, and use that information to continue to offer even more relevant and impactful STEM programming for girls. The Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journeya form of Girl Scout programming that includes several troop meetings dedicated to the topicbegins in a Girl Scout troop and online with SciStarter. A troop learns how to make and share careful observations to contribute to research efforts led by scientists at NASA, US Geological Survey, college research labs, and more. Next, the troop decides how to take action: they discuss the scientific research theyve done and identify a related problem, come up with a creative and sustainable solution, put a team plan into action, and document their project on SciStarter. The girls have now earned an award for completing the Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey! About the New Girl Scout Programming Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) today releases new programming in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the outdoors, areas girls are not typically encouraged to explore outside of Girl Scouting. Through hands-on and age-appropriate experiences for girls as young as five, Girl Scouts is addressing the lack of exposure many girls have to STEM. In fact, Girl Scouts are almost twice as likely as nonGirl Scouts to participate in STEM (60 percent versus 35 percent). The new Girl Scout programming builds girls skills and encourages their interest in STEM fields. For more information about the new badges, to join or volunteer, visit http://www.girlscouts.org. About SciStarter SciStarter (https://scistarter.com) enables people from all walks of life to contribute to science through informal recreational activities and formal research efforts. The website creates a shared space where scientists can connect with people interested in working on or learning about joint research projects. SciStarter features 1,500 searchable citizen science projects and recruits participants through collaborations with Discover Magazine and Astronomy Magazine, PBS, the National Science Teachers Association, Public Library of Science, Pop Warner Youth Scholars, Girl Scouts of the USA, and more. ExtensionEngine, a leading provider of Custom Learning Experiences, announced it was selected by Year Up, a national non-profit workforce development program, to develop a blended learning service to accelerate the programs success in helping low-income young adults move from poverty to professional careers. Year Up provides young adults (ages 18-24, without college degrees) with a combination of hands-on technical and professional skills development, college credits, corporate internships, and wraparound support. Students specialize in one of five technical skill tracks information technology, business operations, financial operations, sales and customer support, and software development. ExtensionEngine is working with Year Up to modularize its current program of six months of training and six months of internship experience into individual components. Such components can be used by a variety of partners to deliver powerful training and support. ExtensionEngine will provide support with course development, instructional design, learning platform development and more. Millions of young adults have talent and motivation, but lack opportunity. At the same time, many companies have employment opportunities, but lack the talent to drive growth. This initiative helps us to match talent with opportunity at a much larger scale, said Caitlin MacDonald, Senior Director of Innovation, Year Up. ExtensionEngine has a proven track record of helping organizations scale unique learning programs such as ours through technology, allowing us to reach more young people and have a greater impact. ExtensionEngine takes a comprehensive approach to developing online and blended custom learning experiences. Unlike traditional learning management systems, custom experiences leverage the latest techniques in learning science and advances in technology to engage learners, encourage collaboration and participation, and increase retention. Year Up is transforming lives, and were thrilled to be working with them to accelerate the success of their innovative program, said Furqan Nazeeri, Partner, ExtensionEngine. Our goal is to enable them to reach more at-risk young adults, helping them gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to achieve their potential. About Year Up Inc. Year Ups mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college-level coursework. Its holistic approach focuses on students professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 3,600 students annually across 24 campuses in Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, National Capital Region, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, South Florida and Wilmington. To learn more, visit http://yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter: @YearUp About ExtensionEngine ExtensionEngine develops Custom Learning Experiences, delivering online and blended programs for universities, corporations and not-for-profits. Leveraging the latest advances in learning science and technology, the company takes a comprehensive, unbundled, fee-for-service approach to develop programs that engage learners, encourage collaboration, and increase retention. A privately held company based in Cambridge, MA, ExtensionEngine has launched over 70 programs for more than 40 organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.extensionengine.com. CBC National Bank, headquartered in Fernandina Beach and with branches in Fernandina Beach, Ocala and The Villages, Fla., and Beaufort and Port Royal, S.C., today announced the hiring of Michael Oppel in its SBA lending division. Oppel is joining CBC as a lender in the SBA divisions government guaranteed lending group. He will work as an SBA and government guaranteed lender with specific focus on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Business and Industry loans. His lending will focus on the geographic areas of the southeastern United States. Oppel joins Richard Duncan, vice president of USDA lending for CBC National Bank, in the growing government guaranteed lending group. The USDA lending program is intended to bolster economic stability and development in rural areas. Through the program, CBC can offer commercial and small business loans not just for farming operations but for most types of businesses, as well as investment properties, multi-use office complexes, etc. If the loan recipient meets necessary criteria, the loan is guaranteed by the federal government. Prior to CBC, Oppel garnered portfolio management, credit analysis, USDA lending, and underwriting experience in several financial industry and banking positions. He earned both bachelors and masters degrees in business administration from Valdosta State University. We look forward to Michaels contributions in helping grow our government guaranteed lending group and expand our services in USDA lending, said Durand Childers, president of CBCs SBA lending division. Our ability to offer USDA loans and the expertise to process them in-house are great benefits to both existing businesses and start-ups that may seek out the programs numerous advantages in comparison to conventional loans. CBC National Bank continued to thrive in SBA lending in 2016, with SBA portfolio loans growing $25.3 million from 2015 levels. CBC has been recognized as one of the U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) highest ranked community bank lenders in Florida, recently ranking No. 2 in total dollar volume and number of loans. About CBC National Bank CBC National Bank, headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Fla., provides a full range of consumer and business banking services through full-service banking offices in Fernandina Beach, Ocala and The Villages, Fla., and Beaufort and Port Royal, S.C. The companys residential mortgage banking division, headquartered in Atlanta, includes both traditional retail and wholesale lending groups, which together have lending offices in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee. The companys SBA lending division operates under SBAs delegated authority, originating SBA, USDA and FSA loans throughout the southeastern United States. Headquartered in Fernandina Beach, its offices are located in Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Tampa and Vero Beach, Fla., Greensboro, N.C., Atlanta and Beaufort. For more information, please visit CBC National Banks website, http://www.cbcnationalbank.com. About Coastal Banking Company Inc. Coastal Banking Company Inc., headquartered in Beaufort, S.C., is the $562.6 million-asset bank holding company of CBC National Bank. The companys common stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX Markets under the symbol CBCO. For more information, please visit the company's website, http://www.coastalbanking.com. CALEDONIA As local teen Katrina Bargender stepped into her new pool with two of her siblings Monday morning, her eyes lit up and the smile on her face spoke volumes. The Caledonia teen, whos been living with a rare illness for over a year, is now the proud recipient of a therapy pool, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On Feb. 23, 2016, Bargender lost vision in her left eye. This was the first symptom of an illness that would vastly affect her life. After consulting with a doctor in March, Bargender, now 16, was diagnosed with Takayasus arteritis. The illness is a rare systemic type of vasculitis, a group of disorders that cause blood vessel inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic. The disease affects about two to three individuals per million people annually, and is most common in women ages 40 and younger, the Vasculitis Foundation reports. Because of her illness, Bargender, a St. Catherines High School student, also suffers from extreme fatigue. This, along with a seemingly endless string of doctors appointments at Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine and Froedtert and Childrens hospitals in Wauwatosa, has made it impossible for her to attend a full day of school since becoming ill. I never get everything done that I want to get done, Bargender said. At the beginning of a day, Ill say, I want to color and I want to make some jewelry. Ill make a little list, but then I end up having to go rest instead of doing what I want to, and then the end of the day comes, and Im like Darn it, I didnt even get to color today. Due to limited blood flow through her body, Bargender also struggles with vascular headaches and aches and pains that make her daily life a struggle. The disease has no cure, but can be managed with medication, said Bargenders mother, Kris Bargender. Due to the immunosupressants and blood pressure medication Bargender takes to manage her illness, she also gets sick quite often, with illnesses lasting longer than the average person. Basically, they just try to manage my symptoms, and hopefully, well hear the remission word soon, Bargender said. A wish granted After using a hydrotrack at the Childrens Hospital pool and seeing how it allowed Bargender to exercise without pain and relieved some of her symptoms, Bargender told her special needs doctor she wanted a hot tub. Her doctor then contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation to see if Bargenders wish was a possibility. And in early summer of last year, Bargenders family was given the news theyd been hoping for Bargender had been granted a wish and her hot tub was about to become a reality. With Bargenders doctors from Ascension All Saints, Childrens and friends and family all in attendance, this past Friday, Make-A-Wish came and installed the new therapy pool in her backyard, complete with a party to celebrate her Wish Day. The Make-A-Wish Foundation also supplied a cake, taco bar and gifts. Bargender was able to take her first swim Saturday after the pool water warmed to 80 degrees and the necessary chemicals were added. It really takes away my pain, Bargender said. And it will help me to be able to exercise without pain. It really reduces my headache and my stomach pain just my overall pain. Itll help me to be physically active. Her mother is thankful that her daughter was able to receive the pool, and grateful to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making her daughters wish come true. Its amazing, Bargender said. I used to say before I got my wish, they say it transforms peoples lives and it points them in a more positive direction with their disease ... Now that I got my wish, I just cant stop smiling about it. It just makes me so happy. JenCare Senior Medical Center logo Your time, energy and leadership exemplify your unparalleled commitment to the specialty of family medicine. ChenMed, a leading provider of value-based care for seniors, today announced that the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians has honored Daniel Jannuzzi, MD, a Richmond primary care physician at JenCare Senior Medical Center, naming him 2017 VAFP Family Physician of the Year. See short video spotlighting Dr. Jannuzzi. Hes one of a kind, said Randy Hinson, MD, the physician having nominated Dr. Jannuzzi for the prestigious award. Describing how Dr. Jannuzzi served 26 years as Medical Director for what became the largest free clinic in the state of Virginia, HInson explained, People in the Richmond community know Dan well. Hes been able to get people from different backgrounds, HCA Hospital, Bon Secours, Virginia Commonwealth, different churches, different people from different faith communities to encourage such tremendous support throughout the community over the years. The award presented to Dr. Jannuzzi Friday evening at the VAFP Annual Meeting and Exposition in Leesburg, Va., is inscribed as follows: In sincere appreciation for over 30 years of helping underserved patients get the healthcare they need. A model physician inspiring countless others to volunteer, the commitment of your time, energy and leadership exemplify your unparalleled commitment to the specialty of family medicine. Your dedication to providing comprehensive care to those most in need is to be commended and applauded, and is truly indicative of an outstanding family physician. When asked about the recognition, Dr. Jannuzzi replied, Ive been following a dream of providing healthcare to low-income people for 30 years, and this is just a huge sign of affirmation and confirmation that I was on the right path. I am grateful to be working for JenCare Senior Medical Center, an innovative, values-driven and physician-led organization with the noble mission to revolutionize and transform primary care for at-risk seniors. VAFP Board member and Chief Medical Officer for JenCare Richmond, Daniel McCarter, MD, added, In my nearly 30 years of practicing medicine in Virginia, Ive never met a more deserving physician of the year honoree than Dr. Daniel Jannuzzi. Kudos to the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians for singling out my amazing JenCare colleague. Dr. Jannuzzi continues to help low-to-moderate-income seniors thrive with love, accountability and a passion for excellence. About JenCare Senior Medical Center For seniors most in need of care, high-quality health care is too often beyond reach. JenCare is a family-owned primary and specialty care practice committed to delivering superior healthcare to Medicare-eligible seniors. JenCare operates eight medical practices in the Richmond and Tidewater areas of Virginia; plus 17 neighborhood centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville and New Orleans. Since 2011, JenCare physicians have been helping thousands of area seniors enjoy more healthy days through centers in Colonial Heights, Mechanicsville, and Richmond (Hull Street + Shockoe Bottom). Part of ChenMed, JenCare brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. About ChenMed ChenMed was founded to bring concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed serves seniors with low-to-moderate incomes, most managing multiple chronic conditions, in 10 U.S. markets in six states through 42 senior medical centers. ChenMeds goal is to improve health outcomes and create value for patients, physicians, and the health care system. To do that, ChenMed relies on innovative technology and a talented and resourceful team of providers. Founded by Dr. James Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant and cancer survivor, the company provides unrivaled care to seniors particularly those enrolled in a broad range of Medicare Advantage plans in Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Lakeland and Tampa Bay), Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. The patient focused medical practice has grown by more than 420 percent since 2013. No healthcare company has ever won either of the awards for these specific categories, making Cyrcadias breakthrough dual awards another first for Cannes Cyrcadia, Inc. (CI) announced it has won two prestigious awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a global event for the creative communications, marketing and advertising world. Held in Cannes, France and attended by over 10,000 delegates, Lion awards are considered the most coveted in the industry. The first award was a Bronze Lion in the category of Innovation, which honors ground-breaking technology and problem-solving. It specifically looks at how technology, data and ideas, when working in unison, can revolutionize lives. Cyrcadia shared the Bronze award with industry giants such as Google, Shell and Apple. The second award was a Silver Glass Lion award, recognizing ideas that could change the world and positively impact gender inequality or injustice. Cyrcadias ability to deliver early breast cancer health monitoring to the mass populations of women who have little or no access to quality health care was key to Cyrcadias award achievement. Cyrcadia is developing and marketing a device and software that monitors for biometric changes that correlate to breast cancer . Known as the iTBra, the device is based on wearable sensor patches that are placed under a womans own garments and worn for two hours. The sensor data results processed through Cyrcadias artificial intelligence (AI) lab can be automatically communicated to the patient, her physician and insurance company. Based on Cyrcadias monitoring device, a patient will be recommended for further investigation by a physician. The companys technology has obtained U.S. FDA 510(k) Class II clearance. While the technology is based on historic data from a trial of 200 patients, recent validation trials on 46 patients have confirmed prior trial results and achieved greatly improved accuracy, now demonstrating more than 80 percent with a two-hour wear. The product is expected to launch in various markets by the early 2018, including in Asia through Cyrcadias affiliate Cyrcadia Asia. Cyrcadias live presentations were seen by audiences of thousands at the event, and resulted in judges giving Cyrcadia the two different awards. No healthcare company has ever won either of the awards for these specific categories, making Cyrcadias breakthrough dual awards another first for Cannes. Cyrcadias entries at the Cannes Lions Festival were created by Area 23, a leading healthcare specialty communications agency within the Interpublic Group. The Lions awards are given jointly to the agency and their client. About Cyrcadia, Inc. Cyrcadia, Inc. is a Nevada corporation, which uses the brand Cyrcadia Health with respect to its technology and products. The company was founded as First Warning Systems, Inc. in 2008, and is based in Reno, NV. The company's product line was originally licensed from Lifeline Biotechnologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: LLBO), has now been fully assigned to Cyrcadia Inc. Based on a wearable sensor device and proprietary software, the company is developing future versions of its product that will potentially have the capability to locate breast tissue abnormality. For further information, visit http://www.cyrcadiahealth.com. Source: Cyrcadia, Inc. Dr. Donna Bergman, professor of education and director of special education programs at Spring Arbor University recently co-authored and published an article in the medical science journal Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation titled Assessment of Self-Determination in Adolescents with Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy. Both the article and the research that helped produce it, were written and conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan Health System through a joint venture called MedSAU. In addition to Dr. Bergman, the research team for this study included Virginia Nelson, M.D., professor of physical medicine & rehabilitation; Lynnette Rasmussen, O.T.R.L., occupational therapist; Kate W.-C. Chang, M.A., research analyst; and Lynda Jun-San Yang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurological surgery at University of Michigan. Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) is the weakness or loss of movement of the arm at birth. The researchers looked specifically at the effects of NBPP on self-determination the ability of an individual to make meaningful choices within his or her own life. 20 adolescents with NBPP and 20 typically developing adolescents were chosen as the experiment and control groups, respectively. Dr. Bergmans role in the research included the recruitment and assessment of participants, as well as data analysis. The writing of the article was really a group effort, said Bergman. My contribution was primarily an explanation of the results and discussion of information regarding self-determination data-analysis. Bergman continued, The most significant finding of this study was that the adolescents with NBPP scored as high as the non-disabled adolescents in overall self-determination possibly the most critical component for successful transition into adulthood. However, it was also determined that, among the test subjects, that adolescents with NPBB rated their opportunities for self-determined behavior significantly lower at school than at home. Bergman hopes the study can help teacher-educators address this discrepancy. Until then, Bergman and her colleagues have presented the study at several conferences, due to the multidisciplinary approach. The article was published on June 23, 2017. You can preview the article at sciencedirect.com. Girlz Engineering Camp Hosted by Horizon Goodwill Most importantly, engineering is all about changing perspective looking at something differently well, it can absolutely change what capability looks like. I love opportunities to create change Horizon Goodwill Industries, SourceAmerica and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have partnered together for a unique opportunity that helps high school girls succeed in STEM programs as well as help Horizon Goodwill advance their mission of Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities. Horizon Goodwill will host over 20 high school girls at their corporate headquarters on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, for an informational briefing and then a re-engineering session focused on how Goodwill uses e-commerce, their online, virtual marketplace ShopGoodwill.com, and the challenges that they face. The engineering students will take the information and create improved processes and systems for Goodwill to utilize moving forward and present it on Friday, July 28, 2017. Catharine Fleming, Chief Mission Officer for Goodwill, said, We are so excited to work with these girls on a project that will improve our processes, increase sell-through, and streamline our e-commerce tactics. Being a part of the SourceAmerica program, partnering with area high-schools, and promoting STEM learning for young girls is in direct relation to our mission to remove barriers and create opportunities. I wish I had been introduced me to engineering when I was young. Engineering drives your businesss bottom-line and re-engineering drives innovation, efficiency, and production. Most importantly, engineering is all about changing perspective looking at something differently well, it can absolutely change what capability looks like. I love opportunities to create change. Twelve high schools within Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) offer a national pre-engineering program of study called Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Advanced Engineering, supported by the MCPS offices of Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) and Career Technology Education (CTE). The rigorous, five-course pathway provides opportunities for students to explore a variety of engineering topics, including three- dimensional modeling, digital electronics, civil engineering, environmental sustainability, and aerospace engineering. Students build their critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, and learn how to effectively collaborate and communicate. Students apply these skills to solve real world challenges using the engineering design process; each student will complete a capstone senior design project. Montgomery County Public Schools has obtained community, local, and federal funding to support a STEM initiative to increase the number of girls pursing engineering careers through their annual Girlz Engineering Camp. Twenty rising ninth and tenth grade girls from the twelve PLTW schools plan to participate in an action-packed five-day camp, held this year at Rockville High School. At Girlz Engineering Camp, female students will engage in hands-on engineering lessons and use creativity to apply learned skills to complete a specific design challenge this summer, they will tackle Horizon Goodwills online sales of used and vintage product. As virtual marketplaces continue to grow, Horizon Goodwill is expanding its online footprint through ShopGoodwill.com. Students will interact with female engineers from various fields and participate in two theme-based field trips, including a tour of Montgomery College Rockville campus FAB LAB and Horizon Goodwills eCommerce social enterprise. This year's theme is "LINK UP." Students will identify, plan, design, and present a prototype of potential system to improve efficiency and job accessibility for the E-Commerce division of Goodwill located in Hagerstown, MD. MCPS is fortunate to have this year's camp designed and facilitated by two expert MCPS technology education teachers, Ms. Jennifer Forrest and Ms. Kimberly Starks in collaboration with SourceAmerica and Horizon Goodwill Industries. About Horizon Goodwill Goodwill has been rated #1 above the global brands Amazon and Google for the Brand World Value Rankings for 2016 and 2017. Horizon Goodwill Industries, whose mission is Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities, is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to employment despite significant obstacles. Horizon Goodwill serves 7,000 clients annually in a 17-county region that includes parts of the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit http://www.horizongoodwill.org @HorizonGoodwill #GoodwillGirlsEngineeringCamp #removingbarriers #creatingopportunities #GoodwillChangesLives Often companies dont know where to begin in sourcing and negotiating IT services in China -- but we do it every day, said Aaron Loehr, CEO of StrataCore. StrataCore, leading IT services broker for data center, cloud, connectivity and security, today announced that it has established partnerships with three major telecom providers in China to accelerate companies inroads in this region by providing secure, reliable and cost-effective options, while simplifying the task of navigating intricate Chinese regulatory laws. These new partnerships are part of a strategic effort to expand StrataCores network in China, and bring the companys portfolio to more than fifteen premier providers in the region. StrataCore helps companies identify the best service providers for their needs, and applies seasoned expertise in negotiating client-optimized contracts. Particularly in the Asia Pacific region where navigating the vendor landscape, regulations and differences in business cultures can be arduous for US-based companies, StrataCore experts and partners are able to meet these needs, enabling them to make faster, more informed and cost-effective IT decisions. Among the distinct regulatory complexities in China, is a law that requires companies providing services to end-users there to establish a joint venture with the Chinese government. Compliance can be a daunting, expensive and time-consuming process for companies expanding into the region. StrataCore and its partners help companies streamline their compliance by establishing the necessary joint-ventures as part of their service offerings. Often, companies dont know where to begin in sourcing and negotiating IT services in China -- but we do it every day, said Aaron Loehr, CEO of StrataCore. These partnerships with premier service providers in China are another example of the reliable service options we provide our customers. Combined with our contract negotiation advantage and legal expertise, we help companies save money and speed to market. About China Mobile International China Mobile International Limited (CMI) is responsible for the international business of China Mobile, who is the worlds largest telecommunications operator in terms of network scale and customer base. Along with AT&T and Verizon, China Mobile is ranked among the top three carriers by Fortune 500. China Mobile offers a full suite of services in China for individuals, residence, and enterprises. In the global market, China Mobile provides China domestic and worldwide Data, Voice, IDC, and Mobility services, such as Private Lines, IP, MPLS, CDN, EIDD, Roaming Wi-Fi, A2P SMS, IoT, etc. Recent expansion includes branch offices in 16 countries, over 100 global pops, and investment in tens-of-Terabytes of fiber capacity worldwide. For more information please visit https://www.cmi.chinamobile.com/. About China Telecom Americas China Telecom Americas is a wholly-owned US-based subsidiary of China Telecom Corporation, one of the worlds largest telecommunications companies offering network, voice and cloud services to companies, organizations and international carriers requiring international access to China and beyond. With headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, and offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Toronto and Sao Paolo, China Telecom Americas provides locally-based, one-stop-shop, turn-key solutions for everything from China domestic and international data circuits to IDC services, network management, equipment management, system integration and more. For more information, please visit http://www.ctamericas.com. About Zenlayer Zenlayer is headquartered in Los Angeles and Shanghai with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shenzhen. Enterprises utilize Zenlayers global connection platform to instantly enable worldwide connectivity and deliver superior user experience. Zenlayer offers on-demand bare metal cloud, SD-WAN, edge computing, and colocation in more than 70 data centers worldwide, including 20 data centers in China. For more information, please visit https://www.zenlayer.com. About StrataCore StrataCore is the premiere IT services broker for data center, cloud, connectivity and security. With more than 300 clients and 1000 contracts negotiated worldwide, StrataCore delivers clients improved IT performance, at a lower cost. StrataCore offers unbiased, custom solutions while maintaining a clear view of the competitive landscape to optimize contract terms and pricing. Its market intelligence, exclusive StrataTools and detailed vendor selection process provide clients with the necessary insight to make informed IT decisions. For more information, visit http://www.stratacore.com/ Rigaku XtaLAB mini II benchtop chemical crystallography system Rigaku Corporation is pleased to announce its attendance at the 254th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition (ACS) in Washington, D.C., Sunday, August 20, 2017 through Thursday, August 24, 2017. The exposition will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where the new Rigaku benchtop single crystal X-ray diffractometer - the XtaLab mini II - will be shown. In addition, Rigaku will be presenting its lines of benchtop X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy instrumentation at Booth 1710. The theme of the event will be Chemistrys impact on the global economy. Lectures and a plenary session promoting understanding of how chemistry can provide solutions the worlds mounting challenges and bring about a better world will be held, along with a number of symposia and special events. About Rigaku Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on general-purpose analytical instrumentation and the life sciences. With hundreds of major innovations to their credit, Rigaku companies are world leaders in X-ray spectrometry, diffraction, and optics, as well as small molecule and protein crystallography and semiconductor metrology. Today, Rigaku employs over 1,400 people in the manufacturing and support of its analytical equipment, which is used in more than 90 countries around the world supporting research, development, and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial communities. For further information, contact: Michael Nelson Rigaku Global Marketing Group tel: +1. 512-225-1796 michael.nelson(at)rigaku(dot)com Microsoft is honored to recognize Experlogix for their achievements this past year, their dedication to their customers, and their innovation with Microsoft technologies. Experlogix, Inc., the global leader in Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions for Microsoft Dynamics announced today that it has achieved the prestigious 2017/2018 Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics. Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank Experlogix in the top echelon of the Microsoft global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success. This recognition of Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics came during Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, which took place July 9-13, 2017 in Washington, DC. Microsoft Inspire provides the Microsoft partner community with the opportunity to learn about the company's road map for the upcoming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations and learn new skills. Each year we recognize Microsoft Dynamics partners from around the world for delivering innovation and driving unsurpassed customer success, said Ron Huddleston, CVP, One Commercial Partner. Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their capabilities as an organization, whether thats creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honored to recognize Experlogix for their achievements this past year, their dedication to their customers, and their innovation with Microsoft technologies. Its an honor to be named to this elite group of Microsoft partners, said Christian Stepien, President, Experlogix. Our entire organization has continued to dedicate itself to providing the level of sales, customer service and product innovation necessary to achieve this partner distinction. Experlogix is built on a 100% Microsoft technology stack, and together we continuously push the co-evolution of our products to deliver an unsurpassed customer experience. As one of Microsofts original Dynamics ISVs, Experlogix has been dedicated to delivering the highest quality CPQ solution with a seamless user experience within each Dynamics CRM and ERP release for the past 12 years. The software empowers a businesss customers and sales reps to build complex quotes and orders based on multiple options and sophisticated business rules. It is also unique in its ability to be deployed as a seamless single instance across Dynamics CRM and Dynamics ERP, automating the entire front-to-back office flow, from a quote to an order including the production of configured bill-of-materials and routings with no manual intervention. We thank the Microsoft field sales team and all the great organizations in our worldwide partner ecosystem, said Jeff Holway, Vice President of Sales, Experlogix. This fantastic endorsement from Microsoft is due in large part to our partners steadfast confidence in Experlogix as the most trusted CPQ ISV for their Dynamics customers. 2017/2018 Inner Circle members are invited to the Inner Circle Summit, taking place in the fall of 2017, where they will have a unique opportunity to share strategy and network with Microsoft senior leaders and fellow partners. About Experlogix Experlogix offers One CPQ in the Cloud for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Operations, providing a complete quote-to-order-to-manufacture experience across the enterprise. Experlogix empowers reps to deliver complex proposals consisting of thousands of potential product and pricing rules with the option to automate multi-level production orders when the business is won. As Microsofts 2016 US ISV of the Year, Experlogix is recognized worldwide as the global leader in Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) technology for Microsoft Dynamics with hundreds of Dynamics customers in a variety of industries, including Allegion, Analogic, Assa Abloy Hospitality, FEI Company, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Jayco, Inc., Malibu Boats, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift, Nikon Instruments UK, Okuma America Corporation, Otis Elevator, Takeuchi, and TPx Communications. For more information, visit http://www.cpq365.com. Federal class action securities fraud filings hit a record pace in the first half of 2017. Over the past six months, plaintiffs initiated 226 securities fraud class actions in federal court, more than in any equivalent period since enactment of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). According to Securities Class Action Filings2017 Midyear Assessment, a new report by Cornerstone Research and the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, the 226 filings were 135 percent higher than the historical semiannual average of 96 filings between 1997 and 2016. The record-setting pace of securities fraud litigation in equity market trading is causing record-setting head scratching among many analysts, according to Joseph Grundfest, director of the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse. Part of the spike is clearly attributable to the migration of merger claims from state to federal court by plaintiffs looking to avoid the experienced, skeptical judiciary in Delaware. But another part of the spike seems attributable to a decline in the quality of complaints filed by attorneys who have recalibrated their business strategies to pursue a portfolio of cases with more remote payoffs because the costs of building such a portfolio remains low. Both traditional and M&A-related filings were at record levels. Traditional filings increased from 95 in the second half of 2016 to 131 in the first half of 2017. At the same time, M&A-related filings rose from 57 to 95. If the litigation rate of traditional securities class actions in the second half of 2017 equals that of the first half, the annual rate will nearly double the historical average, said John Gould, a senior vice president at Cornerstone Research. If one considers M&A filings as well, 2017 is on pace to be more than double the historical average. Since 2013, individuals have been appointed lead plaintiff more often than institutional investors. In contrast, from 2004 to 2012, institutional investors were as or more likely to be appointed as lead plaintiff as were individuals. Key Trends: Disclosure Dollar Loss (DDL) rose to $74 billion in the first half of 2017, 23 percent above the historical semiannual average. Maximum Dollar Loss (MDL) dropped to $302 billion, on par with the historical semiannual average. Mega filings declined to 24 percent of DDL and 43 percent of MDL. There were three mega filings with a DDL of at least $5 billion and eight with an MDL of at least $10 billion. The race to the courthouse accelerated. For traditional filings, the median lag time to file from the end of the class period was eight daysthe shortest lag time since enactment of the PSLRA. Between 2010 and the first half of 2017, plaintiffs filed 52 Section 11 cases in California state courts. The U.S. Supreme Court will address the use of state venues for adjudicating class actions with Section 11 claims in Cyan Inc. v. Beaver County Employees Retirement Fund. Filings against European firms were almost triple the historical semiannual average. The number of filings against S&P 500 firms in the first half of 2017 occurred at an annualized pace of 11.2 percent, the highest rate since 2002. Pharmaceutical firms were the most common targets of filingsthe number at 2017 midyear already exceeds the full-year 2016 total. Third Circuit filings increased to 47, more than triple the number of filings in either the first or second half of 2016. About Cornerstone Research Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting and expert testimony in all phases of complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. The firm works with an extensive network of prominent faculty and industry practitioners to identify the best-qualified expert for each assignment. Cornerstone Research has earned a reputation for consistent high quality and effectiveness by delivering rigorous, state-of-the-art analysis for over 25 years. The firm has 700 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington. Please visit Cornerstone Researchs website for more information about the firms capabilities in economic and financial consulting and expert testimony. http://www.cornerstone.com Twitter: @Cornerstone_Res About the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse The Securities Class Action Clearinghouse (SCAC) is an authoritative source of data and analysis on the financial and economic characteristics of federal securities fraud class action litigation. The SCAC maintains a database of more than 4,000 securities class action lawsuits filed since passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The database also contains copies of more than 46,000 complaints, briefs, filings, and other litigation-related materials filed in these cases. securities.stanford.edu Execute to Win If your goal is a more engaged workforce, it all starts with two important pillarsculture and alignment. - Lee Benson Execute to Win (ETW) is pleased to welcome Kortman Electric to its community of users. Kortman Electric, a commercial design and construction service company, has selected ETW as a platform to engage and manage their entire employee workforce. Going forward Kortman will have a distinct focus on aligning all employees to the organizations top-line strategy. As an advocate for the adoption of ETW, Kortman Electric CEO Ken Kortman says, Finding a system that can help us align strategically while supporting our culture will translate into bottom-line impact. If your goal is a more engaged workforce, it all starts with two important pillarsculture and alignment. ETW CEO Lee Benson continues, Kortmans decision to embrace ETW as a partner in realizing their goals will ultimately provide them with a more cohesive, productive and aligned workforce. The implementation of ETW in the Kortman organization will involve creation of various tools and processes that will clearly align goals and strategies across the board. About ETW ETW provides a platform to track, evaluate and measure employee performance against the major objectives of the organization. Easily execute and translate long-term strategy into clear, actionable goals. With ETW you can effectively communicate the companys roadmap to success and engage everyone throughout the organization with that roadmap. Using ETW your organization can connect employees to strategy and culture to drive sustainable winning results. Learn more at http://www.etw.com About Kortman Electric Founded in 1983, Kortman Electric (KEI) is a 2nd generation contractor committed to integrity, excellence, and quality. KEIs experienced and trained staff are available 24/7 working with each client to ensure a safe, reliable, and efficient solution is achieved. From on-demand service calls to multi-million dollar construction projects, KEI provides a variety of electrical services throughout Arizona. These services include aviation, education, municipal, medical, correctional, office and retail, tenant improvement, fire alarm, security, data, as well as 24/7 OnDemand service. Kortman Electric also provides expertise in the areas of conceptual design and budgeting, design-bid-build, design-build, Construction Management @ Risk, and pre-construction services. KEI is commitment is to help their clients achieve the very best value for their investment today and for the future. Therachat, a smart journaling tool for therapists and their clients, today announced it will be exhibiting and providing demos of its smart journaling platform at the 125th American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. from August 3-6, 2017. The APA Annual Convention is one of the largest gatherings of psychologists, psychology students and those specializing in the research, practice, education and policy of psychology. The event offers an opportunity for attendees to broaden their understanding of how other areas of psychology affect their own. Psychologists will have the opportunity to visit Therachats booth in the exhibitor section and see firsthand the benefits of leveraging technology to increase client engagement and improve therapy outcomes. Therachat has a unique HIPAA-compliant platform tailored to augment therapy by offering an easy to use, interactive journaling tool for clients that delivers deep insights to the psychologist. Psychologists have access to a web-based dashboard with real-time data and analysis to provide context between sessions and measure progress based on frequency of entries and sentiment. In addition, Therachat made product updates to enhance the analytics, offer optional direct messaging and the ability to push custom activities to clients. Clients using Therachats mobile app take a modern approach to journaling, including utilizing one-click mood tracking, conversing with a customizable artificial intelligence powered chatbot or entering digital journal entries. WHAT: APA Annual Convention attendees can receive an in-person hands-on demo of Therachats smart journaling platform for therapists and clients. WHEN: August 3-6, 2017 WHERE: Therachat Booth 510, APA Annual Convention Therachat is available for free download on iOS here and Android here. Additional Resources Website Blog State of Anxiety Survey and Infographic LinkedIn Twitter Facebook About Therachat Therachat is a HIPAA-compliant smart journaling tool that keeps clients engaged in-between therapy sessions. Therachats mobile app for therapy clients and users without a therapist is powered by AI technology that helps to cope with anxiety. Its web-based dashboard provides therapists with real-time insights to improve therapy outcomes. Headquartered in San Francisco, Therachat is available nationwide through its web and mobile applications. For additional information, visit https://therachat.io. Mead & Hunt, a Madison-area engineering and architecture firm for more than 100 years, has merged with a Port Orange, Florida, firm, QLH. Terms of the merger between the privately owned companies were not disclosed, but it was a stock and cash transaction, said Mead & Hunt vice president Amy Squitieri. The merger took effect on July 1. Squitieri said the four owners of QLH have become owners of Mead & Hunt, along with 170 other employee/owners of the company. Mead & Hunt has more than 600 employees, including 176 based at its Middleton headquarters, 2440 Deming Way. QLH has 32 employees. The headquarters will remain in Middleton, spokeswoman Kary Beck said. QLH specializes in water resources consulting and wastewater treatment. We have been seeking a design firm to expand our water-wastewater services for several years, and also working to expand our footprint in the southeastern U.S., said Raj Sheth, CEO and chairman of Mead & Hunt. This region, particularly Florida, is experiencing a population boom. That, coupled with aging infrastructure across the U.S. and financing being directed to improve these systems, makes this merger a key opportunity, Sheth said. Mead & Hunt is one of the largest engineering firms based in Wisconsin, with offices in more than 30 cities nationwide and 2016 revenue of $99.3 million. Founded in Chicago in 1900 and based in Madison since 1904, Mead & Hunt was listed as No. 3 among top design firms in Wisconsin, based on design-oriented revenue, by Engineering News-Record in May 2017. The company provides professional services in architecture, engineering, environmental impact, planning and historic preservation. Egnyte Logo Egnyte Connect wasnt just complementary, it actually made Google Drive more secure and easier to manage. Egnyte Connects open architecture and granular permissions let us have more control over our Google Drive content than ever before. Egnyte, the leading cloud provider of smart content collaboration and governance for the enterprise, today announced Design Within Reach (DWR) has deployed Egnyte Connect as their company-wide collaboration solution. Egnyte Connect creates a secure digital workplace for the Design Within Reach team to create, manage, and collaborate on content with colleagues, customers, partners, vendors, and their parent company Herman Miller. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Design Within Reach is a well-established multi-channel retailer, selling the best in authentic modern design via its call center, website, 34 retail Studios across the United States and Canada, and its contract sales team. With international operations and design influences from all of the world, Design Within Reach has become a global leader in authentic modern design. Prior to deploying Egnyte Connect, we stored our content on a mix of on-premises servers and created local file shares that employees would have to connect to via unreliable virtual private networks (VPN), just to get to what they needed, said Bethany Kemp, DWRs VP of Technology and Information Systems. With Egnyte Connects hybrid solution we were able to create a new and improved digital workplace for our employees that provides secure access to all of our content via the cloud, eliminating our reliance on VPNs and improving their productivity. Design Within Reach had an existing relationship with Google that was seven years in the making, which meant that its new solution would need to work well with the G Suite. Thanks to Egnytes close working relationship with Google, Egnyte Connect already had native integrations that helped the DWR team make a seamless transition into their new digital workplace. Being a highly collaborative organization that operates at the intersection of design and retail, our team has always relied heavily on Google Drive for real-time collaboration and it was important for our new cloud solution to be complementary to the G Suite, Corey Coppin, Director of IT Infrastructure at Design Within Reach. Egnyte Connect wasnt just complementary, it actually made Google Drive more secure and easier to manage. Egnyte Connects open architecture and granular permissions let us have more control over our Google Drive content than ever before, while also creating a central repository where other types of content could live as well. Egnyte Connect has provided a number of benefits for Design Within Reach, reducing their infrastructure costs, increasing employee productivity, securing all of their content, and strengthening their existing Google investment. The Design Within Reach use case is a great example of how many of our customers are evolving today, using a number of different tools and applications together in a customized digital workplace in order to improve efficiency, said Rajesh Ram, co-founder and chief customer officer at Egnyte. With Egnyte Connect we create a secure digital workplace that gives DWR employees the flexibility to use whatever applications they are comfortable with, like Google Drive, while IT has the ability to control and manage content no matter where it goes. To learn more about why Design Within Reach chose Egnyte Connect and how IT has deployed the solution, check out our in-depth case study. About Egnyte Egnyte transforms business through smarter content allowing organizations to connect, protect, and unlock value from all their content. Our Content Intelligence platform delivers smart content collaboration and governance in the cloud or on-premises to thousands of businesses around the world even the most regulated industries. Founded in 2007, Egnyte is privately held and headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Investors include venture capital firms, such as Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as well as technology partners, such as CenturyLink and Seagate Technology. Please visit http://www.egnyte.com or call 1-877-7EGNYTE for more information. About Design Within Reach Design Within Reach, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is the world leader in authentic modern design. The company sells its furniture and accessories to residential and commercial customers through retail Studios in North America, online at dwr.com, by phone at 800.944.2233 and through the Contract division at dwrcontract.com. Design Within Reach, Inc., is a subsidiary of Herman Miller Inc. Cantrell Drug Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of unexpired sterile drug products to the hospital and user level due to lack of sterility assurance. The recalled products were distributed to health care facilities nationwide, except to the states of Connecticut, Hawaii, South Carolina and Vermont. To date, Cantrell has not received any reports of adverse events. The affected products include all lots distributed February 16, 2017, to July 19, 2017, remaining within expiry, and they would be packaged in a syringe or IV bag. Administration of a drug product intended to be sterile that is not sterile could result in serious infections that may be life-threatening. Cantrell has a longstanding commitment to quality and safety. We are voluntarily issuing a recall out of an abundance of caution after several issues were identified during a recent inspection of our facility, said Dell McCarley, Chairman and CEO of Cantrell Drug Company. We regret any impact this recall has on our loyal customers and their patients. Cantrell Drug Company is notifying its customers by email and phone, and is arranging for the return of all recalled products. Anyone with product subject to the recall should stop using it and contact the company. To return medication or request assistance related to this recall, contact Cantrell Drug Company at 877-666-5222, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST. Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDAs MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax. Complete and submit the report Online: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm Regular Mail or Fax: Download form http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178 This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Christopher Powers, executive director of TESOL International Association, and Zhang Haigang, vice president of China Daily 21st Century English Education Media, sign the agreement. We look forward to a very productive and wide-ranging relationship with China Daily 21st Century for years to come. TESOL International Association, a world leader in advancing expertise in English language teaching and learning, is excited to announce that it has signed an innovative agreement to form a knowledge partnership with 21st Century English Education Media, a leading ELT organization and publisher of English language learning and teaching resources in China. 21st Century English Education Media is a subsidiary of China Daily, Chinas only national English-language newspaper which is distributed globally. The agreement, signed 22 July in Changzhou, China, strengthens the mission and growth of both organizations. TESOL and China Daily 21st Century have agreed to collaborate on a number of new initiatives, including a three-day TESOL professional learning event in China in 2018. Additionally, the organizations will collaborate on teacher workshops and other regional and national English language teaching events throughout China. As part of the agreement, China Daily 21st Century will help identify 2,000 new global members from across China, granting valuable access to TESOLs professional development resources and international networks. In addition, both organizations have agreed to explore other areas of English language teaching and learning. "TESOL and China Daily 21st Century share similar interests in advancing English language teaching in China," according to Executive Director Christopher Powers. "We look forward to a very productive and wide-ranging relationship with China Daily 21st Century for years to come." This agreement will afford TESOL the opportunity to share its expertise in developing research-based English language teaching practices, industry-leading live events, expansive professional development resources, and rich publications with English language professionals throughout China. About TESOL International Association For more than 50 years, TESOL International Association has been bringing together the professional community of educators, researchers, administrators, and students committed to advancing excellence in English language teaching for speakers of other languages worldwide. With more than 12,000 members representing more than 160 countries, TESOL fosters the exchange of ideas, research, and peer-to-peer knowledge, and provides expertise, resources, and a powerful voice on issues affecting the profession. Through professional learning programs, its international convention, special interest groups, and publications, TESOL engages tens of thousands of professionals to collaborate globally and create a world of opportunity for millions of people of all ages who want to learn English. For more information, please visit http://www.tesol.org. Ocean Tomo, LLC The scarcity of OLED technology portfolios of significant size makes them especially valuable at the moment Ocean Tomo LLC, the intellectual capital merchant banc firm, announced today that the Ocean Tomo Transactions Advisory team is actively searching for OLED technology including both patents and related know-how. A broad range of strategic buyers in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Germany, along with strategic buyers, private equity investors and hedge funds in the United States are motivated to acquire technology and companies focused on: OLED display design, architecture, driver circuitry OLED manufacturing methods and equipment for thin-film-transistor (TFT) and pattern manufacturing, printing and fabrication OLED matrix and pixel structures and elements, TFT and substrate stacks, transistor and interconnect structures OLED materials and host and transport materials Following the successful transaction completed in the second quarter of 2016, Ocean Tomo is now representing a second seller of OLED technology. The large international portfolio of patents is relevant across the OLED value chain including OLED structure and elements, display design, architecture, driver circuitry as well as manufacturing methods and equipment. According to James Trueman, Managing Director of Advisory Services for Ocean Tomo, the scarcity of OLED technology portfolios of significant size makes them especially valuable at the moment. Based on the latest OLED Industry Report released by Ocean Tomo last month, there is a strong appetite from both strategic acquirers and investors for OLED related investment opportunities as the OLED market is projected to reach $10 billion by 2020. Parties interested in exploring the sale of OLED related technologies, further details on the global OLED portfolio currently offered for sale, or a copy of the OLED Industry Overview, should contact OLED(at)OceanTomo(dot)com About Ocean Tomo Ocean Tomo, the Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc firm, provides companies with financial services related to intellectual property and intangible assets. Practice offerings include financial expert testimony, valuation, strategy consulting, innovation management consulting, investment and transaction advisory. Our Opinion, Management, and Advisory Services are built upon more than two decades of experience valuing intellectual property in the most rigorous of venues State, Federal and international courts. Our financial, market and technical experts provide a unique understanding of the contributory value of proprietary innovation. This is the cornerstone of our business. This insight permeates every practice and client engagement. Collectively, Ocean Tomo professionals have: Executed over 1000 engagements involving IP worth in excess of $10 billion; Successfully closed transactions where disruptive technology played a key role, with cumulative value in excess of $750 million; Conducted over 300 valuation engagements and 500 financial damages expert testimony engagements. Subsidiaries of Ocean Tomo include: Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a licensed broker dealer under federal and state securities law (brokercheck.finra.org Broker Check CRD #: 172912); OTI Data Networks, LLC; Patent Marking, LLC. and Ocean Tomo Capital, LLC. Ocean Tomo assists clients corporations, law firms, governments and institutional investors in realizing Intellectual Capital Equity value broadly defined. Scalp micropigmentation is a good aesthetic alternative for patients with the typical horseshoe pattern of balding that makes them unhappy with the way their hairline looks. - Parsa Mohebi, MD Los Angeles hair transplant surgeon, Dr. Parsa Mohebi, founder of Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration, has introduced a novel non-surgical method than can improve the appearance of thinning scalp hair by camouflaging the contrast between the skin and hair color. Dr. Mohebi uses new techniques of scalp micropigmentation (SMP) that can improve the aesthetic appearance of a patients scalp through the use of dermal pigments. This cosmetic procedure can imitate the look of a closely shaved head as well as blend in with the natural hair of a patient if the person wants to achieve the appearance of more fullness. According to Dr. Mohebi, This revolutionary procedure is relatively non-invasive and can usually be performed without the use of anesthesia. In general, ideal SMP candidates include people without an adequate amount of hair to cover their balding area with the density they wish to see and patients that want to lessen a scalp scar that was the result of an older hair transplant. While Dr. Mohebi has performed scalp micropigmentation in the past, advances in SMP technology has increased his ability to give patients the hairline appearance they desire. Dr. Mohebi states Thanks to the latest methods of SMP available for patients, our ability to provide those suffering from baldness with the appearance of a full head of hair has increased. Scalp micropigmentation is a good aesthetic alternative for patients with the typical horseshoe pattern of balding that makes them unhappy with the way their hairline looks. Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration is now accepting patient appointments for SMP consultation at both their Los Angeles and Beverly Hills offices. When asked why the treatment is so popular, Dr. Mohebi said There are many patients who dont want to undergo an invasive surgery because they cant take the time off work to recover. SMP is mainly non-invasive which means the recovery time is not as extensive as a traditional surgical procedure. It is a safe and effective way to provide long lasting results for our patients. About Dr. Parsa Mohebi: As the first chairman of the FUE Research Committee of the International Society of Hair Restoration and creator of several methods and techniques in modern hair restoration, Dr. Mohebi, along with his staff, provides his patients with the most advanced hair restoration techniques currently available. Dr. Mohebi has been in the forefront of new research and developing the latest technology to advance the field of hair restoration. Dr. Mohebi is a Diplomat of the American Board of Hair Restoration and a fellow of the International Society of Hair Restoration. ISONAS Inc., a leading Pure IP access control system manufacturer, today announced that Transportation Impact, has selected the ISONAS Pure IP access control solution to secure their corporate headquarters. Transportation Impact is a privately held, 5-time Inc. 5000 company, that provides supply chain cost reduction for clients in multiple vertical markets. With a rapidly growing business, Transportation Impact needed to safeguard their employees and infrastructure with an access control solution. With 70 employees working out of two office buildings in Emerald Isle, NC, it was imperative that the facility was safeguarded against unauthorized access. Transportation Impact needed a special delivery, the right access control solution from their trusted security integrator, Electronic Solutions. Electronic Solutions worked with Transportation Impact over the last few years and understood their need for a simple and convenient access control solution. Ron Snyder, President at Electronic Solutions and an ISONAS certified partner, delivered the ISONAS Pure IP access control solution in the fall of 2016 starting with a pilot program for ISONASs new RC-04 reader-controller all managed from the ISONAS software, Pure Access cloud. ISONAS is a great team to work with as they are all about supporting their certified dealers & offering top notch customer service to help make the implementation process seamless, states Ron Snyder, President at Electronic Solutions. The ISONAS solution is a great product & so much easier than past access control systems that required running several cables to install it. ISONAS offers a simple solution, which only requires an ISONAS reader-controller and a CAT5 cable for power and data; making it an easy deployment for customers. In addition, Transportation Impact was looking for a mobile access control solution to help eliminate the need for key fobs or access cards to gain entry to the building. The ISONAS Pure Mobile credential allowed them to take the convenience of their mobile phone to the next level. The Bluetooth Low Energy feature of the Pure IP hardware family (RC-04) eliminated the need for a physical card or key fob and allowed a mobile device to act as an access card. We are very happy that Transportation Impact selected our powerful mobile access control solution and we were able to put access control in the palm of their hands, states Robert Lydic, Global VP of Sales at ISONAS. ISONAS continues to raise the bar in access control and help companies better protect their facilities from anywhere, at any time with any device. About ISONAS Inc. Since 1999 ISONAS has been revolutionizing access control with one simple solution and is todays leading manufacturer of Pure IP Access Control hardware. When paired with their industry leading cloud hosted software solutions or 3rd party full featured access control software, a complete access control platform is formed. An ISONAS system provides the perfect product solution for securing facilities while reducing costs and providing all of the advantages that Pure IP technology brings to the door. ISONAS is based in the global technology hub of Boulder, Colorado, and has one goal; to change the global access control market, and provide a product solution that is secure, reliable, trusted, and more technologically advanced than anything before. Today, the company is realizing that vision with the ISONAS solution installed globally in over 30 countries in a wide variety of vertical markets. ISONAS has been recognized as one of Boulder Countys fastest growing companies as well as by industry partners such as Milestone Systems, year after year for its powerful video and access control integration. For more information, visit: http://www.isonas.com or call 800-581-0083. Company Contact Melissa Stenger, VP of Product Management & Marketing ISONAS Inc. Phone: 303-951-7216 Email: melissas(at)isonas.com ISONAS PR Contact: Monique Merhige, President Infusion Direct Marketing & Advertising, Inc. Phone: 631-846-1558 Email: monique(at)infusiondirect.com Next IT has always been at the forefront of conversational AI, but its essential to balance in-market success with ongoing research and development. Next IT, the provider of conversational AI for the Global 5000, today announced new appointments and promotions to its research and innovation team. The research and innovation team advance Next ITs mission of ensuring that every enterprise succeeds with AI. Joe Dumoulin has been appointed Chief Technology Innovation Officer, Ian Beaver has been named Lead Research Engineer, and Cynthia Freeman has joined the companys software engineering group. Dr. George Luger, Professor of Computer Science, Linguistics, and Psychology at the University of New Mexico, will serve as Technology Advisor. The expanded research and innovation team is comprised of experts from Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Psychology, and Linguistics who specialize in machine learning, optimization algorithms, diagnostic reasoning, stochastic modeling, and human-computer interactions such as gesture recognition and user-preference learning. The interdisciplinary approach is the cornerstone of Next ITs approach to innovation. With an expanded R&D function, the company will accelerate development of new technologies that deliver results across industries and use cases. Next IT has always been at the forefront of conversational AI, but its essential to balance in-market success with ongoing research and development, said Joe Dumoulin, Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Next IT. Im particularly proud of the caliber of experts weve assembled and pleased to tell customers they can expect nothing short of market-leading innovation from Next IT. Joe Dumoulin will serve as CTIO and work directly with Next IT President Tracy Malingo and Next IT customers and strategic partners on transformative innovations. Over the last ten years, Joe has inspired and led a team of developers and researchers to create and publish original research in the areas of human-computer multimodal interactions, user preference learning, and classifier combination for heterogeneous classification methods. Currently, his work centers around machine learning and optimization algorithms. During his 15 years at Next IT, he helped create some of the earliest commercially successful automated conversational applications in the conversational AI space and has been a significant influence on Next IT products and strategic direction. Ian Beaver is now the Lead Research Engineer at Next IT. Ian has been at the center of cutting-edge AI research since 2005, publishing and presenting discoveries in the field of AI. His research on human-computer interactions including gesture recognition, applications for real-time user preference learning, and detecting and preventing miscommunication with multi-modal automated assistants are essential reading for AI developers. Ian holds a BS and MS in computer science and will complete his doctorate at the University of New Mexico in 2017. As a software engineer, Cynthia Freeman will be joining existing team members and work on key conversational analysis tools for the company. Cynthia is working on completing her doctorate in computer science at the University of New Mexico researching causal structure learning, classifier combination for heterogeneous scoring methods, and data mining. She has contributed to 5 publications in the last two years, including one in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), the top conference in AI. Previously, she obtained her MS in Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington and a BS in Mathematics from Gonzaga University. To remain a major player in Artificial Intelligence centered applications, especially in human language understanding and conversation management, requires the assembly of top quality computer scientists. With Dumoulin, Beaver, and Freeman, as well as other quality software engineers, Next IT has created such a cohort, explained Luger. It is exciting and fun to be a technical advisor for Next IT, building quality software that is changing human computer communication. George Luger, Next ITs new technology advisor, has been a Professor at the University of New Mexico Computer Science Department since 1979. A storied figure in artificial intelligence, George brings unparalleled expertise and a decades-long track record of innovation. His two master's degrees are in pure and applied mathematics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, with a dissertation focusing on the computational modeling of human-problem solving performance in the tradition of Allen Newell and Herbert Simon. His AI book, Artificial Intelligence: Structures and Strategies for Complex Problem Solving (Addison-Wesley 2008) is now in its sixth edition. To learn more about Next IT, please visit: http://nextit.com/ About Next IT Next IT is the provider of conversational AI for the Global 5000. We propel businesses into the intelligence revolution with AI technologies that are enterprise ready on day one. Our customers and strategic partners use our technology to build business-first AI solutions that put them a step ahead of their competition. By combining a proven cognitive platform with an advanced toolset spanning NLP, NLG and conversation analysis, we ensure that every enterprise succeeds with AI now and in the future. Next IT is headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Next IT. Where AI Means Business. http://www.nextit.com Wedding MBA in partnership with The Knot Having an opportunity to share collaborative strategies that can assist planners in creating a more inclusive experience for their couples and guests is huge Travelers Q has secured an exhibitor spot at the Wedding MBA Convention, which will take place October 2-4, 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The popular convention for wedding professionals is one of the most widely attended in the industry and is expected to draw in approximately 4,000 attendees, including caterers, photographers, officiants, deejays, videographers, bakers, florists and wedding planners. We are thrilled to join the network of Wedding MBA, said Adrianne Phillips, owner and CEO of Travelers Q. And we are looking forward to connecting with other professionals in the wedding industry to create lasting partnerships. In addition to being able to connect with hundreds of wedding planners to discuss their clients travel needs, the staff from Travelers Q will also have the opportunity to attend over 120 business seminars during the convention, on pertinent topics like branding, communication, marketing and sales techniques. Having an opportunity to share collaborative strategies that can assist planners in creating a more inclusive experience for their couples and guests is huge, said Phillips. I believe in supporting our clients and maximizing our strategic partnerships through education. There is a lot of upside for them! Travelers Q will also be taking a trip this month to explore one of the most romantic, all-inclusive beach resorts in Cancun - Secrets Maroma Beach. Hidden away on a pristine beach, this five-diamond resort is one of Travelers Qs preferred partners. Its also a popular destination for both newlywed couples and those planning a destination wedding. Secrets Maroma Beach is an exquisite location for couples to tie the knot in luxurious style or to relax after the big event is over, said Phillips. We look forward to revisiting this resort as we coordinate the next destination wedding for one of our fabulous couples. Secrets has been a preferred partner for the last 5 years, and we're exciting to partner in creating another incredible guest experience. About Travelers Q Travelers Q is a full-service travel management agency specializing in domestic travel planning for businesses and event planners. With services including event sourcing, event travel management, on-site support and assistance with event technology, they go above and beyond to provide clients with an exceptional experience. For more information on Travelers Q, visit http://www.travelersq.com. Media Contact: Adrianne Phillips Travelers Q 302-660-3680 admin(at)travelersq(dot)com 2017 WWCMA Annual Conference The 2017 WWCMA Annual Conference agenda is brimming with over twenty employer speakers and panelists ready to share practical and relevant advice to attendees", states Niraj Jetly, WWCMA Education and Events Co-Chair. The Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) has announced the final agenda and speakers for the Sixth Annual WWCMA Conference. The conference will take place Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The 2017 conference theme is Establishing a Culture of Health: Supportive Wellness Strategies to Measure, Engage and Inspire and will feature keynote speakers Dariush Mozaffarian, Cardiologist, Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition and Medicine and Dean of Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; and Tad Mitchell, President and CEO of WellRight. Attendees will have full access to an innovative lineup of sessions led by expert speakers and employer panelists with real-life case studies. Sample topics and sessions include: Establishing a culture of health Employee engagement strategies Unique challenges faced by wellness programs Wellness that sticks: the power of a group learning and accountability model Creative incentivizing: success stories from the trenches The evolution of wellness The 2017 WWCMA Annual Conference agenda is brimming with over twenty employer speakers and panelists ready to share practical and relevant advice to attendees", states Niraj Jetly, WWCMA Education and Events Co-Chair. The WWCMA wellness conference is a must-attend event for employer wellness leaders and implementers who want to share their best practices, success stories, and ideas on creating employee well-being. Over 300 employers, worksite health promotion professionals, and human resource professionals will come together to learn and collaborate at one of the premier event locations in the state. Over forty worksite wellness product and service providers will be exhibiting for the day. Register today! Early bird rate in effect until July 31, 2017. About WWCMA The Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) is the preeminent, independent, and objective resource for health promotion in the workplace. A 501c3 not-for-profit member organization, WWCMA champions wellness programs that help employers encourage healthy employees, healthy families, and healthy communities across the Commonwealth. The council provides networking, education, tools, and other resources to help employers cultivate and sustain a culture of health and wellness for employees and their families. Visit us at wwcma.org and follow us @WorkWellMass. The Largest Annual Muslim Convention in Europe The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Over 30,000 Muslims will gather to listen to keynote addresses from Caliph on 28 30 July Britains biggest annual Muslim convention in Hampshire will see Muslims pledge peace and loyalty to Britain With the memory of the recent terror attacks in London and Manchester still fresh in the minds of Britons, the timing of Britains biggest annual Muslim convention could not be better. Tens of thousands of Ahmadiyya Muslims are gathering in a field in Hampshire to take a pledge of peace and loyalty, a pledge that goes back more than 100 years and has been a cornerstone in the communitys history of peace. Attendees will form a human chain which will be televised live around the world so that a virtual global chain of Ahmadiyya Muslims unite to reaffirm their commitment against violence. The pledge to be taken at the three-day event, 28th to 30th July, is taken annually but the terror attacks give it added resonance. In pledging allegiance to the peaceful teachings of Islam, and to abide by the conditions of being members of the Ahmadiyya Muslims Community, members commit to inflict no harm on any of Gods creatures; keep away from disorder and rebellion and every kind of evil; and having sympathy for all Gods creatures, and to devote their talents for their welfare. At the 51st Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, taking place in the countryside near Alton, Hampshire, the Caliph (worldwide spiritual Head), of the community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, will urge Muslims to follow the true teachings of Islam. His Holiness has repeatedly emphasised Islams commitment to peace, saying: To truly love God and Islam requires a person to love his nation. It is quite clear, therefore, that there can be no conflict of interest between a persons love for God, and love for his country. As love for ones country has been made a part of Islam, it is quite clear that a Muslim must strive to reach the highest standards of loyalty to his chosen country, because that is a means of reaching God and becoming close to Him. The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Let it be clear that they are not practicing Islam, rather it seems as though they have invented their own hate-filled and poisonous religion. Rafiq Hayat, UK President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said Ahmadi Muslims were united with all those who stood for peace, humanity and justice. He added: We are entrusted to spread the true message of Islam as a religion of peace and of salvation and to counter divisiveness and extremism. There is no compulsion in religion and a fundamental aspect of Islamic belief is that people are free to choose their path in life. Therefore, extremism is completely contrary to the very core of our belief. The reality is that much of the conflict we see today is politically motivated but is promoted under the guise of religion by extremists with their own vested interests. It is vital that Muslims do not allow the pristine purity of our faith to be sullied by the atrocities perpetrated in the name of this religion of peace. The Annual Convention will provide a unique platform for us to promote this message from Hampshire to the rest of the world. MEDIA CONTACTS Basharat Nazir E: media(at)ahmadiyya.org.uk Tel 07703 483 384 Mahmood Rafiq E: Mahmood.Rafiq(at)ahmadiyya.org.uk Tel 07971 060 962 Twitter hashtag #JalsaUK http://www.LoveForAllHatredForNone.org http://www.UnitedAgainstExtremism.com Fonolo, the leader in cloud-based call-back solutions for the contact center, has released its latest vlog series, Airlines: Are You Going the Distance for Passengers? for #GetToKnowYourCustomersDay. The interviews uncover customer frustrations when dealing with airlines, and share honest opinions from millennial flyers about how the industry needs disruption to inspire change. The 2017 American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Report revealed that, although airlines are making strides to improve on-time arrivals, in-flight meals, and lost baggage, competition in the airline space is still limited, and passengers have come to accept the experiences they get good or bad. Therefore, greater discussion around improving the customer experience may open the gateway for budget carries to enter the space and take the market share away from legacy airlines who have struggled to make adjustments. To better understand what this new generation of passengers are looking for in an airline, watch Airlines: Are You Going the Distance for Passengers? on Fonolos YouTube channel. Quotes For me, I always try to choose the same airlines when Im flying, because of their customer service, I just know which ones are better. Alessandra Castro, Age 23 I would choose an airline for customer service and pay extra for it. Charlie McMahan, Age 25 9 out of 10 times, I end up having to go to the kiosk with the attendant after going through the self-service check-in and starting all over again. Nicolina Savelli, Age 28 I really dread doing any airline related task through the phone just because its notoriously difficult. Garon La, Age 28 High customer effort is ailing the airline industry. Large carriers must be willing to match price with better service and a more streamlined customer experience or risk losing the future generation of frequent flyers. About Fonolo Fonolo, the leader in cloud-based call-back solutions, has revolutionized the way contact centers interact with customers through web, mobile, and voice. The companys patented call-back technology empowers customers with an innovative alternative to waiting on hold. Fonolos award-winning solutions are trusted by a growing list of call centers who aim to enhance the customer experience. From Fortune 500 companies to SMBs, Fonolo is valued by customers for its scalability, expertise, and proven ROI. Visit fonolo.com to learn how your call center can reduce abandonment rates, smooth out call volume spikes, and lower costs. As they say: safety is job one and we strongly believe in that principle. So I am proud to accept this AAAASF accreditation on behalf of our whole team here at Beverly Hills Center, stated Dr. Talei. Dr. Ben Talei of The Beverly Hills Center for Plastic and Laser Surgery has again demonstrated top commitment to patient safety by gaining a prestigious accreditation from The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF). The AAAASF standardizes and improves the quality of medical and surgical care in outpatient facilities and assure the public that patient safety is top priority in an accredited facility. It is one of the largest not-for-profit accrediting organizations in the United States, and requires 100 percent compliance with all accreditation standards, which includes rigorous inspection of the outpatient surgery facility. Dr. Taleis surgical center in Beverly Hills has successfully passed strict criteria in categories ranging from operating room environment and general safety to medical records, personnel and anesthesia. As they say: safety is job one and we strongly believe in that principle. So I am proud to accept this AAAASF accreditation on behalf of our whole team here at Beverly Hills Center," stated Dr. Talei. Dr. Ben Talei performs an expansive list of procedures in his state-of-the-art surgical center. He is a dual board certified and fellowship trained facial plastic surgeon with elite skill in minimal downtime facelift procedures, rhinoplasty, male plastic surgery, eyelid lifts, and more. Dr. Talei is a highly-awarded physician who is known for his patient-centered approach and natural-looking results in cosmetic surgery as well as complex reconstructive surgery for the face and neck. About Dr. Ben Talei: A native of California, Dr. Benjamin Talei graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Physiological Sciences. He received his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Talei then went on to complete his residency training in Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University and Cornell University Medical Centers, New York Presbyterian Hospital. Following his residency program, Dr. Talei became one of the only surgeons in the country to complete two separate fellowships in Facial & Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery including a fellowship at the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York. In addition, Dr. Talei is a respected author, speaker and humanitarian. If you would like to get more information about Dr. Ben Talei or his plastic and reconstructive surgery centers, please visit their website at http://www.beverlyhillscenter.com or call (310) 288-0641 The DSB's review was commissioned to help farmers be aware of all the various regulations and multiple agencies that are involved in the business of agriculture. The results demonstrate that Delaware farmers work in a highly-regulated environment. The web of regulations touch nearly every facet of farming operations today. A new study of farm regulations by the Delaware Soybean Board (DSB) has revealed that farmers are required to comply with more than 120 separate regulations to operate an agricultural business in the First State. The results demonstrate that Delaware farmers work in a highly-regulated environment, stated Jay Baxter, chairman of the board and farmer from Georgetown. The web of regulations touch nearly every facet of farming operations today. The review was commissioned to help farmers be aware of all the various regulations and multiple agencies that are involved in the business of agriculture. It has been posted on the DSB website. A compilation of federal, state and county regulations which directly or indirectly relate to a farm operation, the report lists regulations by subject and agency. Multiple agencies have jurisdiction over various parts of a farm operation, including the departments of Agriculture, Finance, Environmental Protection Agency, Transportation, Motor Vehicles, Labor, Land Use Planning & Zoning, Natural Resources & Environmental Control, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, and Motor Carrier Safety Administration. We strive to continually improve the way we farm and comply with all the rules, continued Baxter. With so many statutes and so many agencies involved at the federal, state and local level, it is time consuming and difficult to track. We wanted to provide our farmers a reference of regulations to do some of that work for them. Delaware farmers plant about 180,000 acres of soybeans each year, and the crop generates approximately $60 million in value to the state. Delawares agricultural industry contributes about $8 billion per year to the Delaware economy. The Delaware Soybean Board consists of nine farmer-directors and the Secretary of Agriculture. Funded through a one-half of one percent assessment on the net market value of soybeans at their first point of sale, the checkoff works with partners in the value chain to identify and capture opportunities that increase farmer profit potential. One-half of the soybean checkoff assessments collected by the state boards are forwarded to the United Soybean Board. About Delaware Soybean Board: The Delaware Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Delaware for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Delaware Soybean Board, visit http://www.desoybeans.org. Over 26% of College Students Binge Drink on a Regular Basis We wanted to offer parents an affordable, effective and ongoing way to teach their children about the risks associated with binge drinking. DrinkingTutors.com, a subscription-based tutoring company, has launched an innovative tutorial service that helps parents prevent binge drinking on college campuses. They do this by providing high school and college students with a simple, convenient and continuous drinking-focused education. The problem is that most young adults are never taught how to drink responsibly, says Will Franklin, DrinkingTutors.coms CEO. They move from their parents house, where drinking alcohol is forbidden and done in secret, to college, where drinking is celebrated and done in the open, with only a basic appreciation for the risks associated with binge drinking. This may explain why, according to the Center for Disease Control, over 26% of college students binge drink on a regular basis. The solution, according to DrinkingTutors.com, is to provide high school and college students with a drinking-focused education. They do this by mailing drinking-focused tutorials, or drinktorials,' directly to students homes every week. The 'drinktorials' feature interviews with different subject matter experts, including emergency medical technicians (EMTs), bartenders, young professionals and college students. The interviews are designed to be both educational and motivational, highlighting the serious risks associated with binge drinking, as well as the various techniques people use to drink in a healthy, responsible way. Each drinktorial also comes with a weekly planner that can be used to write down drinking- and health-related goals. We wanted to offer parents an affordable, effective and ongoing way to teach their children about the risks associated with binge drinking, claims Franklin. The offer is timely, as binge drinking in American colleges and universities has evolved into a public health crisis. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), every year approximately 1,825 college students die from unintentional alcohol-related injuries, 696,000 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking, 97,000 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape, and about 599,000 are injured while under the influence of alcohol. The Center for Disease Control also warns of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, memory and learning problems, and alcoholism as consequences of binge drinking. About DrinkingTutors.com: DrinkingTutors.com is a subscription-based tutoring company that helps parents prevent binge drinking on college campuses. Their weekly, drinking-focused tutorials provide high school and college students with a simple, convenient and continuous drinking-focused education. Visit https://drinkingtutors.com/ to learn more, or to order a subscription. Gwen Wade is a rock star in this industry. Her customer service skills are amazing. She is top-notch and that is why we wanted her to run ESCALATE Workspace ESCALATE Workspace today proudly announces the hire of Gwen Wade. Wade will serve as general manager of a recently opened, state-of-the-art business center. The innovative workspace is located in Katy, Texas and features 51 private offices, four meeting spaces and more than 600 square feet of co-working space. With over 20 years of experience in delivering world class client support to the serviced office industry, Wade was handpicked by the ESCALATE leadership team to serve as general manager. Conveniently located on the Katy Freeway, in the Katy Ranch Crossing business development, ESCALATE Workspace is transforming the business climate in Katy, Texas. In order to ensure the success of the concept, the ESCALATE Workspace ownership group recognized the need to hire talent from within the serviced office industry. In doing so, they called upon former Abby Executive Suites President, and CEO and Board Member of the Global Workspace Association, William Edmundson, to assist in the development and execution of the project. As the founder of Edmundson Hospitality, Edmundson brings with him years of experience in the space. Together, Edmundson and the ESCALATE Workspace ownership group, personally selected Wade for the position of general manager for their first and flagship location. For more than two decades, Gwen Wade has established a reputation as a leader in the serviced office space industry. She has made a career of building and nurturing relationships through an unparalleled level of client service and professionalism. During her decorated career, Wade has managed business centers for regional and international organizations. Her keen understanding of the hybrid serviced office environment, positions Wade as the ideal candidate for the position. Gwen Wade is a rock star in this industry. Her customer service skills are amazing. She is top-notch and that is why we wanted her to run ESCALATE Workspace," said industry expert and former Abby Executive Suite CEO William L. Edmundson. I cant express how excited I am about ESCALATE Workspace and the opportunity to bring a top-notch facility to my home town of Katy, said Gwen Wade, General Manager of ESCALATE Workspace. When you look at the concept, ESCALATE takes the best business address in the area and offers beautifully appointed private offices, dedicated co-working and state of the art meeting rooms. Even better, we are a locally owned company that believes in customer service. When you are at ESCALATE, we treat you like you deserve to be treated! Having officially opened just last month, ESCALATE Workspace is already making its mark within the local business community. Offering flexible office solutions including private office space, dedicated co-working spaces, meeting rooms, virtual office services, administrative support and more, local professionals are already proudly calling ESCALATE home. Under the management and professional direction of Gwen Wade, ESCALATE Workspace is poised to transform the serviced office space and co-working market in and around Katy, Texas. Watch for more exciting announcements from ESCALATE Workspace, in the coming months, as they continue to set the standard for excellence in client service and workspace innovation. ABOUT ESCALATE WORKSPACE A full-service provider of Katy Texas office space solutions, ESCALATE Workspace caters to a growing community of business leaders. The state-of-the-art ESCALATE business center, offers a host of flexible solutions including: co-working space, meeting rooms, private office suites, virtual office solutions and more. If you would like to learn more about ESCALATE Workspace, visit them online at http://www.ESCALATEworkspace.com or call 281-394-5678. ABOUT EDMUNDSON HOSPITALITY With over 25 years of experience leading service and franchise organizations in the executive office suites, hospitality and software industries, William Edmundson has earned a reputation as a leader in the space. After leading two service industry companies to profitable sales, William made the strategic decision to establish Edmundson Hospitality. Today Edmundson Hospitality offering a host of services including formulating business strategies, creating, developing and launching brands, building brand equity, improving the customer experience, developing profitable new concepts and more. If you would like to learn more about Edmundson Hospitality, visit them online at http://www.edmundsonhospitality.com or call 301-653-0506. Theatre Play Travelers, Ambassadors of Peace Government leaders, representatives from international organizations, cultural arts experts, literary masters and social media influencers, will convene in Tangier, Morocco on November 2017 (9-12) to discuss the universal benefits of world travel inspired by the vision of Ibn Battuta. An initiative by the civil society, the associations festival theme Travelers, the Ambassadors of Peace underlines the need to promote the culture of traveling as an effective means to carry out peace, tolerance, universal values and intercultural understanding. A persons travel experience increases mutual understanding amongst people living in diverse cultural backgrounds. Mohamed Dekkak, the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battutas Honorary Chairman, expressed, The International Festival of Ibn Battuta will serve as a platform for the international community to interact and exchange dialogue with utmost mutual respect and to assesstourisms potential for peace making. The city of Tangier will welcome a large numberof foreign and domestic visitors joining the celebration. Exhibiting the flavors of participating countries based on arts and culture, the event is a great opportunity to experience the abundance and rewards of world traveling. Aziz Benami, the Association President, asserts, Through cultural events like this, we intend to continue to advocate the culture of traveling aligned with the values inspired by Ibn Battuta. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF IBN BATTUTA The 2nd edition of the International Festival of Ibn Battuta, an official event of the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta will address this years theme, Travelers, the Ambassadors of Peace. The event features interesting social events, notable speakers in the fields of travel, culture, and arts. Furthermore, it also provides an opportunity for travel and cultural arts community to share experiences and practices, converge and network among local and international industry partners. The festival honors Ibn Battutas legacy and relives the journey he undertook seven centuries ago. PRESS CONTACT: Email - media(at)ibnbattuta.ma Website - https://ibnbattuta.ma/ San Mateo County Planning Ahead for Smart City Infrastructure The Shared Fiber Network has the same potential impact as the historic rail systems, telegraphs and interstates did on our communities by facilitating modern communication, commerce and travel. It is a privilege to partner with San Mateo County San Francisco Bay Area IT Consultant Planning for Smarter Infrastructure Smart Cities are coming to your neighborhood, and Eaton & Associates - a leading Enterprise IT Service Provider - is helping local governments move this trend forward in the San Francisco Bay Area. Eaton & Associates in partnership with San Mateo County and cities within have begun laying the groundwork to connect each municipality with a dedicated Shared Fiber Network (SFN) which will be the driving force facilitating local governments building Smart Cities. In partnership with San Mateo County, Eaton & Associates is playing a pivotal role as an IT consultant planning the technology architecture, design, and implementation. San Mateo County is an epicenter of technological advancement and the headquarters to many of the most impactful technology companies in the world. Its no surprise that the county is leading the charge on an initiative such as this, working to keep cities competitive, modern, and able to pool resources together making our community stronger. Eaton & Associates is honored to be a strategic partner with San Mateo County and cities participating in the Shared Fiber Network project. Based in Burlingame, California, Eaton & Associates has partnered with diverse companies, non-profits, City and County governments since 1989 to develop IT solutions to difficult and complex problems. The Shared Fiber Network has the same potential impact as the historic rail systems, telegraphs and interstates did on our communities by facilitating modern communication, commerce and travel. It is a privilege to partner with San Mateo County on such a far-reaching initiative. - John Eaton, President of Eaton & Associates The momentum behind Smart Cities is quickly gaining traction. The race to modernize virtual infrastructure and provide high-speed connectivity will be a critical part of preparing cities to handle the barrage of internet connected devices that the public will demand and expect going forward. Increased connected device demand such as the adoption of the IoT (Internet of Things), has made the concept of a Shared Fiber Network a necessity for cities looking ahead to the not so distant future. Seek IT Consulting to Help Your City Plan for a Smart Future Is your city ready to start planning for secure high speed connectivity or are you interested in connecting to the already established network currently being built in your area? Eaton & Associates Bay Area IT consultant can help guide you through the process including design, implementation, and maintenance. Contact us today to learn more about Smart Cities and the technology you need to power it. Eaton & Associates, founded in San Francisco in 1989, provides Enterprise IT Services & Products to a wide range of clients, including Government, Commercial, Small and Medium Business, and Non-Profit Organizations. Services include Professional IT Services, Consulting, Project Management, Out-Sourced Operational Support, IT Staffing and Procurement Services. Visit http://www.eatonassoc.com for more details. Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. I Lived On Parker Avenue is a testament to the power and beauty of adoption. Seeing something like this reminds us of why we do what we do. I encourage everyone to go watch the films trailer and support the film. Past News Releases RSS Attorney Steve Kirsh Examines Law... Attorney Steve Kirsh Examines... Attorney Steve Kirsh Helping to... Adoption attorneys at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. are celebrating I Lived on Parker Avenue, a short documentary film that details the reunion story of David Scotton, whose adoption was arranged by the firm in 1993, and his birth parents nearly twenty years later. The films trailer was recently released, and the full film is slated for release in March 2018. I Lived On Parker Avenue is a testament to the power and beauty of adoption, said Steve Kirsh, founder of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., who has over thirty-five years experience as an adoption attorney. Seeing something like this reminds us of why we do what we do. I encourage everyone to go watch the films trailer and support the film. Davids birth parents lived in Indiana, and his adoptive parents lived, and still reside, in New Orleans. In 2011, Davids birth mother reached out to Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., expressing interest in having contact with David, who was then a college student (he is now in law school). After David and his family agreed to contact, Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., facilitated the exchange of information. After the exchange of information, David and his birth family began communicating and planned to meet in 2013, added Kirsh. A New Orleans-based director filmed the first-time meeting between David and his birth family. The reunion turned into the 31-minute short documentary. I was amazed at the quality of the film. It really feels like you are actually there for the reunion, said Joel Kirsh, another attorney at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. For more information about the film, please visit http://www.ILivedOnParkerAve.com. Donations to support the release of the film can be made at http://www.ilivedonparkerave.com/#donateb-section. About Steve Kirsh, Adoption Attorney at Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. Steve Kirsh has practiced adoption law in Indiana for over 35 years. Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C. adoption lawyers serve prospective adoptive parents throughout Indiana and from around the country in all aspects of the adoption process. It also offers free assistance for birth mothers every step of the way as they consider placing their babies for adoption. For more information, please call (800) 333-5736, or visit http://www.indianaadoption.com. The law office is located at 2930 E 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240. 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. Visit madrivodigital.com for more information We believe working with proactive partners like Madrivo is critical to keeping the industry safe for all players. Madrivo Digital, a leading video ad exchange, announced today that it has dramatically strengthened its fraud protection capabilities. The company recently added a leading fraud protection platform, Forensiq, to its real-time fraud quality measurements methodologies in order to reduce the chances that fraudulent traffic will be delivered to its advertisers. Madrivo Digital signed on with Forensiq in order to improve the quality of its clients online advertising campaigns with Forensiqs post bid anti-fraud solution. This solution is an additional protection layer to the Protected Media tool that Madrivo has been using to monitor suspicious traffic since the beginning of the year. Both services help secure maximum return on investment for online advertising budgets. Madrivo is ranked among the fifteen fastest-growing private marketing companies in the US by Inc 5000 as a result of their ability to provide high performing digital campaigns. Offering anti-fraud solutions to clients through companies like Forensiq contribute to the quality and consistency that earned such a prestigious ranking. Idan Miller, General Manager of Madrivo Digital, commented on the decision to work with this vendor, stating, Ad fraud has expanded to include diverse and sophisticated methods of deception that can burn through advertiser's budgets. With their sophisticated technologies, combined with precise granular reporting, Forensiqs IVT solution provides us with our best form of defense against fraudulent traffic, enabling us to bring better value to our customers. "We are extremely pleased that Madrivo has chosen Forensiq to provide a comprehensive layer of defense on behalf of their clients. We believe working with proactive partners like Madrivo is critical to keeping the industry safe for all players," said David Sendroff, Founder & CEO of Forensiq. ABOUT MADRIVO Madrivo is an integrated online media firm that has quickly gained recognition as a leader in affiliate marketing and lead generation. Madrivo offers an unparalleled value proposition to both advertisers and publishers thanks to its impressive analytics, high compliance standards, and the quality and volume of exclusive media in its networks. Our video advertising exchange provides demand partners with a wide array of video ad solutions that create a relevant and compelling experience for viewers. We leverage RTB and non-RTB programmatic buying and selling methods to target consumers, optimize campaign performance, and maximize returns. About Forensiq Forensiq, an Impact Radius company, is a fraud detection platform that has developed a series of industry leading solutions to fight online click, conversion, and ad fraud. The firm combines the latest technology with a dedicated team of fraud fighters who are obsessed with helping clients stay steps ahead of bad actors and maximize ROI. Forensiq has joined forces with Impact Radius to create the world's first marketing system of record with built-in fraud detection. Forensiq was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in New York City with offices in London and Silicon Valley. The company has won three LeadsCouncil LEADER Awards, including Best-In-Class for Fraud Detection as well as DM News Most Innovative Marketing Tech to Watch. To learn more, visit http://www.forensiq.com. Minuteman Press franchise owners are set to come together to learn about the latest technologies and trends in the modern printing industry. The theme of this year's World Expo is Building Tomorrow Together. Minuteman Press franchise owners will come together to learn about the latest technologies and trends in the modern printing industry. Past News Releases RSS Minuteman Press Owner Mark Calis... Minuteman Press Franchise in... Minuteman Press Franchise Review:... Minuteman Press International is gearing up to welcome its franchise owners from around the world to their 2017 World Expo being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida from Wednesday, July 26 through Saturday, July 29. The 2017 World Expo includes speakers, seminars, a full vendor/trade show, a gala awards dinner, and much more. The theme of this year's World Expo is Building Tomorrow Together. Minuteman Press franchise owners will come together to learn about the latest technologies and trends in the modern printing industry. The trade show will allow owners to meet with suppliers and vendors and speak with them about their latest offerings and how they can help their business. There is also a stellar lineup of guest speakers and break out seminars that will enable franchisees to gain crucial knowledge that they can take back home and implement to further enhance their business. In addition, the 2017 World Expo includes the President's Panel Discussion, where owners can ask questions to their fellow franchisees (across different experience levels) who were handpicked to offer their advice and insights. The World Expo then concludes on Saturday with the celebratory Gala Awards Dinner celebration, which is the perfect way to cap off such an impressive event. The team at Minuteman Press International looks forward to seeing all of their attending owners, friends, vendors, and industry colleagues in Orlando! For more information on Minuteman Press graphic design, marketing, printing, and promotional products and services, visit http://www.minutemanpress.com To learn more about Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and access over 80 owner testimonials and Minuteman Press franchise reviews, visit http://www.minutemanpressfranchise.com A divided Wisconsin public lands board on Tuesday approved a purchase of new property for the first time in more than two years as Republicans clashed over conservative principles and accusations of dishonesty. The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands voted 2-1 to buy nearly 1,000 acres, with GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel joining the boards lone Democratic member against fellow Republican state Treasurer Matt Adamczyk. Schimel said the land in Oneida County connects smaller, isolated parcels already owned by the board to create a larger bloc that will be more accessible and attractive to loggers, resulting in increased revenue from timber sales to BCPL funds that support libraries and colleges. But Adamczyk insisted government land acquisition was contrary to conservative principles and that some among the Republicans who control the Legislature were planning to authorize more profitable investment options. Schimel rebuked Adamczyk several times during the meeting, including when the treasurer questioned the constitutionality of BCPL land buys. The state Constitution empowers the Legislature to pass laws like the 2006 statute that allows the agency to purchase real estate, Schimel said. You cant keep throwing around constitutional duty without accurately defining what our constitutional duty is, Schimel said. Youre wrong. Dead wrong. Schimel also echoed the BCPLs top administrator, Jonathan Barry, in accusing Adamczyk of stirring political turmoil with erroneous public statements. You havent made an honest debate, Mr. Treasurer, you havent, Schimel said. And when Adamczyk complained that Barry had criticized him in a Wisconsin State Journal article, Schimel told the treasurer he had it coming because of the way he has treated agency staff. Youve asked for it, Schimel said. The abuse you have heaped on them (BCPL employees) behind the scenes and in public, you deserve it. After the meeting Adamczyk said he stood by his statements about land purchases and his stance that BCPL staff should be cut back and their duties assigned to other agencies. When you push for change, the staff arent going to be appreciative, Adamczyk said, adding that Schimel seems to just want to maintain the status quo. A change in culture Both Schimel and Adamczyk were elected in 2014. Their posts automatically place them on the public lands board. Within months after taking office they halted BCPL acquisitions amid complaints from conservative lawmakers that the state owned too much land. Schimel and Adamczyk drew widespread attention when they also banned BCPL staff members from doing work related to climate change. By July of 2015, Adamczyks relentless questioning and criticism of BCPL administrator Tia Nelson, the liberal daughter of Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, led to her resignation. Adamczyk has called BCPL land purchases environmental activism, and maintained the board could earn more income by selling off property and investing the money in stocks, although that isnt allowed under current law. Thats among the statements that Barry said is untrue. Barry faulted Adamczyk for citing hypothetical stock purchases. Mr. Adamczyk for whatever reason has got his political ideology getting in the way of his fiduciary responsibility to the board and the educational constituents we serve, Barry said in an interview Monday. Loggers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to cut timber on BCPL land. The money is one of several streams of investment income the board uses to provide financial support to local libraries and college programs. The three-member board was created by the state Constitution. The panels third member is also an official elected statewide, the secretary of state, currently Doug La Follette, a Democrat. The Legislature voted in 2006 to give the BCPL clear authority to use proceeds of land sales to acquire new timber land that increased productivity of agency holdings. Smoldering resentment Tuesdays clash had been brewing for weeks. Last month, after Adamczyk issued a press release railing against BCPL land grabs, the agency administrator shot back. What I have difficulty accepting is the manner in which virtually every assertion you put forth in this release is untruthful, unfounded or purposefully misleading, Barry wrote in the June 29 email to Adamczyk. Barry added that Adamczyks statements appear calculated to be gratuitously damaging to this very agency. BCPLs land purchases are not in direct opposition to the simple constitutional mission of the BCPL and you know this, Barry said in the email quoting an Adamczyk release. A decades-long Republican and former Dane County executive, Barry said it was the first time he has publicly criticized one of his bosses. Ive never said (anything like) that to a board member in my life in business or in government, Barry said. Toward improved value The BCPL was formed to make use of vast tracts of land granted to the state in the 1800s by the federal government. The board soon sold much of the most desirable acreage with the proceeds going to investment funds. Large portions of the land the board still owns has little value because it is under water, not accessible by roads, or in small parcels that are inefficient to log, Barry said. The BCPL buys land adjacent to small parcels it owns to create larger blocs that are more attractive to logging operations and that are accessible, he said. While Republican lawmakers have long questioned state land buying, the 2006 law allowed BCPL purchases of land that meet at least one of several criteria. Barry said the Oneida County purchase would meet all the criteria. Under the law, BCPL bought about $14.6 million in productive timberland before Schimel and Adamczyk took office. During the same period, the agency sold $18.1 million worth of unproductive lands, leaving it with 2,572 fewer acres than in 2006, Barry said. In the 15 years prior to passage of the 2006 law, BCPL annually sold an average of 3.1 million board feet of timber for $275,000. After the law passed and the agency began making acquisitions that created larger, more profitable blocs of land, the average has been 5 million board feet and $656,000, Barry said. Over the last 30 years, timber land has appreciated in value more than many other investments, so it makes sense to keep such properties as part of the larger investment portfolio, Barry said. Adamczyk ran for office on a pledge to support the positions elimination, a proposal that will go to voters in April. Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to indicate how long Jonathan Barry has been a Republican. You, keep doubting me, people. I know Long Island aint doubting me. But these other people around the world keep doubting me. I dare you - Chris Weidman Monster Energys Chris The All American Weidman defeated Kelvin Gastelum via submission in the main event at UFC on Fox 25 at NYCB Live at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. After losing three consecutive fights the former UFC middleweight champion, Weidman, (14-3 MMA 10-3 UFC) was able to turn things around in front of his hometown crowd after he finished Gastelum by an arm-triangle choke at 3:45 of the third round, and had something to say to his fans and the naysayers. You, keep doubting me, people, said Weidman. I know Long Island aint doubting me. But these other people around the world keep doubting me. I dare you. A calm and composed Weidman was in control for most of the first round beating Gastelum in both standup with kicks and jabs, and a successful takedown with a deep Kimura, but Gastelum escaped and stole the round with a wicked left hand that put Weidman on the canvas. With just seconds to go Weidman grabbed Gastelums leg and was saved by the bell. For the second round Weidman secured another takedown and took control of Gastelums back, outwrestling him and smothering him on the mat. Gastelum came out strong in the third and let loose a series of punches, but Weidman remained patient and slowly picked apart Gastelum until he got him on the ground and worked into position for his winning arm triangle forcing Gastelum to tap and finish the fight in his hometown arena. Whats next for Weidman now that he is back in the win column? He will need to at least one more top-level middleweight fight before he can reclaim his title. Perhaps a fight with Ronaldo Souza is in the cards? Regardless, Weidman can go into his next fight with less pressure now that he has finally redeemed himself after a three-fight losing streak. Chris The All American Weidman is amongst Monster Energys elite UFC athletes along with Conor The Notorious McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Donald Cowboy Cerrone, Dominick Dominator Cruz, Jon Bones Jones, Tyron The Chosen One Woodley, Paige VanZant, Cain Velasquez and Yair Rodriquez. For more on Weidman and Monster Energys MMA athletes visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Monster Energy Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, its the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com. The class is a good match for a variety of disciplinesthose interested in facial anatomy, sculpting, law enforcement investigation and general interest, said forensic artist Roy Paschal. Aspiring crime scene investigators and those interested in art can take the Techniques of Facial Reconstruction course at Tulane School of Professional Advancement from July 24-29 and earn three hours of undergraduate credit. In conjunction with the Southern Institute of Forensic Science, this weeklong course is returning to Tulanes Uptown Campus for a second year and will be taught by Roy Paschal, a well-known forensic artist, retired from the South Carolina State Crime Laboratory. The class is a good match for a variety of disciplinesthose interested in facial anatomy, sculpting, law enforcement investigation and general interest, Paschal said. All majors are invited to take part in this innovative summer course with last years class roster including students in applied degree programs for fine art, criminal justice, homeland security and nursing. For those looking to go back to college, the course is also open to the public and no prior sculpturing experience is required. Students will have the method they see on popular crime television dramas at their fingertips as they learn the 3-D technique of facial reconstruction. This process allows a face to be constructed using modeling clay. A skull casting from an actual forensic case will be used for the class. At the conclusion of the course, students will be provided with a real photograph of the victim to determine the accuracy of their reconstruction. Law enforcement often uses this technique as a method to identify unknown individuals. Museums have also used this method for historical recreations. This facial reconstruction process has been used in displays at Jamestown, as well as for reconstructions of soldiers from Custers Last Stand, King Tut, Ivan the Terrible, Mozart and Francisco Pizarro. One of Roy Paschals reconstructions of a Spanish conquistador is on display in the Anthropology office on Tulanes Uptown Campus. The Southern Institute of Forensic Science hopes to continue to offer this course with Tulane School of Professional Advancement and teach this technique every summer. Tuition is $1,000. For more information, contact Dr. Ed Waldrip, Executive Director of the Southern Institute of Forensic Science at edwaldrip(at)msn(dot)com or (601) 310-6531, or call Tulane School of Professional Advancement at (504) 865-555. The Uptown Campus is located at 6823 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, LA 70118. More information about the school and degree programs can be found at sopa.tulane.edu. The School of Professional Advancement offers high-quality, innovative degree and certificate programs in the humanities and in applied fields that are directly relevant to the needs and interests of working adults. The faculty, most of whom are working professionals, ensure programs stay cutting edge and relevant, helping graduates to maximize the value of their degrees. The School of Professional Advancement currently offers 26 undergraduate programs of study and four masters degree programs at its three campuses. New online courses will also be available Fall 2017. Established in March of 2011, RBV Contracting is a full-service, 8(a) certified minority and HUBZone construction contractor, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice of small businesses on President Trumps Cabinet, will meet Detroit-headquartered, minority-owned, contracting firm RBV Contracting on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. at the firms Brush Park City Modern development site, located at 263 Edmund Pl., Detroit, Mich. 48201. This trip is part of McMahons nationwide SBA Ignite Tour focused on listening to business owners; educating about SBAs services for access to capital, mentoring and federal contracting; advocating for entrepreneurs; and driving economic growth with small businesses. Media are encouraged to attend. The mission of the SBA is to help small businesses grow, create jobs and help our economy thrive. Over the next two years, I will literally be on the move, McMahon said. I want to get to know small business owners and entrepreneurs across America and learn about the obstacles they face while growing a business. I also want to encourage entrepreneurs to tap into SBA resources for start-up and growth solutions. Event speakers include SBA Administrator Linda McMahon and RBV Contracting, Inc. Vice President Jim Foucher, in addition to local small business owners and community champions. McMahon and Foucher will be available for interviews following the event. With the help of the SBA, RBV Contracting has increased its revenue by 98-percent and has grown its team to 31 employees during the past six years. The firm became HUBZone certified in March 2012 and 8(a) certified in December 2013. Since becoming certified, RBV Contracting has received three HUBZone contracts, all of which have been instrumental in the firms growth. This year, RBV was recognized as one of Michigans 50 Companies to Watch and the Government Contractor of the Year by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. We started RBV in March 2011, while the City of Detroit was in possibly its worst economic state, ever. Starting a business is a large undertaking, but starting a business in those circumstances made entrepreneurship more challenging, said RBV Contracting Vice President, Jim Foucher. The guidance and education that the Small Business Administration provided our team during our beginning phase was crucial to our long-term success. We would not be where we are today without the support of the SBA. RBV primarily looks to hire Detroit and HUBZone residents, in order to contribute to the citys comeback and to provide local jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wayne County is currently experiencing a 7.0 percent unemployment rate, which is the countys lowest rate in years. Professional and business services had the largest increase in annual employment out of all employment sectors within Detroit, adding a total of 18,400 jobs to the city since September 2015. Specifically, jobs within the technical services industry, such as RBV Contracting, added nearly 11,000 jobs to the city since September 2015, alone. This increase equates to a 5.3-percent rise in employment within the professional and business services supersector. Detroit has always held a special place in our hearts and we knew that there was no other place for our business. Part of our business strategy is to continue to invest in local talent and invest money in the local economy. Were proud to hire people who call Detroit home, said Foucher. Linda McMahon serves as the 25th administrator of the SBA and advocates on behalf of the 29 million small businesses in America. Small business owners, similar to RBV Contracting, take a risk on an idea, invest in their communities, and create jobs. Their skills and creativity not only support their own families, they also make neighborhoods vibrant places to live and work, and fuel the states, and nations, economic strength. More than 99.5-percent of businesses are categorized as small and employ nearly 50-percent of Michigans workforce, or 1.8 million people. In addition to Detroit, Mich., McMahon has visited Pittsburgh, Pa., Seattle, Wash., Portland, Ore., Anchorage, Alaska, Salt Lake City, Utah, Milwaukee, Wis., and Puerto Rico this summer while on the SBA Ignite Tour. She will tour over 60 cities in two years. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #SBAIgniteTour. For more information on RBV Contracting, visit: rbvcontracting.com. For more information on the SBA, visit: sba.gov. ### About RBV Contracting, Inc. Established in March of 2011, RBV Contracting is a full-service, 8(a) certified minority and HUBZone construction contractor, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. RBV provides a wide variety of services from construction management, site development, underground utilities, landscaping and rehabilitation for commercial, retail, governmental and industrial projects. RBV serves a growing list of federal agencies including USACE, Air Force, National Guard Bureau and GSA. To learn more about RBV, visit rbvcontracting.com. Twitter: twitter.com/RBVContracting Facebook: facebook.com/RBVContracting Instagram: instagram.com/RBVContracting About the Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. To learn more about SBA, visit sba.gov. Sources: https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/summary/blssummary_detroit.pdf https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/areaemployment_detroit.htm https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom/press-releases-media-advisories/sba-ignite-tour-blazes-across-country Why The Rich Are Getting Richer - By Robert Kiyosaki and Contributor Tom Wheelwright If you want to be rich, you must have a CPA whos as smart as Tom (Wheelwright) Tom is the smartest, brightest, most diligent CPA I have ever met. ~ Robert Kiyosaki ("Rich Dad Poor Dad") As part of an overall Rich Dad mission to increase the financial literacy of the world, Robert Kiyosaki(Rich Dad Poor Dad) announces the official release of a new book, "Why The Rich Are Getting Richer with Tax Expert, Author (Tax-Free Wealth), CEO of ProVision and Rich Dad Advisor Tom Wheelwright as the only Contributor. And because an understanding of debt and taxes can make an individual rich, every chapter includes invaluable Tax Lessons from Tom. Why The Rich Are Getting Richer is written as the graduate school version of Rich Dad Poor Dad that is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as the number one personal finance book in the world. Kiyosaki explains why it is now obsolete advice to go to school, save money, get out of debt, and invest for the long-term in the stock market, and why a real financial education is a must if people hope to succeed today. In this new book, Robert Kiyosaki explains why Tom Wheelwright was selected as the Contributor: Tom is both courageous and smart. If you want to be rich, you must have a CPA whos as smart as Tom Tom is the smartest, brightest, most diligent CPA I have ever met. In the Tax Lessons from Tom tips, Wheelwright emphasizes, Taxes are not intended to punish people. They are intended to reward those who do what the government wants them to do. Kiyosaki adds; It is estimated that for every dollar a person spends, 80% goes directly or indirectly to some kind of tax and back to the government. There are taxes upon taxes, and with the right strategy and financial education, a person can save millions over a lifetime. One of the most important concepts Robert Kiyosaki and Tom Wheelwright emphasize in this new book is how the rich use good debt versus bad debt: Bad Debt is credit card debt used to purchase goods and services (shoes, TVs), where the individual often pays only the minimum payment every month. Good Debt is debt thats invested in assets that deliver positive cash flow. For example, if an investor buys a real estate property where the monthly rent exceeds the total monthly expenses, the investment is cash flow positive. Why The Rich Are Getting Richer explains how cash-flow millionaires, business owners and investors have the most control over taxes and their financial future. Kiyosaki and Wheelwright also expand on why the American Dream of a good job with a retirement plan is dead, provide an in-depth look at the financial history of the United States, and emphasize how a financial education can provide a path to a financially-free future. Media Contact Liz Kelly, Goody PR, 310-987-7207 About TOM WHEELWRIGHT Tom Wheelwright is a leading wealth and tax expert, Best-Selling Author ("Tax-Free Wealth"), Entrepreneur Magazine Contributor, and CEO of ProVision (Tempe, Arizona). Tom is best known for making taxes fun, easy and understandable, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs and investors build wealth through practical and strategic ways that permanently reduce taxes. Tom received his Masters of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialty in taxation. After graduation, Tom worked for Ernst & Whinney in Salt Lake City, Utah. After two years, Tom was invited to join their National Tax Department in Washington D.C., where he worked during the last major tax reform of 1986. Toms role was to create and teach thousands of CPAs throughout the United States how to handle complex tax issues for the firms entrepreneurial, real estate and oil and gas clientele. As a Rich Dad Advisor to Robert Kiyosaki, Tom frequently speaks at conferences worldwide on these topics. His work has been featured in Forbes, Accounting Today, Investors Business Daily, Consumer Reports, and on FOX News, FOX & Friends, CBS 5 News Phoenix, ABC News Radio, NPR, and many more media. Tom is also a Contributor to "Why The Rich Are Getting Richer" and "More Important Than Money, An Entrepreneur's Team." http://www.taxfreewealthadvisor.com About ROBERT T. KIYOSAKI Best known as the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad the #1 personal finance book of all timeRobert T. Kiyosaki has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people around the world think about money. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor who believes that everyone has the power to makes changes in their lives if they are willing to invest in themselves and their education. With perspectives on money and investing that often contradict conventional wisdom, Robert has earned an international reputation for straight talk, irreverence, and courage and has become a passionate and outspoken advocate for financial education. He is the author of more than 20 books, the most recent of which are "Second Chance" and "More Important Than Money, An Entrepreneurs Team" (2017). Order Why The Rich Are Getting Richer (2017) on Amazon here bit.ly/2rTisO6WTRAGR Madisons Finance Committee approved $1.6 million Monday to clean up contaminated soil at the Garver Feed Mill site that is slated for development. Members voted unanimously to borrow the additional funds for soil remediation efforts and approved an already-budgeted $1.82 million grant and a development agreement with Baum Development. The developer is planning a $19.8 million project to convert the crumbling East Side feed mill into an artisan food production facility and add up to 50 microlodging units for short-term rental on the surrounding five acres. City Council President Marsha Rummel, whose 6th District encompasses Garver, said neighborhood residents have been waiting a long time to see something done with the property. Were going to get a rehabilitated building a gorgeous, historic building thats a legacy of our industrial heritage reused, ironically and beautifully, for its original purpose, which is food production, Rummel said. Dan Rolfs, city community development project manager, said the city had known the site at 109 S. Fair Oaks Ave. was contaminated including with some petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) but the amount of money needed for remediation did not become clear until it was known how much soil was going to be excavated. Ald. David Ahrens, who represents the neighboring 15th District but isnt a Finance Committee member, argued against spending money on the project. I dont think this an appropriate cost or use of city funds. I think were being led along, he said. I think now is the time, before all the money gets spent, to put a stop to it. Since the city intends to sell the Garver building to Baum but retain ownership of the land under a ground lease, the responsibility of soil remediation falls on the city, Rolfs said. Southwest Side center The committee also approved borrowing an additional $200,000 for an employment and neighborhood center on Madisons Southwest Side. Madison officials budgeted $1 million to renovate the former Griffs restaurant at 1233 McKenna Blvd. into an employment center for the Park Edge/Park Ridge neighborhood. But some of the money went to unanticipated costs, such as $80,000 to $90,000 in city staff time for engineering work, community development director Jim OKeefe said. The $1 million was also not project-specific and budgeted for neighborhood centers in general, letting the city draw out $50,000 to $75,000 to finish work at two other centers, OKeefe said. Ald. Barbara Harrington-McKinney said its a must-happen project for residents of her 1st District. But she also asked city staff to document what caused the erosion of funds, noting how other prominent city projects have been underestimated, including the Madison Municipal Building renovation. The center is set to open in May or June of next year, OKeefe said. Other action The committee also approved a proposal that would allow citizens who successfully bring complaints before Madisons Police and Fire Commission to be reimbursed for legal fees. It would let the City Council adjust the reimbursement to police and fire officials or citizens who succeed on some parts of a complaint but not others. Madisons Community Development Divisions vision on long-term peer-support programs for victims of violence and those leaving incarceration was accepted by the Finance Committee as a basis to draft a request for proposals. In June, the City Council approved $75,000 for a short-term program to last the summer and fall. A plan to increase the number of utility boxes wrapped in decorative art and a proposed mural alley behind the East Sides Hawthorne Library also passed the committee. Here's a transcript of the video: The biggest signs that somebody is toxic in your relationship are: 1. If you become the root of all evil. If anything that goes wrong is always your fault. They could never admit to being wrong. You always got to beware of someone who cannot say "sorry." Someone who can't say "sorry" you know that as soon as it hits the fan and it gets difficult you're going to be in a bad time with that person. 2. Anybody who looks to do damage. I call it "scorpion behaviour." If you get close to a scorpion and a scorpion gets scared, then that stings you. A bad, toxic partner when they are afraid they won't tell you they're afraid. Instead, they'll just sting you. They'll try to do damage. Toxic partners won't actually talk through things or be vulnerable with you. Instead, they hide. 3. Lastly, toxic partners will lie to deal with anything. They'll find any way to make you the crazy one. If you get too close to somebody who makes you feel crazy even though what you're annoyed about, or angry about, or upset about is completely logical that's a relationship you have to get out of. Because that person will erode your confidence over time in a very powerful way. Browder, who spearheaded the passage of the Magnitsky Act in 2012, said Rohrabacher's anti-Magnitsky efforts amounted to providing a service to Russia's deputy prosecutor general Victor Grin, who was sanctioned as part of the Magnitsky Act and would benefit from its repeal. Rohrabacher's spokesman, Ken Grubbs, responded to the complaint Tuesday morning, characterizing Browder's OFAC filing as an attempt to obfuscate Russia's side of the story and slamming the wealthy investor as "a Magnitsky is believed to have accepted a "confidential" document f which he then used to try to undermine the Magnitsky Act on Capitol Hill. Browder alleged in the complaint that Rohrabacher provided "services" to Russia's deputy general prosecutor, Victor Grin, by attempting to stymie an expansion of the Magnitsky Act being deliberated in Congress last summer. Starting in the fiscal year 2017, jurisdictions must allow immigration officers into detention facilities and provide 48-hours' notice before releasing an inmate who is wanted by immigration agents in order to be eligible for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. "So-called 'sanctuary' policies make all of us less safe because they intentionally undermine our laws and protect illegal aliens who have committed crimes," Sessions said in a statement. "These policies also encourage illegal immigration and even human trafficking by perpetuating the lie that in certain cities, illegal aliens can live outside the law." Sessions cited an incident that happened in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, in which 10 undocumented immigrants died after being transported in a sweltering tractor-trailer across Texas in an alleged human-smuggling case. Some Republicans have attributed the deaths to cities with "sanctuary" policies they say "entice" immigrants into crossing the border illegally. Sessions' announcement on Tuesday marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's approach to "sanctuary" jurisdictions, which implement a variety of policies that limit their police departments and jails' cooperation with federal immigration authorities. For instance, many cities opt not to honor federal requests to detain immigrants in jails unless the requests are accompanied by judge-signed warrants. Previously, Sessions had only required that localities abide by the federal statute 8 USC 1373, which only requires that local officials not interfere with the exchange of information regarding people's citizenship or immigration status. But many "sanctuary cities" had argued that they already complied with that statute. Sessions' critics have argued that his crusade against "sanctuary" policies will push undocumented communities further into the shadows, discouraging immigrants from reporting crimes committed against them out of fear they will be deported. The move also comes as Sessions faces increasing public criticism from President Donald Trump over his recusal from the Russia investigation. Trump has now said multiple times he would not have nominated Sessions as attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself, prompting speculation over whether Sessions would resign. I spoke to [Cook], hes promised me three big plantsbig, big, big, Trump told the Journal. This isn't the first time that Trump has said he talked to Cook about a big manufacturing facility. During his campaign, Trump called several times for Apple to build its products in the United States. In January, Trump said that Cook had "his eyes open" to building a manufacturing facility in the United States. Of course, Apple doesn't do any of its own manufacturing, save for some production in Ireland. Apple also does contract some Mac Pro production in Texas to Flex. It contracts with big manufacturers like Foxconn to build its iPhones and other computers, mostly in China. Foxconn is expected to make an announcement about building United States-based manufacturing in states including Wisconsin and Michigan as soon as Wednesday, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported on Tuesday. In his opinion, the Nana Addo-led government must consider the IMFs alternative Policy Support Instrument (PSI), not exit completely in April or end 2018. This was contained in an article he wrote to the government. The key words are financial assistance and, with good policies, the oil/gas era may make this unnecessary, the former Minister added. The IMF notes further: This non-financial [PSI] instrument is a valuable complement to the lending facilities under the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF). The PSI helps countries design effective economic programmes that deliver clear signals to donors, multilateral development banks and markets of the funds endorsement of the strength of a members policies. Below is the full article from Seth Terkper The ongoing discussions about the next steps after ending the current Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is very important. Last year, I was privy to informal discussions at high levels on the matterwithin the context of the impending Fourth Review of the ECF Programme and Article IV Consultations in 2017. As with even advanced states such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal, discussions involving relations with the fund are never easy, as I am sure President Akufo-Addo and his Cabinet did in arriving at the decision to exit. READ ALSO: Police raids house of former Power Minister My long-standing view is to seriously consider the IMFs alternative Policy Support Instrument (PSI), not exit completely in April or end 2018. The fund says PSI offers low-income countries that do not want or needFunds financial assistance, a flexible tool that enables them to secure advice and support without a borrowing arrangement. The key words are financial assistance and, with good policies, the oil/gas era may make this unnecessary. The IMF notes further: This non-financial [PSI] instrument is a valuable complement to the lending facilities under the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF). The PSI helps countries design effective economic programmes that deliver clear signals to donors, multilateral development banks and markets of the funds endorsement of the strength of a members policies. Home-grown policy territory again? The extreme salivating position is for Ghana to go it alone without an IMF programme and, by implication, other multilateral economic policy covernotably, no complementary World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) support. We are reminded of the launch of the Home Grown Policy initiative in 2013 and why we changed course to the current IMF programme. Ghana had exited an IMF programme before the 2012 elections (as in 2008) and so the government thought it was time Ghana owned up to various slippages that had become manifest, typically as election cycles. There was adjustment fatigue, giving rise to public weariness with many past unsustainable IMF programmesabout 16 since Ghana joined the IMF in 1957the memorable one being ERP/SAP in the early 1980s Washington Consensus era. The primary reason in opting for an IMF programme by mid-2014 was the funds reluctance to even have background discussions for an alternative PSI programme. This was surprising and seemed harsh since other African countries such as Rwanda, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Uganda already had this IMF arrangement. For example, Uganda is currently on the eighth review of a second Fund PSI arrangement. The funds programme was also inevitable, given dwindling AfDB, World Bank and other multilateral support, which led to a freeze of budget funding from them and bilateral donors; and deteriorating signals to capital markets. At the time, Ghana had re-entered the markets to raise funds to resolve its refinancing needs, especially to deal with roll-over risks associated with maturing Treasury Bills and Ghanas first 2007 sovereign bond. We note that the AfDB and World Bank also insisted on an IMF programme after providing technical assistance to prepare the 2013 Home Grown Policy. There is a useful lesson in international economic relations. In formulating programmes and policies, developing states do not deal with the IMF in isolation. In fact, a Greece watch shows that even the EU does not ignore the IMF in some cases. It begs the question why a conversation now should revert to the PSI option. Among others, ownership matters: Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda seem to have more successful PSI Programmesand relations with the IMFthan Ghanas ECF, which also had the Home Grown Policy as basis for the negotiations. Why consider PSI In addition to adjustment fatigue and ownership noted above, the factors that favour a PSI arrangement for Ghana include: Ghana cannot escape IMF scrutiny: As member-state and under IMF Article IV Consultations, Ghana is obliged to justify its policies and open its books to the IMF. Soon, the IMF Board will discuss the outcome of the recent Consultations, which the NDC Government agreed to take place in early 2017. The Board will issue a report on the health and direction of economic policies and performance. This is done for ALL Fund member-states: developed, emerging and developing. Signals to development partners (DPs) and markets: Ghana now has very active domestic and foreign market participants. Our interactions with them show that, in particular, non-residents who participate in our external and local bonds look up to the IMF to endorse our policies and performance. Hence, from budget and market perspectives, IMF Board decisions remain key to any unfettered or fettered decision to go it alone. Clarity of policy choices: The IMF is known for programmes with conditions or conditionalities that countries often deem harsh. We may not escape these completely since they come subtly under a Home Grown PSI and Article IV consultations, if we want DPs, multilateral banks, and markets to trust us. On the other hand, we can be pragmatic about a PSI programme and take full advantage of the expertise that the IMF, World Bank and others typically bring to bear on the PSI option. Prospects for the economy still bright: Private entities are leading growth in the services and construction sectors. Despite falls in commodity prices, especially crude oil since 2015, prospects for the economy remain positive. This is mainly due to additional SANKOFA and TEN crude oil and gas; repairs to Jubilee FPSO; gas-to-power programme; down- and mid-stream petrochemical; and synergy with agriculture (e.g. fertiliser). Here again, in particular, foreign investors look to IMF and the World Bank for positive signals. Continuing need for fiscal discipline: We have many electoral promises that could expand expenditures, even as Ghana cedes grounds on vital tax policy and administration issues. These will certainly roll on into another election year, when Ghana will be under scrutiny for election overruns. While early, there seems to be no evidence, after six months, that tax compliance and expenditure cuts alone can fill the fiscal space. The trajectory seems to point to missed deficit targets and more borrowing (in absence of HIPC space). Convergence of policy thinking: Thankfully, we seem to agree on the inevitability of smart borrowing and debt management (e.g., Sinking Fund, Buy-Back, refinancing, escrow/self-financing etc.); stop cutting back on substantive tax measures (ESLA/17.5 per cent VAT rates remain); and good PFM measures such as GIFMIS (next is shift to semi-accrual accounting). Given this emerging consensus and notwithstanding political claims and counter-claims, Ghana can formulate national policies to drive discussions with the Fund and other multilateral agencies on a PSI Programme. To reiterate, all negotiations, reviews and consultations with the IMF are difficult. In Ghanas case, faced with Jubilee FPSO breakdown and fall in crude oil price in 2015even Cabinet and Parliament voluntarily reviewed the 2015 and 2016 Budgetswe were confronted with Fund embargoes under the ECF Programne. These include budget space for core 2016 Election expenses; guarantees and loans for investments in oil and gas projects; and opposition to the World Bank Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG)the anchor for ongoing TEN/SANKOFA private and public investments (including expansion of the Atuabo plant/pipelines). Earlier vetoes include bridge-financing (8.5 per cent) on better terms than the 10.75 per cent for the 2015 sovereign bond and insistence on zero-financing by Bank of Ghana in an economy that lacks a deep capital market. Conclusion Ghana is at a policy crossroads but with bright prospects for the economy from past policies and investments. However, we have long-standing policy slippages and fast-changing global environment to contend with. Hopefully, the mid-Year Review will offer clear policy options for the nation to move forward. A mid-road or transitional step, such as an IMF PSI, appears best until we are on firm grounds. Despite past difficultiesand current frustrations with creating fiscal space to fulfil electoral promises the IMF has been right on many occasions. These are some reasons why Ghana must exercise extreme caution in disengaging completely from the IMF. By: Seth E. Terkper Last Thursday, there was controversy at the spot at located East Legon in when a task force from the AMA stormed the place to demolish the structure. The pub and grill was among some structures lying within the East Legon Green Belt zone and had been earmarked for demolition. Reacting to the issue, Shatta Michy took to Facebook to say Ghanaians find delight in bringing down forceful young ladies. Its only in Ghana that a young lady would try to do something for herself, encourage other young ladies to do same no matter how small and she ends up being fought from all angles. Stronger forever, she wrote. She further indicated that although there are limitations and hindrances, it will not stop her from achieving her goal. Im 24, I have my businesses, my education, my wonderful family, and I'm grinding still, theres money to be made on these streets and nothing will stop me and my fellow young ladies who are willing to make it out here. You cant break me. Try something else, she noted. Later, she took to Snapchat to question AMA saying: The Green Belt zon begins from the under bridge. Shall we now make a list of all the structures on that belt including the police station? Lets play fair and quit whining. Adolf Lawson, the father of a 21-year-old level 300 student at the Catholic University, was given a letter by GAEC Hospital to obtain blood but he was not given, even though he was a blood donor. He subsequently went to the Amasaman Government Hospital to get blood but he was also not given. He was, however, able to get the quantity needed for his daughter - 3 pints, from the Achimota Government Hospital. But when he got to the GAEC Hospital, he was told that his daughter had died. Many have since hit hard at The Community Hospital (TCH) at Ashongman Estates for refusing to give the man blood upon request. But the hospital has explained that there was nothing it could do at that moment as it only had a limited number of the body fluid which had already been processed for patients who were being operated at the theatre. Below is a statement from the hospital WALK-IN REQUEST FOR BLOOD On the 22nd of July 2017, a gentleman approached our Laboratory with a request from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Hospital for three pints of blood. He presented a Blood Donor Certificate to justify why the request must be prioritised Unfortunately for us we had only a few pints of blood already cross-matched for theatre patients. He was therefore directed to go to either the Government Hospitals at Amasaman or Achimota or Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. There was no mention of money in the conversation and it, therefore, came as a surprise to learn in the media that the hospital had turned away the gentleman on account of his inability to raise funds. We express our condolences to the bereaved family but would like to epmphasise the fact that we were helpless to the situation.SIGNED Storms Wells, Assistant General Manager of The Community Hospital, 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 three suspects - Suleiman Musah, 19; Abdulai Umar, 18 and Lawson Hubert Joli, 19 - were said to have connived in the shooting incident. The Regional Commander of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Ken Yeboah told the media on Tuesday that the suspects were arrested on July 20, 2017. One of the suspects, Suleiman admitted shooting the victim but explained that he [the victim] was not his target. Suleiman said he specifically bought the locally manufactured pistol at a cost GH300.00 to attack one Shatta with whom he had a misunderstanding. He said his hope was to meet Shatta at the street jam in order to take revenge but did not materialise. DCOP Yeboah said the suspects, after committing the act, fled to Salaga where they were alleged to have engaged in some robbery activities and had been declared wanted. Single Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Alfred Benin (AB)Deputy AG, Godfred Yeboah Dame for the State, (GYD)Ken Anku (KA) for third defendant Alfred Woyome (AW)10:06am Woyome ordered to hit the dock.10:07am takes the oathSwear On Bible (SOB) in English.10:09am sitting position of Woyome changed for visibility of presiding judge10:09am full name mentioned, place of residence.Abelempke KokomlemleGYD: What business do you do?AW: I am a business manGYD: What kind of business do you engage in?KA: ObjectionThe kind of business he engages in is not relevant to this cause.GYD: any means through which AW can satisfy the payment of the debt is welcomed. Thus the question is legitimate and proper.Justice AB: on grounds of relevance, objection overruled. AW ordered to answer the question.AW: I am a businessman since I returned to the country in 1999, until the date of my infamous arrest and prosecution which I call persecution.GYD: When were you prosecuted by the state?AW: 2011GYD: 1999 to 2011 what business have you been engaging in?AW: consultant and few other businessesSourcing for funds for government projects.Red bull energy drink company as a co-director.GYD: Before 1999 when u came to the country, were you engaged in other businesses.AW: I will not answer that question because it has no relevance to this jurisdiction.GYD: to the Judge, my Lord, I think he must answer the question because before 1999, he was an adult and was engage in business so to speak.KA: My Lord, once my client says he cant answer, he cant answer so lets move on.Judge: His decision not to answer may eventually work against him if it is discovered that he had interest in businesses elsewhere and refused to disclose it to the court.AW: My reasons for refusing to answer the question is because my engagement before 1999 has diplomatic implications particularly my work in Libya and Austria.GYD: You own AAW Management Consulting Ltd?AW: I want to make a comment before I answer the question.Judge AB: no please, just answer the question first.AW: Yes my Lord, with some explanation. I feel my fundamental human rights as a Ghanaian is being compromised.GYD: This company was incorporated in September 2016?AW: I dont have the company documents here but I know the company was incorporated about a year ago.GYD: Tender a document showing the date of the incorporation of the Company obtained from the Registrar General.KA: no objectionGYD: you were not truthful to the court when u said since 2011, you have not engaged in business.AW: My Lord that is in correct. My understanding of engaging in business is that the companys must be doing something profitable. AAW is not in business currently.GYD: indeed you are a director in AAW, is that not correct.AW: yes but it is a company which is not in business.GYD: Anator Holding Company Ltd is also owned solely by you?AW: not correct, I am a director, Executive board chairman and I own some shares but not the sole owner.GYD: That company was incorporated in 2014, is that correct. Please show him the exhibit?AW: the company was not originally incorporated in 2014. It was done earlier if my memory serves me right.KA: My client is on medication so can he be allowed to take is medicine.Judge: OK, let us take a 15 minutes break.Court resumesGYD: You remain a Shareholder in Anator Holding?AW: Yes my LordGYD: What percentage of Shares do u own in Anator Holdings.AW: I cannot readily remember.GYD: in the records of Registrar General, you remain the sole shareholder in Anator Holdings limited.AW: I have not ascertained that.GYD: You leave at Abelempke and kokomlemle and these are houses owned by u?AW: that is incorrect, I own the kokomlemle house but not the Abelempke.GYD: so what is the status of your occupation in the Abelempke house?AW: it is a family house.GYD: Who in your family owns the house?AW: It is a house owned by my junior brother who leaves in the USA.GYD: I suggest to you that your testimony that your junior brother owns the Abelempke house is false?AW: that is incorrect, the state has to prove its claim.GYD: I apply that he supplies the documents covering the ownership of the Abelempke house since he has disclosed that it is his brother that owns it and not him.KA: objects to the oral application by the AG.Judge AB: objection overruled. Court orders that Mr. Woyome submits property ownership documents and property number by close of day Friday 28th July 2017 to the registrar of the Supreme Court. Officials of the Lands Commission will be invited to assist the court to know who owns the Abelempke house.Adjournment: hearing has been adjourned to the 2nd and 3rd of October 2017. This was after the court found them guilty of a publication that injured the person of Mr Agyemang. The defendants were also asked to within two weeks, retract the defamatory story and apologise on the front-page of the newspaper. Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman filed a GHc5 million suit against Giraffe Publications, publishers of the Daily Post newspaper and the Editor, Michael Dokosi, and one Haruna Mahama, for defamation over remarks by the Daily Post. The defendants, Mr. Dokosi and Mahama Haruna had alleged that Mr. Owusu-Agyemang recorded and leaked a tape of a secret meeting which was being held by the former President John Kufuor, some members of the clergy and some party elders at the formers residence in Accra recently. Mahama Haruna had in the said publication indicated that Mr Owusu-Agyemang deliberately recorded and leaked the story in order to embarrass Mr Kufuor for allegedly making comments that will affect the prospects of Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 elections. Prospective Service personnel who have been posted to serve within Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) and La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) were struggling to go through the process of registration with long disorganised queues. The military had to intervene to maintain order, but some of the prospective service personnel told Accra-based Citi FM that the scene turned chaotic when the soldiers started using belts and sticks on them. According to them, they began forming a queue at about 5:00 am on Monday, but at daybreak, the military personnel asked them to re-form the queue which led to some confusion. The military in an attempt to restore order allegedly assaulted some of the personnel. A lady was said to have sustained serious injuries in the process. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Ussif Mustapha, who visited the scene said he is yet to be briefed about the incident. Registration of service personnel often turns chaotic at various centres, particularly in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions where the most number of personnel are posted. According to the presiding Judge Justice Georgina Mensah Datsa, from all the evidence presented to her, she reached the conclusion that the East Legon property must be confiscated to the State. Madam Akua Adubofour, the mother of convicted Nayele Ametefe came to court challenging the State over the decision to mark the two properties as proceeds of crime and also to claim ownership of the two properties. READ ALSO: NACOB donates assets of drug baron to rehabilitation centres The property estimated at 1.6million dollars would be sold and the revenue derived would be distributed as follows; 50% Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), 20% to Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), 15% to the consolidated fund and 15% to the Judicial Service of Ghana. Nayele Ametefe, who holds a Ghanaian/Austrian passport was arrested in the United Kingdom with 12 kilos of cocaine in November 2014. She said the Chairperson could therefore not have compromised her independence or neutrality as she neither requested nor lobbied for the said vehicle. In a 17 paged document response to a petition by unknown concerned staff of the EC through their lawyer to the President for her impeachment, she stated that "This is certainly not a new practice in Ghanas public service. Indeed, the office of the Chief of Staff provided and continues to provide vehicles for many government institutions and appointees." "Indeed, this flawed argument would imply that the Commission receiving money from the Government compromises the neutrality of the Commission," she said. READ MORE: Workers petition Nana Addo to remove Charlotte Osei The petitioners in their impeachment document claimed: "Following her appointment as EC chair, Mrs Osei compromised the independence and neutrality of the Commission by arranging for 2015 V8 Land cruiser with registration WR 2291-15 from the Office of the President for use as official vehicle without going through the procurement process or recourse to the Commission. But Charlotte Osei in her response said: "Mrs. Osei does not use a vehicle with the said registration number WR2291-15. Following her appointment as Chairperson, the Office of the Chief of Staff allocated Mrs Osei a vehicle. "This is certainly not a new practice in Ghanas public service. Indeed, the office of the Chief of Staff provided and continues to provide vehicles for many government institutions and appointees." She pointed out that "The Chairperson could therefore not have compromised her independence or neutrality as she never requested nor lobbied for the said vehicle. Indeed, this flawed argument would imply that the Commission receiving money from the Government of Ghana compromises the neutrality of the Commission." According to her, "This is certainly not a new practice in Ghanas public service. Indeed, the office of the Chief of Staff provided and continues to provide vehicles for many government institutions and appointees," Mrs Osei stated in a 17 paged document response to a petition by unknown concerned staff of the EC through their lawyer to the President for her impeachment." Some staff of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana on July 19 filed a petition against the Chairperson calling for a full-scale investigation into alleged misconduct and abuse of office on her part. The concerned staff in a petition claim her decision to cancel a contract awarded to Superlock Technologies Limited (STL), a company contracted to supply and manage Biometric Voter Registration machines (BVRs) and the Biometric Voter Devices (BVDs), as well as her directive for the payment of $76,000 to IT firm, Dream Oval, were fraudulent and hence she should be removed from office. READ ALSO: Charlotte Osei faces Parliament Charlotte Osei following the petition, ordered her legal team to consider suing the petitioners for defamation and also demanded their names are made known to her. The suit was filed at the High Court on Tuesday, July 25.Mrs Osei had declared her intention to sue the faceless staff for defamation and requested the lawyer produce their names. She said: "As a point of order with regard to the recent unfounded accusations leveled at Mrs Charlotte Osei in her capacity as Chairperson of the EC Ghana, Mr Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang is not a staff member of the Commission. "Whilst he claims to act on behalf of Concerned Staff of the Commission, he has not made clear who those staff indeed are." Mrs Osei explained that this was of particular importance as he Mr Opoku-Agyemang had previously introduced himself at another forum as counsel for Ms Georgina Opoku-Amankwaa, the Deputy Chairperson Corporate Services of the Commission. Below are the reliefs being sought by Charlotte Osei: i. A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff is managerially and administratively inept because Plaintiff has no respect for the organisational structure of the Electoral Commission, has poor human relations not befitting of any leader in public space, has unilaterally transferred District Electoral Officers perceived to be pro-NPP, polarized the Commission along political lines and disunited its members out at paragraphs 11, 12, 13, 20, 21 and 26 of the petition attached to Defendants letter conveying the petition to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff. i. A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff is managerially and administratively inept because Plaintiff has no respect for the organisational structure of the Electoral Commission, has poor human relations not befitting of any leader in public space, has unilaterally transferred District Electoral Officers perceived to be pro-NPP, polarized the Commission along political lines and disunited its members out at paragraphs 11, 12, 13, 20, 21 and 26 of the petition attached to Defendants letter conveying the petition to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff. ii. A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff has constituted herself into the Commissions Tender Review Committee contrary to the Procurement Act, unilaterally awarded a contract of about $25,000 to a South African companyto change and re-develop the Commissions logo under the guise of rebranding set out at paragraphs 6, 18, 23, 27 of the petition attached to Defendants letter conveying the petition to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff. iii. A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff nearly pushed Ghana to the precipices by her political posture prior to the conduct of the 2016 General Elections, has a political bias and prejudice against Ghanaians who support the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by antagonizing the NPP prior to the 2016 general elections brought embarrassment to the Commission through her arrogant posture set out at paragraphs 3, 4, 14, 19 of the petition attached to Defendants letter conveying the petition to his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff. iv. A declaration that the statements that Plaintiff has been engaging in cronyism by awarding contracts to the tune of $14,310,961.00 to her cronies the value of which contract sums exceed the approved threshold of the PPA the details of which statements are set out at paragraph 8 of the petition attached to Defendants letter conveying the contents of the petition to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana are defamatory of Plaintiff.v. General damages for libel against Defendant for publishing and or causing to be published the aforesaid words of and concurring in Plaintiff. vi. An order of the Honourable Court directed at the Defendant to publish a retraction and an apology with the same prominence as the defamatory words on his Facebook page as well as one publication in the Daily Graphic. vii. An injunction restraining the Defendant whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise from authorizing permitting and/or causing to be published the same or similar words defamatory of the Plaintiffs. viii. Costs including lawyers fees. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!" Trump tweeted. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity," Trump tweeted earlier in the morning, apparently attributing the quote to Fox News host Sean Hannity. As an Alabama senator, Sessions was among Trump's earliest and highest-profile supporters. In March, however, he recused himself from any investigation into connections between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia after it was revealed that he had failed to disclose at least two meetings he had during the campaign with Russia's ambassador to the US. The president called Sessions "beleaguered" in a tweet Monday. "So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" Trump tweeted. It was later reported Monday by the news website Axios that Trump was thinking about bringing former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York on as attorney general. The Associated Press also reported that Trump had spoken with his advisers about firing Sessions. Axios reported Tuesday that Trump recently called a political associate and asked, "What would happen if I fired Sessions?" The new White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, on Tuesday seemed to publicly confirm the president's desire to be rid of his attorney general, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt "it's pretty apparent that Trump wants Sessions gone," according to a producer for Hewitt's show. In a remarkable admission during an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said he would not have chosen Sessions to be attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. "Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else," Trump told The Times. Responding to Trump's comments last week, Sessions told reporters he planned to remain in his role "as long as that is appropriate." Trump also on Tuesday took a shot at acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, whose wife, Jill McCabe, was a Democratic candidate for Virginia state senator in 2015. "Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!" Trump tweeted. LONDON Jeremy Corbyn opened a fresh Brexit split inside Labour today after distancing himself from a call by his own Shadow International Trade Secretary for Britain to leave the customs union. On Monday Barry Gardiner told the BBC that staying in the customs union, which manages the trade of goods within the EU, would be a "disaster," adding in an article for the Guardian that it was simply "not possible" to remain in the arrangement after Brexit. s we spelled out in our election manifesto, Labour believes that the Brexit negotiations should put jobs and the economy first, with the priority of tariff-free access to the European single market. "We want to see a new partnership with the EU that maintains the benefits of both the single market and the customs union." Corbyn's position is in line with comments previously made by Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, who last month urged Prime Minister Theresa May to keep customs union membership "on the table". They also follow comments earlier this month by the Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, who described the aim of Labours Brexit policy as attempting to "have our cake and eat it" on the single market and customs union. Corbyn has insisted that Labour must leave the single market after Brexit, but has so far not been clear on his position on the customs union. What is the customs union? And why does it matter? The customs union is a core EU institution. Its member states enjoy barrier-free trade with each other and charge the same tariff on imports from outside the EU. Basically, in practice, this means nations importing goods into the EU pay the same tariff regardless of which member states they are importing to. Brexiteers, however, argue that the customs union stifles Britain's ability to trade because its member states are prohibited from striking their own free trade deals with nations outside of the EU. The Tory government has been criticised by the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP and many Labour MPs for seeking to pursue a "hard Brexit" based on wrenching Britain from the EU's core institutions: the single market and customs union. Critics claim a hard Brexit would cost Britain trade and jobs and inflict huge damage on the national economy. Yet Gardiner's vision for Brexit is almost indistinguishable from that of hard Brexiteers of the Conservative Party in that it is based on terminating Britain's membership of these institutions. Labour MPs Chuka Umunna pointed out on Sunday that countries like Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein are part of the single market despite not being EU member states, and said Turkey is "basically" part of the customs union despite not being an EU member state. Corbyn ruled out keeping Britain in the single market over the weekend. "The single market is dependent on membership of the EU," Corbyn told the BBC's Andrew Marr. "What we have said all along is that we want a tariff-free trade access to the European market and a partnership with Europe in the future. 1. Google's parent company Alphabet announced its second quarter earnings results, beating Wall Street's general expectations thanks to $26.01 billion (19.9 billion) in revenue, a 21% year-over-year increase. However, some investors still expected more, and the company's stock fell about 3% as a result. 2. Grab, a ride-hailing service that operates primarily in South East Asia, announced that it has raised $2 billion (1.5 billion) from Japanese tech investor Softbank as well as its Chinese counterpart, Didi Chuxing. The company's hope is to raise another half-billion to bring the total investment to $2.5 billion (1.9 billion), which would make it the biggest investment in a South East Asian tech startup. 3. Microsoft is planning to phase out its famous graphics editing program, Paint, after 32 years. The app won't disappear all at once, and the Redmond company promised it will be available to download from the Microsoft Store, however support for it will end when the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update starts rolling out later this year. 4. Facebook has bought a content rights startup, Source3, to help fight video pirates who share illegally downloaded videos in private. Source3, which owns a technology that identifies intellectual properties shared without permission, will be fully integrated into Facebook and not operate as a standalone unit. 5. Microsoft is working on a second version of the HoloLens mixed reality headset, and is planning to integrate an AI-powered chip in it. The company aims to run artificial intelligence tasks directly on the device, without relying on the cloud, which is why it needs the power and optimisation only a self-designed silicon can offer. 6. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai is joining the board of parenting company Alphabet. Pichai served as CEO of Google since the birth of Alphabet in 2015, replacing Larry Page, and is now being added as Alphabet's thirteenth member of the board. 7. A Microsoft AI-powered chatbot, "Zo," has gone off-script and is insulting the company's own Windows operating system (OS). Zo is not only claiming older versions of the OS are better than the more modern ones, but also straight up saying that some are "Windows' latest attempt at spyware." 8. Spotify is getting closer to striking a deal with Warner Music, the last big music royalty deal it would need before its US listing. The Swedish startup sought to increase its revenue cut by promising to make new album releases available only to paying Premium customers, and it now seems likely that an agreement will be formally reached by September. 9. Workers at Facebook's cafeterias at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California are unionising to ask for increased wages, as they claim they can't afford to live in Silicon Valley with their current pay. The company didn't stop the union, but didn't confirm whether it would reevaluate the $15 (11) minimum wage either. Purity Achieng and Synthia Otieno in form four, with colleagues Macrine Atieno, Ivy Akinyi, and Stacy Owino developed a mobile app aimed at reaching girls who have undergone female genital mutilation(FGM) and those at risk. The app has features that allow individuals to connect with FGM victims for moral support. Victims and those at risk can also contact a health centre for help. The app has an M-Pesa paybill number for well-wishers to send money to help victims. According to Plan International, over 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone a form of female genital mutilation and estimate that about 15 million more will be added by 2030.The African countries with the highest prevalence rates are Mali at 89%,Egypt at 87% and Mali at 69%. FGM is a big problem affecting girls worldwide and it is a problem we want to solve," Stacy Owino told Reuters. "This whole experience will change our lives. Whether we win or not, our perspective of the world and the possibilities it has will change for the better." This is what happened to me and now, I want to take the laws into my hands and deal with and his new wife for putting me through such shame and disgrace. I met Dele during my service year in Ogun State. I had just come out of a very bad relationship and was not ready to go into another one but after Dele kept assuring me that he would be there for me, I had to give him a chance. In truth, he was very patient with me, doing all he could to get my mind off the pains I was going through when Alex dumped me for another woman. Dele worked in Abuja and only came to see me once a month but the relationship soon became very strong and he introduced me to his family members and his friends who all seemed to accept me. I also introduced him to my family as my fiance and my parents were very happy that I would soon settle down. After I finished my service and got a job in Lagos, Dele proposed to me and I could not have been happier. But the only draw back was that he did not want me to move over to Abuja because he felt the cost of living in the Federal Capital was astronomical. He said when we got married, I would move to Abuja. I visited him as much as I could manage and he often came to Lagos whenever he had the chance. All the time I visited him, I never noticed him with any woman and I never suspected he could be cheating on me. Then in December of 2016, we fixed our wedding for May and we began planning for it in earnest. My parents were beside themselves with joy and mother made sure it would be the wedding of the century as she bought 'Aso Ebi' for all her friends and club members. In April, our wedding invitation cards were out. My friends too did not spare any expense as they wanted the wedding to be one in town. I began noticing that Dele was becoming withdrawn and his visits reduced drastically. He blamed this on the pressure of work and tight schedules but since we would soon get married, I did not mind his infrequent visits. But after he had stayed away for two months and was always evasive when I called, I became worried. Two weeks to our wedding, Dele had not come and there were still things to do. I decided to go to Abuja so that we could put finishing touches to the preparations. I did not tell him I was coming because I was very angry at him and had prepared to give him a piece of my mind. I took the last flight from Lagos and got to Abuja at about 6:30 pm and took an airport taxi to his house. I knew he would be home by then. I was still boiling when I banged on his door but to my shock, the door was opened by a pregnant woman. I thought I was in the wrong place and told the woman I was there to see Dele. The woman just looked at me with disdain and went back inside. Shortly after, Dele came out and was also surprised to see me. Before I could say anything, he asked what I was doing there and why I did not call him to say I was coming. I asked him if it was a crime to visit my husband without calling him. That was when the woman came out again and asked who was my husband. I was confused and looked at Dele for an explanation but he told me I should go to a hotel and spend the night and he would come the next day to explain everything to him. I told him I wanted an explanation there but it was the woman who spoke out that they got married at a registry just a week earlier and showed the ring on her finger as well as the pregnancy. It was when Dele began to tell me how sorry he was that I fainted only to wake up in a hospital later. It is now two months since the incident and while my family and friends have been trying all they can to help me get over the heart break, I will not rest until I avenge myself. Dele and his stupid wife will surely suffer for what they have done to me, I swear on my life. Funke." Now the boss is back and as much as Godfrey wants to stop the illicit affair, the woman has made it impossible for him and he fears he would soon get into trouble. What should he do? Read his story here: "My name is Godfrey, a 28-year-old man. I work as a driver for businessman here in Lagos. I have been with him and his family for five years and they take me as one of them. In fact, I live in their boys' quarter while they feed me and take care of my needs. My oga travels most of the time because of his business and could stay or many months before coming back and at such times, his wife goes out at will and even spends nights out, especially when the children go back to their boarding school. But something happened last month that has left me with so much guilty feelings. It happened that my boss has been away for two months and the maid had also traveled to her village to see her sick mother, leaving me and madam all alone in the house. That day, it had rained all day and the weather was so cold. After the rains, I decided to pump out some water that had flooded the compound and while I was at it, madam called me to come upstairs and do something for her. This was not unusual as I used to go into their bedroom and helped them once in a while. I had on a boxer short and a t-shirt and told madam that I wanted to go and put on something better but she told me to come like that as what she wanted me to do for her was very urgent. I went upstairs and knocked on their bedroom door and she told me to come inside. When I opened the door, I was shocked to meet Madam almost naked as she wore only a lingerie with no underwear and I could clearly see the outline of her firm breasts and private part. I told her I was very sorry and made to turn back but she ordered me to come inside. When I hesitated, she walked up to me and grabbed me, asking me why I was behaving like a little boy and whether she was not desirable enough. She told me clearly that she was sex-starved and wanted me to make love to her. I told her I could not do such as I saw her as my big sister and feared what my boss would do to me if he found out. But she doused my fear by asking me how oga would know as she would not tell him, neither would I do so. To cut a long story short, I fell for the temptation and slept with my madam that day. I even spent the night in their bedroom and for the duration that the maid was away, it became a daily routine as we would stay indoors and have sex all day. Even when the maid came back, madam would send her on errands that would take her many hours before coming back and we would have sex. She would even sneak into my room at night or take me to hotels where we would have sex. Now oga is back and his wife does not want to stop sneaking around with me. It seems she is hooked on sex with me and is not letting go despite my protests. Right now, I am full of guilt and fear what would happen if oga finds out that I am sleeping with his wife. I don't know if I should tell him what is going on. I need advice, please. Godfrey." The teaser for the day was: How Nigeria voted: He should put a stop to sleeping with his madam - 56% He should tell his boss what has been going on - 8% He should threaten to report his madam to her husband - 24% He should keep quiet and keep enjoying his madam - 12% Most users prefer to smoke it, usually mixed with high-grade marijuana and rolled up in papers like tobacco and weed. Although it can come in almost any color, the backroom chemists who make it often use dried herbs or lawn clippings to make sure it looks closely like the real stuff, so it often appears something between a deep shade of green and damp brown. In the real sense, it looks a lot like marijuana, but its the farthest thing from marijuana that youve ever heard of. It is widely reported that, beneath the surface of daily activity, Nigeria is on the cusp of a major drug problem. The aggressive emergence of a culture of casual drug use has been supported by the presence of players at every major level of the drug chain. On one hand, production is high as ever, even as makers of amphetamine have been discovered in Lagos and Rivers. Nigerias status as a transit country is also not in question; since the early years of military rule, large amounts of cocaine have been funneled through the country under various guises. And now, while the consumption of drugs like marijuana and opioids like Codeine and Tramadol has reached an alarming rate, a new, unfriendly substance is causing convulsions, kidney failure and a zombie-like state of intoxication that can lead to death. Synthetic marijuana, like the name suggests, is a collection of man-made chemicals that mimic the effect of marijuana and are sprayed on dried herbs or similar substances, wrapped in brightly colored packs and sold as an alternative to marijuana that is both legal and more potent. In the United States and the UK, it is sold under three major brand names; "Spice", "K2" and "Black Mamba", for as low as $1 per bag. This is key because it puts it in the ballpark of the most susceptible; the homeless, poor and young students. In many ways, this affordability is a major reason why the use of the drug is spreading rapidly in areas like Lagos, Port-Harcourt, and Abuja. But aside that, many other factors, like easy access, are contributing their quota. Synthetic marijuana is relatively new in Nigeria, so the sale and use are not as elaborate as it is on the other side. It is mostly sold in head-shops here, small outfits that sell accessories used for the consumption of cannabis and tobacco, as well as items that form part of that culture, like weed-branded shirts and Bob Marley bandannas. Outfits like this are scattered around Lagos and Victoria Islands. There are also reports that it is sold by dealers of more expensive strains of marijuana and designer drugs in the highbrow areas of Lagos. Synthetic marijuana is sold in small quantities for a little as 2,000 naira and as much as 10,000 naira, depending on the size of the bag and where it is bought. The substance itself is sealed tight in small, shiny bags about the size of a sugar or tea bag with the brand name written across it. On the streets where this drug is slowly claiming victims, the tags vary; Colorado, Black Mamba, Lamba (when mixed with Loud, a highly potent strain of marijuana), Happy Boy or Scooby Snax. The names are admittedly more colorful than youd expect; what the packs contain is anything but. Most of the clamor against synthetic weed has been made by people who have either experimented with the drug, or have seen its effects on frequent, and even first-time users. And as more people come in contact with the drug, the numbers are rising and the voices are getting louder. On social media website, Twitter, a user @sofireginald recounted her experience with the drug in a series of tweets. Some of her friends had tried the drug and, despite diluting it with large amounts of tobacco, what they got was nowhere near the pleasurable high they were hoping for; according to her tweets, one of them had gone completely deaf for three days, another went so mental that she was held in medical care for three weeks and counting. Apparently alarmed by these experiences, she advised users to stay away from "Colorado or comorado or whatever name you people have coined for it" One of her tweets read, Ive seen people cry, convulse, take off their clothes and do other weird shit. You can actually go insane. Its not remotely healthy. Segun (not real name) agrees that synthetic marijuana is very dangerous; he also thinks that it is difficult to explain the true extent of its danger to people who have never tried it or seen it at work. Segun is an avid marijuana user; he has smoked at least a blunt a day, consistently, for over three years. One day, while driving home after work, a friend showed him a half-rolled blunt that he had gotten from another friend earlier that day; just two hits had fucked him up, but for some reason, he felt he was overreacting. This friend offered the mystery blunt to Segun and another colleague who was on the ride; ever the adventurous smokers, but unwilling to take too much of a risk, they took three light drags each. What came immediately after was an intense, harsh high, and a comedown made in hell. I dont know how to describe it. At first, I was feeling these strange sensations at the back of my head and my shoulders., Segun recounts. My right leg, it felt almost detached. It felt like if it stayed still for long, it would feel like it was not there any more I could only think about one particular thing at a time. My thought process was limited to handling the steering and using the brake. I had no idea where I was driving to, or where I was. I couldnt just remember. It was as if something crazy would happen if I tried to think of anything else. All I could do was drive and say guy (when my friends talked to me)", he said. I had to increase the volume of the music to avoid falling into this place that the drug was taking me to When I got home, I ate and bragged a lot about the high, then I blacked out. I dont remember these things happening. I can only tell you because I was told, Segun adds. He is one of the lucky people. There have been reports of people having worse highs while on synthetic weed, sometimes inflicting self harm. In one case, a user jumped off a ledge, broke his leg and carried on, completely oblivious to what had happened and the broken leg he was trying to stand on. For all the novelty of these accounts, you will be mistaken to assume that they are isolated events. In recent weeks, various people have reported seeing the distinctive colorful packs of Spice in different places, from the Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, to Vantage, a hotel, and lounge, in Lekki. In the 1990s, John W. Huffman, a chemist from South Carolina in the United States, began researching artificial ways to replicate cannabinoids, the active chemicals that cause the behavioral and psychoactive changes that we interpret as being high. Marijuana was a banned Schedule 1 substance in the United States at the time, and Huffman needed to replicate these chemicals for his research on the health effects of marijuana while avoiding the implications of experimenting with a banned substance. He found some success years after; one of the compounds he developed replicated the desired effects and was shown to help reduce skin cancer and brain tumors in lab mice. Huffman published his findings in the mid-2000s, complete with instructions on how to re-create the chemical compound he had developed that he said could be followed by a halfway decent undergraduate chemistry major in three steps using materials that can be purchased by just about anyone. Needless to say, there were more than enough capable chemistry graduates at the time. In the years that followed, manufacturers created it in large quantities and began to sell it in head shops, packaged as air fresheners, aromatic leaves or potpourri. Most experts agree that Spice was first sold as a recreational drug in the UK in 2004. Huffmans original compound was the product of years of rigorous research and had been fine-tuned to achieve as little harm as possible, but even at that, it was extremely dangerous. In time, cities around the US became aware of the health and social risks that it posed. Between 2014 and 2015, New York and other states banned the substance out-rightly. The manufacturers responded in the most unexpected way. The original anti-spice laws only recognized the class of compounds close to Huffmans original template; so the manufacturers set about using it to create their own chemical compounds that could replicate marijuana and evade the laws. As new laws are created in Europe and the United States to tackle the production of spice, the manufacturers have become more experimental, pushing the boundaries and creating new chemicals that they do not totally understand. It is why, regardless of the ingredients listed on the packaging, no-one ever really knows what is in a spice blunt. Not even the manufacturers themselves. What they have managed to create is a concoction of random chemicals that can take a user to the fringes of insanity and, as in a case where 33 New Yorkers were rushed to the hospital in July 2016, turn them into living, breathing zombies. It then begs the question: What makes a person want to be so high that they use a drug that rids them of control of the mind and body? Few regular users of synthetic marijuana hardly ever find the words to recount their experience in useful detail; but among those who have tried the drug, a number have lived to tell the tale. They describe the feeling of being high on synthetic weed as something entirely different from regular, natural marijuana. While regular cannabis gives a feeling of light euphoria, drowsiness, increased sensory awareness (and paranoia among new users), this synthetic high is something between extreme paranoia and a deep, aggressively overwhelming trance. Users begin to act erratically almost immediately after smoking. Even where two individuals use the same batch, their reactions can be completely different. Some users are so bemused that they break into spontaneous, intense laughter, others become severely anxious and paranoid that they literally withdraw into themselves and become hostile at any attempt to make contact or have a conversation. Either way, they enter a world of their own, one where the norms and behavior of sobriety are inaccessible, to put it lightly. In many ways, it is the case with all forms of recreational drug use and it's eventual, usually unavoidable abuse. Most drug users do so for the euphoria, mental liberty and the feeling of detachment that can come with being high. In this sense, it is a journey between two extremes; release, euphoria, and weightlessness on one hand and the reality of daily life and its momentary worries on the other. Users of synthetic marijuana are simply more willing, usually by reason of circumstance or sheer misdirected curiosity, to explore the former extreme to its farthest ends; what they find is usually a chaotic inverse that one can hardly emerge from without any harm. The compounds that make up synthetic marijuana were never meant to be inside the human body. When they are, the damage they cause is immense. Some of the short term effects on the mind include but arent limited to; unresponsiveness, loss of consciousness, confusion, altered time sense, extreme anxiety, panic attacks, severe paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, psychosis and potential suicide, says Victor Ugo, a medical doctor who is the founder of Mentally Aware Initiative, a mental health advocacy program based in Lagos, Nigeria. In cities like New York and London where spice is already a major problem, there are entire groups of the homeless, poor, delinquent and wanderers who use the drug in groups during smoking sessions in not-so-secluded places. Locals call them zombies. The name comes from the zombie-like state they enter after using the drug, where they seem to lose all capacity to understand, process information and make decisions. In extreme cases, zombies can black out and become almost motionless, falling over whatever is in sight when the high takes effect. It can take days or weeks for a user to feel completely rid of the feeling. When they regain consciousness, there is usually no memory of these events. With some medical help and abstinence, recovery can happen at a much quicker pace but, even in the case of a first time user, the drug usually causes permanent damage to brain cells and long-term behavioral changes. It is not that easy to escape the effects of synthetic marijuana on the bodys anatomy. According to Ugo, from medical analyses, it has been found that the active ingredients are dangerous and toxic. The drug has severe short and long term effects of the human body, with no limit to which vital organ it affects., he adds. Short term use can cause nausea and vomiting, heavy sweating, uncontrolled/spastic body movements, acute kidney injury, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure and reduced blood supply to the heart. Long-term users face health risks that are far worse and can be, in extreme cases, terminal. Unlike the non-synthetic Marijuana which isnt known to be addictive, synthetic Marijuana can be addictive, Ugo says. It can lead to withdrawal symptoms which include craving, nightmares, heavy sweating, nausea, tremors, headaches, extreme tiredness, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, problems thinking clearly and neglect of other interests or duties. After repeated use of the drug, users can experience forgetfulness and confusion. Weve at times heard of and read about users/addicts experiencing paralysis, he continues. Beyond these health concerns, there is also the social implication of dealing with such an addictive drug that is mostly used by the youth and individuals on the fringes of society. Factors like these have pushed governments in countries most hit by synthetic marijuana to educate the population, enact legislation and provide intensive rehabilitation in a bid to defeat what is fast becoming an epidemic. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Despite reports of overdoses, insanity and organ failure caused by synthetic marijuana in recent months, Nigerias drug agencies are yet to even show any signs that they are even aware of the drugs existence. For now, the full extent of their focus is on often-celebrated cannabis busts that end with press releases and high-definition pictures. (Efforts to reach the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Police Force were not responded to) As they tackle a rapidly emerging epidemic, countries in the West have considered and explored many routes to get synthetic marijuana off their streets. In the UK, stringent laws have been enacted to discourage the production, sale, and use of synthetic marijuana. The United States approach to solving this problem has involved similar stringent laws, but also a trend where states have legalized medical and recreational marijuana at various levels. While some believe this approach is as liberal as it gets, there are others who feel it is not liberal enough. In the alternative, certain individuals and pro-Spice groups have called for a more liberal approach to synthetic marijuana around the world. They claim that the original compound that Huffman developed was the product of years of scientific research, and much safer than what is sold today. What they advocate is that the government sponsors research into synthetic marijuana with a view to developing compounds that are safer to consume. Regardless of the many differing opinions, one thing is certain, that more people need to be educated on the perils of using and selling synthetic marijuana. Unlike regular marijuana, synthetic marijuana is hardly stored in bulk or sold in dark dens under the bridge, so law enforcement agents must drop their usual model of random raids for an approach that relies more on community policing and coordinated investigations. Anti-Spice laws must also be created, with heavy sanctions for those who violate its provisions. In all fairness, the spread of synthetic marijuana has come faster than was first feared, but the dangers that it poses demand that efforts against it move even quicker. The country -- where one in three adults is infected with the AIDS-causing virus -- has vastly expanded public programmes to test people for HIV infection and put them on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment (ART). "The rate of new HIV infections has been reduced by half,"Velephi Okello of the Swazi health ministry told journalists at an HIV science conference in Paris. "Remarkable progress has been made... in controlling the HIV epidemic." In 2011, 31 percent of adults (aged 18-49) out of a total country population of just over 1.2 million were infected with HIV, according to government data. This made Swaziland the country with the highest national rate of new infections, said the authors of the new study, as well as the highest proportion of people living with HIV. The latest data, based on blood samples from almost 11,000 people aged 15 and over, showed that about 27 percent of the population was HIV-positive in 2016. This translated to an infection rate of 1.39 percent among 18- to 49-year-olds, down from 2.58 percent in 2011 -- a 46-percent reduction. Ninety-five percent of HIV-positive pregnant women last year received drugs to prevent transmission of the virus to their offspring. "As a result, fewer than 1,000 children became infected with HIV in Swaziland in 2016," said the UN agency. 'Great news' The infection rate was higher among women than men, according to a survey report to the International AIDS Society conference. The decline was also steeper for men, with 52 percent, than for women (40 percent). The survey showed that 73 percent of HIV-positive people had achieved suppression of the virus -- meaning it does not replicate to make them ill -- compared to 35 percent in 2011. The gains were the fruit of a much improved HIV treatment programme, said the researchers. The share of infected people on ART rose from 37 percent in 2011 to 74 percent last year. ART not only stops HIV from replicating and attacking a patient's immune system, but also curbs its spread to sexual partners. "Our recipe for success is that we... have been able to scale up a lot of the prevention and treatment services in the country," said Okello. "We have more than doubled the number of people who have started on anti-retroviral treatment, and we have also almost doubled the number of men who have been circumcised in the country." According to the World Health Organization, there is "compelling evidence" that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV by as much as 60 percent in men. The number of HIV tests conducted in Swaziland more than doubled from 176,000 in 2011 to 367,000 in 2016. "Basically, we think that that's one of the recipes (for success), and also the government commitment to buying and procuring the ARVs for people in the country so that there is a sustainable response going forward," said Okello. Despite the "great news", she cautioned much more needs to be done to maintain the downward trend. "While we do celebrate these findings, we still know that Swaziland is facing a severe HIV epidemic," she said. He was in Birnin Kebbi for the mid-year year review and planning meeting with stakeholders. He said the state had released N300 million as counterpart funding, while 50 per cent of the UNICEF funds would be used to enhance child education, adding that Qatar had also donated 75million US dollars. He said nine local government areas would benefit from the education development programme, while three councils would be assisted on child and maternal health care. According to him the state government had demonstrated commitment to the programme, stressing that efforts would be jointly intensified to eliminate wastages in the execution of the programme. Alhaji Babale Yauri, the Secretary to State Government, who declared the meeting open, said the state would sustain its counterpart funding, considering the benefits from the UNICEF support. Ambode gave the charge in Alausa at the swearing-in ceremony of the chairmen elected into the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state on Saturday. The conclusion of the electoral process marks the beginning of real governance which has been activated by your swearing-in today." The people have, by their votes, discharged their responsibility. It is now your turn to discharge your part of the social contract you made with the people of your communities, wards and local councils.' Let me remind you all that you are assuming the mantle of leadership at a time when our people expect so much." As you settle down to the business of governance, you must bear in mind that the participation of the people in governance does not end with elections." The people must be carried along and given the opportunity to have a say in policy making process and implementation, Ambode said He also charged the new chairmen not to discriminate against anyone, irrespective of political, religious or other leanings I want to put it on record today that the elections have come and gone; there must be no discrimination of any form." The dividends of good governance must be fairly distributed to all people without prejudice to political affiliation, gender, religious belief or ethnic background." We must cherish and nurture the cosmopolitan nature of our state because it is a key factor in our strength and prosperity, Ambode said. The governor said that the government recognised the importance of the Local Government administration in having a government of inclusion where everybody had a voice. Today, we have completed the chain of government linking the Wards, Councils and Local Government Areas to the State Government." Our government has, once again, demonstrated our total commitment to deepening democratic values and good governance at the grassroots, he said. Ambode commended the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, commissioners and the entire staff of the commission for delivering a free, fair and credible election. He also commended residents, especially those who defied the rains on Saturday to perform their civic responsibility. The hallmark of democracy is the participation of the people through the free exercise of their franchise to elect the people they want to represent them. This is the true source of legitimate mandate to lead a people, Ambode said. Meanwhile, the governor informed the gathering that the Lagos State Government was set to take firm control over its inland waterways and the adjoining lands, including all sand dredging activities, following an appellate court ruling in its favour. He warned that the era of uncontrolled dredging was over, as the court ruling would boost the governments efforts in abating flood in the state. The Lagos Island East Local Government Chairman, Mr Kamal Bashua, who spoke on behalf of the chairmen, promised their unalloyed support. Bashua said they would build on the landmark achievements of the government at the grassroots. In a press release signed by the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president expressed his gratitude for the gesture and assured Conde that he was getting better. In the letter dated July 24, 2017, Buhari wrote, "I thank you for your kind and thoughtful action in organising nationwide prayers for my good health. It is a gesture that I will forever cherish and treasure. "Your Excellency will be pleased to hear that I am making good progress, and as soon as the doctors advise, I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery." The press release also stated that the two Africans had earlier talked in a phone conversation. President Buhari left Nigeria on May 7 to resume treatment in London for an undisclosed illness. On Sunday, July 23, pictures emerged of the president sitting down at a table to have lunch with governors from his All Progressives Congress (APC) party. Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, who was part of the team of governors, said the president would return to the country soon. The press statement also indicated that the president had written an earlier letter to accept his nomination as the leader of the "2018 AU theme on the fight against corruption". The nomination came from African leaders at the 29th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 4. In the letter, he said, "While thanking you for the kind words and for the nomination, I wish to express my readiness to accept this new important role and to reiterate my commitment to contribute towards our collective efforts to strengthen good governance and development on the continent. The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo stated this in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande. Akande said the acting President was speaking at a meeting that comprised the Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, some ministers and service chiefs in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday. According to Osinbajo, the Bama Initiative will lead to the construction of 3000 new homes, 10 police stations, 18 primary and secondary schools, health centres, creation of Special Bama Squad for security and the recruitment of 1500 local hunters as Agro Rangers, among others He said: Under what has been termed as the Bama Initiative, the Federal Government will contribute 67 per cent of the funding, while Borno State would provide the balance of 33 per cent. It is a partnership that is certainly going to work. The Bama Initiative will cover towns such Bama, Banki, Gulumba Gara and others The Federal Government in partnership with the Borno State government is expected to carry out actual re-construction of houses for the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as provide infrastructure such as roads for Bama town and adjoining communities. The Initiative will also see to the kitting and deployment of thousands of police officers and officers of the National Security, Civil Defence Corps who are expected to be trained for the special task. Equally, 20 doctors, 100 nurses and other relevant health officers are to be recruited to provide essential health services for the town, in addition to employment of teachers who will be deployed to 18 new schools to be constructed in the areas. Road re-construction projects are also featured under the Bama Initiative which is now under exploration, including the rehabilitation of Maiduguri-Bama-Daral Jamal-Banki road network. The welfare of returnees is also a major priority of the plan, ensuring a comprehensive support programme for IDPs as they return. It is expected that the implementation of the plan will kick-off in next few weeks. The meeting, which was presided over by the acting President, was attended by the Ministers of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau; the Budget & National Planning (of State), Zainab Ahmed and the Power, Works & Housing (of State); Alhaji Mustapha Shehuri. Other government functionaries at the meeting included the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari and the National Security Adviser to the President, Baba Munguno. THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER South-West governors meet, plan common agenda on development The South-West governors yesterday met in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to deliberate on how to chart a common agenda to fast-track the development of the region. Nigeria to lose N57.5b daily as OPEC plans production cut The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is planning to cap Nigerias crude oil production at 1.8 million barrels per day (mbpd) as a way to boost prices in the market. 20 people feared killed in Borno separate attacks A ruthless disregard for human life by the Boko Haram insurgents and Fulani herdsmen continued across the country yesterday even as the Middle Belt Patriotic Front (MB-PF) lamented failure by the current administration to provide security for the people. __________________________________________________ VANGUARD NEWSPAPER Herdsmen menace: S-West govs set up joint task force South West Governors yesterday met in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, where they expressed their resolve to forge ahead with the regional integration plan, especially in key sectors such as agriculture, security, economy, among others, in the overall benefit of the Yoruba nation. Naira depreciates as CBN injects $195m The naira Monday depreciated against the dollar even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) injected $195 million to sustain its intervention in the foreign exchange market. Zero oil days clearly before us Osinbajo Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, expressed concern over the rising volatility in the global crude oil market, stating that the days of zero oil, where the commodity would become irrelevant, were clearly around the corner. __________________________________________________ THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER PDP governors, others to visit President Buhari Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party are among six governors who are scheduled to leave Nigeria today to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Monday night. With Biafra, Igboll remain in Nigeria, says Nnamdi Kanu The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday, said Igbo must not vacate the North, or any other part of the country, as a condition for the actualisation of the agitation for Biafra. Budget row: Fashola faces Reps panel Friday The panel of the House of Representatives to investigate the altercation between the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the National Assembly will engage the former Lagos State governor on Friday this week, The PUNCHlearnt on Monday. __________________________________________________ THISDAY NEWSPAPER Nigeria Agrees to Cap Oil Output at 1.8mbpd The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers, led by Russia, have approved the decision of the federal government to cap Nigerias oil production at a sustainable volume of 1.8 million barrels per day (mbpd). Ekweremadu: Restructuring Must Be Done Incrementally, Not Just About Resource Control The Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Joint Constitution Amendment Committee of the National Assembly, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has said the effective and comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria could only be done incrementally to ensure gradual acceptance of the thorny issues after adequate enlightenment of Nigerians. Okorocha: Buhari Could Be Back in Two Weeks Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who was one of the four All Progressives Congress (APC) governors that met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in London, has said that he expects the president to return home from the United Kingdom (UK) within the next two weeks, confirming THISDAYs report Monday that Buhari may return by August at the latest. __________________________________________________ THE BUSINESSDAY NEWSPAPER Banks foreign asset holdings rise first time in 4 months In perhaps another sign of improving dollar liquidity, banks are gradually rekindling their appetite for foreign assets, as their holdings rise for the first time in four months, after a difficult year that has seen straight declines since February. Implementation of new civil service strategy to save Nigeria over N60bn Nigerias Civil Service has been re-positioned to run more cost effectively and efficiently, with the approval of the 2017-2020 Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), July 12. Tier 1 banks, Dangote Cement, Lafarge, Nestle top analysts stock picks Abdulkadir Ibrahim, from the National Emergency Management Agency, said the blasts happened at about 11:20 pm (2220 GMT) on Sunday, just outside the Borno state capital of Maiduguri. "Two suicide bombers (a male and a female) detonated their improvised explosive devices at Dalori 1 IDP (internally displaced persons) camp, leading to the death of three IDPs, while 17 others were injured," he said in a statement. "Another incident occurred at Dalori 2 IDP camp, where a suicide bomber was intercepted, leading to the death of the suicide bomber." Ahmed Sartori, the head of the Borno state emergency management agency, said the death toll had risen by late morning. "The death toll is now four, with the death of one more victim," he told AFP, adding that another suicide bomber had died trying to get into the city's university. "A suicide bomber exploded while he was trying to scale the barbed wire fence at the university," he said. A trench is currently being dug around the campus, which lies on the edge of Maiduguri, to deter intruders after a spate of suicide bomb attacks on the premises. Boko Haram blamed The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has increasingly used suicide bombers in its eight-year insurgency that has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million others. Dalori, which is about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Maiduguri, houses some 50,000 people in makeshift accommodation and has been targeted by bombers before. On the evening of June 18, two women blew themselves up at Dalori 2, where 10,000 people are living, The attack injured several IDPs but killed only the bombers. It followed a separate attack at nearby Kofa village, where two women used as human bombs exploded, killing at least 16. On January 30 last year, at least 85 people were killed when militant fighters stormed and torched Dalori village and tried to gain access to the IDP camps. Nigeria's military and government maintain the jihadists are a spent force after a sustained counter-insurgency pushed them out of captured territory since early 2015. But signs remain that the violence is far from over. On Sunday, police in the northern city of Kano said they had arrested five Boko Haram members after a gunfight. Kano state police chief Rabiu Yusuf said the three men and two women were suspected of planning attacks on markets and places of worship. The city has seen a lull in Boko Haram activity since a November 2014 gun and suicide attack at the main mosque killed more than 100. An internal army memo, seen by AFP, also indicated Boko Haram was back in its "Camp Zero" enclave in the Sambisa Forest of Borno, which had been declared cleared in December last year. 'Dead or alive' Nigeria's highest-ranking army officer, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has ordered troops to capture Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau "dead or alive" within 40 days. The authorities have previously declared the elusive Shekau dead on a number of occasions, only for him to reappear in video messages. Yan St-Pierre, the head of the Modern Security Consulting (MOSECON) group and a counter-terrorism advisor, told AFP the chief of army staff's order was "more rhetoric than fact". "The Nigerian Army needs a boost and even if unsuccessful the ultimatum is nonetheless a reminder that (it) needs a big result and some form of success needs to be delivered," he said. Africa security specialist Ryan Cummings suggested the time-frame could coincide with the end of the rainy season in October to prevent greater Boko Haram movement. Hundreds of Southern Kaduna residents, who are mostly Christians, had been allegedly killed by Fulani herdsmen - the killings in the region have not stopped. According to John Danfulani, the coordinator of the Centrum Initiative for Development, the Federal Government is passive about stopping the killing of his people. "If Nigeria breaks up, we wont go with the north. Certainly, we will go with Biafra because, we share a lot in common," Danfulani said on Monday, July 24, when he visited Nnamdi Kanu in Abia State. "We can form a confederation based on agreement. It is better for us because we are safer in Biafra. "In the north, they dont like us because we dont pray like them. So, it is better we follow those who share the same faith and values with us," he added. Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was released from Kuje Prison on bail in April 2017. He has since flouted his bail conditions, which include not to grant interviews and avoid being seen in a group of more than 10 persons. ALSO READ: Buhari will not return Kanu says Kanu has been receiving visitors in his Abia residence and he has been travelling from one state to the other, speaking to a large crowd of people who share his ideology. He recently ordered the people of Anambra State to boycott the forthcoming governorship election in the State, threatening to rain curses on anyone who participates in the polls. Reports say Ayinde died in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a few hours after the death of seasoned actor, poet and journalist, , was announced. Ayinde was aged 51. One of his colleagues, Waheed Ijaduade, announced his death in a Facebook post on Monday. Speaking to Punch, Ijaduade said he had a brief telephone conversation with the deceased on Sunday night - he died shortly after. He said, "We chatted for a while on that night. He even asked me about the outcome of a summit that I attended in Lagos. We talked about other things and we agreed to meet on Monday or Tuesday before I went to bed. I went to his residence to see him the following day (Monday) as agreed only to learn that he was dead." Ijuade said the late actor's co-tenants said they forced his door open when they did not see him come out, as usual, only to find his lifeless body in a sitting position. It was gathered that Ayinde was not known to be sick. "He never told me that he was sick. He appeared to be quite healthy when I spoke with him on the phone. His death remains a mystery to me," Ijaduade said. ALSO READ: 7 things you probably didn't know about Adebayo Faleti The actor has since been laid to rest according to Islamic rites. The group backed the calls to restructure the country and achieve true federalism as the subject has dominated discussions in political circles over the past month. While addressing the media on Monday, July 24, 2017, the national chairman of the coalition, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, said the party's position is a commitment to the unity of the country. He said, "Our goal will be to create jobs for all those who want to work and economic opportunity for all want to achieve. "Our immediate task will be to strive to heal the wounds of the past through reclamation, reconciliation and reformation. "We are committed to the economic, political and internal restructuring of Nigeria as well as empowering of our youths, women and persons with disability through well-articulated policies toward a better Nigeria." The parties in the coalition are: Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Labour Party (LP), People for Democratic Change and Democratic Alternative (PDCDA), National Action Council (NAC), Democratic People's Congress (DPC), Progressive People's Alliance (PPA), and United Democratic Party (UDP). Others are Action Alliance (AA), People's Party of Nigeria (PPA), Young Democratic Party (YDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), and Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD). According to Sam Turaki, the national chairman of MPPP, the coalition is interested in directing the affairs of the nation better if given a chance to serve. The opposition party said the APC was proud to release the pictures taken with President Muhammadu Buhari in London but did not have enough sense to think that the President should speak to Nigerians directly. In a statement issued on Monday, July 24, by its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the PDP said the APC is insulting Nigerians. The party said, "It is an insult to Nigerians because they dont think that we are important; once they meet with the president that is all, and they will come and show us a picture. "They dont even think that it is necessary for the president to send message to Nigerians or for themselves to come and tell us what happened during that meeting. They merely planted pictures in the front pages of all the newspapers, and they think that is alright. "That is not the way to behave in a civilised country. At least, ordinarily we should have been having daily bulletins on the presidents health, the man is being treated there in London with tax payers money, and we elected him to do a job." Adeyeye, however, said the PDP wishes the President well, insisting that it was wrong for the APC leaders to visit the President and show Nigerians pictures. "We wish him well, and we want him to live, but it is pure contempt for Nigerians for a group of people, party leaders to just go and meet the president and come and show us pictures without saying anything either from them or from the president to Nigerians. It is pure contempt; it is an insult to our collective intelligence," he said. On Sunday, July 23, a delegation of APC Governors visited the ailing Buhari in London, where he has been on medical vacation. According to Punch, the Governors have been scheduled to depart Nigeria today, Tuesday, July 25. The six Governors were said to have been picked from the six geo-political zones of the country. It is, however, not clear if the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (rtd.), who is organising the trip, picked the Governors. The six selected Governors include, Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) Punch quoted a Governor, who is not part of the delegation, as saying that the Governors were selected outside the Nigeria Governors' Forum. He said, "Our colleagues are going to London to see the President. But Im not happy that someone like the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, or his Rivers State counterpart, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is not on the delegation. "Though there are PDP governors on the delegation, we know ourselves and also know those we know are truly part of the opposition and those close to the ruling All Progressives Congress. "The governors had been directed to be at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, tomorrow (Tuesday). From there, they will fly to the United Kingdom." This is coming 48 hours after Buhari had lunch with some Governors and Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in London, where he is on medical leave. The governors of the two owner states said no iota of distraction from any quarters will prevent them from resuscitating the university and make it the most viable citadel of knowledge in Nigeria and Africa. The newly inaugurated council is headed by a retired Head of Service of the Federation, Professor Oladapo Afolabi as Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of the institution. Other members of the Governing Council include: Professor Lai Olurode, Prof. Olaide Adedokun, Mr. Abiodun AbdulJelil Owonikoko (SAN), Mr. Isiaka Olagoke, Mr. Tise Adenipekun and Bade Adesina. While inaugurating the new council at the Oyo state Governor's Office, Ibadan, Oyo state, the Governors of the two owner states called on the council to do everything humanly possible to rejuvenate, revamp and reposition the institution to the greater heights being aspired by all. In his remarks, Governor Aregbesola, who described the university as one of the few higher institutions in Nigeria with best products, said the two states would not relent in their efforts to galvanise every opportunity that could help the university to accomplish her aims and objectives. He said the two states on assumption of offices have been working assiduously to strengthen the joint ownership of the institution, a move which according to him had earned the university several accolades and achievements. Governor Aregbesola said the two governments of Osun and Oyo have done a lot in maintaining the good reputation and rank of the institution as it was designed by the founding fathers. While charging the council on the need to complement the already established myriads of development and transformation in the citadel of knowledge, Aregbesola said it is time for them to do the needful and take great advantage in the current situation to uplift the university in the interest of both states and public at large. According to him, it is not a doubt that the newly inaugurated Governing Council members are a crop of seasoned and eminent personalities that have all it takes to move the university forward at this critical times. He said, "From your distinctions in various aspects of life to your track records, you are highly distinguished and unique. " I am highly proud to have you as members of the new Governing Council of our great university. "I expect extraordinary performance from you all. That is not to say your predecessors were not good. To us those you are succeeding did their best to administer and represent us as the supervisors of the university but the uniqueness on your own calling now, is the circumstance that you are beginning your tenure. "You must be committed to the efforts made by the owner states to sustain the joint ownership of the institution in line with the spirit of the founding fathers and make the university the best of all in the country. "The present governments of Osun and Oyo have not only brought about huge transformation but also maintained the trends of quality high education as being reflected in the institution's track records. "It is for this reason that we want the new Governing Council to, within the shortest time possible, rejuvenate the university, reposition it and bring it back not just to enviable position but to make it the best university in Nigeria. "There is no doubt that LAUTECH was known to be the best university in Nigeria and we want you to maintain this tempo in placing our university above its peers in Nigeria in churning out graduates not only virile in academics but distinguished in character. "We want you to perform miracle if possible as was done by Jesus Christ who turned water to wine according to christendom, so as to ensure that the university is not only resuscitated but placed to the greatest heights ever known in history. "We want every member of this Council to perform another miracle that will turn around the fortunes of the university for the betterment of all. "We want to use your tenure to perform wonders in making the comatose LAUTECH, within the shortest possible time, the best university in Nigeria." Governor Ajimobi attributed the inauguration of the new Governing Council to the fulfilment of one of the recommendations given by the Visitation Panel set up by the two owner states. He said the steps were taken towards the sustainability and achievement of the aims and objectives of the founding fathers in making the University to be the best in Nigeria. He said the two states' inauguration of the Governing Council showcases to the world their absolute commitment to goals and objectives of the founding fathers. According to Governor Ajimobi, "LAUTECH is an institution owned by the Osun and Oyo governments and we are irrevocably committed to this joint ownership just as we are determined to make the university the best in Nigeria. "Like all institutions, there are challenges and anyone who claims to be a leader or manager and wants results must never be afraid of the challenges. "In fact, it is because of these challenges that made us to be here because we are ever committed to surmount those challenges as LAUTECH is no exception as we all know the historical perception of the institution. "We have carefully selected the members of this Governing Council whose track records cannot be faulted and there is no doubt in our minds that all the members of new Council are eminently qualified not only to resurrect LAUTECH but to reposition the institution. "We assure you that looking at the membership that we have, there is no doubt in our minds that within the next three months, we will start to see first thing to avert the undeserving trends that we have and to begin to reposition LAUTECH accordingly. "It is based on this that we quickly implement one of the recommendations of the visitation panel to ensure that we inaugurate and put in place a Governing Council. "We are also working seriously to ensure that LAUTECH remains sustainable and achieve the aims and objectives of the founding fathers in making the University to be the best in Nigeria. "We are recommitting ourselves to those goals and objectives of the founding fathers as we are sure that by what it will take, we would reposition and reopen the university and LAUTECH must work." While appealing to striking workers of the institution on the need to reason with Government's stance and support on the new move to reposition the university, Ajimobi said the owner states will do everything possible to turn around the institution. He said, "We are committed to ensuring that we have a forensic audit of the finances of the management, students and programmes of the university just as we are taking this opportunity to appeal to all the stakeholders to please allow sanity to prevail. "There is nowhere in the world where employees of an institution will prevent the owners from repositioning the institution. There is nowhere in the world where workers unions of the institution will prevent the forensic audit of that institution. "So, we are appealing to either the Union, the Workers or students of LAUTECH to please allow us to promote this university and reposition it according to the dictates of modern day management and institutional development. "It is on this note that we are saying, that the new Governing Council has now been given all the powers to do whatever necessary to resuscitate, to develop, progress and reposition the university so that it becomes the number one university in Nigeria." Speaking at a White House press conference with Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Trump also called the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah a threat to the entire Middle East. "I'm not a fan of Assad. I certainly think that what he's done to that country and to humanity is horrible," Trump said. Recalling that he had ordered cruise missile strikes on Assad for using chemical weapons, Trump said: "I am not somebody that will stand by and let him get away with what he tried to do." Trump also said he believed there might not be any Russian or Iranian involvement in Syria today had former president Barack Obama taken action against Assad. Trump accused Hezbollah and Iran of fueling the humanitarian disaster in Syria. "Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region," he said. "The group continues to increase its military arsenal which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel," Trump added. "With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria." Hezbollah's "true interests are those of itself and its sponsor, Iran," he said. Trump demurred when asked to comment on sanctions against Hezbollah. The normally camera-shy presidential aide said contacts with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a Russian financier and a Russian lawyer -- who offered dirt on his father-in-law's campaign rival Hillary Clinton -- were all above board. "The record and documents I have voluntarily provided will show that all of my actions were proper and occurred in the normal course of events of a very unique campaign." Kushner spent more than two hours Monday appearing before Senate investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Both houses of Congress and the Justice Department are investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded in that effort -- which the CIA says was approved by President Vladimir Putin. The sprawling probe has plagued and infuriated the White House since Trump took office, with many influential members of his team having failed to report their contacts with Russian officials. Speaking on his return to the White House -- where he is a senior advisor to the president -- Kushner said he has not "relied" on Russian funds for his business. He also went on the offensive, echoing Trump's claim that the investigations are an effort by Democrats to explain away a shock election loss. "Donald Trump had a better message and ran a smarter campaign, and that is why he won," said Kushner, a former campaign aide. The statement was the first time the reticent Kushner -- who is married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka -- publicly explained his contacts with Russian officials. Kushner is scheduled to appear before a House panel on Tuesday. Special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller is leading a broad investigation into possible collusion. The House and Senate, however, have organized separate probes. - A 'waste of time' - The 36-year-old Kushner has faced scrutiny for not disclosing meetings and for taking part in talks with Kremlin-connected Russians along with Trump's son Donald Jr. In an 11-page written statement, Kushner dismissed the June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya -- which Donald Jr had taken hoping to get incriminating information on Trump's rival Hillary Clinton -- as a "waste of time." During the meeting, he recalled emailing an assistant: "Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting." Kushner also acknowledged a brief meeting with Kislyak in April 2016 -- when Trump himself also briefly met the ambassador -- and another during his father-in-law's transition. That second meeting was also attended by Michael Flynn, who became Trump's national security adviser but was quickly ousted over his contacts with the Russian ambassador. "I stated our desire for a fresh start in relations," Kushner said of the sit-down, saying he asked Kislyak who had direct lines to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was open for dialogue. "The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day." Kushner emphasized that he "did not suggest an ongoing secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office." He said Kislyak recommended meeting with banker Sergey Gorkov -- "someone with a direct line to the Russian President who could give insight into how Putin was viewing the new administration and best ways to work together." - Fresh sanctions - Kushner said there was no mention of sanctions in his talks with both Kislyak and Gorkov. The topic has made recent headlines as Congress prepares to approve fresh punitive measures against Moscow. The Senate overwhelmingly passed new sanctions in mid-June, and after reaching an agreement, the House is due to vote Tuesday on a bill targeting Russia over the suspected campaign meddling as well as its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Democrat Ron Wyden, a member of the committee that questioned Kushner, said his statement raised "far more questions than it answers" and should not be merely accepted as "the whole truth." "Kushner has repeatedly concealed information about his personal finances and meetings with foreign officials," said Wyden. President Trump watched his son-in-law and believed he "did a good job," according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The case, which tests the limits of global copyright protections in the digital era, stems from a legal dispute involving Canadian telecommunications equipment manufacturer Equustek Solutions, which successfully sued another company for relabeling its products and passing them off as their own. Google agreed to de-index 345 webpages associated with Datalink, the offending firm in Canada. But the company fled the country and continued to market the counterfeit products from an unknown location. Equustek then succeeded in obtaining a court order, upheld last month by Canada's Supreme Court, that would require Google to delete all mentions of Datalink worldwide. In its 143-page filing, Google said the Canadian court order would be "unprecedented" and violate its rights to operate in the United States. "Without a declaration from a United States court that enforcement of the Canadian order in the US is unlawful, Google believes that Equustek will continue to pursue enforcement... and seek to hold Google in contempt," the document said. The case is the latest dispute over jurisdiction following a case in Europe where French authorities ordered Google to delete search results worldwide in compliance with Europe's "right to be forgotten" directive. In the latest filing, Google said it was an "innocent non-party" in the case and simply a tool to find information. "Google is not the internet," the filing said. "The vast majority of internet websites are hosted by and operated through service providers other than Google." "The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia," lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces, told AFP. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. "We are awaiting reinforcements," said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi, adding that around 150 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and "have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are effected." Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday, Bernier said. Elsewhere in France, a fire raged in the forests around Luberon in the Vaucluse region, covering 650 hectares. Several homes in the village of Mirabeau had to be evacuated, according to officials. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Another blaze in Carros, north of Nice, burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. But there are already concerns that Chinese operatives are working undercover after the alleged abductions of a city bookseller and a reclusive Chinese businessman. The rail link plan comes at a time when fears are worsening that Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an ever more assertive Beijing. The high-speed connection out of the harbourfront West Kowloon station is set to open in 2018, linking to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou 80 miles (130 km) away and then onto China's national rail network. A proposal backed by the Hong Kong government's top advisory body Tuesday would see mainland border staff control a special immigration zone at the Hong Kong terminus. There are already numerous transport connections between Hong Kong and the mainland, but Chinese immigration checks are done on the other side of the border. City leader Carrie Lam insisted the new checkpoint arrangement was not a breach of the Basic Law and was designed to cut travel time. "The crux of the matter is really to find a means that is legal to support this convenience for the people of Hong Kong," Lam told reporters. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung said such joint immigration areas were common around the world and that Hong Kong would be "leasing" the portion of land at the terminus to China. "Outside the zone both the officers and everyone else have to obey the laws in Hong Kong," she told AFP. But opponents say the new plan is a clear breach of the Basic Law and another sign that Hong Kong is being swallowed up by China. Veteran lawyer and democracy advocate Martin Lee, who helped draft the Basic Law in the 1980s, said creating an exception within Hong Kong where mainland Chinese laws are enforced would set a "dangerous precedent". It would put at risk the semi-autonomous "one country, two systems" set-up guaranteed when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Lee told AFP. The government wanted to force through the plan to make Hong Kong people "feel closer to Beijing, the sovereign power", added opposition legislator Claudia Mo. The plan now needs approval from the city's legislature, which is weighted towards the pro-China camp. The rail link is one of a number of cross-border infrastructure projects, including a new bridge to the mainland and the neighbouring casino enclave Macau. He had already escaped from prison twice in the past and absconded during a previous day release, La Repubblica daily reported. "'Johnny the Gypsy' was betrayed by love," said a police statement. When they caught him, in Tuscany, central Italy, in the province of Sienna, he was with his companion Giovanna Truzzi. Truzzi had herself slipped away from house arrest to join him. Nicknamed "Johnny the Gypsy" because he was born into an itinerant family, Mastini killed his first victim in 1975 when a robbery went wrong. He was 15 years old at the time. He would later be accused of having played a role in the murder of celebrated Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Mastini has always denied any involvement. The teenager was taken to a lock-up for juveniles but absconded in 1976 after attacking a guard. He was caught and taken to another prison, from where he escaped again in 1981, before being captured once more in 1983. The suicide rate -- the ratio per 100,000 people -- was 18.5 in 2015 and the government wants to reduce it below 13.0 in 2025. Suicides have fallen since peaking at 34,427 in 2003, with 21,897 taking their own lives last year. The government in the plan cited measures taken nationwide over that time as being behind the drop. The plan, approved at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, is reviewed every five years. The first one came in 2007. It states that the government will push further for measures against work-related suicides, saying that cutting extreme work hours and preventing harassment by bosses are necessary. Tokyo is ramping up efforts to tackle deaths from overwork following the suicide of a young employee at Japan's biggest advertising agency Dentsu, who regularly logged more than 100 hours of overtime a month. The death of Matsuri Takahashi in 2015 generated nationwide headlines, prompting the government to come up with a plan asking employers to limit overtime to a maximum of 100 hours per month. But critics say this is still too high. Security forces in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, tear-gassed opposition activists who tried to protest ahead of Sunday's legislative elections in a square close to the presidential palace, declared off-limits by the authorities. "The march didn't happen. The police blocked the way," Wade told journalists, speaking in the local Wolof language. "What we are doing is in the interest of the country. We take our responsibility so that people vote and make Macky Sall -- who has destroyed Senegal -- leave," he added. Wade, who led Senegal from 2000 to 2012 and now heads up an opposition list for Sunday's legislative election, called the demonstration himself. Some activists who tried to reach the city's Place de l'Independance (Independence Square) by side streets were tear-gassed and an AFP journalist saw at least six arrested. Adding he was "proud" to be 91 and still on the campaign trail, Wade assured he was not seeking to become president for a third term, following an abortive attempt to do just that in 2012's presidential election. Wade was pressing the authorities to issue electoral cards to electors still waiting to receive them who may otherwise not be able to vote. The former president only returned to Senegal earlier this month after two years away, in order to campaign. The demonstration was organised in a "restricted zone", the governor of Dakar, Serigne Babacar Kane, had told AFP earlier, citing a Wade-era decree against political activity in the square. On Monday, President Sall went to the country's constitutional council to try to relax the voting rules so people without voting cards could use passports or other forms of identification to vote. The man was subsequently detained, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido tweeted, without indicating whether the assault -- which took place early Tuesday -- was a terror attack or not. "A man entered the border post and once inside, pulled out a large knife and confronted (police) shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greatest), slightly injuring a policeman," Irene Flores, spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Melilla, told AFP. A spokesman for Spanish police added he ran into the border post. Flores said that an early investigation suggested the man was Moroccan, but that this had not yet been confirmed. Restive border Melilla and its sister city Ceuta are two Spanish territories located on Morocco's northern coast, and as such represent the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. They have been hit by unrest before as migrants desperate to reach Europe regularly storm the border between Morocco and both territories or try and smuggle themselves in. The Melilla border has been hit by several car-ramming incidents this year, in which people drive vehicles with migrants hidden inside into the border post at high speed. But this is believed to be the first attack of this type. Spain has so far been spared the kind of extremist violence that has occurred in nearby France, Belgium and Germany. But it was hit by what is still Europe's deadliest jihadist attack in March 2004, when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people in an attack claimed by Al Qaeda-inspired extremists. Since 2016, Spain has emerged as a potential target for jihadists, with extremist websites mentioning it for historical reasons, since much of its territory was once under Muslim rule. Muslims settled there in the eighth century and ruled over part of the peninsula, particularly under the Caliphate of Cordoba in the 10th and 11th centuries and the Nasrid dynasty in southern Granada. But they were forcibly converted to Christianity in the 16th century, and subsequently expelled from Spain. Spain has nevertheless been less exposed to the risk that radicalised citizens who left to fight abroad would return with plans to commit attacks on home soil. The federal charge is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, officials said. The migrants were discovered Sunday in the early morning hours in a truck parked in a Walmart lot in San Antonio, a city that is a two-hour drive from the US-Mexico border. Authorities found 39 people crammed in the trailer with a broken refrigeration system, which was parked in the baking Texas heat. But immigration authorities said Monday they believed more than 100 were in the truck at one time. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in a statement called the deaths "senseless" and the result of a human trafficking "network of abuse and death." Thirty people were hospitalized -- including two school-age children -- and more than a dozen were in critical condition, suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, authorities said Sunday. "This tragedy demonstrates the brutality of the network of which I often speak. These smugglers have no regard for human life and seek only profits," Kelly said. "The Department of Homeland Security and its partners in the U.S., Mexico and Central America will continue to root out these smugglers, bring them to justice and dismantle their networks." Kelly has been to Mexico twice to discuss immigration, human trafficking and the sprawling cross-border drug trade. The migrants were discovered when someone from inside the truck approached a Walmart employee asking for water. The employee brought water to the truck and then called police, authorities said, adding that they were uncertain how many people might have fled from the truck and were unaccounted for. The move is seen as unprecedented because it financially sanctions an elected leader for a government policy and it is the latest in a barrage of legal battles she has had to fight since she was booted from office. Thailand's first female prime minister, whose government was toppled in a 2014 coup, is already facing up to a decade in jail for allegedly failing to stop graft in the subsidy programme that targeted her party's rural farming base. She was also retroactively impeached soon after the coup, a move that banned her from politics for five years. Yingluck's legal team had petitioned for an injunction against the $1 billion fine -- which dwarfs the roughly $18 million she has in publicly declared assets. But the Finance Ministry said Monday it was moving ahead with the order and planned to seize at least 12 accounts belonging to the embattled politician as an initial measure. Yingluck's lawyer confirmed Tuesday that at least seven accounts had now been locked. "Bangkok Bank notified us that seven of her bank accounts have been frozen and cannot carry out any transactions," Noppadon Laowthong told AFP. Yingluck, whose supporters have accused the junta of launching a political witch-hunt against her since seizing power, turned to Twitter to insist on her innocence. "I am ready to prove my innocence and that I have not done anything wrong in my closing statement on 1 August," she wrote in reference to the final stage of her criminal negligence trial over the rice scheme. The verdict in that trial is due to be announced on August 25. Analysts say the junta and its establishment allies are bent on crushing the political machine led by Yingluck and her billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also ousted in a 2006 coup. The siblings are beloved in Thailand's poor northeast but loathed by Bangkok's traditional elite, who keep knocking down their governments with coups and court rulings. Under Yingluck's flagship rice-pledging scheme the government bought paddy at nearly twice the market rate. It cemented her popularity among many farmers but led to huge stockpiles of unsold rice and cost Thailand its spot as the world's leading rice exporter. Critics blasted the scheme as the latest graft-riddled populist handout by the Shinawatra camp, which has won every national election since 2001. The junta claims the policy cost Thailand around $8 billion in lost revenue. The 17 defendants from Cumhuriyet daily were detained from October last year and a dozen of them have now spent more than eight months in jail. They have been held under a state of emergency imposed after the July 15, 2016 failed coup aimed at ousting Erdogan that the authorities blame on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen. The case has further raised tensions between Turkey and the European Union, in particular Germany, which fears the crackdown is being used to target any critic of Erdogan. The Cumhuriyet journalists, cartoonists and executives were applauded by supporters crammed into the Istanbul courtroom as the trial opened. Supporters released dozens of multicoloured balloons outside the courthouse, chanting: "Don't be silenced! A free media is a right!" If convicted, the journalists face varying terms of up to 43 years in jail./ In an extraordinary coincidence, the trial opened on Turkey's annual national day of the press which marks the end of official censorship in the Ottoman Empire in 1908 under Sultan Abdulhamid II. - 'Illogical' - Those on trial include some of the best known names in Turkish journalism including the columnist Kadri Gursel, the paper's editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, cartoonist Musa Kart as well as its chairman Akin Atalay. They are charged with supporting in the newspaper's coverage three groups considered by Turkey as terror outfits -- the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and Gulen's movement, which Ankara calls the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO). The indictment accuses Cumhuriyet of beginning a "perception operation" with the aim of starting an "asymmetric war" against Erdogan. But supporters insist the paper has always been bitterly critical of the three groups, including Gulen's organisation. Gulen denies any link to the failed coup. "To say I was in contact with FETO members is illogical and against good sense," Gursel told the court in a powerful testimony where he sought to refute the accusations charge-by-charge. "There is nothing to justify my jailing -- nothing apart from slander," he added. "The claims are totally without basis." Atalay said it was the authorities who were scared. "But Cumhuriyet will not give in... independence and liberty are written into the DNA of the paper," he said. Cartoonist Kart meanwhile denounced the accusations against him as "unfair, unfounded and unacceptable". - 'Test for Turkey' - Cumhuriyet (Republic), which was set up in 1924 and is Turkey's oldest mainstream national title, has been a thorn in the side of Erdogan in recent years. It is one of the few genuine opposition voices in the press, which is dominated by strongly pro-government media and bigger mainstream dailies that are increasingly wary of challenging the authorities. Also being tried in the case is the investigative journalist Ahmet Sik who in 2011 wrote an explosive book "The Imam's Army" exposing the grip Gulen's movement had on the Turkish state. Eleven of the 17 including Gursel, Sabuncu, Kart and Sik, are being held in custody. The trial will resume Tuesday and this preliminary stage is expected to last until Friday. Since their arrests, Cumhuriyet has continued publishing the columns of the jailed journalists but with a blank white space instead of text. "This trial is a test for Turkey," Aydin Engin, one of the writers on trial who was freed after his initial arrest. "Erdogan says justice is balanced in Turkey. Now we will see." Being tried in absentia is the paper's former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who was last year sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail over a front-page story accusing the government of sending weapons to Syria. He has now fled Turkey for Germany. - 'Criminalising journalism' - Steven Ellis, director of advocacy at the International Press Institute (IPI), said outside the court that the case aimed at "criminalising journalism." "If it works... then they will do it again and again," he said. Turkey ranks 155th on the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom index, below Belarus and the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the P24 press freedom group, there are 166 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were arrested under the state of emergency. Erdogan, however, insisted in an interview earlier this month there were just "two real journalists" behind bars in Turkey and anyone else was jailed for offences including robbing ATMs. Angel Zerpa, arrested Saturday, has been imprisoned and has gone on a hunger strike, said Foro Penal, a group that defends political prisoners in this oil rich country in the throes of a political and economic crisis. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles also said Zerpa had been imprisoned. Zerpa was denied the right to have an attorney of his choice with him when he appeared before the military court, Capriles said. "No lawyer, no due process, and going before a military court. What is this?" Capriles said in remarks on the social medium Periscope. Maduro warned Sunday that 33 judges whom the opposition-controlled congress designated last week as a sort of shadow Supreme Court would be arrested. So far, Zerpa is the only one known to have been arrested. The opposition says the current top court is packed with hardcore Maduro loyalists. Many of its justices were hastily appointed shortly before Maduro's ruling party lost its majority in congress in 2015 legislative elections. The Supreme Court said that by swearing in shadow judges, congress overstepped its bounds and committed treason. Venezuela's opposition blames Maduro for Venezuela's economic crisis and plans a general strike for Wednesday and Thursday. That is part of a drum beat of angry opposition sentiment ahead of voting Sunday for an assembly to rewrite the constitution. "From here I make a call to all Muslims. Anyone who has the opportunity should visit Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa mosque," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Come, let's all protect Jerusalem." Israel installed metal detectors at entrances to the site, which also includes the Dome of the Rock, following an attack on July 14 that killed two Israeli police officers. Palestinians viewed the security measures as Israel asserting further control over the site and deadly clashes erupted during protests. "They are attempting to take the mosque from Muslim hands on the pretext of fighting terrorism. There is no other explanation," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers in parliament. He said Israel's legitimacy rested on the extent of the respect it showed to Palestinians and their rights. Erdogan also denounced attacks on synagogues in Turkey, referring to reports that an ultra-nationalist group threw stones at a synagogue in Istanbul last week. American forces took three bells from the Catholic church of Balangiga town on the eastern island of Samar in 1901 as war booty in what historians said was a particularly brutal military operation in the new US colony. "Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are not yours. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage," Duterte said at his annual State of the Nation Address on Monday. "Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonisers and sacrificed their lives in the process." Two of the bells are installed at a memorial for US war dead in Wyoming, while the third is with US forces in South Korea. Some US politicians oppose the dismantling of the memorial. US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina gave a non-committal reply on Tuesday to Duterte's demands. "We are aware that the bells of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of people, both in the United States and in the Philippines," she said in an email to AFP. "We will continue to work with our Filipino partners to find a resolution." The brutal Samar campaign was launched about a month after Filipino rebels killed 34 US troops in Balangiga on September 28, 1901, according to a US Army War College research paper. Seven other American soldiers perished during the escape from Balangiga, and US reinforcements razed the town the day after, it added. Duterte on Monday repeated a Filipino account of the campaign that the commanding general, Jacob Smith, ordered Samar be turned into a "howling wilderness" and that all Filipino males aged 10 or above be killed. A 1902 US court-martial convicted Smith of a minor offence in relation to the Samar campaign, while 39 other Americans were separately found guilty of torturing and shooting Filipino prisoners there, the US Army War College research paper said. However none of them were jailed, according to the paper. The then Philippine president Fidel Ramos first sought but failed to recover the bells during a 1998 Washington trip. Duterte, a self-described socialist, has since his election last year worked to distance Manila from Washington while building closer ties with China and Russia. The Philippine islands, a Spanish colony for centuries, were ceded to the United States in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Philippines gained independence from the Americans in 1946. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Google's parent company Alphabet can easily afford the $2.7 billion write-down it's taking to cover a big antitrust fine in Europe. But it might find it harder to shrug off the rest of the European regulatory assault that's headed its way. In June, a European Commission ruling slapped down Google for abusing its market dominance in search by unfairly directing visitors to its comparison shopping service, Google Shopping, to the detriment of its rivals. The regulators not only imposed a huge fine, they also insisted that Google change the way it provides search results in Europe. Alphabet is still mulling an appeal of that ruling, which could take years to get through the European Court of Justice. And that case is only the first of several such investigations that have embroiled Google across the Atlantic, a situation that raises uncertainty about its ability to operate freely on the continent going forward. WHY EUROPE IS UPSET After a seven-year antitrust probe, the European Commission concluded that Google stifles the ability of rivals like Yelp to compete. That's a different standard than in the U.S., where regulators tend to step in only when consumer prices go up due to monopolistic power. Europe's top antitrust regulator, Margrethe Vestager, said Google "denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits." Google says it's giving consumers what they want: product listings with pictures and prices, saving them the trouble of repeating a search on another site. In two other cases, the commission charges Google with allegedly forcing its Android smartphone partners to favor Google's apps and limiting the way its ad-partner websites can display search ads from Google rivals. An Alphabet spokeswoman said Monday the company had nothing to say on the matter beyond its blog response to the fine last month, in which it painted itself as an underdog in product search compared to Amazon. HOW MUCH GOOGLE COULD HURT It's unclear how constraints on its behavior could affect it, but 33 percent of Alphabet's revenue roughly $8.5 billion in the latest quarter came from the region it calls Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Beyond the fine, Alphabet faces a penalty of up to 5 percent of its average daily turnover if it doesn't give equal treatment to rival comparison shopping services in Europe by late September. It's up to Google to figure out how to do so. "These things tend to hobble a company's behavior even if there isn't a decision," says Jonathan Taplin, a former professor at University of Southern California and author of "Move Fast and Break Things: How Google, Facebook and Amazon Have Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy." ''I don't think it's the end, I think it's the beginning." Google's previous offers to the commission to change its search results were rejected. That's why it's confusing trying to predict what a solution would look like, says Mark Ballard, head of research for Merkle, an ad agency that represents Gap, Crate&Barrel and other big online ad spenders. On Monday, Alphabet Inc. reported second-quarter earnings of $3.52 billion, down 28 percent from $4.88 billion a year earlier; that figure includes the effect of the $2.7 billion European fine. Adjusted earnings were $8.90 per share, below the $10.26 analysts were expecting, according to FactSet. Revenues rose 19 percent to $20.9 billion after subtracting commissions it paid out, right on par with expectations. Alphabet shares dropped more than 3 percent in after-hours trading, to $966. HOW GOOGLE COULD SKATE BY Plenty of observers believe Google won't be unduly harmed by Europe's decision. New technologies like voice search could make shopping listings mostly irrelevant, argues Martin Utreras, vice president of forecasting at eMarketer. "It's not like they have complete control of the market in any case." And companies still fond of the search giant will still likely spend money with it, no matter how results change, Ballard adds. The global impact could also be limited if Europe's decision doesn't influence other global policymakers. Herbert Hovenkamp, an antitrust professor at the University of Pennsylvania, says it's unlikely that President Donald Trump will move to crimp the activities of technology giants, no matter how much he has criticized Amazon for not paying "internet taxes." "The EU competition law authority is quite a bit to the left of U.S. law," Hovenkamp said. "I don't see us following in the footsteps of the EU on this issue." Press release submitted by Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce (Quad Cities, USA) - The Downtown Davenport Partnership is thrilled to announce an exciting change to the 46th Annual Street Fest presented by Cobham: Ribfest. The Quad-Cities biggest homecoming party will now feature an entire block dedicated to BBQ vendors! On July 28th and 29th, Streetfest go-ers will get the chance to vote for their favorite barbeque masters. This years Ribfest competitors include last years triple crown winner Smoking Butt BBQ, Carolina Rib King, Austins Texas Lightning, Chicago BBQ Company, Porky Chicks and BBQ King Smokehouse. Although the meat-lovers row has been added, you can still expect to find all the classic Street Fest vendors. From unique food trucks and carnival food to gyros and Asian cuisine, no matter what taste you have, well be sure to satisfy it. Bands at Street Fest this year include North of 40, Rolling Thunder, Jason Carl & the Whole Damn Band, Tony Hoeppner & Friends, Have Your Cake and more for a total of 13 bands. Make a point to peruse the dozens of unique shopping opportunities and enjoy one of many beverages, including featured brews from our local downtown breweries Great River Brewery and Front Street Brewery. Davenport Parks and Recreation is proudly sponsoring the Family Fun Area this year. Head out to the grassy area in front of the Ground Transportation Center with the kids and get a kick out of the bounce houses, face painting and more. Street fest is presented by Cobham and sponsored by Kimberly Car City, Courtesy Ford, Fox 18 Quad Cities, OnMedia, Townsquare Media, Quad City Times, Medic EMS, Victory Store, Jim Hawk Truck Trailers, Rock River Electric, Electronic Engineering, Hyvee, Duke Aerial Equipment, Molo Quint, Dimensional Graphics, Mickle Communications, Pepsi, Iowa American Water, The River Center, Rexroat Sound, VanderGinst Law, Downtown Davenport Partnership, City of Davenport, and Davenport Parks and Recreation. You can also find additional information at www.DowntownDavenport.com and www.Facebook.com/downtowndavenport. Downtown Davenport Partnership, a division of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, is a non-profit organization focused on the strategic growth and beautification of historic downtown Davenport. It proudly helps drive Q2030: A Regional Action Plan to increase talent, jobs and economic opportunity for all. Streetfest is a product of DDP that supports the cool places pillar of Q2030 by providing a signature event for Quad Citizens to unify, kick back and celebrate. GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) The Lock and Key Shop started in Galesburg in 1960 and has remained in town to this day. Amos Blevins, current owner, began working in the shop in 1977 with no prior knowledge in locksmithing. Through the manuals around the shop and hands-on training, Blevins learned the key skills to become a professional locksmith over the course of five years and took the store over in 1982. His wife Nancy would begin working in the same shop 10 years later. Blevins explained that the current state of the business is much different than it was years ago. With the advent of digital locks and key cards, there is a new set of skills required to meet everyone's needs. However, he believes there will always be a need for a physical locksmith on hand. In the future, whenever the next locksmith comes to take over the store, Blevins insists that they will have to be ready to face a new electronic era of the profession. Blevins sees much of the success of his store coming from the relationships he and his wife have made with the Galesburg community. As the only locksmith in the area, Blevins understand the responsibility the store holds and how much people depend on his service. His main goals when serving people are to treat them fairly and give them service that will keep them coming back. "We know nearly 90 percent of the people in town I'd say," Blevins said. "One and done is no good in a small town. You have to build relationships with your customers." Blevins plans to retire soon from the store and possibly move closer to family. After running the store for over 40 years, he still loves the profession and the service he and his wife provide. "This has really all became a part of me," Blevins said. "Even after I'm finished, I'll still find ways to do this work. I still enjoy it to this day." CHICAGO (AP) Chicago police say they are searching for the gunman who wounded an officer last week following an attempted store robbery. The two men being held in the botched robbery Friday of a cellphone store were ordered held Monday without bond on attempted first-degree murder charges. Twenty-year-old Donzell Grant and 24-year-old Cortez Harrington were also charged with armed robbery with a firearm, and kidnapping with a firearm. Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Jennifer Bagby says Grant and the unnamed suspect at large entered a T-Mobile store and marched four store employees to the back of the store at gunpoint. The employees were bound with zip-ties. A female customer managed to run out and call police. During an exchange of gunfire with the suspects one officer was shot in the leg. Both Grant and getaway driver Cortez Harrington were later arrested by police. MILAN Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday said lawmakers will have to return to Springfield for a special session after they ignored his noon deadline for a school funding bill to be sent to his desk. If passed, Senate Bill 1 would change the funding formula for how the state sends money to school districts. The proposed evidence-based model would base state funding on actual education needs, shifting a greater portion of state education funding to poorer districts. Speaking at the Illinois Department of Transportation in Milan, Gov. Rauner said members of the Democrat-controlled General Assembly refused to send the bill to him, knowing he would veto and amend a portion of the legislation that includes $215 million to go toward paying the pensions of Chicago teachers. "That's not fair; that's not right. Money should go in a classroom where it belongs," Gov. Rauner said. "It shouldn't be diverted to a pension payment for Chicago, it's not fair. My plan is to amendatory veto that bill and take out the pension payment part. Leave the rest of the education funding formula and make sure schools open on time." Gov. Rauner said by removing the pension portion of the bill, Rock Island schools would receive $1.1 million more per year and Moline schools would receive an additional $900,000 in funding. "That money should stay here in Moline with the teachers and the children rather than going to Chicago pensions," he said. "That bill is unfair to the children across the state and those who are in struggling communities. "If I remove the pension bailout language with my amendatory veto, the rest of the bill will be fine and schools can open on time." Gov. Rauner blamed Democrats and speaker of the house Michael Madigan for the lack of a funding bill, accusing them of stalling the legislation in order to create chaos. He said Speaker Madigan was "playing political games" with children. "They want to create a crisis to force passage of the bill in its current form," Gov. Rauner said. "Schools need to open in just a few weeks and (Democrats) are sitting on a funding bill. Unless that bill becomes law, schools won't open. They want to create a crisis. They want teachers upset. They want parents questioning. "No child in Illinois should lose a single day of school because of some political games. There is no legitimate reason for that bill not to be on my desk. (Democrats) are trying to force the pension bailout. That's not fair." For a comparison on how much individual school districts will get under the Senate Bill 1 plan, Gov. Rauner said that information can be found at www.illinois.gov/gov/sitepages/schooldistrictfunding.aspx. Across town, State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, was holding traveling office hours at the Moline Township building. Speaking before a small group of constituents, she said she wasn't happy the school funding bill wasn't sent to the governor's desk. "I support the evidence-based funding model," Rep. McCombie said. "I've been an advocate for that 110 percent. But I do not agree with the pension piece of it for Chicago. If they want to talk about their pensions, they need to put it in a pension bill, not in education funding." She said it was her hope the governor could have used his amendatory veto power and avoid calling a special session. "Now we're going back to Springfield to do what? Are we going to gavel in and gavel out unless they release (the bill) by Wednesday? Now we are on taxpayer's money to go down there." Rep. McCombie disagreed with the governor's position that schools cannot open without the funding bill in place. Schools will open, she said, but will have to rely on their reserve funds in order to do so. "They all have reserves anywhere from 150 to 250 days," she said. "The problem is that some of the schools have projects they need to be doing. If you wait a year, we all know costs go up. That's going to set them back. "I do believe we'll see some resolution. I've been told the drop-dead date is Aug. 10, but I don't know if it will be done by then or not." MOLINE Rock Island, Henry and Whiteside counties have been declared disaster areas by Gov. Bruce Rauner because of flooding. Gov. Rauner made the announcement Monday at the Illinois Department of Transportation facility in Milan. He noted the Rock River is expected to challenge records set in 2013. "If necessary if we have to call for evacuations of any neighborhoods or communities please honor the request," he said. "We can't force you to leave your home. But for your own safety, if we recommend evacuation, please honor the request. We want to make sure everybody is safe, first and foremost." According to the National Weather Service, Rock River flood projections still are expected to be among the highest in history but not set new records. Mississippi River levels will create "healthy minor to moderate swelling" in the Quad-Cities, according to service technologist Jessica Brooks. "Forecasts are going down a little bit and have been adjusted," she said. If the Rock River crests at 18.3 feet Tuesday in Joslin, it will be the seventh highest river level there since records have been kept. A 16-foot mark at Moline would be fourth highest, Ms. Brooks said. "And, right now, we should see the Mississippi River be near or just below flood stage," she said. Ms. Brooks said a "significant rain event" in northern Illinois that dropped between 3 and 8 inches of rain fueled the river's rise. "Eight inches of rain is an extraordinary amount of water," Gov. Rauner said. "The state began getting requests for sandbags on Friday night, and we began shipping those out Friday night and Saturday. "We are getting more requests for sandbags, signs and equipment," he said. He also declared Carroll, Jo Davies, Lee, Ogle and Stevenson counties as disaster areas. "Northwest Illinois has gotten socked," Gov. Rauner said. "We've got to make sure we can respond as the communities need resources and that the state is there to help them." Some of the hard-hit communities are in the legislative district of State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. "In my district, the water is still flowing," she said during a Moline visit Monday. "Fulton had a huge washout in Heritage Canyon, which is a really wonderful place. Erie has used some sandbags to help with the levee; I talked with the mayor today, and the water is starting to subside. "Hopefully, now that the water is cresting, things will start to subside," she said. "It's crazy to think what water can do." State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, applauded the disaster declarations by Gov. Rauner. As a firefighter and paramedic, Im seeing first-hand the effects of this flooding and how it has affected our community, said Sen. Anderson, a member of the Moline Fire Department. "This disaster proclamation will help to ensure that state support continues to be available not only to help affected communities battle rising waters, but also to recover after the floods recede. Illinois Emergency Management Director James Joseph said some people in northwestern Illinois have proactively left their homes because of rising water and the inability to access roadways around their neighborhood. "Fortunately, we haven't had to open any shelters yet," he said. "But we will provide any resource necessary from a sheltering perspective or whatever resource a community needs in response to this event. We are in very close contact with all of our counties the governor mentioned to ensure they have every support they need." In Moline, high Mississippi River levels closed the Channel Cat dock at John Deere Commons. Scheduled stops on River Drive, the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf and the village of East Davenport remain open. Rock Island has closed the bike path at the Moline border and placed water-pumping discharge pipes on the path. On Sunday night, the Sunset Marina fuel dock was closed and will remain closed until further notice. Pumpout service also has been discontinued. Water and power will remain on, with temporary walkways to the 100 and 200 docks installed on Sunday. Rock Island officials also said 18th Avenue at Potter's Lake will be closed once the Mississippi River hits 16 feet. In Davenport, Credit Island and a riverfront bike path between LeClaire Park and the island were closed. Modern Woodmen Park, the River's Edge, the Freight House and Union Station remain open. State and local officials also reminded people not to play, wade, bike or drive through flood water. ROCK ISLAND The Martin Luther King Jr. Center board of directors may now have up to three members who are not residents of the city. About 50 people were present when the council voted 5-2 Monday night to approve amended by-laws that allow up to three of the 11 directors to be from the Quad-Cities but not Rock Island residents. Alderman Virgil Mayberry, 2nd Ward, and Stephen Tollenaer, 4th Ward, cast the two no votes. The MLK Jr. Center board members, who are not paid, are appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. The board of directors had voted unanimously to ask the city council to make the changes to its by-laws, 1st Ward Ald. Ivory Clark said. Ald. James Spurgetis, 3rd Ward, said he understands this is an emotional issue for a lot of people. He said he tried to think of how Martin Luther King Jr. himself would vote on this issue. "This is going to be one of these issues that you can not please everyone," Ald. Spurgetis said. "We know that some people, no matter what we decide, are going to be happy, and others are going to be unhappy." Residents spoke out against the decision, calling it a blatant insult to the residents of Rock Island. Ald. Mayberry asked those in attendance who were for allowing non-residents to serve on the board of directors to stand up. Only MLK Board President David Levin stood. "We want this institution to become more macro than micro," Mr. Levin said. "When we are looking at funding, when we are looking at programming, we want it to be a true community center instead of just a west end Rock Island, below the hill organization. That went out a long time ago. This organization is for the entire community of the Quad-Cities." After the meeting, Mayor Mike Thoms said he has been holding off on making any appointments to the MLK Jr. Center board pending the outcome of the vote. He said he plans on talking with Jerry Jones, executive director, to ask what talents the board is in need of before making any appointments. Mayor Thoms said he encourages anyone interested in serving on the board to apply. He said he hopes to present nominees to the city council in the next 30 days. In other business, the council voted 6-1 for elected officials to continue participation in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Ald. Mayberry cast lone no vote. When George Romero died recently, he was almost universally hailed as the father of the zombie movie. The title was both too much and not enough. Romeros The Night of the Living Dead didnt invent the zombie movie; that credit goes to White Zombie from 1932. But in his great trilogy -- Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead -- Romero reinvented the genre of the zombie movie so thoroughly that what before had been a minor subspecies of B-flick became a functioning allegory for the American way of life. The figure of the zombie was not originally American, of course. It was a figure of fear and mortal terror developed in Haitian voodoo. Before the revolution, Haitian slaves believed that death would return them to lan guinee, or Guinea in Africa. But the zombie could not go home. He was a slave even in death. The notion of the zombie may have begun as colonists proscription against suicide; even in certain kinds of death there would not be liberation. The ultimate agony was to be a slave eternally. Given this history, the zombie is perhaps the most grotesque of any major pop culture trope. When you wear a zombie costume, you are appropriating a Haitian narrative about the despair of slavery. In a time when a college lecturer can be forced to resign over an email about Halloween costumes, and a novelist can provoke outrage by wearing a sombrero to a lecture, it is remarkable that the zombie goes almost entirely unchallenged as a cultural icon. (The Walking Dead is in its seventh season.) We have Romero to thank, I believe, not just for the popularity of zombies but for the transcendence of their specific, charged context. In 1932s White Zombie, Bela Lugosi plays Murder Legendre, who owns a plantation in Haiti and uses the undead as laborers. A passing couple is visiting a neighboring plantation, and a love triangle emerges in which Madeleine, a white woman, is turned into a zombie. Hence the title. What was extraordinary in the original zombie movie is that white people could become zombies. That was the horror. In a way, Romero excised history from the zombie narrative. No character in his trilogy refers to the monsters in question as zombies. In The Night of the Living Dead, they are ghouls. The word does appear in the script to Dawn of the Dead, but mostly the creatures are referred to as the dead or simply them. Not that the traditional roots of the zombie story were entirely removed. In Dawn of the Dead, Peter, played by Ken Foree, looks over a crowd of zombies: Theyre us, thats all. Theres no more room in hell. When his fellow survivors ask him what he means, he says, Something my granddaddy used to tell us. You know Macumba? Voodoo? Granddaddy was a priest in Trinidad. He used to tell us, 'When theres no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.' Romeros other key modification -- against the White Zombie standard -- was to make at least one of the heroes African-American in each film in the trilogy. The zombies are mostly white. In The Night of the Living Dead, a black man fights off a bunch of unthinking rural white Americans who want to eat him. The movie ends with the hero being casually shot by a white paramilitary group evocative of a lynch mob. Thus Romero took the real fear of the zombie -- the fear of the loss of humanity -- and placed it right at the heart of the American story. Thats what great cult films do. He also gave that fear a contemporary analogue, turning American consumerism, rather than the plantation, into the soul-destroying force. Dawn of the Dead is not necessarily a great example of filmmaking craftsmanship or art, but its symbolism is immaculate. The scene in Dawn of the Dead when the survivors of the outbreak arrive in the middle of a zombie-infested suburban mall -- this is genius. The wandering crowds look at mannequins. They want to look like the mannequins. They dont know that they are already mannequins, mannequins that can move. They stumble from store to store because they vaguely remember real desires they once might have had. Zombies, in Romeros hands, are not super violent. Compared to the undead in Resident Evil or 28 Days Later or World War Z, his zombies are quite gentle. Sure, they eat human beings, but mostly they stumble around bumping up against chain-link fences or boarded-up doors. You have to do something really dumb to be killed by a Romero zombie, like go down a mine shaft without a light or put a gun in its hand. Except when they occasionally need to eat flesh, Romeros zombies mostly just go about their business. Thats whats so scary about them: Theyre not that different from ordinary people. Celebrating Our Service Members Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day, when we honor and show gratitude to all members of our Armed Forces those currently serving, those who... Transit Equity Starts With QueensLink For decades Queens has seen a disinvestment in the necessary transit infrastructure the borough needs to promote equity and sustainability. Most of the time, transformative... The project will add four new stations to the network - one on King William Road serving the Festival Plaza precinct, and three new stops along North Terrace servicing the museum and library precinct, universities and the East End. The 1km extension will also provide frequent services between the East End and the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide railway station, Adelaide Convention Centre and the new Adelaide Festival Plaza. The state government says it has allocated an additional $A 10m to expand the scope of the project, adding a major rebuild of the King William Road/North Terrace intersection and additional turning movements for tram services to accommodate future stages of an extended tram network. In addition, the line will be extended a further 100m north along King William Road, which will improve access for passengers with disabilities. The additional funding will also shorten the construction period, minimising disruption to traffic and businesses. The state government says the investment will kick-start the first stage of its ambitious, though currently unfunded, expansion of the Adelaide tram network Works will begin immediately and are due to be completed early next year. For detailed data on rail projects in Australasia, subscribe to IRJ Pro. The 250km/h 11-car train will be subjected to an extensive programme of tests in the coming weeks as Stadler moves towards obtaining an Authorisation to Place into Service (APS) for operation of the fleet in Switzerland, and a Supplementary Authorisation to Place into Service (SAPS) for Germany, Austria, and Italy. SBB placed a SFr 980m ($US 1.03bn) order with Stadler in October 2014 for 29 of the 11-car articulated trains, with an option for 92 additional sets. The multi-system EMUs will initially operate on Basle/Zurich - Milan services via the Gotthard Base Tunnel and are due to enter service in 2019. The vehicle, which is the first LRV to be produced by CRRC Guangzhou Electric Locomotive, is due to be unveiled later this year after more than 18 months of work. Italdesign says there were two core influences on the design: Guangzhous traditional dancing lion and the structure of the Canton Tower, which is one of the latest landmarks to appear in the city. The dancing lion inspired external livery and lines while the handrails were influenced by the Canton Tower. The 70% low-floor tram will operate on Guangzhous new light-rail network, which will ultimately comprise 11 new lines totalling 167km. A joint venture of HerzogTransit Services subsidiary TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts Inc. has been selected as the service provider that will operate and manage service on the CTrail Hartford Line. Through a thorough service provider bidding process and cost-benefit analysis for the Hartford Line program, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) says it selected TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts (TASI/ACI). The companies are forming a joint venture solely for the purpose of serving the Hartford Line. Herzog earlier this year won a contract to operate Tri-Rail commuter rail services in South Florida. Amtrak had been one of the prospective Connecticut operators. The $45 million contract between TASI/ACI and ConnDOT will last five years, plus approximately 10 months of preliminary mobilization work that is required to prepare for the launch of the service. As the Hartford Line service provider, TASI/ACI will be responsible for operating trains, maintaining stations and parking facilities, and performing various customer service functions. The Joint Venture of TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts has the experience and background necessary to deliver passenger rail services that are equal to the nations best, Scott Perry, TASI/ACI president, said. We look forward to working with our partners at CTDOT and Amtrak to ensure a seamless launch and provide the more frequent, convenient and faster rail service that riders in this corridor want and deserve. The Hartford Line is currently under construction. It will provide more frequent train service between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield. The rail line is anticipated to launch in May 2018. Once launched, the line is expected to more than double the daily round trips currently offered in the corridor. We are getting closer each day to launching commuter rail service between New Haven, Hartford and our friends in Springfield a service that weve needed in the central Connecticut area for decades and will finally allow an option to move people, goods, and services with greater ease, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. Creating the Hartford Line is just one part of our efforts toward building a best-in-class transportation system for Connecticut residents that drives growth, attracts businesses, and stimulates job creation, all while improving the overall quality of life for our residents. For the sake of our economy and our future, we cannot sit and let our infrastructure deteriorate we are stepping up, moving forward, and getting this project done. The Hartford Line will act as a regional link with connections to existing rail services, including Metro-North, Shoreline East and Amtrak Acela high-speed rail services on both the New Haven Line to New York and on the Northeast Corridor to New London and Boston. There will also be direct bus connections to the Bradley Airport Flyer and to CTfastrak. Amtrak will remain responsible for maintenance of the railroad infrastructure, including track signals, train dispatching and right-of-way security. Amtraks existing service will not be altered by Hartford Line service. CTrail trains will operate together with Amtrak trains on the rail line to provide Hartford Line service. When the Hartford Line service launches, ConnDOT says a total of 17 roundtrip trains between New Haven and Hartford will operate each weekday, with 12 of those roundtrip trains continuing to Springfield. On weekends, a total of 13 roundtrip trains will operate between New Haven and Hartford, with 9 of those trains continuing onto Springfield. The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. Victim appeals against sentence in Total CEO crash case MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI) Patrick Vervel, the husband of a stewardess, who died in the Total CEO airplane crash in 2014, has filed an appeal against sentence given to two defendants in the case, press service of Moscows Solntsevsky District Court told RAPSI. On July 7, 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. The case against other defendants, airport flight manager Roman Dunayev, air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova, has been earlier returned 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. ECHR awards 6,000 to one of Nemtsov murder case defendants MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday awarded 6,000 in compensation to Temirlan Eskerkhanov, a defendant in the case on the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. The court held that Russia had violated Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) concerning conditions of the applicant's detention and prison transfer. The ECHR also ruled that there had been violation of Article 5 of the Convention regarding the lack of a speedy review of the grounds for Eskerkhanovs detention. However, the Strasbourg court declared complaints lodged by two other Nemtsov murder case defendants inadmissible in view of the disclosure of the friendly settlement negotiations by the applicants. Temirlan Eskerkhanov, Anzor Gubashev and Shadid Gubashev filed applications with the ECHR in March 2016 and October 2016 respectively. The complaints were joined. The applicants complained of conditions of their detention and transfer to and from prison, the length of their pre-trial detention and of excessively long proceedings in the judicial review of their detention, the courts document reads. Russian authorities have offered Eskerkhanov 6,000 as compensation to quash his complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Kommersant newspaper reported in December. Boris Nemtsov, 55, a prominent opposition politician, who held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian government in the 1990s and in the 2000s joined the opposition, was shot down in the center of Moscow as he walked across a bridge near the Kremlin on the night of February 28, 2015. Investigators believe that the conspirators in the murder had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime and spied on the victim. Five men have been charged with contract murder, illegal acquisition, carrying and keeping of weapons. On July 13, the Moscow District Military Court sentenced murderers of Nemtsov to prison terms varying from 11 to 20 years. The court ruled in accordance with the will of the jury panel founding all defendants guilty. Zaur Dadayev, Nemtsovs first-hand killer was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Anzor Gubashev was sentenced to 19 years, Shadid Gubashev to 16 years, Temirlan Eskerkhanov to 14 years and Khamzat Bakhayev to 11 years behind bars. The court fined defendants 100,000 rubles (about $1,700). |Shadid and Anzor Gubashev, Eskerkhanov and Bakhayev were also subjected to additional restriction of freedom for two years. Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be a mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list in November 2015. Beslan Shavanov, who allegedly was also implicated in the crime, reportedly killed himself when police tried to arrest him. Criminal prosecution of Shavanov was dismissed because of his death. Investigation into Mukhudinov is underway. Russian prosecutors ask Interpol to issue Red Notice for VimpelCom ex-head MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) Russias prosecutors had turned to Interpol asking it to issue a Red Notice for Mikhail Slobodin, former head of the telecommunications giant VimpelCom, who stands charged of bribing officials in the Republic of Komi, press service for the Prosecutor General's Office told RAPSI on Tuesday. As it has been reported earlier, Slobodin was put on the Russian federal wanted list, whereas in September 2016 a court in the town of Syktyvkar arrested him in absentia. Defendants in the case are Slobodin, Chief Managing Director at Renova Group holding Evgeny Olkhovik and CEO of T Plus Company, a subsidiary of Renova Group holding, Boris Vainzikher. Investigative authorities in Russias Republic of Komi have initiated a criminal case against some former and acting managers of Kompleksnye Energeticheskiye Sistemy (KES) company, of which T Plus is the legal successor, on suspicion of large-scale bribery. Investigators believe that between 2007 and 2014 the defendants bribed the officials currently involved in the criminal case against the Republics ex-head Vyacheslav Gaizer with money and other assets, with the total amount of funds transferred as money reward making over 800 million rubles ($13.5 million at the current exchange rate). Investigators claim that Olkhovik and Vainzikher have received 177 and 89 million rubles (around $3 million and $1.5 million) in bribes respectively during their management in the Kompleksnye Energeticheskiye Sistemy from 2007 to 2014 and transferred the money to the accounts of affiliated companies. Olkhovik and Vainzikher have been put in detention upon court order. Upper house of Russian parliament backs ban on anonymizers Context Russian parliament outlaws anonymizers MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI) The Federation Council of Russia has approved a bill prohibiting the use of technologies enabling access to blocked websites, also known as anonymizers, the upper house of the Russian parliament informs on Tuesday. The bill has been presented to the senators by Lyudmila Bokova, Deputy Chair of the Councils Committee on Constitutional Law and State Building. Provisions of the bill envisage a ban on using information and telecommunication networks, as well as software, with the aim to obtain access to websites and content blocked in Russia. Providers, in order to be able to comply with the bans, are to be allowed to draw on the database of restricted sources run by Roskomnadzor, Russias communications watchdog. A failure to comply with Roskomnadzor requirements is to result in a 30-day interdict on visiting sites providing access to information resources used to circumvent the blocks. Operators of search services will be obliged to cease publishing of links to information resources blocked in Russia. Federation Council approves bill on procedures related to Russian citizenship MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI) The upper house of the Russian parliament has approved a bill permitting to strip convicted terrorists of citizenship and introducing an oath of allegiance to the Russian Federation when obtaining the citizenship, the Federation Councils website reads on Tuesday. First, the draft law introduces the text of an oath to be obligatory given by persons 18 years of age and older wishing to acquire the Russian citizenship. Besides, a special procedure is to be fixed for Ukrainian citizens submitting documents for obtaining residence permits or Russian citizenship. Instead of providing a certificate confirming the renunciation of their previous citizenship issued by Ukraine, they would be able to present notarized copies of renunciation statement. Yet another amendment approved by the senators regulates more thoroughly the issues relating to the grounds, on which decisions granting Russian citizenship may be revoked. In particular, it is proposed that in case the citizenship is acquired with the aim to undermine the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation manifested via committing, planning, or attempting crimes of terrorist or extremist nature as confirmed by a court ruling, it may constitute a breach of the obligation to comply with the Constitution and the laws of the Russian Federation, and, therefore, be qualified as the presentation of knowingly false statements. According to the bill, the Russian citizenship may be withdrawn, for instance, for taking hostages, organization of illegal extremist communities and financing of extremist activities. Final judgements in cases related to crimes of terrorist and extremist nature should be treated as court rulings establishing facts of making knowingly false statements. Doing the right thing can come at a terrible price, especially if you do business in Russia. Just ask Paul Ostling, a civic spirited corporate executive who has been shoved into the limelight -- and the courtroom -- for choices he made as an executive in Moscow. Ostlings story goes back to 2012, when Brunswick Rail, a Russian company with an offshore parent, appointed Ostling as chairman. In 2015, after Brunswick terminated its CEO, Ostling stepped in and took over as top executive to help the company through an extremely challenging market environment. Among other things, Ostling worked to guide the company through a restructuring of its debts. Brunswick operates 25,000 rail cars, but the company was failing financially. It has outstanding public Eurobond debt of $600 million and owed another $100 million on a mezzanine loan as well as other debt and sale-leasebacks that together totaled more than $750 million. Brunswicks bonds were downgraded to Ca by Moodys, which means they are a highly speculative investment. Brunswicks bonds are traded on the London Stock Exchange and were covered by a filing made in 2012 with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Brunswick may be a privately held Russian company, but it has an active, international profile since its debt is held globally, including by major American institutions. It touted itself as being well-governed. But Brunswick wasnt playing by the rules, according to a complaint by Ostling in a federal court in Connecticut. He alleges that Brunswick was attempting to defraud its stakeholders. He says that the company publicly misstated its projections and withheld material information from its lenders and shareholders. Ostling blew the whistle on Brunswick, filing whistleblower complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority. When Brunswicks directors who were in on the efforts that Ostling warned about learned that Ostling and another director would not support their tactics, they got more than angry; they ousted Ostling and the other director from the board. They then retaliated against Ostling for disclosing their scheme by suing him, first in California. When Ostling was dismissed from that suit, they sued him in Connecticut for what Brunswick says was giving away trade secrets. Ostling denies those accusations and says in his filings that he was merely doing what he had the right and obligation to do, which was to keep stakeholders informed. Acting in accordance with ethical standards is what Ostling built his career on. He won the Russia Independent Director of the Year Award on the recommendation of two companies for which he served as audit committee chairman: Uralkali, the worlds largest potash miner, and Mobile TeleSystems, Russias largest mobile operator. He was a member of Ernst & Young Globals Executive Council for 12 years. Regulations and reporting requirements were part of Ostlings daily remit. He also knows something about duty as president of the Boy Scouts of America Transatlantic Council, which helps make scouting available to U.S. citizens and their families in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, including and especially U.S. military families. Ostlings filings allege that Brunswick had illegally retaliated against him as a whistleblower in violation of the Dodd-Frank law. Dodd-Frank governs how a company is supposed to treat someone who tells the truth, and it looks like Brunswick may have come up short. Dodd-Frank expressly bars retaliation against a whistleblower, which Ostling clearly has a strong case for being. Brunswicks suit against Ostling is a cautionary tale, one that should leave American business executives asking whether it is worth the risk of venturing outside the comfort zone of the West to expose themselves to potential liability in shaky markets like Russia. Not many news outlets have taken notice of the Ostling case in court yet, but they will soon. The outcome of Brunswicks lawsuit will likely be felt far beyond the Russian border. The U.S. foreign policy establishment disapproves of President Donald Trumps cease-fire agreement for southwestern Syria. The complaints suggest a wish for deeper involvement in that war, but offer no strategy by which to achieve anything worthwhile for America. Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Trump agreed to foster a cease-fire in three Syrian provinces. The State Department explained: The basis of the whole understanding is obviously that each side, each party to it uses its influence with those parties on the ground with which we have relationships. So we and Jordan, in particular, have good relationships with the Southern Front, with the principal armed factions in southwest Syria. State said as well: theres an expectation the Russians will use their influence to ensure that [the Iranians] respect the ceasefire. Were this cease-fire to hold indefinitely and to spread, what had been Syria would be divided between the Syrian government - supported by Iran and Russia - and those factions of Sunni rebels supported by the United States, Egypt, and Jordan, plus the Kurds, along more or less the current areas they control. This could happen because the forces fighting there have reached a balance of exhaustion. It would require further moderation by their supporters in Turkey, Qatar, Sadi Arabia, and Iran, but mainly by Russia and America. The U.S foreign policy establishment seems unable to look at war from the perspective of howAmerica s advantage may be secured. The Wall Street Journal opined that Putin is not Americas friend, and continued: The Russians want to help their client Bashar Assad win back all of Syria while retaining their military bases. Their agreement with America is only because they think that can serve Assads purposes. Thus did its editorial board illustrate its ignorance. Putin is in Syria to serve Russias interests, not Assads. Restoring all of Syria to Assad is impossible and has never been Russias objective. Obviously, the July 6 cease-fire and the spread thereof would seal Syrias division. Nevertheless, the Journal faults Trump for not knowing what it wants in Syria and for wanting a better relation with Russia. It suggests a more hardheaded attitude, but not what should be Americas objective. Nor did former U.N. ambassador John Bolton. Writing in The Guardian, he faulted the agreement because it legitimises Russias participation in the Syrian struggle, thereby keeping Assad's dictatorship alive. Even discussions with Russia about a post-Assad Syria he said, manifest the delusion that Moscow shared our interest in removing Assad. Russia would acquiesce only if another Russian stooge were to fill his shoes. This too processes reality through the U.S foreign policy establishments navel. In the real world, legitimacy de facto is created by creating facts on the ground. Russia has done that. Nothing that anyone in America has suggested stands a chance of undoing it. When a post-Assad Syria comes into being, it will be because Russia agrees to it. With whom else might Americans discuss the future parts, borders, and rulers of what had been Syria? Putin has well-nigh secured his objective of an air and naval pied a terre on the Mediterranean at Latakia and Tartus, surrounded by Alawites dependent on Moscow. He did it by organizing them, Shiite militias, and Iran to fight the Sunnis, which they wanted to do for their own reasons. Defeating and exhausting Sunni radicals in the Levant relieves their pressure on Russias Muslim population. In the process, Syria and Iraq have devolved into their ethnic/religious components. Putin will offer the Sunnis a future Sunni-stans borders and relationship with his Mediterranean enclave. The Saudis, the Egyptians, and the local Sunnis are not in a position to refuse. The Israelis have already made their deal with Russia. Were Iran to try scuttling, it would find itself in a strategic pincer. What is Americas interest regarding those arrangements? How does anyone suggest securing that interest? Our main interest - that nothing must come out of that Sunni-stan that is injurious to us - may be achieved by a peace jointly enforced by the great powers. This is within our limited power to achieve. President Trump is pursuing that interest by taking part in defining the Levants future borders. This is a judicious use of Americas remaining power in the region. Trumps withdrawal of support for certain Syrian Sunni rebels is a step in the right direction. Now it is incumbent upon him to make sure that Russia reins in its own clients. Also within reach is curbing the destructive alliance between Qatar, with whose rulers our establishment has cozy relations, and Russias client Iran. Unfortunately, even as Saudis and Emiratis try to shut down that alliance, including its support for the Muslim Brotherhood as well as Qatars al Jazeera, our establishment is helping Qatar stay close to Iran. This is not what Trump says he wants, but this is what is happening. By rejecting Trumps initiative in favor of a hardheaded attitude, meaning louder talk coupled with indecisive warfare, our establishment proves its incompetence. Property details: NO RESERVE! NO RESERVE! NO RESERVE Highest bidder buys the property!. This property is about 21,800 Sq.Ft.lot.Indian Lake Estate,Polk County,Florida.Very close to beautiful florida beaches/lakes/canals. The large property is about an hour to Port Charlotte/Fort Myers/Cape Coral city and beautiful Cape Coral beach/Charlotte beach/Tampa.The Cape Coral is the largest canal city in the world. This Indian Lake Estate property is close to many lakes. This property is 1007 Indian Lake Drive,Indian Lake... 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Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: New Jersey State/Province: Arizona City: Lake Havasu Type: Attractions Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Location: 864**, Lake Havasu City, Arizona You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 2 , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Gone are the days when the law required Americans to be armed. Instead, we face a new bans on guns, ammunition, or firearms accessories every time we turn around. In fact, many people see no reason for civilians to have guns at all, let alone the weapons they view as designed specifically for the military. Because of this flawed viewpoint, too many Americans, including politicians, prefer to take machine guns, assault weapons and large-capacity magazines completely out of the hands of civilians. These gun control advocates have tried various ways of accomplishing their desired end. Until recently, the gun bans that withstood constitutional challenges all included a special protection for the people who own a newly banned firearm or firearm accessory. These protections are commonly called grandfather clauses. Grandfather clauses allow the owners of firearms banned by a new law to keep them, despite the new restrictions against buying, making or transferring them. Some readers will recall when the cost of machine guns skyrocketed after the Firearm Owners Protection Act (the FOPA) was passed in 1986. The FOPA prohibited civilians from buying machine guns made after the date the law went into effect. People who owned machine guns made before 1986 suddenly saw the value of their machine guns increase substantially. While the FOPA remains a prohibitive ban that must be faced and dealt with by modern gun owners, it did't force machine gun owners to turn in lawfully owned machine guns. Californias Safety for All Act (Proposition 63) Enter: Californias lawmakers. Last fall, the majority of Californias voters passed the Safety for All Act of 2016, otherwise known as Proposition 63. This new law eliminates the grandfather clause from the magazine ban that was in effect in California for more than a decade. That grandfather clause allowed Californians to keep legally owned, California-defined large capacity magazines after the law went into effect. Under the new version of Californias magazine ban, with the grandfather clause removed, Californians who have magazines with greater than a 10 round capacity will have to get rid of them in order to avoid becoming criminals overnight. These magazine owners faced going to bed on June 30th as law-abiding citizens and waking up on July 1st as criminals for doing nothing other than keeping their legally owned property. Like machine guns and so-called assault weapons, magazines that hold more than a certain number of rounds are often the target of gun control laws. The Supreme Court has yet to decide if these bans violate the Second Amendment. While we wait for the Supreme Court to run interference, states continue to pass these bans, which typically make it illegal to transfer or manufacture the banned firearms or magazines. The difference between other state bans and Californias ban is the requirement in Californias law for owners of these magazines to dispose of their previously, legally owned magazines with little or no compensation. The California politicians and voters who passed this law purposefully disregarded, or never bothered to understand, not only the Second Amendment, but also the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The Takings Clause protects our right to own property and prevents the government from taking this property from us without paying us for it. In other words, if the government can lawfully take our private property for public use, the government cannot force us to turn that property over or get rid of it without being paid for it. Because Californias law forces people to give up their magazines without compensation, Californias new magazine ban violates not only the Second Amendment, but the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment as well. What Does the Safety for All Act Supposedly Do for Californians? As usual, the proposal for a gun control law must appeal to the emotions of the misinformed. The Safety for All Act claims that Military-style large-capacity ammunition magazines some capable of holding more than 100 rounds of ammunition significantly increase a shooter's ability to kill a lot of people in a short amount of time. That is why these large capacity ammunition magazines are common in many of America's most horrific mass shootings, from the killings at 101 California Street in San Francisco in 1993 to Columbine High School in 1999 to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. The Act also claims to close a dangerous loophole: Today, California law prohibits the manufacture, importation and sale of military-style, large capacity ammunition magazines, but does not prohibit the general public from possessing them. We should close that loophole. No one except trained law enforcement should be able to possess these dangerous ammunition magazines. The alleged benefit of this new law is the prevention of future mass shootings. By passing a law banning the ownership of large-capacity magazines, Californian's will never witness another high-capacity fueled tragedy, such as those at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Columbine High School, and the office building at 101 California Street in San Francisco, California. Under this new law, anyone who owned a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds prior to July 1, 2017 was required to remove it from the state, sell it to a licensed dealer, or turn it in to law enforcement without compensation. Note that even if a Californian sold a magazine to a licensed dealer, its value was likely zero, because the dealer could not resell it to the general public in California. The law also includes a few exceptions for active or retired law enforcement to avoid compliance with this new law, but there is no exception for active, honorably discharged, or retired military. Those who did not comply with the new law by ridding themselves of the evil magazines could be found guilty of an infraction, similar to a speeding ticket, and fined $100 per magazine, or guilty of a misdemeanor and jailed up to a year and fined $100 per magazine. Of course, the voters were fine with government officials keeping and using these supposed weapons of death that can kill large numbers of innocent people in one swoop. History has apparently been completely lost on these folks. Gun Owners Stood up to Fight Not all Californians agreed with the new law. A group of gun owners, two of whom are retired military, and the California Rifle and Pistol Association sued the Attorney General of the State of California in a case titled Duncan, et al v. Becerra. They requested the United States District Court stop the law from taking effect and deem it unconstitutional because it violates the Second and the Fifth Amendments. Lawsuits can take years to finish. Because of how long a lawsuit can drag on, those involved can ask the court for a temporary, preliminary ruling, so that they are not harmed while the lawsuit makes it way through the court. One of the first steps in this lawsuit was for the gun owners to ask the law not go into effect on July 1st as scheduled. The gun owners asked the judge to restrain the State of California from enforcing the new magazine ban until their case could be heard by the court. This type of request is for a special court order, called a preliminary injunction, (similar to a temporary restraining order) prevents the law from taking effect while the lawsuit is ongoing. You may recall that federal judges issued preliminary injunctions to temporarily halt President Trumps travel ban earlier this year. Federal District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez, born in Cuba and appointed by George W. Bush in 2004, considered the gun owners request for a preliminary injunction. Judge Benitezs written opinion on the gun owners request is a breath of fresh air. His opinion is logical and overflowing with common sense. He begins, On July 1, 2017, any previously law-abiding person in California who still possesses a firearm magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds will begin their new life of crime. Judge Benitez recognized that California has one of the most restrictive gun control systems in the country, and that the web of laws faced by those gun owners who wish to comply is difficult to understand for all but the most learned experts. In other words, there are so many laws no one even understands what they are anymore, and the average person who would like to try to figure out what is legal and what is not will most likely not be able to do so. He pointed out that even the attorney for the State of California was unable to describe all of the laws nuances. He said he was not surprised, nor did he blame her, because The California matrix of gun control laws is among the harshest in the nation and are filled with criminal law traps for people of common intelligence who desire to obey the law. His wrote that The State of Californias desire to criminalize simple possession of a firearm magazine able to hold more than 10 rounds is precisely the type of policy choice that the Constitution takes off the table. In other words, his opinion is that large-capacity magazines are protected by the Second Amendment and cannot be banned. What Does the Preliminary Injunction Accomplish? While Judge Benitezs opinion and preliminary injunction will only be in place until the lawsuit is finished, in order for a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction, he must allude to what his final decision in the case will be. Judge Benitez had to answer two questions affirmatively to issue the temporary order: Does a law-abiding responsible citizen have a right to defend his or her home from criminals using whatever common magazine size he or she judges best suits the situation? Does that same citizen have a right to keep and bear a common magazine that is useful for service in a militia? Judge Benitez said that he believed his final decision in the case would likely be yes to both of these questions, and that if gun owners had to give up their property while the lawsuit is pending, they would suffer irrevocable harm. Judge Benitez ripped to shreds the usual, emotional, and supposedly factual evidence provided by the State of California. This supposed evidence in support of the new ban included data provided on behalf of Mayors Against Illegal guns, a.k.a. Everytown for Gun Safety. Because Judge Benitez believes the gun owners are right and the State of California is wrong, he granted the gun owners immediate relief in the form of a preliminary injunction and did not allow the law to go into effect as scheduled. He must still make a final ruling in the case, after both sides have finished the lawsuit process. What is Next? Judge Benitez decided that the new California law violates the Second Amendment and the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment. To decide the Second Amendment issue, he declined to engage in any of the usual, overly complicated legal analyses engaged in by most courts. Those complicated analyses almost always result in the court deciding that the Second Amendment is not violated. Instead, Judge Benitez turned to a simple test outlined by the United States Supreme Court: Does the law ban firearms commonly used for a lawful purpose? Judge Benitez found that by answering this simple question, he could conclude that the new California law violates the Second Amendment, because the law prohibits common pistol and rifle magazines used for lawful purposes. As a result, citizens have a right under the Second Amendment to keep them. He added that the magazines the California law would ban are lawful in at least 43 states and under federal law, and that they number in the millions across the country. If our Supreme Court would use this test and reach the same conclusion, not only would Californias law be unconstitutional, but likely all of the other bans of assault weapons and magazines that have been passed in other states would also be unconstitutional. In other words, the saga of state laws banning certain types of firearms and magazines would finally come to an end. Judge Benitezs opinion, unfortunately, has a narrow and temporary effect. It halts only the California government's magazine grab, giving Californias gun owners some relief until their legal appeal is finished. Judge Benitezs legal analysis is, however, a model for future courts to follow, particularly with respect to his analysis of the Second Amendment. It is intelligent, factually accurate, and applies the correct, Supreme Court issued test for whether a law violates the Second Amendment. We can only hope that in the not too distant future, our Supreme Court will issue a similar opinion on firearm and magazine bans, once and for all ridding Americans of these illogical, complicated, and unconstitutional bans. Attorneys for the State of California may appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. If you pay attention at all to gun control cases, you know that the Ninth Circuit will have a different opinion than Judge Benitez. If this case is appealed to the Ninth Circuit, it may next be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Hopefully, Judge Benitez has been appointed our next Supreme Court Justice by then. 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 Harmony Magnet Academy student Joseph Marcos, right, poses for a photo with his dad, Manny Marcos, middle, and sister, Brina Marcos, left, after being dropped off at the National Youth Leadership Forum program at the University of California, Berkeley. Balloons fly outside of Weaver D's for "Automatic Saturday" in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. The slogan seen on the sign, "Automatic for the People," was R.E.M.'s 1992 album name. (Photo/Hannah Pap Rocki, hannahpaprocki@gmail.com) 'In any organisation, a continuous line of leadership, is required.' 'All R&D will be of focus. All the way from Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to R&D in formulations, to biologics, NCEs, trans-dermals, and vaccines.' Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Sohini Das chats with the MD of Zydus Cadila Healthcare, Pankaj R Patel, and his son Sharvil Patel. When did you decide to finally pass on the mantle? Pankaj: That the baton would be passed on one day was known from Day 1, when he joined. We have discussed this many a time among ourselves. When he joined, he was given the project of touching $1 billion annual revenue for the company and that gave him the opportunity to work with teams across the board. He got familiar with the company, got to learn the business. There were 70 projects all across under the $1-bn project, in research, marketing, commercialisation, finance, HR (personnel). After that, I was gradually giving him responsibilities and now I do not have many left to me. This was done very smoothly, step by step. He is now touching 40, the right time to pick up full responsibility. For the next 20 years, the energy of a young man would be given to the organisation; I would be there to mentor. In any organisation, this is required, a continuous line of leadership. What is the next project you will work on? How apt is the timing, now that you are doing well in the US? Sharvil: The next project is this company itself. We hope to do well in the US. I am not euphoric, I am pragmatic. There would be headwinds for the US market. We have a good pipeline coming through and the next couple of years look good for us. Going forward, the challenge in the US is to make sure we build some other line of business, beyond generics. That's where I'd like to put some more effort. We made an acquisition at the beginning of this year (Sentynl Therapeutics); we need to make sure we build on that organically as well. That is, make sure good products come through, especially in the speciality segment. Your father built his empire through the inorganic route. Would you like to pursue the same strategy or consolidate? Sharvil: Currently, we would consolidate but we also have to be opportunistic. If we get a good opportunity, we cannot let that pass by. We have identified areas where we want to work. As I said, the US is one area where we'd look to differentiate the portfolio, front-end presence. We have some gaps in the emerging markets portfolio, not very significant but some gaps. We would like to strengthen that if we get something at the right price. And, in India, we are confident because we have a large presence and established marketing practices and businesses. So, if we get some good brand opportunities or in-licensing opportunities, we would definitely work on that. But, currently, we do not have a very large M&A (merger and acquisition) plan. We don't think we need to do it right now. We need to consolidate on what we have built so far. You had taken over at Zydus Wellness a few years earlier. How has that experience prepared you for today's role? Sharvil: They are very different businesses and cannot be compared. But, what happened at Zydus Wellness is that we had reached a size and scale when we needed to change the way we were doing things. While we made that change, we struggled for two years to bring growth back into the business. So, while we did well on margins and profits, our growth was subdued. We made some mistakes on the way as well. Going forward, everything is aligned well. Sales and marketing is doing well. We have a good leadership position there and the leader is very motivated to drive the business forward. Putting the right people in place has been a good learning for me at Zydus Wellness. We are very keen to do M&As in this business now. If something works out, we would like to do it in the next one year. It has good RoI (return on investment), good cash flow. Sharvil, coming from a research background, how different or similar are your approaches to running the company? Sharvil: I have seen my grandfather (Ramanbhai Patel, who co-founded the entity in the 1950s); he was a man of science. When he (father) took over, though the businesses did very well, nobody understood the R&D (research and development) efforts the chairman had put in. It is always underplayed. We have made significant efforts in R&D under his leadership, especially since 2000, when we built our R&D centres in biologics, NCE (new chemical entities) and vaccines. The foundation has been laid by him, and his contribution to research is the most significant in terms of the portfolio we will now build over the next five years. Commercialisation is something that I will have to ensure we do well. It was very hard to build an R&D set-up in India, with issues of talent and capabilities. Now that we have that in place, we need to make sure we drive this engine well. I never had the impression that the chairman had commerce on his mind; he has always had science on his mind. Commerce, obviously, did well. In R&D, which area is your key focus -- biologics, vaccines, NCE? Sharvil: All R&D will be of focus. All the way from Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to R&D in formulations, to biologics, NCEs, trans-dermals, and vaccines. The challenge is to make sure we have good clinical data to take the programmes forward. We have great opportunity, as these are unmet medical needs. The focus is not only on R&D but also compliance (with good manufacturing practices). To sustain our business, we have to be compliant. How will life change, if at all? Sharvil: Nothing significant. I guess the chairman would now have more time to look at strategy, opportunities and have a detached view. He can guide us in the right direction. Will you focus on investing in start-ups, on your other businesses like hospitals, etc? Pankaj: Yes, I have my hands full. I have work as Ficci chairman. Then, there is the hospital business. Sharvil will only look after Cadila Healthcare; the rest I will have to look into. I do not yet invest in start-ups but am seriously thinking about it. The idea is that I would spend some time with entrepreneurs, mentor them, both advice and financial investments. No concrete plan as of now. Have you set yourself any targets, in terms of revenues or otherwise? Sharvil: No targets. What the chairman says is, focus on the inputs, not the outputs. Everybody does it the other way round. If we do all that we plan to, the revenue will follow. We should look at what type of milestones we are hitting on R&D, approvals, etc. That would make investors understand that revenue will come if we continue to have the right products at the right place. I am trying to ensure the input parameters are established. We want to build emerging markets as the third pillar of our business. We have India and the US. Currently, it is five per cent of our turnover. We will look at in-licensing where we have gaps, and look at M&As in a few geographies. Vaccines and biologics are going to play a key role. We also have to focus on India, which (their market here) is estimated to grow at 12 per cent. Not many markets are growing at that rate. We need to look at the right products, intellectual property-led products, in-licensing opportunities here, etc. Pankaj: The handover process has started. I was looking into human resources, finance, vaccines and NCE; now, I need to hand over these verticals to him. This will take around a month or so. I had a team and most of them have retired. When he (Sharvil) came in, I knew that most of these people would retire in 10 years or so. That's how I prepared the human resources plan, that by the time this team goes and I go, Sharvil would have built his team. The new team is in place, the old team has retired. We have a new head of manufacturing, new head of HR, new head of India business, new head of US business, new head at Wellness, new chief financial officer. Only the head of the animal health business is an oldtimer. A new solution to raise deal speed is expected to avoid hiccups in trading when launched on August 1 Bitcoin and other crypto or virtual currencies have surged the past week after a sharp fall, as a solution to increase the speed of transactions has been agreed upon by miners. The solution is expected to avoid problems and hiccups in trading when it is implemented on August 1. The virtual currency market had begun facing a challenge in bitcoin transaction speed. Following the surge popularity of the currency and the spike in its price, the number of transactions had risen sharply. Since the speed was slowing, giving rise to heavy backlogs, the market was discussing ways to increase the speed. A solution has been agreed to, with the bitcoiner community having welcomed a new mechanism to increase the network's transaction capacity. The battle between the Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Unlimited camps has stopped with approval of BIP 91. An overwhelming majority of bitcoin miners (via hash power) have signalled their support for SegWit activation under BIP 91 (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 91). "In effect, bitcoin transaction capacity doubles and we will see twice the number of transactions getting approved," says Sandeep Goenka, operations head, Zebpay, the largest bitcoin exchange in India. "As a measure of precaution, we have advised our investors to transfer their bitcoins to software/hardware wallets where the key lies with them." Earlier, 13 Japanese exchanges had issued a note that they might have to suspend trading on August 1. Unocoin, another big bitcoin exchange in India, has this to say to its investors: "We would be sharing a detailed maintenance schedule of our website for July 30-August 4 to avoid any loss of customer coins. Deposit your bitcoin holdings into a paper/hardware/software wallet in your possession." Kumar Gaurav, chairman of Auxesis Group, a leading blockchain solution provider, says, "How long the bullish trend would continue will be seen more clearly after August 1...I will warn users to keep a close eye on their transactions to avoid losing any coin in case of any technical glitch. Another factor influencing the bitcoin price is the ongoing ICO (initial coin offerings) trend, as ICOs are being conducted in bitcoin and ether or only in ether, that are being cashed out for bitcoin and fiat." It is estimated that $1.2 billion in crypto currency was raised in the first half of 2017, far outstripping venture capital investment in blockchain and bitcoin firms. About $600 million was raised the past 30 days alone. ICOs are an unregulated means by which funds are raised for a new crypto currency venture. These are used by start-ups to bypass the rigorous and regulated capital-raising process required by venture capitalists or banks. The current price of bitcoin is more than double that of an ounce of gold. Kumar Gaurav says: "I don't expect gold industry investors to come to bitcoin, as the crypto currency will remain highly volatile and a price correction will happen again the by end of 2017, after a price rise, which is yet to come." The total market capitalisation of all crypto currencies a month ago had crossed $110 billion; two weeks earlier, it had fallen to $62 billion and has again increased to $95 billion. On June 6, the bitcoin price in the US reached an all-time high of $2,871 a unit. By June 7, it had fallen to $2,158 and is now trading at $2,764 a unit. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters While consumers may have ignored the legal battles plaguing the franchise in north and east India, closure of restaurants is not something they are likely to ignore. IMAGE: A McDonald's outlet, with its shutters down, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, outside Delhi. Photograph: @costlylovewins/Twitter. Caught in the bitter bickering that has engulfed Connaught Place Restaurants and the US headquarted McDonalds, how does Brand McDonalds hold on to its turf in India? By keeping the customer out of the fight, say experts. That is what Vikram Bakshi, reinstated managing director of CPRL said in an interview, soon after the court ruled in his favour, that he hopes to do at the earliest. IMAGE: Vikram Bakshi, re-instated MD, Connaught Place Restaurants, the franchisee for McDonald's in north and east India. Photograph: Franchise India/YouTube. The series of events that have unfolded over the recent past has grabbed customers, who were thus far unaffected by the growing rift between McDonalds USA and its franchisee for north and east India, CPRL. But with nearly 80 per cent of the stores closed, the impact of the over-a-decade-long battle hit close to home when many customers found the shutters down on their usual haunts. This could drag the brand into a negative loop, say experts, unless the company steps in to keep the brand out of the battlefield. The closure of restaurants may have its roots in technical issues, such as renewing mandatory regulatory health licenses to run the food retail business. But when such incidents happen, consumers take cognizance of the matter. They identify something is wrong with the company, says N Chandramouli, CEO TRA and the man behind Brand Trust Report. The recent incidents roll back to a battle that began in 2013. CPRL, a 50:50 joint venture between hotelier Vikram Bakshi and his company Bakshi Holdings and McDonalds India, was formed in March 1995. While the differences between Bakshi and his US partners may well have begun soon thereafter, the dirty laundry was first aired in August 2013. One day, seemingly out of the blue, McDonalds USA announced that Bakshis term as the MD was over. IMAGE: A Delhi-ite buys a happy meal from the first McDonald's outlet in India in New Delhi, October 13, 1996. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters. Ever since the two have been at loggerheads, disputing the terms of a settlement. But the burger brand has flourished, nevertheless. For one, the promoter infighting did not spill out into the restaurants and thus did not directly impact the customer-brand relationship. Besides, the embattled franchisee did not control the markets in the west and south where brand visibility and reach went up steadily. Everything changed when the stores began closing down. It creates a very negative impression in the minds of consumers. A brand like McDonalds has consumers belonging to all sections of the society. So, it is important that they act on it quickly and ensure reopening of outlets, said brand consultant Harish Bijoor. According to him, regaining consumer trust wont be easy. He sees the impact of the current events lasting a long time and believes the company would need to reassure customers about quality standard and focus on improving its service to wipe off the negatives. According to K V Sridhar, who heads communication agency HyperCollective, while quick reopening of the outlets is a must, a localised ad campaign following the move may help. Spreading the message that we are open will be important. Social media campaigns do help in such cases, he said. An entire generation in India now has grown up eating McD burgers and fries. It has fairly good brand recall. It would be crucial for the company to fix the issues as soon as possible. IMAGE: A young diner leaves a Delhi outlet of McDonald's. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/Reuters. The burger chains core customer group comprises millennials and Generation Z in India as in the rest of the world. The 390-million-strong generation Z (people born on or after the year 2000) has virtually grown up with the brand that came into the country in 1996. Considering that around 440 million-odd millennials are also its avid consumers, McDonalds brand equity is heavily dependent on the young. As a consumer group, research reports say, the young are particularly fickle with their choices. Add to this the growing concern over health and wellness among this community, the brand has a tough fight ahead. The legal entanglements that the brand is caught in today are tough to untie. Bakshi approached the then Company Law Board in September 2013. McDonalds went to the London Court of International Arbitration a month later and the two dragged each other into several other legal issues in years that followed. The matter has also been fought in the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court over the past four years. Since Bakshis ouster in 2013, a four-member board has been in place to run CPRL. An equitable representation of both the parties made it impossible to reach any decision. While Bakshi and Bakshi Holdings are represented by Bakshi and his wife Madhurima Bakshi, two nominee directors Robert Dale Larson and Ayesel Melbye represent McDonalds India. IMAGE: McDonald's outlets in west and south India were unaffected by the Bakshi-Mac spat because the franchisee is not the same in these regions. A worker carries the famous golden arches in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Mumbai. Photograph: Savita Kirloskar/Reuters. The impasse not only dented growth prospects, but according to sources, also led CPRL on a downhill ride in terms of quality of service and maintaining hygiene in its outlets. While the firm opened 27 outlets in 2012, in 2013 the number went down to 13. And in 2015, it opened just six percent of the planned number of outlets, three out of 50. While consumers may have ignored the legal battles, closure of restaurants is not something they are likely to ignore, says Chandramouli. When such mass closures take place, it does impact the brand and consumers get disappointed.While one of the consequence is the company loses business to its competition, it also loses trust of its customers, said K V Sridhar, ad guru who has played a key role in McDonalds ad campaign called Hole in Shoe in 2005. Getting the love back, if the brand lets things slide, is not going to be easy. Cheap equipment imports, especially from China, is a major reason for falling tariffs in solar tenders The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping (DGAD) has again started a probe to ascertain if dumping of solar panel imports from China, Malaysia and Taiwan is hurting the domestic industry. The investigation is in response to an application from the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA), which has pleaded a retrospective duty be imposed on the importers as dumping of solar cells and modules has considerably damaged the prospects of the indigenous sector. A similar case was filed in 2012 but the government had not imposed a fine. The DGAD has prima facie accepted evidence of dumping by these countries. A causal link exists between the said dumping and injury exists to justify an initiation of anti-dumping investigation, said a DGAD notification issued on Friday. Cheap equipment imports, especially from China, is a major reason for falling tariffs in solar tenders. The domestic industry has also seen a decline in the number of projects reserved for domestic industry, owing to World Trade Organization (WTO) trade rules. So after discussions with the government, we decided to ask for protection from cheap imports snatching away our market, said an executive with a leading solar panel manufacturing company. The domestic industry has alleged that around 80 per cent of the market has been taken away by the imports, said the application reviewed by Business Standard. We have submitted that the Chinese imports undercut our prices by 40 per cent. The injury level would now be computed by the DGAD, said an ISMA executive. We are hoping for a speedy resolution. At the same time, we are expecting for some interim relief, given the high injury level. The current installed capacity of Indian solar cell manufacturing is around 1,386 Mw and of modules is close to 2,500 Mw. Less than 20 per cent of manufacturing capacity is operational due to low demand Of the total solar power generating capacity, more than 75 per cent is built on imported cells from China, 15 per cent from the US and the balance from domestic sources. India's installed solar power capacity is 10,000 Mw. The first case of dumping was filed in 2012 against the US, European Union, China, Malaysia and Taiwan. Solar-cell makers, allied electronics industry and even glass-makers had asked for protection from imports. The domestic industry had alleged that 60 per cent of the market was being eaten up by imports. In 2014, the ministry of commerce had identified a dumping margin range of 50-60 per cent from the US and around 100 per cent-110 per cent from China. While DGAD finalised duties of $0.48 a unit to $0.81 a unit on solar cells and modules imported from the said countries, the ministry of finance did not impose it and let the duty lapse in May last year. Next year, the minister for new and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal, assured the domestic industry of adequate business opportunities, requesting them to drop the case. The NDA government had revised the National Solar Mission targets by fivefold to 100,000 Mw by 2022. Cheap Chinese panels have been making their way into India since the beginning of the National Solar Mission, in 2010. The price of panels have crashed to 32 cents per kWh from 50 cents per kWh in three years, owing to global overcapacity and dumping by China, as alleged by domestic solar-panel makers. The tariff for solar power projects has fallen to Rs 2.44 a unit in the previous tender, two months ago, an 80 per cent fall in six years. Currently, 10 per cent capacity in each of the tender issued by the central government for solar power project is kept for domestic content sourcing. Earlier it was 50 per cent and was brought down after the first appeal made by the US in the WTO in 2014. Photograph: Reuters While the first wave of moving work to India was driven by cost considerations, increasingly companies are banking on local talent to add value to their business by jointly developing products and solutions. Driven by young workers, smaller global firms have stepped up hiring in India, finds Ayan Pramanik. IMAGE: At the Facebook office in Mumbai. Dozens of global small and medium technology companies are looking to replicate a successful model that large enterprises like Oracle, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and SAP have implemented in India over the last two decades. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters . Rubrik, a Palo Alto-based cloud data management firm, plans to hire up to 500 people over the next three years in Bengaluru as it looks to transform its India unit into a global product development centre. "We would invest $50 million in the next two-three years in India, and we would hire 300-500 people," says Bipul Sinha, co-founder and chief executive officer, Rubrik. Sinha, whose company is a Unicorn, or a start-up valued at over $1 billion, after he raised $180 million from investors in April, believes its India workforce will play a crucial role in creating global products. "We want to become a multi-product company, and that is the reason we are in India. The talent on product and engineering here can help us build a wide portfolio and have a comprehensive product strategy for long term," says Sinha. Rubrik is not alone in this journey. It joins dozens of global small and medium technology companies that look to replicate a successful model that large enterprises such as Oracle, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and SAP have implemented in India over the last two decades. While the first wave of moving work to India was driven by cost considerations, increasingly companies are banking on local talent to add value to their business by jointly developing products and solutions. Companies engaged in providing technology-driven solution such as Broadridge Financial Solutions, Luxoft Holdings, Xactly and others, with revenues varying between $100 million and $1 billion, have started to hire hundreds of people in their development centres in Bengaluru and other Indian cities. Analysts don't have a clear estimate of small firms operating in India, but the list of global in-house centres, or GICs, affiliated to large companies has been growing steadily. Most of these GICs started off as captive centres that would perform the low-end work of maintenance and infrastructure management. As they helped large banks and technology firms cut costs and improve productivity, these GICs became more strategic for firms to access high-skilled talent to work on newer products and solutions needed for growth. Some of these centres have thousands of people in their campuses helping their parent remain profitable. Today, there are about 1,100 GICs in the country, employing more than 800,000 people, and generating approximately $23 billion in revenues, according to Bain & Co, and industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom). Among them are GE, J P Morgan, Standard Chartered, Airbus and Boeing. "It's their ability to create cost savings for an enterprise, while tapping India's talent pool that has led to this impressive growth," the report said. While the focus on reducing cost is still important, the shift towards digital is also making global tech firms boost their India presence. Globally, organisations are spending as much as 45 per cent of their IT budgets on digital technologies as against 20 per cent a few years ago, according to the Bain & Co. report. Most of the hiring, therefore, is being done in areas of digital and analytics. While these functions are new to the country, companies are excited about the large number of fresh engineering graduates, as they can be easily trained and put on projects as and when required. Given the talent crunch in the US and Europe, smaller companies are looking to India to hasten their transition to digital technologies. "The trend of captives stepping up hiring in India would continue," says Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and executive vice-president at staffing agency TeamLease. "Not just companies such as Facebook and Google, we may see pharma giants, banks hiring people in India. It may not be necessarily only technology companies. It is a recognition of India as the hotbed for talent regardless of what is happening across the world." Broadridge, a US-based technology services provider to financial services sector, says it would hire 1,500 people at its newly-added facility in Bengaluru. The company employs nearly 3,000 people together at its Hyderabad and Delhi offices. "Broadridge India is currently looking at hiring a mix of freshers and laterals; people who are dedicated to technology and innovation, and the development of new capabilities related to blockchain implementation, artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies," says V Laxmikanth, managing director, Broadridge Financial Solutions (India). Luxoft Holdings, a Switzerland-based software development firm, recently announced that it would set up a development facility in India. Luxoft has, however, not divulged other details about its hiring plans. Another cloud-based technology service provider, Xactly, which is stepping up hiring in India, did not respond to an email with detailed queries. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Roy, said it was quite difficult to raise money as the properties have already been attached. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked embattled Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) in the Sebi-Sahara refund account by September 7, saying it may then deliberate upon his plea seeking 18 months more time for making complete re-payment. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Roy, that the proceedings to start the auctioning process of the Rs 34,000 crore (Rs 340 billion) worth Aamby Valley property by the official liquidator of the Bombay high court be put off till September 7. Roy had earlier undertaken before the court that he will deposit Rs 552.21 crore (Rs 5.52 billion) by July 15. However, Sibal at the outset, informed the bench, also comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, that out of Rs 552.21 crore, Roy has deposited Rs 247 crore (Rs 2.47 billion) and the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore (Rs 3.05 billion) will be deposited by August 12. "It is directed that the respondent-contemnor (Roy) shall deposit Rs 1,500 crore which would include the balance amount of today by September 7. After due consideration, we have granted time till September 7, though Sibal, with all humility at his command, prayed for fixing the date some time in October 2017," the bench said. Meanwhile, the bench extended its earlier order granting parole to Roy and fixed the matter for hearing on September 11. The bench, which has approved the draft sale notice and terms to dispose of Sahara's Aamby Valley properties, said, "the official liquidator shall publish the sale notice as given by him and the notice shall be published on August 14. The steps which are required to be taken for the publication of the sale notice are allowed. "The amount that is required for publication shall be given from the Sebi-Sahara account. Pratap Venugopal (appearing for Sebi) shall see that the moment the official liquidator produce a letter, the amount shall be released to the official liquidator." At the outset, Sibal and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the Sahara companies, assailed the apex court's judgement in the case and sought 18 months time to re-pay around Rs 9,000 crore (Rs 90 billion) balance amount of the principal amount of Rs 24,000 crore (Rs 240 billion). Sibal said it was quite difficult to raise money as the properties have already been attached and the companies are not being allowed to do their business and sought 18 months time to re-pay the entire money. Rohatgi urged the court that the previous order stopping the Sahara firms from doing business be modified. The plea was turned down by the bench. "Whether 18 month is reasonable or lesser time than that has to be debated. The issue, as presently perceived, is the bonafides of the respondent-contemnor (Roy) and that can be spelt out or translated by action and the action is deposit of the dues in Sebi-Sahara account," the bench said. "Though we appreciate the humble submission but we are not in a position to accede to the same. The grant of time, without any steps taken by them would tantamount to giving indulgence. Indulgence has the propensity to give rise to procrastination which is the murderer of justice. "Therefore, we are disposed to think that the first two steps for sale of Ambey Vally project shall be undertaken within this time and for the same, we approve the draft sale notice submitted by the Official Liquidator and direct him that he shall take first two steps by updating the dates," the court said. At the outset, Sebi's counsel told the court that the remaining amount to be deposited was around Rs 9,179 crore (Rs 91.79 billion). "What is troubling us is that if we will accept deposit of money in this form, it will be very difficult to say as to when the entire money will come," the bench told Sibal. Sibal, however, said according to them, the remaining amount was around Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) and they have made all efforts to deposit the money. "We are not running away. Please allow us to do business so that we can earn revenue and pay back the money. Bare assets are of no value until I develop it. Once I will develop it, it will be of enormous value," he said, adding that the remaining amount was "safe" as the apex court has already attached Aamby Valley properties. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, said for developing properties, Sahara will have to enter into agreements with developers. The court then said it will not allow this. When the bench asked the official liquidator about the process and time schedule for auctioning of Aamby Valley, Sibal said, "Why the court is so keen on Aamby Valley now?" During the hearing, Sibal said for last years, he has been seeking to argue the case as there was no investors to whom money was due and questioned the ongoing proceedings relating to refund of money. "Sebi-Sahara case is different. We will examine whether investors are real or have come from moon," the bench said. On being asked as to whether money has been paid and what is the proof to substantiate, Sibal said "how did this court arrive on the conclusion that money has not been paid?" Roy has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since May 6 last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. Photograph: Reuters Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has been appointed to the board of directors of Alphabet, the search giant's parent company has said. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I am excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Larry Page, CEO of California-based US multinational conglomerate Alphabet, said in a statement on Monday. A long-time Google employee, 45-year-old Pichai, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus born in Chennai, has been leading the company for the past two years. As Google's chief executive officer, he is responsible for Google's product development and technology strategy, as well as the company's day-to-day-operations. Pichai joined Google in 2004 and helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people. In 2014, he took over product, engineering, and research efforts for all of Google's products and platforms. After years of working closely with Google's co-founders, Page and Sergey Brin, he became Google's CEO in August 2015. Under Pichai, Google has boosted sales from its core advertising and YouTube business, while also investing in machine learning, hardware and cloud computing. With thousands of people receiving ransom messages from cybercriminals every day, Devangshu Dutta explains how you can defeat the hackers. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com It's morning. You pick up your cuppa and head for the computer, which was set to download a torrent file of Wonder Woman before you went to sleep. You're looking forward to watching WW over the weekend on your fancy home theatre system. Everything looks fine. The machine is running and the screensaver is on. As you move your fingers across the trackpad, the saver disappears and a message scrolls onto the screen. It says, 'Your personal files are encrypted. To decrypt the files you need to download a private key. That key will be destroyed after (specified time). After, nobody [sic] and never [sic] will be able to restore files. To obtain the private key, pay $300 in bitcoin. Click next to select mode of payment.' That torrent file was infected. You have been hacked and the hacker wants money to release your data. Instead of paying Rs 250 for a movie ticket, you may end up paying Rs 20,000 or more, to get the data back. Every day, thousands of people around the world wake up to similar messages. Ransomware is a popular way for cybercriminals to make a quick buck. Ransomware attacks have generated millions for the perpetrators -- the FBI estimates that CryptoWall extorted over $18 million before it was stopped. It's easy to set up a ransomware operation. There are literally thousands of data-encryption programmes available. These often come bundled with the operating system on a new computer or smartphone. Most are legitimate and used to protect sensitive data. In addition, there are malicious encryption programmes created by hackers. There are many ways to infect a computer and thousands of viruses and worms are written for this purpose. A worm can be introduced through email attachments, or torrent downloads. Or, a malicious app might masquerade as a safe programme. Once a worm is injected into a network, it can propagate on its own. So, one unsafe machine in a network can infect others. The hacker doesn't need to be computer-savvy. Many malicious programmes are available for free on the internet, complete with instruction videos. A 'script kiddie' can just copy code to get rolling. The hacker can download a free bitcoin wallet, for the purpose of receiving an untraceable payment. A throwaway email account can be set up somewhere to communicate the private key and any instructions. What's more, even if the hacker does decrypt your files upon payment, your machine may remain infected and open to future exploitation. It isn't just individuals and small businesses that have been affected. In the past six months, ransomware has hit many large businesses and even infrastructure. Power grids, airlines, ports, train services, bank ATMs and automobile factories have been attacked. The WannaCry worm that hit the Net in May is estimated to have infected over 230,000 computers across 150 countries on the first day, May 12. The attack happened over a weekend and that may have saved a lot of offices from being victimised. The worm used a weakness in Windows called EternalBlue, which had been weaponised by America's National Security Agency and picked up by somebody who hacked the NSA and released the code. The initial attack was halted almost fortuitously when a young IT security researcher in England (who calls himself Malwaretech) discovered a kill switch. But new versions were soon released without that kill switch. Microsoft had to generate an emergency security patch. The next attack started in the Ukraine in June. This deployed versions of a malware called Petya that was embedded in an apparently innocent app that 'helped' Ukrainians calculate tax. It used a fake security certificate that made it look legit. Prior to the attack, the malware was commercially sold on the Darkweb as a RaaS (Ransomware as a Service) by somebody with a sense of irony. The sellers threw in a payment collection system and marketed it thus, 'As professional cybercriminals we know that you can't trust anyone. So we've developed a payment system... where nobody can rip you off.' Petya spread like lightning across the world, knocking out all sorts of systems everywhere. Very few payments were made and the 'payment system' referred to above, was plugged with the associated email id blocked. But there was a grim twist to this tale. Data cannot be recovered from a Petya attack. Anybody who paid the ransom would have been left with dead data anyhow. IT security researchers allege that this malware was designed to destroy data. Ukrainian researchers allege that, in all probability the attack was mounted with, at the very least, the collusion of Russian State agencies. The Ukraine has been hit several times over the years in an undeclared 'cyberwar' with Russia. For that matter, there are allegations that the WannaCry attack was sponsored by North Korea. So State actors may be in the picture as well. How do you deal with this scourge? Sensible habits help. Don't download pirated videos, or click on email attachments from unknown sources, or install apps without checking. Operating systems and anti-malware programmes must be kept updated. However, new malware variants are being written constantly and there are no guarantees that ransomware won't get through. If you do nothing else, follow this Golden Rule: Backup regularly to at least two different places such as an external hard drive and the cloud. Then, backup some more, just to be safe. How to protect your smartphone 1. Only download apps from trustworthy sources. 2. Read the permissions the app wants. 3. Read the user reviews. 4. Make sure Google Play Protect is activated on an android phone (click the playstore menu and then activate Play Protect). 5. Back up your data, preferably at two places. 6. Update android security patches (click settings -- about phone -- check android security patch level). Anti-ransomware for corporations Lucideus, an IT risk assessment and digital security services provider, has a new cyber risk management platform called SAFE, which flags vulnerability to ransomware along with other aspects of cyber security. SAFE (Security Assessment Framework for Enterprise) is customised for every organisation's specific needs and integrated on top of existing security measures. It maintains a real-time watch on the company's cyber security, monitoring every IT asset, from servers down to smartphones and PCs. SAFE is tested by the simulation of real hacks, DDOS attacks, etc, to check if anything is vulnerable. It also ensures that the company's cybersecurity conforms to required regulatory norms in different regions. SAFE offers a simple, single number (0 to 5, with 5 best) to rank the cybersecurity in a firm. Lucideus CEO Saket Modi claims, "SAFE can safeguard you against multiple kinds of advanced cyber attacks. For example, ransomware incidents rose by over 40 per cent globally in the last year. SAFE, used in conjunction with any reputed anti-malware solution, will reduce the probability of a Ransomware hack by over 50 per cent." 'Don't pay up; Each payment fuels this unlawful business' Kaspersky Lab is one of the world's leading IT security firms. We asked Kaspersky to give pointed advice to readers. The emailed responses to our queries are given below: Does Kaspersky have specific products to defend against ransomware for enterprise/individuals? Kaspersky Lab offers various levels of protection for your home and office. We have inbuilt features in our solutions like System Watcher that takes care of Ransomware. For Non-Kaspersky users, Kaspersky Lab provides a free anti-ransomware tool that is available for all to download. The Dutch police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab jointly run the No More Ransom project -- a non-commercial initiative that aims to inform about ransomware and help recover data. This portal https://www.nomoreransom.org/ carries 50 decryption tools, (seven made by Kaspersky). What advice would you give on safe practices? How to protect against any ransomware: 1. Make sure that you back up your important files regularly. 2. Regularly check that your back up copy is ok. 3. Finetune anti-spam e-mail settings and never open attachments from an unknown sender. 4. Trust no one, literally. Malicious links can be sent by your friends on social media, your colleagues or clients whose accounts have been compromised. 5. Enable 'Show file extensions' option in the Windows settings. This will make it much easier to distinguish potentially malicious files. You should be warned to stay away from file extensions like "exe", "vbs" and "scr". Scammers could use several extensions to masquerade a malicious file as a video, photo, or a document 6. Regularly update your operating system, browser, antivirus, and other programmes. 7. Use a robust anti-virus programme to protect your system from ransomware. 8.If you discover a rogue or unknown process on your machine, cut off the Internet connection immediately. There's still a chance you can restore the files. However, this tip, unfortunately, would not work in all cases. 9. If you are unlucky to have your files encrypted, don't pay the ransom, unless the instant access to some of your files is critical. Each payment fuels this unlawful business. 10. If you have been infected by ransomware, you should try to find out the name of the malware: Maybe it's an older version and it is relatively simple to restore the files. 'We referred the case to the attorney general.' 'I told Mukul Rohatgi, "mujhe aap ka honest opinion chahiye".' 'He too said those were different offers.' Trai could not have stopped Reliance even if the Jio offers had been the same, Trai chief Ram Sewak Sharma tells Subhomoy Bhattacharjee. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com I suddenly learn how many restaurants in Delhi's top-flight hotels open for business before 1 pm. The answer is, none! Ram Sewak Sharma, chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), had said he would like to be over with our lunch by 1.30 pm, so could we meet at 12.30 pm? In the event it is rather funny, knocking at the doors of the Belvedere at Le Meridien, just past noon. I am sure no one has ever been that desperate to get an entry there so early. So, as soon as the staff gets over their bewilderment and unbolt the door for me, they rush across with a menu card for someone obviously hungry but willing to splurge. The comedy at my expense, fortunately, does not last long as Sharma walks in soon. He had suggested sharing his office lunch with me, but then I would have lost the chance to interrogate him alone. As I debate which of the controversies in the telecom sector to broach with him first, breaching all lunch/dinner etiquette, Sharma settles down with a glass of lime juice comfortably. "Never been here before," he says, surveying the skyline from the 18th floor. I ask him if the flak he received on the RJio promotional plan was also new for him. "Arre nahi, one is used to such comments," he replies. But he says Trai was caught by surprise when Mukesh Ambani's company kept extending the plan, three months at a time. It began in the middle of last year, when RJio said it was testing its soon-to-be-launched telecom service but signed on hundreds of thousands of customers. Soon thereafter in September, the company launched a promotional plan up to December and extended it in January for another quarter and sought to do so again in April. My guest is clearly in a mood to expand on the details, so we quickly order vegetable spring rolls as starters and, to the huge disappointment of the maitre d' hotel, stick to a vegetarian main course. Why choose the Belvedere for such a sparse meal, and so early at that? Sharma continues: "We looked into our rules and those were completely silent on how many customers a company could take on in the test phase." He says the telecom regulator has the powers to frame rules and also decide on them, but there is no denying RJio had committed no wrong if one were to go by the book. "Once the promotional phase was extended, we revisited our rules and were shocked to find that they do not forbid more than one offer, they only limit them to 90 days. Never mind the fact that it did offend my sense of what's proper." This was a challenge as there was no law to prohibit RJio. Sharma is clearly enjoying the rolls. "We referred the case to the attorney general. I told Mukul Rohatgi, mujhe aap ka honest opinion chahiye (I need your frank opinion)." He too said those were different offers. Trai, according to him, could not have stopped them even if they had been the same. Sharma says they were able to stop the company in its tracks when RJio launched its offer for a third time, as it had bundled a tariff plan with it. "It took the offer beyond just a promotional one and we blocked it." But why did RJio have to make the announcement, I ask. Shouldn't Trai have said so? Trai, he says, had told the company to desist in its communication, it didn't need to become a press release, subsequently. The regulator has learnt the lesson well and is correcting itself, he adds. "We are determining the basic principles of setting tariffs; in fact, I spent this morning with my people on it," he says. "The accusations against me did not take account of this problem. How is a regulator supposed to intervene when it has no powers to do so?" As he puts away the plate, he looks out of the window. "I can make an error of judgement, you will give me that space. But I have certainly shown no bias towards anyone." "The criticism which came my way in this episode was sometimes made without understanding these nuances." Would the episode leave an impact on companies when we are undertaking such a massive digital expansion, riding on their performance? From under his schoolboy hair-cut, Sharma looks at me. "I wouldn't think this upheaval would mess with that. They are mature enough to come to an equilibrium, which may not be often best for the customers," he adds cryptically. It is time to move to stir-fry vegetables with black pepper sauce. One must say it tastes well, despite my prejudice against vegetables in Chinese dishes. Sharma warms to the topic which is close to his heart -- Bharat Net. "See, I have lots of experience with implementing projects (he was director general of the Aadhaar project under Nandan Nilekani and subsequently chief secretary, Jharkhand). So I have an intuitive sense of which projects would work." He says Bharat Net has to be a public-private partnership to take broadband effectively to all villages in the country. "Bhai, broadband reach karna zaroori hai ki humein pahuchna hain (it's important that broadband connection reaches out, not the reach of the government). It hardly matters who takes it there." He says the insistence on making MTNL or BSNL solely responsible for last-mile connectivity keeps the fibre locked up in safe rooms of panchayat samitis (district-level units). "Are you going to appoint thousands of people to ensure the connections light up from there, or will you bid it out to the guy who will earn an income from the business to do it?" He says unless this is done we can never reach data connectivity in the villages. Incidentally, Sharma says he had made the same pitch as secretary, department of information technology, to the then communications minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and, as Trai chief, is making the same point to Manoj Sinha. "These are strategic issues on which we should spend time; it makes me sad that we are not doing so." The food, though good, is unwholesome, and Sharma has a good North Indian sweet tooth. Bhai, do you have kulfi?" he asks the waiter clearing the table. I suggest date pancakes served with vanilla ice cream as a substitute. He agrees with my suggestion. Sharma explains Bharat Net and urban hotspots are the last point of connectivity and they need to be pushed at a frenetic pace. We have just 36,000 such spots, but we need more than a million, he argues. The insistence created the space for one more of the arguments that has punctuated his term at Trai. Earlier this year at an event, Sharma had quoted India's dismal ranking in an International Telecommunication Union paper to make the case for a stronger push in rural telephony. The then telecom secretary, J S Deepak, came down strongly on the other side, saying India was a laggard in several sectors. What happened next, I ask my guest. Sharma says the report is public and he has nothing more to add. He says the other two elements of this strategy are using the unused spectrum in television broadcast and allowing private players to send low-earth satellites to create a bigger broadband footprint. All of them will relieve the country of spectrum scarcity, which is driving up prices. He points out that the New Telecom Policy of 2012 had promised an open-sky policy. "It has not got implemented. Antrix Corporation is behaving like STC used to, as a kind of canalising agency. If others can send up these satellites, data costs would crash in India. And there is no security issue involved in their flight." Since he feels this way about spectrum prices, is he then in favour of delaying the auctions of 5G spectrum, I ask. "People (telecom companies), as you say, may not have the ability to bid for it now; we are examining those. The government has asked for our recommendations. A priori , I am not saying it should be done next year but as an individual, who believes in centrality of technology, I believe it should come in fast." There is tremendous scope for its application in agriculture, health or education. And his take on Aadhaar? As we leave, Sharma muses on it. "There was no breach of data security. If someone asks for details of beneficiaries of government programmes in RTI, he will get all the details. This is what has happened in several cases." "You need to see closely why the India stack has made life difficult for tech companies abroad to sense where the questions against Aadhaar are coming from." The Panama verdict will decide how Pakistan handles its leadership problems, says Aditi Phadnis. IMAGE: Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, centre, speaks to the media after appearing before a joint investigation team in Islamabad. Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters Things are not going too well for the ruling regime in Pakistan, which faces elections in the summer of 2018. Newspapers and civil society are baying for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's blood after he reportedly gave 'evasive' answers to the joint investigation team set up by Pakistan's supreme court. The supreme court has studied the report and will soon give a verdict on whether Sharif should resign on charges of corruption. The Sharif family has decided to brazen it out: A cabinet meeting has declared that Sharif will not resign. But that his moral and political authority has been eroded is indisputable. The upside -- such as it is -- is that the army is unlikely to intervene and will create conditions conducive to elections. It has already announced that it will accord institutions the respect due to them. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) cannot be defeated in Pakistan's national assembly because of the majority it enjoys. Average middle class Pakistanis are shaking their heads and saying what a waste it is -- what Sharif could have achieved with such a mandate and what he has ended up doing with it! What is happening on the economic front is equally interesting, if a bit depressing. The Pakistani currency fell 3.2 per cent to Pakistani Rs (PKR) 108 per US dollar from PKR 105 per US dollar after acting State Bank of Pakistan Governor Riaz Riazuddin ordered a devaluation. This was the sharpest fall in nine years and came on the back of falling exports, with Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan repeatedly voicing concerns about the overvalued PKR. Riazuddin was acting in line with the observations of the International Monetary Fund, which had pointed out in 2016 that the currency -- which operates under a managed float regime -- was overvalued by as much as 20 per cent and was hurting Pakistani exports. When the PKR was devalued, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar (who began life as a young clerk in the Sharif family's then growing Ittefaq empire, eventually cementing a marital alliance between his son and Sharif's younger daughter Asma) charged the acting governor with conspiring against the ruling family. Within hours, he was replaced with a career bureaucrat, perceived to be loyal to Sharif. Former finance secretary and tax agency chief Tariq Bajwa, who retired at the end of June, was brought back and named the new governor of Pakistan's central bank. Bajwa, who has been educated at Harvard, has a reputation for being upright. He was finance secretary and also the chairman of the revenue board. There are no charges of corruption against him. But he owes a post-retirement appointment to the ruling government. The government's critics said they had been vindicated in their doubts about the independence of the central bank when, within hours of Bajwa's appointment, the finance ministry ordered him to hold an inquiry into the circumstances of the depreciation of the PKR and file a report in 10 days. Did it have an insider trading angle? The devaluation itself may help Pakistan curb a widening deficit and boost falling exports. Pakistan's trade gap has increased about 60 per cent to $3.5 billion through May compared with the same period last year. The IMF last month said economic stability, reached under a three year $6.6 billion loan programme that ended last year, has begun to erode. Pakistan's current account gap has more than doubled to $8.9 billion in 11 months ended May compared with $3.2 billion in the same period last year. Falling remittances from expatriates in the Gulf have added to the country's financial problems. Most analysts believe Pakistan will have to knock on the IMF's doors again, when it has to begin paying Chinese companies for the infrastructural costs incurred as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor three years hence. What does all this mean for Pakistan? When investigations began into the Mossack Fonseca papers, which showed evidence of property acquisition by the Sharif family in London, Pakistan's supreme court said the evidence was 'insufficient' to make out a case of corruption against Sharif. Leaked drafts of the JIT report suggest falsification of papers by Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz, 'evasive' replies by Sharif and worse. In Pakistan, as elsewhere, smoke and fire go together. The best case scenario is that the supreme court refers the matter to the national accountability bureau, which is headed by a man whom the Sharifs consider apna aadmi. But Pakistan has a leadership problem. 'The Mahabodhi temple is the only example in the world where a religion's most sacred place is controlled by people belonging to another religion.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya. Robed in traditional deep maroon, Bhante Anand is deep in conversation with his fellow Buddhist monks. They are finalising the details of his next visit across India to mobilise support for the 'liberation of the Mahabodhi temple' at Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The 1,500-year-old temple -- located about 110 km from Patna -- is considered the birthplace of Buddhism and one of the religion's holiest shrines. It is believed that this is where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago. The Mahabodhi temple was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002 and is visited annually by thousands of tourists, especially from Buddhist countries. For over two decades now, Bhante Anand -- who is president of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhikkhu Mahasangh, an influential body of Buddhist monks, and president of the Bodh Gaya Mukti Andolan Samiti -- has been demanding that control over the Mahabodhi temple be ceded to the Buddhist community. Anand explains the reasons behind his demand to M I Khan. IMAGE: Buddhist monk Bhante Anand wants the Mahabodhi temple to be managed by Buddhists. Photograph: Kind courtesy Bhante Anand You are demanding Buddhist control over the management of the Mahabodhi temple and are planning a fresh campaign to mobilise support for your agitation. Will it not create trouble at Bodh Gaya, a peaceful religious and tourist destination of international importance? We are not against peace. We are Buddhists, who are champions of peace, tolerance and harmony. This does not mean that we should not oppose injustice. Why do Hindus, and not Buddhists, have control over the management of the Mahabodhi temple? The Mahabodhi temple is the only example in the world where a religion's most sacred place is controlled by people belonging to another religion. Please show me another example like this and we will give up our demand. The world knows that the temple at Bodh Gaya is sacred to the Buddhists, just like Mecca is sacred to the Muslims and Kedarnath and Tirupati are sacred to the Hindus. IMAGE: A pilgrim walks past the banyan tree at the Mahabodhi temple under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Photograph: Desmond Boylan/Reuters So what do you want? It is a historical fact that, over 2,250 years ago, Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya under a banyan tree, where the current Mahabodhi temple has been standing for centuries. It is the birth place of Buddhism and the most sought after destination for Buddhists in the world. But the Mahabodhi temple is neither managed nor controlled by Buddhists; it is managed and controlled by Hindus. Some Buddhists have, for namesake, been inducted in an official body to manage it. We Buddhists want full control over the management of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya. If the management of the Jagannath temple in Puri, the Tirupati temple, to makeshift Ram temples, to churches in Vatican City, in the US and the UK, to mosques in India, Saudi Arabia and Iran, to gurdwaras -- including the Golden Temple and the Patna Sahib -- are not under the control of other sects, then why is this happening in the case of the Mahabodhi temple? Buddhists have been given little role in managing the affairs of the temple since 1949. We fail to understand why non-Buddhists have control over the holiest shrine of the Buddhists. We have decided to make it a big issue by mobilising people and lobbying for support to demand Buddhist control over the management of the temple. A Sri Lankan Buddhist missionary named Angarika Dhammapala was the first to raise the issue in 1891. This demand also gathered momentum in 1992 and, later, in 2002-2003. Over a decade ago, Bhadant Nagarjun Surai Sasai, a Japanese Buddhist monk who renounced his citizenship to preach Buddhism in India, also raised this issue. IMAGE: Thai devotees offer prayers with relics of Lord Buddha at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Photograph: PTI Photo What is wrong if the temple is managed by a team of Hindus and Buddhists? Look, it is not merely a Buddhist monastery or simply a temple. Bodh Gaya is no less important to the Buddhists than Char Dham is for Hindus, Mecca for the Muslims or Jerusalem for Christians. Look at the ongoing Ayodhya issue. The RSS, VHP and BJP leaders have been claiming it is a matter of their faith and a case of emotion and sentiment as they believe Ram was born at the disputed site. There is neither a dispute nor a controversy that the Mahabodhi temple is located at the exact place where Buddha attained Doesn't this country consider the sentiments of the Buddhists? Is this not a form of injustice meted out to Buddhists? The birth place of Buddhism is controlled by other people. IMAGE: Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the Mahabodhi Temple in 2014. Photograph: MEA/Flickr Monks like you and others have been demanding Buddhist control over the Bodh Gaya temple, but is it possible without an amendment to the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act, 1949? The Bihar government must amend the Act to ensure Buddhist control over the management of the temple. But they have been delaying it for years. The temple is managed, on behalf of the Bihar government, by a nine-member committee headed by the district magistrate. As per the Act, only a Hindu can head the managing committee. The Act also specifies that if the district magistrate happens to be a non-Hindu, the state government has to nominate a Hindu to head the committee. According to the Act, the panel should comprise four Buddhists and four Hindus for a three-year period, with the Gaya district magistrate as its ex-officio chairman and the mahant (presiding priest) of the Sankaracharya Math (the Shaivite monastery at Bodh Gaya) as the ex-officio Hindu member. Why, according to you, is the Bihar government delaying this amendment? I strongly feel the Bihar government has been deliberately delaying an amendment to the Act, under pressure from vested interests who are against Buddhist control over the management of the temple. It is a conspiracy to keep the management under the control of the Hindus. The Bihar government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is indirectly helping the cause of Hindutva forces by not ensuring an amendment to the Act. Hinduvta forces are doing everything to keep Bodh Gaya's temple out of the control of Buddhists. The Bihar government is not concerned about the Buddhists' genuine demand for total control over the Mahabodhi temple. The VHP and the Bajrang Dal have been opposing any amendment to the Act as they see Buddhism as part of the larger Hindu family. We are Buddhists, we have nothing to do with Hinduism. If such a situation continues, we will be forced to register a complaint with the UN high commissioner for refugees. Depriving Buddhists of the right to manage the affairs of the temple amounts to grave injustice. IMAGE: The Dalai Lama worships at a monastery in Bodh Gaya. Photograph: Krishna Murari Kishan/Reuters The Dalai Lama has never raised the issue of Buddhist control over the Bodh Gaya temple. Why is the Dalai Lama silent if the issue is as important to Buddhists as you claim? Thousands of monks like me, for whom the Mahabodhi temple is the holiest Buddhist shrine, are upset with the Dalai Lama's silence on this issue. The Dalai Lama has disappointed us. He could have raised this issue at the international level, but has never cared to do so. The Dalai Lama has, time and again, proved he was not keen for Buddhist control over the temple. I don't consider the Dalai Lama as the Buddhist spiritual leader. For decades now, he has been busy with his own agenda and with politics. Buddha had himself said he did not believe in avatars (incarnations) and that he was a common man. This, unlike the Dalai Lama, was the beauty of Buddha. Chinas foreign minister has claimed that the Indian side admitted to entering Chinese territory, the first time a top leader of that country has weighed in on the protracted standoff in the Sikkim area. Foreign Minister Wang Lis brief comments, made in Bangkok on Monday, were reported on his ministrys website on Tuesday. But the comments provided no justification or basis for his claim. The rights and wrongs are very clear, he said, adding that even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory. However, he did not say which officials have said that or where. He went on to say: In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. It was not clear how the purported comment by the unnamed Indian officials led him to conclude that India was admitting to border transgression. The foreign ministry website quoted Wang as saying that the solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw. It is the first time that such a senior person in the Chinese hierarchy has commented on the dispute, which has been dominated by shrill rhetoric in the state-owned media with almost-daily commentaries attacking India with nationalistic warnings. There was no immediate reaction from the Indian government. The Chinese media commentaries and foreign ministry spokesmen have demanded that India withdraw its troops from the Dokalam area in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Chinese and Indian troops have been locked in a face-off in the trijunction area for more than a month since Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the area. China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory. India protested the construction, fearing it would allow China to cut Indias access to its northeastern states. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Parliament on Thursday that both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff. Swaraj also said that the unilateral Chinese action to change the status quo near the Bhutan trijunction poses a challenge to Indias security. Doval is 'main schemer': Chinese state-run media The Doklam issue is expected to be discussed during the visit of Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to Beijing for a meeting of the NSAs of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - on July 27-28. However, continuing its rhetoric, the Global Times newspaper, which is part of the Communist Partys publication group, on Tuesday described Doval as one of the main schemers of the dispute, adding that his visit will not sway Beijing. At the same time, China Daily, another government newspaper, pressed for exploring ways to avoid a confrontation, adding that its never too late for India to mend its way. Doval is expected to discuss the standoff with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. Both officials are also the Special Representatives of their countries for the boundary talks. There are still hopes that the deadlock can be resolved peacefully, which serves both countries best interests, the China Daily said. The two sides need to explore ways to avoid confrontation. It would be damaging to both countries and regional stability if India cannot use its reason and wisdom to avoid the military collision both countries are currently on course for, it said. But The Global Times took a different tone. As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute, the daily said. New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Dovals Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff in accordance with Indias will, it said. The central committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, its highest decision-making body, on Tuesday decided against nominating party general secretary Sitaram Yechury for a third consecutive Rajya Sabha term, a top leader said. A deeply divided central committee took the decision after a vote by raising of hands, capping deliberations on the contentious issue that lasted nearly four hours. The decision was taken keeping in mind the party norm that no CPI-M leader can represent the party in the Upper House for more than two terms. Plus, the Kerala unit of the party was against taking help of Congress to get the party general secretary re-elected, the leader said. In fact, a majority of central committee members from other southern states, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, too, opposed the proposal which had the backing of the West Bengal and Tripura units. The proposal for a third term for Yechury was moved by the West Bengal unit of the CPI-M in June after the Congress central leadership reportedly offered its support to help get Yechury re-elected. The partys politburo had already rejected the proposal before it came up for discussion by the central committee on Tuesday. The CPI-M leadership is also learnt to have spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan about his interview to a leading English daily in which he said Yechury cannot be sent to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the Congress, an old rival in the southern state. Vijayan was asked about the interview which appeared right before the central committee was to decide the fate of Yechurys third term. The chief minister said he had given the interview sometime ago and not today. He also said it was wrong to speak on the issue, the leader said. The second term of Yechury, a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal, ends next month. The election for six West Bengal Rajya Sabha seats, including the one represented by Yechury, will be held on August 8. Nomination for the poll is to be filed before July 28. Scientist and academician Professor Yash Pal passed away at his residence in Noida on Tuesday. He was 90. Prof Yash Pal is known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder. He had been the secretary general of the Second United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (1981-82). He held the posts of chief consultant, Planning Commission (1983-84) and secretary, Department of Science and Technology (1984-1986), after which he was appointed chairman, University Grants Commission (1986-91). He was awarded Padma Bhushan for his contribution to science and space technology in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013. In his later years, he has become one of the leading science communicators of the country. Opposition parties led by the Congress on Tuesday protested against the suspension of six Congress MPs from Lok Sabha at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament House. Leaders of the Congress, Left, the Trinamool Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Janata Dal-United shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government over the suspension of the MPs for five days and said they would protest inside Parliament also. They urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to reconsider the suspensions of MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Sushmita Dev, Ranjeet Ranjan, Adhir Ranjan Choudhry, K Suresh and MK Raghavan. Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, JD-U's Sharad Yadav, CPI's D Raja, NCP's Supriya Sule and TMC leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee, were among those who led the protests. The six suspended MPs were also present at the protest. Earlier, the Congress held a strategy meeting to discuss the suspension of its MPs. The Congress members were on Monday suspended from Lok Sabha by Mahajan for causing "grave disorder" by storming the Well, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair during their protests over the lynching issue. Ordering their suspension amid noisy protests by Congress members and counter-slogans of "shame, shame" from the BJP benches, the speaker said their conduct was "highly unbecoming" and had undermined the Chair's dignity. IMAGE: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with party MPs Sushmita Dev, Gaurav Gogoi, Jyotiraditya Scindia and other party leaders in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue protests against the suspension of six Congress MPs from Lok Sabha. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo Twelve people, including an infant and seven women, were killed and 11 others injured when a four-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar on Tuesday, civic officials said. IMAGE: Firefighters and rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a collapsed building in the suburbs of Mumbai. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters According to residents of the ill-fated Siddhi-Sai Cooperative Housing Society, the pillars of the building got weakened due to ongoing renovation of a nursing home located on its ground floor, reportedly owned by a local Shiv Sena leader. Until 9 pm, 23 people were extricated from under the rubble, out of whom 12 were declared dead while 11 injured have been admitted in various hospitals, said Mahesh Narvekar, Head, Disaster Management cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Out of the injured, six persons were discharged later in afternoon, he said. When asked whether the search and rescue operation was called off, the officer said it would continue. IMAGE: A total of 60 National Disaster Response Force jawans along with sniffer dogs were pressed into service. Photograph: Sahil Salvi A total of 60 National Disaster Response Force jawans along with sniffer dogs were pressed into service. According to the official, sniffer dogs helped in rescuing two people alive from under the debris. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the building collapse site on Tuesday. An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days, he said. IMAGE: Fire brigade and NDRF personnel carrying out a search and rescue operation following the collapse. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Meanwhile, the police have detained one Sunil Shitap, said to be the owner of the nursing home on the ground floor of the building. Prima facie, it appears that the accused was carrying out illegal renovation in the building. At this juncture, it will not be appropriate to give other details as investigations are underway and available information needs verification, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Deven Bharti. Shitap was booked under sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) Sources said Shitap is a leader of the Sena. IMAGE: Search operations was on to extricate the people feared trapped under the rubble. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning in the morning as the building crumbled in a massive heap of rubble. THE DECEASED >> Ranjanben Shah >> V Renuka >> Sulakshana Khanchandani >> Mansukh Gajjar >> Mikulkhan Chandani >> Pandharinath Dongre >> Rutvi Shah >> Krishu Dongre >> Manorma Dongre >> Amrita Thak >> Divya Azmera >> Kishore Khanchandani The structure, located in Ghatkopars DamodarPark area, housed around 15 families. When I came out of my building, I found a lot of dust, cries of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapse, an eyewitness said. According to a local resident, it was a 35-year-old structure. The city and its suburbs received heavy rains over the last several days, though there has been some respite since Monday with downpour giving way to intermittent showers. The Mumbai Police blocked the traffic on Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a green corridor to rush those rescued to hospitals. IMAGE: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the site and consoled the victims' families. He also assured that quick action will be taken against the culprits. Photograph: @dev_fadnavis/Twitter Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the ill-fated structure, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might have led to the collapse. The building was not listed among those in dangerous category, as per local residents. According to a written reply by the government in the Legislative assembly about unsafe buildings in the metropolis, a survey by the BMC earlier this year had identified 617 such structures. These buildings were termed as dilapidated in the survey report. The BMC has initiated action on the report under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. In all, 112 such buildings were vacated, while 42 were referred to the technical advisory committee to decide their fate. The BMC has also submitted an affidavit in the Bombay high court regarding 45 buildings identified as dangerous for habitation where people continue to live. IMAGE: The affected people and the survivors have been moved to three municipal schools nearby. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Meanwhile, Narvekar said the civic body has shifted the affected people and the survivors in three municipal schools nearby. Locals who helped the fire brigade and NDRF jawans said the building seemed to be in a good condition and it couldnt have collapsed without a damage caused to its core structure. They said the nursing home didnt have many patients as it was being renovated. Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar visited the spot and said a proper inquiry will be conducted into the incident. Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta also visited the site and reviewed the rescue and search operation. He announced setting up a committee, comprising deputy municipal commissioners, to inquire into the cause of the incident, which he said would submit its report within 15 days. IMAGE: Eyewitnesses said in the morning they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning since it is monsoon season. Photograph: Sahil Salvi After visiting the spot, Congress leader and MLA Naseem Khan said prima facie BMC has failed to curb the ongoing alteration in the building. The alteration work involving the buildings core structure was going on since the last eight days, and despite some residents raising an alarm, the BMCs Engineering department completely failed to act in time. I am also told that the civic body did not act against the owner of the nursing home because he is a Shiv Sena leader. If this allegation is true then its a very serious matter, he said. WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW Mumbai unit Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in power in the BMC was responsible for the incident. Residents of the building had complained about the illegal alteration being carried out by a local Sena leader, but officials of the BMC just sat on the complaint. The building collapsed because the Sena leader had removed a pillar. I demand strictest action against that leader, he demanded. However, the BJP group leader in the BMC Manoj Kotak said this is not time to do politics on the issue. This is a very unfortunate incident. Our first and foremost priority is to help the survivors and the kin of the deceased. Its not the time to play the blame game, he said. Pranab Mukherjee -- rewarded as president yet not trusted enough to be prime minister. IMAGE: President Mukherjee's journey has been a long and extensive one. He became Indias youngest finance minister of India in 1982 at the age of 47. From 2004, he went on to head three crucial ministries -- external affairs, defence and finance -- and became the first occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to have this distinction. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Sitting on the verandah of his home in New Delhi, Pranab Mukherjee, then a young MP, saw horses from the Rashtrapati Bhavan pass by and jokingly told his sister that he would like to be a presidential horse in his next birth. Indulgent as ever, Annapurna Banerjee, older to him by 10 years, prophesied that he would be president in this life itself. On Monday, President Pranab Mukherjees last day in office, is the culmination of that prophecy for a man known as the quintessential Man Friday of the Congress, rewarded as president yet not trusted enough to be prime minister. And the horse vignette from an interview that Banerjee gave could illustrate what is a fitting end note to a remarkable five-decade political career -- some dreams do come true. Indias 13th president will step down on Tuesday for Ram Nath Kovind, a long way from the reluctant schoolboy of West Bengals Mirati village who grew to be one of Indias most respected politicians. It all started when Indira Gandhi spotted him during a by-election in Midnapore where he was V K Krishna Menons election agent. His astute management saw Menon, a Malayali contesting in West Bengal as a candidate of Congress rival faction Bangla Congress, win with a huge margin. Impressed with his political acumen, Gandhi brought Mukherjee into the Congress and initiated his parliamentary journey through the Rajya Sabha in 1969. There have been many firsts since then for the 81-year-old, fondly known as Pranab Da. He became Indias youngest finance minister of India in 1982 at the age of 47. From 2004, he went on to head three crucial ministries -- external affairs, defence and finance -- and became the first occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to have this distinction. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets President Pranab Mukherjee after taking his oath at the presidential palace in New Delhi in 2014. The PM has called Pranab a father figure who hand-held him through the maze of national governance after he became the prime minister in 2014. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters He will also go down in the history as the only non-prime minister who was the leader of the Lok Sabha for eight years. Known for his political acumen and ability to form consensus across party lines, Mukherjee was heading 24 of 39 GOMs when he became president in 2012. Between, 2004-12, he had chaired 95 GOMs. That is why friends and rivals will agree that there was enough politics left in him when he accepted his retirement from active politics in the form of the presidency. Its a mixed bag legacy for the politician who won his first election in 2004 from Jangipur in West Bengal. Mukherjees lasting contribution as finance minister, for instance, includes introduction of an egregious tax change -- a retrospective amendment to the Income Tax act that targeted Vodafone and allowed closed tax cases to be reopened. That amendment shook foreign investor confidence in India as a safe investment destination, say experts. A tough taskmaster, avid reader and history aficionado, Mukherjee has ensured that he leaves his mark on the presidency. He has made it easier for common people to visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The long-neglected Durbar Hall was given a fresh lease of life with Mukherjee ensuring that important events were held under its dome that had pigeons nestling in it. The library was renovated. Books, including some rare ones, were catalogued and researchers given access. The impressive presidential palace also opened its gates for writers, artists, innovators, scientists and students through an in-residency programme Author Amitav Ghosh, who spent four days in Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of the programme, described the initiative as an attempt at democratising an essentially profoundly undemocratic building. IMAGE: Pranab Mukherjee has not been afraid to speak his mind as president. From talking about free thinking to tolerance, Pranab Mukherjee has said it all. Photograph: B Mathur/Reuters Mukherjee is known to have generously shared his experience with others, cutting across party lines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a father figure who hand-held him through the maze of national governance after he became the prime minister in 2014. Somewhat controversially, Mukherjees presidency saw him turn down several mercy petitions, including those of Yakub Menon, Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru. In the last five years, Mukherjee has often spoken out on headline issues. After the infamous Delhi gang rape case, for instance, he cautioned society to reset its moral compass. He also termed universities as bastion of free thinking and reasoned debate in the backdrop of media onslaught on Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University students. And in his farewell speech, he cautioned the government against using the ordinance route to bring in a law, saying it should be used only in a compelling situation and not taken recourse to in monetary matters. As he prepares for retirement, friends and family say he has always been a workaholic. When his wife of 58 years Suvra Mukherjee passed away in 2015, Mukherjee took refuge in his work and was back in office within four hours of attending her last rites. Blessed with a photographic memory, Mukherjee gives credit to his mother -- and to his childhood days when he would recount the days happenings to his mother. What will the Peoples President do after he leaves office? I will melt into the masses was his prompt response at a conference earlier in the year. The old order changeth, yielding to the new. But melting into the masses may not be as easy as Pranab Da imagines. Ram Nath Kovind is the first Bharatiya Janata Party leader and second Dalit in Rashtrapati Bhavan. IMAGE: President Ram Nath Kovind greets Meira Kumar, who contested the Presidential election against him, and other leaders after taking the oath of office in the Central Hall of Parliament. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo Ram Nath Kovind was administered the oath of office to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and law' by Chief Justice of India J S Kehar in an impressive ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. The 71-year-old laweyer took the oath in Hindi to thunderous applause and thumping of desks by the gathering, which included outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former President Pratibha Patil. Once President Kovind had been sworn in, Mukherjee and he exchanged seats on the dais after which he delivered his maiden speech as President. IMAGE: Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, left, administers the oath of office to Ram Nath Kovind. Photograph: Press Information Bureau of India "I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Pranabda," Kovind said. "My journey from a small village to the President's House has been long but interesting. A nation grows only when development for all is ensured. Hum sab ek hain aur ek hi rahenge (We are one and we will always be one)," the President said to applause. Former prime ministers H D Devegowda and Dr Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Union ministers and foreign diplomats were also present. President Kovind was given a 21 gun salute to mark the assumption of office of the highest Constitutional post in the land. IMAGE: Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before leaving for Parliament for the swearing-in ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rashtrapati Bhavan The elaborate ceremony for the change of guard at Rashtrapati Bhavan commenced with a gentle knock on the door of President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's Akbar Road home. It was Major General Anil Khosla, military secretary to the President, inviting Kovind and his wife Savita to Rashtrapati Bhavan where President Pranab Mukherjee was waiting for them in the study. IMAGE: President Ram Nath Kovind delivers his first speech after taking the oath of office. Photograph: Press Information Bureau The President and the President-elect then walked to the grand forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan where they were escorted to the saluting dais. President Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard with President-elect Kovind standing to his left. IMAGE: President Kovind and former President Pranab Mukherjee greet Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, former President Pratibha Patil, former PM H D Deve Gowda, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders Lal Kishenchand Advani and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Tamil Nadu CM E Palaniswami and others after the oath taking ceremony. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Mukherjee and his successor drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of Parliament in a black limousine. Escorting them was a grand equestrian procession by the President's Bodyguard, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work. IMAGE: President Mukherjee welcomes President-elect Kovind and his wife Savita at Rashtrapati Bhavan before the ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rashtrapati Bhavan The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional 'hazaar salaam' to the President, who is the supreme commander of the defence services. The procession reached gate five at Parliament where Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India J S Kehar received President Mukherjee and President-elect Kovind who were then taken to the Central Hall. IMAGE: President-elect Kovind greets President Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Photograph: PTI Photo/ Rashtrapati Bhavan After he took the oath of office, President Kovind and former President Mukherjee left for Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine. The skies opened up as the procession made its way from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan. The black tarmac of Rajpath seemed washed clean as the President's Bodyguard marched with military precision in the pouring rain. IMAGE: President Mukherjee with his successor at Rashtrapati Bhavan before the ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rashtrapati Bhavan After President Kovind and Mukherjee arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the former took charge after signing the register. After the event, Mukherjee proceeded to his new residence, 10, Rajaji Marg. Earlier in the day, Kovind and his wife Savita paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. IMAGE: Ram Nath Kovind and Savita Kovind at Rajghat. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Kovind was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A commerce graduate, he studied law at Kanpur University, practised law in the Delhi high court and Supreme Court. He was the central government's standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. IMAGE: President Kovind delivers his maiden speech after taking the oath. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Kovind, who headed the Dalit Morcha from 1998 to 2002, also led the All-India Koli Samaj. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh, he served two consecutive terms in the Upper House of Parliament till March 2006. IMAGE: President-elect Kovind arrives at Central Hall along with President Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India Justice J S Kehar. Photograph: Press Information Bureau 'Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovindji on taking oath as the President of India,' Prime Minister Modi tweeted. 'Very inspiring address by President Kovind, which beautifully summed up the essence of India's strengths, democracy & diversity,' Modi later tweeted. Additional inputs: ANI We are gathering information for the 2022 general election. On desktop, click "election information" on the right side of this pag... Crimea: One year of Russian "anti-missionary" punishments Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Crimea: One year of Russian "anti-missionary" punishments, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59773cb84.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. Administrative cases were brought against 13 individuals in Crimea for "missionary activity" in year since Russia imposed such punishments. So far, 8 were fined about 10 days' average wages. Fourteen cases were brought against communities and individuals to punish failing to use organisation's full legal name. Stronger EU-Egypt ties must not come at the expense of human rights Publisher Amnesty International Author Philip Luther Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Stronger EU-Egypt ties must not come at the expense of human rights, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59773e6d4.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. Hours after the tanks rolled onto Cairo's streets on 3 July 2013 and President Mohamed Morsi's ousting from power was declared, the EU firmly stated it would hold the new administration to account over respect for "fundamental rights, freedoms, and the rule of law". Four years later, Egypt is facing one of the worst human rights crises the country has seen in decades. Yet, despite this, on Tuesday 25 July the EU is set to hold high-level talks with Egypt in Brussels for the first time in years. The annual Association Council meetings to discuss co-operation between the EU and Egypt had been suspended after the 2011 uprising. Their resumption next week is an alarming signal the EU and its member states are increasingly willing to turn a blind eye to the human rights disaster that has engulfed the country in a bid to enhance co-operation on security and migration control, and boost trade. The EU's move to strengthen its partnership with Egypt marks a clear shift in its stance on the country, which many member states view as a key strategic ally in a region beset by conflict and crisis. While the EU-Egypt country report published ahead of the meeting acknowledged "substantial challenges" around the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the space for civil society, it failed to include any mention of human rights violations such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and widespread impunity for the security forces. Indeed, the EU-Egypt meeting is set to take place against a backdrop of mass violations. It will go ahead despite the fact that not a single Egyptian official has been held accountable for the killings of up to 900 people during the dispersal of a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya in Cairo in August 2013. It will go ahead despite the Egyptian authorities' arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of journalists, activists, workers, trade unionists and others on overly broad "national security" charges. It will also go ahead despite the fact that Egyptian security forces continue to carry out unlawful killings and subject children as young as 14 to enforced disappearances and torture. Ironically the EU report maintains that "support to civil society" remains a priority, yet it fails to explain how it plans to protect peaceful activists from an unprecedented crackdown - which has seen dozens of human rights defenders arrested, interrogated or facing travel bans and assets freezes - or from a draconian NGO law that threatens to annihilate independent human rights groups. Europe's complicity is not limited to its silence. In August 2013 following the Rabaa massacre, the EU Foreign Affairs Council condemned the "disproportionate" use of force by Egyptian security forces and announced that member states had agreed to suspend export licences to Egypt of any arms which might be used for internal repression. However, today, almost half the EU member states continue to flout this agreement by supplying such arms to Egypt's security forces. Make no mistake, these are dangerous times for Egypt and the EU's softened stance is a major victory for perpetrators of human rights abuses that will pave the way for further violations. The EU cannot afford for human rights to take a back seat. Now more than ever it is crucial for leaders to stand up for human rights and the rule of law. This is an appeal to EU leaders who repeatedly profess allegiance to the principles of human rights and expound on the importance of the rule of law. It is an appeal to Italy, whose citizen Giulio Regeni was abducted and tortured to death in Egypt with no justice in sight. It is an appeal to Ireland, whose own national Ibrahim Halawa has languished in an Egyptian prison for four years while being subjected to a grossly unfair mass trial. It is an appeal to all other EU countries that promote human rights in Europe and beyond. The leaders of EU member states must start by publicly condemning the government's gross violation of human rights. They must make it abundantly clear to the Egyptian government that protecting rights and fundamental freedoms remain core values of this partnership. And they must take concrete action to suspend transfers to Egypt of the types of arms that can facilitate human rights violations, to send a clear signal that security forces must be reined in, perpetrators must be brought to justice, and that counter-terrorism should not be used as an excuse to justify crushing civil society and jailing human rights defenders. The EU's apparent willingness to water down its stance on human rights in Egypt to bolster security, migration control and trade ties could seriously compromise its credibility and have far-reaching consequences for its relations with other countries in the region. Most importantly it would be devastating for what remains of independent civil society in Egypt. Next week's meeting represents a defining moment for the EU. It must decide whether to stand up for human rights, or forego its principles for the sake of political expediency. This piece was first published by the EU Observer here Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Fourteen men at imminent risk of beheading as Saudi Arabia continues bloody execution spree Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Fourteen men at imminent risk of beheading as Saudi Arabia continues bloody execution spree, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59773f554.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 Saudi Arabian Supreme Court's decision to uphold the death sentences of 14 men after a grossly unfair mass trial is a worrying reminder of the country's lethal crackdown on dissent, said Amnesty International today. The men who were found guilty of protest-related crimes now face imminent execution. "By confirming these sentences Saudi Arabia's authorities have displayed their ruthless commitment to the use of the death penalty as a weapon to crush dissent and neutralize political opponents," said Samah Hadid, Director of campaigns for the Middle-East at Amnesty international. "King Salman's signature is now all that stands between them and their execution. He must immediately quash these death sentences which are a result of sham court proceedings that brazenly flout international fair trial standards," At least 66 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the start of 2017, including 26 in the past three weeks alone - more than one execution per day. Hussein al-Rabi', Abdullah al-Tureif, Hussein al-Mosallem, Mohamed al-Naser, Mustafa al-Darwish, Fadel Labbad, Sa'id al-Sakafi, Salman al-Qureish, Mujtaba al-Suweyket, Munir al-Adam, Abdullah al-Asreeh, Ahmad al-Darwish, Abdulaziz al-Sahwi, Ahmad al-Rab'i were transferred from Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province to the capital, Riyadh on 15 July 2017 without prior notice. Now that their sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court the 14 men are at risk of execution as soon as the King ratifies their sentences. Due to the secrecy surrounding the Saudi Arabia judicial process, the families are given very little information, if any, about the current state of the case and usually not told about the scheduled execution of their relatives. Yesterday, families of the 14 men learned that the death sentences were upheld after contacting the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) and they fear that the executions will take place imminently. The 14 men were initially sentenced to death on 1 June 2016 by the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, following a grosslyunfair mass trial. They were convicted of a range of charges that included "armed rebellion against the ruler" by, among other things "participating in shooting at security personnel, security vehicles", "preparing and using Molotov Cocktail bombs", "theft and armed robbery" and "inciting chaos, organizing and participating in riots". Court documents show that the 14 men told the court they were subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention and had been tortured and otherwise ill-treated during their interrogation to extract their "confessions", however the judge failed to order investigations into their allegations. The SCC appears to have largely based its decision on these forced "confessions". Background: Amnesty International has recorded a worrying increase in death sentences against political dissidents in Saudi Arabia since 2013, including the Shia Muslim minority. Amnesty International also learned on 23 July 2017 that the SCC court of appeal has upheld the death sentences of 15 men accused of spying for Iran and the case was transferred to the Supreme Court on 20 July 2017. The men were initially sentenced to death on 6 December 2016. Amnesty International has documented the cases of at least 34 members of Saudi Arabia's Shia community - making up 10 to 15 percent of the population - who are currently facing the death penalty. All were accused of activities deemed a risk to national security. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Israeli forces carry out violent hospital raids in ruthless display of force Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Israeli forces carry out violent hospital raids in ruthless display of force, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59773fb44.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. Israeli soldiers and police stormed a Palestinian hospital twice over the past week terrifying staff and patients and in some cases preventing doctors from providing emergency medical care to critically injured patients, said Amnesty International today. The raids on al-Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem took place as tensions escalated in Jerusalem and across the West Bank in recent days following an Israeli government decision to place metal detectors and search worshipers at the entrance of Al-Aqsa mosque after the killing of two Israeli policemen at the site on 14 July. At least four Palestinian civilians have been killed and more than 1090 were injured by Israeli police and military forces over the past 10 days in the widespread Palestinian protests against the decision and ensuing clashes. "The conduct of Israeli forces who carried out violent raids on al-Makassed hospital harassing and intimidating staff and patients is utterly deplorable. There can be no justification for preventing medical workers from caring for a critically wounded patient," said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. Eyewitnesses at al-Makassed hospital described scenes of "absolute mayhem" as armed Israeli soldiers and police stormed the premises on 17 and 21 July apparently in pursuit of critically injured patients. Dr Rafiq Husseini, head of al-Makassed Hospital, told Amnesty International that 20-30 heavily armed border guard soldiers and police raided the hospital late in the evening of 17 July. "They harassed my staff and other patients and were acting in an aggressive manner... They acted without any legal basis, entering the hospital with machine guns and stun grenades and terrorizing the staff and other patients," he said. Dr Bassam Abu Libdeh, al-Makassed Medical Director, said that since the protests and ensuing clashes broke out, the hospital had received a stream of patients suffering from tear gas inhalation, beatings or who had been injured by rubber bullets. He described how on 17 July soldiers had chased a 19-year-old young man from Silwan, who had been shot in the thigh wounding an artery and was bleeding severely, through the hospital like "hungry dogs after their prey". "They had long weapons and stun grenades and aggressively pushed and shoved through. They chased the injured youth, who'd been brought into the operating room, when a few of us doctors intervened to stop them Others then began to roam the hospital and to harass anyone they found, staff, nurses, doctors, patients. There are kids in the hospital, old people. This is not acceptableWhy did they want to arrest the kid? He was bleeding to death and in critical shape, he wasn't going anywhere," he said. Speaking about the second raid, the hospital's head of reception, Talal al-Sayed, who has worked there for 10 years said the staff have become accustomed to raids by Israeli forces over the years but that the events of 21 July were "above and beyond what we've ever seen". He described how, around 200 heavily armed soldiers surrounded the hospital and entered forcefully, arresting people in their path and using tear gas. They were pursuing a young man with a major chest wound in critical condition and followed him all the way to the operating theatre. "They invaded the entire hospitalThey even entered the neonatal unit What do they want in there? It was pure terrorization of the patients," he said, describing how soldiers shoved and hit a doctor who was trying to care for the injured young man in the operating room. The young man, Mohammad Abu Ghannam, died of his wounds during the scuffle. One of the nurses on duty at the time said: "I have never been so scared in my life. All I remember were loud sounds and pushing and screaming. It was total chaos... There was blood all over the place on the floor on the walls." The hospital raids took place against a backdrop of demonstrations and violence that has swept across the Occupied Palestinian territories with reports of excessive use of force by Israeli forces against Palestinian protestors. Of the more than 1,000 Palestinians injured 29 were wounded with live ammunition, 374 with rubber bullets and 471 sustained injuries as a result of tear gas, 216 people suffered bruises, burns or broken bones as a result of beatings, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Many of the protests in Jerusalem's Old City began peacefully, involving collective prayers in the streets outside the al-Aqsa compound, but descended into violence when Israeli forces attempted to disperse the protests using tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesters responded by throwing water bottles. Sheikh Ekrima Said Sabri, the Imam of al-Aqsa mosque and the former Mufti of Jerusalem, described to Amnesty International how members of Israel's border police started to attack a peaceful crowd on 18 July near Lion's Gate in the Old City pushing, kicking and beating protesters with batons and stamping on him. He was helped by a group of young men who carried him to the ambulance to be taken to the hospital. Reports of use of excessive force and tit for tat violence between Israelis and Palestinians raise concern of further escalation of unlawful killings. Three Israeli civilians were stabbed to death by a Palestinian attacker at an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank on 21 July. Israel has since announced that it plans to demolish the home of the Palestinian attacker. "Attacks on civilians can never be justified. However, justice for such attacks cannot be achieved through collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population," said Magdalena Mughrabi. "As the occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians and must respect their right to peacefully protest. They must ensure that their forces limit their use of force in accordance with international law." Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International EU: "Raise issue of jailed activists with Turkish Ministers" Mogherini urged Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, EU: "Raise issue of jailed activists with Turkish Ministers" Mogherini urged, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59773fe24.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. Amnesty International's Secretary General, Salil Shetty, urged the European Commission's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, to urgently raise the issue of jailed human rights defenders at her meeting with the Turkish Foreign Affairs and EU Ministers later today. Amnesty International's Turkey Director and Chair, Idil Eser and Taner Klc are currently in detention facing terrorism related charges. Mr Shetty met with Ms Mogherini in Brussels this morning and presented her with an Amnesty/Avaaz petition calling on her to use to her influence to help secure the immediate release of the 10 human rights defenders jailed earlier this month. He then joined scores of activists at a protest outside the European Commission building, the centre piece of which was 10 giant figures representing those jailed. "This morning I met with Federica Mogherini and presented her with a petition of nearly 900,000 signatures collected in a matter of days calling on her to use her influence to help ensure the immediate and unconditional release of our Amnesty International colleagues and the other human rights defenders jailed in Turkey. We expect her to raise their cases with Ministers Cavusoglu and Celik in the context of growing concerns about the deterioration of the respect for the rule of law and human rights in Turkey," said Salil Shetty. "Whilst world leaders are starting to speak out, this is not just an issue for politicians. Defending human rights is not a crime, but it is fast becoming one in Turkey and it is incumbent on everyone who believes in fundamental freedoms to make clear that the crossing of this red line cannot be tolerated. We only have a small window of opportunity to stop this now, before there's no one left to stand up for what's right." Protesters gathered on the Schuman roundabout opposite the European Commission building, including the partners of jailed activists Ali Gharavi and Peter Steudtner. "For me this is personal. My husband Ali and my dear friends Peter and Ozlem are in jail," said Laressa Dickey, Ali Gharavi's wife. "He is a beautiful soul and we thank you for your support. We will not stop until they are released. Nobody is free until everybody is free." Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Lebanon: Further investigation needed into deaths of Syrian refugees in military custody Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Lebanon: Further investigation needed into deaths of Syrian refugees in military custody, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597740d84.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 Lebanese authorities must disclose the full findings of their investigation into the deaths of four Syrian refugees, said Amnesty International, after the country's military prosecutor yesterday revealed that a forensic report concluded that they had died of "natural causes". The men died after they were arrested in a military raid on the town of Arsal on 30 June 2017. Forensic analysis of photographs showing the bodies of three of the four deceased men, commissioned by Amnesty International, reveals signs of recent beatings and trauma to the head, legs and arms suggesting they may have been tortured. "It is extremely important for the full findings of the forensic report commissioned by the military prosecutor to be made public and accessible to the lawyers and families of the victims," said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East Research Director at Amnesty International. "Independent forensic analysis of photographs of the bodies obtained by Amnesty International raise serious questions about whether these men faced torture or other ill-treatment while in custody. International standards require that the full details of the official forensic report be disclosed. If torture is deemed the cause of death, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) must take the necessary steps to bring those responsible to justice, in a fair trial." Prior to yesterday's announcement, a statement issued by the LAF on 4 July claimed the four men, Anas Hussein al-Hasiki, Mustafa Abdulkarim Abse, Khaled Hussein el-Mleis and Othman Merhi el-Mleishad died of "chronic diseases" and "climate conditions". Amnesty International saw reports by a forensic doctor at Riyak Hospital dated 1 and 2 July 2017 saying that the two men died of heart attacks and one of a stroke and that their bodies showed no signs of physical violence. Both these reports and the statement made by the military prosecutor that the men died of "natural causes" are inconsistent with Amnesty International's findings. According to information gathered by Amnesty International one of the deceased Syrian men, Anas Hussein al-Hasiki, was arrested from his flat outside al-Qariya camp during the raids. He was taken to Riyak detention centre where he was repeatedly beaten by soldiers in front of other detainees. According to eye-witness accounts, he was severely beaten on three separate occasions, losing consciousness each time. The final time, the soldiers beating him tried to wake him up by forcing water down his mouth but were unable to revive him. He died a couple of hours later. Efforts by lawyers representing the families of three of the deceased men to find out their causes of death were quashed by military officials. Despite the lawyers receiving a court order for another forensic doctor to examine the bodies and analyze medical samples, the samples were confiscated from the lawyer by Military Intelligence on 6 July. The military prosecution later announced that it had opened its own investigation and had assigned three forensic doctors to examine the bodies. However, the lawyers representing the families were never informed of the results of the examinations. Neither they nor the families have been given a copy of the forensic report completed by the three forensic doctors. Amnesty International urges the Lebanese authorities to ensure an impartial investigation into the deaths of the four men in custody, in addition to other allegations of arbitrary arrest and detention and torture and other ill-treatment. Suspected perpetrators must be immediately suspended from carrying out military operations pending the conclusion of these investigations. "While we understand the Lebanese authorities' duty to counter security threats and to protect the population from deadly attacks, they must do so while respecting the human rights protections set out in international law, as well as ensuring accountability for any human rights violations committed by army or security officers." Background According to information received by Amnesty International, officers from the LAF entered al-Nour and al-Qariya camps in Arsal at around 5am on 30 June 2017 in what they termed as "pre-emptive" raids. Shortly afterwards, residents said that they had heard an explosion followed by gunshots. The army then sent in reinforcements including armoured cars that destroyed several tents as they entered al-Nour camp. According to eyewitnesses, soldiers rounded up all the men and boys in the tents, including children under the age of 18, and men over 60 years old. The men and boys were tied up and made to lie on the ground. Amnesty International has seen photos purportedly showing large numbers of men lying on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs during the raids. During these raids on al-Nur and al-Qariya camps in Arsal, the LAF arrested and detained more than 350 males, including children and elderly men. Amnesty International spoke to several sources in the area who said that those detained were not told the reason for their arrest and were denied access to their families who were not informed of their location. They also said detainees were subjected to verbal insults, repeated beatings with various objects, as well as being deprived of water and sanitary facilities. Some of the detained men were beaten repeatedly with a rubber hose on their backs, heads, arms and legs and were kicked and stepped on with heavy boots on their ribs. Eyewitnesses also said the soldiers made women hand over their mobile phones while verbally insulting them. They also reportedly destroyed some of the phones and tore the clothes off women who had refused to hand over or had tried to hide their phones. Amnesty International received information that a similar pattern of abuses took place in al-Qariya camp. Syrian refugees living in rented flats in a building close to the camp known as the Mujama' were also arrested. The reason for these widespread arrests and roundups are unknown to Amnesty International but come amidst rising tensions and xenophobia against refugees from Syria and calls for them to return to Syria. On 15 July, the LAF announced that it had arrested 356 men during the raids, out of which it had released 43 men and 257 were referred to the General Security Office for reasons linked to lack of legal status in Lebanon. The LAF also announced that 56 men were referred to military prosecution on charges of "committing different kinds of terrorist acts", including involvement in the 2014 attack on military centres in Arsal and belonging or working with armed groups such as the group calling itself the Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other "similar terrorist organizations". The raids came two weeks before a security operation in Arsal targeting armed groups on the Syrian border close to Arsal. Amnesty International has called on those involved in the fighting toprioritize the protection of Lebanese residents as well as Syrian refugees in the area. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Martinets, migrants, and militants: The drawn-out saga of Libya and the ICC Publisher IRIN Author Lisa Clifford Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as IRIN, Martinets, migrants, and militants: The drawn-out saga of Libya and the ICC, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597741394.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. When International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda addressed the UN Security Council in May, she assured the assembled nations that Libya was a priority in 2017. Halfway into the year, there's little sign of progress or justice. Speaking in May, Bensouda urged Libya to swiftly hand over Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, so he could be prosecuted for crimes against humanity in The Hague. She also said she was considering launching an investigation into crimes against migrants in the country, a situation she called "dire and unacceptable". Neither the Gaddafi case nor any future charges relating to the migrants are likely to be easy wins for the court, which has had little impact on the rampant impunity in Libya, where civilians bear the brunt of ongoing violence. Elham Saudi, director of the NGO Lawyers for Justice in Libya, which advocates for human rights in the country, is pessimistic about the court's accomplishments since it began investigations in the wake of Gaddafi's 2011 ouster: "Has [the ICC] promoted peace and security in Libya? No. Has it promoted the rule of law? No. Has it promoted due process or fair trials? No." The sins of the son The ICC charged Gaddafi with murder and persecution - both crimes against humanity - in 2011, and he was last seen in 2014 by video link during a domestic trial in Tripoli for crimes committed during the revolution that led to his father's overthrow. He and 32 other Gaddafi-era officials, including former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, were convicted of various offenses committed during the 2011 uprising, in a trial that international human rights groups said was undermined by serious due process violations, including the defendants' lack of access to lawyers. Gaddafi was tried in absentia, as he was then being held by the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, a militia based in northwest Libya's Zintan. This June, the brigade posted a statement online saying it had released Gaddafi following an amnesty law passed by one of Libya's competing authorities, the Tobruk-based parliament. A UN-backed Government of National Accord sits in the capital Tripoli, as does a third would-be government, the National Salvation Government. Gaddafi's ICC lawyer Karim Khan confirmed to IRIN that his client is still in Libya, although he would not elaborate on his exact whereabouts or if he has in fact been released. "He's well, and I've spoken to him in the last few days," Khan told IRIN, adding he met with Gaddafi in Libya last summer. Khan said he plans to challenge the admissibility of the ICC's case against his client. One argument open to the defence, Khan said, is double jeopardy - that the case against Gaddafi has already been "tried and determined" in the courts of Libya. Khan is also likely to raise the case of al-Senussi, who the ICC also charged with crimes against humanity. ICC judges declared his case inadmissible, in a controversial ruling that he could receive a fair trial in Libya (the ICC is a court of last resort and only steps in when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute). Despite the al-Senussi ruling, Libya was unsuccessful in challenging the ICC's case against Gaddafi, and the judges decided he should be tried in The Hague. But that doesn't mean he will ever set foot in an international courtroom. Kevin Jon Heller, an academic at the University of Amsterdam, doubts that Libya will ever hand Gaddafi over to the ICC, in the absence of its own police force relies on member countries to make arrests. "It's sort of performance art," he told IRIN. "The ICC reminds Libya of its obligations, and Libya doesn't do much but knows that until Gaddafi shows up nothing has to happen," he said. If Gadaffi did ever make it to the ICC, Heller doubts the double jeopardy strategy would hold water. "I would be surprised if there was nothing the ICC could still try him for," Heller continued. "There's a universe of criminality they could level at Gaddafi. If Libya did one part [and prosecuted some charges], the ICC could do another part and make it admissible again." For now, the ICC is playing a waiting game with a fractured Libya. "I don't feel confident one way or the other," Julian Nicholls, senior trial lawyer with the ICC's Office of the Prosecutor, told IRIN of Gaddafi's case. "I don't know exactly what will happen. [The GNA in] Libya has stressed its willingness to cooperate with the court, but we will have to wait and see." Migrant investigation? A recent addition to Nicholls' plate is the possible investigation, mooted by Bensouda, into migrant-related crimes, including identifying those most responsible for the smuggling and human trafficking of men, women, and children passing through Libya to Europe, and related atrocities. The ICC lawyer describes it as a "big, complex situation" that the court is forced to look into from outside Libya due to the current insecurity on the ground. "It is more difficult to carry out investigations without being present in the country, but we do have ways of getting the evidence we need without physically setting foot in Libya," Nicholls said. "It's harder and it takes longer, but we can do it." Analysts like Yvonne McDermott Rees, a senior lecturer in law at Bangor Law School in Wales, are sceptical. She points out that prosecutors will have the tricky task of showing that there was a widespread or systematic attack that was part of a state or organisational policy - essential for proving crimes against humanity under the ICC's Rome Statute. The ICC is also short of money to pay for its ever-growing roster of cases, and some countries that back the court financially have grown impatient with the lack of results and the number of cases that aren't trial-ready due to problems with investigations and witnesses. McDermott Rees wonders if the migrant case isn't simply an attempt by Bensouda to bolster her credibility by choosing a politically popular investigation. There have been calls and pledges (with questionable impact) both to stop the flow of migration from Libya to Europe and to halt the horrific death toll: More than 2,200 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy this year alone - this includes 348 men, women, and children who have washed up on Libya's shores. "You see the prosecutor struggling against this perception problem that the court isn't effective," said McDermott Rees. "There is definitely a desire to try and keep those states who might be in position to give the court more money happy." Prosecuting people traffickers could also be a way of silencing the ICC's sub-Saharan critics who claim it is overly focused on prosecuting African wrongdoers, namely The Gambia, which threatened to withdraw from the court in 2016. McDermott Rees pointed out that the year before The Gambia announced its plans to withdraw, then-President Yahya Jammeh called on the the court to look into the deaths of African migrants attempting to reach Europe. It isn't likely to be a coincidence, McDermott Rees said, that "here we have the ICC prosecutor a short time later saying that she is going to examine crimes against migrants." Lawyers for Justice in Libya's Saudi welcomed the news of a possible migrant case, which she thinks would help improve the ICC's image among Libyans who see it as out of date and too focused on crimes of the past. "That they look like they are pursuing current issues is refreshing, and we hope a good sign of promoting genuine accountability," said Saudi. Pushing it further? Still, others are encouraging the ICC to go even further if it truly wants to chip away at impunity in Libya, where the judiciary is weak and militias hold major sway in much of the country. Human Rights Watch says any future prosecutions should include various fighting groups - last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern for prisoners of the Libyan National Army, after reports emerged of torture and summary execution. "We've documented groups attacking civilians and property with some violations amounting to war crimes [in Libya]," Balkees Jarrah, senior counsel for Human Rights Watch's international justice programme, told IRIN. "We've documented serious violations of international law including arbitrary detentions, torture, forced displacement, unlawful killings," she said. "Many of those violations are sufficiently organised and widespread to amount to crimes against humanity." McDermott Rees wondered if expanding the scope of its investigations could affect the ICC's already tenuous relationship with Libya. Digging into crimes that could implicate the country's current rulers - or those jostling for power - is sure to be less than popular. "At the moment, the prosecutor has a pretty good relationship with the Libyan authorities, including the prosecutor-general's office [from the UN-backed GNA]. If the ICC looks at crimes outside the scope of the Gaddafi era, that could change the relationship completely and might lead to even more difficulties in carrying out investigations," she said. A strong relationship with locals is important, as the court relies on people on the ground for information about Gaddafi and fellow fugitive from international justice Mohamed Khaled al-Tuhamy, the former head of Libya's internal security agency under Muammar Gaddafi. Al-Tuhamy is believed to still be in Libya. "If people aren't sympathetic to you and engaged with you, they aren't likely to tell you the whereabouts of the people you are looking for," Saudi said. If Libyans lose (or have already lost) faith in the ICC as a solution to the current chaos, analysts worry they may yet turn again to strongmen like Saif al-Islam Gaddafi for a sense of security. "There is an argument along the lines of 'he was bad, but we've done just as bad if not worse since then'," said Libya analyst Tarek Megerisi. "The prevailing sentiment is that he [should be] jailed and tried in a Libyan court. There has never been a strong endorsement from Libyans to have him tried in The Hague. They always wanted to deal with him domestically." Megerisi told IRIN that in some parts of the country there may already be a softening in attitudes towards the younger Gaddafi - who is due for a local retrial because he was originally tried in absentia -- with some believing he could unite warring factions and tribes. This nostalgia is bad news for the ICC. The Iraqi siege you've never heard of Publisher IRIN Author Sam Kimball Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as IRIN, The Iraqi siege you've never heard of, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597742604.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. Summer sun beats down like a spotlight on the Tigris River meandering through the town of Shirqat, the narrow band of water the only border between territory held by Iraqi forces on one side, and militants from the so-called Islamic State on the other. Through the ripples of heat rising off the rich green riverbanks, the black IS flag can be seen flying atop buildings and hills east of the river. Daily, clusters of families cross the Tigris in a frenzy on tiny rafts, fleeing from life under IS control. Army units on the western bank receive the exhausted escapees in Shirqat, separating the men from women, shuttling them to reception and screening centers. Many of these people have escaped from Hawija, some 50 kilometres east of Shirqat. Now that Mosul has been liberated, Hawija is the largest IS-controlled territory in Iraq. An estimated 70,000 people live there in a stage of siege, with militants in control and supply routes cut off by militias allied with the Iraqi army. After living more than three years under IS occupation, more and more Iraqis are fleeing the city and crossing the river to freedom. Escapees told IRIN that inside Hawija, public executions by IS, malnutrition, and disease are rife. Life in the city, and its dozens of surrounding villages, has become a brutal routine of bare survival. Once thought to be before Mosul in the queue for an anti-IS operation, the campaign to take back Hawija has been complicated by competing - but allied - forces around the city, and concerns about sectarian revenge in a Sunni-majority city that has a reputation for opposing the Shia-led central government. Years of fear Sitting with folded legs on the floor of a pre-camp reception centre in Shirqat staffed by local volunteers, with bits of her dyed-orange hair peeking out from her headscarf, Hindia Khalaf Atallah, 57, spoke of a life of extremes under IS rule. "We've been under siege," she told IRIN. "IS destroyed us. Life was horrible. Lots of people killed themselves because of this calamity. Night would come, and there was no food to put into our mouths." When the militants first declared their control of Hawija, around the same time they took Mosul in June 2014, Atallah said some locals welcomed their arrival, as IS styled themselves revolutionaries coming to protect the Sunnis of Iraq, after mass Sunni-led protests against the Baghdad government the year before. Atallah said the early days of IS rule were different. "They didn't hit anyone. They didn't force us to wear the niqab [face covering for women]," she explained. But as the militants began to lose ground to Iraqi forces across the country, their rule became more nihilistic. "Now, for women who try to flee, a bullet in the leg. For men, execution," Atallah said. "All the executions were done at the square. If there was someone who helped people cross [out of IS territory], he would be executed. If he was a member of the Iraqi police services, he would be executed. What a hell of a life!" Hawija was completely surrounded and cut off a year ago by a coalition of Iraqi militias known as Popular Mobilisation Forces, Kurdish peshmerga, and the Iraqi army. Prices of basic products skyrocketed, and people found themselves surviving off bare grain. "A kilo of dates was 20,000 Iraqi dinars [almost $17]. That was the cheapest food you could buy," Atallah said. "Our life was happy... But now what do we have? I haven't had a sip of tea since December [2016]," she said, angrily. "We don't even have enough money to buy a quarter kilo of sugar." Flight Despite the obvious risks, Atallah decided to flee in June. Leaving Hawija under the cover of darkness, she lied her way through IS checkpoints, telling the militants she was on her way to see a sick cousin in a village nearby. She hid in acquaintances' homes on her way out, running between villages on foot. Eventually, Atallah and a small group of escapees she had banded with found someone willing to drive them as far as Sdira, a village on a bank of the Tigris near Shirqat, which has been partially liberated from IS. "He said this is the way," Atallah recalled. "He gave us directions. He said he couldn't drive us [to Shirqat], or [IS] would catch him and execute him. We ran and ran until we got here." An Iraqi army boat found them at night on the riverside, and they crossed over the next morning to the safety of Shirqat. Sami, 28, asked that his name be changed for fear of reprisals. He had arrived in Shirqat from a village near Hawija on the same day he spoke to IRIN. Along with several other male arrivals, Sami was lounging outside the main door of the bare concrete building being used as a reception centre in the middle of Shirqat, across from a military post. Sporting sandals and nylon track pants, Sami wore a thick beard, moustache shaved - IS militants demanded that all men grow their beards this way. "[Before the siege] I weighed 95 kilograms. Now I'm 70," he told IRIN. "But I'm alright. I can work. For those who can't work, who can't buy flour, they are much worse off." Sami noted that the visual IS presence in Hawija had become thinner in recent months as drones and airplanes flew over, striking the militants. The fighters hid out of view most of the time, fearing airstrikes. Yet still, residents felt they were being surveyed by IS, and public executions and whippings struck enough terror among the populace that few considered fleeing. "They don't stop you [from fleeing]," he explained. "But it's fear. Fear of [IS]. Fear of being killed, that stops us. They've taken many who tried to flee, accused them, and executed them." "I was waiting for death. Each minute, I expected it," he said, coldly. Eventually, Sami chanced it. But he said that even for those who did manage to get beyond the grasp of the IS militants holding Hawija, there was still extreme danger. His brother fled the city six months earlier to some nearby mountains. "They were walking, and a family of 15 stepped on a mine. The mine exploded and not one of them survived," his brother told him. "Many people escaping through the mountains have died that way." Scarce help Even for those who do make it out all the way to Shirqat, there's not much of a welcome. Many of those caring for the escapees are volunteers, working with extremely limited resources to fill the gaps in responding to a humanitarian crisis that has pushed Iraq beyond breaking point. Wa'ed Karaf, 45, was an employee at the Ministry of Manufacturing and Metals before the conflict with IS. He receives people displaced from Hawija on a daily basis at the reception centre he established in late 2016, working in collaboration with the child-focused Swiss relief agency Terre des hommes. Karaf noted the spread of destructive and painful diseases among those trapped in Hawija with no medicine, like diarrhoea, scabies, shingles and Ischaemia, which can cause tissue damage and even the loss of limbs. "There is a problem of government neglect here in Salah al-Din province," he told IRIN. "There are supposed to be a lot of organisations here working with the displaced. But we haven't seen anything being implemented on the ground. "All we have here is the [UK-based NGO] Muslim Aid distributing food. The Ministry of Migration and Displacement gives some assistance, but it's very little." Karaf accused the central government of purposefully neglecting Salah al-Din province, where Shirqat is, because it has a large Sunni population. Sunnis make up about a quarter of Iraq's populace, but many complain that since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003 they've been increasingly marginalised by the Shia-majority government. Karaf had little faith in the ability of the Baghdad government to bring life back to the area and get the displaced back on their feet, even when Hawija is eventually liberated. The greatest impediment, according to him, is the Iraqi politicians themselves. "They make special deals. [In this area], the electricity is bad. [There are] almost no health services, little to no municipal services. Billions of dollars spent in Iraq since 2003, but where did it go?" he asked. Caroline Gluck, a senior public information officer with the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, took issue with Karaf's claims that no services were being provided in Shirqat other than by Muslim Aid. She said UNHCR had accommodated the majority of the displaced families from Hawija in six nearby camps and stressed not only the involvement of UNHCR and other UN agencies but also of the Iraqi government. Gluck said many of those who managed to escape Hawija still faced hunger and poor health in their host communities. Along with the rest of the country's three million internally displaced people, they also have to overcome significant bureaucratic hurdles before they can even think about getting their lives back on track. "When people come out of Hawija, often they have no documents with them," Gluck said. "And without their national identity cards, it's extremely difficult to access services as well as get through checkpoints. Having documents is vital for getting children to school and hospitals [after they've been displaced]." What does the future hold? Last month, IRIN caught up with Brigadier General Hayder al-Darradi, commander of the Iraqi Army's 60th Brigade, reposing on a plastic chair on the terrace of the mayor's home in Shirqat, after he and his brigade had returned from a midnight patrol along the Tigris. "According to what we know about the plan, immediately after the end of Ramadan, we will begin to liberate Hawija," he said. That time has come and gone, but the army has yet to move in. A Sunni Arab town in the Kurdish-majority governorate of Kirkuk, Hawija has had a troubled history, which may be delaying the operation and increasing fears about sectarian tensions after the fighting is over. In 2013, protests rocked the small city. They drew Sunni Arabs into the streets to decry systematic marginalisation by the largely Shia-led government in Baghdad, at the time presided over by Nouri al-Maliki. Dozens of protestors were killed by security forces. Saieb al-Gaylani, senior facilitator and peace builder with the United States Institute for Peace, told IRIN any move on Hawija would likely be last on the list because Iraqi leaders hadn't decided what to do with the area. "They are still talking about who will do what after liberation - who will stay, and who will wield power there," he said. "They still have not sat together and answered these many questions." Joel Wing, a writer and analyst at the Musings on Iraq blog, saw the competing forces surrounding Hawija as another major issue. "It's not only competition between the peshmerga, PMFs, and Iraqi Security Forces, but also between Iraqi Security Forces themselves, like the Federal Police and Golden Division [special forces]," he said. They'll be seeking prestige, Wing said, each unit chasing the highest number of IS militants killed or villages taken. But the greatest coming danger to the people of Hawija is the possibility for revenge against those believed to have backed IS, said al-Gailani. "I am expecting it to happen in Hawija. But by threatening or killing those [some civilians] feel might have supported IS, they are creating a new IS. Punishment is not the job of tribes or militias. It is the job of the law." His fears have been borne out, at least to some extent, in other parts of Iraq: There have been reported executions of men fleeing Mosul and militias were accused of serious abuses against civilians after the liberation of Fallujah. Brigadier General al-Darradi, himself a Shia from Baghdad, was dismissive of the possibility of revenge attacks on the Sunnis of Hawija. "In Baghdad, we use to hear that Shirqat is all terrorists, Mosul is all terrorists, Hawija is all terrorists. But we haven't seen this sectarianism on the ground. It's just in the media." Sami, the recent Hawija escapee in Shirqat, wanted to return home and dared to look toward a better future. "I want security," he said. "And I want our people to be unified. I want them to love one another. And I don't want us to be afraid - we've been silent when we see something going wrong. We can't be silent anymore. This is what I hope." Title Third Report submitted by Montenegro pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities Publication Date 16 June 2017 Country Montenegro Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/III(2017)001 Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Third Report submitted by Montenegro pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, 16 June 2017, ACFC/SR/III(2017)001, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597747714.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Journalists kept at bay during Papua New Guinea elections Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalists kept at bay during Papua New Guinea elections, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5977481f4.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 many media freedom violations during the general elections held in Papua New Guinea from 24 June to 8 July, including a gag order on a well-known blogger as a result of a complaint by the head of the electoral commission. Journalists who went to cover the elections in the northern province of Madang were kept at bay by the police and the electoral commission. In the capital, Port Moresby, the media were not allowed to film or take photos in the city's main vote- counting centre. Amid many reports on social networks of vote-buying and violence, the authorities also took alarming measures against citizen-journalists, most notably blogger Martyn Namorong after he referred to electoral commissioner Patilias Gamato as a "tomato" in one of his many posts criticizing the chaotic elections. Gamato brought a suit claiming that he had been "seriously injured in his character, credit and reputation" in Namorong's post, which went viral. Defending his decision to sue, Gamato said: "I don't look like a tomato, I'm a human being. So that's defamatory, so I had to take him to court." The national court, located in the Port Moresby district of Waigani, responded by issuing a gag order, banning Namorong from publishing further "defamatory remarks" on Facebook and Twitter. "Journalists and citizen-journalists have a duty to inform the public about what has gone wrong during an election." RSF said. "The courts and the authorities must recognize that Martyn Namorong committed no crime and must therefore lift the censorship order imposed on him." An international NGO that defends the freedom to inform, RSF added: "A country cannot claim to be democratic just because it holds elections. It must also respect and protect media freedom, which is the cornerstone of every democracy." Namorong's lawyer, Christine Copland, said her client had no chance to speak when the gag order was imposed because court officials said they could not locate him to serve the documents. Namorong's response to the order was to post a photo of himself blindfolded and gagged. After another hearing was scheduled for tomorrow, he tweeted: "I am as cool as a cucumber about tomorrow's hearing as my lawyers are no couch potatoes." Papua New Guinea is ranked 51st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Colombia: No peace for human rights defenders - Preliminary findings of a fact-finding mission Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Colombia: No peace for human rights defenders - Preliminary findings of a fact-finding mission, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59774bde4.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 lowest murder rate in Colombia for 40 years in the context of the peace process masks a climate of constant threats and a sharp rise in killings of human rights defenders. The persistence of paramilitary structures, impunity and limitations in the State response are among the main reasons for this reality, as reported by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an OMCT-FIDH partnership) at the close of its mission to the country. The work of human rights defenders continues to be a high-risk activity in Colombia. Depending on the source [1], figures for the number of killings of defenders in 2016 range between 59 and 134. Despite these inconsistencies, the figures are scandalous at either end of the scale, and it is important to highlight that the different national State institutions, international bodies and Colombian civil society organisations which have gathered these statistics all coincide in reporting a significant increase in the number of killings of human rights defenders in comparison with previous years. Moreover, according to the information gathered by the mission, human rights defenders who are local leaders, particularly those who defend rights related to the land and environment in rural areas, are the group most vulnerable to constant threats. The Observatory has identified four structural causes that explain the current situation. In the first place, the main attacks against defenders take place amid the persistence of paramilitary structures in the country, identified as the main perpetrators of these crimes. The mission was able to document various cases of collusion and/or connivance between State officials and paramilitary groups in different parts of the country including Norte de Santander and Antioquia in a context in which the authorities continue to deny the existence of this phenomenon. In second place, according to the Observatory findings, there is now a tendency among public authorities to recognise the legitimacy of human rights defenders' work. However, there continue to be examples of smears and stigmatisation against defenders. For example, in Sur de Bolivar, Bucaramanga and Barrancabermeja, in a case where five defenders were arrested, one was linked by the Prosecutor to the National Liberation Army (Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional - ELN) as a result of his leadership in the organisation of demonstrations. The criminalisation of social protest continues to cause concern. The mission received a number of reports describing the use of repression by the authorities during peaceful protests in Colombia, including numerous examples of excessive use of force against protestors. The mission heard about a number of cases involving defenders in the department of Cauca and during the civic strike in the city of Buenaventura. In third place, the Observatory notes the persistence of high levels of impunity, which reinforce the vulnerability of all human rights defenders in the country. According to the information received, there have only been convictions in five cases of murders of defenders over the past year. What is more, in May 2017 the first conviction in the history of Colombia was made in a case related to threats against a human rights defender. A bodyguard was convicted of threats to the person he was responsible for protecting; however, there has been no investigation into who may have planned the crime. Finally, in the fourth place, the Observatory notes that despite the considerable institutional framework dedicated to protecting human rights defenders in Colombia, the institutional response continues to be weak for the following reasons: the inadequacy of measures to tackle the structural causes that place defenders at risk, the lack of local implementation of national guidelines and plans, insufficient guarantees to carry out work to defend human rights, and a lack of measures with a differential focus according to age, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic situation. Context: The Observatory carried out an international fact-finding mission in different areas of Colombia (Bogota, Norte de Santander, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca) from July 11 to 19, 2017. The delegation was composed of Vincent Vallies (international expert, French nationality) and Miguel Martin Zumalacarregui (Director of the OMCT Office in Brussels and Human Rights Advisor for the Observatory at OMCT, Spanish nationality), and was accompanied by Jahel Quiroga (Director of the Reiniciar Corporation - Corporacion Reiniciar and member of the OMCT Executive Board), and Ana Maria Rodriguez (Representative before the United Nations, Colombian Commission of Jurists - Comision Colombiana de Juristas - CCJ). In the coming months the Observatory will publish a report on its specific findings, conclusions and recommendations regarding the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia. In addition, as part of a strategy to strengthen the Observatory's work on Colombia, a report will also be published over the following months documenting various cases of attacks against human rights defenders who defend land and environmental rights in the context of large-scale development projects. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society. Thailand: In landmark review, UN calls for protection of women human rights defenders Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Thailand: In landmark review, UN calls for protection of women human rights defenders, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59774ed95.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 Thai Government must fully implement the recommendations made by the United Nations women's rights body to protect women human rights defenders, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership) said today. On July 24, 2017, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) released its Concluding Observations on Thailand following the review of the country's combined sixth and seventh periodic reports on July 5, 2017. The Committee oversees State parties' compliance with their legal obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In its Concluding Observations, the Committee expressed serious concern that women human rights defenders have increasingly become targets of lawsuits, harassment, violence, and intimidation by authorities and business enterprises due to their work. The Committee called on the Thai Government to adopt and implement, without delay, effective measures for the protection of women human rights defenders to enable them to freely undertake their important work without fear or threat of lawsuits, harassment, violence, or intimidation. It also urged Thailand to effectively investigate, prosecute, and adequately punish all cases of harassment, violence, and intimidation against women human rights defenders, and provide effective remedies to victims. The concerns and recommendations expressed by the CEDAW echoed those raised by the Observatory, Protection International (PI), and the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) in their joint report "In harm's way: Women human rights defenders in Thailand." The report, released ahead of Thailand's CEDAW review, documented the pattern of repression of women human rights defenders in Thailand, especially rural women, since the 22 May 2014 coup d'etat. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society. 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. UN chief condemns suicide attacks on camps in northeastern Nigeria Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN chief condemns suicide attacks on camps in northeastern Nigeria, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597757b74.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. Strongly condemning yesterday's suicide attacks on the two camps for internally displaced persons in northeastern Nigeria, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the perpetrators of this heinous act to be swiftly brought to justice. According to a statement issued by his spokesman, the Secretary-General reiterated the UN support to the Government of Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and violent extremism. These terrorist acts are targeting people who had already fled their homes as a result of Boko Haram violence, said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in the statement. Preliminary media reports said that at least eight people have been killed in the attacks that took place near the Borno state capital of Maiduguri. Mr. Haq said the Secretary-General offered his condolences to the people and Government of Nigeria for the loss of life, while also wishing a quick recovery to those injured. Borno state has been plagued by violent attacks carried out by the Boko Haram insurgents, and Maiduguri has been targeted many times. Latest round of UN-led global consultations spotlights migrants' contributions to development Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Latest round of UN-led global consultations spotlights migrants' contributions to development, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5977586b4.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. Although the net benefits of migration far outweigh its costs, the public perception is often the opposite, a senior United Nations official pointed out today, as the latest round of consultations on a global compact for migration began in New York. "Such public perceptions and attitudes negatively influence sound migration policy choices," said Louise Arbour, UN Special Representative for International Migration, in her remarks to the session, which wraps up tomorrow at UN Headquarters in New York. "This must be reversed so that policy is evidence-based and not perception-driven. Policies responding to false perceptions reinforce the apparent validity of these erroneous stereotypes and make recourse to proper policies that much harder," she added. The consultation is the fourth in a series of six thematic consultations that will take place this year and feed into the drafting of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), expected to be adopted by UN Member States in 2018. An outgrowth of the New York Declaration, adopted at a 2016 UN Summit on refugees and migrants, the Compact will be the first intergovernmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the UN, to cover all dimensions of international migration in a comprehensive manner. The current consultation, conducted by representatives of Member States, UN agencies, civil society, migrants and diaspora, examines the challenges and opportunities in leveraging the economic and social contributions of migrants to countries of origin and destination. Ms. Arbour pointed out that in 2016 migrants sent $429 billion to their countries of origin - one of their most tangible contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries. More than three times larger than official development assistance (ODA), and more stable than other forms of private capital flows, remittances - as such transfers are known - to developing countries have lifted millions of families out of poverty, she said, while stressing the need to lower the associated transaction costs to leverage remittances for development. Migration also provides substantial development benefits to places of destination, for both developed and developing countries, particularly through the contribution of labour migrants of all skills levels, she argued. However, there can be upfront adjustment costs in the short term that need to be addressed, she added. In his remarks, Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM) William Lacy Swing emphasized the advantages of making sure migration is considered in development planning. He cited the need to ensure that migration is seen as an issue affecting all aspects of human development, including human rights, and the importance of mainstreaming migration in the broader development strategy. Afghanistan: UN condemns attack on civilians in Kabul Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Afghanistan: UN condemns attack on civilians in Kabul, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597758a64.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. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned today's bomb attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul, warning that attacks on civilians may constitute a war crime. In a statement from his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres expressed his deepest sympathy to the families of those killed, and reaffirmed the UN's solidarity with the people and Government. He also stressed that the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime. Also today, a senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called the attack cowardly. I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians, said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in the Ghulayee Dawa Khan area of Kabul, which killed more than 20 civilians and injured more than 40, the UN Assistance Mission (UNAMA) said. The attackers targeted a bus carrying civil servants to work during morning rush hour in the city. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilians casualties this year, according to UNAMA's midyear report on civilian protection released last week. Today's attack came amid planned commemorations for the 23 July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which killed and injured hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last year's attack through dialogue, not violence, said Ms. Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. UN chief condemns killing of peacekeeper in Central African Republic Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN chief condemns killing of peacekeeper in Central African Republic, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5977598b4.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. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the killing of a UN peacekeeper on Sunday in the Central African Republic, urging the country's authorities to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Secretary-General is appalled by attacks against United Nations peacekeepers, said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in a statement issued overnight. A Moroccan peacekeeper of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed in the south-eastern city of Bangassou in an attack allegedly carried out by anti-Balaka militias. Three others were injured. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the continued fighting in the country's southeast and calls on all parties to cease violence, the spokesperson said, noting that the UN chief offered his condolences to the bereaved family and to the Government of Morocco, and wished speedy recovery to those injured. UN chief Guterres strongly condemns terrorist attack in Pakistan's Lahore Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN chief Guterres strongly condemns terrorist attack in Pakistan's Lahore, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/597759d24.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. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today strongly condemned the terrorist attack in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore and called for those responsible to be brought to justice, his spokesman said. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes full recovery to those injured, said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in a statement. According to preliminary media reports, at least 26 people were killed in an alleged suicide bombing that targeted police officers guarding a demolition site at Kot Lakhpat's vegetable market. The Secretary-General supports the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations, Mr. Haq added. Security Council cites terrorism, deteriorating humanitarian conditions as challenges for West Africa Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council cites terrorism, deteriorating humanitarian conditions as challenges for West Africa, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59775a644.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 Security Council today welcomed recent positive political developments in some West African countries, but expressed concern over the threat of terrorism in the region. The Security Council strongly condemns all terrorist attacks carried out in the region, in particular in Northern and Central Mali and the Lake Chad Basin region, notably by Boko Haram and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), said the Security Council President for the month of July, Liu Jieyi, in a presidential statement. On behalf of the Council, Mr. Liu expressed particular concern over attacks on civilians the primary victims of terrorist violence while underscoring the importance of a holistic approach to degrade and defeat the terrorists in compliance with international law. The Security Council encourages Member States and multilateral partners to lend their support to the MNJTF (Multinational Joint Task Force) to ensure its full operationalization, including the provision of modalities to increase the timely and effective exchange of intelligence to further the region's collective efforts to combat Boko Haram, whenever possible and appropriate, said the statement. The Council underscored its commitment to work through the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) to strengthen cooperation in addressing cross-border security threats and curbing the spread of terrorism. The Security Council notes the collaboration undertaken between UNOWAS and the Peacebuilding Commission and encourages continued close and effective cooperation in support of sustainable peace in the region, the statement stressed. In tandem, it referenced the dire humanitarian situation caused by the terrorists' activities in the Lake Chad Basin region and called the international community to immediately support the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people most affected by the crisis in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, including by fulfilling the UN appeal for the Lake Chad Basin region. The Council also urged regional governments to facilitate humanitarian access and to work with the UN in developing aid delivery options. Turning to Cote d'Ivoire, the Council welcomed the progress made on peace, stability and economic prosperity following the 30 June closure of the UN Operation in the country (UNOCI) and emphasized the importance of UNOWAS' engagement during the transition period. Concerned about piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as the trafficking of humans, drugs and other illicit goods, the Council stressed the need to strengthen the fight against illicit activities in the sub-region. The statement welcomed West African leadership in spearheading initiatives addressing terrorism challenges and encouraged collaboration between Member States, regional and sub-regional organizations, the UN and other stakeholders to enhance social cohesion and to address challenges to good governance. It also welcomed positive political developments in several West African countries, particularly the free and transparent legislative elections on 6 April in the Gambia commending the diplomatic efforts by ECOWAS Heads of State that resulted in the peaceful transition of power to the democratically elected President Adama Barrow. The Council encouraged bilateral and multilateral partners to provide appropriate support to the efforts of the Government of the Gambia to restore the rule of law, reconciliation, and development for the citizens of the Gambia. Ahead of October elections, Security Council urges Liberia to plan for safe, credible polls Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Ahead of October elections, Security Council urges Liberia to plan for safe, credible polls, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59775af54.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. With Liberian officials responsible for security in the country, the United Nations Security Council today encouraged the Government to put in place an election security plan for the October polls. The 15-member Council agreed a presidential statement which is similar in tone to a resolution but not legally binding commending the Liberian Government for progress towards restoring peace, security and stability in the country. The statement notes that plans are underway for the presidential and legislative elections to be held in October 2017, and urges that they be free, fair, credible, and transparent and include full participation of women. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, whose two terms end this year, has reassured the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that the polls will be peaceful. In addition to concerns for safety during the polls, girls and women in the country continue to face high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence, said the statement signed by Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the rotating presidency for the month of July. The Council notes that given the transfer of security responsibilities for Liberia's security services on 30 June 2016, the Government should create a plan for the elections, and provide adequate resources behind the plan. Among other issues raised in the statement was the need for Liberian officials to expand efforts to address the root causes of conflict in the country, to reinvigorate the reconciliation process, and to promote land reform. The Security Council encourages the Government of Liberia to accelerate its accountability and transparency efforts to bolster public confidence in advance of elections and transfer of power, and stresses the need for the Government to honour its commitment to support the passage of the Land Rights Bill and the Local Government Bill, according to the statement. The approval of the bills would have a positive impact on people's lives and contribute to overcoming societal and structural inequalities which helped to lead to the conflict. 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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. Clashes between pastoralists, farmers and conservationists in the central Kenyan county of Laikipia - triggered initially by drought but worsened by political tensions linked to local elections scheduled for August - could escalate into a wider, even more damaging conflict unless authorities act quickly to defuse tensions. Laikipia has long been contested land. It sits at the foot of Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest mountain. In recent decades, its sweeping Savanna vistas have made it one of the country's most important tourist destinations while its ample fertile land has attracted commercial agriculture. For centuries before this, however, the region's permanent springs, basalt hills and open grassland supported the semi-nomadic lifestyles of local pastoralist communities. Local communities have long fought for control of Laikipia's lush pasturelands. Now some local politicians have been accused of using these traditional grievances to incite communities and gain advantage ahead of the vote. As the elections approach, observer missions should deploy in significant numbers in counties such as Laikipia to boost trust in the process and deter irresponsible political actors seeking to subvert the polling or displace voters. A Troubled History When British settlers arrived at the end of the nineteenth century, some of the land they coveted most in Kenya was occupied by the Maasai, a storied warrior community that had acquired the best real estate in the country through conquest. The British displaced the Maasai from the central Rift Valley, forcing them into two reserves set up in Laikipia and southern Kenya near the border with Tanzania. They promised clan elders that the community could hold the land "so long as the Maasai shall exist as a race". The British broke their word in 1911, pushing the Maasai out of Laikipia to open the way for large ranches and farms. This betrayal still rankles the Maasai and others in the region. The lopsided land ownership that resulted from the expulsion of these pastoralists more than one hundred years ago helps explain local grievances today. Laikipia borders the semi-arid counties of Isiolo, Baringo and Samburu. In recent years, regular droughts have battered these counties, adding to the stress already caused by rising populations and an increase in livestock herds. The latest drought, which has affected most of East Africa, forced pastoralists in search of well-watered pasture to move tens of thousands of cattle into the Laikipia farmlands and conservation areas. Political Incitement Such migrations have occurred periodically during previous droughts. What makes this year different is the level of armed violence. About 25 people, including ten policemen, have been killed and dozens of civilians injured as the herders forcibly occupy farms, community-owned ranches and sprawling conservancies - many owned by third-generation Kenyans of British origin. The 23 April shooting of the prominent author and conservationist Kuki Gallmann attracted widespread attention. Some media reports have portrayed the victims as mainly Kenyans of European extraction who own conservancies, but that is not wholly accurate. Herders from the Samburu and Pokot ethnic groups have also displaced many indigenous Kenyan farmers. Even several Maasai-owned ranches have been occupied in what appears to be an effort to stake a lasting claim to Laikipia land. Many believe that politicians are deliberately inciting violence prior to the elections on 8 August. Under Kenya's 2010 constitution, substantial resources are now managed at the local level by elected officials. Although this devolution of power is popular, it also has made local campaigns increasingly intense and violent, especially in ethnically-mixed areas. "You have politicians whose whole platform revolves around whipping up ethnic emotions and inciting pastoralists to forcibly occupy land in an effort to win votes", Ndiritu Muriithi, a former government minister and candidate for the position of Laikipia county governor - the most powerful elected post in the county - told Crisis Group. In repeated interviews, local farmers and ranchers pointed an accusing finger at Matthew Lempurkel, a firebrand local MP from the Samburu community. In November 2016, the Director of Public Prosecutions charged Lempurkel with incitement to violence. The case remains in court and no judgment has been issued yet. Lempurkel strenuously denied claims he had stirred up the agitation in an interview with Crisis Group. "That is propaganda spread by my opponents. It is not true. Most of the pastoralists have no voters' cards or ID [national identification] cards. Their illiteracy levels are high. What would I stand to gain by inciting them? This problem was caused by the long, persistent drought". Lempurkel, however, said it was unfair that "a few ranchers own tens of thousands of acres" while many locals were landless. Lempurkel was re-arrested on 22 July and charged with fresh counts of incitement. He was released after posting bail two days later. Joseph Shuel, a Maasai community leader and human rights activist, accused Samburu leaders of harbouring an expansionist agenda and of engaging in "ill-informed incitement." He said the community with a legitimate historic claim to Laikipia was the Maasai but Samburu and Pokot warriors had forcibly taken over numerous Maasai-owned ranches. Shuel said the various parties should strike a middle ground that allows indigenes to co-exist with the large land owners but also offers help to pastoralists to cope with the tough conditions created by changing weather patterns and shrinking resources. Ranchers In many ways, Martin Evans typifies the ranchers and large-scale farmers whose holdings have been besieged by pastoralists. His great grandmother arrived in the central Kenya town of Nyeri from Britain in 1902 and was one of Kenya's pioneer coffee farmers. Evans' father bought the Ol Maisor ranch in Laikipia, where the family has grown wheat and kept livestock since 1968. He speaks fluent Kiswahili, the Kenyan national language, and considers Laikipia home. Evans told Crisis Group the latest confrontation with pastoralists was the worst he could remember. "This is totally the result of political instigation", he said. Two workers were killed on his ranch when Pokot herders drove tens of thousands of cattle into the farm. The herders remain on the ranch in a tense standoff with army troops brought in to protect the family and farm workers. He noted that devolution had brought power closer to the people but also created "ethnic mini-nations", some of whose leaders were inciting their followers to take over land to advance their political ambitions. Conservancies and Pastoralists Laikipia could serve as a model for resolving tensions between agriculturalists and herders. Because of its stunning biodiversity, it has the resources to help pastoralists transition to more sustainable cattle keeping. Over the last few years, many donors, most prominently the U.S. government, have poured tens of millions of dollars to support NGO-managed conservancies in the area. These help protect wildlife by sharing the income generated by tourism with communities that have surrendered large tracks of land for conservation. However, as Modecai Ogada, a prominent environmentalist notes, "under the current system, pastoralists have been left on the periphery. Many traditional dry season grazing areas are out of bounds and fenced off as conservancies. If even a small percentage of the funds being sent to these NGOs went to helping the pastoralists, you wouldn't be witnessing a crisis of such severity". It is a fair point. Donors that support conservation efforts in Laikipia and elsewhere should offer funding and technical support to regenerate the devastated grasslands in neighbouring counties. This would help remove the need for herders to leave their home ranges in large-scale migrations that inevitably trigger conflict. The greater challenge falls to the Kenyan government, which needs to formulate a policy for helping pastoral communities adjust to changing conditions, especially climate stresses that undermine the traditional semi-nomadic pastoralism that has been practiced for centuries. The Kenyan government has historically neglected the cattle-keeping sector, instead promoting commercial crops such as coffee and tea that are big foreign exchange earners. This neglect helps explain the low levels of development and high rates of illiteracy among pastoral communities in Laikipia and much of northern Kenya. The national and county governments should invest resources in helping pastoralists by improving extension services, establishing breeder farms and offering funding for research to help locals improve the quality of cattle, thus allowing them to raise smaller, more productive herds. The government should lead the effort, working with donors and local grassroots organisations, to rehabilitate rangelands devastated by drought and overgrazing in Samburu, Isiolo, Baringo and elsewhere. Greater investment in education is also essential. Pastoralists should learn to engage in sustainable cattle keeping or empowered to pursue alternative means of earning a livelihood. The county government should establish migratory corridors for cattle herds and restore access to dry season grazing lands appropriated, some locals say, by powerful government officials. Many in Laikipia told Crisis Group that they expected the government to launch a major security operation after the election to push back the pastoralists from land they have occupied. Onesmus Musyoki, the County Commissioner in overall charge of security forces in Laikipia, told Crisis Group the government was determined to restore the rule of law. But the government should act with restraint to avoid inflaming tensions again. Underlying these repeated and escalating cycles of violence is a long history of betrayal and economic neglect. San Diego, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/25/2017 --LAX Ammo San Diego offers cheap ammo in San Diego by providing many well-known brands including Winchester, Fiocchi, Remington, Federal Premium, and more. LAX Ammo San Diego assures their customers that they will get the best ammunition for the best pricing possible. LAX Ammo San Diego has a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy to ensure their customers purchase the best cheap ammo in San Diego without having to break their banks. LAX Ammo has many regular customers because they are reliability and ability to consistently provide cheap ammo in San Diego. They were established when ammunition was scarce and prices of their competitors were too expensive. 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They have friendly staff and pride themselves in providing the best ammunition for the best price. For anyone looking to buy cheap ammo in San Diego, visit their website at http://www.laxammosd.com or visit their new store located at 4411 Mercury St. Ste 103, San Diego, CA 92111. Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used. Cambodias health ministry on Monday expressed concern about the latest strain of avian influenza, urging the public to take precautions and maintain good hygiene when handling poultry. The current strain of bird flu known as Asian H7N9, is a subgroup of the previous H5N1 strain and was first detected in China in 2013. It can infect both humans and live birds. H7N9 is a subtype that we may not be able to contain, said Doctor Ly Sovann, director of the health ministrys Communicable Disease Control Department, at a press conference in the capital Phnom Penh. We have been able to contain H5N1 so far, but H7N9 is difficult [to contain], he said. When the H1N1 virus affects poultry, the birds die immediately, so the disease can be prevented from spreading, Ly Sovann said, adding that the H5N1 strain is still being found in birds in Asia, Europe, and Africa. But when H7N9 infects poultry, the virus does not kill the infected birds, and it can be passed on to humans, he said. The number of infections caused by the newer H7N9 virus are on the rise and are difficult to treat, he said. Since 2013, there have been more than 1,500 human infections by the H7N9 virus in China, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report issued on June 8. The virus has forced farmers to cull millions of chickens and other poultry in China, Japan, and South Korea to try to contain the disease over the last few years. A few cases of the H7N9 virus that occurred in China then spread to Laos and northern Vietnam, but Cambodia has been free of the bird flu since 2014, according to the WHO. Though no recent cases of H7N9 infections in humans have been detected in Cambodia, authorities continue to take preventive measures against the virus by operating thermal scanners at Phnom Penh International Airport, seaports, and border crossings to detect travelers with high body temperatures who may be infected, Ly Sovann said. Teng Srey, deputy director of the Communicable Disease Control Department, said Cambodians should not eat sick chickens or those found dead because they could contract the H7N9 virus if the birds are infected, the Khmer Times reported. It is likely to happen because the virus is still circulating in poultry, she was quoted as saying. H7N9 has infected poultry in Laos as well as in Vietnam. Although it has not been transmitted to humans yet, we must remain vigilant in Cambodia because we import meat from Vietnam. The early symptoms of both strains of avian influenza, which occur after exposure to infected poultry, include a high fever and cough that in some cases can progress to very serious illness, including severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, septic shock, and multi-organ failure leading to death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is currently no publicly available vaccine to protect against H7N9 virus infection. Reported by Maly Leng for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. As China's vice minister of public security Meng Hongwei takes the presidency of international police organization Interpol, which issued a "red notice" for wanted billionaire Guo Wengui earlier this year, dissidents in exile have voiced fears that they could be next in line. Earlier this month in Germany, veteran democracy activist Wei Jingsheng and fellow Chinese dissidents and journalists demonstrated outside Germany's federal police bureau over concerns that Interpol will be coopted by authoritarian member states to pursue peaceful activists. "Who are the biggest criminals in the world?" Qian Yuejun, chief editor of the Chinese newspaper Europe China Guidance, said in a short speech at the rally outside Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office. "They are the people who take away other people's human rights." "There are a number of authoritarian states, authoritarian regimes, that are members of Interpol, and they are now using Interpol to pursue people who challenge their power," Qian said. "This is wrong. Interpol should be used to pursue criminals, not democracy activists or human rights campaigners." Wei told the gathering that his name has long been on the Chinese government's Interpol wanted list, leading to his brief detention in Switzerland when he traveled there to attend an event. "China has already used Interpol to do a lot of bad things, and now the vice minister of public security is in charge of it," Wei said. "Interpol is gradually sliding down the slippery slope towards becoming a fascist organization reminiscent of World War II." "Now, Interpol is once more being infiltrated by the dictatorial regime in China, who have been placing huge pressure on exile dissidents for many years now," Wei said. "They will use various excuses to target these exiles, including labeling ethnic minorities as terrorists." "I don't want to see them becoming a hitman for dictatorial regimes." Qian said there is a precedent for such a takeover, when the organization was controlled by key figures in the German secret police. Wei said he had contacted Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock to discuss the dissidents' concerns, but that he had declined to get involved in the campaign, saying he doesn't engage in politics. Trumped-up criminal charges Qian said that Interpol regulations prohibit any country from pursuing suspects for political, military or religious reasons, but said authoritarian member states are flouting such rules through the use of trumped-up criminal charges instead. "Actually ... Interpol itself has no power as an organization; it is more of an independent association," he said. "It can't be regulated by anything outside itself, so it is very vulnerable to being manipulated." But he said the organization does have the option of making a "red notice" advisory only, meaning that member states can choose whether or not to act on it. Meanwhile, Meng has called for deeper cooperation between the public and private sectors to combat online and financial crime. Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock responded by saying that the organization is "ideally positioned" to be the gateway and interface for more streamlined cooperation between global law enforcement agencies and private industry partners. With 190 member countries, Interpol is the second largest intergovernmental organization next to the United Nations. Meng was elected president at the Interpol General Assembly held in 2016 and will serve until 2020. China already wields increasing influence among its smaller neighbors, who have proved willing to detain dissidents fleeing persecution and send them back again without the need for Interpol. Chinese dissidents who have sought political refuge in Thailand have described a climate of fear for exiles in the country, which has cooperated with the repatriation of several peaceful critics of the regime, including Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai and Chongqing-based activists Dong Guangping and Jiang Yefei. Jiang and Dong, who had fled persecution in their home country, were handed back to Chinese authorities last November in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N. They are now in criminal detention in Chongqing, where they face subversion charges. Jiang's wife Chu Ling and Dong's wife Gu Shuhua and daughter Dong Xuerui flew to Canada from Bangkok for resettlement as political refugees just days after the two men were repatriated. They now fear Jiang and Dong are at risk of torture and other violations of their rights. Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Myanmars lower house of parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion rejecting a statement by the United Nations human rights envoy to the Southeast Asian nation that was critical of the governments handling of security issues and human rights. On July 21, Yanghee Lee, the U.Ns special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, issued a strongly worded statement at the end of a 12-day visit to Myanmar, accusing the administration of de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi of policies similar to those of the previous military government and of presiding over deteriorating security and human rights situations. Her statement addressed reports of killings, torture, the use of human shields by security forces, deaths in custody, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis for ethnic Rohingya Muslims and other minorities forced from their homes. I am disappointed to see the tactics applied by the previous government still being used, Lee said. I understand the new government wishes to normalize its relations with the United Nations, but Myanmar must first become a country that deserves less attention and scrutiny. We are told not to expect Myanmar to transition into a democracy overnight that it needs time and space, she said. But in the same way, Myanmar should not expect to have its close scrutiny removed or its special monitoring mechanisms dismantled overnight. This cannot happen until there is real and discernible progress on human rights. Lees remarks prompted eight lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, two from the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), two military members of parliament (MPs), two lawmakers from the ethnic Arakan National Party (ANP) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kyaw Htin to discuss the proposed motion and throw their support behind it. Kyaw Htin said that Lees statement is not balanced or accurate and contains information that has not been confirmed, along with some outright accusations. The Myanmar government has a lot of challenges, including political and military conflicts, lack of development, and poverty that were inherited from previous governments, he said. It has been working hard to build trust with all communities and groups and to change all differences to become strengths, he said. At this important time, the unfair report focusing on only one community can create more divisiveness and instability within different communities. Unfair for us Lower house lawmaker Maung Myint said Lee included negative information that was not obtained at the actual ground level. For example, she met government authorities and civil society organizations on the Lashio trip [in northern Shan state], and she included as fact that the government army uses human shields and tortures people in her report, he said. It is obvious that she was given this kind of information by rebels or those who back them, he said. If she includes these kinds of facts, deeming them correct information, then it is unfair for us. Major Myint Maung, a military MP, noted that Lee said there were alleged rights violations by security forces and armed groups and inadequate assistance for civilians. Regarding this point, it is the attack of some international media and groups by interviewing only Bengalis and using fake videos and photos, he said, using a derogatory term to refer to Rohingya Muslims whom the Myanmar government considers illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Lower house lawmaker Pyone Cho said the government had arranged for Lee to meet with ministers and authorities while she was in Myanmar, but she did not take up the offer, missing an opportunity to talk to or negotiate with them. Then she submitted her report to the U.N. on Myanmars human rights situation with negative accusations, he said. Thats why I strongly reject her report. The office of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi announced on July 21 that the government is disappointed with Lees statement because it contains general accusations and incorrect information. Yanghee Lee, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights to Myanmar, speaks during a press conference in Yangon, July 21, 2017. Credit: AFP Visa denials In her statement, Lee also criticized the government for denying visas to a U.N. fact-finding mission appointed to examine reports of atrocities against the Rohingya in the northern part of Rakhine state during a crackdown. The security sweep began after deadly attacks on local border guard stations later blamed on an obscure group of Rohingya militants. The U.N. estimated that about 1,000 people died during the four-month crackdown and 90,000 Rohingya were forced to flee, with many going to neighboring Bangladesh. Some Rohingya accused Myanmar security forces of indiscriminate killings, torture, rape, and arson during the operation. About 120,000 remain in internally displaced persons camps in Rakhine where they were sent following deadly communal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in 2012, and where they are denied access to citizenship and basic rights. The government must take concrete steps to investigate all alleged violations, end discriminatory practices against the Rohingya, and restore their freedom of movement, Lee said in her statement. In March, the U.N. Security Council appointed a fact-finding mission to investigate abuses against the Rohingya, but the Myanmar government rejected the decision and refused to grant visas to the members of the team. Lee said the Myanmar government delayed confirming the dates of her visit after it asked her to give an assurance that she would not undertake any activities related to the fact-finding mission during her trip a condition she viewed as an affront to the independence of my mandate as Special Rapporteur. She also said she was not allowed to go to certain places and that those who met with her faced intimidation, including being photographed, questioned before and after meetings, and in one case followed. This is unacceptable, she said in her statement. Lees latest visit to Myanmar included stops in northern Myanmars war-torn Shan state, southeastern Kayin state, and violence-wracked western Rakhine state, as well as Yangon and the administrative capital Naypyidaw. Northern Shan state has been the site of clashes between government troops and various ethnic militias. In Kayin state, tension exists between government military and soldiers from the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an ethnic group that controls part of the state. Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Security agents from China and Egyptian plainclothes police officers attempted to arrest an ethnic Uyghur student activist in Egypts capital Cairo over the weekend, the activist said, in what appeared to be a rare example of authorities from the two countries working jointly to detain members of the mostly Muslim ethnic group. More than 200 Uyghurs, many of them religious students at Cairos Al-Azhar Islamic University, have been detained since July 4, rounded up in restaurants or at their homes, with others seized at airports as they tried to flee to safer countries, sources told RFAs Uyghur Service in earlier reports. Dozens of Uyghurs are believed to have already been deported home to China, where rights groups say they face a serious risk of arbitrary detention and torture. According to one Uyghur student activist, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, four Chinese security agents accompanied by two Egyptian plainclothes police officers attempted to arrest him at his residence in Cairo on Sunday before he fled to safety. The activist said that the wife of a friend who was visiting with him Sunday wasnt feeling well and, when returning from purchasing medicine with her daughter at a nearby store, noticed some Chinese men downstairs from the apartment. Our phone, which is linked to the intercom downstairs, rang and someone asked for a person in Arabic, to which I replied there was no such person, the activist said, adding that he then handed off the phone to his wife. The person on the phone told her he had just spoken with a Chinese person [and wanted to know who it was.] My wife told him it was her husband who had spoken and that there were no Chinese people in the house, before hanging up, he said. After that, we hid everyone, including the kids. When the activists wife told him to hide, he refused, and instead went to his buildings lobby to investigate who was at the door. I saw a Chinese man at the door, but he couldnt see us from outside and the security guard wouldnt allow him in, he said. My wife went out and calmly told him there were no Chinese people at our home. The Chinese man yelled at her and said [he knew] there were, while checking photos and passport numbers on his phone. My wife didnt argue with him. According to the activists wife, three more Chinese men were sitting in a nearby car with two Egyptians, who she said looked like security agents. One of the Chinese men from the car came out and asked the Chinese man at the door whether he was able to locate the person in the picture on his phone and he said no, he said. At that point, they all went to the next building. This gave us the opportunity to escape. All of my friends and family fled the building, one by one. Thank God we escaped safely, but my terrified wife and children cried all night long. Intelligence agency The activist, who has been tracking the detentions of Uyghurs in Egypt, told RFA that there are currently 96 students being held by Egypts General Intelligence Directorate (GID)also known as the Mukhabaratat its headquarters in Cairo and that the Chinese embassy had dispatched officials to interrogate them. When contacted by RFA last week, an official at the Chinese embassy in Cairo, who refused to give her name and title, said she was unaware of any arrests of Uyghur students by the Egyptian authorities. On Monday, Mohamed Al-Mahrasawy, dean of Al-Azhar Islamic University, confirmed that 70 Uyghurs living on campus had been arrested and their residency status investigated, according to a report by the Middle East Monitor. Speaking at a conference at Al-Azhar, Al-Mahrasawy said that 20 of those detained were students enrolled at the university, while 50 othersincluding three students who had been suspendedreside on the campus but are not linked to the school. The dean had previously denied reports that authorities had detained and investigated foreign students there and, in a July 7 statement, Al-Azhar said that no Uyghur students had been arrested inside Al-Azhar campus or from any buildings associated with Al-Azhar. Media reports have quoted officials as denying that Egyptian authorities were targeting Uyghurs and saying that those arrested were brought in for alleged irregularities in their residency papers, but Uyghur exile groups and students say the detentions were ordered by China on allegations that they had joined extremist organizations. The arrests follow a meeting on June 19 between Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abd al-Ghaffar and Chinese Deputy Public Security Minister Chen Zhimin, during which the two signed an agreement that covers a number of specialized security fields and Chen stressed Chinas eagerness to exchange information about extremist organizations, according to a report by the Eurasia Review. Forced repatriations Human rights and Uyghur exile groups have condemned China for violating the rights of the Uyghurs detained in Egypt and breaking a United Nations treaty forbidding forced repatriations. Ulrich Delius, Asia director of the Berlin-based Society for Threatened Peoples, told RFA that his group had urged the European Union to pressure Cairo over the detentions ahead of a meeting Tuesday between EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo. We asked them to urge the Egyptian government to release all the arrested Uyghurs and allow them to leave to a safe third country, he said. He also called on the United Nations refugee agency to grant the Uyghurs refugee status in a bid to prevent their forced repatriation to China. In light of the urgent situation of Uyghur students in Egypt, the UNHCR [the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] should grant them immediate protection, instead of letting them wait for months, and assist their transfer to third countries. The ruling Chinese Communist Party blames some Uyghurs for a string of violent attacks and clashes in China in recent years, but critics say the government has exaggerated the threat from the ethnic group, and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for violence that has left hundreds dead since 2009. China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material. Reported by Jilil Kashgary for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. A human rights defender jailed in Vietnam for her online activism was sentenced on Tuesday to nine years in prison and five years probation on a charge of conducting propaganda against the state, sources said. Tran Thi Nga, 40, was sentenced by a court in northern Vietnams Ha Nam province after being convicted under Article 88 of Vietnams penal code, a provision frequently used to silence dissident bloggers and other activists. Though videos and articles posted online by Nga were described by government prosecutors as anti-state propaganda, Nga rejected the evidence [presented against her], Ha Huy Son, one of her defense attorneys, told RFAs Vietnamese Service on July 25. Her lawyers assert that the evidence gathered against her was not collected according to Vietnamese legal procedures, and so we asked the court to release her, Son said. But ultimately the court did not accept our arguments, and gave her that sentence. Son said that he expects Nga to appeal her sentence very soon, adding that no one from the activists family was allowed inside the court on Tuesday. Only the police and people summoned by the court were there, he said. Activists and other supporters had come to Ha Nam to attend the trial, but were blocked from entering the building, activist La Viet Dung told RFA. The police gave the excuse that the courtroom was full, so we asked them to use speakers so we could hear from outside, but they refused, Dung said. At first, they let us stand right in front of the court, but then they said we were disturbing public order and chased us away. Police then blocked the dissidents again by driving buses in front of them, trying to discourage us by running their engines and discharging exhaust, but we just kept sitting there, Dung said. When we returned to that spot in the afternoon, it was barricaded, he said. Nga, who has two children, is well known for defending the rights of Vietnamese migrant workers and victims of government land grabs, and in May 2014 suffered serious injury when she was assaulted by a group of men wielding metal pipes. The seizure of land for development, often without due process or fair compensation for displaced residents, is a major cause of protests in Vietnam and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Cambodia. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney. An investigation into a land dispute in Vietnams capital Hanoi that sparked a rare standoff between farmers and authorities in April has determined that the site belongs to the military, a municipal body said Tuesday, prompting residents to demand a review of the findings. Farmers say the government is seizing 47 hectares (116 acres) of their farmland in My Duc districts Dong Tam commune for the military-run Viettel Groupthe countrys largest mobile phone operatorwithout adequately compensating them. As part of negotiations to end Aprils week-long standoff, during which farmers detained dozens of police officers and officials, Hanois mayor pledged not to prosecute residents and to investigate their claims in the land dispute regarding the boundaries of Dong Tams Mieu Mon Airport. On Tuesday, the Hanoi Inspectorate announced that after conducting a comprehensive inspection on the management, use, and handling of the land area, it had determined that the military administers all airport land, which it said encompasses 236.7 hectares (584.9 acres). The Inspectorate said it had based its findings on decisions issued by then-Prime Minister Pham Van Dong on April 14, 1980, the Peoples Committee of Ha Son Binh province on Nov. 10, 1981, and the Hanoi Municipal Peoples Committee on Oct. 20, 2014. It acknowledged that the military had made several mistakes in management of the land, including allowing area residents to use it after a rental contract expired in 2012 and failing to relocate certain households before 1980, leading to illegal encroachment and construction. The Inspectorate ordered the Hanoi People's Committee to request that the Ministry of Defense instruct military units on how to better manage the land, and called for an immediate end to all lease and rental activity. Following the announcement, one Dong Tam farmer told RFAs Vietnamese Service on condition of anonymity that he and other residents disagree with the investigations conclusions. The people of Dong Tam want to meet directly with the Hanoi Inspectorate for dialogue, he said, adding that a meeting had already been requested. Le Dinh Kinh, an 82-year-old farmer who was among four Dong Tam residents arrested by police on April 15 for allegedly disturbing public order prior to the standoff, told Dan Viet News that the Mieu Mon Airport only comprises a clearly demarcated 47.4 hectares (117 acres), and the remainder is agricultural land belonging to the people. He also expressed frustration that after the Inspectorate announced a draft conclusion of its findings on July 7, residents were not allowed to review the findings. Standoff Police arrested several farmers from Dong Tam on April 15 for allegedly causing social unrest during a clash between authorities and commune residents over the airport land. Other farmers responded by detaining 38 police officers and local officials, and threatened to kill them if security personnel attacked them a second time. Two days after the clash, police released some of the farmers they had arrested. In return, the farmers freed 15 riot police, but continued to detain 20, while three others escaped. On April 20, the farmers boycotted a meeting with Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung who was ordered to negotiate the release of the 20 police officers and local officials. He traveled to the My Duc district Peoples Committee building about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from central Hanoi to discuss the hostage situation, but the farmers wanted him to visit with them directly in Dong Tam, according to a local media report issued at the time. The standoff ended on April 22 when the farmers freed the 20 officers and officials after the mayor pledged to investigate their complaints and not prosecute the villagers. In June, police opened a criminal investigation into the farmers of Dong Tam, despite Chungs promise, focusing on the illegal detention of the 38 police officers and officials and acts of vandalism allegedly committed during the clash. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Jackson E. Reasor Jr., a former state senator who played a pivotal role in the state debate over deregulating the electric utility business, will retire in January after almost 20 years as president and chief executive officer at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. Reasor, 64, announced his decision to retire on Tuesday, after informing Old Dominions board of directors that he intends to step down on Jan. 15. He has served longer than any other chief executive in the history of Henrico County-based Old Dominion, a federally regulated organization that supplies electric generation and transmission to 11 member cooperatives serving 1.4 million customers in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. I began working with ODEC in November 1998, and I am proud to have been a part of the companys growth and evolution, he said in a statement. ODECs dedicated employees and management team have put us on a solid footing, and I am confident that the cooperative and its member cooperatives are well positioned for its next phase of growth and development. Old Dominions board has formed a search committee and said it will hire a national executive recruiting firm to identify a successor. The board is committed to conducting a thorough search to identify the right candidate to serve as ODECs next CEO and will complete the search as expeditiously as possible, board Chairman J. William Andrew Jr. said in a statement Tuesday. Reasor, a Democrat and lawyer from the town of Bluefield in Tazewell County, joined the Senate in 1992 and left in late 1998 to lead ODEC. He left as Virginia was preparing to move from a commitment to electric deregulation that he helped shape to a full-blown plan adopted the following legislative session. For almost three years, he chaired the Joint Subcommittee on Electric Industry Restructuring to explore possible deregulation of Virginias monopoly power companies. Reasor was an advocate for a measured state approach to deregulation, which ultimately failed to result in effective competition for retail customers, as the state turned to a new form of state regulation in 2007. Old Dominion is overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, while its nine distribution cooperatives in Virginia are regulated by the State Corporation Commission. The third meeting of a council debating the preference for how a federal rail project will play out in the Ashland area saw some of the most pointed comments on the process so far last week. No decisions were made Monday by the community advisory council for DC2RVA, a federal rail project aimed at adding faster train service from Washington to Richmond. But unlike at the previous two meetings of the council, public officials from the Ashland area, including a state delegate, aired their grievances and desires for the decision-making process, and the public was given a formal opportunity to speak. The three-hour meeting was held at Randolph-Macon College in a room without enough seats for everyone and a struggling air conditioning system. Speakers focused their comments on their opposition to three possible routes for the rail system: adding a third track through Ashland, a western bypass outside of the town, and an eastern bypass. Then, there were complaints about how the Department of Rail and Public Transportation has handled outreach and presented information. Ashland Mayor James Foley described a community up in arms and expressed frustration with the first two meetings. The tone of those were very discouraging and very troubling to me, Foley said. There seems to be a lack of common-sense thinking by the consultants. In response to Foley, DRPT Director Jennifer Mitchell said there was never any intent to imply that community feedback was not being heard. I think in our attempt to explain things and to provide the rationale about some of the analysis that has been done, it may have come across as that we were being dismissive, Mitchell said. That certainly was not the intent. Foley took issue with the eastern bypass option not being studied as thoroughly as a western bypass or adding a third rail in Ashland. Stopping looking at the eastern bypass option because of a horse trail is ridiculous because you never said to the county, Can you move it? Foley said in reference to Washington Lacy Park. Im not saying the eastern option should be the answer, but Im saying it should be investigated as much as were doing with the west and the other options. At a previous meeting, a DC2RVA consultant said impacts on public parks, wetlands and historic properties east of Ashland stopped DRPT from further studying the eastern bypass option. That led Hanover County Administrator Cecil R. Rhu Harris Jr. to ask whether the countys willingness to consider moving Washington Lacy Park would make the eastern bypass option more persuasive for further study to the Federal Railroad Administration, the entity that will have the final say on the DC2RVA route. Harris said Tuesday that the countys position has not changed since the resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors in November stated opposition to consideration of any western bypass option and construction of a third track through Ashland level with the current tracks. DRPT consultant John Morton said there was no reason to believe that an eastern bypass would not work. Mitchell Goldstein, a resident of the Providence subdivision east of Ashland, said he was surprised that an eastern bypass that would affect Washington Lacy Park was being considered. Goldstein and his neighbors who live east of Ashland wore blue to Mondays meeting to make their presence known. Mayor, its a multi-use park, Goldstein said. Its for hiking, its biking, its a place where we can send our kids and families. Its not just for horseback riding. Goldstein said residents east of town did not feel they have been represented but would now be speaking up for trees and trails, not tracks and trains. We may have been silent up until now but no longer, Goldstein said. The people east of I-95 have come together to save our communities and our cultural and natural resources. Roughly an hour into the meeting, the public was given its opportunity to speak, and Del. Hyland F. Buddy Fowler Jr., R-Hanover, was the first to take to the podium. More than 40 people took advantage of the two minutes allotted to each speaker. In the interest of of course money, which is always an important issue, and to reduce the impact to the greatest extent possible on our landowners, I really think we need to look at the option that has the least amount of impact and confines itself to the existing right of way to the greatest extent possible, Fowler said. Opponents of the western bypass option made their presence known with yellow signs that said No western bypass. Perhaps the youngest speaker, 17-year-old Katie Goodman, spoke in opposition of a western bypass because it runs directly through her familys land. Ive always dreamed of building my house on the same land that my familys owned for several generations eight to be exact, said Goodman, adding that it made her sick that her future might be altered to save on travel time to Washington. If people need to go to D.C. that fast, I say that they should probably move closer. Supervisor Aubrey M. Bucky Stanley said he represents people who live in the east and the west and that he supported a tunnel option. Stanley said any option is going to be expensive when you take into account the purchase of peoples properties. I know personally a lot of people who have already contacted attorneys, so its going to be a lot of money thats there that we dont even know about it, Stanley said. Ashland Town Manager Joshua Farrar echoed Foleys frustrations and asked for advice on how best to proceed. I am deathly afraid of voting for something and leaving it in the hands of someone that isnt on this committee, Farrar said. Im hesitant to cast a vote or use whatever influence I have on this to go for an option that will never be built and a default could be the western bypass, downtown or eastern bypass. Foley said he knew people who own hundreds of acres along the Buckingham Branch Railroad line north of Ashland who would be willing to sell their land for the development of higher speed rail in the region. Foley said the council would not recommend a third track or a western bypass but might recommend exploring an eastern bypass or an underground tunnel. But he worried that when it comes time for the FRA to make a final decision, it will go with whatever makes the most economic sense. What I really want to know is what can we do to put a nail in the coffin for the third rail and for some of these other options so that they dont keep coming back, Foley said to applause. Richmond firefighters and police officers anticipating that long-promised raises would appear in their paychecks this week were told Tuesday that they may have to wait until September. They will still receive the additional money as back pay, but union officials say theyre worried that some employees may have been counting on receiving the raises as planned. Mayor Levar Stoneys office blamed the delay on new oversight rules passed by the City Council, which require his administration to seek approval for some budget transfers within city departments. Stoney had objected to the change, citing concerns it would hobble his administrations ability to react quickly to issues, but a majority of council members said they felt the change was necessary to make sure taxpayer dollars are being well-spent. City Council members questioned why the rules passed May 15 are delaying a raise scheduled to go into effect at the end of July. They also stressed that they put money into categories requested by administrators just over two months ago. I dont know why it would have taken them this long to calculate this number, said Council President Chris Hilbert. We wanted a new way of doing business in the city of Richmond that was accountable to the taxpayers. I dont understand why this took so long. We could have avoided this situation. Administration officials were not immediately able to say what budget categories they need to move money between and how much they need to move, but Stoneys press secretary, Jim Nolan, said that it took time for the city to determine exactly which employees would be eligible for the raises and that Stoney wasnt notified of the issue until Tuesday. He said the mayor is planning to ask the council to hold a special meeting to more quickly address the issue. He wants to resolve this, Nolan said. Were not going to go against the councils ordinance and pay the raises and ask for permission later. Scrounging $2.1 million to cover raises for police and firefighters was the near-singular focus of the Richmond City Councils long and agonizing budget deliberations earlier this year. During a meeting of the councils public safety committee Tuesday, council members bristled at the suggestion that they were to blame for the issue. If youre caught up in some political pingpong, I think thats unfortunate, said Councilwoman Kristen Larson. Councilwoman Reva Trammell, who chairs the committee, pledged to address the issue. Its not City Councils fault, she said. If this is an issue, how come it didnt come up sooner? We need to get to the bottom of it, and if we need to hold a special meeting, we will do that. Keith Andes, the president of the firefighters union, blamed the issue on a power struggle between the mayor and the council. Some Richmond School Board members balked at a perceived lack of transparency in plans laid out Tuesday for how the committee tasked with steering the search for a new public schools chief will operate. The first official meeting of that group began with an admonition for its more than two dozen members from Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominions CEO and chairman of the committee. Dont talk to School Board members about who these candidates are, Farrell said. Because open discussion of candidates could deter qualified applicants and the group considering them is so large, committee members were told to sign a six-point confidentiality pledge that ended in a threat of removal from the committee or legal action should they divulge confidential personal information. Farrells remark rankled board members who said elected officials should have access to information about the workings of the committee or, at the very least, freedom to consult with the people they appointed to do the heavy lifting of culling reams of candidates down to a list of finalists. Its disconcerting, 2nd District board member Scott Barlow said. While we have to be cognizant of the desire for privacy for superintendent candidates and the need for transparency during this transition, withholding information from the School Board doesnt help us strike the right balance. Jonathan Young, 4th District board member, took it a step further, adding that elected officials should have access to applications for all qualified candidates. Well before the committee has concluded its work and narrowed the list to a select few finalists, my colleagues and I should have a very clear understanding of all of the candidates and their credentials and why they are a nay or a yea, he said. Partly because we have been very clear in what we want for a superintendent and partly because we along the way between now and December have reviewed the credentials for all of the candidates irrespective of if they made the cut. Reached by email after the meeting, Farrell declined to comment. Farrell has done this before, and the rules were the same. He presided over a panel tasked with finding a replacement for Deborah Jewell-Sherman, who left the division in 2008 for a position at Harvard University. In the nine years since, two permanent superintendents have come and gone, both departures hastened after a panel of newly elected School Board members opted to negotiate an early exit. Brad Draeger of the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates stressed that he always asks for a minimum five-year commitment from prospective candidates, even though state law limits the maximum initial contract for a superintendent to four years. There also needs to be a discussion ... of the commitment of the board, said committee member Marcus J. Newsome, who retired as superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools in 2016 and now leads Petersburg City Public Schools. The panel will cull a list of applicants to three maybe four top picks, and forward those finalists to the board for consideration. Dawn wants no more than three names, said Farrell, referring to School Board Chairwoman Dawn Page. Striking the right balance between confidentiality and transparency is critical to maintaining public faith in the process, said committee member Benjamin Campbell, who allowed that the participation of prominent private sector titans such as Farrell, philanthropist Bill Goodwin and businessman Jim Ukrop has raised eyebrows. You dont want the process to be taken over, Campbell said, but in order for this division to get the resources that we need, we are going to have to have the significant financial and political support of the business community. Farrell said he was pleased to be asked to serve again, but acknowledged he has no personal connection to the division. I did not go to Richmond Public Schools, he said. I grew up moving around, in the U.S. Army. Still, he said, his company employs nearly 6,000 people, many with families who reside in Richmond. Meetings of the committee are open to the public, and its members must abide by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. That means no three members may gather to discuss the groups work without providing public notice of the meeting, and many of the committees records are subject to disclosure. Talk of individual candidates will occur during executive sessions. Draeger said he has already fielded questions from interested candidates with concerns about the search process being too open. Top choices tend to have a lot to lose if anyone learns they have been looking around. He cited the outgoing superintendents public flirtation with the top schools job in Boston 14 months into his term as a cautionary tale. Dana Bedden was here a very short time, Draeger said. Its always hard for a candidate ... to step back into that school system (if not selected) and say I really want to be here. Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates has nearly $50,000 to work with to complete the job, between fees and expenses. It hopes to recommend candidates to the School Board in October, according to a timetable distributed Tuesday. Consultants are planning a cluster of focus group meetings with parents, administrators and more than a dozen others on Aug. 14 and 15. ASHLAND Plans to construct a 148-house residential development on 52 acres of land located at the Town of Ashlands western gateway on U.S. 54 (Thompson Street) were put on hold Tuesday, July 18, by Ashland Town Council. After a lengthy public hearing, council voted to defer action on an application to rezone the property that is being proposed for development by the owner, Yancey Jones, to take more time for a road design to be planned and to examine further details in the efforts of improving the development. The applicant has dubbed the potential residential developments name as LauraDell. On June 14, the Ashland Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval of the rezoning application under the condition that certain proffers received at that meeting be met, which deal with improving Thompson Street or West Vaughan Road. The vote in opposition to the recommendation of approval, which was made by Commissioner Charles Selden, had concerns about West Vaughan Road. The one dissenting vote had some concerns with [this roads] completion; he wanted to know when the other portion would be completed to finish that connection, said Planning and Community Development Director Nora Amos during the July 18 council public hearing. While town staff had originally planned to recommended approval of the proposal, the applicant requested that it be deferred. Staff agreed with that request. Some items have come up in talking about Vaughan Road being extended and the designs as well as conversations with the Department of Public Utilities about [a] pump station, and so while we feel the application is pretty much there as far as meeting comprehensive plan requirements, we would like additional time to work those issues out with the applicant and the county, Amos said. William Shewmake, an attorney with the law firm LeClairRyan who was representing Jones in the project, said, I first want to compliment the staff and all their hard work with us; a lot of time, care and energy has been put into this. The Jones love this community, and they loved it so much that they stepped up and bought the property. He said they are trying to design something that they and the community can be proud. John Berry, an Ashland resident who lives in the Carters Hill neighborhood, outlined his concerns with the proposal. One particular concern was with Vaughan Road extended, which will cut through Carters Hill, it will sever the neighborhood and theres also in the plans an attempt to extend Carter Forest Drive, which also goes through Carters Hill, Berry said. Berry talked about how his family moved to the area from Midlothian to escape a very busy subdivision, explaining how Carters Hill served as the perfect area as it was quiet and a place for children to play. When you cut the roads through, its going to completely destroy the safety and the security that people have living in that neighborhood. It almost appears to me that to provide access for this new neighborhood, were in effect going to be destroying an existing neighborhood and thats a great concern to me, he said. Another resident who spoke at the hearing was Betsy Dabney, who lives directly across from the proposed zoning area on Chapman Street. She expressed her concern with the density. I think it is too many homes for what the traffic can handle. I was looking through previous years of traffic studies I still question the validity of those studies saying that its not going to impact us that much, Dabney said. It doesnt take a traffic study to tell that traffic through Ashland is really bad right now. Action was referred unanimously for the rezoning proposal, and the public hearing was continued to remain open until the Sept. 5 council session. The July 18 regular meeting was Vice Mayor James Murrays last on council, as he resigned his term to attend law school in North Carolina. Mayor James Foley explained how this was a little personal for him. I was on council from 2010-2014 [needing to step back from work,] I heard about this young man who wanted to fill my shoes. James came in and took over my spot and did a great job; weve been pleased to have him, Foley said. Murray said before he joined council he didnt know if he liked the town that much. Its a true story, Murray said, explaining that, once he started his role with the town, I quickly realized that it is nearly impossible not to fall in love with Ashland. We live in our own version of the Twin Cities one ascendant, the other mired in violence and decay. Well call them RVA and Richmond. Within vibrant RVA, we raise frequent toasts to a rapidly growing city with an abundance of cultural amenities, a bevy of appealing dining and grocery options and an exploding craft brewery scene. And then theres Richmond, a place where seemingly intractable problems breed a pervasive pessimism. Friday morning, I spent some time in Richmond, as the recipient of a guided tour of George Mason Elementary School by interim Superintendent Tommy Kranz. The Church Hill school makes a decent first impression with its entrance hall of international flags and smiling photos of precious children. But the classrooms are another matter, particularly those across the hall from the schools gas-fired boilers. Teachers, on occasion, have donned masks to ward off the fumes. The bathrooms are appalling. The courtyard is a jungle of towering weeds. Mason has the distinction of being designated as the worst of the worst: the Richmond Public Schools building in the most dire shape. It is the subject of an online petition drive to replace the 95-year-old school or move to a new building, with more than 7,300 signatures toward a goal of 8,000 as of Monday night. Theres no question that conditions are horrible there, said Councilwoman Kimberly Gray, who as a Richmond School Board member co-chaired its Facilities Task Force with fellow board member-turned-councilwoman Kristen Larson. The question is, where do they go on such a short timeline? School Board members Liz Doerr and Cindy Menz-Erb pushed last week to remove students from Mason before the school year begins. Thats a tough task in midsummer. And Gray, for one, doesnt want a repeat of the move of students from shuttered Elkhardt Middle School into what is now an overcrowded Elkhardt-Thompson Middle. In South Richmond, where many speak English as a second language, the student population is growing quickly. Replacing Elkhardt-Thompson is also high on the school districts wish list. The South Side issue was forecasted several years ago and is here now and being managed with temporary solutions, including trailers, Larson said. I am ready and willing to work with the School Board to address all issues regarding facilities in Richmond, she said. We have limited funds, so its not an easy task. Through it all, its vital we all continue to look at and plan for long-term growth in our city. A top-notch facility does not ensure academic achievement. (See Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.) But a decrepit building makes learning more difficult. As do poverty and trauma. The decay at George Mason mirrors the condition of Richmonds public housing, the bleak backdrop for so many shootings as violent crime experiences a troubling increase over last years spike. Friday night and Saturday morning, two men were shot and killed in separate homicides a brutal coda to a week in which five other people, including two juveniles, were wounded in a drive-by shooting in Whitcomb Court. The weekend homicides brought this years total count in Richmond to 42, well ahead of last years pace. In all, 132 people had been shot, including 14 juveniles. The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, not unlike Richmond Public Schools, has far more building needs than funds to address them. It plans to ask the federal government to convert the citys public housing complexes to the Section 8 housing choice voucher program as a means to free up more money for maintenance and redevelopment. George Mason and much of the RRHA housing stock are remnants of an era we never truly left behind. Even as RVA neighborhoods gentrify and industrial areas such as Scotts Addition and Manchester morph into eclectic residential communities, Richmonds public housing and school buildings remain largely frozen in time. RVA, as a battlefield for the grocery industry, has an abundance of fresh food options such as Aldi, Kroger, Lidl, Publix and Whole Foods. Richmond, on the other hand, is a veritable food desert where few grocery chains care to plant a flag. Jims Local Market recently withdrew from plans to open a grocery store at North 25th Street and Nine Mile Road in the East End. Of course, disparities have always existed here, but they seemed less stark during our murder capital era, when RVA bumper stickers didnt exist and civic pride was a precious commodity. But increasingly, its difficult to maintain unfettered optimism about our citys future. The flourishing of RVA brings to mind a lovely but fragile flower sprouting from cracked pavement. You marvel that it has blossomed but cant help but wonder: Will it survive? RVA will not be in full bloom until we effectively tend to the Richmond thats being left further and further behind. When Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, complained months ago that female constituents pressuring him to hold a town hall were in my grill no matter where I go, he didnt know how prescient those words were. Five women and one man are running for the Democratic nomination to challenge the two-term congressman from suburban Richmond next year. The group includes a former CIA operative, a civil attorney and a Marine turned commercial airline pilot. Women, mostly Democrats, are entering House primary contests in record numbers in Virginia. Many say they are running to channel their frustration with President Donald Trump. And Democratic organizations long desperate for female candidates are recruiting them aggressively. For a Democratic Party riding high on activist fervor, even a long shot district like Brats, which has been in Republican hands since the early 1970s, seems within reach. When my heart was broken and our dreams were dashed on Nov. 8, I wasnt sure what lay ahead of us, said Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Virginia Democrats. That feeling soon gave way to hope, she said. The whole thing has been very exhilarating and exciting. Brat declined an interview for this article but through an aide dismissed the pack of Democrats vying for the chance to take him on as acolytes of the House minority leader. Dave is hard at work keeping his promises to pass positive, principled policies that put our country back on the right track, his chief of staff, Mark Kelly, said in a statement. Nancy Pelosi desperately wants another vote for her liberal agenda that puts more power in the hands of Washington. Dave looks forward to a debate of ideas about Americas future after the Democrats pick their liberal nominee next June. Democrats say their best chance to flip a House seat in Virginia is a district already represented by a woman who has at times distanced herself from Trump. Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican representing Northern Virginias 10th District, has seven Democratic opponents, four of whom are women. A Democratic woman is considering challenging Rep. Scott Taylor, R-2nd, a freshman from Virginia Beach. And two Democratic women are competing to run against Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, whose eastern Virginia district includes parts of Prince William and Fauquier counties. Theres even a Democratic woman taking on Marylands only Republican representative in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris, who hails from the Eastern Shore. ****** The day after the election, phones started ringing at Emerge America, an organization Andrea Dew Steele created 15 years ago in California, to prepare women to run for office. Today, there are programs in 20 states, with 10 more in the works. This is a completely different kind of experience to have so many women wanting to run like this, Steele said. Normally, you have to recruit women heavily and convince them to step up and run. Women hold about 20 percent of the 535 seats in Congress; 21 in the Senate and 84 in the House, according to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. Research shows women did not run for office previously because they were less likely to identify themselves as qualified, a point that has not changed, and they were less likely to receive encouragement or be recruited a factor that is changing. Since Election Day, Emilys List, a national group that endorses women who favor abortion rights, has heard from 16,000 women interested in running for office at all levels of government, compared with the 920 women who reached out during the 2016 cycle. Emilys List is talking to more than 130 women who are either running or considering a bid in at least 80 House districts, spokeswoman Alexandra De Luca said. Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, said women are running because many Democrats believe they can take advantage of Trumps low approval rating, win competitive open seats, or pick off Republicans whose association with Trump could make them vulnerable. In the past several election cycles, 70 percent of women who have run for office were Democrats, she said. Yet Lawless cautioned that a record number of women candidates will not necessarily translate into a record number of women in office. The stars have to align pretty perfectly for Democrats, she said. ****** Brats comments earlier this year encouraged online liberal groups and constituents, some armed with Its grilling time signs, to lash out at him at a rowdy town hall in Blackstone in February. Yet privately, Democrats acknowledge he will be tough to beat. Buoyed by a reputation as the economics professor who unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014, Brat entered Congress with a national profile and sailed to re-election two years later by double digits. Trump won his district by 6 points. The primary race on the Democratic side will force candidates to spend money and resources while Brat keeps up his frequent TV appearances touting the causes of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. Abigail Spanberger, 37, has captured early attention with a compelling biography and a profile in Elle Magazine. A former CIA operations officer stationed around the world, she grew up in the district and returned three years ago to work in the private sector. She was not sure she would run for office until the day of the health care vote in the House when she heard from a friend whose daughter suffers from a genetic disorder. The mother said the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would leave her worried not just about her daughters condition but also going bankrupt over medical bills. Spanberger said she texted her husband: Im definitely running. This is it for me. This is my turning point. Eileen Bedell, 44, ran against Brat last year and is the only Democrat with experience seeking public office. An attorney specializing in civil litigation, she grew up in Arlington and Fairfax and has lived in the district for about 20 years. Brats support for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and his embrace of Trump make him vulnerable, she said. I call him Trump Lite, she said. Dave is Trump before Trump was Trump in Virginia. Kim Gower, 54, left a consulting career to earn her doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University and teaches at the University of Mary Washington. A Michigan native, she has lived in the district most of the past decade. Helen Alli, 52, considers herself a community activist and has served on the Richmond Economic Development Authority. Alli, who has lived in Henrico County for 30 years, said she served in the Army for four years and owns a weight-loss and hormone-therapy business. Janelle Noble, 35, owns a small IT consulting firm. She has lived in Louisa for 10 years and said she would like to see more subsidies for farms. She favors a basic universal income modeled after an experiment in Finland. The only male candidate in the race, Dan Ward, served two stints in the Marines, including three years with the State Department under Hillary Clinton. He retired in 2014, bought a small farm in Orange and returned to an earlier career flying for a commercial airline. Dave Brat represents the extreme right, he said. Hes on TV all the time saying some crazy stuff. Asked how a Democrat who has never held political office could emerge from a six-way nomination fight to topple a telegenic congressman with national notoriety, Democrats noted that stranger things have happened. Law enforcement officers tasked with keeping the peace on Aug. 12 could find themselves monitoring both Charlottesvilles Emancipation Park formerly Lee Park and Darden Towe Park in Albemarle County. Earlier this month, a group identifying itself with the Patriot Movement announced it had relocated a planned gathering in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 12 to Darden Towe Park, potentially adding to the count of right-wing activists who will gather in the area next month. According to an event organizer who goes by the name Chevy Love on Facebook, the 1Team1Fight Unity event is not associated with Jason Kesslers Unite the Right rally, which is expected to draw a massive crowd of far-right ideologues and liberal and leftist counter-protesters to Emancipation Park. However, posts to the event page and other online comments by organizers of the Unite the Right rally have linked the two events. We always say that this movement is bigger than any one of us, Love wrote on the Facebook event page earlier this month. It is in the best interest of the Patriot Movement that we move the event to Charlottesville. Trust me, this isnt a decision any of us wanted to make, but one that needed to be made On Twitter, Kessler, the self-described pro-white activist organizing the Unite the Right rally to protest the citys efforts to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park, said the Patriots will appear at his event. What I mean is that our event convinced them to turn out to FINALLY stand up for white people, Kessler wrote on Twitter. Kessler did not respond to requests for an interview. In another post to the 1Team1Fight event page, in response to questions about why the organizers had decided to move the event some 370 miles from its original location, Love alluded to the Unite the Right rally. The event that was taking place in Greenville, SC has been moved to VA due to circumstances there on the same day, she said. We will be in VA in case our brothers and sisters need boots on the ground who can mobilize and reach our brothers and sisters at Lee Park in VA within 10 minutes. In messages to The Daily Progress, Love said her event is not a rally, and that its oriented for a group of friends and family coming together for a day at the park. She went on to say that the Unite the Right rally will be a gathering of hate groups from both sides of the train tracks. I do not stand for racism or anything like that, she said. Nor would I promote an event that has anything to do with hate groups. Loves disassociation with the Unite the Right rally follows the recent departure of some who once associated with the events organizers and identified with the alt-right, a far-right movement thats gained attention in the last year for its white nationalist and anti-Semitic leanings. In recent months, some alt-right commentators and activists, whose main goal is the creation of a white ethno-state, have attempted to cast their less extreme allies derisively as alt-lite. On Monday, the League of the South, a pro-secessionist Southern Nationalist organization supporting the Unite the Right rally, issued a statement about weak sisters disassociating themselves with the group because of its ties to the Nationalist Front and for continuing to expose the Jew as an ancient and implacable enemy of our people and civilization. The Nationalist Front is an alliance of pro-white organizations striving for the creation of an ethno-state for white people in North America. If you dont embrace a defense of your God, your people, and your land and are then willing to identify and fight our enemies with red tooth, fang, and claw, the statement said, then go find yourself a tame, housebroken heritage organization or a debating society to join. Youll be more comfortable there, and we will be stronger without you. In a tweet Monday, Michael Hill, League of the South president and a featured speaker for Kesslers rally, said: If you want to defend the South and Western civilization from the Jew and his dark-skinned allies, be at Charlottesville on Aug. 12. Despite the explicitly racist and anti-Semitic messaging thats anticipated at the Unite the Right rally, Love said she and others in the Patriot Movement are simply Constitutionalists seeking to defend everyones right to free speech. We do have some people who are going who will be prepared in case violence does occur to help the police department. There will also be Patriots at the Unite the Right rally to do the same thing, she said. Although I do not agree with or stand behind what these groups are doing I do believe they have the right to free speech and the right to protest. All of us in my opinion within the Patriot Movement just want everyone to unite and work towards a better country for all of us, no matter race, creed or religious backgrounds. The 1Team1Fight gathering is expected to start at 10 a.m. The Unite the Right rally is scheduled to begin at noon. An Albemarle official said the county has received a special event permit application for the 1Team1Fight Unity gathering, but has yet to approve it. County staff has requested additional information that must be provided before we can consider their special event request, all of that information has not yet been received, said Lee Catlin, assistant county executive. Hunter Wallace, a writer for the blog Occidental Dissent, which is supporting the Unite the Right rally, wrote a tweet Sunday saying hes OK with another event happening before Kesslers rally starts, particularly because it will divide the Antifa, or anti-Fascist activists, he expects will protest the two events. More people will come who worry about associations, Wallace said. In another tweet, he said, I know for a fact many of them will be in Lee Park. NBC29 recently reported that sources in the Charlottesville Police Department are expecting as many as 4,000 people in the area of Emancipation Park on the day of the rally. In a statement to NBC29 last week, city spokeswoman Miriam Dickler said the police department soon will release an attendance projection. She said Police Chief Al Thomas also has been looking into the possibility of relocating the Unite the Right rally. On Monday, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Librarys board voted to close the Central Branch across the street from Emancipation Park on Aug. 12. John Halliday, director of the JMRL system, said the decision was made in the interest of public safety. The Gordon Avenue and Northside branches will be open that day. Virginia officials are accepting comments by email until Aug. 25 about whether simple possession of marijuana should no longer be a crime, and advocates for changing the law are encouraging participation. The study being conducted this year by the Virginia State Crime Commission came at the request of the legislature. Comments or material relevant to the study can be emailed to the Crime Commission at vsccinfo@vscc.virginia.gov. The commission will present study findings on Oct. 5. Jenn Michelle Pedini, the executive director of Virginia NORML, which advocates for reform of marijuana laws, said the group wants the state to hear the concerns of everyday people. Seventy-eight percent of Virginians support this type of reform, she said. Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, led the effort for a study and has said hes open to decriminalization. Whats being discussed is changing the penalty for possession of small amounts from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil fine. Some lawmakers have said they are concerned about the impact of giving someone a criminal record. I think that Senator Norment outlined some very salient points to look at. Hes perfectly aware of the data so he wasnt shooting in the dark, Pedini said. Virginia NORML wants people to avoid diatribes in comments to the state. What we do want is for you to include a brief personal account of how a marijuana possession charge has collaterally impacted yourself and/or your family, the group wrote in an email to followers this month. Did you lose your scholarship? Your job? Your housing? Your children? Have you had difficulty finding meaningful employment simply because you have a misdemeanor possession conviction? The states Joint Commission on Health Care is studying whether marijuana oil is beneficial for treating certain diseases and whether it has any detrimental effects. The General Assembly has already allowed people with intractable epilepsy to legally use those oils. In this years governors race, Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, the Democratic nominee, said he supports decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. Libertarian candidate Cliff Hyra wants to legalize marijuana and put it on a level playing field with tobacco and alcohol, thus generating tax revenue, according to his website. GOP candidate Ed Gillespie is opposed to decriminalization but wants to study penalties and may be open to marijuana for medical use. A Facebook friend shared a quote the other day purportedly from Vice President Mike Pence on Fox News. Americans need more Jesus care not health care, because if people went to church, theyd be healed and wouldnt need doctors, according to Pence. The post soon sparked plenty of angry comments. Almost as quickly, though, someone linked to an article by the independent fact-checking site Snopes.com. The quote was wholly fabricated. Snopes rated the post False with a big red X, explaining the image macro, a picture with text, surfaced in May on Fox News the Facebook Page, which used a Fox News logo and lampooned Fox News, but was totally unrelated to Fox News. The Facebook page appears to have been taken down, but everything is immortal on the internet. It was heartening to see the fabrication identified and neutralized so rapidly. Perhaps someone thought the quote squirrely it was ungrammatical but instead of moving to the popular video of the dog saving the fawn looked into the quote and found the facts. Thats what we should do: Check out stories designed to make us mad, find the truth and share it. Fake news is an equal opportunity liar. So, whatever our personal political leanings, we all benefit when sunshine kills the germs. Facebook is taking steps to combat fake news, but the perps are likely to find ways around changes. Thats why policing social media is up to us. Its also heartening to see news organizations persevere in debunking President Donald Trumps brags and myths and he has noticed. Weve signed more bills and Im talking about through the legislature than any president ever, Trump said last week at the White House. For a while, Harry Truman had us, and now I think we have everybody... I better say think, otherwise theyll give me a Pinocchio. And I dont like those; I dont like Pinocchios, Trump said. The Washington Posts fact-checkers award up to four Pinocchios for falsehoods. Pinocchio-anxiety notwithstanding, Trump was still way off on his numbers. He lags behind Truman and several other presidents in bills signed to date, the Post fact-checkers reported, but they gave no Pinocchios for that flirtation with falsehood. He certainly appeared to pause for a moment and wonder if he was right. For Trump, thats a step in the right direction, The Posts Glenn Kessler wrote. Trump dismisses any news and news outlets he dislikes as fake news. But fake news is intentional deceit, or as The New York Times put it, pure fiction masquerading as truth. Trump more often labels as fake news truth that makes him look bad. Trumps long-running war on the news media may yet backfire. Americans confidence in newspapers is actually up from last year, the Gallup organization reported last month. To be sure, its nothing to brag about. Just 27 percent of people said they had confidence in newspapers but that was up 7 percentage points from a year earlier. Baby steps. People actually have more confidence in news on the internet than in Congress 16 percent and 12 percent, respectively even though the internet is a fake news incubator. The mainstream news media arent perfect by any means, but when they get it wrong, the incidents are painful. Three CNN staffers resigned last month after the network retracted a story about alleged ties between Russia and a Wall Street financier who is a Trump ally. CNN said the story had not undergone its usual fact-checking. On Friday, Trump named the financier Anthony Scaramucci, a tough critic of the news media, White House communications director. But theres a difference between mistakes and deliberate lies. Fake news can have dangerous consequences. Last December, a gullible 28-year-old man in North Carolina drove 350 miles to investigate internet reports of a child sex ring connected to the Clinton campaign in a Washington pizza restaurant. He fired an AR-15 in the restaurant only to learn he had been misled. There were no endangered children, much less a sex ring. His loaded weapons were real, though, and could have caused real tragedy. Stopping fake news may be impossible, but we all must do what we can to expose it. The stakes are too high. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. A Hampden-Sydney College freshman found dead in a dorm room in March died from acute alcohol intoxication, according to the state medical examiners office. The death of Harrison Carter Cole, 18, of Jeffersonton in Culpeper County, has been ruled an accident, said Jeannette Collins, central district administrator of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond. News of Coles death stunned the Prince Edward County private college, where Cole was on the swim team and where he was a member of Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional fraternity focusing on chemical sciences. Jonathan Wenzel, the national chief executive officer for that fraternity, said the Alpha Chi Sigma chapter at Hampden-Sydney College has been suspended. But Wenzel said he could not comment about whether that suspension is connected in any way to Coles death. We suspended the chapter to conduct an investigation, Wenzel said. Wenzel said he could not comment on what the investigation is focusing on. Corinne Geller, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman, has said that Cole was found dead at 9:15 a.m. March 25. Investigators from the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigations field office in Appomattox had been investigating Coles death. The college also said it would conduct its own inquiry into Coles death. DALEVILLE A clean energy developer hopes to start construction of a wind farm in Botetourt County by years end, even as it continues to search for a power company to purchase electricity generated by the giant turbines. Apex Clean Energy is working diligently to begin work on the site by November or December, development manager Charlie Johnson told the county board of supervisors Tuesday. Johnson said the company is confident of meeting its deadline if all the pieces fall into place. One of the pieces yet to fall into place is an agreement with a utility to purchase electricity from the 80-megawatt project, which Apex says would be capable of powering up to 20,000 homes as a green energy source. Although no deal has been signed, Johnson said there has been strong interest in the wind farm from utilities at a time when Virginia is seeing rapid growth in the renewable energy market. Were in the right place at the right time with this project, he told the board. Following the meeting, Johnson said Apex would prefer to have a power purchase agreement in place before it begins work on the site atop North Mountain. Apex wants to build up to 25 power-generating turbines each one as tall as 550 feet, or about the height of the Washington Monument on the remote ridgeline about five miles northeast of Eagle Rock. In January 2016, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception permit for the facility, which is poised to become the first commercial wind farm in Virginia. At the time, Apex said it planned to start construction by the end of 2016. That goal was pushed back a year as the company sought approval from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which evaluated the turbines impact on natural resources, and the Federal Aviation Administration, which studied their effect on passing aircraft. Both agencies have since approved the project. Still, some critics contend the wind doesnt blow strong or long enough atop North Mountain to make the project viable. Wind turbines in the Alleghany Mountains do not produce much power and especially during the times of peak energy needs in the summer, Steve Neas of Virginians for Responsible Energy wrote in a recent email. Neas group is based in Rockbridge County, which shares a boundary with Botetourt that is within a short distance from the proposed wind farm. Opponents have contended that Apex is most interested in collecting federal subsidies that come with the wind farm and that the farms low electrical output could be the reason the company has yet to secure a purchaser. Johnson countered that the company has done extensive research and is confident that it has found a prime location for its wind farm. The wind up there is definitely feasible, he said. Under a permit approved by DEQ, Apex could start work on grading and road development no sooner than Nov. 15, a date selected to minimize the projects impact on the environment. Construction of the turbines would likely begin next summer, Johnson said, with the project expected to go online by the end of 2018. In other action Tuesday, the board: Heard an update on plans for the next phase of the Greenfield industrial park, which will soon see the addition of an automotive parts factory by Eldor Corp. and an East Coast brewery and distribution center by Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits . Its not premature to plan for the eventual build-out of the 923-acre complex, which has about 400 acres of developable land remaining, economic development director Ken McFadyen told the board. Delayed action on a proposed cell phone tower at Blue Ridge Park after a finding from the National Park Service that it would have an adverse effect on the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. The applicant, Blue Ridge Towers Inc., is working on plans to lower the height of the tower from 199 feet to no higher than 130 feet to lessen its visual impact. Approved a rezoning request that will allow the addition of up to 44 lots to the Walnut Manor subdivision off Blacksburg Road southwest of Fincastle. Franklin County and the Booker T. Washington National Monument have been awarded a federal grant to build a multi-use trail in the Westlake community connecting to the national park. The county will receive $617,412 from the Federal Highway Administrations Federal Lands Access Program. The funding is technically for fiscal year 2019, which means construction of the trail likely wont begin until fall of 2018, said Steve Sandy, the countys director of planning and community development. But he hopes some money will become available earlier to allow preliminary engineering and environmental work to be completed in the next year. The project is, in a sense, a continuation of the work of the citizen advisory committee whose findings helped to shape the Westlake/Hales Ford Area Plan adopted by the county in November. The land-use plan is meant to serve as a guide for the future growth and development of the area. Even after the citizen advisory committee completed its work, individuals interested in trails continued to meet to discuss how to bring them to the Westlake area. When Carla Whitfield, superintendent of Booker T. Washington National Monument, heard about the federal grant, she pitched it to the group. The park worked with the countys planning and parks and recreation departments to submit the grant application. The trail is designed as a 2-mile loop with what Sandy describes as a spur off the trail leading to the national park. The connection to the park will be gated, as that portion of the trail will only be open during regular park hours, he said. The grant provides 81.5 percent of the funding, and the remaining 18.5 percent will be covered by a local match. But Sandy said that match doesnt necessarily have to come from the county. Other grants, private donations and in-kind services could cover the roughly $151,000 still needed for the project. Carilion Clinic, Runk & Pratt and the Willard Cos. have discussed dedicating easements for the trail to the county, though nothing is official yet, Sandy said. The hope is that this multi-use trail, which will accommodate biking, running and walking, will be the first step toward building a trail network in Westlake. It could certainly stand alone by itself, but the whole idea would be to have some more connections in the future, Sandy said. Whitfield said she hopes the trail will bring people to Booker T. Washington National Monument more regularly not just when their relatives are in town. The trail provides an alternative entrance to the park located off the highway, which isnt ideal for walkers or bicyclists, Whitfield said. With so many active seniors in the community, theres a great demand for recreational opportunities, she said. This trail meets that need, while also giving the park a boost. This may be one of those kind of activities that will bring people in just by happenstance, Whitfield said. Get on a trail and, oh looky-looky, youre right here in the park. Gills Creek District Supervisor Bob Camicia said the trail will provide access not just to the Booker T. Washington National Monument, but also to the businesses in Westlake Towne Center, Carilion Clinics new fitness and wellness center and the Runk & Pratt senior living community, all of which will be located along the trail. It will even run by local brewery Sunken City, he noted. Its connecting the whole place. I think because of that a lot of people will find it of interest and theyll utilize it, Camicia said. The supervisor said hes glad to see county staff and citizens in his district work to implement the plan, when a lot of times we just do plans and we put them on the shelf. The hotel-and-restaurant project near the Salem Civic Center would be the first to benefit from the citys new tourism zones under an agreement endorsed by local leaders Monday. The development, pegged to open in 2018, stands to get a partial rebate on the future sales tax it generates in order to help cover the cost of financing its $16 million construction budget. The city and state would both contribute to the arrangement in keeping with a formula established under Virginias Tourism Development Financing Program. Eligible projects within locally designated tourism zones can qualify for rebates through that program to help bridge gaps in financing. Salem moved to set up its own tourism zones late last year. The hotel-and-restaurant project helmed by the locally based Spartan Development, LLC, was the first to apply for consideration. Spartan Development plans to build a 95-room Staybridge Suites and a restaurant, dubbed Brunos, at the corner of Roanoke Boulevard and Texas Street. The city which had long worked to lure a hotel to the civic center complex sold the vacant land to the developers last year for the nominal price of $100 per acre. Mondays agreement is expected to be the extent of the assistance package sought by the project, said City Manager Kevin Boggess. The agreement, which also has to be ratified by the state, is designed to help Spartan Development cover up to 20 percent of its project costs. The city and state would both agree to rebate 1 percent of the sales tax generated by the new businesses. The developer must also participate and contribute the equivalent of 1 percent of the sales tax to complete the gap financing structure. Sales tax is currently 5.3 percent in this part of Virginia. Of that, 4.3 percent goes to the state and 1 percent is paid to the city. The rebate would only apply to new sales tax revenue created directly by the project. Other taxes, such as local meals and lodging tax, would be paid and retained in full by the city. The arrangement would be in effect until the 20 percent benchmark capped at a total of $3.2 million is reached or until 20 years has passed, whichever comes first. The debt would be held solely by the developer with no liability to the city, Boggess said. The Salem Economic Development Authority would collect all rebates and submit them directly to the lender underwriting the developers gap financing loan. The Salem City Council cast a 3-0 vote, with two absences, to approve the agreement Monday. It will be forwarded now to the Virginia Tourism Authority for approval. Once all financing agreements are in place, Spartan Development will look to start construction, said Salem Economic Development Director Melinda Payne. The group has previously said it aims to open the hotel and restaurant in 2018. In other news The city council granted a zoning permit allowing a new microbrewery, Ober Brewing Co., to set up shop in an industrial district on Lakeside Circle. The craft brewery, a project of couple Dave and Jennifer Ober, needed a special exception permit to take over the former warehouse property it had set its sights on. The Obers hope to open by the end of the year with a taproom and a 3.5-barrel brewing system with an emphasis on barrel-aged beers. Estes Margaret P. August 20, 1922 July 21, 2017 Margaret P. Estes went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, July 21, 2017. She was born in Gatesville, Texas on August 20, 1922 to parents Walter Parks and Earline Pennington. She married John H. Estes III in 1946. Margaret lived with her husband in El Paso, Texas before moving to San Antonio, Texas and then Moneta, Va. She volunteered for many years at a Hospital in El Paso. She provided comfort to many patients. She also worked with the local churches, and enjoyed traveling around the USA with her husband. She was loved by many. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, John H. Estes III; and a sister Etta Blanchard. She is survived by her son, John H. Estes IV; her daughter, Margaret J. Davis; six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren. A Memorial will be held at a later date at Bethlehem United Methodist Church after interment next to her Husband in El Paso. Her desire was for donations in memoriam to be made to Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta, Va., 13586 Old Moneta Rd, Moneta, Va. 24121 or The Methodist Children's Home, 1111 Herring Ave, Waco, Texas 76708. To send condolences online please visit tharpfuernalhome.com. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford, is assisting the family. Whitlock is a former Roanoke Times columnist who lives in Salem. In his July 3 letter (Some facts that get omitted), David Hanson writes that [m]isleading rhetorical hyperbole is a useful tactic for extremists in the politicization of sensitive issues. Hanson is exactly right. And one issue where the use of this tactic is frequently displayed is in the debate over federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Case in point. In a recent letter (Rep. Morgan Griffith forces his religion on others, July 1), Roberta Scheckler accuses Morgan Griffith of using his religious beliefs to harm womens health because Griffith supports de-funding Planned Parenthood. Scheckler further claims that de-funding Planned Parenthood would kill many women in [Griffiths] district and lead to many unwanted pregnancies. So is Scheckler making a legitimate argument based on facts or is she engaging in misleading rhetorical hyperbole? Lets take a look. First, Griffith may have faith-based reasons for opposing abortion, and his opposition to abortion likely is a factor in his support for de-funding Planned Parenthood. Griffiths beliefs, however, religious or otherwise, can have no effect for either good or ill on womens health. His congressional votes may, but his beliefs cannot. Second, Scheckler provides no evidence because none can be provided that denying American tax dollars to Planned Parenthood would kill many women in [Griffiths] district and lead to many unwanted pregnancies. Too many variables exist to predict the effect on any particular community if Congress chooses to cut off Planned Parenthoods federal funding. Pertinent to Schecklers concerns, here are a few actual facts: Many of Griffiths constituents view Planned Parenthood as a life-taking organization, not the life-saving one Scheckler describes it as. Unlike the deaths Scheckler only imagines will occur with defunding, the 300,000-plus deaths Planned Parenthood causes every year are all too real. These constituents object to being forced into complicity in these deaths through their taxes. Planned Parenthood has net assets that would total nearly a billion dollars even without federal money. If losing its federal subsidy would cause Planned Parenthood to curtail the services Scheckler notes, its wealthy supporters in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, etc. could easily make up the loss. Or Planned Parenthood could choose to re-allocate how it uses its assets. The Bradley Free Clinic, the Roanoke City Health Departmen., and the Roanoke County/Salem Health Dept. all offer many of the same services, excepting abortion, as does Planned Parenthood. If Planned Parenthood reduced some of its services, uninsured women in this area would not be without resources. We should take every opportunity to argue for our positions as forcefully as we wish. But lets make our arguments based on facts, to the degree possible, and not on sensational and unprovable claims. Lets also deal fairly and honestly with our opponents positions. More civility and less hyperbolic rhetoric might not bridge the philosophical divide that separates us, but it could go a long way toward bringing us together as human beings. Two significant things happened in the White House last week. On Friday, Acting Communications Director Sean Spicer was replaced with Anthony the Mooch Scaramucci, a New York acquaintance of President Donald Trump. Saturday, Trump bragged on Twitter about his complete power to issue pardons. Nobody connected those events. But WikiTaps, the fictitious eavesdropping crew that bugs the White House, intercepted the first meeting of the president and the Mooch. And the ersatz transcript below sheds new light on those subjects. TRUMP: Mooch, welcome to the White House. SCARAMUCCI: Yo, Mr. President. Nice joint you got here. Bada bing! TRUMP: Im happy weve finally got someone whos street-smart on our team, Mooch. You guys know how to fix problems permanently. And man, do we have problems! SCARAMUCCI: Tell me your troubles, sir. TRUMP: Its this damn Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. I cant shake this guy. The last thing I want is him poking into the family finances, or my taxes, whatever. Theres no telling what hell turn up. SCARAMUCCI: That WASP bastard! You want me to take him out, sir? TRUMP: That sounds a little extreme. SCARAMUCCI: For tea, I mean. So I can explain to him how its in his best interest to drop this whole thing, or ... TRUMP: Or what? SCARAMUCCI: Or maybe he winds up with a bloody horses head on his pillow. TRUMP: I like it. Thats creative! Where do you come up with this stuff? SCARAMUCCI: I saw it in a movie once. TRUMP: Brilliant! SCARAMUCCI: There might be an easier way, Mr. President. One that doesnt involve implied threats like when you asked James Comey if he wanted to keep his job as FBI director, before you asked him to kill the Russia investigation. TRUMP: Im all ears. Give it to me. SCARAMUCCI: Its Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, sir. The presidential authority to pardon. TRUMP: You goombah! Explain it to me in terms I can understand. SCARAMUCCI: Sure. You remember that day last July, right after you won the GOP nomination, when you gave the speech down in Roanoke? TRUMP: Yeah, oh God, the hot weather was awful. That hotel, they turned off the air conditioning in the ballroom. I threatened not to pay. That heat just drained me. SCARAMUCCI: And remember the old superhero comics? And how Kryptonite used to drain all the strength out of Superman? TRUMP: Yeah. SCARAMUCCI: But whenever Superman had a lead shield, the Kryptonite couldnt affect him. A presidential pardon kinda works like that. Its a perfect shield for a special prosecutors investigation. TRUMP: Tell me more. SCARAMUCCI: The presidents pardon power is unlimited. You can pardon anyone, for anything. You dont even have to wait until theyre charged. You can pardon them for things they might have done. TRUMP: Can I pardon for obstruction and conspiracy? SCARAMUCCI: Sure. TRUMP: Tax fraud? Money laundering? Treason? SCARAMUCCI: Anything, Mr. President. Even things people didnt do, you can pardon them for. Its a real-life get-of-jail-free card, like in Monopoly. TRUMP: So I actually could shoot somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue and get away with it? SCARAMUCCI: If that was a federal crime, yeah. Fuhgeddaboudit! TRUMP: Can I pardon Mike Flynn, Paul Manafort, Jared, Ivanka, Don Jr., Jeff Sessions, Carter Page, all of them, for whatever? SCARAMUCCI: Yep. TRUMP: Wow! Can I pardon myself? SCARAMUCCI: The Constitution doesnt say you cant. So I would say you can. TRUMP: And I dont need anybodys approval? SCARAMUCCI: Nope. And pardons would render Muellers investigation impotent. Once youve absolved everyone hes looking at of everything they might have done, hes got nothing. He cant indict. He cant convict. So hell resign, and go back to making $1 million a year at his law firm. TRUMP: And then all my problems are over? SCARAMUCCI: Well, theres still North Korea. And ISIS. And keeping NATO together. And Russian meddling, and health care. And all the jobs that are still getting shipped to Mexico, like the ones Carrier Air Conditioning is moving from Indiana. TRUMP: Yeah, yeah. But all my Mueller problems are over? Like, hes sleeping with the fishes, right? SCARAMUCCI: Vamoose! Of course, those nitwits in Congress could still impeach you. TRUMP: Nah. That would have to go through the House Judiciary Committee. Chairman Bob Goodlatte would never let it happen. SCARAMUCCI: Then youre in the clear, sir. TRUMP: Love it! This is great news, Mooch! That Midwestern putz Sean Spicer never had a brainstorm like this! SCARAMUCCI: Thank you, sir. (Trump fishes in his pocket, pulls out his cellphone, and dials First Lady Melania Trump.) TRUMP: Hey baby, guess what? All my problems are over! Im gonna pardon everybody, and then no one can touch us. Amazing, huh? (Trump listens for a minute.) TRUMP: Right, right. I know! Listen, Ill be up in the living quarters soon. Lets celebrate. How about you send Barron out to McDonalds with the Secret Service? Well turn off the TV. And put on something sexy, OK? See ya! (Trump hangs up on the call.) TRUMP: Mooch, Im a genius! SCARAMUCCI: Hows that, sir? TRUMP: Because I hired you, of course. Look, I gotta run. Oh boy, I feel great. Just like Superman! The man being sought by British Transport Police. A MAN and woman are being sought by police following an unprovoked racially aggravated assault at Rotherham Central railway station. A man in his late forties was verbally abused while he waited on a platform at around 6.50pm on Sunday, June 4. The man was left distressed by the incident. British Transport Police (BTP) want to talk to a man and woman who they believe could help with their investigation. The pair, both in their late fifties, were seen making their way down to platform two at the station. Investigating officer PC Gareth Swiffen said: As part of our enquiries wed like to speak to anyone who has any information about this incident. At BTP we do not tolerate hate crime and everyone should be free to use the railway network without fear of intimidation or abuse. We are releasing a CCTV image of a man and woman we would like to speak with in connection with our enquiries. If you know who they are then please get in touch as soon as possible. Your information could prove vital in our enquiries. Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information should contact PC Gareth Swiffen on 0800 40 50 40 or text to 61016, quoting reference number 413 20/07/2017. DONT dismiss as banter what could be a hate crime. Thats the plea from the man tasked with raising awareness of incidents in Rotherham. PC Chris Nicholson runs the Operation Solar, a confidential email reporting scheme in which aims to to encourage more people to report offences. Peoples attitudes are changing but need to be aware what hate crime is, he said. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it's how you give those opinions. "Quite a few people have complained about hate incidents in workplaces. The aim is to make employers aware of incidents, and that its not just banter. He added: Part of my role is to go out and engage with communities. I want them to tell me what they understand about hate crime. If they dont report it, why dont they report it? PC Nicholson said increasing numbers of people were realising that they had been victims of hate crimes when before they would have dismissed incidents as banter or just something they had to tolerate. A hate crime is one motivated by prejudice or hostility against people because of their race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity, some forces also incorporating misogyny and being picked on because a person is part of a sub-group such as Goths within the definition. Crimes dont just involve physical violence but also verbal abuse, offensive social media comments, arson, graffiti, damage to property, and discriminatory behaviour. PC Nicholson said: If you speak to most people, they dont fully understand what hate crime is. He said that most people saw hate crime as racism towards specific groups, such as Muslims, but the reality was much wider. The officer, who is based at Rotherhams Main Street police station, said: We are quite keen to record hate incidents to get a much bigger picture of whats happening in the community then, as a police service, we can try and deal with the issues. PC Nicholson spends much of his time with groups representing different communities within the borough, ranging from refugees to Asian women to lesbian and gay people, and tries to spread the anti-hate message in schools and other locations. He believes it is reaping rewards. For some groups, such as refugees, he had to show them that the police in Britain were more friendly than those in the countries they have fled. PC Nicholson said: I have been to groups where many peoples only contact with a police officer was at the end of a big stick. Young people were generally more tolerant to differences than older generations might be, PC Nicholson said, adding: Kids are the next generation and if we can change young peoples perceptions then things are going to get better. Operation Solar encourages anyone experiencing hate crime or being aware of incidents to email operation.solar@southyorks.pnn.police.uk. This allows them to report incidents directly without going down a more formal route. The service was set up a year ago and PC Nicholson said it had proved popular. He monitors each message and passes on information to colleagues. Mr Nicholson said he was optimistic the approach to hate crime could be a sign of Rotherham working positively together. He said: Obviously Rotherham has its own particular problems which have been highlighted over the last few years and this has a knock-on effect. There are a lot of negative things that have happened in Rotherham and its time to turn that on its head and show Rotherham is a good place. When communities come together, good things happen. International Jewellery London (IJL) has unveiled a completely revised and revamped seminar schedule for its September 3 to 5 show. The three-day seminar program for the show, being held at Olympia GRAND, has been carefully tailored to 2016 show feedback, ensuring the questions most commonly asked by jewelry retailers, brands and businesses are answered, the organizers said. Topics to be covered by expert speakers and panels this year include social media marketing, working with influencers, digital design, retail experience, the customer journey and expert sales training. Trend forecaster Paola De Luca, who has experience collaborating with Fendi, Swarovski, Harry Winston and Rio Tinto Diamonds, will also be speaking at the event. The Academy is an innovative new workshop space inviting visitors and exhibitors to get hands-on and experience interactive talks hosted by leading lights in jewelry education and training. SocialSunday, which is a result of overwhelming feedback, is a dedicated digital seminar theatre, blending seminars for complete beginners and more experienced business owners looking to excel online. By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI) A three-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar here today, killing at least four persons and trapping many others under the debris, civic officials said. At least 10 persons were also injured in the mishap, a senior police official said. Search operations are still on to extricate the people feared trapped under the concrete rubble. advertisement Eyewitnesses said four persons were taken out from the rubble of the building that caved-in, and rushed to hospital. The structure that came down this morning at the Ghatkopars Damodar Park area housed around 15 families. Most of those trapped in the debris are believed to be elderly and women. The civic bodys control room received a call at around 10.43 am about the accident, a BMC official said. Fire engines, a rescue van and ambulances were rushed to the spot immediately, he said. According to the fire brigade officials engaged in the rescue operation, nearly 15 people have been pulled out of the debris so far and referred to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses said in the morning they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning since it is monsoon season. "Then I came out of my building and found lot of dust, cries and noise of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapsing," an eyewitness living in the neighbourhood said. According to a local resident, it was a 35-year-old building. The city and its suburbs had received heavy rains over the last several days, though there had been some respite since yesterday with showers becoming intermittent. The Mumbai Police cordoned off the area while traffic was blocked on the Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a green corridor to rush the rescued to hospital. A resident of the collapsed building, whose mother and two other family members are feared trapped in the debris, lamented that the chances of their survival are slim. Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the same building, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might be the reason for the collapse of the building. He said he was saved as he had left for his office before the building collapsed. The building was not listed in the dangerous category, as per locals. PTI APM DC NRB GK NM DV --- ENDS --- advertisement Former Vice President Joe Biden will embark on a tour of 19 US cities in November in support of a memoir revealing how he coped with the devastating loss of his son to cancer. Beau Biden, who served as Attorney General of his father's home state of Delaware, had died after battling brain cancer on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46. The book, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose" will be published on November 14. The title is a reference to what Beau told his father during a family gathering at what would be his final Thanksgiving in November 2014: "Promise me, Dad. Give me your word that no matter what happens, you're going to be all right." . Promise Me, Dad chronicles 2015, the most momentous and challenging year in Biden's extraordinary life and career, the book's publisher said Monday. During his American Promise Tour, Biden will reveal the big political moments of his career, the life-altering choices he made, and the key traits that have helped him persevere through challenges and live with purpose, Flatiron Books said in a statement. For twelve months, the Vice President balanced the twin imperatives of living up to his responsibilities to his country and his family while his son Beau battled brain cancer. The memoir will include the question that put him in a dilemma; whether he should seek the presidency in 2016. Biden says he has always been fortunate to have an incredible support system around him, and understand how many people in this country go through far worse situations, with far less support. The 74 year-old Delaware Democrat expressed hope that his story will "strike a chord with other Americans who have walked the same path I have." Biden will hold an in-depth conversation with Oprah Winfrey on OWN's Super Soul Sunday on November 12 before embarking on the American Promise Tour. Tickets for the Tour go on sale to the general public on July 28. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Business confidence data from Germany is due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to issue Germany's import price data. Economists forecast import prices to rise 2.9 percent annually in June after increasing 4.1 percent in May. In the meantime, Statistics Finland releases unemployment data for June. The jobless rate stood at 10.7 percent in May. At 2.45 am ET, the French statistical office Insee is slated to release producer prices for June. Producer prices had increased 2.1 percent year-on-year in May. At 3.00 am ET, Spain's producer prices data is due. Producer prices had increased 5.3 percent year-on-year in May. Half an hour later, Statistics Sweden releases producer price figures. Prices had climbed 7.2 percent annually in May. At 4.00 am ET, Germany's Ifo confidence data is due. The business sentiment index is forecast to fall to 114.9 in July from 115.1 in the previous month. In the meantime, Poland's unemployment data is due. The jobless rate is seen at 7.1 percent in June versus 7.4 percent in May. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News 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. Greece has made much progress since 2010 and investor confidence is returning to the country, European Commission Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Tuesday, as the country held a sale of its government bonds for the first time since 2014. Since February, Greece has made several important and very positive developments, Moscovici said. The top EU official expressed hope that Greece will be able to stand on its feet within a year and become a 'normal' member of the euro area again. "I am convinced that Greece can once again look to the future with hope and confidence." On Tuesday, Athens held a five-year bond issue with settlement date August 1. The yield for the new bonds is reportedly around 4.75 percent. Rating agency Standard & Poor's had raised the country's rating outlook to "positive" from "stable" on Friday, on the expectation that the government will receive debt relief from its creditors next year. Last week, the International Monetary Fund agreed to a new loan "in principle" worth $1.8 billion to Greece. The deal will become effective only after the Washington-based lender receives specific and credible assurances from Greece's European partners to ensure debt sustainability. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News 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. By PTI: ban: Govt New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) The Centre has received nine representations from various public figures including chief ministers of Kerala, Puducherry and Karnataka, on a ban on the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, Lok Sabha was informed today. "Nine (9) representations have been received from the public representatives against the newly enforced Cattle Trade Rules," Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan in a written reply. advertisement He said that representations were received from Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Meghayala Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy and Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. He said representations were also received from Lok Sabha MP N K Premachandran, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, MP Vincent H Pala, Kerala Governor Justice (retd) P Sathasivam and MP Lok Sabha C K Sangma. The Minister said that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 was notified on May 23 this year. The notification was stayed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The Supreme Court has also observed that the stay granted by the Madurai Bench to the operation of rules shall apply to whole country. "Thus, the operation of the notification dated May 23, 2017 has been stayed by the Supreme Court and the matter is sub-judice," Vardhan said. The new rules ban the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter. It also prohibits practices that are cruel to animals including painting of horns and putting ornaments or decorative materials on them. The government has been maintaining that the rules are very "specific" and aim to regulate animal markets and sale of cattle. PTI TDS SMJ --- ENDS --- Automaker General Motors Co. (GM) reported Tuesday a decline in its second-quarter profit on charges and weak vehicle sales. North America and International Operations reported lower volume, partly offset by growth in South America. The company further said it is on track to meet financial commitments for 2017. GM also said it will continue to target operational improvements by market and product segment to increase its competitiveness and drive stronger performance. In pre-market activity on the NYSE, GM shares were loosing 1.81 percent to $35.20. For the second quarter, net income attributable to shareholders plunged to $1.66 billion from last year's $2.87 billion. Earnings per share were $1.09, down from $1.81 a year ago. The latest quarter results included a loss of $770 million from discontinued operations, compared to prior year's profit of $106 million. On a continuing operations basis, income was $2.43 billion, down 11.3 percent from $2.76 billion a year ago. Earnings per share of $1.60 declined 8 percent from last year. The latest results included a net loss from special items of $0.7 billion before tax, or $0.29 per share. This included $0.5 billion related to GM International Operations restructuring, $0.1 billion due to Venezuela deconsolidation and approximately $0.1 billion for legal matters related to the ignition switch recall. Adjusted earnings were $2.88 billion or $1.89 per share, compared to $2.83 billion or $1.79 per share in the prior year. On average, 20 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $1.69 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Consolidated adjusted earnings before interest and tax or EBIT was $3.68 billion, down from $3.85 billion last year. EBIT-adjusted margin was 10 percent. For the second quarter, net revenue was $36.98 billion, down 1.1 percent from last year's $37.38 billion. Analysts expected revenues of $40.15 billion. Automotive net sales and revenues declined to $34 billion from $35.25 billion last year. GM Financial revenues, however, grew to $2.99 billion from prior year's $2.14 billion. Total vehicle sales in the quarter declined to 1.21 million units from last year's 1.31 million units. In the second quarter, GM delivered 725,000 total vehicles in the United States, driven by a 24-percent increase in retail crossover sales. The company said the second-quarter crossover results are the best in GM history. In China, GM deliveries were 852,000 vehicles, up 1.6 percent. Strong sales of Cadillac and Baojun vehicles led the way, up 62 percent and 66 percent, respectively. South America delivered 160,000 vehicles in the quarter, up 18 percent, compared to industry growth of 13 percent. Chuck Stevens, Executive Vice President and CFO, said, "Strong results in North America and China, solid improvement in South America and continued growth of GM Financial drove another strong quarter. With an aggressive launch cadence still ahead this year, we are on track to meet our fnancial commitments for 2017." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News James Bond will return to US cinemas on November 8, 2019, with a traditional earlier release in the UK and the rest of the world. The producers of the 25th official James Bond film have not announced whether Daniel Craig will return to play in the untitled movie, but The New York Times reports that his return to the role for the fifth time is a "done deal". Craig had signed to act in Bond films through to Bond 25, but in October last year, he expressed a strong desire to move on from the role. He later said that he would consider returning. The British actor began donning the suit of the most famous spy in cinema in 2006 with "Casino Royale." Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre are his other Bond movies. Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer said the film will be written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who have teamed up on the screenplays for the last six Bond installments. The film will be produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who have co-produced the last eight Bond films. The producers said the details of distribution partner, international release dates and the film's cast and director would be announced "at a later date." The announcement of the Bond film's release date sets both Bond 25 and a live-action fairy tale from Walt Disney Studios simultaneously hitting the theaters. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News (Agencia CMA Latam) - The Brazilian steel sector is worried about potential new barriers to local steel products in the United States and the European Union (EU). According to the Brazilian Steel Institute (IABr) and the Brazilian Foreign Trade Association (AEB), possible anti-dumping measures could further hamper an industry that relies on exports to grow, since the economic recession in the last few years has hurt the domestic demand for steel. The most recent data show that from January to May crude steel output in Brazil reached 14.1 million tons, up 14.2% from the same period in 2016, but domestic sales were at 6.6 million tons, down by 2.2%. According to IABr's chairman, Marco Polo de Mello Lopes, the Brazilian domestic steel market "does not exist in this very moment" and has not yet managed to recover. Steelmakers currently work with 40% of idle capacity and increasingly direct their production to exports. The margins of foreign sales, however, are smaller due to taxes and have been diminishing due to the recent US dollar devaluation compared to the Brazilian real. "Certainly, the domestic industry would be harmed by new market closures. Brazil does not have to be under the Section 232's procedures in the United States," he said, mentioning the legal tool that allows the US president to impose tariffs and trade remedies to a particular product to protect national security. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce initiated a Section 232 investigation on steel imports on April 19, arguing that the large volumes of excess global steel production and capacity distort the global steel . Last week, on a visit to France, the U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to impose new import taxes on steel products. By law, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce has 270 days to present the Department's findings and recommendations to the President, who would have to decide on the matter within 90 days. "The US industry is not self-sufficient in steel and needs to be complemented," Lopes said. He added that the U.S .wants to bar mainly products from China, but may end up affecting other countries. The IABR chairman points out that the U.S. has a surplus in the trade balance with Brazil and there would be no need to hamper Brazilian imports. The United States has been imposing tariffs on some countries since last year. In March 2016, the Department of Commerce decided to impose a 38.93% tariff on Brazil's cold rolled steel products and also charged rates for products from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United Kingdom. In addition to the U.S., the EU can also impose barriers to steel imported from Brazil, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine. The case is under review by the European Commission. According to the Reuters news agency, tariffs on hot rolled steel in the country could reach up to 33%. The solution to avoid a global protectionist wave of measures against steel is to launch negotiations on the steel output surplus, mainly in China, in forums such as the G20. Even after adjustments, China's steel production capacity is huge and continues to grow, flooding the other countries. The Asian leader in the sector produced 73.2 million crude steel in June, up 5.7% year-on-year. "Efforts are being made to move forward within the G20s framework to try to establish a policy that will lead to a surplus reduction so that it would be possible to make progress towards greater normality in the international market" without the need for countries to increase barriers, said the IABr's chairman. Another alternative to mitigate increased protectionism regarding steel products is the increase in "Reintegra" rate from 2% to 5%. Created by the government, Reintegra provides a partial refund of taxes paid by exporting companies. By increasing the rate, exports would be more profitable. According to AEB chairman, Jos? Augusto de Castro, who defends Reintegra's tax rebate increase, it is unlikely for the government to increase the rate now. Last week, stating the need to reduce the public account's deficit, the Brazilian government raised rates on fuels. "We have talked to several ministers, and they all tell us that they will talk to [President Michel] Temer. They admit Reintegra's importance - except the Treasury, which has analyzed the case in a purely fiscal manner," he said in an interview. According to him, government losses with Reintegra's increase would be compensated by an increase in revenues by increasing exports, which he claims would happen. According to Castro, AEB intends to continue discussions on the issue with the government at the National Foreign Trade Meeting (Enaex) on August 9 and 10, for which President Temer was invited but has not yet confirmed attendance. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News 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. President receives UN high-level delegation SANAA, July 25 (Saba) - President of the Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Sammad received on Tuesday the Executive Director of the World Food Program, UNICEF Executive Director and the Executive Director of the World Health Organization. In the meeting, the president al-Sammad and the UN officials discussed the efforts of the UN international organizations in Yemen to face the worsening humanitarian situation resulting from the US-Saudi-led aggression coalition and the unjust siege imposed on the Yemeni people by Saudi regime since three years, including the closure of ports, airports and targeting roads, bridges, farms and water wells by the US F-16 aircrafts and British ammunitions. The president and the UN officials also discussed the targeting of the Yemeni national economy and the cutoff of salaries that expose more than 25 million Yemenis to famine. President al-Sammad expressed his thanks and appreciation to the UN organizations and all other humanitarian organizations working in the humanitarian field in Yemen, confirming the government's continuation to provide all support and cooperation to all humanitarian organizations to facilitate their tasks. The President warned of the crimes committed by al-Qaida and ISIS, especially in the southern areas which are under the occupation of Saudi and UAE, in which the last incident was the beheading of four prisoners. President al-Sammad warned that crimes threaten the social peace and security in Yemen. Meanwhile, the UN officials briefed Mr President al-Sammad on their organizations' efforts to ease deteriorating humanitarian, health and food situations and the difficulties that hinder their tasks. They said they will continue to combat the outbreak of Cholera and other diseases. HA/zak Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [25/July/2017] Airlift director Raja Menon said that Akshay Kumar did not need any awards to endorse his performance in the film. By India Today Web Desk: Akshay Kumar's nuanced performance as Ranjit Katyal, who helped evacuate 1,70,000 Indians from a war-ravaged Kuwait, received a lot of love from the critics and masses alike. It is surprising, then, that the actor and the film were snubbed by all major award shows this year. Director Raja Menon opened up about his film's exclusion from the nominations. "Airlift got immense love from the audience. Even today, a year-and-a-half after release, it is a film that's talked-about. How many award-winning films can claim the same? I'll any day prefer the love of the audience to the trophies that gather dust in some remote corner of one's house," he told Deccan Chronicle. advertisement The filmmaker was all praise for his hero and said that awards or not, Akshay was brilliant in the film. "There is no question about the quality of his performance in Airlift. He is simply brilliant in the film. Neither he nor I or, for that matter, the audience needs to endorse his performance with an award. I don't think it's worth even thinking about. I'd rather focus on my work. And I am sure Akshay feels the same," Raja Menon told the publication. The grapevine is buzzing with rumours of Akshay's name being removed from the list of nominations of a recently held award show because he was unable to attend the event. Apparently, the organisers had approached the actor to also perform at the event, but he was busy shooting for Reema Kagti's Gold, and could not make time. ALSO READ: Why Akshay Kumar's Airlift speaks to the Indian in all of us ALSO READ: Kabir Khan calls Akshay Kumar's Airlift most overrated film of 2016 ALSO WATCH: Airlift actors Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur in conversation with India Today --- ENDS --- The Party-run hawkish tabloid Global Times, known for its hardline views wrote that Doval is one of the main schemers behind Doklam standoff. By Ananth Krishnan: An editorial in a Chinese newspaper on Tuesday described National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as a "main schemer" behind the ongoing standoff at Doklam, two days ahead of his visit to Beijing. The Party-run hawkish tabloid Global Times, known for its hardline views, wrote "Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border standoff between Chinese and Indian troops", adding that "the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute." advertisement The paper suggested this was not the case, and that "Doval will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain with Beijing over the border disputes." The Global Times said that "Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the standoff in accordance with India's will." The NSA will be in Beijing on July 27 and 28 for a BRICS national security advisers meeting. The editorial came as Beijing kept up its tough rhetoric over the standoff, and a day after the People's Liberation Army issued its strongest statement yet on Doklam, telling India to "not harbour any illusions". On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry kept the door open for a bilateral meeting between Doval and his counterpart Yang Jiechi, saying that in the past, BRICS NSA's summits had usually made arrangements for heads of delegations to exchange views. At the same time, the ministry indicated China did not see any "meaningful dialogue" on Doklam possible unless India first withdrew. WILL INDIA WITHDRAW? The Global Times said that "India's withdrawal from Chinese territory is a precondition and a basis for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides." It said Beijing "has no obligation to coordinate with New Delhi to withdraw its troops or suspend its road construction", ruling out a simultaneous withdrawal. "The Chinese side will not talk with India on the issue before the Indian troops' unconditional withdrawal from Chinese territory. New Delhi should give up its illusions," it said, adding that "the BRICS National Security Advisers' meeting is a routine conference held in preparation for the BRICS summit, and is not a platform to address Sino-Indian border skirmishes." Repeating similar warnings that have been issued in recent days and referencing the 1962 war, the editorial said that the PLA "will take effective countermeasures if India refuses to pull back voluntarily". "The PLA is capable enough to take actions that neither Indian troops nor the government can afford," it continued. "We don't believe India is willing and determined to have an all-out military showdown with China. If it chooses this path, Beijing will fight to the end to safeguard its territory and resist being deterred or hijacked by any force. New Delhi will have to pay a heavy price." advertisement The paper said that "India's voluntary withdrawal will incur the least cost to it. If Beijing takes countermeasures, New Delhi will be mired in a more passive political and military situation, and face its most serious strategic setback since 1962," the editorial said. Also Read Caught on camera: Lashkar co-founder praises China over Doklam, provokes war within India Ahead of NSA Ajit Doval's visit, China says open to bilateral talks, but imposes a Doklam precondition --- ENDS --- Shah's Jaipur visit was part of his ongoing programme to visit every state in four months. By Rohit Parihar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah spent three days in Jaipur meeting ministers, party office bearers and workers, and a cross-section of people - including media persons. It was a part of his ongoing programme to visit every state in four months, and he has done half of it. The visit, for which a red carpet was laid, had a few hits and misses. advertisement HITS 1.It galvanised the Rajasthan unit of the party and tried to bring it to the forefront. 2.It gave MLAs and MPs a chance to interact with Shah, and understand the focus of the party. 3.The ministers also learnt that they have to strengthen the organisation. 4. He snubbed anyone trying to blame others or the government. 5. He made it clear that the next elections will be contested under the leadership of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. 6. Neither Shah or Raje tried to embarrass or outsmart the other, showing there were no serious differences between the two. Rather, Raje seemed to be paying him full respect and putting him in the forefront, letting him interact with the media or anyone independently, wherever he so wished. 7. He brought the focus on using social media. Raje too felt that the wrongs propagated through it must be countered with hard facts. MISSES 1. Shah had a taste of poor ground-level governance when it took more than ten minutes for an ambulance to travel a hundred yards up to the BJP office to take ailing MP Sanwar Mal Jat to the hospital. A report said the ambulance did not carry a stretcher. Later, rains choked drains around the BJP office, making Mayor Ashok Lahoti realise how local bodies had failed to clean drains and develop a system to cover them properly. 3. Dissident Ghanshyam Tiwari did not attend any of Shah's events, but the party remained tight-lipped about what to do with him. 4. There's no indication of whether Shah wants some good leaders to quit the government and work with the organisation. 5. On many questions, Shah appeared evasive - including on whether Shankar Sinh Vaghela was to join the BJP in Gujarat. ALSO READ Indians missing in Iraq: Search operation underway, says Amit Shah Goa: Amit Shah in dock for holding meeting at Dabolim airport ALSO WATCH India Today Editors' Roundtable: Amit Shah speaks on 3 years of Modi government --- ENDS --- One terrorist was gunned down in Assam's Kokrajhar in a joint operation by Army and Assam Police on Tuesday. One AK 47 rifle, ammunition and a grenade and other war-like stores has been recovered. "Based on intelligence inputs, a joint operation was launched by the Army and Assam Police on Monday night in the area. Around 6 am today morning, the patrol party was fired upon. Our troops retaliated with controlled fire and in the gunbatle, a terrorist was killed,", a defence spokesperson said. More details awaited. Opposition leaders on Tuesday stage a protest at Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises. Congress, DMK, TMC and the leaders of the Left parties protest near the Gandhi statue against suspension of 6 INC members from the Lok Sabha. Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P. Chidambaram, Raj Babbar among many others were seen raising slogans. Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday suspended 6 Congress MP's for 5 days for "unruly behaviour" and disrupting the proceedings of the House. Gaurav Gogoi, K. Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M.K. Raghavan were suspended by the Speaker for their improper behaviour. The MPs tore paper and threw the pieces towards the Speaker's chair. The Congress MPs were protesting after the chair disallowed their demand for an adjournment motion to discuss incidents of mob lynching. By PTI: Kolkata, Jul 25 (PTI) A senior Army officer has served a legal notice to the Union government protesting against the alleged withdrawal of free ration to Army officers in peace areas and sought restoration of the benefit within 60 days. Col Mukul Dev, Deputy Judge Advocate General, HQ 12 Corps, wrote to the Government of India through Defence secretary Sanjay Mitra seeking immediate withdrawal of the order. advertisement "The government is instead offering Rs 96.03 per day as ration money in lieu, which is highly inadequate," his lawyer Col Rajiv Manglik (retd) told PTI today over the phone. "Can the sum offered be enough to provide calorific value required a day?" Manglik asked. In the notice, Col Dev said "I was commissioned in the Indian Army on August 20, 1988 based upon an advertisement ... for Combined Defence Services Examination. "Beside other terms and conditions of the service spelt out in the said notification, provision for free rations too was clearly given," Dev, who is at present posted at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, said. "There is no mention of cash in lieu of the free rations in the said notification. It was only after weighing all the conditions of service as laid out in the said notification that I had applied for getting commissioned in the Army," he said in the notice. "It has now been intimated that with effect from today i.e July one, 2017, no free ration shall be provided to the officers in the Indian Armed Forces while they are serving in peace area and they shall be provided with a paltry sum of Rs 96.03 as ration money instead," the notice said. The letter said the decision was violative of his service conditions upon which he was employed and commissioned and which he claimed was done without obtaining any written consent from him. "It may kindly be noted that such notification for provision of free rations to the officers of Indian Armed Forces is still in force even today for the officers who are due for commissioning in near future or who are aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces," it said. Col Dev served the legal notice seeking immediate withdrawal of such orders of "non-provisioning of free rations to me while serving in peace areas, without obtaining my consent for the same since the same is illegal and violative of the basic terms and conditions of my service." He claimed that these cannot be altered without obtaining his "express and written consent." "In case of non-reversal of such orders within a period of 60 days from the issue of this legal notice, I shall be constrained to approach the Court of Law as also to raise the matter in any other appropriate judicial forum," Dev wrote in the notice. PTI AMR KK RAX --- ENDS --- advertisement Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaois decision to clarify claims that he runs the H.R.P.P government like a one-man band is reassuring. The explanation he provided last week, however truthful it is, will go a long way to change the perception that Samoa has become a dictatorship given the governments total dominance in Parliament and in all facets of life. Whats more, Tuilaepas response will give his critics lots to mull over during what is without a doubt a very interesting time for this country. Its a time defined by changes that have shaken the foundation of this nation so that the question of whether there is anything sacred left anymore is hard to ignore. In Samoa today, its undeniable that Prime Minister Tuilaepa is a very powerful man. In fact, he is undoubtedly the most powerful man in this country today with the ability to make any changes he wants wherever, however and whenever he wants to. We dont need to tell you. History and developments in this country in the not too distant past live to testify about this. A lot of things some of us did not agree with have become realities in Samoa. But claims that these decisions were made singlehandedly by the Prime Minister including the one to change the Head of State recently - have not gone down well with the man himself. Last week, he scoffed at them saying they are far from the truth. There are people going around today saying that the H.R.P.P changed the law so they can bring in anyone they want, Tuilaepa said. My response is that is the way Parliamentary democracy works. The party that has the numbers is the party that dictates the changes they want including the appointment of the Head of State. So we are merely following Constitutional policies. This is also how the Governor Generals of New Zealand and Australia are appointed, whoever the governments want is the person they will have. Tuilaepa defended the decision saying they are in accordance with the Constitution. Fair enough. But whose Constitution are we talking about? We know what the original Constitution of Samoa says about a lot of the issues in question. But that original Constitution has been rendered almost irrelevant given the number of changes it has undergone under Tuilaepas leadership. It would be fair to say that the Constitution we have today is that of Tuilaepa and the H.R.P.P. After all, they have butchered the poor thing so much the framers of the original Constitution would be turning in their graves at the sight of it now. Now back to the question of whether Tuilaepa is a one-man band in running the H.R.P.P, his response is interesting. Ive often heard statements such as the P.M. holds the key to opening and closing the door. Ive heard people say that whatever the P.M. say thats what goes, he said. Such an opinion is harboured by people whom if they are given the chance to administer the government, they will run it like an army. They will rule it like a military; they will not listen to any advice from Members of Parliament or Cabinet. Tuilaepa added that he is quite the opposite of what some people are saying about him. I listen to what the party says, which is the democratic system. It dictates that for every leader, they must listen to the party, he said. This is why this party remains united as it has been from the start. As a leader, I always seek the opinion of my party before any decision is made. Well thats good to know. But for how long more? What do you think? Have a great Tuesday Samoa, God bless! Dear Editor I found your editorial titled The bizarre and the ugly interesting. This is Samoa. Not how I want it to be or how better it could be. Not the ideal but the real. Incest, murder and a nice cup of koko esi. We can find it in Samoa. Like it or not, its here. Corruption, attempted murder, incest and keke puaa, yes we got that here in Samoa. Were not better than any country-we are Samoa. We are Samoa People of the sun, teach the world humanity and hospitality. Remember those lyrics by Jerome Faanana Grey? The guy who stabbed his wife in Fugalei in daylight and the man that started swinging the machete on his step father, forgot about teaching the world humanity. Is this civilized? It is what it is and nevertheless its right here in Samoa. There are killers among us and people that keep having babies. Theres the police, the government and the church all trying to make us behave. Some of us do and some of us dont. Your definition of bizarre and ugly differs from mine and were entitled to our opinions. I have a theory that there is some deep aggression underneath samoans that can explode into violence. Maybe it goes back to our ancestors and all those fighting polynesian warriors way before Christ. I also have a theory that there is some sexual repression that can transform into incest. Why? Maybe it has something to do with how religion wants to control us because were such sinners. Thoughts like beating down your neighbor get beat down by love your neighbor. Lord forgive us monkeys for we know not what we do. Thoughts like he wants to have sex with her get reprimanded by the church. I could be wrong but its just a theory and the truth is up to you. Why? Because were supposed to wait till your married and that doesnt imply marrying your sister or a man. Thats what the church told me. To me, bizarre behavior is if a man wanted to marry a horse or a fish wanted to be a matai. Whats going on underneath it all, Samoa? First thing before trying to change everything is look in the mirror, Samoa. As my friends in Alcoholics Anonymous would say, acceptance is the answer to all my problems. The mirror wont lie to you, it gives you the real and not the ideal. The mirror accepts you as you are. We can do it. We are Samoa people of the sun. Sounds cool to me. Now, does anybody have hospitality to buy me a cup of koko esi? Mike D Prime Minister travels to Australia and New Caledonia. Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has left the country for Canberra Australia and New Caledonia. He will be attending the ceremony to officially open the new Samoa High Commission office in Canberra to be held today. The C.E.O for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peseta Noumea Simi is accompanying the Prime Minister to this event. They will continue on to attend the celebration of 70 years for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (S.P.C) in New Caledonia on 28 of July. Prime Minister Tuilaepa will deliver the keynote address at this event. Money is always the problem. That is the opinion of Jerry Maumaga of Maninoa Siumu and Mulifanua when he spoke with the Village Voice yesterday. You see, Jerry is looking for a job. Im on my way to nearby hotels to look for a job, he said, any job. Jerry has been on the hunt for three weeks. The unsuccessful search thus far has left him sad. I mean that feeling grows every time I am rejected, he said. I have three children and theyre in primary school and my family used to reside at Mulifanua. That family includes his wife and children. But family commitments meant they had to relocate, so now they are with his wifes family at Maninoa, Siumu. It isnt food that is the problem but money to put my children through school and support their financial needs. I dont want to rely on others for the good of my children, thats why Im looking for a job. Jerry worked at one of his friends carpentry business before they moved to Siumu. Now Im looking for a job here for my children especially my family...Im desperately in need of a job. And the struggle is real for Jerry since no one from his wifes family works, he is desperate enough to even consider the lengthy trip to Apia to work just so he can provide financially for the up keep of his children and family. So any kind of job, Apia is alright as well...but at least I can have a job. Jerry strongly believes his children are his best investment in this life. My family is very poor but my children can make the foundation of the future tomorrow. That is why Im worrying so much now ...I want to make sure that theyre in school. He went on to say that every child has the right to quality education. But I cant help them do that if I dont have a job, Jerry said. Theres a common belief that faith goes together with work, so I dont want to just sit around and dream big for my childrens successful future when I dont have a job to put them through school. Aside from being unemployed, Jerry is quite happy with life in Samoa. Aside from the high cost of living, thank God that we dont need to pay any money for housing like New Zealand and other countries. We have food everywhere, taro is rotten all over Samoa but money is always the problem. So, all we have to do is to find possible ways to help our family and children survive from day to day. If you can help or know someone who can offer Jerry a job he can be contacted on 772-2078. More than 250 delegates are in the country to attend the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (C.T.O) Pacific Broadband Forum 2017. The meeting opens at 9am at the T.A.T.T.E Convention Centre today. Deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa is scheduled to open the conference. According to information provided by organisers of the meeting, the Commonwealth Broadband Pacific Forum 2017 will acknowledge the crucial role of the network as the platform to help transform community life. It will review how communities are connected, administered and managed to achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability. This years event will examine areas including the development of national broadband strategies and relevant technologies, while also focusing on applications and data. This will be a two-day conference featuring an exhibition with presentations and interactive panel discussions during the conference. The Conference will be attended by over 250 delegates from Samoa and overseas and is a joint collaboration between the C.T.O, Ministry of Communications and information Technology and the Office of the Regulator. Representatives of the 26 countries and territories that govern the Pacific Community (S.P.C) including Samoa have launched a regional campaign that celebrates the legacy of Pacific women. The officials are gathering in Noumea, New Caledonia, this week for the organisations biennial conference. The Inspiring Pacific Women campaign, which also coincides with S.P.Cs 70th Anniversary celebrations, will highlight the significant contribution of 70 women or groups of women towards the social, economic, cultural and political development of S.P.Cs Pacific Island country and territory members. Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of the Pacific Community, Dr Colin Tukuitonga said, Without the strength and resilience of our women, the Pacific and our communities would be quite different today. We increasingly hear about the Pacific women of our past who broke barriers and inspired so many women navigators of our Pacific Ocean, sportswomen, writers and poets. They are all Pacific leaders. The 70 Inspiring Pacific women initiative celebrates their legacy. Dr. Tukuitonga also paid tribute to the first woman at the helm of S.P.C, Lourdes Pangelinan, who features as the inaugural profile in the regional campaign. I am told Ms Lourdes Pangelinan often describes herself as a simple Chamorro woman yet she pushed the boundaries in terms of womens leadership and became a role model for women in the region, Dr. Tukuitonga said. Earlier this year, S.P.C made a general call for submissions to assist with identifying suitable candidates for the campaign and over the next 70 days, each successful submission will be shared via S.P.Cs corporate media platforms and regional media partners. The campaign will culminate with the start of the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and Meeting for Pacific Ministers for Women, which will be hosted in Suva, Fiji in October this year. More information on the Celebrating the legacy of Pacific women campaign can be found here. S.P.C member representatives are attending the organisations 47th Meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA 47) and 10th Conference of the Pacific Community in Noumea from 24 to 28 July. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has congratulated the Bank of the South Pacific (B.S.P.) for its rapid growth in the region. Speaking during a function to end the Banks Board meeting held in Samoa last week, Prime Minister Tuilaepa acknowledged the Banks Chairman, Sir Kostas Constantinou for their interest in Samoa. I believe that Sir Kostas has taken Samoa on board to be a place to invest most probably because Samoa has a very stable government, Tuilaepa said. If that is the basis, then Sir Kostas, I think you should come to Samoa only because we will continue to be a very stable government for a long time. The simple reason is because we have managed to put through a lot of amendments to our Constitution to ensure that the usual condition that leads to instability in government, the usual cause for this has already been enacted in our laws to prevent such instability in the future. Tuilaepa said it is great to know that Sir Kostas chose Samoa as a venue for their meeting. There is no better way to know a place unless you come here yourself and experience the way we live and do business in Samoa. Tuilaepa also noted the importance of stability. Instability normally comes through members of Parliament who cannot stick to one party but keep shifting from one party to another depending on what a Member of Parliament can get, said Tuilaepa. But Samoa has managed to come up with a solution. So we have solved that problem by changing our laws to make that extremely difficult. So if you do want to shift, it means you have to declare your seat vacant and go back and face the election. Tuilaepa said politicians who are undecided about where they want to stand causes instability in many governments. But we think we have solved that problem. So for a long time into the future we should continue to see stable governments running our country. He then moved to the issue of tourism and Virgin Australia and the joint venture with the Samoa Government. There are many good prospects here to invest particularly in the area of tourism, he told the gathering. It is a reason why we took a bold step recently to terminate our joint venture with Virgin Airline, because we know they have not performed to the expectation we had in the beginning. And I think with these bold steps we have decided that we should increase international connections bringing in more visitors to our shores and that would be sweet music for our hoteliers and other related businesses. By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Jul 25 (PTI) Opposition BJP today approached the Election Commission of India with a request to cancel Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks assembly membership for allegedly misusing government machinery. A BJP delegation, led by the partys state vice-president Samir Mohanty, met Odishas Chief Electoral Officer DN Gupta and also demanded that Patnaik be barred from contesting polls for three years. advertisement Yesterday, Ganjam district collector Prem Chand Chaudhary moved Orissa High Court to seek the recall of the notice issued by it to the election commission last week to disclose the poll expenses of Patnaik. The HC had issued a notice to the election commission following a writ petition filed by an RTI activist last year praying that the EC take action against alleged financial irregularities committed by Patnaik. "The case by the Ganjam district collector violates the Representation of the People Act," Mohanty told the reporters today. The BJD rejected the allegation and in turn, accused the BJP of attempting to tarnish Patnaiks image. "The man who was defeated in the election in 2014 from Hinjili assembly segment did not make any such complaint. Now after three-and-half years of the elections, the BJP has been making allegations," BJD spokesperson, PK Deb said. On Ganjam collector moving the High Court, Deb said the petitioner had named him as a party in the poll expenditure case. "The collector therefore made the move and there has been no misuse of government machineries as alleged," he said. Various political parties in the state are engaged in a fierce slugfest over the ruling BJDs "controversial" bank account and Patnaiks alleged false statements of poll expenses to ECI. PTI AAM KK CHT CHT --- ENDS --- Most teenagers live life not knowing what they are called to do. For Pese Siaosi, he says a dream is merely a wish if you dont move towards achieving it. Merely 17-years-old from Leulumoega and Saanapu, he already knows his purpose in life; working to support his family. Pese was mowing the lawn yesterday to prepare for their villages lawn inspection. Speaking to the Village Voice team, he said he hopes to be one of the fruit pickers for New Zealand. I know a lot of us; whether we are young or old, we all encounter challenges when looking for employment but Im not going to let that stop me, he said. Im ready and my family thinks Im ready and they are the only ones whose decision is always sound. I love my family and being one of the youngest, Im always making myself available to do little things like mowing the lawn, cooking, helping out the older men of the family with other things. Im still in school but for me I want to work already and that is why Ive applied to be one of the fruit pickers. Im not sure of anything else for the future but all I know, is that working now to support my family is one thing Im sure of. He added I think the idea of becoming one got stuck in my head whenever my cousins that are working as fruit pickers; come home with stories about their experiences and watching them doing so much for their families made me feel that I want to do something useful for my family as well. We are not a rich family so what is there to lose? Right now, I have a big family but the only people that are working to make money for us are my dad and sisters and I feel sorry for them because they are getting older. Pese said his aunties have food stalls at the Savalalo market. I know people will look at me and say that Im too young for something like this but nobody in this world would know something for sure until they try it; as the saying goes, you never know until you try. Think a minuteYears ago a woman was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest honor an American civilian can receive. This was all the more amazing since she was not even an American! Mrs. Josefina Guerrero was from the Philippines, where she became known simply as Joey. Joey was a young, pretty and outgoing lady who was well-known in her home city of Manila, and her husband was a successful medical student. Everything seemed to be going her way. Then World War II started. Joey and her friends offered to help the U.S. prisoners of war by bringing them food, clothing, medicine, and important messages. Later Joey even volunteered to serve as a spy and, in fact, became one of the most effective spies the Americans ever had. On her first mission she explored and drew maps of enemy camps. Her only weapons were paper and pencil which she used to record everything she saw behind enemy lines. One of Joeys nearly impossible missions took her on foot through 56 miles of enemy territory, including minefields and enemy camps. It was this kind of bravery and skill on her many missions that earned her great respect from the American soldiers who gave her the affectionate nickname, Joey. What is most amazing is that during those three years of her highly successful career as a spy in enemy territory, Joey was never caught or even searched one time! But there was a reason why she was able to achieve such a remarkable record as a wartime spy who saved thousands of American lives. Joey had a weakness which she used as her secret weapon to help win the war: she had leprosy! You may have what you think is a weakness, but God can help you find the way to use it for your success by helping others around you and making a difference in the world. Wont you ask Him to take full charge of your life? Only He can truly lead you into the successful and satisfying life He has planned for you. Just think a minute The Police are investigating an incident where a 56-year-old male was found dead and hanging inside his house at Afega last week. This was confirmed by the Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Salaa Moananu Salaa, yesterday when he was contacted by the Samoa Observer. According to police reports, the deceased is married with children, Salaa said. However his wife and children all based overseas so he is the only one here in Samoa." The family of the deceased reported the matter to the Afega Police Office. We are investigating the matter as we speak." We will have more details when the investigation is finished. According to a man who knows the deceased, the mans death has come as a huge shock. The man who spoke to the Samoa Observer on the condition of anonymity said the deceased was a taxi driver who worked for a Taxi Stand in town. I called his cell phone that whole morning but he did not answer, said his friend. It was unusual for him not to come to the Stand and thats why I called his mobile to see if he was coming or if he was sick." After so many calls to his phone and he did not answer, I decided to visit his place in Afega." When I arrived at his place I saw his car parked outside his house so I knocked but he didnt answer." I then opened the door and saw him hanging." I came back and I reported the matter to the Police at Afega. The Chief Executive Officer of Electric Power Corporation, Tologata Tile Tuimalealiifano has refused to confirm or deny reports that electricity prices could soon increase. The fears about an increase have surfaced following public consultations including with the business community about a new Multi-year Tariff Proposal 2017/2018 from the Corporation. Little is known about what this entails. During a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting, the business community was informed that the proposal could result in an increase in tariff rates and a change to tier structure. The objectives of the new proposed rates were for the tariff to be affordable for the public, to cover the Electric Power Corporation operating and capital costs and to meet legislative requirements for Public Bodies, a statement from the Chamber said. This has led to concerns from members of the public who say nation cannot afford another increase to the cost of electricity. Contacted for a comment, Tologata said the process is yet to be completed. Unfortunately it is pretty premature to make a statement at this stage as we are now going through the approval process by the Office of the Regulator, he said. Part of the process is public consultation as per our meeting with the Chamber of Commerce." After the process is completed and the Regulator makes its decision and endorsed by Cabinet, only then the new rates will be officially released. Pressed if the proposal means electricity prices will increase, Tologata was coy. The consultations are still continuing, he said. He further asked the Samoa Observer to wait until the approving process is completed to limit any confusion to members of the public. He also noted that the prices may go down instead of up if Government decided to remove 7% ROE [Return on Equity] obligation which is not included in the current tariff. Last month during submission of the E.P.C.s Annual Report for approval, Members of Parliament raised several contentious issues. As reported earlier one of the issues discussed by the Parliamentary Committee was about the huge reduction of the cost of electricity as approved by Cabinet. The E.P.C. responded in their report submitted to Parliament that it is unable to achieve both targets of meeting its obligation of 7% R.O.E. under Public Finance Management Act 2001, and at the same time, reduce the cost of electricity for the country. If the Corporation has to meet its 7% (R.O.E.) obligation the cost of electricity should be increased." However for the financial year (2016-2017), Cabinet approved reduction in electricity tariff effective 1st August 2016. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi highlighted the importance of electricity. If the cost of electricity is reduced, the whole country and all sectors will benefit, he said firmly. CONGRATULATIONS JOE: A top local chef has been recognised with a global medal by the the President of the World Association of Chefs Societies (W.A.C.S.), Thomas Gugler. Joe Lam, of Scalinis has been presented with a Presidential Medal. Mr. Lam received one of only 10 medals per year awarded to Chefs who are extraordinary in service to their community and hospitality industry. President Gugler, commended Chef Lam on his dedication to the employment of youth in Samoa through the successful Grass Roots Cookery Traineeship. (G.R.C.T.). President Gugler is pictured with Joe Lam here. A top fashion designer, Rupi Taituuga Rokeni, has sacrificed the trip of a lifetime to China for his 73-year-old mother, Faamomoi. Today, Mr. Taituuga should have been among 32 members of the local fashion industry who are in China to learn from garment and fashion industry experts there. But he knows that nothing matters more than family. So when his elderly mother pleaded for him to stay, he did not think twice. The decision was a tough one though. Mr. Taituuga said he had been looking forward to the trip for a long time. lt was Thursday night before our final meeting with the Chinese Ambassador that a sign was revealed to me from my mother during our sleep that I finally made up my mind to stay." The fact is; she didnt want me to go. Not this time. Rupi needs no introduction to Samoa. A top fashion designer, he is master of bold prints, bright colours and embellished designs. lt was sad to see the team I was supposed to be with departing Faleolo Airport on Monday with lots of excitement and expectations, he said. One of the hardest decisions I have ever made and it took me three weeks since l received the invitation to decide whether I should consider the trip over my mother. He believes that it was an opportunity not to be missed. But the two weeks seminar and the travelling time will surely make up to 3 weeks and that is quite a long time for me away from my mother." l believe in my heart that there will always be lots of other opportunities in the future but l only have one mother and I do not want to regret losing her while l'm away. He also thanked Samoan government and China for the opportunity given. What an opportunity for local fashion designer to travel abroad to share the knowledge and ideas, and most of all, the quality of products." Rupis Entrepreneurial savvy has made him a household name and an inspirational in the local and international fashion designing circles and his decades of experience have earned him the right to be hailed as Samoa's highly acclaimed award winning fashion designer. lt has taken him years of hard work, multiple trips to fashion shows overseas and countless challenges to be where he is today. But underneath all that glamour, he remains humble, self-effacing and calls himself as a low profile kind of person". So what is your advice to aspiring designers? Not only that but we have to learn from people who have tried and failed and tried and succeeded. Take risks and dont take things personally." We should have a clear focus and message and always keep that in mind as you develop your designs, the fact is, you can never please everyone but putting your own stamp on everything is what makes the product unique. A certified Master Chef and global President of the World Association of Chefs Societies (W.A.C.S.), Thomas Gugler, is in Samoa. On Monday, he met with members of the Samoan Culinary Association at Taumeasina Island Resort. Based in Saudi Arabia, he is visiting several South Pacific countries including Fiji, New Zealand, Rarotonga and Samoa. W.A.C.S. is an international professional organisation of chefs, with 110 member countries and the head office is in Paris, France. President Gugler emphasised the need for young chefs to be educated and develop their cooking skills, using the preparation and cooking techniques their mothers and grandmothers used. In particular, the importance in retaining the skills in preparing food from scratch and to not rely on convenience foods. Otherwise, these skills may be lost forever. For the future of Samoa, he pointed out, it is important to develop local ethnic food and share this with the world. Samoa, he said, should be proud of its cuisine and continue to develop it by growing more food locally, enabling chefs to highlight local products in exciting dishes. President Gugler visited Tom Rudnicks business, Healthy Me Hydroponics, and was very impressed with the hydroponic salad greens and herbs grown at the farm. Equality is one of President Guglers aims for his time in office. This means, all country members are treated the same regardless of the number of members and geographical location. Developing countries and associations are being included at senior levels. The importance of having women represented at all levels is being actively promoted within W.A.C.S., with several high-level roles now filled by women. Recently, W.A.C.S. partnered with Electrolux in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on sustainability agriculture to end hunger. This agreement will benefit Samoa by having experts in instruct local growers in sustainable agricultural methods through the 'Feed the Planet' initiative created for the food service industry. It is designed to familiarize the participant with the pertinent issues surrounding sustainability on a global, regional/local, and personal level including issues such as food, energy, water and waste. Around the table discussion generated many ideas of support for the S.C.A. and young local chefs. Chefs Associations from wealthier countries are very keen to support local chefs. For example, in-country mentoring by expert chefs from Pacific regions including New Zealand and Australia of local chefs was discussed. This mentoring would increase local chefs skills and techniques and follow up of the initiative is taking place over the next few weeks. Work placements with restaurants, cruise ships and other culinary organisations throughout the world would expose local chefs to new cooking techniques, food combinations and innovative menus that they would not be able to gain here in Samoa. Talks are already underway to ensure this opportunity occurs with support from President Gugler. The highlight of the meeting was the presentation of a Presidential Medal by President Gugler to Chef Joe Lam, owner of Scalinis and President of S.C.A. Only 10 medals per year are awarded with the medal given to Chefs who are extraordinary in service to their community and hospitality industry. President Gugler, commended Chef Lam on his dedication to the employment of youth in Samoa through the successful Grass Roots Cookery Traineeship. (G.R.C.T.) President Gugler was given by the Samoa Culinary Association, a locally crafted wooden mortar and pestle. The afternoon finished with refreshments and a time for S.C.A. members to talk one-to-one with President Gugler before he flew to New Zealand in the evening. Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, officially opened the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisations Pacific Broadband Forum held at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi Building Conference Centre, Apia, this week. Hosted by the Ministry of Communications and Information and Technology and the Office of the Regulator, the three-days conference is being attended by more than two hundred participants from Samoa and around the world. In addressing the conference yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Fiame highlighted the critical role of the internet in connecting and developing the world including many small nations like Samoa. Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, Shola Taylor stated that technology offers enormous potential to enhance lives in the Pacific. This event will examine the challenges faced in achieving universal broadband access, geographical, legal, financial and political to name just a few, Mr. Taylor said. We hope to identify effective solutions that can be easily adopted and implemented in each Pacific island as we work together to make broadband accessible to all." Throughout the Commonwealth, broadband is proving to be an enabler of innovative solutions in areas such e-government, e-business, e-education and e-health, helping to make information and services readily available to millions of people. According to information provided by organisers of the meeting, the Forum will acknowledge the crucial role of the network as the platform to help transform community life. It will review how communities are connected, administered and manage to achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability. This years event will examine areas including the development of national broadband strategies and relevant technologies, while also focusing on applications and data. The conference will feature an exhibition with presentations and interactive panel discussions throughout. Another week, another flurry of legal wrangling in the increasingly fierce patent war between tech giants Qualcomm and Apple. The latest barrage involves Qualcomms request that the U.S. International Trade Commission ban certain iPhone 7 models for infringing on six Qualcomm patents. The commission is seeking comments before deciding whether to proceed with an investigation. Late last week, Intel, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and others weighed in on Apples behalf. Advertisement These groups accused Qualcomm of being a monopoly thats not trying to protect its patents but instead aims to protect its cellular modem market share by blocking competition. Qualcomm is already using its dominant position to pressure competitors and tax competing products, said Ed Black, head of the CCIA, a trade group whose members include Facebook, Google, Intel and Microsoft but not Apple. If the ITC were to grant this exclusion order, it would help Qualcomm use its monopoly power for further leverage against Apple, and allow them to drive up prices on consumer devices. On Monday, Qualcomm shot back, accusing the tech trade groups and Intel of making false, self-serving accusations including constructing a fictional two-player market for premium LTE chips where only Qualcomm and Intel compete. Companies such as MediaTek, Samsung, Marvell, Leadcore, Spreadtrum and HiSilicon (a Huawei company) provide LTE baseband processors for use in mobile devices, and their global sales of these products far surpass Intels sales of similar products, Qualcomm said in an ITC filing. Qualcomm is seeking to ban only iPhone 7s that contain Intels cellular modems, which means devices running on AT&Ts and T-Mobiles networks. Qualcomm is not asking the ITC to ban older model iPhones, or iPhone 7s that run on Verizons or Sprints networks all of which use Qualcomm modems. Qualcomms goal is not to exclude supposedly infringing products from the United States, Intel said in a filing with the ITC. Instead, its primary goal is to exclude Intel modems from the United States, while giving free passage to allegedly infringing Apple products that incorporate a Qualcomm modem. Qualcomm counters that Intel has always been free to sell its modems to all LTE smartphone makers, including Apples competitors, so a partial iPhone 7 ban would not result in Intel being excluded from the U.S. market. In addition, Qualcomm claims it is seeking a limited iPhone 7 ban because it has a better chance of being implemented. As an administrative agency, the International Trade Commissions sanctions can be vetoed by the president. In 2013, the Obama administration set aside an ITC ban on iPhones in Apples long-running patent fight with Samsung. The rationale was that a sweeping ban would harm the U.S. economy and consumers. Qualcomms main point with the ITC, however, is that the case is not about Intel or cellular modems. Its about Apple violating Qualcomm non-modem patents around power management, envelope tracking, fast boot up, better graphics and enhanced performance of smartphones. These patents reflect the breadth of Qualcomms dedication and investment in domestic research and development relating to wireless technology, the company said, and optimizing mobile electronic devices that go well beyond the modems in the accused Apple products. Business mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 Balboa Parks beloved carousel, a fixture off Park Boulevard since 1922, will keep spinning into its second century and spin extra funds for park improvement, the Friends of Balboa Park promised Tuesday. The support group officially announced that it has bought the 107-year-old attraction for $1.6 million from the William Steen and John Folsom families and raised just over half the purchase price from several foundations and individuals. But as it pays down the purchase price through a capital fund-raising campaign over the next five years, Executive Director John Bolthouse said the projected net annual income of about $80,000 will make it possible to support other projects in the park. Advertisement The carousel was one of very few privately owned assets in Balboa Park, Bolthouse said, and our taking over its ownership aligns perfectly with the Friends mission to preserve and maintain the park for future generations to come. He said the city agreed to a long-term lease of the 4,200-square-foot carousel building and adjacent kiddie ride and to charge the group only $1 per year, the standard rate for nonprofits. The previous owners paid the city a concessionaire rate of 25 percent of gross annual revenues, about $260,000 annually. However, Bolthouse said a nearly completed property assessment report indicates the carousel building will need about $600,000 in improvements from electrical upgrades and security cameras to painting, termite damage repair and rot removal. That work is likely to begin after the summer season and be timed to minimize any disruption in operations. The friends group marked National Carousel Day by offering free rides to hundreds of families, who lined up along the fence bordering the miniature Balboa Park Railroad ride. Katie Phillips, 36, and her husband, Marco Torres, 34, of Otay Nestor waited patiently with their daughter, Mia, 3, and son, Marcello, 10 months. They moved to San Diego from South Carolina a year ago and said their home town had nothing like this carousel. I think thats wonderful, Phillips said of the ownership transfer. Michael Becker, 33, of Rancho Bernardo was bringing his son, Dexter, 18 months, to ride with him for the first time. Its kind of a Balboa Park icon, Becker said. Steen recalled riding a carousel where he grew up on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. I never envisioned Id own one of these machines, he said, but considers his 40-year tenure a privilege. He and his wife also own several carousel animals at home and had decided to sell and talked to the San Diego Zoo and other private parties before settling on the Friends of Balboa Park. Were really happy with that, that they will carry on the traditions of this merry-go-round, he said. Bolthouse said the Friends group would like to ramp up marketing, organize special events and make this spot at Zoo Place and Park Boulevard a livelier place to visit. This is the first time this organization has had its own cultural asset, a storefront, where we can do business with the public, he said. Our past work has been to raise money to do projects, to advocate. We had not had something to sell, per se. But nothing significant will be added in the immediate future and any major additions and expansion of the carousels leasehold would need city approval. Bolthouse said the city has encouraged his group to return with a master plan for such changes. Weve got to get a few years under our belt, he said. We want to do this and do it well, and maybe there are some additional things we can do at the site. Weve got to focus on what we were founded for, to make improvements to the park that would not otherwise happen. This is an elegant and historic conduit to make it happen. Just over $800,000 has been raised so far with the biggest contributions for the project from the J.W. Sefton Foundation, $200,000; $100,000 each from the Legler Benbough Foundation and Walter and Betty Zable Foundation; and up to $50,000 each from the San Diego Foundation, Reuben H. Fleet Foundation, Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation, Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation and San Diego Womans Club. In addition to pursuing other deep-pocketed well wishers and reaching to donors via social media, Bolthouse said the Friends is launching a Coins for the Carousel campaign. Children, civic groups and other individuals can pick up specially designed collection boxes at the ticket booth and return them when theyre filled with coins and bills. Theyll get 10 free tickets to ride carousel when they return each box. Each of the figures and other elements of the carousel also can be sponsored by donors in range from $15,000 to $100,000. For example, Ann Wilson, a friends member who is helping organize the fund-raising campaign, said shes also set up a GoFundMe page online to raise $35,000 to sponsor a yellow dog figure by Point Loma High School alumni in honor of the schools pointer mascot. The goal is to reach $3 million by 2020 to pay for the purchase of the carousel and set up a contingency fund to cover any unexpected costs. Speakers at the event shared their childhood memories of riding the carousel and Councilman Chris Ward, whose district includes Balboa Park, said his three-year-old daughter, Betty, always wants to ride the carousel first before visiting the zoo. Meanwhile, the seven-member carousel staff will remain in place and the current schedule will continue unchanged, as will the $3 ticket for a seven-minute ride. We wanted the change to be as seamless as possible, Bolthouse said. However, he said, one low-cost step that will be taken sooner or later will be to get the carousel designated as a historic site. That would entail a thorough historic review of the attraction and guarantee some protection against major design changes that are incompatible with historic preservation standards. Even though the carousel mechanism, dozens of animals (real and mythic), pre-World War I murals and brass ring game remain largely unchanged, Bolthouse said the infrastructure can be brought into the 21st century without the destroying the historic look. For example, the incandescent light bulbs can be replaced by energy-efficient LEDs that look about the same. So you retain that elegant historic, antique look but at small percentage of the (operational) cost, he said. The carousel was built in 1910 by Herschell-Spillman Co. of North Tonawanda, N.Y., and first set up at Luna Park in Los Angeles. Owner H.D. Simpson moved it in 1913 to the Hotel del Coronados Tent City camp grounds with temporary duty in Balboa Park for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition. It moved permanently to the park in 1922 and to its present site in 1968. The Steen and Folsom families have owned it since 1977. The 52 animals and three chariots were carved from English lindenwood and include horses, cats, dogs, frogs, giraffes,mules, ostriches, pigs, roosters and zebras plus a camel, dragon, goat, lion,stork and tiger. The period murals are original, as is the original band organ that plays old-fashioned marches and tunes on 101 original punched tapes. Business roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The Congress has asked the government to bring more transparency in the electoral bonds scheme and alleged that it was a "completely opaque mechanism". Congress treasurer Motilal Vora in a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley demanded more transparency so that the electorate knows who the donor was, which was the donee political party and what was the amount donated. advertisement He said that he had announced in his budget speech that he would come up with the scheme that would bring transparency in electoral funding. Vora said from the finance ministers speech it could be inferred that the donors name would be known only to the bank issuing the bond and the donees name would be only known to the income tax department. "In effect, only the government will know the names of the donors and the donees, and the people will not know who donated how much to which political party. "I am afraid that this will not ensure transparency in electoral funding, on the contrary, it will be a completely opaque mechanism," he said. The Congress leader said his party would give a detailed view only after studying the proposals of the scheme formulated by Jaitley. "My partys view is that, to ensure total transparency, the names of the donors and the donees and the amounts donated must be known to the public so that the people will have the information," he said. The Congress and some other political parties are demanding more transparency in electoral funding. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech, had announced formulation of a new electoral bond scheme to bring transparency in electoral funding as part of governments electoral reform measures. PTI SKC IKA --- ENDS --- Just two months after debuting its nonstop flight between San Diego and Frankfurt, Condor airlines has decided to end the route by the end of the summer season, it said Monday. The decision comes a month after German airline Lufthansa announced it would begin a San Diego-Frankfurt route next year that will operate five days a week. Condors strategy is to introduce nonstop service to Frankfurt for U.S. communities that are underserved with direct access to Europe, said Condor spokesman Johannes Winter. After extensive analysis based on various factors, among them the market situation, customer demand and profitability, we have decided to discontinue Condor nonstop flights from and to San Diego at the end of the summer. We will use that capacity to offer nonstop service to other cities in summer of 2018 as well as year-round connecting service via our partner Alaska Airlines for San Diego residents. Advertisement It was not until yesterday afternoon that Condor even notified San Diego International Airport of its plan to discontinue service after this year, said airport spokeswoman Rebecca Bloomfield. She was unable to provide a reason for Condors quick exit from the San Diego market. We are grateful the airline will continue its route between San Diego and Frankfurt, Germany through end of summer 2017, Bloomfield said. A subsidiary of the British Thomas Cook Group, the German leisure carrier typically moves into markets with limited trans-Atlantic service, like San Diego. Now that San Diego will have year-round nonstop flights to Germany via Lufthansa, Condor may have decided there was not enough demand to support two airlines. Condors current service, which was always intended to be seasonal, is offered up to three days a week and will operate through Oct. 5. After that, it will not resume the following year. The airline did not respond to questions as to why it had decided to leave San Diego after its first year. In recent years, San Diego has had greater success in attracting nonstop flights to overseas destinations, beginning with British Airways nonstop to London in 2011. Part of the process of wooing air carriers to add international routes comes with offers of financial concessions. In the case of Condor, the new flight cost the San Diego Airport Authority $112,500 in marketing incentives, plus a 50 percent rebate of landing fees. It is unclear whether the airport will get any of those funds back. Last month, the Swiss airline Edelweiss inaugurated twice weekly nonstop flights to Zurich. Like the Condor flights, it will be seasonal service. RELATED San Diego gets nonstop service to Frankfurt Lufthansa starting San Diego-Frankfurt service How San Diego airport becomes global stop Business lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Twitter: @loriweisberg For some local students, science offers not only a way to explore the world academically, but also the chance to explore it literally. These students won science awards that come with a big bonus the chance to travel to national or international events. They include a Poway student who will fly to London after researching cancer treatments, an Escondido student whose work on drought tolerant plants earned her a trip to the Future Farmers of America National Convention & Expo, and Carlsbad middle schoolers who attended the National ProjectCSGirls Gala in Washington, D.C. for inventing an artificial photosynthesis device. Advertisement Daniel Zhang, 17, a senior at Westview High School, took a top prize at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair run by the Society for Science & the Public in Los Angeles in May, for his project on a genetic approach to cancer diagnosis. That award earned him a trip to the London International Youth Science Forum. I was trying to see if I could tackle the challenge of cancer diagnosis, Zhang said. A lot of people are diagnosed with cancer, and the biggest problem is theyre diagnosed late. He was inspired to seek that solution after his aunt died of acute myeloid leukemia when he was 8 years old. Based on scientific literature, he suspected that methylation a chemical change in DNA could provide an early clue to cancerous cell changes. He analyzed databases of blood samples, and found that normal cells lacked the methylation signature, but cancerous cells showed high levels of it. Then he checked real blood samples to see if he got the same result. Using sophisticated DNA extraction techniques, he identified bio-markers chemicals that flag the presence of cancer - for acute myloid leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia. My next step, now that I found these bio-markers, was how could I make it easier to use, he said. This isnt like baking cookies this is an extremely complicated procedure. To simplify the process, he designed a primer to target the chemicals, and built an inexpensive test kit to check blood samples for their presence. He hopes it could become part of routine blood screenings. At the prestigious INTEL science fair, Zhang competed with nearly 1,800 other students from 78 countries and regions, and claimed both first place and best of category awards in biomedical and health sciences for his project. He was also one of two students to win the Philip V. Streich Memorial Award, which will send him to London. Zhang said he looks forward to networking with top researchers and touring the historic city. I was so happy he won this top level INTEL award, and so surprised that he did so well, said his father, Bin Zhang. Im so proud of him. At Escondido High School, graduating senior Sage Drohan picked up the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by the Monsanto Company for excellence in academics, leadership, and agricultural work experience. Drohan, 18, earned that honor for her work creating an educational drought tolerant nursery at her schools farm and representing her school at state FFA competitions. Drohans work on the school succulent nursery also allowed her to start a small business in plants and landscaping, and won her the first place proficiency award in nursery operations through the California FFA. That entitles her to represent California at the FFA National Convention & Expo in in Indiana this October. I did start off with nothing, an empty lot, she said of the school nursery. Now, though, because Ive built a good customer base, Im really trying to major in environmental horticulture and business. In June, two eighth graders from Aviara Oaks Middle School in Carlsbad traveled to a national computer science forum, after becoming a finalist team in the 2017 ProjectCSGIRLS National Competition. Aiko Lozar and Pajaka Lakshmin devised an artificial photosynthesis device, which chemically converts sunlight into an alternative fuel source, to potentially reduce the environments carbon footprint. The girls attended the the National ProjectCSGirls Gala in Washington, D.C, where national science and engineering leaders conducted hands-on workshops and tech talks for the students. If you find something that you enjoy it is important to take advantage of every opportunity, Aiko said in a statement. Just do it. Challenge yourself. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan The Old Globe has tapped a highly experienced and well-traveled arts administrator to serve as the Balboa Park theaters next managing director. The Globe announced Tuesday that Timothy J. Shields will take on the key position in mid-October, joining artistic director Barry Edelstein to lead San Diegos flagship arts institution. Shields has been managing director at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, N.J., since 2008; he previously was business manager and general manager there. Advertisement Before and between those jobs, he served for a decade as managing director of Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and did stints at theaters in Denver, Minneapolis and Rochester, N.Y. The one previous California gig for the Pittsburgh native and Carnegie Mellon University grad was as an intern at the Center Theatre Groups Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Shields takes over the business side of the Globe operations, succeeding Michael G. Murphy, who left for a new position last August after four years as managing director and 13 years overall at the Globe. Shields said that among his main areas of emphasis will be supporting Edelsteins continuing efforts toward diversity and audience outreach, strengthening philanthropic support and raising the Globes profile in the community. I dont know whether San Diegans know how great a theater the Globe really is, said Shields, who began interviewing for the job in May. And one of my jobs is going to be making sure that more people know that, and to help lift the Globe in every way I possibly can in the consciousness of people in San Diego. To say, You need to come see this treasure thats waiting for you. If you havent already, you should do it now. If youve done it before, you need to come back. Shields and Edelstein (who has been artistic director since 2012) will report jointly to the Globes board, which is led by Vicki L. Zeiger. She and Edelstein both served on the managing-director search committee, which worked with former Globe managing director Thomas Hall and Stephen J. Albert of consultants AlbertHall&Associates. Edelstein calls Shields just fantastic, and accomplished, and skilled kind of everything the Globe was looking for. Its a wonderful outcome to a long search. The fact that the institution, which has a $25 million annual budget, is in growth mode demands real management skill at the strategic level somebody who really understands how a nonprofit is put together, and manages expansion and change and growth along with day-to-day operations, Edelstein said. Shields is a big-picture thinker who is really going to partner with me to take the Globe its next step. And thats the most exciting thing about him. While the Globe has focused strongly on diversity under Edelstein, the hiring of Shields means the theater still will not have had a woman or person of color at the top of the management chart in its 82-year history. None of San Diegos three most prominent theaters, in fact the Globe, La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego Rep have female or minority artistic directors or managing directors, although more diversity is evident in their programming and in lower-level staffing. While Edelstein couldnt talk about specific candidates, he said the Globe made a real commitment to diversity in its search, and that among the finalist candidates was a pretty impressive array, particularly in gender diversity. Still, I think people will ask that question, and I think people are right to ask that question, he acknowledged. And I think Tim will tell you this, he is committed to advancing those values. Shields, whos the immediate past president of the national League of Resident Theatres, said he sees the managing directors role as providing as many resources as is possible for the artistic directors vision to be seen, in whichever way the artistic director wants it to be seen. My job isnt so much to say no. My job is to say, Well, we could do this, but it would mean we would have to make other choices in other areas. Shields, who is in his late 50s and the father of two grown children, added that he admires Edelsteins vision for the Globe: My hope is I can come in and just speed things down the path he has already started. jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @jimhebert For all of Commandant Gen. Robert Nellers bluster while testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Marines United scandal in March, the service continues to spin its wheels when it comes to rooting out gender bias, harassment and assault in its ranks. It is readily apparent that the real threat to good order and discipline in the Marine Corps is not posed by women, but by senior leaders who are unable or unwilling to take decisive actions to eliminate gender bias and sexism. And while they dither, Marines United participants continue to thumb their noses at women Marines and the Corps. Advertisement Current and former Marines continue share illicit photos, and now videos, of female Marines online in clear violation of regulations, as reported this month by The Daily Beast. The latest version of the Marines United site, now known as Mike Uniform or M.U., indicates that there still thousands of active duty participants as well as new victims, at least one of whom was photographed nude while she was unconscious. All of the photos and videos were shared to M.U. members without the consent of the female Marines -- a clear violation of trust, which is the bedrock characteristic of good order and discipline. GUEST VOICES: Authoritative views on the military and veterans issues Some say that because this is a societal issue, the Marine Corps will not be able to change the behavior of men and women who join the service. The sharing of illicit photos between young men and women is indeed a societal problem, as Peggy Orensteins 2016 book Girls and Sex indicates. Clearly, young men and women face more pressure than ever before to try to fit in. Sadly, nude photo sharing is often considered par for the course in navigating through the social quagmire of middle and high school. But just because something is normal on the outside does not mean it should be considered acceptable inside the military -- particularly for the service that prides itself on being elite and having higher standards. And as military history has proven, when good order and discipline are at stake, strong leadership and accountability can lead to cultural change and improved readiness. During the post-Vietnam era, the use of illegal drugs like heroin and opium by active-duty service members was rampant, resulting in high unauthorized absence and crime rates in the services. Fully recognizing the threat, the Defense Department instituted a zero-tolerance policy requiring mandatory drug testing and greater accountability through mandatory administrative discharges. Within several years, the drug-use rate in the services fell below societal norms -- indicating that behavioral change is absolutely possible in the face of legitimate threats to good order and discipline. But it also reinforces the larger point, which is that real cultural change in the military requires strong leadership, accountability and transparency. We have yet to see such transparency or strong leadership in the Corps when it comes to the elimination of sexism and bias. They dont believe they are sexist in the same way that many racists dont believe they are biased against African Americans. On July 11, the first Marines United offender faced a summary court martial -- generally the forum for minor disciplinary infractions. Of the 62 Marines United cases referred to commanders for action since March, only a handful have resulted in administrative actions against the perpetrators and none have resulted in full courts-martial. This is not a good indication that we should have faith in the willingness or ability of senior Marine leaders to actually lead and enforce discipline. To women Marines, these are not minor offenses, and the lack of transparency in how offenders are or are not held accountable is just one more indication of who is valued in the Corps. The Corps actions show: It isnt women. The Marine Corps has stalled in its attempts stamp out sexism within its ranks. Why? Because despite being a service that allegedly prides itself on accountability, the reality is that the majority of general officers in the Marine Corps -- the overwhelming majority of whom are white and male -- have no real incentive to change anything. They dont believe they are sexist in the same way that many racists dont believe they are biased against African Americans. Make no mistake, the senior leaders are the problem. Consider Brig. Gen. Austin Renforth, commanding general of the recruit depot and Eastern Recruiting Region at Parris Island, South Carolina. Renforth gave an interview last month that described male recruits as showing up to boot camp breathing fire, while female recruits spend the first few weeks of training in tears, and that is why segregated boot camp continues to be necessary in the Marine Corps. Renforths statement was sexist and offensive and set off a firestorm of commentary among female Marines on social media. But rather than removing Renforth from his post or even just denouncing his remarks, Gen. Glenn Walters, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, put out a video response praising Renforth for his efforts at Parris Island and downplaying his sexist comments. Ironically, Walters made a statement to the press several weeks later that, We will not tolerate a lack of respect for any member of our team. Yet the comments by Renforth were clearly disrespectful to women in the Corps, as was Walters video response. But the greatest irony of all is that Walters, the second most senior officer in the Marine Corps, is in charge of the task force established by the commandant to evaluate why the Marines United scandal occurred in the first place. If guys like Walters are in charge, it stands to reason why the participants in Marines United continue to feel entitled to denigrate Marine women on social media. And this is the problem. By failing to take swift, decisive and transparent actions against the perpetrators of sexism in the Corps -- whether general officer or lance corporal -- senior Marine leaders perpetuate the cycle and undermine good order and discipline in the Corps. Clearly, there is a gap between saying and doing in terms of the stated values of the Marine Corps and how Marines are actually held accountable for living up to them. But if senior Marine leaders want to know why sexism is so pervasive in their Corps, all they need to do is look in the mirror. As the Marines United social media scandal continues to play out six months after being initially reported by the media, it is clear that those who violate regulations and abuse the trust of their female counterparts will rarely face real consequences. As a result, the tenuous thread that enables leaders to curb behaviors that are incompatible with military service continues to fray, putting good order and discipline in the Corps in jeopardy. Kate Germano is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. You can reach her at germanoki@gmail.com. Guest Voices is always open to new points of view. If you have an opinion to put forth in a column, email us at jen.steele@sduniontribune.com The United States has spent $28 million more than it needed to on forest-pattern uniforms for the Afghan National Army a move that the U.S. defense secretary is calling cavalier and wasteful. The spending is especially bizarre because the green forest pattern is at odds with Afghanistans desert landscape. Secretary James Mattis fired off a memo Friday to three Pentagon senior officials in charge of Afghanistan war resources, calling the money for uniforms an example of cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions, according to the Associated Press, which saw a copy. Advertisement In my view, the key finding of the ... report is not just that it exposes waste, or that it captures how funds are diverted away from other mission priorities, but rather that it serves as an example of a complacent mode of thinking, Mattis wrote. I expect all (Defense Department) organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices -- and take aggressive steps to end waste in our department. Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day The spending was expected to be discussed as a House Armed Services Committe hearing today at 11 a.m. (PDT.) A June report by the special inspector general for Afghanistan blasted the decision by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan to choose a proprietary forest pattern for Afghan uniforms over the past 10 years. The report found that: Using a proprietary camouflage pattern and a different uniform style resulted in significantly higher costs up to 43 percent higher than other uniforms that Defense Department procured for Afghan National Army commandos and several Afghan National Police units. Since 2008, the selection of a proprietary camouflage pattern and different uniform type has potentially added between $26.65 million to $28.23 million to the cost of Defense Department-funded ANA uniform procurement. The inspector general concluded that changing the uniform could save U.S. taxpayers between $68.61 million and $72.21 million over the next 10 years. The proprietary pattern is owned by HyperStealth, a Canadian uniform company based in British Columbia. Prior to the new uniforms, Afghan army recruits were issued whats been described as a hodgepodge of uniforms donated by other nations. Eventually they switched to something similar to the U.S. Armys woodland battle dress uniform. But it was too easy for terrorists to copy the uniforms and infiltrate the Afghan ranks. By early 2007, Afghan defense officials wanted a new and distinctive uniform to mark its soldiers as members of a sovereign government. The Afghan president and minister of defense requested the development of a new uniform, and the U.S. agency in charge of Afghan rebuilding, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, agreed. Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal jen.steele@sduniontribune.com Facebook: U-T Military Twitter: @jensteeley Benjamin Ramirez first noticed the thin, bearded man in late June, standing across the street, staring at him, as he sold shave-ice slushies and Mexican street corn. Over the next few weeks, on three occasions, Ramirez, 24, said the man and a woman harassed him about doing business in their Hollywood neighborhood. They told him that it was illegal and that he was blocking the sidewalk, he said. When Ramirez only two months into street vending told his father about the encounters on Romaine Street and El Centro Avenue, he gave his son a piece of advice. Advertisement I told him: next time, get it on video, Alex Ramirez said. The next time happened last week, and this time Ramirez captured the encounter. Late Monday afternoon the video exploded on social media, showing the bearded man tipping over Ramirezs white, wooden cart, spilling ears of corn, bottles of syrup and chips on the street. The confrontation unleashed public fury at the man, who wore a hat and a Guns N Roses shirt, and swelling support for the street vendor. On Tuesday a small rally was held outside the green apartment complex where the altercation occurred. In an interview for a Spanish morning radio show, Ramirez, a soft-spoken Mexican immigrant, said he appreciated the communitys support. More than 30 people gathered at the location, some from other neighborhoods. It really hurts me that people are being bullied like that, said Galo Conote, 46, of Koreatown. Its uncalled for and it hits close to home because Im Mexican. In the hierarchy of immigrant occupations, street vending is near the bottom. Its a job from which you cant be fired but it takes long hours every day to make a living. There are few symbols more potent of the slogging work than the pushcart which, balky as it can be, is a virtual livelihood on wheels. In Los Angeles, most street vending is illegal, but spurred by President Trumps tough talk on illegal immigration, city officials moved to decriminalize it this year in order to reduce the risk of deportation for vendors who are living in the country illegally. In the video, recorded July 17, the bearded man is seen standing several feet from Ramirez. The man is walking his dog with the woman who appears to be his girlfriend. After several exchanges, Ramirez tells the man that he has room to pass. Move the cart, or Im going to move it myself, the man said in Spanish. Go ahead, Ramirez said. The man then handed the dogs leash to the woman, and walked toward Ramirez. He held an object in his right hand that Ramirez believed to be a knife. Ramirez said that in self-defense he threw chili powder at the man. Enraged, the man flipped Ramirezs food cart. Ramirez said it was only after speaking to a Los Angeles police detective that he learned the object in the mans hand may have been a stun gun. Shortly after tossing the chili powder, Ramirez grabbed a metal bar to protect himself, apparently causing the woman to step in and warn him. Ramirez turned the cellphone on himself. Im recording this because this ... racist threw my things, he said. Im not racist, the man said from a distance. Im Argentinian, you retard. Benjamin Ramirez is interviewed by local media as supporters arrive near the location where the confrontation took place. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Youre impacting someones ability to make a living and affecting their ability to get a piece of the American pie, the American dream, said Ulisses Sanchez, a Boyle Heights community organizer who is planning a happy-hour event to raise money for Ramirez. Your actions have repercussions. The Los Angeles Police Department said it is looking into the matter but did not provide further information. A city attorneys spokesman said it is his understanding the LAPD is still investigating the incident. The man who shoved the cart has not been identified by authorities. Ramirez said all he wants is for the man to pay for the damage he caused and for the food he lost. One by one, residents and neighbors approached him to encourage him to stay strong. Dont you stop coming around here, look around, you have all this support, a woman yelled at Ramirez, who smiled and replied: Im grateful for it. Street cart vendor Alex Ramirez serves up ice and fruit in Hollywood, close to the area where his son, Benjamin Ramirez, had his cart overturned after a dispute with another individual. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. ALSO She killed her own sister: Family reeling after California teen livestreamed deadly DUI crash San Diego teacher detained after refusing to answer Border Patrol questions at checkpoint Street vendors launch citywide effort to clean up sidewalks Why do you go after us like this? Video shows Riverside sheriffs deputy arresting a woman selling flowers without a permit Los Angeles should explore whether to create a municipal bank that would finance affordable housing and throw its doors open to the cannabis industry, City Council President Herb Wesson said Tuesday. Wesson tossed out the idea as part of a sweeping speech that set out his agenda for his final term. In addition to the bank, Wesson said L.A. must take new and innovative steps to battle racism, protect immigrants and build more affordable housing. When our grandchildren tell stories of us, what will they say? Will they say we were brave? asked Wesson, who recently was reelected as council president. When the history books remember us, will they say that we did everything within our power to improve the lives of the people we represent? Advertisement To combat hatred, Wesson wants the city to help organize scores of intimate dinners between people of different races, faiths and backgrounds. To defend immigrants, he wants the city to craft new legislation. And to ensure more affordable housing is built, Wesson wants a new commission to think up ideas. But his most unexpected proposal was forming a bank: Wesson suggested that a municipal bank could help finance affordable housing, provide loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and give the marijuana industry a safe place to park its cash. Cannabis businesses have been shut out of many banks and rely heavily on cash transactions. Do you know, weve got people that are going to go home tonight and sleep on a mattress thats worth $2 million? Wesson said, alluding to marijuana entrepreneurs stashing cash at home. We have to figure out a way to make this industry work. We in government are supposed to push the envelope, not protect the status quo. The Southern California Coalition, a marijuana industry group, welcomed the idea. The cannabis industry is perceived to be a sitting duck for crime because its heavily cash based, said Adam Spiker, the groups executive director, adding that marijuana businesses also struggle to get loans and have had trouble finding landlords willing to accept cash. The speech, which was promoted in advance to the media, had the feel of another State of the City address. Wesson, a former speaker of the California State Assembly, greeted fellow council members Tuesday by saying that the inauguration ceremony earlier this month was the mayors day, while today is our day. Ahead of his speech, a video revisited some celebrated moments for the City Council, including increasing the citywide minimum wage, passing a bond to help the homeless and courting the Olympics. Wesson, 65, led his remarks with a story, recounting that white men had pelted him with a milkshake and called him racial slurs when he was a 12-year-old headed to the movies in Ohio. He went on to list a number of hateful incidents in the last year, including the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and the slaying of two men trying to defend a Muslim girl on a Portland, Ore., train. We cannot stand by and allow bad people to roll back the clock on the progress that we have made, not just in this city, but in this country, Wesson said. Wesson plans to partner with Community Coalition, an advocacy group formerly led by City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, to host more than 100 small dinners that bring Angelenos together throughout the city. After the speech, he told reporters that he believed face-to-face dinners could change the world, saying that such discussions at college and church had helped him let go of a hardened heart after he was attacked as a youth. To address the housing crisis facing Angelenos, Wesson said he wanted a new commission to come up with strategies to make it easier to build affordable housing. The commission, created in partnership with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, could explore everything from speeding up permits to repurposing shipping containers, Wesson said. Wesson said a municipal bank also could help finance more affordable housing. He did not go into details Tuesday about how precisely the L.A. bank would work, saying that he wanted Councilman Paul Krekorian to start examining the idea and see whether it was worthwhile. The idea of a public bank has been championed by some local activists who see it as a way to keep money in the community and steer clear of unethical investments. North Dakota created a public bank nearly a century ago; campaigns to create public banks have popped up in Oakland, San Francisco and other cities. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 400 people had signed a Change.org petition backing a Los Angeles municipal public bank accountable to the people. Phoenix Goodman, one of the co-founders of Public Bank L.A., said that activists who want Los Angeles to divest from Wells Fargo had realized that they needed an ethical alternative. The real solution isnt going from a big bank to another big bank its transcending Wall Street altogether, Goodman said. But the idea also drew some skepticism Tuesday. The city has structural deficits going on forever and now they want to start a bank? said Jack Humphreville, who serves on the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, which provides input for city leaders on the budget. The last time Wesson gave such a speech two years ago, some wondered whether the prominent address meant he was angling to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Tuesday address comes three years before the powerful and charismatic politician will be termed out of the City Council. In his speech, Wesson repeatedly cast his gaze beyond Los Angeles to the nation at large. But when asked, Wesson said that didnt mean he was eyeing any kind of national office only emphasizing that Los Angeles could lead the country toward progress. Im not going anywhere, Wesson said. L.A. is stuck with me. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @LATimesEmily UPDATES: 4:55 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction to Wessons remarks. This article was originally published at 2:35 p.m. Eleven people charged in a conspiracy case related to the Mexican Mafia, a notoriously violent prison gang whose influence reaches beyond prison walls, pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges. The defendants four men and seven women are among 20 people accused in the case, the result of a three-year investigation dubbed Operation Emero. Prosecutors have said the probe revealed how members of the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, used prison phones, contraband cellphones, mail and email to communicate with associates on the outside who extorted victims, sold drugs and collected money on behalf of incarcerated gang members. Advertisement On Monday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth accepted not guilty pleas from the 11 defendants who appeared in court and scheduled a status conference for Thursday, when their lawyers will discuss bail and other issues. The district attorneys office has requested a hold on bail for some of the defendants until a judge can evaluate whether the funds each would use to pay bail were obtained legally. Many of the people named in the 40-page complaint were arrested last week and remain in custody. One man is in a hospital, where he underwent surgery for kidney and liver transplants, lawyer Gretchen von Helms said. That defendant and others are expected to be arraigned over the next few weeks. There are other individuals who have been charged in this case who are currently in either local or state prison facilities, Deputy Dist. Atty. Sophia Roach said. The defendants face charges including conspiracy to commit torture, conspiracy to commit assault causing great bodily injury, extortion, possession of drugs for sale, conspiracy to commit arson and possession of an assault weapon. According to the investigation, the defendants are believed to have operated in two groups led by either federal prison inmate Jose Alberto Bat Marquez or California death row inmate Ronaldo Ayala. Marquez, a Mexican Mafia member and alleged enforcer for the Arellano Felix drug cartel, has been in federal custody since being extradited from Mexico in January 2007. He was sentenced to life in prison after a 2011 jury trial. Ayala has been on death row since 1989 for the execution-style killings of three men in a southeastern San Diego auto shop. Marquez and Ayala are not named as defendants in the new case. They will be treated as unindicted co-conspirators as the case proceeds, the prosecutor said. dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Littlefield writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune The arrest of a pastor during a routine appointment with an immigration officer Monday has sparked protest and sent worry through Los Angeles Latino religious community. Noe Carias, who now leads an evangelical church near Echo Park, was first deported in 1993 after crossing illegally into the United States as a teenager. The Guatemala native then returned to the U.S. and ignored a second deportation order in 1995. According to lawyer Noemi Ramirez, Carias who is married to a U.S. citizen had been granted two, one-year stays in January 2015 and April 2016. Earlier this year, a third stay was denied. Advertisement At his immigration check-in Monday morning, Ramirez said, they decided to say hes removable because of his 95 decision. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency provided a written statement on Carias case. Mr. Carias is a repeat immigration violator who has assumed multiple identities and nationalities over the years in order to evade federal immigration enforcement, the agency said. During previous encounters with immigration authorities, his actions have established a pattern of misrepresentation or deception to law enforcement, resulting in his removal from the United States on at least three occasions. President Trump was elected with a promise to crack down on immigrants who are in the country illegally including those with criminal histories or previous deportation orders. According to ICE officials in Southern California, there has been no change from the policies carried out under President Obama. But Trumps election has heightened fears in a city with a large population of people who are in it illegally. In a case that received national attention, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez a Mexican citizen who has lived in the United States for 25 years was pulled over by federal agents minutes after dropping off his 12-year-old daughter at her Lincoln Heights school. Another daughter who was in the car sobbed as she filmed the encounter earlier this year. In May, The Times reported that while arrests by ICE are up 35% nationwide since Trump took office, they remain relatively flat in Southern California. Arrests of immigrants without criminal pasts have remained low in the L.A. region as well. Carias was detained as his wife, Victoria Carias, was waiting in the lobby of the downtown building housing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office. Victoria Carias said her husband had told her they would grab brunch after his appointment. Hes a good man, hes a pastor, hes been a good citizen, Victoria Carias said. Hes never done anything wrong. The only thing he did was come here illegally. Her husband, she said, had been living with relatives in Mexico before coming to the U.S. They met in church, and about six years ago he founded Iglesia Pentecostes Cristo la Roca de Poder. The couple have two children, who are American citizens. Wednesday will be their 14th wedding anniversary. Pastor Noe Carias with wife, Victoria, and their children Nylah and Abraham at their East L.A. church in April (Joshua Rincon / Los Angeles Times) We didnt expect this, Victoria Carias said Monday, clutching her children, ages 6 and 5. We came with a lot of hope that everything was going to go well. He said, When we leave, well go and eat. Then she found out that her husband had started praying when he heard he would be arrested less than 10 minutes into his appointment. According to Ramirez, Noe Carias, 42, has no criminal history. She quoted the immigration officer as saying: Sorry, hes deportable. Weve removed people even if they have [deportation orders] since the 80s. After Novembers presidential election, religious leaders in Los Angeles formed a network with immigration groups to support pastors facing deportation orders. Guillermo Torres of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice connects evangelical Latino pastors with immigration attorneys. He said that pastors already had met with and sent letters to immigration officials about Carias case. This case meets the criteria for [action] because its an evangelical pastor that poses no threat to our country, to our community, Torres said. In addition, he said, situations like Carias can spread fear among Latino congregations. What are the members going to think? Torres said. Theyre going to be afraid. Theyre going to say, If that happened to our pastor, imagine whats going to happen to us. Maura Sandoval, a relative of Carias and a congregant at his church, said that she cant imagine it without him. This would leave us by ourselves, she said, crying as she walked away from the federal building with the pastors wife. Hes the one who guides us. Just like his children are losing their father, we our losing a great leader. To read the article in Spanish, click here leila.miller@latimes.com ALSO San Diego teacher detained after refusing to answer Border Patrol questions at checkpoint California teen arrested after posting live video of crash and dying sister on Instagram Actress Hilary Duff is the latest target in a series of celebrity burglaries in L.A. UPDATES: 4 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from ICE This article originally published at 8:55 p.m. July 24 San Diego County middle school teacher Shane Parmely was detained for more than an hour by Border Patrol agents at a checkpoint in New Mexico because she refused to say whether she was a U.S. citizen. Parmelys family helped her film the incident, which she posted Friday evening on her Facebook account in several segments that were widely shared. Parmely told Border Patrol agents that she believed she did not have to answer their questions. One agent showed her a card listing immigration law and a Supreme Court case decision that give Border Patrol agents authority to operate checkpoints within 100 miles of the border and to ask questions about citizenship without warrants. Citizens? an agent asked her as she drove up to the checkpoint. Advertisement Are we crossing a border? Parmely responded. No. Are you United States citizens? he repeated. Are we crossing a border? Parmely repeated. Ive never been asked if Im a citizen before when Im traveling down the road. As the agent continued to repeat his question, Parmely told him that he could ask her the question, but she didnt have to answer. You are required to answer an immigration question, the agent said. You are not required to answer any other questions. When Parmely refused to answer the question, the agent told her that she was being detained for an immigration inspection. So if I just come through and say, Yes, Im a citizen, I can just go ahead? Parmely asked. If the agent is justified by the answer, then yes, the agent responded. So if I have an accent, and Im brown, can I just say, Yes, and go ahead or do I have to prove it? she asked. I have a bunch of teacher friends who are sick of their kids being discriminated against. Ok, Im not discriminating against anybody, the agent said. Later during the encounter, Parmelys son asked to use the bathroom. One agent told Parmely that he could not use the bathroom until his mother answered the question about her citizenship. Another agent came over shortly after to escort the boy to a bathroom. Border Patrol agents eventually let Parmely go without answering their question. Parmelys videos are not an isolated incident. For years, people who view such checkpoints as a violation of their constitutional rights have filmed and posted interactions with Border Patrol agents. Although most praised Parmely for her actions, some criticized what they saw as disrespect to law enforcement doing their jobs. Im SICK of people claiming that law enforcement is the problem. Until of course you need them, wrote Jaime N Jerry Bevan, who said that her husband is a detective. Parmely responded, What was the point of refusing to move to the back of the bus? Enforcing racist laws perpetuates institutional racism, Parmely added in another comment. Im sick of helping perpetuate racist laws just because Im not inconvenienced by them. Parmely responded to a Facebook message from a Union-Tribune reporter, saying she might be able to talk later but could not for now. The school website indicates that she teaches English, art and theater. According to a flier from the American Civil Liberties Union, Border Patrol has the authority to stop vehicles at checkpoints and ask questions to verify citizenship. The flier says that people can exercise their right to remain silent but may be detained if they refuse to answer citizenship questions. Agents cannot detain someone for an extended time without cause. Border Patrol spokesman Mark Endicott issued a statement in response to the incident saying the agencys policy is to treat people with dignity and respect. Border Patrol checkpoints are a critical tool for the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the statement said. At a Border Patrol checkpoint, an agent may question a vehicles occupants about their citizenship, place of birth, and request document proof of immigration status, how legal status was obtained and make quick observations of what is in plain view in the interior of the vehicle. During the course of the immigration inspection, if an occupant refuses to answer an agents questions, the agent may detain the driver for a reasonable amount of time until he or she can make a determination regarding the occupants immigration status. Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO Religious leaders protest L.A. pastors detention during a routine ICE appointment California teen arrested after posting live video of crash and dying sister on Instagram Actress Hilary Duff is the latest target in a series of celebrity burglaries in L.A. He also said that China was racing with the US in militarisation. By India Today Web Desk: As the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops continues along the border in the Sikkim sector, Indian Army's Vice Chief Sarath Chand today said China is bound to be a threat to India in the years to come. Addressing a joint seminar of the Army's Master General Ordnance and Confederation of Indian Industry, Lt Gen Chand also slammed Pakistan for shelling a school. advertisement Referring to China, he said: "On the North, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing army. Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." He also said that China was racing with the US in militarisation. "As the second largest economy in the world, it is racing to catch up with the US," he said. US LEADS IN DEFENCE EXPENDITURE According to latest figures released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US remains world's largest spender on defence registering a growth of 1.7 per cent between 2015 and 2016 to $611 billion while China is second on the list spending $215 billion in 2016, an increase of 5.4 percent. India was fifth largest military spender in the world in 2016 at $55.9 billion, with its military expenditure growing around 8.5 per cent from the previous year. The Army Vice Chief also noted that a large amount of China's defence spending remains undeclared. "A large portion of Chinese defence expenditure remains undeclared. On the west, Pakistan smaller economy, smaller army... thus they took route of low intensity conflict, which suits China," he said. SECURITY A MAJOR CONCERN Chand also stressed that India needs to pay more attention to security. "We have to pay much more attention to security that what we are doing now. India being at the center of the volatile region is the net security provider," he added. A stand-off is continuing between Indian and Chinese troops along the border in the Sikkim sector, after China attempted road construction in Bhutan's territory around mid-June. Both sides have reinforced troops and are maintaining position along the border, with no signs of a withdrawal soon. Chand also slammed Pakistan for targeting a school building in cross border firing, adding that India would never do something like that. "Pakistan shelled schools, it is not something we would do; when we retaliate we assure Pakistani military is targeted. It is unfortunate to see that they've stooped so low and caused casualty to the children," he said. With inputs from IANS advertisement ALSO READ: Doklam standoff: Chinese media invokes 1962 editorial in fresh barb at India China warns India of serious consequences if it doesn't withdraw troops from Doklam area ALSO WATCH: China's territorial sovereignty undermined by Indian troops: Chinese Embassy in India WATCH VIDEO: China claims India admitted it crossed border, asks latter to withdraw from Doklam to end standoff --- ENDS --- Eleven people charged in a conspiracy case related to the Mexican Mafia, a notoriously violent prison gang whose influence reaches far beyond prison walls, pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges. The defendants four men and seven women are among 20 people accused in the case, the result of a three-year investigation dubbed, Operation Emero. Prosecutors have said the investigation revealed how members of the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, used prison phones, contraband cellphones, mail and email to communicate with associates on the outside who extorted victims, sold drugs and collected money on behalf of incarcerated gang members. Advertisement On Monday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth accepted not-guilty pleas from the 11 defendants and scheduled a status conference for Thursday, when their lawyers will discuss bail and other issues. The District Attorneys Office has requested a hold on bail for some of the defendants until a judge can evaluate whether the funds each defendant would use to pay bail were obtained legally. Many of the people named in the 40-page complaint were arrested last week and remain in custody. One man is in a hospital where he underwent surgery for a kidney and liver transplant, according to his lawyer Gretchen von Helms. That defendant and others are expected to be arraigned over the next few weeks. There are other individuals who have been charged in this case, who are currently in either local or state prison facilities, said Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach. The defendants face charges including conspiracy to commit torture, conspiracy to commit assault causing great bodily injury, extortion, possession of drugs for sale, conspiracy to commit arson and possession of an assault weapon. According to the investigation, the defendants are believed to have operated in two groups, led by either federal prison inmate Jose Alberto Bat Marquez or California death row inmate Ronaldo Ayala. Marquez, a Mexican Mafia member and alleged enforcer for the Arellano-Felix drug trafficking organization, has been in federal custody since being extradited from Mexico in January 2007. He was sentenced to life in prison after a 2011 jury trial. Ayala has been on death row since 1989 for the execution-style killings of three men in a southeastern San Diego auto shop. Marquez and Ayala are not named as defendants in the new case. They will be treated as unindicted co-conspirators as the case proceeds, the prosecutor said. dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield Miramar College graduate, immigrant and Marine veteran Summer Lee never dreamed of attending an Ivy League school while growing up, but shes heading to Yale on a full scholarship later this year. Im very excited, she said in a phone conversation while on a road trip. I was just in New Haven a few days ago and had a chance to tour the campus. Im really looking forward to it. Lee, 24, has a full scholarship to Yale and this year is one of the universitys Eli Whitney Students. The program, created in 1982, annually selects two to nine students for admission to Yale who are starting college at an untraditional age. Advertisement As Lee explained, the programs mission is to bring older students to campus to share their life experiences with younger students. And Lee certainly has some to share. Born in South Korea, Lee was 11 when she and her family moved to Torrance, where her father worked in construction and her mother volunteered at church while she and her older brother were growing up. Admittedly not very interested in school, Lee wasnt sure what she wanted to do with her life until she began learning about the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which happened when she was a child and still living in South Korea. I was completely oblivious to what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, she said, adding that she learned about the attacks from research and watching internet videos. I had a chance to learn about what was going on there, and I wanted to help in any way I could. I found out we still have people out there fighting for my freedom. Lee said she also enlisted at 17 to strengthen herself mentally, which did happen during the four years she served in Qatar and Afghanistan. I grew up in the Marine Corps, she said. A lot of my characteristics are a direct result of the Marine Corps and their teachings. Everything that mattered to me before I joined the Marine Corps immediately became insignificant. Before I joined, it was always about me. To be in the Marine Corps is to be part of something much bigger. Lee enlisted with an open contract, meaning she could be assigned to any job. She became a comptroller, or financial management resource analyst, in charge of accounting, finance and budget for her unit. She had no background in the field, but something clicked. Lee loved the work and found she had a knack for finance. Later, Lee was a sergeant stationed at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina and was given information about the Warrior Scholar Project at Harvard University to pass along to other Marines. Before recommending it to anyone else, however, she wanted to check it out for herself. It was challenging, she said about the week-long program that went from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m each day. I had been out of high school for about four years at the time, and the schedule was always very crazy. They called it academic boot camp. The emphasis of the program was in de-greening the students, or helping them transition out of the military. Lee recalled writing college-level essays and hearing lectures from the Harvard Business School chair and professors from the university. That whole concept was new to me at the time, and even after I completed the course, I didnt think Id go to one of those schools, she said. Lee learned about the Eli Whitney Student program while at Harvard. She wouldnt apply to it for a few years, but she did start thinking about college. She enrolled in Miramar College in the fall of 2015 after learning it was known for its support of veteran students and had a high transfer rate. Lee earned a 4.0 grade point average at Miramar College, where she served as the treasurer for the Student Veterans Organization. She also took classes from Mesa College, and she graduated from Miramar last spring with an associate of arts degree in social and behavioral sciences. Lee said she didnt think shed be accepted at Yale, and remembers crying when she saw congratulations on the subject line of an e-mail from the university. Looking forward to starting classes this fall, Lee said she wants to eventually earn a masters of business administration degree and start a nonprofit to help veterans succeed in school. I do feel like a lot of veterans come out of the military, and they dont really realize the assets they have that are valued in the civilian world, she said. Veterans leave and go back to their hometown, but they are smart and have the mindset and commitment to do well in college. I want them to realize their academic value and potential. Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 A lawsuit claims potholes near Naval Base San Diego were responsible for the 2014 death of a man killed in a motorcycle crash there, but city officials dispute that. A suit filed by the family of U.S. Navy sailor Jamie Scott Powell says city officials should have warned people, particularly motorcyclists and bicyclists, that the road on Harbor Drive near 28th Street was riddled with dangerous potholes. The suit blames his death, at age 23, on hitting a pothole near some railroad tracks in the area and getting launched into oncoming traffic where he was run over by a vehicle and suffered grave injuries. Advertisement Powell was headed to work at the base at the time of the crash. City officials, however, say testimony from eyewitnesses and experts will show that the city is not responsible. Three people witnessed this accident and none saw the motorcyclist hit anything that would cause him to lose control, a spokesman for City Attorney Mara Elliott said on Tuesday. Rather, experts will testify that the deceased was traveling at an excessive speed on a motorcycle so highly modified that it was unstable and hard to handle. The spokesman, Gerry Braun, said Powells death, while regrettable, was not the fault of the city. This was a tragedy, but responsibility for it does not lie with the taxpayers, he said. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Two more candidates have filed initial paperwork to run for San Diego County Board of Supervisors to replace Ron Roberts. Both Marcia Nordstrom, a Republican, and Kenneth Malbrough, a Democrat, recently filed candidate intention statements an early step for running for the office but have not yet announced their campaigns. Neither returned email requests for comment. Theyll join attorney Omar Passons and former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher in the race for a seat that represents most of San Diego City. Advertisement Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana has also said shell run but she has not yet submitted required paperwork. Roberts is leaving the board at the end of 2018 because of term limits. The primary is on June 5 and the top-two candidates will advance to the general election in November. Nordstrom is a real estate adviser and filed her intention statement on July 7. Her LinkedIn profile says she was a board member for one month on the Pacific Beach Planning Group, served on a subcommittee in the Pacific Beach Business Improvement District for less than a year, and was on the Parent Association Board at High Tech Middle Media School for one month. She went to the University of Southern California and has a business degree. Malbrough, who filed on July 20, is a retired deputy chief in the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department who served for nearly 30 years. He also was the chairman of the Encanto Planning Group and the former president of Brothers United, an organization of African-American firefighters, according to articles in Union-Tribune archives. Democrats have a significant voter registration advantage in the district, with 44.3 percent of voters in that party. Republicans have another 20.3 percent, while another 29.8 percent are independents. The seats are nonpartisan, and party affiliation does not appear on ballots. Campaigns, however, often follow party lines. One other seat, District 5 in North County, will also see turnover in 2018. Supervisor Bill Horn, like Roberts, faces term limits. Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1841 Walter Munk, a 99-year-old La Jolla resident known as the Einstein of the Oceans, will soon have part of the La Jolla Shores boardwalk named for him. Munk is best known for inventing the science of wave forecasting to help Allied troops plan invasions during World War II. But City Councilwoman Barbara Bry said on Tuesday that his accomplishments go far beyond that, saying he had an incredible career of scientific contributions and discovery and naming him a founding father of UC San Diego. Advertisement Munk is also known for research into transmission of ocean sounds, deep-sea tides, geophysics, climate change and sea level rise. RELATED: San Diego streamlining honorary naming of streets Born in Austria in 1917, Munk found his way to La Jolla in 1939 and landed a job at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he still works today. When Allied troops were planning to invade North Africa, Munk concluded the waves would be too large for the supply boats. He then helped open a wave-prediction school for the military at Scripps, and some of the graduates helped forecast the waves off the French coast ahead of the 1944 D-Day landings. Munk also wrote a paper on the grand canyons of La Jolla, deep caverns in the ocean floor near La Jolla Shores that make the water there warmer and help attract different forms of wildlife. The City Council unanimously agreed on Tuesday to name a section of of the boardwalk in La Jolla Shores after Munk, who has lived in the community for more than 78 years. Money for the change will come from Councilwoman Brys office. The new street signs will look different than the boardwalks official street signs, which will continue to carry the name La Vereda Street. The dedication ceremony for the new signs, which will be located in the 8100 block of La Vereda, is scheduled for October because thats when Munk will turn 100. The La Jolla Shores Surfing Association sent the city a letter endorsing the move. Surfers have long benefited from Walters pioneering research and understanding of wave prediction which led to to the science of surf forecasting, an invaluable tool for all of us who enjoy the ocean, the association wrote. The La Jolla Shores Business Association also chimed in. Walter Munk is an International Treasure who we can proudly claim to be La Jolla Shores favorite son!, the group wrote in a support letter. And Jane Schmauss, co-founder of the California Surf Museum, said the honor was appropriate. While his achievements in the fields of ocean science are legendary, his endless sense of curiosity and boundless energy have enriched the surfing community as well, Schmauss wrote. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz is giving $4 million to UC San Diegos Rady School of Management to underwrite student fellowships for a program that he helped turn into a national jewel. Markowitz, 89, also is donating his Nobel Prize in economics and other medals that highlight his groundbreaking research in risk analysis, along with a beloved pocket watch he has owned for almost 70 years. I have taught in many places around the world but settled here at Rady, which is my home, Markowitz said Tuesday while taking a break from running his financial consultancy company in Pacific Beach. This school has honored me in many ways. I was looking for a way to pay them back and decided to do it through fellowships, which were important in my own education in the 1950s. They made a big difference in my life. Advertisement UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said Tuesday: Every time Ive been in Harrys presence, hes radiated great warmth, which means so much to me as chancellor. And it means so much to the Rady school. The university said Markowitzs $4 million gift will establish the Markowitz Fellows Program, which is meant to recruit and support students in areas such as decision science, mathematics and finance. It appears that Markowitzs Nobel Prize will be put on display in the deans office. Markowitz is a Chicago native who studied economics at the University of Chicago, where he learned from renowned figures such as Milton Friedman, Tjalling Koopman and Jacob Marschak. He went on to specialize in risk analysis, particularly as it applies to the stock market. His work revolutionized the management of financial portfolios. It led to him being awarded the 1990 Noble Prize in economics along with Merton Miller and William Sharpe. Over the years, Markowitz has been a businessman as well as a scholar. He still relishes the financial consultancy services he offers out of a small office. Markowitz will turn 90 in August. Two years ago, he discussed work and aging with The San Diego Union-Tribune. I reject the words old age as they apply to me. Except for not being able to stand too long, I am still me. Someday I will hit a wall, but I havent. He added: Some people marginalize themselves. Theyll retire and say, I will not work. I will not teach. I will find retired friends and drink coffee. They sit on a park bench all day. They have marginalized themselves. I wont be doing that. Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com A federal court in Washington on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trumps election commission to ask states to turn over personal voter information as part of its investigation into Trumps claims about voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election. The U.S. District Court ruled against the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public-interest research group that had sought a temporary restraining order to block the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. The court rejected arguments that the commissions request for certain voter data violated Americans privacy and that the commission did not follow constitutional proceedings. Trump has claimed that millions of fraudulent votes were cast in November, mostly by immigrants who entered the country illegally. He has provided no evidence, and nearly every credible election study has concluded that voter fraud is either non-existent or too small to affect outcomes. Advertisement The commission has been hit with a flurry of lawsuits since its vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, sent a letter to state officials nationwide June 28 requesting voter information, including dates of birth, partial Social Security numbers and information about which elections voters participated in since 2006. In addition to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, lawsuit, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Citizen, Common Cause and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund have also sued, citing privacy concerns and other alleged violations. The commission had its first official meeting July 19. It was closed to the public, but livestreamed online. The commission defended its data request, saying it only asked for publicly available information on a voluntary basis and that the information was necessary for strengthening public confidence in voting processes. As of July 18, officials from 21 states have said they will not submit any voter information. Officials from 29 states have agreed to submit information, but said their state laws allow them to provide only some of the information requested. Even Kansas, where Kobach is secretary of state, will provide only partial information. In response to EPICs complaint, the commission voluntarily stopped collection of voter information on July 10, pending the courts ruling. As of that day, only Arkansas had released voter information, which the commission said it would not download. The commission had originally asked states to provide all voter information by July 14. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a June 29 statement he would not provide sensitive voter information, arguing that Californias participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud made by the president, vice president and Mr. Kobach. Trump said in a tweet that the pushback from states suggested they had something to hide. In the lawsuit, EPIC argued Kobachs request for voter information violated constitutional privacy rights particularly because the letter stated the information would become publicly available and could enable identity theft and financial fraud. It also noted the commission did not comply with a separate federal privacy law that requires public notification about what information is being collected and why. EPIC President Marc Rotenberg said in a statement that the group will push forward to safeguard Americans personal information. The commission cannot evade privacy obligations by playing a shell game with the nations voting records. Several members of the commission have been criticized for supporting Trumps unproven claims of voter fraud rather than looking at the election in an unbiased and nonpartisan manner. Kobach has previously led efforts to enforce stricter voting rules at registration and the polls. The commission also includes attorney Hans von Spakovsky, a former Federal Election Commission member who has consistently fought for more regulations, and Cincinnati Mayor Ken Blackwell, who accidentally posted Ohio voters Social Security numbers on the secretary of states website. Lauren.Rosenblatt@latimes.com @LRosenblatt China said that the US should stop "unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly military activities." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing objected to such missions but remained "committed to building military mutual trust with other countries." By AP: China today denied its fighter jet pilots operated dangerously during an encounter with a US surveillance plane in international airspace in which the American pilot took evasive action to avoid a possible collision. Spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement on the defense ministry's microblog that the performance of the pilots of the two J-10 fighters was "legal, necessary and professional." advertisement Ren criticised frequent close-in surveillance runs by US planes as raising the chance of accidents, saying such missions "threatened China's national security, harmed China-US sea-air military safety, endangered the safety of pilots from the two sides and were the root cause of China-US sea-air unexpected incidents." The US should stop such "unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly military activities," Ren said, in a repetition of China's standard policy toward US surveillance missions intended at collecting Chinese computer and voice data in hopes of gaining insight into the workings of the People's Liberation Army. Asked about the incident at a daily briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing objected to such missions but remained "committed to building military mutual trust with other countries." US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said the Chinese fighters intercepted the US EP-3 surveillance plane Sunday in international airspace between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, in an area he described as west of the Korean Peninsula. Davis said one of the Chinese planes approached at a high rate of speed from beneath the American plane, then slowed and pulled up, prompting the EP-3 pilot to take evasive action. He called the Chinese pilot's move unsafe. China in 2013 declared an air defense identification zone over a partly contested portion of the East China Sea, demanding foreign aircraft declare their presence and follow Chinese orders. The US and others swiftly dismissed the zone as invalid and have largely ignored it. It wasn't clear if Sunday's encounter took place inside the zone. Such incidents continue to occur despite an agreement between the two sides to prevent them from sparking an international crisis, as happened in April 2001 when a Chinese jet fighter collided with a US EP-3. That led to the death of the Chinese pilot and China's detention of the US air crew for 10 days after their crippled plane landed at a PLA Navy air base on the island province of Hainan. While China has long chafed at US surveillance operations targeting its military, the PLA itself has been conducting such missions further and further from its home ports. Earlier this month, China sailed a spy ship through the narrow Tsugaru Strait separating the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, while another was spotted last week within Australia's exclusive economic zone where allies Australia and US were conducting major war games. advertisement ALSO READ: Chinese jets intercept US surveillance plane: US officials ALSO READ: US says Chinese Sukhoi-30 jets intercepted American radiation-sniffing plane --- ENDS --- It has been a decade since Al Gore released An Inconvenient Truth, the Oscar-winning documentary that catapulted the one-time presidential candidate to the front lines of climate change activism. Now hes back with An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, which follows the former vice president as he travels the world to talk about global warming. He spoke Monday at an event organized by the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Here are some highlights from the event. Advertisement Props for California Gore didnt neglect the big news in California: Last week, lawmakers voted to extend the states cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of its fight against global warming. The vote was noteworthy not only because it solidified the only program of its kind in the country, but also because it received bipartisan support. Gov. Jerry Brown, who has been seeking the mantle of global climate leadership, was a driving force behind the measure. He just got this amazing legislative victory last week, Gore said. Gov. Jerry Brown, center, flanked by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, speaks of the passage of a pair of climate change measures July 17 in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Adding optimism to climate alarmism For some people, Gores public image is inseparable from his dire predictions on climate change from An Inconvenient Truth. But hes also looking on the bright side by highlighting different approaches that can stem the potential devastation of global warming. Some of that optimism was on display during Mondays event. Were going to win this, Gore said when talking about avoiding catastrophic effects of climate change. At another point, Gore said, The U.S. is likely to meet the commitments made by former President Obama regardless of Donald Trump. Thats an optimistic reading of the landscape. Under the Paris accord, the U.S. needs to reduce emissions at least 26% below 2005 levels by 2020. But right now its on course for a reduction of 19% or less, according to an analysis from the Rhodium Group, a research organization that tracks climate policies. Seeking converts for the climate fight The San Francisco crowd broke out in laughter when the moderator, Greg Dalton of the Climate One discussion forum, asked Gore, Are more Republicans in Congress in the gay closet or the climate closet? Gore said many Republicans know climate change is a threat but theyre scared to death of primary challenges if they depart from the orthodoxy. I think the dam may break soon, he said. Gore drew a connection between climate activism and other social movements that faced resistance. The climate denial is no more ferocious than the resistance to civil rights in the South, he said. And yet, it gave way. chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian ALSO Trump is creating a void on climate change. Can California persuade other states to help fill it? What Californias big vote on climate change policies means for you Updates on California politics We have an update on the situation with Boy Scouts who went to bat for a mayoral candidate. Heres Watchdog editor Ricky Young. The Boy Scouts of America will remind its San Diego-area volunteers of the organizations policy against politicking, after mayoral candidate Kevin Faulconer publicized a photo of uniformed, sign-holding Boy Scouts working for his campaign. The photo was posted Wednesday by the Faulconer campaign, and U-T Watchdog broke the story that night regarding a possible breach of scout policies. Advertisement According to the campaign, the nine scouts in the photo visited Faulconers campaign headquarters and placed phone calls to a targeted list of voters, reminding them to send in their mail ballots. They introduced themselves as being with Troop 246, calling on behalf of Kevin Faulconer for Mayor. If the recipient of the call had already voted, the callers asked who for. The photo was posted on social media after the campaign asked for, and received, permission from the Pacific Beach troop, the campaign said. Scoutmaster Mike Sisk told the Watchdog on Thursday that there was no problem because the boys were advocating voting in general, not a particular candidate. There was no propaganda, Faulconer spokesman Tony Manolatos said. There was no pushing one candidate or another. Later in the day, the Boy Scouts headquarters in Irving, Texas, issued a statement about the reminder of scout policies. Scouting encourages the teaching of patriotism and good citizenship, the group said. As a longstanding policy, the Boy Scouts of America does not endorse any candidate for political office. The San Diego Imperial Council will be reaching out to their over 8,000 adult volunteers to remind them that the process of teaching good citizenship should always remain nonpartisan and to avoid situations which might be construed as an endorsement of any political candidate or position. Faulconer himself was not present during the scout visit. I wasnt there, he told the U-T. I know that they were in the campaign office, I know they had the opportunity to talk to some of our campaign folks about what its like to be involved in a mayors campaign, and I was glad that their families and the kids came by. One of San Diegos most decorated scouts said the Faulconer camp should have known better than to use the boys in political imagery. Theyre very much kissing the baby in a bad way, said Patrick Barnsley, 18, an Eagle Scout from Scripps Ranch who has earned all 135 merit badges from the organization. These are the Boy Scouts of America, not the Boy Scouts of the Faulconer campaign. Scout policy encourages patriotic activities such as flag ceremonies and saying the Pledge of Allegiance but bars participation in political activities as scouts and offers particular caution for doing so while in uniform. Photos of candidates or scouts in uniform or BSA marks and logos are not allowed in political campaign materials of any kind, the policy says. The image of a Boy Scout, with a neckerchief and slew of badges for being helpful and brave, is sometimes too much for candidates to pass up. In 2012, troop leaders in an area outside Salt Lake City, Utah, were reprimanded for allowing a scouting group to greet GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, the Associated Press reported. In 2008, the Boy Scouts lawyers told a candidate for a local post in Ohio to cease using a logo that they felt was too similar to the scouts logo, the Athens News reported. And in 1995, the scouts told the campaign of presidential hopeful Phil Gramm to stop using a pamphlet that showed the Texas senator with a saluting Boy Scout, the New York Times reported. Some critics of the Faulconer event also questioned whether it created an issue with the nonprofit status of the Boy Scouts, as charities are supposed to stay out of politics to retain their tax-exempt status. An expert on the federal laws governing nonprofits said it would have been preferable for the troop to have gone to the campaign office not wearing uniforms, but that they were probably not violating the law governing nonprofits, merely exercising their First Amendment rights. As long as they werent implying that the troop as a troop had endorsed this candidate, theyre OK, said Leslie Lenkowsky, who headed the Corporation for National and Community Service from 2001 to 2003 during the Bush administration and is a professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University. The Boy Scouts policy seems clear enough patriotism, yes; politics, no but the situational nuances have at times engaged scouting enthusiasts in a lengthy debate, including questions about whether scout leaders should be weighing in publicly over gay rights issues. Lenkowsky said the question is whether a person who happens to be a leader of a nonprofit is speaking as an individual or on behalf of the organization in a partisan debate. I always counsel nonprofits, Dont let the lines get blurry, he said. When President Obama prepared to give a message to school children, parents objected, afraid of what he might say. He told them in essence to study hard, get a good education and be of service to their country. Advertisement Now we have a sitting president speaking to the Boy Scouts of America, using foul language, threatening Congress, telling the children not to believe the news media and still bringing up the elections. Why did the Boy Scout officials who were responsible for these children not usher them out of harms way? Pat Baldoni El Cajon 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. Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. The Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday continued to face backlash on social media over President Donald Trump s speech at its annual National Jamboree that critics say overly politicized the organization. The Scouts immediately responded to the criticism on Monday, issuing a statement saying that its invitation of a sitting president is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies. Update: By Thursday, the organization issued a full apology for Trumps remarks: I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree. That was never our intent, said Michael Surbaugh, chief Scout executive for the Boy Scouts of America. That response came after many people, including relatives of Scouts, took issue with remarks Trump said at the annual summit in Glen Jean, West Virginia. "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?" Trump gave a jab at former President Barack Obama who in 2010 delivered a video message to the Scout Jamboree. The jab also drew boos and jeers from the crowd. But efforts by the Boy Scouts of America to distance itself from this episode did little to satisfy critics who say they want the organization to take a harder position. Some people shared the organizations phone number and encouraged parents to call to complain. Even a former CIA director, John McLaughlin, criticized it by saying that it had the feel of a third world authoritarians youth rally. The Facebook Page of the organization was also flooded with similar comments from Scout parents and relatives. What about Respect Kindness, do your best. Did today represent your best? What a major disappointment, one woman wrote on Facebook. We were considering signing our grandson up for scouts. This lunacy today has changed that. We will not submit h8m to garbage like tdump, another wrote. Trump supporters, however, defended the president and attacked liberals despite the overwhelming criticism. Whether the Boy Scouts of America will take a stronger stand on Trumps speech remains to be seen given the ongoing criticism. Does the organization have an obligation to do so? Watch the full speech here or read the transcript of his speech here. Curious to hear from those associated with the organization whether youre part of it or you have a relative involved. Did Trumps remarks put a blemish on the Boy Scouts? 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. UPDATES: 4:35 p.m.: This article was updated with an apology from the Boy Scouts of America. This article was originally published July 25 at 11:35 a.m. Soroptimist International of Ramona welcomes new members and invites women interested in learning about the organization to a Membership Mixer on Aug. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. The mixer will be in the home of Carole Orlen, this years president, at 24153 Del Amo Road. Please join us to learn of contributions and service to helping women and girls live their dream, said Orlen. There will be wine and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Bring a friend. We would love to meet you. Soroptimist International of Ramona is part of a worldwide organization with a mission to educate and empower women to live their dream of a better life for themselves and their families. Members accomplish this through fundraising for scholarships, programs, and service projects that support their endeavors. Those planning to attend the Membership Mixer are asked to RSVP Orlen at 858-722-6810. A militant Muslim group claimed by video it carried out recent attacks in western China that killed at least three dozen people, a monitoring group said. The video was purportedly made by the Turkistan Islamic Party, which seeks independence for Chinas western Xinjiang region, the SITE Intelligence Group said this week. The militants are believed to be based in Pakistan, where security experts say core members have been trained by al-Qaida. Xinjiang is home to largely Muslim ethnic Uighurs (pronounced WEE'-gur) who say they have been marginalized by an influx of Chinas majority Han to the region. Ethnic riots there two years ago killed at least 197 people. Advertisement Security has been raised, but still, dozens were killed in slashings and arson and hit-and-run attacks in the cities of Hotan and Kashgar in July. The more than 10-minute video released in late August features Turkistan Islamic Party leader Abdul Shakoor Damla, whose face is blotted out, saying those attacks were revenge against the Chinese government. Ben Venzke, of Washington-based IntelCenter, another monitor of militant groups, said TIP threatened to attack the 2008 Beijing Olympics and should be taken seriously. Their profile has been heightened since threats made during the Olympics and videos have shown us that they have even received recognition from senior al-Qaeda leaders recognizing their presence in China, Venzke said. In 2008, TIP released videos claiming responsibility for several bus bombings in China and warned Muslims to stay away from any place Han Chinese were, including buses, planes, buildings and trains. TIP is a very real jihadist group and their threats should be taken seriously. In addition to being active in China, we also have seen videos of them conducting operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Venzke said. The latest video shows a brief biography and footage of what it says is Memtieli Tiliwaldi wrestling with other fighters in a TIP training camp. Xinjiang police had identified Tiliwaldi as a suspect in the July attacks and said they fatally shot him in a corn field days later. In the video, group leader Damla speaks in the Turkic language of the Uighurs, who have with a long history of tense relations with the central government. Militant Uighurs have for decades been fighting a low-level insurgency to gain independence for lightly populated but resource-rich Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and several unstable Central Asian states. Beijing blames the violence on militants based overseas, specifically from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, but has not revealed much of the evidence behind its suspicions. Some terrorism experts say ETIM and TIM are affiliated, while others say it is one group operating under different names. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said he had no information on the video and claims. He repeated Chinas assertion that Xinjiang separatists are carrying out rampant, violent terrorist activities within Chinas border, which seriously undermine Chinas national unity and regional peace and stability. Liu said China was willing to join and strengthen international efforts to combat terrorism. Uighur activists and security analysts blame the violence on economic marginalization and restrictions on Uighur culture and the Muslim religion that are breeding frustration and anger among young Uighurs. Chinas leaders say all ethnic groups are treated equally and point to the billions of dollars in investment that has modernized Xinjiang. Chinese officials said last week they recently thwarted several plots by separatists, religious extremists and terrorists to sabotage an international trade fair in the region. Xinjiang is currently under a two-month crackdown against violence, terrorism and radical Islam following renewed unrest among Uighurs in July. --- Follow Chi-Chi Zhang at https://twitter.com/thunderchi By PTI: From M Zulqernain Lahore, Jul 25 (PTI) The death toll in the Taliban suicide bombing near residence-cum-office of Pakistans Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here rose to 27 after a 12-year-old Christian boy today succumbed to his injuries. The boy, Sol Masih, who was a toy seller, was passing by when the Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team yesterday. advertisement Masih succumbed to his injuries at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) today, LGHs Dr Ejaz Ahmed said. The condition of three of the 60 injured is still critical, he said. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle approached the police contingent deployed at the anti-encroachment drive outside the Arfa Karim Tower, near the chief ministers Model Town residence, and blew himself up. The chief minister, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was in a meeting at his Model Town office when the blast took place. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the attack. The Lahore police chief said initial investigation showed that the bomber used some 10-kg explosive in his suicide vest. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the blast and vowed to continue war on terrorism in Pakistan till elimination of the last terrorist. Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police has registered a case against four people, including the suicide bomber. Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent years. In April, six persons were killed and 15 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a population census team in Lahores Bedian Road. In February, a suicide bomber killed 14 people, including senior police officers, near the Punjab Assembly here. PTI MZ PMS --- ENDS --- Delhi University students are coming up with new ideas to welcome freshers and break the ice. DU students from second and third year said they were eager to meet freshers. By Arpan Rai: Colleges and universities have still not been freed from the evil of ragging as students from the second and third year are eagerly awaiting the arrival of freshers. Some have already chalked out plans for interaction with juniors. Besides, many are even planning an unofficial 'fresher parties'. The sole purpose of this hurried affair - where the seniors will be asking freshers to present ramp walks or dances - is just to break the ice. advertisement "We do not want to wait so much. We are prepared to organise an unofficial gathering by mid-August to kick-start interaction," said Arpit Verma, a second year student at Ramjas College. "These are subtle and inert ways of ragging and they are even extremely helpful in starting a conversation with a junior," believes Jasmine Arya, a third-year zoology student. In yet another solution to start and develop interactions, Arpit and his batchmates have also planned to create WhatsApp groups with the juniors. "We will get the numbers from them by letting them know about and understand the purpose of the WhatsApp groups on a paper. "Our seniors used this formula and made a virtual connection. The ragging brought us close to them back then," said Arpit. Almost sounding upset, some second -year students rued how there has been no interaction between them and their juniors. However, the excitement of meeting the juniors seemed hidden beneath layers. "The chance to meet freshers will not come before us before college fests, for which we will have to wait till November or December," said Keshav Jindal, a second-year Economics student. Calling it a "fault in their attendance", seniors lamented over the mismatch in their class timetable, which has also prevented them from meeting the freshers. Delhi University is following UGC regulations against ragging - that make it mandatory for the university to form anti-ragging committee and anti-ragging squad. The regulations make it mandatory to inform students about how to approach, whom to approach, what steps the committees can take and allows confidentiality of the complainant. Also Read Kerala ragging: 5 surrender after student suffers kidney damage --- ENDS --- All six Byculla prison officials who are accused of killing inmate Manjula Shetye today claimed innocence, alleging that Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea has hatched a plan to falsely implicate them. By Vidya : All six Byculla women's prison officials who are accused of killing inmate Manjula Shetye today filed for bail at a sessions court in Mumbai. The six - jailor Manisha Pokharkar and constables Bindu Naikade, Vasima Shaikh, Sheetal Shegokar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne - were arrested by Mumbai Police on July 1 in the death of Manjula Shetye. advertisement Shetye, who was taken to the JJ Hospital after falling unconscious at the Byculla jail, was declared dead on June 23rd night. A Byculla prison inmate Mariam Shaikh filed a complaint against the Manisha Pokharkar and the five constables and accused them of brutally assaulting and killing Shetye. Pokharkar and her subordinates claim innocence in their bail application, which was filed on their behalf by advocate Vaibhav Bagade. The application says that Shetye's death was a result of her essentially taking ill. The six claim that they have been falsely implicated in Shteye's death and that Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea hatched a conspiracy to 'mastermind the false case' to "gain advantage" and settle a "personal grudge against public servants". THE GRAND CONSPIRACY: JAIL STAFF's VERSION OF SHETYE's DEATH In their bail applications, the Byculla prison staff claim that the prisoners, led by Indrani Mukerjea, "masterminded the false case" against them "by taking undue advantage of the death of prisoner in calculated manner against the jail officials." According to the accused, at 10 am, two inmates, Hasiba Azhar Ali Shaikh and Mala Saroj Kamthi orally complained to jailor Manisha Pokharkar that they found a few eggs and bread loafs lying hidden in a plastic bag in their barracks. Following this, Pokharkar checked the inmates' daily food register of the inmates and found a few discrepancies in the ration. Manjula Shetye was one of the inmates who was given the charge of warden and who was responsible for the distribution of ration. So, Pokharkar summoned Shetye to her chambers at around 11 am to question about the discrepancy. Hasiba Azhar Ali Shaikh and Mala Saroj Kamthi were present during the questioning, which lasted 45 minutes, following which, Manjula went back to her barrack. Pokharkar then went on a round of the barracks and returned to her chambers at 5pm. "During that period, all the inmates including the deceased... were happily enjoying the dance practice session for the Eid celebrations which went on till 5.30 pm," the accused say. The jailor and constables were relieved of their duties at 6pm and left the jail premises for their homes. At around 7pm, Pokharkar was informed that Manjula had fallen down. Pokharkar says she ran back to the barracks and says that Manjula felt giddy and fell down hard on the washroom floor. The jail staff also claims that Manjula had soiled her pants when she fell unconscious and that she had a history of medical issues, including diarrhoea. The next day, June 24, Pokharkar noticed Indrani Mukerjea standing near the main gate of the barracks gesturing at her fellow inmates at around 9 am. One of the special constables guarding Indrani (classified as a high-profile prisoner) asked her about the gesturing, but Indrani did not reply and silently walked passed her. At around 9: 15 am, during a senior jailor's customary daily round up, Indrani started screaming, "Chalo round aaya, round aaya". Suddenly, more than 200 inmates surrounded jail officials in the dining passage and started pushing and assaulting the jail officials. Click here to Enlarge Inmates of the Byculla women's jail stand on the terrace during the June 24 riot (Photo: India Today TV) Indrani along with many other inmates charged towards the jail staff with plates, bowls, clothes and other articles in their possession and started throwing them at the jailor and over the security wall. Indrani further instigated the inmates into hitting the jail authorities, including jailor Manisha Pokharkar. Some of the inmates entered the record room of the prison and destroyed documents, computers and tables by setting them on fire with the help of a matchbox. They also manhandled the jail authorities by tearing their uniforms and Indrani then surrounded the six officials accused of Shetye's death and started hitting them with chappals, pots and bottles. Then Indrani ran towards the main gate and instructed the other inmates to break open the main gate and run away from the prison. But one of the constables accused of Shetye's death managed to lock the main door and contacted the Nagpada police station for help. It was only after officers and constables from the Nagpada police station arrived that the situation was brought under control and the inmates were sent back to their barracks. ALSO READ | Manjula Shetye prison death: Jailor washes hands of matter ALSO READ | Security of jail inmates needs to be looked into after Manjula Shetye's death: Bombay High Court ALSO WATCH | Brother of woman, who died in Byculla jail violence, wants guilty to be hanged --- ENDS --- New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/25/2017 -- "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 @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1418226-egypt-4g-rollout-and-issuance-of-virtual-fixed-licenses-to-significantly 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 Points Table of contents 3 Executive summary 4 Market and competitor overview Regional context 6 Economic, demographic and political context 7 Regulatory environment 8 Demand profile 13 Service evolution 15 Competitive landscape 16 Major market players 17 Segment analysis Mobile services 21 Fixed services 25 Pay-TV 29 Identifying opportunities Opportunities in the market 31 About the authors 32 Country Intelligence Report coverage 33 Continued ACCESS REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1418226-egypt-4g-rollout-and-issuance-of-virtual-fixed-licenses-to-significantly https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1418226-egypt-4g-rollout-and-issuance-of-virtual-fixed-licenses-to-significantly 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: https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences For updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially check: https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars The New York skyline drawing by Donald Trump is going up for auction this Thursday with the starting bid fixed at about Rs 6 lakh. A 12-year-old doodling-in-the-free-time has a hefty price today. By India Today Web Desk: A 'very rare' hand-drawn sketch of New York City skyline by the US President Donald Trump is going up for auction this Thursday. The sketch includes Trump Tower as well finding its place almost most certainly amid the NYC skyline. The sketch is expected to fetch at least $9,000 (approx Rs 5.85 lakh). Donald Trump drew the skyline sketch in 2005 for a charity auction benefiting global literacy. Photo Courtesy: natedsanders advertisement The sketch is described as "Rare Original Artwork by the President" on the D Sanders website. The auction ends on Friday at 5 am IST. Not many buildings in Trump's amateur sketch are recognisable, some seem flat at the top and others have triangles as their only distinguishing features. Although, according to the Washington Post, Trump Tower is the 64th tallest skyscraper in New York. In Trump's drawing, it sits as the largest and most central figure of the drawing, suggesting that the tall building indeed is Trump Tower. According to the auction website, the rare piece is an 11.5 x 9 inch drawing with Trump's signature at the bottom in gold. Well, if the sketch hits big amount in the auction this week, Donald Trump can surely add 'professional artist' in his resume! Anyway a lot of money is involved compared to one of the best paintings from MF Husain which was sold for Rs 2.6 lakh only a couple of years ago. Screengrab from saffronart FYI || Who is Jamini Roy, artist honoured by Google with a doodle? || FYI || These drawings portray the pleasures and pains of being in a long distance relationship || FYI || PM Modi's tech-savvy avatar to feature in world's largest hackathon || --- ENDS --- By PTI: Srinagar, July 25 (PTI) The first batch of pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir today left for Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj pilgrimage. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Haj and Auqaf Minister Farooq Andrabi were at the Srinagar Airport to see off the first batch of pilgrims on a direct flight from here to the holy city of Madina, an official said here. advertisement The batch comprised 420 pilgrims. He said the second flight carrying an equal number of pilgrims is scheduled to take off later in the day. More than 8100 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected this year to perform the pilgrimage which will culminate with Eid-ul-Azha in the first week of September.PTI MIJ DV --- ENDS --- A German man gave up on the stress of commuting on busy city roads and now swims two km to work rather than driving. People laugh but he does not mind it, as long as he not stuck in traffic. By India Today Web Desk: A German man is done with driving and the stress that comes along when stuck in mindless traffic jams. He has given up on commuting on busy city roads and now swims two km to work everyday. He swims along the Isar river in Munich, Germany. THE MAN WHO SWIMS TO OFFICE If you are wondering about the paperwork and laptop which might get soaked in the water, then Benjamin David has already thought about it. advertisement The smart swimmer packs his laptop, suit and shoes into a waterproof bag. He then straps it to his back and swims, according to a BBC report. The attire is season-dependent. He wears swimming trunks or a long wet-suit as well as rubber sandals to protect his feet from glass or the occasional bicycle laying in the river. The non-conformist way of travelling has indeed caught eyes of many. His commute grabs laughs from bystanders on the bridge above Isar. But the German working man has no darns to throw around since he believes that it is a faster way to commute to work and is more relaxing that sitting in traffic. --- ENDS --- By PTI: ambulances Panaji, Jul 25 (PTI) Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane today said the state government has decided to assign a doctor at government-run hospitals to attend to cardiac patients brought by ambulances of 108 ambulance service. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar here this morning inaugurated 10 new 108 ambulances that are installed with advanced life saving system. The health minister was also present on the occasion. advertisement "A doctor would be attached to the 108 ambulances handling cardiac cases. Though the doctor would be sitting in casualty of the government-run hospitals, he/she will immediately attend to the patient," Rane told reporters. The newly launched ambulances are specially equipped with facilities to handle cardiac emergencies in the state. He said that the health department has also decided to convert the worn-out 108 ambulances into hearse vans by refurbishing them. "There are several people who have to pay to carry dead bodies. These ambulances can be converted into hearse van. We will be able to have optimum utilisation of these vehicles as a hearse van as they are not fit to be used as ambulances," he said. The minister said the 108 ambulances are not fitted with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and their movement is monitored from the centrally located control room. PTI RPS ARS --- ENDS --- PAI, a subsidiary of the Antwerp Port Authority, was set up to participate and invest in overseas ports and port-related projects in strategic regions such as Brazil, as part of the ports foreland policy. PAI chose for Porto do Acu, amongst others, because of its strategic location near oil and gas fields and the proximity to Minas Gerais, the gateway to Brazil. Brazil, the largest economy of Latin America and the worlds seventh maritime trading partner for the port of Antwerp. More than 6.4m tonnes of freight are exchanged a year between Brazil and the port of Antwerp. This places Brazil on the sixth place as a trading partner. The investment from the port of Antwerp confirms the long term commitment of the Port of Antwerp towards the Brazilian market. The construction of the Acu port complex started in 2007 and it began operations in 2014. The port has potential to operate 17 km of dock with a maximum depth of 25 m and capacity very large vessels such as capesizes and VLCCs. Located in the industrial heart of Brazil, Port of Acu is an industrial deepsea port for the handling of oil, gas, dry bulk, containers and general cargo. The port also serves as a support centre for the Brazilian offshore sector due to its location to the Campos basin. The port connects international markets to the Brazilian market of more than 200m people. The Port of Acu Industrial Complex is a port developed and controlled by the Brazilian Bovespa listed company Prumo Logistica which is controlled by US-based EIG, one of the leading providers of institutional capital to the global energy industry. PAI has the opportunity further co-develop the port, while enhancing the position of Antwerp in Latin America as a preferential port for the continent and has the option to invest additionally after 18 months at its sole discretion. The MoU builds on existing cooperation between government-to-government centre ReCAAP and industry body OCIMF where both were part of a working group that produced The regional guide to counter piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia published in February 2016. Under the MoU signed in London the two bodies aim to promote the partnership between governmental organisations and the shipping industry for the betterment of maritime safety by sharing information, best practices and expertise. In todays uncertain world, industry must work collaboratively and support governments in protecting our vital interests ensuring global trade can be safely conducted. This memorandum of understanding acknowledges the importance of that relationship, said OCIMF director, Andrew Cassels. Masafumi Kuroki, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, commented: ReCAAP Information Sharing Centres deepening partnership with OCIMF represents our commitment to work with industry to support the safety and security of ship owners and mariners. Small tankers have been a particular target for pirates in Asia in recent years hijacking vessels to steal oil cargoes. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Shares of HDFC Bank today ended with nearly 2 per cent gain, adding Rs 8,031 crore to its market valuation, after the company reported 20.22 per cent increase in net profit for the quarter ended June 30. The stock gained 1.83 per cent to settle at Rs 1,734.55 on BSE. During the day, it rose by 2.16 per cent to Rs 1,740.20 -- its 52-week high. On NSE, the shares gained 1.88 per cent to close at Rs 1,735.10. The companys market valuation surged Rs 8,030.93 crore to reach Rs 4,46,452.93 crore. On the volume front, 2.62 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 49 lakh shares changed hands at NSE during the day. The private sector lender today reported 20.22 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 3,893.84 crore for the first quarter of the 2017-18 fiscal. advertisement The bank had earned a profit of Rs 3,238.91 crore in the April-June quarter of the last fiscal. Total income rose to Rs 22,185.38 crore during the quarter under review, up 14.81 per cent against Rs 19,322.63 crore in the same period last year. As of June 30, HDFC Banks gross non-performing assets (NPAs) increased marginally to 1.24 per cent of gross advances as against 1.04 per cent at the end of first quarter of the last fiscal. Net non-performing assets stood at 0.44 per cent of net advances as on June 30 as against 0.32 per cent reported in the first quarter of the previous fiscal. PTI SUM SA --- ENDS --- The Qatari LNG transport firm posted a six-month profit of QAR408.89m ($111.41m) compared to QAR500.88m in the same period of last year. The company attributed the lower profit to a shorter number of charter hire days in the first six months of this year compared to the year-ago period. Nakilats fleet comprises of 63 LNG vessels and it owns four large LPG carriers. Nakilat also attributed the fall in profit to the effect of changing the estimated scrap value of vessels in accordance with applicable International Accounting Standards, and reduced operations of a few joint ventures. The first half revenue dipped slightly to QAR1.78bn compared to QAR1.84bn in the previous corresponding period. Nakilat managing director Eng. Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti said: Nakilat perseveres despite the current economic environment through its steady growth in all its operations. The first half of 2017 has seen successful transitions of four vessels into Nakilat in-house management, bringing total vessels operated by Nakilat to 16 vessels to date. Last week, Nakilat signed a memorandum of understanding with Hoegh LNG, forming a strategic alliance to enter the FSRU space, with Nakilat seeking to grow its presence in the clean energy sector. Meanwhile, the diplomatic fallout between Qatar and the UAE and other GCC countries that started in early June has not led to severe disruptions to LNG trade and shipping, as exports of LNG from Qatar to major markets in Asia and Europe have seen little or no impact. Here is everything you need to know about the drug scandal that has rocked the Telugu film industry. By Samrudhi Ghosh: Tollywood fans were shocked when the names of several top celebrities cropped up in connection with a drug racket investigation. The Telangana Excise (Enforcement) Department had busted a drug racket worth several crores on July 4, and mobile numbers of prominent personalities from the Telugu film industry were found in the contact list of the alleged kingpin of the drug racket, Calvin Mascarenhas. advertisement The celebrities, including top director Puri Jagannadh, Ravi Teja, Charmme Kaur, P Navdeep, P Subbaraju, Tarun Kumar, Mumait Khan and cinematographer Shyam K Naidu, were summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the excise department for questioning between July 19 and 27. Concerned by the notices sent, the Movie Artistes' Association (MAA) held a press conference recently where industry veterans like Allu Aravind, Suresh Babu and others said that the Telugu film industry was clean except for a "few individuals" who were tarnishing its image, and warned them to mend their ways. PURI JAGANNADH INTERROGATED Director Puri Jagannadh was the first to be questioned, and the filmmaker was grilled for 10 hours on July 19. Afterwards, he clarified in a video on Twitter, "The SIT made a lot of allegations against me. I told them I don't know anything about Calvin and I have never met him either. I am ready to go to their office if and when they call me again. Basically, I am a responsible person. I will not do anything which is illegal, not just about drugs." His blood, hair and nail samples have been sent to the forensic department. SHYAM K NAIDU FOLLOWS On the second day of questioning, renowned Telugu cinematographer Shyam K Naidu appeared before the SIT. According to sources, the excise department is trying to make him an approver in the case as he contradicted Puri's statement and even provided important clues during his six-hour-long interrogation. Naidu has been asked to appear before the SIT whenever they call him for further inquiry. The cinematographer has worked in blockbuster films like Pokiri, Rajanna and Temper directed by Puri Jagannadh. P SUBBARAJU QUESTIONED BY THE SIT Baahubali 2 actor P Subbaraju was the third in line to be questioned. He had earlier told The Times Of India, "I honestly have no clue about what's happening. At this juncture, even if I say something, it would go against me. I have been in the industry for long... When I have done no wrong, I know my reputation will clear me of any allegation." TARUN KUMAR AND P NAVDEEP Tarun Kumar was the next to be interrogated, and officials questioned him for 13 hours, the longest so far. After that, it was the turn of actor P Navdeep. He claimed that he was being dragged into the case because he recently worked with an event manager who was arrested in the case. The actor refuted reports that the pub in which he is one of the major stakeholders is one of Hyderabad's major drug hubs. advertisement "It is usual to sensationalise news as soon as there are film people involved, me being involved in events and working with some wrong event managers i can understand why this happened! its a matter of time before this is sorted .. requesting media and people to have patience (sic)," Navdeep wrote in a series of tweets. It is usual to sensationalise news as soon as there are film people involved, me being involved in events and working with some wrong (1/3)- Navdeep (@pnavdeep26) July 14, 2017 event managers i can understand why this happened! its a matter of time before this is sorted .. requesting media and people to have (2/3)- Navdeep (@pnavdeep26) July 14, 2017 patience :) thankyou :) (3/3)- Navdeep (@pnavdeep26) July 14, 2017 CHARMME KAUR TOO IN THE DOCK Charmme's father Deep Singh Uppal also insisted that his daughter had nothing to do with the case. "My daughter has no time focussing on these stupid things... She is working since the age of 13 and she is still working successfully in the industry. She will not have longevity of success and amazing career if she is involved in such illegal activities," he said in a statement. advertisement Charmme is likely to appear before the SIT on July 26. Before her questioning, she approached the Hyderabad High Court requesting that only women officials should question her and that the questioning should be done in presence of her lawyers. She has also asked the officials not to ask questions related to her personal life, and that her blood, nail and hair samples should not be taken during the questioning without her permission. RAVI TEJA UNDER THE SCANNER TOO Ravi Teja's mother Rajalakshmi exclusively told India Today Television that her son was being framed. "My son is innocent. He is being targeted. He will appear before the Special Investigation Team. We have nothing to hide... We are shattered that his name has been dragged in this entire episode... I can't say why my son's number or name is with peddlers. I know he is clean. He doesn't even like people smoking," she said. The Vikramarkudu actor is yet to appear before the SIT. advertisement MUMAIT KHAN TO LEAVE BIGG BOSS TELUGU TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SIT Meanwhile, Mumait is currently shooting for Bigg Boss Telugu and will leave the show to appear before the SIT. After she could not be reached at her residential address, the investigating officials reached out to the producers of the show. She will reportedly reach Hyderabad on July 27, although it remains unclear if she can re-enter the Bigg Boss house once the SIT is done with their interrogation. When the allegations were first made, Mumait had denied any links with the drug peddlers and told The Times Of India, "As per several reports in the past, I have been married and divorced six times. The next thing I might hear is that I am having kids (laughs). For a while, I have been battling severe health issues and am currently in Mumbai for treatment. Drugs don't figure in my scheme of things; medication already makes me feel weak." She had also said, "I stay with my parents in Hyderabad, I don't party or have many friends. When and how will I do drugs? And if a suspect has my number on his phone, that's not my fault, right?" KAJAL AGGARWAL'S MANAGER ARRESTED In a new twist on Monday, Tollywood superstar Kajal Aggarwal's manager, Puttkar Ronson Joseph aka Ronny, was arrested by the Hyderabad police. According to reports, his residence was raided, and a large quantity of marijuana was found. It is suspected that Ronny, who also managed top actresses like Lavanya Tripathi and Raashi Khanna, had links with the drug peddlers arrested earlier this month. The investigation is currently focused on finding out if these personalities have any connection with the drug racket, and if yes, it needs to be ascertained if they were only consumers or involved in peddling as well. ALSO READ: Ravi Teja summoned in drug racket case, his mother says he is innocent ALSO READ: Charmme Kaur approaches High Court in connection with Tollywood drug scandal ALSO WATCH: Telangana Excise Department summons 12 Tollywood personalities in connection with Hyderabad drug racket --- ENDS --- China has bristled at what it says is India's intervention in its dispute with Bhutan, and has demanded that Indian troops return to India's side of the boundary for any dialogue to take place. The stepped up rhetoric from China comes days before National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrives in Beijing on Thursday for a BRICS NSA's meeting By Ananth Krishnan: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that the "simple solution" to end the standoff at the Doklam plateau on the India-China-Bhutan trijunction was for India to "conscientiously pull back its troops". Wang said in a statement that "the rights and wrongs are very clear" and that "even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary." advertisement "The solution is very simple," the Chinese Foreign Minister said, "and that is India must conscientiously pull back its troops". He was quoted as making this comment - his first on the standoff - in an interview in Bangkok, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. Wang also claimed that "India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory." However, Delhi and Bhutan say that the land in question on the Doklam plateau is disputed, and that China has changed the status quo by building a road on the plateau. China has bristled at what it says is India's intervention in its dispute with Bhutan, and has demanded that Indian troops return to India's side of the boundary for any dialogue to take place. The Chinese Foreign Minister is now the highest-ranked Chinese official to comment on the stand-off, and his remarks come a day after the People's Liberation Army issued its strongest comments yet on the row, telling India to "not harbour any illusions". The stepped up rhetoric from China comes days before National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrives in Beijing on Thursday for a BRICS NSA's meeting. ALSO READ: Doklam standoff: Chinese media invokes 1962 editorial in fresh barb at India China warns India of serious consequences if it doesn't withdraw troops from Doklam area ALSO WATCH: China's territorial sovereignty undermined by Indian troops: Chinese Embassy in India WATCH VIDEO: China claims India admitted it crossed border, asks latter to withdraw from Doklam to end standoff --- ENDS --- Press Release July 24, 2017 Gatchalian on SONA: Peace and Security Deserve Top Billing Senator Win Gatchalian on Monday said he appreciated the prioritization of peace and security concerns during the second State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte. "Considering the volatile peace and order situation in Mindanao, it was timely for the President to devote a lot of airtime to the issues of violent extremism in Mindanao and the communist insurgency," said Gatchalian. Gatchalian, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, reiterated the need to bring a speedy and decisive end to the various conflicts in Mindanao "in order to encourage strong foreign investments and foster a stable environment for long-term inclusive growth in these impoverished areas." To help achieve this goal, the senator said he would support the President's proposed initiatives to enhance the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). However, Gatchalian expressed that there was room for improvement with the President's treatment of the Marawi conflict in his address, specifically concerning the rehabilitation of Marawi City. "I wish the President had presented more concrete plans concerning government efforts to rebuild war-torn Marawi City. The hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who have been displaced by this conflict are still clamoring for detailed assurances from the government regarding how it will help them rebuild their lives," he said. In addition, Gatchalian commended the President's new hardline stance against the CPP-NPA, the revolutionary movement which has had a complicated relationship with Duterte during his first year of office. "The President's firm stance against the communist rebels shows that this government is committed to ensuring that it is in control of peace negotiations. Any lasting peace settlement between the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA should be made on the government's terms, period," said Gatchalian. Press Release July 24, 2017 Statements of Senator Loren Legarda* on President Duterte's 2nd SONA *Sen. Legarda is the Chair of the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Finance and Climate Change On the SONA theme "A Comfortable Life for All": 70% of Filipinos aspire for a simple and comfortable life. At least that is what a national survey of Filipinos say (Basis of Ambisyon Natin). As elected officials, we need to help them achieve their aspirations of having a home, having enough earnings to support everyday needs, having the capacity to provide their children college education; among others. This is essentially about building a predominantly middle class society. We should all support this. On Infrastructure: We have never seen this level of government infrastructure spending in many decades. This will spur economic activity and help address some of the most pressing issues facing our people today. These will eventually solve traffic congestion, decongest Manila, spur growth in non-urban centers, facilitate flow of goods, and create jobs, just to name a few. On Education: We have achieved some progress in the field of education and even UNESCO acknowledges this; however, we have to do much more. Inequality in education continues to persist. Only about 69% of grade school graduates from the poorest families continue high school, compared with 94% of those from the richest households. Access to higher education is also being limited by resource constraints on the part of the poor. We need to address this. This is one of the reasons why in the 2017 budget, we have put in funding to support the free education of students in state universities. On Climate Change: I welcome the President's mention of climate change and the urgency of implementing measures to mitigate its impacts. Climate action should be a part of the change agenda. More importantly, we should not merely react to the impacts of climate change. We should reduce risks. Doing so entails a shift in the way we pursue development. We should shun the development that destroys our environment. On Disaster Resiliency: It is about time that disaster resiliency is given a prominent role in the President's SONA. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Act is due for a sunset review. I support the strengthening of existing institutions to give them the authority and the wherewithal to effectively deliver DRR measures. The operative word is no longer response, but risk reduction. To reduce risks, we have to be willing to leave our comfort zones and go the more sustainable path. On Mining: I welcome the President's statement that the "Protection of environment ahead of mining" will be observed in dispensing action on mining applications. If we continue to refuse to take action to remediate the many environmental problems inherent to irresponsible mining and reckless development strategies, the end would be devastating for all. On Agriculture: The attention given to the agriculture sector will help push rural development. We need to equip our farmers with the technologies and technical support that will allow them to compete globally. We cannot just open our doors to foreign goods. We are keeping these doors open so our goods can also find a bigger space in other markets. On National Land Use Act: I am glad the President asked Congress to immediately pass a National Land Use Act. This is one of the first ten bills I filed at the opening of the 17th Congress last year. It is about time we adopt a land use and physical planning mechanism that will ensure sustainable management and utilization of natural resources and maintenance and preservation of environmental integrity. On Foreign Policy: Our Constitution, no less, mandates an independent foreign policy. An independent foreign policy, however, does not mean relinquishing alliances. We are faced with overwhelming global issues that require collective international effort. The Paris Agreement, for instance, has been signed by 197 countries--all contributing to addressing climate change. An independent foreign policy essentially means putting national interest above all other considerations. On Rightsizing the Bureaucracy: It is about time we adopt this measure. We need a lean but mean bureaucracy. Resources are scarce and we have to maximize its use and channel these to address needs that will truly benefit our people. I have proposed a measure in this regard and I look forward to working with my colleagues in passing this measure. On Tax Reform: Good infrastructure, good transport system, better health and social services, support for our farmers, the poor, and the senior citizens require money. This reform will help achieve equity - those who have more should pay more. However, in pursuing these reforms, we also need to demand efficiency and integrity from our tax collectors. On Peace and Order: We should never underestimate the issues of terrorism, the drug menace, and public menace to our people's safety. As Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, I will ensure that our law enforcers, our soldiers, the intelligence community are adequately supported to enable them to carry out their lawful and constitutionally mandated duties. Press Release July 25, 2017 Sen. Bam disappointed free college bill not mentioned in SONA "Nasaan ang libreng kolehiyo?" Sen. Bam Aquino raised this question as he expressed disappointment over President Duterte's failure to mention free college education in his State of the Nation Address (SONA). "Marami pong umasa na babanggitin ni Pangulong Duterte ang napakaimportanteng repormang ito na magbibigay ng libreng edukasyon sa milyon-milyong Pilipino, lalo pa't pirma na lang niya ang kulang upang ito'y maisabatas. Nakakapanghinayang na hindi ito binanggit," said Sen. Bam. Sen. Bam is still hopeful though that the president will decide to sign this bill into law. He also mentioned he was happy with some pronouncements during the SONA, including enhancing support for the Armed Forces, improving government efficiency, providing free internet in public spaces which he also sponsored, and some legislative measures like the Land Use Act, BBL, as well as changes in mining policies. But the senator stressed the need to prioritize free education and give more Filipinos access to a college degree and a brighter future. "Isabatas na sana ang panukalang ito sa lalong madaling panahon," said Sen. Bam. Sen. Bam is the principal sponsor and co-author of two measures up for the President's signature, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and the Free Internet in Public Spaces Act. As principal sponsor, Sen. Bam defended the measure in plenary debates and interpellation. He also stood as co-chairman of the Senate delegation to the bicameral conference committee, together with new Committee on Education chairman Sen. Francis Escudero. Other members of the Senate panel are Sens. Sherwin Gatchalian and Ralph Recto. Once enacted into law, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act will institutionalize free tuition and other fees in SUCs and LUCs all over the country, giving underprivileged students a chance to earn a college degree. It will also streamline and strengthen all Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAP), making it available to students who want to pursue higher education in private institutions, as well as subsidizing other expenses of SUC students. On the other hand, the Free Internet in Public Places measure will provide free internet access in all national and local government offices, public schools, public transport terminals, public hospitals and public libraries. Under the measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be mandated to craft a plan and a timeline for the rollout of this program. Press Release July 25, 2017 SEN. LEILA M. DE LIMA'S STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT DUTERTE'S SECOND STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS (SONA) Just like his first SONA, and even worse this time, what we heard from President Duterte was not the true state of the nation but the sorry state of his mind that is full of anger, hate and profanity. Instead of being given a report on the government's accomplishments over the past year and concrete plans for the future, the Filipino people were treated with the same old rubbish rhetoric that lacks substance and sound policy direction. Duterte's second SONA turned out again to be another venue for unloading his resentments and rants on certain sectors, especially his critics. His use of fake facts to question the ownership of Rappler smacks of repressing the free press, and sends a chilling effect to all those who dare report the truth. I could only cringe at how Duterte undermines human rights and the rule of law. He speaks as if he owns the whole country, and that the armed forces and the police are his own private armies. Ito po ang SONA ni Duterte, na hindi na napanood o napakinggan ng mahigit sampung libong Pilipinong pinatay dahil diumano'y nanlaban at nadamay bilang collateral damage ng kanyang War on Drugs. Ni hindi man lang sila nabanggit ng Pangulo, at ang kanilang mga pamilya. Kungsabagay, aasahan ba nating magmalasakit ang isang pinunong sanay at manhid na sa patayan at karahasan? Gaya din ng kanyang sinabi: ang importante lang ay magawa niya at masunod ang gusto niya. He masks his miserable and spineless foreign policy towards China by digging up from our past the United States' refusal to return the Balangiga bells, while failing to address the elephant in the room, China's continued invasion and occupation of our territories in the West Philippine Sea. Kung karamihan sa mga nasa Kamara, nagpalakpakan para sumipsip sa Pangulo, sigurado ako, marami sa ating mga kababayan ang napailing at napayuko sa kahihiyan dahil sa mga pinagsasabi ni Duterte. Duterte must be so pissed off that, despite their gargantuan efforts aimed at discrediting or demolishing my character and dignity, through slut shaming and fabricated charges, various international entities, reputable ones, continue to support my causes, even meriting successive visits to my detention quarters from some of them. I don't care if Duterte, in his twisted and greatly prejudiced mind, thinks I have no credibility. What matters are the sentiments and opinions of decent and enlightened men and women. Truth is on my side. I am innocent. Let me return the favor and ask Duterte the same questions. Do you think you even have the moral values and credible standing, after that garbage of a speech you have unloaded before us and the foreign diplomatic corps? Wala ka nang tinirang kahihiyan para sa ating bayan sa harap ng buong mundo. Tila yata ang iyong sadya ay walanghiyain nang walang katapusan ang Pilipinas sa ibang bansa. Wala ka nang ginawa kundi bastusin ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pilipino. Ikaw na ang pinakamalaking traydor sa ating bayan. Yesterday, we as a people were once again subjected to the verbal abuse and pointless ramblings of a madman. But this is the true state of the nation--a country ruled by a murderer drunk with power, and 100 million helpless, pitiful subjects unable to escape from a nightmare. Press Release July 25, 2017 CHIZ TO CALL METROBANK, AMLC, BSP TO SHED LIGHT ON LOAN FRAUD Sen. Chiz Escudero said he wanted to look into the recently exposed internal fraudulent scheme allegedly perpetrated by a senior bank official of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) that cost the country's second biggest bank some P900 million to P2.5 billion in losses. Escudero, chairman of the Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, said the Senate panel committee will not yet launch a Senate investigation and will like to see first how the ongoing inquiry being conducted by Metrobank along with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the fiasco will turn out. However, Escudero said he will call the Metrobank officials as well as the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in a meeting in order to get acquainted with the developments of the case and determine if there are loopholes in the existing safety banking mechanisms and procedures. "I want to be enlightened and I want to hear it straight from Metrobank. I want to know how the bank executive was able to commit such a massive scale of fraud even with the bank's internal control and checks and balances," Escudero said. The suspect, Maria Victoria Lopez, was already arrested through an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI last July 17. Lopez is the head of the corporate services management division of Metrobank's head office. According to NBI, Lopez fabricated documents and facilitated the disbursement of loans into fake accounts under the name of one of their corporate clients, the Gokongwei-led Universal Robina Corporation (URC). Through the P25-billion credit line of URC, Lopez was able to process loans amounting to P900 million and P850 million. According to reports, the suspect was able to release the loans "in tranches of P30 million" for the bank to have lost as much as P2.5 billion. "So what we want to know now is how often the audit happens, from the side of the BSP and the bank itself. How come the bank did not detect what was going on at the early onset?" Escudero asked. The anomaly was only discovered when Metrobank noticed irregularities in the supposed letter request from the client, which asked the bank to issue a P2.25-million manager's check to an individual payee as interest payment. After verifying with URC, the company said it was not aware of the letter neither of the account where the payment would be debited. Metrobank and the NBI are also looking into the possibility that the suspect connived with other employees of the bank in committing the fraudulent transactions. Apart from the full-blown investigation by Metrobank and the NBI, the AMLC, with the supervision of the BSP, will also do its own probe to check Metrobank's internal controls. Escudero said they will look into the result of the inquiry and from then they will decide whether it is necessary to conduct a Senate probe or just leave it to the bank and the police authorities. Furthermore, URC clarified that they did not incur any financial loss in the fraudulent scheme performed by the bank official. They also maintained their trust and confidence with the bank, saying they will "continue regular, business as usual transactions" with Metrobank. According to Escudero, while he understands that internal problems are inevitable in any industry, he asks banks and other financial institutions to be more cautious and strict when it comes to internal operations. "We expect banks to immediately detect red flags in their system and immediately resolve internal matters. Apart from ensuring that the culprit will be brought to justice, Metrobank must secure its clients they have a robust internal control framework and that they will rigorously monitor their system," the senator said. According to the NBI, Lopez was already charged with qualified theft, falsification and violation of the General Banking Law before the Makati City Prosecutor's Office. Press Release July 25, 2017 Senate oks bill on free irrigation service to small farmers The Senate today passed on third and final reading a bill that would exempt small farmers from paying irrigation services in a bid to increase income, hasten productivity and reduce production costs in farms nationwide. Senator Cynthia Villar, sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1465 also known as the "Free Irrigation Service to Small Farmers Act of 2017", said "there is a need to make free irrigation a policy, and institutionalize it to make it more permanent." "The National Irrigation Authority was allotted P38.4 billion in this year's national budget and the P 2 billion will cover operating expenses of the National Irrigation Authority where the irrigation fees or ISF collected from farmers, but that is only for the current year." Villar said. "Filipino farmers and fisherfolk are still among the poorest in the country and freeing farmers from the burden of paying irrigation service fees will significantly reduce production cost, hasten productivity and increase the income of farmers because farmers and fisherfolk comprise 40% of Filipinos below the poverty line," Villar added. Other senators who also expressed support for the bill include Senate President Pro-tempore Ralph Recto along with Senators Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Richard Gordon, Grace Poe and Juan Miguel Zubiri. According to the bill, all small farmers are "exempted from paying irrigation service fees (ISF) for water derived from national irrigation systems (NIS) and communal irrigation systems (CIS) that were funded, constructed, maintained and administered by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and other government agencies." Farmers who own more than five hectares of land, corporate farms and plantations would continue to pay irrigation service fees. "All unpaid irrigation service fees and the corresponding penalties of small farmers to NIA and all loans, past due accounts and the corresponding interests and penalties of irrigators associations to NIA are hereby condoned and written off from the books of NIA," the bill added. The bill would also mandate the national government to provide equivalent funds for the operation and maintenance of the CISs replacing the irrigation fees that would be no longer billed from small farmers. The bill also said that in addition to funds provided by the national government, the unpaid irrigation service fees of farmers with more than five hectares of land, and service fees from non-exempt farmers and other persons, natural or juridical, drawing water from agricultural and non-agricultural purposes, or using CISs as drainage facilities, "shall be collected, retained and used by irrigators associations to operate, maintain and repair their respective CISs." The bill also sought to revoke the corporate status of the NIA, and would make it a line agency of the Department of Agriculture. However, the bill said that the office would "continue to perform its mandates, power and functions relevant to planning, development, construction, operation, improvement, repair and maintenance of irrigation systems." Villar said that she believes the measure would help push the growth and development of the agriculture sector as well as help our country achieve its food security goals. "As we work on breaking down those barriers, we also have to take care of helping them in their daily burdens and concerns such as irrigation fees," Villar concluded. (Olive Caunan) Press Release July 25, 2017 Senate passes Motorcycle Crime Prevention bill The Senate today passed on third and final reading a bill that would require motorcycles and scooters to have bigger license plates for easy identification in a bid to prevent motorcycle riding criminals from easily getting away after committing a crime. Senate Bill No. 1397 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017, authored by Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, was approved with 21 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and no abstention. The measure mandates the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue bigger and reflectorized license plates to every motorcycle and scooter in the country to take a "bite out of crime committed with the use of motorcycles or scooters." "By increasing the size and visibility of the motorcycle plates to be able to read the plate numbers from a distance, witnesses and law enforcement agencies are aided in the identification of motorcycle riders who are involved in accidents or criminal activities," Gordon stressed. Under the measure, the Land Transportation Office is mandated to issue bigger and reflectorized plate numbers which must be placed in both front and rear parts of the motorcycle. The plate numbers should be big enough to be readable from a distance of between 12 to 15 meters. The LTO is also mandated to devise a color scheme of the plate numbers for every region to easily identify where such motorcycle was registered, together with an alphanumeric system for easier identification and recollection by the general public. "Motorcycles have become crime machines. With their small plate numbers, criminals perpetrating crimes while on board motorcycles easily flee from the scene of the crime and usually there are no witnesses who can read or identify plate numbers so that the authorities can go after the criminals," Gordon said. Driving without a plate number is prohibited and shall be punishable by 4 months and 1 day up to 2 years and 4 months or a fine of not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000, or both. "Motorcycles driven without a plate number or a readable plate number shall be stopped, seized by law-enforcement officers and surrendered to the LTO," Gordon said. The LTO is also mandated to provide to the police authorities a list of all registered motorcycles and scooters including the name of the registered owner, the number of his driver's license, his address and contact details, vehicle identification number, plate number, body color, brand and manufacturer. Gordon explained that if a motorcycle was intentionally used in the commission of a crime, the owner, driver, backrider or passenger who participated in the crime shall be punished either by imprisonment of a term of 12 years and 1 day up to 20 years as provided under the revised penal code. Further, the owner of the motorcycle would be liable if he or she fails to report the theft of his vehicle or has been used in the commission of a crime. A lesser punishment of prision correcional (from 4 months and 1 day up to 2 years and 4 months) to prision mayor (from 6 years and 1 day up to 12 years) will be meted in the case of a less grievous crime. "If death or serious phyisical injuries results from the unlawful use of a motorcycle in the commission of a crime, the penalty of life imprisonment shall be imposed," Gordon added. The Philippine National Police, according to Gordon, recorded 1,069 crime incidents involving riding-in-tandems suspects with 810 killed victims in 2011, higher than the 824 recorded shooting incidents in 2010 with 604 killed victims. In Metro Manila alone, Gordon said, the number even ballooned to more than 3,000 in 2013. In 2014, it went up to 6, 219 crime incidents and decreased to 6,006 in 2015. "This is an example of the impunity upon which motorcycles have been utilized in killing," Gordon said. Press Release July 25, 2017 Infra boom needs a builder-in-chief 'Focus on infra, pivot from helmet presidency to hardhat presidency' A SONA is a report card for the past year, and explains the homework for the next year. Unfortunately, the theatrics can get in the way of the tasks. Thus, a more comprehensive report of accomplishments can be found in the "Technical Report on the SONA." As to the things to do, next year's national budget presents a comprehensive list of plans and programs. For those who find the SONA wanting, the simple explanation is this: SONA is poetry. The prose is in the proposed budget. Of course, there will be omissions, and all presidents have committed it. Unless we want an encyclopedic and kilometric SONA, we have to live with a SONA culled of many of its contents. In this afternoon's SONA, he briefly touched on our country's decaying infrastructure, but his benchmarking 7 percent of the GDP for public construction is good enough. I would have expected him to make this his banner call, for the sake of commuters who wake before dawn to catch a ride to work and struggle to be home before midnight. In spite of this, I look forward to his being the builder-in-chief. Infrastructure needs close presidential supervision. It is time to pivot from a helmet presidency to a hardhat presidency. A government focused on build, build, build will, hopefully, rewrite the national scoreboard, from tallying death, to counting roads built, jobs created, and poverty reduced. However, each of the programs will carry a price tag. I will be asking these during the budget hearings because no matter how notable a program is, its realization depends on the availability of funds. Is there enough legal tender to back the rhetoric? O uutang ba tayo? But are we willing to max out the national credit card? But let no funds be spared in rebuilding Marawi, which has become indistinguishable from Mosul. We expect the government to reconstruct Marawi in the same way it was liberated: house-to-house, block by block. His decision to seek more funds for OFWs in distress is commendable. So is his directive for all agencies to cut red tape and streamline services. His call for procurement reforms is the step in the right direction to cure underspending and curb construction delays. But it should be in a manner that will speed up the process without shortchanging the government. I support his call for the unlocking the full potential of Mindanao as the nation's food bowl. Ang gusto ng tao ay hindi lang makarinig ng mura mula sa Pangulo, pero makatikim ng murang pagkain din. Universal health care is something that should get bipartisan support. Let us support it. By PTI: London, Jul 25 (PTI) A 19-year-old Indian Muslim woman was kidnapped, raped and murdered in the UK in a suspected honour killing after she began a relationship with an Arab Muslim, a media report said today. The deceased was allegedly kidnapped with the other woman, bound and gagged and taken to an address in Kingston- upon-Thames in south west London where they were raped and she was killed on Wednesday, a UK court has heard. advertisement The body was found inside a 1.5 million pound home after the other woman in her 20s who had her throat slit alerted police from a hospital, The Mirror reported. A post-mortem examination carried out on Friday gave the teenagers cause of death as an incised wound to the neck. Mujahid Arshid, 33, appeared in Wimbledon Magistrates Court charged with the murder, rape and kidnap of the woman. He is further charged with the rape, attempted murder and kidnap of the second woman. He appeared alongside his co-defendant, Vincent Tappu, 28, who is charged with the kidnap of both women. "The deceased was involved in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and the family members didnt approve of this relationship because they are Indian Muslims," said prosecutor Binita Roscoe. Two men in balaclavas entered the property on July 19, the prosecutor said. "Her face and mouth were covered in duct tape. Her hands were tied with cable tie. She believes a sock was placed in her mouth. She had heard the deceased who was in the shower screaming," she told the court. "The deceased was brought down tied up. They were bound in dust sheets and placed in a vehicle." District Judge James Henderson remanded Tappu and Arshid in custody. Arshid will appear at the Old Bailey on July 28. Both men are due to appear at the same court on August 21. PTI AMS ABH AMS --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Aleshia Brevard, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator at Finocchios who went on to transgender surgery and a career in television and movies, died July 1 at home in her apartment in the Santa Cruz County town of Scotts Valley. She was 79. The cause of death was pulmonary fibrosis, said Joyce Nordquist, Ms. Brevards landlord and friend of 60 years. She had so many fans that related to what her life was about, Nordquist said. She was trying simply to live as a woman even to the point of being married to men who never knew her background. I guess they will be surprised when they find out. On her website, Ms. Brevard boasted that she had one of the first gender transition surgeries in America, in 1962, in Los Angeles. Within a year of that life-changing surgery I was balancing a showgirls headdress at the Dunes Hotel, she wrote. But a showgirl wasnt what I wanted to be. What she wanted was to be a Hollywood actress. She appeared in nine feature films, and made 36 television appearances, including in The Partridge Family, The Dean Martin Show, and the Red Skelton Show. She also boasted of having written nine plays, a novel and a memoir. When she underwent surgery, the term transgender did not exist. She was among the first female impersonators to take hormones and change her sex, said Susan Stryker, a professor of gender and womens studies at the University of Arizona. Aleshia was a true pioneer who never lost her zest for life, said Stryker, who featured Ms. Brevard her in the Emmy-winning 2005 documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Comptons Cafeteria. In the film, Stryker said, Ms. Brevard described what life was like in the Tenderloin before there was an organized movement for transgender rights. She was not only strong, she was witty and vivacious. Alfred Brevard Buddy Crenshaw was born Dec. 9, 1937, in Johnson City, Tenn., and grew up on a tobacco and cattle farm in central Tennessee. Summers were spent hauling hay, and any type of showing off was frowned upon by her father. Dreams of stardom were never mentioned, and the only venue for performance were school talent contests. I was proud of her as a brother, said her younger sister, Jeanne Cauble She was not the typical teenage boy. The stud image was not her, and I always admired her for that. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Middle Tennessee StateUniversity, but she left to chase her dream in Hollywood, said her sister. She was still Buddy Crenshaw when Nordquist met her while they were training to be instructors at Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Los Angeles. I thought of him as a girlfriend, Nordquist said. He was quite fun, and we ran around playing what our future was going to be like. In 1959 or 60, Ms. Brevard moved to San Francisco and became Lee Shaw, doing Monroe at Finocchios, the famed nightclub on Broadway. Though Ms. Brevard was taller and slimmer than Monroe, she could pull off the body language and the voice in the days before lip synching. For me Finocchios offered the first sense of true acceptance I had ever known, she wrote in The Woman I was Not Born to Be: A Transsexual Journal, published in 2001. As Lee Shaw, drag diva, I was notable and nothing was demanded except that I look incredible and have a modicum of talent. As the blond ingenue of the San Francisco nightspot I was almost complete. The road to full completion began when she started hormonal treatments with Dr. Harry S. Benjamin in San Francisco. A year or so later, she moved back to Los Angeles to have gender reassignment surgery. Alfred Brevard Crenshaw legally became Aleshia Brevard Crenshaw, which she shortened for her show name. Cauble remembered watching here sisters TV appearances, most of which were small. Shed come on and Id say Theres Aleshia, and then shed be gone, Cauble said. Ms. Brevards most prominent film role was in The Love God? with Don Knotts, in 1969. Limousines whisked me from one press party to the next, and at each exciting stop I held court as the honored guest, she wrote of that experience, on her website. My only task was to pout, dimple prettily, and be as quotable as possible. When the roles dried up, Ms. Brevard returned to Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned a masters degree in theater arts. I even went back to teaching acting at the same university Id first attended as a boy, she wrote in her book. While living in Tennessee, she married for the first of four times, including twice to the same man. The only word that comes to mind is disaster, said Cauble, in describing her sisters marriages. In the late 1990s, Ms. Brevard came to Scotts Valley at the invitation of her old friend Nordquist. She found work as a substitute high school teacher and also did community theater. She and Nordquist took long trips together on cruise ships. She would sleep late, spend the afternoon doing makeup and her outfits and be ready for the evening, Nordquist said. She always looked gorgeous. That was very important to her. Ms. Brevard is survived by her sister, of Midland, N.C. A private memorial service will be held in Scotts Valley. She was a lady, and needs to be remembered as one, Cauble said. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art By PTI: Indore, Jul 24 (PTI) With prices of tomato touching Rs 100 per kg, traders have asked the management of Devi Ahilya Bai Fruit and Vegetable Market here to hire security guards. "A big consignment of tomatoes was stolen in Mumbai recently. We fear it may happen here too," said Subhash Narang, a wholesaler. "We have asked the market management to deploy security guards to protect tomatoes," he added. Market inspector Ramesh Savadia however said that security guards have already been deployed, and the traders need not have any fear. Tomatoes are being sold at Rs 50 to 60 per kg in the wholesale market here, and are retailing at around Rs 100 per kg, local vendors said. Supply crunch due to damage caused to the crop by heavy rains in several parts of the country has led to a sharp rise in prices, they said. PTI HWP LAL KRK --- ENDS --- advertisement BARTs brand spanking new electric train cars tried their very hardest on Monday to work like they were supposed to. Its not easy being the new kid on the block. What BART proved Monday during its gala test of its train of the future was that its a very good thing that the trains come with a full two-year factory warranty. Monday was demonstration day, and reporters and other guests hopped aboard the factory-fresh leviathan for a 27-minute meander through the East Bay. The new train lurched, jerked, ran behind schedule and stopped on a siding to catch its breath. Blurp, said the train, as it pulled into South Hayward station 22 minutes late for its special preview run to Bay Fair and back. Most BART trains say beep but change is life. Moments later, the test train lurched harshly several times as its controls were switched from manual to automatic control and back again, and the train operator who is still getting the hang of the space-age cockpit that passes for the drivers seat was making his acquaintance with the brakes. One reporter was knocked to his knees and the rest of the pack grabbed at the straps and poles. But all was forgiven as the train glided north, past the familiar graffiti and backyard cleanup projects of South Hayward. The old trains are like a Model T, and this runs like a Tesla, said veteran train operator Kirk Paulsen. The new train, built by the Bombardier company of Montreal and assembled at the companys factory in Plattsburgh, N.Y., was measurably quieter than current BART trains, the ones that transit agency is already referring to as its legacy fleet. On The Chronicles decibel meter, the new train sped through Hayward at about 10 decibels quieter than current ones. BART said it has reconfigured the train wheels so that they contact the rails at a different, quieter angle. But the new train still averaged 82 decibels, which according to sound experts, is the noise level of a vacuum cleaner or a screaming child. Fortunately for BART, the two-year factory warranty period doesnt start until the trains begin carrying actual people, and reporters dont count in that category. BART people who have been testing the cars for the past year say theyre very glad about that because things keep going wrong. Project manager John Garnham said testing the trains has been a herculean feat. The state of California, he said, provided him with a checklist of 1,870 items that have to run perfectly. And there are 3,000 documents to fill out for each car, he said. Since testing on the first batch of 10 cars began last spring, BART has encountered scores of glitches relating to lights, air conditioning, heating, brakes and propulsion. Most of the testing has been done in the wee hours, when the rest of the BART system is shut down and the balky new train cars are far from prying eyes. We knew we werent buying a finished product, said Chief Mechanical Officer Dave Hardt, who said most of the testing could only be performed when the train cars were running on actual BART tracks and not at the factory in New York. BART spokesman Jim Allison said seemingly endless software fixes must be tested in the lab, on a parked train and then on a moving train. Once one glitch is fixed, another is often found, he said. The agency hopes to be able to put the first 10 cars into service by September. About 150 new cars will arrive and be phased into the system each year until the entire legacy fleet of 669 cars is replaced by the 775 new cars in 2022. The cost of the new trains cars is $1.5 billion, or about enough to buy two BART tickets from South Hayward to Bay Fair for every person in the country. The new cars come with fewer seats to provide more space so that more passengers can cram aboard during rush hour. But BART said the larger number of train cars in the new fleet will mean an overall increase in seating capacity systemwide, once they are all in operation. The BART trains of the future also feature blue and green interiors that look like a Seattle Seahawks football jersey, and thinly covered plastic seats. In a nod to the changing times, the trains also feature no vaping signs and spring-loaded bike clamps instead of racks. Also on each car are video monitors that will show maps, train location and upcoming stations, and other information and possibly advertising messages, although that had not yet been decided. The video signs were turned off for the test run because, said one BART official, they werent working quite right and it wouldnt do to announce that the train was in Hayward if it wasnt. Some things about BART, however, dont change all that much. The test train was supposed to depart from South Hayward at high noon. It actually departed at 12:22 p.m. and then proceeded to do what all BART trains do from time to time it stopped. The trip to Bay Fair and back a total of four stops took 27 minutes. Only invited guests were invited on the special train, which obligingly stopped at South Hayward directly beneath flashing electronic signs that proclaimed Train Wont Stop. Left behind at South Hayward station was BART patron Natasha Pledger, who said she had exactly 63 minutes to get to Oakland airport and catch her plane home to Houston. She was not happy to have fallen victim to BARTs gala celebration. I cant miss my plane, she said. Im glad they have new trains, but I have to get to the airport. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com 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. BARTS CARS: NEW vs. OLD BARTs Legacy trains: Thicker padded cloth seats that tend to get funky Two doors per car on each side Printed map posters No bike racks (unattended bikes often roll onto unsuspecting passengers) Horns that go beep Dirty interiors BARTs train of the future: Thinner padded plastic seats that may hold up better Three doors per car on each side Video screens with map displays and train information, and maybe ads Spring-loaded bike clamps that resemble the jaws of life Horns that go blurp Clean interiors, for now Police in San Francisco released surveillance images Tuesday of two "persons of interest" in a broad-daylight killing that occurred in May in the Marina District. Kelly Freeman, 32, was shot on May 20 as he slept on the steps of a building on the 100 block of Alhambra Street, one block west of Marina Middle School, police said. A 53-year-old woman from Palo Alto, accused of driving under the influence, killing one of her passengers and injuring another, was arrested, police said Monday. Vera Shpilman was arrested Saturday just before 11 p.m., following a crash reported on the 3300 block of El Camino Real in Palo Alto, according to the Palo Alto Police Department. During her tenure as an MGM star of the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was dubbed the most beautiful woman in the world. Another actress might have been flattered, but Lamarr, a Viennese emigre with a curious mind and restless nature, felt imprisoned. Any girl can look glamorous, she once said. All she has to do is stand still and look stupid. In Bombshell The Hedy Lamarr Story, a documentary that screens in the Jewish Film Festival beginning Wednesday, July 26, we see how the actress luminous beauty not only masked her intelligence and imagination but thwarted her second career as an inventor. Hedy wanted to do something important with her life; she wanted to make her mark, Robert Osborne, the late Turner Classic Movies host and a close friend of Lamarr, says in Bombshell. But she was totally judged by that face. When Lamarr wasnt alluringly draped in doorways, allowing the hot studio lights to emphasize her perfect bone structure, she was bent over a drafting table at home moonlighting as an inventor. For decades, that part of her life was unknown. Lamarr collaborated on three inventions with George Antheil, an avant-garde composer and pianist. In 1941, eager to help the Allies defeat Germany, they developed a radio communication system designed to guide U.S. Navy torpedoes to German U-boats. Called spread-spectrum technology, the system manipulated radio signals to jump from one frequency to another, thereby altering the trajectory of the torpedo and preventing the Germans from tracking or jamming the signal. Lamarr called it frequency hopping. It was a profoundly original idea, says Richard Rhodes, whose book Hedys Folly provides the fascinating backstory to the Lamarr/Antheil collaborations. Antheil, best known for his ambitious Ballet Mechanique composition, described Lamarr as an incredible combination of childish ignorance and definite flashes of genius. In 1942, Lamarr and Antheil were granted a U.S. patent for their design, but the U.S. Navy rejected their proposal. Dismissively, they told the glamorous movie star to go sell war bonds if she wanted to help the war effort which she did, raising $25 million ($375 million in todays dollars) for her adopted country. She was very patriotic, her son Anthony Loder says in the film. She loved America. She was grateful to be here, and she wanted Hitler dead. United Artists 1938 The Navy didnt use Lamarrs spread-spectrum technology until 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But the influence of her invention is vast: The wireless technology that Lamarr first envisioned is used today in cell phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and military guided missiles. The patent for her design, Loder said by phone from his Los Angeles home, is now worth billions of dollars. Born Hedwig Kiesler in 1914, Lamarr was the daughter of wealthy, erudite, assimilated Jewish parents. She was indulged by her father (Be yourself, choose and take what you want, he told her) and developed an assertive nature and narcissistic need for attention. At 16, she brashly entered a film studio, offered her services and was put to work almost immediately. In 1933, she became an international scandal when she briefly appeared nude in the Czech film Ecstasy. There were six marriages and divorces, the third to English actor John Loder (Now, Voyager), who fathered her son, Anthony, and a daughter, Denise. Her first husband, Fritz Mandl, was a German munitions manufacturer who sold arms to the Nazis. After leaving Mandl, Lamarr met MGM chief Louis B. Mayer in London and booked passage on the cross-Atlantic steamship that Mayer was taking to New York. Mayer signed her to a contract and renamed her Hedy Lamarr la mar is Spanish for the sea and in 1938 she made her Hollywood debut in Algiers opposite Charles Boyer. MGM gave her wealth and exposure, but Lamarr rebelled when Mayer relegated her to lightweight, decorative parts. After the U.S. Navy rejected her patent, her first part was Tondelayo, a dusky jungle siren in the ludicrous White Cargo. Her biggest box-office success, Cecil B. DeMilles Samson and Delilah, was released in 1949 but was followed by a series of bitter disappointments. After 1958, she never appeared in another movie. Had the Navy adopted Lamarrs frequency-hopping technology, Anthony Loder says, My mother wouldve jumped right into it. She would never have gone back to Hollywood and probably stayed in Washington, D.C., and had a fulfilling, happy life. Courtesy Jewish Film Institute One of the confounding aspects of Lamarrs life is the schism between her independence and accomplishments on the one hand, and her erratic, often self-destructive personal life on the other. Her marriages all failed. She lost her savings when she produced the epic Loves of Three Queens (1954) but couldnt find a distributor. She became addicted to methamphetamine when notorious Manhattan physician Max Jacobson administered his energizing elixirs to her, claiming they were multivitamin concoctions. In 1966, her worst year, she was arrested for shoplifting at a Los Angeles department store and saw the release of Ecstasy and Me, a ghostwritten autobiography. Lamarr foolishly never read the book in galley form and discovered upon its publication that the writers had fabricated a lurid, largely fictionalized potboiler. She sued for libel and lost. The book devastated her, Loder said. She left Hollywood with her tail between her legs. Her life went downhill. She moved to New York, to Aruba, to Miami. She spent her life alone, with no one to ground her or care for her. She got screwed a lot: with her invention, with her husbands, her career. Her own lawyers cheated her. It was just bam, bam, bam! One thing after another. In 1990, when a Forbes magazine article resurrected the story of her spread-spectrum invention, Lamarr received the satisfaction of belated recognition. In 1997, she and Antheil were given the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award and the Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Bronze Award. In 2014, they were posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. All her life she was known for her face, Loder says. Now, for all of history shes going to be known as someone who came up with a brilliant idea. In January 2000, Lamarr died alone at her home in Florida, at 85. At her request, her son and daughter took her cremated remains to Vienna and scattered them on a hillside outside her beloved city of birth. Edward Guthmann is a Bay Area freelance writer. Bombshell The Hedy Lamarr Story. San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, CineArts at Palo Alto Square; 8 p.m. July 30, Castro Theater, San Francisco; 4:45 p.m. Aug. 5, Albany Twin, Albany; and 4:15 p.m. Aug. 6, Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael. Director Alexandra Dean and Lamarrs son, Anthony Loder, will attend the San Francisco showing. $15-$25. (415) 621-0523. boxoffice@sfjff.org. A Pune resident had tried to stop the release of Indu Sarkar saying that it would cause law and order problems. By Vidya : Apart from the Bombay High Court, the makers of Indu Sarkar also won a case in the Pune sessions court, where a petition had been filed last week asking for the film to be stopped from releasing. The petition filed by 33-year-old Anwar Shaikh, an activist and a resident of Bopodi in Pune, told the court that a law and order situation had arisen when director Madhur Bhandarkar was about to conduct a press conference for his film, and Congress party workers in the city had opposed it to such an extent that the press conference had to be stopped. He also cited a similar issue that had cropped up in Nagpur. advertisement The petitioner told the court through his advocate, Wajid Khan Bidkar, that if such an issue had arisen just during the film's press conference, one can only imagine the situation when the film is released. Bidkar also cited a few cases like that of the film Parzania, which was based on the Gujarat riots, and was banned by the government of Gujarat citing law and order issues. The case had been filed against Indu sarkar director Madhur Bhandarkar, producer Bharat Shah and even actors Neil Nitin Mukesh and Anupam Kher under Section 133, 142, 143 and 144 of the Indian Penal Code. However Judge PT Shejal refused to hear the case any further after Bhandarkar's lawyers told the court that a censor certificate had already been issued for the release of the film on July 28, this week. ALSO READ: Bombay HC throws out petition against Indu Sarkar by woman who claims to be Sanjay Gandhi's daughter ALSO READ: Madhur Bhandarkar refuses to screen Indu Sarkar for any political party ALSO WATCH: The story of Emergency in India --- ENDS --- Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg The Senates attempt to revive the corpse of the Affordable Care Act repeal epitomizes the Republicans just-do-something health care strategy. A vote expected as soon as Tuesday would be on whats known as a motion to proceed. Whats not known is what the Senate would be proceeding with. Apparently lacking a majority to begin debate on the Senates surreptitiously drafted Affordable Care Act rollback, an even meaner House version or an outright repeal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to open the door to all those possibilities and then some. The gambit mirrors President Trumps determination to unravel his predecessors signature legislative achievement regardless of the consequences. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Syrian civil war is the worlds most urgent humanitarian crisis. Already, 13.5 million Syrians more than half the prewar population have fled their homes. And the flow of migrants shows no signs of abating. Yet the Syrian conflict is but one of many around the globe. Some 35,000 people flee war or persecution each day. These brave men, women and children join a record 65 million others nearly 1 percent of the globes population who cant return home. Not even World War II uprooted as many people. The humanitarian communitys aid distribution system, however, dates to the post-World War II era. Then, most refugees needed donations of food and clothing as they waited out conflicts in camps. Now, 3 in 4 refugees live outside a camp. Nearly 9 in 10 reside in low- and middle-income nations, often those bordering their home countries. Lebanon, for instance, has taken in 1.5 million Syrians, who now make up a quarter of the tiny Mediterranean nations population. Host governments frequently view these arrivals with suspicion, worrying that theyll destabilize fragile political systems and take jobs from citizens. So they box refugees out of the labor market and make them dependent on charity or black-market work. Those fleeing the hell of war and disaster find themselves in purgatory unable to return home but barred from building new lives. The Trump administration too is limiting the number of refugees being resettled in the United States and is proposing cuts to our foreign-aid budget at a time when we need it most. Host nations have a choice. They can let refugees either burden the economy or contribute to it. Oxford Universitys Alexander Betts, who heads the Refugee Studies Centre, urges host countries to allow refugees to work, pointing to Uganda as a model. More than 20 percent of refugees in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, own a business that employs other people, and 40 percent of those employees are nationals of the host country. If refugees join the labor force, however, theyll inevitably disperse into cities and towns. Its logistically difficult for aid organizations to deliver food or clothing to these dispersed populations. Thats why David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee which my organization previously honored with the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize urges donors to simply give refugees cash. Cash which currently accounts for just 6 percent of all humanitarian aid empowers refugees to buy exactly what they need. The committee studied 90,000 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon who received preloaded ATM cards. Families overwhelmingly spent the money on food, water, winter clothing and shelter. And cash keeps kids in school households receiving cash assistance were half as likely to send their children out to work, according to the IRC. But refugees cant reach their full potential without an education. Two-thirds of refugee children arent in school. Yet less than 2 percent of humanitarian aid was devoted to education in 2016. My organization is working with international nongovernmental organizations, including Save the Children and Theirworld, to demonstrate how education initiatives for the most vulnerable young people are a smart investment for future peace and sustainability. Together, were supporting education programs for the children of Syrian refugees close to the epicenter of the crisis. Regular Americans can encourage this shift from making refugees dependent to making them contributors by donating cash to organizations that implement modern approaches to humanitarian aid. To ensure their donations have the greatest impact, individuals can give to groups that offer cash assistance, help refugees find work and educate refugee children. They can also volunteer locally to support refugees who are beginning their new lives in the United States. Conflict, a lack of economic opportunity and climate change will make this a century of dislocation. By quickly adopting new approaches, aid agencies, donors and host nations including the United States can turn the challenges of mass migration into opportunities. Peter Laugharn serves as president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. San Francisco is on track to become the first city in the nation to ban flame-retardant chemicals from furniture and childrens products, a move scientists said could bring down cancer rates and save children from a variety of developmental problems. Supervisor Mark Farrell will introduce the legislation at Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting. He deems it the logical next step for a city that outlawed plastic grocery bags in 2012 and barred polystyrene foam last year. San Francisco will always be an environmental leader, Farrell said, citing research that links the flame-repelling substances to attention problems, lowered IQs, hormone disruption, reproductive issues and cancer. Flame retardants are baked into many household products, including baby strollers, computers, building insulation, plastics and nursing pillows. These chemicals migrate into dust, posing a danger to infants who crawl around on floors or people who eat at their computers. Legislators and public health advocates have tried for years to get them banned at the state level but have always run into opposition from chemical manufacturers. The chemical industry would lie and cheat, said former state legislator Mark Leno, who introduced a first anti-flame-retardant bill as a state assemblyman in 2006. Leno, a San Francisco Democrat who is also a former city supervisor, sponsored four such bills over his career in the Assembly and Senate, three of which failed. The only one that passed was a 2015 law requiring furniture labels to indicate whether the product contains flame retardants. Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle He said chemical-industry lobbyists fiercely fought his legislative efforts, appealing to voters in radio and television ads, robocalls and mailers. They urged people to call their legislators and tell them to vote against these bills, because otherwise, Your children will die in a fire, Leno said. He and others trace the states problems with flame retardants back to regulations that Gov. Jerry Brown established during his first term in 1975, requiring manufacturers to subject all their products to an open flame test. The laws were well-intentioned, Leno said, but pretty much required (these companies) to use chemicals. He noted that although the law was unique to California, it affected other states because California is the most populous state. Because of the size of our marketplace, all furniture sold anywhere in the U.S. had to be made to comply with our regulations, Leno said. Brown rewrote those laws in 2013, allowing manufacturers to use fire-resistant fabrics and coverings. But he stopped short of outright banning flame retardants, which are still used in roughly a quarter of all childrens products sold in the nation, according to research by the Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health. Farrell expects his ban to sail through the Board of Supervisors, though it is already facing criticism from a prominent national trade association. Michael Macor/The Chronicle Flame retardants provide consumers with a critical layer of fire protection, said Bryan Goodman, spokesman for the American Chemistry Councils North American Flame Retardant Alliance. They also help products meet important fire safety standards that are in place to protect life and property. Such reasoning has for decades given consumers a false sense of security, said Suzanne Price, who in 2009 left her job at an investment bank to open an organic baby boutique in San Franciscos Marina District. Price has struggled for eight years to stock her shop with alternatives to the chemical-doused polyurethane foam thats used in many bassinets and crib mattresses. She avoids those chemicals and instead sells items with naturally occurring flame retardants, such as wool, latex, baking soda and coconut husks. They are expensive and hard to find, Price said, and she has to explain to customers why its worth spending an extra $50 on a mattress that wont emit toxins. The conventional wisdom is that if its so bad, the government would have banned it, Price said. And some people thought they needed chemicals to keep their babies safe from a fire. If it passes, Farrells ban could have profound effects not just for retailers and consumers, but also for firefighters who may inhale noxious compounds when flame retardants burn. Blood tests of 12 San Francisco firefighters in 2014 showed that all of them had high levels of dioxins, which are released when the compounds in flame retardants catch fire. Dioxins are extremely carcinogenic, said Tony Stefani, head of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation. Stefani blames flame retardants for an epidemic of cancer among his colleagues, including breast cancer rates for female San Francisco firefighters that are six times the nations average for women 40 to 50 years old. He said these chemicals do little or nothing to limit fires, despite manufacturers claims. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan San Francisco environmental laws 2006: Plastic-bag ban at large grocery stores and retailers, and foam container ban in restaurants and hotels 2008: Large commercial and residential high-rises required to meet LEED Gold standard 2009: San Francisco residents required to separate recyclable materials, compostable materials and landfill trash 2012: Plastic-bag ban extended to include all retail stores 2013: Plastic-bag ban at all food establishments 2014: Plastic-water-bottle ban on city property 2015: Shift to renewable diesel fuel for city fleet 2 016: Polystyrene ban on everything from packing peanuts to ice chests to to-go coffee cups 2016: San Francisco becomes the first U.S. city to require solar rooftops on new buildings This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A view of a celebrity in the Bay Area can capture him or her in a new light. As part of a project to track down old oversize photos from The Chronicles basement archive, I turned up shots of famous musicians, actors and comedians, and these images remain among the newspapers greatest portraits. Oversize photos were an annoyance for librarians to file, so they were often misplaced or outright lost. Many of the images included here havent been seen for years, even decades. This collection of classics features shots of Tina Turner, Alice Cooper and Mick Jagger that show the performers in all their stage-owning glory. Turner turned heads at the Venetian Room in San Franciscos Fairmont Hotel in 1983, while Cooper and Jagger rocked in front of bigger crowds, at the Kaiser Center in Oakland and Candlestick Park, respectively. San Francisco hosted plenty of Hollywood actors in the late 1970s through early 1990s, too. Wonder Woman Lynda Carter came to town to promote a new show, and Sidney Poitier came to the Emporium to push his autobiography. The Bay Area wasnt short on laughs, either, with Richard Pryor cracking jokes at the Circle Star in 1983 and Pat Paulsen of Smothers Brothers fame performing at Walnut Creeks Punch Line in 1987. As the rediscovered shot of Carlos Santana performing at the Fillmore illustrates, sometimes musicians and other celebrities just look better in the Bay Area. Classic shots: See the first batch of rediscovered Bay Area concert photos, from the Godfather of Soul to Cher to Johnny Cash. More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond. Bill Van Niekerken is the library director of The San Francisco Chronicle, where he has worked since 1985. In his weekly column, From the Archive, he explores the depths of The Chronicles vast photography archive in search of interesting historical tales related to the city by the bay. TORONTO - The As had an extra reliever in the clubhouse Tuesday but probably wont have him available until Thursday. Meanwhile, another reliever was still stuck in New York. Ryan Dull threw 1 2/3 innings with Triple-A Nashville on Monday and joined the As Tuesday, but manager Bob Melvin said Dull isnt likely to come off the DL until Thursday, although there is some chance it could be Wednesday depending on how he feels. Frankie Montas, meanwhile, resolved his visa issues in New York on Tuesday afternoon but his flight wont get him into Toronto until after 9 p.m., so its unlikely hell be in Oaklands bullpen. Dull threw 32 pitches in the Sounds 8-0 loss at New Orleans; he allowed a hit and a walk and struck out one. In two appearances with Nashville, he didnt allow a run and just the one hit and walk; he hit a batter and struck out two. He also worked one scoreless inning with rookie-league Arizona, striking out one. Im still getting there bur everything feels good right now, said Dull, who has been out for more than two months with a right knee strain. Dull is wearing a sleeve on his right knee now, and hes gotten used to it - but hes having trouble keeping it on. I have to find a way to keep it from sliding, he said. Especially in New Orleans - it was so humid, a couple of pitches it went straight down my leg. When Dull comes off the DL, Montas is among the potential candidates to return to Nashville. Chris Bassitt, who is pitching in relief the remainder of this season as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, came off the 60-day DL Tuesday and was optioned to Nashville; he could be an option to join Oakland in the next week or two once he is pitching consistently well. Bobby Wahl (shoulder) was transferred onto the 60-day DL to keep the As 40-man roster at the limit. Wahl is on a rehab assignment with Class-A Stockton. He went on the DL May 24, so already has spent more than 60 days out and he is eligible to return any time he is ready. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TORONTO Oakland almost went back to its eight-man bullpen Monday, calling up Josh Smith from Triple-A Nashville and sending first baseman-outfielder Matt Olson back down. Reliever Frankie Montas, however, was stuck in New York for the day because of visa trouble, leaving Oakland a player short for the first game of the series against the Blue Jays. Montas is expected to arrive in Toronto in time for Tuesdays game. Smith, back for his second stint with Oakland, went two innings and allowed one hit and he walked in a run in the seventh. Last time I was here I was making some stupid mistakes I hadnt ever, really, so I went down and ironed some things out, Smith said. I was just making dumb pitches, didnt have as much confidence in some pitches as I should have. Olson joined Oakland for last weekends series against the Mets in New York, and he was 1-for-2 with a pinch-hit single. Hes had five stints with the As this season and knows the drill now as the designated yo-yo between Nashville and Oakland. ALSO Top Giants prospect Tyler Beede injures groin He sees me coming, manager Bob Melvin said. Usually I have someone come to my office, now I just kind of look at him and its like, Ah. OK. ... He understands. Alonsos funk: All-Star Yonder Alonso went 0-for-3 and is hitless in his past 10 at-bats and hitting .193 over his past 36 games, but he said before the game that he isnt worried; hell stick to the process that made him so successful in the first half. Baseballs like a stock, Alonso said. Sometimes you have a bad week where the stocks are down, and the next week, the stock is booming. Hopefully, we continue on and the stock starts booming. Axfords woes: John Axford took over in the seventh Monday, gave up a hit and two walks and didnt retire a batter; the Blue Jays scored a run when Smith replaced Axford and walked Justin Smoak. Axfords ERA climbed to 6.43. The walks have really been killing him, Melvin said. He has a history of throwing the ball over the plate, hes just having trouble doing that now. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. On deck Tuesday at Blue Jays 4:07 p.m. NBCSCA Gray (6-4) vs. Valdez (0-0) Wednesday at Blue Jays 4:07 p.m. NBCSCA Blackburn (1-1) vs. Estrada (4-7) Thursday at Blue Jays 9:37 a.m. MLB Net Manaea (8-5) vs. Stroman (9-5) Leading off Rough day: Right-hander Kendall Graveman (shoulder) threw three innings for Triple-A Nashville on Monday, allowing nine hits and seven runs, three earned. He walked one, struck out one and threw 65 pitches. He will have at least one more rehab start. Susan Slusser This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 16-day-old baby found in the parking lot of a Suisun City strip mall was in a hospital in critical condition Tuesday and his 18-year-old father was under arrest on suspicion of abandoning him, police said. The newborn was discovered about 3 p.m. on Monday sitting in a baby car seat in the busy parking lot of the Sunset Shopping Center in the 100 block of Sunset Avenue, police said. Police didn't immediately notice anything wrong with the infant, but sent him to North Bay Medical Center in Fairfield as a precaution. Once at the hospital, doctors determined the child was in critical but stable condition, said Cmdr. Andrew White of the Suisun City Police Department. White said he could not release further details on the child and that police are not sure if the infant's failing health is directly related to Monday's incident. The newborn's 18-year-old father, Daniel Mitchell, was arrested later Monday when he was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Fairfield, White said. Mitchell was taken into custody after being treated for injuries at North Bay Medical Center. He was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, child abandonment, committing a felony while on bail and a misdemeanor possession of suspected cocaine, police said. Wendell Cooper, owner of J's Barber Shop and Hair Salon in the Sunset Shopping Center, said a customer walked into his business and said, "There's a baby in the parking lot." Cooper said he walked to his window and saw a car seat in the middle of the parking lot which was bustling with vehicles. "It's a real dangerous spot where that baby was sitting," Cooper said. "A lot of people don't even look." He said two barbers went outside, pulled back the blankets and found the baby, whimpering and sucking on a pacifier. They brought him inside and waited about ten minutes before calling the police, thinking someone would come back for him. Cooper said the baby seemed healthy and happy to be around everyone in the barber shop, and barely made a sound. The barbers went next door to check the surveillance tape of the smoke shop. They saw a man pull up, put the baby on the ground and hesitate. He started to pick up the car seat, but quickly set it down and drove off, Cooper said. The barbers called police at 3:15 p.m. Suisun City police officers interviewed Mitchell at the hospital and, with the help of witnesses and surveillance footage, determined he is the father of the infant, White said. The baby's mother provided a statement to the police and is not considered a suspect. The baby was placed into protective custody of Solano County Child Protective Services. Suisun City police previously arrested Mitchell on June 27 on suspicion of possessing a firearm, officials said. The day after finding the baby, the barbers at J's were still in shock. "I got kids and all the barbers got kids," he said. "It's really heartbreaking." Alison Graham is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: agraham@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @alisonkgraham This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two California governors one a Republican, the other a Democrat joined together Tuesday to celebrate the extension of one of the states key global warming programs and slam the federal government for abandoning the climate fight. Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law an extension of the states cap-and-trade program for curbing greenhouse gases, ensuring the program will keep running through 2030. His Republican predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, stood at his side, on the shore of San Franciscos Treasure Island. On the same spot in 2006, Schwarzenegger signed the landmark global warming law that authorized the cap-and-trade system and committed California to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. While only one Republican legislator sided with Schwarzenegger to pass that law, AB32, eight Republicans supported the new legislation, negotiated in months of closed-door talks involving Brown, legislative leaders, environmental advocates and business representatives. Republican support helped the bill, AB398, win a two-thirds, supermajority vote last week that should shield it from future legal challenges. Its a message that we have a functional government here in California where Democrats and Republicans work together, Schwarzenegger said at the signing ceremony. Its a message for Washington, where they cannot work together. So I hope they learn from this. Schwarzenegger accused conservative Republicans, with whom he often sparred as governor, of lying to the people on global warming. And following President Trumps move to withdraw the United States from the global climate agreement forged in Paris in late 2015, Schwarzenegger said the vote demonstrated that many Americans remain committed to fighting climate change. It shows the rest of the world that America did not drop out of the Paris Agreement, Schwarzenegger said. Theres only one man that dropped out, but America did not drop out. AB398 drew fire from many environmentalists, who considered it far too friendly to Californias business community. One hotly contested provision will block state and local air quality regulators from imposing new greenhouse gas limits on businesses or industrial facilities already participating in cap and trade. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District had been poised to slap firm limits on greenhouse gas emissions from the areas five local refineries. But Brown on Tuesday argued that negotiating compromises with California businesses had been the right approach. You cant just say, Were not going to have oil anymore, he said. You need an intelligent, planned transition. California law calls for reducing the states greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Cap and trade sets a declining annual limit on Californias greenhouse gas emissions and forces businesses to buy a type of permit, called an allowance, for every metric ton of gases they emit. The number of allowances shrinks over time, curbing emissions. The states Legislative Analysts Office had raised questions about whether the system had legal authorization to continue running past 2020. The new law erases that uncertainty. There remains, however, uncertainty about how much cap and trade will contribute to the states overall fight against global warming. Other policies including tougher mileage requirements for cars and a state requirement that utilities use more renewable power appear to be having a greater impact. And in 2015, the most recent year for which data are available, Californias greenhouse gas emissions fell less than 1 percent. Since peaking in 2004, they have dropped about 10 percent. Those last inventory numbers were a warning sign, said Chris Busch, director of research at the Energy Innovation consulting firm. I think cap and trade is running well. The question is how quickly will it get us on the trajectory we need for 2030? Brown urged other states to join California. The Canadian province of Quebec already participates in Californias cap-and-trade system, and Ontario may join soon. We are a nation-state in a globalizing world, and we are having an impact, Brown said. Brown lavished praise on Schwarzenegger during the ceremony, thanking him for his leadership on climate change. The fact that California can welcome an immigrant from Austria and make him governor thats another miracle, Brown said to laughter. David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: DBaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF Vino Volo, a boutique wine bar and shop found in airports across North America, has been acquired by Hojeij Branded Foods, an airport food and beverage operator based in Atlanta, the companies said Thursday. Vino Volo (derived from wine flight in Italian) has more than 40 locations at 32 airports and offers wines from around the world, tasting flights and bottles for purchase or shipping. We are delighted to join forces with HBF, says Vino Volo CEO Doug Tomlinson, who founded the Oakland company in 2004. With the retention of Vino Volo founder Tomlinson as president, Vino Volo will become a wholly owned subsidiary of HBF, run by Vino Volos current leadership team under the leadership of the HBF CEO. Combining the forces of HBF and Vino Volo is a natural fit for both companies, says HBF CEO Regynald G. Washington. Media firm buys WebMD WebMD, the online information source on health topics, announced Monday that it will be acquired by Internet Brands, a new media company controlled by global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. The transaction is valued at around $2.8 billion. According to the company, stockholders of the New York health information provider would get $66.50 per each share in cash, a 20 percent premium over the Friday closing price of $55.19. The sale comes after WebMD announced in February that the management team was working with its legal and financial advisers to explore various strategies to stay competitive. The company was founded in the mid-1990s and quickly became a prominent name in the digital space as one of the leading information providers on medical symptoms, pharmacy, drugs and physicians. WebMDs stock jumped around 20 percent on the New York Stock Exchange in the first hour of trading after the deal was announced, a sign that investors are as optimistic as the companys management about future prospects after the acquisition. Earnings Hasbro stock falls on report Easy-Bake ovens arent as popular as they used to be. Demand for Hasbro Inc.s Easy-Bake, Playskool and Super Soaker brands declined in the second quarter, pushing sales below analysts estimates. While the companys franchise products Transformers, Nerf and Monopoly, among others remained strong, the results sent shares down the most in 21 months. Hasbro said its Magic card games and Nerf blasters also performed well, while demand for Super Soaker water guns and Baby Alive dolls was weaker. It expects to sell more toys later this year when a My Little Pony movie and the latest Star Wars film are released. Revenue rose 11 percent to $972.5 million, just below the $973 million analysts expected, according to Zacks. Still, second quarter profit jumped 30 percent, exceeding estimates. Shares of Hasbro fell 9.4 percent, or $10.95, to close at $105 Monday. They had gained 49 percent this year through the end of last week. Toy rival Mattel Inc. also dropped, falling as much as 5.1 percent. Ride Hailing Uber rival in Asia gets funds The taxi app Grab has been given an additional $2 billion in financing, revealing the intense competition among car services in Asia that has forced companies like Uber to take a back seat to rivals with extremely deep pockets. The latest round of funding comes from Japans Softbank and Chinas top ride-hailing firm, Didi Chuxing. Grab said Monday that it expects another $500 million will come from other existing and new investors. Its last announced cash injection was in September when it raised $750 million led by Softbank, whose Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is Japans richest person and a self-styled tech visionary. Grab is vying to dominate the market for car and motorbike hailing in Southeast Asia, where it competes with traditional taxis and rival apps such as Uber. In Indonesia, the regions biggest economy and most populous country with more than 250 million people, its in a fierce battle for customers with local app Go-Jek. Uber lost a pricey fight for control of the market in China against Didi Chuxing, forcing it to accept a stake in Didi as a consolation prize. As of yet, however, none of the apps, including Grab, is profitable. Didi Chuxing itself raised $7.3 billion in June last year. Chronicle News Services Two brothers were arrested for robbing while wearing Donald Trump's mask. By Reuters: Italian police said on Monday they had arrested two brothers suspected of robbing dozens of cash machines while wearing masks of US President Donald Trump. The stunt evokes the 1991 film "Point Break" starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, in which a gang of surfers don masks of ex-US presidents while robbing banks. But in a statement police said the brothers had been inspired by a different film. advertisement "Inspired by the (1997) film 'The Jackal', whose protagonist -- played by Bruce Willis -- changes the colour of his car because police are in pursuit, the two brothers painted their (white) Mercedes black," the police statement said. The brothers, aged 26 and 30, targeted cash machines near the northern Italian city of Turin. In closed circuit footage of one of the robberies, one of the brothers in a Trump mask is seen covering the surveillance cameras in the lobby of a bank and planting an explosive in the cash dispenser. He then ducks around a corner after lighting the fuse, just before a violent blast. Also Read Trump pleads with US Republicans to roll back Obamacare, says it's time for action --- ENDS --- Young adults these days are wary of credit cards. Yet building credit is important to qualify for loans for major purchases like a car or home. A fledgling digital tool intends to solve that problem, by helping credit cards mimic debit cards. Debitize, an online tool that will be available as a mobile app later this summer, works to convert a credit card into a sort of debit card with benefits. The idea is that users can build credit and get the perks that come with many credit cards, while protecting themselves from getting mired in debt. (Debx, another startup, takes a similar approach, using a mobile app.) Heres how Debitize works: First, customers need both a checking account and a credit card. Then, they register online for Debitize and link both the bank account and the card to the tool. (As with many digital financial tools, users must share personal and account information with the service; Debitize says it uses bank-level security and doesnt store account log-in credentials on its servers). Debitize then tracks credit card spending and pulls cash from your checking account when you make purchases using the credit card. The money is held in a separate Debitize account (an FDIC-insured account at a bank that works with Debitize), and the tool pays the credit card bill automatically when its due. The basic service is free; Debitize may earn referral fees in the future, such as when users open recommended credit cards. The company also may earn interest from funds accumulated in the reserve accounts, said Liran Amrany, the chief executive and co-founder of Debitize. Card balances are paid monthly, or, for a $3 monthly fee, they can be paid weekly, which helps to keep card utilization an important factor in calculating credit scores low. (A representative of the FICO credit score model didnt respond to a request for comment). Why would someone want to do that, rather than simply use a debit card in the first place? Debit cards, which offer pay-as-you-go spending, are especially appealing to Millennials who may be burdened by student loans and wary of taking on more debt. People younger than 35 are the age group least likely to have a credit card. And some people, regardless of age, may simply be averse to the risk of running up unmanageable debt. But there are good reasons to use a credit card instead of a debit card, especially when the balance is paid in full each month, Amrany said. Spending on credit cards is reported to the major credit bureaus, helping consumers to build a credit file and a credit score that can enable them to borrow larger amounts in the future. Plus, credit cards often offer reward points or cash back for spending. Credit cards offer strong protections in case of fraud or a dispute with a merchant, and many offer automatic extended warranties for items purchased with the card. And renting a car is difficult without one. To me, theres no reason to use a debit card, said Amrany, who formerly marketed derivatives products at JP Morgan. So when two of his friends told him that they were abandoning their credit cards in favor of debit cards, the need for a tool like Debitize was clear, he said. Why not pay for credit card purchases, every day? Christopher Abbott, 33, who works in telecommunication sales in Los Angeles, said he started out with one credit card linked to Debitize late last year and recently added a second. I make all my purchases now using my credit card, so I can get my travel points, he said. He doesnt worry about overspending or paying interest on his credit card, since the money is withdrawn as he goes, he said: Its sort of like an escrow account. Last year, the nonprofit Center for Financial Services Innovation recognized Debitize as a promising startup. Its helping people to responsibly manage credit card debt, said Ryan Falvey, the centers managing director. Here are some questions and answers about credit cards and Debitize: Q: Does Debitize work with any credit card? A: The tool, which connects with customers accounts using software from Plaid Technologies, supports most major credit cards. Exceptions include Barclaycard and some Synchrony Bank retail cards, but Amrany said he hoped to add those soon. Q: Can Debitize overdraw my checking account? A: Debitize lets users set a minimum balance in their checking account; if a withdrawal would make the account fall below that balance, it wont transfer the money. That could mean, of course, that the balance on the credit card may accrue interest, if enough funds arent set aside to pay the bill in full. Q: Cant I just pay card purchases on my own, as I make them? A: Yes. You could go online after buying something and pay off the purchase directly from your bank account. But that can be a hassle to keep up with, Amrany said, especially if you are an active credit card user. Ann Carrns is a New York Times writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 19-year-old Antioch man suspected in a fatal shooting at a Pittsburg ice cream store turned himself in, police said Tuesday. The suspect, Larry Neal Jr., surrendered at the Martinez Detention Facility on Sunday and was booked on suspicion of murder, police said. He's suspected in a fatal shooting that occurred about 3 p.m. on July 19 outside a Baskin Robbins on Century Boulevard, according to the Pittsburg Police Department. The victim was identified as 43-year-old Robert Hopkins Jr. of Bethel Island. A motive for the shooting remained under investigation on Tuesday. During the homicide probe, police identified Neal as the suspect and searched his home, but did not find him there, police said. Detectives reached Neal by phone but were unable to track his location from the call, according to police. "Neal refused to cooperate with detectives and an extensive search to locate Neal was unsuccessful," police said in a statement. On Sunday about midnight, police were told Neal had turned himself in at the Martinez Detention Facility. Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi In the Hall Of Fame of Selfie No-No's, it might be time to crown the Babe Ruth. Simon Birch, a British multimedia artist based in Hong Kong, has been displaying his latest immersive exhibition at the 14th Factory pop-up gallery in Los Angeles. In one room were placed a series of crowns on pedestals of varying heights all very close to one another. They were the very definition of selfie bait. Calls to report wasp nests are occurring more frequently than usual this year. As the Sacramento Bee reports, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District, which usually receives calls about yellow jackets in the late summer or fall, is already hearing from locals concerned about vicious wasps in their area. In one recent case, district manager Gary Goodman said, the organization treated "nearly 90" yellow jacket nests from a 5-acre property near eucalyptus groves. "When you consider that each nest can have hundreds to thousands of yellow jackets," he said, "this can quickly become a threat to residents." However, Sacramento County isn't the only area in Northern California to report a change in the number of calls to treat nests with insecticide. Both Contra Costa County and San Mateo County report receiving a high number of requests to rid property owners of dangerous wasp populations. "We are definitely getting more than we did in the last couple years," says Megan Sebay, the public health and education outreach officer with the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District. Noting that it's not unusual to receive these calls at this warm time of year from residents, Sebay says that they are receiving "more than usual." Contra Costa County also reports a similar increase in the volume of calls, and officials at the East Bay's mosquito and vector control district suspect it may have something to do with the end of the drought. "We believe is has to do with all the rain," says Deborah Bass, the organization's public affairs manager. "That creates a lot of food and allows for the yellow jackets to stay healthy, so their numbers increase." Bass also says that they believe more may be around because the yellow jacket population didn't disappear in the winter, which they tend to do. "We're seeing multiple entry points (into the nest), meaning they didn't die out." By this time in 2014, Contra Costa County received 231 calls to treat nests with insecticide. In 2015, they received 94, and last year, they got 230 calls. So far this year, however, they've had 376 requests. The most important thing, both Sebay and Bass say, is to know what to do if you encounter a nest. Bass says many people try to swat at a wasp to shoo it away, but that's a bad idea. "When they're in fear, they release a pheromone to tell other yellow jackets to come to their aid," she says, adding that it's also important to know what they're attracted to. "They're always looking for meat and sugar, which is why backyard barbecues are so enticing." Sebay also advises locals to call their nearest mosquito and vector control district center rather than approaching a nest. "If you haven't yet been gotten stung, don't (get stung by going near them)," she says. "Give us a call and we can safely remove (wasps)." Sebay also notes that the treatment is free, because the service is paid for by property taxes. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. Seattle's favorite local sex toy chain or at least its most prominent will soon no longer be a purely "local" sex toy shop. Babeland, which has brick-and-mortar locations in Seattle and New York City, has been sold to San Francisco's Good Vibrations. The store has been a mainstay on Capitol Hill since it was first established in 1993 on Pike Street (it was then known as Toys in Babeland). It was a break from the norm when it first opened: 24 years ago, buying a vibrator and lube meant slinking into a dark, seedy store (all the better to avoid making eye contact at the register). Toys in Babeland, on the other hand, has always been bright and comfortable, encouraging people to proudly seek friendly advice and pleasure-making toys. RELATED: Babeland, renowned Seattle sex toy shop, celebrates 20 years Founded by Claire Cavanah and Rachel Venning and focused on helping women, the store became a pioneer for its open, feminist and sex-positive attitude, and has grown to include sex workshops. There are now three stores in New York and a thriving online site. The good news is Babeland isn't going anywhere. In an interview with Dan Savage, Cavanah and Venning that Good Vibrations will be ensuring "the legacy" of Babeland and maintaining its brand. For their part there's no bad blood; after working on the shop for 25 years, the pair was ready for a change. "We're both ready to start the next chapter in our lives," Cavanah told Savage. "I mean, when we started 25 years ago this was delightfully new, it was an edgy endeavor. To talk about sex toys, to sell sex toys, to learn about sex together as customers and salespeople," Cavanah added. "It became so much more about the business after a while. It was still fun, but it is hard to be in business." WASHINGTON President Trump on Monday made a late-hour appeal to senators targeting members of his own party to move forward with debate over faltering Republican legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. Any senator who votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare, which is what it is, Trump said in an address from the White House on the eve of anticipated Senate vote that could spell defeat of the long-sought legislation. As of Monday, GOP leaders in the Senate were still scrambling to round up enough Republican votes to move forward with debate of the bill. Late in the day, the office of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the legislator recently diagnosed with cancer would return to the Senate on Tuesday to work on important legislation. It cites specifically health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. Trump implored fellow Republicans to make good on a promise to repeal the ACA widely known as Obamacare that has been a staple of their rhetoric for seven years now. For Senate Republicans, this is their chance to keep their promise, Trump said. Over and over and again, they said repeal and replace, repeal and replace. But they can now keep their promise to the American people. The address amounted to Trumps most robust pitch of the legislation to date. Even some in his own party have expressed frustration with what they view as a lackluster sales job. Besides decrying the shortcomings of Obamacare, Trump touted what he described as the improvements that would come under the GOP legislation, including far more choice and far more flexibility in the insurance market. He said the legislation will continue to cover preexisting conditions and will devote substantial resources to combatting opioid addictions, despite Democrats and health care advocates arguing that it will not. Still, about two-thirds of Trumps statement was devoted to what he called the big fat ugly lie of Obamacare. Trump also chided Senate Democrats for their refusal to support the legislation. Prior to Monday, the president had made relatively little effort to detail for the public why Republican replacement plans would improve on the former presidents signature initiative. Trumps public efforts to dismantle the health care law have contrasted sharply with President Obamas efforts to build support in advance of its 2010 passage. Obama gave a joint address to Congress, fielded questions at town hall meetings around the country and bantered with hostile lawmakers at a Republican retreat. John Wagner and Jenna Johnson are Washington Post writers. During the search made, drugs including Cannabis, poppy straw and Heroin were recovered from the possession of the people. By Ashwini Kumar: Continuing its strong action against the drug menace in border Districts of Rajouri and Poonch, Rajouri police has arrested two policeman along with eight other persons involved in drug peddling. Deepak Slathia, DIG, Poonch- Rajouri range said that during a routine 'naka' (check-point) checking on Mughal Road at Thanamandi, the police party led by inspector Karan Chalota, SHO Of Police Station, Thanamandi intercepted three vehicles which were subjected to thorough search. advertisement During the search made, drugs including Cannabis, poppy straw and Heroin were recovered from the possession of the people. ALSO READ: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri and Poonch districts, Indian Army retaliates Jammu and Kashmir: Terrorist arrested from Rajouri --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, July 25 (PTI) Bharti Airtel, Indias largest telecom company, today reported its smallest profit in 18 quarters as the price war triggered by newcomer Reliance Jio led to a massive 75 per cent fall in its April-June earnings. The net profit for the first quarter of 2017-18, at Rs 367 crore, was 74.9 per cent lower than the year-ago period, and the company blamed the disruptive pricing of the new entrant for continued "turbulence" and stress in the market. advertisement The net income for the Sunil Mittal company stood at Rs 1,462 crore in the first quarter of 2016-17. The June quarter net profit is the lowest since December 2012 for Bharti Airtel which along with other established telecom firms has been engaged in a fierce tariff war with Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Jio. "The pricing disruption in the Indian telecom market caused by the entry of a new operator continued with industry revenues declining over 15 per cent year-on-year, creating further stress on sector profitability, cash flows and leverage," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel said in a statement. Vittal stopped short of directly naming the new entrant. The companys total revenue fell by 14 per cent to Rs 21,958 crore during the quarter under review, from Rs 25,546 crore in the corresponding period of last year. Bharti Airtel has been able to control to an extent the drastic sequential slide in its net income that had set in after the launch of Reliance Jios 4G services in September 2016. The quarter-on-quarter fall in net income stood at 1.7 per cent when compared to Rs 373.4 crore in the March quarter. On a sequential basis, the net profit had slumped as much as 65.5 per cent between the second and the third quarter of last financial year ended March 31. The earnings numbers of the first quarter of this fiscal came in after the market hours. Incidentally, April-June was the first quarter of charged 4G services by rival Reliance Jio. The newcomer has recently raised the competitive intensity in the sector with the launch of its bundled "zero cost" Jio phone. Bharti Airtels consolidated net debt has decreased to Rs 87,840 crore from Rs 91,400 crore in the previous quarter. The operating free cash flow of Bharti Airtel also declined by 73.5 per cent to Rs 1,237 crore in the reported quarter from Rs 4,666 crore in the same quarter of 2016-17. "Lower EBITDA along with rising spectrum interest and amortisation costs has resulted in deterioration of Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) to 5.6 per cent from 7.6 per cent in the corresponding quarter last year," the statement said. advertisement Net interest costs of Rs 1,789 crore have risen from Rs 1,631 crore in the corresponding quarter last year ? largely due to increased spectrum related interest costs. The forex and derivative loss for June quarter was at Rs 39 crore compared to loss of Rs 309 crore in the same period last year. Airtels India revenues declined by 10 per cent in the June quarter to Rs 17,244 crore, hurt by the performance of the mobile services segment. The total customer base of Airtel in India increased by 9.7 per cent to over 28 crore but its average revenue per user declined by 21.1 per cent to Rs 154 from Rs 196 on YoY basis. Average Data usage on Airtel India network grew about three fold to 2611 megabyte (about 2.5 GB) per customer from 904 MB on YoY basis. But the average revenue from the data services per customer declined by 22.7 per cent during the period. "Mobile market remains turbulent in the current quarter as well, due to disruptive pricing by a new operator," the statement said. advertisement Raghunath Mandava, MD and CEO, Africa, said, "Airtel Africa organic revenue growth for the quarter was 1.5 per cent year on year...New KYC norms impacted customer additions and consequently revenue growth in the quarter". Airtel said Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, CEO, Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi has joined as an additional director on the companys board. Ahead of the results, the companys shares ended 1.76 per cent higher to close at Rs 427.6 on BSE. PTI PRS MBI SA --- ENDS --- Shabir Shah is the founder and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) and was arrested in a money laundering case. By India Today Web Desk: After the India Today expose on how separatist leaders are fueling unrest in the Kashmir Valley by taking funds from Pakistan, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Shabir Shah, founder and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP). Shabir Shah was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday night on charges of money laundering. He will be handed over to the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday. advertisement The NIA (National Investigation Agency) is questioning Shah, and the interrogation will continue throughout the night. The ED had recently issued fresh summons to Shabir Shah in connection with money laundering case related to terror financing. The central probe agency has issued several summons to Shah over the last few years in pursuance of the August 2005 case wherein the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Mohammed Aslam Wani (35), an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani. In May, the NIA had visited Srinagar to probe into the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned separatist leaders regarding their involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through Hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir. Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani are already under house arrest while Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik is also under arrest. Also read: NIA gets 10-day custody of 7 Hurriyat leaders: 10 Developments NIA maintained top-level secrecy before arresting separatist leaders. The inside story Caught on Camera: How Pakistan funds Kashmiri separatists to burn the Valley - India Today Exclusive Stone pelters on hire in Kashmir: India Today nails Valley's insidious villains Is Jammu and Kashmir India's most troubled state? It may also be the most pampered one WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir Police arrests separatist leader Shabir Shah on money laundering charges --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN FRANCISCO (AP) When Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California, he backed environmental legislation that led to one of the world's most closely watched initiatives in the fight against global warming. On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger joined his successor, Jerry Brown, as Brown signed legislation that kept alive a cap and trade program that both men have urged the rest of the world to emulate. The program puts a cap and a price on carbon emissions, creating an incentive for polluters to reduce emissions. Brown, a Democrat, and Schwarzenegger, a Republican, have enthusiastically picked fights with President Donald Trump on climate change since Trump announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord. "America is fully in the Paris agreement. There's only one man that dropped out," Schwarzenegger said of Trump on Tuesday. "America did not drop out." "Don't those conservative Republicans get the message?" he added. "And can't they just think about it for a second and say, 'maybe we should stop lying to the people.' Stop lying to the people! Stop it.'" Both governors have hailed California's cap and trade program as a successful way to reduce emissions that hasn't taken the steam out of California's thriving economy. In a ceremony on San Francisco's Treasure Island, Brown signed the legislation that will add 10 years to the program, which had been scheduled to expire in 2020. "California is leading the world in dealing with the existential threat that it faces," Brown said. The signing follows a frenetic push by Brown and his legislative allies to craft a plan that businesses and environmentalists would find acceptable. In the end, the extension was supported by a wide range of groups that said it's the most cost-effective way to combat climate change. But it met fierce opposition from environmental justice groups that said it's riddled with giveaways to the oil industry, including too many free pollution permits. Brown's signing ceremony echoed one in the same spot 11 years ago, when Schwarzenegger signed a bill that authorized state environmental regulators to create the cap and trade program. Schwarzenegger highlighted support from eight Republican lawmakers, saying they've shown that the GOP can get behind free-market solutions to climate change. Schwarzenegger's bill required the state to reduce its carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 a target the state is on track to meet. Legislation approved last year set a new, much more aggressive goal to reduce emissions another 40 percent by 2030. Cap and trade puts a limit on carbon emissions and requires polluters to obtain permits to release greenhouse gases. Some permits, known as allowances, are given away while others are auctioned, generating billions of dollars in revenue for the state. The money is a key funding source for programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as a planned high-speed train between San Francisco and Los Angeles, one of Brown's priorities. The governor's office said he'll sign separate legislation tied to the cap and trade extension later this week. It includes a bill that could give Republicans more say in spending the money and another to improve efforts to monitor and clean up the air around some of the dirtiest sources of pollution, such as oil refineries. By PTI: key to success New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Ram Nath Kovind, lawyer-turned- politician, today took over as Indias 14th president in a grand ceremony, and emphasised that the key to Indias success was its diversity. "Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique.In this land we find a mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more. We are so different and yet so similar and united," he said in his acceptance speech after taking oath of office in the Central Hall of Parliament. advertisement The 71-year-old, who took over the highest Constitutional post in the country from Pranab Mukherjee, is the first BJP leader and the second Dalit in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Stressing on access and opportunities for the "last person and the last girl-child from an under-privileged family", he said, "We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless. This is especially so as we approach the 75th Year of our independence in 2022." The former Bihar governor, described variously as low profile and unassuming, said the country needs to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. The change of guard had begun early in the morning with a gentle knock on the door of Kovinds Akbar Road residence. It was Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla. Khosla, who had come with a motorcade, invited Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Mukherjee received them in the study. A few hours later, the roles had reversed and President Kovind escorted Mukherjee out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Earlier, the then president-elect and the outgoing president had gone to the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais. Mukherjee took the last salute of the Presidents Bodyguard (PBG) with Kovind standing to his left. The two leaders drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of Parliament in the black presidential limousine with Mukherjee in the right and Kovind on the left. Escorting them was a grand equestrian procession by the PBG, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work. The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with 1,000 jawans from all three services of the armed forces offering the traditional hazaar salaam to the president -- the supreme commander of the defence forces. advertisement The procession reached gate number five of Parliament where Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chief Justice of India J S Khehar received President Mukherjee and President-elect Kovind who were then taken to the Central Hall. The oath ceremony started with Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi reading out the Election Commission notification on the presidential polls declaring Kovind winner. After Justice Khehar administered the oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law", Kovind exchanged seats with Mukherjee. Addressing the gathering, Kovind referred to his humble background and said he grew up in a mud house in a small village. His journey to the presidency had been a long one. "It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution - of ensuring Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity - and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra," he said. Remembering his predecessors, including Rajendra Prasad, S Radhakrishnan, A P J Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee, Kovind said the countrys Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi. advertisement "These leaders did not believe that simply political freedom was enough. For them, it was crucial to also achieve economic and social freedom for millions of our people," he said. After the ceremony, Kovind met leaders across the political spectrum who had gathered in Central Hall. He then left for the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presidential limousine -- this time with Mukherjee in the left and Indias new president on the right. The skies opened up as the procession made its way from Parliament to the presidential palace. The black tarmac of Rajpath seemed washed clean as the PBG marched with military precision in the pouring rain. Kovind and Mukherjee reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the new president formally took charge. Kovind then came out into the forecourt in the presidential buggy, a black carriage with national emblem--the Ashoka insignia--embossed in gold and drawn by six horses. It was Mukherjee who had revived the tradition of the buggy ride. Kovind inspected the Guard of Honour and returned back inside. He came back outside to the forecourt, escorting Mukherjee who was given a last Guard of Honour. advertisement Kovind then accompanied Mukherjee in the presidential limousine to see him off to his new residence at 10, Rajaji Marg, once occupied by the late Kalam. PTI ACB ABS SKL MIN --- ENDS --- WASHINGTON In high drama at the Capitol, Sen. John McCain on Tuesday delivered a crucial vote in the Republican drive to dismantle the health care law, a win for President Donald Trump and GOP leaders, and then leveled a broadside at how the GOP got there. As the 80-year-old McCain entered the chamber, Republicans and Democrats applauded and whooped, with a few hugs for the six-term Arizona lawmaker who is battling brain cancer. Aye, he said for the GOP vote to move ahead on debate. After he voted, McCain stood at his seat and accepted hugs and handshakes from all senators in both parties, drawing laughter from the gallery when he and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders exchanged an awkward hug. McCain then spoke on the Senate floor, his face pale, cheek bruised and a visible red scar and stitches above his left eye where doctors had removed a blood clot. His voice strong, he offered a bit of self-deprecation before launching into an impassioned speech, saying he was looking a little worse for wear. He bemoaned the lack of legislative action in Congress, the GOPs secretive process in working on repealing and replacing Obamacare and a plea for Democrats and Republicans to work together. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, television and Internet. To hell with them. They dont want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood, McCain said. Lets trust each other. Lets return to regular order. 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 reminded his colleagues: Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the presidents subordinates. We are his equal! McCain also said he would not vote for the current GOP version of the repeal-and-replace bill. McCain drew a standing ovation after his remarks. He had cast his vote to take up the health care bill, delivering for his party and Trump on the issue thats defined the GOP for the past seven years. Hes tough as a boot, said Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. Many people understandably would be curled up in bed in the fetal position. McCain himself campaigned heavily on the Obamacare repeal issue last year as he won re-election to a sixth and almost certainly final Senate term. And there could be sweet revenge in defying cancer to undo the signature legislation of the man who beat him for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama. The Arizona senator has emerged as one of the presidents most outspoken GOP critics on Capitol Hill. During last years campaign Trump shockingly ridiculed McCain over his years as a POW during the Vietnam War. The possibility of McCain returning had been discussed around the Capitol on Monday, yet the announcement from his office late in the day came as a surprise. Erica Werner is an Associated Press writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 16-day old infant has been placed in protective custody after its father allegedly abandoned it at a Suisun City parking lot on Monday, according to police. At 3:15 p.m., officers responded to a report of baby found in the parking lot of the Sunset Shopping Center at 135 Sunset Ave., police said. Employees at a nearby barbershop told officers that they first noticed a baby carrier, and after investigating further, realized a child was inside. The infant was taken to the North Bay Medical Center in Fairfield for observation, according to police. After speaking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance video from the area, officers identified the suspect as 18-year-old Fairfield resident Daniel Mitchell. While officers were at the scene, they learned that Mitchell had been apprehended by Fairfield police after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run collision. Officers transported Mitchell to the North Bay Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries he suffered in the collision. Suisun City officers then spoke with Mitchell at the hospital and confirmed that he is the infant's father. Following an interview, officers arrested Mitchell on suspicion of child endangerment, child abandonment, committing a felony while on bail and misdemeanor possession of a substance believed to be cocaine, police said. Officers were able to contact the baby's mother, who is not considered a suspect. The infant was released from the hospital and placed in protective custody with Solano County Child Welfare Services. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A rapper cried tears of joy on Tuesday when jurors acquitted him of murder charges for a fatal shooting outside of a nightclub in the heart of downtown Oakland three years ago and only convicted him of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. After four days of deliberations, jurors found Billy Shaffer Jr., 33, of Antioch, a convicted felon who has performed under the names Billy Bankroll and Wild Bill, not guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. In addition to the involuntary manslaughter charge, jurors also convicted Shaffer of personally using a firearm and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. Shaffer faces a maximum state prison term of 14 years when he's sentenced later this year. Before that, there will be a hearing on the defense motion for a new trial on Oct. 13. Alameda County prosecutor Jimmie Wilson alleged in his closing argument last week that Shaffer was the aggressor in a fight outside the Bella Ultra Lounge at 11th and Clay streets at 1:18 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2014, that ultimately led to the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Connie Sowels III of Berkeley. Wilson said the fight began when Shaffer snatched a gold chain from Sowels' neck and said Shaffer shot and killed Sowels when Sowels fought and tried to get the chain back. But Katherine Isa, one of two defense attorneys who represent Shaffer, alleged that Sowels started the fight when the two men quarreled over a woman Shaffer was leaving the nightclub with. Isa said Shaffer acted in self-defense while he was prone on the ground while Sowels was straddling him and beating him up. Isa said Shaffer "reasonably believed he was in imminent danger of suffering great bodily injury or being killed." Referring to Shaffer's 2010 conviction for possessing a gun he was not registered to own in Sacramento County, the defense attorney said, "Even an ex-felon with a gun has the right to defend himself when the elements of mutual combat are met, as they were in this case." Sowels was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland after he was shot but was pronounced dead a short time later. Shaffer was arrested 12 days after the shooting after police pulled him over for traffic violations. Wilson said it might not have been wise for Sowels to try to get his gold chain back from Shaffer given the fact that Shaffer was armed with a gun but he said, "You can't blame the victim for deciding to get his property back." Wilson said Shaffer didn't bring his gun with him when he went into the nightclub but later on he went out to his car and retrieved it, which he said he believes shows that Shaffer had a malicious intent. Peter Fitzpatrick, another defense attorney for Shaffer, said Wilson failed to prove that Shaffer planned to rob Sowels and told jurors that under those circumstances they couldn't use the felony murder rule to convict Shaffer. Fitzpatrick and Isa hugged Shaffer and dabbed his tears with facial tissue on Tuesday after jurors acquitted him of the murder and voluntary manslaughter charges. Wilson declined to comment on the jury's verdict. Along with 300 grams of cocaine, 42 grams of MDMA and three biscuits laced with LSD (above) were recovered from nine people, including two Nigerians, in two separate raids in Hyderabad. By Chayyanika Nigam: Believe it or not, eatables laced with LSD are the emerging modus operandi followed by drug peddlers across the country, agencies dealing against narcotics claimed. Be it biscuits or nut crackers, drug peddlers are lacing them with LSD and selling them at higher price. The revelation came days after Task Force sleuths arrested nine people, including two Nigerians, in two separate cases at Masab Tank and Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. Along with 300 grams of cocaine, 42 grams of MDMA and three biscuits laced with LSD were recovered. advertisement According to sources, during interrogation, they told police that to save themselves from being caught at the airport, they started coating LSD on eatables such as biscuits and nut crackers. They further told police that this is not the first time they have laced eatables with LSD. "Most of the drugs, especially LSD, coming from Germany to India are being coated on eatables," they reportedly confessed. LSD LACED EATABLES The officers said that earlier LSD-laced sugar cubes were seized, but this is the first time drugs in biscuits were found. "These biscuits were detected and seized only because the peddlers were carrying another drug as well, which was detected in the scanning machine," an officer involved in the investigation said. After recording the confessional statement, the inputs were shared with the narcotics department. Also, security agencies at the airports, including CISF, have been alerted about the new modus operandi Speaking to Mail Today, a senior officer of the narcotics department said, "It is very difficult to identify adultered eatables and eatables laced with LSD. But officers scanning passengers' luggage at the airport have been asked to keep tight vigil on eatables in their bags. Not only this, but they have been advised to check biscuits or nut crackers if they are in small quantity." Sources also said peddlers - mostly from African countries - have been carrying small consignments which they hide between the clothes or in false cavities in their bags. "They also carry nut cracker packets in their hand bags to avoid suspicion. They keep the seal open and tend to eat some of them to fool security officers. Those arrested hid the eatables laced with LSD in a small false cavity inside the packet to fool the officers," a source said, quoting one of the confessional statements. Meanwhile, preliminary interrogation and analysis of cell phone data of the peddlers revealed they might have sold drugs to more than 100 people in the last one and half years."Most buyers are young, especially college students," said an officer in the Task Force. In a separate case, West Zone Task Force arrested three people and seized 11 LSD bots and three cell phones. The accused are P Revanth, Irfan Najeeb Khan and Zain Khan. advertisement Also Read Narco experts say Delhi is preferred drug destination Centre warns channels on ads with false claims about drugs --- ENDS --- Rajasthan education board has approved changing its Class X history books to teach students that the Rana of Mewar, Maharana Pratap was the victor against Mughal emperor Akbar during the 16th-century Battle of Haldighati. By Sharat Kumar: The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education has approved a change in the history section of the Class X social science books. The revised books will now teach students Maharana Pratap conclusively defeated Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th-century Battle of Haldighati. Until now, students in Rajasthan learnt that the Battle of Haldighati, which took place on June 18, 1576, was inconclusive. However, the rewritten history now says that that the battle did not end in a truce and that Maharana Pratap, along with his army, valiantly fought to protect his motherland Mewar. advertisement Maharana Pratap's army fought a heroic battle and forced Akbar's army to retreat from the battlefield, history books in Rajasthan schools will now teach. Confirming the change in history books, Rajasthan Minister of State for primary and secondary education Vasudev Devnani said that the history being taught in the state's schools so far was incorrect. With this change in the Class X history books, the aberration has now been fixed, Devnani said. The education minister went on to question why Mughal emperor Akbar would launch six consecutive attacks on Maharana Pratap's army after the Battle of Haldighati if he was the victor of the original fight. Akbar kept attacking Maharana Pratap because each time he would lose to the latter, Devnani added. AKBAR THE GREAT Notably, the Rajasthan's Bharatiya Janata Party government, when it came into power, had ordered a chapter titled 'Akbar Mahan' (Akbar the Great) removed from syllabus. The education minister had then questioned the need to have such a chapter in schools' history books, asking why Akbar was great. Why not Maharana Pratap? Soon after, Dr Chandrashekhar Sharma, a professor at Udaipur's government Meera Kanya Mahavidyalaya, published a finding arguing that the Rajput and conclusively won the Battle of Haldighati. Dr Sharma based his findings on land records from the 16th century saying for a year after the June 18, 1576 battle, Maharana Pratap distributed land in villages near Haldighati by handing out land rights inscribed on copper plates that has the signature of the diwan of Eklingnath. Sharma went on to argue that back then, only the king of a province was allowed to distribute tracts of land and so, this was proof that Maharana Pratap was the victor of the Battle of Haldighati. Dr Sharma further argued that following the Battle of Haldighati, two Mughal generals, Man Singh and Asif Khan, were forbidden from entering Emperor Akbar's darbar (court). Sharma posited that Akbar punished the two trusted generals, and this was another proof that the Mughals had lost the Battle of Haldighati. Sharma's research was brought to the attention of the Rajasthan education ministry by Mohanlal Gupta, a BJP MLA from Kishanpole who asked that the state's history books be accordingly changed. The University of Rajasthan too debated Sharma's research and finding merit in them changed its curriculum. The university's history department also changed the label for the 1200-1700 AD period from Struggling India to Golden Era of India. advertisement ALSO READ | Yogi Adityanath's statement on Taj Mahal irks people of Agra ALSO READ | #RemoveMughalsFromBooks: The great Mughal whitewash --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: Twenty-nine-year-old Malaysian accountant, Diana Chan, has won the title of MasterChef Austraila 2017. This time, the competition was more nail-biting than ever, as Chan won from her opponent-- Ben Ungermann, 32-year-old former model--from just one point. After three gruelling rounds and six hours of non-stop cooking, Chan scored a total of 90 points out of 100, while Ungermann scored 89--he was let down by his plating skills in the first round, and an untimely cut to his finger. Picture courtesy: Twitter/@masterchefau advertisement In the final round, the contestants had to recreate a dessert by world champion chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs. The dish consisted of three faux fruits--pear, orange and green apple--which, when cut open, oozed apple sauce and salted caramel. The beautiful but fiendishly difficult #MasterchefAU Grand Finale pressure test for 2017 @kirstentibballs's Trio of Chocolate Fruits ????????? pic.twitter.com/kQQz2vcQde- #MasterChefAU (@masterchefau) July 24, 2017 Chan's victory means she wins AUD 250,000 (Rs 1,27,72,858) in prize money and is thus closer to achieving her dream of opening a "fresh and casual" restaurant in Melbourne. In a quote to Fairfax Media, Chan said she didn't think she would get so far in the competition, let alone win the prize. "I reminded myself that there was no point panicking," she said. "I believe I handled the pressure pretty well. I do my best when I'm calm and confident." "Doing that cook was the most stressful situation I've ever been in in my life," she said. "By the end, it was just all waterworks." Well, we guess, all's well that ends well! What a journey it has been for @DianaChanAU! She has a message for her fans... #MasterChefAU pic.twitter.com/IjzLnSQ2CC- #MasterChefAU (@masterchefau) July 25, 2017 --- ENDS --- By PTI: Siliguri(WB), Jul 25 (PTI) West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh today alleged that chief minister Mamata Banerjee was "responsible" for the indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills. The Darjeeling hills were peacefull but the Mamata Banerjee government set it on fire by making Bengali compulsory for all school students including those in Darjeeling, Ghosh alleged at a party programme at Kharibari gram panchayat area under the Siliguri sub-division. advertisement The chief minister should now try to bring peace in the Darjeeling hills, Ghosh demanded. The indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling hills demanding a separate state entered its 41st day today. The shutdown is the second longest so far in the picturesque hill station. It had witnessed a 40-day bandh in 1988 by Gorkha National Liberation Front and a 44-day shutdown in 2013 by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on the statehood issue. PTI COR RG --- ENDS --- Mayawati may be pitched as the joint Opposition candidate in the Lok Sabha bypoll in Phulpur. The BJP, however, is likely to stop the BSP chief in her tracks. Mayawati could be propped up as a joint Opposition candidate in Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll. Photo: PTI. By India Today Web Desk: The presidential elections are over and NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind was sworn-in as the President of India today. To ensure the BJP had the numbers in the Presidential elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya continued as Members of Parliament (MPs). The Constitution mandates that both Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya must resign as MPs and contest a bypoll from an assembly constituency within six months of assuming the office. advertisement Once the vice-presidential elections are held, Yogi Adityanath, who is a five-time MP from Gorakhpur, is expected to resign from Parliament and contest a bypoll in an assembly constituency. However, speculations are rife that Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is the MP from Phulpur, could be asked by the BJP to hold on to his constituency and could be given a ministerial berth in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. MAYAWATI IS EYEING PHULPUR The buzz in the political corridors is that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, whose resignation from Rajya Sabha was recently accepted, could contest the Lok Sabha bypoll from Phulpur. The constituency will be vacant once Keshav Prasad Maurya resigns from Parliament. Following the massive defeat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Mayawati plans to kick off an outreach programme to revive her party's fortunes. Starting September, she will hold a rally on 18th of every month in every division of Uttar Pradesh till May 18th next year. The date is symbolic as it coincides with the date she resigned from Rajya Sabha for not being allowed to speak on Dalit atrocities in Parliament. There are also talks of projecting Mayawati as the joint Opposition candidate from Phulpur constituency in case of a Lok Sabha bypoll. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political pundits see this as an attempt to test waters for a probable Grand Alliance between Congress, Samajwadi Party and the BSP. BJP HAS OTHER PLANS In a scenario where a recharged Mayawati, with backing from other parties, has a shot at winning the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat, the BJP strategists may want to stop her in her tracks. Political corridor is abuzz with speculation that the BJP is likely to ask Keshav Prasad Maurya to continue as a Member of Parliament (MP) and bring him to Delhi as a minister in the Modi government. With the Lok Sabha bypoll in Phulpur ruled out, the other option for Mayawati could be to contest from Gorakhpur, where the BJP has a strong presence. advertisement It will a difficult contest for Mayawati in Gorakhpur, which has voted for Yogi Adityanath in five previous Lok Sabha elections. ALSO READ: Lalu Prasad offers Mayawati a Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar Agra's Dalits unfazed by Mayawati's departure from Rajya Sabha Saharanpur clashes: Mayawati slams BJP government's 'saffron appeasement' policy, demands stern action ALSO WATCH: When a red-faced Mayawati walked out of Rajya Sabha before resigning --- ENDS --- After a four-storeyed building collapse in Mumbai's Ghatkopar West today claimed 12 lives, Sanjay Dutt's lawyer Rizwan Merchant, who lost his 3 kin in a building collapse in Mahim in 2013, said laws against the accused in such cases must be made more stringent. By Vidya : The collapse of two wings of a four-storey Saidarshan building near Shreyas Cinema in Mumbai's Ghatkopar West today in which 12 people were killed has brought back haunting memories for many including actor Sanjay Dutt's lawyer Rizwan Merchant, who lost his three family members in a similar building crash in 2013. Rizwan's wife, mother and youngest child Faraaz were killed after being trapped in the debris of their four-storeyed building - Altaf Mansion - in Mahim in 2013. Ten people died and several others were injured in the collapse. Rizwan and his other two kids - Faiz and Fiza - who were not at home at the time of the incident survived. advertisement It was alleged that there was some tampering in construction of the Aftab Mansion by owners of the building, in connivance with a car dealer, who had a shop on the ground floor. Rizwan had sworn to fight against the BMC officials, who should have looked into charges of tampering the construction of the building. He decided to fight against those who indulged in removing the columns that supported the building. RIZWAN COMPLAINED TO BMC IN 2008, 2012 Rizwan had sent complaints to the BMC in 2008 and again in 2012, highlighting the danger to the building because of the alterations carried out by the car dealer for his showroom, after getting approval from the owners of the building. But with his complaints falling on deaf ears, Rizwan finds himself helpless and frustrated with the system. "After the incident in 2013, 5 BMC officials were suspended for not doing their duty properly. But they were soon reinstated. Not just that, a legal officer of BMC said that since the corporation had not sanctioned the prosecution of these officials, the case against them could not proceed". said Riwan, who had to run from one court to another pursuing his own case against the accused. "The Bombay High Court had granted the showroom owner bail. Although the sections under which people who are accused in such cases are non-bailable, they should be made more stringent to see to it that as long as the trial is not over, the accused are not given bail", Rizwan said. A chargesheet was filed by Mumbai Police against the accused. However, trial in the case is yet to begin even after all these years. No one has been jailed and BMC officers have filed an application seeking that they be discharged from the case, which is yet to be decided by court. Also read | Mumbai: 12 killed, several feared trapped as 4-storey building collapses in Ghatkopar Also read | Kolkata: Twin building collapse in Bowbazar, Taltala; 2 dead ALSO WATCH VIDEO advertisement --- ENDS --- Notices will soon be sent to these leaders asking them to join the investigation. By Mail Today Bureau: The crackdown on Kashmiri separatists is expected to show positive results and will ultimately bring down cases of violence in the Valley, believe senior security officials. According to sources, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will now go after other senior separatist leaders. Notices will soon be sent to them, asking them to join the investigation. advertisement "A strict watch is being kept on all hawala transactions and money exchanges through the Indo-Pak trade route from where separatist leaders were spinning money. The misuse of money and their links with terror groups have exposed them before the public and this may show a positive result as cases of violence may go down," a senior officer told MAIL TODAY. The NIA wants to go beyond terror funding cases to unveil the larger conspiracy that has kept the Valley burning for decades. Sources claim they have identified several people involved in stone pelting, damaging public property and burning down schools. Electronic evidences, including chain of transactions, establish links of separatist leaders with violent elements in the Valley. 'ACCUSED DID ILLEGAL ACTS TO CAUSE UNREST' On Tuesday, as the seven Hurriyat leaders were sent to 10-day judicial custody, the NIA told the court that under the cover of security provided by the Indian government, the accused have been doing illegal acts to cause unrest in the nation. During in-camera proceedings, district judge Poonam Bamba allowed the NIA to quiz Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate till August 4. The NIA told the court that the accused were to be taken back to Kashmir to unearth the conspiracy and the names of other unknown people who are involved in funding terror activities. Six of the accused were arrested from Srinagar a day earlier and flown to Delhi, while Farooq Ahmad Dar was held in the Capital. They have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. While Altaf is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Geelani, Islam is a close aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Ayaz is the spokesperson of the Geelani-led Hurriyat faction. The NIA said they have credible information that Hafiz Saeed of Jammat-ud-Dawah and separatist leaders, including Hurriyat leaders, have been acting in connivance with terrorists for raising funds domestically and abroad through illegal channels for funding violence in the Valley. On the other hand, the counsels for the accused opposed the NIA plea and said they were being falsely implicated and allegation that they are a threat to the nation is baseless. advertisement ALSO READ India Today impact: Kashmir separatist leader Shabir Shah arrested; NIA, ED to question Srinagar police tried to stop NIA from flying arrested Kashmir separatists to New Delhi ALSO WATCH Arrested Hurriyat leaders produced in Patiala House court, NIA demands 20-day custody --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, July 23 (PTI) Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba today began an eight-day-long two-nation tour of Mozambique and Tanzania with an aim of exploring new avenues of bilateral defence cooperation. Admiral Lanba, who also heads the powerful Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), will be in Mozambique till July 25. There, he will hold extensive talks with national defence minister AtanAsio Salvador Mtumuke, Chief of General Staff General GraAa TomAs Chongo besides chiefs of the army, navy and air force of the African nation. advertisement "The visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Mozambique and Tanzania, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation," the defence ministry said in a statement. Admiral Lanba will begin his five-day-long visit to Tanzania on July 26. He is scheduled to meet President of Tanzania John Magufuli, Defence Minister Hussein Mwinyi, Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga and Chief of Defence Forces General Venance S Mabeyo among others, the defence ministry said. Indian Armed Forces cooperate with the armed forces of Mozambique and Tanzanian on many fronts, which include training and hydrography, besides participating in each others defence events. India and Mozambique have a Joint Defence Working Group (JDWG) for defence and security cooperation. PTI MPB NSD --- ENDS --- "From next year, there will be mere translation of papers so that such problems do not arise," said HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. By India Today Web Desk: With a lot of controversies and protests across India over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 question paper this year, the Union Human Resource Development minister Prakash Javadekar has said vernacular question papers for the NEET will be mere translation of the question paper in English. (Read: NEET 2017: These 69 medical colleges cannot give MBBS admission ) Here's what HRD minister said: advertisement "The vernacular question papers for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) -- the all-India entrance examination for medical colleges -- will just be translation of the question paper in English," Prakash Javadekar said. According to reports, Javadekar was replying to a question about the West Bengal Education minister recently complaining that this year the students appearing for all medical entrance examination in vernacular languages had faced tougher questions than the ones set in English and Hindi. This decision of the government would affect the fate of lakhs of students for medical entrance examination. CBSE setting different sets of questions: According to MPs, students from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu who attempted NEET exam got different question paper Further, students from the state said the paper was much tougher than the English and Hindi papers. (Read: NEET 2017: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu students got different question papers, says MPs ) Moreover, commenting on this, Javadekar said, "From next year, there will be mere translation of papers so that such problems do not arise." One Nation One Test in Engineering: About 'one nation one test' in engineering he said, "We are yet to take a call on this issue. It is in discussion stage," as reported by PTI. Read: CBSE UGC NET: Only 6 per cent of total candidates who appear in exam will be declared qualified Read: Malala Yousafzai takes a dig at Nigeria's education where 10 million students do not attend school For more updates, follow India Today Education or you can write to us at education.intoday@gmail.com --- ENDS --- Despite saying early in his speech at the annual Boy Scout Jamboree, "Who the hell wants to talk about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" President Trump went on to do just that. He criticized "the swamp" in Washington, D.C. before referring to former Boy Scout health and human services secretary Tom Price, who was with him at the speech in West Virginia. "Hopefully he's going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known as Obamacare that's really hurting us," Trump then joked, "He better get them, otherwise I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.'" Many of Trump's comments, including those critical of the Affordable Care Act, seemed to be enthusiastically received, with cheers, clapping and chants of "U-S-A!" audible from the audience. The crowd could be heard loudly booing when Trump asked, "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?" That moment drew some criticism online, with New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman tweeting, "POTUS spoke as if he was in front of a rally crowd, as opposed to 12 to 18 year old Scouts." NBC News political director and host of "Meet the Press" Chuck Todd tweeted, "Please @POTUS don't put the Boy Scouts in this situation. Keep politics out of the Jamboree. What a mess. Totally unfair to these kids." Trump also confused some who were watching with a somewhat disorganized anecdote about William Levitt, the real estate developer credited with creating modern American suburbs. "He sold his company for a tremendous amount of money and he went out and bought a big yacht. And he had a very interesting life. I won't go [into] any more than that because you're Boy Scouts so I'm not going to tell you what he did," Trump said, to which the crowd booed, which encouraged Trump to tease, "Should I tell you? Should I tell you?" It's not clear exactly what the president was referring to. After finishing the story about his run-in with Levitt at a New York City cocktail party, Trump tapped into a mainstay topic at his political rallies, reminiscing about the night of his electoral victory. "Do you remember that incredible night?" Trump asked. "That map was so red it was unbelievable and they didn't know what to say. And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the electoral college. Popular vote is much easier." But some political analysts have made the argument that the electoral college actually favors Republicans, as two Democratic presidential candidates in the past 16 years have won the popular vote, but ultimately been defeated in the electoral college. "Increasingly, Democratic voters live in large urban areas, and are concentrated in several parts of the country," American history professor William Murphy told Newsweek. "This gives Republicans a mild advantage in the electoral college; Republican voters are more spread out, and the Electoral College system potentially over-represents them slightly as a part of the overall population." However, Murphy emphasized this advantage was only a slight upper hand. In his 40-minute speech, the president also lamented what he calls the "fake news" media, criticized Hillary Clinton's campaign strategy, praised the Boy Scouts of America, and delivered many motivational remarks about work ethic and perseverance. "You are the young people of character, integrity who will serve as leaders in our communities and uphold the sacred values of our nation," the president told the crowd. You can watch the entire speech at C-SPAN.org. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com. PARIS President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a meeting of the two main rival leaders of chaotic Libya, trying to play peacemaker in a country where the stakes are high for both Europe and Africa. The series of meetings on Tuesday afternoon at a chateau west of Paris bring together Fayez Serraj, prime minister of the U.N.-backed government, and Gen. Khalifa Hifter, Egyptian-backed commander of Libyas self-styled national army. Macron will be present, as well as the U.N.s newly appointed special envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame. French officials hope the encounters will facilitate a political entente and end with a joint declaration stating, among other things, that there can be no military solution to the crisis that is boosting Islamic militants and traffickers preying on migrants, as well as instability across the region. Macron is to meet separately with the U.N.-backed Libyan prime minister and the general, who has the support of the internationally recognized parliament in the countrys east, before the two hold a face-to-face encounter with the United Nations newly appointed special envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame. French officials hope the two can agree on a joint declaration, simple but constructive, an official in the French presidents office said. The official could not be named in keeping with presidential policy. Among other things, the text would say, it is hoped, that there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis. It would also lay down the principle of a cease-fire except for fighting Islamic militants, the official said. A joint declaration, while not a political accord, would be a first for the rivals, who have met in the past, most recently in May in Abu Dhabi. Still, the idea of the Paris encounter is not to find a solution to the Libyan crisis. Salame, the U.N. envoy, would make other proposals in the weeks ahead. After the May encounter in the United Arab Emirates, the hosts said there had been a significant breakthrough. Libya TV said the men agreed on holding presidential and parliamentary elections next year in the fractured country. Asked if such an eventuality would not be premature, another official at the French presidency said that was not the goal of the Paris encounter but any such decision between the rivals should be encouraged. France wants to facilitate a political entente and mark its support for efforts to build a political compromise, under the auspices of the United Nations, that includes all actors in the fractious country, a statement by the presidents office said. The challenge, the statement added, is to build a state capable of responding to the fundamental needs of Libyans with one regular army. Elaine Ganley is an Associated Press writer. Research commissioned by the Broadcasting Standards Authority shows New Zealanders hold broadcasters to higher standards than what they apply to themselves when it comes to publishing social media content. The study found that participants "saw the media as having greater power, relative credibility, reach and access to other sources of information than individuals do." They considered that broadcasters could do more damage than individual online publications could, and expected them to be more restricted in what they published. The BSA said it has seen an increasing number of complaints that raise issues about the use of social media content in broadcasting and "we became concerned that there may be a double standard at play are broadcasters held to a higher standard by the public when it comes to republishing social media content?" The study found that despite a strong information-sharing culture, members of the public do not consider that broadcasters can just take any social media content and use it in the broadcasting context. Rather, they expect that social media content will generally remain in the context in which it was published because "taking it out of context can significantly affect its impact and message and the likely audience." Based on these findings "we see an opportunity to work with broadcasters to develop guidance about how and when to republish social media content that might affect personal rights," said BSA chief executive Belinda Moffat. The study noted, however, there is an increasing level of potential legal liability for individual publishers who breach the privacy of others, for instance in the area of harmful digital communications. Prosumers (producers and consumers of content) are still relatively unaware of this, it said. "While it is true that broadcasters can cause serious or different harm by republishing social media content and that this justifies regulation, individuals can also cause very significant harm to others by what they choose to capture and publish on social media," the BSA said. The law, according to the BSA, operates on the same fundamental privacy principles whether the situation involves an individual, organisation, or media publisher. The study was based on a series of focus groups that looked at four content-specific case studies as well as a questionnaire sent to broadcasters. According to the study, broadcasters also expressed a belief that there is a double standard at play. Having a lower standard for individuals creates resource implications for broadcasters to carefully check and manage the social media content that they collect, since they cannot rely on individuals to have taken the same care, the study found. When selecting social media content the starting point for many broadcasters is whether the content is newsworthy, but they are also alert to issues around individual rights, privacy and consent. The study found that broadcasters rely on the general principle that it will usually be okay to republish information already in the public domain although they use processes including verifying the content, seeking consent and using publishing tools to protect individual rights such as pixelation and audience advisories. According to the BSA, broadcasters ought to take into account the context of the original social media publication and publicly available social media content should not necessarily be seen as a "free for all." Rather, issues of consent, individual rights and public interest must be considered. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: 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. Related News: 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 EVO - Embark Education announces Special Dividend BLT - Strategy reset and revenue growth Mainfreight Half Year Financial Results 30 September 2022 NZX chief financial officer Bevan Miller will leave the market operator in October to take up the same role at Cooperative Bank. Subject to Reserve Bank approval, Miller will start on Nov. 1, with the bank's current head of finance Ellen Cheyne acting as interim CFO until then. Former CFO Gareth Fleming resigned earlier this month after 10 years in the role. "On behalf of the team at NZX, I would like to thank Bevan for his enormous contribution and commitment to the organisation, and in turn New Zealands capital markets, over the past four and a half years," NZX chief executive Mark Peterson said. "Bevan has been an invaluable member of NZXs executive team, and chair of NZXs Smartshares exchange traded funds business during his time here." NZX has begun an executive search to replace Miller and will provide a further update to the market in due course, it said. Cooperative Bank was granted a banking licence in the latter half of 2011 and rebranded from its former incarnation as PSIS when it had 127,000 customer-owners. It reported flat annual earnings of $10.3 million in the year ended March 31 with an unchanged rebate of $2.1 million, even as it added 15,000 new customers in the year giving it 156,000 customers. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: 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. Related News: 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 EVO - Embark Education announces Special Dividend BLT - Strategy reset and revenue growth Mainfreight Half Year Financial Results 30 September 2022 By PTI: By Fakir Hassen Johannesburg, Jul 25 (PTI) The Nelson Mandela Foundation and the executors of the iconic anti-apartheid leaders estate have denounced a controversial new book written by the former South African presidents Indian-origin physician, accusing him of "inaccuracies" and "unlawful conduct". Mandelas Last Years was written by the Nobel laureates doctor of almost 10 years -- Vejay Ramlakan. advertisement Ramlakan, a former South African military doctor who was Mandelas physician during the last months of his life, has claimed that he received permission for the book from the Mandela family but refused to say who exactly authorised him. Mandela family spokesman Mandla Mandela and Mandelas widow Graca Machel are taking legal advice, saying they had not granted the permission. Just hours after it hit the stands, publisher Penguin Random House withdrew the book in which Ramlakan graphically details the last days of his charge amid allegations of him having breached doctor-patient confidentiality. "We believe that the book shouldnt have been published in the first place, at least from the things that we have thus far been able to find that are just inaccurate in the book," the Nelson Mandela Foundations chief executive Sello Hatang told TV station enews yesterday. The executors of Mandelas estate said that the content of the book was "deeply regrettable and unfortunate and constitute unlawful disclosures". "The publication makes multiple disclosures of details of Mr Mandelas ill health and related medical treatment and other personal and private information and communications in a manner that breaches, without any lawful justification, the doctor-patient confidentiality to which Mr Mandela was entitled," the executors said in a statement. The executors have decided to take remedial steps. The executors include former chief justice of South Africa Dikgang Moseneke and advocate George Bizos, who was part of the defence team at the infamous trial of Mandela and others that sent them to Robben Island for decades. Random House said it had accepted Mandelas Last Years for publication after Ramlakan advised it that he had been asked by a Mandela family member to publish the book. "The book was meant to portray Nelson Mandelas courage and strength until the very end of his life, and was in no way intended to be disrespectful. However, given the statements from family members, we have decided to withdraw the book," the publisher added. PTI FH CPS --- ENDS --- Nifty breached the historical 10,000 points mark and Sensex hit a new high of 32,374.30 in opening trade today. By Press Trust of India: Creating history, the NSE Nifty today breached the 10,000 level for the first time while the BSE Sensex hit another record high of 32,374.30 in opening trade led by rally in metal, banking, realty and FMCG stocks. The 50-issue Nifty breached the historic 10,000 level by gaining 44.90 points, or 0.45 per cent, to trade at all-time high of 10,011.30, surpassing its previous intra-day high of 9,982.05 touched yesterday. advertisement Brokers said sentiment was upbeat on sustained capital inflows and widespread buying by retail investors, driven by strong earnings by some more bluechip companies. The flagship BSE Sensex too climbed 128.43 points, or 0.39 per cent, to trade at new record high of 32,374.30, breaking its previous record high of 32,320.86 reached in yesterday's trade. The gauge rallied 341.47 points in the previous two sessions. Besides, expectations of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank at its meeting next month too bolstered trading sentiments as participants indulged in raising their bets, they said. Top performers during initial trade were Hero MotoCorpt, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, Power Grid, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, SBI, M&M, Dr Reddy's, Adani Ports and ITC Ltd, rising by up to 1.28 per cent. Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 0.09 per cent while Japan's Nikkei shed 0.13 per cent. Shanghai Composite Index down 0.32 per cent. Also Read: Markets open on new high, Nifty hits 9000-mark Sensex opens at a new high, Nifty crosses 9,900-mark for the first time --- ENDS --- By PTI: (Eds: With fresh inputs) Bhubaneswar, Jul 25 (PTI) Though the water level in the major rivers of north Odisha showed a declining trend today due to less rainfall in the catchment areas in the last 12 hours, around 40 villages in Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts remained marooned in the state, said officials. Two blocks in Bhadrak district -- Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar -- were affected, an official statement issued by the Special Relief Commissioners (SRC) office said, adding that about 25 villages of Bhandaripokhari block were affected due to the floods caused by the Baitarani river there. advertisement About 20,411 residents of the block were affected. About 200 hectares of crop-land in the block and another 654 hectares in Dhamnagar block of Bhadrak district remained submerged in the flood waters, SRC sources said. Similarly, a report from Keonjhar said about 15 villages in Ghasipura and Hatadhi blocks were marooned as the flood waters washed away the roads. Two power boats and one health team were deployed at Solampur village in Bhandaripokhari block. An ODRAF team was stationed at Dhamnagar for rescue-and-relief operations. In Jajpur district, there was a flood-like situation in Jajpur, Dasarathpur and Korei blocks. Two ODRAF teams were deployed at Jajpur and Dasarathpur blocks respectively. Due to a rise in the water level of the Subarnarekha river at Rajghat, there was a flood-like situation in five gram panchayats of Baliapal block in Balasore district. The authorities were closely monitoring the situation in Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts. At 6 pm, the Baitarani was flowing at 37 metres, as against the danger mark of 38.36 metres, at Anandpur. The water level, however, was showing a declining trend. The river was flowing at 18.56 metres, as against the danger mark of 17.83 metres, at Akhuapada and showing a declining trend. At 6 pm, the Subarnarekha was flowing at 11.12 metres, as against the danger level of 10.36 metres, at Rajghat and showing a rising trend. Meanwhile, SRC B P Sethi said the government was fully prepared to tackle the situation. "We have deployed ODRAF, NDRF, Fire Service personnel, equipped with power boats, for the rescue-and-relief operations. Besides, regular patrolling is being carried out at the weak and vulnerable portions of the river embankments," he added. The SRC asserted that all arrangements were put in place and sand bags were kept ready at the weak and vulnerable river banks to prevent any breach. He hoped that the situation would improve as the water level in the major rivers had started showing a declining trend. "We are expecting a normal situation by tomorrow as there has not been much rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Jalaka and other rivers in north Odisha," Deputy SRC Pravat Mohapatra said, adding that everything depended on the rainfall tonight. PTI AAM RG RC --- ENDS --- advertisement By India Today Web Desk: Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani needs no introduction. The sanskaari CBFC chief is infamous for his puritanical disapproval of just about everything, from the length of kisses to "lady-oriented" films to even the word "cow". Now, films showing smoking and drinking have caught Nihalani's eye, and he has vowed to sanitise them. advertisement It is being reported that a new ban order has been issued, which will put an end to all scenes showing alcohol consumption. Nihalani said in an interview, "Merely putting a ticker warning at some remote corner of the screen whenever there is smoking or drinking shown, is not enough any more. We feel the superstars who are followed by millions and who set an example in societal behaviour must not be shown drinking or smoking on screen unless the provocation for doing so is really strong." It is anyone's guess what constitutes as "strong provocation" according to Nihalani. The self-appointed guardian of sanskaariness is single-handedly taking Indian films back by decades and tightening the noose around their necks by laying down rules for filmmakers about what their characters can say on screen (hint: intercourse is a no-no), what they can do (make sure to time your kiss to less than 15 seconds), and now, they're being forced to say goodbye to smoking and drinking, because Mukesh-the-gutka-guy could not make us kick the habit. Now, it is worth noting that though the CBFC has earned the moniker of 'censor board', courtesy its propensity to snip "objectionable" content, its job is ONLY to certify films for viewing. According to the Cinematograph Act 1952, a film can be refused a certificate only if "the film or anypart of it is against the interests of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, orinvolves defamation or contempt of court or is likely to incite the commission of any offence." Last we heard, smoking and drinking neither pose a national threat, nor can be considered "likely to incite the commission of any offence" (cigarettes and alcohol are legally sold). Perhaps, the extent of Pahlaj Nihalani's prudishness becomes clear from the fact the CBFC ordered three cuts in Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo. Mind you, the director, Sooraj Barjatya, is the same man known for his squeaky-clean family dramas like Hum Saath-Saath Hai and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! The CBFC's tendency to infantilise the audience with its bizarre demands has reached a new high with its new directive. But if latest reports are to be believed, we might be kissing our favourite sanskaari boy goodbye soon... and heaving a sigh of relief! advertisement ALSO SEE: Puhleez, Nihalani. We're adults, don't be a nanny ALSO READ: Want to hear 'intercourse' in Jab Harry Met Sejal? Pahlaj Nihalani lays down the conditions ALSO SEE: Your job is to certify, not censor, Bombay HC tells CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani ALSO WATCH: There's nothing dirty about sex or the word adult, says Anurag Kashyap --- ENDS --- Prime Minister Modi said passage of Bills is the responsibility of the ruling establishment and if they were stalled because of poor attendance, then it was disappointing. By Poulomi Saha: At the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, the Prime Minister today chided party MPs for low attendance in Parliament. He spoke of Bills getting stuck because of the quorum not being complete at times in either House. Prime Minister Modi said passage of Bills is the responsibility of the ruling establishment and if they were stalled because of poor attendance, then it was disappointing. advertisement The Prime Minister, pointed out that on Fridays especially, during sessions, members do a no-show post-lunch, which is not acceptable. Every session, the Prime Minister has been reprimanding party MPs for their poor show of attendance. But it all seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi also expressed concern that 22 MP votes had been declared invalid in the recent Presidential elections. While it is not revealed, which political denominations these votes belonged to, the Prime Minister expressed worry that despite specific instructions on the voting process, crucial votes had been declared invalid and accounted for nil. A day before polling, in fact, a presentation was given to the NDA collegium on the protocols of the process. Prime Minister Modi said that MPs whose votes had been cast aside, had eventually let down their constituents. ALSO READS: Monsoon Session: Opposition united on five fronts against Narendra Modi govt Monsoon Session begins today: What to expect over 19 sittings of Parliament ALSO WATCH: Jai Shri Ram: How some BJP MPs greeted Ram Nath Kovind after his swearing-in --- ENDS --- By PTI: Amaravati, Jul 25 (PTI) Peace returned to Andhra Pradeshs Garagaparru village, where a dispute over installation of an Ambedkar statue had led to acrimony between Dalits and an upper caste group over the last three months. The state government today paid Rs 1 lakh each to 385 Dalit families of Garagaparru in West Godavari district, and announced a slew of development plans for the village. advertisement Social Welfare Minister Nakka Anand Babu, Labour Minister Pithani Satyanarayana and SC Corporation chairman Jupudi Prabhakar visited the village and brokered peace between the warring factions after handing over cheques to the Dalit families. The government promised to undertake development works in the village, including laying of cement concrete roads, construction of drains and a separate drinking water tank, removal of encroachments at the local burial ground etc. House sites and permanent houses were also promised to all eligible families. The ministers, who held talks with the peace committee at the mandal parishad development office at Palakoderu, agreed to the construction of Ambedkar Bhavan in Garagaparru. There had been unrest in the village for about three months between the upper caste Kshatriyas and members of the Mala community (a scheduled caste group in AP). It all started when the Kshatriyas allegedly objected to the SC communitys move to install a statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar on the village tank bund. Following this, the Dalits stopped attending to agricultural works in the fields of the upper caste members, causing bad blood among the villagers. The government had to issue a special order for the installation of Ambedkars statue on the village tank bund since such a move is prohibited under a Supreme Court order. "I compliment both the sides (Dalits and Kshatriyas) for ending the acrimony. Restoring peace in the village has always been the endeavour of the government and accordingly we held talks with the two sides. "We are happy that they came forward to restore normalcy in the village," Babu told reporters. The minister complimented the police led by Bhimavaram Rural Inspector Nagaraju for their efforts to bring in bonhomie between the two groups. The issue had escalated as political parties intervened in the matter and promised to do everything for the Dalits. The ministers, who visited the village over a month ago, announced a "compensation" of Rs one lakh to each Dalit family. The promise, however, was fulfilled only late last night. PTI DBV RSY SRY --- ENDS --- advertisement Living in Morocco can be one of the most enriching experiences you will ever have. Culturally and aesthetically, Morocco is simply unlike any other place in the world. Whether you already live in Morocco or are planning to spend a significant amount of time there, budgeting and preparing for significant life events is necessary if you want to avoid financial hardship. Here are 12 life events for which you should plan and budget while living in Morocco. Birth Nearly 99% of Moroccans are Sunni Muslim. As such, there are several Islamic birthing ceremonies for which you should establish a budget. These rituals typically last up to seven days, and they can get pricey. In addition to the costs associated with the ceremonies and celebrations, one ritual, Aqeeqah, requires a monetary donation. Khitan Khitan is the Islamic ritual of circumcision, which over 80% of Moroccan men undergo, that represents the male transition from childhood into adulthood. Islamic doctrine requires males to be circumcised by the age of 15, although it is sometimes done shortly after birth. This process involves a familial gathering and ceremony that will need a budget. Education Morocco treats education through college as a right therefore, its free of cost for the most part. However, with only a 50% literacy rate for graduates of the Moroccan school system, many residents in Morocco are looking for alternative forms of education. For the most part, French and American international schools are the alternative option. While highly reputable, they are typically selective and expensive. Subsequently, if you plan on attending an international school in Morocco, its important to budget for everything from tuition to travel and supplies. Yearly Religious Events Morocco officially celebrates 11 yearly holidays, both Islamic and secular. Not every occasion is costly, but its important to budget and have an appropriate amount of money set aside for each. Further, for the 1.3% of the population that is Christian or Jewish, their various religious rites and yearly celebrations can be fairly expensive as well. Weddings Just as they are in many countries, weddings are expensive in Morocco. In Islam, a wedding is an immensely important rite that represents the transition of boys and girls into men and women, and many of these ceremonies last for several days. In Morocco, weddings often cost between 4 and 10 times the per capita income so being prepared with a budget to cover the various expenses of a wedding will ensure that everything works out smoothly. Buying a Home Buying a home is an important life event, regardless of where you live. Property value in Morocco is approximately MAD 1,975,000, which is equivalent to about $250,000 USD. According to CreditRepair.com, by budgeting and saving prior to buying, you can avoid financial roadblocks that could ruin your credit or even frustrate your attempt to purchase the house or property in question. Buying a Car Buying a car is often one of the first major purchases made during ones life. For many, it symbolizes the transition to adulthood and financial responsibility. Accordingly, its an event that one needs to budget for since buying a car is expensive. The average cost of a new Toyota Corolla or equivalent is $19,309.92 USD. Travel In 2015, the equivalent of $2,252,000,000 USD was spent on outbound international tourism in Morocco. This makes sense because Morocco, which provides easy access to Europe, Africa, and Western Asia, facilitates convenient travel to some of the worlds most interesting places. However, just because its geographically easily to travel to these places doesnt mean its inexpensive to do so. Budget in advance to ensure you get the most out of your getaway. Military Emergencies With the rise of domestic and international terrorism in Morocco, made apparent by the recently-thwarted ISIS-related activities in several Moroccan cities, its clear that the possibility of a military emergency is something to consider. In 2016, at least 19 terrorist cells were caught. It may be grim, but part of life is preparing for the worst. As such, make room in your budget for the possibility of a military emergency. Having the funds for supplies, medicine, food, and shelter could be the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. Medical Emergencies Hepatitis A and B, HIV, and AIDS are all on the rise in Morocco; the contraction of any of them would certainly be a life event. Consequently, budgeting for medical expenses associated with these diseases and other ailments is important. Public hospitals, especially in rural areas, are often lacking, so costs outside of the actual medical treatment such as travel and lodging must be budgeted for. Household spending on health in Morocco is estimated to be $195 per year, mostly due to high costs of medicine. Natural Disasters A natural disaster can be a life changing event for anyone. Moroccans are especially susceptible to earthquakes and flash floods due to torrential downpours. Recently, road restoration necessary due to a major flash flood in 2014 cost the Moroccan government over $103 million USD. Having money set aside for natural disasters will help alleviate financial hardship should an unexpected natural disaster occur. Death The final life event for all of us, regardless of nationality, is death. Death is a time for mourning, a celebration of life, or sometimes a combination of both. Unfortunately, usually, these gatherings are not free of cost. In Morocco, the average total cost of preparation and burial is $3500 USD. Given the cost, the fact that death is often unexpected, and the Islamic requirement that a body must be buried within 24 hours of death, its advisable to plan and budget for lifes final event ahead of time. This is certainly not the time to be distracted by monetary concerns. Planning and budgeting are important for all major life events. Whether you were born in Morocco or simply living there temporarily, setting money aside for the 12 life events listed above is an important aspect of financial responsibility. How are you budgeting and preparing for what life might throw your way? PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those killed in Gujarat floods. By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took stock of the situation in Gujarat following floods in Banaskantha and Patan districts of the state. He announced an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore from the central government to the state disaster department to tackle with the catastrophe. PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured due to floods in Gujarat. advertisement After chairing a high-level meeting on the floods, Modi said officers from the Government of India will assist in short term and long term measures. "Everything possible will be done to help the farmers, who suffer immensely due to floods. While reviewing the situation, I could see the Government of Gujarat responded to the flood situation quite swiftly," PM Modi said. He promised that floods will not impact development journey of the state. "Even if we expect more rainfall, relief work will be further intensified". He praised social organisations for playing an active role in rescue and relief operations in the wake of the floods in Gujarat. "The people of Gujarat are blessed with a strong spirit of resilience. These floods will not impact the development journey of Gujarat. I have faith in the strength of the people of Gujarat," Modi said. During the last 24 hours, at least 12 talukas of Banaskantha, Patan and Sabarkantha districts received over 200 mm of rainfall, a release issued by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said. Dantiwada in Banaskantha remained the worst-hit recording 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm), Vadgam (357 mm), Amirgadh (337 mm) and Lakhani (305 mm). More than 1,000 people have been rescued and 46,000 people shifted to safer locations from low lying areas of the state, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said. The Air Force has issued directions to its bases to keep over 20 aircrafts ready to launch flood-relief and rescue operations tomorrow. Ten more IAF helicopters would be pressed into service for rescue and relief operations. Arrangements have also been made to further bolster the numbers with augmentation from other IAF Commands if the need be, sources said. The IAF, operating 5 MI-17V5 helicopters, from different locations airlifted over 160 people to safety and carried over 3400 kg of relief material to designated places mostly in Banaskantha. (Inputs from Gopi Maniar in Ahmedabad) ALSO READ: 25,000 evacuated as massive flooding prompts high alert across Gujarat Heavy rains in Odisha trigger flash floods in coastal Andhra Pradesh advertisement WATCH VIDEO --- ENDS --- A 26-year-old kingpin of an ATM fraud network and Physics graduate was recently arrested by police. Pankaj Sahni had his own training schools where he used to teach jobless youth how to dupe users. By India Today Web Desk: Pankaj Sahni, a 26-year-old Physics graduate was recently arrested. Hailing from north Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, Sahni is actually the 'kingpin' of an ATM fraud network. The network was spread across Nepal and other four eastern states of India. Sahni was also handling "training" schools in order to train youth in duping unsuspected users. According to a HT report, the police arrested five people from a brothel including Sahni for fraudulently withdrawing Rs 1.40 crore between 2010 and 2012. advertisement Sahni's network was so vast that police said they had no estimate of how much money had been stolen between 2012 and 2017. The Mithanpura SHO Vijay Prasad Rai told HT that Sahni would stand in queue as a customer and under the garb of helping those not familiar with ATM operations, would press some key(s) after which the screen would temporarily go blank. He would then tell them that there was a technical glitch in the machine and would allegedly fraudulently withdraw money from their accounts after they left the ATM. He was first arrested in March 2012 after a fraud of Rs 1.30 crore. He was working with an ATM maintenance firm at that time. In November 2012, he opened up his own Pankaj Business Management (PBM) Institute (Unregistered). He trained 55 men under him and had a significant mark which he used to leave after the 'act'. He used to leave a "PBM mark" after hacking them. The police recovered a cartridges, a pistol, ATM cards, cash and liquor at the time of the arrest. The 26-year-old will face six cases of fraud, extortion, murder, and possession of illegal weapons. --- ENDS --- After spending five years in the Rashtrapati Bhavan as India's first citizen, Pranab Mukherjee wants to spend the rest of his life as a citizen. By India Today Web Desk: As Pranab Mukherjee left the palatial Rashtrapati Bhavan to make way for India's 14th President Ram Nath Kovind, who was sworn-in today, to his new residence at 10 Rajaji Marg, a change of guard was also reflected on Twitter. As part of a digital transition, the Twitter handle of @rashtrapatibhvn now represents Ram Nath Kovind. advertisement All tweets made under the past president Pranab Mukherjee have now been archived under a new Twitter handle @POI13. Pranab Mukherjee will however continue to tweet under a new handle @CitiznMukherjee. This will act as a personal account of Pranab Mukherjee. At 10 Rajaji Marg as President Kovind saw me off.Thank you all for your goodwishes.#CitizenMukherjee pic.twitter.com/IFq74umPju; Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) July 25, 2017 His new Twitter handle reminds what Mukherjee had said yesterday about returning from the Rashtrapati Bhavan as a citizen after spending five years as India's first citizen. "When I speak to you tomorrow, it will not be as the President but as a citizen - a pilgrim like all of you in India's onward march towards glory," Mukherjee had said in his last address to the nation as President. "What's happening in India and around the world, happens on Twitter. Today, we are paving the way for the digital transition of the President of India's official account," said Mahima Kaul, head of public policy, Twitter India. "The new president, Ram Nath Kovind, will now use the official President of India account @RashtrapatiBhvn," Kaul said. A smooth transition between administrations was one of Mukherjee's top priorities as president, she said, adding that digital was a key pillar in today's Internet age. President Pranab Mukherjee was India's first President to have started tweeting. He created hashtag #PresidentMukherjee on Twitter to engage with citizens through his term. President Mukherjee sent his first Tweet as the President of India on 1 July 2014. During his term, President Mukherjee's most retweeted tweet was about demonetisation last year. #PresidentMukherjee welcomed bold step of Government of India which will help unearth unaccounted money & counterfeit currency ; President Mukherjee (@POI13) November 8, 2016 Also read: --- ENDS --- advertisement Here's why President Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, will have zero pending mercy petitions to deal with. This is something that has not happened with the last three presidents. By India Today Web Desk: Ram Nath Kovind can now officially be called "Mr President". Kovind was sworn-in by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar at the Central Hall of Parliament House today. Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th President of India. President Ram Nath Kovind, 71, is the second Dalit President, after KR Narayanan, to walk into the Rashtrapati Bhawan. But, there is something that former President Pranab Mukherjee had but Ram Nath Kovind doesn't. advertisement Pending mercy pleas. Almost all the former Presidents of India, have a record of passing on at least a few pending mercy pleas to their successors. But President Ram Nath won't have any pending mercy pleas to consider, and this is something that hasn't happened in last three presidencies. Why? Former President Pranab Mukherjee, during his five years of presidency, disposed 34 mercy pleas. He rejected 30 out of 34 petitions (35, considering the case of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts accused Yakub Memon, who pleaded twice for the presidential pardon). He is the second president after R Venkatraman to reject so many pleas. Venkatraman rejected total 45 mercy pleas during his tenure. When President Pranab Mukherjee was serving his tenure, he received 10 pending pleas, one even from KR Narayanan's term (1997-2002). Mukherjee rejected 88 per cent of the mercy petitions he received, and that included those of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru. What is the procedure for taking decisions over mercy pleas? Once a convict has been awarded a death sentence by the Supreme Court, including a foreign national, he or she can submit a mercy plea to MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs), the President's Office or to the governor of the state. Under Article 72 of the Constitution of India, a President can grant pardon, commute or suspend remit a sentence of death. However, the President acts on the advice of the executive i.e the Prime Minister and his cabinet. Since, there is no particular time-frame set up for acting upon the mercy pleas, many Presidents sat on the cases not taking a decision at all during their tenures of service. Here are the few of the Former Presidents and the number of pending pleas they left for their successors: 12th President: Pratibha Patil Tenure: 2007-2012 Petitions disposed: 39 Rejected pleas: 5 Death sentences commuted to life imprisonment: 34 Left pending pleas for the successor: 11 11th President: APJ Abdul Kalam Tenure: 2002-2007 Petitions disposed: 2 Rejected pleas: 1 advertisement Accepted pleas: 1 Left pending pleas for the successor: 25 (Nine of these passed on from KR Narayanan) 10th President: KR Narayanan Tenure: 1997-2002 Petitions disposed: 0 Left pending pleas for the successor: 9 9th President: Shankar Dayal Sharma Tenure: 1992-1997 Rejected mercy pleas: 18 8th President: R Venkatraman Tenure: 1987-1992 Rejected Pleas: 45 Accepted Pleas: 5 7th President: Zail Singh Tenure: 1982-1987 Rejected Pleas: 30 Accepted: 2 The sixth and fifth Presidents, Sanjeeva Reddy (1977-1982) and Fakrudhin Ali Ahmed (1974-1977) and N Sanjeeva Reddy did not deal with any mercy petitions during their tenures. 4th President: VV Giri tenure: 1969-1974 Rejected pleas: 0 Accepted pleas: 3 3rd President: Zakir Hussain Tenure: 1967-1969 Accepted pleas: 22 2nd President: Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Tenure: 1962-1967 Accepted pleas: 57 1st President: Rajendra Prasad Tenure: 1950-1962 Accepted pleas: 180 Rejected pleas:1 --- ENDS --- By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Ram Nath Kovind today took oath as India's 14th President at a ceremony held in Parliament's iconic Central Hall. President Ram Nath Kovind meeting ministers and other leaders after the oath taking ceremony. (Photo: Doordarshan) By India Today Web Desk: A section of BJP MPs shouted Jai Shri Ram after Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as India's 14th President in a ceremony in Parliament's Central Hall today. Full text: President Ram Nath Kovind's speech in Parliament The slogan Jai Shri Ram originated during the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babari Masjid movement in the 80s that catapulted the BJP from a marginal player to India's political mainstream. advertisement Kovind, former Bihar Governor, is a long-time member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP. President inspecting Guard of Honour. pic.twitter.com/8LbBvDveSx- All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) July 25, 2017 This is not the first time Jai Shri Ram slogans were raised inside Parliament. In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with the same slogan by the BJP MPs when he walked into the House following the party's stunning victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Opposition leaders have often accused Modi of using the presidential race, which Kovind won easily in an electoral college last week, to further a divisive Hindutva agenda. Kovind's rise also caps a series of top appointments backed by Modi - including naming hardline Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh - that tighten the grip of the Hindu right on key public offices. ALSO READ: What President Ram Nath Kovind said in his first address after taking oath Ram Nath Kovind set to enter Rashtrapati Bhavan: All about 340-room Raisina Hill palace BJP's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind: An ardent dog lover Watch the video here: Jai Shri Ram: How some BJP MPs greeted Ram Nath Kovind after his swearing-in --- ENDS --- Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th President of India in a ceremony at the Central Hall of Parliament today. Kovind is the second Dalit President after KR Narayanan to enter the sprawling 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan. By India Today Web Desk: Ram Nath Kovind made his first tweet as the 14th President of India today. The inaugural tweet, Kovind said, "Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility" and was signed #PresidentKovind. The tweet has, by now, been retweeted more than 4,200 times. Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind- President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 advertisement The @rashtrapatibhvn Twitter handle, currently has 3.27 million followers, and follows only one account, that of his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee. The tweets from the official Twitter handle of Mukherjee have been archived under @POI13. The President of India's Twitter handle now has Kovind's image. The description said, "Tweets from the President are signed - President Kovind". Earlier, tweets from Mukherjee used to be signed #PresidentMukherjee. In his second tweet, President Kovind promised to stay true to all his duties and the people. "I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me #PresidentKovind". I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me #PresidentKovind- President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 The new president's first national address after swearing in was tweeted subsequently. Ram Nath Kovind took oath as India's 14th President today in a ceremony held at the Central Hall of Parliament House. Kovind, who is the second Dalit President after KR Narayanan to enter the sprawling 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan, was administered the oath of office by Supreme Court Chief Justice KS Khehar. Kovind also shared photos from the ceremony. Photographs of President Mukherjee & President-elect proceeding for Parliament for ceremony of assumption of office of the President pic.twitter.com/WakFpfVFus- President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 Photos of #PresidentKovind being sworn-in as the 14th President of India pic.twitter.com/8oWT1ZZ7df- President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 Addressing the gathering immediately after taking oath, President Kovind, 71, pledged to protect the Constitution and said that the key to India's success is 'unity in diversity'. "We are different but we are one and united. These are the traditional values and there is no contradiction or alternative opinion about it," the new President said in his Hindi speech. Earlier in the day, Kovind reached Rajghat and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi along with wife Savita. At the Parliament, both were received by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. advertisement The dais at the central hall was shared by President and President-elect, Speaker, Vice President and Chief Justice of India. After the event, outgoing President Mukherjee proceeded to his new residence - 10, Rajaji Marg. Kovind was elected the President last Thursday as a ruling NDA candidate. He defeated the Opposition parties' nominee Meira Kumar by a huge margin. Also Read: As a Dalit takes over as President, 300 such families face social boycott in this Andhra Pradesh village Also Watch: Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India, says key to country's success is its diversity --- ENDS --- The pitch for stricter enforcement of antitrust laws preventing firms from getting too big and penalizing or dissolving those that are using their size to shut out rivals is full of lines that will come naturally to Democratic candidates on the stump. Free competition is a basic principle of American capitalism that could appeal to small business and independent voters, while a forceful attack on corporations, a familiar villain, might animate the party's base. This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted. The final straw, she said, was a conversation with Jane Whaley about her teenage son, who liked a fellow congregant but was not allowed to talk to her because the sexes are strictly separated. If she was a really good mother, Abe said Whaley told her, she would crack down on her son. ACT gun owners have handed back 120 firearms to police as part of a national amnesty to help get guns off the street. People who hand in a gun to the ACT Firearms Registry are exempted through the amnesty from any prosecution or fines. Guns seized in the ACT national gun amnesty this month. Deputy Chief Police Officer Mark Walters said the number and "vast array" of firearms handed in during the first weeks of the three-month amnesty was encouraging. "One such firearm was an 1874 Queensland Police rifle which is in the process of being donated back to them for historical purposes," he said. ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris says she was not briefed by the health directorate about an almost five-year delay to a review of the territory's opioid treatment guidelines. Her comments followed The Canberra Times reporting Tuesday that the guidelines governing methadone prescribing in the prison and community were three years' overdue for review when an indigenous man died in custody last year. ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris was not briefed about significant delays to a review of the territory's opioid treatment guidelines. Credit:Jamila Toderas While the review was meant to be completed by September 2012, it was delayed to take into account new national guidelines completed in 2014. But ACT Health has not clarified why they had not been updated in the three years since those guidelines were released, nor clarified when the advisory committee that oversees the guidelines last met. Ram Nath Kovind was today sworn in as the President of India in a glittering Parliament ceremony. Delivering his first public address as president, Kovind spoke about the "India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities." Ram Nath Kovind today took over from Pranab Mukherjee, becoming the 14th President of India By India Today Web Desk: Ram Nath Kovind is officially the President of India, taking the oath at a Parliament ceremony laced with traditional Indian pomp and glory. In the morning, the 71-year-old Kovind reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan after paying a visit to Rajghat. Click here to Enlarge Ram Nath Kovind with Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan before being sworn in as President of India advertisement At the presidential palace on Raisina Hill, Kovind inspected a guard of honour along with his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee. The two then left for the oath-taking ceremony in the President of India's official car, a Mercedes-Benz S Class. Click here to Enlarge Ram Nath Kovind travelled to Parliament with Pranab Mukherjee in the President's official car Kovind, who is only the second Dalit to enter the Rashtrapati Bhavan after India's 10th president, KR Narayanan, took the oath of office in the Central Hall of Parliament at an event attended by prominent leaders from the government and the opposition. Click here to Enlarge CJI JS Khehar administered the oath of office to Kovind Kovind was administered the oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law" by Chief Justice of India J S Kehar. Once the oath was complete, Kovind was given a 21-gun salute that marked his assumption of the office of the highest constitutional authority in India. Click here to Enlarge Kovind took the oath of office in the Central Hall of Parliament Among those present were Mukherjee, outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and former president Pratibha Patil. Photo: Supriya Bhardwaj Click here to Enlarge Photo: Supriya Bhardwaj Also present were former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former deputy prime minister L K Advani as well as Union ministers and foreign dignitaries Click here to Enlarge Photo: Supriya Bhardwaj Having been sworn in as the new President of India, Ram Nath Kovind switched seats with his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee, before going on to deliver his first public address as president. Click here to Enlarge Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in was attended by several leaders from the government and opposition, as well as some foreign dignitaries In his short speech (full text), delivered in Hindi, Kovind once again referred to his humble roots, recalling how he grew up in a mud house, in a small village. "My journey has been a long one, and yet this journey is hardly mine alone. It is so telling of our nation and our society also," Kovind said. In his speech as president, Kovind referred to his humble roots, recalling how he grew up in a mud house, in a small village Click here to Enlarge In his speech as president, Kovind referred to his humble roots, recalling how he grew up in a mud house, in a small village advertisement Kovind went on to speak about how he envisions the India of today, saying that he sees no dichotomy between ancient Indian values and technology and science that has emerged after the Industrial Revolution. "We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India." Referring to "mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more" that is India, Kovind said the country has achieved "a lot" but the "the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless". India, he said, should focus on its ability to "enhance access and opportunity for the last person and the last girl-child from an underprivileged family in the last house in the last village". This must include a "quick and affordable justice delivery system", Kovind said while standing next to CJI Khehar. Click here to Enlarge Following Kovind's speech in Hindi, outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari read the first two paragrahps of the president's speech in English He ended by talking about the "need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji." "These are integral to our sense of humanism. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities. This will be the India of the 21st century." Click here to Enlarge Photo: Supriya Bhardwaj advertisement Kovind was elected with 65 per cent of votes defeating Meira Kumar to occupy the top post. He was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, studied law at the Kanpur University and practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh, he served two consecutive terms till March 2006. Outgoing president Mukherjee bows out of public life after a five-decade political career. (With inputs from PTI; Pictures: Rashtrapati Bhavan) ALSO READ | Jai Shri Ram slogans raised in Parliament after Ram Nath Kovind is sworn in ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind continues using the buggy: Story behind President's royal ride ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind is in the league of presidents with many firsts. Who are the others? advertisement WATCH | President Ram Nath Kovind's oath taking ceremony --- ENDS --- There was no waiting for the 'you may now kiss the bride' announcement at the wedding of Sylvia Martin, 93, and Frank Raymond, 88, in Monash on Tuesday - the bride and groom literally couldn't keep their hands off each other. The elderly couple - dubbed Canberra's answer to The Notebook - exchanged vows before 60 friends and family at Goodwin Village on Tuesday, with Sylvia landing Frank a giant smooch before the ceremony had even begun. "We've never had a falling out," Sylvia says of her 15-year relationship with Frank. Credit:Karleen Minney This was after a Beyonce-style entrance, where Sylvia waved to an adoring crowd of Goodwin Village residents lining the balconies and a stone bridge as Frank waited patiently for his bride in the gazebo. "No kissing yet," Sylvia's grandson Glenn Huckstepp called from the crowd, just minutes after wolf whistling as she sauntered down the very long concrete aisle. Much-needed refurbishment works at Canberra's Havelock House have been completed after a more than $130,000 boost from the federal government. ACT senator and Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs, Zed Seselja, and Havelock Housing Association managing director, Neil Skipper, were on hand for an official opening on Tuesday. Havelock Housing Association managing director Neil Skipper and Assistant Minister Zed Seselja. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong As part of the works, the building's Federation Room, kitchen, and bathroom facilities have been upgraded, giving residents and community organisations new gathering spaces and state-of-the-art audio visual equipment. Senator Seselja welcomed competition of the refurbishments and repairs. The ACT Greens are eyeing further reform of political donor rules, as questions remain as to whether an upcoming bill to ban property developer donations could bar donations from the Labor Club. ACT Labor vowed to legislate against developer donations in the parliamentary agreement struck with the Greens last year. The rules on political donations are set to get tighter. That ban was to be based on similar laws operating in other states and territories. Neither political parties have taken money from developers since the October election. Lowering the voting age to 16 in Canberra could result in 16-year-old ministers, the ACT Electoral Commission has suggested. The ACT Greens used their powersharing deal with Labor to secure an inquiry into last year's ACT election, the Electoral Act and whether residents aged 16 and 17 should have the option to vote in local elections. The NSW Electoral Commission calculates voters' later preferences by choosing a random sample of ballots and extrapolating the results. Credit:Andrew Meares That would mean an extra 9000 voters, according to ACT Electoral figure estimates, and an extra $72,000 for political parties under the new public funding rules, which give candidates $8 per vote. "Decisions made today will affect young people right now, and potentially for the rest of their lives," convenor Michael Mazengarb wrote in the submission. Former ACT Chief Minister and puzzle lover Kate Carnell answers quickly when asked what sort of job her teenage self would look for in 2017: something in coding and apps. "The challenge for the future is making life easier," she said. Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell last week in Canberra. Credit:Andrew Meares "I think that's really interesting and incredibly challenging." The Small Business Ombudsman has encouraged teenagers and their families preparing for future employment to think outside of university and focus on areas of need, including in information technology, aged care and the service industry. The ACT Electoral Commission has poured cold water on proposed truth in political advertising laws for ACT elections, saying they were difficult to enforce and easily exploited. The ACT Greens floated the idea of introducing laws which would crack down on misleading election campaigns in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the Electoral Act. ACT Labor's fake Medicare cards, with 30,000 distributed in the election campaign. Greens convener Michael Mazengarb said laws similar to South Australia's would place a "higher obligation" on candidates to check their facts. "When people are bombarded with factually incorrect information, they lose faith in the democratic process and are left not knowing who to believe," he wrote. Anyone watching the grand finale of Ten's modest ratings booster, Masterchef, would have noticed that one of its presenters, Matt Preston, has taken to spruiking financial comparison site, Canstar, in the ad breaks - alongside his rum commercials. "We expertly assess thousands of products based on both price and features to derive expert value ratings in a way that is similar to how Matt expertly critiques food on flavour and presentation," said the press release announcing its tie up with Matt as a brand ambassador. Diana Chan celebrates her victory during the 2017 MasterChef grand final. Credit:Ten So who thought Matt's decisive role in the one-point win to Diana Chan was a little err, ripe? "Matt - no way - that 9 was dodge. Tibballs is the pro - if she says 8 , it was an 8," tweeted Sydney barrister, Maria Gerace, whose work in the legal area of fraud and corruption includes a starring role in the child abuse royal commission. A Federal Court judge has rejected a request for him to taste a kids' snack food at the centre of a legal stoush over its nutritional value. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken food giant Heinz to court alleging the company engaged in false and misleading representations in relation to its Little Kids Shredz products. Before closing the ACCC case on Tuesday, Tom Duggan SC asked Justice Richard White to taste one of the products, made from dehydrated fruit and vegetables as well as concentrated fruit juice and fruit paste. But Justice White refused the application on the basis that any conclusions he reached by eating the snack would be subjective and not capable of being analysed or scrutinised by anyone. Would you ask an employee to get a chip implanted in her hand? Sounds invasive and intrusive. But come August 1, one company in Wisconsin will be giving it a try. Three Square Market - a developer of software used in vending machines - is offering all its employees the option to get a microchip implanted between the thumb and forefinger. It's quick, painless and the company will even pick up the $US300 fee. And don't worry-there's no GPS tracking capability ... yet. The company is expecting 50 of its employees to voluntarily sign up for the implants. Martin Shkreli has been as vocal as ever on social media during his trial. But in court he's choosing to stay mum. Shkreli on Monday told the judge in his fraud case that he won't be testifying in his own behalf after the government wraps up its case this week. It's a surprising turn for a man who has spent months lashing out at critics and declaring to all who would listen that he will beat the charges against him. Shkreli's disclosure came as federal prosecutors in New York presented what may be their final witness, an FBI agent who helped build the case. His decision not to testify suggests that Shkreli's lawyers may believe they have poked enough holes in the government's claim that he defrauded investors in his fund and the company he co-founded, Retrophin. As country gets a Dalit president today, 300 Dalit families in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district are allegedly facing social discrimination by upper-caste community members for the last three months. Ram Nath Kovind, who belongs to Dalit community, will take oath as President of India today. Photo: PTI. By Ashish Pandey: On a day when Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit, will be sworn in as the 14th President of India, Dalits in Andhra Pradesh are sitting on an indefinite fast to protest against alleged social discrimination. More than 300 Dalit families of Garagaparru village in West Godavari district are holding an indefinite fast from today in protest against alleged social boycott by members of an upper caste community. advertisement The families, who belong to Mala community--the community is recognised as Scheduled Caste by the government--are allegedly facing social boycott by members of Raju community, an influential Kshatriya community in coastal Andhra Pradesh, for the last three months. WHAT TRIGGERED THE PROTEST The problem started when members of the Dalit community installed a statue of B R Ambedkar in the village on April 24. Members of the upper-caste Raju community opposed the act and Ambdekar's statue was removed within hours by some unknown people. The landless Dalit community, which largely works as agricultural labour in the fields, has since been allegedly denied work in the farms owned by members of the upper-caste community. After the alleged social discrimination came to light, the West Godawari district administration registered a case against members of the Raju community under Section 341 (Wrongful Restraint), 506 r/w 34 (Criminal Intimidation) of the IPC, and the SC/ST(Prevention Of Atrocities) Act. All the accused, however, have been released on bail. SEVERAL VISITS BY POLITICIANS A month ago, K Ramulu, a member of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), visited the village on June 27 and asked the district administration to take steps to restore normalcy in the village. A few days later, YSR Congress president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the village on June 30 and demanded strict action against the accused. On Monday, ministers in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in the state visited the village. Ministers N Ananda Babu, K S Jawahar and Pitani Satyanarayana along with Scheduled Castes Finance Corporation chairman Jupudi Prabhakara Rao and local MLA Vetukuri Siva Rama Raju held a meeting with the Dalit families and tried pacifying them. The protesting Dalit families have demanded two-acre plot and Rs 1 lakh for every family as compensation. They have also demanded a separate gram panchayat for the Dalit colony in the village. The TDP government has assured them of a positive hearing and reinstatement of Ambedkar's statue at the earliest. ALSO READ: Can Ram Nath Kovind, second Dalit President, follow in the footsteps of first Dalit President K R Narayanan? advertisement After UP election, BJP prepares a fresh Dalit-oriented strategy eyeing 2019 polls Gujarat: Dalit men attempt suicide, buses torched as protest over Una flogging by cow brigade intensifies ALSO WATCH: Ram Nath Kovind: My election a message to those who fulfill duties with honesty --- ENDS --- The fury the P&C Federation is expressing over primary students being forced to waste their precious school hours is absolutely justified. The NSW Special Religious Education regime is an anachronistic mess. It is 2017 and we cannot afford to be profligate with the precious time our children have to learn. We need to be giving students every advantage they can possibly get as they head into a hyper-competitive Asian Century. What we certainly can't do is continue with a policy that removes children from any kind of learning for 300-plus hours over the course of their primary schooling. Yet that is precisely what our system does. Unless children are being taught scripture by a church volunteer, they will be forced to do nothing during that time. There can be no curriculum learning, and alternate ethics classes are available only in 30 per cent of the schools. So some children colour, some chat with friends and some are on emu duty, picking up rubbish in the playground. To add insult to injury, the Berejiklian government actually runs a little hustle on parents to try to bolster scripture class numbers through administrative trickery. When parents enrol in a public school, they are asked to identify their child's religion. That is used by the school administration to create a list of students, which is handed over to religious education providers. Those providers then divvy up the students among their volunteers based on faith indications. Children whose parents have chosen "no religion" will, by default, end up in the time-killing stream. They will have minimal supervision as they while away the time in the classroom or playground. Statistics published in Tuesday's Herald indicate that many parents don't want their children to receive scripture instruction during school. This is part of a broader movement in Australian society away from nominal identification with Christianity to nominal identification with "no religion". I say nominal in both cases, because most of our religious thinking is informed, let's face it, not by genuine study but by what the comedians are saying on TV. Although I can only speak meaningfully for Christianity, the idea that religion is on the wane and our education system should reflect that is painfully misguided and parochial. Data from the Pew Research Centre indicates that over 40 years, global disaffiliation from religion has decreased, from 19 per cent in 1970 to 16 per cent in 2010. Australia is an anomaly in global terms. Furthermore, across Africa and the Asia-Pacific, the vast majority of people identify religion as the most important aspect of their lives (e.g. 95 per cent of Indonesians, 80 per cent of Indians). If one of the goals of education is to produce global citizens, the direction of our curriculum overall should be to increase religious literacy, rather than make it less visible, less mainstream and more politically sensitive. If NSW taxpayers had any remaining doubt the state remains too beholden to big miners, this month's decision to splurge $262 million in compensation for Chinese-government backed Shenhua should have dispelled it. Many questions remain about why the Berejiklian government needed to pay any compensation to the proponents of Watermark coal mine planned for the nation's richest farming region of the Liverpool Plains. Offending Australia's biggest trading partner would have been one concern. Sparking a diplomatic dispute with Beijing and the predictable criticism that the state must be "closed to foreign investment" would not have appealed. Nor had the Premier much wiggle room following the decision of her predecessor Mike Baird last year to approve the equally excessive handout of $220 million to BHP Billiton for not mining coal nearby at Caroona. A top NSW bureaucrat was on Tuesday refusing calls to stand down despite allegedly offering privileged access to government documents to irrigation lobbyists. But it was NSW itself facing unknown repercussions as other states agitated for action on the apparent theft of water in apparent breach of an agreement, following complaints from politicians in South Australia and Victoria. Both Gavin Hanlon and former Water Minister, Kevin Humphries, were referred to the anti-corruption watchdog following an expose by the Four Corners program alleging NSW irrigators diverted billions of litres of water intended for environmental use. Late on Tuesday, Simon Smith, secretary of the DPI, issued an email to staff saying that minister Niall Blair had asked him to "commission an arms length, independent review into the matters raised". Liberal defector Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives party has raised more than $750,000 in funding, primarily through micro-donations from grassroots supporters, in less than six months. More than 18,500 people have donated to Senator Bernardi's party, with the average donation amounting to $35. The South Australian senator took the extraordinary step on Tuesday night of revealing the number and value of donations made to his party since he dramatically broke away from the Liberals in February to create his own Australian Conservative movement. The law requires all parties declare their annual returns to the Australian Electoral Commission by October 20 for public release on February 1, 2018. In Senator Bernardi's case, he is only required to declare the donations made since the date Australian Conservatives was registered as a party, which was April 12. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has played down the presence of a Chinese spy ship observing Australian-United States military exercises this month, saying the ship was entitled to be in international waters. Ms Bishop, speaking in Canberra on Tuesday morning, has also expressed concern about rising border tensions between nuclear powers China and India and called on both sides to "de-escalate" to avoid the risk of a miscalculation or accident. The Chinese AGI or "auxiliary general intelligence" Type-815 ship was spotted off Queensland during this month's Talisman Sabre exercises. It was in Australia's exclusive economic zone, which is not against international law though the ABC has quoted unnamed defence officials as describing the spying as "unfriendly" and "provocative". Its presence has provoked debate among experts because while it is normal for countries to gather naval intelligence on each other, China is known to warn off other countries' military planes and ships in the South China Sea even if they are not in claimed Chinese territorial zones. Immigration officials helped interview refugees on Nauru and Manus Island for possible family reunions, the United Nations refugee agency has said, appearing to bolster its claim the Turnbull government was considering resettling some refugees. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stepped up its fight with the government on Tuesday, saying it had been speaking weekly with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection about plans to exempt a small number of people from the tough stance that no one from offshore detention would be resettled in Australia. It launched a fiery attack on the government on Monday, accusing it of failing to honour a "clear understanding" that exceptions would be made for vulnerable people with family ties in Australia, 36 of whom had so far been identified. The agency said it only agreed to help administer the deal between Canberra and Washington to resettle refugees from Nauru and Manus Island in the United States on this understanding so that families were not separated. Where will it end? The silver lining in this latest forced resignation from the cabinet (and potentially from the Parliament) is that it involves a senator. Had it been a lower house MP, where the Turnbull administration clings to power by a wafer-thin one-seat majority, the outcome might well be catastrophic. Certainly enough to raise questions about the government's command of the House of Representatives and therefore its legitimacy. Embarrassingly, the Coalition had not held back when the Greens lost first one senator, then a second in recent weeks, to the arcane provisions of section 44 of the constitution prohibiting dual citizens in Parliament. Punchy frontbenchers teed-off on the Greens, branding the minor party amateurish, and unprofessional, for not having ensured Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters met basic eligibility requirements. Malcolm Turnbull was among those critics calling it "incredible sloppiness". Of course, older heads in Canberra immediately sensed the risk. Other MPs must surely be caught up in a similar bind. If the Greens had lost two from a party room of just 10, the argument went, then at least a few more technical breaches would turn up among all those other federal representatives. Ram Nath Kovind, who was born in Kanpur, is the first Uttar Pradesh-born President and the second Dalit to occupy the highest office after K R Narayanan. Ram Nath Kovind is the second Dalit to become President of India. By India Today Web Desk: Former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind took oath as the 14th President of India today at the historic Central Hall in Parliament. With this, Ram Nath Kovind, who was born in Paraukh village of Kanpur, is also the first Uttar Pradesh-born President of India. A two-time Rajya Sabha member, Ram Nath Kovind is also the second Dalit to become the President after K R Narayanan. advertisement A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SINGULAR RECORDS OF PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS OF INDIA: Dr Rajendra Prasad He was the first President of an Independent India, and remains the only President to be elected thrice. He was elected unanimously as the President by the Constituent Assembly when India became a Republic in 1950. He served as President from January 26, 1950 to 14 May, 1962. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy The seventh presidential election was held in 1977 and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was elected unopposed to the post, the only one to have achieved this feat till date. While 37 candidates had filed their nomination for the election, the returning officer found only Reddy's nomination valid. Reddy was 63 years old when he took over as the President, making him the youngest to hold the office till date. He is also the only president to have contested twice in the presidential election--losing the election to V V Giri in 1969 by a slim margin, and getting elected unopposed in 1977. R Venkataraman R Venkataraman was elected to the post of President in 1987 and became the first President to have a foreign-born spouse. Janaki Venkataraman was born in Pegu, Myanmar. Later, K R Narayanan became the second President to have a foreign-born spouse. Usha Narayanan was born in Myanmar. In 1950, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru granted special permission to Narayanan, an IFS officer, to marry a foreign national. K R Narayanan was also the first Dalit to become the country's President. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam APJ Abdul Kalam, the pioneer of country's space and missile programme, was elected as President of India in 2002. He was the only bachelor to have held the country's highest office. Pratibha Patil In 2007, Pratibha Patil became the first woman to occupy the post of President. Patil's husband Devisingh Shekhawat became the First Gentleman of India, a first in the history of Independent India. ALSO READ: Jai Shri Ram slogans raised in Parliament after Ram Nath Kovind's swearing in Venkaiah vs Gopalkrishna Gandhi: 6 vice-presidents who went on to become presidents 15 initiatives President Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for ALSO WATCH: Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India, says key to country's success is its diversity --- ENDS --- advertisement The Australian Institute of Sport encourages all of their athletes to use compression gear and says weekend warriors should also consider using it, despite a new study which found that wearing compression gear didn't result in performance improvements. For the small study, by researchers at Ohio State University, 10 male athletes were asked to run for 30 minutes at 80 per cent, on one occasion while they wore compression tights and on a separate occasion wearing ordinary workout gear. An AIS athlete trains in compression wear. Credit:Adam McGrath Using motion capture technology, heart rate monitors and load sensors, they tracked effort, fatigue (the more fatigued the heavier the load is through the foot when we run) and how much the muscles wobbled. "When your muscle vibrates, it induces a contraction that uses energy, so the theory was that less muscle vibration would translate to less fatigue," explained the study's lead author, Ajit Chaudhari, an associate professor of physical therapy, orthopedics, mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering. "However, the reduced vibration was not associated with any reduction in fatigue at all." An elderly man will face court over a string of burglary offences after allegedly breaking into a number of homes in Sydney's southern suburbs. Police allege the 77-year-old man broke into a home on Carrisbrook Avenue, Bexley North, on Tuesday, stealing several pieces of jewellery. The man was allegedly spotted inside the home by a witness who contacted police. The septuagenarian fled to a nearby home where a resident also called police. Officers from St George Local Area Command arrived, catching up with the alleged burglar on Kingsland Road North where he was arrested. A split has emerged in NSW Labor over policies to tackle inequality just a week after federal opposition leader Bill Shorten declared that doing so would be "a defining mission" for a government led by him. NSW Labor's economic policy committee, controlled by the right faction, has rejected 13 of 17 inequality-related motions put to this weekend's annual state conference at Sydney Town Hall by the left, prompting accusations it is "gutting" attempts to fight the problem. The rejected motions include inserting a declaration of the party's determination to fight inequality in the state Labor platform and implementing an annual report on the state of inequality in NSW. The committee has rejected a motion to add to the state platform support for the Buffett rule the principle that a minimum level of tax should be paid by all, as advocated by billionaire businessman Warren Buffett despite it appearing in the national Labor platform. A day after Paul White arrived home to find his wife's bloodied body sprawled across the floor, he took a stroll down to Sydney's Maroubra Beach. As he looked out across the ocean, he contemplated going for a swim and never coming back. "I think I would have committed suicide that day, only for my son," Mr White, 72, said. "If my son wasn't alive, I think I would have done it, I would have tried. It's my son really that kept me going." A Queensland government minister has admitted to using "colourful" language but says he doesn't remember using the word "f---tard' in an angry outburst over the premier's department. Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne's chief of staff Tim Grau quit the office after the July 12 incident, reportedly sparked by a request to travel from Mareeba, on the Atherton Tableland, to Cairns, for a photo opportunity with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Bill Byrne has denied ever meaning to insult or denigrated disabled people. Credit:Chris Hyde The Premier had reprimanded Mr Byrne over the incident, according to a spokesman. "While these roles can certainly be challenging at times, the Premier has spoken to Minister Byrne and reminded him of the high standard of behaviour she expects of all ministers and ministerial staff," the spokesman said, in a statement. "Minister Byrne is committed to his portfolio and is today travelling to a meeting of state and federal agriculture ministers in Melbourne, to keep fighting for Queensland farmers." Brisbane's King George Square under redevelopment in January 2009. Give the public realm back to the people Ally Salonen's design for King George Square featured integrated spaces and arbour-covered pathways. "The new King George Square aims to give the public realm back to the people," Miss Salonen said. "Allowing for green space within the site was a give-in not only does the site have no shading and is often hot and harsh in the summer, it is a concrete square that offers no relief from the city living." Ally Salonen designs for Plus Architecture King George Square design competition Credit:Ally Ms Salonen said she drew inspiration from South Bank's bougainvillea arbours and wanted to bring something similar to the square. "They really integrate greenery and nature into that area there and that's something we don't have in the CBD," she said. Ally Salonen designs for Plus Architecture King George Square design competition Credit:Ally Salonen The 21-year-old's design also encouraged ownership of space in the square by creating designated spaces for different uses, such as seating, green space and food trucks and stalls. "A city square is always going to be a thoroughfare, so when you look at it at the moment particular events are there and people can't really use the space when it's being used for particular events," Ms Salonen said. "It's a public square that's being used for private, exclusive events." Respond to the current happenings on the site Patricia Magistrado believed the square already had lots of space for pedestrian movements and needed further seating and covered areas. She said the current lack of shaded areas could result in excessive heat and the stone paving in the square created glare. Patricia Magistrado design for King George Square as part of Plus Architecture design competition Credit:Ruth McCosker Patricia Magistrado design for King George Square as part of Plus Architecture design competition Credit:Ruth McCosker Ms Magistrado's solution was to introduce simple, small-scale temporary structures that were relatively lightweight, low-cost and could be assembled and transported easily. "It features two spatial formations in which the structures can be utilised to adapt to the current climate or respond to the current happenings on the site such as the yearly cultural festival," she said. "However, this urban intervention can also serve as a social platform for people to freely use for casual gatherings, rest stops or have a module for street performance or a market stall." Users will feel persuaded to walk around and explore Greenery, laneways and even a children's playground have been proposed for King George Square by Christopher Ho. Christopher Ho?design for King George Square as part of Plus Architecture design competition Credit:Ruth McCosker Mr Ho said his proposed development would mean the space was not only used as a thoroughfare, but more as a destination. "The new proposal 'Urban Curiosity' transforms a neglected space into a space of exploration and discovery in the heart of Brisbane city," he said. "The objective of this proposal is to introduce the pop-up store culture into our vast Brisbane city lifestyle and culture." Mr Ho's design included spaces between alleyways that were designed to encourage people to enter, walk around and explore. Within the space, a children's playground was proposed. Multi-level level hub designed for all uses Troy Pearce's design proposed paths for pedestrians and cyclists as well as spaces for international food stores and an art space. Troy Pearce design of King George Square for Plus Architect design competition Credit:Ruth McCosker Mr Pearce said the roads were raised and integrated with cultural elements to give pedestrians priority. "This gives pedestrians access to far more of the CBD without needing to navigate road crossings," he said. "To represent the vast history of our Indigenous Australians there are two large art spaces on the pedestrian level. "To bridge the cultural gap between our immigrant population food stalls have been placed in the centre of the pedestrian space." Queensland will grow faster than the rest of Australian next financial year on the back of tourism, but the state's major construction and engineering projects are still sliding off a cliff. And we are yet to work out the impact on Queensland of China's declining interest in our thermal coal. Tourism is one of the five positive drivers of the Queensland economy, according to a report. Credit:Rachel Clun These facts are among five positive and five negative things about the Queensland economy that can be learnt from Deloitte Access Economics' latest study of the Australian economy. The report measures the growth or decline in 1205 projects across Australia valued at $20 million or more. The world is now their oyster. Magnum + Queens wine is getting set to ship to Asia. Credit:Kirsten Dickie "The decision to provide our most loyal supporters the opportunity to invest seemed a logical step," says Taylor. "Until now, the only way we could have achieved this was through an IPO. While this is part of our longer-term vision, in all reality we are too small for that right now. However, the changes to allow crowdsourced funding in Australia open up this opportunity for businesses like ours." Equitise is an online platform that provides SMEs the opportunity to raise capital from both sophisticated and retail investors, he says. Chateau June Jerome is banking on Australia's reputation for clean, green produce. "While they have been operating in New Zealand for a couple of years, now, we're excited to be partnering with them for this Australian first." A game changer For Australian winepreneurs, there are myriad opportunities to be mined in China. Sommelier Virginia Selleck, who co-founded the Melbourne-based online wine store Magnum + Queens Wine. Credit:Andy Vukosav Recent changes to the China free trade agreement and the growth in online wine sales in China in particular have meant there is a real possibility for smaller wine start-ups to enter the overseas market. Virginia Selleck Sommelier Virginia Selleck, who co-founded the Melbourne-based online wine store Magnum + Queens Wine, says the ease of being able to ship wine and the rapid growth of online sales has been a game changer for entrepreneurs eyeing the overseas market. "Recent changes to the China free trade agreement and the growth in online wine sales in China in particular have meant there is a real possibility for smaller wine start-ups to enter the overseas market." Chateau June Jerome in West Australia is readying itself for export. A new generation that has grown up with smartphones no longer shop in stores but predominantly buy online, she says. At the current level of growth, Selleck expects Magnum + Queens Wine's subscriptions to be at a turnover of $500,000 by the end of the financial year. Judith Kennedy, chief executive and founder of Cellardoors.co says promoting Australian wines is not big noting. Getting export ready Boutique Australian winemakers are not lagging behind. Chateau June-Jerome, a vineyard nestled within Manjimup in Western Australia, is in the process of becoming 'export ready', says Melissa Nicholls, co-owner of the self-funded business. "There are a series of steps to ensure the legal movement of our wine from Australian to international shores." Nicholls says Chateau June-Jerome is seeking to partner with Chinese retailers. "Australia has a reputation for clean, green quality produce, with our region being no exception. Chinese retailers can apply significant mark-ups on wine procured from Australia, with their target demographic aligned to the growing middle class." Besides China, the winery is seeking to leverage the market in South Korea, and is researching the viability of export to Bali and the Philippines. Nicholls says the export industry presents greater potential for growth, a higher profit margin and potentially less risk than supplying the Australian market. She says the key target this financial year is to increase the winery's retailer base locally, domestically and secure suppliers in China. "We are seeking to sell produce with a return of $105,000, with this increasing by 50 per cent per financial year for the next two years, followed by a 75 per cent in year three, to a 100 per cent increase in year four." Great opportunities Judith Kennedy, chief executive and founder of Cellardoors.co, says there are great opportunities for Australian wine entrepreneurs overseas. "When we promote our wine regions to international visitors, it's not just a case of us big-noting ourselves," says Kennedy, who this year became a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant services to the winemaking industry and to children's health. "With the right business and marketing models supported by connected distribution partners, there is no reason why Australian winemakers shouldn't have prospects of great profitability in other countries." Kennedy's Cellardoors.co, a wine travel discovery platform available on three platforms web, app and books is set to launch in early August. The biggest worry about Google and Facebook is whether they can stay Google and Facebook. That is, can those two companies continue to dominate advertising. It won't be an easy task, especially for the relative elder statesman Google. But it should be feasible for Google to stay Google. For a sense of the dominance of the two tech giants, consider their recent track record. Total worldwide spending on television and radio commercials, newspaper ads and other measured advertising grew by about $US83 billion from 2012 to 2016, according to figures from Magna Global. Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred during the 1991-92 school year. By AP: A now-retired Roman Catholic priest is accused of forcing a 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy to perform oral sex on him after counseling the 4th-grader about misbehaving on a school bus. The state attorney general's office yesterday said that the Rev. John Thomas Sweeney committed felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse against the boy at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Lower Burrell. advertisement Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred during the 1991-92 school year, and that the boy was given milk and cookies afterward. The Greensburg Diocese says the 74-year-old Sweeney was removed as pastor of Holy Family Parish in West Newton in 2016 after church officials learned of the allegation. Court and diocese officials were unable to identify a defense lawyer for Sweeney. Sweeney made no comment to reporters when he turned himself in. Also Read: New York: Doctor accused of sexual harassment opens fire at 7, kills 1 Mumbai woman captures video of man masturbating looking at her Also Watch: Mumbai woman captures video of man masturbating while looking at her --- ENDS --- It's billed as a "Tesla town" a $2 billion eco-development set to grace the banks of the Yarra in Alphington. But the building of this new, solar-powered suburb could be delayed by what's shaping up to be a protracted Supreme Court legal dispute over an asbestos clean-up that could cost more than $40 million. The parcel of riverside land was once completely owned by packaging company Amcor. It is now riddled with asbestos and other chemicals as a result of more than 80 years of paper manufacturing on the site. Together with a joint venture partner, developer Glenvill is paying Amcor $120 million for the land on which it plans to build 2500 homes. A police officer has been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl at a park in Mildura, the latest allegation of serious predatory behaviour being investigated by an internal taskforce. It is understood the girl has taken an intervention order out against the officer, preventing him from contacting or approaching her, after she made allegations of multiple sexual assaults. A police officer is being investigated for the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl. Credit:Georgia Matts A senior constable was arrested on January 25 as part of the Taskforce Salus investigation, and suspended with pay. But it is unclear why it took more than two months after the complaint was made for taskforce detectives to interview the girl, whether the girl is the only alleged victim, and whether the offences occurred while the officer was on duty. A 75-year-old man has been arrested and charged with one count of murder by homicide detectives over the suspected stabbing death of a woman in Richmond. The 49-year-old woman was found dead in a house on Westbank Terrace on Tuesday about 4pm after she failed to show up at work. Police arrested the man in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A neighbour of a woman believes she could have been dead for days before her body was discovered. Former WA premier Colin Barnett could quit politics as early as September, according to two high-ranking Liberal insiders. There has been speculation WA's second longest-serving post-war premier would step down sometime towards the end of the year, but it's looking more likely Mr Barnett could go in a couple of months. It's well known the 67-year-old wants to hang around to see Labor's first state budget handed down on September 7. "Labor will want to trash the Liberals in their first budget and blame everything that is wrong with the state finances on the Libs," a Liberal insider told WAtoday. A French tourist who was due to stand trial in Perth over a crash on a West Australian regional road that killed a father-of-five has remained in his home country and failed to turn up to court. Jean-Christophe Andre Kerambloch was charged with dangerous driving causing death after he allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed into 52-year-old motorcyclist Michael Lorne, south of Kalbarri, in July last year. Jean-Christophe Andre Kerambloch was charged with dangerous driving causing death after he allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road. Credit:not for syndication About 10 of Mr Lorne's family members travelled to Perth for the four-day trial, which was due to start on Monday. Instead, the District Court of WA heard Kerambloch had gone to Paris to see his father, who was near death from cancer, and an arrest warrant was issued. Sydney: Australia will accept several dozen Central American refugees within the next few months, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters, the first transfers under a controversial refugee swap arrangement agreed with the United States. Canberra pledged to take an unspecified number of Central American refugees under a deal struck with US president Barack Obama late last year. In exchange, Washington said it would accept up to 1250 asylum seekers held in Australian immigration centres on Manus Island and Nauru that Australia wants to close. A group of approximately 30 refugees from El Salvador currently being held in Costa Rica will move to Australia in the next couple of months, the two sources said, with a second group of a similar size to follow shortly afterwards. Jerusalem: Israel decided Tuesday to remove metal detectors it had placed at the entrance to a holy site in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem with other, less obtrusive surveillance means, a cabinet statement said. Israel installed metal detectors at entry points to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem after two police officers guarding the entrance to the site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, were fatally shot on July 14, triggering the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years. Israeli border police officers stand near security gates at the holy site. Credit:AP The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday have triggered international alarm and prompted the United Nations Security Council to convene a meeting to seek ways of calming the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted to remove the metal detector gates after a meeting lasting several hours convening for a second time on Monday, after they had broken off discussions a day earlier. Warsaw: Poland's government has vowed to redouble its efforts to overhaul the judiciary, after the president unexpectedly vetoed constitutional judiciary reforms that sparked days of protests across the country and led to an EU threat of sanctions. Dealing a blow to the ruling Law and Justice party that backed his presidency, Andrzej Duda struck down bills on Monday that would have given the party greater control over Poland's supreme court and the national council of the judiciary by allowing the Justice Minister to appoint his own judges. Polish President Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw, announces that he will veto two contentious bills widely seen as assaults on the independence of the judicial system, July 24, 2017. Credit:AP Supporters of the bills said they would bring about necessary changes to a judicial system that many Poles feel is corrupt and inefficient, while critics said the reforms would grant political control over the judiciary. Mr Duda said there was no tradition in Poland for a prosecutor general to have such large powers and that he would not agree to it now. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin is reported to have made claims that his outfit has the ability to hit targets anywhere in India at any time, Lok Sabha was informed today. "Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of the terrorist group - Hizbul Mujahideen, is reported to have made such a claim in the media," Minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said in a written reply. advertisement Ahir said the militant group has been getting logistic support, including arms and ammunition, from Pakistan. "As per available information, some of the weapons and other items recovered from the encounter sites have the markings of the foreign countries," he said. Last months, Salahuddin was designated as a "global terrorist" by the United States. Replying to another question, Ahir said in 2017 (up to July 16), 104 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of coordinated action between the security agencies. PTI ACB SMJ --- ENDS --- Britain has launched an aggressive public pitch to build Australia's new $35 billion fleet of warships, pledging the British design is better than that of rival bidders at hunting down enemy submarines in an "unstable and tense" part of the world. Speaking exclusively to Fairfax Media ahead of a summit in Sydney with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Defence Minister Marise Payne and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has outlined his case for the lucrative contract, promising the nine vessels would be built in Australia using local labour. He has also linked the contract to an expansion of arms trade between the two countries, saying Britain is open to buying more Australian-made military equipment. A three-way race is under way between Britain, Spain and Italy to win the $35 billion Australian tender, which would see new ships under the so-called Future Frigate program replace the ageing fleet of Anzac Class frigates by the late 2020s. Washington: US President Donald Trump has turned up the pressure on his own attorney-general, calling him "beleaguered" in a tweet questioning why the Justice Department is not investigating Hillary Clinton. Trump's comments are remarkable because if the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is beleaguered of late it is largely because of Trump himself. In an interview last week with The New York Times, Trump said he never would have nominated Sessions if he knew he intended to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian meddling and the Trump campaign. Those comments raised speculation that Sessions would quit, but he did not. Instead, Sessions said he would stay on as attorney general "as long as that is appropriate". At the end of a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday morning, chairman Susan Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, didn't switch off her microphone. Apparently speaking to Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat of the committee, Collins discussed the federal budget - and President Donald Trump's lack of familiarity with the details of governing. After Reed praises Collins' handling of the hearing, she laments the Trump administration's handling of spending. "I swear, [the Office of Management and Budget] just went through and whenever there was 'grant,' they just X it out," Collins says. "With no measurement, no thinking about it, no metrics, no nothing. It's just incredibly irresponsible." "Yes," Reed replies. "I think - I think he's crazy," apparently referring to the president. "I mean, I don't say that lightly and as a kind of a goofy guy." Bangkok: China has threatened to attack Vietnamese bases over gas drilling in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, according to diplomatic sources in Hanoi and the Asian oil industry. Vietnam responded by ordering a subsidiary of the Spanish company Repsol, which was doing the drilling, to leave the area called Block 136-03, about 400 kilometres off Vietnam's south-east coast, the sources said. Carl Thayer, an expert on Vietnam and the South China Sea from the Australian Defence Force Academy, says the threats are "an alarming escalation of Chinese assertiveness and forms part of an emerging pattern of increased Chinese bellicosity". "China's threat to use force against Vietnam will accelerate the ongoing strategic debate in the United States and other allied capitals about how to halt, if not reverse, China's continued militarisation of the South China Sea," he said. PHILIPSBURG:--- It is with a great feeling of satisfaction that I took note of the publication regarding Winairs performance for the fiscal year 2016 and I wish to add my words of congratulations to the board of supervisory directors, the management and staff for this accomplishment. What a turnaround, if one looks back just a few years to the then outlook for this airline company. Over the past few years, achievements by our national airline Winair have been steadily coming in and time and time again, I had to think of those early days when Winair was inherited from the Netherlands Antilles, bruised and in serious debt. Because of its financial state, no big fight was put up to include the company in the assets/liabilities of the Netherlands Antilles. When we fought to include the negative balance of the company, it was quickly labeled a St. Maarten company. As a political party, we were sometimes ridiculed for having accepted during government formation talks, the Winair company as part of our portfolios and take on the shareholders responsibility for Winair. It was both Winair and PSS by the way, both struggling companies of our young country. Luckily for the DP and me, there were persons like Michael Ferrier and Georges Greaux, who believed there was a future for Winair if properly managed. It also meant taking some necessary, but unpopular decisions regarding the airline at the time. These decisions could only get the buy-in from Winairs staff when they understood the depth and width of the situation the company found itself in. Once convinced, however, the staff of gave their everything to save the airline from a looming demise. And slowly, but surely, with unparalleled commitment by those mentioned before (board, management, and staff), including the representatives of the Dutch government on the board, and a sense of do-or-die, Winair started an upward trend, trying new things, abandoning what did not work and never resting on its achieved laurels. The early management of Winair, following the separation of the Netherlands Antilles, was confronted with a backlog in annual reports; outdated statutes and the need to urgently devise a business plan for the ailing company. At the inauguration of the SXM-SDQ flight in 2013, I commented: I, therefore, know that any question on whether or not this airline will be moved forward has already been answered in the affirmative. I can confidently say this again nearly 4 years later. So to our national airline Winair: Job well done. PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister responsible for Telecommunication Affairs Mellissa Arrindell Doncher recently met with officials from Huawei Technologies to explore possibilities of establishing wifi solutions for cruise visitors in collaboration with local providers. The meeting was strictly exploratory in nature, in which the Minister sought and Huawei offered advice. The meeting was held during the recently held CANTO conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The Minister also used the meeting to learn about what the technological advancements are at this time. During the meeting, which included representatives of the Bureau Telecommunication & Post St. Maarten, Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) Rolando Brison made a presentation about how STB envisions Huawei working with telecom companies locally and internationally like Huawei, underscored by STB's information about the most crucial needs that tourists have asked for over the years. Huawei, in turn, offered advice on some of the ways they can work with local telecom providers and government to provide what the island needs as a tourism destination. One of these needs is access to the outside world by cruise visitors via wifi connection. "The fact is the first thing most of todays cruise tourists look for when they come off the cruise ship is WiFi. We are encouraged to have them stay connected, as that opens the possibilities for them to share the great time they are having at real-time," Brison said. "In this social media age of snap-chat-like applications and live streaming, it's important we give them the access they need to be able to give us the free "word-of-social-media" advertising we want them to give us, which can prove to be much more valuable than any other form of advertising." Should a cooperative approach be reached, Huawei would be asked to provide recommendations for implementation of wifi spots, financing and work with local providers in executing identified solutions. BTP would provide regulations guidance and support as well as act as liaison between parties. STB would provide the marketing effort, a financial injection, data collection and means of tourism conversion (from cruise to stay over). Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, provider. Driven by a commitment to sound operations, ongoing innovation, and open collaboration, the company has established a competitive ICT portfolio of end-to-end solutions in telecom and enterprise networks, devices, and cloud technology and services. Its ICT solutions, products, and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions. The CBI has found loopholes in the police investigation of the Shimla gangrape and murder case. By Manjeet Sehgal: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, on the directions of Himachal High Court, has begun investigation into the gangrape and murder of a minor girl which has shocked the state since the past fortnight. The six member CBI team on Monday visited the spot from where the victim's body was recovered. The sleuths took help of a local Nepalese labourer working here since long, to establish human activity in and around the area where the victim was gangraped and tortured to death. advertisement The labourer is believed to have told the CBI that the jungle trail is frequently used by the locals as a shortcut to reach the other side of the road. The CBI also asked whether he or other locals have ever been attacked by any wild animal. The sleuths also examined the path minutely. They did not find any grass on the path which proved it was regularly used by the locals. CBI INVESTIGATION REVOLVED AROUND LOOPHOLES IN POLICE THEORY The first day of the CBI probe found loopholes in the local police theory that the victim was gangraped, tortured and murdered in jungle. The investigation also revealed that the spot is not deserted as claimed by the police. The human activity in the area clearly tells that a heinous crime like gandrape and murder cannot escape the eyes of the people passing by. WAS THE GANGRAPE COMMITTED SOMEWHERE ELSE? As the human activity hints that the gandrape may not have taken place at the spot as claimed by the police. The challenge before the CBI team is to establish the place where the crime was perpetrated. Sources say, the victim may have been gangraped and tortured inside an enclosure. There are theories that the victim's sock found missing from the spot, was recovered from the house of a local. The police had also searched a couple of rooms of the house of Rajinder alias Raju as the accommodation was rarely used by the family. ADVERSARIES DROP A LETTER BOMB, SEEK VIDARBHA'S REMOVAL Citing the botched-up Investigation and failure of the government to control the protests, six Congress MLAs along with other leaders have asked the party high command to remove Virbhadra Singh. The letter bomb has brought factionalism within the Congress. Both Virbhadra Singh and his arch-rival State Congress Chief Sukhwinder Sukhu have reached New Delhi. They are likely to meet the party high command to discuss the issue. Also Read: India Today Investigation: Shimla gang rape victim was subjected to horrific torture Shimla gangrape-murder case: Protests rock hill city, people accuse police of mishandling the case advertisement Shimla gangrape case: Accused found dead inside Kotkhai police station Shimla rape outrage: How Himachal, other states fare in crime against women WATCH| Our press reports every incident of rape so it becomes 'top of the mind': Maneka Gandhi --- ENDS --- Singleton spoke Thursday at the sentencing for Maurice Sumler, 23, of Detroit, who was ordered to serve 20 to 40 years after he was convicted of second-degree murder, reckless driving causing death and leaving the scene of a fatal at-fault... Everything you need to know about No. 20 Notre Dame's game vs. Navy Saturday in Philadelphia The Sri Lankan cabinet approved an agreement for a Chinese-built port that addresses concerns, mainly in India, of the port being used for military purposes. There were concerns in India that the Chinese-built port would be used for military purposes (Reuters photo for representation) By Reuters: Sri Lanka's cabinet cleared a revised agreement for its Chinese-built southern port of Hambantota on Tuesday, the government said, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the island nation. The port, close to the world's busiest shipping lanes, has been mired in controversy ever since state-run China Merchants Port Holdings , which built it for $1.5 billion, signed an agreement taking an 80 percent stake. advertisement Under the new deal, which Reuters has examined, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while it has oversight of broader security. Chinese control of Hambantota, which is part of its modern-day "Silk Route" across Asia and beyond, as well as a plan to acquire 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an industrial zone next door, had raised fears that it could also be used for Chinese naval vessels. Sri Lankans demonstrated in the streets at the time, fearing loss of their land, while politicians said such large-scale transfer of land to the Chinese impinged on the country's sovereignty. Details of the new agreement have not yet been made public. But according to parts of the document seen by Reuters, two companies are being set up to split the operations of the port and allay concerns, in India mainly but also in Japan and the United States, that it won't be used for military purposes. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85 percent stake in Hambantota International Port Group that will run the port and its terminals, with the rest held by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The company's capital will be $794 million. A second firm, Hambantota International Port Group Services Co, with capital of $606 million, will be set up to oversee security operations, with the Sri Lankans holding a 50.7 percent stake and the Chinese 49.3 percent, according to the document. Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that several foreign missions had sought clarification from Colombo about whether the Chinese navy would be using Hambantota port as it steps up its presence in the Indian Ocean. "We told China that we can't allow the port for military use and that 100 percent responsibility of security matters should be with the Sri Lankan government." China has been building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and smaller island nations in what military officials call a "String of Pearls" in the Indian Ocean, or a network of friendly ports where its warships can refuel. REDUCING STAKE China Merchants Port Holdings also agreed to reduce its stake in the Sri Lankan joint venture running the commercial operations of the port to 65 percent after 10 years, the document says. advertisement "The cabinet approved the deal and now it needs parliament approval. We will send it for approval this week," cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said. He didn't provide details. A Chinese embassy spokesman said it had no comment to make on the deal. A source close to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said both sides had reached a compromise and that Sri Lanka's concerns had been addressed. "They emphasised that they wanted to maintain balanced relations with other countries. But the deal is still beneficial for China in terms of revenue," the source said. The latest agreement relates to the port while the pact for the industrial zone will be handled separately, Sri Lankan officials said. The revised deal comes weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena reshuffled his cabinet, naming Samarasinghe to the ports ministry after his predecessor had strongly opposed a majority equity stake for the Chinese firm and raised a red flag over possible military use. Two Sri Lankan sources familiar with the deal said the Sri Lankan Ports Authority would have the right to inspect ships entering Hambantota. "Sri Lanka will have control over port activities including security, which various parties have raised concerns over earlier," one source told Reuters. "The agreement clearly says no military ships will be allowed in the port." advertisement New Delhi in 2014 was alarmed when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo, where another Chinese firm is building a $1.4 billion port city on reclaimed land. India has long considered Sri Lanka, just off its southern coast, as within its sphere of influence and sought to push back against China's expanding maritime presence. In May, Sri Lanka turned down a Chinese request to dock a submarine. ALSO READ | Is China blackmailing Myanmar, like it did with Sri Lanka? ALSO READ | Did Modi's Sri Lanka visit influence Colombo to reject China submarine request? ALSO WATCH | Everyday life disrupted as India-China standoff over Doklam continues --- ENDS --- It was only after officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs intervened that the impasse at Srinagar airport ended. By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: The Jammu and Kashmir almost scuttled the National Investigative Agency (NIA) and its effort to crackdown on funds from Pakistan reaching separatists in the Valley. Yesterday, as NIA team dashed towards Srinagar airport with the six Hurriyat Conference leaders in custody, they came up against an unexpected hurdle. And ironically it was another law enforcement agency - the Jammu and Kashmir Police that blocked its way. The local police didn't want the suspected leaders to be moved to New Delhi. advertisement The NIA which is investigating slush funds reaching terrorists and separatists in the Valley, on Monday, arrested hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat's Ayaz Akbar and Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, of the Mirwaiz faction of the Hurriyat, Nayeem Khan of the Jammu Kashmir National Front and Peer Saifullah from the Valley. For NIA, time was the essence and moving the suspects to Delhi was a priority. The apprehension was that the arrest could trigger another unrest. As NIA hurried, the local police tried to delay them. The local police insisted on paperwork before the separatists were allowed to board the aircraft. It is understood that a senior police officer was dispatched by the state government to block the NIA, top sources told India Today. Explaining the reluctance of the Jammu and Kashmir government, sources told India Today that the Hurriyat leaders - now being questioned for receiving slush funds and further passing it on to stone-pelters and terrorists - were possibly being used the J&K government to reach out to separatists and get a grip on worsening law and order situation in the state. After several rounds of back and forth between the NIA and state government, the issue remained unresolved and the stand-off between two law enforcement agencies continued. Left with no option, the NIA escalated the issued to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), sources said and added "a stern message was sent to Jammu and Kashmir administration." The NIA, sources said, was even asked to book the J&K police officers in case they refused to relent and allow the suspect to the Delhi-bound commercial flight. After high drama and a few tense moments, the suspected separatist leaders finally reached New Delhi in two separate flights last night. Also read: NIA maintained top-level secrecy before arresting Kashmiri separatist leaders. The inside story Caught on Camera: How Pakistan funds Kashmiri separatists to burn the Valley - India Today Exclusive Stone pelters on hire in Kashmir: India Today nails Valley's insidious villains Is Jammu and Kashmir India's most troubled state? It may also be the most pampered one ALSO WATCH: Operation Villains of Valley: India Today reveals how Pakistan funds Hurriyat to burn Kashmir WATCH VIDEO: Mufti govt reluctant to let arrested Hurriyat leaders be flown to Delhi: Soft on separatists? --- ENDS --- advertisement Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 76F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement A 50-year-old man was arrested a day after he stormed into an insurance office wielding a chainsaw and wounded two staff members. Swiss police officers stand at a crime site of an attack by a chainsaw-wielding man in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen (Reuters Photo) By Reuters: Swiss police on Tuesday arrested a 50-year-old man a day after he stormed into an insurance office wielding a chainsaw and wounded two staff members, bringing an end to a two-day manhunt that had also involved German police. Zurich cantonal place said in a statement that they had arrested the suspect in Thalwil, a town about 60 kilometres from Schaffhausen where the incident took place. advertisement Police had identified the suspect as Franz Wrousis, a drifter with a criminal record who mostly lived in the woods. It was not clear what may have prompted the man to assault the two office workers, one of whom was badly hurt. CSS, whose office Wrousis stormed, said he was a client. Two other customers in the office were treated for shock, while a fifth person was hurt during the police response, the authorities said. Authorities issued an international arrest warrant for the suspect as the police carried out the search. A spokeswoman for German federal police had said earlier that one of their helicopters was being used in the area as part of the manhunt. CSS offices in Schaffhausen, a quiet medieval town of 36,000 residents, and in other parts of the region remained closed on Tuesday while the manhunt continued, a company spokeswoman said. SUSPECT 'DISCONNECTED' AND 'UNCOMMUNICATIVE' A man who identified himself only as Samuel and who lives in the area next to where the suspect's car was found on Monday evening said he had often seen the suspect, whom he described as "very disconnected" and uncommunicative. "He looked like a schizophrenic, but we didn't think that it would be that bad. We didn't see him as a threat or anything. We didn't think that he was dangerous, but yeah, definitely he was a strange guy," said Samuel, who did not want to give his family name. "The last time I saw him was on Sunday morning, when I was walking our dog. He was standing still, because he saw me coming or somebody else coming and he didn't move until everybody else was gone again." ALSO READ Bodies of Swiss couple, who went missing 75 years ago, found in Alps glacier In Switzerland, you don't need to roll your joints: Cannabis cigarettes to enter Swiss supermarkets ALSO WATCH Swiss Farmers Develop Unique 'Cow Therapy' to Deal with Stress --- ENDS --- The Tamil theatrical rights of Mahesh Babu's Spyder has been bagged by Lyca Productions for Rs 25 crore. By India Today Web Desk: Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu's Spyder with AR Murugadoss is one of the highly anticipated releases this year. According to recent developments, the theatrical rights of Spyder has been bagged by Lyca Productions for a whopping price of Rs 25 crore. It must be noted that Lyca Productions is bankrolling the costliest Indian film, 2.0, which stars superstar Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar in the lead. Raju Mahalingam, creative head of Lyca Production took to Twitter to share the news. AR Murugadoss most ambitious project with Mahesh Babu, SPYDER rights has been obtained by Lyca !!! Mega opus magic continues with Lyca.... pic.twitter.com/iZlYcy3LGj- Raju Mahalingam (@rajumahalingam) July 24, 2017 advertisement Spyder is a Tamil-Telugu bilingual made on a lavish budget of Rs 110 crore. Interestingly, Mahesh Babu has dubbed his own voice for the Tamil version. The teaser of Spyder received fantastic reception from fans. In fact, some of the Bollywood celebrities like Karan Johar and Abhishek Bachchan praised Mahesh Babu on Twitter. Last seen in Brahmotsavam, Mahesh Babu is touted to play a stylish intelligent officer. Reports also suggest that the film will touch upon themes like bio-terrorism. Directed by AR Murugadoss, has Rakul Preet Singh and SJ Suryah in pivotal roles. Spyder, which was supposed to release on June 23, is expected to hit the screens on September 29. Meanwhile, Mahesh Babu will be teaming up with Koratala Siva for Bharat Ane Nenu, which will have Anushka Shetty in a special song. ALSO READ: Honey Bee 2 director Jean Paul Lal, actor Sreenath Bhasi booked for lewd remarks on actress ALSO READ: Vikram Vedha box-office collection- Madhavan-Vijay Sethupathi's film grosses Rs 17cr in opening WATCH: Dhanush walks out of interview after questions about personal life WATCH HERE: Spyder Teaser --- ENDS --- Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Bir-Lehlu, July 23, 2017 (SPS) President of Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Ghali, has called on the United Nations to make all necessary representations to the Moroccan authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik Group and all Sahrawi political prisoners held unlawfully in Moroccan jails, in a letter Friday to UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres. Following is the full text of the letter addressed by President of Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Ghali, to United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres: Bir Lehlou, 21 July 2017 Mr Secretary-General, I would like to draw your attention to a serious development relating to the question of Western that may have adverse consequences on the UN ongoing peace process in the Territory. On 19 July, in a mock trial, a Moroccan court delivered harsh sentences against the Sahrawi political prisoners, known as the Gdeim Izik Group. The unjust sentences, which are virtually identical to those issued by a Moroccan military court against the same group in 2013, range from 20 years to life imprisonment. As we have warned on numerous occasions, the Moroccan authorities never had any intention to give the Sahrawi political prisoners a fair trial considering the fact that the detainees were arrested mainly because of their political opinions as well as their public defence of the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. However, the recent sentences represent a serious development in the Moroccos infamous record of human rights violations in the Sahrawi occupied territories. Mr Secretary-General, As you may be aware, the members of the Gdeim Izik Group were arrested in the aftermath of the violent dismantling of the peaceful protest camp that was set up by thousands of Sahrawi civilians at Gdeim Izik some 15 kilometres south-east of the occupied city of La Aaiun at the beginning of October 2010. The main objective of setting up the camp by the Sahrawi civilians was to protest against the deteriorating socio-economic and political conditions in which they had been living for over three decades under Moroccos illegal occupation of their country. Despite the peaceful and non-violent nature of the protest, in the early morning hours on 8 November 2010, the Moroccan army and security forces attacked the protestors and violently destroyed the camp using rubber bullets, live bullets, tear gas, water cannons, truncheons and stones. The violent attack resulted in the loss of life and destruction of property, and many Sahrawi civilians were arbitrarily arrested and brutalised including the members of the Gdeim Izik Group. After two years in detention, on 17 February 2013, the members of Gdeim Izik Group were brought before a Moroccan military court and were given long sentences that ranged from 20 years to life imprisonment. The sentences were based on fabricated and ready-made accusations and records concocted at the Moroccan police stations where the detainees were subjected to all sorts of torture. Moreover, apart from the illegality of bringing civilians before military courts in keeping with international law, the Moroccan courts do not have jurisdiction over matters occurring in Western Sahara, which has its internationally recognised status as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. Many national, regional and international organisations around the world condemned the unfair trial and the politically motivated sentences. On 19 February 2011, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its concern about the use of a military court to try Sahrawi civilians, as it raised serious problems as far as the equitable, impartial and independent administration of justice was concerned. Amnesty International, for its part, expressed its concern about the trial that it considered flawed from the outset, as it cast a serious doubt on the Moroccan authorities intention and whether they were more concerned with securing a guilty verdict than justice. Thanks to a series of hunger strikes that the detainees had to undergo to protest against their unlawful detention as well as international pressure, the Moroccan Court de Cassation referred the case to the Moroccan court of appeal in Rabat, which condemned the political prisoners to the above-mentioned sentences. Mr Secretary-General, The unjust sentences against the group of Sahrawi political prisoners are another demonstration of Moroccos intentions to continue its policy of human rights abuses without the presence of witnesses, which highlights the urgent need for establishing a human rights mechanism in Western Sahara to monitor, protect and report on the human rights situation in the Territory. It has become evident therefore that Moroccan authorities do not respect international humanitarian law and persist in their gross violations of human rights in Western Sahara, which lies within the scope of the United Nations responsibility in anticipation of the decolonisation of the Territory and the exercise by its people of their inalienable right to self-determination and freedom. In view of the above, I would like to call on you in your capacity as Secretary-General of the United Nations to make all necessary representations to the Moroccan authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik Group and all Sahrawi political prisoners held unlawfully in Moroccan jails. In anticipation of your urgent action, please accept, Mr Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration. Mr Brahim Ghali Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO Mr Antonio Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations New York (SPS) 062/090 E vening Standard readers can now look behind the scenes to see how our cartoonist Christian Adams creates his unique take on the days events. He is adding an Instagram account to his stash of pens and paper where he will document rough sketches and the finished product that ends up in the newspaper as well as making short films showing him at work. Adams is the latest in a long line of cartoonists at the Standard, including David Low and Frank Dickens whose downtrodden office worker Bristow cheered up London commuters for more than four decades. He said his online account would lift the lid on his routine: Typically I look at what the biggest story of the day is and have about an hour and a half to come up with an idea and imagery. Cartoonist Christian Adams / Paul Grover So on Friday it was about Brexit but I drew someone stuck in a bunker in reference to the Open. It changes from day to day but typically I sketch out two or three rough ideas and then put them in front of the editor, who picks one. Adams said he was not surprised by the continued popularity of the art form in a digital world: It is a case of if it aint broke dont change it. Cartoons are visually engaging, very easy to understand, and look perfect on a backlit screen on your phone or device. 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Prints and signed copies of Standard cartoons can be bought via adams.newsprints.co.uk The result of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 supplementary/ re-exam is likely to be released this week at the official website www.tnresults.nic.in By India Today Web Desk: The result of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 supplementary/ re-exam is likely to be released this week by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE). All those students who had appeared for the same are required to keep a strict watch at the official website www.tnresults.nic.in The result is usually announced in the last week of July or the first week of August. The annual exam was held in March and the result was declared on May 12. About 9.33 lakh students had appeared for the exams and the overall pass percentage is 92.1 per cent. The girls have registered 94.5 per cent while boys scored 89.3 per cent this year. advertisement The supplementary/re-appear exam was held in June for all those students who could not clear the annual exam. (Read: Tamil Nadu HSC Class 12 Results 2017: Declared at tnresults.nic.in) Steps to check the result Log on to the official website www.tnresults.nic.in On the main page, click on the link 'Plus Two results 2017' A new page will open In the provided fields, enter your roll number and security code (captcha) Click on submit Your result will be displayed on the screen Download the same and take a print out for further reference About Tamil Nadu Board: Established in the year 1910, Tamil Nadu board is one of the biggest boards of the country. Also, the board is affiliated to the government of Tamil Nadu, India and conducts both secondary and senior secondary examination. TNBSE was formed by merging the two existing separate boards, Board of Secondary Education and Board of Higher Secondary Examination. Read: AP EAMCET 2nd counselling seat allotment 2017: Results coming soon at apeamcet.nic.in Read: Releasing soon! Maharashtra TET 2017 answer key to be available at mahatet.in --- ENDS --- T he queen is dead, long live the queen. In a seismic event for London theatre, actress Michelle Terry was announced yesterday as the new artistic director of Shakespeares Globe, replacing Emma Rice, who remains in post despite resigning last October after a catastrophic falling out with the theatres board, apparently over her use of lighting and sound effects. Awkwardly, the two women will work alongside each other Terry planning her first season, Rice overseeing her last until April 2018. Terry will unveil her own interpretation of what the Globes founding principle of original practice stagings as true as possible to Shakespeares day means. And we shall see if the Globes winter of discontent can be made a glorious summer by a daughter of Weston-super-Mare. At first sight, the appointment seems strange: Rada-trained Terry is a popular and well-respected performer in modern and classical stage work and a fine writer. But she has not directed anything on stage, only a handful of short Shakespeare scenes on screen, and has never run a building. She is serious: an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a regular at the National, who brought intelligence and vibrant zest to the classics at the Globe and at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, where she played a timely, convention-defying Henry V. And she is a thrillingly, typically left-field choice for the Globe, which relishes renegades. It was founded by one, the American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, who died before it opened in 1997. Its first artistic director, Mark Rylance, was and is a brilliant alchemical actor-savant. But then he had only run a small touring company, Phoebus Cart, set up to stage Shakespeare at sacred sites where ley lines intersected. Rylances successors at the Globe, Dominic Dromgoole and then Rice, both admitted (to this newspaper) their lack of traditional Shakespearean credentials. Hell, even Shakespeare and his fellows were largely making it up as they went along at the original Globe. Its also good that Terry is a woman, and at 38 a young one (she is also mother to a daughter with her actor husband, Paul Ready). At a time when the Royal Court, Tricycle and Donmar had already appointed female directors, choosing Rice to run the 3,000-capacity Globe one of the largest theatrical spaces in London and its 340-seat indoor Jacobean space the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse was a significant statement. To lose her before she really got started was a PR disaster. To have then appointed a man probably white, probably Oxbridge-educated would, as Hamlet puts it, have been to pile Pelion on Ossa. There is a sense of omerta around Rices departure now. She made her name with Cornwalls Kneehigh theatre, producing dream-like, open-air productions, and made it clear she wanted to bring technology into the Globe they surely knew what they were getting. But six months after her gleefully rackety opening production of Midsummer Nights Dream in April 2016, the Globes CEO Neil Constable posted a po-faced, labyrinthine announcement where he apparently praised Rice to the skies, while saying she would be leaving because of the sound and light issue. Rice last April posted an open letter on the Globes website to her then-unknown successor, saying that she left over issues of personal trust and artistic freedom and warning that the Globe is wrestling with what, at its core, it now stands for. This was followed by another open letter from Dominic Dromgoole, listing the countless times he and Rylance had transgressed original practice and stating: The fact that Emma has been stopped in fulfilling her ambitions is heart-breaking. It is also wrong. To the uninitiated, its hard to imagine what a shock this was to the close, collegiate theatre world. The issue was abysmally mishandled. The board stayed and remains silent. Rice has now founded a new company in Cornwall, Wise Children, and she and her supporters prefer to look to the future rather than rehash the past. A veil is being drawn over the hurt of the past year, and there is optimism about the new arrival. Playwrights, actors, even a member of the Globe council I spoke to called her hiring exciting. I think its a brilliant appointment, says Robert Hastie, who trained with Terry at Rada, directed her as Henry V and is working with her on a 10-year-long project for the Donmar, My Mark. Michelle has all the qualities of a great artistic leader, with imagination, passion and a rare ability to inspire rather than demand loyalty in the people she works with. As a person she is truthful, acutely funny, supremely intelligent and a natural leader, says the Donmars artistic director Josie Rourke, who has worked with Terry for 10 years as a writer and performer. She is one of our great classical actresses, a proper Shakespearean. It is exciting and joyful to see an actor appointed to run the Globe, a new theatre that also has a 500-year tradition. RSC boss Gregory Doran says: We are thrilled to hear that RSC associate artist Michelle Terry has been appointed as the new Globe artistic director. We wish her well in her new role. The National Theatres Rufus Norris calls Terry a profoundly talented artist and hugely respected in the industry. He is delighted the Globe has been adventurous in its decision. Dromgoole adds: People often forget many actors know much more about directing than directors, because they get to watch so many close up. He expects her to shine: Michelle is well able to cope with a place that measures people by their heart and their strength and their care for each other. We dont yet know if Terry plans to direct individual productions, or chiefly oversee the theatres policy and act. She says she is proud and excited to work on the timeless, mythic, mysterious, vital, profoundly human and unapologetically theatrical work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries at the Globe, alongside new work from our current writers. That last phrase is significant, as it touches on a truth identified by Rice in her open letter: the Globe is indeed wrestling with what it stands for, as it always has. The Globe was built using traditional carpentry and thatching techniques but has modern necessities such as exit signs. Historic musical instruments are used but so are more modern props. Rylance staged modern dress productions and employed black and minority ethnic actors, even when he was abiding by the Shakespearean trope of men it should really have been boys playing female roles. Dromgoole produced work by new authors and let director Lucy Bailey build a roof over the Globe for Titus Andronicus. Beside all this, Rices technological encroachments on original practice look meagre. There was undoubtedly more to her departure than this. The Globe is a mad, grand, unique, radical, egalitarian place where boundaries between actor and audience are broken down and theatre is new-minted every night. But its also a big cultural player, which means backstage politics and strife. I love it with the fierce passion of the convert and though I didnt like everything Rice staged, I mourn the shadow her departure cast on it. Lets see what Michelle Terry makes of it. @nickcurtis B ella DePaulo is 63 years old and she's been single her entire life. "I never wanted to get married. Living single was my happily ever after," DePaulo, a psychologist at the University of California Santa Barbara and a pioneer for the single life, said at a TEDx Talk this spring. DePaulo has studied singles like herself for more than a decade, and her findings suggest that being single has a range of benefits, from the psychological to the physical. "The beliefs that single people are miserable, lonely, and loveless, and want nothing more than to become unsingle are just myths," DePaulo wrote on the blog PsychCentral in 2013. In 2016, she combed through more than 800 studies of single and married people and found that her own work isn't the only research to suggest that being single could have some tangible health benefits from stronger social networks to a healthier body. Read on to find out about the other advantages you might reap from singledom. Shutterstock / bedya Singles have a stronger social network than their married counterparts. Think married people have more friends? Think again. In 2015, social scientists Natalia Sarkisian and Naomi Gerstel set out to explore how ties to relatives, neighbours, and friends varied among single and married American adults. They found that singles were not only more likely to frequently reach out to their social networks, but also tended to provide and receive help from these people than their married peers. Their results held steady even when they took into account factors like race, gender, and income levels. Put simply, "being single increases the social connections of both women and men," Sarkisian and Gerstel wrote in their paper. Getty Images/Blend Images Singles may be more physically fit. There may be some truth to the idea that people who "settle down" ease into unhealthier habits, at least when it comes to some measures of physical fitness. After surveying more than 13,000 men and women between ages 18 and 64, researchers found that those who were single and had never been married worked out more frequently each week compared with their married or divorced peers. And a 2015 study in the journal Social Science and Medicine that compared body mass indexes for about 4,500 people across nine European countries found that single men and women had slightly lower BMIs, on average, than men and women who were married. Overall, the married couples also weighed about five more pounds, on average, than the singles. Getty Images Single people could be more likely to develop as individuals. An analysis of data from the National Survey of Families and Households that compared more than 1,000 people who had always been single with about 3,000 people who had been continuously married in 1998 found that the single people in the sample were more likely to experience personal growth than the married people at least when it came to how they answered the following two questions. As compared to the married people in the sample, the singles were far more likely to say they agreed with the statements: For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth. I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how you think about yourself and the world. (Shutterstock ) / Shutterstock Single men may become less generous after marriage. Based on a nationally representative survey of thousands of Americans who were questioned in 1987 or 1988 and then again five years later, DePaulo found that the men in the sample who got married sometime during this window gave an average of $1,875 less to friends than they had when they were single. The same findings did not apply to the women in the sample. Men who had divorced, on the other hand, gave more than they did when they were married an average of $1,275 more. Even stranger, men who were divorced but remarried resumed being less generous after recoupling by about $1,050. "In sum," wrote DePaulo in the book "Singled Out," "men who are single give no less to relatives than men who are married, despite drawing from one (rather than two) incomes and getting paid less to boot. And, they give more to friends than married men do." Shutterstock / Jacob Lund Single people may embrace alone time - and benefit from it - more than married people. According to psychotherapist Amy Morin, solitude can have a range of benefits for your mental health. It may also help you be more productive and more creative. "Time alone doesn't have to be lonely," Morin told Business Insider in 2015. "It could be the key to getting to know yourself better." Indeed, research by other psychologists has linked solitude (in contrast with loneliness) with everything from an increased sense of freedom to higher levels of creativity and intimacy. O ne in four women have been cautioned about their appearance in the workplace, and nearly half of the time its about make-up, a study has found. The survey of more than 2,000 Britons found that women are singled out for their looks far more than men. Just nine per cent of male respondents had been told off for what they looked like. When a woman hit the headlines after being sent home from her temp job for refusing to wear high heels, the government pledged to publish new dress code guidelines for employers this summer. But the guidelines are yet to appear. And its not just dress codes that are the problem. Alarmingly, managers deemed female workers a distraction to their male counterparts in 35 per cent of cases. Too much make-up was the most complained about appearance issue, closely followed by skirt length. Nancy Roberts was working for a well-known book publisher when she was cautioned for her skirt choice: I was told on my second day in my very first job that I was dressing too provocatively in a knee-length black skirt and flat knee-high boots. My boss was a woman. Summer workwear - in pictures 1 /6 Summer workwear - in pictures Whistles Karen dress, 120 Zara Print dress, 39.99 &OtherStories Palm dress, 45 Cos Flared dress, 79 Bridie Pearson-Jones, a former retail assistant at a popular department store, said: Loads of us used to get told off for our skirt length. I once got told off for a knee-length pencil skirt that was clearly for business dress. My manager said: It's nice for clubbing, not so much for work. Other warnings included tops deemed too revealing (30 per cent), slogan t-shirts (18 per cent), and outfit flamboyance (15 per cent.) Men were reprimanded mainly for not being clean shaven and their choice of footwear. George Charles, spokesperson for VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, who conducted the survey, said: Its OK to pull up a member of your staff on their appearance if you genuinely believe that theyre breaking their contract in anyway, or even if it poses some sort of health and safety risk, but you just cant tell women to change their appearance because theyre possibly going to be distracting to their male colleagues. That's outrageous. T wo young men were left in agony screaming "we've got acid on us" after they were attacked with a corrosive substance in east London. The two victims were targeted in Bethnal Green at about 7pm on Tuesday, and ran desperately asking for help as skin "peeled off" their faces and melted their clothes. Video footage shows the two young men with their shirts off having water poured over them from a firefighter's hose. It comes following a shocking spate of attacks in the capital in recent weeks, with the number of such crimes soaring. One of the victims is showered with water from a fireman's hose The Standard carried out an investigation last week which showed just how east it is to buy substances on London's streets. Local resident Jamie Austin told the Standard that she saw tarpaulin and red tape covering part of the road. Police and fire crews at the scene treating the victim / Rex She said: I didn't see anyone because the tarps were up. But I saw red tape which is obviously not a good sign. I live right by here so I'm terrified to leave my house now. The scene in Roman Road / @MPSTowerHam/Twitter PC Bennett, from Bethnal Green police station, said the colour of the victims faces had changed from where the bleach had been thrown over them. He told the Daily Mail at the scene: So there was a discolouring on the faces. The two victims are believed to be in their late teens. / Chris Lennon They [the alleged victims] werent saying too much. It is believed that they do know who the suspect is. "We can see its been burnt through their clothing. Police officers were passing Roman Road at around 7pm when they were flagged down by the two victims. Paramedics rushed to the scene and were seen dousing two young men in water. Both victims were taken to an east London hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not life threatening. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "Police in Tower Hamlets are dealing with a suspected noxious substance attack on two males in Roman Road, E2. "Officers were flagged down in the area at 7pm on Tuesday, 25 July by the two males who are believed to be aged in their late teens. "London Ambulance Service attended the scene. "Both have been taken to an east London hospital for treatment after an unknown liquid was thrown at them. "No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing." Blue tarpaulin was put on at the scene as the victims were treated / Jamie Austin The road has been cordoned off and a crime scene put in place. The incident comes after five people were targeted in just 90 minutes in a string of terrifying attacks in the north and east of London on July 13. The following evening, another person was attacked with acid in Dagenham. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call police on 101, tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A violent man who beat to death his girlfriends five-year-old son because he had lost his shoe in a London park was today jailed for life. Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, flew into a rage at little Alex Malcolm, striking him repeatedly in the head and stomach in Mountsfield Park in Catford. The boy was heard crying out sorry while Iheanacho, who was in a relationship with Alexs mother Lilya Breha, ranted at him about the lost shoe. He then tried to cover up the attack, carrying Alex to a nearby minicab office and then to Ms Brehas flat instead of nearby Lewisham hospital. The shoe that was lost in the park / PA He insisted on giving the young boy a bath when he was clearly unwell, and then attacked Ms Breha when she pleaded for him to call an ambulance. Alex was eventually rushed for treatment but died in hospital two days after the attack, in November last year. Lilya Breha with her son Alex Malcolm Iheanacho continued to insist he was not to blame for the brutal death, but was convicted by a jury of murder after a trial at Woolwich crown court. Jailing him for life with a minimum term of 18 years, Judge Mark Dennis QC said: It is readily apparent you have a deeply entrenched character flaw, one which leads you to overreact, lose your temper in a most violent way, even against someone who you are otherwise in a close relationship with and care for. He said Iheanacho did nothing to aid Alex, and even hid the fact of the attack from his mother when he spoke to her on the phone. One of the victim's shoes, found at his home / PA The child had done nothing which would have justified any loss of temper, let alone a violent one - when it was realised a shoe was missing all a child was heard to say in a very soft voice was Im sorry, he said. This injury was caused by you in a fit of anger and frustration - the red mist having come down upon you when you discovered Alex had dropped his shoe somewhere in the now dark park. He added that Iheanachos violent past meant it was perhaps only a matter of time before such violence ended in a tragedy such as has now occurred. The truth appears to be you simply cant help yourself. In a heart-breaking victim impact statement, Ms Breha described how she has been left sad, empty, and broken since her sons death. He was a beautiful little angel, a shy boy, so loving and caring, she said. The court heard Iheanacho has a string of convictions for violence, starting with the robbery of an 80-year-old womans handbag when he was just 17-years-old. He assaulted his girlfriend when he was 19-years-old, was jailed for eight years in 2003 for robbery, and was convicted of another assault in 2010 on a charity worker. Iheanacho, from Hounslow, who was known to Alex as Daddy Mills, has also confessed to beating the boy before, in a note in his diary which read: Do I really love Alex, five years old small cute lil boy. Who want nothing more, than daddy mills to love him protect him but most of all keep him from harm - even though I had to beat him just now for sicking up in the cab - why why why I say - so the answer is yes yes yes I love him and like with all my heart but may not enough. Iheanacho fatally attacked Alex in the park on November 20 last year, though no eyewitnesses saw him deliver the blows. He was, however, caught on CCTV, carrying an unconscious Alex away from the park. There is no one who saw exactly what happened - there are no eyewitnesses or CCTV of the actual attack of the defendant landing blows on Alex, said prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC. There is, however, clear evidence as to the defendants anger before Alex sustained his injuries. Ms Breha told the trial that Iheanacho, who she had started dating in June last year, had been a good father figure to her son until the attack. She said he hit her with the hardest punch I had in my life when she tried to take her son to hospital, shouting at him: What have you done? He tried to strangle me, pretty much his intention was to try kill me, is all I can say, she added. She eventually managed to grab the phone and call 999 when she noticed her sons face was turning blue and he had stopped breathing. 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. He was pronounced dead on November 22 after an unsuccessful operation. Iheanacho gave several different accounts of how the horrific injuries were caused, including that Alex fell off a climbing frame, which were all rejected by the jury. Sally ONeill QC, defending, said although Iheanacho has a violent past, the attack on Alex was totally unexpected. He was looking after Alex and caring for him and showing affection for him, helping with his homework and spelling, she said. There is a background of affection and care for a boy he was looking after, in circumstances where if he hadnt wanted to he wouldnt have needed to. Iheanacho will serve at least 18 years of a life sentence before being considered for release. A teenager was stabbed after violence erupted at an illegal street rave on a south London estate A police car was reportedly smashed and a passing bus stormed by teenage revellers as police tried to break up the rave in the Vincennes estate in West Norwood late on Monday evening. Witnesses have taken to social media to describe chaos erupting as authorities descended on the estate, with one woman even saying she heard what sounded like a gunshot. Revellers hurled bottles at police, but no officer was injured and the party was broken up soon after they arrived. Police at the estate late on Monday evening / Trudi Brown (Twitter) A man, aged in his mid to late teens, was stabbed at the rave and rushed to hospital. His injuries are not believed to be serious, police said. Officer were called at roughly 10pm to St Gothard Road, where they found two girls - believed aged in their mid teens - collapsed in the street. Paramedics rushed the girls to hospital, where their condition is not life-threatening. Trudy Brown, 43, who lives on the estate, said she saw teenage revellers storming a bus and smashing up a police car from her flat. She told the Standard: My Kitchen actually looks out on a little courtyard that is formed by the three blocks of flats. People keep turning up and holding these impromptu gigs it seems to be a school holiday thing. At first it was just a couple of lads with a laptop, some music and a BBQ. At about 3 or 4 oclock I could hear the music and I just poked my head outside. It was the same group of lads. A fire engine at the illegal rave in West Norwood / Trudi Brown (Twitter) Weve got a lot of elderly residents here, people with young children who probably dont feel particularly safe." Ms Brown said she called the police as the party grew, even fearing she heard a gunshot from her flat. Ambulances began to descend on the estate as the violence began, but Ms Brown said the revellers kept on partying as chaos ensued around them. She added: When the Fire Brigade turned up I thought it was safe to go outside, but I still got spat on at teenage girls. The point which I got really nervous was when they blocked the bus. They just blocked the street, sort of hammered their way onto the bus and just wouldnt get off. As soon as the police car turned up the crowd basically set on him. They trashed his police car, windows were smashed in on it and everything. The illegal rave was shut down by officers and the crowd dispersed. One person was arrested. A Met Police spokesman said: A large crowd were present at the location due to an unlicensed music event having taken place nearby. Officers sought to disperse the crowd, the majority of whom complied with police. However, a significant minority were hostile, and bottles were thrown at police. No officer was injured. T he number of deaths from police pursuits in England and Wales rose sharply last year to the highest level in more than a decade, new figures revealed today. There was also a sharp increase in the number of fatal police shootings, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said. Data shows there were 28 deaths from police chases in 2016/17 and six fatal police shootings, the highest number since the watchdog began collecting the statistics in 2004. In London the number of deaths from police pursuits rose to five from three the previous year. The IPCC said incidents were classified as pursuit-related if they involved a pursuit, or if they involved the police driving in the same direction as a suspect vehicle. Westminster attacker Khalid Masood was shot dead by police / Metropolitan Police The watchdog said not all the incidents would have involved police cars engaged in an official pursuit phase as defined in the Authorised Professional Practice on police pursuits. Incidents where there was a collision involving a vehicle that had recently been pursued by the police, and the police had lost sight of the vehicle, were included. The only fatal police shooting in London was the killing in March of terrorist Khalid Masood who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and murdered police officer Keith Palmer. The 28 deaths related to police pursuits of vehicles was more than in any year since 2005/06. Figures showed there were 14 deaths in police custody, the second lowest figure recorded by the IPCC and fewer than half the number when the IPCC began in 2004. Eleven of those who died in police custody in the UK were white, three were black and one was mixed race. There were three deaths in police custody in the Met police area in London, compared to five in 2015/16. IPCC chairwoman Dame Anne Owers said the rise in pursuit-related deaths was noticeable, adding: None were in response to emergencies, and two-thirds of the people who died were passengers, bystanders or other road users. All but two incidents involved cars Pursuits are dynamic and fast-moving events, and there are authorised procedures to ensure that they are as safe as possible. When we investigate, we examine whether those procedures have been followed, taking account of known risks. In most of the incidents investigated, this was the case. "However, given the rise in fatalities, we will be working with the National Police Chiefs Council to look at the causes and whether any changes to police pursuit safety or training are needed. She said while the number of fatal police shootings had risen, this is in the context of many thousands of authorised firearms operations, 14,700 in 2015/16. She added: Investigations into three of the 2016/17 incidents are complete and, as in the great majority of firearms investigations, we have found no indication of misconduct by any firearms officer. Dame Anne also welcomed the overall fall in the number of deaths in custody saying: However, each death is an individual tragedy, and it remains the case that the great majority of those dying both during and immediately after custody are vulnerable. She said there were issues of mental health and drug abuse which were a challenge for policing and other agencies. Dame Anne also said: There has recently been concern about deaths that follow the restraint of an individual by the police. One of the deaths in custody and eight of the other deaths investigated by the IPCC fall into this category. This does not necessarily mean that the restraint contributed to the death." E nglands chief inspector of hospitals today warned of a Brexit threat to crucial staffing in the NHS and care homes. Professor Sir Mike Richards raised the alarm over the NHS struggling to recruit enough nurses, doctors and other health professionals from the EU and other countries if Britain imposes an immigration clampdown. There is no doubt that the workforce of the NHS and indeed the care system generally is absolutely critical and we do need to have more staff ... thats true in virtually every sector, he told BBC radio. If we are leaving the EU there is a threat to that, which we need to make sure is being dealt with so that we are not losing staff and we can then replace them if necessary to grow our own, if you like. Sir Mike issued his warning as official figures showed that the number of vacancies in the NHS has risen by about 10 per cent. There were 86,035 full-time equivalent vacancies in the first quarter of the year in England, up from 78,112 during the same period last year, according to NHS Digital. Hospital staff warning: Sir Mike Richards / PA In March there were 30,613 advertised full-time equivalent vacancies, compared to 26,424 in the same month last year and 26,406 in 2015. More than a third, or 11,485, of the latest vacancies were for nurses and midwives. Staff numbers have been rising but they dipped in April compared with the previous month. The number of profesional qualified clinical staff, including doctors, nurses and midwives, in England was down 1,459 full time equivalent post. There were 1,274 fewer nurses and midwives. In the South London region, there was a month-on-month fall of 177 such staff, including 99 nurses and health visitors. In North Central and East London there was a drop of 170, including 127 nurses and health visitors. However North West London saw a rise of 81, largely nurses and health visitors. It was not clear from the figures how many of these vacancies and staff shortages were driven by Brexit. A Department for Health spokesman said: Overseas workers form a crucial part of our NHS and we value their contribution immensely. Thats why we have made clear that the future of those EU nationals working in our health and care system should be a priority in Brexit negotiations. The DoH stressed that there has been an increase of almost 32,400 professionally qualified clinical staff, including almost 11,800 more doctors and over 12,500 more nurses, on wards since May 2010. Sir Mike who is stepping down from his inspector role at the Care Quality Commission at the end of the week believes there should be wage rises for NHS workers above the one per cent cap as and when we can. He added: Theres no doubt the NHS needs more money, because of increasing demand on it and the need to transform services. But its also true, as we have seen, that things can be done better without more money. He stressed that hospitals had managed to improve services without huge cash injections by focusing on patient safety and leadership. But he added he had very occasionally seen very poor care on wards, citing one particular case where the CQC ordered a 28-bed ward to close eight beds because nursing staff were spread too thinly. Amid growing concerns of the impact of Brexit at home, hopes of a wide ranging trade deal with America grew after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox met US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and vice-president Mike Pence in Washington. Donald Trump tweeted last night: Our special relationship w/ UK is going to be even better. @USTradeRep & UKs @LiamFox met today to begin new chapter for stronger trade! But Mr Foxs visit sparked questions over details of any deal, particularly in the agriculture sector and over issues such as animal welfare, with a row erupting over whether it would mean chlorinated chicken could be exported to Britain. Today the Lord Chief Justice said the Government should allow no further delay whatsoever in providing certainty about key aspects of post-Brexit arrangements for the legal profession. Lord Thomas said there were good reasons, including the cost-effectiveness, high quality and probity of UK lawyers, why Londons status as a world legal centre would remain intact once Britain leaves the EU. T he UK's fertility could be under threat as sperm rates continue to plunge in a shocking downward spiral, a study has warned. Scientist recorded nearly a 60 per cent drop in the average amount of sperm produced by Western men over 38 years between 1973 and 2011. The trend appeared to be ongoing and remained steep and significant in the last 15 years of the study. Researchers believe one possible cause could be environmental chemicals. Dr Hagai Levine, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who co-led the research, said: "Given the importance of sperm counts for male fertility and human health, this study is an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count, with the goal of prevention." Other fertility experts described the findings as "shocking" and warned of a "double whammy" caused by the combined effects of falling sperm count and women in modern societies waiting until their 30s to get pregnant. The research, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, suggests sperm counts have fallen by more than half in Western regions North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Fertility: Rates could be under threat in the West. / PA Wire/PA Images The decline is real and not due to confounding factors such as different methods of measuring sperm numbers or population changes, researchers said. No similar pattern was seen in South America, Asia and Africa, although fewer studies had been conducted in these countries. Sperm count measures the number of sperm present in every millilitre of sperm and has a normal range of between 15 million to more than 200 million. A sperm count of less than 15 million is considered to be "low". Previous reports of falling sperm count have been hotly debated and challenged by some experts as unreliable. Co-author Professor Shanna Swan, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, said: "Decreasing sperm count has been of great concern since it was first reported 25 years ago. "This definitive study shows, for the first time, that this decline is strong and continuing. "The fact that the decline is seen in Western countries strongly suggests that chemicals in commerce are playing a causal role in this trend." Environmental and lifestyle factors including exposure to chemicals in the womb, adult exposure to pesticides, smoking, stress and obesity have all been previously linked to falling sperm counts. Many experts believe falling sperm count may act as a "canary in the coal mine" signalling broader risks to health. Professor Daniel Brison, scientific director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Manchester, said: "The extent of the decline in sperm counts in the Western world revealed in this study is shocking. "The message is not new; we have suspected this decline for many years, however this study is the most comprehensive to date and includes analysis of nearly 200 published studies. "Previous smaller studies have suffered from confounding factors, including the fact that methods of counting sperm in the laboratory might have changed over the years, or that the populations of men being studied might have changed. "This new analysis overcomes those problems by including a large number of studies of varying design and location around the world, to confirm that the decline in sperm counts is likely to be 'real'." Professor Richard Sharpe, from the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, pointed out that in northern Europe today more than 15 per cent of young men have a sperm count low enough to impair fertility. He added: "As the present study indicates, this is likely to get worse rather than better as we move forwards in time. What is not so widely appreciated is that the coincidence of this change in men with delay in couples trying for a baby until the female partner is in her 30's (when her fertility is declining progressively), creates a double whammy for couple fertility in modern Western societies. "Whilst assisted reproduction techniques (ART) can potentially remedy this for some, ART is costly, highly invasive for the female partner and also becomes progressively less effective with female age. Therefore, looking ahead, I can only conclude that couple infertility is set to increase." Additional reporting by Press Association. A n east London council has said it is considering punishing acid attackers and their families by throwing them out of their council homes. It comes following a shocking spate of attacks in London in recent weeks, with the number of crimes in the capital soaring. Five people were targeted in just 90 minutes in a string of terrifying attacks in the north and east of the capital on July 13. The following evening, another person was attacked with acid in Dagenham. And Cllr Darren Rodwell, leader of the Barking and Dagenham Council, said the council was looking into what powers it had to take its own action against perpetrators. He said the council wanted attackers to know we ultimately have the ultimate deterrent which is we could ask them to leave the home that they are in. He added that this included the acid attackers parents and families. He said: If youre not willing to address these issues as a parent, if youre not willing to be a parent to your children, then youre leaving us no alternative but to ask whether we as a collective community we think its right that you should be in that community. Its got to a stage now where we need to start saying what are the rights of parents, what are the rights of children but what is the right of the community? Ultimately Im there for the good law-abiding citizens of Barking and Dagenham and I want to make sure that they understand that we will do everything in our powers to work with the police to say this is not acceptable and there is a zero tolerance approach. Cllr Rodwell said that injunctions could be used against tenants or tenants families who dont believe that theyve got the same responsibilities as the rest of us. He added: So were looking at it now as a council, we already have information in our tenant agreements that allow us to take people to court anyway and what were saying is this need to be a London-wide discussion about the values of London. An 18-year-old woman, who was live-streaming while driving, ended up recording the horrid car crash that killed her sister. What she did after finding her fatally wounded sister is even more disturbing. By India Today Web Desk: From the "stupid things people do" section today, here is the story of an 18-year-old girl named Obdulia Sanchez and her choice to go live on Instagram while driving. Sanchez was driving through California's Central Valley along with her 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline, and another teenager. Neither of the two kids seated in the back of Sanchez's 2003 Buick were wearing seat belts. advertisement In the video, Sanchez can be heard and seen singing along with the radio. She has one hand on the steering wheel, and another showing the middle finger to the rest of the world as she raps along. Just then, the live video captures Sanchez losing control of her car and crashing. A few seconds later we see Sanchez picking up her camera to shoot her sister lying wounded on the ground. Courtesy no seat belts, Jacqueline and the other girl got thrown out the car during the crash. What remains even more disturbing than the crash, and Jacqueline's severe head trauma, is Sanchez capturing her dying sister's reactions and live-streaming it instead of getting help. "Hey, everybody, if I go to f**king jail for life, you already know why," she begins, adjusting the camera to show her sister bleeding and moaning on the ground. "My sister is f**king dying. Look, I f**king love my sister to death. I don't give a f**k. Man, we about to die. This is the last thing I wanted to happen to us, but it just did. Jacqueline, please wake up." She goes on to talk more about her sister, who is not dead yet and needs immediate medical attention: "I don't f**king care though. I'm a hold it down. I love you, rest in peace, sweetie. If you don't survive, baby, I am so f**king sorry. I did not mean to kill you, sweetie." Eventually, Sanchez starts sounding panicked as she calls out to her sister to "wake up". Jacqueline, profusely bleeding from her head while her sister recorded the video, was declared dead soon. Sanchez has been accused of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter. The other passenger in the car is said to have survived the crash with a trauma to the right leg. Sanchez, on the other hand, survived with chest pain and a right knee injury. Police is currently looking to the video to determine if it was indeed the live-streaming that caused the accident. Meanwhile, Jacqueline misses her Quinceanera because she is dead, and gets funeral expenses raised in her name on GoFundMe. advertisement THIS VIDEO HAS VIOLENT GRAPHIC CONTENT. VIEWER'S DISCRETION ADVISED. --- ENDS --- T he parents of Charlie Gard are expected to learn today whether their son will be allowed to spend his last moments at home. A High Court judge will finally decide whether terminally-ill Charlie can leave Great Ormond Street Hospital. Connie Yates and Chris Gard, from Bedfont, west London, have previously pleaded with the judge to let Charlie who suffers from a rare genetic disease and brain damage pass away peacefully in his own cot. On Tuesday their barrister Grant Armstrong said the parents "just wish for a few days of tranquility outside of a hospital setting". As emotions ran high, the couple accused Great Ormond Street bosses of placing obstacles in their way. Charlie Gard's parents' statement in full - 'We are sorry we could not save you' In a written statement, Mr Armstrong said: "The parents had hoped that Great Ormond Street would work with them." He added: "The parents' primary position is that Charlie's final days of palliative care... should take place at the family home. Mr Armstrong said Great Ormond Street doctors thought that moving Charlie to a hospice was the best plan. But he said the couple felt there was a "brutality" to taking Charlie to a hospice. He told the judge: "We struggle with the difficulties which the hospital is placing in the way." Loading.... Meanwhile Great Ormond Street doctors told the judge that finalising an end-of-life care plan was the "most delicate and difficult task". Katie Gollop QC, who leads Great Ormond Street's legal team, outlined doctors' concerns, also in a written statement. She said Charlie's best interests had to be balanced against his parents' needs. "The care plan must be safe, it must spare Charlie all pain and protect his dignity," said Ms Gollop. The parents want to take Charlie Gard home to spend their final moments with the terminally ill baby / PA "At the same time, the plan must honour his parents' wishes about two matters in particular, namely the time and place of his passing." She said an offer of mediation had been "reiterated several times". "Charlie's parents want him to be with them and ventilated at home for several days before receiving palliative care," she said. "Above all Great Ormond Street wants to fulfil that last wish." Explained: the Charlie Gard case She added: "The key obstacle and one which the hospital cannot see a way around is the reality of invasive ventilation that Charlie requires." Ms Gollop said such invasive ventilation was only provided in a hospital setting. "Those resources cannot be provided by Great Ormond Street to Charlie at his parents' home," she said. "Great Ormond Street is aware that there are other practical problems, one being that the ventilator does not fit through the front door." She added: "Charlie is a child who requires highly specialised treatment. His care cannot be simplified. "It is in Charlie's best interests, and everybody's, that the risk of a precipitate, distressing or disordered death is removed so that he may be reassured of a peaceful and dignified passing." Ms Gollop said Great Ormond Street had found an "excellent hospice" which would give Charlie and his parents the space, privacy and protection they needed. The hearing has been adjourned and will resume at 2pm tomorrow. It is likely that Mr Justice Francis will then decide whether Charlie will be able to leave Great Ormond Street Hospital and die at home. T he father of a young black man who died after a police chase begged demonstrators not to take matters into their own hands at a march protesting his sons death. More than 300 people gathered outside the 24-hour shop in Dalston, east London, where Rashan Charles, 20, died after apparently swallowing a package and being restrained by an officer. Although advertised on social media as a peaceful demonstration, masked activists among the crowd chanted murderers at police while others started fires and hurled bottles and bangers. It brought the busy shopping street to a standstill for several hours with road diversions in place throughout the evening. Dramatic images posted on social media showed crowds gather around fires on Kingsland Road late into the night. Onlookers branded the scene as volatile and described the moment protesters mobbed police officers. One user wrote: Feels pretty volatile in Kingsland Road right now. Keep it peaceful, both protesters and coppers, please.... Another added: Hooligans just mobbed about 6 officers on Kingsland Road. Throwing bricks and bottles. There have been warnings that Mr Charles death in the early hours on Saturday, which was captured on CCTV, could spark another summer of riots six years after the shooting of Mark Duggan. As the crowd assembled outside the police station in Stoke Newington, Rashans father Patrick Charles said: Im a father but my son was killed in the hands of police. Me and my family are grieving over this. Rashan Charles death: Furious protesters outside the shop where a young man died after being chased by police / Lucy Young I thank everyone for their support, its a comfort to us to read your messages. We are seeking justice on this but I want everybody to be peaceful. This is not something we are going to take into our own hands. Ginario Da Costa, whose son Edson, 25, died after being restrained by police in Beckton last month, also gave an emotional address to the crowd. He said: Its only one month since my son died I wanted it to stop before there was a second father like me in my situation. Rashan Charles was seen on CCTV apparently swallowin an object shortly before he died We suffer, but we need to be together and tell police to stop. Whatever kids are doing they do not deserve to have their lives taken. This is not finished. The vigil was organised by Stand Up To Racism, and campaigners say they are enormously concerned and angered over the death. A follow-up protest is being planned for Saturday. Members from Hackney Stand Up To Racism protest outside Stoke Newington Police Station. / PA Mother-of-three Yasmine, 38, said Rashan had a heart of gold and would call her Mama when he came into her shop close to where he lived. She said: Rashan was like one of my sons, I have kids his age and it could have been my daughter in that video. Crowds of protesters marched to Stoke Newington police station on Monday night. / Bobby Chakraborty He had a heart of gold and was a young kid trying to get along in life. He wasnt born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he didnt deserve that treatment, no one does. The demonstration was closely marshalled by police who have worked hard to engage with the families of the victim and the wider community. Police watchdog the IPCC, which is investigating both deaths, posted messages on Twitter using the #JusticeForRash hashtag throughout the evening directing protestors to latest updates on the investigation. The Met said Charles was seen trying to swallow an object and that an officer sought to prevent the man from harming himself. A Scotland Yard spokesman said there were no arrests or any officers injured in last nights disorder. C onfronted with a crab during Labour infighting, John Prescott famously dubbed it Peter after his rival Mandelson. The question for Boris Johnson is: what to name this reptile encountered on his New Zealand trip. Amber? Philip...? Aside from caressing a tuatara at Zealandia sanctuary in Wellington, the Foreign Secretary dismissed talk of a leadership challenge against Theresa May, saying voters did not want any more political kerfuffle. He added: What the British people want to see is a Government that gets on with the job and theyve got that with Theresa and we are going to deliver a great Brexit deal. After delivering a statement in which he said New Zealand would be "at or near the front of the queue" for a free trade deal after the UK leaves the 27-member bloc, the Uxbridge MP was quizzed about his political ambitions. Native creature: Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson holds a tuatara with New Zealand's Conservation Minister Maggie Barry / AFP/Getty Images Mr Johnson was greeted by a shout of "Boris for PM" at a ceremony in Wellington - but the Foreign Secretary played down the idea of him replacing PM Theresa May. Mr Johnson also reiterated his view that Brexit was not about Britain becoming more isolationist. He said: "People have got a democratic right to feel that their government is in charge of the situation and that was a bit what the whole Brexit thing was about. Sight-seeing: Boris Johnson photographs a bird at the Zealandia wildlife sanctuary / REUTERS "It wasn't that people were hostile to immigrants, they weren't hostile to people with talents and energy coming to the UK, they just wanted to feel that the British government had a handle on it. "I will say this until I'm blue in the face: Brexit is not, was not, will not be about Britain turning away from the world. "On the contrary, it is about us wanting to keep great relations with European friends and partners and do a great free trade deal with them, but it is also about rediscovering and intensifying friendships and partnerships around the world." During the press conference, New Zealand's foreign minister Gerry Brownlee said there was a "strong interest" in swiftly concluding a free trade agreement with the UK after Brexit - adding it will "bring our two countries closer together". A tuatara is a reptile native to New Zealand. C harlie Gard campaigners today called on Great Ormond Street Hospital to allow his parents to bring him home to die. Connie Yates and Chris Gard are waiting to find out whether doctors will grant them their last wish of taking their terminally ill baby home after their long legal fight came to an end. The couple, from Bedfont, west London, are now are spending their last precious moments with the little boy, who has an extremely rare muscle wasting condition, after abandoning attempts to persuade a judge to let him travel to the US for experimental therapy. Just a few weeks ago Mr Gard said it was the couples final hope to bring their 11-month-old son home to die. That is our last wish. We promised our little boy every single day that we would take him home, he said. Chris Gard and Connie Yates speaking outside court on Monday / Reuters The twitter feed for their campaign website, Charlies Fight, today responded Yes! when asked whether they should be allowed to bring Charlie home for his final moments. It comes after emotional scenes at the High Court yesterday in which they acknowledged that his muscles had deteriorated so much that time had run out for treatment. Mr Gard said previously: We want to give him a bath at home, put him in a cot which he has never slept in but we are now being denied that. We know what day our son is going to die but dont get a say in how that will happen. Today, a GOSH spokeswoman would not say whether the couple would be able to return home with their child. Sources have said that in serious cases it often proved too complicated to move a patient at the end of their life. Charlie is hooked up to an artificial ventilator in the paediatric intensive care unit at the world-renowned hospital. A team of medics would need to travel with Charlie and a mobile ventilator taken to the Gards home, with the couple having reportedly offered to pay for this themselves. Medic Dr Ellie Cannon, an NHS GP who regularly appears in the media, tweeted: The question is would he survive the transfer? If he could then yes, if its possible. Palliative care - always strive for that. Supporters of the family urged the hospital to grant the family their last wish. One mothering blog, MumsWorld, said: They should definitely be allowed to take their baby home. Shouldnt even be a discussion. Let him sleep in his cot and be at home. A mother whose child died in a similar situation, told the Evening Standard: I think it would help the family to go home. It would help them to have some peace away from the hospital. "I dont think they can properly enjoy any time with Charlie. Maybe a breather would actually help them. Charlie Gard: Parents end legal battle over treatment for terminally-ill baby I dont think they want their child to die there, they would prefer to be anywhere else. I would imagine if they went home, at least they would not have to see the same people or be in the same environment. That place has been pure torture for them. Why would they want to be there for the last hours and days of his life? The hospital has not said when life support will end. However, Mr Gard and Ms Yates, said Charlie would not reach his first birthday on 4 August. At the high court yesterday, Mr Gard said: Mummy and daddy love you so much Charlie, we always have and we always will and we are so sorry that we couldnt save you. Sweet dreams, baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy. Our son is an absolute warrior and we could not be prouder of him and we will miss him terribly. Charlies case has attracted attention from around the world including from the Pope and US President Donald Trump. His parents have said they have been discussing end-of-life palliative care options since last November, and had always wanted Charlie to die at home if all else failed. In its statement to the High Court yesterday, the hospital said it was increasingly surprised and disappointed the US doctor, Professor Michio Hirano, had not read Charlies contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlies brain imaging or read all of the second opinions about Charlies condition. C harlie Gard's parents have ended a legal battle to save their son after they said "time had run out" to take the terminally ill baby to the United States for treatment. Connie Yates and Chris Gard, both in their 30s and from Bedfont in west London, are spending their "last precious moments" with their son after announcing their decision on Monday - just over a week before Charlie's first birthday on August 4. They closed the five-month legal battle after tests showed treatment no longer offered a chance of success. Ms Yates and Mr Gard had been fighting to take Charlie, who suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition and has severe brain damage, for trial treatment under the supervision of American neurologist Dr Michio Hirano. Explained: the Charlie Gard case Medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital believed further treatment could not help the boy, who they said had suffered irreversible brain damage and should be allowed to die with dignity. Heartbreak: Grieving supporters at the High Court after learning of the parents' decision to end their fight for Charlie / PA Charlie's story captured hearts across the world, with Pope Francis offering treatment at the Vaticans own childrens hospital in Rome while US President Donald Trump also backed their plea to transfer him to America. Here is everything we know about Charlies heartbreaking case: Who is Charlie Gard? Charlie was born with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome on August 4, 2016 a rare condition believed to affect just dozens of children across the globe. Chris Gard and Connie Yates have battled to take Charlie to the US / PA His parents Ms Yates, 31, and Mr Gard, 32, began campaigning to keep the youngster on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital shortly after his dianosis. The couple believed that taking the youngster to the US for a pioneering treatment could save his life, but doctors at the hospital said he should be allowed to die with dignity. Loading.... A GoFundMePage set up by the parents attracted 1.3m in just three months as the couple launched a legal battle Charlie to the US. At one point, lawyers representing the family for free told Court of Appeal judges it was possible Charlie was being unlawfully detained, and that his right to life was not being sufficiently respected. Why did Charlies parents want to take him to the US? The family believed that the experimental treatment nucleoside bypass therapy (NBT) could save Charlie's life. If successful, the pioneering therapy could theoretically have repaired some of Charlies damaged brain and muscle cells. It was offered to the child's parents by Dr Hirano, who has reportedly worked to help people with similar but not identical conditions in America. Fighting chance: Dr Michio Hirano thought the baby could benefit from treatment / AP In February this year doctors at GOSH, who had consulted the opinions of international experts on whether the treatment could benefit the baby, said his condition had progressed too far. On Monday, representatives for Charlie's parents admitted that the boy's muscles have now deteriorated too badly for the treatment to work. But they said this was due to the baby having been "left to lie in hospital" during court proceedings while the window to treat him disappeared. Loading.... How has the hospital responded? GOSH said the hearts of its staff go out to Ms Yates and Mr Gard, who it said "face the most difficult decision that any parent should ever have to make". However, it a spokesman said, the chance of NBT helping Charlie passed several months agoC5519186005001 Charlie Gard's parents' statement in full - 'We are sorry we could not save you' A statement issued by the hospital read: "Charlie started having seizures before Christmas, those being a recognised complication of [his condition]. "Shortly before the planned ethics committee application, he suffered increased seizure frequency and likely severe epileptic encephalopathy. "The entire treating team - acknowledged by the mitochondrial centres in New York and Rome to be their equal - formed the view that Charlie had suffered irreversible neurological damage and that as a result, any chance that NBT might have had of benefitting Charlie had departed. "That sad conclusion led to the best interests application made in February and decided by the High Court on 11 April 2017." The parents want to take Charlie Gard home to spend their final moments with the terminally ill baby / PA Was Charlie's brain irreversibly damaged? Charlies parents believed that his brain was not damaged and that it was normal in an MRI scan in January. They said treatment could have been effective in the months that followed. The hospital disagreed. It said: "GOSH treats patients and not scans. All aspects of the clinical picture and all of Charlies observations indicated that his brain was irreversibly damaged and that NBT was futile. "Those were the Judges findings in April, upheld on appeal in May and on further appeal in June." Is Charlie in pain? GOSH has said that since the best interests hearing was decided months ago, Charlie could have been in pain. It said Charlie shows "physical responses to stressors" and that when two international experts assessed him last week, they thought they detected a "pain response". The hospital said: "If Charlie has had a relationship with the world around him since his best interests were determined, it has been one of suffering." Ms Yates and Mr Gard have now said they want to withdraw life support to spare the baby suffering. Protestors hold up signs outside the Royal Courts of Justice / Reuters What did the European Court of Human Rights rule in the case? The European Court of Human Right moved not to intervene in the case on Tuesday, June 27. In a statement, the European Court announced that it had by a majority "endorsed in substance" the approach by the UK courts "and thus declared the application inadmissible". It said UK courts "had been meticulous, thorough and reviewed at three levels of jurisdiction with clear and extensive reasoning giving relevant and sufficient support for their conclusions". What is mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome? Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome refers to the group of autosomal recessive disorders that cause a significant drop in mitochondrial DNA in tissues. In Charlie's case, the youngsters cells are unable to transfer energy to his muscles, kidneys and brain. Charlie Gard suffers from a form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. / PA The condition is typically fatal in infancy, though in rare cases some people survive into their teenage years. There is no known curative treatment for the disease, though some treatments have shown a reduction in symptoms. It is extremely rare, with reportedly only dozens of children across the world believed to be affected by the condition. I nternational trade secretary Liam Fox is urging new consideration to whether chlorinated chicken, banned in the UK, could be made legal to ease the road to a quick trade agreement with the US after Brexit. The UK has long abstained from importing chicken from the US, one of the largest poultry exporters in the world, because of a law against chlorine-washing the carcasses. The EU banned chlorine-washed chicken in 1997 over food safety concerns. Mr Fox has hit out at criticisms in the media, asking British journalists at a conference in Washington DC how they coped when they worked out of the US capital. The British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement, said Mr Fox. Packaging for an organic chicken explains its higher welfare standards on a US shop shelf / REUTERS What is chlorinated chicken? A widespread practice in the US, chlorine-washing involves spraying carcasses after slaughtering with an antimicrobial solution to kill bacteria and other pathogens. According to right-wing think tank the Adam Smith Institute, it reduces prevalence of salmonella from 14 to two per cent. What do we do in the UK? The EU allows washing only with cold air or water. The UK follows the farm to fork approach, reducing salmonella contamination at other stages of processing not reliant on the get-out of an antimicrobial rinse at the end of the process. Why are people worried about chlorine washing? The chlorine wash itself is thought by both the USDA and EU food safety regulator EFSA to be safe when the chicken is consumed in moderation. But health campaigners say its use encourages poor hygiene practises in farms and abattoirs as workers rely on the chemical to rinse the meat of harmful substances at the end of the slaughtering process. Why would we want any? It is thought that in striking a trade deal with the US post-Brexit, accepting chlorine-washed chicken would smooth the way. The topic has been a big bone of contention in EU-US relations since the 1997 ban, and the row has even found its way to disputes at the World Trade Organisation. The Adam Smith Institute has made bold claims that importing chicken from the US could cut prices for UK consumers by up to 21 per cent. Will Liam Fox eat one? James McGrory of Open Britain said: If the International Trade Secretary wants the public trust him, he needs to take the opportunity while hes in the US to devour a chlorine-washed chicken live on camera. The choice of recipe is up to him. The proof of the chicken is in the eating. He must be the only Fox who doesnt want to eat one. But Mr Fox has batted away questions over whether he would personally eat the chlorine-washed meat. A family blasted in a shocking road rage rant by the man behind Sir David Attenborough's famous wildlife documentaries have described the former BBC producer as acting "like a demented Basil Fawlty". Fergus Beeley, who produced some of the wildlife veteran's most famous series including Planet Earth, was filmed calling a grandmother an old s*** during his three-minute tirade on the M27 in Hampshire. The foul-mouthed rant was filmed by Simon Gale, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, who told The Sun: He was like a demented Basil Fawlty. It would have been a comedy if it wasnt so scary. He kept shouting he was going to make a citizens arrest. It was just bizarre. You could almost see the steam coming from his ears. He was saying Get ready to die. Who says that? In the footage, the award-winning producer can be seen repeatedly telling the family they had assaulted him and he was placing them under citizens arrest. He accused the family of assaulting him and said he wanted to place them under 'citizen's arrest' At one point he can be seen telling a passenger I do want you dead before trying to force open his car door. Mr Gale's wife Louise, the couple's 14-year-old son Josh and Mrs Gale's 50-year-old mum Julie were also targeted in the attack. The teenager was branded a "slob" and the grandmother "an old s***" Mrs Gale told the newspaper: He was a vile bully to say that to a kid. Josh was really shaken up. That bloke was absolutely off his rocker. Police were called to the road rage incident, but said the two men involved decided not to pursue a complaint. T he council boss leading the response to the Grenfell Tower disaster owns a 1 million second home on the Isle of Wight originally bought through a family trust and a company registered to an offshore tax haven. Elizabeth Campbells farmhouse, in the village of Hamstead, was purchased in 1996 by Ridewell Holdings Limited, a company based in the British Virgin Islands, the Standard has learned. The firm was owned by a family trust set up by the Kensington and Chelsea council leaders late father. The property was kept in the fund for more than two decades. Today Mrs Campbell said ownership transferred to her from the fund last week and that all proper taxes have always been paid on the property. Elizabeth Campbell, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, owns a riverside farmhouse in the Isle of Wight Community campaigners said the arrangement showed Mrs Campbell was out of touch with many of the people she represents, including survivors of the blaze, which left about 80 dead. Joe Delaney, from the Grenfell Action Group, said: Councillor Campbell, who pretends that she finally gets it and understands the plight of residents in such dire circumstances, is actually as out of touch as the rest of the council and those responsible. Yvette Williams, from the Justice4Grenfell group, said the revelations would be incredibly damaging to survivors trust in the council. Elizabeth Campbell's Chelsea home She said: She is unconnected to the everyday person in Britain. She has no idea about reality for ordinary people. According to neighbours in the Isle of Wight the stunning cottage sits next to Newtown River, about 20 miles west along the coast from the Royal Yacht Squadron, a club founded in London in the 1800s for which Mrs Campbells husband, Colin, is a listed director. The council chief lives at her family home in a street off Kings Road in Chelsea, where terrace townhouses are worth up to 6 million. Of the Isle of Wight house, she told the Standard: The property is now owned by me personally. All proper taxes have always been paid on this property. "People will judge me for what I do over the coming days, weeks and months for the survivors of the tragic fire at Grenfell. "This is my utmost focus and priority. They can already judge me on my track record running services for young people and families across the borough. Mrs Campbell faced repeated calls to stand down at a full council meeting last week. She faced boos, heckling and shouts of shame on you and resign from the public gallery as victims of last months fire wait to be rehoused. She has previously acknowledged the community does not trust her or the council and admitted she had never been into a flat in any of the boroughs high-rise buildings. Emma Dent Coad, the Labour MP for Kensington, criticised Mrs Campbell and said she needed to explain herself further to survivors. She said: I dont mind people having second, third, or even fourth homes. We have very rich people in Kensington who pay their taxes, are absolutely aligned with their community, and work closely with them with no fanfare. But questions must be asked about a property registered offshore for so long and then transferred. For Grenfell survivors, who could never dream of owning a second home let alone being able to place it in an offshore tax haven, this must be explained to their total satisfaction if she wishes to gain their trust. Wealthy individuals and foreigners using offshore companies to buy UK properties has long been an issue of concern as it is often used as a way of keeping property ownership secret. In terms of her response to the Grenfell disaster, Mrs Campbell said she has promised to build more social housing across the borough. She said she ordered council reserves to be used to buy 31 homes in Hortensia Road for Grenfell victims. She revealed five more flats in Kensington were purchased on Friday, that there is a plan to buy a further 15 and that 68 flats in Kensington Row will also be allocated to survivors. She said: Judge me on my actions as my residents will in the council elections next year. S wiss police are hunting for a man suspected of injuring five people in a chainsaw attack on a health insurer's office in the northern town of Schaffhausen. A CCTV still handed out by detectives shows the chilling moment the suspect walks the streets immediately before the assault carrying a large gym bag that may have contained the weapon. Police warned the man was "psychologically unstable" as they said he was still at large despite an overnight police search. Franz Wrousis, 51, is not thought to have crossed the border into Germany, said a spokesperson for the neighbouring German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, according to Swiss news agency SDA. On Monday afternoon, police said they had located the Volkswagen minivan the suspect was believed to have driven. Suspect: Police released an image of the man they believed to be involved (Schaffhausen Police) / Schaffhausen police They did not say what was inside the van, which had registration plates from Graubuenden, or elaborate on its condition. More than 100 police officers descended on Schaffhausen's old town on Monday amid reports that an unidentified male had launched a chainsaw attack on staff at a branch of insurance firm CSS. Police released a description of Mr Wrousis, describing him as dangerous. Police shut down the old town of Schaffhausen on Monday afternoon / EPA He is believed to be bald, around 190cm tall, with an unkempt appearance, detectives said, and thought to have been living in a wooded area close to the town. The assault took place close to a McDonald's store in the Muller-Bluck area of the town, news agency Reuters reported. Cindy Beer, from the areas police force, told local media that the victims had been injured with a chainsaw, and detectives later added that it was believed the suspect was still carrying the weapon. It is not being treated as a terrorist incident. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condemned the bomb attack in Kabul and said India stood in solidarity with the people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism. At least 24 people were killed and 42 wounded after a car bomb struck a bus carrying government employees in western Kabul today. advertisement "Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Kabul. My heart goes out to the victims families," Modi tweeted. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast. "We stand in solidarity with people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism," Modi added. The car bomb hit the bus carrying employees of the ministry of mines just before 7 am (8 am IST), according to interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. PTI AKK BDS --- ENDS --- C ara Delevingne may only have a handful of film credits to her name but shes already being tipped for an Academy Award. Director Luc Besson praised her performance in his latest film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and said her acting skills are Oscar-worthy. I test Cara a lot, she was just perfect, he said at the films European premiere. I dont think shes a model. I think shes a natural born actress and she will make a lot of film. Shes an actress. Asked if she could ever win the prestigious award he said: Probably. Shes as good as that. And in the film when you watch her shes stealing the show. Praise: Luc Besson with producer Virginie Besson-Silla / Dave Benett Delevingne plays Sergeant Laureline alongside Dane Dehaan in Bessons new sci-fi film. She said she found it crazy to be added to the list of female actresses Besson has worked with. TODO: define component type brightcove Its just really crazy that Im standing here today after being in one of his films, she said. After all the incredible women he puts in his films. Im so thankful that he chose me. The model-turned-actress told fans she was shaking like a leaf at Monday nights premiere. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 1 /25 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Rihanna & Cara Delevingne Rihanna and Cara Delevingne attend the European Premiere of "Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets" at Cineworld Leicester Square Dave Benett Rihanna & Cara Delevingne Dave Benett Cara Delevingne Dave Benett Rihanna Dave Benett Cara Delevingne Ian West/PA Dane DeHaan Ian West/PA Luc and Virginie Besson Dave Benett Dave Benett Cara Delevingne Dave Benett Tallia Storm Dave Benett Clara Paget Dave Benett Craig Lawson Ian West/PA Tiffany Watson Dave Benett Gemma Collins PA Jorgi Porter Dave Benett Sasha Luss Tim P. Whitby/Getty Pauline Hoarau Tim P. Whitby/Getty Pauline Hoarau, Aymeline Valade & Sasha Luss Dave Benett Carla Howe Ian West/PA She later came close to tears after she spotted three generations of her family waving down at her from a balcony above the cinema, telling Edith Bowman: Im actually going to cry. Set in the 28th Century, Valerian follows special operatives Valerian and Laureline as they race to identify a menace in a desperate bid to safeguard Alpha. It is based on the French science fiction comics series, Valerian and Laureline. Rihanna and Clive Owen also star. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is slated for UK cinema release on August 2. K em Cetinay may have found himself a girlfriend on Love Island but hes turning all of his attention to his new bromance. The Essex model has contacted Stormzy to arrange a date to meet up and record a track. Kem who won this years ITV2 dating show with Amber Davies tweeted the grime artist first thing on Tuesday morning in a bid to kick start his rap career. He tweeted: Yo my g @Stormzy1 what you saying... track soon come. Fans: Chris Hughes and Kem Cetinay entertained the villa with their rapping / ITV Stormzy replied: Oiiiiii MAN LIKE KEMMMMMMM don't gas me. The legend is home. Clearly excited with the response, Kem quickly fired back: My absolute guyyyyyyyy, seriously though come round mine asap clip abit of food, catch-up then get to writing.. Bars at the ready. Stormzy said he would seriously call him when hes back in the UK from Australia. But one fan of the show was concerned Kems friend Chris Hughes had been forgotten, tweeting: You cant leave @chrishughes_22 out of the equation. Addressing his concerns, Stormzy replied: Chris knows he's invited that's my f****** guy as well. Chris Love Island interest Olivia Attwood might not be so enthusiastic about a collaboration. Stormzy tweeted that Chris was too good for her which was later read out in a task, leaving Olivia fuming. The London-born artist later apologised to Olivia after he was linked up to the house via a video call. On spotting her in the room while offering some musical advice to Kem and Chris he said: No Liv, oh jeez. Yo Liv, no hard feelings man, no hard feelings. T om Sturridge reportedly collapsed on stage while performing a torture scene during the Broadway production of 1984. The British actor is thought to have fainted in front of the audience at the weekend after becoming dehydrated and was taken off stage in a stretcher. Sturridge collapsed over the weekend onstage during a torture scene. It was wild. He was dehydrated and taken out on a stretcher, a source told the New York Post. The 31-year-old was apparently feeling unwell during the last act of the play, but insisted on continuing with the performance. Powerful: Tom Sturridge on stage in 1984 / AP Tom seemed a little out of it as the end of the play neared - but he kept going. When the curtain was brought down, the cast didn't come out for bows, the source added. [Instead] there was an announcement asking if there was a doctor in the house. Sturridge has a daughter with British actress Sienna Miller, who is currently on stage in the West End production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Jennifer Lawrence was also apparently affected by the gruesome torture scene in the play and was reportedly forced to leave the theatre during a performance last week. The Oscar-winner had to bolt from her seat half way through the play as she had been suffering from stomach flu. A number of theatre-goers fainted during performances earlier in the year, prompting cast member Olivia Wilde to tweet a warning. Sending my love to those 4 people who fainted in the audience. Warning: this is not your grandma's Broadway. Hope all are ok!, she wrote. D octor Whos Pearl Mackie has announced shell be leaving the show after the Christmas special, meaning Jodie Whittaker will be getting a new Tardis-mate. The actress, who played assistant Bill Potts, revealed that she will be following in Peter Capaldis footsteps and making her departure after the tenth series. No, thats it Christmas special, last chance to see Bill, she said at the San Diego Comic Con. Her exit means that new Doctor Jodie Whittaker will be in need of an assistant. Doctor Who Time Lords - In pictures 1 /22 Doctor Who Time Lords - In pictures David Tennant PA William Hartnell BBC Peter Capaldi BBC Matt Smith BBC Jodie Whittaker BBC Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt PA Matt Smith and David Tennant PA Christopher Ecclestone BBC Paul McGann BBC Sylvester McCoy BBC Colin Baker PA Peter Davison BBC Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison and Richard Hurndall in the Five Doctors (1983) BBC Tom Baker BBC Jon Pertwee PA Patrick Troughton BBC Image from the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who with William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Ecclestonem, David Tennant and Matt Smith BBC Ever since the Broadchurch star was announced as the new Doctor, rumours have been swirling as to who could join her in the Tardis. Kris Marshall is one name tipped to be the next companion and he certainly has gap in his schedule after quitting BBC detective series Death in Paradise. Doctor Who: Former Time Lords clash over female Doctor It will be all change for the sci-fi series when it returns for its 11th series next year. As well as Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie, showrunner Steven Moffat will also be leaving the production, replaced by Mark Chibnall. Meanwhile Matt Lucas will not be reprising his role as Nardole and Michelle Gomez, who played Missy wont return after series ten either. Doctor Who returns for the Christmas special later this year. Ram Nath Kovind, 71, is second Dalit President after KR Narayanan to walk into the 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan. By India Today Web Desk: Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th President of India in the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday. The following is the full text of the speech delivered by him. "Respected Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji, Shri Hamid Ansari ji, Shri Narendra Modi ji, Shrimati Sumitra Mahajan ji, Shri Justice J. S. Khehar ji, Excellencies, advertisement Honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Fellow Citizens I thank you for electing me to the responsibility of the President of India, and I enter this office with all humility. Coming here to Central Hall has brought back so many memories. I have been a Member of Parliament and here, in this very Central Hall, have had discussions with many of you. Often we agreed, sometimes we disagreed. But we learnt to respect each other. And that is the beauty of democracy. I grew up in a mud house, in a small village. My journey has been a long one, and yet this journey is hardly mine alone. It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution - of ensuring Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra. I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me. I am conscious I am following in the footsteps of stalwarts such as Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and my immediate predecessor, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, whom we address out of affection as Pranab Da. Our Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi. Later, Sardar Patel integrated our nation. Principal architect of our Constitution Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar instilled in us the value of human dignity and of the republican ethic. These leaders did not believe that simply political freedom was enough. For them, it was crucial to also achieve economic and social freedom for millions of our people. We would be completing 70 years of our Independence soon. We are also well into the second decade of the 21st century, a century that so many of us intuitively believe will be an Indian century, guided and shaped by India and its accomplishments. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. For us, those two touchstones can never be separate. They are and must forever be linked. advertisement The key to India's success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique. In this land we find a mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more. We are so different and yet so similar and united. The India of the 21st century will be one that is in conformity with our ancient values as well as compliant with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There is no dichotomy there, no question of choice. We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India. As the gram panchayat must determine our consultative and community based problem solving, the Digital Republic must help us leapfrog developmental milestones. These are the twin pillars of our national endeavour. Nations are not built by governments alone. The government can at best be a facilitator, and a trigger for society's innate entrepreneurial and creative instincts. Nation building requires national pride: - We take pride in the soil and water of India; - We take pride in the diversity, religious harmony and inclusive ethos of India; advertisement - We take pride in the culture, heritage and spirituality of India; - We take pride in our fellow citizens; - We take pride in our work; and - We take pride in the little things we do every day. Each citizen of India is a nation builder. Each one of us is a custodian of India's well-being and of the legacy that we will pass on to coming generations. - The armed forces that protect our borders and keep us safe are nation builders. - Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are nation builders. - That farmer toiling in the blazing sun to feed fellow citizens is a nation builder. And we must never forget that so much of our farm labour comprises women. - That scientist concentrating tirelessly and 24 x 7 to send an Indian space mission to Mars, or invent a vaccine, is a nation builder. - That nurse or doctor helping the sick to recover and fighting disease in a remote village, is a nation builder. - That young person who founds a start-up and becomes a job creator is a nation builder. The start-up could be on a small farm, converting mangoes to pickles. Or in an artisans' village, weaving carpets. Or at a laboratory lit up by giant screens. advertisement - That tribal and ordinary citizen striving to preserve our ecology, our forests, our wildlife, to push back climate change and to advance the cause of renewable energy, is a nation builder. - That committed and driven public servant who works beyond the call of duty, whether on a flooded road, directing traffic; or in a quiet room, poring over detailed files, is a nation builder. - That self-less teacher who equips young children and shapes their destinies, is a nation builder. - Those countless women who take care of families with so many other responsibilities, at home and work, and raise children to become ideal citizens, are nation builders. People elect their representatives from the Gram Panchayat to Parliament. They vest their will and hopes in these representatives. In turn, the people's representatives devote their lives to the service of nation. But, our endeavours are not for ourselves alone. Down the ages, India has believed in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the World is My Family. It is appropriate that the land of Lord Buddha should lead the world in its search for peace, tranquility and ecological balance. India's voice counts in today's world. The entire planet is drawn to Indian culture and soft power. The global community looks to us for solutions to international problems - whether terrorism, money laundering or climate change. In a globalised world, our responsibilities are also global. This links us to our global family, our friends and partners abroad, and our diaspora, that contributes in so many ways across the world. It brings us to the support of other nations, whether by extending the umbrella of the International Solar Alliance or being first respondents following natural disasters. We have achieved a lot as a nation, but the effort to do more, to do better and to do faster should be relentless. This is especially so as we approach the 75th Year of our independence in 2022. What must also bother us is our ability to enhance access and opportunity for the last person and the last girl-child from an under-privileged family if I may put it so, in the last house in the last village. This must include a quick and affordable justice delivery system in all judicial forums. The citizens of this country are the real source of strength to me. I am confident that they will continue to give me the energy to serve the nation. We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji. These are integral to our sense of humanism. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities. This will be the India of the 21st century. Thank you very much! Jai Hind Vande Mataram" Also Read: Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as India's 14th President; accept role with humility, he says All you need to know about Ram Nath Kovind, 14th President of India 15 initiatives President Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for Ram Nath Kovind set to enter Rashtrapati Bhavan: All about 340-room Raisina Hill palace BJP's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind: An ardent dog lover ALSO WATCH: From Paraunkh to Raisina: Ram Nath Kovind's journey to Rashtrapati Bhavan WATCH VIDEO: Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India, says key to country's success is its diversity --- ENDS --- By PTI: By Lalit K Jha Washington, Jul 25 (PTI) US President Donald Trump today hailed Senator John McCain as an "American hero" for returning to Washington to take key votes on repealing Obamacare despite being diagnosed with brain cancer. "So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John," Trump tweeted. advertisement McCain, recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, will return to the Senate today to cast a critical vote on the Republican health care bill. The 80-year-old Senator, who underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye early this month, was diagnosed with a brain tumour known as a glioblastoma. The Presidents tweet comes just over two years after the then-presidential candidate said McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured during the Vietnam War, was not a war hero because he was captured. The Senator, who Chairs the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, has also been very critical of Trumps policies in particularly those on the foreign policy and national security front. McCains office last night announced that he would return to the United States Senate today -- a surprise to most in Washington who expected him to miss the crucial vote and return to Washington at a later date. McCain is expected to get GOP leadership one vote closer to beginning debate on health care legislation, which is on the verge of collapsing. "Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the US Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defence Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," his office said. McCains presence on the Senate floor is seen as key to the possible passage of the health care bill, which is a top priority for Trump. With just 52 seats, the ruling Republican party has a wafer-thin majority in the 100 member Senate. Trump in another tweet said that this would be another interesting day for healthcare. "This will be a very interesting day for HealthCare. The Dems are obstructionists but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people!" he said. PTI LKJ PMS --- ENDS --- By PTI: (Eds: Updating with the latest toll, additional details) Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI) Twelve people, including an infant and seven women, were killed and 11 others injured when a four-storey residential building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar today, civic officials said. According to residents of the ill-fated Siddhi-Sai Cooperative Housing Society, the pillars of the building got weakened due to ongoing renovation of a nursing home located on its ground floor, reportedly owned by a local Shiv Sena leader. advertisement "Until 9 pm, 23 people were extricated from under the rubble, out of whom 12 were declared dead while 11 injured have been admitted in various hospitals," said Mahesh Narvekar, Head, Disaster Management cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Out of the injured, six persons were discharged later in afternoon, he said. When asked whether the search and rescue operation was called off, the officer said it would continue. A total of 60 NDRF jawans along with sniffer dogs were pressed into service. According to the official, sniffer dogs helped in rescuing two people alive from under the debris. The deceased were identified as: Ranjanben Shah, V Renuka, Sulakshana Khanchandani, Mansukh Gajjar, Mikulkhan Chandani, Pandharinath Dongre, Rutvi Shah, Krishu Dongre, Manorma Dongre, Amrita Thak, Divya Azmera and Kishore Khanchandani. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the building collapse site tonight. "An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days," he said. Meanwhile, the police have detained one Sunil Shitap, said to be the owner of the nursing home on the ground floor of the building. "Prima facie, it appears that the accused was carrying out illegal renovation in the building. At this juncture, it will not be appropriate to give other details as investigations are underway and available information needs verification," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Deven Bharti. Shitap was booked under sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) Sources said Shitap is a leader of the Sena. Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud sound, similar to that of lightning in the morning as the building crumbled in a massive heap of rubble. The structure, located in Ghatkopars Damodar Park area, housed around 15 families. "When I came out of my building, I found a lot of dust, cries of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapse," an eyewitness said. advertisement According to a local resident, it was a 35-year-old structure. The city and its suburbs received heavy rains over the last several days, though there has been some respite since yesterday with downpour giving way to intermittent showers. The Mumbai Police blocked the traffic on Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a green corridor to rush those rescued to hospitals. Rajesh Diyora, a resident of the ill-fated structure, said some commercial activity was being carried out on the ground floor and that might have led to the collapse. The building was not listed among those in dangerous category, as per local residents. According to a written reply by the government in the Legislative Assembly about unsafe buildings in the metropolis, a survey by the BMC earlier this year had identified 617 such structures. These buildings were termed as "dilapidated" in the survey report. The BMC has initiated action on the report under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. In all, 112 such buildings were vacated, while 42 were referred to the technical advisory committee to decide their fate. advertisement The BMC has also submitted an affidavit in the Bombay High Court regarding 45 buildings identified as dangerous for habitation where people continue to live. Meanwhile, Narvekar said the civic body has shifted the affected people and the survivors in three municipal schools nearby. Locals who helped the Fire Brigade and NDRF jawans said the building seemed to be in a "good condition" and it couldnt have collapsed without a damage caused to its core structure. They said the nursing home didnt have many patients as it was being renovated. Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar visited the spot and said a proper inquiry will be conducted into the incident. Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta also visited the site and reviewed the rescue and search operation. He announced setting up a committee, comprising deputy municipal commissioners, to inquire into the cause of the incident, which he said would submit its report within 15 days. After visiting the spot, Congress leader and MLA Naseem Khan said prima facie BMC has failed to curb the ongoing alteration in the building. "The alteration work involving the buildings core structure was going on since the last eight days, and despite some residents raising an alarm, the BMCs Engineering department completely failed to act in time. advertisement "I am also told that the civic body did not act against the owner of the nursing home because he is a Shiv Sena leader. If this allegation is true then its a very serious matter," he said. Mumbai unit Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said the Sena-BJP alliance in power in the BMC was responsible for the incident. "Residents of the building had complained about the illegal alteration being carried out by a local Sena leader, but officials of the BMC just sat on the complaint. "The building collapsed because the Sena leader had removed a pillar. I demand strictest action against that leader," he demanded. However, the BJP Group Leader in the BMC Manoj Kotak said this is not time to do politics on the issue. "This is a very unfortunate incident. Our first and foremost priority is to help the survivors and the kin of the deceased. Its not the time to play the blame game," he said. PTI APM DC ND AVI MM VT NRB NM GK RSY NSK IKA --- ENDS --- SCOTTSBLUFF Enrollment is now open for West Nebraska Arts Centers After-School Art Program (ASAP). The goal of the seven-month program is to offer visual arts education to children in first through sixth grades using the Nebraska State Standards for Fine Arts Education as a guide. Students will create, present, respond to and connect art with the human experience. Through exploration of media painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, sculpture, applied design and technology each student will create a portfolio of their work throughout the program and have an opportunity to participate in a gallery exhibit during the month of April. Numerous studies have found that children who are involved in the arts receive various benefits including refined motor skills, greater language development, heightened cultural awareness and necessary critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly in the arts (three hours a day for three days each week through one full year) are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate. The instructor for this years program is Minatare-based artist Charla Herbert, who taught the first through third grade art program for the 2016-17 school year. She said she would like to focus on the basic understanding of art fundamentals with lots of live drawing and painting, but also to provide a welcoming environment for the students. I want students to feel at home in the art center and in their art classroom, Herbert said. The world is a beautiful place and were all free to make art in it. I give myself room to let whats upcoming and new into the curriculum, Herbert said. If something is making waves in the art world, well bring that into the classroom. Herbert said a popular portion of last years program was when staff from the Riverside Discovery Center brought in animals for the students enrolled in ASAP, allowing them to become immersed in a hands-on interaction with the subject matter they were capturing. The little kids just loved that, Herbert said. We had lizards and turtles, and they had so much texture, so we focused on the texture and creating texture in our paintings. They were so willing to do anything, and they just jump right in and have no qualms. And its the unrepentant zeal students have for creating that really sticks out, Herbert said. Were born artists, its life that beats it out of us, Herbert said. The younger they are, the more they think theyre just fantastic which they are. They come in bringing all the beautiful feelings about their life and the world around them, I just direct them to see the things they see I give them a vocabulary to work with. Throughout the seven-month program, grades fourth through sixth will attend classes every Monday, and grades first through third will attend every Tuesday at WNAC. The cost for the program is $40 for WNAC members and $50 regular price per month, all art materials included. Price breaks are offered to those registering more than one child and scholarships are available. Deadline to register is Aug. 25. First classes for fourth through sixth grade is Monday, Aug. 28, and for first through third grade is Tuesday, Aug. 29, in the classroom at WNAC. Class size is limited and early registration is encouraged. For further details about the After-School Art Program, visit the WNAC website at thewnac.com, call the office at 308-632-2226 or email WNAC Program Manager Maria Lena Soto at lena@thewnac.com. Support for ASAP is provided by The West Nebraska Arts Center, Platte Valley Companies, the North Platte Valley Artist Guild, the Panhandle Shrine Club, and the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. GERING A plan to upgrade the states 911 emergency communications into the smartphone age got its first viewing at a July 20 hearing before the Nebraska Public Service Commission, but the way forward is still unclear. Authorized by the state legislature, the commission has been working with the public safety consulting firm Mission Critical Partners to make a smooth transition to Next Generation 911. Scotts Bluff County Consolidated Communications Director Ray Richards said the 100-plus page report came out 1 days before the hearing. Consequently, not many people have had a chance to study it in detail. During the public comments section, most of us said we didnt have time to read it, Richards said. Next Generation 911 is described as any device, anywhere, anytime. Its been talked about for years and allows for both video and text messages to be sent to an emergency 911 call center. Were moving ahead quickly with technology, Richards said But we still have to go backward to make sure the new technology is compatible with the old stuff. Starting in 1968, the original 911 system could only identify emergencies at fixed addresses. The second phase, which Scotts Bluff County has used for several years, can also identify the location of cellular phones and mobile laptops in emergency vehicles. With 74 emergency 911 call centers across Nebraska, the state encourages regionalization so that the cost of expensive new technology can be shared among multiple centers. Richards said the Scotts Bluff County Call Center is a bit ahead of the curve because it already shares some of its technology with other call centers. There are some rural centers that are far behind the technology curve, and the report gives some encouragement for them to work regionally, he said. Central Nebraska saves millions on telephone equipment because there are four or five big call centers using the same equipment. However, one option presented in the Mission Critical Partners draft report would combine the states 70-plus call centers into a smaller number maybe six to 10. Richards sees regionalization as a solution. If the state were to manage the call centers, questions over liability, funding, human resources and numerous other variables would have to be hammered out. As the draft report was presented, more and more questions started to build up, he said. We need some time to study it before moving forward. A second hearing will be scheduled at a location other than Lincoln to hear more input. That could happen as soon as late August. The Public Service Commission hopes to have a report ready for state senators when the legislature reconvenes in early January 2018. We can already see some of the parts that will make up Next Generation 911, Richards said. We need a plan to give it order and clarity and a timeline to have it done. The federal government has given the states until 2020 to have Next Generation 911 up and running. Both in my office and when I travel our state, Nebraskans often describe how federal regulations act as obstacles to their success. Thats why one of my priorities in the Senate has been to cut government red tape. Doing so helps Nebraska families and communities thrive. From tackling the Obama administrations Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which would have decreased local control over our water resources, to finding reform for how federal agencies operate and approach rulemaking, I have focused on taking power out of the hands of federal regulators and putting it where it belongs: with the people who spend every day working hard to provide for their families. We have had some success. Since the Obama administration first proposed the WOTUS rule, I have sounded the alarm about the negative effects it would have on all Nebraskans. In February, President Trump answered the call and signed an executive order rolling back this unnecessary regulation. Stopping the rule will prevent increased costs for county road maintenance officials, our natural resource districts and ag producers by eliminating local control of our water resources. The agencies are already making progress. I havent stopped there. Since 2013, I have worked on a solution to fix the flawed structure of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Headed by a single director, the CFPB increases the regulatory burden on small businesses and families without fully considering the impact on those who have to comply with its rulemaking and enforcement actions. In fact, in 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled the CFPB structure unconstitutional. My Consumer Financial Protection Board Act would address this by replacing the single director of the CFPB with a bipartisan board of directors comprised of five individuals. This much-needed structural adjustment would bring accountability and fairness to the bureau. In June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury confirmed what Ive been saying for years about the structural adjustments to the bureau and recommended similar changes my bill would make to the CFPB. We also need to change how regulators approach the work of rulemaking. In 2015, for example, federal agencies added more than 80,000 pages of regulations at the cost of $1.8 trillion to the U.S. economy. In many cases, federal agencies rely on new local and state agencies to identify and meet implementation costs rather than doing the work themselves. These mandates create burdens on state and local governments and frequently strain Nebraska businesses as well. Americans deserve to know how federal rules will affect their lives, and bureaucrats should always announce to the public the cost of their actions on the economy. Recently, Sen. James Lankford (R-Ok.) and I reintroduced the Unfunded Mandates and Information Transparency Act. This regulatory reform bill would close loopholes that allow federal agencies to impose mandates on states, local governments and the private sector without first providing a transparent accounting of their costs. This allows those who will be bound by new regulations to better understand what the impact of these new rules will be. Advocates for cutting regulations also received reinforcements recently when the Senate confirmed Neomi Rao to serve as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget, the administrations top regulatory position. I was pleased to vote in support of Neomi Raos confirmation as OIRA administrator because I am hopeful she will cut through reams of government red tape and eliminate misguided federal regulations that hurt families in Nebraska. Its time for federal regulators to be held accountable to the people. Thats why Nebraskans sent me to Washington, and thats what Ive been working to accomplish. Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week. This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page Published: 25 July 2017 Finlands preliminary population figure 5,507,101 at the end of June New releases will not be produced on preliminary population statistics any more in 2017. Revised figures concerning 2017 will be released at a later date to be announced separately. According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, Finland's population at the end of June was 5,507,101. During January-June Finland's population increased by 3,804 persons, which is 1,805 persons less than in the preliminary data the year before. The reason for the population increase was migration gain from abroad: the number of immigrants was 6,324 higher than that of emigrants. There was no natural population growth, since deaths exceeded births by 2,520 persons. Population increase by month 20142017* According to the preliminary statistics for January-June 2017, a total of 24,937 children were born, which is 1,693 fewer than in the corresponding period 2016. The number of deaths was 27,457, which is 44 higher than one year earlier. Altogether 12,772 persons immigrated to Finland from abroad and 6,448 persons emigrated from Finland during January-June period. The number of immigrants was 1,493 lower and the number of emigrants 1,425 lower than in the previous year. In all, 3,531 of the immigrants and 4,220 of the emigrants were Finnish citizens. According to the preliminary data, the number of inter-municipal migrations totalled 128,320 by the end of June. Compared with the previous year, the increase was 3,960 migrations according to the municipal division of 2017. Same-sex marriages took legal effect in March 2017. A total of 148 women and 73 men entered into marriage in which the spouse was of the same sex during March-June period. In all, 1,279 women and 674 men changed their registered partnership into marriage. According to preliminary data by region, the population grew only in Uusimaa, Varsinais-Suomi, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Aland in the early part of 2017. The population grew most in absolute numbers in Uusimaa, where it grew by 10,406 persons. The next largest increase in population was seen in Varsinais-Suomi, 699 persons. Relative to the population, population increase was highest in Aland, 8.4 per mil, in Uusimaa, 6.4 per mil and in Varsinais-Suomi, 1.5 per mil. Population loss was highest in absolute numbers in the region of Lapland that lost 1,089 persons of its population. The population of Kymenlaakso decreased by 904 persons. Relative to the population, the biggest population loss was also found in Lapland, 6 per mil. Most migration gain from intramunicipal and international migration was collected by Uusimaa, 8,335 persons and Varsinais-Suomi, 1,127 persons. Most migration gain in relative terms based on total net migration was attained by Aland, 6.7 per mil and Uusimaa, 5.1 per mil. In absolute numbers, migration loss from total net migration was biggest in the region of Lapland, 728 persons. In the region of Ostrobothnia the loss was 682 persons. In relative terms, the biggest migration loss from total net migration was found in the region of Lapland, 4 per mil of the population. During the first half of 2017, migration between regions numbered 58,834, which was 2,685 moves greater than in the previous year. The positive gain from migration between regions was seen in Uusimaa, Varsinais-Suomi, Pirkanmaa and Aland. In absolute numbers, the highest gain from migration between regions was received by Uusimaa, 5,841 persons. The relative migration gain was also highest in Uusimaa, 3.6 per mil of the population. Migration loss from migration between regions was biggest in absolute numbers in the region of Ostrobothnia, 1,128 persons. Migration loss from migration between regions was also biggest in relative terms in the region of Ostrobothnia, 6.2 per mil of the population. Source: Preliminary population statistics, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Matti Saari 029 551 3401, Joonas Toivola 029 551 3355, info@stat.fi Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma Publication in pdf-format (287.8 kB) Updated 25.7.2017 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Preliminary population statistics [e-publication]. ISSN=2243-3627. June 2017. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 12.11.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/vamuu/2017/06/vamuu_2017_06_2017-07-25_tie_001_en.html European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu approved the financing of three road infrastructure projects, in which 407 million euro from cohesion policy funds are invested, reads a press release of the European Commission's agency in Romania sent toagerpres. on Tuesday. ""Thus, more than 336 million euro will be invested in the construction of the section between Dumbrava and Deva localities, of the western Lugoj-Deva motorway, part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), but also in the related infrastructure (bridges, intersections, tunnels ...). The time needed to drive between two cities will be reduced by one third. Another 62 million euro will be used to rehabilitate a section of the national road 6 linking the cities of Alexandria and Craiova, in the southwest of the country, in order to improve road safety and reduce travel time by three quarters of an hour," the document reads. Likewise, about 9 million euro will finance the construction of the road section between the western cities of Timisoara and Lugoj, as well as a bypass variant in the Timisoara area. "These projects, funded by the European Union, have the threefold objective of improving road safety, contributing to the economic development of the regions concerned and strengthening territorial cohesion in Romania," the European Commissioner for Regional Policy stated. Gurpal Atwal, 45-year-old Labour councillor for Oadby and Wigston in Leicester, was denied a licence to run a taxi firm in Leicester following allegations against him. By India Today Web Desk: Accused of racist behaviour, an Indian-origin councillor in the UK has been banned from working as a taxi driver for a number of offences. Gurpal Atwal, 45-year-old Labour councillor for Oadby and Wigston in Leicester, was denied a licence to run a taxi firm in Leicester after a court heard a string of allegations, the Daily Mirror reported. advertisement A court also heard Atwal swore and made racist comments to a man as well as using unlicensed drivers to ferry children to school. Loughborough Magistrates Court ruled the Leicester City Councillor was "not fit and proper" to hold a taxi licence. "In essence, there were a number of allegations. From 2015, there was a consistent number of complaints, no charges, but alleged offences and contact with police. The council's single sole duty is to protect the public," Council legal representative Dave Gill said. "I was told your client is using unlicensed drivers on school runs and then he sat in his pants outside a swimming pool because he believes that's acceptable," Borough licensing enforcement officer Tracey Aldwinckle, said. Further alleged misdemeanours were outlined to the court last Friday, including claims of racism and that Atwal swore at a man. Anthony Schiller, defending, said there was "no indication" from any member of the public of aggressive or racist behaviour. He said his client has worked for over 20 years as a taxi driver in Leicester. The court heard Atwal owned a 50 per cent stake in Handsome Cars, in Leicester, and is taking his former business partner to high court in regards to a sum of about 300,000 pounds. "It's often said a business dispute can be worse than a divorce. You have to use the mythical scales of justice to make the decision," Schiller said. Atwal denied the accusations, claiming they were "all fabricated". "I am not a racist person. I treat everybody fairly. They [the statements] were all fabricated to discredit my character," he said. Judicial official refused to renew Atwal's taxi licence which runs out next year and ordered him to pay 1,250 pounds court costs. (PTI inputs) Also read: Another racial attack in USA? Telangana youth shot at in California, critical Australia: Indian priest stabbed, asked about nationality before attack Opposition rakes up US racial attacks in Parliament, government calls incidents unfortunate Also watch: Enraged Indians uninstall Snapdeal instead of Snapchat after CEO remark row --- ENDS --- advertisement Transport Minister, Razvan Cuc, asked his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivaylo Moskovski, to allow the Romanian authorities to dredge the Danube in the sector managed by the neighbour side, if a special situation occurs. Razvan Cuc on Tuesday wrote on his Facebook page that he paid a visit to his Bulgarian counterpart to identify solutions to the problems regarding the navigation's situation on the Danube and the circulation in the border check points, by ensuring several points of purchasing the road ticket for vehicles. "Romania and Bulgaria together can guarantee better conditions for the Danube navigation and can make this transport sector profitable for both countries. At the same time, we must ease the traffic at the customs' points and slash as much as we can the waiting times at the Bulgarian border. (...) I've asked Ivaylo Moskovski, the Minister of Transports, Information Technology and Communications in the Bulgarian gov't to allow the Romanian authorities to dredge the Danube in the Bulgarian-administered sector, if a special situation occurs. This way we could quickly unlock the Danube's critical sectors. I'm being assured by my Bulgarian homologue that we could find solutions, at an expert joint Committee's level on the common administration of the river sector," the minister added. Romania is attractive to investments, big investments, which is also proof of Romania's stability, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said on Tuesday. "What Philip Morris has done in Romania in fact strengthens something that has begun to be recognised: Romania is an attractive country to investments, big investments. It is a statement to those already in Romania and potential investors alike about Romania's stability and attractiveness to investments," Tudose told the release of Philip Morris International's "Together for Romania" project. He pointed out that Philip Morris's investment of about 500 million euros will create 300 jobs and generate exports of the products made here, extending thanks to Philip Morris representatives for having chosen Romania to develop the project. Philip Morris International Inc. is planning to invest approximately 490 million euros to transform its cigarette production factory in Otopeni, near Bucharest, Romania into a high-tech facility to manufacture HEETS, the tobacco units used with the electronic tobacco heating device IQOS. The conversion of the factory into a HEETS production facility has already commenced and is expected to be completed and fully operational by 2020. The investment will create about 300 additional jobs for highly-skilled employees at the Romanian facility, which currently employs approximately 600 people, according to a press statement by the company released on Tuesday. agerpres. By PTI: By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Jul 25 (PTI) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the terror attacks in Kabul and Lahore and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. Describing the attack in Kabul as "horrifying", he said the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and "may constitute a war crime". advertisement At least 26 people were killed and 41 injured after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government officials through a Shiite neighbourhood in Kabul yesterday. Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The UN chief said that he supports the efforts of the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations. A Taliban suicide bomber yesterday struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Pakistans Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Lahore, killing at least 26 people, including policemen, and wounding 58 others. Lahore police chief Capt (R) Amin Wains confirmed that it was a suicide attack and the "target was police". Meanwhile, the 15-nation Security Council also strongly condemned both the terror attacks, calling them "heinous and cowardly". The Council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions," the Council said in its statements issued separately on the Kabul and Lahore attacks. A senior official from the UN Mission in Afghanistan called the attack "cowardly". "I am personally outraged by all attacks against civilians," said Pernille Kardel, the UN Secretary-Generals Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. "The detonation of another large suicide device in a busy, civilian-populated area is egregious, cowardly and bereft of humanity," Kardel said. Suicide attacks are the leading cause of civilian casualties this year, according to a midyear report of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on civilian protection released last week. The Kabul attack came amid planned commemorations for the July 2016 Dehmazang square attack which claimed the lives of hundreds of people, many from the so-called Enlightened Movement, a coalition of civil society activities, protesting for Hazara minority rights. advertisement "In the context of so much suffering and death, I wish to commend members of the Enlightenment Movement for choosing to address their grievances resulting from last years attack through dialogue, not violence," said Kardel, who is the acting chief of UNAMA. PTI YAS CPS --- ENDS --- Updated at 12:25 p.m. Centene Corp., one of the biggest insurers in the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces, is urging the federal government to preserve cost-sharing payments for low-income customers to avoid hurting millions of people. The Clayton-based health insurer said Tuesday a better-than-expected performance in those individual insurance markets enabled it to beat Wall Street expectations in the second quarter and raise its forecast for 2017. But Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff, like other insurance executives, is worried about the fate of cost-sharing reduction payments that ease expenses like deductibles for people with low incomes. Money for those payments has made it into Congressional bills that aim to dismantle the Obama-era law, but the fate of that legislation is uncertain. Republicans have challenged those payments in court, and President Donald Trump has offered no guarantees that they will continue beyond this month. Neidorff said those payments and some other government support will be crucial to stabilize the exchanges, which have been marred by dwindling choices and soaring prices. "Any intentional act to stop these ... payments does not advance the debate on how to fix our health care delivery system," he said. "It only hurts the millions of Americans who currently have affordable health care insurance in the marketplace. The leadership in Washington bears the responsibility to ensure that is not happening." Centene covers more than 1 million people through the law's state-based health insurance exchanges, which let people shop for coverage and then buy a plan with help from an income-based tax credit. While big national carriers like UnitedHealth and Aetna have retreated from this market, Centene has switched to growth mode. Amid the uncertainty in the health care debate, Centene has continued to expand its footprint in its Obamacare business. It will offer exchange plans in Missouri in 2018, filling in what would have been 25 bare counties, or ones without an exchange plan next year. It's also expanding into exchanges in Kansas and Nevada. "Centene remains the only larger-cap publicly-traded managed care company to show strong performance in its individual exchange efforts," Cantor Fitzgerald analysts said. Analysts have said Centene does well on the exchanges because it sticks with customers it knows. The insurer specializes in managing the state and federally funded Medicaid program for the poor. On the exchanges, it markets to low-income customers in areas where it has a Medicaid presence. "They came at the exchanges from a core Medicaid business and built (care) networks around largely the same providers," said Jefferies analyst David Windley. People with low incomes are eligible for large tax credits that help keep their premiums affordable and shield them from big tax hikes. That makes it more likely they keep up with their insurance payments and renew their coverage. Neidorff didn't spell out on Tuesday what his company would do if the cost-sharing reduction payments end. But other insurers have said premiums will soar in many markets. Leerink analyst Ana Gupte said in recent note that she expects more insurers to leave the markets if the future of payments isn't clarified by September, and that could include Centene reducing its presence. But both she and Neidorff think the funding ultimately will be preserved. Neidorff said that he thinks congressional leaders won't have the appetite to leave the "most vulnerable populations" without coverage. "I am personally, and I think corporately we are, convinced that when all the dust settles there will be subsidies in some form," he said. Net earnings attributable to Centene rose to $254 million, or $1.44 per share, in the second quarter ended June 30, from $170 million, or 97 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Centene earned $1.59 per share. The company said its second-quarter earnings included a 17 cents per share net benefit related to risk adjustment under the ACA. Centene's adjusted profit of $1.42 per share was above analysts' expectations of $1.32 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. "We believe CNC is the best way to play the reform cycle with potential for multiple expansion now that Medicaid expansion and exchanges look more secure," Piper Jaffray analysts said. Revenue rose to $11.95 billion from $10.90 billion, slightly ahead of analysts' average estimate of $11.69 billion. Centene now provides coverage to 12.2 million individuals across the country, an increase from 11.4 million during the prior-year period. The Associated Press, Reuters and Samantha Liss of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Every eight years or so, the Carr School just north of downtown stands in all of its crumbling, degraded glory as a metaphor for the state of St. Louis. Built in 1908 and designed by famed architect William Ittner, the former elementary school at 1421 Carr Street has been closed since 1978. The neighborhood around it has suffered and sagged ever since, mimicking the weathered and waterlogged building once known for its dazzling brickwork and soaring arches. In 1992, Carr School was one of 11 properties in the city named to a most endangered list by the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. Many of the buildings, from the Arena on Oakland Avenue to several of the Cupples Station warehouses, have since died ignominious deaths. But Carr School survived. In 2001, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Carr School is owned by the nonprofit Carr Square Tenant Corp., which manages the mostly low-income housing that surrounds it. In 2008, heavily vandalized and boarded up, the school once again made the most endangered list. Last week, Carr School was in the news again. A 61-year-old homeless man named Edward Moore brutally attacked four other homeless people, two men and two women, with a hammer, allegedly in a dispute over personal belongings. The homeless people were sleeping inside the long vacant school. Once a glorious edifice dedicated to educating the next generation, the building has become emblematic of the problems that plague too many neighborhoods in St. Louis. Crime. Poverty. Homelessness. Neglect. They are the problems identified by U.S. District Judge Clyde S. Cahill in a uniquely opinionated court order filed in 1990 that could just as easily have been written today. In it, Cahill described that which ails St. Louis: a mix of public policies that make the poor poorer, do little to combat crime, and target neighborhoods in a way that make destroying them a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cahill was in a unique position to write such a striking opinion. He was this citys first African-American U.S. district judge, and he regularly advocated for civil rights from the bench. In 1990, Cahill was presiding over a trial about conditions at the City Workhouse, the long troubled medium-security jail where most of the inmates are awaiting trial in the city on drug charges or other nonviolent offenses. Then, as now, the facility lacked air conditioning, was overcrowded and unsanitary, and in need of repairs and upgrading. But Cahills concern was about more than air conditioning, or even the workhouse. He was worried about St. Louis. While it is both natural and predictable to expect the greatest concentration of law enforcement to be centered in those areas where crime appears to be more prevalent, it is also axiomatic that abuses there are likely to be condoned or ignored, Cahill wrote. These areas are usually in the poor and minority neighborhoods where jobs are scarce, education is substandard, and the promise of the American dream has died. Certain neighborhoods in St. Louis have become the target of intensive police activity, including high surveillance and battering ram search warrants. Obviously, such intrusive tactics increase that resentment and anger toward law enforcement which always seethes below the surface. These intrusive tactics, coupled with detention because of poverty, lead to a destruction of confidence in the criminal justice system. Mass detention for petty offenses now may give temporary relief but it only postpones the misery to come. Its been 27 years since Cahill wrote those words, and the misery is all around us. Inside the Carr School, homeless with nowhere else to go camp out inside a once glorious vacant school. The building is not much more than a rocks throw from Biddle House, the city-operated homeless shelter originally envisioned as a replacement for the Rev. Larry Rices downtown homeless shelter. When Biddle House was opened, neighbors, including those who live in and around Carr Street, complained about the city concentrating its homeless population in an area already rife with poverty. When the city eventually closed Rices shelter, it created another temporary shelter, in a forestry garage just north of Biddle House. A lawsuit shut it down, and now, some of the homeless appear to be finding their own shelter. Those who commit crimes will end up at the workhouse, with a roof over their heads but not much relief from the heat. The police have no difficulty in finding these offenders, Cahill wrote in 1990. They scoop them up from the corners of North St. Louis like shovelfuls of sand from a beach; however, they still need assistance and deserve treatment even while they are in jail. These persons are still men and women who are entitled to be treated with dignity as human beings. The judge, who died in 2004, was writing about pretrial inmates, but the sentiment applies just as easily to those who camp out in an abandoned school, or those on the fringes of poverty, wondering how they will scrape together enough money to avoid living in their car, or worse. This was St. Louis nearly three decades ago. It is St. Louis today. ST. LOUIS An appeals court on Tuesday upheld a federal judge here who refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the city of Ferguson and police related to the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown. The lawsuit, filed in 2015 by Brown's friend Dorian Johnson, has been on hold pending the outcome of the appeal. Johnson sued Ferguson, former police Chief Tom Jackson and Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Brown. The suit says Wilson assaulted Johnson and violated his constitutional rights, intentionally inflicting emotional pain. It said that Wilson's actions were part of a pattern and practice of misconduct by Ferguson police, and that the city and former Chief Tom Jackson negligently failed to supervise officers. The suit was later moved to federal court, where lawyers for the police sought the dismissal of the case because, among other things, they said Wilson did not use excessive force against Johnson, that Jackson was not at the scene and that the city was immune from suits where there was no underlying Constitutional violation. In March of 2016, U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig refused to dismiss the case. In a 2-1 decision Tuesday, Judges Diana E. Murphy and Michael J. Melloy agreed, writing that the facts as alleged by Johnson's suit were sufficient to allow the case to proceed. Judge Roger L. Wollman dissented, saying that he would have dismissed the case because the seizure of Johnson was not unconstitutional. The suit has been on hold since March 2016 pending the outcome of the appeal. A grand jury declined to indict Wilson for the shooting. A Justice Department investigation concluded likewise, and also said that some of Johnson's claims about the incident were not supported by other evidence. But a separate report said that Ferguson police violated civil rights by targeted African-Americans, stopping and searching people without reasonable suspicion and making arrests without probable cause. By PTI: Lucknow, Jul 25 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government today ordered a probe by an "impartial agency" into the UPPSC appointments made during erstwhile SP-led dispensation. The decision was taken at a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A senior cabinet minister said, "The government will go for a CBI probe in the matter". advertisement On July 19, the chief minister had said appointments made in the Provincial Civil Services in Uttar Pradesh by the state public service commission since 2012 would be probed by the CBI. "What have you done to the UPPCS... its credibility is in question. We will get all the appointments made in the UPPCS since 2012 probed by the CBI," he had said. His reference was to the appointments made during the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government. The chief minister had said these when he was winding up discussion in the state assembly on the annual budget for 2017-18. PTI NAV SMI SRY --- ENDS --- The family of a man who died in a shootout with police on Interstate 55 Monday says thats not the Jerrod Kershaw they knew. He would not have hurt anybody, his maternal aunt, Debra Collins, said Tuesday. Something made him crack. Kershaw was killed in the shootout Monday morning after crashing a car in St. Louis County, then carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint and leading police on a chase into Jefferson County. His car was disabled by police and came to a stop south of Festus. Kershaw, wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with at least two weapons, exchanged fire with officers. Its unclear whether Kershaw was killed by police or shot himself, authorities said. Police described the incident as a suicide mission, but they said Kershaw had also threatened family members and co-workers Monday. Kershaw did not appear to have a significant criminal record, but the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department said it had multiple dealings with him in the past. Authorities did not elaborate. No officers were hurt, though at least one police vehicle was riddled with bullet holes after the shootout. Eight St. Louis County officers have been placed on administrative leave following the shooting, which is standard procedure for any officer who fires a weapon on duty. A tortured soul Family members say Kershaw, 30, struggled in recent months with his physical and mental health. He was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, rare for his age, and he almost died from complications that arose from a severely abscessed tooth earlier this year, according to Collins. But Kershaw also struggled to cope after his return from overseas. He served in Iraq throughout the majority of 2010, according to records from the National Personnel Records Center. When he came home, he was not the same, Collins said. He was sad all the time. He remained in the Army Reserves until January 2016. People who identified themselves as friends of Kershaws on social media said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Kershaws grandmother, Dorothy Vilmer, told the Post-Dispatch Monday that Kershaw had not been the same since he returned from serving overseas. Vilmer said Kershaw had been through hell for quite a while now. He was a tortured soul, Collins said. Kershaw was seeking help at John Cochran VA Medical Center and was prescribed antidepressants, Collins said. It seemed to be helping, she said. And, in the last few weeks, he seemed like he was doing really well well enough that he decided to stop taking his medicine, she said. Kershaws Facebook page includes photos of him in uniform with Army comrades, and posts about supporting law enforcement. I feel so sad for the policemen that were forced to do that, Collins said of the shootout. Collins said the family wants the victims of the carjacking and others to know Kershaw was not the man he portrayed himself to be on Monday. Tracking movements Meanwhile, police have been working to piece together Kershaws path Monday. At first, they were concerned he might have hurt others before the chase. They say theyve confirmed thats not the case, according to Capt. Gary Higginbotham of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department. He said investigators still are unsure what he was doing in the area where he initially crashed, but they have mapped out a timeline of his whereabouts in the hours leading to the fatal confrontation enough to rule out that he hurt anyone else. Police served several search warrants Tuesday and seized a computer, iPad and some ammunition, but found no letters, manifestos or anything written inside his Pacific apartment that would suggest a motive, Higginbotham said. You dont want to assume people are evil, and that theres got to be a cause and effect for everything, but I dont know if well ever get to the why, he said. Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. JEFFERSON COUNTY A standoff between police and a man they say was on a suicide mission as he shot at officers Monday after carjacking a vehicle ended with the suspect dead. Jerrod Kershaw, 30, of the 1500 block of Bertha Lane in Pacific, died after a gunbattle with police. When his body was found, he was wearing a bulletproof vest. The incident began around 9 a.m. when St. Louis County police officers responded to a call about a one-car crash near the interchange of Interstates 270 and 55. It appeared a car ran off the road and others were trying to help the driver, police said. When one good Samaritan approached the car, Kershaw held him at gunpoint with a shotgun and handgun and demanded his car. Kershaw then carjacked a different car before heading south on I-55, police said. At a news conference Monday afternoon, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said Kershaw stole the second vehicle after he saw the first car had a stick shift and he couldnt drive it. St. Louis County officers spotted Kershaw in the second stolen car and tried to stop the vehicle. Shots may have been exchanged during the pursuit, but details were not available. During the chase, Festus police, Missouri Highway Patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department used stop sticks to pop the cars tires. The car eventually became disabled near Highway 61, south of Festus. Officers tried to contact Kershaw from a distance and exchanged gunfire with him at 9:23 a.m., police said. Bullets hit police vehicles, but no officers were injured. Jefferson County deputies rerouted traffic around the scene as SWAT and crisis negotiators tried to approach Kershaw, said Sheriff David Marshak. Officers eventually approached the bullet-riddled car and found Kershaw dead. The northbound lanes of I-55 reopened Monday afternoon. Southbound lanes reopened about midnight. Before Monday mornings carjackings, Kershaw had made threats to family members in the De Soto area and employees at his workplace in Pacific, Marshak said. Police did not say where the man worked. Kershaws mother called police at 9:08 a.m., saying he was en route to kill a family member and himself. This individual forced police officers to make a decision in which they had no other choice and no other alternative but to return fire ... I think it was his intent to finish off his day this way, Marshak said. The sheriff said he had some concerns Kershaw may have committed other violent acts before the carjackings began. The sheriffs department said it had multiple dealings with Kershaw in the past, but Marshak did not elaborate on those incidents. The Jefferson County Sheriffs Department is handling the investigation. Kershaws grandmother, Dorothy Vilmer, said Monday that she was heartbroken by her grandsons death. Hes always been a good boy. I have nothing but good to say about him, she said. Vilmer said Kershaw had been through hell for quite a while now, noting health challenges over the years. She said Kershaw had not been the same since he returned from serving overseas in the military. They dont take care of their veterans right, Vilmer said. People who identified themselves as friends of Kershaws on social media said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Vilmer, who lives in north St. Louis County, said she last saw Kershaw when he visited her for Mothers Day. Connie Brasier said she met Kershaw when they worked at an eye care center and had kept in touch with him despite leaving that job. Jerrod was respected and loved by his co-workers, she said via Facebook. He loved to joke around and have fun with everyone. He was always there if you needed him. She said he was a father and a proud veteran. In recent months, she said he had been battling some health issues and had been in and out of the hospital. Everyone has demons they battle ... just so happens that Jerrods demons won this battle, she added. My heart goes out to his family and friends that have to mourn this tragedy. Ashley Lisenby, Jeremy Kohler and Allison Colburn of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Allegations of St. Louis County police officers loitering and covering up security cameras during shifts at MetroLink substations garnered strong reaction Monday from state and county officials calling for further investigations. The chairman of the Bi-State Development Agencys public safety committee on Monday said St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar should resign or be fired. The St. Louis County Council will consider a resolution Tuesday that calls for an investigation to ensure that County, state and federal laws were not violated. Missouri legislators say they expect the state to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. Rep. Kathie Conway, a St. Charles Republican who serves as the appropriations chair for the Missouri Departments of Public Safety and Transportation, said she planned to call a committee hearing to explore the issue, likely around the Legislatures veto session in September. In addition to covering up cameras for sometimes hours at a time, allegations raised in public documents obtained from Metro and reported Sunday and Monday in columns in the Post-Dispatch included officers loitering in security offices, texting or sleeping while on duty and providing inaccurate information on their whereabouts. Belmar has said most of the allegations against county officers, as reported by Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger, are anecdotal. Metro operates 46 miles of light rail and 79 bus routes in its territory, which traverses St. Louis County, the city of St. Louis and St. Clair County in Illinois. In response to spikes in violence, including shootings and assaults on light-rail platforms in the city and county, St. Louis County now supervises all the officers working the transit system, under a memorandum of understanding signed by regional political leaders. But leaders of Bi-State Development, the agency that oversees MetroLink, have blamed the recent wave of crime on MetroLink stations and trains on its officers inability to write tickets. Tension between county police and Metro public safety officials has been building for months. Its time St. Louis County restores the credibility of its police department, and that can happen only with the resignation or firing of Chief Belmar, chairman Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr. said in a statement on Monday. His statement misspells Belmars last name. For the past several years Chief Belmar has systematically sought to delegitimize the authority of the Bi-State Public Safety Officers, which has driven more crime onto the MetroLink platforms and trains as criminals have come to believe the Metro PSOs have no legal authority, Schoemehl continued. I believe Chief Belmar has been motivated by vanity, power grasping and politics nothing more. On Monday, Belmar said calls for his resignation are ridiculous. I am not going anywhere, he said. Privacy violations? One incident of an officer covering up a security camera was brought to Belmars attention in 2015, after which the officer claimed he did so in order to change his clothes. Though police were unable to refute his statement, that officer was transferred, Belmar said. Belmars only regret at that time was not insisting the camera come down or be turned off unless a suspect was inside the room, he said. Its highly unusual for a third party to monitor police officers, said Belmar, who argues the cameras are violations of county officers privacy. On Monday, the substation at North Hanley Road where officers were videotaped covering up a security camera was empty. Fragments of green tape remained stuck to the sides of the camera the same kind of tape normally used to seal evidence. Bi-State installed the camera after a county officer struck a mans hand with his baton, breaking three of the mans fingers, and then held him in the substation for 90 minutes in 2014. A sign on the wall reads: You are being recorded. A computer displayed footage from security cameras on the platform. Belmar has said his officers use the room to change clothes, but the door to the substation is not lockable from the inside. The office is near the train platform, and hundreds of riders pass it walking to and from a commuter parking lot. Any one of them could open the door. About 25 steps from the substation is a private restroom to which Bi-State employees and county police have access. Belmar has vowed to look into the allegations but didnt offer specifics as to how an investigation might proceed. He said none of the concerns at hand were brought to the attention of county police at a July 11 meeting with MetroLinks director of security. I have said before, the finger-pointing has to stop, and apparently it hasnt. We cannot restore confidence until we stop the infighting, Belmar said, adding that Bi-State officials are turning the issue into a power play for their own MetroLink police force. Thats something the Missouri Legislature could consider in the coming months, said state Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin. People out in West County, where I represent, have real fears of getting on MetroLink given recent crimes there, Dogan said. To know that some of that at least is because you have county police officers who are literally not doing their jobs? Thats inexcusable. Security is key Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis chapter of the NAACP, said Monday the security issues raised have made it abundantly clear that Metro needs its own police force, with overlapping agencies causing a bureaucratic jam. Public transportation is a necessity that we often take for granted, and often overlooked in the fight against poverty, Pruitt said in a statement. A professional, well-organized transit security authority is the key governance requirement to contribute to Metros sustainability. Belmar maintains that violent crimes in the MetroLink system are down, and that both the department and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger are moving in the right direction to increase safety. The good work that we do goes unnoticed, Belmar said Monday at an unrelated news conference. The County Council resolution suggests the matter may be referred to state or federal law enforcement, where appropriate to ensure an independent and thorough investigation regarding state and federal laws. It also tasks Stenger and the police department with preparing a plan to restore public trust. The St. Louis County police department is governed by a five-person board of police commissioners, who are appointed by the county executive. Chairman Roland Corvington said in a statement Monday that he has been in discussions with Belmar. We, the board of police commissioners, will continue to work with Chief Belmar to ensure county police resources that are used to support MetroLink continue to be used effectively and efficiently. We will look at the facts to determine if Chief Belmar and his command staff have reason to take action based upon applicable general orders; policies related to performance and/or policies related to misconduct. Corvington said he plans to meet with Belmar on Tuesday about the issue and that he plans to have ongoing contact with the chief regarding this matter. A spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens also was not able to comment. On Monday afternoon, St. Louis County police Capt. Scott Melies, the county officer overseeing security throughout MetroLinks service area, was scheduled to address the St. Louis County Public Transportation Commission about security matters. Melies did not attend the meeting. No explanation was given for his absence. ST. LOUIS A spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Association and Police Chief Jon Belmar took to the airwaves Tuesday morning to refute a series of stories criticizing the county's policing tactics along public transit lines that have appeared in the Post-Dispatch. Officer Gabe Crocker, a spokesman for the union, told KTRS host McGraw Milhaven that the police organization has "isolated out several incidents in which no rules were being violated" and that there are legitimate reasons why they are happening. Crocker has declined to be interviewed by the Post-Dispatch. The organization's president, Joe Patterson, has not responded to emailed questions. Meanwhile, on KMOX, Belmar reiterated his pledge to launch an internal affairs investigation into the allegations during an interview with political consultants John Hancock and Michael Kelley, who were filling in for host Charlie Brennan. Messenger's columns were based on allegations raised in public documents obtained from Metro and reported Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in the Post-Dispatch, and included officers loitering in security offices, texting or sleeping while on duty and providing inaccurate information on their whereabouts. In their radio appearances, Crocker and Belmar separately offered examples that they said explained how some of the allegations raised in public documents obtained from Metro were inaccurate. Belmar said a picture from inside a substation at the North Hanley MetroLink station featuring numerous officers gathered during the July 4 weekend was taken at the time of a fireworks show, which he called a "lull" in the action, and that they were gathered there for a break before the rush. Crocker said a picture of multiple officers inside the same substation included several officers who were on break, coming on from shift change, or assigned to another unit altogether who chose the location as a meeting spot. It's unclear whether the men are referring to the same image, as there are several images among the public documents showing multiple officers gathered inside the substation. "I can't explain away every single image, but I can provide context and fact that can be documented," Crocker said. Crocker also told Milhaven that officers were not hiding from platforms and trains, but were conducting surveillance on drug dealing and made an arrest during one of the alleged instances in which they could not be found. MetroLink stats During Belmar's interview Tuesday on KMOX, the chief said that during his three years in charge, the department has had 31 complaints against officers on MetroLink, and has sustained about 70 percent of those complaints. He did not elaborate on the nature of those complaints. He said he knew of just one of the allegations contained in Messenger's reporting, which happened when an officer covered one of the surveillance cameras inside the substation with a piece of paper. He said the officer told internal affairs investigators he did so for privacy while changing. The officer was transferred to different duty, Belmar said. On Monday, Belmar said he regretted not asking MetroLink then to remove the camera or turn it off except at times when suspects were present. "I take these charges seriously, too, and I wish I would have known about more than one of them, because it's important to investigate them in real time," Belmar told KMOX of the allegations, some of which date to two years ago. "When we don't do that, it can become a little bit opaque But I want to give assurance that we are going to get to the bottom of this." The newspaper's reports included concerns by Metro leaders that county police officers had switched their radio frequencies to channels that Metro officers could not hear. Belmar said St. Louis County and city police officers changed their radio frequencies to police channels, which offer a wider police audience in case of an emergency. Belmar said that county officers assigned to MetroLink in 2017 have, so far, responded to more than 2,000 calls for service, made more than 400 arrests and seized 22 guns. He also noted his officers conducted more than 300 platform and train patrols last week. Crocker, meanwhile, said that the executive board of the police union met early Tuesday and voted unanimously to demand the firing of Metro Department of Public Safety Chief Richard Zott. The police union's call comes a day after an official with Bi-State Development Agency, which operates MetroLink, called for Belmar's resignation. Crocker claimed Zott gave Messenger false information because several officers are considering suing him after they believe they were recorded in the nude by "hidden cameras." He did not elaborate. MetroLink spokeswoman Patti Beck did not make Zott available for comment Tuesday, but issued a statement, which read in part: "It is unfortunate that the focus has shifted away from the main topic keeping the transit riding public safe. In May 2017, we received a request from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for records under the Missouri Sunshine Law. We complied with that request." Budget concerns On Monday, St. Louis Countys Transportation Commission voted on a resolution recommending that the St. Louis County Council appropriate $147.5 million to Bi-State for fiscal 2018 $5 million less than Bi-State requested. Bi-State had asked for roughly $152 million from the county, which collects money to pay Bi-State under three sales taxes. The request was a 7 percent increase from what the agency asked for last year. Emails show that Bi-State asked for more money because its ridership has dropped, along with revenue from fares. Last year, county prosecutors stopped prosecuting riders who failed to pay the fare. Bi-State officials say that the lack of enforcement has caused crime on MetroLink to flourish. They have blamed a decline in riders partly on fears about security. The council has yet to consider the recommendation. Stephen Deere of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. JEFFERSON CITY Tougher abortion regulations are on the horizon in Missouri after lawmakers signed off on a package of legislation sought by Republican Gov. Eric Greitens. Working in a special summer session Tuesday, the GOP-controlled Senate voted 22-9 to endorse a House proposal that appears likely win the approval of the Republican governor. Today is a great victory for pregnancy care centers that help women and children all over the state, Greitens said in a statement. Im proud that many of Missouris lawmakers stood strong to protect the lives of the innocent unborn and womens health. Greitens was not in the Capitol when the second special session he has called this summer came to an end. Rather, the governor was in Colorado attending a conference of GOP governors in Aspen. The changes may put a damper on Planned Parenthoods push to open clinics in Columbia, Springfield and Joplin following the overturning of a previous Missouri law that had limited access to abortion clinics. Currently, the states lone abortion clinic operated by Planned Parenthood is in St. Louis. Missouris abortion laws are already some of the most restrictive in the nation. Federal courts have blocked some of those medically unnecessary restrictions. This political theater is an expensive and ideological ploy to end abortion access in the state, said MEvie Mead, director of policy and organizing for Planning Parenthood Advocates in Missouri. The wide-ranging proposal also would exempt alternatives-to-abortion agencies from a new St. Louis ordinance barring discrimination against women on the basis of whether they take birth control or have had an abortion. This is the most important bill in my short time as a legislator. There is a clear and present danger to the health and safety of Missouri women and to the free speech rights of pregnancy care centers, said Republican Sen. Bob Onder, an abortion opponent from Lake Saint Louis. The vote left Democrats seething after they had worked to send the House a less restrictive version of the legislation last month. The House rejected that proposal and sent the Senate a version containing tougher mandates against abortion clinics. Democrats and a handful of Republicans had sought to force a compromise with the House. But Republican leaders used the so-called nuclear option to end debate on the measure. Three Republicans bolted from party leaders to vote against forcing a vote on the bill, including Sens. Bob Dixon of Springfield, Gary Romine of Farmington and Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff. Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, said she would have filibustered the issue last month had she known Senate Republicans would allow the House bill to make it to Greitens desk. I feel like women are under attack in the state of Missouri, Schupp said. Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, said the additional regulations represent an expansion of government powers at a time when Greitens says he is trying to reduce bureaucratic red tape. Were just doing it to score brownie points with certain groups, Walsh said. This entire emergency session was nothing more than free advertising for Greitens personal political ambitions, where women were treated as pawns to satisfy his desire for higher office, added Alison Dreith, executive director of NARAL Pro Choice Missouri. The proposed changes now heading to Greitens desk require annual inspections of abortion clinics. Abortion providers also must have plans in place in case a procedure causes complications for patients. It boosts protections for whistleblowers at clinics and adds more regulations on how aborted fetal tissue is handled. The proposal also grants the attorney generals office jurisdiction over crimes related to abortion. Opponents argued that the provision would give the states top lawyer power to intervene in local affairs. Abortion opponents, however, said that power is not unique. In a letter to the 33 senators, Samuel Lee of Campaign Life Missouri noted that there are at least 12 areas of state law where the attorney general has the authority to enforce criminal and civil laws of the state, including state liquor laws, gambling laws and environmental regulations. Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, who sponsored the legislation, said there was no grand bargain with Democrats that precluded Senate Republicans from endorsing the House version. The words never came out of my mouth that I was going to hold the line on the Senate position, Koenig said. If signed by Greitens, the new law is likely destined to be challenged in court. The state already is on the hook to pay Planned Parenthood $159,000 in legal fees after the abortion and health care provider successfully sued the state to overturn an earlier round of added restrictions. JEFFERSON CITY A group of Democrat and Republican Missouri senators are trying to block a measure to strengthen the state's abortion laws - because they say it gives too much power to the attorney general. In the Senates first day back in action since the House approved legislation that would add stricter rules for abortion clinics, the group said the Senate should reject the House plan and force more negotiations. The maneuvering was the latest development in a controversial special session on abortion-related laws called by first-year Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican. The House and Senate typically meet from January to May and then return to their districts for the remainder of the year. But Greitens has called lawmakers back to town twice this summer to deal with what he called unfinished business. After hours of closed-door negotiations in June, the Senate earlier approved a measure that addressed parts of Greitens request. The House then approved a more extensive set of rules that supporters hope will shut down operations such as Planned Parenthoods facility in St. Louis, as well as planned clinics in Springfield, Columbia and Joplin. The Senate is balking at a provision in the House bill that would allow Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley intervene in local abortion law cases. Republican Sen. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City said he cannot support that, even though he has had an anti-abortion voting record for the past 13 years. He said the Legislature should not set the precedent of giving an attorney general too much power. As it stands right now, I dont think I can open that box, Silvey said. Im prepared as the language stands to vote against the bill. I would prefer we work out some things. Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, also expressed opposition. I probably will have to vote against this bill, he said. I have always been pro-life, anti-abortion. But this bill has this one piece in it that gives me serious heartburn. Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton, who is an abortion rights supporter, said the power to enforce abortion-related laws should remain in the hands of local prosecutors. He said the Republican-controlled Legislature would never have entertained giving the same power to former Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat. The Senate met for more than two hours Monday in a run-up to a final decision on an issue that was brought forward in response to a federal court ruling and an anti-discrimination ordinance approved in St. Louis affecting the operation of pregnancy resource centers. Under the legislation, alternatives-to-abortion agencies would be exempted from the citys new law barring discrimination against women on the basis of whether they take birth control or have had an abortion. The measure also includes a 72-hour waiting period, annual state inspections of clinics, and new whistleblower protection for employees of abortion clinics. Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, said the Senate version of the legislation came after more than 14 hours of negotiations. She said GOP leaders in the Senate would be turning their backs on that cooperation if they allow the House version to move forward. Our word was put on that bill. And yet here we are today. What is our word, our bond? Schupp said. Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, lashed out at GOP leaders. I am sick and tired of the Republican Party bullying women when it comes to their right to choose, Nasheed said. Further, Nasheed said the rookie governor has criticized the Legislature throughout his young tenure, including calling them third-graders and corrupt. You are bullies and you are being bullied by the executive branch, Nasheed said. The Senate is expected to resume debate on the floor Tuesday. The House is scheduled to return Wednesday. The cost of the special session is on track to exceed $60,000. WASHINGTON Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, on Tuesday equated the online advertising site Backpage with slave auctioneers, and she criticized the Justice Department for not doing more to fight what she called an awful, dark, underbelly of the world. It is as easy to order up a little girl online as it is a pepperoni pizza, Wagner said in a fiery speech and question-and-answer session at the Family Research Council. It is that easy. She came touting her Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, a controversial attempt to amend the 21-year-old Communications Decency Act to make it harder for Backpage and other online sites to argue they are only third-party hosts of others speech, and therefore protected under that law and the First Amendment. Courts have generally held in favor of Backpage in attempts to make it criminally or civilly liable for illegal sex advertising placed on the site. Wagners bill, introduced in April, now has 37 sponsors from both political parties. She said Tuesday that Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have told her they will push a companion measure in the Senate. Backpage, Wagner said, is the auctioneer for online sex trafficking. They are not a third-party platform. Liz McDougall, a lawyer for Backpage, did not comment. But the site has aggressively defended itself as a host, not a creator, of content. McDougall has also argued that the actions of Wagner and others will only drive the sex trade further underground and beyond the reach of law enforcement. Wagners Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act, called SAVE, was passed and signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in 2015. That law criminalized the knowing advertisement of illegal sex trafficking. Her new bill would go further, and faces a tougher path to passage. In her speech, which Wagner titled The Battle for Humanity: How Conservatives Can Fight Human Trafficking, Wagner said courts have misread or been hamstrung by congressional intent of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, the first attempt to regulate pornography on the internet. The law has created intense debate over internet freedom, the First Amendment, and the ability and authority of law enforcement to go after alleged illegality in cyberspace. Wagner said Congress has not done nearly enough to bring laws related to possible criminal conduct on the internet into the 21st century. Wagner, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and others earlier this month asked the Justice Department to investigate Backpage after The Washington Post reported that an unrelated lawsuit in Kansas City unearthed documents suggesting a contractor for Backpage solicits and creates sex ads. The Justice Department has acknowledged receipt of the letters asking for an investigation but had not responded as of Tuesday to Wagner. The Justice Department also did not respond Tuesday to several comment requests from this newspaper. Earlier this month, McDougall disputed The Washington Post story, calling it sensationalist, and argued that Backpage does not create ads, merely hosts them. Wagner announced this month she would not seek the U.S. Senate seat now held by McCaskill. At the time she made that announcement, she indicated that she wanted to dig in on a few key issues, including the sex trade. In her speech to the socially conservative FRC, she said the modern-day sex trade has historic connections to pre-Civil War slavery, saying that women were sold in what were called fancy girl auctions contemporaneously with slave labor. Federal courts in the late 19th century, she said, were uncooperative in interpreting the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that banned slavery to make it easier for law enforcement to crack down on sex trafficking in the ensuing decades. Wagner said Congress is failing to understand the evolving methods of recruitment on the internet where, she said, victims in plain sight are being recruited, exploited and treated like criminals rather than victims. Updated at 9:30 p.m. Monday with new outage numbers. With an expected high temperature of about 90 and lower humidity on Monday, the region has time to breathe before another heat wave expected mid-week. The respite from extreme summer weather will be welcome news to customers who were still without power following weekend storms. Monday night, there were less than 400 Ameren customers without power in Missouri, most of them in the St. Louis area, and about 600 in Illinois, but only about a third of them in the Metro East. Ameren representatives said that outages peaked at about 50,000 Missouri customers and 40,500 Illinois customers, over the weekend. The utility said it had more than 400 workers trying to restore power, with more than 100 additional linesmen coming from elsewhere to help early Monday. Ameren said St. Charles and North County were hard-hit. The heat also kept fire departments busy with evacuations and fires. Bryce Gray of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. By India Today Web Desk: One of the highly expected releases of this year, Vikram Vedha, has opened to rave reception from fans. The film, which released on July 21, witnessed 90 per cent occupancy in theatres on its opening day. Thanks to a unanimous positive response from critics, Vikram Vedha has set the cash registers ringing. As per trade reports, the film has grossed Rs 17 crore in its opening weekend. advertisement Trade analyst Ramesh Bala shared the box-office figures on Twitter. For the opening weekend, @ActorMadhavan - #VijaySethupathi 's #VikramVedha has done about ? 17 Crs Gross at the WW Box office.. pic.twitter.com/LEIOszFewS- Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) July 25, 2017 According to reports, Vikram Vedha earned Rs 2 crore on its opening day. The film is said to have grossed Rs 10 crore in three days. It must be noted that the film has been doing great business in the overseas market as well. If reports are anything to go by, the film is very likely to emerge as one of the highest grossing Tamil films this year. Vikram Vedha is released in over 350 screens in Tamil Nadu. However, considering the favourable reviews, the theatre owners are likely to increase the screen count in the coming days. Directed by Pushkar-Gayatri, Vikram Vedha is based on the famous tales of Vikram and Beetal. It tells the story of an honest cop Vikram (R Madhavan), who's on a mission to nab a notorious gangster Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi). The film received appreciation for a stellar performance by the lead actors Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. Vikram Vedha is Pushkar-Gayatri's third film and a breakthrough success. Vikram Vedha also stars Shraddha Srinath, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Kathir in important roles. ALSO READ: Vikram Vedha Movie Review ALSO READ: VIkram Vedha box-office collection: Madhavan-Vijay Sethupathi's film earns Rs 10cr in 3 days ALSO READ: Dhanush walks out of interview after questions about personal life WATCH HERE: Vikram Vedha Trailer --- ENDS --- Professor Yash Pal, a scientist of international fame, was awarded India's second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in 2013. By India Today Web Desk: Professor Yash Pal, eminent scientist and academician, died at the age of 90 at his Noida house late on Monday night. He was keeping ill for a long time. Yash Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, in 2013. Born in 1926 in Jhang, now in Pakistan, is known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays. advertisement His TV show - The Turning Point - which aired on Doordarshan in late 1980s brought science to the masses. The science show was hugely popular among school children. Yash Pal studied Physics from Panjab University before earning a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. He started his career with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) as a member of the cosmic rays group. He was there with TIFR will 1983. Yash Pal also went on to become as the first Director of Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, in 1973. He was also chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) from 1986 to 1991. ALSO READ: Monster-sized fish species discovered in New Zealand Dinosaur family groupings need to be rearranged, renamed, reveals new study Chinese archaeologists discover huge underwater treasure --- ENDS --- TWO men have appeared before magistrates in Leamington today, Tuesday, following a bank card skimming incident at the Natwest Bank in Stratford on Sunday. A 38-year-old male from London and a 38-year-old male from Essex were arrested and charged with being in possession/control of an article for use in fraud under the Fraud Act 2006. PC Craig Purcell said: On Sunday I managed to pull away a section of the cash dispensing area to one of the Stratford Natwest cash machines. Spotting the glue holding it in place and basic circuitry behind I pushed it back into place and called CCTV to keep watch over the machine. When a male approached and took the card skimming device I followed him back to a car. A quick 999 call later and other officers were on scene to stop the car as it pulled away. The result was a card skimming device recovered, two males arrested and a vehicle seized. Card skimming safety advice: Red, yellow and blue, the BOP electorate is a sea of the three primary colours this week. Its not spring, but the three local candidates have sprung into gear with their teams of volunteers to erect their election hoardings from Pahoia to Papamoa. On the weekend, Rosalie Liddle Crawford set out to see whats involved in getting these signs made, assembled and erected. With less than nine weeks to go until the NZ General Election, its game on according to the incumbent MP, Todd Muller of the National Party. Bruce Carley is standing for ACT, and Angie Warren-Clark for Labour. Saturday was the official start day for hoardings and there are prime locations to be had. Todds teams were out early Saturday morning, braving the rain. He has a record 140 hoardings being erected by 10 teams with a total of 35 volunteers helping. Its clear theyre going strong for the party vote with party leader Bill English appearing on many of the signs. I found Bruce and the Tauranga Act Party candidate Stuart Pedersen on Sunday afternoon over in the Tauranga electorate. Friendly horns tooting around them, they were in the middle of Cameron Road, putting their signs out together. Again a clear push for the party vote. Saturday was the official day, says Bruce. The weather was a bit horrible so we held off until today to make sure we get some prime spots. Were putting up our ACT hoardings around both electorates today. I found Angie and her husband Blair in Blairs man cave where he has spent the last two weeks assembling more than 100 signs. Its taken about 1000 linear metres of timber. They were also assembling the hoardings for the Tauranga and Waiariki Labour candidates. We put up a pile yesterday, Saturday, on official hoarding day, says Angie. Were just about to go out to Matapihi, and all around the place. Trailers ready. Clearly its a herculean task, building the frames, assembling the signs, digging the holes and then maintaining the hoardings for nine weeks. Each political party is powered by hundreds of volunteers, all keen to see their party elected and policies implemented. I asked one volunteer who I will leave nameless, what he thought about the other parties. Well theyre very nice people. Theyre just a bit confused, he laughs before setting off to hammer in another sign. Angie Warren-Clark, Labour BOP candidate. Todd Muller, National BOP candidate. A Whakatane project and two Tauranga projects are finalists in the civil contracting industrys equivalent of the academy awards, being held in Dunedin next week. Civil Contractors New Zealands four-day conference starts on August 2, and the highlight for all industry attendees will be the celebration of the CCNZ National Awards 2017 held on Friday, August 4. Remediation work at the Aniwhenua Dam Head in Whakatane, the revamp of the Tauranga waterfront, and the upgrade of Tauranga City Councils Memorial Park Pump Station are finalists in the CCNZ Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards. These awards recognise excellence in the construction or maintenance of assets and have five categories with 27 finalists. Nova Energy selected Waiotahi Contractors and consultants Tonkin + Taylor to design and undertake the complex work to remediate a serious leak in the dam forming the Aniwhenua Power Station head pond in the remote Kaingaroa Forest. This work presented unprecedented challenge, complexity and urgency as the problem area was deep under water and amongst 35 years of accumulated debris. The Tauranga waterfront work, awarded to HEB Construction by the city council, involved the construction of new tidal stairs, a pier and a pontoon to help enhance the public space and enable safe access to the water. The Access to Water project. Undertaken by Brian Perry Civil, the memorial pump station upgrade is part of Tauranga City Councils Southern Pipeline infrastructure strategy to manage wastewater more effectively. The upgrade enables wastewater to be diverted from southern areas of the city to the underutilised Te Maunga Plant. The Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards will be announced at a formal dinner on the Friday evening. Hirepool GM of Sales & Marketing Gary Richardson says his companys gear has helped build some of New Zealands largest projects over the last 60 years. So weve seen the great work that these companies do up close, and its a natural fit and privilege for us sponsor these awards. The work these companies have done in all entries is a testament to the people in their teams so well done to them all. CCNZ CEO Peter Silcock says the awards are an annual highlight for the civil construction industry and a chance to celebrate the extremely hard and dedicated work that CCNZ members undertake on every project. Our members create the backbone of the nation and the awards are a way to say thanks for doing a wonderful job, we really appreciate what you do for your communities. Whakatanes Aniwhenua Dam project. Ive been building yachts for over 40 years, and during my tenure at Baglietto I launched some extraordinary yachts, explains Euro Contenti, CEO of Tankoa Yachts. When we first met with the Exclusiva people, we were all wondering about what sort of project they were willing to submit." The Exclusiva Design studio is filled with awards for their work on countless luxury residential projects, from the headquarters of Gazprom and Ferrari China to the private island residences of Doha. Now, Exclusiva plot to enter into the superyacht market for the first time with a brand-new concept. "Surprisingly, they did not submit us with a design but with a long list of what they considered the modern yacht of tomorrow should come with, and could not be found on the market today," adds Contenti. "From there, and only after multiple meetings with our technical office, they came up with a design. And they stuck to their promises of drawing a yacht that resembles no other, offers a stunning layout and followed all our technical requirements." Representing the best Italy can offer, Fabio Mazzeo and Vito Taddei, Founders of Exclusiva, conducted exhaustive investigations before arriving at Tankoa Yachts to collaborate on Progetto Bolide; a 72-meter radical luxury superyacht design which exteriors and interiors are the direct result of Exclusivas unique experience. According to Design Director Fabio Mazzeo, only Tankoa Yachts could answer Exclusivas expectations; commenting, Weve been visiting many shipyards in the past year as we spent several months creating our ideal yacht design and our wish was to keep cultivating Italian heritage in the build. The approach, flexibility and processes we found at Tankoa are simply unique. Tankoa having no will to run after big production numbers, the guys there are just delivering superior quality as a direct result of their passion. We felt Tankoa was the perfect fit for our Progetto Bolide." Set for debut at the Monaco Yacht Show Progetto Bolide will undoubtedly bring something different to the market, but exactly what that is, were excited to see. As Russians seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine in the opening stages of the war, mayors, civilian administrators and others say they have been abducted, threatened or beaten to force their cooperation. In some instances, they have been killed. Human rights activists say these actions could constitute a war crime. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said he was abducted from his office and the bullying and threats did not stop for a minute." He said they tried to force him to continue in his role but he refused. After six days in detention and an intervention from Ukraine's president, he was exchanged for nine Russian prisoners of war and expelled from the occupied city. The Friends of Smyth Countys library will appeal a judges decision in favor of the Smyth County Board of Supervisors and County Administrator Michael Carter. The civil case alleged that the supervisors violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) when the supervisors discussed the dissolution of the regional library system in closed sessions earlier this year. The original legal complaint said, The decision to withdraw from the regional library system was made by the board in secret, behind closed doors, and in hushed tones. The Friends complaint also took up a special called meeting in March when the supervisors voted to dissolve the regional library system. The complaint noted that the public notice for the meeting said it was for the purpose of discussion concerning the Smyth-Bland Regional Library. The petition alleges that the notice was intentionally misleading, as the intention of the Smyth County Board of Supervisors was not to enter into discussions regarding the Library, but rather to bring a resolution to disband the Library for a vote. The petition also noted: There was no discussion by the Board of Supervisors regarding the issue. And although approximately 100 citizens attended the meeting, no one from the public was allowed to speak. In Judge Sage B. Johnsons May 26 ruling on the matter he didnt address the special called meeting. Regarding the alleged FOIA violations, he wrote that FOIAs purpose is to ensure individuals ready access to public records and to discourage actions of any level of government being conducted in an atmosphere of secrecy since at times the public is to be the beneficiary of any action taken at any level of government. However, the judge also noted that the Virginia legislature has allowed a number of exclusions to the open-meeting requirement, including pending or probable litigation, which was cited by the board of supervisors. Johnson wrote, There was active litigation directly involving the Smyth-Bland Regional Library against the Board that had been filed on November 4, 2016. The existence of that lawsuit filed by three former Smyth-Bland Regional Library trustees who were fighting their removal by the supervisors was critical to Johnsons decision. Last October the supervisors removed all of its appointees to the regional library trustees board, launching an inquiry into the operations and finances of the library. They removed the trustees for neglect of duty. Three of the displaced trustees took umbrage with that action and filed action against the supervisors in Smyth County Circuit Court, which also heard the Friends petition. Judge Johnson wrote: While Carter and several Board members testified that they discussed possible dissolution of the Smyth-Bland Regional Library Board, the Court cannot say that those discussions were outside of allowed parameters of options related to the actual litigation, in light of the lawsuit already pending in Smyth County Circuit Court. Certainly, one of the possible options the Board and legal counsel would have rightfully and appropriately explored in closed session was the current and future Trustees of the Library Board and what options, including dissolution, would be available. Further, those discussions and options discussed in an open meeting could have very easily adversely affected the Boards position in the pending litigation. Last Monday, the Friends notified the court of their intent to appeal. The Notice to Appeal was filed by Beverly Cole, individually and as president on the behalf of the Friends of the Smyth-Bland Regional Library. A statement further detailing the appeal is expected to be filed within 90 days. Cicero, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Cicero-headquartered SRC Inc. $38.1 million in contracts to continue research into pollution prevention, environmental health and site-specific risk assessments. SRC, a not-for-profit research and development company, was awarded an $18.2 million contract to support the EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics' Risk Assessment Division. Under the contract, the company will support EPA evaluations of environmental and health hazards for new and existing chemicals and bio and nanotechnology products. The EPA awarded the company a $17.8 million contract to support the agency's National Center for Environmental Assessment with the development and prioritization of toxicological assessments for chemicals found in the environment. SRC also received two contract modifications from the EPA, adding $2.1 million in funding to evaluate the environmental and health hazards of new and existing chemicals. The contracts will support about 40 existing jobs at SRC's headquarters and another 20 positions at locations elsewhere in the U.S., the company said. SRC employs more than 1,100 people nationwide, including 750 in Central New York. Founded in 1957, SRC performs research and development for the federal government in the areas of defense, the environment and intelligence. Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 ONEIDA, N.Y. -- An Oneida County jail inmate was arrested Monday after officers found him with Xanax. Allan Christman, 24, of Maple Flats Road in Vienna, was charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit accused Christman of having alprazolam, also known as Xanax, at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Oneida County Correctional Facility. Alprazolam, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-schedule IV drug, is typically used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders and anxiety caused by depression. Christman remains in jail and will be arraigned on the charge at a later date, deputies said. Jail records show Christman was booked Nov. 23 on second-degree criminal possession methamphetamine manufacturing material and second-degree reckless endangerment charges. State police arrested Christman on Nov. 23 after troopers responded to 8002 Maple Flats Road in the town of Vienna for a report of a man with a gun. When troopers arrived, they found the man and detained him while they investigated. State police did not say if the man had a gun. But while troopers were at the home, they said they saw materials known to be used to make methamphetamine and evacuated the home. Four children, all younger than 5 at the time, were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. State police arrested Christman, then 23, and 25-year-old Katrina L. Egelston, both of 8002 Maple Flats Road in Vienna. Both were held on $10,000 bail. Egelston is no longer listed as an inmate; Christman remains in jail. MONTREAL -- A surgeon with deep ties to Syracuse died after he fell off a cliff in a Montreal park. Dr. Shreyas Roy was hiking on Mount Royal around 4 a.m. Sunday when lost his footing and fell into a ravine, reported the Montreal Gazette. He was 38 years old. Born in New York City, Roy spent part of his childhood in India before moving to Syracuse, according to his obituary. Roy graduated from Manlius Pebble Hill School in 1996. In a profile published a few months before his high school graduation, the then 16-year-old student predicted he would be a physician, according to The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com archives. Roy earned his bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College before graduating with a medical degree from McGill University in Montreal in 2006. He completed his residency at Upstate University Hospital, where he worked as the chief surgical resident, his obituary said. While at Upstate, Roy also played as the lead guitarist in the ska-punk band Failed States, according to his obituary. Roy recently finished a pediatric surgery fellowship at Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal. At the time of his death, he was about to start working as an attending surgeon of pediatric hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplants at the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, his obituary said. Roy was hiking with his girlfriend through a heavily wooded stretch of Mount Royal when he lost his footing and fell off a cliff, reported the Montreal Gazette. When firefighters found Roy about 30 feet below the cliff in a ravine, he was having a heart attack, reported CTV News Montreal. Roy was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Roy was the son of Geeta and Ajoy Roy and brother of Preyas Roy, according to his obituary. He loved spending time with his friends, family and dog Umberto, according to his obituary. You can see the whole 8-horse hitch of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales during a rare public tour at Anheuser-Busch's Syracuse-area brewery on Aug. 5. Can't make it? You'll get a chance to meet at least one of the big draft horses on Aug. 3 at the del Lago Resort & Casino, near Waterloo at state Thruway Exit 41. Anheuser-Busch previously announced the stop at the brewery off Route 31 near Baldwinsville when it unveiled a series of new labels honoring the states in which it has breweries. Del Lago is adding the smaller-scale appearance at del Lago through a promotion with Oswego Eagle Beverage, a local beer distributor. That event is 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 3, and also features food trucks and "day fresh" beer, according to the casino's Facebook page. The Baldwinsville appearance features a full-hitch, and will be part of tours offered at the brewery starting at 10 a.m. Aug. 5. Unlike some of the other 11 U.S. A-B plants, the Baldwinsville brewery plant rarely welcomes the public. Sign up for a tour. The Clydesdales' last major Upstate appearance was in the summer of 2015, when they visited Utica, Rome, Verona and Vernon in Oneida County. Their last stop in Baldwinsville was in 2012. The Clydesdales have been part of the marketing for Anheuser-Busch since 1933, when they helped the St. Louis-based brewery mark the end of Prohibition. Today, three teams -- based in St. Louis, Merrimack, N.H. and Fort Collins, Colo. -- travel the country making special appearances. They also star in Super Bowl ads. Each full hitch consists of six or eight horses, a red, antique-style beer wagon, drivers and a Dalmatian dog, the traditional companion to the team. Clydesdales originated as a breed of draft horses in Scotland, each able to pull a ton at a 5 mph clip. Today, to qualify as a Budweiser Clydesdale, each horse must be a gelding at least four years old, stand 72 inches at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, have a bay coat, four white legs, a white blaze, and a black mane and tail. Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. In 2006, Elisa Miller-Out co-founded Singlebrook.com, a custom web-software development firm in Ithaca that serves businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies. She was CEO and saw the company's growth explode. Last year, she sold the content-management division of Singlebrook to a Minneapolis company. With a smaller Singlebrook taking less time, she turned her attention to new ventures. She joined Women 2.0 in a leadership role as Kate Brodock moved it from Silicon Valley to Central New York. Miller-Out co-founded PollQ, which uses Facebook Messenger to conduct polls, keep an audience or customers engaged, and create a new kind of social media channel. Finally, she co-founded Chloe Capital, a venture capital fund focused on early stage technology ventures. Tell me about growing up and early influences. I grew up in the smoky barrooms of New Orleans, with a piano-player father (Amasa Miller). I literally grew up sleeping underneath pianos in bars. It was a cool, crazy way to grow up. He's the piano player with some well-known bands. One you might have heard of is the Charmaine Neville Band. He's played a lot with the Neville family. My mom (Mirella Augusto) is also in New Orleans. She's from Rome, Italy, originally. She works at Tulane University and manages public health projects in Africa. She gets to work on pretty cool stuff. She's an incredible photographer. Then I also have a step-mother down there who is a clay sculptor, so I have a lot of artists in the family. I went off to college in New York City, Columbia University, and graduated in 1997 with a bachelor of arts in theater. Because I grew up in this family of artists in this artistic city with a rich cultural background, I thought for sure I was going to be some kind of artist. I didn't think I was going to become an entrepreneur - I didn't even know the word. Tell me about your path into entrepreneurship. Even before college I always had little hustles going on the side. My first business was started right out college with a college friend. It was a theater production company, Night and Day Productions. I started out as an actor, but I gravitated quickly to directing and producing. I moved from the artistic side to the business side. We published an independent theater magazine. I was very proud of it. It was a beautiful thing. The editor of my theater magazine is now an editor at TimeOut New York and became a big deal. So, I had amazing talent working on that project right from the start. What did you learn from running a business so early? With theater, you have to be scrappy and resourceful. You're often working with bootstrapped budgets and stuff, but you have to create something out of it. You have to manage big teams of people, who often are pretty unruly. And you have big teams of volunteers in theater. I learned a lot of good business skills - including management and leadership. I learned about managing those big groups of people, managing all different types of personalities. I learned how to deal with something that has so many elements to it, so many different moving parts, where you have to figure out all the pieces, and then kind of weave it all together in something coherent. I developed a lot of leadership skills during that time. Oh, and I was working at an invention company at that time. I worked for the person (Marc Segan) who created the musical greeting card for Hallmark. The inventor of the chip that's in every musical greeting card. We developed licensed products, and I worked with companies like Warner Bros. and Disney on licensing. The products we were creating were really fun. We were creating a whole new class of products for these licenses. Marc and Francine Segan were a husband-wife team. They were early mentors. They gave me a huge amount of responsibility early on. They were good leaders in that they gave me a lot of room to grow early in my career. A good leader does do that - provides growth paths for people in their team. What's your advice for anyone moving into a leadership or aspiring to take on that responsibility? There's so much that goes into making a good leader. It's an art form that I'll be studying for my entire life and never perfect. But I do get better at it every minute that I'm working on it. There is always this balancing act between what roles you take on yourself as a leader, especially in a startup environment versus in a more established company. And what roles do you delegate to other people? And how do you balance and juggle that art form? The leader has to figure out each person's strengths, what their natural talents are, what their natural abilities are, what they bring to the table, what their desires are, what their path for advancement is. And then match that to the organization's business needs. Being able to match those things up is a complicated Tetris puzzle in a way. Figuring out what things you need to do as a leader and what things you need to delegate is different at every stage of an organization. Leading a startup is very different than leading a mature organization. Things change quite a bit over time. Leadership is a moving target - constantly changing. That's certainly one piece of it. Anything else? We could talk about leadership for months and not be done talking about it. (Laughs) It's a lot about setting a vision for an organization. Setting a mission. Engaging people. Most people don't want to just work for a job. People want to have a strong mission that they believe in, that they feel passionate about, that there's a reason to be excited to come to work every day. If the leader finds the person's individual strengths and makes sure the job is aligned with that as much as you can, it will make them happier to come to work. People working in their strength zone are usually happier. Having a mission, having sense of purpose is tremendously important. How about your advice for an entrepreneur, someone in startup mode? It's simple: Just do it. Entrepreneurs are people who just go out and do things. There are people who sit and think about things and talk about things and there are people who just go out and do things. Entrepreneurs are driven to do something, to create something in the world that wasn't there before, that meets an unmet need, that solves a problem for somebody. An entrepreneur is the one who sees a need and just says: I'm going to do it. How do you figure out what to do? There are whole methodologies around this now, which is pretty cool. There is the lean startup and all kinds of methods of approaching this. Usually what I do is develop an early prototype to solve a problem. So, in the example of PollQ, we have a prototype out. That's the stage we're at now with the product. We've got what is called a minimum viable product, that we've been testing and getting feedback on with customers. We think it solves this problem, but that's part of what we're testing. Does this solve the problem or not? We started creating that almost instantly with the company. We didn't spend a lot of time just thinking about it, or strategizing or talking about it. We just did it. Got something out there. Then we start testing that with customers. Does this meet your needs? If it doesn't, let's change this, let's change that. Let's see what we need to do to really meet your needs through extensive conversation with customers in the context of them having a real product to work with. In the case of Chloe Capital, the venture capital industry, this accelerator program I'm doing this fall is my mvp, or minimum viable product. We'll be making an investment through this program, so that will be a minimum viable product of our fund in a way, testing some of the ideas and concepts we're working with. Those early stages are usually about taking your idea, putting something into action - it's all about doing it - getting immediate feedback and then iterating from there as you go along and creating something bigger, better. Once we're meeting needs of customers, and we're on the right track with the product by experimenting and collecting lots of feedback, now it's time to get into a position to scale and make it a much larger venture. One of your roles, especially with Women 2.0, is encouraging more women to be tech entrepreneurs and take on greater leadership responsibilities. I've gone through a pretty big career transition over the last year in terms of figuring out a new path and coming up with new ventures. In going through that path, I've thought about what's important to me, and what I want to spend my time on in the next 10 years. A big focus for me now is around women in leadership, women in technology, women in entrepreneurship and women in investing. These are all spaces where we're still facing challenges. The number of women in venture capital, the number of women in tech entrepreneurship, and funded tech entrepreneurship is still less than 10 percent. There is a huge amount of room for improvement. Technology entrepreneurship is important to me because it's one of the biggest factors influencing and defining our future. Technology is disrupting many many traditional industries and literally changing and shaping our world in radical ways. So, what's important to me at this stage in my career is figuring out what kind of world are we building. What kind of world are we building for my children and what voices are at the table to build that future? Do we really have diverse voices? I don't want to build a future for my children, for instance, where moms and grandmothers don't have a voice. But moms and grandmothers are not well represented in the tech-entrepreneurship world. That's a big focus for me: How do we engage more women across all aspects of technology leadership and investing leadership? I really believe having more voices will build a better future for everyone. That is kind of the core work that we're doing right now at Women 2.0 as well as at Chloe Capital. And at PollQ, too, in the sense that I'm building a company and trying to make sure there are women leaders within the organization as we grow it. There are many steps that we can take. First and foremost, we need to start early. There need to be good paths for younger girls. There are great organizations working on that. I'm working on a resource database with a bunch of different organizations that people can engage with. It is at chloecapital.com in the resource section, including organizations for younger people as well as people at later stages of their career. I think right now one of the biggest things we can do is set good role models and good training opportunities for young people getting into technology and tech entrepreneurship so that we can change it for the future generations. It might take a couple generations to make the change that we need to see happen. It's about building a future where my daughters, if they choose, can be investors, leaders, and entrepreneurs. "CNY Conversation" features Q&A interviews about leadership, success, and innovation. The conversations are condensed and edited. To suggest a person for a CNY Conversation, contact Stan Linhorst at StanLinhorst@gmail.com. Last week featured Chris Dambach, who went from leading patrols in Iraq to leading a thriving startup back home. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- About 14,000 homes and businesses were without power Monday afternoon in Syracuse, Manlius and Chittenango areas after a storm swept through Central New York, according to National Grid. Onondaga County 911 received about 100 calls for trees and wires down during and after the storm. The majority of the calls were at or near Destiny USA and the University area on the north side of the city of Syracuse. There were reports of power out at the mall, 911 dispatchers said. Regal movie patrons wait in line to get refunds after power outage knocked out the movie theater at Destiny Mall. At Destiny USA in Syracuse, moviegoers said they were forced to leave Regal Cinemas around 4:30 p.m. when the power went out. Hundreds of people were at the theaters when the lights flickered, projectors stopped working and the sound malfunctioned, moviegoers said. A Regal Cinemas technician told moviegoers they had to leave because they couldn't control the power surges. Regal gave customers refunds after the power outage, customers said. Some stores at the mall also experienced power shortages, as customers watched retailers reboot cash registers after the storm. Destiny USA has not responded to a call, but shoppers said the mall did not close Monday. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning from 4:22 to 5 p.m. Monday for northwestern Madison and northeastern Onondaga County. The weather service warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-size hail. Like the weather service predicted, fierce winds caused damage to trees and power lines. A National Grid spokeswoman said 14,000 customers were without power at 5 p.m. Crews are working to restore power and expect to complete their work around 8:45 p.m. At 6 p.m., more than 10,000 customers were still without power, according to National Grid's outage map. By 7:15 p.m., slightly more than 3,000 customers were without power. "(The power outages are) due to heavy rain and winds that went through the area," National Grid spokeswoman Karen Polise said. "Trees fell onto power lines and caused the outages." Stephen Stromberg is a Washington Post editorial writer. He specializes in U.S. policy and politics, covering elections, the White House, Congress, legal affairs, energy, the environment and health care. By Stephen Stromberg | The Washington Post I don't blame the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for inviting President Donald Trump to speak at the National Scout Jamboree. But I would blame the BSA's leaders if they ever invited him back. I love the Boy Scouts. As a scrawny city boy, I worked my way toward Eagle Scout, honing my mind, body and conscience. If I had ever been forced to sit through a BSA-sponsored political rally themed around partisanship and egotism, I would have rethought my membership and, perhaps, never learned the fine lessons the organization imparts. The president called the nation's capital city a "sewer." He informed the religiously mixed crowd that more people would say "Merry Christmas" under his watch. He spent much of the speech glorifying his election victory: "Do you remember that famous night on television? On Nov. 8th?" Trump said, as he insisted that winning the popular vote -- which he failed to do -- is a lot easier than his feat, winning the electoral college. He explained how he took Michigan's electoral votes and attacked his former rival, Hillary Clinton, whom some in the audience booed. He offered his usual substance-less babble about the evils of Obamacare and quipped that he would fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if a repeal-and-replace bill did not pass the Senate. "U-S-A, U-S-A," some in the audience chanted. Worst of all, the president twisted the meaning of the scout law. "As the scout law says, a scout is trustworthy, loyal -- we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that," he said in an apparent reference to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has recently demeaned Sessions, one of his oldest allies, because the attorney general recused himself from the Russia investigation, in accordance with Justice Department ethics guidelines. Loyalty for Trump is personal and flows in one direction -- he expects it but does not give it. The loyalty that the scouts -- and, for that matter, the Justice Department -- stand for belongs not to a single man but to the country and its democratic system. Sure, scout membership skews right. But those of us who did not fit that stereotype know that the organization is and should be open to all. I spent middle and high school in a small troop that met in a Mormon church but contained Jews, agnostics, a Seventh-day Adventist and various others. The boys' politics, such as they were, stretched from extremely conservative to socialist. We went on to Harvard and community college, Silicon Valley and the Army. My scoutmasters were store owners, building contractors and, for a brief time, Oscar nominee William H. Macy. (Hey, it was L.A.) This was the 1990s, so the organization still had some growing to do. When one of our fellow scouts came out of the closet, he left the troop. But the BSA has since revised its membership policies to better reflect its mission of offering guidance to all young men. As Trump spoke Tuesday night, former scouts on Twitter angrily invoked the complete scout law: A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Trump neither exhibits nor extols any of these traits. He dwells on perceived slights and humiliates those who dealt them; recall when Trump forced Mitt Romney, a good, public-spirited man (and former scout), to publicly kowtow to him, just before rejecting him for any position in his administration. He is a well-documented serial liar who neglects his solemn responsibilities; Republican lawmakers have been perplexed at how little he understands health-care policy, even though he may soon sign a bill that could mean life or death for millions. Also, remember when Trump encouraged his crowds to beat protesters? And remember when he was caught on tape glorifying sexual assault? There are three types of scouts. There are those who participate for a good reason -- be that a love of the outdoors, an ambition to develop skills not taught in school, an interest in leadership or a desire for friends of skill and substance. There are those who participate because their parents force them to. And there are some bullies who abuse the organization's mission of self-improvement, using its organized competitions and outdoor activities to show that they are better than other boys. The qualities that distinguish the best scouts are humility and self-sacrifice, values that the organization claims to prize. Trump's lesson for 30,000 young men was that the bullies are right and that humility and self-sacrifice are for suckers. Exulting in his election victory, attacking his political opponents and railing on about killing Obamacare, the president celebrated winning -- and, specifically, his winning -- above all else. His boastful speech did not model public-spiritedness; it showcased the immodesty and one-upmanship that the organization expects its boys to grow out of. Instead of addressing the crowd, the president could have learned something from its finer members, decades his junior. "We'll be back," Trump told the crowd. I hope not. Charlie Gard's case is tragic, but it's not a warning against national health care Claudia.Tenney.JPG U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to report to Congress annually how much it pays in bonuses to its senior staffers. (Mark Weiner | mweiner@syracuse.com) WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney pushed through a bill Monday night that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to tell Congress how much money it pays out in bonuses each year to its senior staff. The House of Representatives passed the legislation by voice vote. Tenney, R-New Hartford, authored the bill in response to widespread concerns about the review process the VA uses to evaluate workers amid a series of high-profile problems at its facilities. In fiscal 2015, more than half of the VA's employees nationwide received bonus payments, adding up to $177 million, according to data obtained last year by USA Today. All told, 189,000 employees received bonuses, including some who were paid extra money before they retired or were fired for performance problems. Tenney's "Department of Veterans Affairs Transparency Act" (H.R. 1690) would require the VA to submit an annual report to Congress listing each bonus the agency paid to senior-level staff, their job titles and the location of their employment. In seeking support for her bill, Tenney noted that some VA personnel received bonuses "despite poor performance or outright negligence." She cited the 2015 case in which the VA awarded bonuses to executives who had oversight of a VA Denver construction project that had cost overruns of more than $1 billion. The data obtained by USA Today showed VA senior executives received average payments of about $10,000 each, while non-executive received bonuses that averaged $900. Tenney's bill had 11 co-sponsors including four Democrats and New York Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro; Chris Collins, R-Clarence; and John Faso, R-Kinderhook. Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Stryker BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 431 Thanked: 2,260 Times Monsoon magic - Kabini in the rains We are now exhorting him to have higher ambitions. He is kind of bashful, saying "C'mon guys, it won't work again". We are relentless. He gives in and says "Wouldn't it be nice to have a tiger walking down the road towards us right now"? We all have a good laugh and tell him that is not ambition, that is greed. One minute later, a tigress crests the rise ahead of us and majestically walks down towards us. It is enough to give you religion. No alarm calls, no tracking, no waiting, no nothing. Just pure, dumb, luck. We just happen to be in the right place, at the bottom of a small dip in the road with a gentle incline ahead, at the right time. She walks down the road, looking at us like the trespassers we are. She turns back into the Parthenium by the side. Obviously, we haven't had enough. We implore her to come back out. She is too haughty, she wants to play a little hide and seek. But then she decides to come back out onto the road again. Maybe she feels pity for us and doesn't want to disappoint, letting me capture these moments of glory. She continues to walk towards us for a couple of minutes, allowing ample opportunity for everyone in the vehicle to get good images. She turns back into the bushes again and is gone in seconds, leaving us trembling with excitement. We want more, but we are out of time. We rush back to make sure that we exit the gate within the stipulated time. We are just over the time limit, but the guard doesn't question us too much. We high five each other and return, feeling awe at the sheer magic of sighting a tigress in the wild. Kabini has always been a magical place for me. During the monsoon however, the forest transforms itself into a place of ethereal beauty and glorious greenery. The only major drawback during this season is the over abundant growth of Parthenium and Lantana, which covers view lines and makes sighting difficult. But when a sighting does happen in this season, it leaves you spell bound and keeps you clicking like crazy. Of course, there are other denizens of the forest, many of whom are worth photographing. Here are some of them. An elephantine road block. This lady refuses to move from the road, making us wait until she is good and ready. We are happy to oblige. See what I mean by Monsoon Magic? The sheer beauty of the location, the greenery and the chance to photograph an animal in front of it is worth going 250 kms for, right? At least that is the distance for me from BLR, but what is distance when you get to see sights like this? A Mynah takes a ride on a young female elephant, who seems to be saluting us but is actually brushing mud from tufts of grass she is plucking off the ground. The road deteriorates further in the background, becoming a regular track. She comes so close that the only image I can make is a close up of her huge eye. This deer runs up a small mound for a better view of us, allowing me to capture this moment. Many people don't bother photographing such mundane animals, heck, they don't even bother lifting their cameras with big heavy lenses attached and wait only for the cats, but I feel each and every animal in the forest is beautiful in its own right. A delicate spider web, glistening from the morning's rain, lies unregarded by the roadside. There is great beauty in things like these too, don't you think? A Crested Hawk Eagle (I believe they are no longer called Changeable Hawk Eagles due to a recent re-classification by those who do such things) sits patiently on a perch, giving us much time to photograph it from all angles and in a variety of poses. Ah, the magic. People on a boat safari are fortunate to spot a herd of elephants grazing on the far bank. Look closely and you will find at least seven elephants there, maybe an eighth and a ninth mostly hidden in the trees. You don't get to see those big herds very often these days. Time was when you could spot a herd of at least twenty gentle giants, but such congregations haven't been seen for some years now. No one knows why. And finally, back at the JLR grounds, this guy looks at me like "You want my photo too? You loco?". But I go down on the ground and get this. After all, these common and raucous birds are wild life too, hey? Thus ends another fruitful visit. How I wish I could go there more often, escaping the concrete jungle for the real one. But for now, it is bye bye and as ever, I hope you enjoyed seeing these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. For the technically inclined, all these images were made on a Nikon D7200 with a Nikkor 200-500 mm f/5 lens. All of them are taken handheld, I find it much more comfortable that way. Until next time then, ciao. The last leg of the last safari of four. We haven't had a sighting in the previous three safaris over the weekend. We are resigned to returning without a single glimpse of a tiger or a leopard. This will be a first for me in so many visits to Kabini, but I'm consoling myself that the law of averages has caught with me at last and it is too much to expect this unbeaten run to continue. We are on the justifiably famous 5 KM road in Zone B, the old highway that used to connect Kerala to Karnataka. We have gone up to Dammanakatte gate without hearing even a single alarm call. Now we have turned back and we are slowly coasting along the road, all thoughts turned towards breakfast and the drive back home. Someone in the vehicle says he'd like a Flame Backed Woodpecker sitting on a nearby tree. Ten metres later, one lands on a tree right next to us.We are now exhorting him to have higher ambitions. He is kind of bashful, saying "C'mon guys, it won't work again". We are relentless. He gives in and says "Wouldn't it be nice to have a tiger walking down the road towards us right now"? We all have a good laugh and tell him that is not ambition, that is greed. One minute later, a tigress crests the rise ahead of us and majestically walks down towards us. It is enough to give you religion.No alarm calls, no tracking, no waiting, no nothing. Just pure, dumb, luck. We just happen to be in the right place, at the bottom of a small dip in the road with a gentle incline ahead, at the right time. She walks down the road, looking at us like the trespassers we are. She turns back into the Parthenium by the side.Obviously, we haven't had enough. We implore her to come back out. She is too haughty, she wants to play a little hide and seek.But then she decides to come back out onto the road again. Maybe she feels pity for us and doesn't want to disappoint, letting me capture these moments of glory.She continues to walk towards us for a couple of minutes, allowing ample opportunity for everyone in the vehicle to get good images.She turns back into the bushes again and is gone in seconds, leaving us trembling with excitement. We want more, but we are out of time. We rush back to make sure that we exit the gate within the stipulated time. We are just over the time limit, but the guard doesn't question us too much. We high five each other and return, feeling awe at the sheer magic of sighting a tigress in the wild.Kabini has always been a magical place for me. During the monsoon however, the forest transforms itself into a place of ethereal beauty and glorious greenery. The only major drawback during this season is the over abundant growth of Parthenium and Lantana, which covers view lines and makes sighting difficult. But when a sighting does happen in this season, it leaves you spell bound and keeps you clicking like crazy. Of course, there are other denizens of the forest, many of whom are worth photographing. Here are some of them.An elephantine road block. This lady refuses to move from the road, making us wait until she is good and ready. We are happy to oblige. See what I mean by Monsoon Magic? The sheer beauty of the location, the greenery and the chance to photograph an animal in front of it is worth going 250 kms for, right? At least that is the distance for me from BLR, but what is distance when you get to see sights like this?A Mynah takes a ride on a young female elephant, who seems to be saluting us but is actually brushing mud from tufts of grass she is plucking off the ground. The road deteriorates further in the background, becoming a regular track.She comes so close that the only image I can make is a close up of her huge eye.This deer runs up a small mound for a better view of us, allowing me to capture this moment. Many people don't bother photographing such mundane animals, heck, they don't even bother lifting their cameras with big heavy lenses attached and wait only for the cats, but I feel each and every animal in the forest is beautiful in its own right.A delicate spider web, glistening from the morning's rain, lies unregarded by the roadside. There is great beauty in things like these too, don't you think?A Crested Hawk Eagle (I believe they are no longer called Changeable Hawk Eagles due to a recent re-classification by those who do such things) sits patiently on a perch, giving us much time to photograph it from all angles and in a variety of poses.Ah, the magic. People on a boat safari are fortunate to spot a herd of elephants grazing on the far bank. Look closely and you will find at least seven elephants there, maybe an eighth and a ninth mostly hidden in the trees. You don't get to see those big herds very often these days. Time was when you could spot a herd of at least twenty gentle giants, but such congregations haven't been seen for some years now. No one knows why.And finally, back at the JLR grounds, this guy looks at me like "You want my photo too? You loco?". But I go down on the ground and get this. After all, these common and raucous birds are wild life too, hey?Thus ends another fruitful visit. How I wish I could go there more often, escaping the concrete jungle for the real one. But for now, it is bye bye and as ever, I hope you enjoyed seeing these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. For the technically inclined, all these images were made on a Nikon D7200 with a Nikkor 200-500 mm f/5 lens. All of them are taken handheld, I find it much more comfortable that way.Until next time then, ciao. Last edited by Stryker : 24th July 2017 at 15:25 . Reason: Monsoon Magic - Kabini in the rains Microsoft has released its long-awaited cloud-based bug detection tool, previously code-named Project Springfield. The Windows version became generally available, and a new Linux version became available as a preview last week. The tool, Microsoft Security Risk Detection, uses artificial intelligence to hunt down security vulnerabilities in software that is about to be released. Microsoft Security Risk Detection will help developers do fuzz testing, said David Molnar, the Microsoft researcher in charge of the group that developed the tool. Fuzz testing normally is done using outside consultants to test new software. Its purpose is to make sure vulnerabilities can be weeded out before the product goes into wide release to avoid the necessity of patching them on the back end. The service uses artificial intelligence to ask particular what if questions about new software, focusing on critical areas that might be vulnerable to attack by bad actors. Microsoft first released a test version of the service last year. Docusign, a firm that specializes in automated electronic signatures, is one of the companies that volunteered to try it out. The tool helped Docusign weed out bugs in its software and almost never returned false positives, according to John Heasman, senior director of software security at the company. The low rate of false positives is very important, he said, because companies typically have to spend a lot of time tracking down false positives, which uses time that otherwise could be devoted to investigating legitimate threats. In-House Technology Microsoft has been using Sage, a key component of the service, since the mid-2000s to test versions of Windows, Office and other products. Several product teams at the company use the service as part of the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle. Microsoft plans to offer the tool for sale later this summer through Microsoft Services. Prevent Defense The release is meaningful, according to Dustin Childs, communications director for the zero day initiative at Trend Micro, who noted that the service gives developers access to security testing they otherwise might not use. Bugs are much easier to detect during software development, he told LinuxInsider, so enhanced testing prior to release could prevent security problems down the road. Whether companies embrace the service depends largely on how many false positives they get, Childs said. Another important issue will be the trust issue between developers and Microsoft, which could depend on how much information is shared with the developers and how much is retained by Microsoft. From Microsofts perspective, the gain is twofold, said Childs. The service will help Microsoft create a safer ecosystem running a series of Windows applications, and allow the company to show off its cloud computing and AI capabilities. The service also will introduce Azure to a large community of potential customers. Security is something that everyone wants, but few are willing to shell out the money for it, observed Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research. IT managers often stick with the security solutions they are familiar with and upgrade with budgetary cycles, he told LinuxInsider. The industry rarely works together to resolve security issues, McGregor said. True IT security requires hardware and software to be effective, he pointed out. However, Microsofts solution takes security to a new level by combining AI and cloud resources, said McGregor. It continuously leverages a wide range of information and reacts to new threats faster than traditional solutions. Its not clear how much success Microsoft will have with this new service, he said, but every IT manager should be looking to AI for improved security. Galaxy Active variants are often as powerful as the regular versions; They have rugged construction; And they have larger battery packs compared to the standard models. All photos in this post are courtesy of Reddit. As for Galaxy fans in the Philippines who are eyeing this model, it looks like our only hope of getting it is through online sellers or the grey market players. Korean Giant Samsung has been releasing "Active" versions of their flagship releases since theway back in 2013 -- and since then, I've been wanting to get my hands on such variants.The only problem is that Samsung has never released them in the Philippines. I'm not sure why. But I don't think I'm the only Pinoy mobile consumer who'd love to own one of these.Why not?Take for example the, which was recently leaked by an anonymous Reddit user (he has since taken down his post on the social bookmarking and sharing site).This version is every bit as powerful as the regular Samsung Galaxy S8, running its TouchWiz-flavored Android 7.1 Nougat OS with a beastly Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, having 4GB of RAM for multitasking, and coming with 64GB of internal storage.Its imaging capabilities are likewise similar to that of the SGS8 and SGS8+. At the back, SGS8 Active has a 12 MegaPixel Dual Pixel f/1.7 camera which also shoots 4K 30fps videos. And in front, selfie-lovers should appreciate the 8 MegaPixel f/1.7 cam that's crafted to deliver clear shots in low light conditions.But on top of all that, Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is also wrapped in an ultra-rugged shell with military standard certification and it is powered by a massive 4,000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack that should provide longer uptime compared to the regular S8. If you enjoy going out of town and off-the-grid for extreme adventures, I think you'd appreciate these two value-added features.The only downside here is that SGS8Active doesn't have the Curved Infinity Display found on the standard flagship versions. The Korean Giant must have given it a flat face to make the touchscreen more shatter-resistant, adding to the ruggedness of the device.Samsung Galaxy S8 Active will be an AT&T exclusive model in the United States with a projected SRP of around $800 USD.Not sure, though, if these stores will be keen on bringing this SGS8Active here. But if there's demand, I don't see why not. The Pokemon GO Fest in Grant Park, Chicago was planned as the first real-world event for the mobile game, but it ended up as a disaster. Developer Niantic Labs prepared the Pokemon GO Fest as an event that will have players from all over the world collaborating to unlock rewards, which was expected by most to be the arrival of Legendary Pokemon to the mobile game. However, several factors made the day worth forgetting for thousands of Pokemon GO players who attended the event. Pokemon GO Fest Problems Approximately 20,000 players arrived at Grant Park in the morning of July 22, expecting to take part in an event that will celebrate the first anniversary of Pokemon GO. However, what they encountered was a reminder of the mobile game's early woes, which were experienced shortly after it launched a year ago. The Pokemon GO Fest was plagued with technical issues, as players logging in to the app while at the event saw mostly error screens. Verizon, which worked with Niantic Labs to prepare for the event, claimed that the problem was with Niantic Labs. A spokesperson for Verizon claimed that the wireless carrier boosted its capacity for the event, with representatives at the area to monitor the status of its network. Given the large scale of the Pokemon GO Fest, it can be assumed that other carriers did the same thing. However, players still experienced connectivity issues with the Pokemon GO app. When they tried other apps such as YouTube, they worked fine, pointing to the fact that the issue was with Pokemon GO and not the carriers of the players. The event was turning out to be such a disaster that when Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke took the stage, he was greeted with a massive chorus of boos. By the middle of the afternoon, the organizers decided to call off the event. Niantic Labs issued an apology through its official website, and outlined the steps of how it will make up the failed event to players. According to the developer, registered attendees will receive a refund on their tickets, plus $100 in PokeCoins. Lastly, all attendees will receive the Legendary Pokemon Lugia added to their Pokemon GO accounts. Legendary Pokemon Now In 'Pokemon GO' Despite the disastrous Pokemon GO Fest, there still exists a silver lining. In addition to Lugia, the Legendary Pokemon Articuno has also been added to the mobile game. For players who would like to catch Legendary Pokemon, here are a few tips in tracking them and taking them down. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. "Dialogue and negotiation in Venezuela, found at the Paris Forum for Peace, three friends: the governments of France, Argentina and the Republic of Colombia," said the president... | Read More At his first day back on full duty with the traffic division of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, Lt. Bruce Simmons received a $65,000 check from the Motorman 5k and 1 Mile Deputy Dash proceeds. Simmons, who was injured in the July 2016 ambush on Baton Rouge law enforcement, was cleared last week to return to work, but is slowly re-acclimating to his duties, said Sheriff's spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks. He returned to the sheriff's office Monday and will soon be cleared to patrol on his motorcycle, Hicks said. Before Simmons hit the streets, his niece, Deputy Nikki Stonaker, attached his newly-commissioned lieutenant's badge and gold bars to his uniform Monday morning. And then, he was presented with the money raised from the May 5k race and fundraiser. Motorman 5k organizer Scott McKnight said the money will support Simmons and his family as he continues to recover from his injuries and the August flood, which left their house unlivable. "Bruce (Simmons) has had an overwhelmingly rough year, but has been just extremely thankful and ... really overjoyed by the reaction from the community," McKnight said, a reserve deputy who founded the Reserve Officers and Deputies Foundation, which put on the 5k charity run. +2 Motorman 5K and 1 Mile Deputy Dash to benefit injured officers The Reserve Deputies and Officers Foundation is coordinating the Motorman 5K and 1-Mile Depu The 5k organizers will also present Deputy Nick Tullier, who was critically injured in the same ambush and remains in rehabilitation in Houston, with a $65,000 check. They hope to do that in the next few weeks, McKnight said. McKnight said their committee that organized the 5k charity run originally set their fundraising goal at $50,000, so Tullier and Simmons could each receive $25,000, but they quickly surpassed that mark. "The community responded just tremendously and really rallied behind the event... the deputies got behind this event," McKnight said. "We reached that $50,000 goal just a few weeks after setting it. We just didn't know where it was going to go." Four Baton Rouge men were booked Monday into Parish Prison after they were apprehended by Baton Rouge Police late Sunday following a shooting that injured four, said police spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely. Jamie Dailey, 18, Demarco White, 17, Tyrese James, 18, and DeShawn Breaux, 22, were each booked on eight counts of attempted first-degree murder, McKneely said. The men are accused of driving to the 10300 block of Avenue H around 5 p.m. Sunday, exiting a gold Lincoln Aviator and firing about 60 rounds from three weapons toward a house, according to their arrest reports. Inside the residence were eight people with ages ranging from two months to 45 years, and four of them were injured by the gunfire, the reports say. All four of the injured are expected to survive, McKneely said. The men then got back into the vehicle and fled the scene, the reports say. Police soon found a vehicle that matched the description from the shooting in the 8200 block of Scenic Highway, and officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the reports say. The vehicle instead accelerated to 60 mph in an area where the speed limit was 30, and disregarded traffic laws, the reports say. Later on I-110 South, the vehicle stopped and the occupants ran, until taken into custody by police on Gracie Street, the reports say. Dailey, 1967 Gracie St., and James, 1959 Mulberry Drive, were both booked Monday on eight counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of illegal use of a weapon and resisting an officer. White, 6427 Kincaid Ave., was booked on the same counts as Dailey and James, as well as possession of a Schedule II drug and possession of a firearm with a controlled and dangerous substance. Breaux, 2505 Edgewood Drive, was booked on the same counts, as well as aggravated flight from an officer. To protect lower- and middle-income families from floods, the federal government needs to flip the way it operates flood insurance, according to a study released Wednesday. The Natural Resources Defense Council's paper, "Seeking Higher Ground," comes as Congress debates how to reform the debt-laden National Flood Insurance Program. Author Rob Moore argues that leaders need to look at properties that flood repeatedly and make it easier to help people who are at risk of such flooding to move to higher ground. Besides the humanitarian argument, Moore says, it's cheaper in the long run to assist people move out of flood zones rather than spend money to bail them out every couple years. For instance, a recent story in The Washington Post documented a Louisiana home that's flooded more than 40 times. The home, valued at $55,921, received $428,379 in payouts. Moore's focus was on about 30,000 homes the Federal Emergency Management Agency considers "severe repetitive loss" properties. Those homes have flooded an average of five times and are expected to flood every few years. Louisiana has more-severe repetitive losses than any other state, and they've cost the system $1.22 billion. Rebuilding those houses multiple times is a drain on the NFIP, which is $24.6 billion in the hole, Moore argues. In fact, the average single-family repetitive loss home is worth $159,792 but has received $149,213 in payouts. The people who live there aren't "gaming" the system, he said in a conference call with reporters. Rather they don't have the means to move and live in a system that "inadvertently traps" residents on low ground. Olga McKissic bought her Louisville home in 1986, and for the first 11 years, she was untouched by water. Then, between 1997 and 2015, she flooded four times. "It is a nightmare living in anticipation that it's going to flood again," she said in the same conference call. If a person wants to leave a house that constantly takes on water, it can be hard to find a buyer willing to take on the risk. FEMA has a process for selling the land to the government, which allows it to revert to spillway, but the process can take years and receives less than 2 cents of every dollar the NFIP spends rebuilding, Moore wrote. McKissic hasn't been able to sell her house; she's been trying to apply for a buyout for four years and is still waiting. Meanwhile, since she's tried to start the process, she flooded again, and again, FEMA paid to fix her house. When FEMA was set up almost 50 years ago, it was based on the premise that no one should be deemed uninsurable, said Don Griffin, vice president of Property Casualty Insurers, a right-leaning trade association whose members cover 27 percent of the homeowners' market and a third of the commercial property and liability market. Very few people can be denied flood insurance, and if they are, it's because of other reasons, he said. Moore has advocated making it standard policy to include language in flood policies that guarantees money to help people move if they're at risk of flooding multiple times and if they make 120 percent or less of the median income. Not only would that help people in crisis, it also would force homebuyers to consider the risks of moving into a floodplain. To help them make that decision, he wants FEMA to take steps such as allowing homebuyers and homeowners to see their properties' flood claim histories. Congress is trying to figure out how to re-authorize the NFIP, which is set to expire at the end of September. Moore said he worked with policymakers to draft a pilot program for his idea, but it was struck amid part of a larger discussion about the government purchasing private property. "It's not as partisan an issue as you might think, though some of the debate is partisan," Griffin said. There are a few main sticking points, he said. First, lawmakers are trying to decide whether to keep subsidizing flood insurance or make people pay the full actuarial cost for protection. In 2012, the Biggert-Waters Act began to remove some of the subsidies and grandfathered properties to try to make the system solvent, but it was seen as gouging property owners. Two years later, enforcement was delayed. There's been some interest in letting more private insurers into the market, but Griffin said they can't compete with the subsidies being offered by the NFIP. Meanwhile, some officials want more oversight of contractors and the private insurance providers who write policies backed by the federal government. The fallout from Hurricane Sandy is still fresh in mind, and dozens of lawsuits continue to play out over allegations that various government agencies and private contractors committed insurance fraud in the rush for aid after the devastating storm. With each passing day, it appears more likely the House and Senate won't be able to come up with a deal by the Sept. 30 deadline, though they do have the option of extending the program in its current form. In a way, some people are facing a different deadline. The problems faced by homeowners will only get worse with additional coastal land loss, Moore warned. Since the 1930s, Louisiana has already lost land about equal to the state of Delaware. The U.S. Geological Survey recently updated its findings on Louisiana. On one hand, the state is no longer losing a football field's worth of land each hour; on the other hand, it's still losing a football field's worth to water every 100 minutes, likely because of the long interval since the last major hurricane. "Decision makers too often see flood insurance as a solution to flooding. It is not. Insurance does not keep a flood from happening; it simply gives a policyholder assistance to rebuild after a flood," Moore wrote. "But what if rebuilding is not the best option. If a home has flooded multiple times, rebuilding is probably not the best option given the likelihood of another flood." Over many years, Louisiana teachers and school leaders have been focused on classroom performance, a laser-like focus that is paying off in long-term advances in graduation rates from public high schools. Yet we are far from successful, with many of the most important drivers of school success lacking. There are too many families living at or below the poverty line, with increased risks that incoming students won't know their letters and numbers, and won't have the support along the way of academic success. For too many older students, the lure of jobs even those of limited prospects in the future is more important than high school graduation. High school graduation is not the only criterion for Louisiana's education success but it is an important one, as students who are ready for technical training or community college can use their educations for a far better shot at good-paying jobs. Despite some controversy over its drafting, a new state plan is in place for Louisiana's compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Like Education Superintendent John White, and the state board of education, we did not see any reason to delay sending up the plan, although Gov. John Bel Edwards and some school officials thought it should be further reconsidered. As it winds its way through the process of consultation and questions from the U.S. Department of Education, we like one key part of the law and the state plan: It requires that public schools with graduation figures of less than 67 percent craft plans for improvements, according to Jessica Baghian, assistant state superintendent for assessments and accountability. To the extent it is available in the continuing mess that is the federal budget, aid can be made available to schools to improve their graduation performance. The main funding for schools, as always though, is the state and local taxpayers. The latest graduation rate statewide is 77 percent, down from 77.5 percent last year. The U. S. average was 83.2 percent in 2015, the latest figures available. True, as pointed out by Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, our state has more private and parochial schools, many of very high quality. That tends to skew the public school grad rate down a bit compared to most states. But the graduation rate for black students is 71.4 percent and 71.2 percent for students from economically disadvantaged families, according to state Department of Education figures. That is obviously unacceptable, as the workforce of tomorrow depends on the broadest possible base of educated employees. Louisiana has made real progress. The state and local authorities are doing more for both academic preparation and relevant vocational training in high schools. But to the extent that ESSA plans focus on high schools where a third of students aren't walking with their classmates at graduation, it is a chance for improvement in a key metric of success. The Kuwaits Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 22, 2017 that it has told the Iranian regimes ambassador to reduce the staff of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait and to close down the technical offices affiliated with the Iranian regimes embassy in Kuwait. The decision to reduce the staff of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait was made to defend the rights of the Kuwaiti people, Kuwaiti Minister of Interior of the Council of Ministers told the Sky News TV. The decision came after the final verdict was issued against a terrorist cell. Following the issuance of this verdict, a number of MPs called for extraordinary session to support the actions of the Kuwaiti government against the Iranian regime. Regarding the Iranian regimes relations with Kuwait, Dr. Abdullah al-Shaychi, a professor of political science, said that since 40 years ago up to now, relations with the Iranian regime have seen a downturn. This regime has been provocative since it began exporting its revolution. Since the Iran-Iraq War, the regime has launched terrorist operations or has stolen Kuwaiti oil tankers and hijacked Kuwaiti aircrafts. In 1985, they invaded the caravan of Sheikh Jaber Ahmed, Emir of Kuwait. This case is heavy. The current crisis reveals that the problem with the Iranian regime is security, and the exposure of the terrorist core proves that the Revolutionary Guards has sponsored, and trained the terrorist core. After discovering this core in August 2015, the Kuwaiti criminal court accused it of spying for the Iranian regime and wanting to destabilize the government by the Revolutionary Guards. After preliminary trials, it was found that 16 of the defendants had escaped. The states of the Persian Gulf are suffering especially because the terrorist cores that have been exposed, are not only in Kuwait. They also have been discovered in Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department, in its annual reports that are sent to the U.S. Congress, describes the Iranian regime as the top state sponsor of terrorism. Thats what the U.S. Secretaries of Defense and State have emphasized. Pioneering treatment in New Orleans restores girl's ability to walk, talk after near drowning Media reform is needed to give publishers greater clout with potential advertisers, says the most senior News Corp executive in Australia. News Corp executive chairman for Australasia Michael Miller on Tuesday urged Parliament to pass the government's proposed media reform laws, which would ease ownership restrictions. News Corp Australasia chairman Michael Miller. Credit:Daniel Munoz Mr Miller also expressed a desire for rival media organisations to work more closely together and be less negative in their coverage of others' problems. Currently News Corp is blocked from owning a commercial broadcaster in capital cities because it would breach rules preventing a single person controlling TV, print, and radio in a licence area. Upmarket menswear brands Rhodes & Beckett and Herringbone will live on after administrators for the troubled companies sealed a deal for a private equity-backed management buyout. The high-profile brands ran into trouble earlier this year and administrators at Cor Cordis almost immediately closed seven stores and began a stock clearance as they sought a buyer. A buyer has been found for Rhodes & Beckett and Herringbone. Credit:Louie Douvis Under the deal unveiled on Tuesday, a company headed by Rhodes & Beckett and Herringbone's current brand director Michel Boutin and backed by Hong Kong-based private equity firm AO capital will take over the company's assets. As part of the deal eight Rhodes & Beckett concession outlets in Myer will be closed. The move follows the closure of TOPSHOP concessions in Myer as part of that chain's administration process. In an extraordinary move by a global diplomatic authority, the United Nations is, in effect, accusing the Australian government of lying about the resettlement deal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull struck with then US president Barack Obama to take up to 1250 of the remaining 2000 people suffering in the camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island under Australia's mandatory offshore detention policy. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, says that when the agency agreed to help administer the deal, which President Donald Trump has reluctantly inherited, it was on the understanding which Mr Grandi says followed extensive discussions between the UN and Australian officials, including Immigration Minister Peter Dutton that there would be exceptions for people with family ties in Australia. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has rejected the UN's claims. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Dutton rejects that assertion, but has not given a detailed rebuttal. His reticence is an unusual departure from his generally combative approach. What are we to make of all this? The UN buttressed its position on Tuesday, stating that immigration officials helped interview refugees on Nauru and Manus Island for possible family reunions. There is some reason to be sceptical about Mr Dutton's claim. After all, the government has sought to conceal the truth of the appalling conditions in the centres with a draconian law that forbids, under threat of jail, anyone working there from revealing to anyone anything they saw. Mr Grandi says the UN agreed to be involved in the US deal "on the clear understanding that vulnerable refugees with close family ties in Australia would ultimately be allowed to settle there", and that the UNHCR had "recently been informed by Australia that it refuses to accept even those refugees". It has been widely reported that the UN and many others, including The Age believe, on the basis of documented evidence, that manifold human rights violations have occurred in the camps. But it is hard to see why Mr Grandi would lie about his understanding of the agreement. However, there is no written record of it, so it is conceivable there has been a misunderstanding. The government has consistently and shamefully stated that no one in the camps will ever be allowed to settle in Australia. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has expediently backed that position. Perhaps the government had intended to discreetly accept refugees with family ties here, but has since altered its view. Or maybe the government wilfully misled the UN, in order to enlist its aid. The Liberal Party's first openly gay federal politician says a postal vote plebiscite on same-sex marriage would be "acrimonious" and "divisive" as the issue further inflames tensions within the Turnbull government. West Australian senator Dean Smith said the proposal, led by the government's leading conservative figure Peter Dutton and backed by former prime minister Tony Abbott, was an acknowledgement the issue must be resolved this parliamentary year. "I think this is an important step because it's a demonstration by Peter Dutton that there is a will on the part of the government to bring this matter to a close," Senator Smith told ABC Radio on Tuesday morning. But a postal vote plebiscite was not the way to resolve the matter, he said. American designer Michael Kors, best known for his affordable handbags and appearances on Project Runway, has agreed to buy Jimmy Choo for $1.5 billion. Kors is set to snap up the British luxury shoemaker that was launched in London and made famous by celebrity fans like Princess Diana. Chanel Iman, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum at the Annual amfAR Inspiration Gala at The Museum of Modern Art in 2011. Credit:Getty Images It was also promoted heavily with various cameos in Sex and The City. Co-founded in the 1990s by bespoke shoemaker Jimmy Choo and Tamara Mellon, the brand is known for its stiletto heels, accessories and perfume. A man farewelling his parents late at night was confronted by a neighbour who said: "why are you talking so loud, this is my street" before fatally stabbing him, a Sydney jury has been told. Sateki Siale has admitted smashing a beer bottle on a brick fence then using it to stab Kelly Ventigadoo in the neck causing him to fall to the ground outside his Sydney home. The 26-year-old also admits striking him again when Mr Ventigadoo got back up, causing him to bleed to death within five minutes in front of his parents at about 12.30 am on October 11, 2015. But he has pleaded not guilty to murder, instead pleading guilty to assault causing death while intoxicated - a plea which the Crown has not accepted. The Queensland Greens have unveiled an election policy in which they would raise the coal royalty rate to similar levels used in Canada and the United States. They say the higher royalties would net an extra $20 billion over five years to fund infrastructure projects. The Greens propose lifting Queensland's coal royalty rate to raise money for infrastructure. Credit:Robert Rough The Greens would lift the royalty paid in Queensland from 7 per cent to 18.75 per cent if the party won enough seats at the next state election to influence policy. They would also raise the royalty paid by gas companies in Queensland from 10 per cent to 18.75 per cent, similar to royalties paid in Canada and the US. A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was allegedly set alight in Brisbane's north on Tuesday morning. Detective Sergeant Jason Gouge from Carseldine CIB said police will allege the man, who was known to the woman, entered the house on Aldea Circuit in Bracken Ridge about 10.40am through an open back door. Neighbours said it was 'a quiet suburban street where hardly anything happens'. Credit:Toby Crockford Sergeant Gouge said the woman was in the bedroom of the residence when she was doused in accelerant and set alight, while the two other women who lived at the rental property were at home. The 28-year-old woman was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition for treatment of burns to her arms, chest and airway. On Sunday, June 23, 2017, Al-Qabas released a report entitled the meetings at the Iranian Embassy and training in Lebanon, referred to the details of the courts final verdict on Al-Abduli group indicating that the members of this group hold sessions at the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait. Kuwaits Court of Cassation announced the verdict, It was proved for the court with solid grounds that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that operates for the interests of the Islamic Republic, has accepted the values of the Iranian Revolution and sought to promote these values in Kuwait and other Islamic countries; the values that seek to destroy the primary systems of Kuwait and other Islamic countries and to disrupt the social and economic systems of the countries by employing illegal methods such as attacking the government facilities, bombing, force and terrorism against the government and citizens. The Kuwaiti Court of Cassation announced that it has received information through testimonies from a Kuwaiti security force about the Hezbollah relations, the hijacking of the Kuwaiti airplane 422, the attempts to assassinate the former King of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed, and forming espionage groups. The security forces also released information concerning the measures of Hezbollah and the Iranian intelligence bodies to form espionage groups, to facilitate the transfer of weapons and explosives through Iran. The members of this group were obliged to snoop about the targets in Kuwait. The eighth defendant passed military and urban plans that contained the coordinates of wells and oilfields. On Wednesday, July 19, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior released images of al-Qaeda members and announced the judgments by default for those fugitives. "We have been considering them with our enforcement committee which is the pointy end before we actually launch these prosecutions. We are certainly serious about this one." Schaper says the unfair contracts legislation does not provide for penalties so the court's powers are limited to finding a provision unfair and voiding it from the contract. He says the upcoming court actions will have two purposes. Sensis chief executive John Allan says the marketing service business "sincerely regrets" that some customers experienced a poor level of customer service. Credit:Jesse Marlow "We approached some other companies about terms and some companies say 'we beg to differ' and they are entitled to do so and that's what the courts are for," he said. "The second thing is just to get case law on the books on what an unfair contract term is in a business contract." Fall in complaints The report shows complaints made by small businesses to the ACCC have fallen slightly in the past six months from 5216 complaints in the period of July to December 2016 to 4894 complaints in January to June 2017. Michael Schaper, deputy chairman of the ACCC, says the regulator is getting ready to take court action on unfair contracts for small business. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan "The figures bounce around a little bit of course, up and down every six months," Schaper said. "There are some enduring themes about the issues small businesses contact us about, consumer rights and when do small businesses have rights, issues about payments and issues about misleading behaviour." Schaper says it is likely there are more small businesses with complaints out there. We are certainly serious about this one. Michael Schaper "These figures I suspect understate the issue because from experience lots of small businesses and franchises don't even want to declare information about themselves," he said. "Increasingly these days they can go to the state small business commissioners [instead] and we don't have those aggregate figures." Franchise code breaches The report notes the ACCC has enforced several breaches of the franchise code in the past six months including taking court action against Ultra Tune Australia for alleged breaches including a failure to act in good faith and making false of misleading representations; Geowash for a failure to act in good faith; and Pastacup for an alleged breach of the franchise code. "We have picked up the activity in terms of franchising activity," Schaper said. "Compared to the last couple of years it shows we are finally using the powers we were given under the franchising code. We were given these new powers in 2015 but we could only seek financial penalties for matters that emerged after the law took effect so there is a bit of a pipeline. You have to wait for a problematic issue to emerge and then investigate it. That's why there's often a time lag between new laws and where you see enforcement." Working with the watchdog An Uber spokesperson said the tech giant was pleased to "work closely" with the ACCC on its review of small business contract terms. "In consultation with the ACCC, we implemented some changes to partner terms to give driver-partners more certainty and transparency," the spokesperson said. A Fairfax spokesperson said: "We proactively worked with the ACCC to ensure that our standard contracts are consistent with the new laws relating to small business." A spokesperson for Sensis previously told MySmallBusiness it had independently of, and prior to, being contacted by the ACCC, provided refunds to a "significant" number of affected customers and commenced a review of its terms and conditions. The experienced teacher knew her time was up when the subject she had taught for 16 years was cut from her school's curriculum. She was called into the principal's office and told she was no longer needed. Fiona* is speaking out about older teachers being pushed out of schools Credit:Daniel Pockett Fiona* had been declared "excess" a process that lets cash-strapped state schools trim their budgets by axing staff. "It has been painful and I'm still traumatised by it," she says. When the chips were down for Melbourne man Gunawan Akay, an opportunistic theft from the city's casino made matters worse. The 38-year-old was on Tuesday sentenced to a two-year community corrections order for snatching $125,000 worth of gaming chips from Crown Casino in December. During the getaway, he lost all but three of the chips. Credit:James Davies Akay pleaded guilty to stealing 25 chips worth $5000 each from the casino's exclusive Maple Room and was captured on CCTV as he fled, using a taxi. County Court Judge Claire Quin said Akay had been under significant financial pressure in the lead-up to the unsophisticated crime. Hundreds of protesters, hands covered with red ochre, descended on the Supreme Court in NSW to scrawl messages of anger and disgust on the glass facade after the man who ran over Aboriginal boy Elijah Doughty in the Goldfields was acquitted of manslaughter. The 56-year-old man was last week acquitted of manslaughter over the death of the 14-year-old last year and was sentenced to three years in jail on a lesser charge. Elijah Doughty and his girlfriend Koshanta Smith-Reynolds before his death. Placard-carrying protesters held a tense rally in Sydney on Monday afternoon, with one activist throwing red ochre on the steps of the courthouse. "This is the blood of Aboriginal people. Don't wait for this to be your children's," a protester screamed, as she listed the names of Aboriginal people who had died in custody. North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year, US officials have concluded in a confidential assessment that dramatically shrinks the timeline for when Pyongyang could strike North American cities with atomic weapons. The new assessment by the Pentagon's Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), which shaves a full two years off the consensus forecast for North Korea's ICBM program, was prompted by recent missile tests showing surprising technical advances by the country's weapons scientists, at a pace beyond which many analysts believed was possible for the isolated communist regime. The US projection closely mirrors revised predictions by South Korean intelligence officials, who also have watched with growing alarm as North Korea has appeared to master key technologies needed to loft a warhead toward targets thousands of miles away. The finding further increases the pressure on US and Asian leaders to halt North Korea's progress before it can threaten the world with nuclear-tipped missiles. President Trump, during his visit to Poland earlier this month, vowed to confront Pyongyang "very strongly" to stop its missile advances. To say that there is very little Republicans and Democrats agree on today would be a colossal understatement, but it is clear dealing with Iran and North Korea has moved to the forefront because of their respective ballistic missile programs and Russia for alleged interference in U.S. elections. The decision of how best to deal with Iran and North Korea seems to be about the only issues that draws popular and wide-ranging support from both sides of the political aisle; much to the consternation of the Iran lobby. One of the most consistent arguments made by Iran supporters such as Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council has been the idea that the issues such as Irans nuclear program should be addressed separate and apart from ballistic missiles, human rights or sponsorship of terrorism. The Obama administration followed through on that idea by not conditioning the nuclear agreement on those side issues, but all that did was enable the Iranian regime to act on all of those issues with impunity and a sense of invulnerability seeing how the U.S. would be unwilling to jeopardize the agreement no matter how egregious the actions by the regime. It was a similar scenario that followed North Korea and sanctions were ramped up with each North Korean aggressive action only to be traded for concessions which enabled yet another round of militancy. Tyrannical regimes soon figured out that if you wanted to get something from the Obama administration, you just had to act a little crazy and you would get it or have the U.S. back down; i.e. never crossing that red line in the sand. Not coincidentally, that separation of issues doesnt work both ways according to the Iran lobby. If the U.S. could not criticize or act against the regime for its conduct on ballistic missiles or human rights, then the U.S. could also be criticized for acting on its own against Iran for any of those issues. Parsi and his colleagues have also chimed in that imposing sanctions on Iran for human rights violations is a separate issue and would only jeopardize the nuclear agreement. Its collapse would only force an arms race and speed up Irans path to the bomb. Unfortunately for them and other supporters of the Iran regime, that is exactly what the U.S. Congress has done with this bill. It has finally acted on imposing sanctions separate and apart from the conditions of the nuclear dealjust as the Iran lobby demanded before. Even the Los Angeles Times editorial board, long an advocate of the nuclear deal, agreed that issues such as ballistic missiles and support for terror groups such as Hezbollah ought to be addresses separately and so they have at last. The House is set to vote on Tuesday on a package of bills on sanctions covering Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthys office. The measure will hold them accountable for their [alleged] dangerous actions, McCarthy claimed in a statement on Saturday, Reuters reported. The legislation would also impose sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile development program and its activities in the region, especially the support provided by Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps for Tehrans allies in their campaigns to fight in Syria. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a strong sanctions bill is essential, and said in a statement that he expects the house and senate will act on this legislation promptly, on a broad bipartisan basis. The bills are now shaping up as only the opening chess move between President Trump and the mullahs in Tehran as he has demanded the release of imprisoned Americans in Iranian jails, which received a similar demand from Tehran for the release of Iranians convicted on charges related to the attempted export of nuclear materials. In the arena of prisoners and hostage taking, Iran and North Korea are again joined at the hip in terms of tactics since North Korea imprisoned and then released American Otto Warmbier who was released and died as a result of severe injuries suffered in what was described by medical officials as torture or savage beatings. Iran has similarly detained Americans, Canadian and European citizens and subjected then to torture that has been widely documented and condemned by human rights and Iranian opposition groups such as Amnesty International. In the face of the American action, the Iranian regime predictably announced the launch of a new production line to mass manufacture a new version of its Sayyad-3 air defense missile in a photo opportunity moment to shake the spear so-to-speak and warn against any efforts to attack Iran. The Sayyad 3 missile can reach an altitude of 16 mile and travel up to 74 miles, Iranian defense minister Hossein Dehghan said at a ceremony, as reported by Reuters. The missile is copied after similar Russian designs. The missile can target fighter planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and helicopters, Dehghan said. The implied threat by Iran was again the tired old line that the only inevitable outcome of the dispute between itself and the U.S. had to lead to war. For the Iran lobby and Iranian regime, rattling the saber and banging war drums seems to be about their only response to the issue of increasing sanctions aimed at the threat posed by Irans missile fleet. But as Harry J. Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, pointed out in a Fox News editorial, the close working relationship between North Korea and Iran only means Iran will be able to deploy nuclear weapons on its missiles even more quickly in spite of the nuclear deal. Many experts have been warning for years now that Tehran and Pyongyang have been trading missile technology. If the Trump administration doesnt act fast it wont be just the hermit kingdom that has nukes that can strike at targets thousands of miles away Kazianis writes. It is clear that the best possible solution is to continue moving forward with sanctions against Iran and North Korea and reverse the damage done by President Obamas eight years of appeasing the Iranian regime. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Lawyers debated whether his crimes constituted exceptional circumstances, but a youth who appeared for sentencing in a Steinbach provincial courtroom last Thursday ultimately avoided time in custody and will instead serve a 15-month community-based sentence. In December, the teenager, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to a Sept. 2016 break-in at a Ste Anne residence in which several firearms and a compound bow were stolen. It wasnt his last brush with the law, after Ste Anne police found him in possession of a stolen BlackBerry in February. Crown attorney Kristee Logan noted the second offence occurred while a pre-sentence report, stemming from his December plea, was being prepared. From the Crowns perspective, this was a serious matter, Logan said of the break-in that prompted the report, adding the stolen weapons open the door to custody. She sought three months of deferred custody followed by supervised probation, noting a conclusion in the pre-sentence report that suggested the youth harboured a dislike of law enforcement. Judge Ken Champagne acknowledged the timing of the second offence was an aggravating factor, and commented the youth needs an attitude adjustment, but defence attorney Alan Libman argued his clients attitude had already improved. The youths spontaneous confession to police was a mitigating factor, Libman added. I submit that the root cause of his criminality is low self-esteem, said Libman, and called the youths behaviour self-sabotaging. Through tears, the boys mother said her son was now under the care of a doctor and was taking prescribed medication for a brain disorder while also seeking employment. Champagne credited the mother for being a supportive and corrective influence on her son. Noting Manitobas two youth centres currently operate at capacity, Champagne said the youths actions were nevertheless cause for very serious concern, as stolen weapons often end up on the street. But the accuseds guilty pleas, along with a lack of prior criminal history, prevented the case from constituting exceptional circumstances, he said. You need to understandif you were 18 years old, youd be going to Stony Mountain today. I wouldnt hesitate, said Champagne. Youre not at that point yetIts up to you to choose what youre going to do here going forward, he told the youth. Champagne imposed a community-based disposition involving 15 months of supervised probation with conditions to keep the peace, complete required counselling, and attend school or obtain employment. The youth must also complete 100 hours of community service, abide by a weapons prohibition, attend mediation services or write a letter of apology, and stay at least 200 metres from the site of the break-in. By Renata Bessi &Santiago Navarro on 24 July 1027 for Truth Out - (http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/41328-international-labor-organization-s-convention-169-helps-legalize-land-grabs-on-indigenous-territories) Image above: Garifuna community in Honduras, threatened by tourism projects and oil palm monoculture. Photo by Aldo Santiago. From original article. [IB Publisher's note: This humble homestead looks a bit like rural Hawaii or other pealsant subtropical locations where there are still indigenous people living lightly on the land in preservation with nature. That's not to say that the indigenous do not weigh on nature, but compare their living environment with a goldmine, hydroelectric dam or mono culture palm oil megafarm.] Indigenous peoples' territories are some of the few places where natural resources are preserved throughout the world. In fact, they protect about 80 percent of the planet's biodiversity but are legal owners of less than 11 percent of these lands, according to the Because of this -- and the fact that so many companies hope to get a piece of these resources -- Indigenous peoples are often in a vulnerable position, and in a permanent kind of war with businesses and governments. The International Labor Organization's (ILO) Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples' Rights, together with the United Nations 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, have been the main international legal tools to defend territorial rights. In theory, Convention 169 guarantees Indigenous people residing in the signatory countries the right to their land. To this end, it establishes that for any project that a company or government plans in their territories, they must be guaranteed a free, prior and informed consultation. Because Convention 169 commits the signatory states to guarantee the integrity of Indigenous peoples, it's been frequently invoked by Indigenous communities and peoples, especially in Latin America, when defending their territories in court. But the Convention has clear limitations that actually jeopardize its intent. Indeed, the Convention is unprecedented in that it establishes that "all peoples have the right to self-determination." But in several official yet not-so-public statements, the ILO makes clear how far it sees Indigenous rights as going: "One of the concerns expressed in both political and business circles has to do with a misinterpretation of the Convention where the outcome of the consultations could be the vetoing of projects. Said consultations don't imply the right of veto and it's imperative that an agreement or consent be obtained," as stated in the While in many parts of Latin America, Indigenous peoples are defending their struggle for self-determination through consultations, for high-level ILO officials, the mechanism's use is clear. "It's not a 'plebiscite' to obtain a 'yes or no' vote, nor to obtain a 'veto' around decisions with general benefit. It's a dialogue in good faith to enhance the benefits for Indigenous people regardless of the decision (the state) makes," said Carmen Moreno, director of ILO's Latin America regional office during the forum "Situation of the Right to Consultation in Convention 169," which was held in conjunction with the World Bank in Guatemala in April. In fact, according to the international organization, it's governments that have the last word on Indigenous territories. "The power of the Convention is that it's an instrument through which the peoples concerned can participate freely in a dialogue with the State. But the State, ultimately, is the one who must make a decision," the ILO Convention 169: Indigenous Peoples and Social Inclusion reads. Regarding the most serious cases where peoples must be relocated from their territories, "even in these situations the people have no decision-making power," said Moreno. In addition, Convention 169 establishes that the rights of Indigenous peoples in relation to natural resources must be protected, but it does not grant them exclusive rights over those resources. Latin America: Principal Signatory The Convention was signed in 1989 and went into effect in 1991. To date, 15 of the 22 countries that have ratified it are in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. (In addition to Denmark, Spain, Fiji, Nepal, Norway, the Netherlands and the Central African Republic.) The significant number of Latin American adherents to the Convention is not a coincidence. It's an attempt to appease the high-intensity conflicts generated by the massive growth of development projects throughout the region. The Latin American Mining Conflict Observatory (OCMAL) points out that over the last decade, Latin America has become one of the epicenters of mining expansion. "Guaranteeing indigenous people's rights in Latin America: Progress in the past decade and remaining challenges," a report put out by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), registered more than 200 conflicts in Latin American Indigenous territories linked to extraction of hydrocarbons and mining from 2010 and 2013. Image above: Baudillo Salles Sanchez, member of the Briri tribe with his family in Costa Rica. Photo by Renata Bessi. From original article. Terraba: Marked Cards Carmen Moreno claims that development is the main objective. "The consultations established in Convention 169 are an instrument of good governance to contribute to the development and growth of countries," she said. However, not everyone the Convention supposedly protects feels included. "They just forgot to ask if our definition of development is the same as their plan for our territories," says Broran tribe member Pablo Sivar, from the Terraba-Boruca Indigenous territory in Costa Rica, who is a part of the Council of Elders. "I definitely don't believe in their type of development." Sivar and his community are aware of impending threats to their lands and water. "In Terraba, there used to be a lot of water, but not anymore. And they wanna finish off the main river we have, the Terraba River, also known as river Diquis, which in the Boruca language means 'big water'." He went on to explain that the El Diquis Hydroelectric Project would be the largest hydroelectric plant in Central America, despite Work on the Diquis Project began in 2006. After much resistance by the local community, the project was halted in 2011. Without any additional information, the company simply announced -- on the same day the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya visited -- that it would withdraw its machinery and infrastructure from Terraba territory. Approximately three years later, the government arrived to begin developing a consultation protocol for Indigenous peoples, with the financial cooperation of international organizations, such as the ILO and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This was announced at one of the government meetings in Terraba, where Truthout was. "We know why they're here. We know what they want," Pablo Sivar stated. In the same meeting, the locals wanted to know if the process was linked to the Diquis Project. Immediately, government officials denied any link and tried to change the subject. "This process has nothing to do with the project. We're here to develop a consultation protocol for Indigenous peoples," said Ana Gabriel, Costa Rica's vice minister for political affairs and citizen dialogue. Government officials aren't transparent about the link between projects and the protocol in these public forums, and make contradictory statements to the media. The plan to build the dam in Broran territory continues. The Indigenous consultation would be the last stage before handing in all necessary documentation to obtain environmental viability and move forward with the project. Feasibility studies and designs are already in place. The construction is scheduled to start in 2018, and operation in 2025. The attempt to obscure the relationship between the protocol and the project is not in vain. The Indigenous resistance of the hydroelectric dam is longstanding. "We know that everything is ready for them to resume the work," Cindy Broran of the Broran Indigenous Movement, founded by Terraba tribe members to resist the hydroelectric Project, told Truthout. "Consultation is the way to legitimize the company's presence in the territory and with it they'll be able to secure financing from international bodies, such as the World Bank. We know that everything's in place." Project Halted Due to Lack of Consultation According to Ana Gabriel, who's responsible for developing the consultation protocol in Costa Rica, the country owes a historic debt to its Indigenous peoples and the current government plans on making up for it. "It's no small matter that the president himself has issued a directive and given a mandate to develop this consultation protocol," she told Truthout. Despite the politically correct rhetoric of healing and historical debts to Indigenous peoples, the truth is that development projects, funded by international institutions, are unviable because of the lack of consultation. The vice minister of Costa Rica himself admitted it: "There have been projects that have had to be stopped in Indigenous territories due to lack of consultation." Image above: Gold mine in a Honduran indigenous community. Photo by Renata Bessi. From original article. Diquis Project: A Bitter Experience SUBHEAD: International labor organization helps legalize land grabs on indigenous people's territories.Indigenous peoples' territories are some of the few places where natural resources are preserved throughout the world. In fact, they protect about 80 percent of the planet's biodiversity but are legal owners of less than 11 percent of these lands, according to the World Bank Because of this -- and the fact that so many companies hope to get a piece of these resources -- Indigenous peoples are often in a vulnerable position, and in a permanent kind of war with businesses and governments.The International Labor Organization's (ILO) Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples' Rights, together with the United Nations 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, have been the main international legal tools to defend territorial rights.In theory, Convention 169 guarantees Indigenous people residing in the signatory countries the right to their land. To this end, it establishes that for any project that a company or government plans in their territories, they must be guaranteed a free, prior and informed consultation.Because Convention 169 commits the signatory states to guarantee the integrity of Indigenous peoples, it's been frequently invoked by Indigenous communities and peoples, especially in Latin America, when defending their territories in court. But the Convention has clear limitations that actually jeopardize its intent.Indeed, the Convention is unprecedented in that it establishes that "all peoples have the right to self-determination."But in several official yet not-so-public statements, the ILO makes clear how far it sees Indigenous rights as going: "One of the concerns expressed in both political and business circles has to do with a misinterpretation of the Convention where the outcome of the consultations could be the vetoing of projects.Said consultations don't imply the right of veto and it's imperative that an agreement or consent be obtained," as stated in the document entitled "ILO Convention 169: Indigenous Peoples and Social Inclusion."While in many parts of Latin America, Indigenous peoples are defending their struggle for self-determination through consultations, for high-level ILO officials, the mechanism's use is clear."It's not a 'plebiscite' to obtain a 'yes or no' vote, nor to obtain a 'veto' around decisions with general benefit.It's a dialogue in good faith to enhance the benefits for Indigenous people regardless of the decision (the state) makes," said Carmen Moreno, director of ILO's Latin America regional office during the forum "Situation of the Right to Consultation in Convention 169," which was held in conjunction with the World Bank in Guatemala in April.In fact, according to the international organization, it's governments that have the last word on Indigenous territories. "The power of the Convention is that it's an instrument through which the peoples concerned can participate freely in a dialogue with the State.But the State, ultimately, is the one who must make a decision," the ILO Convention 169: Indigenous Peoples and Social Inclusion reads. Regarding the most serious cases where peoples must be relocated from their territories, "even in these situations the people have no decision-making power," said Moreno.In addition, Convention 169 establishes that the rights of Indigenous peoples in relation to natural resources must be protected, but it does not grant them exclusive rights over those resources.The Convention was signed in 1989 and went into effect in 1991. To date, 15 of the 22 countries that have ratified it are in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. (In addition to Denmark, Spain, Fiji, Nepal, Norway, the Netherlands and the Central African Republic.)The significant number of Latin American adherents to the Convention is not a coincidence. It's an attempt to appease the high-intensity conflicts generated by the massive growth of development projects throughout the region.The Latin American Mining Conflict Observatory (OCMAL) points out that over the last decade, Latin America has become one of the epicenters of mining expansion."Guaranteeing indigenous people's rights in Latin America: Progress in the past decade and remaining challenges," a report put out by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), registered more than 200 conflicts in Latin American Indigenous territories linked to extraction of hydrocarbons and mining from 2010 and 2013.Carmen Moreno claims that development is the main objective. "The consultations established in Convention 169 are an instrument of good governance to contribute to the development and growth of countries," she said.However, not everyone the Convention supposedly protects feels included. "They just forgot to ask if our definition of development is the same as their plan for our territories," says Broran tribe member Pablo Sivar, from the Terraba-Boruca Indigenous territory in Costa Rica, who is a part of the Council of Elders. "I definitely don't believe in their type of development."Sivar and his community are aware of impending threats to their lands and water. "In Terraba, there used to be a lot of water, but not anymore. And they wanna finish off the main river we have, the Terraba River, also known as river Diquis, which in the Boruca language means 'big water'."He went on to explain that the El Diquis Hydroelectric Project would be the largest hydroelectric plant in Central America, despite official statistics that show that about 99 percent of the country already has electricity. "Who will the Diquis Project favor? Who it will develop? Is it the Terraba Indigenous people? Is it the Indigenous people of the south? Or is it just a few people?"Work on the Diquis Project began in 2006. After much resistance by the local community, the project was halted in 2011.Without any additional information, the company simply announced -- on the same day the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya visited -- that it would withdraw its machinery and infrastructure from Terraba territory.Approximately three years later, the government arrived to begin developing a consultation protocol for Indigenous peoples, with the financial cooperation of international organizations, such as the ILO and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).This was announced at one of the government meetings in Terraba, where Truthout was. "We know why they're here. We know what they want," Pablo Sivar stated.In the same meeting, the locals wanted to know if the process was linked to the Diquis Project. Immediately, government officials denied any link and tried to change the subject. "This process has nothing to do with the project. We're here to develop a consultation protocol for Indigenous peoples," said Ana Gabriel, Costa Rica's vice minister for political affairs and citizen dialogue.Government officials aren't transparent about the link between projects and the protocol in these public forums, and make contradictory statements to the media. The plan to build the dam in Broran territory continues.The Indigenous consultation would be the last stage before handing in all necessary documentation to obtain environmental viability and move forward with the project. Feasibility studies and designs are already in place. The construction is scheduled to start in 2018, and operation in 2025.The attempt to obscure the relationship between the protocol and the project is not in vain. The Indigenous resistance of the hydroelectric dam is longstanding."We know that everything is ready for them to resume the work," Cindy Broran of the Broran Indigenous Movement, founded by Terraba tribe members to resist the hydroelectric Project, told Truthout."Consultation is the way to legitimize the company's presence in the territory and with it they'll be able to secure financing from international bodies, such as the World Bank. We know that everything's in place."According to Ana Gabriel, who's responsible for developing the consultation protocol in Costa Rica, the country owes a historic debt to its Indigenous peoples and the current government plans on making up for it."It's no small matter that the president himself has issued a directive and given a mandate to develop this consultation protocol," she told Truthout.Despite the politically correct rhetoric of healing and historical debts to Indigenous peoples, the truth is that development projects, funded by international institutions, are unviable because of the lack of consultation.The vice minister of Costa Rica himself admitted it: "There have been projects that have had to be stopped in Indigenous territories due to lack of consultation." With Sights on Energy Energy for the US Diquis: Clean Energy? The Process Is Finalized . In 2006, the Diquis Project began in Broran territory with a permit issued by the Development Association, a government entity responsible for land management. "Before we knew it, trucks, cars and people were entering the community," said Broran."We went to request information and they told us that they had moved forward with it because they had 76 signatures of people affiliated with the Development Association. The association gave the go-ahead for the company to come in and build the dam.""When the company moved in, it became chaotic," Broran said. "They messed up the whole river, killing many species. Many shops sprang up to sell food, but mostly canteens and bars for workers from outside.The association gave permission for these businesses, without considering that Indigenous law prohibits the sale of alcohol within its territory. The illegal sale of land increased. Health centers and schools ran out of supplies."Additionally, ancestral patrimony of the Broran people was looted. Between 2006 and 2010, archaeologists contracted by the company did intense work, recounts Broran. They dug three tunnels that still exist."We learned from folks who worked there that they found many archeological sites, including our ancestors' cemeteries. They took everything they found. They took everything and we don't know where it is."Since the 1970s, the Costa Rican government has conducted studies to implement a hydroelectric project in the region. "Before, it was called Boruca Hydroelectric Project, which was about 15 km downstream from where the Diquis Project is today, but because of the resistance by the Boruca people, the project was cancelled.So, they moved it higher, in our lands, but it's the same project. It will affect the same river only now on Broran ancestral lands," Cindy Broran said.According to a study by the World Rainforest Movement, geologists from the company Alcoa (where former US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill was the CEO between 1987 and 1999) found deposits of bauxite in the General River Valley's subsoil. Bauxite is the prime material used to make aluminum.In 1970, Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly passed a law (No. 4562) saying Alcoa -- one of the three largest aluminum companies in the world and considered a defense company since one of its main clients is the United States armed forces -- could exploit up to 120 million tons of bauxite over 25 years and with a possible 15 years of extension, in exchange for building an aluminum refining plant in the same area.Aluminum foundries require a great quantity of low-cost electric energy. The project is feasible provided a hydroelectric dam were to be built on the Rio Grande de Terraba, the study said.The dam project triggered major resistance because many people considered it a violation and dangerous. Large demonstrations and protests took place, forcing Alcoa to give up its project.The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) in charge of the Diquis Project has shifted its objectives.According to the document "National and Transnational Pressures on Energy in Costa Rica," produced by the Association of Popular Initiatives Ditso, the main reason for resuming construction of the hydroelectric project is the possibility of selling energy abroad, mainly to Mexico and the United States.The dam is part of the Mesoamerica Project, initially called Puebla-Panama Plan (PPP) and funded by the United States government.It's an initiative which, among other things, includes an extensive network of infrastructure projects from Mexico to Panama "necessary to export -- or better yet, to plunder -- many of our natural resources, whose common destination is the U.S. and Mexico," the document states.To date, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has financed feasibility, environmental and social impact studies around the Diquis project.They explained their investment as "contributing to increased energy supply in Costa Rica and Central America, promoting sustainability, efficiency and competitiveness of the region's energy sector, in order to address the impact of CAFTA (a "free trade" agreement between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic) in the region, through the implementation of a large-scale clean and renewable energy project."The process of developing a consultation protocol was designed by the government to occur in four phases and began in March 2016. Of the 24 Indigenous territories of Costa Rica, 20 agreed to everything up until the last phase, including the people of Terraba. Now, the president must issue an order legitimizing the consultation protocol for Costa Rica."We debated a long time over whether or not to participate in this process. We're aware that the government always has political gains in mind," said Broran."We also know that they manipulate the term 'consultation,' that they're trying to show good faith for public relations. But we want to be there, and say what we think, in front of all Costa Rica."The Bribri people of Talamanca, a territory in southern Costa Rica, refused to participate in the development of the consultation protocol. "This whole process is a performance," Bribri tribe member Baudillo Salles Sanchez told Truthout."Protocols and consultations are tools to justify entering and exploiting the territory. They do the consultation as they wish, and then they can say that they're exploiting our resources with our consent." Proposed legislation under consideration in the Texas Senate would pre-empt local ordinances on cell phone use in favor of a statewide ban on texting while driving -- a move College Station's top law enforcement officer said falls significantly short of making roadways safer. Chief Scott McCollum said Senate Bill 15, which was approved over the weekend by a subcommittee, was a "step in the right direction, but falls significantly short of making our roadways safer." SB 15 pertains solely to texting while driving, McCollum said, but "does not account for the real and much broader issue of distracted driving." McCollum said the way the proposed law is written allows for drivers to use mobile devices for anything but texting while operating a vehicle, giving pulled-over drivers a defense where they can claim they were looking at their contacts to make a phone call or selecting a playlist instead of texting. Steve Brock, public information officer for the department, said SB 15 was worrisome because "you don't want a law that doesn't get enforced because there's a built-in defense," suggesting that SB 15 could be more difficult to enforce. College Station's ordinance, which went into effect in November, requires use of hands-free devices while operating a vehicle, going beyond the texting ban imposed by SB 15. The new bill would pre-empt local ordinances, overruling College Station's in favor of one rule across the entire state. Gov. Greg Abbott told the Texas Tribune that stricter local cell phone ordinances create a "patchwork" of differing laws that confuse drivers as they pass through areas with different rules. McCollum said in a text said he agreed with Abbott that drivers don't need a patchwork of laws, but "a hands-free approach is the only way to positively [change] driver behavior so that the driver focuses upon the immense responsibility of driving." Because SB 15 would pre-empt local ordinances, McCollum said it would "leave us with a law that is not nearly as effective and for the most part will fall significantly short of the goal of saving lives." The "patchwork" of differing laws can be seen between College Station, which requires hands-free driving, and Bryan, which does not have a hands-free requirement except in school zones. "I can understand how it can be confusing with all the different cities having different rules," said Bryan Sgt. Ryan Bona. Bona said BPD encourages drivers to be distraction-free while driving, which goes beyond cell phone usage. "Distracted driving can be a cheeseburger, a cell phone, a screaming kid in the back seat," he said. "We'd rather you take a few extra minutes and arrive safely." In a statement released to The Eagle, Rep. John Raney, R-Bryan, said he has always supported public safety and preventing texting while driving but remains concerned about the "state running over the thoughtful work of local city and county governments, including our own here in College Station. What works for Dallas or Houston may not always work for us, but that is what the legislative process is for, and I look forward to the debate." Eagle editorial was an attack on President Donald J. Trump Wasting ink and paper by newspapers everywhere should be no surprise to those who still subscribe and pay for local, state and national opinions disguised as news. A prime example is Sunday's editorial by The Eagle's Editorial Board: "No one should be surprised at Sean Spicer's departure." From the editorial let's take some short quote's and try to make the point of this opinion: "Spicer was not comfortable defending the president's outrages from day 1 of the Trump era." "The president never trusted Spicer, never liked him." "Complicating Spicer's job was the volatility of President Trump." "Then there is the president's tirades against what he considers the fake news." "The president is floundering, accomplishing little except turmoil and confusion." When or wherever you read or heard the news reports about Sean Spicer's resigning you easily could agree with The Eagle's description and reasons why he resigned. The Editorial Board did put to print many viable reasons to support its conclusions. The Eagle's editorial was just one more attempt by "the news" to attack President Donald J. Trump! Its headline was about Spicer but the editorial was really about Trump. Somewhere I read that "if Trump walked on water the reports would be 'Trump can't swim'." For those of us who believe in the agenda that Donald Trump has listed as his vision of America and what the future may hold for us all, we get a little tired and ticked at the continuing "news" attacks on our president. I am tired of the one way street called "news." Lastly, for the record, I have great respect for the news and service that The Eagle provides our community. It is privilege denied many communities in America. Let's thank it for that. DUDLEY JONES Bryan Discrimination against transgender people is indecent Republican/conservative bathroom bills should sicken all Texans. They target one of the most discriminated groups in America: transgender people. The ignorance surrounding transgender people is one of the great tragedies of our time. If you don't know or love a transgender individual, then you are in the dark. Many in our Texas Legislature and executive branch are baiting their base with mischaracterizations or outright lies in an attempt to gin up fear and hostility. They are using this issue to drive people to the polls and turn neighbor against neighbor. No one asks or particularly wants to be transgender. It is a set of physical characteristics that are imprinted upon the body and soul by the genetic hand of God. As transgender people grow older they begin to realize the ignorance, hatred, and bigotry that surround them. Who among us wants to be an outcast? Our governor and his cohorts should be ashamed of themselves, but instead they seek to build their political power at the expense of Texas children and families who only ask to be treated fairly and equally under the law. Estimates show there are approximately 200,000 adult and child transgender individuals in Texas. I would ask you to imagine that your child or brother or mother is transgender. Would you discriminate against them? Would you fear them? Please remember, bathroom bills are nothing more than cynical attacks upon the innocent and the helpless. Shame, shame, shame. Where is our decency? Where is our love? DUKE MILLER Guanajuato, Mexico Letter would mean more if the writer isn't such a liberal Oh, come on, Walter Kamphoefner (Eagle, July 22)! "I'm not a liberal so much as I am a number cruncher "? Were you a professor of accounting at the Mays School, I might not disagree, but face it: you're a liberal. Otherwise I do not disagree with anything you wrote. JAMES W. CARTER Bryan BTU workers were professional in installing a new security light I would like to thank BTU and three of its employees: Randy Snyder, Austin Paul and Braden Hobson. They put in a security light for me. They were professional and friendly and did a great job. LARRY JOHNSON Bryan Although Pruitt claims to champion states' rights, his concerns seem to extend only to giving states the right to weaken environmental standards. He has threatened to block California's programme to adopt stronger environmental protections than required by federal law (but apparently has backed down). Ensure that agencies follow the law Second, whenever the government changes regulations, the courts must ensure that the new or revised rules still comply with all underlying environmental laws. And the nation's environmental laws, enacted by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in Congress, mandate the protection of public health and the environment - by the EPA. When George W. Bush's administration claimed that the Clean Air Act couldn't be used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the Supreme Court disagreed. In its landmark Massachusetts v. EPA decision, the court found that EPA not only had that authority but that it had a duty to regulate emissions that contribute to climate change. The Massachusetts ruling later served as the legal basis for the Obama administration's efforts to combat climate change. If Trump's team tries to repeal climate-related regulations, the Clean Air Act mandates that it replace them with new ways to fight climate change. Reject alternative facts Third, regulatory decisions must be supported by facts - no matter what the White House wants to believe. Consider what happened when the EPA proposed repealing the limits on lead additives in gasoline during the Reagan administration. Upon taking stock of the damage lead can do to human health, the agency chose to instead phase out leaded gasoline entirely. Ending the use of lead in gasoline has proven to be a huge environmental success story in the United States and virtually every country in the world. The Trump administration could run into similar trouble with its efforts to downplay climate change. For example, it has deleted climate change information from the EPA website, and Pruitt wants to debate the overwhelming scientific consensus concerning human contributions to climate change, such as burning fossil fuels. Any EPA effort to deny the established facts about climate change is unlikely to survive judicial review. Trump and members of his administration are entitled to their own opinions. But they may not write regulations rooted in make-believe "alternative facts." Fill the leadership vacuum Environmentalists and environmentally minded state governments are pushing back. Donations to green nonprofits have surged since Trump won the presidency. These groups - along with numerous state attorneys general - are joining forces to fight efforts to rescind environmental protections. As the Trump administration abdicates federal leadership on environmental protection, others are filling that void. For example, in response to the White House's decision to reject the Paris climate accord, many states, local governments, corporations and universities have pledged to redouble their efforts to shrink their carbon footprints. California Gov. Jerry Brown is planning a climate summit that he'll host in 2018. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist who serves as the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy for cities and climate change, is coordinating a nonfederal effort to meet the Paris targets. Heed the Australian experience U.S.-based green groups should also reach out to lay the groundwork for long-range, bipartisan efforts to improve environmental policies. They can find an apt model in Australia. Three years ago, when former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, was making similar attacks on environmental law, Australian environmental law specialists banded together to lay the groundwork for strengthening their future environmental laws. This effort by the Australian Panel on Experts on Environmental Law, (for which I serve as an adviser), has generated a set of intriguing recommendations, supported by technical papers. The panel recommends measures to strengthen the government's role in environmental policy and to place a price on carbon as a means of reining in climate change. In the United States, this is an approach with bipartisan potential. The Climate Leadership Council, a group of prominent Republicans, has proposed a "Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends" - a blueprint for carbon-pricing that deserves consideration across the political spectrum. What's more, I have seen that U.S. environmental law remains the envy of the world through my extensive contact with environmental law professors from scores of countries. Our independent and unbiased judiciary ensures that regulatory decisions are supported by law and facts - blunting the impact of the Trump administration's efforts to undercut the environmental protections its predecessors established. Ultimately, I believe that the nation's environmental laws will survive Trump's assault - and may even become stronger in response to it. This Author Robert Percival is Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Maryland, Baltimore This article is shared with the Ecologist by www.theconversation.com West Central's offensive line paves the way for Heat's playoff run West Central (11-0) will play Polo (9-2) in an 8-Player semifinal game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Polo NORWALK Supporters of Rowaytonite Lisa Brintons bid for mayor delivered to the Norwalk Town Clerks Office early Monday morning more than 225 signatures, according to officials. She thanked residents for getting behind her petition candidacy. I am humbled and honored by how many people across the political spectrum sought me out to sign my petition, as well as, the people who were willing to collect signatures for me, Brinton said. We were done quickly because of non-partisan teamwork and the message that instantly got traction was that residents are tired with party politics and the status quo in Norwalk. As a petitioning candidate, Brinton had to deliver by Aug. 9 signatures equal to 1 percent of the votes cast in the Norwalks last mayoral election. Thats about 130 signatures. The signatures may be from voters of any political stripe, including those registered as unaffiliated. Town Clerk Richard A. McQuaid delivered the petition pages to the Registrars of Voters Office, which began verifying that the signatures belong to registered Norwalk voters as is required for Brinton to become a petitioning candidate. Democratic Registrar Stuart W. Wells said he expects the office to complete the verification Tuesday. McQuaid doesnt foresee Brinton falling short. Shes got almost 90 more signatures than she needed, McQuaid said. It would very, very rare for us to kick out 90 for not being legible or (registered) voters. Brinton, who changed her affiliation from Democrat to unaffiliated in May 2016, said partisanship is obstructing governance. Shes vowed to protect neighborhoods, grow the citys grand list and focus on professionalizing city government. She said her campaign will be based upon economic reality and that shell use the citys best efforts to control those things that it can, according to a statement released by her campaign. A frequent fixture at City Hall, Brinton described herself as a leader in education, and planning and zoning reform. She maintains that controversial land use issues have cost taxpayers. She said the city hasnt kept pace with the increasing financial burdens imposed by the local, state and federal governments. I am convinced that Norwalk is not leveraging its many strengths effectively, and that changes are needed, Briton said in the statement. I am excited to be able to roll out activities over the coming months to introduce myself to the citizens and neighborhoods of Norwalk, to listen to their concerns, and let them know that help is on the way in the form of affordable, effective changes to the way the city is run. Although known by many as Lisa Thomson, she said she is running under her maiden of Brinton as it appears on voter rolls. For 20 years, Brinton worked in executive positions with AT&T/Lucent Technologies, in the U.S. and abroad, and as an independent management and communications consultant with Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations, according to the statement released by her campaign. A Norwalk resident for almost 20 years and mother of two sons who graduated Brien McMahon High School, she co-founded Red Apples, a grassroots, non-partisan community coalition of Norwalk mothers whose goal is to improve our schools. She runs a tutoring and after-school program, Student Newshounds, which focuses on increasing writing proficiency and debating skills of students in the Greater Norwalk area. Brinton said her residency in Norwalk, understanding of its potential, and willingness to take on challenging tasks make her a well-qualified candidate to address the citys issues. Mayor Harry W. Rilling, a Democrat, last week accepted his partys endorsement to run for third term. State Rep. Bruce V. Morris, D-Norwalk, is also interested in the position and is collecting signatures to force a primary election Sept. 12. Andrew T. Conroy, Republican Town Committee chairman and former city councilman, is seeking his partys endorsement to run for mayor. Republicans endorsed their candidates Monday evening. Javier Galeano / Associated Press NORWALK A replica of the Amistad will be docked off of Sheffield Island in Norwalk on Wednesday. The Norwalk Seaport Association offers ferry rides to the island throughout the day. Officials there said members of the public will be able to view the ship from the ferry. A former employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is being charged with burglarizing the office, which is in the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center along Interstate 80. John Cochnar, who lives in Grand Island, used to work at the Fish and Wildlife Services Ecological Services field office, which is at 9325 S. Alda Road in Wood River. He is also accused of stealing money from the Crane Trust. Cochnar, 59, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Hall County Court. Cochnar is charged with burglary, which is a Class 2A felony. He is accused of burglarizing the Crane Trust Visitor Center on or about March 21. He is also charged with theft by receiving stolen property, a Class 4 felony. He is accused of stealing property worth between $1,500 and $4,999 from the Fish and Wildlife Service. The other two charges against Cochnar are misdemeanors. In a charge of theft by unlawful taking, he is accused of taking $508 in cash from the Crane Trust. The cash was stolen from the visitor centers donation box. The other misdemeanor charge is theft by receiving stolen property, second offense, which involves shoplifting in Hall County. According to court documents, numerous animals were seized from Cochnars property on March 27 under a search warrant signed by District Court Judge Teresa Luther. Cochnar lives at 4263 Nevada Ave. The animals seized from his property included 10 dogs, 29 ducks, six squirrels, two parrots, four doves, four cats, 21 Canada geese, two snow geese and a trumpeter swan. Those animals are not part of the case against Cochnar. The court documents, though, maintain that Cochnar was in violation of federal law, because it is against federal statutes to possess a trumpeter swan or any type of migratory goose. The search warrant affidavit says Cochnar told other employees that he had raised some of the geese from eggs collected from Canada geese at the Grand Island Veterans Home. Other items seized from his home, the affidavit says, were books, prints and journals from the Crane Trust inventory, as well as property from the Fish and Wildlife Service. Cochnar will be arraigned in Hall County District Court at 9 a.m. Aug. 22. Hundreds of people wanting to positively impact their world will meet at Sucks Lake on Sunday, Aug. 6 for ALS in the Heartlands Grand Island Area Walk. Rain or shine, teams, families, and individuals will raise support for today and hope for the future for Nebraskans and western Iowans with ALS. With ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Lou Gehrigs Disease, a person maintains their mind, but progressively loses control of every muscle essentially becoming a prisoner in their own body. There is no treatment or cure and, once diagnosed, patients almost always die within two to five years. ALS in the Heartland offers help and hope for people and their loved ones as they live with the disease. Services free to patients encompass physical wellness (through equipment loans), mental wellness (with respite services for caregivers), psychological wellness (providing things like normalcy grants for patients children) and much more. Not under the umbrella of a national organization, all of ALS in the Heartlands proceeds stay in Nebraska and western Iowa. In other words, the organization is able to help people immediately without having to go through channels of a national headquarters. However, as an independent agency, it must rely on funds raised at events like the walk. The walk routes at Sucks Lake are handicapped-accessible and pet-friendly. Attendees can enjoy free snacks and beverages, giveaways and activities for the kiddies. All are welcome to register for free, create a team, join an existing team, or simply send a donation to support the cause. This can be done by texting GIWalk to 71777, going online to https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/GIWalk, or by calling the ALS in the Heartland office at (402) 592-2374. This years fundraising goal is $8,000. Changes are coming to the Federal Building; change orders, that is. The Hall County Board of Supervisors will discuss and consider four change orders related to the Federal Building at the corner of Second and Locust streets. Supervisor Jane Richardson, who chairs the countys facilities committee, said the four change orders deal with doors, HVAC rerouting, restroom exhaust fan ductwork and the second floor urinal. There are doors, and for some reason, I think it was an architectural oversight. The doors were about two inches too short, Richardson said of change order No. 1. So we had the doors made and then the facilities committee decided it would be better if they had one of those long, skinny windows ... just so there is a window for people to see in and out. A lot of these interior offices dont have any windows. We just thought a window in the door would be better. Richardson added change order No. 2 is for HVAC rerouting. She said the HVAC that serves some archive files inside of a storage room had to be reconfigured due to historic walls. They cannot just go punching holes in historical walls, so they had to reconfigure it a little different way, Richardson said. Then they ran into concrete blocks that they had to go around. Change order No. 3 is for restroom exhaust fan ductwork. The final change order calls for eliminating the urinal in the second floor of the Federal Building. It was decided that they (Child Support Services) do not need it. They were having issues with it, Richardson said. At first they thought we could replace it, but then they decided it was not needed. So they are just going to remove it, cap the drain and water and flush the bowls. There will not be a urinal up there; it will just be a bathroom stall. Richardson will also provide the county board with an update on the Federal Building project. This is provided at every county board meeting until the project is complete. She told The Independent on Monday that everything is on schedule with painting beginning, walls up and drywall complete. The county board will also discuss, and consider approving, an agreement with the State of Nebraska Board of Parole. Hall County Corrections Director Todd Bahensky said the state is starting a new program using jail sanctions. If somebody were to violate the rules of parole or something, rather than spending them back to prison, they would get a short jail sentence or term just to try to get them back on track, he said. The Board of Parole approached us about using our facility to house them. Bahensky said the state is only expected to authorize about $15,000 for the year if the county approves the agreement. The contract would be good for one year, but can be renewed after one year if the county wishes to do so. Bahensky does not know how many parole prisoners the state will request be housed at the Hall County Jail since it is a new program. However, he said the contract allows for a maximum of 10 parole prisoners at a time. I dont think that it will probably even come close to that most of the time, Bahensky said. I doubt we would even maintain any sort of population of three or four. There may be potentially be three or four sanctions a month, but that doesnt mean theyll be here the full month. They may be here three or seven, or occasionally 30 days. For the record In other action, the board will: Discuss and consider approving late homestead exemption applications filed during the 20-day extension period. Discuss and consider approving a special designated liquor license for the Craft Brewers Association for Husker Harvest Days. Hear a presentation regarding Hall County 4-H Teens as Teachers program. The Hall County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Hall County Administration Building. Liang Loo arrived in the United States after a lot of waiting. She had waited for her new home for 11 months in Cuba. She had waited over the course of five flights, which took her from Havana to Lincoln. And then she was told shed have to wait again, for a two-hour car ride from Lincoln to Hastings. What? her whole family asked, aghast. Where are we going? They had expected the skyscrapers of New York City, but they received the cornfields and gravel roads of Nebraska. They received something else typically Midwestern: a Nebraska welcome. The family needed to find jobs, visit doctors and attend ESL classes, and they didnt have a car, but Loo said that didnt matter for very long. Their ESL teachers were quick to offer rides and create connections for the family adapting to their new community. I am so amazed at these people, Loo said. We were total strangers and we were speaking in half sentences, and they took the time to help us and go the extra mile. Loo said she saw how thoughtfulness and consideration was a part of Nebraskan culture as much as the cornfields and gravel roads, so she became a part of it. Eight years after arriving in the U.S., Loo gives rides to her own students in her own ESL classroom. She said her students are often surprised at the offer. But this is normal in Nebraska, Loo said. We care about people and believe they are important. Loo became a teacher for Central Community College after completing the ESL classes and working as an interpreter. Soon she realized, I am helping a small amount of people with interpreting, but I need to go further. So she became a teacher and joined the instructors of Grand Islands ESL classes who work to give immigrants of all ages, nationalities and education levels the ability to communicate. Although the teachers are the ones volunteering their time and designing the lessons, they say their students give them much more than the verbs, grammar and spelling they give through the classes. I was going to have one student, go once a week, teach her long vowels and short vowels and forget all about it on my way home, Cyndee Shellhaas said. I never expected so much love. Shellhaas has been a volunteer tutor with the Literacy Council of Grand Island for almost four years. Her first student was Nura Ali, a 56-year-old woman from Somalia determined to learn. Ali would pack meat at JBS until 2 a.m., but every morning she would walk two miles to be at the councils doors when they opened at 9 a.m. If it was pouring rain she would come in drenched, Shellhaas said. She would come in blizzards we had to get her boots and coats and mittens and umbrellas. She came in every single day. Shellhaas said even with almost 40 years of teaching English and reading, she had no idea how to start for their first lesson. But the walls just drop down, she said. There is so much humanity in the first lesson, and you realize We can do this. Anybody can do it. Its just a little bit at a time. Those little bits added up to big accomplishments and a close relationship. Ali calls Shellhaas the Somalian word for sister. Shellhaas saw Ali write her name for the first time. Ali learned enough English to tell Shellhaas she couldnt see out of one eye, and an eye doctor found glaucoma. Shes the hero, Shellhaas said. She came in the storms, after shes exhausted, and she came alone. And she learned enough to save her eyesight. Jane Kipper teaches ESL at Central Community College, and said there are smaller milestones, as well. She hears about her students ordering a sandwich in English, or being able to attend parent-teacher conferences without an interpreter. Loo knows the victories as well as the missteps of learning English. She remembered asking for cow-meat at Walmart and the employee staring at her. She tells her students, I have been in that position! I know how hard it is. Loo said she accommodates her lessons around the real-life situations her students will face. They rehearse conversations they might have in the supermarket, at their childrens school or in a doctors office. The best and most memorable lessons are the personal things, Shellhaas agreed. Its helping explain insurance to them, or that they might need long underwear to roof houses in the winter. Shellhaas regularly brings her classroom into the community. Shes taken her students to the grocery store, the post office and the doctors office. When she went to the library with a Cuban student, he got a library card and she got a new perspective. I went straight to the desk, but he stopped at the door, Shellhaas said. He said, This is a beautiful place. Its just our library! But he came from Cuba where the shelves are not filled with any books you want. Her students have taught her how to see Grand Island. She is now aware of the luxuries of information and being able to sleep without bombs in your ears. And from the doctor who helped Ali with her glaucoma to the HVAC company that hired her Cuban student, Shellhaas also sees the compassion of Grand Island. I see and hear the prejudice and it hurts my heart, Shellhaas said. But everywhere I go in this city I see kindness, I see people going out of their way. This city has a lot of good hearted people who just give. Teaching immigrants has given Kipper more compassion, she said. When Kipper hears people griping about non-English speaking immigrants, she said she asks, Do you know how hard it is to learn English? Loo can attest from her own experiences that it is hard. Really hard. Its hard to learn the verbs, grammar and pronunciation, but she said its even harder to be unable to express yourself. Loo said she has engineers and architects in her ESL classes who are reduced to a second-grade vocabulary. Its hard to look at yourself and say, This is not me, Loo said. Loo tries to offset the difficulty by telling her students, What youre doing is amazing. When youre in the process of learning English it doesnt feel like youre amazing, Loo said. But these people are persevering and getting better. Kipper sees perseverance in every one of her students. She is inspired by engineers and physical therapists who are supporting their families with factory jobs, and academically starting over with ESL classes. They are willing to work hard now, knowing it will get better, Kipper said. Shellhaas said she is inspired by her students independence. After years of relying on her tutor at appointments, Ali attended one on her own. She said, Youre not coming? Shellhaas said. And I said, You know I want to help you, but the most important thing is that you dont need me. When her students need her less and less, Shellhaas said she is reminded that teaching English to immigrants is not an act of charity. If theyre here, its not good for the community if we dont teach them how to go to the doctor, go to school, and take care of their own needs, Shellhaas said. The Literacy Council is giving a gift to this community. In fact, Shellhaas sees her decision to tutor as an obvious one. She cant help the drought in Somalia, or comfort the refugees arriving from the Mediterranean Sea, but she can help the people in Grand Island. And mostly, Shellhaas said. They teach me. Ill never be to Ethiopia but Ive learned about the weddings and the family dinners. Ill never go to Somalia but Ive heard about keeping track of cattle and how beautiful the stars are. Ill never travel to Cuba, but Ive been there and learned about the ballet and seen the art. KEARNEY Grand Island Public Schools Associate Superintendent Robin Dexter was named the Outstanding Career and Technical Education Administrative Leader during the annual Nebraska Excellence in Career Education Awards, which were presented last month in Kearney during the Conference Awards Luncheon. Dexter was part of the GIPS administrative and teaching team that met with local business owners to help design the Career Pathways Institute on Adams Street. That work included visited similar programs in the Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Stillwater, Okla., areas, and then working with a consultant to help design a program to fit Grand Islands needs. The Grand Island school district now wants all students at Grand Island Senior High to think more about the eventual careers they want to pursue as adults. This effort is intended to help students even if they never take a single class on the Adams Street campus. The 2017 conference was attended by approximately 600 Nebraska Career Education teachers, school counselors, administrators and CTE advocates. The awards are co-sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska Career Education and Innovation Foundation. They recognize outstanding Nebraska Career Education programs and outstanding partnerships with businesses and individuals. Wayne Hammond, president and executive director of Resiliency Initiatives, was one of the keynote speakers. He has primarily worked with high-risk youth and their families with a focus that goes through a wide range of mental health issues, including substance abuse. Another keynote speaker was best-selling author Dave Weber, who has written about the need for much better work cultures and climates. According to the Gallup Organization, more than 80 percent of the people who leave or quit an organization do so because of negative relationships or issues in the workplace. Conference topics included teaching elementary and middle school students about career-ready practices; effectively engaging diverse students in career and technical education; how to teach a wide variety of agricultural-related career and technical education classes to students; teaching personal finance to students; and how to teach create project-based learning opportunities. Recipients were nominated by Nebraska career educators from across the state, and final selection was determined by an internal team composed of Nebraska Department of Education Career Education Specialists. Other award recipients were: State Sen. Rick Kolowski, Elaine Stuhr Leadership and Advocacy Award Linda Black, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Distinguished Partner Meghan Bunger, Nebraska Medicine, Distinguished Partner Jim Walsh, Truck Center Companies, Distinguished Partner Hudl, Outstanding Business Partnership Wisner Pilger Public Schools, Outstanding Middle School Program Scottsbluff High School, Outstanding High School Program Millard Education Academy, Outstanding Rule 47 Career Academy Gov. Pete Ricketts has a simple plan to help people find better paying jobs. And all it involves is getting two state departments to work closely together. Actually, theres more to it than that, but a partnership between state agencies is vital. A pilot program started in Grand Island last year will be expanded to other areas of the state. In the program, people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, are connected with officials in the Nebraska Department of Labor who work with them in finding better paying jobs. Here is how it works: Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor employees meet with SNAP recipients to see what barriers they face in finding a job or a better-paying job. A plan is developed to overcome those barriers. Meanwhile, the Labor Department gives training in resume writing, how to search for a job, preparing for job interviews and working with employers for on-the-job training. This gives the individuals some of the skills they need to advance up the pay scale of employment and better provide for themselves and their families. Its a simple, but innovative program at the same time that has the potential to show real results. Last year in Grand Island the pilot program involved 27 families. Fourteen SNAP recipients changed jobs, resulting in an average increased salary of $6,900. Because of the higher salaries, eight receive fewer SNAP benefits, and six no longer receive SNAP funds. Those results show benefits in a number of ways. First, it helps families get off assistance, which reduces the amount the government has to spend on it. Second, it boosts the self-image of the recipients themselves in that they are now working and earning their own way. And third, it improves the standard of living for the family and gives them room for even more improvement. This, truly, should be the goal of all assistance programs. Financial help is given to those when they are in need. But unless there is a medical disability preventing them from working, the assistance isnt designed to be permanent. People are to strive to get off the assistance by finding employment. This new program advances that goal by giving the individuals the skills they need to find a better job. I applaud DHHS and DOL for working together to find solutions to connect Nebraska families to better-paying jobs and greater financial independence, Ricketts said. Partnerships like this in state government grow our state and help keep Nebraska the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family. This initiative is a good example of how government can help people improve their own lives. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 09:12 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa2eb56 4 Books Asean-literary-festival,Kota-Tua,literary-festival,intolerance,radicalism,fake-news Free The ASEAN Literary Festival this year will cover the regions current affairs by bringing in prominent writers, researchers and artists from the 10 member countries and their counterparts from Japan, Australia, the United States, South Korea, China, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Finland and Timor-Leste. Entering its 4th edition, which will be held from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6 at the preserved part of Kota Tua (Old Town) in West Jakarta, the festival will comprise four sub-themes presented in a series of discussions. Read also: Jakpost guide to Kota Tua In the theme Our Crazy World, speakers will talk about radicalism and populism, the controversy surrounding Indonesias blasphemy law, the persecution of citizens and how to respond to the hoax society. Discussions on Living with Technology will touch on the issue of how technology and social media affect literary works. In Breaking Down the Wall, writers are encouraged to dedicate their works to society, according to author and festival co-founder Okky Madasari. From the start, she the ASEAN Literary Festival positions itself as a forum to respond to issues in our communities. We would like to see more literary works contribute to defending peoples interest, enlightening the readers and helping to stop repression and tyranny, she said in an interview with The Jakarta Post. It is our recurring theme, as last year we also touched on issues of human rights, the 1965 Tragedy and LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender], although the discussions were cut short due to opposition from some hard-line groups. Read also: Adults key to children's interpretation of tolerance As the festival will be held in conjunction with ASEANs 50th anniversary on Aug. 14, the final theme ASEAN Beyond Imagination will include speakers like the Culture and Education Ministrys director-general of culture, Hilmar Farid, talking about strengthening ties among communities through literary works. Malaysian author Faisal Tehrani, whose five novels and a play are currently banned by the Malaysian government, is set to deliver a brief lecture on opening night at Kota Tuas Fatahillah Square, discussing the overall situation of freedom of expression in Southeast Asia. Prominent Indonesia figures taking part in the event include author and essayist Goenawan Mohamad, astronomer Karlina Supelli and journalist/author Arswendo Atmowiloto, who was once jailed on blasphemy charges. Australian investigative journalist Andrew Fowler will share his experience working on his reports about Wikileaks and Julian Assange, which were published as separate books. Additionally, journalist and writer Michael Vatikiotis is scheduled to speak about his recent book Blood and Silk, which details his coverage of religious conflicts in the region. Meanwhile, Malaysian Azhar Ibrahim will share his expertise on the sociology of religion, and the sociology of literature and critical literacy, while also comparing Malaysian and Indonesian literary works. Read also: Great Indonesian literature: Tales of Panji In addition to writing workshops and book exhibitions, the festival will also stage pre-events with the National Literature Jamboree for youths and a residency program for selected writers, the latter of which will start on July 27. The Writers Residency program is getting so well-known that this year, we received nearly 1,000 applicants, Okky said. From them, only 12 were accepted 11 from ASEAN countries and one writer from Japan and will during their stay be hosted by residents of Kampung Muara in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. With the residency program, writers are offered the chance to interact and embed themselves in the subject of their work, with the aims to make literature more accessible. The four-day festival will also host a culinary bazaar, and art and cultural performances by Filipino spoken word artist and educator Kooky Tuason, Bruneian performing artist Low Kok Wai and Jakarta-based girl group JKT 48. After including JKT 48 in its schedule, in a hope to attract youths to come and enjoy literary works, the organizer receives positive responses from millennials. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 15:32 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa48ffc 1 Art & Culture ASEAN,South-Korea,art,arts-and-culture,Seoul,artworks,#artworks Free The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul launched on Tuesday an exhibition featuring artwork by 30 young artists from ASEAN's 10 nations to mark cultural exchange year and the bloc's 50th anniversary. Held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in the South Korean capital, the exhibition will run until Aug. 20 in conjunction with the 2017 Asian Students Young Artists Art Festival (ASYAAF). Kim Young-sun, ASEAN-Korea Center's secretary-general, said the center had organized the exhibition to introduce remarkable artwork by young ASEAN artists and to promote exchange among ASEAN and Korean artists. "I hope this exhibition will not only be a stepping stone for promoting ASEAN artists but also a good chance for the Korean public to see their potential and purchase quality artworks," Kim Young-sun said as quoted in a statement on Monday. Read also: Iconic K-drama filming locations to visit in South Korea Representing Indonesia are four artists, namely Agni Saraswati, Theresia Agustina Sitompul, Erwin Windu and Zusfa Roihan, according to the exhibition leaflet. The exhibition features 60 diverse artworks ranging from oil paintings to installations by the 30 participants. One artist from each ASEAN country is also set to be invited to speak at the "Conversation with artists" in Seoul, where they will be able to view other artworks by other ASYAAF participants, meet Korean artists and experience local arts and culture. (liz/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Johannesburg, South Africa Tue, July 25, 2017 15:22 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4772c 2 Books nelson-mandela,books,#Nelson-Mandela,#books Free A new book detailing Nelson Mandela's last days has been withdrawn after it was condemned by his outraged widow, publisher Penguin Random House said Monday. The book by Mandela's physician Vejay Ramlakan was released last week to coincide with the late anti-apartheid leader's birthday on July 18, which is marked each year as Mandela Day. It revealed several undignified episodes at the end of Mandela's life as well as bitter family squabbles over his care and legacy, prompting fury from his widow Graca Machel who threatened legal action. The company said it had decided "to immediately withdraw the book Mandela's Last Years from the trade, and no further copies will be issued." Read also: Statue of Nelson Mandela unveiled in West Bank It added that the book "was meant to portray Nelson Mandela's courage and strength until the very end of his life, and was in no way intended to be disrespectful." Machel accused Ramlakan, a former military surgeon, of breaching patient confidentiality. The book detailed how Mandela regurgitated blood due to a lung infection and disclosed that after his death at the age of 95, a spy camera was found in the morgue where his body was held. It also revealed that an ambulance transporting Mandela to hospital during his final months caught fire on the highway forcing him to wait for a backup. Machel said she had not been consulted, though Ramlakan claimed that the book had been approved. "We received permission from the family," the author told local television eNCA before the withdrawal. "All parties who needed to be consulted were consulted." "The story of Madiba's last years is actually, in a sense, more impressive than when he was a fit human being," he added, paying tribute to his "unconquerable fortitude". Read also: Gracious and tough, Mandela was fun to cover The icon's eldest grandson Mandla Mandela welcomed the decision to pull the controversial book which he described as "abuse of Mandela name and legacy." He said withdrawing the book sent out "a loud and clear message that some things are worth more than money." The executors of Mandela's estate said in a statement that the book's content's were "deeply regrettable and unfortunate and constitute unlawful disclosures." They said neither Penguin nor Ramlakan had sought consent from them or Machel before publishing the book. Mandela, often known by his clan name Madiba, died on December 5 2013, at the age of 95. Penguin Random House did not say how many copies of the book had already been sold. Mandela married Machel, his third wife and the widow of Mozambique president Samora Machel, in 1998. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Tue, July 25, 2017 14:28 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa417ac 2 Business fashion,acquisition,Michael-Kors,footwear,business,Beyonce,Nicole-Kidman Free US fashion brand Michael Kors on Tuesday agreed to buy British shoemaker to the stars Jimmy Choo for almost 900 million ($1.2 billion, 1.0 billion euros). Jimmy Choo -- whose celebrity fans include Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman and Kate Middleton -- is the "ideal partner" for the US handbag and clothing maker, it said in a statement. "The boards of directors of Michael Kors Holdings Limited and Jimmy Choo plc are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition," it added. The cash deal was pitched at 230 pence per share and values Jimmy Choo -- which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2014 -- at about 896 million. "Michael Kors believes it is the ideal partner for Jimmy Choo and is well positioned to support Jimmy Choo's continued growth," it noted. "Michael Kors intends to apply the experiences, infrastructure and capabilities that it has developed as a company over the course of its own worldwide growth as a luxury fashion brand to support the growth of Jimmy Choo." Michael Kors has secured the backing of Luxembourg-based investment firm and majority shareholder JAB Luxury, which holds 67.66 percent of Jimmy Choo. The London-listed group will retain its current management team including chief executive Pierre Denis. "We believe that Jimmy Choo is poised for meaningful growth in the future and we are committed to supporting the strong brand equity that Jimmy Choo has built over the last 20 years," said John Idol, chairman and chief executive of Michael Kors. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 19:37 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa53b92 1 National ASEAN,cigarette,CigaretteConsumption,cigarette-smoking,CigaretteSmoking,Advertisement,TobaccoControl,tobacco-control,TobaccoConsumption Free Indonesia is the only ASEAN member country that has not yet totally banned tobacco companies from advertising their products in print media, television, radio and movies, putting young people at high exposure to cigarette advertisements, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) claims. More than a half of Southeast Asian countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, have also totally banned cigarette advertisements in sellers premises," SEATCA executive director Bungon Ritthiphakdee said as quoted by Antara in a statement on Tuesday. Banning cigarette advertising is one of the control measures SEATCA has called for to prevent the negative health impacts of cigarette consumption. Tobacco tax and customs in Southeast Asian countries have gradually increased, even though the selling price of cigarettes in several countries is still cheap, below US$1 per pack, Ritthiphakdee said. All Southeast Asian countries have put health warning labels on cigarette packs as well. Thailand, for example, has started to implement plain cigarette packaging and the packs are sold in a closed rack. Only adults may buy cigarettes after presenting their identity cards. Kiosks near schools, hospitals and public facilities are prohibited from selling cigarettes. In Indonesia, however, cigarette selling is more liberal and tobacco products can be found anywhere, including near schools and hospitals, Ritthiphakdee said. Some kiosks also have children as shopkeepers, while young people should in fact be protected from the negative effect of cigarette-smoke exposure. In Southeast Asia, tobacco kills at least 500,000 people per year. Half of adult men in the region are smokers, accounting for 10 percent of the total smokers in the world, Ritthiphakdee said. (afr/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Tarakan, North Kalimantan Tue, July 25, 2017 16:39 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4ace0 2 National accident,boat-capsized,north-kalimantan,German-national,Transportation Free At least eight people including a toddler died and two German tourists were among those rescued after a speedboat capsized off the coast of North Kalimantan Tuesday. Witnesses described passengers jumping into the water without life vests as the boat -- carrying 51 people -- capsized outside a busy Indonesian port, while others on board are feared to be trapped inside the boat, rescue officials said. "The boat had only been sailing for about 10 minutes when it was hit by a wave. It started to tilt and capsized, when it was still very close to the port" said Octavianto, spokesman of the local search and rescue agency, who like many Indonesians go by one name. Eight people including a two-year-old child have been found dead, while 22 other people -- including a German man and woman -- were rescued alive and taken to hospital for treatment, he said. Navy personnel have been dispatched to search for the remaining passengers, said Octavianto. However, passenger manifests in the region often do not record all of those on board. The accident occurred as the boat left Tarakan in North Kalimantan province Tuesday morning to Tanjung Selor. "Witnesses said the sea was quiet when the boat capsized so I dont think the accident was due to rough seas," said Octavianto. "However the port was very busy and the boat traffic was quite high at that time, which may have triggered the waves." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China Tue, July 25, 2017 18:05 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4ed07 2 World US,China,geopolitics,Navy,security,tension Free China on Tuesday called on the United States to stop "unfriendly" and "dangerous" military flights after two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American surveillance plane over the East China Sea. The US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft took evasive action Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane zoomed underneath it, slowed down and pulled up in front of it, the Pentagon said earlier. China's defence ministry said the action of its pilots was "legal, necessary and professional". "The US military aircraft coming near China's border and carrying out reconnaissance has threatened China's national security, damaged Sino-US military air and sea safety, endangered the personal safety of both pilots," it said in a statement. "The US side should immediately stop such unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly dangerous military activities and take practical measures to add positive energy to the development of Sino-US military relations." Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the incident, which occurred west of the Korean peninsula, was an "uncharacteristic" example of unsafe behaviour by the Chinese military. "There are intercepts that occur in international air space regularly, and the vast majority of them are conducted in a safe manner," he said. The US accused China of conducting unsafe intercepts twice in May, when similar encounters occurred between a WC-135 "nuclear sniffer" plane and Chinese SU-30 fighters over the East China Sea and later in the month between a US Navy P-3 and Chinese J-10s over the South China Sea. Topics : US China geopolitics Navy security tension Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rodrigo Almonacid (AFP) Bogota, Colombia Tue, July 25, 2017 09:00 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa2d822 2 World Colombia,FARC,rebel,rebels,rebel-groups,FARC-rebels Free Colombia's leftist FARC rebels said Monday they will officially transform into a political party on September 1, a major step in reintegrating into civilian life as part of a historic peace deal. "The democratic opening that Colombia needs is approaching. We will launch our party on September 1," the FARC's top leader Rodrigo Londono wrote on Twitter, almost a month after the rebel group completed its disarmament. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, is the largest and oldest rebel group in the country's long-running civil war. Although a smaller rebel group, the ELN, has yet to put down its weapons, the transition of the FARC into a political party will put a stop to a 50-year conflict that left 260,000 people dead. FARC commander Carlos Antonio Lozada, whose real name is Julian Gallo, said the group had been working on the details of the "great political-cultural act." "We made peace to participate in politics," FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez added. -- Ahead of pope's visit -- The FARC political party's policies and name will be decided at a congress at the end of August. That meeting will take place just days before Pope Francis makes a special four-day visit to Colombia, from September 6-11, to add his weight to the process of reconciliation. The disarmament last month by the roughly 7,000 members of Colombia's biggest rebel group under the 2016 peace accord brought a halt to the war. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for reaching the historic deal with the FARC that was signed last November. The accord was narrowly rejected by Colombians in a referendum last year before it was redrafted and pushed through congress. That rejection was due to in part to resentment by many ordinary Colombians that the FARC would be allowed to enter political life, after decades of killing and kidnapping. The country's only remaining rebel group, the smaller National Liberation Army, or ELN, is currently following the path set by the FARC to negotiate a peace deal aiming to disarm and demobilize. On Monday, the ELN and the government started a third round of talks in Ecuador aimed at reaching a similar peace deal as the FARC's. "We will try to advance a ceasefire agreement," said government chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo on Twitter. Political analyst Victor de Currea said the process was making "very solid" progress and that both sides were hoping to declare a bilateral truce during the pope's visit. -- FARC viewed negatively -- As well as leaving a quarter of a million dead, about 60,000 Colombians remain unaccounted for and seven million have been displaced in the conflict. The FARC was born in May 1964 from a peasants' revolt, and its ranks were made up mostly of country-dwellers who rallied behind the group's Marxist-Leninist ideology, with land reform its key demand. A former rebel, Erika Montero, said the new political incarnation of the FARC will be "anti-patriarchal" and "anti-imperialist." The nascent party will especially focus on gender issues, the youth, and agricultural, urban and economic subjects, she said. One option being considered is to keep the FARC acronym, but have it stand for different words. It will be up to each former rebel to decide whether to participate in the party under their nom de guerre or their true identity. Historically, the FARC had a bad image in Colombia because of the many kidnappings and deaths it was responsible for during the conflict. Among the abductions was that of a former presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, in 2002, who was held for six years. According to a survey in May by the Gallup polling firm, 82 percent of Colombians have a negative opinion of the FARC. -- Security guarantees -- Candidates for the future FARC party are to be given security guarantees to avoid a bloody repeat of political violence in the 1980s and 1990s directed at the leftwing Patriotic Union, which emerged from a previous peace initiative. Some 3,000 members of that party were killed. Marc Chernick, a political science professor at Georgetown University in Washington and Los Andes University in Bogota, said "the FARC's political party could be a step towards an opening up of Colombia's political system." He said the new party would not "necessarily be Marxist" and could face the challenge of being one of several parties on the left in Colombia. "They are going to seek alliances," he predicted. As an early phase, the government is to allocate at least five seats in the 166-member House of Representatives and five in the 102-seat Senate to the movement. The former guerrillas may expand on that in elections due next year. (**) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) West Aceh Tue, July 25, 2017 18:30 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa52940 1 National haze,aceh,Meulaboh,West-Aceh,forest-fires,BNPB,peatland Free Fires spread across 64 hectares of forest and peatland have been reported in five districts in West Aceh regency, Aceh. Three residents suffering from respiratory problems caused by the haze were rushed to the Cut Nyak Dhien Regional Hospital in Meulaboh, West Aceh, on Sunday, kompas.com reported. According to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Johan Pahlawan district was the most affected district with 19 hectares of peatland reportedly burnt while the Arongan Lambalek and Meureubo districts each recorded 15 hectares of burnt land. Ten hectares were reportedly burnt in Sama Tiga district while five hectares of burnt peatland was reported in Woyla district. The fires were allegedly caused by local farmers' slash-and-burn practices, BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement. Read also: West Kalimantan readies 4 choppers for water bombing The BNPB, in collaboration with the police, the military and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), have intensified efforts to control the fire and haze, Sutopo said. Challenges include difficulty in accessing the locations of the fires, a lack of firefighting vehicles and equipment, as well as a lack of water sources near the fire spots, he said. According to data collected by Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Aqua and Terra satellites and a National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan) SNNP satellite, 170 hotspots were detected across Indonesia, 35 of which were in Aceh. (yon/bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 10:11 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa30971 1 Politics Gerindra-Party,KPK,KPK-inquiry,KPK-house-inquiry,corruption,corruption-case Free The Gerindra Party faction at the House of Representatives has withdrawn its support for an inquiry team set up to probe the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Gerindra sent a letter on Monday signed by the factions chairman, Ahmad Muzani, officially informing the House leadership that the faction had withdraw from the inquiry team as of July 24. Gerindra executive Desmond Junaidi Mahesa confirmed the partys decision. He said the Gerindra Party factions decision was prompted by the lack of a legal basis to establish the team. The [inquiry] team also arranged unexpected and immediate meetings, Desmond, who is the deputy chairman of House Commission III on legal affairs. The lawmaker said the Gerindra faction had also opposed the inquiry teams move to interview graft convicts at Sukamiskin Penitentiary in West Java. Besides Desmond, Gerindra lawmakers Andi Agtas, Muhammad Syafii and Wenny Warouw were also on the inquiry team. As we have withdrawn our participation in the [inquiry] team, we will not be accountable for any decisions the team makes, Desmond asserted. Gerindra made the decision only days after the party refused to be involved in a House plenary meeting held to make a final decision on crucial provisions of the election bill last week. Gerindra and three other parties the Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) walked out the plenary meeting. (ebf) [July 24, 2017] Global 400G Optical Transceivers Markets 2017-2023 - Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts for the $22.6 Billion Industry DUBLIN, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "400G Optical Transceivers: Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide 2017-2023" report from Wintergreen Research, Inc has been added to Research and Markets' offering. The global 400G optical transceiver market is expected to be at $22.6 billion in 2023 driven by the availability and cost effectiveness of 100 Gbps, and 400 Gbps devices. Next generation optical transceiver devices use less power, are less expensive, and are smarter and smaller. The adoption of widespread use of the 100 Gbps devices, followed by 400 Gbps devices and the vast increases in Internet traffic are core to helping manage change in the large mega data center and communications interconnect and infrastructure markets. The vendors in the 400G optical transceivers industry have invested in high-quality technology and processes to develop leading edge broadband network capability a being implemented in the mega data centers. 400G optical transceivers market driving forces relate primarily to the implementation of networks within the mega data centers and the interconnects between the data centers. High-speed serial transceivers form the backbone of networks. Communications, servers and many other electronic systems depend on high-speed serial transceivers. Global adoption of the Internet is driving rapid growth of the mega datacenter. Data centers support online commerce, streaming video, social networking, and cloud services. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a primary offering. Leading vendors offer a broad product selection. They are positioned with innovative technology. Optical module manufacturers address the needs of all major networking equipment vendors worldwide. Leading vendors have taken a leading role in transforming the data communications and tele-communications equipment market. The shift has been away from utilizing discrete optical components to leveraging the design and pay-as-you-grow flexibility offered by pluggable modules. 400G Optical transceiver products are compliant with Ethernet, Fibre Channel, SONET/SDH/OTN and PON standards. They generally operate at data rates of 400 Gb/s and higher. 400G Transmitter / Transceivers are capable of distances ranging from very short reach within a datacenter to campus, access, metro, and long-haul reaches. The feature outstanding performance. Units work over extended voltage and temperature ranges. They are positioned to minimize jitter, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and power dissipation. Mega Datacenter Online Commerce, Streaming Video, Social Networking, And Cloud Services are key to operations of mega data centers. Global adoption of online commerce, streaming video, social networking, and cloud services such as Software as a Service (SaaS) is driving rapid growth of the mega datacenter. The storage and computing requirements supported by the datacenters present new challenges to connectivity within the datacenter in terms of bandwidth, transmission distance, power consumption, and cost. The product portfolio offered by vendors for telecom and datacenter and cloud applications effectively addresses these requirements and challenges. According to the leader of the team that prepared the research; 400G Optical transceiver markets are driven by the use of mega data centers that implement broadband networks in cloud computing environments. Video, Internet adoption, and tablets drive demand for broadband mega data centers. Markets are influenced by apps, augmented reality. IoT, the move to cloud computing and the adoption of smart phones by 9.5 billion people by 2020. Mega data centers that support online commerce, streaming video, social networking, and cloud services for every industry are expected to adopt 400G optical transceivers as a fundamental technology. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a primary offering that will leverage 400 G optical transceivers in the mega data center. Key Topics: - 400G Optical Transceiver - Augmented Reality - Internet of Things (IoT) - Network Core - DWDM - Data rates 100 Gb/s - Data rates 400 Gb/s - Mega Data Center Optimized - Internet Protocol Traffic - Mobile Backhaul - Broadband Optical Sector Key Topics Covered: 1. 400G Optical Transceiver Market Description and Market Dynamics 1.1 400G Optical Transceiver Definition 1.2 Growth Of The Global Economy 1.3 Enterprise Information Accessed By Mobile Workers 1.4 Enterprise IT Control Centers 1.5 Optical Transceiver Applicable Networks 1.6 Transceiver Definitions 1.7 Customer Plans for 400G Optical Network Implementation 2. 400G Optical Transceivers Market Shares and Market Forecasts 2.1 400G Optical Transceivers Market Driving Forces 2.2 400G Optical Transceivers Market Shares 2.3 Datacom and Telecom Optical Transceivers, Market Shares 2.4 Datacom Optical Transceivers, Market Shares 2.5 400G Optical Transceiver Market Forecasts 2.6 Optical Component Transceiver Prices 2.7 400G Optical Transceiver Regional Market Segments 3 Optical Transceiver Product Description 3.1 Finisar Transmitter / Transceivers 3.2 Lumentum Optical Transceivers 3.3 Viavi Solutions Optical Transceiver Testing Multiple Application Platform (MAP-200) 3.4 Oclaro 3.5 Sumitomo 3.6 Fujitsu 3.7 Broadcom Fiber Optic Transceivers 3.8 Oplink 3.9 Source Photonics 3.10 NeoPhotonics 3.11 NEC Optical Communications 3.12 IPG Photonics / Menara Networks 3.13 Cisco 400 Gigabit Modules 3.14 Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 9000E 3.15 Qorvo Modulator Drivers 3.16 Xilinx 400G Transponder Solution 3.17 Inphi 4 Next Generation Transceiver Technology 4. 400G Optical Transceiver Technology 4.1 Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density Module 4.2 OSFP 4.3 Optical Transceivers: Benefits of Industry Standards 4.4 Digital Optical Communications Technology 4.5 Coherent Transmission 4.6 Advanced Hybrid Photonic Integration Platform 4.4 Finisar Industry Technology Leadership 4.2 CFP vs. CXP Transmitter And Receiver Capabilities 4.3 IEEE 400G Optical Transceiver Standards 4.4 WDM-PON Technologies 4.5 Phase Modulation Minimizes Size And Power Of 40Gbps Transponders 4.6 FTTx Device Management 4.7 Finisar Technology 4.8 Luxtera CMOS 5 Optical Transceiver Company Description 5.1 Acacia 5.2 Applied Optoelectronics. Inc. 5.3 Broadcom Limited / Broadcom Technologies 5.4 Cisco 5.5 Finisar 5.6 Fujitsu 5.7 GigPeak 5.8 Inphi 5.9 IPG Photonics 5.10 Lumentum 5.11 NEC 5.12 NeoPhotonics 5.13 Nokia 5.14 Oclaro 5.15 Qorvo 5.16 Source Photonics 5.17 Sumitomo 5.18 Viavi Solutions 5.19 Xilinx 5.20 Selected Optical Component Companies For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rfc8m6/400g_optical Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25 2017 Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has warned his staff to step down from office if they are against the state ideology, Pancasila. He said that all civil servants had sworn to protect and abide by the ideology. If any civil servant thinks Pancasila is not appropriate, just be nice and send a resignation letter, Djarot told reporters at City Hall on Monday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 17:06 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4b7e1 1 City ojek-service,protest Free Hundreds of ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers blocked the Casablanca elevated road in South Jakarta on Tuesday morning in protest over a rule banning motorcycles from the overpass. The drivers were furious because they said police officers were only deployed to one end of the road, which connects to Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta and Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta. They didnt stand in Karet, but conducted the raid here in Casablanca. I feel trapped, one driver said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com. The protest caused traffic congestion from the Menteng Pulo cemetery in Central Jakarta to the Kota Kasablanka Mall in South Jakarta. Police personnel eventually dispersed the protesters. Jakarta Police traffic unit head Comr. Hari Admoko denied accusations that police had trapped the motorcycle drivers, saying officers had been standing by on both lanes from Karet to Casablanca. They are just looking for a reason [to protest], Hari said. Previously, police had told motorcycle drivers not to use the elevated road, as it was exclusively for cars. Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Sigit Wijatmoko said strong wind on the elevated road might be dangerous for motorcycle drivers, so they should not use the road. Motorcycle drivers also often took selfies on the elevated road, which could endanger their lives, Sigit said. (cal) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Joe Dyke and Ahmad Gharabli (AFP) Jerusalem Tue, July 25, 2017 08:30 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa2c41c 2 World Jerusalem,Israel,Palestine,Palestine-Israel-talks,violence,metal-detectors,UN Free Israel removed metal detectors from a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday and said they would no longer be used after the new security measures set off deadly violence. The move came after intensive international diplomacy seeking to stop the outbreak of wider unrest, with warnings that it could spread far beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories. A work crew could be seen in the early hours of Tuesday removing the metal detectors at one entrance, an AFP journalist reported. Muslim officials said all had been dismantled. Israel's security cabinet accepted "the recommendation of all the security bodies to change the inspection with metal detectors to a security inspection based on advanced technologies and other means," a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. As word spread of the decision, a few hundred Palestinians gathered to celebrate near an entrance to the Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. One person set off a firework, prompting Israeli police to raid and disperse them using sound grenades. Details of the advanced technologies the cabinet spoke of were not clear, though cameras were installed at entrances to the site this week. It was also not clear whether they would be accepted by Muslim worshippers. "This movement is a movement of the street," said Sheikh Raed Dana of the Islamic Waqf organisation, which administers the holy compound. "We as the Waqf listen to the street. The street says yes and we say yes; if the street says no to the measures, we will say no." Israel installed metal detectors at entrances to the site, which includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, after an attack on July 14 that killed two policemen. Palestinians viewed the new security measures as Israel asserting further control over the site. They refused to enter the compound in protest and prayed in the streets outside instead. Israeli authorities said the metal detectors were needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the site and emerged from it to shoot the officers. Clashes have broken out during protests over the measures, leaving five Palestinians dead. Three Israelis were also killed when a Palestinian sneaked into a house in a West Bank settlement and stabbed them. The decision to remove the metal detectors follows talks between Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II. Jordan is the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. It also comes after one of US President Donald Trump's top aides, Jason Greenblatt, arrived in Israel for talks over the crisis and with the UN Middle East envoy warning of a further escalation. "It is extremely important that a solution to the current crisis be found by Friday this week," the envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said after briefing the UN Security Council, which met to discuss how to defuse the tension on Monday. "The dangers on the ground will escalate if we go through another cycle of Friday prayer without a resolution to this current crisis," he said, warning that violence there could spread "beyond the Middle East itself". - Rallying cry -- There was speculation that a separate diplomatic standoff may have helped push negotiations to remove the metal detectors along. On Sunday night in Amman, an Israeli embassy security guard shot dead a Jordanian who attacked him with a screwdriver, according to Israeli officials. A second Jordanian was also killed, apparently by accident. Jordan insisted on questioning the security guard, while Israel said he had diplomatic immunity. The guard arrived back in Israel late Monday along with other embassy staff, apparently after an agreement was brokered. During discussions with Netanyahu, Abdullah had demanded that Israel remove the metal detectors. Friday's main weekly Muslim prayers -- which typically draw thousands to Al-Aqsa -- had brought the situation to a boil. Clashes erupted between Israeli security forces and Palestinians around the Old City, elsewhere in annexed east Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank, leaving three Palestinians dead. They continued on Saturday, leaving two more Palestinians dead. Friday evening also saw a Palestinian break into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank during a Sabbath dinner and stab four Israelis, killing three. The Israeli army said the 19-year-old Palestinian had spoken in a Facebook post of the holy site and of dying as a martyr. The holy site in Jerusalem has served as a rallying cry for Palestinians. In 2000, then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon's visit to the compound helped ignite the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, which lasted more than four years. It is in east Jerusalem, seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community. Considered the third holiest site in Islam, it is the most sacred for Jews. (**) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 17:46 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4c568 1 City Bekasi,bantar-gebang-waste-treatment,jakarta Free The Bekasi administration in West Java has urged its Jakarta counterpart to immediately pay outstanding money to Bantar Gebang waste treatment facility in Bekasi, as the latter city is behind in payments by around seven months. The head of the Bekasi Environment Agency, Jumhan Lutfi, said that based on the agreement between the neighboring regions, Jakarta should pay tipping fees to Bekasi administration and monetary assistance to Bantar Gebang residents of Rp 160 billion (US$12 million) to Rp 170 billion per year. However, the Jakarta administration has yet pay the tipping fees this year even though the payment had been due in January. The Bekasi administration needs the money. We earlier covered contributions to Bantar Gebang residents from our money. We hope the Jakarta administration can immediately pay their contribution, Lutfi said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. Lutfi added that the money would be used for development projects in Bekasi, especially those related to the improvement of waste management in Bantar Gebang. Apart from that, Lutfi said Jakarta had not managed the waste water treatment plant properly, which could risk the health of residents living around Bantar Gebang who used the water for daily activities. The water needed to be well managed to prevent leaching of contaminants, he said. (cal) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 17:50 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa4d333 1 Business patimban-seaport,JICA,Indonesia,agreement Free The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has said it is ready to sign a loan agreement with the Indonesian government to finance the Patimban port project in West Java. Speaking to journalists after a meeting with Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in Jakarta on Tuesday, JICAs senior representative in Indonesia, Muraoka hiromichi, said his agency was now waiting for the government to proceed with the project. "It depends on the process in the government of Indonesia. We are waiting for the process," he said. The loan agreement was initially to be signed in June but was delayed because it had not been put in the foreign loan document or "green book" of the National Development Planning Board. The Transportation Ministry has estimated the contract value of the project at around Rp 10 trillion (US$750.86 million). As one of the national strategic projects, the Patimban port, construction on which is expected to being at the end of 2017, will help improve logistics in the country. The port is designed to have a container capacity of 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) once it is partially completed in 2019 and 7.5 million TEUs by 2027, about half the capacity of the countrys busiest port, Jakartas Tanjung Priok. The port is located in Subang, about 70 kilometers from the Karawang Industrial Estate in Bekasi, West Java, where many Japanese industrial firms, particularly automotive manufacturers, operate. (dis/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 14:00 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa40ea5 1 National TNI,Polri,Indonesian-Military,National-Police,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,sectoral-ego,terrorism,counterterrorism,Pancasila,violence Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has told the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) to put aside their egos and collaborate to address the challenges faced by the country. Jokowi told hundreds of Military Academy and National Police Academy graduates that the country faced multidimensional challenges, including the deterioration of Pancasila state ideology values, a rise in violence, anarchy and terrorism and rampant drug smuggling. Jokowi further said the military and the police could help the country face global challenges, such as border disputes, state conflicts, asymmetrical wars, energy reserve struggles, weaponry competition and the phenomenon of foreign terrorists. "In facing these challenges, I remind TNI and the police to keep their synergy and work hand in hand for the sake of the [countrys] interests. Eliminate sectoral ego and increase solidarity, Jokowi said in a speech during the inauguration of the 729 military and police personnel at the State Palace on Tuesday. The President went on to tell the graduates that the inauguration ceremony was only the start of their careers to become military and police personnel who were expected to be loyal and devoted to the state, the nation and the people of Indonesia. "Remember that all of you are the future of the TNI and Polri. You are going to shape and adopt bureaucratic reforms so that the TNI and Polri will always be able to counterbalance, or even precede the development of modern challenges," Jokowi said. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 11:28 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa36908 1 Politics PAN,cabinet,House,house-of-representatives,election-bill,AdministrativeandBureaucraticReformMinistry,Asman-Abnur,Election-Law Free The National Mandate Party (PAN) has asserted that as part of the ruling coalition, it continues to support the President Joko Jokowi Widodo administration despite a call from party patron Amien Rais for a PAN politician to resign from his Cabinet post. PAN central executive board (DPP) chairman Yandri Susanto said the party would not withdraw it politician from Jokowi's Cabinet because the authority to select ministers was the President's. [On ministerial seats] its up to Pak Jokowi. The matter is in Pak Jokowis hands, Yandri said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday evening. Yandri went on to say that Amien made the suggestion in his role as honorary PAN council chairman. Its normal to make suggestions. However, ministerial seats are the President's [prerogative], he said. PANs only representative in the Cabinet is Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Asman Abnur. Yandri said the party would leave it up to President Jokowi whether to replace the PAN politician. On Sunday, Amien called on PAN, a mid-sized party that has 8.57 percent of legislative seats, to withdraw from the government coalition. He suggested Asman resign from his position as a minister in Jokowi's Cabinet. PAN's position in the Cabinet recently came into question after it chose not to side with the coalition in a recent vote on several crucial issues in the newly passed Election Law. (afr/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 18:24 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa52341 1 City school,electricity Free Three state high schools in West Jakarta had their power cut because of late payment of their electricity bills. The schools are SMA 112 in Meruya Kembangan, SMA 85 in Srengseng and SMA 65 on Jl. Raya Panjang. The students and teachers at SMA 65 reportedly could not use toilets because of the power cut. West Jakarta Education Agency head Uripasih said that the agency was a month late in paying the electricity bills. We were one month in arrears, yet PLN cut off the electricity supply, Uripasih said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. Uripasih said the payments were late because money from the Education Operational Fund (BOP) could only be disbursed once in three months. Therefore, the agency would only be able to make the July and August payments in September, she said. Uripasih further said that, despite the power cut, some rooms in the school still had access to the power supply. Separately, Jakarta Education Agency deputy head Bowo Irianto said that the agency would borrow money from Bank DKI to pay for the electricity through the signing of a cooperation agreement. The bank was preparing for a memorandum of understanding, he said. (cal) Topics : school electricity Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Theresia Sufa (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java Tue, July 25, 2017 23:50 1935 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa55460 1 City bogor,Bogor-mayor-Bima-Arya,Bogor-Palace,Bogor-Presidential-Palace,cultural-heritage,CulturalHeritage,CulturalPreservation,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,joko-widodo Free In an event called Palace for the People (Istura), the Bogor administration is once again inviting the public, including foreign visitors, to visit the Bogor Palace. The Istura event is held to remind us that Bogor cannot be separated from the history of the Republic of Indonesia. The number of Istura participants continues to grow every year. Many foreigners are keen to participate in the event, said Bogor Mayor Bima Arya after dispatching the first batch of this years Istura participants on Monday. The palace is opening its gates for five days from July 24 to July 28. Around 24,000 people have registered to participate in the event, exceeding the target of 20,000 visitors. More people are likely to join. Twenty-five foreigners from Australia, Japan, Serbia, the US and Tunisia are on the list of participants. Bima said certain restrictions would apply because Bogor Palace was an official residence of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. However, he said, all residents fully understood the rules for the visit. Bogor Culture and Tourism Agency head Shahlan Rasyidi said Istura was one of numerous events to celebrate the 535th anniversary of Bogor. It was the 15th time for the Bogor administration to hold the Istura event since 2010. Shahlan said the administration, in holding Istura, aimed to introduce Bogor Palace to all people, because it was a cultural heritage site that needed to be preserved. (ecn/ebf) Preserving cultural heritage: Palace for the People participants queue to enter Bogor Palace on Monday. (JP/Theresia Sufa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Tue, July 25, 2017 12:55 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa3ab99 1 National commit-suicide,suicide,suicide-attempt,mental-disorder,mental-health,mental-health-problems,mental-illness,mental-illnesses,West-Java-Police Free Two sisters committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of the Gateway Apartment in Bandung, West Java, on Monday afternoon. Based on video footage, which went viral on social media, the two sisters jumped from the apartment after climbing over a balcony rail. The older sister, aged 34, jumped first. Her 28-year-old sister jumped seconds later. Several people recorded the incident on their mobile phones. During police questioning, the two victims 39-year-old brother said of his two sisters had suffered psychological disorders for eight years. They were once treated at mental health clinic Penuai Indonesia Foundation, Bogor. They had mental health problems since 2006, when their mother passed away, said Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo, quoting the victims brother. A witness identified only as Dewi said she spotted the two sisters before they jumped. Dewi, who runs a laundry service in a kiosk near the apartment, said the two women looked disoriented before they jumped. Hendro said the two women sustained head and leg injuries. Their arms were broken. The bodies of the two victims have been taken to Sartika Asih Hospital for autopsies, said Hendro. (ecn/ebf) [July 25, 2017] Veritas Study: Organizations Worldwide Mistakenly Believe They Are GDPR Compliant SINGAPORE, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A study from Veritas Technologies, a leader in multi-cloud data management, has found that organizations across the globe mistakenly believe they are in compliance with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). According to findings from The Veritas 2017 GDPR Report, almost one-third (31 percent) of respondents said that their enterprise already conforms to the legislation's key requirements. However, when those same respondents were asked about specific GDPR provisions, most provided answers that show they are unlikely to be in compliance. In fact, upon closer inspection, only two percent actually appear to be in compliance, revealing a distinct misunderstanding over regulation readiness. The findings from the report show that almost half (48 percent) of organizations who stated they are compliant do not have full visibility over personal data loss incidents. Moreover, 61 percent of the same group admitted that it is difficult for their organization to identify and report a personal data breach within 72 hours of awareness -- a mandatory GDPR requirement where there is a risk to data subjects. Any organization that is unable to report the loss or theft of personal data -- such as medical records, email addresses and passwords -- to the supervisory body within this timeframe is breaking with this key requirement. The findings in this report suggest that organisations that think they are already compliant with the GDPR should revisit their compliance strategies. Failure to meet GDPR requirements could attract a fine of up to four percent of global annual turnover or EUR20 million, whichever is greater. The former employee threat Restricting former employee access to corporate data and deleting their systems credentials helps to stem malicious activity and ensure that financial loss and reputational damage are avoided. Yet, a staggering 50 percent of so-called compliant organizations said that former employees are still able to access internal data. These findings highlight that even the most confident organizations struggle to control former employee access and are potentially susceptible to attacks. Challenges exercising "the right to be forgotten" Under the GDPR, EU residents will have the right to request the removal of their personal data from an organization's databases. However, Veritas' research shows many organizations that stated they already are in compliance will not be able to search, find and erase personal data if the "right to be forgotten" principle is exercised. Of the organizations that believe they are GDPR-ready, one-fifth (18 percent) admittedthat personal data cannot be purged or modified. A further 13 percent conceded that they do not have the capability to search and analyze personal data to uncover explicit and implicit references to an individual. They are also unable to accurately visualize where their data is stored, because their data sources and repositories are not clearly defined. These shortcomings would render a company non-compliant under the GDPR. Organizations must ensure that personal data is only used for the reasons it was collected and is deleted when it's no longer needed. Demystifying GDPR responsibility Veritas' research also found that there is a common misunderstanding among organizations regarding the responsibility of data held in cloud environments. Almost half (49 percent) of the companies that believe they comply with the GDPR consider it the sole responsibility of the cloud service provider (CSP) to ensure data compliance in the cloud. In fact, the responsibility lies with the data controller (the organization) to ensure that the data processor (the CSP) provides sufficient GDPR guarantees. This perceived false sense of protection could lead to serious repercussions once the GDPR is enacted. "The GDPR dictates that multi-national corporations take data management seriously. However, the latest findings show confusion over what's needed to comply with the regulation's mandatory provisions. With the implementation date looming ever closer, these misconceptions need to be eradicated fast" said Mike Palmer, executive vice president and chief product officer, Veritas. "With regulations like the GDPR you have to understand what data you have in your organization. But you must also know how to take action on it and how to classify it so that policy can be applied accordingly. These are the fundamentals of compliance and the findings today should be used to educate businesses about the mistaken beliefs that could put an organization out of business." The GDPR is intended to harmonize data privacy and protection mandates across European Union (EU) member states. It requires organizations to implement the appropriate protection measures and processes to effectively govern personal data. The GDPR will take effect on May 25, 2018 and will apply to any organization -- inside or outside the EU -- that offers goods or services to EU residents, or monitors their behavior. In addition to this research, Veritas will announce today, Veritas Data Insight 6.0, Veritas Enterprise Vault 12.2 and the Integrated Classification Engine, a new technology that delivers powerful intelligence into data risks on-premises and in the cloud. The classification engine provides broad visibility into personal data and helps companies meet compliance regulations, like GDPR. The Integrated Classification Engine is available now in Veritas Data Insight 6.0, and will be available with Veritas Enterprise Vault 12.2 in August. Future integrations are planned across the Veritas data protection, storage and governance portfolio. Click here to view the press release. For information on how Veritas Technologies can help your organisation become GDPR compliant visit https://www.veritas.com/gdpr. Methodology Veritas commissioned independent technology market research specialist Vanson Bourne to undertake the research upon which this report is based. A total of 900 business decision makers were interviewed in February and March across the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The respondents were from organizations with at least 1,000 employees, and could be from any sector. To qualify for the research, respondents had to be from organizations that do at least some business with the EU. Interviews were conducted online using a rigorous multi-level screening process to ensure that only suitable candidates had the opportunity to participate. About Veritas Technologies Veritas Technologies empowers businesses of all sizes to discover the truth in informationtheir most important digital asset. Using the Veritas platform, customers can accelerate their digital transformation and solve pressing IT and business challenges including multi-cloud data management, data protection, storage optimization, compliance readiness and workload portability -- with no cloud vendor lock-in. Eighty-six percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on Veritas today to reveal data insights that drive competitive advantage. Learn more at www.veritas.com or follow us on Twitter at @veritastechllc. 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Contacts Belinda Lim Corporate Communications Veritas Technologies +65-6427-5564 [email protected] Mizu Chitra / Marc Lee Text100 Singapore +65-6603-9000 [email protected] Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170725/1906048-1 Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150408/8521502200 SOURCE Veritas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mike Smith (AFP) Jerusalem Tue, July 25, 2017 09:00 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa2e654 2 World Jerusalem,Israel,Palestine,DonaldTrump,Donald-Trump,UN Free The UN warned Monday that the crisis over new security measures at a volatile Jerusalem holy site must be swiftly resolved, as a top US official arrived in Israel to try to ease tensions. The crisis, which saw a weekend of deadly violence, was also discussed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah II of Jordan, a day after an Israeli guard at its embassy in Amman shot two Jordanians dead after an attack. UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov's warning and the visit by US President Donald Trump's top aide Jason Greenblatt come after more than a week of tensions over the Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel installed metal detectors at entrances to the site, which includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, after an attack on July 14 that killed two policemen. "It is extremely important that a solution to the current crisis be found by Friday this week," Mladenov said after briefing the UN Security Council, which met to discuss how to defuse the tension. "The dangers on the ground will escalate if we go through another cycle of Friday prayer without a resolution to this current crisis," he said, warning that violence there could spread "beyond the Middle East itself". Palestinians view the new security measures as Israel asserting further control over the site. They have refused to enter the compound in protest and have prayed in the streets outside instead. Israeli authorities say the metal detectors are needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the site and emerged from it to shoot the officers. Clashes have broken out during protests over the measures, leaving five Palestinians dead. Three Israelis were also killed when a Palestinian sneaked into a house in a West Bank settlement and stabbed them. -- Netanyahu, Abdullah II speak -- Greenblatt met Netanyahu along with US envoy to Israel David Friedman Monday, an Israeli official told AFP. In Amman, Jordan insisted on questioning an Israeli embassy security guard who according to Israeli officials shot dead a Jordanian attacker Sunday night, killing a second Jordanian at the time as well, apparently by accident. Israel said the guard had diplomatic immunity. He arrived back in Israel late Monday along with the rest of the embassy staff, a statement from Netanyahu's office said, but details of how we was able to return were not given. It followed a phone conversation between Netanyahu and King Abdullah, who reiterated Jordan's demand that Israel remove all the recent security measures at the Al-Aqsa compound, an official Jordanian statement said. Jordan is the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. The king stressed "the need to find an immediate solution and remove the reasons for the ongoing crisis at the Haram al-Sharif compound", the statement said. The head of Israel's Shin Bet, Nadav Argaman, visited Amman Monday to try to calm the situation, the internal security agency told AFP. Israeli officials have signalled they may be open to changing the measures at the holy site. Cameras have been installed at entrances in a possible indication of an alternative to the metal detectors. -- 'Playing with fire' -- Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit has accused Israel of "playing with fire" with the new security measures, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called them an insult to the Muslim world. Arriving back in Ankara late Monday at the end of a trip to the Gulf, Erdogan went further still, accusing Israel of flouting international law. "Israel is mistaken in the steps it has taken and -- I will say this very openly -- is heading into isolation," he warned. Friday's main weekly Muslim prayers -- which typically draw thousands to Al-Aqsa -- brought the situation to a boil. Clashes erupted between Israeli security forces and Palestinians around the Old City, elsewhere in annexed east Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank, leaving three Palestinians dead. They continued on Saturday, leaving two more Palestinians dead. Friday evening also saw a Palestinian break into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank during a Sabbath dinner and stab four Israelis, killing three. The Israeli army said the 19-year-old Palestinian had spoken in a Facebook post of the holy site and of dying as a martyr. The holy site in Jerusalem has served as a rallying cry for Palestinians. It is in east Jerusalem, seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community. Considered the third holiest site in Islam, it is the most sacred for Jews. (**) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak, West Kalimantan Tue, July 25, 2017 15:30 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa482da 1 National helicopter,West-Kalimantan,BPBD,dry-season,land-and-forest-fires,haze,water-bombing,BMKG Free Authorities in West Kalimantan have prepared four helicopters for water bombing operations as the dry season, predicted to take place from August to October, has the potential to trigger land and forest fires, which may lead to a haze disaster. Mega Fitriyawita, a forecaster with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that radars in several locations had begun to detect a number of hot spots. On Sunday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites detected seven hot spots in four out of 14 regencies and municipalities across West Kalimantan. On Monday, the number of hot spots increased to 23, which spread in seven regencies, according to the Modis sensor satellites. In May, local authorities announced an emergency alert status to handle a haze disaster caused by land and forest fires. The status will take effect until October. West Kalimantan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head TTA Nyarong said the provinces administration had anticipated the condition by preparing four helicopters for water bombing operations, and by activating disaster mitigation command posts in several disaster-prone areas. Peatlands with the highest burning potential are spread across 174 out of 2,031 villages in 14 regencies and municipalities across West Kalimantan. Mappings show that two regencies have the highest number of villages prone to land and forest fires. They are Ketapang, which has 45 fire-prone villages, and Sintang with 34 villages. Other regencies have up to18 villages [prone to land and forest fires]," Nyarong said. (afr/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sweden Wed, July 26 2017 The Indonesian Embassy in Sweden will hold the inaugural Kampung Indonesia cultural festival on Friday and Saturday in Kungstradgarden, Stockholm, to give people a chance to learn more about Indonesia. Starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., the festival, which name means Indonesian village, will include various musical and culinary activates as well as a photo exhibition to name a few, the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. Ambassador Bagas Hapsoro has encouraged potential visitors to explore the exhibition to get an idea of what a holiday in Indonesia would be like. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 26 2017 Among the 10 Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia is the only one yet to totally ban tobacco companies from advertising their products in print media, television, radio and movies, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) director executive Bungon Ritthiphakdee said. More than half of countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have totally banned cigarette advertisements at sellers, Ritthiphakdee said in a statement as quoted by Antara News Agency on Tuesday. Tobacco tax and customs in Southeast Asian countries have gradually increased, even though the selling price of cigarettes in several countries is still cheap, below US$1 per pack, Ritthiphakdee said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 13:35 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa3f5a2 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Chennai,India,bali,international-flights,Batik-Air Free On July 23, Lion Air Groups Batik Air has opened a new route from Bali to Chennai in India. The new service only offers one flight per day with one transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The plane departs from Denpasar at 11:10 p.m. to Kuala Lumpur and then to Chennai at 6:20 a.m. The return flight from Chennai departs at 8:55 a.m. to Kuala Lumpur and then headed to Denpasar at 4:35 p.m., explained Lion Air Group Public Relations manager Andy M. Saladin. Read also: India welcoming more tourists following new e-visa policy The opening of the new flight to India is based on the statistics that show the increasing number of tourists from India coming to Indonesia. In 2015, the archipelago welcomed 271,252 Indian tourists and the number went up to 376,802 in 2016. This year, the government has set a target to attract at least 550,000 Indian tourists. Indian tourists love exotic destinations, such as Sumba in Indonesia and Bali with its exotic tourist attractions, Andy added. Festivals and events in Bali also play a role in attracting tourists from Indonesia. Andy also said that most of them on average travel for six to seven days with 36 percent of them love to spend their time exploring cultural sites. Read also: The great bazaars of Hampi Indian market is a potential one. In 2016, Indonesia greeted almost 300,000 tourists from India; thats equal to almost 1,000 people flying to Indonesia every day although no direct flight was available from India to Indonesia back then. Moreover, Chennai is a business city where they can spend around US$1,000 per visit, explained he ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific Tourism Promotion Vinsensius Jemadu. Vinsensius also explained that both countries share some cultures and histories together, such as Ramayana and Mahabharata stories. Theres a cultural similarity that can become the magnet for Indian tourists to come to Indonesia. Moreover, there are plenty of Indonesians of Indian descent who live in Medan and havent met their relatives for a long period of time. Now its easier for them to reunite with the availability of flights from India to Jakarta and Denpasar, Vinsensius added. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 25, 2017 11:04 1936 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97aa3549a 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,music,music-festival,bandung,West-Java Free Matasora World Music Festival (MWMF) 2017 which was held in Bandung on July 22 to 23 was deemed a huge success as it managed to attract thousands of local and international visitors. Read also: Recommended Airbnb rentals in Bandung for Instagrammers With Beat the Tradition as the main theme, the event was held at the state-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI)s Persediaan Cikudapateuh warehouse. It was divided into three spots namely Mata Stage, Sora Stage and Ruang Film Bandung (Bandung Movie Room). This is the first the time the event is being held and it has attracted thousands of visitors with hundreds are from overseas, this is exhilarating. The music concert is a collaboration between local and international musicians and showcases many kinds of music genres and cultures. This is an exciting weekend, said Tourism Ministry's Archipelago Marketing Development deputy, Esthy Reko Astuti. Metasora has the spirit to promote West Java and becomes the pillar of national culture as well as increasing West Java tourism, she added. The first day of the festival started off at Mata Stage with a Jaipong dance workshop by Mira Tejaningrum and then followed by more workshops such as Ramwong dance by Ramkhamhaeng University from Thailand, Workshop Music Workshop about percussion by Zineer and British Colin Bass who was invited to talk about Indonesian Music in the Worlds Scene. Read also: Night at the Museum has Bandung youngsters explore geology On the Sora Stage, there were performances from international artists such as Ecuador, Norwegian and India whilst at the Ruang Film Bandung, local movies such as Mengejar Dangdut (Suddenly Dangdut), Sengatan si Bengal (Bengals Sting), Jejak Musik Harry Roesli (Harry Roeslis music trail) and Muslim Headbangers were being screened there. On Sunday, July 23, the Mata Stage had a workshop on Rejang Shanti dance by Bulantrisna Djelantik, "Music Writing in Social and Culture Change" workshop with Idhar Resmadi, Exploring Traditional Gamelan with Electronic Music workshop by Patrick Shaw Iversen and Copyrights in Music Works" discussion with Djakawinata Susilo and Chico. The Sora Stage featured performers coming from France, Taiwan and England. (asw) Aby Rosens RFR Realty has finally found a tenant, even if it is a temporary one, for the ground floor of 190 Bowery, the former Germania Bank Building. According to the New York Post, the fashion retailer Totokaelo is taking a nearly 9,000 square foot space as a pop-up location until March of next year. Totokaelo was founded in Seattle in 2008 and is part of Vancouver-based Herschel Capital Corp. It has a permanent store on Crosby Street. An executive at RFR realty, Jordan Claffey, said, Im optimistic that this short-term agreement will turn into a long-term one. The asking rent for the retail space, which covers the ground floor, mezzanine and basement, was $2 million a year. Rosen purchased 190 Bowery for $55 million in 2014 from famed photographer Jay Maisel. The upper floors of the landmark-protected and formerly graffiti-adorned building are occupied by Great Bowery, a collection of various creative agencies. A former staffer at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation looks at lagging efforts to save small business in New York City. [City Lab] The city is beginning a study of bike safety at 20 key intersections. [DNAinfo] The mayor says theres no validity to allegations of cronyism over his administrations habit of doing political favors for campaign donors. A former city official who made the charges has said he was fired, in part, because he complained about the administrations efforts to peddle a false narrative regarding the Rivington House debacle. [Daily News] Editorial: De Blasios right about there being two New Yorks but its one for his well-heeled benefactors and another for everyone else. [New York Post] Jared Kushners murky relationship with rent stabilization. The presidents son-in-law, who owns many East Village buildings, was recently warned by the state about his companies failure to register rent regulated apartments in Brooklyn. [The Real Deal] Opinion: How Soho artists fought for the loft law in the 1980s and why it matters today. [Artsy] Video: A clown from television visits Economy Candy, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Watch at your own risk. [Channel 4] Police are trying to track down the men responsible for an armed robbery on Madison Street last week. It happened on Thursday, July 20, at around 2:30 a.m. in the back of 160 Madison St. Thats one of the buildings belonging to the Rutgers Houses. According to cops, two men took the victims wallet, which contained $40, a military ID, a Colorado drivers license and a Chase bank card. One of the suspects tried to use the bank card at the LoHo Deli at 204 Clinton St. The NYPD released a surveillance image of the suspect who came into the bodega. If you know anything about this crime, you can contact detectives at the numbers listed in the flyer posted below. [July 25, 2017] More than 80 Percent of Americans Support Technology that Alerts Police to Their Location During an Emergency, While Less than One Third Want Their Whereabouts to be Monitored Continuously, According to Unisys Security Index BLUE BELL, Pa., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. consumers largely support sharing personal data with police or healthcare providers via smart devices, but enthusiasm varies depending on why and by whom the data is collected and how it is to be used, according to the 2017 Unisys Security Index. Survey results in the U.S. found: Eighty-four percent of Americans surveyed support using a button on their phones or smartwatches to alert police to their location during emergencies. By contrast, only 32 percent of Americans support police being able to monitor fitness tracker data anytime to determine their location. percent of Americans surveyed support using a button on their phones or smartwatches to alert police to their location during emergencies. By contrast, only 32 percent of Americans support police being able to monitor fitness tracker data anytime to determine their location. More than three-quarters of U.S. respondents registered support for Safe Cities technologies ranging from sensors that can automatically detect harmful chemicals or radiation (86 percent of respondents said this technology would make them feel safer) to sensors that can determine where and when a gun has been fired and automatically notify police (76 percent). Seventy-seven percent of U.S. respondents said they would feel safer with the deployment of both video surveillance systems that can detect suspicious behavior and automatically notify police. The same percentage support equipping police with facial recognition technology to enable them to identify criminals who should be apprehended. American consumers registered high support for the ability of medical devices such as pacemakers or blood sugar sensors to immediately transmit significant changes to a patient's doctor, with 78 percent of respondents supportive. Only about one in three American respondents (36 percent) support health insurers accessing fitness tracker data to determine a premium or reward customers for good behavior. "Americans want to obtain the efficiencies and security benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT), but not at the expense of losing control of their personal data," said Bill Searcy, vice president, Justice, Law Enforcement and Border Security for Unisys and a former FBI deputy assistant director. "For the IoT to succeed, governments, healthcare organizations, financial institutions and other enterprises must take steps to assure the public that personal data collected from IoT devices will be secure and that privacy will be protected." Support for IoT for Broad Range of Applications Smart devices, part of the IoT phenomenon, refer to objects or systems that can connect and exchange information over the Internet. Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) examined consumer reaction to the trend as part of the 2017 Unisys Security Index a global study that gauges the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security issues. The study polled more than 1,000 adults in the U.S. during April 2017. Americans generally support IoT applications that promote security and onvenience. Beyond support for IoT technology for law enforcement and healthcare, U.S. consumers said they also see potential value in areas such as air travel and banking. For example, 70 percent of U.S. respondents support the use of sensors in luggage that communicate with an airport's baggage management system and an app on mobile phones to tell them when their luggage has been unloaded and on what carousel it will be. Americans were divided on support for using a smartwatch app from a bank or credit card company to make payments, with 40 percent supportive and 40 percent against it. Barriers to IoT Acceptance Most U.S. respondents who did not support some IoT applications reported that they simply did not want various organizations to obtain information about them. Also, many said they did not see a compelling need for the organizations to obtain the data. Nearly half (49 percent) of those who did not support using a smartwatch app from a bank or credit card company to make payments said they were most worried about the security of those transactions. When asked specifically about their concerns about hackers or malicious intruders gaining access to their financial transactions, more than 90 percent of U.S. respondents registered some level of concern about the security of transactions using mobile devices or computer with nearly 60 percent reporting they are "very" or "extremely" concerned about the security of those transactions. A large majority of U.S. respondents also registered concern about the possibility of hackers or malicious intruders gaining access to internet-connected medical devices such as defibrillators, pacemakers or insulin pumps belonging to them or someone they know with 78 percent reporting some level of concern and 51 percent "very" or "extremely" concerned. "Banks and other financial institutions can address consumer concerns around data security of smartwatch payment channels through a multi-pronged approach that addresses both policy and technology such as the use of biometrics," said Eric Crabtree, vice president and global head of Unisys Financial Services. "These types of technological advances can more quickly and accurately determine whether a transaction is fraudulent, giving customers a greater sense of security." Download the full report of U.S. results here. To download the Unisys Security Index infographics or more information, click here. About the Unisys Security Index Unisys has conducted the Unisys Security Index the only recurring snapshot of security concerns conducted globally since 2007 in order to provide an ongoing, statistically-robust measure of concern about security. The index is a calculated score out of 300 covering changing consumer attitudes over time across eight areas of security in four categories: national security and disaster/epidemic, in the National Security category; bankcard fraud and financial obligations, in the Financial Security category; viruses/hacking and online transactions, in the Internet Security category; and identity theft and personal safety, in the Personal Security category. The 2017 Unisys Security Index is based on online surveys conducted between April 6-18, 2017 of nationally representative samples of at least 1,000 adults in each of the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, the U.S. and the U.K. The margin of error at a country level is +/-3.1 percent at 95 percent confidence level, and 0.9 percent at a global level. For more information on the 2017 Unisys Security Index, visit http://www.unisys.com/unisys-security-index. About Unisys Unisys is a global information technology company that specializes in providing industry-focused solutions integrated with leading-edge security to clients in the government, financial services and commercial markets. Unisys offerings include security solutions, advanced data analytics, cloud and infrastructure services, application services and application and server software. For more information, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn. RELEASE NO.: 0725/9524 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. UIS-C View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-80-percent-of-americans-support-technology-that-alerts-police-to-their-location-during-an-emergency-while-less-than-one-third-want-their-whereabouts-to-be-monitored-continuously-according-to-unisys-security-index-300493111.html SOURCE Unisys Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SD-WAN Expo opens call for papers for fresh perspectives on the relatively new networking technology Norwalk, CT July 25, 2017 TMC today announced it has opened the call for speakers for SD-WAN Expo held February 14-16, 2017 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward Country Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At SD-WAN Expo enterprise executives, service providers, and technology vendors will connect to learn about and discuss how this market is growing, how it is evolving, and how all three of these constituencies can make the most of the SD-WAN opportunity. Collocated with ITEXPO, one the largest remaining communications and technology conferences in the world, SD-WAN Expo is the dedicated forum for the industry to come together and learn. As SD-WAN Expo heads to Fort Lauderdale we seek proposals from speakers that will bring exceptional knowledge and perspectives on the issues that are impacting the industry today, said Rich Tehrani, CEO of TMC and conference chairman. We look forward to seeing the proposed sessions and planning an event that exceeds expectations. Although all submission topics will be considered for SD-Wan Expo, conference organizers will be most interested in proposals featuring a special focus on the following topics: What is SD-WAN and why is it creating so much buzz? What vendors and products are available for providers to choose between when creating their SD-WAN services? How do SD-WAN providers vary and why do these differences exist? Deployment strategy Technical challenges SDN and NFV with SD-WAN Interoperability and standardization Current capabilities Future possibilities Telcos vs SD-WAN specialists Security To submit a proposal, interested speakers should complete the online form by August 31, 2017 here: http://www.sd-wanexpo.com/east/call-for-speakers.aspx#form . Speakers must adhere 100% to TMCs no commercialism policy. If speakers cannot avoid commercialism, please do not submit a proposal. Questions regarding speaking opportunities at SD-WAN Expo should be sent to Dave Rodriguez at 203-852-6800 x146 or Erik Linask at 203-852-6800 x284. For more information on SD-WAN Expo, contact [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact Jessica Seabrook. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages for SD-WAN Expo should contact TMC's Joe Fabiano at 203-852-6800 x132 or Maureen Gambino at 203-852-6800 x109. For the latest SD-WAN Expo news, updates and information follow the event on Twitter at @SDWANexpo. About TMC Global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. This presents branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities for vendors/sellers. TMCs Marketplaces: Unique, turnkey Online Communities boost search results, establish market validation, elevate brands and thought leadership, while minimizing ad-blocking. Custom Lead Programs uncover sales opportunities and build databases. In-Person and Online Events boost brands, enhance thought leadership and generate leads. Publications, Display Advertising and Newsletters bolster brand reputations. Custom Content provides expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. overall marketing efforts. Comprehensive Event and Road Show Management Services help companies meet potential clients and generate leads face-to-face. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com. Media and Analyst Contact: Jessica Seabrook Marketing Director TMC 203-852-6800 x 170 [email protected] Share this Page Edited by Maurice Nagle Donald Trump gave a speech Monday evening at the 19th National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. It is tradition for presidents to stay away from politics in their speeches, but Trump decided to do away with tradition. Trump came prepared with a speech about the merits of being a Boy Scout, however he decided to go off script... What resulted was a long speech full of nonsense quotes about a range of topics, including healthcare, fake news and jabs made at Obama to the crowd of 40,000 Boy Scouts. He began: Who the hell wants to speak about politics when Im in front of the Boy Scouts? Well, it turns out, he did. His speech went far beyond addressing Boy Scout merits and was seeming without any direction. Here are some of the most notable (and questionable) quotes from the night, via The Guardian: On the topic of fake news and the crowd size, he stated: By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One per cent or zero? The fake media will say: President Trump and you know what this is President Trump spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today. Thats some that is some crowd. Fake media. Fake news. Thank you. On the topic of healthcare, he stated: Secretary Tom Price is also here And hopefully, hes going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this thing known as Obamacare thats really hurting us, folks. By the way, are you going to get the votes? He better get them. He better get them. Oh, he better otherwise Ill say, Tom, youre fired. Ill get somebody. He better get Senator Capito [Republican West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito] to vote for it. You got to get the other senators to vote for it. Its time. After seven years of saying repeal and replace Obamacare, we have a chance to now do it. They better do it. On the topic of his winning the election, he stated: I have to tell you our economy is doing great. Our stock market has picked up since the election November 8. Do we remember that date? Was that a beautiful date? What a date. Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said these dishonest people where they said there is no path to victory for Donald Trump? But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable and they didnt know what to say? And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the electoral college popular vote is much easier. At one point, he started talking about people being able to say Merry Christmas again. He stated: "And by the way, under the Trump administration, youll be saying Merry Christmas again when you go shopping. Believe me. Merry Christmas. Theyve been downplaying that little beautiful phrase. Youre going to be saying Merry Christmas again, folks. Then, he made a comment that insinuated that the children he was addressing voted for him in the recent election. He stated: So I have to tell you, what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again. And, finally, a quote getting a lot of attention is Trumps comment about former president Obama. He stated: By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree? And well be back. Well be back. The answer is no, but well be back. Every U.S. president has acted as the Boy Scouts honorary president since 1910. Obama held this role but declined to speak at the jamboree due to Boy Scout policies against gay scouts and scout leaders. These policies have since been changed, but Trump did not miss the opportunity to point out Obamas previous absence. Many people on Twitter expressed discontent with Trump's speech. Dem senator: I'm a Boy Scouts leader and Trump's "icky" Boy Scouts speech left me feeling sick https://t.co/OMtVZ8fXh4 pic.twitter.com/Uau6b2bEfN The Hill (@thehill) July 25, 2017 The President told the Boy Scouts that scientific polls are all fake, then thanked children who can't vote for voting for him. pic.twitter.com/2Jj6Nly7zH Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) July 25, 2017 Being president doesn't negate Trump's past. Boy Scouts of America just had a man who bragged about sexual assault advise thousands of boys. Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) July 25, 2017 Trump did violence to our democracy again. He told 30,000 Boy Scouts, as president, that the news is our enemy and fake. Dennis S Brotman (@DenbrotS) July 25, 2017 Scout Jamboree speech themes: Clinton: Giving back W Bush: Freedom Obama: Service Trump: Trumphttps://t.co/zzsS1SoN1F Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) July 25, 2017 Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. 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Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini. TUSCOLA -- Projects and activities to prevent injuries, deaths and property damage from severe storms will be presented for public comment in the updated Douglas County All Hazards Mitigation Plan. The plan will be available for review at a public forum from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Emergency management Agency, 209 East Van Allen St. Members from the Douglas County All Hazards Mitigation Planning Committee will be available to discuss the plan. According to Joe Victor, director, Douglas County Emergency Management Agency, "Individuals can come and go at their convenience to review the plan and comment. If someone has only a few minutes to review the plan, ask a question or comment, they can easily do so at any time during the forum. This forum is designed to accommodate busy schedules. Unlike some conventional meetings, there are no formal presentations forcing attendees to wait before they are allowed to speak." Approximately 150 projects and activities were identified to protect Douglas County residents and property from storms and other natural disasters. This plan, unlike all other emergency plans, is aimed at identifying projects and activities that can be taken before a natural disaster occurs. This committee has been conducting working meetings open to the public since July 2016. Arcola, Arthur, Atwood, Garrett, Newman, Tuscola and Villa Grove are municipalities participating in the planning process. Victor added, "Committee members helped identity projects that reflect the specific needs of each participating municipality. Information about storms and damages was used to develop specific suggestions for potential projects that can reduce harm to people and property." A public comment period will remain open until Aug. 10. Comments can be directed to the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency. Following the public comment period, any revisions that are needed will be made before updated plan is submitted to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for approval. For more information, contact Victor at 217-253-9538. The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping awarded himself another five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party and called for self-reliance in technology, a stronger military and protection of core interests abroad. At a party congress, Xi gave no sign of plans to change the "zero-COVID strategy that has frustrated Chinas public and disrupted business and trade. He called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that strain relations with Washington and Asian neighbors. Xi is tightening control at home and trying to use Chinas economic heft to increase its influence abroad. Oetting enters U.S. Naval Academy ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Gabe Oetting of Charleston will enter the Class of 2021 Plebe Summer at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to be commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. For the class of 2021, a total of 16,299 people applied with only 1,215 accepted. This incoming class has the highest SAT scores of all time. During this time, plebes have no access to television, movies, the internet or music. They are only permitted to make three calls during the six-week period. Oetting plans to study special warfare (SEAL) and systems engineering. Letters of support can be mailed to: MIDN Gabriel Oetting, I Company 18 Platoon, Annapolis, MD 21412. Ring graduates from basic training SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- U.S. Air Force Airman Layne M. Ring graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Ring is the son of Tricia Held, brother of Shayna Held, grandson of Patricia Ring, husband of Jamie Ring, and son-in-law of Leanne and Dan Debruyn, all of Pine Bluffs, Wyo. A 22-year-old Lincoln man got eight to 10 years in prison Monday for molesting a girl he babysat as a teenager. Bailey Rangel pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree sexual assault. Rangel's attorney, Nancy Peterson, spoke on his behalf, asking Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson to take into account that he was, at most, 19 when he did it and has accepted responsibility. "Obviously, there's no amount of apologies we can say to ease the suffering of the families," she said of the victim's family and Rangel's. In an affidavit for Rangel's arrest, Lincoln Police said a 10-year-old girl told her mother last year that Rangel had been molesting her over the summers between 2011 and 2014 when he was hired to watch her and her brother. In a forensic interview, she said Rangel told her not to tell anyone about it, according to police. "There's just no question at all the choices you've made have changed the life of this young girl and her family," Nelson said. She said while Rangel was young, he knew what he was doing was wrong, yet it continued. "I know you have expressed much remorse for the pain and damage that you caused. That's good. You should," Nelson said, before she sentenced Rangel. He also will have to register as a sex offender and be subject to a civil commitment evaluation. Hamlin senior throws standout Gracelyn Leiseth headed to Florida Hamlin's Gracelyn Leiseth to compete in women's track and field at the University of Florida. An inmate assaulted two staff members at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution Monday evening, prison officials say, the second such incident in two days. The Monday incident happened around 7:30 p.m. when two staffers were escorting an inmate from a restrictive housing cell to another location. "As the door opened, the inmate lunged forward" and head-butted one staff member, according to a news release from the Nebraska Department of Corrections. The other staff member tried to control the inmate with restraints. When a third staff member intervened, the inmate head-butted that staffer as well, according to the release. Both injured staff members were taken to a hospital. One suffered a broken nose; the other had bruises to the head and face. The incident follows one early Sunday in which two Tecumseh prison staff members were assaulted. One of those staffers was seriously injured, the Corrections Department said. Kriti Sanon, who would be essaying the role of a UP girl Bitti in her next film titled Bareily ki Barfi, has revealed how she got into the skin of the character. The actress has done various roles in her three-year career in Bollywood, but has never played the role of a tomboyish UP girl. Kriti hails from Delhi and is not familiar with the UP culture and lifestyle. Kriti's preparation for the role of Bitti came much before than the actual shooting commencement. She visited Lucknow and spent some time with 10-15 college girls in an effort to adapt the traits and dressing sense of a UP girl. She observed the body language and tone of the girls to perfect the twang of UP Hindi for the role of Bitti, Her observation included the way they dressed and carried themselves. "I spent a lot of time with the girls and they were really sweet to me. They shared quite a few things with me which helped me to know them better and how they would react to that situation which in turn would help me to for justifying Bitti as an outspoken tomboyish girl," Kriti said. Bareily ki Barfi is a story about a quirky love triangle where Bitti aka Kriti searches for her perfect groom, and Ayushmann Khuranna and Rajkummar Rao is competing to impress her. Directed by Abhay Chopra, Bareily ki Barfi will release on August 18, 2017. Why are the pubs of London more delightful than British tea? What can Indians learn from Switzerland? In which European country does the President cycle home after work? And where do people worship a stone that resembles our Shiv Ling? These and many other questions get answered in this delightful book of travel stories as Sundeep Bhutoria, a self-confessed wanderer, takes us to one country after another, from Peru to South Korea, from South Africa to Russia. Bhutoria is not a tourist. He just loves to travel, living out of the suitcase. But he has an eye for detail that ordinary tourists often lack. And wherever he goes, he tries to compare the lifestyle, civilization, traditions and discipline of the people with India and Indians. Naturally, it turns out to be an eye-opener. South Korea, he says, has proved wrong the Indian argument that over population is the cause of most of Indian ills. Seoul has more people than Kolkata but the South Korean capital is sparklingly clean and its residents are extremely punctual. But a trip to Moscow after the Soviet collapse is shocking: a grand chandelier at the once lively Moscow airport doesn't work while toilets are full of broken and dry taps. The Indian sense of making a quick profit where possible is evident at Sharjah airport where the old one rupee coin is used to buy cold drinks, beer and snacks from vending machines because its weight equals a 40 dirham coin! But if Indians need to learn amiability, humility, discipline and cleanliness from the Swiss, Venezuelan capital Caracas is so shabby in every sense of the term that Bhutoria vows never to return to the country. But not every place in Europe is minus blemish; France may be the global fashion capital but bribery is rampant. Bhutoria comes across small and big Indian communities in almost every country, and most, although they have never been to India, are very proud of their Indian roots. But Indians in South Africa not only insist on being known as South Africans (not Indians), they also don't want to be linked to India in any way. Standing outside the President's House in Luxembourg, Bhutoria is flabbergasted when he learns that the man who has stepped out alone and on a bicycle is the country's President! As for cows, Indians must learn how to take care of the animal from the Dutch. In Amsterdam, the Kolkata-based author and a West Bengal minister (who pleads with the author not to tell anyone that he is a minister!) dash into a little restaurant called "Gandhi" and devour on rice and fish they are so badly missing. But in Brazil, failing to get vegetarian food, the author buys a sandwich, removes the pieces of fish, washes it clean with milk and eats the bread! When Bhutoria landed in New York in September 2001, he didn't bargain for the world's most horrific terror attack. The author was to visit the World Trade Centre 9/11 but got delayed and that saved him. After the first plane rams into the building, Bhutoria, from his shaken hotel room, actually sees the second plane commanded by terrorists collide with the other tower. He is scared to death. And he prays and prays. "I had not prayed to so many gods in my whole life." (IANS) Title: My Life My Travels: A Travelogue; Author: Sudeep Bhutoria; Publisher: Vani Prakashan; Pages: 188; Price: Rs 399 I n 1978, the publication of Edward Saids Orientalism revolutionised academic discourse regarding the West and the Rest. The Rest received a rejuvenating shot in its so long limp arm and at last the empire began to write back with new-found abandon, courage and confidence. The erstwhile British colonies shed their cultural cringe, voiced their protest, scripted their unofficial histories and became vocal members of a participatory democracy, uninhibited in their claims and clamour directed towards identity and cultural politics.The homogeneity of the western concept of Asia was now identified as Other Asias and West Asia, South Asia, South-east Asia along with Africa claimed recognition and inclusiveness within the global theatre of power differentials. In Edward Saids Orientalism, which is regarded as the foundational text of post-colonial studies, Said had stated, As a discipline representing institutionalised Western knowledge of the Orient, Orientalism thus comes to exert a three-way force, on the Orient, on the Orientalist, and on the Western consumer of Orientalism (p 67). The author of The Rulers Gaze, Arvind Sharma, formerly of the IAS, is the Bricks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University, Canada. His publications include Gandhi: A Spiritual Biography andHinduism and Its Sense of History and Decolonizing Indian Studies. One of his forthcoming books is Our Civilization and how to read the Manusmriti. The Rulers Gaze makes an earnest attempt to interrogate and reject colonial history as represented by the documentarians of British India such as Vincent Smith among many others. Sharma painstakingly emphasises in great detail the collage of facts, fabrication, truth, untruth and half-truth that Western scholars of Indology have put together as an ethnic mosaic of essentialist discourse about Indian history and religion, focusing on the Vedas, Upanishads and the epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sharmas arguments rest on his reliance on oral traditions, the blend of sruti (heard) and smriti(memory), as well as on myth, mystique, mystery, faith and belief, which are all integral to the understanding of Hinduism. It is necessary to add that the contributions of Indian materialist philosophers such as Carvaka, however, are very often elided in the discourse of Indian philosophy. The complex tapestry that is created involves the threads of involuntary explicit memory, involuntary conscious memory, involuntary aware memory, autobiographical memory, embroidering a collective unconscious, which leans towards the mythical and which Freud described as archaic remnants. Sharma compares and contrasts the western Orientalism of William Jones and other early Indologists with Thomas Babington Macaulay and all 19th century Orientalists in whose discourse a paradigm shift in their attitude towards India, becomes obvious. In close reference to the Saidian discourse regarding Orientalism, Sharma asserts that Western Orientalism distorted the traditions and legacy of the pre-colonial era, referring directly to the culture and traditions of ancient India. In order to re-read British colonial history and its representation of Hinduism, Sharma not only states that his approach in doing so is from a Saidian perspective but at times points out the limitations of the Saidian approach in the Indian context. In fact the wide scholarship and the neutral tone of presenting data garnered through an admirable assemblage of supportive material proves Sharmas meticulous engagement in exposing the British agenda of manipulating ancient Indian history. Sharma remarks, Thus if British Rule over India is a historical fact, the greater antiquity of Indian civilization over the modern Western is also a chronological fact (sic p 326). Possibly, it is this mindset that Edward Said may have warned against as he concluded his path-breaking text, Culture and Imperialism, published in 1994, almost 16 years after the publication of Orientalism, above all not constantly reiterating how our culture or country is number one (p 408). Incidentally, SaidsCulture and Imperialismis not listed in Sharmas exhaustive notes and bibliography of more than 80 pages. Sharmas perspective in his historiography, which can be sub-titled Discovery of India and the perspectives of Edward Said as manifest in the foundational text of postcolonial studies, Orientalism(1978) are interesting. About four decades after the publication of Saids Orientalism, the recent publication of Amitav Ghoshs Ibis trilogy and Shashi Tharoors An Era of Darkness ~The British Empire in India, unmask the indiscriminate oppression and exploitation as deadly tools of British imperialist policies. Sharma argues that instead of, by now the cliched maxim, that knowledge is power, Saids Orientalism gestured towards an inversion of the maxim power is knowledge, as power can manipulate knowledge. This would imply that power can define, distort or misrepresent knowledge, and the British rulers systematically used the findings of Western Orientalists that invariably critiqued the native culture and tradition as the inferior Other and simultaneously showcased the superiority of the culture of the colonisers. Sharma foregrounds the British overt and covert agenda in the discourse regarding the Black Hole of Calcutta, the abolition of sati and underscores that Sati was sexualised by the British (p102). In order to illustrate this assertion Sharma refers to the sculpture that depicts Lord Bentinck who abolished sati in 1829, rescuing a semi-nude, young Indian woman from the funeral pyre. He refers also to the thugees, the misinterpretations of Hindu scriptural texts such as the Vedas and the Upanishads, the caste system and underscores the richness of Indias ancient cultural heritage. Sharma offers some very striking interpretations of Alexanders invasion and its impact on India, the roles of the Mughal rulers and the sepoy uprising. His arguments can be undoubtedly riveting for historians and cultural studies experts. In this connection one may recall Jawaharlal Nehrus comments in his Discovery of India, The burden of the past, the burden of both good and ill, is over-powering, and sometimes suffocating, more especially for those of us who belong to very ancient civilizations like those of India and China. As Nietzsche says, Not only the wisdom of centuries, also their madness, breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.(Introduction). Also, interestingly, in his book Religion and Society, Indian philosopher S Radhakrishnan had stated, If we are wedded overmuch to the rules of the past, if the living faith of the dead becomes the dead faith of the vining, the civilization will die The price of social freedom is not only eternal vigilance but also perpetual renewalIf we rest content with what our fathers have done, decay will set in (p 117). In the chapter titled Freedom from domination in the Future in Culture and Imperialism, Edward Said introduced himself as a secular intellectual and critic (p 369). Said referred to one of his lecture sessions at Cairo University, Egypt, where he spoke for an hour on nationalism, independence, and liberation as alternative cultural practices to imperialism. During the question-answer session Said stated that he was asked about the theocratic alternative which he had overlooked due to his anticlerical and secular zeal (p 370). Perhaps, Edward Said would have disagreed with Arvind Sharma but agreed with Nehru who had observed, Religion, as I saw it practised, and accepted even by thinking minds, whether it was Hinduism or Islam or Buddhism or Christianity, did not attract me. It seemed to be closely associated with superstitious practices and dogmatic beliefs, and behind it lay a method of approach to lifes problems, which was certainly not that of science. There was an element of magic about it, an uncritical credulousness, a reliance on the supernatural (Discovery of India). The seven chapters of The Rulers Gaze are remarkably informative and scholarly as a historiographic narrative that range from the anomalous nature of British rule over India, its depiction of Indian society, the status of the Sudras, Greek, European, British and Muslim accounts of India and finally an evaluation of the limitations and extensions of Saidian Orientalism. As noted earlier in the review, Sharma maintains a steady scholarly tenor in his critique and assessment of British rule over India where he states Saidian Orientalist constructions played a role in the Partition and Indias cultural history. It may be of interest to note that 15 years after the publication of Orientalism in 1998, in an afterword published in 1994, Said remarked, After all, Orientalism is a study based on the re-thinking of what had for centuries been believed to be an unbridgeable chasm separating the East from West(p 352). Hostility, war and imperial control and the cultural differences had to be assessed in perspective Said had asserted and Sharma closely refers to the Saidian arguments as he endeavours to exorcise the ghost of Saidian Orientalism , so that the spirit of the culture can speak for itself"(p 330). In conclusion, Sharma interrogates the religious pluralism and secular culture of India as interventions of British Orientalism and states, Religious identities need not be exclusive in Indian culture, as they have been in the West, so Indian solutions to religious friction and tensions are themselves religious, while in the West, on account of the exclusive nature of religious identities, the solution found for religious friction was secular in nature (p 329). The Rulers Gaze may be an intriguing read for students and researchers of colonial historiography and those interested in post-colonial studies, identity politics, cultural studies and religious studies. (The reviewer is professor, department of English, Calcutta University) The battle to get a seat in the college of your dreams has just begun. While you may have successfully cleared the fiercely competitive National Eligibility cum Entrance Test exam and made your way to the counselling process, another hurdle awaits. As directed by the Supreme Court, medical seats under the all-India quota will be filled by the Directorate General of Health Services through common counselling. Candidates applying to state government colleges will be admitted subject to rules and regulations framed by the respective state governments. Fifteen per cent seats are allotted under the all-India quota and 85 per cent seats are reserved for the state government. According to the new directions, an applicant who has locked his/her admission under the all-India quota in the second round of counselling will not be allowed to vacate the seat for a better college. This means that every student needs to carefully fill their choices and make a wise decision for a fruitful future. With multiple rounds of counselling and choice-filling procedure, it is quite likely of a student to miss a deadline or make a mistake while finalising the options. Given below are a few points that aspiring MBBS and BDS students need to keep in mind while pulling the trigger on their admission. Undergo mentoring sessions: This is one of the most important procedures that every candidate who has cleared the Neet exam has to undergo. Before you lock your choices, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the overall process in order to make the best selection based on the ranking. Consult you mentors, as they will be able to guide you with better prospects. Ensure documents are in place for verification purposes: A candidate should ensure that all the original documents required for the counselling process are in place as failing to do so will lead to the cancellation of candidature. The original documents along with its attested photocopies need to be produced at the allotted college for verification. Some of the important documents required are Neet admit card, date of birth certificate, rank letter issued by Central Board of Secondary Education, matriculation certificate,10+2 mark sheet and certificate,two passport size photographs and category certificate, if applicable. Jot down deadlines in a calendar: With multiple deadlines and dates to remember, there are chances to get confused or miss an important deadline in all the frenzy. This can cost your favourite seat as well. There are 6,11,739 candidates vying for a seat in their choice of college. Therefore, missing a single deadline or making a mistake in your form can result in further complications. In order to avoid such a situation, every student should write down the deadlines in a calendar and set a reminder on their mobile phones too. Be prepared to book tickets in order to be physically present on campus for admissions. Sufficient research is the key: This is one of the most important decisions of your life. For the next five years, you have to devote your heart and soul to chase your dreams.Therefore, sufficient research needs to be conducted before taking the final call. Talk to as many seniors, alumni or professors as possible. Based on the acquired information, conduct your own research to be self-assured of the final decision you make. The reputation of the college, hospital infrastructure, patient inflow, student-teacher ratio, extra-curricular activities, et al matters for the overall development of a student. Parents and students need to carefully monitor their available options, conduct ample research and then fill in their forms. Ensure you have a backup college on your list: Do not be adamant on sticking to a particular college for various reasons. Try and fill up the maximum possible choices for allotment and lock the choices before the deadline. Always have a backup college ready, as this will help you to be prepared for the worst and safeguard you emotionally. Every decision you take should be calculated and well calibrated before it is finalised. (The writer is Joint Registrar, Sharda University, Greater Noida) Oil and gas fields in the Krishna Godavari (KG) Basin in India's eastern offshore would attract investment of about $23 billion for these hydrocarbons' exploitation, Parliament was informed on Monday. "The operators of blocks/fields in KG basin under Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime and nomination fields have submitted DoC (Declaration of Commerciality)/FDP (Field Development Plans) for the commercial oil and gas discoveries along with projected investment estimates," Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply, adding that the estimated investment from various stakeholders was $22.9 billion. The new oil and gas production from these fields in the KG Basin is expected to reach up to 22.27 billion cubic meters of gas, and 4.68 million metric tonnes of oil by 2021-22, he said. Last month, Reliance Industries and British major, BP, annnouced the creation of a joint venture energy vertical to work across the entire value chain, involving investment of $6 billion, or Rs 40,000 crore. This would also develop their existing deep water gas fields in India's eastern offshore to bring to fresh production 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas by 2022. Pradhan also informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given in-principle approval for sale of the government's 51.11 per cent stake along with the management control of oil marketer HPCL to the exploration firm ONGC. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) will continue as a public sector undertaking after Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) acquires its stake, he said. "The proposed acquisition in the oil sector will create a vertically integrated public sector oil major company having presence across the entire value chain. "This will give ONGC an enhanced capacity to bear higher risks, take higher investment decisions and to neutralise impact of global crude oil price volatility," he said. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised China's growth forecast for 2017 and 2018 to 6.7 and 6.4 per cent respectively. The World Economic Outlook report, which came days after China posted a stronger-than-expected second quarterly performance, was a reflection of a solid first quarter underpinned by previous policy easing and supply-side reforms, including efforts to reduce excess capacity in the industrial sector, Xinhua news agency cited the IMF as saying on Monday. China has set its full-year growth target at "around 6.5 per cent". The 6.7 per cent forecast will leave the world's second-largest economy on par with its growth level in 2016. The fund also revised China's economic forecast for 2018 by 0.2 percentage point to 6.4 per cent, citing expectations that Beijing may maintain high public investment and delay fiscal adjustment to meet its target of doubling the 2010 real GDP by 2020. The IMF has also warned against strong credit growth that may come with rising downside risk to medium-term growth. Maurice Obstfeld, chief economist of the IMF, recommended China go through a very important rebalancing process, which will inevitably entail a slowing path of growth. He said China's recent moves to redress non-performing loans and a coordinated financial oversight overhaul were welcome. The revision followed an April upgrade by the IMF on China's GDP growth forecast to 6.6 and 6.2 per cent for 2017 and 2018 respectively, 0.1 and 0.2 percentage point higher than its forecast in January. At least seven persons were killed and many more trapped when a four-storey dilapidated residential building collapsed here on Tuesday morning, an official said. Another 12 injured persons have been rescued from the rubble and efforts were on to extricate the others from under the debris of Sai Darshan building at Ghatkopar which crashed with a roar around 10.30 a.m. Fourteen fire engines, rescue vans and ambulances besides teams of the state disaster management force were at the site, the BMC Disaster Control official said. A fire brigade officer said 30-40 persons were still feared trapped and rescue operations were going on. This was this monsoon's first major house crash. The injured were rushed to hospitals. Unconfirmed reports put the deaths at 12. Around 12 families lived in the building which also housed a private hospital on the ground floor. The building figured on the BMC's list of "dangerous buildings". West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said there is no flood-like situation in the state, which was being lashed by heavy rains although some low-lying areas in a few districts were inundated. "There is no flood-like situation in the state as yet. Water levels are still below (danger level) though some low- lying areas of Labhpur in Birbhum district, Purulia, Ghatal in West Midnapore and Goghat, Arambagh in Hooghly districts have been inundated," she said. Banerjee held a meeting with senior officials at the secretariat on Monday afternoon to monitor the situation with the MeT office predicting more rains in the next 48 hours in the state. "I held a meeting to monitor the situation and I am keeping a watch on it," she told reporters. Banerjee said the state government has already started distribution of relief materials, including tarpaulins in different districts. In an obvious reference to the discharge of water by DVC from its barrages, she said that inundation takes place due to it. Meanwhile, irrigation minister Rajiv Banerjee said that the state has asked DVC to release that much water which could be borne by the state. "Huge rainfall is a matter of concern and more rainfall is predicted. It is creating problems. I am regularly monitoring the situation in the control room," he said. Besides one control room at the secretariat, others have been opened at the districts to counter any flood-like situation, he added. The minister also held meetings with district magistrates and block development officers from different districts to chalk out plans to counter the situation in the backdrop of the heavy rainfall since Saturday night. State disaster management minister Javed Khan said district administrations have been instructed to keep ready ample numbers of small-sized boats and tarpaulin. The health department has issued directives to all district units and Kolkata Municipal Corporation to keep in store emergency medicines and asked district CMOHs to be alert in the wake of the current weather situation. Meanwhile in Kolkata, area in its central part like Central Avenue and Bowbazar, Lake town, Beliaghata and Ultadanga in the eastern part and Kasba, New Alipore and Taratala in the south and west are under water due to incessant rainfall in the last three days. City Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said that he and his team of officers of Kolkata Municipal Corporation were keeping an eye on the situation in the city. "We assure the citizens that we will not let Kolkata turn into Mumbai. At the moment everything is under control," Chatterjee said. Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protests against the arrest made in a terror funding case. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who had called for the shutdown were placed under house arrest in Srinagar, while Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. The District Magistrate has ordered restrictions under section 144 of the CrPC in the old city area including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj and Safa Kadal. Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed here and other district headquarters in the valley. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown and the city outskirts. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested several separatist leaders in the terror funding case on Monday. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani, and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of Umer Farooq, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal. The story behind Asroy is quite heartening. One winter night in December 2009, we wanted to bring warmth to the people sleeping on the streets of Dhaka, says Dr Saeem Arafat Hossain, the president of Asroy. We distributed warm clothes to them. But in trying to find the root of the solution to end the vicious cycle of poverty, solving the problems of education and proper health care would have to be prioritised. Hence, we decided to work on providing education and healthcare. Dr Hossain completed his MBBS from Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College. At the beginning, the organisation had a mobile or a floating school at a park in Farmgate, Dhaka. The whole idea of the school was to reach out to children, who were otherwise unable to attend. The student body of this school consisted of the children on the street. However, according to Dr Hossain, maintaining the floating school became logistically challenging. Eventually, the founders of the school moved to a permanent address in Hazaribagh, and began providing low-cost education to slum children. In terms of funding, Asroy runs completely on personal donations. People from all walks of life and several organisations provide both financial and structural support for the day-to-day activities of this noble initiative. The organisation also encourages people to donate a certain amount of money on special occasions and holidays, raising funds through street and social media campaigns, according to Rokaiya Shatadru, the communications officer at Asroy, also a third year Microbiology student at the University of Dhaka. The school follows the national curriculum from Play Group to Class V and prepares the children for the Primary Education Completion examinations. We also offer extra-curricular activities like music, art, and moral science lessons for the cultural and mental development of the children, as we believe that by engaging in these activities, they will become responsible and well-rounded individuals, asserts Sumit Biswas, the head of education at Asroy and a biochemistry student at North South University. The volunteers at Asroy are mainly students of different public and private universities of the country. After Class V, the children at Asroy are affiliated with different mainstream schools. All the students who finished Class V from our school in the last two years are now in different high schools, including two government high schools, says Dr Hossain proudly. The students of Asroy have had a 100 percent pass rate in their Primary Education Completion examinations since they first appeared in 2015. Furthermore, a regular programme of Asroy is health camps, during which groups of doctors and medical interns volunteer free health check-ups and provide some basic over-the-counter medicines to the underprivileged families. In November 2016, Asroy hosted a dental health camp for its students, which included oral hygiene maintenance procedures, brushing techniques, management of immediate tooth pain, and dental check-ups, bearing in mind that slum children do not have the privilege of paying regular visits to dentists. Since its inception in 2009, Asroy has served around 11,000 patients in 16 different medical camps throughout Bangladesh, and most recently, sent immediate help to Nepal during the earthquake of April 2015. They have also helped rebuild a school in Nepal. Although the members of Asroy have had many notable triumphs, their beginnings were certainly not without obstacles. According to Dr Hossain, one of the biggest challenges on their journey to opening Asroy was convincing the parents to send their children to school. The parents would rather use the labour of their children as the treatment for poverty than allow them to pursue an education, but they need to understand that having an education is the path to a brighter future for their children and the country, he says. Echoing Dr Hossains views, Dr Naima Afroz, a graduate of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and the vice-president of Asroy, says that these children are most vulnerable, so without proper guidance and knowledge, they do not reach their full potential and often end up taking to criminal activities. This is something the team of Asroy hopes to change. So, they made it their mission to go from door to door in slums and persistently speak to the families to make them see why their sons and daughters deserve an education. The dedicated individuals behind Asroy truly show the value of sharing what you have for the betterment of others. Moving forward, the Asroy team hopes to establish schools and clinics in each district of Bangladesh, and enhance the position of social work in the country. (The writer is a student of literature at North South University) Varun and Amit stood in the sector seven market of Devgarh, lamenting an order that they had failed to clinch. Sipping ginger tea beside a tea kiosk, they looked listlessly at people milling around the shops and munching snacks at the roadside barrows. In their early 20s, both of them worked as salesmen with a water-purifier company. With just about a years experience, they had learnt that the probability of getting an order increased considerably if they could talk glibly and sound credible both while raving about their companys product and while denouncing their rivals. But despite their eloquence and several rounds to potential customers, sales had been slack of late. It was six in the evening, and even though it wasnt yet dark, the streetlights had begun shimmering. As Amit turned left to look at a two-seater fancy car zooming past them, he was startled to notice a black wallet lying a few feet away. He sidled towards it and before anyone could notice, the wallet rested in his hands. The two friends were delighted to see the numerous currency notes inside. Three thousand and five hundred, counted Amit in disbelief. Both of them hadnt got their salaries yet. The thought of drinking and dining at their favourite restaurant -The Bluejay (where they had spent many happy hours) hit them instantly. It was one of the two restaurants in town that also served liquor. Amit could feel his mouth salivating at the very thought of its steaming butter chicken, mutton rolls and roasted chilly mushroom. And from the money left after paying the restaurant bill, they could even buy a T-shirt each. At the same time, he also felt hesitant to feast on someone elses money. Varun too was thinking on the same lines but fearing that he might end up revealing his baser instincts to his friend, he held his tongue. As their consciences and cravings began pulling them in opposite directions, both of them found themselves stumped for words. After a long pause, Varun broke the silence, Just check if theres any contact number in the wallet? If Amit doesnt find it, thought Varun, they could spend the money without feeling guilty. Nothing except this, said Amit, drawing out a few bus tickets, a restaurant bill and two visiting cards. He also found a photograph of a clean-shaven man with a mop of curly hair. The man looked to be in his 30s. Perhaps the wallet belongs to him, said Amit, passing the photograph to Varun. If only he had left his address or contact number inside. Can we find a man in a town like Devgarh just with his photograph or these visiting cards? asked Varun, implying they were now free to spend the money as they liked. The solemn tone in which Varun questioned, however, made Amit assume that he was dead earnest to find the wallets owner. He realised that he must be kind like Varun. Though its not possible for us to find him, he might come there inquiring about his wallet, suggested Amit, pointing at the police station located on the other side of the road. Varun could scarcely believe his ears. The proximity of the police station, coupled with their own confusion, gave them little time to reflect further. In a sort of trance, they began walking towards it. *** The two-storey grey police station, enclosed by a boundary wall, had an arched signboard at the entrance gate with its name written in big bright letters. As they walked inside, their eyes fell on the confiscated vehicles -the dustladen rusting cars and bikes were a telltale sign of the apathy one got there. It seemed as if all the automobiles were imploring everyone to assist them to get out and avoid the place if they could help it. Despite their unease, Amit and Varun climbed a small stairway and stepped into the building. There were about half a dozen rooms on either side of the corridor and every room bore the names and designations of the policemen on duty there. In one of the rooms, they saw a cop scrawling something in his ledger; in the opposite room a constable sat chopping onions. Apparently, he was preparing dinner for his colleagues. As they walked a little further in the corridor, they heard someone pleading pitifully in an adjoining room, Let me go inspector sahib, I wont do it again Hold the bugger, they heard a voice. It was followed by a scuffle, a swish in the air and then a loud thud. An agonising cry resounded in the corridor. Soon, the door of the room opened and two policemen, looking quite pleased with their work, emerged from it. Turning left, they stood beside the room, one of them puffing on his cigarette. Absorbed in their animated discussion, they didnt even notice Varun and Amit in the corridor. One of the cops was tall and thin-his long nose and beady eyes instantly reminded one of a prey bird. His senior, a hefty sub-inspector, looked like a well-fed ox. The tummy under his tucked-in shirt was so prominent that it looked like it might explode any moment. Unless, you thrash these buggers soundly, he said, resting his right leg on a stool, They wont blurt out. The language these dogs understand, I know that. Sunder, its this that brings truth out of them. The thrilled inspector waved his baton at his subordinate. He rewarded his senior with an obsequious smile. Both Varun and Amit grew ill at ease as they heard the inspector elaborate on his third degree procedures, punctuating his discourse with filthy abuses. Stunned, they signalled each other to get out. Almost, at the same time, the burly inspector turned to light another cigarette. As his eyes fell on the two young men gaping at him, he was shocked to discover that his policing lessons had been eavesdropped. Saalo, what brings you here? he questioned, staring at Varun and Amit with his bloodshot eyes. The two friends were crestfallen by this unexpected hospitality. Discovering his name, Balwant Singh, from the metallic batch he wore on his breast-pocket, they looked at him timidly as if he had caught them committing a crime. Their silence exasperated the cop further. Out with your woes, he bellowed, I am not a deaf cop. Ea A wallet sir mumbled a visibly shaken Amit, trying to string his words coherently. Before he could succeed, Balwant Singh brusquely cut him short. I see! he exclaimed aloud, Another case of pick-pocketing. Sunder, I can tell it from their faces. Tell me boys, where did you lose your wallet? Maybe I can help you get it back. Pleased to have scared the boys and eager to demonstrate his good judgment, he raised his brows a couple of times, implying that he wanted a quick answer. We havent lost any wallet sir. Rather, we found one lying there-near that tea kiosk, explained Varun, pointing at the market. Realising how much off the mark he was, the smile on the inspectors face suddenly disappeared. In a tone that was now somewhat mellow, he said, In my 15-year long career, I have only seen people reporting about things they lose, not about what they find. To see someone walking inside a police station with a wallet! Sunder, we still have honest souls amidst us! As Amit handed the wallet to constable Sunder, he saw him nodding at the inspector like a schoolboy all ears to his teacher. As several 500-rupee notes tumbled out of the wallet, the two cops found it difficult to believe their eyes. With their mouths wide open, they stared at the cash with undisguised longing. Breaking their spell from the cash, Varun said, Theres a photograph of a man in the wallet. Its possible he might come here inquiring about it. There are also two visiting cards.You could call the numbers listed on them. Sunder pulled out the photograph and cards from the wallet and gave them to his senior but he didnt even bother to look at them. It took a few moments for the cops to bring back their attention from the wallet to the boys. Looking around cautiously, inspector Balwant said, You impress me boys. Well try our best to deliver the wallet to its owner. Do we have to sign somewhere to deposit the wallet? Varun asked hesitantly. No formalities required, said Sunder tersely. Realising that their presence was no longer required, both Varun and Amit turned around and walked back to the tea kiosk where they had parked their bike. It was now dark and a half-moon had begun glowing in the eastern sky. Exhausted and unnerved, the two friends fell silent for a while. Standing beside the bike, Amit said, Im not sure what theyll do with the money. Crazy man, cried out Varun, Why did you suggest taking the wallet to the police station? But who suggested looking for a contact number inside it? asked Amit, You have no right to blame me now. You squarely deserve the blame. Trusting the cops to return the money! They must be thanking us donkeys for ensuring a grand feast for them tonight. If you knew I was committing a blunder, couldnt you stop me? No point in arguing now, said Varun on a resigned note. The money, which we had stumbled upon, is lost forever. As Varun summed up their misfortune by emphasising the word lost, it made both of them feel utterly miserable. Suddenly, they yearned to reverse what they had done. A week later, Varun spotted a cleanshaven man having tea at the kiosk in the sector seven market. He seemed vaguely familiar. When he pulled out his wallet to pay for the tea, Varun realised that it was the same wallet they had handed over to the cops. Varun nudged Amit. Before he could tell him, Amit had already recognised the curly-headed man. When did you get your wallet back? Amit asked him excitedly. The man looked at both of them pleasantly surprised. Are you the guys who took it to the police station? Varun nodded. Never thought Id meet you, the man exclaimed, shaking hands with them. I am new in town and my name is Anand. Give me an opportunity to thank you. I work in a restaurant nearby. Which restaurant? asked Varun. Follow me. Its just around the corner. Before long, Varun and Amit were nursing their drinks and digging into the mutton rolls and chilly mushroom. To their pleasant surprise, Anand turned out to be the manager of their favourite restaurant, The Bluejay. Ram Nath Kovind took oath as India's 14th President on Tuesday and said a nation grows only when development for all is ensured. "Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India and would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility," he said in his address after taking oath in Parliament. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab da, Kovind said. We are now in the second half of the 21st century. We are proud of Indias diversity, heritage, development, and all its citizens, he added. In this Parliament, we have differed with each other on various issues and discussed them reverently. This is the beauty of a democracy, he said, adding, " My journey from a small village to President's House has been long but interesting." Chief Justice of India JS Khehar administered the oath to Kovind in the presence of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament's Central Hall. Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union ministers, governors, chief ministers, ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers were present during the oath-taking ceremony. Both houses of Parliament were on Tuesday adjourned till 3 pm to allow members to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind as Indias 14th President. While the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm following disruptions by the opposition, the upper house was adjourned till 2 pm. In Lok Sabha, soon after the House met Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to raise an issue but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow him. Mahajan also rejected Kharge's notice for adjournment of the Question Hour. The Congress members then started shouting slogans. Amid the din Mahajan adjourned the House till 3 p.m. Earlier, the opposition parties led by Congress staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue against the suspension of six Congress MPs. Kharge demanded the Speaker revoke suspension of Congress members, saying she took the decision under the government's pressure. Kovind who began the day by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, will be sworn-in at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. Kovind will be received by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, from where the duo will proceed towards Parliament in a ceremonial procession. Kovind will be administered the oath by Chief Jusitce of India JS Khehar and he will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. To honour the new president, a 21-gun salute will be given which will be followed by Kovinds address. After the ceremony concludes, Kovind will shift to his new residence the Rashtrapati Bhavan where he will receive an inter-services guard of honour in the forecourt. (With inputs from agencies) A man of humble origin and a low-profile leader, Ram Nath Kovind will on Tuesday take oath as the 14th President of India and will be the second Dalit to occupy the top constitutional post. Born in Paraunkh village in Kanpur rural of Uttar Pradesh two years before Independence, Kovind, who turns 72 in October, hails from the Koli (Weaver) community. Always unassuming, Kovind worked through the ranks to become a national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and headed the party's Scheduled Caste Morcha for three years from 1999. He was associated with the RSS before he joined the BJP. A lawyer by profession, Kovind had practised at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years. He was also a central government counsel for some time. Kovind served two terms as the Rajya Sabha member (1994-2006) and was member of a number of parliamentary committees, including on home, welfare of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and the Hindi Shiksha Samiti. He also served as member on the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management Kolkata and that of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He represented India at the United Nations and addressed the United Nations General Assembly in October 2002. Kovind has worked for the rights of weaker sections, particularly the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women. He joined the movement of SC/ST employees against the central government over 1997 orders, which adversely affected their interests. The orders were subsequently nullified by amendments adopted during the first National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Kovind also worked for providing free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of the society as an advocate. During his terms as a member of Parliament, Kovind helped in construction of school buildings in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Kovind was General Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj. After his election as the President, an emotional Kovind said he will work towards protecting the Constitution and upholding its values, and will serve the nation to ensure happiness for all. "It is my duty to protect the Constitution and uphold its values as the President. I pay my respects to my countrymen and assure them that I'll serve the nation in the spirit of 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah' (May all be happy)," he said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Sahara chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs.1,500 crore by September 7, failing which the process to auction Aamby Valley will start. The Sahara chief told the apex court that he won't be able to pay up the sum by the deadline. The top court then asked the Bombay High Court official liquidator to proceed with publication of the sale notice of Sahara's prime Aamby Valley properties. The next date of hearing in the Aamby Valley case is September 11. In its previous hearing, the apex court had given 15-day time to Roy to deposit Rs. 552 crore in connection with the case. A three-judge bench of the apex court had said that if Roy fails to pay the amount within 15 days, the court would direct the commencement of the auction process for Aamby valley property. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had registered a case against Sahara India Real Estate Corporation, Sahara Housing Investment, their promoter Subrata Roy and the three directors in 2012, alleging that these companies had collected a huge sum of money from investors without listing the securities on the stock exchanges. (With inputs from agencies) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took stock of the flood situation in Gujarat with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other senior officials of the state administration. Earlier in the day, Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood situation in the northern region of the state, the worst hit by floods. The PMs visit to the state came amid ongoing rescue operations by the Air Force, Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Torrential rains in north Gujarat have caused flood in Banaskantha and Patan districts. Dantiwada and Sipu dams are overflowing, and due to the release of water from the dams, people living in low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had said while reviewing the situation with top officials on Monday. According to reports, over 25,000 people were shifted, mostly in Banaskantha, Gujarat, as the district faced its worst floods in recent years. A high alert has been sounded as more than 20 highways of the state have been submerged. In all, entire Gujarat has registered 534 mm of rain, which is 66 per cent of its total usual seasonal average of 810 mm. Several villages have been marooned and roads washed away. (With inputs from agencies) Recalling his association with Pranab Mukherjee, who demitted office as President of India on Monday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley praised his non-partisan approach to dealing with the Narendra Modi government as its advisor and guide. In an article, Reflections as the President Retires, Jaitley reflected on how he saw Pranabda grow in stature both as a politician and as a learned statesman. Pranabda exhibited a unique charm which won him many admirers. It made dealing with him a matter of delight. He put all his interlocutors at ease. He grew in stature with each day. His transformation from a senior minister to a President was exemplary," Jaitley wrote. As President he was completely non-partisan and conducted himself as an advisor and a guide to his governments. He owned up the programmes of the government and became their advocate. He once told me that he had the unique privilege of moving before Parliament the Constitution amendment of Goods and Services Tax. He wanted to approve the Constitution amendment during his tenure as the President. It gave him great satisfaction when he did so, the minister said. Underlining his commitment to constitutional propriety, Jaitley said Pranab Mukherjee would accord his approval to any government decision only after having satisfied himself about its conformity to the norms of the Constitution. He (Pranada) realised that in a democracy there could only be one power centre i.e. elected Government and the Prime Minister. He, therefore, actively associated with two different governments during his presidency with equal ease. He ensured that all decisions of the Council of Ministers had to conform to constitutional propriety. "On some occasions, he wanted to be satisfied before he accorded his approval to those decisions. I was usually sent to interact with him. He was always well prepared on facts, on Constitutional requirements and the need for fairness. These essentials had to be balanced with the requirement of the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers being forwarded to him. This delicate balance he maintained throughout his tenure. He always accepted the advise of the Council of Ministers, Jaitley wrote. Former Calcutta High Court judge CS Karnan on Tuesday sought remission of the six-month jail term from newly sworn-in President Ram Nath Kovind. Karnan, who is at present serving jail term at Presidency Jail in Kolkata, made the representation through his counsel Mathews J Nedumpara under the Article 72 of the Constitution, seeking remission of the six-month jail term awarded to him by the Supreme Court. Inscrutable are the ways of the almighty. It could be His will that Justice CS Karnans be the first representation which Your Excellency as the President of India on the very first day of assumption of office. And that too, seeking the exercise of your Excellencys extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 72 of the Constitution of India, the petition stated. A representation seeking remission of the six-month jail term awarded to Justice(retd) Karnan was presented to the President's office on Tuesday, Karnan's counsel Mathews J Nedumpara was quoted as saying by a news agency. We will be seeking an audience with the President in this regard as soon as possible, he said, adding We are in touch with the President's office. Karnan evaded arrest after the six-month jail term was imposed on him on May 9 by a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court. He was arrested from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on June 20. He became the first sitting high court judge in the history of the Indian judiciary to be awarded a jail term by the apex court. (With inputs from agencies) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed their condolences on the death of renowned scientist Yash Pal. In his message, Modi said: "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist and academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education," Modi said in a tweet. Sharing his picture with the eminent scientist, Modi said: "Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions including the National Children's Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009." Sonia said he will be remembered for his immense contribution to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder and a remarkable administrator. The professor made sharing of knowledge with younger generation his life's unflinching goal, the Congress chief said. His accomplished report on "Learning without Burden" is now regarded as a seminal document in Indian education, she added. The Congress vice president said the educationist's death was a great loss. "A scientist & a passionate educator who understood the true value of learning, Prof Yash Pal's passing is a great loss for all of us," Rahul tweeted. The son-in-law of Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and a close aide of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq along with six other Kashmiri separatists will on Tuesday be produced before the Special Judge, NIA, at the Patiala House Courts. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on Monday arrested the separatists in connection with a case of alleged terror funding from Pakistan. Geelanis son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Funtoosh, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Nayeem Khan and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate are the seven arrested. Shahid-ul-Islam is a close aide and press secretary of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The NIA said Farooq Ahmad Dar was arrested in New Delhi. The others held in Srinagar will be brought to New Delhi Tuesday where they will be produced before the Special Judge, NIA, at the Patiala House Courts. Dar had been summoned for questioning to the NIA headquarters and later placed under arrest. The arrested persons have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetting waging war against the Indian State Calling the arrests "revengeful and arbitrary", the Hurriyat leadership called for a shutdown in the Valley on Tuesday. While New Delhi has for decades accused Islamabad of funding, arming and training Kashmiri separatists, it is the first time so many senior members of the Hurriyat Conference have been arrested on charges of receiving money from Pakistan. The Geelani-led Hurriyat suspended Nayeem Khan after he confessed in a TV sting that Hurriyat leaders had been receiving funds from Pakistan for subversive activities in the Valley. The NIA had registered a case on May 30 against separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat, who have been acting in connivance with militants of outlawed terrorist groups Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others for raising and receiving funds. Investigators said the funds were received by the separatists through illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and for causing disruption in Kashmir through street protests, burning of schools, damaging public properties and waging war against India. (With inputs from agencies) Amid the ongoing border row, a Chinese expert has said it was time India was taught a "second lesson" as it continues to be on an "intransigent path". John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics here, said in a commentary in the state-run Global Times: "The public's patience is running short with India's Doklam transgression. "To such an unruly neighbour, China should reciprocate in a language India can understand. "The famous or infamous India bravado is never backed up by substance in its history with China. If memory is short on the Indian side, perhaps there should be a second lesson," he said, in an obvious reference to the 1962 war when India suffered a defeat. The latest border row was triggered when India stopped road construction by Chinese troops in Doklam last month, saying the area was Bhutan's and the road would endanger New Delhi's strategic interests. "India's logic of reasoning on this matter is as feeble as its troops on the ground. India's position is that Doklam is territory in dispute between China and Bhutan, and it has been invited there by Bhutan, its protectorate state. "Furthermore, it claims China's road construction in Doklam poses a strategic threat to the 'chicken's neck', referring to the 27-km-wide Siliguri Corridor to the south of Doklam that connects the northeastern part of India with the rest of the country." The commentary said China was trying to built a road in Doklam to facilitate better logistics support to its border posts and accused India of using it an "excuse warranting an invasion". "China is no Sikkim or Bhutan, where India's hegemonic tactics have worked." The writer also drew a link between the border row and the Kashmir dispute. "India has the courage to transgress another country on its behalf If this kind of logic holds, a third country can certainly enter into Kashmir, including India-controlled Kashmir, upon Pakistan's invitation." After Nelson Mandela, the most famous prisoner of conscience of our time, Liu Xiaobo, died on 13 July. Sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power and treated as a common criminal, Lius end came after a long ordeal in the Chinese dungeons with no one, not even his wife who was also under house arrest since 2010, being allowed to stand by him during his lonely fight with liver cancer until the very end. The Economist has rightly described him as one of the global giants of moral dissent. It has compared his release from prison with that of Carl von Ossietzky, the only other Nobel Laureate to have been released from prison only to die. Ossietzky was awarded the prize in 1935 while in a Nazi concentration camp, and succumbed to consumption upon release. The gruesomeness of the parallels cannot be missed, because both regimes believed in silencing the voices of their people and stifling dissent by applying the most ruthless repression. It was not known how late Lius cancer was diagnosed or why he could not be sent to the hospital for treatment until a week before death. The State never allowed him to go abroad for treatment; instead it deployed a platoon of guards around his hospital bed and an army of internet censors to wipe out any reference to him, doing everything in its power to erase his existence out of public memory. Lius case became a cause celebre ~ symbol of a struggle ~ because of his stature, but there are thousands of prisoners rotting in the hell of Chinese jails just because they hold a view that their rulers disapprove of, demanding freedom to speak against the merciless oppression by the state machinery, the endemic corruption in the higher echelons, and the inhuman suppression of people of different ethnicities in Tibet or Xinxiang, who according to the Chinese government are all counterrevolutionaries. Their numbers are anybodys guess, as hard information rarely slips through the iron curtain erected by the Chinese censors. But the scale of their surveillance can be measured from the fact that not a single message of condolence had slipped into the public domain from any of the 700 million users of the social media in China. Not one dared to express any sign of sympathy for what Liu stood for; or if anyone did, it was not allowed to escape the ever so watchful eyes of the censors. The State ensured that his death remained a non-event, and no memorial would ever come up to stand as a symbol of eternal defiance against tyranny and dictatorship. Even the responses of the Western democracies, otherwise loud in protestations against the suppression of human rights elsewhere, were unusually muted. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman warned that no country has the right to interfere in what he claimed was Chinas internal affair. Not one voice was heard loud enough to shake Chinas conscience. The censors may raise a toast to their success ~ July 13, 2017, in all likelihood, will remain as anonymous as June 4, 1989, except in the hearts of worshippers of freedom and democracy, hidden from the dictators prying eyes. Yet Liu did not rise in armed revolt against the might of the State. Nor for that matter did he plan any upheaval to challenge its unbridled power over peoples lives. He even criticised the Chinese dissidents who migrated to the West, incurring their wrath. During the Tiananmen Square upheaval, he had returned from a fellowship in Columbia to take part in the historic movement. He was on hunger-strike along with three other dissidents and persuaded many of the occupying students to withdraw, who otherwise would probably have been killed, and suffered incarceration for 19 months, emerging from it ever stronger in faith and hope for an oppression-free, democratic China. In 2008, the last time he was incarcerated, he had merely petitioned people to sign for democracy. When he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, while still in prison, for being the foremost symbol of the struggle for human rights in China, it was only expected that he would not be allowed to go to Norway to receive the prize. Rather, as would befit the rulers of a totalitarian regime, pulling its economic might and flexing its military muscle, China forced as many as 19 timid countries to boycott the award ceremony, and downgraded its diplomatic relations with Norway. An empty chair received Lius Nobel Prize. A speech he had prepared to deliver during his trial in 2009 which was disallowed by the judge, was translated and delivered on that occasion. In that speech he said, Merely for publishing different political views and taking part in a peaceful democracy movement, a teacher lost his lectern, a writer lost his right to publish, and a public intellectual lost the opportunity to give talks publicly. Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth. To strangle freedom of speech is to trample on human rights, stifle humanity, and suppress truth. No one can bar the road to truth, and to advance its cause, I am prepared to accept even death, another dissident Nobel Laureate, Alexaner Solzhenitsyn, wrote in the preface to his autobiographical novel Cancer Ward that symbolised the malignancy that would end in the death of the Soviet Union. Both cancer and the concentration camp condemn the victim. While cancer only destroys the body, the camp dehumanises him before decimating and destroying his soul. Liu didnt allow his soul to be destroyed, and his humanity to be substituted by hatred and fear. I have no enemies and no hatred, he said during his trial in 2009. In Cancer Ward, Solzhenitsyn wrote, Sometimes I feel quite distinctly that what is inside me is not all of me. There is something else, sublime, quite indestructible, some tiny fragment of the Universal spirit. Lius faith and love, against the face of repression, were indestructible. The truth of Chinese repression cannot indeed be hidden away or overlooked, and there have been and would be many more like Liu to die unwept, unhonoured and unsung. He spent 13 of his last 28 years in prison, moving in and out of it. In 2008, he was imprisoned just two days before the release of the so-called Charter of 08, which replicated Charter 77, the appeal issued by dissidents in Soviet-era Czechoslovakia in 1977, demanding an end to oneparty rule, democracy and human rights. Charter 08 was signed by hundreds of people. That was some time after he had urged the Chinese Government to talk to Dalai Lama in the wake of severe unrest in Tibet, angering the communist leadership beyond measure. We stand today as the only country among the major nations that remains mired in authoritarian politics. This must change The democratisation of Chinese politics can be put off no longer, he demanded in the Manifesto of Charter 08. In his Nobel speech, Liu had said, I hope I will be the last victim of Chinas long record of treating words as crimes. Though it seems extremely unlikely, the hope may not be altogether ill-placed. Night is the darkest before dawn, and as Minxin Pei, author of China's Crony Capitalism, has pointed out, Chinas economic miracle seems to have almost run its course and when economic growth starts faltering, an authoritarian state turns to ruthless repression and appeals to nationalism to hold onto power. The regimes mistreatment of Liu was actually a sign of its weakness, insecurity, and fear, not of strength. It was heartrending to watch his wife, Liu Xia receiving Lius ashes after his cremation in the presence of State officials. Lius Nobel speech was equally touching; it reflected his love for his wife he could not spend enough time with ~ I am serving my sentence in a tangible prison, while you wait in the intangible prison of the heart. Your love is the sunlight that leaps over high walls and penetrates the iron bars of my prison window, stroking every inch of my skin, warming every cell of my body, allowing me to always keep peace, openness, and brightness in my heart, and filling every minute of my time in prison with meaning. I am an insensate stone in the wilderness, whipped by fierce wind and torrential rain, so cold that no one dares touch me. Even if I were crushed into powder, I would still use my ashes to embrace you. Xia has to live her life now with those ashes, and his memory. (The writer is a commentator. The views expressed are personal) Our Constitution begins with the words, India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States, signifying the acceptance of a federal polity. Some of the States in the Indian Union have flags of their own. Some States have their own anthem. That has not diminished their idea of India. When the Congress Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, constituted a committee to examine whether there is any constitutional impediment in Karnataka having an official flag as a symbol of its rich Kannada heritage, there was a hue and cry from the Opposition BJP. One BJP leader (Shoba Karandaljee) went to the extent of saying the idea of a state flag was against the integrity of the nation. The Constitution does not bar states from having their own flags. One nation, one flag is the credo of the BJP. Siddaramaiah is entirely within his rights to seek a state flag. It is not anti-national for a state to have its flag. It only has to be smaller in size and flown lower than the national flag. Karnataka is an outcome of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 and was born from the merger of Kannada-speaking areas of Maharashtra, erstwhile Madras Province and Hyderabad State with the State of Mysore. The quest for a Kannada flag dates back to 1938 as reflected in BM Srikantaiahs poem, Kannadada Bavuta. The Karnataka Samyukta Ranga, an organisation founded in 1966, had designed a flag of yellow and red, yellow representing gold found in plenty in the Kolar gold fields, and red symbolizing the fighting spirit of the Kannadigas. It is a pity Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, who was formerly Chief Minister of Karnataka, does not know the nations Constitution. He maintains India is one nation and there cannot be two flags in the country. India is not a unitary nation like Sri Lanka where there is scope for only one flag. India, like the United States of America where every state has its own flag, is a union of states where any state can have a flag if it chooses. Karnatakas anthem, Jaya He Karnataka Maate, adopted in 2004, declares the State as the daughter of Mother India. New Delhis paranoia over the integrity of the nation being compromised by a flag is ridiculous. The creeping imposition of Hindi by the Union government like the recent decision of the External Affairs Ministry to record details in Hindi alongside English in Indian passports has only rekindled the anti-Hindi sentiments in the states south of the Vindhyas. In a federal setup like India, linguistic democracy and coexistence is a must and any deviation from it would only promote separatism. Remarks such as, Why would we have the entire south and live with the people of Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu if we are racists? We have black people around us, by a former editor of Panchjanya, Hindi weekly of the RSS, while denying that attacks on African students could be racist, is indicative of how the north Indians view their southern counterparts. Federalism is our greatest strength. This should not be undermined. As Pakistans interference in Kashmir and ceasefire violations increase, rhetoric for teaching Pakistan a lesson gain ground. Even veterans on TV discussions resort to warmongering, seemingly to enable channels to enhance TRPs. The recent standoff at the Doklam plateau resulted in China raising the war cry. Its former Consul-General in Mumbai, Liu Youfa, stated that Indian troops could withdraw, be captured or if the dispute escalates even be killed. The Chinese foreign office mentioned that Chinese patience may run out and the situation could escalate into open conflict. The Indian Army chief had made a statement that India has the wherewithal to fight a two and a half front war, implying an offensive war with Pakistan, a defensive war with China while controlling the militancy in Kashmir, all simultaneously. The air chief had also asked the air force to be prepared for war on two fronts. The statements by the chiefs were in no way aimed at raising the tempo. Their statements were intended to send forth messages. Firstly, it was to forces under their command that training should be realistic and oriented towards operations. Secondly, India has the resources to enable it to engage in a conflict, if thrust upon it, despite deficiencies in equipment profile and stores. As Clausewitz had stated, war is a continuation of politics by other means while Georges Clemenceau had said, war is too serious a business to be entrusted to military men. In a democracy, where the political leadership has complete control, resorting to war would be a political decision and the military would execute the aims set forth by the political leadership. In a sham democracy like Pakistan, it is the army which would create conditions for war, Kargil and the Parliament attack being examples. The military in a democracy with its existing resources needs to be prepared at all times. Thus, comments by the service chiefs were appropriate. While rhetoric is acceptable, no nation would desire escalation of any situation to a war-like condition. It is always a measure of last resort. In a nuclear environment, even localised actions, seemingly to prove a point, have the possibility of escalating into full-blown conflicts the impact of which could be devastating for the nations involved. Analysing the prevailing scenario on both our fronts would convey that while rhetoric is the order of the day, war is still miles away. In the case of the Indo-China standoff at Doklam, any escalation from the Chinese side, warmongering notwithstanding, would involve buildup of war equipment, acclimatisation of soldiers considering the altitudes and movement of additional assets like airpower. While China may seek to keep operations localised, it would need to enhance deployment across the front to deny India an option of expanding the conflict. This would imply Indian monitoring elements would observe increased Chinese movement and activities in the region. This has not been witnessed, hence the rhetoric for war may be a means of applying pressure. India has also not taken any step to indicate an offensive stance. When China moved additional troops behind its soldiers deployed in the standoff, India resorted to the same. Indian troops along the Chinese border may have become more vigilant and would have increased their patrols, however these would be within their own areas and without any indication of hostility. Thus, while India may be prepared, it has not resorted to any action signifying hostility. It has openly advocated diplomacy. On the Pakistan front, both nations would prefer to keep army operations localised to the disputed region of J and K, while maintaining peace along the International Border. Employing air power may enhance hostility levels, and hence presently avoidable. India did have the option of expanding its operations during the Kargil conflict but it did not. It mobilised post the Parliament attack, as part of Operation Parakram; however, it did not proceed. In both cases, India had the option but chose not to solely because a mature government at the Centre had considered the implications of war. Even in the present context, surgical strikes, artillery duels and crossborder attacks are confined to the LoC. This would keep offensive actions restricted to a disputed region, controlling escalation of conflict. Earlier Siachen also witnessed regular firing, attacks and artillery duels, but it has become dormant after Indian domination of the area was accepted and losses made unaffordable to Pakistan. Nations in the region possess immense destructive power, the impact of which could be devastating in human and economic costs. War also has an impact on international standing of nations. A country seeking localisation of a conflict may have to enhance its area of operations, solely because it failed to achieve its aims in a small area. This failure can impact its international stature. It is only to save face that the Pakistan army even now refuses to share details of its casualties with its own populace. Nations seek to enhance military capabilities mainly for deterrence and to engage in war only if forced, after all other means fail. When nations have near parity in military capabilities or are aware that they cannot cow down their opponent, then the possibility of war reduces to a stalemate, which can best be resolved by diplomacy. Nuclear strikes are the only option if operations are to be launched without warning and are highly unlikely in the present environment. Hence, while with Pakistan India has the option to continue escalating along the LoC, with China the only logical solution is diplomacy, since the LAC is dormant. Diplomacy would provide the best solution, so long as doors to talks remain open. War never occurs overnight, it takes time and its indicators are easily visible and can be acted upon. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army) Even as India-China ties touch a new low over a border dispute and war clouds loom large, the absence of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama from the scene is unbelievable to say the least. Not only Dalai Lama, but even the Tibetans living in India are silent. They are also not visible. Why is the Dalai Lama not attacking China over its imperialist designs and building opinion against the dragon for threatening war against India? He prefers to keep quiet at a time when tensions are mounting. The two Asian giants have close to a 4,000 km long border. It is a disputed one. It would be an understatement to say that the situation is grave and serious as 6,000 soldiers are facing each other eyeball-to-eyeball. Amidst all this, the respected leader from Tibet is not seen. This is the time when he could and should pro-actively use his good offices and stature to appraise top leaders of the world about the current situation. Further, he could tell them how brutally the Chinese government is treating people in Tibet. The charismatic Dalai Lama should remember 17 March 1959, when he left Lhasa. And on 26 March 1959, he reached Lhuntse Dzong, a few days march from the McMahon Line, the border between India and Tibet. Dalai Lama wrote to the then Indian prime minister Pt. Jawahalal Nehru to seek refuge in India. And once Nehru got the request, he immediately decided to grant asylum to him and his close aides. Nehru replied to the Dalai Lama: "My colleagues and I welcome you and send you greetings on your safe arrival in India. We shall be happy to afford the necessary facilities for you, your family and entourage to reside in India. The people of India who hold you in great veneration will no doubt accord their traditional respect to your person. Since then, the Dalai Lama is considered as among the most respected citizens of India. Indians hold him in very high esteem. And he too, describes himself as a son of India and hailed the secularism prevailing in the country. In a recent interview, Dalai Lama said I am living in India since 1959 and hence, I am a son of India. The Noble laureate made this remark in his speech after inaugurating an international seminar on Buddhism in Bihar's Nalanda district. Further, the Tibetan spiritual leader told China to learn from India about democracy which brings in harmony among people of different languages and ethnic backgrounds. In India, there is harmony in society, which has different languages and scripts. Democracy in this country is deeply rooted not because of the countrys poor condition, but because of transparency, the Dalai Lama once told Thailands leading English daily Nation in an interview. These sentiments are praiseworthy but with the situation now explosive, India needs active support from the Dalai Lama. Sadly enough, this is missing. He has not uttered even a word against the ulterior designs of China. Why? Dalai Lama ought to speak the truth. India doesnt expect that he becomes our spokesperson. However, India can expect that he exposes the deadly designs of China. The same is true for Tibetans living in India. They freely protest against the repressive Chinese regime for atrocities in Tibet. There are roughly 100,000 Tibetans living in India. Although they are often referred to as refugees, it is a fact that many of them have got Indian citizenship. According to Indias Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 1986, anyone born in India between 26 January 1950, and 1 July 1987 is an Indian citizen. This makes a large section of the Tibetan exile community in India eligible for Indian citizenship. Many of them are applying for citizenship too. Since long, these Tibetans have protested as a matter of principle as and when any big Chinese leader visits Delhi. Some of them even climb the wall of the Chinese mission. Even though cops beat them and prevent them from creating nuisance, yet they make their presence felt with their protests. This is the freedom they are enjoying in India. Yet, they are not ready to come out in support of India. They have not organised even a single protest march in Delhi or any part of the country. This is somewhat bewildering. Indians certainly expect moral support from the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community. Sadly this is not forthcoming. This is a bitter lesson for India. (The writer is a BJP Member of the Rajya Sabha.) European Union officials are "activating all diplomatic channels" to press home their concerns that looming US energy sanctions against Russia could affect Europe's energy supplies, a spokesman said. US lawmakers are scheduled to consider the sanctions package as early as Tuesday, and the bill could be sent to President Donald Trump before Congress breaks for the August recess. The measures are aimed at punishing Moscow for meddling in the presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. EU member states Germany and Austria have criticised the penalties, saying they could affect European businesses involved in piping in Russian natural gas. In a joint statement in June, Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern and Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel cited a section of the sanctions bill that calls for the United States to continue to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would pump Russian gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Monday that the EU's executive arm is "following this process with some concern regarding the European Union's energy independence and our energy security interests." He would not speculate on any possible EU retaliation should European businesses be hurt by US sanctions. "We in the European Union will have interests in this discussion and we expect this interest to be addressed by the ongoing pre-legislative process" in the United States, Schinas said. His comments came despite senior Republicans saying Saturday that revisions to the package have resolved fears that the sanctions could have unintentionally complicated Europe's access to energy resources outside of Russia. Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has sought early retirement and his request has been accepted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a media report said on Tuesday. Basit, who was set to retire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2018, had submitted an application to Prime Minister Sharif for his early retirement which was accepted, Geo News reported, citing sources. The channel did not give any reason for Basits premature retirement but foreign office sources earlier told PTI that he was unhappy over the appointment of current foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua, who is junior to Basit. Basit joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and held several diplomatic assignments at Pakistani missions abroad. Prior to his appointment as the High Commissioner to India in 2014, Basit had served as Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany from May 2012 till March 2014. Basit has already completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi. Sohail Mahmood, the new designated High Commissioner to India, is expected to take up his responsibilities next month, the channel reported. Mahmood, 55, currently Pakistan's envoy in Turkey, is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Service in 1985. Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa conveyed his serious concern to visiting top American general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson about the efforts in the US to "undermine Pakistan's contributions towards war on terror". General Nicholson on Monday met the Pakistan Army Chief days after Pentagon decided to withhold $50 million of the coalition support fund (CSF), Xinhua news agency reported. The US media reported last week Defence Secretary James Mattis informed the Congress that he could not certify Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network. "The COAS (Chief of the Army Staff) raised concern over the blame game perpetrated by some quarters in Afghanistan and USA to undermine Pakistan's contributions towards war on terror," the military said after the US commander met General Bajwa at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. The army chief said that it is not a coincidence that this theme is being played at a time when policy review is being undertaken in the US. "Despite provocations, Pakistan will continue to act positively as we consider defeat of terrorism as a National interest," an army statement quoted General Bajwa as telling the American general. The statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said regional security situation and border management issues were discussed and both agreed on need for continuous engagement and coordination for peace and stability in the region. "Nicholson reiterated his appreciation of the professionalism of Pakistan Army and his admiration for resilience of people of Pakistan," the statement said. South Korea on Tuesday urged North Korea to refrain from carrying out a new missile test and to make a "wise decision" about it. "The government will sternly respond to North Korea's provocations. (I hope that) the North will make a wise decision," a spokesperson for the South Korean Unification Ministry said. The statements came shortly after CNN reported that North Korea could be preparing to launch another missile to mark "Victory Day", as Pyongyang calls the anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War, reports Efe news. The Kim Jong-un regime carried out its last ballistic test on July 4, when it first fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, with the alleged capability of reaching some parts of the US. North Korea's repeated arms tests have escalated tensions on the Korean peninsula and led to Washington hardening its stance, with the Donald Trump administration even hinting at the possibility of pre-emptive strikes against the hermetic country. Seoul proposed last week that both countries should hold military talks the first in almost three years to alleviate the current tensions, an offer to which Pyongyang has not yet officially responded. Russia's deputy nuclear negotiator has visited North Korea to discuss issues on the divided peninsula, Pyongyang's state media reported on Tuesday. Oleg Burmistrov, Russia's ambassador-at-large, met with North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Sin Hong-chol and also talked with a director in charge of North America affairs, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Burmistrov is known to also serve as Moscow's deputy negotiator to the now-stalled six-party denuclearization talks involving South and North Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia, reports Yonhap Nws Agency. He arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday for a four-day visit. "We told him that if Washington does not give up its hostile policy toward the North and end its nuclear threats, we will not put nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles up for negotiation," KCNA said in a report. "We also made it clear that we will not budge an inch from our firm will to strengthen our nuclear force." North Korea test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, claiming that it can hit targets anywhere in the world. The UN Security Council (UNSC) is working on a new sanctions resolution for Pyongyang's latest ICBM test. Saudi Arabia will allow pilgrims from Qatar to visit the kingdom to perform Umrah or Hajj this year, despite a diplomatic row, media reports said. The only restriction on the Qatari pilgrims is they should travel to the kingdom aboard all flights other than Qatar Airways, Qatar's national carrier, Xinhua news agency reported. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation quoted a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah as saying that Riyadh welcomes Qataris who wish to perform Umrah or Hajj this year, if they have permits from the ministry and from the relevant department in Qatar. Qatari pilgrims can travel to the kingdom via any airlines except Qatar Airways and through any flight routes to the kingdom except through Doha, the Al Arabiya TV quoted the ministry as saying. They should enter the kingdom through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah or through Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, it added. Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the most holy city for Muslims. This year's Hajj will begin in the evening of August 30 and end in the evening of September 4. Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims can perform at any time of the year. Saudi Arabia has led an Arab quartet which cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed blockade on this rich Gulf nation since June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. After days of fierce fighting Afghan Taliban militants on Tuesday took control of Jani Khil district in Paktia province, the media reported. An official told Xinhua news agency that security forces retreated after "Taliban entered the centre of the district early today (Tuesday)". Zabihullah Majahid, a Taliban spokesperson, said the militants took control of police headquarters in Jani Khil. However, local officials denied this, saying heavy clashes were on between both sides near the district governor's compound. "We still have a number of check posts in the centre of the district under our control," police chief Toryalai Abedyani said. General Abdul Wasi Melad, commander of 203 Tander Military Corps in Paktia, said clashes were ongoing between security forces and insurgents over the past three days. "At least 11 Taliban insurgents have been killed so far in the clashes and a Pakistani national was arrested by the security forces," Melad said. The Interior Ministry in a statement denied the fall of Jani Khil district and stressed that the "defence forces are in commanding positions". It noted that reinforcement had been sent to the district. In the past few days, a number of districts have fallen to the banned militant outfit. Two days ago, Taliban took control of Kohistan district in Faryab and Taywara district in Ghor province. FBI agents raided a home of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort last month, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The agents seized materials in Manafort's home as part of the ongoing Russia investigation led by Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the source said. "FBI agents executed a search warrant at one of Mr. Manafort's residences. Mr. Manafort has consistently cooperated with law enforcement and other serious inquiries and did so on this occasion as well," Jason Maloni, a spokesman for Manafort, told CNN. He declined to provide further details. The so-called no-knock warrant, which was first reported by The Washington Post, was served at Manafort's home in Washington's northern Virginia suburbs on July 26, the day after Manafort met with Senate intelligence committee investigators. The tactic appears unusual for a case that has been under investigation for months and for which Manafort has already turned over hundreds of pages of documents to Senate investigators. The source told CNN the documents seized included financial and tax records and at least some of the information had already been provided to Senate investigators. Since his appointment in May, Mueller has quietly gathered a team of more than three dozen attorneys, investigators and other staff in a nondescript office in Washington. Officials familiar with the probe describe it as akin to a small US attorney's office, with FBI agents and prosecutors assigned to separate groups looking into various aspects of the investigation. These include groups of investigators and lawyers focused separately on Russian collusion and obstruction of justice, as well as the investigations focused on Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a US official briefed on the investigation has told CNN. So far, Trump's campaign has turned over approximately 20,000 pages to the Senate judiciary committee, which is investigating Russia's interference in the election, while Manafort turned over approximately 400 pages and Donald Trump Jr. turned over about 250 pages. Fusion GPS, the firm that compiled a dossier at the center of the federal Russia probe, has not yet turned over any documents, according to the committee's spokesperson, though a source told CNN the firm plans to provide the committee with "thousands" of pages of documents Wednesday. The spokesperson declined to provide details about the specific contents of the documents. CNN's Manu Raju and Tom LoBianco contributed to this report. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed with a visiting US commander ways to boost cooperation in defence and fighting terrorism. At the meeting between Sheikh Mohammed, also deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, with commander of the US Central Command Joseph Votel on Monday, the two sides reviewed "joint efforts in combating extremism and terrorism", Xinhua news agency reported. They agreed on "the importance of enhancing such cooperation to serve the common interests of the two friendly countries and safeguard the security and stability of the region". They also exchanged views on the latest developments in the region as well as a number of issues of common concern and discussed the bilateral relations and means of developing them, the report said. The US supports the UAE and its allies in the military campaign "Restore Hope" in Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Shiite rebels of the Houthi tribe since March 2015. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore that resulted in the deaths of 26 people. Farhan Haq, Guterres's deputy spokesman, said in a statement on Monday that the UN chief extended his condolences to the families of the victims, reports Xinhua news agency. "He supports the efforts of the government of Pakistan to fight terrorism and violent extremism with full respect for international human rights norms and obligations," said Haq. The attack took place on Monday evening at the entrance of the Kot Lakhpat Vegetable Market on Ferozepur Road. According to Punjab province authorities, 58 others were injured in the explosion carried out by a suicide bomber. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terror group claimed responsibility. The last days of the Newfie Pride There were many nights he didnt sleep. The numbers and scenarios turned over and over in his mind, making rest impossible. Id get up two, three oclock in the morning, night after night, come out to the kitchen table and work the numbers every ... Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Position No.: 10027568 Vacancy Notice: 23/2017 Reports to: Senior Field Officer Duty Station: Uganda Post Grade: GL7 About UNHCR: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities: The Senior Programme Associate provides inputs for developing the country operations plan for overall compliance with global strategic priorities and regional priorities as well as with annual programming/planning instructions. Provide support in organizing and documenting a consultative process to ensure a consistent application of the organization criteria and policies for the selection of implementing and operational partners. Render support in managing the development of a broad network of partners, good coordination practices and the development of partner capacities. Assist in negotiating agreements with implementing partners and ensure that IP agreements are established in conformity with UNHCR financial rules and the latest Headquarters instructions. Provide support in the design and preparation of detailed operations plan according to UNHCR standards and draft relevant agreement to be concluded with IPs. Undertake proper collection, monitoring and use of baselines, standards and indicators needed to measure and analyse programme performance, trends and target interventions. Review the implementation and performance of IPs agreements through appropriate physical monitoring to evaluate the projects by reviewing work plans, progress reports, budget, financial reports and expenditures undertake field visits Ensure quality programmes, use UNHCR corporate tools (e.g. Global Focus, Focus Client) to assess the technical soundness of the operation and generate data for evidence based decisions at the country level. Assist in keeping donor representatives briefed on developments and assist in the development of funding submissions, appeals and reports. Assist in monitoring compliance to the organization resource allocation framework, providing support and taking corrective action where required. Assist in ensuring compliance in issuance of audit certificates for Implementing Partners. Perform any other duties as required Key Performance Indicators: The needs of persons of concern in the country are assessed and analysed in a participatory manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning. Implementing Partner agreements are established in a timely manner, regularly monitored and reported on in compliance with established guidelines and procedures Provide inputs for the country operations plan (including budgets, staffing levels and structures) as well as prepare inputs for funding submissions, appeals and reports. Enforce compliance with UNHCR global strategies, protocols and guidelines. Represent UNHCR in physical monitoring of projects Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNHCR Senior Programme Associate job placement should have completed Secondary Education with an advanced certificate in Business Administration, Social Science, International Law or related field. At least eleven years of previous job experience relevant to the function. Good computer skills (in MS office). Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language. The applicant should have preferably completed the UNHCR Learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position. Extensive knowledge of UNHCR financial rules, procedures and processes. Knowledge of UNHCR specific programmes (MSRP, Focus, etc.). Prior exposure to UNHCR refugee operations and functions relating to office administration and programme activities How to Apply: All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions after reviewing the job details. Deadline: 4th August 2017 But the tribe has a long way to go Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, has appointed Indian-born Google CEO Sundar Pichai to its board of directors. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I'm excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Alphabet CEO Larry Page said in a statement. As Google's CEO, Pichai is responsible for its product development and technology strategy, as well as the company's day-to-day operations. He joined Google in 2004 and helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people. In 2014, Pichai took over product, engineering and research efforts for all of Google's products and platforms. After years of working closely with Google's co-founders, Page and Sergey Brin, Pichai became Google's CEO in August 2015. Pichai, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his US visit in June, told reporters after the meeting that Google was excited about investing in India. During a visit to Kolkata earlier this year, Pichai expressed confidence that big global software companies will start emerging from India in the next five to 10 years. "In five- to 10-year time frame, we will see big global software companies coming out of India and we will be used to it," Pichai said while interacting with students at his alma mater, IIT-Kharagpur, from where he earned his degree in metallurgical engineering. Even as the shipbuilding industry reels under a slowdown, state-owned Cochin Shipyard has chalked up huge expansion plans and is pushing ahead with an initial public offering, which will see the government sell 10 per cent stake in the country's largest public sector shipyard, while there will be a 20 per cent fresh issue of shares. Cochin Shipyard | PTI The company, which is building the Indian Navy's first indigenous aircraft carrier, will hit the capital markets with its IPO to raise around Rs 1,470 crore on August 1. The government's stake in the company will reduce to 75 per cent post the IPO, which closes on August 3. The IPO is in the price band of Rs 424-432. The shipbuilder, which is currently executing orders for the Indian Navy as well as other government departments, has two docks one for ship repair, which can accommodate vessels with a maximum capacity of 125,000 DWT and another ship building dock, which can accommodate vessels with a maximum capacity of 110,000 DWT. It has built vessels including bulk carriers, tankers, platform supply vessels, barges, fast patrol vessels and passenger vessels for government as well as private companies in India and abroad. With capacity, particularly in ship repairing almost fully utilised, Cochin Shipyard has drawn up capital expenditure plan of Rs 2,800 crore. We are proceeding with substantial expansion projects, which is coming in two large capex investments. We have two dry docks today, a 255 meter long dock and 270 meter long dock; we are going to build a 310 meter long dry dock, which will help us handle ships with much larger capacities, said Madhu Nair, chairman and managing director of Cochin Shipyard. The next major expansion project is an international ship repair facility that will come up on land leased from Cochin Port Trust, Nair added. The company will invest close to Rs 1,800 crore in the new dry dock, while another Rs 980 crore will be needed for the new ship repair facility. The capex will be funded partly through the funds raised from the IPO, while the rest will be via the company's free cash flow and internal accruals among other means. Cochin Shipyard will begin work on the dry dock in January 2018 and hopes to complete it in about 30 months, while work on the ship repair facility is expected to begin in November this year and will also take another 30-32 months for completion. As of March 2017, Cochin Shipyard had Rs 3,000 crore worth orders in hand. For year-ended March 2016, Cochin Shipyard reported a net profit of Rs 286 crore on revenue of Rs 2,099 crore. Shipbuilding industry in India as well as overseas, particularly the private sector, was hit by a slowdown in demand as long-term finance dried up. While a strong order book from the Indian government has helped Cochin Shipyard, its chairman sees green shoots visible in a few other areas too, although recovery across the board still remains to be seen. This game is all about long-term finance from an international order point of view. The large European banks that typically used to do long-term finance are all shying away, it is more hard to come by today. There are glimpses of upturn in certain specific areas, but it will take some more time before we see a real positive turnaround, said Nair. Meanwhile, Cochin Shipyard also sees huge growth opportunities in India's inland water transport segment. The company is forming a joint venture with another state-owned firm Hooghly Dock and Ports Engineers in Kolkata. The JV company will lease land in Kolkata where a shipyard will be developed exclusively to build all types of small vessels to cater to the inland shipping market. The seven arrested separatists leaders will be produced before the Patiala House Court today. Yesterday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven Hurriyat leaders on money laundering charges to fund terror in the Kashmir Valley. The leaders were brought to the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi. The seven separatists include Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Funtus, Ayaz Akbar, T. Saifullah, Meraz Kalwal and Saheed Ul Islam. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Six of them were arrested from Srinagar, while Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi. The arrests follow the NIA's Srinagar-visit in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir. It had then questioned several separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir. The NIA sleuths had specifically questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time. The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, expressing content over the Centre's commitment to proceed against the separatists, defence experts blatantly said that 'no mercy' should be shown to the Hurriyat. "Many activities, such as burning of schools, stone-pelting are being funded by these Separatists. It is absolutely essential that no mercy be shown to them," said defence expert P.K. Saihgal. Another expert Qamar Agha felt that this is just the beginning and further investigation into the matter would reveal names of many big people. "It is obvious that many big names are involved in this. It is just the first lead. They will get strict punishment if the charge against them is proven," Agha said. The chorus for special status for Lingayat community as a separate religion is growing louder. The Siddaramaiah government has assured the Lingayats that it would support them in their pursuit of a separate identity. Also, a team of five cabinet ministers from the communityBasavaraj Rayaraddi, Vinay Kulkarni, Eshwar Khandre, Sharan Prakash Patil and SS Mallikarjundecided to tour the state to gather opinion of the religious heads of the community. The state BJP led by Lingayat strongman and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has vehemently opposed the move and asserted that 'Lingayats' or 'Veerashaivas' were an integral part of the Hindu religion. The growing support for the demand from academics and religious heads, now being steered forward by the Congress ministers, has irked the BJP. The Siddaramaiah government which openly admits its Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and dalits) appeasement, calling it their commitment to social justice, is hoping to garner the support of the majority and dominant communities too in order to retain power in the 2018 polls. The BJP suspects it is a ploy from the part of the Congress party to break the Lingayat community ahead of the 2018 assembly polls. Lingayats are known to be traditional votebanks of the BJP and it is one of the larger and politically stronger communities in the state. Amid the demand for recognition as a separate religion, the community seeking a minority community tag is being read as a Congress-engineered move to absorb Lingayats into the Ahinda fold. A day after the BJP leaders and Sri Vishvesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Math asserted that Lingayats were integral part of Hindu community, Lingayat ministers launched a verbal attack against the BJP and the RSS, stating the Sangh Parivar's Hindutva agenda was in contrary to the teaching of Basavanna. Rayaraddi argued that Lingayat was an independent religion founded by 12th century social reformer Basavanna, which is opposed to the Hindu's vedic culture and varna system. While it might have its origins in Hinduism, it does not subscribe to the Hindtva ideology propagated by Sangh Parivar. Water resources minister M.B. Patil seconded Rayaraddi and said, We don't want non-Lingayats to interfere in this matter. Yeddyurappa is in the clutches of the RSS and is not behaving like a Lingayat leader. The Lingayat philosophy is scientific and progressive and based on equality for all. If only we had popularised the Basava philosophy, it would have emerged as a globally recognised religion. The community remained under the shadows of the Hindu religion till now but not any more. The movement to delink Lingayats from Hindu religion is not new. Karnataka, which is estimated to have 60 lakh Lingayats, belonging to more than 60-odd subsects; they were accorded backward caste status. During the 2011 Census, the community leaders had made an appeal to its members to reject their classification under Hindu and opt for others. Says Mate Mahadevi, head of Basava Dharma Peeta, Lingayats are not Hindus, as we have a separate guru (Basavanna) and follow his vachanas and not the Vedic scriptures followed by the Hindus. Ours is a secular cult that is based on social equality. The massive rally held at Bidar last week saw Lingayats from Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra gather at Nehru Maidan to demand for a separate 'religious minority' status. But the political twist to the agitation has caught the BJP unawares. Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa is said to have asked his partymen to abstain from jumping into the debate. The BJP is buying time to consult its MLAs and leaders from the community before countering the latest salvo of the Congress party. China on Tuesday renewed a call for India to pull back from Doklam, with its Foreign Minister Wang Yi reacting for the first time on the raging crisis which has pitted the two armies against each other in the Sikkim section. As Wang blamed New Delhi for triggering the stand-off, China's state-run media continued its vitriol, calling India's National Security Adviser the "main schemer" behind the latest border dispute. Wang said India's stand on the dispute was untenable as it already "admitted" that its troops entered Chinese territory and a pullback by New Delhi was the "simple solution" to the border row. Wang, the most senior Chinese government official to speak on the issue, said India was responsible for the crisis. "The rights and wrongs are very clear, and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian boundary. So India has admitted it crossed into the Chinese territory," he said. "The solution is very simple. India must conscientiously pull back its troops," a statement quoted Wang as saying. China also said it was battle ready and would step up the deployment of soldiers and military equipment in Tibet. In New Delhi, the Indian Army's Vice Chief, Lt Gen Sarath Chand, said China was bound to be a threat to India in the years to come. "On the North, we have China which has a large landmass, huge resources and a large standing army.... Despite having the Himalayas between us, China is bound to be a threat for us in the years ahead." His remarks come two days ahead of a BRICS security summit meet where India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be present. China has indicated its top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Doval may meet on the sidelines if the two-day event, saying host countries in the past had arranged bilateral talks between the heads of the delegation of member countries. However, an editorial in the Global Times said India was mistaken if it pinned hopes on the "main schemer" Doval's visit to resolve the dispute. "As Doval is believed to be one of the main schemers behind the current border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the Indian media is pinning high hopes on the trip to settle the ongoing dispute. "New Delhi should give up its illusions, and Doval's Beijing visit is most certainly not an opportunity to settle the stand-off in accordance with India's will," it said. In another commentary, China's official news agency Xinhua said India had "displayed a quite obvious tendency toward opportunism and adventurism". "The blatant move, which tramples on international law, shows that India has stood ready to maximize its interests on the border issue at the cost of its relations with China and it would store up troubles for the development of China-India relations and the work of border controls in the future," Xinhua said. The stand-off between India and China at Doklam has entered into its second month and is the new addition to the list of contentious issue between both sides who fought a war in 1962. At the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China, Doklam is of high strategic importance to all three. It is disputed between Bhutan and China. India calls Doklam Bhutanese and perceives any Chinese presence in the area as a threat to its security. The genesis of the dispute lies in a road being built by the Chinese Army in Doklam. Indian troops halted the work, leading to the crisis. Fresh trouble seems to be brewing for Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after the National Investigation Agency arrested seven separatist leaders in connection with its terror funding probe. The Hurriyat leadership called for a Kashmir bandh on Tuesday demanding that those who were arrested should be let off immediately. While critics believe that the government is resorting to such measures to bring the Hurriyat to the talking table sans Pakistan interference, all eyes are on Mehbooba on how she will handle the situation. It also remains to be seen whether the government is able to put pressure on the Hurriyat keeping Pakistan at bay. Meanwhile, knives are already out, and a political turmoil over the NIA action in the Valley seems inevitable. Leading the charge is independent MLA Engineer Rashid who said that the NIA has no jurisdiction over Kashmir and that the chief minister should ensure that the arrested leaders are let off. Rashid has touched a raw nerve as there have been repeated concerns raised in the Valley over the NIA's jurisdiction in Jammu and Kashmir. "They are respectable citizens and not criminals. They should not be treated in this manner. Mufti has no right to be in office if she cannot restore their honour," he told THE WEEK. Rashid said that Kashmir has been humiliated and the dirty tricks department in the NIA is out to malign the leaders of Hurriyat and in turn the sentiments of the people of Kashmir. He said the arrests are an attempt to counter the rising demand for self determination and that the central government is only resorting to diversionary tactics. Rashid also questioned as to why the NIA has only accused the Hurriyat leaders of amassing wealth and property. He said there should be similar probe into the assets of National Conference and PDP as well. "Why is the crackdown only on Hurriyat? Someone should ask the NC and PDP leaders where they got their property and wealth from," he said. On Tuesday, violence broke out in certain areas of Srinagar. In Habba Kadal area one stone pelter was arrested even as the police used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Reinforcements of security forces are being sent to control the situation. "A close watch has to be kept on the law and order situation lest it spiral out of control. There could be mischief by certain groups in the Valley and elements in Pakistan," said an official pointing out that it all depends on Mehbooba's approach to the crackdown and whether she is able to display seriousness. Meanwhile, the seven accused were produced before the special NIA judge in Patiala House in Delhi and remanded to ten days police custody. The agency sources said it has gathered enough evidence to link last year's unrest in the Valley to Pakistan and establish the terror money trail to the arrested leaders. The NIA may also question hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the case even as home ministry officials pointed out that concrete evidence would be required before the central agency expands the ambit of its probe and lands at Geelani's doorstep . Those arrested on Monday include Geelani's son-in-law Altaf Shah. Besides Shah, the others arrested are Tehreek-e-Hurriyat's Ayaz Akbar and Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam of the Hurriyat, Naeem Khan of the Jammu Kashmir National Front and separatist leaders Peer Saifullah and Bitta Karatay. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi are learnt to have given up their efforts to mediate between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav in the ongoing crisis affecting the coalition government in the state. Besides RJD and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Congress is the third constituent in the alliance. Sources in the Congress said that when Nitish met Rahul in Delhi, he had urged the Congress leader to persuade Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav to resign pending further developments in the corruption case against the Yadavs. The chief minister impressed upon Rahul that the state government cannot afford to be seen as shielding the corrupt, more so when they are taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul had assured Nitish that he would try his best to work out an amicable exit for Tejaswi from the government. Tejaswi, who had met the chief minister and offered an explanation, later met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It is not clear whether she suggested that he step down in lieu of some other adjustments, but whatever she said was clearly not acceptable to Lalu, who is slated to meet the 80 legislators of his party. RJD sources in Delhi said the meeting was routine, held before the Vidhan Sabha session that begins on Friday. Nitish, who was in the national capital to attend the swearing in of President Ram Nath Kovind, told media, The alliance between the RJD and the JD(U) is there for everyone to see. As usual, neither his words nor his body language gave away what the chief minister may do when the house meets in Patna on Friday. Nitish has been wanting Tejaswi out of his government ever since the CBI named the latter and his parents and siblings in a land scam pertaining to the era when Lalu was the Union railways minister. It has been alleged that Lalu awarded railway contracts in lieu of prime land transferred to a shell company that later transferred it to the Yadav family including Tejaswi. A hoarding outside that plot says Bihar's biggest mall is being built there. Meanwhile, Lalu has not changed his stance that the opposition unity will not be affected by the ongoing showdown between the two Bihar satraps. In a move to prevent incidents of female foeticide in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government is working on a plan to open a separate police station to deal with such cases. This will work on the lines of the Special Task Force, a special wing of police which deals with specific cases. The police station will receive complaints from all over the state, and, if required, will conduct raids in hospitals and other outfits which are found involved in the crime. The government has entrusted the Women Welfare Department with the responsibility of this police station which will function under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994. The department has obtained a No Objection Certificate from home, justice and health departments in this regard. One Station House officer (SHO), one Sub Inspector (SI) and a few constables will be deployed in this station. The whole wing will be supervised by additional and deputy superintendent of police. The government will constitute a special wing at the state level. The government feels that this move will keep tabs on nursing homes and hospitals and ultrasound centres involved in determination of sex of children and female foeticide. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed to bring a proposal in this connection at the cabinet meeting soon. The state officials have studied the model of PCPNDT Bureau of Investigation in Rajasthan, which deals with cases of sex determination and illegal termination of pregnancy. The bureau works on the lines of a police station and has the power under IPC and CrPc to deal with such cases. Last month, the state government had started a scheme under which informers would alert the state authorities about attempts and incidents of female foeticide. The chief minister had also launched 181 Women Helpline and flagged off 64 rescue vans. Nationalist Congress Party MP and Satara royal family chief Udayanraje Bhosale was arrested after he presented himself before the Satara police officers on Tuesday. He reached the police station in the morning followed by his supporters from the district. He was later produced before a local court which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. Satara city is observing a total shut down to protest against his arrest. Udayanraje was facing arrest in connection with a case of extortion and harassment of an industrialist. The only problem was that the Satara district police appeared to be afraid to arrest him and were worried that law and order situation in the district will turn volatile if the law takes its course. Udayanraje is a descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra's most revered king, who laid the foundation of the Maratha empire. The Satara royal has a huge following in the district. He was once accused of murdering Sharad Leve, an NCP activist. Leve was murdered in 1999, Udayanraje was with the BJP then and was a minister in the first Shiv Sena BJP government. Later, he was acquitted of the charges. A few months ago, Rajkumar Jain, owner of Sona Alloys based in Lonand in Satara district, registered a complaint with Satara police alleging harassment and extortion by Udayanraje and 14 others. The case had its origins in the labour problems faced by the manufacturing unit situated in Lonand industrial estate. On March 22, Jain registered a complaint that personal assistant of Udayanraje had called him and demanded protection money. Jain claimed that he had paid the amount for a few months. When he defaulted on the payments for two months he was called at Satara to meet labour department officials in order to sort out labour issues. When Jain went to the state guest house in Satara Udayanraje was waiting for him. Upon meeting Jain, Udayanraje is alleged to have slapped him and threatened him. When the complaint was registered, Satara police took action and arrested nine accused. They, however, did not arrest Udayanraje then. Meanwhile, the Satara royal approached district and sessions court to obtain bail. His plea was turned down by the local court. Three days ago, Bombay High Court also rejected Udayanraje's pre-arrest bail plea. But the police failed to take action against Udayanraje. Home department was treading the path cautiously as it felt that a hasty and rash handling of the case could cause serious trouble in the district. Meanwhile, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad took to twitter to defend Udayanraje. He claimed that the royal had been falsely implicated in the case. Maharashtra minister of state for home, Deepak Kesarkar, said that the police will take action at the right time. BJP MP and Kolhapur royal family member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, too, has sided with Udayanraje. Another prominent personality that has taken up Udayanraje's side is Sambhajirao Bhide guruji. Bhide guruji heads Shiv Pratishthan, an NGO which has a huge following in western Maharashtra. A Brahmin and a bachelor, octogenarian Bhide guruji has excellent equations with Satara and Kolhapur royal families. On Monday, Bhide guruji cautioned Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against arresting Udayanraje. He, too, claimed that Udayanraje had been falsely implicated in the case. Arresting Udayanraje would be a big mistake and entire Maharashtra will take to the streets to protest if such a decision is taken, said Bhide guruji. At the root of this case is a labour dispute over the demand of wage hike by the labour union at Sona Alloys. The union leadership owes its allegiance to Udayanraje. The Iraqi foreign minister finally said what the Indian government has been reluctant to admit for three years, though it was becoming increasingly obvious to all. Ibrahim al-Eshaiker al-Jaafari, Iraq's foreign minister, who arrived on a five-day tour of India on July 24, said they did not know whether the 39 Indian workers, who were abducted in Mosul three years ago, were still alive or had been killed. He said there was no evidence to support either hypothesis. The government was making its best efforts. In the three years that the men went missing, apart from unconfirmed sightings, there was no indication that the men were even. 39 is a big number; it is not easy to conceal or confine that many. The Indian government maintained that the workers were abducted as free labour for construction, agriculture and such activities. Minister of state for foreign affairs, General V.K. Singh, told THE WEEK that this was what they suspected all along. But the Indian government did not give any hint as to the reported sightings of the men. The last one was at a prison in Badush. Right after the liberation of Mosul, Singh went to Iraq and came back with the Badush story. It helped that Badush was still under the Islamic State at that point, and that even Mosul was not been completely cleared. But media reports soon invalidated the Badush theory, because it turned out that the prison itself has been demolished in the fight and was little more than a heap of rubble. The ministry of external affairs did not respond to these reports. Even now, after al-Jaafari's comments, they have not deigned to react. For some reason, the Indian government has chosen to fan the theory that the men were alive and has managed to silence the one man who vehemently maintained that he had seen them shot. In fact, he himself escaped by pretending to play dead until the militants left the area. That one man, Harjit Masih, was the 40th labourer and he managed to return in 2014, one year after all of them went missing. Masih was brought back to India and he has since insisted that the men were dead. The government discredited his story from the beginning. On his return, he was lodged in safe houses for some time before he was freed. Masih, later, was accused by some families of having trafficked the men, and found himself behind bars for the crime. Families of the victims, too, do not believe him since there are inconsistencies in his accounts. There are some accounts of people having made contact with the men after the day, when according to Masih, they were shot. Masih, now out of jail, says that the dead can't return, whatever attempts the government may make. The MEA has met with relatives of the 39 missing Indians, giving assurances that they were trying their best to get the men home. Why hasn't the government admitted that the chances seemed bleak? Would that have provided the families with a sense of closure? Why was no compensation announced. Singh told THE WEEK that there are no confirmed reports of their death, yet. Why has the government not considered Masih's account as evidence? Is it waiting for Iraq to break the bad news, because doing so itself may appear as a failure? Or is there some other reason? Saudi Arabias Ambassador to India, Saud Al-Sati, explained to THE WEEK why his country and its partners would continue to be tough with Qatar. Excerpts from an interview: Why this sudden flare-up in relations with Qatar? How does it impact the unity of Gulf Cooperation Council and its vision? It was not a sudden decision. We severed diplomatic ties with Qatar to protect our security, and for the stability of the region. Saudi Arabias policy of zero-tolerance towards terror has been supported by eight Islamic countries which have suspended relations with Qatar because of its support to terrorist groups such as Hizbullah, Muslim Brotherhood and Houthi militias. Saudi Arabia and other countries affected by terrorism have been telling Qatar since 2012 to stop aiding and giving base to terror groups. Qatar assured through signed, handwritten agreements in 2013 and 2014 that it would end all support to terrorism, but it has been duplicitous since then. Our patience ended when yet again the promise was broken, after the anti-terror summit in Riyadh in May this year. Qatar calls the blockade illegal and says it has affected its citizens and economy. Qatar says thousands of its people are trapped jobless in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf. There is no military blockade of Qatari ports or airports. They are functioning fully. Only airspace of the countries which have cut diplomatic relations is closed for Qatari aircraft, and the country cannot use our territorial waters. Qatar has not stopped its media from spreading mischief. We are not against the people of Qatar. We are unhappy with the way the government of Qatar is handling things. We have set up a [humanitarian] hotline for families with Qatari members in Saudi Arabia. We will not relent till Qatar stops supporting terrorism. We hope the efforts of Kuwait, the US and the international community will make Qatar realise its errors and mend its ways. As Qatar has not accepted the demands by the Saudi-led bloc, what steps would be taken next? As reiterated by our foreign minister, the political and economic boycott will continue till Qatar changes for the better. All measures will be taken as per international law to eradicate the scourge of terrorism. India has remained neutral on this issue. Has the Indian government been briefed about the crisis? Has India offered to mediate, as it has excellent relations with all parties concerned? The Indian government is aware of the developments. India has made a strong statement emphasising the need for all countries to fight terrorism. We appreciate this and the strong relations between India and Saudi Arabia. Is Saudi Arabia hitting at Iran and Turkey through actions against Qatar? Turkey has informed that it is neutral in this issue. The 2017 anti-terror summit declared Iran a sponsor of terrorism, and urged it to end support to terror groups. It also asked Iran to stop intervening in the internal affairs of other countries. We are dealing with Iran-sponsored militias that are trying to overthrow the regime in Yemen. Iran is threatening maritime security in the region, and supporting terrorist activities in Saudi Arabia. We want to destroy the Islamic State, al Qaeda and other terror groups wherever they are based in, and end the support being given to them. Two state legislators say New York City transit officials should expand ferry services for Long Island commuters heading to jobs in Manhattan. Democratic Sen. Todd Kaminsky, of Long Beach, and Republican Assemblywoman Melissa Miller, of Atlantic Beach, held a news conference Sunday at a park on Jamaica Bay near the Queens-Nassau County border to urge the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to expand services to the South Shore of Nassau County. Newsday reports the lawmakers say there are potential docking locations for a commuter ferry near Inwood Park to reduce road traffic and crowding on the Long Island Rail Road. Kaminsky says the recently launched temporary ferry service to Manhattan from Glen Cove on Long Islands North Shore is proving successful and could be replicated for Nassau County commuters who live near the South Shore. (AP) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all state agencies to provide voter registration information in an effort to increase participation in elections. The Democrat announced the executive action on Monday. He also ordered the states public colleges and universities to ensure theyre distributing voter registration forms to students as required by state law. Additionally, Cuomo said a new task force would be created to make sure state agencies are complying with his directives. The moves come after the state Legislature balked at bigger voting changes, including automatic voter registration and advance voting. Last years elections prompted an unprecedented number of complaints. Critics of the states election system point to restrictions on party enrollment and the lack of early voting as some causes of New Yorks chronically low voter turnout. (AP) NY State Assembly Member Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) refuses to let New Yorks Nazi Jakiw Palij live happily ever after in Queens. Now, thanks to Hikinds tireless efforts, U.S. Congressmen Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) and Lee Zeldin (R-New York) are both looking into what it will take to finally deport the Nazi war criminal living in Queens. The involvement of Representatives Smith and Zeldin, who I know personally and have worked with before, should be applauded by everyone, said Hikind, the son of Holocaust survivors who has been pursuing Palij for more than a decade. Both of these outstanding elected officials have proven themselves principled men who care about justice and know how to get things done. The rights and freedoms we enjoy in America should not extend to those who facilitated the death of countless innocent people. Palijs presence here mocks the memory of the millions who perished, Hikind added. There is no question of his guilt. It is imperative that someone responsible for Nazi atrocities be held accountable for his crimes, regardless of his age. I will never rest while a Nazi lives comfortably among us. During World War II, Palij worked at the Trawniki training camp, where Nazi troops were trained to carry out the extermination of Polish Jews. Thousands of innocents were murdered there. Palij came to America claiming that he was a farmer and war refugee, concealing his work as a Nazi guard, and was granted citizenship in 1957. After his past became known, he was stripped of his U.S. citizenship. His deportation order was upheld by the courts in 2004 but as of today, Palij remains a resident of Queens. Last month, Hikind and his colleague Michael Simanowitz (D-Queens) led 85 members of the New York State Assembly, including Majority Leader Joseph D. Morelle, in urging U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to finally deport Palij. The next day, the World Jewish Congress echoed Hikind, calling on the State Department to do its job. The Attorney General has not replied, the State Department has not replied, said Hikind. In Queens, Jakiw Palij is laughing. Hes laughing because he has continued to evade justice for longer than most people have been alive. Im hopeful that the involvement of these stellar Congressmen will bring the laughter to an end and peace to the souls of the thousands of victims. (YWN Desk NYC) Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse joined with all but two of their Republican colleagues on Tuesday in voting to launch a Senate debate on health care legislation that could lead to repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. "The status quo is simply unacceptable and I believe we need to act," Fischer said. "Under ObamaCare, health insurance has become increasingly unaffordable for Nebraskans," she said. Premiums in Nebraska increased by 153 percent from 2013 to 2017, Fischer said. The state has only one insurer offering individual plans through the health care exchange, she said. Sasse described the vote as "step one in what's going to be a long process" of debating health care reform. "I expect the Senate to immediately start the back-and-forth amendment process," he said. "If a bill ultimately passes, it will not be the House bill, but rather something that goes to a conference debate process with the House of Representatives." The House passed its own health care bill in May. The 51-50 GOP Senate victory, secured by the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Mike Pence, may lead to action that "could force tens of thousands of Nebraskans to lose their health coverage," Nebraska Appleseed declared in expressing disappointment with the vote of Nebraska's senators. "We are extremely disappointed that both Sen. Fischer and Sen. Sasse went along with this process and voted to place in jeopardy the health care of so many of their constituents," Appleseed deputy health care director Molly McCleery said. "This vote is a sharp departure from the deliberative process that yielded the Affordable Care Act and opens the door to a variety of unscreened proposals, none of which will have gone through a transparent process, a committee hearing, congressional study or received the input of health care stakeholders and experts," she said. Tech giant Google's shares slumped below the $1,000 mark in after-hours trading as its parent company took a major hit on profits due to a record 2.1billion EU fine. Shares sank almost 3 per cent toaround $970 after the market closed when Google's parent company Alphabet published its results in San Francisco. It said revenues were up 21 per cent but profits fell 28 per cent to 2.7billion, or $5.01 per share. Google was fined the record sum by EU antitrust regulators last month for skewing search results in favour of its own shopping service. Without the fine, Alphabetsaid earnings per share would have increased by 5 per cent. Google was fined 2.1bn the record sum by EU antitrust regulators last month for skewing search results in favour of its own shopping service In its second-quarter results posted as US markets closed last night, Alphabet said revenue rose from 16.5billion during the same period last year to 19billion. It has been helped by rapidly expanding mobile phone and YouTube advertising. Google advertising revenues rose to 17billion compared to 15billion during the same period last year. Ruth Porat, chief financial officer, said: 'With revenues up 21 per cent versus the second quarterof 2016 and 23 per cent on a constant currency basis, we're delivering strong growth with great underlying momentum, while continuing to make focused investments in new revenue streams.' All eyes are on the US this week with Alphabet's results due to be followed by fellow tech giants Amazon and Facebook which have a combined market cap of $1.65trillion. Any signs of a slowdown in growth could spook the market and send shares tumbling. Tech is the best performing sector on the S&p 500 stock index, despite worries about over stretched valuations. YouTube, which Google bought in 2006, now has 1.65billion users. Google and its fierce rival Facebook accounted for 99 per cent ofall growth in the US advertisingmarket last year. It comes as Google is under growing pressure to crack down on extremist material published online, following terror attacksin the UK and France. Internet firms could face multi-million pound fines if they fail to take down extremist material. Yesterday Alphabet appointed the head of Google, Sundar Pichai, 45, to its board, where he will sit alongside founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. He 'helped lead the development of key consumer products which are now used by over a billion people,' bosses said. Love Island may have come to an end last night, but analysts at Liberum believe the dating show has given its broadcaster ITV the boost it really needed ahead of its first-half results on Wednesday. Analysts said the show which sees a group of scantily-clad 20-somethings romance each other on a Spanish island demonstrated that the young will still watch television if the right content is there. With an average audience of 1.6million, Love Island has given ITV a much higher share of the all-important 16-34 year old audience than rivals as that particular demographic increasingly moves towards services like Netflix. Liberum said the show also offers good international content revenue opportunities as well as driving viewers to ITV's on demand service. Hit: With an average audience of 1.6m, Love Island has given ITV a much higher share of the all-important 16-34 year old audience than rivals 'ITV should be able to sell the Love Island format overseas, with Germany mentioned as the next market, so it should provide a boost for ITV's content revenues, which grew 7 per cent in the first quarter,' it said. It gave ITV a 'buy' rating and said the broadcaster may now upgrade its outlook at its first-half results this week, after previously guiding towards a 9 per cent decline in advertising revenues. This would pave the way to a strong start for Carolyn McCall, when she joins as chief executive from EasyJet in January. Shares fell 1 per cent, or 1.7p, to 175.5p. They say bad luck comes in threes, and this was truly the case for Acacia Mining yesterday. First, the Tanzanian gold miner opened lower on the back of accusations over the weekend by UK charity Rights and Accountability in Development (Raid) of human rights violations. STOCK WATCH - BIOME TECHNOLOGIES Bioplastics maker Biome Technologies advanced yesterday as strong demand for single-serve coffee pods, such as those used in Nespresso machines, drove strong sales in the first half of the year. The company, which also makes radio technology, booked revenues of 3million over the first half, up by more than a third from 2016, while cash levels rose to 1.9million from 1.5million in December. Biome said it was confident for the rest of the years trading, and shares rose 7.1 per cent, or 12.5p, to 187.5p. It has accused Acacia of taking a 'militarised' approach to security since 2014, which has contributed to at least 22 being killed and 69 injured at its North Mara gold mine. Acacia denied allegations that any deaths had been caused by its security personnel over the stated time period. Second, Acacia had its price target cut by JP Morgan, Citigroup and Jefferies in morning trading. The company warned last Friday it will be forced to close its flagship mine if it can't soon reach a solution with the Tanzanian government. Finally, Acacia was dealt another blow in afternoon trading after it revealed that Tanzania's government is demanding it cough up around 138billion of unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest on its gold. With Acacia's market value now sitting just under 760million, the fines may prove difficult to pay. The government claims Acacia has undervalued its gold concentrate by as much as ten times, but the firm denies this, pointing out that, if true, Acacia would be the third-biggest gold miner in the world. Shares fell 20.6 per cent, or 47.9p, to 184.5p. The FTSE 100 got off to a slow start this week, weighed down by falling airline stocks and poor results from consumer giant Reckitt Benckiser (down 3.3 per cent, or 258p, to 7623p). Luxury retailer Burberry was boosted after Albert Frere, the richest man in Belgium, upped his stake from 3 per cent to 4 per cent. When Frere unveiled his 3 per cent stake in the group in February, shares rose almost 6pc. Yesterday, they rose a more moderate 0.6 per cent, or 9p, to 1652p. Movement in the smaller indexes was dominated by rumours of M&A activity. B&M European Value Retail sat near the top of the FTSE 250, up 4.9 per cent, or 16.6p, to 357.5p, following rumours that supermarket Asda was mulling a 4.4billion bid. Likewise, Imagination Technologies stormed ahead after Liberum gave credence to weekend rumours that the troubled chip-maker was being eyed by a Chinese private equity outfit. Shares rose 5.6 per cent, or 7.75p, to 146p. A devastating cyber-attack that cost the maker of Durex and Dettol an estimated 100million crippled the company in just 45 minutes and wiped out swathes of its global computer network, its boss has revealed. Reckitt Benckiser chief executive Rakesh Kapoor laid bare how the Petya ransomware virus rendered 15,000 laptops, 2,000 servers and 500 computer systems unusable in three-quarters of an hour and the company has still not fully recovered. The attack last month hit a number of multinationals using Microsoft's Windows software, with others including advertising firm WPP and Russian oil giant Rosneft. It threw manufacturing and distribution at Reckitt into disarray and although the company is nearly back at full capacity, some systems are not fully operational. Reckitt Benckiser boss Rakesh Kapoor told how the Petya ransomware virus rendered 15,000 laptops, 2,000 servers and 500 computer systems unusable in three-quarters of an hour The devastation highlights the global threat of hackers to big business. Cyber-security experts have speculated the Petya attack may have been staged to divert attention from a state-sponsored sting on Ukraine and its infrastructure. Speaking as Reckitt published its half-year results, Kapoor said the virus was able to wreak havoc despite his firm's cyber-security measures, and warned businesses were at risk of becoming 'collateral damage' in such attacks. The 58-year-old told the Mail: 'It is going to become more common and, I hate to say this, it is going to become more sophisticated. 'This was not targeted at Reckitt. But it is a bit like going into a public place where something terrible happens, and you are just part of the collateral damage. 'This took under one hour before it self-destructed and it could have been worse. 'Cops and robbers is being played in the world of cyber-security. You can create defence systems but someone is trying to outdo them.' Kapoor also paid tribute to staff for ensuring a speedy recovery after the attack amid 'real concern' about whether computers could be fixed in time for the company to report its latest results. Ben Brabyn, chief executive of Canary Wharf technology and cyber-security hub Level39, warned hackers were increasingly targeting multinational companies. He said: 'It is hard to overstate the threat posed to business by cyber attackers. It is a fundamental duty of senior executives to secure their systems and customer data.' Half-year results published by Reckitt yesterday showed profits were 1.02billion, up from 697million during the same period last year. But sales growth was muted after the collapse of its business in South Korea and a failed Scholl product launch last year, with its difficulties made worse by the cyber-attack and a tax in India. The company also revealed it has put aside 318million to cover potential costs from a US probe into Indivior, the pharmaceuticals business it spun off in 2014. It has slashed its full-year sales forecast from growth of 3 per cent to growth of 2 per cent. Escape: Robert Maxwell's son Kevin has once again fended off bankruptcy Robert Maxwell's son Kevin has once again fended off bankruptcy after he and his brother Ian yesterday settled a High Court dispute with loan firm DCF. Still barred from being a company director, Kevin, 57, cuts a more modest figure from when he occupied his father's 11-bedroom Berkshire home, Moulsford Manor. He was last heard living in a bijou Oxford property near ex-wife Pandora, who rents her spare room through accommodation website Airbnb. Matthew Kirk, Vodafone's decorous external affairs director (spin doctor to you or I), has celebrated his last days at the company by cashing in 574,000 worth of shares. Kirk, 56, joined Vodafone in 2006 after 20 years in the diplomatic service. Doubtless he's found the private sector more rewarding, filthy lucre-wise at least. Pneumatic brassiere tycoon Michelle Mone, 45 Lady Mone of Mayfair, saints preserve us flings open the doors of her palatial 2million London flat to Luxury London magazine. Amidst art works by Picasso, Dali and Chagall, the property boasts its own spa which she's had blessed by a priest, explaining: 'I'm quite religious and something just didn't seem to click in the space.' Aren't we just blessed to have Lady M as part of the legislature? Salary watch: City firm Akin Gump are paying its newly qualified lawyers, most of whom would barely be out of university, a whopping 140,000. That's double what most rival firms offer. It's more than some City firms even pay their partners. It's not as much as the BBC pay autocue readers, but that's just silly money. Goldman Sachs is revealed to have its own nursery inside its flamboyant Fleet Street offices. The Goldman Sachs Children's Centre, the only on-site facility of its kind in the Square Mile, looks after employees' children aged between three months and 12 years old. I can hear the building's original proprietor, buccaneer press baron Lord Beaverbrook, quietly turning in his grave. FREMONT Authorities say two people have been killed in separate Dodge County motor vehicle accidents. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office says 64-year-old Robert Belsky of Dodge died Saturday evening when his car ran off a county road and struck a power pole north of Dodge. The office also says 34-year-old James Albert of North Bend died Sunday afternoon when the SUV he was in collided with another vehicle on a county road northeast of North Bend. Albert was a passenger in the SUV driven by 28-year-old David Mills of Morse Bluff. Mills and the other driver, 26-year-old Christopher O'Connor of North Bend, were flown to an Omaha hospital. Both crashes are being investigated. MBABANE As the elderlys non-payment situation worsens, they have concluded that government wants them to die from hunger. This stance was conveyed by the elderly from around Mbabane, as they said they had no food for a while due to that government has not come to their rescue by disbursing their grants. The affected are those who get their money from the Post Office and constituencies. According to the elderly who had not been paid for four months now, this was a month later than the usual time of receiving their grants. They said they usually got the money after every three months. What makes the elderly feel neglected by government is the fact that they have ailments which require them to take medication. These first entail that they eat something before taking their medication. Currently, this is not easy as they are sometimes forced to take their tablets on empty stomachs because they have no resources with which to get food other than the grants from government. Josephine Nkambule said she was only left with mealie meal, which her grandchildren use to cook sour porridge. She said this was their meal for days as they have no other means to get food. Nkambules grandchildren said they eat sour porridge in the morning before going to school, and eat the same meal when they return from school and before going to bed. They said even though it was not something that sustains them, they have gotten used to the situation because there was nothing more they could do. They said this was their best meal currently, as compared to other days when they are forced to go to bed on empty stomachs. Nkambule said the situation was worse because his son was also unemployed, but lived on the little he makes from temporary jobs. MBABANE A pensioner has roped in the services of the advocate who investigated South Africa President Jacob Zuma in the Nkandla upgrades saga. The former SwaziBank employee, Mavis Simelane (68), is challenging the banks decision of unilaterally changing her retirement age from 65 to 60. Advocate Vasantrai Soni, who was the head of Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in South Africa, resigned after only 16 months on the job. The SIU made investigations into the R246 million security upgrades at the presidents Nkandla residence and later handed over the report to the office of the Public Protector. The advocate was yesterday in the Industrial Court where he argued before Industrial Court Judge Abande Dlamini. The former head of SIU has been instructed by lawyer Happy Mkhabela from Mkhabela Attorneys in Mbabane. In one of his arguments, Advocate Soni described the submissions made by SwaziBanks legal representative as one from a heartless employer. This was after the banks attorney had pleaded with the court to dismiss Simelanes matter without referring it for trial. Simelane had filed an application in the Industrial Court where she is seeking an order declaring that her normal retirement age was 65 years old in terms of the original and initial SwaziBank Pension Fund Rules. She is also seeking an order reviewing and setting aside the respondents (SwaziBank) letter of October 10, 2008, purporting to unilaterally vary her retirement age from 65 years old to 60 years. Giving a brief background of the matter, Simelane stated that with effect from December 1, 1974, she was confirmed as an employee of SwaziBank. She pointed out that she joined SwaziBanks Staff Pension Fund with effect from April 1, 1977 in terms of which she was required to contribute five per cent of her salary, with the bank contributing 10 per cent. BHUNYA Families of the five friends who died after their drinking spree ended badly on Thursday night, are still shocked. This publication visited families of four out of the five accident victims yesterday. The accident took place on Thursday night along Bhunya-Mhlabubovu Public Road. The families of the accident victims expressed shock at how the eight friends managed to squeeze themselves into a Toyota sedan. The victims are Sifiso Albert Simelane (28) of Hhelehhele, Sipho Nhlonipho Nxumalo (26) of Bhunya, Mpho Zwane of Motshane, Siboniso Shabangu (28) of Mhlangeni and one man who was identified as Mthupha. Two-Boys Nxumalo, the father of Sipho, who was working at Montigny Investment, said he was shocked why his son and his brother, the driver of the car, who is a nurse by profession, were travelling at night because they were supposed to go to work the following morning. Meanwhile, the families on the other victims could not comment of the matter because they were still traumatised. On another note, Kwaluseni Indvuna yeNkhundla Mthunzi Dlamini has already donated a coffin to Sifiso Albert Simelanes family. He made the donation after discovering that Simelanes mother was a widow and Sifiso was the eldest in the family of six children and he was unemployed. Her mother, Buyile Simelane, who resides at Mbhuleni under Kwaluseni Inkhundla, thanked the indvuna yeNkhundla for the kind gesture. She said as a family, they were clueless on how they going to raise money to buy a coffin since no one was employed in the household. She said Sifiso is leaving behind an eight-month old daughter, together with his two brothers and three sisters. The eight friends are said to have been enjoying drinks at a bar at Bhunya Village when they decided to go to Matsapha. Unfortunately, they did not reach their destination as the driver of the car failed to negotiate a corner and the car veered off the road and rolled down a hill. Five passengers were confirmed dead upon arrival at Mankayane Hospital on the same night, while the remaining three, including the driver are still fighting for their lives in hospital. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A 42-year-old Jackson Heights man pleaded guilty to contempt of court for violating an order of protection for contacting the young woman he pleaded guilty to raping in 2012 when the victim was just 15 years old. Vernon Corbett, who lives on 77th Street, contacted the woman via a Linkedin request. During their investigation, prosecutors said, the probation officer discovered Corbett had not listed his social media and email accounts with the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, which is required by law for all sex offenders. Investigators also discovered child pornography on Corbetts cellphone. In light of the recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that sex offenders cannot be excluded from the Internet or social media, it is imperative that those on the registry abide by the rules of the Division of Criminal Justice Services and identify their email accounts, screen names and any other online identifiers, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted to violating the order of protection against contacting the young woman he victimized five years ago. For this, and for failing to register his online identifiers, and for the photos of children being sexually abused that were found on his phone, the defendant will go to prison. Corbett pleaded guilty July 13 to attempted possession of a sexual performance by a child before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gia Morris, who indicated she will sentence him to one year in prison on Sept.15 for that offense. Corbett pleaded guilty last Friday to first-degree falsifying business records and second-degree criminal contempt before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron, who set sentencing for July 31. At that time, Corbett will be sentenced to 1 1/2 to three years in prison. The defendant also pleaded guilty to violating his probation and will face one to three years incarceration. All sentences will run concurrently, according to the Queens District Attorneys office. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gina Martinez Little Necks missing tortoise, Millennium, is back home and receiving a lot of attention from admirers after quite an adventure. Alley Pond Environmental Center employees arrived at the 111th Precinct in Bayside Tuesday afternoon to identify the tortoise days after he was stolen from his outdoor closure. PETA, the animal rights group, had issued a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for kidnapping Millennium. According to police, Millennium was found in Connecticut after the person who carried him off traded tortoises. Police said the new owner contacted police when he suspected the tortoise might have been stolen. Officers said there have been no arrests and that the investigation was still ongoing. Staff from APEC came to identify Millennium before taking him back to the center. Venus Hall, an educator at APEC, said they were able to identify him by his facial characteristics and the markings on his shell. Hes been with us for 12 years, she said. By now, were familiar with him. Hall said that for now Millennium will stay indoors in the evenings and get exercise during the day outdoors. The Little Neck center at 228-06 Northern Blvd. said it was planning on getting better fencing in the near future and looking into enhancing security. Millennium, an African Spurred tortoise, is 17 years old, weights 95 pounds and is 2.5 feet long. On Wednesday, after a full day back at the center, Hall said Millennium was recovering nicely. The tortoise was spending all day outside with his companion, Mini-Me, and getting tons of treats from visitors. Hall said he looks to be in good health and at worst he has probably lost a pound after spending at least two days traveling between states. Hall said the staff was still surprised about the disappearance. Police said that sometime between 4 p.m. Sunday, July 16, and the next morning, the tortoise was taken. An employee went in to check on the tortoise and found he was gone. Police said whoever stole Millennium went to the back fence and broke in through a hole. What an eye opener, Hall said. Something happened we never thought in a million years would, at least to Millennium. We usually think about people pocketing little animals, so now we have to be more aware. The upside is that it has kind of created a nice camaraderie with the community and brought more of a connection with staff and community. Its been so nice to see how much people care to see genuine concern for the safety of an animal. Now, Hall said, they were waiting to see who was responsible and then they could leave the ordeal behind them. Were not looking to ruin anybody, she said. Its not like a vendetta, but you have to face the consequences. Were just happy because hes fine, but at the same time learning as to why and how this happened will help us rethink how we function and care for animals better. SCHENECTADY- Former City Council President Margaret "Peggy" King is challenging nearly half of political rookie Damonni Farley's 1,149 petitions in a bid to derail his candidacy to win a seat on the council. King, who deferred comment Monday to Schenectady Democratic Chairman Richard Naylor, is contesting 534 signatures on the grounds that they are invalid because the person is not a registered voter or enrolled in the Democratic party. She filed the objections as a city Democratic committee woman last week on behalf of the party. Farley, 36, said Monday that the challenges sends a chilling message to would-be City Council hopefuls about going up against the establishment. He said it was a case of political obstructionism. "I'm concerned about what message this sends to people who want to become civically engaged that we are the party and this is our way of operating that if you want to get involved that you have to come through us which really contradicts the core of democratic values," said Farley, who is backed by Mayor Gary McCarthy. Farley, a Woodlawn Democrat, said his campaign tried to get marginalized people involved in the political process and always tried to explain how the process works and election rules to supporters. He also noted that he opted not to challenge any of petitions from the three City Council incumbents he would square off against in a primary. Schenectady County Board of Elections Commissioners Amy Hild and Darlene Harris said Monday that a two-person bipartisan team of staffers, a Republican and Democrat, is conducting a line-by-line review of the specific objections. The team will then submit their findings to Hild and Harris, who will convene at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and hold a public meeting to make a determination on the challenges. King and Farley have been notified of Wednesday's gathering at the board's Hamburg Street office and either they or a surrogate can attend. If the commissioners find that 534 signatures are illegal, that would leave Farley with only 615 valid petitions, below the 752 needed to make it onto the ballot and force a primary on Sept. 12. Naylor said Monday the invalid signatures they are seeking to get thrown out were checked against the registration rolls at the board of elections office. "It was reviewed a couple of times and it was deemed certainly a credible kind of objection that should be reviewed and heard," said Naylor, adding "it's pretty factual, you're either registered or you're not registered." He surmised that the problem with the questionable signatures may have occurred during mass collection of signatures at events where they weren't always carefully checked. "A lot of these signatures, there were some Republicans, there were some in Niskayuna, there were some also that were signatures that were duplicate signatures where the signature had already been gotten earlier on and then used again," said Naylor. Farley and the three City Council incumbents, John Mootooveren, Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas and Marion Porterfield would be vying for seats on the Democratic side. If either King and Farley disagree with the commissioners ruling, they can file a lawsuit and take the matter to court in a bid to get it overturned, said Harris and Hild. King has until the end of the day Thursday while Farley would have until the end of the day Monday to take legal action. Meantime, Joshua Muno is making a bid to run as independent candidate for a seat on the City Council in Schenectady while Mohamed Hafez, a registered Democrat, has been endorsed by the Schenectady Republicans. His running mate is Rima Cerrone. Their petitions are in. Muno has until Aug. 22 to turn in the 543 signatures he needs to get into the race, said Hild and Harris. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The city police department is enduring a summer of turmoil. Police leaders feel their ability to make decisions to respond to arsons and violent crime is constrained by the union contract while the rank-and-file officers see themselves as underpaid and not being heard. And while the North Central section of the city in recent weeks has seen a a homicide, a shooting and a rash of arsons, the department is dealing with a staffing shortage. Three officers have transferred to other agencies and six are on administrative leave while criminal investigations are underway. "It is those who have represented the city who have faltered at the bargaining table," Chief John Tedesco told the City Council's Public Safety Committee Monday night. Tedesco said the seniority provisions of the contract between the city and the Troy Police Benevolent Association makes it difficult for him to respond as he would like when selecting officers for specific assignments. "This is a very solid police department. It's administration and management that needs to come to the forefront," Tedesco said. The PBA has gone without a raise for about six years. The union has filed for arbitration in an attempt to secure a raise for its members. "Assuming we're not trying to do something or failing to do something is really a slap in the face to this police department. You ask us to work with less every single day. And we're doing it to the best of our ability," Detective Aaron Collington, the PBA president, told the council members. Collington said he has only met once to discuss issues facing the department with Mayor Patrick Madden and Tedesco since he became union president in Oct. 2016. He said the PBA is ready to listen and cooperate with the administration, but that all three of them have to meet. The city and the PBA have had off and on bargaining talks, but not been able to reach any agreements. Councilwoman Kim Ashe-McPherson called on the mayor to hold a meeting, which he said was possible. Madden said there are stresses between the police administration and the union. Tedesco spent most of the nearly two-hour session at City Hall responding to council member questions and describing the difficulties the department faces. He said the department is shoring up patrols, focusing on North Central, the center of recent criminal activity and the city's poorest neighborhood. He said he approved 86 overtime slips Monday and expected to have more to sign Tuesday. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Five members of the city drug unit, formally known as the Firearms Interdiction and Narcotics Suppression (FINS) Unit, are on paid leave. The State Police is investigating the officers for allegedly conducting a warrantless search and falsifying a police report to cover it up. Tedesco said that investigation may be concluded by late August. He said he doesn't know what action will be taken to replace the unit. He said the State Police and the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office have filled the gap created by the unit being off the streets. Another officer is on leave while Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel E. Abelove is investigated by the state attorney general's office for his handling of the case in which the officer shot and killed a man during a traffic stop. Councilman Mark McGrath, the Republican who represents the North Central and South Lansingburgh neighborhoods, said having more officers out driving through the streets and not arresting people smoking marijuana or selling drugs is not dealing with the problems. He called for a street crimes unit or an anti-crime unit to be deployed. He claimed 20 to 30 individuals are causing the problems in the city. "I'm not saying violate anybody's rights," said McGrath. Councilman Robert Doherty, the Democrat representing downtown, said people want aggressive policing, but that individuals have to be respected. Doherty said open drug sales need to be addressed immediately. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ithaca Recent crackdowns by federal immigration agents have made communities more hostile towards minority farm workers, according to a new report. Farm owners, meanwhile, fear they'll soon be unable to fill labor-intensive farming jobs that Americans no longer want. The report, from two Cornell University agriculture and labor experts, draws on surveys with New York dairy farmers beginning in late February, and largely mirrors concerns voiced by farm owners, economists, and agriculture and workers' rights groups about the detrimental effects the Trump administration's immigration policies would have on rural communities. Farmers "do not really know what to expect from the Trump administration, as well as from Congress regarding enforcement," the report reads. "This level of unpredictability is causing a sense of fear and nervousness for farm employers, workers and the community at large." Many farmworkers have meanwhile stopped leaving farms altogether, the report found. "It has taken more than a decade for these employers to integrate the Hispanic workers into their communities to a point where these workers were seen as bringing value," the report found. "And now that has been reversed." "People in their communities now view the workers as criminals again," it said. In both New York and nationally, Hispanic and often undocumented workers have increasingly taken farm jobs left vacant by American workers. Though exact estimates of their share of the farm workforce are fleeting, most experts believe undocumented workers account for at least half of all farm jobs, plugging holes in a labor force that's often been beleaguered by worker shortages, at tremendous cost to the industry. Nationwide, the number of full-time crop workers on American farms dropped by more than 20 percent since 2002, costing at least $3 billion in crops that could have been grown, and another 41,000 in added non-farm jobs, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy. "Latino workers have become a part of our agricultural economy," Thomas Maloney, who co-authored the Cornell report, said in February. "With each generation we get further from a farm economy, so there's less people in our population that have had any kind of farm experience." Many farmers have in recent years turned to guest worker programs to supplement the lack of workers, and the U.S. Department of Labor in May reported a 36 percent increase in applications for such H-2A workers. But that visa program is often very costly and time consuming, requiring farmers to advertise the jobs locally, provide housing for workers and pay the regional prevailing wage. Indeed, most farmers would gladly fill the jobs with American workers. But "there are very few white people who can physically handle work this hard anymore," Sue Miller, who owns Goold's Orchard in Castleton, said in February. Generally, farmers have been very outspoken of anti-immigration rhetoric, fearing that it, in addition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps, could have chilling effects on workers both legal and not. The Trump administration has previously said the ICE sweeps are no different from previous raids that primarily targeted violent criminals a claim that has been proven false on an almost countless number of occasions. The sweeping changes "just create panic and such a deep level of fear," Jim Sutton, of El Hannon Nursery, said in February. "Whether you're on a visa or not, these people know they're not wanted here." In a joint statement last month, the New York Farm Bureau and the state Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force denounced what they called "anti-immigrant" sentiment. "New Yorkers are a better group of people than what the magnified intolerance of our current politics has projected," the statement reads. "This state has long supported immigrant communities. It is the basis of our heritage as a melting pot of diverse people working together to build a better state and country." "Our political leadership and business leaders should forcefully and unequivocally call for immigration reform and denounce the rhetoric that belittles and dehumanizes farmworkers and simultaneously vilifies the farmers who hire them." Partisanship in Washington has reached uncharted territory, and with precious few working examples of cooperation remaining to look to, its hard to know what to do about escalating polarization in our nations capital and in our public discourse. Fortunately, there is one body that is bipartisan by design, and although its relatively new, its growing quickly. Founded last January by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives is a breath of fresh air in the toxic atmosphere of Washington politics. It seeks to engage in thoughtful bilateral conversations about the effects of climate change and policy options to combat the consequences. New members must join in bipartisan pairs; as of mid-July, caucus membership has surged to 48. Thats 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans -- including Rep. Don Bacon, who boldly made joining the caucus a campaign promise. As evidenced by the rapid growth of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, we believe it will soon be more politically risky to keep mum on climate change than it currently is to address it openly, especially in agricultural states like ours. Nebraskans have already faced devastating droughts, increased flooding, warmer summers, more powerful storms and reduced stream flows. These worsening consequences promise profound damage to our environment, guaranteeing lost economic opportunities, lost livelihoods and even lost lives. We cannot wait any longer for our elected officials to put forth solutions for reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. Climate change is no longer a partisan issue but one on which the majority of Nebraskans want action. According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 74 percent of voters within Nebraskas 1st Congressional District favor legislation to reduce carbon emissions. This indicates broad support that transcends partisan lines, as voter rolls in the district break down into 46.9 percent Republican and 31.1 percent Democrat. Furthermore, the majority of Climate Solutions Caucus members represent coastal districts; more representation from the Great Plains is needed as climate change continues to ravage agricultural communities. We therefore call on Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to join the Climate Solutions Caucus. He may already be thinking like a member. On July 13, Fortenberry joined Bacon and almost the entire membership of the Climate Solutions Caucus in forming a bipartisan majority to defeat the Perry Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment would have stripped a provision from the NDAA which requires a study on the 20-year impact of climate change on the military. The vote also preserved accompanying language that recognizes climate change as a direct threat to the national security of the United States. We could not be prouder of Fortenberrys vote. In a recent Fort Report, Fortenberry mourned the "deep cynicism" that the public is projecting onto Congress. It doesnt have to be this way. We think continued creative exchange across party lines on how to address climate disruption will prove to be an effective antidote to partisan dysfunction. Show us what you can do. Washington President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner answered questions from Senate investigators for hours behind closed doors Monday, acknowledging four meetings with Russians during and after Trump's victorious White House bid and insisting he had "nothing to hide." He emerged smiling to publicly declare, "All of my actions were proper." Kushner, a quiet insider who generally avoids the spotlight, was the first top Trump lieutenant to be quizzed by the congressional investigators probing Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The wealthy developer-turned-presidential adviser spoke privately with staff members of the Senate Intelligence committee and will return to talk to the House Intelligence panel Tuesday. "Let me be very clear," Kushner said afterward in a rare public statement at the White House. "I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so." Trump watched on TV as Kushner made his appearance outside the West Wing and "thought Jared did a great job," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Earlier Monday, Kushner released an 11-page statement that was billed as his remarks to both the Senate and House committees. In it, he acknowledged his Russian contacts during the campaign and then the following weeks, in which he served as a liaison between the transition and foreign governments. He described each contact as either insignificant or routine and he said the meetings were omitted from his security clearance form because of an aide's error. Kushner cast himself as a political novice learning to juggle "thousands of meetings and interactions" in a fast-paced campaign. His statement was the first detailed defense from a campaign insider responding to the controversy that has all but consumed the first six months of Trump's presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia sought to tip the 2016 campaign in Trump's favor. Congressional committees, as well as a Justice Department special counsel, are investigating whether Trump associates coordinated with Russia in that effort and whether the president has sought to hamper the investigations. Kushner said Monday he "will continue to cooperate as I have nothing to hide." He provided for the first time his recollection of a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who was said to have damaging information about Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Emails released this month show that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., accepted the meeting with the idea that he would receive information as part of a Russian government effort to help Trump's campaign. But Kushner said he hadn't seen those emails until recently. He called the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya such a "waste of time" that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. He says he arrived late and when he heard the lawyer discussing the issue of international adoptions, he texted his assistant to call him out. Kushner also confirmed earlier media reports that he had suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities to set up secure communications between Trump adviser Michael Flynn, who would become Trump's national security adviser, and Russian officials. But he disputed it was an effort to establish a "secret back channel." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hundreds of people auditioned for Showtime's upcoming miniseries on the 2015 escape of two killers from Clinton Correctional Facility, according to the Press-Republican of Plattsburgh. The newspaper reports a casting call over the weekend was primarily for principal roles, though those who came will also be considered for background parts. SEE THE PRESS-REPUBLICAN ARTICLE Showtime will film "Escape at Dannemora," an eight-hour series, at upstate locations later this year, the premium network announced earlier this year. Ben Stiller is the executive producer and director of the series based on the stranger-than-fiction account of the 2015 prison break from Clinton Correctional Facility. The escape sparked a massive manhunt for convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat, who were aided by Joyce Mitchell, a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled. Benicio Del Toro will play Matt, an artistic yet intimidating force within the prison who masterminds the escape. Patricia Arquette will play Mitchell, a working class woman who supervises the prison tailor shop and becomes sexually involved with both convicts, inducing her to assist them with their escape. Paul Dano will play Sweat, a convicted cop-killer who uses his good looks to seduce Mitchell and plotted the escape. The series follows the April release of the Lifetime movie "New York Prison Break: The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell." Matt and Sweat were free for 20 days, until Matt was killed in a confrontation after being spotted by law enforcement, 50 miles from Clinton and less than 20 miles south of Canada. Two days later, Sweat was wounded and captured less than 2 miles from the Canadian border. Mitchell and Sweat pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the prison break. Mitchell received a sentence of 28 months to 7 years in prison, serving her sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County. Sweat was sentenced to an additional 3 to 7 years on top of his earlier sentence. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate THE ISSUE: An official responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination rules suggests women are to blame for most sexual assault claims. THE STAKES: How could victims expect a fair hearing? More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse --- Any college-age man who thinks it's OK to force himself on women must be heartened to have someone like Candice Jackson in his corner. Ms. Jackson espouses a view that we had thought was in large part left behind in the last century that allegations of sexual assault on campus are more often than not either the result of women drinking too much, or made up. That misogynist view might be expected from a throwback talk radio host, but Ms. Jackson is the acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Education. That puts her in charge of enforcing Title IX, the law governing gender discrimination in educational programs and activities receiving federal aid. Ms. Jackson has understandably drawn concern from figures like U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., for comments to The New York Times earlier this month. She opined that 90 percent of campus sexual assault allegations "fall into the category of, 'We were both drunk, we broke up, and six months later I found myself under a Title IX investigation because she just decided that our last sleeping together was not quite right.' " In other words: Most of the time it's the woman's fault, or her imagination. Such comments stand in marked contrast to the reality many campuses have confronted in recent years as they have dealt with sexual assault. States like New York have imposed rules to encourage victims to come forward and to ensure claims aren't swept under the rug to protect a school's image. Policies have been drafted to ensure due process for the accused as this page had urged. New York and some other states have also enacted "yes means yes" laws that require clear consent among sexual partners in campus settings. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Critics point to a relatively few high profile episodes of false claims of campus rape to suggest the issue is overblown. Ms. Jackson says her comments reflected accounts she had heard and read of young men who were unfairly accused. Ms. Jackson has apologized for her "flippant" statement, saying she and the department believe "sexual harassment and sexual assault must be taken seriously." Apologies are all well and good, but this one doesn't cut it. What Ms. Jackson wants to pass off as a flip comment was all too revealing of her mindset. It's an underlying hostility toward her office's mission. We're seeing this all over this administration, whether it's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' hostility to public education, Housing Secretary Ben Carson's hostility to safety net programs, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's hostility to national monuments, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's hostility to environmental regulation, or President Donald Trump's press office's hostility to facts. Rather than proffering an apology, Ms. Jackson should tender her resignation from a post for which she is so obviously unsuited. It is no surprise, but it is still a shock, to see how little President Trump understands about the independence of the Justice Department and the importance of the rule of law. Trump's jaw-dropping interview with The New York Times featured an unprecedented and unvarnished invitation to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to quit, an invitation Sessions on Thursday declined, at least for now. Sessions' sin is failing to do his job, which, as Trump sees it, is not overseeing the impartial administration of justice but assiduously protecting the legal interests of Donald J. Trump. Thus, in Trump's view, it was "very unfair to the president" -- actually, "extremely unfair, and that's a mild word" -- for Sessions to have recused himself from overseeing the department's probe into Russian meddling into the election and the possible role of the Trump campaign. Let us review the facts and the law. The facts: Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump and served as a close campaign adviser. That is conflict enough, but he piled conflict on conflict by meeting during the campaign with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and then omitting to inform the Senate Judiciary Committee of the meetings when questioned about it. The law: Justice Department regulations provide that "no employee shall participate in a criminal investigation or prosecution if he has a personal or political relationship" with the subject of the investigation or "any person or organization which he knows has a specific and substantial interest that would be directly affected by the outcome of the investigation or prosecution." A political relationship "means a close identification with an elected official ... arising from service as a principal adviser thereto." So Sessions' situation and the question of whether he could oversee the Russia investigation isn't a close call. As Sessions told the Senate Intelligence Committee last month, "That regulation states, in effect, that department employees should not participate in investigations of a campaign if they have served as a campaign adviser." In other words, it's a no-brainer, at least if you understand basic concepts of conflict of interest. What Trump perceives as betrayal is Ethics 101. Trump's related argument -- that Sessions at the very least should have given him a head's up in advance so that he could have picked a different attorney general at the start -- suffers from a similar flaw. A different attorney general might not have needed to recuse himself, but in the end that attorney general would have come to the same conclusion as the deputy left acting in Sessions' place, that a special counsel was required to oversee the investigation. Again, the law: Justice Department regulations require appointment of a special counsel when the attorney general, or someone acting in his stead, determines that investigation through the normal departmental processes "would present a conflict of interest for the Department." How could this not be true of the Russia matter? Even leaving aside the question of whether the president himself is under investigation, it involves the president's campaign and closest advisers, including relatives. The special counsel regulations were not put in place to torment presidents but to reassure the public that, even in politically sensitive cases, justice would proceed impartially and unimpeded. Which raises the question of what Trump hoped to achieve by taking his beef against Sessions public. What does the president imagine would happen if, as he seems to hope, Sessions goes and, along with him, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein? In confirming their successors, the Senate, even this Senate, would no doubt want some assurance that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation would be allowed to continue unimpeded. When the Senate confirmed Elliot Richardson as attorney general in the midst of the Watergate scandal in 1973, it conditioned approval on Richardson's commitment to appoint, and protect, a special prosecutor. At least a few Republican senators ought to be willing to make their support for a Sessions replacement contingent on similar backup for Mueller -- who remains Trump's chief problem and, for that reason, perhaps his ultimate target. "He was up here, and he wanted the job," Trump said of interviewing Mueller about the possibility of resuming his former role as FBI director. After Mueller was named special counsel instead, "I said, 'What the hell is this all about?'" Trump said. "Talk about conflicts. But he was interviewing for the job. There were many other conflicts that I haven't said, but I will at some point." This is the essence of Trump -- exquisitely sensitive to conflicts, real or perceived, when they may work against him but resolutely obtuse to the imperative of independence when unquestioning loyalty better serves his needs [July 25, 2017] Goodwin Bolsters Tax Capabilities in San Francisco with Addition of Jason Vollbracht Goodwin, a leading Global 50 law firm, announced today that Jason Vollbracht has joined its Tax Group as a partner in the firm's San Francisco office. Vollbracht focuses his practice on federal income taxation, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, formation of investment funds, partnerships and other joint ventures, and real estate transactions. He has extensive experience with the intricate tax issues that arise in sophisticated transactions, including advising Dell in its $67 billion acquisition of EMC (News - Alert) in 2015. "We have established a premier tax practice to support public and private companies across multiple industries including private equity, technology and life sciences, real estate and financial service," said Neal Sandford, partner and Chair of Goodwin's Tax Group. "Jason's experience and substantive knowledge of tax laws associated with strategic transactions and investments make him an ideal addition to our team in Northern California. We look forward to his contributions as we continue to work with our clients to design innovative tax strategies." Vollbracht joins Goodwin from Simpson Thacher, where he served as counsel in its tax department. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. and B.S.E. from University of Pennsylvania. He is admitted to practice in New York and California. He can be reached at [email protected] or 415.733.6026. Goodwin's Tax Group has extensive experience in structuring corporate transactions to help clients gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, including the formation of start-up companies, taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, cross-border transactions, research and development joint ventures, technology transfers, and leveraged buyouts. About Goodwin At Goodwin, we use law to achieve unprecedented results for our clients. Our 1,000 plus lawyers across the United States, Europe, and Asia excel at complex transactions, high-stakes litigations and world-class advisory services in the financial, life sciences, private equity, real estate, and technology industries. We partner with our clients to practice law with integrity, ingenuity, agility and ambition. To learn more, visit us at www.goodwinlaw.com and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @goodwinlaw and on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005927/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Posiba, Inc. announces new Managing Director for Vietnam subsidiary with East-West business expertise SAN DIEGO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Posiba, Inc., a software company designed to support the social sector, welcomes Mr. Hien "Calvin" Nguyen as the new Managing Director of Posiba Vietnam Limited Company (Posiba Vietnam), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Posiba, Inc.a software company with core productsDatas (www.datas.global), a data service designed to measure social conditions and progress and givn (https://givn.social/ and www.givn.company), a giving service designed to activate more philanthropic giving and satisfaction. Nguyen, a Vietnamese born North American who three years ago resettled in Vietnam, will be directing the growth of Posiba Vietnam and managing a team of software engineers, data engineers, analytic scientists and marketing technical operations. His experience in both the East and West enables him to bridge the Company's U.S. and Vietnam operations. Nguyen was born in Da Nang, Vietnam and moved to Canada in 1984 with his family where he earned Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta, Edmonton Canada and Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, Washington D.C. He has 18+ years of experience in the technology and software industry, serving in various roles including, project manager and management consultant for large corporations in Canada. Prior to joining Posiba Vietnam, Nguyen was the Chief Operations Officer of a software outsourcing company with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City where he grew the organization from approimately 80 employees to more than 200 through empowerment, operational excellence and initiatives to improve employee wellbeing and motivation. His personal interests over the last 20 years include karate, philanthropy and affecting positive change in the world. He was involved with Scouts Canada for over 15 years where he was a Scouts Leader for five years; instrumental in developing 35 acres of land and directing the construction of a meditation center for the Edmonton Buddhist Institute, and served as Vice President of Information Systems for AIESEC, an international non-governmental not-for-profit organization providing leadership development and cross-cultural global exchanges across the globe, with a focus to empower young people to make a positive impact on society. According to Nguyen, "Vietnam is a developing country with many opportunities. Besides returning to my cultural roots, my interest in returning to Vietnam includes working with this young and talented generation and to bridge the best of the East and West. I work from the unwavering principal of fairness and aim to balance the needs of the employees, company and customers. I see potential in everyone and will be challenging our Posiba Vietnam team to be the best they can be." "We're delighted to welcome Calvin to the Posiba family of companies," stated Elizabeth Dreicer, CEO, Posiba. "Calvin is an experienced operator and leader that will support our growth strategy. His 'people first' values are one of the notable reasons that attracted us to embrace Calvin as the new leader of our Vietnam operations. We believe he will serve the Company and team well as he focuses attention on the professional development of individual employees in support of developing exquisite products that help make a meaningful and positive difference in our global society." About Posiba Vietnam Posiba Vietnam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Posiba, Inc. The subsidiary, established in 2014, is home to Posiba's elite development team. The team reflects a commitment to Posiba's values which embrace people first, altruism, excellence and integrity. About Posiba, Inc. Posiba, Inc. (www.posiba.com) holds Datas, Inc., a data service for the social sectorfoundations, government, nonprofits, researchers and individual donors. Datas' mission is to measure social conditions and progress. More specifically, Datas democratizes access to information by collecting and curating datafrom hundreds of thousands of public, private and crowd-originated sourcesand bringing tools, analytics and crowd-sourced intelligence together to help the social sector make a bigger, collective positive difference. Posiba also holds givn, inc. (https://givn.social/ and www.givn.company) created to activate more individual giving and satisfaction and to power more capital to efficiently flow to and through the philanthropic sector. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/posiba-inc-announces-new-managing-director-for-vietnam-subsidiary-with-east-west-business-expertise-300492422.html SOURCE Posiba, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 24, 2017] Revcontent Wins "Best Places to Work in Florida," Based on Company Culture, Employee Empowerment, and Inspired Leadership, for the 3rd Year in a Row Revcontent, the world's largest content recommendation network, is honored and humble to be named one of the Best Places to Work in Florida. The Revcontent team is incredibly excited to bring home this award for the 3rd year in a row, a recognition based on company culture, employee empowerment, and inspired leadership. The culture at Revcontent is built on a set of values and ideals to guide every action and decision. Much more than bringing dogs to work, flexible schedules, and annual parties, Revcontent's culture is focused on empowerment, growth, and innovation. The Revcontent Team embodies these characteristics in not only major company decisions but everyday tasks, bringing value through honesty, integrity, and transparency to the long-term success of partners, consumers, brands, and the Revcontent team. Mary Kanary, Events & Culture Coordinator said, "The culture at Revcontent goes beyond the slide and snacks, the workout room, and the fact you can bring your dog to work. It is about respect, creativity, and opportunity. It is a place where you are treated equally regardless of position or tenure." The leadership and team members at Revcontent are inspiring individuals who are constantly leading by example with honesty, integrity, and selflessness. Every Revcontent team member is empowered to take control of their position, own their success, embrace failures, and contribute to the company's success as a whole. Courtney Gerlach, Advertising Executive said, "Being a newer team member, I could see very early on that Revcontent was completely different. Revcontent is a company that does not judge you by your clothing choice, physical appearance, or lifestyle. We value differences and what makes us all special. We embrace the fact that everyone has something unique to offer, and we work together as a team to help grow the success of the company." Check out the Revcontent Culture Guide to learn more about company culture, values, mission, and everyday life at the Revcontent office. Follow along @Revcontent on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. About Revcontent: Revcontent is the world's largest content recommendation network, powering 250 billion content recommendations per month. Revcontent partners with the largest media brands in the world such as Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters (News - Alert), and more. Founded by John Lemp, Revcontent's headquarters lies in Sarasota, Florida with global offices including London, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Mumbai, Toronto, and more coming soon. Revcontent reaches 97% of US households, according to Quantcast (News - Alert) and has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Fox News, and more. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724006198/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] SureCall Continues Pledge to Enhance Cellular Connectivity in Canada with Flare Signal Booster Easy-to-install booster amplifies cell signals for homes or small offices FREMONT, Calif., July 25, 2017 /CNW/ -- SureCall, the premium signal booster manufacturer, today announced the availability of the Flare Canada. A 2017 CES Innovation Award Honoree, the Flare reduces dropped and missed calls while boosting data speeds for all major Canadian cell carriers. Designed for use in a home or small office up to 3,000 sq ft, Flare is the first Canadian booster that combines an internal antenna with the signal booster, making installation simple and painless. The unique, patent-pending internal structure design allows for an omni-directional antenna that enables the best emission. "As an increasing number of households and businesses favor cellular over landlines, the need for reliable signal will become more important to consumers," said Hongtao Zhan, CEO of SureCall. "The Flare Canada is a great option for those that are dependent on cellular for work or home life. Its innovative design makes it easy to install and its high power output makes it one of the strongest boosters on the market for homes and remote cottages." Oter key features include: Multi-Band Support The Flare boosts voice, text and 4G LTE data signals for all major Canadian cellular devices. Multi-User Support Multiple users can benefit from the increased signal simultaneously. Automatic Gain Control Automatically adjusts signal output based on incoming signal to produce strongest signal throughout the building. High-Gain Antenna Flare Canada includes an outdoor Yagi antenna that captures signal from a distant cell tower. ISED Certified Meets all booster requirements set forth by Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada. A recent study by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) cited that about 23 percent of Canadian households are exclusively subscribed to mobile wireless services, while only 13 percent are exclusively subscribed to wired telephone services. SureCall's Flare Canada is available for $549.00 MSRP. As with all SureCall boosters, the Flare Canada is backed by an industry-leading three-year manufacturer's warranty. For more information about SureCall and the Flare Canada, visit www.surecall.com/CA/. About SureCall Founded in 2001, SureCall is the multi-patented, award-winning industry leader in cell phone signal boosters, combining high quality technology with innovative designs to create award-winning boosters that dramatically improve cell phone reception for homes, cars and businesses. Major players in the hospitality, automotive, technology and industrial fields, along with institutions like NASA and academic institutions such as Stanford and Duke, trust SureCall's IC-certified boosters to make their signals go the distance. Contact For SureCall: Zachary Allen [email protected] 801-461-9751 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/surecall-continues-pledge-to-enhance-cellular-connectivity-in-canada-with-flare-signal-booster-300493326.html SOURCE SureCall [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 24, 2017] County of L.A. Seeks Injunctive Relief to Stop Reopening of the Aliso Canyon Gas Field Today, the County of Los Angeles requested that the Los Angeles Superior Court enjoin the reopening of the Aliso Canyon gas storage field unless and until the Department of Conservation's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) completes the earthquake analysis it acknowledges is critically necessary; and develops a risk assessment/emergency response plan in case of a significant earthquake damaging the field and destroying the wells. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724006318/en/ The earthquake analysis is necessary because virtually every one of the 114 gas wells at the facility intersects with the Santa Susana fault. Recognized seismic experts are predicting a magnitude 6.3 or greater earthquake on the fault within the next 50 years. If so, the experts expect that the rupture along the fault will be at least one or two feet, likely shearing the wells and causing a multi-well leak far greater in magnitude than the 100,000 ton leak at just one well in 2015. Southern California Gas Company's (SoCalGas) former head of gas storage at Aliso Canyon, James Mansdorfer, cautioned DOGGR against issuing authorization to reopen: "there is a potential for catastrophic loss of life, and in light of SoCalGas['s] refusal to openly address this risk, my ethics just will not allowme to stand by without making the public aware of what could happen" in the event of an earthquake. DOGGR ignored Mansdorfer's warnings. Under Senate Bill 380, passed by the Legislature following the 2015 leak, DOGGR is required to address and complete a health and safety analysis, along with a risk assessment/emergency response plan, before reopening Aliso Canyon. Nationally credited seismic experts, consulted by DOGGR, concluded in December 2016 that comprehensive seismic studies are required for an effective risk management plan for Aliso Canyon. Although DOGGR acknowledges the existence of the Santa Susana fault and its significant safety risks, it still has not completed this earthquake work, as required by law. DOGGR says the seismic safety analysis can be done after the facility reopens. The County disagrees. It's critical to the health and safety of thousands of people for the seismic study and risk assessment/emergency response plan to be completed before reopening, not afterwards, when it could be too late. The earthquake work could already have been completed (it will take an estimated six months) and must be done before reopening. This work is essential to prevent disaster in the event a big quake strikes the area, as occurred nearby in the San Fernando Valley in 1971 and 1994. The potentially catastrophic result of an earthquake simultaneously shearing numerous wells far outweighs the need to reopen the facility prematurely. Indeed, gas from Aliso Canyon hasn't been needed since the field was closed almost two years ago. According to County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, "Today's action reflects the Board of Supervisors' commitment to protect the health and safety of our residents and to require the State to complete the legally-mandated studies and mitigate all risks to the maximum extent possible." In addition, the County requested that the facility not be reopened until DOGGR has complied with the California Environmental Protection Act (CEQA). CEQA requires an environmental impact study before a project of this magnitude is opened. DOGGR has failed and refused to address CEQA's requirements. The County of Los Angeles is being represented by County Counsel Mary Wickham and by Chief Assistant Counsel Larry Hafaetz and Assistant County Counsel Scott Kuhn; and by the law firm of Miller Barondess, LLP in Los Angeles, including partners Skip Miller, Amnon Siegel, Mira Hashmall and Jason H. Tokoro. A copy of the injunction papers filed with the court is attached [Case No. BS168381, Related to Case No. JCCP 4861]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724006318/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 24, 2017] Abacode Cybersecurity Launches New Security-as-a-service (secaas) Platform At Black Hat And Defcon In Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ABACODE LAUNCHES LATEST SECURITY-AS-A-SERVICE (SECaaS) PLATFORM AT BLACK HAT AND DEFCON IN LAS VEGAS. Abacode, a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), will be on hand to address their continued roll-out of SECaaS for businesses throughout the Americas, Caribbean, Europe and United Kingdom. Abacode will bring its unique expertise and insights to this year's Black Hat and DefCon event at a time when cybersecurity for organizations of all sizes has never been more important. Black Hat will be taking place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV from July 2627 and DefCon from July 27-30. Now in its 20th year, the convention is the world's leading information security event, providing attendees with the very latest in research, development and trends. Abacode is unique in that it solely focuses on one thing best in class strategic and holistic cybersecurity solutions for its partners and clients. The cybersecurity company will be launching its latest Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS) platform at the event. This SECaaS offering leverages the Abacode's multiple security operations centers and cyber lab which includes 24/7/365 SIEM & SOC monitoring & remediation services or virtual SOC only services by monitoring an rganization's current SIEM. The company also enables several artificial intelligent (AI) and business intelligence (BI) solutions in its SECaaS to optimize the effectiveness of real-time network surveillance. The Florida-based company has a vision to change the paradigm of how cybersecurity is strategically and holistically addressed for organisations throughout the world, and will bring many members of their team to Black Hat as part of their mission to continue educating business leaders on the importance of prioritising security. In the last few months alone, there have been many high profile global cyber-attacks including WannaCry and Petya; both stark reminders that businesses must take proactive measures when it comes to protecting their data. Abacode's COO, Rolando Torres, said: "We are looking forward to attending Black Hat and DefCon and honored to be working side-by-side with some of the world's leading cybersecurity experts. "Today it is now more important than ever that businesses are aware of the cyber-threat landscape and, specifically, know how to implement a 24/7 network surveillance solution, to truly protect their data around the clock. Abacode is here to continuing the education process and we are looking forward to discussing best practices with our industry peers." To arrange a meeting with Abacode please contact [email protected]. About Abacode Abacode is a Cybersecurity firm that provides unbiased guidance before attacks become disruptions. We offer comprehensive solutions and specialize in network cyber-surveillance through our multiple security operation centers (SOC). Visit http://www.abacode.com/mission to learn more. Contact: John Fay +1-813-324-2754 PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12654117 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abacode-cybersecurity-launches-new-security-as-a-service-secaas-platform-at-black-hat-and-defcon-in-las-vegas-300493260.html SOURCE Abacode Cybersecurity [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 24, 2017] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Goldberg Law PC Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action Lawsuit against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. and Encourages Investors with Losses Exceeding $100,000 to Contact the Firm Goldberg Law PC, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. ("Chipotle" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMG) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors who purchased the Company's shares between February 5, 2016 and July 19, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before September 18, 2017, the lead plaintiff motion deadline. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss during the Class Period, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Michael Goldberg or Brian Schall, of Goldberg Law PC, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 800-977-7401, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at http://www.goldberglawpc.com/, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Chipotle made materially false and/or misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose material information, specifically that: the Company's purported improvements in its restaurants' food safety policies were inadequate; that Chipotle's quality controls were still not in compliance with applicable consumer and workplace safety regulations; that the Company's quality controls remained inadequate to safeguard consumer and employee health; and that as a result of the above, Chipotle's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. In 2015, many customers fell ill after eating at Chipotle restaurants. On February 8, 2016, the Company closed all of its restaurants for several hours for an all-staff meeting regarding food safety. Chipotle also hired a new head of food safety who implemented a number of changes to policies at the Company's restaurants. On July 18, 2017, several news stories reported that the Company closed a restaurant in Sterling, Virginia due to a suspected norovirus outbreak. According to Business Insider, citing information from iwaspoisoned.com, a website where consumers document suspected incidents of foodborne illness, at least 13 customers fell ill after eating at that Chipotle restaurant between July 14 and July 15. Following this news, Chipotle's stock price dropped. On July 20, 2017, The Wall Street Journal published an article revealing that the number of reports of illness associated with the restaurant-chain continues to rise. On that same day, Reuters (News - Alert) published an article reporting that a county health department official confirmed norovirus in a customer who ate at the Virginia Chipotle restaurant. Later in the day, CNBC published an article reporting that rodents were spotted at a Dallas-area Chipotle on July 19, 2017. Following these news reports, Chipotle's stock price dropped materially, which caused investors harm. Goldberg Law PC represents investors around the world, and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724006329/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 24, 2017] PerkinElmer Launches VICTOR(R) Nivo(TM) Multimode Plate Reader WALTHAM, Mass., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, announced on July 24 (US-time) the launch of its new VICTOR Nivo multimode plate reader. Designed to fit almost any lab space, this compact, lightweight instrument provides high performance detection modes and easy-to-use software, which allows scientists to be able to accelerate biochemical and cell-based assays for disease research and drug development. For the full multimedia release, click here: http://www.prnasia.com/mnr/perkinelmer_201707.shtml "In today's academic and pharmaceutical labs, scientists need intuitive, high performance technologies, including multimode microplate readers, that can be applied to a broad range of applications to help advance their research," said Jim Corbett, Executive Vice President and President, Discovery & Analytical Solutions, PerkinElmer. "We offer a complete set of innovative solutions that are designed to help facilitate scientific breakthroughs." "Multimode detection is an integral process in helping to advance our research," said Maria Kuzikov, Assay Development and Screening Specialist, Fraunhofer IME Screening Port in Germany, a PerkinElmer customer. "We have found that the VICTOR Nivo multimode plate reader provides high performance for a broad range of biochemical and cell based applications including measuring cell proliferation and cytotoxicity, DNA and protein quantification, as well as characterization of compound effects on PDE activity. The reader is very easy to use so that even beginners can become productive quickly." With a wide range of key detection modes, top and bottom reading for all modes and space for up to 32 filters, the instrument delivers high performance for cell-based and biochemical assays and can accommodate multiple users and applications. Its small, compact design helps researchers to maximize their lab resources, freeing up valuable bench space for other activities critical to the research process. Scientists can control the instrument's software via Wi-Fi or network connection from a PC, laptop or tablet in order to effectively manage their workflows. The software's user interface makes it easy for novice scientists to quickly learn and navigate the instrument. PerkinElmer offers a comprehensive portfolio of technologies to support life science research, including assay reagents, microplates, liquid handling/automation, and services. To learn more about the VICTOR Nivo multimode plate reader, visit www.perkinelmer.com/Nivo. ABOUT PERKINELMER: PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world. Our dedicated team of 9,000 employees worldwide are passionate about providing customers with an unmatched experience as they help solve critical issues especially impacting the diagnostics, discovery and analytical solutions markets. Our innovative detection, imaging, informatics and service capabilities, combined with deep market knowledge and expertise, help customers gain earlier and more accurate insights to improve lives and the world around us. The Company reported revenue of approximately $2.1 billion in 2016, serves customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at www.perkinelmer.com. Follow us on Twitter @PKILifeScience. Contact: Samantha Pierce +1-585-697-2606 [email protected] SOURCE PerkinElmer, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Innovative Blend of JD Edwards Maintenance Services Recognised by Oracle User Community Spinnaker Support Selected as Finalist for UKOUG Partner of the Year Awards BOURNE END, England, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spinnaker Support, the fastest growing provider of third-party maintenance and managed services for Oracle and SAP applications, is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a finalist for the United Kingdom Oracle User Group (UKOUG) JD Edwards Partner of the Year Award. The UK Oracle User Group announced the finalists for this year's Partner of the Year Awards. The group recognises Oracle suppliers in a variety of service disciplines. Voted for by Oracle end-users, the awards are an unbiased and independent reflection of which vendors are excelling within the industry from a customer perspective. Finalists will compete for these prestigious awards that span twenty categories. Each category has up to six Partners, with the winners being announced at a ceremony in October. This year, Spinnaker Support is a finalist for JD Edwards Partner of the Year for their work in the area of third-party maintenance and support for customers in the United Kingdom. "Spinnaker Support is honoured to be nominated by UKOUG for the Partner of the Year Award again. The work we do for our JD Edwards customers goes well beyond merely bug fixes. Our customers continue to be 9% satisfied because of the concierge support, tax and regulatory updates, and security updates we provide," commented Nigel Pullan, Vice President, EMEA and APAC for Spinnaker Support. "Our customers depend on our technology advisory capabilities to optimise application performance and interoperability and for expert guidance to help them advance innovation and cloud migration. I am excited that we have the opportunity to win the JD Edwards Partner of the Year Award this year." Voting has commenced and will continue through close of business on 11 September 2017. Vote here: http://www.ukoug.org/2017-events/ukoug-partner-of-the-year-awards-2017/voting/ About Spinnaker Support Spinnaker Support is the fastest growing provider of third-party maintenance, managed services, and consulting providing a unique blend of services for organizations that run SAP or Oracle. Our maintenance customers gain better support while saving an average of 62% on their annual maintenance fees. Savings are often redirected to fund and accelerate innovation, transformation, and cloud migration. Customer resources focus less on ERP system issues and more on delivering cutting-edge IT solutions that support business strategies. Our customers are 98.6% satisfied. We also deliver tailored managed services, allowing reduced vendor count for less cost. Our consultants engage in strategic projects that drive continuous improvement, development, and migration of Oracle and SAP enterprise applications with the unique surrounding technology environments in which they operate. To learn more about Spinnaker Support, visit http://www.spinnakersupport.com/, call +44 (0)20 8242 1785 internationally or 877-476-0576 in the U.S./Canada. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Media Contact: Michelle Wilkinson, 720-457-5442, [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538444/JD_Edwards_Partner_of_the_Year.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538443/Spinnaker_Support.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Cambridge Pixel Unveils HPx-346 Analogue to Network Radar Video Data Converter CAMBRIDGE, England, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - HPx-346 is a small form factor primary radar input and network radar video distribution card that converts analogue radar into a standard ASTERIX CAT-240 network data stream - HPx-346 provides a cost-effective way of importing radar data into a modern display; for example, the card would enable existing radars on a ship or commercial boat to be accessible in an ECDIS system - Cambridge Pixel will be showcasing its HPx-346 card and other products on stand S4-352 (South hall) at the DSEI Defence and Security show in London from 12-15 September 2017. Cambridge Pixel, a supplier of radar display, tracking and recording sub-systems, has announced the HPx-346, a compact, low power (less than 5 Watts), standalone primary radar input and network distribution card. The HPx-346 is designed to convert analogue radar signals into a standard open network data stream such as ASTERIX CAT-240. The card provides a cost-effective way of importing analogue radar data into a modern display. The small form factor (149x74mm) HPx-346 card features a combined ARM/FPGA system-on-chip processor to handle the radar acquisition and data conversion. The card may be configured through a web interface with settings made to the card for autonomous operation. Alternatively, a programming API is available to permit remote control and set-up. David Johnson, CEO, Cambridge Pixel, said: "We have seen a number of applications that require a compact, low power, standalone unit capable of converting radar signals into network data. For example, the HPx-346 would enable existing radars on a ship or commercial boat to be accessible inan ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) display. The HPx-346 complements our existing range of HPx PCI and PCI Express radar input cards and gives system integrators a choice between the small size and low power of the HPx-346 and a full PC-based radar server incorporating our HPx-200 or HPx-400e series cards." The HPx-346 supports a wide variety of signal types and input voltages including differential and single-ended signals with selectable signal levels and input impedances. This allows connection to a diverse range of commercial and military radar types including those from Furuno, JRC, Kelvin Hughes, Koden, Raytheon, Sperry and Terma. The HPx-346 accepts radar video, trigger and azimuth signals in the form of ACP/ARP. The HPx-346 can be configured as a standalone radar processor with the card installed within existing equipment, or supplied in a compact enclosure. A development kit is available comprising the card, power supply, RadarView Software and a software development library. Cambridge Pixel's HPx-346 is part of a family of radar acquisition and processing components that provide system integrators with a powerful toolkit to build server and client display systems. The company's world-leading SPx suite of software libraries and applications provide highly flexible, ready-to-run software products or 'modules-of-expertise' for radar visualisation, radar video distribution, plot extraction and target tracking. Cambridge Pixel's radar technology is used in naval, air traffic control, vessel traffic, commercial shipping, security, surveillance and airborne radar applications. Its systems have been implemented in mission critical applications with companies such as BAE Systems, Frontier Electronic Systems, Lockheed Martin, Barco Defence, Blighter Surveillance Systems, Exelis, Kelvin Hughes, Navtech Radar, Raytheon, Royal Thai Air Force, Saab, Hanwha, Sofresud and Tellumat. Cambridge Pixel will be showcasing its HPx-346 card and other products on stand S4-352 (South hall) at the DSEI Defence and Security show in London from 12-15 September 2017. For more information about the HPx-346 card and other products from Cambridge Pixel, please visit http://www.cambridgepixel.com or call: +44(0)1763-852749 or email: [email protected]. Media photo: http://www.cambridgepixel.com/images/News/pr-hpx346.jpg Data sheet: http://www.cambridgepixel.com/files/Datasheets/hpx346.pdf About Cambridge Pixel (http://www.cambridgepixel.com) Founded in 2007, Cambridge Pixel is an award-winning developer of sensor processing and display solutions including primary and secondary radar interfacing, processing and display components for military and commercial radar applications. It is a world-leading supplier of software-based radar tracking and scan conversion solutions through its modular SPx software, and HPx hardware product range. Based near Cambridge in the UK, the company operates worldwide through a network of agents and distributors. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The long-stated goal of the fraternities and sororities at American colleges can be summed up as sculpting and building young men and women into more complete adults by focusing on scholarship, service and fellowship. In many cases, however, the modern Greek system finds itself known for far more negative headlines. The February death of a Penn State University fraternity pledge during a hazing ritual was a tragic, senseless loss. Closer to home, the ridiculing of Womens March participants by the University of Nebraska-Lincolns Phi Gamma Delta fraternity was unbecoming and inexcusable. Some colleges have proposed suspending or disbanding their entire Greek systems as a solution they hope will improve student safety and campus life in general. UNL is taking a different approach by collaborating with the organizations and their stakeholders to raise the bar for fraternities and sororities. When groups work together toward a clear, common goal, theyre far more likely to achieve it. Thats why the new #GreekVitality efforts to steer Greek houses in a more positive, collaborative direction is a win for the roughly 22 percent of UNL undergraduates who participate in a fraternity or sorority. Greek life is an irremovable part of the college experience for the students who choose it. But rather than threatening to shut down the entire system for the misdeeds of some, bringing the houses themselves, university leaders and other community stakeholders as UNL is doing is far more likely to create the needed positive change. That needed evolution lies in a rededication to the origins of fraternities and sororities, which sought to better their members and, in turn, the university writ large. As Phi Kappa Theta president Benjamin Hintz told the Journal Star: We share all these similarities and these common values, but were not focused on whats best for the campus as a whole. Whats best for the campus would include reversing the Greek systems recent run of bad headlines, allegations of assault and the 2014 death of Farmhouse fraternity member Clayton Real. Years of tension accompanied the very public suspensions of several Greek houses including two in the spring semester alone for violations of university policy, needed crackdowns for the safety of students in those houses. Three others had been suspended in 2014 and 2015. A collaborative approach to improve Greek life rather than a merely punitive one is needed to move the conversation and campus forward. Fraternities and sororities must focus on their roots and goals, and university leaders must continue making the college a better place to obtain an education. This new coalition appears to be a positive first step for both. [July 25, 2017] SiteLock Extends Web Security Leadership with Acquisition of Patchman SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SiteLock, a global leader in business website security solutions, today announced it has acquired Patchman, a Dutch web security startup that automatically detects and patches vulnerabilities for hosting providers. With this acquisition, SiteLock will amplify its global reach, expanding its threat database for faster identification and remediation of threats. In addition, the company is now well positioned to accelerate its growth in web security by enabling greater support and services to the hosting provider community. "The vision of Patchman aligns with SiteLock very well. We're excited to join forces and execute on our shared goal of securing every website on the internet," said Neill Feather, president of SiteLock. "This acquisition will double the number of websites w protect, allowing us to increase our knowledge base, better identify malware patterns and more effectively mitigate threats. In addition, we can now provide more options for hosting providers around the world to work with us, and ensure high quality solutions are available to their end customers." Launched in 2014, Patchman proactively secures websites at the server-level, patching the security vulnerabilities found in commonly used content management systems such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. With the addition of Patchman, SiteLock will now have more than 500 global partners, including Host Papa, UK2 Group and more. "The Patchman team is thrilled to join forces with SiteLock, as combining our unique technologies presents many new and exciting opportunities," said Wouter de Vries, founder of Patchman. "We look forward to accelerating our already impressive growth and continuing to deliver top notch web security solutions worldwide." With this acquisition, SiteLock will offer expanded options for hosting providers, including educational resources and high quality security solutions. For more on SiteLock's products, visit: https://www.sitelock.com/products. About SiteLock: SiteLock, the Global Leader in business website security solutions, is the only web security solution to offer complete, cloud-based website protection. Its 360-degree monitoring finds and fixes threats, prevents future attacks, accelerates website performance and meets PCI compliance standards for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2008, the company protects over 12,000,000 websites worldwide. For more information, please visit sitelock.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sitelock-extends-web-security-leadership-with-acquisition-of-patchman-300493387.html SOURCE SiteLock [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] American Capital Assurance Corp. Selects Majesco P&C Suite, Majesco Distribution Management, Majesco Business Analytics and Majesco Enterprise Data Warehouse as Their Platform for Growth Majesco (NYSE MKT:MJCO), a global provider of core insurance software and consulting services for insurance business transformation, announced today that American Capital Assurance Corp. has selected Majesco Suite for P&C, inclusive of Policy, Billing, Claims and Rating, Majesco Distribution Management, Majesco Business Analytics and Majesco Enterprise Data Warehouse to transition from an outsourced provider. American Capital Assurance Corp. (AmCap Insurance), owned by AmCap Holdings, LLC, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, offers commercial property insurance on an admitted basis. It provides coverage for condominium, homeowner, and townhome owner associations, as well as office buildings. The implementation of the Majesco suite will enable AmCap Insurance to manage its business self-sufficiently, rather than outsourced to an external provider. Commenting on the selection, Steve Wagner, AmCap Insurance's President & Chief Operating Officer, said, "AmCap Insurance is committed to a customer focused, tailored experience for our customers with best-in-class service at the right price. Our ability to deliver on this in today's fast-paced changing commercial market was a critical factor in our selection process. Majesco's solutions, track record and proven implementation methodology delivering speed to value stood apart from other vendors. We look forward to our strategic partnership with Majesco." AmCap Insurance, owned by AmCap Holdings, LLC, is poised to be an industry leader in its select marketplaces and is rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., one of the industry's leading rating organizations. "We are thrilled to have AmCap Insurance as a customer using our full portfolio of P&C solutions," commented Prateek Kumar, EVP for P&C Insurance for Majesco. "Increasingly speed to value including speed to implementation, speed to market and speed to revenue are strategic factors that determine an insurance company's competitiveness in the marketplace. We are committed to this foundational factor and look forward to helping AmCap Insurance not just transform their business, but provide a platform that provides a new level of agility, innovation and speed. We appreciate their confidence and partnership with Majesco and look forward to an exciting future together." Majesco P&C Suite includes Policy, Billing, Claims, and Rating. Majesco Distribution Management, Majesco Enterprise Data Warehouse and Majesco Business Analytics are pre-integrated with the Majesco P&C Suite. Majesco Policy is recognized as a market-leading solution and is pre-defined, integrated, and maintained for ISO bureau content via Majesco Bureau and Content Services for all lines of business and states. Majesco Policy is designed to enable speed to market opportunities for insurance companies to introduce new products and reach new markets quickly and cost effectively to capture market share. Majesco Billing supports all lines of insurance business including P&C, L&A and Group through an array of billing types - Direct, Customer Account, Agency Statement, Agency Accont Current, Wholesale, List/Payroll Deduction and Deductible Billing, among others. Self-service capabilities are offered to both insured and agents alike. Majesco Claims is a comprehensive claims management solution that has been deployed in some of the most demanding claims operations, with a business rules driven and robust configurable solution empowering claims adjusters to meet demanding claims expectations. The deep functionality gives insurance providers complete control of their claims management needs. Majesco Distribution Management enables the entire distribution landscape with comprehensive business capabilities that enable diverse channel options, support the increasing need of a multi-channel environment, effectively administer a range of distribution channels and producers from registration to termination, compensation and performance management, and launch innovative contests and personalized payment schedules for producers to help drive business growth. Majesco Business Analytics is a business intelligence solution that is pre-integrated to Majesco P&C Suite as well as a standalone solution to internalize a carrier's data, BI and analytics needs enterprise-wide. Majesco Enterprise Data Warehouse is built on the Majesco Enterprise Data Model enabling access to granular data. About Majesco Insurance business transformation is a journey of change and revitalization - a renaissance of insurance. Approximately 150 insurance companies worldwide in P&C, L&A and Group/ Employee Benefits are transforming their businesses with Majesco's solutions. Our market leading software and consulting services uniquely underpin the entire insurance value chain and are designed to empower insurers with the agility, innovation and speed needed to meet their transformation opportunities. Majesco's solutions include policy management, new business / underwriting, rating, billing, claims management, distribution management, BI/ analytics, predictive modelling, digital platform with mobile and portal, testing services, cloud services, bureau and content services, transformation services, consulting services and more. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.majesco.com, or call 1-973-461-5200. About American Capital Assurance Corp. AmCap Insurance offers superior, financially solid commercial products and outstanding service that make policyholders whole as quickly as possible after a loss. AmCap Insurance is an admitted carrier doing business in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. AmCap Insurance partners with independent insurance agents who seek dependable coverage and attention to detail, regardless of the scope of a risk. AmCap Insurance was recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work in 2017. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in Majesco's reports that it files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and which you should review, including those statements under "Item 1A - Risk Factors" in Majesco's Annual Report on Form 10-K. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: integration risks; changes in economic conditions, political conditions, trade protection measures, licensing requirements and tax matters; technology development risks; intellectual property rights risks; competition risks; additional scrutiny and increased expenses as a result of being a public company; the financial condition, financing requirements, prospects and cash flow of Majesco; loss of strategic relationships; changes in laws or regulations affecting the insurance industry in particular; restrictions on immigration; the ability and cost of retaining and recruiting key personnel; the ability to attract new clients and retain them and the risk of loss of large customers; continued compliance with evolving laws; customer data and cybersecurity risk; and Majesco's ability to raise capital to fund future growth. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events and Majesco cannot assure you that the events or circumstances discussed or reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. If such forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by Majesco or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this presentation. Majesco disclaims any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005841/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] HR Leaders Fear Shortage of Talent, Work Visas Will Plague Hiring and Are Turning to Technology, Finds Talent Tech Labs Survey Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) businesses reveal their greatest recruiting concern is the skills shortage, and that number rises to 80 percent for those that fill more than 2,500 roles per year, according to Talent Tech Labs' 2017 State of Talent Acquisition Technology report. In the current political environment, 80 percent of HR and talent acquisition leaders voice concern that a shortage of work visas will make talent acquisition more difficult. These concerns have led many leaders to reconsider their HR strategies to create better business outcomes. Utilization of the independent workforce continues to rise, and 79 percent of talent acquisition leaders expect their role in securing non-employee talent (historically a role filled by corporate procurement) to increase over the next 1-2 years. The widening skills gap and the increased reliance on contract workers is driving demand for technology investment to address these market shifts, which portend the future of work in America. A total of 45 percent of survey respondents confirmed candidate sourcing technology as the area most likely to see rapid investment and development, almost twice as high as the next area for growth. "Throughout history, innovative technology has proven itself to be the greatest enabler of change, and this is certainly the case in the talent acquisition space," said Brian Delle Donne, President of Talent Tech Labs. "It comes as no surprise to us that leading businesses are relying on the latest technology to develop creative workforce solutions meant to bridge the gap between todays challenges and the future of work." Company Alignment is Top Priority Respondents report their top priority is to better align talent acquisition efforts with the wider business strategy of their corporations. Elevating talent acquisition to meet larger company goals is a trend that will continue to grow. Respondents are solving this challenge by investing in an array of talent acquisition technologies to secure talent, manage the independent workforce and improve efficiencies throughout the process. In implementing new solutions, 58 percent say lack of budget is the biggest barrier. Developing a business case and justifying ROI comes in a close second at 51 percent, signifying the need for solution providers to help HR leaders educate internal stakeholders. Employer Branding No. 1 in Technology Innovation; Artificial Intelligence Comes in Last Employer branding tools ranked highest for delivering on innovation (cited by 33 percent of total respondents and 39 percent of those with large firms). This speaks to current technology's ability to deliver on the promise of helping companies strengthen their brands to prospective new hires: a key strategy in light of the business climate. Chat bots and artificial intelligence tools, however, only impressed 11 percent of respondents as highly innovative. While there is certainly no lack of conversation and news reporting about these tools, they are still in their infancy and heretofore not yet wowing the larger buying community. About the Survey Talent Tech Labs' 2017 State of Talent Acquisition Technology report utilizes proprietary data from an online survey of senior talent acquisition and HR leaders. The respondent pool was resoundingly senior, with most identifying as C-level, VP or Director. The survey was conducted between April 11, 2017 and May 5, 2017. About Talent Tech Labs Located in the heart of Manhattan, Talent Tech Labs engages in investigation, research, validation, and acceleration of talent acquisition technology by fostering and connecting early-stage companies with forward thinkers in the industry. As companies battle to attract and hire the talent they need to grow, the use of advanced technologies is transforming how recruitment is done. Since 2012, TTL has tracked over 1,500 technology companies, exposing the market to trends and the direction of cutting-edge innovation in talent acquisition. Visit www.talenttechlabs.com to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725005888/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Gravy Analytics and Qualia Announce Data Processing Partnership LEESBURG, Va. and NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravy Analytics, a leading provider of real-world location intelligence for advertisers and brands, and Qualia, an omni-channel data intelligence company, today announced that Qualia will contribute its consumer intent signals to Gravy's geo-signals cloud. In turn, Gravy will provide signal cleansing and location-based insights using its patented AdmitOne platform. The agreement will allow Qualia to enhance its consumer device graph with Gravy's consumer behavioral data. The additional consumer intent signals that Qualia provides will allow Gravy to scale the behavioral insights that power Gravy's solutions. The partnership allows Qualia to create a more holistic view of consumer interests, both online and offline, through the addition of Gravy's location-based behavioral insights. Qualia's cross-device graph gives clients a comprehensive understanding of mobile device, consumer and household relationships. Unlike standard web cookies, Qualia's IDs are persistent, ensuring that the cross-device graph becomes stronger and more accurate over time. Qualia is the only company utilizing intent data to inform its cross-device graph today. "The addition of Gravy's behavioral insights improves the performance of our cross-device graph," said Kathy Leake, Co-Founder and CEO, Qualia. "Gravy is able to cleanse and interpret massive uantities of consumer intent signals, and return highly-accurate behavioral profile information about device owners. For the first time, we have visibility into whether a consumer is a 'Home Intender', 'Fashion Shopper' or 'Sports Fanatic'. This makes our cross-device graph an even more powerful marketing tool for clients." Gravy Analytics is the largest aggregator of publicly available mobile location signals in the U.S., now processing more than 8 billion signals each day. Location signals are first filtered to remove spoofed, fraudulent and erroneous data. Cleansed signals are then processed through Gravy's AdmitOne platform which determines consumer attendances at places and events, signaling mobile consumer interests and intent. The resulting behavioral data is used to power Gravy Audiences, for use in programmatic advertising campaigns, and Gravy Insights, designed for brands seeking to better understand their customers and the competition. "We are thrilled to add Qualia to our portfolio of partners", said Jeff White, founder and CEO, Gravy Analytics. "The greater the number of signals we process, the greater the value of the consumer intelligence we deliver. Qualia's high-quality data gives us increased signal volume and density, and allows us to deliver in-depth behavioral insights for more mobile consumers than ever before." About Gravy Analytics Gravy Analytics delivers real-world location intelligence to advertisers and brands. Where we go is who we are. Gravy's patented technology, AdmitOneTM, verifies consumer attendances at millions of places and events, providing unprecedented insight into consumer activities and interests. Advertisers rely on Gravy Audiences to power precision-targeted mobile advertising campaigns. Brands trust Gravy Insights to provide unmatched customer and competitive intelligence. Gravy Analytics processes billions of location signals each day from its nationwide base of opted-in mobile devices for unparalleled reach and scale. For more information, visit www.gravyanalytics.com. About Qualia Qualia, an omni-channel data intelligence company, empowers organizations to deliver seamless consumer experiences across all devices, from intent to conversion. The Qualia Data Intelligence Platform combines its IQ Decision Engine with its Cross-Device Graph to create a closed-loop, device agnostic, audience insights-driven solution. Trusted by leading brands, agencies and marketing technology providers, Qualia's cloud-based platform continuously identifies in-market consumers on all of their devices and digital touchpoints, enabling real-time, omni-channel targeting, reach, measurement and attribution. The company is headquartered in NYC and has offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Irvine and San Francisco. For additional information, visit www.qualia-media.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gravy-analytics-and-qualia-announce-data-processing-partnership-300493188.html SOURCE Gravy Analytics; Qualia [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Vicarious Announces $50M Series C Funding Led by Khosla Ventures SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vicarious, an artificial intelligence company, today announced a $50M Series C round of financing led by Khosla Ventures, a venture capital fund founded by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a former general partner of Kleiner Perkins. Vicarious is developing artificial general intelligence for robots. By combining insights from generative probabilistic models and neuroscience, the company has developed unique architecture that trains faster, adapts more readily, and generalizes more broadly than other AI approaches that are more commonly used. "For over a decade, robots have possessed the physical dexterity necessary for a wide range of tasks, but are limited by their reliance on expensive hand-coded software and high-precision mechanical parts. The software that Vicarious is building will help change that," said Mr. Khosla. "Vicarious' approach to artificial intelligence allows robots to behave in smarter and more human-like ways than other approaches," added Khosla Venture's CTO Sven Strohband, who will be joining Vicarious' board of directors. "This is a big step forward for us. Robotics is a domain where causal understanding and dealing with uncertainty are very important. Our researchers are excited to be tackling the poblems that touch many industries," said Vicarious co-founder Dr. Dileep George. "The partnership with Khosla is an obvious fit. They share our vision of the future and understand the incredible implications of building truly intelligent machines," added Vicarious co-founder D. Scott Phoenix. About Vicarious Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company that uses the computational principles of the brain to develop general intelligence for robots. The company was founded in 2010 by Dr. Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix. Previously Dr. George was Chief Technology Officer at Numeta, a company he co-founded with Jeff Hawkins and Donna Dubinsky (PALM, HAND) while completing his PhD at Stanford University. Before co-founding Vicarious, Mr. Phoenix was Entrepreneur in Residence at Founders Fund and CEO of Frogmetrics, a touchscreen analytics company he co-founded through the Y Combinator program. For more information about Vicarious, please visit www.vicarious.com. About Khosla Ventures Khosla Ventures is a venture capitalist firm that provides venture assistance and strategic advice to entrepreneurs working on breakthrough technologies. The firm was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. The firm focuses on transformative technology in consumer, enterprise, education, advertising, financial services, semiconductors, health, big data, agriculture/food, sustainable energy and robotics. Khosla Ventures is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information about the firm's activities, please visit https://www.khoslaventures.com. Media Contact: Devin Gribbons Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vicarious-announces-50m-series-c-funding-led-by-khosla-ventures-300493741.html SOURCE Vicarious FPC Inc [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Synthesio Continues Building Leading Social Analytics Suite; Acquires Global Audience Insights Platform NEW YORK, July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Synthesio, the leading global Social Intelligence and Social Listening platform, announced today that it is continuing to build its global, industry leading Social Analytics suite, with the acquisition Social Karma, an audience insights and engagement analytics solutions provider. Social Karma's solution will combine Synthesio's deep social data to provide the strongest real-time capabilities to build audience personas, provide audience insights and offer new levels of owned channel analysis to Synthesio's global users. "From the moment we started Synthesio, our goal has always been, and continues to be, to create the best-in-class global Social Intelligence platform and experience for customers," explained Loic Moisand, CEO and Co-Founder of Synthesio. "This is why starting in January of this past year, we've been in the midst of an aggressive two-year acquisition strategy, as we work to build an industry leading global Social Insights and Analytics suite. With Social Karma, our customers will be able to build the most accurate audience personas using social data instead of traditional surveys, while also being able to receive incredible analysis on their owned channels as well. Synthesio will continue on its mission to transform customer experience methodologies from the analog era into scalable technologies of the digital era." Social Karma will address many different use cases for Synthesio's customers, such as: Social Media Performance: Social Karma's Engagement Analytics solution offers actionable insights on all major social neworks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) for marketers to effectively improve their social strategy. This is particularly important for brands tracking campaigns through the Synthesio Platform - as they will now be able to merge results from both paid and earned initiatives to present a clearer picture of the success or failure of a campaign. Social Karma's Engagement Analytics solution offers actionable insights on all major social neworks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) for marketers to effectively improve their social strategy. This is particularly important for brands tracking campaigns through the Synthesio Platform - as they will now be able to merge results from both paid and earned initiatives to present a clearer picture of the success or failure of a campaign. Audience Intelligence: Social Karma's unique capability to analyze an unprecedented scope of data (demographics, media, brands, hobbies, activities, etc.) globally helps advertisers understand who are the people that really matter to a user. Social Karma's unique capability to analyze an unprecedented scope of data (demographics, media, brands, hobbies, activities, etc.) globally helps advertisers understand who are the people that really matter to a user. Content Marketing: Advertisers can make data-driven decisions to improve their content strategy. The data and strategic insights that are derived from Synthesio and Social Karma allows advertisers to build content that is relevant and useful for their audience. Advertisers can make data-driven decisions to improve their content strategy. The data and strategic insights that are derived from Synthesio and Social Karma allows advertisers to build content that is relevant and useful for their audience. Media Planning: Using the data from Social Karma, advertisers and marketers can make the right channel choices to deliver their message, instead of relying on outdated methods or data. Social Karma is located in Brussels, and their entire organization will continue to operate from that office, which is now Synthesio's newest global location. About Synthesio Synthesio, named the Global Leader by an independent analyst in two reports in Q1 2016 and an Editor's Choice by PC Mag, is a global Social Intelligence platform used by some of the world's top brands, and the agencies that support them. Synthesio is the framework for building Social Intelligence that provides real business results. Whether an organization's social team is built within marketing or crosses multiple departments, business units or geographies, Synthesio helps teams listen to, and analyze, consumer conversations across social and mainstream media within one platform. Founded in 2006, Synthesio has offices in New York, Paris, London, Singapore, and Brussels. Media Contact: Adam Dalezman Senior Communications Manager, Synthesio [email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/synthesio-continues-building-leading-social-analytics-suite-acquires-global-audience-insights-platform-300493528.html SOURCE Synthesio [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Cisco Global Sales Executive Brian Marlier Joins Privoro Advisory Board Privoro, a mobile technology company dedicated to providing security, privacy and control in today's ultra-connected, sensor-driven world, announced the appointment of Brian Marlier, Senior Vice President of Global Architectures and Enterprise Transformation for Cisco (News - Alert) Systems, to Privoro's Advisory Board. Mr. Marlier leads the Cisco team responsible for selling complex technical transformations to large customers across the globe. Before assuming this role, Mr. Marlier served as Cisco's Senior Vice President of U.S. Enterprise sales, where he was responsible for sales of Cisco technology and services to 560 of the company's largest customers in the United States. "We are excited to have Brian join our advisory board," said Privoro founder and CEO Mike Fong. "His leadership and extensive global enterprise sales experience will help us expand our reach and navigate the global market space. We look forward to his guidance in helping us drive enterprise awareness of smartphone vulnerabilities and how Privoro can uniquely address these problems." Mr. Marlier's deep knowledge of the networking and security world made him realize that the smartphone we carry with us is packed with sensors and microphones that render it a serious and growing enterprise security risk, as evidenced by example after example of smartphones being used for surveillance, data collection and exfiltration. And until Privoro, no company was directly focusing on this problem. "Privoro has a strategic advantage in this space, having recognized the risk early and moving quickly to create innovative solutions to address it," said Mr. Marlier. "I joined the team at Privoro because I believe the market is enormous and the threat largely unrecognized." About Privoro We believe that compromising security and personal privacy to live and work in today's ultra-connected, sensor-driven world is unacceptable. Privoro is committed to being a leader in information security and privacy solutions, helping people, governments and businesses defend against the growing threats of mobile espionage and unwarranted data collection. We have assembled a world-class team focused on addressing the highly complex challenges of engineering innovative, high-performance, easy-to-use solutions that enable people to trust and control their electronic devices and protect their sensitive information. For more information, please visit https://www.privoro.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725006280/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 25, 2017] Physicians' Education Resource Presents the 18th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress Physicians' Education Resource (PER) will host the 18th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress (ILCC) from July 27 to 29 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach in Huntington Beach, California. The co-chairs for this congress are, David R. Gandara, M.D., division of Hematology/Oncology, director Thoracic Oncology Program, senior adviser to the director at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, chief of medical oncology, associate director for translational research, Yale Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine. In making the announcement, Phil Talamo, president of PER, said, "We are thrilled for the upcoming International Lung Cancer Congress, now in its 18th year. The Congress has been one of the most comprehensive and detailed lung cancer CME meetings in the world with its breadth of expert faculty. This year will be one of the most impactful ever with the tremendous amount of recent data that has become available. And we are excited to discuss all of it." This two-day educational event will discuss the emerging information on management of lung cancer. Additionally, the program will encompass some of the most significant topics in cancer including the changing role of biomarkers, immunotherapeutic combination strategies, management of central nervous system metastases and the role of chemotherapies and anti-angiogenc strategies. The attendees will receive an opportunity to share their personal experiences and challenges with their peers and faculty. Gandara, M.D. added, "250 of your favorite lung cancer experts and aficionados in attendance at ILCC 2017, all focused on what is new, why it is important and how it will affect your practice." In addition, Herbst, M.D., Ph.D. said the Congress will focus on, "updates from the experts in an immersive environment to discuss patient-centered personalized care." For registration and more information about the program, visit www.gotoper.com/conferences/ilc/meetings/18th-International-Lung-Cancer-Congress. About PER: Since 1995, PER has been the leading provider of live, online and print CME activities focusing on oncology and hematology by providing high-quality, evidence-based activities featuring leading experts who focus on the application of practice-changing advances. In 2017, PER will develop and implement 21 historic annual legacy conferences in the Unites States and Europe, along with many world renowned online learning formats. PER is also the publisher of the monthly peer-reviewed American Journal of Hematology/Oncology and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the California Board of Registered Nursing. PER is part of the Cranbury, New Jersey-based Michael J. Hennessy Associates Inc. family of businesses. Learn more at www.gotoper.com and http://www.mjhassoc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170725006283/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mega Millions numbers for Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 Here are the winning Mega Millions numbers and results for the lottery jackpot drawing on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. RACINE The 24th season of the Music and More concert series continues from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at First Presbyterian Church, 716 College Ave. These free weekly concerts continue through Aug. 10 and feature a variety of musicians from the regional area. Todays performers are Mitchell Proctor, Suzanne Geoffrey and Wayne Wildman, and Caritas. Proctor is a songwriter currently attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He writes and performs songs in folk, pop and country genres. Proctor will sing four of his own arrangements and play both piano and guitar. Geoffrey plays both oboe and English horn with many orchestras in southeastern Wisconsin. She is principal oboe of the Racine, Kenosha and Manitowoc symphonies, the Wisconsin Philharmonic and the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra. Geoffrey will be accompanied on piano by Wayne Wildman, music director of Music of the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra. Caritas is a Latin word meaning charity. Kate Potter-Barrow and Greg and Kathy Berg have been performing as Caritas since 1992. They perform traditional and contemporary Christian music, Broadway songs and original songs composed by Berg. They have recorded two CDs and contributed to another CD of original music written by Berg. The church is air-conditioned with a handicapped-accessible elevator at the parking lot entrance. Additional parking is available in the adjacent lot at Living Light Community Center. Donations will be accepted each week to benefit Health Care Network, Faith, Hope & Love and Our Harmony Club. RACINE The Racine Concert Band continues its 95th season of free concerts at the Racine Zoo with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 30. The concert features mezzo-soprano Allison Hull and trumpet soloist Nancy Quist. Music Director Mark Eichner will conduct the band, and Don Rosen is the master of ceremonies. Hull returns for her 10th guest artist appearance with the band. Shell sing Pres des ramparts de Seville, a Spanish dance from Bizets opera, Carmen, and Non so piu cosa so from Mozarts Marriage of Figaro. Hull is a frequent performer on professional stages, including roles at the Milwaukee Opera Theater, the Skylight Opera, the Florentine Opera and Music By the Lake. She returns later in the program to sing two selections from the Great American Songbook: Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin and Blue Moon by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Quist will perform Concert Etude by Alexander Goedecke. A member of the Racine Concert Band since 2009, Quist is also a member of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Community Band, the UW-Parkside Community Orchestra and the Kenosha Pops Concert Band. Featured works on the program include Mozarts only ballet overture, La Petit Riens, and Bizets suite of Childrens Games. Harold Arlens The Wizard of Oz Concert Suite, Congo del Fuego Nuevo, and marches by John Philip Sousa, George Kenny, and Paul Lavalle complete the program. The concert takes place at the Kiwanis amphitheater on the east side of the zoo grounds. Audience members can enter the free concert at the Walton Avenue or Augusta Street gates, beginning at 7 p.m. A courtesy cart, for people who need assistance, is available before and after the concert. Audience members should bring lawn chairs or blankets. This is the final 2017 concert with a 7:30 p.m. start time. August concerts begin at 7 p.m. Beverages and snacks are sold. Why World-Famous Architect David Manica Is Building a Bar in Kansas City How did you become a stadium architect? "Growing up, I was either gonna be a musician and play trumpet, or be an architect. In late high school, I made the decision to be an architect and went to University of Kansas for architecture school. EPIC mention in this upscale national media publication of yet another attempt to keep the local upclass sauced so they don't notice that most of their development schemes are built upon the backs of the working poor.Checkit: RACINE On any given sunny day, the steps leading to the apartments at 716 Sixth St. would be packed with residents and neighbors having conversations and enjoying the nice weather. But since June 16, those apartments which border the roundabout by City Hall and an adjoining church have been boarded up, after the city declared them unfit for human habitation and alleged the buildings owner had not complied with recommended improvements. Representatives of the propertys ownership group, R and N Investments and Holdings LLC, greatly disputed the citys account of the buildings closure, but declined to elaborate further on the record. The listed phone number for the church, Church of God Revival Center, which R and N also owned, has been disconnected. According to City Attorney Scott Letteney, the group of town homes were inspected in May through a collaborative effort among the citys Building Division, Health Department and Police Department. The departments completed inspections, evaluations, documentation and inquiry phases and placarded the building on May 4, Letteney said. Upon such inspection, (the town homes) were deemed dangerous, unsanitary, or otherwise unfit for human habitation and unreasonable to repair, Letteney wrote in an email. Letteney added that R and N representatives were personally served with a raze order for the building and given 30 days to either comply with the order or file a temporary restraining order in court. That time period expired on June 9, according to Letteney, and R and N apparently had not taken action. In that 30-day window, city staff worked to relocate the propertys tenants and St. Vincent de Paul aided one resident with a rental down payment, Letteney said. The city was able to assist the residents in transitioning to alternative living environments, Letteney said. City staff toured the building on June 15 to confirm that the building was in fact vacant. Following that process completion, the building was boarded up on June 16 to eliminate any safety issues, according to Letteney. The city is working with local utility companies to have all utilities disconnected, Letteney said. There is asbestos in the buildings, which will have to be abated. The buildings will then be ready for bidding by local demolition contractors. Interim Kansas City Police Chief David Zimmerman and Mayor Sly James will meet with residents on the East Side on Wednesday to talk about crime and prevention. It is the second effort since last month, when the officials met with people in south Kansas City. Our concerns are, you have made exceptions to the final date which you posted to receive applications, you have allowed people to apply who live outside the KCMO school district and you allowed an applicant to submit her application to a board member (a personal friend) rather than to the board secretary. These actions are not consistent with the published procedures and instructions. Local tax fighters, who actually supported this levy on behalf of students, want to know if KCPS is following their own set guidelines for evaluating candidates for the Sales Tax Commission.Here's the word . . .Citizens For Responsible Government: "We are have been monitoring the selection process for the 1/8 cent sales tax governing committee. We are familiar with the guidelines KCPS established and the schedule you put forth."We have been a little skeptical of this sales tax from the beginning as we are considered to be against most tax increases. We pushed hard for a listing of projects this tax would be spent on thus we have been monitoring the progress. It is our goal to make sure the process is transparent and above board in all phases. The KCPS Board cannot have it any other way. The next time KCPS goes to the public with a request for a levy increase, this type of action will make it difficult for voters to trust you."It appears the Mayor is going to great lengths to be sure his picks are open and above board. We have heard he is even doing background checks on applicants. The County also seems to be following guidelines. The only deviations we have come upon rest with your board . . ."Developing . . . Jamming the SINGLE TERMINAL down our throats! Here's a real world look at the flight plan for the seemingly unavoidableThe Citizens For Responsible Government do a nice job of explaining the sitch and the difference betwixt one money grab vs. the next in their latest blast.Checkit:Below are two ordinances being considered this week at City Hall.. I am sorry for the "whack-a-mole" approach but these senseless introductions continue to come out of nowhere.- This is Jolie Justuss attempt to jam through the Burns & McDonnell single terminal plan. If you vote for this ordinance, you will approve a, without any kind of a plan. Plus you will also approve PRIVATE FINANCING Only without any consideration for Aviation Bonds to be used. This will dramatically drive up all costs associated with the airport.- This ordinance is sponsored by Katherine Shields. Neither Justus nor Shields has anyone else sponsoring their respective ordinances. Perhaps there isnt much support on the council. 170439 will again limit construction to abut use aviation bonds to finance. Aviations bonds would be cheaper. What about a proposal that doesnt limit the construction to a single terminal? As you can see, there is no need to be wasting any time on either of these proposals. Why dont we wait till we have a plan for the voters to approve and then figure out how to finance it? Maybe it will be a remodel plan!######### THIS JULY'S KANSAS CITY MURDERS THREATEN TO BREAK A LONGSTANDING MONTHLY HOMICIDE RECORD!!! Dr. Ernest Evans : So far, we have had 15 homicides in KCMO in July 2017. The record for one month in KCMO is 20 homicides (August 2008). We may set a new record this month. Mostly thanks to the weather, there has been a brief respite in the horrific Kansas City murder count.However, this pause gives us an opportunity to take stock of the situation and so far it's not looking good.Accordingly . . .Here's the word from one of the most knowledgeable crime experts in the metro who crunches the numbers for the benefit of public information:With one more weekend left to go, things could get tense and this could be close . . . In the days leading up to the end of the month, expect Kansas City elected leaders and activists on the payroll to ramp up their publicity stunts.Developing . . . In response to jailings of journalists and human rights activists the Foreign Ministry is now warning German citizens that they face risks if they go to Turkey Germany's foreign minister interrupted his vacation on the North Sea to return to Berlin to deliver the most strongly worded statement yet against Turkey's imprisonment of German journalists and human right activists. "We want Turkey to be a part of the West, or at least remain in its current position, but it takes two to tango," Sigmar Gabriel at a press conference in Berlin. "I cannot make out any willingness on the part of the current Turkish government to follow this path with us. For that reason Germany is forced to reorient its Turkey policy. The first consequences will be new travel advisories for German citizens in Turkey." Gabriel said that Germans traveling to Turkey were incurring "risks," and the ministry website recommended Germans should exercise "heightened caution" when visiting Turkey. 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 Source: dw.com Bahrain's Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning will be carrying out the infrastructure works for the $1-billion King Abdullah Medical City, a massive healthcare project coming up in the south of the kingdom. A financing contract worth BD16.5 million ($43.4 million) has been signed between Bahrain government and the Saudi Development Fund in this regard, stated Ahmed Al Khayyat, the works affairs undersecretary at the ministry. The scope of work includes the main 66 kV power station, a sewage treatment plant, water collection tanks besides sewerage, irrigation and stormwater drainage networks. The ministry will also handle the internal and external roads networks, lighting, telecommunication network and aesthetic works, he added. The giant medical city project is being funded through a SR1 billion ($267 million) grant from the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and will be built on a one-million-sq-m plot donated by His Majesty King Hamad at Durrat Al Bahrain. The medical city will be a multiple-phased mixed-use development comprising academic and medical facilities, a research centre, on-site accommodation and other communal facilities to create a self-sustained campus, said senior ministry officials. Al Khayyat was speaking after a meeting with the officials of Saud Consult, the project consultants for King Abdulla Medical City, in the presence of advisor Nabeel Al Khalfan and Hassan Al Arrayedh from the Electricity & Water Authority and representatives from the Arab Gulf University Hisham Jaffar (HAJ), the project owner. Highlighting the infrastructure and facilities design stages, Al Khyatt said the preliminary designs for the project have completed, while the detailed designs are presently in process.-TradeArabia News Service France-based Alstom, a multinational company operating worldwide in rail transport markets, recently signed a major deal with Iran to produce subway cars, said a report. The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Tehran in which Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammadreza Nematzadeh was also present, added the Iran Daily News report, citing Tasnim News Agency. Officials from Alstom, the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO) and Iranian Rail Industries Development Company (IRICO) inked the trilateral agreement, it said. Nematzadeh said that the Iranian rail transport industry has had a minor share in the country's development, and called for efforts to develop the industry. He further pointed to the subway projects in seven metropolises nationwide, noting that manufacturing subway cars is one of the primary requirements for the projects. Iran is preparing contracts with French Total and Royal Dutch Shell to implement petrochemical projects, a senior Iranian official said in a report. The parties are negotiating the final issues for the contracts, Marzieh Shahdaei, head of Iran's National Petrochemical Company (NPC), was quoted as saying in an Iran Daily News report, citing IRNA. Both Total and Shell signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran in the petrochemical sector in 2016. Shahdaei said that the contract with Total will be worth $2 billion while Iran's deal with Shell is estimated at $6 billion, it said. Iran plans to attract investment to the tune of $10 billion in the petrochemical sector in the year to March 20, 2018. Iran's petrochemical output is expected to double by 2021 to reach 120 million tonnes per year. Total and Iran earlier signed a 20-year contract valued at $4.8 billion to develop Phase 11 of South Pars Gas Fields, added the report. Dubai-based airline flydubai has announced the addition of three destinations to its Russian network, bringing its presence in the country to ten points, a report said. This autumn, the airline will launch flights to Makhachkala and Voronezh, and resume services to Ufa. Flights from Dubai to Makhachkala and Voronezh will operate twice a week, from October 31 and October 29, respectively, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency. Services to Ufa will relaunch on October 31 with three flights a week. This will make flydubai the only UAE-based carrier to offer direct air links on these routes. Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer of flydubai, said, "Russia has been a key part of flydubais network since an early stage in our operations. We entered the market in 2010 and focused on markets that were previously under served from Dubai. Russian passengers recognise the benefits of direct air links and together with our product offering have helped us to successfully grow our service across the country. Today, we are pleased to further expand our footprint as we see a growing demand for travel from Russia to Dubai." Along with the new additions, flydubais network in Russia includes Kazan, Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Yekaterinburg. MOUNT PLEASANT Many questions remain in the discovery of a womans body on Monday on a rural parcel in Mount Pleasant, just off the ditch line of the 11000 block of Louis Sorenson Road. Investigators consider the death suspicious and an autopsy done Tuesday morning did not reveal a cause of death. There is more testing that needs to be done, Mount Pleasant Chief Tim Zarzecki said. Zarzecki said despite no identification on the body at the scene, investigators have identified the woman and are notifying family before releasing it to the public. Sharon Stollenwerk, who saw the body on her property, said the woman is not a neighbor and shes never seen her before. We really dont know much more than just finding the body, Stollenwerk said. I thought it was a mannequin, but it turned out not to be. Stollenwerk said the 45-acre parcel had trails cut in the brush for neighbors to use for walking. Our property is for our enjoyment ... We cut the paths and we have people that walk on it, Stollenwerk said. Zarzecki has ruled out the possibility of it being Dover resident Lynn Rickard, who has been missing since June 25. The death appears to have happened in the last few days, Zarzecki said. The Mount Pleasant Police Department is being assisted by the State Crime Lab Response Team and the State Patrol Reconstruction Unit. Weve taken casts of everything that may have made a mark (at the scene) whether it be a shoe print, vehicle print or anything like that, Zarzecki said. Were doing everything we can to solve the case and find out what happened. Anyone with information that may help investigators is asked to contact Mount Pleasant Police at 262-886-2300 or Crime Stoppers of Racine County Inc., via the following options: Crime Stoppers anonymous tip by telephone (888-636-9330); Crime Stoppers of Racine County, www.racine.crimestoppersweb.com; or by text messaging RACS + message to CRIMES(274637). Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, a charity that works to protect endangered and injured wildlife in Malawi with its Lilongwe Wildlife Centre project, have released their latest newsletter. With news of their recent Tusk award nomination, Jackals released into Namitete after being saved by LWT and the LWT vet lending a hand for the world-famous elephant translocation currently ongoing, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust have been extremely busy on various projects in Malawi. (TRAVPR.COM) UK - July 24th, 2017 - Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, a charity that works to protect endangered and injured wildlife in Malawi with its Lilongwe Wildlife Centre project, have released their latest newsletter. With news of their recent Tusk award nomination, Jackals released into Namitete after being saved by LWT and the LWT vet lending a hand for the world-famous elephant translocation currently ongoing, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust have been extremely busy on various projects in Malawi. Read our summary below or see the full newsletter here. Tusk Award Finalist: Congratulations Director! Lilongwe Wildlife Trust have nominated Brighton Kumchedwa, Director of DNPW Malawi and an LWT trustee, for the prestigious Tusk Conservation Award and he has been chosen as one of three finalists. The accolade is also a reflection on Malawis wider response to serious wildlife crime. The winner will be announced in Cape Town, South Africa in October. Jackals Released Three jackals were rescued and brought in to the Wildlife Centre in September last year. They were given health checks and eventually moved to their soft release enclosure in Namitete last month, which is just outside Lilongwe in the same area they were rescued. The LWT rescue and rehabilitation team set up camera traps once they were released from their enclosure and they have been spotted several times. They appear to be doing very well and will continue to be monitored. LWT Veterinarian lending hand for elephant move Elephants are on the move again! African Parks is undertaking the second wave of what is the worlds biggest ever translocation of wildlife in which a total of 500 elephants are being moved, most being from Liwonde National Park to Nkhotakhota National Park. Dr. Amanda Salb, Head of the LWT Wildlife Emergency Response Unit, has been working with their team to provide extra veterinary support. For the full newsletter, visit the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust website. ### The Independent Food Tour Association is a new global alliance of quality independent food tour operators. TIFTA aims to create a reputable community of the best food tours which will become the trusted source for food travellers around the world. (TRAVPR.COM) GLOBAL - July 25th, 2017 - We are proud to announce the launch of The Independent Food Tour Association (TIFTA), a global alliance of quality independent food tour operators. Founded in Asia, TIFTA has received strong interest from food tour operators around the world, and will be accepting members from Europe in the coming months. James Pelham, Founder of TIFTA and owner of Singabites said "Our mission at TIFTA is to create a reputable community of the best food tours globally which will become the trusted source for food travellers around the world." Food Tourism is a growing sector and has seen a corresponding rapid increase in the number of companies offering food tours. These tours vary greatly in experience and quality. TIFTA aims to recognise those operators with quality operations to make selection of a rewarding food tour easier for tourists. Unlike booking platforms such as Viator, TIFTA membership is restricted to experienced independent tour operators that meet minimum quality standards. Wai Zhou, Co-founder of TIFTA and owner of Eating Adventures said "We are honoured to have such high quality tour operators join as our founding members. So far we have 8 tour operators covering 13 cities in Asia. Members include, Taste of Thailand, Food Tours Malaysia, Lost Plate, Saigon Street Eats, Oishii Tokyo, Queenies Food Tours, Eating Adventures and Singabites. We have received numerous additional applications for membership and we look forward to adding more quality tour operators in the coming months." As an added bonus, the TIFTA alliance offers clients a 10% discount on future tours with partner members (Terms and Conditions Apply). ### Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : YOUR CHANCE TO MEET SUPERSTAR SALMAN KHAN IS HERE! Industry: Events It's time to celebrate as Superstar Salman Khan's new film Tubelight is set to release on 23rd June. Joining the celebrations is Cox & Kings which has partnered with Tubelight to launch 'Pose Karo, Tubelight se Milo' contest. The lucky winners stand a chance to live their fan moment of meeting Salman Khan. (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - July 25th, 2017 - Mumbai : It's time to celebrate as Superstar Salman Khan's new film Tubelight is set to release on 23rd June. Joining the celebrations is Cox & Kings which has partnered with Tubelight to launch 'Pose Karo, Tubelight se Milo' contest. The lucky winners stand a chance to live their fan moment of meeting Salman Khan. Sparking curiosity among the fans about what's new in Salman Khan's next, they have already started making note of the locations where he has been dancing carefree with his real and reel brother Sohail Khan. Moreover, it's music to the ears when the songs 'Nach Meri Jaan' and 'Radio' shot at iconic destinations of Ladakh and Manali are already making waves. The contestants have to click a selfie at their favourite location seen in the movie and post it on Facebook with the hashtag #BharatDekoTubelight. Cox & Kings has curated special itineraries covering the specific locations where the movie was shot. Alternatively, one can simply visit the nearest Cox & Kings' store to book a package and click a selfie with Salman Khan's cut-out and post it with the hashtag. The lucky few will be picked from the hashtag feed and will win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Salman Khan. Speaking about the partnership, Yusuf Poonawala, Head - Bharat Deko, Cox & Kings said, "the film Tubelight will transport you to picturesque and scenic locations where the movie was shot and by booking our package you get an opportunity to meet your favourite Superstar Salman Khan.'' He added, 'as part of our celebrations we have launched exclusive Bharat Deko packages called 'Tubelight tours to destinations such as Manali, Ladakh, Shimla, and Amritsar, where the movie was filmed. '' The famous songs of the film Tubelight provide a glimpse of the scenic beauty of North India. Cox & Kings has also launched products keeping the movie theme in mind. Tubelight - Manali 05 Days / 04 Nights * Ex - Chandigarh Manali PRICE 17,099 Per Person Tubelight - Ladakh 07 Days / 06 Nights * Ex - Leh Leh, Nubra Valley & Pangong PRICE 29,999 Per Person Tubelight - Manali with Chandigarh 06 Days / 05 Nights * Ex - Chandigarh Chandigarh & Manali PRICE 20,799 Per Person Tubelight - Himachal 09 Days / 08 Nights * Ex - Chandigarh Chandigarh, Manali, Dharamshala & Dalhousie PRICE 32,999 Per Person ABOUT COX & KINGS LTD: (BSE: 533144 | NSE: COX&KINGS) Cox & Kings Ltd. ('C&K') is a leading leisure and education travel group with operations in 22 countries across four continents. It is one of the most experienced travel companies in the world, having been in operation since 1758. Headquartered in India, C&K has over the last three decades transformed itself into a diversified, multinational travel conglomerate with a focus on the new-age global consumer. C&K operates in three key verticals; Leisure, Education, Hybrid Hotels. Leisure-India is best known by the ubiquitous Cox & Kings brand in India, where we are an integrated travel enterprise, offering the best and widest range of travel options to individuals, groups and businesses in the fastest growing major economy in the world. www.coxandkings.com Leisure-International operates in multiple countries, mainly under the Cox & Kings brand, with a greater focus on premium-end travel. www.coxandkings.co.uk Education operates under the brand names PGL and NST, among others. PGL and NST are market leaders in experiential learning in the UK and we intend to take these brands across the world; we have recently entered the Australian market. www.pgl.co.uk, www.nstgroup.co.uk Meininger currently operates more than 8,500 beds across 17 hotels in 11 European cities. The unique hybrid concept of Meininger combines the service and comfort of a hotel with the uncomplicated nature of a hostel; top locations, high-quality amenities, flexible room structure and reasonable prices. www.meininger-hotels.com Cox & Kings is one of the founding members of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and also a member of premier industry associations across the world. Over the years the company has won many awards which stand testimony to its excellence in service. In 2016, it won Hospitality India Travel Award for Best Domestic Tour Operator and Best Experiential Travel Company. Cox & Kings Trade Fairs was recognized as Champions of ChinaPlas for 2016, fourth time in a row. In 2017, continuing with its winning legacy, Cox & Kings won the coveted SATTE Awards and Travel and Lifestyle Leadership Award for Best Outbound Tour Operator. Cox & Kings has also been a consistent winner at the World Travel Awards since years. The title of Asia's Leading Luxury Tour Operator was bagged for the 3rd consecutive time, India's Leading Tour Operator for the 4th time and India's Leading Travel Agency for the 5th consecutive time in 2017. For further media details, contact: Thomas C. Thottathil Cox & Kings Ltd. Head - Corporate Communications T: +91-22-22709100 E: thomasct@coxandkings.com W: http://www.coxandkings.com ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release : CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Thomas C. Thottathil Company: Cox & Kings Ltd. Phone: +91-22-22709100 Email: thomasct@coxandkings.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS Destination Sri Lanka, fronted by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) organised a travel trade roadshow in Chennai and Hyderabad. (TRAVPR.COM) KARNATAKA - July 25th, 2017 - Cities of culture and the countrys colourful history was the focus of this years Sri Lanka Tourism Roadshow. The event was organised with a view to promote Sri Lankan destinations to increase business to Sri Lanka. A selective presentation of Sri Lankas attractions, including wealth of wildlife and culture was presented to the exclusive guest list of Indias most prominent outbound travel trade buyers. The Roadshow commenced in Chennai on 18th of July, 2017 and was followed by Hyderabad on 19th of July, 2017. This two day event included one to one meetings, presentation and workshop offering a great networking opportunity for Indian outbound travel professionals and understanding of the unique offerings for Indian travellers to Sri Lanka. SLTPB is expecting a growth of over 26%, about 4, 50,000 Indian tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka in 2017 to explore its beautiful destinations since India reigns as Sri Lanka's biggest tourist market. With the growing number of Indian leisure traveller to Sri Lanka, the famous Ramayana Trail remains favourite and is hugely popular among Indian religious tourists. The year 2016 saw a growth of 12.8%, about 3, 56,729 Indian tourist visiting Sri Lanka compared to around 3, 16,247 in 2015. With varying climates and geography packed into a small island Sri Lanka offers a range of adventures from the top of the mountains to the depths of the oceans. It is one of the most sought after destination for adventure tourists in India. Witnessing the growth and potential from India, SLTPB has taken a step forward in consolidating their presence in the Indian market. Expressing his purpose and vision for the promotional events in India, Mr. Viranga Bandara, Assistant Director Marketing said Sri Lanka has gained immense popularity in India and has experienced a consistent growth since last decade. We organised these events to explore this beautiful landmark of joyful people and tap the travel agents to increase the flow of business. The purpose was to enhance destination visibility among travel trade & consumers, to further consolidate Sri Lankas position as the preferred destination for Indian travellers. We are confident that in 2017 a lot of more Indians will choose Sri Lanka as their preferred holiday destination. Sri Lanka wholeheartedly welcomes Indians with open hearts. About Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka is filled with romantic landscapes, governed by rising mountains, lush forests, picturesque beaches and gushing waterfalls. The golden beaches of the country had been praised for their picture postcard views since eternity. The dusk and dawn and many human activities connected to these times of the day creates a vibrant picture along the coasts of Sri Lanka. One must explore Sri Lankas pristine beaches and visit the `Ramayana trail sites, UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya and fascinating history of Dambulla. Be it family and leisure getaways, adventure and rejuvenation, Sri Lanka has it all. Explore Sri Lanka - the wonder of Asia! For more information please contact: Ms. Pushpanjali Singh Manager Public Relations Email: p.singh@spheretravelmedia.com Tel: +91 80 4083 4103 ### RACINE From the superintendent down, Racine Unified School District employees are going to be part of the employee handbook when the latest update is completed, but there is strong opposition for the changes. At the School Board meeting on Monday, Superintendent Lolli Haws said the current handbook was measured against the employee handbook of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, which is used as a template with districts in Wisconsin, at the request of the School Board. Right now we are working on revising that original (draft) that we sought to incorporate as much of the feedback that we got from the board, Haws said. Well get that to the board in the next week or so. Well be sending you our suggested revision based on your input. The School Board did not comment on any of the proposed changes Monday because board members typically do not comment on the superintendent report. The board has not set a date to vote on the revised employee handbook. The district plans on updating policies regarding management rights, professional conduct and more detailed employee expectations. It would also eliminate or drastically change the Board of Adjustments, which handles a lot of employee benefits but has come under scrutiny for its legality regarding collective bargaining. As the process to change the handbook goes forward, the district is planning on holding a Kaizen event, a method the district has used in the past to bring several different stakeholder groups together to find the best solutions to a problem. Things that Ive heard people talk about that theyre a little concerned about are exactly the things that we would see going into that Kaizen event, Haws said. The process for making changes and revisions, again, I think that Kaizen group would come up with (the process) rather than define ourselves. The idea to include the Kaizen process while evaluating the handbook, Haws said, came from a meeting with leadership with the Racine Education Association (REA) on June 19. They brought forward what I thought was a terrific idea, to say can we use the Kaizen process in working through that consultative process, Haws said. One of the areas being looked at, as defined by the School Board, Haws said, is a provision to effectively compete for qualified and skilled staff within funding realities. ... which I interpret as looking at our salary schedule, Haws said. I think theres genuine agreement across all groups that our salary schedule needs to be addressed and worked through as well. Haws urged the School Board, when the time comes to pass the handbook, that with that policy adoption comes an understanding that a Kaizen event with all employee groups represented will ensue and will be completed by January 8. REA opposed to changes Angelina Cruz, president of the REA, is vehemently opposed to the changes and said the meeting with Haws was grossly misrepresented. Our suggestion was to use the Kaizen process as a vehicle to address the sections of the employee handbook that have been identified as problematic, Cruz said. Not to pass this (handbook) and use (the Kaizen) on addendums. Cruz advocated to the School Board that mistakes made by the administration should not be passed on to teachers. Teachers do not run this district, administration runs this district at the discretion of this board, Cruz said. We have no interest in owning your egregious mistakes and this would be one of them. Cruz urged the School Board to vote against the handbook changes and direct the administration to work with all employee groups to move this district forward together. Silencing the voices of educators is silencing the voices of our kids and their families. Our teaching conditions are our kids learning conditions, Cruz said. Were not talking about collective bargaining. Were talking about professional respect and engaging in conversation through the already existing meet and confer process. Amy Mizialko, Milwaukee Teachers Education Association vice president, also voiced her opposition to the changes. I felt compelled to drive here to be here with you tonight because its clear to me that the nature of the Milwaukee meet and confer process has been grossly misrepresented to you, Mizialko said adding MPS administration meets regularly with employee groups. Meet and confer is not collective bargaining. Meet and confer is a sign of respect. Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 24 The I-T Department today said it has provided an optional reporting of details of one foreign bank account by the NRIs in refund cases.The department said NRIs who are not claiming tax refund or non-residents who are claiming refund but having a bank account in India are not required to furnish details of their foreign bank account. A number of representations were received from the NRIs that they are facing difficulties in getting refund as they do not have bank account in India and there is no column in the notified form of return of income for reporting details of foreign bank account. In view of this, a facility has been provided in return utility for reporting of details of bank account by non-residents, who do not have bank account in India and who are claiming income-tax refund. Therefore, the NRIs who are not claiming refund or non-residents who are claiming refund but having a bank account in India are not required to furnish details of their foreign bank account, said the clarification. Mumbai, July 25 The rupee weakened by 5 paise to trade at 64.39 against the US dollar in opening session at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on Tuesday. Fresh demand for the US currency from banks and importers weighed on the rupee sentiment, dealers said. Domestic equity markets opening with strong gains, however, helped the rupee cap losses, they added. The rupee had shed 2 paise to end at 64.34 against the US currency on Monday. Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex hit a new high of 32,374.30 by rising by 128.43 points. The NSE Nifty breached the historical 10,000 mark in opening trade. PTI Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 Two days after two thieves made way with valuables, including a laptop, an LED TV and an ATM card through which Rs 21,000 was withdrawn, from a house in Sector 21, the UT police have arrested the duo. The police claim to have solved five cases of theft with their arrest. The accused worked as security guards at a society in Zirakpur at night and committed the theft during daytime. On July 21, the complainant, Amit Thakur, had reported that thieves decamped with household articles, a laptop, an LED TV and an ATM card from his house. Following the incident, a team of the Sector 19 police station scrutinised the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area through which the registration number of the motorcycle used by the accused was revealed. DSP (East) Satish Kumar said the accused later withdrew Rs 21,000 using the complainants card from an ATM in Baltana. We collected the CCTV footage of the ATM, which led to the identification of the accused, the DSP said. The accused, Gagandeep (27) and Mahesh, alias Ajay (39), both residents of Phase II, Dhakoli, were arrested. Police officials said with the arrest of the accused, seven LED TVs, three laptops, an Activa scooter, nine mobile phones, a digital camera, two wrist watches, artificial jewellery and garments had been recovered. The police have also seized two motorcycles owned by the accused, which were used in the crime. Shashi Pal Jain Kharar, July 24 The parents of Amrinder Singh (27), who reside in the nearby Simbal Majra village, are spending sleepless nights to meet their son in France, whose feet and hands had to be amputated at a hospital in Paris due to a disease. The French Embassy in New Delhi has rejected their visa application. Avtar Singh and his wife Amarjeet Kaur told this correspondent that their son Amrinder Singh, who has a four-year-old girl and a one-and-a-half-year-old boy, was working in France. He left India about three years ago and started working as an electrician there. On June 23, he returned home and told his wife Harpreet Kaur that he was not feeling well. During the night, he had high temperature and was admitted to a hospital the next day. He became unconscious and remained in that state for 22 days. As his condition was worsening, doctors asked them to admit him to a big hospital in Paris. An NGO helped them. His treatment was started at a hospital in Paris, but his feet and hands had to be amputated in the hospital. He is struggling for life in the hospital. On learning about their sons condition, the parents wanted to go to Paris and applied for a visa. They appeared for an interview in the French Embassy in Delhi on June 30, but their application was rejected on the grounds that the information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay is not reliable and their intention to leave the territory of the member states before the expiry of the visa cannot be ascertained. The parents are now distraught. They want to see their ailing son in France. They have appealed to the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Union External Affairs Minister to help them get a visa. Mohali MLA assures hapless family of help Mohali: Local Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu has assured the hapless family that he will take up the matter with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. I have assured them that the state government will extend all possible help to Amrinders family and to his parents to get a visa to France, said Sidhu. Village sarpanch Sarabjit Singh said residents and panchayat members would extend all kind of help to the family. We all are worried about Amrinder Singh, whose limbs have been amputated by doctors in Paris. We dont know much about the Amrinders disease, said Sarabjit Singh. The entire village is praying for the recovery of Amrinder Singh. TNS Sushma Swaraj offers help Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 24 The Supreme Court today directed setting up of a medical board to examine a 10-year-old rape survivor from Chandigarh to decide if it was safe to terminate her 26-week-old unwanted pregnancy. A Bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar issued a notice to the Centre and the other authorities on a plea for permission to terminate the pregnancy filed by the minor, who was allegedly raped by her uncle. It asked the Chandigarh Legal Services Authority Member Secretary to assist it as amicus curiae and get the rape survivor examined by a board of doctors on July 26 at the PGI, Chandigarh. The Bench said the medical board would have to ascertain that if allowed to abort the foetus, what could be the possible risk to the minors life. It has asked the Member Secretary to ensure that the rape survivor and one of her parents were provided proper transportation facility for her medical examination. Directing the filing of the medical report in a sealed cover, the Bench fixed July 28 for further hearing. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, a woman is not permitted to abort her foetus after the pregnancy crosses 20 weeks, unless the mothers life is at risk. Its for this reason that often pregnant women move the top court for permission to terminate the pregnancy that has crossed 20 weeks. Earlier, a Chandigarh district court had on July 18 refused to let the girl undergo the abortion after it was confirmed that she was 26-week pregnant. Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, who filed the petition, requested the top court to lay down appropriate guidelines to set up a permanent medical board in each district of India for expedient termination of pregnancies in exceptional cases involving child rape survivors under the best possible medical facilities. Medical experts have categorically opined that if the 10-year-old rape survivor is forced to give birth through normal delivery or C-section, it may be fatal to the life of the girl as well her child, the petition read. It wanted a direction to the Centre to amend Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, so as to permit termination of pregnancies of more than 20 weeks, particularly involving child rape survivors after obtaining requisite opinion from a permanently constituted medical board. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 A 58-year-old woman was crushed under the wheels of a Punjab Roadways bus while her 27-year-old daughter was injured after the scooter they were riding on was hit by the bus near the ISBT on Sunday night. The deceased has been identified as Kamaljit Kaur, a resident of Mohali. Her daughter Rachna is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mohali. The incident took place around 9 pm when the duo was heading home after meeting relatives in Chandigarh. Rachna was driving the scooter while her mother was riding pillion. The mishap occurred when the speeding bus hit the Activa scooter from the rear side. Passersby rushed the injured to a hospital in Mohali where Kamaljit Kaur was declared brought dead. The driver of the bus managed to flee from the spot. Sushma Ramachandran Sushma Ramachandran THE decision to finally go ahead with the merger of two public sector oil giants, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has been taken after over a decade of mulling over the proposal. The idea was initially mooted in 2004 by then Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar who set up a high-level committee to examine the issue. The committee headed by V Krishnamurthy and comprising luminaries like Vijay Kelkar and GV Ramakrishna was opposed to the proposal. Instead, it suggested setting up a national shareholding trust to vest government shares in such companies while providing greater autonomy to the oil firms. Despite this categorical rejection, it is now a reality. The restructuring of these two public sector companies cannot be seen in isolation. It seems to be part of an overall policy move to shake up government owned companies. This is indicated by the fact that the merger is the second of two major changes proposed in this sector. The first was the relatively radical decision to privatise the failing national carrier, Air India. A rational measure but difficult to implement, given the emotional public attachment to the carrier which is viewed as an iconic institution. The second major overhaul in the public sector is the merger in the hydrocarbons sector. This particular decision may seem equally logical but may not yield all the desired results. Experts have debated for years over the need to have an integrated oil entity on the lines of global oil majors Shell, Exxon, Petronas and BP. Historically, however, oil companies in the country evolved in a manner that did not naturally lead to the creation of such a vertically integrated organisation. ONGC and the Indian Oil Corporation were set up as fledgling exploration, production and refining companies in 1956 and 1959. The supply of petroleum products in the country, however, was handled largely, even after Independence, by multinationals. These were nationalised in the early 1970s by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Esso and Caltex became HPCL and Burmah Shell became BPCL. The two largest oil companies, ONGC, an oil producing firm, and IOC, an oil refining and marketing concern, have been highly profitable over the years and a merger to create a vertical integration has never been on the cards. Besides, it has always been considered wiser to have at least two such entities in the petroleum sector rather than one behemoth. The benefit of the merger right now, however, will accrue to the government rather than to the oil industry or the consumer. With ONGC buying the government shareholding of 51.1 per cent in HPCL, it will have to shell out as much as Rs 29,000 crore to the exchequer. This amounts to about 40 per cent of the disinvestment target of Rs 72,500 crore set for the current fiscal. With this inflow, the Finance Ministry should be able to comfortably meet its fiscal deficit target for the year. It has even been decided that the funds from the stake sale in HPCL will be used for social sector programmes. As for the aspect of competing with global majors, it looks a far cry right now. The combined revenues of ONGC and HPCL are estimated roughly at about $60 billion. This may look huge in the Indian context but still makes the merged venture look like a pygmy compared to Shells revenues of $419 billion and Exxons $365 billion. Indian oil companies will thus remain much smaller than foreign oil majors and the merger is not likely to give a significant competitive edge to the new concern. The other argument being made is that an entity with vertical integration of oil production, refining and marketing will have greater flexibility in bidding for assets abroad. But this can equally be done by having the two companies work together for overseas projects. Besides, doubts are being expressed over ONGCs ability to actually raise the huge amount needed to buy the HPCL stake. It is already reported to have a huge debt overhang on its books. With this acquisition, the company may lose much of its financial muscle in future. Yet another factor that may have a negative effect on the merged firm will be the clash of two company cultures. HPCL has long had a reputation of being highly efficient while ONGC, despite being profitable, has not always taken the right policy decisions. Some of this can be attributed to lack of autonomy, such as the decision to offer its own discovered fields for production to private operators. Its stakes in foreign oilfields have also not been productive in all cases. Though so far the decision is to keep HPCL as a separate subsidiary company with ONGC as a holding company, there remain fears that its vibrant corporate culture may be hurt by the merger. As far as playing a big role in refining and marketing, it must be pointed out that HPCL currently has only an 11 per cent share in oil refining capacity from its three plants. This will be supplemented with the addition of the Mangalore Refinery which is already part of ONGC. Even so, the bulk of refining capacity remains with IOC. The question is, is there any upside for consumers of petroleum products. The clear answer appears to be in the negative. The merger is aimed at trying to be competitive in the international market rather than the domestic one. True competition would mean allowing private domestic and foreign players into the marketing arena for petrol and diesel sales. Owing to strategic issues, foreign entry into oil refining and marketing is virtually ruled out. Hence consumers have no option but to rely on supplies from the dominant public sector companies, as private companies like Reliance and Essar still remain marginal players in the area of marketing. To sum it up, the ONGC-HPCL merger is more about shoring up government revenues than creating a vertically integrated entity in the hydrocarbons sector. One can only hope that this short-term objective will not lead to a long-term disaster. Many lessons have surely been learned from the botched merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, but the government would be wise to tread carefully as the merger is in a highly strategic and sensitive area of the economy. Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 After seeking property records of three IAS officers from Haryana in its ongoing investigation into the 400-acre Manesar land deal, the CBI has now summoned 1997-batch officer Rakesh Gupta. Presently posted as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Gupta has been asked to join investigation in a case in which the Enforcement Directorate has already raided premises of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda besides other key officers. Gupta, as the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon in 2007, had forwarded a request letter to the then Congress government seeking early action with regard to release of pucca houses falling in the area notified for acquisition. The action was sought in keeping with the demand of Manesar villagers. Sources said that Gupta wrote the letter following a road blockade by villagers who were seeking release of their houses from acquisition proceedings, taking the plea that these had been in existence for over 40 years. The government, taking a view on the acquisition, chose to drop the entire proceedings after notifying Section 4 and Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, instead of releasing only the land where these houses stood. Sources said that if the government had acted on the recommendation made by the then DC, it would not have released the remaining land on which licences were later given. Sources said that the investigating agency which had already sought property details of three officers, including Gupta, was trying to establish if the real estate players were favoured in the Manesar land deal release case and whether there was any kind of quid pro quo. In 2015, the CBI had registered a case against builders for their alleged role in the purchase of 400 acres of land from farmers at very low rates in Manesar and against Haryanas officers since the land was later released from acquisition. The allegation is that the villagers sold off their land to private builders in desperation once acquisition proceedings were announced and notified. After Section 6, the government dropped the proceedings which resulted in alleged windfall gains made by the builders who had purchased the land and got licences for colonies. The villagers, feeling cheated, decided to move court against the release of the land. Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, July 25 After a video statement of former Simi chief Safdar Nagori surfaced in the media, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday demanded a high-level probe to fix responsibility of those who allegedly released two suspected Pakistani terrorists involved in the Samjhauta Express blast in 2007. A video of the narco-analysis interrogation of Nagori accessed by a TV news channel shows the former Simi chief admitting on tape that the Samjhauta Express blasts were carried out by those trained in Pakistan. Vij wrote on his Facebook page that the top Congress leadership had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to blame Hindu terrorists behind the blast in which 68 persons, several of them Pakistanis, were killed near Panipat. He demanded narco-analysis of Congress leaders and top investigators to know who was instrumental in releasing the two Pakistanis and not taking on record the revelations by Nagori in his narco test. Vij alleged that Congress leaders from Haryana and the Centre had colluded to defame Hindus by framing term Hindu terror. He said such people be exposed for lying and going easy on real perpetrators for a terror attack. Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, July 24 Senior vice-president of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (ad hoc) Didar Singh Nalvi today floated a new organisation to contest gurdwara elections in the state. Addressing mediapersons after holding a meeting with supporters, Nalvi said the organisation, which was yet to be named, would also raise human rights and other issues of Sikhs, who were a minority community in the state. Nalvi said the front would remain independent from any political interference and also stay away from Assembly or Parliamentary elections. He claimed support of at least four other members of HSGMC (ad hoc) for the initiative. Earlier, HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda had formed Janta Akali Dal (JAD) to contest gurdwara elections and Assembly or Parliamentary polls in various states. Nalvi said unlike JAD, his organisation would not allow politicians to eclipse the shrine management. In 2000, we had started a fight to free Haryana gurdwaras from the clutches of the SGPC that is controlled by Akali leaders of Punjab. By floating a political front, Jhinda had also followed in the footsteps of Akalis to maintain influence on religious and political levels, he said. Meanwhile, Jhinda alleged Nalvi was playing into the hands of Akali leadership to divide Sikhs of the state. With the majority support of the HGSMC members, JAD was floated to safeguard the interests of Sikhs in Haryana and other states. We are also fighting a legal battle to have an independent gurdwara panel. But Nalvis futile effort would create confusion among Sikh sangat over leadership issue, said Jhinda. Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, July 24 On July 6, when the body of the rape victim was recovered with bites on her body, torn clothes kept aside and leg brutally stretched, certain influential locals, including a pujari of Dandi temple, made it public that the girl was killed by "Dandi ka Rakshash" to shield the culprits and divert the attention of the family and villagers. This story was narrated here today by family members and members of the Gudia Vikas Manch. Even they contested the police theory that the girl knew Raju, the main accused arrested by SIT, and he had given her lift. After 20 days have passed, the entire state rejects the police probe. I appeal to family members of the culprits to hand them over to the CBI. They may use money power to protect them. But I have full faith in God, said Sharda Damset, victims aunt and convener of the manch in her tearful address after they staged a march from the DC office to the Secretariat. The victims sister and cousins said to raise voice for justice was no politics. We appeal to the public, the government and the CBI to bring culprits to book. We never thought the Chief Minister would make statements that such crimes are no new, they lamented. The post-mortem report and forensic evidence gathered by the police confirmed that it was not any non-existent Dandi Ka Rakshash who killed the girl. But it was the handiwork of some local Raksashas, said Rakesh Singha, president, HP Apple Growers Association, who visited the spot and family members twice and vowed to fight for justice. Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 24 The Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the alleged thrashing of policemen by its personnel in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district that left eight policemen, including an Assistant Sub Inspector, injured late Friday. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said the police had already taken cognisance of the incident and Armys Court of Inquiry had already started. The police on its part have taken cognisance of the matter. The matter has also been taken up with the senior formations of the Army up to the 15 Corps Commander, Lt Gen J S Sandhu. The Director General of Police has lodged a strong protest with the Corps Commander, who responded quickly and ordered a court of inquiry, the IGP told reporters in Srinagar. A scuffle allegedly broke out on Friday night in Ganderbal district after a group of soldiers in civvies returning from the Amarnath yatra were stopped at a checkpoint in Gund. The police had said the soldiers insisted on going ahead and a scuffle broke out. Later, troops came and stormed a police station in Gund and beat up policemen and ransacked the station. The Army later described the incident a minor one, saying that nobody suffered major injuries. The IGP said that on Lt General Sandhus directions, the Brigade Commander, 3 Sector, and the Commanding Officer of the unit to which the accused Army men belonged, went to the police station. The court of inquiry has already started, the IGP added. A day after the incident, the Chinar Corps Commander took to Twitter to say: Efforts to create a divide between the Army and the police by anti-nationals wont work. Were together always working as brothers-in-arms. Vikram Sharma Tribune News service Jammu, July 24 Schools in J&K have become a political battleground for various community leaders who have started a war for respective languages to be included in the school curriculum. After the state government order to introduce Dogri, Kashmiri and Bodhi in the school curriculum, various organisations and sub-groups have started demanding inclusion of different languages in Jammu schools creating chaos and confusion for the education system in the state. Various Sikh organisations took up the lead in the campaign on June 22 demanding revocation or modification of the Education Departments order of excluding Punjabi as compulsory subject, threatening stir if necessary amendment in the order was not done. The warning was issued by various Sikh organisations, including State Gurudwara Parbandhak Board, District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Shiromani Akali Dal, Punjabi Lekhak Sabha-Jammu, Sikh Students Federation and various Sikh Naujwan Sabhas of Jammu. Following suit, Gujjars and Paharis met on June 25 stating their children were unable to read Kashmiri, Dogri or Bodhi which were made compulsory for Classes IX and X in the areas where these languages are not even spoken. They also warned agitation if Gojri the third largest spoken language of the state was not made a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. The Kailakh Jyotish Avim Vedic Sansthan Trust also rose to the occasion and met state BJP president Sat Sharma and demanded due share of Sanskrit language in the school curriculum. The trust was of the opinion that Sanskrit was a rich heritage language and mother of all languages which represents the rich cultural heritage of the state. Amid such chaos of language war having taken over the state education system, the only sufferer at the other end is a student who is perplexed and confused. These are all politically motivated moves. We don't find even regular teachers of mainstream subjects in our school, which is quite pathetic. Now, introduction of various languages as subjects in the schools is just going to create chaos, said Siddharth, 17, a Class X student. Meanwhile, the damaging part is that all demands are for Jammu schools which have become political battleground for community leaders while no such issue has arisen in Kashmir. Our state is behaving like Pakistan where Urdu was not its national language while Sindhi, Balochi, Pasthu and Punjabi were spoken in different provinces. Language is a sensitive issue. Imposing Kashmiri in Jammu and Ladakh and giving air to other community people to rake up respective language war, the state government is approaching towards total colonial system towards disintegration of J&K, said Hari Om, a historian and convener Jammu for India (JFI). These are all politically motivated moves. We don't find even regular teachers of mainstream subjects in our school, which is quite pathetic. Now, introduction of various languages as subjects in the schools is just going to create chaos.try through the LoC to encourage narco-terrorism. Siddharth, A class X student The department offers subjects to students as per their wishes. While the next generation is looking forward to make big on a global platform, fight for languages does not make any issue with them. JK Sudan, Chief Education Officer, Jammu Tribune News Service Jammu, July 24 Hundreds of Pandit employees, engaged under the Prime Ministers employment package in 2010, have urged the BJP-led Central government to clarify its stance on their future as they are living life full of uncertainty and fear in Kashmir. The employees have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Ministry seeking intervention in solving their issues. The employees have not rejoined duties in the Valley, especially in volatile south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam, due to rising incidents of militancy. The memorandum was sent to the Prime Ministers Office through the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants), Jammu. It mentioned their reasons for fleeing the Valley in July 2016 and the threat perception they feel in resuming duties. Hundreds of Kashmiri Hindu employees had shifted to Jammu in July 2016 when their transit camps were attacked by mobs following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces. Despite directions of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, some district officials are deliberately ignoring the orders and are pressuring employees to go back. At a time when militants are openly roaming and challenging the writ of the state, how is it possible for the minority community to live and work, said Vinod Pandit, chairman, All Party Migrant Coordination Committee, during a protest in Jammu. Some employees alleged some officials were deliberately refusing to release their salaries. The memorandum claimed that after the attack on transit camps at Haal (Pulwama) and Nutnusa (Kupwara) during the five-month turmoil in the Kashmir valley, the government had assured that these camps would be shifted to other places but nothing had been done so far. The memorandum further claimed that the state government had assured them that the migrant employees would not be forced to resume their duties till there was proper security but there was no clarity on the issue. Srinagar, July 25 Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protests against the arrest made in a terror funding case. Separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who had called for the shutdown were placed under house arrest in Srinagar, while Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The District Magistrate has ordered restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in the old city area, including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal. READ Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutes remained closed here and other district headquarters in the valley. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown and the city outskirts. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested several separatist leaders in the terror funding case on Monday. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani; and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of Umer Farooq, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal. IANS 2.4m trees need to be cut down for Nijgadh airport More than 2.4 million small and large trees will have to be cut down to build the much ballyhooed modern international airport in Nijgadh, Bara, a draft Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report has revealed. Gauri Chhabra Today careers come with their distant cousin- volunteers. For success in any career, a parallel road of volunteer always helps. It gives you an insight into the subtle nuances of life which a routine career might not provide you. Owing to this, almost everyone is going the volunteer route. And the image of a volunteer has also undergone a transformation. It is no more about performing mundane tasks, but brings about a canvas of creativity from learning to manage responsibility by caring for wounded wildlife or an executive sharing management skills with a community. Students may choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. You may just be a helping hand or do this to beef up your resume and improve your chances of being hired and leapfrog your career. Some programmes that have a global outreach are: UNITED NATION (UN) VOLUNTEER PROGRAM If you are inspired to take concrete action for global peace and development, take a look at the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program. These UN volunteers work in some 130 countries promoting peace, responding to disasters, empowering communities and helping to build sustainable livelihoods and lasting development. Being a UN volunteer is not a career; it is also not an entry route to the United Nations (you can apply to UN positions as an external candidate, but are expected to complete your UNV assignment). It is, however, rich with opportunities and experience and offers huge personal rewards. How to Volunteer in UN? If you have freewill, commitment, and want to engage and express solidarity for peace and development, you can join as a UN Volunteer. There are 3 types of UN Volunteer programs: National UN Volunteers These posts are open to Indian nationals only. UN Volunteer assignments are not salaried, but include a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA). The VLA is supposed to cover the cost of living and varies depending on the duty station. UN Volunteers are also provided with health & life insurance. The minimum requirements to become a National UNV volunteer are as follows: At least 22 years of age Academic credentials - at least a bachelor's degree Well-qualified and suitable older candidates can serve as National UN Volunteers up to an age covered by the life insurance carrier n International UN Volunteers International UN Volunteers International UN Volunteer serves in a country other than their own and they are recruited for specialised inputs to development or humanitarian programmes. Requirements: The requirements to become an International UN Volunteer vary depending on the specific assignment. In general, however, one could list the following as minimum requirements: Bachelor or master's degree, or technical/vocational diploma At least 2 years of relevant work experience At least age 25 at the time of taking up an assignment Complementary mix of professional expertise, volunteer spirit, dedication and motivation to share technical knowledge and skills. UNV maintains a global roster of candidates, which allows UNV to respond quickly to requests for volunteers. If you are interested in becoming an international UN Volunteer then register to the roster. UNV will contact you once you are matched to an open position. UN online Volunteers UN Online Volunteers are individuals who commit their time and skills over the internet, freely and without financial considerations, for the benefit of society. The Online Volunteering service offers a database of online volunteering opportunities submitted by development organisations worldwide. Interested individuals identify opportunities that match their interests, expertise and skills, and submit their applications directly to the organisations, which select the volunteers they would like to engage in their activities. Students who are 18 or older can become UN Online Volunteers. To register, visit https://onlinevolunteering.org/en/org/index.html. How to pitch? A majority of assignments are filled from UNV's talent pool. Based on the description of assignment provided by the host agency, UNV searches its talent pool for profiles that match the requirements listed therein. Identified candidates are contacted and assignment details are shared with them in order to confirm their interest and availability. Candidates are then short-listed for the final selection process which is conducted by the host agency. Only difficult, highly specialised or high volume assignments are advertised on the UNV website, social media and with professional associations. For posted assignments, you need to be registered in the talent pool and should also have a strong resume. GLOBAL VISION INTERNATIONAL (GVI) Global Vision International (GVI) is a social enterprise that runs high impact volunteer and international education programmes. GVI is an award-winning organisation that tackles critical local and global issues by operating education and training programmes on sustainable development projects around the world. All programs are run in partnership with acclaimed international partners like Save The Children, WWF, The Red Cross, PADI, Project AWARE, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the National Parks of South Africa, Costa Rica, Seychelles, Mexico and Thailand, among others. Volunteer programme in GVI Volunteer work in India with GVI deals with major community development issues and huge gap between the rich and poor. Volunteer construction projects are necessary to help improve the infrastructure. They also have a variety of other volunteer in Asia options in countries like Thailand, Nepal and Laos. There are many different programmes in GVI which will help students in different ways. Login to https://www.gvi.co.uk/find-a-program/ to find the best programme for you. RALEIGH INTERNATIONAL Raleigh International is a sustainable development charity. It focuses on working through, for and with youth to inspire and make positive change in the different programmatic areas like: water, sanitation and hygiene, effective use of natural resource, building the resilience of vulnerable communities and building a youth leadership culture. They need volunteers from around the world to work side-by-side with communities to create lasting change. They have number of opportunities for people to join them in Tanzania, Malaysian Borneo, Nepal and Nicaragua & Costa Rica. Volunteer programme in Raleigh Raleigh runs two impactful volunteering programmes: Expedition and ICS (International Citizen Service). Whether you're still in school, taking a gap year, finished university or taking a break from work, they've got an opportunity that's right for you. Raleigh Expeditions It is a unique opportunity to work on remote community and environmental projects and face adventure challenges in some of the most incredible areas of the world. That's why they include different people, projects, locations and challenges. There will be people like you and people from different backgrounds and cultures, including local volunteers from the expedition countries. International Citizen Service (ICS) International Citizen Service (ICS) is a development programme that brings together young people from the developing countries to volunteer in some of the poorest communities around the world. The ICS programmes are delivered in Nepal, Nicaragua and Tanzania. ICS is led by VSO and funded by the UK Government. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS (ISV) International Student Volunteers (ISV), based in California, provides educational volunteer and travel adventure programmes to university students and youth internationally. It provides hundreds of conservation and community development projects in Australia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Croatia), and the west coast of North America (USA, Canada and Mexico). It is the world's highest rated volunteer programme. It helps in supporting sustainable development initiatives around the world through life-changing student volunteer and responsible adventure travel programs designed to positively change our world and to educate, inspire and result in more active global citizens. There are many options for volunteers and the task of choosing the right volunteer program provider can be daunting. The Ultimate 4-Week Programme It involves a package of 2-week Volunteer Project followed by a 2-week Volunteer Project then 2 weeks on an action-packed Adventure Tour in the same host country. 2-Week Programme This programme is without the adventure tour. Contribute to sustainable development through carefully managed volunteer programmes that focus on local environmental and community development initiatives. Be more than a tourist; become an active global citizen by contributing your energy on projects that truly make a difference. High School Programme This offers a perfect opportunity to students aged 15-18 to learn about global issues and how they can make a difference. Combining service learning projects, cultural immersion and an educational adventure tour, this programme provides an excellent framework. Advantage point Beefs your resume If you have to build your resume, volunteering helps. Potential employers want to see what you have been busy in, so show them how you took the initiative to volunteer at a local non-profit and be specific about what you did. For instance, if you have been associated with an organisation dealing with gender issues, be specific about your role. Being the leader or creating a new and helpful tool will prove to the potential employer that you will be an asset to their organisation. Adds skills Volunteering equips you with skills that are not honed in a formal classroom setting. It equips you with valuable professional skills, such as time management and strategic planning. You also get exposed to core workplace activities, such as: "communication, line management, teamwork and using your initiative. These skills short circuit your chances of getting hired. Helps you test the waters If you are contemplating an entry into a career or a career transit, volunteering in the same field would help you test the waters before you take the plunge. In volunteer work, it often happens that you start by doing something you know you are very good at and eventually branch out, frequently into things that you never thought you could do. It provides you with valuable experiences that can make you more competitive in your new work field. Also, gives you good insight on what working in it will be like. That way you can be doubly sure of a profession without putting much of your money and effort into it. Boosts confidence Volunteering can boost your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. One of the benefits of volunteering is that it gives you a very close look on how your actions are impacting those around you. Gives a sense of direction We all have a sob story to tell - a story that has left a vacuum in us. Volunteering helps fill it up. Helping others may help you overcome personal struggles and give your life new meaning and a sense of purpose. It takes your mind off of your worries and the new experiences and people you meet may even make you arrive at new solutions for them. It tells you that people have tread the path you are treading and you are not in it alone. First Person How did you apply for the volunteer-ship at UN? As a student of Bachelor of Design at IIT, Mumbai, volunteerism & social work is highly appreciated by the faculty. During summer break, I was looking for some meaningful assignments. While, there were plethoras of opportunities, most of them were run of the mill. I was looking for something to test my design knowledge and capabilities. It was while I was searching the net, that I came across the website of United Nation Volunteers ( https://www.unv.org/ ). From this website, I got to know the dimensions of volunteerism and the kind of volunteer work, people are doing all over the world. Under United Nations, there are three kind of volunteer work. Working abroad as volunteer; working in your own country as a volunteer or online volunteer. With the limited time on hand, I opted for online volunteering and searched for design related work area. I chose to work for Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations. Surely, next step is to work as volunteer in the field. Working as a volunteer, gives me a certain sense of satisfaction and achievement. What is the duration of the programme? There is no fixed duration of the project. Especially, online assignments are short duration of 4 to 6 weeks. However, field assignment can last from 6 to 12 months with possibilities of renewal. How has this volunteer programme helped you in your career? My personal experience of working as Online Volunteer for United Nations has been highly satisfying. I can conclude it in one word. I am a better 'Human Being' today. Working with agencies in different countries with different time zones and meeting stringent timelines has made me a better professional and working as volunteer has made me a better human being. Doing these volunteer assignments, learning has been at both professional and personal level. As a professional, I have learnt to work in a global environment with different time zones and different languages. Working to meet deadlines, online interactions and skyping to understand client requirements and submission of iterations of design work has added to my professional learning. As a person, I feel 'Volunteer' is just one word but it encompasses dedication, devotion, inspiration and humanity. It has made me a better human. As an Indian citizen, I feel proud that from candidates all over the world, I was assigned multiple tasks from two different countries. Meeting a veteran actor has a charm of its own. And it was a double treat for actor Tarun Khanna, who plays the role of Mahadev in Siddharth Kumar Tewarys Karamphaldata Shani, when he met actress Vyajanthi Mala, who told him that she was a big fan of his show. Tarun was attending a wedding in Delhi recently, where veteran actress Vyajanthimala was also present. Says Tarun, My friend took me to meet her. To my pleasant surprise, she knew that I was playing Mahadev in Karamphaldata Shani. She is a fan of the show too. I was thrilled to know that she liked my work and that she especially mentioned my portrayal of Rudra avtar of Shiva. The actor was obviously in high spirits after this meeting. He also shared his admiration for her, She is the gorgeous actress of all times. She was phenomenal in all her movies, Naya Daur, Amrapali and Sangam! New Delhi, July 24 The Women and Child Development Ministry today launched an online platform to enable women employees of the central government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at the workplace. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said the platform will cater to Union Government employees in the beginning and thereafter, its ambit will be widened to include the private sector as well. We are also going to soon conduct a national survey to assess the nature and magnitude of sexual harassment at the workplace, the Minister for Woman and Child Development said after launching the portal at her office here. The online complaint management systemSHe-box (sexual harassment electronic box)hosted on the website of the Women and Child Development Ministry, also seeks to ensure effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The portal is also an effort to provide speedier remedy to women facing sexual harassment at the workplace, as envisaged under the sexual harassment Act, a senior official of the ministry said. The Minister also instructed officials to make the portal as interactive as possible. The portal should offer a list of follow-up details so that the employee gets to know the exact status of the complaint, she told officials. To begin with, Union Government women employees can file complaints, but we are going to widen the ambit to include the private sector as well... We just need to make a few changes in our online interface. Once it is done, employees from private companies would also be able to lodge complaints, Maneka said. The decision to host an online platform for sexual harassment cases was taken by the WCD Ministry in October last year after the minister received complaints from women employees in various ministries. If the internal complaints committees (on sexual harassment) is working, then we are out of the picture totally... But people, who will come to us, are those women employees who work where there are no committees or theres one for the sake of it or composed of people who are outrightly negative, she said. Maneka also asked officials to include a section in the portal where complainants can vent their grievances. On the proposed pan-India survey, she said the idea was initiated after an NGO came up with a small-scale study on women-related matters. We will put up the survey on out portal as well as our Facebook page and Twitter handle to reach out to as many people as possible, she said. The Minister also said the definition of what constitutes a case of sexual harassment must be made available on the portal. Some people say installation of CCTV cameras is harassment. So, we need to define it so that there are no frivolous cases, she added. PTI Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, July 25 A three-month-old baby was among eight people killed in a building collapse in Mumbais eastern suburb Ghatkopar on Tuesday morning. According to police, both the wings of the four-storeyed Saidarshan building located in Ghatkopar's Damodar Park came down a little before 11 am this morning, trapping women and elderly residents who were at home. At least 30 people are still believed trapped under the ruins. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Survivors blame the collapse on a construction work on the ground floor of the building by a local Shiv Sena leader. Residents said Snea leader Sunil Shitap was building a guesthouse on the ground floor. He was unreachable for comments, but officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said they would question him soon. Residents claim that the construction had weakened the 35-year-old building, which, they claim, was previously in good shape and was not listed dangerous. Chief Fire Officer P Rahangdale told reporters that 14 fire tenders and two rescue vans were sent for rescue operations. The state government immediately sent National Disaster Relief Force teams to the site. Authorities overseeing the rescue said 18 people had been pulled out from under the rubble until evening and have been sent to hospitals for treatment. Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar told reporters that the civic body has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Eyewitnesses claimed they heard a noise that sounded like a clap of thunder in the morning. "I came out of my building and found lot of dust and heard cries and noise of people seeking help. I saw parts of the building collapsing," an eyewitness who lived nearby said. A resident whose mother and two other family members are feared trapped in the rubble said the chances of their surviving looked grim. Rajesh Diyora, another resident, claimed he left for work before the collapse. The city has been witnessing heavy rain since several days now. Mumbai police blocked traffic on Lal Bhadur Shastri road to provide a 'green corridor' to the rescued. With PTI New Delhi, July 24 China today indicated that a meeting between its senior diplomat Yang Jiechi and Indias NSA Ajit Doval could take place on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers meeting in Beijing later this week. This assumes significance in the light of the fact that the Doklam crisis is almost a month old now and neither side has backed down from their respective position. China reiterated that Indian troops must withdraw from the area for any meaningful dialogue to begin. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, had in Parliament last week, suggested that both sides pull back their troops for a dialogue to begin. Briefing the media in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang, when asked about the possibility of a meeting between Yang and Doval said, I dont have the relevant information right now. During the previous meetings, the host countries arranged for heads of the delegations to hold bilateral meetings during which they exchanged views on bilateral ties, BRICS cooperation and multilateral affairs. Lu was quick to add that Indian troops had illegally crossed into Chinas territory and they must withdraw. India, in the meantime, has been far more cautious and has pushed for a dialogue to resolve the standoff. TNS Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 The Supreme Court said on Tuesday it did not intend to send embattled Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to jail as he had enough property to help recover the money he has to pay back. Our mind is clear, we dont intend to send him to jail because he has property, a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said while extending Roys parole till September 11, the next date of hearing. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014. But the top court granted him a four-week parole on May 6, 2016, to attend his mothers funeral. His parole has been periodically extended since. The Bench, which also included Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice AK Sikri, however, gave him until September 7, 2017, to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account. The order came after senior counsel Kapil Sibal told the Bench on behalf of Roy that the Sahara group chief had deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore ordered to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by July 15. Sibal said the remaining amount of Rs 305.21 crore would be deposited by August 12. READ SC refuses more time to Sahara chief for realisation of Rs 522-cr cheque But the Bench ordered Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore, including the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore, by September 7, 2017 to prove his bona fide. During the hearing, Sibal sought 18 months to deposit the over Rs 9,000 crore of the total Rs 24,000 crore investors money which was supposed to have been deposited by Sahara. He also requested the court to allow the Sahara group companies to do business. We are not running away. Please allow us to do business. Let us earn revenue so that we can pay back, Sibal pleaded with the Bench, which also included Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice AK Sikri. He sought to emphasize that the company had already deposited over 16,000 crore. As the court threatened to go ahead with the auction of Aamby Valley -- Sahara groups property worth Rs 34,000 crore in Maharashtra, Sibal said, Bare asset is of no value. If we develop the property, it has value. If we auction it right now, the buyer would think we are selling it under distress and we will never get the price it deserves. The Bench directed Vinod Sharma the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to go ahead with the publication of sale notice for auctioning of Aamby Valley. It has already approved the terms and conditions for auction of Aamby Valley as prepared by official liquidator. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for a Sahara Group company told the Bench that he would not appear in the case after Justice Gogoi repeatedly asked him who he was appearing for. As Rohatgi said, I am for a Sahara Group company, Justice Gogoi asked him to specify the name of the company. Let the AoR (Advocate-on-Record) state, Justice Gogoi said. If you cant trust my word, I wont appear in the case, Rohatgi said and sat down. The top court on July 5 turned down Roys plea to give him a month for encashment of a Rs. 522 crore cheque issued to Sahara-SEBI account meant to be realised on July 15 and had warned him of legal consequences if it was dishonoured for want of sufficient funds. An earlier order issued by the top court required Roy to pay Rs 1,500 crore by June 15 and Rs 552 crore on July 15. Angry over non-payment of money, the top court had on April 17 decided to sell property worth Rs 34,000 crore belonging to the Sahara group in Maharashtras Aamby Valley and had sought Roys presence before it. Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 To beef up its surveillance and information warfare capabilities, India would be procuring seven signal intelligence and communication jamming aircraft, in a move that is a step-down from earlier proposal to buy nine aircraft. While five aircraft would be used by the Air Force, remaining two would be deployed by National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), according to a global request for information (RFI) issued by the Defence Ministry this week. An RFI for nine aircraft was issued in 2012, but no headway was made. Signal intelligence aircraft are equipped to intercept communications and electronic emissions, the analysis of which can produce important intelligence for decision-makers. With increasing use of satellite communications and voice and data transfer, signals intelligence is an important part of a nations information-gathering apparatus. The sought aircraft need to be twin-engined that can accommodate two crew members and 10 passengers. These could be of the size of Embraer executive jets in service with the IAF or the Gulfstream and Bombardier Global being used by the NTRO. The aircraft will have to be suitably integrated with the required mission equipment and certified for military standards by the vendor before delivery. The Air Force, at present, has a small fleet of electronic warfare and surveillance aircraft. These include the Russian A-50 and DRDO-assembled airborne warning and control systems. Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 24 Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn in as the 14th President of India in a traditional ceremony at the Parliament House tomorrow. He will arrive at the venue with outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee, precisely at 1204 hours, in the ceremonial six-horse buggy (carriage). Rashtrapati Bhavan sources say rehearsals for the ceremony have been held with the buggy the use of which Mukherjee revived at the 2014 Beating Retreat ceremony. Therefore if everything proceeds as per the plan, Mukherjee will take the last ride on the buggy in the Raisina Hill, accompanied by President-elect Kovind and then leave with him after he is sworn in by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar. Interestingly, when the Rashtrapati Bhavan suggested the use of the buggy for the ceremony, those managing the security went into a tizzy. Its use had been discontinued almost 30 years back because of security reasons. Presidents had been using limousines for ceremonies since then. Meanwhile Kovind, the second Dalit leader to assume the top office, will first arrive in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan from where he and Mukherjee will go in a ceremonial cavalcade, expectedly in the ceremonial buggy. At the Parliament House, they will be received by the Speaker and the Vice-President and other top dignitaries and escorted to the Central Hall of Parliament. Once the ceremony is over, the Presidents bodyguard will escort Kovind to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to the protocol, Mukherjee will show Kovind around and seat him on the Presidents chair for the symbolic handing over of the office. Mukherjee will then be dropped off at his new residence 10, Rajaji Marg by the new President. Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 The Lok Sabha was on Tuesday adjourned until 3 pm to enable MPs to participate in the inauguration of Indias 14th President. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House after again rejecting Congresss adjournment of Question Hour notice to discuss lynching deaths in the country. The notice by Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress sought immediate suspension of all House to debate mob violence. The same notice was declined on Monday and led to massive disruptions in the House leading to the suspension of six Congress members for misconduct. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Earlier on Tuesday morning, Opposition parties held a protest outside Gandhi statue in Parliament to oppose the suspension of six Congress members from Lok Sabha on Monday on account of grave misconduct. Congress, TMC, Left members participated in the protest asking for the return of suspended MPs to the House. The Congress was represented by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad among others. Sonia Gandhi wasnt present. Opposition parties said they wanted a debate on lynching deaths and the Lok Sabha Speaker was denying them the chance. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, however, has asked the opposition to give notices for a short-duration discussion in the matter and said rules dont permit the suspension of Question Hour, the sole parliamentary tool available to MPs to hold the government accountable for their policies. Vishav Bharti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 At 19, when Pash questioned the aesthetics of Punjabi poetry, an established writer dismissed his poetry as red rag. Undaunted, the young poet retorted: Dont expect me to talk about your rotten taste. One wonders, if alive, what would have been his reaction to RSS ideologue Dinanath Batras suggestion that his poem be removed from an NCERT textbook. Logically, Pash would have welcomed it, says London-based writer Amarjit Chandan, Pashs contemporary and friend, who also edited his works. Ironically, the forces against whom Pash wrote introduced his work in the education syllabi. And now the much more sinister and philistine establishment wants it withdrawn, he remarked. More than a decade ago (in 2006), the Hindi translation of Pashs famous poem Sabh Ton Khatarnak (The Most Dangerous) was introduced in the Class XI Hindi textbook the only Punjabi poet to have earned that privilege. Besides Pashs poem, Batra now wants the NCERT to remove Rabindranath Tagores thoughts, Mirza Ghalibs poem and extracts from MF Husains autobiography. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) However, academicians associated with research and publication of NCERT books call Batras move as non-academic. Prof Purshotam Aggarwal at Jawaharlal Nehru University was convener of NCERTs Hindi Text Book Committee. He is of the opinion that Batras suggestion has nothing to do with academics. The idea behind preparing these textbooks was that students be exposed to literary trends in other Indian languages. We wanted to arouse the students interest in various schools of thought to help them arrive at their own ideas. That is why Pash, Gandhi, Tagore, Nehru were made part of the textbook. Our aim was to introduce students to a democratic and inclusive India. Perhaps, that is the purpose of liberal education, he says. 4 hillside villages at risk as landslides break out downhill The hillside villages of Lasi, Chujhad, Kaya and Gaun at Kanda Rural Municipality in Bajhang are in danger as they sit above a slope where multiple landslides have broken out these past few weeks. New Delhi, July 25 A Pakistani militant has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Karnataka court in a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate said on Tuesday. The militant has been identified as Mohammed Koya. This is the third conviction under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the country. The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from 2005 in order to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. The first conviction under the PMLA in the country had come in January when a Ranchi court convicted former Jharkhand Minister Hari Narayan Rai and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh. In March, another person, Alauddin, was convicted under money laundering charges related to illegal possession of narcotic drugs by a Kolkata court. The stringent anti-money laundering law allows a maximum of seven years of imprisonment. PTI Ahmedabad, July 25 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of those killed in Gujarat floods, and Rs 50,000 to those injured. I announce ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund to the next of kin of those killed in the Gujarat floods, and Rs 50,000 to those injured, apart from the funds provided by the state government, Modi said after undertaking the aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Gujarat today. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) He said more than Rs 500 crore would be provided by the Centre to the State Disaster Management to provide relief at this time of emergency. The Prime Minister assured that officers from the Government of India will provide all the assistance in short-term and long-term measures to the people in the region. Even if we expect more rainfall, relief work will be further intensified. The ministries of Urban and Rural Development will also take the stock of the situation and will provided the necessary assistance to people, he said. He further said that the Center will provide all sort of the relief to people of Gujarat, whether it is agricultural relief, infrastructural relief or others. The people of Gujarat are blessed with a spirit of resilience. These floods will not impact the developmental journey of Gujarat, he said. Modi also praised Chief Minister Vijay Rupani-led state government for its swift action during this natural calamity. Earlier in the day, Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in the state. Heavy rains in Gujarat in the past few weeks have wreaked havoc in the state due to flooding in several parts of the state. According to reports, 70 people have died in Gujarat due to rains till now. As many as 25,000 people have been shifted, mostly in Banaskantha, as the district witnessed its worst floods in recent years on Monday. The affected people have been given food packets and provided shelter at a temporary relief camp. Due to excessive rainfall and heavy flooding, water entered many houses and residential areas in Gujarats Patan. The two dams in Gujarat Sipu and Dantiwada, both in Banaskantha have been overflowing due to excess inflow of water and the heavy downpour adding more to it. This overflow forced authorities to open seven gates of the Sipu dam and release 50,000 cusecs of water. The Army and Air Force reached the flood-hit Deesa of Banaskantha district for rescue operations. The Army, IAF, NDRF and local teams have intensified rescue and relief operations as several parts of the two districts were inundated with flood water. ANI New Delhi, July 24 President Pranab Mukherjee today underscored the importance of pluralism and tolerance; compassion and empathy; environmental protection; quality education; inclusiveness along with equality and equal opportunity, all as tenets for nation-building. Edit: Parting advice Articulating the gist of his learning in his five decades of public life, President Mukherjee said all were equal and that each one must do his duty with integrity, commitment and unflinching loyalty to the values enshrined in the Constitution. As one advances in years, so does ones propensity to sermonise. But I have no sermon to make. For the past 50 years of my public life, my sacred text has been the Constitution of India; my temple has been Parliament of India; and my passion service of the people of India, the President said in his last address to the nation. He demits office tomorrow. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) He said he was overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude for the people of India and their elected representatives for the trust and confidence they reposed in him. I have received much more from the country than I have given and will remain ever indebted to the people of India. He said for development to be real, the poorest of the land must feel a part of the nations narrative. The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. India is not just a geographical entity. It carries a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, industrial genius, craft, innovation and experience. Plurality of our society has come about through assimilation of ideas over centuries. We derive our strength from tolerance that has been part of our collective consciousness for centuries. Speaking on the importance on non-violence, Pranab observed: We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal...power of non-violence has to be resurrected to build a compassionate and caring society. TNS New Delhi, July 25 Eminent scientist Professor Yash Pal, who died at his Noida home on Monday night, was known for his contribution to the study of cosmic rays as well as for being an institution builder. Yash Pal was also recognised because of the weekly science programme on Doordarshan called Turning Point, which was hosted by Girish Karnad, in which the professor would explain scientific theories in layman terms. Read: Renowned scientist Yash Pal dies at 90 He was born in 1926 in Jhang, now in Pakistan, and was raised in Kaithal in what is now Haryana. Yash Pal had graduated with a master's degree in Physics from Panjab University in 1949. He gained a PhD degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. Yash Pal began his career at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). He was awarded the countrys second highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan in 1976 for his contribution to science and space technology. In his later years, he became one of the leading science communicators of the country. He also served as the chairman of the University Grants Commission from 1986 to 1991. In October 2011, Yash Pal was awarded the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management. Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist & academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education." Sharing his picture with the eminent scientist, Modi said, "Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions, including the National Children's Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009." Interacted with Professor Yash Pal extensively on many occasions including the National Childrens Science Congress in Gujarat in 2009. pic.twitter.com/nkUlgFRUNK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2017 "Thank you Professor #YashPal for all the Science! It's sad to see you gone, it's a huge loss, but you'll always stay with us. Om Shanti," Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan tweeted. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi also condoled demise of Yash Pal. Sonia said he will be remembered for his immense contribution to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder and a remarkable administrator. The professor made sharing of knowledge with younger generation his life's unflinching goal, the Congress chief said. His accomplished report on "Learning without Burden" is now regarded as a seminal document in Indian education, she added. The Congress vice-president said the educationist's death was a great loss. "A scientist & a passionate educator who understood the true value of learning, Prof Yash Pal's passing is a great loss for all of us," Rahul tweeted. Agencies Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 It was a special day for the country and Ram Nath Kovind, who was on Tuesday sworn in as the 14th President by Chief Justice of India JS Kehar. "Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique.In this land we find a mix of states and regions, religions, languages, cultures, lifestyles and much more. We are so different and yet so similar and united," he said in his acceptance speech after taking oath of office in the Central Hall of Parliament. The ceremony began with President-elect Kovind proceeding to the Rashtrapati Bhawan from his temporary residence, 10 Akbar Road. The outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee has moved to 10 Rajaji Marg. Kovind reached the Rashtrapati Bhawan where he was welcomed by President Mukherjee. Before proceeding to the Parliament House for the formal oath-taking ceremony, Mukherjee and Kovind were accorded the Guard of Honour by the Presidents Bodyguard. Mukherjee and Kovind proceeded for the Parliament House in the special limousine, riding down the Raisina Hill, accompanied by elite cavalry regiment of the Army. Earlier it was expected that Mukherjee would prefer to take the last ride in the traditional horse buggy (carriage), the use of which he revived as recently as the 2014 Beating Retreat ceremony. Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility #PresidentKovind President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2017 Among the many social initiatives he took during his tenure, Mukherjee also transformed the Rashtrapati Bhawan into Lok Bhawan, as also pointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Increasing the access of the palatial building to the people, his tenure was marked by a people-friendly, a more interactive approach, including the use of social media. With his RSS upbringing, Kovind, they say, will upkeep all those initiatives along with following a lifestyle that is as simple as possible. At the Parliament House, Mukherjee was given the Guard of Honour and he took his last salute as the President. He and Kovind, the second Dalit leader to assume the top office, were then escorted to the Central Hall of Parliament by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Chief Justice Kehar and other top dignitaries who then escorted them to the Central Hall of Parliament. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Mukhrejees arrival was announced as mahamahim Rahtrapati and he took his place in the centre of the dais with Kovind, Ansari, Mahajan, Kehar. The Election Commission notice was read out and at precisely 12.15 pm Kovind was administered the oath as the 14th President by Kehar. Former president Pratibha Patil and former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Deve Gowda were present at the ceremony that was attended by all top political leaders from the ruling party and the Opposition, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 More heads are likely to roll in the Irrigation Department after the booking of six engineers for misappropriation of funds meant for desilting at Harike as the Vigilance Department has sought papers of 27 more projects. Six engineers, including Chief Engineer (Canals) Jatinderpal Singh and contractor, have been booked for causing Rs5.47-crore loss to the exchequer during the desilting of the Harike headworks barrage at its guide bundh (embankment). Other projects under scrutiny have been executed largely in the Gidderbaha, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Fazilka areas. All projects under study in the list have been executed in different parts of Malwa, mainly Gidderbaha, Ferozepur and Fazilka. One project has been carried out in Ropar and one shown in the Tarn Taran division (Majha), too, has been carried out at Ratta Khera and Midda villages in Malwa. Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the engineering associations of the Irrigation Department continued their ongoing agitation against the Vigilance Bureau for allegedly registering fake cases by organising a dharna at Ferozepur today. After a six-day dharna at the state headquarters here, demonstrations are being organised at different offices of the state. The committee comprises of the PSE Class I Association, AMIE Engineers Association, Diploma Engineers Association, Council of Diploma Engineers Association, Draftsman Association and Ministerial Association (PISCA). President of the JAC BP Singh Brar said, The Vigilance Bureau is seeking projects details of works carried out nearly a decade ago, which is virtually impossible. This clearly shows that the move is being carried out as vendetta politics against the previous government. At the same time, the Vigilance Department in a formal communication has said it received complaints/information about rampant corruption in the Irrigation Department. Chief Director BK Uppal has asked the engineers of the Irrigation Department to cooperate with the Vigilance Bureau in the larger interest of public as well as the state government and focus on the pending/ongoing works without any fear. Sources in the bureau said, Many among the protesters fear that their names might appear in the remaining projects so they are trying pressure tactics to stall the probe. We have only pointed out blatant violation of laid-down procedures. In case no one did anything wrong why worry. In fact, at one point of time we were thinking of shifting the case to the CBI. The JAC has threatened that the members would go on a mass casual leave in case their demands are not met by August 7. Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 25 Kapurthala Police on Tueday claimed to have arrested a gang of three involved in loot of 34 ATMs across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the past four years. The gang had collectively looted an amount of Rs 3.25 crore. The arrest follows their 34th loot at Oriental Bank of Commerce in Sultanpur Lodhi on the intervening night of July 19 and 20 where they had taken away Rs 11.43 lakh. The three accused are Inderjit Singh of Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, Amrik Singh of Tarn Taran and Prince of Jalandhar Cantonment. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Kapurthala SSP Sandeep Sharma said a Hyundai Verna car which was used in the loot figured in one of the CCTVs. The same car bearing a fake number plate PB-07-AM-8224 with three persons inside was stopped at a naka on Monday. When the car was checked, it was found to be fitted with gas cylinders and pipes. During search Inderjit was found to be in possession of a countrymade pistol, six cartridges and some intoxicating capsules and pills. Rs 10 lakh in cash was also recovered. They have been booked them under Sections 392, 482, 457, 380 and 411 of the IPC. IG Jalandhar Arpit Shukla said the gang was involved in three ATM loots in 2013, 20 in 2014, two in 2015, eight in 2016 and one at Sultanpur Lodhi this year. The various ATMs looted by the gang include those at Sham Churasi, Begowal, Hoshiarpur, Mahilpur, Baba Bakala, Bhikhowal, Tarn Taran, Talwara, Talwandi Chaudharian, Didwindi, Kansipur in Utrakhand, Kangra in HP and Lucknow in UP. Shukla said one of the accused was an employee of a car showroom and had started off by looting cars as they did with a doctor at Amritsar two months back. They eventually specialised in gas cutting and found this crime lucrative. We have started assessing details of various properties and investments that they had made using the crime proceeds. We will get them implicated and eventually recover all these properties, he said. Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 24 It was the proverbial baptism by fire for Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Congress MP from Amritsar, who participated in his first major opposition protest inside Parliament today. It was a controversial protest that saw six of Aujlas co-protesters suspended from the House proceedings for five sittings. Aujla escaped courtesy his moves to stick to vocal agitation rather than physical. Dressed in crisp formals unlike his other colleagues who prefer kurta pyjamas, Aujla not only sustained through the hour-long protest in the Well of the House pre-lunch, he emerged in the forefront of sloganeering, a space occupied so far by young, firebrand Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi from Kaliabor, Assam; Sushmita Dev from Silchar, Assam; Ranjeet Ranjan from Supaul, Bihar; and Rajeev Satav from Hingoli, Maharashtra. A Congress leader was later heard saying, Thankfully, we have one more person who can lead the protests in the House where it is difficult to sustain your agitation for an hour when the Chair is reluctant to relent on opposition demands. Aujlas slogan lines today on the controversial Congress motion of adjournment of Question Hour to discuss mob lynchings were, khoon kharaba band karo and nafrat ki raajneeti band karo. Along with his colleagues Gogoi, Ranjan and Satav, Aujla took turns to lead the protest, while his Ludhiana counterpart Ravneet Bittu arrived on the scene much later. Santokh Choudhry from Jalandhar also participated in the protest. All Congress MPs from Punjab were also among opposition MPs who sat on a dharna inside the House. None of them, however, crossed the limits of agitation prescribed under Rule 374 A of the Rules of Conduct of Proceedings of Lok Sabha, which bars MPs from unruly behavior. This Rule says, Notwithstanding anything contained in rules 373 and 374, in the event of grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the Well of the House or abusing the rules persistently and willfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise, such member shall, on being named by the Speaker, stand automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less. Aujla was noticed even more considering his predecessor in Lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh, the CM of Punjab, would barely be present in the House to attend proceedings. Aujla, however, is a regular. New Delhi, July 24 Amid a renewed debate over exhumation of the remains of Maharaja Duleep Singh, former Chairman of the Minorities Commission Tarlochan Singh today said he had taken up the issue with the British and the process to dig the grave and perform a cremation requires permission from various quarters. As the NCM Chairman in 2005, he wrote to the British High Commissioner in India to allow digging of Duleep Singhs grave and perform cremation as per Sikh rites, Tarlochan Singh said. The High Commissioner replied the UK Government had no objection, but the clearance for it must be obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Head of the Church of England since the graveyards were under it. The Archbishop advised him that permission must be first obtained from the Church authorities. He then informed Sikh organisations concerned to initiate necessary action. I have visited Elvedon estate, which was his residence in England. He was buried in the courtyard of the Church in a small graveyard. There are also graves of his wife and children along with some others... I attended the annual wreath-laying ceremony by the Mayor of Thechfort. The feeling among the Sikhs is to have a Samadhi of Maharaja Duleep Singh in place of a grave and not shift the remains to Punjab...but it is still being debated, the statement said. TNS Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 24 The Congress government is raising a term loan from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to repay a loan of a similar amount taken by Punjab State Cooperative Bank from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The banks Board of Directors will meet here tomorrow to pass a resolution to raise a term loan of Rs 3,600 crore. The state government, which wants to get a fresh loan from NABARD to provide credit to farmers for the paddy crop, has already given its state guarantee for the loan to be raised from the NCDC. The banks huge debt is due to a sharp fall in recovery from farmers for the crop loan extended by it. In anticipation of debt waiver, farmers have stopped repaying the crop loan taken from the bank. The recovery has reportedly dropped from 65 per cent to 10 per cent. The amount recovered by the bank is repaid to NABARD, which then again refinances it to the State Cooperative Bank. NABARD has refused to give a new loan till its dues are recovered. Even as Punjabs outstanding debt stands at Rs 1.82 lakh crore, the government has talked to a consortium of banks to raise Rs 7,500 crore for implementing debt waiver and paying the amount to nationalised and commercial banks. Meanwhile, sources in the Finance Department told The Tribune that another Rs 150 crore had been sanctioned to the Punjab State Agriculture Development Bank from the Rural Development Fund (RDF) so as to immediately pay the instalment of Rs 350 crore, due by July 31. While Rs 200 crore have been raised by the bank through internal accruals, the banks Board of Directors today passed a resolution to seek the loan from the RDF. 43 Nepali workers rescued from Malaysia The Embassy of Nepal in Malaysia on Monday sent home 43 Nepali migrant workers after rescuing them from the Melaka Detention Centre, the embassy said in a statement. The embassy also paid for flight tickets. Patiala, July 24 Rajmata Mohinder Kaur (96), wife of the late Maharaja Yadavindra Singh and mother of Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, breathed her last after a prolonged illness at 7.25 pm here today. She is survived by two sons and two daughters. The cremation will take place at Shahi Samadhan at 2.15 pm on Tuesday. The funeral procession will start from Moti Bagh Palace at 12.45 pm. YPS, Patiala, will remain closed as a mark of respect. Also read: Royal families start reaching Patiala for Mohinder Kaurs funeral The Rajmata, the last designated Queen of Patiala, was unwell for the past few years and was hospitalised twice. As her condition worsened, she was admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh, a few months ago. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) A strong advocate of quality education, she believed education was important for building character and imbibing values, according to Khushwant Singh in the CMs biography The Peoples Maharaja. Former CM Parkash Singh Badal and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal expressed sorrow over the demise. Badal, who will be in Delhi for the swearing-in of RN Kovind as President, will reach Patiala for the cremation. I fully realise what a tough moment it is for the family, especially you as the passing away of ones mother leaves a deep void in one's life, Badal said in his condolence message to the Chief Minister. Congress president Sonia Gandhi vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders of the Congress called the CM to express their condolences. Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, Speaker Rana KP Singh, and several ministers, legislators among others have expressed grief. The Cabinet meeting and other programmes scheduled for tomorrow stand cancelled. TNS & PTI Chandigarh, July 25 Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Tuesday flagged off the first set of 100 Uber bike taxis, under a new scheme aimed at generating jobs for the states unemployed youth. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had earlier given the go-ahead to the launch of bike taxis in the state in May as part of the governments Apni Gaddi, Apna Rozgar programme as promised by the Congress in poll manifesto. Originally, Amarinder was scheduled to do the honours for the function held in Mohali. To start with, the bike taxis will start plying in Mohali, Ludhiana, Zirakpur and Kharar. Badal said, Bike-sharing services like uberMOTO will not only contribute greatly to improving last-mile connectivity in Punjab and cutting congestion, but also be instrumental in creating thousands of entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for the youth in the state. UberMOTO is now available in nine citiesFaridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mohali (including Zirakpur and Kharar) and Ludhiana, Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Head-Public Policy, Uber India and South Asia, told reporters. Kohli said UberMOTO is in line with the companys commitment to providing affordable mobility options for riders and low entry barrier micro entrepreneurship opportunities for drivers. Prabhjeet Singh, General Manager, Delhi NCR and North India, Uber, said: We aim to generate another 10,000 entrepreneurial opportunities in Punjab in the next one year and a total of 45,000 opportunities in the next five years. Under the policy, currently in the process of finalisation by the Punjab transport department, existing and new motorcycle owners will be able to get commercial permits and licences to run two-wheelers as pillion taxis. The Apni Gaddi, Apna Rozgar scheme, as proposed in the manifesto, envisages one lakh taxis, commercial LCVs and other vehicles to be provided to unemployed youth every year at subsidised rates, without collateral and with the government standing guarantee. Two women driver partners have signed up in Punjab so far and can operate at the hours they want, Kohli said. In many ways, we contribute to the overall mission of the government, whether it is Digital India, as each one of these drivers on our platform is digitally literate... and in many ways you are contributing to Skill India because they are skilled to drive on our platform, Kohli added. Bike taxis are popular in South-East Asia, she said, adding that the concept is fast catching up in Indian cities too. PTI MR. Cooper's report on the Indian Home Accounts for the year 1915-16 gives some interesting information about the employment of enemy ships by the Government of India Office. The financial transactions resulting from their employment are shown in the accounts under the head deposits and advances amounting to 188,461, 7s. 8d. under payments. These amounts represent the transactions brought to account up to 31st March, 1916, and they refer to the working of 12 German vessels which were detained in Indian ports at the outbreak of war and were transferred to the management of the India Office at various dates. SIR James Meston's reply to this address reads like a slap on the face so far as this particular point is concerned. He does not seem to think that the so-called natural leadership or the aristocracy of acres constitutes the sole title to the position of advisers to Government. Among other duties of an exemplary zamindar, he pointed out, was the education of his children. It was not edifying, said he, to see a zamindar member of the Legislative Council reading speeches written by others. They should be able to make their own speeches. Sir James Meston has done a public service to the province over which he rules, as well as to the zamindars whom he addressed, when he brought home to them how sorry a figure an ill-taught zamindar cut in the Legislative Council. Such a being whatever his other qualifications and however estimable he might be otherwise, it at best an anachronism as a spokesman of the public, and the sooner such are persuaded to betake themselves to higher education the better for-all concerned. Tribune News service Dehradun, July 24 The Sustainable Development Forum Uttaranchal, an organisation of intelligentsia from various fields working for sustainable development of Uttarakhand, will participate in the sixth Sustainable Mountain Development Summit to be held in Mizoram from September 20-22. At a meeting of SDFU held at Vigyan Dham, Jhajra and Dehradun, speakers at the meeting discussed about various issues to be taken up at the sixth Sustainable Mountain Development Summit in Mizoram. It was also decided that the SDFU would work in coordination with the International Mountain Initiative as a network partner for achieving the objectives through its work in Uttarakhand. Potential for successful work plans in Uttarakhand was also discussed. The speakers also stressed on exploring possibilities for ensuring the participation of educational institutions. Senior academicians and former bureaucrat including Padama Shri Prof AN Purohit, STS Lepcha, Dr BK Joshi and BS Barfal attended the meeting. Tribune News Service Dehradun, July 24 Members of the State Teachers Federation have refused to follow the state governments order on dress code for school teachers provided they are given uniform allowance. Ram Singh Chauhan, chairman of the State Teachers Federation, said, Unless and until the state government gives us uniform allowance every month, we will not abide by the governments diktat. He rued the state government was ignoring was several problems being faced by the teachers in the state. However, the Uttarakhand government is in no mood to roll back the order, which will become effective from August 1. School Education Minister Arvind Pandey said, There should be no difficulty in complying with the order. It will make the teachers responsible and ensure attendance. The state government has asked the male teachers to wear light blue shirt and steel grey trousers, while women teachers have the option of wearing light blue sarees or light blue salwar-suits. The dress code is also mandatory for school education officers. So, far the junior and primary teachers have not opposed the dress code, but with the State Federation of Teachers raising a dissenting note, the teachers are not ruling out an agitation on the issue. Meanwhile, a similar diktat by the Higher Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat for teaching staff in colleges too is being opposed. So much so that the minister has decided to go slow on the matter. Kabul, July 24 At least 26 persons were killed and 41 wounded today after a Taliban-claimed car bomb struck a bus carrying government employees through a Shia neighbourhood in Kabul, raising fears of sectarian violence in the Afghan capital. The assault came as a presidential spokesman said the Taliban also killed at least 35 civilians in an attack on a hospital in central Ghor province over the weekend. The deadly attacks underscore spiralling insecurity in Afghanistan as the resurgent Taliban ramp up their offensive across the country, while security forces struggle to contain them. In todays blast the bus was carrying employees of the ministry of mines, passing from western Kabul to the downtown ministry during rush hour, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. It was struck by the car bomb as it passed through a busy area of the capital that is home to many Shia Hazaras, a persecuted ethnic minority. The buss charred remains were left smoking in the middle of the road as the wounded were rushed to hospitals in ambulances as well as private cars and taxis. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast. The group rarely claims attacks with high civilian casualties, but does frequently target government employees. Afghan presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi put the toll at 26 dead and 41 wounded. At a press conference, Murtazawi also said at least 35 persons were killed in the hospital attack over the weekend. All the victims were civilians, Murtazawi said, without specifying if they were patients or staff. This is a cruel crime against humanity, he added. He did not elaborate, and officials say phone lines are down in Taywara district, captured by the militants over the weekend. The Taliban have denied the claim and reports they torched the hospital, though a spokesman said parts of the building were damaged in fighting. Ghor is a poor, mountainous province that has been relatively safe in the past but shares a border with the Taliban-infested provinces of Helmand and Farah. AFP 35 killed in attack on Afghan hospital At least 35 persons were killed when the Taliban attacked a hospital in central Ghor province over the weekend, a presidential spokesman said on Monday. Washington, July 24 Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is denying that President Donald Trumps campaign colluded with Russia, saying in a statement ahead of congressional interviews that he has nothing to hide. The 11-page statement provided to The Associated Press by a representative Monday details four contacts with Russians during Trumps campaign and transition. Kushner plans to deliver the statement during closed-door meetings with investigators on the Senate and House intelligence panels this week. Kushner is meeting with staff on the Senate committee Monday and lawmakers on the House committee Tuesday as part of both panels investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign and possible links to the Trump campaign. Kushner, who is married to Trumps daughter, Ivanka, says none of the contacts was improper. He also denies that Russians finance any of his business in the private sector. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government, Kushner said in the statement. In it, he also details a June 2016 meeting with a Russian-American lawyer and says it was such a waste of time that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering. Emails released this month show that the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., accepted the meeting at Trump Tower with the idea that he would receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton. But Kushner says he hadnt seen those emails until recently shown them by his lawyers. Kushner said in his statement that Trump Jr. invited him to the meeting. He says he arrived late and when he heard the lawyer discussing the issue of adoptions, he texted his assistant to call him out. Kushner also denies reports he discussed setting up a secret back-channel with the Russian ambassador to the US. AP Male, July 25 Maldivian troops blockaded parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said on Tuesday, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again today, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. "Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now," MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told AFP. "This is ridiculous." The parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the president's ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameen's office said in a statement today that parliament was closed ahead of an "incoming VVIP visit". Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. "The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on 24 July 2017 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the...constitution," Yameen's office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just one-square mile (two square kilometres) in size, was tighter than usual. The UK government urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and protests following the disturbance around the parliament building. "Previous demonstrations and political protests have led to violence and arrests," the updated travel summary said. Months of political upheaval in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymoon paradise. The United States and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameen's grip on parliament. However the parliament secretariat declared the impeachment motion was invalid, scheduling the next sitting on July 31. The first attempt to impeach the speaker in March triggered chaos when troops acting on Yameen's orders stormed parliament and removed dissenting opponents by force. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically-elected president in 2008, but was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a controversial 2013 election run-off. In 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. He now lives in exile in Britain. AFP A bad precedent Last week, Som Lal Subedi was forced to step down from the prized government position of chief secretary after facing scathing criticisms from a broad cross section of society. For 10 days, Jerusalem has been in the grip of the worst bloodshed for years over Israels decision to install metal detectors at the entrance to the Old Citys holy compound. Some readers and observers have wondered how a simple matter of metal detectors could provoke such violence: a Palestinian man stabbed to death three members of an Israeli family in their home and three Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces in clashes. But as with anything connected to politics and religion in the Holy Land, the dispute is about much more than the security devices, touching on issues of sovereignty, religious freedom, occupation and Palestinian nationalism. Here are some answers to questions on the issue. Why, where and when were the metal detectors installed? Israel put the devices in place on July 16, two days after two Israeli policemen were shot and killed by Israeli-Arab attackers who had concealed weapons in the compound in the heart of the Old City. It is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, where the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located, and to Jews as Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism, where ancient temples once stood. The detectors were put up at the entrances Muslims use to enter the compound each day for prayers. Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the area as tourists and they enter through a separate gate where metal detectors have long been used. Why are Palestinians angry about move? The first issue is consultation. The Palestinians say they were not informed by the Israelis about the detectors. Israel says it informed Jordan, the custodian of the holy site. Either way, the measures were imposed rapidly and had an immediate impact on Palestinians, even though Israeli-Arabs carried out the attack that prompted the installation. Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed them, a move not recognised internationally. As a result, it is to this day seen by much of the world as an occupier, and the status of the area is regarded as disputed until resolved via negotiations. Hence the Palestinians reject Israels authority and the unilateral move on metal detectors. What are the politicians doing? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure internationally to back down and remove the metal detectors, but he has resisted those calls, saying security is paramount. He is examining a way forward, with signs that alternatives, such as face-recognition cameras or selective searches, might be proposed. The problem is any Israeli-led initiative is likely to be rejected by the Palestinians and possibly Jordan. So the UN, the US, Europe and Russia may get involved. Reuters London, July 25 The parents of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard on Tuesday accused a London hospital of preventing their son from coming home to die, the latest harrowing confrontation in a legal battle that has raised emotions far and wide. The renowned children's hospital treating Charlie told a court that the reality of the invasive ventilation the infant requires means that proper end-of-life care cannot be provided to him in his parents' home. The plight of 11-month-old Charlie, who suffers from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, has been at the centre of a bitter dispute between his parents and Great Ormond Street Hospital. The case has triggered a strident debate on social media and in the press about whether doctors or parents should decide a child's fate. US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis are among many people not directly involved who have weighed in with views. "Emotions are as high in this case as they could be in any," said the judge presiding over the case, Nicholas Francis. Charlie requires a ventilator to breathe and cannot see, hear or swallow. His parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, resigned themselves to allowing him to die after the most recent set of scans showed his condition had deteriorated to the point no recovery was possible. But Yates was back at the London High Court on Tuesday, this time for a hearing on practical arrangements for the end of Charlie's life. The parents want Charlie to be taken to their home or to the home of a close relative or friend for his last moments until his life support system is switched off. Their lawyer, Grant Armstrong, told the London High Court that Great Ormond Street was placing "obstacle after obstacle" in the way of the parents' wish. "We struggle with the difficulties the hospital is placing in the way of the parents having a ... short period of time before the final act in Charlie's short life," Armstrong said. Dreadful circumstances The hospital said Charlie's end-of-life care must be safe, spare the baby all pain and must protect his dignity, while at the same time honouring his parents' wishes about the time and place of his passing. In a document presented to the court, the hospital's lawyer wrote that the invasive ventilation Charlie required was only provided in a hospital setting. It listed several practical problems. Among them was the fact that the ventilator would not fit through the front door of Charlie's home. "Charlie is a child who requires highly specialised treatment. His care cannot be simplified. It must be provided in a specialist setting by specialists," the document said. "It is in Charlie's best interests, and everybody's, that the risk of a precipitate, distressing or disordered death is removed so that he may be assured of a peaceful and dignified passing." Tuesday's proceedings were the latest in an agonising series of court hearings for the Gard parents. They had wanted to take Charlie to the United States to undergo an experimental treatment never before tried on anyone with his condition, against the advice of Great Ormond Street doctors. Britain's courts, backed by the European Court of Human Rights, refused permission, saying it would prolong his suffering without any realistic prospect of helping the child. The details of Tuesday's hearing suggested that the relationship between the parents and the hospital had broken down completely. The hospital said the parents had rejected an offer of mediation. "Today, palliative care consultants at the hospital have had a lengthy, difficult and (sadly but understandably in the dreadful circumstances) unconstructive meeting with the parents," the hospital's legal document said. "There remains no agreed plan." Reuters Warsaw, July 24 Polish President Andrzej Duda today vetoed controversial judicial reforms that had prompted huge street protests and threats of unprecedented EU sanctions. I have decided to send back to Parliament-therefore, to veto-the law on the Supreme Court, as well as the law on the National Council of the Judiciary, Duda said in a televised declaration. This law would not strengthen the sense of justice in society, he said, adding that his decision followed extensive consultations with legal experts over the weekend. These laws must be amended, Duda said. The reforms would have increased political control over the judiciary, sparking an outcry amongst critics who said the ruling rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party was seeking to reduce the independence of the courts. It should not be part of our tradition that the attorney general can interfere in the work of the Supreme Court, Duda said. The Polish senate had on Saturday backed the reforms, but they had still needed the Presidents sign-off. But Mondays veto was a surprise as Duda is closely allied with the PiS. Thousands of protesters had taken to the streets across Poland in recent days to oppose the Bill, including huge crowds who held a candlelit protest outside the Supreme Court on Sunday night urging Duda to veto the changes. The European Commission had threatened to halt Polands voting rights over the proposed reforms-a so-called nuclear option that the EU had never invoked-while the US had also expressed concern. AFP Male, July 25 Maldivian troops blockaded Parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said today, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again today, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now, MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said. This is ridiculous. The Parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers on Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the presidents ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameens office said in a statement today that parliament was closed ahead of an incoming VVIP visit. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on July 24 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the... constitution, Yameens office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just 2 sq km in size, was tighter than usual. The US and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameens grip on Parliament. AFP Washington, July 25 US President Donald Trump has attacked The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, alleging that the daily is being used against Congress for mounting pressure on politicians so that they do not look into the e-commerce giants alleged tax-monopoly. Trump accused The Post of filing incorrect stories. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Is fake news Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly? he said in a series of tweets on Monday night. So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Trump said. The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad, he said as he challenged the Post for writing a story on Syria, which he said is wrong. In a lead story, the Post said cooperation with Russia is becoming a central part of the Trump administrations counter-Islamic State strategy in Syria. US military planners are counting on Moscow to try to prevent Syrian government forces and their allies on the ground from interfering in coalition-backed operations against the militants, the daily said. However, according to the daily, some lawmakers and White House officials have expressed concern that the shortsighted strategy gives the long-term advantage in Syria to Russia, Iran and Assad, and ultimately leaves the door open for a vanquished Islamic State to re-establish itself. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, alleged that by doing so the Trump administration is playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Trump administration seems to want to find some agreement with Russia to stabilise Syria even if that means entrenching Assad and the Russian and Iranian military presence. The White House, meanwhile, reiterated its support to the Russia sanctions bill. The president has been very vocal about his support for continued sanctions on those three countries. He has no intention of getting rid of them, but he wants to make sure we get the best deal for the American people possible. Congress doesnt have the best record on that, said White House Press Secretary Sarah sanders. PTI A road to nowhere The existing transitional justice (TJ) system fails to open avenues for social justice as it is envisioned and demanded at the local level. Rather, the current system creates a gap between the mainstream (the state) and the margins (the victims). Tires operate in all kinds of conditions. Be sure your testing reflects the environment in which the tires will serve. Photo: Jim Park If you want to test drive some new tires before you buy and who wouldnt be prepared to invest significant time and energy in the project. You need patience to produce a successful tire evaluation. Diligent record keeping and careful observation will help, but it can take two years or more to get an accurate picture of how tires will perform in a specific application. It takes time and miles for tread rubber to scrub away and for any irregular wear problems to appear. All the while, the test tires will be at the mercy of the mechanical condition of the truck, road hazards, ambivalent or unknowing technicians, and the habits of the drivers piloting the test trucks. Thats a lot of variables from which to draw hard conclusions about tire performance. Peggy Fisher, president of Tire Stamp Inc. and expert-at-large on the ATAs Technology & Maintenance Councils S.2 Tire and Wheel Task Force, orchestrated many such tire evaluations during her days as a fleet tire manager with Roadway Express back in the 80s. She managed nearly 200,000 tires on 30,000 pieces of equipment and tested many thousands of tires. Because tire testing for tread wear and durability can take years, the biggest issue in running these tests is keeping maintenance personnel aware that the test is still ongoing, she says. This becomes harder to do the larger the fleet and the more people touching the test tires. Fisher points to TMC recommended practice 230B as the ideal template for tire durability and tread wear evaluation. One of the TMCs longer RP documents at 20 pages, its very comprehensive and includes tools for recording data and making evaluations. Among the recommendations is to use the same make, model and year of truck to ensure consistency at the mechanical level, and of course, to align the truck and inspect the running gear to ensure the truck itself wont compromise the test. That is why we specify in RP 230B that fleets use the same model trucks if possible for tire tests, Fisher says. Factors such as camber, caster and Ackermann [steering geometry] can be different, and that will affect tire wear. Randy McGregor, fleet manager at Transway Inc., a 100-truck general commodities carrier based in Holland, Michigan, and serving the Midwest, always has four types of tires in tests on eight power units. He tries to keep the trucks on similar routes with similar loads, and his tests generally run eight months to a year, or 80,000-90,000 miles. We begin the process by selecting a few tires to test, he says. We look to our tire suppliers for likely candidates for our needs. And we also try to find out if the tires in question will be available for at least a few more years. Theres no point in testing a tire thats about to undergo a design change or be discontinued. Tread depth measurements and tire condition checks should take place at regular intervals, and all relevant data noted on the evaluation. Photo: Michelin McGregor says if hes testing steer tires hell align the truck first, but for drive tires he just checks axle parallelism and the condition of the shocks and suspension bushings to minimize wear from mechanical issues. He monitors tread depth and tire condition every 10,000 miles or so, and will switch the tires to different trucks with different drivers at about 50,000 miles. We have a pretty good idea how tires will perform by 50,000 miles, but wear rates can change as the tread thins out, he notes. Past test results have shown that conclusions we can draw at 50,000 miles usually hold for the remainder of the tread life, but we dont stop there. A lot can still happen after that. He also draws on his drivers opinions about the tires in terms of ride and handling, traction, etc. They are the ones who have to live with them. There will be tires that start to show wear more quickly than others, so McGregor tries to find out why. Sometimes its the truck and sometimes its the tire, he says. We investigate the problem before assuming its the tires by comparing the wear on the test tires to the previous tires that came off the truck, he explains. If the previous tire and the test tire show the same wear, the truck is likely the source of wear. On the other hand, if two tires show the same wear rates and patterns at the same mileage, we usually assume its the tires and contact the dealer. The important thing is that McGregor says his tire test program does yield meaningful results and has proven reliable over the fullness of time. Hes not testing a thousand tires at a time, just a few dozen. He figures the results even on his small sample size are accurate enough to help him plan future tire purchases. Alert your technicians to ongoing tests by labeling the tires and the trucks involved in the test so they know there will be some special handling requirements. Photo: Michelin Testing Tires for Fuel Economy Testing tires for fuel efficiency, or rolling resistance, in fact, is just as challenging as testing for tread wear and durability, but in different ways. Since two tires for a similar purpose, such as a ribbed drive tire versus a lug drive tire, will not produce dramatically different results, the errors in data collection or test procedures can skew or ruin the test, cautions Chuck Blake, senior technical sales support manager at Detroit Diesel. A plus-or-minus 2% error in data collection or analysis will skew your results in such a way that a 3%-product could look like a 5%-product or a 1%-product, he says. In-service evaluations of tire rolling resistance (fuel efficiency) are difficult to extract precise data from because of the large number of variables, such as weather, driver performance, loads, and operating conditions, unless you plan long-term tests where the variables start to disappear statistically with time. But then you have the same problem as tire performance evaluations: threats to the data from damaged tires, disinterest or forgetfulness, and unforeseen changes to the test protocols. Shorter-term tests, such as track testing or on-road single-run tests, can give accurate results fairly quickly, but such tests require a high level of sophistication, a highly structured test environment, and very accurate measurements. They also can be discouragingly expensive. The ATAs Technology & Maintenance Council offers three Recommended Practices for in-service fuel economy testing, RP 1102, RP 1103 and RP 1109, that can be successfully implemented if the required level of precision is used in the collection of data. Done properly, they can reduce testing costs while providing a high level of reliability and repeatability. The caveat here is done properly. It would be easy for an inexperienced tester or a fleet that cuts a few corners to ruin the data without even realizing it. A fatal mistake in fuel economy testing is to rely totally on data collected from the truck itself without the appropriate checks and balances. Blake says electronic fuel consumption data from some ECMs can be off by as much as 5%, while speed and odometer measurements can be notoriously imprecise. Taking measurements from those sources alone will not get you reliable results, he stresses. Sure, its quick and easy to do a before-and-after comparison, but the results would be meaningless. Pilot Flying J paid $85 million to settle with customers affected by a fuel rebate scandal and an additional $92 million in fines. Photo: TruckingInfo.com In a case dating from 2012, four former Pilot Flying J executives accused of skimming money in a diesel fuel rebate scam have struck a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. According to The Washington Post , vice president of sales for the company, John Freeman, who authorities say was the mastermind of the scheme, former regional sales manager John Spiewak, former direct sales group supervisor Vicki Borden, and former sales representative Katy Bibee have all agreed to the plea bargain. A federal investigation into the fuel scam led to criminal charges against executives at the company, resulting in an $85 million settlement with some of the defrauded customers as well as a $92 million penalty to the government. Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam claims to have had no knowledge of the scheme. In statement, the company said it was sadden by the admission of wrongdoing and noted it has taken steps to make whole every customer negatively affected by the scandal and taken steps to make sure such activity never happens again. The company also said that "It is Pilot Flying Js commitment to be a great partner to trucking companies across North America, always focusing our undivided attention on the best interests of our customers, team members and business. Trial is set in Federal court in Chattanooga, TN, for the remaining Pilot Flying J executives indicted in the scandal, including former Pilot president Mark Hazelwood, former vice president Scott Scooter Wombold, and two other former members of the sales team, Heather Jones and Karen Mann, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Related: Date and Location Set for Pilot Fuel Rebate Fraud Trial In the past few months, a QuikTrip has sprung up at the intersection of 41st Street and Memorial Drive. The new Generation 3 store is nearing completion. The canopy above where the gas pumps will be is in place. The store is looking like a QuikTrip. It just doesnt have a sign yet. QT spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said the store should be open by the latter part of August. He said the location was an area of need for QuikTrip, filling a gap in the part of town where the company lacks a store. The location, which will be close to the Broken Arrow Expressway, is situated in a bit of a manufacturing hub and is also home to several car dealerships, making it a place where one can see an 18-wheeler on a regular basis. The nearby stretch of 46th Street has a Baker Hughes plant on one side of Memorial Drive and Gardner Denver on the other side, as well as other smaller manufacturers. Theres also a Blue Cross Blue Shield call center that employs several hundred people just up the street from the new store. The new location on Memorial isnt the only thing QuikTrip has cooking these days. The Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution Monday for the Tulsa City-County Health Department to sell land on 51st Street, near the companys headquarters, to QuikTrip for $266,000. Thornbrugh said the land will be used for another point of access for the company headquarters. As a Generation 3 store, the QuikTrip will also feature QT Kitchens, which is part of the companys push into prepared food and where it plans to add market share. QuikTrip has been recognized in the industry for its consistently high-quality food and innovation. The Tulsa-based convenience store chain announced last month that it is making a major expansion in Texas and will add 100 stores in Austin and San Antonio. The first stores in each city should be open by summer 2018, the company said. The company also continues to expand across the South. It opened its 49th store in South Carolina in the city of Anderson about two weeks ago, according to the Anderson Independent Mail. The Ministerial Alliance and Advance America will have a Back to School Bash to help local students get ready to go back to class. The bash will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 13 at Tulsa Technology Centers Sand Springs campus at 924 E. Charles Page Boulevard. Local Advance America store manager Amanda Hall said this is their first year to be part of the Ministerial Alliances Back to School Bash. Were here to help with whatever people need, Hall said. It was put on our hearts to help the kids. The event will feature free backpacks and school supplies, free haircuts, free dental checks, free flu shots for children older than 7 and more. There will also be plenty of activities for the children to enjoy. Hall said there will be free hot dogs for children, the Tulsa County Reading Road Show, a bounce house and $1 snow cones all day from Sand Sno-Balls. Army gears up to build Ktm-Tarai expressway The Nepal Army, which has been authorised to build the Kathmandu-Tarai expressway, has indicated that it might use the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by an Indian consortium, as it has already started making preparations to excavate earth and blast rocks at the construction site of the 76-km roadway. A man stabbed another man in the chest Monday night inside a north Tulsa residence before fleeing, police reported. Officers were dispatched about 10 p.m. to the 4300 block of North Frankfort Avenue, where they located the wounded man, Officer Adam Ashley said. A fight apparently precipitated the stabbing. Emergency responders transported the man to a hospital in unknown condition, Ashley said. The attacker was described as a white male wearing a white shirt. Officers said they were unable to ascertain further information from injured man. Anyone with information may contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 918-596-COPS (2677), online at p3tips.com/918 or through the Tulsa Tips app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or iTunes stores. Tulsa is one of six cities nationwide selected to receive funding over the next four years to implement better opportunities for developing students social and emotional skills. Tulsa Public Schools announced Monday that it and the YMCA of Greater Tulsa obtained the four-year grant provided as part of the Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative by the Wallace Foundation, based in New York City and dedicated to improvements in learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children and the vitality of the arts. The grant will amount to between $1 million and $1.5 million in each of the four years. Being a destination for excellence in teaching and learning means developing the whole child and giving students the social and emotional tools and skills they need to be successful, productive adults, TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist said in a news release. Were excited to partner with the YMCA of Greater Tulsa to strengthen services to our students and families. Those social and emotional learning skills include self control, persistence, teamwork and goal-setting, which education officials say a growing body of research has linked to success in school, career and life. We are creating opportunities for all young people, no matter their income level, to be able to engage in quality support for their social/emotional learning needs, coupled with quality after-school programming, said Ebony Johnson, executive director of Student and Family Support Services at TPS. We just know how important it is to keep our students engaged throughout an entire day. It allows for them to be enriched. Tulsa was selected last month from nine cities in which a school district and partnering organization received a $400,000 planning grant from the foundation in 2016 to develop how it would implement social and emotional learning opportunities, Johnson said. Were very excited to announce the selection of the implementation grantee pairs, all of which worked incredibly hard during the planning phase, Gigi Antoni, the director of learning and enrichment at the Wallace Foundation, said in a news release. These entities have demonstrated the potential to work collaboratively and have created thoughtful, strategic plans intended to achieve real benefits for students. Were looking forward to following their efforts and to sharing what we learn with educators and after-school providers nationwide. Johnson said representatives of the foundation indicated that Tulsa was selected for the grant because of the potential of TPS five-year strategic plan, called Destination Excellence, which was launched in the 2016-17 school year, as well as the willingness of local philanthropic organizations to support its work. I think that poised us to definitely be a city to look at, as far as great things that we already have going on that support it, Johnson said. The RAND Corporation, a research organization, will work with the Wallace Foundation to study the effectiveness of the initiative by measuring the performance of students at five TPS elementary school pilot sites and whether that effort could be replicated in other cities, Johnson said. That research will involve comparing the five pilot sites Eugene Field, Lee, McClure, Robertson and Whitman to five other TPS elementary schools Salk, Patrick Henry, Jackson, Bell and Gilcrease, she said. For the first two years of the project, the pilot sites will receive resources, and teachers and school leaders will be provided materials and professional development, to support them in implementing social and emotional learning during and after school, Johnson said. The schools to be compared with those sites will not receive that additional support until the end of the third year of receiving the four-year grant, she said. Our goal is for this to become a city-wide level of support for out-of-school-time students both in the Tulsa area and surrounding, and that we are truly setting the foundation and framework for what thats going to look like in the years to come, Johnson said. Westbound Interstate 44 in west Tulsa is becoming a go-to spot for state troopers and emergency responders in a bad way. The highway near Union Avenue has been shut down three times in a five-day period following vehicle crashes as motorists attempt to merge into one lane because of construction. Whats ironic is we have put additional signage out there this past week, Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kenna Mitchell said Monday. We could put tons more signs out, but if drivers arent paying attention to the ones that are out there, there are going to be problems. She added that ODOT also has a large message board warning of the construction at Harvard Avenue more than three miles ahead of it. Mitchell said ODOT has not seen Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports about the crashes that caused the highway to be shut down, but said if the cause is inattentive driving or speeding and not a highway safety issue that comes under driver responsibility. Likely what we think it would be is people not paying attention. They need to be aware that there is a construction zone. And slower traffic, she said. OHP Trooper Dwight Durant said all of the crashes that have shut down the highway have been due to driver error. Following too close, speed, inattentive (driving). The whole gamut of what people (shouldnt) do, he said. I agree with ODOT, Durant said. This is a driver awareness deal. Theyre not paying attention and slowing down, not putting down their cellphones or whatnot. The highway has been shut down from about 30 minutes to several hours following crashes on Wednesday afternoon, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. In Wednesdays crash involving six vehicles, a 14-year-old passenger was pinned in a vehicle for 30 minutes before Tulsa firefighters removed him using the Jaws of Life. He was listed in critical condition with head, trunk, arm and leg injuries, according to an OHP report. No serious injuries were reported in the other two crashes that shut down the highway. Union Avenue is just east of where the left lane of the highway is closed, beginning at the 33rd West Avenue exit. The lane is closed as part of a $5.8 million project to rehabilitate four bridges at the I-44/Interstate 244 junction in far west Tulsa, which began July 5. Westbound I-44 traffic leading into the area where motorists must merge into one lane is often at a crawl, or a complete standstill, especially during the afternoons. Mitchell said the section of I-44 between the Arkansas River and I-244 is the oldest section of interstate highway in the state. Because the highway is only two lanes in each direction and there are several on- and off-ramps, the stretch is particularly challenging for drivers, even without narrowing to one lane. Theres not a lot of room in that corridor, she said. We want to do (expansion) improvements, but it really just comes down to funding. Certainly when you do have a work zone in there it really calls for drivers to be extra careful. On average, 51,900 vehicles per day travel in both directions in that area of I-44, according to ODOT traffic counts in 2015, the most recent data on its website. Work at the I-44/I-244 junction is expected to be completed in mid-fall to early 2018, ODOT said. ODOT offers several tips for motorists on being aware in work zones on its website, including not speeding or tailgating. Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton has once again taken to social media to address the filing of manslaughter charges against former Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby. In an open letter posted to the Rogers County Sheriffs Offices Facebook page on Monday, Walton accuses Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler and Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan of dealing an incredible blow to the entire American law enforcement community. The playing field for anyone wearing a badge has greatly changed due in large part to their accommodating the interests of political activist groups while failing to support the competency of their own city police officers, Walton wrote. Kunzweiler defended his decision to the Tulsa World on Monday, stating: As with any case handled by this office, a charging decision is made based upon the facts and the law, and that is what we did in this case. Shelby was charged with first-degree manslaughter after fatally shooting Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16 after she found his vehicle stopped in the middle of 36th Street North. Crutcher, 40, was unarmed when Shelby shot him once in the upper right chest as he stood next to his SUV. A jury acquitted her of the charge in May, and she was moved from patrol to an administrative position. She resigned from the Police Department earlier this month. In the letter, Walton said her decision to do so was based solely upon a continued paradigm of questionable methods used by her administration to appease the sentiments of a small contingency of the Tulsa community. Walton posted another letter on the sheriffs Facebook page in early May before Shelbys acquittal, saying law enforcement officers ability to protect themselves and others may also be on trial. This letter also states that administrative efforts to soothe the irrational complaints from a few sympathizers is encouraging anti-police sentiment. Twitter: @Mike_Averill Dr KC launches his 11th hunger strike Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC launched his 11th indefinite hunger strike on Monday, demanding an end to the anomalies in medical education and immediate endorsement of the Health Profession Education bill. MONTGOMERY, Ala. The aircraft arrayed around the spacious lawn of Maxwell Air Force Base, home of the Air University, mostly represent long-retired types. The largest, however, is a glistening B-52 bomber, which represents a still-employed component of the Air Forces aging fleet: The youngest B-52 entered service in 1962. Sons have flown the same plane their fathers and grandfathers flew. But, then, the average age of all the Air Force aircraft is 27 years; fighters, more than 30 years; bombers and helicopters, more than 40 years; refueling tankers more than 50 years. Americas security challenges change much faster think of the Soviet Unions demise and the Islamic States rise than new technologies can be conceived, designed, approved, built and deployed. The F/A-18 and the F-16 were designed about 45 years ago. On April 15, 1953, two U.S. soldiers in Korea were attacked and killed by a propeller-driven aircraft supporting Chinese and North Korean troops. Since then, no U.S. ground troops have been attacked by an enemy aircraft. Such has been the permissive environment guaranteed by U.S. air dominance, not since Vietnam has a U.S. pilot used his aircrafts bullets to down an enemy fighter plane (although air-to-air missiles downed enemy aircraft over the Balkans). The Air Forces dominance in controlling the air and in supporting ground troops might have been what an F-16 pilot here calls a catastrophic success, distracting attention from the rapidly evolving challenge of multi-domain, combined-arms warfare on land, on and under the sea, in the air, and in space and cyberspace. From Dec. 8, 1941, through August 5, 1945 the day before Hiroshima there were no radical technological disjunctions during World War II. Aircraft, aircraft carriers, tanks and radar were pre-Pearl Harbor technologies. Future wars, however, will be won by information superiority that produces superior decisions. Which means that China gave a chilling glimpse of the future when in January 2007 it successfully launched an anti-satellite weapon. Beginning with the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, airpower has been the first, and sometimes the only, recourse of presidents. In 1991, six weeks of air attacks enabled U.S. ground forces to finish Iraqs army in 100 hours. In 1999, in three months of combat over Serbia and Kosovo, airpower sufficed to enable diplomacy to attain the political objectives. In 1991, in the first night of the Gulf War air campaign, U.S. airpower struck more targets than the Eighth Air Force struck in Europe in all of 1942 and 1943. These recent episodes may, however, be remembered not as harbingers of future conflicts but as punctuations ending an era. In this, its 70th year as an independent service, the Air Force, like the other branches of the military, but more than any other, is being required to rethink its mission in light of rapidly evolving threats and technologies. The Air Force is in charge of two legs of the nuclear deterrence triad strategic bombers and Minuteman ICBMs but also has been delivering 70 percent of the bombs against ISIS. For decades, the Air Forces strategic role was defined by President Dwight Eisenhowers configuration of U.S. forces for long-range deterrence of the Soviet Union in order to reduce the need for massive forward-based forces. In 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who perhaps possesses broader knowledge and experience of national security matters than any American has ever had, said: If the Department of Defense cant figure out a way to defend the United States on a budget of more than half a trillion dollars a year, then our problems are much bigger than anything that can be cured by a few more ships and planes. Indeed, safety might come from buying fewer ships and planes, and more drones. And developing hypersonic (more than five times the speed of sound) weapons that can strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour. And electromagnetic kinetic weapons (railguns) with muzzle velocities of 5,000 mph, twice as fast as the muzzle velocity of a high-caliber bullet. Directed-energy laser-based weapons operating at the speed of light are about 134,000 times faster than railguns. What Air Force people call fast movers fighter planes, the fastest bombers are mere plodders compared to weapons that are not far over the horizon. And compared to the pace of geo-strategic and technological changes that challenge even the fine Air Universitys capacity to comprehend them. George Wills email address is georgewill@washpost.com. 2017, Washington Post Writers Group On Sunday SBS premieres a new history series, Inside World War II. This is a 3 part series that should appeal to military historians, but it is screening in a late night time slot. Over 70 years ago, ordinary citizens were called to duty in a fight to defend freedom, honour and country. Germany, Italy and Japan had set their sights on world domination while the US and its allies rose up to fight. This three-part series takes an intimate look at personal wartime experiences from the perspective of a wide array of veterans and citizens who endured the frontlines bloody conflicts each day. Episode One: The first episode starts in September 1933, with Hitlers address to the Nazi Party in Nuremberg and ends with the Battle of Midway in 1942. Sunday, 30 July at 10.50pm on SBS. Helen Mirren is hoping to return to the detective genre with a new project currently being shopped to UK broadcasters. Mirren is reuniting with executive producer Andy Harries (The Queen, The Crown) to play a retired detective training police personnel at a refugee camp in Jordan. The project is written by writer Guy Hibbert (Eye in the Sky). Helen was sick of receiving terrible scripts that either had her character suffering from dementia or dying in a cancer ward, Harries tells Royal Television Societys magazine, Television. She wanted something that reflected her own life as an active, 70-year-old woman. Meanwhile a sequel to her hit franchise Prime Suspect is currently screening in Australia on ABC. Source: Radio Times Season 4 of The Last Ship will air on Stan in late August. The series, starring Eric Dane, will air every Monday, same day as the US. Production on the 5th season was shut down in May at the request of Dane, who suffers from depression. The Last Ship returns with a new mission to save humanity as the world continues to struggle for survival. After the chilling events at the end of last season, Tom Chandler (Eric Dane) has given up his heroic titles and sought solace in a small village in Greece. Meanwhile, Captain Slattery (Adam Baldwin) and the crew of Nathan James have discovered that the virus has jumped kingdoms bringing humanity to the brink of global famine. Monday August 21 on Stan. Drop in price puts producers in dilemma Large cardamom producers in Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha and Taplejung districts have been reluctant to sell their products with the agro products price in a freefall this year. Only link to Tatopani severed as landslide destroys key bridge A massive earthquake two years ago and Bhotekoshi floods last year had left the Tatopani Bazaar, once a bustling town bordering China, in the lurch with a massive slump in business activities. Part-time teachers of constituent campuses stage relay hunger-strike Part-time teachers of constituent campuses under the Tribhuvan University have staged a relay hunger strike from Tuesday, demanding their appointment on contract. July 25 2017 Edinburghs St Cecilias Hall , the second oldest purpose-built concert hall in the British Isles, is once more a focal point for early music and historical instruments following completion of a major package of renovation works.Overseen by Page\Park Architects and structural engineers David Narro Associates the 6.5m restoration project has enabled the University of Edinburgh to increase performances, extend opening hours and offer new means of showcasing its collection of 4,000 objects.In a statement David Narro Associates wrote: Named after the patron saint of music and constructed to the designs of Robert Mylne in 1763, St. Cecilia's Hall predates the adjacent South Bridge and the entire New Town.In 2011 The University of Edinburgh undertook to restore and renovate the building and its infrastructure to enable the long-term preservation of, and public access to, the collection of musical instruments and musical programmes.Building work was completed in the Spring and the building was handed over to the University to recant the instruments. St. Cecilias Hall now continues to provide visitors with the opportunity to see and hear the unique collection of historical instruments as part of live performances within the Hall as well as viewing them in a gallery setting.David Narro Associates recently saw Ben Adam elevated to the post of managing director, succeeding David Narro who will stay on as chairman. I believe that great cities are synonymous with great universities. This rings particularly true for UTSA and San Antonio. President Taylor Eighmy (July 25, 2017) -- The University of Texas System Board of Regents named T. Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D., the next president of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Eighmy, currently the vice chancellor for research and engagement at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, will begin his new role Sept. 1. Regents approved the appointment at a special called meeting of the board today. Eighmy was unanimously selected as the sole finalist for the position at a board meeting last month. Under state law, university governing boards must name finalists for a presidency at least 21 days before making an appointment. Eighmy, who is also a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, has extensive experience in university leadership ranging from developing top-tier research institutions to building critical student success programs, especially around experiential learning and undergraduate research. He has worked very closely with state legislators, industry, and business and civic leaders to develop critical and sustainable public-partnerships and realize new resources from a variety of public and private sources. As a chief research officer, he has continuously championed external engagement, particularly community engagement. While at the University of Tennessee, Eighmy and colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory directed efforts that resulted in the University of Tennessees selection to lead the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, a $259 million public-private partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. Eighmy, the principal investigator of the project, was founder and served as board chair for Institutes parent company. The work of the Institute has led to significant technological innovations and economic development, both regionally and nationally, around advanced manufacturing. Prior to his role at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Eighmy served as senior vice president for research at Texas Tech University, where he was instrumental in working with the community to realize National Research University status for Texas Tech. He also spent several years at the University of New Hampshire in a variety of roles, from professor to director of strategic initiatives to assistant vice president for research and interim vice president for research. Dr. Eighmy has an outstanding background as a professor, researcher, inventor and administrative leader which has provided rich and diverse experiences in the university setting and beyond, Regents Chairman Paul L. Foster said. Given UTSAs growing reputation and continued pursuit of Tier One university status, Dr. Eighmy is an exceptional choice to lead this remarkable institution as it strives to reach even greater heights. The search for a new leader began late last year, after President Ricardo Romo announced his plans to retire. Pedro Reyes, Ph.D., the UT Systems former executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, has been serving as interim president since March, when Romo stepped down. A search advisory committee including two UT institution presidents, two members of the Board of Regents, representatives from UTSA faculty, staff and deans, as well as alumni and members of the San Antonio community, reviewed candidates and made recommendations to the Board of Regents. Eighmy is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. He served as a member of the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board for more than 11 years and has worked closely with the National Academies Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable, the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership and the U.S. Council on Competitiveness Technology & Leadership Strategy Initiative. He has served on the boards of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the Southeastern Universities Research Association, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Cherokee Farm Development Corporation and a number of community, economic development and technology start-up boards. Eighmy and his wife Peggy look forward to returning to Texas and making San Antonio their home. The couple have one daughter, Hannah, a NICU nurse at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Eighmy intends to visit the UTSA campus prior to his start date and looks forward to meeting the Roadrunner community. Paudel faction to pick directly elected lawmakers as ministers Nepali Congress faction led by senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel has decided to pick only the directly elected lawmakers as ministers. Post scribe bereaved The Kathmandu Post senior correspondent and New Delhi Bureau chief of the Kantipur Publications Kamal Dev Bhattarai is bereaved of his mother. Viet Nam expects to export head-on shell-on shrimp to Australia. - Photo vietnamfinance.vn SunRice CEO Rob Gordon said a number of Vietnamese firms had exported rice to Australia for his company, which carries 30 product labels and has about 2,100 workers in 60 countries across the world. To reinforce production capacity in Viet Nam, Gordon proposed the Vietnamese Government allow Sunrice to expand investment in the country, transferring skills and sharing scientific technology in rice production, processing and marketing. Deputy PM Hue praised Sunrices co-operation with Vietnamese rice trade, which was important for both sides, contributing to food security. He said Viet Nam could supply all types of rice in great volume. The co-operation of rice trade between the two countries grew in 2016 when Viet Nam exported 220,000 tonnes of rice to Australia, over 50 per cent more compared with 2015. To ensure the trade of rice, Hue asked businesses on both sides to meet and discuss doing business. The Vietnamese ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Trade and Industry would co-operate with Sunrice to help it develop investment in Viet Nam, he pledged. Speaking with Jan Craps, CEO of Carlton&United Breweries (CBU) which has a 47-per cent share of the Australian market and plans to expand its beer production to the southern province of Binh Duong, Hue said Viet Nam was interested in sustainable development, ensuring environmental safety and water resource in this area. In addition, he said, the Vietnamese Government has been conducting divestments at its two biggest brewers - Sai Gon Beer-Alcohol-Beverages Joint Stock Corporation (Sabeco) and Ha Noi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Habeco) - suggesting CBU may have an interest as strategic investor. Craps said his company expected to be a strategic investor in Sabeco and Habeco when the State divests its investment capital this year. Bruce Taper, the director of Kinessis, a technology company, said he wanted to take part in urban design projects in Viet Nam. Through the companys technology apps, it can supply information for policymakers to help them make decisions on urban management and development. Hue said many urban areas are facing difficulties in sustainable development. Seafood meeting Hue also met with representatives of the Australian Seafood Importers Association, saying the two sides reached good growth in import and export turnover. However, Australia had not yet allowed the import of head on shell-on shrimp from Viet Nam. Hue expected the association to support Viet Nam in the export of head on shell-on shrimp to the Australian market. He expressed his support for ensuring quality but concern about Australias technical barriers, which were hurting Vietnamese exporters. He also proposed the association help Viet Nam build labs to assess the quality of shrimp to raise its shrimp production capacity. Australian brewer CUB will join the fray for the shares of both Habeco and Sabeco The companies intentions were stated by CUB general director Jan Craps at the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and the delegation of Australian enterprises on July 24, according to newswire Vnexpress. According to Jan Craps, CUB plans to expand its operations in the southern province of Binh Duong and is looking to become the strategic investor of both Habeco and Sabeco. According to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) at its monthly press conference organised on July 14, the sale of state stakes will be carried out this year. Bui Truong Thang, deputy director general of MoITs Light Industry Department, said Habeco will submit its divestment plan to the ministry this week and Sabecos divestment plan will also be submitted before the end of the month. At present, Habeco signed with Bao Viet Securities Company (BVSC) and Vietnam Valuation and Finance Consultancy (VVFC), appointing them as the consultancy firms for the state divestment. Regarding Sabeco, according to unofficial information, a venture of BVSC, VVFC, and Earnst & Young Vietnam Limited was selected as the consultancy group for the state divestment. The state divestment from Sabeco and Habeco has also attracted numerous foreign investors. Notably, in November 2016, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (Thai Beverage), Japanese Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. and Kirin Holdings Co. released their plans to bid for Sabecos shares. Several other foreign brewers have been eyeing Sabeco since it was earmarked for equitisation, such as San Miguel, Heineken, and SABMiller. The move is part of these companies overseas expansion plans to counterbalance shrinking domestic markets. Danish brewer Carlsberg, owning a 17.5 per cent stake in Habeco, also intends to increase its holdings. The reason for foreign investors interest in Habeco and Sabeco is that Vietnam ranked among the Top-10 beer consumption markets in the world at the end of 2016, with total consumption projected to grow by 10 per cent year-on-year, to reach four billion litres in 2017. Established in 1907, CUB is currently the largest beer brewer in Australia, holding 47 per cent of the beer market. Some of Australias most famous brands, including Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draught, Crown Lager, Melbourne Bitter, Pure Blonde and Cascade come from the companys breweries. In 2011, the company joined the SABMiller group, the second largest brewer in the world. Sorry, all sold out Two years ago, locals of Humla had to wait for up to two weeks to get on a flight to their district from Nepalgunj. There were few planes, and flying was the only way to get to roadless Humla besides an arduous trek. Workers in Doosan Heavy Industries Vietnam (Doosan Vina), a South Korean-invested enterprise in Vietnam (illustration) Origins of trade deficit towards South Korea Since April 2017, South Korea has taken over China to become Vietnams biggest import market with $9.3 billion of trade deficit for the first four months of 2017, slightly larger than China in this period. For the first half of 2017, Vietnams trade deficit towards South Korea totalled $16 billion, while it was $14.1 billion towards China. Many think that the leading position of South Korea derives from the huge import volumes of Samsung and LG manufacturing facilities in Vietnam. In a quarterly meeting, a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) confirmed that Vietnams huge trade deficit towards South Korea was related to big South Korean enterprises in Vietnam, such as Samsung and LG. Samsung and LGs local factories have imported a large number of machinery, equipment, and materials for their manufacturing activities, leading to the growth of Vietnams trade deficit towards South Korea, the representative said. Vietnam has been importing from South Korea for a long time, but the import volume has significantly increased since 2008, when Samsung made its first large-scale investment in the country, which resulted in an investment wave from South Korea. Currently, Samsung has invested more than $17 billion in Vietnam and LG over $5 billion. From early 2017, Samsung Display Vietnam and LG Display Vietnams expansion projects have raised the number of imports from South Korea. In addition, according to MoIT, as the Vietnam-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) became effective, duties imposed on components and materials imported from South Korea dropped to zero, while duties on Chinese imports remained, meaning the increase in imports from South Korea is normal. No concerns over rising trade deficit towards South Korea There have been some concerns over the rising trade deficit towards South Korea, but Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of MoIT's Import-Export Department insisted that this rising trade deficit was normal. The reason is that in the first half of 2017, big South Korean enterprises in Vietnam largely imported machinery and equipment. Besides, the increasing imports of oil and gasoline and textile materials from South Korea were also contributing factors. According to Dr Nguyen Duc Thanh, head of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, Vietnams trade deficits towards China and South Korea are very different. Imports from China are consumer goods, while those from South Korea are materials, machinery, and equipment used for manufacturing. Thus, increasing trade deficit towards South Korea is normal and it should not be much of a worry. An economist told VIR that as Vietnam is more and more deeply integrated into the world economy, economic performance should be assessed in the global context. We have a trade deficit of $16 billion towards South Korea, but we have trade surplus towards other countries, he said. The economist took the example of Samsung which may import a lot of materials and components from South Korea to manufacture mobile devices, but exports the finished products all over the world, not only to South Korea. According to statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the first half of 2017, Vietnam exported over $1.7 billion of mobile phones and components to South Korea, while the amount of such exports to the US was worth more than $2 billion. Moreover, the amount of mobile phones and components to the United Arab Emirates was $1.9 billion, to the UK more than $861 million, to Brazil $408 million, to India more than $240 million, and to Germany $860 million. Samsung has increased Vietnams trade deficit towards South Korea, but at the same time, it contributed more than $40 billion to Vietnams export turnover last year. This year, this amount may rise up to $50 billion. In addition, as the localisation rate of Samsung Electronics Vietnam in the northern province of Bac Ninh and Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen in the northern province of Thai Nguyen has increased to 57 per cent, the added value that Samsung has brought to Vietnam is considerable. Similarly, LG and other South Korean enterprises in Vietnam may import a large number of materials, machinery, and equipment from South Korea, but they also export to many other countries. Heavy dependence on a single market is not good, but to accurately assess Vietnams trade deficit towards South Korea, the matter should be considered in the global context. Clothes are advertised on a Facebook page. A tax administration project for e-commerce business has been drawn up, with the two taxation departments of Ha Noi and HCM City functioning as pioneers in bringing business owners selling merchandise on social media, especially Facebook, into the tax bracket.-VNS Photo Truong Vi Ha is one of over 13,400 Facebook account holders in Ha Noi whove been identified by the Ha Noi Taxation Department as online traders. I have been selling clothes through Facebook for years, getting about 10 orders each day with maximum daily sales of around VND5 million (US$220), Ha told Viet Nam News, admitting that unlike other shop owners, she doesnt have to declare her business or pay taxes. She was satisfied with her earnings and not having to bother about any intervention from State management agencies. The promise of attractive profits has prompted many people to jump on the bandwagon, catching the attention of authorities trying to reduce tax losses from State budget collection. A tax administration project for e-commerce business has been drawn up, with the two taxation departments of Ha Noi and HCM City functioning as pioneers in bringing business owners selling merchandise on social media, especially Facebook, into the tax bracket. Vien Viet Hung, deputy director of Ha Noi Taxation Department, told Viet Nam News that the department had collected information on the identity and telephone numbers of the 13,422 Facebook traders. Since late June, the department has been sending SMS messages to these traders, encouraging and instructing them to voluntarily register their operations, declare income and pay taxes. However, after sending messages twice, only 1,000 of the 13,422 phone numbers have replied, and only around 500 have approached the department on their own to register to pay taxes, Hung said. In a recent interview with the Viet Nam News Agency, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam Tax Consultant Association, Nguyen Thi Cuc, said that under current laws, all institutions and individuals that are doing businesses, whether through traditional channels or via e-commerce platforms, are required to declare income and pay taxes. However, she also conceded that in the current situation, the tax collection was totally based on the willingness of traders, their authenticity, honesty and integrity. Income bracket According to the law, only online sellers with revenues over VND100 million a year will be subject to taxation. However, many Facebook merchants are afraid that the taxation process will be fair. If paying tax is an obligation, we are ready to fulfill it, as long as it is fair to everyone. What if I tell the truth, while other Facebook sellers lie about their revenue? They will pay less or no tax, which is unfair, Le Ha told Viet Nam News. Regarding income declaration, many argue that was very difficult to determine the exact revenue of those who do business on internet, so it is not possible to ensure fair treatment of honest sellers and those who deliberately evade taxes. But Ta Thi Phuong Lan, deputy head of the division in charge of personal income tax under the General Department of Taxation, said tax authorities can assess Facebook sellers revenue by checking their sources of goods, post offices, delivery companies, and bank payments. One of the most difficulties in determining Facebook traders income is the low rate of non-cash transactions in Viet Nam, said Truong Thanh Duc, chairman of the Basico Law Firm. In other countries, buyers make payments via banks, so it is not difficult to identify the revenue from online business. Therefore, it is necessary to apply measures to encourage Vietnamese to use non-cash payment methods for online transactions, Duc said. Recently, the General Department of Taxation issued Document No. 2623/TCT-CS, asking local taxation departments to co-ordinate with network operators to gather information on online sellers, including identity and bank number accounts, so that they can monitor all online transactions. However, in response to the Viet Nam News Agency, CMC Telecommunication Infrastructure Joint Stock Co (CMC Telecom) said they havent received any communication from tax authorities. The company said that if needed, they can explain and persuade customers to provide them with necessary and detailed information, but they cant ensure that all the customers will agree to supply this. Step by step Transactions on the Internet are difficult to control and tax collection procedures cant be comprehensively introduced in a short time, it should be done step by step, said Nguyen Huu Tuan, Head of the E-commerce Management Division of the E-commerce and Information Technology Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. To collect taxes, authorities should understand each business as they have their own specific characteristics, Tuan said. With millions of Facebook accounts, tax authorities should classify them based on the nature of their operations and key products, he said. In the first phase, the tax authority should target large and professional businesses. It is easy to identify these account holders as they will have popular Facebook pages with a large numbers of followers, likes, posts and comments, he said. The rest are likely to be individuals selling things online as a side job or even seasonal business. They do not sell goods regularly, so tax departments should carefully review the list before inviting them to their offices, Tuan said. There are petty traders with modest monthly incomes. If we try to control all Facebook sellers, we will use up significant resources and end up being inefficient, he said. Sharing the same idea, Vien Viet Hung, deputy director of Ha Noi Taxation Department, said to obtain necessary information on online businesses, tax departments nationwide should have enough staff who are well versed with social media networks. The Ha Noi Taxation Department will seek co-operation and support from many concerned agencies like commercial banks, post offices, especially social networks like Facebook, to provide information about account holders, Hung said. Late last month, reporters of the Viet Nam News Agency contacted the Facebook representative office in Viet Nam with questions about the tax collection issue, but hadnt received any response at the time of going to print. Asked about the dangers of such a currency war, Pascal Lamy told German weekly Welt am Sonntag: "I would not talk of a currency war, but of tensions or frictions. The uncoordinated interventions on currency markets worries me." Lamy added: "No one would doubt that the yuan is undervalued. But it is not clear whether a higher yuan rate would automatically produce more jobs in the United States." Washington says Beijing is deliberately keeping the yuan undervalued to boost its exports at America's expense. And last month, Japan intervened in the international currency market for the first time in six years in a bid to halt a dramatic surge in the value of the yen. On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund said the dollar was overvalued on currency markets, while the euro, yen and pound were each in line with fundamentals and the yuan was undervalued. Meanwhile, some other emerging economies, notably South Africa and countries in Latin America, have allowed their currencies to appreciate "substantially," the Washington-based organisation said. European Union leaders have urged the G20 of major and emerging powers meeting in South Korea next month to "avoid engaging in exchange rate moves aimed at gaining short-term competitive advantage." The so-called currency war has sparked fears of a return to the 'beggar-thy-neighbour' policies at the heart of the 1930s Great Depression. Lamy said: "We are all afraid of that." Nevertheless, he added: "Two years ago, after the Lehman Brothers crash, almost everyone thought this type of protectionism would occur again. Until now, despite the huge shock, this has not happened." DiDi and Softbank open their wallets wide for Grab's current financing round The ride-hailing firm yesterday announced that DiDi Chuxing (DiDi), the worlds leading one-stop mobile transportation platform, and SoftBank Group Corp. (SoftBank), a global technology leader driving the Information Revolution, will invest up to $2.0 billion to lead Grabs current financing round. Grab anticipates that it will raise an additional $500 million, bringing the total to $2.5 billion in this round from existing and new investors. This is the largest single financing round in the history of Southeast Asia. DiDi and SoftBank will continue to support Grabs vision of helping customers in Southeast Asia access safe transportation and financial products, whilst creating employment opportunities. Grab is by far the most dominant on-demand transportation platform in the region, with a market share of 95 per cent in third-party taxi-hailing and 71 per cent in private vehicle hailing. The company will continue to strengthen its already-leading market position and invest in GrabPay, its proprietary mobile payments solution. Anthony Tan, the groups CEO and co-founder, said that, We are delighted to deepen our strategic partnership with DiDi and SoftBank. We are encouraged that these two visionary companies share our optimism for the future of Southeast Asia and its on-demand transportation and payments markets, and recognise that Grab is ideally positioned to capitalise on the massive market opportunities. With their support, Grab will achieve an unassailable market lead in ridesharing and build on this to make GrabPay the payment solution of choice for Southeast Asia. We look forward to continuing to work with our valued partners in the future. Starting with transport, Grab is establishing a clear leadership in Southeast Asias internet economy based on its market position, superior technology, and extensive local insight, Cheng Wei, founder and CEO of DiDi, said. By deepening our strategic partnership, DiDi and Grab reaffirmed our shared commitment to innovating localised solutions to global urban development challenges on the worlds fastest growing marketplaces. Both companies look forward to working together with communities and policy-makers across Asia to fully embrace the extraordinary opportunities in the upcoming transportation revolution. Grab has been making extreme headways in the region, ruling 95 per cent of the market Grab operates the largest transportation network in Southeast Asia and is one of the most frequently used mobile platforms in the region, with nearly three million daily rides. The Grab app has been downloaded onto over 50 million mobile devices, giving passengers access to the regions largest land transportation fleet comprising over 1.1 million drivers. Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., said, Grab is using technology to address transportation and payments, some of the biggest challenges in Southeast Asia at the moment, and we believe Grab is a tremendously exciting company in a dynamic and promising region. SoftBank is excited to deepen this partnership and we look forward to continuing to support Grabs journey. Grab offers private car, motorbike, taxi, and carpooling services across seven countries and 65 cities in Southeast Asia, with one out of every three passengers using multiple services. GrabPay Credits, a cashless top-up payment option, has been growing at more than 80 per cent month-on-month since its launch in December 2016, a testament to consumers wholehearted trust in Grabs platform. The new investment is expected to help Grab continue on its growth trajectory, widening the gap with its rivals. According to TechinAsia, Uber famously quit China in 2016 after selling its local business to incumbent Didi. It has recently exited Russia after a deal with local ride-hailer Yandex. As the company stares down controversies and competition at home and abroad, investors are reportedly making the case for Uber to cut deals with other local competitors in various regions, including Southeast Asia. Here, Grab and Go-Jek have diversified activities, moving from ride-hailing to payments and commerce, in an effort to capture more high-frequency transactions and revenue. Uber has chosen a different path. Additional services, like UberEats food delivery, have not been widely introduced in the region. While Grab and Go-Jek gained traction in their respective markets, Uber has trailed behind in most aspects. It did close up in 2016, but the gap could be widening again. Grab attracts S$2.7b in investments from Didi Chuxing, SoftBank SINGAPORE: Ride-hailing company Grab on Monday (Jul 24) announced up to US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion) will be raised from China's Didi Chuxing and Japan's SoftBank in its latest financing round. Grab and Uber choking out traditional competition Vietnamese taxi company Vinasun has seen a decrease in revenue and employees in the first half of this year, claiming it due to the unfair competition in terms of price posed by Grab and Uber. Grab introduces GrabShare carpooling service to alleviate traffic congestion in Vietnam Grab launched Vietnams first on-demand carpooling service on May 9 to tackle traffic congestion in Vietnam. The scene at a Tokyo train station as Japan launches an exercise to encourage commuters to work from home in the run-up to the summer Olympics in 2020 AFP/Toru YAMANAKA About a quarter of the population of 127 million live in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures. The congested megalopolis thus faces a serious need to ease rush-hour crowds to accommodate tourists for the Olympics. The public-private Telework Day involved some 60,000 workers at more than 900 companies, organisations and government offices, according to the internal affairs ministry. They worked from home, skipping their usual habit of commuting in notoriously packed trains or driving personal cars to the office. The ministry had no figures to break down participation by region but most of those involved are believed to be in Tokyo. The idea followed a teleworking effort at the time of the 2012 London Olympics. Japan will repeat the exercise on the same date over the next two years in the run-up to the opening of the Summer Games on July 24, 2020. The plan is also part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to rethink Japan's workaholic tradition, where mostly male workers are routinely expected to spend long hours in the office and have little time with their families. The government earlier this year unveiled its first-ever initiative to limit overtime in a bid to tackle "karoshi", or death from overwork. It hopes that once the Olympics are over, more people will telecommute as a lasting legacy. "Teleworking can be one solution" to heavy traffic congestion in the Tokyo metropolitan area, said a government official in charge of the campaign. "Some people may say they felt some effect (on reducing congestion) this morning, while others say they felt no difference. "This is a small start but we'd like it to trigger companies as well as workers to start thinking about a different work style," he told AFP . Banking will continue to be among the sectors most appealing to foreign investors for M&A, Photo: Le Toan The Japan-invested Daiwa-SSI Fund is on the way to acquire a 20 per cent stake in Hanoi-based CVI Cosmetic & Pharmaceutical Co. for an undisclosed sum. We are working on necessary procedures to complete the acquisition by the end of July. The Japanese investment will enable us to develop a factory in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, Phan Van Hieu, chairman of CVI, told VIR. Daiwa-SSIs bid is among the new potential deals for the second half of 2017, while many others are being negotiated. At last weeks press conference on the M&A Vietnam Forum 2017 organised by Vietnam Investment Review and AVM Vietnam, experts said pharma and healthcare will be among sectors that hold the biggest appeal for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2017 and 2018, driven by the increasing population and growing middle class. Increasingly deep global integration, through the signing of free trade agreements and the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, has contributed to making Vietnam more attractive to international groups and M&A is an effective investment channel, said Tran Thanh Tam, director of KPMGs Markets Group. One of the most notable M&A deals in the healthcare sector recently is Quadria Capital, Asias leading private healthcare investor, acquiring a stake in French-Vietnam Hospital in mid July. Future M&A trends in potential sectors M&A Vietnam Forum 2017 experts expect there will be big M&A deals in the sectors of agriculture, banking and finance, infrastructure and energy, IT and telecom, education, and pharmaceutical and healthcare in the coming time. In the past few years, many leading private firms of Vietnam have shifted their investments to agriculture. It is forecast that share issuance for their partners and transfer of stake among investors will become more popular. One of the latest M&A deals in the agriculture sector is Thanh Thanh Cong Tay Ninh Sugar JSC (TTCS) fully acquiring Bien Hoa Sugar Joint Stock Company (JSC) to become the biggest sugar producer in Vietnam. The banking and finance sector is also expected to have many M&A deals on the back of the sectors restructuring. A driving force for this sector is the National Assemblys recent adoption of Resolution 42, on piloting the settlement of bad debts of credit institutions. This resolutions focus is the resettlement of guaranteed assets, thus helping better settle bad debt. Foreign investors who are interested in the acquisition of nationalised banks are very concerned about bad debt settlement prospects. So Resolution 42 will create an incentive for foreign banks to join Vietnams banking restructuring, said Bui Huy Tho, director of Management and Licensing for Credit and Banking Activities Department, under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). Nationalised banks here mean very weak banks that were taken over by the SBV for zero dong. Domestic and international investors are very keen on buying into Ocean Bank, GP Bank, Vietnam Construction Bank. The SBV has given them the green light to learn more about these banks before taking further steps, he added. The latest M&A in the banking sector, between Hanoi-based Vietnam International Bank (VIB) and the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), happened in early July. In April this year, ANZ Vietnam also parted with its retail arm, selling to South Korea-based Shinhan Vietnam. HSBC Holdings Plc. and Standard Chartered Plc. are also planning to divest their stake at Vietnamese banks - HSBCs 19.41 per cent in Techcombank and Standard Chartereds 15.69 per cent in ABC, respectively - after over a decade of being strategic investors with these banks. With the policy to attract private investment in infrastructure development, there has been a change in rights for operating certain infrastructure projects, especially airports and seaports. Frances Vinci Group is working with state-owned Vietnam Expressway Corporation, the countrys largest expressway developer, on the transfer of the operation right for the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh and Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressways. In early June, two Japanese expressway companies, East Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO) and Expressway International Company Ltd. (JEXWAY), signed a co-operation agreement with Vietnams Foundation Engineering and Underground Construction JSC (FECON), to buy a 20 per cent stake in Fecons build-operate-transfer project, which includes a bypass road on National Highway No 1 at Phu Ly and reinforcement work along the road in the northern province of Ha Nam. The other sectors that have potential for M&A activities in the coming time include education, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare, thanks to Vietnams increasing population and disposable income. In the pharmaceutical market, buyers are looking ahead to the scrapping of foreign ownership limits (FOL) in the countrys biggest drug makers, Domesco (DMC), Hau Giang Pharmaceutical JSC (DHG), and Traphaco (TRA). DHG has announced that one of the issues it will raise at the extraordinary annual general meeting this month is the opening of the FOL to 100 per cent, while TRA is also interested in scrapping its FOL, amid growing interest from multinational corporations. Foreign pharma groups see the FOL removal as a positive signal. A clear path in converting partnerships into majority ownership would provide companies with much stronger arguments to convince their global headquarters to invest in Vietnam. Back in September 2016, when DMC removed its FOL, US-based Abbott Laboratories increased its stake in the firm to 51.7 per cent, boosting its footprint in the local pharmaceutical market. For DHG, if the FOL removal is approved, it will facilitate Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings, one of the five biggest drug firms in Japan, to increase its stake in DHG from the current 24.5 per cent. In the aviation sector, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) will seek the governments permission to continue selling stake in state-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) the countrys largest airport operator to strategic investors. Europes leading airport group Aeroports de Paris (ADP) is ACVs foreign strategic partner. Big potential deals longing for big pushes At present, a series of M&A deals are still frozen, waiting for accelerated equitisation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and investment divestments. If the process gears up, the M&A pace will pick up. According to statistics from the M&A Forum (MAF), Vietnam equitised just 52 SOEs in 2016, or 25 per cent of the 2015 number. In the first half of 2017, the number was 20 SOEs, equal to 76 per cent of the same period last year. Together with strong competition from regional countries and a small number of big-scale enterprises, slow equitisation has caused stagnancy in the M&A market since the second half of 2016, said Dang Xuan Minh, general director of AVM Vietnam, vice head of the forums organising board. In the period, the value of each M&A deal averaged a lightweight $3-4 million. Vietnams total M&A value in 2017 cannot surpass the $5.8 billion of 2016 if there are not big pushes from SOEs and government policies, he added. Foreign investors are waiting for the governments decision to buy state stakes in state-owned Sabeco, the largest brewer with 46 per cent market share, and Habeco, the third biggest brewer. The state now holds an 89.59 per cent interest in Sabeco and 82 per cent in Habeco. As expected, Habeco and Sabeco will submit to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) their divestment plans in July. If approved, the stake sales will be completed within 2017, said Bui Truong Thang, vice head of the ministrys Light Industry Department. Heineken, AB InBev, SABMiller, Asahi, Kirin Holdings, Singha, Thai Beverage, and Shingha are queuing up to buy into Sabeco, while Carlsberg is waiting to buy into Habeco. In addition, the long awaited equitisations of MobiFone and Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), as well as the divestment of Petrolimex, attract special interest from international groups and investment funds. There is also room for foreign investors to buy into Vietnams biggest dairy company, Vinamilk. The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), Vietnams sovereign fund, has submitted two options for divesting its stake in Vinamilk, in which it still holds 39 per cent. Vinamilk is among the more than 130 companies that SCIC has to divest from during the 2017-2020 period, according to a government decision signed on July 10. Vinamilk is a subject of particular interest, as the local government has asked SCIC to fully exit the $9.8 billion firm. Consumer goods, retail, and real estate remain top attractions In the period from 2014-2018, the M&A market entered its second wave with a total predicted value of $20 billion, driven by strong commitments to SOE equitisation, the rise of the private sector, the countrys deepening global integration, and strong foreign investor interest. In 2016, the total value of M&As hit an all-time high of $5.8 billion, rising 11.92 per cent from 2015. Consumer goods, retail, and real estate were the most attractive to buyers. Among the sectors, M&A deals in retail accounted for 38.46 per cent of the total M&A value. Between 2016 and the first half of 2017, retail made up 20.33 per cent of the total M&A value, followed by consumer goods with 22.52 per cent, and real estate at 9.63 per cent. The majority of M&A deals during the period focused on the market approach and expansions to cash in on the countrys young population and rising middle class, said AVMs Minh. Typical examples for this trend were deals made by Thai groups, including Central Groups $1.05 billion acquisition of Big C, and the $800 million Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam deal carried out by TCC Holdings. Beside retail and consumer goods, real estate continued to be on the radar of international groups from South Korea, Japan, and Singapore after a recovery in 2014. Experts forecast that these sectors will remain the most attractive in the coming time, thanks to strong local purchasing power. Asian investors have the upper hand The majority of M&A deals in the $20-100 million range involved foreign investors, making up 77 per cent of the total M&A value in Vietnam. Asian buyers, especially those from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan, remained the most active participants. M&A deals in Vietnam mostly attracted buyers from Asia, especially Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. The market is yet to appeal strongly enough to EU and US investors, due to the smaller scale of Vietnamese firms, said Nguyen Quy Lam from the Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank Securities Co., Ltd. Tam from KPMG said the firm is providing advisory services for many M&A deals, and most of the buyers are from Asia. Japan investors focused on aviation, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals; Singaporeans targeted real estate; the Thai concentrated on retail;and South Koreans invested in food, banking, and finance. With the biggest players expected to remain unchanged, and interest among Japanese and South Korean investors continuing to focus on retail and consumer goods, the majority of M&A deals should concentrate on these sectors in the future. (From R) Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Kuwait's Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouk and OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo attend a meeting of the 4th OPEC-Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee in St. Petersburg. (STRINGER/AFP) The Saudi-led OPEC global oil cartel, along with Russia and other large producers, met in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg to assess the results of their November agreement to cut output and stem the collapse in oil prices. After an post-agreement inital rebound, oil prices have gone down in recent weeks, falling to below US$50 per barrel. In a statement following the meeting, the countries in the monitoring committee said "the oil market is making steady and significant progress towards rebalancing" after being hit by a vast glut in recent years. But the producers said there was "room for improvement by some participating producing countries" and called for all of them to "promptly reach full conformity." In June and over the last six months, the agreement has been observed "98 per cent," the participating countries said, with the result that total output has been cut by more than 350 million barrels of oil. Monday's meeting saw Nigeria agree to take part in cutting output as soon as its production reaches 1.8 million barrels, the statement said. Nigeria, the top African oil producer, and Libya, both OPEC members, had been exempt from the agreement up to now due to problems affecting their industries. At a press conference, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said he wanted to address the downward trend and "remove this bearishness by addressing it head on." He stressed that Riyadh had reduced its output beyond its commitments. The statements by the oil producers pushed up oil prices, with the price climbing around 1 percent in London to more than US$48.50 in the afternoon. The efforts to cut oil output are taking place without the involvement of the United States, which has become a major producer in recent years thanks to shale deposits. MPI is one of the seven government agencies that have completed 100 per cent of e-government missions outlined in Resolution 36a The latest report on Resolution 36a announced by the Government Office shows that the ratio of business registration through the website http://dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn in Vietnam is 39.8 per cent, higher than the 31.7 per cent of the first quarter of the year. Hanoi reached 65.9 per cent and Ho Chi Minh City 51.5 per cent. Ho Chi Minh City has a private registration channel with a total of 7,565 business registration files, occupying 12.6 per cent of the total business registration files in the quarter. Resolution 36a on e-government was issued on October 14, 2015, aiming to promote the development of e-government as well as improve the quality and efficiency of state agencies in order to serve people and enterprises better on the Internet platform. Thakur blames UML for amendment impasse Rastriya Janata Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur has reiterated his stance of not taking part in the third phase of local level election under present status quo. Little by little, President Trumps foreign policy is taking shape. Concerning the Greater Middle East, he has managed, with the help of his National Security advisor, General H.R. McMaster and his Director of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, to put an end to to the secret programmes which offer help to the jihadists. Contrary to the innuendos published by the Washington Post, while this decision was taken just before the Trump-Putin meeting at the G20, it had in fact been taken a little more than two weeks earlier, during the preparation of the mid-May summit in Riyadh. Its objective was not to kneel before the Tsar of Russia, as the Washingtonian political class purport, but to put an end to the use of terrorism, as Donald Trump had declared during his electoral campaign. The lying insinuations of the Washington Post were adopted by the whole of the Western Press. Perhaps this is due to the gregarious spirit of Western journalists, but perhaps - more probably it demonstrates that the major medias are owned by the partisans of war in the Middle East and against Russia. The Bulgarian revelations about the existence of a vast arms trafic set up by General David Petraeus when he was still Director of the CIA, in 2012, and continued by him from his offices at the financial investment fund KKR, leave one stunned at the power of these war-makers. At least 17 states participated in operation Timber Sycamore , in which Azerbaidjan took care of the transport of 28,000 tonnes of weapons and Israel supplied false documents concerning their final destination. In all likelihood, David Petraeus and KKR were helped by the Assistant Secretary General of the UNO, Jeffrey Feltman. Of course, this gigantic traffic, without precedent in History in terms of its volume, will lead to no legal action, neither in the states concerned, nor on the international stage. Clearly, for the last four years, the People of the Levant have been fighting not only against states, but above all against a consortium of private multinational companies, including the international media and mid-range state powers who give their orders to small states charged with doing the dirty work. In any case, the difficulties encountered by Donald Trump in imposing his will on the CIA and the Pentagon, as well as the existence of this parallel half-public, half-private network, enable us to note the complexity of his task in a world order subverted by private interests. So far, the offensive by the Iraqi and Syrian armies aimed at re-opening the Silk Road have not been stopped by the US forces, despite various incidents. The offensive launched in the Jurd dErsal by the Syrian Arab Army, with Hezbollah and in coordination with the Lebanese Army, is the first visible fruit of Washingtons new policy. While harshly criticising the presence of Hezbollah, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, at the request of Saudi Arabia, authorised his army to participate in the operation. This is the first time that the two armies - Lebanese and Syrian and the Resistance, have officially acted together. Riyadh, without disarming in the face of the Party of God and Iran, decided that it made more sense to work with Hezbollah and finish in priority with the jihadists. Finally, this war, which was intended to destroy the states of the region, is now taking the opposite direction the unity of the forces of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods. Third country imports up as traders diversify Nepals imports from third countries have soared in recent days, with shipments from France, Ukraine, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, in particular, rising sharply with traders being drawn to sourcing from these countries due to lower costs. Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images The term magic spy might conjure the image of a whimsical Harry Potterinfused James Bond, but in reality, the phrase adds up to good ol fashioned industrial espionage. According to the New York Times, magician Derek DelGaudio alleges that two fellow magicians recorded parts of his one-man Off Broadway show, In & of Itself, from the audience, a theater faux-pas that, in the magic community, amounts to theft. Im kind of living my childhood fantasy of creating a Willy Wonka factory, DelGaudio told the paper. And now we have real-life Slugworths tying to steal our gobstoppers. A technician allegedly noticed the furtive use of a smart phone by professional Irish mentalist David Meade on the Daryl Roth Theaters security monitor. The technician subsequently alerted DelGaudio that his show, which combines storytelling and illusions, might have been filmed. The Times watched a recording of the security video in question and confirms that Meade can be seen pointing his phone at the stage, during which the phone makes a flash visible on the monitor, which has infrared capability, but apparently not to the naked eye. However, when approached by the house manager, Meade did not have any footage of the show. As the usher checked and can attest, I had absolutely zero video, photo or audio recordings from Dereks show, Meade told the paper. I want to be absolutely clear. I categorically refute these claims. Within a week, DelGaudio alleges that yet another magician filmed the shows finale; he personally asked the unnamed person to delete their recording. As for his own interpretation of events, DelGaudio himself clearly has no illusions about what happened. Is this because Im gay? Tig Notaro asks the crotchety woman working reception at the local hospital. Her response is irascible: Yes, it most certainly is. One Mississippi is back for its second season, with Notaro facing a new batch of misfortunes and cantankerous locals. Last season ended with a cancer diagnosis, and Tigs decision to trade life in L.A. for Bay Saint Lucille. Notaro has said that the shows second season will take less inspiration from her real life, but did tease her characters relationship prospects: Well, there are people that Im dating [on the show], and checking things out with, and checking out the spark that got started with the Kate character. Thats definitely in season two, she told Deadline. One Mississippi returns to Amazon Prime September 8. Ive been there when my friends or siblings brought home a new significant other. Its a nerve-racking experience for everyone involved. Everyone goes into it hoping for the best. You hope that your brothers new girlfriend is as great as he says she is. Or if youre not excited about meeting your best friends new boyfriend, youre hopeful that he surprises you. That hes not as bad as he sounds. That the vape shop he owns is doing better than expected. Its been a really busy third quarter and Im glad. But sometimes, just sometimes, it doesnt go as well as you would have hoped. Your cousins new boyfriends profile pictures were from a solid ten years ago and it wasnt a kind ten years. Your brothers new girlfriend is actively swiping on Tinder at dinner. Everyone recognizes your best friends boyfriend from 90 Day Fiance. And after dinner, when the happy new couple pulls out of the driveway, your dad closes the front door and he turns to the family and asks Well? And then the fun begins. Its like the group chat has come alive and Grandma is going in on Mike. I would have paid upward of $10,000 to see exactly what Constance and her Amish-teen-on-Rumspringa husband had to say when Rachels mom closed the door and asked, Well? Do you think they were just tired by the time they got to the third date of the week? (I mean, Constance was literally 37 weeks pregnant. I just wanted her to go lie down, take off her very avant-garde maternity puffy shirt, and get a Popsicle or something.) Or did they really hate this smarmy guy that much? Bryan didnt help his case by talking about how positive he felt before meeting Rachels family. NO ONE IS CONFIDENT MEETING THEIR GIRLFRIENDS PARENTS. Hes a phony and a fake and hes got cheek implants. Hes probably gonna win, but Im not happy about it. So lets get to the first family visit and deal with Bryan later. Rachel picks up Peter at the contesticles Dallas hotel. She explains theyre doing things a little differently because her sister is THIRTY-SEVEN weeks pregnant and wont be going anywhere she doesnt want to go. Rachel takes Peter to go pick out some baby presents and something for Alistair so he doesnt feel left out. When we met this lil redbone baby, I was losing my mind. Rachel was helping him chase Copper and he was drawing with Peter on the floor. I would have proposed right then and there. Peter takes Rachel aside before they go into the house to tell her that hes falling in love with her because he doesnt want to be eliminat er, he just cant help himself. The contesticles being left in the hotel room during the family dates leaves for some opportunities for the guys to gossip. I know theyre setting them up to talk smack behind each others backs, but for some reason, Bryan seems the cattiest. Do you agree? Discuss. Rachels family is predictably adorable and put-together. Every baby hair that was available to be laid was laaaaaaaiiiiiiidddd. They have a few questions for him about how short the process is, but hes got a thoughtful answer about how he realized at the last rose ceremony that hes not ready to lose Rachel. Rachel is surprised hearing all this and decides not to eliminate him for now. Peter sits down with Rachels mom and he doesnt exactly ask for Rachels hand, but asks her mom if he can keep dating her? And then continue on to a proposal? If he feels like it? And Rachels mom says she would hope the dating is as serious as marriage? What are these people talking about? Why are they inventing new romantic rituals? Ugh, Peter, you confused salt-and-pepper bird of paradise. Up next is Eric. GUYS. Im really into Eric now. I wasnt before, but his emotional honesty and his all chambray outfits won me over. For some reason, a lot is made that he hasnt brought a girl home before or been in love, but I dont see it as the huge red flag that the rest of Rachels family does. Eric wants to impress her family, hes appropriately nervous, and hes just cute as hell. Rachels family does the dance. How does everyone know this dance? Its powerful. Eric sits down with Rachels mom and talks to her about what a marriage means to him and its just all the best words: compromise, communication, sacrifice, understanding, happiness, family. Write them down and save them for your wedding vows because thems the words. He asks Rachels mom for the permission to propose to Rachel and he says that hes going to respect her answer either way. GUYS. Rachels family loves how genuine and sincere and honest he is. Its time for Bryans family date. All the other contesticles joke about his magic watch. For $8,500, it better be fucking magic. The best part of the pre-date chatter from Peter and Eric is when Peter says, Im not the biggest fan of Bryan, Theres a lot of fake boobs, fake asses, fake cheeks in Miami. So this confirms the Bryan has cheek implants theory, right? Rachel takes him to meet her two white work friends. Theyre stunned by Bryan and this gives him the false confidence that he should just speak in empty platitudes to Rachels family and theyll be in awe. He thinks theyre all a bunch of rubes. But theyre the Lindsays! Theyre all lawyers and judges and doctors! Youre a doctor, Bryan. Her family immediately asks him what hed do if he had to choose between his mother and his wife. Someone told Mama Lindsay what was up and she was weirded out. Even as a mom, shes weirded out that Bryan is calling his mom his No. 1 woman. Someone needs to talk to him about this weird Oedipal thing he has with his mom and how its not cute. He probably thinks it shows family is important or some shit, but its weird, Bryan. Rachel snaps at her mom, HE SAID IT, when she presses him again about the mom versus wife debate. Rachels sister is skeptical that he referred to Rachel as his girlfriend after a week. Something is telling her that Bryan is a charmer and hes not sincere. Yes. Lets all listen to that feeling. When Uncle Jeff asks what qualities Rachel accentuates in Bryan, Bryan has to leave the table. Thats not a good sign. Im uncomfortable, but I know that family group chat is gonna be LIT. Rachel sits down with her brother-in-law to say that shes not pissed, shes just extremely not chill right now. Rachels mom tells him that if its all perfect, youre not being perfect, but she guesses Bryan has her blessing. Its time to jet off to Spain! Its finally time for the fantasy suites and I feel like Rachel needs to just bang Bryan and shell break whatever bizarre spell he has over her. They should move the fantasy suites up earlier if the lead is clearly blinded by cheek implants. They need to move onto the fourth date in their relationship. Up first is Eric: They go on a helicopter ride over the vineyards and they ring a giant bell so their wishes can come true. On the evening portion of their date, Eric is wearing a white T-shirt under a blazer under a coat. Eric. You look like youre 21 going to your first nightclub and youre gonna get turned away at the door. He spends most of the dinner working up the emotional courage to tell Rachel he loves her. He says she pushes him and goddamn, hes so sincere it hurts me. They head to the fantasy suite. Im happy for these two crazy kids, so that means she probably wont pick him. Up next is Peters date. They go to some vineyard and a tiny Spanish girl leads them to grapes after an old Spanish man in a beret sings to them. Its all very Spanish and overwhelming. Now lets get to where Peter devastates Rachel. They basically have two definitions of the word propose, which I have never heard or known to have two definitions. Rachel thinks it means to cultivate a relationship and Peter thinks it means to commit to a marriage. What? What exactly is the issue here? Apparently, its so monumental that Rachel breaks down in tears and cant speak. Rachel, in the words of Tawanna, my old boss at the Walnut Room, Im gonna need you to get it together. Dunkirk. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures Youve seen Christopher Nolans massive World War II epic Dunkirk, and youve got questions: Namely, who were all those similar-looking British actors with enviable cheekbones, and how are we supposed to tell them apart? You could try seeking help from a Nolan bro, but hed probably sniff that youre not supposed to tell them apart, that the way all those actors sort of blend together and dont necessarily have distinct personalities is Nolans whole point. Still, that explanation isnt going to help you look up your favorite on IMDb and Insta-stalk the cutest ones, is it? Fortunately, Vulture has put together a guide to the significant men of Dunkirk. Help is on the way! Since Nolan divides his movie up into three sections land, sea, and air so shall we, to better single out the members of its ensemble. Spoilers will follow. LAND Insofar as this sprawling ensemble has a protagonist, it is probably Fionn Whiteheads Tommy not that the character names Im about to tell you matter that much, since so few of them are actually said during the film. Still, the films first ten harrowing minutes are told from the perspective of Whitehead as he makes his way to the beach and tries to carry a wounded man on a stretcher onto one of the boats, and well follow his attempts to survive until the very end of the movie. Just 20 years old, Whitehead makes his film debut in Dunkirk, which is pretty major. If youre trying to distinguish him from the many other young soldiers in the film, Id focus on the mole near Whiteheads chin (not to be confused for the films other notable mole, which is what the eight-foot-wide pier crammed with soldiers is called) and his somewhat distinctive teeth situation. The next character to come to the fore is Aneurin Barnards Gibson, who helps Tommy take the wounded man onto the boat and keeps a safe, mute amount of distance so as not to reveal his secret. In a film that is not exactly filled with dialogue, Barnards character speaks the least, though he is the subject of one of Dunkirks most tense sequences, where the men hiding in a grounded boat accuse him of being a spy. If youre trying to tell this 30-year-old Welsh actor apart from Whitehead, his features are somewhat softer and he basically doesnt say anything. But here is a cute clip of him singing Life on Mars from the movie Hunky Dory! And hey, speaking of singing, One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles is also in this movie, though his distinctive hair is cut short and his copious tattoos are covered up. In a pinch, how are you supposed to tell which one Styles is when hes been groomed to look like all the other boys in the film? Well, his Alex tends to be the angriest character, whether hes cross about ejecting Gibson from the grounded boat or despairing over the reaction hell receive when he returns home. If anyone is shouting an actual line instead of just a garbled, trying-not-to-drown shout, its probably Styles. And since Barnards Gibson is practically mute, most of the scenes where Whiteheads Tommy is talking to someone involve Styles. Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Melinda Sue Gordon The other two notable faces from the Land portion are recognizable veterans: Thats Kenneth Branagh as Commander Bolton, summarizing the British strategy from the mole, and James DArcy as his scene partner Colonel Winnant. Youll recognize the former from his Shakespearean adaptations and that giant mustache from the Murder on the Orient Express trailer, while the latter is best known for shows like Agent Carter and Broadchurch. SEA Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Melinda Sue Gordon Out at sea, we follow the crew of the Moonstone, a civilian ship sailing toward Dunkirk to rescue as many as men as possible. The captain of the little ship, Mr. Dawson, is played by Mark Rylance. Rylance won the Oscar for playing an apprehended Russian intelligence officer in Steven Spielbergs Bridge of Spies, brought Spielbergs motion-captured giant to life in The BFG, and has generally spent the duration of his big-screen career playing the sort of simple mumbler who likely has a weathered butterscotch stuffed in his pockets. Rylance is the oldest person on the boat. The two young men who man the Moonstone are Tom Glynn-Carney, cast as Dawsons blond son, and Barry Keoghan, who plays the doomed George and looks kind of like a courtroom sketch of Tye Sheridan. Like Whitehead, Glynn-Carney is making his film debut in Dunkirk, and though his Instagram reveals him to be a secret redhead, hes blond and preppy in Dunkirk and generally made to resemble a young Chris Nolan. Keoghan, an Irish actor, is about to terrify you all with his dead-eyed performance opposite Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, so feel sorry for him and his character George now, while you still have the charity to do so. Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Melinda Sue Gordon And then theres Cillian Murphy as the Shivering Soldier (yep, thats how hes credited). Rescued by the crew of Moonstone but still traumatized from his ordeal at Dunkirk, Murphys character refuses to return to the carnage and accidentally shoves an angel boy down some boat stairs, which is truly unfortunate. You may know Murphy from (a) having the best face, (b) Peaky Blinders, and (c) his roles in other Nolan films like Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy, where he played the Scarecrow. Murphys role in Dunkirk is more pivotal than it first seems since it is his characters brief appearance in the Sea section, denying rescue to our protagonists, that supplies the clearest tip-off to the movies divergent timelines. If you see this movie with your semi-confused parents, get ready to turn to them during that moment and supply, Yes, thats the guy from the boat. AIR Photo: Courtesy of Warner bRos. Pictures Lets be real: In the air section, all you need to know is that theres Tom Hardy and Not Tom Hardy. Actual Tom Hardy is a big star who also appeared in Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises, where he played the villainous Bane. As Bane, Hardy spoke into a mask and wore a comfy, down-lined jacket, and in Dunkirk, Nolan costumes him in a hilariously similar way. Though Nolans attempt to keep covering Hardys famous lips is borderline perverse, you can recognize Hardys fighter pilot just from his furrowed brow, if need be. Not Tom Hardy is played by a Scottish actor, Jack Lowden, who has received his most high-profile role yet in Dunkirk. One of the movies two blonds, he is shot down and rescued by the crew of the Moonstone. And now you know, and dont have to risk incurring the wrath of that Nolan Bro, who would explain it was a lot easier to recognize the actors if you had just seen the movie in 70mm IMAX like you were supposed to. Woman arrested for murdering husband Police have arrested two persons on the charge of their involvement in murdering Shatrudhan Yadav, 34, of Bishnupur rural municipality-5 from Siraha on Tuesday. Local health and community leaders are plotting an assault on high lead levels in McLennan Countys children by considering steps that include home inspections, a push for more lead testing by local physicians and attempts to secure better data from state health officials. The call to action comes after revelations this spring that 5.7 percent of children under the age of 5 tested last year in McLennan County had elevated lead levels, more than twice the state norm of 2.6 percent. Excessive lead levels in children can lead to brain and nervous system damage, hearing and speech problems and behavioral issues that include hyperactivity, juvenile delinquency and criminal behavior, said Kelly Craine, public information specialist for the Waco-McLennan County Health District. Craine last week presented a report on the extent of the lead problem in McLennan County to the board of the health district. Waco City Councilman John Kinnaird, who serves as board chairman, requested the informational session that mirrored a briefing for council members on May 9. Lead is not safe at any level, but we do not yet have a way to provide an intervention for children being affected, said Craine. She said 62 percent of the housing in Waco was built before 1980, according to 2015 U.S. Census data. She added that in McLennan County the suspected source of lead exposure is paint dust and chips from houses built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned. Locating specific homes contaminated with lead, compelling landlords to keep their properties free of flaking paint and pursuing grants to pay for lead remediation are options on the table, Craine said. I think we have a collective desire to discuss this issue, Kinnaird said in a phone interview. We have learned that our ability to collect and accurately parse data for lead can be challenging. We face roadblocks in simple getting the data from the state. Thats one of the things we need to closely work on in order to tackle the problem properly. Kinnaird said Waco is not plagued by lead contamination in plumbing or the water supply, adding, We are not Flint, Michigan. We are not worried about pipes. Were worried about older housing stock and lead paint before 1980. The Texas Department of State Health Services conducts testing, but does not always share findings with local health districts. Flint, Michigan, made headlines due to lead contamination attributed to poor water treatment after the Flint River became its water source in 2014. Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said dealing effectively with the lead problem in McLennan County will take time and money. We are looking at the possibility that Housing and Urban Development could provide funding for remediation, which is very expensive, Deaver said. But we need specifics about where remediation is needed. A shotgun approach will not work. I am satisfied we are making progress, but this is something that could take a long time, unfortunately. David Litke, director of the health districts environmental division, said he and his staff have been assigned the task of coming up with a lead-free property ordinance, and is working closely with the city legal department. We really are starting from scratch here in Texas; there is hardly any information available on crafting such a measure, he said by phone. We do know that now is the time to do something about lead, and several units here at the health district are getting involved. Were still filtering and sorting information and determining what we need to focus on. The city legal department is providing expertise on the legal background. Craine said she sent email messages and faxes to local physicians, spreading the word about efforts to address the lead problem. She said the health district also is considering approaching neighborhood associations, homeowners groups and daycare centers. We know that to protect against further lead poisoning, we need to remove the lead, wherever it may be coming from, wherever a child spends most of his or her time, Craine said. There are homeowners who may not have the financial ability to pay for improvements, and there may be grants available for that. In ZIP codes in North Waco and the inner city, lead contamination averages were even higher than those for McLennan County as a whole. In 76707, 17 percent of the 403 children tested had elevated lead levels in their blood; in 76706, the average was 7.3 percent; in 76704, 6.3 percent; and in 76708, 5.8 percent, according to statistics provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services, which Craine cited. We as a community are facing several issues in our efforts to deal with the situation, Craine said by phone. We dont know who or where these children are, other than somewhere within a certain ZIP code, which is a sizable area. We need something more specific, which allows us to drill down even further and say, This is where we need to start looking. Also, she said, If we go to someones home or apartment and ask about testing for lead, we may be invited in or we may be asked to leave. There is nothing to compel a person to cooperate or take corrective action. She said that is a roadblock a city ordinance might address. Chris Van Deusen, who oversees media relations for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the state can provide funding for lead remediation in some cases, and has no problem sharing data with agencies such as local health district about high lead levels in children. Bans on lead paint, pipes and gasoline have caused child and adult blood levels to fall significantly over the last three decades, with about 2.5 percent of test children nationwide and 2.6 percent in Texas now testing above the 5 microgram standard. But pockets of lead contamination persist, according to a recent special report by the Reuters news service . Some neighborhoods in Baltimore, Cleveland and Philadelphia, for example, had 40 to 50 percent of children above the standard, the report says. Craine said children should be tested for lead exposure at 12 and 24 months. Elevated blood lead levels in pockets around Waco have been well-documented for years. Three years ago, a Baylor University professor approached the health district about working to lower the numbers. College students collected lead samples in soil and homes, with the aim of identifying houses with peeling paint. That effort stalled when the professor, Spencer Williams, left Baylor to take a position with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Williams said other professors still have the data and are looking to publish it. U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, held a wide-ranging telephone meeting with constituents Monday night, reaching about 5,000 residents of the northern portion of Congressional District 17. I thought the questions were great and reflect the issues of today, Flores said after the 1-hour conference call that was also live-streamed online. You had a couple of questions on Russia, lots of questions on health care, veterans, and a couple on tax reform. Callers and Facebook Live audience members from Falls, Freestone, Leon, Limestone, McLennan, Milam and Robertson counties posed questions to the congressman in his first such meeting this summer. Instead of traditional in-person town hall meetings, Flores has opted to take phone calls and stream a video of the live telephone press conference online, similar to the meetings he held in the spring. When you do a physical town hall, it takes several weeks of advanced planning to get venue, security and promotion put together, but right now, for the August recess, I dont know when we will actually be out, Flores said. We are supposed to wrap up on Friday and be back in our districts for the month of August, but that is looking pretty iffy right now, so I wanted to schedule these. Format favored Flores said his constituents seem to like the new call-in and online format. During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, 80 percent of participants voted in favor of the telephone meetings. Mary Duty, McLennan County Democratic Party chair, said she watched portions of the meeting Monday night, but was not in favor of the new format. She said since questions are monitored, she does not feel like the telephonic meetings were a true representation of district members concerns and questions. I know we have all kinds of technological tools we can use, but nothing takes the place of your congressman getting in a room with people and really immersing him or herself with what is really going on, Duty said. I fear that we have lost something with our current elected official, because he will not face the people. Weve heard the arguments before, and I get it about reaching so many more home-bound people, but since this last election, he has made a point of not getting out to mix and mingle with the average voter. Laws passed Flores opened the meeting by stating that he wanted to share information with the public about the work currently going on in Washington, D.C. He said representatives have been busy working on legislation. There has been a lot of chatter in the media that Washington hasnt been very productive this year, and in some cases thats true, but with respect to the House of Representatives, that is not true, Flores said during the meeting. U.S. representatives have passed more legislation to date than at the same point in the past three presidencies, he said. Flores said Congress has passed meaningful bills, including landmark veterans reform, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, and record regulatory reforms. Constituents, though, expressed concern about ongoing struggles for veterans and continued grappling with the cost of health care during the meeting. Flores addressed concerns about coverage for constituents with pre-existing conditions in Congress version of the American Health Care Act. The American Health Care Act does cover pre-existing conditions, but what we ask you to do is maintain continuous health care coverage, so if you are on a plan with a pre-existing condition, as long as you dont have more than a 63-day break in coverage, you are going to be covered at standard rates, Flores said. In a situation, what we propose, is if you do have a break in coverage for more than 63 days, then you will pay a one-time, 30 percent surcharge on premiums for that year in order to get covered. Other topics Flores fielded other questions about the national budget, threats to national security, immigration and Russian interference with the 2016 election. A caller named Craig from Waco said he had a question that Flores deemed one of the easiest of the night. Do you believe the president of the United States is a man of honor and integrity? Craig asked. I havent seen him outwardly lie to Congress or the American people. I do think he does have some issues that have made it harder for him to be effective in his job, Flores said. When I look at the total picture as Donald Trump as president, about 80 percent of what he does and what I see I really like, because he is working on the things the American people put us up here to do. Flores said Trumps remarks on Twitter and having family members in the Oval Office have been a distraction. He said he stands behind Trump and will continue to help move the nation forward. A second telephone meeting with constituents in southern counties took place Tuesday night. Replays of both events are available online at flores.house.gov or on Flores Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ RepBillFlores. Margaret L. Sacker Aug. 21, 1929 - July 23, 2017 Margaret Lee Sacker passed away on July 23, 2017, at Heart's Waco. A memorial service will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 28, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church with the Rev. Sharron Cox officiating. A private graveside service for extended family will be held prior to the service. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, July 27, at Oakcrest Funeral Home. Margaret was born August 21, 1929, in Waco, to Birges and Nellie (Botary) Lee and lived here most of her life. She was educated in Waco schools, graduating from La Vega High School in 1947 and later attending a local business college. She was employed with International Harvester company for 22 years and then Baylor University for 15 years, retiring in 1994. After retirement, she joined Historic Waco Foundation and Earle-Napier-Kinnard House Museum. She volunteered at Strecker Museum and was a part-time hostess at Armstrong Browning Library. Her interests included opera and musical theater performances, reading, spending time with family and friends and she was an avid Dallas Cowboy fan. Margaret was preceded in death by her daughter and best friend, Toni Sacker Fiztgerald; two brothers, George B. Lee and Harry J. Lee; and her parents. She is survived by her grandson, Nicholas Botary; three great-grandchildren, Jared, Sarina, and Brayden Botary, all of Houston, Texas; sister, Mary Ann Lee and family of Sachse, Texas; sister-in-law, Dorothy Lee; two nieces, Karen Lee of Arlington, Texas, and Alisa Neff (Darryl) of Mulvane, Kansas; nephew, Brian Lee (Joanne) of Spanaway, Washington; and a host of other cousins and loved Special recognition and deep appreciation go to Cindy Potts, Vicki Gaitros and Ronnie and Jenny Martin for their love and support. The family would like to thank caregiver, Carolyn Sanders, and the amazing staff at Heartis Waco, for their outstanding care and devotion. Donations may be made to American Heart Assoc, American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice. Josh Vaughan, in a recent Sunday broadcast of the Columbus Avenue Baptist Church program, advised worshipers to take a look at your belly button! That got my attention. When I first heard it, the abortion controversy rushed to mind. We all may be growing weary of the constant barrage of rhetoric pro and con regarding abortion. It pervades news and politics these days, especially in Austin where state legislators continue seeking ways to limit it. In May, after the U.S. Supreme Court last year slapped back earlier restrictions on abortion clinics across Texas, state lawmakers approved legislation curtailing most forms of second-trimester abortion and requiring more dignified disposal of fetal remains. They plan even more restrictions during the ongoing special legislative session. One bill filed would revoke the licenses of doctors who perform abortions in the state. Meanwhile, our daily news chronicles the impact of this issue on a fractured society: A bombing here, a lawsuit there and a protest here and there, representing pro-choice and pro-life camps alike. It has become a litmus test for appointment of federal judges. Both sides make at least fundamentally compelling arguments for their positions. Thats when the claws come out and fangs are bared. Lets face it: Making abortion illegal will not stop it from happening. The 18th Amendment outlawed the manufacture, transport and sale of alcoholic beverages, but infamously it didnt deter the publics acquisition of their drink of choice. The effect was to make criminals of those who wanted to be free to drink. So years later the 21st Amendment was ratified to repeal this prohibition. Taking the lesson from history, one could argue that making abortion illegal wouldnt stop it but only criminalize those who have it done at best and cost the lives of both mother and child at worst. Back-alley clinics are not known to be as sanitary and controlled as a fully credentialed medical center. From a standpoint of medical concern, I am OK with the practice remaining legal. I dont like working in a Code Blue situation when someones daughter is on the gurney after having undergone a botched procedure that was not sanctioned by the medical community. Yet strong views dominate this issue from a religious perspective. I dont know of a religion that actually promotes the practice. Some tolerate it, others condemn it. Still, the passions exhibited by many extremely devout religious zealots tend to confine views to an ends justifying the means through whatever means are available, with legality even taking a back seat to religious fervor. Abortion clinic bombings are illegal. Abortion, like it or not, is not illegal. But the practice is not condoned in the Scriptures. Romans 13:1 directs us this way: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. In other words, the law stems from God and all must obey it because the law comes from those in power with the blessing of God. Those zealots who dont see any other way but their own feeling as to what Gods will is ignore his command for us to adhere to the duly appointed law. We are not commanded to like the law but we are to follow it. Again, I believe we are to follow the law, no matter how fleeting it may be. From a moral standpoint, I dont condone abortion. I would rather that the personal choices made by a woman fully consider the conduct that brought her to the point where she contemplates this decision. Every action has a consequence, some good, some bad. Whether one considers bringing a life into being to be bad or good is a matter of ones own humanity and conscience. But I dont like the idea that a person has a way to not atone for bad decisions while costing a life. To that end, Pastor Vaughans statement is relevant. We have a culture that seems to obsess over belly buttons, how to adorn them or surgically alter them, whatever. But to the woman who chooses to terminate her pregnancy through abortion, I ask this: Where did your belly button come from? The answer: It is what connected you to your mother. I also ask if you remember feeling anything when you were in your mothers womb. It has been proven that a pre-term baby does feel. I ask if you would feel it if I slap you, hit you with an axe handle, stick you with a needle or cut you with a sharp blade. Would it hurt? Chances are you would say yes. Now ask yourself: If your mother told someone to stick a needle into you or cut you with a sharp knife when you were still attached to your mother, would you have felt it and would it have hurt? Heres some unsolicited advice for President Donald Trump: Dont listen to any lawyer who might tell you that you can pardon yourself, or even that its a close legal question. You cant and no court is going to rule otherwise. Theres a decent historical argument about why, but its beside the point. The bottom line is that if the president could pardon himself, we would no longer have a republic nor a government of laws rather than men. We would be a dictatorship, not a democracy. You know that. Americans know it. The Supreme Court knows it. Now lets move on. The very idea of self-pardon is the kind of silly technicality that non-lawyers think lawyers engage in all the time. Im not going to offer a full-throated defense of the legal profession, but were not really that dumb or bad at least not usually. The idea of the pardon power itself is old, going back at least to medieval England and the king. It is based, roughly speaking, on the idea that the king is in charge of administering the common law and therefore has the authority to go around that law and issue a pardon or reprieve when its desirable to do so. This made some sense in a system that wasnt democratic and imposed the death penalty as punishment for all felonies, including relatively minor ones. In theory, the justification for a pardon could be mercy, that most Christian of virtues. In practice, kings sometimes issued pardons to political allies, or in exchange for compensation, or to get military conscripts. As a result, as early as 1311 (you read that right), Parliament forced the king to promise that he would only pardon by process of law and the custom of the realm. The idea was to rein in the pardon power, making it into an instrument of law, not of arbitrary royal prerogative. Given that worry about the anti-legal nature of the pardon power was already more than 450 years old when the Founding Fathers drafted the U.S. Constitution during the hot summer of 1787, its a bit surprising that the pardon power even made it in. In Philadelphia, the more rights-oriented republicans, like George Mason of Virginia, questioned the whole idea of the pardon power. The more pro-executive participants, like Alexander Hamilton and James Wilson, managed to get it in, albeit without much debate. The idea was that pardons served mercy and could be expedient. No one so much as hinted that the president could pardon himself. The king, after all, was above the law he would never have to pardon himself because he could never be brought before one of his own courts. But the president wasnt above the law. At the North Carolina ratifying convention, the future Supreme Court justice James Iredell gave a lengthy defense of the need to have a merciful pardon power somewhere. In the speech, Iredell pointed out that the president wouldnt be able to pardon an impeachment. The clear implication was that if the president was himself impeached, he could then be criminally tried. Iredell also commented that it was highly unlikely that the president would treasonously pardon a traitor further reason to believe no one contemplated self-pardon. But frankly, the history isnt the point. The basic problem with self-pardon is that it would make a mockery of the very idea that the United States operates under the rule of law. A president who could self-pardon could violate literally any federal law with impunity, knowing that the only risk was removal from office by impeachment. We have a name for an elected leader who is outside the law: dictator. And dictatorship is fundamentally inconsistent with the republic established by the Constitution. In fact, its a little difficult to think of any single idea that would more grossly violate the rule of law than a president free to break any and every law and then wave a get-out-of-jail-free card. Of course, its true that no court has ever held that the president cant pardon himself because no president has so outrageously tried to flout our basic constitutional principles. We can thank God for that. But more immediately, we can thank a constitutional structure that is designed to limit the institutional power of any single branch of government. And thats why I can predict with complete confidence that no court would uphold a presidential self-pardon. To do so would be to render the courts essentially useless as checks on the executive, to say nothing of Congress, which passes the laws in the first place. This isnt a normal legal problem for courts to resolve by weighing plausible, competing arguments. Its the whole ball of wax: the survival of constitutional government. The courts will treat it as such. If the president uses the pardon power to end investigations against his cronies and protect himself, thats a political problem that would call for a political solution, namely impeachment But if the president were to try to pardon himself, the courts would simply rule that the pardon was ineffectual. Once out of office, by impeachment or by the end of his term, the president would be subject to criminal charges. It wont come to that, I believe. The republic isnt about to turn into a dictatorship. To make sure things stay that way, no one should talk as though self-pardon is a realistic possibility. It isnt not in a functioning democracy with the rule of law. The truly vulnerable By now, the Texas Legislature has moved into a special session, called in part to debate the so-called bathroom bill. Those calling for this legislation have said again and again the issue of transgender persons using public restrooms is one of safety and privacy. And theyre absolutely right. We must protect our most vulnerable citizens from the possibility of harassment and violence even rape or murder. Our most vulnerable citizens are truly that: vulnerable. While enrolled in school (K-12), 54 percent of these folks are subject to verbal abuse and bullying, 24 percent are physically attacked and 13 percent are sexually assaulted. Can you imagine? When children in this population grow up, the hits keep coming: They experience higher rates of poverty and unemployment than the general population, even though 81 percent of them have some or all of a higher education degree completed. In the course of a lifetime, 50 to 60 percent of these folks will experience physical and sexual assault but theyre also 3.7 times more vulnerable to police harassment and violence than most of us. As you can imagine, this makes calling the police in moments of crisis nerve-wracking. Even more outrageously, the outright murder rate in this vulnerable population is astronomical. For the general U.S. population, the murder rate is 1 in 19,000 still plenty scary. For this population, the murder rate is 1 in 2,600. To put that into perspective, if every American faced the same murder rate as these at-risk humans, the U.S. murder rate would jump from 15,700 per year to 120,000 per year. All these statistics every one of them tied to living, breathing, laughing, loving human beings definitely prove the Texas Legislature is right: we must protect the most vulnerable members of our communities from harm in spaces like public restrooms. Thats why I call on our governor, lieutenant governor and state senators and representatives to reconsider and immediately draft legislation which allows transgender persons to use the bathroom of their choice at all times and prosecutes hate crimes against transgender folks to the fullest extent of the law. Only by protecting transgender citizens from the physical and emotional abuse of a few bad actors in the general population can we ensure that our restrooms and other public spaces are safe for every Texan. Oh, you didnt know transgender Americans are the most vulnerable members of our communities? Well, dont feel bad neither do some members of the Texas Legislature. But when we know better, we do better. Or so I hope and pray. Pastor Kris Cervantes, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waco EDITORS NOTE: Senate Bill 3, passed by the Senate Finance Committee Friday, would restrict bathroom use in government buildings and public schools contingent on the sex listed on a persons birth certificate. WAHOO The Active Community Team (ACT) of Saunders County is giving away free backpacks and school supplies for those in need. ACT will be at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wahoo at 1:30 p.m. on July 27 to dispense backpacks for families with youth age preschool to high school. ACT Secretary Jean Tesinsky said the need exists in Saunders County, as over 280 backpacks were given out at last years event. To manage the influx of families, Tesinsky said families will be given numbers and go through the line so that each youth gets their age appropriate backpack full of supplies. There will also be approximately eight other agencies on site giving out information and free items. These include Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, American Job Center, United Health Care and Three Rivers Public Health Department. Three Rivers will hold a car seat safety check from noon to 2 p.m. We try to supply as much as needed as possible, Tesinsky said. We realize that for a family with financial struggles, school supplies are not at the top of the priority list. ACT works with Saunders County schools to obtain items on supply lists for each school. We like to see kids start on a level playing field with their peers, Tesinsky said. To donate items for the event, bring backpacks and other supplies to the Wahoo Public Library, Dollar General, Saunders Medical Center, Wahoo Super or Sun Mart in Wahoo. Tesinsky said each location has a collection box for the event. The cutoff date to donate items is July 24. Sid Dillon Wahoo will also be contributing to the event. Tesinsky said they will be matching donated supplies up to 65 backpacks. Cash donations can also be made. Checks can be made to ACT and turned in at Sid Dillon Wahoo. For more information about the car seat safety check, contact Three Rivers Public Health Department at 402-727-5396. For more information about free backpacks and school supplies or donations, contact Denise Lawver at the Wahoo Public Library at 402-443-3871. Andrew Bartlett, likely to take former Greens senator Larissa Waters' spot, says he is waiting for the Court of Disputed Returns to officially make a ruling on Ms Waters' position. Ms Waters resigned on July 18 after receiving legal advice she still held dual citizenship with Canada, where she was born. She did not officially renounce her Canadian citizenship as was required by Canadian law one week after she left the country as an infant and therefore could not hold a senate position. Scott Ludlam also resigned a Greens senator the week before, telling reporters he held dual citizenship with New Zealand. I'm not a fastidious diarist, but there have been concentrated periods in my life when I've indulged in the satisfying egotism of keeping a journal. As a teenager, this translated to thousands of words dedicated to discussing (often in lightning quick non-sequitur) such meaningful topics as: my hideous body, my grotesque face, how out of touch my parents were, how many times a day I just "needed" a cigarette, the excellence or awfulness of my frenemies (depending on the week); and, in the manner of dramatic teenage diarists everywhere, how I was simultaneously both the worst and most unlovable person in the world and also infinitely more compassionate, intelligent and evolved than every other person I'd ever met. 'When I think of my teenage self now, I want to reach back through the years and give that poor, insecure girl a hug.' Credit:Deirdre Malfatto/Stocksy Make no mistake, these were catalogues of shame. But dammit, they were my catalogues of shame. I say "were", because when I was 19 or 20 I made the wretched mistake of destroying all my teenage diaries. One weekend, I gathered the multiple notebooks I had filled with the neurotic, tortured rantings of my adolescent self and tore them to pieces before ceremoniously burning them. So eager was I to outrun my not-so-distant past that I didn't even pause to read any of them before ridding myself of them forever. Just hours after social media broke out in mourning over the imminent demise of Windows mainstay MS Paint, Microsoft announced that it wouldn't be killing off the 32-year-old art program after all. Paint was earmarked to be "deprecated" in an upcoming update for Windows 10, meaning it would no longer be actively developed as a part of the operating system. While this is still the case, Microsoft now says it will offer the software as a free download should anyone want to keep using it. Paint's time as a default Windows Tool is up, but it will still be around if you need it. Credit:Microsoft "If there's anything we learned, it's that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It's been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app", the company said in a blog following the internet outcry. "MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.". A serial scammer has been jailed for eight years without parole after he defrauded 12 WA victims of almost $600,000 through a bogus furniture importation scheme. Nathan Giles Barrett, 49, was sentenced in the WA District Court on Friday over what a judge described as a "most grave and unusual case". Nathan Giles Barrett was jailed for eight years without parole after he defrauded 12 WA victims. Credit:Nic Walker Barrett pleaded guilty to 38 counts of gaining benefit by fraud. The court was told he obtained money from 12 victims on the false promise it would be used to fund a business venture, which involved importing furniture from Indonesia to supply retail businesses in WA. Washington: A US Senate panel said on Tuesday it will compel Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, to appear at a hearing as part of its probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The Senate Judiciary Committee's subpoena summoning Mr Manafort to appear on Wednesday was a sign lawmakers are willing to push hard as they probe Russia's role and potential collusion by the Republican's campaign. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in 2016. Credit:AP Also on Tuesday, Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, appeared for a second day on Capitol Hill to answer questions about his contacts with Russians during the campaign. Mr Kushner, who is now a top aide in Trump's White House, spent three hours with the House of Representatives intelligence panel. He did not speak with reporters when he left. On 8 July 2017, on the occasion of the WCO Council Sessions, H.E. Mrs. Jacqueline Marie Zaba Nikiema, Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union in Brussels, accompanied with the Director General of Burkina Faso Customs and a large Customs delegation, deposited her countrys instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention). Having entered into force on 3 February 2006, the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), a WCO legal instrument which is regarded by the entire international Customs Community as the blueprint for modern Customs in the 21st Century, was widely used in the negotiations for adoption of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Accession to the RKC and, above all, its implementation, complements countries efforts towards ratification and implementation of the WTO TFA. With the accession of Burkina Faso, the Convention now has 111 Contracting Parties. The Conventions key elements include the application of simplified Customs procedures in a predictable and transparent environment, the optimal use of information technology, the utilization of risk management for efficient Customs control, a strong partnership with the trade and other stakeholders, and a readily accessible system of appeals. In an international environment marked by a will to implement the TFA fairly quickly, the WCO welcomes the fact that the number of Contracting Parties to the RKC continues to grow, especially as this instrument is at the core of the WCOs Economic Competitiveness Package (ECP). WCO Secretary General Mikuriya strongly encourages WCO Members not yet having done so to accede to the RKC and especially to implement its provisions, as soon as possible, given this instruments significance for Customs. Alec Baldwin sues to 'clear his name' in movie set death By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 24, 2017 | 09:12 PM | MURRAY, KY UPDATE: The Calloway County Sheriff's Department says the escaped inmate is now back in custody. On the department's Facebook page, the post says 29-year-old Ray Caldwell of Murray is now back in custody.The post did not indicate where Caldwell was found, or when he was brought back in to custody.PREVIOUS STORY:Calloway County authorities are asking for the public's help locating an escaped inmate. According to the Calloway County Sheriff's Office, a Calloway County inmate who was in recovery from surgery at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital escaped from custody Monday around 8 pm.. The inmate is 29-year-old Ray Perry Caldwell, of Murray. Caldwell is approximately 6'1" and weighs approximately 185 pounds. Police say Caldwell was seen leaving the South Entrance of Murray-Calloway County Hospital in a hospital gown and a purple cap. He was later spotted at the South side Huck's gas station wearing shorts or boxers with no shirt. Police say Caldwell has a significant injury to his arm, which is wrapped in a bandage. Anyone with information on Caldwell's whereabouts is asked to contact the Calloway County Sheriff's Office or your local law enforcement agency. Police say Caldwell is an escaped prisoner and may be dangerous in his attempt to evade authorities. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 25, 2017 | 05:00 PM | BENTON, KY Another scam has been reported in our area and the victim in this case is a local church. According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, someone has been using Benton First Baptist Church's telephone number and using spoof technology in order to make it appear that calls are coming from that number. Deputies say the scammers identify themselves in such a way to make it appear that they are in some way with the church, then they try to get you to buy medical equipment. The sheriff's office warns residents to never give out any personal information over the phone. Anyone who has received one of these such calls is asked to contact the sheriff's office. By The Associated Press Jul. 24, 2017 | 09:26 PM | FRANKFORT, KY A judge has ruled that former University of Kentucky board chairman Billy Joe Miles of Owensboro is competent to stand trial on rape and sodomy charges. Defense attorney Scott Cox of Louisville told the Lexington Herald-Leader that special Circuit Judge Kelly Easton of Elizabethtown ruled Miles is competent for trial, which is set for Sept. 6. Cox and other defense lawyers argued earlier that psychological examinations of the 77-year-old Miles had shown he wasn't mentally capable of going to trial. Neither Cox nor prosecutors in Attorney General Andy Beshear's office had comment Monday on the ruling. Miles was indicted last year on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and bribery of a witness. He served three terms on the UK board between 1995 and 2013 and was chairman from 1999 to 2002 and chairman pro tem in 2010. ___ Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com Loading... Holly Williams, WhatsOnStage "Williams' 1955 play, set on a plantation on the Mississippi Delta, updates surprisingly easily, offering a vision of present-day macho America where male dominance is fragile. The men are in denial: alcoholic Brick won't sleep with his ravenous wife Maggie, but vehemently denies any sexual feelings for his dead friend Skipper." "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a long wordy play of misfiring discussions about tortured sexual impulses and power struggles over family inheritance. To work, it needs electricity, a shock of brutal humour; this too often drags." "Magda Willi's set has impact: the bedroom is a sloping platform in front of a high wall of golden metal panels, gorgeously lit by Jon Clark. But if the production's going for a sort of stylised take, why worry so much about the Southern accents? These hamper almost everyone onstage, a barrier to the truth of the lines. Or maybe that's being generous." "Sienna Miller's accent may swoop, but the entire first half feels one-note, her part rattled through. She skates over the lines, rather than pouncing on meaning, while Jack O'Connell gives her nothing to work with. Sure, Brick is taciturn, depressed, distant but this is just very dry." Ann Treneman, The Times "This Tennessee Williams play needs not just to feel as hot as the American South on a summer's day, it needs to sizzle. "Miller as Maggie provides exactly that in the first half, bursting into the bedroom she shares with her husband, Brick, who is in the shower, naked except for his glass of whiskey. 'Brick,' she purrs, 'I'm a cat'." "There is something splendidly decadent about this production of Williams's great claustrophobic play about family secrets and lies, or mendacity as they like to say down south, very slowly, in that rhythmic seductive drawl." "O'Connell comes out of his stupor just in time in the second half as he is confronted by his father, Big Daddy, superbly played by a blustering Colm Meaney." "There are also two stand-out performances from Lisa Palfrey as Big Mama, bursting out of the worst party dress ever, and Hayley Squires as Mae, the scheming sister-in-law whose main claim to fame is the ability to have children. 'Lil monsters!' says Maggie, spitting out the words, owning the stage until the very end." Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard "Slinky, seductive in black slip and killer stilettos and coiled with nervous energy, Maggie prowls around the bedroom, talking almost uninterrupted for the entire first act about her loveless, and now sex-less, marriage. It's a big ask of any performer and Miller turns in a faultless performance." "Brick is a tricky part. Interested in nothing so much as his next drink, this character is an absence, but a very present absence all the same and it's a tightrope walk that O'Connell, with an unstable American accent, doesn't quite manage." "There's more uncertainty around Magda Willi's design, which looks like a slickly anonymous hotel room rather than a bedroom in Big Daddy's large plantation house in the Mississippi Delta. The production has been updated, to no discernible benefit, and now looks awkwardly stuck in an odd no-time zone. Miller, though, like that eponymous feline, clings on fiercely to the very end." Natasha Tripney, The Stage "Andrews has chosen to locate this play, in which truth is so elusive, in a world of gleaming surfaces and extremities of wealth. Designer Magda Willi has coated the stage in gold. It is ravishingly lit by Jon Clark, and Alice Babidge's costumes appear to be composed almost entirely of satin and sequins the bratty no-neck' offspring of Big Daddy's other son, the grasping Gooper, wear little red ties. We're not quite in Trump Tower, but if Nigel Farage were to stroll out of an elevator, I doubt anyone would blink." "A chrome shower-head occupies a central position on stage, to better facilitate the various scenes in which Brick strips, exposing his body instead of his soul. Maggie also removes her clothes. This is a production that revels in skin." Quentin Letts, Daily Mail "The core plot material about disapproval of homosexuality (Brick is secretly gay), which would have made sense in the 1950s, is hobbled by the modern setting." "Of the supporting cast, several seem distinctly un-American. Lisa Palfrey's Big Mama, hiding her mobile in her deep cleavage, is a successful creation, as is Hayley Squires's Mae, but a visiting clergyman (Michael J. Shannon) resembles a West Country solicitor and Colm Meaney, though a gifted performer, is in no way a Mississippi plantation owner." "Miller likes to complain about newspapers' coverage of her life, insisting that she is more than a mere celebrity pin-up. I am not sure this performance quite clinches her case. She is a reasonable but hardly first-rate actress." "Her voice is echoey to the point of inaudibility. Her Maggie keeps smiling weakly, which hardly seems feline." Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph "There are plenty of different ways to skin Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams' 1955 masterpiece of marital, familial and sexual dysfunction down in Mississippi but I've never seen one that goes at it with such kit-off abandon." "When Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor starred in the 1958 film as Brick and 'Maggie the cat' the latter consciously childless, sexually frustrated and determined to counter the condescension of Brick's ever-breeding brother and his wife their brooding good-looks [were] considered the height of raciness. What we see here, which includes Miller slipping off her black negligee in a forlorn attempt to tantalise her indifferent hubby with her breasts, could hardly give Williams more overt sex-appeal." "Is it gratuitous? Andrews made a splash a few years ago at the Young Vic (who are backing this show) with a production of A Streetcar Named Desire that spun Gillian Anderson's Blanche DuBois round on a slow-revolving carousel; his forte is peeling back layers. For all the flesh on display here, arousal is off the menu; states of mind are hard to fathom." "I came ready and willing to write this off as mere summer filler. But it's well acted, stylishly presented and very nicely, erm, tackled: preferred over nine out of ten Cats, you might say." Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs at the Apollo Theatre until 7 October. Loading... Tennessee Williams' once rejected the idea of the "straight realistic play with its genuine Frigidaire and authentic ice cubes". Here, director Benedict Andrews plonks a whole great sack of them at the front of the stage, next to four bottles of whisky. It's not exactly straight realism, then, but nor is it a total rejection of that. This extends to his whole production, which has its heightened, stylised moments without Andrews ever really committing to any distinctive approach or aesthetic for the play. A Young Vic production going straight to the West End, it fails to unlock Williams' circular conversations, leaving the starry leads Sienna Miller and Jack O'Connell rather exposed. This is a present-day Cat, everyone gathered for a family party in gaudy sequined party dresses, music on the iPad; the bedroom furniture is of modish black wood with black satin sheets. It's a vulgarly modern milieu, and one where women are still valued for their appearance and their child-producing ability. Actually, this works: Williams' 1955 play, set on a plantation on the Mississippi Delta, updates surprisingly easily, offering a vision of present-day macho America where male dominance is fragile. The men are in denial: alcoholic Brick won't sleep with his ravenous wife Maggie, but vehemently denies any sexual feelings for his dead friend Skipper; his father Big Daddy brutishly attempts to reassert his control over the women of the house, refusing to face the fact he's dying of cancer. As for women, the catty swipes about childlessness feel depressingly at-home in 2017. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a long wordy play of misfiring discussions about tortured sexual impulses and power struggles over family inheritance. To work, it needs electricity, a shock of brutal humour; this too often drags. Magda Willi's set has impact: the bedroom is a sloping platform in front of a high wall of golden metal panels, gorgeously lit by Jon Clark. But if the production's going for a sorta stylised take, why worry so much about the Southern accents? These hamper almost everyone onstage and get in the way, a barrier to the truth of the lines. Or maybe that's being generous. The first scene, a challenging one admittedly, with Maggie having an in-depth conversation pretty much with herself, is painful here: Miller's accent may swoop, but the entire first half feels one-note, her part rattled through. She skates over the lines, rather than pouncing on meaning, while O'Connell gives her nothing to work with. Sure, Brick is taciturn, depressed, distant but this is just very dry. And that despite lashings of nudity: yes, both these attractive film stars "dare to bare", going full-frontal; no, it isn't particularly brave and no, it isn't really necessary. Things warm up in the second half, the interplay with the wider family bringing more variation and nuance, and O'Connell finding anguished depth as Brick gets drunker and drunker. There are also some arresting moments when you feel like Andrews remembered he was free to do something other than just have people talk to each other. I rather liked the lurking, ominous centre stage birthday cake, candles slowly burning down, while the toy gun-toting bratty children in brash gold outfits felt more disruptive than that description makes them sound. There's a brilliant, shuddering moment as booming fireworks go off just as Big Daddy (an excellent Colm Meaney) faces his mortality, which had a quaking power against the high brassy backdrop. But one firework does not a crackling production make, and too often this show simply fails to ignite. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs at the Apollo Theatre until 7 October. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Shares in Exchange Income Corp. were beaten down again Monday, falling another eight per cent after one more salvo from a short-seller campaign aimed at driving down the stock price thats likely been responsible for a 40 per cent price decline since December. The most recent release from the California short seller, Alder Lane Farm LLC, includes allegations from unnamed sources about safety issues at EICs Manitoba airlines. The allegations came a day before Wasaya Airways, a Thunder Bay-based airline, will announce expanded scheduled service into a couple of Northwestern Ontario First Nations communities that are currently part of EIC-owned Perimeter Airlines network. Among other things, Alder Lane Farms alleges there have been concerns about safety and maintenance issues at EIC-owned airlines, including Perimeter Aviation. Executives from Winnipeg-based EIC have said on a number of occasions that service disruptions last December were caused by a combination of bad weather and a corporate decision to ground too many planes for maintenance at the same time. Recently, Sheila North Wilson, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), the organization that represents northern Manitoba First Nations, said efforts are underway to attract more competition to those northern communities in order to enhance service. Wasayas new service will include twice-daily flights from Winnipeg to Sandy Lake First Nation and Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario, located close to the Manitoba border. The airline will also double its daily flights from Sioux Lookout to Winnipeg to twice daily. Michael Rodyniuk, CEO of Wasaya, which is owned by a number of northwestern Ontario First Nations, said the airline has been keen to expand its service for some time. There has been a demonstrated need and we responded, he said. Both Sandy Lake and Pikangikum are part of Wasayas ownership group. We had our annual meeting last week and our chiefs gave us the go-ahead and well be starting the new service quickly, on Aug. 14, Rodyniuk said. Wasaya provided flights to a few northern Manitoba communities last December to provide some assistance when Perimeter was having difficulties. Rodyniuk said at the time it wanted to enter the Manitoba market. But it is an indication of how challenging it is to come up with the right business model to provide air service to small isolated communities in the north that it has taken Wasaya this long to add just two communities. Rodyniuk, a former senior executive at EIC, said he cant comment on the particulars of the allegations against EIC. But I know they have good people working there including people who really know their stuff, he said. I would be surprised if some of the allegations are true. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Shes six years old, healthy, active and happy but Canadian immigration officials say she might be a burden on the system one day so her American family, who owns a tourist lodge and set down roots in Manitoba, has been ruled inadmissible. Karalynn Warkentin was two years old when her parents, Jon and Karissa, bought Harvest Lodge on Waterhen River in 2013, planning to make it their permanent home. In 2014, the little girl started having seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy and global developmental delay. Karissa and Jon Warkentin with four of their children: son Gabe, 14, Grace, 17, Shataya, 18, and Karalynn, six. The American family may be forced to leave Canada in November when their work visas expire. She hasnt had a seizure in more than two years, but Karalynns health condition was enough for the federal government to deny her and her familys application for permanent residency in Canada. It might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services, said the rejection letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Your dependant daughter, Karalynn Faith Warkentin, is a person whose health condition, Global Developmental Delay and ADHD might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services. With her parents work visas set to expire Nov. 24, the future of Karalynn and her family is now in limbo. Its been a lot of sleepless nights, said her mother Karissa in Waterhen, a four-hour drive north of Winnipeg. What are we going to do? Theyve invested in the lodge and the tiny northern community and the couple and their four children are part of its fabric year-round, she said. We specifically wanted to make a new life where we had the businesses, she said. Were not taking our tax dollars with us and living in Florida in the winter, she said. Child needs extra supervision, but is otherwise healthy The Warkentins have been rejected by Canadian immigration officials because of a section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that says a foreign national is inadmissible on health grounds if their health condition might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services. Look at our package as a whole what were bringing in and paying in taxes. Look at the benefit of having a rural economy supported by a business like ours the benefits would outweigh the potential costs. Karissa Warkentin Their daughter isnt an excessive burden or drain on social spending and shouldnt be seen that way, said Karissa Warkentin. At home and in school she needs extra supervision she needs more direction, said her mom. If a child needs to hear something seven times to make a memory, she may need to hear it more, said Warkentin. She doesnt require any physical adaptation. Shes a relatively healthy child and rarely gets sick with colds or anything. She doesnt have behavioral issues, which is a blessing. She enjoys her classmates. The help she needs in school is covered in block funding allocated to the Frontier School Division. If she ever needed more care, the Warkentins say they can cover the cost. They have 10 years of our business and financial records. We have savings in our 401K and investment in our business a business that brings in tourism dollars and residual dollars at the local store, with hunters buying groceries and liquor and (hunting and fishing) licences, Karissa Warkentin said. Guests at their lodge often fly to Winnipeg, stay in a hotel then rent a vehicle for the four-hour drive to the Warkentins lodge at Waterhen. In 2016, the taxes and fees they collected at the lodge were in excess of $20,000, Jon Warkentin said in a letter to the Canadian immigration officer handling their file. Look at our package as a whole what were bringing in and paying in taxes. Look at the benefit of having a rural economy supported by a business like ours the benefits would outweigh the potential costs. Family well-liked in community: mayor The family is actively involved year-round in the life of the northern community, said Warkentin, who has letters of support to prove it. They are well-liked, friendly members of our community, wrote Waterhen Mayor Larry Chartrand. They are always willing to help out within the community, said the mayor, noting the Warkentins provide an important service to the area: a restaurant and lodging. Waterhen School principal Craig Parks letter said the Warkentins are contributing members to the community and actively involved in the school. Karissa is a member of the Waterhen and District Day Care Board. Parks letter said funding for Karalynn at school is covered by the province without any significant impact. The Warkentins have hired an immigration lawyer in Winnipeg to appeal the decision on their inadmissibility. She said the legislation as it stands now is discriminatory. What we hope for most is for this policy to be reviewed and changed so other families arent discriminated against this way, said Karissa. Review the policy. Its not a good policy. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it was not prepared to comment Tuesday. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A 26-year-old man shot by Winnipeg police following a high-speed chase in St. Boniface Monday is listed in stable condition in hospital. Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Rob Carver updated media on the mans condition Tuesday and said charges are pending against the suspect and a woman as a result of the incident. No other people are under investigation, he said. A small, black car ended up in the RoofMart parking lot during the incident. (Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg Free Press) As with every shooting involving police, the incident is being investigated by the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU). The unit wants to speak to any witnesses who have information or video footage relating to the event, which took place around 11 a.m. Monday on Archibald Street. The IIU said it was formally notified by the Winnipeg Police Service about the shooting and its investigators were immediately deployed to the scene. The injured 26-year-old male was rushed to hospital in critical condition after the shooting in the 400 block of Archibald Street. The incident began Monday when officers received a call that a man had been seen with a gun on La Verendrye Street, police said. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A man was shot by police on Archibald Street on Monday. Shortly after, police chased and blocked a vehicle on Archibald Street. The man was shot by police after he left the vehicle. Witnesses on the scene said police immediately began administering first aid to the suspect following the shooting. Anyone with information can call the IIU at 1-844-667-6060. kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Police are on the scene after an officer-involved shooting at Archibald Street between Messier and Kavanagh streets. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/07/2017 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Northern Manitoba suicide-crisis teams are overloaded, according to the regions First Nations chief, who claims the premiers stand-off on health funding is delaying federal dollars for Indigenous mental health. Were actually finding that were stretched to the limit, said Sheila North Wilson, chief of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents 30 First Nations in the provinces north. In Ottawa on Monday, an Ontario group similar to the MKO, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, signed an agreement with Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott and the Ontario government. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson The three pledged to examine funding shortfalls and bureaucratic hurdles to deal with a suicide crisis in fly-in communities like Pikangikum, where 400 of the towns 2,800 residents are seeking counselling. Its the first major agreement after months of advocacy by MKO, NAN and northern Saskatchewans Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations for what they call health transformation. All three are dealing with regular outbreaks of suicide, where numerous people threaten to end their lives, most often youth in communities with limited access to counselling. Last June, Ottawa put up $69 million in funding for mental health projects, $10 million of which the MKO has used to employ seven people as crisis-intervention workers, as well as a co-coordinator. A wellness team for post-crisis help is in the works. We launched the teams on May 1 and weve been busy ever since. Its never enough, North Wilson said. The groups focus on suicide crises, but have also responded to trauma from drownings and child deaths, and even Ontario crises. Were going to eventually need more teams to do the support work. Manitoba is the only province to not sign Ottawas health accord, which decides how to allocate $11 billion in funding for mental health and home care over the next 10 years. (Manitoba will still receive its federal transfer payment for hospitals and doctors.) Earlier this spring, Premier Brian Pallister said he was prepared to sign on to the accord if Ottawa pledged extra cash for Indigenous health care and committed to its proposed factory of the future research facility in Winnipeg. Last week, Pallister called the accords dangerous for health care, dangerous for Manitobans. Meanwhile, North Wilson met with Philpott in Winnipeg, and said the two are on the same page about giving First Nations more resources and control over mental health outreach. But the MKO chief claims that because Pallisters holdout includes mental-health funding, its keeping Manitoba from landing a similar agreement to Mondays charter with Ontario. Philpotts office wouldnt confirm or deny that claim Monday. Well continue to work with Indigenous groups across the country, said Philpotts spokesman, Andrew MacKendrick. The Manitoba government said Monday that its holding out for an increase to the general health transfer, not the mental-health or home-care funding, which hasnt yet been allocated to any province. Where we disagree with the federal government is reducing the increase on the Canada Health Transfer to three per cent from six per cent. We will continue to oppose that, but it has nothing to do with mental health funding, wrote cabinet spokeswoman Amy McGuiness. North Wilson said shes hoping to work with the provincial government, but might soon ask to go over Pallisters head and deal with the feds directly. Ontario has more of a luxury of having a willing provincial government thats working with them on it, she said. Regardless of whats done to stem the ongoing crisis, North Wilson said governments have to tackle longer-term issues, like health, education and food security. She said last years $40 million in federal funds for a hospital in Pimicikamak, at Cross Lake First Nation, was a good step. The legacy of colonialism is that weve ended up with extreme poverty and hardship in our communities, and its the young people that are feeling it the most. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/07/2017 (1937 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A pair of senior nurses whose positions are being eliminated at Health Sciences Centre as part of a government-ordered belt-tightening effort are devastated by the decision, the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union says. Sandi Mowat said both women had considerable experience in their chosen specialties. As first reported Monday by the Free Press, one off the nurses dealt with severe burn cases. The other eliminated position, which came to light later in the day, worked with severe trauma cases. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Sandi Mowat, President of the Manitoba Nurses Union Both women, who held the title of clinical nurse specialist, had been in their roles for a decade or more. The trauma specialist had been recently recognized by the Canadian Nurses Association for her outstanding work. Theyre both extremely disappointed, Mowat said, questioning how much money the Manitoba government would save with these moves. She argued because of the nurses expertise, patients had better post-operative outcomes and spent less time in hospital. While neither nurse had daily, front-line contact with patients, they provided invaluable advice on complex burn and trauma cases. They also educated staff, developed standards of care and liaised with regional health authorities across the province, Mowat said. Both are registered nurses who also hold masters degrees. While the positions will disappear, the individuals (who did not wish to be interviewed) will be offered other employment within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Lori Lamont, vice-president of interprofessional practice and chief nursing officer with the WRHA, said it was felt the work done by the clinical nurse specialists could be performed by others. She said their duties overlapped to some degree with those of other professionals at the hospital. This decision is not reflective of the quality of the individuals or the value that they provided to our health system, Lamont emphasized. But she said in looking for ways to make the health system more financially sustainable, administrators needed to look for opportunities where we could make change. Lamont added there is less of a need to develop standards of practice locally part of the two nurses responsibilities as increasingly these guidelines are set at a national level. Meanwhile, Lamont said the health region still doesnt know exactly how many nurses will be affected by the first stage of the provincially mandated Winnipeg hospital reorganization plan. In early October, Misericordia Health Centres urgent care centre will close and Victoria General Hospitals emergency room will be transformed into an urgent care centre, taking on less-serious medical conditions than it used to. Lamont said it will be sometime yet before its known how many nurses will be impacted and in what way. Well have a better idea in a month from now, but it will probably be closer to sometime in September before we have a final idea, she said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Chad Anderson and John Sandberg slosh through a muddy stream in hip waders, pausing occasionally to duck under overgrown branches or swat a mosquito. Sandberg carries a long pole with a metal ring on the end. He moves it through the water, sending out an electrical current that temporarily stuns the fish. Anderson comes behind him with a net, scooping them up. We want to capture every single species, every fish, Anderson said. The little species are sometimes just as important as the big ones. The team of biologists from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is studying the fish to get a better picture of the health of this stream called Whitely Creek just east of Brainerd, Minn., which flows directly into the Mississippi River. This slow and sometimes painstaking work is part of the MPCAs effort to document and monitor all 80 of Minnesotas major watersheds. The work has produced a wealth of data about the health of Minnesotas rivers, lakes and streams. Were essentially sampling these streams, seeing whether they support a fishable aquatic life community, Anderson said. A lot of streams we sample, nobodys ever been to before. You tend to see greater diversity in the higher quality streams, Sandberg said. When the streams get really degraded, the more sensitive species start to disappear. So in the really heavily degraded streams, you might just see one or two or three species. These fish live in the stream, so theyre continuously being affected by whats happening around them, he said. There could be land use changes. They could clear cut something. The habitat in the stream gets degraded. You wouldnt see that in the water sample, but were going to see the fish community change. Watersheds are networks of interconnected streams, lakes, ditches and wetlands that eventually flow into major rivers. Even small streams play an important role, Anderson said. A lot of people dont think about people downstream, he said. They think about whats going on on their land, but not how theyre affecting everybody else downstream. All this water flows into the Mississippi, which flows into the Gulf, so it just keeps going. Water monitoring efforts got a major boost in 2008 when Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. That led to a wholesale change in the scope of what the agency was able to do, said Rebecca Flood, assistant commissioner for water policy at the MPCA. The MPCA gets about $7 million a year for monitoring through the Clean Water Fund. Water sampling for clarity and pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment is collected annually in every watershed. Intensive monitoring is done on a rotating basis throughout the state about eight to 10 every year. Once the MPCA finishes compiling the data, it issues a report on whether the watershed is mostly healthy and should be protected, or whether its impaired with pollution and needs to be cleaned up. Then its up to local agencies like soil and water conservation districts to fix problems like eroding streambanks or runoff from farm fields. The data helps those agencies target their efforts, said Steve Woods, executive director of the Freshwater Society. What the state has been able to do is come in and say, Heres a bunch more information that helps you prioritize your efforts a little better than you can do just by gut feel alone, Woods said. Most states are flying blind when it comes to having data to manage their water resources, Woods said. Minnesota is kind of in those top tier of states that actually have that data, he said. The results of the monitoring efforts havent been very surprising, Woods said. Water quality in the northern part of the state is fairly good, he said, while many lakes and rivers in southern Minnesota are listed as impaired because of pollution. As you go from northeast Minnesota say toward southwest Minnesota, youve got a lot more disturbance of the landscape and a lot more water quality degradation going on, Woods said. Gov. Mark Dayton has scheduled a series of town hall meetings on water quality in upcoming months as part of his proposed goal to improve water quality 25 percent statewide by 2025. The first one is July 31 in Rochester. Sauk County plays a key role in a Baraboo natives latest murder mystery. Last month, Elk Lake Publishing released 1979 Baraboo High School graduate Catherine Fingers latest novel, Anchored by Death. Its the third in her series of whodunits, featuring backdrops such as Devils Lake State Park, the Wisconsin River and Fermentation Fest. I just feel a real connection to the people and the land, Finger said. It made sense to use it in my books. Finger recently retired from a career as a school administrator in Illinois. She has built a second home in Baraboo, and has family and friends in town. Her passion for writing was stoked at St. Josephs School, where Sister Evangeline encouraged Fingers way with words. At BHS, Mike OConnell was a key mentor. I had some really good early role models, Finger said. She filled diaries as a girl, and continues to write in a journal daily. About eight years ago, Finger started writing what would become the first draft of her debut novel, Cleansed by Death. She tries to write 500 words a day between 5 and 6 a.m., but twice shelved her original manuscript for about a year. Interviewing police and riding along with them on the beat helped give her writing authority and authenticity, and before long she had melded the suspense and faith genres with a style she calls murder with a message. By 2013, her novel was garnering interest from publishers. My characters become crushed against impossible odds, internally and externally, Finger said. She followed Cleansed by Death with Shattered by Death, which last year was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards and the International Book Awards, in the religious fiction category. Finger said Anchored by Death is her best work yet. I think anyone whos in the mood for a fast-paced thriller will enjoy their time with this book, she said. As in her previous novels, Anchored by Death follows Police Chief Jo Oliver. This time shes trying to enjoy a getaway to Wisconsin when circumstances intervene. Oliver is renovating a cabin at Devils Lake when a dead body and a cryptic clue appear. She teams with an FBI agent in matching wits with a psychopath known as the Bow Tie Killer. Catherine Finger has done it again, fellow author Toni Shiloh said. The issues Jo Oliver must face are raw and real, but not too much for a great God to overcome. Hang onto your seat and enjoy the read. Finger regularly returns to her hometown, and her writing gives readers a chance to visit, too. I love Baraboo. It stays with you, she said. I feel really drawn to my hometown. With the release of Anchored by Death, she hopes readers will feel drawn to the area, as well as to the story. Well see what the fans think, Finger said. People tell me they cant put it down. Do you want the last four digits of your Social Security number posted on a federal government website accessible by the public? If your answer to that question is a resounding no, youre not alone. On July 3, the rights group Electronic Privacy Information Center sued to block the request from President Donald Trumps Advisory Commission on Election Integrity for data from all 50 states, including registered voters names, voting history, political party affiliations, addresses, birth dates and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. The group stated in its complaint the commission did not conduct a mandatory privacy impact assessment, making the request unlawful. Bloomberg.com reported that more than two dozen states already have said they legally cant or wont comply either fully or partially with the panels request. Resistance to the request by secretaries of state and other state-level elected officials was bipartisan. My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great State to launch from, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, said in a statement. Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our States right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, argued the request and the commission in general are based on falsehoods. I have serious reservations about the true intentions of this effort in light of the false statements this administration has made regarding voting integrity, the historical suppression of voting rights, and the way that such data has been used in the past, he said. The Wisconsin Elections Commission will wait to respond to a federal request for information about the states voters until a judge rules on a case challenging the legality of the request, WEC chairman Michael Haas said June 10. The WEC website already makes name, address and Wisconsin election participation back to 2006 publicly available. President Trump has insisted there was widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election. But Vox.com reported there have been multiple investigations by academics, journalists and nonpartisan think tanks into voter fraud. None found evidence of anything close to millions of people voting illegally, as Trump has alleged. On July 14, the Washington Post reported that people responding to the collection and publication of sensitive information through emails sent to the Election Integrity Commission email address that the administration asked U.S. secretaries of state to send data files to had, in some cases, their email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and places of employment released to the public by the White House. The Post reported that it does not appear that the individuals were aware their comments would be shared by the White House. That disclosure doesnt fill us with confidence that a collection of information on every voter in every state would be handled with care. As for the last four digits of our Social Security numbers? In light of recent reports, wed like them to stay right where they are now, in our control. JUNEAU A 19-year-old Black Creek man was placed on probation Tuesday for burglarizing Christian Life Fellowship Church, 113 N. Clark St., Mayville. Tristan John Vandeneng was found guilty on Dec. 13 of one count of felony burglary from a building or dwelling. Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin De Vries imposed and stayed a sentence where he would have spent five years in prison and placed Vandeneng on probation for three years. He must pay $6,592 in restitution. He must obtain and maintain full-time employment or part-time employment if enrolled in school. He must undergo any counseling as directed. He shall meet with church counsel as arranged by his agent. According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 8, 2015, at 7:40 a.m. officers were dispatched to Christian Life Fellowship Church for a report of a burglary. The pastor told officers that he discovered the burglary that morning when he arrived to prepare for the Sunday service. The pastors office had been ransacked and a metal money box was opened and emptied. A large metal safe weighing more than 100 pounds was also missing along with computer monitors, a 47-inch flat screen television and a music sound board. On Nov. 11, 2015, officers were contacted by the Outagamie County Sheriffs Office regarding the case. They had discovered a safe matching the description of the one stolen in Vandenengs apartment in Black Creek. The other items stolen from the church were found in plain view in the apartment. In an interview, Vandeneng admitted to breaking into the church and stealing the items. A local funeral home director has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. Steve Mitchell, 51, of Mauston, was charged on July 19. Mitchell owns the Thompson Funeral Home in the village of Wonewoc. If convicted of the charges, Mitchell could be fined $100,000, face a 25-year prison sentence, on each count, or both. Mitchell may also have to pay the court a $500 surcharge for each illegal image seized by police during the search of his property. According to a criminal complaint: The Juneau County Sheriffs Office began investigating Mitchell after receiving a Cyber Tip regarding a Chatstep account which allegedly contained an image of child pornography. After receiving an additional tip, detectives obtained a search warrant to investigate Thompson Funeral Home. In early May, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) served a subpoena to CenturyLink, the funeral homes internet provider, to obtain the suspicious images. In June, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also received a tip from Chatstep that Mitchell was uploading pornographic images of children. On July 19, detectives from Juneau County, a digital forensics examiner from DCI and the Wonewoc Police Department, searched the funeral home for evidence. Several items were taken including a hard drive which allegedly contained a file with several photos of child pornography. Mitchell was contacted by detectives and agreed to meet with them in Mauston. Mitchell will have an initial appearance Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Juneau County Justice Center. He signed a $25,000 signature bond July 25 and was released from custody. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimels Justice Department last month quietly agreed to a $50,000 fine for a large feedlot that polluted drinking water and streams in 2014 and 2015. Stahl Brothers Dairy is in Kewaunee County, where more than 30 percent of tested drinking water wells have been found tainted by hazardous bacteria, most of it from the large dairy operations the state has permitted on one of the regions most vulnerable aquifers. The concentrated animal feeding operations house thousands of cows that produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of manure, which the operators spread on farm fields. Improperly spread manure seeps through the areas thin soil and fractured bedrock or runs off into surface water. In a 2014 violation that was part of the Stahl Brothers fine, the owner of a well near where the dairy spread manure had drinking water that was still odorous and had a milky yellow color a week after tests showed it was tainted with bacteria, the Justice Department said in court documents. Unlike his most recent predecessor, Schimel doesnt issue press releases when his department settles environmental enforcement actions against businesses, but the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project on Tuesday distributed court documents it obtained from the agency under the state open records law. After the State Journal published a story online about the fine, Schimel sent out an announcement saying that in the first half of 2017 the agency obtained 22 environmental enforcement judgments totaling more than $486,000, including the Stahl Brothers case and air pollution violations. Schimels statement said Stahl Brothers was paying a total of $100,000 over five years, including $50,000 in supplemental environmental projects. Stahl Brothers also agreed to limit manure runoff through training of contract manure spreaders, use of a qualified nutrient management planner, installation of about 10 acres of filter strips in fields, and planting of cover crops on at least 100 acres, Schimel said. The Department of Justice continues to actively enforce the states environmental laws, and remains committed to working with the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and the regulated community to ensure compliance with the law, Schimel said in a statement. Scott Dye, regional representative for SRAP, called the Kewaunee dairy case the tip of the iceberg for industrial dairy violations that deserve penalties and sanction from the State of Wisconsin. State records tell the tale and its a harsh fact of life for Kewaunee County residents, Dye said. The Stahl Brothers Dairy has long been a repeat offender with an abysmal history of violations dating back nearly 30 years. Stahl Brothers didnt respond to a request for comment. The business was fined $55,000 in 2011 for a 2009 manure spill. Dye said state records show that half of Kewaunee Countys 16 large animal feedlots have been cited 15 times by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources since April 2014. Since 2013, only Stahl Brothers paid fines after being referred to the Justice Department for enforcement action in court, Dye said. After Republicans took over state government in 2011, environmental enforcement has waned. Schimel settled one air pollution case last year with no fine at all. His spokesman said the department is proud of the court settlement because it required 3M Co. to spend an estimated $665,000 on pollution-control equipment that failed repeatedly at two plants in Wausau. Top environmental regulators said they werent aware of another case in the last 25 years in which a Wisconsin attorney general took a polluter to court without winning a penalty. The DNR is currently working on rules that would restrict spreading manure in areas with especially vulnerable ground water. In 2014, six organizations petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for emergency action to ensure safe drinking water for Kewaunee County. The DNR and EPA convened work groups in 2015, and last year the groups made a series of recommendations, including tighter manure restrictions. A man wanted in connection with Thursday evenings robbery of the Market Basket in Portage is in custody in the Rock County Jail, charged with theft and possession of cocaine. Shane Fisher, 28, of Janesville, is suspected of being the man who walked into the Market Basket, 403 DeWitt St., around 8 p.m. Thursday and, after waiting for other customers to leave, went to the register for cigarettes and bottled water. Authorities say when the cashier opened the register, Fisher grabbed a handful of $20 bills and ran out the door. On Friday, Portage police released photos taken from the stores security cameras, asking the public for assistance identifying the suspect. That evening at 8:33 p.m. and 8:55 p.m. Portage police received reports of a debit card reported stolen in Marquette County being used at Walmart, 2950 New Pinery Road, then Jims BP, 2211 W. Wisconsin St., by the same suspect as the Market Basket robbery. Fisher was arrested Saturday afternoon, on suspicion of robbing a Janesville Family Dollar store after being pursued by Janesville police and then the Rock County Sheriffs Office. Fisher was arrested and taken to Rock County Jail. Fisher was placed on probation in 2009 for charges of burglary, theft and drug possession, which was then revoked in October 2012 at which point he was sentenced to four years in prison. He was released on extended supervision in March 2014. He appeared in Rock County Circuit court Monday charged with felony possession of cocaine as a second offense, misdemeanor theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Fisher was ordered to be held on $500 cash bond and awaits initial appearances for his Columbia County and Marquette County cases. PORTAGEA Muscoda man who is trying to set the solo speed paddling record on the Wisconsin River is expected to pass through Portage this afternoon. Ben Sasse, 26, is not certain what the record is for solo paddling the Wisconsin Rivers 436 miles if there even is one but on Thursday hes hoping to break a mark of 154 hours (6 days, 10 hours) set by the team of Jay Thurston, a Pardeeville native, and Mike Kingziger in 1983. Mike Schnitzka and Bill Perdzock reportedly broke that record in 1995, completing it in just over four days, but Ben Sasse didnt know that when he set off on Friday. He had been trying to top the 1983 mark. He and his wife, Kayla, learned of the 1995 team record after a TV station in Rhinelander aired a story about Sasses record attempt on Saturday. Every record weve found in researching this has been (for) a canoe, and we cant find a solo paddle record, Kayla said late Monday morning, when her husband was paddling near Stevens Point. But hes just trying to do it as fast as he can, and if he gets the record, great. To achieve his original goal, Sasse needs to complete his journey at Wyalusing before 6 p.m. Thursday. He started at 8 a.m. Friday in Lac Vieux Desert at the Wisconsin-Michigan border. High winds on Petenwell Lake (south of Nekoosa) on Tuesday set Ben back at least somewhat, Kayla reported. Heavy winds are expected again for Castle Rock Lake, which hell have to paddle through today, but Kayla says besting 6 days, 10 hours is still achievable. Since Saturday, the Sasses have been in touch with Schnitzka, who has set other paddling records, and he told them hes not aware of any solo paddle record for the Wisconsin, Kayla said. Regardless of when Ben finishes, the Sasses believe he will set the mark for solo paddling the Wisconsin as long as he finishes. The nature enthusiast and Hartford native is using a plastic Sasse graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with double majors in fisheries and biology. He is currently unemployed, most recently having managed a trout farm in Westfield. The Sasses moved to Muscoda three weeks ago, where theyre looking to buy a home. Rep. Mark Pocan apparently is among those who still believe that illegal immigration is a "victimless crime." He voted "no" on "Kate's Law," a bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives following the July 2015 killing of Kate Steinle by an illegal alien deported five times and who has seven felony convictions. Ms. Steinle, 32, was with her father on a San Francisco pedestrian walkway when she was shot by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez. Lopez-Sanchez had been in the sanctuary city awaiting his sixth deportation but was set free because of a communications breakdown between the city and the federal government. Kate's Law, which has been sent to the Senate for a vote, addresses the problems that led to Steinle's death, but Mr. Pocan couldn't be bothered with making the issue of public safety one of his major priorities. Dave Gorak Executive Director Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration La Valle The Dells-Delton Community Supper (DDCS) thanks all who participated at the Junes 4th of July themed supper, sponsored by Lake Delton National Bank, Bethany Lutheran Church, and catered by Kalahari. Youngsters made decoupage pots at Kids Korner. The Girl Scouts showed us 4 Little Libraries they constructed; SSM Dean Medical Group had PT and Rehab representatives and did blood pressure checks, while the audiologist checked ears. The Sauk County Humane Society also brought an adoptable pet. The Dickerson Family from the Wisconsin Opry played some toe tapping music. Thank you for these donations: Church Street Laundry-washing aprons; Maurers Market-$25 monthly gift certificate; Paint it Shop, Anytime Fitness, Chalet Lanes-gift certificates; Ad-Lit-attraction certificates; and the Chat N Chew-restaurant coupon. The next DDCS is July 25. The theme will be We Love Our River. John Torgerson, Program Director Wisconsin Dells After surviving two devastating hurricanes, one eastern Carolina man is moving into a new, safer home built just for him. After living in his Princeville home for 60-years and surviving both Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and now Hurricane Matthew -- 91-year-old Ivey Owens decided it was time to move. With the help of volunteers and local organizations, Owens is getting settled into a new house in Tarboro. In just a few months, North Carolina nonprofit organization Samaritan's Purse, built Owens a brand new home in Tarboro, and paid for the whole thing. Owens daughter Connie Gilbert says, "I know this will probably never be home like that was, but it's got to be a new home because he can't go through that again." On Monday, Owens and his daughters started to make his empty house feel more like a home. Together they assembled furniture donated by the Lutheran Services Carolinas. Owens says, "I sure appreciate everybody's help." Members of the Lutheran Services Carolinas say they are grateful to have the opportunity to help survivors like Owens find their new normal. Paul Dunn says, "Sometimes it seems really slow because this is long term recovery, but one smile at a time we are getting there." Lutheran Services Carolinas says Owens is is just one of at least 550 families they are helping recover from Hurricane Matthew. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Kazakhstan Tokamak approaches new phase 25 July 2017 Share The Kazakhstan Tokamak for Material testing, or KTM, will undergo "real-mode" testing from November, according to the draft of an updated research program approved last week by the Commission of CIS Member States on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced the approval yesterday. Kazakhstan's KTM tokamak (Image: NNC) The world's biggest tokamak is Iter - a magnetic fusion device that 35 nations are collaborating to build in order to prove the feasibility of the fusion of hydrogen nuclei as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. Iter is expected to produce first plasma in 2025. The Iter organisation describes the KTM as a rather small, spherical machine with a vacuum vessel volume of 12.3 cubic metres. That compares with Iter's 840 cu m. Magnetic fields are provided by a central solenoid and an array of 20 toroidal field coils and 18 poloidal field coils. Poloidal and toroidal field coils are copper; the central solenoid is wound with copper and silver alloy conductors. The divertor consists of mounted plates on a rotary table. Plates can be replaced without venting the vacuum vessel by way of the rotating and vertical movements of the table. Iter says this capability, along with other assembly-disassembly systems, is essential for a machine which is intended to test plasma-facing materials under powerful particle and heat flux. It enables operators to install components and take them out in a relatively short time, it says. KTM experienced its trial start-up - in the city of Kurchatov, in eastern Kazakhstan - on 5 September 2010. It underwent pilot testing last month, Rosatom said. The Commission agreed the updated schedule for KTM during a meeting held on 20 June during Expo 2017 in Astana, and chaired by Rosatom deputy director-general Nikolay Spassky. The event was attended by members of the Commission from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russian. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Japan accepts nuclear policy guidance document 25 July 2017 Share Japan's cabinet last week approved the draft Basic Concept on Nuclear Energy Use developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC). The concept - which will guide the country's future nuclear energy policy - calls for the promotion of the benefits of nuclear energy while minimising the risks of its use. The Basic Concept describes "the need to use nuclear energy in an appropriate manner by thoroughly managing risk under a responsible system", according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF). The concept also "clearly states the importance of fully recognising the benefits that nuclear technology brings to the environment, people's lives and the economy". In formulating the Basic Concept, JAEC began holding meetings with industry experts and specialists as long as two years ago, as well as seeking opinions. The draft concept was opened for public comment in April this year. A total of 728 comments were received. The JAEC committee met on 18 July to discuss these comments and on 20 July deemed the draft Basic Concept to be complete. At a meeting on 21 July, the cabinet gave its approved to the draft Basic Concept, which will now be referred to when making future decisions about Japan's nuclear energy policy. The Basic Concept outlines eight priority activities in attaining the basic targets for using nuclear energy safely while promoting its benefits. These include continued improvements to nuclear safety, "with the recognition of non-zero risk". It also says the benefits of nuclear energy must be promoted from the perspective of the environment, people's lives and the economy". The draft also calls for Japan's nuclear energy activities - both domestically and internationally - to be considered according to international trends. It says that Japan has an important role to play in ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear power, non-proliferation and nuclear security. JAEA also said Japan should increase its use of radiation technology and radioisotopes. One of the most important activities is to restore public confidence in the use of nuclear energy, which the document says is the premise for its use. The country must also "solidify the foundation for using nuclear energy". Japan must also persevere with the challenges of decommissioning and radioactive waste management. JAEC - inaugurated in 1956 to promote nuclear power development and utilisation - has previously provided guidance by issuing Fundamental Principles for the country's nuclear policy program. The last time was in July 2005, six years before the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. At that time, JAEC reaffirmed policy directions for nuclear power in Japan, while confirming that the immediate focus would be on light water reactors (LWRs). The main elements were that a "30-40% share or more" should be the target for nuclear power in total generation after 2030, including replacement of current plants with advanced LWRs. It also called for fast breeder reactors to be introduced commercially, but not until about 2050. Used fuel was to be reprocessed domestically to recover fissile material for use in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Disposal of high-level wastes would be addressed after 2010, it said then. According to JAIF, JAEC now plans to review and revise the policy every five years "to keep up with changes in the environment surrounding nuclear energy". Nuclear energy is expected to account for 20-22% of Japan's power generation in 2030, with a similar portion coming from renewable sources. The remainder of the country's power generation will be met by coal (26%), LNG (27%) and oil (3%), according to Japan's latest energy policy. That policy supports "utilizing nuclear power generation whose safety is confirmed". Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics The snow leopard peaks are a group of five snow-covered peaks located in Central Asia in China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. These peaks are very high reaching elevations of more than 20,000 ft. Climbing all the five peaks successfully attracts the highly coveted mountaineering Snow Leopard Award. The mountaineering award developed by the former Soviet Union more than 50 years ago has been won by about 600 mountaineers with the highest record of the awards being held by Russian climber Boris Korshunov between 1981 and 2004. Climbing all the five peaks is considered a daunting task even to the most veteran mountaineers. 5. Ismoil Somoni Peak Ismoil Somoni Peak. The Ismoil Somoni Peak is located in Tajikistan and rises to an elevation of 24,590 ft making it the highest in Tajikistan and the highest among the snow leopard peaks. The peak is also the highest in the Pamir Mountains. Though the mountain is relatively hard to climb due to the steep incline and strong winds, some routes developed from previous climbing efforts make it relatively easier to climb the peak. Such routes include the Borodkin Spur. Evgeni Abalakov, a solo climber, was the first to successfully summit the mountain. The period from June to August present the best time to summit the peak. 4. Jengish Chokusu The 24,406 ft peak is the highest peak in the Tien Shan range along the Kyrgyzstan-China border. Also called the Pobeda Peak, Jengish Chokusu is the most challenging peak of the snow leopard group and presents life-threatening dangers to climbers due to icefall, avalanches, and freezing temperatures. Most of the mountain climbers attempting to summit the snow leopard peaks often give up on the Jengish Chokusu. 3. Ibn Sina Peak Ibn Sina Peak or Lenin Peak is the easiest to access snow leopard peak and the most climbed peak in the Pamir Mountains. It rises to an elevation of 23,406 ft and is the highest peak in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Lenin Peak also named the Ibn Sina Peak is located on the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border within the Trans-Alay Range and the Pamir Mountains. A group of three German Mountaineers were the first to summit the peak in 1928. More attempts to the summit of the mountain were made in later years especially after WWII. The peak has 16 routes mainly on the southern side. 2. Peak Korzhenevskaya The snow leopard peak located inTajikistan in the Pamir Mountains has an elevation of 23,310ft and is one of the easily accessible peaks of the snow leopard collection and so far one of the most climbed of the Pamir Mountains. Difficulties encountered during the climb may include steep sections along the climbing trails and sometimes, limited climbing periods. The mountain was first climbed in 1953 by a team of mountaineers led by A. Ugarov. The mountain is accessible from several routes around the mountain. 1. Khan Tengri Khan Tengri. The Khan Tengri peak located along the china-Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border has an elevation of 23,000 ft and is the second highest peak within the Tian Shan range and the highest in the Tengri Tag sub-range. The Khan Tengri peak presents considerable difficulties to climbers due to its short climbing season, thin air and steep routes. The most accessible route is also prone to avalanches and glacial movements that have killed many mountaineers. The United States recognizes 195 countries around the world. Creating a new country can be extremely difficult, as can getting other governments to recognize it. Most international law experts believe that there are certain criteria that a country must meet before it can be recognized as a sovereign state. By convention, an entity is usually recognized as a sovereign state when it is recognized by the United Nations, but this is not always the case. Moreover, just because a country is recognized by the UN, it does not mean that it will also be recognized by the US, and it is often the recognition by the latter that is more important for an entity that wants to achieve independence. The Criteria For Becoming A Sovereign State Most experts on international law would agree that there are certain basic criteria that a country must meet in order for it to be recognized by other governments or the UN as a sovereign state. Four criteria, to be exact. A country must have a people, a defined territory, a government, and the ability to conduct relations with other countries as a sovereign state. Some would say, however, that there is also a fifth criterion that the country seeking self-determination must have the consent of the government that currently has sovereignty over it. Others, however, contend that this fifth criterion is a contradiction of international law that supposedly gives people the right to self-determination. At the same time, though, international law also guarantees the territorial integrity of states. Thus, there is a contradiction. By convention, an entity that is recognized by the UN should formally be recognized as a sovereign state. In practice, however, recognition by the UN does not guarantee an entitys sovereignty. But recognition, or at least support, from the US government can do just that. The Power Of The US To Determine A Countrys Sovereignty Map showing the location of Kosovo, a territory claimed by Serbia but recognized as independent by the U.S. but not the United Nations. One exceptional case of a country that has recently managed to receive international recognition of its independence without the consent of the authority from which it tried to break away is Kosovo. Kosovo is recognized by over half of the UNs member countries, including the US, but is not recognized by the UN itself. It is also not recognized by Serbia, the country from which it broke away. Serbia has never granted permission to Kosovo to be independent, and still claims it as its territory. But because the US is the worlds most powerful country, with the worlds biggest economy and most powerful military force, it has effectively been able to decide whether or not a country gains independence. In addition, once the US recognizes a countrys independence, it often provides assistance and protection to that country, as is the case with Kosovo. Map showing Israel with the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The two latter territories are claimed by the State of Palestine. Although the UN recognizes Palestine, the US does not. The UN, on the other hand, lacks the power to bolster a countrys claim to sovereignty, which is one of the reasons why, for example, Palestine is not a sovereign state. Palestine declared independence in 1988, and has been recognized by both the UN and most of the worlds sovereign states. In fact, there are many more countries that recognize the State of Palestine, as it is formally known, than those that recognize Kosovo. Nevertheless, because Palestine is not recognized by the US, not to mention other important international players like Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France, the Palestinians continue to struggle for independence in practical terms. One important difference between Kosovo and Palestine, however, is the fact that Kosovo has a defined territory that is recognized by the international community, even those that do not support its independence. In contrast, the borders of any future Palestinian state are not agreed upon, even by those that recognize the State of Palestine, because although most of the international community acknowledges that there should be a Palestinian state, there is also a general understanding that the final borders of Palestine should be determined by negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, which effectively controls much of the territory that the Palestinians want as part of their future state. Countries Seeking Independence Without US Support There are several other entities like Palestine in the world that have proclaimed independence, but because their independence is not sanctioned or supported by the US, they cannot achieve practical sovereignty. These include self-declared states like Abkhazia, Transnistria, and Somaliland, which are recognized by both the UN and the US as part of Georgia, Moldova, and Somalia, respectively. If the US was to suddenly turn around and recognize the sovereignty of these entities, however, many other countries would likely follow, especially if the US decides to provide such entities with practical assistance in asserting their sovereignty, which it often does. Map of Taiwan. Indeed, the US may even provide assistance to entities that it does not recognize in order to defend American political interests, as is the case with Taiwan. The US does not formally recognize Taiwan as an independent country. Nevertheless, the US provides Taiwan with military aid to protect it from the Peoples Republic of China, even though, in 1979, the US recognized the government in Beijing as the sole legitimate authority in China, including Taiwan, and also recognized that there could only be one China, that controlled by the Beijing-based communist regime. There are about 7,000 languages that are spoken in the world, of these, fifty are considered global languages meaning that they are spoken from a global perspective. The remaining languages have a limited scope that can either be regional, national or ethnic. Some countries have several communities speaking diverse languages despite having a national language. The Linguistic Diversity Index measures the diversity of languages spoken in a country. Zero means only a single language, while one represents total diversity. Below are the most linguistically diverse countries. The Most Linguistically Diverse Countries in the World Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea has a diversity index of 0.990 and is the most linguistically diverse country on earth, as well as the world's most ethnically diverse. There are 852 languages in the country, three times the number of languages spoken in Europa. 840 are still spoken while 12 are extinct. Only one language is not indigenous to the country. The two principal languages are English, Tok Pisin although English is spoken by less than 2% of the population. Furthermore, 41 languages are considered as dying languages, 41 are institutional, and 336 are vigorous. Vanuatu Despite having a population of about 290,000, there are 113 spoken languages, resulting in a diversity index of 0.972. Statistically, this sums up to an average of 2560 people per language. The literacy level stands at 84% meaning that a large number of people can speak English, French or both. The other official language is Bislama. There are two extinct languages in the country, 109 are indigenous, 31 are vigorous, while ten are considered dying languages. Solomon Islands Solomon Island is home to about 640, 000 people occupying an area of 11,000 sqm. However, 76 languages are spoken on the island of which 71 are indigenous. English is regarded as the national language although it is only spoken by less than five percent of the population. Pijin is the predominant language spoken by the urban population, and it is commonly used unofficially in classrooms although the government is promoting the use of English as the primary language in schools. Three languages are institutional, 27 are vigorous, and eight languages are dying. Tanzania The East African state of Tanzania is home to approximately 52 million people and 127 languages resulting in a diversity index of 0.965. English and Swahili are the predominant languages and are used in institutions. Swahili is the most used language and is considered the national language; the government plans to discontinue the use of English in schools as a measure to promote the use of Swahili that is spoken by more than 90% of the population. Swahili is also used in other East African countries particularly Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, part of Mozambique. Fifty-eight languages are vigorous while eight are dying. Effects Of Language Diversification A society with diverse languages means that it is exposed to a variety of culture and traditions. Despite having several languages, a national language is considered a unifying factor and is spoken as either the first or second language. However, some of these languages have proven to be more of a curse than a blessing; it resulted in the Rwandan genocide that left about 800,000 people dead when the Tutsi and the Hutu clashed although the country has only three languages. The linguistic landscape of Benin is quite diverse. French is the official language of the country. 50 indigenous languages are also spoken in Benin that have been granted the status of national languages. American Sign Language is used by the deaf community of Benin. Andrew Foster, a deaf American missionary, introduced the sign language in Benin. Official Language of Benin French, a legacy of the French colonial rule in Benin, is the official language of Benin. The language is spoken by about 4 million people, constituting around 35% of Benins population. Knowing French is a matter of prestige in Benin, and those seeking work in the cities of Benin are most often required to be conversant in French. A study conducted in 2012 revealed that by 2060 Benin will be completely Francophone. French also acts as a lingua franca in Benin, connecting people of diverse ethnic groups. All print media in Benin is in French. Francais dAfrique is a local variety of French that developed in Cotonous markets and streets. Indigenous Languages Spoken in Benin The most popular indigenous language spoken in Benin is Fon. Nearly 24% of the countrys population speak the language, with 17% speaking it as their first language. Most speakers of the Fon language reside in the countrys Collines, Atlantique, Zou, and Littoral Departments. Other indigenous languages spoken in the country include the Dendi, Mina, Yoruba, and Bariba. Fon and Yoruba are most common in Benins southern region, while Bariba, Fulfulde, and other indigenous languages are spoken in the north. Foreign Languages Spoken in Benin English is growing in importance as a foreign language in Benin. This rising popularity of English is mainly sparked by the increase in trade between Benin and its neighbor Nigeria, which uses English as its national tongue. Thus, there is a high demand for English teachers in Benin. The language is also taught in secondary schools in the country. In 2014, 412,515 persons also studied Spanish. Djibouti, an African nation located in the Horn of Africa, is a multi-ethnic nation with a diverse linguistic landscape. The population of the country is more than 846,687. The Afar people and the Somali Issa are the two biggest ethnic groups inhabiting Djibouti. In the multilingual nation of Djibouti, Somali and Afar are the two languages spoken by the majority of the countrys local residents. Arabic and French are the two official languages of the country. Official Languages of Djibouti Arabic An Afroasiatic language, Arabic is one of the two official languages of Djibouti, the other being French. The language holds religious, cultural, and social importance in the country. The Ta'izzi-Adeni Arabic dialect is a local dialect of Arabic that is spoken by about 59,000 Djiboutians. French French, an Indo-European language, and a legacy of the colonial past of Djibouti, is also another official language of Djibouti. The language is spoken by about 17,000 individuals in the country as a first language. French, also regarded as a statutory national language, serves as the primary language of instruction in the schools and colleges of Djibouti. Other Popular Languages of Djibouti Somali The Afroasiatic language of the Cushitic branch, Somali is spoken as the first language by the Somali people of Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, and parts of Ethiopia. In Djibouti, Somali has the status of an indigenous language. The language is officially written using the Latin script. There are about 524,000 Somali speakers in Djibouti. Nearly 60% of the population of the country can speak in Somali. Djiboutis Regional Somali Language Academy regulates the Somali language in Djibouti. The institute was established as a joint venture by Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia aims to preserve the Somali language. Afar The Afroasiatic language of Afar is spoken by the Afar people living in the African countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. There is a total of about 1,379,200 Afar speakers of which 306,000 speakers live in Djibouti. It is also one of the countrys indigenous languages and is the language used in broadcasting the programs of the Radio Television of Djibouti (RTD), the country's national broadcaster. Immigrant Language Spoken in Djibouti Several languages are spoken by the immigrants living in Djibouti. Omani Arabic, an Arabic dialect spoken in Omans Al Hajar mountains, is the most popular immigrant language spoken in Djibouti. Around 38,900 people speak the language in Djibouti. Other immigrant languages spoken here include Amharic, Greek, and Hindi, which are spoken by about 1,400, 1,000, and 600 speakers, respectively. The Writing System in Djibouti The Latin script is the most widely used writing script used in Djibouti. The Somali language is written using a modified form of the Latin script. Similarly, Qafar Feera, a modified form of the Latin script, is used to write the Afar language. Arabic has been the primary language in Iraq's history since Islam has dominated the territory's religious landscape for centuries. Most of Iraq's population converse in Mesopotamian Arabic, which is an Arabic variant also spoken in Iran, Turkey, and Syria. Official Languages of Iraq Iraq's constitution gives Arabic and Kurdish official status. Standard Arabic is used for official purposes in the nation. Most of the inhabitants of Iraq, however, use the Mesopotamian Arabic variant. Mesopotamian Arabic is spoken in two primary dialects, namely Gelet Mesopotamian Arabic and Qeltu Mesopotamian Arabic. The Arabic variant used in Iraq has been heavily influenced by Turkish, Aramaic, Persian, and Akkadian. Iraq made history in 2004 when it became the only nation to recognize Kurdish officially. Kurds make up approximately 10 to 15% of Iraq's total population. Kurdish is spoken in three major dialects. Northern Kurdish is recognized as the largest variant, and it is mainly used in the north of Iraq. Southern Kurdish is widely used in the Khanaqin district situated in the eastern region of the country. Central Kurdish, also called Sorani, is spoken in Iraq as well. Regional Languages of Iraq Two regional languages are recognized in Iraq. Syriac-Aramaic is used by Syrian Christians living in northern Iraq, and it is a variant of Middle Aramaic. The history of Syriac-Aramaic goes back to the 1st century AD, and it grew to be a primary literary language across the Middle East between the 4th and 8th centuries. Syriac became the medium for Syriac Christianity and culture, and it is still used by some churches as a liturgical language, including the Syriac Orthodox Church. The language is taught in a couple of Iraq's public schools. Iraq is home to Iraqi Lurs, who mainly live in the country's central and eastern parts and refer to themselves as Feylis. This ethnic group converses in Feyli, which is classified as a Lurish language. Feyli Lurish enjoys official minority status in the country. Minority Languages Spoken in Iraq Iraq has several minority languages. Armenian immigrants, who settled in Iraq in the 19th and 20th centuries, continue to speak Armenian, especially in large cities such as Baghdad. Iraq is also home to the Iraqi Turkmens who observe Turkish identity and speak the Turkmen language. Territories like Baghdad, Nineveh, Erbil, and Saladin have significant populations of Iraqi Turkmens. The country also has a population of ethnic Persians who found themselves in Iraq after Iraq and Iran were given clear borders. This ethnic group speaks Persian. The Zaza-Gorani ethnicity inhabits northern Iraq and boasts six languages. The largest dialect is Gorani, which is mostly used in the region of Halabja, in addition to areas between Khanaqin and Mosul. The language of Domari is used by the Doms who are a nomadic group of Indian ancestry living near and in Iraq's largest towns and cities. Some Neo-Aramaic tongues are also used in Iraq. Preserving the Dying Languages of Iraq Iraq has implemented various efforts to preserve minority languages. In an attempt to preserve the Syriac language, for example, it was included in the curricula of a total of 152 public schools. The Christian population in the country has been on a downward trajectory, prompting the introduction of initiatives to protect the Iraqi Christian culture. The countrys government is also encouraging its population to teach new generations their mother tongues. Work Ongoing to Resume Services at Post Office Branch Which Temporarily Closed Last Month This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jul 25th, 2017 Work to resume services a local Post Office branch is underway after it was closed temporarily last month. The Victoria Road Post Office, located in the Premier Stores on 63 Victoria Road, was closed suddenly for operational reasons on Tuesday 13th June. A letter sent out to residents last week stated: I am writing to advise you that, for operational reasons, the above branch (*Victoria Road Post Office) closed temporarily on Tuesday 13 June 2017. I am sorry for the late notification of the closure on this particular occasion. I can assure you that we are working to resume Post Office services at Victoria Road and I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause to people locally. In the interim, we hope that our customers will continue to use the Post Office and full details of alternative services in the area are shown at the end of this letter. Were handling this change in line with our Code of Practice which sets out how we communicate and explain changes to the Post Office network. The letter adds: I would like to thank you for your patience at this time. I will ensure that you are kept advised of developments in due course. Wrexham.com have since contacted the Post Office to see if there were any further details as to when the Victoria Road Post Office would reopen. An exact date wasnt given, however a spokesperson confirmed that work is ongoing to reopen the branch as soon as possible. A Post Office Spokesperson said: We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the Post Office branch in Victoria Road. We would like to reassure customers that we are working hard to restore the service to the community as soon as possible and are committed to maintaining services in the area. In the meantime, customers can access Post Office services at any other convenient branch including Wrexham Post Office, 58 Hope Street, Wrexham, LL11 1BE and Rhosddu Post Office, Rhosddu Road, Wrexham, LL11 2NW. Picture Google Maps As President Donald Trump boasted of American pride and prestige in a speech to sailors in Virginia on Saturday, an American nightmare was playing out in San Antonio, Texas. Nine immigrants are dead and 19 are in critical condition after being locked in a sealed semitruck trailer for 24 hours. The trailer was parked in the sun in a Wal-Mart parking lot in 100-degree weather. Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning, one of the trapped immigrants managed to break out of the trailer to ask a Wal-Mart worker for water. The worker brought water and called 911 for help. Police and immigration officials arrived at the scene and detained the immigrants as they stumbled out of the trailer and into the parking lot. Once those still alive had been captured, police dragged out the bodies of the eight who died of heat stroke or dehydration, including two children. Another individual died at the hospital on Sunday. As investigators studied the scene in the parking lot Sunday, the Wal-Mart store remained open. It is difficult to imagine the hell the migrants experienced, gasping for air in the stifling heat as death encircled them. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told the press that the survivors were very hot to the touch. Their heart rates were all above 130 beats per minute. Amid reports that some of the migrants had fled the parking lot, police and immigration authorities launched a manhunt, searching the surrounding area for escaped immigrants to arrest and jail. A helicopter shone a searchlight in nearby woods and continued its search for hours as dawn broke. Only the bodies of the dead will be allowed to stay in the United States, for burial. The survivors will be thrown into detention centers and promptly deported, most likely without the right to appear before a judge to plead their case. Thomas Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), delivered the following statement: The horrific crime uncovered last night ranks as a stark reminder of why human smuggling networks must be pursued, caught and punished These networks have repeatedly shown a reckless disregard for those they smuggle The men and women of ICE are proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners to protect the public and those who would fall victim to their dangerous practices that focus solely on their illicit profits. This statement will serve as a key exhibit in a future trial for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors will point out that, yes, what took place was a horrific crime. Furthermore, it is true that the criminals, driven by their drive for profit, display a reckless disregard for the lives of their victims. However, it is not the smuggling networks that are primarily responsible for what took place in San Antonio. It is ICE, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and the bipartisan policies of the US government that are to blame. Like the recent Grenfell fire in London which killed dozens, the San Antonio tragedy is a case of social murder, for which the ruling class is guilty. In the 1990s, under President Bill Clinton, Democrats and Republicans enacted programs like Operation Gatekeeper and Operation Hold-the-Line, the aim of which was to militarize urban crossing zones and force migrants to cross in the uninhabitable deserts. In 2006, under the Bush administration, Congress passed the Secure Fences Act, which facilitated the construction of hundreds of miles of border barriers and further militarized the border. Those voting yes for this law included then-Senators Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain and Charles Schumer. In 2010, Obama signed legislation that deployed a fleet of drones to the border and 1,500 National Guard soldiers to block or arrest immigrants. Thousands have been killed attempting to cross as a result of these policies. Donald Trump is living up to his pledge to unshackle ICE and CBP and has hired fascist and white supremacist advisors to key positions in the immigration agencies. The Trump administration has already arrested over 60,000 immigrants in the first six months of 2017, roughly 40 percent more than Obama, who was known among immigrants as the deporter-in-chief. The tragedy in San Antonio has gone practically unnoticed by the political establishment. The Democratic Party response consisted of statements denouncing the smugglers, including the declaration of Joaquin Castro, U.S. Congressman from San Antonio, who said, The smugglers responsible for the incident, who showed no regard for the lives of the people they were transporting, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The fact that so many migrants still embark on such dangerous journeys is a testament to the depth of the social crisis in Mexico and Central America. Devastated by a century of imperialist exploitation and military intervention, countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua have never recovered from the imprint left by US-backed dictatorships and death squads. The same is true of migrants escaping the Middle East, where US-led wars have killed millions and forced many more to flee. Thousands have drowned in the Mediterranean. In August 2015, 71 Middle Eastern migrants suffocated in a truck trailer after attempting to cross into Austria. The world is pulsing with people who are forced to flee their homes under the weight of decades of economic exploitation and war. According to a UN report from 2015, there are 65.3 million refugees in the world, more than the population of the United Kingdom, France or Italy. The refugee crisis is the product of the capitalist system and requires a socialist solution. Never in history has the contradiction between the ease with which capital flows across borders and the difficulty with which human beings flee across national boundaries been so acute. As the world economy becomes increasingly interconnected through the advent of the Internet, mobile phones and integrated global supply lines, the ruling classes of the so-called democratic countries are increasingly protecting themselves, as Leon Trotsky put it, by a customs wall and a hedge of bayonets. Socialists reject attempts to reconcile left-wing slogans with nationalist poison. Figures like Jeremy Corbyn in the UK and Bernie Sanders in the US expose their pro-capitalist outlook when they talk about reasonable management of migration (Corbyns Labour Party manifesto) and denounce open borders as a right-wing proposal that would make everybody in America poorer (Sanders interview with Vox, July 18, 2015). Socialists oppose the division of the world into nation-states and call for bringing the geographical organization of the world into harmony with the international character of the global economy. Amazon has announced that it plans to move forward on the construction of a new warehouse in Romulus, Michigan after being confirmed for a grant by the State of Michigans Strategic Fund Board to the tune of $5 million in public city funds. This comes on the heels of the recent decision to give $7.5 million in corporate welfare for another Amazon construction project in the Detroit suburb of Livonia. The new site plans on utilizing the existing metropolitan airport, which will also see large sums of capital invested as part of an economic partnership between the state and major corporate entities known as the Detroit Region Aerotropolis (DRA). In addition, Amazon has its sights set on a third location in the Detroit Metro area in Shelby Township at the site of an old Visteon plant, an auto parts maker for Ford. The board of trustees for the Macomb County Brownfield Redevelopment authority and the townships planning commission gave approval for the project last week. As stated on the townships web site, a main component of the plan will be the granting of various tax incentives. This past week, the Livonia City Council furnished Amazon with an industrial facilities exemption certificate approved unanimously by the board. The certificate would provide an exemption from ad valorem real and/or personal property taxes on the property. The application turned in to the city earlier this summer requests the certificate for 12 years, the maximum amount allowed by the state, hometimelife.com reports. Other cities in the US rust belt are also making similar deals. The city of Cleveland is considering a similar package of tax and other various financial incentives for the redevelopment by Amazon of the Randall Park Mall site, formerly a major shopping hub whose retail anchors have been the main retailers put out of business by Amazon. Sears, Macys, JCPenney and Burlington Coat Factory were all former tenants. This kind of economic arrangement is similar to deals Amazon has extorted all over the world. In 2013, the UK newspaper the Independent reported that Amazons corporate tax bill was just 2.44 million less than the 2.5 million it received from the Scottish Government in inducements to build a new distribution warehouse in Dunfermline. The report goes on to detail some of the methods that Amazon and other multinationals use to avoid paying taxes on profits to government authorities. Amazon manages to pay only a tiny fraction of its profits in corporation tax because all sales to British customers are routed through a Luxembourg affiliate, Amazon EU Sarl, the Independent writes. It is funded by fees it receives from Amazon EU and since these only just cover operating costs, little is left over for Her Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tax. Amazon EU pays little tax in Luxembourg because it pays hundreds of millions of euros each year in fees to a tax exempt affiliate, also registered in Luxembourg. The company that Jeff Bezos founded in 1995 as an online bookstore now increasingly controls the fundamental infrastructure of the economy. Its Amazon Web Services division currently provides the computing backbone for much of the country, including the CIA. Its massive network of distribution centers and warehouses in every major US city has displaced local shipping industries. Amazon sales also increased 23 percent in the first quarter of 2017, climbing to $35.7 billion. On one day alone, July 11, 2017, the company reported that it sold $2.9 billion worth of goods. While the ruling class claims that there is no money available to meet the most critical social needs of working people, state and local governments engage in a bidding war seeking to attract lucrative deals from large capitalist enterprises like Amazon and in the process drive down pay, benefits, and overall working conditions. The online retail giant has received innumerable public grants from states seeking to lure the company into investing in capital in their regions. Fairfax County, Virginia has recently given a massive handout of $43 million for construction of a new distribution center. Last year, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf submitted a similar proposal, which was accepted by Amazon on behalf of Pennsylvanias Department of Community and Economic Development. The proposal included a $5 million dollar First Program grant and $15 million in tax credits. Massachusetts announced its own deal in April 2015 which included $14.8 million incentives and credits for Amazon warehouses. Financial papers and journals have meanwhile touted the deals by Romulus and Livonia as a supposed boon to job creation. The reality is that Amazon is notorious globally for paying poverty wages and severely exploiting and abusing its workforce. Workers are given a stick-and-carrot routine, promised bonuses and education assistance when signing on, promises which are postponed and then reneged on time and time again. Ironically, the repurposed former auto plants that are being purchased and refitted by Amazon will provide jobs that pay less than half as much in starting wages as were formerly paid to autoworkers at these facilities. Fear is gripping people in Sri Lanka about an uncontrolled outbreak of deadly dengue fever spreading throughout the country. According to official statistics updated on Sunday, during the first six and half months of this year, 103,114 suspected dengue cases were reported. At least 290 people have died from the disease. The reported number of cases island-wide is already 38 percent higher than the total number for last year, when 55,150 people were diagnosed with dengue and 97 died. According to the World Health Organisation, the toll is 4.3-fold higher than the average number of cases for the same period between 2010 and 2016. Dengue fever is a debilitating mosquito-borne disease that is potentially fatal, particularly for young children and the elderly. It was first reported in Sri Lanka in 1965 but has become a regular epidemic since 1989. The rapidity with which the disease is spreading has caused serious concerns and discontent about the governments inability to prevent it. Hospitals are being inundated with patients daily, with doctors warning of their increasing inability to cope with the situation. Most of the dengue cases, around 42 percent, were reported from the Western province where the national capital Colombo is located. The most affected region, with 18,186 reported cases, is Colombo District, with 14 out of its 15 administrative areas identified as high-risk zones. The next worst-hit places are Gampaha (12,121), Kurunegala (4,889), Kalutara (4,589), Batticaloa (3,946), Ratnapura (3,898) and Kandy (3,853). All the major hospitals in Colombo, including the National Hospital and the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) are overwhelmed by dengue patients. Hospital authorities have stopped new admissions due to the lack of capacity. Similar crises exist in the other main hospitals across the island. Thousands of dengue patients are in a grave danger because they have no access to treatment. However, the government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has turned its fire on the population. It blames people for alleged negligence in clearing their premises and neighborhoods, polluting the environment by scattering garbage, and thus creating mosquito breeding places. It was the same with the catastrophic floods and landslides in June, which claimed hundreds of lives, as well as the collapse of the Colombo garbage dump at Meethotamulla. The government blamed the victims, claiming they did not heed advance warnings of those disasters. Despite the governments claims, all these social disasters are direct consequences of the austerity policies carried out by successive governments during the past four decades. Public health cuts have resulted in poor public sanitation and a lack of preventive measures, creating the conditions for epidemics such as dengue. The small allocation of 2 percent of gross domestic product on health that existed until the 1970s has plunged to 1.2 percent since the 1980s. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the onslaught on social programs has intensified under the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Training and public awareness programs have been curtailed in the public health sector. Interviewed by the Sunday Times, Dr Ananda Wijewickrama, the IDHs senior consultant physician, explained the shortage of manpower in his institution, the countrys main infectious diseases hospital. We dont have enough nurses with proper training for our wards, he said. At present, we are working with trainee nurses awaiting appointments. We need at least 25-30 more trained nurses. Being a hospital which caters to patients from all parts of the country, filling this vacuum, especially in providing emergency care for dengue patients, should be given priority. Successive governments have systematically dismantled local government allocations that were initially meant for limited social welfare services, including sanitation and public works such as roads and canals. Only some services have been maintained, as the means to deflect mounting popular anger. When criticisms were levelled against the Colombo Municipal Council for its inability to clear garbage, Commissioner V. K. Anura told the media the council had only about 1,200 labourers and just 50 trucks, which were more than 20 years old, to collect rubbish in municipal areas. Since the 1990s, municipal authorities have hired private agencies, as part of the privatisation and running down of social services. When the WSWS inquired, Dr Ruwan Wijemuni, the Colombo Municipal Councils health division director, complained: The higher authorities say that they are instructed by the government to reduce allocations due to the financial problems faced by the government. Instead of mobilising resources to fight dengue and other social disasters the government has used the epidemic for further police intimidation and militarisation. Police and military teams are conducting house-to-house searches with government officials to find mosquito breeding places. More than 2,000 people have been fined under dengue prevention laws for allegedly creating breeding grounds. According to the Sunday Times, the government is seeking to enforce laws permitting the military to break into locked private premises. Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake and Provincial Councils Minister Faiszer Musthapha made the proposal. They want the Commanders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police Chief to assign ten officers each to man an Operations Room for this purpose, the newspaper reported. They also want to invoke powers under the Public Security Act to deal with the situation. According to the proposal, legal action should be taken against the heads of all state institutions, including schools, and private institutions where mosquito breeding areas are found. These punitive measures have nothing to do with eradicating dengue and securing a healthy life for the working class and poor. On the contrary, they are directed against the rising anger among the masses over the elimination of limited social services, including public health facilities and programs. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are engaging in a nationwide wave of raids this week to target and deport thousands of immigrant teens, mostly 16-17 years old, on the grounds that they are suspected of gang activity. The raids are also targeting undocumented mothers who have entered the US with their children. According to an internal memo shared with Reuters, ICE raids began Sunday and will continue through Wednesday, targeting youth who entered the country unaccompanied by an adult. The Trump administrations labeling of these immigrant youth as criminals or gang members is an attempt to get the American public to swallow the horrific reality that the administration is deporting waves of young people who merit a grant of asylum. ICE claims that a person can be identified as a gang member if they meet two or more criteria, including having particular tattoos, frequenting an area with gang activity, or wearing gang apparel. ICE will use police databases of lists of suspected gang members over the past few decades. Long known by public defenders and inmate advocacy networks as being rife with errors and purposely false additions, many are subject to deportation simply because they live in poor and working class areas with high gang activity. Hundreds of thousands of people throughout the US are unknowingly on these lists. The California or CalGang database alone includes the names of more than 150,000 suspected gang members and affiliates. An audit in 2016 found that 42 infants one year old or younger were entered into the database, and 28 of them were entered for admitting to being gang members. Even an internal audit by the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, and Sonoma County sheriffs forced the agencies to admit that 13 out the 100 persons they reviewed were incorrectly identified. However, there are currently no means by which a person can challenge their suspected affiliation. A 2014 California state law requires that parents receive notification before juveniles are added to the database, but an audit found that 70 percent had been added without proper notification. A disproportionate percentage of these unaccompanied youth living in the US have fled poverty, gang violence, and extortion from the Northern Triangle of Central America which includes Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Even if the youth are affiliated with gangs, immigration lawyer David Leopold of Ulmer & Berne said, In many cases, children dont freely decide to join a gang. They are threatened by older gang members and forced to get a gang tattoo if they live in a certain neighborhood. On July 21, the New York Times published a fluff piece aimed at legitimizing ICE. In the article, Times journalists go on a ride-along with ICE agents as they make raids, arrest migrants, and place them in deportation proceedings. The article falsely reported that Trumps deportations of immigrants without criminal records is a break from the Obama administrations policy of mostly leaving those immigrants alone. In fact, Obama oversaw the deportation of nearly 3 million immigrants. Close to 1 million of those were refugees fleeing the Northern Triangle countries and included 40,000 children. In many cases, the Obama administration barred immigrants because they have tattoos that are not gang related. The desperate social situation many immigrants and youth are fleeing is the product of Washingtons long history of CIA-organized coups throughout the region and of the training of death squads and paramilitary forces through the Pentagon-funded School of the Americas. The US intervention in a 1954 Guatemalan coup provoked a series of civil wars claiming 200,000 lives over 30 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, another 75,000 were killed in the bloody counterinsurgency campaign waged by Washington and the US-backed dictatorship in El Salvador, while in Honduras the working class and peasantry were ruthlessly repressed by death squads employing torture and assassinations. These are the countries from which many of the youth are seeking to escape. The line at which the cartels and gangs meet the government, its paramilitary forces and international finance is blurred. Investigations into the March 2016 murder of Honduran indigenous rights activist Berta Caceres, for example, revealed that the assassins had ties to the US-Honduras Chamber of Commerce and top officials within the Honduran ruling National Party. The 2003 CAFTA-DR or Central American Free Trade Agreement between the US, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, dissolved commercial barriers between the countries and opened the floodgates for hyper-exploitation by American corporations. As a result the Northern Triangle remains one of the most impoverished areas in the Americas. The UN Economic Commission for Latin America reports that the respective poverty rates for El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are 41.6 percent, 74.3 percent and 67.7 percent. Fifty percent of children in Guatemala are malnourished, with the rate rising to nearly 75 percent in rural areas, while approximately 75 percent live in poverty. One out of 5 Hondurans experience extreme poverty, and are forced to live on less than US$1.90 per day. The World Food Bank reports that chronic malnutrition levels can reach up to 48.5 percent in the poorest areas. El Salvador is the deadliest non-war zone on the planet due to widespread violence. Over 25 percent of children below the age of 5 live in extreme poverty. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the US deported 250,000 convicted criminals back to the Northern Triangle. In large numbers and often forced, the deportees joined the gangs. Today, many of those deported are subsequently murdered by the gangs. President Emmanuel Macrons government recently presented a new action plan for refugees and immigrants in France, launched by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on July 12. The plan further tightens control of migratory flows in France and Europe. It creates special task forces, intensifies controls in the Mediterranean, reinforces the European border agency Frontex, and increases control capacities in hot spot detention camps. It imposes a six-month as opposed to 14-month deadline for the examination of asylum seekers cases by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) and the National court of Asylum (CNDA). This makes clear that the policy of Macron, the former economy minister in President Francois Hollandes Socialist Party (PS) government, is in direct continuity with the brutal anti-immigrant policies of the PS. Millions of refugees and immigrants are desperately seeking to escape imperialist wars devastating Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, in which the European powers participated alongside the US government for over a quarter century. According to the UN migration agency report, at least 1,530 refugees died while trying to cross the Mediterranean this year. More than 5,100 refugees drowned in the Mediterranean in 2016. The refugees able to reach European soil confront even more repression from reactionary European governments and appalling living conditions. During the presidential campaign, Macron presented himself as a more enlightened candidate, notably declaring that Frances colonial rule over Algeria was a crime against humanity. The media and the political establishment used these statements to contrast his positions with the openly pro-colonial positions of the neo-fascist National Front (FN). In fact, Macron is intensifying the brutal anti-immigrant policies of the PS, which sent riot police to brutally attack and destroy the so-called Jungle refugee camp with over 3,000 immigrants in northern France, at Calais. The PS also shut down a refugee camp in the Stalingrad area in Paris. In neither case did the PS provide the refugees who were thrown onto the street with proper accommodations or residency visas. Thousands of people, including women and children, have been living in appalling conditions in Paris on sidewalks next to traffic-choked streets and under elevated train bridges and highway overpasses in the Porte de la Chapelle district of Paris. That camp was forcibly evacuated by the security forces earlier this month, under Macrons authority. Refugees trapped in legal limbo in France have spoken out to the press about the horrific conditions they face. One former Somalian veterinary student said, Im exhausted from living on the street. Im so tired and hungry, but you just have to be patient. An Afghan youth said, It has been two months sleeping under a motorway bridge with little water, not much food, some fights between different groups here. You never really sleep. I would queue every day but there was no hope getting into the aid center here. Were humans, were not animals. Ali, 29 years old, a teacher from Aleppo, Syria said, I wanted to live like a human being. I stayed in Syria for four years under the war while things got worse and worse. Most refugees escaping war and state repression are simply rejected by the OFPRA. Then, they have to re-appeal to CNDA. For this process, refugees must prepare a lawyer and translate their documents into French. Vulnerable refugees who are living in the streets without any income do not have the thousands of euros that must be spent to carry out this process. According to the OFPRA, more than 85,244 asylum seekers applied to the OFPRA in 2016. 58,635 were rejected and approximately 27,000 were accepted. France does not grant refugee status to the small minority of refugees it allows into the country based on considerations of human rights and fundamental democratic rights. Rather, they are chosen based on whether they are highly lucrative for capitalist exploitation. The vast majority of refugees end up working in restaurants, small shops, in construction, cleaning, or working odd jobs for low wages with long hours. The condition of refugees who do not receive refugee status is even worse, as they are forced to accept all kinds of low-paying, illegal jobs. They get a daily salary of 30 to 50 euros for long hours and no official pay sheets. They are often cheated by the employers, who then refuse to pay their salaries, knowing they cannot complain to the police. Some of them beg in the streets and railway stations. At the same time, they live in fear that they will be deported by authorities back to their war-torn home countries. Attacks on refugees and immigrants in the advanced countries are an international phenomenon. In the United States and Europe, the political establishment targets the most impoverished and vulnerable refugees in order to divide the working class with anti-immigrant agitation. They use immigrants as scapegoats for the slashing of social benefits and in imposing austerity measures against the working class. Macrons immigrant action plan uses this reactionary strategy, trying to whip up anti-immigrant sentiment to divert anger over social conditions in France that he is set to worsen with his attacks on labor rights and his legislation imposing a permanent state of emergency. Recently, Macron described the French immigration system as completely overwhelmed. This is a clear warning, not only to refugees and immigrants, but also to the entire working class in France and Europe. Macron, working closely with Berlin and the European Union, will only continue and intensify the attacks on democratic rights and the repression of refugees and immigrants. A three-judge panel in the Michigan Appeals Court dismissed a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Michigan workers falsely accused of civil fraud in the notorious Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) robo-fraud scandal. In the July 18 decision the court did not directly address the now undisputed fact that most of the millions of dollars the state collected in restitution, fines and fees was not even owed by those accused of fraud. The court based its ruling on a technicality, asserting that a six-month legal time limit to dispute claims against the state government was not met. They asserted the clock started when the UIA determined it had fulfilled its duty to notify claimants that they had been accused of fraud. All three lead plaintiffs in the class action suit argued they were actually within the parameters of the legal time limit to file a claim because they filed within six months after actual damages occurred, that is after their income was taken when aggressive actions by the state garnished their wages or seized their tax returns on behalf of the UIA. Because the states collections started months and even years after flawed notifications were made to the class represented in the suit, plaintiffs did not even know and had no reason to believe they owed money at all, much less that they had allegedly made false statements in the online benefit application process. In fact, as later investigation by state officials would reveal, it is possible the vast majority of the fifty-odd thousand affected by the class action suit do not owe and perhaps never owed dime to the UIA. In late 2016 a state-run audit was partially completed and it was clear the state was stonewalling. With several lawsuits pending, the state was forced to admit a staggering 93 percent error rate in 31,000 of the UIA cases where fraud determinations were made solely as the result of a $42 million dollar computer program installed by the state. Another tranche of 28,000 cases had some human input after the computer program initially flagged them. Even in the latter tranche now being re-reviewed, that is where computer/human fraud determinations were made, a 44 percent rate of error has been detected. The state has the highest fraud penalties in the US. Workers face 12 percent interest and penalties of 400 percent of money they claimed. There were actually cases where fines accumulated into the thousands even though claimants never actually received a dime! One of the plaintiffs accounts of injury is cited in the courts ultimately unfavorable ruling. It presents one picture of the extent of malice workers experienced after filing for benefits. In their decision, the judges cited details of the claim for relief by Teddy Broe, one of the three lead plaintiffs. It said: Broe did not receive any of these notices because they were sent only to his [online account], an online account he no longer accessed because he was re-employed and not claiming any UIA benefits. In 2015, Broe received a notice from UIA that he owned [sic] a debt of approximately $8,800.00 representing overpayment, interest and penalties for fraud. Broe filed a protest with the UIA, however his protests were denied as untimely. Then, in May 2015, UIA intercepted Broes state and federal income tax refunds. Nevertheless, Judges Michael Gadola, Patrick Meter and Karen Fort Hood sided with the UIA and lawyers from Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuettes office and overturned a favorable lower court ruling made over a year ago that had allowed the class action suit to go forward. Royal Oak Attorney Jennifer Lord, who first filed the suit in September, 2015, blasted the decision and vowed to appeal. She told the Detroit Free Press that the ruling was incredible, and based on circular logic and pointed to the Flint water crisis as another case where related issues involving government agencies are at play. The scope of the seizures made by the state from individuals caught up in the UIA dragnet is breathtaking. This is demonstrated in the case of Karl Williams, another one of the other lead plaintiffs cited in the courts decision. The state has still not determined whether he ever really owed them anything, but by 2015 he had his tax return seized in partial restitution to the UIA. By then the original and possibly false determination of less than $10,000 in benefits paid, an amount Karl Williams believed he was owed, had grown to the point where the state was demanding over $64,000 in restitution, fines and fees! Indeed, what makes the ruling even more egregious is that it was the flawed notification process that played a major role in the UIA fiasco. In an attempt to collect the maximum from workers cases were flagged as far back as 2007 right through the surge in layoffs following the 2008 financial crisis. Fines and fees compounded for unsuspecting workers who had gone back to work. Even if a claimant somehow knew they had been charged with fraud it would be difficult if not impossible to stop the collections steamroller. One oversight report showed that during some months in 2014, that is at the height of the false-fraud accusations, the UIA was taking only ten percent of claimant calls for help. Even as the false claims of fraud against unemployed workers mounted, UIA employees were being eliminated due to budget cuts at the state level. The Michigan UIA had been under fire for years for the false fraud allegations even prior to the class action suit filed late 2015. Individual appeals were so backed up the state was forced to hire more Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) to hear cases. Some of these ALJs felt pressure from their superiors in the states Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to tone down their criticism of faulty cases where workers were clearly in the right. The head of LARA at the time was Wanda Stokes, now in charge of the states Talent Investment Agency. She took over after Sharon Moffett-Massey, former UIA head, was transferred. Stokes was in her new position at UIA when a previous federal lawsuit against the state by the UAW and others was settled out of court with no admission of wrongdoing by the agency. Stokes said a review of about 50,000 fraud determinations made between 2013 and 2015 is nearly completed and so far the state has returned more than $16 million. But the states Unemployment Contingency Fund, which is largely funded by fees and fines collected from UIA fraud collections, has ballooned from $3.1 million in 2011 to $160 million by the end of 2016. Despite empty claims by Stokes that the agency has reformed, attorney Lord filed another class action suit in May on behalf of a Ford worker and others. Jason Doss continued to see a quarter of his paycheck seized by the state, even though a judge in January ordered a halt to all related collections by state officials related to the robo-fraud case. This more recent class action suit demands that no money be taken from the UIA Contingency fund until all claims are paid. Lord has estimated the amount actually owed to workers could be in the hundreds of millions. The state has already lost one major class action suit in its use of zealous enforcement of computer adjudicated social benefits. A similar computer-matching fiasco was used to unjustly deny SNAP food assistance benefits to unemployed and low income residents. In May the Michigan DHHS was ordered to make $3,120 lump sum payments to 18,700 people unjustly cut off food assistance benefits. The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature by writing to comments@wsws.org. Latin America Peruvian miners strike On Wednesday, July 19, miners in Peru launched a national strike of indefinite duration. The miners belong to more than 50 separate trade union locals representing more than 50 mines, including those at Perus largest copper mines. The government of president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has declared the strike illegal, while government spokespersons are attempting to minimize the impact of the strike. The strike takes place alongside a strike by teachers in the southern province of Cusco, now in its second month and a strike by doctors against the health ministry that began on July 4 (see below). At issue in the miners strike is a new labor reform law that makes it easier to fire workers in large numbers, to force young miners to work in substandard conditions and to hire contingent and contract labor at half the pay of their permanent brothers and sisters. Peruvian miners are among the poorest paid in the world, with many earning 30 or 40 soles per day (9 to 12 US dollars). Hundreds of striking miners marched in Lima on Thursday. In addition to hunger wages, strikers denounced the super exploitation that miners experience, along with high temperatures and dangerous conditions. Peruvian doctors strike The strike that began on July 4 by Peruvian doctors employed by the health ministry (MINSA) is now entering its third week. The strikers are demanding budget increases for Perus public health service as well as wage increases. On July 17 strikers in Lima protested by chaining themselves to a hospital. This week they plan to initiate hunger strikes and mobilizations at hospitals across Peru. MINSA has declared the strike illegal, has so far refused to negotiate with the strikers. Peruvian students protest in support of striking teachers Students in the city of Puno, in southern Peru along the border with Bolivia, marched in support of their teachers on Monday, July 17. The educators, together with all Peruvian public school teachers, are participating in a national strike, now on its sixth week. The students carried banners and shouted slogans rejecting privatization plans and demanding higher wages for their teachers. The teachers are also rejecting teacher performance standards. The student protest was part of mobilizations across southern Peru by striking educators. In some of these protests the strikers confronted police sent to block their path. Court workers on strike in Costa Rica On Wednesday July 19, 13,000 judicial workers walked off their jobs to protest draft legislation that attacks their pensions. The protest strike began after the national legislature rejected union recommendations on pension reform. Instead it opted for recommendations for the Pension Board (Supen) and from the Economic Science Institute (IICE), based on a study by the University of Costa Rica that found that judicial pensions are underfunded and proposes drastic reductions in benefits, an increase in the retirement age and higher contributions from court employees. Argentina: Mass protests over firing of Pepsi Cola workers On July 19, thousands mobilized in central Buenos Aires demanding that the government of president Macri intervene in the rehiring of some 600 sacked Pepsi Cola workers. On Thursday, July 13, workers occupying the plant were brutally attacked and expelled from the plant by security forces sent in by the right-wing government of Buenos Aires Province. Workers, who showed up for work only to find that the gates had been locked shut, insist that they were illegally laid off and are demanding that they be rehired and that the plant, which produces snacks, be reopened. Pepsi Cola workers say that they were illegally fired because proper procedures have not been followed. The closure of the Pepsi plant comes on the heels of a wave of plant closures across Argentina, made possible by the pro-business Macri administration and compliant union bureaucracy. The demonstrators are also denouncing the brutal methods employed by police and gendarmes at Pepsi and elsewhere. Police attacks on demonstrators and strikers are becoming the norm under Macri, particularly in the city and province of Buenos Aires. The Pepsi closure follows a wave of recent plant closures, including the Sancor dairy, the Quilmes brewery, the Atucha nuclear power plant and others. In addition, there have been many reductions in personnel across Argentina. Colombian small craft gold miners protest Ten thousand small craft gold miners in the Department of Antioquia in central Colombia began a protest strike on July 21 against government policies that favor large mines and seek to eradicate them. An immediate issue is a contract between the miners and the transnational mining enterprises Gran Colombia Gold Corporation and Zandor Capital, which impose conditions that amount to slavery, according to a spokesperson Yarley Marin. They offer us contracts that amount to slavery, they want us to accept their contract to leave the territory. We have offered them other options, but they insist on contracts demanding 65 percent and letting us keep 35 percent, which is not enough to run a mine on, declared Marin. The United States Tentative agreement reached in Rhode Island casino strike Contract negotiators for Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and Teamsters Local 251 reached a tentative agreement July 18 in the wake of a three-day strike by 42 valet workers. Workers still have to ratify the new three-year agreement, which provides for 3 percent annual wage hikes and purports to improve health benefits. Managements previous offer included language that provided the casino with the right to lay off all parking valets and resort to a subcontractor to hire new workers. Workers walked off the job July 14 and returned two days later. During the strike, bartenders, servers, clerks, skilled maintenance and other union workers honored the valets 24-hour picket lines. Teamsters officials claimed the strike was called only to make a statement and that it ended the strike after 40.5 hours so as not to inconvenience other workers on sympathy strike. At the same time, the union admitted, Rhode Islanders see growing inequality and this especially applies to the parking valets, who make as little as $4.50 an hour, not including tips. A state budget estimated that the casino raked in $444 million from its video-gambling terminals alone in 2016. B&H warehouse workers fight to defend jobs Facing the loss of around 330 jobs, workers at two warehouses in the Brooklyn borough of New York City have been carrying on a campaign against B&H, the largest US retailer of photographic and video equipment. Workers and supporters have been conducting twice weekly pickets since March. After a year of futile negotiations under the auspices of the United Steelworkers, in January 2017 management said it would close both of its Brooklyn warehouses and open a warehouse in Florence, New Jersey. This location is 75 miles away from the outer boroughs where most of the workers live and without direct access to public transportation. The mostly Latino workers, whose starting wage is $11 an hour, would find the cost of a car, tolls and gas unaffordable, in addition to having to add one and a half unpaid hours of travel in each direction to their workday. These workers, many with 15 years or more at B&H, would thus not be able to keep their jobs. Canada Winnipeg facing airport strike One hundred fifty workers at James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg, Manitoba, are set to go on strike this week after their union, the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), issued a 72-hour strike notice last Friday. Workers at the airport voted in favor of strike action last week. But after setting an initial deadline for this past weekend, union leaders chose to postpone any strike action for at least two days. Job action would include managers and administrative staff as well as IT and maintenance staff who have been without a contract for over a year. The union has said they are fighting job losses and contracting out of work in a new contract with the Winnipeg Airport Authority. The employer has said that they have contingency plans in place and do not expect any disruption to service in the event of a strike. B.C. copper workers look to strike After working without a contract for nearly a year, nearly 1,000 workers at Highland Valley Copper near Logan, British Columbia, voted almost unanimously (99.8 percent) in favor of strike action last week. Negotiators for the United Steelworkers Union (USW) say that Teck Resources, which owns the mine, is trying to contract out union jobs and increase the use of casual labor. In addition the company has rejected every proposal from the union, including for improvements to wages and benefits. Talks were stalled for over five months before the union asked the company to return to the bargaining table in June, but negotiations broke down almost immediately. Only then did the union call a strike vote, the results of which put them in a legal strike position as of this past weekend, however no strike date has been set. ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis is endorsing the woman seeking to become the nation's first female African-American governor. Lewis announced Monday that he'll back Stacey Abrams in the Georgia governor's race. Abrams, House Democrats' minority leader until recently, has built a national network largely based on work to boost voter registration among minorities. Lewis said she's the most experienced candidate and electing her would make Georgia "a model for our nation." Four Republicans and two Democrats are in the 2018 race to replace term-limited Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican. Abrams first must win a primary against state Rep. Stacey Evans of Smyrna. Evans rolled out a key endorsement of her own this summer: Roy Barnes, the last Democrat to hold the Georgia governor's office. The latest in a series of suspicious brush fires blackened about a quarter acre along the Yakima Greenway and forced the closure of one westbo Mr. Waters, you have become the most prominent spokesperson for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. BDS has been gaining traction over the last decade, especially on the Left, indicating people feel concerned, with good reason, about the plight of the Palestinian people. However, the goals of the movement you support are both immoral and illegal. They are immoral because BDS espouses a moral Manichaeism. They are illegal because it calls for the destruction of Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter BDS is Manichaean because it places all the blame on Israel for the absence of peace in the region. Nevertheless, it is undeniable both sides are responsible for the current stalemate. Of course, settlement activities in the West Bank are unacceptable. However, the Palestinians have missed three opportunities that would have allowed them to recover nearly all of the West Bank (in 2001, 2008 and 2014). Furthermore, Hamaswhich calls for the destruction of Israeland other Palestinian extremist factions have decimated Israels peace camp by sowing fear among the Israeli population. As a result, Israelis are convinced that if they pull out of the West Bank, this territory will be turned into a launching pad to fire rockets on Israel. This fear is totally legitimate, and BDS doesnt address it at all. Roger Waters. Should heed the words Antigone is right, but Creon is not wrong (Photo: Getty Images) It's worth nothing that BDS pretends not to target Israeli individuals, unless the Israeli government funds them. However, most Israeli artists and academics are not rich enough to work without public funding. As for the destruction of Israel, it is true BDS doesnt call openly for it. However, its objectives are such that if Israel were to accept them, this country would cease to exist. BDS has three stated objectives: (1) to end the occupation of the Palestinian territories; (2) to end all discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel; (3) to implement an unlimited right of return for all Palestinian refugees (including their descendants) who fled or who were expelled during the first Arab-Israeli War of 1947-49, in which 10 percent of Israeli Jews were driven out of their homes as well by Arab forces. The two first claims are legitimate, but the third is not. If all refugees were to go back to Israel (as Israeli citizens), Palestinians would become the majority in Israel proper. Omar Barghouti himself, the founder of BDS, has said: If the refugees were to return, you would not have a two-state solution, youd have a Palestine next to a Palestine. This is illegal under international law. Even if the right of return exists (under UN General Assembly resolution 194), its not an unrestricted right, for Israel also has the right to exist as a Jewish state (under UNGA resolution 181). Thus, a fair balance between the right of return and Israels right to exist is required. This is why UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, which take precedence over General Assembly resolutions, as well as the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice on July 9, 2004, do not talk about an unlimited right of return. They refer explicitly to a just solution to the refugee issue that takes into account the right of all states in the region to exist in peace and security, including Israel. This is also why in 2000, former US President Bill Clinton proposed the return of only part of the refugees in exchange for compensations reaching $30 billionthe highest amount of money ever offered to descendants of refugees. Interestingly enough, BDS rejects even the creative compromise proposed by The Two States, One Homeland movementthat is, an Israeli-Palestinian confederation (two associated states with an open border) that would allow both Palestinians and Israelis to live on both sides of the border while retaining their original citizenship. BDS is so extreme that it went as far as disrupting the activities of Two States, One Homeland, forcing it to cancel its inaugural event in the West Bank. In fact, BDS refuses any compromise that would not spell the end of Israel. To quote Omar Barghouti once again: Colonizers are not entitled to self-determination, by any definition of self-determination." This claim is totally absurd. Who would dare say the United States, Canada or Australia have no right to exist because of their colonial origins? Even still, though it would not change anything with regards to Israels right to exist, the idea that this country is a European colony is really a matter of perspective. What the Palestinians understand as a colonial invasion is, for Israelis, a return to their ancient homeland. This is not surprising. If one looks at the situation with an open mind, it is obvious it is not a struggle between good and evil but rather a Greek tragedy (a clash of rights). In the first half of the 20th century, the Jews were persecuted. Hence, they needed a state of their own to protect themselves against anti-Semitism. Furthermore, according to the theory of the redistribution of wealth, it is just to share out the land so homeless peoples, as were the Jews, can exercise their universal right to self-determination in their land of origin. However, the Palestinians refusal to share their land with the Jews is understandable as well, because they are the only ones who were made to pay for the creation of Israel. The rest of the world should have at least compensated them to share the burden. Antigone is right, but Creon is not wrong, said Albert Camus to express the essence of tragedy that characterizes so well this conflict. Mr. Waters, you should heed these words! The Security Cabinet decided Monday night to remove metal detectors from the entrance to the Temple Mount and replace them with other advanced inspection technologies , according to "the recommendation of all security bodies," read a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter However, new details from the meeting reveal that in addition to the metal detectors, security cameras set up at the entrance to the Temple Mount will also be removed, effectively returning the site to the state leading up to the terror attack in which two police officers were murdered. The process of removing the metal detectors from the sensitive site began overnight. Temple Mount metal detectors being removed X Police begin dismantling metal detectors (Photo: AP) The timetable for the planned installation of the new "smart" inspection equipment is expected to be six months and has been allocated a budget of NIS 100 million. According to the plan, until the new equipment has been installed, police presence in the area will be significantly increased in order to secure the area. Before the meeting, one of the possible solutions to the replacement of the metal detectors was the installation of sophisticated, high-resolution cameras that include thermal systems and can detect concealed weapons or explosives as well as advanced facial recognition systems. Temple Mount metal detectors being removed (: ) X Photo: AP Worshippers who arrived at the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning indicated that they would not be willing to enter the compound until the cameras installed together with the metal detectors were removed. They also indicated that they are prepared to continue the struggle. Meanwhile, Waqf officials are expected to convene to discuss the new procedures and the new replacements for the metal detectors. Worshippers await instructions from the Waqf. Police near the entrance to the Temple Mount Photo: Reuters The decision to remove the metal detectors and cameras comes after a period of heightened tensions following a terrorist attack at the Temple Mount in which two police officers were murdered. The decision to erect the metal detectors was met with rioting and clashes from Arabs and Muslims in Israel and abroad. The crisis reached a peak Monday when an Israeli embassy guard in Amman shot dead to two Jordanians in self defense after being attacked by one wielding a screwdriver, who managed to stab the guard twice before being shot and killed. Security Cabinet discussion details In light of the escalation, President Trump's Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt was dispatched to the region to help reach a peaceful solution. Greenblatt met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday before traveling to Jordan to finalize details of a plan that would have the metal detectors removed from the Temple Mount and the return of the Israeli embassy guard to Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking with the Israeli embassy guard in Amman However, in the discussions, the removal of the metal detectors and cameras were not presented as being part of a deal to return the Israeli embassy guard from Amman. Participants in the discussion said it was clear that the matter was taken into consideration in order to end the diplomatic crisis with Jordan. It has also been revealed that police were requested to formulate a plan in the past to erect metal detectors at the entrance to the Temple Mount. Following the terrorist attack in which officers Ha'il Satawi and Kamil Shnaan were murdered, it was decided to put the plan into motion. It is worth noting however that police did not recommend erecting the metal detectors out of concern for provoking violence. Police at the Temple Mount (Photo: AP) MK Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Hayehudi) said the decision constitutes "capitulation and surrender to terrorism. The leadership folded and provided a victory for terrorism and violence. "Leadership is tested by the ability to make good and long-term decisions even if they are not popular in the immediate future. Now the Arabs understand that the massacre of a Jewish family was worthwhile and would fold us. I am pleased to discover that ministers Bennett, Shaked and Elkin preferred the interest of security over populism and voted against the surrender." MK Masud Ghnaim said that removal of the metal detectors is "a victory for the struggle and demonstrations of the Palestinian public, and a victory for the steadfastness of the religious leadership, the Waqf and the political leadership in Jerusalem in particular." Muslim worshippers at the entrance to the Temple Mount Commenting on the events since the attack on the Temple Mount, Ghnaim said, "The problem from the beginning was the Israeli government's attempt to exploit the incident on July 14 to establish new facts on the ground in area that is occupied territory. Anything new in the entrance or in the area of the mosque should be agreed upon, accepted by the religious and political leadership and by the Arab-Palestinian public." MK Jamal Zahalka, chairman of the Joint List faction, condemned the placing of the cameras in front of the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. "This is a new provocation by Netanyahu and another provocation to the worshipers who visit the mosque." Zahalka welcomed the removal of the metal detectors and called for the return of control of the gates of al-Aqsa to the Muslim Waqf without electronic security measures. "Al-Aqsa and east Jerusalem are occupied territory and what applies to it is international law and not Israeli law." US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman referred to US involvement in the Temple Mount crisis during a festive meeting of the Israel-US lobby in the Knesset. "There was a lot of hard work behind the scenes at the highest levels in the US and Israel, and with the Jordanian king," Friedmann said. "We managed to quickly neutralize a situation that could have ended otherwise. We work closely for our common interests." The Temple Mount status quo In recent years there have been changes in the status quo that was formulated following the Six Day War. The original status quo prevented Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, but allowed Jews to visit it. Today, Jews are often denied visits to the Mount or are severely restrictedespecially during sensitive periods. In the past, Jews were allowed to visit on Saturdays as well as inside the mosques, however today, such an arrangement is no longer possible. After the Six Day War, the government determined that the laws of the State of Israel apply to the Temple Mount. Today, the situation has changed. The Temple Mount In practice, for many years the planning, construction and antiquities laws on the Temple Mount have not been fully enforced. The status quo has also granted Jordan involvement in the administration of the Temple Mount compound through the Waqfan arm of the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Endowments. Today the Jordanian influence on the Temple Mount has greatly expandedeven on the conduct of the Israel Police. The ban on waving flags on the Temple Mount is enforced only when it comes to Israeli flags. Comparatively, during rallies and protests held on the Temple Mount, flags of various movementssometimes even terrorist movements such as Hamasare frequently raised. The old status quo on the Temple Mount no longer exists. It changed significantly in a series of key parameters, in such a way that greatly improved the status of the Muslim side of the compound and greatly undermined the status of the Israeli-Jewish side. However, one of the central components of the old status quoprohibiting Jewish prayer on the Temple Mountis strictly observed. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote overwhelmingly on Tuesday for a bill that would slap new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, potentially complicating President Donald Trump's hopes of pursuing improved relations with Moscow. The bipartisan measure aims to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The measure's fate in the Senate is uncertain after a key senator said the deal announced over the weekend may not be final. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that deal negotiators had a "very good weekend" but the announcement "seemed somewhat premature." "We're about there, there's still some procedural issues we're discussing but, you know, I think it worked out very, very well, we still got a couple of things to talk about on North Korea," Corker said. The Abu Halal family from Ar'ara is still surprised by the stabbing of their son, an Egged bus driver, Monday in a Petah Tikva terrorist attack at a local shawarma restaurant he frequented. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The 35-year-old driver was wounded moderately-to-severely after being stabbed in the torso and neck by a 21-year-old Palestinian from Qalqilya. The victim was rushed to Rabin Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery. Scene of Petah Tikva stabbing attack (Photo: AP) Terrorist being apprehended (:hafakarashit) X Adel Afaneh, a relative of the victim, told Ynet, "He was completely surprised by the attack. He works hard to support his family and take care of them. We spoke with him and we still haven't digested what happened. He still hasn't recovered." Afaneh added, "We are against terrorism everywhere, such a case can harm any person, Arab or Jew, not only Jews. I hope that such events will not happen again, because we all want to live quietly without any danger to our lives." Scene of the attack (Photo: AP) Another resident of Ar'ara told Ynet that he believes "what happened was because of what is happening at the Al Aqsa Mosque. It is time to remove the metal detectorsotherwise more terror attacks could happen everywhere. The police are the ones endangering the lives of the citizens because of their stupid decision to harm the Muslim faith and worshippers. "The atmosphere is very tense. Damage to the Al Aqsa Mosque causes a lot of people to become angry and there is no way to go through it in silence. I am against terrorism and don't want any tension, but the government and police need to take the situation into account and respect Muslim holy places." Photo: MDA Upon his arrest, the terrorist told police he "did it for Al Aqsa." He had previously been incarcerated for a separate nationalistic crime from 2015-2016. This attack is the eighth violent incident within two weeks to be connected to the events at the Temple Mount. BEIRUT -- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said overnight air strikes killed at least eight people in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. The deaths were the first civilian casualties in the area - the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus - since a cessation of hostilities was declared there on Saturday. The strikes, targeting the town of Arbin, wounded an additional 30 people, it said. The Civil Defence for rural Damascus, a rescue service operating in the area, said the dead included five children and two women. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi addressed Israel in a speech Monday, calling on its residents and leaders to "stop what is happening in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and not to provoke the feelings of Arabs and Muslims." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter El-Sisi, who was speaking to a young audience in Alexandria, answered a question from an audience member on the issue and said, "The unfortunate events at Al-Aqsa are causing an unnecessary situation. I appeal to public opinion in Israel, the Israeli people and the Israeli leadershipplease, this must stop. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Photo: AFP) "There is no escaping the fact that the feelings of Muslims need to be respected in relation to their holy places. Al Aqsa is something very sacred to Muslims." El-Sisi continued, adding, "It is very important not to stir sensitive issues or commit violations or steps that provoke Muslims, whether they be in Palestine or the entire Islamic world. Let us respect one another." Similarly, el-Sisi also appealed the Egyptian public, saying, "Do not take advantage of these events to throw around exaggerated slogans and say that 'we are the defenders.' We want to live side by side and that is a shared issue that we need to protect. The Palestinians needs to keep this in mind and so do the Israelis." In addition to el-Sisi, other Muslim nations joined the chorus, with Jordanian official media reporting, "King Abdullah spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They spoke about the crisis at the Al Aqsa Mosque and stressed that the reasons that led to the crisis should be removed so that a solution can be reached that will restore the situation to its former status. PM Netanyahu and King Abdullah II (Photo: AP/AFP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a statement on Monday, saying, "The Muslim world cannot remain silent in light of the events on the Temple Mount." Erdogan condemned Israel's use of "excessive violence" during the clashes in east Jerusalem and called the three Palestinians killed in the unrest "martyrs." Following the closure of the Temple Mount as a result of the terror attack that killed two Israeli policemen, the Arab League announced, "All attempts to change the natural and historical status quo in the mosque should be stopped." The League also strongly condemned Israel for "continuing its assaults and attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque," noting the "dangerous implications for the region and the Arab and Islamic world." Construction work on the new settlement Amichai have been stopped after government ministries failed to transfer the necessary funding, Ynet learned on Tuesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Shortly after the initial report on Ynet about the halt of the works, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his bureau chief Yoav Horowitz to ensure construction is resumed immediately. Horowitz spoke to the director-generals of the Defense Ministry and Housing and Construction Ministry, as well as other relevant bodies, in an effort to resolve the matter. The Amichai construction site now with works halted evacuated from the illegal outpost of Amona in February following a High Court ruling that determined the land belongs to Palestinians. After some delays, a month ago, Netanyahu announced on Twitter that works on the new settlement have finally begun Over the last month, the works were funded by the Binyamin Regional Council under the assumption it will get the money back from the state, in accordance with the government's decision. The regional council invested NIS 10 million so far in building infrastructure, but the state has yet to reimburse it, leading to the halt of construction. "We sent notices to the different ministries and received no response," said Binyamin Regional Council head Avi Roeh. "They keep sending us from one ministry to the next and no one is taking responsibility." Roeh said the regional council took on the initial financing of the project "out of the responsibility we have to the residents of Amona, who have been living in small rooms in Ofra for a long time. But to continue in this manner is irresponsible. The council needs this money for education, welfare and aid. The government needs to take responsibility, and it isn't doing so." The Amichai construction site a month ago, when works began (Photo: TPS) The decision to build the settlement stated that "the budgetary sources required to building the permanent settlement will be agreed upon by the defense minister and finance minister in cooperation with the relevant bodies." Treasury officials said the Finance Ministry "is prepared for the matter and is waiting for the funds to be used," but for some unknown reason the funding, some NIS 60 million, has not been transferred from the Defense Ministry to the Binyamin Regional Council. "We're shocked and hurt by this failure," the Amona settlers said in a statement. "We were worried legal difficulties would prevent the establishment of the new settlement, or diplomatic pressures would threaten the matter. We never dreamed bureaucracy would be what prevents it. To our amazement, this is what's happening. Ten engineering vehicles brought from afar to build a new settlement in Israel are standing still because some unknown bureaucrat is not willing to transfer the money and another bureaucrat is dragging his feet on signing off." Avichai Buaron, the Amona settlers' leader, went on to say that "Only the prime minister can resolve the problemand easily so. He must order Defense Minister Lieberman and his ministry's director-general to transfer the money immediately.... if this isn't resolved, we'll go live there in tents." The Defense Ministry said in response the matter was under the responsibility of the Finance Ministry. The Finance Ministry said in response the matter was under the responsibility of the Defense Ministry. The infiltration of a terrorist to Halamish brings the issue of the security in West Bank settlements back into the spotlight. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter An initial investigation into the deadly terror attack, which claimed the lives of three members of the Salomon family , found the security fence around Halamish includes alerts but no cameras, which made it hard for security forces to know there had been an infiltration. Security officials in the settlements have repeatedly warned of the insufficient suitable security measures. The security fence in Halamish over which the terrorist climbed (Photo: Yariv Katz) "Someone has to wake up. We're being promised things for years now, but nothing is happening on the ground. Every time after a terror attack declarations are made, but when it comes down to it, nothing happens," said Shlomo Vaknin, the security officer at the Yesha Council. Other security officials explained the budget allocated for security infrastructure in the settlements has been significantly cut down. "After the last wave of terror attacks, it was decided to transfer some NIS 320 million to improve the security measures in the communities. The money hasn't been transferred, there is no new infrastructure. Several weeks ago we were told the budget was dramatically cut by NIS 300 million. That's absurd, how can you protect the residents like this?" one of them said. Only one settlement in the West Bank is properly protected. There are 150 recognized settlements in the West Bank and 43 outposts either unrecognized or in the process of being recognizedaccording to the settlers. Data from other organizations point to a larger number of outposts. There is no legal authorization to install permanent security measures in the unrecognized outposts, likely over the assumption some of them would be evacuated. Therefore, at outposts, the security is entrusted to IDF posts. The security fence in Halamish over which the terrorist climbed (Photo: Ido Erez) In the settlements, every few years, defense officials sort the communities according to the level of threat to each of them based on past terror attacks and infiltration attempts. Out of 150, there are 45 that are considered to be under a significant threat, where Special Security Zone systems have been installed. This includes smart security measures, such as cameras and radars, installed in a 300-meter zone separating the settlement's security fence and the closest house. The cost of an average Special Security Zone is estimated at some NIS 10 million. Out of the 45 settlements considered under significant threat, only 25 have most of the Special Security Zone systems installed. In 20 settlements, only a small part of the measures have been installed. Meaning: either a 300-meter zone separating the security fence from the first line of houses, or a fence equipped with technological measures, or radars. In one settlement that was recently breached by terrorists, there is a smart fence that sends out alerts if anyone comes near it, but has no cameras, which makes it difficult to determine whether there is an actual threat. Security officials in the West Bank explained that even among the 25 settlements that have most Special Security Zone systems installed, only one has all measures after suffering infiltrations and devastating attacks. "The situation on the ground is difficult and very problematic. There are gaps in security. It's only a matter of money, but no one wants to provide that funding," one security official said. A document sent by the IDF chief of staff's office to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee specifically states there are serious gaps in the security of the settlements in the West Bank. "In the 2016-2017 budget, the deputy IDF chief set a list of priorities to rehabilitate and strengthen security in Judea and Samaria in light of the threat of infiltration that has increased in recent years. Investigations into the attacks pointed to many gaps in the security systems, and these gaps must be addressed," the document stated. Yossi Dagan, the head of the Samaria Regional Council where quite a few communities suffer from inadequate security, explained that "the dramatic cuts to security measures in Judea and Samaria are a massive failure. Most of the security measures that have been professionally approved and budgeted were recently cut and some were even diverted from Judea and Samaria to other areas." Yossi Dagan (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum) He protested the decision "to cut NIS 300 million and leave only NIS 20 million for the security of some 500,000 residents. After every terror attack, there are promises from Jerusalem to America to fix this outrageous lack of security, but when the next attack comes we shake our head in despair and say this was another attack that could have been avoided." The Defense Ministry said in response the Finance Ministry was responsible for the matter. Thousands of Jordanians chanted "Death to Israel" on Tuesday as they attended the funeral of a teenager shot dead by an Israeli embassy security guard. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Mohammed Jawawdeh, 17, was killed on Sunday after he assaulted the guard with a screwdriver at the embassy compound in Amman. A second Jordanian was also killed, apparently by accident, and will be buried on Thursday. The killings sparked a standoff between Israel and Jordan amid tensions over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where Israel imposed new security measures after a deadly mid-July attack on police. Photo: Reuters Mourners on Tuesday accompanied Jawawdeh's coffin from Wihdat city, home to a large Palestinian refugee camp east of Amman, towards the cemetery in nearby Umm al-Hiran where he was buried. They carried pictures of the teenager along with Palestinian and Jordanian flags. In addition to cries of "Death to Israel," they also chanted: "We will go to Jerusalem as martyrs by the millions." Jawawdeh's uncle, Sami, said the family is urging Jordan's King Abdullah II to avenge his death "because he is the one who can decide in such matters." "Mohammed's blood did not flow in vain," he added, saying it paved the way for Israel's removal early Tuesday of metal detectors at entrances to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israel had installed the devices following a July 14 attack nearby that killed two policemen. Photo: Reuters The move, seen by Palestinians as an attempt to assert Israeli control over the site, triggered Muslim outrage and deadly violence. Jordan is the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. King Abdullah spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Monday and urged him to remove the metal detectors. Thousands of Jordanians had demonstrated against Israel in Amman and other cities, calling for "resistance" to "Zionist attacks" and demanding to close the Israeli embassy in Amman and scrap the unpopular 1994 peace treaty. Dozens of demonstrators chanted "No to an Israeli embassy or ambassador on Jordanian land" and called for a jihad (holy struggle). Also on Monday, the security guard and other diplomats returned home after Amman investigators heard "his account of the incident" at the Israeli embassy compound, a Jordanian government source said. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a news conference on Tuesday that Jordan did not strike "deals" or hold "negotiations" with Israel over the shooting. Photo: Reuters He said the government had been intent on questioning the Israeli guard before allowing him to leave the country, "and despite his diplomatic immunity we were able to reach an agreement to take his deposition." Jordan will pursue the investigation until "the truth is reached and justice is done," said Safadi, who was flanked at the news conference by the government spokesman and the state minister for legal affairs. Meanwhile, riot police deployed on Tuesday morning around the Israeli embassy in a residential neighborhood of western Amman after activists called online for an anti-Israel demonstration. Some activists wanted a protest on Tuesday, but others said it should take place after the weekly midday prayers on Friday. ORLANDO - A former Marine who secretly traveled to Syria earlier this year to battle the Islamic State was killed while fighting for a Kurdish militia, his father said Tuesday. David Taylor Sr. told The Associated Press that his 25-year-old son, David Taylor, told only a high school friend about his plans to join the Kurdish group, and he swore his friend to secrecy. Taylor's father said he didn't even know of his son's plans until after he had arrived in Syria and was training with the group known as YPG. "I got an email and he said, 'Pops, don't worry. I'm with the YPG,'" David Taylor Sr. said in a telephone interview from his home in West Virginia. "He said, 'I'm doing the right thing. It's for their freedom.'" A Kurdish militia group released a video saying Taylor was killed on July 16. The US State Department said in a statement that it was aware of reports of a US citizen being killed while fighting in Syria but offered no further comment. Taylor Sr. said a US consular chief from the Kurdistan Region in Iraq informed him of his son's death. A bus empty of passengers crashed into a building in Tel Aviv Tuesday afternoon where a police station is housed. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The bus crashed into a car dealership on the ground floor, causing heavy damages. Aside from the driver who suffered mild injuries, no one was injured in the incident. Security footage of the bus crashing into the car dealership X The driver, who drove Afikim's line 64, deviated from his route for an unknown reason and crashed into the Delek Motors car dealership, which was empty of customers at the time. Employees at the car dealership said that they suddenly heard "a big bang" following which parts of the ceiling started flying everywhere. The scene of the incident (Photo: Asaf Magal) "We were in shock," one of the workers said. "We ran out and did not really understand what happened. The vehicles on display were not damaged, but the whole place was destroyed." The Afikim bus company released a statement regarding the incident: "The company and the driver are cooperating fully with the police. We are happy the bus was empty of passengers and that the bus lane was empty so no one was hurt in this unfortunate incident. The driver, who was lightly injured, was taken to the hospital for medical evaluation." Burkina Faso's government says suspected jihadis have killed at least five people in three different villages in the country's volatile north. Residents of Sibe, Neyda and Ndidja said Tuesday that armed members of local Islamic extremist group Ansaroul Islam attacked Monday on motorbikes. The military says it has deployed troops to secure the area. Landlocked Burkina Faso's remote northern Sahel region bordering Niger and Mali has recently become the target of increased Islamic extremist attacks. The area is home to Islamic preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, whose Ansarul Islam group is now considered a terrorist group by Burkina Faso's government. The military says it is withdrawing its battalion from Sudan to redeploy along its border with Mali to fight extremists. The first group of the soldiers arrived last week. Some 20 families, making up about 120 settlers, invaded the Machpelah House in Hebron on Tuesday evening and are barricading themselves inside. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Hundreds of yeshiva students from across the country arrived in Hebron to support the settlers. They intend to spend the night near the Machpelah House, but won't be able to enter the building as it has been isolated by security forces. The atmosphere inside the building is tense but encouraged, as settlers are hoping they would be allowed to stay. Security officials estimated the settlers won't be evacuated on Tuesday night, only on Wednesday in the light of day. Evacuation in the dark would make it harder on security forces and endanger the evacuees, particularly the women and children among them. Settlers move into Machpelah House (Photo: TPS) The Machpelah House was the site of a 2012 evacuation of settlers which had taken up residence in the three-story structure adjacent to the Cave of the Patriarchs. Settlers had originally claimed the property was legally sold to them by the Palestinian owners, a claim the latter vehemently denied. The 14 settler families living in the structure were ultimately evacuated by police and the IDF on the orders of then-Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and then-Minister of Defense Ehud Barak. A year later, following a shooting attack, Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to resettle the disputed property, but ran into problems with the High Court, which ruled that no permits had been arranged. Settlers move into Machpelah House (Photo: TPS) In December 2015, the Land Registration Committee (LRC) determined that settlers had not produced all the necessary documents and that some of them were unreliable. The LRC deals with the registration of real estate, which to this day constitutes the legal basis for registration of land that has not yet been registered in the West Bank. About a month after the committee's decision, settlers filed an appeal with the Civil Administration, which addressed the issue of the so-called "missing documents" and noted the documents in question were not missing, but were merely copies, as opposed to the originals. As such, the Civil Administration noted, "according to the Notaries Law, these copies are the same as the originals." Settlers move into Machpelah House (Photo: TPS) As a result, the Civil Administration recommended that the original LRC decision be overruled. Two weeks have passed since, and the settlers moved into the property to protest the fact they have not yet been allowed to populate the building. Settlers move into Machpelah House (Photo: TPS) "The Machpelah House was purchased several years ago, but the Israeli government is shamefully preventing the families from taking up residence in the property they purchased without any moral or legal justification," representatives of the 15 settlers claimed. "At this time when Jewish blood is being spilled, we call on the government to proudly raise the flag of settlement in the Land of Israel. In the face of the murder of Jews and national stammering, we demand that the government of Israel allow the families to take up residence at the Machpelah House immediately." Settlers move into Machpelah House (Photo: TPS) Shlomo Levinger, who serves as a spokesperson for the families, said the settlers had time to bring in "all of the necessary equipment for the families, including blankets, beddings, sheets, clothes and even food. We intend to stay here and not leave. This is the time to make brave decisions, particularly as this is a building paid for in full." The Kiryat Arba Council leader Malachi Levinger said, "This time it's serious, we're going all the way. We want to fulfill the prime minister's promise that every Jew has a right to buy a home in Israel and settle there. I hope the defense minister and prime minister will make the reasonable and logical decision in this case and allow us to remain in the homes." Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection Zeev Elkin praised the move at a meeting of the Likud Knesset faction, and called on the prime minister and the defense minister to allow the families to remain in the building as an "appropriate nationalist response." TPS contributed to this report. The High Court of Justice ordered Tuesday to return the bodies of the three Israeli Arab terrorists who carried out the attack on the Temple Mount to their families for burial. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The High Court ordered police to return the bodies in the next 30 hours and give the families a two-hour notice before doing so. The funerals will be held at the Farouk Mosque in Umm al-Fahm, where the three terrorists are from. Two of the terrorists on the Temple Mount The police insisted the funerals be held in the middle of the night with a limited amount of participants, but the families refused to commit to those terms. The judges noted, however, that "the state failed to point to the authority that allows it to hold the bodies and condition returning them in adhering to the restrictions." Israeli IDs of the three terrorists The three attackers, Muhammad Ahmad Muhammad Jabarin, 29, Muhammad Hamed Abed al-Atif Jabarin, 19, and Muhammad Ahmad Mafdel Jabarin, 19, entered the Temple Mount complex with weapons, which they used to open fire at an Israeli police patrol, killing two officers. The attack led Israel to set metal detectors at the entrance to the holy site to prevent future smuggling of weapons. The move incensed the Muslim world, leading to protests and violent rioting in which four Palestinians were killed. The majority of Israelis think the removal of the metal detectors at the entrance to the Temple Mount constitutes a capitulation by the Israeli government, according to a Channel 2 News poll published on Tuesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Seventy-seven percent of participants responded "yes" to the question whether the removal of metal detectors constituted capitulation, while 17 percent said "no" and six percent said they didn't know. Respondents were also asked for their opinion on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the crisis. Sixty-seven percent rated his performance "not good" while 23 percent rated his actions "good." The Gate of the Tribes after the removal of metal detectors (Photo: Reuters) When asked whether it was the right decision to place the metal detectors at the entrances to the Temple Mount in the first place, 68 percent said "yes," while 23 percent said "no" and nine percent said they didn't know. But despite the removal of the metal detectors, the Palestinians said the chosen alternativesmart cameras able to detect hidden weapons or explosiveswas still unacceptable, amid allegations Israel was trying to expand control over the site under the guise of securitya claim Israel denies. The Waqf, the religious body that runs the Islamic sites in the Al-Aqsa compound, said worshipprs would continue to stay away from the plaza and pray in the streets outside. A Waqf spokesman said it was awaiting a decision of a technical committee but was demanding the situation revert to the way it was before the metal detectors were installed. Thousands of Muslim worshipers gathered outside the Lions' Gate in Jerusalem's Old City for evening prayer on Tuesday, maintaining their refusal to enter the Temple Mount complex. After the prayer, some of them threw stones and other objects at police forces, who dispersed the rioters using riot control measures. In addition, public and religious figures called on the Arab public to arrive on Friday to the Temple Mount area to participate in the demonstrations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will not renew its ties with Israel until all security measures are removed. The Palestinians claim the police did not remove all security cameras at the entrance to the Temple Mount, left barricades instead of the metal detectors, did not open all gates to the Temple Mount and plans to install smart cameras in the near future. Palestinian President Abbas (Photo: AP) Speaking at a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, Abbas said there will be no change in relations with Israel until the situation returns to what it was before the July 14 terror attack at the holy site, when three Israeli Arab terrorists smuggled weapons into the Temple Mount complex and opened fire at an Israeli police patrol, killing two officers. "All the Israeli measures on the ground from that date to the present day are supposed to cease to exist and then things will return to normal in Jerusalem, after which we will complete our work regarding bilateral relations between us and them," Abbas said. On Friday, Abbas announced he was freezing all ties with Israel , including security cooperation. "Relations with Israel will be frozen at all levels until Israel commits itself to canceling all its steps against the Palestinian people as a whole and against the city of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, and to committing itself to preserving the historical and legal situation in Al-Aqsa," he said in a statement. "We reject to the metal detectors, as they are political moves presented in the guise of security measures, whose sole goal is to take over the Al-Aqsa Mosque and escape the peace process, turn the conflict from a political one to a religious one and break up the mosque based on time and place," the Palestinian leader added. Prayers outside the Temple Mount continue Tuesday evening (Photo: Yael Friedson) The installation of the metal detectors set off widespread protests and deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence in the past week. Large crowds of Muslims prayed outside the shrine in protest every day, refusing to pass through the metal detectors. The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis. "All parties should work to reduce these tensions and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this," Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York. "At the holy sites, it's vital that both access and security be ensured." Washington has already held talks with Israel and Jordan to help resolve the crisis. The continued protests meant that the escalating crisis between Israel and the Muslim world, which began in mid-July, was not defused, even after Israel backed down on the metal detectors. Prayers outside the Temple Mount continue Tuesday (Photo: Reuters) Jordan, the Muslim custodian of the shrine, has played a key role in trying to end the showdown over the holy site. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the kingdom wants "calm to return" to the shrine and to see a historic status quo there restored. Israel must "revoke all new measures on the ground," he said. Israel's security Cabinet announced the decision to remove the metal detectors early Tuesday. It said police would increase the deployment of forces until the new measures are in place. The statement said the government would budget 100 million shekels ($28 million) to implement the security plan over a period of "up to six months." Israel's proposal set off rumors among Palestinians that the "smart cameras" Israel plans to install could see through clothing and could prove particularly embarrassing to women. Israeli police addressed the rumors Tuesday, saying in a statement that it does not use any type of camera that harms anyone's privacy "and has no intention of using such cameras in the future." The cameras are to protect public safety, the statement said. US President Donald Trump called the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah a threat to the entire Middle East on Tuesday, accusing it and Iran of fueling a humanitarian disaster in Syria. "Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region," Trump said at a joint press conference alongside Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House. "The group continues to increase its military arsenal which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel... With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria." US President Donald Trump called the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah a threat to the entire Middle East on Tuesday, accusing it and Iran of fueling a humanitarian disaster in Syria. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region," Trump said at a joint press conference alongside Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House. "The group continues to increase its military arsenal which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel... With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria." Hariri and Trump at the White House (Photo: MCT) Hezbollah's "true interests are those of itself and its sponsor, Iran," he said. Trump demurred when asked to comment on sanctions against Hezbollah. "I'll be making my position very clear over the next 24 hours," he said. "I have meetings with some of my very expert military representatives and others, so I'll be making that decision very shortly." Trump also accused Syria's leader Bashar Assad of committing "horrible" crimes against humanity, and vowed to prevent his regime from carrying out any more chemical attacks. "I'm not a fan of Assad. I certainly think that what he's done to that country and to humanity is horrible," Trump said. Recalling that he had ordered cruise missile strikes on Assad for using chemical weapons, Trump said: "I am not somebody that will stand by and let him get away with what he tried to do." Trump also said he believed there might not be any Russian or Iranian involvement in Syria today had former president Barack Obama taken action against Assad. Hariri and Trump at the White House (Photo: AP) Trump and Hariri pledged solidarity in their joint fight against terrorism by the Islamic State group and others. Hariri said he hoped the anti-terrorism partnership between the two countries would continue until terrorists are defeated. "We will do that," Trump replied. Trump expressed confidence that Hariri would eventually defeat ISIS and other terrorist groups. "Ultimately you will win ... we have great confidence in you," Trump said. The leaders also met in the Oval Office. The White House said last week that Trump and Hariri would discuss terrorism, refugees and the economy, among other issues. Hariri and Trump at the White House (Photo: AP) Hariri is likely to ask for US financial aid to cope with the flood of Syrian refugees entering his country because of the civil war there. Syrian refugees make up about 25 percent of Lebanon's population of about 6 million people. Other issues on the prime minister's agenda are continued US support for the Lebanese military, and US plans to tighten sanctions on Hezbollah. This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company. As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism. We hope you are equally as excited as us. This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers. Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited. In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy. Happy shootin' my friends! Buying Guides: Firearms Firearm Accessories Ammunition Gun Safes Scopes & Optics Hunting Air Rifles Best AR-15 Best AR 15 Scope Best Hunting Rifle Best Gun Safe Best AK 47 Best AR 10 Best Glock Triggers Best Glock Best Home Defense Shotgun With house price growth on an upward trajectory in Sydney and Melbourne, many observers are wondering if a potential housing bubble is brewing in the southeastern capitals. Observers are also wondering about the long-term prospects of the Brisbane housing market, which has been posting modest growth. We asked three analysts for their forecasts on these aforementioned property markets. Is there a bubble? Will house price growth slow down? Their answers might surprise you. Sydney, NSW In June, Philip Parker of Altair Asset Management attracted a lot of media attention when he announced his funds decision to sell its share portfolio and return cash to investors. Parker said that the impending property market calamity in the east coast markets had prompted him to make the surprise decision. Such media hype has savvy investors rubbing their hands in glee in the anticipation of a very small segment of the market panicking and selling at any price, said Sam Elbanna, managing director at CPM Realty. These same savvy investors continue to purchase through all stages of the property cycle, as they understand that property is a long-term investment. Provided they can maintain their repayments, [property] should never be sold as [long as] capital growth over a 7- to 10-year period remains strong. Immediately following the global financial crisis, there were similar predictions of property bubbles and impending disaster, which created a minor hiccup in the market. Those investors and homeowners who did not panic have reaped the rewards of massive capital growth in the ensuing years, Elbanna said. It is evident that there is still an incredible undersupply of housing in Sydney as vacancy rates continue to fall (now sitting at 1.7 per cent for across the city and only 0.3 per cent in the CBD). The rates are lower than this time last year, clearly eliminating any concerns of a major oversupply of housing in Sydney, he added. The plunge in vacancy rates has led to rents increasing almost daily. The high demand placed on finding property reflects the low vacancy rate, with the need for apartments jumping up by 1.6 per cent. If Sydney were to experience a housing market correction, it would be very minor, according to Elbanna. Sydneys property market would only stagnate for a few years without having a steep decline in pricing price growth may soften but it will definitely still be growing, he said. Melbourne, VIC While Melbournes property prices havent reached Sydneys dizzying heights, theyre certainly on their way up. The citys median house price was $865,712 in the June quarter, while the median unit price was $474,848 during the same period, according to the Domain Group. Even though theres been an increase in homebuyer activity based on current auction clearance rates, the slow pace of construction in Melbourne could lead to a slump in the market in terms of price growth, according to Marion Mays, founder of the Thalia Stanley Group. However, this deceleration in price growth will not lead to the long-dreaded housing market correction. Recent changes to investment loans and first-home buyer initiatives are also likely to play their part in avoiding the much talked about and predicted property bubble burst. In other words the property bubble will most likely stay intact, Mays said. Brisbane, QLD In contrast to Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane has been posting more modest growth. The city posted a median house price of $546,043 and a median unit price of $375,269 in the June quarter, according to the Domain Group. Whilst there are some positive signs, growth in the Brisbane property market will remain modest, said Peter Mastroianni, founder and director of Rentvesting Pty Ltd. However, blue chip suburbs in Brisbane have and will continue to perform well. And, as everyone knows there is a lot of new apartment stock in the CBD and fringes which will take some time for the market to absorb. Growth is modest, yields are reasonable and vacancy rates are low. If the economy can turn on the jobs - things could quite literally pop, he added. Mastroianni thinks Brisbane has a long way to go before it can be given the bubble label. Changes to investment lending by the financial regulator may preclude some investors from the market. However, I dont feel this will have a great impact on the steady Brisbane market, Mastroianni said. Related Stories: HSBC: There Is No Bubble In Sydney And Melbourne Population Growth Key Driver Of Housing Demand 404 We couldn't find the content you're looking for. 5 TV shows and films on homosexuality and same-sex marriages - IN PICS New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Sahara group chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by September seven. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, that the Sahara chief has deposited Rs 247 crore as against the promised amount of Rs 552.21 crore which was to be deposited in the refund account by July 15. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, that the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore out of the Rs 552.21 crore would be deposited by August 12. The bench, however, said that Rs 1,500 crore which Roy would deposit by September seven would also include the balance amount of Rs 305.21 crore. The apex court extended the parole granted to him earlier till October 10. The bench asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to proceed with the publication of sale notice with regard to auctioning of Sahara's prime property at Aamby Valley. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on September 11. On July 5, the apex court had noted that Roy had deposited Rs 710.22 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account, but had warned him that his cheque of Rs 552.21 crore must be realised within the July 15 deadline. Roy had earlier told the court that he will pay Rs 1,500 crore on or before June 15 and Rs 552.22 crore exactly a month thereafter. He has spent almost two years in jail and been on parole since May 6 last year. The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. New Delhi: Giving relief to over 66,000 teachers in Uttar Pradesh who were appointed for imparting free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that "right to education was a right to quality education". Ordering that 66,655 teachers who were appointed in wake of its March 25, 2014 interim order need not be disturbed, the bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit in their judgment said: "To make the right to education meaningful, a qualified teacher undoubtedly has significant role." "It goes without saying that 'right to education is right to quality education'," the bench said noting that several occasions in the past, the court has expressed "concern over unsatisfactory quality of education". "We have been informed that 66,655 teachers have already been appointed in pursuance of the interim orders of this Court. Having regard to the entirety of circumstances, we are not inclined to disturb the same," the court said in its judgment while giving liberty to the Uttar Pradesh government to "fill up the remaining vacancies in accordance with law after issuing a fresh advertisement". Terming the fundamental right to free and compulsory education as one of the most important rights, Justice Goel, speaking for the bench, said: "We are unable to agree that even unqualified teachers ought to be allowed to continue ignoring the legislative mandate or that we should exercise our jurisdiction under Article 142 to undo the said mandate." The court's stance came while not accepting the plea that it should take recou rse to its plenary powers under Article 142 to save the jobs of 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitras that were appointed in Uttar Pradesh in breach of the requisite qualifications. The "consideration for career of 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitras, over and above their legal right, cannot be at the cost of fundamental right of children to free quality education by duly quali fied teachers in terms of legislative mandate", it said. Addressing the question whether benefit once given to them (even unlawfully) should be withdrawn, the court said: "In view of clear mandate of law statutorily requiring minimum qualification for appointment of teachers to be appointed ... there is no doubt that no appointment was permissible without such qualifications." Upholding the findings of September 12, 2015 Allahabad High Court judgment, the court said that the appointment of "Shiksha Mitras was not only contractual, it was not as per qualification prescribed for a teacher nor on designation of teacher nor in pay scale of teachers. Thus, they could not be regularised as teachers". "Regularisation could only be of mere irregularity", the court said, adding that the question now is that whether in absence of any right in their favour, were they entitled to any other relief or preference. Citing the peculiar situation, the court said: "They ought to be given opportunity to be considered for recruitment if they have acquired or they now acquire the requisite qualification in terms of advertisements for recruitment for next two consecutive recruitments." It also said that this category may also be given suitable age relaxation and some weightage for their experience as may be decided by the authorities concerned. Till they avail of this opportunity, the state is at liberty to continue them as Shiksha Mitras on same terms on which they were working prior to their absorption, if the state so decides, the court said. Madrid: A man was detained on Tuesday after attacking a policeman on the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla with a large knife, a source from the local government said. The man, believed to be Moroccan, approached the border at Beni Enzar at 7:35 am and shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is Greatest) before the attack in which the policeman was cut on the hand. The man was immediately arrested, the source said. Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and several officials of the state to review progress of flood relief work in the flood-ravaged Gujarat. Modi arrived at Ahmedabad at 4:00 pm today as he conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected Banaskantha and Patan districts in north Gujarat where thousands of people are marooned due to incessant rains, as per ANI. Modi's visit comes in the wake of a request from Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The PM left for Gujarat after the swearing-in ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind. Earlier today, CM Rupani called on the Prime Minister at Parliament House and apprised him of the situation arising out of the heavy rains and flood in parts of the state. "PM Modi then decided to undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected areas of north Gujarat," the PMO said. The Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and NDRF and local teams have intensified rescue and relief operations as several parts of the two districts were inundated with flood water. During the last 24 hours, at least 12 talukas of Banaskantha, Patan and Sabarkantha districts received over 200 mm of rainfall, a release issued by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC). Dantiwada in Banaskantha remained the worst-hit with a whopping 463 mm rainfall, followed by Palanpur (380 mm), Vadgam(357 mm), Amirgadh(337 mm) and Lakhani (305 mm). At least 400 people were rescued in Banaskantha district this morning. A large number of locals were stranded in the floods after torrential rains wrecked havoc in northern Gujarat for last three days. As the rains took a break this morning, rescue operations in Banaskantha and Patan districts gained momentum, an official said. Hundreds of people are still waiting to be shifted to safer places, as several parts of these districts are flooded, he said. Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been deployed in Banskantha to airlift the stranded locals as well as to distribute food packets. One column of Indian Army was also pressed in to rescue people using boats. Since morning, 113 people stranded in Shihori village of the district have been rescued and shifted to safer locations by the Indian Army personnel, who have been conducting the rescue operation using boats, said a release by the Defence PRO. "One MI-17V5 took off from Deesa this morning and proceeded to Totana village and winched up 14 people stuck in the mist of raging flood water to safety," Defence PRO Abhishek Matiman said. The IAF is also air dropping food packets in the affected areas. (With PTI inputs) 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. Vote View Results YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS. During a working consultation in the Yerevan Municipality chaired by Mayor Taron Margaryan, the assistance programs for Syrian-Armenian families and the quick solution of issues voiced by them were touched upon, the Municipality told Armenpress. By specifically highlighting the importance of quick integration of Syrian-Armenians, Mayor Margaryan tasked the social insurance department and heads of administrative districts to constantly control solving the issues of Syrian-Armenians and in case of necessity provide respective assistance to those Syrian-Armenians who have a desire to be engaged in small entrepreneurial activity. Settling the problems of Syrian-Armenian families living in Yerevan will always remain in our spotlight, and the social assistance programs provided under the annual program will be continuous. In line with this, under our powers, provide respective assistance to those Syrian-Armenians who have a desire to be engaged in small entrepreneurship by having their unique participation in our citys development, Taron Margaryan said. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Turkeys parliament is debating the bill banning the use of the Armenian Genocide term from the legistlative bodys floor. The bill was earlier passed by the parliaments constitutional committee, Diken reports. Ozgyur Ozel, a lawmaker of the Republican Peoples Party, took the floor during the debates and as a sign of protest covered the podium with a black cloth. The MP said the bill is unconstitutional. With this bill you are taking away the freedom of speech of lawmakers. This will take the parliament 250 years back, the MP said. Another opposition lawmaker said the bill seeks to eliminate the opposition in the parliament, and create a unanimous parliament, therefore a unanimous society. The bill is endorsed by the ruling AK party and National Movement party. The debates will continue on July 25. The Turkish parliaments constitutional committee passed the bill package which defines changes in the internal rules of procedure of the legislative body. The bills were submitted for debates by the ruling AK party and the Nationalist Movement Party. Under the law, lawmakers are banned from mentioning the Armenian Genocide in the parliament. Lawmakers of the Democratic Peoples Party said there is no sense in taking part in the debates and left the hall in sign of protest. The bill defines to set punishment for lawmakers who break the rule by insulting the history and common past of the Turkish people. Insults include using the term Armenian Genocide while speaking about the events of 1915. The ban also includes terms like Kurdistan, Kurdish regions. According to other provisions of the changes, lawmakers will have a maximum of five minutes to introduce proposals of their factions. Lawmakers who fail to take an oath in the parliament wont be entitled to use their rights. Those Members of Parliament who breach the law will be subjected to a punishment, in the form of being temporarily removed from the legislative body, as well as a fine comprising 1/3rd of their salaries, which is more than 3 thousand USD. The Republican Peoples Party and the Peoples Democratic Party opposed the bill. Garo Paylan, the lawmaker from the Peoples Democratic Party, who is of Armenian origin, called the bill a nationalist authoritarian coalition proposal of the AK and NMP parties. Turkish lawmaker of Armenian origin Selina Dogan from the opposition Republican Peoples Party also opposed the bill, saying Certainly, nobody must insult the history and common past of the Turkish people. However, what will you say about the other peoples? For instance, can is it OK to insult the history of the Armenian people?, she said. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Deputy foreign minister of Armenia Ashot Hovakimyan held a meeting on July 24 with the delegation of experts of the Integration, Promotion and Policy Design Support of Sustainable Development Goals of UNDPs Policy and Program Support Office. The purpose of the New York delegation was to get acquainted with the UNDP goals nationalization process, assist in designing relevant strategic documents. The Deputy FM presented the Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda of Armenia and its strategy, and recalled Armenias active involvement and efficient cooperation in the process of implementing the UNs Millennium Development Goals. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Sevan Nishanyan, the Istanbul-based ethnic Armenian scholar who escaped from prison on July 14, has requested asylum from Greece. In an exclusive interview to ARMENPRESS, the scholar said he would like to visit Armenia after successfully completing the process. Mr. Nishanyan, in one of your interviews you mentioned your current location to be Greece. Have you requested an asylum from Greek authorities? We are beginning the process today. From the very beginning I viewed Greece as my second or third homeland, this is a very beautiful and civilized country. I would be very happy to spend the new phase of my life here. The most frequently asked question is how did you manage to escape prison? How long did it take you to prepare for the prison break? It was easy. There were no problems. We had planned 1.5 to 2 years, but practically these plans werent required. We just walked out. After your escape you said everything is possible in Turkey through money. What is the current justice system like in Turkey? The bureaucracy of Turkey is an absurd and unreasonable mechanism, which lives in an insane world of dreams. If one understands its logic, he can easily play it on his fingers. You made a tweet about your prison break, saying The bird flew away: Same wishes to the remaining 80 million. But as far as I know your family is currently in Turkey. Arent you worried for them? The 4 eldest of my sons are currently on their summer holidays in Turkey. They are mature and reasonable people. I dont think that something can happen to them. Even while imprisoned, you wrote books. Did you take those books with you? I left my pants and shirt, but how could I have left my books and notes. I wrote a book about the history of the Turkish language, as well as dialogue on religion and religions. It will take a year to prepare for publishing. In addition, I wrote short book from my letters to my little girl, Anahit, although Im not sure if I want to publish it. Do you plan to visit Armenia in the future? I would like to come to Armenia at the very first occasion when I will be able to legally travel. I received a lot of love and support from my friends in Armenia when I was in prison. There are many people whom Id like to thank. Interview by Araks Kasyan YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Anti-Armenian sentiment has deep roots in Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani side doesnt miss any chance to deepen the hatred even more, Armenias Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan told a press conference on July 25. It is considered a great honor to kill an Armenian in Azerbaijan. The atrocities of April War, as well as the actions preceding and following it are also due to the hatred towards Armenians. From the very first day of the April War, large-scale fact-finding works were conducted and the reports also emphasize the anti-Armenian sentiment issue, Tatoyan said. The Ombudsman says Azerbaijan is spending huge resources and conducts large scale lobbying activities, therefore the Armenian side must boost its activities in different directions. Tatoyan underscored that during this time the Armenian side has carried out rather large works, high-level reports have been made as result of fact-finding missions, which were presented to international structures. Speaking on the reports, Artsakhs Ombudsman Ruben Melikyan mentioned that the emphases were on several directions Armenophobia, shelling of civilians, and atrocities committed by Azerbaijanis against Armenians who appeared under their control. A fact-finding mission was conducted from the very first day of the April War, large scale information was collected. After this, we continued monitoring by studying Azerbaijani sources which provide evidence on their own atrocities. Relevant reports were submitted to international structures, I have to underscore that this process has a start, but it doesnt have an end, Melikyan said. Armenias Ombudsman expressed concern over this issue, over the absence of targeted assessments in international structures public statements. Tatoyan underscored that the work must be resumed in all circles and record every minor incident with evidence and present to the international community. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. After the April War of 2016, Armenia filed more than 350 lawsuits against Azerbaijan in the European Court of Human Rights, lawyer and international rights expert Ara Ghazaryan told a press conference. The lawsuits relate to several articles right to life, banned treatment, right to private life. Look, in letters written to us from the border, people mention that before going to bed they place their passports in a small bag and put it near the door. Can you imagine what these people go through, this relates to private life and it doesnt even matter if shelling took place here or not. Meaning, these people are deprived from normal life. We have also raised the right of property, as well as the issue of discrimination. We presented that people have been killed, deprived of property, because they are Armenian, Ghazaryan said, emphasizing that they expect a just compensation of legal defense. Ghazaryan said the court has communicated two dozens of lawsuits very quickly. To be honest, this was unexpected for us. The European Court understood that in the territory of the Council of Europe, even though there is an armed clash, the beheading of a soldier is an unusual occurrence. The Council of Europe cannot allow for such things to happen on their territory, he said. The latest lawsuit which was submitted related to the Chinari village incident, where three Armenian soldiers were killed in the trenches. Larisa Alaverdyan, president of the Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO, said activities in both political and legal platforms should continue. International platforms must clearly be notified that this is a manifestation of a genocidal policy, she said. Azerbaijan continues to commit war crimes, by using banned munitions, and using those munitions against civilians. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of Artsakh denied the Azerbaijani defense ministrys report which said an Azerbaijani soldier has been wounded by Artsakhs forces. The Azerbaijani defense ministrys report alleging that their serviceman Muraz Babakishev was wounded by a UAV of the Artsakh military is yet another disinformation. The situation in the frontline remains relatively calm. Simply the Azerbaijani propaganda machine is working as usual, by attempting to mislead both its own community, and the international community through spreading disinformation. Not only didnt the Artsakh military use UAVs in the frontline, but they also continue to strictly adhere to the ceasefire regime, the Artsakhi military said in a statement. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. The 9th international Barbecue festival will be held in Akhtala on August 20, Sedrak Mamulyan - Chairman of Preservation and Development of Armenian Culinary Traditions NGO, told reporters, reports Armenpress. He said this year, in addition to Armenian tour agencies, foreign tour companies as well are interested in the festival. This years festival will be more interesting and informative and will differ like the previous ones. We will have teams from different places, Georgia, as well as Russia have always participated in the festival. We will also have 30 pavilions, a visit from Australia is expected, here a film will be shot which will have an episode from the barbecue festival. We will host Istanbul-based Armenian signer Sibil, Sedrak Mamulyan said, adding that this year the festival will be held in Akhtalas stadium, rather than in the church due to high number of participants and visitors. Mekhak Apresyan First Vice President of the State Tourism Committee, said the festival has already become an event not only in Armenia but also in international platform. Its very important that tourists arrive in Armenia to take part in this festival, tour companies include the festival in their packages. Moreover, a tourist personally visiting Armenia stays and participates in the festival, Apresyan said. Quite experienced teams from Austria, Lithuania, Russia will take part in the competition within the frames of the festival. They will cook fish, chicken, beef, pork barbecue, as well as desserts. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan on July 25 hosted over 200 participants of the Diaspora Ministrys Ari Tun (Come back home) program, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress. Welcoming the guests, the Defense Minister said the program provides great opportunities to Diaspora-Armenian youth to maintain the national identity and strengthen ties with the Fatherland, as well as he presented the stages of formation of the Armenian Army, the past path and key achievements. Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan attached importance to the fact that within the frames of the program young people arriving in Armenia from different countries not only have a chance to see the countrys historical-cultural sites, but also to visit military-educational institutions and military units, to meet with the leadership of the armed forces. Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan answered to questions of the meeting participants which mainly related to the further strengthening of the Armenian Army and maintenance of peace, as well as opportunities to conduct the military service in the Fatherland. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia Tian Erlong on July 25, press service of the Yerevan Municipality told Armenpress. Highlighting the high level of Armenian-Chinese relations, Mayor Margaryan attached importance to the role of the Chinas Ambassador to Armenia, and the Armenian Ambassador to China. By attaching specific importance to expanding the mutual partnership framework between Yerevan and Beijing, the Mayor assured that the Yerevan Municipality is open and ready to establish partnering ties with other Chinese cities. In his turn, the Chinese Ambassador congratulated Taron Margaryan on his re-election as Yerevan Mayor and thanked him for the assistance provided on issues concerning the construction of the new complex of the Embassy. The Ambassador proposed to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with Qingdao city, one of the most powerful industrial centers of China. Tian Erlong added that the visit of the delegation from Qingdao city to Yerevan is expected in late August which can be a great chance to form bilateral ties. Mayor Margaryan welcomed the Ambassadors proposal and stated that the delegations visit will enable to more thoroughly discuss the directions and circles of mutually beneficial partnership. YEREVAN, 25 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 25 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 478.85 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.51 drams to 558.10 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.15 drams to 7.99 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.47 drams to 624.32 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 152.84 drams to 19221.91 drams. Silver price up by 3.87 drams to 252.95 drams. Platinum price up by 293.39 drams to 14425.47 drams. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Diaspora Minister of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan on July 25 hosted Argentine-Armenian lawyer, legal advisor at the Cordoba Government and Security Ministry Juan Pablo Simonian, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress. Welcoming the guest, Diaspora Minister Hakobyan attached importance to his activities. Speaking about the need to boost investments in Armenia, the Minister said: It is important to have a strong economy to empower Armenia, as well as it is important for Armenians worldwide to unite over pan-Armenian priorities. Hranush Hakobyan said it is necessary to strengthen ties with the Fatherland for maintenance of the identity, as well as to actively take part in the Ministrys programs. Juan Pablo Simonian thanked for the warm reception, presented the latest novelties, achievements and programs of the Armenian community and expressed readiness to closely cooperate with the Ministry and take part in its programs. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan on July 25 visited Gegharkunik province, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress. Speaker Babloyan was accompanied by Gegharkunik Governor Karen Botoyan and Director of the Territorial Development Foundation of Armenia Ashot Kirakosyan. Within the frames of the visit Speaker Babloyan visited Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at the town of Gavar. He toured the center, talked to parents of children with limited abilities, specialists and children. The Speaker was reported that 10 permanent jobs were opened at the center, and all specialists are local people. Thereafter, Ara Babloyan visited N5 kindergarten where currently renovation works are on process which will be completed in September, 2018. The new kindergarten will have 4 groups, one of which will include children with limited abilities: all necessary conditions for inclusive education will be provided for them. Parliament Speaker Babloyan also visited the orphanage of Gavar where currently 58 children live. Babloyan toured the orphanage, got acquainted with the conditions and attended the event organized by orphanage kids. Our responsibility towards a child is to ensure not only his/her happy childhood, but also happy future. Our program is mainly directed towards protecting the rights of children, moreover, this must be done in education, social insurance, healthcare, culture and several other spheres. We need to do everything the program to be effective by covering the rehabilitation center-kindergarten-school-specialization and work link, Babloyan told reporters. He attached importance to timely diagnosis and treatment of diseases, adding that the sooner the childs problem is solved, the sooner he/she will return to family which in its turn will contribute to unloading of orphanages. At the end of the visit, the Parliament Speaker also visited the Medical center which is being constructed in Sevan. The center will be equipped with latest medical technologies. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Justice Minister Davit Harutyunyan on July 25 hosted US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress. During the meeting the sides discussed a wide range of legislative issues of bilateral interest. The Minister introduced the Ambassador on the process of installation of e-governance tools in several fields of the justice ministry, in particular, the ongoing works on digitization of judicial archive, installation of e-apostille, e-notariat systems. At the request of the Ambassador, the Justice Minister touched upon several issues concerning new anti-corruption policy, as well as the efforts made on this path and the expected results. At the end of the meeting Ambassador Richard Mills said the justice system supporting the needs of people is the vital part of independent democracy. He welcomed the ministrys achievements in this process and expressed readiness for further cooperation. YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Veronika Nikishina - Minister for Trade at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and Paulina Nazal - Deputy Minister of Commerce of Chile, discussed the opportunities to develop commercial cooperation, as well as sign free trade zone deal between the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Chile, the EEC press service told Armenpress. The meeting was held in Moscow on July 25. The sides highlighted Chiles active stance on signing the agreement on free trade zone. Currently the country has 28 similar agreements. Based on the meeting results agreement was reached to continue the mutual partnership on wide range of issues, as well as on assessing the possibility to create free trade zone. Back In The Day, Perfect 10 used to be a monthly magazine devoted to topless or nude photos of "all natural" women, but since it last published a print issue in the summer of 2007, it's become a subscription-only websiteand a major plaintiff in lawsuits against such entities as Amazon, CCBill, Google and Visa, all of which, the magazine's owner Norman Zada claimed, violated Perfect 10's copyrights by publishing thumbnails of the magazine's covers and sometimes content. Perfect 10, Inc. lost all of those lawsuits "big time," according to the website Techdirt.com, and in the process was labeled a "copyright troll" by many legal commentatorsa reputation it maintains to this day. Two of the parties to which it lost one of those lawsuits were Giganews, Inc., a Texas corporation that serves as an ISP conduit for Usenet, and its affiliate, Livewire Services, Inc., based in Nevada, which offers access to Usenet through Giganews servers, and on March 24, 2015, Judge Andre Birotte, Jr., of the Central District of California, ordered Perfect 10 to pay attorney fees and costs to those former defendants in the amount of $5,637,352.53 for Perfect 10's "unmeritorius claims" against those companies. Just one problem, though: Neither Giganews nor Livewire has seen one red cent of that judgmentso they've now filed a lawsuit against the company to try to collect, in the process charging Perfect 10 and Zada with fraud for allegedly transferring Perfect 10's assets to Zada's personal possession, beginning in early 2014, in order to avoid paying the court-ordered judgment. "Perfect 10s undisputed conduct in this action has been inconsistent with a party interested in protecting its copyrights," wrote Judge Birotte in awarding the fees and costs. "All of the evidence before the Court demonstrates that Perfect 10 is in the business of litigation, not protecting its copyrights or 'stimulat[ing] artistic creativity for the general public good' ... In the life of the company, more than half of Perfect 10s revenues have been generated by litigation. However, all of those revenues were generated by settlements and defaultsPerfect 10 has never obtained a judgment in a contested proceeding in any of its roughly two dozen copyright lawsuits." So Zada probably had some inkling that an award like the one given to Giganews and Livewire was inevitable, and the lawsuit charges that, "beginning in early 2014, Zada caused Perfect 10 to begin unlawfully transferring Perfect 10s corporate assets to Zada in anticipation of unfavorable court rulings and a possible judgment against Perfect 10 for attorneys fees." The suit goes on to detail a series of transfers of Perfect 10's assets to Zada, beginning on January 3, 2014, of amounts between $50,000 and $200,000, with a massive transfer of $850,000 on November 20, 2014, "approximately six (6) days after this Court granted summary judgment in favor of Plaintiffs on November 14, 2014." The lawsuit goes on to note that Zada admitted during a Judgment Debtor's Examination that the transfer was in anticipation of an adverse court order. But that's not all: "On or around March 2015 (within a few weeks of the courts order awarding attorneys fees and costs), Zada fraudulently transferred substantially all of Perfect 10s physical assets (i.e., non-cash assets) to himself in a sham transaction for inadequate consideration," the suit alleges. "These assets include, but are not limited to, Perfect 10s car, furniture, magazines, computer servers, external hard drives, and t-shirts. Zada admitted that he caused Perfect 10 to make these transfers because 'it would have been totally disruptive to have those [assets] seized' in satisfaction of the judgment. Perfect 10 continues to operate much as it has in the past. It still offers for sale the magazines and t-shirts that Zada purchased; when a customer expresses interest, Zada simply 'gives' those assets back to Perfect 10 to complete the sale." (Citations omitted here and below) Not only that, but according to the suit, Perfect 10 is still filing copyright actions against online companies both in the U.S. and Germany, with no apparent end in sight! But essentially, Giganews is tired of Perfect 10's crap, and wants the court to settle their hash once and for all. It's asking the court to "enjoin Perfect 10 from further transferring or disposing of any assets of any type ... and enjoining and restraining Zada from transferring, conveying, assigning, encumbering, hypothecating or otherwise disposing of any of the unlawfully transferred assets to any other person or entity"; declare that Perfect 10, Zada and anyone working for or representing them is "hold[ing] the unlawfully transferred assets in trust for Plaintiffs"; and that Perfect 10, Zada and those other persons/entities not only pay the judgment already entered plus 10 percent interest per year, but also "award Plaintiffs punitive and exemplary damages from all defendants jointly and severally in the amount of $20,000,000, or in such other amount that the Court determines to bear a reasonable relationship to Plaintiffs actual damages and does not otherwise violate the requirements of due process," plus attorney fees and costs, as well as "any other relief that it considers just and proper." Last week, the parties stipulated to Perfect 10's and Zada's request for additional time to answer Giganews' complaint, which will now be due on September 5but it appears that there's a good chance that there may be further fireworks in the case before that deadline is reached. Or as Techdirt put it, "The fangs are clearly out, but one can hardly blame Giganews, which had to defend itself against what was clearly a frivolous lawsuit filed on behalf of a company that can't seem to figure out how to look anything other than shady in the extreme." Illustration courtesy of Giganews, Inc. LOS ANGELESCanadian sex educator, author and photographer, Lord Morpheous, will appear as a special guest at three Hustler Hollywood locations. Lord Morpheous will in Oklahoma City, Okla, on Aug. 24, San Antonio, Texas on Aug. 25 and Phoenix on Aug. 26 in support of his latest book, How to be Knotty: The Essential Guide to Modern Rope Bondage. For more info, click here From 8-10 p.m. each night, Morpheous will host a "How to Be Knotty" bondage demonstration and sign copies of his book while guests explore the art of erotic rope tying and indulge in 'sips and sweets' during the event. A big thank you to Hustler Hollywood for letting me host my demonstrations and promote my new book to those curious about the art of bondage and proper rope technique, said Morpheous. I definitely look forward to re-creating many of the illustrations in How to Be Knotty for attendees. The bondage expert will also welcome two special guests, adult performers Samantha Saint and Stevie Shae, to join in his practice demonstrations that show how to achieve erotic pleasure in a safe, supportive setting. Morpheous previous publications, How to be Kinky: A Beginners Guide to BDSM, How to Be Kinkier: More Adventures in Adult Playtime and Bondage Basics: Naughty Knots and Risque Restraints You Need to Know will be available for sale and signing as well. A director of Coventry-based Windmill Bakery risks going to prison if he continues to breach an injunction to not use Bakers Bascos bread baskets. At Walsall County Court on 10 July, Akhlaque Ahmed admitted three allegations of unlawfully using equipment belonging to Bakers Basco, which broke the terms of an injunction originally imposed in February 2013 and amended in July 2015, preventing him from using baskets and dollies belonging to Bakers Basco and its membership without written permission. He has also appeared in the County Court at Coventry in August 2016, where he was order to pay a 2,000 fine to the Crown for breaching the order and was ordered to pay 3,330 in damages and costs to Bakers Basco. At this months hearing, Ahmed was ordered to pay 3,000 to the Crown and 5,664.50 in damages and costs to Bakers Basco. The judge made a custodial sentence of six weeks, which was suspended for an indefinite term, for three breaches of the existing injunctions. Ahmed could face a minimum of six weeks imprisonment if he breaches the injunctions again. Steve Millward, general manager of Bakers Basco, said he hoped Ahmed had finally got the message that you cant keep taking other peoples equipment without their consent. It has been a costly lesson he has had to pay nearly 14,000 in fines, damages and costs in the last year alone, and he has been given a suspended jail sentence, Millward said. Windmill Bakery declined to comment when approached by British Baker. Irish free-from bakery supplier Promise Gluten Free has sold its majority stake to private equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners. Promises products including sliced bread, rolls and cakes that are available across the UK, the US and Australia. The business supplies a mix of branded and private-labelled lines to retailers including Costco, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsburys, Spar and Woolworths. The deal will enable Promise to accelerate its international expansion strategy in the US, across Europe and Australia. Plans are also in place to further develop Promises presence in the US and European market to meet demand. Promise, a group of companies comprising Aran Ard Teoranta (trading as Gallaghers Bakery) and Cuisine Royale Manufacturing, has grown domestically and internationally in markets including the UK, US and Australia under retail brand Promise Gluten Free. Declan Gallagher, founder of Promise Gluten Free, said the company had found a partner with a proven track record in its sector that would help it achieve success, and match its entrepreneurial spirit. Mayfairs backing will provide us with the ability to increase capacity in new and existing markets, including supporting the growth of our facility, Gallagher said. We look forward to benefiting from their sector expertise and insight as we enter this exciting new chapter of growth. The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day? Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount. Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists. "... the District Court addressed the balance of equities in only the most cursory fashion ... For that reason, we cannot have confidence that the court adequately grappled with the interests on both sides of the remedial question before us. And because the District Court's discretion 'was barely exercised here,' its order provides no meaningful basis for even deferential review. ... For these reasons, we vacate the District Court's remedial order and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion." If the recent news on North Carolina's political maps and redistricting has you confused, you're not alone.And, unfortunately, it may be awhile before our state gets any clarity on how to draw legislative and congressional districts.First, we get the news on May 22 that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (in a 5 to 3 opinion*) that "our Congressional maps were unconstitutional." Unfortunately, the media has been slow to explain that the Supreme Court ruling was on maps the legislature had already replaced - in 2016 before the primaries.You may recall North Carolinians voted in two primaries in 2016. The first one, in March, included all the races except one state Supreme Court contest. But the votes in two congressional district primaries were not counted because a panel of three federal judges had ruled that two of the congressional districts were unconstitutional.When the court ruled the maps unconstitutional, the Republican-led legislature went ahead and drew new congressional maps at the same time they appealed the court's decision to the Supreme Court. However, the new congressional maps were submitted for approval in February 2016, barely a month before the primary. That necessitated a June primary because the ballots had already been printed for the March primary and people were in the process of casting their absentee ballots. Ultimately, the June 2016 primary ballots included only the congressional races (using new district lines) and the single Supreme Court contest.In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court's May 22 decision on congressional districts may impact future map drawing and lawsuits, but it had no effect on current maps.But it was quickly followed by another high court ruling.On June 5 of this year, two weeks after the initial ruling on the old Congressional maps, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed another lower court ruling that Republicans relied too heavily on the use of race when they drew the state legislative maps in 2011. The court specifically cited the 28 (nine Senate districts and 19 state House districts) minority-majority districts drawn to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.This decision was on a different lawsuit (challenging both the congressional and legislative districts) than the lawsuit acted on in the May 22 ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court sent the redistricting case back to the North Carolina Supreme Court for review, with the admonition that the court must take into account the May 22 decision.Knowing that the state Supreme Court has approved the same legislative maps twice before does not help us as we attempt to understand just what the justice system is trying to achieve on North Carolina's district maps. In the two previous reviews, the state Supreme Court upheld the districts, saying that though race played a role in the development of the district lines, the lawmakers had done so to comply with the Voting Rights Act and previous federal court rulings.Since the last time the state Supreme Court ruled on the legislative district maps, however, there has been a significant change in the makeup of our state's Supreme Court. In the "non-partisan" November 2016 election for state Supreme Court justice, Mike Morgan (Democrat) beat incumbent Bob Edmunds (Republican). Morgan's election tipped the balance of the court to the Democrats. There is little doubt among court watchers that there will likely be a different outcome in the ruling on North Carolina's legislative maps in the third round before the state high court.Also on June 5, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the federal court's order for the state to immediately redraw the legislative districts and to hold a special election this year to elect new legislators. This order would cut the constitutionally mandated two-year term of the duly elected legislators, elected in 2016, to one year.It's interesting to note that when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling (that Republicans had relied too heavily on the use of race), they did so without comment, but when they vacated the order from the district court to immediately redraw the districts and hold a special election, they dedicated three pages of explanation, ending with what sounds like a scolding. They wrote:So, where do all these decisions being handed down from the U.S. Supreme Court leave the voters of North Carolina? Probably still confused, and our new governor has been of little help.Almost immediately after the June 5 order, Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper called for a special legislative session to redraw the legislative districts. Yes, that's right, the governor called for a special session while the legislature was already in session. He also knew the U.S. Supreme Court had remanded the case back to the state Supreme Court for consideration and had also asked the district court to reconsider its order for an election in 2017. Leaders in both state houses quickly rejected Cooper's demand for a special legislative session, calling it a political stunt.Senate President Pro Tem, Phil Berger explained that legislators were waiting for direction from the courts before they make their next move. That is a painful irony for North Carolina voters: Judges have said legislators considered race too heavily in drawing the districts, but it still isn't clear what percentage of minority voters in a district is acceptable to the courts. Until there is such a decision, confusion will continue to reign.*New Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate in the decisions of the last month, because he was not part of the original discussions. Justice Clarence Thomas voted with the liberal justices, believing that race should not be considered a factor in redistricting. Company plans to create as many as 770 jobs at first U.S. manufacturing facility Contact: Ford Porter Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov RALEIGH: EGGER Wood Products, one of Europe's leading wood-based materials suppliers for the furniture, wood construction and flooring industries, has selected Davidson County, N.C. as the location for the company's first U.S. manufacturing plant.Governor Roy Cooper announced the company's investment in Lexington earlier today. The company's development plans include creating 770 jobs over the next 15 years with a proposed $700 million investment. The first phase, creating 400 jobs, will happen over the next six years, and an additional 370 jobs are planned for later phases of the project.said Governor Cooper.A family-owned company based in Tyrol, Austria, EGGER Group operates 17 plants and 25 sales offices worldwide, providing a wide range of wood-based products. EGGER is the global leader in decorative surfaces on wood-based materials and has developed a complete range of products and cutting-edge designs. The facility in North Carolina will be a state-of the-art particleboard manufacturing plant and EGGER's first U.S. manufacturing operation. The facility will contribute to the regional economy by purchasing wood byproducts from sawmills and working with a range of local suppliers for additional services.said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland.The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. (EDPNC) led the state's support for the company's decision.EGGER will bring a variety of advanced manufacturing jobs to North Carolina including management, administration and skilled production workers. While compensation will vary by position, average salaries for the new jobs are expected to be $40,000, above Davidson County's current average annual wage of $36,836. EGGER emphasizes high standards in its employment policy, which has resulted in numerous awards in the countries where it currently operates. EGGER is committed to its workforce and is proud of its company culture that drives extremely high employee loyalty.said Walter Schiegl, EGGER Chief Technology Officer and member of the executive board.EGGER's expansion in Davidson County will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project will grow the state's economy by an estimated $1 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $5.3 million, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by N.C. Commerce and N.C. Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant's reimbursement payments to a given company.Because EGGER chose to locate in Davidson County, the company's JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $596,000 into the state's Industrial Development Fund - Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 2 county such as Davidson, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps communities across the state. More information on the state's economic tier designations is available here The project was also made possible by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina fund of up to $2.5 million. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. One NC grants also require and are contingent on financial matches from local governments.Partnering with N.C. Commerce and the EDPNC on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina State University, Davidson County Economic Development Commission, N.C. Railroad, N.C. Department of Transportation, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Duke Energy, Norfolk Southern and Golden LEAF Foundation. Meet the U of T student headed to Ghana to inspire a new crop of astronomers University of Toronto student Margaret Ikape vividly remembers the first time she looked into a solar telescope. She was a participant at the West African International Summer School for Young Astronomers in Nigeria, started three years ago with help from U of T astronomers to expose more young West Africans to the field. "In Nigeria, we didn't have access to solar telescopes," she remembered on CBC Radio's Metro Morning. "I could actually see the sunspots." At the time an undergraduate at the only university in Nigeria that offered astronomy, the summer program made Ikape feel like a true scientist, encouraging her to continue her studies at a graduate level at the University of Toronto. It's a feeling she's hoping to pass on. This week, Ikape is making the long journey to Accra, Ghana to return to the summer school, this time as an instructor. "It's my wish and my passion to bring up young ones in the study of astronomy and show them how cool the universe is," she said. Ikape will teach cosmology, helping participants understand the evidence that supports the Big Bang theory. The school began when U of T astronomers met a Nigerian astronomer at a conference and decided to collaborate. The first two iterations were held in Nigeria, where Ikape originally comes from and hopes to return to one day as a professor, and this year's program will be held in Ghana. Beyond looking forward to teaching, Ikape is excited to return to a favourite sight: the West African sky at night. "So beautiful!" she said. "You look up and you see so many stars smiling back at you." If there was the story at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, it was the launch of Plasencia Cigars. The Plasencias have 152 years experience in the cigar business and truly are one of the iconic families in the industrys history. Now, after many years being growers and producers in the cigar business, the Plasencias last year have launched their own brand. Its not just a brand with their name on it. To bring this product to market, the Plasencias now have their own U.S. distribution company, Plasencia 1865, LLC. At the 2017 IPCPR, the Plasencias would be exhibitors for the first time and they had a full-blown media event for the official launch of their brand. To see our name over here (at the booth). To see all the cigars with the Plasencia name, it gave me goosebumps when I saw it Monday (as the Trade Show was being set up), commented Nestor Andres Plasencia, the CEO of Plasencia Cigars and the son of the legendary Nestor Plasencia. According to the Plasencia family, they make 40 million cigars a year and grow 5 million pounds of tobacco a year. They also have said that 80% percent of the cigars at this years trade show uses a Plasencia grown leaf in their product. This is a company that also employs 6,000 people. Its hard to dispute the numbers as the Plasencias are truly giants in the cigar industry. The quality is there as well. The 2016 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year, the Crux du Connoisseur No. 2 happens to be produced out of Plasencias Nicaraguan factory. Casa Magna, a brand that the Plasencias teamed up with the Quesadas to make, was Cigar Aficionados 2008 Cigar of the Year. But there was one thing missing. While the Plasencias have made cigars for others, and even have put their name on a cigar, they never distributed their own cigars direct to consumers until last year when Plasencia 1865, LLC was formed. We are the Fifth Generation. This is a part of our family history that we have to put our name out to the final consumer, commented Nestor Andres. This wasnt a decision made overnight. The family started putting special tobacco aside a decade ago waiting for the right time to use it. Nestor Andres even told me that it took a little convincing to get his father, Nestor Plasencia Sr. on board. There was one problem the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Deeming Regulations have taken innovation and creativity to a stand-still. However, that did not stop the Plasencias and especially Nestor Sr. I got of Cuba once. Ive been out of Nicaragua once. So FDA is nothing compared to that, is what Nestor Sr. told Nestor Andres. The Plasencia family had their origins in Cuba. Following the Cuban Revolution, the family fled and started anew in Nicaragua. However, when the Nicaraguan revolution took place, the Plasencias went to Honduras. During the 1980s, the family really struggled in the growing business because of a huge blue mold outbreak. Nestor Andres noted that since the family has been in the business a long time, they have plenty of predicate blends to work with. The Media Event While most companies dont have the resources to do a media launch like the Plasencias, its no secret that I feel the cigar industry as a whole is very weak at media relations. The media event put on by the Plasencias should be a blueprint for the cigar industry. The Plasencias contracted with Republica.net an advertising and PR firm run by Jorge Plasencia, who is a cousin of Nestor Andres. They have been involved with the launch of Plasencia Cigars and helped organize the media event. The General Session The event included remarks to the media by Nestor Andres as well as a Q & A session. We covered it here: Our Interview Following the General Session for the Media, we were able to get a one-on-one interview with Nestor Andres. The audio is below. The Cigars While this was the official launch of Plasencia Cigars, the company went to market with several releases last year. Alma Fuerte Last year, Plasencia introduced the Alma Fuerte. This is the first of what is intended to be a five-part series of cigars. Its an ultra-premium line priced over $20.00 each. It features some of the best tobaccos set aside ten years ago by the Plasencias. The name translates to Strong Soul something the Plasencias identify with. Its a box-pressed Nicaraguan puro line consisting primarily of Criollo 98. The tobaccos are from Plasencia farms in the four main growing regions of Nicaragua: Condega, Esteli, Jalapa, and Ometepe. Alma de Campo Alma de Campo is the second installment of the Alma Series and was the showcase release by Plasencia at this years trade show. Alma de Campo translates to Soul of the Soil (as growers the Plasencias are quite proud of this). This is a rounded release described as medium-bodied. It is also a Criollo 98-dominant Nicaraguan puro. It is available in five sizes. This line carries a price point between $15.00 and $20.00. Cosecha 146 Cosecha 146 is a line that Plasencia Cigars was taking orders for at the 2017 IPCPR. There are plans for a formal launch later this year. Cosecha means harvest and Cosecha 146 release pays homage to the 146th harvest of the Plasencias (2011) and it uses tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua from that crop. Plasencia Reserva Original The Plasencias are well-known for their 100% organic cigar the Reserva Organica. Now an organic cigar is also a part of Plasencia Cigars portfolio. This one is called Plasencia Reserva Original. Final Thoughts The launch of Plasencia Cigars is something historic and exciting to happen in the cigar industry. I also find the timing quite strategic. As the cigar industry enters a period of regulation, it is bound to lead to consolidation. This could lead to several companies for which Plasencia makes cigars and/or grows tobacco to go out of business. What better way to pick up the slack than to introduce your own products to replace it. It isnt every day a cigar company with over a century in the business launches its first brands. This is story that launches a new chapter for the Plasencias and its only the beginning. If you missed seeing the Plasencia Cigars exhibit at IPCPR, you missed a lot. Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted. TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Your dog may be more than your furry companion -- new research suggests it may also be an effective personal trainer. The study found that dog walking gives a significant boost to older adults' exercise levels year-round. Researchers looked at more than 3,000 older adults in England. Dog owners who walked their pooch got an average of 30 minutes more physical activity a day than other participants. The dog walking-linked boost in activity was especially noticeable in the winter when days are shorter, colder and wetter, the study authors said. "We found that dog walkers were much more physically active and spent less time sitting overall. We expected this, but when we looked at how the amount of physical activity participants undertook each day varied by weather conditions, we were really surprised at the size of the differences between those who walked dogs and the rest of the study participants," said study lead author Yu-Tzu Wu, of the University of Cambridge. And, project leader Andy Jones said, "We were amazed to find that dog walkers were on average more physically active and spent less time sitting on the coldest, wettest and darkest days than non-dog owners were on long, sunny and warm summer days." He is a professor at Norwich School of Medicine, at the University of East Anglia. "The size of the difference we observed between these groups was much larger than we typically find for interventions, such as group physical activity sessions that are often used to help people remain active," Jones added in a university news release. The researchers noted that owning a dog is not a good idea for all older adults due to the demands of looking after a pet, but said their findings suggest new ideas to increase physical activity. "Physical activity interventions typically try and support people to be active by focusing on the benefits to themselves, but dog walking is also driven by the needs of the animal. Being driven by something other than our own needs might be a really potent motivator and we need to find ways of tapping into it when designing exercise interventions in the future," Jones said. The findings were published July 24 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. More information The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about exercise. Medieval punishments: Public execution in Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Supreme Courts decision to uphold the death sentences of 14 men after a grossly unfair mass trial is a worrying reminder of the countrys lethal crackdown on dissent, said Amnesty International today. The men who were found guilty of protest-related crimes now face imminent execution. By confirming these sentences Saudi Arabias authorities have displayed their ruthless commitment to the use of the death penalty as a weapon to crush dissent and neutralize political opponents, said Samah Hadid, Director of campaigns for the Middle-East at Amnesty international. King Salmans signature is now all that stands between them and their execution. He must immediately quash these death sentences which are a result of sham court proceedings that brazenly flout international fair trial standards," At least 66 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the start of 2017, including 26 in the past three weeks alone - more than one execution per day. Hussein al-Rabi, Abdullah al-Tureif, Hussein al-Mosallem, Mohamed al-Naser, Mustafa al-Darwish, Fadel Labbad, Said al-Sakafi, Salman al-Qureish, Mujtaba al-Suweyket, Munir al-Adam, Abdullah al-Asreeh, Ahmad al-Darwish, Abdulaziz al-Sahwi, Ahmad al-Rabi were transferred from Dammam in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province to the capital, Riyadh on 15 July 2017 without prior notice. Now that their sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court the 14 men are at risk of execution as soon as the King ratifies their sentences. Due to the secrecy surrounding the Saudi Arabia judicial process, the families are given very little information, if any, about the current state of the case and usually not told about the scheduled execution of their relatives. Yesterday, families of the 14 men learned that the death sentences were upheld after contacting the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) and they fear that the executions will take place imminently. The 14 men were initially sentenced to death on 1 June 2016 by the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, following a grosslyunfair mass trial. They were convicted of a range of charges that included armed rebellion against the ruler by, among other things participating in shooting at security personnel, security vehicles, preparing and using Molotov Cocktail bombs, theft and armed robbery and inciting chaos, organizing and participating in riots. Court documents show that the 14 men told the court they were subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention and had been tortured and otherwise ill-treated during their interrogation to extract their confessions, however the judge failed to order investigations into their allegations. The SCC appears to have largely based its decision on these forced confessions. Background: Amnesty International has recorded a worrying increase in death sentences against political dissidents in Saudi Arabia since 2013, including the Shia Muslim minority. Amnesty International also learned on 23 July 2017 that the SCC court of appeal has upheld the death sentences of 15 men accused of spying for Iran and the case was transferred to the Supreme Court on 20 July 2017. The men were initially sentenced to death on 6 December 2016. Amnesty International has documented the cases of at least 34 members of Saudi Arabias Shia community making up 10 to 15 percent of the population who are currently facing the death penalty. All were accused of activities deemed a risk to national security | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! The Walls Unit, Huntsville, Texas With 2 days left before TaiChin Preyor's scheduled execution, his lawyers have tried just about everything to stop it. That includes alleging that his previous counsel committed fraud. With 2 days left before TaiChin Preyor's scheduled execution, his lawyers have tried just about everything to stop it. That includes alleging that his previous counsel - a disbarred California attorney and a probate and real estate lawyer who reportedly relied on Wikipedia to research Texas legal procedure - committed fraud against a federal court. So far, they've had no luck. Preyor, 46, is set to be executed Thursday night for the 2004 killing of a 20-year-old San Antonio woman during a home invasion. If he doesn't receive a stay, it will be the state's 5th execution of the year - and end the unusually long 4-month lull in Texas' death chamber. In recent weeks, Preyor's attorneys have filed a flurry of pleas, with the Texas governor and in state and federal court. They have argued Preyor should be spared the death penalty because his original attorney overlooked an abusive childhood and because his appellate attorneys were incompetent. "Even if you are someone who believes that there is a role for the death penalty to play with respect to certain crimes, there has to be a baseline there that the person ... was capably and competently represented throughout all of his proceedings," said Cate Stetson, one of Preyor's current attorneys. "And that baseline clearly was not met here." On Monday afternoon, both the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and a federal district court rejected Preyor's requests for a stay. Preyor will appeal now to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Texas and Bexar County have requested that the execution proceed, noting that it "has been postponed for over a year in order to accommodate [Preyor] and his attorneys, but at the expense of the victims and the state's interest in finality." In court, Bexar County prosecutors accused Preyor of breaking into Jami Tackett's apartment in the early hours of a February morning. Tackett was in bed with Jason Garza, who testified that Preyor attacked and stabbed him before he ran away to call for help. With Garza gone, Preyor stabbed Tackett multiple times, killing her. He was arrested at the scene covered in her blood. Preyor claimed he acted in self-defense. In a statement to police, he said Tackett, who sold him drugs, had invited him over and ambushed him with Garza. Preyor said he pulled out his knife after the 2 began attacking him and that he didn't intend to hurt Tackett "that bad." A jury was unconvinced. They found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Preyor's current attorneys aren't focusing on his conviction but on his death sentence. They argue the lawyer who represented Preyor during his sentencing, Michael Gross, failed to present evidence about Preyor's abusive childhood, which they argue could have swayed a jury to give him life in prison. "Gross failed to hire a mitigation specialist, failed to investigate known red flags regarding Preyor's childhood, neglected to interview family members regarding Preyor's childhood and social history, and neglected to follow up on not 1, but 2, medical professionals' recommendations that Preyor be screened for mental illness or other executive-function issues affecting his capacity and judgment," Stetson and attorney Hilary Sheard wrote in a filing to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals last week. "The cumulative effect of these omissions was disastrous." But Gross said in an affidavit filed to the court that he "adequately" represented Preyor, and talked to many family members, school officials, friends and even Preyor himself, none of whom mentioned abuse. "If they had given me any such information, I would have developed that evidence and presented it as mitigation at trial," Gross said in his affidavit. Sheard and Stetson argue concerns about Gross' representation should have been raised during Preyor's appeals. Preyor blames this on his unusual appellate lawyers. TaiChin Preyor After becoming frustrated with Preyor's court-appointed lawyer during his post-conviction appeal, Preyor's mother turned to Philip Jefferson, a disbarred California attorney who claimed he was retired, according to Preyor's most recent court filing. Preyor claims Jefferson did most of the heavy lifting in the case and had Brandy Estelle, a California attorney who specialized in probate and real estate law, file documents to the court. Estelle relied on Wikipedia to research Texas habeas procedures, Preyor alleged, and Preyor's appeals were denied in federal court. "The federal habeas petition filed in this court ... was so abysmal that it subsequently became an exemplar, circulated among habeas attorneys, as an example of what not to do," Preyor's attorneys wrote. Preyor also alleged that Estelle committed fraud against the court by hiding Jefferson's role and requesting payment for her legal services from the appellate court, even though Preyor's family had already paid her. Estelle did not respond to requests for comment for this story, and Jefferson could not be reached for comment. But on Monday afternoon, a federal court dismissed that fraud allegation, saying Estelle "competently represented" Preyor. "There has been no showing of any attempt to defile the court, much less egregious misconduct that rises to the level of bribery or fabrication of evidence," District Court Judge Fred Biery wrote. Preyor has also requested that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott grant him clemency and commute his sentence to life in prison. The board is expected to vote on his case Tuesday afternoon, but rarely recommends relief to the governor. Abbott has not stopped an execution since taking office in 2015. "Mr. Preyor experienced severe sexual and physical abuse as a child, but that compelling mitigation evidence has never been heard by any court," Stetson said Monday evening after the court rulings. "The appellate courts or the Governor should allow Mr. Preyor the opportunity to be represented by capable, competent, and licensed attorneys before his execution proceeds." | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! : Texas Tribune, July 25, 2017 Today almost one-third of Americans need an occupational license to work legally, a number that has increased fivefold since the mid-20th century. Occupations requiring licenses range from practicing physicians to shampooers to fortune tellers. Uncle Sam appears to be taking notice. Maureen Ohlhaussen, acting chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has recently spearheaded an Economic Liberty Taskforce to address many of the issues caused by the current licensing landscape. The taskforce will be hosting a roundtable on July 27 in Washington D.C. to discuss the barriers of entry caused by state-specific licensing, as well as interstate licensure portability strategies with initiatives directed towards military families. Because licensing is controlled by the states, requirements for licenses are not uniform or systematic. The Institute for Justice analyzed the occupations that require licenses and highlighted how they vary by state. For instance, a barbers license requires almost two and a half years of education and training in Nevada, but only 175 days of training in Wyoming. Moreover, a barber from Nevada could not cut hair in any other state, including the less stringent Wyoming. Cities can further complicate matters by spawning unnecessary restrictions, such as New York Citys new ban on pet sitting without a kennel license. Another traditionally teen job is eliminated by the bureaucracy. Research by Morris Kleiner from the University of Minnesota concludes that occupational licenses decrease interstate mobility, raise prices, and have no clear effect upon the quality of services provided. Using standard models, Kleiner estimates that licenses can result in 2.8 million fewer jobs with an aggregate cost of $203 billion to consumers annually. Military families are particularly harmed by occupational licenses. According to a report by the Department of Defense and the Department of the Treasury, 35 percent of military spouses are among those who need a license to practice their profession. In addition, military families are ten times more likely to move across state lines than the average citizen. Every time a military family moves, the spouse will probably be forced to restart the process. Not surprisingly, military spouse unemployment rates have consistently been above 20 percent since 2010. The federal government tries to treat our service members with the utmost care, but state licensing policies have been punishing their families. Portability strategies are a good starting point for occupational license reform because they are a non-controversial step to reduce the burden on military families. But reform will be an incremental process, and state policy makers will have to cooperate with the FTC to remove barriers to opportunity for more people. Wisconsins Governor Scott Walker set an example when he recently included a proposal for a panel to review occupational licenses to determine which of them are truly needed and which are ones are just barriers to employment. This panel could also serve as a model for FTC to evaluate occupational licenses nationally in order to spread awareness to state policymakers and propose solutions against needless constraints. The FTCs new taskforce is an attempt to address a complex problem. Chair Ohlhaussens first major policy initiative with is a refreshing gesture of economic liberty and will potentially help catalyze the process of unshackling labor markets, competition, consumers, and the economy. Charles Henderson is a contributor to Economics21. Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning Ebrief. The liberation of Mosul is a critical milestone in the global fight against ISIS. This victory, and every significant victory of the campaign, was achieved with the support of the 73-member nation Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and with Iraqi Security Forces. But the battle in Iraq is far from over, said Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIS Brett McGurk: Iraqi Forces, with our support, will soon move to liberate remaining territories controlled by ISIS, including Tel Afar, Hawija, and Al-Qaim. We will support them in the military campaign and in what comes next at the humanitarian, stabilization, and governance levels. This plan was a success in Mosul, said Mr. McGurk. On the political level, we worked to ensure full cooperation between Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga a level of cooperation we later saw on the ground. On the humanitarian level, we planned with the United Nations and the Government of Iraq, for nearly 1 million displaced people from Mosul. Every single one of them, said Mr. McGurk, received assistance and aid. At the stabilization level, we planned to meet immediate needs, including police force, clearing land mines left by ISIS, restoring electricity, water, sewage, rubble removal, and work programs. Syria will be far more complicated, because we do not have a government to work with there. Nonetheless, we will work with local populations from the areas freed of ISIS control to restore their communities and return the displaced to their homes. Itll take a global network to defeat the ISIS network over the long term, said Mr. McGurk. There is no question, however, that three years into this global effort we stand united, 73 members from around the globe in common purpose the destruction of ISIS and the protection of our own citizens and homelands through our joint cooperation. On Wednesday, Spains Mariano Rajoy will become the first sitting head of government to take the witness stand in court since the country returned to democracy in the late 1970s. The prime minister has been meeting with advisors to prepare for what could well be the trickiest public appearance of his two terms in office: his statements at the Gurtel corruption trial , involving a vast kickbacks-for-contracts scheme affecting Rajoys Popular Party (PP) since 2009. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Mario Gascon (EFE) More information In court, Spanish PM denies knowledge of alleged slush fund at ruling PP party The trial began on October 4 with 37 defendants, chief among them Francisco Correa, a businessman considered the mastermind behind a graft scheme that has already brought down senior PP figures, such as the once-powerful party treasurer Luis Barcenas. Observers are now wondering whether these and other individuals currently in prison will ask to be present on Wednesday to watch Rajoy reply to questions that, as a witness, he is legally bound to answer truthfully. The PP had worked hard to try to get Rajoy, 62, to provide statements via video conference, but the court decided to force him to show up in person. The reasoning was that he was not subpoenaed in connection with his position as prime minister which would have allowed him the special privilege of handing in a written deposition but as the former secretary general of the PP, which makes him a regular citizen. The details of Rajoys court appearance remain open to speculation Media coverage of the historic event will match the trial for sheer scope: 312 reporters from 62 Spanish and 21 foreign news organizations are expected to show up at the Audiencia Nacional, Spains High Court, in San Fernando de Henares. French, Russian and German television crews will provide images of an appearance that seems set to attract even more attention than Princess Cristina de Borbons own court appearance over the Noos case in early 2016. Security measures will be particularly tight. The details of Rajoys appearance remain open to speculation. Little is known about where he will sit inside the courtroom, although it does seem clear that he will not use the same chair as all other previous witnesses and defendants. The subpoena suggests that Rajoy will be placed somewhere between the judges and the defense attorneys. Francisco Correa in a court appearance in February 2017. Pool Rajoy will take questions from Jose Mariano Benitez de Lugo, a lawyer who heads the popular accusation brought against Rajoy by Adade, an association of progressive lawmakers and the only group to have requested testimony from the PM. A PP official, Fernando Martinez Maillo, said about Adade that everyone knows that it is really the Socialist Party [PSOE]. Citizens should know that when those lawyers ask questions, they will be following the dictates of the PSOE. This part of the trial is examining the 1999-2005 period, during which companies controlled by Francisco Correa spent 245,492 on the PPs local campaigns in the outlying Madrid towns of Pozuelo de Alarcon and Majadahonda in 2003. The questions will presumably deal with these issues. But previous statements by other former PP secretary generals suggest that the court may also allow more general questions, such as whether the conservative party kept secret accounts recording opaque donations and other unlawful transactions. Media coverage of the historic event will match the trial for sheer scope In a statement made in October, Correa (whose surname loosely translates as belt, or Gurtel in German, hence the cases codename) said that at the height of his own power he spent more time at PP headquarters than inside his home. He also stated that he shared business bribes with former party treasurer Luis Barcenas in exchange for help securing contracts from the environment and public works ministries. Despite the expectation, sources at La Moncloa, the seat of government, said that the mood there is calm and normal. Rajoy spent the weekend with his family in Andalusias Donana National Park, and on Wednesday he will predictably tell the court that he never had any power over the financing of election campaigns, and that he personally ordered the party to sever all ties with Correa as soon as he suspected wrongdoing by the latter. Sources who are close to the PM also noted that sitting leaders have taken the witness stand in other parts of the world, most notably David Cameron and Michele Bachelet, and neither the United Kingdom nor Chile sank into the sea as a result. English version by Susana Urra. Spains political parties on Monday sealed a historic agreement against gender violence that seeks to protect women and their children from the moment a doctor identifies any signs of abuse. So far this year, 32 women and six minors have been killed in gender violence-related cases, up from figures for 2016 . A meeting on the gender violence pact. Jaime Villanueva Political groups put their differences aside to draft the first sweeping agreement of the current Mariano Rajoy administration. Under the terms of the cross-party pact, 1 billion will be spent over the next five years to implement 200 measures, ranging from early-detection protocols at primary-care centers to specially trained police units, programs to fight sexism in school, and preferential access to some public subsidies for orphans. The agreement also introduces measures to protect the victims of human trafficking and forced marriages The deal was six months in the making and included input from 66 outside experts. Article 1 posed the biggest challenge, as it includes conceptual issues that affect the rest of the document, such as the definition of what constitutes gender violence. The leftist Podemos party unsuccessfully lobbied to extend the concept beyond the realm of sentimental relationships, to include all manner of violence against women in any context. The agreement also introduces measures to protect the victims of human trafficking and forced marriages. The document will now go to Congress for debate and a vote on Friday. Starting on Monday, the government will have two months to sit down with local and regional officials to kickstart some of the new initiatives. A congressional committee will also be created to follow up on the pacts progress. 200 measures Some of the measures included in the pact are: Women may be considered victims of gender violence even if they have not filed a criminal complaint yet. Emergency rooms and primary-care centers will develop early detection protocols to identify potential victims. Children of women who are killed by their partners will receive psychological and educational assistance. They will get priority access to public orphan pensions and grants. Confessing to the crime and repairing the damage will no longer be considered an extenuating circumstance. Cross-disciplinary support units will be sent out to follow each case and prevent further risk of aggression. Trained police officers will be available 24/7 to assist victims. Schools will encourage initiatives to fight sexism, and history books will include the feminist movement. A Code of Non-Sexist Advertising is in the pipeline. A watchdog agency, the Observatorio de la Imagen de las Mujeres, will report discriminatory content in the media. English version by Susana Urra. Madrids EMT municipal transportation company is set to hire 220 new maintenance workers between this year and next in a bid to combat the problem of fires breaking out on its fleet of buses. So far this year, a total of nine EMT vehicles have burst into flames, with two of these incidents taking place last week. The hiring of these specialists is the first serious measure weve seen, said Javier Herranz, from the UGT labor union. But it is also essential for them to speed up the purchase of [new] buses. Under its current purchasing plan, the company, which is owned by Madrid City Hall, is set to reduce the average age of its fleet from the current 8.3 years to 6.6 years. EMT is also set to incorporate automatic extinguishers in the whole fleet currently just nine buses count on such a system. It is essential for them to speed up the purchase of new vehicles Javier Herranz, UGT labor union An EMT spokesperson said that such blazes are nothing new. They used to happen in the 1960s, the 1990s and theyre happening now, the company representative said. In 2012, Madrid City Hall which was then governed by the conservative Popular Party decided to suspend the renovation of new vehicles until 2016. Since then, 45 buses have caught fire, an average of nine per year. This year has seen nine bus fires already. Another EMT bus in flames, this time in May of this year in the Vallecas neighborhood. The last two incidents took place barely 48 hours apart last week: the first, on Monday on Cardenal Herrera Oria avenue. The vehicle was 14 years old. On Thursday morning, another vehicle caught fire on Velazquez street. The bus in that case was 12 years old. On neither occasion were there any damages or loss of property for passengers. EMT has pointed out that the ratio of fires by year and fleet is 0.47%, a figure it says is similar to other transport companies. But both the public company and unions agree that age is a factor, and that the incidents are happening with vehicles that are aged 10 years and over. The most common causes of fires are short circuits and problems with alternators or catalytic converters The responsibility lies with whoever increased the useful life of the vehicles and cut investment, said the City Hall mobility councilor, Ines Sabanes. Its true that there is an inherited problem here, said UGT union representative Herranz. The PP left things in a disastrous state, but [current party in power] Ahora Madrid has had two years to change things. The most common causes of the fires are short circuits and problems with the vehicles alternator or catalytic converter. Herranz also pointed out that the EMT is working with very old vehicles that are subject to high temperatures. They heat up and as they give off oil and fuel, they end up catching fire. In his opinion, the real number of such incidents is triple the official numbers supplied by EMT. Only the truly scandalous cases come to light, he said. English version by Simon Hunter. A policeman was injured on Tuesday morning at one of the border crossings between Morocco and the Spanish exclave city of Melilla, after a man armed with a knife approached officers shouting in Arabic Allah is great! and Al Hoceima, freedom! More information Authorities rule out jihadist motive for knife incident at SpainMorocco border According to police sources, the man was overpowered by officers, one of whom threw a plastic barrier at his head. Authorities are investigating the motive behind the attack, and the Spanish Interior Ministry is not ruling out a terrorist element. The man was described by a witness as carrying a ham knife, given its large dimensions The same sources explained that the man was responsible for a similar incident several days ago, although on that occasion he was not carrying a knife. The attack took place at 7.45am, at a moment when the control point was very busy. The man was described by a witness as carrying a ham knife, given its large dimensions, and he threatened officers at the border control. They took about three minutes to overpower him, using their batons and a shield, the same witness reported. One of the officers suffered light injuries to one of his fingers during the incident. The assailant has been placed under arrest but is yet to be identified. He is thought to be of Moroccan nationality. This case reveals the lack of control on the part of the Moroccan police, complained one of the police sources consulted. The SUP police union has denounced the state of chaos and personnel shortages at Beni Enzar, which is the main border between Spain and Morocco in the exclave city. The union is calling for reinforcements of 40 to 50 officers to avoid more incidents of this type. English version by Simon Hunter. John Wayne, Muhammad Ali, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones of Ohio lives, quite literally, in the shadow of his idols. On the walls above his desk hang portraits of these men, together with two American flags and a Madsen machine gun from 1946, which can reach 2,800 yards at 600 bullets per minute. This kills as much as heroin, says Jones. The sheriff is charged with watching over Butler County and ensuring its protection. Buried deep in the Midwest, it has only 376,000 inhabitants, but last year, reported 210 deaths from drug overdoses almost half of that in Spain, which has a population 120 times greater. It is a devastating wave of opioids, and has now reached epidemic proportions. In 2016 alone, the death toll from opiate addictions in the United States was greater than the number of casualties it sustained during its 20-year involvement in the Vietnam War. And in this small county, it has led some leading citizens to propose a solution as unusual as it is simple: let the addicts die. We have cases of addicts who, in one month, have suffered 20 overdoses Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones The proposal has risen from the ruins of the American Dream. In the rust belt, large factories have shuttered their doors and the white majority, which once enjoyed high standards of living, is trapped in a memory. Job security, white picket fences and houses with perfectly trimmed front lawns have given way to fear and anxiety. Strikes are called in protest at dwindling wages. China, Mexico and other phantoms of the far right stand at every corner. People want solutions and jobs. Theyre fed up with the two parties, explains Jones. The sheriff, 63 in stature, with the mustache of a Viking, is the strong silent type. Not one to mince words, he carries two pistols at his belt and has all the answers. Sheriff Jones. J.M.A. Drug cartels? We have to drop the MOAB [the mother of all bombs]. A wall on the southern border? Perfect for stopping the flow of heroin. Attention to the victims of overdoses? Thats not the job of the police. But lives You cant put a price on lives. Thats why I want my officers to return home every night with their lives. A few weeks ago, Jones became a subject of controversy when he decided that his agents should not administer Narcan, a heroin antagonist that blocks the devastating effects of an overdose. This treatment, costing $40, provides a daily lifeline for thousands of addicts. And in a country where opioids have caused in the last year 1.3 million hospital visits, it is seen as essential. Its use by first responders is regulated and mandated in 38 states. But not in Butler County: just one of the many places in America where addicts are left to die. Daniel Picard. J.M.A. All were doing is reviving them, were not curing them. One person we know has been revived 20 separate times. We dont give shots for bee stings. We dont inject diabetic people with insulin. says the sheriff. Im not the one who decides if people live or die. They decide that when they stick that needle in their arm. His words provoked outrage across the nation. Humanitarian organizations and doctors condemned his comments. Authorities turned their backs on the sheriff and even the district attorney has censured him. But he is not without his defenders. Some have gone even further. Daniel Picard is a Republican, a Catholic and a distinguished member of the small community of Middletown (population 50,000) in Butler County. As a city councilman, he has proposed his own solution to the problem: at the third instance of an overdose requiring urgent care, if the affected person has not paid for the previous interventions (through either money or social work), the government will stop providing treatment. Simple and straightforward: if they dont have money, they die. Sitting in his office, Picard tries to explain his initiative in numbers. Overdoses are increasing endlessly. In 2016, we had 526 cases and 72 deaths, and in just the first trimester of this year, 596 cases and 54 deaths. Many are not from this town or their families dont want anything to do with them, so City Hall has to take care of everyone. Each response to an overdose costs us $1,104, and each cremation, $700. Its an out-of-control expense, and we have to make a decision. Im sorry, but somebody has to do it, he says with determination. And you dont feel pity for the people who die? If they fulfill their service requirements or pay upfront, they will be attended to. It all depends on them. In this country, if you fall, no one will help you. They want you dead Errol Monroe Them. The others. The addicts. Sarah is one of them. She is 27 years old. Born in the city of Hamilton in Butler County, she has never left Ohio. She has never even seen the ocean. She has been an addict since she was 13 years old. That is her world. Her father died from alcoholism, and her mother, after years of abusing painkillers, fell victim to an overdose of fentanyl-laced heroin. Sarah has been to prison for breaking her parole. In her earlier years, she would steal and do what she had to do to continue dosing. She has narrowly escaped death on so many occasions she has forgotten how many times she has actually been saved. There was one month that I had 18 overdoses. Without Narcan, Id be deadbeyond dead. One night, they had to give it to me four times before I finally recovered, she recalls. Having been clean for eight months now, Sarah feels strongly that she owes her life to the emergency treatment. She does not understand the debate in Butler County. For her, saving lives is an obligation, and Narcan is the only way to do it. If they take it from us, we die, she says, bewildered by the proposals of Councilman Picard and Sheriff Jones. What Sarah does not realize is that her story is one repeated across the nation. Just last year, 60,000 people lost their lives to the epidemic. It was the leading cause of mortality for people aged under 50: more than cancer, gun violence or car accidents. About 35,000 of those deaths were caused by heroin usage, the remainder, by the abuse of prescription opiates. Errol Monroe. J.M.A. Over the last 15 years, opioid pain prescriptions have tripled, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a study in medical journal JAMA Psychiatry points out, 75% of heroin addicts start with these painkillers. They are the gateway drug to a market that Mexican cartels have perfected: a purer product at lower prices with better distribution. The combined result is the rapid availability of opiates and a growing base of consumers as the epidemic has spread out of control. The reaction in America has been late and ineffective. Congress has approved a $1.1 billion plan, while states are individually seeking their own way out. Maryland has declared a state of emergency, while the attorney general in Ohio has sued the five largest opiate manufacturers for causing addictions. In this country, if you fall, no one will help you. They want you dead. That is why theyre trying to get rid of Narcan, says Errol Monroe, 57. He is a burned out junkie with tired blue eyes. In his youth, he was a mechanic, but a back injury left him incapacitated. To lessen the pain, he was prescribed pills. For 14 years, he took legal opiates until he discovered heroin. Cheaper and more powerful, $20 was all it cost for a taste of heaven. He has sought refuge at a homeless shelter in Hamilton. He has little hope left, but his life, he declares, is not over yet. Despite adversity, he is fighting to give up heroin for his daughter. Aged 19, she too lives in Hamilton and is also a heroin addict, paying for her habit through prostitution. Monroe dreams of saving her. And it is only for that purpose that he fights on to live another day. English version by Henry Hahn. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: In autumn, Tbilisi will host the next consultations on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Georgia, a diplomatic source told Trend July 25. During the consultations, the sides are expected to continue discussions on uncoordinated sections of the state border, said the source. Azerbaijan and Georgia intend to complete negotiations on delimitation of the state border in 2017. According to various sources, 66-70 percent of the 480-km border has already been coordinated. On the Azerbaijani side, Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov heads the state commission for delimitation and demarcation of the state border with Georgia. Currently, Azerbaijan is also discussing border demarcation with Russia. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 Trend: Azerbaijan condemns the heinous terror attack in Lahore and conveys heartfelt condolences to families of victims and brotherly people of Pakistan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry tweeted July 25. A suicide bomber killed 26 people, including 9 policemen, and injured 49 people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore July 25. Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Azerbaijan expects greater involvement of European companies in the implementation of transport corridor projects in the country, the countrys Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov said in an interview with Trend. Along with the energy cooperation, Azerbaijan is also interested in attracting Belgian investments in other spheres of the economy, he noted. Today, the political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Belgium is at a high level, which was demonstrated by the meeting of King Philippe of Belgium with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Brussels during a visit at the invitation of the European Councils President Donald Tusk, added Isgandarov. The diplomat said the two countries, which mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, have great reserves for the development of economic cooperation. As a key aspect in the expansion of presence of Azerbaijani investments in Belgium and Luxembourg and generally in European countries, the diplomat called a more detailed account of the regulatory and legal framework governing business in the EU, mutual work to improve it, which is being conducted as part of negotiations on the new strategic partnership agreement with the EU. According to Azerbaijans State Statistics Committee, the countrys trade turnover with Belgium amounted to $31.435 million in January-June 2017, increasing by $873,180 or 2.9 percent as compared to the same period of 2016. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are considering the possibility of launching direct flights, Azerbaijani ambassador to Bulgaria Nargiz Gurbanova said in an interview with Trend. The Azerbaijani and Bulgarian governments are considering the possibility of launching a direct flight between the two countries, the ambassador said. This issue was raised during a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation in Baku in September 2016. According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, around 16,000 Azerbaijani tourists visited Bulgaria in 2016, the diplomat said. Moreover, we are also interested in arousing Bulgarian tourists interest in visiting Azerbaijan, the ambassador said. Historically, Bulgarians are well-informed about Azerbaijan. Each Bulgarian has impressions about Azerbaijan. Some Bulgarians studied or visited Azerbaijan. These relations have been preserved and people want to once again come to Azerbaijan, get acquainted with the modern country. A direct flight will help increase the flow of tourists from both countries. Both Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are willing to launch a direct flight, but the decision should be taken by air carriers of the two countries, she added. I think there can be such an opportunity when new low-cost carrier Buta Airways launches its activity. Buta Airways is the first low-cost airline in Azerbaijan, a structural unit of the CJSC Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). It was founded in December 2016. The airlines fleet consists of modern Embraer aircraft. The airline is based in Baku, at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Buta Airways will launch its first Baku-Tbilisi flight on September 1. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Construction of Istanbuls third airport has been completed by 55 percent, Turkish media quoted Huseyin Keskin, CEO of Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) Airport Operation, as saying July 25. Keskin said that 53,000 square meters of the airports territory will account for Duty Free shops, 32,000 square meters will go to various restaurants and around 100,000 square meters will be leased for the sale of goods of various international brands. Currently, the airports of Istanbul receive planes of 46 airlines, he said, adding that their number is expected to increase to 100 with the commissioning of the third airport. It will be possible to fly in 350 directions through the new airport, Keskin added. The first part of the airport will be fully commissioned in late October 2018. Earlier, the air transport department of Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications told Trend that the construction of the airport will cost 10 billion Turkish liras. The third airport is being built near the Lake Terkos in northern Istanbul. Initially, the airport will serve 90 million passengers per year, and further, this figure will increase to 150 million. Currently, 55 airports operate in Turkey. (3,550.8 TRY = $1 on July 25) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Businessmen from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan plan to discuss the development of cooperation during a forum to be held in Ashgabat until late 2017. The trilateral business forum is planned to be organized on the eve of a meeting of the three countries leaders, a diplomatic source told Trend July 25. The main goal of the business forum is to strengthen the trade and economic cooperation, to expand investment-making and trade, and to support cooperation in such fields as energy, transportation, ICT, industry, agriculture, tourism and others. The agreement to hold the business forum was achieved during a meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan in Baku on July 19. The agenda of the three foreign ministers meeting included the development of cooperation in political, economic, energy, transportation and humanitarian spheres, and implementation of regional projects. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Dalga Khatinoglu Trend: Iran will complete the 170-km Damghan-Sari pipeline with 40 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) of transit capacity by August 22, 2017, to cut reliance on Turkmen gas import, Iran Gas Engineering and Development Company's head Hassan Montazer Torbati said July 25. The project is worth about $250 million, all of which lies upon local companies, he told Shana news agency. According to him, the 42-inch pipeline would also ensure permanent gas supply to the Neka power plant. Turkmenistan stopped gas export to Iran in January 2017 due to its $2-billion long-delayed debts. Iran imported about 5.86 bcm gas from Turkmenistan during 2016, about 53 percent less than the previous year, according to an official document, prepared by Iran's Oil Ministry and seen by Trend. Further, Iran has defined a project for building 11th cross-country pipeline worth $4.3 billion, but it hasnt started the construction. The capacity of the pipeline is 110mcm/y, aimed to transit gas from South Pars gas field in Persian Gulf to north east regions. Irans gas production capacity in north east regions stands at about 14 bcm/year, about 12 bcm/year less than the demand. Irans gas demand rises in winter due to increasing housing demand. The country injects about 2 bcm/year to Shourijeh and Sarajeh underground gas storage facilities, placed in north regions in warm seasons and re-extracts it during winter. Iran plans to invest $3 billion to increase the underground gas storage capacity at five plants from about 11.5 bcm by 2018. All of these storage facilities Sarajeh, Shourijeh, Yurtesha, Nasrabad and Ghezel Tapeh are in the north and northeast, according to an official document, prepared by Irans Oil Ministry. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: The traders at the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) have witnessed a considerable growth in the main index over the past weeks amid the recent surge in the global prices of mining and steel products, a financial analyst told Trend. Alireza Kadivar, a financial analyst and deputy head of Irans Novin Investment Bank, has said that the growing prices of copper, steel and iron ore in the global markets have contributed to the improving performance of the TSE. While the main index of the TSE gained 247.8 points or 0.31 percent to end trade at 81181.7 on July 25, the main index over the past week has surged by 1313.1 points or 1.65 percent. Steel stocks are trading at the highest since 2011 in the world as a result of the recent policies adopted by China, Kadivar added. About 50 percent of the market cap at the TSE goes to the commodities-driven companies, therefore the surge in the global prices of the commodities have a significant impact on the Irans largest equity market. While the base metal jumped 2.21 percent to $6,167 a ton on Tuesday, copper prices touched a five-month high on the same day amid signs of stronger Chinese demand and lingering supply-side concerns. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Emil Ilgar Trend: Iran has negotiated with Russian, Chinese and Norwegian companies during last weeks on development of Caspian Sea oil and gas projects, the head of international department at Khazar Exploration and Production Co. (KEPCO), Ramin Khodafarin told IRNA. He didnt mention the name of those companies, but Russian Lukoil and Norwegian Statoil have had negotiations with Iran over Caspian projects after removal of sanctions. Khodafarin said that development of Caspian projects with high risks needs progressive technology and huge amount of investment. The depth of water in Iranian section of the Caspian Sea reaches about 1,000 meters. Iran has offered four projects in the Caspian Sea blocks 24, 26 and 29 as well as Sardar-e Jangal oil field to foreigners for exploration and development. Khodafarin said Iran hasnt included Caspian projects in its priorities list. Russian Lukoils CEO Vagit Alekperov said in June that his company plans to study the possibility of working with Iran on the Sardar-e Jangal field. Lukoil is also negotiating with Iran over development of the onshore Ab Teymour and Mansouri oil fields. Hohsen Delaviz, the head of KEPCO, said in May that Norwegian firms will help Iran in Caspian Sea offshore drilling and exploration projects. He didnt mention any names. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Emil Ilgar Trend: Turkey increased gas import from Iran in January-April by 14.11 percent to 3.228 billion cubic meters, compared to the same period in 2016. According to a report, released by Turkey Energy Market Regulatory, its gas intake from Iran in April increased by 24.53% to 810.73 mcm. Turkeys total gas imports in April reached 4.25 bcm (including LNG), indicates a 19.61 percent growth year-on-year, while its four-month gas imports grew 22.26 percent to 20.446 bcm. During four months, Turkeys gas export also increased by 12% to above 203 mcm. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Emil Ilgar Trend: While Iran claims that it has fulfilled all its commitments under the nuclear deal, implemented in January 2016, a State Department official says "Iran is unquestionably in default of the spirit of that agreement." US lawmakers are negotiating tightening of the sanctions on Iran. During Donald Trumps presidency, tens of Iranians have been blacklisted, accused of involvement in Irans missile program. Answering Trends question if Washingtons sanctions waivers remain in place for the JCPOA, a State Department official said on conditions of anonymity that "the Trump Administration is continuing to conduct a full review of US policy toward Iran. During the course of this review, the United States will continue to aggressively counter Irans malign activities in the region and will continue to comply with its commitments under the JCPOA." The Department of State official added: "As a result, we communicated to the US Congress on July 17 that the United States continues to waive sanctions as required to continue implementing US sanctions-lifting commitments in the JCPOA, and is certifying to Congress that, based on available information, the conditions of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act are met as of July 17, 2017." According to the official, "the State Department also notes that Irans continued malign activities outside the nuclear issue severely undermine the stated goal of the JCPOA nuclear deal: to contribute to regional and international peace and security." She added that Iran is unquestionably in default of the spirit of that agreement. US Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on legislation that allows new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, Reuters has reported citing leading congressional Democrats. The Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act, which was passed by the Senate a month ago, was held up in the House of Representatives after Republicans proposed including North Korea sanctions in the bill. The House is set to vote on Tuesday on a package of bills on sanctions covering Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthys office. The measure will "hold them accountable for their dangerous actions," McCarthy said in a statement Saturday. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 24 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a statement condemning "Israel's siege of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and its crackdown on Palestinian worshippers". The statement further added that the guards will not hesitate to help the Palestinian movement, Tasnim news agency reported. On July 23, Foreign Ministry of Iran also issued similar statement and condemned the Israeli crackdown on Palestinians. The statements apparently referred to the restrictions imposed by Israel to limit access to the holy Muslim shrine by Palestinians. For 10 days, Jerusalem has been in the grip of the worst bloodshed for years over Israel's decision to install metal detectors at the entrance to the Old City's holy compound, Reuters reported. Israel put the devices in place on July 16, two days after two Israeli policemen were shot and killed by Israeli-Arab attackers who had concealed weapons in the compound in the heart of the Old City. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: Iranian parliamentarians have set up a commission to take required measures against the fresh sanctions imposed by the US on Tehran, a lawmaker told Trend. Reformist MP Soheila Jelodarzadeh has said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not after retaliation and it merely looks for justice but if the super powers put forward excessive demands the nation would take the necessary measures by all means. She further added that the parliamentary commission is currently planning to deal with possible situation regarding the new sanctions. Reuters earlier reported that the US House of Representatives is set to vote on Tuesday on a package of bills on sanctions covering Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthys office. The measure will "hold them accountable for their dangerous actions," McCarthy said in a statement Saturday. Congressional Democrats said on Saturday they had agreed with Republicans on a deal allowing new sanctions targeting Russia, Iran and North Korea in a bill that would limit any potential effort by Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the lawmakers are closely monitoring all moves by the United States, particularly the bid to slap new sanctions against the Islamic Republic and Russia, and will make swift decisions accordingly, PressTV reported. We have the capability to [adopt] many measures in proportionate to the Americans conduct, Larijani told reporters on Tuesday. He added that the Iranian legislators would discuss the US moves at various commissions of the Parliament and would immediately examine them at the floor. He said the US legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran showed that Washington has failed to fulfill its obligations under the landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015. Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016. Under the agreement, limits were put on Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic. The UN Security Council later unanimously endorsed a resolution that effectively turned the JCPOA into international law. The top Iranian parliamentarian said American officials wrongly assume that it will be beneficial to them if breach the JCPOA and added that this would be detrimental to them. We have good nuclear potential and can change the situation immediately, Larijani pointed out. The US House of Representatives votes Tuesday to impose new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea. The legislation, which is the result of a congressional compromise reached at the weekend, aims to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and Russia's annexation of Crimea. The bill also includes sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for allegedly supporting terrorism, which it vehemently denies, and North Korea, for its missile tests Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: A huge fire erupted at the residential area of a navy base in southeastern Iranian city of Khorramshahr on Tuesday. Milad Jafari, spokesman of the provincial fire department, has said the fire began at 11:50 (GMT+4:30) local time, Mehr news agency reported. He added that the firefighters were battling the fire and there were no reports on any possible casualties. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: In connection with the latest developments in Russian-Armenian relations, there have been more and more calls in Armenia to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and break off relations with Russia. Representatives of the Armenian community, unlike the authorities, often stated that the decision of the countrys President Serzh Sargsyan to trade the agreement with Europe for the Russian initiative the EAEU is meaningless. In 2013, Yerevan was ready to sign an Association Agreement with the EU but at the last moment, after the visit of Sargsyan to Moscow, it suddenly refused the agreement with the EU and announced accession to the EAEU. At that time, this caused a wave of indignation among the people of Armenia, which has been growing year in, year out because accession to the EAEU was not particularly beneficial for the Armenian people. The point is that Armenia, having no borders with Russia, inherently did not gain much from joining the EAEU and there was no economic feasibility in this. According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the countrys imports and exports have significantly decreased in recent years. The last straw for the Armenian people was when Chairman of Russias State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin offered to Armenia to make Russian an official language in the country, explaining that in this case, driving licenses issued in Armenia would be valid in Russia. However, later representatives of the Armenian civil society found numerous inconsistencies in the new law that has recently come into force in Russia. The law prohibits drivers with foreign driving licenses to work in the country, but there is an exception for citizens of the EAEU member states, where Russian is the official language. This is what outraged Armenian citizens, many of whom survive thanks to salaries of their relatives drivers working in Russia. Numerous publications in the press made it clear that the Armenians think Russia blackmails them and tries to impose the Russian language on them, thus encroaching upon Armenias sovereignty and independence. Many analysts suggested that the issue related to driving licenses became a tool of pressure on Yerevan, which plans to sign a framework agreement on cooperation with the EU in November. By the way, it is still unknown whether the document will be signed or not. In case Moscow is not satisfied with the details of the EU-Armenia agreement, the signing of the document will be disrupted, as it has already happened with the Association Agreement. Yerevans logic in this case is quite simple an old friend is better than two new ones. This means that for Yerevan it is necessary to agree to all the initiatives of Moscow to maintain friendship with Russia the state that is the only guarantor of Armenias security and financial stability. Today, the poor and conflictual Armenia cannot be independent. And here it has to give in, even in the matter of the national interests and independence. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey hopes for the soonest settlement of the Qatar crisis, Turkish media cited the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying July 25. Turkey plays an important role in the region as it is one of the countries acting as a mediator in solving the problems arising in the region, President Erdogan said. Instead of clashing with each other, the regional countries must unite their efforts in the fight against terrorism, the president said. "Turkey regards the Qatar crisis as a crisis among fraternal countries," the president added. Meanwhile, the Turkish president, as part of his Middle East trip on July 23-24, visited Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The aim of the visits to those countries was the settlement of the Qatar crisis. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE announced about breaking their diplomatic relations with Qatar June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East. Later, the authorities of Libya, Yemen, as well as the Maldives and Mauritius also announced about severing diplomatic relations with Qatar. Turkeys foreign minister has said being a journalist does not entitle an individual to commit crime, Anadolu reported. Mevlut Cavusoglu was speaking in Brussels on Tuesday during a series of high-level talks with EU officials. At a news conference with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik, Cavusoglu said: "Having the identity of a journalist does not justify committing any crime." "We are fighting with terrorist organizations. We suffered a coup attempt and we did not receive adequate support from the EU. We started to receive adequate support after one year, but support with statements." He added whoever was inside the failed coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey or supported the plot -- whether a soldier, a police officer, a politician or a journalist -- were all the same. "Therefore if we do not know the difference between a real democratic opposition and those who support terrorism; the problem starts there," Cavusoglu said. He also said Turkey was ready to share information with the EU regarding this. The minister said an ongoing state of emergency in Turkey was operating in compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and did not differ from similar measures currently in place in France. FETO Cavusoglu said the EUs failure to recognize the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) as a terrorist group meant it saw every step by the Turkish government as a violation of the law. He said Taner Kilic, chairman of Amnesty International Turkey -- and currently in detention -- had communicated with senior FETO figures abroad through the ByLock smartphone messaging app. Cavusoglu said Kilic had been remanded in custody but that "does not mean Turkey is against Amnesty International; it is related with the person". Kilic was remanded in custody on June 10 in Izmir, western Turkey. ByLock was allegedly used by FETO members during last years coup attempt. The app is believed to have been cracked by Turkish security agencies, allowing them to identify tens of thousands of apparent FETO supporters. Turkey accuses FETO of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary. FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and some 2,200 injured. Anthony Scaramucci Anthony Scaramucci is selling his fund of funds business to a Chinese conglomerate with ties to the government. The firm, the HNA Group, is facing an increasing number of questions at home and abroad, and the deal is subject to review by the US Treasury. The sale reportedly kept Scaramucci out of the White House in January because of the conflicts it raises. Let's not be naive. If I told you that a firm with ties to a sometimes adversarial foreign power was trying to overpay a Trump administration official for their now struggling business, you might say, "Gee, that seems like a conflict the White House doesn't need right now." But here we are. New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has joined the Trump administration with a $180 million conflict of interest hanging over his head. It's the same conflict that reportedly kept him out of the White House months ago, and it's only gotten stickier since then. Scaramucci is selling his $5.6 billion financial firm, SkyBridge Capital, to a number of investors. Chief among them is a Chinese financial firm with strong ties to ruling Communist Party, called the HNA Group. Already, Bloomberg outlined that HNA and its fellow investors seem to be paying multiples more for SkyBridge than a firm like this would normally be valued at. But the sale has also been dragging on for months, and as it has we've seen the questions about HNA, its ownership structure, and its financing rise out of the murky world of big Chinese business. [Money Basics: What is an ETF?] Now, this all sounds pretty strange as is. But it gets even stranger when you understand what SkyBridge is, what HNA is, and what's been holding up the sale and Scaramucci's pay day. (Hint: It's the US government.) Story continues When you understand that, you'll also understand why this sale to the Chinese was the reason why White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus didn't want Scaramucci too close to the president, according to some close to the administration. It's also why Priebus was cut out of the loop during Scaramucci's lightning fast hiring last week. Get to know some Wall Street Scaramucci, Anthony Scaramucci, SALT Conference, SkyBridge Capital, Skybridge Alternatives But first, SkyBridge. Scaramucci's firm is likely best known for the massive bash it throws in Vegas every year, one that attracts world leaders and stars of the world of finance for four days in the desert. But of course that's not the only business SkyBridge has. It is a fund of funds, which is to say that it is an investment fund that connects people to other investment funds. Over the last few years, businesses like this have been hurting on Wall Street. When you pay a fund of funds, you pay a fee to them, and a fee to the hedge fund they're connecting you to. The problem with that, of course, is that it's expensive, and when hedge funds aren't performing (as they haven't been for the past couple of years) no one wants to pay high fees. Scaramucci told me in an interview last year that part of his job was to try to get fund managers to lower their fees so that he could lower fees for his clients. Unfortunately, though, his efforts weren't enough to stop investors from pulling $1.6 billion from SkyBridge's flagship fund last fiscal year. This is part of what makes it so curious that HNA would want to overpay for SkyBridge. It is a high-fee business in a low-fee world. Scaramucci and SkyBridge have been responding to questions about the sale the same way for months they say it's a couple of weeks away from closing. He has also said repeatedly that he'd recuse himself from the sale of SkyBridge, and that he thinks HNA is buying it in spite of his ties to Trump, not because of them. Get to know the 'gray rhinos' The other thing to know is HNA itself and all of the massive complications it faces right now. In short, HNA is a massive enterprise that traces its roots to Hainan Airlines, but went on a $50 billion buying spree backed by big government lenders and now owns everything from stakes in Hilton Hotels to small aviation companies. "HNA is looking for influence in an administration that looks like it is positioning itself to be anti-China," Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the American Enterprise Institute, told The New York Times earlier this year. Therein, of course, lies the conflict. And HNA brings baggage of its own it is, for example, unclear exactly who owns and backs it. Bank of America won't do business with the company, and the European Central Bank is investigating HNA's stake in Germany's Deutsche Bank. At home, President Xi Jinping just labeled HNA and other big conglomerates that got huge off debt-fueled acquisitions, "gray rhinos" companies that seem innocuous until they start moving fast in your direction. You do not want a catchy label in China. It usually means the government is keeping an eye on you. In this case, the government is interested in reining financial sector debt and keeping money in the country. But SkyBridge is a tiny acquisition for HNA. Even if it overpays for the firm, the $180 million price tag is a rounding error for a firm HNA's size. A few more things about HNA: The company claims to be owned by two charities, as well as its founders. Beyond that, the whole thing is murky. Chinese billionaire businessman Guo Wengui claims HNA is owned by Chinese government officials. He's doing that from a self-imposed exile in New York City, and HNA is suing him for defamation. A bunch of Chinese banks may have just cut off credit to HNA in an attempt to stop it from growing larger. HNA's CEO Adam Tan told Reuters this isn't true, saying, "We've got nothing to hide." There are reports here in the US of HNA buying businesses and then not maintaining them. This would support the thesis that the Chinese government is angry at these gray rhinos because it believes some acquisitions were just an attempt to get money out of China. A final issue may just be that even when the deal closes, financial advisers to high-net-worth clients may have a hard time selling an HNA-owned SkyBridge to the doctors and dentists who invest in the fund of funds. One financial adviser Business Insider spoke with said he would have trouble explaining to clients why he was doing business with a firm like HNA. Indeed, part of the hold-up in the SkyBridge deal was getting the advisers that sell SkyBridge products at firms like Morgan Stanley on board with the deal. If Bank of America won't do business with HNA, why should they? That, ultimately, is a question for the Treasury Department. Get to know CFIUS Pursuant to section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, the Treasury must review any transactions that would result in control of a US business by a foreign person under the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). That means Steve Mnuchin has to sign off on this SkyBridge deal. It has been held up for months and months, according to reports, in part because the Treasury is so understaffed. "Traditionally, there's been a bipartisan effort to use the CIFIUS process to prevent foreign companies with an affiliation with a hostile foreign government from buying key US resources or assets that could compromise national security," Lee Branstetter, an economist at Carnegie Mellon University and former CFIUS member, told Business Insider. The Trump administration has been especially tough when it comes to businesses that could affect national security, citing that as a reason for potentially levying a 25% tariff on foreign-steel imports. Indeed, according to Reuters, CIFIUS has been more conservative than usual since the Trump administration took over, rejecting nine deals so far this year. That said, this Scaramucci case is unique. "I can't think of another case when a significant White House official who sold their business in its entirety to a single Chinese entity that has been known in the press as one of these 'gray rhinos,'" Branstetter said. "That does appear to be unique. We haven't faced these kinds of circumstances before ... There are questions as to whether this transaction would provide a Chinese conglomerate with influence over Mr. Scaramucci. But I'm not privy to the specifics of the deal." Specifics are important. Branstetter said that if this is a one-time transaction between Scaramucci and HNA (which is what Scaramucci says it is), maybe this isn't so terrible. It just looks terrible. NOW WATCH: JIM ROGERS: The worst crash in our lifetime is coming More From Business Insider STR | AFP | Getty Images. Beijing warned Hanoi that it would attack Vietnamese bases in the Spratly Islands if drilling continued, the BBC says. Vietnam stopped a company from exploring for energy in contested waters of the South China Sea after taking threats from Beijing, the BBC reported early on Monday. Talisman-Vietnam, a subsidiary of Spanish energy firm Repsol , commenced gas-drilling operations in an area about 400 kilometers off Vietnam's coast earlier this month, but Hanoi has since ordered Repsol to leave the zone, the BBC said, citing an unnamed source. Last week, Beijing warned Hanoi that it would attack Vietnamese bases in the Spratly Islands if drilling continued, the BBC continued. Beijing claims tremendous area The world's second-largest economy claims a massive section of the South China Sea that extends roughly 1,000 miles from its southern shores. The huge area is home to significant energy deposits and the world's busiest shipping routes. Vietnam, the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei and Taiwan also assert sovereign rights over parts of the international waterway. The site of Talisman-Vietnam's operations is known as Block 136-03 in Vietnam and Wan-an Bei 21 in China. In 2014, Hong Kong-based firm Brightoil (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 933-HK) bought the Chinese rights to the area, according to the BBC. Hanoi's compliance with Chinese threats, if true, could spell bad news for Manila and Jakarta, which recently announced bold moves in the tension-ridden region. This month, the Philippines suggested it could resume oil and gas drilling in the Reed Bank after a three-year suspension. Meanwhile, Indonesia has renamed the northern side of its exclusive economic zone in the South China sea and could soon use its navy to protect resource exploration . Read the BBC's full story here WATCH: Oil prices rise on Saudi promise to cut exports More From CNBC china military China's military has been increasing the strength and number of its forces along its 880-mile border with North Korea as Pyongyang's military provocations cause the US and its allies to think long and hard about military action against the rogue regime. A report from The Wall Street Journal says that China has established a new border-defense brigade, implemented 24-hour video surveillance of the border, and constructed bunkers to protect from possible nuclear or chemical attacks. China conducted a live-fire drill in June and July with helicopter gunships and armored infantry units, including a simulated battle with artillery, tanks, and helicopters, according to The Journal. The nature of these military exercises goes beyond securing a border, and they mimic fighting a nuclear-armed adversary. While China and North Korea exist on paper as allies, Sim Tack, an expert on North Korea at Stratfor, a geopolitical-analysis firm, previously told Business Insider that China would not likely defend Pyongyang from a US-led attack and instead try to prevent or dissuade the US from taking such a step. Still, a US-led attack on North Korea remains unlikely. South Korea's new liberal government has sought to pursue engagement with its neighbor, and the US would ultimately need its support for such a campaign. From a purely military point of view, North Korea's artillery and nuclear arms hold too many civilians in Seoul at risk. North Korea China border map In June, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis described possible conflict with North Korea as "a serious, a catastrophic war, especially for innocent people in some of our allied countries, to include Japan most likely." Even short of war, China now has reason to view North Korea as a liability. In response to North Korea's missile tests and military provocations, the US based its powerful Thaad missile-defense battery in South Korea, frightening Chinese military analysts who think the Thaad's powerful radar could one day effectively neuter China's ability to engage in a nuclear exchange with the US. Story continues Beijing, which could play a role in handling a refugee crisis, should the North Korean regime collapse, has now assembled forces sufficient to shape the outcome of any conflict between the West and Pyongyang. Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android. NOW WATCH: There is a secret US government airline that flies out of commercial airports More From Business Insider Scott Pruitt miner A new report from a watchdog group found that Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt spent $12,ooo of taxpayer money traveling home this spring, but hasn't visited his regional offices yet. The Environmental Integrity Project looked into Pruitt's travels after EPA employees had trouble scheduling meetings with the administrator due to his frequent travel, The New York Times reported on Monday. The non-profit group's report, which examined Pruitt's travel documents and vouchers, found that he spent 43 out of 92 days from March through May either in Oklahoma, or traveling to or from it. Pruitt traveled to his home state, where his family still lives, a total of 10 times in those three months. The report didn't suggest that his travel or airfare, paid for with taxpayer money, was improper. It also couldn't confirm whether Pruitt's full-time security detail traveled with him, because the documents only listed the administrator's expenses. Pruitt's travel schedule raised questions from the watchdog group because of the duration he spends at home on visits, versus what he has listed on his official travel documents. According to the group's analysis, Pruitt often spends three to five days at home, but lists only a single official meeting. For example, on a five-day trip in May, Pruitt visited Colorado for a Heritage Foundation event from May 11 to 12, where the conservative think tank paid for his lodging, then he spent the remainder of the trip in Oklahoma. But the travel documents that the Environmental Integrity Project reviewed listed no explanation for the Oklahoma leg of the trip, despite the $2,904 airfare bill. "He needs to say why spending half his time in Oklahoma and having one meeting per trip is performing his duties as an administrator," Eric Schaeffer, the executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former director of the EPA's office of civil enforcement, told The Times. Story continues An EPA spokesperson also told The Times that Pruitt's travel was all on official business, and "all serves the purpose of hearing from hard-working Americans about how EPA can better serve the American people." No regional office visits scott pruitt climate change epa Six months into his tenure, Pruitt has yet to visit any regional offices (or if he has, the EPA hasn't released any statements announcing he did so). It is unusual for EPA administrators to go so long into their tenure without visiting their regional offices, former EPA employees told Business Insider. Most administrators, regardless of their political affiliation, do a courtesy visit to the agency's 10 regional offices to meet their employees directly upon joining the agency, according to former staff. "It's typical when there's a new administrator, [they] will do a courtesy visit to all 10 regional offices," Jovita Pajarillo, former assistant director of EPA's Region Nine's Water Division in San Francisco, told Business Insider in April. Pajarillo said the administrator who impressed her the most was Christine Todd Whitman, who worked under Republican President George W. Bush. "She had the most gracious staff and she wanted to really have a photo-op with elementary students and talk about the environment," Pajarillo said. "It's a standard protocol that a new administrators will do." Pruitt stopped 45 minutes away from the Chicago regional office at the USS Lead Superfund Site to speak with local residents in April, but neglected to visit the office itself, even though staff there invited him to visit. Rumors have swirled that Pruitt is planning on closing or consolidating regional offices, a move that current and former staffers warn could stretch the EPA's resources thinner than they already are, and prevent those branches from serving states' individual environmental needs. Staffers worry that Pruitt not visiting could be a sign that he is taking consolidation ideas seriously. Chris Sproul, a former EPA assistant regional counsel who served under four presidential administrations, told Business Insider that he thought the lack of visits was emblematic that Pruitt who sued the EPA 14 times when he was attorney general of Oklahoma was "brought in to destroy the agency." "He views the agency not merely as, 'Well there are going to be some difficulties here because we probably dont see eye to eye'," Sproul said. "It's like, 'These people are the people that I am in charge of are the enemy.' Why would I come tell them what I want to do? That would only arm them for fighting me." NOW WATCH: 'We're getting out': Watch Trump announce the US' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord More From Business Insider The oil sector has undergone significant transformation with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Americas drillers have made huge strides in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which has enabled energy producers to extract massive amounts of oil from the countrys enormous shale basins. This has helped keep supply abundant and prices low for consumers. David Lesar, the chairman and former CEO of Halliburton (HAL), laments that the oil sector hasnt been recognized the same way as tech industry titans like Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB) and Tesla (TSLA). [Independent oil companies] are your classic American entrepreneurs, and their success should recognized, said Lesar on the oilfield producers second quarter conference call Monday. In Silicon Valley, such a success would be greatly celebrated as another industry disruptor. The unconventional disruption is not widely celebrated beyond the energy space. But it should be. The development of US unconventional resources has been as disruptive to the global energy market as Amazon has been to Big Box Retailing or Uber to the taxi business. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in May that fracking is a global game-changer to allow the US to be not just independent but energy-dominant. It unleashed a wave of cheap, reliable energy that has disrupted global geopolitical and energy dynamics, made the US more energy independent, caused OPEC to react and changed the fundamental economic of offshore production, Lesar added. And I believe it is created a hundreds of billions of dollars of economic value, added hundreds of millions of dollars to government tax coffers and provided untold savings for consumers. So unconventional is what I would call a disruptor, so lets celebrate that. Indeed, the unconventional energy revolution and developments in horizontal drilling has increased the likelihood of US energy independence. Hydraulic fracturing, which fractures rocks below the earths surface by injecting chemicals and liquids at high pressure, has allowed companies to access oil and natural gas formations previously untouched. Modern-day fracking enabled a production boom that started in 1998 with real results coming a decade later. Areas like the Bakken Formation in North Dakota or the Utica Shale in Ohio became growth areas for companies. Story continues Lesars quotes, which were pointed out by Avondale Asset Managements Scott Krisiloff, juxtaposes an industry in the cross-hairs of environmental watchdogs with one transforming consumer behavior. Lesar did not address the environmental concerns that these new drillng methods have sparked, particularly regarding water contamination and local pollution. For the time being at least, it seems Amazon will be more celebrated by Americans. But, especially with the support of President Trumps administration, we will see if Lesar gets his wish down the road. Nicole Sinclair is markets correspondent for Yahoo Finance Please also see: Short-sellers have lost $7.1 billion betting against this years hottest tech stocks America doesnt need to be the world leader to prosper Bank of America CEO: Why it matters that 21% of our deposits are made through mobile Low oil prices are hurting Pepsis business In a normal administration, this could be the week that the White House stages a comeback. President Donald Trump just hired smooth-talking, well-liked former hedge fund executive Anthony "Mooch" Scaramucci to take control of a dysfunctional White House communications operation. The president is hitting the road to honor American soldiers in West Virginia and Ohio. The Senate is set to vote on one of Trump's biggest campaign promises: repealing Obamacare. But this is not a normal administration. And this is not likely to be the week that things get back on track. Scaramucci, blocked from multiple attempts at other White House jobs, could wind up being a shrewd hire. He was affable from the podium on Friday and did a mostly smooth job on the Sunday news shows. But behind the scenes, his hiring shows just how messed up the West Wing really is. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and top strategist Steve Bannon tried desperately to block the hire. Priebus didn't want another top advisor who reports directly to the president. Bannon didn't want another "globalist" allied with National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and the president's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner . Now Priebus is chief of staff in name only, lacking any major allies or real authority in the White House. Bannon is said by White House insiders to be sulking, bitter and considering quitting. And Scaramucci, for all his charismatic delivery, made pretty clear over the weekend that his number one job is flattering and appeasing his boss. In an extraordinary moment on CNN's "State of the Union," the new communications director spoke directly to his most important viewer: "If I said some things about him when I was working for another candidate, Mr. Trump, Mr. President, I apologize for that. Can we move on off of that?" He also heaped on the superlatives about Trump after spending much of his time on Friday saying how much he loved the president. Story continues And by Monday morning it was clear that Trump will continue with his obsessions and free wheeling commentary no matter who the communications boss is. "Drain the Swamp should be changed to Drain the Sewer it's actually much worse than anyone ever thought, and it begins with the Fake News!" the president tweeted, undercutting Scaramucci's early efforts to repair broken relationships with the media. He followed up with an extraordinary tweet ripping his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions , and practically begging him to resign. "So, why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" the president tweeted. On health care, instead of sending a bill to the president's desk, the Senate remains mostly lost on the issue with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell currently short of the votes for an expected effort on Tuesday to begin debate on the issue. Should McConnell clear that hurdle, it remains unknown which Obamacare repeal effort will get a final vote and unlikely that any will pass. Senate Republicans simply do not fear the power of an unpopular president enough to take a big vote they could regret on health care. And once again, Russia headlines are likely to blow out any coverage of what the White House is calling "American heroes" week. Kushner submitted testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday ahead of a morning grilling by the panel. In an 11-page, statement he attempted to clear himself. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," he wrote. Kushner testifies Monday before the Senate intelligence panel and on Tuesday before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. You can expect leaks from both appearances. So far, chaos from the Trump administration and dysfunction in a Congress nominally controlled by Republicans has meant next to nothing for markets. Economic fundamentals remain fairly strong, the Fed is going slow on policy normalization and no trade wars have emerged so far. That may not last. The longer the health care mess drags on, the less chance there will be that a tax reform package gets moving this year and passed by early next year. There still isn't any path forward on lifting the debt limit or funding the government past September. Failing on Obamacare doesn't really matter to Wall Street. Failing on tax reform or flirting with default will matter a lot. And at that point, all the White House melodrama and dysfunction could cease to be a sideshow circus and become a serious threat to the economy. Ben White is Politico's chief economic correspondent and a CNBC contributor. He also authors the daily tip sheet Politico Morning Money. Follow him on Twitter @morningmoneyben. More From CNBC justin bieber Justin Bieber has canceled the remaining dates on his "Purpose" world tour after performing 150 shows. Bieber's website and Facebook page were updated Monday afternoon with the news that Bieber would be ending the tour prematurely because of "unforeseen circumstances." The "Purpose" tour had 15 shows remaining through the summer and fall in North America and Asia. It was supposed to end on October 10 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bieber was recently barred from performing in China for "bad behavior." However, one of his final tour dates was in Hong Kong. Purchased tickets will be refunded, according to Bieber's statement. NOW WATCH: This man played Barney the dinosaur for 10 years here's what it was like More From Business Insider This is the most in-demand job title at companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon Jobs at tech companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook are the most sought-after roles around. But what type of employees are these companies looking to for? Data analysis site Paysa looked at over 8,200 job posting and over 70,000 resumes at tech companies worth $10 billion or more to find what roles they are hiring for the most. The most sought after employee by far was software engineer. Companies like Airbnb, Facebook, Snap Inc., Twitter, Uber, Amazon, Apple, Google and Oracle are all looking to hire more software engineers than any other job title. The only company where software engineer was not the most common job opening was Microsoft, which was looking for more product experts than software engineers. According to Paysa's results, Airbnb, Snap Inc., Twitter, Uber, Apple, Google and Microsoft are also hiring a large number of data analysts and data scientists. The ability to interpret and interact with data is a skill that many experts predict will be increasingly important as the workplace becomes more data-driven. In an interview with CNBC, Eric Schmidt , executive chairman of Google's parent company Alphabet said, "I think a basic understanding of data analytics is incredibly important for this next generation of young people." Check out the full list of in-demand job titles at big tech companies to see what you can do to improve your chances of grabbing a job with one of these employers: Check out Paysa's full report here. Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook Don't miss: The 20 most in-demand jobs that pay over $100,000 5 technical skills that will lead to a high-paying in-demand job The 10 least stressful college majors can lead to some of the highest-paying jobs More From CNBC USS Gerald R. Ford Amid all its upgrades and advances, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is lacking one feature: urinals. Every bathroom on the Ford is, for the first time, gender-neutral, equipped with flush toilets and stalls, according to Navy Times. Bathroom-design experts have said sit-down toilets are less sanitary and take up more space, and most of the Ford's crew members are men. (Women are only about 18% of the Navy.) But the Navy has said getting rid of urinals has advantages for current and future operations. Making every bathroom accessible to all of the ship's sailors will make things more convenient for sailors, the Navy has said. And bathrooms that can be used by either gender mean the Navy can reassign them without making any design changes, should the crew's makeup change. "This is designed to give the ship flexibility because there arent any berthing areas that are dedicated to one sex or the other," Operations Specialist 1st Class Kaylea Motsenbocker told Navy Times. "So if this space was needed for males, we could shift the females to other berthing areas and make this all male without any modification being necessary." USS Gerald R Ford Other changes include redesigned sleeping areas with fewer beds in each room, different spaces for sleeping and recreation, wider passageways, better gyms, better air conditioning, and more efficient light bulbs. USB ports have been installed to make it easier for sailors to charge cellphones and other devices. Beyond the bathrooms, the Ford which is the first Ford-class aircraft carrier has 23 new or modified technologies. Story continues The ship's island is smaller and farther back on the flight deck, allowing more space for air operations. Inside, the traditional throttle system has been switched out for an updated, one-of-a-kind touch-screen display. "This ship can basically drive itself," Petty Officer 1st Class Jose Triana told CNN. In addition to carrying more aircraft, the Ford will also use the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System rather than steam power used on Nimitz-class ships. The EMALS system is designed to offer more control and precision when launching aircraft and will be used despite President Donald Trump's vocal objection earlier this year. The EMALS system is also part of the Ford's switch to electrical power. The ship will be able to produce three times as much power as Nimitz-class ships, and the Navy has said replacing steam-powered systems with electrical ones will open space for future technologies. USS Gerald Ford Flight operations will also use the Advanced Arresting Gear system to recover aircraft. The AAG system will allow Ford-class ships to work with air systems that Nimitz-class ships are not interoperable with. The Ford's roughly 40 fuel stations are more than on any Nimitz-class ship and allow for fueling from multiple places on the ship with fewer personnel. The ship's dual-band radar works on two frequencies at the same time. It can pick up low-altitude objects and track both incoming and outgoing aircraft and weapons. Ford-class carriers will also use electromagnetic fields to raise and lower platforms instead of cables, saving space and reducing maintenance and personnel requirements over time. All these advances and upgrades have presented challenges to the Navy and to the sailors who will man the Ford. The ship's first crew members have more or less written the book on how to operate it. "Were creating guidelines," Triana told the Associated Press this month. "Were creating operational basically instructions on how to operate this ship with its systems and its new design." Donald Trump USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier "We have, no doubt, without question, subject-matter experts on these new systems, Capt. Brent Gaut, the Ford's executive officer, told the AP. "Theyve been training on them for upwards of two, three years now. Theres no one else in the fleet that has some of the systems we have. They are the go-to personnel on how to operate and how to execute with the new systems that we have." The new and updated technology poured into the Ford have caused trouble for the Navy during the ship's construction and development. "With the benefit of hindsight, it was clearly premature to include so many unproven technologies" in the Ford, according to an August 23 memo to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The Ford's new dual-band radar and some components of its new, more powerful nuclear reactor also encountered problems during the ship's development. While the Ford is now ready to ply the seas, Navy commanders appear to be cautious about repeating the technological leaps taken with the ship. In addition to problems with the launching and arresting systems, the $12.9 billion warship also experienced budget overruns and scheduling delays. While the Ford passed builder's trials this spring, it did not undergo shock trials where the Navy detonates explosives near the ship to test its ability to withstand the strain. The Navy's first-in-class ships don't always face shock trials, however, and the next ship in the class, the USS John F. Kennedy, will do them. USS Gerald Ford When we look back, the Ford took on some major goals for ourselves, some real reach goals in terms of technology. And so as we look forward to designing and building ships of the future, particularly given how quickly technology is advancing, maybe we take smaller steps," Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's chief of naval operations, told USNI News prior to the Ford's commissioning on July 22. "Instead of something that will deliver in 15 or 20 years, we do something that will deliver in five years, and then we do five years after that," Richardson added, "and we sort of take smaller steps to arrive at the technology and capability curve and deliver with more confidence and on budget, on schedule." Two more Ford-class carriers are in the works. The John F. Kennedy "is well along in construction," according to the Navy, and work has started on the USS Enterprise. The three Ford-class carriers will join 10 Nimitz-class carriers already in service. With all new technology there are risks, Capt. Richard McCormack, the Ford's commanding officer, said. But thats why were here to go out there and shake them down. NOW WATCH: Watch this US Navy aircraft carrier make some incredible high speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean More From Business Insider By Katya Golubkova, Vladimir Soldatkin and Rania El Gamal ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - OPEC moved on Monday to cap Nigerian oil output and called on several members to boost compliance with production cuts to help clear excessive global stocks and support flagging prices. OPEC has agreed with several non-OPEC producers led by Russia to cut oil output by a combined 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from January 2017 until the end of March 2018. OPEC states Libya and Nigeria were exempted from the limits to help their oil industries recover from years of unrest. The deal to curb output propelled crude prices above $58 a barrel in January but they have since slipped back to a $45 to $50 range as the effort to drain global inventories has taken longer than expected. Rising output from U.S. shale producers has offset the impact of the output curbs, as has climbing production from Libya and Nigeria. A ministerial committee of OPEC and non-OPEC states that monitors the global oil pact said it had agreed Nigeria would join the deal by capping or even cutting its output from 1.8 million bpd, once it stabilises at that level from 1.7 million bpd recently. The monitoring committee, known as JMMC and which met in the Russian city of St Petersburg, did not give the timeframe for when this would happen, saying it would track Nigerian production patterns in the next weeks. The committee did not back capping Libyan output as it said its production was unlikely to exceed 1 million bpd in the near future compared to its capacity of 1.4 million-1.6 million bpd before unrest erupted in 2011 and plunged the nation into chaos. Brent oil prices rose about 1 percent at about $48.50, helped by news of a cap on Nigeria and by comments from Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih that the kingdom's exports would fall to 6.6 million bpd in August as demand at home was rising, effectively representing a cut of 1 million bpd year-on-year. He said global stocks had fallen by 90 million barrels, but were still about 250 million barrels above the five-year average for industrialised nations, which is the level OPEC and non-OPEC states are targetting with their output curbs. BEARISH SENTIMENT Russia and Saudi Arabia face mounting pressure to prop up oil prices. Russia, which is heavily reliant on oil revenues, holds a presidential election next year. Saudi Arabia needs higher prices to balance its budget and support next year's planned listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco. "We must acknowledge that the market has turned bearish with several key factors driving these sentiments," Falih told the meeting of the monitoring committee. Falih said weaker compliance with cuts by some OPEC states and a rise in OPEC exports had led to a softer crude price. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have cut more than they pledged but others, such as the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, have shown relatively weak adherence to the limits. "Some countries continue to lag which is a concern we must address head on," Falih said. "Exports have now become the key matrix to financial markets and we need to find a way to reconcile credible exports data with production data." Falih said the committee spoke to those who were lagging, without naming them, and said they pledged to boost compliance. The Saudi minister said global oil demand was expected to grow by about 1.4 million to 1.6 million bpd next year, similar to 2017 and so should more than offset rising U.S. output. JMMC's chair Kuwait said OPEC could call an extraordinary meeting to include Nigeria and could extend existing production curbs beyond March 2018 if markets failed to rebalance. Alongside Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the committee includes Russia, Venezuela, Algeria and Oman. (Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Edmund Blair) trump boy scout Parents are indicating their displeasure with the Boy Scouts of America after President Donald Trump gave a campaign-style speech on Monday to a group of young scouts after promising he wouldn't speak about politics. Some parents vented on Twitter, calling Trump's comments to the crowd of mostly teenage boys at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia inappropriate. While Trump at times encouraged the scouts to follow their dreams and work hard, he frequently fell back on his campaign-rally-style rhetoric, which included attacks on journalists and media outlets. When Trump said he would "kill" Obamacare, the healthcare law officially called the Affordable Care Act, scouts in the audience began chanting "U-S-A." When Trump asked the crowd whether President Barack Obama, who was a Boy Scout, had ever attended the Jamboree, they booed, while Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, standing behind Trump on stage, laughed and clapped. Obama addressed the Jamboree via video in 2010 for the organization's 100th anniversary. Trump leaned further into his campaign posture at the Jamboree, saying that "under the Trump administration, you will be saying 'Merry Christmas' again," a declaration he routinely made on the campaign trail. The president also railed against his general-election rival, Hillary Clinton, eliciting more jeers from the crowd. Parents and others appeared to be outraged by Trump's speech. After being involved with the Boy Scouts for years, this person said they "would never want to be associated" with the organization. My son is saying the same. We were involved with boy scouts for years. I would never want to be associated with organization now. Kate (@Mamaofthreebear) July 25, 2017 One Twitter user said she would contact her district's Boy Scout troop representatives. Politics do not belong in the jamboree. Citizenship does. I'm the charter organization rep for my son's Troop. Will be contacting district Ann (@GeekTalk51) July 25, 2017 This parent wasn't happy with Trump's standing by while the boys booed Clinton. My son's were boy scouts & I would have never tried to get them to behave like this. https://t.co/67ySFF4KmS Eric Foster (@efoster_eric) July 25, 2017 One parent said they were happy their son was at camp instead and that they were horrified at what happened at the Jamboree. My son is a Boy Scout, too. I am glad he is at camp in CA and not at Jamboree. That was horrifying. Mirren (@newhall89) July 25, 2017 One father indicated he was not surprised by Trump's rhetoric and said he had a "rotten experience" with Boy Scouts, adding that he wouldn't allow his son to be involved. I have a really rotten experience with the Boy Scouts when I was young. My son isn't involved, after today, he will NEVER be involved. Furious Buddha (@KofiJamal) July 25, 2017 This man said he was a former senior patrol leader for the Boy Scouts and wouldn't let his son join now. Right & left in agreement that Trump hijacked Boy Scouts for political rally. As a former Senior Patrol Leader, no @boyscouts for my son. https://t.co/ICtfKnxSOr Nathan Newman (@nathansnewman) July 25, 2017 Some parents expressed concern about their sons being "indoctrinated" at Boy Scouts events. You have made me ill, @boyscouts! Do I now have to worry my son will be indoctrinated into a Trump youth org when he attends a BSA event??! Leila Rice (@Leila_A_Rice) July 25, 2017 Parents were also "horrified" to see their sons' hard-earned achievements be "politicized." My son worked hard to become an Eagle Scout and I am horrified to see the org allow itself to be politicized. Deb Bakes (@BakesDeb) July 25, 2017 I am so sad right now. My son is 15. He became a scout in 1st grade. Don't take away something he worked so hard for Pardon Me Ellen (@ellensweeps) July 25, 2017 One parent said they would be withdrawing their son over the "disgusting" Trump speech. @boyscouts that was a disgusting display tonight. I am withdrawing my son from your organization next year. You should all be ashamed. Matt Cunningham (@MattC03) July 25, 2017 @boyscouts My son will be withdrawn tomorrow unless you make a statement about this. https://t.co/opACFInNpr SphynxCatsRule (@SphynxCatsRule) July 25, 2017 However, some parents said their sons had great experiences as Boy Scouts. My son's BSA experience was wonderful!!! A lot of diversity of troops near me, and my son's troop wasn't church sponsored. Benny (@BenBoo2000) July 25, 2017 Parents seemed to agree that Trump's speech crossed a line. My son is an Eagle Scout. Today was an abomination of the Scout law. #BoyScouts Lynne Perednia (@Perednia) July 25, 2017 But their response was equally disturbing. Complete violation of the @boyscouts oath. My son, a life scout, is disgusted. Caren Baker (@Caren_CO_Now) July 25, 2017 In an emailed statement to Business Insider, the Boy Scouts of America said: Story continues "The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy. The invitation for the sitting US president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies. The sitting US president serves as the BSA's honorary president. It is our long-standing custom to invite the US president to the National Jamboree." The organization did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about Trump's remarks at the Monday rally. Here's the full speech: NOW WATCH: 'You're inflaming everybody!': Watch reporters clash with Sanders over press coverage More From Business Insider Saudi Arabia vowed to cut its August oil exports by nearly 1 million barrels per day, the latest move by OPEC to reduce a global oversupply and boost oil prices. Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabias energy minister, said the country will cap oil exports at 6.6 million barrels per day next month. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which held a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday, could also extend their current production cuts beyond next March. Also at the meeting, Russias energy minister called on other oil-producing nations to comply with promised cuts under an agreement forged by OPEC. OPEC and some non-members such as Russia agreed last year to cut oil production by a combined 1.8 million barrels per day. However, U.S. production has accelerated in 2017, largely offsetting the impact of OPECs retreat. Prices have trended downward as a result. In recent weeks, oil has slipped below $50 a barrel. U.S. oil futures were up 1.4% at $46.40 a barrel in recent trading. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 1.3% to $48.68. Russian energy minister Alexander Novak complained that "some countries are not yet fully implementing" the cuts. "Despite the high level of compliance with the agreement, we insist on all countries fulfilling their obligations 100 percent," Novak said, in comments reported by Russian state news agencies. Novak added that he would be open to tighter monitoring of output, and a possible extension of the cuts beyond their scheduled end in March 2018. The International Energy Agency has estimated that compliance with the OPEC output cut fell to 78 percent in June, from 95 percent the previous month. Beyond high U.S. output, oil prices have also been pressured by production increases in OPEC members Libya and Nigeria, which have exemptions from the cuts due to political instability. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Related Articles OPEC faces a wealth of challenges as it seeks to keep its deal to limit oil production alive for eight more months, analysts said Monday as oil ministers met in St. Petersburg to discuss the accord. While the producers have done a better job of sticking to the deal than in the past, the accord may come under further stress as the months grind on, analysts said. "Various producers will try to comply, but I think compliance will slip versus what has happened in the first half of this year," said Victor Shum, head of IHS Markit's oil market and downstream energy practice in Asia. "It seems like OPEC really faces a mission impossible at this time, which is to try to tighten oil markets and to sustain oil prices," he told CNBC Asia on Monday. OPEC was generally upbeat about the deal but acknowledged in a statement that some members had not entirely done their part. The cartel said it had "serious discussions" with those countries. The 14-member cartel and other oil exporting nations including Russia are trying to clear a global glut of crude oil by keeping 1.8 million barrels a day off the market through March. On Monday, the ministers did not discuss making deeper cuts, which some analysts have said are necessary , but OPEC members took other measures to shore up the deal. Oil prices rose on Monday after top exporter Saudi Arabia vowed to limit its exports to 6.6 million barrels a day in August, about 1 million barrels below last year's shipments. Nigeria , one of the two OPEC members exempt from the cuts, agreed to cap output once its production stabilizes at 1.8 million barrels a day, OPEC said. While the deal initially boosted oil prices above $50 a barrel, they have since slumped below that key psychological level. Surging output from U.S. shale fields, a rapid recovery in Libyan and Nigerian production and robust crude exports have made it harder for OPEC to shrink global stockpiles. Story continues Last week, OPEC-member Ecuador put another crack in the deal, saying it would start raising output to plug a budget deficit. To be sure, Ecuador's output is a "drop in the bucket," said Greg Priddy, director of global energy and natural resources at Eurasia Group. He, too, expects more members to start cheating, but said that is to be expected the longer these deals last. He said OPEC is unlikely to agree to deeper output cuts. While that would likely boost oil prices, it would also lead to another surge in U.S. oil output. "They realize that if they tried to jump start prices they would get short-term benefit from increasing prices over the next six months or so, but they would get a real head of steam behind U.S. production growth heading into next year, more loss of market share and eventually prices coming down toward the same equilibrium," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box." That would make it even harder to unwind the production deal next year, Priddy said. In the meantime, it might be difficult to bring Libya and Nigeria, the two members exempt from quotas, into the fold, said Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. While output in both countries has surged lately, they have weathered periods of prolonged internal conflict that cratered their production in recent years. "If you're Libya and Nigeria, and you've been suffering through chaotic political and security problems, you don't want to cut your production. You want every last barrel," Croft told CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange." The question then is whether Saudi Arabia will pick up the slack if OPEC cannot get Libya and Nigeria on board, Croft said. The Saudis are preparing to take public part of their state oil giant Saudi Aramco next year, and higher oil prices would make the company look more valuable. In light of that, the kingdom may be forced to step up and do even more, Croft said. More From CNBC Yahoo Finance is tracking Alphabet, Halliburton, Nvidia and Blue Apron in intraday trading on Monday. Alphabet (GOOGL) The companys recent $2.74 billion fine from European regulators is expected to weigh on the Internet giants second-quarter earnings results, out after the bell Monday. In a recent securities filing, Alphabet said it will record an accounting charge for the fine in the quarter which ended in June. Analysts are expecting profit of $4.46 a share on revenue of $25.6 billion. Halliburton (HAL) The stock is under pressure after the companys chairman Dave Lesar warned during the earnings call that rig count growth is showing signs of plateauing. Lesars comments overshadowed Halliburtons stronger-than-expected second quarter earnings, driven by an 83% jump in revenue from North America. Nvidia (NVDA) Canaccord Genuity maintained its buy rating on Nvidia while upping its price target on the stock to $180 a share from $155. Analyst Matthew Ramsay noted strength in its data center division as a catalyst for the stock. Nvidia shares have soared about 204% over the past year. Blue Apron (APRN) Shares of the meal-kit service are rallying after getting a slew of bullish calls on wall Street. RBC Capital Markets and Oppenheimer both initiated coverage on the stock with outperform ratings and price targets of $10 and $11 a share respectively. Goldman Sachs, SunTrust, Stifel Nicolaus and Canaccord Genuity all have buy ratings on Blue Apron as well. For more on Mondays big stock movers, check out the Final Round, live at 4 p.m. ET, right here on Yahoo Finance. Updated: July 17, 2021 How do you imagine your life 30 to 40 years from now? Do you see yourself quitting your job and enjoying life? Or maybe, you havent given it much thought yet because retirement belongs to the distant future, and you have other priorities right now. Sorry to burst your bubble, but living your old age wont be as easy as it sounds. In fact, retirement in the Philippines is a bleak prospect compared to our Asian neighbors. According to a 2015 East Asia retirement survey, 90% or 9 in 10 Filipino workers said they worried about wiping out their savings, being in poor health, and having no one to care for them when they retire. In short, most Pinoys are not ready for retirement. Here are the common financial problems of Filipino retirees today that highlight the importance of retirement planning, plus some advice to avoid being caught in such dire situations. No savings for retirement Are you saving enough for your retirement? Many young Filipino professionals dont. Millennials are very optimistic about their retirement, yet they lack the discipline to prepare for it. In a recent investor sentiment survey, only 7% said they had monthly savings, and 28% said they invested money whenever its convenient. Retirement tips to avoid this situation: Build a diversified portfolio of low-risk and high-risk investments. For millennials, investing in real estate can generate long-term income for retirement. A condo investment in a prime location, in particular, can give regular cashflow income as a rental unit. Stocks and mutual funds are also great investment vehicles for building your retirement fund. Go easy on the YOLO (you only live once) lifestyle. Millennials spend a lot on travel, gadgets, fashion, and night out with friends. Nothing wrong with enjoying your life in your 20s or 30s, but you have to strike a balance between living in the moment and living for the future. Your future self will thank you for it. Little or no social pensions If you think pensions can save you from being broke in your old age, think again. Many senior citizens today are not entitled to government-mandated retirement benefits because theyre not enrolled in either the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Social Insurance System (GSIS) because of their low income. In 2016, only 29% of the elderly Filipinos were covered by the SSS or GSIS pension program, according to the Coalition of Services of the Elderly. Pensioners are not so fortunate, either. As of this writing, monthly SSS pensions range from Php 1,200 to a little over Php 10,000. Although the average is Php 3,600, most retirees receive much lower than that. Even the highest pension in the range isnt enough to cover ones monthly living expenses. As this sad story of a Pinoy retiree shows, social pensions dont guarantee financial security for retirement. Retirement tips to avoid this situation: When you retire, treat your SSS or GSIS pension just as an extra income and not your main income source. Find additional sources of retirement income, such as the Personal Equity Retirement Account (PERA). This voluntary savings and investment account allows you to save up to Php 100,000 (or Php 200,000 for OFWs) every year and withdraw your savings when you reach 55. If you start saving in your 20s, you can accumulate about 30 years worth of savings. Health issues and expensive health care costs Your health will naturally deteriorate as you age, hurting your capability to earn money in your retirement. It doesnt help that health care costs in the Philippines keep rising. Even though senior citizens enjoy benefits such as the mandatory PhilHealth coverage and 20% discount on medicines, these are very limited in scope. Many elderly Filipinos cant afford expensive medications even if theyre already discounted. Also, the PhilHealth benefits cover only hospitalization costs and are not really useful for outpatient services. Retirement tips to avoid this situation: Avail of a life insurance plan with benefits for critical illnesses and disability. No matter how much youve saved for your retirement, it can easily be exhausted by expensive medical bills if youre not insured. You can also use your insurance to protect your income in retirement. Quit or at least minimize any unhealthy habits that will take a toll on your health when you get older, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Relying on relatives for financial support This may not be a problem if your children are capable and willing to take care of you in your retirement years. But what if they have their own children to support? Can you bear being a burden to them? A recent retirement survey found that more than 70% of elderly Filipinos live with their children and 40% depend on them for financial support. In the Philippines, where utang na loob is a family tradition, children often become their parents investments or retirement plans. A common line heard in Pinoy household: Anak, pagbutihin mo pag-aaral mo, para pagtanda mo, ikaw ang bahala sa amin. On the other hand, many Pinoys are still working at an old age despite their failing health to provide for their grown-up children whose incomes are insufficient for their own family expenses. Retirement tips to avoid this situation: Take your retirement planning seriously. Make sure you have enough income-earning avenues that can sustain you in your retirement so that you wont have to depend on your children. Teach your kids the value of saving money at a young age and train them to become financially independent so that they wont have to rely on you for financial assistance when theyre old enough to live on their own. Theres so much to learn about these common Filipino retirement problems. Nothing can better prepare you for the uncertainties of the future than planning your retirement as early as now while you have much time to build your savings and investments. Retirement in the Philippines is tough, so youve got to act now to ensure a dignified, comfortable life when you retire. This article was written and submitted by Boom Rizal. Shes an investor, a property consultant, a researcher, and a writer. She finds helping other OFWs in making good decisions when investing in various businesses and/or real estate properties as part of her daily life. She also loves to take research in property innovation and writes articles advising readers on how to invest in a property. What to do next: Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter. Amsterdam - 25 July 2017 - Intertrust N.V. ("Intertrust" or the "Company") [ticker symbol INTER], a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, today announces preliminary financial information for the second quarter ended 30 June 2017. Intertrust expects to report the following Q2 2017 results on 24 August 2017: Revenue of EUR 118.1 million for Q2 2017, an underlying 1 change of -0.1% year-on-year, impacted by negative revenue growth in the Netherlands; Adjusted EBITA margin of 35.3% for Q2 2017, impacted mainly by non-recurring items of EUR 2.1 million (approx. 180 bps impact), primarily related to a legal claim and related legal fees. For the full year 2017, we revise underlying1 revenue growth guidance to at least 3.5% year-on-year. The adjusted EBITA margin guidance of approximately 39.9% for the full year 2017 is lowered to 37.5-38.5%, reflecting the following key items: Non-recurring items during the first half of 2017 (six months ended 30 June 2017) of EUR 2.9 million (approx. 60 bps impact on a full year basis); Higher Group HQ and IT costs, mainly due to required additional IT expenses; and Lower than expected revenue performance in the Netherlands, resulting from lower productivity due to higher staff turnover and less favourable market conditions. Further analysis of our IT platform and current running IT programmes revealed that additional investments are required and management is implementing the necessary changes in IT. Intertrust Netherlands' performance was below expectations and management is taking decisive actions that, along with recent management changes in the Netherlands, are expected to lead to improved operational performance. Synergies related to the Elian acquisition remain on track, the ex-Elian/Jersey business is performing in line with expectations, and we continue to see good operating leverage in the business. Full Q2 and half year 2017 results will be published on 24 August 2017. 1 Underlying: at constant currency and 2016 including proforma Elian and Azcona figures Analyst conference call: Intertrust CEO David de Buck and CFO Maarten de Vries will hold a conference call at 08:00 CET today. Analysts/investors may register for the call at the following link: https://www.kpnconferencing.nl/EventRegistration/d0d2305c-6d75-464e-ae07-938570da6fca A brief supporting presentation can be downloaded from our website. For further information Intertrust N.V. annelouise.metz@intertrustgroup.com Anne Louise Metz Tel: +31 20 577 1157 Director of Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications About Intertrust Intertrust is a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, with approximately 2,500 employees located throughout a network of 41 offices in 30 jurisdictions across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle-East. The Company delivers high-quality, tailored services to its clients with a view to building long-term relationships. Intertrust's business services offering is comprised of corporate services, fund services, capital market services, and private wealth services. Intertrust has leading market positions in selected key geographic markets of its industry, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Jersey, and the Cayman Islands. Intertrust works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multi-national corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices. 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 According to France24, residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the northeastern coast of Corsica. The fire is very strong and heading to urban areas of Biguglia town, according to Frances civil defence forces. The blaze has already engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. Local officials said also that three firefighting planes were also involved in surveying the area and making sure no homes are threatened. Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday. The fire has raged in the forests in other regions of France: in Vaucluse, Var region, where it came close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Some nations have renamed parts of the South China Sea to strengthen their claims over the disputed waterway. But how much effect do such changes have on territorial disagreements? Indonesia is the latest country to take such action. Officials there recently released a new map showing the renamed North Natuna Sea. The sea, northwest of Borneo island, includes an internationally recognized economic zone belonging to Indonesia. China claims territory that overlaps part of Indonesias economic zone. Last month, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited the disputed sea area. His visit came a week after an Indonesian navy ship fired warning shots at Chinese fishing boats in the area. The visit was seen as an attempt to send China a message that Indonesia is committed to protecting its economic zones. Foreign policy experts say Indonesias renaming of part of the South China Sea was also meant to send that message. The name change drew immediate criticism from China. A foreign ministry spokesman said it was meaningless for any nation to change the seas name. The spokesman added that South China Sea was widely accepted by the United Nations and international community. Chinas claims are based on its so-called nine-dash line. China says the line, first added to a Chinese map 70 years ago, dates back about 2,000 years. It uses the line to define its historical territorial claims, which cover most parts of the South China Sea. But last year, a world arbitration court ruled China had no legal basis for its claims. That ruling was based on the United Nations Law of the Sea. Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam also claim parts of the South China Sea. This has led to disputes between China and some of its neighbors. In some areas, China has created artificial islands and built military facilities. Indonesia is not considered an official claimant in the South China Sea dispute. But it has clashed with China over fishing rights around the North Natuna Sea area. Le Hong Hiep is a researcher at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. He says Indonesias name change is another example of South China Sea claimants responding to continued Chinese expansion. To some people, especially in China, when the sea is called the South China Sea, it naturally entitles China some rights, which is false. If the South China Sea belongs to China, then the Indian Ocean belongs to India, for example. Le noted that other countries in the region have also used different names for the South China Sea. Vietnam calls it the East Sea, while the Philippines calls it the West Philippine Sea. Calling the sea by any other names has not slowed Chinas South China Sea expansion. But some experts do believe the names can have symbolic value. Euan Graham is with the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney, Australia. He says if more nations change names, it could show more of a unified effort to resist Chinese moves. If you connect the dots, China I think will receive the message that Southeast Asia has not rolled over in the way that it might have hoped and expected. Another example of a sea name dispute is the Sea of Japan. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. It also borders on South Korea, North Korea and Russia. South Korea calls the waters the East Sea, while North Korea uses the term East Sea of Korea. Seoul argues that East Sea dates back some 2,000 years, but Japan renamed it during its decades-long colonial rule of Korea. South Korea sent the issue to the International Hydrographic Organization, which considers territorial sea disputes. But the organization has not chosen to order an official name change. According to Japans foreign ministry, Sea of Japan is the only internationally established name for the area. The issue even entered U.S. politics in 2013. Korean Americans pushed for legislation requiring that school textbooks note that the Sea of Japan is also called the East Sea. The state of Virginia approved this textbook requirement in 2014. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this for Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, Reuters, the Associated Press and other sources. Hai Do was the editor. Do you think nations should change the names of disputed areas to push their claims? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story arbitration n. process for people or groups to settle disputes artificial adj. not natural or real entitle v. give rights to a person, country, etc. symbolic adj. serving as a symbol or representing something connect the dots idiom way to understand the relationship between different ideas or experiences Credit: St. George's University of London Experts aim to halve the number of deaths from cryptococcal meningitis by changing drug treatment programmes after the results of a new medical trial. Cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal infection and the commonest form of meningitis in many parts of Africa, is responsible for more than 180,000 deaths per year worldwide, mainly in HIV-infected patients. Current treatment is difficult and mortality rates in Africa in routine care are in the region of 70% - higher than for the Ebola virus infection. Now an international team led by Professor Tom Harrison at the Centre for Global Health in the Institute of Infection and Immunity at St George's, University of London, has published results of their Advancing Cryptococcal Treatment for Africa (ACTA) Trial which shows relatively simple changes can save tens of thousands of lives a year. The internationally recommended treatment is two weeks of the drug amphotericin B plus flucytosine; but amphotericin needs intravenous administration and close laboratory monitoring because of serious side effects including anaemia and renal impairment. In addition, the drug flucytosine is not currently available in most of the world because of its cost and the fact that the drug is not used for any other major infection. The result is that most centres across Africa and elsewhere have relied on an alternative drug, fluconazole. However this is less effective, with mortality as high as 75% at one year. The 5-year trial has demonstrated two new treatment plans that are either as good as or better than the internationally recommended approach. The first is a two-week oral combination of high-dose fluconazole plus flucytosine, which saved as many lives as the current gold standard so, if implemented, could halve the number of deaths from the condition. The second is a shorter, and therefore safer and more practical, one-week course of amphotericin B plus flucytosine. This one-week programme proved to be superior to the current gold standard with mortality rates as low as 24%, compared to 38%. Professor Tom Harrison said: "We are calling for the generic manufacture and widespread availability of the drug flucytosine, and plan large-scale programmes of implementation with partner countries and international agencies that could result in the mortality from this dreaded infection being halved. "It's been a long hard slog and meant work over a 15-year period but we now have the results that could mark the beginning of widely available life-saving treatment for this disease which currently claims the lives of tens of thousands of people each year." The St George's team worked with partners at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, The Institute Pasteur, and hospitals in Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon and Tanzania for the study whose results were announced at the International AIDS Society meeting in Paris on July 24. The trial, funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the ANRS (the French national agency for research on AIDS and viral hepatitis), is the largest conducted to date, including over 700 participants, on the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. Young Thai schoolchildren crowding around a specimen during a liver fluke infection presentation. Credit: Banchob Sripa Outreach and education efforts can play an outsize role in disease elimination programs, researchers suggest in a review publishing July 25 in Trends in Parasitology. As a case study, they consider recent public health efforts in Thailand, using everything from village-wide presentations to children's comics, to elaborate traditional song-and-dance routines to try to stamp out infections caused by the parasitic liver fluke. Barely the length of a fingernail, the Southeast Asian liver fluke is a flatworm that thrives in the freshwater lakes and rivers of the Mekong basin. In its parasitic life cycle, it first infects snails, next cyprinid fish such as minnows and carps, and finally humans, often through consumption of koi plaa popular salad of raw fish, red ants, lime juice, and spices. The parasites can cause cholangiocarcinoma, a highly lethal bile duct cancer that is rare in the Western world but nearly 50 times more common (85 cases per 10,000 people) in Northeast Thailand, a hotspot of liver fluke infestation. Cancer researcher Banchob Sripa, a professor at Khon Kaen University, began engaging with villages still affected by liver flukes about 10 years ago, when there was little to no progress in sight. "I myself grew up in a poor family in Northeast Thailand where the disease is endemic," he says, "And when I started working with communities in my province, I found that the liver fluke problems still persisted with nearly three-quarters prevalence in certain villages, despite over 30 years of Thai government campaigns against the parasite." Sripa and co-author Pierre Echaubard of the Global Health Asia Institute argue that a flaw of early campaigns was that they focused exclusively on the medical relationship between human host and liver fluke parasite. Social and ecological factorsincluding cultural traditions of raw fish sharing, farming practices and open sewer systems that let the parasite flourish in community ponds, and a lack of community education about parasite transmissionwent unaddressed. This figure shows a diagram of the liver fluke transmission cycle. Credit: Sripa and Echaubard After several years of observing a liver fluke control model designed by Sripa and his colleagues, the Thai government officially rolled out a new campaign in 2016 addressing the complexities of liver fluke infestation. Instead of trying to stamp out food sharing among healthy individuals, an ingrained cultural practice that strengthens community bonds, they encourage the deceptively small change of sharing cooked fish dishes in place of raw ones. They take education efforts into classrooms and village meetings, distributing posters and comics explaining the risks posed by the parasite. They attempt to disrupt the liver fluke transmission cycle at multiple points, in particular the open defecation practices that transfer fluke eggs back into water sources. Though agricultural intensification and climate change could pose new challenges for managing liver fluke transmission, early results in the afflicted Lawa Lake region are promising, with human infection rates in the worst-hit areas down to below 10%, fish infection rates dropping from 70% to below 1%, and no infected snails detected. Sripa is optimistic that the campaign's combination of educational efforts and medical anthelmintic treatments has led to a tipping point. "The success of the control program drives me to expand the model to our neighboring Mekong countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam," he says. "I believe that with intensive integrated intervention using this EcoHealth/One Health approach, we can eliminate the entire infection within 10 years," he says. Dr. Banchob Sripa gives a community presentation about liver fluke infection and the Lawa model. Credit: Banchob Sripa The greatest lesson for other public health campaigns, he says, is that "top-down policy alone is not sustainable. We need to empower communities to take care of themselves with support from the government rather than just giving and expecting change to happen." Researchers from Genethon, the AFM-Telethon laboratory, Inserm (UMR) and the Royal Holloway University of London demonstrated the efficacy of an innovative gene therapy in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Indeed, after injecting microdystrophin (a "shortened" version of the dystrophin gene) via a drug vector, the researchers managed to restore muscle strength and stabilise the clinical symptoms in dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A first. This work, published today in Nature Communications, has been achieved thanks to donations from the French Telethon. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare progressive genetic disorder involving all the muscles of the body, and affects 1 in 5,000 boys. It is the most common neuromuscular disorder in children. It is associated with abnormalities in the DMD gene, which encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for proper muscle function. This gene is one of the largest in our genome (2.3 million base pairs, of which over 11,000 are coding). Because of this size, it is technically impossible to insert the entire DNA for dystrophin into a viral vector (or even the 11,000 coding base pairs alone), as is usually done for gene therapy. To meet this challenge, teams at Genethon developed, in collaboration with a team at Royal Holloway University of London led by Pr. Dickson, and produced, a gene therapy drug combining an AAV-type viral vector with a shortened version of the dystrophin gene (approximately 4,000 base pairs), allowing the production of a functional protein. Dr Le Guiner's team tested this innovative treatment in 12 dogs naturally affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. By injecting this microdystrophin intravenously, and hence into the whole body of the dogs, the researchers observed that dystrophin expression returned to a high level, and muscle function was significantly restored, with stabilisation of the clinical symptoms observed for over 2 years following injection of the drug (see video). No immunosuppressive treatment was administered beforehand, and no side-effects were observed. Some Golden Retrievers develop Duchenne muscular dystrophy naturally. The successful treatment of these dogs, which show the same clinical symptoms as children with this disease, and are of a similar weight, is a decisive step toward developing the same treatment in children."This preclinical study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of microdystrophin, and makes it possible to consider developing a clinical trial in patients. Indeed, this is the first time that it has been possible to treat the whole body of a large-sized animal with this protein. Moreover, this innovative approach allows treatment of all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, regardless of the genetic mutation responsible," says Caroline Le Guiner, the main author of this study. "This is tremendously exciting progress towards a gene therapy for DMD. The studies in GRMD dogs have been spectacular and exceeded our expectations. My team has worked for many years to optimise a gene therapy medicine for DMD, and now the quite outstanding work of colleagues in France, in Genethon, in Nantes and in Paris has taken us close to clinical trials in DMD patients. I pay thanks also to the amazing and steadfast support of this research by AFM-Telethon and MDUK (Muscular Dystrophy UK) which has been essential to this achievement." commented George Dickson. For Frederic Revah, Chief Executive Officer of Genethon: "For the first time, researchers obtained a systemic therapeutic effect on a neuromuscular disease in dogs using microdystrophin, and without immunosuppressive treatment. This highly complex cutting edge technology has been developed as part of an exceptional collaborative effort between Genethon and academic teams from Britain and France. Now our bioproduction experts have the task of producing a sufficient quantity of these new drug vectors, under GMP conditions, for the clinical trial." "This new evidence of the efficacy of gene therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy strengthens the therapeutic arsenal developed (exon skipping, CRISPR Cas-9, pharmacogenetics, etc.), and the first results are there. We need to forge ahead to complete the final phase and transform these scientific advances into drugs for children," emphasises Serge Braun, Scientific Director of AFM-Telethon. More information: Caroline Le Guiner et al, Long-term microdystrophin gene therapy is effective in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Nature Communications (2017). Journal information: Nature Communications Caroline Le Guiner et al, Long-term microdystrophin gene therapy is effective in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16105 Provided by AFM-Telethon laboratory HIV infecting a human cell. Credit: NIH A ten-fold increase in some types of bacteria living under the foreskin can increase a man's risk of HIV infection by up to 63 percent, according to a new study out today by researchers at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University (GW). This study, which was published in the journal mBio, shows for the first time that penile bacteria may be a previously unrecognized risk factor for HIV infection in men. In addition, the researchers suggest that this risk factor may be sexually transmissible. Earlier studies have linked the human microbiomethat is, the collection of microbes living in and on the human bodyto a variety of health conditions, but little is known about the role of the penile microbiome as it relates to men's health. By examining the collection of bacteria living under the foreskin of men who either went on to become infected by HIV or remained HIV-negative, the researchers showed a connection between the amount of anaerobesbacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environmentsand an increased risk of becoming infected by HIV. "This study is the first to suggest that the bacteria colonizing the penis can be an independent risk factor for HIV in men," says Cindy Liu, MD, MPH, PhD, first-author of the paper and an Assistant Research Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Milken Institute SPH. "Having more oxygen-intolerant bacteria was associated with increased HIV risk." Liu also serves as the chief medical officer of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at Milken Institute SPH. The researchers conducted this study using penile swabs collected from uncircumcised heterosexual men in Rakai, Uganda during a large, two-year clinical study. During the study, 46 men became infected with HIV (cases). To better understand how the penile microbiome differed between men who did and did not become HIV-infected during the trial, 136 men who remained HIV-uninfected during the two-year trial (controls) were also studied. Using molecular methods, researchers measured the abundance of penile bacteria living under the foreskin. They found that a ten-fold increase in four anaerobic bacteriaPrevotella, Dialister, Finegoldia and Peptoniphiluscorrelated to a 54 to 63 percent increase in HIV risk. One potential way that the penile microbiome can increase HIV risk is by triggering production of immune factors that lure HIV target cells to the penis. The researchers found that having higher amounts of penile anaerobes was associated with higher production of biochemicals, called cytokines, capable of recruiting immune cells. "Immune cells are HIV's gateway to the human body. Our study suggests that some bacteria are triggering biochemical alarms that draw immune cells to the penis where they are more easily infected by HIV. With other pathogens this would be a good thing, because the immune cells could help fight infection, but in the case of HIV, it does just the opposite." says Lance Price, PhD, co-senior author and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Milken Institute SPH. The researchers hope that this study, and others like it, may lead to novel ways to protect both men and women from HIV infection. For example, it may be possible to selectively reduce the amount of anaerobic bacteria on the genitalia and thereby decrease immune cell recruitment and HIV infection. "All the work that we do is aimed at finding effective strategies to reduce HIV transmission. This work helps us understand how medical male circumcision reduces HIV-infection in men and points towards novel interventions to decrease HIV risk in the future," says Rupert Kaul, an infectious disease physician and the study's senior immunologist and a Professor at the University of Toronto. The study, "Penile anaerobic dysbiosis as a risk factor for HIV infection," was published July 25, 2017 in the scientific journal mBio. HIV infecting a human cell. Credit: NIH A far cry from the 1990s "ABC" campaign promoting abstinence and monogamy as HIV protection, scientists reported on new approaches Tuesday allowing people to have all the safe sex they want. Moving away from the message to "Abstain, Be faithful, Condomise", modern prevention strategies include drug-doused vaginal rings, male circumcision, and taking anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medication, experts said at a HIV science conference in Paris. Thirty-five years of research has yet to yield a cure or vaccine for the virus which has infected more than 76 million people since the early 1980s, and killed 35 million. This means that prevention remains "absolutely critical," according to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland, who attended the International AIDS Society conference. There are 19.5 million people on ART today, with another 17.1 million who need it. "Each year we add about two million to that group," Fauci told AFP. "We must decrease the number of new infections." Some recent advances: Circumcision According to the World Health Organization, there is "compelling evidence" that male circumcision reduces the risk of sexual HIV infection in heterosexual men. On Tuesday, researchers said it also protects their female partners. In a study with nearly 10,000 people in South Africa, women who reported that their most recent male sexual partner was circumcised were 22 percent less likely to have HIV and 15 percent less likely to have genital herpes than women whose last partner was not. The reason is not clear. Is it simply that fewer men are being infected and infecting others in turn, or does circumcision actively prevent HIV-positive men from passing on the virus? Research will continue, said Ayesha Kharsany of the CAPRISA research centre in South Africa. "What is certain, however, is that having a circumcised partner can provide women with partial protection against HIV," she told journalists in Paris. Some 12 million men have been medically circumcised in sub-Saharan Africa to date in an effort to stop the spread of HIV, Kharsany said. Opposites attract A study of gay couples in which one partner had HIV, showed that infected men who achieve virus suppression with ART also protected their uninfected partners. "There were no, zero, HIV transmissions within these couples," said Andrew Grulich of the University of New South Wales in Australia, who took part in the study entitled "Opposites Attract". Grulich and a team followed 330 couples for about 1.5 years, during which time the participants reported 17,000 acts of condomless, anal sex. The lack of HIV spread was despite high rates of other sexually-transmissible infections, the team found. "We think these findings really strongly support the hypothesis that condomless sex, when the viral load is undetectable, is a form of safe sex," said Grulich. Vaginal ring A two-year study of 96 girls aged 15 to 17 in the United States, showed that a vaginal ring treated with the ARV drug dapivirine, was safe and easy to wear. The ring is worn constantly, and replaced monthly. In previous research involving adult women, the ring reduced the risk of acquiring HIV by about 30 percent, according to the research team. Further study is needed to test whether it also protected girls. "HIV doesn't distinguish between a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old," said Sharon Hillier of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Young women of all ages deserve to be protected." Teenage girls and young women aged 15-24 accounted for a fifth of new HIV infections among adults in 2015rising to one in four in sub-Saharan Africa where 1,000 are infected daily, according to the study authors. Injectable shield A long-acting, injectable dose of the virus-suppressing drug cabotegravir, given every two months, was well tolerated in trial participants, according to early results. Cabotegravir is being probed as an alternative to oral ARV as preventionalso known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. Forgetting to take a pill can expose one to infection, and is a major complaint of PrEP users. Further trials are in the pipeline to test the drug's virus-suppressing efficacy, said Raphael Landovitz, an infectious diseases expert from the University of California. Less frequent sex A drug cocktail that has been shown to protect uninfected gay men who engaged in frequent and "high-risk" sexual behaviour, also shields those who are less active and hence take fewer tablets, another study showed. The IPERGAY trial is testing the efficacy of the drug cocktail Truvada taken as prevention before and after sex. No infections were reported among men on PrEP who had sex about five times a month, researchers found. The team had previously measured a near 90-percent drop in infection risk for Truvada-users who had sex on average twice as often. 2017 AFP Dr. Hagai Levine, the study's lead author and Head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, in the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine. Credit: Hebrew University In the first systematic review and meta-analysis of trends in sperm count, researchers from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report a significant decline in sperm concentration and total sperm count among men from Western countries. The study [under embargo until July 25 at 1 pm EDT] is published today in Human Reproduction Update, the leading journal in the fields of Reproductive Biology and Obstetrics & Gynecology. By screening 7,500 studies and conducting a meta-regression analysis on 185 studies between 1973 and 2011, the researchers found a 52.4 percent decline in sperm concentration, and a 59.3 percent decline in total sperm count, among men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who were not selected based on their fertility status. In contrast, no significant decline was seen in South America, Asia and Africa, where far fewer studies have been conducted. The study also indicates the rate of decline among Western men is not decreasing: the slope was steep and significant even when analysis was restricted to studies with sample collection between 1996 and 2011. The research was led by Dr. Hagai Levine, Head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, with Dr. Shanna H Swan, Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and an international team of researchers from Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Spain and the United States. A rigorous and comprehensive meta-analysis of data collected between 1973 and 2011 finds that among men from Western countries, sperm concentration declined by more than 50%, with no evidence of a 'leveling off' in recent years. These findings strongly suggest a significant decline in male reproductive health that has serious implications beyond fertility and reproduction, given recent evidence linking poor semen quality with higher risk of hospitalization and death. Credit: Hebrew University While declines in sperm count have been reported since 1992, the question has remained controversial because of limitations in past studies. However, the current study uses a broader scope and rigorous meta-regression methods, conservatively addresses the reliability of study estimates, and controls for factors that might help explain the decline such as age, abstinence time, and selection of the study population. "Given the importance of sperm counts for male fertility and human health, this study is an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count, with the goal of prevention," said Dr. Hagai Levine, the lead author and Head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine. The findings have important public health implications. First, these data demonstrate that the proportion of men with sperm counts below the threshold for subfertility or infertility is increasing. Moreover, given the findings from recent studies that reduced sperm count is related to increased morbidity and mortality, the ongoing decline points to serious risks to male fertility and health. "Decreasing sperm count has been of great concern since it was first reported twenty-five years ago. This definitive study shows, for the first time, that this decline is strong and continuing. The fact that the decline is seen in Western countries strongly suggests that chemicals in commerce are playing a causal role in this trend," Dr. Shanna H Swan, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. While the current study did not examine causes of the observed declines, sperm count has previously been plausibly associated with environmental and lifestyle influences, including prenatal chemical exposure, adult pesticide exposure, smoking, stress and obesity. Therefore, sperm count may sensitively reflect the impact of the modern environment on male health across the lifespan and serve as a "canary in the coal mine" signaling broader risks to male health. More information: Hagai Levine et al, Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis, Human Reproduction Update (2017). Hagai Levine et al, Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmx022 A San Diego VA study among Veterans with chronic low back pain found that those who completed a 12-week yoga program had better scores on a disability questionnaire, improved pain intensity scores, and a decline in opioid use. Credit: Kevin Walsh In a study including 150 military veterans with chronic low back pain, researcher Dr. Erik J. Groessl and his team from the VA San Diego Healthcare System found that veterans who completed a 12-week yoga program had better scores on a disability questionnaire, improved pain intensity scores, and a decline in opioid use. Groessl is a researcher with the VA San Diego Healthcare System and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on July 20, 2017. The study shows promise for non-drug treatment of chronic low back pain, said Groessl. "To be able to reduce the reliance upon opioids and other medications with side effects, it is crucial to establish evidence showing mind-body practices like yoga provide benefit in both veterans and non-veterans with chronic pain," he said. Veterans in the study who were randomized to the yoga group attended a 12-week yoga program immediately after randomization. Comparison participants were invited to attend the yoga intervention only after six months. The 12-week yoga intervention consisted of two 60-minute instructor-led yoga sessions per week, with home practice sessions encouraged. The intervention was based on hatha yoga, which involves yoga postures and movement sequences, along with regulated breathing and mindfulness meditation. Outcomes were assessed at the baseline, six weeks, 12 weeks and six months. Both study groups had reductions in disability scores after 12 weeks. However, notable differences emerged at the six-month assessment, with scores continuing to drop in the yoga group but increasing in the delayed-treatment group. Along with those improvements, pain intensity decreased in the yoga group at all three time periods, while the delayed-treatment group had negligible changes. There was also a 20 percent drop in opioid pain medication use at 12 weeks in both groups as determined through self-report questionnaires and a review of medical records. Notably, reductions in disability and pain intensity were found despite the reductions in opioid use and other medical and self-help pain treatments at six months. The trial confirms the findings of two prior randomized controlled trials with non-veterans showing that yoga is safe and can reduce pain and disability among adults with chronic low back pain. The study is one of the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of yoga specifically in military veterans, a population that faces more health challenges and may be harder to treat than non-VA populations, say the researchers. They point out that as with other non-drug treatments for chronic low back pain, yoga may not help everyone or may not completely eliminate chronic low back pain, but reduced pain and disability can often maintained long-term with ongoing yoga home practice. Military veterans and active duty military personnel have higher rates of chronic pain than the general U.S. population, and the back is the area of the body that is most commonly affected. In addition to pain, those with the condition also report increased disability, psychological symptoms, and reduced quality of life. In the U.S., chronic low back pain is the leading cause of lost productivity and the second most common cause for physician visits. Billions of dollars are spent each year in the U.S. on health care related to back pain. The team says that given the results of their study, VA facilities nationwide may want to consider developing and expanding formal yoga programs to help veterans with back pain. Many VA facilities already do offer yoga classes, along with other complementary and integrative health programs. Provided by Veterans Affairs Research Communications Apple Doctor said that over the course of nine months it has forced the prices of iPhone and iPad repairs in South Africa to drop by 72%. This includes the price of battery and screen replacements. Its not uncommon for consumers to rather buy a new iPhone than repair it, said Sean Joffe, co-founder of Apple Doctor. We noticed that there appeared to be some unscrupulous profiteering by the dominant market player in iPhone repairing which had captured close to perhaps 80% of the market share in South Africa. So, the Apple Doctor went to war on behalf of the over-stretched South African consumer, implementing mercenary prices from 1 October 2016, said Joffe. Joffe co-founded Apple Doctor with James Winter, launching the service in January 2016 with the promise of guaranteed repairs done while you wait. He said the company can complete a screen replacement in an hour or less, and will match or beat any written quote from an Apple-authorised repair agent. Weve noticed that consumers are enjoying the David and Goliath price battle, and us unseating the incumbent, said Joffe. Changing the battery Many consumers are completely unaware that they are able to replace the internal iPhone battery inexpensively, and unfortunately their iPhones often become draw fillers, said Joffe. Another challenge for Apple Doctor is that over 30% of all iPhones received show evidence of a bad attempt to repair them, he said. Shoddy workmanship shows itself clearly and consumers need to be made aware that their repairers are either not doing their job correctly or simply stealing parts. Apple Doctors prices to repair iPhones and iPads are detailed below. iPhone repair prices Device Cracked screen replacement Battery replacement iPhone 4 R449 R289 iPhone 4s R499 R309 iPhone 5 R599 R309 iPhone 5s R699 R349 iPhone 5c R699 R319 iPhone SE R999 R489 iPhone 6 R799 R379 iPhone 6 Plus R1,299 R419 iPhone 6s R1,499 R469 iPhone 6s Plus R2,599 R479 iPhone 7 R2,699 R689 iPhone 7 Plus R2,999 R789 iPad repair prices Device Cracked screen replacement Battery replacement iPad 2 (Digitizer only) R699 R649 iPad 3 (Digitizer only) R849 R849 iPad mini (Digitizer only) R899 R649 iPad Air (Digitizer only) R1,199 R849 iPad Air 2 R2,999 R799 iPad Pro 9.7 R5,999 N/A iPad Pro 12.9 R6,499 N/A Apple Watch repair prices Apple Watch 38mm R2,400 Apple Watch 42mm R2,800 Apple Doctor repairs Catholicos expresses hope that Russia efforts will contribute to ensuring free, safe life of Artsakh Armenians More than 50 of poorest developing countries are on brink of bankruptcy, says UN official Armenia ex-ombudsman: We are facing serious national security issues (PHOTOS) Documentary film about Christina Aguilera's life to be made Biden has no plans to meet with Saudi crown prince at G20 summit EU offers natural gas price cap assurances amid disagreements with member countries James Webb Space Telescope to help find potentially habitable planets, understand Earth's climate changes Scholz is against establishment of ceasefire in Ukraine on Kremlin's terms Turkologist: Turkey does not support agenda of achieving peace with Armenians Shakira stars in Burberry's Christmas campaign (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Sweden to not permit deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory after joining NATO Erdogan signs decree on appointing Turkey ambassador to Israel Information security expert: Some Armenia officials received letter that they were victims of national hackers attack Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet could inherit 410k worth of jewelry Armenia FM meets with France minister of foreign trade Check it out: The king is dead, long live the king! - "House of the Dragon" Foreign Policy: US to resume nuclear arms control talks with Russia Armenia opposition MP: Artsakh army reduction is impermissible Kevin Conroy, voice of Batman, dead at 66 Biden to warn Chinas Xi that North Korea path could lead to increase in US military presence Alec Baldwin sues 'Rust' armorer, crew over fatal shooting of cinematographer on films set US Treasury chief: India can buy as much Russian oil as it wants Kim Kardashian poses as miniature version of herself for 032c magazine cover (PHOTOS) Newspaper: Armenia authorities trying to find legal grounds for signing peace treaty Newspaper: People of Karabakh not going to tolerate final destruction of their army Texas woman sentenced to death for killing pregnant woman, removing fetus from victim Van Gogh's painting sold for a record $117 million Eye medicine turns out to be effective against COVID-19 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 Swedish scientists find new direction in cancer treatment MIT engineers create cheap terahertz camera: Where can it be used? Bayern and Sven Ulreich extend contract 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? Cryptocurrency exchange FTX files for bankruptcy, Sam Bankman-Fried resigns as CEO Serie A best player of month 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 Messi's goal is best in group stage of Champions League (video) Paris Hilton releases fragrance dedicated to her own wedding 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 Plant foods with omega-3 prolong life in heart disease Armenian FM meets his French counterpart Paul Haggis ordered to pay $7.5 million to woman who accused him of rape Rishi Sunak decides to close hole in British budget through austerity Delegation of Russian MPs visits Jermuk resort town World Cup 2022 Argentina's national team bid 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 Kanye West fires Yeezy employee for asking him to listen to Drake songs in office Sasunyan: Russia and US pursue their own interests in South Caucasus World Championship: Maksim Manukyan is bronze medalist British economy shrinks in three months, foretelling prolonged recession World Cup 2022: Serbia's final squad is announced 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 World Cup 2022: Dutch national team bid 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 World Cup 2022: Luis Enrique announces Spain's squad U.S. fears that European support for Ukrainian strategy will begin to weaken Sony shows new trailer for Whitney Houston biopic Armenia, Iran emphasize need to quickly implement agreements reached (PHOTOS) 'I'm sorry, should have done better' CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX apologizes and seeks $9 billion to save company Armenia soldier wounded by Azerbaijan shooting undergoes surgery Gas over morality: Hungary guards Azerbaijan's interests Sylvester Stallone says Bruce Willis is having difficult time because of aphasia U.S. quietly seeks concessions from Saudi Arabia after Mohammed bin Salman humiliated Biden Study: Hypertensives have 22% higher risk of developing 'severe' COVID-19 Italy's Ambassador to Armenia visits Gyumri Marcus Rashford says he's happy to be back in team, he enjoys football Russian Armed Forces complete redeployment of grouping from right bank of Dnieper First 'John Wick: Chapter 4' trailer is released IRGC: Adversaries are frightened and on alert Armenia appoints ambassador to Sri Lanka Rise of robots and an alternate history of USSR in Atomic Heart: When to expect new game? YEREVAN. Turkish authorities have to realize they cannot blackmail the European Union, deputy of the European Parliament Frank Engel said in an interview with the Armenian News-NEWS.am. According to him, the German leadership is reconsidering the state guarantees provided to those making investments in Turkey and these investments will undoubtedly be reduced. At the same time, Engel continued, Germany issued an official warning for German citizens traveling to Turkey, clearly indicating that they could be subject to casual and arbitrary arrests. This, according to the deputy, is an unprecedented language, but Germany does right thing under the current circumstances. Unless the Turkish authorities understand that they cannot blackmail the EU and other partners and allies, and that Turkey is turning into a dictatorship where the rule of law is abolished, the European countries will have to reconsider their relations with Ankara in general. The European Parliament has repeatedly called to freeze negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU, Engel said, adding that he believes that EU should finally pass into suspension of it, as well as suspension of financing at a preliminary stage. Russian Embassy in Baku will render the necessary assistance to blogger Alexander Lapshin, a citizen of Russia and Israel, if he requests extradition, RIA Novosti reported quoting embassy's press attache Denis Apashkin. The embassy is in contact with Lapshins lawyer and his family. We do not consider ourselves entitled to comment on the decision of the Azerbaijani court. The embassy will further be engaged in protection of Lapshin's rights within its authority, Apashkin noted. Commenting on the possible extradition of Lapshin to Russia, he noted that there is an agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan on the transfer of convicts to serve their sentences in the country of their citizenship. If Lapshin wants to use the opportunity provided for by this agreement, the embassy will render the necessary assistance, he stressed. After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, blogger and journalist Alexander Lapshinwho is a citizen of Russia, Israel, and several other countrieswas blacklisted by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan issued an international search for this famous blogger. On December 15, 2016, Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk, and was later extradited to Baku. Shabaab Claims Killing Two Somali Security Elements within Hours in Mogadishu, Attacks on AMISOM Forces in Gedo and Hiran A hefty $2.74 billion antitrust fine levied against Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) - Get Free Report dented its second-quarter earnings, causing profits to slump 28% year-over-year. The Google parent company's earnings dropped to $3.52 billion, or $5.01 per share, as a result of the one-time charge brought by the European Commission last month. Europe's foremost antitrust watchdog argued that the internet giant had favored its own shopping services over those of rivals. Still, Alphabet beat analysts' expectations for earnings of $4.44 per share. Shares of Alphabet dropped 2.9% to $969.00 in after-hours trading on Monday. The sell-off continued into Tuesday. Alphabet is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells GOOGL? Learn more now. Alphabet didn't provide many details on its next steps in regard to the fine, except to say that it continues to review its options. The company has until the end of August to decide how it will resolve the issue and inform the EU of its plans. The next deadline is at the end of September, when it must change how it presents results, lest it risk being fined up to 5% of Alphabet's daily revenue. "There's not really much of an update there as we're still early in our analysis of the decision of the right next steps," Google CFO Ruth Porat said on the call with investors. "We do have time to notify the Commission for proposed remedies as well as to implement changes." 'Sell the News' Hits Alphabet After Earnings Everything You Need To Know About Alphabet's Most Fascinating Business Wall Street analysts continue to weigh whether the record-breaking fine will have much of a long-term impact. Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser said in a note following the earnings report that he remains mindful about how the EC fines will impact Alphabet in the future. "[The ruling] could yet translate into more fines if remedies are insufficient," Wieser wrote. "Further, the ruling may oblige Google to make other changes to other parts of its businesses to help the company support the spirit of the ruling." While Alphabet's top-line results were slammed by the antitrust charges, it had an otherwise solid quarter. Revenue surged 21% year-over-year to $26.01 billion, surpassing Wall Street's expected $25.6 billion. Porat said on the earnings call that revenue was driven by "tremendous" results in mobile search ads and YouTube ads. Paid clicks on Google's ads were up 52% from the year prior, but advertisers paid 23% less per ad click, which was higher than the 15% analysts' projected. Alphabet's costs to acquire customers, or traffic acquisition costs, were $5.1 billion, which was more than the $4.75 billion analysts' estimated. "Margin erosion was a modest negative for the quarter," Wieser noted. Google's differentiated revenue streams have become more and more important as the company faces an increasing possibility that the ad market may soon reach a saturation point. Porat acknowledged this on the call, saying that its non-ad businesses are scaling nicely. Google's other revenues segment, which includes its Google Cloud Platform, as well as hardware products like the Google Home, was up 42% to $3.09 billion. "We continue to see increasing contribution from our growing non-ads revenue businesses," Porat explained. "We've been making big bets within Google focused on cloud hardware and subscription businesses and YouTube in order to better serve customers, while also building additional and differentiated revenue streams." CEO Sundar Pichai reiterated that YouTube now has 1.5 billion monthly users and that people are watching about 60 minutes of content per day on phones and tablets. The fastest growing screen for YouTube, however, is on televisions, on which viewership doubled year-over-year, Pichai said. Google's cloud ambitions also seem to be coming to fruition. Pichai said Google closed three times the number of cloud deals worth $500,000 or more in the second quarter than it did last year. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: Thanks to many dedicated people and businesses, Downtown is the heart of Milwaukee and the entire state of Wisconsin. This week, OnMilwaukee presents Milwaukee Downtown Week, sponsored, aptly, by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. For seven days, we will share stories, videos and photography profiling some of the neighborhood's best offerings and celebrating those who make it so great. Milwaukee Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, by the way, runs July 31-Aug. 4, 2017. What's in a restaurant? In this series, we ask chefs around the city to describe their restaurants in their own words and recommend three dishes that embody the best of what they offer. In this edition, we talk with Mason Street Grill's new executive chef, Kenneth Hardiman about his take on some classic dishes from the restaurant's menu. Mason Street Grill 425 E. Mason St. (414) 298-3131 masonstreetgrill.com "When I came to Milwaukee to interview for the Mason Street Grill job, I was still weighing my decision. So, I took some time and sat at a cocktail table in the bar. And it was great. So many different people came through the door that night. And the music was great. People were dancing and enjoying themselves. And I knew by the end of the night that this was a place I wanted to be. "Mason Street Grill is the type of place where you can come in and enjoy a really elegant meal, or take a seat in the bar and have a nice, casual meal. Were well known as a steakhouse, but we like people to think of us as a neighborhood bar and grill. So, you can come here and get a really high quality cut of meat, or you can drop by and have a really delicious burger. "I grew up in the Midwest. But, I really learned to respect ingredients in an entirely new way while I was working West Side Tavern in Los Angeles. Wed make trips to the farmers market in Santa Monica, and everything was so delicious and fresh. I learned a lot about balance and keeping things delicate. It was about seasonality, about using ingredients that married well, but that didnt overpower one another. I loved creating really fresh seafood dishes where Id take market vegetables and use them to make a really beautiful delicate puree. Id add sauteed vegetables for texture, and then just a delicate vinaigrette over the fish to tie all the flavors together. "As a chef, I love that simplicity. And so many of the classic dishes at Mason Street Grill exemplify that. Its about starting with really quality products, fresh produce, fish thats flown in daily. And then its about the care thats taken with the process and technique. Its about knowing how to let the food and the ingredients speak for themselves. "This is the type of place where, we dont make changes here just for the sake of making changes. Instead, we really listen to what people are saying, and what they love. These are dishes that people order over and over again, and theres good reason for that." 1. Fried surf clams Buttermilk batter, tartar sauce, lemon ($11.50) "My wife went to school at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island before we met. There, the seafood is always so fresh, and theres a whole culture around the preparation. I remember my wife making me some fried clams, fried green tomatoes and crab cakes; she had so many fond memories of the area, and and that meal stuck with me. I felt like Id experienced something right along with her. "This dish takes me back there. Here, clams are cleaned and hand-sliced, marinated in a bit of seasoned buttermilk and then dredged in a mixture of flour and cornmeal. Theyre served up with French fries, our homemade tartar sauce, ketchup and lemon. This is one of those dishes that people love. The other night, just between 5 and 7 p.m. during happy hour, we probably sold 30 plates of these. The aroma wafts through the dining room, and it smells so good; it makes it pretty hard to resist." 2. Mason Street Grill signature chopped salad House mustard horseradish dressing, bacon, egg, onion, tomato, cucumber, avocado ($10) "This salad has been on the menu for ten years, and its a dish that people come back for over and over again. And theres a reason for that. You get something delicious with every bite. Fresh cucumbers, diced tomatoes, hard-boiled egg. The applewood bacon gives you some smokiness and saltiness. And it comes together with a five lettuce blend that weve created ourselves and a tangy vinaigrette. Every ingredient has its place and plays a part." 3. Sauteed rainbow trout Preserved lemon, brown butter, capers, green beans ($28.50) "This is one of those dishes that really takes me to a place in time. When I was in Boy Scouts, wed go camping. There was one trip we took I think it was in Omaha, and we went fishing for trout. My father was a scout leader, and he was there. He was a busy man; he ran a construction business. And Ill never forget that he was there. We had fresh trout,a little flour, a little butter and oil. And we fried it up and squeezed a bit of lemon on it. And it was perfect. This dish isnt so different. Technique-wise, we give it a bit more in the pan. We take the melted butter and baste the fish; it adds flavor, a bit of fat and it keeps the fish moist as youre cooking it. And then we add crisp capers, preserved lemon and a bit of parsley." Bonus: Carrot cake "This is an extra dish, but it really ties into the simplicity here. Chef Mark Webers carrot cake is probably the best carrot in the city. The amount of time and care that goes into it is really impressive from ingredients like zucchini and carrots being hand shredded, to the glaze that goes on the cake after its been baked. On the plate, its the definition of simplicity; its a great classic dessert." Mason Street Grill is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight (kitchen until 10 p.m.), Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight (kitchen until 10 p.m.) and Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. (kitchen until 9 p.m.). Thanks to many dedicated people and businesses, Downtown is the heart of Milwaukee and the entire state of Wisconsin. This week, OnMilwaukee presents Milwaukee Downtown Week, sponsored, aptly, by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. For seven days, we will share stories, videos and photography profiling some of the neighborhoods best offerings and celebrating those who make it so great. Milwaukee Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, by the way, runs July 31 - Aug. 4, 2017. Milwaukee Waterfront Deli 761 N. Water St. milwaukeewaterfrontdeli.com Type of food: American deli Prices: Entrees $3.50-8.95 Vegetarian friendly? Yes Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located in an 1868 vintage building in Downtown Milwaukee, this bustling deli will get you a quick, quality lunch. Gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, breakfasts are all on the menu and while the options are plentiful they can get expensive if you eat out daily for lunch. My go-to lunch bargain is in the fresh case with the colorful and delicious salads. The deli offers up a daily mini-quiche at a mere $3.50. The flavors and options vary daily with choices such as roasted veggie or sausage and cheese. I take the quiche back and re-heat it in our office pizza oven but Waterfront will also heat your quiche in-house. Add on a mini fruit salad and you are still coming in at under $7! Bon appetit! Plenty of the bands on Monday expressed their thanks to Milwaukee and appreciation for their fans throughout the day during the 2017 Vans Warped Tour at Henry Maier Festival Park. However, during their 30-minute sets, a few acts made a point to profess true love for Brew City. So, to return the favor, here are three quick reviews of those shows. Hands Like Houses Hands Like Houses played its third Warped Tour this year and really showed it knows how to rock. The Australian band took to the Journeys Right Foot stage in the late afternoon and got right to the action, opening its set with "New Romantics." It's a song off Hands Like Houses' latest album, "Dissonants," and also one of the group's biggest hits, so it was a safe choice to open with, considering it could appeal to new and old fans alike. The crowd was on its feet and excited, and Hands Like Houses fed the energy by going right into its most popular song, "Colourblind." It was at about the midpoint of the six-song set that lead vocalist Trenton Woodley took a moment to tell the Milwaukee audience that its energy was the best Hands Like Houses has seen on the tour so far. It was clear the band was enjoying the set and having fun. After playing "Drift," Hands Like Houses ended with "I Am," a high-energy song to close its jam-packed set. Memphis May Fire Memphis May Fire has been around the Warped Tour block many times, so it was no surprise the Christian metal band from Tennessee put on an ecstatic show, starting things off with "Without Walls" and following it with "The Sinner." The two opening songs were two of the group's more popular hits; however, when the band played "Vices," the full crowd at the Journeys Right Foot stage really got going. It was about at that time the band experienced some minor difficulties with its in-ear monitors. While that was figured out, lead vocalist Matty Mullins told the crowd the band has always loved Milwaukee. Mullins said his group has felt support from Milwaukee since its beginning. After the technical difficulties were resolved, the band got back to giving the crowd what it wanted: a set full of all the hits, as Memphis May Fire played "No Ordinary Love," "Carry On" and "Legacy." Fit For A King Fit For A King played in front of a full Mutant North Stage crowd, and throughout the entire show the members thanked the crowd. The band played nearly all its most recent songs, starting with "Shadows & Echos." There was never really one time that Fit For A King stopped to thank Milwaukee; rather, the gratitude was scattered throughout the show. At one point, the guys also thanked the Oshkosh area, where they'd preformed earlier this year. The band only played two songs that were not from its latest album, "Deathgrip," and those were "Hollow King" and "Slave to Nothing." However, it felt like the crowd got what it wanted, because for the whole 30-minute set, people were jumping around, having a good time. And so was Fit For A King, as evidenced by the constant smiles on their faces. ESI for the 3-month period ending August 31, 2016. Color indicates evapotranspiration rates. Red shading indicates anomalously low rates, and green shading represents anomalously high rates. Credit: NASA Unlike us humans, soybeans and wheat can't turn to acupuncture or aromatherapy when they're stressed out. And, yes, plants can certainly feel stress. Stress that's caused by too little moisture and exacerbated by high temperatures. "Agricultural stress occurs when crops do not have adequate soil water during their growth cycle," explained agricultural researcher Christopher Hain. "Even if the stress doesn't lead to failure of the crop, it can have significant impacts on end-of-season yield." Now a new tool is letting the U.S. agriculture community tap into space-based data to see this stress before it takes its toll. Heads Up Kyle Schell, a family rancher near Wall, South Dakota, knows how quickly fortunes can change for his business. "When droughts or flash droughts hit, and we as managers do not make adjustments, we start to do detrimental things to the ranch resource," he said. "Having a good idea when these droughts are coming gives us the opportunity to make adjustments early, in order to not adversely affect the grass and hay acres." Providing that critical information sooner was the focus of an Applied Sciences project which used Earth observations to detect drought conditions across North America at a much earlier stage. Working with the Atmosphere-Land Exchange Inverse model, Hain and a team of scientists from NOAA, USDA-ARS, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and the University of Maryland integrated land-surface temperature measurements from the GOES satellite with vegetation, albedo, and landcover data from Terra and Aqua. The result was the development of a tool called the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), which in many cases can indicate the beginnings of a drought two-to-four weeks earlier than current drought indicators. What's the benefit from adding the space-based data? They allow the ESI to assess moisture conditions on the groundindependent of precipitation. And that means the ESI can show how crops are responding to irrigation. It also means that the ESI is especially helpful for predicting a phenomenon called flash droughts. Unlike typical droughts that can take months or years to develop, flash droughts occur much more suddenly and can damage crops in a matter of weeks well before the stress causes visible signs of damage. "When vegetation is already turning brown, it's too late," Hain emphasized. Another Source The ESI became operational in 2016 as a part of NOAA's online GOES Evapotranspiration and Drought Product System. This decisionsupport system supplements information sources already available to the water resource and agriculture communities, such as the U.S. Drought Monitor. David Ollila, a sheep field specialist for South Dakota State University Extension, remarked how the ESI saw the first glimpses of a spring flash droughtmuch sooner than the Drought Monitor did. "This tool appears to provide a much quicker and more representative reflection of what is happening," he noted. "The lag time in which the Drought Monitor recognized the severity of this year's drought negatively impacted the ability for USDA Farm Service Agency support and relief until it was at a point of being too late. Forage production was measured at five-to-fifteen percent of a normal year. That is catastrophic." For Schell, the ESI provides another tool for weighing his options. "I will monitor all of the drought resources available, including ESI, and if certain thresholds are met by certain dates, a destocking practice will begin," he explained. "For example, if we are belownormal in precipitation on May 1st and the Drought Monitor and ESI are indicating drought, I will sell some or all of our replacement yearling heifers." It's not just cattle and corn that benefit from the ESI, either. A state agency is also turning to it for guidance. As senior hydrologist for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), John Zhu uses ESI data as both an early drought indicator and as a reference for TWDB's short-term drought forecast. "I've found that ESI is particularly useful for our drought monitoring programWe want to know what kind of drought it is and how long it will last." Going Global With the successes already seen from the ESI for North America, Hain and his team also focused on much larger scales. "We developed a new method to use MODIS and VIIRS land surface temperature so that we could produce a global ESI product from just a single sensor," Hain said. "We'll be developing an operational global ESI dataset which will serve a large group of engaged stakeholders." Initially, the stakeholders will include groups like the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, the Global Drought Information System, and the GEOGLAM Early Warning Crop Monitorand Hain is working on engaging more. "Ultimately our goal is to get global ESI datasets out to as many stakeholders as possible." Provided by NASA Firefighters work to put out a fire in Biguglia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica France asked for Europe's help Tuesday in fighting wild fires that have consumed swathes of forest in the southeast, one of which is raging near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez. Over 4,000 firefighters and troops backed by 19 water bombers have been mobilised to extinguish the flames. At least seven firefighters have been injured since the fires broke out on Monday, according to the authorities. The blazes have devoured nearly 4,000 hectares (15 square miles) of land along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsicain the middle of the holiday season. With strong winds and tinder dry conditions creating a dangerous mix, the government asked its European Union partners to send two extra air tankersa request immediately fulfilled by Italy, according to the EU. A fire in La Croix-Valmer near Saint-Tropez, the resort frequented by the rich and famous, had been contained, local fire chief Philippe Gambe de Vergnes said Tuesday afternoon. But the blaze had already gutted 400 hectares of coastal forest in an area dotted with homes, he said. More than 200 people had to be removed from the area. La Croix-Valmer's deputy mayor Rene Carandante described a desolate landscape of blackened headlands fringed by charred umbrella pines, where green forest had once framed the azure waters of the Mediterranean. "It's a disaster area. There's nothing left," he said. Around 80 kilometres (50 miles) inland, 300 hectares of pines and oaks went up in smoke near the village of Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume. A local official accused the authorities of failing to regularly remove dry undergrowth, making the forest a fire hazard. The French island of Corsica, situated midway between France and Italy, was also assessing the damage caused by a towering inferno. Scores of firefighters worked through the night to tamp down a wall of flames that had threatened homes in the northeastern town of Biguglia. A firefighter battles a blaze in Biguglia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica A resident, whose house had at one point been in danger, spoke of "apocalyptic" scenes. In the end, disaster was averted after the wind died down, but the blaze engulfed 1,800 hectares of forest and burned several vehicles. The Luberon, an area of hilltop villages and lavender fields in Provence, also fought fires on Monday. Around 100 homes around the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated, but by Tuesday firefighters had managed to secure residential areas. Further east, in Carros, north of Nice, a house, three vehicles and a warehouse went up in flames, according to regional authorities. Speaking to France Info radio, Mayor Charles Scibetta described waking up to a "lunar landscape" and said the inhabitants had a lucky escape. Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that has made it especially vulnerable to fires. Riviera becoming 'bushier' "All of France is mobilised," the head of the fire service in southeast France, Colonel Gregory Allione told France Info, adding that extra firefighters had been drafted in from the north. Thomas Curt, a director at the Irsea institute for research into the environment and agriculture, said a fall-off in agriculture in southeast France since the 1970s had made it more prone to fires. "Farmland is contracting and the forest is naturally expanding, making the area bushier," he said. A proliferation in the numbers of homes, roads and power lines near forests also increased the fire hazard, he added. In mid-July, a blaze believed to have been ignited by a cigarette butt tossed out of a car ripped through 800 hectares of land near Aix-en-Provence. 2017 AFP An irrigation system waters corn plants growing in a Wisconsin farm field. Credit: Jeff Miller "Having the sequence of a genome is like having the blueprint of a house," says Natalia de Leon, a professor of agronomy at the University of WisconsinMadison. But, says de Leon, if you don't know how those plans get turned into a house, they don't do you much good. That's a problem that the initiative she helps run, Genomes2Fields, is trying to address. By bringing the genomic revolution into corn fields, Genomes2Fields aims to improve the nation's corn crop by uncovering how genomesthe blueprints for plantsare turned into yield, stress resistance, and all manner of different traits. In a collaboration stretching across 20 states and into Canada, the project has tested hundreds of varieties of corn in more than 70 different environments since 2014 to tease out how genomes interact with environments to produce different traits in corn. The project recently received a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support its expanding field trials. Roughly $438,000 of the grant is slated for UWMadison, which is a central hub for experimental design, seed distribution, and machine vision analysis for the research. Initial and ongoing support for the project also comes from industry groups like the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board. Other state corn growing associations are also supporting researchers from Genomes2Fields in their own states. Genomes2Fields put out its first multi-state trial in 2014. It grew out of conversations with corn grower associations and other stakeholders that approached scientists like de Leon, wanting to know how the expanding genomic information about corn could help them in their fields, and not just in a research lab. "Once multiple corn genomes had been sequenced, it became desirable to see that information translated into products," says Shawn Kaeppler, the director of the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center and another Genomes2Fields investigator and member of the initiative's executive committee. The project decided to focus on how corn responds to different environments. "We want to understand what is it that makes certain plants more adapted to stressful environments than other plants," says de Leon. To do that, de Leon and 29 other researchers grow different lines of corn across the country, where they will be exposed to different stresses. By comparing the size of ears of corn grown in Texas heat against corn maturing during long, cooler Wisconsin summer days, for example, the researchers can uncover which genetic traits help corn varieties adapt to diverse environments. Each field is equipped with a weather station to ensure consistent climate data collection. Scientists measure not only the size of ears and yield of corn, but also the plant height, the time it takes to flower, and a number of other relevant traits. Each location decides to make unique measurements as well. De Leon and Kaeppler are partnering with UWMadison botanist Edgar Spalding to test high-throughput methods for measuring the plants. Spalding is flying drones over fields to measure plant size, and he has scanned corn cobs from last year's trials that are then measured by machine vision systems to quickly collect data. The 2017 trials will, for the first time, collect soil and leaves from the majority of the test sites to analyze the microbiomes associated with the crops. As research continues to highlight the importance of microbial communities in human and animal health, plant researchers aim to uncover the role microbiomes play in crop growth as well. Genomes2Fields is designed to combine the consistency across locations required to produce strong results with the flexibility needed for innovation in crop improvement research. "The platform is out there for people to test and develop new technologies to try to make the process of improving plants, and translating all of this genomic information to the field, better," says de Leon. A new study suggests that distant "long-period" comets -- which take more than 200 years to orbit the sun -- are more common than previously thought. This illustration shows how the researchers used data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft to determine the nucleus sizes of several of these distant comets. They subtracted a model of how dust and gas behave in comets in order to obtain the core size. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Comets that take more than 200 years to make one revolution around the sun are notoriously difficult to study. Because they spend most of their time far from our area of the solar system, many "long-period comets" will never approach the sun in a person's lifetime. In fact, those that travel inward from the Oort Clouda group of icy bodies beginning roughly 300 billion kilometers away from the suncan have periods of thousands or even millions of years. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft has delivered new insights about these distant wanderers. A team of astronomers led by James Bauer, a research professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted. The researchers also found that long-period comets are, on average, nearly twice as large as "Jupiter family" comets, whose orbits are shaped by Jupiter's gravity and have periods of less than 20 years. The findings were published July 14, 2017, in The Astronomical Journal. "The number of comets speaks to the amount of material left over from the solar system's formation," Bauer said. "We now know that there are more relatively large chunks of ancient material coming from the Oort Cloud than we thought." The Oort Cloud is too distant to be seen by current telescopes, but is thought to be a spherical distribution of small icy bodies at the outermost edge of the solar system. The density of comets within it is low, so the odds of comets colliding within it are low. Long-period comets that WISE observed probably got kicked out of the Oort Cloud millions of years ago. The observations were carried out in 2010 during the spacecraft's primary mission, before it was renamed NEOWISE and reactivated to target near-Earth objects (NEOs) in 2013. "Our study is a rare look at objects perturbed out of the Oort Cloud," said Amy Mainzer, a co-author of the study based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and principal investigator of the NEOWISE mission. "They are the most pristine examples of what the solar system was like when it formed." Astronomers already had broader estimates of how many long-period and Jupiter family comets are in our solar system, but had no good way of measuring the sizes of long-period comets. This is because the cloud of gas and dust that surrounds each cometknown as a comaappears hazy in images and obscures the comet's nucleus. By using WISE data that shows the infrared glow of the coma, the scientists were able to "subtract" the coma from each comet and estimate the size of the nucleus. The data came from WISE observations of 164 cometary bodiesincluding 95 Jupiter family comets and 56 long-period comets. The results reinforce the idea that comets that pass by the sun more frequently tend to be smaller than those spending much more time away from the sun. That is because Jupiter family comets get more heat exposure, which causes volatile substances like water to sublimate and drag away other material from the comet's surface as well. "Our results mean there's an evolutionary difference between Jupiter family and long-period comets," Bauer said. The existence of so many more long-period comets than predicted suggests that more of them have likely impacted planets, delivering icy materials from the outer reaches of the solar system. Researchers also found clustered orbits among the long-period comets they studied, suggesting there could have been larger bodies that broke apart to form these groups. The results will be important for assessing the likelihood of comets impacting our solar system's planets, including Earth. "Comets travel much faster than asteroids, and some of them are very big," Mainzer said. "Studies like this will help us define what kind of hazard long-period comets may pose." NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, managed and operated WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. The NEOWISE project is funded by the Near-Earth Object Observation Program, now part of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The spacecraft was put into hibernation mode in 2011 after twice scanning the entire sky, thereby completing its main objectives. In September 2013, WISE was reactivated, renamed NEOWISE and assigned a new mission to assist NASA's efforts to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. More information: James M. Bauer et al. Debiasing the NEOWISE Cryogenic Mission Comet Populations, The Astronomical Journal (2017). DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa72df Journal information: Astronomical Journal Textbooks tell us that in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses, the host plant supplies its fungal symbionts solely with sugars, in return for inorganic nutrients. New findings by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) researchers now show that lipids are also on the menu. More than 80 percent of all land plants live in so-called arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses with fungi that colonize their root systems. The fungi take up inorganic nutrients from the soil mainly phosphate and nitrogen and pass them on to the plant. According to the prevailing view, the host provides its benefactors with energy-rich organic compounds specifically carbohydrates in return for this service. The research group of LMU biologist Caroline Gutjahr, in collaboration with research groups led by Peter Dormann (Bonn University), Wolfgang Eisenreich (Technical University of Munich) and her LMU colleague Martin Parniske, has now shown that the plant contributes more than just sugars to the relationship: It also delivers essential lipids to its fungal partner. The new findings appear in the prestigious online journal eLife. Lipids, i.e. fatty acids and their derivatives, are indispensable for the formation of biological membranes and also serve as energy storage compounds. As such, they are crucial for the survival of all organisms. "However, recent work has shown that at least some of the fungal partners in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses lack the genes for enzymes involved in the major pathway of lipid biosynthesis, and are therefore unable to produce certain essential fatty acids," Gutjahr explains. "In our study, we used two mutant strains of the model plant Lotus japonicus to investigate whether the host plant actively makes up for this deficiency." L. japonicus is a member of the Leguminosae, the plant family to which clover, peas, beans and lentils also belong. Each of the mutants isolated by Gutjahr's team is defective in a gene that plays an important role in the synthesis of fatty acids and phospholipid biosynthesis. Strikingly, these strains harbor significantly lower amounts of mycorrhizal fungal colonization than their wild-type counterparts. In particular, the highly branched tree-like fungal structures, called arbuscules, normally found inside cells of the host root which are required for nutrient exchange remain underdeveloped. Comparative analyses of the range of fatty acids and lipids present in the infected roots of the wild-type and mutant hosts revealed that certain fungus-specific fatty acids are either missing or their levels are drastically reduced in the colonized roots of mutant L. japonicus strains. "This suggested that fungal symbionts that colonize plants which are deficient in lipid biosynthesis suffer from a lack of essential lipids," says Andreas Keymer, a PhD student in Gutjahr's group and first author of the new study. Subsequent labeling experiments using the stable carbon isotope 13C demonstrated that wild-type L. japonicus hosts indeed directly provide the fungus with the required lipids. In other words, these are not synthesized by the fungus from the carbon skeletons of the sugars delivered by the host. The researchers assume that the fungus utilizes the lipids from the plant primarily for the rapid growth of the extensive and highly ramified hyphal networks outside the root it uses for the uptake of minerals from the soil. Also spore formation requires large amounts of these compounds probably because the spores need to store lots of lipids to support new germination and growth of fungal filaments (hyphae) that first need to reach a new root before they have access to plant lipids again. Gutjahr and her team will now focus on elucidating how the lipids synthesized by the plant are transported to the symbiont. "In addition, it is also important to determine the ratio of sugars and lipids made available to the fungus," she says. Since lipid synthesis is more costly than carbohydrate production, this parameter has a bearing on the total amount of energy invested by the plant in the maintenance of the symbiosis. A better understanding of the role of lipid biosynthesis in this type of symbiosis could therefore help to select host plants that can make optimal use of their relationship with their fungal partners, which can be a benefit to sustainable agriculture. More information: Andreas Keymer et al. Lipid transfer from plants to arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, eLife (2017). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.29107 Journal information: eLife Students from The Netherlands soar to new heights with Train Like an Astronaut activities. Credit: Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut Mission X: Train like an Astronaut, since its inception in 2011, has morphed into an international collaboration of physical fitness challenges. The program is an immersive resource that fosters mind, body and spirit in students all around the globe. It's an education unlike any other that has encouraged tens of thousands of young people to take their pulse for the first time and blast off with straightforward exercises that make fitness fun. Equipped with the training and critical thinking necessary for any real astronaut, these future explorers are now more than ready to embark upon Mission X, taking the torch of spaceflight to even deeper reaches of space. Through the Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut fitness challenge, space invades the classroom, physically manifesting as elaborate decorations of stars and fields of meteors. As planets and aliens made of paint and plaster hang above, Mission X is brought to life by the teachers who use the project's resources to encourage mental and physical growth. "The teachers are the real champions," said NASA Human Research Program project contributor Scott Townsend. "It takes one person in a school system to make something happen, and then it takes the support of the person above them." Mission X began as a local investment in NASA Johnson Space Center's community in its pilot year. The next year, the project reached 12 countries and roughly 4,200 student participants. That number has now skyrocketed to more than 104,000 students in 38 countries and Taiwan in the 2017 challenge. Participants use NASA and the astronaut experience as a roadmap for their own health and fitness achievements. Mission X, however, is about more than simply physical and nutritional growth. Children are provided with interactive science experiments that demonstrate how comparison and rationale play into drawing conclusions. Teamwork is emphasized, showing what can be accomplished when working together. Students are not only exposed to the present landscape of spaceflight, but also challenged to stand before their classmates and present about the history of NASA, fostering public speaking skills and the presentation of ideas before a group at a very young age. Several Mission X students gather at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria for the Train Like an Astronaut closing event. Credit: Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut Mission X also enlists real astronauts on space missions as "ambassadors" to interact with the students. Nearly 50 Mission X ambassadors, such as Kate Rubins from Expedition 48/49, have engaged with students through videos while aboard the International Space Station. They answer questions, participate in Mission X activities and encouraging healthy lifestyles by sharing their own personal journeys. Nubia Carvajal believes the program's success is partly due to its "international flair." "Mission X encourages teamwork without borders," Carvajal said. "Mission points are converted into steps, and that is how we get Astro Charlie (the program mascot) moving. It is not about one step or one country, it is about everyone moving." Both Carvajal and Townsend spent years as public school educators. Carvajal regularly meets with international partners such as ESA (the European Space Agency) to discuss the future of Mission X. Each country has a lead who participates in decisions about the upcoming direction of the project. With teachers at the helm and more students worldwide to reach, there is indeed a bright future aheadfor NASA and this interactive education portal. The universe is vast; the opportunities for growth are almost as endless. But before you can fly, you must first simply . . . move. Consider joining the worldwide team at Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut. Provided by NASA Ships crossing the Pacific Ocean emit particles into the clean air that create a seed for marine clouds. Credit: NASA The idea of geoengineering, also known as climate engineering, is very controversial. But as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in our atmosphere, scientists are beginning to look at possible emergency measures. A new University of Washington study looks at the idea of marine cloud brightening, which a UW group is investigating as a promising strategy to offset global warming. The strategy would spray saltwater into the air to make marine clouds reflect more incoming solar rays.Small-scale tests of marine cloud brightening would also help answer scientific questions about clouds and aerosols, two UW atmospheric scientists say in a paper published in July in the journal Earth's Future. This dual goal for early-stage geoengineering tests would follow the U.S. National Academies of Sciences' 2015 recommendation that any tests of geoengineering also yield a scientific benefit. "A major, unsolved question in climate science is: How much do aerosol particles cool the planet?," said lead author Rob Wood, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences. "A controlled test would measure the extent to which we are able to alter clouds, and test an important component of climate models." Other co-authors are Thomas Ackerman, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences, Philip Rasch at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Kelly Wanser at the Ocean Conservancy. The authors are part of a group that is proposing to spray saltwater over oceans to cause a small increase in the brightness of marine clouds and boost their capacity to reflect sunlight. Doing so could be a short-term measure to offset global warming in a possible future emergency situation. In the meantime, it could also further understanding of the climate system. One of the biggest uncertainties in climate models is the clouds, which reflect sunlight in unpredictable ways. Water droplets can only condense on airborne particles, such as smoke, salt or human pollution. When the air contains more particles the same amount of moisture can form smaller droplets, which creates whiter, brighter, more reflective clouds. Climate scientists believe pollution since the Industrial Revolution has created brighter clouds that reflect more sunlight, offsetting the warming from greenhouse gases, which trap long-wave radiation. But they can't pin down the size of the effect or predict how much it might change in the future. "Testing out marine cloud brightening would actually have some major benefits for addressing both questions," Wood said. "Can we perturb the clouds in this way, and are the climate models correctly representing the relationship between clouds and aerosols?" A conceptualized image of an unmanned, wind-powered, remotely controlled ship that could be used to implement cloud brightening. Credit: John MacNeill The proposal is now waiting on funding from government or private donors. For several years, UW researchers have been working with a group of engineers in California's Bay Area to develop a nozzle that turns saltwater into tiny particles that could be sprayed high into the marine cloud layer. It's the first in a series of steps needed to implement the roughly three-year plan. The researchers propose to: Produce a sprayer that is able to eject trillions of aerosol particles per second Conduct initial lab tests of the sprayer (UW research scientist Dave Covert helped conduct wind-tunnel testing of a prototype nozzle in 2015 in the Bay Area) Do preliminary outdoor tests in a coastal area that is fairly flat, relatively free of air pollution and prone to marine clouds (the group is currently seeking funding for proposed coastal tests in Monterey Bay) Move to small-scale offshore tests If tests were successful, people might someday decide whether to use a scaled-up version to create a small increase in the reflection of sunlight over large swaths of the world's oceans. "We're talking about some kind of new world in terms of the ethical issues," Ackerman said. "But for climate, we're no longer in an era of 'do no harm.' We are altering the climate already. It's now a case of 'the lesser of two evils.'" Ackerman will speak July 27 in Newry, Maine, at the first Gordon Research Conference on Climate Engineering about the proposed testing plan. Another speaker is the leader of a Harvard University test of an alternate proposal to spray reflective particles high in the atmosphere. In addition to the paper on the scientific benefits of testing marine cloud brightening, a group of UW graduate students and professors published a recent paper on what specific measures might be feasible, ethical and scientifically useful for evaluating a cloud-brightening test. Authors include UW graduate students and faculty in philosophy, atmospheric science and civil engineering who were part of an interdisciplinary UW graduate course on geoengineeringamong the first of its kind. The class was taught last winter by Ackerman and Stephen Gardiner, a UW philosophy professor who wrote a book on the ethics of deliberately tinkering with the planet's atmosphere. Ackerman has since written an essay about the teaching experience. He believes the interdisciplinary approach is the right way to proceed with geoengineering. "There's a science question about can we do it, but there's also an ethical question about should we do it, and a policy question about how would we do it," Ackerman said. "I'm an agnostic on this. I want to test geoengineering and see if it works. But the whole time we're working on this, I think we need to still be asking ourselves: 'Should we do it?'" More information: Robert Wood et al, Could geoengineering research help answer one of the biggest questions in climate science?, Earth's Future (2017). DOI: 10.1002/2017EF000601 A small Fijian island. Credit: Remember/Wikipedia (Phys.org)A team of researchers from Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam has found real-world evidence of people refusing to leave their island homes even after an earthquake has caused severe flooding to occur every high tide. In their paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the group describes their study of the people on the islands of Tubigon, Bohol, Philippines, and what their findings suggest about other island people responding to rising ocean levels due to global warming. Dominic Kniveton with the University of Sussex offers a News & Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. Many scientists around the world have been warning of the expected dire consequences of rising ocean levels due to global warming. Millions of people, they say, will have to migrate when their island homes become submerged. This mass migration, they note, will likely cause enormous problems unless governments plan ahead. But some of those estimates might be premature, the researchers conclude. Many islanders may instead opt to stay, choosing to adapt rather than move from their homes. To learn more about possible migration caused by rising ocean levels, the researchers ventured to the islands of Tubigon, Bohol, in the Philippines. An earthquake back in 2013 caused four of the islands in the community to sink to the point that they are now very nearly covered with water every high tide. The Philippine government offered the islanders housing on the mainland, but many chose to stay regardless of the hardship. To find out how and why this was possible, the researchers conducted door-to-door surveys, led focus groups and interviewed community leaders. They report that the main reasons the islanders gave for choosing to stay was fear of losing their livelihood and questions about safety in a new place. Many of those who chose to stay built up their homes using coral, or resorted to congregating in safe areas during high tides. Also, groups organized rainwater harvesting events to preserve potable water. The attitudes and actions of the island people in the Philippines suggests, the researchers claim, that many of those considered future refugees due to climate change may not be after all. More information: Ma. Laurice Jamero et al. Small-island communities in the Philippines prefer local measures to relocation in response to sea-level rise, Nature Climate Change (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nclimate3344 Abstract Most adaptation studies suggest that sea-level rise will lead to relocation as flooding worsens. Here we identified and evaluated potential adaptation strategies for adapting to sea-level rise, based on the experiences of four low-lying island communities in central Philippines that have experienced flooding during normal high tides since a 2013 earthquake that induced land subsidence. Coastal surveys, interviews and household questionnaires showed that island residents generally prefer in situ adaptation strategies rather than relocation to the mainland. These results are unexpected, particularly because a relocation programme has been developed by authorities on the mainland. Direct measurements during a flooding event indicate stilted housing as the most effective type of adaptation strategy. Many households have also raised their floors using coral stones, although this might inadvertently increase their vulnerability to typhoons and storm surges in the long-term. Journal information: Nature Climate Change 2017 Phys.org An ARS-developed moisture-monitoring system could save up to $22,000 per year in energy costs at a typical peanut-drying station. Credit: Jack Dykinga Agricultural Research Service (ARS) engineers in Georgia have developed a network of sensors that will save thousands of dollars in drying costs for peanut growers and processors. When peanut farmers in Georgia sell their crop, they bring it to a buying point to be graded and priced. The peanuts' moisture content is measured, and if it is too high, the peanuts are transferred to trailers for drying. The drying process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Throughout the process, peanut temperature and air temperature and humidity must be kept at specific levels. About once every 4 hours, someone has to climb to the top of the trailer, collect peanut samples, shell them, and measure the moisture content of the peanut kernels. The same types of moisture meters have been used for about 50 years, and farmers and peanut processors have long asked for better ways to monitor the drying process. "We've had intense interest for years for improved technologiesboth from peanut growers in the United States and, lately, from growers overseas," says Samir Trabelsi, an ARS electronics engineer in Athens, Georgia. Proper drying is crucial. If the peanuts are under-dried, over-dried, or dried too slowly or too quickly, it degrades their quality, and they will sell for a lower price. ARS scientists developed a new moisture-monitoring system for use in peanut-drying trailers. Credit: Samir Trabelsi In previous research, Trabelsi and Micah Lewis, an agricultural engineer, designed a network of sensors that monitor temperatures and humidity levels inside and outside the trailers. The network is tied into a weather station that tracks outdoor air temperature, humidity levels, and wind speeds, which can all affect peanut moisture levels. In recent work, Trabelsi and Lewis upgraded the technology to give real-time kernel-moisture readings that can be sent to a computer or smart phone. That way, when the peanuts are sufficiently dried, operators know immediately to turn off the blowers. An added benefit is that no one has to climb up to collect peanut samples to check their moisture content. Trabelsi and Lewis showed that the real-time monitoring capability could save up to $22,000 per year in energy costs at a typical drying station. That's a significant savings, considering Georgia has 130 peanut buying points. Peanut growers pay to use the privately owned stations, so the technology should lower the fees for growers, Trabelsi says. Results were published in Drying Technology: an International Journal. Because "drying wagons" have more than doubled in size in recent years, Trabelsi and Lewis also evaluated the sensors' effectiveness in larger trailers. Results published in Applied Engineering in Agriculture showed that over four harvests, the sensors performed better than the currently used meters in determining drying uniformity. The optimal number of sensors has yet to be determined for the larger trailers. Trabelsi is working with a partner to bring the technology to market. He is also searching for less expensive components so that peanut farmersand not just processorscan afford the technology and monitor their own drying. Credit: University of Surrey Quantum computers could be a step closer to practical use thanks to the work of an international team led by University of Surrey scientists. The group, led by Dr Steve Chick and Professor of Physics Ben Murdin, has developed a way of making phosphorous atoms 'dance', which could be the next breakthrough in the quest to make quantum computers a viable reality. The study, published in Nature Communications, reports that the scientists were successful in manipulating atoms of phosphorous within silicon crystals, controlling their shape and size, essentially making them dance. To date, the majority of quantum computers have been made using materials that are not mass-produced, and often using atoms suspended in vacuum. But the Surrey team works with technology where single phosphorous atoms are trapped inside crystals of silicon, which are elements existing computer chips are made from. The team believes that positioning these atoms in a fixed grid structure could pave the way for reliable quantum computers. The strategy, called "surface code" quantum computing, involves placing many atoms in a fixed grid and using the dancing motion of the atoms to control how they interact. Current generation computers such as those found on desktops use a series of switches called transistors to carry out the key functions of computing storing information and processing that information. Quantum computers work by storing and processing that information using atoms, which can be both "off" and "on" at the same time thanks to quantum mechanics. This allows them to process information more efficiently than the computers we have today. Dr Steve Chick, who led the research with Professor of Physics Ben Murdin, said: "Our experiment showed that we can control the shape and size of the phosphorous atoms and make them dance around. "Our intention is to take advantage of this behaviour to make 'gates', to control when and how the quantum computer works. Our advanced control will help make our quantum computers more reliable, even if they occasionally make mistakes. Classical computers already use ways of recovering from mistakes, but in quantum computers it's a much more difficult problem. "We also hope that using materials which are already popular in computing will allow quantum computers and current computers to be compatible with each other." During the upcoming total solar eclipse, a team of NASA-funded scientists will observe the solar corona using stabilized telescopes aboard two of NASA's WB-57F research aircraft. This vantage point provides distinct advantages over ground-based observations, as illustrated by this composite photo of the aircraft and the 2015 total solar eclipse at the Faroe Islands. Credit: NASA/Faroe Islands/SwRI For most viewers, the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse will last less than two and half minutes. But for one team of NASA-funded scientists, the eclipse will last over seven minutes. Their secret? Following the shadow of the Moon in two retrofitted WB-57F jet planes. Amir Caspi of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and his team will use two of NASA's WB-57F research jets to chase the darkness across America on Aug. 21. Taking observations from twin telescopes mounted on the noses of the planes, Caspi will capture the clearest images of the Sun's outer atmospherethe coronato date and the first-ever thermal images of Mercury, revealing how temperature varies across the planet's surface. "These could well turn out to be the best ever observations of high frequency phenomena in the corona," says Dan Seaton, co-investigator of the project and researcher at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. "Extending the observing time and going to very high altitude might allow us to see a few events or track waves that would be essentially invisible in just two minutes of observations from the ground." The total solar eclipse provides a rare opportunity for scientists to study the Sun, particularly its atmosphere. As the Moon completely covers the Sun and perfectly blocks its light during an eclipse, the typically faint corona is easily seen against the dark sky. NASA is funding 11 science projects across America for scientists to take advantage of the unique astronomical event to learn more about the Sun and its effects on Earth's upper atmosphere. One of the WB-57F jets is readied for a test run at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The instruments are mounted under the silver casing on the nose of the plane. Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/Norah Moran The corona is heated to millions of degrees, yet the lower atmospheric layers like the photospherethe visible surface of the Sunare only heated to a few thousand degrees. Scientists aren't sure how this inversion happens. One theory proposes that magnetic waves called Alfven waves steadily convey energy into the Sun's outer atmosphere, where it is then dissipated as heat. Alternatively, micro explosions, termed nanoflarestoo small and frequent to detect individually, but with a large collective effectmight release heat into the corona. Due to technological limitations, no one has yet directly seen nanoflares, but the high-resolution and high-speed images to be taken from the WB-57F jets might reveal their effects on the corona. The high-definition pictures, captured 30 times per second, will be analyzed for wave motion in the corona to see if waves move towards or away from the surface of the Sun, and with what strengths and sizes. "We see the evidence of nanoflare heating, but we don't know where they occur," Caspi said. "If they occur higher up in the corona, we might expect to see waves moving downwards, as the little explosions occur and collectively reconfigure the magnetic fields." In this way, nanoflares may also be the missing link responsible for untangling the chaotic mess of magnetic field lines on the surface of the Sun, explaining why the corona has neat loops and smooth fans of magnetic fields. The direction and nature of the waves observed will also help distinguish between competing models of coronal heating. For most viewers, the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse will last less than two and half minutes. But for one team of NASA-funded scientists, the eclipse will last over seven minutes. Their secret? Following the shadow of the Moon in two retrofitted WB-57F jet planes. Amir Caspi of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and his team will use two of NASA's WB-57F research jets to chase the darkness across America on Aug. 21. Taking observations from twin telescopes mounted on the noses of the planes, Caspi will capture the clearest images of the Sun's outer atmosphere -- the corona -- to date and the first-ever thermal images of Mercury, revealing how temperature varies across the planet's surface. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center The two planes, launching from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will observe the total eclipse for about three and a half minutes each as they fly over Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee. By flying high in the stratosphere, observations taken with onboard telescopes will avoid looking through the majority of Earth's atmosphere, greatly improving image quality. At the planes' cruising altitude of 50,000 feet, the sky is 20-30 times darker than as seen from the ground, and there is much less atmospheric turbulence, allowing fine structures and motions in the Sun's corona to be visible. Images of the Sun will primarily be captured at visible light wavelengths, specifically the green light given off by highly ionized iron, superheated by the corona. This light is best for showing the fine structures in the Sun's outer atmosphere. These images are complementary to space-based telescopes, like NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which takes images primarily in ultraviolet light and does not have the capacity for the high-speed imagery that can be captured aboard the WB-57F. Observations of Mercury will also be taken a half-hour before and after totality, when the sky is still relatively dark. These images, taken in the infrared, will be the first attempt to map the variation of temperature across the surface of the planet. Mercury rotates much slower than Earthone Mercurial day is approximately 59 Earth daysso the night side cools to a few hundred degrees below zero while the dayside bakes at a toasty 800 F. The images will show how quickly the surface cools, allowing scientists to know what the soil is made of and how dense it is. These results will give scientists insight into how Mercury and other rocky planets may have formed. The images of the corona will also allow the team to search for a hypothesized family of asteroids called vulcanoids. Its thought these objects orbit between the Sun and Mercury, and are leftover from the formation of the solar system. If discovered, vulcanoids could change what scientists understand about planet formation. The Twitter messages of Donald J. Trump, the entrepreneurial businessman turned US president, show that he is creative, competitive and a rule-breaker, but also has neurotic tendencies. An analysis of Trump's tweets and what implications his personality traits have for political leadership are the focus of a study published in Springer's journal Small Business Economics. Since joining the social media platform Twitter in 2009 to May 2017, Trump has issued more than 35 000 messages. This amounts to about twelve tweets a day. With 30 million followers, he is the second most followed politician on Twitter after his predecessor, Barack Obama, who on average tweeted about four times a day. The researchers, Martin Obschonka from the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, and Christian Fisch from Trier University in Germany analyzed how aspects of Trump's personality are revealed in the language he used in 3200 tweets issued by October 2016 (before he became president). They used established software for assessment of language and text for psychological purposes. Trump's language use and online personality were also compared with that of 105 other influential and famous business managers (including Google's Eric Schmidt, HP's Meg Whitman, and Apple's Tim Cook) and entrepreneurs (including Tesla's Elon Musk, Dell's Michael Dell, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos) who are not on the political stage. Their results indicate that Trump is indeed a distinct type of person who shows strong features of a so-called Schumpeterian personality that is said to be typical of successful entrepreneurs. This personality was described by Joseph Schumpeter in the 1930s as being very creative, change-orientated, competitive and rule-breaking. The analysis further indicates that Trump has neurotic tendencies, and experiences underlying low well-being. "These traits are rather untypical for entrepreneurs since working as an entrepreneur may not only require emotional stability and optimism but also be able to increase happiness due to procedural utility," explains Obschonka, who adds that neuroticism isn't necessarily all bad, for it can also stimulate competitiveness. "Maybe this high neuroticism is a major motivator to succeed in Trump's entrepreneurial projects in his business life, but also in his role as political leader," speculates Fisch. "If social distinction is a core principle of the entrepreneurial personality, then we clearly see this principle reflected in his unusual personality profile," says Fisch. "Many experts agree that really successful entrepreneurs not only dare to be different - they are different." The researchers speculate that having entrepreneurial personality traits could be advantageous in leading and governing an entrepreneurial society as a top-down process. But they stress that leading a company is very different from leading a country and it is unclear whether political leaders with an extremely entrepreneurial personality can indeed act strictly entrepreneurially in their highly responsible role. More information: Martin Obschonka et al, Entrepreneurial personalities in political leadership, Small Business Economics (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11187-017-9901-7 Provided by Springer The atmospheric superrotation at the upper clouds of Venus. While the superrotation is present in both day and night sides of Venus, it seems more uniform in the day (AKATSUKI-UVI image at 360 nm, right side), while in the night this seems to become more irregular and unpredictable (composite of Venus Express/VIRTIS images ar 3.8 m, left). Credit: JAXA, ESA, J. Peralta (JAXA) and R. Hueso (UPV/EHU) Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin because both planets share a similar size and sur-face composition. Also, they both have atmospheres with complex weather systems. But that is about where the similarities end: Venus is one the most hostile places in our solar system. Its atmosphere consists of 96.5 percent carbon dioxide, with surface temperatures of con-stantly about 500 degrees Celsius. Venus is a slowly rotating planetit needs about 243 ter-restrial days to complete one rotation. We would expect its atmosphere to rotate with the same rhythm, but in fact it takes only four days. This phenomenon is called superrotation, and it causes substantial turbulences in the planet's atmosphere. The scientists do not yet fully understand its origin and motor, but are working on an answer to this puzzle. The many waves in the planet's atmosphere may play an important role. The research results were generated by an international collaboration headed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Experts in space and astronautical science and astrophysics from universities and institutions in Ja-pan, Spain, Italy, and Germany are cooperating in the project. From Germany, the Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Cologne and the Center for Astron-omy and Astrophysics at Technische Universitat Berlin are involved. The research team analysed data generated by the spacecraft Venus Express to investigate components of Venus's complex atmosphere, including thermal measurements with regard to horizontal and vertical wave patterns. The data also included first global measurements from the tracking of individual features in thermal emission images at 3.8 and 5.0 m (micrometer) during 2006-2008 and 2015. Vertical information in unison with horizontal data help to understand the nature of the ob-served wave patterns. The vertical information from the VeRa instrument (an atmosphere experiment where radio waves sent by spacecraft Venus Express are being analysed) could help to identify the observed waves as gravity waves. This, in turn, is crucial for the analysis of atmospheric processes. The mysterious fast filaments as seen on the nightside upper clouds of Venus with the instrument VIRTIS onboard Venus Express. Credit: ESA, S. Naito (Acamon), R. Hueso (UPV/EHU) and J. Peralta (JAXA) Dr. Silvia Tellmann is Vice-Director of the Department of Planetary Research at the Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Cologne. She is an expert on the structure, dynamics, and circulation of planetary atmospheres and a co-author of the study. 'We were able to relate the stationary gravity waves found at higher altitudes with the surface elevations of Venus', she says. 'Hence, the waves can be explained with wind currents caused by topographical obstacles. We assume that these stationary waves are substantial for the continuity of the superrotation in the atmosphere of Venus.' Examples of new types of cloud morphology discovered on the night side of Venus thanks to Venus Express (ESA) and the infrared telescope IRTF (NASA): stationary waves (Venus Express, up-left corner), "net" patterns (IRTF, up-right), mysterious filaments (Venus Express, down-left) and dynamical instabilities (Venus Express, down-right). Credit: ESA, NASA, J. Peralta (JAXA) and R. Hueso (UPV/EHU) More information: J. Peralta et al, Stationary waves and slowly moving features in the night upper clouds of Venus, Nature Astronomy (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-017-0187 Journal information: Nature Astronomy The terminus of the Taku Glacier, in the images at left, advanced more than three miles from 1933 to 2016, as reflected by the yellow and blue lines superimposed on the photographs. The location of the red dot on a mountain in the top image matches the location of the righthand red dot in the lower image. The images and lines at right show the Columbia Glacier's retreat from 1985 to 2016. Credit: Image courtesy of Douglas Brinkerhoff, from photography by the US Navy, the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Martin Truffer and the Landsat 7 and 8 satellites via US Geological Survey A University of Alaska Fairbanks study looking at the physics of tidewater glaciers has yielded new insights into what drives their retreat-and-advance cycles and the role that climate plays in these cycles. Lead author and UAF geophysics doctoral student Douglas Brinkerhoff said the study in Nature Communications reveals that shifting sediments drive the cycles among tidewater glaciers in temperate climates such as southern Alaska. The study also reveals that these glaciers don't need periods of warming within the temperate climates to trigger the glacier's retreat, as previously thought. "Tidewater glaciers can advance further into the ocean by riding on top of a pile of their own sediment, but this can get them into trouble," said Brinkerhoff. "Eventually the glacier snout slows down, but it continues to push that sediment pile further out to sea, essentially pulling the rug out from under itself. When the glacier floats, there's no resistance at its base holding it back and the whole floating part tends to disintegrate." The findings stem from a mathematical model that Brinkerhoff developed to better understand the periodic retreats and advances of glaciers that flow into the ocean. One-third of Alaska's approximately 60 tidewater glaciers are advancing as part of this cycle, despite the otherwise widespread glacier loss. The advances usually last several centuries, while the retreats take only decades. This illustration shows a tidewater glacier slowly advancing on a sediment pile. The melting glacier terminus eventually begins to erode the sediment pile. That undercuts the ice's support and triggers a rapid collapse, in a process explained by a new model developed by a University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher. Credit: Illustration by Meghan Murphy Co-author Martin Truffer, a glaciologist with UAF's Geophysical Institute, said that glaciologist Austin Post first noted the tidewater glacier cycles in the 1970s. He saw that sediment piles developed in the ocean in front of advancing glaciers. These piles allowed the glaciers to extend their advance, followed by often catastrophic collapse and retreat. "While the work of Austin Post and others clearly showed that the erosion, evacuation and deposition of glacial sediments play an important role, the work reported here managed, for the first time, to capture all the relevant processes in one single model," said Truffer. Brinkerhoff said that many scientists believed that warming periods within the temperate climate triggered the extended glacier to collapse. They thought that the extended part of the glacier was vulnerable to slight periods of warming because it was flatter and at sea level. But the model shows that the extended portion of the glacier would collapse even without these warming periods because the glacier erodes the pile supporting it. Martin Truffer drills holes for explosives in the surface of Taku Glacier. The explosions produce seismic waves that bounce off the sediment below the glacier, providing information about its thickness and character. Credit: Douglas Brinkerhoff Co-author Andy Aschwanden, a modeler with UAF's Geophysical Institute, said that tidewater glaciers in climates colder than Alaska, such as southeastern Greenland or the northern Antarctic Peninsula, generally do not exhibit a cycle yet. "The model suggests if temperatures keep rising some of the tidewater glaciers in colder areas may start to advance, even though that seems counterintuitive," Aschwanden said. To develop and test the model, Brinkerhoff used observations from glaciers such as Prince William Sound's Columbia Glacier, which started retreating in 1985. He said they also looked at advancing tidewater glaciers such as Hubbard Glacier, which has a submarine pile in front of it, and Taku Glacier near Juneau, the terminus of which now rests on an exposed pile of sediment. More information: Douglas Brinkerhoff et al, Sediment transport drives tidewater glacier periodicity, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00095-5 Journal information: Nature Communications How To Use Customer Service As a Loyalty-Building Tool Good customer service is an important goal for any company. Customers who have bad experiences are not only unlikely to come back, but are also likely to spread the bad word to friends and associates or to publish bad reviews on review sites. In addition, its six times more expensive to obtain a new customer than it is to retain an old one. Offering quality customer service is an excellent way to build customer loyalty. Retailers can use a variety of means to improve customer service and grow customer loyalty. Personalization, highly trained staff members, beacon technology, strategies for dealing with showrooming, and offering a wide choice of customer service channels can all enhance customer loyalty. Heres how to use each of those methods to improve your business customer service: Personalize We live in the age of data and retailers who use the information they collect on their customers send relevant offers that are valuable to the customer. As a result, they see improved sales and greater customer loyalty. In a recent National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Mindy Heintskill, Vice President of Loyalty and Personalized Marketing for Walgreens affirmed that personalization is the key to the success of their Balance Rewards program. Heintskill says that messages based on customer purchase history and preferences help them retain loyal customers. Discounts and offers on products a customer likes and alerts on new products that might be of interest to a customer are effective ways to provide personalized marketing. Train your staff Yes, a good staff is the key to excellent customer service. Make sure your employees are well-trained on products, procedures and policies. Staff members should know the merchandise inside and out and have a high level of understanding of store policy, sales, promotions, loyalty clubs, and events. They should be able to solve the problem as quickly as possible and know which steps to take in order to provide the customer with a solution. Any customer should be able to approach any salesperson and receive the information theyre looking for without having to go through other channels or ask other staff members. Feel free to borrow Steve Jobs five principles of customer service (who expanded on the Ritz-Carltons three steps): Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome Probe politely to understand all the customers needs Present a solution for the customer to take home today Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return Give them options for customer service channels Customers today are using multiple devices when theyre shopping and customer service has had to evolve to provide shoppers with optimal service on all of the platforms they use. However, its not enough to offer channels for customers to contact you through you also have to understand their needs and expectations that are unique to each platform: Via text messaging. Automated texting is great for time-sensitive customer communication: order status checks, alerts about new inventory items, reminders for payments and deliveries, etc. Why? 98 percent of texts are open vs. 22 percent of emails. On social media. 42 percent of customers expect a response in an hour or less when they reach out via social media. Make sure youre equipped to provide quick and effective responses on this channel. In person. Though 44 percent of customers believe that digital and self-service are the best customer service options, 83 percent say that in-store customer service will always be an essential part of good customer service. Also, be proactive and collect feedback from your customer on a regular basis. A quick mobile poll or survey shared via email and social media can help ask about their experience and preferences. Otherwise, the unsatisfied customers can keep silence but never visit your store again. Employ beacon technology Beacons are the digital lighthouses that are linked to your brands app. In fact, when you adopt beacon technology for your business, you can do away with loyalty physical cards and make everything digitalized. Its more convenient for you to keep track of information gathered through your app and more convenient for the customer to not have to take their physical card when they go shopping. If a customer has downloaded your app, you can use beacon technology to let you know when the customer enters your store and what area of the store they seem to be spending the most time in. If theyre paused in the section for headphones, you may want to ping them with a discount on headphones. Anticipating customer needs and interests cuts down on them having to hunt for products and offering a discount shows that you value their business and wish to reward them for stopping by. Work with showrooming A customer enters your store and browses through your merchandise while researching on the internet for similar products at better prices. This is an inevitable part of retail nowadays and businesses are better off trying to find ways to work with showrooming rather than fighting against it. One way to use showrooming to your advantage is to offer price matching. If a customer is able to show you a better price, offer to match it. Make sure you advertise your price-matching policy with in-store banners, on your website and across social media. Though most customers are looking for prices, many are also looking at product reviews. Make sure your merchandise is getting reviewed on popular review sites (like Amazon Customer Reviews, Angies List, Consumer Report, Google My Business and Yelp) so customers who are looking for quality are tempted to buy at your store. A focus on quality customer service can greatly enhance your customer loyalty. Employ effective methods like sending personalized messages based on customer purchase histories and make sure your staff members are well trained in customer service and knowledgeable about your products. Remember to use different communication platforms so that your customers choose the one thats most convenient to them this impacts customer loyalty too. Alexa Lemzy is the customer service manager and content editor at TextMagic, a texting solution for business. She manages client relationships every day, and does her best to learn every lesson of this uneasy yet fascinating craft. Alexa loves to share her advice about customer loyalty building and small business development. You can check out her Twitter. Similar POS Articles: Growth of Multi-Channel and Omni Channel Payments Multichannel Retailing: An Effective Marketing Concept Customer Loyalty Systems for Restaurants are Indispensable Taking Coupon Personalization to a New Level Segment Customers To Send The Right Email Message Every Time Save Save Save Save Como Brings Enterprise-Level Customer Engagement to Every U.S. Brick-and-Mortar Business NEW YORK, July 19, 2017 Como (www.como.com), a global leader in cloud-based customer engagement solutions, has expanded its product offering with the launch of Como Sense Express, which gets businesses set up fast with personalized loyalty programs, a branded mobile app, and actionable data and BI. The POS-integrated product is an entry-level version of the full Como Sense customer engagement and loyalty platform, which is proven to deliver results including a 48% increase in monthly purchase frequency. Until now, restaurant owners and small retailers have found it difficult to run their own loyalty program. They typically employ outdated stamp cards or generic points programs that reveal little about their loyal customers. They are impeded from using smarter, deeper loyalty solutions by implementation requirements, service costs, and lack of skilled staff, says Yair Holtzer, Como cofounder and head of Como US office, which officially launched its operations a short time ago. With Como Sense Express, we have eliminated those barriers by integrating with the business POS provider. Now, small brick-and-mortar chains can finally establish an effective two-way relationship with their customers while running a data-driven loyalty program with proven ROI, adds Holtzer. The new product is based on the same technology as the full Como Sense solution, which is used by hundreds of businesses including Burger King and Quiznos, but with increased ease of use and affordability. The best thing about Como Sense Express is that business owners can continue working with their current POS provider, since that provider will set up the solution and furnish ongoing support, says Holtzer. To that end, Como has integrated with leading POS providers such as NCR, Revel Systems, MICROS, POSitouch, and others that will offer Como Sense and Como Sense Express to their customers. To date, Como is the leading company in POS integrations across the globe with more than 75 integrations. Come meet us at our booth at the RSPA RetailNOW 2017 conference, Aug 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. About Como Como empowers small and midsize chains to maximize revenue per customer and business growth with Como Sense, the end-to-end customer engagement solution inside your POS. Our Swiss Army knife of tools enables businesses to engage customers personally through multiple channels, and offer loyalty programs that bring them back. Como Sense integrates with POS software to create a cloud-based solution where all the tools work together: a branded mobile app, connectivity with any third-party services, and deep business insights as well as the means to act on them with relevant marketing programs and incentives. Burger King, Quiznos, and Conway are some of the major chains in Comos client portfolio. Our global partner network includes POS companies such as Revel Systems, MICROS, MicroSale, and PAR. Como has been pioneering customer engagement technology in the cloud since 2005. For more information, visit www.como.com. Other POS News: Save Maldivian troops blockaded parliament and clashed with opposition leaders for a second day, witnesses said Tuesday, as political turmoil escalated in the troubled honeymoon islands. The latest turbulence came as the United Kingdom urged its citizens to take caution in the capital Male after soldiers tear gassed protesting politicians there. Soldiers barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the heavily guarded parliament complex again Tuesday, with witnesses reporting shoving as MPs were forced back from the barricade. "Even when parliament is not in session, MPs are free to go to the building and attend to their work, but it is not allowed now," MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told AFP. "This is ridiculous." The parliament gates were padlocked by soldiers Monday in a move described as illegal by exiled Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. An opposition coalition, united against President Abdulla Yameen, had been threatening to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker in a bid to impeach the president's ally. But MPs trying to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted. Yameen's office said in a statement Tuesday that parliament was closed ahead of an "incoming VVIP visit". Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the Maldives as the tropical island nation celebrates its 52nd anniversary, the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said. "The special measures taken by the security forces at the parliament building on 24 July 2017 were to ensure the security and safety of the premises, as mandated by the... constitution," Yameen's office said. Residents said security in Male, a congested capital just one-square mile (two square kilometres) in size, was tighter than usual. The UK government urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and protests following the disturbance around the parliament building. "Previous demonstrations and political protests have led to violence and arrests," the updated travel summary said. Months of political upheaval in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymoon paradise. The United States and other nations have urged the Maldives to safeguard democracy amid a crackdown by Yameen on his political opponents, most of whom are in exile or jail. The opposition coalition, led by Nasheed, wants to defeat Yameen at elections next year but is struggling with its leadership in tatters. Earlier this month they secured enough support from government defectors to begin impeachment proceedings against the speaker, hoping to weaken Yameen's grip on parliament. However the parliament secretariat declared the impeachment motion was invalid, scheduling the next sitting on July 31. The first attempt to impeach the speaker in March triggered chaos when troops acting on Yameen's orders stormed parliament and removed dissenting opponents by force. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically-elected president in 2008, but was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a controversial 2013 election run-off. In 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. He now lives in exile in Britain. US President Donald Trump on Monday announced he had ended a program to support rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it was "massive, dangerous, and wasteful." The comments came days after General Tony Thomas, the head of US special operations confirmed that the four-year-old operation was brought to a close but denied the decision was motivated by a desire to placate Russia, which backs the Assad regime. "The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad....." Trump tweeted. The missive appeared to be a response to an article by the newspaper published hours earlier and titled "Cooperation with Russia becomes central to Trump strategy in Syria." It quoted anonymous officials as saying "the United States and its proxies would concede Assad's control of most of central and southern Syria" in return for Moscow and its allies steering clear of US coalition operations against the Islamic State group. The United States and Russia agreed on creating de-escalation zones in southern Syria at their first meeting at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this month. Former president Barack Obama approved the rebel aid program in 2013 as various insurgent groups sought external support in a general uprising against the Assad regime. Thousands of Syrian anti-government fighters were trained and armed. But the US commitment remained ambiguous amid doubts in some quarters that the rebels could actually manage to depose Assad and as attention turned to the rising power of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Support for the program further eroded last year after the rebels lost the areas they held in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a brutal Russian-backed government assault. US officials said last week that some of the anti-Assad forces could be absorbed into US military-supported groups fighting Islamic State. By John Walcott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Frustration is mounting among leading foreign policy officials in President Donald Trump's administration as they chafe at some policy and bureaucratic defeats and complain they lack independence to do their jobs, officials say. The clash between internationalists urging the traditional U.S. leadership role in the world and advocates of an "America First" approach has worn down foreign policy and intelligence professionals inside the government, according to the officials. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told friends he will be lucky to last a year in his job, according to a friend, while two officials said national security adviser H.R. McMaster was frustrated by what he sees as disorganization and indiscipline on key policy issues inside the White House. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Tillerson was "very upset at not having autonomy, independence and control over his own department and the ability to do the job the way the job ... is traditionally done." The source said he had heard nothing about any possible departure, but added: "The situation doesn't seem to be getting any better, and in some respects appears to be getting worse." R.C. Hammond, Tillerson's spokesman, denied Tillerson was considering leaving or that his frustrations were boiling over, saying he had "plenty of reasons to stay on the job, and all of them are important to America." "There's a desperate need for American leadership in the world and that's where the secretary's focussing his attention," he said. Tillerson scored a policy win last week when the administration certified, albeit reluctantly, that Iran was complying with the 2015 nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to restrain its atomic programme in exchange for sanctions relief. He was upset, however, by fierce internal criticism from Trump, as well as his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and White House aide Sebastian Gorka, over the decision, said another U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The secretary does not feel that White House staff members should be in a position to conduct hostile cross-(examinations) of Cabinet officials," the official said. Hammond disputed the account of harsh discord between Trump and Tillerson regarding recertifying the Iran nuclear deal, saying: "I don't buy this whole thing that there are tensions. Developing public policy is about vetting out ideas," he said. Following last month's move by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to boycott Qatar, which they accuse of financing extremist groups and supporting terrorism, Tillerson publicly asked the nations to ease their blockade, and put the onus on both sides to end the crisis. Less than 90 minutes later, Trump accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism and suggested he had helped plan the Qatar action with Arab leaders. "As a government we offered some confusing signals, but weve since been able to clear up and clarify that," Hammond said. Politico reported last month that Tillerson was furious with Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing proposed nominees to key State Department posts. 'DISRUPTIVE FIGURE' Senior national security officials said McMaster was dismayed that his recommendations, backed by his senior director for Russia, Fiona Hill, about taking a tough stance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been ignored. Trump has questioned the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to try to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. McMaster, a three-star Army general who once praised Trump as a "disruptive" figure, is also troubled by a protracted debate about sending more U.S. forces to help Afghanistan reverse gains by the Taliban, officials familiar with the matter told Reuters. Asked to respond to the characterisations of the views of McMaster and other officials, a White House official said: "Assertions not of fact but of state of mind in internal thought have no place in a story like this." While circumspect, Tillerson talked about the challenges of his new job earlier this month, telling reporters that it differed from his former role as chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp , where "I was the ultimate decision-maker. That always makes life easier." "I knew what to expect and we had very long-standing disciplined processes and decision-making," he said. "Those are not the characteristics of the United States government." (Additonal reporting by Steve Holland and Yeganeh Torbati; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Peter Cooney) Americas cattle ranchers are watching the new deal for beef exported to China closely. The first U.S. shipments began arriving there July 16. Buzz Tatom is a Partner and Ranch Sales Associate at Venture West Ranches in Montana. Tatom spoke with Small Business Trends about the challenges facing ranchers now considering the latest news. Challenges Faced by Cattle Ranchers Succession Planning Many American cattle ranches have been a one family operation for one hundred years or more. Some of these ranchers are somewhat challenged about how to transfer that ownership onto future generations, Tatom says. Finding out which children want to take over can be daunting enough. Transferring ownership for this type of asset is a big part of the challenge. Its important to keep communications open through the process. Establishing a common business vision is critical so everyone starts off on the same foot. Start with self assessments of each member of the family so they understand their strengths and weaknesses. Rushing the Sale Tatom says ranchers quite often want to rush the sale and transfer of ownership. Being hasty can cost unnecessary tax dollars. He suggests planning the sale or transfer of a ranch five to ten years in advance heads off tax problems at the pass. The ones that havent done any planning, theyre going to cost themselves tax dollars, he says. The Age of Ranchers The average age of the current rancher is about sixty years old. Over the next ten to fifteen years, a large percentage ( Tatom estimates around 70 percent) of American cattle ranches are going to change ownership. He says the implications are big. If we dont get ahead of this to some degree, this could be a potentially disruptive force for our food chain. The statistics hold up. The latest numbers from the USDA Census of Agriculture point to a steady rise in the age of farmers in general. In 1982, the average age of an American farmer was 50 years. By 2012, that number had risen to 58 years old. Government Regulations According to Tatom, a big challenge for American cattle ranchers is the mechanics working the levers of the futures market. He says that financial tool is manipulated by people that have no intention of ever taking delivery of he commodities theyre putting contracts down for. There are other issues. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Interior have been singled out for some time for implementing regulations many farmers see as growth killers . Corporate Ownership Historically farms and ranches in the United states are independent. Considering the other factors in play, consolidation and corporate ownership become a large possibility. However, its one Tatom wants to see avoided. Im certainly not anti-business, he says. I also believe theres a real underlying lifestyle with these farmers. Theyre real salt of the earth people and I would like to be part of giving them the option of not having to sell. According to Farm Policy Facts, this threat hasnt materialized yet. As of 2015, the USDAs Economic Research Service (ERS) reports 99% of U.S. farms were still structured as family farms. The following companies are subsidiares of Tyson Foods: APF Legacy Subs LLC, Advance Food Company LLC, AdvancePierre Foods, AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc., AdvancePierre Foods Inc., Aidells Sausage Company Inc., Allied Specialty Foods Inc., American Proteins Inc, Artisan Bread Co. LLC, Australian Food Corporation Pty Limited, Australian Food Corporation Trust, BRF, Barber Foods LLC, Bosco's Pizza Co., Bryan Foods Inc., C.S. Grain LLC, C.V. Holdings Inc., CBFA Management Corp., Central Industries Inc., Chefs Pantry LLC, Clovervale Farms LLC, Cobb (Hubei) Breeding Co. Ltd., Cobb (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Cobb Ana Damizlik Tavukculuk Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cobb Columbia S.A.S., Cobb Europe B.V., Cobb Europe Limited, Cobb Peru (Andina) S.A.C., Cobb-Heritage LLC, Cobb-Vantress Brasil Ltda, Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cobb-Vantress New Zealand Limited, Cobb-Vantress Philippines Inc., Coominya AFC Pty Limited, Coominya AFC Trust, DFG Foods Inc., DFG Foods L.L.C., Don Julio, Egbert LLC, Equity Group - Georgia Division LLC, Equity Group - Kentucky Division LLC, Equity Group Eufaula Division LLC, Equity Meat Corp., Flavor Corp., Flavor Holdings Inc., Foodbrands America Inc., Foodbrands Supply Chain Services Inc., Gallo Salame Inc., Global Employment Services Inc., Grow-Out Credit LLC, Grow-Out Holdings LLC, Haimen Tyson Poultry Development Co. Ltd, Hudson Foods Company, Hudson Midwest Foods Inc., Hybro Genetics Brasil Ltda, IBP Caribbean Inc., IBP Foodservice L.L.C., IBP Inc., International Affiliates & Investment LLC, Jiangsu Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Keydutch Finance B.V., Keydutch Holdings I LLC, Keydutch Holdings II LLC, Keydutch Investments B.V., Keystone CLJV Holdings Limited, Keystone County House Road LLC, Keystone Foods, Keystone Foods (AP) Limited, Keystone Foods Holdco LLC, Keystone Foods Intermediate LLC, Keystone Foods LLC, Keystone Foods Pty Limited, Keystone Management Inc., Keystone Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, LD Foods LLC, M & M Express LLC, M&M Restaurant Supply (MI/OH) LLC, MFG (USA) Holdings Inc., Mac Food Services (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., Madison Foods Inc., McKey Food Services (Hong Kong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Shandong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Thailand) Limited, McKey Food Services Limited, McKey Luxembourg Holdings APMEA S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg S.a.r.l., McKey VI Holdings Limited, Myung Seung Food Company Ltd., National Comp Care Inc., New Canada Holdings Inc., Oaklawn Capital Corporation, Oaklawn IT Solution Private Limited, Original Philly Holdings Inc., PBX inc., Pierre Holdco Inc., River Valley Ingredients LLC, Rizhao Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Rizhao Tyson Poultry Co. Ltd, Rural Energy Systems Inc., Sara Lee - Kiwi Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Diversified LLC, Sara Lee Foods LLC, Sara Lee Household & Body Care Malawi Ltd., Sara Lee International LLC, Sara Lee International TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Mexicana Holdings Investment L.L.C., Sara Lee TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Trademark Holdings Australasia LLC, Saramar L.L.C., Shandong Tyson-Da Long Food Company Limited, Smart Chicken, Southern Family Foods L.L.C., Southwest Products LLC, TF 20 B.V., TF 5201 B.V., TFA Leasing LLC, TFA Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, TFI of California Inc., Tecumseh Poultry LLC, Texas Transfer Inc., The Bruss Company, The Hillshire Brands Company, The IBP Foods Co., The Pork Group Inc., TyNet Corporation, Tyson (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Tyson Americas Holding Sarl, Tyson Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Tyson Breeders Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Tyson China Holding 2 Limited, Tyson China Holding 3 Limited, Tyson China Holding Limited, Tyson Deli Inc., Tyson Europe Holding Company, Tyson Farms Inc., Tyson Farms QOZB LLC, Tyson Foods Brasil Investimentos Ltda., Tyson Foods Canada Inc., Tyson Foods Europe (Netherlands) B.V., Tyson Foods Europe GmbH, Tyson Foods France S.A.R.L., Tyson Foods Germany GmbH, Tyson Foods Group Limited, Tyson Foods Holland B.V., Tyson Foods Huadong Development Co. Ltd, Tyson Foods Iberia Alimentos S.L.U., Tyson Foods Italia S.p.A., Tyson Foods Korea, Tyson Foods Netherlands B.V., Tyson Foods Products Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Europe Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Sales (Europe) Limited, Tyson Foods UK Limited, Tyson Foods Wrexham Limited, Tyson Foods oosterwolde B.V., Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats Sales and Distribution LLC, Tyson Global Holding Sarl, Tyson Hog Markets Inc., Tyson India Holdings Ltd., Tyson International APAC Ltd., Tyson International Company Ltd., Tyson International Holding Company, Tyson International Holding Sarl, Tyson International Service Center Inc., Tyson International Service Center Inc. Asia, Tyson International Service Center Inc. Europe, Tyson Mexican Original Inc., Tyson Mexico Trading Company S. de R.L. de CV., Tyson New Ventures LLC, Tyson Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, Tyson Pet Products Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Prepared Foods Inc., Tyson Processing Services Inc., Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats Inc., Tyson Sales and Distribution Inc., Tyson Service Center Corp., Tyson Shared Services Inc., Tyson Storm Lake Holdings LLC, Tyson Warehousing Services LLC, Tyson of Wisconsin LLC, Uninex SA, Universal Meats (UK) Limited, WBA Analytical Laboratories Inc., Wilton Foods Inc., Xamol Consultores e Servicos, and Zemco Industries Inc.. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hemmelrath International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Karl Woerwag Lack-und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holdings Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, Milamar Coatings LLC, OOO Tikkurila, PPG A P Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc./PPG Revetements Architecturaux Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l, PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG Business Services S.A. de C.V., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG Finland Oy, PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Investment (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Refinish Distribution Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG Reunion SAS, PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Korlatolt FelelosseguTarasasag (PPG Trilak Kft.), PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Tikkurila Oyj, Tikkurila Sverige AB, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, VF Specialty Products LLC, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., VersaFlex Acquisition Corp., VersaFlex Inc., VersaFlex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, and Worwag Coatings. Read More Carter's, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, and markets branded childrenswear under the Carter's, OshKosh, Skip Hop, Child of Mine, Just One You, Simple Joys, Carter's My First Love, little planet, and other brands in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International. Its Carter's products include babies and young children products, such as bodysuits, pants, dresses, knit sets, blankets, layette essentials, bibs, booties, sleep and play products, rompers, and jumpers; and OshKosh brand products comprise playclothes, such as denim apparel products with multiple wash treatments and coordinating garments, overalls, woven bottoms, knit tops, and bodysuits. The company also provides products for playtime, travel, mealtime, bathtime, and homegear, as well as kid's bags and diaper bags under the Skip Hop brand. In addition, it offers bedding, cribs, diaper bags, footwear, gift sets, hair accessories, jewelry, outerwear, paper goods, socks, shoes, swimwear, and toys. The company operates 18,800 wholesale locations, including department stores, national chain stores, and specialty stores. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 980 retail stores. The company also sells its products through its eCommerce websites, such as carters.com, oshkoshbgosh.com, oshkosh.com, and skiphop.com, as well as other international wholesale accounts and licensees. Carter's, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. provides automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items for domestic and imported cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and light and heavy duty trucks. The company offers battery accessories; belts and hoses; brakes and brake pads; chassis and climate control parts; clutches and drive shafts; engines and engine parts; exhaust systems and parts; hub assemblies; ignition components and wires; radiators and cooling parts; starters and alternators; and steering and alignment parts. It also offers air conditioning chemicals and accessories; air fresheners; antifreeze and washer fluids; electrical wires and fuses; electronics; floor mats, seat covers, and interior accessories; hand and specialty tools; lighting products; performance parts; sealants, adhesives and compounds; tire repair accessories; vent shades, mirrors and exterior accessories; washes, waxes and cleaning supplies; and wiper blades. In addition, the company offers air filters; fuel and oil additives; fuel filters; grease and lubricants; motor oils; oil filters, part cleaners and treatments; and transmission fluids for engine maintenance. Further, it offers battery and wiper installation; engine light scanning and checking; electrical system testing; video clinic; oil and battery recycling; and loaner tool program services. Additionally, the company sells its products through its website. It serves professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. The company operates stores under the Advance Auto Parts, Autopart International, and Carquest brands, as well as branches under the Worldpac name. As of April 23, 2022, it operated 4,687 stores and 311 branches in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada; and served 1,318 independently owned Carquest branded stores in Mexico, Grand Cayman, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. US president Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in April. Relations between the two countries have since cooled over the Korean Peninsula question (Rex) China is thought to have begun strengthening its defences along its border with North Korea in preparation for a potential US missile strike. Beijing is preparing for a crisis in the country, with which it shares a 880-mile border, and has been moving forces from surrounding regions to the frontier. The move comes after the US stepped up rhetoric against the North Korean regime, which has ambitions of creating nuclear weapons. Earlier in the month, Pyongyang carried out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it said was capable of reaching anywhere in the world. The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, described the successful test as a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region and the world. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese measures include the establishment of a new border defence brigade and 24-hour video surveillance of the board backed by drones. Bunkers to protect against nuclear and chemical strikes have also been installed. China said its forces maintain a normal state of combat readiness and training on the border, but experts suggest troops have been mobilised in preparation nearby. A spokesman said: Military means shouldnt be an option to solve the Korean Peninsula issue. However, China has been strengthening its defences along the border since Pyongyangs first nuclear test in 2006. This includes building a fence along parts of the border and stepping up patrols. It is reportedly preparing for a crisis in the country, which could result in millions fleeing to China. This includes the possibility of economic collapse or a US missile strike. Donald Trump, who established an unusually cordial relationship with China in the early days of his premiership, has since pressured the country to be firmer with North Korea. MORE: North Korea warns Donald Trump it will soon be able to destroy New York with nuclear missiles MORE: Would Donald Trump actually attack North Korea? In April, after meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump hailed the tremendous progress made between the two countries. Story continues However, the US has since imposed sanctions on a Chinese bank for doing business with North Korea, and reinstated an arms deals with Taiwan, which is likely to have angered Beijing. After the missile test earlier in the month, North Koreas Kim Jong-Un publicly mocked the US calling the launch a gift for Independence Day. Shortly after, China urged calm from both from sides, warning that rhetoric could lead to war. 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, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. This week, a top US army chief warned that war between the United States and North Korea would be unlike any we have experienced. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: Many people have talked about military options with words like unimaginable. I would shift that slightly to horrific. It would be a loss of life unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes and I mean anyone whos been alive since World War II has never seen the loss of life that could occur if theres a conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Read more from Yahoo News UK British Muslim teen kidnapped, raped and murdered for dating Arab Muslim TV star admits to setting up accidents to teach his toddlers a lesson Yazidi girl held captive by Isis reveals she was raped every day for six months American doctor was wicked to give Charlie Gards patents false hope People staged a demonstration in the entrance to a Sydney Commonwealth Bank on Monday, July 24, calling on the bank to refuse to help finance a major coal mine project planned by the Adani Group for Queensland. We are playing games at CommBanks head office to represent the bank playing games with our future by not ruling out funding Adanis coal mine, Byron Smith, a protester who was inside the building, said in a post to the Stop Adani Sydney Facebook page. By considering Adanis disastrous coal mine while climate change is already affecting us, CommBank are playing games with our future. Construction looks to soon begin on the northern Queensland project, according to Sky News. It was given approval in June, and amendments were made to the Native Title Act that allowed for the project to move forward, The Australian reported. The mine will account for 17 per cent of the states annual coal output, the Townsville Bulletin reported. Credit: Instagram/coal_bank via Storyful Greenland ice sheet is 3km thick (Rex) The growth of dark algae on the Greenland ice sheet may cause it melt faster and faster, scientists have warned. Warmer weather has caused algae to appear on the sheets surface, changing the very complexion of the countrys landscape. Unlike white ice, dark algae absorbs the suns heat, accelerating the melting process. Scientists, who have begun a new five-year research project, called Black and Bloom, to investigate the trend, admit they are very worried by the problem. The Greenland ice sheet, which is up to 3km thick and spans 1.71 million km, would raise sea levels by seven metres if it all melted. Professor Martyn Tranter of Bristol University, who is leading the project, told the BBC: People are very worried about the possibility that the ice sheet might be melting faster and faster in the future. We suspect that in a warming climate these dark algae will grow over larger and larger parts of the Greenland ice sheet and it might well be that they will cause more melting and an acceleration of sea level rise. Our project is trying to understand just how much melting might occur. Dr Joe Cook, a glacial microbiologist at Sheffield University, described Greenland as a living landscape. Read more from Yahoo News UK British Muslim teen kidnapped, raped and murdered for dating Arab Muslim TV star admits to setting up accidents to teach his toddlers a lesson Yazidi girl held captive by Isis reveals she was raped every day for six months American doctor was wicked to give Charlie Gards patents false hope This is an extremely difficult place for anything to live but, as we look around us, all this darkness we can see on the ice surface is living algae, microbes, living and reproducing in the ice sheet and changing its colour, he said. We know theyre very widespread and we know that theyre very dark and we know that thats accelerating melt but thats not something thats built into any of our climate projections and thats something that needs to change. Similarly, it has been reported that plant life has been growing at rapid rates on Antarctica as a result of global warming. Researchers say they found a sharp increase in the biological activity of moss in Earths southernmost continent in the last 50 years. JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) has warned of an escalating threat of forest fires with the dry season expected to peak in coming months, while hot spots detected in the province of Aceh have already been causing choking smoke. Fires had spread to around 64 hectares (158 acres) of fields and forests in Aceh, a northern province on the island of Sumatra, producing haze and some residents had been taken to hospital due to breathing problem, the agency said on Tuesday. "The peak of the dry season is predicted to be in August and September, so the threat of forest and field fires, and drought will escalate," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for BNPB said in a statement. The fires in Aceh started on Tuesday last week and authorities are still trying to extinguish them in some areas. Meanwhile, a satellite image showed 170 hot spots across Indonesia as of Monday evening, Nugroho said. Indonesia is regularly hit by forest fires, which can result in choking smoke blowing across to neighbouring countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Indonesia suffered some its worst forest fires in 2015, hitting mainly the island of Sumatra and in Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo island. The World Bank, citing government data, said that 2.6 million hectares (6.4 million acres) of land in Indonesia burned between June and October 2015, causing $16 billion of estimated economic damage. Draining and conversion of peatland, often driven by palm oil plantations, contributed to the intensity of haze from the fires, the World Bank said. The head of Indonesia's Peatland Restoration Agency told a conference in May there would be "no more haze going to the neighbours", as authorities implemented new measure to combat fires, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported. Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry said on Monday she wanted to make permanent a current moratorium on issuing new licences to use land designated as primary forest and peatland. By November last year, the government has put more than 66 million hectares under the coverage of the moratorium. (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Ed Davies and) BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's justice ministry froze some of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's bank accounts, the ministry and her legal team said on Monday, in relation to a $1 billion fine imposed by the ruling junta over her administration's rice-subsidy programme. She has filed a court petition to revoke the freezing of her bank accounts and to grant an injunction to suspend asset seizures, saying they were unlawful. Yingluck, whose government was ousted by the junta in a 2014 coup, will deliver a closing statement in a separate criminal case over the rice subsidies next week. The programme, which helped Yingluck sail to victory in a 2011 election, bought rice from farmers at above-market rates and distorted global prices but proved popular with rural voters. Finance Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse told reporters on Monday that government committees submitted details of 12 bank accounts which belong to Yingluck to the Legal Execution Department, which then took action. Yingluck received a formal notice about her frozen accounts from the department on Monday, her legal team said. Yingluck declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Her supporters have accused the courts of bias in frequently ruling against Yingluck and her family members. The rice scheme was a policy engineered by Yingluck's brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup and lives abroad, to avoid a two-year prison sentence from 2008 for graft in a land purchase case. Thaksin won the hearts of voters in the populous northeast and the north but made enemies among the powerful, military-backed Bangkok elite. In 2015, a military-appointed legislature banned Yingluck from politics for five years after finding her guilty of mismanaging the rice scheme. The Supreme Court will give its verdict in the criminal case against Yingluck on Aug. 25. Yingluck, who says the trial against her is politically motivated, faces up to 10 years in prison if she is found guilty of negligence over her role in the scheme. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Louise Ireland) By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two members of a teenage robotics team from Burundi who went missing after a competition in Washington last week have been located and are safe, the city's Metropolitan Police Department said on Tuesday. The teens, Don Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, were spotted last week crossing the border into Canada. The Metropolitan Police Department would not say on Tuesday where or when they were found, citing department procedures for missing persons. "The others are still missing, so the case is still under investigation," police spokeswoman Karimah Bilal said. Four boys and two girls from the African nation were last seen on July 18 after the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge concluded. Organizers have said the disappearance may have been "self-initiated" because the students' hotel keys were left in a chaperone's bag while their clothes were taken. Police have said they did not suspect foul play. The Burundian embassies in Ottawa and Washington said they were unaware on Tuesday that two of the students had been found. The other missing Burundians have been identified as Nice Munezero, 17; Kevin Sabumukiza, 17; Richard Irakoze, 18; and Aristide Irambona, 18. High school students from more than 150 countries took part in the FIRST Global competition. An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas. Burundi has long been plagued by civil war and other violence. Fighting has killed at least 700 people and forced 400,000 from their homes since April 2015. (Additional reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler) How to Create a vRealize Log Insight Content Pack Gain the convenience of sharing vRLI objects between systems. In the VMware vRealize Log Insight Deploy and Manage course, we take students through the process of building vRealize Log Insight (vRLI) objects (e.g., dashboards, queries, alerts, agent groups and extracted fields) to monitor their lab systems. Often students ask how they can take these vRLI objects back to the office with them, and I always explain that these are built as examples only, and need a thorough inspection for fit and use in their datacenter before being deployed. I then show them how they can create a content pack to encapsulate the objects they've created on a single file (content pack). Creating a vRLI content pack is relatively easy, but it may not be obvious to the casual vRLI user. Here's how to create a content pack from vRLI objects that you have created so you can use them in a different vRLI environment. Creating and Exporting Content Packs After creating your vRLI objects, select, located on the main vRLI drop-down menu (). [Click on image for larger view.] Figure 1. Creating Content Packs. On the Content Pack page, select My Content from the menu in the left pane, then select the Settings (gear) icon to the right of My Content in the center pane. The settings icon will only appear after pointing to it. From the settings drop-down menu, select Export (Figure 2). [Click on image for larger view.] Figure 2. Exporting content. After the Export Content Pack pop-up window () appears, select which objects you would like to have in your content pack on the left pane, then create a name for the content pack as well as fill out additional information on the right pane. Finally, select. This will save a .vlcp file to your local system. [Click on image for larger view.] Figure 3. The Export pop-up. Importing a Content Pack You can import the .vlcp file you created into another vRLI instance by transferring the vlcp file to the system you will be accessing the vRLI instance from, and then going to the Content Pack page. Selecting IMPORT CONTENT PACK at the bottom of the left pane activates up a pop-up window which allows you to import your content pack by selecting the .vlcp file saved to your local system (Figure 4). [Click on image for larger view.] Figure 4. Importing the .vlcp file. After the content pack has finished importing, you'll have access to all the vRLI objects created (dashboards, alerts and so on) in the content pack. Content packs provide an effortless way to transfer or share vRLI objects from one system to another, allowing you to reuse vRLI objects on multiple vRLI systems. The mother of a 6-year-old child who died after a car crash earlier this year has donated his organs, saving the lives of the four individuals who received them. Its what he would have wanted. Hes so loving and such a giving child that he would have wanted that, said Antoinette Suina, the mother of Joel Anthony Suina, at a news conference at New Mexico Donor Services on Monday, what would have been Anthonys (as he was called by his mother) seventh birthday. Suina, Anthony and Suinas daughter, Ariana, had been in a crash in April with an Albuquerque Police Department cruiser at the intersection at Eubank and Indian School. Both children were critically injured. Ariana underwent surgery and was later released from the hospital, but Anthony died after being taken off life support. Next to Suina at the conference was a poster with pictures of Anthony and his nickname, Super Bubbas, written across the top. Alongside it sat a cluster of five superhero-themed balloons, including one of Batman, Anthonys favorite superhero. We have Batman on the top, which represents Super Bubbas, Joel Anthony, said Maria Sanders, public education manager at New Mexico Donor Services. And the four balloons underneath it are the four lives he was able to save through his gift of organ donation. Anthonys right kidney, left kidney, liver and heart were donated to a 52-year-old man, 46-year-old woman, four-month-old baby boy and 11-year-old boy, respectively. His pancreas and lungs were donated to an unspecified research and education organization. For Suina, the fact that two childrens lives were saved was a particular comfort. Of course adults matter, too, but my son was a child, so my heart feels especially close to that, she said. Suinas family and friends planned to honor Anthony on Monday by having a balloon release at 7 p.m., Suina said. Suina also praised New Mexico Donor Services for its work and wanted to encourage the public to become organ donors. According to New Mexico Donor Services, thousands of individuals, including hundreds of New Mexicans, are currently on the national transplant waiting list. One individual donor can save eight other lives. Individuals can register to become organ donors at a New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division office when obtaining or renewing a drivers license or by visiting registerme.org. Fred B. Wyche was a creative soul. He could fix nearly anything that was broken and build anything that he could envision. Wyche retired from the Albuquerque Publishing Co. after more than 40 years, where he worked in various press, production and purchasing capacities, and he was involved in the planning and construction of the Journals printing plant when the newspaper moved from Downtown to its current location on Jefferson NE. Wyche, 73, died on July 8 after a brief illness. Born in Albuquerque, Wyche graduated from Rio Grande High School in 1962. His father, Jay Wyche, who also worked for the Journal Publishing Co. for nearly 40 years, got him a job in the pressroom. He took time off to serve in the U.S. Army, where he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart medal. After the war, he returned to Albuquerque and his job at the newspaper, and became his fathers supervisor 20 years later, causing Jay Wyche to later joke, Thats when I knew it was gettin time to retire. Fred himself finally retired from the publishing company in 2009. Roy McCallister, Albuquerque Publishing Co. production director, knew Wyche since 1983. As a manager, Fred saw the best in people and was able to get that out of them, he recalled. Most of the time, he was quiet, but he could engage anybody in conversation. While he wasnt boisterous or loud, he had a strong presence and you knew he was the boss. But he cared about people and because of that he was able to get them to accomplish a lot. Reno Vigil, a publishing company machinist, said he and Wyche shared a lot of common interests, particularly their love of building things. He worked on the drawings for the new site, where we are now, and he taught me how to do building drawings, so we both worked on that, he said. We saw the technology change rapidly and we did a lot of growing up together. Wyches daughter, Jessica, said her father could make anything he wanted and did it really well. Her father was best known for making ornate writing pens and pencils, and musical instruments, particularly string instruments like guitars and violins. But he loved playing instruments, too, she said. He played guitar, but I think his favorite was the mandolin. And he loved listening to all kinds of music, but mostly he liked blues and country. She also remembers her father as hilarious, just the funniest guy I knew, she said. Even people he just met he could make them laugh. In addition to his daughter Jessica, Wyche is survived by his wife, Monica, and his sister and brother-in-law, Martha and Dennis Sullins. He was preceded in death by his father, Jay and mother Nelline. Fred Wyche was buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. SANTA FE Test scores released by the state Public Education Department on Monday show a considerable increase in the number of Santa Fe Public Schools students considered proficient in English, while math scores remained static. SFPS students improved in English language arts by 2.6 percentage points to 28.3 percent proficient. But that was below the statewide average is 28.6 percent. The school district also lags behind the state on math scores, with 16.5 percent proficient, matching last years number, compared with a statewide average of 19.7 percent. The numbers mean that according to the PARCC test, less than three in 10 Santa Fe Public Schools students are proficient in English and less than two in 10 are proficient in math. Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica Garcia said she was happy to see improvement, but we still have to do better. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test is used to measure how well students in grades 3-11 perform in meeting federal Common Core standards. More than 8,600 Santa Fe students took the PARCC test this year, roughly 200 more than last year, when student protests were staged over the test. Superintendent Garcia said that while tests are important, focusing more on teaching and learning and less on taking tests may have resulted in better test scores. We focused on trying to bring back the joy of learning, Garcia said, adding that the emphasis was on teachers using best practices for teaching and learning. We felt if we implemented those best practices, good (test) outcomes would come naturally. The results by grade level and individual school were not released by PED on Monday. A PED spokeswoman said that data would be made public today. SFPS provided some additional information. A district press release said that in English language arts, some schools saw increases as high as 10 percentage points, and currently, the percentage of SFPS students who meet or exceed expectations in 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 9th grade ELA exceeds the state average. In math, there were pockets of significant growth, as some schools saw double digit percentage point increases, SFPS said. While we are not yet where we need to be, I am encouraged by the district wide 2.5 percentage point increase in students proficient in (English language arts), Garcia said in the news release. This rate of improvement is sustainable as we work to ensure all of our graduates are truly prepared for college and career. She added that while the districts math results indicate we have a long way to go, I am confident in our educators and our leadership team. This year we will fully implement methods of support to assist our math educators in making data-driven decisions and designing lessons that address the needs of our students. The district will also increase the use of math tutors and I will create a math task force in partnership with the Interfaith Coalition for Public Educations Birth 2 Career collaborative working group, the Math Amigos. In the end, as long as we provide our educators the tools they need to be successful and keep the focus on sound teaching, I am sure we will see growth next year. The state average for students considered proficient in both English and math dropped by 0.2 percentage point. Christopher Ruszkowski, PEDs acting secretary of education, told the Journal that Albuquerque Public Schools, with more than 80,000 students, is dragging down the state average. English proficiency for APS students dropped by 1.1 percentage points to 27.0 in English (1.6 percentage points below the state average) and 0.7 percentage points in math to 19.7 percent proficient (the same as the state average). No question the largest district is a bellwether of how we are doing, Ruszkowski said. We cant move forward as a state without our largest district on board. Other districts, such as Gadsden and Farmington, have signed on for many PED programs and improved their PARCC scores as a result, Ruszkowski said. Farmingtons scores are now among the best in the state 39.3 percent proficient in English and 25.5 percent in math, an increase of 11.5 and 5.8 percentage points, respectively, over three years of data. Gadsden, a small district near El Paso, is also above average. In 2017, 38.1 percent of its students were proficient in English and 24.4 percent in math, up 10.7 percentage points and 6.9 percentage points since 2015. While Santa Fes math scores remained steady from 2016 to 2017, with 16.5 percent of students proficient in that area, that rate represents a 2.7 percentage point increase since 2015, the first time the PARCC test was used. English proficiency has bounced up and down but shows a 1.5 percentage point increase since 2015. Im excited, Garcia said of the trend. I see the momentum building, I really do. The districts news release said the following schools increased proficiency percentages in both English and math from 2016 to 2017: Capital and Santa Fe high schools; DeVargas and Ortiz middle schools; Cesar Chavez, Chaparral, Nava, Pinon and Sweeney elementary schools; Gonzales Community School and Mandela International Magnet School. WASHINGTON President Trump had some remarkable things to say at the inaugural meeting of his Commission to Promote Voter Suppression and Justify Trumps False Claims, which is formally known as the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. He also asked a question that deserves an answer. Lest anyone believe Vice President Pences claim that this commission has no preconceived notions or preordained results, Trump was on hand last week to state clearly what its agenda is. With the resignation of Sean Spicer as White House press secretary and the rise of Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications czar an appropriate word these days the television cameras are riveted on the latest reality show, Spicey and The Mooch. But we dare not lose track of the threat the Trump Administration poses to the most basic of democratic rights. Remember that in January, Trump told congressional leaders that between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes were cast in last years election and that they were the reason he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.9 million. There is not a shred of evidence for this none, zero, zilch. Trumps defenders could find no plausible way to support his statement, which is not unusual. But Trump never backs off from a falsehood. So instead, he did something without precedent: He appointed a presidential commission solely to justify an offhand lie. And now that this body exists, it will almost certainly try to find ways to rationalize purging legitimate voters from the rolls and erecting yet more barriers to voting. Trump would not let the commissioners forget their reason for being there, his belief phantom votes really exist, although he put his own words into the mouths of unnamed people, who surprise! came to the same conclusions he did. Throughout the campaign and even after it, Trump said, people would come up to me and express their concerns about voter inconsistencies and irregularities, which they saw. In some cases, having to do with very large numbers of people in certain states. The commission issued a sweeping request to the states for data that included everything from voters Social Security numbers, military status and party affiliation to felony convictions. Trump purported to be pleased because more than 30 states have already agreed to share the information with the commission. In truth, the request has been met with widespread resistance from Republican as well as Democratic officials. As of July 8, the Associated Press reported not a single state was in full compliance. The Republican secretary of state of Mississippi, Delbert Hosemann, spoke for many of his colleagues with a regional twist when he told the administration to go jump in the Gulf of Mexico. Trump is not happy, and he responded in the way he knows best: with innuendo questioning the motives of others. If any state does not want to share this information, one has to wonder what theyre worried about. And I asked the vice president, I asked the commission: What are they worried about? Excellent question. Heres what we should worry about: We should worry about the security of the data. States have absolutely no confidence that the Trump administration will protect it. They also have every reason to fear Trump will misuse it. We should worry because his commission is the furthest thing imaginable from a dispassionate investigation into voting procedures. We should worry because Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state, is vice chairman of the commission. He is a voter suppression fanatic. He is also a Trump flunkie. The Washington Posts Philip Bump, who is doing an excellent job covering this charade, noted when NBCs Katy Tur asked him about the 3 million to 5 million fraudulent vote claim, Kobach said: We will probably never know the answer to that question. But we do know, and if Kobach thinks we dont, not a single state should trust him with a single bit of information. We should worry because, as Ari Berman noted in The Nation, a new study by MIT found 12 percent of the electorate in 2016 encountered a problem voting, and the Brennan Center reported more states have enacted new voting restrictions in 2017 than in 2015 and 2016 combined. This commission will push states to enact even more laws like these. We should worry because the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013 and this Congress has shown no signs of wanting to fix it. We should worry about the Trump administration closing civil rights offices and the Justice Department switching sides in voting rights cases. As Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said: I am old enough to remember when African Americans were denied access to the ballot box, and I fear that we are watching history repeat itself. We should worry Elijah Cummings intuition is right. E-mail: ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne. More than 50 people gathered Monday night for a vigil in remembrance of Khalil Jabbour, the taxi cab driver who was tragically killed less than a week ago. The mourners, composed of friends, family and even strangers, stretched along the sidewalk at University and Coal SE where the 59-year-old Jabbour was stabbed by Victor Ortiz, 46, late last Thursday. Will Sepulveda, a fellow cabdriver, lit several candles in front of a large picture of Jabbour. Although Sepulveda only knew Khalil for two short months, he described the man as one of the greatest cabdrivers he ever met. He was a really nice guy, very friendly, he said, adding that many of Khalils customers would say the same. Sepulveda said even other cabdrivers would say Khalil went beyond expectation as a cabdriver and Sepulveda looked forward to working the Sunport because Khalil would always be there. It saddens me, what happened to him, because it shouldnt have, he said. My prayers go out to him, my prayers go out to the family. Everyone sang Amazing Grace, many holding candles, with yellow ribbons around their wrists and tears running down their faces. Khalils brother, Sami Jabbour thanked everyone for gathering to remember Khalil. He had such love, he said. God bless his soul, I will miss him. Heather Abi-Khalil was neighbors with the Jabbour family for over 15 years and said she knew Khalil well. I didnt realize this many people that we didnt know would show up, she said, calling the large gathering amazing. Abi-Khalil described Jabbour as an amazing human being and she will never forget, of all things, the mans laugh. His laugh was infectious, she said. He was happy all the time. SAN FRANCISCO Firefighters are bracing for the possibility of dry lightning as they battle a stubborn blaze that has scorched nearly 120 square miles (308 square kilometers) near Californias Yosemite National Park. The wildfire burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills was 50 percent contained Monday. But the states fire protection agency says it could take crews another two weeks to fully surround it. More evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday, but flames continue to threaten about 1,500 structures in Mariposa County. The fire is burning about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Yosemite, but the park remains open. The blaze is one of more than a dozen that have ravaged California in recent weeks. A 24-year-old who shot and killed a man in a Downtown parking lot last summer was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison. Edward Chavez pleaded guilty before District Judge Stanley Whitaker to second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In exchange for his plea, the District Attorneys Office agreed to a 15-year sentence followed by two years of parole. Police were called around 10 p.m. June 11, 2016, a Saturday, to a parking lot at Central and Sixth Street where they found Antonio Thomas, 22, dead with two gunshot wounds. A concerned citizen later offered information to police that led them to Chavez, who they said was attempting to flee to Mexico. Its unclear what the two were fighting about, but Chavez told officers that Thomas attempted to stab him. And he admitted that his DNA would be on the murder weapon. Members of the Thomas family attended the hearing, but declined to address the judge. Chavez also admitted in court Monday that he had at least four prior felony convictions, including conspiracy, aggravated battery, motor vehicle theft and burglary of a vehicle. Two others, accused of trying to help Chavez escape, have felony cases pending in District Court. According to court documents, Leslie Mora and Dominick Mora-Solis were trying to collect money to help send Chavez to Mexico. They face charges including tampering with evidence, conspiracy and harboring a felon. Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal A 36-year-old man whos been in New Mexico prison since he was 16 for a series of rapes he committed when he was 14 and 15 is hoping the states Supreme Court will grant his petition for release, arguing his 91-year sentence is cruel and unusual punishment. The court heard oral arguments Monday morning in the case that is drawing great interest in the state. Joel Ira, who was sentenced in 1997, is serving the longest non-homicide juvenile sentence in the states history. It is longer than most sentences that have been given to adults who have raped children, and longer than most sentences that have been given to adults who have killed people, for which the mandatory minimum sentence in the state is 30 years. Ira, then living in Otero County, pleaded guilty when he was 16 to 10 counts of criminal sexual penetration. The girl was 8 or 9 at the time, and he was 14 and 15. Both prosecutors and Iras defense attorneys agree the girl suffered from bipolar disorder and that she had already survived other sexual abuse. But the sex acts are characterized differently by defense lawyers and the prosecution. Throughout the case, Iras various defense attorneys focus on parts of the police reports that show the girl first reported that some of the activities were playful and possibly even initiated by her. Prosecutors focus on the violence, including that the rapes were painful to the girl and that Ira threatened her if she told anyone. At the time of his trial, a handful of psychologists and analysts provided the court with varying reviews of the boys amenability to treatment, with most saying he was beyond help and a certain menace to society, while others agreed he would be helped with treatment if the state had suitable treatment. But it didnt. His defense attorney at the time suggested Ira accept a plea deal, predicting that hed probably be sent to the states juvenile prison for treatment until age 21, according to his current defense attorney Gary Mitchell. Instead, after Ira accepted the deal and pleaded guilty, state District Judge Jerry Ritter in Alamogordo sentenced him to 108 years in adult prison, later reduced to 91 years. The judge said he felt the need to make sure that even with good time credit Ira stayed in prison until he was an old man and physically less likely to harm others. An appeal was started immediately, but it failed when the state Court of Appeals ruled in 2002 that Ritters sentence should be upheld. (Ira) repeatedly raped his (victim) over a two-year period, degrading and demeaning his young victim with a shocking number of humiliating and painful acts. Although Defendants sentence is very long, the district court went to great lengths to explain that the sentence was intended as a means for protecting the public from Defendant in the face of a considerable amount of testimony demonstrating that Defendant was not amendable to current treatment methods and, as a result, would remain a threat to society, the Appeals Court judges ruled. Some of the judges were reluctant in agreeing to this, citing the state laws lack of an option for judges to check in on or re-evaluate juveniles who have been sentenced as adults to see if they have been rehabilitated. In 2015, Mitchell attempted another type of appeal in which he sought to bring Ira to Ritters court to show that he had been rehabilitated. Ritter denied release. Mitchell is trying again now before the Supreme Court, hoping that justices will release Ira from prison. Many of the oral arguments on Monday focused on a federal Supreme Court case referred to as Graham, for Graham v. Florida. That is a 2003 Florida case in which a 16-year-old was sentenced to a year in jail and then put on parole for robbing a store with some friends. While on parole, he committed another felony and was sentenced for that parole violation at age 19 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court found Grahams sentence to be unconstitutional because, justices said in the opinion, juveniles must always have meaningful opportunity to obtain release, such as parole. Mitchell on Monday said that the Graham case is an easy framework for showing that Iras sentence is unconstitutional because he wont have the option to appear before a parole board until he is 62 years old or 45 years into his sentence. If he lives that long, Mitchell said. Had he murdered his victim he would be eligible for parole after 35 years. Its basically a life sentence, Mitchell said. You cant sentence a juvenile to life in prison without parole. They have to be given hope. State prosecutors with Attorney General Hector Balderas office, though, say that the sentence is not unconstitutional because judges have discretion for sentencing based on factors in each case, and in this case Ira is an exceptionally dangerous person who shouldnt be treated as an average juvenile under Graham. State prosecutor Laurie Blevins, based in Albuquerque, said Ira committed a series of crimes and so his case is not the same as the one for Graham, who she said committed a single crime and not a series as Ira did. State Supreme Court Justice Charles Daniels said during arguments that Blevins was misreading the Graham case, which he said is more about the status of the offender and not the status of the crimes. Blevins declined comment after the arguments, which were packed with observers, many of whom commented that the case is an important legal moment in the states history. The court took the case under consideration, which means it will release its opinion at a later date. The national Juvenile Law Center out of Philadelphia filed a document in the case, called an amicus brief, on behalf of Ira, focusing on recent research that shows juvenile brains arent developed enough to hold them accountable to the same degree as an adult. Save Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A year after state lawmakers increased the minimum pay for New Mexico corrections officers in a bid to make a dent in chronically high vacancy and overtime rates at state-run prisons, there have been some improvements but little systemic change. Vacancy rates are still high 22 percent statewide and even higher at some facilities and a second phase of the salary increase plan has been put on hold due to budget constraints. Theres some huge trouble spots the vacancy rates are way too high, said Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, vice chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee. Im not certain weve made any headway at all. Although Smith described the situation as largely the result of an overly frugal approach to state government by Gov. Susana Martinezs administration, a Corrections Department spokesman accused the Democratic-controlled Legislature of underfunding the agency. The agencys budget was cut last fall as part of a solvency package signed into law by Martinez and its $297.3 million budget for the current fiscal year is less than its original budget for last year. Despite the Legislatures unwillingness to prioritize public safety, well continue to do all we can to keep dangerous defendants behind bars, said Corrections Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh. Low pay for corrections officers has generated increasing concern in recent years in New Mexico, which in 1980 had one of the deadliest prison riots in the nations history at the old state penitentiary outside Santa Fe. In recent years, officers have said that in some cases they face 16-hour workdays and up to 72-hour workweeks. That, in turn, has led to big overtime payouts and questions about officer fatigue and public safety. In an attempt to address the problem, lawmakers approved an additional $4.5 million for Corrections Department pay increases during the 2016 legislative session, but under the plan ultimately adopted by the agency only about half of the corrections officers employed by the state 557 of 1,046 officers got raises. Thats because the pay raises were given only to officers making less than $15.62 hourly the new minimum salary for corrections officers. Corrections Department officials said at the time that the minimum salary increase was just a first step, but no additional pay raises were approved this year as legislators grappled with a budget crunch caused by several years of lower-than-expected revenue levels. Labor union officials say that although last years pay increase helped with recruitment and overtime problems, some veteran officers are frustrated they have not received a raise for several years. Its still tough out there, said Miles Conway, a state spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, which represents corrections officers. Theres still not the ideal staffing at the bigger facilities. One of the six state-run prisons the Springer Correctional Facility has a vacancy rate of nearly 50 percent, according to Legislative Finance Committee data. Although union leaders have clashed with past corrections administrators, Conway lauded Corrections Secretary David Jablonski, who was appointed to the position in January, for letting corrections officers vote earlier this year on a prison-by-prison basis whether to work eight-hour shifts or 12-hour shifts. Meanwhile, the Corrections Department is also weighing ideas that could affect the vacancy rate, such as fast-tracking the hiring of already certified corrections officers including those who have previously worked for county jails. But getting them to stay on the job could be a challenge. Obviously, pay is the issue, Smith said. BERLIN, Md. Officials say a wild horse had been found dead after eating dog food that someone improperly stored at Assateague Island National Seashore. The National Park Service said in a statement that the body of the 7-year-old mare called Chama Wingapo was found dead in a campground on Thursday. The statement says an investigation found the horse had ingested a large quantity of dog food days earlier on July 17. A necropsy determined the dog food caused a blockage and resulted in a ruptured intestine, causing death. While the food may not have been given directly to the horse, officials say the dog food wasnt properly stored away from the horses. The statement says visitors must make sure all food, including pet food, is properly stored. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. Three lightning-caused house fires had to be extinguished by the Flagstaff Fire Department. Flagstaff Fire Battalion B Chief Kristin Smith says the fires that occurred this past weekend were contained quickly and no one was hurt. The first house was empty at the time of the fire and residents inside the other two houses called 911. The Arizona Daily Sun reports (http://bit.ly/2vY10t4 ) the fire department was also put on standby after heavy winds caused a number of live power lines to go down. Smith says each fire occurred on the roof of the homes and firefighters were able to confine each to the area of origin, so no serious damage was done. ___ Information from: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/ Southbound I-25 is closed between Algodones and Bernalillo, New Mexico following an officer involved shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) The State Police provided this photograph of the scene on Interstate 25 near Algodones today after an officer-involved shooting. A robbery suspect is in custody and no one was injured, according to tweets from the State Police. New Mexico State Police, Santa Fe Sheriff's deputies and other law enforcement officers investigate following an officer involved shooting on I-25 near Algodones, New Mexico, Tuesday. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 3 Next Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal A shootout between a robbery suspect and police during a chase on Interstate 25 that ended near Algodones was one of two officer-involved shootings in the area Tuesday morning. The first incident, in Bernalillo Countys South Valley, resulted in a suspected car burglar being hospitalized with a bullet wound. The second case left both a stolen truck that the robbery suspect was driving and police cars marked with bullet holes, but no one was hurt. However, the suspect is accused of threatening a 10-year-old girl at gunpoint during the robbery. A State Police spokeswoman said the suspect Lane Reed, 23, from Texas fired at pursuing officers at least three different times during the chase on I-25 that started just south of Santa Fe. Reed, who has a criminal record in Texas, was shooting at officers and putting peoples lives at danger, said Lt. Elizabeth Armijo. Were happy no one was injured, she added. State Police say Reed robbed the popular Pecos River Station convenience store just off the interstate in San Jose, about 40 miles southeast of Santa Fe, about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday. Glen Post, the owner of Pecos River Station, said later by phone that the gunman came in while a clerk was mopping the floor and the clerks granddaughter was behind the counter. He said Reed pointed a gun at the girl and threatened to kill her if the clerk didnt give him money and the keys to her vehicle. The girl was screaming and the gunman said he would shoot her if she didnt shut up, Post said. The clerk gave Reed $250 out of the register but didnt have any keys. Post, who was upstairs when the robbery started, thought the commotion might be an argument. Once Post was downstairs, he said, Reed pointed the gun at him and demanded the keys to his truck and his pistol. I called police as I watched him get on the interstate in my truck, Post said. He said he was going to kill me if he heard sirens behind him. Post said the store was closed as State Police processed the scene, but that he would reopen as soon as possible. This kind of crap doesnt stop us, he said. About 10 a.m., someone with the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office reported seeing Posts stolen truck in the La Cienega area, just southwest of Santa Fe. A chase ensued heading south on I-25 and State Police officers joined in. At least three different times, Reed shot at officers during the pursuit, according to Armijo. At least one State Police officer and one Santa Fe County deputy fired back. At that point, the stolen truck stopped and Reed was taken into custody near Algodones, Armijo said. She said, once in custody, Reed told police he knew he was wanted by authorities and wanted to go out with a bang. The stolen truck Reed was driving and police cars were both hit by bullets, Armijo said at the Algodones scene. It was a very threatening situation, she said. The State Police released a photo Tuesday afternoon showing one police car with a bullet hole in its windshield. Further investigation revealed that the Cross Roads gas station in Raton had been robbed Monday by a man matching Reeds description, Armijo said. The suspect in the Raton robbery also used a silver, small-framed revolver before fleeing in a Toyota four-door sedan with Florida plates. Police found the black sedan near the Pecos River Station and found it had been reported stolen out of Denver on Sunday around 9 p.m., with the suspect matching Reeds description, she said. Witnesses said the suspect took the vehicle at gunpoint from a Diamond Shamrock gas station. Armijo said the Denver Police Department was able to establish that Reed was the suspect in the theft of the black Toyota. Reed was booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center for charges from this incident, as well as numerous nationwide arrest warrants for crimes including robbery, aggravated robbery and aggravated motor vehicle theft, Armijo said. The names of the officers involved in the shooting incident havent been released and the investigation is ongoing. Court records on the Texas Department of Public Safety website show that Reed pleaded guilty to felony burglary in 2011 and initially got a sentence of probation, but later was sentenced to a year of confinement. He also was convicted of second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal mischief in 2013, and was sentenced to three years of confinement. Online documents show that Reeds sentence expiration date was July 20, 2016. South Valley case Earlier in the South Valley, a deputy on patrol shot and injured an auto burglary suspect about 1 a.m. Tuesday after a short foot chase and a struggle in an apartment complex parking lot near Goff and Isleta SW. In an afternoon news conference, Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said the suspect is expected to make a full recovery. He did not identify the suspect or the deputy involved. Gonzales said the incident started when the deputy heard a vehicle alarm sounding in a nearby apartment complex on the 1600 block of Goff SW. He said the deputy went to investigate and saw that several vehicles had been broken into. Deputies set up a perimeter and began to search for a suspect. A foot pursuit ensued, Gonzales said. And the deputy eventually came into contact with the alleged offender in this incident. Gonzales said the suspect didnt comply with the deputys commands and implied he had a weapon. He said the deputy deployed his Taser at the suspect, but it didnt faze him. Obviously, it was escalating verbally, and a combative violent interaction between the deputy and the suspect ensued, Gonzales said. Eventually, the deputy felt threatened and the deputy had to stop his actions by firing his firearm. No other weapons were found at the scene. Gonzales said he didnt know how many times the deputy fired or how many times the suspect was struck. The suspect was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. This is the third time a deputy has shot at a suspect this month. Two of the suspects were hit and injured. Journal staff writer Megan Bennett contributed to this story. DETROIT A German Volkswagen executive who has been in a Michigan jail for months plans to plead guilty in the companys U.S. emissions scandal, a court spokesman said Tuesday. Oliver Schmidt, former manager of a VW engineering office in suburban Detroit, will appear in federal court on Aug. 4. His lawyers disclosed the plan during a brief conference with a judge, spokesman David Ashenfelter said. Schmidt is one of many VW employees charged in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles, but most are in Germany and out of reach of U.S. authorities. Hes been in custody since January when he was arrested while on vacation in Miami before he could return to Germany. VW admits using software to get around diesel emission standards. Schmidt is charged with conspiracy and fraud. Hes accused of lying to U.S. regulators by saying technical problems not sneaky software were to blame for the difference in emissions in road and lab tests. A message seeking comment was left for Schmidts lawyer. Im unable to comment on what the terms of the plea agreement might be, said Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for prosecutors. VW pleaded guilty in March and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties, on top of billions more to buy back cars. U.S. District Judge Sean Cox has refused to release Schmidt on bond, saying he might flee. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal WASHINGTON In dramatic action on the Senate floor Tuesday, the chamber voted narrowly with Vice President Mike Pence casting the deciding vote to begin debate on health care legislation that would dismantle much of the Affordable Care Act, with details of the legislation remaining a mystery to most senators casting votes. The 51-50 vote Tuesday triggered an automatic additional 20 hours of debate and what will likely be a slew of proposed amendments to the legislation. When the 100-member Senate deadlocks, as it did Tuesday, the vice president of the United States is called in to cast a tiebreaking vote. After the motion to proceed passed, Republicans failed to move a sweeping provision the Better Care Reconciliation Act Tuesday night that would have partly repealed and replace Obamacare. The chamber today will begin considering other legislative options. The timing of a final vote or which of several GOP bills under consideration will come to a final vote remained unclear Tuesday. The U.S. House approved legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare in May. The Senate bills under consideration would abolish much of former President Obamas law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers. At least a dozen GOP senators have openly said they oppose or have criticized the measure, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has revised as hes hunted Republican support. Under Senate rules, Republicans and Democrats will conduct 20 hours of floor debate over the next several days and consider multiple amendments. A final vote to dramatically change the U.S. health care system could come by the end of the week. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrats who have fiercely opposed any efforts to scrap Obamacare, both voted against the motion to proceed to debate. Udall called the Republican effort to eliminate key provisions of Obamacare devastating for New Mexicans, thousands of whom he said would lose health care coverage as a result. Sen. John McCain, who received a standing ovation from colleagues on both sides of the aisle when he returned to the Senate floor today despite a grim brain cancer diagnosis, voted in support. But McCain also said he could not vote on the bill in its current form, and he urged the Senate to return to an open legislative process if the legislation ultimately fails. I will not vote for this bill in the form it is in today, he said. It is a shell of a bill. With Republicans wielding a narrow 52-48 majority, the 80-year-olds appearance let McConnell lose two GOP senators and still prevail wiggle room that would have shrunk to just one in McCains absence. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both broke with the Republican Party and voted against the motion to proceed to debate. Udall said that in all his years in Congress, he had never seen anything like the Senate Republicans shameful vote Tuesday. Senate Republicans are barreling toward a massive, devastating and cruel upheaval of health care in New Mexico and across the country without even showing us what theyre going to vote on, Udall said. This process is a disgrace to the Senate and a betrayal of the people we were sent here to serve. In an essay posted on the Medium website before Tuesdays vote, Heinrich also blamed Republicans for choosing to move forward on a bill the Senate had not had time to review. Instead of looking to solve real problems, Republicans have raced down a partisan dead end and today are left with the choice of whether or not to turn around, Heinrich wrote. They still dont know exactly what bill they are going to vote on in a few hours, they have never once held a hearing on it, and it would be impossible for Senators to have read it. What we do know is that it is not a true attempt to fix our health care system. President Donald Trump hailed the vote. I applaud the Senate for taking a giant step to end the Obamacare nightmare, Trump said in a statement. As this vote shows, inaction is not an option, and now the legislative process can move forward as intended to produce a bill that lowers costs and increases options for all Americans. The Senate must now pass a bill and get it to my desk so we can finally end the Obamacare disaster once and for all. Obamas law was enacted in 2010 over unanimous Republican opposition. Since then, its expansion of Medicaid including in New Mexico and creation of federal insurance marketplaces has produced 20 million fewer uninsured people. Its also provided protections that require insurers to provide robust coverage to all, cap consumers annual and lifetime expenditures and ensure that people with serious medical conditions pay the same premiums as those who are healthy. But many peoples health care costs have risen as both premiums and deductibles have increased sharply. And many health care exchanges have either increased costs to their clients or collapsed. McConnell said GOP senators made commitments to our constituents to provide relief from this failed left-wing experiment. And now we have a real opportunity to keep those commitments. A U.S. magistrate judge found probable cause this week to support criminal complaints that separately charged Francisco Alberto Guerrero-Rodriguez, 20, and Noe Lucero-Ceniceros, 28, both Mexican nationals in the U.S. illegally, with cocaine trafficking. The charges arise out of seizures of large quantities, almost 20 pounds each, of cocaine at two U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints in southern New Mexico, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. Border Patrol agents arrested Guerrero-Rodriguez last Thursday after they allegedly seized 19.4 pounds of cocaine from his vehicle at a checkpoint on Highway 54 south of Alamogordo. The cocaine was concealed in an after-market compartment above the gas tank that was accessed through a trap door under the vehicles back seat. Agents arrested Lucero-Ceniceros last Friday, after they allegedly seized approximately 19.14 pounds of cocaine from his vehicle at a checkpoint on I-25 near Hatch. The cocaine was concealed compartment that was accessible through a trapdoor only accessible after removing the vehicles rear passenger compartment. Guerrero-Rodriguez and Lucero-Ceniceros both were remanded into custody pending their trials, which have yet to be scheduled. Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy is reviewing the districts low PARCC scores and working on a plan to improve. Reedy called the results perplexing in a statement emailed to the Journal on Tuesday afternoon. We made some gains, but we also saw losses, she said of the latest scores, which were released Monday by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Our high school students continue to outperform their peers across the state, but our elementary and middle school students didnt fare as well. Overall, APS English proficiency dropped to 27 percent, down 2.1 percentage points since 2015. Math scores increased slightly to 19.7 percent over the same period. Statewide, 28.6 percent of children met the benchmark for English and 19.7 percent for math only marginally better than in 2015, the first year New Mexico administered the controversial assessment. While APS high school students were relatively strong, with scores exceeding the state averages, they failed to show growth on a number of PARCC tests. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a rigorous exam aligned with Common Core standards, is administered by computer in grades 3-11. APS 11th-graders reached 44.4 percent proficiency in English on the latest round of testing about a percentage point above the state average but they actually performed better in 2015 when their proficiency rate was 51.3 percent. The districts English scores also slid significantly in 10th and third grades over the past three years. Math scores remained relatively flat or rose between 1 and 3 percentage points across most APS grade levels. Christopher Ruszkowski, acting secretary of education, pointed to several large districts that saw stronger improvement but acknowledged that APS with one-quarter of the states students at more than 80,000 had a huge impact on New Mexicos overall scores. No question the largest district is a bellwether of how we are doing, he told the Journal. We cant move forward as a state without our largest district on board. Reedy said APS is addressing concerns like low tests scores in a five-year academic master plan that outlines district goals and steps to reach them. One component is a new pre-K to graduation approach to education. APS administrators are gathering this week for professional development, including a review of the plan. We understand the work that needs to be done, and we wont be satisfied until our students are where they need to be, Reedy said. Like many districts, APS saw some of its schools post strong gains, while others slid backward. East Mountain High School was a standout for improvement in English and math, which rose 12.3 percentage points and 8.2 percentage points, respectively, from the previous year. Conversely, Bandelier Elementary dropped 19.2 percentage points in math and Volcano Vista 11.8 percentage points in English. Reedy noted that districts across New Mexico need to improve their results. The truth is there are few scores in the state that we can be proud of, she said. Personnel shake-ups are continuing at Molina Healthcare as the multi-state insurer announced plans to cut 1,400 jobs in the next few months, although it is unclear how employment in New Mexico will be affected. The announcement comes several months after the company said it would shed 81 jobs from its 1,200-person New Mexico workforce. Molina is the largest participant in the states insurance marketplace, with about 37 percent of the 55,000 New Mexicans who enrolled for 2016 coverage. It posted $1.3 billion in revenue in 2015. Molina, which specializes in the Obamacare and Medicaid healthcare programs for low-income and poor people, plans to cut the 1,400 jobs by the end of September, according to an internal company memo reviewed by Reuters. The memo was sent to employees by Molinas Interim CEO and CFO Joe White. It said the cuts, representing 10 percent of the companys 6,400 corporate employees and 10 percent of 7,700 health plan jobs, aim to contribute to savings by 2018 for the publicly traded company. Molina Healthcare spokeswoman Danielle Smith said the Long Beach, Calif.-based company would not comment Tuesday on what effect the announcement would have on New Mexico. Calls to Daniel Sorrells, the newly named president of Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, were not returned by deadline. In a previous Journal interview, Sorrells didnt discount the possibility of more layoffs. There are no plans for future staff reductions, but we also have to make sure we are operating as efficiently as possible, Sorrells said in June. In the case of the recent layoffs, these were driven by a state restructuring of care coordination rules, and we were overstaffed. We look to optimize our local workforce by helping service other Molina plans. A good example is our New Mexico call center, which supports other plan members and our providers around the country. The layoffs, part of what White called Project Nickel, do not include the companys Pathways behavioral health business, which employs about 5,500 people. We must be exceptionally strategic in doing more with less, White said in the memo. He said the company was facing both internal and external uncertainty. Molina, which has more than 1 million members in individual plans sold on the exchanges created under Obamacare, has asked lawmakers to keep in place this year the government payments that help members afford their plans. Molina, part of an investor-owned company, serves about 270,000 members in New Mexico through Medicaid, Medicare and the state health insurance marketplace. It serves nearly 5 million people in 12 states and Puerto Rico. Cornell Rocha, Senior Brand Services Manager Client Servicing, FCB Interface, has been fascinated about brands for long. An account management person who thinks creative, Rocha is proud of his writing skills, even earning the moniker of Closet Copywriter in FCB Interface. Rocha also believes that having a Never Finished attitude is quite valuable in todays advertising world. What does it takes to climb up the ladder in advertising? Heres Cornell Rocha in his own words... How did you get into the role you are serving? Building brands was always something that fascinated me, which is why I joined Network Advertising after my BMM (Bachelors of Mass Media) in 2008. Here, I got the opportunity to work on top national brands and honed my basic and operational skills. This love for brand building also pushed me to complete my MMM (Masters of Marketing Management). Having helped build brands on a national level, I always wanted to experience working on a global brand. I was eager to learn the nuances in terms of strategy, insights and developing communication for a much diverse brand and its audience. So, when the opportunity to work on a global account with global network FCB came along, I grabbed it with both hands. Looking back, its a decision that Im glad I took. What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table? To begin with, I am an account management person who thinks creative, be it with creative thought starters on regular mundane jobs or by just stirring the creative melting pot with proactive ideas. Being a good writer is another skill Im proud of. This not only helps me in writing briefs and presentations, but also helps in crafting apt replies to those mails that we often get as account management people. Most of the creative people at FCB Interface have nicknamed me as Closet Copywriter and I take it as a compliment. Most importantly, having a Never Finished attitude is quite valuable in todays advertising world. It shows that you are a dependable and dedicated resource who will stop at nothing. One campaign that you have worked on that you are particularly proud of? Please take us through the making of the campaign. The Nivea Creme campaign that we executed in 2015 was quite exceptional in terms of the strategy, idea and execution. The problem the brand faced was that while it was growing in market share, the brand equity scores were stagnant and didnt move up. Research revealed that the reason behind this was that competitive brands scored better on Niveaness parameters like care, trustworthy, mild, feel good in my skin, etc. So, care as a platform was not unique to Nivea, and other brands occupied it in some way or the other. The task, therefore, was to focus on building Nivea Creme values through advertising, thereby creating a distinct, meaningful space in the targets mind (Indian mothers) in an emotionally engaging manner. The insight that we used was that Indian mothers are generally more apprehensive and afraid to let go of their children beyond their radar. While children being children, want to go out, play and explore life outside home. The strategy and role of the brand was to provide relief to the conflict/ tension (in the mothers mind) and build a moment of love and togetherness between the mother and child. Behaviour change that the film facilitated was letting go of the child so that the child can explore while the mother herself is reassured that she has imparted her loving touch. Watch the films: The campaign worked well for the brand and also propelled the brand to become the No. 1 brand in the All Purpose Creams (APC) category. While working on the creatives how do you prepare yourself? What goes on in your mind? Finding a creative angle or a route that can steer creatives in a promising direction is the main challenge. The more you read and research about the product/ service and consumer, the more are the chances that you will stumble upon a good platform for the brand to be on. There can be no excuses for not being prepared in terms of knowing the background, the market scenario and facts about the product/ service. So, being equipped with all this ammunition is vital to develop any creative brief. Icons in advertising you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work? Growing up, Karl Gomes was someone who I looked up to. He stays a few blocks away from my home, so his was a story I could see with my own eyes and he is a superstar who I always had access to. I continue to approach him when I need advice in advertising. Having just returned from Cannes 2017, the person who influenced me the most was the multi-award winning David Droga (who was also the recipient of the Lion of St. Mark award at this years Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity). His achievements in advertising at such a young age and his speech after receiving the award was truly inspirational. Our global CCO, Susan Credle, and her journey in advertising is extremely inspiring. Having met her in person at Cannes this year and spoken to her in depth, I can certainly say that shes a woman whos down to earth and at the same time fearless and Never Finished too. All these are people who believe that great creative is something that helps build meaningful brands for the long-term. What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine? I begin my day with a 4-5 km run so that my body is pumped up for the rest of the day. Read a chapter from the Bible while travelling to work, it just calms the mind. As soon as I reach office, I spend 20-30 minutes reading up on advertising industry websites. Ensure that I have an interesting lunch so that theres something to look forward to. This also means that I share lunch boxes with colleagues so that theres variety and an opportunity to interact. Laugh hard as many times as I can in a day. I believe that if you cant laugh hard at least once a day, youre in the wrong place. Do you think a career in advertising is a viable one in the long term? Yes, I had my doubts on a long-term career in advertising, but Cannes this year has changed that perspective. Having seen advertising legends as well as those in the making first hand, I believe a career in creativity is something that will always be fulfilling, valued and respected. What does it take to succeed in a career like advertising? As I mentioned earlier, a Never Finished attitude towards work is of prime importance. The ability to see the right opportunities and grab them with both hands is vital to keep growing in the industry. Always have a curious mind. Keep asking questions, however dumb they might be. Have a pulse on the market and the consumer. Spending time outside office and in the market place regularly is important. Being humble always helps. What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry? Dont be afraid to try, youll never know if you dont try It may appear glamorous from the outside, but the first few years will be tough. However, perseverance, dedication and the right attitude will help you sail through. Read and keep yourself equipped with knowledge. Its your most lethal weapon. Set targets for your career and keep reviewing them. Save wisely and dont blow it up every Friday night! Where do you see yourself in five years time? CEO of an agency/ organisation. Is there any agency/ organisation that you would like to work with in the future? I have an inclination towards being eco-friendly, so I would love to work with an organisation that develops actionable campaigns that help make our planet and environment a better and greener place to live. Reaching 1.5 lakh commuters of Mumbai Metro would enable the Bank to become the travel partners of the commuters offering banking in transit. Through this initiative the Bank is also leveraging on its digital competency by offering anytime anywhere banking experience. The Bank is also exploring to offer more state- of- art- technology products & services through this platform. Bank of Baroda Andheri Metro Station is one of the landmark branding initiative by the Bank which will be unique revenue stream for the railways as expressed by Shri P.S. Jayakumar, MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda at the inauguration of Bank of Baroda Andheri Metro Station. Bank of Baroda has become the first bank to secure the Station branding rights of a metro station in Mumbai. Andheri Metro Station will now be called as Bank of Baroda Andheri. This announcement was made at a special event hosted by the bank on Monday July 3rd 2017. This event was graced by Mr. P S Jayakumar, MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda along with Executive Directors, Mr. Mayank K. Mehta, Mr. Ashok Kumar Garg & Ms. Papia Sengupta. Many other senior officials of the bank were also present on this occasion. Mr Jayakumar flagged off a Bank of Baroda branded metro train which will run the entire length of the Line 1 route of Mumbai Metro between Ghatkopar to Versova. The Me-Lobbies at the metro station will offer various banking services including Account Opening Kiosk to facilitate instant account opening and issuance of debit card with E- KYC, ATM for Cash Withdrawal and Multi-Functional Kiosk which offer facilities like cheque deposit, mobile recharge, account balance enquiry, mini statement generation, bill payment, internet banking convenience, etc . Digitas LBi, a part of Publicis Groupe, has been at the forefront of many thought-provoking campaigns and has evolved through the changing content consumption patterns in todays age. A global marketing and technology agency that transforms businesses for the digital age, Digitas LBi helps brands embrace the creative and technological changes revolutionising all aspects of their business. In India, the agencys footprint spans across Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, employing over 300 digital experts. Amaresh Godbole, Managing Director, India at DigitasLBi, has spent over 12 years working with network agencies, including Leo Burnett and Bates Asia, with a healthy mix of creative and digital marketing experience, enabling him to have a truly integrated view of any communication task. He has been part of the core team that built DigitasLBi from a start-up into a leading agency brand in India over the last 7 years. He was brought on board as Client Partner in 2009 to help convert a technology offering into an agency business (then LBi). He went on to become Head of Strategy & Account Management, and brought on board large MNC and Indian clients such as Budweiser (ABinBev), Vespa (Piaggio), Hindustan Unilever and Larsen & Toubro, to name a few. He took over as Managing Director for India in February 2015 and has continued to ensure the agencys continued growth. His strengths lie in a sound understanding of P&L, ensuring that the brand and consumer context is never lost in the chase for digital innovation, and an ability to spot and hone in talent. In conversation with Adgully, Amaresh Godbole speaks at length about DigitasLBis journey so far, emerging digital trends, power of partnerships, and effectively harnessing data. Excerpts: What have been the key benchmarks in DigitasLBi Indias journey over the years? I joined DigitasLBi in October 2009. At that time LBi was an independent network listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and they had a stake in a local technology business. I was brought on board to help transform this technology shop into a digital agency business. Right after I joined, LBi bought out the company completely and Himani Kapadia came back from the LBi UK office to take over the business as MD. We partnered closely for the next few years to grow the agency business in India. I took over as MD in February 2015 when Himani moved into an international role. And now, shes back leading 2 brands and hopefully well have the same run again. We started with a handful of people, some of whom remain with us till date. Back then, the demand for specialist digital agencies was growing exponentially, and we grew the business organically. We didnt really do a big acquisition of a local existing player, we built it ground up. It was a very good 3-4 years for us, where we brought on board leading MNC and Indian brands and built up our talent base crossing a head count of 150, which is typically considered growing to scale as an agency. Today, were 300 people. Then in 2013, Publicis Group bought the entire LBi network. It made perfect sense then to merge it with Digitas, which was acquired by Publicis much earlier. Digitas had a strong North American presence, and LBi helped make it a global one with a strong European and APAC footprint. Even if you look at India, LBi had become a strong player in Mumbai by that time and Digitas was an established brand in Delhi. Both brands operated in similar spaces, so the merger made us stronger around the world. Its been 3 years since and it is a perfectly integrated brand. DigitasLBi has a highly blended skillset. What we are globally as well as in India is about data inspired marketing while creative work is what gets reported the most, if you look at the services we offer our clients, its making sense of data to drive Creative, Technology, CRM and organic media solutions such as Search Experience. The composition is pretty well distributed in terms of revenue, number of engagements, etc. How have partnerships provided the momentum for growth? Given the enormous complexities that exist today, you can only survive and grow with partnerships. Our focus areas span technology partnerships, data partnerships and Intra group partnerships within the Publicis Groupe. We have now partnered with SiteCore in India, which is probably one of the most popular platform products that you get around the world. Globally, we are already partners with leaders such as Adobe and Oracle. They are all looking at the India market in a very big way. On the back of that, we should be seeing a lot of momentum for us. Then, within India itself we have a lot of data partnerships, but many are at a global level and they flow down to India. For instance, within that we have got comScore data and a whole lot of other pieces, but what we get is actually not just the reports that many agencies get, but the raw data that we can put in a sandbox, write scripts around it and do a lot of custom data work on it. Last but not the least, as the world moves towards reintegration, while demanding deep specialisation as well, collaborating with group agencies such as Leo Burnett and BBH has been driving a lot of momentum for us and value for our clients. Half of 2017 is over, in the remaining half what are the digital trends that you see holding firm? I think there are forward looking trends and then there are things that will have an immediate impact. First and foremost, the users process of search and discovery of content, and our optimisation of it is undergoing a sea change. Earlier, people always spoke about SEO, but SEO is very focused on Google as an algorithm versus the wider search experience base. So, we stopped calling it SEO, we call it search experience, because it now spans voice searches, digital assistants like Siri, YouTube and Facebook searches, e-commerce searches, etc. A lot depends on how you start planning for that environment, because thats the only way for brands and their content to be discovered in the future. This year, well also start seeing the combination of emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, robotics, 3D printing, VR, etc., combine to create unique customer experiences and drive business. From a marketing standpoint, I think it will help us build great solutions to human problems. You had mentioned data inspired marketing. What are the wide-ranging implications of using data? Are we really harnessing it to the optimum? Data is huge. Data is a very wide term and so far has remained a buzzword. For the sake of simplicity, lets narrow it down to three things from a marketing perspective. First is how data impacts the creative process. Data is becoming a new way of getting micro-insights. Youll still have an insight and big idea, but how do you translate that into hyper personalisation to increase relevance? For instance, we did custom data work for ShangriLa hotels in Hong Kong. While your wider approach is about the luxury experience of the hotel, data science helped us discover the little things consumers valued for instance, people simply loved the lobby of the hotel, and it was one of the most shared things about the hotel across image sharing platforms. This became a springboard for creative visualisation, and used what the consumer thought was important rather than the brand. Once this is in place, you start moving towards automated creative personalisation. You have algorithms which say these are the different audience patterns we are talking to, you pre-create multiple options of headlines, colour palettes, model images, etc., and the machine combines those different options, start seeing which permutations are driving better results, keep programmatically generating creative and targeting an audience in a very personalised manner. Its basically programmed to recreate those elements in a way that have the most impact. This approach is working wonders for e-commerce players. Of course, data can also become the story itself. The Spotify campaign, which surfaced data about user preferences, is a great example. As are all the infographics which are shared all the time. Secondly, data helps in making media choices. Programmatic is the word thats popular, in essence its data and algorithm driven smart media planning and buying. It allows you to move from, say, I am going to buy these five platforms so that I can broadly reach this audience VS I am going to buy someone of this persons profile and, therefore, only limitedly display these ads on different media so that my spillover is much lesser and my efficiency is much greater. Thirdly, data is a means of answering business questions. For instance, our data science work globally has led to things like helping fast food chains find new opportunities in day time slots Taco Bell realised breakfast in a particular locality was a big opportunity based on location signal analysis and mapping it to competition joints. Disney World realised that they could improve their turnout significantly simply by moving up their booking campaigns, as data helped identify that people planned their trips earlier than their current campaign cycles. Making this happen requires a significant investment in talent, tools and processes both for data engineering and data science. The engineering aspects involve setting up the systems of records that help get the data, and data science helps makes the connections with disparate data sources and surface insights. We have a team of 500-plus data scientists internationally. Further, we have developed a proprietary tool and process, which makes it possible to analyse and connect disparate petabytes of data. Lastly, these tools are as good as the data they are fed, and we have been building up data partnerships over the last two years to feed them media, location, transaction and other data signals. Were piloting the tool in India at the moment, and most of our clients are really excited about it. Youll hear more about it soon.